AzBilliards.com > Main Category > Non Pool Related > Why Is The Food Industry Trying To Kill Us? - Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid PDA
View Full Version : Why Is The Food Industry Trying To Kill Us? - Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid Pages : 1 2 3 [4] 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 jimmyg
10-12-2012, 07:03 AM
Now, I don't necessarily disagree with their recommendation to reduce the frequency of PAP testing, ..... "The FDA has licensed the vaccine as safe and effective. This vaccine has been tested in thousands of females (9 to 26 years of age) around the world. These studies have shown no serious side effects. The most common side effect is brief soreness at the injection site." It does not even hint at the many thousands of serious adverse events reported after Gardasil vaccinations to the government's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) since its approval, including 26 deaths in the past 12 months alone! Furthermore, the death rate from cervical cancer in the United States is a mere 3 per 100,000. Your daughter has a much higher risk of dying in a car accident than she does dying from cervical cancer. Cervical cancer rates are even lower in some European countries. The reason why the mortality rate is so low is because the immune system's of the vast majority of women is usually strong enough to clear up this kind of infection on its own, and does so in more than 90 percent of all cases. The CDC even admits to this fact on their website. For the "Greater Good" – At What Price? ......... Keep in mind that to this day, we have NO reliable data indicating just how many children are truly being harmed by any particular vaccine, as adverse event reporting is completely voluntary. Many people are still unaware that the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) even exists, or that you can file a report yourself if your doctor fails to make a report.. The CDC itself admits that only a small fraction of hospitalization, injuries and deaths after vaccination are ever reported. In one 1993 article ..... In an ideal world scenario, any and all adverse events would be reported following vaccination, and health outcomes would be evaluated long-term. Today, many doctors and health authorities simply dismiss adverse events as "unrelated" to the vaccine. But on what do they base their conclusions? I urge you to take the time to watch The Greater Good, and start to think about some of the profound questions raised in the film. ... When our government recommends doctors give children 69 doses of vaccines and many of those vaccines are mandated, safety MUST become the FIRST priority for public health officials, and doctors giving vaccines. It is essential that the appropriate studies be done to find out if the current vaccine schedule is doing far more harm than good. Money and Ideology Influencing Vaccine Policy & Law: How Parental Rights are Being Threatened in America There's ample evidence showing that the US government, through the CDC, has an enormous, well-coordinated plan to mass-vaccinate with as many vaccines as possible.1 This plan has been ongoing for years, and has grown exponentially. They've covered all their bases by enjoining numerous legislative groups, such as Women In Government2 (whose sponsors3 include Merck, Eli Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline), and physicians' groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics. These are just two examples – there are literally dozens, and possibly more, groups and individuals that are collectively pushing vaccines. Churches are one of the latest additions to the ever-growing list of organizations to be pulled into the fold of vaccine pushers. For example, last year, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, along with the U.S. Health and Human Services, the Office of Minority Health, and the CDC, began reaching out to faith-based organizations, urging them to sponsor flu clinics with Walgreens. The reason they're doing this, health officials said, is that they've found that non-traditional settings such as worship services can be highly effective in influencing people's decisions... Pushing matters even further, in Indiana, a new law now requires churches with day care centers to make sure each child has received "age appropriate" vaccines as determined by the state department of health4 – effectively removing a parent's right to change their child's vaccine schedule. The old law only required parents to inform the church day care center that they objected to vaccines for religious reasons. It did not make churches the enforcers of the state vaccine schedule. When you follow the money, you realize that vaccine makers are the ones pulling the political strings to eliminate vaccine exemptions. Eliminating this right nationwide would be a major coup de gras in terms of making sure everyone is vaccinated with as many vaccines as possible. Make no mistake about it, it's the Pharma-funded medical trade associations and state and federal health agency employees that are lobbying in state legislatures for non-medical vaccine exemptions to be removed, and it has everything to do with maximizing profits, and nothing to do with protecting people's health from every disease under the sun. The (ultimately unsuccessful) efforts to strip citizens in Vermont of their right to non-medical exemptions earlier this year is but one example of what is happening, and what the ultimate plan for the entire nation is... video... Profit Before Safety Naturally, there's BIG money driving all this. The pharmaceutical industry and its cohorts have been really creative about how to influence vaccine uptake. Positive and negative reinforcement strategies are simultaneously employed, from strong-arming physicians with the threat of a bad health grade if they fail to have a good vaccine rate in their practice, to monetary gifts and other ego-boosting incentives.5 Another strategy to increase vaccination rates and coverage is to push combination vaccines.6 This saves money and increases vaccination rates at the same time. Never mind the fact that most drug company pre-licensure studies do not study new combination vaccines given simultaneously with all the other vaccines licensed and recommended to demonstrate that giving children multiple doses of vaccines at the same time is actually safe. The government is heavily funding the vaccine plan, in a number of different ways. As just one example, the federal government had $1,575,000 in grants available through June 15, 2012 to "increase adult immunization rates through healthcare provider partnerships."7 And then there's the "317 grant program," which funnels hundreds of millions of dollars toward vaccinations. .... "...in 2005, CDC awarded $431 million in federal grants to state, local, and territorial health agencies for program operations and vaccine purchase. Currently there are 64 grantees: all 50 states, six large cities, and eight territories and former territories." At the same time, the CDC is now accepting handouts from, and encourages "partnerships" and "sponsorships" between vaccine makers and private physicians – which really is a form of conflict of interest – to further boost vaccine coverage. To that end, incentives such as cash and grocery gift cards have also been designed to give to parents so they'll want to vaccinate without any fuss.9 In 1994, the CDC also formed a foundation that that has numerous vaccine programs, many of which are sponsored by major pharma funds.10 And then there's Big Pharma's lobbying, which seems almost small compared to the "big incentive guns" that the CDC has pulled out in this effort... It all ties in to the Health and Human Services (HHS) updated National Vaccine Plan.11 What You Can Do to Make a Difference While it seems "old-fashioned," the only truly effective actions you can take to protect the right to informed consent to vaccination and expand vaccine exemptions, is to get personally involved with your state legislators and the leaders in your community. Vaccine Awareness WeekTHINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY. Mass vaccination policies are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level, and it is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact. Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org not only gives you access to practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community, but when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips to make sure your voice is heard. So please, as your first step, sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal. Contact Your Elected Officials Write or email your elected state representatives and share your concerns. Call them, or better yet, make an appointment to visit them in person in their office. Don't let them forget you! It is so important for you to reach out and make sure your concerns get on the radar screen of the leaders and opinion makers in your community, especially the politicians you elect and are directly involved in making vaccine laws in your state. These are your elected representatives, so you have a right and a responsibility to let them know what's really happening in your life and the lives of people you know when it comes to vaccine mandates. Be sure to share the "real life" experiences that you or people you know have had with vaccination. Share Your Story with the Media and People You Know If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury or death, please talk about it. If we don't share information and experiences with each other, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is only presenting one side of the vaccine story. I must be frank with you; you have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the "other side" of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down. Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it. We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies to dominate the conversation about vaccination. The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than "statistically acceptable collateral damage" of national one-size-fits-all mass vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn't be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings. Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More I encourage you to visit the following web pages on the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) website at www.NVIC.org: NVIC's Quick Fact Information on Diseases & Vaccines: Learn more about the 16 diseases and vaccines licensed and recommended by doctors for children and adults. Find out what the vaccine manufacturers, government and medical trade groups say, along with independent analyses and live links to references, so you can do your own research. NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims: View descriptions and photos of children and adults, who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here. If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 Questions: Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries. Vaccine Freedom Wall: View or post descriptions of harassment by doctors or government officials for making independent vaccine choices. Connect with Your Doctor or Find a New One that Will Listen and Care If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don't want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination. However, there is hope. At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they're starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents. ......... So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.
jimmyg
10-13-2012, 06:44 AM
Suicide Overtakes Car Accidents as Leading Cause of Injury-Related Death By Dr. Mercola link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/11/suicide-and-poisoning-rate-increased.aspx?e_cid=20121011_DNL_art_1 A recent report on causes of death shows that suicide has now overtaken traffic accidents as the leading cause of injury-related death in the US. One reason for that is because car accident occurrences are down. But even so, the rate of suicide rose by an unhealthy 15 percent between 2000 and 2009, and poisoning (the number one cause of which is prescription drugs) rose by a whopping 128 percent. Fatal prescription drug overdoses surpassed car crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in 2007, according to the Department of Health. Many of the overdoses (36 percent) involve prescription opioid painkillers, which were actually the cause of more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. Some authorities believe many of these drug poisonings may actually be intentional suicides, even though they may have been classified as accidental. According to the study's author: "Suicides are terribly undercounted; I think the problem is much worse than official data would lead us to believe. There may be 20 percent or more unrecognized suicides." If his estimation is correct, we may be looking at upwards of a 35 percent rise in suicide between the years of 2000-2009... It's estimated that a person commits suicide every 15 minutes in the United States. For each of these suicide deaths, an estimated 8-25 people made suicide attempts.1 Taken together, the latest preliminary 2010 data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists intentional self-harm, or suicide, as the 10th leading cause of all death in the United States. Whatever means they use to commit suicide, the rapid increase of people reaching that level of desperation leave us wondering: Why? Is a Crumbling Economy to Blame? There's clearly evidence suggesting that economic recessions and financial hardships can be a significant contributing factor.2 According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates tend to rise and fall along with recessions and economic booms. For example, during the 1932 Great Depression, as many as 22 people per 100,000 committed suicide. The current economic collapse has also led to a well-documented rash of suicides across Europe. According to the New York Times:3 "Especially in the most fragile nations like Greece, Ireland and Italy, small-business owners and entrepreneurs are increasingly taking their own lives in a phenomenon some European newspapers have started calling 'suicide by economic crisis.' ...In Greece, the suicide rate among men increased more than 24 percent from 2007 to 2009, government statistics show. In Ireland during the same period, suicides among men rose more than 16 percent. In Italy, suicides motivated by economic difficulties have increased 52 percent, to 187 in 2010 – the most recent year for which statistics were available – from 123 in 2005. ...In Ireland, the phenomenon has been linked to what some therapists call Celtic Tiger depression, the period after 2008 characterized by an influx of middle-aged male patients who complained about sleeplessness and a lack of appetite in the aftermath of that nation's destructive boom-and-bust real estate market." Other Contributing Factors to Rising Suicide Rates As one person is quoted as saying in the New York Times, people don't kill themselves because they have debts, rather it's a combination of factors that lead to desperation. ....... However, the primary risk factor for suicide is depression in combination with substance abuse, and this could include alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription drugs. It's estimated that more than 90 percent of those who end up taking their own lives fit into this category.4 Another important factor that cannot be overlooked is poor health, which can stretch already strained finances, family and living conditions to the very limit. ..... Common signs and symptoms that may be indicative of a detrimental interaction between two or more drugs include:Tiredness, sleepiness or decreased alertness, confusion (chronic or intermittent), Weakness, Anxiety or excitability, Constipation, diarrhea or incontinence, Dizziness and/or falls Tremors, Skin rashes, Loss of appetite, Depression or lack of interest in your usual activities, Hallucinations - seeing or hearing things, Decreased or altered sexual behavior. Antidepressants May Be Fueling the Problem Sadly, the knee-jerk conventional treatment for depression and suicidal tendencies is almost exclusively prescription antidepressants. Every year, more than 253 million prescriptions for antidepressants are filled in the United States, making them the second most prescribed drug class in the United States (second only to cholesterol-lowering drugs).5 But how effective are antidepressants in alleviating the symptoms of depression? Studies have repeatedly demonstrated that antidepressants are no more effective than a placebo, and in some case less effective. A study published in the January 2010 issue of JAMA concluded there is little evidence that SSRIs (a popular group of antidepressants that includes Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft) have any benefit to people with mild to moderate depression.6 The researchers stated: "The magnitude of benefit of antidepressant medication compared with placebo... may be minimal or nonexistent, on average, in patients with mild or moderate symptoms." SSRIs were found to be 33 percent effective, just like a sugar pill – but with far more adverse effects, including violence and suicidal thoughts and actions. Exercise actually outperforms antidepressants, but many still overlook this option. video... There is much evidence that antidepressants intensify violent thoughts and behaviors, both suicidal and homicidal, especially among children. ....... Add to this a faltering economy and many literally feeling like they're "fighting for their livelihoods" and the safety of their family, and the use of antidepressants may very well be pushing people over the edge rather than keeping them from it... It all depends on how you react to them. Red Flags: Is Someone You Know Teetering on the Edge? If someone close to you has recently endured a hardship, or you have noticed a change in their behavior, how can you tell when ordinary stress or sadness has progressed to a potentially suicidal level? Besides straightforward or "sideways" comments about not wanting to live any longer, some of the red flags that a person has a high risk for self-harm include: Acquiring a weapon - Hoarding medication - No plan for the future - Putting affairs in order - Making or changing a will - Giving away personal belongings - Mending grievances - Checking on insurance policies - Withdrawing from people. If you think someone is suicidal, do not leave him or her alone. Most suicide attempts are expressions of extreme distress, not harmless bids for attention. A person who appears suicidal needs immediate professional help. Help the person to seek immediate assistance from their doctor or the nearest hospital emergency room, or call 911. Eliminate access to firearms or other potential suicide aids, including unsupervised access to medications. Are You, or Someone You Know Currently Struggling With Depression or Feeling Suicidal? If you are feeling desperate or have any thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a toll-free number 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or call 911, or simply go to your nearest Hospital Emergency Department. I know firsthand that depression and suicide is devastating. .... It's impossible to impart the will to live to somebody who no longer possesses it. No amount of logic, reasoning, or reminders about all they have to live for will put a smile back on the face of a loved one who is seriously contemplating suicide. If you are currently the one struggling in a dark place, realize that oftentimes you cannot change your circumstances. You can, however, change your response to them. I encourage you to be balanced in your life. Don't ignore your body's warning signs that something needs to change. Sometimes people are so busy taking care of everybody else that they lose sight of taking care of themselves. Know that it's okay to take care of yourself. Putting yourself last is a serious mistake, as you need to find ways to "refill" and replenish your own energy stores or else you'll eventually burn out. There really are no easy answers – especially when the troubles are related to crumbling finances, joblessness, or tumultuous family and living situations. .......... Long-Term Strategies for Improving Your Mental Health You can't make long-term plans for lifestyle changes when you are in a crisis, so clearly, the following recommendations are not meant to get you out of an acute situation. Rather, I invite you to take these lifestyle recommendations to heart as a preventive measure, before depression and other troubles set in. Optimizing your health may actually be one of the most important things you can do to help you make it safely through financially hard times, as faltering health in combination with poverty can lead even the most level-headed people to the limit of what they can endure. My top tips to support positive mental health are as follows: Energy psychology is one of the most powerful tools for resolving emotional issues – specifically a technique called EFT. For serious problems like depression you do NOT want to perform EFT on yourself, you need to seek guidance from a skilled professional, ideally someone who is also trained in conventional methods. The effectiveness of any energy psychology technique will be significantly improved if you combine it with the tips that follow. Dramatically decrease your consumption of sugar (particularly fructose), grains, and processed foods. (In addition to being high in sugar and grains, processed foods also contain a variety of additives that can affect your brain function and mental state, especially artificial sweeteners.) Adequate vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency can contribute to depression and affects one in four people. Optimize your vitamin D levels, ideally through regular sun exposure. Vitamin D is very important for your mood. One study found that people with the lowest levels of vitamin D were 11 times more prone to be depressed than those who had normal levels. The best way to get vitamin D is through exposure to SUNSHINE, not swallowing a capsule. Remember, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of depression that we know is related to sunshine deficiency, so it would make sense that the perfect way to optimize your vitamin D is through sun exposure, or a safe tanning bed if you don't have regular access to the sun. Get plenty of high quality animal-based omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats are crucial for optimal brain function and mental health, and most people don't get enough from diet alone. So make sure you take a high-quality omega-3 fat, such as krill oil. Evaluate your salt intake. Sodium deficiency actually creates symptoms that are very much like those of depression. Make sure you do NOT use processed salt (regular table salt) however. You'll want to use an all natural, unprocessed salt like Himalayan salt, which contains more than 80 different micronutrients. Adequate daily exercise. Exercise is one of the best-kept secrets to preventing and treating depression. Make sure your cholesterol levels aren't too low for optimal mental health. I have been educating the public about the underreported, adverse effects associated with lowering cholesterol through drugs like statins for many years, but what many still do not know is that low cholesterol is linked to dramatically increased rates of suicide and parasuicide, as well as aggression towards others. This increased expression of violence towards self and others may be due to the fact that low membrane cholesterol decreases the number of serotonin receptors in the brain (which is approximately 30% cholesterol by weight). Lower serum cholesterol concentrations therefore may contribute to decreasing brain serotonin, which not only contributes to suicidal-associated depression, but prevents the suppression of aggressive behavior and violence towards self and others.7
jimmyg
10-14-2012, 06:42 AM
Dr. Mercola Talks with Dr. Becker about the Pet Food Industry Link to full article & video: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/13/dr-mercola-becker-on-pet-food-industry.aspx?e_cid=20121013_DNL_art_2 By Dr. Mercola I recently interviewed Dr. Karen Becker, who has been in charge of our Healthy Pets site for the past four years. ........ Just as we're trying to improve health for humans here with the Mercola.com newsletter, Dr. Becker is doing the same for pets. In our interview above, ... And just as there's massive deception, fraud, and misinformation in the human food industry, there's an equal if not greater amount of misinformation and deception in the pet food industry. 90 Percent of Pet Foods May Cause Disease in Your Pet As you might suspect, the driving force behind the pet food industry is not to create a nourishing, species-appropriate diet for your pets; the focus is on making a profit, unfortunately often at the expense of your dog's or cat's health. Dr. Becker explains: " … 90 percent of pet foods out there contain totally inappropriate ingredients that are not nourishing and actually create low-grade inflammatory processes, diabetes and obesity. .......... For example, the scrap meat that is deemed unfit for human consumption (because it contains tumors, abscesses, diseased tissues, etc.) is often rendered and used as "protein" in pet food. Bottom line – if you feed a mass marketed commercial pet food, your dog or cat is typically getting a low grade concoction of rendered, leftover animal parts (including not only diseased tissues but can often include beaks, feathers, snouts and feet) and other inappropriate ingredients like genetically modified (GM) corn or soy, as well as wheat and rice. Your Dog or Cat Wasn't Meant to Eat All Those Carbs Another biologically inappropriate ingredient found in plentiful supply in the vast majority of commercial pet foods are grain-based carbohydrates. "Dogs and cats are by nature carnivores. Kitties are obligate carnivores. Dogs are scavenging carnivores. These two carnivore species don't even have a carbohydrate requirement. We are putting into their bodies a bunch of foods that are metabolically unnecessary, that are setting up the same degenerative processes that are occurring in human bodies," Dr. Becker said. If you've ever wondered why dog and cat foods contain so many grains if they're not nutritionally necessary, it comes down to profits once again. Grains are cheap fillers, and this is why they're added to most pet foods – not because they have any nutritional benefit for your dog or cat. To create a truly meat-based food costs more, and it is far less expensive, and easier, for pet food manufacturers to load their foods with corn, rice and wheat than it would be to figure out how to make a competitively priced food that would actually be species-appropriate. "Grain-Free" Doesn't Mean Carb-Free Even many of the higher end pet foods marketed as "grain-free" contain carbohydrate fillers like potato or pea fiber. And adding to the problem is the fact that many veterinarians will tell you these and other carb fillers are "good sources of energy," which could not be further from the truth. Dr. Becker continued: "It's interesting that veterinarians have started marketing some of these carbohydrates as a good source of energy. But absolutely, we know that dogs and cats are not requiring any of these grains – they break down into sugar. Sugar, of course, causes an insulin release. Insulin then causes blood sugar to drop. Cortisol is then released to rebalance blood sugar. So dogs and cats are dealing with this whole cycle of carbohydrate ingestion, insulin release, and cortisol release. The metabolic syndrome that's occurring in people – leptin resistance – is absolutely occurring in pets as well. We're seeing diabetes in dogs and cats, most certainly, and obesity that leads to musculoskeletal issues and secondary organ degeneration. The whole cycle is occurring in pets." Your Vet Probably Doesn't Know Much About Dog and Cat Nutrition Shocking? Yes. But true nonetheless. Many nutrition courses offered at U.S. veterinary schools are not taught by nutritionists… they're taught by representatives of major pet food companies. It's obviously a major conflict of interest, and as a result most veterinarians graduate without having any unbiased nutrition information. The "education" being offered by pet food companies can quite blatantly promote their products. Dr. Becker remembers being given a laminated chart in veterinary school that listed nationally known dog and cat food brands as the "prescription solutions" to various pet conditions like liver failure or kidney failure. Vet students weren't taught what to look for in terms of nutrients to support health and healing… they were taught to "prescribe" a certain brand of food. She continued: "Veterinarians are graduating totally incompetent and unable to effectively talk about foods outside of what they learned from pet food manufacturers. If they did receive any nutritional counseling, it was archaic…" They are graduating not only with a lack of knowledge about pet nutrition, but also with a skewed perception of what whole nutrition really means." This could explain why your veterinarian may have told you to only feed your pet a certain grain-heavy "prescription" diet, or to avoid offering "people food" (even if it's healthy, species-appropriate food for your pet). And if you've ever tried to discuss thinking "outside the box" regarding your pet's diet, as in providing fresh, whole foods instead of highly processed kibbles or canned varieties, there's a good chance your vet was not impressed. "Veterinarians, oftentimes, become pretty defensive – as do medical doctors – when they're confronted with these issues, because they don't have enough knowledge to be able to confidently defend their position. They weren't given a whole lot of nutrition training," Dr. Becker said. A Homemade Diet is Best – IF You Do it Right Your veterinarian may try to discourage you from cooking whole foods for your pet, or feeding raw foods, but if done properly, this is almost always the healthiest way to nourish your pet (just as it's the healthiest food for you, too). The whole debate about feeding pets raw food (and many veterinarians will discourage you from feeding raw) doesn't make a lot of sense considering dogs and cats have consumed living, raw meats for thousands of years; it's what they're designed for. "I'm a big proponent of people home cooking or home preparing food for their pets," Dr. Becker said. "And really, homemade food's the best and worst food you could possibly feed your pet." What Dr. Becker means by best AND worst is… you must remember that simply feeding your pet some raw beef or chicken will in no way meet his nutritional requirements. And if that's all you feed him, it can be even more dangerous than offering an inexpensive commercial pet food. Skeletal issues, organ degeneration and endocrine abnormalities are just a few examples of what can occur due to dietary deficiencies of essential fatty acids, calcium, trace minerals and other nutrients from an improperly prepared homemade diet. Well-meaning pet parents are trying to feed species-appropriate food to their dogs and cats, but what many are missing is the need for nutritional balance.In the wild, animals do not just eat the muscle meat of their prey – they consume organs, glands, bones and other body parts that provide for their nutritional needs. According to Dr. Becker: "Wild dogs – wolves, coyotes, dingoes, and African wild dogs – have all been documented to sample their environment. They may eat some berries and some grasses. Kitties, certainly, will occasionally nibble on grasses. But hands down, 95 percent of their diet is whole prey. That means skin and fur for fiber; tendons, muscles, and ligaments for additional fiber; whole protein in terms of muscle for energy source. The contents of the GI tract of prey provides predigested vegetable sources, as well as an abundant source of gastric juices, plus vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But also remember the head is consumed… They eat the pineal gland, pituitary, liver, spleen, heart, and kidneys. All of those glands provide a whole food source that makes a perfect nutritional package for that particular species. Canis lupus, the wolf, is 99.9 percent genetically identical to the domestic dog. There really is no genetic differentiation between a wild wolf and a domestic dog… That gives us some idea how we should be nourishing our pets." If you're interested in preparing a homemade diet for your pets, see Dr. Becker's cookbook Real Food for Healthy Dogs and Cats. ........ For example, to mimic the gut contents of prey animals, Dr. Becker recommends adding a mixture of pureed vegetables and probiotics to your dog's or cat's meals. This mixture provides highly beneficial antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins and phytonutrients not found in muscle meats. There are actually four main categories of balanced nutrition for pets. These are: Meat, including organs Veggie and fruit puree Homemade vitamin and mineral mix Beneficial additions such as probiotics, enzymes, super green foods that aren't required to balance the diet, but can enhance the vitality of your pet Dr. Becker's recipes for dogs are based on 75 percent meat/organs/bone and 25 percent vegetables/fruits. For cats it's 88 percent meat/organs/bone and 12 percent veggies. These are the ratios that seem to work well for most healthy pets. That said, if you decide to use a commercial pet food, Dr. Becker offers some helpful guidelines for selecting a quality food, such as avoiding the toxic preservatives ethoxyquin, BHA and BHT. In addition she notes: "Home cooking is the best thing you can do. Second best is to know the company you're purchasing from really well so you're able to discern that the ingredients it uses are U.S.-sourced, human-grade, preferably organic, and of course, species-appropriate – meaning, carbohydrate-free. These are usually very small companies. The majority of commercially prepared pet foods I can truly wholeheartedly recommend are brands no one has ever heard of. You will never find them at the grocery store. You will not find them at big-box stores like Petco or any of the PetSmarts around. …Needless to say, you've got to really read the labels very, very well. My rule of thumb is this: when you read the label on a dog or cat food, if you can't pronounce an ingredient or wonder what it is, if you're not able to clearly discern exactly what it is, don't put it in your pet's mouth." Should You Let Your Indoor Kitty Out? Aside from diet, exercise and emotional health are two of the other cornerstones of good health for your pet, and Dr. Becker believes that all living creatures deserve to get outside in the sunshine, breathe fresh air and move their bodies. Unfortunately, letting cats outdoors poses a number of risks, including exposure to disease and human and animal predators, not to mention outdoor cats who hunt have been linked to diminishing songbird populations. Is there a happy medium? Cats with free access to the outdoors are much more likely to be exposed to viruses and other disease-causing agents... not to mention poisons, predators, and speeding traffic. So while keeping your cat a primarily indoor kitty, you can still give her the outdoor adventures that are so essential for her physical and emotional health. This means taking your cat outside, supervised, on a harness (yes, you can take your cat for a walk), on an enclosed porch, or using outdoor caging. "Oftentimes, pets in the U.S. end up overweight, super bored, and even – I think – borderline depressed, because they're just kind of held captive in our homes," Dr. Becker said. "Now, I'm not advocating that all house cats be released to the outside, ....
Supporting the Efforts of the Holistic and Integrative Veterinary Community The Healthy Pets site has partnered with the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association Foundation (AHVMA), a non-profit organization. ......... ........ Every day at Mercola Healthy Pets, Dr. Becker shares her passion for the benefits of proactive, integrative, and wellness-oriented pet healthcare, .....
Sev
10-14-2012, 07:15 AM
[QUOTE=jimmyg;3812130]Dr. Mercola Talks with Dr. Becker about the Pet Food Industry Link to full article & video: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/13/dr-mercola-becker-on-pet-food-industry.aspx?e_cid=20121013_DNL_art_2
I passed this along to the Feline Diabetes Message Board (FDMB). Its a great site for anybody that is dealing with a diabetic animal.
jimmyg
10-15-2012, 05:59 AM
Cherries May Help Reduce Risk of Gout Attacks http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/cherries.jpg October 15 2012 Link to article & video: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/15/cherries-reduce-gout-attack-risks.aspx?e_cid=20121015_DNL_art_2 By Dr. Mercola Story at-a-glance: In a study of over 600 people with gout, those who ate a ½-cup serving of cherries a day, the equivalent of about 10 or 12 cherries, or consumed cherry extract, had a 35 percent lower risk of a subsequent gout attack. Those who ate more cherries, up to three servings in two days, had an even lower, 50 percent reduction in risk. Cherries contain powerful compounds like anthocyanins and bioflavonoids, which are known to fight inflammation and may help lower your uric acid levels; gout occurs when the metabolic processes that control the amount of uric acid in your blood fail to do their job effectively. The stiffness and swelling are a result of excess uric-acid-forming crystals in your joints. If you have gout, it’s very important to restrict your fructose intake to below 25 grams a day, including from fruit, as fructose drives up uric acid levels in your body. Painful, stiff and inflamed joints are a few of the characteristic symptoms of gout, which is a type of arthritis that is typically, but not always, located on your great toe. When an attack occurs, the pain can be debilitating, with sufferers often describing it as being burned by a flame or skewered with a hot poker. Gout symptoms usually go away within three to 10 days, and the next attack may not occur for months, or even years, if at all. However, oftentimes gout becomes a lifelong problem, with attacks occurring with increasing frequency and severity. In time, this can permanently damage your joints and surrounding areas. Needless to say, preventing gout attacks is essential to maintaining your quality of life – which is why new research showing cherries might do the trick is worth shouting from the rooftops. 10-12 Cherries a Day Can Reduce Gout Attack Risk In a study of over 600 people with gout, those who ate a ½-cup serving of cherries a day, the equivalent of about 10 or 12 cherries, or consumed cherry extract, had a 35 percent lower risk of a subsequent gout attack.1 Those who ate more cherries, up to three servings in two days, had an even lower, 50 percent reduction in risk. It might seem strange that cherries would lower your risk of gout, as this condition is often associated with sugar, fructose and fruit juice consumption. But you only need to eat a small amount of cherries to get the benefit, meaning the sugar contribution is small. Plus, they contain powerful compounds like anthocyanins and bioflavonoids, which are known to fight inflammation. They may also be beneficial because of their impact on your uric acid levels. Gout occurs when the metabolic processes that control the amount of uric acid in your blood fail to do their job effectively. The stiffness and swelling are a result of excess uric-acid-forming crystals in your joints, and the pain associated with this condition disease is caused by your body’s inflammatory response to the crystals. Past studies have found: Eating two servings of cherries after an overnight fast lead to a 15 percent reduction in uric acid, and lower nitric oxide and C-reactive protein levels (which are associated with inflammatory diseases like gout.)2 The researchers noted the study supports “the reputed anti-gout efficacy of cherries” as well as “evidence that compounds in cherries may inhibit inflammatory pathways.” Consuming tart cherry juice daily for four weeks may lower your levels of uric acid3 Fructose and Uric Acid: If You Have Gout, You Need to Know The Connection Drinking just one soda or 6-ounce glass of orange juice a day has been linked to a significant increase in gout – 74 percent and 41 percent, respectively – compared to drinking these only rarely.4 We believe the primary culprit is fructose, which typically generates uric acid within minutes of ingestion. You probably already know that fructose is a sugar, but you may not realize is that it’s distinctly different from other sugars as it’s metabolized through very specific pathways that differ from those of glucose, for example, and through its distinct metabolic action, uric acid is generated. For those of you who maintain that "a sugar is a sugar is a sugar," fructose -- and fructose ALONE -- drives up uric acid. And elevated uric acid levels are not only a factor in gout, they’re a factor in many other health conditions, including hypertension, insulin resistance/diabetes, obesity and kidney disease. Not coincidentally, may of these conditions, like diabetes and hypertension, also increase your risk of gout (as does the use of thiazide diuretics, which are commonly used to treat hypertension). The connection between fructose consumption and increased uric acid is so reliable that a uric acid level taken from your blood can actually be used as a marker for fructose toxicity. I now recommend that a uric acid level be a routine part of your blood screening. According to the latest research, the safest range for uric acid is between 3 and 5.5 milligrams per deciliter, and there appears to be a steady relationship between uric acid levels and blood pressure and cardiovascular risk, even down to the range of 3 to 4 mg/dl. As you probably know, two-thirds of the U.S. population is overweight, and most of these people likely have uric acid levels in excess of 5.5. Some may even be closer to 10 or higher (this may explain why being overweight also increases your risk of gout). Dr. Richard Johnson, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, suggests that the ideal uric acid level is probably around: 4 mg/dl for men 3.5 mg/dl for women You can find out more about how uric acid in your blood can cause not only gout but also wreak havoc on your blood pressure, insulin production and even kidney function in the interview with Dr. Johnson below. video....
What are the Top Tips for Preventing and Managing Gout? Be careful not to overdo it on cherries. I know from personal experience because they are my favorite fruit and I could easily eat a pound of them in one sitting. They key is moderation, as large amounts of fructose on a regular basis are not a good strategy for health. Fortunately, they have a relatively short harvest season and are not a temptation for too long. According to Dr. Johnson's research, a quarter of the U.S. population consumes a whopping 134 grams of fructose a day. This is a staggering amount of fructose when you consider the fact that you need to restrict your fructose intake to below 25 grams a day in order to maintain good health. If you have gout, this is extremely important, and you must take into account the fructose you consume from fruit. For instance, if you eat cherries for their therapeutic value, 10 sweet cherries or 1 cup of sour cherries contain about 4 grams of fructose. The fructose level of other fruits are listed in the graphic below. So if you had no other sources of fructose 25 cherries would put you at 10 grams of fructose. You would need to eat more than 60 cherries to put you over the limit. My guess is that if you only did this occasionally and did not have insulin resistance this would likely not be a problem. However, you would activate your fat switch and put on some storage fat. But that is ok as you have the metabolism designed to burn it, especially if you are not consuming cherries every day. Limiting fructose in your diet is one of the most important parts of managing and preventing gout attacks, and you can find a simple guide for doing so using my nutrition plan. You’ll want to be sure to cut out soda, fruit drinks and other sweetened beverages, as these types of drinks are a primary source of excessive fructose. Instead, drink plenty of pure water, as the fluids will help to remove uric acid from your body. Alcohol in general, and beer specifically, may also raise the levels of uric acid in your blood, so this should also be limited or avoided.
jimmyg
10-16-2012, 06:26 AM
New Evidence Demolishes Claims of Safety and Effectiveness of HPV Vaccine http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/hpv-vaccine.jpg October 16 2012 By Dr. Mercola Story at-a-glance: A systematic review of pre- and post-licensure trials of the HPV vaccine shows that its effectiveness is not only overstated (through the use of selective reporting or “cherry picking” data) but also completely unproven As of mid-August 2012, VAERS has received 119 reports of death following HPV vaccination. Reported adverse events also include: 894 reports of disability and 517 life-threatening adverse events Adverse events reports of cervical abnormalities and cervical cancer are occurring four to five years after HPV vaccination, and have rapidly increased between 2011 and 2012 A large-scale HPV study reported HPV vaccine reduced HPV-16 infections by a mere 0.6% in vaccinated versus unvaccinated women High-risk HPV infections were diagnosed in vaccinated women up to more than 6% more frequently than in unvaccinated women, and the increased rate of infections by carcinogenic HPV types in vaccinated women has been found to be 4-10 times higher than the reduction of HPV 16/18 infections There are currently two HPV vaccines on the market, but if there was any regard for sound scientific evidence, neither would be promoted as heavily as they are. The first, Gardasil, was licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006. It is now recommended as a routine vaccination for girls and women between the ages of 9-26 in the US. On October 25, 2011, the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices also voted to recommend giving the HPV vaccine to males between the ages of 11 and 21. The second HPV vaccine, Cervarix, was licensed in 2009. Were it to be discovered that the HPV vaccine, in fact, does not effectively prevent cancer, then young women (and now boys) are being exposed to clearly unacceptable health risks. And that's precisely what a recent study has concluded... Review of HPV Trials Conclude Effectiveness is Still Completely Unproven Published online on September 24,1 a systematic review of pre- and post-licensure trials of the HPV vaccine by a Canadian team shows that its effectiveness is not only overstated (through the use of selective reporting or "cherry picking" data) but also completely unproven. The summary states it quite clearly: "We carried out a systematic review of HPV vaccine pre- and post-licensure trials to assess the evidence of their effectiveness and safety. We find that HPV vaccine clinical trials design, and data interpretation of both efficacy and safety outcomes, were largely inadequate. Additionally, we note evidence of selective reporting of results from clinical trials (i.e., exclusion of vaccine efficacy figures related to study subgroups in which efficacy might be lower or even negative from peer-reviewed publications). Given this, the widespread optimism regarding HPV vaccines long-term benefits appears to rest on a number of unproven assumptions (or such which are at odd with factual evidence) and significant misinterpretation of available data. For example, the claim that HPV vaccination will result in approximately 70% reduction of cervical cancers is made despite the fact that the clinical trials data have not demonstrated to date that the vaccines have actually prevented a single case of cervical cancer (let alone cervical cancer death), nor that the current overly optimistic surrogate marker-based extrapolations are justified. Likewise, the notion that HPV vaccines have an impressive safety profile is only supported by highly flawed design of safety trials and is contrary to accumulating evidence from vaccine safety surveillance databases and case reports which continue to link HPV vaccination to serious adverse outcomes (including death and permanent disabilities). We thus conclude that further reduction of cervical cancers might be best achieved by optimizing cervical screening (which carries no such risks) and targeting other factors of the disease rather than by the reliance on vaccines with questionable efficacy and safety profiles." [Emphasis mine] It is truly mindboggling, and a true testament to the conflicts of interest manipulating public health guidelines, that the HPV vaccine has received such robust backing by health officials and legislators alike. Back in 2007, just a year after Gardasil's introduction to the market, Texas Governor Rick Perry went so far as signing an executive order mandating sixth-grade girls to be vaccinated against HPV. Not surprisingly, Perry's former chief of staff was then a Merck lobbyist. Fortunately, the Legislature subsequently overturned his order. It's important to realize that the HPV vaccine only protects against a small select set of HPV viruses that can lead to cell abnormalities that in some instances can cause cervical cancer, if the abnormalities are not identified and treated. So in reality, it's a misnomer to call it an anti-cancer vaccine. And it's massively misleading, if not a deliberate deception, to claim it "will" save lives. Today, six years after licensure, we STILL have absolutely no proof, not a shred of actual evidence, indicating that Gardasil actually prevents cancer in the long-term and/or reduces cervical cancer mortality. What we have instead, is tens of thousands of adverse event reports and 122 deaths, as of mid-August. Media Reports on Merck Study, But Ignores Canadian Review What makes this issue so infuriating is the complete lack of transparency about the potential risks of the vaccine. Just days after the online release of the featured Canadian review, which obliterates claims of both safety and effectiveness, the Wall Street Journal2 reported that: "A new study of Merck and Co's Gardasil cervical-cancer vaccine showed it was associated with fainting on the day of inoculation and skin infections two weeks afterward, but no link with more serious health problems was found. ...The Gardasil study – led by the Kaiser Permanente Vaccine Study Center in Oakland, California – was required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency to provide an additional look at the vaccine's safety in a large group of people. It was funded by Merck. ...More than 200 categories of illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, nervous-system disorders and medical conditions such as attention deficit disorder, back pain and other injuries were reviewed. In most cases the condition existed before the vaccine was given. There were 14 deaths recorded among girls and women in the study but the causes, including car accidents, congenital heart problems, suicide, lupus and pneumonia, weren't linked to the vaccine..." There's not a single mention of the Canadian review. Likewise, WebMD's HPV page,3 which was reviewed by Kimball Johnson, MD on August 13, 2012, plainly states: "No serious HPV vaccine side effects have been found, although fainting spells following injection have been reported in teens and young adults. Sometimes soreness occurs at the injection site." This kind of blatant hiding of potential adverse effects leaves me speechless... Where is the journalistic integrity and accountability? WebMD is the second most visited health web site on the entire web (Mercola.com is fourth), so to say they have an influence over the health choices made by the average US citizen would be an understatement. The general belief is that it's a first-rate, trustworthy source of "independent and objective" information about health, but as I reported two years ago, the site is in fact heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical industry. The HPV Vaccine Risks You're Not Being Told About As of August 13, 2012, VAERS has received 119 reports of death following HPV vaccination,4 as well as: 894 reports of disability 517 life-threatening adverse events 9,889 emergency room visits 2,781 hospitalizations And WebMD had the gall to misinform the public by stating that there have been NO serious side effects associated with HPV vaccination! What parent would not consider even the remote potential for permanent disability and/or death worthy of at least a brief mention? Recent data pulled by VAERS research analyst Janny Stokvis5 also show a dramatic and recent increase in abnormal pap smears, cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer following HPV vaccination. Bear in mind that cervical cancer typically does not strike until your late 40's. According to 2005 -2009 data by the National Cancer Institute,6 the median age at diagnosis for cervical cancer in the US is 48. Only 0.2 percent of those diagnosed with cervical cancer were under the age 20, so it's quite rare in this age group. It is estimated that 12,170 American women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2012,7 so statistically only 2,434 women under the age of 20 would be diagnosed with cervical cancer. Because we're dealing with relatively low numbers to begin with, it makes the rapid increases detailed below all the more worrisome – especially when you consider that the vaccine is supposed to REDUCE cancer incidence. The following data is for girls ages 14 to 26.8 According to Stokvis, some of the reports of cervical abnormalities are occurring four to five years after HPV vaccination, so we're just now starting to see some of the longer-term ramifications, since the vaccine has only been on the market for six years. March 2011 March 2012 % increase in 12 months Abnormal pap smear 384 479 24.74 % Cervical dysplasia 138 190 37.68 % Cervical cancer 41 50 21.95 % This new data supports previous suspicions that the HPV vaccine might actually increase your risk of cervical cancer. I wrote about this two years ago. The information came straight from Merck and was presented to the FDA prior to approval.9 According to Merck's own research, if you have been exposed to HPV 16 or 18 prior to injection and take the vaccine, you increase your risk of precancerous lesions, or worse, by 44.6 percent... Additionally, since Merck's research indicates Gardasil may also 'provide cross-protection' against other strains of HPV that are closely related to HPV 16 and 18 (two of the four strains included in the vaccine), this would mean prior exposure to these additional strains (which are not included in the vaccine itself) may pose an additional increased risk for cervical cancer when combined with vaccination. As of August 13, 2012, more than 27,023 adverse event reports10 have been filed with the CDC's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS),11 including 918 reports from boys and men between the ages of nine and 44, who were given HPV shots. Keep in mind that it is estimated that only between one and 10 percent of serious events, which occur after vaccination, are ever reported to VAERS.12, 13 In addition, FDA researchers revealed in 2009 that nearly 70 percent of Gardasil vaccine adverse events reported to VAERS came from Merck, which indicates that the majority of doctors are reporting vaccine-related injuries and deaths directly to Merck instead of to VAERS.14 Who knows how many of the Gardasil-related injuries and deaths never make it from Merck's files to the VAERS database. .....Continued in Pt #2......
jimmyg
10-16-2012, 06:27 AM
Adverse events reported to VAERS post-HPV vaccination include: Bell's Palsy - Guillain-Barre Syndrome - Seizures - Paralysis - Blindness - Pancreatitis - Speech problems - Short term memory loss - Ovarian cysts - Blood clotting and heart problems - Miscarriages15 and fetal abnormalities - Cardiac arrest16 and sudden death. Large-Scale Study Shows HPV Vaccine is Ineffective and Increases Rate of Carcinogeic HPV Types in Vaccinated Women The featured study alone is big news, but that's not all. Other damning studies have also been completely ignored by media and public health officials alike. As reported by menstruationresearch.org in June:17 "In January 2012, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published the ATHENA HPV study18 announcing the results of a large cervical cancer screening trial, enrolling 47,208 women 21 years of age or older at 61 clinical sites throughout the United States. The authors reported that in a sub group of 12,852 young women, the HPV vaccine reduced HPV-16 infections only 0.6% in vaccinated women vs. unvaccinated women. Most disturbing are the data that showed other high-risk HPV infections were diagnosed in vaccinated women 2.6% to 6.2% more frequently than unvaccinated women. In fact, the study reported that the increased rate of infections by carcinogenic HPV types in vaccinated women (other than those targeted by Gardasil®) is four to 10 times higher than the reduction in HPV 16/18 infections." Yet another recent British study19 published in the journal Vaccine on May 14, 2012, states: "Estimates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine impact in clinical trials and modeling studies rely on DNA tests of cytology or biopsy specimens to determine the HPV type responsible for a cervical lesion. DNA of several oncogenic HPV types may be detectable in a specimen. However, only one type may be responsible for a particular cervical lesion. Misattribution of the causal HPV type for a particular abnormality may give rise to an apparent increase in disease due to non-vaccine HPV types following vaccination ('unmasking')... There could be an apparent maximum increase of 310% in long-term cervical cancer incidence due to non-vaccine HPV types following vaccination...Unmasking may be an important phenomenon in HPV post-vaccination epidemiology, in the same way that has been observed following pneumococcal conjugate vaccination." [Emphasis mine] Talk to Your Kids about HPV and Gardasil There are far better ways to protect yourself or your young daughters against cervical cancer than getting Gardasil or Cervarix vaccinations, and it's important you let your children know this. Remember, in more than 90 percent of cases, your immune system can clear up the HPV infection within two years on its own, so keeping your immune system strong is important. In addition, HPV infection is spread through sexual contact and research20 has demonstrated that using condoms can reduce your risk of HPV infection by 70 percent, which is far more effective than the HPV vaccine! Be sure your kids know that this infection is sexually transmitted, so the risk of infection can be greatly reduced by lifestyle choices, including the use of condoms. Also let them know that, even if they get vaccinated, it is important that girls and women are screened every few years for cervical changes that may indicate pre-cancerous lesions because there is little guarantee that either Gardasil or Cervarix will prevent cervical cancer.. Jerry Brown Signs Bill Requiring Signatures for Those Opting Out of Vaccinations Last year, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that allows minor children as young as 12 years old to be given Gardasil, Cervarix, hepatitis B vaccine and future vaccines for sexually transmitted diseases without a parent's knowledge or consent. Last month, the Sacramento Bee21 reported that Governor Brown signed legislation (AB2109) that requires parents seeking a personal belief exemption to vaccination for their children to pay for an extra office visit to obtain the signature of a medical doctor or other state designated health care worker that confirms the parents have reviewed information about risks and benefits of vaccines. The new law will take effect in January 2014. Wouldn't it be nice if parents choosing to vaccinate their children were given truthful information about vaccine risks and benefits rather than complicating the process for those, who have already done their homework and have decided a vaccine is not in the best interest of their child? According to the Sacramento Bee: "Democratic Assemblyman Richard Pan of Sacramento proposed the measure, Assembly Bill 2109, which requires the statement to be signed by the parents and by a health care practitioner. In signing the bill, Brown said that he will direct the state Department of Health to provide a way for people whose religious beliefs preclude vaccinations from having to seek a health care practitioner's signature. Brown noted that AB 2109 does not eliminate parents' current right to exclude their children from vaccinations but attempts to ensure that they have important health information in making that choice." Why We Must Protect Vaccine Exemptions Your right to vaccine exemptions is increasingly under threat. All across the United States, people are fighting for their right not to be injected with vaccines against their will. These threats come in a variety of guises like California bill AB499,22 which permits minor children as young as 12 years old to be vaccinated with sexually transmitted disease vaccines like Gardasil without parental knowledge or parental consent! In light of the evidence that HPV vaccines have not been proven safe or effective, how wise is it to allow a young child to be vaccinated without her parents even knowing about it? It's nothing short of insanity. I cannot stress enough how critical it is to get involved and stand up for your human right to exercise informed consent and your legal right to obtain non-medical vaccine exemptions. This does not mean you have to opt out of all vaccinations if you decide that you want to give one or more vaccines to your child. The point is, everyone should have the right to evaluate the potential benefits and real risks of any pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, and opt out of any vaccine they decide is unnecessary or not in the best interest of their child's health. Every child is different and has a unique personal and family medical history, which may include severe allergies or autoimmune and neurological disorders, that could increase the risks of vaccination. It is your parental right to make potentially life-altering health decisions for your own children. Why wouldn't you want to keep that right – even if you want your child to receive most or all vaccinations currently available? Tomorrow there might be a vaccine you don't want your child to receive, but if you've failed to support informed consent rights and the legal right for all Americans to take medical and non-medical vaccine exemptions, you've given away your own freedom to choose in the future... What You Can Do To Make a Difference While it seems "old-fashioned," the only truly effective actions you can take to protect the right to informed consent to vaccination and legal vaccine exemptions, is to get personally involved with your state legislators and the leaders in your community. Mass vaccination policies are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level, and it is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact. Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org not only gives you access to practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community, but when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips to make sure your voice is heard. So please, as your first step, sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal. Contact Your Elected Officials Write or email your elected state representatives and share your concerns. Call them, or better yet, make an appointment to visit them in person in their office. Don't let them forget you! It is so important for you to reach out and make sure your concerns get on the radar screen of the leaders and opinion makers in your community, especially the politicians you elect and are directly involved in making vaccine laws in your state. These are your elected representatives, so you have a right and a responsibility to let them know what's really happening in your life and the lives of people you know when it comes to vaccine mandates. Be sure to share the "real life" experiences that you or people you know have had with vaccination. Share Your Story with the Media and People You Know If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury or death, please talk about it. If we don't share information and experiences with each other, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is only presenting one side of the vaccine story. I must be frank with you; you have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the "other side" of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down. Only by sharing our perspective and what we know to be true about vaccination will the public conversation about vaccination open up so people are not afraid to talk about it. We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies to dominate the conversation about vaccination. The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than "statistically acceptable collateral damage" of national one-size-fits-all mass vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn't be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings. Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More I encourage you to visit the following web pages on the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) website at www.NVIC.org: NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims: View descriptions and photos of children and adults, who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here. If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 Questions: Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries. Vaccine Freedom Wall: View or post descriptions of harassment by doctors, employers or school officials for making independent vaccine choices. Connect with Your Doctor or Find a New One that Will Listen and Care If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don't want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination. However, there is hope. At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they're starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents. It is good news that there is a growing number of smart young doctors, who prefer to work as partners with parents in making personalized vaccine decisions for children, including delaying vaccinations or giving children fewer vaccines on the same day or continuing to provide medical care for those families, who decline use of one or more vaccines. So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.
jimmyg
10-17-2012, 07:18 AM
Guilt-Free Comfort Food: Curried Butternut Squash Soup Recipe http://www.stopagingnow.com/content_img/5054 October 14, 2012 Posted by Maggie Spilner This is a comfort food you don’t have to feel guilty about! And now that fall is upon us, isn’t that what was all want? The turmeric in the curry powder has anti-inflammatory and brain-protecting properties, and the squash provides lots of beta-carotene. The coconut milk does make this soup rich, but the saturated fats it contains are medium-chain triglycerides, which are less likely to be stored as fat than other saturated fats. For less fat, you can use nonfat half-and-half or water. Makes about six 1-cup servings. 1 large butternut squash (about 4 c. cooked, cubed) 1 T. olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2-3 T. curry powder 1 14 oz. can of reduced-fat coconut milk 1 c. water (or more to taste) ¼ tsp. salt (or less to taste) Cinnamon and cayenne to garnish (optional) Roast the squash. To do so, wash the whole squash, cut in half length-wise, scoop out the seeds, and place cut-side down in an oiled baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the squash is soft enough to pierce easily with a fork. Allow squash to cool, remove skin and cut into cubes. In a large pot, sauté onion in olive oil. Reduce heat to low, add curry powder and mix into a paste. Add squash and coconut milk and continue to mix. Add water ¼ c. at a time until soup reaches the consistency you want. (We like it thick.) Reduce heat to barely simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing flavors to mingle. Taste, add salt if you’d like, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and cayenne as garnish. Nutritional Information per Serving: 170 calories, 2.3 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat (8 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 5.7 g fiber, 110 mg sodium.
jimmyg
10-18-2012, 07:23 AM
The farmed seafood you're eating may have been raised on animal feces Wednesday, October 17, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/dir/AmazingFactsAboutFood/79-Seafood-Fish.jpg (NaturalNews) More than 85 percent of the seafood consumed by Americans is imported, with much of it coming from China, Vietnam, and various other Asian countries that have a not-so-consistent track record of food safety. And as it turns out, conditions at many of the foreign facilities where imported seafood is processed before getting shipped to the states are so filthy and contaminated that if consumers knew just how bad things really were, they would likely think twice before buying that pack of scallops or shrimp from the grocery store. As reported by Bloomberg, workers at Ngoc Sinh Seafoods Trading & Processing Export Enterprise in Vietnam were recently seen hauling plastic baskets of shrimp through the company's filthy, trash-ridden, and bug-infested facility. Containers full of the shrimp were loaded up with ice made from questionable, and often contaminated, tap water that the government recommends boiling before use, which has become the norm rather than the exception when it comes to seafood processing. Many Chinese seafood farmers feed their fish animal waste Similar unsanitary conditions are common throughout China as well, which is a major exporter of tilapia and scallops. According to Bloomberg, many seafood farmers in China actually feed their fish feces from pigs, geese, and other cattle, even though the practice is extremely unsafe. Not only does this exposure to animal waste tend to make the fish sick, but it also contaminates their water environments with excrement, which is often polluted with harmful bacteria like salmonella. "Those conditions -- ice made from dirty water, animals near the farms, pigs -- are unacceptable," said Mansour Samadpour, a microbiologist, to Bloomberg Markets magazine about the dirty secrets of the seafood trade. Samadpour's company, IEH Laboratories & Consulting Group, specializes in testing the cleanliness of water for the shellfish farming industry. Since the seafood industry is relatively cutthroat these days, certain unscrupulous seafood farmers, particularly in Asian countries, are cutting corners to boost profits, which puts consumers at high risk. In the case of Chinese fish farming, many operators have altogether stopped purchasing safer commercial feed, and have instead turned to exclusively feeding their fish potentially deadly animal waste. "The manure the Chinese use to feed fish is frequently contaminated with microbes and salmonella," says Michael Doyle, Director of the University of Georgia's Center for Food Safety, about the larger problem of China's seafood farming industry. FDA dropping the ball in protecting Americans against contaminated seafood And while the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is supposed to be in charge of regulating the safety of imported seafood, the agency only inspects about 2.7 percent of all imported food, according to available data. The FDA is apparently too busy raiding raw milk dairy farms and imprisoning innocent farmers to bother with protecting the American public against potentially contaminated seafood. Sources for this article include: http://www.bloomberg.com http://www.fishwatch.gov/farmed_seafood/outside_the_us.htm http://www.msnbc.msn.com
jimmyg
10-19-2012, 07:09 AM
Misdeeds, Not Mistakes, Behind Most Scientific Retractions October 17 2012 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: A review of retracted biomedical and life-science research papers found that only 21 percent were retracted due to errors. The most common reason for retraction, in over 67 percent of cases, was misconduct, including fraud or suspected fraud (43.4%), duplicate publication (14.2%), and plagiarism (9.8%). The more respected or influential the journal was, the more likely its retractions were to be attributed to fraud or suspected fraud! Our current medical system has been masterfully orchestrated by the drug companies to create a system that gives the perception of science when really it is a heavily manipulated process designed to boost their profits. The medical and health fields are absolutely riddled with dogmatic beliefs that defy both commonsense and scientific truth. And yet they prevail because they are supposedly backed by "science." But what if that science was not actually trustworthy, but rather a carefully orchestrated product... the result of massive conflict of interest, perpetuated by self-interested groups and industries that push unfavorable research findings under the proverbial rug, or even tweak their studies to have the "right" results? Would it change the way you feel about your diet, your lifestyle and even your medical decisions if it turned out the research upon which your prior choices were made was actually not science at all, but fraud? 67 Percent of Research Retractions Made for "Misconduct," Including Fraud Much like a potentially dangerous product can be recalled from the market, journals have the right to retract research papers if they turn out to be seriously flawed. You might assume that most of those flaws would be due to simple human errors, but a review of over 2,000 biomedical and life-science research papers that have been retracted through May 2012 found that only 21 percent were retracted due to errors.1 Instead, the most common reason, in over 67 percent of cases, was misconduct, including fraud or suspected fraud (43.4%), duplicate publication (14.2%), and plagiarism (9.8%). ...And the more respected or influential the journal was, the more likely its retractions were to be attributed to fraud or suspected fraud! The study reveals a disturbing epidemic of deception going on in the research world, which has largely been downplayed, according to the researchers. In reality, scientific fraud has been on the rise for decades: "Incomplete, uninformative or misleading retraction announcements have led to a previous underestimation of the role of fraud in the ongoing retraction epidemic. The percentage of scientific articles retracted because of fraud has increased ~10-fold since 1975." 2 While previous studies have looked into this issue, they typically used the study's retraction notice to determine the cause of the retraction. This is problematic in and of itself, however, because the study authors often write the announcements, and they're certainly not going to say they fabricated the data! NPR pointed out the case of a 1993 study in Science,3 in which the data was found to have been falsified. But the retraction notice said only that "some experiments have not been reproducible."4 To get around these misleading announcements, the researchers for the current study independently verified the retraction reasons using information from the Federal Office of Research Integrity and independent media reports – and their results speak for themselves. I wish I could say this is not a widespread issue... but a survey published in the BMJ earlier this year revealed that 13 percent of scientists or doctors had actually witnessed colleagues intentionally changing or fabricating research data in order to get a study published, while another 6 percent said they are aware of possible research misconduct at their institution that was never properly investigated...5 Drug Research May be Even Worse The study above focused on retracted biomedical and life-science research papers, whereas a study earlier this year reviewed retracted studies in the drug and biomedical literature.6 The highest number of incidents of misconduct occurred in the drug literature, as compared to general biomedical literature. Nearly 75 percent of the retracted drug studies were attributed to scientific misconduct, which includes: Data falsification or fabrication Questionable veracity Unethical author conduct Plagiarism The most unfortunate thing about this is that these are the types of studies many health care professionals rely on to make treatment recommendations. Large numbers of patients – potentially millions – can be affected when false findings are published, as the average lag time between publication of the study and the issuing of a retraction is 39 months. And that's if it's ever caught at all. It's important to understand that our current medical system has been masterfully orchestrated by the drug companies to create a system that gives the perception of science when in reality it is a heavily manipulated process designed to deceive you into using expensive and potentially toxic drugs that benefit the drug companies more than it benefits your health. Across the board, drugmakers do an excellent job of publicizing the findings they want you to know, while keeping very quiet about the rest. You see, all research is NOT published. And it should come as no surprise that drug studies funded by a pharmaceutical company that reaches a negative conclusion will rarely ever see the light of day... What this means is that even if you scour the medical literature to determine what the consensus is on any given medical topic, what you'll find is an overwhelming preponderance of data in favor of the drug approach that in no way, shape or form reflects the reality of the scientific investigation that went into that specific drug. Ex-FDA Chief Says J&J Broke the Law Promoting Risperdal Of course, it's not only in the research realm that drugs are fraudulently promoted; it occurs all the time in the marketing realm, too. Johnson & Johnson's (J&J) antipsychotic Risperdal was heavily promoted for unproven off-label uses for more than a decade, even after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warnings against the misleading claims. Doctors are well within their legal rights to prescribe a drug for off-label use; it's actually a common, albeit sometimes dangerous, practice. However, drug companies may not promote them for uses other than those that are FDA-approved. Research has shown that up to two-thirds of prescriptions for Risperdal were for unapproved uses that had little or no scientific support. How did this happen? Simple – J&J's Janssen unit sent out an army of salespeople to doctor's offices, nursing homes, Veteran's Administration facilities, and jails to tout Risperdal as a proverbial miracle drug for mental illness and dementia in the elderly, as well as for unapproved uses in children and adolescents. Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler, a pediatrician, said in an October trial report that the companies were in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act when they promoted Risperdal for non-approved uses in children and adolescents. He noted:7 "The promotion of non-approved uses by a manufacturer, because it undercuts the system and safeguards of drug regulation, is concerning... The promotion of non-approved uses by a manufacturer of powerful drugs is more concerning... The promotion of non-approved uses in the most vulnerable children of powerful drugs is most concerning. Janssen's promotion of Risperdal, a powerful drug, for non-approved uses in the most vulnerable children is deeply troubling." Drugs in Search of a Disease: Pharma Targets Women And if they're not promoting a drug for unapproved uses, the drug companies are actively developing drugs based on entirely questionable – some might even say fictional – diseases. Women are often the targets for these drugs, as statistics show U.S. women use nearly 65 percent more drugs, on average, than men8 – making them a more lucrative market for the drug companies. Drug and biotech companies are currently testing or awaiting FDA approval for more than 850 different drugs for diseases that "disproportionately affect American women."9 Writing in Scientific American, Judy Stone, MD, recently highlighted the almost comical pursuit to classify what were once ordinary feelings into unique woman-centered diseases:10 " ...women still are the primary targets for pharmaceutical advertising, in part because they can be captured for multiple products – if not quite from the cradle, at least from puberty, through pregnancy, to menopause and to grave. What are some of the consequences of this relentless focus on women's hormones and common symptoms? For one, it seems to promote a nation of hypochondriacs. It is extremely profitable for pharmaceutical companies, but it is not so good for the target of this attention, women... be wary of innocent sounding offers of drugs to relieve all of your discomforts." Among some of the more curious diseases she included are: Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD): "In my day, it was moodiness at 'that time of the month,' more typically known as *****iness. We didn't have an ICD-9 or DSM code. We had uncomfortable days but knew that this, too, would pass. Now cyclical hormones are a disease," Stone writes. Now women are being treated with antidepressant drugs, which might increase the risk of suicide, to avoid these symptoms. Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD): Otherwise known as lack of libido, various pills and "female Viagras" are clamoring to get to the market. Interestingly, lack of libido is often a side effect of antidepressant use. The Solution is Within Your Hands... The take-home message here is that even if a drug or treatment is "backed by science" or marketed as the miracle cure you've been waiting for, this in no way guarantees it is safe or effective. Likewise, if an alternative treatment has not been published in a medical journal, it does not mean it is unsafe or ineffective. You've got to use all the resources available to you, including your own sense of common sense and reason, true experts' advice and other's experiences, to determine what medical treatment or advice will be best for you in any given situation. I advise you to remain skeptical but open – even if it is something I'm saying, you need to realize that YOU are responsible for your and your family's health, not me, and certainly not drug companies trying to sell their wares and convince you to take dangerous "symptom-cover-ups" disguised as science-based solutions. If you're facing a health challenge it is best to identify a qualified natural health consultant – someone who really understands health at a foundational level and has had extensive experience in helping others resolve their health care challenges. Just make sure to see a competent regular physician to make certain any serious disorders like cancer are ruled out as well. In the meantime, do all you can to take control of your health so you stay healthy, and drug-free, in the first place.
jimmyg
10-20-2012, 05:44 AM
Buttered Popcorn Flavoring Linked to Alzheimer’s October 18 2012 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Diacetyl is an artificial butter flavoring added to microwave popcorn and other snack foods; many microwave popcorn factories have already stopped using the synthetic diacetyl because it’s been linked to lung damage in people who work in the factories New research shows diacetyl has several concerning properties for brain health and may trigger Alzheimer’s disease Not only can diacetyl pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is intended to help keep toxins out of your brain, but it can also cause brain proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer’s-linked form known as beta amyloid Diacetyl also inhibits mechanisms that help to naturally clear the dangerous beta amyloid from your brain
If you like to snack on the occasional bag of microwave popcorn, it's probably the buttery flavoring that you crave. This comes from an artificial flavoring called diacetyl, which is a natural byproduct of fermentation found in butter, beer and vinegar... and also a chemical made synthetically by food companies because it gives foods that irresistible buttery flavor and aroma. Many companies who manufacture microwave popcorn have already stopped using the synthetic diacetyl because it's been linked to lung damage in people who work in their factories. But now a new study at the University of Minnesota shows that diacetyl is not only a risk to workers' lungs... it may also pose a risk to your brain. Microwave Popcorn Chemical Linked to Alzheimer's Disease Researchers conducting test-tube studies revealed that diacetyl has several concerning properties for brain health. Not only can it pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is intended to help keep toxins out of your brain, but it can also cause brain proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer's-linked form known as beta amyloid. It also inhibits mechanisms that help to naturally clear the dangerous beta amyloid from your brain.1 It's not known at this time whether eating diacetyl-containing foods (it's used not only in microwave popcorn but also in other snack foods, baked goods, pet foods, some fast foods and other food products) increases your risk of Alzheimer's, but the finding that it may contribute to brain plaques linked to Alzheimer's at very low concentrations is concerning, to say the least. How many other synthetic chemicals have we been told are perfectly safe, only to find out over time that they aren't. MSG and aspartame come to mind... but there are countless others as well. Removing Diacetyl from Microwave Popcorn Doesn't Make it Safe... As mentioned, diacetyl is known to cause serious, sometimes life-threating respiratory illness in microwave popcorn-plant and flavoring plant workers. Many companies therefore began to stop using the chemical in their products, replacing it with another ingredient called 2,3-pentanedione (PD), which is also used to impart a buttery flavor and aroma. Now researchers have revealed that PD, too, can lead to respiratory toxicity similar to that caused by diacetyl.2 The chemical was also capable of pathologically altering the gene expression in rat brains, leading to neurotoxicity. The study's lead researcher noted: "Our study is a reminder that a chemical with a long history of being eaten without any evidence of toxicity can still be an agent with respiratory toxicity when appropriate studies are conducted." Not to mention, perfluoroalkyls (PFCs), which are chemicals used to keep grease from leaking through food wrappers, are widely used in microwave-popcorn packaging. These chemicals migrate into your food and are processed by your body, where they can disrupt your endocrine system and affect your sex hormones. PFCs have been linked to infertility, thyroid disease, cancer, immune system problems, and more. Most US Corn is Genetically Modified About 86 percent of all corn crops grown in the United States are genetically modified (GM), which brings a new set of health concerns to your microwave popcorn. Interestingly, none of the popcorn is genetically engineered, however just about all the other corn is, which is a great reason to avoid it. Additionally, as a grain it will typically not promote good health for most people. So-called "Bt corn" is equipped with a gene from the soil bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which produces Bt-toxin – a pesticide that breaks open the stomach of certain insects and kills them. This pesticide-producing corn entered the food supply in the late 1990's, and over the past decade, the horror stories have started piling up. Monsanto and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) swore that the toxin would only affect insects munching on the crop. The Bt-toxin, they claimed, would be completely destroyed in the human digestive system and would not have any impact on animals and humans. The biotech companies have doggedly insisted that Bt-toxin doesn't bind or interact with the intestinal walls of mammals, and therefore humans. However, the corn's Bt-toxin has been detected in the blood of pregnant women and their babies, as well as in non-pregnant women. Specifically, the toxin was identified in 93% of pregnant women, 80% of umbilical blood in their babies, and 67% of non-pregnant women tested.3 And there's plenty of evidence showing that the Bt-toxin produced in genetically modified Bt crops like corn is toxic to humans and mammals and triggers immune system responses. For example, in government-sponsored research in Italy, mice fed Monsanto's Bt corn showed a wide range of immune responses, such as:4 Elevated IgE and IgG antibodies, which are typically associated with allergies and infections An increase in cytokines, which are associated with allergic and inflammatory responses. The specific cytokines (interleukins) that were found to be elevated are also higher in humans who suffer from a wide range of disorders, from arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease, to MS and cancer Elevated T cells (gamma delta), which are increased in people with asthma, and in children with food allergies, juvenile arthritis, and connective tissue diseases. Rats fed another of Monsanto's Bt corn varieties called MON 863, also experienced an activation of their immune systems, showing higher numbers of basophils, lymphocytes, and white blood cells.5 These can indicate possible allergies, infections, toxins, and various disease states including cancer. There were also signs of liver and kidney toxicity. How is Popcorn Popped? Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_7Qi3mprKQ&feature=player_embedded If you've ever wondered how a corn kernel turns into popcorn, the video above may give you a clue. A kernel of corn contains both moisture and oil, along with a hard, dense starch inside. As the kernel is heated, the moisture in the kernel gets turned into steam, which is held inside of the strong hull. This turns the dense starch into a soft, pliable material, and as the steam continues to build pressure and heat, the hull ruptures suddenly and the starch expands into an airy foam that sets into the popcorn you're familiar with. If you love popcorn and can't imagine giving it up, make your own at home using organic popping corn and coconut oil or butter. Place the oil or butter in a large pot, turn it on to medium heat and add your kernels. When the popping slows to one or two "pops" every few seconds, you're all done. Add your own natural seasonings like grass-fed, raw butter and Himalayan salt for a natural popcorn snack without all the artificial ingredients and chemicals that are inevitable with the microwave variety.
jimmyg
10-21-2012, 07:10 AM
Melatonin Helps Patients With High Blood Pressure To Sleep http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/melatonin.jpg October 18 2012 By Dr. Mercola Link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/18/melatonin-improves-sleep.aspx?e_cid=20121018_DNL_art_2 About 22 million Americans are on long-term treatment with beta-blockers, a class of drugs frequently prescribed to manage high blood pressure and as cardioprotection after a heart attack. Having difficulty falling or staying asleep, or insomnia, is one of the most common side effects of beta-blockers, as they suppress nighttime melatonin secretion. Melatonin is a hormone your body produces at night, and one of its primary roles is to help you sleep. This may also explain why they are also associated with an increased risk of diabetes, as this is another well-known complication of beta-blockers and sleep impairment has been strongly correlated with insulin disturbances. So, researchers decided to see what would happen if they supplemented people on beta-blockers with melatonin each night to help them sleep… Melatonin Improved Sleep for People With High Blood Pressure Hypertensive patients being treated with beta-blockers were given either 2.5 mg of melatonin or a placebo supplement nightly for three weeks. Researchers assessed their sleep patterns during two four-day sleep lab sessions – one before the supplements were given and one after. The melatonin group not only saw their melatonin levels rise, but they also enjoyed a 37-minute increase in their amount of sleep, along with an 8 percent improvement in sleep efficiency (meaning they spent more time asleep while they were in bed), and a 41-minute increase in "stage 2" sleep, which is the longest sleep stage during the night.1 Plus, those taking melatonin fell asleep 14 minutes faster than the placebo group. The study's lead author added:2 "Melatonin reduced their time awake from about 20 percent to just 12 percent, almost halving their wake time during the night." Why Not Just Take Sleeping Pills? Insomnia takes a heavy toll on your quality of life. Sleep deprivation is linked to chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, as well as obesity. It can also make you moody and unable to concentrate and put you at serious risk of a traffic accident. Insomnia has even been blamed for causing 274,000 workplace accidents and errors every year, at a cost of $31 billion!3 So there's no arguing with the fact that quality sleep is important. That said, you may want to think twice before filling a prescription for sleeping pills, as they not only fail to address the underlying reasons why you can't sleep, but research shows they're linked to a nearly four-fold increase in the risk of death, along with increased cancer risks. Research involving data from more than 10,500 people who received drugs for poor sleep (hypnotics) showed that "as predicted. Patients prescribed any hypnotic had substantially elevated hazards of dying compared to those prescribed no hypnotics" and the association held true even when patients with poor health were taken into account – and even if the patients took fewer than 18 pills in a year.4 The study suggested that those who take such medications are not only at higher risk for certain cancers, but are nearly four times more likely to die than people who don't take them. Sleeping pills linked to these risks included benzodiazepines (such as temazepam), non-benzodiazepines (such as Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata), barbiturates, and sedative antihistamines. There are other downfalls, too, like their well-known tendency to impair your function the following day. This is sometimes described as a sleeping pill "hangover" that may cause confusion, sleepiness and increases in falls and automobile accidents. Also, treating sleeping troubles with drugs is a risky bet because they can be addictive, which means that once you want to stop taking them, you'll likely suffer withdrawal symptoms that could be worse than your initial insomnia. It's worth noting that those in the melatonin study developed no tolerance and had no rebound sleep disturbances when the melatonin was withdrawn. They did, however, have a positive "carryover effect" of improved sleep even after they stopped taking the melatonin. Melatonin Might Help Protect Against Alzheimer's Disease Here's another "side benefit" of melatonin: .......... "…melatonin plus physical exercise may exert complementary, additive, or even synergistic effects against a range of disturbances present in AD [Alzheimer's disease]," the researchers said. Normally, your brain produces melatonin in a daily rhythm that peaks at night, around 9 or 10 p.m. This makes you sleepy, and it is these regularly occurring secretions that help regulate your sleep cycle. If you're not getting enough sleep, there's a good chance your melatonin production is not up to par either, and this could have far-reaching impacts on your health, even accelerating the aging process of your brain. Past research has shown artificially aged mice treated with melatonin had reduced oxidative stress and markers of cerebral aging and neurodegeneration, indicating the melatonin offered both neuroprotective and anti-aging effects.6 Melatonin actually has antioxidant properties that may help explain its important anti-aging role, as it helps to suppress harmful free radicals in your body and even slows the production of estrogen, which can activate certain cancers. Melatonin's immediate precursor is the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is a major player in uplifting your mood. And, like serotonin, melatonin plays important roles in your physical and mental health. Studies have shown that insufficient melatonin production can set you up for: Decreased immune function - Accelerated cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth (including leukemia) - Blood pressure instability - Decreased free radical scavenging - Increased plaques in the brain, like those seen with Alzheimer's disease - Increased risk of osteoporosis - Diabetic microangiopathy (capillary damage) - Depression and/or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). How to Optimize Your Melatonin Production Naturally Melatonin production is stimulated by darkness and suppressed by light, which is why your levels should be highest just prior to bedtime. .......... Your body produces optimal levels of melatonin under two conditions: one, enough darkness at night that activates your pineal gland, but just as importantly, exposure to brilliant light, ideally sunshine, during the day. It is the combination that actually causes your body to produce healthy levels of melatonin. Therefore, if you are having trouble sleeping, a signal that your melatonin production is off, I suggest you make sure you're sleeping in total darkness (use blackout drapes and a sleep mask) and also turning lights down prior to bedtime. Even very small amounts of light, such as the glow from a clock radio or streetlights shining through your bedroom window, can disrupt your melatonin production. TVs and computers emit significant blue light, which will tend to decrease your melatonin if you work past dark, so ideally you'd want to turn these items off once the sun goes down. For use in the evening, you can purchase "low blue lights," which emit an amber light instead of the blue that suppresses melatonin production. Therefore, ....... Additionally, the quality of light you're exposed to during the day also matters when it comes to maintaining a healthy rhythm. While most of us are over-exposed to light in the evenings, most of us are also under-exposed to optimal light during the day! Most incandescent and fluorescent lights emit very poor-quality light. What your body needs for optimal functioning is the full-spectrum light you get outdoors, but most of us do not spend much time outside to take advantage of this healthy light. Nor.......... One thing that may ameliorate this lack of high-quality sunlight during the day is using full-spectrum light bulbs in your home and office. If you're having even slight trouble sleeping, I suggest you review my 33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep for even more helpful guidance on how to improve your sleep-wake cycle and get restful sleep. If you've made the necessary changes to your sleep routine and find you're still having trouble sleeping, a high-quality melatonin supplement may be helpful. For instance....... Researchers believe this may explain why many older adults occasionally experience disrupted sleep patterns. With less melatonin in their blood, the stimulus to fall asleep, stay asleep, and wake feeling rested can potentially be compromised, which is why some older adults may benefit from extra melatonin – likewise if you perform night shift work, travel often and experience jet lag, or otherwise suffer from occasional sleeplessness due to stress or unexplained reasons. If You're Having Trouble Sleeping Due to Taking Beta-Blockers for High Blood Pressure… Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a very serious health concern that can lead to cardiovascular disease and increased risk for stroke. It's estimated that high blood pressure affects 90 percent of Americans at one time or another. Like statin drugs, blood pressure drugs are pervasive, with one in three Americans taking them. Of those, an estimated 25 percent are falsely diagnosed! They have what we call "white coat hypertension," meaning they suffer temporary anxiety when at the doctor's office, and as a result, their blood pressure goes up. However, they don't truly suffer from hypertension. If you're given a drug to treat a condition you don't have, it can only cause you harm... Beta-blockers actually prevent your heart muscle from fully contracting by blocking the beta receptor's response to catecholamines (stress hormones), and they are not always selective enough to target only heart muscle receptors; often, your brain's beta receptors are blocked by this drug, resulting in a depressive state where the natural "highs" of life are blunted, and while the blood pressure may drop precipitously, so does the quality of your life. While life-saving in times of crisis, it is well known that even the clinical research indicates that beta-blockers significantly raise the risk of type 2 diabetes, as well as heart attack and cardiac mortality itself.7 I believe very few people really need them. In fact, it is likely that they contribute to the weakening of the heart muscle's ability to contract fully over time, which further depresses the circulation and oxygenation of the entire body – ironically, even that of the heart itself. Natural strategies are absolutely crucial to address the underlying cause of high blood pressure, which almost always involve endothelial dysfunction, or, the inability of the lining of the blood vessels and arteries to fully dilate. This may be caused by a number of factors, but generally follows from injury to the endothelium induced by chemicals (e.g. smoking), stress (e.g. chronic elevated adrenaline) and nutrient deficiencies (e.g. lack of adequate folate) and incompatibilities (e.g. excess fructose). No matter the cause, make sure you're getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega 3-fats, such as krill oil. Research suggests that as little as 500 mg may lower your total cholesterol and triglycerides, and will likely increase your HDL cholesterol. You'll also want to dramatically reduce grains and sugars in your daily diet, especially fructose, replacing it with healthful fats, such as olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, organic pastured eggs, and grassfed meats. Getting the right amount of regular exercise is another key factor. If you are currently taking any medications to control your blood pressure, please understand that these drugs are not placebos and most work very effectively to lower your blood pressure. But they don't do it in a way that addresses the cause. So if you stop them, there is a chance your blood pressure will rise very high, and sometimes high enough to cause a stroke. So only begin to wean off of your blood pressure medications while under careful professional supervision. For more information relating to hypertension, from how to reduce your blood pressure by effectively addressing stress… exercising… normalizing your weight… and which foods to eat and which to eliminate, and much more, please see: ....
jimmyg
10-22-2012, 07:31 AM
Say goodbye to gluten: Over 200 clinically confirmed reasons to avoid wheat
http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/dir/Farming/Tractor-Wheat-Field-Farm-Crops.jpg Wednesday, October 17, 2012 by: PF Louis (NaturalNews) This title is the same as a recent GreenMedInfo.com. It contains a list of over 200 health problems, with celiac disease at the top and including many more not normally associated with gluten intolerance. The author and founder of GreenMedInfo.com, Sayer Ji, prefers the term gluten toxicity to gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance... "in order to shift the focus away from the victim back to the aggressor, the gluten itself." Sayer Ji's GreenMedInfo.com article lists all the disorders linked to gluten. They are hyperlinked to articles and abstracts of clinical studies recorded in MedLine since 1971. Explaining the attack on wheat and other grains Negative reports on wheat and other grains have risen considerably in the past decade. The dramatic rise of celiac disease, a chronic gut inflammation that destroys intestinal villi (tiny tubes) responsible for absorbing nutrients, has been a major focus. The gluten toxicity that brings on Celiac disease and other autoimmune reactions is mostly from peptides contained in gluten known as gliadin proteins, which damage the intestinal tract. In addition to Celiac disease, which if undetected leads to malnutrition that creates other diseases, gluten toxicity can result in several other manifestations of poor health, including chronic fatigue and mental disorders. Lectins, sticky proteins common to all plants for self defense, are a prominent feature of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). In addition to flattening out intestinal villi and causing Celiac, they can penetrate gut linings and create leaky gut. Once lectins get into the blood stream, they can bind to leptin receptors, blocking the leptin sensitivity that lets you know you've had enough to eat, creating a sluggish metabolism, and disrupting insulin balance. In other words, it leads to obesity and diabetes. So how did the "staff of life" become a weed of disease? For starters, wheat is not the same today. It has been hybrid over time to resist fungus, grow more quickly, and be more pliable for industrial bread baking. 50 years or so ago, wheat contained only five percent gluten. Today, it is 50 percent gluten. The food industry's concern for production efficiency and perception of consumer demands has focused on the bottom line with the usual disregard to the negative health consequences of fellow humans. Breads and other baked goods are hastily produced with additives and short cuts that are actually toxic. In the UK, some of Europe, and North America, slightly different high speed methods of baking evolved over time. By adding "improvers" with usually toxic additives and mixing the dough violently, loaves of bread could be baked, cooled, and packaged within a few short hours. Agricultural resources then sped up the hybrid process for wheat to accommodate the baking industry's mechanical requirements of pliable proteins, leading to the 10-fold increase of wheat's gluten since that time. This situation has permeated almost all nations. There are some exceptions; for instance, most of Europe doesn't permit chemically bleaching flour to produce white bread. They use sunlight to "bleach" wheat. Having your cake and eating it too Not all of us are prepared to go strictly Paleo and exclude all grains and legumes. Some of us still prefer not to eat animals, and if the food supply bottom falls out, many aren't ready and able to kill and skin deer or other animals to survive. Grains such as rice and dried legumes are easy to hoard and use for survival if the store shelves become empty overnight. The common concern for rice and legumes is phytates or phytic acid, which can block minerals from being absorbed in our bodies. Overnight soaking, a prerequisite for cooking dry beans, has been known to minimize phytates, or phytic acid. Rice can be soaked overnight as well. The process of cooking itself reduces phytic acid. Using sprouted wheat flour can ameliorate some of WGA's toxicity. Baking with sourdough starters instead of normal baker's yeast can help also, while combining both may be optimum (http://www.foodrenegade.com). It appears Whole Foods bakery does so. Wheat's gluten toxicity is reduced by sourdough starters properly fermented for 24 hours or more. A University of Alberta Canadian cereal microbiologist, Michael Gaenzle, suggests that sourdough bread, homemade or from a trusted bakery, may be at least a solution for gluten toxicity. He referred to a study where recovered Celiac patients suffered no consequences from eating fermented (sourdough) wheat bread for two days. Those who ate regularly produced wheat bread did have a relapse. The demand for continuing at least a partial grain diet safely has inspired one company, Vitamin Research Products to offer a natural supplement called Lectin Lock, which they claim will help reduce WGA gummy lectins. Chronic health issues may or may not be from WGA toxicity. Katherine Czapp, whose WATF article is linked below, suggests testing for Celiac disease with Enerolab. (https://www.enterolab.com/default.aspx) Sources for this article include: http://www.greenmedinfo.com http://www.westonaprice.org/digestive-disorders/against-the-grain http://www.realfooduniversity.com/real-truth-healthy-grains/ http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2008/04/leptin-and-lectins.html Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037575_gluten_wheat_grains.html#ixzz2A2PgTfAx
jimmyg
10-22-2012, 07:45 PM
Diet Drinks: The Biggest Marketing Scam of All Time? http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2081.jpeg October 18, 2012 Posted by Joshua Corn Diet drinksWe are surrounded by junk foods and beverages. They’re everywhere – in our grocery stores, in our restaurants and even in our schools. While I have a strong distaste for such artificial, highly processed goods, at least many of them are typically recognized for what they are. Most people know that Twinkies, Slim Jims and Mountain Dew are not healthy choices. What makes me really angry is when something that is bad for you is marketed as good for you. Why? Because it’s a scam, it’s unfair and it often has negative effects on the people who are most vulnerable – namely children. Diet Drinks: Marketed as Safe, but Far From It At the top of my list are diet drinks that contain artificial sweeteners. Decades from now, this will be one of those “what in the world were we thinking” topics. But today, we have to contend with the fact that the vast majority of the public considers diet drinks “good for you.” Whose fault is this? Well let’s start with the global corporations that market these toxic concoctions as “healthy” alternatives to sugary drinks that can actually promote weight loss. I can’t help but draw comparisons to the big tobacco companies that marketed their “light” cigarettes as healthier alternatives. Next, we can blame our leaders and policymakers for being duped into thinking that promoting diet drinks is a good strategy to getting people to drink less sugary soda. Given the multiple scientific studies that prove that diet drinks (and soda in general) have numerous negative health consequences, this strategy is seriously flawed. An example of such policy is New York’s ban on large-sized sugary drinks that excludes diet drinks. Lastly, we have ourselves to blame. There is always a level of individual responsibility with any social issue. We allow these drinks to be sold and, in my opinion, are not nearly vocal enough in terms of educating people about their dangers. Sadly, Consumption of Diet Drinks Is Increasing What inspired me to write this article was a study I read about in USA Today, which showed that the consumption of diet drinks has been steadily rising over the past decade. The worst part about this study is that almost 20% of girls aged 12 to 19 consume a diet drink on any given day. On many occasions, I’ve cringed to see kids under the age of 10 drinking diet sodas – their parents naïvely thinking they are making a smart choice for their children. Let’s Talk About Some of the Dangers The dangers of diet drinks are numerous and well documented. While Live in the Now has reported extensively on these dangers, I’ve provided links to 3rd party sources below to avoid creating the perception that this is simply our opinion. Some studies show that diet drinks can actually make you 70% fatter. The artificial coloring used in diet drinks is a carcinogenic. Aspartame and Neotame (Equal and NutraSweet) are also known carcinogens, even in low levels. Sucralose (Splenda), alters the microflora in the intestine and “exerts numerous adverse effects, according to a Duke University study. Diet sodas in general are linked to a 61% increase in strokes and heart attacks. What To Do If You Really Like Soda If you currently drink diet sodas, I hope you consider stopping. In my 20s, I used to drink a lot of diet drinks thinking they were harmless. But then I uncovered the truth, and once you know the facts, it’s easy to quit. I do, however, enjoy drinking carbonated beverages. Here’s my advice for you if you do too 1. Avoid diet drinks like the plague! 2. If you must drink soda, one sweetened with corn syrup is probably better than an artificially sweetened drink, but remember this is just the lesser of two evils – neither is good for you. 3. More and more sodas are sweetened with cane sugar, which is a better choice than high fructose corn syrup. Still, please remember that any drink containing sugar provides “empty calories” and should be avoided. 4. If it’s just the carbonation you like, try good ol’ fashioned sparkling water. Just be careful because a lot of sparkling water (especially club soda) is made from unfiltered municipal water, so keep an eye on the water source. If it has lemon, lime or other fruit juice added, try to pick a drink that uses natural instead of artificial flavoring. Note: Some experts say that excessive consumption of carbonated beverages – even water – may leach minerals from your bones, so don’t overdo it. 5. My favorite solution is using a SodaStream machine to add carbonation to high quality filtered or spring water or organic juice. I bought mine on Amazon.com, but they are widely available online and in stores. My kids (and I) love it because we can make all types of drinks that are refreshing and healthy. My only tip would be to upgrade to the glass bottles so you can avoid using plastic! One parting comment – please spread the word about the dangers of diet drinks. I think if more people knew about the mounting evidence showing the numerous health consequences of diet drinks, very few people would consume them. The best way to mitigate the negative effects of a bad product on the market is to speak with our wallets and simply not buy it!
jimmyg
10-23-2012, 10:45 AM
Eating tomatoes is shown to slash stroke risk in half http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/dir/WeirdFactsAboutFood/61-Tomatoes.jpg Wednesday, October 17, 2012 by: John Phillip (NaturalNews) Stroke continues to rank as the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., permanently disabling and needlessly taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of adults every year. Recent studies have demonstrated that the risk of stroke can be lowered by following simple lifestyle changes including regular physical activity, limiting or eliminating trans and hydrogenated fats and sugars from the diet and consuming a variety of antioxidants from natural foods or supplemental sources. A research team from the University of Eastern Finland, reporting in the journal, Neurology has determined that eating tomatoes and tomato-based foods is associated with a lower risk of stroke, due in large part to high concentrations of the potent antioxidant, lycopene. Lycopene is a well studied compound that gives tomatoes and other fruits and vegetables their deep red color. In prior studies, lycopene has been associated with a significant risk reduction in the development and progression of prostate cancer. To conduct this study, scientists considered medical data from 1,031 Finnish men between the ages of 46 and 65. Baseline lycopene levels were taken at the outset of the study, and the participants were followed for a period of 12 years. During this period, 67 men experienced a stroke event. Lycopene from tomatoes and tomato-based foods dramatically lowers stroke risk in men After determining the amount of lycopene consumed by the participants, researchers found that 9.7 percent of those men with the lowest intake of lycopene experienced a stroke. 4.2 percent of the men with the highest lycopene consumption had a stroke over the study period. The study team determined that people with the highest amounts of lycopene in their blood were 55 percent less likely to have a stroke than people with the lowest amounts of lycopene in their blood. When the researchers further broke down the results, they found that those with the highest levels of lycopene were 59 percent less likely to have an ischemic stroke (caused by a blood clot, the most common type of stroke) than those with the lowest levels. Lead research author, Dr. Jouni Karppi concluded "This study adds to the evidence that a diet high in fruits and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of stroke... the results support the recommendation that people get more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, which would likely lead to a major reduction in the number of strokes worldwide, according to previous research." Interestingly, the scientists reviewed blood levels of the antioxidants alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol and retinol, but found no association between the blood levels and risk of stroke. This provides further support for consumption of a varied diet from a wide array of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds supplying a rainbow of antioxidant compounds and omega-3 fats to prevent disease. Health-conscious individuals will want to include one to two daily servings of tomatoes and tomato-based foods to dramatically lower stroke risk. Sources for this article include: http://aan.com/press/index.cfm?fuseaction=release.view&release=1107 http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Strokes/35207 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/10/121008161746.htm http://www.nutraingredients.com
jimmyg
10-23-2012, 09:09 PM
Antibiotic Alert: The Drug the Doctor Ordered Could Cause Deadly Side Effects http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/fluoroquinolones.jpg October 20 2012 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin, Avelox) are among the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in the United States, but they carry severe side effects that can harm your central nervous system, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously. Because of their side effects, they’re supposed to be used only to treat serious bacterial infections that won’t respond to any other treatment; instead, they’re often offered for mild conditions like sinus, urinary tract and ear infections. Tendon rupture, retinal detachment, hallucinations, personality changes, kidney failure, brain fog, psychosis and loss of memory have all been reported following use of fluoroquinolones.
Fluoroquinolones are among the most commonly prescribed class of antibiotics in the United States. Among the most well known is Cipro (made by Bayer), which became a household name during the anthrax scare that occurred shortly after 9/11. Levaquin is a close second. All antibiotics carry a risk of side effects, but the fluoroquinolones are in a class by themselves when it comes to their potential to cause serious, permanent injuries and even death. Given their potential to harm, they should be reserved for treating only the most serious bacterial infections that won't respond to any other treatment; instead, they're often offered for mild conditions like sinus, urinary tract and ear infections. Fluoroquinolones: The Deadliest Antibiotics on the Market? If your doctor hands you a prescription for a fluoroquinolone antibiotic (this could be not only Cipro or Levaquin but also Avelox or generics ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin, or others), be very certain that your condition warrants the risks that come along with taking these drugs. Fluoroquinolones have fluoride as a central part of the drug. Fluoride is a known neurotoxin, and drugs with an attached fluoride can penetrate into very sensitive tissues. The fluoroquinolones have the unique ability to penetrate your blood-brain barrier, entering your brain and damaging your central nervous system. Many of these drugs have already been removed from the market due to their toxicity, and those that remain are riddled with black box warnings required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2008, the FDA required seven fluoroquinolone antibiotics to add a black-box warning because they pose a risk of tendinitis and increase the risk of a tendon rupture by three to four times. But this is far from the only risk. Levaquin, for instance, which was the best-selling antibiotic in 2010, faces thousands of lawsuits a year from people who have been seriously harmed after taking it. 1 The reactions can be body-wide, impacting your central nervous system, musculoskeletal, visual and renal systems, sometimes simultaneously. Among the serious reactions reported are: Retinal detachment, which can cause blindness - Hallucinations - Nausea and diarrhea - Acute kidney failure - Psychotic reactions - Hearing problems - Brain fog - Painful rashes - Disruptions to blood sugar metabolism - Depression - Phototoxicity - Peripheral neuropathy In a 2001 study by Dr. Jay Cohen, the following reaction rates were documented: 2 Nervous system symptoms occurred in 91 percent of patients (pain, tingling and numbness, dizziness, malaise, weakness, headaches, anxiety and panic, loss of memory, psychosis) Musculoskeletal symptoms in 73 percent of patients (tendon ruptures, tendonitis, weakness, joint swelling) Sensory symptoms in 42 percent of patients (tinnitus, altered visual, olfactory, and auditory function) Cardiovascular symptoms in 36 percent of patients (tachycardia, shortness of breath, chest pain, palpitations) Skin reactions in 29 percent of patients (rashes, hair loss, sweating, intolerance to heat or cold) Gastrointestinal symptoms in 18 percent of patients (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain) In a letter to his Congressman, he wrote: "These severe reactions are occurring in patients who are usually healthy, active, and young. Most often, the antibiotics are prescribed for mild infections such as sinusitis, urinary or prostate infections. Most reactions occur very quickly, sometimes with just a few doses of the fluoroquinolone antibiotic. Reactions are acute, severe, frightening, and often disabling. Since the publication of my article with its 45 cases two and a half years ago, I have received e-mails from more than 100 people seeking help for their reactions. In most cases, their doctors have dismissed their complaints or outright denied that the reactions could occur with fluoroquinolones. Yet extensive medical workups do not find any other cause. Worse, there are no known effective treatments. Thus, these people suffer pain and disability for weeks, months, and years." Increased Antibiotic-Resistant Infection Rates Also Linked to Fluoroquinolones Overuse of these potent antibiotics has been linked to antibiotic resistant infections like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and the potentially life-threatening diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile (C. diff). According to some research, being given fluoroquinolones is the most important risk factor in developing Clostridium difficile–associated-diarrhea (CDAD). 3 Again, a large part of the problem is that these drugs, which are meant to be reserved for life-threatening infections that cannot otherwise be treated, are being vastly overused. In a study in BMC Infectious Diseases, it was found that nearly 40 percent of fluoroquinolone treatments at one medical center were unnecessary, while other research found 81 percent of fluoroquinolone prescriptions in two academic emergency departments were inappropriate based on institutional guidelines.4 As reported by The New York Times: 5 "In an interview, Mahyar Etminan, a pharmacological epidemiologist at the University of British Columbia, said the drugs were overused "by lazy doctors who are trying to kill a fly with an automatic weapon." The drugs are thought to be particularly dangerous for children under age 18, adults over 60, and pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with liver disease or those taking corticosteroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). But, they are often prescribed for these groups, anyway. Writing in Forbes, contributor Melanie Haiken recalled taking her teenage daughter to the doctor and being handed a prescription for Cipro for her, even though she was under 18 and seeking treatment for an ear infection... 6 This prompted Haiken to dig deeper before giving her daughter the drug, but many others are completely unaware that the antibiotic they've just been prescribed has been linked to such deadly side effects. They assume it's like any other antibiotic... Avoid Cipro and Other Fluoride Antibiotics or Run the Risk of SEROIUS Side Effects If your doctor prescribes you one of these dangerous antibiotics ask him or her to use another one. It is uncommon that this would be the only one that could be used. These dangerous antibiotics should be used as a last resort only. If you do wind up using them then read the package insert and all the warnings VERY carefully and stop them the moment you notice a side effect. In today's expansive age of online networking, there exists a large community of people who've experienced fluoroquinolone injuries. They often refer to themselves as the "Floxies," and their numbers continue to grow as the prescriptions flow. Quite a few of these Floxies are in the medical field themselves (or were, before they were poisoned), and are on a mission to help fellow fluoroquinolone victims. You, too, can help to get the word out by sharing this information with your friends and family, and advising them to consider alternatives before taking these drugs – especially if they're prescribed for a minor condition. You wouldn't knowingly risk permanent blindness, personality changes or psychotic reactions to treat your ear infection, especially if there were a safer alternative... and there nearly always is. David A. Flockhart, professor of medicine and chief of clinical pharmacology at Indiana University School of Medicine, reports as many as one-third of patients taking a fluoroquinolone will experience some sort of negative psychiatric effect, such as anxiety, personality changes, or confusion. He has treated more than 100 patients with such psychiatric side effects, stating: "The psychiatric effects of the fluoroquinolones are underappreciated by the medical profession as well as by the public. The bigger the gun you use, the more damage you can expect as collateral." Cipro, Levaquin and the related drugs in the class are very "big guns" that should only be used in very special circumstances. Please be absolutely sure yours is one of them before consenting to use these drugs.
jimmyg
10-24-2012, 07:25 AM
New Report Shreds Claims that GE Crops Reduce Pesticide Use October 20 2012 link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/20/ge-crops-increase-pesticide-use.aspx?e_cid=20121020_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola video.... Story at-a-glance: Genetically engineered (GE) crops have led to a 404 million pound increase in overall pesticide use from the time they were introduced in 1996 through 2011 GE crops have led to resistance, both in weeds and pests, leaving farmers to struggle with an increasingly difficult situation. More than two dozen weed species are now resistant to glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup Rapidly increasing weed resistance is now driving up the volume of herbicide needed by about 25 percent annually Civil society groups from multiple nations convening at a recent Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety meeting urged global leaders to “follow the Convention on Biological Diversity, in letter and spirit” in order to prevent irreparable ecological and human harm from irreversible GE technologies
A late-breaking study shows that genetically engineered (GE) crops have led to a 404 million pound increase in overall pesticide use from the time they were introduced in 1996 through 2011. This equates to an increase of about seven percent over the last 16 years. The report, published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe,1 effectively undermines the declared value of crops genetically engineered to be protected against herbicides and insects. The whole premise for GE crops was to make it easier to kill weeds and diminish crop loss to harmful pests. But instead, these modified crops have led to resistance, both in weeds and pests, leaving farmers to struggle with an increasingly difficult situation. More than two dozen weed species are now resistant to glyphosate, the primary ingredient in Monsanto's broad-spectrum herbicide Roundup. Things are Rapidly Getting Worse... According to the author, Charles Benbrook, a research professor at the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at Washington State University: "Contrary to often-repeated claims that today's genetically-engineered crops have, and are reducing pesticide use, the spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds in herbicide-resistant weed management systems has brought about substantial increases in the number and volume of herbicides applied. If new genetically engineered forms of corn and soybeans tolerant of 2,4-D are approved, the volume of 2,4-D sprayed could drive herbicide usage upward by another approximate 50 percent. The magnitude of increases in herbicide use on herbicide-resistant hectares has dwarfed the reduction in insecticide use on Bt crops over the past 16 years, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future." According to Benbrook, rapidly increasing weed resistance is now driving up the volume of herbicide needed by about 25 percent annually. In a statement to Reuters,2 Benbrook said: "Things are getting worse, fast. In order to deal with rapidly spreading resistant weeds, farmers are being forced to expand use of older, higher-risk herbicides. To stop corn and cotton insects from developing resistance to Bt, farmers planting Bt crops are being asked to spray the insecticides that Bt corn and cotton were designed to displace." Insanity Level: Full Steam Ahead One of those higher-risk chemicals is 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) – one of the ingredients in Agent Orange, which was used to defoliate battle fields in the jungles of Vietnam, with horrendous consequences to the health of those exposed. If you want to see some of its effects on children who were exposed in the womb, you can do so on DigitalJournalist.org3 – but I warn you the photos are very graphic and upsetting. Benbrook's paper includes a model showing how a 2,4-D-resistant corn product, if released in 2013, would affect the use of 2,4-D on farm fields. According to his projections, which he refers to as "conservative" assumptions, use of 2,4D could reach 103.4 million pounds annually as early as 2019 – up from the current level of 3.3 million pounds in 2010. Due to the toxic nature of 2,4-D, the results of such a massive increase in use would raise risks of birth defects and reproductive problems in those who consume the food, not to mention the severe hazard it poses to aquatic and other ecosystems. This is valuable information indeed, considering the fact that biotech giant Dow's new GE product, dubbed "Enlist," is a three-gene, herbicide-tolerant soybean engineered to be resistant to not only glyphosate, but glufosinate and 2,4-D as well! Talk about a triple whammy of trouble coming down the pike... Ironically, Dow touts their new product as a solution to Monsanto's failing Roundup Ready GE crops. This despite the fact that 28 species across 16 plant families have already evolved resistance to herbicides with a similar mode of action as 2,4-D, according to a 2011 article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,4 in which the authors criticize speculation that 2,4-D would not cause resistance. Remember that Monsanto recently won a billion dollar award in their suit against Dow. Civil Society Groups Urge Global Leaders to Institute Biosafety Protection In related news, civil society groups from multiple nations convening at a recent Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety Meeting urged global leaders to "follow the Convention on Biological Diversity, in letter and spirit," downtoearth.org reports.5 "They appealed to global nations to ensure that biodiversity, and with it the access of the local people to their biological heritage, is not sacrificed for risky and irreversible technologies like genetic engineering in agriculture. They demanded that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and living modified organisms (LMOs) are not released into the environment. Their appeal came in the backdrop of growing evidence on the impacts of genetically engineered crops on biodiversity and human health." India has been growing genetically engineered Bt cotton since 2002, and after a mere decade, the livelihoods of farmers across the country have faltered at an unprecedented rate. According to the featured article: "Studies have shown that it has not only failed to increase yields or reduce pesticide usage as claimed by the biotech seed industry but has increased the cost of cultivation of cotton, and thereby pushing the cotton farmers into further distress. The situation is particularly acute in the rainfed regions in the country, which comprises 65 percent of the area under cotton cultivation. Highlighting the Bt cotton experience, Sridhar said: 'It is unfortunate that India learned its lesson the hard way from its tryst with Bt cotton and it is our poor farmers who are continuing to pay with their lives. It is time that governments across the world realize that techno-fixes like GM crops can neither solve agrarian distress nor provide food security. The solutions to these lie in ecological farming where the triple bottom lines of social, ecological and economical sustainability are met.'" The Lies that Allowed Monsanto to Get their GE Products Onto Your Dinner Plate In 2009, President Obama appointed former Monsanto VP for Public Policy, Michael Taylor, as a senior adviser for the FDA, turning a deaf ear to the loud protests from consumer groups. Taylor is currently serving as the deputy commissioner for foods at the FDA – a position that includes ensuring food labels contain clear and accurate information. He also oversees strategy for food safety, and planning new food safety legislation. To say he's a fox guarding a hen house would be an understatement. This sentiment is shared by most people who are even remotely aware of food safety issues. At the time of Taylor's appointment, GE expert Jeffrey Smith commented:6 "The person who may be responsible for more food-related illness and death than anyone in history has just been made the US food safety czar. This is no joke." video.... Now, the opposition is gaining steam yet again with an online petition7 calling for Taylor's removal. "President Obama, I oppose your appointment of Michael Taylor. Taylor is the same person who was Food Safety Czar at the FDA when genetically modified organisms were allowed into the U.S. food supply without undergoing a single test to determine their safety or risks. This is a travesty," the petition reads. If you agree, feel free to sign the petition. video... Passing Prop 37 is Key to Expanding Sustainable Agriculture in North America Organic foods specifically prohibit genetically engineered ingredients along with synthetic agricultural chemicals, and eating organic is essentially the only way to ensure you're not accidentally consuming GE foods, since the US still does not require such ingredients to be labeled. It's quite evident that we have no real champions for food safety and labeling of genetically engineered foods within the federal government. As I recently reported, the last three US Presidents and Presidential-hopeful Mitt Romney all have something health related in common – they all insist on 100% organic diets for their own families while promoting unlabeled GE foods on the rest of us. But right now we do have a great opportunity to change this situation by circumventing Monsanto's posse entirely. Twenty-four U.S. states have, as part of their state governance, something called the Initiative Process, where residents can bring to ballot any law they want enacted, as long as it has sufficient support. California has organized such a ballot initiative, known as Proposition 37, to get labeling for genetically engineered foods sold in their state. Although many organic consumers and natural health activists already understand the importance of Proposition 37, it cannot be overemphasized that winning the battle over Prop 37 is perhaps the most important food fight Americans – not just Californians – have faced so far. But in order to win this fight for the right to know what's in our food, we need your help, as the biotech industry will surely outspend us by 100 to 1, if not more, for their propaganda. Please remember, the failure or success of this ballot initiative is wholly dependent on your support and funding! There are no major industry pockets funding this endeavor. In order to have a chance against the deep pockets of Big Biotech and transnational food corporations, it needs donations from average citizens. video... So please, if you have the ability, I strongly encourage you to make a donation to this cause. You can also contact EVERY person you know that lives in California and encourage them to view some of these videos and get educated on the issues so they can avoid succumbing to the propaganda, as Monsanto and company are paying tens of millions of dollars to deceive the voters in California. We need EVERY vote we can to win next month. The election is only FOUR weeks away. It's important to realize that getting this law passed in California would have the same overall effect as a national law, as large companies are not likely going to label their products as genetically engineered when sold in California (the 8th largest economy in the world), but not when sold in other states. Doing so would be a costly PR disaster. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in. Whether you live in California or not, please donate money to this historic effort, through the Organic Consumers Fund. If you live in California and want to get involved, please contact CARightToKnow.org. They will go through all volunteer requests to put you into a position that is suitable for you, based on your stated interests and location. No matter where you live, please help spread the word in your personal networks, on Facebook, and Twitter. For help with the messaging, please see CARightToKnow.org. Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the California Ballot. It may be the only chance we have to label genetically engineered foods. For timely updates, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
jimmyg
10-25-2012, 05:58 AM
Dear Live in the Now readers, Dr. Kevin Passero, Live in the Now's Medical Editor, here with an important message about your cognitive health. Did you know that 1 in 8 Americans over the age of 65 has Alzheimer's disease — and that nearly half of all individuals over the age of 80 suffer from this devastating condition? Alzheimer's is currently the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. and is expected to cost our healthcare system roughly $200 billion dollars in 2012.[2] Did you know that correcting a simple nutrient deficiency that affects an estimated 1 in 2 older individuals could significantly reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's and dementia? B12 Deficiency: A Growing Epidemic According to a report in the Harvard Health Newsletter, vitamin B12 deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the developing world and the U.S.[3] This is bad news since B12 is one of the building blocks your body uses to produce DNA. It also keeps your immune system functioning optimally, regulates mood and sleep cycles,[4] and is crucial to energy production, which is why it's known as the "energy vitamin."[5] Signs and symptoms of a B12 deficiency include the following: Low energy and weakness Confusion or "fuzziness" Persistent sleep problems Digestive problems Hearing and vision loss Memory problems Irritability and mood swings Dizziness or lightheadedness Weak immune function Numbness and tingling in the hands and feet I recommend vitamin B12 supplementation to my patients, and I am going to recommend it to you as well. Simply put, taking a high-quality B12 supplement can increase your energy and improve your overall state of well-being — and help preserve your brain function as you age. Vitamin B12 Keeps Your Brain from Shrinking The cognitive decline associated with aging has been clearly linked to a process in the body that involves a decrease in brain mass. That's right, your brain actually shrinks as you get older! This reduction in brain mass is directly correlated with Alzheimer's risk and the associated loss of memory and cognitive function seen in older individuals.[6] A landmark study conducted in 2010 showed that supplementation with B12 in combination with B6 and folic acid slowed the accelerated rate of brain shrinkage and declining cognitive scores in older individuals with mild cognitive impairment.[7] While B6 and folic acid are readily available in the diet and easily absorbed, B12 is not, and severe B12 deficiency is thought to affect nearly 1 in 2 older adults,[8,9] making proper supplementation critical. A more recent 2011 study published in the journal Neurology confirmed the importance of B12 in brain health among older individuals.[10] It again showed that older individuals with higher levels of B12 in their blood had less shrinkage of the brain than counterparts with lower levels. Those with higher B12 blood levels and increased brain size also scored higher on memory and cognitive tests. B12 protects your brain and nervous system by keeping nerves healthy and communicating in an optimal manner.[11,12] In addition, one of its most powerful protective properties for the brain is its ability to reduce blood levels of a dangerous metabolite called homocysteine. Homocysteine is a protein naturally formed in the body as a result of metabolism that is commonly correlated with many adverse health affects. Reductions in circulating homocysteine levels as a result of increased blood levels of B12 have been found to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Being deficient in B12 puts your brain at serious risk by contributing to age-related brain shrinkage and elevated levels of homocysteine.[13] Why You Should Start Taking a B12 Supplement Now Many factors are contributing to the massive widespread rise in B12 deficiency. The most important is related to the fact that the body's ability to absorb B12 decreases as we age. It has been clearly established that most people are deficient in B12 not because of a lack of consumption, but because they lack the ability to properly absorb it into the bloodstream. Unlike almost all other vitamins, B12 must be separated from food by stomach acid in order to be absorbed. In addition, the body has to release a special binding protein called intrinsic factor to facilitate the passage of B12 into the blood stream. As we age, the cells in our stomach that make the stomach acid needed to cleave B12 from food and the intrinsic factor needed to absorb it significantly reduce in activity and potency. This leaves us with a severely compromised mechanism to extract and absorb B12 from our food. Therefore, a sublingual (under-the-tongue) B12 supplement that bypasses the digestive process becomes necessary in order to raise B12 blood levels. Another major factor that contributes to B12 deficiency is prescription medication. Acid-blocking medications and the diabetes drug, metformin,[14] both deplete the body of B12. By the way, B12 supplements are extremely safe. B12 has no know drug interactions and has never shown any adverse or toxic effects in humans, even when given in large doses. Take the Right B12 or Don't Bother! There are 2 main factors to consider when choosing a B12 supplement: 1. Sublingual Delivery: All oral B12 supplements should be delivered to the body by dissolving them under the tongue. The vast network of blood vessels under the tongue allows B12 to be absorbed directly into the blood stream and thus bypassing the issues related to stomach acid and intrinsic factor. 2. Activated Form: Most B12 supplements on store shelves and on the Internet are made with an inexpensive form of B12 called cyanocobalamin. The problem with this form of B12 is that your body cannot even utilize it! In order to have a beneficial effect on the health of your cells, it must first be converted into its active counterpart called methylcobalamin. For these reasons, I ALWAYS suggest that anyone interested in supplementing with B12 use a supplement that contains 100% methylcobalamin delivered in a sublingual form. Human research has shown that supplementing with the active form of B12 is much more effective than using its inactive cyanocobalamin counterpart. The only reason why more companies don't use active B12 in their supplements is to save money and increase the profit margins on products.
jimmyg
10-26-2012, 07:56 AM
Many Medications Remain Safe and Effective Well Past Their Expiration Dates http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/expired-prescription.jpg October 22 2012 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Prescription drugs typically have an expiration date of one to five years, but many "expired" drugs are just as potent as when they were originally made, even several years past their expiration date Researchers analyzed eight prescription drugs that expired between 28 and 40 years ago and found that most were just as potent as when they were made Nitroglycerin, insulin and liquid antibiotics are three drugs that do NOT tend to keep well past their expiration date The federal government advises throwing most unused or expired medications into the trash rather than flushing them down the toilet, but comprehensive water testing across the entire US shows that no matter how the drugs are disposed, they end up in the water supply Trace amounts of more than 150 different human and veterinary medicines have been detected in environments. According to the USGS, 80 percent of the streams in the US, along with nearly 25 percent of the nation’s groundwater is contaminated with a variety of pharmaceuticals
Now, as you know, I am not a big fan of using prescription drugs for just about any reason. I don't take them, nor do my parents who are 77 and 83. However, I realize that many reading this are in a transition phase or simply unwilling to get off of them at this time. The information in this article can save you enormous amounts of money if you are throwing away your medications because you are following the inaccurately listed expirations dates on the prescription bottle. Prescription drugs typically have an expiration date of one to five years, and if you're like most people, you would probably think twice before taking a medication past its expiration date. Medication turnover based on stated expiration dates also costs the medical industry, such as hospitals, pharmacies, and the US military, billions of dollars. According to a new study,1 prescription drugs can actually remain sufficiently potent well past their expiration date, as long as it's unopened. (It's important to remember that drugs need to be stored properly, as humidity, temperature and exposure to light can affect the drug's shelf life.) Prescription Drugs Still Viable Up to 40 Years Past Their Expiration Date, Study Finds The researchers analyzed eight prescription drugs that expired between 28 and 40 years ago, and found that most were just as potent as when they were made. The drugs included 14 active ingredients, including aspirin, codeine and hydrocodone, and in 86 percent of the cases, there was still at least 90 percent of the active ingredient left in the drug, which is within the limits allowed by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Any given batch of a drug may contain anywhere between 90-110 percent of the amount of the active ingredient stated on the label. As reported by CNN Health:2 "It's impossible to say from the study results alone whether the eight drugs would be effective if used today, but 'there's no reason to think that they're not,' says Lee Cantrell, the lead author of the study... Two of the tested ingredients, aspirin and amphetamine, consistently fell below the 90 percent threshold, as did one sample of the painkiller phenacetin... 'All [the expiration date] means from the manufacturers' standpoint is that they're willing to guarantee the potency and efficacy for the drug for that long,' he says. 'It has nothing to do with the actual shelf life.' The fact that expiration dates appear to be somewhat arbitrary may mean that consumers and pharmacies alike are throwing away perfectly good medicine. And this has important implications for drug shortages and especially health care costs, the researchers say. 'We're spending billions and billions on medications and medication turnover,' Cantrell says. 'If a drug has expired, you've got to throw it away, it goes into a landfill, and you have to get a new prescription. This could potentially have a significant impact on cost.' Although consistently taking depleted prescription drugs could certainly cause complications, expired drugs are generally safe. In the medical literature there is only one example of an expired drug that became toxic, and that was an isolated incident, says Cantrell, the director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System." This supports previous findings by the US military, which found that 90 percent of the drugs tested were potent far past their original expiration date, at least one drug was still good after 15 years. There are exceptions of course. Nitroglycerin, insulin and liquid antibiotics are three drugs that do NOT tend to keep well past their expiration date. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal from 2000: "...Francis Flaherty says he has concluded that expiration dates put on by manufacturers typically have no bearing on whether a drug is usable for longer. Mr. Flaherty notes that a drug maker is required to prove only that a drug is still good on whatever expiration date the company chooses to set. The expiration date doesn't mean, or even suggest, that the drug will stop being effective after that, nor that it will become harmful. 'Manufacturers put expiration dates on for marketing, rather than scientific, reasons,' says Mr. Flaherty, a pharmacist at the FDA until his retirement last year. 'It's not profitable for them to have products on a shelf for 10 years. They want turnover.'" Cantrell again suggests expiration dating of drugs might need to be reevaluated, and it sounds like a good idea to me. The pharmaceutical industry can easily bilk extra money out of the medical system by stating a drug will expire after one year, when in fact it can safely last several years – perhaps several decades! Overall, it's a massive waste of money, but what's worse, unnecessary medication turnover also contributes to water contamination, which is becoming an increasingly troublesome concern. You're Probably Drinking Someone Else's Drugs... The federal government advises throwing most unused or expired medications into the trash rather than flushing them down the toilet, but water testing across the US shows that no matter how the drugs are disposed, they have a tendency to end up in water. For example, a 2008 Associated Press investigation found that the drinking water of at least 51 million Americans contained minute concentrations of a multitude of drugs:3 Philadelphia tested positive for 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water, including medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems. The city's watersheds tested positive for 63 different medications or byproducts Southern California drinking water had detectable levels of anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications A metabolized angina medicine and the mood-stabilizing carbamazepine was found in drinking water in Northern New Jersey, and San Francisco's drinking water was found to be laced with a sex hormone Flushing expired medications down the toilet is not the only way these drugs enter the water supplies. When you take a drug, you also eliminate a fraction of it and/or its byproducts through your urine. Drugs have also been detected in the water at landfills, confirming suspicions that pharmaceuticals thrown into household trash still end up in our water supplies. Water that drains through landfills, known as leach rate, eventually ends up in rivers. And although not all states source drinking water from rivers, many do. In addition to the chlorine, fluoride and disinfection byproducts (DBPs) this is yet another powerful reason to avoid drinking tap water unless it is filtered. The federal government does not require water treatment plants to test for drugs, and there are no safety limits for drugs in water. Making matters worse, standard water treatment does NOT filter out drugs. It's also important to realize that bottled water is oftentimes nothing more than tap water, which may or may not have received additional treatment, and bottlers typically do not screen for pharmaceuticals in the water either. Many home filtration systems are similarly untested in terms of their ability to filter out drugs. According to a comprehensive survey of U.S. drinking water,4 10 of the most frequently detected toxic pharmaceuticals overall were: Atenolol, a beta-blocker used to treat cardiovascular disease - Meprobamate, a tranquilizer used in psychiatric treatment - Atrazine, an organic herbicide banned in the European Union which has been implicated in the decline of fish stocks and in changes in animal behavior - Naproxen, a painkiller and anti-inflammatory linked to increases in asthma incidence - Carbamazepine, a mood-stabilizing drug used to treat bipolar disorder - Phenytoin, an anticonvulsant used to treat epilepsy - Estrone, an estrogen hormone secreted by the ovaries and blamed for causing gender changes in fish - Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic - Gemfibrozil, an anti-cholesterol drug - TCEP, a reducing agent used in molecular biology - Water Quality Matters! Contamination surveys such as those by the US Geological Survey (USGS)5, 6 can help us realize just how intimately connected we are with our environment, and how everything we do (and don't do) impacts that environment and boomerangs right back at us... We literally live in a sea of chemicals these days, and it is certainly not doing your health any good. Trace amounts of more than 150 different human and veterinary medicines have been detected in environments. According to the USGS, 80 percent of the streams in the US, along with nearly 25 percent of the nation's groundwater is contaminated with a variety of pharmaceuticals. The drug industry, while admitting that pharmaceuticals are clearly contaminating water supplies, maintains that the levels are too low to cause any harm. Yet, it's known that drugs in waterways can harm fish and other aquatic species, and laboratory studies show human cells do not grow normally when exposed to even trace amounts of certain drugs. Other potential concerns include: continued in Pt 2........
jimmyg
10-26-2012, 07:57 AM
Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water. Subsequently, people may be exposed to combinations of drugs that should not be combined Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply Pregnant women are also being exposed to drugs that could potentially harm an unborn child Besides the health risk to humans, drug-tainted water also has an ecological impact, contributing to mass bird die-offs and promoting antibiotic-resistant pathogens. A previous article in Environment3607 describes just how devastating pharmaceutical contamination of the environment can be: "The popular anti-inflammatory and arthritis drug, diclofenac... is used in both human and veterinary medicine. In India, farmers started dosing their cows and oxen with the drug in the early 1990s to relieve inflammation that could impair the animals' ability to provide milk or pull plows. Soon, about 10 percent of India's livestock harbored some 300 micrograms of diclofenac in their livers. When they died, their carcasses were sent to special dumps and picked clean by flocks of vultures. It was an efficient system, for unlike feral dogs and plague-infested rats, South Asia's abundant vulture population – estimated at more than 60 million in the early 1990s – carried no human pathogens and was resistant to livestock diseases such as anthrax. But vultures who fed on the treated carcasses accrued a dose of diclofenac of around 100 micrograms per kilogram. A person with arthritis would need 10 times that amount to feel an effect, but it was enough to devastate the vultures. Between 2000 and 2007, the South Asian vulture population declined by 40 percent every year; today [2010], 95 percent of India's Gyps vultures and 90 percent of Pakistan's are dead, due primarily to the diclofenac that scientists have found lurking in their tissues. South Asian and British scientists who experimentally exposed captive vultures to diclofenac-dosed buffalo found that the birds went into renal failure – scientists still don't know why – and died within days of exposure. As the vulture population has declined, the feral dog population has boomed, and the Indian government's attempt to control the rabies they carry has started to flounder." Safer Ways to Dispose of Unused Drugs In response to what has become an obvious problem, some states have introduced "take-back" programs, which are, not surprisingly, being opposed by the drug industries. You can learn more about local efforts on takebacknetwork.com.8 To give you an idea of just how many drugs are discarded, the fourth DEA-led National Prescription Drug Take-Back initiative9, 10 held this past summer collected a staggering 276 tons of unwanted or expired medications! The four annual events have, in total, collected over 774 tons of drugs, which might otherwise have been flushed down the toilet or discarded into landfills, or been otherwise misused. The FDA released new guidelines last year for "safely" disposing of drugs:11 Follow any specific disposal instructions on the drug label or patient information that accompanies the medication. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless this information specifically instructs you to do so. [I would recommend never flushing ANY drug down the toilet, to protect your community's water quality] Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Call your city or county government's household trash and recycling service (see blue pages in phone book) to see if a take-back program is available in your community. The Drug Enforcement Administration, working with state and local law enforcement agencies, is sponsoring National Prescription Drug Take Back Days throughout the United States. If no instructions are given on the drug label and no take-back program is available in your area, throw the drugs in the household trash, but first: Take them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to peo*ple who may intentionally go through your trash. Put them in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. Most are very well trained and educated professionals who will be glad to assist you in this area Of course, some of these suggestions merely move the environmental peril from one place to another – such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway. The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious – Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the first place. Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply, so do your part by supporting organic agriculture, in which animals are not permitted to be treated with antibiotics and other drugs. Also remember when you are drinking tap water you are consuming drugs that your community has been using in addition to chlorine and fluoride and disinfection by products. This is a very powerful reason to avoid drinking tap water unless it is filtered.
chefjeff
10-26-2012, 08:05 AM
I'm glad you posted about old medications.... The local govts are calling for folks to bring in their old medicines and the govts create "turn in your old prescriptions" events where folks drive to a certain location and give away their old meds to the man so he can dispose of them properly. Don't do it! Save these valuable assets for troubled times ahead. Saving old meds could someday save a life or at least make a life more bearable. Jeff Livingston
jimmyg
10-26-2012, 07:26 PM
What's really in vaccines? Proof of MSG, formaldehyde, aluminum and mercury http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/dir/Medical/Close-Up-Syringe-Vaccine-Flu-Shot.jpg Wednesday, October 24, 2012 by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
(NaturalNews) Have you ever wondered what's really in vaccines? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control's vaccine additives page, all the following ingredients are routinely used as vaccine additives: • Aluminum - A light metal that causes dementia and Alzheimer's disease. You should never inject yourself with aluminum. • Antibiotics - Chemicals that promote superbugs, which are deadly antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that are killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. • Formaldehyde - A "pickling" chemical used to preserve cadavers. It's highly toxic to the nervous system, causing blindness, brain damage and seizures. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services openly admits that formaldehyde causes cancer. You can see this yourself on the National Toxicology Program website, featuring its 12th Report on Carcinogens. There, the formaldehyde Fact Sheet completely neglects to mention formaldehyde in vaccines. This is the "dirty little secret" of government and the vaccine industry. It does state, however, that "...formaldehyde causes myeloid leukemia, and rare cancers including sinonasal and nasopharyngeal cancer." • Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) - A neurotoxic chemical called an "excitotoxin." It causes brain neurons to be overexcited to the point of death. MSG is toxic even when consumed in foods, where it causes migraine headaches and endocrine system damage. You should NEVER inject MSG into your body. But that's what health workers do when they inject you with vaccines. • Thimerosal - A methyl mercury compound that causes severe, permanent nervous system damage. Mercury is highly toxic to the brain. You should never touch, swallow or inject mercury at any dose. There is no safe dose of mercury! Doctors and vaccine pushers LIE to you and say there is no mercury in vaccines. Even the CDC readily admits vaccine still contain mercury (thimerosal). In addition, National Toxicology Programs admits in its own documents that: • Vaccinations "...may produce small but measurable increases in blood levels of mercury." • "Thimerosal was found to cross the blood-brain and placenta barriers." • The "...hazards of thimerosal include neurotoxicity and nephrotoxicity." (This means brain and kidney toxicity.) • "...similar toxicological profiles between ethylmercury and methylmercury raise the possibility that neurotoxicity may also occur at low doses of thimerosal." • "... there are no existing guidelines for safe exposure to ethylmercury, the metabolite of thimerosal." • "...the assessment determined that the use of thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines might result in the intake of mercury during the first six months of life that exceeded recommended guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)..." • ..."In the U.S., thimerosal is still present as preservative in some vaccines given to young children, as well as certain biological products recommended during pregnancy. Thimerosal remains a preservative in some vaccines administered to adolescents and adults. In addition, thimerosal continues to be used internationally as a vaccine preservative." The report then goes on to say that the FDA studies thimerosal and somehow found it to be perfectly safe. It also states that vaccine manufactures are "working" to remove thimerosal from vaccines, but in reality it's still being manufactured right into the vaccines. By the way, this report also reveals that the FDA requires preservatives like thimerosal only in so-called "multi-dose" vaccines -- vials that contain more than one dose of the vaccine. Drug companies could, if they wanted to, produce "clean" single-dose vaccines without any mercury / thimerosal. But they choose not to because it's more profitable to product mercury-containing multi-dose vaccines. As the report admits, "Preservatives are not required for products formulated in singledose vials. Multidose vials are preferred by some physicians and health clinics because they are often less expensive per vaccine dose and require less storage space." So the reason why your child is being injected with vaccine boils down to health care offices making more money and saving shelf space! "Mercury in vaccines is a conspiracy theory! I've been told by numerous "skeptics" and doctors that there's no such thing as mercury in vaccines, and that any such suggestion is nothing more than a "wild conspiracy theory." That just goes to show you how ignorant all the skeptics, doctors and health professionals really are: They have NO CLUE what's in the vaccines they're dishing out to people! All they have to do is visit this CDC vaccine additives web page, which openly admits to these chemicals being used in vaccines right now. It's not a conspiracy theory, it turns out. It's the status quo of modern-day vaccine manufacturing! And just in case the CDC removes that page, here's a screen shot, taken October 22, 2012, showing exactly what was on the CDC vaccine additives page: http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/articles/CDC-vaccine-additives.jpg Feel that headache after a vaccine? That's the feeling of chemicals eating your brain Now, consider this: The most common side effect of a vaccine injection is a headache. The CDC admits that over 30 percent of those receiving vaccines experience headaches or migraines. Gee, think about it: What could possibly be in vaccines that would cause headaches, migraines and brain damage? Ummm, how about the mercury, the formaldehyde, the aluminum and the MSG! Even if you believe in the theory of vaccines as a helpful way to train the immune system to recognize pathogens, why would anyone -- especially a doctor -- think it's okay to inject human beings with mercury, MSG, formaldehyde and aluminum? The argument of the vaccine pushers is that each vaccine only contains a tiny dose of these highly toxic substances, and therefore it's okay to be injected with them. But this argument makes a fatal error: U.S. children are now receiving over twenty vaccines by the time they're six years old! What's the cumulative effect of all these vaccines, plus the mercury from dental fillings and dietary sources? What's the effect of injected mercury on an immune-suppressed child living in a state of chronic nutritional deficiency? Scientists don't know that answer because such studies have never been conducted. So they pretend that nothing bad will happen and keep pushing more and more vaccines on infants, children and even expectant mothers. They're playing Russian roulette with our children, in other words, where every injection could cause a seizure, coma, autism or death. Why doesn't the vaccine industry offer "clean" vaccines free from all toxic additives? If vaccines are supposed to be good for you, why do they contain so many additives that are BAD for you? You wouldn't want to eat mercury in your tuna fish. You wouldn't want MSG in your sandwich, and you certainly wouldn't want formaldehyde in your soda. So why would you allow yourself to be injected with these deadly substances? And just as importantly, why wouldn't the vaccine industry offer CLEAN vaccines? Without any brain-damaging additives? Think about it: When you buy health food, you want that health food to have NO mercury, NO MSG, NO aluminum and certainly no formaldehyde. No sane person would knowingly eat those neurotoxic poisons. And yet, astonishingly, those same people literally line up to be INJECTED with those exact same brain-damaging poisons, with the justification that, somehow, "This injection is good for me!" Absurdly, the vaccine industry says these toxic ingredients are intentionally added to vaccines to make them work better! Yes, that's the reason: Mercury makes vaccines work better, they insist. Click here to see a video news report actually claiming mercury makes vaccines work better, granting children "improved behavior and mental performance." No, I'm not making this up. The mainstream media literally claims that mercury is GOOD for babies. Vitamins might kill you, they say, but mercury is good for you! But hold on a second: I thought the theory behind vaccines was that weakened viruses would give the immune system a rehearsal so that it would build up antibodies to the real thing. Where does mercury, MSG or formaldehyde fit anywhere in that theory? Does your body benefit in any way from exposure to formaldehyde? Of course not. The very idea is ludicrous. So are there such things are clean vaccines? I challenge you to try to find one. They simply don't exist for the population at large. Nearly all vaccines for the masses are deliberately formulated with neurotoxic chemicals that have absolutely nothing to do with the science of vaccinations, but everything to do with autism, Alzheimer's disease, early-onset dementia, immune suppression, and the mass dumbing down of brain function. Vaccines are designed with chemical additives to poison the population, not to protect the population That's the real purpose of vaccines: Not to "protect children" with any sort of immunity, but to inject the masses with a toxic cocktail of chemicals that cause brain damage and infertility: Mercury, MSG, formaldehyde and aluminum. The whole point of this is to dumb the population down so that nobody has the presence of mind to wake up and start thinking for themselves. This is precisely why the smartest, most "awake" people still remaining in society today are the very same ones who say NO to vaccines. Only their brains are still intact and operating with some level of awareness. The system wants you to stay dumbed down, of course. It makes you easier to control. Watch George Carlin brilliantly explain the concept of "Obedient Workers" (explicit): link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rsL6mKxtOlQ
jimmyg
10-27-2012, 01:25 PM
The Drugs Don’t Work: A Modern Medical Scandal October 22 2012 http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/ineffective-drugs.jpg By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Drugs often enter the market and are promoted as effective by pharmaceutical companies and doctors, even when clinical trials have shown then to be ineffective and, often, unsafe It’s common practice that if a drug study yields negative results, the results will simply be swept under the rug and not published Drug trials are often “massaged” to yield positive results, using design bias, careful selection of trial participants and other manipulative tricks to “assure” favorable results When your physician prescribes you a medication, even if he or she has reviewed the relevant published data, there is virtually no way to know whether that drug is truly safe or effective
When your physician writes you a prescription, you probably assume that it has been scientifically proven to be both effective and safe. This is the basis upon which the modern medical paradigm revolves... break this revered tenet and the entire system comes crashing down. Well, let me tell you, the walls are already crumbling; the system is nearing collapse, as all is not what it seems on the medical forefront as it pertains to science. You see, those little blue pills, or red ones, or white ones or whatever color or shape they may be, may very well have been the subject of a multi-million-dollar, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Perhaps even multiple studies. But that means very little when it comes to protecting your health, as the system is set up so that drugs can virtually never fail. Science is Regularly "Tweaked" in Favor of the Drugs – NOT Your Health In an extract from his book Bad Pharma, Ben Goldacre highlights how drugs enter the market and are promoted as effective by pharmaceutical companies and doctors, even when trials have shown then to be ineffective and, often, unsafe. He first used the example of reboxetine, an antidepressant. He had read the trial data, which suggested the drug was better than a placebo and as good as other antidepressants on the market. But that was because he had reviewed the one study that had been published in an academic trial. There were six others as well, but none of the data had been published. Why? Because they all showed that reboxetine was no better than a placebo. Other unpublished data on the drug showed it was less effective than other drugs on the market, while posing a greater risk of side effects. No right-minded physician would prescribe this drug to a patient if he or she saw the whole picture. But the whole picture very rarely gets seen. Goldacre writes: "Nobody broke any law in that situation, reboxetine is still on the market and the system that allowed all this to happen is still in play, for all drugs, in all countries in the world. Negative data goes missing, for all treatments, in all areas of science. The regulators and professional bodies we would reasonably expect to stamp out such practices have failed us. ...Drugs are tested by the people who manufacture them, in poorly designed trials, on hopelessly small numbers of weird, unrepresentative patients, and analysed using techniques that are flawed by design, in such a way that they exaggerate the benefits of treatments. Unsurprisingly, these trials tend to produce results that favour the manufacturer. When trials throw up results that companies don't like, they are perfectly entitled to hide them from doctors and patients, so we only ever see a distorted picture of any drug's true effects." Regulators See Most Trial Data – But Even That Doesn't Translate to a Safe Drug Market Regulators are given access to most trial data from drug companies from early on in the drug's development. Trial data is often shared only behind closed doors with the regulators, who then make a decision about the drug's future. Conflict of interest, intimidation and fraud have all played a role in why various drugs have made it past regulators even when the data showed clear evidence of harm. One of the most glaring was Avandia, which was on the market for years before a study by cardiologist professor Steve Nissen came out in 2007 showing a 43 percent increase in the risk of heart problems among patients taking the drug. This study was based on data that regulators had access to for years, and, in fact, the drug's maker, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), had also conducted studies using this data in 2005 and 2006 – but conveniently didn't publish them until 2008. "Nissen used the rosiglitazone (Avandia) data, when it became available, and found worrying signs of harm, which they then published to doctors – something the regulators had never done, despite having the information years earlier. If this information had all been freely available from the start, regulators might have felt a little more anxious about their decisions but, crucially, doctors and patients could have disagreed with them and made informed choices. This is why we need wider access to all trial reports, for all medicines," Goldacre wrote. Industry-Funded Studies Far More Likely to Have Positive Results Overall, meta-analyses looking into whether industry funding is associated with positive results shows that an industry-funded study is about four times as likely to yield favorable results. One study even found that every trial they reviewed favored the drug of the study's sponsor.1 What this means is that even if you scour the medical literature to determine what the consensus is on any given medical topic, what you'll find is an overwhelming preponderance of data in favor of the drug approach that in no way, shape or form reflects the reality of the scientific investigation that went into that specific drug. The fact is, there are many ways to turn an otherwise negative study positive: Design bias or rigging the study to have more favorable results from the start, such as by comparing the drug to something you know doesn't work as well, such as a placebo or another drug at the wrong dose Choosing study participants who are more likely to benefit from the treatment Stopping the trial early if results look good (even if they would take a turn for the worse in a few more months or years) Hiding, or simply not publishing, negative results; in fact, researchers of industry-funded studies often sign gag orders that forbid them from publishing, discussing or analyzing data without permission of the funder "Because researchers are free to bury any result they please, patients are exposed to harm on a staggering scale throughout the whole of medicine. Doctors can have no idea about the true effects of the treatments they give. Does this drug really work best, or have I simply been deprived of half the data? No one can tell. Is this expensive drug worth the money, or has the data simply been massaged? No one can tell. Will this drug kill patients? Is there any evidence that it's dangerous? No one can tell. This is a bizarre situation to arise in medicine, a discipline in which everything is supposed to be based on evidence," Goldacre continued. Drug Companies are Not Always Legally Obligated to Disclose Serious Side Effects Drugs are oftentimes prescribed for so-called "off label uses," uses for which the drug hasn't been specifically approved, but which physicians can (legally) prescribe them for nonetheless. In order for the drug to become "official" for a certain off-label use, they must conduct additional safety studies to be submitted for approval. But if serious side effects come up during those studies, the company is not legally obligated to notify anyone – even if the drug is being used extensively for that purpose. For instance, GSK conducted trials of its antidepressant drug paroxetine (Paxil) on children between 1994 and 2002. The studies not only showed no benefit, but also suggested it may increase their risk of suicidal tendencies. But GSK made no mention of the findings, even though tens of thousands of children were receiving the drug off-label, until 2003 (and even then they mentioned it in passing at a meeting discussing another issue, Goldacre reported). Time and time again, we're seeing that the drug industry is not concerned about protecting and bettering human health as they would have you believe, but rather is devoted to protecting their bottom line. The pharmaceutical industry as a whole has become the poster-child for fraud, deception, and manipulation of science for profit. Nearly 20 percent of the top 100 Corporate Criminals (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/11/18/drug-companies-areranked-in-the-top-100-corporate-criminals-of-the-1990s.aspx) listed for the 1990s were in fact drug companies! The Scientific "Well" Has Been Poisoned … Getting back to my original point... when your physician prescribes you a medication, even if he or she has reviewed the relevant published data, there is virtually no way to know whether that drug is truly safe or effective. The well from which that data has been drawn has been "poisoned" so that it's nearly impossible to decipher what is real and what is a fabrication. Goldacre continued: "Missing data poisons the well for everybody. If proper trials are never done, if trials with negative results are withheld, then we simply cannot know the true effects of the treatments we use. Evidence in medicine is not an abstract academic preoccupation. When we are fed bad data, we make the wrong decisions, inflicting unnecessary pain and suffering, and death, on people just like us." Since it is very well established that most prescribed drugs do absolutely nothing to treat the cause of disease, it would be prudent to exercise the precautionary principle when evaluating ANY drug claim, as it will more than likely be seriously flawed, biased, or worse... And, of course, I always advise taking control of your health, which you can easily do by reviewing my comprehensive nutritional plan that summarizes my thirty years of clinical experience and treating 25,000 patients. I put this together so you can stay well and avoid falling into the dangerous, deceitful traps discussed in this article.
jimmyg
10-28-2012, 08:11 AM
New science shows ultrasounds work better than mammograms at detecting breast cancer http://www.naturalnews.com/gallery/dir/Medical/Doctor-Ultrasound-Baby-Pregnant-Test-Hospital.jpg Wednesday, October 24, 2012 by: Jonathan Benson, staff writer (NaturalNews) The annual ritual of radioactive breast poisoning known as mammography has taken a huge hit in the scientific community, as a new study out of Seattle, Washington, recently found that simple ultrasounds, which emit harmless sound waves rather than ionizing radiation, work far better than mammograms at detecting malignant breast tumors. An analysis conducted by the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (SCCA) reveals that, overall, ultrasounds have a 95.7 percent sensitivity rate in detecting malignant tumor cells while mammograms are only 60.9 percent sensitive, by comparison. Among 1,208 cases evaluated, ultrasounds also successfully detected about 57 percent more harmful breast cancers compared to mammograms. Dr. Constance Lehman, M.D., Ph.D., Director of Radiology at SCCA and her colleagues observed that, particularly among women aged 30 to 39, ultrasounds are a safer and more effective alternative to mammograms as a breast cancer screening tool. Based on her and her team's findings, it now appears prudent to switch gears and perhaps ditch mammography altogether. "In women under 40, ultrasound is better at evaluating breast lumps compared to mammography," said Lehman about the findings, which were published recently in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Though Lehman still recommends mammograms for women over age 40, her study's findings illustrate that they are an unnecessary risk. Earlier study finds ultrasounds far more effective than mammograms A New Zealand study published in the American Journal of Surgery back in 2004 clearly illustrates this point, having found that ultrasound is "significantly better than mammography for detecting invasive breast cancer," having demonstrated a 92 percent success rate. Combining both mammography and ultrasound, on the other hand, only increased breast cancer detection by nine percent, which may represent statistical insignificance. Ultrasounds also work better than mammograms at detecting cancer tumors in denser breast tissue. A Connecticut women, for example, was diagnosed earlier this year with stage 3C breast cancer after getting an ultrasound following a mammogram. The mammogram falsely indicated no tumors, while the ultrasound told the real story. Mammograms cause cancer; ultrasounds do not Steering clear of mammography becomes a whole lot easier, even in spite of intense social pressure, once women realize that the technology actually causes breast cancer. Besides its questionable efficacy, mammography has been shown in numerous studies to significantly increase women's risk of developing breast tumors. There is a reason why health bureaucracies and the medical community at large have had such difficulty establishing guidelines for when and how often women of various ages should get mammograms -- the risks of getting mammograms are so verifiably high that they appear to cause far more harm than good. "The complete and utter hoax of mammography has now been wholly discredited through a flurry of groundbreaking studies performed by conventional medicine researchers," wrote Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, in a commentary several years ago, when the truth about mammograms was finally starting to gain momentum. Sources for this article include: http://www.seattlecca.org http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15474430 http://articles.courant.com http://www.naturalnews.com/027641_mammograms_breast_cancer.html
jimmyg
10-29-2012, 08:05 AM
Egg Yolks vs. Egg Whites: What’s Better for Your Cholesterol? http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/iStock_000021339084Small.jpg October 18, 2012 Posted by Larissa Long For being one of the most nutrient-dense natural foods on the planet, eggs sure have taken a beating in the past few decades. The reason eggs have gotten such a bad rap is because they contain a fair amount of dietary cholesterol — about 185 mg per egg, almost all of which is housed in the yolk. Decades ago, when the link between high cholesterol and cardiovascular disease was uncovered, medical experts advised limiting or completely avoiding the consumption of eggs (especially yolks), because dietary cholesterol could potentially raise blood cholesterol levels, therefore increasing the risk of heart problems. With the passage of time and the publication of lots of new data, much of the negative hype about cholesterol in eggs and its effects on the heart has been refuted. A strong body of research has shown that egg yolks have a much smaller effect on LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides than originally thought, and actually boost HDL (good) cholesterol levels. In addition, large, long-term studies published in various reputable journals disproved any claims that eggs raised the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease in healthy people. Furthermore, a seemingly small but very significant effect that eggs have on cholesterol has far-reaching implications. The consumption of eggs seems to change the pattern of LDL cholesterol in the blood from smaller, denser particles to larger, more buoyant forms.[5] Smaller, denser particles are strongly associated with high LDL and triglycerides and low HDL, and are dangerous because they can squeeze between cells to reach the artery walls and cause blockages. So the larger the particles are, the better. This finding was one of many factors that led researchers at the University of Connecticut to examine eggs’ role in improving cholesterol and insulin sensitivity in individuals with metabolic syndrome.[6] In particular, they were curious to see how eggs affected atherogenic dyslipidemia, a strong factor associated with metabolic syndrome and heart disease. It is a condition that comprises a triad of increased blood concentrations of small, dense LDL particles, decreased HDL particles, and increased triglycerides. Researchers followed 37 men and women aged 30–70 years who had metabolic syndrome for a 12-week period. The participants were given guidelines to follow a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet for the entire 12 weeks (25 percent to 30 percent carbs, 25 percent to 30 percent protein, 45percent to 50 percent fat). In addition, they were randomly divided into two groups. Researchers instructed the first group to consume three whole eggs per day, and the second group to consume the equivalent amount (about 1/2 cup) of yolk-free egg substitute (which is basically nutrient-fortified egg whites). Each daily serving of whole eggs contained 534 mg of cholesterol, 0 g of carbohydrates, 16 g of protein, 12 g of fat and about 186 calories. In contrast, the daily serving of egg substitute contained about 2 g of carbohydrates, 14 g of protein and about 60 calories. (Note: The study authors did not mention how much cholesterol or fat was in the egg substitute. This is likely because most egg substitutes do not contain cholesterol or fat, or at least very minimal amounts since the yolk is removed.) Egg-citing Results After 12 weeks, both groups experienced a 4 percent weight loss. But the main finding was that the combination of moderate carbohydrate restriction and whole egg intake improved atherogenic dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in the participants. All the participants experienced decreased triglycerides and increased HDL cholesterol, as well as increased LDL particle size. However, those eating the whole eggs ended up with greater increases in HDL and LDL particle size, as well as larger reductions in total very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL), which contain the highest amount of triglycerides. Researchers concluded that whole egg consumption, along with a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet, provides improvements in lipid profiles and insulin resistance in individuals with metabolic syndrome. Eat Those Eggs — Whole Finally, whole eggs are truly getting the respect they deserve! All the attention surrounding cholesterol content has completely overshadowed the fact that eggs are nutritional powerhouses — with the majority of the nutrients residing in the yolk. Ironically, egg yolks are a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids (particularly DHA) and monounsaturated fats. And eggs as a whole, but especially the yolks, are a rich source of folate, vitamin A, selenium, potassium, calcium, choline, and the eye-protective carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein. And, of course, as any bodybuilder will verify, eggs are a substantial source of muscle-building protein. Simply put, for most people, there’s no reason to avoid whole eggs or to use egg substitutes. Now this recommendation rings exceptionally true for those who are dealing with metabolic syndrome. If you’re one of those people, feel good about enjoying eggs as nature intended — yolk and all.
jimmyg
10-30-2012, 07:15 AM
ADHD Drugs Prescribed to Poor Children to ‘Help’ in School http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/adhd-child.jpg October 24 2012 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Drugs like Adderall are powerful, mind-altering medications linked to addiction, growth suppression, increased blood pressure and psychotic episodes. In children, the impacts of their long-term use are completely unknown. In a recent report from the New York Times, Dr. Michael Anderson, a pediatrician who sees many low-income families, brazenly states that he uses the ADHD diagnosis as “an excuse” to prescribe powerful drugs like Adderall to kids who are struggling in school. This may highlight a growing trend among pediatricians in low-income areas. In some cases, three and four children from the same family are all put on the medications, usually along with a prescribed sleep aid, as the pills often cause insomnia – as well as a long list of other serious side effects. Before resorting to drugs, please understand that behavioral problems in children – including what might appear to be serious mental disorders – are very frequently related to improper diet, emotional upset and exposure to toxins.
Medicating children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a double-edged sword, not only because of the steep health risks posed by the medications themselves, but also because many kids labeled with "ADHD" actually do not have ADHD at all. Diagnosing ADHD really comes down to a matter of opinion, as there is no physical test, like a brain scan, that can pinpoint the condition. There's only subjective evaluation, based on signs nearly every child will display at some point (fidgeting, easily distracted, difficulty waiting his or her turn, and so on). But a recent report from the New York Times highlights an equally concerning, if not more so, practice that is endangering some low-income families: pediatricians using the ADHD diagnosis as "an excuse" to prescribe powerful drugs like Adderall to kids simply because they are struggling in school. Mind-Altering Drugs to Boost Elementary School Grades? One pediatrician told the New York Times that because society has decided not to modify a child's school environment to promote better learning, there is no choice left but to "modify the kid," which is done by prescribing drugs. Adderall, which contains amphetamine (aka "speed") and dextroamphetamine, is a stimulant drug that is often prescribed to improve attention and focus and reduce impulsiveness and hyperactivity in patients with ADHD. Because of its stimulant properties, it's become a black-market drug of choice for college kids looking to pull all-nighters to boost their grades. An estimated one in 10 college students abuse Adderall as a way to gain a competitive edge in their studies, often comparing it to athletes who use steroids.1 But the pills have a dark side, often quickly leading to addiction and causing other side effects like mood swings, insomnia, depression and panic attacks. College students who use Adderall as a "study drug" is a large enough problem on its own, but for pediatricians to prescribe these drugs to children for the same purpose is shocking, and dangerous. Even more alarming is that one particular physician interviewed by the New York Times said he views the drugs as a tool for "evening the scales a little bit," to give poor children a leg up in their schooling... Prescriptions for Adderall on the Rise The use of psychotropic drugs in children has been on a steep upward trend for decades. Writing in the Huffington Post, Lawrence Diller, MD said:2 "Given the current CDC data, one can safely estimate (based on previously detailed distribution curves) that one of six 11-year-old white boys with medical insurance currently take a stimulant drug at least during the school week... we are the only society currently managing our under performing/misbehaving children with drugs to this degree." Many of the children prescribed ADHD drugs do not have ADHD at all. One study determined that about 20 percent of children have likely been misdiagnosed.3 That's nearly 1 million children in the United States alone. The study found that many of the youngest children in any given grade level are perceived as exhibiting "symptoms" of ADHD, such as fidgeting and inability to concentrate, simply because they're younger and being compared to their older, more mature classmates. In fact, the youngest students were 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest in the same grade. And when you take into account the maturity level, and in large part normal behavior of a 6- versus a 7-year old, you can easily see why. Even if they did have ADHD, there are many superior alternatives for treatment than mind-altering drugs (which I'll get to shortly). But it is especially appalling when a physician openly admits that the ADHD diagnosis is simply a ruse to give kids drugs for the purpose of boosting their academic performance. In some cases, three and four children from the same family are all put on the medications, usually along with a prescribed sleep aid, as the pills often cause insomnia – as well as a long list of other serious side effects. The Downward Spiral of Psychotropic Drug Use Drugs like Adderall are powerful, mind-altering medications linked to growth suppression, increased blood pressure and psychotic episodes. In children, the impacts of their long-term use are completely unknown, although given the drug's addictive nature, it's quite possible these kids could become life-long addicts. The New York Times featured the case of one family whose four children (ranging in age from 9 to 12) were prescribed either Adderall or Risperdal (an antipsychotic drug) along with sleep aids. After taking Adderall for years, one of the boys began seeing people and hearing voices that weren't there – a known side effect of the drug. He became suicidal and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he was then taken off Adderall and put onto Risperdal – another mind-altering drug with serious side effects. Despite the child's psychotic reaction, the parents continued to use the drugs in their other children, even though they acknowledged some of them did not have ADHD and were using Adderall "merely to help their grades." Perhaps they are not aware, as many aren't, that Adderall can cause potentially life-threatening side effects – the risks of which simply can't be justified when used only to boost grades. Among them:4 Aggressive behavior or hostility - Bipolar illness Worse behavior or thought problems - Psychotic symptoms (hearing voices, believing things that are not true) or manic symptoms - Sudden death in patients who have heart problems or heart defects - Stroke or heart attack Increased blood pressure and heart rate - Seizures and eyesight changes - Slowing of growth in children. Does Adderall Steal Your Ability to Enjoy Life? Many who start taking Adderall in high school or college as a way to boost their success find it does help them to excel in school and, later, in the job market. But the easy path to success comes at a price... Former addicts explain the feeling that the drug took over their lives, allowing them to work and concentrate with a robot-like efficiency, but causing them to ignore the physical, emotional and social aspects of life, as well as their former creative passions.5 If they're lucky, those affected are able to break free from Adderall's spell – a process one former addict described as a "horrible, horrible process"6 – but what becomes of the child who started Adderall at the age of 8 or 9, during some of his or her key formative years? Do these children grow up never knowing who they really are? What passions they may have had if not under the drug's influence? And will they be able to quit when they are older, or will they be turned into life-long addicts? The answers to these questions are unknown. Dr. William Graf, a pediatrician and child neurologist, told the New York Times he's concerned the rising use of stimulant drugs may impact "the authenticity of development:" "These children are still in the developmental phase, and we still don't know how these drugs biologically affect the developing brain. There's an obligation for parents, doctors and teachers to respect the authenticity issue, and I'm not sure that's always happening." If You Have a "Hyper" Child You Want to Help Excel at School... Before resorting to drugs, please understand that behavioral problems in children – including what might appear to be serious mental disorders – are very frequently related to improper diet, emotional upset and exposure to toxins. Increasingly, scientific evidence shows that nourishing your gut flora with the beneficial bacteria found in traditionally fermented foods (or a probiotic supplement) is extremely important for proper brain function, and that includes psychological well-being and mood control. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has successfully demonstrated the power and effectiveness of this theory. In her Cambridge, England clinic, she treats children and adults with a range of conditions, including autism, ADD/ADHD, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, immune disorders, and digestive problems using the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) Nutritional Program, which she developed. Her GAPS theory – which is fully explained in her excellent book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome – is an elegant description of how such conditions can develop as a direct result of gastrointestinal toxicity. Another helpful tool is my three-part interview with renowned children's health expert, the late Dr. Lendon Smith, on Non-Drug Treatment of ADD/ADHD. Advice from a World-Class Expert Continued.....
jimmyg
10-30-2012, 07:15 AM
Dr. Lendon Smith was one of the pioneer physicians in the treatment of ADHD. He had been effectively using nutrition and dietary interventions to help relieve the symptoms of ADHD for decades. He realized that drugs like Ritalin were not the answer for ADHD right from the start. Over ten years ago I did an extensive interview with him on this topic and I would encourage you to review it if you have an interest in this area. He stated in the interview: "It is too bad psychiatrists have failed to recognize that if a stimulant acts as a calming agent, then they must shore up the flagging enzyme that is under-producing. This all fits with the damage that we have done to the top soil. It is washing and blowing away and with it, the magnesium. The psychiatrists have made ADD/ADHD a disease, like pneumonia. It is actually a syndrome due to a defect in the screening device of the brain. I understand that since they had made it a disease they can be compensated for treating it. Another rule they have used: 'If the Ritalin works, they need it.' Sort of like a Ritalin deficiency." According to Dr. Smith, stimulant drugs like Ritalin have a calming effect in children with ADHD because there is not enough norepinephrine, a hormone and neurotransmitter, in their limbic system, the part of the brain that is supposed to filter out unimportant stimuli. Because of this, one common denominator that Dr. Smith often used as a diagnostic criterion for ADHD was being extremely ticklish. In other words, they were unable to disregard unimportant stimuli. Dietary and Lifestyle Interventions to Help Relieve ADHD Symptoms Naturally As mentioned, dietary interventions can be incredibly effective in helping alleviate the symptoms of ADHD. Dr. Smith also said in our interview: "When I became familiar with nutrition, I found that if a stimulant drug had a calming effect [as is the case with ADHD], it meant that the child did not have enough norepinephrine (a stimulant) in his limbic system, and that I could help with a good diet and some supplements which should shore up the enzymes in his brain that make that neurotransmitter. If he had ever had ear infections, I stopped his dairy products, and added calcium – 1,000 mg – usually at bedtime. (Note that while I think removing the milk is a great idea, adding the calcium is not. Adding magnesium typically is far more effective) If he was ticklish, I added magnesium – 500 mg is usually safe for a child or adult. If he was a 'Jekyll and Hyde' type of person (severe mood swings), he had intermittent low blood sugar and he needed to nibble all day to keep his blood sugar up. Or at least eat some additional protein and fewer carbohydrates for better maintenance of blood sugar levels. No sugar or white-flour junk food. If he could not remember his dreams, he needed vitamin B6 – 50 mg is about right. If he ever had eczema or dry scaly skin, he is to take the essential fatty acids [omega-3 fats like krill oil]. If he had dark circles under his eyes, he was eating something to which he is sensitive. Milk, wheat, corn, chocolate, eggs, citrus. Usually it is his favorite food." Here are a few additional guidelines to help you address underlying toxins in your child, without, or at least BEFORE, you agree to any kind of drug therapy: Severely limit or eliminate fructose from your child's diet as sugar/fructose has been linked to mental health problems such as depression and schizophrenia. Avoid giving your child ANY processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. This includes lunch meats and hot dogs, which are common food staples in many households. Replace soft drinks, fruit juices, and pasteurized milk with pure water. This is HUGE since high fructose corn syrup is a primary source of calories in children. Make sure your child is getting large regular doses of healthy bacteria, either with high-quality fermented organic foods and/or high quality probiotic supplements. Give your child plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil. Also, make sure to balance your child's intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, by simultaneously limiting their intake of vegetable oils. Include as many whole organic foods as possible in your child's diet, both to reduce chemical exposure and increase nutrient content of each meal. Also reduce or eliminate grains from your child's diet, especially wheat. Beyond the fact that even healthy organic whole grains can cause problems as they too break down into sugars, gluten-containing grains have pharmacologically active peptides that can cause cognitive and behavioral issues in susceptible children.7 Additionally, whole and even sprouted wheat contains high amounts of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which can have adverse effects on mental health due to its neurotoxic actions. Wheat also inhibits production of serotonin, the largest concentration of which can, again, be found in your intestines, not your brain. Try eliminating them first for 1-2 weeks and see if you don't notice a radical and amazing improvement in your child's behavior. Avoid artificial sweeteners and colors of all kinds. Make sure your child gets plenty of exercise and outdoor playtime. Get them out into the sun to help maintain optimal vitamin D levels. Scientists are now beginning to realize vitamin D is involved in maintaining the health of your brain, as they've recently discovered vitamin D receptors in the brain, spinal cord, and central nervous system. There's even evidence indicating vitamin D improves your brain's detoxification process. For children and pregnant women, getting enough vitamin D is especially crucial, as it may play a major role in protecting infants from autism. If natural sun exposure is not feasible, for whatever reason, you can use either a safe tanning bed or an oral vitamin D3 supplement. For more details on how to safely optimize your and your child's vitamin D levels, please see this previous article. Give your child a way to address his or her emotions. Even children can benefit from the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which you or an EFT practitioner can teach them to use. Be sure you are also providing positive praise to your child. Dr. Smith believed parents should be able to say nice things to their child twice as often as they give commands or ask questions. If you are shouting and scolding more than you are complimenting and rewarding your child, it could be contributing to psychiatric problems. Prevent exposure to toxic metals and chemical by replacing personal care products, detergents and household cleaners with all natural varieties. Metals like aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury are commonly found in thousands of different food products, household products, personal products and untold numbers of industrial products and chemicals. The presence of toxic metals in your child's body is highly significant for they are capable of causing serious health problems by interfering with normal biological functioning. The health effects range from minor physical ailments to chronic diseases, and altered mood and behavior.
jimmyg
10-31-2012, 07:21 AM
Rice Farmers Suing Drug Company and Poultry Industry for Contaminating Their Crop with Arsenic
http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/rice-farm.jpg By Dr. Mercola Three Arkansas farming operations have filed a class-action lawsuit against Pfizer, Tyson Foods, and three Arkansas poultry producers over arsenic detected in their rice.1 The lawsuit claims the defendants "knew that excessive arsenic in chicken litter used as fertilizer on many rice farms in Arkansas would contaminate the entire U.S. rice crop and infiltrate the general U.S. rice supply, and that public news about such arsenic contamination would result in devastating financial losses to U.S. and Arkansas rice producers." Is Contaminated Chicken Litter the Culprit? The suit comes on the heels of a Consumer Report issued last month, which reported it had found "worrisome" levels of inorganic arsenic in various rice products sold across the U.S. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), there is no real 'safe' level of exposure to inorganic arsenic, which is a well-known cancer-causing toxin. Consumer Reports found that white rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas all had higher levels of arsenic than rice samples from other locations, including India, Thailand and California. As reported by Arkansas Business:2 "...the three Arkansas farming enterprises allege that Pfizer manufactures additives containing arsenic that are then sold to the poultry industry for use in chicken feed. The additives are used to foster the growth of broiler chickens and prevent an intestinal disease in chickens called coccidiosis... The suit says that chicken litter, which contains chicken waste, is used by rice farmers as fertilizer. This litter winds up contaminating the soil and, ultimately, the rice crop. ....... .....
Majority of CAFO Chickens Still Get Arsenic-Laced Chicken Feed It was only last summer that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a "voluntary suspension" of Pfizer's arsenic-laced drug Roxarsone, which has been widely used on chicken CAFOs (Confined Animal Feeding Operations) to control an intestinal parasite that allows the chickens to feed more productively and grow faster. It also makes the chicken meat appear pinker (i.e. "fresher"). Roxarsone has been used in chicken feed since the 1940s. More than 70 years later, the FDA conducted an analysis that found chickens treated with the drug do in fact have arsenic in their livers – and as a result, manufacturer Pfizer agreed to stop selling the drug (brand name 3-Nitro) in July of last year. ........ ...... Tyson is one of the Poultry Industry Defendants in this case. Hopefully this trial will unearth the truth about whether or not they've actually quit using 3-Nitro... As of 2007, the majority – 70 percent – of the 9 billion broiler chickens produced annually in the United States were still being fed Roxarsone.5 Roxarsone – Another Toxic Debacle Demonstrating the Necessity of Holistic Safety Studies Roxarsone, manufactured by Pfizer, was the first arsenic-based product approved for use in animal feed. Its alleged safety was based on the fact that it contains organic arsenic, which is less toxic than the other inorganic form, which is a known carcinogen. However, after decades of use, scientific reports began surfacing stating that the organic arsenic in Roxarsone could transform into inorganic arsenic. According to a 2007 report in Chemical and Engineering News: "...a team led by James A. Field of the department of chemical and environmental engineering at the University of Arizona reported that under anaerobic conditions, roxarsone is converted to inorganic arsenic within eight months after poultry litter is spread on fields.6 'Roxarsone is not very toxic,' Field says, 'but in anaerobic environments, it is transformed into highly toxic forms.' ...Chicken manure introduces huge quantities of arsenic to agricultural fields. According to Donald L. Sparks, professor of marine studies at the University of Delaware, poultry litter is spread on land at the rate of 9 to 20 metric tons per hectare. One reason for the increasing concern about Roxarsone is that the weight of evidence for arsenic as a carcinogen is much greater now than it was a decade ago. In 2001, EPA proposed reducing the maximum contaminant levels for arsenic in drinking water from 50 ppb to 10 ppb and required water systems to comply by January 2006. The agency took this action in response to three National Research Council reports that concluded the standard of 50 ppb posed unreasonable risks. And even the new lower maximum appears problematic. According to EPA estimates, the risk of cancer from 10 ppb of arsenic in tap water is 1 in 2,000, a 50-fold higher risk than that allowed for most other carcinogens." Besides cancer, other health risks associated with chronic arsenic exposure include, according to the EPA: Kidney damage and failure - Anemia - Low blood pressure - Shock - Headaches - Weakness - Delirium Increased risk of diabetes - Adverse liver and respiratory effects, including irritation of mucous membranes - During development, increased incidence of preterm delivery, miscarriage, stillbirths, low birth weight, and infant mortality - During childhood, decreased performance in tests of intelligence and long-term memory - Skin lesions. The Many Problems Associated with CAFO-Style Farming In related news, on October 10, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that Tyson Foods in Arkansas had issued a nationwide recall of misbranded chicken containing undeclared allergens:7 "Tyson Foods, Inc., a Pine Bluff, Ark. establishment, is recalling approximately 67,269 pounds of packages labeled as Honey BBQ Flavored Boneless Chicken Wyngz because of misbranding and undeclared allergens. Buffalo Style Boneless Chicken Wyngz were packaged in bags meant for Honey BBQ Flavored Boneless Chicken Wyngz and contain the allergens milk, soy and egg, which are not declared on the Honey BBQ Flavored Boneless Chicken Wyngz label." What these stories have in common is the problematic nature of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and the mass-production of processed food. Here, Tyson's recall was due to mixing up the packaging, exposing those with known food allergies to potential health risks, but at least it was not a contamination issue. Still, mass produced foods are FAR more prone to disease-causing contamination than smaller scale traditional farming and food production. The trend of large corporate-controlled CAFOs making up the lion's share of U.S. food production has lead to an abundance of cheap food, but not without consequence. This includes: Negative impact on soil quality through such factors as erosion, compaction, pesticide application and excessive fertilization Loss of water quality through nitrogen and phosphorus contamination in rivers, streams and ground water (which contributes to "dramatic shifts in aquatic ecosystems and hypoxic zones"). Agricultural pesticide contamination to streams, ground water and wells, and safety concerns to agricultural workers who use them A decline in nutrient density of 43 garden crops (primarily vegetables), which suggests "possible tradeoffs between yield and nutrient content" Large emission of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide ........ Industrial agriculture also raises concerns about the welfare of farm animals and the farmers themselves. Several investigators have secretly taped the horrific conditions and animal abuses occurring at various CAFO's, be it dairy cows, turkeys, swine, or chickens. The U.S. government has a history of supporting these CAFOs, 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. 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. However, altering a chicken's feed to what equates to a human junk food diet clearly has far-reaching consequences, and none of them are beneficial for health – not for the chicken, and not for you. Two Models of Food Production There are basically two different models of food production today. The first, and most prevalent, is the large-scale agricultural model that takes a very mechanistic view toward life, whereas the other – the local, sustainable farm model – has a biological and holistic view. The widely adopted factory farm food system has now reached a point where the fundamental weaknesses of it are becoming readily apparent, and obvious side effects include food borne disease, loss of nutrient content, and contamination with a wide variety of toxic chemicals – including arsenic via chicken waste produced by CAFO chickens. This contamination runs through the entire food chain, from soils, to water, to meat products and produce... The fact that rice grown in certain areas now contains troublesome levels of inorganic arsenic originating from chicken feed is just one of many examples of how the CAFO and Big Ag system is failing in its mission to produce safe, nutritious food. It's a proven fact that factory farmed and processed foods are far more likely to cause illness than unadulterated, organically-grown foods. For example, one study by the British government found that 23 percent of farms with caged hens tested positive for salmonella, compared to just over 4 percent in organic flocks, and 6.5 percent in free-range flocks. Contamination occurred most often at farms that contained the most birds, typically 30,000 or more. This connection should be obvious, but many are still under the mistaken belief that a factory operation equates to better hygiene and quality control, when the exact opposite is actually true. A few months ago, I visited Joel Salatin at his Polyface farm in Virginia. He's truly one of the pioneers in sustainable agriculture, and he gave me a complete tour of his farm operation, which includes an ingenious and easily duplicable chicken coop. This setup is a far cry from the CAFO model in which each chicken is given less space than a letter-sized piece of paper and never sees the light of day. video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zgVFmfibjeE Resources for 'Real Food' A website called Real Food University8 offers a fascinating analysis of where our food comes from, and reveals that despite what you hear on the news, every year we produce less and less of the food we really need. From massive industrial farming conglomerates to feedlot – and CAFOs to contaminated imports, Real Food University delivers the scoop on what you probably have on your plate right now. Fortunately there are ways to get around these food disasters, and sourcing your foods from a local farmer is one of your best bets to ensure you're getting something wholesome. Every state has a sustainable agriculture organization or biological farming organization that is the nucleus of the farmers in that state. You can also find an ever increasing number of "eat local," and "buy local" directories, in which local farms will be listed. The following organizations can also help you locate farm-fresh foods in your local area: 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. Farmers' Markets – A national listing of farmers' markets. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center – Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). 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. Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) – CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and promoting the products of small farms. 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.
jimmyg
10-31-2012, 10:10 PM
New York Times and Wall Street Journal Warn that Hospitals are Killing Us October 27 2012 Link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/27/medical-errors-kill.aspx?e_cid=20121027_DNL_art_2 Video..... By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Medical errors kill the equivalent of four jumbo jets’ worth of passengers every week, but the death toll is being largely ignored It’s estimated that up to 30 percent of all medical procedures, tests and medications may be unnecessary – at a cost of at least $210 billion a year (plus the untold cost of emotional suffering and related complications and even death – which are impossible to put numbers on) Urgent reforms are needed to make medical care safer, and simple steps, like installing cameras in hospitals and making hospital performance / error data public, could have a dramatic effect on patient safety
If medical errors were a disease, they would be the sixth leading cause of death in America, writes surgeon Dr. Marty Makary in the Wall Street Journal.1 By some estimates, they may actually be the leading cause… These errors kill the equivalent of four jumbo jets' worth of passengers… every week, Dr. Makary says, and this is likely a conservative estimate. According to the 2011 Health Grades Hospital Quality in America Study, the incidence rate of medical harm occurring in the United States is estimated to be over 40,000 harmful and/or lethal errors each and EVERY day.2 What's most shocking is that the harm often is preventable. Shocking Medical Errors are All Too Common Dr. Andrew Saul, co-author of Hospitals and Health: Your Orthomolecular Guide to a Shorter Hospital Stay (which is available on Amazon), recently explained that the lowest estimate makes hospitals one of the top 10 causes of deaths in the United States... and the highest estimate makes hospital and drugs the number one cause of death in the United States. Some of the top 10, and most lethal, medical mishaps are mistakes that should be extremely rare, but happen with shocking regularity: 1. Preventable Adverse Drug Reactions An estimated 450,000 preventable medication-related adverse events of mostly correctly prescribed drugs occur in the U.S. every year. A large part of the problem is simply because so many drugs are used and prescribed – and many patients receive multiple prescriptions at varying strengths, some of which may counteract each other or cause more severe reactions when combined. Dosage errors, medication mix-ups and even giving the wrong medication to the wrong person are all too common. 2. Avoidable Infections Hospital-acquired infections are alarmingly common, and sadly they're often deadly. In the United States, more than 2 million people are affected by hospital-acquired infections each year, and a whopping 100,000 people die as a result. According to the 2011 Health Grades Hospital Quality in America report,3 analysis of approximately 40 million Medicare patients' records from 2007 through 2009 showed that 1 in 9 patients developed such hospital-acquired infections! The saddest part is, most of these cases could likely have been easily prevented with better infection control in hospitals – simple routines such as doctors and nurses washing their hands between each patient, for example. 3. Surgical Souvenirs Surgical tools or other objects are left inside people after surgery far more often than you'd like to think. This is often the result of surgical staff failing to count, or miscounting, equipment during the procedure. Unexpected pain, fever and swelling after surgery are all indications that you could have a surgical tool or piece of a tool still inside you. Just how often does this occur? One study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that about 1,500 Americans have objects left inside of them following surgery every year.4 Overtreatment is Taking its Toll Too many medications, unnecessary surgeries, inappropriate medical screening... there is perhaps no other society that is subjected to as much excessive medical care, and often the "treatment" ends up being worse than the disease. It's estimated that up to 30 percent of all medical procedures, tests and medications may be unnecessary5 – at a cost of at least $210 billion a year6 (plus the cost of emotional suffering and related complications and even death – which are impossible to put numbers on). The New York Times recently highlighted several examples of this epidemic of overtreatment, including:7 A woman who received a CT scan and an MRI for a black eye (and was told she might have a brain tumor as a result, which resulted in an agonizing two-week wait for the results... she was fine and had no tumor) An elderly man who was put on two antidepressants after having a stroke, and subsequently began suffering from dementia and hallucinations (the drugs are associated with cognitive problems); after his son persuaded doctors to change the medications, the man's mental health quickly improved A new mom who said she felt "bullied" by doctors to perform a battery of tests on her 3-month-old daughter, who was born premature – even though her prior doctor had ruled her symptoms as normal In her book, Overtreated: Why Too Much Medicine Is Making Us Sicker and Poorer, Shannon Brownlee also explained that as much as a third of the medical care received in hospitals does nothing to improve your health! What happens is that you often get certain medical tests because of what your physician's specialty is, not because that's necessarily the test you need. For example if you have low back pain and see different specialists you will get different tests: rheumatologists will order blood tests, neurologists will order nerve impulse tests, and surgeons will order MRIs and CT scans. But no matter what tests you get, you'll probably end up with a spinal fusion because it's one of the "more lucrative procedures in medicine," Brownlee says – even though the best success rate for spinal fusions is only 25 percent! Angioplasties and certain types of chemotherapy with similar low success rates are just as prone to be ordered, Brownlee says, because that's where hospitals' investments lie. You see, they have all this equipment and they need to use it to get a return on it – but they also need to get you out of there as quickly as possible, so they can get the next patient in. What ensues is a type of aggressive patient therapy where an unacceptable number of people will be harmed every year as a result of the medical treatments they received in the hospital. 5 Ways to Stop the Madness... In the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Makary went on to explain five simple reforms that could make health care much safer: Online "Informational" Dashboards: This would include easily accessible hospital ratings for people to check out prior to choosing where to receive care. Information on rates of infection, readmission, surgical complications and "never events" (mistakes that should "never" happen, such as operating on the wrong body part), as well as annual volume for each type of surgery it performs, and patient satisfaction scores, would be available. By being held publically accountable, it would prompt hospitals with low scores to make changes – or business would suffer. Safety Culture Scores: Anonymous surveys of hospital employees (including doctors, nurses, technicians, etc.) can reveal valuable information that correlates with better patient care, such as whether teamwork is good or bad, or whether employees feel they can speak up if they see a medical error in progress. These scores should be readily available to the public. Cameras: If health care workers know they're being filmed, it greatly improves compliance with established safety practices, such as hand washing, and even has been found to improve the quality of medical procedures. It also provides a way for doctors to review, critique and improve their surgical skills. Open Notes: Certain hospitals have begun using "open notes," which gives patients online access to their doctors' notes. Not only does this allow patients to correct any inaccurate information, it also sometimes prompts people to remember a crucial piece of their health care history that they left out during the appointment. No More Gagging: If you're a victim of a medical mistake, you will likely be ordered to not speak about it publicly as part of any settlement you receive. Some doctors are even asking patients to sign forms promising not to post anything negative online regarding their care before their first appointment. In hospitals, many health care workers feel they cannot speak up about medical errors, for fear of putting their jobs in jeopardy or suffering retaliations from co-workers. But as Dr. Makary said, "We need more open dialogue about medical mistakes, not less." You're Being Admitted to the Hospital: Tips for Staying Safe video...... In my recent interview (above) with Dr. Saul, he shared potentially life-saving tips in the event you find yourself in a hospital. Knowing how to prevent disease so you can avoid hospitals in the first place is clearly your best bet. But knowing what to do to make your hospital stay as safe as possible is equally important. Understand that you, the patient, are the most powerful entity within the entire hospital system. However, the system works on the assumption that the patient will not claim that power. Knowing your rights and responsibilities can help ensure your hospital stay is a safe and healing one. One of the reasons I am so passionate about sharing the information on this site about healthy eating, exercise, and stress management with you is because it can help keep you OUT of the hospital. But if you do have to go there, you need to know how to play the game. Many believe training hospitals will provide them with the latest and greatest care, but they can actually be far more dangerous. As a general rule, avoid elective surgeries and procedures during the month of July because this is when brand new residents begin their training. According to a 2010 report in the Journal of General Internal Medicine,8 lethal medication errors consistently spike by about 10 percent each July, particularly in teaching hospitals, due to the inexperience of new residents. Also be cautious of weekends. My primary suggestion is to avoid hospitals unless it's an absolute emergency and you need life-saving medical attention. In such cases, it's worth taking one of Dr. Saul's recommendations, which is to bring a personal advocate – a relative or friend who can speak up for you and ensure you're given proper care if you can't do so yourself. If you're having an elective medical procedure done, remember that this gives you greater leeway and personal choice – use it! The other KEY is to be proactive and start pursuing a healthy lifestyle today so you don't become a victim. I have compiled my best tips in a customized 100-page report on how you can Take Control of Your Health. It is customized to three different levels and you can start at any level, but be sure and read from the beginning, as reviewing the basics is the best way to reinforce healthy patterns.
jimmyg
11-01-2012, 08:20 AM
“Expert” Detractors on California Prop 37 are Shills for Big Biotech October 30 2012 video.... Link to article, video, & links: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/30/prop-37-detractors.aspx?e_cid=20121030_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola Story at-a-glance: A common corporate tactic, well-honed by the tobacco industry, is to hire “third-party experts” to bring their message to you, especially through the media. The "No on Prop 37" campaign has many academics on its side at the University of California at Davis, which is not surprising considering the fact that the school enjoys millions of dollars in research grants and other largesse from the biotech industry A related tactic is to corral hired “experts” for your cause into a really important sounding organization. The Tobacco Institute was an arm of Big Tobacco, the mission of which was “publicizing scientific research funded by the industry which produces counter evidence to unfavorable findings or, at least, helps to keep the question open” The Science Media Centre of UK and USA provides news desks a list of scientists available to comment on emerging scientific findings, and trains those scientists on how to respond to media questions by downplaying problems. Funding for this “media centre” comes from the biotech industry
All eyes are on California where Proposition 37, which, if passed, would require labeling of foods produced using genetic engineering. It will be put to voters on November 6th. In recent weeks, the battle over GMO labeling has taken an ugly turn. In a true David versus Goliath battle, the opposition will apparently stop at nothing to defeat the measure. What are they so afraid of? A common corporate tactic, well-honed by the tobacco industry, is to hire "third-party experts" to bring your message to the public, especially through the media. The idea is that academic types carry much more credibility than the likes of Monsanto when it comes to defending genetically engineered food. University of California at Monsanto? It's no accident that the "No on Prop 37" campaign has many academics on its side at the University of California at Davis. The school enjoys millions of dollars in research grants and other largesse from the biotech industry. A 2004 story in the Sacramento Bee1 describes UC Davis as a research incubator for Big Biotech: "You name it, and biotechnology companies help pay for it at UC Davis: laboratory studies, scholarships, post-doctoral students' salaries, professors' travel expenses, even the campus utility bill." According to Bill Liebhardt, former director of the UC system's sustainable farming program: "'The public is having a hard time figuring out where the corporate door ends and where the university door begins.' And UC Davis cell biologist Eduardo Blumwald says that biotech companies 'are influencing the way we do research.'" That would certainly explain why so many UC Davis professors profess support for the "No on 37" campaign. One article, co-authored by University of California at Davis professor Colin Carter,2 not only defends genetically engineered (GE) foods, but also makes unsubstantiated claims while mischaracterizing the language of Prop 37, as Tufts professor Parke Wilde pointed out in August.3 Another pair of UC Davis professors were paid by the "No on 37" campaign, which released their report4 with this dramatic headline: "UC Davis Professors of Agricultural Economics Release New Report that Shows Proposition 37 Will Increase Costs for California Farmers and Food Processors by $1.2 Billion." The Los Angeles Times5 reported that the No campaign paid UC Davis professors Julian Alston and Daniel Sumner at least $30,000. "This article would never stand to peer-review scrutiny, which explains why the report isn't published anywhere but on the 'No on 37' website,"6 he says. Professor Alston is no stranger to Monsanto largesse. According to the Sacramento Bee:7 "In July 2002, UC Davis farm economics professor Julian Alston found a patron in the private sector: Monsanto, one of the world's five largest crop biotechnology firms. The official announcement came in the form of a letter. 'Dear Dr. Alston,' it read. 'Please find enclosed a check for $40,000 that represents an unrestricted gift in support of your research program.'" Next, UC Davis Professor Kent Bradford penned a curious op-ed in the Woodland Daily Democrat8 opposing Prop 37 that listed talking points bearing striking resemblance to the "No on 37" campaign's arguments.9 That similarity just might be explained by Bradford's deep ties to Monsanto. According to the Sacramento Bee,10 Branford is "director of the Seed Biotechnology Center at UC Davis, and a leader of Seed Central, a university-led initiative to attract seed industry to the Davis area." He recently trumpeted Monsanto's $31 million expansion at the Woodland, California campus, saying the investment, "capitalizes on UC Davis and the research capacity of the companies." Most recently, two UC Davis professors appeared on an episode of the Dr. Oz show defending genetically engineered foods.11 One of them, Martina Newell-McGloughlin is director of the University of California Biotechnology Research and Education Program,12 while the other, Alison L. Van Eenennaam, has worked for Monsanto.13 It's no wonder the funders of "No on Prop 37" would keep dipping into the UC Davis deep well of alleged academic experts. They obviously made an excellent investment, and it's payback time. Monsanto Expert, Henry Miller: "I am Not a Stanford Professor, But I Play One on TV" "No on Prop 37" has been putting Henry Miller front and center of its campaign. Miller has a long and sordid history14 of defending toxic chemicals such as DDT, in addition to working for Big Tobacco. He also tends to misrepresent himself quite a bit. As the Los Angeles Times15 reported, a "No on 37" ad had to be pulled off the air because Miller was identified as, "Dr. Henry I. Miller M.D., Stanford University, founding dir. FDA Office of Technology." Behind him in the shot was Stanford's recognizable vaulted campus walkway. Just one problem: Miller is not a Stanford professor but a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank that happens to be housed on the Stanford campus. Adding insult to injury, Stanford has a policy to not take positions on candidates or ballot measures, and does not allow political filming on campus. Oops. The campaign admitted its error and edited the ad. But the Stanford deception did not end there. Recently, the "Yes on 37" campaign complained16 that Stanford's policy was being violated once again, this time in at least two different "No on 37" flyers sent to California voters that identify Miller as, "Henry Miller, MD, Stanford University." The campaign claimed it wouldn't happen again... Right. False Claims and Misrepresentations Used to Mislead Voters The "No on 37" campaign has been caught using fraudulent misinformation to confuse voters again and again over the past several months. For example, on October 18, the "California Right to Know Yes on 37" campaign requested the U.S. Department of Justice conduct a criminal investigation of the "No on 37" campaign "for possible fraudulent misuse of the official seal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." According to the press release:17 "'The Justice Department should investigate this fraudulent dirty trick perpetrated by the 'No on 37' campaign,' said Gary Ruskin, campaign manager of 'California Right to Know Yes on 37.' 'They are running a campaign of lies, deceit and trickery, and some of it may be criminal.' The 'No on 37' campaign affixed the FDA's seal to one of the campaign's mailers. Section 506 of the U.S. Criminal Code states: 'Whoever... knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal or facsimile thereof to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description... shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.' The letter also provides evidence that the 'No on 37' campaign falsely attributed a direct quote to the FDA in the campaign mailer. The quoted attribution, which appears below, is entirely false and fabricated. The FDA did not make this statement and does not take a position on Prop 37."
http://media.mercola.com/imageserver/public/fda-on-prop37.jpg According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the world's largest organization for food and nutrition professionals), "No on 37" also misled the public about the Academy's stance on genetically engineered foods in the Secretary of State's Official California Voter Information Guide. The press release18 issued by the Academy reads in part: "...the California Official Voter Information Guide regarding Proposition 37... inaccurately states that the Academy 'has concluded that biotech foods are safe.' The statement is false... We are concerned that California voters are being misled... Voters need accurate information in order to make an informed choice." Fuzzy Logic Used to Confuse You on the Basic Issues The anti-choice campaign likes to claim that Prop 37 was written by trial lawyers in order to hit small grocers and growers with lawsuits. The truth is that "Yes on Prop 37" is a grassroots effort, started by a concerned California grandmother who saw that there was no way of avoiding genetically engineered foods even if we wanted to, since they didn't have to be labeled. The labeling campaign is about having the right to know what's in your food – just like you're informed about the nutritional content, and the presence of peanuts (important for those with allergies) and other food additives. Whether genetically engineered ingredients are good or bad for your health is really beside the point. Aspartame is not good for you, yet it's on the label, and people have the right to consume it as they please. That's all this is about – just state what it is on the label. The Monsanto campaign claims Prop 37 is "anti-science" and would ban safe foods. This is nonsense, as Prop 37 doesn't ban anything. It simply requires the label to state whether the food contains genetically engineered ingredients or not. You're still free to sell it and buy it. The only thing it prohibits is the mislabelling of GE foods as "all-natural," a term that many tend to associate with more organic standards – which GE crops cannot comply with. You're currently paying a premium for "all-natural" foods that actually use GE ingredients, thinking you're getting something better than conventional! THAT'S hurting your wallet. Accurately labeling these foods will not. As for their argument that genetically engineered foods have been around for many years without health problems, this is another nonsensical claim, as there's no way of tracing any potential health problems back to the food without labelling! The potential truthfulness of their claim in fact hinges on GE foods remaining unlabeled. Without labelling there's simply no way to know, because there's no way to track or trace side effects like people can now do with aspartame, or any other food allergy. Science Media Centre aka Big Biotech Spin Control A related tactic to hiring academic experts one at a time to do your bidding is to corral them all into one really important sounding organization; often, an "institute." The Tobacco Institute was an arm of Big Tobacco that according to its own description,19 acted "as official spokesman for the industry, always reflecting official [strategy] position agreed upon by all members." Continued.......
jimmyg
11-01-2012, 08:21 AM
Moreover, spinning science through a sophisticated public relations campaign was paramount. The institute's main mission was: "[P]ublicizing scientific research funded by the industry which produces counter evidence to unfavorable findings or, at least, helps to keep the question open." Sounds unbelievable now, but for decades this strategy was so effective that it delayed policy action while millions died. Enter the Science Media Centre.20 Headquartered in the UK, there is also a US-based outlet.21 Their mission (like their name), sounds innocuous enough:22 "Our aim is to ensure that when a major science story breaks, we can quickly offer news desks a list of scientists available to comment, a summary of the main scientific points involved and details of which press officers or web sites to go to for further information." They also provide handy tips in this document23 called, "Communicating risks in a soundbite: A guide for scientists," on how to respond to media questions by downplaying problems. For example, if a reporter asks, "Is it risky?" the scientist should get the journalist to instead ask about the benefits by replying, "the benefits outweigh the risks." Another suggested answer: "It is a very small risk. So small that I believe it is safe." Why would a "science media center" put words into scientists' mouths? Just take a look at the sources of funding, which include:24 BASF Bayer Biotechnology & Biological Sciences and Research Council CropLife (pesticide and biotech trade group) Monsanto Novartis Syngenta Not exactly players with an objective view of science. This might explain why the center pounced25 on the recent French study showing organ damage and massive cancer tumors in rats fed GE corn. This was the first lifetime feeding study that has ever been conducted with GE food, so it was sure to be a major embarrassment to Big Biotech. The very same day the French report was published came a press release26 from the Science Media Centre claiming "anomalies throughout the paper" despite the authors having been through the usual peer review process. The main statement from the center was authored by Professor Maurice Moloney, head of Rothamsted Research, which was the target of a protest earlier this year.27 (A counter group formed at the time, calling itself "Sense about Science." This is a common tactic, to portray those who object to tinkering with nature as anti-science luddites.) Moloney is certainly not an objective scientist when it comes to genetically engineered foods, as his Porsche license plate with the letters GMO indicates. http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/October/MauriceMoloneyCar.jpg Image Courtesy of SpinWatch.org His bio28 includes working at biotech incubator Calgene (which was later bought by Monsanto), "where he developed the first transgenic oilseed plants using canola as the model crop," which became the basis of Monsanto's Roundup Ready and Liberty Link canola products." How nice. So the man who gave us Monsanto's premiere product – Roundup Ready – doesn't think an independent study demonstrating harm from eating genetically engineered food is valid? Why am I not shocked? Have You Fallen for Falsehoods? Here is what should be shocking: that it's so easy for opponents of GMO labeling to insert such obviously biased scientific spin into the public discourse. According to GM Watch,29 Moloney's critique was picked up in numerous media outlets, at times, just attributed to unnamed "independent scientists." Mission accomplished. In addition to using experts for hire as spokespeople, the "No on 37" campaign has engaged in numerous other underhanded tactics, getting caught each time. For example, the "Yes on 37" campaign recently sent letters to the U.S. Department of Justice requesting a criminal investigation for possible fraudulent misuse of the official seal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.30 "No on 37" included the FDA logo on a mailer31 sent to California voters, along with a quote falsely attributed to FDA saying the agency was opposed to Prop 37. "No on 37" has also misrepresented the positions of several health and nutrition organizations,32 even going so far as to deceive Californians in the official voter guide. How sad that Monsanto and friends must stoop so low to keep consumers in the dark about what they are eating. What are they trying to hide? Passing Prop 37 is Key to Expanding Sustainable Agriculture in North America It's quite evident that we have no real champions for food safety and labeling of genetically engineered foods within the federal government. As I recently reported, the last three U.S. Presidents and Presidential-hopeful Mitt Romney all have something health related in common – they all insist on 100% organic diets for their own families while promoting unlabeled GE foods on the rest of us. But right now we do have a great opportunity to change this situation by circumventing Monsanto's posse entirely. Americans are becoming very aware of a significant problem with our food, and that starts with transparency. Although many organic consumers and natural health activists already understand the importance of Proposition 37, it cannot be overemphasized that winning the battle over Prop 37 is perhaps the most important food fight Americans – not just Californians – have faced so far. But in order to win this fight for the right to know what's in our food, we need your help. Please remember, the failure or success of this ballot initiative is wholly dependent on your support and funding! There are no major industry pockets funding this endeavor. In order to have a chance against the deep pockets of Big Biotech and transnational food corporations, it needs donations from average citizens. video..... So please, I strongly encourage you to make a donation to this cause. You can also contact EVERY person you know that lives in California and encourage them to view some of these videos and get educated on the issues so they can avoid succumbing to the propaganda, as Monsanto and company are paying tens of millions of dollars to deceive the voters in California. We need EVERY vote we can to win on November 6. It's important to realize that getting this law passed in California would have the same overall effect as a national law, as large companies are not likely going to label their products as genetically engineered when sold in California (the 8th largest economy in the world), but not when sold in other states. Doing so would be a costly PR disaster. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in. Whether you live in California or not, please donate money to this historic effort, through the Organic Consumers Fund. If you live outside of the United States, you can still donate! For International Donations, please call (218) 353-7651! If you live in California and want to get involved, please contact CARightToKnow.org. They will go through all volunteer requests to put you into a position that is suitable for you, based on your stated interests and location. No matter where you live, please help spread the word in your personal networks, on Facebook, and Twitter. For help with the messaging, please see CARightToKnow.org. Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the California Ballot. It may be the only chance we have to label genetically engineered foods. For timely updates, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter.
jimmyg
11-02-2012, 07:28 AM
Compound in Asparagus May Ward Off Blood Clots http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/asparagus.jpg October 26, 2012 Posted by John Phillip
The risk of thrombosis, commonly known as a blood clot, can represent a significant threat to overall health and quality of life. Clots that form and become unstable can break away, blocking blood flow to the brain or the heart muscle. The result can be a fatal heart attack, stroke or debilitating paralysis leading to diminished capacity that frequently signals a shortened life expectancy. Rutin Flavonoids Prevent Blood Clots by Inhibiting Platelet Aggregation There are a number of natural compounds that help to improve the structure of the vascular system including vitamin C and the amino acids lysine and proline. Researchers publishing in The Journal of Clinical Investigation describe the effect of a compound called rutin, commonly found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges and asparagus. It is also sold over the counter as a dietary supplement as it has been shown to inhibit the formation of blood clots in an animal model of thrombosis. The lead study author, Dr. Robert Flaumenhaft, an investigator in the Division of Hemostasis and Thrombosis at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School commented ,“It’s not always fully appreciated that the majority of Americans will die as the result of a blood clot in either their heart or their brain…. approximately half of all morbidity and mortality in the United States can be attributed to heart attack or stroke.” Any natural compound that is shown to prevent blood clot formation can significantly lower vascular-related mortality. PDI Protein Secretion is Halted by Rutin from Diet or Supplementation To conduct the study, researchers focused on a protein called disulfide isomerase (PDI) which is found in all cells. Past studies have shown that PDI is rapidly secreted from both platelets and endothelial cells during thrombosis when a clot forms in a blood vessel, and that inhibition of PDI could block thrombosis and prevent a fatal stroke or heart attack. The scientists therefore developed a wide-scale search for a natural agent capable of inhibiting the PDI protein and prevent vascular thrombosis. Researchers identified quercetin-3-rutinoside (rutin), a bioflavonoid that is naturally found in many fruits, vegetables and teas including onions, apples and citrus fruits. The scientists noted that “Rutin proved to be the most potently antithrombotic compound that we ever tested”, as the flavonoid was shown to inhibit both platelet accumulation and fibrin generation during thrombus formation. Three to five daily servings of rutin from dietary sources or supplementing with 500 mg per day is shown to reduce platelet stickiness leading to blood clots and risk of early death from stroke and heart attack. Sources for this article include: http://dx.doi.org/10.1172/JCI61228 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120508124545.htm http://www.nutraingredients.com/Research/Flavonoids-may-block-blood-clots-Study http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/245153.php
jimmyg
11-03-2012, 06:20 AM
Breaking News Alert! Dr. Mercola Attacked by Biotech Bullies October 31 2012 Link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/10/31/dr-mercola-attacked-by-biotech-bullies.aspx?e_cid=20121031_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola We all know that labeling genetically engineered foods is a common sense right that is enjoyed by over 50 other countries, including China, India, and Russia. But for Americans, that right has been taken away from us. The chemical companies and the junk food companies have done everything possible to hide the truth from Americans for the sake of their profits. I knew going into this battle, that it would be a significant challenge and risk to me personally. You see, when you fight against major chemical companies like Monsanto, you're sure to get a little dirty along the way. The processed food and chemical companies have paid over $40 million to hide the science experiment that has secretly ended up on the dinner plates of hundreds of millions of unknowing Americans. These multinational corporations are worried, and will do anything to keep you in the dark. Keep in mind that the top six funders of "No on 37" are also the six largest pesticide companies in the world! That alone should tell you that their stance has nothing to do with your health and well-being. This was just one of the ads that Monsanto & company have been sending voters to discredit me with lies. This is no surprise, considering how many people - inlcuding farmers, Monsanto has attacked in the past. http://media.mercola.com/assets/images/prop37-funder.jpg Prop 37's Sponsors Stand to Profit False Claims and Misrepresentations Used to Mislead Voters The "No on 37" campaign has been caught misinforming voters again and again over the past several months. For example, on October 18, the "California Right to Know Yes on 37" campaign requested the U.S. Department of Justice conduct a criminal investigation of the "No on 37" campaign "for possible fraudulent misuse of the official seal of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration." According to the press release:1 "The Justice Department should investigate this fraudulent dirty trick perpetrated by the 'No on 37' campaign," said Gary Ruskin, campaign manager of 'California Right to Know Yes on 37'. "They are running a campaign of lies, deceit and trickery, and some of it may be criminal." The 'No on 37' campaign affixed the FDA's seal to one of the campaign's mailers. Section 506 of the U.S. Criminal Code states: "Whoever... knowingly uses, affixes, or impresses any such fraudulently made, forged, counterfeited, mutilated, or altered seal or facsimile thereof to or upon any certificate, instrument, commission, document, or paper of any description... shall be fined under this title, or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both." The letter also provides evidence that the 'No on 37' campaign falsely attributed a direct quote to the FDA in the campaign mailer. The quoted attribution, which appears below, is entirely false and fabricated. The FDA did not make this statement and does not take a position on Prop 37." http://media.mercola.com/imageserver/public/fda-on-prop37.jpg FDA on Prop 37 Other unethical transgressions employed to confuse voters who are still on the fence include: The repeated misrepresentation of their lead spokesman, the long-time front man for the tobacco industry, Dr. Miller. In campaign advertisements, Dr. Miller has been presented as being affiliated with Stanford University, when in fact he has NO such affiliation. The misrepresentation is in direct violation of the University's policy, and when Stanford learned about the false use of its name, they demanded that the 'No on 37' campaign change the ad. According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the world's largest organization for food and nutrition professionals), No on 37 misled the public about the Academy's stance on genetically engineered foods in the Secretary of State's Official California Voter Information Guide. The press release2 issued by the Academy reads in part: "...the California Official Voter Information Guide regarding Proposition 37... inaccurately states that the Academy 'has concluded that biotech foods are safe.' The statement is false... We are concerned that California voters are being misled... Voters need accurate information in order to make an informed choice." Fuzzy Logic Used to Confuse You on the Basic Issues The anti-choice campaign likes to claim that Prop 37 was written by trial lawyers in order to hit small grocers and growers with lawsuits. The truth is that the "Yes on Prop 37" is a grassroots effort, started by a concerned California grandmother who saw that there was no way of avoiding genetically engineered foods even if we wanted to, since they didn't have to be labeled. The labeling campaign is about having the right to know what's in your food – just like you're informed about the nutritional content, and the presence of peanuts (important for those with allergies) and other food additives. Whether genetically engineered ingredients are good or bad for your health is really beside the point. Aspartame is not good for you, yet it's on the label, and people have the right to consume it as they please. That's all this is about – just state what it is on the label. The Monsanto campaign claims Prop 37 is "anti-science" and would ban safe foods. This is nonsense, as Prop 37 doesn't ban anything. It simply requires the label to state whether the food contains genetically engineered ingredients or not. You're still free to sell it and buy it. The only thing it prohibits is the mislabeling of GE foods as "all natural," a term that many tend to associate with more organic standards – which GE crops cannot comply with. You're currently paying a premium for "all-natural" foods that actually use GE ingredients, thinking you're getting something better than conventional! THAT'S hurting your wallet. Accurately labeling these foods will not. As for their argument that genetically engineered foods have been around for many years without health problems, this is another nonsensical claim, as there's no way of tracing any potential health problems back to the food without labelling! The potential truthfulness of their claim in fact hinges on GE foods remaining unlabeled. Without labeling there's simply no way to know, because there's no way to track or trace side effects like people can now do with aspartame, or any other food allergy. It's "Do or Die" Time... While these chemical companies claim their genetically engineered seeds will one day feed the world, they lie to us and create massive amounts of patented genetically engineered sugar beets, soy, and corn for high fructose corn syrup. These crops are not fit to feed cattle, much less humans. How can anyone ignore the fact these companies are producing products that are devastating human health while monopolizing our entire agriculture and food system? The junk food grocery association has indicated Prop 37 is their #1 initiative to stop, and they are spending tens of millions to prove it. You'd think if they would be using genetically engineered foods to save the starving people around the world, labeling them should be a great way to advertise. So why do they want to prevent labeling genetically engineered foods so badly? The LA Times has just reported the "Yes On 37" campaign still narrowly leads in the polls 44 percent to 42 percent. We are at the crossroads and a win is within reach, but we cannot ignore the fact these chemical companies are buying votes with tens of millions of dollars by spreading lies. So now is the time for the final push to win the Right To Know Genetically Engineered Foods by simply labeling them like over 50 other countries around the world including Russia and China. We need to reach many Americans who don't know these genetically engineered foods have been introduced into our food supply. Our message is simple, just like Prop 37. A few words on a label to inform consumers if products contain genetically engineered ingredients. Let's allow consumers to decide, and not the chemical companies or junk food industry. http://www.cornucopia.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/prop37-poster-sml3.jpg Prop 37: Right to Know
Donate Today! Donate Today!
jimmyg
11-03-2012, 08:22 PM
How To Avoid Medical Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/medical_tests-300x199.jpeg October 31, 2012 Posted by Lissa Rankin, MD How to Avoid Overdiagnosis and OvertreatmentIn part 1 of this blog series, The Shocking Dangers of Medical Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment, I shared with you the data supporting how more tests do not necessarily equate to better health. In fact, if you read the post, you’ll see that even medically recommended cancer screening tests, such as mammography, can result in false positive tests, misdiagnosis, or overdiagnosis, potentially leading to medically unnecessary surgical procedures and potentially dangerous treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation. The tendency for many health conscious, cancer-fearing patients is to request every test on the planet. How many of you have received the fear-mongering viral emails insisting that you march right up to your doctor and demand that she order a CA-125 test in order to prevent your late-stage ovarian cancer diagnosis? (Yup, it showed up in my inbox 14 times. And if you want to know what I think about CA-125 as a cancer screening test, read my book What’s Up Down There. I explain my thoughts there.) In short, more tests means more diagnoses – which doesn’t necessarily translate into better health. In fact, it can translate into more side effects, more complications, and more risky treatments. The Risk of Unnecessary Medical Tests From the time she was a young woman, Barbara just knew she was going to get cancer. Although she had no family history of cancer and no reason to believe it should afflict her, something in her gut told her it would happen – some day. She did what she could to avoid it. She went for yearly physicals, got her Pap smears every year, and ate an organic, mostly plant-based diet. She even convinced her doctor to let her start getting mammograms five years younger than the recommended age. When she turned forty-five, she saw an advertisement for a full-body scan that promised to detect cancer early. Her insurance wouldn’t cover it, but Barbara figured yearly body scans would be the best way to detect cancer early, so she chose to make the investment in her health. Sure enough, although she was asymptomatic, her first body scan revealed multiple tumors – one in her kidney, one on her ovary, and one in her liver. Multiple tests and biopsies ensued. The liver and kidney tumors turned out to be benign, but a CA-125 blood test, performed to evaluate whether the ovarian tumor could be cancerous was found to be elevated. Because this raised the suspicion that the ovarian tumor could be cancer, Barbara underwent surgery to remove her ovary. Fortunately, no cancer was found. A week after the surgery, Barbara was in severe pain and went to the emergency room, a thorough work up revealed that during the surgery, Barbara’s ureter, the tube that connects the kidney and bladder, was accidentally severed. Another surgery was necessary to repair the damaged ureter, and Barbara had to wear a catheter for a month after the surgery. Why? Because she was afraid, and her fear led her to undergo medically unnecessary tests that wound up putting her health at risk. But What If Cancer Is Found? Barbara’s case study highlights why unnecessary medical testing can be harmful to your health. But what if the scans had diagnosed a previously undiagnosed cancer? Wouldn’t that have been a good thing? Not necessarily. You see, we all make cancer cells every day. Our bodies are at risk all the time. Infectious agents cross into our bodies. Abnormal proteins get made. Strands of DNA get damaged. Stuff goes awry pretty much 24/7. But the good news is that the body is perfectly engineered to repair itself when the self-repair mechanisms are activated (Hint, Hint: They’re only active when your nervous system is relaxed.) Left untreated, many diseases come and go, without ever producing symptoms or getting diagnosed. And that’s how it should be. When we start overmedicalizing the body’s natural process, we may wind up putting the body at risk. Sure, if you’re one of those asymptomatic people who gets diagnosed early with a cancer because of a screening test, you’re probably counting your lucky stars. And phew – hopefully your early diagnosis was a good thing. But when you look at the data, the reality is that your outcome might not be much different than if you waited until you had symptoms in order to pursue treatment… Cancer Screening – Should We or Shouldn’t We? So what about cancer screening? In many ways, advances in cancer screening are a blessing. Cancers like cervical cancer are almost completely preventable now, since pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix can be detected with Pap smears, but there’s also a price to pay. In order to prevent one cervical cancer death, 1,140 women have to be regularly screened over 10 years. And among those 1,140, many are going to wind up with abnormal Pap smears that lead to medical procedures like LEEP procedure, which not only increases medical cost and causes pain, but which can actually lead to issues like infertility, miscarriage, and difficulty diagnosing future cervical cancers or uterine cancers. (If you’re curious about what makes a good cancer screening test, this is a GREAT review article about it). If you look at cancer screening protocols, there’s a big trend towards less testing – fewer Pap smears starting later in life, fewer mammograms starting later in life, and recently, some advisory groups now recommend against the use of the PSA test to screen for prostate cancer because the benefits, if any, are small and the harms can be enormous. The solution to the anxiety and uncertainty health fears engender is not more tests or more treatments. Then what is the solution? It’s a simple three-step process. How To Decide About Medical Testing Step 1: Get educated. I’m not saying you shouldn’t get medical tests. But I am saying you shouldn’t just blindly take the lab slip from your doctor’s hands without even knowing what’s being tested. Getting your cholesterol checked? Why? If the test is abnormal, what will your doctor recommend? How will that treatment affect your long term health? Are there any risks to that treatment? Is that a treatment plan you’re willing to agree to? Getting a mammogram? How good is the test? How likely is it that an abnormal mammogram will actually be a breast cancer? How likely is it that you’ll need a surgery in order to find out whether the abnormality is the real deal or not? How likely is it that the mammogram, if it finds an asymptomatic cancer, will actually increase your life expectancy and/or quality of life? Getting STD tests? How accurate are they? What’s the chance that you’ll be falsely labeled as carrying an STD? What’s the chance that you’ll have an STD and the test will miss it? If you don’t know the answers to these kinds of questions regarding tests you’re being asked to take, you shouldn’t be taking the test. Your body is your business. Get informed. Ask questions. Talk to your doctor. Get educated about the risks and benefits of any test you agree to take. How good is the test? What’s the false positive and false negative rate? What treatment might be required if the test comes back abnormal? How much anxiety is the test going to create? If the test is abnormal, will it change the treatment plan? Empower yourself with knowledge. Step 2: Listen to your intuition. I call that wise, sage, loving, knowing part of you your “Inner Pilot Light.” Your Inner Pilot Light often uses the body as a vehicle to communicate with you. Are you in touch with your body’s wisdom? Are you listening to your symptoms and physical gut reactions and gaining awareness about what they’re trying to teach you? When your doctor recommends a test, what does your body say? What does your inner wisdom whisper? Are you spending enough time being quiet to even hear those whispers? Are you dialoguing with your body compass? Can you interpret what your body and your Inner Pilot Light are communicating to you? If not, sign up for daily messages from your Inner Pilot Light to help you get in touch with the inner doctor that resides within us all. Step 3: Trust that whatever is in the highest good for all beings will manifest. Live a healthy lifestyle. Do what you can to minimize your risk of disease. Then… and I know this is the hard part… let go and trust. “Ee gad!” you say. But what if it’s in the highest good for me to die of breast cancer with two young kids? What if it’s in the highest good for me to drop dead of a heart attack at 50? What if it’s in the highest good for my baby to miscarry? Surely, we can’t trust and surrender to that, right? Yes. That’s what I’m saying. Do what you can. Be conscious about what food you put in your body. Exercise in a way that makes your heart sing. Ditch your bad habits (or not.) Get regular check ups and talk to your doctor about disease prevention. Sleep well. And don’t forget to get radical about alleviating loneliness, avoiding pessimism, managing depression and anxiety, and living the kind of wholly healthy, fearless life that makes the body ripe for miracles. Make reasonable effort to minimize your risk, then trust that whatever is in the highest good for all beings will manifest. Trust that even if you get sick, it’s because your soul has something to learn – or perhaps even that your soul has completed what it’s here on this earth to learn – and your illness just might be the vehicle your soul needs in order to fully express itself. I’ll be talking more about how to reduce anxiety and fear around illness and death in the next part of this blog series, so make sure you’re subscribed to my blog.
jimmyg
11-04-2012, 10:18 AM
14 Low-Fat Foods That Make You Fat http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/0609lowfat_new-copy1-600x337.jpg Posted by K. Aleisha Fetters When two foods — one that’s low in fat and one that’s unapologetically full-fat — are staring you down, choosing the low-fat option is the key to a slimmer you, right? Nope. It turns out your so-called diet foods could actually be making you fat. Fat-free and low-fat foods are often full of sugar, flour and thickeners, all of which can wreck havoc on your waistline. “Fat is flavor. When you take it out, you need to add something else,” says nutritionist Keri Glassman, RD, author of “The New You and Improved Diet.” These low-performing, high-taste stand-ins are digested too quickly to satiate, which contributes to low-fat fans eating about 28 percent more calories, according to research from the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. Believing that low-fat snacks have a about 40 percent fewer calories than their full-fat counterparts, people often feel free to eat almost twice as much low-fat food without the guilt, according to Cornell. Too bad they are usually only 11 percent lower in calories. Not to mention often higher in sugar, sodium, and seriously lacking in protein and fiber, Glassman says. Steer clear of these 15 low-fat foods. (And for more advice on how to slim down, check out Dr. Travis Stork’s no-diet prescription to a flatter belly.) 1. Yogurt Breakfast is the key to getting your energy levels up and your metabolism humming bright and early, but when you cut out the fat in your yogurt, you are eliminating the most energy-packed nutrient around. Plus, many low-fat yogurts use artificial sweeteners to make up for lost flavor. Sugar substitutes may kick your taste buds into overdrive, leading you to crave more sweet foods and upping your risk of weight gain, Glassman says. The Slimmer Choice: Enjoy 2 percent yogurt to get a real energy boost. And if you want a fat-free yogurt, make it Greek — most types have no added sweeteners, artificial or otherwise. (Olympus Greek Yogurt is one of Fitbie’s favorites.) 2. Eggs Think Egg Beaters are the secret to a slimmer breakfast? This yolk’s on you! Although a single yolk contains nearly the recommended daily limit for dietary cholesterol, it is the most nutrient-rich part, packed with zinc, iron, vitamins A and D, choline and hunger-squashing protein, Glassman says. And several studies, including a 2011 one published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, have debunked the myth of eggs causing heart disease. The Slimmer Choice: Have a hardboiled egg for breakfast or even a snack. For just 70 calories, you can stay full for hours. If you like your eggs scrambled, avoid packing on extra cholesterol with excess cheese, milk, and butter, Glassman says. Sprinkle some basil in them for extra taste and an antioxidant power punch. 3. Milk Milk is an excellent source of fat-soluble vitamins A and D — unless it’s fat-free. (That’s why fat-free milk often comes with vitamins A and D added in.) And when you take all the fat out of milk, your body can’t properly absorb these and other essential vitamins, which are vital to healthy metabolic function. The Slimmer Choice: Instead of fat-free or skim milk, try 1 percent — it’s still low in saturated fat, but it has enough of the nutrient to up vitamin absorption, Glassman says. What’s more, 1 percent milk contains higher levels than fat-free milk of conjugated lineolic acid, which may help reduce body fat. You should also try these six dairy products for maximum health. 4. Pretzels With less fat than potato chips, these little munchies have been called “healthy” since the fat-free craze of the ‘90s. But most pretzels have no real nutritional value and are typically made with refined flour, which quickly converts to glucose, spiking your blood sugar levels and keeping you going back for more, Glassman says. And reduced-fat pretzels can be even worse. “There is often very little, if any protein in them. They are basically just carbohydrates,” she says. The Slimmer Choice: If you absolutely have to eat some pretzels, go for the full-fat version, or better yet, eat them alongside fat- and protein-rich food like nuts or nut butter, Glassman says. Fat isn’t the easiest nutrient to digest, so it sticks around in the digestive system for more time than all those carbs in your pretzels. 5. Cheese Whether alone as a snack or on top of a sandwich for a meal, cheese is a true hunger-buster. The combination of protein and fat in regular, full-fat cheese can hold your appetite at bay for hours, and can cut down your caloric intake during later meals, Glassman says. Plus, most low-fat cheeses are mass-produced, vacuum-sealed and seriously preserved. The Slimmer Choice: Go ahead, enjoy a small portion of one of these healthy full-fat cheeses you’ll love. Get it sliced fresh at the gourmet cheese counter to avoid preservatives. Don’t fret over your cholesterol: When compared to a habitual diet, eating plans rich in cheeses don’t increase LDL cholesterol levels (and even lowers them when compared with a butter-rich diet, according to a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 6. Chips All the taste and half the calories? Sure. But what the bag doesn’t say is that the flavor is coming from salt and carbs. Yep, your favorite salty snack just got saltier. Lay’s Light Original potato chips, for instance, pack about 18 percent more sodium and 13 percent more carbohydrates than their full-fat counterpart. Not to mention more than twice the ingredients. No potato chips are going to help you slim down. But if you are really craving them, try making some fresh at home. Or even try baking kale chips — it takes as little as 20 minutes start to finish. They’ll give you the crunch you need without all the sugar-spiking carbohydrates or preservatives, Glassman says. 7. Peanut Butter Most peanut butters contain the same type of sugar that’s in cake frosting. (No wonder it tastes so good!) Reduced fat peanut butters have even more sugar. When you pack your bloodstream with glucose like that (and don’t burn it off, say, running a marathon), your body pumps out insulin to help store the glucose. “The most efficient way for the body to store extra glucose is as fat,” Glassman says. What’s more, low-fat peanut butters often have fewer healthy fats than their full-fat versions. The Slimmer Choice: Stick with an all-natural peanut butter instead. (These typically are 100-percent nuts and don’t contain any trans fats.) Just remember to pour off the top layer of oil and if the butter starts stiffing up, replace it with olive oil. It’s a great source of unsaturated fatty acids, and people who consume the most of these healthy fats have lower body mass indexes and less abdominal fat than those who consume the least, according to a 2009 study in the British Journal of Nutrition. 8. Blended Coffee Drinks There’s nothing good about the stuff in these sugar traps — regular or low fat. While you can save yourself substantial calories with a light variety, you can still easily suck down a meal’s worth of calories and carbohydrates. A 16-ounce Starbucks Caffé Vanilla Frappuccino Light Blended Beverage, for example, has 40 grams of carbohydrates — nearly three times the carbs in a slice of Classic White Wonder Bread. The Slimmer Pick: Avoid coffee drinks like these and enjoy a cup of joe sans sugar, sweeteners, whips, and any blends, Glassman says. Pure coffee can actually help you lose weight. Besides boosting athletic performance and calorie burn, a 2012 study presented at the American Chemical Society found that young adults taking various doses of green coffee bean extract lost an average of 17.5 pounds and 16 percent in body fat in 22 weeks. 9. Salad Dressing Without some fat, that salad’s not going to help you shed any pounds. Dietary fat allows your body to absorb many nutrients, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, which contribute to energy and muscle health, Glassman says. What’s more, a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that people who use fat-free dressings don’t absorb any lycopene or beta-carotene, two health-boosting antioxidants. The Slimmer Choice: Drizzle your greens with a bit of olive oil. It will help you get the most nutritional bang from your salad, while giving you a healthy dose of body-slimming unsaturated fats, which can boost metabolic health, according to a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Just be sure not to go for one of these salad dressings that have too much fat. 10. Mayonnaise The low-fat version contains less saturated fat and calories, but it’s also full of extra chemicals and sodium, and has far fewer healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are both vital for weight loss. “Old” fat stored in the body’s peripheral tissues — around the belly, thighs, or butt (also called subcutaneous fat) — can’t be burned efficiently without “new” fat to help the process, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Dietary fat helps break down existing fat by activating PPAR-alpha and fat-burning pathways through the liver. The Slimmer Choice: Top off you sandwich with a sliced-up avocado quarter. It will provide your sammy the creamy, fatty taste and texture you crave, while helping to hold your appetite and to keep fat from accumulating around your waist. If only mayonnaise will do, either buy mayonnaise with olive oil or whip some up on your own. All you need are eggs, olive oil, salt, and lemon juice. The olive oil will score you the monounsaturated fats you need to stay trim. 11. Frozen Dinners The calorie toll in frozen “healthy” meals isn’t so bad, but the sugar impact can be worse than that of a dessert. For instance, Lean Cuisine Beef Chow Fun packs 18 grams of sugar — 5 more than a serving of Edy’s Grand Vanilla ice cream. And forget about the sodium. Frozen dinners are salt-fills — many low-fat frozen dishes half your 2,300 mg recommended daily allowance ofsodium in one meal. No wonder they don’t taste half bad. The Slimmer Choice: To lick your salt habit once and for all, make your own frozen meals. All you need are fresh foods and a freezer. 12. Canned Soup Canned soup doesn’t have a lot going on in the nutritional department, but when manufacturers cut out saturated fat, unsaturated fats tend to go with it. To get rid of .5 grams of saturated fat, for instance Campbell’s 98 percent Fat Free Broccoli Cheese Soup sheds 3 grams of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It’s giving up a lot of healthy fats to lose just a little unsaturated fat. And in the end, scoring unsaturated fats is more important to your waist than ridding your meals of saturated ones, Glassman says. The Slimmer Choice: Look for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats on your soup label. They can help stabilize blood sugar levels, according to Mayo Clinic. That means you feel full once you hit the bottom of the bowl. 13. Ice Cream The ingredient list on a package of low-fat or fat-free ice creams looks like something you should find in a lab, not your freezer. Breyer’s Fat Free Strawberry Ice Cream, for example, has more than three times the ingredients of its full-fat version. The Slimmer Choice: Go ahead and have a small splurge of some full-fat ice cream. Even better, enjoy some Greek yogurt and top it with a bit of honey. The dietary fat will make your treat much more satisfying. Plus, without all that extra refined sugar and corn syrup, you have a better chance of staying slim. 14. Cookies A bit of fat in your cookies can make the difference eating one and eating the whole box. “Fat gives us a sense of satiety, and without it, you just want to eat more and more and more,” Glassman says. Plus, low-fat cookies can with extra sugar keeping low-fat cookies yummy, you can expect a sugar crash after 30 minutes — that will likely send you back to finish of the package. The Slimmer Choice: Go ahead, have a cookie. But just one. For that matter, just buy one cookie fresh from your local baker. Not only will it taste better and lack preservatives for a longer shelf life, but it will also keep you from mindlessly plowing through a whole sleeve. @2012, Fitbie.com. Distributed by MCT Information Services
jimmyg
11-05-2012, 09:46 AM
Exercise Improves Effects of Stroke: Study November 02 2012 http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2099/December/stroke-exercise.jpg By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Stroke patients who exercised were able to improve problems with their memory, thinking, language and judgment by close to 50 percent in just six months. Notable improvements in attention, concentration, planning and organizing, as well as benefits to muscle strength and walking, were seen among stroke patients who exercised. Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable by making lifestyle changes including dietary changes, quitting smoking and excess alcohol use, and optimizing your weight and vitamin D levels.
Strokes, or “brain attacks,” are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, as well as a leading cause of disability in adults.1 The most common type of stroke is called "ischemic stroke," which is a devastating interruption of the brain’s oxygen supply resulting from an obstruction in a blood vessel (such as a blood clot) supplying blood to your brain. When your brain is deprived of blood flow and oxygen, even for only a few minutes, brain cells begin to die, leading to varying degrees of brain damage or death. It’s estimated that more than two-thirds of stroke survivors have some type of disability as a result, which can range from weakness in an arm or leg to losing the ability to speak or becoming paralyzed on one side. New research has shown, however, that you can vastly improve your health after a stroke simply by getting regular exercise. Exercise Should be a Regular Part of Your Life if You’ve Had a Stroke Canadian researchers found that stroke patients who exercised were able to improve problems with their memory, thinking, language and judgment by close to 50 percent in just six months.2 Some of the exercises were modified for stroke patients and were designed to mimic everyday activities like walking or squatting. Impressive benefits were seen all around, including: A reduction in the number of those suffering from at least mild cognitive impairment (from 66 percent down to 37 percent) Notable improvements in attention, concentration, planning and organizing Improvements in muscle strength and walking There are about 7 million stroke survivors in the United States.3 If you are one of them – or know someone who is – please be sure to take this valuable information to heart, and share it with those who can benefit. The study's lead researcher, Susan Marzolini, noted:4 "These results provide compelling evidence that by improving cardiovascular fitness through aerobic exercise and increasing muscle mass with resistance training, people with stroke can improve brain health... Modified exercise programs are desperately needed. They can be adapted for people following stroke, and we think they can provide huge health benefits." Acting FAST is Crucial if a Stroke Occurs When a stroke occurs, the longer your brain goes without oxygen, the greater your risk of lasting brain damage. This is one area where conventional emergency medicine excels, as there are emergency medications that can actually dissolve a blood clot that is blocking blood flow to your brain, and if done quickly enough can virtually reverse any permanent neurological damage. In order to be effective, you typically need to get treated within one hour. This is clearly one of the miracles of modern science, but again it depends on you recognizing the signs of stroke and getting medical help immediately. The National Stroke Association recommends using the FAST acronym to help remember the warning signs of stroke:5 F = FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A = ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S = SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Does the speech sound slurred or strange? T = TIME: If you observe any of these signs (independently or together), call 911 immediately. Other signs of stroke indicating you should get help right away include: Sudden trouble walking (dizziness, loss of balance, etc.) Sudden confusion Sudden numbness or weakness (especially on one side of your body only) Sudden trouble seeing Sudden severe headache Stroke Prevention 101: Up to 80 Percent of Strokes are Preventable Once a stroke occurs, all you can do is get medical help immediately, and then begin the long rehabilitation process (which should include exercise, as noted above). A far better option is to do all you can to lower your stroke risk now, as up to 80 percent of strokes are preventable.6 Your diet is clearly important here, which is why I recommend you review my free nutrition plan for comprehensive guidelines on what to eat to stay healthy. Conventionally speaking, many of the same risk factors that increase your risk of heart disease also increase your risk of stroke, and these include factors like: High blood pressure Obesity High triglycerides and elevated homocysteine levels Low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol Smoking and excess alcohol intake In terms of stroke prevention, specifically, you’ll want to be sure to avoid: High insulin and leptin levels. Ultimately this is what drives arterial plaque, disturbed signaling between insulin, leptin and their receptors. One of the best ways you can improve this critical point is to minimize your carbs to mostly highfiber vegetables, eat about 1 gram of protein per 1 kilogram of LEAN body mass per day (much lower than most people eat) and have high-quality fats (no omega-6 oils) and do Peak Fitness exercises. Synthetic Trans Fats: These are common in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, such as crackers, chips, most store-bought baked goods, and any fried foods, just to name a few examples. Trans fats are known to promote inflammation, which is a hallmark of most chronic and/or serious diseases; not just strokes and heart disease. Women in particular would be well served to heed this advice as stroke rates are on the rise in middle-aged women, and poor dietary choices is likely a significant culprit. In one 2010 study, post-menopausal women who consumed the most daily synthetic trans fat had a 30 percent higher incidence of ischemic strokes.7 Smoked and Processed Foods: Certain preservatives, such as sodium nitrate and nitrite, found in smoked and processed meats have been shown to damage your blood vessels, which could increase your risk of stroke. Diet Soda: People who drink diet soft drinks daily may be 43 percent more likely to suffer from a vascular event, including a stroke or heart attack.8 Other Avoidable Stroke Risk Factors If you want to decrease your risk of stroke, it’s important to get a healthy dose of sunshine. A research team used NASA satellite data to determine how sunlight corresponded with stroke risk, and found that people who got less than the midpoint level of sun exposure were at a 60 percent increased risk for stroke.9 The connection is most likely due to the "sunshine vitamin," vitamin D, which is produced when your body is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D has been associated with a lower risk of stroke and heart attack risk in previous research. You can find more information to optimize your vitamin D levels here. Just remember to make sure you are getting enough vitamin K2, which works synergistically with vitamin D. Three additional risk factors that can have a direct impact on your stroke risk are: Optimize Vitamin K2. This vitamin is crucial to stimulate matrix GLA protein, which will prevent calcification of your arteries and help place the calcium in the bones where it belongs. Vitamin D will also help work synergistically with the vitamin K2. Psychological distress. According to a 2008 study published in the journal Neurology,10 the more stressed you are, the greater your risk. The researchers actually found that for every notch lower a person scored on their well-being scale, their risk of stroke increased by 11 percent. Not surprisingly, the relationship between psychological distress and stroke was most pronounced when the stroke was fatal. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and birth control pills. If you're on one of the hormonal birth control methods (whether it's the pill, patch, vaginal ring or implant), it is important to understand that you are taking synthetic progesterone and synthetic estrogen. These contraceptives contain the same synthetic hormones as those used in hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which has well-documented risks, including an increased risk of blood clots, stroke, heart attack, and breast cancer. Other Than Exercise, What Can Help Stroke Patients’ Rehabilitation? Exercise is, again, a definite must. But it’s worth noting that vitamin B3, or niacin, may help improve neurological function directly AFTER a stroke. When rats with ischemic stroke were given niacin, their brains showed growth of new blood vessels, and sprouting of nerve cells, which greatly improved neurological outcome. There is also preclinical research on omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin resveratrol and the organosulfur compound found in Cruciferous vegetables known as sulforaphane being of value in post-stroke recovery.11 Another chioce for acute stroke rehabilitation is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). Research has shown that HBOT helps your body produce and mobilize mesenchymal stem cells, which play a critical role in your body's attempt to repair any injured tissues or cells.12
jimmyg
11-06-2012, 06:56 AM
Hospital Errors Kill Well Over 180,000 Americans Annually – Why are Super-Safe Supplements and Natural Health Under Attack? November 05 2012 http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/July/hospital-errors.jpg By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Consumer Reports' investigation into hospital safety shows some of the most well-known hospitals received the worst ratings. Sacred Heart of Chicago was ranked the most dangerous in the country. A clinic in Billings, Montana was ranked the safest, based on six criteria, including hospital-acquired infections, over-treatment, and death rates More than 2.25 million Americans will likely die from medical harm in this decade – the equivalent of wiping out the entire populations of North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont Recent data from the UK shows that compared to supplements, you are 900 times more likely to die from food poisoning, and 300,000 times more likely to die from a preventable medical injury during a hospital stay in the UK Adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs are 62,000 times more likely to kill you than nutritional supplements Senators Durbin and Richard Blumenthal have sent letters to three natural and herbal products organizations, stating they are “deeply concerned about the poor manufacturing standards that expose consumers to potentially serious health risks.” The Senators have requested information about the “industry's plans for improving the successful adoption of current manufacturing practices”
When Consumer Reports speaks, people listen – and this time the consumer advocacy agency is advising you on where to get your care – or not – if you need to go to the hospital. It's the first time Consumer Reports has investigated hospital safety,1 and the results show hospital ratings don't always match public opinions. Some of the most well-known hospitals got the worst ratings. Except for the Mayo Clinic's various campuses, which have exceptionally good scores, others like Mass General and Mount Sinai in New York, didn't rate as well as you might expect. One hospital, Sacred Heart of Chicago, scoring an abysmal 16 on a 100-point safety scale was ranked the most dangerous in the country. A clinic in Billings, Montana scored the highest. Hospitals were ranked according to six critera:2 Infections Communications about safety issues The degree to which you come right back in the hospital after you've been discharged Situations in which too many imaging tests that expose you to radiation are being done Common complications in unsafe hospital Death rates for several conditions An Epidemic of Health Care Harm... "Infections, surgical mistakes, and other medical harm contributes to the deaths of 180,000 hospital patients a year, according to projections based on a 2010 report from the Department of Health and Human Services. Another 1.4 million are seriously hurt by their hospital care. And those figures apply only to Medicare patients. What happens to other people is less clear because most hospital errors go unreported and hospitals report on only a fraction of things that can go wrong. 'There is an epidemic of health-care harm,' says Rosemary Gibson, a patient-safety advocate and author. More than 2.25 million Americans will probably die from medical harm in this decade, she says. 'That's like wiping out the entire populations of North Dakota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It's a man-made disaster.' ... 'Hospitals haven't given safety the attention it deserves,' says Peter Pronovost, M.D., senior vice president for patient safety and quality at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. Nor has the government, he says. 'Medical harm is probably one of the three leading causes of death in the U.S., but the government doesn't adequately track it as it does deaths from automobiles, plane crashes, and cancer. It's appalling.'" The above was written in Consumer Reports:3 To review the full listing of their safety scores, you need to be a Consumer Reports subscriber. However, there are also other sources that can help you evaluate the safety of a hospital, such as: Hospital Compare (http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/hospital-search.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1) Leapfrog Group's Hospital Safety Score (http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/hospital-search.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1) On Calling the Kettle Black... Statistics like these make safety allegations against alternative forms of health care, including the use of herbal remedies and supplements in lieu of drugs, all the more ludicrous. Natural health modalities have repeatedly come under attack as being inherently risky. Risky compared to what? Clearly, these people do not know what they're talking about when they claim conventional health care is superior to natural, holistic modalities. Superior in what way? Putting you out of your misery quicker? One such misguided person is Dick Durbin, current state senator of my home state, Illinois, which, as we now know is also home to the most dangerous hospital in the United States. I find this to be particularly ironic since Senator Durbin is a staunch pro-pharma supporter who time and again has tried to destroy alternative health and eliminate supplements. Earlier this summer, he tried to sneak in a last-minute anti-supplement amendment into an FDA bill. Fortunately, over 100,000 Americans called their Congressmen within 24 hours to defeat the amendment. The Alliance for Natural Health reported:4 "One of the things we found alarming in this amendment saga was the amount of misinformation in Sen. Durbin's speech on the Senate floor... Sen. Durbin [said], 'No one tests dietary supplements... Companies that make these products may test them if they wish, there's no requirement under law that they test them, and there's certainly no agency of government that tests dietary supplements... There's just no testing involved.' This is completely untrue – supplement companies, by law, must comply with the Dietary Supplement Current Good Manufacturing Practices5 (CGMPs) and must conduct testing throughout the production process as well as testing the finished product for quality control. As with the pharmaceutical industry, the burden is on supplement companies to test their own products, because in the end they are liable should FDA choose to take enforcement action against them. One reason we are so concerned about legislation like Sen. Durbin's is that it is clearly intended to put us on a slippery slope toward a supplement pre-approval system – similar to the system being used by the European Union, where only those vitamins and minerals on the approved list may be used in food supplements, and only in very limited amounts. For example, if a supplement contains more beta carotene than is present in half a large carrot, it is banned. A regulatory framework like the EU's is exactly what Sen. Durbin wants." Supplements Industry has an Unmatched Safety Record Durbin is still on the war path against supplements, despite the fact that recent investigations in the US and the UK have concluded that supplements and herbal remedies have a sterling safety record. The UK-based, international campaign group, the Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl) recently revealed data6 showing that compared to supplements, an individual is: Around 900 times more likely to die from food poisoning Nearly 300,000 times more likely to die from a preventable medical injury during a UK hospital stay, which is comparable to the individual risk of dying that active military face in Iraq or Afghanistan Additionally, the data shows that adverse reactions to pharmaceutical drugs are: 62,000 times more likely to kill you than food supplements 7,750 times more likely to kill you than herbal remedies The data, which was collected from official sources in the UK and EU, demonstrate that both food supplements and herbal remedies are in the 'super-safe' category of individual risk – meaning risk of death from their consumption is less than 1 in 10 million. Similarly, the latest data from the U.S. National Poison Data System (2010 report),7 NO deaths were attributable to vitamin and mineral supplements that year. And, as noted by Orthomolecular Medicine News Service last year,8 Americans easily take more than 60 billion doses of nutritional supplements every year, and with zero related deaths this is an outstanding safety record: "Well over half of the U.S. population takes daily nutritional supplements. Even if each of those people took only one single tablet daily, that makes 165,000,000 individual doses per day, for a total of over 60 billion doses annually. Since many persons take far more than just one single vitamin or mineral tablet, actual consumption is considerably higher, and the safety of nutritional supplements is all the more remarkable. Over 60 billion doses of vitamin and mineral supplements per year in the USA, and not a single fatality. Not one. If vitamin and mineral supplements are allegedly so 'dangerous,' as the FDA and news media so often claim, then where are the bodies?" continued.....
jimmyg
11-06-2012, 06:57 AM
Senators Durbin, Blumenthal "Deeply Concerned" about Poor Manufacturing Standards While supplements may be one of the safest industries, there's certainly room for improvement, especially when it comes to quality standards. The good news is that even when quality is lacking, the risk you take relates more to the fact that the product will not provide you with the same benefits as a high-quality product might, as opposed to posing a life-threatening risk to your health – like drugs do. Still, the fact that you're more likely to die from drowning in your bathtub than from a supplement or herbal remedy, supplements are still being attacked as "dangerous." If Senator Durbin truly cared about the safety of individuals, then he should be spending more time addressing the abysmal safety record of our hospitals, and the rampant prescriptions of dangerous drugs. Especially since the most dangerous hospital in the US is right in his backyard. But no. He's got smaller fish to fry. Senators Durbin and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) recently sent off letters to the Natural Products Association (NPA), the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), stating: "We are deeply concerned about the poor manufacturing standards that expose consumers to potentially serious health risks. To ensure consumer safety, we are eager to hear of the industry's plans for improving the successful adoption of current manufacturing practices." The hubbub stems from a June 30 article in the Chicago Tribune, which claims:9 "Federal inspections of companies that make dietary supplements – from multivitamins and calcium chews to capsules of echinacea and bodybuilding powders – reveal serious and widespread manufacturing problems in a $28 billion industry that sells products consumed by half of all Americans. In the last four years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found violations of manufacturing rules in half of the nearly 450 dietary supplement firms it has inspected, according to agency officials." The article goes on to describe how supplements are produced in "unsanitary factories." One New Jersey-based protein powder manufacturer is alleged to have been mixing powders and supplements in "a facility infested with rodents, rodent feces and urine." Serious supplement adverse events are so rare that media and supplement critics repeatedly roll out Total Body Formula's problems from back in 2008 (as Dateline NBC did in its March 18, 2012, broadcast) to beat the anti-supplement drum. The Tribune's reporter has a history of launching attacks against "alternative" medicine. The reporter's inclusion of deaths linked to cough syrup made by a Panamanian pharmaceutical company in 2006 adds further proof of bias. Beware the Double Standards I'd like to remind everyone that the FDA allows all manner of contaminations in the processed foods you consume every day, and it thinks nothing of it. For example, up to six percent of chips are allowed to have rot from pre- or post-harvest infection. Acceptable levels of mold go as low as 15 percent in canned tomatoes to as high as 45 percent for ketchup. Up to 30 fly eggs per every 100 grams of tomato sauce is okay, as is two maggots per every 100 grams of tomato juice. The FDA also will not mandate action unless 10 or more whole or equivalent Drosophila flies and 35 of its eggs are found per 8 ounces of raisins. Ground turkey is allowed up to 49.9% positive testing for salmonella under USDA guidelines, with ground chicken allowed up to 44.6%. When it comes to food, a certain amount of bugs and other contaminants is considered safe by the FDA. I absolutely agree that the supplement industry needs to work hard to ensure high-quality products of high purity. However, there's no need to try to shut down the entire industry as unsafe, as all available data attests to the contrary! Can you get ill from a supplement or herb? Yes. But your chances of suffering a serious side effect or death from a drug is astronomically higher. Again, your risk of dying from an adverse drug effect is 62,000 times higher than that of a supplement. Your chances of dying from food poisoning is also FAR greater than having a lethal reaction to a supplement. In the end it comes down to keeping things in perspective. If Congress wants to protect us from health care harm, they need to get their priorities in order. In response to Senator Durbin's letter, the Natural Products Association replied, in part:10 "As the leading representative of the dietary supplement industry with over 1,900 members, including suppliers and retailers of vitamins and other dietary supplements, NPA has been the leader in educating the dietary supplement industry about current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs). GMP compliance is a serious issue and NPA has taken major steps to ensure our members are in compliance. NPA agrees consumers should have access to products that are safe and wholesome and we do not make excuses for any instances of non-compliance. However, NPA believes the FDA's reckless comments in the Chicago Tribune article distort the full picture of our membership's overall safety record. In fact, supplements have an excellent safety record, but we appreciate this opportunity to provide more information to you..." Although I do not promote the use of many supplements in general, believing it is far better to get your nutrition from food, there are exceptions to this rule, and if you choose to use them in lieu of drug therapy, you're certainly reducing your risk of serious side effects. It is prudent, however, to make sure you're using a high-quality product. Not only will this protect you from any potential harmful effects from contaminants, but such products will also offer the greatest possible benefits so that you're not wasting your money on an ineffective product. Big businesses have been buying up emerging supplement manufacturers similar to what we've witnessed in the organic industry. Nearly 70 percent of American adults are now taking supplements, and you can bet the drug industry and a few politicians will work hard to make this another model of control and profits for a few elite businesses. I'd recommend keeping close tabs on CT Sen. Richard Blumenthal and IL Sen. Dick Durbin. If you live in Illinois, please ask him about his inaccurate statements on the senate floor. You can reach them here: Sen. Richard Blumenthal: 90 State House Square, 10th Flr. Hartford, CT 06103 Phone: (860) 258-6940 Fax: (860) 258-6958 Sen. Dick Durbin: 230 South Dearborn Street Suite 3892 Chicago, IL 60604 Phone:(312) 353-4952 Fax: (312) 353-0150
jimmyg
11-07-2012, 10:02 AM
Pesticide Use Increases as GMO Technology Backfires http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/crop-duster-400x265.jpg November 1, 2012 Posted by Mary West
The GMO nightmare continues to unfurl, as the crop technology designed to reduce the need for pesticides has backfired. Farmers’ heavy adoption of these modified crops has sparked an increase in “superweeds” and hard-to-kill insects, creating the need to use more toxic herbicides. Proponents of GMOs have alleged that these crops are a vital tool for weaning farmers off of toxic pesticides, but this claim has been resoundingly refuted by a recent study published in Environmental Science Europe. Chuck Benbrook, a researcher for Washington State University’s Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, found that GMO use has led to a “monsoon in herbicides.” Not only have these crops necessitated the need for higher applications of Roundup, Monsanto’s herbicide, but the problem has also forced farmers to use older herbicides that have more harmful effects, says Benbrook. Statistics demolish Monsanto’s claim that GMOs reduce the need for herbicides. The magnitude of the increase in pesticide use is illustrated by the statistics of the study. In the period between 1996, when the use of Roundup-ready crops began, and 2011, herbicide use increased by 527 million pounds, equating to 11 percent. During the first few years of the use of Roudup-ready crops, these GMOs actually fulfilled Monsanto’s promise of reducing the need for herbicides: they reduced the use of these chemicals by 2 percent between 1996 and 1999. This advantage, however, was short-lived. After this period, weeds started developing resistance to Roundup, which led to farmers’ increasing their application of this herbicide by 21 percent, evidenced by a 19 million spike in its use, Benbrook tells The Guardian. The stepped up use of Roundup eliminated the weak weeds, which gave the resistant weeds, or “superweeds,” the opportunity to proliferate and take over. Statistics revealing a 24 percent increase in pesticide use between 2009 through 2010 show the problem is only getting worse. Benbrook relates to The Guardian that by this time the problem of resistant weeds had fully kicked in, resulting in the use of greater volumes of Roundup as well as more toxic herbicides such as 2,4-D, a component of the infamous Agent Orange. What about Bt seeds, the other main biotech product? Resistance problems leading to pesticide increases are not limited to Roundup-ready crops but also include the other primary biotech product – Bt seeds. These seeds have been engineered to contain a gene present in Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that is toxic to insects. This product’s purported benefit is that it will take care of the insect problem, but has it worked? Although it initially reduced the need for insecticides, the resistance problem developed by Roundup-ready crops has now begun to manifest in these crops as well. Just as weeds acquired resistance to Roundup, so also rootworm, the biggest pest of corn, is showing signs of resistance to the Bt technology. In areas of the Midwest where these crops have been popular, agricultural experts are advising farmers to spray other insecticides because the Bt trait is failing. Greater use of chemicals translates into more health hazards. The harmful effects of pesticides, including Roundup, are not confined to weeds and inserts. Studies show they increase health risks in people and animals exposed to them through food and water. Experts say the use of more chemicals leads to more health hazards. Benbrook aptly characterizes the GMO problem as a “slowly unfolding train wreck.” Sources: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/02/usa-study-pesticides-idUSL1E8L202I20121002 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/04/pesticides-gmo-monsanto-roundup-resistance_n_1936598.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/oct/03/gmo-herbicides
jimmyg
11-08-2012, 09:09 AM
Analysis Finds Flu Vaccine Efficacy Lacking, as Flu Vaccines are Suspended Across Europe and Canada http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/November/flu-vaccine.jpg By Dr. Mercola Link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/06/flu-vaccine-efficacy.aspx?e_cid=20121106_DNL_art_1
Story at-a-glance: A recent review found that flu vaccines may not offer protection as previously thought. The elderly, in particular, do not appear to receive measureable value from the flu shot. Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines also didn't offer much protection to children over the age of seven While infants and young children are at greatest risk, no one is exempt from the potential serious complications of flu vaccination, one of which is Guillaine-Barre syndrome. Early symptoms of GBS include sudden muscle weakness, fatigue and tingling sensations in the legs, eventually ending with either partial or total paralysis A unit of U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, recently suspended delivery of their seasonal flu vaccine, Inflexal V, destined for Italy and other European countries, after discovering “problems” with two of 32 lots Two weeks ago Italy banned the sale and use of four flu vaccines manufactured by Novartis, following the discovery of white particles in the vaccines. Over the next two days, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, France, Germany and Canada also suspended use of Novartis’ flu vaccines ACIP recently changed their recommendation on Tdap during pregnancy. According to new recommendation, a Tdap booster vaccine is to be given to pregnant women during each consecutive pregnancy. The vote was unanimous despite the fact that neither safety nor efficacy data exists for women given multiple consecutive Tdap vaccinations during every pregnancy. With flu season just around the corner, health agencies are telling Americans to just "get your flu shot," assuring everyone that it's safe and effective. Many, like MedicineNet.com,1 chalk up any and all safety concerns as "myths." "It's the time of year when you should be thinking about flu vaccinations for yourself and your family," they write. "Some people, however, decide not to get the flu vaccine and put themselves and others at risk of getting sick just because they believe long-held myths about the vaccine." Myths? I think not. Vaccine Claims are Not Based on Science-Backed Medicine The only myth here is the unscientific claim that the flu vaccine is safe and effective and "the best way" to protect yourself against the flu. Nothing could be further from the truth. ..... Most recently, a University Of Minnesota study2 published in January found that flu vaccines may not offer as much protection as previously thought. The elderly, in particular, do not appear to receive measureable value from the flu shot, which is the same conclusion reached by several previous studies. Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccines also didn't offer much protection to children over the age of seven. .......... "Influenza vaccines can provide moderate protection against virologically confirmed influenza, but such protection is greatly reduced or absent in some seasons. Evidence for protection in adults aged 65 years or older is lacking." In essence, if you're a senior, you're taking a health risk for a theoretical health benefit that can't be confirmed and, if you're a healthy adult, it's a shot in the dark. According to this analysis, at best you'll have up to 59 percent protection IF the selected type A and B influenza strains included in the vaccine are exactly those you happen to be exposed to. If not, you'll have no protection at all. So, again, you're taking a health risk for little or no benefit. Lead researcher Osterholm told WFMY News 2:3 "We found that current influenza vaccine protection is substantially lower than for most routine recommended vaccines and is suboptimal." Even the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, Michael T. Osterholm, is questioning the effectiveness of the vaccine. "We have overpromoted and overhyped this vaccine, it does not protect as promoted. It's all a sales job: it's all public relations" said Osterholm. Powerful Profile of a Vaccine Victim While the efficacy of flu vaccines may be "suboptimal" or missing altogether, the same cannot be said about the potential health risks, so a calm, level-headed risk versus benefit analysis is crucial before you decide to get vaccinated. I urge you to watch the profile of a flu vaccine victim below, and weigh the potential of such an outcome against the potential of having to spend a week in bed with the flu... Remember most deaths attributed to the flu are actually due to bacterial pneumonia. But these days, bacterial pneumonia can be effectively treated with advanced medical care and therapies, like ICUs, respirators and parenteral antibiotics. video.... While infants and young children are at greatest risk, NO ONE is exempt from the potential serious complications of vaccination, one of which is Guillaine-Barre syndrome (GBS). In the video above, Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the non-profit National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), interviews a Connecticut artist and her mother, a former professor of nursing, who developed GBS after getting a seasonal flu shot in 2008 and today is permanently disabled with total body paralysis. This family has chosen to share their heartbreaking story to help those who have had the same experience feel less alone, and to educate others about what it means to be vaccine injured. What happened to this family is a potent reminder of just how important it is to make well-informed decisions about vaccinations. The inactivated influenza vaccine has been associated with development of GBS since 1976, when an inactivated "swine flu" shot given to millions of healthy Americans caused GBS in several hundred previously healthy Americans and there were 30 deaths.4 Early symptoms of GBS include sudden muscle weakness, fatigue and tingling sensations in the legs that can take days or weeks to spread to the arms and upper body and can become painful, eventually ending with either partial or total paralysis. When there is total paralysis, GBS becomes life-threatening because it can impair breathing and interfere with the heart rate and cause high or low blood pressure that can lead to serious complications, such as heart attack and stroke. It is important to recognize the early symptoms of GBS, whether you have been vaccinated or not, and seek immediate medical care. All Vaccines Cause Inflammation, Can Alter Immune Response You also need to understand that vaccines can be immune suppressive – that is, they can suppress your immune system, which may not return to normal for weeks to months. Here are just some of the other ways vaccines can impair and alter your immune response: Some components in vaccines are neurotoxic and may cause brain and immune dysfunction, including heavy metals such as mercury preservatives and aluminum adjuvants. The lab altered bacteria and viruses in vaccines may also affect your immune response in a negative way. Vaccines may alter your t-cell function and lead to chronic illness. Vaccines can trigger allergies, autoimmune or neurological disorders, particularly in individuals genetically predisposed to being unable to resolve inflammation. Vaccines introduce large foreign protein molecules into your body and induce an inflammatory response to stimulate antibodies. However, if your body responds to these foreign particles in a way that causes a type of inflammatory response that does not resolve, you can develop severe allergies, autoimmunity or brain dysfunction. In 2011, the Institute of Medicine acknowledged there is individual susceptibility to adverse responses to vaccination involving unidentified genetic, biological and environmental factors. So check your family history for evidence of allergy, autoimmunity and neurological disorders and carefully evaluate the potential individual risks of vaccination for you and your family. The flu vaccine may also pose an immediate risk to your cardiovascular system due to the fact that vaccination elicits an inflammatory response. One 2007 study published in the Annals of Medicine5 concluded that: "Abnormalities in arterial function and LDL oxidation may persist for at least two weeks after a slight inflammatory reaction induced by influenza vaccination. These could explain in part the earlier reported increase in cardiovascular risk during the first weeks after an acute inflammatory disorder." Novartis Flu Vaccine Now Banned in Several Countries Following Particle Contamination It all began on October 17, when vaccine maker Crucell, a unit of U.S. drugmaker Johnson & Johnson, suspended delivery of 2.36 million doses of their seasonal flu vaccine, Inflexal V, destined for Italy and other European countries, after discovering "problems" with two of the 32 lots.6 A week later, on October 24, Italy banned the sale and use of four flu vaccines manufactured by Novartis.7 The Italian Health Ministry issued an advisory stating that use of Agrippal, Fluad, Influpozzi and adjuvanted Influpozzi was suspended until further notice, following the discovery of white particles in the vaccines. The following day, the ban on Novartis' flu vaccines spread to a number of other countries: Switzerland8 Spain9 Germany Austria France10 On October 27, Canada also suspended sale and use of Novartis' flu vaccines sold under the names of Fluad and Agriflu, both of which are manufactured in Italy.11 video.... According to a report by the Wall Street Journal:12 "Problems with its flu vaccines represent a new blow for the Swiss drug maker [Novartis], which has struggled with a series of manufacturing problems recently. The Basel-based company is still trying to resume production at its troubled facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, which was shut down in December because of manufacturing flaws, and recently had to recall a birth-control pill because of a packaging error. Novartis Chief Executive Joe Jimenez in a call with journalists sought to reassure that its flu shots are safe, adding that the company is cooperating with health authorities. 'We are confident that the safety of the vaccines is assured. The lot in question had a deviation, it has been identified and put on hold and has not been released to the market,' he said. 'The manufacturing of vaccines is a complex procedure. Italian authorities are free to continue investigating,' but there is evidence that such deviations wouldn't affect safety or efficacy, Mr. Jimenez said." Flu Vaccine for Pregnant Women Called into Question In the U.S., trivalent influenza vaccination is universally recommended for all pregnant women, but a study13 published last year calls this practice into question. If you're pregnant, you'd be wise to consider the potential risks involved and resist being bullied into taking the flu vaccine unless you really feel it's worth the gamble. The study examined "the magnitude, time course, and variance in inflammatory responses following seasonal influenza virus vaccination among pregnant women." The women were assessed prior to, and at one day, two days, and one week following vaccination. The analysis showed significant increases in C-reactive protein (CRP) and other markers of inflammation following the vaccinations. According to the authors: "Trivalent influenza virus vaccination elicits a measurable inflammatory response among pregnant women... There was considerable variability in magnitude of response; coefficients of variation for change at two days post-vaccination ranged from 122 percent to 728 percent, with the greatest variability in IL-6 [cytokine interleukin-6] responses at this timepoint. ...As adverse perinatal health outcomes including preeclampsia and preterm birth have an inflammatory component, a tendency toward greater inflammatory responding to immune triggers may predict risk of adverse outcomes, providing insight into biological mechanisms underlying risk... further research is needed to confirm that the mild inflammatory response elicited by vaccination is benign in pregnancy." cont....
jimmyg
11-08-2012, 09:11 AM
There are serious questions about the safety of giving flu shots to pregnant women because stimulating a woman's immune system during midterm and later term pregnancy may significantly increase the risk that her baby will develop autism during childhood and schizophrenia sometime during the teenage years and afterward.14 This risk is not minor. According to Dr. Blaylock, it's a well-accepted fact within neuroscience that eliciting an immune response during pregnancy increases the risk of autism and schizophrenia in her offspring seven- to 14-fold! As stated by the authors of one 2007 study in the Journal of Neuroscience:15 "Schizophrenia and autism are thought to result from the interaction between a susceptibility genotype and environmental risk factors. The offspring of women who experience infection while pregnant have an increased risk for these disorders. Maternal immune activation (MIA) in pregnant rodents produces offspring with abnormalities in behavior, histology, and gene expression that are reminiscent of schizophrenia and autism, making MIA a useful model of the disorders. ...Here we show that the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is critical for mediating the behavioral and transcriptional changes in the offspring. A single maternal injection of IL-6 on day 12.5 of mouse pregnancy causes prepulse inhibition (PPI) and latent inhibition (LI) deficits in the adult offspring." More Craziness, ACIP Recommends Tdap Vaccine During Each Pregnancy In light of the uncertainty around the safety of vaccines during pregnancy, the recent decision by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to recommend that a tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) booster vaccine be given to pregnant women during each pregnancy is truly mindboggling. The previous recommendation was that pregnant women only receive the Tdap vaccine if they had never previously received it. Not only do we lack safety information about the use of vaccinations in general during pregnancy, we also do not have any information about the safety of multiple or consecutive Tdap vaccinations. Infectious Diseases in Children reported on October 24:16 "A lack of safety data about multiple Tdap vaccinations caused some hesitancy among the committee, especially when considering women who have short intervals between pregnancies. There are no data available that address this specific issue, but available data suggest that there is no excess risk of adverse events, Liang said, adding that the CDC working group supports the need for a prospective study to determine the adverse event risk in women with multiple pregnancies. She said data indicate that the average woman has two children, and most have an interval of at least 13 months between pregnancies, meaning that most women would not receive more than two doses of the vaccine." This is ludicrous. Since when is it wise to make widespread recommendations without ANY scientific evidence that it is safe to do so? Yet this is exactly what is happening with vaccine recommendations. We've seen this blasé attitude against safety again and again. The HPV vaccine is another excellent example of what can happen when you jump the gun and start mandating a vaccine for everyone without proper long-term safety and efficacy studies to back up your recommendation. video.... How to Protect Yourself During the Flu Season Fortunately, avoiding a serious case of the flu doesn't require a flu vaccination. By following these simple guidelines, you can help keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you're far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with or, if you do get sick with the flu, you are better prepared to move through it without complications and soon return to good health. Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I've previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency may actually be the true culprit behind the seasonality of the flu – not the flu virus itself. This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. Regularly monitor your vitamin D levels to confirm your levels are within the therapeutic range of 50-70 ng/ml. Ideally, you'll want to get all your vitamin D from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed, but as a last resort you can take an oral vitamin D3 supplement. According to the latest review by Carole Baggerly (Grassrootshealth.org), adults need about 8,000 IU's a day. Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar impairs the function of your immune system almost immediately, and as you likely know, a healthy immune system is one of the most important keys to fighting off viruses and other illness. Be aware that sugar (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice. Optimize Your Gut Flora. The best way to do this is avoid apply the step above by avoiding sugars, processed foods and most grains, and replacing them with healthy fats and taking regular amounts of fermented foods which can radically improve the function of your immune system Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you're tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night's Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest. Have Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma. Get Regular Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. Be sure to stay hydrated – drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Take a Good Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response. Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don't use antibacterial soap for this – antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to. Tried and True Hygiene Measures. In addition to washing your hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If possible, avoid close contact with those, who are sick and, if you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well. Use Natural Antibiotics. Examples include oil of oregano and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance. Avoid Hospitals. I'd recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you're having an emergency and need expert medical care, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds. The best place to get plenty of rest and recover from illness that is not life-threatening is usually in the comfort of your own home. Protect Your Right to Informed Consent and Vaccine Exemptions With all the uncertainty surrounding the safety and efficacy of vaccines, it's critical to protect your right to informed consent to vaccination and fight to protect and expand vaccine exemptions in state public health laws. The best way to do this is to get personally involved with your state legislators and the leaders in your community. Vaccine Awareness Week THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY. Mass vaccination policies are made at the federal level but vaccine laws are made at the state level. It is at the state level where your action to protect your vaccine choice rights can have the greatest impact. It is critical for EVERYONE to get involved now in standing up for the legal right to make vaccine choices in America because those choices are being threatened by lobbyists representing drug companies, medical trade associations and public health officials, who are trying to persuade legislators to strip all vaccine exemptions from public health laws. Signing up for NVIC's free Advocacy Portal at www.NVICAdvocacy.org gives you immediate, easy access to your own state legislators on your Smart Phone or computer so you can make your voice heard. You will be kept up-to-date on the latest state bills threatening your vaccine choices and get practical, useful information to help you become an effective vaccine choice advocate in your own community. Also, when national vaccine issues come up, you will have the up-to-date information and call to action items you need at your fingertips.. So please, as your first step, sign up for the NVIC Advocacy Portal. Share Your Story with the Media and People You Know If you or a family member has suffered a serious vaccine reaction, injury or death, please talk about it. If we don't share information and experiences with each other, everybody feels alone and afraid to speak up. Write a letter to the editor if you have a different perspective on a vaccine story that appears in your local newspaper. Make a call in to a radio talk show that is only presenting one side of the vaccine story. I must be frank with you; you have to be brave because you might be strongly criticized for daring to talk about the "other side" of the vaccine story. Be prepared for it and have the courage to not back down. ... We cannot allow the drug companies and medical trade associations funded by drug companies or public health officials promoting forced use of a growing list of vaccines to dominate the conversation about vaccination. The vaccine injured cannot be swept under the carpet and treated like nothing more than "statistically acceptable collateral damage" of national one-size-fits-all mandatory vaccination policies that put way too many people at risk for injury and death. We shouldn't be treating people like guinea pigs instead of human beings. Internet Resources Where You Can Learn More I encourage you to visit the following web pages on the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) website at www.NVIC.org: NVIC Memorial for Vaccine Victims: View descriptions and photos of children and adults, who have suffered vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths. If you or your child experiences an adverse vaccine event, please consider posting and sharing your story here. If You Vaccinate, Ask 8 Questions: Learn how to recognize vaccine reaction symptoms and prevent vaccine injuries. Vaccine Freedom Wall: View or post descriptions of harassment and sanctions by doctors, employers, school and health officials for making independent vaccine choices. Connect with Your Doctor or Find a New One that Will Listen and Care If your pediatrician or doctor refuses to provide medical care to you or your child unless you agree to get vaccines you don't want, I strongly encourage you to have the courage to find another doctor. Harassment, intimidation, and refusal of medical care is becoming the modus operandi of the medical establishment in an effort to stop the change in attitude of many parents about vaccinations after they become truly educated about health and vaccination. However, there is hope. At least 15 percent of young doctors recently polled admit that they're starting to adopt a more individualized approach to vaccinations in direct response to the vaccine safety concerns of parents. ..... So take the time to locate a doctor, who treats you with compassion and respect and is willing to work with you to do what is right for your child.
jimmyg
11-08-2012, 10:31 PM
Can When You Eat Affect Your Health? http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2099/December/time-toeat.jpg November 08 2012 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: New research suggests that when you eat could be just as important as what you eat … and possibly even more so Mice that fasted for 16 hours a day stayed lean and healthy even when fed a high-calorie diet; their mouse counterparts that had access to food day and night became obese and showed blood sugar and liver problems despite eating the same number of calories Other research suggests fasting triggers a variety of health-promoting hormonal and metabolic changes similar to those that occur when you exercise, offering protection against chronic disease Fasting does not mean starving yourself; options for intermittent fasting include skipping breakfast, cutting off your food intake in the early evening or late afternoon, or even simply delaying meals, such as breakfast, until after you exercise
Intriguing new research is adding weight to the notion that when you eat could be just as important as what you eat... and possibly even more so. You're probably aware that your body runs on a regular circadian rhythm that coincides with when you sleep and wake. But each of your organs, including your liver, muscle, fat and gut, have their own clock, and certain organs work best at different times of the day. Earlier studies support this premise, indicating that nighttime eating may contribute to weight gain; the latest study took this a step further and showed that nighttime fasting may be a powerful weight loss tool. Is Fasting for 16 Hours Overnight the Key to Weight Loss? Researchers from the Salk Institute fed mice a high-fat, high-calorie diet but altered when they were able to eat. One group had access to food both day and night, while the other group had access to food for only eight hours at night (the most active period for mice). In human terms, this would mean eating only for 8 hours during the day. Despite consuming the same number of calories, mice that had access to food for only eight hours stayed lean and did not develop health problems like high blood sugar or chronic inflammation.1 They even had improved endurance motor coordination on the exercise wheel. The all-day access group, on the other hand, became obese and were plagued with health problems including: High cholesterol High blood sugar Fatty liver disease Metabolic problems This suggests that your body may benefit from the break it receives while fasting, whereas constant eating may lead to metabolic exhaustion and health consequences like weight gain. Researchers said their latest work shows it's possible to stave off metabolic disease by simply restricting when you eat with periodic fasting, or even by just keeping to regular meal schedules rather than "grazing" off and on all day. They concluded: "[Time-restricted feeding] is a nonpharmacological strategy against obesity and associated diseases." Intermittent Fasting May be a Secret to Optimal Health and Weight Loss Because of the research above, combined with many other compelling pieces of evidence, some mentioned below, I have revised my personal eating schedule to eliminate breakfast and restrict the time I eat food to about seven to eight hours, which is typically from noon to 6 or 7 p.m. Just seems to make sense that our ancestors rarely had access to food 24/7 like we do and our genes are optimized for intermittent fasting. It takes about six to eight hours for your body to metabolize your glycogen stores and after that you actually start to shift to burning fat. However, if you are replenishing your glycogen by eating every eight hours, you make it far more difficult for your body to use your fat stores as fuel. It's long been known that restricting calories in certain animals can increase their lifespan by as much as 50 percent, but more recent research suggests that sudden and intermittent calorie restriction appears to provide the same health benefits as constant calorie restriction, which may be helpful for those who cannot successfully reduce their everyday calorie intake (or aren't willing to). Fasting has been used as a spiritual practice in many cultures since ancient times, but it might have been done for health purposes as well. Modern science has confirmed there are many health reasons for fasting, including: Normalizing your insulin sensitivity, which is key for optimal health as insulin resistance (which is what you get when your insulin sensitivity plummets) is a primary contributing factor to nearly all chronic disease, from diabetes to heart disease and even cancer Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone" Promoting human growth hormone (HGH) production, which plays an important part in health, fitness and slowing the aging process Lowering triglyceride levels Reducing inflammation and lessening free radical damage A recent animal study published in the International Journal of Endocrinology showed a beneficial glycemic effect that resulted in a lower gain in body weight than in non-fasting animals.2 Other research suggests fasting triggers a variety of health-promoting hormonal and metabolic changes similar to those that occur when you exercise, which may help prevent age-related brain shrinkage and other chronic and debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. As for weight loss, here are three studies from recent years investigating fasting for weight loss, all of which showed positive results: Non-obese patients lost an average of four percent of their total fat with alternate-day fasting for 22 days. Their fasting insulin also decreased.3 Alternate-day fasting was also effective for obese patients in a 2009 study. On fasting days, participants consumed 25 percent of their daily calorie needs. On average, they lost just over 5.5 pounds in eight weeks, and about three percent of their total body fat. Total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol decreased, while HDL ("good") cholesterol remained unchanged. Systolic blood pressure also decreased.4 In young, overweight women, alternate-day fasting was just as effective as calorie restriction for promoting weight loss and improving metabolic markers.5 Exercising While Fasting May Be Most Beneficial of All Recent research suggests fasting before exercise may help you to achieve your fitness results faster by forcing your body to shed fat. This happens because your body's fat burning processes are controlled by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS), and your SNS is activated by both exercise and lack of food. The combination of fasting and exercising maximizes the impact of cellular factors and catalysts (cyclic AMP and AMP Kinases), which force the breakdown of fat and glycogen for energy. According to some fitness experts, such as Ori Hofmekler, fasting may indeed push your exercise program to the next level. The reason for this is because exercise and fasting yield acute oxidative stress, which is actually essential for maintaining optimal muscle. Many find it works out well to skip breakfast like I do, exercise, and then break their fast after working out, which would allow you to get the best of both worlds: the benefits of working out in a fasted state, and protein-loading for recovery about half-an-hour to an hour afterward. On the days that I exercise in the morning, I will have two scoops of Pure Power Protein about 30 minutes after the workout to provide nutrients, especially leucine, for muscle growth and repair. Interestingly, since adopting this approach for the past few months I have lost two inches from my waist size and gained three pounds, which means I have lost body fat and gained muscle mass. This has been a personal experiment of mine to see if I can get back to my high school waist size of 32 inches, even though I weighed 20 pounds less back then. Fasting is Not Starving Yourself Fasting does not mean abstaining from ALL food for extended periods of time; this can be dangerous and counterproductive. Rather, intermittent fasting is a dramatic reduction of calorie intake at regular intervals – whether you opt for a 16-, 20-, or 24-hour fast once or twice a week, or fasting every other day, or simply delaying certain meals, such as skipping breakfast and exercising on an empty stomach. There are many options, and you can discover what works best for you by listening to your body, and going slow; work your way up to full-day fasts if your normal schedule has included multiple meals a day. Or try ending your meals earlier in the evening or late afternoon and fast overnight while you sleep. If you're hypoglycemic, diabetic, or pregnant (and/or breastfeeding), you need to be extra cautious with fasting, and may be best served to avoid it entirely, until you've normalized your blood glucose and insulin levels, or weaned your baby. But if you're healthy, intermittent fasting is likely to give your health a boost, especially if you've already mastered a nutritious diet, which really should be your first step. When you cut out or delay meals for fasting purposes, it becomes all the more important to maximize the nutrients when you do eat. Fasting combined with a highly processed, toxin-rich diet is not going to do your health any favors. Instead, review my nutrition plan for ideas of what constitutes a healthy diet, so you'll be armed with the nutrition you need to thrive during your non-fasting hours.
jimmyg
11-09-2012, 11:31 AM
Important Advice Post-Flooding, to Avoid Mold-Related Health Hazards http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/November/mold.jpg By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Mold, fungi and disease-causing bacteria thrive in water-logged environments, so any building affected by flooding or water damage need to be remediated as quickly as possible, ideally within 24-36 hours Exposure to mold can cause significant and wide-ranging health problems, both acute and long-term Five professional mold remediation organizations are listed, where you locate a licensed professional. Proper remediation is critical to avoid health problems related to hidden mold The non-profit organization National Center for Healthy Housing has issued a free cleanup guide called Creating a Healthy Home: A Field Guide for Clean-Up of Flooded Homes, which offers advice on how to quickly address water damage caused by flooding to minimize further damage Recommendations for what items may be safely cleaned and restored following a flood, and what items are best to toss, are included, along with guidelines for how to clean up small areas affected by minor water damage
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, which battered large portions of the East coast of the United States last week, mold remediation will top the list of many people's cleanup efforts. Our hearts go out to all who were affected by this tremendous storm. Unfortunately, as with virtually every hurricane battering land, the water damage is extensive. It's important to act quickly, as mold, fungi and disease-causing bacteria thrive in water-logged environments. This also applies in cases where your home was not completely inundated with water. Indications that your home may be conducive to mold growth due to hurricane damage include: Obvious water damage - Condensation on windows - Musty odor - Water stains - New or increased allergy symptoms - Cracked or peeling paint, or loose drywall tape/wall paper - Rusty metal (as it's a sign of high humidity) - Drawers or doors that stick.
The problem with mold contamination goes far beyond cosmetics. It's important to be aware that exposure to mold can cause significant health problems, both acute and long-term. According to mycotoxin expert Dr. Harriet Ammann1, indoor molds can damage the systems of your body in the following ways: Vascular: blood vessel fragility, hemorrhage from tissues or lungs Digestive: diarrhea, vomiting, hemorrhage, liver damage, fibrosis and necrosis Respiratory: trouble breathing, bleeding from lungs Neurological: tremors, loss of coordination, headaches, depression2, multiple sclerosis Skin: rashes, burning, sloughing, photosensitivity Urinary: kidney toxicity Reproductive: infertility, changes in reproductive cycles Immune: Immunosuppression Hazardous Bacteria—Another Threat From Flooding Mold isn't the only threat from flooding. Raw sewage may have contaminated certain flooded areas, which can cause dangerous gastrointestinal and skin infections. Avoid wading around unprotected in such areas, and do not drink potentially contaminated water. Water damage itself can also spawn pathogenic bacteria unrelated to sewage contamination. The key in any flooding situation is to act fast. According to Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National Center for Healthy Housing, a nonprofit organization that created a helpful cleanup guide after Hurricane Katrina called Creating a Healthy Home: A Field Guide for CleanUp of Flooded Homes3, you really want to address the problem within 24-36 hours4. The faster you act, the more you may be able to save. The longer you leave the water damage unattended, the more dangerous the area becomes, as both mold and bacteria start to fester and multiply. In any area damaged by water, growing right along with mold are what's called 'gram negative' and 'gram positive' bacteria. Just like mold, they require moisture and organic material to thrive, and the synergistic action between mold and bacteria further increase and worsen inflammatory health conditions. The positive gram bacteria consist of several different varieties: bacilli, cocci, streptomyces, and actinomycetes. The actinomycetes contain several different groups of bacteria, including mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can cause very serious lung infection. Gram negative bacteria are also extremely harmful. When they die, they release their cell walls, which are referred to as lipopolysaccharide, or endotoxins. These endotoxins can severely exacerbate asthma and other conditions because they are highly inflammatory. Research indicates the inflammation they cause can also affect your brain and other organs. Should You Call in a Professional? If your home was flooded, you'd be well advised to hire a pro. Especially if it smells like sewage may be involved. Common sense advice for cleaning out your home includes: Have the area cleared by emergency workers if you have standing water in an area where fuse boxes and/or electrical circuitry is submerged before attempting to pump out the water Turn off your gas line Wear an N95 or N100 respirator mask, available at most hardware- and medical supply stores Wear rubber boots and puncture-resistant gloves. Ideally, don a polypropylene coverall Be sure to carefully dry any belongings you want to try to save For more detailed instructions on cleanup and restoration of your belongings, please see the National Center for Healthy Housing's cleanup guide5. Morley recommends getting rid of the following items if they've been underwater: Carpet, carpet padding, and rugs/Upholstered furniture/Computers, microwaves, window A/C units, or any appliances that have fans/Papers and books/Food items, including canned foods if they were in contact with flood waters. If you want to keep clothes and textiles soaked by flood waters, make sure to wash them in a washing machine (not by hand), and add two tablespoons of liquid chlorine bleach to each load. Other items that can usually be cleaned and salvaged include: Hard, non-porous items like jewelry, china and dishes, glass, porcelain, and metal Wood furniture (as long as you follow proper cleanup and drying guidelines) Some electronics and small appliances, depending on flooding conditions Photographs, books, and valuable legal documents as long as they only have minor mold damage Artwork that has little or no mold damage Choosing a Professional Remediator When scams within the mold remediation industry became a problem, an official professional mold remediation standard and reference guide was written, which is certified by the American National Standards Institute6 (ANSI). This document describes the correct way to address molds, so make sure any remediator you hire follows these standards. I strongly recommend hiring a qualified expert certified by one of the agencies below, to make sure the job is done right. I would also suggest getting several bids for the work. You can find contractor or professional listings on the following sites. Both the IICRC and NORMI are certifying organizations for mold remediation, but the IICRC certification is perhaps the most widely used: IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification) ACAC (American Council for Accredited Certification)—a certifying body that is third-party accredited. The IAQA (Indoor Air Quality Association)—a membership organization with no certification program (the ACAC handles this by agreement) RIA (Restoration Industry Association) NORMI (National Organization of Remediators and Mold Inspectors) Keep in mind that a mere certification or listing may not be enough. Also evaluate the remediator's qualifications and insurance (liability as well as workman's comp). With the ACAC, there are a few different levels. What Does Mold Remediation Entail? Naturally, in the case of flooding, step number one is to pump out any standing water and remove all personal belongings, which also need to be carefully cleaned and dried if you're going to try to salvage them. Standard mold remediation includes: 1. Setting up containments and sucking the air out with negative air pressure. (This is similar to turning on your bathroom vent fan.) 2. Next, they clear the air using a HEPA filtered air purifier or scrubber. The air must be cleaned because once they start working on the mold, the spores will begin to fly everywhere like light dust. 3. Wearing protective gear, such as HEPA filtered respirators, goggles, protective suits and latex gloves, the remediator begins taking the affected area apart. Removed parts, such as drywall, are slowly and carefully placed into a bag. 4. Once the affected pieces are bagged, every inch of the area is carefully HEPA vacuumed again. 5. Once the source of the mold has been located, it's carefully removed using hot soapy water, scrub brush, HEPA filtered sanders, chisels, or any other tool that will remove the mold. 6. Professional remediators will typically treat the area with a disinfectant, as bacteria accompany mold growth. 7. Next, the area is force dried. Once thoroughly dry, repairs can be made. How to Clean Up Minor Surface Mold If your home was spared from major flood damage, still take the time to carefully inspect your home for any minor leaks and signs of water intrusion. If you find you have a small area of water damage and/or surface mold, you probably don't have to call in an expert. However, only attempt to clean it if it's limited to the surface of a small area. Do NOT try to "kill off mold" with ammonia or bleach. It will kill the mold, but toxic spores can still be released into the air, so you've really just exchanged surface mold for airborne mold. For minor visible surface mold on say a baseboard, or on a piece of furniture, Dr. Jack Thrasher, an expert on the impact of mold on human health, recommends wiping the area using a little bit of vinegar (straight). Then, mix a couple of tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of water and wipe the area again with the baking soda solution. Dry thoroughly.
jimmyg
11-10-2012, 07:31 AM
Confirmed: Belly Fat is Far More Dangerous than Having a Total BMI in Obese Range http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2099/December/belly-fat.jpg Link: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/10/26/belly-fat-health-dangers.aspx?e_cid=20121026_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola A study on belly fat presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress1, 2 confirms that visceral fat – the type that gathers around your internal organs – is far more dangerous to your health. The traditional index of obesity, BMI (body mass index), has been proven to be terribly flawed as having a normal overall BMI and high abdominal obesity was found to be more dangerous than having a total BMI in the obese range. For example, cardiovascular deaths in the study were 2.75 times higher for those of normal weight who had big bellies compared to those with both a normal BMI and a normal waist-to-hip ratio. It also implies that monitoring one's belly fat is more important than watching BMI. According to Medical News Today:3 "Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., senior author and a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochestor, explained: 'We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution of the fat is very important even in people with a normal weight. This group has the highest death rate, even higher than those who are considered obese based on body mass index. From a public health perspective, this is a significant finding.' ...Dr. Lopez-Jimenez wants readers to understand that even though their body mass index might be normal, it doesn't mean they have a low risk of heart disease. People can determine their risks by getting a waist-to-hip measurement, because where fat is distributed on the body can tell a lot, even if people have normal body weights." Your Ideal "Weight" is Not Necessarily Based on Pounds... There are a number of methods for calculating your ideal body size. The study above used waist-to-hip measurement. This is done by measuring the circumference of your hips at the widest part, across your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smallest circumference of your natural waist, just above your belly button. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get the ratio. The University of Maryland offers a handy online waist-to-hip ratio calculator you can use, which also tells you whether or not you might be at an increased risk for heart disease. The featured study used the following waist-to-hip ratio designations: Normal = 0.85 or below in women, and 0.90 or below in men High = 0.85 or greater in women, and 0.90 or greater in men Another even simpler method to figure out if you have a weight problem is to measure only your waist circumference (the distance around the smallest area below the rib cage and above your belly button). Waist circumference is the easiest anthropometric measure of total body fat. Either of these methods are far better than BMI for judging disease risk, as BMI fails to factor in how muscular you are. BMI also cannot give you an indication of your intra-abdominal fat mass. Waist size, on the other hand, gives a good indication of the amount of fat you're carrying, particularly around the stomach area. Abdominal fat is considered an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease and stroke. Your waist size is also a powerful indicator of insulin sensitivity, as studies clearly show that measuring your waist size is one of the most powerful ways to predict your risk for diabetes. If you're not sure if you have a healthy waist circumference, a general guide is: For men, between 37 and 40 inches is overweight and more than 40 inches is obese For women, between 31.5 and 34.6 inches is overweight, and more than 34.6 inches is obese Body Fat Percentage – Another Way to Gauge Ideal Body Size Yet another tool, which many experts are now leaning toward as the most accurate measure of obesity, is body fat percentage. As it sounds, this is simply the percentage of fat your body contains, and it can be a powerful indicator of your health. Too much body fat is linked to chronic health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Too little body fat is also problematic and can cause your body to enter a catabolic state, where muscle protein is used as fuel. A general guideline from the American Council on Exercise is as follows: Classification...... Women (percent fat)........Men (percent fat) Essential Fat - 10-13 percent - 2-5 percent Athletes - 14-20 percent - 6-13 percent Fitness - 21-24 percent - 14-17 percent Acceptable - 25-31 percent - 18-24 percent Obese - 32 percent and higher - 25 percent and higher
Body fat calipers are one of the most trusted and most accurate ways to measure body fat. A body fat or skinfold caliper is a lightweight, hand-held device that quickly and easily measures the thickness of a fold of your skin with its underlying layer of fat. Taken at three very specific locations on your body, these readings can help you estimate the total percent of body fat within your entire body. You can also use a digital scale that determines body fat, which is what I use personally. I use an Eat Smart Precision GetFit Body Fat Scale that I picked up from Amazon for around $50. Although many body fat measurements can be inaccurate, they are nearly all more accurate than BMI, and are particularly useful to determine whether you are gaining or losing fat. Although the absolute value may be off, the direction you are going (whether your body fat is going up or down) will be very accurate, and this is an incredibly useful measure of whether you're nearing your health goals or not. Remember that it is FAR better to monitor your body fat percentage than it is your total weight, as the body fat percentage is what dictates metabolic health or dysfunction – not your total weight. video... Does Reducing Fructose Intake Matter If You Want to Lose Weight? A recent study published in the Nutrition Journal4 has brought questions about the health impact of high fructose corn syrup versus sugar back to the fore. The authors claim their findings indicate there's no difference between regular sugar and high fructose corn syrup on weight loss. Dr. Richard Johnson, author of The Sugar Fix, and The Fat Switch (which I'll discuss in a moment), sent me the following. A recent study from James Rippe's group reported in the Nutrition Journal that low calorie diets caused equivalent weight loss regardless of the content of sugar or high fructose corn syrup. The study involved randomizing 267 overweight adults to receive low calorie diets containing either: 10 percent of the calories as sugar (sucrose) 20 percent as sugar (sucrose) 10 percent as high fructose corn syrup, or 20 percent high fructose corn syrup Each group was given a diet calculated to reduce total calorie intake by 500 calories, and all groups were enrolled in an exercise program. At the end of 12 weeks all low-calorie groups showed similar decreases in weight. The authors concluded that the key aspect for weight loss is caloric restriction and not the content of fructose in the food. They also said that diets containing sucrose and high fructose corn syrup acted no differently from each other. Why the Fructose Content of Food Counts Let us address two issues that this study raises. The first question is whether it matters to reduce the intake of added sugars when you go on a diet. The second question is whether there is any real difference between table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup. Does reducing sugar content matter? It is true that weight is largely governed by the law of thermodynamics, and that to lose weight the most effective way is to reduce food intake. This is why any diet that reduces calories will be effective at weight loss. However, reducing intake of added sugars, such as from table sugar (sucrose) or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), does matter. These sugars contain fructose, and fructose has been shown to encourage weight gain because fructose can induce resistance to leptin, a hormone that controls appetite. When fructose is fed to animals, they lose their ability to control their appetite. Restricting fructose intake can lead to a recovery of leptin sensitivity. This may be one reason low carb diets encourage weight loss, as they are essentially low fructose diets. However, the problem with the study by Rippe is that all four diets consisted of an equivalent reduction in calories – so the benefit of reducing fructose on weight would have been largely obscured. However, we can see trends of a benefit – in that the two diets that contained 10 percent sucrose or HFCS showed a 3.3 and 4.15 kg weight loss, whereas the two diets that contained 20 percent HFCS or sucrose only had a 2.4 and 1.9 kg weight loss. This is likely because the diets lower in fructose were able to satisfy the appetite more effectively and likely did lead to some differences in energy intake. Of greater concern is not weight, but the effects of fructose on body composition, fatty liver and insulin resistance. Fructose can rapidly induce metabolic syndrome and fatty liver that is not observed in animals fed the same number of calories as glucose or starch. Weight gain is driven more by calories, but fatty liver and insulin resistance are driven more by fructose. In this study, the authors did not look at fatty liver or insulin resistance as outcomes. However, they did measure changes in fat percentage – again we see similar trends, with a reduction of 1.5 to 2.4 percent of fat in the 10 percent sucrose and HFCS groups, and a reduction of 1.1 to 1.3 percent of fat in the 20 percent sucrose and HFCS groups. Thus, these studies suggest that reducing calories may reduce weight, but the content of fructose does matter. Indeed, it is a shame that the authors did not include a hypocaloric diet with high sugar content. For example, some adolescents are ingesting 30 percent of their diet as added sugars. We found that laboratory rats given a diet of 40 percent sugar developed frank diabetes and fatty liver even when they were calorically restricted. We therefore need to rethink about the question of whether calories are just calories. Calories are important when it comes to weight, but the type of calorie can make a big difference on how it affects our risk for fat accumulation and diabetes. Are there differences between sugar and HFCS? The study by Rippe's group also implies that HFCS and sugar are relatively equivalent in their effects. For sure, both contain fructose and can induce metabolic syndrome and weight gain in animals. However, there are several differences that suggest that HFCS may be slightly worse. First, soft drinks containing HFCS do contain more fructose than soft drinks with the equivalent amount of sucrose, in part because of the higher fructose content in HFCS. Our group found that this translates into higher blood fructose levels and higher blood pressure following ingestion. More recently, Michael Goran's group found that the percentage of fructose in HFCS-containing drinks is often higher than labeled, and may contain as much as 65 percent fructose. Second, there may also be differences in how the fructose is absorbed between the two drinks. Thus, HFCS may result in faster absorption of the fructose since the fructose is not bound, whereas sucrose must first be degraded to glucose and fructose in the gut before it is absorbed. Our group found that mixtures of fructose and glucose led to worse fatty liver in laboratory animals than equivalent amounts of sucrose. Clearly more studies are needed, but the evidence does suggest that there are likely biological differences in these two added sugars. In summary, we would recommend reducing intake of added sugars, both from sucrose and from HFCS, in any dietary plan. Reducing natural fruit intake is less necessary for while these fruits also contain fructose, they also contain many excellent nutrients that help combat the effects of fructose. More studies are needed to determine if the biological differences between HFCS and sucrose are clinically important. 'Fat Switch' May be Key to Turning Off Obesity cont.........
jimmyg
11-10-2012, 07:32 AM
If you have ever struggled losing weight and keeping it off, you already know what a challenge that can be. Dr. Johnson's new book, The Fat Switch, presents a groundbreaking approach to preventing and reversing obesity. Dr. Johnson asked me to publish his book to help spread the word and we hope to do just that. It's the first book we've published that I did not write, because I felt it shared a powerful message on a very important topic that is central to the work we teach on this site. I firmly believe that understanding how fructose influences your fat metabolism by activating your "fat switch" is key for achieving optimal weight and health. According to Dr. Johnson, based on his decades of research: "Those of us who are obese eat more because of a faulty 'switch' and exercise less because of a low energy state. If you can learn how to control the specific 'switch' located in the powerhouse of each of your cells – the mitochondria – you hold the key to fighting obesity." I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book, which has been described as the "Holy Grail" for those struggling with their weight. In it, Dr. Johnson explains the details behind these five basic truths: Large portions of food and too little exercise are not solely responsible for why you are gaining weight Metabolic Syndrome is a normal condition that animals undergo to store fat Uric acid is increased by specific foods and causally contributes to obesity and insulin resistance Fructose-containing sugars cause obesity not by calories, but by turning on the fat switch Effective treatment of obesity requires turning off your fat switch and improving the function of your cells' mitochondria How Biological Survival Mechanisms Influence Your Weight While Dr. Johnson is a kidney expert, his research has led him into areas the typical nephrologist will never delve into. In The Fat Switch, he explains how biological survival mechanisms influence body weight in previously unsuspected ways. In the first official review of the book, published in the University of Colorado Hospital magazine, The Insider, Todd Neff writes: "Uric acid is best known for causing gout, a type of arthritis caused by buildup of uric acid crystals in joints. But the more Johnson and his team looked at uric acid, the more havoc the acid appeared to wreak. In research pending publication, Miguel Lanaspa and Johnson have fingered uric acid as a culprit in obesity. Uric acid comes from the breakdown of the cellular fuel ATP (produced by the mitochondria) as well as the breakdown of DNA and RNA, primarily from foods. But this breakdown doesn't have to yield uric acid, Johnson and Lanaspa found. There's a fork in the metabolic road, with only one of the paths leading to uric acid. It's a rocky path. Uric acid stresses mitochondria, which leads mitochondria to boost fat synthesis while burning less energy, Johnson and colleagues have found. The implication is that the same amount of food builds fat into – and saps energy from – people on the uric acid pathway, Johnson and colleagues found. 'Too much food intake plus too little exercise equals Fat,' Johnson wrote. 'However, our work suggests the interpretation is different. Obesity is not from gluttony and idleness, but rather because we have activated the same program all animals use to increase fat stores.'" How is this biological "fat-storage program" activated? In short: fructose consumption. Fructose, regardless of its source (although in the modern diet, the vast majority of it comes from processed foods and beverages), is acted on by the enzyme fructokinase in your cells. This enzyme is needed for your body to extract the energy from the fructose. But before getting to that energy, the fructokinase uses up ATP – the fuel in your cells – which activates the fat-storing uric acid metabolic pathway. So while diet and exercise are still important factors, consumption of fructose appears to have an overriding impact on whether or not your body will hold on to and keep adding to its fat stores or not – despite your best efforts at eating well and exercising. To learn more, listen to my previous interview with Dr. Johnson, in which we discuss the book and the fat-switch mechanisms at greater depth. video....
jims111343
11-10-2012, 08:42 AM
These people are not your friends and, regardless of who pays them, they do not work for you. So don`t eat highly processed foods with all that stuff in them, and forget about their GMO corn. Go to farmers markets, and grow your own stuff, in your back yard or in your kitchen. Lots of tips on youtube.
jimmyg
11-11-2012, 07:31 AM
Sitting Less May Be Key for Maximum Longevity http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2099/December/sitting-allday.jpg November 09 2012 Link: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/11/09/sitting-less-increases-life-expectancy.aspx?e_cid=20121109_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola According to recent research, if Americans cut back on the amount of time spent sitting down, it could add years to their life expectancy. Unfortunately, most people spend a large portion of each day in a seated position. .... Sitting Takes a Heavy Toll on Health The study estimates that reducing the average time you spend sitting down to less than three hours a day could increase your life expectancy by two years.1 Reducing the time you spend watching TV to less than two hours a day could increase it by 1.4 years. As reported by NBC News:2 "'The study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that sitting itself is deadly. ........ Other studies have found our culture of sitting may be responsible for about 173,000 cases of cancer each year. Because U.S. adults spend, on average, between 4.5 and five hours a day sitting down, a significant shift in the population's behavior would be needed to have an effect on life expectancy, Katzmarzyk said. This might be achieved through changes at the workplace, such as the use of standing desks, and by watching less TV..." A second study, published in the October issue of the British Journal of Sports Medicine,3 which included nearly 12,000 Australian adults, concluded that each hour spent watching television after the age of 25 reduces your life expectancy by nearly 22 minutes. To put this into perspective, the authors compared it to smoking – each cigarette reduces your life expectancy by about 11 minutes. All in all, the researchers found that adults who spend an average of six hours in front of the TV will reduce their life expectancy by just under 5 years, compared to someone who does not watch TV. Obesity Panacea4 made a good point in its report on this study: "These sorts of theoretical studies obviously need to be taken with a large dollop of salt ....... Inactivity is naturally associated with increased risk for poor health, which will likely impact your overall life span. A recent study published in Diabetologia,6 analyzed 18 studies that in total included nearly 800,000 people, and found that those who sat for the longest periods of time were twice as likely to have diabetes or heart disease, compared to those who sat the least. And, while prolonged sitting was linked to an overall greater mortality risk from any cause, the strongest link was to death due to diabetes. According to lead researcher Thomas Yates, MD:7 "Even for people who are otherwise active, sitting for long stretches seems to be an independent risk factor for conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease." How to Increase Activity Levels on the Job While sitting down is not the only thing that can cause trouble (adopting any particular posture for long periods of time can slow down your circulatory system), sitting is one of the most pervasive postures in modern civilizations. So how can you increase your activity levels if you have a "desk job," as so many of us do these days? One of the things I do to compensate for the time I spend sitting each day is to regularly do Foundation exercises developed by a brilliant chiropractor, Eric Goodman. These exercises ....... Here are two video demonstrations: "The Founder," which helps reinforce proper movement while strengthening the entire back of your body, and "Adductor Assisted Back Extension," which will teach you how to properly extend your spine. videos.... Powerful New Way to Compensate for Sitting – Foundation Training I recently learned of Dr. Eric Goodman's work through his TED presentation and was excited about the simplicity and elegance of his approach to address this issue. Many elite and professional athletes are big fans of his work. I asked him to comment on this article and he wrote the following: "Many lifestyles require that people sit very often. ..... You have some important anatomy happening in and around your hips, pelvis, spine and stomach. Unfortunately, these are precisely the areas that get the worst of your weight when you sit all day. It is because of this that teaching your pelvis and spine to remain supported while we sit, and more importantly, while you stand, is of the utmost importance. Think about it for a moment, we are all very muscular animals... well, at least we have the ability to be very muscular animals. If sitting all day teaches your back, butt and leg muscles that it is ok to remain squishy and act more as a cushion than a support structure, you should do exactly the opposite to counter it. You have to let your muscles feel what they have accidentally forgotten, the feeling of being used for their original purpose. Get up! Stand up throughout the day to stretch your body appropriately, the way it is meant to be stretched. The simple act of standing as tall as possible for a minute or two will help break the pattern of sitting, as long as you repeat it frequently. Be sure that while standing you take full deep breaths to expand your torso as well. We often have very shallow breath while we sit, counter that with big deep breaths as often as you can throughout the day. My opinion is that people should not go longer than 30 minutes in a chair without standing, deep breathing, walking and stretching. If you think I am crazy for asking that much of you, then I suggest you not go longer than 20 minutes. Helpful Tips You Can Do Now: You will do less harm by sitting upright on the front edge of your chair. Back rests tend to promote excessive rounding of the spine, and tend to push people into what's called an anterior head carriage. The further forward your head goes the shorter your hip flexors will remain and that just leads to all sorts of movement problems. When sitting for a while try to keep your chest (sternum) in front of your chin. As soon as the head starts to fall forward you enter the compression and degeneration danger zone. Play around to see if you can feel a difference. Think of lengthening the distance between the rib cage and the pelvis when you stand. This will lengthen your hip flexors. If you have a life that keeps you sitting frequently, and you haven't tried Foundation Training yet, please do. Our work will likely help you. At least watch my TED talk and learn an important trick to counter balance the effects of sitting all day." Regular Exercise May Not Be Enough to Compensate for Excessive Sitting... I am a major proponent of exercise and believe it is absolutely essential if you are going to achieve any level of high-level health and wellness. Interestingly, ..... One 2009 study8 highlighted much of the recent evidence linking sitting with biomarkers of poor metabolic health, showing how total sitting time correlates with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other prevalent chronic health problems. According to the authors: "Even if people meet the current recommendation of 30 minutes of physical activity on most days each week, there may be significant adverse metabolic and health effects from prolonged sitting – the activity that dominates most people's remaining 'non-exercise' waking hours." In other words, even if you're fairly physically active, riding your bike to work or hitting the gym four or five days a week – you may still succumb to the effects of too much sitting if the majority of your day is spent behind a desk or on the couch. Researchers have dubbed this phenomenon the "active couch potato effect." ..... The Price You Pay for a Sedentary Lifestyle ........ Men who were sedentary for more than 23 hours a week had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than those who were sedentary less than 11 hours a week, according to a 2010 study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.9 A study of more than 17,000 Canadians10 found that the mortality risk from all causes was 1.54 times higher among people who spent most of their day sitting compared to those who sat infrequently. Sitting time is a predictor of weight gain, according to a study of Australian women,11 even after accounting for calories consumed and leisure time physical activity, such as exercise time. The risk of metabolic syndrome rises in a dose-dependent manner depending on your "screen time" (the amount of time you spend watching TV or using a computer). Physical activity had only a minimal impact on the relationship between screen time and metabolic syndrome.12 People who use a computer for 11 hours or more a week, or watch TV for 21 hours or more a week, are more likely to be obese than those who use a computer or watch TV for 5 hours a week or less.13 Swap Sitting for Sleep to Improve Your Health? In related news14, Dr Matthew Buman gave a recent talk at the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health, which focused on a cross-sectional study that examined the potential health impact of replacing time spent sitting with alternative activities, from sleeping, to light-, moderate- to vigorous activity. While it’s no surprise that any amount of physical activity results in greater health benefits than sitting, it’s interesting to note that even sleeping beat out sitting in terms of the resulting health effect. According to Travis Saunders, this “highlights the importance of studying the full 24-hour cycle of human movement, rather than the traditional focus on MVPA, which accounts for <5 percent of the total day.” Saunders interviewed Dr. Buman on his findings: video.... More Exercises You Can Do I recently interviewed Dr. Goodman and he comprehensively described his program, he also had these useful suggestions to share: "When it comes to your core, 'It's all in the hips, baby.' Every muscle that directly connects to the pelvis should be considered a piece of your core. To say it another way, your athletic ability, flexibility, balance and strength are all rather dependent on powerful hips. Here are some muscles that it would be a good idea to strengthen: Glutes: These are the powerhouses of the body. They do not work alone. Adductors (Inner thigh muscles): Your built in traction system. When the adductor group of muscles remains strong you have increased in hip stability, stronger arches in the feet, and a pelvic brace using a couple of the strongest muscles in the body. The deep lower back muscles: Facilitate the proper integration of the Posterior Chain of Muscles. Simply put, a weak lower back changes every aspect of your movement patterns for the worse. The abdomen and hip flexors: Think of the front of your body as a window that shows what is happening at the spine and pelvis. If the front is always too tight, the back is not working properly. The Transverse Abdominal muscle: A built in bracing system. When the transverse abdominus is tightened against the other muscles among this core group, the entire system becomes stronger. In order to better stabilize your pelvis you need an integrated approach at strengthening all of the muscles surrounding it. Focusing on the abdomen and hip flexors excludes roughly 80% of the muscles which allow stable powerful movement from the integrated core of the body. I speak about adaptation very often, in this case by allowing our bodies to adapt to a seated position we have stopped using many of our most important muscles effectively. You've got to get reacquainted with your posterior chain of muscles, get the back of your body stronger, and start by connecting the deepest layers. Use these 2 simple exercises to feel what I am talking about: (Founder and integrated back extension) I know what happens on the other end of this, I've had the personal reward of changing my movement patterns for the better. I used it to avoid back surgery at a young age and I now surprise myself daily at what I am able to do without pain. A simple shift of patterns can lead to extraordinary, life changing results. Enjoy the process!"
jimmyg
11-12-2012, 06:44 AM
Sunday, November 11, 2012 Doctored: New Documentary Reveals Medical and Big Pharma Conspiracy Against Natural Health http://gaia-health.com/gaia-blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Caduceus-Dollar-Sign-Shadow.jpg image source: Gaia Health Activist Post Link, incl videos: http://www.activistpost.com/2012/11/doctored-new-documentary-reveals.html In a similar way as the ongoing battle for the right to know whether or not GMO is contaminating our food, the medical and pharmaceutical industries have been conspiring to maintain their failing business model. This is the assertion of a new full-length documentary entitled Doctored, which focuses on the attacks by the corporate medical system and Big Pharma against chiropractors. The film highlights the 20-year campaign to label the chiropractic industry as quackery. In fact, the Supreme Court has acknowledged as much. Dr. Mercola, who appears as one of the experts in this film, notes: The film includes the groundbreaking and historical case of Wilk vs. The American Medical Association (AMA) – a case in which the AMA was ultimately found guilty of an illegal conspiracy to 'contain and eliminate the chiropractic profession,' in 1984. (Source) While the chiropractic industry is a focal point, the film also explores the wider attacks being waged against natural medicine of all types. The film's official description states that: With approximately 98 percent of the AMA’s advertising revenue for medical journals provided by pharmaceutical companies, this conjoined force set out to crush any and all alternative health competitors. And this assault continues… This bold documentary provides candid views into how this united front operates – from the revealing and troubling confessions of ex-pharmaceutical reps about the industry’s newest target – children and teens – to how both industries are unabashedly creating drug addicts in normal, unsuspecting citizens. Included in this documentary are interviews with alternative health leaders, including Dr. Joseph Mercola, revolutionary practitioner Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski, and others. Here, too, are the heart-warming – and heart-breaking – stories of terminally ill patients healed by Chiropractors and other alternative practitioners… and patients lost due to the hideous medical bureaucracy that still exists today. (Source)
Empowerment always starts with education. When people become knowledgeable about what is being done to them behind closed doors, it unleashes the activist within. This documentary is an excellent new tool to help friends and family become aware of the increasing dangers of remaining ignorant. The right to explore as many options for attaining good physical health and treatment is equally as important as the right to know what is being consumed. These twin fundamental issues are also among the weakest links in the corporate control system, as their marketing is based on a foundation of cronyism, lies, distortions, and blatant attempts to suppress competition through government and bought-and-paid-for scientists. As Dr. Mercola states: Doctored includes eye-opening interviews not only with chiropractic and osteopathic doctors (including myself), it also talks to surgeons, MD's, pharmaceutical sales reps, and high-profile patients like Olympic Gold Medalist Picabo Street and John Stockton... All in all, the testimony spells out the point of the film, which is that conventional medicine, backed and ruled by the pharmaceutical industry, is corrupt to the core and frequently does more harm than good, while simultaneously protecting their business and hiding its ineffectiveness by suppressing legitimate, safe, and effective alternative or complementary practices such as chiropractic. Solutions: Fortunately, the solutions are quite simple once we become informed and motivated to demand an end to medical propaganda that is designed for profit, not for health. This propaganda has led to such ridiculous claims as nuking food actually makes it safer, and the Orwellian reality that "evidence-based" medicine -- peer-reviewed clinical research -- is at best a coin flip as to the truth of their conclusions. This is because if you control the research, you presumably control the "evidence." It is for this reason that many natural cures are shut out from formal medical documentation. So, the first solution is to realize that what has come to be known as mainstream medicine is an orchestrated sham designed only to keep people sick, so that more "cures" can be offered. Once that reality sinks in, then it is up to the individual to take responsibility, do their own research and design their own health regimen and treatment that is right for them. Our bodies do have a common make-up where general natural health recommendations can be applied: getting enough sleep, reducing stress, need for a balanced diet, moderate exercise, implementation of superfoods, etc. However, there are unique variations that demand some personal experimentation which can help each one of us operate at our full capacity. This personal empowerment is at the heart of what the establishment fears. View Dr. Mercola's 10 simple steps that form the foundation of healthy living here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/10/conspiracy-against-chiropractic.aspx?e_cid=20121110_PRNL_art_1 And help inject some additional fear into the prevailing medical establishment by viewing and sharing this essential documentary which will appear in full for a limited time at Dr. Mercola's site here, and can be purchased here: http://shop.mercola.com/product/doctored-dvd,1054,0.htm Here is the official trailer: video.... Below is an interview with film producer, Jeff Hays, discussing his motivation for making the film and what he discovered along the way: video......
jimmyg
11-12-2012, 05:02 PM
British medical journal slams Roche on Tamiflu By MARIA CHENG | Associated Press http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/rDXDi30KzDkCOLCmMXT.yw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MjQ0ODtjcj0xO2N3PTM2NzE7ZHg9MD tkeT0wO2ZpPXVsY3JvcDtoPTQyMTtxPTg1O3c9NjMw/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/e8dd9beee51dac1f200f6a706700c925.jpg FILE - In this April 28, 2009 file photo packages of the medicine Tamiflu by Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche are seen in Stuttgart, southern Germany. A leading British medical journal is asking the drug maker Roche to release all its data on Tamiflu, claiming there is no evidence the drug can actually stop the flu. The drug has been stockpiled by dozens of governments worldwide in case of a global flu outbreak and was widely used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. On Monday Nov. 12, 2012, one of the researchers linked to the BMJ called for European governments to sue Roche. (AP Photo/Thomas Kienzle, File)
LONDON (AP) — A leading British medical journal is asking the drug maker Roche to release all its data on Tamiflu, claiming there is no evidence the drug can actually stop the flu. The drug has been stockpiled by dozens of governments worldwide in case of a global flu outbreak and was widely used during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. On Monday, one of the researchers linked to the BMJ called for European governments to sue Roche. "I suggest we boycott Roche's products until they publish missing Tamiflu data," wrote Peter Gotzsche, leader of the Nordic Cochrane Centre in Copenhagen. He said governments should take legal action against Roche to get the money back that was "needlessly" spent on stockpiling Tamiflu. Last year, Tamiflu was included in a list of "essential medicines" by the World Health Organization, which often prompts governments or donor agencies to buy the drug. WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl said the agency recommended the drug be used to treat unusual influenza viruses like bird flu. "We do have substantive evidence it can stop or hinder progression to severe disease like pneumonia," he said. In 2009, the BMJ and researchers at the Nordic Cochrane Centre asked Roche to make all its Tamiflu data available. At the time, Cochrane Centre scientists were commissioned by Britain to evaluate flu drugs. They found no proof that Tamiflu reduced the number of complications in people with influenza. "Despite a public promise to release (internal company reports) for each (Tamiflu) trial...Roche has stonewalled," BMJ editor Fiona Godlee wrote in an editorial last month. In a statement, Roche said it had complied with all legal requirements on publishing data and provided Gotzsche and his colleagues with 3,200 pages of information to answer their questions. "Roche has made full clinical study data...available to national health authorities according to their various requirements, so they can conduct their own analyses," the company said. Roche says it doesn't usually release patient-level data available due to legal or confidentiality constraints. It said it did not provide the requested data to the scientists because they refused to sign a confidentiality agreement. Roche is also being investigated by the European Medicines Agency for not properly reporting side effects, including possible deaths, for 19 drugs including Tamiflu that were used in about 80,000 patients in the U.S.
jimmyg
11-13-2012, 07:02 AM
Simple Fall Detox Guide: Prepare for Colder Weather with a Fall Detox http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/iStock_000009828608XSmall-266x400.jpg Posted by Lissa Butler With fall upon us and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s important not to neglect your health. Unlike the “laissez faire” attitude that seems to be the essence of Summer, Fall tends to be more regimented, with increases in workload, schools back in session and the reduction in daylight hours. But before you put your wellness completely on the back burner, look into a fall detoxification program, whether you create it yourself or seek the help of a professional who can help you learn how to detox without putting your health in jeopardy. There are some helpful detox supplements out there. But these supplements alone hardly do justice to a thorough, holistic detox program. Detoxing is not about taking a blend of herbs primarily thrown together because they have been shown to support the body’s organs of detoxification and elimination. When you begin your detox journey, know that it will include detoxification of your physical body, as well as your mind and spirit. The benefits of detox are many and include: Improved overall health Improved immune and digestive function Possible weight loss Relief from allergies Improved stress response A more positive outlook on life The season plays a major role in determining the type of detox you should undergo. Detox programs vary, however a Summer detox program generally includes eating lighter meal — primarily raw dishes and smoothies. A Fall detox program focuses more on nutritionally-dense stews, soups and root vegetable dishes. The reason for the difference is two-fold. First of all, your body is better able to eliminate toxins and your liver’s ability to detox is increased when you eat seasonal foods. Produce that is available in the summer is not quite the same as what is available in the fall. Depending on where you live, summer produce tends to be lighter. It won’t weigh you down, so you can continue “moving.” Fall produce is earthy and more substantial. The second reason has to do with the differences in your natural energy expenditure based on the season. During the warmer months, you tend to want to expend more outward energy. Cooler months are the opposite. Whether you realize it or not, you usually retreat inward and tend not to have as much energy as you did during the Summer. Here are some basic recommendations for how to do a thorough, holistic fall detox: 1. Eat primarily whole foods. Focus on eating foods that are not highly refined or processed. This means shopping the periphery of the store where whole foods are almost always located. Eliminate or minimize frozen dinners and packaged meals, even if they say organic. 2. Consume produce that is locally grown or organic. Avoid foods that may be laden with pesticides and GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Shop at your local farmer’s market for foods that are in season where you live. 3. Consider eliminating meat and poultry from your diet, and include more fish. Fish should be low in mercury. (You can find a list of low-mercury fish here.) 4. Incorporate nourishing, immune-supporting herbs, teas and broths into your diet. Try my recipe for Medicinal Mushroom Stock. It’s a great fall detox recipe. 5. Increase your water intake. You should be drinking at least half your weight in ounces of water. If you weigh 130 lbs, half that is 65 lbs. You would want to drink at least 65 ounces of water. Water helps to flush toxins out of the body. 6. Use non-toxic products on your skin. Most conventional products contain toxins that are readily absorbed into the skin. (Read more about using clean, natural products that are free of toxins.) 7. Find effective ways to deal with stress. Whether through meditation, exercise or prayer, take care not to let stress take a toll on your health. Evaluate how you live life on a daily basis. Is it fast-paced? Are you present each day? Or do you live for the past or future? 8. Consider whether you are an “–aholic.” Are you a shopaholic, alcoholic, foodaholic, etc.? Think about how you can effectively move into a more balanced state. By following a detox program prior to becoming overwhelmed with life, you may find that you are able to deal with the stressors that come your way better. Doing a thorough, seasonally appropriate detox and by eating seasonal foods while truly tending to yourself, you will find greater benefit from the detox program.
jimmyg
11-14-2012, 08:46 AM
Bayer Buys Schiff for $1.2 Billion http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/November/drug-company-buying.jpg November 14 2012 By Dr. Mercola Drug giant Bayer HealthCare LLC will be acquiring Schiff Nutrition International, a leading nutritional supplement company, for $1.2 billion in a deal that is expected to close by year's end. Bayer reports that the merger will help them to "augment its organic growth," as Schiff "significantly enhances our presence and position in the United States." Indeed, not only do drug companies stand to gain revenue by buying up supplement makers – they're essentially getting rid of their competition so they can control the ENTIRE supplement industry. Why Supplement Companies are So Attractive to the Drug Industry As a consumer interested in taking control of your own health, you have a number of "tools" at your disposal. Healthy food and exercise are certainly up there on the list, as is access to hundreds of therapeutic vitamins and other nutritional supplements, which are available over the counter. If you choose to support your heart and brain health with omega-3 fats, or pick up some vitamin D3 and olive leaf extract because you feel a flu coming on, you can do so, and it's as simple as heading out to your local drugstore or health food store to pick up the supplements of your choice. The drug industry, of course, would rather you head out to your physician's office and receive a prescription for a drug to protect your heart or treat your flu. Therefore the supplement industry represents the drug industry's greatest competition, and as the saying goes, you should keep your friends close and your enemies even closer … By buying up supplement companies, the drug industry stands to benefit in several key ways: Supplements as a category are yielding greater sales growth than the overall American economy and represent the greatest threat to drug company profits (the supplement industry is expected to grow at a rate of 9 percent a year through 2015, when it is expected to reach more than $90 billion1 -- as compared to the U.S. economy's dwindling growth rate of 2 percent per year). Drug patents are set to expire soon, in great volume, forcing pharmaceutical companies to find replacements for their top moneymaking drugs. Pharmaceutical companies can snuff out their competition by paying off politicians to write legislation that makes it too difficult for small competitors (i.e., supplement companies) to survive, and then buying up the large competitors that remain). You see, the drug companies aren't stupid. They KNOW your supplements work! But it doesn't serve their bottom line to admit it just yet. Eventually, they can't hide the science from you, so they are quietly positioning themselves as key players in the supplement market for when that time comes. Many Nutritional Companies, Trade Groups Already Controlled by Big Pharma Many of your so-called Natural Health "Advocates" are in fact working for Big Pharma's benefit… not for yours. The Natural Products Association (NPA) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), for example, have been instrumental in forcing drug-like rules on dietary supplements in the United States, and most of the vitamin trade associations, including the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), are heavily controlled by industry. In essence being the voice of government within the industry, rather than the voice of industry to the government. These large companies actually benefit from increased regulatory hurdles because it helps them squelch smaller competitors (who, by the way, often offer you better quality goods and services). As an example, CRN in the U.S. has been taken over by multinational drug and food companies. CRN member companies include the nutritional divisions of:2 Bayer - BASF - Cargill - Monsanto - Wyeth - Archer Daniels Midland - Abbott - Novartis - Pfizer. Not exactly the most nutritionally responsible group imaginable… And Bayer is not the only drug company getting its share of the supplement market. Other recent acquisitions include: Pfizer, which purchased Alacer (the maker of "Emergen-C" vitamin drink mixes) in February for $360 million Procter & Gamble (which is partnered with Teva Pharmaceutical Industries) bought supplement maker New Chapter in March for $250 million The FDA is Also Attacking the Supplement Industry One of the drug industry's "BFFs" is the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has stacked the deck against the supplement industry in order to secure its continued financial support from drug manufacturers. Vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements have a tremendously safe track record, yet they are often singled out as being potentially dangerous by government agencies like the FDA. This – the notion that dietary supplements are unsafe -- was the premise behind the FDA's Draft Guidance on New Dietary Ingredients (NDI), which would have required the supplement industry to prove the safety of natural ingredients that, in many cases, have been on the market and used safely for decades! Fortunately, public outcry made the agency agree to take another look at their proposed guidance and to issue a revised draft. It's still not known when the revisions might be completed. The original NDI draft essentially claimed dietary supplements are unsafe and must be carefully tested in order to "protect consumers." The proposed safety thresholds even exceeded those required by pharmaceutical drugs -- despite extensive toxicological data showing supplements are FAR safer than drugs. Drugs have been found to be 62,000 times more likely to kill you than supplements! Why on earth would supplements need more stringent safety thresholds than drugs? It's another obvious attempt to eliminate competition for the drug industry. Why You Don't Want Your Supplements Even More Controlled There is no need for further legislation related to the manufacturing, ingredients, labeling or use of natural supplements. If anything needs to be more regulated, it would be drugs, which are far more likely to kill you than your vitamins. Data from the U.S. National Poison Data System's annual report, which tracked data from 57 U.S. poison centers and showed vitamin and mineral supplements caused zero deaths in 2010, while pharmaceuticals caused more than 1,100 of the total 1,366 reported fatalities!3 Yet, legislation is regularly being introduced that is calling for increased regulation of dietary supplements that is clearly intended to put us on a slippery slope toward a supplement pre-approval system, similar to the one being used by the European Union. In the EU, only certain "approved" vitamins and minerals may be used in food supplements, and only in very limited amounts. You may not realize you have far greater freedom of choice with your dietary supplements than do Europeans—at least for now. In Europe, dietary supplements are considered prescription drugs, and are regulated as such. Many overseas tourists visiting America purchase thousands of dollars of dietary supplements to bring home with them, because their access at home is so limited. If our supplement industry is captured by the pharmaceutical industry, you can expect legislation that will force you to obtain a prescription for natural remedies. This sort of restriction places the drug industry in complete control of supplements, both in terms of access and price, which is the LAST thing you should want if you value natural, non-pharmaceutical healthcare options. Again, drug companies see the trends. Americans are increasingly choosing natural supplements to support their health. So drug companies are wisely seeking to capitalize on this revenue stream. Supplements cannot typically be patented, but drugs can. No ordinary supplement company can afford to take a non-patentable substance through a drug approval process that on average costs a billion dollars (which, incidentally, pays FDA salaries). If supplements are treated like drugs, there simply won't be any supplements unless the drug companies take them over and control them completely. It's the perfect one-two punch: arrange legislation to bankrupt the supplement industry, and then step in to overtake it. Get Involved to Protect Your Right to Dietary Supplements The supplement industry is in a fragile state right now, and the outcomes of some pending legislation could be a major turning point. There is, for instance, still work to be done to prevent passage of S 1310, Dietary Supplement Labeling Act, introduced by Senator Durbin of Illinois in June 2011. This bill threatens the dietary supplement industry by giving the FDA power to regulate vitamins and other supplement as if they were drugs. The act was his reaction to a scandal surrounding Lazy Cakes, cupcakes with added melatonin to help adults fight insomnia. Some adults who purchased the cakes fed them to toddlers, and the toddlers subsequently became ill. If you live in Illinois, contact Senator Durbin. Tell him—or whomever your representative is—to stop this overreach of power. Congress never intended for the FDA to control supplements, and giving them this control jeopardizes your access to the dietary supplements you rely on, as well as further damaging the US economy. Please be courteous and respectful, and thank them for their time. Legislators can be very sneaky in their attempts to slip legislation through that fulfills their agenda, as this latest amendment demonstrates. The time to get involved is NOW. You are the best one to decide what's best for your health, and neither the government nor big business has a right to stand in your way.
jimmyg
11-15-2012, 06:50 AM
Ways to Boost the Satisfaction of Your Meals http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/satisfying-meals1-600x363.jpg Posted by Ilana Muhlstein We all know the feeling: you want to eat healthier and maybe even lose some weight but the idea of a plain grilled chicken breast, boiled string beans and a small scoop of rice does not get you excited for dinner. This “dieters dilemma” is one I hear all too often. But there are 5 easy tricks you can adapt to quickly and easily enhance the satisfaction of even your healthiest meals. 1. Color Color plays a huge role in our perception of a meal. In a study published by the journal of Food Science and Technology International, it was found that people thought orange juice tasted sweeter if it was more orange in color. The study also found that people perceived fruit drinks as having more flavor when the beverage’s colors were richer and more saturated. This study perfectly demonstrates that we tend to “eat with our eyes” and that color alone can influence how sweet or flavorful we perceive a food to be. To enhance overall satisfaction with your meal and avoid overeating, try adding some color with the use of fruits, vegetables and herbs. The luscious red in tomato sauce, the vibrant green in fresh cilantro, and the bright orange in a sweet potato are great examples of healthy foods that contribute to a beautiful, well-rounded meal that is rich in vitamins and minerals, which are sure to satiate your taste buds. BONUS: The color in fruits and vegetables also signifies that the food is rich in powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals. For instance, the purple-red color found in beets is derived from betalain, a powerful antioxidant that may have cancer fighting properties. So opting for more color will not only trick you into feeling more satiated, it will also add a nice punch of nutrition. 2. Variety Variety is a key component to a healthy diet. Every meal should contain foods from a variety of food groups, namely, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, dairy, and whole grains. Even within these foods groups, though, it is important to diversify your food choices because some foods contain more essential nutrients than others. For instance, spinach may be very high in vitamin K but does not have as much vitamin C as red peppers. When your diet consists of a variety of healthy foods, you are more likely to stimulate your senses and meet your nutritional needs. A study published by the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior found a positive correlation between food variety and quality of diet among children. When children increased their intake from a range of grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats, they were found to get more fiber and vitamin C in their diet. While this conclusion may seem elementary, it has significant implications regarding how we think about food. Focusing on dietary variety rather than just “eating well” can trick you into consuming more nutrient-dense foods. Make a goal to try one new vegetable or fruit every week for three weeks. Who knows? You might discover you love kale! 3. Texture Texture is essential to a satisfying meal. Think about the difference between chunky versus smooth peanut butter, lumpy versus creamy mashed potatoes, no pulp versus with-pulp orange juice; these differences strongly influence our eating enjoyment. In fact, one of the most-used tricks by professional food photographers is to incorporate a variety of food textures in a dish as to attract and seduce the reader more. Basic food textures include chewy, crunchy, crisp, smooth, creamy, tender, grainy and tough. To some, for example, a soggy French fry will never taste as good as a crispy one. So always cook your food to the textures you desire to increase your delight with every bite. My Tortilla Pizza recipe is one of my favorites for a satisfying meal full of texture and flavor. 4. Flavor Flavor might sound like an obvious strategy for increasing your satisfaction with healthy food, yet, it is incredibly underutilized. Technically, the flavor of a food is defined by its taste as well as its smell.For instance, vanilla pudding would not be a vanilla flavor if it tasted like vanilla yet smelled like chocolate. So it’s important that a food have an appealing taste as well as a pleasurable smell in order for your brain approve. Luckily there are many flavor boosters that are not only delicious but are also healthy! Garlic, for example, vastly improves the flavor of a dish. In addition to being fragrant and savory, garlic has historically been used for its medicinal properties and may be helpful in preventing heart disease and even some cancers. Other excellent flavor enhancers such as onions, herbs, spices and vinegars can be added to several dishes and are wholesome, low calorie ways to elevate food’s flavor and help boost your gratification. 5. Eat More! (Of the right things!) It is important to get savvy and optimize your meals in a way that helps you enjoy food without sacrificing taste or nutritional quality. Spaghetti squash, for example, is a highly underestimated substitute for spaghetti. It looks and tastes almost the same, yet 5 cups of spaghetti squash has fewer calories than 1 cup of regular spaghetti. Additionally, spaghetti squash has more than four times the amount of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A and calcium than spaghetti. So you can bet that you will feel a lot more energized and satisfied by the end of your meal! Other foods that are great at adding sustenance to meals without adding unnecessary calories are broccoli slaw, which is great in stir-fries, and cooked cauliflower, which is completely undetectable in mashed potatoes. These tools are great for dieters and those looking to boost the nutrient value of a meal so the next time you are planning your meal, remember to consider color, variety, texture, flavor, and portion size.
jimmyg
11-16-2012, 07:22 AM
7 Ways to Cancer-Proof Your Home November 12 2012 Link to full article, links, & slide show: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/12/cancer-proof-home.aspx?e_cid=20121112_DNL_art_1 Slide show.... By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: Seven important steps to removing the most obvious cancer risks from your home include checking for and removing: radon, nonstick-coated pots and pans, makeup and personal care products with toxic ingredients, BPA-lined cans and plastic containers, cleaning products and air fresheners, toxic building materials and household cleaners, as well as common pesticides and weed killers Avoiding canned foods is perhaps your best way to avoid the hazardous plasticizing chemical bisphenol A, as research has revealed canned foods can increase your BPA levels by 1,000 percent in a mere five days. Research has also shown fermented foods can help break down BPA and reduce your intestinal absorption of it Research has found that breast-cancer risk is twice as high among women who report the most use of household cleaning products and air fresheners, compared to those who rarely use such products. Women who use make-up on a daily basis can also absorb almost five pounds of potentially toxic chemicals into their bodies each year
When it comes to cancer, you probably want to do what you can to avoid it. But how do you do that when it seems like everything around you poses a cancer risk? Here are seven important steps to removing the most obvious cancer risks from your home. They include checking for and removing: radon, nonstick-coated pots and pans, makeup and personal care products with toxic ingredients, BPA-lined cans and bottles, cleaning products and air fresheners, toxic building materials, furnishings and household cleaning supplies, as well as common pesticides and weed killers. 1. Check Your Home for Radon Radon is an odorless, colorless gas that is formed from the natural breakdown of uranium in the earth. Though you can't see it or smell it, radon can enter your home through cracks in your foundation, well water, building materials and other sources, where it can contaminate the air you breathe. Because radon is radioactive, it's also carcinogenic; radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States, second only to smoking. Any home, whether new or old, with a basement or without, well-insulated or drafty, can have a radon problem; the EPA estimates that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes has elevated levels. Radon is measured in "picocuries per liter of air," or "pCi/L." Outdoor air generally has radon levels of about 0.4 pCi/L, whereas the average radon level indoors is estimated to be about 1.3 pCi/L. While the U.S. Congress has set a long-term goal stating that indoor radon levels should be no higher than outdoor levels, the EPA recommends taking action only if your home's levels exceed 4 pCi/L. This does not necessarily mean that 4 pCi/L is "safe," however, as there really is NO safe level for radiation. Even the EPA admits that lower levels can still pose a health risk, and you may want to take precautions to further reduce the amount of radon in your indoor space even if it's at or below 4 pCi/L. Radon Testing and Remediation Fortunately, testing your home for radon is simple, and if levels are elevated there are ways to reduce them to protect your health. There are a number of resources for test kits: If you'd like a certified technician to measure the radon levels in your home or other indoor environment, you can contact the American Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists.1 Testing costs from $100 to $300. You can also obtain information on certified technicians and do-it-yourself testing from the EPA.2 State and regional information can be found there. The National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University offers discounted test kits available to purchase online.3 Other do-it-yourself test kits for radon run between $20 and $30 and can be purchased online and at your local hardware store. If your home has elevated radon levels, it's important to find a qualified radon service professional to fix your home immediately. Some U.S. states maintain lists of contractors that have met certain qualifications for radon mitigation; your state radon coordinator will have this information.4 There are also two privately run national radon programs that can help you find a qualified radon service professional: The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA)5 The National Radon Safety Board (NRSB)6 Finally, Kansas State University maintains national radon hotlines: National Radon Hotline: Purchase radon test kits by phone. 1-800-SOS-RADON (767-7236) National Radon Helpline: Get live help for your radon questions. 1-800-55RADON (557-2366) National Radon Fix-It Line: For general information on fixing or reducing the radon level in your home. (800) 644-6999 The cost of radon reduction measures depends on the size and design of your home and the specific methods needed. Costs range from $800 to $2,500, with an average cost of $1,200. Radon reduction systems may be able to reduce your home's radon levels by 99 percent. There are a variety of ways to reduce radon levels in your home, including: Sealing cracks in floors and walls Increasing ventilation through sub-slab depressurization with pipes and fans Removing granite countertops if they are emitting high levels of radon Replacing ionization smoke detectors with the photoelectric type 2. Replace Non-Stick Cookware and Avoid Stain-Resistant Fabrics About 70 percent of cookware sold in the United States contains a non-stick coating that contains PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and other perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), which are used to make grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant clothing as well. Even though there are many names, if the item in question is "non-stick" or "stain/grease resistant," it will have some type of fluoride-impregnated coating that is best avoided. Remember that non-stick cookware is perfectly safe to have in your home as long as you decide never to heat the pan. At room temperature there is virtually no release of fluoride into the air. But of course the purpose of non-stick cookware is to heat it and cook food, and that is when you run into problems. It's well documented that when non-stick pans are heated the coating begins breaking down, releasing toxins into the air in your kitchen. When the pan reaches 680 degrees F (which takes about three to five minutes of heating), at least six toxic gases are released. At 1,000 degrees F, the coatings on your cookware break down into a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB. Research has revealed that these toxins can accumulate in your blood at an alarming rate and may lead to chronic disease over time. You can keep your exposure as low as possible by avoiding (or getting rid of) products that contain PFCs. This includes: Non-stick cookware (choose either ceramic or glass instead) - Microwave popcorn - Packaging for greasy foods (including paper and cardboard packaging) - Stain-proof clothing - Flame retardants and products that contain them - Stain-resistant carpeting, and fabric stain protectors. 3. Clean Up Your Beauty Regimen Women who use make-up on a daily basis can absorb almost five pounds of chemicals into their bodies each year, so this is not a matter to take lightly. Putting chemicals on your skin is actually far worse than ingesting them, because when you eat something the enzymes in your saliva and stomach help break it down and flush it out of your body. When you put these chemicals on your skin however, they're absorbed straight into your blood stream without filtering of any kind, so the toxic chemicals from toiletries and beauty products are largely going directly to your internal organs. There are literally thousands of chemicals used in personal care products, and only a tiny fraction of them have ever been tested for safety. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, nearly 900 of the chemicals used in cosmetics are known to be toxic. It's impossible to list them all, but some of the most common culprits to avoid include: Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) - Musks - Mercury - Paraben 1,4-Dioxane - Lead - Phthalates, including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), and diethyl phthalate (DEP) - Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petrolatum - Nano particles - Antibacterials - Hydroquinone - Formaldehyde. Please note that in order to avoid formaldehyde and 1,4-dioxane, you need to know what to look for as they're typically NOT listed on the label; at least not in those words. Common ingredients likely to contaminate products with formaldehyde include: Quaternium-15 - MDM hydantoin - Imidazolidinyl urea - Diazolidinyl urea. To avoid 1,4-dioxane, watch out for these ingredients, which create 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct: PEG-100 stearate Sodium laureth sulfate Sodium myreth sulfate Polyethylene Ceteareth-20 Fortunately, there are more natural cosmetics available today than in years past. When it comes to personal care products, I like to use this rule -- If you can't eat it, don't put it on your body. Ideally, you'll want to look for the USDA's verified Organic seal. I also highly recommend using the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database7 where you can look up a wide variety of products and brands to find out what they're really made of, and whether or not they're safe. 4. Avoid Canned Foods and Plastic Containers continued.....
jimmyg
11-16-2012, 07:22 AM
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a widely used component of plastic containers and food packaging, such as the inner lining of cans, despite the fact that more than 200 research studies show BPA is harmful to human health. The use of BPA is so pervasive that scientists have found that 95 percent of people tested have dangerous levels of BPA in their bodies. Avoiding canned foods is perhaps your best way to avoid BPA. Recent research from the Harvard School of Public Health8 revealed that canned foods and beverages can increase your BPA levels by a staggering 1,000 percent in a mere five days! The lead researcher noted that given this new finding, canned goods may be an even greater contribution to your BPA levels than plastics. Interestingly, research has shown that you can help protect yourself from the adverse effects of inevitable BPA exposure by eating traditionally fermented foods, such as raw grass-fed organic kefir, fermented veggies, or taking a highquality probiotic supplement. These foods contain "friendly bacteria," some of which have the ability to break down BPA, as well as reduce your intestinal absorption of it.9 Naturally, avoiding sources of BPA is your best bet. Here are 10 tips to help reduce your exposure to BPA around the house: Only use glass baby bottles and dishes for your baby Use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel travel coffee mugs rather than plastic or Styrofoam coffee cups Get rid of your plastic dishes and cups, and replace them with glass varieties Avoid using plastic wrap (and never microwave anything covered in it) Give your baby natural fabric toys instead of plastic ones If you opt to use plastic kitchenware, at least get rid of the older, scratched-up varieties, avoid putting them in the dishwasher, and don't wash them with harsh detergents, as these things can cause more chemicals to leach into your food Store your food and beverages in glass containers Avoid using bottled water; filter your own using a reverse osmosis filter instead IF you choose to use a microwave, don't microwave food in a plastic container Before allowing a dental sealant to be applied to your, or your children's, teeth, ask your dentist to verify that it does not contain BPA In the event that you do opt to use plastic containers for your food or beverages, be sure to avoid those marked on the bottom with the recycling label No. 7, as these varieties may contain BPA. Containers marked with the recycling labels No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 do not contain BPA (however they may contain other unsavory chemicals that you're best off avoiding by using glass instead). 5. Clean Out Your Cleaning Products Research has found that breast-cancer risk is twice as high among women who report the most use of cleaning products and air fresheners, compared to those who rarely use such products. While it is very difficult to prove that a person's exposure to household cleaners over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years is what caused their cancer diagnosis, it is well known that commonly used household chemicals do, in fact, cause cancer, along with other serious health effects like reproductive and developmental problems in developing children. Mold and mildew cleaners and air fresheners have shown the greatest correlation with breast cancer. Some of the chemicals of greatest concern that you'll want to avoid include: Synthetic musks - Phthalates - 1,4-diclorobenzene Terpenes - Benzene - Styrene - Phenol Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) - Formaldehyde - Petroleum solvents - Butyl cellosolve - Triclosan (antibacterial). My top list of cancer prevention strategies has always included reducing your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, and synthetic air fresheners. Fortunately, this is a relatively easy task to accomplish. For those times when you need to do a bit of cleansing, one of the best non-toxic disinfectants is plain soap and water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body and for other household cleaning. Another all-purpose cleaner that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. You can also keep your home very fresh and clean by making your own natural cleaning products using items you probably already have around your home. Some more tips for making simple and effective all-natural cleansers: Use baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to clean drains and bathtubs, or sprinkle baking soda along with a few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil (which have antibacterial qualities) as a simple scrub for your bathroom or kitchen. Vinegar can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Try it mixed with liquid castile soap, essential oils and water to clean floors, windows, bathrooms and kitchens. It can even be used as a natural fabric softener. Hydrogen peroxide is safer to use than chlorine bleach for disinfecting and whitening. Vodka is a disinfectant that can remove red wine stains, kill wasps and bees and refresh upholstery (put it into a mister and simply spray on the fabric). For a great video on how to use these ingredients and other tips for cleaning your home without hazardous chemicals, please review the article How to Keep Your Home Clean Naturally. If you really want to use a commercial product, look for one that uses a natural base. To find out about the ingredients in common household products, there's a searchable database you might find helpful from Environment, Health and Safety Online (EHSO)10. 6. "Green" Your Building Materials and Furnishings The building materials used in your home can be a major source of toxic exposures of multiple kinds, from formaldehyde emissions from pressed wood products, to VOC's from carpets and paints, just to name a few. Your furnishings can also harbor toxic chemicals. While paints have gotten a lot less toxic over the past 25 years, most paints still emit harmful vapors, such as VOC's, formaldehyde and benzene. These types of fumes can be released daily for about 30 days after application. Low levels can continue to leak into the air for as long as a year afterward, so you'll want to make sure you ventilate the area repeatedly. Another danger is lead-based paint, which can be found in many homes built before 1978. Once the paint begins to peel away, it releases harmful lead particles that can be inhaled. In 1991, the U.S. government declared lead to be the greatest environmental threat to children. Fortunately, it's getting easier to find high-quality non-toxic paints, also known as "low-VOC" or "no-VOC" paint. Both large paint companies and smaller alternative brands now offer selections of such paints. For a list of distributors and manufacturers, check out healthyhomeplans.com11. Also limit or eliminate exposure by carefully selecting non-toxic carpeting, such as those made of wool, or opt for non-toxic flooring like solid wood or bamboo instead. One of the primary hazards when it comes to furnishings is flame retardants: polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). These are commonly found in: Mattresses Upholstery, drapes and curtains Television and computer casings and circuit boards Studies have linked PBDEs to learning and memory problems, lowered sperm counts and poor thyroid functioning in rats and mice. Other animal studies have indicated that PBDEs could be carcinogenic in humans, although that has not yet been confirmed. Your mattress may be of particular concern, as many contain not only PBDE's, but also toxic antimony, boric acid, and formaldehyde. Shopping for a safe mattress can be tricky, as manufacturers are not required to label or disclose which chemicals their mattresses contain. However, some manufacturers now offer toxin-free mattresses, such as those made of 100% wool, which is naturally fire resistant. There are also mattresses that use a Kevlar, bullet-proof type of material in lieu of chemicals for fire-proofing. These are available in most major mattress stores, and will help you to avoid some of the toxicity. 7. Eat Organic and Tend Your Garden Without Harmful Chemicals Many pesticides and herbicides are potentially carcinogenic, and you may be exposed to them either via the foods you buy, or in your own garden. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides, and 30 percent of insecticides to be carcinogenic, and most are also damaging to your nervous system as well. Some of the pesticides/herbicides classified as probable or possible human carcinogens by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include: Chlordane - Heptachlor - Tetrachlorvinphos - Carbaryl - Propoxur - Lindane - Dichlorvos - Phosmet - Permethrin. The answer, of course, is to opt for organically-grown produce and organically-raised, pastured animal products, and using organic or non-toxic gardening methods around your own home. It's well known that conventionally grown fruits and vegetables are often tainted with unacceptable levels of pesticide residues, but you're also exposed when you eat animal products. Animals raised in confined animal feeding operations (CAFO's) eat feed full of pesticides, and these toxins accumulate in their flesh and fat over the course of their lifetimes. When you eat factory-farmed meat, you then ingest these accumulated pesticides. As for fresh produce, certain fruits and vegetables tend to be far more contaminated than others, simply because they're more susceptible to various infestations and therefore sprayed more heavily. Some foods are also more "absorbent," with thin, tender skins. Such foods would be high on your list for buying organic. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) produces an annual shopper's guide to pesticides in produce12 that you can download. It lists the produce with the highest and lowest levels of pesticide residue, which can help save you money if you can't afford to buy everything organic. Fermented foods can be helpful here as well, as some of the beneficial bacteria produced in fermented foods have been found to help detoxify organophosphorus insecticide. A 2009 study13 showed that during the fermentation of kimchi, the insecticide degraded rapidly until day 3, and had degraded completely by day 9. Four lactic acid bacteria were identified as being responsible for the effect. Finally, do not use synthetic pesticides in your home or garden, or in the form of insect repellant, lice shampoo, pet sprays or otherwise. There are safe and effective natural alternatives for virtually every pest problem you come across. For instance, boric acid powder is a very effective deterrent to roaches and ants. Sprinkle some in the inner corners of your cabinets and in the corners under your cabinets. Pests will carry it back to their nests on their feet and kill the remainder of the infestation. Boric acid is non-toxic for animals and only kills the insects. Or, for a homemade garden spray that will discourage most pests, use some mashed garlic paste combined with a little cayenne pepper or horseradish. Add a small amount to a gallon jug of water and let it sit for a day or two, shaking it occasionally. Just spray a small amount onto a few leaves first to make sure it's not so strong that it will burn them. For more details on these types of natural solutions to pests of all kinds, I recommend the book Dead Snails Leave No Trails by Nancarrow and Taylor, or visit the website BeyondPesticides.org14. (http://www.beyondpesticides.org/doorway/pestproblem.php) They have a section on do-it-yourself natural solutions to a wide range of pest problems along with a resource to find pest management companies that use non-toxic products.
jimmyg
11-17-2012, 07:00 AM
Add Monounsaturated Fats to Unlock Nutrients from Vegetables http://www.liveinthenow.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/iStock_000005053668XSmall.jpg Posted by John Phillip Everybody knows that a diet filled with fresh raw vegetables and greens are essential to vibrant health and prevention of chronic diseases, but few understand how the fats they consume along with these foods help to unlock the nutrient store provided by a healthy diet. At the ill-advised advice of many dieticians and medical professionals, people are encouraged to follow a low fat diet that includes fat free salad dressings laden with added sugars for flavoring. Monounsaturated Fats Including Olive Oil Help Maximize Nutrient Absorption in the Body Researchers from Purdue University published the result of a study in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research that demonstrates how the type and quantity of salad dressing determines the bioavailability of fat soluble carotenoids (including lutein, lycopene, beta-carotene and zeaxanthin) in vegetables and fruits. Carotenoids are associated with reduced risk of several chronic and degenerative diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and macular degeneration. To conduct the study, twenty-nine people were fed salads dressed with butter as a saturated fat, canola oil as a monounsaturated fat and corn oil as a polyunsaturated fat. Each salad was served with 3 grams, 8 grams or 20 grams of fat from dressing. The study team found that polyunsaturated fats (soybean oil) was highly dependent on the dose provided, as they found The more fat on the salad, the more carotenoids the subjects absorbed. The saturated fat butter was also dose-dependent, but to a lesser extent. Use a Simple Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing to Unlock Nutrient Bioavailability The lead study author, Dr. Mario Ferruzzi noted “If you want to utilize more from your fruits and vegetables, you have to pair them correctly with fat-based dressings.” The researchers found that monounsaturated fat sources including olive oil provided the same carotenoid absorption at 3 grams of fat as it did 20 grams, suggesting that this lipid source may be a good choice for those craving lower fat options but still wanting to optimize absorption of health-promoting carotenoids from fresh vegetables. The study team concluded “Overall, pairing with fat matters. You can absorb significant amounts of carotenoids with saturated or polyunsaturated fats at low levels, but you would see more carotenoid absorption as you increase the amounts of those fats on a salad.” An even better alternative to using processed, commercially manufactured salad dressings would be to make your own simple dressing using cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and vinegar mixed with a variety of fresh herbs to maximize nutrient bioavailability. Sources for this article include: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201100687 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120619230234.htm http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=13969&Section=Nutrition -------------------------------------------------------------------------10 Health Secrets They Never Reveal on Olive Oil Labels http://www.independentlivingnews.com/email/images/oliveoil.jpg You already know that few foods have a better reputation for promoting good health than olive oil. But those fabulous health benefits are by no means automatic, because not all olive oil is created equally. You need to know how to read the labels, and more importantly, ten critical facts they'll never tell you on the label. That's where this week's HealthEdge comes in. I'll show you exactly what to look for, and what to look out for, when purchasing and using olive oil. We'll start with a quick summary of many health benefits you can get from olive oil. Then, I want to share some startling information with you about the darker side of the olive oil industry (yes, there's actually a dark side) and what you can do to protect yourself from scammers and health downfalls. Seven Amazing Ways Olive Oil Supports Good Health Olive oil is high in fat, but that does not mean it's bad for you. I still hear from people who think a low-fat diet is the goal. It's not... going too far in the low-fat direction puts you at risk for blood-sugar problems and chemical imbalances that can contribute to heart disease and Alzheimer's. Your body needs fat! It just needs the right kind of fat to thrive. And olive oil falls into that category. You've heard that eating too much fat can give you high cholesterol. But olive oil actually improves your cholesterol levels because it contains primarily monounsaturated fatty acids. These fats can bring down your total cholesterol levels and lower your LDL cholesterol – that's the "bad" cholesterol associated with heart disease. Research also suggests that olive oil helps keep your body's clotting mechanism in balance. It's one more way that olive oil can help you avoid a heart attack. The healthy fats in olive oil also help protect you against type 2 diabetes. And if you already have type 2 diabetes, olive oil may help you keep your condition from progressing by regulating both insulin response and blood sugar levels. Olive oil contains high levels of oleic acid, which is associated with lower risks of some cancers. Olive oil is a great natural source of vitamin E. A tablespoon contains almost 25 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance. Vitamin E supports healthy cell membranes and healthy skin. It's also a good source of vitamin K, which promotes good bone health and helps to protect the brain from Alzheimer's disease. Another compound in olive oil helps control blood pressure and improve the health of the arterial lining – both important factors in reducing heart disease risks. Polyphenols actually reduce your risk of heart disease on a genetic level. They affect genes linked to heart disease risk in a positive way. Three Ways You Can Go Wrong Using Olive Oil
Don't wreck the health benefits of olive oil. Olive oil is fairly fragile. It can begin to break down because of light exposure. Store your olive oil in a dark bottle in the cupboard or pantry. It may look pretty on your windowsill, but the sun will make it taste funny and weaken the nutritional impact. When stored in a cool, dark place, olive oil will keep for a year, but you'll never have a year-old bottle sitting around if you make this superfood part of your regular diet. Don't cook at high temperatures with olive oil. Use it for salad dressings and in other cold foods. You can also do a quick sauté with olive oil. When olive oil reaches high temperatures, the fats begin to oxidize, creating free radicals, and they also hydrogenate, creating harmful trans fats. For cooking at higher temperatures or for a prolonged time, I recommend coconut oil, another oil with big health benefits, because it can stand up to the heat. Now here's the biggie. Most olive oil sold in the store is a total waste of money. The bulk of it doesn't contain the polyphenols and other compounds in the levels needed to enjoy the full health benefits. What you want is extra-virgin olive oil that has a harvest date on the package. The oil will stay at full potency for two years, but look for the freshest olive oil you can find. Besides freshness, a number of factors affect the quality of the olive oil you buy. Harvesting methods, the ripeness at which the olives were picked (green olives have more polyphenols than ripe olives, but the oil is easier to extract from ripe olives), and processing methods can all change the nutrition profile of olive oil. UC Davis tested a variety of extra virgin olive oil brands for quality and found these brands to be consistently the best: Corto Olive, California Olive Ranch, Kirkland Organic, Lucero, and McEvoy Ranch Organic. Fresh, extra-virgin olive oil packs a powerful punch when it comes to health benefits. But it's easy to get fleeced into thinking you are getting benefits when you're actually wasting your money on standard-issue oil being passed off as something it's not. By being an informed consumer, you can enjoy high-quality olive oil that tastes great and is known to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's. Heather Robson, HealthEdge
jimmyg
11-18-2012, 11:45 AM
How Fitness Protects Aging Brains November 16 2012 By Dr. Mercola Link to article, video, & links: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/11/16/aging-brain.aspx?e_cid=20121116_DNL_art_1 Video....
Story at-a-glance: A new study finds physical exercise, more than mental exercise, protects your brain against age-related changes; people who engaged in the most physical exercise showed the least brain shrinkage Exercise, diet, and stress management are three primary factors that play key roles in maintaining sharp mental function as you age Exercise promotes brain cell regeneration and production of key brain chemicals and growth factors such as BDNF, which is important in maintaining memory, skilled task performance, and overall cognitive function Your dietary choices are another important factor in brain health; your brain is comprised mostly of fat so requires abundant dietary fats in order to repair and regenerate; one of the most potent and bioavailable sources of animal-based omega-3 fat for your brain is krill oil Some of the best brain foods are fresh vegetables, berries, organic eggs from pastured hens, raw milk and meat products from pastured animals, nuts, avocados, coconut oil and olive oil
Aging Americans are experiencing cognitive decline in numbers never before seen. Alzheimer’s disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Consider these troubling statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association1: 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s estimated that up to 16 million will have the disease by 2050. One in eight Americans age 65 and over has Alzheimer’s. Every 68 seconds, another American develops Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older. Alzheimer’s deaths increased by 66 percent between 2000 and 2008. One in seven of the estimated 800,000 people with Alzheimer’s lives alone, left to fend for himself/herself. If you develop Alzheimer’s disease, it’s a far greater problem than just memory loss — it can kill you. And it makes every other medical problem much more difficult to treat. Although many will claim Alzheimer’s is not preventable, there ARE measures you can take that will lower your odds of developing age-related cognitive decline or, worst case scenario, full on dementia. The aspect of your brain function that typically begins to decline first is connected with your working memory, or your capacity to process information. Researchers have identified five functions that tend to be the first ones to decline with age: Processes requiring your attention Working memory capability, or the amount of information you can work with, without losing track Understanding complex text Making inferences and drawing conclusions Putting information into your memory and retrieving it later Three Major Requirements for Brain Power Cognitive changes related to aging are actually related more to today’s diet and lifestyle, rather than to the aging process itself. As you age, the cumulative effects of environmental toxins, exposure to free radicals, poor nutrition, stress and other factors take their toll on your body. What has been called “age-related cognitive decline” is really an accumulation of this damage to your cells. But this cognitive decay is NOT set in stone! There are three primary factors that play a powerful role in maintaining sharp mental function, even as you age: Regular exercise The foods you choose to eat or avoid Managing your emotional stress The latest studies, discussed in the following section, really underscore just how important exercise is in order for your brain to function optimally. You already know how important it is to “exercise” your brain by learning new skills, adopting new and varied daily routines, and engaging in creative activities. Such mental and social exercises stimulate brain activity and promote new neural connections. However, physical exercise is even more important than mental exercise, when it comes to protecting your brain from cognitive decline. Latest Studies Show Exercise Builds Bigger Brains Size does matter when it comes to brain function. Declines in thinking and memory have been linked to actual brain shrinkage (atrophy). However, a new study published in the journal Neurology2 found that physical exercise not only protects against age-related brain changes, but also has more of an effect than mentally stimulating activities. A team at the University of Edinburgh followed more than 600 people, starting at age 70, and kept detailed logs of their daily physical, mental and social habits. Three years later, their brains were imaged for age-related changes, such as brain shrinkage and damage to the white matter, which is considered the “wiring” of your brain’s communication system. People who engaged in the most physical exercise showed the least amount of brain shrinkage. In contrast, subjects showed no measurable benefit from mental or social activities. The researchers were not discouraging people from engaging in mental and social activities — just emphasizing that those activities are not as effective in preventing brain atrophy as is physical exercise. Crossword puzzles just can’t compete with a regular 30-minute workout at the gym. Because the findings showed only an association, not a causal relationship, the authors could not rule out the possibility that people with less deterioration in their brains were simply more likely to be physically active3. However, other studies tend to support the Edinburgh study’s findings. For example, Kirk I. Erickson, PhD of the University of Pittsburgh, found that adults aged 60 to 80 walking moderately (just 30 to 45 minutes, three days per week for one year) showed a two percent increase in the volume of their hippocampus. The hippocampus is a region of your brain important for memory4. Erickson told WebMD: "Generally in this age range, people are losing 1 to 3 percent per year of hippocampal volume. The changes in the size of the hippocampus were correlated with changes in the blood levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).” BDNF is part of a cascade of proteins, produced in your brain, that promote neuron growth and prevent neuron death. Erickson also found higher fitness levels associated with alarger prefrontal cortex. He called exercise “one of the most promising nonpharmaceutical treatments to improve brain health.” The important take-away from these studies is that mental decline is NOT inevitable! Exercise is as good for your brain as it is for the rest of your body. Exercise Protects Your Brain from Stress Hormones Exercise increases your brain health in a variety of ways. Exercise: Jump-starts neurogenesis — the creation of new brain cells. Neurogenesis is thought to be especially prevalent in your hippocampus. As you age, the stem cells in your brain tend to become less active and you produce fewer new cells, which may slow your brain function.5 Encourages new brain cells to join the existing neural network, instead of “rattling around aimlessly in the brain before dying.” Exercise helps the new brain cells learn how to “multitask.” Upregulates production of brain chemicals and growth factors, like BDNF, which is key in maintaining memory, skilled task performance, and overall cognitive function. Lifts your mood and helps neutralize the harmful effects of stress by boosting neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and may even protect your brain cells against the effects of stress hormones. Increases insulin sensitivity and may even help you make better food choices. Exercise doesn’t have to be exhausting to be effective — three to five hours per week has been shown to be adequate. According to one study, the odds of developing Alzheimer's were nearly quadrupled in people who were less active during their leisure time, between the ages of 20 and 60, compared with their peers. The Healthy Brain Diet The third major factor in supporting your brain as you age is diet. Your brain cells cannot regenerate and repair unless they have the necessary raw materials with which to rebuild. Ideally you want to upregulate repair and regeneration in your brain and this is best accomplished by optimizing insulin and leptin signaling in your body. The best way to achieve this optimum signaling is by lowering your carb intake and limiting your protein consumption to one gram of protein per kilogram of LEAN body mass. For most adult men this is 75 grams or less of protein every day. The key to success with this program is to replace the reduced carb and protein intake with healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, butter, olive oil and fats from healthy pastured animals. Coconut oil is particularly beneficial for brain health and has actually been shown to be helpful in senile dementia The two most important nutrients for your brain are fats and antioxidants, so those will be my focus in this article. Just keep in mind these foods should be part of a more comprehensive approach to your diet. Regardless of your particular health concerns, I encourage you to take this opportunity to review my total nutrition plan. The Most Important Macronutrient for Your Brain is FAT Sixty percent of your brain is fat. DHA alone makes up about 15 to 20 percent of your brain’s cerebral cortex, as well as 30 to 60 percent of your retina, making it an essential nutrient for both brain and eye health. Your neuron membranes are composed of a thin double layer of fatty acid molecules. Myelin, the protective sheath surrounding your neurons, is composed of 30 percent protein and 70 percent fat. You can protect your brain by giving it healthful fats from whole foods, such as organic eggs from pastured hens, whole raw milk from pastured cows, raw nuts, avocados, and olive oil. Eggs and dairy are a rich source of lecithin, choline and vitamin B12 — nutrients especially important for good brain function. There is also evidence that coconut oil may offer very significant protection against brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and may even stop brain atrophy in its tracks. They key to brain health, is to make sure you are consuming plenty of healthy fat as I mentioned above. That will be about 98 percent of your fat or so. But it is crucial to make sure you are getting the essential fats from marine life that in the form of omega-3 fats. I believe it’s important to get the bulk of your omega-3 fats from animal-based sources because the DHA and EPA are far more important for your health than the plant-based ALA. While ALA can convert into DHA/EPA, this conversion is severely impaired when you have elevated insulin levels, which affects more than 80 percent of Americans.In two different studies, taking 800-900 mg of DHA per day for 16-24 weeks resulted in significant improvements in memory, verbal fluency scores, and rate of learning. Chances are you’re not getting enough animal-based omega-3 fats from your diet alone, so you may want to consider a supplement. My favorite is krill oil. Krill oil is an extraordinarily potent — and environmentally sustainable—form of omega-3 fat that contains both DHA and EPA. Krill oil is special in that it crosses the blood-brain barrier, so it’s highly bioavailable to your brain. Most people only need two to three 500 mg capsules of krill oil per day in order to get all of the DHA and EPA they need. Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Will Help Keep Your Brain Sharp continued.......
jimmyg
11-18-2012, 11:46 AM
The best sources of antioxidants are from whole foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. If you chose to use a supplemental antioxidant I believe astaxanthin is likely your best choice here Your diet should be rich in vegetables, preferably organic and locally grown. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, a vegetable-rich diet was found to help prevent age-related mental decline. Veggies, particularly spinach, were found beneficial in retarding central nervous system and cognitive behavioral deficits. And a six-year study involving almost 2,000 Chicago-area seniors showed that older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables each day were mentally sharper than those who ate less. Ideally, your diet should be low in sugar, especially fructose. Experts are starting to look at memory problems like Alzheimer's as a form of brain starvation, and glucose metabolism appears to play an important role in the disease. It's already known that diabetics have four times the risk of Alzheimer's, and those with prediabetes have triple the risk. Veggies are generally better than fruits because they are lower in sugar, but the exception is berries. Berries contain pterostilbene, which has been found to reverse some of the negative brain effects of aging. Wild blueberries are high in anthocyanin and other antioxidants, and are known to guard against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. Blueberries improved learning capacity and motor skills among aged rats in animal studies. Studies show that the sleep hormone melatonin can also help slow down your brain’s aging. Artificially aged mice treated with melatonin had reduced oxidative stress and markers of cerebral aging and neurodegeneration, indicating the melatonin offered both neuroprotective and anti-aging effects6. Melatonin actually has antioxidant properties that may help explain its important anti-aging role, as it helps to suppress harmful free radicals in your body and even slows the production of estrogen, which can activate cancer. Emotional Stress Accelerates Brain Aging Besides exercise, in order for your brain to work its best, you simply must get a handle on your daily stress. When you feel stressed, your adrenal and pituitary glands go into their “flight, fight, or freeze” mode and dump adrenaline, cortisol and dopamine into your bloodstream. Cortisol in particular can be problematic when released too frequently in your brain, so if you are spending a lot of your time stressed, you will likely experience some undesirable effects. Persistently elevated cortisol levels are associated with accelerated aging, mood problems such as depression and anxiety, and many chronic diseases. To avoid these, you must learn how to relax and help your body reestablish equilibrium. Restoring balance after an episode of stress gets easier with practice, even for those who find it difficult to relax.You may want to experiment with yoga, meditation, breath work, or your favorite stress reduction technique. One of the best tools for decreasing stress is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). EFT has been scientifically shown to significantly improve both cortisol-related stress levels and self-reported psychological symptoms after a single treatment session7. And EFT is easy to learn. Two Neurotoxic Metals to Watch Out For: Mercury and Aluminum When it comes to maintaining brainpower, what you keep out of your body is as important as what you put into it. Minimizing your exposure to mercury is extremely important for your brain. Dental amalgam fillings are one of the worst sources of mercury. If you have amalgams, you may want to consider having them removed, but you should ONLY have this done by a qualified biological dentist. And you should be as healthy as possible prior to undergoing this procedure. You may find my mercury detox protocol helpful. Also avoid aluminum, such as in antiperspirants, cookware, etc. Avoid flu vaccinations as they contain both mercury and aluminum. And stay away from all artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, which are highly toxic to your brain. Finally, challenge your mind daily. Even though the most recent exercise study found mental exercise less important than physical exercise, other studies show that mental stimulation, such as traveling, learning to play an instrument or doing crossword puzzles, is associated with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s—not to mention increasing your quality of life! Just for fun, check out a couple of websites that specialize in “brain games”: www.lumosity.com www.gamesforthebrain.com Additional Strategies to Significantly Lower Your Alzheimer's Risk What is interesting and important to understand about chronic disease is that it very rarely exists in a bubble. What I mean is, if you are developing changes in your brain that are indicative of Alzheimer's, you're probably also experiencing signs of insulin resistance, such as diabetes or obesity. And, meanwhile, you may also be showing signs of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, as, very often, chronic diseases are intricately intertwined; they're the product of imbalances in your body that are manifesting, likely after years spent festering just below the surface. This can actually be a good thing, however, as implementing a few simple techniques address the underlying causes of multiple chronic diseases, and Alzheimer's is no exception. This includes: Optimize vitamin D. In 2007 researchers at the University of Wisconsin uncovered strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer's patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests. Scientists launched the study after family members of Alzheimer's patients who were treated with large doses of prescription vitamin D reported that they were acting and performing better than before. Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important biomolecules in your brain and protect brain cells. Vitamin D receptors have been identified throughout the human body, and that includes in your brain. Metabolic pathways for vitamin D exist in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain, areas that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories. Sufficient vitamin D is also imperative for the proper functioning of your immune system to combat excessive inflammation, and, as mentioned earlier, other research has discovered that people with Alzheimer's tend to have higher levels of inflammation in their brains. Fructose. Ideally it is important to keep your level below 25 grams per day. This toxic influence is serving as an important regulator of brain toxicity. Since the average person is exceeding this recommendation by 300 percent this is a pervasive and serious issue. I view this as the MOST important step you can take. Additionally, when your liver is busy processing fructose (which your liver turns into fat), it severely hampers its ability to make cholesterol. This is yet another important facet that explains how and why excessive fructose consumption is so detrimental to your health. Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3. This is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin resistance. However other sugars, grains and lack of exercise are also factors here. Vitamin B12: According to a small Finnish study recently published in the journal Neurology, people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin) the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by 2 percent. Very high doses of B vitamins have also been found to treat Alzheimer's disease and reduce memory loss. Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan. Strict vegetarian diets have been shown to increase Alzheimer's risk, whereas diets high in omega-3's lower your risk. However, vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. High-quality animal based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding most fish because although fish is naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA helps by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder. Researchers have also said DHA "dramatically reduces the impact of the Alzheimer's gene." Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings are one of the major sources of mercury, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed. Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc. Exercise regularly. It's been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized, thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. New research has shown that people with Alzheimer's have less PGC-1alpha in their brains, and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations. Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both mercury and aluminum, as well as egg proteins (e.g. myelin basic protein), which the body may produce antibodies against and that cross-react with the myelin coating your nerves, in effect causing your immune system to attack your nervous system! Eat blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content, are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases. Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease. Avoid anticholinergic and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain night-time pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers. One study8 found that those who took drugs classified as 'definite anticholinergics' had a four times higher incidence of cognitive impairment. Regularly taking two of these drugs further increased the risk of cognitive impairment. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, which is one of the primary building blocks of your brain. As Dr. Stephanie Seneff reports: "Statin drugs interfere with cholesterol synthesis in the liver, but the lipophilic statin drugs (like lovastatin and simvastatin) also interfere with the synthesis of cholesterol in the brain. This would then directly impact the neurons' ability to maintain adequate cholesterol in their membranes. Indeed, a population-based study showed that people who had ever taken statins had an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, a hazard ratio of 1.21. More alarmingly, people who used to take statins had a hazard ratio of 2.54 (over two and a half times the risk to Alzheimer's) compared to people who never took statins."
jimmyg
11-19-2012, 10:16 AM
Why Weight Loss Surgery is NOT a Sound Treatment Choice for Type 2 Diabetes http://media.mercola.com/ImageServer/Public/2012/November/weight-loss.jpg Link: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/17/weight-loss-surgery.aspx?e_cid=20121117_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola
Story at-a-glance: The Cleveland Clinic has chosen weight loss surgery as a treatment for type 2 diabetes as the number one medical invention for 2013, for the unbelievably ludicrous reason that Medicaid and other health insurance will now pay for it, not because it is effective Bariatric surgery as a treatment for type 2 diabetes is a prescription for the most invasive and costly (not to mention risky) intervention possible for a problem that is firmly rooted in a faulty diet and lack of exercise. Virtually 100 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can be successfully treated and reversed through appropriate lifestyle changes Complications occur for both types of weight loss surgery, gastric banding and the more invasive gastric bypass. Research has shown your risk of dying within 30 days of gastric bypass surgery is 1 in 50, and 60 percent of patients who undergo gastric banding need to have additional surgery Your diet is not only the most effective way to reverse type 2 diabetes, it’s the ONLY way to correct the true underlying cause of diabetes, which is faulty insulin and leptin signaling. To reverse the disease, you need to recover your body's insulin and leptin sensitivities through proper diet and exercise, as detailed in my free nutrition plan
The Cleveland Clinic recently published its "Top 10 Medical Inventions for 2013" list1. Doctors and researchers at the Clinic voted for what they thought were the most significant inventions out of 250 submitted ideas. Noted medical inventions include an implantable neuromodulation device for the treatment of severe cluster headaches, a handheld melanoma detection device, a novel prostate cancer drug, and breast tomosynthesis (a.k.a 3D mammography). But shockingly, and really almost unbelievably, topping the list at number one is using bariatric surgery for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. According to the Cleveland Clinic: "Surgery for obesity, often called bariatric surgery, shrinks the stomach into a small pouch and rearranges the digestive tract so that food enters the small intestine at a later point than usual. Over the years, many doctors performing weight-loss operations found that the surgical procedure would rid patients of Type 2 diabetes, oftentimes before the patient left the hospital. To explore this diabetes treatment hypothesis, 150 patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity were enrolled in a study in 2007. 50 patients had gastric bypass surgery. This is a procedure that reduces stomach volume from the size of an inflated football to a golf ball size; 50 had a sleeve gastrectomy surgery, which reduces the stomach from the size of a football to that of a banana; and 50 were offered counseling in nutrition and exercise while they continued taking their diabetes medication. By closing off most of the stomach to food, people who received bariatric surgery ate less and, therefore, lost weight. Patients in the study lost about five times as much weight on average as those only taking bloodsugar-lowering medications. The study results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012, astounded the medical world. Compared with patients taking diabetes medication and receiving lifestyle counseling, those who had bariatric surgery were far more likely to be free of diabetes or to have reduced their dependence on diabetes medications for at least two years. The weight-loss surgery also helped many to lower their blood pressure and cholesterol. Most of the patients went from a dozen or more medications daily to none or just a few." Dr. Michael Roizen, Cleveland Clinic Chief Wellness Officer, told Reuters2: "Bariatric surgery has been around for a while. The reason it was chosen as the top innovation is because Medicare has broadened its indication for payment, and Medicaid in many states follows Medicare. A lot of the other (private) insurance companies started covering it, so it's much more accessible. The criteria that insurers use to cover the surgery has been broadened because of its effectiveness in controlling Type 2 diabetes." While this will probably sound wonderful to some, there's no doubt in my mind that this is absolutely the wrong treatment and not at all an appropriate solution for the vast majority of people, and that's what this list is all about — one of the primary criteria for making it onto the list was the number of people the product or procedure can potentially help. Bariatric surgery as a treatment for type 2 diabetes is a prescription for the most invasive and costly (not to mention risky) intervention possible for a problem that is firmly rooted in a faulty diet and lack of exercise... What makes this recommendations particularly troublesome is that virtually 100 percent of type 2 diabetes cases can be successfully treated and reversed through appropriate lifestyle changes! It's also blatantly clear (they even state it outright) that it topped the list because Medicare (i.e. your tax dollars) will now pay for it, NOT because it's been proven safe and effective. On the contrary, they appear to base their opinion on the results from a singular study. This is probably ill advised. Dr. John Ioannidis of the Stanford School of Medicine in California warns against placing too much faith in singular medical studies showing large effects of medical treatment (benefits or harms). His massive analysis, recently published in JAMA,3 tracked the fate of thousands of studies, from the effects demonstrated in the initial study, compared to the effects elucidated in subsequent trials. Interestingly, in 90 percent of cases where "very large" effects were initially reported, such effects shrank or vanished altogether as subsequent studies were done to confirm the results. Dr. Ioannidis told Reuters4: "Our analysis suggests it is better to wait to see if these very large effects get replicated or not... Keep some healthy skepticism about claims for silver bullets, perfect cures, and huge effects." In the case of weight loss surgery, there are already a number of studies showing both bariatric surgery and gastric banding are very risky procedures that produce poor long-term outcomes! But of course, that only means the revenue stream from those suffering with type 2 diabetes will continue to flow, and apparently that's what really matters and drives medical recommendations in the US... Nearly Half of Weight Loss Surgeries Result in Major Complications All surgeries have inherent risks, but bariatric surgeries seem to have a much higher ratio of complications. Complications occur for both types of weight loss surgery, gastric banding and the more invasive gastric bypass. Continued....
jimmyg
11-19-2012, 10:17 AM
For example, a study from 20045 reported that the risk of dying within 30 days of gastric bypass surgery was 1 in 50. And, within the surgeon's first 19 procedures, the odds of death within 30 days were 4.7 times higher, due to inexperience. Gastric banding consists of surgically inserting a band around the top section of your stomach, and cinching it into a small pouch. This is often touted as a simpler, less invasive procedure to gastric bypass, and whereas gastric banding is at least reversible, while gastric bypass is not, the complications are often so debilitating that patients opt to have the bands removed completely. According to research6 published last year, nearly 40 percent of patients who undergo gastric banding experience major complications, including: Band erosion - Malnutrition - Infection - Kidney stones - Bowel and gallbladder problems - Liver failure - Black-outs - Increased risk of death - Abnormal band expansion. Furthermore, the study found that: Nearly 50 percent of patients required removal of their bands Nearly 1 out of 3 patients experienced band erosion 60 percent needed to undergo additional surgery The researchers concluded that: "LAGB [laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding] appears to result in relatively poor long-term outcomes." Even according to LapBand.com, one American clinical study that included a 3-year follow-up reported a staggering 88 percent of gastric banding patients experienced one or more adverse events, ranging from mild to severe. Common complications, from gastric banding included the following -- and keep in mind that excess weight increases your risks even further, which means everyone who undergoes weight loss surgery is at even greater risk: Gastroesophageal reflux - Band slippage and/or pouch dilation - Stomach obstruction - Esophageal dilation - Reduced esophageal function - Difficulty swallowing - Leaking or twisted access port into the stomach - Band eroding into the stomach. Gastric Bypass Will Wreak Havoc on Your Digestive Processes and Ability to Absorb Nutrients Gastric bypass involves stapling your stomach into a pouch that's only a half-ounce in size, so it literally cannot hold much. The idea is that you'll feel full faster, since your stomach will be unnaturally tiny, but this also means you'll often be eating meals that are sorely lacking in nutritional requirements. A small opening is also created to allow food to empty slowly from the pouch. Because the opening is so small (made this way deliberately to keep the small amount of food you've eaten in your stomach longer, making you feel "full"), food must be chewed very thoroughly or it won't be able to fit through the opening, leading to vomiting. You'll also be instructed to eat the protein portion of your meal first, because you very well may get too full to fit in a vegetable or anything else. Even liquids must be restricted for up to 45 minutes before and after a meal, lest they take up what little space you have to consume actual food. As you might suspect, because bariatric surgery patients can consume very little roughage, constipation is often a problem. It is even described as "normal" to have a bowel movement only once every two or three days! Snacking is also expressly forbidden after gastric bypass, as you're only allowed three small meals a day, and you may have to write off certain foods entirely because your body just can't digest them anymore. This includes red meats, skins of fruits and vegetables (where the bulk of the antioxidants are) and fibrous vegetables. This is simply NOT a healthy way of eating, and the long-term implications are just as severe as the short-term risks. Hair loss and muscle loss are common after the surgery -- both signs that your body is not receiving proper nutrition. Proper Diet — The Most Important Strategy to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes What makes this so frustratingly ironic, if not downright tragic, is that your diet is not only the most effective way to reversetype 2 diabetes, it's the ONLY way! Yet the medical community keeps coming up with one bad diabetes treatment after the other, and I think they've really hit it out of the park with this one — all because Medicare and insurance companies will pay for it... Seven years ago, Dr. Ron Rosedale wrote the article Doctors Cause Diabetics to D.I.E., and if you have type 2 diabetes, or know someone who does, you'd be well advised to read what he has to say on this matter. "I have been incensed about the traditional medical treatment of diabetes for decades," Dr. Rosedale writes. "Diabetics have been told that they can eat meals multiple times daily that turn into sugar and even sugar itself, as long as they take enough insulin to lower their blood sugar. The importance of limiting the intake of sugar and foods that turn into sugar has been almost totally ignored. There has been virtually no recognition that high levels of insulin are at least as much of an insult to a person's health as high levels of sugar (see Insulin and its Metabolic Effects). With blinders on, drugs have been and are still being given to lower blood sugar, even though they essentially whip the islet cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin. These unfortunate, overstressed islet cells have been producing excess insulin for years and often decades to try to compensate for the insensitivity, the resistance of the body's cells to insulin's signal. This is much like whipping a horse to run faster at the end of a race; it runs faster for a little while, but if you keep doing it, it collapses and dies. So too do the islet cells that manufacture insulin in the pancreas die when drugs, nay doctors, whip them to keep producing more insulin when they are tired and sick. At this point, a diabetic, who originally had plenty of insulin being produced, and whose problem was merely one of insulin resistance that is easily remedied via proper treatment and diet, now starts losing the ability to produce insulin and becomes, in addition to insulin resistant, insulin deficient; a much more serious and problematic disorder caused by Doctor Induced Exacerbation (DIE)." Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Sans Surgery or Drugs Amazingly, one in four Americans has some form of diabetes or pre-diabetes. If this is not a clear sign that conventional health recommendations are flawed, I don't know what is. I too have personal experience with this disease. I developed it myself at one time, and most of my paternal relatives (my dad included), have, or have died from, diabetes. My personal experience with diabetes and subsequent review of the literature made it VERY clear to me that virtually every case of type 2 diabetes is reversible... And the cure for type 2 diabetes has NOTHING to do with giving insulin or taking drugs to control your blood sugar. In fact, giving insulin to someone with type 2 diabetes is one of the worst things that can be done. Any physician still doing this suffers from profound ignorance of insulin physiology. It's important to understand that many of the conventional recommendations for treating diabetes are not only flawed but dead wrong. If you need a refresher, please review my previous article, Deaths Halt Diabetes Study. Once you understand that type 2 diabetes is a fully preventable condition that arises from faulty leptin signaling and insulin resistance, the remedy will become clear. To reverse the disease, you need to recover your body's insulin and leptin sensitivities! How do you do that? As mentioned earlier, the ONLY way to accomplish this is through proper diet and exercise, as detailed in my free Nutrition Plan. Surgery will not do the trick, and there is NO drug that can correct leptin signaling and insulin resistance... Adhering to the following guidelines can help you do at least three things that are essential for successfully treating diabetes: recover your insulin/leptin sensitivity; normalize your weight; and normalize your blood pressure: Severely limit or eliminate sugar and grains in your diet, especially fructose which is far more detrimental than any other type of sugar. Following my Nutrition Plan will help you do this without too much fuss. Exercise regularly. Exercise is an absolutely essential factor, and without it, you're unlikely to get this devastating disease under control. It is one of the fastest and most powerful ways to lower your insulin and leptin resistance. If you're unsure of how to get started, I recommend reviewing my Peak Fitness program for tips and guidelines. Avoid trans fats. Get plenty of omega-3 fats from a high quality, animal-based source, such as krill oil. Optimize your vitamin D levels. Recent studies have revealed that getting enough vitamin D can have a powerful effect on normalizing your blood pressure and that low vitamin D levels may increase your risk of heart disease. Optimize your gut flora. Your gut is a living ecosystem, full of both good bacteria and bad. Multiple studies have shown that obese people have different intestinal bacteria than lean people. The more good bacteria you have, the stronger your immune system will be and the better your body will function overall. Fortunately, optimizing your gut flora is relatively easy. You can reseed your body with good bacteria by eating fermented foods (such as fermented vegetables, natto, raw organic cheese, or raw milk kefir) or by taking a high quality probiotic supplement. Address any underlying emotional issues and/or stress. Non-invasive tools like the Emotional Freedom Technique can be helpful and effective. Get enough high-quality sleep every night. Monitor your fasting insulin level. This is every bit as important as your fasting blood sugar. You'll want your fasting insulin level to be between 2 and 4. The higher your level, the worse your insulin sensitivity is.
jimmyg
11-21-2012, 07:19 AM
Public Health Group Adopts Contradictory Positions on Mercury By Dr. Mercola Link to article & videos: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/20/mercury-pollution.aspx?e_cid=20121120_DNL_art_1 Video.... A preliminary vote endorsing the continued use of dental amalgam has put the spotlight on the American Public Health Association (APHA), since it has long recognized the harm to the environment and public health of mercury releases. The importance of APHA getting it right on the issue of dental mercury cannot be overstated, and this latest about-face has many scratching their heads, wondering how they could get it so wrong... The Association is the only progressive multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to public health in the US, representing more than 60,000 health care workers. It has been an important organization for the validation of many of our environmental health resolutions over the last 20 years. Its influence can also be felt internationally. As one of the largest public health associations it has great influence within the World Federation of Public Health Associations, so its position on this issue will be viewed as a broad pronouncement about what is good for the public's health not just within the United States, but also abroad. All of this makes APHA's recent policy statement, reported by DentistryIQ1, so profoundly disturbing: "The American Dental Association supports the American Public Health Association's recent policy statement affirming that dental amalgam is safe and effective in treating dental cavities." The APHA policy notes that amalgam's contribution to environmental mercury contamination is minimal, and that limiting or curtailing its availability could have negative health consequences, particularly in low-income areas, the featured article reports. Members are urging the association to reconcile its contradictory positions before a final vote on the resolution early next year. But let's be clear, if this resolution passes, it will keep dentistry firmly lodged in the proverbial stone age; put countless people's health at risk (especially the poor and already underprivileged); and perpetuate significant environmental destruction. Dental schools such as the New York University College of Dentistry, which recently decided to stop recommending mercury amalgam fillings as the default route of treatment, may have to ditch such notions and return to teaching the barbaric use of neurotoxic mercury rather than modern alternatives. ADA's Active Effort to Avoid Pollution Control Regulation Dental amalgam is a primitive, polluting product — an antiquated remnant from the Civil War era — which is composed of about 50 percent mercury, a well-known neurotoxin. Once released into the environment, dental mercury converts to methylmercury and contaminates fish, which are the largest dietary source of mercury in the U.S. The environmental impact of dental mercury simply cannot be overlooked. The chief sponsor and endorser of the APHA resolution is the American Dental Association (ADA), a former patent-holder of amalgam that represents one faction of dentistry. Known for its midnight deal-making2 — such as with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2008 in avoiding pollution control regulation -- the ADA appears on the verge of pulling off a similar stunt again. Appearing at the APHA meeting last month, resolution in hand, ADA lobbyists presented a sequence of falsehoods to APHA leaders in the resolution they helped draft. The resolution claims that mercury fillings' contribution to overall mercury pollution is "negligible" — when in reality, dentists are the number one purchaser of mercury in America for product use and the number one polluter of mercury into municipal waste water. Will APHA, Like the ADA, Continue to Ignore the Science? Contrary to ADA claims, a recent report from the World Health Organization3 (WHO) states that the amount of dental mercury entering the environment is "significant." And contrary to APHA's recommendation that "dental professionals continue the use of dental amalgam as a restorative material," the WHO report calls for a "phasing-down" of dental amalgam use. It even says "WHO will facilitate the work for a switch in use of dental materials." WHO noted the following three reasons for the new position: Amalgam releases a "significant amount of mercury" into the environment, including the atmosphere, surface water, groundwater, and soil. WHO reported: "When released from dental amalgam use into the environment through these pathways, mercury is transported globally and deposited. Mercury releases may then enter the human food chain especially via fish consumption." WHO determines that amalgam raises "general health concerns": While the report acknowledged that a few dental trade groups still believe amalgam is safe for all, the WHO report reached a very different conclusion: "Amalgam has been associated with general health concerns." The report observed: "According to the Norwegian Dental Biomaterials Adverse Reaction Unit, the majority of cases of side-effects of dental filling materials are linked with dental amalgam." WHO concluded "materials alternative to dental amalgam are available" and cited studies indicating they are superior to amalgam. For example, WHO said "recent data suggest that RBCs [resin-based composites] perform equally well" as amalgam. And dental restorative materials have a higher survival rate, says WHO, citing a study finding that 95 percent of dental restorative materials and 92 percent of amalgams survive after 4 years. In particular, WHO explained that "Alternative restorative materials of sufficient quality are available for use in the deciduous [baby] dentition of children" – the population whose developing neurological systems are most susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of dental mercury. Perhaps more important than the survival of the filling, WHO asserted that: "Adhesive resin materials allow for less tooth destruction and, as a result, a longer survival of the tooth itself." The report also included mention of the known toxic effects of mercury exposure, stating: "Mercury is highly toxic and harmful to health. Approximately 80 percent of inhaled mercury vapor is absorbed in the blood through the lungs, causing damage to lungs, kidneys and the nervous, digestive, respiratory and immune systems. Health effects from excessive mercury exposure include tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia, emotional instability, developmental deficits during fetal development, and attention deficit and developmental delays during childhood." What is the True Cost of Dental Amalgam? Equally missing in the APHA resolution is any mention of amalgam's true cost, when environmental expenses are factored. The price of amalgam is lower than its main alternative, composite, solely because the polluters, the pro-mercury dentists, are not paying for the externalized impacts they cause. As an authoritative economics study4 shows that when the environmental costs of amalgam are totaled, amalgam's true costs are as much as $77 per filling more than composite. In addition to the World Health Organization, a recent report created by the BIO Intelligence Service (BIO) for the European Commission5 recommends phasing out dental amalgam and mercury in button cell batteries by 2018 in order to protect the environment from continued devastating harm. According to the authors, dental amalgam is "a significant contributor to overall EU environmental emissions of mercury from human activities." The situation is identical in the US. The report, titled: Study on the Potential for Reducing Mercury Pollution from Dental Amalgams and Batteries6, highlights the extensive ecological harm caused by dental mercury, and the subsequent health impact on wildlife and humans: "The current levels of mercury pollution in the EU are such that all the EU population is exposed to mercury above the natural background level and certain population groups such as high-level fish consumers, women of childbearing age and children are subject to high risk levels, principally due to their high exposure and/or high vulnerability to mercury in the form of methylmercury, which is ingested through the diet. This presents a risk of negative impacts on health, in particular affecting the nervous system and diminishing intellectual capacity. There are also environmental risks, for example the disturbance of microbiological activity in soils and harm to wildlife populations. The effects of mercury releases on the integrity of the ecosystem are substantial. Various species, especially eagles, loons, kingfishers, ospreys, ibises, river otters, mink and others that rely on fish for a large part of their diet, have been observed to suffer adverse health and/or behavioral effects. Observed disorders such as effects on the muscles and nervous system, reduced or altered mating habits, ability to reproduce, raise offspring, catch food and avoid predators have been demonstrated to affect individual animal viability and overall population stability. According to calculations based on the critical load concept, more than 70 percent of the European ecosystem area is estimated to be at risk today due to mercury, with critical loads of mercury exceeded in large parts of western, central and southern Europe." World-Wide, Governments are Calling for the Phase Out of Amalgam As an organization based in the United States, Consumers for Dental Choice has worked to educate its own government about dental mercury pollution and the many mercury-free alternatives to amalgam. In March of last year, their diligence paid off, as the U.S. government, in its official submission to UNEP's mercury treaty negotiations, called for both the "eventual phase out" of amalgam and prompt "phase down" steps, including many of our recommendations, such as: "Educating patients and parents" "Protecting children and fetuses" "Training of dental professionals on the environmental impacts of mercury in dental amalgams" From a government whose device regulator (FDA) had previously refused to educate the public about amalgam's mercury content or take any steps to protect vulnerable populations, it was a welcome – even spectacular – development for the cause of mercury-free dentistry. Other governments from around the world quickly joined the push for mercury-free dentistry, including the Arab League, the African region, the Council of Europe, and numerous other developing nations. ADA's Self Serving Interests Coming to Light Despite all this progress, the ADA still succeeded in ramming the resolution through APHA, claiming that it was a 'late breaker" issue that warranted fast tracking, overcoming objections that it be withdrawn. Opponents argued ..... Objection to the resolution inside APHA was fierce, with opposition expressed at both the public hearing and the Governing Council meeting. Both the Environment, Occupational, and Maternal and Child Health sections urged a No vote. But the ADA political machine won the day, crowing afterwards that APHA resolution (that the ADA helped draft) "further vindicates the ADA's own long-standing and scientifically based policy." ADA's self-serving interests are now only beginning to come to light as more APHA members become better informed. In addition, some believe the ADA is now using APHA's resolution as a way to derail the global WHO's new policy to "phase down" amalgam — and influence negotiators who are considering incorporating the WHO policy into a global legally binding treaty on mercury8 when they meet for the final time in Geneva in mid-January. We knew the World Dental Federation was determined to protect amalgam to the bitter end... let's hope APHA doesn't give them the "ace" they need to eliminate dental mercury from the negotiations. Join the Campaign for Mercury-Free Dentistry! APHA still has time to undo its mistake. The final decision does not come until February. Consumers for Dental Choice leads the battle for mercury-free dentistry both in the US and worldwide. Donations can be made online here. Checks can be mailed to: Consumers for Dental Choice 316 F St., N.E., Suite 210 Washington DC 20002
jimmyg
11-21-2012, 10:27 AM
FDA took 684 days to warn meningitis-linked firm: files Reuters – 1 hr 50 mins ago http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/czX_zg16JnQite.D9SuRsw--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Y2g9MzAwO2NyPTE7Y3c9NDUwO2R4PTA7ZH k9MDtmaT11bGNyb3A7aD0zMDA7cT04NTt3PTQ1MA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2012-11-21T153225Z_1_CBRE8AK176B00_RTROPTP_2_USA-HEALTH-MENINGITIS-RAID.JPG Reuters/Reuters - A Framingham Motorcycle Unit officer stands by while federal agents search New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts October 16, 2012. REUTERS/Dominick Reuter BOSTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took 684 days to issue a warning letter after uncovering serious issues at the pharmacy at the center of the deadly U.S. meningitis outbreak, newly released documents showed. The New England Compounding Center (NECC) chastised the FDA for taking so long, telling the agency its response time was nearly 18 months longer than the FDA's average response, according to letters released by a Freedom of Information Act request from Reuters. Since the FDA's December 2006 warning letter to NECC, both sides have come under intense scrutiny. State and federal regulators, including the FDA, are being asked why they didn't move sooner against NECC, given a long history of concerns about the family-owned pharmacy's operations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 34 people have died and 490 have been injured after Framingham, Massachusetts-based NECC shipped thousands of fungus-tainted vials of methylprednisolone acetate to medical facilities throughout the United States. The steroid was typically used to ease back pain. On Tuesday, defense lawyers for NECC's owners told a U.S. District Judge in Boston there was nothing to show they had a direct hand in the cause of the meningit
chefjeff
11-22-2012, 07:16 AM
Why would a monopoly move quickly to solve real problems? One moves quickly to keep out potential competition, but to actually solve a real problem? There is no incentive, really. Jeff Livingston
jimmyg
11-22-2012, 07:45 AM
The Naked Truth About Breast Implants -- How They Can Affect Your Health November 18, 2012 By Dr. Mercola Link to article & video: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/18/dr-kolb-discusses-breast-implants.aspx?e_cid=20121118_SNL_Art_1 video..... Story at-a-glance: Whether you’re a woman who has, or is considering, breast implants, or you have a loved one who is, this interview with Susan Kolb M.D., F.A.C.S., A.B.I.H.M. provides invaluable information that could drastically improve your health. Both silicone and saline breast implants can cause serious health complications if they leak or rupture, either due to the chemicals and toxins in the silicone or implant shell, or due to bacterial and fungal growth. Surgery to remove the compromised implants and surrounding toxic areas can be lifesaving for some women, although the procedure is complex and must be performed by a highly skilled and experienced surgeon. Dr. Kolb explains the “safest” type of breast implant – smooth saline – as well as describes a new stem cell treatment that is undergoing testing, which may represent the future of breast augmentation.
There are many millions of women who receive breast implants for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately many are simply unaware of some of the dangers associated with them. Whether you're a woman who has, or is considering, breast implants, or you have a loved one who is, this interview with Susan Kolb M.D., F.A.C.S., A.B.I.H.M. provides invaluable information that could drastically improve your health. Dr. Kolb is the founder of Plastikos Surgery Center and Millennium Healthcare in Atlanta, Georgia, which is one of the few holistic plastic and reconstructive surgery centers around. She has developed treatment protocols to help women with silicone, chemical, and biotoxicity problems from breast implants, and she also authored the book "The Naked Truth About Breast Implants: From Harm to Healing," which goes into far more detail about breast implant risks, associated illnesses, and what to do about them. As the most common cosmetic surgery procedures, with more than 300,000 breast augmentations performed in the United States each year for both reconstructive and cosmetic reasons,1 this is an issue that is impacting a significant number of, largely uninformed and unsuspecting, women. Silicone Implants are Prone to Leakage of Cancer-Causing, Neurotoxic Agents Any time you introduce a foreign material into your body, there's a potential for problems to develop. Breast implants are no different, and issues can arise from both silicone and saline implants due to both the materials used and the potential for bacteria and fungus to proliferate. Silicone implants may pose a unique risk, as they are prone to leakage. Dr. Kolb shared her own personal experience with leaking silicone implants: "The first symptom involved the chest wall on the left side, none on the right. I had burning pain that went up to my armpit and down my arm. I started having numbness and tingling in my left arm. Fortunately, I'm right-handed. I started developing thoracic outlet syndrome which, for those not familiar with that, is when you have inflammation in your armpit, the main nerve coming out of the chest to the arm can become inflamed and act in a way that you get weakness and numbness, which is a neurological problem. I was actually diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, but it was all completely due to the silicone inflammation in the armpit. I didn't have a rupture, which is fortunate, but I did leak out a great deal of silicone. Then after that, I had very, very interesting symptoms: sinus problems (which almost all the women have), new-onset allergies, new-onset dizziness. Eighty-two percent of women with leaking silicone gel implants had dizziness. It's a neurotoxin. Many of the chemicals that Dow Corning [maker of silicone implants] identified in the trials … are carcinogens, and many are neurotoxins. Oddly enough, the plastic surgeons don't know the list of chemicals that are actually in the gel." Now, as Dr. Kolb explained, these implants do not last a lifetime, so if you have them (whether they're silicone or saline), you can expect to have them removed or replaced in an average of 8-10 years. If you get mammograms or are involved in a car accident or have other trauma to your chest wall, this time frame of relative safety may be even less, and the rate of leakage and rupture is "very high," Dr. Kolb noted. " … typically the engineering data say that this leakage inside the human body will occur between eight to 12 years, or as soon as eight years, which is when mine started," Dr. Kolb said. "It started to leak out and those chemicals, which are neurotoxins, and carcinogens or cancer-causing agents will then affect the women. The neurotoxins will affect the area on the side of the rupture or leakage. For me, it was the left side. In the case of carcinogens, they go into the body, and they can affect a lot of different things. It's very interesting that the carcinogens do not increase the risk of breast cancer. In fact, in women with implants, breast cancer is felt to be four-fold less than women without implants, because of the pressure, the silica, and the cytokines. One of the cytokines that increases in the chest wall is tumor necrosis factor. Breast cancer is actually less common. But other cancers such as lung cancer, colon cancer and pancreatic cancer, and some very nasty cancers are actually increased in women with breast implant problems, according to peer-reviewed literature." Saline Implants May be Just as Dangerous as Silicone Saline implants are made with the same shell as silicone implants, but because they're filled with a saline (saltwater) solution are widely regarded as safer than silicone in the event of a rupture or leak. The problem is that if the valve used to fill the implant is damaged, which can occur during a mammogram or car accident, it can lead to serious problems with bacterial and fungal growth. Dr. Kolb explained: "Once the valve is damaged, especially in certain implants, mold and bacteria can grow inside the implant. If the valve damage causes the implant just to deflate, then the woman will go ahead and get it changed out, and she won't become ill. But in some implants, the valve injury does not cause the fluid to leak out, but can allow bacteria and especially mold and fungus inside the implant. I've had patients who have had inside the saline in this implant a mold called pennicillium growing. Whenever somebody hugged them too hard or even [due to] breast exams … the patient can become very ill, specifically because she was allergic to penicillin. She would have an anaphylactic-type reaction whenever her implant was manipulated. It can be very, very serious. … In general, women who have this … bacterial and mold infection in their chest are deathly ill. The mold produces a biotoxin that's also a neurotoxin. Many of my women come in in wheelchairs. They come in with the diagnosis of MS and lupus together. Fortunately, they have neither. But some of them are incredibly ill. They have severe mental clouding. They can't even have a conversation. They can't hold their head up … Many doctors have said they're going to die, but of course, they find me and come in." Removing Leaking or Ruptured Implants May Save Your Life If you're a woman experiencing health effects from a leaking or ruptured breast implant, having explantation surgery to remove the implants is often extremely effective at resolving the health issues, and this is an area Dr. Kolb specializes in. "Within a week [of explantation surgery], they're up. They're out of their wheelchair. They may still have some cognitive issues to work through, because detoxification of the biotoxins does take some time. But the results are just incredible. I will say that when you do surgery on somebody who has mold in and around their breast implants, you treat them with antifungals, and you do the biotoxin detoxification, because the biotoxin is not the mold. The biotoxin is produced by the mold. It's a tiny molecule that gets on the nerves, causes dysfunction, and is sometimes hard to get out of the body. One quarter of the human population can't get rid of the biotoxin, and that's the portion susceptible to what we call sick building syndrome … Sick building syndrome is just when you get the biotoxin but not necessarily the mold, like in a sick building. They can breathe that in. In my patients, the sick building is actually inside their chest wall, so they can never get away from it. That's the problem with that. But I can get these women with saline implants better quicker than I can a ruptured silicone implant. That's because with silicone the chemicals go all over the body. They actually find silicone in the brain and organs. People cough up silicone. There's silicone coming out of their nose when they blow their nose. There are lesions all over the person's chest and extremities. Those are lesions that scar, and there's silica, sand-like stuff coming out. Those women – I think – have a more rocky course, a longer detoxification. And as you can imagine, those chemical toxins are a lot harder to get out of the body than the biotoxins are." Dr. Kolb also uses a variety of protocols that involve a number of nutraceuticals and homeopathic remedies for additional support, as health issues stemming from breast implant complications can impact your entire body. She explained: "The protocols are actually found at www.Plastikos.com, or you can just Google "silicone immune protocol" or you can just Google my name. It'll come up as well. The protocols are changing … a good protocol is always changing because new things are coming out. We revise the protocols and keep them up on the website. I would encourage people to take a look at the protocols. They've very extensive, though, as there are many different categories which you need to treat. They need something for their immune system; they need something for their endocrine support – because the endocrine system is also taken out, because the entire hypothalamus is taken out. You not only get problems with the adrenals, which are treated with adrenal support. You have problems with sex hormones. You have problems with the thyroid, so their hair falls out, they gain weight, and they have dry skin and constipation, although their thyroid tests are always normal. They also have ADH deficiencies, so they drink and pee all the time. ADH is anti-diuretic hormone, and that allows one to hold on to water. They're not diabetic, but they just drink and pee all the time because of a disruption of the hypothalamus endocrine system. It now occurs both from biotoxins and chemical toxins. Both women with silicone and saline implants generally have these problems." Be Very Careful in Choosing a Surgeon to Address Implant Complications continued......
jimmyg
11-22-2012, 07:45 AM
Personally, if I were a woman and had a breast implant, I would visit Dr. Kolb in Atlanta directly, but obviously not everyone will be able to do this. If you are considering surgery to resolve implant complications, you need to be careful to choose a surgeon that will provide high-quality care. Dr. Kolb shared some guidelines for doing so: "I would advise people to ask a surgeon how many explantation surgeries they've done. Unlike putting implants in, taking them out is very technically difficult, especially if they're under the muscle. There can be a very thin layer of tissue between the lung and the capsule. You have to know how to do this correctly, or you can get what we call pneumothorax or entering into the chest cavity, which is where you're not supposed to be. Surgeons who have not done at least 50 explantations do not know about all the different things you might encounter, and are not comfortable removing the entire capsule. They probably should not be doing the surgery. Leaving the capsule behind is quite dangerous in terms of the patient not getting well. There is not only silicone in that scar capsule, but there's a biofilm of bacteria, fungi, and other elements we don't know. Biofilm is very difficult to treat with anything other than surgery, and women simply don't get well. Many surgeons don't use drains. Surgeons not using drains are not good because that fluid needs to drain out because after all, fluid in the chest wall is a nice warm, dark space that can grow fungus. It can grow bacteria. Women often become way more ill after surgery because their surgeons gave them antibiotics without giving them antifungals. I tell all my patients, "For the rest of your life, you're going to need to take antifungals whenever you take antibiotics." And it's so true." Dr. Kolb advises women to find a holistic integrative-trained physician using HolisticMedicine.org. She continued: "It takes somebody with that kind of training in functional medicine to understand the detoxification programs and … do the correct testing and give the correct protocols. A lot of times, if they can't find a doctor in their area, Dr. Brad Gould, who is a part of Millennium Healthcare and who is a holistic family practice doctor, can do a telephone consult as long as they have a local doctor who can prescribe antifungals and other prescription medicines that may be necessary as part of the protocol." Raynaud's Syndrome Often Associated with Breast Implants Raynaud's syndrome is a rare disorder of the arteries that causes blood vessels to narrow. Typically this occurs in your fingers, but it can also impact your toes, making your hands turn cold, blue and painful. While the cause of Raynaud's is typically thought to be unknown, Dr. Kolb pointed out that it is actually linked to methyl ethyl ketone, a chemical in the shell of breast implants. "Raynaud's is when your hands become very purple and cold especially in cold weather, very blue and painful. This is actually caused because the methyl ethyl ketone in the implant depletes arginine. The treatment for Raynaud's is you do electrolysis detox baths I do it with hands first. Actually, put the hands in this electrolysis bath that takes the methyl ethyl ketone out of the extremities. Then I give them a fairly large dose of arginine. Occasionally, you have to get lysine at another time if they are prone to cold sores, as you know. But in any case, it's very, very important to understand the cause of a disease if you want to treat it. I would say very, very few people know what causes Raynaud's. But I know, because I have worked with countless patients who had methyl ethyl ketone and used it every day and they got severe Raynaud's. I, also like yourself, have a program where I interview experts around the world. I was lucky enough that toxicologists tell me the role of methyl ethyl ketone in Raynaud's." What is the Safest Kind of Breast Implant? If you are going to get breast implants, you may have heard about the newer "gummy bear" silicone implants, in which the silicone stays mostly in one piece, rather than leaking out. But these are not the ideal choice, according to Dr. Kolb, who pointed out that virtually all silicone implants do leak to some degree. There's also a choice between smooth or textured implants, in which the smooth is the better choice because textured implants have been linked to a rare form of lymphoma. She continued: "I have breast implants in myself. I have chosen – because I believe them to be the safest – Allergan smooth saline. Smooth is probably better than textured. The texturing can have more problems with infection, because that is just the nature of the texturing. Any shaped implant is going to be textured. A lot of the reconstruction implants, a lot of the tissue expanders, are going to have the texturing that appears to be associated with this rare form of lymphoma. That's a problem. This will flake off. Even though there's saline inside, this will flake off and get in the lymph nodes. We see it on pathology. I prefer the smooth saline implants." She also explained that, if you're only looking to increase about a cup size and you can wait a while longer, there is a new method of breast augmentation called stem cell fat transfer, which is currently undergoing U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) testing. During this process, fat from your thighs or hips is put through a special process, then re-injected into the breast to promote growth naturally. Once this is available, Dr. Kolb noted that it might be a better option than implants. " … once that is FDA-approved, then that might be – especially if you only want to go about a cup size – something that women would want to wait for. You don't have to have it redone every 10 years. You can have it done more than once if you want. You can go up, say, a B to a C cup. If you want to go up a little bit later on when you put more weight on, you can do that as well." There may, however, be unusual circumstances where implants may actually be preferred, and this would be in women with a very strong family history of breast cancer or who have undergone mastectomy after breast cancer. Dr. Kolb explained: "I would like to say that occasionally, it is very good for a woman who's had breast cancer – mastectomy after breast cancer – to get an implant either put under the muscle, or tissue expander to be put under the muscle and be replaced by an implant, because the pressure, the silica, and the cytokines in the area decrease the risk of local recurrence tremendously. I know this because we have a cancer clinic here and I've treated breast cancer patients doing the mastectomies and reconstruction for over 30 years. It's very rare to see a local recurrence in a reconstructive patient versus someone with a TRAM flap, or where the tissues are moved from somewhere else. In that particular patient and also in a patient who has a very, very strong family history of breast cancer, instead of removing their breast, they might want to get an implant put in and take advantage of the decrease, the four-fold decrease in breast cancer, along with holistic treatments, of course." For Even More Information … If you or a loved one has breast implants, certainly listening to this interview a few times until you understand it at a deep level would be wisely recommended. But I also suggest Dr. Kolb's book, "The Naked Truth About Breast Implants: From Harm to Healing," for even more in-depth information. "For women that are considering breast implants or have breast implants and would want to know more about the maintenance and care of them, they can go to www.TheNakedTruthAboutBreastImplants.com, (http://www.thenakedtruthaboutbreastimplants.com/) and there read the table of contents of the book, as well as the foreword by Dr. Douglas Shanklin. Dr. Shanklin was the premier silicone researcher and he wrote the foreword to the book – very interesting information there. And then, read the book. The book has the scientific information that I have figured out to date, including a large amount of peer-reviewed literature. It includes a large amount of the clinical material that I have figured out to date. Of course, we're always figuring out more information, and we're trying to put that up on the website when we are able to find that out."
chefjeff
11-22-2012, 08:20 AM
The Naked Truth About Breast Implants -- How They Can Affect Your Health .. THAT'S THE FINAL STRAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr. Moderator, TEAR DOWN THIS THREAD!!!!!!!!!!! Jeff Livingston
jimmyg
11-23-2012, 08:29 AM
The Truth About Eggs – What Commercial Egg Farmers Don’t Want You to Know November 21, 2012 Link to article & videos: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/21/truth-about-commercial-egg-farming.aspx?e_cid=20121121_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Mercola Video....
Story at-a-glance: The Humane Society released an undercover video showing horrific conditions at a CAFO (confined animal feeding operation) in Pennsylvania housing seven million hens, including filth and overcrowding and apparently untended dead birds The raising of massive numbers of egg-laying hens indoors and in cages in huge commercial operations has detrimental effects on the birds, the environment, the eggs, and ultimately on your health; research proves salmonella contamination is related to these adverse conditions The Humane Society is endorsing and promoting new animal handling legislation specific to the egg industry. The Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012 (H.R. 3798), which proposes a new housing system that would double the space allotted for each hen, is supported by the United Egg Producers, and has a total of 53 sponsors The solution lies in raising animals naturally and sustainably, as modeled by pioneering farmer Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, expert and author of several books on the subject You can be part of the solution by obtaining your eggs from a local farmer who raises them humanely and sustainably, understanding your egg carton labels, and possibly even raising your own chickens
A massive scale egg producer in Pennsylvania has made the news for inhumane treatment of chickens and unsanitary conditions. Kreider Farms, which houses seven million hens, appears to be the next sickening example of what allegedly happens behind the scenes at CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations). The Humane Society recently released an undercover video that exposes the horrific conditions endured by the birds in this operation. This includes filthy living conditions, overcrowding with up to 11 birds per cage, dead birds apparently left untended, and a severe fly infestation capable of spreading salmonella across the chicken population. The worker capturing the video reports mummified corpses were lying on the ground under other hens that were laying eggs. Kreider Farm's owner, Dave Andrews, claims the allegations are false and that three state agencies have given the farm a clean bill of health. He did admit, however, that one of the farm's buildings tested positive for salmonella but has since been cleaned up. This egg industry news comes on the heels of a number of egg recalls, including a massive one in 2010 in which the feds recalled 550 million eggs when officials found samples of salmonella matching a strain linked to an outbreak in the feed and barns of one Iowa egg producer.1 It was further revealed that the Iowa egg producer knew about his salmonella problem months before the outbreak, which sickened nearly 2,000 people... but he continued to sell them, nonetheless.2 Another salmonella outbreak associated with live poultry from a mail-order hatchery in Idaho sickened 37 people in 11 states.3 It's no mystery why these diseases take hold in henneries. Massive numbers of chickens in deplorable living conditions become stressed, then become sick and contaminated, spreading illness up the food chain. And the next step up the food chain is you. Proof that Salmonella Contamination can be Related to Farm Conditions The raising of egg-laying hens indoors and in cages in ever larger commercial operations has detrimental effects on animal welfare, the environment, and the nutritional value of the eggs. The size of the hens' confinement space is directly related to salmonella risk: the smaller the space, the higher the r sk of contam nat on. A 2010 Br t sh study4 found that eggs from hens conf ned to cages, as they often are n CAFOs, had 7.7 t mes greater odds of harbor ng sa mone a bacter a than eggs from non-caged hens. Another study found that wh e more than 23 percent of farms w th caged hens tested pos t ve for sa mone a, th s dropped to ust over four percent for organ c, .e. free-range pastured f ocks. The h ghest preva ence of sa mone a occurred n the argest f ocks (30,000 b rds or more), wh ch conta ned over four t mes the average eve of sa mone a found n sma er f ocks. Inhumane Treatment of Hens Cha enged by Proposed Leg s at on When I say " nsuff c ent space," that s rea y an understatement. Many egg- ay ng hens are conf ned to cages w th fewer square nches than one sheet of notebook paper – too sma for them to even stand up stra ght or ra se a w ng – wh ch prevents them from engag ng n natura se f-comfort ng behav ors, such as stretch ng, preen ng or bath ng. The b rds are further stressed because they are prevented from bu d ng nests. Instead, the r eggs drop through cage w res for co ect on, resu t ng n great frustrat on. Constant ay ng eaches ca c um from the r bones, so they can get severe osteoporos s, ead ng to pa n and broken bones (known as Cage Layer Fat gue5). They a so exper ence n ur es from stand ng n one p ace the r ent re ves, on w res that eventua y cut nto the r feet. Stress- nduced ma adapt ve behav ors, such as n ur ous peck ng and cann ba zat on, soon fo ow. Comp cat ons ar s ng from these abysma cond t ons ead CAFO operators to resort to a number of nhumane pract ces. For examp e: A pa nfu mut at on of baby ch cks ca ed debeak ng (or "beak tr mm ng") s performed n order to prevent n ur ous peck ng and cann ba sm Hens are starved for the purpose of forc ng them to mo t, wh ch forces them to ay eggs onger than norma Ma e ch cks are destroyed (usua y nhumane y) because they re of no use to the egg ndustry Sparked by the Kre der Farms v deo, the Humane Soc ety s endors ng and promot ng new an ma hand ng eg s at on spec f c to the egg ndustry. The Egg Products Inspect on Act Amendments of 2012 (H.R. 3798)6, proposed n January, s supported both by the Humane Soc ety and the Un ted Egg Producers, and has a tota of 53 sponsors. The b , wh ch proposes a new hous ng system that wou d doub e the space each hen s a otted, has the meat ndustry n a t zzy, as t represents str cter overs ght of how vestock and pou try producers ra se and care for the r an ma s. Eggs from Pasture-Ra sed Hens Proven Super or W thout quest on, th s eg s at on s very mportant and ong overdue. But there s someth ng you can do r ght now to mprove your own hea th and the ves of these an ma s, w thout hav ng to wa t for the eg s at ve process to unfo d. You can buy your eggs from farmers who ra se happy, hea thy ch ckens the natura way... wh ch a ows ch ckens to express the r "ch ckenness" – as Joe Sa at n, a p oneer n susta nab e agr cu ture, wou d say! In add t on to be ng better for the env ronment, eggs from pastured hens are a so nutr t ona y super or, as demonstrated n Mother Earth News 2007 egg test ng pro ect. Compared to off c a U.S. Department of Agr cu ture (USDA) nutr ent data for commerc a eggs, eggs from hens ra sed on pasture and a owed to free y forage outdoors may conta n: Two-th rds more v tam n A Tw ce as many omega-3 fats Three t mes as much v tam n E Seven t mes more beta carotene Eggs conta n some of the h ghest qua ty prote n you can eat, as we as benef c a fats, v tam ns, m nera s, and ant ox dants. Two raw egg yo ks conta n near y tw ce as many ant ox dants as an app e, but be aware that cook ng them w reduce that by ha f. Cook ng your eggs can a so ncrease your ke hood of deve op ng an egg a ergy. Heat ng the egg prote n actua y changes ts chem ca shape, and th s d stort on can eas y ead to a erg es. If you consume your eggs n the r raw state, the nc dence of egg a ergy v rtua y d sappears. I a so be eve eat ng eggs raw he ps preserve many of the h gh y per shab e nutr ents such as ute n and zeaxanth n, wh ch are powerfu prevent on nutr ents for age-re ated macu ar degenerat on, the most common cause of b ndness. Beware of consum ng raw egg wh tes w thout the yo ks as raw egg wh tes conta n av d n, wh ch can b nd to b ot n. If you cook the egg wh te, then the av d n s not an ssue. L kew se, f you consume the who e egg raw (both yo k and egg wh te), there s more than enough b ot n n the yo k to compensate for the av d n b nd ng. If you choose to cook your eggs, then soft-bo ed wou d be your best opt on. Scramb ng your eggs s one of the worst ways to eat eggs as t actua y ox d zes the cho estero n the egg yo k. If you have h gh cho estero th s may actua y be a prob em as the ox d zed cho estero may cause some damage n your body. How to Ra se Hea thy, Happy Ch ckens Joe Sa at n of Po yface Farms s a p oneer n susta nab e agr cu ture and has mastered the art of ra s ng hea thy, happy ch ckens that produce outstand ng eggs. I recent y v s ted Joe Sa at n at h s farm n V rg n a. He pract ces the oca , susta nab e mode of food product on, wh ch s n stark contrast to the more preva ent mode of arge-sca e mass food product on that s seen today. The "b gger s better" food system has reached a po nt where ts fundamenta weaknesses are becom ng apparent, and foodborne d sease and oss of nutr ent content are ust two of the most obv ous consequences. v deo.... The quest on s, what k nd of food system do YOU want? If every Amer can dec ded to not eat at a fast food restaurant tomorrow, the ent re system wou d co apse overn ght. It doesn t take an act of Congress to change the food system. A that s requ red s for each and every person to change h s or her shopp ng hab ts. Beware of M s ead ng C a ms on Your Egg Carton Labe s You can t a ways te everyth ng about the qua ty of your eggs or the treatment of the hens that produced them by read ng your egg carton abe . In fact, egg abe s have become qu te confus ng. Descr ptors ke "natura " and "cage-free" make eggs sound ke they came from happy tt e ch ckens runn ng about n a ush f e d, eat ng bugs and dande ons ke Sa at n s ch ckens at Po yface Farms. But that s rare y the case, un ess those eggs came from a sma , oca farm pract c ng susta nab e farm ng. If you can t v s t your egg farm or meet w th the farmer face to face, then you can at east choose your eggs based on some factua nformat on. The Humane Soc ety7 has out ned some of the most common egg carton c a ms and cert f cat ons and what they actua y nd cate, wh ch I ve summar zed n the fo ow ng chart. A so check out the Cornucop a Inst tute s Organ c Egg Scorecard that rates egg manufacturers based on 22 cr ter a, and see how our brand measures up. An ma We fare Approved = Cage-free and have cont nuous access to outdoors; can engage n natura nest ng, perch ng; a owed to mo t natura y; space requ rements for nest ng and perch ng; debeak ng proh b ted D et= Organ c GEfree food encouraged but not requ red; ant b ot cs a owed f b rd temporar y removed from operat ons Trust = Yes. Humane Soc ety regards as h ghest an ma we fare standard of any th rd-party program; annua aud ts Cert f ed Humane = Cage free env ronment but not necessar y outdoors; adequate space must be a owed for natura scratch ng and perch ng D et = Free of an ma byproducts, ant b ot cs, growth promoters, arsen c; ant b ot cs on y under superv s on of vet Trust= Yes. But standards a b t ess str ngent than An ma We fare Approved Amer can Humane Cert f ed = Cage conf nement and cage-free systems a owed; so-ca ed "furn shed" cages are on y the s ze of a ega sheet of paper; forced mo t ng proh b ted but debeak ng a owed. D et = No restr ct ons. Trust = Yes. However, the a owed cages are proven detr menta to these b rds and are opposed by near y every an ma we fare group Food A ance Cert f ed = Cage-free and free access to outdoors or natura day ght; must be ab e to nest and perch; space dens ty spec f ed; forced mo t ng proh b ted but debeak ng a owed. D et = No restr ct ons. Trust = Yes. Comp ance ver f ed through th rd-party aud ts Cont nued.....
jimmyg
11-23-2012, 08:30 AM
Un ted Egg Producers Cert f ed = Perm ts rout ne crue and nhumane factory farm pract ces; 67 square nches per b rd; cannot nest or perch or even spread the r w ngs; forced mo t ng proh b ted but debeak ng a owed. D et = No restr ct ons. Trust = Yes. Comp ance ver f ed through th rd-party aud ts Cert f ed Organ c =: Uncaged ns de barn or warehouse, w th outdoor access, but durat on s poor y def ned; debeak ng and forced mo t ng a owed. D et = Organ c d et free from ant b ot cs or pest c des. Trust = Yes. Comp ance ver f ed through th rd-party aud ts. Omega-3 Enr ched =: May be caged. D et = Hens fed ncreased omega-3s from f axseeds, f sh o or a gae. Trust = Maybe. Type of omega-3 nfer or to benef c a EPA/DHA you d get from f sh or kr o ; pastured eggs have far super or omega-3 fat prof e. Pastured: = Often housed on grass and n portab e she ters for access to fresh grasses and bugs. D et = BEST natura d et poss b e, b o og ca y dea . Trust = Maybe, f you know the farmer and h s pract ces (no th rd-party nspect on) Cage-free =: Uncaged ns de barns or warehouses, but no access to outdoors; can engage n wa k ng, nest ng, spread ng the r w ngs; debeak ng a owed. D et = No restr ct ons. Trust = No. Lacks th rd party aud t ng Free-Rang ng or Free-Roam ng: = Ch ckens a owed outs de, but for no spec f ed ength of t me; debeak ng and forced mo t ng a owed. D et = No restr ct ons. Trust = No. Lacks ndependent th rd party cert f cat on, so anyone can use th s abe Natura : = Means abso ute y noth ng; may be ra sed n nhumane cond t ons. D et = Hens may be pumped fu of ant b ot cs, fed GE corn or soy, or contam nated w th arsen c. Trust = No! Resources for F nd ng Pastured Organ c Eggs Near You One of the best ways to ensure you re gett ng the h ghest qua ty eggs s sourc ng your eggs from a oca farmer who pract ces susta nab e agr cu ture and ra ses ch ckens humane y. Every state has a core susta nab e agr cu ture organ zat on or b o og ca farm ng organ zat on support ng the farmers n that state. There are a so ncreas ng numbers of "eat oca " and "buy oca " d rector es that st farms n your part cu ar geograph c area. The fo ow ng organ zat ons may he p you ocate farm-fresh foods c ose to home: Loca Harvest: Th s webs te w he p you f nd farmers markets, fam y farms, and other sources of susta nab y grown food n your area A ternat ve Farm ng Systems Informat on Center: Commun ty Supported Agr cu ture (CSA) Farmers Markets: A nat ona st ng of farmers markets. Eat We Gu de: Who esome Food from Hea thy An ma s: A free on ne d rectory of susta nab y ra sed meat, pou try, da ry, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, nns, and hote s, and on ne out ets n the Un ted States and Canada. Commun ty Invo ved n Susta n ng Agr cu ture (CISA): CISA s ded cated to susta n ng agr cu ture and promot ng sma farms. FoodRoutes: He ps you connect w th oca farmers to f nd the freshest, tast est food poss b e. On the r nteract ve "F nd Good Food" map, you f nd st ngs for oca farmers, CSA s, and markets near you. If you re a farmer or nterested n becom ng one, I suggest read ng some of the books Joe Sa at n has authored, such as The Sheer Ecstasy of Be ng a Lunat c Farmer. You m ght a so want to nvest gate a number of he pfu organ zat ons I have sted on my Susta nab e Agr cu ture page. The Po yFace Farms webs te a so offers a wea th of nformat on and resources for farmers and consumers a ke, nc ud ng an on ne store where you can obta n the actua phys ca hardware to make everyth ng from fences to ch cken feeders. Ra s ng your own ch ckens and eggs sn t as d ff cu t as you m ght th nk, and there are amp e resources out there. It may take a tt e t me and effort, but t s we worth t. Joe s s ogan s: "We re hea ng the and one b te at a t me." My thought s, you can hea your body one b te at a t me as we , f you prov de t w th the h ghest qua ty foods poss b e.
jimmyg
11-24-2012, 08:12 AM
Pub c Hea th Group Adopts Contrad ctory Pos t ons on Mercury art c e & v deo: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/11/20/mercury-po ut on.aspx?e_c d=20121120_DNL_art_1 Dr. Merco a v deo...... A pre m nary vote endors ng the cont nued use of denta ama gam has put the spot ght on the Amer can Pub c Hea th Assoc at on (APHA), s nce t has ong recogn zed the harm to the env ronment and pub c hea th of mercury re eases. The mportance of APHA gett ng t r ght on the ssue of denta mercury cannot be overstated, and th s atest about-face has many scratch ng the r heads, wonder ng how they cou d get t so wrong... The Assoc at on s the on y progress ve mu t -d sc p nary organ zat on ded cated to pub c hea th n the US, represent ng more than 60,000 hea th care workers. It has been an mportant organ zat on for the va dat on of many of our env ronmenta hea th reso ut ons over the ast 20 years. Its nf uence can a so be fe t nternat ona y. As one of the argest pub c hea th assoc at ons t has great nf uence w th n the Wor d Federat on of Pub c Hea th Assoc at ons, so ts pos t on on th s ssue w be v ewed as a broad pronouncement about what s good for the pub c s hea th not ust w th n the Un ted States, but a so abroad. A of th s makes APHA s recent po cy statement, reported by Dent stryIQ1, so profound y d sturb ng: "The Amer can Denta Assoc at on supports the Amer can Pub c Hea th Assoc at on s recent po cy statement aff rm ng that denta ama gam s safe and effect ve n treat ng denta cav t es." The APHA po cy notes that ama gam s contr but on to env ronmenta mercury contam nat on s m n ma , and that m t ng or curta ng ts ava ab ty cou d have negat ve hea th consequences, part cu ar y n ow- ncome areas, the featured art c e reports. Members are urg ng the assoc at on to reconc e ts contrad ctory pos t ons before a f na vote on the reso ut on ear y next year. But et s be c ear, f th s reso ut on passes, t w keep dent stry f rm y odged n the proverb a stone age; put count ess peop e s hea th at r sk (espec a y the poor and a ready underpr v eged); and perpetuate s gn f cant env ronmenta destruct on. Denta schoo s such as the New York Un vers ty Co ege of Dent stry, wh ch recent y dec ded to stop recommend ng mercury ama gam f ngs as the defau t route of treatment, may have to d tch such not ons and return to teach ng the barbar c use of neurotox c mercury rather than modern a ternat ves. ADA s Act ve Effort to Avo d Po ut on Contro Regu at on Denta ama gam s a pr m t ve, po ut ng product — an ant quated remnant from the C v War era — wh ch s composed of about 50 percent mercury, a we -known neurotox n. Once re eased nto the env ronment, denta mercury converts to methy mercury and contam nates f sh, wh ch are the argest d etary source of mercury n the U.S. The env ronmenta mpact of denta mercury s mp y cannot be over ooked. The ch ef sponsor and endorser of the APHA reso ut on s the Amer can Denta Assoc at on (ADA), a former patent-ho der of ama gam that represents one fact on of dent stry. Known for ts m dn ght dea -mak ng2 — such as w th the U.S. Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA) n 2008 n avo d ng po ut on contro regu at on -- the ADA appears on the verge of pu ng off a s m ar stunt aga n. Appear ng at the APHA meet ng ast month, reso ut on n hand, ADA obby sts presented a sequence of fa sehoods to APHA eaders n the reso ut on they he ped draft. The reso ut on c a ms that mercury f ngs contr but on to overa mercury po ut on s "neg g b e" — when n rea ty, dent sts are the number one purchaser of mercury n Amer ca for product use and the number one po uter of mercury nto mun c pa waste water. W APHA, L ke the ADA, Cont nue to Ignore the Sc ence? Contrary to ADA c a ms, a recent report from the Wor d Hea th Organ zat on3 (WHO) states that the amount of denta mercury enter ng the env ronment s "s gn f cant." And contrary to APHA s recommendat on that "denta profess ona s cont nue the use of denta ama gam as a restorat ve mater a ," the WHO report ca s for a "phas ng-down" of denta ama gam use. It even says "WHO w fac tate the work for a sw tch n use of denta mater a s." WHO noted the fo ow ng three reasons for the new pos t on: Ama gam re eases a "s gn f cant amount of mercury" nto the env ronment, ..... "When re eased from denta ama gam use nto the env ronment through these pathways, mercury s transported g oba y and depos ted. Mercury re eases may then enter the human food cha n espec a y v a f sh consumpt on." WHO determ nes that ama gam ra ses "genera hea th concerns": Wh e the report acknow edged that a few denta trade groups st be eve ama gam s safe for a , the WHO report reached a very d fferent conc us on: "Ama gam has been assoc ated w th genera hea th concerns." The report observed: "Accord ng to the Norweg an Denta B omater a s Adverse React on Un t, the ma or ty of cases of s de-effects of denta f ng mater a s are nked w th denta ama gam." WHO conc uded "mater a s a ternat ve to denta ama gam are ava ab e" and c ted stud es nd cat ng they are super or to ama gam. For examp e, WHO sa d "recent data suggest that RBCs [res n-based compos tes] perform equa y we " as ama gam. And denta restorat ve mater a s have a h gher surv va rate, says WHO, c t ng a study f nd ng that 95 percent of denta restorat ve mater a s and 92 percent of ama gams surv ve after 4 years. In part cu ar, WHO exp a ned that "A ternat ve restorat ve mater a s of suff c ent qua ty are ava ab e for use n the dec duous [baby] dent t on of ch dren" – the popu at on whose deve op ng neuro og ca systems are most suscept b e to the neurotox c effects of denta mercury. Perhaps more mportant than the surv va of the f ng, WHO asserted that: "Adhes ve res n mater a s a ow for ess tooth destruct on and, as a resu t, a onger surv va of the tooth tse f." The report a so nc uded ment on of the known tox c effects of mercury exposure, stat ng: "Mercury s h gh y tox c and harmfu to hea th. Approx mate y 80 percent of nha ed mercury vapor s absorbed n the b ood through the ungs, caus ng damage to ungs, k dneys and the nervous, d gest ve, resp ratory and mmune systems. Hea th effects from excess ve mercury exposure nc ude tremors, mpa red v s on and hear ng, para ys s, nsomn a, emot ona nstab ty, deve opmenta def c ts dur ng feta deve opment, and attent on def c t and deve opmenta de ays dur ng ch dhood." What s the True Cost of Denta Ama gam? Equa y m ss ng n the APHA reso ut on s any ment on of ama gam s true cost, when env ronmenta expenses are factored. The pr ce of ama gam s ower than ts ma n a ternat ve, compos te, so e y because the po uters, the pro-mercury dent sts, are not pay ng for the externa zed mpacts they cause. As an author tat ve econom cs study4 shows that when the env ronmenta costs of ama gam are tota ed, ama gam s true costs are as much as $77 per f ng more than compos te. In add t on to the WHO, a recent report created by the BIO Inte gence Serv ce (BIO) for the EC recommends phas ng out denta ama gam and mercury n button ce batter es by 2018 n order to protect the env ronment from cont nued devastat ng harm. Accord ng to the authors, denta ama gam s "a s gn f cant contr butor to overa EU env ronmenta em ss ons of mercury from human act v t es." The s tuat on s dent ca n the US. The report, t t ed: Study on the Potent a for Reduc ng Mercury Po ut on from Denta Ama gams and Batter es6, h gh ghts the extens ve eco og ca harm caused by denta mercury, and the subsequent hea th mpact on w d fe and humans: "The current eve s of mercury po ut on n the EU are such that a the EU popu at on s exposed to mercury above the natura background eve and certa n popu at on groups such as h gh- eve f sh consumers, women of ch dbear ng age and ch dren are sub ect to h gh r sk eve s, pr nc pa y due to the r h gh exposure and/or h gh vu nerab ty to mercury n the form of methy mercury, wh ch s ngested through the d et. Th s presents a r sk of negat ve mpacts on hea th, n part cu ar affect ng the nervous system and d m n sh ng nte ectua capac ty. There are a so env ronmenta r sks, for examp e the d sturbance of m crob o og ca act v ty n so s and harm to w d fe popu at ons. The effects of mercury re eases on the ntegr ty of the ecosystem are substant a . Var ous spec es, espec a y eag es, oons, k ngf shers, ospreys, b ses, r ver otters, m nk and others that re y on f sh for a arge part of the r d et, have been observed to suffer adverse hea th and/or behav ora effects. Observed d sorders such as effects on the musc es and nervous system, reduced or a tered mat ng hab ts, ab ty to reproduce, ra se offspr ng, catch food and avo d predators have been demonstrated to affect nd v dua an ma v ab ty and overa popu at on stab ty. Accord ng to ca cu at ons based on the cr t ca oad concept, more than 70 percent of the European ecosystem area s est mated to be at r sk today due to mercury, w th cr t ca oads of mercury exceeded n arge parts of western, centra and southern Europe." Wor d-W de, Governments are Ca ng for the Phase Out of Ama gam As an organ zat on based n the Un ted States, Consumers for Denta Cho ce has worked to educate ts own government about denta mercury po ut on and the many mercury-free a ternat ves to ama gam. In March of ast year, the r d gence pa d off, as the U.S. government, n ts off c a subm ss on to UNEP s mercury treaty negot at ons, ca ed for both the "eventua phase out" of ama gam and prompt "phase down" steps, nc ud ng many of our recommendat ons, such as: "Educat ng pat ents and parents" "Protect ng ch dren and fetuses" "Tra n ng of denta profess ona s on the env ronmenta mpacts of mercury n denta ama gams" From a government whose dev ce regu ator (FDA) had prev ous y refused to educate the pub c about ama gam s mercury content or take any steps to protect vu nerab e popu at ons, t was a we come – even spectacu ar – deve opment for the cause of mercury-free dent stry. Other governments from around the wor d qu ck y o ned the push for mercury-free dent stry, nc ud ng the Arab League, the Afr can reg on, the Counc of Europe, and numerous other deve op ng nat ons. ADA s Se f Serv ng Interests Com ng to L ght Desp te a th s progress, the ADA st succeeded n ramm ng the reso ut on through APHA, c a m ng that t was a ate breaker" ssue that warranted fast track ng, overcom ng ob ect ons that t be w thdrawn. Opponents argued that noth ng had occurred s nce the reso ut on dead ne (2/15/12) to ust fy " ate break ng" status7 — and nstead the reso ut on shou d be resubm tted through the norma po cy next year where t wou d be more fu y vetted. Ob ect on to the reso ut on ns de APHA was f erce, w th oppos t on expressed at both the pub c hear ng and the Govern ng Counc meet ng. Both the Env ronment, Occupat ona , and Materna and Ch d Hea th sect ons urged a No vote. But the ADA po t ca mach ne won the day, crow ng afterwards that APHA reso ut on (that the ADA he ped draft) "further v nd cates the ADA s own ong-stand ng and sc ent f ca y based po cy." ADA s se f-serv ng nterests are now on y beg nn ng to come to ght as more APHA members become better nformed. In add t on, some be eve the ADA s now us ng APHA s reso ut on as a way to dera the g oba WHO s new po cy to "phase down" ama gam — and nf uence negot ators who are cons der ng ncorporat ng the WHO po cy nto a g oba ega y b nd ng treaty on mercury8 when they meet for the f na t me n Geneva n m d-January. We knew the Wor d Denta Federat on was determ ned to protect ama gam to the b tter end... et s hope APHA doesn t g ve them the "ace" they need to e m nate denta mercury from the negot at ons. Jo n the Campa gn for Mercury-Free Dent stry! APHA st has t me to undo ts m stake. The f na dec s on does not come unt February. Consumers for Denta Cho ce eads the batt e for mercury-free dent stry both n the US and wor dw de. ...... Donat ons can be made on ne here. Checks can be ma ed to: Consumers for Denta Cho ce 316 F St., N.E., Su te 210 Wash ngton DC 20002
jimmyg
11-25-2012, 07:33 AM
9 Benef ts of Dr nk ng Natura Coconut Water http://farm9.stat cf ckr.com/8049/8101118298_00f5b0398e. pg Posted by L ve n the Now coconut 3Th s mag ca tt e fru t s becom ng more and more popu ar as a hea th trend and there are some great reasons why. The coconut p ant be ongs to the Arecaceae fam y of pa m trees and each nut may conta n anywhere between 200 to 1000 m of water. Th s e x r of fe s ow n fat but packs qu te a punch n v tam ns, m nera s and other nutr ents. Check out the top 10 benef ts from dr nk ng coconut water to see why you too shou d be stock ng up. 1. Boost your energy: K ck that coffee or co a hab t when search ng for a qu ck o t wh e at the off ce. Wh e not a st mu ant, the abundance of v tam ns and e ectro ytes n a serv ng of coconut water he ps boost your bod es energy eve s natura y. Qu t re y ng on h gh y caffe nated dr nks packed w th sugar, and opt for a onger ast ng, hea th er way to power through your day. 2. F ght dehydrat on: After a ong and exhaust ng day n the sun or a tax ng workout, coconut water he ps rep en sh your body w th potass um and other essent a m ntera s. Coconut water a so he ps regu ate our nterna f u ds and rep en sh and rehydrate our bod es. After a tough workout or a bout w th the stomach f u, coconut water can work wonders on rehydrat ng. 3. Turn back t me: Sure, coconut water can t he p you t me trave , but the cytok n ns n coconut water, accord ng to researchers, have shown hea th benef ts such as ant -ag ng, ant -carc nogen c, and ant -thrombot c effects. En oy a g ass of coconut water to he p your body age more gracefu y and beaut fu y. 4. Improve your metabo sm: Coconut water s a so r ch n natura y present b oact ve enzymes that ass st n ncreas ng your metabo sm and a d ng the body n d gest on. 5. Recover from d gest ve troub e: The e ectro yte potass um n coconut water w not treat d arrhea, but t w he p the body recover from a bout of oose stoo s. The h gh concentrat on of potass um and sod um are effect ve e ectro ytes that w rep en sh your body and he p you recover and fee better faster. 6. Support hea thy potass um eve s: Wh e many peop e ove the tr ed and true, good o d banana, coconut water s another r ch source of potass um, wh ch s cr t ca n ma nta n ng nerve and musc e funct on. Of course, you never want to take fru ts and vegg es out of your d et, but t s a n ce way to get a so d punch of potass um when you need t. 7. D tch the soft dr nks: Sure, good o d water s a must-consume stap e n everyone s d et but, f you ever get a crav ng for someth ng w th a b t of f avor, or a r cher n cons stency, coconut water s another opt on that w quench your th rst and sat sfy your hydrat on needs. By no means shou d you ever stop dr nk ng water, but when n the mood for a b t of that de c ous nutty f avor, you can ndu ge w thout the gu t of a the added sugar and ngred ents n co as and sodas. 8. Fee fu er: Wh e Coconut water r d you of ce u te, t does he p sat ate hunger after dr nk ng a n ce b g g ass of t. As a ow fat opt on beverage, t s a great “ n-between mea s” snack that can keep you sat sf ed unt your next mea . 9. De ght your taste buds: If you en oy coconut water, and t s smooth, refresh ng nutty f avor, then d g n! As most fru ts and vegetab es the coconut s a so r ch n v tam ns and nutr ents so the more you en oy t the better. A sma s de note s that to rece ve a the amaz ng goodness that coconut water has to offer, t needs to be consumed very short y after be ng exposed to a r. Th s makes for a conven ent ow ca or e beverage n ocat ons that can grow fresh coconuts year round. Remember noth ng s a subst tute for hea thy cho ces, hea thy foods, and regu ar exerc se. En oy the great benef ts of coconut water today.
jimmyg
11-26-2012, 06:38 AM
Th s Thanksg v ng Stap e May Ward Off Cancer http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/11/turkey-400x297. pg Posted by K mber y Day Most peop e have pretty strong fee ngs about the r Thanksg v ng mea . It a most a ways nc udes turkey, fo owed c ose y by stuff ng, mashed potatoes, and some k nd of vegetab e cassero e. And, of course, pumpk n p e. Then there s the somet mes controvers a ssue of the humb e cranberry. Some ke t canned and ge at nous, wh e others ke the homemade var ety. And some don t ke t a . L tt e does th s group know what they are m ss ng out on. Not ust the great taste of cranberr es, but the amaz ng hea th benef ts that seem to be packed nto th s unassum ng tt e berry. Berry Benef c a Cranberry s most often stud ed and recommended for treat ng ur nary tract nfect ons (UTIs). In fact, t has been become a most commonp ace to use cranberry u ce and cranberry supp ements to prevent UTIs caused by E. co bacter a. G ven th s accepted use of cranberry to treat a bacter a nfect on, t s no surpr se that add t ona stud es have shown the berry s power to treat bacter a-based per odonta d seases, as we as H. py or , a bacter a that has been nked to u cers and even stomach cancer. But t s th s cancer t e that rea y has researchers atw tter. Turns out cranberr es conta n a r ch store of po ypheno s, wh ch are nutr ents that have amaz ng ant ox dant benef ts. P us, they have severa other phytochem ca s known to he p treat and prevent cancer. But how do they work aga nst cancer? That s exact y what one researcher from the Un vers ty of Massachusetts-Dartmouth set out to d scover. Cranberr es and Cancer Prevent on After rev ew ng near y 40 d fferent stud es on cranberr es and cancer, the author found that there are three ma n phytochem ca s that seem to be respons b e for cranberry s ant -cancer power: Proanthocyan d ns (powerfu ant ox dants) Anthocyan ns (ant -cancer, ant - nf ammatory) Urso c ac d (ant - nf ammatory, ant -pro ferat ve) In v tro stud es (th nk n the ab) have shown that proanthocyan d ns (PACs) have b ocked the growth of cancer n human ung ce s, co on ce s, and eukem a ce s. S m ar n v tro stud es have found that PACs nduce ce death, part cu ar y w th breast cancer, co on cancer, bra n cancer (of the g a ce s), ora cancer, ovar an cancer, prostate cancer and esophagea cancer ce s. The anthocyan ns found n cranberr es appear to reduce nf ammat on, wh ch s common y assoc ated w th cancer r sk. Add t ona y, these anthocyan ns have been shown to b ock an enzyme (orn th ne decarboxy ase) that s known to promote cancer growth. P us, anthocyan ns m t ang ogenes s, or the growth of new b ood vesse s. Th s s mportant because cancer needs th s growth to spread. But the rea hero n cranberr es ust may be urso c ac d. Th s tt e-known nutr ent has been shown to be cytotox c toward cancer ce s. In fact, an n v tro study found that PACs and urso c ac d from cranberr es brought on ce death n co on cancer ce s. But, more prom s ng, s that an n v vo study found that urso c ac d decreased the s ze, we ght, and eventua y presence of breast cancer ce s n m ce. Back to the D nner Tab e G ven the known power of cranberr es to f ght bacter a and nfect on, and the prom s ng research surround ng cancer and th s tt e berry, t on y makes sense to have cranberr es p ay a arger ro e n our d et. But the form matters. I m not ta k ng about e ed or fresh (we get to that n a m nute); I m ta k ng berry versus u ce. In short, sk p the u ce. Not on y s t often sweetened, but the who e fru t has a h gher amount of urso c ac d than the u ce. Now, back to fresh versus e ed. Wh e e ed s better than u ced, you st have the sugar ssue. So, for your Thanksg v ng Day tab e (and throughout the year), th nk berry. To he p nsp re you, I ve nc uded one of my favor te cranberry rec pes. En oy! http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/11/zestuous. pg nk: Zesruous.com (http://www.zestuous.com/2011/11/homemade-cranberry-sauce/)
jimmyg
11-26-2012, 12:12 PM
Potent “Superfoods” That Can Improve Your Hea th and Increase Longev ty http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/November/superfoods. pg November 22, 2012 By Dr. Merco a Story at-a-g ance: Rep ac ng processed foods w th “superfoods” may he p you shed we ght more effort ess y, wh e promot ng opt ma hea th and ongev ty 10 potent “superfoods” nc ude w d-caught sa mon, brocco , sp nach, berr es, green tea, avocados, bone broth, fermented vegetab es, coconut o , and macadam a nuts Wh e common y promoted as “superfoods,” ow-fat yoghurt, unfermented soy products and dr ed fru ts are best avo ded, as they tend to have more harmfu than benef c a hea th effects for most peop e Recent research found that regu ar green tea consumpt on, def ned as dr nk ng green tea at east three t mes a week for more than s x months, was assoc ated w th a 17 percent reduced r sk of a d gest ve cancers comb ned. H gher tea consumpt on was assoc ated w th even greater r sk reduct on
One of your most bas c hea th pr nc p es s to eat a d et of who e, nutr t ous foods rather than processed fare. Cutt ng out gra ns and sugar (part cu ar y fructose) — wh ch happens more or ess natura y once you d tch processed foods from your d et — w take you a ong way toward norma z ng your we ght and mprov ng your hea th. But what are the best foods to eat n p ace of foods you shou dn t eat? In her new book The Drop 10 D et, Lucy Danz ger, ed tor- n-ch ef of Se f Magaz ne, descr bes how focus ng on so-ca ed "superfoods" m ght change the way you ook at we ght oss. And she certa n y has a good po nt. Feed ng your body the r ght nutr ents rather than stuff ng t w th "empty" ca or es w beannot on y he p you ose unwanted pounds, t s a key ngred ent for v ng a ong and hea thy fe. Be eve t or not, many peop e who are obese area actua y profound y ma nour shed. "At the end of the day, you nvest n your wardrobe and your ha r and your car and everyth ng e se. So nvest n your body. Because t s supposed to ast for 100 years," she recent y to d CNN Hea th.1 Accord ng to the featured art c e, the term "superfood" was co ned n 2004 by Dr. Steven Pratt, author of Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods That W Change Your L fe. He, ke Danz ger, po nts out that th s k nd of eat ng goes beyond the dea of d et ng. It s rea y a way of fe. "It s the non-d et d et. It s food you can eat for a fet me," he te s CNN.2 Accord ng to Pratt, a superfood fu f s three qua f cat ons: Are read y ava ab e Conta n nutr ents known to enhance ongev ty, and Have hea th benef ts backed by peer-rev ewed, sc ent f c stud es Pratt s webs te SuperFoodsRx.com sts a tota of 20 examp es, wh ch nc ude: W d-caught sa mon Brocco Sp nach Berr es, and Green tea Four "Superfoods" that are Actua y Best Avo ded... Wh e I agree w th the vast ma or ty of Pratt s se ect ons, espec a y the f ve sted above, I d sagree w th the fo ow ng four, as I be eve these may have more harmfu than benef c a effects for most peop e: Beans. The pr mary concern w th beans s that they are re at ve y h gh n carbohydrates and are oaded w th ect ns that may be ncompat b e w th many peop e. It s a so h gh n phyt c ac d wh ch s a potent m nera che ator. If you are go ng to use beans they need to be soaked for 24 hours or onger and frequent y chang ng the water. They are not pern c ous y dead y foods, but they n no way shape or form qua fy as a superfood. Low-fat yoghurt: Not on y s the ow-fat deo ogy comp ete y fa se, ow-fat yoghurt s a so pasteur zed and typ ca y oaded w th added fructose. Taken together, these three factors put commerc a ow-fat yoghurt square y on my st of tems to avo d. To reap the benef ts that rea yoghurt can prov de, opt for homemade fermented yoghurt, us ng e ther raw, dea y pastured organ c raw m k, fu fat organ c m k (not ow fat or sk m). Soy: If you were to carefu y rev ew the thousands of stud es pub shed on soy, I strong y be eve you wou d reach the same conc us on as I have — wh ch s, the r sks of consum ng unfermented soy products far outwe gh any poss b e benef ts. Furthermore, genet ca y eng neered soy pose add t ona hea th hazards over and beyond the damage caused by unfermented soy tse f. The on y type of soy I recommend s trad t ona y fermented organ c soy products Dr ed fru ts: Wh e who e fru ts are exce ent sources of nutr ents and ant ox dants f consumed n moderat on, they a so tend to be h gh n fructose, and dr ed fru ts even more so. If you are n the m nor ty of peop e who are not strugg ng w th nsu n res stance, then sma amounts of dr ed fru t wou d probab y be f ne, but f you have type 2 d abetes, are pre-d abet c, obese, hypertens ve, or have symptoms of heart d sease, you re better off avo d ng dr ed fru ts unt your we ght and nsu n eve s have norma zed Four Common y Over ooked Superfoods Avocado made Pratt s st, and ts status as a superfood cannot be overemphas zed. Bes des be ng r ch n potass um (tw ce as much as that of a banana), avocados are a great source of hea thfu monounsaturated fat, wh ch s eas y burned for energy. Th s makes t an exce ent rep acement for gra n carbs and other sources of sugar. Remember, when cutt ng out carbs, you need to rep ace those ca or es w th hea thy fat, wh ch s actua y a far better source of energy for your body and bra n than carbohydrates. Four add t ona superfoods not on Pratt s st, wh ch I be eve most peop e cou d benef t from, are: Coconut o : 50 percent of the fat content n coconut o s a fat rare y found n nature ca ed aur c ac d that your body converts nto mono aur n, wh ch has ant -v ra , ant -bacter a and ant -protozoa propert es. Coconut o s about 2/3 med um-cha n fatty ac ds (MCFAs), wh ch produce a who e host of hea th benef ts, nc ud ng st mu at ng your metabo sm. MCFA s are a so mmed ate y converted to energy — a funct on usua y served n the d et by s mp e carbohydrates — so ke avocados, coconut o s an dea rep acement for unhea thy gra n carbs. Bone broth: S mmer ng eftover bones over ow heat for an ent re day w create one of the most nutr t ous and hea ng foods there s. You can use th s broth for soups, stews, or dr nk t stra ght. The "sk n" that forms on the top s the best part. It conta ns va uab e nutr ents, such as su fur, a ong w th hea thfu fats, so ust st r t back nto the broth. Fermented vegetab es: A most everyone has damaged gut f ora these days, un ess you re part of the m nor ty that eats a str ct organ c who e foods d et and avo ds ant b ot cs. Fermented vegetab es are one of the most pa atab e fermented foods that can prov de you w th a robust dose of benef c a bacter a, known as prob ot cs, wh ch are cr t ca y mportant for opt ma phys ca and menta hea th. Add t ona y, fermented foods are very potent detox f ers, capab e of draw ng out a w de range of tox ns and heavy meta s, nc ud ng some pest c des. Raw macadam a nuts are a powerhouse of a nut, conta n ng a w de var ety of cr t ca nutr ents,3 nc ud ng h gh amounts of v tam n B1, magnes um, manganese and hea thfu monounsaturated fat, ust to name a few. Gastro ntest na Cancers L ke y Reduced by Consumpt on of Green Tea In re ated news, green tea has once aga n demonstrated why t deserves be ng ranked as a superfood. Research pub shed n the Amer can Journa of C n ca Nutr t on4 found that regu ar green tea consumpt on, def ned as dr nk ng green tea at east three t mes a week for more than s x months, was assoc ated w th a 17 percent reduced r sk of a d gest ve cancers comb ned. The study nc uded approx mate y 75,000 m dd e-aged and sen or women enro ed n the Shangha Women s Hea th Study. Mean fo ow-up was 11 years. The d gest ve cancers most strong y reduced by regu ar green tea consumpt on were stomach/esophagea and co orecta cancers. (Women who had ever smoked or who drank a coho were exc uded from the study.) Women w th h gher rates of consumpt on, dr nk ng two to three cups per day, had an even greater r sk reduct on — 21 percent — for for a cancers of the d gest ve system, and, those who had been dr nk ng green tea for at east 20 years had a reduced cancer r sk tota ng 27 percent. "These resu ts suggest ong-term cumu at ve exposure may be part cu ar y mportant," ead researcher Sarah Nechuta, Ph.D., MPH to d Med ca News Today.5 Th s certa n y sn t the f rst t me green tea has been assoc ated w th reduced cancer r sk. Prev ous tests of one of the act ve ngred ents n green tea, ca ed ep ga ocatech n-3-ga ate (EGCG), showed t cou d k cancer ce s n samp es of sk n, ymph system, and prostate t ssue taken from both humans and m ce, wh e eav ng hea thy ce s unharmed. Prev ous stud es have a so nd cated that EGCG may be he pfu n prevent ng: Dement a H gh b ood p d Arter osc eros s Cerebra thrombus Pa n and nf ammat on re ated to rheumato d arthr t s Green Tea Lowers B ood Sugar Sp kes and May A d We ght Loss Yet another study, pub shed n the ourna Mo ecu ar Nutr t on & Food Research,6 found that EGCG found n green tea had a s gn f cant mpact on b ood g ucose eve s n rats when consumed n comb nat on w th starchy foods. B ood g ucose eve s n rats g ven the equ va ent of one and a ha f cups of green tea for a human were about ha f as ow as n the contro s that rece ved the same food but no EGCG. Interest ng y, the compound was most effect ve when g ven s mu taneous y w th corn starch. No effect was seen when adm n stered w th g ucose or ma tose. The research ra ses the poss b ty that green tea m ght he p you contro b ood sugar sp kes assoc ated w th starchy foods when consumed s mu taneous y. Keep n m nd that add ng sugar to your tea w ke y negate th s benef c a effect. And, bes des that, no amount of green tea n the wor d w ever negate the overa detr menta mpact of donuts and bage s... That sa d, green tea has repeated y been shown to have a benef c a mpact on we ght by mprov ng fat burn ng and metabo sm. A coup e of the proposed mechan sms for th s effect nc ude the act vat on of hepat c p d catabo sm, wh ch nvo ves the re ease of energy resu t ng n the breakdown of comp ex mater a s, and ncreased eve s of fat ox dat on and thermogenes s, where your body burns fue such as fat to create heat. My persona favor te s Matcha green tea, as t has a wonderfu f avor and super or nutr ent content as t has not been damaged through process ng. The best Matcha green tea comes from Japan and s steamed, rather than roasted or pan-fr ed. As a resu t, Matcha green tea reta ns a the nutr ent-r ch va ue poss b e from the tea eaf.
jimmyg
11-26-2012, 09:46 PM
Ma or Prob ems W th Food Safety That Cou d Make You S ck http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/food-safety. pg November 22, 2012 By Sh v Chopra1, B.V.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D., Fe ow Wor d Hea th Organ zat on
Story at-a-g ance Every year approx mate y 36 m on Amer cans and 11 m on Canad ans contract food-borne nfect ons, out of wh ch many thousand get hosp ta zed and severa thousand d e. Food-borne ness such as E. co nfect on s rampant, but v rtua y every E. co nfect on can be traced back to the unsan tary cond t ons n wh ch food-produc ng crops and an ma s are be ng cu t vated, processed, transported, stored, and u t mate y so d for human consumpt on. Ant b ot cs and hormones, the use of genet ca y mod f ed organ sms (GMOs), and s aughterhouse waste be ng fed to food-produc ng an ma s, wh ch s known to transm t Mad Cow D sease, are a part of the prob ems mak ng the food supp y arge y unsafe.
The atest reca of E. co nfected beef shou d not on y be a concern for beef and beef products but a so other meats, cheeses, vegetab es and water. E. co s a gener c name for b ons of such bacter a thr v ng n the a mentary cana of humans and an ma s. The r presence n food or water nd cates feca contam nat on. The consumpt on of any such food or water can cause dead y d sease. It cannot become safe by cook ng or rrad at on. Irrad at on of the end products, such as steaks, hamburger, etc., may k m crobes but t does not exc ude the r or g na source wh ch s feces and ur ne. Irrad at on of meat may a so generate carc nogen c substances. A such food and water must be re ected. What Promotes E.Co Infect on? V rtua y every E. co nfect on traces to unsan tary cond t ons n wh ch food-produc ng crops and an ma s are be ng cu t vated, processed, transported, stored, and u t mate y so d for human consumpt on. Most food-produc ng an ma s these days are ra sed at mega farms, common y ca ed factory farms. From there, they get transported for thousands of m es to s m ar y arge s aughterhouses w thout be ng fed or watered for as ong as 48 hours. Covered n feces and ur ne, dehydrated, frozen and bad y bru sed, approx mate y 50 percent of them are reported to arr ve there a ready dead. Moreover, the mechan zed too s and procedures used to s aughter these an ma s convey the r nfect on- oaded excreta nto the eventua meat and meat products for human consumpt on. F na y, the waste water from these mega farms, s aughterhouses, pack ng p ants and other estab shments gets dra ned nto f e ds, r vers, akes and we s. Reports nd cate that every year approx mate y 36 m on Amer cans and 11 m on Canad ans contract food-borne nfect ons, out of wh ch many thousand get hosp ta zed and severa thousand d e. Drugs Used n L vestock are Centra to the Prob em of Food Borne I ness Centra to th s prob em are the drug manufacturers se ng tons of d fferent ant b ot cs to prevent fr vo ous nfect ons n farm an ma s. However, what ends up happen ng n these an ma s s that thus used ant b ot cs destroy harm ess m crobes n the r a mentary cana and y e d room to ant b ot c res stant "super-bugs", such as E. co , Sa mone a, L ster a, etc. Due to these prob ems, arge sca e use of ant b ot cs s no onger a owed n the EU. In contrast, t cont nues to preva n the US and Canada w th government approva . Another cause for concern s ega approva of sex hormones by USFDA and Hea th Canada n beef product on. Beef st mu at ng hormones are recogn zed to be "comp ete carc nogens". In other words, they can n t ate cancers and a so promote ex st ng cancers. In add t on, sex hormones are recogn zed to cause endocr ne d srupt on. As such, sex hormones cause reproduct ve d sorders, such as nfert ty, precoc ous puberty, drop n sperm count, etc. L ke ant b ot cs, no such hormones to ncrease beef product on are a owed to be ut zed n the EU. Other Food Safety Concerns: S aughterhouse Waste Used n An ma Feed, and GMO s... Yet another concern for food safety shou d be the Canad an approva of s aughterhouse waste be ng fed to food-produc ng an ma s, wh ch s known to transm t BSE n catt e (mad cow d sease) and CJD (a fata neurogenerat ve d sorder) n peop e. Once aga n, any such use of s aughterhouse waste s str ct y forb dden n the EU. The on y other ndustr a zed country a ow ng agr cu tura app cat ons of ant b ot cs hormones and s aughterhouse waste s the US, whose food safety record s no better than that of Canada. At ssue a so are genet ca y mod f ed organ sms (GMOs) attached to var ous herb c des and pest c des to ncrease agr cu tura y e ds of m k, meat, vegetab es, fru ts and ethano whose pub c safety s be ng quest oned throughout the wor d but not n Canada or the US. These shou d be sober ng thoughts for both Hea th Canada and CFIA. They cannot go on pretend ng the Canad an food supp y to be the safest n the wor d when t s so frequent y found to be unsafe. Peop e have the r ght to know how the r food s produced. The on y sure way to know that s to conduct a pub c nqu ry. About the Author Dr. Sh v Chopra s a wor d renowned sc ent st, author and pub c speaker. As a former emp oyee of Hea th Canada (the Canad an equ va ent of the US FDA) for 35 years, he was the Sen or Sc ent f c Adv sor for the regu atory assessment of food and drugs, nc ud ng new vacc nes.
jimmyg
11-27-2012, 07:05 AM
Internet Add ct on s the New Menta Hea th D sorder http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/ nternet-add ct. pg November 24, 2012 By Dr. Merco a The next ed t on of the D agnost c and Stat st ca Manua for Menta D sorders (DSM) – often referred to as the Amer can Psych atr c Assoc at on s (APA) d agnost c "b b e" – s due out n May 2013. In th s atest ed t on, DSM-5, "Internet use d sorder" w be recommended as an area that needs further study. Wh e you won t be ab e to be d agnosed w th Internet use d sorder ust yet, recommend ng t for further study puts t square y on the psych atr c radar, wh ch means t s ke y to be bumped up to an actua menta hea th d sorder very soon. What s Internet Use D sorder? As def ned by the APA, Internet use d sorder nc udes many character st cs of any add ct on, such as exper enc ng w thdrawa symptoms when the ob ect of add ct on s taken away, an nab ty to contro ts use, deve op ng a to erance to t, dece v ng fam y members about ts use, and os ng nterests n other hobb es. In th s case, of course, the ob ect of abuse s the Internet. Accord ng to the APA, you m ght have a prob em f you d sp ay these symptoms:1 Preoccupat on w th Internet gam ng - W thdrawa symptoms when Internet s taken away - To erance: the need to spend ncreas ng amounts of t me engaged n Internet gam ng - Unsuccessfu attempts to contro Internet gam ng use - Cont nued excess ve Internet use desp te know edge of negat ve psychosoc a prob ems - Loss of nterests, prev ous hobb es, enterta nment as a resu t of, and w th the except on of Internet gam ng use - Use of the Internet gam ng to escape or re eve a dysphor c mood - Has dece ved fam y members, therap sts, or others regard ng the amount of Internet gam ng - Has eopard zed or ost a s gn f cant re at onsh p, ob, or educat ona or career opportun ty because of Internet gam ng use. Certa n y, some may have a eg t mate prob em w th spend ng too much t me on ne, n the same way that peop e become add cted to gamb ng, te ev s on, pornography... the st s end ess. It s qu te poss b e to become add cted to v rtua y anyth ng f t s used to the po nt where t nterferes w th other aspects of your fe and puts your hea th, f nanc a stab ty or re at onsh ps at r sk... But by mak ng Internet add ct on a cert f ab e menta ness, t then becomes treatab e by drugs and b ab e through nsurance compan es – and morphs nto a "d sorder" that s ke y someth ng that w st gmat ze your hea th records for the rest of your fe. Not to ment on, over-treatment s a very rea r sk... as has occurred w th depress on, ADHD, nsomn a, and count ess other cond t ons, many peop e w th on y "m d" cases may be d agnosed, and g ven drugs, when they are not at a necessary. It s often the case that the newest menta hea th d sorders are a so those that happen to create the argest new drug markets. M ons of Amer cans, nc ud ng me, use the Internet on a da y bas s, many for hours on end, so the potent a treatment market for "Internet use d sorder" s huge. Gr ef: Another "D sorder" Be ng Added to DSM-5 Gr ef s a h gh y nd v dua exper ence, but for most peop e t takes two to s x months to "run ts course" – and somet mes much onger, a of wh ch s norma and to be expected n the face of a s gn f cant oss. But accord ng to DSM-5, you may actua y have an "Ad ustment D sorder" re ated to bereavement f:2 "Fo ow ng the death of a c ose fam y member or c ose fr end, the nd v dua exper ences on more days than not ntense yearn ng or ong ng for the deceased, ntense sorrow and emot ona pa n, or preoccupat on w th the deceased or the c rcumstances of the death for at east 12 months (or 6 months for ch dren). The person may a so d sp ay d ff cu ty accept ng the death, ntense anger over the oss, a d m n shed sense of se f, a fee ng that fe s empty, or d ff cu ty p ann ng for the future or engag ng n act v t es or re at onsh ps." These a sound ke norma react ons fo ow ng the death of a oved one, but the DSM-5 a so proposes further study for Pers stent Comp ex Bereavement D sorder, w th the purpose be ng to "deve op the best emp r ca y-based set of symptoms to character ze nd v dua s w th bereavement-re ated d sorders." C ose to 2.5 m on Amer cans d e each year, and the number of those exper enc ng gr ef as a resu t s far h gher. Th s s the market the pharmaceut ca ndustry stands to ga n, thanks to the APA s tr gger-happy att tude when t comes to abe ng norma human emot ons as psych atr c "d sorders." Who Rea y Needs The r Heads Exam ned? The APA works n tandem w th the drug ndustry, "creat ng" more and more "psych atr c d seases," wh ch are appear ng n the terature a the t me: Do you shop too much? You m ght have Compu s ve Shopp ng D sorder. Do you have a d ff cu t t me w th mu t p cat on? You cou d be suffer ng from Dysca cu a. Spend ng too much t me at the gym? You d better see someone for your B gorex a or Musc e Dysmorph a. And my favor te – are your terr f ed by the number 13? You cou d have Tr ska dekaphob a! Each of these new "d seases" gets added to the next ed t on of the DSM f enough peop e show up w th those tra ts. And ncreas ng y, the cr ter a for nc us on nvo ves whether or not the d sorder responds to a category of drugs. If t does, the phenomenon s dubbed a d sease. Of the 297 menta d sorders descr bed n the DSM, none can be ob ect ve y measured by emp r ca test.3 In other words, they re comp ete y sub ect ve! Menta ness symptoms w th n th s manua are arb trar y ass gned by a sub ect ve vot ng system by a psych atr c pane . So, they re essent a y mak ng up d seases to f t the drugs – not the other way around. Accord ng to market ng profess ona V nce Parry n a commentary ca ed "The Art of Brand ng a Cond t on":4 " Watch ng the D agnost c and Stat st ca Manua of Menta D sorders (DSM) ba oon n s ze over the decades to ts current phonebook d mens ons wou d have us be eve that the wor d s a more unstab e p ace today than ever. ...Not surpr s ng y, many of these new y co ned cond t ons were brought to ght through d rect fund ng by pharmaceut ca compan es, n research, n pub c ty or both." A former ch ef of the Amer can Psych atr c Assoc at on even adm tted that some of the "m stakes" the APA made n ts d agnost c manua have had "terr b e consequences," wh ch have m s abe ed m ons of ch dren and adu ts, and fac tated ep dem cs of menta ness that don t ex st.5 It s a most mposs b e to see a psych atr st today w thout be ng d agnosed w th a menta d sorder because so many behav or var at ons are descr bed as patho ogy. And you have very h gh chance – approach ng 100% – of emerg ng from your psych atr st s off ce w th a prescr pt on n hand. Wr t ng a prescr pt on s, of course, much faster than engag ng n behav ora or festy e strateg es, but t s a so a far more ucrat ve approach for the convent ona mode . Add t ona y, most pract t oners have yet to accept the far more effect ve energet c psycho og ca approaches, ke the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT). Do You Suspect You re Spend ng Too Much T me On ne? Gett ng back to the top c of Internet add ct on, t s qu te poss b e to overdo your t me spent on ne. But psychotrop c drugs are not ke y to g ve you the so ut on you re after. For starters, they have no known measurab e b o og ca mba ances to correct – un ke other drugs that can measurab y a ter eve s of b ood sugar, cho estero and so on. How can you med cate someth ng that s not phys ca y there? The answer s, of course, you can t – and do ng so s a dangerous game. In other words, drugs are probab y not the answer to so v ng your Internet add ct on. What, then, s? F rst of a , I want to po nt out that t abso ute y s detr menta to your phys ca and emot ona hea th to spend too much t me n front of a computer. For one th ng, t s way too much s tt ng. "Screen t me" – more than two hours a day n part cu ar – s assoc ated w th ncreased phys ca , emot ona and behav ora d ff cu t es, regard ess of the t me spent exerc s ng. Research has shown: A study of more than 17,000 Canad ans found that the morta ty r sk from a causes was 1.54 t mes h gher among peop e who spent most of the r day s tt ng compared to those who sat nfrequent y.6 S tt ng t me s a pred ctor of we ght ga n, even after account ng for ca or es consumed and e sure t me phys ca act v ty, such as exerc se t me.7 The r sk of metabo c syndrome r ses n a dose-dependent manner depend ng on your "screen t me" (the amount of t me you spend watch ng TV or us ng a computer). Phys ca act v ty had on y a m n ma mpact on the re at onsh p between screen t me and metabo c syndrome.8 Ch dren who spent more than two hours a day watch ng TV or us ng a computer were 61 and 59 percent more ke y to exper ence h gh eve s of psycho og ca d ff cu t es, respect ve y.9 If on ne gam ng or gamb ng s nvo ved, the prob em cou d ser ous y esca ate, as we as f you re neg ect ng your other respons b t es n order to part c pate n on ne gam ng or other on ne act v t es. If you suspect you have a prob em, I suggest g v ng EFT a try. EFT s a form of psycho og ca acupressure, based on the same energy mer d ans used n trad t ona acupuncture to treat phys ca and emot ona a ments for over 5,000 years, but w thout the nvas veness of need es. Instead, s mp e tapp ng w th the f ngert ps s used to nput k net c energy onto spec f c mer d ans on the head and chest wh e you th nk about your spec f c prob em - whether t s a traumat c event, an add ct on, pa n, etc. – and vo ce pos t ve aff rmat ons. Th s comb nat on of tapp ng the energy mer d ans and vo c ng pos t ve aff rmat on works to c ear the "short-c rcu t" – the emot ona b ock – from your body s b oenergy system, thus restor ng your m nd and body s ba ance, wh ch s essent a for opt ma hea th and the hea ng of phys ca and emot ona d sease.
chefjeff
11-27-2012, 07:11 AM
Forced-backed "hea th care" requ res new "d seases." Boys be ng boys s but one of the atest new "d seases." Unt we a become m nd-numbed robots, we see many new "d seases" be ng made up. RIP Tom Szasz (https://en.w k ped a.org/w k /Thomas_Szasz)
Jeff L v ngston
Sev
11-27-2012, 08:04 AM
Keep up the good work J mmy. :thumbup2::thumbup2::thumbup2:
chefjeff
11-27-2012, 08:18 AM
Watch th s "hea th care" n t at ve! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= b3XvzonB9w&feature=youtu.be One woman aga nst the state s tanks and guns (yes, a rea tank aga nst a woman and ch d---"heroes" they re ca ed, heroes get 10% off on ho days!). Jeff L v ngston
chefjeff
11-27-2012, 08:22 AM
http://detro t.cbs oca .com/2011/04/05/stand-off-daughter-a eged y-sexua y-assau ted-wh e- n-state-care/ ...Penny Godbo do be eves her n ece was the v ct m of a sex cr me wh e she was under state care at The Hawthorn Center n Northv e, say ng, “She has been n the r care the ent re t me s nce she eft Ch dren s Hosp ta .” The teen was exam ned at Ch dren s Hosp ta pr or to her p acement at Hawthorn, wh ch returned no resu ts of an STD nfect on. The fam y ma nta ns the daughter s not sexua y act ve. Now, the fam y s camp ng out at the hosp ta to make sure the ch d does not get re eased back to Hawthorn.... What s a tt e rape and c ap aga nst a ch d who won t OBEY? It serves the tt e rabb e-rouser r ght! The nerve of some Serfs! Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
11-27-2012, 08:29 AM
Watch th s "hea th care" n t at ve! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= b3XvzonB9w&feature=youtu.be One woman aga nst the state s tanks and guns (yes, a rea tank aga nst a woman and ch d---"heroes" they re ca ed, heroes get 10% off on ho days!). Jeff L v ngston Tota nsan ty.....Who the He do they th nk they are? Become a "pub c off c a ", wear a Gestapo un form, and you sudden y know more and have more r ghts than everyone e se, espec a y the r ght to take other peop e s r ghts away. :angry: J
chefjeff
11-27-2012, 08:31 AM
Tota nsan ty.....Who the He do they th nk they are? Become a "pub c off c a ", wear a Gestapo un form, and you sudden y know more and have more r ghts than everyone e se, espec a y the r ght to take other peop e s r ghts away. :angry: J You don t ke t? Why don t you ust eave and don t et the door h t you on the azz! ---S. Fats.
Boy, do I fee better! I et h m have, d dn t I, Fats? Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
11-27-2012, 08:33 AM
You don t ke t? Why don t you ust eave and don t et the door h t you on the azz! ---S. Fats.
Boy, do I fee better! I et h m have, d dn t I, Fats? Jeff L v ngston Yep, you showed me. :w nk: J
jimmyg
11-28-2012, 07:09 AM
Genera Hea th Checkups and Med ca Screen ng Tests—Do You Rea y Need Them? November 25, 2012 nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/11/25/excess ve-screen ng-tests.aspx?e_c d=20121125_SNL_US_Art_1 By Dr. Merco a v deo......
Story at-a-g ance: Excess ve or unnecessary screen ng can ead to a cascade of ob gatory fo ow-up costs down the ne, a ong w th potent a y nvas ve treatments you d dn t rea y need, and the psycho og ca trauma that goes a ong w th t Two common screen ng tests that can potent a y do more harm than good are annua mammograms for women, and the annua PSA test for men. Stud es have shown that these tests have no mpact on morta ty rates, and far more peop e are harmed from unnecessary treatment due to these tests than are saved as a resu t of ear y d agnos s A recent meta-ana ys s study found that genera hea th checks d d not reduce morb d ty or morta ty, ne ther overa nor for card ovascu ar or cancer causes, a though the number of new d agnoses was ncreased Another study warns aga nst p ac ng too much fa th n med ca stud es show ng very arge effects of med ca treatment (benef ts or harms). The mass ve ana ys s tracked the fate of thousands of stud es, from the effects demonstrated n the n t a study, compared to the effects e uc dated n subsequent tr a s. In 90 percent of cases where “very arge” effects were n t a y reported, such effects shrank or van shed a together as subsequent stud es were done to conf rm the resu ts A an Casse s, a drug po cy researcher at the Un vers ty of V ctor a n Br t sh Co umb a, has wr tten severa books about the drug ndustry. H s atest work s ca ed Seek ng S ckness: Med ca Screen ng and the M sgu ded Hunt for D sease. Th s book s oaded w th he pfu nformat on about med ca screen ng, and rea y focuses on an mportant top c, wh ch s prevent on. It s been a ongstand ng pass on of m ne to prevent d sease rather than to treat t, because t s so much eas er to mp ement a prevent ve strategy. There s an enormous amount of effort and research nvested n the trad t ona commun ty nto med ca screen ng procedures. The troub e s, convent ona med c ne v ews these med ca tests as "prevent on," when n fact there s noth ng prevent ve about them at a . They re ust d agnost c too s, and some aren t even a that accurate at that. Worse yet, some may be r sky, and do more harm than good. "I ve been fo ow ng the market ng tact cs of the pharmaceut ca ndustry for a most 18 years now," Casse s says. "I came upon screen ng part y because I started to see that a ot of peop e who ended up be ng put on certa n reg mes ended up there because they d been through some screen ng reg me – perhaps a screen for the r b ood cho estero , a screen for the r eyeba pressure, or even someth ng s mp y as ben gn as screen ng for h gh b ood pressure. I started to ook upstream from the pharmaceut ca ndustry and rea y ook at the k nd of tact cs that were used to entrap more and more peop e nto drug reg mes. And screen ng... s very pervas ve." To Screen, or Not to Screen? A recent art c e n The At ant c1, wr tten by Ok ahoma phys c an John Henn ng Schumann, MD, br ngs up the ssue of over-screen ng—med ca tests that s mp y are not necessary, or worse, detr menta . He d scusses the case of one of h s pat ents, who brought n resu ts obta ned from a "med ca screen ng fa r" at her oca church. The test was advert sed as a barga n at $129, but accord ng to Dr. Schumann, t was a comp ete waste of money cons der ng she d dn t have any r sk factors warrant ng the test ng. Bes des re ev ng her of some hard-earned money, a t d d was make her anx ous when she rea y d dn t need to be. "I ove Amer ca and the free market. I ove compan es that make a buck w th hard work and ngenu ty..." he wr tes. "But I don t ove when nnocent peop e get f eeced n the name of bad med c ne that pretends to be good. Worse yet, when t happens at church. Commerc a screen ng compan es f end sh y target churches to f nd par sh oners ook ng for hea thy barga ns. If your oca church s endors ng a "hea th screen ng fa r," t must be good, r ght?" Yes, churches, synagogues and other houses of worsh p have recent y been targeted by the med ca ndustry n an effort to ncrease bus ness. Th s became woefu y apparent ast year, when the Wh te House Off ce of Fa th-Based and Ne ghborhood Partnersh ps, co-sponsored by the U.S. Hea th and Human Serv ces, the Off ce of M nor ty Hea th, and the CDC, he d an nv tat on-on y, off the record ca 2. The focus of the ca was on gett ng fa th-based organ zat ons to sponsor f u c n cs w th Wa greens. As an examp e, they c ted a pr est who stopped n the m dd e of mass to ro up h s s eeve and get vacc nated, nsp r ng the rest of h s par sh to ne up beh nd h m. Th s has noth ng to do w th promot ng good hea th. It s ust another market ng sht ck, and a potent a y dangerous one at that. I m sure the pr est n quest on d dn t stop to recount the many potent a s de effects before h s f ock took to the ne to fo ow h s ead. "She d dn t need these screen ng tests, and I te you why," Dr. Schumann cont nues. "As a non-smok ng da y wa ker, her chance of hav ng per phera arter a d sease (b ockage of the eg arter es) s van sh ng y sma . The u trasound of her abdomen, to search for an aneurysm of the aorta, s a so a waste of money s nce her ke hood of hav ng the cond t on borders on the absurd. The same s true for the u trasound she rece ved of her carot d arter es. In fact, the country s most nf uent a (and controvers a ) author ty on screen ng, the U.S. Prevent ve Serv ces Task Force, recommends aga nst a of the tests M dred underwent as rout ne screen ng tests. The broader ssue on why excess ve screen ng s bad s that t can ead to a cascade of ob gatory fo ow-up costs down the ne... Compan es shou d not p ay on our fears to se us unnecessary screen ng exams. When they do, we shou d be conf dent that we re better off not buy ng them." Rout ne Hea th Checks Found to Have No Benef t In re ated news, a recent study by the Cochrane L brary3, the go d standard for ndependent med ca rev ews, found that: "Genera hea th checks d d not reduce morb d ty or morta ty, ne ther overa nor for card ovascu ar or cancer causes, a though the number of new d agnoses was ncreased. Important harmfu outcomes, such as the number of fo ow-up d agnost c procedures or short term psycho og ca effects, were often not stud ed or reported and many tr a s had methodo og ca prob ems. W th the arge number of part c pants and deaths nc uded, the ong fo ow-up per ods used, and cons der ng that card ovascu ar and cancer morta ty were not reduced, genera hea th checks are un ke y to be benef c a ." Th s may sound shock ng to many, as genera hea th checks are typ ca y cons dered to be part and parce of ear y d sease detect on and prevent on. However, after rev ew ng the hea th outcomes of near y 183,000 peop e, the researchers found that, n terms of mak ng you ve onger, gett ng regu ar hea th check-ups doesn t appear to make a d fference... Regu ar screen ng may however ncrease your drug use, and you may rece ve a d agnos s and treatment for a cond t on that m ght never have ed to any symptoms or had any mpact on your ongev ty. Accord ng to ead researcher Lasse Krogsbø 4 of The Nord c Cochrane Centre n Copenhagen, Denmark: "What we re not say ng s that doctors shou d stop carry ng out tests or offer ng treatment when they suspect there may be a prob em. But we do th nk that pub c hea thcare n t at ves that are systemat ca y offer ng genera hea th checks shou d be res sted." Th s sn t the f rst t me researchers have conc uded we may be over-test ng and over-treat ng. In fact, over the past few years th s has become ncreas ng y stud ed, and most ana yses concur that more test ng and more aggress ve treatment does not trans ate nto reduced morta ty. Natura y, there s no way to make recommendat ons here that cou d app y to everyone or even most peop e. Eva uat ng your r sk factors s one mportant factor of course, as stated n Dr. Schumann s art c e. Eva uat ng your symptoms s another. If you re asymptomat c, ma nta n a hea thy, act ve festy e, and don t have any r sk factors, perhaps s gn ng up for a bunch of med ca tests at your oca church, " ust n case," s not n your best nterest. Med ca Screen ngs—Heav y Promoted to Increase Sa es of Post-Screen ng Act v ty A an Casse s a so has someth ng to say about th s: "[S]o much of what we cons der to be d sease n the orthodox med c ne wor d has been created, has been shaped, and has rea y been mo ded by the pharmaceut ca ndustry," he says. "And very much what we cons der to be med c ne s determ ned by the k nds of th ngs that end n what the drug ndustry ca s the drug successfu v s t. Not ust anyth ng that we potent a y cou d be s ck w th, but anyth ng that any hea thy person cou d get. And rea y, screen ng s about ook ng n hea thy peop e to f nd s gns of d sease. I want to d st ngu sh r ght off the bat that when I m ta k ng about screen ng, I m ta k ng about peop e who have no symptoms, who are otherw se hea thy, and who have rea y no reason to consu t the doctor or be ng to d, You need to be proact ve. You need to seek out ear y s gns of d sease. That s a good th ng to do to keep yourse f hea thy. Peop e that actua y have symptoms – fee a ump or whatever – and then go n for a test, that s a d agnost c test. That s someth ng d fferent. I m ta k ng about a screen ng test where you re tak ng otherw se hea thy peop e and try ng to f nd s gns of d sease n them." Common Cancer Screens Can Do More Harm than Good cont nued.....
jimmyg
11-28-2012, 07:10 AM
Much ke myse f, Casse s research has ed h m to ser ous y quest on common tests ke mammography for breast cancer, and the PSA test for prostate cancer. In the nterv ew above he exp a ns: "[O]ne th ng that we know for sure s that a ot of the act v ty around screen ng makes a ot of money for a ot of peop e. One examp e m ght be the who e wor d of mammography... [W]e re te ng hea thy women who have no symptoms, Go n every year. From the day you turn 40, go n once a year, and have your breasts rad o og ca y screened. What we re not te ng women s that ust the act of screen ng nvo ves a who e downstream potent a for harm and a so nvo ves huge amounts of certa n med ca resources n terms of the rad o og st, the surgeons, and so on. It s a huge ndustry. You m ght say, We , what s wrong w th that ndustry f t s actua y sav ng ves? We , when you s t down, and you ook at the number of women that have to be screened n order to have one woman benef t, t s actua y qu te shock ng... The best stud es (these are stud es that are over 10-years ong and done n Canada, the U.S., and n Europe), have found that you have to screen 2,100 women every year for 11 years to prevent one death. So, to answer the quest on, Is t fesav ng? Yes. One n 2,100 women wou d benef t from be ng screened over an 11-year per od. But at the same t me, of those 2,100 women, about 600 to 700 of them w have a fa se-pos t ve. They w f nd someth ng unusua or someth ng abnorma , and that w requ re b ops es, open surger es, mastectom es, and so on. Not to ment on the psycho og ca harm of nf ct ng a cancer scare... The prob em s that you re generat ng a huge amount of act v ty to save one n 2,000 women. In the best-case scenar o, you re caus ng 600 or 700 women to have huge amounts of procedure... It seems to me that t s an awfu y h gh cost to pay to prevent one death. And I th nk that there are many, many other th ngs that we can do to try to reduce the r sk of breast cancer n women rather than te ng them to get the r annua mammography screen." The ma e vers on of mammography s the annua PSA test. It s a s mp e b ood test that measures the eve of an ant gen n your b ood. An e evated read ng cou d nd cate that you have prostate cancer, or are at ncreased r sk of deve op ng prostate cancer. Or not, as the PSA test s notor ous y naccurate... "What most men aren t be ng to d – th s s from the research that I d d – s when they re g ven that test, the ke hood of them f nd ng cancer ce s n the r prostate are fa r y h gh," Casse s exp a ns. "In fact, t s d rect y proport ona to your age. If you ve to be 60 or 70 years o d, there s a good chance you re go ng to have a 60 percent chance of hav ng some ev dence of prostate cancer. You m ght say, Wow, f you ve got prostate cancer, shou dn t you do someth ng about t? We , certa n y w th the PSA test and ts ack of spec f c ty and accuracy, you ve got 60 or 70 percent of the ma e popu at on that w deve op prostate cancer n the r fet me. But on y about three percent of men w d e from prostate cancer. What doctors have to d me s that most men w d e w th prostate cancer, but not because of t. And that s rea y k nd of a m ndb ow ng concept for a ot of peop e, because they th nk what you re say ng s that, I can have a cancer n my body and ve a perfect y, ong, and hea thy fe. Abso ute y. One of the th ngs that screen ng s good at s f nd ng s gns of d sease. What t s not very good at s f nd ng d sease that matters. In th s case, hav ng an e evated PSA eve cou d be caused by a who e range of th ngs. And f you re otherw se asymptomat c, go ng down that ne of gett ng tested w ead to b ops es, poss b y surgery, other k nds of treatment nc ud ng chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. At the end of the day, a ot of the men that go through that m end up becom ng ncont nent or mpotent because of the treatment." Med ca Sc ence Rare y a S am Dunk In re ated news, a recent study5 by Dr. John Ioann d s of the Stanford Schoo of Med c ne n Ca forn a warns aga nst p ac ng too much fa th n med ca stud es show ng very arge effects of med ca treatment (benef ts or harms). The mass ve ana ys s tracked the fate of thousands of stud es, from the effects demonstrated n the n t a study, compared to the effects e uc dated n subsequent tr a s. Interest ng y, n 90 percent of cases where "very arge" effects were n t a y reported, such effects shrank or van shed a together as subsequent stud es were done to conf rm the resu ts. Dr. Ioann d s to d Reuters6: "Our ana ys s suggests t s better to wa t to see f these very arge effects get rep cated or not... Keep some hea thy skept c sm about c a ms for s ver bu ets, perfect cures, and huge effects." Typ ca y, stud es report ng very s gn f cant effects are based on sma er, ess re ab e exper ments. Th s s because sma tr a s are more ke y to be skewed by chance a one. The authors a so po nt out that stud es show ng very arge effects rare y address morta ty, and are more ke y to address aboratory-def ned eff cacy. A as, changes n ab va ues does not necessar y equate to mproved hea th... Somet mes, th s k nd of eff cacy cou d actua y be d sastrous. Dr. Andrew Oxman of the Norweg an Know edge Centre for the Hea th Serv ces n Os o, who wrote an ed tor a 7 about the study, to d Reuters8: " There are ots of examp es where th ngs start to be used and have entered the market based on surrogate outcomes and then actua y proved harmfu . He ment oned the heart rhythm drugs enca n de and f eca n de, wh ch for many years were g ven to peop e w th acute heart attacks. But then tr a s showed they were actua y bad for these pat ents. These drugs were by g ven we -mean ng c n c ans, but they actua y k ed more peop e than the V etnam War d d, Oxman sa d. Stat ns are another perfect examp e of th s, as they are very effect ve at reduc ng your cho estero eve , yet wreak a sorts of havoc n your body wh e do ng so. If you re not carefu t may even ead to premature death. Your cho estero numbers w probab y be a-okay though, f that br ngs any re ef to anyone, and your death w be cha ked up to some other hea th prob em. Accord ng to Casse s: "[W]hen you ook at the b g meta-ana yses of stat n drugs, there are about f ve ma or stud es that have tens of thousands of pat ents n them... test ng drugs ke s mvastat n or atorvastat n (Zocor or L p tor). When you ook at the tota ty of those stud es, the one th ng that you f nd s that the benef t, n terms of reduct on n heart attack or stroke for peop e who haven t had a heart attack or stroke (we re ta k ng pr mary prevent on), s s mp y not there. You can a ter cho estero qu te eas y us ng cho estero - ower ng drugs. But the quest on s, What s mportant? Hav ng your cho estero a tered or reduc ng your r sk and reduc ng the chance that you cou d have a heart attack? I th nk that the ma n th ng that has happened... [ s that] we focus on the numbers... when n fact, what rea y counts s whether you have a heart attack or stroke. Of course, t takes ong-term stud es, f ve- and 10-year ong stud es, to determ ne whether drugs w prevent that. And certa n y n the pr mary prevent on popu at on, you don t see any reduct ons. Women don t benef t from hav ng the r cho estero a tered w th stat ns, and certa n y [not] the e der y. Some of the newer research s show ng that o der peop e who have h gher cho estero actua y have a protect ve effect from that." F na Thoughts Of the tens of thousands of treatments eva uated n Dr. Ioann d s study, on y one stood out as a c ear "s am dunk" n terms of the benef t of treatment. A resp ratory ntervent on n newborns repeated y demonstrated a re ab e, very arge drop n death rates. That rea y te s us someth ng about "ev dence-based med c ne," doesn t t? It s not at a as c ear-cut as convent ona doctors and hea th author t es wou d ke us to be eve. Today, I th nk many treatment recommendat ons, espec a y n terms of drugs and vacc nes, are c ear y premature and based on very f msy ev dence. The same app es to many of the med ca screen ng tests ava ab e. The ev dence of rea benef t s mp y sn t there n many cases. "I guess the summary statement s: go nto the screen ng w th your eyes w de open," Casse s says. "And that s to say that t s not an emergency procedure. If you re be ng offered a screen of any sort whether t s a menta hea th screen, a screen ng of osteoporos s, for b ood pressure, cho estero , or for cancers, take the t me to ask the quest ons. How cou d I be hurt by th s screen ng? When you actua y understand that a screen ng can potent a y harm you, you m ght take a very d fferent approach to rush ng nto t. You m ght take more t me to actua y do some research. And rea y when you do research, t s mportant that you ook at ndependent sources of nformat on. ... The Un ted States Prevent ve Serv ces Task Force—the r stuff s a ava ab e on the Internet. In terms of the spectrum of trustworth ness, I wou d p ace that n the More Trustworthy category, as opposed to the other category, wh ch m ght be those groups that stand to benef t from screen ng and over-promote and overprom se on screen ng s benef ts. So, rea y, ndependent nformat on s I th nk key, and know ng that screen ng can potent a y harm you."
jimmyg
11-29-2012, 07:38 AM
10 Sp ces, Herbs That A d We ght Loss November 26, 2012 L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/11/26/herbs-and-sp ces.aspx?e_c d=20121126_DNL_US_art_2 By Dr. Merco a S de show.....
Story at-a-g ance: Certa n herbs and sp ces can he p you ma nta n a hea thy body we ght by ncreas ng your metabo sm, shr nk ng fat t ssue and suppress ng your appet te G nseng, cayenne pepper, b ack pepper, c nnamon, turmer c and g nger may a support your we ght oss goa s when added generous y to your mea s Other obes ty-f ght ng herbs and sp ces nc ude cardamom, dande on, cum n and mustard In add t on to the r benef ts for we ght, herbs and sp ces are actua y some of the most potent ant ox dants n your food supp y, and may he p f ght heart d sease and other chron c d seases, as we as premature ag ng
Add ng herbs and sp ces to your food g ves your mea s an "upgrade" n more ways than one. F rst, you get the extra f avor enhancement and comp ex ty that on y natura sp ces can br ng, and second, you get hea th benef ts ga ore because herbs and sp ces conta n ant ox dants, m nera s, v tam ns and un que med c na propert es. Among them, certa n herbs and sp ces can actua y he p you ma nta n a hea thy body we ght by promot ng we ght oss. So f you re try ng to ose a few (or more) pounds, cons der be ng very generous when add ng the fo ow ng sp ces to your food. Top 10 Herbs and Sp ces to He p You Lose We ght 1. G nseng G nseng s va ued for ts ab ty to boost energy eve s and speed metabo sm. Panax g nseng, n part cu ar, has been nked to we ght oss benef ts, w th one study show ng obese, d abet c m ce g ven panax g nseng extracts not on y had mprovements n nsu n sens t v ty, but a so ost a s gn f cant amount of we ght after 12 days.1 2. Cayenne Pepper Capsa c n, the compound that g ves peppers the r heat, may he p f ght obes ty by decreas ng ca or e ntake, shr nk ng fat t ssue, and ower ng b ood fat eve s, as we as f ght fat bu dup by tr gger ng benef c a prote n changes n your body.2 Part of the benef t may be due to capsa c n s heat potent a , as t s a thermogen c substance that may temporar y ncrease thermogenes s n your body, where your body burns fue such as fat to create heat, w th benef c a mpacts on metabo sm and fat storage. Research suggests that consum ng thermogen c ngred ents may boost your metabo sm by up to 5 percent, and ncrease fat burn ng by up to 16 percent.3 It may even he p counteract the decrease n metabo c rate that often occurs dur ng we ght oss. 3. C nnamon Th s sp ce may he p to boost your metabo sm, and t a so has mpress ve benef ts for b ood sugar regu at on, mak ng t an dea season ng for peop e w th d abetes or pre-d abetes. C nnamon has been found to s gn f cant y reduce b ood sugar eve s, tr g ycer des, LDL (bad) cho estero , and tota cho estero eve s n peop e w th type 2 d abetes, as we as ncrease g ucose metabo sm by about 20 t mes, wh ch wou d s gn f cant y mprove your ab ty to regu ate b ood sugar.4 4. B ack Pepper B ack pepper conta ns a substance ca ed p per ne, wh ch not on y g ves t ts pungent f avor, but a so b ocks the format on of new fat ce s.5 When comb ned w th capsa c n and other substances, b ack pepper was a so found to burn as many ca or es as tak ng a 20-m nute wa k.6 As an as de, b ack pepper a so ncreases the b oava ab ty of ust about a other foods -- herbs and other compounds – mak ng t a hea thy cho ce for v rtua y any mea . 5. Dande ons Every part of the dande on s ed b e and fu of nutr t on. And because they he p s ow your d gest on, they can make you fee fu onger, he p ng you ma nta n a hea thy we ght. Dande ons have ant ox dant propert es and conta n b tter crysta ne compounds ca ed Taraxac n and Taracer n, a ong w th nu n and evu n, compounds thought to exp a n some of ts therapeut c propert es. A ong w th be ng fu of d etary f ber, dande ons a so conta n beta carotene, v tam n K1, v tam ns and m nera s, and are known for be ng benef c a for norma z ng b ood sugar and cho estero , as we as c eans ng your ver. 6. Mustard The mustard p ant s actua y n the cruc ferous fam y of vegetab es (a ong w th brocco , cabbage and Brusse s sprouts, for nstance). Mustard seeds have been shown to boost metabo c rate by 25 percent, wh ch means you burn ca or es more eff c ent y. In fact, ust 3/5 teaspoon of mustard seeds da y may he p you burn an extra 45 ca or es an hour.7 7. Turmer c If you re a fan of curry, you re probab y a so a fan of turmer c, as th s s the ye ow-orange sp ce that makes the foundat on of many curry d shes. Curcum n, one of turmer c s most thorough y stud ed act ve ngred ents, reduces the format on of fat t ssue by suppress ng the b ood vesse s needed to form t, and therefore may contr bute to ower body fat and body we ght ga n.8 Curcum n may a so be usefu for the treatment and prevent on of obes ty-re ated chron c d seases, as the nteract ons of curcum n w th severa key s gna transduct on pathways n the body resu t n mprovements n nsu n res stance, hyperg ycem a, hyper p dem a, and other nf ammatory symptoms assoc ated w th obes ty and metabo c d sorders.9 8. G nger G nger s another warm ng sp ce that has ant - nf ammatory propert es and s known to he p soothe and re ax your ntest na tract. Research a so suggests that g nger may have thermogen c propert es that he p boost your metabo sm, as we as have an appet te-suppressant effect when consumed, suggest ng a "potent a ro e of g nger n we ght management."10 9. Cardamom Cardamom, an aromat c sp ce w th a sp cy-sweet f avor, s another thermogen c herb that he ps boost your metabo sm and may boost your body s ab ty to burn fat. Cardamom s a popu ar herb used n Ayurveda, an anc ent ho st c system of med c ne and natura hea ng from Ind a. 10. Cum n Cum n s usefu for d gest on and energy product on, and may mprove g ycem c contro n peop e w th type 2 d abetes. The sp ce has a ong h story of med c na use, and has a so been found to enhance memory and prov de potent ant stress benef ts. What E se are Sp ces Good For? Far more than you m ght mag ne …Herbs and sp ces are actua y some of the most potent ant ox dants n your food supp y; n many nstances surpass ng other more we -known sources of ant ox dants. For examp e, sp ces such as c oves and c nnamon have pheno eve s that are 30 percent and 18 percent of dry we ght, respect ve y. Compare that to b ueberr es, wh ch are w de y touted for the r ant ox dant capab t es; they conta n rough y 5 percent pheno by dry we ght... Another examp e s oregano, wh ch has 42 t mes more ant ox dant act v ty than app es, 30 t mes more than potatoes, 12 t mes more than oranges, and four t mes more than b ueberr es! One tab espoon of fresh oregano conta ns the same ant ox dant act v ty as one med um-s zed app e. Wh e each sp ce has a un que set of hea th benef ts to offer, one study, pub shed n the Journa of Med c na Foods,11 found a d rect corre at on between the ant ox dant pheno content and the sp ce s ab ty to nh b t g ycat on and the format on of tox c advanced g ycat on end products, mak ng them potent preventers of heart d sease and premature ag ng. Accord ng to th s study, the top 10 most potent herbs and sp ces are: 1. C oves (ground) 2. C nnamon (ground) 3. Jama can a sp ce (ground) 4. App e p e sp ce (m xture) 5. Oregano (ground) 6. Pumpk n p e sp ce (m xture) 7. Mar oram 8. Sage 9. Thyme 10. Gourmet Ita an sp ce Round ng Out Your Comprehens ve We ght Loss P an A ways remember to buy cert f ed organ c sp ces, as most convent ona ones are rrad ated, resu t ng n the format on of harmfu rad o yt c byproducts, nc ud ng forma dehyde. For most peop e, s mp y add ng sp ces to your mea s w not be enough to tr gger s gn f cant we ght oss, a though th s w certa n y support and he p you ach eve your we ght oss goa s. If you are ser ous about os ng we ght, you need a more comprehens ve p an that nc udes: E m nat ng or str ct y m t ng fructose n your d et, and fo ow ng the hea thy eat ng program n my comprehens ve nutr t on p an. You can a so use nterm ttent fast ng strateg ca y w th th s program to great y boost your body s fat-burn ng potent a . Engag ng n h gh- ntens ty Peak F tness exerc se to burn fat and ncrease musc e mass (a natura fat burner). Address ng the emot ona component of eat ng. For th s I h gh y recommend the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT), wh ch he ps e m nate your food crav ngs natura y.
jimmyg
11-29-2012, 08:30 PM
Some Res dents Worry about Ch oram ne s Usage and Safety http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/tap-water. pg November 27, 2012 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: More than one n f ve Amer cans are dr nk ng tap water that s been treated w th a der vat ve of ch or ne known as ch oram ne. Th s d s nfectant s formed by m x ng ch or ne w th ammon a; ch oram ne s often used a ongs de ch or ne as a “secondary” d s nfectant des gned to rema n n your water onger as t trave s through the water system Water treated w th monoch oram ne (the most common form of ch oram ne used to d s nfect dr nk ng water) may conta n h gher concentrat ons of unregu ated d s nfect on byproducts (DBPs) – the r sks of wh ch are unknown When ch or ne s rep aced w th ch oram nes n dr nk ng water, t ra ses the amount of ead that eaches nto water from ead p pes No sc ent f c stud es on ch oram ne s effects on your sk n or resp ratory tract v a nha at on (such as exposure dur ng a shower or bath) have been conducted Ch oram ne s tox c to frogs and other amph b ans, rept es, f sh and other aquat c and mar ne fe A who e-house f trat on system s therefore your best cho ce to remove ch or ne, ch oram ne, ammon a, DBPs and other contam nants from a of your water sources (bath, shower and tap)
More than one n f ve Amer cans are dr nk ng tap water that s been treated w th a der vat ve of ch or ne known as ch oram ne. Th s d s nfectant s formed by m x ng ch or ne w th ammon a. Ch oram ne s a ess effect ve d s nfectant than ch or ne, but t s onger ast ng and stays n the water system as t moves through the p pes that transport t to your home (a process that can take three or four days). For th s reason, ch oram ne s often used a ongs de ch or ne as a “secondary” d s nfectant des gned to rema n n your water onger – but s t safe? Ch oram nes May Ra se Your Water s Leve of Tox c Unregu ated D s nfect on Byproducts If you rece ve mun c pa water that s treated w th ch or ne or ch oram nes, tox c d s nfect on byproducts (DBPs) form when these d s nfectants react w th natura organ c matter ke decay ng vegetat on n the source water. DBPs are over 10,000 t mes more tox c than ch or ne, and out of a the other tox ns and contam nants present n your water, such as f uor de and m sce aneous pharmaceut ca drugs, DBPs are ke y the abso ute worst of the bunch. A ready, t s known that tr ha omethanes (THMs), one of the most common DBPs, are Cancer Group B carc nogens, mean ng they ve been shown to cause cancer n aboratory an ma s. They ve a so been nked to reproduct ve prob ems n both an ma s and humans, such as spontaneous abort on, st b rths, and congen ta ma format ons, even at ower eve s. These types of DBPs can a so: Weaken your mmune system D srupt your centra nervous system Damage your card ovascu ar system D srupt your rena system Cause resp ratory prob ems One of the benef ts often touted about ch oram nes s that they produce ower eve s of regu ated DBPs, such as THMs, compared to ch or ne. They st produce them, ust at ower eve s. In 1998, the U.S. Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA) pub shed ts Stage 1 D s nfect on Byproducts Ru e, wh ch requ red water treatment systems to reduce the format on of DBPs. Th s has ed to an ncreas ng number of treatment p ants sw tch ng from ch or ne to ch oram ne1 … Many be eve th s makes ch oram ne the super or cho ce n terms of safety, but what s ess pub c zed s that compared to ch or ne, water treated w th monoch oram ne (the most common form of ch oram ne used to d s nfect dr nk ng water) may conta n h gher concentrat ons of unregu ated d s nfect on byproducts – the r sks of wh ch are unknown.2 Cons der ng that many water ut t es treat the r water w th both ch or ne and ch oram ne, you may be gett ng the most of both regu ated and unregu ated DBPs n your dr nk ng water, shower and bath (the DBPs that enter your body through your sk n dur ng shower ng or bath ng a so go d rect y nto your b oodstream). There are, n fact, as many as 600 d fferent tox c DBPs that have been dent f ed, and to wh ch you may be exposed through treated water.3 H gher Lead Leve s n Water L nked to Ch oram nes There are other ssues w th ch oram ne n your water that you shou d be aware of, ke ts potent a to extract ead from o d water p pes. For examp e, when you comb ne ch oram nes w th the f uor de (hydrof uoros c c ac d) added to most of the U.S. water supp y, they become very effect ve at extract ng ead from o d p umb ng systems—essent a y, together, they promote the accumu at on of ead n the water supp y! "In fact the two of them have been comb ned, and I be eve patented to be put together so that they cou d extract ead," sa d f uor de act v st Jeff Green. Lead, a known tox n to your bra n and nervous system, s so tox c that t has been banned n gaso ne and ch dren s toys, and ead pa nt hasn t been n use s nce 1978. But even the U.S. Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on acknow edges that when ch or ne s rep aced w th ch oram nes n dr nk ng water, t ra ses not on y the amount of ead that eaches nto water, but the b ood ead eve s of ch dren who consume t! “When the free ch or ne was rep aced w th ch oram nes, the transformed h gh y nso ub e ead sca e m nera s were no onger stab e and d sso ved. Therefore, a substant a eve of ead was re eased from the ead serv ce nes nto dr nk ng water at the tap. CDC rev ewed the re at onsh p between BLLs [b ood ead eve s] n ch dren, the presence of a ead serv ce ne, and water d s nfect on pract ces n DC dur ng 1998–2006. The study reported that the presence of a ead serv ce ne was assoc ated w th h gher BLLs n ch dren. Th s re at onsh p was most pronounced dur ng 2001 through June 2004, when ch oram nes were used to d s nfect the dr nk ng water w thout adequate corros on contro . An observat ona study n wh ch the BLLs of ch dren were matched to popu at on-based data of water ead eve s dur ng per ods when water d s nfect on pract ces changed n DC conc uded that the ncrease n water ead eve s was assoc ated w th an ncrease n the BLLs of ch dren.”4 An ana ys s n Env ronmenta Hea th Perspect ves a so found that ntroduc ng ch oram nes may ncrease the ead n dr nk ng water, and po nted out that a though ant -corros ve agents added dur ng the treatment process are supposed to m t gate th s r sk, they aren t a ways effect ve:5 “Severa recent stud es prov ded ev dence that the ntroduct on of ch oram nes to water systems w th ead-conta n ng p pes, f xtures, or so der may ncrease the amount of d sso ved ead n water because of changes n water chem stry; nteract ons w th add t ves such as coagu ants or f uor dat on agents may remove ead d ox de sca es or g na y formed dur ng decades of ch or ne-based d s nfect on. Th s each ng m ght be managed to some extent by the add t on of ant corros v ty agents dur ng the water treatment process; however, the deta s of a the re ated env ronmenta chem stry are not fu y understood and are h gh y dependent on the part cu ar chem ca nteract ons found n each water treatment and d str but on system.” Many Res dents Vo ce Concerns Over Ch oram nes, Safety Stud es Ser ous y Lack ng Res dents across the Un ted States from Ca forn a and Ok ahoma to Vermont have vo ced concerns over ch oram ne safety, wonder ng whether t s tru y as safe as water ut t es wou d ke you to be eve. At the very east, the chem ca has been nked to sk n rr tat ons and rashes, noted Robert Howd of the Ca forn a EPA:6 “ …ch oram nes, ke ch or ne, can rr tate sens t ve mucus membranes, and cou d potent a y cause sk n rr tat on. When some ut t es have sw tched to ch oram ne, there have been user reports of bad-tast ng water, a bad fee of the water on the sk n, sk n rr tat on, and other symptoms.” Furthermore, accord ng to the EPA, no sc ent f c stud es on ch oram ne s effects on your sk n or resp ratory tract v a nha at on have been conducted. And wh e some cancer stud es have been, they are so m ted that they are not ab e to conc us ve y determ ne f ch oram ne m ght, n fact, cause cancer.7 Th s s concern ng, s nce exposure to ch oram ne n your ndoor a r wh e bath ng and shower ng may represent your greatest route of exposure, even more so than dr nk ng t. A so the cancer stud es on ch oram ne tse f are so m ted that they cannot be used to determ ne f ch oram ne s a carc nogen, and ts env ronmenta effects are worr some. Ch oram ne s tox c to frogs and other amph b ans, rept es, f sh and other aquat c and mar ne fe, to the extent that you cannot use ch oram ne-treated water to f up a f sh tank or backyard f sh pond. As the water runs nto streams, r vers and other mar ne areas, t cou d be d sastrous for the mar ne fe. So wh e water ut t es stand to save money by cutt ng ch or ne costs w th ch oram ne, the benef ts to the pub c are far ess c ear. Other potent a concerns nc ude:8 Because of ch oram ne s corros ve nature, t has been nked to p nho e p tt ng n copper water p pes, wh ch can ead to sma water eaks and mo d growth n your home Ch oram ne a so corrodes rubber to et f appers and gaskets, rubber hoses, and rubber f tt ngs n d shwashers and water heaters, ead ng to cost y home repa rs Ch oram ne de-e ast c zes PVC p pes, mak ng them br tt e and acce erat ng the each ng of poss b e carc nogens from the p ast c nto dr nk ng water Ch oram ne s D ff cu t to Remove From Your Water, But t Can be Done Ch oram ne cannot be removed by qu ck bo ng your water or ett ng t s t out n an open conta ner (as s somet mes recommended for ch or ne). A carbon f ter can remove the chem ca from your dr nk ng water, but that eaves your shower and bath – a s gn f cant route of exposure -- w thout protect on. It wou d be he pfu to take as co d a shower as poss b e as heat w convert more of the chem ca s to a tox c gas. Add t ona y shorter showers w a so obv ous y further m t your exposure. Because of the h gh f ow rate and arge vo ume of water pass ng through your shower, there s no showerhead f ter on the market that w effect ve y remove a ch oram ne. A who e-house f trat on system s therefore your best cho ce to remove ch or ne, ch oram ne, ammon a, DBPs and other contam nants from a of your water sources (bath, shower and tap). If you don t have the resources for a who e-house f trat on system at th s t me, there are a coup e of other tr cks you can try. At F ndaSpr ng.com you can dent fy oca spr ngs where you can get pure, ch oram ne-free dr nk ng water for a m n ma cost. You can a so try:9 Add ng fru t, such as s ces of pee ed orange, to a 1-ga on water p tcher, wh ch w he p neutra ze ch oram ne n about 30 m nutes D sso v ng a 1,000-mg v tam n C tab et nto your bath water, wh ch w neutra ze the ch oram ne n an average-s ze bathtub If you re not sure whether your c ty uses ch oram ne as a water d s nfectant, contact your oca water ut ty. And f you have concerns, vo ce them to your mun c pa ty. There are other d s nfect on techn ques ava ab e, such as u trav o et ght and m cro-f trat on, wh ch appear to be much safer, and may be an opt on n your area f enough peop e get nvo ved to prompt change. Th s recent y occurred n A bemar e County n Centra V rg n a, wh ch dropped the cons derat on of ch oram nes after negat ve pub c feedback -- and s now ook ng at the use of granu ar-act vated carbon as a secondary water d s nfectant.10
jimmyg
11-30-2012, 06:45 AM
The 10 Best Nutr ents For Sk n Hea th Posted by Cas e Terry W th the ch y days of fa upon us and w nter around the corner, t s mportant to ensure adequate ava ab ty of the nutr ents that best protect your sk n hea th. As one of the on y organs d rect y exposed to externa e ements, sk n must be protected from the ns de out. Therefore, both your da y d et and sk n reg men (you too, men) shou d nc ude these 10 sk n protect ng nutr ents. Lycopene: Lycopene s a powerfu ant ox dant that has natura UV ray protect ng propert es. A d et r ch n ycopene g ves your sk n a tt e added protect on aga nst the sun s harmfu rays. Lycopene can be found n waterme on, tomatoes, p nk grapefru t and papaya. Astaxanth n: Astaxanth n s the p nk-hued compound found n foods such as shr mp and kr . It s one of the on y caroteno d compounds that s not converted to ret no n the body, therefore, 100% of ts ant ox dant strengths are reserved for f ght ng free rad ca s. W th pro onged use, stud es have shown astaxanth n s ncred b e for support ng sk n heath and restor ng e ast c ty. In fact, one study nd cated that astaxanth n may v s b y mprove the appearance of sk n by reduc ng s gns of ag ng such as dry sk n, wr nk es and age spots f taken cons stent y for 6-8 weeks. One of our trusted partners, SAN, has a great product ca ed PurZanth n that uses 100% a natura astaxanth n from non-she f sh sources. Wh chever brand you choose, make sure t s 100% a natura as there are synthet c astaxanth n formu as on the market. V tam n C: V tam n C s exce ent for sk n both nterna y and top ca y. Its ant ox dant propert es protect your sk n from harmfu free rad ca s wh e encourag ng the product on of co agen. Accord ng to the Amer can Academy of Dermato ogy, 500 to 1,000 m grams of d etary or supp ementa v tam n C per day s suff c ent. Wh e d etary v tam n C can be found n c trus fru ts, Brusse s sprouts, red peppers and other foods, top ca v tam n C s grow ng n popu ar ty. It s mportant to use a brand that you trust so that the nutr ent concentrat ons aren t comprom sed. Two products we trust are John Masters Organ cs V tam n C Serum and Em nence Organ cs Couperose-C Serum. V tam n A: V tam n A, or ts precursor, beta-carotene, can be found n carrots or sp nach and ensures the proper ma ntenance, repa r and turn over of sk n and t ssue ce s. If you re def c ent n v tam n A, you may not ce a dry or f aky comp ex on because your sk n s not repa r ng tse f fast enough. Top ca v tam n A n the form of ret no has been known to dramat ca y mprove the appearance of sk n. However, be sure to check w th your dermato og st before cons der ng a top ca treatment, as t s not recommended un versa y. Omega-3 fatty ac ds: Omega-3s are assoc ated w th reduced nf ammat on and are known to ncrease the rad ance of one s comp ex on by ock ng n hydrat on. Good omega-3 sources nc ude fatty f sh, such as sa mon, wa nuts and f ax seeds. H gher amounts of omega-3s can be obta ned from a h gh qua ty, mo ecu ar y d st ed f sh o supp ement. V tam n E: V tam n E s known to counter the harmfu effects of UV exposure and prov de super or ant ox dant protect on. Experts nd cate that natura V tam n E at about 400 mg per day has been noted to reduce photodamage and wr nk es and to mprove sk n texture. Top ca v tam n E has been known to ba ance comp ex on and reduce the appearance of “sun spots.” Two brands to cons der are Now Foods E-O and Jason Pure Beauty O , V tam n E O 32,000 I.U., 1 oz. B ot n: B ot n s a B v tam n that s arge y respons b e for prov d ng the bas s for rad ant sk n and ha r. Experts often recommend anywhere from 1,000-5,000 mcg per day wh ch usua y requ res a supp ement. Food sources for b ot n nc ude peanuts, Sw ss chard and tuna. V tam n K: Top ca v tam n K cream has been dent f ed as one of the best (and on y) treatments ava ab e for effect ve y reduc ng under-eye c rc es. We ve found one, Naturopath ca V tam n K Br ghten ng Eye Serum, that we are rea y comfortab e endors ng, as t s a 100% organ c brand that uses h gh qua ty ngred ents. Hya uron c Ac d: Hya uron c ac d has the remarkab e ab ty to ho d 1,000 t mes ts we ght n water, therefore, s a great nutr ent for ma nta n ng your sk n s hydrat on. Add t ona y, t acts as a bond ng agent of sorts, keep ng your sk n ce s from separat ng ( .e. wr nk ng). A pha L po c Ac d: Th s potent ant ox dant s one of the on y nutr ents that s both water-so ub e and fat-so ub e. Th s means t can protect your sk n s ce s from free rad ca damage both on the ns de and on the surface. Top ca treatments are grow ng n popu ar ty but one of the best, organ c brands we ve found s Passport to Organ cs Face L ft – Tota 360 Regenerat on Cream w th A pha L po c Ac d. (Th s formu a a so conta ns hya uron c ac d, v tam n C and a few other sk n support ng nutr ents.) http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/03/Sk n-Nutr ents2. pg
jimmyg
12-01-2012, 08:14 AM
Sc ence Beh nd Tam f u Recommendat ons “M ss ng n Act on” November 28, 2012 L nk to art c e & v deo: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/11/28/sc ence-beh nd-tam f u.aspx?e_c d=20121128_DNL_US_art_1 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance S nce 2009, Roche, the maker of Tam f u, has refused to re ease data from e ght of 10 c n ca tr a s on the drug. To address the dangers nherent w th w thho d ng of c n ca tr a data, the Cochrane Co aborat on group n co aborat on w th the Br t sh Med ca Journa has created the BMJ Open Data Campa gn There s current y no sc ent f c bas s for the wor dw de recommendat on to use Tam f u for the prevent on or treatment of nf uenza. It s be eved, however, that the m ss ng tr a data may revea potent a harms, and/or ver fy the drug s neffect veness Researchers are ca ng for an end to the “cu ture of haphazard pub cat on and ncomp ete data d sc osure,” the mp ementat on of more robust regu at on, and fu access to the raw tr a data to ensure transparency
What shou d you reach for when you come down w th the f u? The ant v ra drug Tam f u s the second recommendat on on the US Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on s (CDC) st of recommended treatments, r ght beh nd the f u vacc ne. Both the US Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) and the European Med c nes Agency have approved Tam f u for both the treatment and prevent on of f u, and governments around the wor d have stockp ed the drug at the recommendat on of the Wor d Hea th Organ zat on (WHO), n preparat on for potent a f u pandem cs. Use of the drug dramat ca y ncreased after the wor dw de 2009 sw ne f u pandem c. But does Tam f u actua y work? Researchers w th the prest g ous Cochrane Co aborat on group are now ra s ng ser ous quest ons about the drug s effect veness and the sc ent f c bas s for the g oba recommendat on of the drug. In a s m ar ve n, desp te the fact that the sc ence beh nd f u vacc nes s f msy at best, w th numerous stud es show ng f u vacc nes s mp y do not work, 150 C nc natt hea th care workers now face be ng f red un ess they get a f u shot, as reported by CNBC above. Th s trend of w de y recommend ng, or worse, mandat ng, certa n drugs and vacc nes w thout a sturdy sc ent f c base for do ng so s tru y troub ng, and must be addressed. Researchers Demand Transparency of Sc ence The Cochrane Co aborat on conducts and pub shes ana yses of the sc ent f c ev dence support ng the use of var ous drugs and vacc nes. They are cons dered the "go d standard" of ndependent sc ent f c rev ews, so when they ssue a report, you re we adv sed to pay heed because t s free of conf ct of nterests and therefore very ob ect ve. I ve prev ous y d scussed a number of the r rev ews on f u vacc nes that have shed ght on the sheer ack of sc ent f c data support ng the c a m that f u vacc nes are a safe and effect ve means of prevent ng seasona nf uenza. Most recent y, Cochrane dec ded to update prev ous rev ews that m ght have a bear ng on nf uenza management, wh ch nc udes Tam f u. The prev ous assessment of Tam f u was done n 2009. At the t me, the group was unab e to get Roche, the manufacturer of Tam f u, to re ease e ght of the 10 c n ca tr a s nvo v ng the drug. The rev ew therefore conc uded that: "Pauc ty of good data has underm ned prev ous f nd ngs for ose tam v r s prevent on of comp cat ons from nf uenza. Independent random zed tr a s to reso ve these uncerta nt es are needed." Three years ater and now faced w th cont nued stonewa ng, Cochrane n co aborat on w th the Br t sh Med ca Journa dec ded to take the ssue to the pub c. The BMJ Open Data Campa gn1 was recent y created n an effort to force transparency as Roche cont nues to refuse to re ease the data from e ght out of 10 c n ca tr a s on Tam f u. The campa gn s te conta ns nks to Cochrane s correspondence w th not ust Roche, but a so w th the CDC and WHO — a of whom appear to be comp c t n th s scheme to mass ve y promote a drug w thout sc ent f c support for do ng so. "Th s open correspondence of etters offers readers the chance to w tness attempts to compe greater accountab ty and respons b ty n pub c hea th dec s on mak ng and po cy. The BMJ p ans to aunch other campa gns nked to ts nvest gat ons n the future," the campa gn page reads. Th s s ndeed an unsuspected and exc t ng turn of events. Such a campa gn for transparency n sc ence s fa r y unprecedented. Accord ng to Peter Dosh ,2 a postdoctora fe ow at Johns Hopk ns Un vers ty: "I m not aware of anyth ng that does more than ust a s mp e open etter," he te s Dav d Payne, ed tor of BMJ.3 "The reader can see the correspondence a most as a stage p ay. One can see how the actors are actua y act ng, espec a y when one s push ng for accountab ty but the other party refuses to engage. If you make that k nd of behav or v s b e, perhaps you can actua y ach eve progress." "For decades ndustry and regu ators have worked arge y under agreement — somet mes forced by aw and other t mes ust tac t agreements — that the data that wou d be shared between them wou d be conf dent a and treated as a trade secret. Now we re rea z ng there s a number of enormous y harmfu consequences from those po c es n wh ch arguab y drug d sasters ke V oxx [rofecox b] or Ce ebrex [ce ecox b] or Avand a [ros g tazone] cou d have been detected much ear er had the data been ava ab e." Government Recommendat ons for Tam f u are Based on "Noth ng" In 2009, conf cts of nterest w th n WHO were unearthed, show ng nks between Roche, the manufacturer of Tam f u, and those respons b e for creat ng pandem c f u p ann ng gu de nes. Tam f u s current y on the organ zat on s st of "essent a med c nes." Meanwh e, the Cochrane team cou d f nd "no ev dence" to suggest that Tam f u actua y reduces comp cat ons n cases of nf uenza... BMJ ed tor Dav d Payne reports: "Inf uenza drug ose tam v r has made b ons of pounds for Roche, but why won t the company g ve pat ents and doctors access to the fu c n ca data? ... [Cochrane researcher Tom] Jefferson to d the BMJ... the US Food and Drug Adm n strat on had descr bed Tam f u s effects as modest. Desp te th s, WHO and CDC have been extens ve y promot ng the drug. WHO has made Tam f u one of the essent a drugs, so t s ts next door to asp r n and pen c n, cort sone, he sa d. "The CDC has extens ve y recommended the use of Tam f u, and, as you know, governments wor dw de have stockp ed t on the adv ce, essent a y, of WHO. We were try ng to f nd out exact y what ev dence these dec s ons were made on. So we asked quest ons, and we a so asked WHO and CDC whether they d seen our rev ew and what the r thoughts were. "Readers w see the k nd of stonewa ng that we got. Indeed, my correspondence w th WHO shows that they d dn t answer a s ng e one of my quest ons. Po t c ans have gnored the prob em and have not demanded accountab ty from the r own dec s on makers, from regu ators, and from ndustry." One n 10 Sc ent sts Have W tnessed Sc ent f c Fraud I for one am thr ed to see that peop e w th funct ona mora compasses st ex st, who are w ng to f ght for true sc ence-based med c ne. H d ng unfavorab e research and/or "cherry p ck ng" data has become a monstrous prob em n med ca sc ence, a ong w th outr ght fraud. Ear er th s year, a BMJ po 4 revea ed that more than 1 n 10 sc ent sts and doctors have w tnessed co eagues de berate y fabr cat ng data n order to get the r research pub shed! At the t me, Dr. R chard Lehman from Oxford Un vers ty and BMJ ed tor of c n ca ep dem o ogy Dr. E zabeth Loder wrote:5 "C n ca med c ne nvo ves mak ng dec s ons under uncerta nty. C n ca research a ms to reduce th s uncerta nty, usua y by perform ng exper ments on groups of peop e who consent to run the r sks of such tr a s n the be ef that the resu t ng know edge w benef t others. Most c n c ans assume that the comp ex regu atory systems that govern human research ensure that th s know edge s re evant, re ab e, and proper y d ssem nated. It genera y comes as a shock to c n c ans, and certa n y to the pub c, to earn that th s s far from the case. The nked c uster of papers on unpub shed ev dence shou d re nforce th s sense of shock. These art c es conf rm the fact that a arge proport on of ev dence from human tr a s s unreported, and much of what s reported s done so nadequate y. We are not dea ng here w th tr a des gn, h dden b as, or prob ems of data ana ys s — we are ta k ng s mp y about the absence of the data. And th s s no academ c matter, because m ss ng data about harm n tr a s can harm pat ents, and ncomp ete data about benef t can ead to fut e costs to hea th systems. Moreover, researchers or others who de berate y concea tr a resu ts have breached the r eth ca duty to tr a part c pants." The pa r ca ed for an end to the "cu ture of haphazard pub cat on and ncomp ete data d sc osure," through the mp ementat on of more robust regu at on and fu access to the raw tr a data to ensure transparency. The BMJ Open Data Campa gn demand ng the re ease of tr a nformat on about Tam f u s part and parce of th s new effort to put the house of med ca sc ence back n order. What You Need to Know About Tam f u Tam f u (ose tam v r phosphate) s approved for treatment of uncomp cated nf uenza A and B n ch dren one year of age or o der. It s a so approved for prevent on of nf uenza n peop e 13 years or o der. It s part of a group of ant nf uenza drugs ca ed neuram n dase nh b tors, wh ch work by b ock ng a v ra enzyme that he ps the nf uenza v rus to nvade ce s n your resp ratory tract. If taken w th n 48 hours of onset of ness, t may reduce the durat on of f u symptoms by about a day to a day and a ha f. That s the extent of what th s $100-p us treatment w get you. However, some pat ents w th nf uenza are at ncreased r sk for secondary bacter a nfect ons when on Tam f u, wh ch of course wou d defeat the p an of be ng ab e to ump out of bed a day sooner. Furthermore, adverse events reported nc ude ped atr c deaths, ser ous sk n react ons, and neuropsych atr c events, nc ud ng su c de comm tted wh e de r ous. Accord ng to BMJ ed tor- n-ch ef F ona God ee,6 Tam f u s effect veness has ke y been overstated and ser ous adverse effects have been under-reported, and w th e ght out of 10 c n ca tr a s "m ss ng n act on," there s every reason to suspect th s to be true. As for the c a ms that Tam f u can prevent f u f you ve come n contact w th someone who s , Cochrane s rev ew of the ava ab e data shows that any prevent ve effect s modest at best. Ped atr c stud es showed that 13 ch dren wou d need to be treated to prevent ust one case of f u. So f 13 ch dren were treated, 12 wou d rece ve no benef t. A Cochrane rev ew pub shed n Apr of th s year7 conc uded that: "There s current y no h gh-qua ty ev dence to support targeted treatment of at r sk ch dren (w th under y ng chron c med ca cond t ons) w th neuram n dase nh b tors." Tam f u — Another Mass ve Drug Scam? Cont nued....
jimmyg
12-01-2012, 08:14 AM
So, et s face t. You ve been scammed. Hea th care prov ders around the wor d have been scammed. Pat ents have been hurt, and ch dren have d ed because of th s drug, ust ke 60,000 peop e d ed from V oxx, and tens of thousands were n ured by the d abetes drug Avand a — a because those n charge of the sc ence beh nd these "sc ence-based" med c nes dec de to w thho d cr t ca data n order to protect the r bottom nes. "[T]axpayers n the Un ted K ngdom and around the wor d have spent b ons of do ars stockp ng a drug for wh ch no one except the manufacturer has seen the comp ete ev dence base," F ona God ee, BMJ ed tor- n-ch ef, wr tes.8 In response to the Open Data Campa gn, Sarah Wo aston, a genera pract t oner and Conservat ve Member of Par ament n the UK, recent y brought the ssue of m ss ng c n ca tr a data before the Par ament, ask ng m n sters from the Department of Hea th to make sure a h stor ca and future data s re eased n the pub c doma n.9 Br t sh hea th m n ster Norman Lamb subsequent y agreed to meet experts to d scuss what he referred to as "the rea y mportant ssue" of access to data from c n ca tr a s.10 "In an ema te ng [Cochrane researcher] Jefferson about the p anned meet ng, Wo aston sa d: "It w sure y be a turn ng po nt n the campa gn for open data f we can show that £1 n every £200 of the tota NHS budget for 2009 was spent stockp ng a drug for wh ch a drug company had know ng y concea ed data e ther show ng t had no rea benef ts . . . or worse . . . caused rea harm," Payne wr tes.11 The Two Most Potent F u Prevent on Strateg es I Know of So, what s the best way to avo d contract ng the f u each and every year? And what can you do to speed up your recovery shou d you get ? In a recent WebMD art c e,12 Chr s De Mar, MD, dean of med c ne at Bond Un vers ty n Austra a, echoes my own sent ments when he says: "Don t take [the ant v ra s] to prevent comp cat ons because we don t have enough good data for that. It reduces the [durat on of the] ness by one day. So you have to make a dec s on about whether t s worth t or not." But wh e Dr. De Mar m ts h s recommendat ons to tak ng acetam nophen or a hot emon dr nk, I be eve there are far more effect ve a ternat ves. The answer es n ma nta n ng a robust mmune system, and the f rst th ng you want to do when you fee yourse f com ng down w th a co d or f u s to avo d ALL sugars (fructose n part cu ar), art f c a sweeteners, and processed foods. Th s a so nc udes fructose from fru t u ce, and a types of gra ns (as they break down as sugar n your body). It s mportant to remember that excess ve sugar consumpt on effect ve y suppresses your mmune system and mpa rs your defenses aga nst a nfect ous d sease. I a so strong y recommend tak ng one spec f c act on that can he p reduce your chances of ever deve op ng symptoms n the f rst p ace, and that s to make sure your v tam n D eve s are opt m zed year-round. There s a hypothes s that the w despread preva ence of co ds and f u s may actua y be due to v tam n D def c ency, wh ch s ncred b y common n the Un ted States, espec a y dur ng the w nter months when co d and f u v ruses are at the r peak. And, wh e stud es keep conf rm ng the neffect veness of f u vacc nes and f u drugs ke Tam f u, severa stud es now support that v tam n D can he p keep you hea thy dur ng f u season: In the argest and most nat ona y representat ve study13 of ts k nd, peop e w th the owest v tam n D eve s reported hav ng s gn f cant y more recent co ds or cases of the f u. In another study,14 pub shed two years ago, schoo ch dren were g ven e ther v tam n D or a p acebo for a year. Inf uenza A occurred n ust 10.8 percent of the ch dren n the v tam n D group, compared w th 18.6 percent ch dren n the p acebo group. At east f ve add t ona stud es a so show an nverse assoc at on between ower resp ratory tract nfect ons and v tam n D eve s. Th s s not surpr s ng once you rea ze that v tam n D produces 200 to 300 d fferent ant m crob a pept des n your body that k bacter a, v ruses and fung . Essent a y, t works as a very broad ant bacter a and ant v ra agent. Other A -Natura Immune-Boost ng Strateg es As de from boost ng your v tam n D eve s and absta n ng from sugary foods, add t ona ong-term prevent on strateg es nc ude gett ng p enty of qua ty s eep, exerc s ng regu ar y,15 and effect ve y address ng the da y stresses of your fe. Taken together, these strateg es ay the groundwork for a robust mmune system that can stand up to a k nds of v ra and bacter a assau ts. However, there are a so a number of a -natura therap es that can he p you combat co ds and f u s on a more short-term bas s. Here s a st ng of some of the most effect ve ones: Z nc: Accord ng to a Cochrane Database Rev ew of the med ca research on z nc, when taken w th n one day of the f rst symptoms, z nc can cut down the durat on of a co d by about 24 hours. It was a so found to great y reduce the sever ty of symptoms. Ch cken soup: Ch cken conta ns a natura am no ac d ca ed cyste ne, wh ch can th n the mucus n your ungs and make t ess st cky so you can expe t more eas y. For best resu ts, make up a fresh batch yourse f (or ask a fr end or fam y member to do so) and make the soup hot and sp cy w th p enty of pepper. The sp ces w tr gger a sudden re ease of watery f u ds n your mouth, throat, and ungs, wh ch w he p th n down the resp ratory mucus so t s eas er to cough up and expe . I wou d a so strong y recommend us ng oca pastured ch cken and s mmer ng the bones (and the feet f ava ab e) for 24 hours to get the most you can out of the ch cken. It makes an abso ute y heaven y soup. Mushrooms: Wh e most peop e th nk on y of eat ng the f eshy fru t ng body of the mushroom (the part that grows above ground), most of the benef ts are actua y ocated n the r comp ex root structure, ca ed the myce um. Beta g ucans and proteog ycans are the pr mary b o og ca y act ve compounds n the mushroom fru t body and myce a that support your mmune system. The beta g ucans are spec a prote ns w th un que s de-branch ng patterns that "f t" perfect y w th ce u ar receptor s tes that support your mmune system, ust ke a key n a ock. Mushrooms a so conta n trace m nera s, po ysacchar des, am no ac ds and f ber that support your hea th by protect ng aga nst env ronmenta stressors; support ng your detox f cat on process; and promot ng hea thy gut f ora and opt ma d gest on, ust to name a few of the known hea th benef ts. V tam n C: A very potent ant ox dant; use a natura form such as acero a, wh ch conta ns assoc ated m cronutr ents. You can take severa grams every hour t you are better un ess you start deve op ng oose stoo s Oregano O : The h gher the carvacro concentrat on, the more effect ve t s. Carvacro s the most act ve ant m crob a agent n oregano o . Propo s: A bee res n and one of the most broad-spectrum ant m crob a compounds n the wor d; propo s s a so the r chest source of caffe c ac d and ap gen n, two very mportant compounds that a d n mmune response. A tea made from a comb nat on of e derf ower, yarrow, boneset, nden, pepperm nt and g nger: dr nk t hot and often for combat ng a co d or f u. It causes you to sweat, wh ch s he pfu for erad cat ng a v rus from your system. O ve eaf extract: Anc ent Egypt ans and Med terranean cu tures used t for a var ety of hea th-promot ng uses and t s w de y known as a natura , non-tox c mmune system bu der.
jimmyg
12-02-2012, 08:25 AM
Ant -F uor de Group Subm ts More than 35,000 S gnatures to Port and n Conf dent B d to Force Vote http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/dr nk ng-water. pg By Dr. Merco a L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/11/29/ant -water-f uor dat on-p an.aspx?e_c d=20121129_DNL_US_art_2 In a country where f uor de s added to 70% of U.S. pub c dr nk ng water supp es to supposed y a d n the prevent on of cav t es, Port and, Or stands out from the crowd. Port and s the argest c ty n the U S that has yet to add f uor de to ts water supp y, a stance that was set to change thanks to a unan mous c ty counc vote n September 2012. However, Port and res dents were not content to s t st wh e a proven neurotox n was added to the r dr nk ng water … so, n a move that may nsp re other c t es around the U.S. to fo ow su t, they d d someth ng about t. Res dent S gnatures Set to B ock Port and s Upcom ng F uor de P an In Port and, referendums that cha enge a C ty Counc ord nance are granted f supporters co ect s gnatures from at east 6 percent of reg stered voters, wh ch must be done n ust 30 days. To put a ha t to the f uor de p an, th s meant co ect ng 19,858 va d s gnatures by the dead ne. C ean Water Port and, wh ch opposes the water f uor dat on p an, succeeded n co ect ng more than 43,000 s gnatures – . Assum ng the s gnatures are va d, p ans to f uor date Port and s dr nk ng water w stop unt the C ty Counc e ther dec des to repea the ord nance or, more ke y, add the potent a ord nance to an upcom ng ba ot (most ke y n May 2014) to et the voters dec de. Port and Voters W Now Have a Say n What s n The r Water … What makes C ean Water Port and s accomp shment of secur ng the water f uor dat on ssue a spot on the ba ot card even more mportant s the undemocrat c process the Port and C ty Counc used to estab sh the f uor de p an n the f rst p ace. It rece ved nat onw de med a coverage..... So far, c t zens had a ready voted no on water f uor dat on for Port and on three separate occas ons, c ear y demonstrat ng the pub c w on th s sub ect. Most recent y, more than 275 res dents test f ed at the pub c hear ng, accord ng to The New York T mes,1 w th more than 60 percent of them speak ng out aga nst the pract ce. The pro-f uor de obby were unfa r y g ven a fu hour to present the r case before the counc , wh e those n oppos t on were g ven no t me. Wh e Port and C ty Counc members met w th f uor de obby sts on mu t p e occas ons n the months ead ng up to the p an, they posted on y one meet ng on pub c ca endars, even though they re requ red by aw to pub ca y post any act v t es re ated to c ty bus ness.2 The meet ngs must have pa d off for the f uor de obby sts, because n the end, on September 12, the counc stuck to the r announced game p an and approved the p an to add f uor de to Port and s water supp es by March 2014, desp te the strong oppos t on from res dents, who asked for a referendum. The r message: "Pub c Water, Pub c Vote." Fortunate y, C ean Water Port and was successfu n co ect ng s gnatures to ensure th s pub c vote takes p ace, and n the meant me w force an mmed ate freeze on Port and s p an to f uor date the r c t zens. Why are So Many n Port and Adamant About Keep ng F uor de Out of The r Water? V deo..... That s a very good quest on, and f you re new to the f uor de ssue you may have s mp y heard that t s "good for your teeth" – but not much e se. But even promoters of f uor dat on now adm t that f uor de s predom nant act on s top ca , on the surface of the tooth (a though even th s s now be ng quest oned), and not from ns de your body – so why are so many Amer cans st be ng forced to swa ow t when swa ow ng f uor de prov des tt e or no benef t to your teeth? F uor de compounds ke f uoros c c ac d are tox c ndustr a waste products, wh ch can a so be contam nated w th ead, arsen c, rad onuc eot des, a um num and other ndustr a contam nants. There are so many sc ent f c stud es show ng the d rect, tox c effects of f uor de on your body, t s tru y remarkab e that t s NOT cons dered a sc ent f c consensus by now. For examp e, 34 d fferent stud es3 support the content on that water f uor dat on owers IQ n ch dren. Other stud es have focused on ts mpact on thyro d, bones and o nts, and your bra n, wh e many refuse to cons der the skyrocket ng ncrease of cogn t ve dec ne n adu ts (A zhe mer s and var ous dement a s), and behav ora ssues n ch dren (ADD, ADHD, depress on and earn ng d sab t es of a k nds) and the poss b e nk to f uor de. In rea ty, stud es have shown that f uor de tox c ty can ead to a w de var ety of hea th prob ems, nc ud ng: Increased ead absorpt on - D srupts synthes s of co agen - Hyperact v ty and/or ethargy - Musc e d sorders - Thyro d d sease - Arthr t s - Dement a - Bone fractures - Lowered thyro d funct on - Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) - Inact vates 62 enzymes and nh b ts more than 100 - Inh b ted format on of ant bod es - Genet c damage and ce death Increased tumor and cancer rate - D srupted mmune system - Damaged sperm and ncreased nfert ty. And then there s the centra ssue of FREEDOM. F uor de s not a nutr ent. The f uor de put nto dr nk ng water s not a prescr pt on drug, but an ndustr a waste product. However, t s put nto the water as a "drug" to he p ora hea th, and t s done w thout the consent of those rece v ng t. Even f you accepted the prem se that t works system ca y, there s no ust f cat on to force t on peop e under the gu se of s ght y ower ng tooth decay, as everyone has the opt on of us ng t top ca y as a toothpaste f they so choose. Water F uor dat on 101: D d You Know …. ? http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2012/August/fan_ nfo. pg D d You Know Water F uor dat on s Dangerous to the Env ronment? The U.S. Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA) recent y announced that 3 compan es wou d be work ng to ensure that tox c waste from a near y 3-acre ndustr a comp ex n West V rg n a wou d not eak out and contam nate surround ng so and groundwater. The s te, about 900 feet from the Oh o R ver, was or g na y part of a Ka ser A um num p ant, and now s oaded w th cyan de and f uor de tox c waste. You see, f uor de s c ass f ed as a hazardous waste product by the EPA … so how d d t come to be added to your dr nk ng water? Very shrewd y… Water f uor dat on cou d eas y qua fy as one of the grandest pub c hea th frauds and tox c cover-ups n U.S. h story. Now dec ass f ed f es of the Manhattan Pro ect and the Atom c Energy Comm ss on show that the tox co ogy department at the Un vers ty of Rochester -- wh ch was under the d rect on of Haro d Hodge -- was asked to produce med ca nformat on about f uor de that cou d he p defend the government aga nst awsu ts were they to be charged w th f uor de po ut on. It s now c ear that f water f uor dat on were dec ared harmfu to human hea th, the U.S. nuc ear bomb program, as we as many other f uor de-po ut ng ndustr es such as a um num p ants and fert zer manufacturers, wou d have been eft open to mass ve t gat on. The p an? Dec are f uor de not on y safe, but benef c a , and se the troub esome waste to mun c pa t es across the US… You m ght be surpr sed to earn that Ka ser A um num, wh ch owned the or g na West V rg n a p ant s te that s now a hazardous waste s te, s among the f uor de-po ut ng ndustry-heavywe ghts that he ped fund research for the Ketter ng report on the hea th benef ts of f uor de -- a mass ve b b ography of abstracts on the soundness of communa water f uor dat on, and f uor de s (benef c a ) ro e n pub c hea th. But th s “hea thfu ” f uor de s a hazardous waste product that s so tox c t can t ega y be put n oceans, r vers or akes, or added to so – but t can be so d to be added to commerc a water supp es! As the F uor de Act on Network reports:4 “F uor de s a ma or ndustr a po utant, one wh ch has caused w despread damage to f uor de-exposed workers and downw nd commun t es. Dur ng the Co d War, f uor de was respons b e for more t gat on aga nst U.S. ndustry than a other a r po utants comb ned. A though the deve opment of modern po ut on contro techno ogy has resu ted n s gn f cant reduct ons n f uor de em ss ons, m ons of workers around the wor d rema n at r sk for resp ratory, neuro og ca , and bone d seases from f uor de exposure, and downw nd commun t es rema n at r sk n countr es w th weak env ronmenta regu at on.” The Water F uor dat on Debate s Heat ng Up Across the G obe The f uor de debate has recent y gn ted n Canada and New Zea and as we as other areas around the Un ted States. N Z: In June ast year, the Ruapehu-Taumarunu D str ct Counc conf rmed the r dec s on to stop f uor dat ng the r water. ........... Around the same t me, the Upper Hutt C ty counc a so reso ved to obby We ngton Reg ona to stop f uor dat on, and the counc n New P ymouth voted to end the r water f uor dat on program. Canada: C ty counc ors n Cornwa , Canada recent y heard from oca c t zens who want the c ty to qu t putt ng f uor de n the r dr nk ng water, and po nted out that the f uor de stud ed by hea th agenc es s d fferent form what s actua y used n dr nk ng water. The ssue of what k nd of f uor de s actua y added to your water s a po nt of ma or mportance, as many peop e st do not rea ze that when sc ent sts study f uor de s tox c ty to humans, they study pharmaceut ca grade f uor de (same stuff used n ant depressant drugs), but NOT the f uor de compounds actua y used for water f uor dat on, wh ch nc ude the far more tox c waste mater a s generated from the fert zer ndustry. So, n essence, the r a ready detr menta resu ts may n fact be FAR GREATER than current y perce ved. Phoen x, Az: C t zens n Phoen x, Ar zona are a so stepp ng up to the p ate on th s ssue and were recent y to d a counc subcomm ttee wou d f na y, after 23 years, accept expert test mony on water f uor dat on. F or da: Both the Greater P ne Is and Water Assoc at on, and The Ormond Beach C ty Comm ss on, w be vot ng on whether to cont nue on w th water f uor dat on. ..... Momentum s Grow ng: Four More Commun t es are Now F uor de-Free S nce 2010, more than 70 U.S. commun t es have voted to end water f uor dat on. Most recent y added to th s st are:5 O Fa on, M ssour : ......... Rosetown, Saskatchewan: After a f uor de feed-pump broke, th s sma commun ty of 2,300 dec ded not to cont nue water f uor dat on n the future. Lake V ew, Iowa: The c ty counc voted to d scont nue f uor dat on based on ts h gh cost and ack of pos t ve econom c benef t. Cassadaga, N Y: C t zen oppos t on nf uenced V age Board members to vote to re ect water f uor dat on. In a town survey, 78 percent of water customers sa d they opposed the pract ce. Do You Agree that F uor de Use Shou d be a Cho ce, Not a Mandate? The research speaks for tse f that f uor de shou d not be ngested........ The on y rea so ut on s to stop the archa c pract ce of water f uor dat on n the f rst p ace. Fortunate y, the F uor de Act on Network6 (FAN) has a game p an to END water f uor dat on n both Canada and the Un ted States. I urge you to o n the ant -f uor de movement n Canada and Un ted States by contact ng the representat ve for your area be ow. Contact Informat on for Canad an Commun t es: If you ve n Ontar o, Canada, p ease o n the ongo ng effort by contact ng D ane Spru es at d ane.spru
[email protected]. The po nt-of-contact for Toronto, Canada s A ss Terpstra. You may ema her at a ss@nutr mom.ca. Contact Informat on for Amer can Commun t es: We re a so go ng to address three U.S. commun t es: Port and, W ch ta, and Phoen x: Port and, O: If you ve n the Port and area, p ease contact FAN s Oregon po nt person, K mber y Kam nsk . .......... W tch ta, Kansas: The pro-f uor de obby has a so targeted W ch ta for forced f uor dat on. If you ve n Kansas ......... Phoen x, Az -- The c ty counc s reassess ng the r f uor dat on program. ..........
jimmyg
12-03-2012, 09:41 AM
Exerc se He ps Your Immune System Protect Aga nst Future Cancers http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/f ght-cancer-exerc se. pg November 30, 2012 L nk to art c e & v deo: http://f tness.merco a.com/s tes/f tness/arch ve/2012/11/30/exerc se-protects- mmune-system.aspx?e_c d=20121130_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: In a three-month ong study, exerc se was found to a ter mmune ce s nto a more potent d sease-f ght ng form n cancer surv vors who had ust comp eted chemotherapy Researchers and cancer organ zat ons ncreas ng y recommend mak ng regu ar exerc se a pr or ty n order to reduce your r sk of cancer, and he p mprove cancer outcomes Exerc se a so owers your r sk for cancer by reduc ng e evated nsu n eve s. Th s creates a ow sugar env ronment that d scourages the growth and spread of cancer ce s. Research has a so found ev dence suggest ng exerc se can he p tr gger apoptos s (programmed ce death) n cancer ce s Exerc se t ps for cancer pat ents, and other mportant cancer prevent on gu de nes are nc uded
If you are ke most peop e, when you th nk of reduc ng your r sk of cancer, exerc se probab y sn t at the top of your st. However, there s compe ng ev dence that exerc se can not on y he p s ash your r sk of cancer, but can a so he p cancer pat ents get we sooner, and he p prevent cancer recurrence. Research has a so shown t may he p m n m ze the s de effects of convent ona cancer treatment. A pre m nary study presented at The Integrat ve B o ogy of Exerc se VI meet ng n m d-October1 he ps shed ght on why exerc se s so effect ve for decreas ng the r sk of secondary cancers n surv vors, or why t can decrease your r sk of gett ng cancer n the f rst p ace. Exerc se Improves Your Immune System s "Cancer Surve ance" S xteen cancer surv vors who had ust comp eted chemotherapy part c pated n the three-month ong study. The f tness program, wh ch was ta ored to each nd v dua , nc uded: Strength tra n ng Endurance tra n ng Card ovascu ar exerc se Exerc ses for f ex b ty, ba ance and posture The researchers exam ned the mmune ce s n the part c pants b ood before and after comp et on of the 12-week program, and the ana ys s showed that a arge port on of the T ce s were a tered nto a more effect ve d sease-f ght ng form, ca ed "naïve" T ce s. As reported by Med ca News Today:2 "[Lead researcher] B ek exp a ned, What we re suggest ng s that w th exerc se, you m ght be gett ng r d of T ce s that aren t he pfu and mak ng room for T ce s that m ght be he pfu . Th s research s mportant because t not on y emphas zes the advantages of exerc se for cancer pat ents and cancer surv vors, but t a so demonstrates how t can benef t hea thy nd v dua s. However, the ncreased cancer surve ance, or the power of the mmune system to stop emerg ng cancers, s part cu ar y benef c a for those strugg ng w th cancer, or who have ust surv ved t. B ek conc uded: There s a tany of pos t ve benef ts from exerc se. If exerc se ndeed strengthens the mmune system and potent a y mproves cancer surve ance, t s one more th ng we shou d educate pat ents about as a reason they shou d schedu e regu ar act v ty throughout the r day and make t a pr or ty n the r ves. " V ew ng Exerc se as a Drug Bes des a ter ng your mmune ce s nto a more potent d sease-f ght ng form and mprov ng c rcu at on of those mmune ce s n your b ood, another pr mary way exerc se owers your r sk for cancer s by reduc ng e evated nsu n eve s. Th s creates a ow sugar env ronment that d scourages the growth and spread of cancer ce s. It s a so been suggested that apoptos s (programmed ce death) s tr ggered by exerc se, caus ng cancer ce s to d e. The tr ck though, s understand ng how to use exerc se as a prec se too . I ke to suggest v ew ng t as a "drug" that needs to be carefu y prescr bed to ach eve ts max mum benef t. Th s ensures you re gett ng enough to ach eve the benef t, not too much to cause n ury, and the r ght var ety to ba ance your ent re phys ca structure and ma nta n strength, f ex b ty, and aerob c and anaerob c f tness eve s. Idea y, doctors wou d prescr be exerc se n spec f c "doses" and nterva s. To do th s proper y, onco og sts wou d be w se to deve op re at onsh ps w th persona tra ners, and prescr be tra n ng sess ons for the r pat ents. If you have cancer, I wou d h gh y recommend d scuss ng exerc se w th your onco og st, and/or work w th a tra ned f tness profess ona who can he p you dev se a safe and effect ve reg men. Unfortunate y, many pub c hea th gu de nes st focus on y on the aerob c aspects of exerc se, and th s exc us ve focus can ead to mba ances that may actua y prevent opt ma hea th. It s mportant to nc ude a arge var ety of techn ques n your exerc se rout ne, such as strength tra n ng, aerob cs, core-bu d ng act v t es, and stretch ng. Most mportant of a , however, s to make sure you nc ude h gh- ntens ty, bursttype exerc se, once or tw ce a week, n wh ch you ra se your heart rate up to your anaerob c thresho d for 20 to 30 seconds, and then you recover for 90 seconds. These exerc ses can ncrease your body s natura product on of human growth hormone. Compe ng Ev dence n Support of Exerc se as Cancer Prophy act c In the 1980s the not on that exerc se may he p prevent cancer started gett ng ts due attent on. Accord ng to a study pub shed 12 years ago n the Br t sh Med ca Journa ,3 wh ch exp ored the re at onsh p between exerc se and cancer, exerc se affects severa b o og ca funct ons that may d rect y nf uence your cancer r sk. These effects nc ude changes n: Card ovascu ar capac ty - Energy ba ance - Pu monary capac ty - Immune funct on - Bowe mot ty - Ant ox dant defense - Hormone eve s - DNA repa r. In 2003, a paper n the ourna Med c ne & Sc ence n Sports & Exerc se4 reported that "more than a hundred ep dem o og c stud es on the ro e of phys ca act v ty and cancer prevent on have been pub shed." The authors noted that: "The data are c ear n show ng that phys ca y act ve men and women have about a 30-40 percent reduct on n the r sk of deve op ng co on cancer, compared w th nact ve persons … W th regard to breast cancer, there s reasonab y c ear ev dence that phys ca y act ve women have about a 20-30 percent reduct on n r sk, compared w th nact ve women. It a so appears that 30-60 m n·d-1 of moderate- to v gorous- ntens ty phys ca act v ty s needed to decrease the r sk of breast cancer, and that there s ke y a dose-response re at on." Cancer Groups Recommend Mak ng Exerc se Part of Standard Care In recent years, a number of cancer groups have started tak ng exerc se ser ous y. For examp e, a recent report ssued by the Br t sh organ zat on Macm an Cancer Support5 argues that exerc se rea y shou d be part of standard cancer care. It recommends that a pat ents gett ng cancer treatment shou d be to d to engage n moderate- ntens ty exerc se for two and a ha f hours every week, stat ng that the adv ce to rest and take t easy after treatment s an outdated v ew. The organ zat on offers oads of he pfu nformat on about the benef ts of exerc se for cancer pat ents on the r webs te, and a so has a number of v deos on the sub ect, ava ab e on the r YouTube channe .6 v deo..... Professor Robert Thomas d scusses the benef ts of phys ca act v ty dur ng after cancer treatment. Accord ng to C aran Devane, ch ef execut ve of Macm an Cancer Support:7 "Cancer pat ents wou d be shocked f they knew ust how much of a benef t phys ca act v ty cou d have on the r recovery and ong term hea th, n some cases reduc ng the r chances of hav ng to go through the grue ng ordea of treatment a over aga n..." Indeed, the reduct on n r sk for recurrence s qu te mpress ve. Prev ous research has shown that breast and co on cancer pat ents who exerc se regu ar y have ha f the recurrence rate than non-exerc sers.8 Macm an Cancer Support a so notes that exerc se can he p you to m t gate some of the common s de effects of convent ona cancer treatment, nc ud ng: Reduce fat gue and mprove your energy eve s - Manage stress, anx ety, ow mood or depress on - Improve bone hea th - Improve heart hea th (some chemotherapy drugs and rad otherapy can cause heart prob ems ater n fe) - Bu d musc e strength, re eve pa n and mprove range of movement - Ma nta n a hea thy we ght - S eep better Improve your appet te Prevent const pat on. Exerc se T ps for Cancer Pat ents I wou d strong y recommend you read up on my Peak F tness program, wh ch nc udes h gh- ntens ty exerc ses that can reduce your exerc se t me wh e actua y mprov ng your benef ts. Now, f you have cancer or any other chron c d sease, you w of course need to ta or your exerc se rout ne to your nd v dua c rcumstances, tak ng nto account your f tness eve and current hea th. Often, you w be ab e to take part n a regu ar exerc se program -- one that nvo ves a var ety of exerc ses ke strength tra n ng, core-bu d ng, stretch ng, aerob c and anaerob c -- w th very tt e changes necessary. However, at t mes you may f nd you need to exerc se at a ower ntens ty, or for shorter durat ons. A ways sten to your body and f you fee you need a break, take t me to rest. Just remember that exerc s ng for ust a few m nutes a day s better than not exerc s ng at a , and you ke y f nd that your stam na ncreases and you re ab e to comp ete more cha eng ng workouts w th each pass ng day. In the event you are suffer ng from a very weakened mmune system, you may want to exerc se at home nstead of v s t ng a pub c gym. But remember that exerc se w u t mate y he p to boost your mmune system, so t s very mportant to cont nue w th your program, even f you suffer from chron c ness or cancer. That sa d, f your body w not a ow you to exerc se, e ther due to pa n or worsen ng of your under y ng cond t on, then you have no pract ca opt on but to honor your body s s gna s and exerc se ess. Even though your body desperate y needs the exerc se to mprove, you w on y get worse f you v o ate your current m tat ons. Prote n Intake A so Cruc a for Cancers Cont nued....
jimmyg
12-03-2012, 09:42 AM
I recent y nterv ewed Dr. Ron Roseda e for near y f fteen hours and hope to be ab e to start post ng those art c es very soon. He s one of the f rst phys c ans n the U.S. that started measur ng ept n eve s c n ca y and was far ahead of the curve on th s one. In our nterv ew, he he ped me understand the ma or mportance that excess ve prote n ntake can have on cancer growth. The mTOR pathway s short for mamma an target of rapamyc n. Th s pathway s anc ent but re at ve y recent y apprec ated and has on y been known for ess than 20 years. Odds are very h gh your doctor was never taught th s s med ca schoo and sn t even aware of t. Many new cancer drugs are actua y be ng targeted to use th s pathway. Drugs us ng th s pathway have a so been g ven to an ma s to rad ca y extend the r fespan. But you don t have to use drugs to get th s pathway to work for you. You can b ohack your body and mere y restr ct your prote n ntake and rep ace the decreased prote n w th hea thy fats as th s w prov de v rtua y dent ca benef ts as these dangerous and expens ve drugs. Eat ng excess ve prote n can be an add t ona synerg st ca y powerfu mechan sm. Dr. Roseda e be eves that when you consume prote n n eve s h gher than one gram of prote n per k ogram of LEAN body mass you can act vate the mTOR pathway, wh ch w rad ca y ncrease your r sk of cancers. It s very easy to consume excess prote n and my guess s that most peop e read ng th s are. I know I was, and as a resu t of th s new ns ght I have reduced my prote n ntake by about ha f. To determ ne your ean body mass f nd out your percent body fat and subtract from 100. So f you are 20% body fat you wou d have 80% ean body mass. Just mu t p y that t mes your current we ght to get ean body mass. For most peop e th s means restr ct ng prote n ntake from 35 to 75 grams. Pregnant women and those work ng out extens ve y need about 25% more prote n though. Of course when you reduce prote n you need to rep ace t w th other ca or es, so the key s to rep ace the ost ca or es w th h gh-qua ty fats such as avocados, butter, coconut o , o ves, o ve o , nuts and eggs. It s a so very he pfu to avo d eat ng anyth ng for three hours before go ng to bed as th s a ows you to have re at ve y ow b ood sugars wh e you are s eep ng. Th s s another good tr ck to move your body to fat burn ng mode. Near y everyone s pr mar y n carb burn ng mode because of the amount of carbohydrate content that they consume. The beauty of sh ft ng over to fat burn ng mode s that t v rtua y e m nates hunger. Interm ttent fast ng s one way to he p ach eve th s, but rad ca y cutt ng back on non-vegetab e carbs s a so very mportant. Coconut o s part cu ar y usefu to use n mak ng the trans t on to fat burn ng mode as t s pr mar y short and med um cha n fats wh ch break down very qu ck y and can be used as an energy source wh ch s mportant for counter ng the decreased energy and other phys ca cha enges that many encounter n the severa weeks t typ ca y takes to make the trans t on to fat burn ng mode . Cancer Prevent on Beg ns w th Your L festy e Cho ces Wh e exerc se s an mportant facet of cancer prevent on and treatment, t s certa n y not the on y one. I be eve the vast ma or ty of a cancers cou d be prevented by str ct y app y ng the hea thy festy e recommendat ons be ow: Avo d sugar, espec a y fructose. A forms of sugar are detr menta to hea th n genera and promote cancer. Fructose, however, s c ear y one of the most harmfu and shou d be avo ded as much as poss b e. Opt m ze your v tam n D. V tam n D nf uences v rtua y every ce n your body and s one of nature s most potent cancer f ghters. V tam n D s actua y ab e to enter cancer ce s and tr gger apoptos s (ce death). If you have cancer, your v tam n D eve shou d be between 70 and 100 ng/m . V tam n D works synerg st ca y w th every cancer treatment I m aware of, w th no adverse effects. I suggest you try watch ng my one-hour free ecture on v tam n D to earn more. L m t your prote n. Newer research has emphas zed the mportance of the mTOR pathways. When these are act ve, cancer growth s acce erated. The best way to qu et th s pathway s by m t ng your prote n to one gram of prote n per k ogram of ean body we ght, or rough y a b t ess than ha f a gram of prote n per every pound of ean body we ght. For most peop e th s ranges between 40 and 70 grams of prote n a day, wh ch s about 2/3 to ha f of what they are current y eat ng. Avo d unfermented soy products. Unfermented soy s h gh n p ant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, a so known as sof avones. In some stud es, soy appears to work n concert w th human estrogen to ncrease breast ce pro ferat on, wh ch ncreases the chances for mutat ons and cancerous ce s. Improve your nsu n and ept n receptor sens t v ty. The best way to do th s s by avo d ng sugar and gra ns and restr ct ng carbs to most y f ber vegetab es. A so mak ng sure you are exerc s ng, espec a y w th Peak F tness. Ma nta n a hea thy body we ght. Th s w come natura y when you beg n eat ng r ght for your nutr t ona type and exerc s ng. It s mportant to ose excess body fat because fat produces estrogen. Dr nk a p nt to a quart of organ c green vegetab e u ce da y. P ease rev ew my u c ng nstruct ons for more deta ed nformat on. Get p enty of h gh qua ty an ma -based omega-3 fats, such as kr o . Omega-3 def c ency s a common under y ng factor for cancer. Curcum n. Th s s the act ve ngred ent n turmer c and n h gh concentrat ons can be very usefu ad unct n the treatment of cancer. For examp e, t has demonstrated ma or therapeut c potent a n prevent ng breast cancer metastas s.9 It s mportant to know that curcum n s genera y not absorbed that we , so I ve prov ded severa absorpt on t ps here. Avo d dr nk ng a coho , or at east m t your a coho c dr nks to one per day. Avo d e ectromagnet c f e ds as much as poss b e. Even e ectr c b ankets can ncrease your cancer r sk. Avo d synthet c hormone rep acement therapy, espec a y f you have r sk factors for breast cancer. Breast cancer s an estrogen-re ated cancer, and accord ng to a study pub shed n the Journa of the Nat ona Cancer Inst tute, breast cancer rates for women dropped n tandem w th decreased use of hormone rep acement therapy. (There are s m ar r sks for younger women who use ora contracept ves. B rth contro p s, wh ch are a so compr sed of synthet c hormones, have been nked to cerv ca and breast cancers.) If you are exper enc ng excess ve menopausa symptoms, you may want to cons der b o dent ca hormone rep acement therapy nstead, wh ch uses hormones that are mo ecu ar y dent ca to the ones your body produces and do not wreak havoc on your system. Th s s a much safer a ternat ve. Avo d BPA, phtha ates and other xenoestrogens. These are estrogen- ke compounds that have been nked to ncreased breast cancer r sk Make sure you re not od ne def c ent, as there s compe ng ev dence nk ng od ne def c ency w th certa n forms of cancer. Dr. Dav d Brownste n10, author of the book Iod ne: Why You Need It, Why You Can t L ve W thout It, s a proponent of od ne for breast cancer. It actua y has potent ant cancer propert es and has been shown to cause ce death n breast and thyro d cancer ce s. For more nformat on, I recommend read ng Dr. Brownste n s book. I have been research ng od ne for some t me ever s nce I nterv ewed Dr. Brownste n as I do be eve that the bu k of what he states s spot on. However, I am not at a conv nced that h s dosage recommendat ons are correct. I be eve they are too h gh. Avo d charr ng your meats. Charcoa or f ame bro ed meat s nked w th ncreased breast cancer r sk. Acry am de—a carc nogen created when starchy foods are baked, roasted or fr ed—has been found to ncrease cancer r sk as we .
jimmyg
12-03-2012, 10:45 PM
Guess What K s One Person Every 19 M nutes? http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/11/nf1. pg Posted by Joshua Corn
Drugs K When t comes “how you re go ng to d e,” many peop e fear th ngs ke a rp ane crashes or shark attacks, even though stat st cs show that deaths from these events are very rare. Converse y, far too many peop e m staken y be eve that certa n common aspects of everyday fe are extreme y safe — when, n rea ty, th s s often far from the truth. Once such da y r tua that s far more dangerous than many peop e be eve s tak ng proper y prescr bed pharmaceut ca drugs. Popp ng p s on a da y bas s to “ mprove hea th” has become far too common for many Amer cans. In fact, accord ng to the CDC, approx mate y 50% of a Amer cans take a pharmaceut ca drug da y. When you so ate sen or c t zens, the number shoots up to an aston sh ng 90%. And perhaps even more troub ng, 20% of ch dren take a pharmaceut ca drug. At the same t me, stat st cs are show ng that deaths from pharmaceut ca drugs are r s ng at an a arm ng rate. But don t take my word for t. Just goog e the term “pharmaceut ca drugs k ” and you see head nes from ma or news organ zat ons such as Fox and CNN that read: “Prescr pt on drugs 62,000 t mes more ke y to k … “Prescr pt on drugs k 6200% more Amer cans …” “Prescr pt on Drugs K 300 Percent More Amer cans than I ega Drugs…” “Prescr pt on drugs are now k ng more peop e than traff c acc dents…” “Prescr pt on Drug Deaths Skyrocket…” “Prescr pt on drugs k one person every 19 m nutes…” “Prescr pt on Drugs Now K More Peop e Than Hero n And Coca ne Comb ned…” Sad y, most peop e don t know that proper y prescr bed prescr pt on drugs k over 100,000 Amer cans each year. (Th s exc udes prescr pt on drug abuse, wh ch causes th s number to skyrocket even h gher.) Th s s more than or equa to the number of peop e who d e from acc dents, A zhe mer s, nf uenza and d abetes! One reason that most peop e are n the dark about the dangers of pharmaceut ca drugs s due to a fundamenta m sunderstand ng of how these drugs get tested and approved. Too many peop e be eve that the FDA has some k nd of r gorous test ng and eva uat on system. Sad y, th s s far from the truth. The current system puts a most the ent re burden to test the safety of a new pharmaceut ca drug on the deve oper of that drug. And s nce deve op ng a new drug costs b ons of do ars, you can mag ne the mmense pressure on the ent re organ zat on to make sure that drug gets to market. Mak ng th ngs worse are the fees that the pharmaceut ca compan es pay the FDA, wh ch amount to about 20% of ts tota budget. Now, I m no expert on organ zat ona structure, but t doesn t take a gen us to f gure out that th s system s nherent y f awed and corrupt. What s the f na product of th s cozy re at onsh p between B g Pharma and the FDA? It s s mp e – dangerous drugs be ng put on the market, eav ng us hap ess consumers as rea wor d gu nea p gs. S mp y put, the b g drug compan es prof t and we d e. One of the most nfamous examp es of th s s what happened w th the pa nk er V oxx. It s w de y known that Merck engaged n severa ega and dub ous strateg es to nf uence the research back ng the safety of V oxx. Sad y, th s eas y tr cked the FDA who approved the drug, on y to remove t from the she ves after t k ed approx mate y 60,000 peop e – more than the number of brave so d ers who d ed n V etnam. W we be bu d ng a memor a for the V oxx v ct ms? The atest examp e of the f aws n the process for gett ng pharmaceut ca drugs approved by the FDA s the d abetes drug Avand a. A Senate F nance Comm ttee nvest gat on showed that G axoSm thK ne ntent ona y h d re ab e sc ent f c data c ear y show ng that Avand a s gn f cant y ncreases the r sk of heart attack. Natura y th s came to ght after the FDA approved the drug, and t d dn t take ong before t was nked to 83,000 heart attacks and deaths, accord ng to the FDA s own sc ent sts. If you th nk V oxx and Avand a are f ukes, th nk aga n. There are dozens, and perhaps hundreds, of drugs k ng peop e every day, because the r makers prov ded f awed, b ased and corrupt data to the FDA. And s nce the FDA s unequ pped, ncapab e or unw ng to change the system, more and more peop e are go ng to d e. If you be eve your doctor prov des the f na ne of defense for you, th nk aga n. Desp te good ntent ons, guess who tra ned your doctor on a of the “benef ts” of the drug they are prescr b ng to you? You guessed t – the company that stands to make b ons of do ars from ts sa e. Your doctor got duped (and probab y got a free go f tr p n Hawa ). Meanwh e, you got a potent a y harmfu drug that may put your hea th n eopardy. The bottom ne – don t trust that pharmaceut ca drugs are safe. B g Pharma has a ong, sad track record of es, corrupt on and dece t, a n the name of prof ts. And the FDA s system to approve drugs s as f awed as perhaps any funct on of government. My adv ce: If your doctor prescr bes you a drug, take your hea th nto your own hands! Cons der festy e changes, ook for natura a ternat ves, get second op n ons and do your own research. On y take the drug after you are 100% certa n t s safe and n your best nterests. After a – your fe may depend on t!
jimmyg
12-04-2012, 07:15 AM
Ka ser Permanente Adv ses Members to Avo d GMOs http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/11/kp1. pg Posted by Cas e Terry Ka ser Permanente s sound ng off aga nst genet ca y mod f ed foods and we ke t! The corporate hea thcare g ant pub shed an art c e n ts November News etter adv s ng ts members to steer c ear of foods made w th genet ca y mod f ed ngred ents. As the argest hea thcare organ zat on n the nat on, Ka ser Permanente s statement puts a who e new sp n on the GMO debate. Ka ser Permanente s not, necessar y, an advocate for the organ c food ndustry nor s the corporat on nterested n protect ng the b otech ndustry–they re s mp y not nterested n pay ng for the devastat ng hea th consequences GMOs stand to mpose on our soc ety. Accord ng to the art c e, Ka ser Permanente urges caut on when t comes to GMOs, not ng that wh e “GMOs have been added to our food supp y s nce 1994, most peop e don t know t because the Un ted States does not requ re abe ng of GMOs.” Po nt ng to stud es wh ch conc uded that severa var et es of GMO foods caused organ damage or the nab ty to reproduce, they add that, “desp te what the b otech ndustry m ght say, there s tt e research on the ong-term effects of GMOs on human hea th.” Do you th nk Ka ser Permanente stands to he p spread the word about the dangers assoc ated w th GMOs? Re ated Posts P ug n for WordPress, B ogger...
jimmyg
12-05-2012, 08:22 AM
Want to Avo d BPA n Canned Foods? St ck w th These Brands Posted by M na Shahr ary L nk to art c e w th addt nks: http://www. ve nthenow.com/art c e/want-to-avo d-bpa- n-canned-foods-st ck-w th-these-brands?utm_source=san&utm_med um=newsf ash&utm_content=a&utm_campa gn=11_29_12a
If you weren t a ready worr ed about the presence of the endocr ne-d srupt ng chem ca , b spheno A (BPA), n the foods you eat, a new study show ng that consum ng canned soup produces mmed ate ncreases n eve s of BPA n the body shou d g ve you cause for concern. Numerous stud es have nked BPA to hea th prob ems rang ng from nfert ty and reproduct ve cancers to behav ora d sorders n ch dren. Canada recent y banned BPA, c ass fy ng t as a dangerous tox n. The European Un on has banned the use of BPA n baby bott es, and s mov ng towards bann ng t comp ete y. In the U.S., however, the FDA so far has refused to take act on to protect Amer cans from BPA exposure, yet has adm tted that BPA s dangerous. A recent study found that 92% of canned foods conta n BPA, and s nce there are no regu at ons for the use or abe ng of BPA n food products, t s worth try ng to st ck to brands that have a po cy on BPA and are honest about wh ch of the r products conta n the chem ca . For any foods that you can t f nd n a BPA-free package, t s probab y a good dea to opt for fresh or frozen vers ons. For many hea th-consc ous nd v dua s, f nd ng BPA-free canned goods s mp y sn t worth the effort. They know that noth ng beats fresh food n season, n terms of both nutr t on and taste, and even frozen foods tend to be h gher n nutr ents than the r canned counterparts. However, there are some foods — name y beans, tomatoes and coconut m k, f you ask me — for wh ch the conven ence of a canned product s we , rea y n ce. Of course, you can certa n y do your own cann ng of fresh, n-season foods at home ( n g ass mason ars), but uck y, there are a few good BPA-free opt ons out there. Here s a rundown of what s ava ab e. BPA-Free Beans Eden Organ c (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search? e=UTF8&keywords=edan%20beans&tag= v nthenow00-20& ndex=grocery& nkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creat ve=9325) actua y p oneered the use of BPA-free cans — they have been putt ng beans n BPA-free cans s nce 1999. So why don t a food manufacturers fo ow the r ead? We , t cou d be that BPA-free cans cost approx mate y 2.2 cents more (14%) than cans w th standard BPA epoxy ners. (I persona y buy Eden Organ c beans from t me to t me, a though I a ways cr nge a tt e when I see the organ c store brand next to them on the she f — at ha f the pr ce.) Dr ed beans are an nexpens ve a ternat ve to organ c BPA-free canned beans and are easy to store and prepare. Eden Organ c Beans http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/Eden-Beans3-e1322587366295. pg Eden Beans Accord ng to Eden s webs te, “a Eden Organ c Beans, Refr ed Beans, Ch es and R ce & Beans are cooked n stee cans coated w th a baked on o eores nous c-ename that does not conta n the endocr ne d srupter chem ca , b spheno A (BPA).” (Note: Eden s canned tomato products are not packed n BPA-free cans.) A ternat ves to Canned Tomato Products At present, there are no canned tomatoes ava ab e n cans that are guaranteed to be BPA-free. Mu r G en s the on y company that has announced p ans to trans t on to BPA-free cans, but unfortunate y, the trans t on s st underway and there s noth ng on the r abe yet to nd cate wh ch cans are BPA-free. Luck y, there are some BPA-free a ternat ves to canned tomato products ava ab e n g ass ars and BPA-free ascept c packag ng. Of course, any arred pasta sauce s probab y safe from BPA, and there s a ways the opt on of preserv ng fresh tomatoes n season n g ass mason ars, or mak ng tomato sauce from scratch w th fresh tomatoes. B onaturae Organ c Stra ned Tomatoes and Tomato Paste http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/B onaturae-Organ c-Stra ned-Tomatoes. pg These products conta n pure organ c tomatoes w th no added ngred ents and are packaged n g ass. (Note: B onaturae a so makes canned tomato products, wh ch are not BPA-free.) Pom Chopped Tomatoes http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/Pom -Tomatoes. pg Pom Tomatoes
Pom offers a pure tomato products w th no added ngred ents n a BPA-free ascept c package. Pom s an Ita an product, and s therefore not cert f ed organ c by the USDA. However, Pom states that the r tomatoes are non-GMO and grown w thout herb c des or pest c des accord ng to the European Un on s regu at ons for susta nab e agr cu ture. Nat ve Forest Organ c Coconut M k, Fru ts and Vegetab es Nat ve Forest Organ c Coconut M k http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/NF-Coconut-M k.g f Nat ve Forest Coconut M k Nat ve Forest s the on y brand of BPA-free canned coconut m k ava ab e on the market. The r parent company, Edward & Sons (http://www.edwardandsons.com/ ndex. tm ), offers at east a dozen d fferent products n BPA-free cans, most of wh ch are organ c and susta nab y produced. http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/NF-Fru t.g f Nat ve Forest Fru tNat ve Forest Vegetab es Susta nab e Seafood! The ma or ty of the food manufacturers that have made the trans t on to BPA-free can ners are prem um susta nab e seafood producers. One reason for that s that canned prem um seafood s a pr ced a b t h gher than the average can of vegetab es, so that the 2.2 cents prem um for BPA-free cans has ess of an effect on sa es. V ta Cho ce Canned W d Seafood (http://www.v ta cho ce.com/shop/pc/home.asp?kb d=2696& mg=V ta %20Cho ce%20Logo7-09. pg) http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/V ta -Cho ce-Sard nes. pg V ta Cho ce Sard nes V ta Cho ce cans MSC-cert f ed a bacore tuna, sa mon, sard nes and mackere w th BPA-free ners. W d P anet Susta nab y Caught Canned Seafood (http://www.amazon.com/gp/search? e=UTF8&keywords=W d%20P anet%20Susta nab y%20Caught%20Ca nned%20Seafood&tag= v nthenow0020& ndex=grocery& nkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creat ve=9325) http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/W d-P anet-Tuna. pg W d P anet Tuna The ent re ne of W d P anet Susta nab y Caught Canned Seafood canned seafood s BPA-free. It s a so susta nab y caught and w d. W d P anet a so chooses sma er f sh n order to make ts “Low n Mercury” c a m. Eco F sh Canned Wh te A bacore Tuna http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/11/Eco-F sh. pg Eco F sh Eco F sh offers canned a bacore tuna packaged n a BPA-free can, and the company has sa d that t s p ann ng to make the sw tch to BPA-free cans for ts canned sa mon once t f nds a su tab e can source. A though th s st s short, cons der ng the vast number of canned food products on the market, a number of manufacturers n add t on to Mu r G en have announced p ans to phase BPA out of the r packag ng n the near future. Wh e we wa t on the FDA to enact a ban on BPA, t s encourag ng to see manufacturers stepp ng up to the cha enge of gett ng BPA out of the r products. Sources: http://p anetgreen.d scovery.com/food-hea th/bpa-canned-foods-best-and-worst-brands-out-there.htm http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/7-compan es-you-can-trust-to-use-bpa-free-cans.htm http://organ cgrace.com/node/316
jimmyg
12-05-2012, 08:27 PM
How the Sugar Industry Hoodw nked You about the Dangers of Sugar, Us ng B g Tobacco Tact cs December 01, 2012 L nk to art c e & v deos: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/01/sugar- ndustry.aspx?e_c d=20121201_DNL_art_1 V deo.... B g Sugar deta s the not so sweet h story of the sugar ndustry, from ts ear y days of s ave abor, to modern t mes w th ts ncreas ng y detr menta env ronmenta effects and po t ca man pu at on a med at protect ng ts f nanc a nterests at any cost. By Dr. Merco a When sugar consumpt on dec ned 12 percent n two years because peop e were beg nn ng to ook at sugar as fatten ng, and a potent a cause of heart d sease and d abetes, the sugar ndustry crafted a mammoth advert s ng campa gn to bankro sc ent f c papers and h re obby sts to ensure sugar wou d not be sub ect to eg s at ve restr ct on. The r decades- ong effort s why the USDA s d etary gu de nes on y speak of sugar n vague genera t es, and why a top sugar- ndustry consu tant heads the FDA s sugar rev ew pane , Mother Jones Magaz ne says.1 v deo..... The featured art c e, co-authored by Gary Taubes and Cr st n Kearns Couzens, exposes many d rty tt e secrets the sugar ndustry wou d rather you not know, so I recommend read ng t n ts ent rety.2 "The story of sugar, as [Pres dent of the Sugar Assoc at on, John] Tatem to d t, was one of a harm ess product under attack by opportun sts ded cated to exp o t ng the consum ng pub c, " they wr te. "Over the subsequent decades, t wou d be transformed from what the New York T mes n 1977 had deemed a v a n n d sgu se nto a nutr ent so seem ng y nnocuous that even the Amer can Heart Assoc at on and the Amer can D abetes Assoc at on approved t as part of a hea thy d et. Research on the suspected nks between sugar and chron c d sease arge y ground to a ha t by the ate 1980s, and sc ent sts came to v ew such pursu ts as a career dead end. So effect ve were the Sugar Assoc at on s efforts that, to th s day, no consensus ex sts about sugar s potent a dangers." However, to assume that a ack of off c a consensus about ts potent a dangers equates to a ack of know edge about the hea th mpact of sugar wou d be a ser ous m stake. Through the groundbreak ng work of researchers and respected med ca profess ona s such as Dr. R chard Johnson and Dr. Robert Lust g, we are we aware of the ser ous hea th mpacts of sugar, espec a y fructose. Excess Sugar s the Best Way to Increase Your Body Fat S nce 1970, obes ty rates n the Un ted States have more than doub ed and d abetes has tr p ed. Hea th off c a s are st fond of b am ng ncreas ng obes ty rates on over-eat ng and under-exerc s ng, wh ch has the unfortunate effect of prevent ng any rea progress, as the true causes rema n gnored... In order to make any apprec ab e dent n the current trend, severe sugar and fructose restr ct on s an abso ute must. Granted, other food-re ated cu pr ts such as genet ca y eng neered gra ns have a so been mp cated, as they appear to adverse y a ter your body compos t on. D tto for art f c a sweeteners. St , excess ve consumpt on of fructose — pr mar y n the form of h gh fructose corn syrup (HFCS), wh ch s added to v rtua y a processed foods so d today — s ke y the most exacerbat ng factor. Why You Cannot Look to Industry for Answers Accord ng to the featured art c e3, the reason why Amer cans are st arge y c ue ess about the overwhe m ng y negat ve mpact sugar has on the r hea th s due to B g Sugar s use of B g Tobacco-sty e tact cs, wh ch nc ude man pu at ng the pub c and government agenc es w th s ck propaganda that has v rtua y no bas s n rea sc ence, and carefu y cover ng up the rea ty of harm. Amaz ng y, at one po nt dur ng the m d-1950 s, the Sugar Assoc at on even aunched a successfu PR campa gn to se sugar as a "sens b e new approach to we ght contro ."4 Yes, be eve t or not, they were market ng sugar as a we ght oss too — ust ke art f c a sweeteners are do ng today, desp te the fact that study after study keeps com ng to the befudd ng conc us on that art f c a sweeteners make sub ects ga n MORE we ght than regu ar sugar... "...[A] grow ng body of research suggests that sugar and ts near y chem ca y dent ca cous n, HFCS, may very we cause d seases that k hundreds of thousands of Amer cans every year, and that these chron c cond t ons wou d be far ess preva ent f we s gn f cant y d a ed back our consumpt on of added sugars," Taubes and Couzens wr te. Indeed, accord ng to some est mates the US hea th system spends about $150 b on a year on sugar-re ated d seases.5 W th a th s ev dence of harm, how does the sugar ndustry get away scot free, t me and t me aga n? It s actua y eas er than you m ght th nk. A that s requ red s to ma nta n that "the sc ence s nconc us ve," no matter how c ear or we executed t s. As deta ed n the featured art c e: " In confront ng our cr t cs, Tatem exp a ned to h s board of d rectors back n 1976, we try never to ose s ght of the fact that no conf rmed sc ent f c ev dence nks sugar to the death-dea ng d seases. Th s cruc a po nt s the feb ood of the assoc at on. " Sc ent f c fraud and/or the m suse of sc ence to further a preconce ved commerc a agenda s so rampant today that t can be qu te tr cky to determ ne what s what. One key factor you d be w se to cons der s who pa d for the study? It s we -estab shed that the source of fund ng can s gn f cant y skew research resu ts, as those who pay genera y want the research to be of benef t to them, one way or another. Tru y ndependent research that s not funded or executed by any person or group w th a f nanc a stake or nterest n the resu ts s, genera y speak ng, the most trustworthy. A though somet mes you may have to do some s euth ng to determ ne whether the research m ght have h dden t es or agendas. The featured art c e offers a perfect examp e of th s: "...v a the Sugar Assoc at on proper, they [Amer can sugar compan es] wou d spend rough y $655,000 between 1975 and 1980 on 17 stud es des gned, as nterna documents put t, to ma nta n research as a ma n prop of the ndustry s defense. Each proposa was vetted by a pane of ndustry-fr end y sc ent sts and a second comm ttee staffed by representat ves from sugar compan es and contr but ng research members such as Coca-Co a, Hershey s, Genera M s, and Nab sco. Most of the cash was awarded to researchers whose stud es seemed exp c t y des gned to exonerate sugar. One even proposed to exp ore whether sugar cou d be shown to boost seroton n eve s n rats bra ns, and thus prove of therapeut c va ue, as n the re ef of depress on, an nterna document noted. ...In short, rather than do def n t ve research to earn the truth about ts product, good or bad, the assoc at on stuck to a PR scheme des gned to estab sh w th the broadest poss b e aud ence — v rtua y everyone s a consumer — the safety of sugar as a food. One of ts f rst acts was to estab sh a Food & Nutr t on Adv sory Counc cons st ng of a ha f-dozen phys c ans and two dent sts w ng to defend sugar s p ace n a hea thy d et..." HFCS Lawsu t Gets St cky The featured art c e cont nues deta ng how the sugar ndustry has managed to underm ne both sc ence and common sense n ts scheme to keep bus ness ro ng. Aga n, t s an en ghten ng read. The same, however, cannot be sa d for a re ated news p ece reported by foodnav gator.com. An ongo ng ega d spute between the sugar ndustry and the corn ref ners ndustry s becom ng ncreas ng y enterta n ng, as both s des accuse the other of hypocr sy... Accord ng to Food Nav gator:6 "In court documents f ed n LA... ead ng sugar ref ners asked a udge to d sm ss a counter-c a m f ed n September by the corn ref ners a eg ng that the sugar ndustry has been engaged n a systemat c campa gn to v fy HFCS. " Wh e the corn ndustry accuses the sugar ndustry of pub sh ng " tera y fa se" art c es on ts webs te, the Sugar Assoc at on defends ts pub cat ons, stat ng they re protected under the F rst Amendment as free speech. The Corn Ref ners Assoc at on (CRA) struck back say ng the Sugar Assoc at on was patent y hypocr t ca n ts sudden nvocat on of free speech, "g ven how hard they have tr ed to censor our consumer educat on program," pres dent of the Corn Ref ners Assoc at on Audrae Er ckson to d Food Nav gator. Adam Fox, a partner of the aw f rm represent ng the Sugar Assoc at on, n turn rep ed that th s was "a perfect examp e of the pot ca ng the kett e b ack." It goes back and forth ke th s a few more t mes, and at no po nt s anyone made any w ser about the dangers of the fa sehoods spread by BOTH ndustr es. Reduc ng Sugar and Fructose Consumpt on s KEY for Stemm ng R s ng Obes ty Rates That someth ng n our d et and way of fe s terr b y wrong can c ear y be seen n our skyrocket ng obes ty stat st cs, and that "someth ng" s sugar — n part cu ar fructose n the form of HFCS, found n v rtua y every s ng e processed food and beverage on the market. Foods you wou d never suspect to conta n sugar can conta n great amounts of t, nc ud ng nfant formu a and even "des gner" water! http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2012/November/preva ence-obes ty.png Two out of three peop e n the U.S. are overwe ght and one out of three s obese, and the rest of the wor d s not far beh nd. Dr. R chard Johnson s new book The Fat Sw tch presents groundbreak ng new research show ng that eat ng too much and exerc s ng too tt e are NOT the pr mary cu pr ts respons b e for out of contro we ght ga n, and why so many peop e f nd t so d ff cu t to shed those excess pounds. H s research shows that metabo c syndrome (character zed by centra obes ty or ncreased wa st c rcumference, h gh b ood pressure, and nsu n res stance) s actua y a norma cond t on that an ma s undergo to store fat. An ma s ab ty to ga n "h bernat on fat" appears to be regu ated by a sw tch n the m tochondr a that s turned on and off by a common food that no onger prov des surv va advantage to humans v ng n contemporary soc ety, name y fructose. Fructose-conta n ng sugars cause we ght ga n not by the ca or es they conta n, but by tr gger ng th s "fat sw tch," wh ch te s your body t s t me to store fat, ust as f you were an an ma prepar ng for h bernat on. Furthermore, ur c ac d s ncreased by fructose, and a so causa y contr butes to obes ty and nsu n res stance. Effect ve treatment of obes ty therefore requ res turn ng off your fat sw tch — by avo d ng fructose, wh ch s the tr gger — and mprov ng the funct on of your ce s m tochondr a. Accord ng to Dr. Johnson: "Those of us who are obese eat more because of a fau ty sw tch, and exerc se ess because of a ow energy state. If you can earn how to contro the spec f c sw tch ocated n the powerhouse of each of your ce s – the m tochondr a – you ho d the key to f ght ng obes ty." To earn more, I h gh y recommend p ck ng up a copy of Dr. Johnson s book, The Fat Sw tch wh ch has been descr bed as the "Ho y Gra " for those strugg ng w th the r we ght.
jimmyg
12-06-2012, 07:53 AM
Another Hea th Fraud -- “Fat-B ock ng” Soda http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/peps . pg December 01, 2012 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Peps Spec a s be ng marketed as a “fat-b ock ng soda,” as t c a ms to he p reduce your body s absorpt on of fat. Japan s Nat ona Inst tute of Hea th and Nutr t on a ows the soda to bear the des gnat on as a “food for spec f ed hea th use.” These are foods that are ntended to be consumed “by peop e who w sh to contro hea th cond t ons, nc ud ng b ood pressure or b ood cho estero .” Soda s a ead ng contr butor to the r s ng rates of obes ty, d abetes, heart d sease and other chron c d seases fac ng much of the deve oped wor d, and any c a ms that add ng f ber to t w make transform t nto a hea th dr nk are s mp y beyond decept ve.
“Peps Spec a ” s the atest “hea thy soda” to h t the market, th s t me n Japan. Infused w th dextr n, a type of f ber that s popu ar n f ber supp ements n the U.S., Peps Spec a s be ng marketed as a “fat-b ock ng soda,” as t c a ms to he p reduce your body s absorpt on of fat. How Can Soda C a m to He p You Absorb Less Fat? Peps s Japanese partner, Suntory Ho d ngs L m ted, s reported y bas ng the r c a m, n part, on a 2006 study that found rats fed dextr n absorbed ess fat from the r food,1 and Japan s Nat ona Inst tute of Hea th and Nutr t on now a ows t to bear the des gnat on as a “food for spec f ed hea th use.” These are foods that are meant to be consumed “by peop e who w sh to contro hea th cond t ons, nc ud ng b ood pressure or b ood cho estero .”2 But can soda rea y be hea thy? Not ke y. Peps Spec a s far from a hea th food. Add ng f ber to a d sastrous comb nat on of h gh fructose corn syrup, phosphor c ac d, caffe ne and co or ng does not make t good for you. But t may “foo ” some peop e nto th nk ng t does, wh ch cou d make them dr nk even more of t, further damag ng the r hea th. Soda s a ead ng contr butor to the r s ng rates of obes ty, d abetes, heart d sease and other chron c d seases fac ng much of the deve oped wor d, and any c a ms to the contrary are dangerous y m s ead ng. As Dr. Wa ter W ett, cha r of nutr t on at the Harvard Schoo of Pub c Hea th, to d T me:3 “Un ess Peps can prov de data from contro ed stud es n humans to the contrary, the r c a m shou d be regarded as bogus and decept ve.” Peps s Eager to Cash In on Hea th-Consc ous Consumers Remember Peps Raw, wh ch was ntroduced n the UK n 2008? Th s was another one of the soda company s r d cu ous creat ons – a concoct on of sugar, carame co or ng, coffee eaf and spark ng water that was supposed to be another “hea thy” vers on of soda. Wh e t had 10 percent ess sugar than regu ar Peps , Peps Raw was s mp y another sugar-sweetened beverage, not a hea th dr nk. It was removed from the market ust two years after ts re ease. Ear er th s year, Peps Next was re eased. Peps Next c a ms to have 60 percent ess sugar w thout sacr f c ng taste, but the secret to keep ng ts sweet taste comes from the use of not on y h gh fructose corn syrup, but a so THREE art f c a sweeteners: aspartame, acesu fame potass um, and sucra ose, a of wh ch are nked to severa dozen ser ous hea th r sks.4 It s a part of the company s p an to beef up the r share of prof ts from the “hea thy foods” category, w th reports not ng they hope to boost the r nutr t on bus ness from $10 b on to $30 b on by 2020.5 Th s s a c ass c corporate move. F nd someth ng that peop e are nterested n and se t to them even f t s decept ve and worsens the r hea th. Most of these compan es have abso ute y ZERO nterest for your hea th; they are on y focused on the r bottom ne prof ts. So the age o d adage s appropr ate, Buyer Beware. Is “Hea thy” Soda Too Good to be True? In a word, yes. There s noth ng hea thy about soda, even f t conta ns f ber or s sugar free. Dr nk ng soda s n many ways worse for you than smok ng, and t s on y because of mass ve market ng campa gns from the ndustry that these sugary beverages are deemed so acceptab e, nc ud ng for our most vu nerab e members of soc ety – our k ds. If I asked you to qu ck y reca a commerc a or s ogan from ead ng soda compan es, ke Coca-Co a or Peps , chances are you d have no troub e reca ng the fr end y po ar bear commerc a s or "the rea th ng" ogo, and f you asked your k ds, they d probab y come up w th a few too. Th s s ust the t p of the ceberg for how beverage b gw gs have gotten the r products f rm y embedded nto the homes and psyches of m ons of Amer cans and others wor dw de. Coca-Co a, for nstance, spends c ose to $3 b on a year on advert s ng. W th that amount of money t s no wonder the company has managed to ho d on to ts who esome reputat on. They, and other beverage g ants, are a so n the hab t of form ng strateg c a ances w th ostens b y hea th-focused organ zat ons that make t appear as though they are ook ng out for your hea th, wh ch s about as aughab e as B g Tobacco sponsor ng a marathon. For nstance, both Coca-Co a and Peps are sponsors or partners of the Amer can D etet c Assoc at on (ADA) and have featured exh b ts at the r annua conference. D et Coke has a so teamed up w th the Nat ona Heart, Lung, and B ood Inst tute (NHLBI) to ra se awareness for women s heart hea th program, even though Coca-Co a s one of the ma n reta ers of sugar n the Un ted States and t s very c ear that sugar and fructose are actua y ead ng causes n the ncreas ng rates of heart d sease. Fructose: Soda s D rty Secret The pr mary reason why soda s so dangerous to your hea th? Fructose. The fructose content of the h gh fructose corn syrup (HFCS) used n many popu ar soda brands has been gross y underest mated. Around 100 years ago the average Amer can consumed a mere 15 grams of fructose a day, pr mar y n the form of fru t, not ndustr a y produced so ate, wh ch s nf n te y d fferent on a phys o og ca eve . One hundred years ater, one-fourth of Amer cans are consum ng more than 135 grams per day, arge y n the form of soda. Fructose at 15 grams a day or ess s genera y harm ess (un ess you suffer from h gh ur c ac d eve s). However, at near y 10 t mes that amount t becomes a ma or contr butor to obes ty and near y a chron c degenerat ve d seases. Instead of cons st ng of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent g ucose, many soda brands, nc ud ng Coke, Peps and Spr te, conta n as much as 65 percent fructose, near y 20 percent h gher than or g na y be eved.6 Thanks to the exce ent work of researchers ke Dr. Robert Lust g, and Dr. R chard Johnson, we now know that fructose: Is metabo zed d fferent y from g ucose, w th the ma or ty be ng turned d rect y nto fat Tr cks your body nto ga n ng we ght by foo ng your metabo sm, as t turns off your body s appet te-contro system. Fructose does not appropr ate y st mu ate nsu n, wh ch n turn does not suppress ghre n (the "hunger hormone"), doesn t dr ve g ucose nto the ce to create sat ety, and doesn t st mu ate ept n (the "sat ety hormone"), wh ch together resu t n your eat ng more and deve op ng nsu n res stance. Rap d y eads to we ght ga n and abdom na obes ty ("beer be y"), decreased HDL, ncreased LDL, e evated tr g ycer des, e evated b ood sugar, and h gh b ood pressure — .e., c ass c metabo c syndrome. Over t me eads to nsu n res stance, wh ch s not on y an under y ng factor of type 2 d abetes and heart d sease, but a so many cancers. Leads to a dopam ne-med ated hedon st c syndrome, wh ch causes an nsat ab e des re to consume more of the same, desp te the broad range of adverse, even fe-threaten ng hea th effects caused by excess ve fructose consumpt on. D et soda, by the way, s NOT a hea thy a ternat ve, even though t s fructose-free. Peop e who dr nk d et soft dr nks da y may be 43 percent more ke y to suffer from a vascu ar event, nc ud ng a stroke or heart attack,7 as we as are more ke y to exper ence we ght ga n, ncreased wa st s ze, d abetes and metabo c syndrome. Warn ng: 5-Hour Energy Shots L nked to Deaths If you re th nk ng of d tch ng your soda n favor of another caffe ne k ck ke 5-hour Energy, be warned that 13 potent a y re ated deaths and more than 90 adverse react on c a ms ( nc ud ng 33 hosp ta zat ons) fo ow ng ts consumpt on have a ready been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA). A though the product s abe does not d sc ose how much caffe ne t conta ns per serv ng, t s been est mated at over 200 m grams (compared to about 100150 for a typ ca 8-ounce cup of coffee). Consum ng arge quant t es of caffe ne n energy dr nks can have ser ous hea th consequences, espec a y n ch dren and teens, nc ud ng caffe ne tox c ty, stroke, anx ety, arrhythm a, and n some cases even death. Are You Hooked on Soda and Energy Dr nks to G ve You a Boost? There are a number of reasons why peop e dr nk soda, but many do so because they re add cted to the ephemera energy boost they get from the caffe ne and sugar. There are, however, natura ways to g ve your body ast ng energy w thout any of the downs des of consum ng fructose, excess ve caffe ne or art f c a sweeteners. These nc ude: Eat ng a hea thy d et w th m ted sugar, fructose and processed foods. See my nutr t on p an for a natura y energy-enhanc ng d et. Increas ng your ntake of an ma -sourced omega-3 fatty ac ds, e.g. kr , w d sa mon, free-range eggs, to support your energy eve s Re ease dra n ng emot ona stress and negat v ty w th the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT); th s (and Turbo Tapp ng) can a so he p you to beat soda crav ngs S eep when you re t red, and make sure you re gett ng h gh-qua ty s eep wh e you re at t Exerc se, and be sure to nc ude h gh- ntens ty nterva exerc ses ke Peak F tness for near end ess energy If you need a supp ement, do the above steps f rst and then try ones that are des gned to ncrease your eve of foundat ona energy at the m tochondr a eve . Some of the best are v tam n B12, Ub qu no and magnes um.
jimmyg
12-07-2012, 07:46 AM
For Best To et Hea th: Squat or S t? L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/03/to et-squatt ng-pos t on.aspx?e_c d=20121203_DNL_art_1 http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/co on-d agram. pg By Dr. Merco a Is the Western to et n part respons b e for prob ems ke hemorrho ds, const pat on, IBD (Inf ammatory Bowe D sease), append c t s, and even heart attacks? If you exam ne the data, there s a great dea of ev dence th s s true. The modern to et has requ red us to change the pos t on we use to evacuate our bowe s, wh ch changes the anatomy of… we , a poop, to put t b unt y. Infants nst nct ve y squat to defecate, as does the ma or ty of the wor d s popu at on. But somehow the West was conv nced that s tt ng s more c v zed. S tt ng on the modern Thomas Crapper-sty e s t-down to et s des gned to p ace your knees at a 90-degree ang e to your abdomen. However, the t me-honored natura squat pos t on p aces the knees much c oser to your torso, and th s pos t on actua y changes the spac a re at onsh ps of your ntest na organs and muscu ature, opt m z ng the forces nvo ved n defecat on.1 S tt ng to evacuate your bowe requ res you to app y add t ona force (stra n ng), wh ch has some unwanted b o og ca effects, nc ud ng a temporary d srupt on n card ac f ow. Can the To et Be B amed for Increas ng Rates of Co on and Pe v c D sease? Squatt ng s the way our ancestors performed the r bod y funct ons unt the m dd e of the 19th Century. Cha r- ke to ets were reserved for the roya s and the d sab ed. But the "progress" of western zed soc et es may be part y to b ame for h gher rates of co on and pe v c d sease, as descr bed by a report n the Israe Journa of Med ca Sc ence:2 "The preva ences of bowe d seases (hemorrho ds, append c t s, po yps, u cerat ve co t s, rr tab e bowe syndrome, d vert cu ar d sease, and co on cancer) are s m ar n South Afr can wh tes and n popu at ons of prosperous western countr es. Among rura South Afr can b acks w th a trad t ona fe sty e, these d seases are very uncommon or a most unknown." As g oba zat on cont nues to make ts way across the wor d, squat to ets are be ng converted to s tters. For examp e, Tha and s Hea th M n stry ust announced t w rep ace squat to ets w th the s t-down var et es at a pub c fac t es.3 Th s may be a bad th ng for pub c hea th, as a w de range of hea th prob ems have been assoc ated w th the trans t on from squatt ng to s tt ng. In fact, hea th prob ems potent a y stemm ng from the s tt ng pos t on nc ude the 15 out ned n the fo ow ng tab e. Append c t s - Const pat on - Hemorrho ds - Incont nence - Co t s - Crohn s D sease - D vert cu t s - Contam nat on of the Sma Intest ne - Gyneco og ca D sorders, nc ud ng Pe v c Organ Pro apse and Uter ne F bro ds - Co on Cancer - H ata Hern a and GERD - Pregnancy and Ch db rth - Prostate D sorders - Sexua Dysfunct on - Reduced R sk of Card ac Events. The Stra ght Poop Ev dence suggests bowe and pe v c prob ems may be re ated to mproper potty posture. On y w th the trad t ona squat pos t on s your body a gned n a way that promotes comp ete bowe empty ng. As you can see from the d agram, squatt ng actua y stra ghtens and re axes your rectum. http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2099/December/s tt ng-vs-squatt ng.g f Reference: Tagart REB. The Ana Cana and Rectum: The r Vary ng Re at onsh p and Its Effect on Ana Cont nence, D seases of the Co on and Rectum 1966: 9, 449-452.
Accord ng to Jonathan Isb t of Nature s P atform: "For safety, nature has de berate y created obstac es to evacuat on that can on y be removed by squatt ng. In any other pos t on, the co on defau ts to cont nence mode. Th s s why the convent ona s tt ng pos t on depr ves the co on of support from the th ghs and eaves the rectum choked by the puborecta s musc e.These obstac es make e m nat on d ff cu t and ncomp ete – ke try ng to dr ve a car w thout re eas ng the park ng brake. Chron ca y ncomp ete evacuat on, comb ned w th the constant extract on of water, causes wastes to adhere to the co on wa . The passageway becomes ncreas ng y constr cted and the ce s start to suffocate. Pro onged exposure to tox ns w often tr gger ma gnant mutat ons." He goes on to exp a n how the k nk where your s gmo d o ns your rectum (refer to the co on d agram above) serves an mportant funct on n cont nence. It "app es the brakes" to the f ow of per sta s s, reduc ng the pressure on your puborecta s musc e. Accord ng to Isb t s art c e, squatt ng offers seven advantages: Makes e m nat on faster, eas er and more comp ete. Th s he ps prevent "feca stagnat on," a pr me factor n co on cancer, append c t s and IBD Protects the nerves that contro the prostate, b adder and uterus from becom ng stretched and damaged Secure y sea s the eoceca va ve, between the co on and the sma ntest ne; n the convent ona s tt ng pos t on, th s va ve s unsupported and often eaks dur ng evacuat on, contam nat ng the sma ntest ne Re axes the puborecta s musc e wh ch norma y chokes the rectum n order to ma nta n cont nence Uses the th ghs to support the co on and prevent stra n ng. Chron c stra n ng on the to et can cause hern as, d vert cu os s, and pe v c organ pro apse A h gh y effect ve, non- nvas ve treatment for hemorrho ds, as shown by pub shed c n ca research For pregnant women, squatt ng avo ds pressure on the uterus when us ng the to et; da y squatt ng he ps prepare pregnant women for a more natura de very Hemorrho d Prevent on v deo.... Two common prob ems are hemorrho ds and const pat on. .... Fortunate y, these a -too-common prob ems can be reso ved w th s m ar strateg es because they share the same causat ve factors, nc ud ng the typ ca Western d et, nadequate exerc se, chron c dehydrat on, and stress. Surveys suggest that, n western zed countr es, as much as ha f the popu at on over age 40 may suffer from hemorrho ds. Hemorrho ds are ve ns n the wa of your rectum and anus that have become tw sted, swo en and nf amed. They can form e ther nterna y or externa y, and the resu t ng umps can cause pa n and b eed ng. Hemorrho ds are most often created by an ncrease n pressure, usua y from stra n ng to have a bowe movement. Hemorrho ds are common n peop e w th chron c d gest ve d sturbances – espec a y const pat on. They are a so seen n the e der y, and dur ng pregnancy. If you re pregnant, the add t ona pressure your grow ng baby p aces on your uterus can resu t n hemorrho ds. Ch db rth can ncrease the prob em, but fortunate y, most hemorrho ds caused by pregnancy reso ve after de very. There s research cast ng doubt on the theory that hemorrho ds are caused by nsuff c ent d etary f ber, but nstead by other factors such as the oss of the "ancestra d et," and the stra n ng assoc ated w th defecat ng from a s tt ng pos t on.4 Dr. Berko S k rov, an Israe phys c an who stud ed the hea th effects of squatt ng for e m nat on, found that hemorrho ds were v rtua y e m nated when hemorrho d sufferers sw tched the r to et ng pos t on from s tt ng to squatt ng.5 S k rov conc uded hemorrho ds resu t from cont nua aggravat on and n ury from excess ve stra n ng by defecat ng n the s tt ng pos t on. Stra n ng s necessary to overcome the constr ct on n the rectum des gned to ma nta n cont nence. To prevent hemorrho ds, you shou d a so stay hydrated w th adequate water da y, seek to contro your emot ona stress, and get p enty of exerc se. Make sure your d et nc udes p enty of prob ot cs, such as those present n trad t ona y fermented foods ke sauerkraut and other fermented vegetab es, wh ch are mportant for ma nta n ng opt ma ntest na f ora. For a comp ete d scuss on of hemorrho d prevent on and treatment, refer to my ear er art c e on th s top c. Occas ona y a def c ency of b of avono ds a ow b ood vesse s to break eas er and f th s s the case a supp ement ca ed rut n s part cu ar y he pfu at correct ng. If you bru se eas y th s s a strong suggest on that you wou d benef t from tak ng rut n. Natura Const pat on Re ef Strateg es v deo.... Const pat on and hemorrho ds are two s des of the same co n. Your r sk for hemorrho ds ncreases great y f you have recurr ng ep sodes of const pat on. One of the b ggest h ndrances to your success may be not rea z ng you re const pated n the f rst p ace. Regu ar bowe movements are extreme y mportant for your hea th because, w thout them, tox ns accumu ate and are rec rcu ated n your b oodstream. If e m nat on s not regu ar and comp ete, the wastes w dry and become cemented to the wa s of your co on. Const pat on has been shown to ncrease your r sk of co on cancer and has been mp cated n d vert cu os s and append c t s. The cumu at ve fet me use of commerc a axat ves has been assoc ated w th ncreased r sk of co on cancer.6 Convent ona med c ne typ ca y def nes const pat on as fewer than two or three bowe movements a week. But you shou d rea y be hav ng one bowe movement a day, and preferab y two or three. So f you are hav ng ess than one bowe movement per day, you shou d take steps to ncrease them. Some of the common causes of const pat on nc ude axat ve abuse, hypothyro d sm, IBD, and gnor ng the urge to go. If you cons stent y gnore the urge to have a bowe movement – for nstance, to avo d us ng a pub c to et – eventua y you may stop fee ng the urge. Laxat ves are NOT a good opt on as your body may become dependent on them. Laxat ves may decrease your co on s ab ty to contract and can even eventua y damage your arge ntest ne s nerves, musc es, and other t ssues. Th s app es to both pharmaceut ca axat ves, as we as herbs ke cascara. Fortunate y, a though const pat on s very common, t s a so usua y temporary and re at ve y easy to reso ve – w thout resort ng to axat ves. Squatt ng s one of the best ntervent ons, prevent ng const pat on n four ways: Grav ty does most of the work. The we ght of the torso presses aga nst the th ghs and natura y compresses the co on. Gent e pressure from the d aphragm supp ements the force of grav ty. The eoceca va ve, between the co on and the sma ntest ne, s proper y sea ed, a ow ng the co on to be fu y pressur zed. The pressure creates a natura axat ve effect. In the s tt ng pos t on the IC va ve s unsupported and tends to eak, mak ng t d ff cu t to generate the requ red pressure. Squatt ng re axes the puborecta s musc e, wh ch norma y chokes the rectum to ma nta n cont nence. Squatt ng fts the s gmo d co on to un ock the "k nk" at the entrance to the rectum. Th s k nk a so he ps prevent ncont nence, by tak ng some of the pressure off the puborecta s musc e. Prevent ng and treat ng const pat on s very s m ar to prevent ng and treat ng hemorrho ds. Pay attent on to your d et, exerc se, hydrat on and stress eve . Consume prob ot c-r ch foods and poss b y add a prob ot c supp ement. Ch a and organ c psy um are exce ent sources of so ub e and nso ub e f ber, a oe vera and magnes um supp ements can a so be usefu too s to speed up your bowe movements. For a comp ete d scuss on of const pat on prevent on and treatment, refer to my ear er art c e on th s top c. Are You Ready to Assume the Pos t on? The sc ent f c benef ts of squatt ng have sparked efforts to des gn dev ces that he p wou d-be squatters to return to a more natura poop ng pos t on. However, f you ve been us ng a s t-down to et your ent re fe and haven t squatted s nce ch dhood, squatt ng may present somewhat of a phys ca cha enge – to say the east! Var ous dev ces have appeared n the marketp ace to ass st w th th s prob em, such as the Squatty Potty, deve oped by Robert Edwards, a 37 year-o d contractor and des gner n Utah who sought a way to he p h s mother re eve her prob ems w th const pat on and hemorrho ds.7 You may w sh to check out some of these contrapt ons on the Internet.8 Squatt ng nvo ves strength and f ex b ty that adu ts tend to ose over t me, but ch dren have natura y. These dev ces – spec a to ets and stoo s that get your body nto a more "squatty" pos t on – may he p you get c oser to the dea . Another advantage of squatt ng? K er th ghs. ......
hitman22
12-07-2012, 10:03 AM
Wow! h tman
jimmyg
12-08-2012, 07:06 AM
Can Natura Beauty Products REALLY Match the Effect veness of The r Ev Chem ca Tw ns? Posted by Beth F ax http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/12/4183. pg Every year or so, the rea ty k cks n that I use way too many chem ca - aden beauty products. So w th the best ntent ons, I h t my oca hea th food market w th the hope of f nd ng safer and hea th er a ternat ves that are ust as effect ve as the b g brands. But after spend ng hours read ng abe s, ask ng tons of quest ons and dropp ng way more cash than I d ke to adm t, I end up w th a s ew of products that eave me w th noth ng but broken out sk n and embarrass ng sweaty underarms….UNTIL NOW! If you are a newb e to natura beauty products ke me, I th nk you be nterested n some great a ternat ves I ve found that are worth check ng out. I shou d po nt out that I am by no means a natura st, so f you are ook ng for uber pure beauty products, what I ve noted be ow may not be for you. A Natura Fac a C eansers I ve been b essed w th adu t acne, so f nd ng natura sk n care has been VERY cha eng ng for me. Everyth ng I ve ever tr ed has made me super o y and has broken out my sk n. Dur ng one of my natura beauty-seek ng excurs ons at Who e Foods, someone asked me f I wanted to do a sk n ana ys s to determ ne wh ch products were r ght for me, so of course I umped at the opportun ty. The ana ys s was rea y nterest ng. You put your face n a mach ne that takes a photo that revea s the d fferent ayers of your sk n and shows such th ngs ke wr nk es, en arged pores, UV spots and sk n d sco orat on. Once the ana ys s was comp ete, I was g ven a st of product recommendat ons, wh ch a happened to be for the brand MyChe e. Th s was a product ne I had never heard of, so I was eager to try them out, and I am so g ad I d d, because I have FINALLY found natura products that don t break my sk n out! Some of MyChe e s products that I m n ove w th are the r Fru t Enzyme Scrub (I use th s as my da y c eanser), the App e Br ghten ng Serum (to he p get r d of my dark spots/sun damage) and the r V tam n A P us Serum (wh ch s an a natura form of ret no that shock ng y prov des the same resu ts). MyChe e products are comparab e n pr ce to those h gher-end drugstore beauty products. I suggest go ng to a store that carr es MyChe e products and do ng the r sk n ana ys s to determ ne wh ch products are ust r ght for you. A so be sure to s gn up on the r webs te to rece ve spec a offers, and they send you a coupon that s good for your next on ne purchase (bonus, r ght?). Body Wash & Lot on Su fates and parabans…ev ev ev , and they seem to be n pretty much every body ot on and body wash you p ck up at the drugstore. So I was rea y happy to f nd the ne Shea Mo sture at Target. I ve seen the r products at Who e Foods as we , and I m now even start ng to see them pop up at CVS. I ove the r Organ c Raw Shea Butter Body Wash and Body Lot on. They sme so good, and a tt e goes a ong way. The body wash athers n ce y, and the ot on s super mo stur z ng. I a so use the r Afr can B ack Soap Bar, wh ch s great for so many th ngs….breakouts, bug b tes, etc. If I get an occas ona breakout on my face, I wash that area w th the soap for 2 days, and then the breakout s a but gone. I wou dn t suggest us ng th s da y on your face because t does remove mo sture, but t works great for qu ck f xes. A of the r products are under $10, and even though th s does seem h gh for body wash and body ot on, a tt e REALLY does go a ong way. Underarms I have tera y tr ed ust about every s ng e natura deodorant out there, and not one of them has ever worked for me because I need the ant persp rant act on. But there was one product I never tr ed – The Crysta . I thought there was no way that add ng water to some k nd of sa t st ck wou d ever work, but when I saw they had a ro -on form, I dec ded, what the heck. We to my surpr se (and exc tement) The Crysta rea y works! No st nky or sweaty armp ts, no st cky res due and no more wh te marks on my sh rts. And guess what, the st ck form works as we ! I bought a tt e trave s ze one and t performs exact y the same as the ro -on. (Granted, I st prefer the ro -on….much ess effort.) The ro on form costs the same as any other deodorant you d buy from your oca drugstore. Na s I have th n, pee ng na s, so I have tr ed EVERYTHING under the sun to make my na s grow. It then occurred to me that maybe these products have so many chem ca s n them that they are actua y do ng more harm than good for my na s. We I th nk I have proven my theory, because I ve sw tched over to butter LONDON products. They are “3 Free” – mean ng they don t use forma dehyde, to uene or DBP n any of the r products – and now my na s are actua y hard and beg nn ng to grow. I bought a great starter pack that conta ns the r base coat, top coat, na co or, po sh remover and na f e for $40 from U ta. I was skept ca as to whether the po sh wou d ast, but on my most recent tr p to get a ped cure, I brought the po shes for the man cur st to use on me. Three weeks ater and my ped st ooks great. Note, butter LONDON does state that to get the most out of the r po sh, you shou d use the r base and top coats w th the r co or po shes. They have so many great co ors that I m exc ted to buy more. Teeth I oved wh ten ng toothpaste, but knew there was noth ng safe n the ones I was us ng from the drugstore. So when I dec ded to make the sw tch, I f rst p cked up a Tom s of Ma ne toothpaste, to then rea ze that they use SLS n the rs, so I dec ded on JASON s PowerSm e Wh ten ng Ant -Cav ty Toothpaste and I ove t. It s wh ten ng and super m nty. It s a tt e pr c er than the drugstore toothpastes, but the ge s th ck and a tt e goes a ong way, so I th nk t s worth the $6.00. I am a so a b g gum chewer, but every pack of natura gum I ve purchased n the past ost f avor n a matter of seconds. A reg ster mpu se buy had me p ckup a pack of Spry gum, and I rea y ove t. I fee ke I m chew ng Orb tz, but a much safer vers on of t. P us, Spry gum s made w th xy to , wh ch he ps reduce tooth decay, so tota bonus! I persona y th nk the pepperm nt s the best f avor. It s about $1.00 a pack for 12 p eces. From the Ins de Out I have been tak ng v tam ns and supp ements for over 20 years now, so I m def n te y a be ever. But w th a the v tam ns I ve ever taken, wh e I knew they made me fee better ( ess s ckness, more energy, etc.), I d never been ab e to see a phys ca d fference — unt I started tak ng PurZanth n. I actua y started tak ng PurZanth n before I sw tched to natura fac a products, and w th n ust a coup e of weeks, my sk n began ook ng more f rm and br ghter, and now t ust overa ooks much hea th er. When I don t take t, I can tota y see a d fference because my sk n texture ooks a b t du , so I m def n te y hooked. Whatever s n th s product s a tt e m rac e f you ask me, and t s ess than $20 a bott e, so way worth the cost. Now as my ourney cont nues, here s what s next up on my st of natura beauty needs: shampoo and cond t oner for dry, co or treated ha r, se f-tanner and makeup. So f anyone has any good suggest ons, p ease do share! One ast tt e t p….most stores have a pretty good return po cy, and t s def n te y worth nqu r ng about! Never m ss out on va uab e nformat on. Subscr be to our news etter today! (http://www. ve nthenow.com/subscr be?utm_source= n%2Btext&utm_med um=art c e&utm_campa gn=end%2Bof%2Bart c e%2B nk)
jimmyg
12-08-2012, 04:56 PM
Ask the Herba st: Is Soy a Hea th Food? Posted by L ssa But er http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2010/05/ sof avones. pg
Q: I keep hear ng conf ct ng reports about whether I shou d be consum ng soy. Is soy a hea th food or shou d I avo d t? A: The soybean (G yc ne max) s a member of the egume fam y, wh ch, due to ts hardy nature and h gh prote n content, has been a stap e of As an d ets for centur es, and has become one of the most w de y produced food crops n the wor d. Soy can be found on grocery store she ves n many trad t ona forms such as tofu, tempeh and soym k. It s a so the ma n prote n source n a ma or ty of vegetar an meat a ternat ves and prote n bars. Add t ona y, soy s fed to many of the an ma s you may eventua y consume. And t doesn t stop there! Because of the overproduct on and nexpens veness of soy, t s used as an emu s f er n many food products, and s now mak ng ts way nto body products. There are hea th benef ts assoc ated w th us ng soy as a supp ement. The most we -known soy benef t may be the hormone ba anc ng effect of certa n phytoestrogens (estogen- ke p ant compounds) found n soy known as sof avones, wh ch when taken n supp ement form, can p ay a ro e n re ev ng menopausa symptoms. Soy sof avones are weak estrogen m m ckers, and two n part cu ar, geneste n and d adze n, can b nd to the body s estrogen receptors, a ow ng the body s natura estrogen to rema n n the body onger. Th s s one of the reasons why soy he ps menopausa women. What has come to ght recent y, however, s a w de range of adverse effects assoc ated w th us ng and consum ng arge amounts of soy over a ength of t me. Severa stud es show that the phytoestrogens found n soy may ead to hormona d srupt on n men, women and ch dren, thyro d prob ems and potent a ncreases n anx ety and stress. Unfermented soy a so conta ns chem ca s that are tox c, such as phyt c ac d, protease nh b tors and soy ect ns. Cont nua ntake of these tox ns can ead to hormona and thyro d ssues. These tox ns a so reduce your body s ab ty to absorb necessary nutr ents from food and supp ements. Ferment ng soy changes ts chem ca compos t on, mak ng t more d gest b e and ess ke y to cause prob ems. One p ace where soy shows up frequent y s n baby formu a. Th s can be prob emat c because nfants bod y systems are ust beg nn ng to deve op, and exposure to arge amounts of soy can d srupt hea thy deve opment. Unfortunate y, many mothers who do not breast feed the r bab es feed them soy-based nfant formu as. Hormona , thyro d and nutr t ona absorpt on ssues due to soy ntake have been documented n adu ts — mag ne what nfants have to dea w th. Chen and Donovan performed a study n 2004 wh ch showed that nfants fed soy-based formu a had a reduct on n ntest na ce growth and a change n the r ntest na ce funct on, wh ch cou d ead to a comprom sed d gest ve system, and hence a comprom sed mmune system for the rest of these nfants ves. Soy s consumed n many As an countr es. However, t s pr mar y consumed n trad t ona , fermented forms ( ke tamar , m so, tempeh and natto), and n sma amounts, often more as a cond ment. In Amer ca, on the other hand, soy s typ ca y eaten n unfermented and h gh y processed forms — often even when you don t know you re eat ng t. Remember, the an ma s you eat have been fed soy, un ess you spec f ca y purchase a grass-fed or free-range an ma products. The convent ona products you use on your sk n may conta n sma amounts of soy as we . More and more peop e cont nue to deve op soy a erg es, thyro d ssues, hormona d srupt on and we ght ga n, wh ch may a be re ated to excess ve soy consumpt on. So, what can you do about t? Be ng aware of what you are consum ng s the f rst step. Read abe s, and f you do not understand an ngred ent, research t or ask a know edgeab e person about t. Buy a natura , m n ma y processed food products made w th c ean ngred ents you can understand, so that you are not unknow ng y consum ng soy ngred ents. Purchase grass-fed or free-range meats, eggs and da ry products, d rect y from a farm or farmer s market whenever poss b e. The bottom ne s that soy n arge amounts can have harmfu effects on hea th for men, women and ch dren, and due to ts preva ence n our food system, t s best to make a consc ous effort to m n m ze ts ro e n your d et. The fermented soy foods that are part of trad t ona As an d ets are a safer bet, f you d ke to nc ude soy n your d et. Soy sof avones n supp ement form may offer women s gn f cant re ef from symptoms of menopause. However, f you are a women st of reproduct ve age, have a fam y h story of estrogen-dom nant cancer, or have estrogen-dom nant cancer yourse f (whether you are ma e or fema e), you shou d cons der avo d ng soy as much as poss b e.
jimmyg
12-09-2012, 07:31 AM
How Drug Company Money s Underm n ng Sc ence http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/drug-money. pg Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: It s common pract ce for the pharmaceut ca ndustry to funne money to prom nent research sc ent sts conduct ng stud es on the r products, and no one – not the researchers, not the r fund ng sources, not sc ent f c nst tut ons and not even the government – appears ab e (or w ng) to stop t. Wh e many med ca , educat ona and research nst tut ons requ re facu ty members to d sc ose such potent a conf cts of nterest, many do not act ve y mon tor emp oyees act v t es, and d sc osures are not a ways made. The Nat ona Inst tutes of Hea th (NIH), the 2nd h ghest fund ng source for drug stud es (f rst s the drug compan es, themse ves), accepts a great dea of money from B g Pharma and s deep y enmeshed w th the ndustry (two of ts former eaders recent y went to work for the drug ndustry). Many thousands of doctors, researchers and other med ca experts – .......– rece ve arge amounts of supp ementa ncome from drug compan es. Thanks to the Phys c an Payments Sunsh ne Act, n 2013, drug compan es and med ca dev ce manufacturers w be requ red to revea most of the money they are g v ng to phys c ans; you w be ab e to determ ne f a hea th care prov der s on the drug ndustry s payro us ng a searchab e on ne government database.
When t comes to mak ng hea th care dec s ons, wh ch can deep y mpact your fe, you need access to truthfu , unb ased nformat on and sc ence, or at east access to a phys c an who does. Yet true, ndependent research -- the foundat on upon wh ch the modern med ca system s supposed to be based -- s becom ng an ncreas ng y rare commod ty … f t s not a ready ext nct. In a scath ng expose n Sc ent f c Amer can,1 ourna sm professor Char es Se fe shows very c ear y how the pharmaceut ca ndustry s funne ng money to prom nent research sc ent sts conduct ng stud es on the r products, and no one – not the researchers, not the r fund ng sources, not sc ent f c nst tut ons and not even the government – appears ab e (or w ng) to stop t. Mass ve Conf cts of Interest are Ru n ng Med ca Sc ence It s we known that stud es funded by ndustry or conducted by researchers w th ndustry t es tend to favor corporate nterests. That s why t probab y comes as no surpr se that many so-ca ed "experts" are very much on the drug ndustry s payro -- but they masquerade as ndependent med ca experts or even state off c a s dur ng the r "day obs." It s, by the way, 100% ega for drug compan es to pay med ca profess ona s to promote the r products. The conf ct of nterest w th n th s pract ce s obv ous, wh ch s why the drug ndustry often keeps qu et on the r actua payments, as do the med ca profess ona s nvo ved. A though many med ca , educat ona and research nst tut ons requ re facu ty members to d sc ose such potent a conf cts of nterest, many do not act ve y mon tor emp oyees act v t es. Se fe wr tes: "The entang ements between researchers and pharmaceut ca compan es take many forms. There are speakers bureaus: a drugmaker g ves a researcher money to trave — often f rst c ass — to g gs around the country, where the researcher somet mes g ves a company-wr tten speech and presents company-drafted s des. There s ghostwr t ng: a pharmaceut ca manufacturer has an art c e drafted and pays a sc ent st (the guest author ) an honorar um to put h s or her name on t and subm t t to a peer-rev ewed ourna . And then there s consu t ng: a company h res a researcher to render adv ce. Researchers th nk what these compan es are after are the r bra ns, but they re rea y after the brand, says Marc a Ange , former ed tor n ch ef of the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne. To buy a d st ngu shed, sen or academ c researcher, the k nd of person who speaks at meet ngs, who wr tes textbooks, who wr tes ourna art c es — that s worth 100,000 sa espeop e. " Are You Rece v ng Med ca Adv ce That s Been Ta nted by Drug Company Money? If you ve v s ted a phys c an ate y, the answer s qu te ke y "yes." You see, the comprom sed research doesn t stay n the med ca ourna s … t often gets trans ated nto your med ca care. It s based on these purported y sc ent f c resu ts that drugs get approved and pub c hea th recommendat ons are made. Take Avand a, the d abetes drug that s now known to have k ed tens of thousands of peop e and s gn f cant y ncrease the r sk of heart attack and stroke. Research from the Mayo C n c revea ed that 90 percent of sc ent sts who wrote favorab e art c es about the drug had f nanc a t es to G axoSm thK ne, the drug s maker.2 A comm ttee of ndependent experts st recommended that Avand a rema n on the market, desp te ts c ear r sks, and a U.S. Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) overs ght board voted 8 to 7 to accept the adv ce. We , " t came out that members of the comm ttee, too, had been tak ng money from drug compan es," Se fe reported. Th s s, of course, but one examp e. There are, unfortunate y, count ess others. E ght of the n ne doctors on the pane that deve oped the 2004 cho estero gu de nes, wh ch are st n use today, had been mak ng money from the drug compan es that manufacture stat n cho estero - ower ng drugs -- wou dn t you know t, the same drugs the new gu de nes sudden y created a dramat ca y arger market for n the Un ted States. Researchers and certa n y those who s t on government pane s are supposed to d sc ose these types of re at onsh ps w th the drug ndustry, but they often don t and tt e s done about t. Accord ng to the nvest gat ve report: "Severa ayers of check ng are supposed to ensure that conf cts of nterest are caught and exposed even when an ob v ous or d shonest researcher does not report them. When a sc ent st fa s to report such a conf ct, the un vers ty or hosp ta he or she works for s supposed to spot t and report t. And when a un vers ty or hosp ta s not do ng ts ob catch ng conf cted research, then the government agency that funds most of that research — the Nat ona Inst tutes of Hea th — s supposed to step n. Unfortunate y, that backup system s bad y broken. "Inst tut ons often ook the other way, or they have po c es n p ace that are qu te weak," says Adr ane Fugh-Berman, a professor n Georgetown Un vers ty s department of pharmaco ogy and phys o ogy." The NIH May be One of the Worst Offenders... Government fund ng s supposed to be neutra -- an ndependent source from wh ch unb ased sc ent f c research can be drawn. The Nat ona Inst tutes of Hea th (NIH) s actua y the second-h ghest fund ng source for drug stud es (f rst s the drug compan es, themse ves). Many assume NIH-funded stud es are unb ased and funded str ct y through taxpayer do ars, but NIH accepts a great dea of money from B g Pharma and s deep y enmeshed w th the ndustry. For nstance, two eaders from the NIH — Gary Nabe , one of the NIH s most prom nent researchers n the Vacc ne Research Center (VRC) and E as Zerhoun , former d rector of the ent re NIH) recent y sw tched s des to work for B g Pharma (spec f ca y, Sanof ). So th s m ght he p exp a n why Se fe uncovered that severa nd v dua s work ng on NIH adv sory comm ttees were granted wa vers exempt ng them from eth cs aws (even though they had rece ved thousands of do ars from drug compan es, wh ch were not d sc osed on the wa vers). In the fa of 2003, the NIH -- w th Zerhoun at ts head – a so faced grave accusat ons when t came to ght that hundreds of ts sc ent sts had f nanc a t es to the med ca and pharmaceut ca ndustr es. Accord ng to a 2004 art c e n the NIH Record, over 100 sc ent sts d d not get approva for the r ndustry act v t es, even though the ru es were so oose v rtua y a requests to conduct outs de work were approved by the agency, w thout any m ts on compensat on or hours worked for outs de ent t es. The NIH s not un que n these t es. Jo n ng a parade of other h gh-rank ng government off c a s who passed through the revo v ng doors between government and B g Pharma, n January 2010 Ju e Gerberd ng, former d rector of the U.S. Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on (CDC), wh ch makes the U.S. mmun zat on schedu e, became the pres dent of Merck s vacc ne un t, wh ch makes 14 of the 17 ped atr c vacc nes recommended by the CDC, and 9 of the 10 recommended for adu ts. Even Your Phys c an May be on the Drug Industry s Payro I suspect many Amer cans wou d be surpr sed to earn that many thousands of doctors, researchers and other med ca experts – some of whom you probab y depend on to prov de unb ased nformat on and adv ce perta n ng to your hea th care – rece ve arge amounts of supp ementa ncome from drug compan es, but t s rea ty nonethe ess. In many cases, these nd v dua s do not be eve the re at onsh p nf uences the r med ca adv ce, research or prescr b ng hab ts -- a though c ear y the drug ndustry wou d not cont nue devot ng m ons of do ars to th s type of market ng f t d d not pay off. But even prom nent researchers and expert phys c ans are often be ng nf uenced by the ndustry, whether they rea ze t or not. I speak from exper ence because, n fact, I used to be one of those ecturers. I was h red as a "r s ng star" short y after I f n shed my res dency tra n ng n 1985 and f ew across the country ectur ng on estrogen rep acement therapy, and rece v ng handsome checks from the drug compan es for do ng so. I stopped th s near y 30 years ago when I rea zed that the ent re approach was a scam. F fteen years ater a the ma or stud es came out show ng that estrogen rep acement therapy rad ca y ncreased heart d sease and cancer, and d d not prevent t ke the drug ndustry s man pu ated stud es suggested. Current y there are tens of thousands of U.S. phys c ans and researchers who have rep aced my ectur ng ro e and are current y on B g Pharma s payro . An ongo ng nvest gat on by ProPub ca3 revea ed that 12 drug compan es pa d $761.3 m on to phys c ans for consu t ng, speak ng, research and other expenses n 2009, 2010 and, for some, the beg nn ng of 2011 -- and that represents on y the d sc osed payments. In a actua ty, th s f gure s probab y far too ow. More Transparency n the Med ca F e d s Com ng n 2013 Thanks to the Phys c an Payments Sunsh ne Act, wh ch starts n 2013, drug compan es and med ca dev ce manufacturers w be requ red to revea most of the money they are g v ng to phys c ans. Start ng n 2013, you w be ab e to determ ne f a hea th care prov der you trust s actua y on the drug ndustry s payro , thanks to the new federa aw, wh ch mandates the fo ow ng: Drug and med ca dev ce compan es w be requ red to report and d sc ose a payments (stock opt ons, research grants, kn ckknacks, consu t ng fees, trave expenses and more) to phys c ans (3/13). Unfortunate y, payments to nurses, phys c an ass stants, and other med ca profess ona s w not have to be d sc osed The nformat on w be d sp ayed n an on ne government database that you w be ab e to search (9/13) In the meant me, you can search ProPub ca s database4 to see the d sc osed payments made to phys c ans n your state. Many of the most prest g ous un vers t es, nc ud ng Harvard, are now bann ng the r staff from rece v ng money from drug compan es for speak ng, and th s new d sc osure requ rement w hopefu y push more nst tut ons n that d rect on. Break ng the drug ndustry s strang eho d on the convent ona med ca ndustry w not be easy -- after a , the drug ndustry spends near y tw ce as much on promot on5 as t does on research and deve opment – but ncreas ng numbers of peop e are now wak ng up to these harsh rea t es, and that s nstrumenta n gett ng the t de to turn. You, be ng among those who are nformed, can he p share th s know edge w th others. More than 1.5 m on peop e rece ve th s news etter, and together we can make a huge d fference. The goa s to have a cr t ca mass of peop e refuse the unnecessar y dangerous and counterproduct ve so ut ons current y offered by convent ona med c ne, as th s w be the powerfu st mu us to generate authent c change. You can a so act now, on a persona eve , by mak ng the necessary festy e changes that w a ow you to take contro of your hea th, nstead of eav ng t n the hands of the drug ndustry who has ke y man pu ated and dece ved the phys c an you are consu t ng w th.
Sev
12-10-2012, 05:58 AM
http://www. nfowars.com/the-ten-worst-ways-your-ch dren-are-be ng-po soned-r ght-now-vacc nes-food-v deo-games-and-more/ The ten worst ways your ch dren are be ng po soned r ght now: vacc nes, food, v deo games and more December 10, 2012 Modern ch dren are be ng po soned ke never before n the h story of human c v zat on. No wonder the rate of aut sm n Amer ca has skyrocketed to 1 n 88 ch dren over the ast few decades, putt ng aut sm square y n the “ep dem c” category. But don t expect any CDC act on on th s ep dem c. The CDC knows fu we why aut sm rates are exp od ng across Amer ca, but nstead of adm tt ng the truth, the CDC s runn ng a cover story to protect the corporate nterests of the rea cu pr ts: the med ca corporat ons po son ng ch dren for prof t (see be ow). It s not ust med ca compan es that are po son ng our ch dren, by the way: They re a so be ng po soned n other ns d ous ways that suppress free th nk ng, assau t good hea th and crush ch dren s sou s. Here s my st of the ten worst ways n wh ch our ch dren are be ng po soned r ght now. #1) Mu t p e vacc nat ons that n ect mercury, a um num, MSG and forma dehyde nto ch dren It s an adm tted fact that today s vacc nes g ven to ch dren are ntent ona y formu ated w th mercury, a um num, MSG and forma dehyde, a of wh ch s nsane y n ected nto the body of nfants and ch dren. Th s s open y adm tted by the CDC tse f, wh ch has emerged as a cr m na front group for the vacc ne ndustry. Rather than try ng to determ ne why vacc nes are caus ng so much aut sm, the CDC tr es to h de the ev dence, de ay the hear ngs, and dep oy smoke and m rrors to protect the cr m na y-operated vacc ne ndustry where near y every s ng e vacc ne manufacturer operat ng today has been found gu ty of mu t p e fe ony cr mes. #2) Mercury f ngs Aston sh ng y, dent sts n the USA cont nue to f ch dren s mouths w th the most tox c heavy meta known to man: Mercury. They don t ca t mercury, of course, because that wou d ra se too many quest ons. Instead, they ca them “s ver ama gam f ngs.” But the No. 1 ngred ent n these f ngs s, of course, the heavy meta mercury. #3) Schoo unches that use tox c processed food ngred ents, nc ud ng sod um n tr te Schoo unches cont nue to serve our ch dren a tox c cockta of chem ca food add t ves, part a y-hydrogenated o s, chem ca preservat ves and even cancer-caus ng co or f xers ke sod um n tr te. Sod um n tr te causes pancreat c cancer, co on cancer and bra n tumors n ch dren. It s ntent ona y added to hot dogs, sausage, bacon, pepperon , unch meats and near y a processed meats. A nat on that eats sod um n tr te on a regu ar bas s w have sky-h gh rates of cancer as a resu t. In add t on to sod um n tr te, schoo unches are a so f ed w th GMOs wh ch we now know cause huge cancer tumors n an ma s. The USDA, wh ch s a ready n bed w th Monsanto on the regu atory s de, a so buys masses of genet ca y eng neered food to be used n schoo unch programs. #4) Te ev s on programm ng that po sons ch dren s bra ns w th messages of mater a sm and nadequacy Te ev s on was nvented as a way to educate and up ft and popu at on, but t has become dom nated by commerc a nterests who bra nwash ch dren nto worsh pp ng mater a sm and be ng man pu ated nto fee ngs of nadequacy. The po nt of th s s to push sugary cerea s, act on f gures, toys and unk foods nto the m nds of ch dren so that they nag parents nto buy ng t for them. V rtua y a Saturday morn ng te ev s on, for examp e, has devo ved nto a “nag factor man pu at on matr x” des gned to bra nwash ch dren nto begg ng the r parents to purchase consumab e tems that generate prof ts for corporate advert sers. Where s the educat on n te ev s on these days? It s now re egated to a few channe s that focus on documentar es and non-f ct on sub ects, and even those channe s are st funded by corporate nterests. #5) Pub c educat on that teaches rev s on st h story and tox c deas about soc ety Amer can ch dren are be ng ns d ous y po soned by pub c schoo s and a the atroc ous y damag ng deas those schoo s teach. Many schoo s are now teach ng what s essent a y soc a sm or even commun sm. They attack and r d cu e students who be eve n the found ng pr nc p es of Amer ca: patr ot sm, the B of R ghts, nd v dua berty and the U.S. Const tut on. Students are a so now be ng m croch pped and taught that they are s aves of the state. Just recent y, n fact, severa students were suspended from Kearney H gh Schoo for pa nt ng the Amer can f ag on the r chests for a p-sync mus c v deo pro ect sponsored by the schoo . Th s s a a type of menta po son ng of our ch dren, done under the banner of “educat on.” #6) Tox c persona care products made w th cancer-caus ng po sons: Shampoo, sk n care, toothpaste, a r fresheners, aundry soap and more Ch dren everywhere are be ng bathed n tox c po sons from a the r persona care products, nc ud ng soaps and shampoos, aundry detergents, fabr c softeners and even toothpaste. Most persona care products are oaded w th cancer-caus ng synthet c chem ca s. Laundry detergents bathe ch dren s c oth ng n cancer-caus ng chem ca s wh ch are then worn by the ch dren and absorbed nto the r bod es. When ch dren become teens, the tox c burden s ncreased even more through deodorants, makeup and cosmet cs, perfumes and co ognes. Near y a convent ona body care products conta n cancer-caus ng chem ca s, nc ud ng the h ghend, expens ve brands. #7) Tox c hydrof uos c c ac d dumped nto the water supp y after be ng m s abe ed “f uor de” Ch dren are be ng w d y po soned by the dump ng of hydrof uos c c ac d nto the water supp y. Th s s ncorrect y ca ed “f uor de” but t s actua y a tox c byproduct of the chem ca fert zer ndustry or a um num sme t ng ndustry. As Natura News has proven, f uor de s so d as an nsect c de chem ca and a meta s sme t ng chem ca . It s one of the most tox c substances yet d scovered, wh ch s why t k s nsects so effect ve y. F uor de s so tox c that dump ng t nto a r ver or stream n the Un ted States wou d be cons dered an act of eco og ca terror sm. Yet, somehow, t s ega to dump t nto the water supp y of human be ngs who then ur nated t back nto the r vers and streams where t po sons the env ronment. #8) Tox c ndoor a r env ronments at homes and schoo s: Forma dehyde, mo ds, g ues and synthet c po utants Indoor a r po ut on s a s gn f cant source of tox c chem ca exposure for ch dren. Carpets, pa nts, wood f oor and even furn ture a g ve off tox c fumes that can promote cancer and aggravate a erg es. Many homes, schoo s and commerc a bu d ngs are contam nated w th tox c mo ds that are a so ngested by nfants and ch dren. Even hosp ta s c rcu ate potent a y dead y superbugs that can k ch dren. #9) V deo games Make no m stake that ch dren — espec a y boys — are be ng menta y po soned by v deo games. These games teach boys that v o ence s norma through the re ent ess assau t of u tra-rea st c f rst-person shooters that put p ayers n the pos t on of v o ent y murder ng other human be ngs. These games desens t ze ch dren to the rea wor d, and they tra n ch dren to grow up and o n the m tary. Some of the most popu ar games are actua y eng neered and pub shed by the m tary as recru t ng systems for teens. Take a ook at the u tra rea sm (and v o ence) of “Far Cry 3² n th s teaser v deo. Th s s what your k ds are p ay ng when you buy them an Xbox: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qTMrNCgzBg #10) M nd-a ter ng psych atr c drugs One of the greatest cr mes aga nst ch dren today s found n the rea m of psych atry. That dark art of ant -med c ne pretends to “d agnose” ch dren w th “d sorders” wh ch are then c a med to be treated by m nd-a ter ng psych atr c drugs such as R ta n and Prozac. The ent re ndustry of modern psych atry s a cr m na drug r ng conducted for the so e purpose of generat ng prof ts by treat ng ch dren as pharmaceut ca d sposa ob ects. Most of the psych atr c d sorders found n the DSM-V manua are comp ete y fabr cated works of f ct on. The drug ndustry and modern psych atry run the r fraud as a tag-team of cr m na s who prey on ch dren. The most effect ve group f ght ng th s today s the C t zens Comm ss on on Human R ghts (CCHR), found at www.CCHR nt.org I have a so recorded and produced a mus c v deo on the psych atr c drugg ng of ch dren wh ch you can see on YouTube. Yes, n add t on to be ng the ed tor of Natura News, I m a so an estab shed act v st rapper. See more of my songs and mus c v deos at www.Ameth os.com Here s the v deo for S.S.R.L es:
jimmyg
12-10-2012, 10:54 AM
Gu de nes to He p Your Teen Safe y and Effect ve y Improve H s or Her Phys que December 07, 2012 https://encrypted-tbn3.gstat c.com/ mages?q=tbn:ANd9GcSWtrznwvv4u51peL9z6_cNCbtTOwyB- G uk_3P3Vv6b1Urg37wDGAh 0 http://howtoget ntoshape.net/wp-content/up oads/2012/08/k ngs-workout. pg By Dr. Merco a I ve ong advocated strength tra n ng as a part of a hea thy festy e for adu ts, ch dren and teens. However, as reported n a recent T me art c e1, k ds do need extra gu dance and attent on when h tt ng the gym and a ter ng the r d etary hab ts. Accord ng to a recent study2 of teens body mage and potent a y unhea thy musc e-enhanc ng behav ors, s x percent of m dd e and h gh schoo boys and near y f ve percent of g r s are us ng stero ds to mprove musc e mass, wh ch s nked to s gn f cant hea th r sks. C ear y, anabo c stero ds are not part of a hea thy festy e, regard ess of age, as they are oaded w th ong term s de effects that w move you towards d sease and not hea th. In a , s x percent of g r s and 12 percent of boys engaged n three or more d fferent behav ors n an effort to ga n musc e, nc ud ng us ng a var ety of supp ements and a ter ng the r d etStudy author D anne Neumark-Szta ner to d T me Magaz ne3: "There are many confus ng messages n our soc ety regard ng what s hea thy. Wh e t s appropr ate and des rab e to a m to be phys ca y f t and be nvo ved n phys ca act v ty, th s shou d be done through hea thfu eat ng and act v ty behav ors. The youth may v ew tak ng musc e enhancers as a hea thfu behav or g ven that substances such as prote n powders are w de y promoted." What You Need to Know about Prote n I ve recent y come to the conc us on that ower amounts of prote n may actua y be benef c a for many peop e. I don t advocate a comp ete vegan d et — you do need some an ma prote n. But t s qu te ke y that many are consum ng too much for opt ma hea th and d sease prevent on. I recent y nterv ewed Dr. Ron Roseda e, who he ped me understand the potent a dark s de of consum ng too much prote n. I be eve h gh qua ty prote n powders can be part of a hea thy reg men, but they need to be used ud c ous y. Dr. Roseda e be eves that when you cons stent y consume prote n n eve s h gher than one gram of prote n per k ogram of LEAN body mass (or about ha f a gram of prote n per pound of ean body mass) you can act vate the mTOR pathway wh ch can potent a y ncrease your r sk of cancer. To determ ne your ean body mass f nd out your percent body fat and subtract from 100. So f you are 20 percent body fat you wou d have 80 percent ean body mass. Just mu t p y that t mes your current we ght to get ean body mass. For most peop e th s gu de ne means restr ct ng prote n ntake to anywhere from 35 to 75 grams. Pregnant women and those work ng out extens ve y need about 25 percent more prote n though. If You Want More Musc e, Choose the Most Eff c ent Exerc se The mTOR mechan sm, wh ch s part of the nsu n pathway, s a so respons b e for bu d ng musc e. F tness expert Or Hofmek er has d scussed th s n a number of prev ous art c es. L ke Or , I too be eve that, as a spec es, humans are not des gned to be overwe ght and unf t; we re actua y genet ca y programmed to be ean and muscu ar, w th potent a for extreme ongev ty. Unfortunate y, most peop e are not fu f ng th s genet c prom se due to nact v ty and poor d et. Even those who exerc se regu ar y have troub e reach ng opt ma states of f tness. Part of the prob em s choos ng neffect ve forms of exerc se. Ever s nce I earned about the benef ts of h gh- ntens ty nterva tra n ng, wh ch I termed "Peak F tness," my phys que has changed dramat ca y — desp te the fact that I ve been exerc s ng regu ar y for over 40 years. I used to run, so I wasn t exerc s ng my super-fast, wh te musc e f bers. Once I started, the metamorphos s was qu te dramat c, g v ng me a far more scu pted phys que. I be eve the excess ve focus on card o may be part of the reason why so many are not see ng very dramat c mprovements n the r phys que, and stock ng up on prote n shakes and other supp ements s not go ng to mprove matters. Prote n and the Bu d ng Musc e A common be ef s that f you want to bu d musc e, you need to eat oads of prote n and carbohydrates because they fue musc e growth. However, the ev dence that has emerged over the past severa years shows us t s not that s mp e. Or descr bes one amaz ng f nd ng n part cu ar — that your body has a mechan sm that a ows t to bu d musc e even when depr ved of food. As t turns out, am no ac ds and prote n serve not ust as bu d ng b ocks for t ssues and musc e. Certa n am no ac ds can a so s gna genes n your musc e to grow and to bu d prote n, and they do that even dur ng t mes of food depr vat on as ong as these am no ac ds are c rcu at ng through your b ood stream. One of the most powerfu musc e-bu d ng am no ac ds many are m ss ng s euc ne, found n certa n foods. It serves mu t p e funct ons n your body, one of wh ch s s gna ng the mTOR mechan sm, wh ch causes prote n to be created and bu ds your musc e. However, accord ng to Or , you need far more than the recommended da y a owance (RDA) of euc ne n order to reap the opt ma effect. The h ghest concentrat ons of euc ne and other branched cha n am no ac ds (BCAA) are found n da ry products; part cu ar y qua ty cheese and whey prote n. A three ounce serv ng of h gh qua ty whey prote n can prov de the euc ne needed for the average adu t. However, most prote n powders on the market are best avo ded. Wh e whey prote n s an exce ent cho ce as a post-workout recovery mea , qua ty s everyth ng, and most commerc a products s mp y do not f t the b , and can do more harm than good. S m ar y, us ng euc ne as a free form am no ac d can be h gh y counterproduct ve. Choos ng the R ght Whey There are a number of whey products on the market, but unfortunate y many of them w not g ve you the hea th benef ts assoc ated w th h gh-qua ty whey. Most commerc a whey products are der ved from pasteur zed da ry and are processed w th heat and ac d. Many are a so art f c a y sweetened. A of these factors render them comp ete y use ess from a hea th perspect ve. Whey so ate s one such nfer or product, because when you remove the fat, you actua y remove mportant components of ts mmuno og ca propert es. When se ect ng a whey product, I strong y recommend mak ng sure t s made from raw, grass-fed m k, n order to obta n the ma or ty of ts mmune-enhanc ng benef ts. Most of the whey prote n so d on the market s made from pasteur zed m k, nc ud ng whey prote n concentrate and New Zea and whey. The New Zea and whey does come from grass-fed cows. However by New Zea and aw the whey must be made from pasteur zed m k, wh ch negates many of the nherent hea th benef ts of whey, even though t s grass-fed. There are, however, a few good sources of h gh-qua ty whey prote n, made from the raw (unpasteur zed) m k of grass-fed cows. (If you can t afford h gh qua ty whey, your next best opt on s raw da ry products, such as raw m k or raw m k cheese. To f nd a source near you, check out www.Rea M k.com. They are a great resource for raw da ry.) The factors you need to ook for n order to ensure you re buy ng a h gh-qua ty whey product nc ude: Organ c (no hormones) - Grass-fed - Made from unpasteur zed (raw) m k - Co d processed, s nce heat destroys whey s frag e mo ecu ar structure - M n ma y processed - Water so ub e - No art f c a sweeteners - H gh y d gest b e — ook for med um cha n fatty ac ds (MCTs), not ong cha n fatty ac ds - R ch creamy, fu f avor. How Insu n Sens t v ty Affects Your Ab ty to Bu d Musc e Perhaps one of the greatest g fts you can g ve your ch d or teen s to teach h m or her about the mportance of norma z ng the r nsu n sens t v ty. And th s app es whether they are try ng to ga n more musc e or not, and whether they need to ose we ght or not. Insu n sens t v ty s the foundat on of good hea th, and as t turns out, t a so p ays a s gn f cant ro e n deve op ng musc es. Insu n performs mu t p e funct ons n your body. It he ps mob ze or s gna a certa n k nd of prote n to mob ze g ucose from outs de your ce s, and t s a sat ety hormone that affects your hunger. It s a so c ose y nter-connected w th another hunger-regu at ng hormone: ept n. In add t on, the mTOR mechan sm, wh ch bu ds prote n n your musc es, s part of the nsu n cascade pathway as we . It cannot be bypassed. In order to bu d musc e, you must act vate the mTOR mechan sm, wh ch n turn w act vate the eukaryot c n t at on factor. Th s s gna s the musc e to bu d prote n. If you are nsu n res stant (the most obv ous case of wh ch wou d be type 2 d abetes), then musc e wast ng s nev tab e. In short, you need to norma ze your nsu n sens t v ty n order for opt ma musc e bu d ng to occur. Fortunate y, your nsu n sens t v ty s h gh y respons ve to proper d et and exerc se. Hormones can a so act vate the mTOR mechan sm, such as testosterone (the anabo c effect of IGF-1) and, nd rect y, human growth hormone (HGH). H gh ntens ty nterva exerc ses natura y provoke HGH product on, and can do so very effect ve y. F ve Gu de nes to Teach Your Ch d or Teen So, to summar ze, f you can nst ust a handfu of hea thy festy e gu de nes n your ch d, the fo ow ng gu de nes wou d top that st. Natura y, you shou d take the age of your ch d nto account. I wou d not recommend nterm ttent fast ng for a young ch d, for examp e, but e m nat ng gra ns and sugars shou d dea y start from day one. Your baby does not need sugar to thr ve — qu te the contrary! S m ar y, feed ng your ch d hea thfu raw saturated fats from organ c pastured butter and coconut o s NOT go ng to make them fat, but ow-fat foods ust m ght, as the fat s typ ca y rep aced by sugars. A so, ch dren w engage n h gh ntens ty nterva exerc ses natura y, when eft to the r own dev ces, so the on y d fference between a younger and o der ch d n terms of HIIT s the mode used. A young ch d m ght p ay catch n the back yard for 10 m nutes, whereas a teen m ght take to the gym. Norma ze your nsu n eve s by avo d ng or e m nat ng gra ns, fructose, and other sugars (check abe s for a forms of corn sweeteners), and boost ng consumpt on of who e foods and as many raw vegetab es as poss b e ( u c ng makes th s eas er and can he p ncrease the var ety of vegg es n your d et) Make sure prote n sources are h gh qua ty and hormone-free ( .e. grass-fed organ c meat and an ma products, raw grass-fed da ry, and fo ow gu de nes for se ect ng h gh qua ty whey prote n above). A so don t go overboard on prote n consumpt on, as th s may be counterproduct ve n terms of ong-term hea th, as d scussed above. Whey prote n s an dea post-workout recovery mea , to be taken 30 m nutes after your workout. But t s not adv sab e to chug prote n shakes throughout the day, th nk ng the prote n tse f w somehow mag ca y make your musc es grow Rep ace the ca or es you ve e m nated (gra ns and sugars) w th hea thfu fats, such as: avocados, butter, coconut o , nuts and eggs. Fats are far more f ng than carbs, wh ch w a so he p you eat ess Incorporate h gh ntens ty nterva tra n ng (HIIT), and/or turn your strength tra n ng rout ne nto a h gh ntens ty exerc se (for deta s, see my nterv ew w th Dr. McGuff). HIIT w he p you ach eve a number of goa s s mu taneous y: Effect ve y he p norma ze your nsu n sens t v ty Boost musc e growth (even f you re not us ng we ghts) Promote human growth hormone (HGH) product on, wh ch s mportant for musc e bu d ng, overa f tness, and ongev ty O der teens may boost musc e-bu d ng and we ght oss effects by t m ng your mea s appropr ate y — a techn que referred to as nterm ttent fast ng. P ease note that any type of fast ng, even nterm ttent fast ng or s mp y sk pp ng breakfast shou d ONLY be mp emented f you are eat ng a hea thy who e food d et as d scussed above. It s extreme y adv sed to attempt f you are st eat ng pr mar y processed foods and/or fast food mea s
jimmyg
12-11-2012, 08:11 AM
Know Wh ch Foods are Rea y Superfoods http://www.stopag ngnow.com/content_med/3920 Posted by Rebecca Jenn ngs A though the term, “superfood,” has become someth ng of a market ng buzzword n recent years, t s perhaps the best descr ptor for a c ass of super nutr t ous who e foods that offer a w de range of essent a nutr ents, and can eas y be ntegrated nto a ba anced d et. I try to ncorporate each of these foods nto my fe on a da y or week y bas s. A of the foods n th s st shou d be organ c or w d. 1. W d A askan Sa mon Not on y s sa mon an exce ent source of prote n, w th 18 grams per 3 ounces, t s a so a great source of potass um, se en um, B12 and n ac n. Most mportant y, w d sa mon s one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty ac ds. Omega-3 fatty ac ds promote heart and bra n hea th, reduce nf ammat on, ncrease c rcu at on and memory, and he p to contro b ood sugar. W d A askan sa mon s super or to farm ra sed sa mon for severa reasons. Farm ra sed sa mon do not produce as many omega-3s as the r w d counterparts because the r d et cons sts of gra ns. Gra n fed sa mon produce omega-6 fatty ac ds wh ch can cause nf ammat on. Farm ra sed sa mon has often tested h gh for po ych or nated b pheny s, PCBs, and m ght be the most PCB-contam nated prote n on the U.S. market. For these reasons, farm ra sed sa mon shou d be avo ded, w th the hea thfu w d sa mon a ways be ng the best cho ce. A though mercury contam nat on s poss b e w th w d sa mon, sa mon s one of the east mercury-contam nated spec es, and even w th a sma amount of mercury, the nutr t ona benef ts of sa mon are worth t Sponsored L nk: Get the freshest, susta nab y-caught w d At ant c sa mon de vered r ght to your front door! Learn how! (http://www.v ta cho ce.com/shop/pc/v ewCategor es.asp?pageSty e=h& dCategory=280&kb d=2696& mg=Sockeye) http://www.v ta cho ce.com/ mages/we 080211300x250Combo. pg 2. Qu noa Qu noa was known as “mother of gra ns” by the Incas for a reason; t conta ns a arger quant ty of h gh qua ty prote n than most other gra ns. Qu noa s a great source of prote n for vegetar ans because t s h gh n the am no ac d ys ne, wh ch s hard to f nd outs de of the an ma k ngdom. The am no ac ds n qu noa are cons dered we ba anced and s m ar to case n. Bes des be ng a great source of prote n, qu noa s a good source of ca c um, phosphorus, magnes um, potass um, copper, manganese and z nc. Per ha f cup, qu noa conta ns 8 mg of ron and 5 grams of f ber. 3. B ueberr es B ueberr es are an amaz ng source of ant ox dants. B ueberr es have the h ghest ORAC score of a t me. ORAC, oxygen rad ca absorbance capac ty, measures not on y the amount of phytochem ca s and ant ox dants n a food, but a so how we these components work together to prov de protect on and va ue. One of the reasons b ueberr es rece ved such a h gh score s the r h gh concentrat on of compounds ca ed anthocyan ns. Anthocyan ns are ant ox dants and ant - nf ammator es, wh ch he p protect aga nst d seases such as A zhe mer s, Park nson s, d abetes, heart d sease and arthr t s. They a so he p w th memory, motor coord nat on, and n ght v s on, and reduce eyestra n. 4. Arugu a Arugu a s very nutr ent dense. For a very sma amount of ca or es (5 per one cup), arugu a conta ns fo ate, v tam ns A and K, ca c um, ute n and zeaxanth n, caroteno ds wh ch promote eye hea th. V tam n K he ps w th b ood c ott ng, as we as deve op ng strong bones. Arugu a a so conta ns g ucos nates, wh ch when comb ned w th enzymes n the body turn nto soth ocyanates, ant cancer compounds. Isoth ocynates neutra ze carc nogens and reduce the r effects on the body. These compounds have been found to he p prevent ung and esophagea cancer. 5. A monds R ch n monounsaturated fats, a monds are assoc ated w th ower eve s of heart d sease and cancers, and n return, onger fe spans. A monds decrease r sks of heart d sease by decreas ng cho estero , espec a y the bad LDL cho estero . They are a great source of prote n, f ber and ca c um, as we as, phosphorus, magnes um and v tam n E. I th nk they are a great cho ce for a snack food because of the r nutr t ona content, and they are a good cho ce for d abet cs as they conta n no carbohydrates. 6. Avocado Another food h gh n monounsaturated fats, the avocado s a tru y remarkab e fru t. The monounsaturated fats n avocado are ma n y compr sed of o e c ac d, an omega-9 fatty ac d that he ps ower LDL cho estero and tr g ycer des and ra ses HDL cho estero . Avocados are a so h gh n another cho estero ower ng compound, beta-s tostero , wh ch a so he ps protect the prostate. Lute n, a caroteno d found n avocados, s an ant ox dant that promotes eye and sk n hea th. Avocados are h gh n f ber, conta n ng 11 to 17 grams per fru t, and a so a good source of potass um, fo ate, v tam n A, beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanth n. 7. Brusse s Sprouts A member of the cruc ferous fam y, Brusse s sprouts conta n a arge quant ty of cancer f ght ng nutr ents. These key nutr ents nc ude s n gr n, soth ocyanates and su foraphane. S n gr n represses the growth of precancerous ce s by gett ng them to comm t su c de. Isoth ocyanates and su foraphane are compounds that stop the pro ferat on of ce s, deact vate carc nogens, and he p d sarm env ronmenta tox ns. Su forphane n part cu ar ncreases the product on of phase-2 enzymes wh ch can neutra ze free rad ca s and f ght carc nogens. Brusse s sprouts a so supp y good amounts of fo c ac d, potass um and v tam n K. 8. Greek Yogurt R ch n prob ot cs and enzymes, I espec a y ke Greek yogurt because t s an exce ent source of prote n. The ve bacter a cu tures n yogurt he p create a hea thy gut by promot ng d gest on and mmun ty and ba anc ng bad bacter a and nf ammat on. The bacter a stra n, Lactobac us bu gar cus, s very benef c a to mmun ty because t ncreases natura k er ce s wh ch ncrease ant bod es when nfect ons are present, mprove d gest on, have ant -cancer propert es, and he p ower bad cho estero wh e ncreas ng good cho estero . Bes des prob ot cs, yogurt s a so a good source of ca c um and potass um. To ga n a of the hea thy benef ts from yogurt, ve cu tures must be present. Look for the LAC, “L ve and Act ve Cu tures” sea on the abe , wh ch guarantees the yogurt conta ns at east 100 m on cu tures per gram of yogurt after pasteur zat on and at the t me of manufactur ng. Choos ng p a n yogurt s best n order to avo d excess sugars. 9. Extra V rg n O ve O (F rst Co d Pressed) Extra v rg n o ve o s one of the key ngred ents to the heart hea thy Med terranean d et. It conta ns a very h gh amount of the ant ox dants, pheno s, wh ch he p neutra ze free rad ca s. It s a so r ch n heart hea thy monounsaturated fats, espec a y o e c ac d, wh ch he ps to ower LDL cho estero and ra se HDL cho estero . The ant ox dants and monounsaturated fats reduce r sks of d seases assoc ated w th nf ammat on, nc ud ng stroke, heart d sease, and cancer. F rst co d pressed extra v rg n o ve o s the best and most benef c a form of o ve o to buy because t s not ref ned and reta ns the key v tam ns, essent a fatty ac ds, ant ox dants and nutr ents wh ch make t so hea thy. 10. Beans Beans are the perfect food to he p add f ber to the d et, conta n ng between 11 and 17 grams of f ber per cup. As an exce ent source of f ber, beans he p ower r sks of cancer, heart d sease, d abetes and obes ty. Beans he p ower cho estero and regu ate b ood sugar; h gh f ber foods he p mprove hyperg ycem a. Bes des f ber, beans a so conta n mportant phytochem ca s, nc ud ng d ogen n, wh ch nh b ts cancer ce s from mu t p y ng, and sapon ns, protease nh b tors, and phyt c ac d, wh ch a protect ce s from genet c damage that can ead to cancer. Beans a so have one of the h ghest capac t es of ant ox dants per serv ng compared to other foods. A great source of prote n, 15 grams per cup, beans a so are a good source of fo c ac d, magnes um, ron, z nc, potass um and the enzyme-enhanc ng m nera , mo ybdenum.
jimmyg
12-12-2012, 08:21 AM
Ask the Doctor: What Are B o dent ca Hormones? http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/12/ Stock_000018560901XSma -400x265. pg Posted by Dr. Kev n Passero Hormones are the body s key ce u ar s gna ers. They contro many aspects of our phys o ogy and p ay a huge ro e n our day-to-day state of we -be ng. Few other substances n our body have such a s gn f cant mpact on how we fee . B o dent ca hormone rep acement therapy (BHRT) ut zes forms of hormones that are mo ecu ar y dent ca to what the body natura y produces. Th s nove approach to ba anc ng hormones was arge y gnored by convent ona med c ne for over 30 years, arge y due to the fact that b o dent ca hormones cannot be patented. No natura substances can be patented, and therefore there s tt e prof t for the drug compan es to make from pharmaceut ca sa es. As a so ut on to th s prob em, pharmaceut ca compan es deve oped synthet c ana ogues to hormones that cou d be trademarked and so d under patent to great y ncrease prof tab ty. The pr me examp es of th s are Premar n® and Provera®, more common y referred to as Prempro®, when g ven n comb nat on. Premar n s der ved from the ur ne of a pregnant horse and conta ns 17 d fferent types of estrogen, on y two of wh ch are ones natura y produced by the human body. Provera s a synthet c form of progesterone that can create ser ous s de effects and r sks, and s cons dered by many to be more harmfu than the synthet c estrogens. For 30 years, these were cons dered the go d standard for treat ng hormona changes and unp easant symptoms assoc ated w th menopause. Th s was the status quo unt 2003 when the resu ts of the Women s Hea th In t at ve study showed that there were ser ous s de effects re ated to us ng Premar n comb ned w th Provera. Increases n r sk for deve op ng breast cancer, heart d sease and stroke were among the most concern ng s de effects. Th s ead to a ma or back ash aga nst us ng these hormona med cat ons and eft many women suffer ng w th nowhere to turn. To date, there has never been any sc ent f c ev dence suggest ng that synthet c sex hormones ke Premar n and Provera are more effect ve or safer than the r natura y occurr ng counterparts. On the other hand, ong-term c n ca tr a s us ng b o dent ca hormones show a much greater safety prof e over the r synthet c counterparts. They have safe y been used n Europe and the Un ted States for over 50 years. In fact, the FDA has found b o dent a progesterone to be so safe that t a ows ts sa e over the counter w th no prescr pt on. Wh e a hormona therap es can carry some aspect of r sk depend ng on fam y h story, genet cs and other factors of hea th, the c n ca data suggests that as ong as we use the mo ecu ar y dent ca forms of hormones w th the r ght peop e, n the r ght doses and at the r ght t mes, r sk s no greater than average. In many cases the proper use of b o dent ca hormones can reduce hea th r sks re ated to certa n cond t ons, nc ud ng bone oss and even certa n forms of cancer. BHRT offers a safe and effect ve way to address cond t ons and symptoms n men and women re ated to hormona changes and mba ances. Next week, I d scuss n more deta the cond t ons that can be treated w th BHRT.
mygrandmasattic
12-12-2012, 11:42 PM
Th s thread makes me wonder how ve ved so ong! :confused::confused:
jimmyg
12-13-2012, 07:53 AM
How Coconut O M ght Combat Tooth Decay December 08, 2012 L nk to art c e & v deos: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/08/coconut-o -combats-tooth-decay.aspx?e_c d=20121208_DNL_art_1 V deo: ...... By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Coconut o s a powerfu nh b tor of a arge var ety of pathogen c organ sms, from v ruses to bacter a to protozoa, arge y due to ts natura y h gh aur c ac d content Researchers n Ire and found that coconut o treated w th enzymes, n a process s m ar to d gest on, strong y nh b ts Streptococcus bacter a, wh ch are common nhab tants n your mouth that can ead to p aque bu dup, cav t es, and gum d sease A though a hea thfu d et ( ow n sugar, gra ns, and processed foods, and h gh n fermented vegetab es, who e foods, and grass-fed meats) can mprove your denta hea th, you may st exper ence prob ems w th p aque Pathogen c ora bacter a and the r tox ns can harm more than ust your mouth when they c rcu ate through your b oodstream—they can potent a y cause secondary nfect ons and chron c nf ammat on throughout your body Two add t ona strateg es may he p reduce p aque bu dup: consum ng natura y fermented vegetab es da y, and the use of a techn que ca ed o pu ng; over the ast year, these two strateg es have rad a y mproved my own ongstand ng p aque prob em
Coconuts are among the most nutr t ona y dense foods on the p anet and have been a d etary stap e for m enn a. Western sc ence s now "p ay ng catch-up" to what nat ves of trop ca reg ons have known for thousands of years. One of the reasons coconut s so spec a s that t s a natura ant m crob a food. Coconut, espec a y ts o , s a powerfu destroyer of a k nds of m crobes, from v ruses to bacter a to protozoa, many of wh ch harm human hea th. Researchers at the Ath one Inst tute of Techno ogy s B osc ence Research Inst tute n Ire and set out to test coconut o s b oc da propert es aga nst the bacter a respons b e for tooth decay. Denta car es s a common y over ooked prob em affect ng 60 to 90 percent of ch dren and the ma or ty of adu ts n ndustr a zed countr es, accord ng to ch ef researcher Dr. Dam en Brady. H s research team tested the ant bacter a act on of coconut o n ts natura state and coconut o that had been treated w th enzymes, n a process s m ar to d gest on. The o s were tested aga nst stra ns of Streptococcus bacter a, wh ch are common nhab tants of your mouth. They found that enzyme-mod f ed coconut o strong y nh b ts the growth of most stra ns of Streptococcus bacter a, nc ud ng Streptococcus mutans, an ac d-produc ng bacter um that s a ma or cause of tooth decay1. It s thought that the break ng down of the fatty coconut o by the enzymes turns t nto ac ds, wh ch are tox c to certa n bacter a.2 Enzyme-mod f ed coconut o was a so harmfu to the yeast Cand da a b cans, wh ch can cause thrush. Dr. Brady sa d: "Incorporat ng enzyme-mod f ed coconut o nto denta hyg ene products wou d be an attract ve a ternat ve to chem ca add t ves, part cu ar y as t works at re at ve y ow concentrat ons. A so, w th ncreas ng ant b ot c res stance, t s mportant that we turn our attent on to new ways to combat m crob a nfect on." The work a so contr butes to our understand ng of ant bacter a act v ty n the human gut, wh ch he ps ma nta n the ba anced f ora necessary for a strong mmune system. "Our data suggests that products of human d gest on show ant m crob a act v ty. Th s cou d have mp cat ons for how bacter a co on ze the ce s n ng the d gest ve tract and for overa gut hea th," exp a ned Dr. Brady. The Many Hea th Benef ts of Coconut O Coconut o offers an mpress ve array of hea th benef ts. In add t on to ts ant m crob a propert es, coconut o s benef c a for: Promot ng heart hea th Support ng proper thyro d funct on Strengthen ng your mmune system Prov d ng an exce ent "fue " for your body and support ng a strong metabo sm Ma nta n ng hea thy and youthfu ook ng sk n One of the pr mary reasons coconut o s benef ts are so broad s that 50 percent of the fat n coconut o s aur c ac d, wh ch s rare y found n nature. In fact, coconut o conta ns the most aur c ac d of any substance on Earth. Your body converts aur c ac d nto mono aur n, a monog ycer de that can actua y destroy p d-coated v ruses such as HIV and herpes, nf uenza, meas es, gram-negat ve bacter a, and protozoa such as g ard a amb a. Another of coconut o s ant m crob a components s capr c ac d, present n esser amounts. Coconut o s a so compr sed of med um cha n fatty ac ds (MCFAs), wh ch are sma er than the ong cha n fatty ac ds that are much more common to vegetab e and seed o s. MCFAs are eas y d gested and read y cross ce membranes, and are sent d rect y to your ver, where they are mmed ate y converted nto energy rather than stored as fat. Coconut o s easy on your d gest ve system and does not produce an nsu n sp ke n your b oodstream. A Trad t ona D et M ght Not Guarantee You Perfect Ora Hea th In the 1900s, Dr. Weston A. Pr ce d d extens ve research on the nk between ora hea th and phys ca d seases. He d scovered that the most successfu pr m t ve groups hea th-w se were those who pa d attent on to and ntegrated benef c a anc ent know edge and d etary w sdom nto the r ves. The d fference, Pr ce reasoned, between pr m t ve cu tures who were hea thy and those who were d seased came not from so e y eat ng a trad t ona d et (as they a d d), but n the accumu ated w sdom en oyed by certa n popu at ons, wh ch a owed them to en oy opt ma hea th. One of the keys to ora hea th s eat ng a trad t ona d et r ch n fresh, unprocessed vegetab es, nuts, and grass-fed meats that are n ne w th your genet c ancestry. However, as benef c a as that d et s to your denta and overa hea th, t m ght not be enough to guarantee perfect ora hea th. We know, of course, that eat ng unk food and sugar certa n y causes and worsens denta decay n humans, but there must be more to the story. There s ev dence of tooth decay n anc ent popu at ons, ong before there was exposure to ref ned sugar and wh te f our, as we as among w d an ma s today. Even some do ph ns, wh ch genera y eat no carbohydrates whatsoever — on y f sh, squ d, and crustaceans — have prob ems w th tooth decay. C ear y, s mp y fo ow ng a trad t ona d et s not enough to exp a n th s phenomenon, or e se there wou d be no denta decay n anc ent peop es or w d fe. P aque-Bust ng Strategy No. 1: Fermented Vegetab es In the past, I was a so cha enged w th p aque accumu at on wh ch resu ted n my hav ng to make month y v s ts to the denta hyg en st. It seemed no amount of brush ng, f oss ng, and even us ng a denta rr gator d m n shed th s prob em. However, n November of 2011, I was ntroduced to the f rst of two natura strateg es that have s gn f cant y mproved my p aque prob em. The tr ck? S mp y add ng hea thy amounts of h gh qua ty fermented vegetab es to my d et. Fermented vegetab es are oaded w th fr end y f ora that not on y mprove d gest on but a ter the f ora n your mouth as we . S nce the add t on of these foods nto my d et, my p aque has decreased by 50 percent and s much softer. I ater further ref ned my approach by do ng o pu ng w th coconut o and earn ng how to spec f ca y target the pr mary source of p ague, wh ch s the unct on of the tooth and gum surface by carefu y d rect ng my toothbrush at the appropr ate ang e. V deo:...... P aque-Bust ng Strategy No. 2: O Pu ng The second techn que I ve been us ng for the past year s ca ed "o pu ng" w th coconut o , wh ch has reduced my p aque by another 50 percent, a ow ng me to go two months between v s ts to the hyg en st, nstead of one. O pu ng s a pract ce dat ng back thousands of years, hav ng or g nated w th Ayurved c med c ne. When o pu ng s comb ned w th the ant m crob a power of coconut o , you have one very powerfu hea th too . Sesame o s trad t ona y recommended, but t has re at ve y h gh concentrat on of omega-6 o s. Therefore, I be eve coconut o s far super or, and, n my m nd, t tastes better. But from a mechan ca and b ophys ca perspect ve, t s ke y that both work. O pu ng s s mp e. Bas ca y, t nvo ves r ns ng your mouth w th coconut o , much ke you wou d w th a mouthwash. The o s "worked" around your mouth by push ng, pu ng, and draw ng t through your teeth for a per od of 15 m nutes. If you are obsess ve ke me and want even better resu ts you can go for 30-45 m nutes. Th s process a ows the o to "pu out" bacter a, v ruses, fung and other debr s. The best t me s n the morn ng before eat ng breakfast, but t can be done at any t me, the mportant po nt s to ust do t. I seek to do t tw ce a day f my schedu e a ows. The used o s d scarded and your mouth r nsed w th water. You shou d not swa ow the o because t s oaded w th bacter a, tox ns, pus, and mucous. When done correct y, o pu ng has a s gn f cant c eans ng, detox fy ng and hea ng affect, not on y for your mouth and s nuses but for the rest of your body as we . Cand da and Streptococcus are common res dents n your mouth, and t s these germs and the r tox c waste products that cause p aque accumu at on and tooth decay, n add t on to secondary nfect ons and chron c nf ammat on throughout your body. O pu ng can he p essen the overa tox c burden on your mmune system by prevent ng the spread of these organ sms from your mouth to the rest of your body, by way of your b oodstream. The potent a benef ts of o pu ng extend we beyond your mouth. O pu ers have reported rap d re ef from system c hea th prob ems, such as arthr t s, d abetes and heart d sease. Accord ng to Bruce F fe, naturopath c phys c an and expert n the hea ng effects of coconut3, the c eans ng effect of o pu ng can be understood w th the fo ow ng ana ogy: "It acts much ke the o you put n your car eng ne. The o p cks up d rt and gr me. When you dra n the o , t pu s out the d rt and gr me w th t, eav ng the eng ne re at ve y c ean. Consequent y, the eng ne runs smoother and asts onger. L kew se, when we expe harmfu substances from our bod es our hea th s mproved and we run smoother and ast onger." Add t ona T ps for Improv ng Your Ora Hea th v deo...... Proper denta hyg ene s mportant for opt ma hea th n your mouth and n the rest of your body, as d scussed by Dr. B Osmunson n the nterv ew above. When t comes to prevent ng cav t es, dr nk ng f uor dated water and brush ng your teeth w th f uor dated toothpaste s not the answer, because f uor de s more tox c than ead. The key s your d et and proper denta care: good o d brush ng and f oss ng. By avo d ng sugars and processed foods, you prevent the pro ferat on of the bacter a that cause decay n the f rst p ace. Pract c ng tw ce da y brush ng and f oss ng, a ong w th regu ar c ean ngs by your b o og ca dent st and hyg en st, w ensure that your teeth and gums are as hea thy as they can be. You may want to try o pu ng to enhance your current denta hyg ene rout ne. In add t on to consum ng foods that are part of the "trad t ona d et" and avo d ng processed foods and ref ned sugar, make sure you are gett ng p enty omega-3 fats. The atest research suggests even moderate amounts of omega-3 fats may he p ward off gum d sease. My favor te source of h gh qua ty omega-3 fat s kr o . And speak ng of sugar, a part cu ar type of honey from New Zea and ca ed Manuka honey has a so been shown to be effect ve n reduc ng p aque. Researchers found Manuka honey worked as we as chem ca mouthwash — and better than the cav ty f ght ng sugar a coho , xy to — n reduc ng eve s of p aque. Th s s most ke y due to the honey s ant bacter a propert es. C n ca tr a s have shown that Manuka honey can effect ve y erad cate more than 250 c n ca stra ns of bacter a, nc ud ng ant b ot c-res stant var et es. I st be eve that o pu ng w th coconut o g ves you more bang for your buck for your ora hea th, but ust rea ze you have natura opt ons to harsh and often tox c chem ca s.
jimmyg
12-14-2012, 07:44 AM
Human Inte ect Backs d ng From Lack of Evo ut onary Pressure: Study http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/human- nte ect. pg December 08, 2012 By Dr. Merco a You m ght th nk that human nte ect s ke r d ng a b ke... once you ve got t, t s there for good. But new research from Stanford Un vers ty suggests that not on y s human nte ect not a "g ven"... t may actua y be regress ng. Are Humans Los ng The r Inte gence? In the ana ys s, wr tten by Gera d Crabtree, a genet cs professor at Stanford Un vers ty, t s exp a ned that the opt m zat on of a arge number of genes re ated to nte gence may have peaked n the ear y stages of human evo ut on, when your ab ty to surv ve depended much more than now on your eve of nte ect.1 But nowadays, that evo ut onary pressure s gone, and you can surv ve w th even m n ma eve s of nte gence. So the genet c mutat ons that cause nte ectua d sab t es have no reason to be removed through se ect ve pressures, from a surv va standpo nt. It was est mated that wh e there are anywhere form 2,000 to 5,000 genes that p ay a ro e n h gher cogn t ve facu t es, a humans now have two or more mutat ons or de et ons that may harm the r nte ectua or emot ona stab ty.2 "New deve opments n genet cs, anthropo ogy, and neurob o ogy pred ct that a very arge number of genes under e our nte ectua and emot ona ab t es, mak ng these ab t es genet ca y surpr s ng y frag e," the ana ys s exp a ns. Ana ys s of human mutat on rates and the number of genes requ red for human nte ectua and emot ona f tness nd cates that we are a most certa n y os ng these ab t es." It s ke y that such genet c changes w on y cont nue to accumu ate, a be t so s ow y that, accord ng to Dr. Crabtree, we have so ut ons ava ab e n the future to "correct" them. Are You Be ng Dece ved About Your Own Inte gence? Do you f nd t hard to be eve that your nte gence may be s pp ng? Or that you may have adverse genet c changes t ed to your nte ect or emot ona hea th that d dn t ex st many generat ons ago? Th s s actua y qu te common, as "peop e tend to ho d over y favorab e v ews of the r ab t es n many soc a and nte ectua doma ns," accord ng to Dav d Dunn ng, a Corne professor of soc a psycho ogy. After conduct ng four stud es, Dunn ng and a co eague determ ned that some peop e overest mate ust how smart they are, and the ess sk ed a person actua y s, the ess ab e they are to rea ze t. " ... th s overest mat on occurs, n part, because peop e who are unsk ed n these doma ns suffer a dua burden: Not on y do these peop e reach erroneous conc us ons and make unfortunate cho ces, but the r ncompetence robs them of the metacogn t ve ab ty to rea ze t," they wrote.3 To put t s mp y, you have w th n your rea m of exper ence "known unknowns" and the far more daunt ng "unknown unknowns. "The atter are those c rcumstances that are so far removed from our ord nary exper ence that we cannot even fathom them. A s gn of an nte gent person s know ng there are th ngs you don t know, but a s gn of an even more nte gent person may be know ng there are th ngs that you don t know you don t know. When you may run nto troub e, on the other hand, s when you be eve you know everyth ng and c ose your m nd to earn ng any new deas. Unfortunate y, a great dea of the under y ng prem ses upon wh ch our soc ety was bu t fa nto th s rea m. For nstance, many "convent ona " experts n the f e d of med c ne refuse to be eve n these "unknown unknowns" -- a def n te s gn of gnorance f there ever was one. As Vo ta re sa d, "A state of doubt s unp easant, but a state of certa nty s r d cu ous." Other Ev dence of a "Dumb ng Down" Effect? Educat on s the one soc a factor that has been cons stent y nked to onger fe, regard ess of what country you ve n. But the dea that the on y way to get proper y educated s to go through a forma schoo system may be a m snomer. Accord ng to Char otte Iserbyt, who served as Sen or Po cy Adv sor n the Off ce of Educat ona Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Educat on, dur ng the f rst Reagan Adm n strat on, the Department of Educat on s goa s man pu at on of pub c schoo curr cu um to promote a po t ca agenda. Dur ng her tenure as Sen or Po cy Adv sor, Iserbyt was shocked to earn that her emp oyer promoted the purpose of educat on as a veh c e to change the thoughts, act ons and fee ngs of students. Good teach ng s def ned as "successfu y cha eng ng students f xed be efs." In th s way, ch dren may come out of the schoo system as though they are mo ded cogs n a mach ne, rather than the ndependent th nkers they entered n as. Th s s n no way a ref ect on on the many ded cated and ta ented teachers we have here n the Un ted States. Rather, t s a perspect ve of some of the ssues that are present at h gher eve s that may make t near y mposs b e to prov de a so d educat on no matter how sk ed or exce ent the teacher s. In a cu ture where nte gence and educat on are h gh y va ued, t s, at the very east, nterest ng to specu ate that perhaps the educat on system tse f cou d be contr but ng to, rather than combatt ng, the dumb ng down effect that may a ready be occurr ng n evo ut onary terms. 7 Tr cks to G ve Your Bra npower a Boost There s no need to s mp y s t d y by wh e your nte ect fades away. There s qu te a b t you can do to not on y protect what bra npower you do have but a so to s gn f cant y enhance t. Even Dunn ng found n h s study that the part c pants were ab e to mprove upon the r sk s, and therefore a so the r metacogn t ve competence (wh ch, ron ca y, he ped them rea ze the m tat ons of the r ab t es). If you want to boost your nte ect, stave off menta ag ng, and maybe even pass these nte ectua ga ns on to your ch dren, try: 1. Exerc se Exerc se encourages your bra n to work at opt mum capac ty by caus ng nerve ce s to mu t p y, strengthen ng the r nterconnect ons and protect ng them from damage. Dur ng exerc se nerve ce s re ease prote ns known as neurotroph c factors. One n part cu ar, ca ed bra n-der ved neurotroph c factor (BDNF), tr ggers numerous other chem ca s that promote neura hea th, and d rect y benef ts cogn t ve funct ons, nc ud ng earn ng. Exerc se has even been shown to boost m tochondr a genes s n nerve ce s, opt m z ng the r ab ty to produce energy and funct on at peak eve s. To get the most out of your workouts, I recommend a comprehens ve program that nc udes Peak F tness h gh- ntens ty exerc se, strength tra n ng, stretch ng, and core work. 2. An ma -Based Omega-3 Fats Docosahexaeno c ac d, or DHA, an omega-3 fat, s an essent a structura component of both your bra n and ret na. Approx mate y 60 percent of your bra n s composed of fats—25 percent of wh ch s DHA. DHA s a so an essent a structura ngred ent of breast m k, wh ch s be eved to be a ma or reason why breastfed bab es cons stent y score h gher on IQ tests than formu a-fed bab es. The nf uence of omega-3 fat on phys ca and menta hea th has been the sub ect of ntense research over the ast four decades, and there s compe ng ev dence that an ma -based omega-3 fats can he p not on y to reduce the symptoms of a var ety of psych atr c nesses and degenerat ve bra n d sorders, but a so s ow, ha t and somet mes even reverse the under y ng d sease process. 3. S eep S eep s not on y essent a for regenerat ng your phys ca body, but t s mperat ve for reach ng new menta ns ghts and be ng ab e to see new creat ve so ut ons to o d prob ems. S eep removes the b nders and he ps "reset" your bra n to ook at prob ems from a d fferent perspect ve, wh ch s cruc a to creat v ty. Research from Harvard nd cates that peop e are 33 percent more ke y to nfer connect ons among d stant y re ated deas after s eep ng, but few rea ze that the r performance has actua y mproved. S eep s a so known to enhance your memor es and he p you "pract ce" and mprove your performance of cha eng ng sk s. In fact, a s ng e n ght of s eep ng on y four to s x hours can mprove your ab ty to th nk c ear y the next day. 4. V tam n D Act vated v tam n D receptors ncrease nerve growth n your bra n, and researchers have a so ocated metabo c pathways for v tam n D n the h ppocampus and cerebe um of the bra n, areas that are nvo ved n p ann ng, process ng of nformat on, and the format on of new memor es. Appropr ate sun exposure s a t takes to keep your eve s where they need to be for hea thy bra n funct on. If th s s not an opt on, a safe tann ng bed s the next best a ternat ve, fo owed by a v tam n D3 supp ement. 5. Opt m ze Your Gut F ora Your gut s your "second bra n," and your gut bacter a transm ts nformat on to your bra n v a the vagus nerve, the tenth cran a nerve that runs from your bra n stem nto your enter c nervous system (the nervous system of your gastro ntest na tract). There s a c ose connect on between abnorma gut f ora and abnorma bra n deve opment, and ust as you have neurons n your bra n, you a so have neurons n your gut -- nc ud ng neurons that produce neurotransm tters ke seroton n, wh ch s a so found n your bra n and s nked to mood. L m t ng sugar and processed foods, wh e eat ng trad t ona y fermented foods (r ch n natura y occurr ng good bacter a), tak ng a prob ot c supp ement and breastfeed ng your baby are among the best ways to opt m ze gut f ora and subsequent y support bra n hea th. 6. V tam n B12 V tam n B12, or rather a ack thereof, has been ca ed the "canary n the coa -m ne" for your future bra n hea th, and recent research has bo stered the mportance of th s v tam n n keep ng your m nd sharp as you age. Accord ng to the atest research, peop e w th h gh eve s of markers for v tam n B12 def c ency were more ke y to score ower on cogn t ve tests, as we as have a sma er tota bra n vo ume,4 wh ch suggests a ack of the v tam n may contr bute to bra n shr nkage. 7. Cha enge Your M nd One of the s mp est methods to boost your bra n funct on s to keep on earn ng. The s ze and structure of neurons and the connect ons between them actua y change as you earn. Th s can take on many forms above and beyond book earn ng to nc ude act v t es ke trave ng, earn ng to p ay a mus ca nstrument or speak a fore gn anguage, or part c pat ng n soc a and commun ty act v t es. Another mportant method? Bra n aerob cs. As w th earn ng, cha eng ng your bra n w th m nd-tra n ng exerc ses can keep your bra n f t as you age. Th s can be someth ng as s mp e as th nk ng of famous peop e whose f rst names beg n w th the etter A, do ng crossword puzz es or p ay ng board games that get you th nk ng. Research has even shown that surf ng the Web act vates reg ons n your bra n re ated to dec s on-mak ng and comp ex reason ng.5 So un ke pass ve y watch ng TV, us ng the Internet s an engag ng task that may actua y he p to mprove your bra npower.
jimmyg
12-15-2012, 06:36 AM
Top 10 Packaged Foods You Shou dn t Buy L nk to art c e & v deos: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/10/avo d-packaged-foods-w th-bpa.aspx?e_c d=20121210_DNL_art_1 S deshow...... Dr. Merco a Gr st Magaz ne started me off on th s st by prov d ng the f rst f ve packaged foods that are comp ete y unnecessary, as mak ng them at home s not on y s mp e, but far hea th er and more nexpens ve. I added f ve more to Jane Mounta n s st, for a tota of 10. Canned soup: Th s typ ca y conta ns arge amounts of processed sa t, add t ves, MSG, and genet ca y eng neered ngred ents. Many compan es a so st use cans w th b spheno -A (BPA) n the n ng. Th s p ast c chem ca has been dent f ed as a potent endocr ne d sruptor, wh ch means t m m cs or nterferes w th your body s hormones and "d srupts" your endocr ne system. Mak ng home-made soup s easy to earn and ensures you know exact y what s n t. Jane offers three soup rec pes n her Gr st art c e.1 She a so offers the fo ow ng three t ps: "S gn up for a CSA [ oca commun ty supported agr cu ture] box and you have ots of crazy fru ts and vegetab es on hand to make soup. Invest n a hand b ender... .... Make your own stock!" Stock and Bou on: Mak ng stock s even eas er than mak ng soup. Instead of compost ng potato pee s, on on sk ns, eek tops, eggp ant stems and whatever e se you happen to be eft w th, freeze them and make stock when you have enough to make a batch of vegetab e stock. Jane nks to a page w th nstruct ons for mak ng "Scrappy Vegg e Stock" on PoorG r EatsWe .com2 that ooks to be easy enough even for the most nt m dated of beg nners. I a so ke Jane s suggest on to: "pour the stock nto some f ex b e ce-cube trays and freeze them. Then t s ready to use n sma port ons..." Exce ent adv ce. Canned Beans: Just ke soup, beans taste better and fresher, and are better for you, f you buy them dr ed and prepare them at home -- and aga n, th s way you ensure your beans aren t aced w th BPA. Cook ngManager.com offers a sorts of cook ng t ps, nc ud ng how to prepare dr ed beans from scratch.3 Commerc a y prepared beans are a so typ ca y cooked at very h gh heat for short per ods of t me, wh ch s not as good as cook ng them onger at ower temperatures. When foods are cooked at h gh temperatures, advanced g ycat on end products (AGEs) are produced. These compounds, wh ch st mu ate ce s to produce prote ns that cause nf ammat on, can be tox c to the body. AGEs are norma y produced at a s ow rate, but the rate ncreases when food s h gh y heated. There s a so a substant a body of ev dence support ng the not on that heat treatment of food a ters, damages or destroys many nutr ents n the food. Th nk dr ed beans are too t me consum ng? Cons der Jane s comment on the matter: "In rea ty, t takes around three m nutes to put the beans n some water, another m nute to change that water dur ng soak ng, and then about f ve more m nutes to put them on the stove. A the beans you eat a week n ess than 10 m nutes." Hummus: Mak ng your own hummus us ng fresh ch ckpeas takes ust m nutes once you get the hang of t, and g ves you the freedom to season t to taste. Cerea : Most cerea s a comb nat on of h gh-fructose corn syrup and GM corn, and cerea s marketed to ch dren are the worst offenders. Accord ng to one 2008 study, one serv ng of cerea equated to 11 percent of the da y m t of added sugar for act ve boys aged 14 to 18 years o d, and an astound ng 92 percent of the da y sugar ntake for sedentary g r s aged 9 to 13.4 Reduc ng sugar ntake shou d be on the top of your st regard ess of whether you or your ch d s current y overwe ght, because t s been proven over and over that sugar ncreases nsu n eve s, wh ch can ead to h gh b ood pressure, h gh cho estero , heart d sease, d abetes, we ght ga n, premature ag ng, and more. Wh e the featured art c e po nts out that you can make mues n a matter of m nutes, sans added sugars, I don t recommend eat ng gra n carbs for breakfast, even f t doesn t have any added sugars. Instead, I recommend focus ng on prote n for breakfast, such as eas y-d gested whey prote n. Look for h gh qua ty whey prote n der ved from grass-fed, non-hormona y treated cows that s been m n ma y processed. Th s ensures t st conta ns benef c a mmuno components, nc ud ng mmunog ob ns, bov ne serum a bum n, and actofer ns, n add t on to a the key am no ac ds and other benef c a nutr ents you typ ca y get from a h gh qua ty whey prote n. Organ c, pastured eggs are another exce ent breakfast food, as ong as t s consumed as c ose to raw as poss b e. Avo d scramb ed eggs, as cook ng destroys many of the benef c a nutr ents. M crowave popcorn: Perf uoroa ky s — chem ca s used to keep grease from eak ng through fast food wrappers — are be ng ngested by peop e through the r food and show ng up as contam nants n the r b ood. One common source of these hazardous chem ca s s — you guessed t — m crowave popcorn bags... Perf uorooctano c ac d (PFOA) has been nked to nfert ty and a s ew of other hea th prob ems. For examp e, these "gender-bend ng" chem ca s can d srupt your endocr ne system and affect your sex hormones, but they ve a so been nked to thyro d d sease, cancer, mmune system prob ems, and ncreased LDL cho estero eve s. Popp ng popcorn "from scratch" on the stove s s mp e, and g ves you the opt on to sa t and season to taste. I recommend us ng tasty and nutr t ous H ma ayan P nk sa t nstead of processed tab e sa t. M crowave popcorn typ ca y conta ns harmfu trans fats (a though some brands w use the hea th er pa m o rather than cano a or soybean o ). If you choose to consume popcorn ( t s not the hea th est food out there) you can at east use organ c corn and a far hea th er o ke organ c v rg n coconut o and smoother t w th raw grass-fed organ c butter. Bott ed water and "funct ona " waters: P a n, pure water s by far the most hea thfu beverage you can conce ve of, and you need water to surv ve. However, s ck market ng campa gns have managed to turn an essent a part of your d et nto a pure d saster... We now have an ever-w den ng array of f avored water, "zero ca or e" water, and so-ca ed "enhanced" or "funct ona " water products on the market. Avo d them a . Typ ca y, they w add art f c a sweeteners and dyes, sted n v rtua y m croscop c four-po nt font h dden on the bottom or s de of the bott e. These enhanced water products can a so conta n enormous amounts of sugar and fructose, add ng to the numerous hea th prob ems caused by both excess ve fructose consumpt on and genet ca y eng neered ngred ents (as an unknown amount of h gh fructose corn syrup s made from genet ca y eng neered corn). C ear y, any type of water other than pur f ed water s NOT go ng to mprove your hea th, and shou d be avo ded ent re y. Add t ona y, p ast c chem ca s can each out of the bott es and contam nate the water, ke phtha ates and b spheno -A (BPA). Then there s the ssue w th a that p ast c trash be ng generated, wh ch s wreak ng havoc on our env ronment. Your best bet for c ean, pure water s to s mp y nsta a h gh qua ty water f ter for your tap, or ent re home. Fru t and vegetab e u ces: Fru t u ces are far worse then vegetab e u ces and shou d be avo ded as t s far better to have the who e unprocessed fru t. Wh e abe s prom se the contents are "100 percent u ce," there s v rtua y no such th ng when you re buy ng commerc a u ce. Not on y does the f avor come courtesy of profess ona f avor and fragrance chem sts, fru t u ce s a so notor ous y h gh n fructose, whether t s from added h gh fructose corn syrup or natura y-occurr ng fructose n the fru t. You re better off u c ng vegetab es at home to boost the nutr t on of your overa d et. Raw vegetab e u ce teems w th va uab e and sens t ve m cronutr ents that become damaged or destroyed when the u ce s pasteur zed, so avo d the store-bought vers ons and u ce your own from scratch nstead. Raw u ce can be kened to a " v ng broth." It s the c osest transfer of so ar energy (b ophotons) d rect y to you that we know of. Add t ona y, v tam ns, m nera s, and enzymes can be rap d y absorbed. The benef ts of raw organ c vegetab e u ce are numerous. For examp e, t can he p: Promote we ght oss. Boost your mmune system by supercharg ng t w th concentrated phytochem ca s. Increase energy. When your body has an abundance of the nutr ents t needs, and your pH s opt ma y ba anced, you fee energ zed. S nce t can be ut zed by your body mmed ate y, those who u ce report fee ng the "k ck" of energy a most nstant y. Support bra n hea th. Peop e who drank u ces (fru t and vegetab e) more than three t mes per week, compared to ess than once a week, were 76 percent ess ke y to deve op A zhe mer s d sease, accord ng to the Kame Pro ect.5 ...... One mportant factor to keep n m nd s that, s nce vegetab e u ce s very per shab e, t s best to dr nk a of your u ce r ght after you make t. However, f you re carefu , you can store t for up to 24 hours w th on y moderate nutr t ona dec ne. Add t ona y there s the concern that free methano w be created once you process the u ce and store t n a conta ner. ....... The methano you absorb read y passes the b ood bra n barr er where t can be converted to form forma dehyde, wh ch s a potent tox n that actua y causes most of the damage. An exc t ng paper that de ves nto th s top c s food sc ent st Woody Monte s "Methano : A chem ca Tro an horse" as the root of the nscrutab e U,6 pub shed n the March, 2010 ssue of Med ca Hypotheses.7 Yogurt: Kef r or trad t ona y fermented yoghurt s chock fu of hea thfu bacter a (prob ot cs). In anc ent t mes, food preservat on was accomp shed through acto-fermentat on, a process that adds a host of benef c a m cro-organ sms to food. Th s makes them eas er to d gest, and ncreases the hea thy f ora n your ntest na tract. But don t expect to be ab e to p ck up the rea dea n your oca supermarket. Pasteur zed products w not prov de you w th these hea th benef ts, as the pasteur zat on process destroys most of the prec ous enzymes and other nutr ents. In add t on to benef c a prob ot cs, trad t ona y fermented kef r a so conta ns: Benef c a yeast - M nera s, such as magnes um - Essent a am no ac ds (such as tryptophan, wh ch s we -known for ts re ax ng effect on the nervous system) - Comp ete prote ns - Ca c um - V tam ns B1, B2, and b ot n (B7) - V tam n K - Phosphorus. Fortunate y, kef r or fermented yoghurt s both easy and nexpens ve to make at home us ng a starter cu ture and raw grass-fed m k. Wh e raw grass-fed organ c yoghurt has many s m ar mmune-boost ng benef ts, kef r conta ns severa ma or stra ns of fr end y bacter a not common y found n yogurt, nc ud ng Lactobac us Caucasus, Leuconostoc, Acetobacter spec es, and Streptococcus spec es. Fermented vegetab es: Cu tured or fermented foods have a very ong h story n v rtua y a nat ve d ets, and have a ways been h gh y pr zed for the r hea th benef ts. The cu tur ng process produces benef c a m crobes that are extreme y mportant for human hea th as they he p ba ance your ntest na f ora, thereby boost ng overa mmun ty. Moreover, your gut tera y serves as your second bra n, and even produces more of the neurotransm tter seroton n — known to have a benef c a nf uence on your mood — than your bra n does, so ma nta n ng a hea thy gut w benef t your m nd as we as your body. Fermented foods are a so some of the best che ators and detox agents ava ab e, mean ng they can he p r d your body of a w de var ety of tox ns, nc ud ng heavy meta s. As w th kef r, you want to avo d any product that s been pasteur zed or conta ns preservat ves or other add t ves. Fortunate y, cu tur ng your own vegetab es s much eas er than you m ght th nk, and more econom ca than buy ng from someone e se. For nstruct ons on mak ng your own, see th s prev ous art c e featur ng an nterv ew w th Caro ne Barr nger and d scusses the hea th benef ts of fermented vegetab es n greater deta . V deo.....
jimmyg
12-15-2012, 11:05 PM
Tox c Taps: Lead s St the Prob em December 11, 2012 http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/ ead-p pes. pg By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: M ons of water p pes known as serv ce nes are st made from ead, and cou d be carry ng contam nated water nto your home on a da y bas s. Wh e the government has attempted to remedy th s prob em w th p pe rep acements, the so ut on has backf red; n add t on to not remov ng a of the ead p pes, the rep acement process may actua y ncrease the hea th r sks by e evat ng water ead eve s. You may or may not rece ve warn ng that a part a p pe rep acement n your area cou d temporar y ncrease your water s ead eve s and your hea th r sks; wh e ut t es are supposed to et you know, many do not. Your safest and most econom ca cho ce to get ead out of your water s to make sure t s f tered when t comes out of your tap, or, a ternat ve y, when t comes nto your home. Large carbon f ters and a who e house water f trat on system w remove dangerous eve s of ead, a ong w th the host of other contam nants, nc ud ng over 500 tox c d s nfectant by-products, that are often present n dr nk ng water.
Lead s one of the most we character zed tox ns known to harm and damage your bra n and nervous system. It s so tox c that t has been banned n gaso ne and ch dren s toys, and ead pa nt hasn t been n use s nce 1978. If you purchase a home that conta ns ead pa nt, the se er s requ red to d sc ose th s because of the ser ous r sks t can pose to your fam y s hea th f ead-conta n ng pa nt ch ps or pa nt dust are nha ed or ngested... You may th nk we have a ready eg s ated th s prob em away, but m ons of water p pes known as serv ce nes are st made from ead, and cou d be carry ng contam nated water nto your home on a da y bas s. Wh e the government has attempted to remedy th s prob em w th rep acements, the so ut on has backf red; n add t on to not remov ng a of the ead p pes, the rep acement process may actua y ncrease the hea th r sks... Your Water May Enter Your Home V a Lead P pes When your water eaves a treatment p ant, t s transported nto arge p pes, or ma ns, that run under your c ty s streets. These are typ ca y made of cast ron or concrete. The prob em occurs when the water f ows nto sma er p pes known as serv ce nes, wh ch carry the water d rect y to your home. An est mated 3.3 to 6.4 m on serv ce nes n the Un ted States are made out of ead, and wh e they are found across the country, they re espec a y common n o der ne ghborhoods n the M dwest and Northeast. Th s, of course, makes t very ke y that your home s tap water s be ng contam nated by th s po son v rtua y 24/7. Accord ng to Invest gat ve Report ng Workshop:1 "...fragments of corroded ead [from ead serv ce nes] can ch p off and be swept nto tap water. Add t ona ead can a so get n as the water runs across ead-so dered o nts or comes nto contact w th brass or bronze f xtures. Unt recent y, such hardware was a owed to be advert sed as ead-free, even f t conta ned up to 8 percent ead. A federa aw reduc ng the acceptab e amount of ead n these p umb ng f xtures to .25 percent w take effect n 2014, a though Vermont and Ca forn a have a ready adopted such ru es." So Why Aren t These Lead P pes Be ng Rep aced? The U.S. Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA) d d n t a y requ re water ut ty compan es to test homes for ead, and f the eve s were e evated they wou d then have to reduce the ead contam nat on or rep ace a percentage of the r ead serv ce nes each year unt the ead eve s fe nto acceptab e ranges. Th s was n 1991 (known as the 1991 Lead and Copper Ru e). But the water compan es fought back, and were ab e to dera the p an. The EPA amended the ru e n 2000 to a ow water compan es to perform part a p pe rep acements, wh ch bas ca y wou d rep ace the p pe runn ng from the water ma n to a home s property ne. If the rest of the ne were to be rep aced, t wou d be on the property owner s own d me. Part a P pe Rep acements May Ra se the Amount of Lead n Your Water – W th No Warn ng There have been at east 38,000 part a p pe rep acements comp eted or p anned n the Un ted States (wh ch wou d mpact about 1.4 m on peop e). There are many more vo untary rep acements that are a so comp eted dur ng ma ntenance or emergency repa rs. Th s may sound ke a good th ng, but the techn que appears to be ncreas ng – not decreas ng -- water ead eve s, at east n t a y. Invest gat ve Report ng Workshop exp a ned: "Part a p pe rep acements can phys ca y shake oose ead fragments that have bu t up and a d dormant ns de the p pe, push ng them nto the homeowners water, and sp k ng the ead eve s, even where they prev ous y were not h gh. In add t on, the type of part a rep acement that o ns o d ead p pes to new copper ones, us ng brass f tt ngs, spurs ga van c corros on that can dramat ca y ncrease the amount of ead re eased nto dr nk ng water supp es, accord ng to research from Wash ngton Un vers ty. S m ar f nd ngs have been pub shed by researchers at the V rg n a Tech and e sewhere." You may or may not rece ve warn ng that a part a p pe rep acement n your area cou d temporar y ncrease your water s ead eve s; wh e ut t es are supposed to et you know, an Invest gat ve Report ng Workshop survey found that on y one-th rd of not f cat ons actua y ment oned the potent a for ead ncrease or hea th r sks. As noted by the featured art c e1: "...the Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on comp eted a study n 2010 not ng that ch dren v ng n houses n Wash ngton, D.C., where part a p pe rep acements were carr ed out were three t mes as ke y to have e evated eve s of ead n the r b ood as ch dren v ng n houses n wh ch the o d ead serv ce nes rema ned und sturbed, or were not made of ead." Are Water Ut t es "Gam ng the System"? You probab y assume that f your water conta ns dangerous eve s of ead, you be not f ed mmed ate y, but th s s not a ways the case. Invest gat ons by Marc Edwards, a professor of c v and env ronmenta eng neer ng at V rg n a Tech, have revea ed some water ut t es may be "gam ng the system" by cherry-p ck ng wh ch houses t tests n order to keep any ead prob ems h dden. In another tact c, water compan es are "g ft ng" ead serv ce nes to homeowners, and say ng they no onger have any respons b ty for the p pes. Rep ac ng ead serv ce nes on your property can cost thousands of do ars, and may ncrease ead eve s dur ng, and after, the rep acement. The Hea th R sks of Lead Lead s dangerous to both ch dren and adu ts, and s nked to the fo ow ng hea th prob ems: For Pregnant Women: M scarr ages Premature b rths or ow b rth we ght Bra n damage, decreased menta ab t es and earn ng d ff cu t es Reduced growth n young ch dren For Ch dren: Damage to the bra n and nervous system - Behav or and earn ng prob ems, such as hyperact v ty - S owed growth - Hear ng prob ems - Headaches - Anem a - Se zures - Coma and even death.
For Adu ts: Hear ng and v s on mpa rment - Reproduct ve prob ems ( n both men and women) - H gh b ood pressure and hypertens on - Nerve d sorders - Memory and concentrat on prob ems - Poor musc e coord nat on - Musc e and o nt pa n. Mercury A so Cont nues to be Spewed Into Great Lakes Just as you probab y assumed ead had ong been removed from water supp es, you m ght a so be unaware that mercury – a known po son to your bra n, ust ke ead – s st be ng re eased nto the env ronment. A report by the Natura Resources Defense Counc revea ed that n the Great Lakes reg on a one, 144 coa -f red power p ants pump more than 13,000 pounds of mercury nto the a r every year,2 contr but ng to dangerous a r po ut on and contam nated seafood. The report noted: "In humans, [mercury] can harm the bra n, heart, k dneys, ungs, and mmune system. Young ch dren and deve op ng fetuses are most at r sk from the effects of mercury, wh ch can damage the r bra ns." The EPA recent y ntroduced a standard that wou d requ re power p ants to cut mercury em ss ons by 90 percent,3 a move they say w "avert up to 11,000 premature deaths, 4,700 heart attacks and 130,000 asthma attacks every year.”4 Unfortunate y, no such ru e has yet been estab shed for the ongo ng prob em of ead n dr nk ng water. Water Pur f cat on Chem ca s Pose Hea th R sks, Too A new study n the Amer can Co ege of A ergy, Asthma & Immuno ogy5 found that pest c des and chem ca s used to ch or nate water are assoc ated w th a erg es. H gher eve s of d ch oropheno s n your body, as measured n your ur ne, corre ate w th ncreased r sk of food a erg es.6, 7 D ch oropheno s are ch or ne-conta n ng chem ca s present n nsect and weed contro products, as we as be ng used by water ch or nat on p ants. Food a erg es are on the r se, the most common be ng m k, eggs, peanuts, wheat, tree nuts, soy, f sh and she f sh. Symptoms can range from a m d rash to fe-threaten ng anaphy act c react ons. Accord ng to the CDC, food a ergy rates ncreased by 18 percent between 1997 and 2007.8 Tap water sn t the on y source of d ch oropheno exposure. You are a so exposed to th s chem ca by consum ng pest c de-treated fru ts and vegetab es. Just remember that your exposure s cumu at ve, so the more sources of chem ca exposure you have, the h gher your r sk of adverse effects. What Can You Do About Lead n Your Dr nk ng Water? You cannot contro the mun c pa serv ce p pes that carry your water, and you may not have the resources to rep ace ead p pes on your property. Further, the current techn que for remova w make the prob em worse before t gets better, and you may not be not f ed f these part a p pe rep acements are tak ng p ace n your area. So what are your opt ons? Idea y t wou d be best to get the ma or ty of your water from a pr vate we . Obv ous y th s sn t an opt on for many, depend ng on where you ve. Fortunate y Dan e V ta s has done a great serv ce and created a phenomena web s te, F ndaSpr ng.com, where you can dent fy oca spr ngs that are c ose to you. There s certa n y a hass e factor nvo ved, but f you get the water from a spr ng, the charge s qu te m n ma and the on y costs are your t me and gas to go to and back from the spr ng. Th s s c ear y the best cho ce f you have a oca spr ng and the t me. Your safest and most econom ca cho ce f you don t have access to a c ean spr ng or pr vate we s to make sure your water s f tered when t comes out of your tap, or, a ternat ve y, when t comes nto your home. Many peop e w have carbon water f ters on the r taps even f they have a who e house f ter, and th s s ndeed a good dea. The reason for th s s because the nterna house p pes cou d re ease ead even after be ng f tered through the who e house, so dea y, you may want to have both. Large carbon f ters and a who e house water f trat on system w remove dangerous eve s of ead, a ong w th the host of other contam nants, nc ud ng over 500 tox c d s nfectant by-products, that are often present n dr nk ng water. In add t on, f you know you have ead p pes, and espec a y f you haven t nsta ed a f ter, the EPA9 a so recommends you: Use co d water for dr nk ng or cook ng. Never cook or m x nfant formu a us ng hot water from the tap. Make t a pract ce to run the water at each tap before use. Do not consume water that has sat n your home s p umb ng for more than s x hours. F rst, make sure to run the water unt you fee the temperature change before cook ng, dr nk ng, or brush ng your teeth, un ess otherw se nstructed by your ut ty. If you use a f ter, be sure you get one that s cert f ed to remove ead by the NSF Internat ona .
chefjeff
12-16-2012, 05:26 AM
(sn p) If you use a f ter, be sure you get one that s cert f ed to remove ead by the NSF Internat ona . Not ce that NSF (http://www.nsf.org/) s NOT a govt agency, but a pr vate, for prof t group who funct on s to test such products. It s s m ar to UL wh ch test e ectr ca stuff. (Try se ng a toaster w thout the r sea .) They come to a company s warehouse, go through the nventory and random y p ck a few products to take back to test. If t fa s, no sea of approva , no sa e n the marketp ace. Imag ne that, greedy cap ta sts mak ng money by prov d ng safety standards for greedy consumers, a w thout need ng the govt. Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
12-16-2012, 08:07 AM
The H dden Cancer Cu pr t and What You Can Do About It ttp://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2010/12/ Stock_000012844080XSma -241x400. pg Posted by L ve n the Now In the great war aga nst cancer, convent ona treatments ke chemotherapy and rad at on are at batt e at the front nes w th the goa of e m nat ng cancer. However, n recent years, researchers have begun to exp ore another way to conquer cancer by s ow ng a key process n the under y ng deve opment of the d sease: nf ammat on. More and more sc ent f c ev dence s po nt ng to the ro e of nf ammat on, a cornerstone of the body s hea ng response, n the deve opment of chron c d seases. On the body s surface, t man fests as redness, heat, swe ng and pa n that has the purpose of br ng ng more nour shment and more mmune act v ty to a s te of n ury or nfect on. Under norma c rcumstances, the nf ammatory response s acute and necessary to boost defenses aga nst m crob a nfect on and spur t ssue repa r and regenerat on. Unfortunate y, many peop e have ongo ng nterna nf ammat on n the r bod es and those pre-cancerous ce s, when n the presence of chron c nf ammat on, have a pr me opportun ty to become cancerous. The Inf ammat on-Cancer Connect on The re at onsh p between nf ammat on and cancer has ong been recogn zed. We know that bacter a nfect ons such as He cobacter py or can nduce nf ammat on that ncreases the r sk of gastr c cancer, and that the hepat t s C v rus can br ng on ver cancer. But how does a norma hea ng process go so hayw re that t actua y promotes d sease? The process of nf ammat on s n t ated by ce -s gna ng chem ca s known as cytok nes wh ch contr bute to a var ety of degenerat ve d seases. When these cytok nes stay overact ve ong term, hea th cond t ons such as dysp as a (abnorma ce u ar deve opment), and auto mmune d sorders, such as upus, rheumato d arthr t s and f bromya g a can deve op, nf ammat on s often one of the factors that causes the convers on of precancerous t ssue to ma gnancy and ke y what both n t ates the d sease and advances metastas s. Researchers th nk that th s happens because many of the processes nvo ved n nf ammat on such as eukocyte m grat on and d atat on of oca b ood vesse s w th ncreased permeab ty and b ood f ow, are more ke y to contr bute to tumor growth, progress on and metastas s than to cause an ant -tumor response. Desp te the strong assoc at on between chron c nf ammat on and cancer, sc ent sts have not yet uncovered a the mo ecu es, pathways, and mechan sms nvo ved and many quest ons about the r connect on st rema n to be reso ved. Treat ng Inf ammat on Natura y Neverthe ess, the strong nk between cancer and nf ammat on makes t c ear that we need to reduce the externa factors that nduce nf ammat on as a preventat ve measure. Stress, ack of exerc se, genet c pred spos t on, and exposure to tox ns a contr bute to chron c nf ammat on and d etary cho ces a so p ay a b g ro e too. Eat ng p enty of fru ts and vegetab es, reduc ng saturated and trans fats, consum ng a good source of omega-3 fatty ac ds, such as f sh or f sh o supp ements are very he pfu . Reduc ng ntake of ref ned carbohydrates such as pasta and wh te r ce and eat ng p enty of who e gra ns, such as brown r ce and qu noa, p us ean prote n sources ke ch cken are other great ways to keep nf ammat on at bay. 4 Natura Inf ammat on F ghters In terms of treatment, c n ca tr a s for ant - nf ammatory drugs (e.g., COX-2 nh b tors) to prevent cancer and as a treatment are a ready underway, but nature has an abundance of ant - nf ammatory supp ements and nutr ents to offer us wh ch can both ower cytok ne eve s and contro the nf ammatory response now. Here are a few of the top ant - nf ammatory supp ements out there that you can add to your nutr t ona protoco as effect ve preventat ves: Curcum n: The act ve ngred ent n turmer c, curcum n, has been shown t me and t me aga n to be a star when t comes to modu at ng chron c nf ammat on. Curcum n has been demonstrated to be safe n numerous human tr a s and has demonstrated ant - nf ammatory act v ty, wh ch t may exert by nh b t ng of d fferent mo ecu es that p ay a ro e n nf ammat on. The ant ox dant propert es of curcum n seem to prevent the deve opment of numerous nf ammat on markers that ox dat ve stress can med ate. Green tea: Stud es have found that those who regu ar y dr nk green tea have ess nf ammat on, ower LDL cho estero and better endothe a funct on than those who do not. Green tea reduces C-react ve prote n and green tea catech ns can successfu y ban sh cancer ce s, by s ow ng metastas s, nh b t ng ce pro ferat on and nduc ng apoptos s. For the best benef ts, choose a green tea supp ement of the act ve catech n, EGCG. Brome a n: A m xture of enzymes found natura y n the u ce and stems of p neapp es, brome a n s somet mes used the treatment of nf ammat on and swe ng of the nose and s nuses due to surgery or n ury. Th s proteo yt c enzyme s be eved to he p w th the d gest on of prote n and s nce brome a n appears to be absorbed by the body ntact, t s often marketed as a natura ant - nf ammatory for cond t ons such as arthr t s. Med c na mushrooms: There s grow ng ev dence that the b oact ve compounds n mushrooms act to modu ate mportant mmune ce s, due to structura d vers ty and var ab ty. Med c na mushroom po ysacchar des have some of the greatest potent a for structura var ab ty and the h ghest capac ty for carry ng b o og ca nformat on, wh ch means they can st mu ate the mmune system to f ght off cancer. References: http://www.ncb .n m.n h.gov/pmc/art c es/PMC1994795/ http://www. ef.org/protoco s/prtc -017.shtm http://www.ncb .n m.n h.gov/pubmed/12676044 Ch u J. et a . Nutr t on. Sept 2009, 25(9): 964-972.
jimmyg
12-17-2012, 07:34 AM
Why I Do Not Recommend Pork - Near y 70 Percent Contam nated w th Dangerous Pathogens December 12, 2012 L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/12/eat ng-pork.aspx?e_c d=20121212_DNL_art_1 http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/pork. pg By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Accord ng to Consumer Reports, 69 percent of a raw pork samp es tested were contam nated w th the dangerous bacter a Yers n a enteroco t ca, wh ch can cause fever and gastro ntest na ness. Ground pork was more ke y than pork chops to be contam nated The pork a so tested pos t ve for other contam nants. More than 20 percent of samp es conta ned the controvers a drug ractopam ne, wh ch s banned n many countr es, nc ud ng Europe and Ch na Many of the bacter a found n the pork were res stant to mu t p e ant b ot cs If you choose to eat pork, I recommend seek ng a natura y ra sed, pastured source, a though th s s no guarantee of safety. Pastured p gs are vu nerab e to Tr ch ne a sp ra s nfect on—aka “pork worm”—due to the r exposure to w d hosts. Tr ch ne a s one of the most w despread paras tes n the wor d, and can cause potent a y ser ous hea th comp cat ons
Regard ess of your sp r tua be efs, there may be good reason to carefu y cons der your dec s on to nc ude pork as a regu ar part of your d et, because desp te advert s ng campa gns try ng to pa nt pork as a "hea thy" a ternat ve to beef, research suggests t may be hazardous to your hea th on mu t p e eve s. One of the most potent a y acute hazards s contam nat on w th pathogen c bacter a. Accord ng to a surpr s ng new nvest gat on by Consumer Reports1, 69 percent of a raw pork samp es tested — near y 200 samp es n tota — were contam nated w th the dangerous bacter a Yers n a enteroco t ca, wh ch causes fever and gastro ntest na ness w th d arrhea, vom t ng, and stomach cramps. Ground pork was more ke y than pork chops to be contam nated. The pork a so tested pos t ve for other contam nants, nc ud ng the controvers a drug ractopam ne, wh ch s banned n many parts of the wor d, nc ud ng Ch na and Europe. The drug, wh ch was found n more than 20 percent of the samp es, s used to boost growth n the an ma wh e eav ng the meat ean. Worst of a , many of the bacter a found n the pork were res stant to mu t p e ant b ot cs, mak ng treatment, shou d you fa , a the more prob emat c and potent a y etha . Accord ng to the featured report: "We found sa mone a, staphy ococcus aureus, or ster a monocytogenes, more common causes of foodborne ness, n 3 to 7 percent of samp es. And 11 percent harbored enterococcus, wh ch can nd cate feca contam nat on and can cause prob ems such as ur nary-tract nfect ons." Wh e Nutr t ona y Sound, Pork s Probab y St Best Avo ded Pork s an arguab y "hea thy" meat from a b ochem ca perspect ve, and f consumed from a humane y ra sed pastured hog ke those on Joe Sa at ns farm and prepared proper y, there s ke y m n ma r sk of nfect on. However, v rtua y a of the pork you re ke y to consume do not f t these cr ter a. v deo..... So for most a ndustr a y ra sed pork, I be eve there s enough sc ent f c ev dence to ust fy the reservat ons or outr ght proh b t ons n many cu tures aga nst consum ng t. Near y a p gs ra sed n the U.S. come from Concentrated An ma Feed ng Operat ons, or CAFO s. These nhumane env ronments are typ ca y tox c breed ng grounds for pathogens. These an ma s spend the r short, m serab e ves on concrete and stee grates. Ant b ot cs are g ven bera y w th the r feed, mak ng the r mass ve waste even more tox c. Th s s why you can sme a CAFO sw ne operat on m es before you see t. At an operat on ke Joe Sa at n s, you cou dn t sme any s gn of p gs. These p gs were ra sed humane y and organ ca y, where both an ma and and are managed symb ot ca y. Unfortunate y, ra s ng an ma s n CAFO s s the standard for Amer cans. For many of us, CAFO pork s the on y opt on ava ab e. Th s s why my nutr t on p an recommends consc ous y avo d ng pork whenever poss b e un ess you can assure yourse f that the hogs were ra sed ke the v deo above. Granted, the occas ona consumpt on of pork m ght be f ne, but t s a r sk, and the more you consume t the more ke y t s that you w eventua y acqu re some type of nfect on. The pork and sw ne ndustry has been cont nua y p agued, and cont nues to be so to th s day, by a w de var ety of hazardous nfect ons and d seases, nc ud ng: PRRS -- A horrendous d sease, wh ch I f rst reported on n 2001, but wh ch had been a n ghtmare for many nat ons s nce the m d-1980s, s st a ve and k ck ng today. At one po nt referred to as "sw ne mystery d sease," "b ue abort on," and "sw ne nfert ty," the d sease was f na y named "Porc ne Reproduct ve and Resp ratory Syndrome" (PRRS), and may aff ct about 75 percent of Amer can p g herds. The PRRS v rus pr mar y attacks the p g s mmune system, eav ng ts body open to a host of nfect ons, part cu ar y n the ungs. In t a research revea ed that the v rus was transm tted v a semen, sa va and b ood, eav ng p gs herded c ose y together and transported n c ose quarters by trucks more suscept b e to nfect on. However, accord ng to research presented at the 2007 Internat ona PRRS Sympos um, the d sease s a so a rborne, mak ng erad cat on efforts very d ff cu t. The N pah V rus – D scovered n 1999, the N pah v rus has caused d sease n both an ma s and humans, through contact w th nfected an ma s. In humans, the v rus can ead to dead y encepha t s (an acute nf ammat on of your bra n). I or g na y reported on th s v rus n 2000, but accord ng to CDC data, the N pah v rus reemerged aga n n 20042. Porc ne Endogenous Retrov rus (PERV) – Accord ng to a study n the ourna Lancet, th s v rus can spread to peop e rece v ng p g organ transp ants, and accord ng to test tube stud es, PERV stra ns do have the ab ty to nfect human ce s3. PERV genes are scattered throughout p gs genet c mater a , and researchers have found that p g heart, sp een and k dney ce s re ease var ous stra ns of the v rus. Menang e V rus – In 1998, t was reported that a new v rus nfect ng p gs was ab e to ump to humans. The menang e v rus was d scovered n August 1997 when sows at an Austra an p ggery began g v ng b rth to deformed and mumm f ed p g ets. Pork s NOT Adv sab e n a Raw D et As exp a ned by Consumer Reports, thorough y cook ng your pork s mportant for safety, so f you re on a raw d et (wh ch can nc ude raw meats), pork shou d def n te y NOT be part of your menu... Aga n, wh e I don t recommend t, f you DO opt to eat pork, t wou d be w se to fo ow these safe hand ng t ps and gu de nes, ssued by Consumer Reports4: When cook ng pork, use a meat thermometer to ensure that t reaches the proper nterna temperature, wh ch k s potent a y harmfu bacter a: at east 145° F for who e pork and 160° F for ground pork. Keep raw pork and ts u ces separate from other foods, espec a y those eaten raw, such as sa ad. Wash your hands thorough y after hand ng raw meat. Choose pork and other meat products that were ra sed w thout drugs. One way to do that s to buy cert f ed organ c pork, from p gs ra sed w thout ant b ot cs or ractopam ne. Look for a c ear statement regard ng ant b ot c use. "No ant b ot cs used" c a ms w th a USDA Process Ver f ed sh e d are more re ab e than those w thout ver f cat on. Labe s such as "An ma We fare Approved" and "Cert f ed Humane" nd cate the prudent use of ant b ot cs to treat ness. Watch out for m s ead ng abe s. "Natura " has noth ng to do w th ant b ot c use or how an an ma was ra sed. We found unapproved c a ms, nc ud ng "no ant b ot c res dues," on packages of Sprouts pork so d n Ca forn a and Ar zona, and "no ant b ot c growth promotants" on Farm and brand pork so d n severa states. We reported those to the USDA n June 2012, and the agency to d us t s work ng w th those compan es to take "appropr ate act ons." When we checked n ear y November, Sprouts had removed the c a m from ts packages. If your oca supermarket doesn t carry pork from p gs ra sed w thout ant b ot cs, cons der ask ng the store to carry t. To f nd meat from an ma s that were ra sed susta nab y — humane y and w thout drugs — go to eatwe gu de.org. To earn about the Consumers Un on campa gn a med at gett ng stores to se on y ant b ot c-free meat, go to Not nMyFood.org
jimmyg
12-18-2012, 08:57 AM
Acne Drug W de y Overused Says UK Dermato og st By Dr. Merco a nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/12/acne-drug-accutane.aspx?e_c d=20121212_DNL_art_2 Up to 50 m on Amer cans strugg e w th acne, mak ng t the most common sk n d sorder n the Un ted States.1 When t str kes dur ng the teen years, t can ead to fee ngs of se f-consc ousness, embarrassment and depress on. Many severe acne sufferers strugg e w th ow se f-conf dence, fee ngs of a enat on and soc a w thdrawa as a resu t. And t s not on y teens who are affected; one n f ve U.S. adu ts a so suffers from acne, and for them the psycho og ca to s often no ess severe. Many are desperate for he p to c ear the r sk n, and f the typ ca face washes and top ca treatments don t work, they may gratefu y accept a prescr pt on for the acne drug Roaccutane (gener c name, sotret no n, and former y so d as Accutane n the Un ted States). Isotret no n (Former y So d as Accutane) Great y Overused Th s s an extreme step, g ven that sotret no n s eas y one of the most dangerous drugs ever made. Yet, ncred b y t rema ns the ndustry standard for treat ng severe acne. One ead ng UK dermato og st even recent y spoke out to say t s be ng great y overused. More than ha f a m on peop e wor dw de have been prescr bed Roaccutane, desp te the fact that t s ntended to be used on y as a ast resort (and even then ts use s h gh y quest onab e). But UK dermato og st Tony Chu sa d that often Roaccutane s be ng offered far more than that:2 "Roaccutane s gross y overused …I ve seen pat ents who have been to see a oca dermato og st to treat four of f ve spots and st been offered t … If you read the gu de nes t shou d on y be used for peop e who have severe acne." In the Un ted States, t rema ns one of the most controvers a drugs, and Sw ss drugmaker Roche, manufacturer of Accutane, has spent most of th s century n court defend ng tse f aga nst awsu ts from peop e whose hea th has been rreparab y damaged by th s menac ng drug. Inf ammatory Bowe D sease, Su c de, Depress on and More … Roche has ost n ne out of 13 awsu ts s nce 2007, and was ordered to pay more than $25 m on n damages n 2010, p us another $18 m on n 2012, to Accutane users who deve oped nf ammatory bowe d sease as a resu t of the drug. Due to gener c compet t on and the exorb tant cost of defend ng persona n ury awsu ts, Roche stopped se ng the drug n June 2009. However, the gener c form of Accutane ( sotret no n) s no ess dead y and rema ns ava ab e on the marketp ace under the names C arav s, Sotret and Amnesteem. As de from ts nks to nf ammatory bowe d sease, Accutane has been mp cated as a cause of depress on and su c de. In 2004, bra n scans showed that peop e tak ng Accutane suffer a 21 percent decrease n act v ty n the orb tofronta cortex, a bra n area known to med ate symptoms of depress on.3 These bra n changes may exp a n the depress on, su c da and aggress ve behav or, and psychot c react ons reported by some Accutane users. Is reduc ng your acne worth that? In ght of th s ev dence and reports of su c de or su c de attempts assoc ated w th the use of sotret no n, the U.S. Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) stated:4 "A pat ents treated w th sotret no n shou d be observed c ose y for symptoms of depress on or su c da thoughts, such as sad mood, rr tab ty, act ng on dangerous mpu ses, anger, oss of p easure or nterest n soc a or sports act v t es, s eep ng too much or too tt e, changes n we ght or appet te, schoo or work performance go ng down, or troub e concentrat ng, or for mood d sturbance, psychos s, or aggress on. …Pat ents tak ng sotret no n may exper ence s de effects nc ud ng bad headaches, b urred v s on, d zz ness, nausea, vom t ng, se zures, stroke, d arrhea, and musc e weakness. Add t ona y, ser ous menta hea th prob ems, such as depress on and su c de, have been reported w th sotret no n use." Isotret no n s a Category X Drug for Pregnancy – Guaranteed to Cause B rth Defects Isotret no n now has the strongest warn ng ava ab e for any drug category — and was g ven an FDA Pregnancy Category X rat ng, wh ch means f you are tak ng sotret no n and become pregnant, you are v rtua y guaranteed to be damag ng your baby. Accutane s extreme y teratogen c (caus ng damage to a fetus). Accord ng to the FDA:5 "If you are pregnant or may get pregnant, sotret no n can cause b rth defects, m scarr age, premature b rths, and death n bab es." The r sk s so we -estab shed that anyone tak ng the drug must go through the FDA s P edge system, wh ch was des gned spec f ca y to e m nate feta exposure to th s tox c drug. The system requ res both the pat ent and the prescr ber to enter n spec f c nformat on on a month y bas s pr or to the drug be ng d spensed. In the Un ted States, a woman must: Use two forms of effect ve contracept on s mu taneous y for one month before, dur ng, and for one month after sotret no n therapy. Have two negat ve ur ne or b ood (serum) pregnancy tests w th a sens t v ty of at east 25 mIU/m before rece v ng the n t a sotret no n prescr pt on (an add t ona pregnancy test must be taken w th each month of add t ona therapy). Accord ng to the FDA s P edge system:6 "There s an extreme y h gh r sk that severe b rth defects w resu t f pregnancy occurs wh e tak ng sotret no n n any amount, even for short per ods of t me. ...... Documented externa abnorma t es nc ude: sku abnorma ty; ear abnorma t es ( nc ud ng anot a, m crop nna, sma or absent externa aud tory cana s); eye abnorma t es ( nc ud ng m crophtha m a); fac a dysmorph a; c eft pa ate. Documented nterna abnorma t es nc ude: CNS abnorma t es ( nc ud ng cerebra abnorma t es, cerebe ar ma format on, hydrocepha us, m crocepha y, cran a nerve def c t); card ovascu ar abnorma t es; thymus g and abnorma ty; parathyro d hormone def c ency. In some cases death has occurred w th certa n of the abnorma t es prev ous y noted." If a drug s th s tox c to a deve op ng fetus, t certa n y does make you wonder how t cou d poss b y be safe for any v ng creature. Indeed, n add t on to teratogen c and psycho og ca adverse effects, Accutane ( sotret no n) users have a so reported the fo ow ng negat ve effects: Increased eve s of tr g ycer des and cho estero n your b ood - Increased ver enzyme eve s and ver damage - Erect e dysfunct on - Headaches and bra n swe ng - D sturbances of your centra nervous system - Se zures - Damage to sk n and mucous membranes Premature ep physea c osure - Hyperostos s (excess ve bone growth) and bone dem nera zat on - Neutropen a, agranu ocytos s, and rhabdomyo ys s (b ood d sorders) - Deve opment of nf ammatory bowe d sease - Damage to your eyes nc ud ng cataracts - Hear ng mpa rment - Pancreat t s - Heart attack and stroke - A erg c vascu t s. D d You Know Acne Can be Treated Natura y? The root cause of acne s most ke y not bacter a or genet cs, but env ronmenta factors — part cu ar y your d et. Acne s much ess of a prob em n non-Western zed soc et es, where ref ned carbohydrates, sugar and fructose are consumed n much ower amounts. So d ev dence ex sts that d ets h gh n sugar and ref ned carbohydrates are the pr mary CAUSE of acne. When you eat gra n carbohydrates and sugar/fructose, t causes a surge of nsu n and an nsu n- ke growth factor ca ed IGF-1 n your body.7 Th s can ead to an excess of ma e hormones, wh ch cause your pores to secrete sebum, a greasy substance that attracts acne-promot ng bacter a. Add t ona y, IGF-1 causes sk n ce s known as kerat nocytes to mu t p y, a process that s a so assoc ated w th acne. Add t ona y, these very same foods -- ref ned carbs, such as fructose, sugar and gra ns -- w a so ncrease nf ammat on n your body, wh ch may tr gger acne, and at the same t me they w a so wreak havoc on the makeup of your ntest na bacter a, wh ch may a so p ay a ro e. Th s s why s mp y e m nat ng gra ns, sugars (part cu ar y fructose), cerea s, potatoes, corn, r ce, pasta, processed foods, etc., rad ca y mproves acne for most peop e. Fru t conta ns a fa r amount of fructose, so t shou d be consumed n very m ted quant t es f you are pred sposed to acne. And fru t u ces shou d be str ct y avo ded s nce the sugar s very concentrated n them. (Vegetab e u ces are great, though, espec a y green u ces.) Add t ona y, psycho og ca stress may a so a ter the m crof ora n your ntest nes, wh ch cou d therefore contr bute to system c nf ammat on that cou d exacerbate acne and other sk n cond t ons. In one study, researchers noted:8 "Exper menta stud es show that psycho og ca stress stagnates norma sma ntest na trans t t me, encourages overgrowth of bacter a, and comprom ses the ntest na barr er. SIBO [sma ntest na bacter a over growth] s strong y assoc ated w th depress on and anx ety, wh e erad cat on of SIBO mproves emot ona symptoms. A though the frequency of SIBO n acne vu gar s has not yet been nvest gated, a recent report nd cates that SIBO s 10 t mes more preva ent n those w th acne rosacea vs. hea thy contro s. Correct on of SIBO eads to marked c n ca mprovement n pat ents w th rosacea." It s actua y we proven that stress can aggravate acne. One study nvo v ng co ege students found a connect on between acne f are-ups and stress from f na exams.9 Researchers found that sub ects who had the most stress dur ng exam nat on per ods a so had the worst acne outbreaks, suggest ng emot ona stress from externa sources s a s gn f cant factor. Wh e t has been argued that the stress assoc ated w th acne s an effect of acne rather than a cause, the above researchers be eve th s ev dence proved otherw se — that t s the stress that s exacerbat ng the acne, not v ce versa. D tch the Drugs and Try Th s Instead No one wants to ve w th acne, but that doesn t mean you have to resort to tox c drugs to c ear your sk n. Remember, your comp ex on s a ref ect on of your overa hea th. Don t forget to ncorporate these essent a factors nto your acne-bust ng p an: Sugars/Fructose and Gra ns: Th s s probab y the s ng e most mportant step you can take to mprove your sk n hea th. If you can e m nate a sugars, fructose and gra ns for a few weeks there s a ma or ke hood you w not ce rap d mprovement n your comp ex on...... Water: Dr nk p enty of fresh, pure water every day. Hydrat ng your body fac tates ce growth and regenerat on, e m nat on of wastes, and s ough ng away dead sk n ce s. Hydrat on w a so mprove your sk n tone. Every day, dr nk enough water so that your ur ne s a pa e ye ow co or. If your ur ne s br ght ye ow, you probab y need to dr nk more water (un ess you take B v tam ns, wh ch themse ves turn ur ne br ght ye ow). Exerc se: Gett ng p enty of h gh- ntens ty exerc se he ps your body f ush out tox ns, nc ud ng those n your sk n s pores. P us, exerc se s v ta y mportant to a other aspects of your heath. If you happen to have access to an nfrared sauna, th s can be he pfu too, because the more you sweat, the more you f ush unwanted debr s and contam nants out of your pores. S eep: D d you know that a good n ght s s eep can decrease your stress and ead to c earer sk n? Your body s ma n t me for hea ng and rebu d ng s at n ght wh e you s eep, and th s app es to your sk n. S eep s a so requ red for good energy and mood. Proper ba ance of bacter a: Th s s espec a y mportant f you have been on ant b ot cs, because those drugs nd scr m nate y k off the benef c a bacter a n your gut, w thout wh ch you cannot have a strong mmune system. You can reestab sh your bacter a ba ance by ncorporat ng natura y fermented/cu tured foods nto your d et and/or tak ng a h gh-qua ty prob ot c supp ement. V tam n D: Th s mportant nutr ent s cruc a for ma nta n ng a hea thy mmune response, and most peop e are def c ent n t. ........... If you don t have access to regu ar UV exposure, the ast opt on s an ora v tam n D3 supp ement, accompan ed by regu ar mon tor ng of your v tam n D eve s w th a b ood test. Address your stress: My favor te too s the Emot ona Freedom Techn que, or EFT. ........
chcir88ssn
12-18-2012, 09:33 AM
H Fr ends, I m char es R vera and new here. And hopefu to be benef ted here.
chefjeff
12-18-2012, 09:38 AM
H Fr ends, I m char es R vera and new here. And hopefu to be benef ted here. We come, Char es. We awa t your contr but ons here. Jeff L v ngston PS Don t get too concerned w th SEV...he s our res dent thread maker and we ove h m dear y.:thumbup:
jimmyg
12-19-2012, 07:58 AM
Z nc—One of the Best Supp ements to He p F ght Co d and F u By Dr. Merco a L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/13/z nc-for-co ds-and-f u.aspx?e_c d=20121213_DNL_art_1 V deo...... Now that day ght s wan ng, co d and f u bugs are ready to ump on any warm body not armed w th a strong mmune system. W th so many nove herbs and supp ements on the market, t s easy to ose s ght of the bas cs for robust mmune defenses. One of those s the trace e ement z nc. Your body needs z nc every day n ust the r ght amount, because too much can be as harmfu as too tt e. Your body has no way to store z nc, so t depends on a da y supp y through d et. Z nc s mportant for a number of fe-susta n ng funct ons, nc ud ng: Strong mmun ty Important component of the enzymes nvo ved n t ssue remode ng and prevent on of cancer Ma ntenance of your mood, menta c ar ty and restorat ve s eep Prostate and ntest na hea th Senses of taste and sme Z nc s a const tuent of at east 3,000 d fferent prote ns n your body and a component of more than 200 d fferent enzymes. In fact, z nc s nvo ved n more enzymat c react ons n your body than any other m nera . Z nc ncreases your product on of wh te b ood ce s and he ps them f ght nfect on more effect ve y. It a so ncreases k er ce s that combat cancer, he ps your mmune system re ease more ant bod es, and supports wound hea ng. Cou d You Be Def c ent n Z nc? M d z nc def c ency s re at ve y common, espec a y n nfants and ch dren, pregnant or breast-feed ng women, e der y, peop e w th poor gastro ntest na absorpt on or bowe d sease ke Crohn s d sease, and for those eat ng vegetar an or vegan d ets. A number of factors contr bute to the overa prob em of z nc def c ency: Years of commerc a farm ng pract ces, such as monocropp ng (p ant ng arge expanses of and w th the same crop year after year), have eft our so s def c ent n natura m nera s, ke z nc. Certa n drugs dep ete your body of z nc, such as ACE nh b tors, th az de d uret cs, and ac d-reduc ng drugs ke Pr osec and Pepc d. Certa n d ets, such as vegetar an/vegan d ets and h gh-gra n d ets, are ow n b oava ab e z nc and h gh n phyt c ac ds, wh ch further mpa r z nc absorpt on. M d z nc def c ency can ead to frequent co ds and f u, chron c fat gue, and poor genera hea th. In your ch d, when growth and deve opment are v ta y dependent on good nutr t on, nadequate z nc can resu t n mood d sturbances, poor memory, mpa red earn ng and poor schoo performance. Z nc def c ency can a so contr bute to acne and poor eyes ght. Chron c z nc def c ency can affect eyes ght, taste, sme , and memory. Wh te spots on your f ngerna s can nd cate you re not gett ng enough z nc. Z nc s a Key M nera for Your Immune Hea th If your body has nadequate z nc stores, you w exper ence ncreased suscept b ty to a var ety of nfect ous agents. Your wh te b ood ce s s mp y can t funct on w thout z nc. Z nc affects mu t p e aspects of your mmune system, nc ud ng neutroph s, natura k er ce s, phagocytos s, cytok ne product on, ant body product on, and even gene regu at on w th n your ymphocytes. Z nc s nvo ved n many bas c ce u ar funct ons nc ud ng DNA rep cat on, RNA transcr pt on, ce d v s on and act vat on, and stab zat on of ce membranes. The research on z nc s effect on pathogens s a b t ncons stent, but many stud es show a strong protect ve effect. Some stud es show that z nc may reduce the durat on of your co d by 50 percent. The Cochrane Rev ew found that z nc reduced both the durat on and sever ty of symptoms of the common co d. And us ng z nc preventat ve y he ped prevent co ds, ead ng to fewer schoo absences and ess ant b ot c use by ch dren. Z nc s the ha mark mo ecu e for thym c prote ns, wh ch are mmune substances made by your thymus g and. W thout z nc, you ack th s mmune defense. Z nc sa ts are dead y to many pathogens. V ra gastroenter t s s s owed down by the ngest on of z nc due to d rect ant m crob a act on of the z nc ons n your gastro ntest na tract. If You re Pregnant, Z nc s Even MORE Important There s rare y a more nutr t ona y demand ng t me dur ng a woman s fe than pregnancy (and ater breastfeed ng), when the ntake of nutr ents from foods and supp ements are needed not on y to keep her body runn ng but a so to nour sh and support her rap d y grow ng baby. Because z nc s requ red for proper ce d v s on, t s v ta y mportant to get adequate z nc dur ng th s t me. Low z nc eve s have been assoc ated w th the fo ow ng: Premature b rth Low b rth we ght bab es Growth retardat on Preec amps a One study found that z nc supp ementat on n pregnancy resu ted n bab es w th s gn f cant y arger head c rcumference and h gher b rth we ght. Z nc has many other mportant funct ons n your body, summar zed n the fo ow ng tab e: Z nc s requ red for your body to ut ze v tam n B6 Proper S eep: Z nc, v tam n B6, and tryptophan are a needed to produce me aton n; z nc def c ency eads to nsomn a Mood: As w th s eep, B6 s needed to produce seroton n, wh ch s cruc a for your mood Senses of taste and sme : Z nc s requ red to produce an enzyme ca ed carbon c anhydrase (CA) VI, cr t ca to taste and sme ; def c ency can ead to anorex a. Apoptos s, or "programmed ce death": Excess ve apoptos s can occur from too much or too tt e z nc (th s s why many v ruses d e n a z nc-r ch env ronment) Eye hea th: He ps prevent ARMD (macu ar degenerat on), n ght b ndness and cataracts He ps d abet cs regu ate nsu n eve s Sk n hea th: He ps prevent and treat psor as s, eczema, and acne (w th resu ts s m ar to tetracyc ne) Treatment of A zhe mer s d sease: Vast mprovements n memory, understand ng, commun cat on, and soc a contact Improved outcomes for pat ents w th HIV Ma e sexua funct on: Treatment of ma e nfert ty, BPH, and erect e dysfunct on; z nc may govern testosterone metabo sm Reduc ng d arrhea n ch dren w th z nc def c ency Ant ox dant: Z nc retards ox dat ve processes n your body, a though exact mechan sms rema n unknown Ant - nf ammatory: Z nc may reduce chron c nf ammat on and r sk of atherosc eros s H gh Gra n D ets D rect y L nked to Z nc Def c ency H gh gra n d ets can ead to a number of hea th prob ems, nc ud ng severe z nc def c ency, wh ch n turn can ead to r ckets and dwarf sm. Accord ng to nutr t on expert Dr. Loren Corda n: "It s thought that the h gh eve s of phytate n un eavened who e gra n breads cause a z nc def c ency, wh ch n turn s respons b e for hypogonada dwarf sm, a ong w th other hea th prob ems assoc ated w th z nc def c enc es. In Europe, where mm grant Pak stan s consume h gh eve s of un eavened who e gra n breads, r ckets among the r ch dren rema ns a prob em." Why s th s? Gra ns are h gh n phyt c ac ds (as are egumes, seeds, and soy) and phyt c ac ds are known to mpa r your absorpt on of m nera s such as ca c um, ron, magnes um and z nc. Peop e n Western popu at ons most at r sk are those w th d ets h gh n unref ned gra ns, egumes, soy prote n, and ca c um, and ow n an ma prote n. Prote n ass sts w th z nc absorpt on. An ma prote ns ncrease z nc absorpt on n genera . Vegetar an and vegan d ets, often h gh n gra ns and egumes, conta n more phyt c ac d and may ncrease your r sk for z nc def c ency. Th s s ust one of many reasons I don t recommend eat ng a ot of gra ns. How to Opt m ze Your Z nc Leve s As a ways, t s best to opt m ze your nutr t on by mp ement ng a d et r ch n who e foods to rece ve your z nc requ rements. An ma products are by far the r chest n d etary z nc, as you can see n the tab e be ow. Oysters t p the sca es at up to 182mg per serv ng! Food - Serv ng S ze - Z nc (mg) Oysters 100 grams 16-182 Vea ver 100 grams 12 Pumpk n seeds (roasted) 100 grams 10 Roast beef 100 grams 10 Tah n (ground sesame seeds) 100 grams 10 Unsweetened choco ate 100 grams 9.6 A aska K ng Crab 100 grams 7.6 Lamb 3 ounces 7.4 Peanuts (o roasted) 100 grams 6.6 Cashews (dry roasted) 100 grams 5.6 Pork Shou der 100 grams 5.0 A monds 100 grams 3.5 Cheddar Cheese 100 grams 3.1 Ch cken Leg 100 grams 2.9 Ch cken Breast 100 grams 1.0 If, for whatever reason, you are not gett ng enough z nc, or are a vegetar an or have one of the cond t ons sted n the tab e above, you may want to add a z nc supp ement. But what k nd of supp ement shou d you take? Che ated Forms of Z nc are Better Absorbed There are a number of forms of z nc ava ab e on the market, some better than others. Your body does not eas y absorb z nc, un ess the z nc s f rst attached to another substance. Che at on s a process somet mes used to attach z nc to other substances to make t more absorbab e and b oava ab e. In che at on, the organ c mo ecu es have been e ectr ca y charged, wh ch a ows them to attract the z nc. One advantage of che ated forms s you won t get antagon sm w th ca c um, wh ch can be an ssue for z nc sa ts, such as z nc su fate. Z nc su fate s one of the norgan c forms of z nc, or z nc sa ts. These are not as b o og ca y effect ve as che ated forms. Z nc su fate can cause stomach rr tat on. Another norgan c var ety s z nc ox de, wh ch s the form of z nc used n many sunscreens. Other good forms of z nc nc ude z nc g uconate, wh ch s made essent a y by ferment ng g ucose; z nc acetate, made by comb n ng the z nc w th acet c ac d; and z nc c trate, made by comb n ng the z nc w th c tr c ac d. It s advantageous to take a supp ement w th a var ety of forms, f poss b e. The current RDAs for z nc are sted n the fo ow ng tab e: Age - Ma e - Fema e - Pregnancy - Lactat on 0-6 months - 2 mg - 2 mg 7 mth to 3 years - 3 mg - 3 mg 4-8 years - 5 mg - 5 mg 9-13 years - 8 mg - 8 mg 14-18 years - 11 mg - 9 mg - 12 mg - 13 mg 19 + years - 11 mg - 8 mg - 11 mg - 12 mg
These recommended doses are for ELEMENTAL z nc, and each form of z nc (z nc su fate, z nc c trate, z nc g uconate, etc.) conta ns a d fferent amount of e ementa z nc. The amount of e ementa z nc a supp ement conta ns w be sted n the Supp ementa Facts pane on the supp ement conta ner. For examp e, approx mate y 23 percent of z nc su fate cons sts of e ementa z nc. Therefore, 220 mg of z nc su fate wou d g ve you about 50 mg of e ementa z nc. You must take th s nto cons derat on f you re go ng to use a supp ement, as we as the fact that the average person gets about 10 to 15 mg of z nc per day from the foods you consume. You w have to use your best udgment n determ n ng f you are at the upper or ower end of that range, based on your d etary hab ts, and supp ement accord ng y. Too Much of a Good Th ng… Foods and med cat ons can nterfere w th absorpt on, so the t m ng of your supp ement s mportant. For examp e, caffe ne can nterfere w th z nc absorpt on of z nc by as much as 50 percent—so you w want to avo d chas ng down your supp ement w th a cup of coffee. By contrast, the am no ac ds cyste ne and meth on ne mprove z nc absorpt on, wh ch means tak ng your z nc supp ement w th a h gh-qua ty whey prote n wou d be a dynam te mmune-boost ng duo. A though t s mportant to get adequate z nc, ba ance s key. Tak ng TOO MUCH can a so cause prob ems, a though t genera y takes fa r y h gh doses over t me to reach tox c eve s. Chron ca y excess ve z nc ntake can suppress copper and ron absorpt on ead ng to def c enc es n those m nera s. In conc us on, z nc s an often forgotten nutr t ona stap e to add to your f u-bust ng arsena . It s nexpens ve nsurance that can stop those v ruses dead n the r tracks. In add t on to mak ng sure you re gett ng enough z nc, don t forget how mportant your v tam n D eve s are for keep ng you hea thy th s w nter.
jimmyg
12-20-2012, 06:52 AM
Newest B ockbuster D abetes Drug Can Increase Your R sk of Cancer December 20, 2012 L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/20/dpp4- nh b tors.aspx?e_c d=20121220_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Merco a V deo...... Story at-a-g ance: Severa stud es of the newest b ockbuster drug for d abetes, Januv a, have mp cated these very common drugs to cause a number of d fferent cancers. They w ke y be removed from the market but perhaps not unt they ve k ed many There s mp y s no reason these dangerous drugs shou d ever be used as they fa to treat the cause of the d sease. Anyone on them now dea y shou d stop tak ng them and fo ow a hea thy eat ng p an, wh ch w rad ca y mprove, f not comp ete y reso ve, the r d abetes Acknow edged s de effects of Januv a and Janumet, nc ude anaphy ax s and acute pancreat t s—both of wh ch can be etha . Anaphy ax s s n fact such a grave hazard w th th s drug that t actua y carr es a b ack box warn ng for act c ac dos s: “If ac dos s s suspected, d scont nue Janumet and hosp ta ze the pat ent mmed ate y.” Th s new c ass of drugs nh b t the enzyme DPP-4 wh ch a so happens to be a tumor suppressor. Stud es have shown that when you suppress DPP-4 (wh ch s prec se y what these drugs do), cancer ce s are a owed to pro ferate. Accord ng to Januv a s drug nformat on, the drug nh b ts the DPP-4 enzyme for 24 hours, and you take t da y, effect ve y permanent y b ock ng the act v ty of a tumor suppressor gene None of the safety stud es on Januv a addressed ts mpact on tumor growth pr or to approva Januv a s now the number one best-se ng drug n the ora d abetes market. Shou d such a b ockbuster drug be proven to be connected to cancer, t s a HUGE oss not on y to Merck, but severa other ma or pharmaceut ca compan es that have deve oped s m ar drugs. Drug compan es ke Merck cou d make MASSIVE amounts of money from these c ear y dangerous drugs wh e cancer s ow y and qu et y grows n pat ents tak ng them
D abetes has ncreased more than 700 percent n the ast 50 years. Today, more than one n four Amer cans are e ther pre-d abet c or have fu -b own d abetes. The convent ona treatment route nc udes a var ety of d abetes drugs, some of wh ch have been found to do far more harm than good. Ros g tazone, so d under the names of Avand a, Avandamet and Avag m, s perhaps the most we known n th s category of unm t gated d sasters. Avand a Part of Worst Drug Fraud n H story Th s past summer, drugmaker G axoSm thK ne agreed to a record-break ng $3 b on sett ement over the sa es and market ng pract ces of severa of ts drugs, nc ud ng the dangerous d abetes drug Avand a. The payment s the argest fraud sett ement n U.S. h story, and the argest f ne ever pa d by a drug company. Avand a was found to be profound y dangerous — a fact h dden by GSK for over 10 years, as they knew t wou d adverse y affect sa es1. Th s was revea ed n a Senate F nance Comm ttee report, re eased by Max Baucus and Char es E. Grass ey n February 2010. The report a so asked why the FDA a owed a c n ca tr a of Avand a to cont nue even after the agency est mated the drug had caused an est mated 83,000 heart attacks between 1999 and 20072. Avand a h t the market n 1999 and qu ck y became a b ockbuster drug. By 2006 ts annua revenue was $3.2 b on. A year ater, a damn ng study pub shed n the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne (NEJM) nked t to a 43 percent ncreased r sk of heart attack and a 64 percent h gher r sk of card ovascu ar death than pat ents treated w th other methods3. Th s s a steep pr ce, to say the east, for a d sease that does not requ re drugs to beg n w th. There were many art c es and rev ews pub shed about Avand a fo ow ng the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne study, but research from the Mayo C n c revea ed that 90 percent of sc ent sts who wrote favorab e art c es about the drug had f nanc a t es to G axoSm thK ne4. Unfortunate y, a comm ttee of ndependent experts st recommended that Avand a rema n on the market, desp te ts many r sks, and a U.S. Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) overs ght board voted 8 to 7 to accept the adv ce. On September 23, 2010, the FDA restr cted access to Avand a5, but t d dn t take t off the market. Under the ru ng, the drug s st ava ab e to pat ents not a ready tak ng t, but on y f they are unab e to ach eve g ycem c contro us ng other med cat ons and, n consu tat on w th the r hea th care profess ona , dec de not to take a d fferent drug for med ca reasons. Shock ng y, current users of Avand a were to d to cont nue us ng the med cat on f they appeared to be benef t ng from t and they acknow edged that they understood the r sks. Doctors had to attest to and document the r pat ents e g b ty and pat ents had to rev ew statements descr b ng the card ovascu ar safety concerns. Un ke the US FDA, Br t sh regu ators ru ed that the benef ts of Avand a no onger outwe ghed the r sks, and so, n ate September 2010, they to d 90,000 Br t sh d abetes pat ents to stop tak ng t. DPP-4 Inh b tors — Another D sastrous D abetes Drug Dr. Ron Roseda e, one of my mentors on the mportance of nsu n f rst a erted me to th s ssue n our recent nterv ews we had but are not yet pub shed. Th s s another potent a d saster- n-the-mak ng, name y that of D pept dy pept dase-4 nh b tors6 (DPP-4 nh b tors), a so known as g pt ns (spec f ca y, g pt ns decrease the breakdown of g ucagon- ke pept de-1, or GLP-1). These be ong to a c ass of hypog ycem c drugs used to treat type 2 d abetes. DPP-4 nh b tors work by reduc ng g ucagon and b ood g ucose eve s7 ( nh b t ng g ucagon re ease resu ts n ncreased nsu n secret on and decreased b ood g ucose). The f rst drug n th s c ass — S tag pt n, manufactured by Merck and so d under the name Januv a8,9 — rece ved FDA approva n 200610. Saxag pt n (Ong yza), another DPP-4 nh b tor, was approved n Ju y 2009, fo owed by L nag pt n (Tra enta) n 2011. A number of add t ona DPP-4 nh b tors are current y under deve opment. I was among the f rst to pub c y warn that another of Merck s drugs, V oxx, wou d k thousands from heart d sease. The drug ndeed wound up k ng over 60,000 peop e before Merck removed t from the market n 2004. To compound th s prob em even further, Merck has announced that t has successfu y comp eted a Phase II tr a of a once-a-week vers on of a DPP-4 nh b tor. In pharma announcements and n ts own company terature, Merck nd cates that the once-a-week vers on s a so be ng tested n comb nat on w th certa n stat n drugs, such as L p tor and S mvastat n. The reason ng for these drug comb nat ons s that d abet cs fa under the gu de nes of be ng stat n cand dates because they have a h gher card ovascu ar r sk, but 40 percent of d abet cs don t take them. The dea s to create a comb nat on drug conta n ng both a DPP-4 nh b tor and a stat n. So one drug w rad ca y ncrease your r sk of cancer, and the other ncrease your r sk of heart fa ure. These are v rtua y guaranteed s de effects from these drugs when taken nd v dua y, but what has not even been stud ed s the synerg st c tox c ty of tak ng these dangerous drugs together. So far, Merck has d scussed the a eged eff cacy of the r once-a-week DPP-4 nh b tor. However, c n ca tr a s.gov nd cates that the SAFETY tr a sn t unt Phase III, wh ch s ust now beg nn ng. St , w th or w thout company-performed (read b ased) safety tr a s, there s p enty of reason to suspect these drugs can, and probab y w , spe severe troub e for d abet cs who take them. For examp e, S tag pt n, so d under the names Januv a11 and Janumet, has a number of adm tted s de effects, nc ud ng: Low b ood sugar A erg c react ons and anaphy ax s (rash, h ves, swe ng of face, ps, tongue and/or throat) Acute pancreat t s Death Anaphy ax s s n fact such a grave hazard w th th s drug that t actua y carr es a b ack box warn ng for act c ac dos s: "If ac dos s s suspected, d scont nue Janumet and hosp ta ze the pat ent mmed ate y" Accord ng to d atetesse fmanagement.com12: "... DPP-4 was d scovered through ts assoc at on w th the mmune system, and some researchers thought that nh b t ng t m ght mpa r the mmune system. So far, data from c n ca stud es have not demonstrated a ser ous mmunosuppres ve effect. They do nd cate, though, that s tag pt n ncreases the r sk of upper resp ratory nfect ons and nasopharyng t s ( nf ammat on of the nose and pharynx), found n 6.3% and 5.2% of study sub ects, respect ve y, who took s tag pt n versus 3.3% and 3.4% for p acebo. The most worry ng s de effects are those reported s nce the drug came onto the market. These react ons seem to be a erg c n nature and nc ude anaphy ax s, a bodyw de react on that resu ts n ow b ood pressure, and ang oedema, a swe ng of the tongue, face, and throat. Both of these may be fe-threaten ng. The react ons have occurred anyt me from mmed ate y after tak ng the f rst dose unt three months after start ng the drug. There have a so been reports of sk n react ons, nc ud ng a very severe type of drug react on ca ed Stevens– Johnson syndrome. Other d abetes drugs are not typ ca y assoc ated w th Stevens–Johnson syndrome." The Sc ence You Don t Hear About — DPP-4 Inh b tors Repeated y L nked to Cancer... Another potent a s de effect of th s c ass of drugs that you won t see n any drug advert or hear from your doctor s ts potent a nk to cancer... Upon rev ew of the med ca terature, a number of stud es have a ready nd cated a connect on of pancreat c, thyro d, co on, me anoma, and prostate cancer w th DPP-4 nh b tors. Such stud es nc ude: A 2006 study13 found that "the use of DPPIV nh b tors together w th GLP-2 ed to ncreased pro ferat on as we as e evated m gratory act v ty. Therefore, the use of DPPIV nh b tors cou d ncrease the r sk of promot ng an a ready ex st ng ntest na tumor and may support the potent a of co on cancer ce s to metastas ze" One 2008 study14 found that DPP-4 nh b tors may proteo yt ca y nact vate oca med ators nvo ved n g omagenes s (the format on and deve opment of bra n tumors). Another study pub shed that same year15 nked the drug to prostate cancer In 201016, researchers conc uded that "a though the data on the effects of DPP-IV nh b tors n humans are scarce, the ncreased r sk of nfect ons and the tendency towards a h gher nc dence of some tumors fa n ne w th exper menta ev dence suggest ng the poss b ty of the r adverse mmuno og ca and onco og ca effects" Accord ng to a 2011 study n the ourna Gastroentoro ogy17,18: "data are cons stent w th case reports and an ma stud es nd cat ng an ncreased r sk for pancreat t s w th g ucagon- ke pept de-1 based therapy. The f nd ngs a so ra se caut on about the potent a ong-term act ons of these drugs to promote pancreat c cancer, and DPP-4 nh b t on to ncrease r sk for a cancers" Cont nued.....
jimmyg
12-20-2012, 06:53 AM
Ear er th s year, researchers warned19 DPP-4 " s mp cated n regu at on of ma gnant transformat on, promot on and further progress on of cancer, exert ng tumor-suppress ng or even comp ete y oppos te - tumor-promot ng act v t es. Th s study nd cates the need for exp or ng the cause and the mportance of the d sturbances n the serum DPP-4 act v ty and n the CD26 express on on mmunocompetent ce s n comp ex mo ecu ar mechan sms under y ng the deve opment and progress on of me anoma. S gn f cant dec ne n serum DPP-4 act v ty found n me anoma pat ents compared to hea thy contro s m ght nd cate ts poss b e ro e n deve opment and progress on of me anoma, but further research needs to be done n order to fu y e uc date the cause and the mportance of observed changes n DPP-4 act v ty" Log c Qu z: DPP-4 s a Tumor Suppressor, So What Happens When You Cont nuous y Inh b t DPP-4? A 2008 b og post on D abetesUpdate20 spe s out the concerns I have about th s c ass of d abetes drugs: "Two new stud es grabbed my attent on and shou d be of great nterest to anyone tak ng Januv a. These stud es ooked at the mpact of nh b t ng DPP-4 on the growth of two d fferent k nds of cancers. Th s s mportant because the way Januv a owers b ood sugar s by nh b t ng DPP-4. It does th s because DPP-4 s a protease (an enzyme that chops up prote n cha ns) that, among other th ngs, destroys a hormone, GLP-1, that he ps contro b ood sugar eve s. When you nh b t DPP-4, GLP-1 eve s to r se and b ood sugars drop. But none of the drug ndustry-sponsored test ng for the safety of Januv a ooked at the other th ngs that DPP-4 does. Fortunate y, some academ c researchers not-funded by drug makers are do ng th s and what they are f nd ng shou d make any sane person stop tak ng Januv a. Because t turns out that DPP-4 s a so a tumor suppressor. And when you nh b t t, ce s that have become cancerous get a get out of a free card." Just th nk about the og c (or rather, the ack thereof) of tak ng a drug that cont nuous y nh b ts one of your body s natura cancer suppress ng mechan sms! Accord ng to Januv a s drug nformat on, the drug nh b ts the DPP-4 enzyme for 24 hours, and you take t da y, effect ve y permanent y b ock ng the act v ty of a tumor suppressor gene. Yet none of the safety stud es on Januv a addressed ts mpact on tumor growth! Is th s w se? I don t see how t can be — espec a y for a d sease that doesn t requ re drug treatment to be reso ved. The b ogger rece ved the fo ow ng ema ed note21 from a researcher who worked on one of the stud es sted above (the author and study n quest on was not dent f ed, and probab y for good reason): "... Inh b t ng DPPIV funct on n genera (accord ng to ours and others research) may not be a great dea. I be eve that decrease or oss of DPPIV may be assoc ated w th cancer n t at on or progress on. We have shown that oss of DPPIV s ndeed assoc ated w th me anoma, prostate and ung cancers. Important y our work has shown that restor ng DPPIV can suppress the tumor growth..." In a 2010 art c e n the ourna D abetes Care22 ent t ed "GLP-1–Based Therapy for D abetes: What You Do Not Know Can Hurt You," the authors state: "In conc us on, we be eve t s premature to conc ude that the GLP-1 c ass of drugs has been estab shed as hav ng a good safety prof e and s appropr ate for a re at ve y ear y cho ce of therapy for type 2 d abetes. There are grounds for concern that the GLP-1 c ass of drugs [wh ch nc udes DPP-4 nh b tors] may nduce asymptomat c pancreat t s and, over t me n some nd v dua s, nduce pancreat c cancer... [T]he mp cat ons of the data are suff c ent y ser ous that cont nu ng to promote th s c ass of drugs w thout estab sh ng c ear exper menta ev dence to perm t the concern to be re ected s rrespons b e. Moreover, arguab y pat ents prescr bed these drugs shou d be made aware of the potent a r sks of pancreat c cancer." "Researchers" Who Debunk Cancer L nk are Pa d Spokespersons for B g Pharma Not surpr s ng y, some researchers have spoken out aga nst stud es nk ng DPP-4 nh b tors and GLP-1 agon sts (such as Byetta, wh ch was approved n 2009) w th var ous cancers, ca ng such f nd ngs "f awed." A as, t may be w se to ook at who these peop e are, and who pays them. In an IBJ.com art c e pub shed ast year23, Dr. M chae Nauck, head of the D abeteszentrum Bad Lauterberg n Harz, Germany sa d, w th regards to stud es nk ng GLP-1 agon st drugs Byetta and V ctoza w th ncreased r sk of cancer: "The bu k of f nd ngs tends to speak aga nst such an assoc at on... There s no genera agreement." Accord ng to the art c e: "Nauck debated Peter But er of the Un vers ty of Ca forn a at Los Ange es at the European Assoc at on for the Study of D abetes meet ng Fr day on whether so-ca ed GLP-1 therap es ncrease cancer r sk. Sa es of the drugs may be hurt shou d But er s v ew preva that there are s gns of ncreased cancer from the drugs. He and other UCLA researchers sa d n a study th s year that a rev ew of a database of s de effects showed pat ents tak ng Byetta and a Merck & Co. drug [Januv a] had a h gher chance of deve op ng pancreat c or thyro d tumors. The treatments are safe and there s no ev dence of a h gher cancer r sk, accord ng to the manufacturers of the drugs." Who s M chae Nauck 24? Wh e h s b ography may not spe t out, Professor Nauck has been a speaker and consu tant25 for a ong st of pharmaceut ca compan es, nc ud ng Amy n Pharmaceut ca s (the maker of Byetta), Novo Nord sk (maker of V ctoza), Merck, AstraZeneca, Br sto Myers Squ bb, E L y & Co, and G axoSm thK ne, ust to ratt e off a few. Note the f rst two I sted are the very makers of the very drugs he s argu ng the safety of. So much for an ndependent op n on. He s a so rece ved grants and f nanc a research support from a number of drug compan es. Accord ng to Peter But er26, co-author of the Gastroentero ogy study sted ear er, the GLP-1 drug c ass "cou d have ser ous un ntended and unpred cted s de effects." H s research d scovered that pat ents tak ng Byetta and Januv a had a: S x-fo d ncreased chance of pancreat t s, and Near y three t mes greater rate of pancreat c cancer In a Sept 2011 art c e n B oomberg27, Matteo Monam , a phys c an at the Un vers ty of F orence and Carregg Teach ng Hosp ta n Ita y ca ed But er s study "an erroneous ana ys s," stat ng that ts resu ts "are rea y not re ab e at a ." Monam countered But er s f nd ngs w th a meta-ana ys s28 of h s own, wh ch not on y found no ncrease n cancer or pancreat t s for DPP-4 nh b tors ke Januv a, but a so "poss b e protect on from card ovascu ar events." What the med a fa ed to report was that Monam s a pa d spokesperson for Merck (the maker of Januv a — the drug at the center of the controversy), Astra Zeneca, Br sto Myers Squ bb, E . L y, Novo Nord sk, and Takeda. Know ng he s a pa d B g Pharma spokesperson, sure y no one can be surpr sed that Monam s ana ys s and "profess ona op n on" c ears h s emp oyers drugs of any potent a cancer nks... B ons of Do ars at Stake... When Merck and the FDA f na y agree that DPP-4 nh b tors are nked to cancer, t w k severa of the most recent drug deve opments for d abetes. Unto d hundreds of m ons, f not b ons of do ars have a ready been nvested n gett ng these new drugs to market. And the prof ts from these drugs are expected to be n the tens of b ons at m n mum.. Accord ng to Merck, Januv a s now the number one best-se ng drug n the ora d abetes market. Shou d such a b ockbuster drug be proven to be connected to cancer, t wou d be a HUGE oss not on y to Merck, but severa other ma or pharmaceut ca compan es that have deve oped s m ar drugs. One of the most horr f c parts of th s s the fact that cancer can take decades to form — un ess the drug dramat ca y speeds up the process by nh b t ng your body s ab ty to suppress tumor growth. Merck s etha drug V oxx was on y w thdrawn from the market after ts etha ty became too obv ous to gnore. D tto for the dangerous d abetes drug Avand a. Those drugs caused heart attacks and stroke. Cancer, on the other hand s not someth ng that w tend to make peop e kee over after a re at ve y short per od of t me. They cou d make MASSIVE amounts of money from these c ear y dangerous drugs wh e cancer s ow y and qu et y grows n pat ents tak ng them, wh e b ased sh s ma nta n that the sc ence s st "unc ear." I for one wou d urge you to recons der tak ng any k nd of DPP-4 nh b tor. Why r sk cancer for an a ment you can effect ve y address w thout ANY drug at a ? Type 2 D abetes s Near y 100 Percent Preventab e... and Revers b e W thout Drugs There s s mp y no doubt n my m nd that these drugs w be removed from the market, but not after many years, potent a y decades, and ke y after they have k ed tens of thousands of peop e. But you don t have to need ess y suffer and wa t t they are forma y removed. You can stop tak ng them now. Revers ng type 2 d abetes s one of the s mp est and most stra ght-forward treatments n a of med c ne. It s mportant to understand that many of the convent ona recommendat ons for treat ng d abetes are not on y f awed but dead wrong, and I d scussed the reasons why n th s prev ous art c e. To reverse the d sease, you need to recover your body s nsu n and ept n sens t v t es – the ones that are so bad y upset by eat ng a poor d et. The ONLY way to accomp sh th s s through proper d et and exerc se. There s NO drug that can correct ept n s gna ng and nsu n res stance. It w be abso ute y cruc a to e m nate ALL sugars and v rtua y a gra ns from your d et. You want to str ve for an u tra- ow carbohydrate d et seek ng to restr ct your carbs to h gh f ber vegetab es on y. You can rep ace the m ss ng carbs w th h gh qua ty fats ke coconut o , wh ch are rap d y broken down and consumed as fue so you won t fee as t red or fat gued when you make the trans t on to fat burn ng mode. Us ng nterm ttent fast ng and restr ct ng a your ca or es to a 6-8-hour w ndow w a so rad ca y he p your ab ty to trans t on to fat burn ng mode and mprove your nsu n and ept n s gna ng. Adher ng to the fo ow ng gu de nes can he p you do at east three th ngs that are essent a for successfu y treat ng, and revers ng, d abetes: recover your nsu n/ ept n sens t v ty, he p norma ze your we ght, and norma ze your b ood pressure: Severe y m t or e m nate sugar and gra ns n your d et, espec a y fructose, wh ch s far more detr menta than any other type of sugar. Fo ow ng my Nutr t on P an w he p you do th s w thout too much fuss. L ke y ong before you work your way up to the Advanced Sect on, your type 2 d abetes w be under contro w thout any drugs. Exerc se regu ar y. Exerc se s an abso ute y essent a factor, and w thout t, you re un ke y to get th s devastat ng d sease under contro . It s one of the fastest and most powerfu ways to ower your nsu n and ept n res stance. I recommend rev ew ng my exerc se program for t ps and gu de nes. It s a so cr t ca to work your way up to nc ude some Peak F tness exerc ses. Avo d trans fats. Get p enty of omega-3 fats from a h gh qua ty, an ma -based source, such as kr o . Opt m ze your v tam n D eve s. Recent stud es have revea ed that gett ng enough v tam n D can have a powerfu effect on norma z ng your b ood pressure. Opt m ze your gut f ora. Your gut s a v ng ecosystem, fu of both good bacter a and bad. Mu t p e stud es have shown that obese peop e have d fferent ntest na bacter a than ean peop e. The more good bacter a you have, the stronger your mmune system w be and the better your body w funct on overa . Fortunate y, opt m z ng your gut f ora s re at ve y easy. You can reseed your body w th good bacter a by eat ng fermented foods ( ke natto, kef r, raw organ c cheese, m so, and fermented vegetab es) or by tak ng a h gh-qua ty prob ot c supp ement. Address any under y ng emot ona ssues and/or stress. Non- nvas ve too s ke the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT) can be extreme y he pfu and effect ve. Get enough h gh-qua ty s eep every n ght. Mon tor your fast ng nsu n eve . Th s s every b t as mportant as your fast ng b ood sugar. You want your fast ng nsu n eve to be between 2 and 4. The h gher your eve , the worse your nsu n sens t v ty s.
jimmyg
12-21-2012, 06:55 AM
Be y Fat Bad for Men s Bones http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/be y-fat. pg By Dr. Merco a Most peop e are aware that carry ng excess we ght ncreases your r sk of heart d sease and type 2 d abetes, but few rea ze that t may a so harm your bones. And, t turns out, where you carry the fat matters, w th excess be y fat be ng among the worst types of fat for bone hea th. A “Beer” Be y May Mean Your Bone Hea th s at R sk New research presented at the 2012 annua meet ng of the Rad o og ca Soc ety of North Amer ca revea ed that obese men who carry more of the r fat deep n the r be y are at a greater r sk of weak bones and fractures than obese men who have more fat ocated ust be ow the sk n around the r th gh and buttocks areas. It was pred cted that the men w th be y fat wou d be 25 percent more ke y to break a bone than the other men. S nce t s we known that we ght-bear ng exerc ses are great for bu d ng up your bones, th s news may come as a surpr se. It has been ong be eved that carry ng extra we ght prov des a benef t for bone strength by ncreas ng the dynam c forces on your bone. However, t s now known that th s s not necessar y the case. Newer research shows that the excess fat deep n your be y and around your organs, known as v scera fat, has been nked to ower bone m nera dens ty, a measure of bone strength.1 Th s s true even among ch dren and ado escents, for whom h gher eve s of v scera fat are assoc ated w th ower bone m nera dens ty.2 Another study pub shed n the Amer can Journa of C n ca Nutr t on found ado escent g r s w th h gh body fat had bones that were 8 percent to 9 percent weaker than those w th norma body fat.3 It s thought that these fat ce s produce substances not yet dent f ed that may ead to bone d sease, a ong w th other ha marks of overwe ght and obes ty, ke heart d sease and d abetes. Furthermore, peop e w th more v scera fat are a so more ke y to have more fat w th n the r bone marrow, wh ch may further weaken your bones. Your body s des gned to operate best when t s at an dea we ght, wh ch var es s ght y from person to person. Carry ng around extra pounds w nev tab y ncrease your r sk of deve op ng ust about every chron c degenerat ve d sease, wh e tak ng a to on your bone hea th as we . Your Wa st S ze s a Powerfu Pred ctor of Your Hea th Whether you re overwe ght, obese or at a hea thy we ght, keep ng tabs on your wa st s ze s mportant -- ke y far more so than mon tor ng your BMI (body mass ndex). The v scera fat that tends to bu d up n your be y s re ated to the re ease of prote ns and hormones that cause nf ammat on, wh ch can n turn damage not on y your bones but a so your arter es and affect how you metabo ze sugars and fats. An expanded wa st ne s assoc ated w th nsu n res stance, h gh b ood pressure, b ood p d mba ances, card ovascu ar d sease, th cken ng of the wa s of your heart, and even ncreased r sk for deve op ng A zhe mer s d sease decades ater. Th s s why wa st s ze prov des a far more accurate benchmark for pred ct ng your r sk of death from a heart attack and other causes than s mp y mon tor ng your we ght. Wa st c rcumference s a so far better than BMI for eva uat ng whether or not you may have a we ght prob em, as BMI fa s to factor n both how muscu ar you are, and your ntra-abdom na fat mass. Determ n ng your wa st s ze s easy. W th a tape measure, measure the d stance around the sma est area of your abdomen, be ow your r b cage and above your be y button. The fo ow ng s a genera gu de for hea thy wa st c rcumference: http://med a.merco a.com/Assets/ mages/merco a/men-wa st. pg http://med a.merco a.com/Assets/ mages/merco a/women-wa st. pg You can a so use your wa st-to-h p measurement. Th s s done by measur ng the c rcumference of your h ps at the w dest part, across your buttocks. Then measure your wa st at the sma est c rcumference of your natura wa st, ust above your be y button. D v de your wa st measurement by your h p measurement to get the rat o. (The Un vers ty of Mary and offers an on ne wa st-to-h p rat o ca cu ator4 you can use.) The Mayo C n c uses the fo ow ng wa st-to-h p rat o des gnat ons:5 http://med a.merco a.com/Assets/ mages/merco a/wa st-h p-rat o. pg These measurements are usefu to take even f your we ght s n the norma range. In a presentat on at the European Soc ety of Card o ogy Congress, sen or author Franc sco Lopez-J menez sa d that peop e who are of norma we ght, but who have a h gh wa st-to-h p rat o ( .e. be y fat), have an even h gher r sk of death than peop e who are cons dered obese, based on BMI a one.6 The r sk of card ovascu ar death was 2.75 t mes h gher, and the r sk of death from a causes was 2.08 t mes h gher n peop e of norma we ght w th centra obes ty, compared w th those w th a norma body mass ndex and norma wa st-to-h p rat o. Bust ng Be y Fat: The Number One D etary Secret To address a greater-than- dea wa st s ze, the f rst step you need to take s remove a gra ns and sugars, part cu ar y fructose, from your d et unt your we ght has norma zed. Fo ow ng my comprehens ve nutr t on p an can he p you take contro of your d et n an ncrementa manner. The average Amer can now consumes about 70 grams of fructose every day. Worse yet, about 25 percent of a Amer cans consume over 134 grams of fructose a day, accord ng to research by Dr. R chard Johnson, ch ef of the d v s on of k dney d sease and hypertens on at the Un vers ty of Co orado. To earn more about how fructose mpacts your we ght and hea th, I h gh y recommend read ng Dr. R chard Johnson s new book The Fat Sw tch. In t, he rev ews groundbreak ng new research show ng that eat ng too much and exerc s ng too tt e are NOT so e y respons b e for why you keep ga n ng we ght or have troub e shedd ng those excess pounds. H s research shows that metabo c syndrome (character zed by centra obes ty or ncreased wa st c rcumference, h gh b ood pressure and nsu n res stance) s actua y a norma cond t on that an ma s undergo to store fat. An ma s ab ty to ga n "h bernat on fat" appears to be regu ated by a sw tch n the m tochondr a that s turned on and off by a common food that no onger prov des surv va advantage to humans v ng n contemporary soc ety, name y fructose. Fructose-conta n ng sugars cause we ght ga n not by the ca or es they conta n, but by tr gger ng th s "fat sw tch," wh ch te s your body t s t me to store fat, ust as f you were an an ma prepar ng for h bernat on. Furthermore, ur c ac d s ncreased by fructose, and a so causa y contr butes to obes ty and nsu n res stance. Effect ve treatment of obes ty therefore requ res turn ng off your fat sw tch — by avo d ng fructose, wh ch s the tr gger — and mprov ng the funct on of your ce s m tochondr a. As a standard recommendat on, I strong y adv se keep ng your TOTAL fructose consumpt on be ow 25 grams per day. However, for most peop e – espec a y f you strugg e w th h gh b ood pressure and nsu n res stance – t wou d be w se to m t your fructose to 15 grams or ess, as t s v rtua y guaranteed that you w consume "h dden" sources of fructose from most beverages and ust about any processed food you m ght eat. T ps to Bu d Your Bones One of the best ways to ach eve hea thy bones s a d et r ch n fresh, raw who e foods that max m zes natura m nera s so that your body has the raw mater a s t needs to do what t was des gned to do. In add t on, you need hea thy sun exposure a ong w th regu ar, we ght-bear ng exerc se. To sum t up: Opt m ze your v tam n D e ther from natura sun ght exposure, a safe tann ng bed or an ora v tam n D3 supp ement. Check your b ood eve s regu ar y to make sure you re w th n the opt ma range. If you take ora v tam n D, be sure you are a so aware that you need to opt m ze your v tam n K2 accord ng y (you shou d take 100 mcg of v tam n K2 per 1,000 IU s of v tam n D). Opt m ze your v tam n K2 through a comb nat on of d etary sources (fermented foods ke natto, raw m k cheeses, etc.) and a K2 supp ement, f needed. A though the exact dos ng (for ora supp ementat on) s yet to be determ ned, and you must use caut on on the h gher doses f you take ant coagu ants, f you are genera y hea thy and not on these types of med cat ons, I suggest 150-300 mcg da y. V tam n K2 s the “m rac e” ca c um g ue that actua y removes the ca c um from your artery s n ng and puts t back nto your bones. Make sure you do we ght-bear ng exerc se, wh ch has profound benef ts to your ske eta systems. My favor te s Peak F tness, a short ntense tra n ng protoco that mproves musc e energy ut zat on and expend ture due to ts pos t ve effects on ncreas ng musc e mass and mprov ng musc e f ber qua ty. It s a so very mportant to do strength-tra n ng exerc ses to produce the dynam c p ezoe ectr c forces n your bones that w st mu ate the osteob asts to produce new bone. Power P ate s a so part cu ar y usefu for bu d ng bone, so much so t was used by the Sov et space program to preserve astronaut bone dens ty. Consume a w de var ety of fresh, oca , organ c who e foods, nc ud ng vegetab es, nuts, seeds, organ c meats and eggs, and raw organ c unpasteur zed da ry for ca c um and other nutr ents. The more of your d et you consume RAW, the better nour shed you w be. M n m ze sugar and ref ned gra ns.
jimmyg
12-21-2012, 01:30 PM
FDA Sued for W thho d ng Data on Ant b ot c Use n Food An ma s http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/ vestock-ant b ot cs. pg
By Dr. Merco a The Un ted States uses near y 30M bs of ant b ot cs annua y n food product on. L vestock ant b ot c use accounts for 80% of the tota ant b ot cs so d n the US, and unnecessary use of ant b ot cs n food an ma s (cows, p gs, ch ckens, and turkeys) s a ma or dr v ng force beh nd the rampant deve opment of ant b ot c-res stant bacter a. Compare th s to the 6 m on bs of ant b ot cs that are used for every man, woman and ch d n the US comb ned. But un ke human use, n wh ch ant b ot cs are prescr bed to treat ser ous nfect on, n an ma s, drugs such as pen c ns and tetracyc nes are rout ne y added to an ma feed as a cheap way to make the an ma s grow faster. The pr mary reason why concentrated an ma feed ot operat ons (CAFOs) are such hotbeds for breed ng ant b ot c-res stant bacter a s because of the cont nuous feed ng of ow doses of ant b ot cs to the an ma s, wh ch a ows pathogens to surv ve, adapt, and eventua y, thr ve. In short, Amer can food producers are trad ng s ght y reduced product on costs ( .e. more meat per an ma ) for more etha nesses — both n an ma s and humans. Just one of severa now res stant pathogens, Meth c n Res stant Staphy ococcus Aureus (MRSA), s respons b e for more than 94,000 nfect ons and 18,000 deaths n the US each year! Food Producers Now Respons b e for Rap d Increase n Letha D seases To combat the dramat c r se n ant b ot c-res stant d sease, the most mportant step s to curb the m suse of ant b ot cs n food product on. Sure, we need to start prescr b ng ant b ot cs more ud c ous y n the med ca sett ng as we , but when you cons der that med ca use of ant b ot cs accounts for ust 20 percent of a the ant b ot cs so d each year, t makes sense to restr ct the pr mary cu pr t the hardest, or e se we never make a dent n th s prob em. A as, the US Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) has cont nua y fa en short n th s regard. Instead of enforc ng str cter regu at ons, the agency has s mp y asked food producers to vo untar y m t the r use of certa n ant b ot cs. In fact, on December 22, 2011, the agency qu et y posted a not ce n the Federa Reg ster1 that t was effect ve y reneg ng on ts p an to reduce the use of ant b ot cs n agr cu tura an ma feed – a p an t has been tout ng s nce 1977! Accord ng to the Federa Reg ster: "The Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA or the Agency) s w thdraw ng two 1977 not ces of opportun ty for a hear ng (NOOH), wh ch proposed to w thdraw certa n approved uses of pen c n and tetracyc nes ntended for use n feeds for food-produc ng an ma s based n part on m crob a food safety concerns." FDA Sued for W thho d ng Drug Data But that s not a . The FDA now stands accused of wrongfu y w thho d ng data regard ng the sa e of ant b ot cs for use n food an ma s — ...... Accord ng to the featured report by foodwh st eb ower.org2: "Drug compan es are requ red to report bas c nformat on about ant b ot c sa es to the FDA under the An ma Drug User Fee Act (ADUFA). Such nformat on nc udes how much of each drug s so d; whether the drugs are formu ated for use n feed, water, or by n ect on; and the an ma s for wh ch each drug s approved. FDA pub c y re eases a m ted summary of ADUFA data each year, but w thho ds a most a of what compan es report. Th s awsu t comes after FDA s fa ure to respond proper y to GAP s Freedom of Informat on Act (FOIA) request to the agency, ....... The Johns Hopk ns Center for a L vab e Future (CLF), an academ c research center based at the Johns Hopk ns B oomberg Schoo of Pub c Hea th, approached GAP for he p obta n ng these data a most two years ago. GAP made the request n February 2011, and has exhausted a other steps to get the nformat on, short of t gat on. In the end, the agency den ed GAP s request, c a m ng that the requested data s "conf dent a commerc a nformat on." That s ust not good enough, accord ng to GAP Food Integr ty Campa gn D rector Amanda H tt, who po nted out that "the agency s ob s to protect the pub c s hea th, not ndustry secrets." As usua , there s a so the ssue of f nanc a conf cts of nterest at work. Accord ng to Ty er Sm th, Sen or Research and Po cy Assoc ate w th the Johns Hopk ns Center for a L vab e Future (CLF)3: "Why s FDA so etharg c? Its nact on appears to resu t from a ma or conf ct of nterest centered on ADUFA. The ma n purpose of th s aw s to co ect m ons of do ars n "user fees" from drug compan es to speed rev ew and approva of app cat ons for new an ma drugs subm tted by drug compan es. The agency co ected $18 m on under ADUFA ast year. ADUFA w exp re next year un ess Congress reauthor zes t. FDA s desperate for ndustry support for reauthor zat on — w thout ADUFA, the agency c ear y wou d ose a great dea of money... FDA w not b te the hand that feeds t by enhanc ng ADUFA s report ng requ rements. Indeed, n recommendat ons to Congress on how ADUFA shou d be amended when t s reauthor zed, the agency d d not even ment on the requ rements. FDA ust swept them under the rug." What s the Government Accountab ty Pro ect (GAP)? The Government Accountab ty Pro ect4 (GAP) s a non-part san, non-prof t pub c nterest group that works to empower c t zen act v sts and to protect wh st eb owers by promot ng corporate and government accountab ty. Some of the group s areas of nterest nc ude mon tor ng drug safety, env ronmenta agenc es, government affa rs and food ntegr ty, and act ng as a watchdog over nat ona secur ty and human r ghts, nternat ona reform, eg s at ve ssues, and pub c hea th5. GAP a so s a found ng member of the Safe Food Coa t on, wh ch works c ose y w th Congress and food safety agenc es to ensure the ntegr ty of our food supp y. Accord ng to GAP s webs te, numerous wh st eb owers and c ents have r sked the r careers to he p the organ zat on pursue extraord nary pro ects that have resu ted n eg s at ve changes and/or awsu ts. It does a th s w th a $2.5 m on a year budget, w th funds com ng from more than 10,000 nd v dua donors and foundat ons, ega fees, sett ement awards, and serv ces prov ded. Some of ts donors nc ude the Carneg e Foundat on, CS Fund, Ford Foundat on, the Open Soc ety Inst tute, and Rockefe er Fam y Fund. New Leg s at on Seeks to End the Secrecy on L vestock Drug Use In re ated news, on October 16, Ca forn a Representat ve Henry Waxman, rank ng member of the Energy and Commerce Comm ttee, announced he s ntroduc ng eg s at on6 to " ncrease nformat on on the amount and use of ant b ot cs n an ma s ra sed for human consumpt on." The b , "De ver ng Ant b ot c Transparency n An ma s (DATA) Act," wou d requ re drug manufacturers to ssue comprehens ve reports to the FDA on how the r drugs are actua y used. It wou d a so for the f rst t me requ re feed m s to report how they use the drugs. Data report ng wou d nc ude the types, purposes and quant t es of ant b ot cs be ng added to an ma feed. "We need th s nformat on so sc ent sts and Congress can stop the spread of drug-res stant nfect ons from farm an ma s to humans," Waxman sa d at a Santa Mon ca press conference. CAFO s May Be Cost Effect ve, But at What Pr ce? U t mate y, the root of the prob em stems from our modern food product on pract ces. Conf ned an ma feed ng operat ons (CAFO s) are a far cry from the trad t ona farm, and the excess ve use of ant b ot cs and other veter nary drugs n CAFO s has ar sen both from need and m suse. CAFO an ma s do requ re more drugs as d sease s rampant due to cramped and unsan tary v ng cond t ons. It s a natura s de effect of ra s ng thousands, or tens of thousands of an ma s on one farm. You s mp y cannot ra se 30,000 ch ckens on pasture for examp e. For the sake of eff c ency, CAFO an ma s are crammed nto t ny spaces and treated n ways that are tru y shock ng to most peop e who are ust earn ng about how CAFO s are run. Due to these v ng cond t ons, a var ety of drugs, nc ud ng ant b ot cs, are rout ne y adm n stered to a an ma s, whether they re s ck or we , n order to keep as many of them as poss b e a ve unt t s t me for s aughter. However, drugs are a so rout ne y used to boost growth of the an ma , and th s s pure y a f nanc a concern. .... An even esser-known ssue s the prob em w th ant b ot c- aden manure from convent ona farms further contam nat ng the rest of your food supp y. That s r ght — even your ettuce may conta n ant b ot cs! These are a powerfu reasons for choos ng organ ca y-ra sed, drug-free, grass-fed or pastured an ma products. Other countr es have a so rea zed the nherent hazards of ant b ot c overuse and have opted for a hea th er approach to the ra s ng of vestock. For examp e, Denmark stopped the w despread use of ant b ot cs n the r pork ndustry 14 years ago. The European Un on has a so banned the rout ne use of ant b ot cs n an ma feed over concerns of ant b ot c-res stant bacter a. After Denmark mp emented the ant b ot c ban, t was ater conf rmed the country had drast ca y reduced ant b ot c-res stant bacter a n the r an ma s and food. Furthermore, the Dan sh exper ment proved that remov ng ant b ot cs doesn t have to hurt the ndustry s bottom ne. In the f rst 12 years of the ban, the Dan sh pork ndustry grew by 43 percent -- mak ng t one of the top exporters of pork n the wor d. But the Amer can Pork Industry doesn t want to curb ant b ot c use, as t ra ses the cost of produc ng pork by an est mated $5 for every 100 pounds of pork brought to market... What Types of Bacter a are Res stant to Ant b ot cs? Ant b ot c res stance s not so ated to a few obscure bacter a. It s a very rea and grow ng prob em. Ant b ot c-res stant nfect ons now c a m more ves each year than the "modern p ague" of AIDS, and cost the Amer can hea th care system some $20 b on a year7,8. The tab e be ow shows var ous bacter a that are a ready res stant to many common y prescr bed ant b ot cs9: Ac netobacter: A bacter a found n so and water that often causes nfect ons n ser ous y hosp ta pat ents. Anthrax: Spread by nfected an ma s or potent a y b oterror st weapons. Gonorrhea: A sexua y transm tted d sease. Group B streptococcus: A common bacter a n newborns, the e der y and adu ts w th other nesses. K ebs e a pneumon a: A bacter a that can ead to pneumon a, b oodstream nfect ons, wound and surg ca s te nfect ons and men ng t s. Meth c n-res stant Staphy ococcus aureus (MRSA): A superbug that can be so d ff cu t to treat, t can eas y progress from a superf c a sk n nfect on to a fe-threaten ng nfect on n your bones, o nts, b oodstream, heart va ves, ungs, or surg ca wounds. Ne sser a men ng t des: One of the ead ng causes of bacter a men ng t s n ch dren and young adu ts. Sh ge a: An nfect ous d sease caused by Sh ge a bacter a. Streptococcus pneumon ae: A ead ng cause of pneumon a, bacterem a, s nus t s, and acute ot t s med a (AOM). Tubercu os s (TB): Both "mu t -drug res stant" and "extens ve y drug-res stant" forms of TB are now be ng seen. Typho d fever: A fe-threaten ng ness caused by the Sa mone a Typh bacter a. Vancomyc n-res stant enterococc (VRE): Infect on w th the enteroccocc bacter a that often occurs n hosp ta s and s res stant to vancomyc n, an ant b ot c. Vancomyc n-Intermed ate/Res stant Staphy ococcus aureus (VISA/VRSA): Var ous stra ns of staph bacter a that are res stant to vancomyc n. Campy obacter: A pathogen common to ch cken products. You Can He p Stop Ant b ot c Overuse You take a stand aga nst ant b ot c overuse every t me you avo d us ng an ant b ot c for a m nor nfect on, and every t me you opt to buy ant b ot c-free, organ ca y ra sed meat. If you ve n the Un ted States and want to get nvo ved on a nat ona eve , Food Democracy Now! has created a pet t on (http://act on.fooddemocracynow.org/cms/s gn/stop_ant b ot c_abuse_no_c ck/)aga nst the overuse of ant b ot cs n vestock product on. If you care about th s ssue, I suggest you use th s pet t on to make your vo ce heard.
jimmyg
12-21-2012, 10:30 PM
Ant ox dant Sp ce B end Reduces the Negat ve Effects of Eat ng a H gh-Fat Mea http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/12/2610. pg Posted by John Ph p
Many sp ces are powerfu ant ox dants that cont nue to ga n acceptance as natura nutr ents ab e to ass st human hea th and prevent chron c d sease. Researchers from Penn State pub sh ng n The Journa of Nutr t on prov de strong ev dence that two such sp ces — turmer c and c nnamon — prov de a protect ve sh e d to reduce the body s negat ve responses to eat ng h gh-fat mea s. A d et f ed w th h gh-fat foods that have been fr ed or baked w th trans fats ncreases ox d zed LDL cho estero eve s and dangerous b ood fats known as tr g ycer des. Turmer c and c nnamon taken before a h gh fat mea comb ne to ower tr g ycer de response by as much as 30%, prevent ng a cascade of harmfu metabo c events that ead to heart d sease and d abetes. Tumer c and C nnamon M xture Ha ts Dangerous Insu n Sp kes and Tr g ycer des Cu nary sp ces have peaked nterest among nutr t ona sc ent sts n recent years as both turmer c and c nnamon exh b t powerfu ant ox dant propert es that may ha t dangerous metabo c mba ances prompted by poor d etary cho ces. To conduct the study, researchers added 14 grams of a comb ned turmer c-c nnamon sp ce b end to a 1,200 ca or e h gh-fat mea , and compared the resu ts to a contro group not rece v ng the sp ce m xture. B ood samp es were taken pr or to the mea and then aga n at 30 m nute nterva s for the next three and a ha f hours after eat ng. Part c pants were tested aga n one week ater, and the two groups were sw tched to ver fy the accuracy of the resu ts. Researchers found that b ood eve s of nsu n were reduced by 21% and tr g ycer des dropped 31% n response to the turmer c-c nnamon m x. Sp ces Work Synerg st ca y to Improve Metabo c Markers and D sease R sk The study authors found that the sp ces s gn f cant y mproved two cr t ca metabo c markers that are assoc ated w th ncreased r sk of deve op ng d abetes and card ovascu ar d sorders. They commented,“Add ng sp ces to the mea s gn f cant y ncreased the ferr c reduc ng ant ox dant power, such that postprand a ncreases fo ow ng the sp ced mea were 2-fo d greater than after the contro mea .” They a so found that the two sp ces nteract synerg st ca y and the mpact was s gn f cant y greater when both sp ces were adm n stered concurrent y, compared to nd v dua resu ts. Most hea th-consc ous adu ts can benef t from a w de array of natura sp ces added to and consumed w th many popu ar foods, regard ess of spec f c d etary approach. Penn State authors conc uded, “The ncorporat on of sp ces nto the d et may he p norma ze postprand a nsu n and TG (tr g ycer de) and enhance ant ox dant defenses.” Inc ude turmer c and c nnamon to your favor te mea s, or take a h gh qua ty supp ement w th mea s to max m ze your defense aga nst metabo c dysfunct on and heart d sease.
References: http://www.med ca newstoday.com/art c es/232710.php http://www.we nessresources.com/we ght/art c es/tumer c_curcum n_and_c nnamon_ ower_ nsu n_and_tr g ycer des/ http:// n.nutr t on.org/content/ear y/2011/06/22/ n.111.138966.abstract?c ted-by=yes& eg d=nutr t on; n.111.138966v1
jimmyg
12-22-2012, 09:47 AM
How Sc ence Can Dece ve You about Your Ce Phone Art c e s too arge to post, you can access t v a nk. L nk to ent re art c e & v deo: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/20/ce -phone-research-decept on.aspx?e_c d=20121220_DNL_art_2 Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Rad ofrequency rad at on and e ectromagnet c f e d (EMF) expert Magda Havas, PhD revea s the k nds of decept ons go ng on n the f e d of ce phone research From ndustry fund ng contro ng the re ease of study resu ts to man pu at ons of study des gn, to pub c z ng abstracts that do not d sc ose a study s true f nd ngs, decept ons are ncreas ng y common at a eve s of the sc ent f c process Somet mes the med a tse f, wh ch often rece ves a arge amount of advert s ng do ars from the ce phone ndustry, s respons b e for spread ng naccurate and m s ead ng nformat on, or not cover ng an mportant study at a . As a mu t -tr on do ar ndustry whose advert s ng do ars support and heav y nf uence med a and med ca ourna s around the wor d, the ce phone ndustry s a so capab e of w e d ng great power by mak ng s zab e po t ca donat ons and through pers stent obby ng efforts that nf uence and somet mes even shape government po c es Somet mes, propaganda comes n a wor dw de PR campa gn, n a f urry of p anted art c es n newspapers, magaz nes and sc ent f c ourna s. We have seen th s before and we may be see ng t aga n, based on new ev dence. Eth cs n sc ence s a cr t ca ssue n a areas of research today. Kudos to Harvard Law Schoo s Safra Center for Eth cs for nv t ng ead ng EMF sc ent st, Dr. Franz Ad kofer from Germany, to present on nst tut ona corrupt on n the EMF sc ence n h s ecture “Protect on Aga nst Rad at on s n Conf ct w th Sc ence” (see V deo)
In an nterv ew w th E ectromagnet cHea th.org, Magda Havas, PhD, assoc ate professor of Env ronment & Resource Stud es at Trent Un vers ty,1 Canada shares many of the decept ons surround ng ce phone sc ence.2 As an expert n rad ofrequency rad at on, e ectromagnet c f e ds, d rty e ectr c ty and ground current, she s un que y qua f ed to shed ght on why t may appear as though ce phones are perfect y safe, when n fact the sc ence tse f shows the rad at on ce phones em t s anyth ng but … Decept on Apparent at A Leve s of the Sc ent f c Process Decept on starts even before a study beg ns, as soon as the fund ng source s determ ned. If t s an ndustry-funded study, the resu ts are ke y to overwhe m ng y favor ndustry. And f they don t, conf dent a ty agreements typ ca y have been s gned that prevent the research from ever see ng the ght of day. What th s means s that even f you scour the sc ent f c terature to determ ne what the consensus s on any g ven hea th top c, what you f nd s an overwhe m ng preponderance of data n favor of the ndustry that n no way, shape or form ref ects the rea ty of what the emp r ca resu ts of the sc ent f c nvest gat on that went nto that spec f c product actua y revea ed. "No R sk Found" m ght be the message, when s gn f cant r sk was found. Havas notes research by Dr. Henry La , a Un vers ty of Wash ngton sc ent st n ce u ar and mo ecu ar eng neer ng, who rev ewed 85 papers on the DNA-damag ng effects of the type of m crowave rad at on that comes from ce phones. Seventy-f ve percent of the stud es that showed no genotox c effects were funded by the w re ess ndustry or the m tary, wh e 80 percent of those that showed a connect on were not. In rea ty, on y un vers ty researchers who are not beho den to ndustry fund ng are techn ca y "free" to share and report the r sc ence, but even then, many are harassed f they attempt to do so. As TIME reported:3 "… ndependent stud es on ce phone rad at on found dangers at more than tw ce the rate of ndustry-funded stud es — though because the ce phone ndustry s the source of much of the fund ng of ce phone stud es, there are far more of the atter. … T me and aga n … ndustry has been ab e to tw st sc ence ust enough to stave off the poss b ty of any regu at on — and f nds that researchers are afra d of cha eng ng the status quo, est they f nd themse ves sudden y out of a ob, den ed the feb ood of research money. Most of the few brave researchers who cha enge the preva ng w sdom on ce phone rad at on — ke the e ectr ca eng neer Om Gandh or the b oeng neer Henry La — are sen or sc ent sts, secure n the r pos t ons and the r tenure. But a young researcher ust start ng out s far more vu nerab e to ndustry pressure. Sc ence sn t as pr st ne as we mag ne t." Study Des gns Often Know ng y Dece ve There are numerous ways to "r g" a tr a so that t produces the des red resu ts. In the ce phone rea m, for nstance, stud es have found an ncreased r sk of tumors after a per od of 10 years of use among moderate to heavy users, eve s that wou d be cons dered very ght users by today s standards. In order to water down th s f nd ng, ndustry-funded research may focus on ght ce phone users on y. For examp e, def n ng a regu ar user as someone who used a ce phone once a week, or m t ng the study to a shorter per od of t me where one wou d not expect to f nd r sk, or exc ud ng bus ness users of ce phones (usua y the heav est users) from the ana ys s, as n the Dan sh Ce phone Subscr ber Cohort study, wh ch was round y cr t c zed by sc ent sts wor dw de.4 The end resu t s a study appears to show that ce phones are "safe," when n rea ty t has ntent ona y removed the var ab es that wou d show harm. Of the Dan sh Ce phone Subscr ber Cohort study, wh ch cont nues to be paraded out w th updates repeat ng the same f awed conc us ons, Don Ma sch, PhD of EMF Facts n Austra a says: "How cou d the g ar ng error of exc ud ng corporate subscr bers from the ana ys s be over ooked and the fact that a new subscr bers post 1995 were re egated to be ng cons dered as non-users. As the o d say ng goes, rubb sh n rubb sh out. " Accord ng to Swed sh nvest gat ve ourna st Mona N sson, the Dan sh study s now be ng put forth as the "go d standard of ep dem o ogy" n efforts to reverse the IARC dec s on that c ass f ed RF as a Poss b e Carc nogen, a ong w th c a ms that the Interphone study found no r sk, wh ch, she sa d, "c ear y showed ncreased r sks for today s norma users." N sson says: "The most str k ng decept on n EMF sc ence I know of s the CEFALO study, and ca ng the resu ts reassur ng. Not on y d d the resu ts nd cate the oppos te, ncreas ng r sks for ch dren us ng mob e phones, but the study was c ear y man pu ated by the treatment of the cord ess phone exposures." The CEFALO study, a four-country, ndustry-funded study, "Mob e Phone Use and Bra n Tumors n Ch dren and Ado escents: A Mu t center Case–Contro Study," pub shed n the Journa of the Nat ona Cancer Inst tute,5 s a c ear examp e where the study s conc us ons and the PR are contrad cted by the study s resu ts, says Cam a Rees of E ectromagnet cHea th.org. "It showed a 274% ncreased r sk of bra n cancer from ce phones, n ch dren ages 7-19; that ch dren have near y 4x the r sk compared to adu ts; that younger ch dren have greater r sk of bra n cancer than o der ch dren; and that g r s have greater r sk of bra n cancer than boys". The sp n nc uded: "The authors found tt e or no ev dence that mob e phones ncrease bra n tumor r sk, and the s ng e pos t ve assoc at on cou d be exp a ned by b as or chance"…when n fact the data show mu t p e pos t ve assoc at ons. "The ack of genotox c ty of mob e phone rad at on has been conf rmed by exper menta an ma and aboratory stud es" (c t ng on y 2 papers from 1999 & 2001 vs. the mu t p c ty of papers show ng genotox c ty pub shed n the ast decade.) No conf ct of nterest statements from the authors were nc uded, wh e many of the study s authors are known to be nked to ndustry and to other research support ng ndustry s nterests. The Interphone study, wh ch cost more than $30M to carry out (part of wh ch was funded by the mob e phone ndustry) and was ntended to prov de the f na word about ce phone bra n tumor r sks, s one of the most notor ous examp es. When the resu ts n t a y came out, they gn ted a ghten ng storm of med a head nes, many c a m ng, fa se y, that the study found no nk, or unc ear ev dence, nk ng ce phones to bra n cancer. But when you ook at Interphone s resu ts n ght of ts des gn f aws, and nc ude the nformat on conta ned n two append ces, they pa nt a very dangerous p cture for the hea th future of regu ar, every day ce phone users. E ectromagnet cHea th.org reports: "Note that two Append ces n the Internat ona Journa of Ep dem o ogy show very d fferent resu ts than those pub shed n the art c e, "Bra n tumour r sk n re at on to mob e te ephone use: resu ts of the Interphone nternat ona case contro study." How s t that n the very same ourna resu ts from the same study can appear so d fferent? Append x 1 shows an 84% ncreased r sk of men ng oma for those who used a d g ta phone 1,640 or more hours. And those who used both d g ta and ana og phones, or f the type of phone was unknown, had a 343% ncreased r sk of men ng omas. But the or g na art c e pub shed on Interphone resu ts showed a decreased r sk of men ng omas, or no r sk at a , from ce phone use. Append x 2 shows much h gher r sk of g omas than what was pub shed n the or g na art c e. There s no good exp anat on for the very d fferent resu ts pub shed for g omas and men ng omas, nor any sense to pub sh ng the append ces separate y from the study tse f un ess one wanted to ower the reader s chances of see ng them. A v deo of the Interphone study des gn f aws featur ng L oyd Morgan can be found at E ectromagnet cHea th.org.6 Wh e certa n med a out ets cont nue to c a m that regu ar ce phone use s un ke y to cause bra n cancer, you shou d know that Interphone found "heavy users" of ce phones--aka very ght users today--were found to have an approx mate y doub ed r sk of g oma, a fe threaten ng and often-fata bra n tumor, after 10 years of ce phone use. In other words, depend ng on your ce phone use you may be doub ng your r sk of a potent a y fata bra n tumor. If you re a heavy user, your r sk s ke y much h gher. A team of nternat ona EMF act v sts -- the Internat ona EMF Co aborat ve – even re eased a report deta ng 15 ser ous des gn f aws of the Interphone study, "Ce Phones and Bra n Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern," h gh ght ng what they ca a system c-skew n the des gn that underest mated bra n tumor r sk (ca cu ated subsequent y to be a 25% underest mat on).7 Among them: Categor z ng sub ects who used portab e phones (wh ch em t the same m crowave rad at on as ce phones) as unexposed Exc ud ng many types of bra n tumors Exc ud ng peop e who had d ed, or were too to be nterv ewed as a consequence of the r bra n tumor Exc ud ng ch dren and young adu ts, who are more vu nerab e to the effects of rad at on and who now use ce phones heav y The Interphone study a so has data on two other tumor types, acoust c neuromas and sa vary g and tumors, wh ch have been assoc ated w th ce phone use n the past. But the nformat on was myster ous y eft out of the pub shed resu ts, and some of the most damn ng resu ts of what was pub shed were on y pub shed n an Append x to the study on y ava ab e on ne, resu ts that were not to be found n the study s abstract or med a head nes. After c ose y rev ew ng the facts and the f aws of Interphone, the report conc uded: There s a r sk of bra n tumors from ce phone use Te ecom-funded stud es underest mate the r sk of bra n tumors Ch dren have arger r sks than adu ts for bra n tumors A subsequent mathemat ca ana ys s, "Re-eva uat on of the Interphone Study: App cat on of a Correct on Factor," presented at the B oe ectromagnet cs Soc ety meet ng n Seou , Korea n 2010 by L oyd Morgan, ca cu ated there was at east an approx mate y 25% underest mat on of r sk n the Interphone study s resu ts.8 Even the Way Sc ence Is Pub shed and Reported Makes a Ma or D fference n Percept on see art c e.... The "Non-Rep cat on Rep cat on" Study Cont nued.......
conetip
12-22-2012, 02:11 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XDSpuMIMPs& st=UUIENxHEZ g28X1y yE8VWXQ& ndex=1 The nk s to a v deo ca ed , fat,s ck and near y dead It was appropr ate to me as I have chron c urt car a . I am start ng th s for 10 days and then assess ng my s tuat on.
chefjeff
12-23-2012, 05:28 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XDSpuMIMPs& st=UUIENxHEZ g28X1y yE8VWXQ& ndex=1 The nk s to a v deo ca ed , fat,s ck and near y dead It was appropr ate to me as I have chron c urt car a . I am start ng th s for 10 days and then assess ng my s tuat on. "Not ava ab e n th s country." Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
12-23-2012, 08:02 AM
Natura Ant b ot cs as C ose as Your Pantry http://www. ndependent v ngnews.com/ema / mages/V negar-and-Sa t. pg Food network star A ton Brown often says the on y s ng e-task too you shou d have n your k tchen s a f re ext ngu sher. I who ehearted y agree. Of course, he s ta k ng about cook ng. What I m ta k ng about s be ng prepared n case an emergency cuts you off from essent a serv ces ke med ca care, transportat on, power, or water. And the good news here s that a ot of k tchen tems you keep n your pantry for food prep or under the s nk for c eanup can actua y he p you cope n t mes of emergency. In today s Ready-for-Anyth ng Report, I share 5 tems you shou d a ways keep n or near your k tchen. They re usefu for everyday tasks, but n an emergency they do doub e-duty.
V negar: V negar s exce ent for mak ng tasty sa ad dress ngs and sauces for everyth ng from pasta to pork roast. But v negar s usefu ness goes way beyond that. You can use v negar to keep your home c ean and san tary. In any sort of a breakdown, hyg ene and a c ean home become more mportant than ever – t s the f rst ne of defense aga nst d sease, wh ch often fo ows n the wake of a d saster or soc a breakdown. You can use v negar to c ean s nk dra ns, to c ear away m dew, and to deodor ze ust about anyth ng. You can make sure produce s safe to eat by wash ng t n a m x of v negar and water. Add ng four tab espoons of app e c der v negar to a ga on of water makes a san t z ng wash that s good for fru ts and vegetab es – t w remove pest c des and nasty germs. You can a so use v negar to treat m d a ments. Dabb ng a cotton ba soaked n v negar on m nor burns or nsect b tes re eves pa n and tch ng. M x equa parts v negar and honey and take a tab espoon every four hours to re eve a sore throat and cough. V negar s cheap and asts a ong t me n storage. Stock up! Honey: Honey s good for add ng to tea or for sweeten ng a bow of oatmea , but you can do a ot more w th t than that. Th s sweet, go den substance can be a rea fesaver when t comes to hea th ssues. Dur ng any sort of soc a breakdown that makes t more d ff cu t to get med ca care, nfect on becomes an mportant concern. Honey can he p. It works as a natura ant sept c. You can app y honey to cuts and abras ons to prevent nfect on. You can a so use honey to treat the symptoms of many m d nesses. For examp e, m x honey w th emon u ce to he p soothe a sore throat. It s an unp easant top c, but dur ng t mes of unrest, you re a so more at r sk of p ck ng up paras tes. Dr nk ng honey m xed w th v negar and water can c ear most paras tes out of your system.
B each: B each w keep your wh tes wh te, but t s a so an essent a tem for any smart prepper. B each s exce ent for ster z ng surfaces, wh ch can keep your food safe to eat. But more than that, you can use b each to make water safe to dr nk. Add 1/8 of a teaspoon of ch or ne b each to a ga on of c ear water (1/4 teaspoon f the water s c oudy), and a ow t to stand for at east 30 m nutes. Then t w be safe to dr nk, cook w th, or c ean w th. L ke v negar, t s cheap and easy to store. It cou d a so be a great barter tem n a cr s s, prov ded you put away extra. Bak ng Soda: Another common tem n your pantry, bak ng soda can be usefu n a number of s tuat ons. Bak ng soda works we as an antac d. In the event you have an upset stomach, st r ½ teaspoon of bak ng soda nto a ha f a cup of water and dr nk t. Repeat every two hours as necessary, but don t take more than seven g asses n the course of a day. L m t your doses to three f you re over s xty.
App y a paste of bak ng soda and water to po son vy or other rashes for near y nstant re ef. In a p nch, you can a so use bak ng soda as a f re ext ngu sher. Pour ng bak ng soda on a sma f re w qu ck y suffocate t. Sa t: Few pantry tems are more common and everyday than sa t. But th s favor te food season ng can be a fesaver dur ng turbu ent t mes. F rst, your body needs sa t to surv ve. In the modern Amer can d et, too much sa t s more typ ca than too tt e, but that can change and change fast dur ng a breakdown. Hav ng p enty of sa t on hand not on y makes your food reserves more pa atab e, but a so keeps th s cr t ca nutr ent as part of your da y d et. That s not a , though. Sa t s one our ear est ways of treat ng wounds and stav ng off nfect on. To th s day, a sa ne wash s a typ ca f rst- ne treatment for c ean ng wounds or eye n ur es. You can d sso ve 1½ tab espoons of sa t n one cup of water to make a 10% sa ne r nse that you can use to c ean sma cuts and abras ons. Th s s one more househo d tem you can use to prevent nfect on. Sa t s a so an exce ent food preservat ve. You can p ck e and can a number of foods w th sa t and you can even preserve meat w th t, shou d you be w thout power and ook ng for ways to make your food ast onger. Coat ng raw meat comp ete y n coarse sa t and stor ng t n a coo p ace (around 59 degrees) can keep the meat safe to eat for up to three weeks. And, t makes t taste good when you cook t, too. Avo d eat ng meat that takes on a bad sme dur ng th s process – t s a t me-tested means of preserv ng meat, but that doesn t mean t s 100 percent foo proof, so use your common sense. Between these f ve tems, a few ro s of duct tap, and severa packs of z p-t es, you be prepared to dea w th m nor nesses and n ur es, to keep your food supp y safe, to treat water f needed, and to keep your env ronment c ean and safe. That s not too shabby us ng ust a handfu of th ngs that don t cost much and that you probab y keep on hand anyway. Yours n Savvy Se f-Re ance, Lee Be nger
conetip
12-23-2012, 12:27 PM
"Not ava ab e n th s country." Jeff L v ngston https://brev e.createsend.com/t/V ewEma /t/3E68A25DB47DFCB3/C67FD2F38AC4859C/ Try through the Brev e web s te or nk above
jimmyg
12-24-2012, 08:00 AM
How The FDA Restr cts Your Access To Informat on About Natura So ut ons http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/08/ Stock_000000481948Sma -e1312889779487. pg Posted by L ve n the Now B g Pharma seems to be the w nner. But th s cou d open the door for natura hea th compan es to c te truthfu sc ence about supp ements. As we have noted before, the FDA th nks that “m sbrand ng” can mean mak ng a comp ete y true statement about a product but w thout FDA perm ss on. The FDA s def n te y not a fan of free speech. A cherry producer who c tes peer-rev ewed sc ent f c research from prest g ous un vers t es on the hea th benef ts of cherr es wou d, n FDA-speak, have engaged n “fa se” and act onab e “m sbrand ng” wh ch sudden y turns the cherr es nto what FDA ca s “drugs.” It s because of th s “m sbrand ng” threat that supp ement producers are not a owed to d scuss sc ent f c research on the eff cacy of the r products. The FDA a so contends that “m sbrand ng” nc udes market ng or promot ng a drug or med ca adv ce for any use other than what the FDA approved t for. In other words, f a drug approved to treat narco epsy a so works as a treatment for nsomn a or f bromya g a (as a drug ca ed Xyrem a eged y does), the drug company and ts representat ves cannot promote the drug s off- abe uses. Doctors are free to prescr be a drug for any use they w sh, but the drug company can t te them about such a ternat ve uses. A former sa es rep for the company that made Xyrem was caught on tape (http://www.reuters.com/art c e/2012/12/04/us-off abe -conv ct on- dUSBRE8B21DC20121204)do ng ust that—promot ng ts off- abe uses to doctors. He was conv cted by a ury, but the sa es rep appea ed the conv ct on, argu ng that h s r ght to free speech under the F rst Amendment was be ng ega y restr cted. And yesterday, a federa Court of Appea s agreed that the ban on so-ca ed offabe market ng v o ated the sa es rep s freedom of speech (http://www.nyt mes.com/2012/12/04/bus ness/ru ng-backs-drug- ndustry-on-off- abe -market ng.htm ?_r=0&adxnn =1&adxnn x=1356361079-QNYakx4R/sf7xqYx1mMsWA). One of the udges wrote, “The government cannot prosecute pharmaceut ca manufacturers and the r representat ves under the FDCA [the federa Food, Drug, and Cosmet c Act] for speech promot ng the awfu , off- abe use of an FDAapproved drug.” The government s ke y to appea the appe ate court ru ng, and the case cou d f nd ts way to the Supreme Court. Wh e most accounts are cha k ng th s up as ust another w n for the drug compan es, th s ru ng cou d open the door for natura hea th proponents. Cons der ng that the prev ous understand ng was that anyone can speak open y about the truthfu -but-non-FDA approved hea th benef ts of a supp ement—anyone except the company se ng the product and ts representat ves, that s—th s ru ng cou d have huge mp cat ons for supp ement compan es and how they can commun cate to pract t oners, and perhaps even more broad y, to consumers. If a drug company sa es rep can promote non-FDA-approved uses for drugs, part cu ar y as a means for encourag ng doctors to prescr be them to the r pat ents, then m ght not the same freedom of speech a ow supp ement compan es to te pract t oners about the sc ence beh nd the r product? We shou d note that th s ru ng was on tera speech—what the rep sa d verba y—and d dn t spec f ca y app y to wr tten mater a s. But prev ous free speech ru ngs nterpret the ssue more broad y as “freedom of commun cat on.” And even f a court f nds t doesn t app y to wr tten mater a s, t wou d ke y st app y to what hea th food store emp oyees can te you about a supp ement—wh ch s, n tse f, a huge open ng. Maybe the government wou d have to stop try ng to entrap hea th food store emp oyees. The Pharmaceut ca Research and Manufacturers of Amer ca (PhRMA), a trade group represent ng the drug compan es, was of course p eased w th the dec s on. A spokesperson says say ng PhRMA “be eves that truthfu and nonm s ead ng commun cat on between b opharmaceut ca compan es and hea thcare profess ona s s good for pat ents, because t fac tates the exchange of up-to-date and sc ent f ca y accurate nformat on about new treatments.” Now remove the word “b opharmaceut ca ” n the above quote and put “supp ement” n ts p ace. The sword that s our freedom of speech cuts both ways! Th s art c e was repub shed w th perm ss on from the A ance for Natura Hea th USA, December 04, 2012. (http://www.anh-usa.org/free-speech-court-ru ng-cou d-have-far-reach ng-consequence/)
chefjeff
12-24-2012, 08:05 AM
As I cont nue to post the stat st c that govts murdered over 262,000,000 of the r own c t zens ast century, I fa to say that those numbers don t nc ude wars...and those don t nc ude the MILLIONS of deaths due to the FDA (http://www. s .org/resources/ t/death-regu at on.htm ) v o at ons of freedom. M ons. Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
12-25-2012, 09:04 PM
7 T ps for Opt m z ng Cho estero Leve s http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/12/ Stock_000004521240XSma . pg Posted by Jacob Te te baum, M.D. Are you go ng nto the ho day season, but have the b ues because you re ook ng at a th s great food but worr ed about a h gh cho estero eve . Here s some great news for you! Opt ma cho estero eve s are the #1 top c of conversat on when t comes to promot ng a hea thy heart and c rcu atory system. Want to know a d rty tt e med ca secret? In peop e w thout known heart d sease, ma nta n ng hea thy cho estero eve s s not necessar y the most mportant (or even an espec a y s gn f cant) factor when t comes to support ng heart hea th. For one th ng, sc ent f c research shows that many other factors are far more mportant to promot ng a hea thy heart. They nc ude exerc s ng regu ar y, ma nta n ng hea thy b ood pressure eve s, opt m z ng b ood sugar eve s, eat ng a hea thy d et, stopp ng smok ng, gett ng proper nutr t on, support ng good thyro d funct on, and ( n men) opt m z ng testosterone eve s. Lower ng cho estero doesn t even make the top 10! Another concern s that eve s of cho estero that are too ow may be unhea thy, because cho estero serves a cr t ca funct on n the body. Cho estero s essent a for the manufacture of key hormones, such as cort so , DHEA, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. It s true that stat ns — the cho estero - ower ng med cat ons so w de y used today — can be cr t ca and fe-sav ng n those who have a ready had a heart attack or who have ang na (chest pa n from narrowed arter es). But stat ns have a m n ma mpact on those who have never had a heart attack (ca ed pr mary prevent on), on y decreas ng r sk by ess than 10%. To put that stat st c n perspect ve, some stud es have shown that eat ng dark choco ate may be more ke y to mprove heart hea th, stat st ca y by 5 t mes as much, than tak ng a stat n! Another showed that own ng a cat may be 3 t mes more effect ve. Opt m z ng thyro d, even when thyro d b ood tests are norma , may be 5 t mes more effect ve. You get the p cture… If you want to promote hea thy cho estero eve s, there are safe, natura ways to do so. Here s the st of ways I deve oped for one of my most recent books, Rea Cause, Rea Cure (Roda e, August 2012). Want more Ho day cheer? Order $50 or more n our supp ement shop th s month, and get the book free! Top 7 T ps to Ma nta n Hea thy Cho estero Leve s Don t worry about eggs. Stud es show that eat ng even s x eggs every day has no effect on b ood cho estero eve s. Yet the myth pers sts that eggs are bad for your heart. Don t be eve t. Eat oatmea for breakfast. An oat-based cerea — whether t s cooked oatmea or a dry cerea such as L fe, Cheer os, or Quaker Oatmea Squares — s a tasty way to he p keep cho estero w th n a hea thy range. (Men) If testosterone s ow or ow-norma , cons der us ng b o dent ca testosterone. A ow testosterone eve n men w rout ne y cause e evated cho estero eve s, as we as e evated b ood pressure and b ood sugars. In my ma e pat ents, I prescr be testosterone f the pat ent has a tota testosterone eve that s under 450 nanograms per dec ter. I use a b o dent ca testosterone ge , preferab y from a compound ng pharmacy. Th s costs a t ny fract on of what the standard testosterone creams cost, and I f nd them more effect ve. I a m for a testosterone eve of over 700. If thyro d eve s are ow (even ow norma ), or you have fat gue, we ght ga n or co d nto erance, cons der a tr a of prescr pt on natura thyro d hormone. A subopt ma cho estero eve n both men and women s often caused by ow thyro d eve s. If you want to he p move your cho estero eve s to w th n a hea thy range, a tr a of thyro d hormone may be worthwh e — even f your ab tests for thyro d eve s are norma . Season w th gar c. Eat ng one to three c oves of gar c a day may be a good way to keep your cho estero n check. Try crush ng a c ove nto o ve o . Yummy! Snack on a handfu of “tree nuts” da y. Wa nuts can he p you ma nta n good cho estero eve s. So can a monds and macadam a. To he p support good tr g ycer de eve s, take acety L-carn t ne: 1,000 m grams da y. Th s supp ement he ps burn b ood fats. Take t for three months. (Opt ma eve s of tr g ycer des are ower than 150 mg/d .) In add t on, take a h gh qua ty f sh o /essent a fatty ac d support and cut back on excess sugar. Remember, the prob em s not so much the h gh cho estero , but rather that t s a marker for other prob ems that can cause heart d sease, such as ow thyro d, and ( n men) ow testosterone.
jimmyg
12-26-2012, 07:01 AM
How to Eas y and Inexpens ve y Ferment Your Own Vegetab es December 15, 2012 By Dr. Merco a L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/15/caro ne-barr nger- nterv ew.aspx?e_c d=20121215_DNL_art_1 v deo....
Story at-a-g ance: Your gut s home to count ess bacter a, both good and bad. These bacter a outnumber the ce s n your body by at east 10 to one, and ma nta n ng the dea ba ance of good and bad bacter a forms the foundat on for good hea th— phys ca , menta and emot ona Fermented or cu tured foods, such as cu tured vegetab es are dea for ma nta n ng opt ma gut hea th. Just one quarter to one ha f cup of fermented vegg es, eaten w th one to three mea s a day, can have a dramat c, benef c a mpact on your hea th— nc ud ng potent detox f cat on from tox ns and heavy meta s Summary nstruct ons for ferment ng your own vegetab es are nc uded, a ong w th a dozen spec a t ps and tr cks from the expert, Caro ne Barr nger
Caro ne Barr nger s a Nutr t ona Therapy Pract t oner (NTP), and an expert n the preparat on of the foods prescr bed n Dr. Natasha Campbe -McBr de s Gut and Psycho ogy Syndrome (GAPS) Nutr t ona Program. I f rst met Caro ne at the November 2011 Weston Pr ce W se Trad t ons event, where I had the opportun ty to en oy some amaz ng fermented vegetab es that her company had prepared. I mmed ate y started ncorporat ng them nto my own d et, and after about s x weeks, I was p easant y surpr sed to d scover that th s m nor change had dramat ca y decreased p aque format on on my teeth, wh ch has been a chron c prob em for me. Caro ne has been nvo ved w th nutr t on for about 20 years, and s now one of Dr. McBr de s ch ef tra n ng partners, he p ng peop e understand the food preparat on process, wh ch re es heav y on fermented and trad t ona y-prepared who e foods. Caro ne s ourney began when her hea th suffered a b ow. "F rst and foremost, I m a profess ona s nger and vo ce-over art st. In my younger years, when I f rst moved to New York (I m or g na y from F or da), I had a r gorous performance schedu e, and th s schedu e rea y took a to on my hea th," she says. "I not ced severe energy ssues and chron c fat gue, acne, and a ot of ref ux, a ot of d gest ve ssues. So, I was search ng for food to be my med c ne. I was a vegetar an for a wh e, so I f rst started out w th Ann W gmore s L v ng Foods L festy e. And of course, she s most y vegan, but she s nto the who e enzyme-r ch foods, the prob ot c-r ch foods. And that was rea y p vota for me, even though I was st a vegetar an and I d d not rea ze the mportance of an ma fats and an ma products n my d et. It was the beg nn ng of the ourney to hea th for me." The Phenomena Hea th Benef ts of Fermented Vegetab es Cu tured or fermented foods have a very ong h story n v rtua y a nat ve d ets, and have a ways been h gh y pr zed for the r hea th benef ts. The cu tur ng process produces benef c a m crobes that are extreme y mportant for human hea th as they he p ba ance your ntest na f ora, thereby boost ng overa mmun ty. Moreover, your gut tera y serves as your second bra n, and even produces more of the neurotransm tter seroton n—known to have a benef c a nf uence on your mood—than your bra n does, so ma nta n ng a hea thy gut w benef t your m nd as we as your body. Fermented foods are a so some of the best che ators and detox agents ava ab e, mean ng they can he p r d your body of a w de var ety of tox ns, nc ud ng heavy meta s. Th s s part of what makes Dr. McBr de s GAPS Nutr t ona Protoco so effect ve. It effect ve y restores your own detox f cat on system, and the fermented/cu tured foods are nstrumenta n th s se f-hea ng process. And you don t need to consume arge amounts e ther. Caro ne recommends eat ng about a quarter to ha f a cup (2 to 4 oz) of fermented vegetab es or other cu tured food, such as raw yoghurt, w th one to three mea s per day. Bear n m nd that s nce cu tured foods are very eff c ent detox f ers, you may exper ence detox symptoms, or a "hea ng cr s s," f you ntroduce too many at once. Caro ne recommends beg nn ng w th very sma serv ngs and work ng your way up to the quarter- to ha f cup serv ng s ze. Th s way your ntest na m crob ota has the chance to ad ust. "If they ntroduce too much, too fast, they w exper ence some d e-off symptoms that can be uncomfortab e and confus ng. Th s s where we ose peop e. The nnate nte gence of the r bod es te s them to eat more cu tured foods because they re n such a state of dysb os s. So, they go to town and eat a who e ar of vegg es. Then they go nto a hea ng cr s s and they are afra d to try cu tured foods aga n," Caro ne warns. "... Start s ow, and that way you won t have a headache or you won t have that outbreak... you w start to see yourse f e m nat ng more natura y, and the proper stoo w form, the shape w change, and t w be a be benef c a to you. Let your nnate nte gence gu de you, and f you see someth ng or fee someth ng that s not so r ght, don t d sm ss the cu tured foods and say, "Oh, that was bad for me, t caused a react on." That s not what your body s te ng you. Your body s te ng you, "S ow down." There are Many Var et es of Cu tured Foods Idea y, you want to nc ude a var ety of cu tured foods and beverages n your d et, as each food w nocu ate your gut w th a var ety of d fferent m croorgan sms. Fermented foods you can eas y make at home nc ude: Cu tured vegetab es ( nc ud ng pureed baby foods) Chutneys Cond ments, such as sa sa and mayonna se Cu tured da ry, such as yoghurt, kef r, and sour cream F sh, such as mackere and Swed sh grav ax In th s nterv ew, Caro ne d scusses the process of ferment ng your own vegetab es n some deta , so for more nformat on, p ease sten to the nterv ew n ts ent rety, or read through the transcr pt. Accord ng to her, most peop e are very nt m dated, f not downr ght fr ghtened that the cu tur ng process m ght ead to some horr f c pathogen c nfect on... Wh e understandab e, th s fear s undeserved. Caro ne addresses th s and other concerns n her art c e "Tak ng the Mystery out of Cu tur ng Your Own Superfoods."1 C ear y, educat ng yourse f about the process w he p a ev ate concerns about eat ng fermented foods, wh ch are very much "a ve." "If they cou d on y grasp the mportant concept that t s NOT the m crobe; rather, t s the terra n ( mmune system) we shou d be worr ed about!" she says. How to Cu ture Your Own Vegetab es Wh e you can do w d fermentat on, wh ch s a ow ng whatever s on the vegetab e or fru t that you re cu tur ng to ust natura y take ho d and cu ture the food, th s method s very t me consum ng. Inocu at ng the food us ng a so-ca ed starter cu ture speeds up the fermentat on process. A though you can use a crock pot, Caro ne recommends cu tur ng your vegg es d rect y n the g ass Mason ars, wh ch e m nates the need for a crock pot and e m nates a transfer step n the process. Th s a so a ows you to make sma er batches, and t e m nates the presence of w d yeasts wh ch can occur when us ng a crock. These yeasts tend to g ve the food a cheesy sort of f avor, wh ch many f nd unpa atab e. Here s a qu ck summary of Caro ne s rec pe for how to make your own fermented vegg es: Shred and cut your chosen vegg es Ju ce some ce ery. Th s s used as the br ne, as t conta ns natura sod um and keeps the vegetab es anaerob c. Th s e m nates the need for sea sa t, wh ch prevents growth of pathogen c bacter a Pack the vegg es and ce ery u ce a ong w th the nocu ants (starter cu ture, such as kef r gra ns, whey, or commerc a starter powder ke our Comp ete Prob ot cs, a of wh ch can be used for vegetab es) nto a 32 ounce w de-mouthed cann ng ar. A kraut pounder too can be he pfu to pack the ar and e m nate any a r pockets. We hope to have our new starter cu ture wh ch s opt m zed w th stra ns of bacter a that w make h gh doses of v tam n K2 somet me n ear y 2013 assum ng our test ng goes we . Top w th a cabbage eaf, tuck ng t down the s des. Make sure the vegg es are comp ete y covered w th ce ery u ce and that the u ce s a the way to the top of the ar to e m nate trapped a r Sea the ar store n a warm, s ght y mo st p ace for 24 to 96 hours, depend ng on the food be ng cu tured. Idea temperature range s 68-75 degrees Fahrenhe t; 85 degrees max. Remember, heat k s the m crobes! When done, store n the refr gerator to s ow down the fermentat on process Here are a few of Caro ne s suggest on for how to store the ars for opt ma fermentat on. (Remember, they don t requ re a heated env ronment and on y need to be kept around 72 degrees): "S mp y put the ars nto a [portab e] coo er and p ace the coo er OFF the f oor (the f oor s usua y too co d due to heat r s ng away from t). Wrap the ars ns de the coo er n an o d towe and p ace an add t ona ar of HOT water nto the coo er to make the env ronment warm. You can rep ace the hot water ar when you "th nk" about t - no need to obsess. You can a so p ace the ars n a cassero e d sh or bak ng d sh and wrap them n a towe and p ace them n your oven w th the oven heat OFF of course, but sw tch the oven ght on. The heat em tt ng from the app ance bu b w keep the vegg es warm. Another opt on s to p ace as many ars as poss b e nto a dehydrator and set t to the owest temperature sett ng, but most dehydrators on y accommodate a coup e of ars max. It s best to prepare many ars at one t me due to the g ven fact that mak ng vegg es s a abor ntens ve process. I ke the coo er or oven ncubat on processes best. They work we every t me." Last but not east, res st the temptat on to eat out of the ar! Th s can ntroduce organ sms from your mouth nto the ar. Instead, a ways use a c ean spoon to take out what you re go ng to eat, then, mak ng sure the rema n ng vegg es are covered w th the br ne so ut on, recap the ar. One Dozen T ps and Tr cks for Mak ng De c ous Cu tured Vegetab es Due to my own nterest, Caro ne has shared a ot of nformat on w th me. Here are a dozen more of her t ps and tr cks that she d dn t share dur ng the nterv ew: Cabbage shou d compr se at east 80 percent of your vegetab e b end. Carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, turn ps and other hard root vegg es can a so serve as a great base for your cu tured vegg es, but they re not as econom ca . Cont nued.....
jimmyg
12-26-2012, 07:01 AM
F ve to s x med um-s zed heads of cabbage w y e d about 10-14 quart-s ze (32 oz) ars of fermented vegg es. You can use red or green cabbage, but make sure they re hard and heavy, w th dense y packed eaves. The ghter, eaf er var et es w tend to turn nto mush that doesn t ferment we . Add n other vegetab es to su t your taste, such as: red, ye ow or orange be pepper, butter nut squash, d , pars ey, ka e, co ards and red or go den beets. Beware: use be peppers spar ng y as they have a very strong presence. One sma pepper for 12 to 14 ars s p enty. A ways use ORGANIC vegetab es! Pee your vegetab es as the sk ns can add a b tter f avor. When add ng aromat cs, such as on on, gar c and g nger, remember that ferment ng ncreases the f avor mu t p e-fo d, so a tt e goes a ong way. Don t overdo t! A few med um-s ze c oves s enough to nfuse a dozen ars or more w th a m d gar c f avor. On on tends to overpower, no matter how tt e s used, so Caro ne doesn t use t n any of her b ends. When add ng herbs, on y use fresh organ c herbs, n sma amounts. Tasty add t ons nc ude: bas , sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. Add sea vegetab es or seaweed to ncrease the m nera , v tam n and f ber content. You can add p eces of who e du se, or use f akes. Wakame and sea pa m, wh ch do not have any k nd of f shy f avor, need to be presoaked and d ced nto des red s ze. Arame and h ak do have a f shy f avor. Use two packets of starter cu ture for a 12-14 ar batch dur ng summer season. In the w nter, you need three packets. Dur ng summer, vegg es are typ ca y done n three to four days. In the w nter, they may need up to seven days. Just open up the ar and have a taste. Once you re happy w th the f avor and cons stency, move the ars nto the fr dge. Too s of the Trade Hav ng the r ght too s can make the process eas er. You don t need much, but cann ng ars, and a food processor to s ce and d ce arge amounts of vegetab es are recommended. Cann ng ars can be found at your oca hardware store and at some grocery stores as we . Amazon.com and other on ne sources a so carry them. The 32 oz ars work rea y we , but you can f nd both sma er and arger, depend ng on your needs. Do get the w de-mouthed vers on, as they are much eas er to work w th. It a ows you to get your hand down nto the ar, and t s very mportant to pack the ar f rm y w th vegetab es to e m nate any a r pockets. Caro ne exp a ns: "You want to squeeze a the oxygen out, and you want your cu tured vegg es or whatever you re cu tur ng to be anaerob c, mean ng oxygen-free. Underneath water s the best way to do that, or underneath the qu d n the ar. And that w de-mouthed a ows you to keep press ng down... A kraut pounder [can be he pfu ]. It ooks ke a t ny baseba bat. You can go to krautpounder.com, I be eve, and you can buy a tt e kraut pounder, and you ust use that to press down to get a the oxygen out. That way, when you sea up th s ar, you have th s perfect, anaerob c env ronment w th n that vesse for t to cu ture." Caro ne recommends a coup e of mode s of food processors, emphas z ng qua ty and power for opt ma performance: Cu s nart Home K tchen Mode s, E te ser es: Th s s for genera home use and usua y ava ab e on Amazon.com. Very re ab e, powerfu and t has a arge 14-cup capac ty so you don t have to keep tak ng t apart to dump out the processed contents. War ng Cu s nart Commerc a Food Processor w th feed chute: Heavy-duty and h gh qua ty, th s food processor s worth the nvestment ($599 and up) f you p an to make vegg es often and n arger batches. Th s one s NOT ava ab e on Amazon.com. You w need to purchase on ne from a restaurant supp y store. Another t p nc udes us ng the shredd ng d sc rather than the "S" shaped b ade. Make sure the food processor mode you buy comes w th a shredd ng d sc, as some don t. In worst case, purchase t separate y. Accord ng to Caro ne, "the shredd ng b ade makes a "s aw/trad t ona kraut- ke" texture to the vegg es. The "S" b ade f ne y m nces vegg es nto a more pu p- ke, crushed cons stency. Th s can be too soupy and dur ng the cu tur ng process, become more ke a mushy sa sa. Def n te y SHRED your vegg es for the best resu ts - un ess you ke the crushed vers on." Add t ona Resources In add t on to the wea th of nformat on shared n the nterv ew above, I h gh y recommend gett ng the book Gut and Psycho ogy Syndrome, wh ch prov des a the necessary deta s for the GAPS protoco . We were f na y ab e to conv nce Dr. Campbe -McBr de to pr nt t n the U.S., so I now offer t for sa e n my store. It saves you a few do ars, compared to order ng t from the U.K.. www.Immun tr t on.com s another he pfu resource where you can earn more about cu tured and fermented foods. If you re so nc ned, you can a so f nd nformat on about how to become a Cert f ed Hea ng Foods Spec a st here. Add t ona y, f for whatever reason you ust don t have the t me, effort, energy, amb t on, mot vat on, or d sc p ne to ferment your own foods, but you understand and apprec ate the va ue of them, Caro ne has a company that se s them. I used hers for a month before I started mak ng my own. So, f you ust want to put your toe n the water and see f you ke them, you can order a ar or two and try them out. You can f nd her products on www.Cu turedVegetab es.net or www.Cu turedNutr t on.com. I fee very strong y that f we can cata yze a movement to get more peop e to mp ement th s anc ent d etary w sdom to the r norma eat ng patterns, then we start see ng a rad ca change n hea th.
jimmyg
12-27-2012, 08:02 AM
Genera M s Gets a Taste of the Back ash After t Spent Over $1.1 M on to Defeat GMO Labe ng In t at ve http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/cheer os. pg L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/18/genera -m s-cheer os.aspx?e_c d=20121218_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Merco a Organ c foods are requ red by U.S. federa aw to be produced n ways that promote eco og ca susta nab ty, w thout common tox c and genet ca y eng neered ngred ents. But organ c products are ncreas ng y be ng forced to compete w th products that are abe ed as "natura ." There are no restr ct ons on the term "natura ", and t often const tutes noth ng more than mean ng ess market ng hype. Most d sturb ng of a , many foods abe ed as "natura " actua y conta n genet ca y eng neered ngred ents, and breakfast cerea s are part cu ar y gu ty of th s. Ca forn a s Propos t on 37, wh ch wou d have requ red GE foods to be abe ed as such and prevented GE foods from be ng m s abe ed as "natura ," was defeated back n November due to mass ve donat ons from mu t nat ona corporat ons that h de GE ngred ents beh nd natura abe s and "who esome" advert s ng. One such company was Genera M s, wh ch donated more than $1.1 m on to the No on Prop. 37 campa gn to defeat the GE abe ng aw. I recent y to d you th s betraya of consumers trust w backf re, and Genera M s ust got a taste of the back ash. Good Bus ness 101: Do Not Dece ve Your Customers At the beg nn ng of December, Genera M s Cheer os brand re eased a Facebook app ask ng "fans" to "show what Cheer os mean to them." The app a owed users to create the r own p acards us ng Cheer os trademarked b ack font on a ye ow background, where dots and per ods featured tt e cheer os. One day ater, the app was abrupt y pu ed after thousands of angry "fans" expressed the r d sgust over the company s betraya . Accord ng to Act v st Post1: "You cou d tera y spend a day ook ng at Recent Posts by Others on Cheer os Facebook page - they are near y a comp a nts about GMOs and dec arat ons of boycotts." Cheer os d gent y de eted posts as qu ck y as they cou d, and most have now been removed, a ong w th the app. But screenshots of some of the creat ons have been preserved on Cheeses ave2 and the Happy P ace3 webs te. Examp es nc ude: Occupy Food Po son Sc ence Exper ment Cheer gmos Caut on GMOs http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2012/December/decept on. pg http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2012/December/caut on-gmos. pg Photos by Act v stPost.com
As stated n the featured art c e4: "Genera M s has drawn the r ne n the sand, spent over a m on to dece ve pay ng customers, and s now try ng to h de the back ash from other customers who do not yet know the damag ng nature of genet c mod f cat on. It ust goes to show that the f ght for truth about GMOs n the face of decept on by Monsanto, DuPont, and arge food corporat ons s far from over. And consumers are w nn ng w thout need ng m ons for a fa ed hushmoney campa gn." Parents are Wak ng Up to the Dangers of Genet ca y Eng neered Foods In a recent press re ease 5, A sa Grav tz, CEO and pres dent of Green Amer ca, stated: "The sheer vo ume of comments on Cheer os Facebook page ra s ng concerns around genet ca y eng neered ngred ents s ncred b y nsp r ng. It s a so amaz ng to see the creat v ty that v s tors to Cheer os Facebook page use to ca out Cheer os on us ng the r customers as a sc ence exper ment for GMO consumpt on. Cheer os s a cerea that s frequent y fed to ch dren, and many of the comments are from concerned parents who are worr ed about the fact that they have been feed ng a cerea w th genet ca y eng neered ngred ents to the r ch dren." One such parent posted a comment on Cheer os Facebook page say ng, "So sorry that the food my k ds oved as todd ers s one I can t support anymore. I can t be eve that Genera M s has the we -be ng of ts customers n m nd when t contr butes to movement aga nst abe ng of GMOs." She expresses exact y what so many peop e are now wak ng up to — the fact that there are an ever grow ng number of genet ca y eng neered ngred ents n our food that we had no dea were there. As far as Cheer os goes, you d never get the mpress on there m ght be anyth ng unnatura about the r cerea . Accord ng to ts webs te6: "Cheer os has been a fam y favor te for years — w th good reason! Its who esome goodness s perfect for todd ers to adu ts and everyone n between. Made from who e gra n oats, Cheer os has no art f c a co ors or f avors. Those who esome tt e O s have on y one gram of sugar. They re ow n fat, have no saturated fat and are natura y cho estero free. Cheer os are a so an exce ent source of fo c ac d and a good source of f ber. Maybe that s why parents fee so good about serv ng Cheer os to the r fam es. It s a hea thy way to start the day, a perfect snack, and tastes great n a rec pe. You can trust Cheer os for a fet me of who esome goodness for your who e fam y." However, two of the f rst three ngred ents n Cheer os and Honey Nut Cheer os are corn starch and sugar — two ngred ents that m ght be genet ca y eng neered (a ma or ty of corn-based ngred ents and sugar from sugar beets on the US market s now GE). The th ng s we can t know s nce they don t have to d sc ose whether they re us ng GE ngred ents or not on the abe . But the fact that Genera M s chose to cough up we over a m on do ars to avo d GE abe ng def n te y eads one to be eve that, most ke y, these (and/or other ngred ents) of Cheer os ARE ndeed the genet ca y mod f ed vers ons. If that s the case, then there goes the "trust" for "a fet me of who esome goodness." The fact that Genera M s wou d rather pay m ons to h de that the r products conta n GE ngred ents rather than g ve you the cho ce to buy someth ng e se, or reformu ate the r product w thout GE ngred ents (wh ch wou d be the sens b e th ng to do f they were rea y concerned about ch dren s ong-term hea th and we -be ng) s qu te te ng. And fortunate y, peop e are now start ng to see through these shady tact cs where act ons do not match the r words. Sugar Doesn t Need to Be Genet ca y Mod f ed to Be Hazardous to Your Ch d s Hea th Bes des the ssue of whether the sugar n your favor te processed food s genet ca y eng neered or not, t s mportant to remember that sugary breakfast cerea s are bad news for your ch d s hea th no matter what. Many are utter y foo ed by advert sements prom s ng "who esome goodness," when t s rea y very tt e d fference between many popu ar breakfast cerea s and a candy bar. The fo ow ng v deo ustrates th s qu te effect ve y. Honey Nut Cheer os conta ns the equ va ent of four added teaspoons of sugar n each bow compared to the or g na Cheer os. Few parents wou d a ow the r ch d to heap four teaspoons of sugar onto the r cerea . Yet they fa to understand ust how much sugar s h dden n the processed foods they serve the r k ds each day. V deo.... Are You Be ng M s ed by Your Favor te "A -Natura " Brand? Last year, a report from the Cornucop a Inst tute t t ed Cerea Cr mes7 exposed how most "natura " brands are actua y ust charg ng you more for what often amounts to genet ca y eng neered ngred ents. Th s s n a ke hood part of the reason why so many "natura " brands spent m ons of do ars to defeat Ca forn a s GMO abe ng campa gn. Accord ng to the report: "[There s a] vast d fferences between organ c cerea and grano a products and so-ca ed natura products, wh ch conta n ngred ents grown on convent ona farms where the use of tox c pest c des and genet ca y eng neered organ sms s w despread... Our ana ys s revea s that "natura " products — us ng convent ona ngred ents — often are pr ced h gher than equ va ent organ c products. Th s suggests that some compan es are tak ng advantage of consumer confus on." Th s s s gn f cant, because surveys have shown that more consumers pay attent on to the "100% Natura " c a m than the "100% Organ c" abe . In one such survey, 31 percent of respondents sa d the "100% Natura " abe was the most des rab e eco-fr end y product c a m, compared to ust 14 percent who chose "100% Organ c." Food compan es c ear y know th s, and they re cash ng n on your confus on. The truth s, synthet c ngred ents and add t ves, tox c pest c des, fum gants and so vents frequent y show up n products bear ng the "natura " abe , wh e these are str ct y proh b ted n organ c product on. But the most d sturb ng f nd ng presented n the Cerea Cr mes report re ated to the presence of genet ca y eng neered ngred ents found n so-ca ed a -natura foods: "The Cornucop a Inst tute sent samp es of breakfast cerea to an accred ted and h gh y reputab e GMO test ng aboratory. Samp es were tested for the exact percentage of genet ca y eng neered corn or soybeans, us ng the most soph st cated and accurate tests commerc a y ava ab e. The resu ts were stunn ng. Severa breakfast cerea manufacturers that market the r foods as "natura ," even some that c a m to avo d genet ca y eng neered ngred ents and are enro ed n the Non-GMO Pro ect, conta ned h gh eve s of genet ca y eng neered ngred ents." Natura products found to conta n 100 percent genet ca y eng neered gra ns nc uded: Kash ® - Mother s® - Nutr t ous L v ng® - Genera M s K x® - GoLean® - Bumpers® - H -Lo®. Remember: "Natura " Labe Does NOT Proh b t Genet ca y Mod f ed Ingred ents The USDA cert f ed organ c abe s your best guarantee that the food was produced w thout: Tox c pest c des Genet ca y eng neered (GE) ngred ents Carc nogen c fum gants Chem ca so vents Th s peace of m nd s someth ng the "100% Natura " abe w NOT g ve you. Genet ca y eng neered (GE) ngred ents are of part cu ar concern when t comes to food products ke breakfast cerea s and grano a bars, because, n the US, the vast ma or ty of the most common ngred ents n these products — corn, soy, and cano a — are genet ca y mod f ed. Unfortunate y, more than 60 percent of consumers erroneous y be eve that the "natura " abe mp es or suggests the absence of GE ngred ents, accord ng to a 2010 Hartman Group po . If you re one of the 60 percent, p ease understand that at the current t me, the ONLY abe that can protect you aga nst GE ngred ents s the USDA 100% Organ c abe . In L eu of GMO Labe ng, 100% Organ c s Your On y Assurance Cont nued....
jimmyg
12-27-2012, 08:04 AM
Once you rea ze that much of the "natura " c a ms are hype, t becomes eas er to nav gate around the decept on. To f nd brands that are comm tted to susta nab e organ c agr cu ture and avo d ng genet ca y eng neered ngred ents use Cornucop a s Cerea Scorecard8. Another factor to cons der s the fact that many sma fam y farms actua y adhere to fu y organ c pract ces even though they may not have gone through the expense of obta n ng organ c cert f cat on. So abe s aren t everyth ng when t comes to hea thfu food. But f you re go ng to shop by the abe , make sure t s the cert f ed 100% organ c abe . Unt or un ess we get GMO abe ng n the US, the 100% USDA Cert f ed Organ c abe s the on y assurance you have that the food you buy does NOT conta n genet ca y eng neered ngred ents. Keep F ght ng for GMO Labe ng n North Amer ca W th the defeat of Prop. 37 n Ca forn a, the f e d-of-p ay has now moved to the state of Wash ngton, where the peop e s n t at ve 522, "The Peop e s R ght to Know Genet ca y Eng neered Food Act," w requ re food so d n reta out ets to be abe ed f t conta ns genet ca y eng neered ngred ents. As stated on Labe WA.org9: "Ca or e and nutr t ona nformat on were not a ways requ red on food abe s. But s nce 1990 t has been requ red and most consumers use th s nformat on every day. Country-of-or g n abe ng wasn t requ red unt 2002. The trans fat content of foods d dn t have to be abe ed unt 2006. Now, a of these abe ng requ rements are accepted as mportant for consumers. The Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) a so says we must know w th abe ng f our orange u ce s from fresh oranges or frozen concentrate. Doesn t t make sense that genet ca y eng neered foods conta n ng exper menta v ra , bacter a , nsect, p ant or an ma genes shou d be abe ed, too? Genet ca y eng neered foods do not have to be tested for safety before enter ng the market. No ong-term human feed ng stud es have been done. The research we have s ra s ng ser ous quest ons about the mpact to human hea th and the env ronment. I-522 prov des the transparency peop e deserve. I-522 w not ra se costs to consumers or food producers. It s mp y wou d add more nformat on to food abe s, wh ch manufacturers change rout ne y anyway, a the t me. I-522 does not mpose any s gn f cant cost on our state. It does not requ re the state to conduct abe surve ance, or to n t ate or pursue enforcement. The state may choose to do so, as a po cy cho ce, but I-522 was wr tten to avo d ra s ng costs to the state or consumers." The n t at ve reports hav ng reg ona eaders across the state. In order to get I-522 on the 2013 ba ot, they need to co ect 241,153 va d s gnatures by December 31, 2012. I urge you to share th s nformat on w th everyone you know n Wash ngton State, and ask them to s gn the pet t on. Vermont has a so created a R ght to Know Campa gn10 appea ng d rect y to the r state eg s ators. These n t at ves need support of peop e ke YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 fa ed w th a very narrow marg n s mp y because we d dn t have the funds to counter the mass ve ad campa gns created by the No on 37 camp, ed by Monsanto and other ma or food compan es — nc ud ng Genera M s. Let s not a ow Monsanto and ts a es to confuse and m s ead the peop e of Wash ngton and Vermont as they d d n Ca forn a. So p ease, I urge you to get nvo ved and he p n any way you can, regard ess of what state you ve n. No matter where you ve n the Un ted States, p ease donate money to these abe ng efforts through the Organ c Consumers Fund (http://www.organ cconsumersfund.org/ abe /). If you ve n Wash ngton State, p ease s gn the I-522 pet t on. (http://www. abe twa.org/where_to_s gn_ _522) You can a so vo unteer to he p gather s gnatures across the state. If you ve n Vermont, p ease s gn the VT R ght to Know GMO s pet t on. (http://www.vp rg.org/news/vermont-the-next-batt eground-state/) For t me y updates on ssues re at ng to these and other abe ng n t at ves, p ease o n the Organ c Consumers Assoc at on on Facebook, or fo ow them on Tw tter. Ta k to organ c producers and stores and ask them to act ve y support the Wash ngton and Vermont n t at ves.
jimmyg
12-27-2012, 07:35 PM
For Ath etes, R sks from Ibuprofen Use http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/ buprofen. pg By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Tak ng buprofen before a workout n order to reduce musc e soreness has been nked to ntest na eakage and system c nf ammat on; when used chron ca y, buprofen may ead to ntest na permeab ty, a ow ng bacter a and d gest ve enzymes to eak nto your b oodstream regu ar y Us ng buprofen chron ca y pr or to your workouts may a so reduce the absorpt on of key nutr ents, part cu ar y after exerc se, wh ch may make t harder for your musc es to regenerate; further, th s pract ce has not been shown to reduce musc e damage or soreness Separate research suggests the coat ng used on asp r n, another common pa n re ever, wh ch s there to he p protect your stomach, may actua y be nterfer ng w th ts purported benef ts The best strateg es to he p reduce musc e fat gue and soreness are those that w he p to address some of the under y ng causes; drugs do not fa nto th s category
Ibuprofen (brand names Adv , Motr n) s a nonstero da ant - nf ammatory drug (NSAID) common y used by ath etes, both before and after workouts. Wh e many peop e have used buprofen to a ev ate pa n caused by headaches, arthr t s, menstrua cramps, toothache and so on, t s common for ath etes to take a dose of the drug before the r workout, under the assumpt on that t w he p to reduce musc e soreness ater on, a ow ng for a onger, harder tra n ng sess on. Th s s actua y not proven, but what s becom ng apparent s that us ng buprofen prophy act ca y s fraught w th r sks that can ser ous y hamper your hea th. Ibuprofen P us Exerc se Leads to Increased Intest na Damage Near y every t me you exerc se ntense y, b ood gets d verted away from your d gest ve tract toward your musc es. Th s ack of b ood f ow causes trauma to some ce s n ng the sma ntest nes, caus ng them to eak1 – a though genera y w th n an hour or so after the workout the ce s return to norma . When buprofen s added nto the equat on, researchers found that b ood eve s of a prote n nd cat ng ntest na eakage were not ceab y h gher n those who took the drug pr or to exerc se, compared to those who d d not, or who took buprofen w thout exerc s ng.2 And un ke the s ght damage that occurs under norma exerc se cond t ons, when buprofen was used the ntest na eakage appeared to cont nue for severa hours after the exerc se was stopped. The f nd ng sn t exact y surpr s ng, cons der ng the most common s de effect of buprofen s gastro ntest na damage, nc ud ng ser ous b eed ng. However, the researchers noted that wh e the hea th mp cat ons of the r f nd ngs are not ent re y c ear, regu ar y us ng buprofen pr or to exerc se may: Comprom se the ntegr ty of the ntest nes, a ow ng bacter a and d gest ve enzymes to eak nto your b oodstream regu ar y Comprom se the absorpt on of nutr ents, part cu ar y after exerc se, wh ch may make t harder for musc es to regenerate Other stud es have a so nked buprofen use dur ng exerc se to ntest na prob ems, nc ud ng one that found co on c bacter a n the b oodstreams of runners who used buprofen regu ar y, wh ch resu ted n h gher eve s of system c nf ammat on.3 Add ng nsu t to n ury, the buprofen use d d not even he p w th musc e damage or soreness … That study s author, Dav d C. N eman, a professor of hea th and exerc se sc ence at Appa ach an State Un vers ty, to d the New York T mes:4 "The dea s ust entrenched n the ath et c commun ty that buprofen w he p you to tra n better and harder … But that be ef s s mp y not true. There s no sc ent f ca y va d reason to use buprofen before exerc se and many reasons to avo d t." L kew se, the authors of the new study echoed th s adv ce:5 "Th s s the f rst study to revea that buprofen aggravates exerc se- nduced sma ntest na n ury and nduces gut barr er dysfunct on n hea thy nd v dua s. We conc ude that non-stero da ant - nf ammatory drug consumpt on by ath etes s not harm ess and shou d be d scouraged." Ibuprofen s R sky for Your Heart, Too Many peop e don t th nk tw ce about tak ng a coup e of buprofen for m nor aches and pa n, but chron c use of NSAIDs ke buprofen s assoc ated w th s gn f cant, and very ser ous, s de effects, nc ud ng: Card ovascu ar prob ems Gastro ntest na harm K dney and/or ver damage If you are tak ng an NSAID and you have a h story of heart d sease, you are at a 10-fo d ncrease n the r sk of congest ve heart fa ure (CHF).6 And even f you don t, your r sk of CHF w st be ncreased by 60 percent f you take NSAIDs. U cers are another ma or r sk, and up to 60 percent of regu ar NSAID users w have gastro ntest na s de effects re ated to these drugs, accord ng to the Amer can Co ege of Gastroentero ogy (ACG).7 In fact, ACG notes that regu ar use of NSAIDs s the second most common cause for u cers. G ven the r sks, regu ar y tak ng buprofen prevent ve y to avo d post-exerc se musc e pa n s probab y not a w se opt on – and you may a so want to reth nk your opt ons f you re us ng t for other forms of pa n re ef. Study Ra ses Quest ons on Coat ng of Asp r n Asp r n s another type of NSAID pa n re ever often used by ath etes and non-ath etes a ke. It, too, s nked to ser ous med ca prob ems such as u cers and gastro ntest na b eed ng, even when used at ow doses for heart d sease prevent on (wh ch I do not recommend). Whether or not asp r n tru y s usefu for your heart has been debated for years, and now new research suggests the coat ng used on asp r n, wh ch s there to he p protect your stomach, may actua y be nterfer ng w th ts purported benef ts.8 The study set out to ook nto asp r n res stance, a controvers a cond t on sa d to mpact up to 40 percent of the popu at on and poss b y exp a n why asp r n does not appear to he p prevent heart attacks and stroke n some peop e. Wh e the research found not a s ng e case of true asp r n res stance, they d d f nd that the enter c-coated asp r n appeared to cause "de ayed and reduced drug absorpt on," ead ng to what they ca ed "pseudores stance," wh ch was not found w th the uncoated asp r n. St , sc ent f c stud es have fa ed to prove that ow-dose asp r n offers safe and effect ve protect on from card ovascu ar d sease, desp te ts vast popu ar ty among phys c ans. Many stud es suggest t may be do ng more harm than good. There are stud es show ng asp r n s connect on w th 51 d fferent d seases!9 The most we estab shed s de effect of asp r n s b eed ng, wh ch resu ts from asp r n s nterference w th your p ate ets—the b ood ce s that a ow your b ood to c ot. Accord ng to one sc ent f c art c e, 10 ong-term ow-dose asp r n therapy may DOUBLE your r sk for gastro ntest na b eed ng. Rout ne use of asp r n has been assoc ated w th the fo ow ng prob ems: B eed ng, espec a y n the gastro ntest na tract Duodena u cers, GI damage, and d vert cu ar d sease Increased r sk of ER/PR-negat ve breast cancer n women Increased r sk of k dney fa ure Cataracts, hear ng oss and t nn tus 5 Natura T ps for Prevent ng and Re ev ng Sore Musc es For some, the d scomfort assoc ated w th de ayed-onset musc e soreness (DOMS), wh ch genera y occurs about 24 hours after exerc se, s enough to make you th nk tw ce before go ng back to the gym or engag ng n act v t es you wou d otherw se en oy. Natura y, f g ven the opt on, most wou d choose to prevent the musc e soreness that fo ows ntense exerc se or phys ca act v ty, but us ng r sky drugs s not the on y, or the best, so ut on. The best strateg es to he p reduce musc e fat gue and soreness, whether you re a profess ona ath ete or not, are those that w he p to address some of the under y ng causes. Among them: Us ng acce erat on tra n ng Who e Body V brat ona Tra n ng (WBVT), a so known as Acce erat on Tra n ng us ng a Power P ate, works by st mu at ng your wh te musc e f bers—wh ch are your fast- and super-fast musc e f bers. The Power P ate k ck-starts your p tu tary g and nto mak ng more growth hormone (HGH), wh ch he ps you bu d ean body mass and burn fat, as we as acce erate t ssue hea ng. Acce erat on Tra n ng s qu te d fferent n that the v brat ng p ate targets your ent re body, focus ng on fu y ntegrated motor and neuro og ca patterns, wh ch a ows you to work ALL your musc es, and nerves, a at the same t me. It s a tru y revo ut onary approach to f tness because t addresses your neuromuscu ar system as a who e, rather than one mb or musc e group at a t me. The net resu t s a dramat c mprovement n strength and power, f ex b ty, ba ance, tone and eanness, a ong w th reduced pa n and soreness. They aren t cheap but I am fortunate to have access to one v rtua y year-round, and t s my f rst therapy that I use when I get a musc e n ury from an acc dent or over tra n ng. Eat ng g nger G nger conta ns ant - nf ammatory compounds and o s known as g ngero s, wh ch have pa n-re ev ng effects. In one study on peop e who d d exerc ses meant to nduce musc e pa n, those who ate two grams of g nger a day had a 25 percent reduct on n exerc se- nduced musc e pa n 24 hours after the r workout, compared to those who took a p acebo.11 Co d water mmers on Co d-water baths appear to be s gn f cant y more effect ve than rest n re ev ng de ayed-onset musc e soreness when used ust after exerc se. Co d works by ower ng the damaged t ssue s temperature and oca y constr ct ng b ood vesse s. Us ng co d therapy mmed ate y after an n ury he ps prevent bru s ng and swe ng from the waste and f u d bu d-up. Co d a so he ps numb nerve end ngs, prov d ng you w th nstant, oca zed pa n re ef. Eat ng a d et that nc udes natura y occurr ng carnos ne, .e. an ma prote n such as organ c grass-fed beef or free-range ch cken Carnos ne s a p ur potent d pept de composed of two am no ac ds, beta-a an ne and h stad ne, found n many t ssues but most notab y n your musc es. It serves severa mportant ro es, two of wh ch are: Buffer ng ac ds n your musc e Serv ng as a potent ant ox dant Carnos ne appears part cu ar y usefu for mprov ng anaerob c h gh ntens ty exerc se performance, but both of the funct ons ment oned above a so exp a n how t may he p reduce musc e soreness. As ment oned n Steady Hea th, damaged musc es become nf amed, wh ch can cause soreness. S nce carnos ne s a potent ant - nf ammatory ant ox dant,, ts presence n your musc e can serve to que musc e nf ammat on. 12 The foods w th the h ghest amount of usefu d etary d pept des ke carnos ne wou d be an ma prote ns, ke eggs, whey prote n, pou try and beef. If you are cons der ng us ng carnos ne as a supp ement t s mportant to rea ze that carnos ne tse f s probab y not that usefu because enzymes rap d y break t down to ts const tuent am no ac ds (beta-a an ne and h st d ne), wh ch are then absorbed by your musc es and re-formed back nto carnos ne. Tak ng a beta-a an ne supp ement As exp a ned above, f you do dec de to take a supp ement, nstead of tak ng carnos ne, I recommend tak ng ts pr mary precursor, beta-a an ne, based on the sc ence n th s area. Beta-a an ne has a so been shown to be he pfu for prevent ng musc e soreness when work ng out. For those of you who are us ng buprofen or asp r n for other types of pa n, nc ud ng arthr t s, back and neck pa n or headaches, I ve out ne more than a dozen natura , non-drug approaches to pa n re ef here.
jimmyg
12-28-2012, 07:11 AM
Grape Consumpt on S gn f cant y Improves Heart Hea th http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/12/ Stock_000002747711XSma . pg Posted by John Ph p In past research stud es, sc ent sts have v nd cated the hea th promot ng benef ts of eat ng grapes to ower the r sk of chron c d seases rang ng from cancer to dement a and d abetes. Grapes of a var et es conta n potent natura compounds known as po ypheno s that prov de cr t ca ant ox dant and ant - nf ammatory support for many ce u ar and metabo c funct ons throughout the body. New ev dence has now emerged to show how eat ng grapes or tak ng standard zed supp ements of grape extracts can mprove essent a b omarkers to dramat ca y mprove heart hea th n those nd v dua s w th metabo c syndrome. Researchers from the Un vers ty of Connect cut pub shed the resu t of the r research n the Journa of Nutr t on to exp a n how grape consumpt on s heart protect ve n those h gh r sk nd v dua s d agnosed w th metabo c syndrome. The study team observed a reduct on n key r sk factors for heart d sease n men w th metabo c syndrome, most notab y owered b ood pressure, mproved b ood f ow and reduced nf ammat on. Grapes Lower Dead y Leve s of Inf ammatory Compounds to Lower Heart D sease R sk Metabo c syndrome s a ma or pub c hea th concern def ned as a c uster of cond t ons that occur together: ncreased b ood pressure, a h gh b ood sugar eve , excess body fat around the wa st or ow HDL (the good cho estero ) and ncreased b ood tr g ycer des. A these factors are known to s gn f cant y ncrease the r sk for heart d sease, stroke and d abetes. Any natura compound that can m n m ze or reduce the effect of any of these dangerous markers w thout the need for pharmaceut ca s shou d become part of a protoco for m ons of at-r sk nd v dua s. To conduct the study, part c pants were random y ass gned to consume grapes, n the form of a freeze-dr ed who e grape powder, or a p acebo powder, for four weeks. After a three week per od des gned to washout the metabo c effects of the grape extract, the protoco was a ternated between the two groups, a ow ng the researchers to compare the response of each nd v dua to consumpt on of both the p acebo and grapes. Metabo c Syndrome Effects are D m n shed w th Regu ar Consumpt on of Po ypheno -R ch Grapes The researchers found that for each of the study s part c pants, grape consumpt on resu ted n stat st ca y s gn f cant decreases n b ood pressure, mproved b ood f ow (measured by ncreased vasod atat on), and decreases n a compound assoc ated w th nf ammat on (C-React ve Prote n or CRP). The ead study author, Dr. Mar a Luz Fernandez conc uded “These resu ts suggest that consum ng grapes can mprove mportant r sk factors assoc ated w th heart d sease, n a popu at on that s a ready at h gher r sk… th s further supports the accumu at ng ev dence that grapes can pos t ve y nf uence heart hea th and extends t to men w th metabo c syndrome.” A though th s research d d not spec f ca y d st ngu sh between grape var et es, most pr or stud es have targeted po ypheno -r ch red grapes over trad t ona wh te grapes. Regu ar consumpt on of three to f ve serv ngs of red grapes each week or supp ement ng w th a standard zed extract der ved from the sk ns and seeds of the fru t can he p sh e d aga nst the damag ng effects of metabo c syndrome, espec a y n men. Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http:// n.nutr t on.org/content/ear y/2012/07/17/ n.112.162743.abstract http://www.ncb .n m.n h.gov/pubmed/22810991 http://www.eureka ert.org/pub_re eases/2012-08/f -egm080812.php
jimmyg
12-28-2012, 09:44 PM
The Surpr s ng Secrets to a Long L fe http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/ ong- fe. pg L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/22/ ongev ty-secrets.aspx?e_c d=20121222_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Merco a Many have stud ed the reasons for ongev ty. Why do some peop e ve onger than others? Is t genet cs? Is t cu ture, or perhaps festy e? James Sm th, a hea th econom st at the RAND Corporat on, de ved nto the preva ng mystery of why some groups of peop e ve onger than others. What he found you m ght f nd surpr s ng. I certa n y d d. The number one soc a factor that corre ated w th ong fe was not geograph c reg on or hea th or soc oeconom c status, but educat on. Among the most mportant th ngs you can do to he p engthen your ch dren s ves s to keep them n schoo , accord ng to Dr. Sm th. And he s not the on y one who has come to th s conc us on, as you w d scover n th s New York T mes art c e.1 The Nat ona Inst tute on Ag ng f nds educat on s the most mportant soc a factor for ongev ty n study after study, dom nat ng other factors such as ncome, race and hea th nsurance. Co umb a Un vers ty graduate student Adr ana L eras-Muney found that your fe expectancy at age 35 s extended by one and a ha f years s mp y by go ng to schoo for one extra year. These f nd ngs mp y that s nk ng our prec ous nat ona do ars nto hea th nsurance programs w never g ve us as much "bang for our buck" as d rect ng those funds toward educat on. Dr. Sm th suggests educat on may teach peop e how to de ay grat f cat on and th nk ahead. Educat on may teach you how to p an for your future, as opposed to s mp y v ng for the moment. Bes des educat on, what other soc a factors may extend your fe? Hav ng More Fr ends May He p You L ve Longer Harvard Professor of Pub c Po cy L sa Berkman c tes soc a so at on as a s gn f cant factor n ongev ty. If you re soc a y so ated, you may exper ence poor hea th and a shorter fespan. Th s may be, at east n part, because those who don t have good soc a networks may not be ab e to get ass stance f they become . Is there a hea th-wea th connect on? Yes, there s, accord ng to Dr. Sm th. An ana ys s of Med care benef c ar es performed by Dartmouth Co ege found the owest death rates are seen n the wea th est p aces. Current stud es suggest gett ng r ch does not make you hea th er, but gett ng s ck does make you poorer. Low ncome doesn t ead to poor hea th as much as poor hea th eads to ow ncome, accord ng to the atest research. Th s s arge y due to the fact that, f you deve op cancer, heart d sease, d abetes or another ser ous d sease, your med ca expenses r se wh e your ab ty to work dec nes. For countr es ke Eng and and Sweden that have un versa hea th nsurance, there s no d fference n ongev ty between the r ch and the poor. What Can You Do NOW to Extend Your L fe? v deo... Dav d Kek ch, founder of the Max mum L fe Foundat on, recommends the fo ow ng seven steps to ncrease the qua ty and quant ty of your fe. I nv te you to sten to my nterv ew w th Dav d, nked above. 1. Appropr ate d et 2. Exerc se 3. Sens b e supp ementat on 4. L festy e hab ts such as qu tt ng smok ng and ma nta n ng a hea thy we ght 5. See ng an ant -ag ng phys c an 6. Stress management 7. Att tude/pos t ve thoughts L festy e Cho ces Today that Can Mu t p y Your Tomorrows One of the key th ngs you can do to extend not on y the quant ty of your years, but a so the qua ty, s to make a few s mp e changes to your festy e. One of the most mportant changes s regu at ng your nsu n through d et and exerc se. Opt m z ng your nsu n and ept n eve s have been found to be key factors n s ow ng down the ag ng process. Consum ng sugar and gra ns w ncrease your nsu n eve , wh ch s the equ va ent of s amm ng your foot on your ag ng acce erator. There s s mp y no more potent way to acce erate ag ng than st ck ng to a d et fu of sugar and gra ns. When consumed n excess, sugar, and fructose n part cu ar, act as a tox n and dr ve mu t p e d sease processes n your body, not the east of wh ch s nsu n res stance, a ma or cause of acce erated ag ng. Furthermore, research by Professor Cynth a Kenyon shows that carbohydrates d rect y affect two key genes n your body that govern ongev ty and youthfu ness. Prev ous research has shown that you can extend your fespan by reduc ng your ca or c ntake, and I ve wr tten about th s techn que n the past. The prob em s that most peop e do not understand how to proper y cut ca or es, because n order to rema n hea thy, you have to cut out ca or es from a spec f c source – name y, carbohydrates. Prote n ntake shou d be about one gram per k ogram of ean body mass or ess than ha f a gram per pound of ean body mass. Most peop e are current y consum ng 2-3 t mes th s much. The key to success w th th s ant -ag ng strategy s not necessar y to reduce your ca or es but rep ace the m ss ng carbs and prote n w th hea thy fats such as butter, o ve o , coconut o , avocado, the fat from pastured an ma s, or nuts. Here are the rest of my top "ant -ag ng" recommendat ons: Proper Food Cho ces: For a comprehens ve food gu de, see my free nutr t on p an. Genera y speak ng, you shou d focus your d et on who e, unprocessed foods (organ c vegetab es, grass-fed meats, raw da ry, nuts, and so forth) that come from hea thy, susta nab e, oca sources, such as sma organ c farms near your home. For the best nutr t on and hea th benef ts, you w want to eat a good port on of your food raw. Persona y, I a m to eat about 75 percent of my food raw, nc ud ng raw eggs. Topp ng the st of foods to avo d s fructose. Eat p enty of natura , unprocessed sa t w th your food, as h gher sa t ntake has been t ed to ongev ty. I recommend H ma ayan crysta sa t. A so nc ude bera amounts of natura y fermented foods n your da y d et, wh ch are mportant for opt ma mmune funct on. Comprehens ve Exerc se Program, nc ud ng H gh-Intens ty Exerc se ke Peak F tness: Even f you re eat ng the best d et n the wor d, you st need to exerc se effect ve y to reach your h ghest eve of hea th. Th s means ncorporat ng core-strengthen ng exerc ses, strength tra n ng, stretch ng and h gh- ntens ty act v t es nto your rotat on. H gh- ntens ty nterva tra n ng boosts human growth hormone (HGH) product on, wh ch s essent a for opt ma hea th, strength and v gor. I ve d scussed the mportance of Peak F tness for your hea th on numerous occas ons. Stress Reduct on and Pos t ve Att tude: You cannot be opt ma y hea thy f you avo d address ng the emot ona components of your hea th. Your emot ona state p ays a ro e n near y every phys ca d sease, from heart d sease and depress on to arthr t s and cancer. Effect ve cop ng mechan sms and stress management are ma or factors n promot ng ongev ty, n part because stress has a d rect mpact on nf ammat on, wh ch n turn under es many of the chron c d seases that k peop e premature y. The Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT), med tat on, yoga, prayer, soc a support and exerc se are a ways to he p you ma nta n emot ona equ br um. The R ght Amount of S eep: Not on y s s eep mportant n prevent ng ness, but recent research suggests t corre ates w th ongev ty as we . Not ust enough s eep – but the r ght amount of s eep. In a 22-year tw n study,2 adu ts who s ept more than 8 hours per n ght, or ess than 7, showed ncreased r sk of death. Of course, the qua ty of your s eep s a so mportant, not ust the quant ty. Proper Sun Exposure to Opt m ze V tam n D: We have ong known that t s best to get your v tam n D from sun exposure. If at a poss b e, I strong y urge you to make sure you re gett ng out n the sun on a da y bas s dur ng the months that UVB rays are ab e to penetrate the atmosphere. To earn more about how to determ ne when you can effect ve y generate v tam n D from sun exposure, p ease see my prev ous art c e, L tt e Sunsh ne M stakes that Can G ve You Cancer Instead of V tam n D. Dur ng t mes when no UVB s are ab e to penetrate, and hence w not ead to v tam n D product on, you can use a safe tann ng bed or an ora v tam n D3 supp ement. There s pre m nary ev dence suggest ng that ora v tam n D may not prov de the dent ca benef ts, but t s st better than none at a . Take H gh-Qua ty An ma -Based Omega-3 Fats: An ma -based omega-3 fats are a strong factor n he p ng peop e ve onger. Many experts be eve t s the predom nant reason why the Japanese are the ongest- ved race on the p anet. Get your ant ox dants from foods: Good sources nc ude b ueberr es, cranberr es, b ackberr es, raspberr es, strawberr es, cherr es, beans, and art chokes. Many may a so benef t by add ng supp ementa astaxanth n as a profound y potent ant xox dant. Use coconut o : Another exce ent ant -ag ng food s coconut o , known to reduce your r sk of heart d sease and A zhe mer s d sease, and ower your cho estero , among other th ngs. Avo d as Many Chem ca s, Tox ns, and Po utants as Poss b e: Th s nc udes toss ng out your tox c househo d c eaners, soaps, persona hyg ene products, a r fresheners, bug sprays, awn pest c des and nsect c des, ust to name a few, and rep ac ng them w th non-tox c a ternat ves. Avo d Prescr pt on Drugs: Avo d ng drugs and the convent ona med ca system s a good dea f you want to ve a ong and hea thy fe. Accord ng to data co ected by the Nat ona Center for Hea th stat st cs, po son ng by prescr pt on drugs has now surpassed car acc dents as the ead ng cause of acc denta death n the Un ted States. The most common y abused prescr pt on pa nk ers ( nc ud ng OxyCont n, V cod n, Xanax, and Soma) now cause more deaths than hero n and coca ne comb ned. Mak ng sure your doctor s proper y accred ted s a so mportant when you seek med ca care. Accord ng to a book about degree m s, there are we over 5,000 doctors operat ng w th fake med ca degrees n the U.S., and peop e have d ed as a resu t. Add t ona y, more than ha f of a PhD degrees n the U.S.are reported y fakes. There s no qu ck f x, when t comes to ongev ty. There s no mag c p and no founta n of youth, wh ch makes f nd ng a phys c an who s we versed n the bas c pr nc p es of a hea thy festy e a the more mportant. A though some peop e seem to be b essed w th ongev ty n sp teof the r festy e cho ces, th s s the except on and not the ru e. For most of us, becom ng hea thy Centenar ans w requ re some effort and attent on to the factors out ned above.
jimmyg
12-30-2012, 07:34 AM
f You Choose W se y, the Benef ts of a H gh F sh D et Can St Outwe gh the R sks Assoc ated w th Mercury Contam nat on By Dr. Merco a V deo..... L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/23/h gh-f sh-d et.aspx?e_c d=20121223_SNL_Art_1 F sh has made the news a few t mes ate y. Some say Amer cans aren t eat ng enough of t, wh e others warn of mercury dangers. It s certa n y a comp ex ssue, as waterways are ncreas ng y po uted and so many peop e are def c ent n the omega-3 fats cr t ca for hea th... So, shou d you or shou dn t you eat f sh? Here, I w rev ew a few of the fundamenta s that need to be factored n to he p you opt m ze your d et wh e reduc ng your exposure to env ronmenta tox ns ke methy mercury as much as poss b e. F sh has a ways been the best source for the an ma -based omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, but as eve s of po ut on have ncreased, th s treasure of a food has become ess and ess v ab e as a pr mary source of hea thfu fats. However, there are st except ons, and the key s to understand wh ch types of f sh are the east contam nated. Interest ng y enough, and fortunate y for us, the types of f sh that tend to suffer the east amount of tox c contam nat on a so happen to be some of the best sources of fat and ant ox dants. So, by choos ng w se y, the benef ts of a d et h gh n f sh can st outwe gh the r sks. V ta Cho ce In the v deo above, I nterv ew Randy Hartne , founder-pres dent of V ta Cho ce W d Seafood and Organ cs. I m a huge fan of the r sockeye sa mon, and bes de a f sh d nner at a restaurant here or there, V ta Cho ce sa mon s about the on y type of f sh I eat, for the very reasons ment oned above — t s ess ke y to be contam nated, for reasons I rev ew n a moment, and the nutr t ona prof e s far better than most other f sh, nc ud ng other types of sa mon. Hartne spent more than 20 years as a commerc a f sherman before form ng h s company n 2001, wh ch features susta nab y harvested w d sa mon that are part cu ar y ow n heavy meta s. The reason he sw tched from be ng a commerc a f sherman to a supp er was because farmed sa mon exp oded onto wor d markets, and qu te s mp y crowded out the w d-caught var ety. Peop e typ ca y d dn t understand the d fference between the two, and farmed sa mon was (and st s) cheaper. In a matter of a few years, grocery stores and restaurants across the US and beyond had sw tched to farmed sa mon. "Out of frustrat on, I went out w th a fr end, and we ust started trave ng around the country. We d go to food stores ke Who e Foods or W d Oats. We d set up our gr out n front. We d barbecue our w d sa mon. And we d te the story why w d s better than farmed," Hartne says. "Peop e were very recept ve. Often we wou d hear, We , th s s great, but they hard y ever have t here. Where can I get t? Over and over aga n, I d hear t. I d have to te them, I m sorry. I don t know. Then one day, a ght bu b went off, and I sa d, I can send t to you. I send you some. " The rest, as they say, s h story. Sh pp ng the h ghest qua ty poss b e w d-caught A askan sa mon r ght to your door s now h s pr mary bus ness. You can earn more on h s webs te, V ta Cho ce.com. Why W d-Caught A askan Sockeye Sa mon s a Good Opt on There are three ma or d fferences between w d-caught and farmed sa mon, and once you rea ze how d fferent the f sh are, based on how they were ra sed, you see why opt ng for the cheaper a ternat ve sn t the w sest cho ce: F sh Hea th — W d sa mon return to the r nat ve spawn ng grounds each year, w thout you hav ng to do anyth ng, wh e farmed sa mon are kept n pens. Natura y, f sh sw mm ng n the w d get more exerc se, and th s a one make w d f sh hea th er than the r ncarcerated counterparts. As exp a ned by Tony Farre 1 w th the Un vers ty of Br t sh Co umb a Zoo ogy department, f sh kept n constra ned env ronments become the aquat c vers on of "couch potatoes," w th s m ar hea th consequences as humans face when we don t exerc se enough. Recent research2 has shown that surv va rates of f sh that have rece ved suff c ent exerc se s 13 percent h gher than the "couch potato" contro s, and the exerc se-cond t oned f sh had better growth, and stronger mmune systems, courtesy of certa n gene act vat ons. Nutr t ona content — W d sa mon sw m around n the w d, eat ng what nature programmed them to eat. Therefore, the r nutr t ona prof e s more comp ete, w th m cronutr ents, fats, m nera s, v tam ns, and ant ox dants ke astaxanth n (wh ch g ves sa mon ts p nk, or n the case of sockeye, red-co ored, f esh). Farmed sa mon, on the other hand, are fed an art f c a d et cons st ng of gra n products ke corn and soy (most of wh ch s genet ca y mod f ed), a ong w th ch cken- and feather mea , art f c a co or ng, and synthet c astaxanth n, wh ch s not approved for human consumpt on, but s perm tted to be used n f sh feed. Mother Nature never ntended f sh to eat these th ngs, and as a consequence of th s rad ca y unnatura d et, the nutr t ona content of the r f esh s a so a tered, and not for the better. Farmed sa mon tastes d fferent than w d-caught, and much of t has to do w th the a tered fat rat o, wh ch s dramat ca y d fferent. Farmed sa mon conta ns far more omega-6, courtesy of the r gra n-based d et. The rat o of omega-3 to omega-6 fat of w d sa mon s far super or to farmed. W d sa mon typ ca y has 600 to 1,000 percent more omega-3s compared to omega-6s. So whereas farmed sa mon has a 1 to 1 rat o of omega-3s and omega6s — aga n due to ts " unk food" d et — the rat o for w d sockeye sa mon s between 6 and 9 to 1. Th s s mportant, because f you re try ng to mprove your omega-3 to omega-6 ba ance, you s mp y w not accomp sh t w th farmed sa mon... Env ronment — Probab y around 99 percent of farmed sa mon are ra sed n net pens n the open ocean. A the excess food that s dropped n ends up go ng out n the env ronment — the genet ca y eng neered ngred ents, the pest c des, the ant b ot cs and chem ca add t ves. Anyth ng the f sh do not consume, a ong w th a the r now unnatura waste products, end up contam nat ng the env ronment. Accord ng to a new report from Scot and, some sa mon farms have ncreased the r use of pest c des 110 percent over the past four years, add ng to the tox c burden of both the env ronment and your body. To earn more about the many hazards of f sh farm ng, check out FarmedAndDangerous.org.3 There s a so the vegetar an or vegan eth ca aspect. W d sockeye sa mon are the vegetar ans of the sa mon wor d. The r d et cons sts of kr , p ankton and a gae, and they are caught at the very end of the r fe cyc e. By the t me they enter the f sh ng grounds, they ve ved 95 percent of the r natura fe n the w d. At the end of the r fe, they f ght the r way up-r ver to spawn, after wh ch they d e a natura death — un ess they re caught by a f sherman or get eaten by some other predator. Beware of M s abe ed Sa mon Unfortunate y, sa mon are often m s abe ed. Accord ng to Hartne , stud es have d scovered that as much as 70 to 80 percent of the f sh marked "w d" were actua y farmed. Th s nc udes restaurants, where 90-95 percent of sa mon s farmed, yet may be m s- sted on the menu as "w d." The fo ow ng t ps that can he p you determ ne whether the sa mon s authent ca y harvested A askan f sh are: Canned sa mon abe ed "A askan Sa mon" s a good bet, as A askan sa mon s not a owed to be farmed. In restaurants, m s abe ed sa mon w typ ca y be descr bed as "w d" but not "w d A askan." Th s s because authent c "w d A askan" s eas er to trace. The term "w d" s more nebu ous and therefore more often m sused. In many ways t s very s m ar to the h gh y abused "natura " des gnat on. Whether you re n a grocery store or a restaurant, ask the seafood c erk or wa ter where the f sh s from. If t s w d, they w have pa d more for t, so they re ke y to understand the va ue propos t on. S nce t s a se ng po nt, they w know where t came from. If they don t have an answer for you, t s a red f ag that t s farmed, or worse... The US Food and Drug Adm n strat on s mov ng forward w th approv ng genet ca y eng neered sa mon to be so d, and as you know, GE foods st do not need to be abe ed n the US. Avo d At ant c sa mon, as a sa mon abe ed "At ant c Sa mon" current y comes from f sh farms. Sockeye sa mon cannot be farmed, so f you f nd sockeye sa mon, t s bound to be w d. You can te sockeye sa mon from other sa mon by ts co or. It s br ght red as opposed to p nk. The reason aga n for th s br ght red co or s ts super or astaxanth n content. Sockeye sa mon has one of the h ghest concentrat ons of astaxanth n of any food. The Best and Worst F sh to Eat n Terms of Env ronmenta Tox ns Most ma or waterways n the wor d are contam nated w th mercury, heavy meta s, and chem ca s ke d ox ns, PCBs, and other agr cu tura chem ca s that w nd up n the env ronment. Th s s why, as a genera ru e, I no onger recommend gett ng your omega-3 requ rements from f sh. However, I do make two except ons. One s authent c, w d-caught A askan sockeye sa mon; the nutr t ona benef ts of wh ch I be eve st outwe gh any potent a contam nat on. The r sk of sockeye accumu at ng h gh amounts of mercury and other tox ns s reduced because of ts short fe cyc e, wh ch s on y about three years. Add t ona y, b oaccumu at on of tox ns s a so reduced by the fact that t doesn t feed on other, a ready contam nated, f sh. Whenever I consume f sh, I a ways seek to consume t w th a handfu of ch ore a tab ets. The ch ore a s a potent mercury b nder and f taken w th the f sh w he p b nd the mercury before you are ab e to absorb t, so t can be safe y excreted n your stoo . The second except on s sma er f sh w th short fecyc es, wh ch a so tend to be better a ternat ves n terms of fat content, so t s a w n-w n s tuat on — ower contam nat on r sk and h gher nutr t ona va ue. A genera gu de ne s that the c oser to the bottom of the food cha n the f sh s, the ess contam nat on t w have accumu ated. Th s nc udes: Sard nes Anchov es Herr ng If you ns st on eat ng typ ca , store-bought f sh and want to know more about the extent of your mercury exposure, I urge you to check out the on ne mercury ca cu ator4 at GotMercury.org to get an dea of the r sks. Add t ona y, as ment oned above, you may want to cons der tak ng a natura mercury che ators w th any f sh d nner. Th s nc udes zeo te (green c ay), ch ore a, and fermented vegetab es. Larger f sh, wh ch tend to ve onger and have the h ghest contam nat on eve s and shou d be avo ded nc ude (p ease note th s s not an exhaust ve st ng): Tuna (tuna steaks, sush , and canned) - Sea bass and argemouth bass Mar n - Ha but - P ke - Wa eye - Shark - Sword f sh - Wh te croaker. Do Detox fy ng Nutr ents n F sh Cance Out Harm from Mercury Contam nat on? Wh e some be eve that methy mercury n seafood s counteracted by other nutr ents n the f sh, such as se en um, wh ch he p your body e m nate the tox ns, recent research has shown that th s hypothes s s ke y fa se. A French research team sought to determ ne whether mercury from f sh s ess harmfu than other d etary mercury,5 and whether benef c a nutr ments from f sh m ght counterba ance the de eter ous effects of f sh-assoc ated mercury. M ce were one of three d ets: F sh-based methy mercury d et: A d et that nc uded f shmea produced from f sh conta n ng f ve m crograms of methy mercury contam nat on per gram Added methy mercury d et: A spec a d et h gher n DHA and EPA, w th added methy mercury ch or de (cons dered more tox c than f sh-assoc ated methy mercury) a so tota ng f ve mcg/g Contro d et w thout mercury Apart from mercury and se en um content, the three d ets were comparab e. Interest ng y, on y the f sh group suffered s gn f cant behav ora abnorma t es at the end of 58 days! The authors conc uded: Test resu ts & conc us ons......
jimmyg
12-30-2012, 09:14 PM
5 Sk n Care Myths & Top T ps for a Hea th er Comp ex on http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/sk n-care. pg By Dr. Merco a
Your sk n s your argest organ, and far from be ng ust a pass ve “cover ng” on your body, your sk n s a comp ex system made up of nerves, g ands and ce ayers that p ay an ntr cate ro e n your hea th. In fact, hea thy sk n not on y serves as a buffer that he ps protect your body from extreme temperatures and chem ca s, t a so produces ant bacter a substances to protect you from nfect on and enab es your body to produce v tam n D when exposed to the sun. It s a so dense y packed w th nerve ce s that act as messengers to your bra n, mak ng your sk n a cruc a part of your nteract ons w th the wor d around you. Obv ous y, for these reasons tak ng good care of your sk n s of cruc a mportance, and w a so he p your sk n appearance to stay soft, supp e and g ow ng, rather than premature y wr nk ed or rough. 5 Common Sk n Care Myths Some of the most w de y he d “truths” about proper sk n care are actua y myths. Among the most f agrant and egreg ous examp es are: Myth #1: A Sun Must be Shunned Gett ng safe sun exposure every day s actua y one of the best act ons you can take for your hea th, as th s s how your body produces enough essent a v tam n D, wh ch s known to protect aga nst cancer ( nc ud ng me anoma) and support your mmune system, card ovascu ar system, k dney funct on, bones and teeth, musc e strength and much more. Wh e excess ve sun exposure, such as gett ng sunburned, can certa n y damage your sk n, sens b e sun exposure s not on y qu te hea thy, t s a fundamenta step n reach ng opt ma hea th. The sk n around your eyes and your face s typ ca y much th nner than other areas on your body and s a re at ve y sma surface area so w not contr bute much to v tam n D product on. So t s strong y recommended that you protect th s frag e area of your body, as t s at a much h gher r sk for cosmet c photo damage and premature wr nk ng. You can use a safe sunb ock n th s area or wear a cap that a ways keeps your eyes n the shade. Myth #2: Tann ng Must be Avo ded Assum ng you use sens b e exposure and avo d gett ng burned, sens b e tann ng the “o d-fash oned” way ( .e. out n the sun) s perfect y acceptab e. The f rst few days, you shou d m t your exposure to the sun to a ow your body s me anocyte ce s to rev up the ab ty to produce protect ve p gmentat on that not on y g ves you a tan, but a so serves to he p protect you aga nst overexposure to the sun. If you are a fa r y ght-sk nned nd v dua that tends to burn, you w want to m t your n t a exposure to a few m nutes, espec a y f t s n the m dd e of summer. The more tanned your sk n w get, and/or the more tanned you want to become, the onger you can stay n the sun. If t s ear y or ate n the season and/or you are a dark-sk nned nd v dua , you cou d ke y safe y have 30 m nutes on your n t a exposure. If you are deep y p gmented and your mmed ate ancestors are from Afr ca, Ind a or the M dd e East, t s poss b e you may not even have to worry about how ong you are exposed. A ways err on the s de of caut on however, and et t be your pr mary goa to never get sun burned, wh e a so protect ng the sens t ve sk n around your eyes and face, as noted above. Myth #3: Sun ess Tann ng Lot ons/Sprays are Safe Sun ess tanners conta n a engthy st of chem ca agents — up to 45 n the case of spray tanners. Many of these agents have never been stud ed for the r ong-term effects on human hea th, because the U.S. Food and Drug Adm n strat on does not systemat ca y rev ew the safety of persona care products. One of the ma n ngred ents n spray tann ng so ut ons s d hydroxyacetone, a co or add t ve that darkens your sk n by react ng w th am no ac ds n your sk n s surface ayer. D hydroxyacetone s often abbrev ated DHA (wh ch shou d not be confused w th docosahexaeno c ac d, the hea thy omega-3 fat often g ven the same abbrev at on). Manufacturers of sun ess tann ng products c a m DHA s a s mp e carbohydrate sugar so ut on, but some tox co og sts d sagree. Part of the prob em s that the U.S. government s regu at ons for DHA a ow contam nants such as ead, arsen c and mercury. Further, a report by the Nat ona Tox co ogy Program1 suggests the r sks of DHA rema n unc ear, po nt ng to some ev dence that DHA may be a mutagen that cou d nduce breaks n DNA strands, wh ch cou d contr bute to acce erated ag ng and even sk n cancer. Myth #4: The H gher the SPF of Your Sunscreen, The Better It s genera y unnecessary to purchase sunscreen w th a sun protect on factor (SPF) greater than 50. The reason for th s s because wh e SPF works by absorb ng, ref ect ng or scatter ng the sun s rays on your sk n, ts protect ve ab ty s not near and does not offer a great dea more protect on at h gher eve s. W th regards to SPF, another mportant factor to remember s that SPF on y protects aga nst UVB rays, wh ch are the rays w th n the u trav o et spectrum that a ows your body to produce v tam n D n your sk n. But the most dangerous rays, n terms of caus ng sk n damage and cancer are the UVA rays. Th s s why you a ways want to make sure any sunscreen you buy protects aga nst UVA s as we as UVB s … and does NOT conta n any common tox c ngred ents, such as oxybenzone or ret ny pa m tate. Myth #5: A Sk n Care Products on the Market are Safe v deo... It s mportant to understand that of the 10,500 ngred ents used n your persona care products, fewer than 20 percent have been rev ewed for safety n the ast 30 years, accord ng to an Env ronmenta Work ng Group (EWG) ana ys s.2 The rev ews that have been done were conducted by a fox n the henhouse—the Cosmet cs Ingred ents Rev ew, wh ch s run by the cosmet cs ndustry! Not a ngred ents need even be ment oned on the abe — f they don t want to nc ude one for some reason, they can ust eave t off. Therefore, most persona care product formu at ons are based on noth ng more than market ng success, des gned to sme good, ook good and fee good when you rub them on your sk n, regard ess of the r mpact on your hea th. But n rea ty, as the CNN v deo above descr bes, many sk n care products on the market conta n chem ca s ( nc ud ng parabens, phtha ates, tr c osan and others) that have been nked to cancer, hormone d srupt on, reproduct ve tox c ty and other hea th prob ems. One of the core pr nc p es to remember when t comes to sk n care s that whatever you s ather onto your sk n w be absorbed nto your body and enter your b oodstream. Th s s why t s so mportant to avo d sk n care products conta n ng quest onab e chem ca s! Your sk n s an exce ent drug de very system, so you shou d be ust as carefu w th what you put on your sk n as you are w th what you eat, f not more so, as your gut actua y he ps protect you aga nst some of the tox ns you ngest by f ter ng them out ... a protect on you don t get when a chem ca s absorbed through your sk n. Top D etary T ps for Hea thy Sk n at Any Age Idea y, your sk n care reg men shou d nc ude steps to address your sk n hea th from the ns de out, as we as from the outs de n. The f rst step shou d be address ng your d et, as one of the most profound y effect ve ways to create the most attract ve g ow for your sk n s by consum ng vegetab es and fru ts that are h gh n caroteno ds. Caroteno ds g ve red, orange and ye ow fru ts the r co or, and a so occur n green vegetab es. Stud es have shownthat eat ng foods w th these deep y co ored p gments can make your face actua y ook hea th er than be ng tanned.3 The more red and ye ow tones found n your sk n, the more attract ve the peop e were found to be. The redder tones are caused when peop e are f ushed w th b ood, part cu ar y f the b ood has ots of oxygen n t. Researchers found that, g ven the cho ce between sk n co or caused by suntan and sk n co or caused by caroteno ds, peop e preferred the caroteno d sk n co or, so f you want a hea th er and more attract ve sk n co or, you are better off eat ng a hea thy d et. In order to have c ear, hea thy sk n, you need to make sure your body s re at ve y free of tox ns, so c eans ng your body of dangerous substances wh e putt ng n the f nest nutr ents s essent a . The organs respons b e for prov d ng you w th beaut fu sk n nc ude your ver, k dneys, adrena s, thyro d, and your arge and sma ntest nes. Your ver and k dneys are the two organs that f ter out mpur t es on an ongo ng bas s. If your d et s ess than dea , these two organs can eas y become overtaxed, wh ch can ead to breakouts and other sk n prob ems. Your adrena s make many essent a hormones, such as pregneno one, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormona mba ances can a so resu t n prob emat c sk n cond t ons, so adrena funct on s mportant as we . A we -nour shed, energet c thyro d a so prov des hormones and works c ose y w th your adrena s to create energy. Dry, f aky, s ugg sh sk n can be ev dence of a weak thyro d. Your sma - and arge ntest nes prov de nutr ents to a your organs and remove waste products from your body. When waste meant for e m nat on rema ns n your ntest nes your sk n becomes th ck, o y and b em shed. Pure, f aw ess sk n s typ ca y a ref ect on of c ean ntest nes. Eat ng a hea thy d et as descr bed n my nutr t on p an, wh ch focuses on who e, b oava ab e organ c foods, s your number one strategy for he p ng your body detox natura y wh e supp y ng the necessary nutr ents your sk n needs to thr ve. That sa d, some foods are part cu ar y effect ve at promot ng beaut fu , c ear sk n, nc ud ng: An ma -based omega-3 fats: Omega-3 fats he p to norma ze sk n p ds and prevent dehydrat on n the ce s. Th s keeps sk n ce s strong and fu of mo sture, wh ch can he p to decrease the appearance of f ne nes. Fatty ac d def c ency can man fest n a var ety of ways, but sk n prob ems such as eczema, th ck patches of sk n, and cracked hee s are common. P us, omega-3 fats may have an ant - nf ammatory effect that can he p to ca m rr tated sk n, g v ng you a c ear, smooth comp ex on. Vegetab es: Idea y fresh, organ c and oca y grown. Fermented foods are even better as they can start w th the same vegetab es but are converted by bacter a to superfoods, wh ch he p promote the growth of fr end y ntest na bacter a and a d n d gest on. Avo d Sugars, Fructose and Gra ns: Th s s probab y the s ng e most mportant step you can take to mprove your sk n hea th. If you e m nate a sugars, fructose and gra ns from your d et for a few weeks there s a ma or ke hood you w not ce rap d mprovement n your comp ex on. Bonus Sk n Care T ps You Probab y Haven t Heard Of... W thout a hea thy d et and festy e, no amount of creams and pot ons w a ter the ook and fee of your sk n to any great degree. However, once you ve addressed the d etary bas cs ment oned above, you can go ahead and try these add t ona sk n care t ps, wh ch can he p to nour sh your comp ex on: Astaxanth n—a potent ant ox dant—has been found to offer effect ve protect on aga nst sun damage when taken as a da y supp ement. Some sunscreens are a so start ng to use astaxanth n as an ngred ent to protect your sk n from damage. A -natura mo stur zers -- Pure emu o s a great a ternat ve to fac a - and body mo stur zers and ot ons, as s pure coconut o . It s a fantast c mo stur zer and a potent source of the benef c a fat aur c ac d. A -natura acne f ghter -- Rubb ng ust a drop of oregano o on a breakout can speed up the hea ng and prevent uns ght y scarr ng w thout resort ng to harsh commerc a acne med cat on (remember to wash your hands thorough y afterward).
LAMas
12-31-2012, 01:20 AM
J mmyg, Dr. Merco a s b og was recommended to me by my Bro- n- aw who s a ret red Ch ef of Surgery at Ka ser who pract ces Acupuncture, Sh atsu, Ho st cs and Ch nese Herba Med c ne. W sh ng you and yours a ong and happy fe n the New Year.:sm e:
Maestro
12-31-2012, 02:22 AM
I suggest f sh farmed n South Amer ca as I be eve the rad at on from Japan and other sources s yet another rea danger n our f sh today. I do ntend to eat trout and some sa mon aga n a though I have stopped eat ng f sh after 3/11. L m ted exposure s unavo dab e at th s po nt. M ght as we eat we .... Happy New Year everyone! Peace and Good Hea th....
jimmyg
12-31-2012, 07:49 AM
From A of Us, to A of You - A Very Merry Chr stmas and a Joyfu New Year! December 25, 2012 By Dr. Merco a L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/25/chr stmas-2012.aspx?e_c d=20121225_DNL_art_1 V deo.... Th s ho day season, I want to thank you for your cont nued support throughout the years and update you on some of the progress we made n 2012. It s been a year of many s gn f cant ach evements, thanks to your support and your efforts n he p ng spread the message, and educate others about how to take contro of the r hea th through educat on and prevent ve strateg es. It s mportant to know that you ARE mak ng a d fference, and w th t me we w eventua y reach a t pp ng po nt and change the consc ousness of the pub c about natura hea th. Th s s now the e ght stra ght year Merco a.com has been the most v s ted natura hea th s te on the web, and s ow y but sure y these messages are f ter ng out. Your act ons and ded cat on have a so he ped us br ng the uneth ca pract ces and conf cts of nterest of many pr vate ndustr es and government agenc es, whose nf uence have proven harmfu , to the pub c s attent on. Here are ust a few examp es of our cont nued progress and successes that cou d not be accomp shed w thout your he p. Propos t on 37 — GMO Labe ng In t at ve n Ca forn a Be ng that Ca forn a has the 8th argest economy n the wor d and s one of the eaders n he p ng to make po cy changes when needed, we ach eved great success n a ert ng the pub c to the dangerous and harmfu effects of genet ca y eng neered foods through our repeated attent on to th s n t at ve. "Never doubt that a sma group of thoughtfu ; comm tted c t zens can change the wor d; ndeed, that s the on y th ng that ever has." Even though v ctory e uded us by a very sma marg n, we great y apprec ate a of the t re ess efforts and amaz ng support the n t at ve rece ved. We v ew th s effort as an mportant m estone n s gn f cant y ncreas ng the pub c s awareness of the dangerous pract ce of se ng un abe ed genet ca y eng neered foods. Over 60 other nat ons requ re abe ng, and many areas have even banned the grow ng of GE crops, c t ng ack of safety and env ronmenta harms. No one knows what potent a y m t ess effects genet ca y eng neered foods are current y hav ng on us, and w have on future generat ons. Though our grassroots efforts ra sed ust over $10 m on do ars, t was not ab e to compete w th the over $45 m on do ars spent by the go aths n the food and chem ca ndustr es on the r decept ve advert s ng campa gn to ensure the pract ce of w thho d ng cr t ca nformat on can cont nue. St , desp te os ng that batt e, we were v ctor ous n br ng ng th s dangerous pract ce out of the shadows, and we can st , n the end, w n the war... The f e d of act on has now moved to other states, such as Wash ngton state and Vermont — both of wh ch are now work ng on the r own peop e s n t at ves to get GMO abe ng aws passed. The fact that our attempt to add a s mp e nformat ona abe to genet ca y eng neered foods s be ng so venomous y opposed by those who have a vested nterest n produc ng such foods shou d concern everyone. We a have a fundamenta r ght to know everyth ng about the foods we eat, and the fact that food manufacturers have to te you how many ca or es, fat, or sa t a product conta ns, but not whether or not t conta ns ngred ents that have been a tered at the genet c eve , s ust p a n wrong. We w not be deterred n our m ss on to cont nue to educate and arm you w th the strateg es needed to get genet ca y eng neered foods abe ed n the Un ted States as n so many other countr es. I a so want to update you on the wonderfu progress our non-prof t Hea th L berty Coa t on has made on a fronts. Dangers of Mercury n Dent stry Becom ng More W de y Acknow edged Tremendous str des n our efforts to e m nate mercury-conta n ng denta ama gams (common y m s abe ed "s ver" f ngs) have been made. W th your he p n shar ng nformat on regard ng the dangers of the neurotox c po son found n these f ngs, and w th your demand for change, more and more pat ents and dent sts are refus ng to use ama gam f ngs. As an organ zat on based n the Un ted States, Consumers for Denta Cho ce has worked to educate ts own government about denta mercury po ut on and the many mercury-free a ternat ves to ama gam. In March of ast year, the r d gence pa d off, as the U.S. government, n ts off c a subm ss on to UNEP s mercury treaty negot at ons, ca ed for both the "eventua phase out" of ama gam and prompt "phase down" steps, nc ud ng many of our recommendat ons, such as: "Educat ng pat ents and parents" "Protect ng ch dren and fetuses" "Tra n ng of denta profess ona s on the env ronmenta mpacts of mercury n denta ama gams" From a government whose dev ce regu ator (FDA) had prev ous y refused to educate the pub c about ama gam s mercury content or take any steps to protect vu nerab e popu at ons, t was a we come – even spectacu ar – deve opment for the cause of mercury-free dent stry. S nce then, governments from around the wor d have o ned the push for mercury-free dent stry, nc ud ng the Arab League, the Afr can reg on, the Counc of Europe, and numerous other deve op ng nat ons. Most recent y, n a etter to European Un on (EU) member state representat ves and denta experts, the European Env ronmenta Bureau (EEB) asked rec p ents to support a phase-out of the use of mercury n dent stry, both n the EU and around the wor d. It s st a rocky road ahead, but w th cont nued effort, we are conf dent that eventua y we w be ab e to ensure safe dent stry for everyone, everywhere. Success n Gett ng F uor de Out of Dr nk ng Water n Many Areas We are very mpressed w th the wonderfu progress the F uor de Act on Network has made n our efforts to ach ev ng f uor de-free water throughout the wor d. Dr. Connett and h s team w cont nue the r m ss on to educate peop e on the dangers of f uor de and the r efforts to protect everyone s r ght to have access to safe, f uor de-free water. The f uor de debate f na y got some we -deserved med a attent on th s year, fo ow ng the undemocrat c process adopted by the f ve-member C ty Counc of Port and, Oregon. C t zens had a ready voted no on water f uor dat on for Port and on three separate occas ons, c ear y demonstrat ng the pub c w on th s sub ect. Desp te that, on September 12, the counc announced they d approved the p an to add f uor de to Port and s water supp es by March 2014. In response, the res dents ra ed for a referendum. In an nsp r ng show of peop e power, the c ty co ected TWICE the needed s gnatures to qua fy the referendum to g ve c t zens the r ght to vote on f uor dat on1. In the past year, campa gns around the US, Canada, Austra a, and New Zea and, have made great str des to end the harmfu pract ce of add ng f uor de — wh ch you d have to get a doctor s prescr pt on for, were you to want to take t n p form — to commun ty dr nk ng water. Vacc ne Safety W Cont nue to Be a Top Pr or ty W th Barbara Loe F sher at the he m, The Nat ona Vacc ne Informat on Center s (NVIC) ongo ng advances n demand ng nformed consent regard ng vacc nat ons and protect ng your freedom to choose have been remarkab e. The NVIC has been the eader n th s endeavor for over 30 years and w cont nue to cha enge and expose the r sks vs. the benef ts of ut z ng vacc nes rout ne y, rather than caut ous y, and they w cont nue to stand strong aga nst forced vacc nat ons. Change n Pub c Consc ousness W Change the Med ca Parad gm As some of you know, 2012 was a year of we ness awaken ng n the Un ted States. Bas ca y, peop e are t red of be ng s ck and overwe ght, and they are frustrated w th symptom management through pharmaceut ca s. Peop e are hungry for know edge on how ve we , n order to be we . Th s s nformat on we have cont nuous y prov ded, w thout et-up, for we over a decade. It s exc t ng to see some of our efforts bear fru t. Top cs we have repeated y d scussed are now be ng covered by the ma nstream med a and are becom ng ncreas ng y accepted by the ma nstream med ca commun ty, such as: The fact that v tam n D and appropr ate sun exposure s essent a to good hea th The dangers of prescr pt on drugs, po ypharmacy, and the fact that med ca errors are one of the ead ng causes of death The rea ty of over-d agnos s and over-treatment n the convent ona med ca parad gm The neffect veness and h gher danger-to-benef t rat o of mammograms The ab ect fa ure of government d etary recommendat ons to have an mpact on r s ng obes ty and chron c d sease rates Merry Chr stmas & Happy Ho days, and a Hea thy, Prosperous New Year! http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2012/December/merco a-2012. pg Merco a.com Staff at 2012 Chr stmas Party n Ch cago There are many more cr t ca ssues we w cont nue to work on together, to ncrease pub c awareness. Not one of the goa s ach eved so far cou d have been ach eved w thout your support n these efforts to protect our fundamenta r ght to have access to safe foods, hea thcare cho ces, and to our fundamenta r ght to have access to a of the facts regard ng the r sks vs. benef ts of those cho ces. "The doctor of the future w g ve no med c ne, but w nterest h s pat ent n the care of the human frame, n d et and n the cause and prevent on of d sease." Thomas Ed son
I great y apprec ate your cont nued support and I be eve we can a be proud of the amaz ng progress our un ted front has ach eved n our common goa to secure a happy, hea th er future, not on y for ourse ves but for generat ons to come. I ook forward to cont nu ng to nform and support you n the New Year on our ourney toward empower ng everyone to take contro of the r hea th.
jimmyg
01-01-2013, 09:15 AM
Ant b ot cs Used n Meats Promote Growth of Dead y Bacter a http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/04/ Stock_000006676577XSma . pg Posted by John Ph p
Amer cans Are Eat ng Less MeatHea th consc ous nd v dua s know that processed meats n the form of sausage, bo ogna and pepperon conta n chem ca preservat ves ca ed n tr tes that have been shown to promote cancer growth, and avo d these manufactured foods ent re y. Unfortunate y, m ons of unsuspect ng ch dren and adu ts eat an est mated f fty pounds of processed meats each year, s gn f cant y ra s ng the r sk of many forms of cancer and bacter a nfect on as we . Researchers from the Un vers ty of Copenhagen n Denmark have pub shed the resu t of a study n mB o, the ourna of the Amer can Soc ety for M crob o ogy that exp a ns how ant b ot c res dues n uncured pepperon or sa am meat are potent enough to weaken he pfu bacter a that processors add to ac d fy the sausage and make t safe for consumpt on. Processed meat manufacturers common y nfuse meats such as sausage w th act c-ac d produc ng bacter a to contro fermentat on and ncrease ac d content of the meat. Consumpt on of Processed Meats Great y Increases R sk of Bacter a Infect on In an effort to contro bacter a that may have ex sted n the or g na raw meat, manufacturers a so k any benef c a bacter a, a ow ng pathogen c bacter a stra ns to pro ferate. Consumpt on of these processed meats can s gn f cant y ncrease the r sk of bacter a nfect on, espec a y n the young and e der y popu at ons, as we as those nd v dua s w th comprom sed mmune systems. The study s authors commented, “We can have a s tuat on where res dua ant b ot cs n the meat can prevent or reduce fermentat on by the act c ac d bacter a, but these concentrat ons do not effect surv va or even mu t p cat on of pathogens.” Ant b ot cs used to promote growth or to treat d sease n vestock can eventua y end up n processed meats and u t mate y pass to humans where they wreak metabo c havoc and promote the overgrowth of bacter a stra ns n the d gest ve tract. Avo d Processed Meats Ent re y to Prevent Cancer and Bacter a Infect on To va date the r theory, researchers added two common y used ant b ot cs to meat nocu ated w th act c-ac d-produc ng bacter a and severa stra ns of pathogens frequent y encountered n the unprocessed meat. They fo owed the progress of the fermentat on and tracked the surv va of the pathogens. The sc ent sts determ ned that severa d fferent starter cu tures of act c-ac d-produc ng bacter a were sens t ve to these ant b ot cs and d d not ac d fy the sausage meat effect ve y. They noted the resu ts cou d exp a n why peop e somet mes get s ck from eat ng fermented sausage. The study team conc uded the r resu ts show ant b ot cs can potent a y have a “paradox ca effect that wou d ncrease the r sk of food borne ness: ant b ot c res dues reduce the effect veness of bacter a that shou d make the sausages safe but don t affect the bacter a that can cause ness.” Th s research prov des suff c ent ev dence that processed meats must be avo ded ent re y to avo d s gn f cant y ncreased r sk of d gest ve cancers and bacter a nfect on. Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://mb o.asm.org/content/3/5/e00190-12 http://www.eureka ert.org/pub_re eases/2012-08/asfm-ar 082412.php http://www.sc enceda y.com/re eases/2012/08/120828093244.htm
Sev
01-02-2013, 09:55 AM
http:// 162.photobucket.com/a bums/t278/Seve /Food%20and%20Dr nk/agave. pg 1. Monosod um G utamate (MSG) WHAT IT IS: MSG s an am no ac d used as a f avor-enhancer n processed foods (one of the most common food add t ves). WHY IT S BAD: It s an known exc totox n, wh ch s a neurotox c chem ca add t ve shown to harm nerve ce s— overexc t ng them, somet mes to the po nt of ce death. Regu ar y consum ng exc totox ns ke MSG destroys s gn f cant numbers of bra n ce s and can ead to ser ous hea th prob ems, nc ud ng neuro og ca d sorders. (The two other common exc totox ns used n food are aspart c ac d (found n aspartame) and -cyste ne, wh ch s used as a dough cond t oner.) In add t on, regu ar consumpt on of MSG has been shown to st mu ate the appet te and contr bute to we ght ga n and obes ty. AKA: MSG goes by severa a ases, such as Hydro yzed Vegetab e Prote n, Hydro yzed P ant Prote n, Vegetab e Prote n Extract, Yeast Extract, G utamate, G utam c Ac d, Sod um Case nate, Textured Prote n, Soy Prote n Iso ates, Bar ey Ma t, Ca c um Case nate and Ma t Extract. IT S FOUND IN: Processed foods ke sa ad dress ngs, ow-fat yogurt, canned meats, frozen entrees, potato ch ps, canned soups ( nc ud ng Campbe s Condensed Ch cken Nood e Soup), and f avored crackers ( ke Wheat Th ns, Cheez-Its and Tr scu ts). 2. Aspartame WHAT IT IS: One of the most w de y-used art f c a sweeteners. WHY IT S BAD: L ke MSG, aspartame s an exc totox n. It a so s be eved to be carc nogen c, and produces neurotox c effects such as headaches, d zz ness, b urry v s on, and gastro ntest na d sturbances. Aspartame conta ns 10-percent methano , wh ch s shown to be broken down by the body nto the tox c by-products form c ac d and forma dehyde. Forma dehyde s cons dered to be a potent nerve tox n and carc nogen, wh ch may exp a n why aspartame accounts for more reports to the FDA of adverse react ons than a other foods and food add t ves comb ned. AKA: NutraSweet, Equa , Candere , Spoonfu , Natrataste, Am noSweet, p us others. IT S FOUND IN: Over 6,000 products conta n t, nc ud ng d et and sugar-free sodas and dr nks, sugar-free chew ng gum, yogurt, breath m nts, nstant breakfasts, frozen desserts, u ce beverages, and ge at ns. AVOID ITS PALS: Sp enda (Sucra ose), Sweet n Low (sacchar ne) 3. H gh Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) WHAT IT IS: Th s s a h gh y-ref ned sweetener n wh ch corn starch s separated from the corn kerne . The corn starch s then converted nto corn syrup through a process ca ed ac d hydro ys s. WHY IT S BAD: Near y a HFCS s made from genet ca y-mod f ed corn. It s the number-one source of ca or es n the US d et, and has been shown to contr bute to we ght ga n and the deve opment of d abetes. HFCS a so s a ma or contr butor to card ovascu ar d sease, arthr t s, nsu n res stance, and e evated tr g ycer des and ra sed LDL cho estero . In 2009, the Env ronmenta Hea th Journa reported that a study conducted by the Inst tute for Agr cu ture and Trade Po cy found mercury n 9 of 20 samp es of commerc a HFCS. The HFCS came from 3 d fferent manufacturers nc ud ng popu ar brands such as Quaker, Hunts, Kraft, Yop a t, Nutr -Gra n, and Smuckers. Mercury s a heavy meta and s cons dered a potent bra n tox n. The presence of mercury-contam nated caust c soda n the product on of HFCS s common. AKA: Corn sugar, g ucose/fructose (syrup), h gh-fructose ma ze syrup nu n, so-g ucose, and fru t fructose. IT S FOUND IN: Soda, sa ad dress ngs, breads, cerea s, yogurt, soups, unch meats, p zza sauce and cond ments. On average, Amer cans consume 12 teaspoons of HFCS per day. 4. Agave Nectar WHAT IT IS: Th s h gh y-processed sweetener s der ved from the agave (cactus) p ant. Most agave so d n the US comes from Mex co. WHY IT S BAD: Many consumers be eve agave syrup s a hea thfu sweetener, but t s anyth ng but. Agave nectar conta ns the h ghest amount of fructose (55-97%) among a the commerc a sweeteners, nc ud ng HFCS (wh ch averages 55% fructose). Fructose has been shown to ncrease nsu n res stance, the precursor to Type 2 d abetes. It s ma n y broken down n the ver and then converted to fat. Excess ve fructose, when consumed n quant t es greater than 25 grams a day, has been shown to e evate ur c ac d eve s, wh ch causes chron c, ow eve nf ammat on throughout the body. It s a so a ma n cause of fatty ver d sease. Fructose consumpt on a so eads to we ght ga n, e evated b ood sugar and tr g ycer des, p us h gh b ood pressure. AKA: Agave Syrup IT S FOUND IN: Ice cream, energy bars and cerea s, ketchup and other sauces. Agave s a so so d as a stand-a one sweetener. 5. Art f c a Food Co or ng WHAT IT IS: If your food sn t natura y co orfu , these add t ves t nt them much ke the dyes that co or c oth ng. WHY IT S BAD: Art f c a food dyes were or g na y synthes zed from coa tar — and now they are der ved from petro eum. They have ong been controvers a , and are one of the most w de y used add t ves n food products today. Many dyes have been banned because of the r adverse effects on aboratory an ma s. Stud es have conf rmed that n ne dyes current y approved for use n the US ra se the fo ow ng hea th concerns. Accord ng to the Center for Sc ence n the Pub c Interest s (CSPI) study on food dyes, “The three most w de y used dyes, Red 40, Ye ow 5, and Ye ow 6, are contam nated w th known carc nogens. Another dye, Red 3, has been acknow edged for years by the Food and Drug Adm n strat on to be a carc nogen, yet t s st n the food supp y.” CPSI further reports that these n ne food dyes are nked to hea th ssues rang ng from cancer and hyperact v ty to a ergyke react ons. A arge-sca e Br t sh government study (pub shed n 2007 n the UK med ca ourna Lancet) found that a var ety of common food dyes, as we as the preservat ve sod um benzoate, ncreased hyperact v ty and decreased the attent on spans of ch dren. These add t ves were shown to adverse y affect ch dren w th attent on-def c t hyperact v ty d sorder (ADHD), a ong w th ch dren hav ng no pr or h story of behav or prob ems. The European Un on (EU) has put abe ng regu at ons n p ace to nform consumers of the hea th r sks, but the US has fa ed to fo ow su t. AKA: Carame co or, FD&C B ue #1, Br ant B ue FCF, Br ght b ue, B ue # 2, Ingtot ne, Roya B ue, Red Number 3, Erythros ne, FD&C Red No.40, A ura Red AC, Ye ow 5 and 6, FD&C Green Number 3, Fast Green, Sea Green, to name a few. IT S FOUND IN: Beverages, candy, baked goods, cerea , energy bars, pudd ngs, ams, bread, macaron and cheese, de meat, frost ngs, cond ments, fast food, ce cream, sherbet, sorbet, p us meat and f sh (to make them appear “fresher”). 6. BHA and BHT WHAT IT IS: Buty ated hydroxyan so e (BHA) and buty ated hydrozytto uene (BHT) are preservat ves used n many foods to prevent ox dat on and extend she f fe. WHY IT S BAD: BHA and BHT are ox dants, wh ch have been shown to form potent a y cancer-caus ng react ve compounds n the body. The Internat ona Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the Wor d Hea th Organ zat on, cons ders BHA to be poss b y carc nogen c to humans, and the State of Ca forn a has sted t as a known carc nogen. WHERE IT S FOUND:In packag ng mater a s, cerea s, sausage, hot dogs, meat patt es, chew ng gum, potato ch ps, beer, butter, vegetab e o s, cosmet cs, and an ma feed. 7. Sod um N tr te and Sod um N trate WHAT THEY ARE: These two c ose y-re ated chem ca s are used to preserve meat. WHY THEY RE BAD: When added to meat, the n trates are read y converted to n trosam nes, wh ch are assoc ated w th an ncreased r sk of certa n types of cancers. Th s chem ca react on occurs most read y at the h gh temperatures. In a 2007 ana ys s, The Wor d Cancer Research Fund revea ed that eat ng 1.8 ounces of processed meat every day ncreases your cancer r sk by 20%. AKA: Soda n ter, Ch e sa tpeter THEY RE FOUND IN: Cured meats, bacon, ham, sa am , corned beef and hot dogs, pate, p ck ed p g s feet, canned meat (V enna sausages, dev ed ham), smoked sa mon, dr ed f sh, erky. 8. Potass um Bromate WHAT IT IS: A form of brom de, t s used as an add t ve to ncrease the vo ume n some breads, ro s, and f ours. WHY IT S BAD: It has been shown to cause cancer n an ma s and s banned n the EU, Canada, and severa other countr es. The FDA, s nce 1991, has requested that bakers vo untar y stop us ng t. It s rare y used n Ca forn a because a cancer warn ng s requ red on the abe . Brom de s cons dered to be an endocr ne d sruptor. AKA: Brom c ac d, potass um sa t, bromated f our, “enr ched f our.” IT S FOUND IN: Most commerc a baked goods n the US, nc ud ng Wonder Bread, Sunbeam, Home Pr de (but not n Pepper dge Farm, Arno d, Entenmann s, and Orowheat brands). It s a so common n f our, and occurs n some toothpaste and mouthwash brands as an ant sept c. 9. Recomb nant Bov ne Growth Hormone (rBGH) WHAT IT IS: Produced by Monsanto, rBGH s a genet ca y-eng neered vers on of the natura growth hormone produced by cows. It s used to boost m k product on n da ry cows. WHY IT S BAD: “rBGH m k” conta ns h gh eve s of nsu n- ke growth factor (IGF-1), excess eve s of wh ch have been mp cated as ma or causes of breast, co on and prostate cancers. rBGH m k s not requ red to be abe ed. G v ng cows rBGH has been shown to ncrease the nc dence of mast t s. When a cow has mast t s, pus and b ood are secreted nto the m k. It a so eads to ant b ot c res stance, wh ch s t ed to the spread of v ru ent staph nfect ons such as MRSA. Hormones n food have a so been nked to the onset of ear y puberty for g r s. Consumer feedback spurred such megabrands as Dannon and Genera M s, and the supermarket cha ns Wa -Mart, Starbucks, and Pub x to phase out products w th hormones rBST and rBGH. to read more: http://undergroundhea threporter.com/the-10-worst-food- ngred ents#axzz2GOPyG4Gy AKA: Recomb nant bov ne somatotrop n (rBST). IT S FOUND IN: A da ry products that aren t spec f ca y abe ed “No rGBH or rBST.” 10. Ref ned Vegetab e O Read more: http://undergroundhea threporter.com/the-10-worst-food- ngred ents# xzz2GOQByadQ
Fatboy
01-02-2013, 05:26 PM
Food n Amer ca rea y sucks now, t s so c ear to anyone who eaves for a week or 2.
jimmyg
01-03-2013, 06:44 AM
What Country Tops the L st of Hea th est Countr es? http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2012/December/top-country. pg
nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/27/top-hea th est-countr es.aspx?e_c d=20121227_DNL_art_2 By Dr. Merco a The Un ted States spends $2.7 tr on annua y -- TWICE the amount per person as most other ndustr a zed nat ons – on hea th care. W th th s eve of spend ng, you m ght th nk Amer cans wou d be among the hea th est peop e on the p anet … unfortunate y, that sn t the case. Japan Tops L st of Hea th est Countr es The G oba Burden of D sease study, wh ch assessed hea th and d sease trends n 187 countr es and s sa d to be the “ argest ever systemat c effort to descr be the g oba d str but on and causes of a w de array of ma or d seases, n ur es, and hea th r sk factors,”1 re eased ts rank ngs of the top 10 countr es w th the h ghest fe expectanc es. The Un ted States d d not make the cut – not even c ose. For ma e fe expectancy, the U.S. was ranked 29th, wh e for fema e fe expectancy the rank was even ower, at 33rd. Japan ranked h ghest for both, fo owed by:2 H ghest Ma e Hea thy L fe Expectancy ----- H ghest Fema e L fe Expectancy 1. Japan -------------------------- 1. Japan 2. S ngapore -------------------------------2. South Korea 3. Sw tzer and ----------------------------- 3. Spa n 4. Spa n -----------------------------------4. S ngapore 5. Ita y ------------------------------------5. Ta wan 6. Austra a --------------------------------6. Sw tzer and 7. Canada ---------------------------------7. Andorra 8. Andorra ---------------------------------8. Ita y 9. Israe -----------------------------------9. Austra a 10. South Korea ---------------------------10. France What s Japan s Secret? As for why the Japanese are the ongest- ved race on the p anet (they were a so ranked hea th est back n 1990), the researchers cou dn t say exact y, a though Harvard Schoo of Pub c Hea th Professor Joshua Sa omon, one of the study s ead nvest gators, noted:3 “It s ke y a comb nat on of factors, a comb nat on of genet cs and of hea thy behav ors, nc ud ng d et.” Indeed, at east one “secret” s ke y that the r d ets are natura y h gh n an ma -based omega-3 fats, a nutr ent many Amer cans are def c ent n. Accord ng to Dr. W am Harr s, an expert on omega-3 fats, those who have an omega-3 ndex of ess than 4 percent age much faster than those w th ndexes above 8 percent. Therefore, your omega-3 ndex may a so be an effect ve marker of your rate of ag ng. In genera , the Japanese a so en oy fermented foods ke natto, wh ch conta ns benef c a m crobes that he p ba ance your ntest na f ora, and s a so very h gh n v tam n K2, thereby boost ng overa mmun ty, far more often than the average Amer can … th s too cou d be p ay ng a ro e n the r good hea th. Wh e hea th r sks ke nfect ous d seases and ma nutr t on are caus ng fewer deaths across the board than they have n decades, other more ns d ous causes of death, ke chron c d sease, have taken the r p ace n many countr es, nc ud ng the Un ted States where heart d sease and cancer make up the two ead ng causes of death. Meanwh e, as a g oba popu at on we are gett ng s cker not hea th er, as a though fe expectancy has most y r sen, more of those years are be ng spent n poor hea th or d sab ty. The Lancet reported:4 “The resu ts show that nfect ous d seases, materna and ch d ness, and ma nutr t on now cause fewer deaths and ess ness than they d d twenty years ago. As a resu t, fewer ch dren are dy ng every year, but more young and m dd e-aged adu ts are dy ng and suffer ng from d sease and n ury, as non-commun cab e d seases, such as cancer and heart d sease, become the dom nant causes of death and d sab ty wor dw de. S nce 1970, men and women wor dw de have ga ned s ght y more than ten years of fe expectancy overa , but they spend more years v ng w th n ury and ness.” Why Isn t L fe Expectancy H gher n the Un ted States? Us ng fe expectancy as a barometer for the return of our hea th care nvestment shows us that th s expend ture s ent re y n va n. Other countr es that spend far ess are outpac ng us n fe expectancy by eaps and bounds. What s the prob em? We for starters, the U.S. hea th care system has a tremendous amount of waste. A recent rev ew of U.S. hea thcare expenses by the Inst tute of Med c ne5 revea ed that 30 cents of every do ar spent on med ca care s wasted, add ng up to $750 b on annua y. S x ma or areas of waste dent f ed n the report were: Unnecessary serv ces: $210 b on Inf ated pr ces: $105 b on Ineff c ent de very of care: $130 b on Improper payments: $70 b on Excess adm n strat ve costs: $190 b on Fraud: $75 b on Meanwh e, stat st cs a so te us that the U.S. hea th care system tse f may be one of the greatest hea th threats fac ng us today. Over a decade ago, Professor Bruce Pomerance of the Un vers ty of Toronto conc uded that proper y prescr bed and correct y taken pharmaceut ca drugs were the fourth ead ng cause of death n the U.S. More recent y, an art c e authored n two parts by Gary Nu , PhD, Caro yn Dean, MD, ND, Mart n Fe dman, MD, Debora Ras o, MD, and Dorothy Sm th, PhD, descr bes n excruc at ng deta how the modern Amer can convent ona med ca system has bumb ed ts way nto becom ng the ead ng cause of death and n ury n the Un ted States. From med ca errors to adverse drug react ons to unnecessary procedures, heart d sease, cancer deaths and nfant morta ty, the authors took stat st cs stra ght from the most respected med ca and sc ent f c ourna s and nvest gat ve reports by the Inst tutes of Med c ne (IOM), and showed that on the who e, Amer can med c ne caused more harm than good. In 2010, years after the or g na art c e was wr tten, an ana ys s n the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne6 found that, desp te efforts to mprove pat ent safety n the past few years, the hea th care system hasn t changed much at a . Instead, 18 percent of pat ents were harmed by med ca care (some repeated y) and over 63 percent of the n ur es cou d have been prevented. In near y 2.5 percent of these cases, the prob ems caused or contr buted to a person s death. In another 3 percent, pat ents suffered from permanent n ury, wh e over 8 percent exper enced fe-threaten ng ssues, such as severe b eed ng dur ng surgery. In a there were over 25 n ur es per 100 adm ss ons! Of course, there are other factors nvo ved n Amer cans poor fe-expectancy rank ngs, too, not the east of wh ch s the standard Amer can d et, wh ch nd rect y contr butes to an unto d number of deaths every year from obes ty and chron c d sease. The good news s that, no matter what country you ve n, most chron c d seases, nc ud ng cancer, heart d sease, d abetes, and obes ty, are arge y preventab e w th s mp e festy e changes. Even nfect ous d seases ke the f u can often be warded off by a hea thy way of fe. Do You Want to G ve Your L fe Expectancy a Boost? v deo.... The more hea thy hab ts you embrace, the h gher your chances of ag ng "successfu y" becomes … and the onger your fespan s ke y to be. Imag ne the owered death to , not to ment on costs to the economy, f more peop e dec ded to take contro of the r hea th … heart d sease and cancer a one accounted for 47 percent of deaths n the Un ted States n 2010, and there are many strateg es you can mp ement to ower your r sk of these d seases … and most of the ead ng causes of death n the Un ted States. The added bonus to th s s that the hea th er you are, the ess you w need to re y on convent ona med ca care, wh ch s a ead ng cause of death f you ve n the Un ted States. So what does a "hea thy festy e" enta ? Proper Food Cho ces For a comprehens ve gu de on wh ch foods to eat and wh ch to avo d, see my nutr t on p an. Genera y speak ng, you shou d be ook ng to focus your d et on who e, unprocessed foods (vegetab es, meats, raw da ry, nuts, and so forth) that come from hea thy, susta nab e, oca sources, such as a sma organ c farm not far from your home. For the best nutr t on and hea th benef ts, you w want to eat a good port on of your food raw. Persona y, I a m to eat about 80-85 percent of my food raw, nc ud ng raw eggs. Near y as mportant as know ng wh ch foods to eat more of s know ng wh ch foods to avo d, and topp ng the st s fructose. Sugar, and fructose n part cu ar, acts as a tox n n and of tse f, and as such dr ve mu t p e d sease processes n your body, not the east of wh ch s nsu n res stance, a ma or cause of acce erated ag ng. Comprehens ve Exerc se Program, nc ud ng H gh-Intens ty Exerc se ke Peak F tness Even f you re eat ng the hea th est d et n the wor d, you st need to exerc se to reach the h ghest eve s of hea th, and you need to be exerc s ng effect ve y, wh ch means nc ud ng not on y core-strengthen ng exerc ses, strength tra n ng, and stretch ng but a so h gh- ntens ty act v t es nto your rotat on. H gh- ntens ty nterva -type tra n ng boosts human growth hormone (HGH) product on, wh ch s essent a for opt ma hea th, strength and v gor. I ve d scussed the mportance of Peak F tness for your hea th on numerous occas ons, so for more nformat on p ease rev ew th s prev ous art c e. Stress Reduct on and Pos t ve Th nk ng You cannot be opt ma y hea thy f you avo d address ng the emot ona component of your hea th and ongev ty, as your emot ona state p ays an nt mate ro e n near y every phys ca d sease -- from heart d sease and depress on, to arthr t s and cancer. Effect ve cop ng mechan sms are a ma or ongev ty-promot ng factor n part because stress has a d rect mpact on nf ammat on, wh ch n turn under es many of the chron c d seases that k peop e premature y every day. Med tat on, prayer, energy psycho ogy too s such as the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT), soc a support and exerc se are a v ab e opt ons that can he p you ma nta n emot ona and menta equ br um. Proper Sun Exposure to Opt m ze V tam n D We have ong known that t s best to get your v tam n D from sun exposure, and f at a poss b e, I strong y urge you to make sure you re gett ng out n the sun on a da y bas s. V tam n D p ays an mportant ro e n prevent ng numerous nesses rang ng from cancer to the f u. The mportant factor when t comes to v tam n D s your serum eve , wh ch shou d dea y be between 50-70 ng/m year-round. Sun exposure or a safe tann ng bed s the preferred method for opt m z ng v tam n D eve s, but a v tam n D3 supp ement can be used as a ast resort. Most adu ts need about 8,000 IU s of v tam n D a day to ach eve serum eve s above 40 ng/m , wh ch s st ust be ow the m n mum recommended serum eve of 50 ng/m . H gh Qua ty An ma -Based Omega-3 Fats An ma -based omega-3 fat ke kr o s a strong factor n he p ng peop e ve onger, and some experts be eve that t s ke y the predom nant reason why the Japanese are the hea th est peop e on the p anet. Avo d as Many Chem ca s, Tox ns, and Po utants as Poss b e Th s nc udes toss ng out your tox c househo d c eaners, soaps, persona hyg ene products, a r fresheners, bug sprays, awn pest c des, and nsect c des, ust to name a few, and rep ac ng them w th non-tox c a ternat ves.
jimmyg
01-04-2013, 07:29 AM
Madness: These stat st cs cou d qua fy tantrum-throw ng ch dren as menta y Thursday, January 03, 2013 by: M ke Bundrant http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Bab es/Baby-Todd er-Cry ng-Upset. pg (Natura News) In an effort to he p parents "take the guesswork out of when to worry" about the r ch dren and rush them n for screen ng and treatment, researchers are ready to te you that your tantrum-throw ng k d s menta y . To "character ze the emergence of menta hea th prob ems" and "chart the progress on from norma to abnorma " behav or, a Nat ona Inst tute of Menta Hea th sponsored study offers the fo ow ng pathet ca y weak stat st cs. These stats are ntended to suggest that your ch d may be deve op ng a menta d sorder. I cou dn t he p but nsert my own commentary n ta cs after each one. If your ch d throws tantrums: ...w th an adu t who was not the r parent, such as a babys tter or teacher (36 percent of tantrum-throw ng ch dren) Rea y? More than one th rd of tantrum-throw ng k ds do th s and you are ca ng t abnorma ? Sounds pretty desperate. ...dur ng wh ch they broke or destroyed th ngs (28 percent) I remember becom ng so angry once when I was f ve that I punched a w ndow and t shattered. After my mother checked to see f I was OK, she nformed me that I wou d be pay ng for the w ndow by do ng chores around the house. Took me a month to pay t off. I never punched a w ndow aga n. I guess these o d schoo so ut ons won t do anymore. Better to take your k d off to a psych atr st for meds. He m ght have a w ndow punch ng d sorder. ..."out of the b ue," or for wh ch parents cou d not d scern a reason (26 percent) Yeah, parents fa ng to understand why a ch d s upset means the ch d has a menta d sorder. Th s s ust s ck. ...that asted an unusua y ong t me (26 percent) Vague. Come on, guys. 15 seconds s a ong t me to dea w th a screech ng ch d. ...dur ng wh ch they h t, b t, or k cked someone e se (24 percent). Ser ous y? Ch dren h tt ng, k ck ng and b t ng can be cons dered a menta d sorder? I remember our tw ns, now 12, used to b te each other ke a coup e of pupp es. Now, they are happy, we -ad usted, stra ght A students. We dea t w th the b t ng by nterven ng as best we cou d. They grew out of t. By the way, k ds natura y grow out of th ngs, even w thout psych atr c ntervent on. Imag ne that! "Our goa was to prov de a standard method that wou d take the guesswork out of when to worry about young ch dren s behav or and to prov de a more deve opmenta y sens t ve way of character z ng the emergence of menta hea th prob ems, mov ng away from trad t ona approaches emphas z ng extreme c n ca d st nct ons to a d mens ona approach that charts a progress on from norma to abnorma ," sa d Lauren Waksch ag, one of the pr nc pa s n the study. Yes, they want to ensure you watch your ch d progress from norma to abnorma . The prob em s, they have c ear y abe ed norma behav or as abnorma . If your ch d throws tantrums, cons der the fo ow ng: Maybe t s you, the parent In 20 years as a coach and counse or, I d say on y 5% of parents come n and present the fo ow ng: My ch d s m sbehav ng and I am concerned that I may not be adequate y meet ng h s needs, so I d ke to d scuss how I m ght become a better parent. 95% of parents present someth ng ke: Here s my k d - p ease f x h m. When shou d I come back? Sorry, th s s not an automob e repa r shop. You can t drop your k ds off for a tune up wh e you head over to Starbucks. I a ways requ red my parents to be the center of the r ch dren s counse ng process. Maybe ts ust fe Th nk for a moment about someth ng that the vast ma or ty of menta hea th profess ona s do not understand. From the womb onward, fe s a ser es of cha enges. In the womb, we exper ence warmth and secur ty and oneness. The un verse s us and we are the un verse. Fetuses are true (and nnocent) mega oman acs. From there on, separat on and oss s the name of the game. We separate from the womb. We ose our nherent sense of oneness by earn ng that others and the wor d ex st apart from us. We ose nstant grat f cat on when we don t get fed r ght when we are hungry, or get what we want when we want t. We ose contro - other peop e te us when to eat, s eep and even when and where to poop. L nes are drawn. Pun shments are g ven for cross ng them. U t mate y, we separate from our fam es, fantas es, some of our dreams, and eventua y, our own ves. L fe s tough. Th s s a norma , though. It s ust fe. So are ch dhood tantrums. In fact, they make perfect sense, a th ngs cons dered. As parents, et s he p ch dren through the tough spots, no matter how tough they are. It s part of fe. Psych atr c drugs do not need to be.
jimmyg
01-05-2013, 07:54 AM
Two "Forb dden Foods" That Can G ve You Instant Energy L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2012/12/31/top-10-hea th est-foods.aspx?e_c d=20121231_DNL_art_1 http://med a.merco a.com/themes/merco a/ mages/s deshow/p ck e. pg Cu tured vegetab es are teem ng w th essent a enzymes and good bacter a needed for opt ma d gest on and they are eas er to d gest than raw or cooked vegetab es. When you eat raw cu tured vegetab es oaded w th enzymes, you g ve your body an opportun ty to make enzymes to re uvenate tse f nstead of wast ng a arge port on of your enzymes d gest ng food. S deshow..... December 31, 2012 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: One food that s often shunned for ts h gh saturated fat content s coconut o . However, t has many spectacu ar hea th benef ts such as promot ng heart hea th, we ght oss, mmune system hea th, thyro d funct on and more. M croorgan sms are often feared as dangerous, however, fermented foods are among the hea th est foods. The benef c a bacter a n these foods are very potent detox f ers, capab e of draw ng out a w de range of env ronmenta tox ns, nc ud ng pest c des and and heavy meta s 10 nutr t ous "superfoods" that can up the ante on your d et nc ude fermented vegg es, fermented beverages, ka e, sard nes, whey prote n, organ c eggs, coconut o , avocado, raw organ c butter, and pomegranate
Does your hea th food reperto re cons st of sa ads, baked ch cken and brocco ? Are you ook ng for a way to add some exc tement to your mea s wh e max m z ng the r nutr t ona punch? There s abso ute y no need to be bored when eat ng hea thy, but many be eve th s to be the case because they are m ss ng out on some of the tast est and hea th est opt ons of a . I encourage you to peruse the st be ow to take advantage of some of the hea th est foods on earth. Before we can ta k about the best foods, we need to perform some nutr t on "mythbust ng" and address two ma or d etary myths that have permeated Western cu ture for decades: Fat s bad for you—espec a y saturated fat A m croorgan sms are dangerous Myth #1: Fat s BAD for You Convent ona med ca "w sdom" cont nues bark ng that consumpt on of saturated an ma fats s bad for you and causes heart d sease. Most med ca "experts" be eves th s to be true. But a hundred years ago, fewer than one n one hundred Amer cans were obese, and coronary heart d sease was unknown and we had FAR more fat ntake then we do today. The demon zat on of saturated fat began n 1953, when Dr. Ance Keys pub shed a paper compar ng saturated fat ntake and heart d sease morta ty. H s theory turned out to be f msy, to say the east, but the m sgu ded oust ng of saturated fat has cont nued ever s nce. Fortunate y, the truth s f na y start ng to come out, as med ca sc ent sts have f na y begun to quest on Keys f nd ngs. The truth s, t s the trans fat found n margar ne, vegetab e shorten ng, and part a y hydrogenated vegetab e o s that s the true v a n, caus ng a mu t tude of hea th prob ems. Coconut o a so fe nto the "bad for your heart hea th" as a resu t of the saturated fat d sparagement. Th s s most unfortunate as t s one of the hea th est fats on the p anet. It s most y med um cha n tr g ycer des w th over ha f of those be ong ng to aur c ac d, wh ch s an essent a fat to regu ate your mmune system, and s a so very preva ent n breast m k. It can curb hunger and he p prov de ast ng energy. I persona y consume about one quart of coconut o a week. It s the dea fat to use when you are us ng nterm ttent fast ng and seek ng to rep ace ca or es from gra ns and sugar, and excess ve prote n. Myth #2: When It Comes to Bacter a, Be Afra d... Be Very Afra d We have become one of the most germophob c cu tures n the wor d, attempt ng to ster ze ourse ves nto a bubb e—and our ch dren as we . We haven t done ourse ves any favors here. We ve n a wor d of m croorgan sms... bacter a, v ruses, and fung , and our ves depend on v ng w th them, rather than avo d ng them. L tera y. M croorgan sms are everywhere. You swa ow them, breathe them, and they form nv s b e co on es on your sk n. Your gut s home to approx mate y 100 tr on bacter a, both good and bad. These bacter a outnumber the ce s n your body by about 10 to one, and ma nta n ng the dea ba ance of hea thy and d sease caus ng m crof ora forms the foundat on for your hea th—phys ca , menta and emot ona . In fact, th s m croscop c zoo n your gut s the f rst- ne defense of your mmune system. Wh e a few of these m croorgan sms can wreak havoc w th your system, most of these tt e "bugs" are good, he p ng you d gest your food, stay protected from nfect ons, and even he p ng to prevent auto mmune d seases ke asthma, a erg es, and d abetes. An mba ance n your gut f ora can be a ma or contr butor to many ser ous nesses, nc ud ng aut sm, Park nson s and A zhe mer s d seases. Your body s m crob a commun ty s so cruc a to your hea th that researchers have compared t to "a new y recogn zed organ" whose funct on s so mportant that you s mp y cannot be opt ma y hea thy w thout t. In add t on to avo d ng unnecessary ant b ot cs and ant bacter a soaps, ba anc ng your gut f ora may be one of the most mportant steps you can take to mprove your hea th. Th s requ res "reseed ng" your gut w th natura y fermented foods and prob ot cs. Are You Eat ng These 10 Hea th est Foods? So, hav ng d spe ed two pervas ve food myths, et me now focus on ten of the most hea thfu foods you cou d be consum ng. Remember these are genera recommendat ons. Not everyone w do we w th these foods, but the vast ma or ty w have hea th mprovement by regu ar y consum ng them. As a ways, t s mportant to sten to your body and et t gu de you n mak ng that determ nat on. W th some foods though, ke fermented vegetab es, you w need to start w th very sma amounts and work your way up to a hea thy dose over a few months. 1. Fermented Vegetab es Fermented, or cu tured, vegetab es are teem ng w th essent a enzymes and good bacter a needed for opt ma d gest on and they are eas er to d gest than raw or cooked vegetab es. When you eat raw cu tured vegetab es oaded w th enzymes, you g ve your body an opportun ty to use ts bod y stores of enzymes to re uvenate tse f nstead of exhaust ng them try ng to d gest over y processed and otherw se dead food. Cu tured foods a so offer a mu t tude of med c na rewards by: A ev at ng d gest ve d sorders - the f ora n v ng cu tured foods form a " v ng sh e d" that covers your sma ntest ne s nner n ng and res sts pathogen c organ sms ke Escher ch a co , Sa mone a and an unhea thy overgrowth of yeast Strengthen ng mmun ty w th ncreased ant bod es that f ght off nfect ous d sease He p ng pregnant and nurs ng mothers transfer benef c a bacter a to the r nfants Effect ve y mpact ng the behav or of ch dren w th aut sm,ADD/ and ADHD Regu at ng we ght and appet te by reduc ng crav ngs for sugar, soft dr nks, bread and pasta -- a foods I strong y adv se aga nst Fermented foods are a so among some of the best che ators ava ab e. The benef c a bacter a n these foods are very potent detox f ers, capab e of draw ng out a w de range of env ronmenta tox ns, nc ud ng pest c des and and heavy meta s. And you don t need to consume huge amounts e ther. Caro ne Barr nger recommends eat ng about a quarter to a ha f a cup of fermented vegetab es, or cu tured food such as raw yoghurt, per day. In the fo ow ng v deo, she d scusses the process of ferment ng your own vegetab es n some deta , so for more nformat on, p ease sten to that nterv ew. v deo...... 2. Ka e Cont nued....
jimmyg
01-05-2013, 07:57 AM
Ka e conta ns f ber and ant ox dants, and s one of the best sources of v tam n A, wh ch promotes eye and sk n hea th and may he p strengthen your mmune system. A one-cup serv ng has a most as much v tam n C as an orange and as much ca c um as a cup of m k. It s s mp y an exce ent source of mu t p e v tam ns and other nutr ents, nc ud ng: V tam n A - V tam n B - V tam n C - Ca c um - Lute n (he ps protect aga nst macu ar degenerat on) - Zeaxanth n (he ps protect aga nst macu ar degenerat on) - Indo e-3-carb no (may protect aga nst co on cancer) - Iron - Ch orophy . 3. Kef r and Other Fermented Beverages Kef r s a fermented m k beverage that conta ns benef c a prob ot cs that may he p g ve your mmune system a boost, among other hea th benef ts. One of the best and east expens ve ways to get hea thy bacter a through your d et s actua y to obta n raw m k and convert t to kef r yourse f. A you need s one-ha f packet of kef r starter granu es n a quart of raw m k, wh ch you eave at room temperature overn ght. By the t me you wake up n the morn ng you w ke y have kef r. If t hasn t obta ned the cons stency of yogurt you m ght want to set t out a b t onger and then store t n the fr dge. A quart of kef r has far more act ve bacter a than you can poss b y purchase n any prob ot c supp ement, and t s very econom ca as you can reuse the kef r from the or g na quart of m k about 10 t mes before you need to start a new cu ture pack. Just one starter package of kef r granu es can convert about 50 ga ons of m k to kef r. Th s s a so a far hea th er, and far more econom ca , way to nour sh your body w th prob ot cs than buy ng any of the commerc a prob ot c beverages on the market, as these typ ca y conta n added sugars and are made us ng pasteur zed m k, wh ch I don t recommend dr nk ng. Kombucha, a fermented dr nk, s another great add t on to your d et. The key s var ety. The greater the var ety of fermented and cu tured foods you nc ude n your d et, the better, as each food w nocu ate your gut w th a var ety of d fferent benef c a m croorgan sms. 4. Sard nes These t ny f sh are packed w th omega-3 fats, wh ch are exce ent for your heart, bra n, mood and more, and v tam n D. And, because of the r ower pos t on on the food cha n, they don t accumu ate as many tox ns, such as mercury, PCBs and d ox n, as arger f sh do, mak ng them among the safest f sh you can eat. 5. Whey Prote n Concentrate Whey prote n, a by-product of cheese product on, was promoted for ts hea th benef ts as ear y as 420 B.C. As you age, your body gradua y oses ts ab ty to produce cr t ca am no ac ds -- the essent a prote ns you need for energy product on, mmune act ons and prote n bu dup n your musc e. Therefore, the need to supp ement w th these am no ac ds ncreases w th age, and ncreases even more n t mes of h gh phys ca stress, ke after a workout, or when recover ng from n ury or ness. Whey prote n concentrate (not to be confused w th the far nfer or whey prote n so ate) s an dea cho ce as t s a r ch source of h gh y b oava ab e am no ac ds that many are unaware of. Whey prote n has been nked to a var ety of hea th benef ts, nc ud ng: He p ng your nsu n work more effect ve y, wh ch he ps ma nta n your b ood sugar eve after a mea -- Th s s mportant as research suggests ower ng your b ood sugar eve s after mea s may be more benef c a for your hea th than ower ng fast ng b ood sugars. Promot ng hea thy nsu n secret on, wh ch s essent a for opt ma hea th. Th s s one of the foremost reasons for avo d ng sugars and gra ns, as the r overconsumpt on has a negat ve mpact on both, and s a pr me factor n deve op ng type 2 d abetes. He p ng to promote your opt ma ntake of prote ns, fats, carbohydrates, v tam ns, and m nera s needed for your overa we ness. He p ng you preserve ean body t ssue (part cu ar y dur ng exerc se) as t de vers b oava ab e am no ac ds and cyste ne. Support ng your mmune system, as t conta ns mmunog obu ns. Ma nta n ng b ood pressure eve s that are a ready w th n the norma range. 6. Organ c Pastured Eggs (Raw) Wh e many peop e do eat eggs, many neg ect to eat them raw, wh ch s the hea th est way. Raw free-range or "pastured" eggs are an exce ent source of h gh-qua ty nutr ents that many peop e are def c ent n, espec a y h gh-qua ty prote n and fat. A s ng e egg conta ns: N ne essent a am no ac ds One of the h ghest qua ty prote ns you can f nd. Prote ns are nutr ents that are essent a to the bu d ng, ma ntenance and repa r of your body t ssues such as your sk n, nterna organs and musc es. They are a so the ma or components of your mmune system and hormones; Lute n and zeaxanth n (for your eyes) Cho ne for your bra n, nervous- and card ovascu ar systems Natura y occurr ng B12 Why s raw better? Heat ng the egg prote n actua y changes ts natura b ochem ca shape, and th s d stort on can eas y ead to a erg es. If you consume your eggs n the r raw state, the nc dence of egg a ergy v rtua y d sappears. Eat ng eggs raw a so he ps preserve many of the h gh y per shab e nutr ents such as ute n and zeaxanth n, wh ch are powerfu prevent on e ements for age-re ated macu ar degenerat on, wh ch s the most common cause of b ndness. Fresh raw egg yo k actua y tastes ke van a, n my op n on. The egg wh te s usua y what most peop e ob ect to when they say they don t ke the texture of raw egg. If th s s an ssue, cons der b end ng the who e raw egg nto a shake or smooth e. Beware of consum ng raw egg wh tes w thout the yo ks as raw egg wh tes conta n av d n, wh ch can b nd to b ot n. If you cook the egg wh te the av d n s not an ssue. L kew se, f you consume the who e raw egg (both yo k and egg wh te) there s more than enough b ot n n the yo k to compensate for the av d n b nd ng. If you choose not to eat your eggs raw, soft-bo ed wou d be your next best opt on. Scramb ng your eggs s one of the worst ways to eat eggs as t actua y ox d zes the cho estero n the egg yo k. If you have h gh cho estero th s may actua y be a prob em for you as the ox d zed cho estero may cause some damage n your body. 7. Organ c Coconut O Often shunned for ts h gh saturated fat content, the natura y occurr ng saturated fat found n coconut o has some spectacu ar hea th benef ts such as promot ng heart hea th, we ght oss, mmune system hea th, thyro d funct on and more. Ha f of the fat content n coconut o s aur c ac d—a fat rare y found n nature—that cou d eas y qua fy as a "m rac e" ngred ent because of ts un que hea th promot ng propert es. Your body converts aur c ac d nto mono aur n, wh ch has ant -v ra , ant -bacter a and ant -protozoa propert es. And, because your body sends med um-cha n fatty ac ds ke those n coconut o d rect y to your ver to use as energy, th s makes coconut o a powerfu source of nstant energy to your body, a funct on usua y served n the d et by s mp e carbohydrates. Coconut o s a so the dea cho ce for a types of cook ng. In fact, t s the on y o stab e enough to res st m d heat- nduced damage. So, whenever you need an o to cook or bake w th, use coconut o nstead of butter, o ve o , vegetab e o , margar ne, or any other type of o ca ed for n rec pes.Even though I don t fu y recommend fry ng foods, f you must fry, by a means use coconut o -- t s your smartest cho ce. 8. Avocado A so shunned by many due to the r fat content, avocados are actua y ncred b y hea thy for th s very reason. Hea thy raw fat s a nutr ent many are severe y def c ent n. I eat a who e avocado near y every day. Avocados a so prov de c ose to 20 essent a hea th-boost ng nutr ents, nc ud ng: F ber Potass um (more than tw ce the amount found n a banana) V tam n E B-v tam ns Fo c ac d 9. Raw Grass-Fed Butter Another type of hea thy fat that many peop e do not eat s butter made from raw organ c grass-fed m k. I typ ca y eat about a ha f-pound to a pound of raw organ c grass-fed butter per week, as t s an exce ent source of h gh-qua ty nutr ents, nc ud ng: V tam ns, such as v tam n A, needed for a w de range of funct ons, from ma nta n ng good v s on to keep ng the endocr ne system n top shape, and a the other fat-so ub e v tam ns (D, E and K2), wh ch are often ack ng n the modern ndustr a d et. Trace m nera s, nc ud ng manganese, chrom um, z nc, copper and se en um (a powerfu ant ox dant). Butter prov des more se en um per gram than wheat germ or herr ng. It s a so an exce ent source of od ne. Hea thfu fats, nc ud ng short- and med um-cha n fats, wh ch support mmune funct on, boost metabo sm and have ant -m crob a propert es, as we as the perfect ba ance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, and arach don c ac d, wh ch s mportant for bra n funct on, sk n hea th and prostag and n ba ance. Con ugated L no e c Ac d (CLA), a compound that g ves exce ent protect on aga nst cancer and a so he ps your body bu d musc e rather than store fat. G ycosp ngo p ds, a spec a category of fatty ac ds that protect aga nst gastro ntest na nfect ons, espec a y n the very young and the e der y. Wu zen Factor, a hormone- ke substance that prevents arthr t s and o nt st ffness, ensur ng that ca c um n your body s put nto your bones rather than your o nts and other t ssues. The Wu zen factor s present on y n raw butter and cream; t s destroyed by pasteur zat on. 10. Pomegranate The pr mary source of th s fru t s benef ts s ts ant ox dant content, part cu ar y e ag tann n compounds ke pun ca ag ns and pun ca ns, wh ch account for about ha f of the pomegranate s ant ox dant ab ty. The u ce and pu p of pomegranates have prev ous y been stud ed for the r potent a heart- and o nt hea th benef ts. A m to ncorporate as many of these foods nto your d et on a da y or week y bas s as you can, and you be off to a great nutr t ona start. For even more adv ce on how to eat r ght by focus ng your d et on who e, unprocessed "superfoods," see my nutr t on p an.
Sev
01-05-2013, 08:42 AM
Got a nk to the fermented vegetab es?
Sev
01-05-2013, 08:43 AM
http:// 162.photobucket.com/a bums/t278/Seve /Genera %20P ctures%201/227607_4301213004925_1124382037_n. pg
jimmyg
01-06-2013, 08:57 AM
Conf rmed – Your D gest ve System D ctates Whether You re S ck or We http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/d gest ve. pg L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/02/d gest ve-system-gut-f ora.aspx?e_c d=20130102_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Merco a More and more, sc ence s f nd ng that teeny t ny creatures v ng n your gut are there for a def n te purpose. Known as your m crob ome, about 100 tr on of these ce s popu ate your body, part cu ar y your ntest nes and other parts of your d gest ve system. In fact, 90 percent of the genet c mater a n your body s not yours, but rather that of bacter a, fung , v ruses and other m croorgan sms that compose your m crof ora. True, some of these bacter a can make you s ck; for examp e, the Nat ona Inst tute of A ergy & Infect ous D seases recent y found Crohn s D sease may be caused by mmune responses to certa n gut m crob ota. But the ma or ty are good, and they work together as he pmates to a d your d gest ve system and keep you we . Benef c a bacter a, better known as prob ot cs, a ong w th a host of other m croorgan sms, are so cruc a to your hea th that researchers have compared them to "a new y recogn zed organ." For examp e, we now know that your m crof ora nf uence your: Genet c express on Immune system Bra n deve opment, menta hea th, and memory We ght, and R sk of numerous chron c and acute d seases, from d abetes to cancer Accord ng to the featured art c e n T me Magaz ne:1 "Our surpr s ng y comp ex nterna eco ogy has been a hot top c n med c ne ate y. In t at ves such as the Human M crob ome Pro ect2, an extens on of the Human Genome Pro ect, have been work ng t re ess y to probe potent a nks between the human m crob ota and human hea th, and to construct strateg es for man pu at ng the bacter a so that they work w th us rather than aga nst us. ...They ve been nked to a range of nasty cond t ons, nc ud ng obes ty, arthr t s, and h gh cho estero . Now, two newer areas of research are push ng the f e d even further, ook ng at the poss b e gut bug nk to a pa r of very d fferent cond t ons: aut sm and rr tab e bowe d sease." M crof ora Be ng Invest gated to Ascerta n L nks w th Aut sm and IBS Th s s prec se y what Dr. Natasha Campbe -McBr de s work centers around, and her Gut and Psycho ogy Syndrome (GAPS) nutr t ona p an s des gned to reestab sh proper gut f ora n order to hea and sea your gut – thereby revers ng and e m nat ng a ments runn ng the gamut from aut sm, ADD/ADHD, earn ng d sorders, and obsess ve-compu s ve d sorder, ust to name a few poss b t es. It s exc t ng to see sc ence s start ng to take th s more ser ous y, as aut sm has reached ep dem c proport ons. Accord ng to the featured T me art c e:3 "Up to 85 percent of ch dren w th aut sm a so suffer from some k nd of gastro ntest na d stress such as chron c const pat on or nf ammatory bowe d sease. Research pub shed n 2005 ........... In 2011, a study pub shed n Proceed ngs of the Nat ona Academy of Sc ences found that m ce w th essent a y germ-free guts showed abnorma movement and anx ety symptoms, suggest ng that at east some act ve ntest na b ome s essent a for norma deve opment. Unt a tt e wh e ago t was out and sh to suggest that m crob omes n the gut cou d be beh nd th s d sease, Un vers ty of Gue ph ass stant professor of b o ogy Emma A en-Vercoe sa d. But I th nk t s an ntersect on between the genet cs of the pat ent and the m crob ome and the env ronment. " Recent research pub shed n the ourna Sc ence7 may shed much needed ght on the pers stent and hard-to-treat nature of rr tab e bowe d sease (IBD). The researchers nfected m ce w th Toxop asma gond , a paras te assoc ated w th etha food-borne ness. Interest ng y, when the mmune system of the mouse reacted to the presence of the paras te, t a so began overreact ng to benef c a bacter a. In fact, wh e about 10 percent of the T ce s n the GI tract attacked the paras te, approx mate y 45 percent of the T ce s began attack ng other gut m crobes. Furthermore, once the paras te had been successfu y c eared, the mmune system cont nued to m s dent fy benef c a bacter a as a fore gn agents, prevent ng the m ce from ever fu y recover ng from the nfect on. As stated by T me: "If someth ng s m ar happens n humans – e ther w th Toxop asma gond or another nvader – t cou d go a ong way to exp a n ng both the ex stence and pers stence of a of the IBD cond t ons." Accord ng to the Nat ona Inst tute of A ergy and Infect ous D seases:8 "The team s f nd ngs are among the f rst to demonstrate that T ce s n the gut mount an mmune response to commensa bacter a [norma m crof ora] dur ng an nfect on. They a so are the f rst to show that commensa -spec f c T ce s rema n n c rcu at on after the nfect on s c eared. Based on the r observat ons, the nvest gators specu ate that, when uncontro ed, commensa -spec f c T ce s may contr bute to deve opment of Crohn s d sease, but more research s needed." Who Wou d Have Known? Breast M k Boosts Benef c a Growth of Gut F ora Add ng more we ght to Dr. Natasha Campbe -McBr de s ns stence that breastfeed ng s cruc a to he p norma ze an nfant s m crof ora (hence protect ng aga nst d sease and deve opmenta prob ems), a f rst-of- ts-k nd study on human breast m k and ts mpact on nfants gut f ora g ves new ns ght on why breast m k s better than formu a at protect ng newborns from nfect ous ness.9 The study s author, W am Parker, exp a ned that breast m k appears to promote a hea thy co on zat on of benef c a b of ms. Prev ous research has a ready estab shed that breast m k reduces d arrhea, f u, and resp ratory nfect ons n bab es, as we as owers the r r sk of deve op ng a erg es, Type 1 d abetes, mu t p e sc eros s and other d seases. Accord ng to Duke Un vers ty:10 " Th s study s the f rst we know of that exam nes the effects of nfant nutr t on on the way that bacter a grow, prov d ng ns ght to the mechan sms under y ng the benef ts of breast feed ng over formu a feed ng for newborns, sa d W am Parker, PhD, assoc ate professor of surgery at Duke and sen or author of the study. On y breast m k appears to promote a hea thy co on zat on of benef c a b of ms, and these ns ghts suggest there may be potent a approaches for deve op ng subst tutes that more c ose y m m c those benef ts n cases where breast m k cannot be prov ded." The researchers grew bacter a n samp es of three popu ar brands each of m k- and soy-based nfant formu as, cow s m k, and breast m k. ........... Accord ng to Duke Un vers ty: ".............Whenever poss b e, promot ng breast feed ng s the abso ute best opt on for mom and baby." How to Opt m ze Your Gut F ora A hea thy d et s the dea way to ma nta n a hea thy gut, and regu ar y consum ng trad t ona y fermented or cu tured foods s the eas est way to ensure opt ma gut f ora. Hea thy opt ons nc ude: Fermented vegetab es of a k nds (cabbage, carrots, ka e, co ards, ce ery sp ced w th herbs ke g nger and gar c) Lass (an Ind an yogurt dr nk, trad t ona y en oyed before d nner) Tempeh Fermented raw m k such as kef r or yogurt, but NOT commerc a vers ons, wh ch typ ca y do not have ve cu tures and are oaded w th sugars that feed pathogen c bacter a Natto K m chee
Just make sure to steer c ear of pasteur zed vers ons, as pasteur zat on w destroy many of the natura y occurr ng prob ot cs. For examp e, most of the "prob ot c" yogurts you f nd n every grocery store these days are NOT recommended. S nce they re pasteur zed, they w be assoc ated w th a of the prob ems of pasteur zed m k products nstead. They a so typ ca y conta n added sugars, h gh fructose corn syrup, dyes, and/or art f c a sweeteners; a of wh ch are detr menta to your hea th. Consum ng trad t ona y fermented foods w a so prov de you w th the fo ow ng added boons: Important nutr ents: Some fermented foods are exce ent sources of essent a nutr ents such as v tam n K2, wh ch s mportant for prevent ng arter a p aque bu dup and heart d sease. Cheese curd, for examp e, s an exce ent source of both prob ot cs and v tam n K2. You can a so obta n a the K2 you need (about 200 m crograms) by eat ng 15 grams, or ha f an ounce, of natto da y. They are a so a potent producer of many B v tam ns Opt m z ng your mmune system: Prob ot cs have been shown to modu ate mmune responses v a your gut s mucosa mmune system, and have ant - nf ammatory potent a . E ghty percent of your mmune system s ocated n your d gest ve system, mak ng a hea thy gut a ma or foca po nt f you want to ma nta n opt ma hea th, as a robust mmune system s your number one defense system aga nst ALL d sease Detox f cat on: Fermented foods are some of the best che ators ava ab e. The benef c a bacter a n these foods are very potent detox f ers, capab e of draw ng out a w de range of tox ns and heavy meta s Cost effect ve: Fermented foods can conta n 100 t mes more prob ot cs than a supp ement, so ust add ng a sma amount of fermented foods to each mea w g ve you the b ggest bang for your buck Natura var ety of m crof ora: As ong as you vary the fermented and cu tured foods you eat, you get a much w der var ety of benef c a bacter a than you cou d ever get from a supp ement When you f rst start out, you want to start sma , add ng as tt e as ha f a tab espoon of fermented vegetab es to each mea , and gradua y work ng your way up to about a quarter to ha f a cup (2 to 4 oz) of fermented vegetab es or other cu tured food w th one to three mea s per day. S nce cu tured foods are eff c ent detox f ers, you may exper ence detox symptoms, or a "hea ng cr s s," f you ntroduce too many at once. Learn to Make Your Own Fermented Vegetab es Fermented vegetab es are easy to make on your own. It s a so the most cost-effect ve way to get h gh amounts of hea thfu prob ot cs n your d et. To earn how, rev ew the fo ow ng nterv ew w th Caro ne Barr nger, a Nutr t ona Therapy Pract t oner (NTP) and an expert n the preparat on of the foods prescr bed n Dr. Natasha Campbe -McBr de s Gut and Psycho ogy Syndrome (GAPS) Nutr t ona Program. In add t on to the wea th of nformat on shared n th s nterv ew, I h gh y recommend gett ng the book Gut and Psycho ogy Syndrome, wh ch prov des a the necessary deta s for Dr. McBr de s GAPS protoco . A though you can use the nat ve bacter a on cabbage and other vegetab es, t s typ ca y eas er to get cons stent resu ts by us ng a starter cu ture. Caro ne prepares hundreds of quarts of fermented vegetab es a week and has found that she gets great resu ts by us ng three to four h gh qua ty prob ot c capsu es to ump start the fermentat on process. v deo..... Caro ne prepares the vegetab es commerc a y and I used hers for a month before I started mak ng my own. So, f you ust want to put your toe n the water and see f you ke them, you can order a ar or two and try them out. You can f nd her products on www.Cu turedVegetab es.net or www.Cu turedNutr t on.com. AVOID Th s to Opt m ze Your Gut F ora! A ong w th eat ng natura y fermented foods and/or tak ng a h gh-qua ty supp ement, t s essent a that you avo d sugar, nc ud ng fructose. Sugar nour shes pathogen c bacter a, yeast, and fung n your gut, wh ch may actua y harm you more than ts mpact on nsu n res stance. One of the ma or resu ts of eat ng a hea thy d et ke the one descr bed n my nutr t on p an s that you cause your benef c a gut bacter a to f our sh, and they secondar y perform the rea "mag c" of restor ng your hea th. Remember, an est mated 80 percent of your mmune system s ocated n your gut, wh ch s ust one more reason why "tend ng to" your gut m crof ora s an essent a e ement of good hea th. A robust mmune system, supported by your f our sh ng nner ecosystem, s your number one defense aga nst ALL d sease, from the common co d to cancer. I fee very strong y that f we can cata yze a movement to get more peop e to mp ement th s anc ent d etary w sdom to the r norma eat ng patterns, then we start see ng a rad ca change n hea th.
jimmyg
01-07-2013, 09:01 AM
Amgen Agrees to Pay $762 M on n Drug Market ng Case http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/drug-pays. pg L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/02/amgen- ega -drug-market ng.aspx?e_c d=20130102_DNL_art_2 By Dr. Merco a In recent years, drug compan es have pa d out b ons n f nes to sett e var ous federa , state and c v awsu ts. Among the charges s promot ng drugs ega y for off abe use, wh ch s common, even when t puts pat ents ves at r sk. It s been sa d that mpos ng f nes – even those that approach $1 b on or more – s s mp y not enough to deter th s type of cr m na behav or, as the drug company execut ves s tt ng at the he m are not he d persona y accountab e (or sub ect to persona prosecut on) and a t me. Th s appears to be prec se y the case, as t me and t me aga n drug compan es are a owed to promote drugs for uses that cou d actua y harm pat ents, or engage n other ega , cr m na act v t es, and they rece ve what amounts to a s ap on the wr st as pun shment. Two drug g ants, Amgen and Sanof , are the atest to add hundreds of m ons n sett ement mon es to the grow ng stash … Amgen to Pay $762 M on n Cr m na Pena t es for I ega Drug Market ng Accord ng to one U.S. attorney, Amgen was "pursu ng prof ts at the r sk of pat ent safety"1 by se ng and promot ng the drug for unapproved uses. Prosecutors a eged that Amgen had promoted the anem a drug Aranesp to treat cancer pat ents not undergo ng chemotherapy (the drug s on y approved for those rece v ng chemotherapy). A ater Amgen study actua y showed that g v ng cancer pat ents who were not rece v ng chemo Aranesp ncreased the r r sk of death. The company a so was federa y charged w th promot ng arger, but ess frequent, n ect ons of Aranesp as a way to edge out compet ng drugs – even though the U.S. Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) had turned down Amgen s requests for th s approva , c t ng nadequate safety stud es. In fact, one study actua y found g v ng the drug at h gher doses may ncrease card ovascu ar r sks … Drug Promoted Off-Labe Desp te Research Show ng Increased Heart R sks In 1998, the Norma Hematocr t Tr a was pub shed, wh ch exp ored g v ng h gher doses of drugs to d a ys s pat ents n order to boost the r red b ood ce count above those genera y ach eved w th transfus on.2 The study found that pat ents rece v ng the h gher drug dose were dy ng or hav ng heart attacks at a h gher rate than those rece v ng the ower dose; the tr a was actua y ha ted because of th s. However, rather than sound ng an a arm be , when the study was pub shed the authors downp ayed the danger, ca ng the ncreased death and heart attack rate "not s gn f cant." And wh e no d fference was found n qua ty of fe between pat ents rece v ng the h gher or ower dose, th s was not noted n the pub shed study. (Four of the study s e ght authors were emp oyed by Amgen, and two have served as consu tants.) As the years went by, hea th care prov ders and the drug compan es cont nued to prof t from the ever-r s ng doses of these drugs be ng prescr bed – desp te cont nued stud es com ng out quest on ng the r safety. It wasn t unt years ater, n 2011, that the FDA put out a safety announcement ca ng for more conservat ve dos ng of the drugs "because of data show ng ncreased r sks of card ovascu ar events."3 The New York T mes further reported on Amgen s charges:4 "A document summar z ng the charges says that wh e sa es representat ves were not supposed to n t ate d scuss ons of off- abe uses, they were tra ned to e c t quest ons from doctors. Such quest ons wou d prov de the "necessary cover" for the sa es representat ves to prov de the doctor w th stud es support ng the off- abe use. Amgen referred to th s as "react ve" market ng, the document sa d. Amgen a so managed to st the unapproved uses n a reference ca ed a compend um. Med care s requ red to pay for off- abe uses of cancer drugs sted n an approved compend um. The compend um system s ntended to make drugs more eas y ava ab e to cancer pat ents, but cr t cs say the compend ums do not adequate y rev ew the ev dence." To sett e the charges, Amgen has agreed to pay $612 m on for c v t gat on, a ong w th $136 m on n cr m na f nes and forfe t $14 m on. The company has a so agreed to s gn a Corporate Integr ty Agreement that requ res execut ves to cert fy comp ance w th regu at ons, wh ch wou d theoret ca y make t eas er to prosecute them persona y for any future offense. Th s s, unfortunate y, ust the atest drug scanda to be brought to the pub c s attent on… and t sure y won t be the ast. Sanof to Pay $109 M on to Sett e U.S. K ckback Charges You m ght remember drug maker Sanof , as I recent y ran art c es on them descr b ng the revo v ng door between federa agenc es and the drug compan es. The ch ef and ma or sc ence off cer from the U.S. Nat ona Inst tutes of Hea th (NIH) took obs at Sanof as the r pres dent and ch ef sc ent f c off cer. Now the company has agreed to pay $109 m on to reso ve a egat ons that t gave free drugs to phys c ans as a form of k ckbacks, wh ch v o ates the Fa se C a ms Act. The company a eged y gave out thousands of free "samp es" of the arthr t s drug Hya gan that were cont ngent on future purchases and essent a y used to ower the drug s effect ve pr ce. Sanof then subm tted fa se average sa es pr ce reports, wh ch are used to determ ne re mbursements rates from Med care and other government hea th programs, thereby caus ng the government to pay nf ated rates for the drug.5 In th s case no cr m na charges were f ed and, other than the pa try $109 m on sett ement, Sanof on y has to enter nto a Corporate Integr ty Agreement w th the government that s supposed to eave them under enhanced scrut ny. The Top 10 Drug Company Sett ements http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2013/January/drug-sett ements. pg B g Pharma awsu ts, espec a y those that sett e n the hundreds of m ons or b ons, are ntended to compe these cr m na corporat ons to stra ghten out, abandon the r fraud and decept on, the r k ckbacks, pr ce-sett ng, br bery and a other ega sa es act v t es n favor of ook ng out for pub c hea th, wh ch to date has been c ear y neffect ve. v tam n d eve s Most of these sett ements amount to a mere s ap on the wr st for the drug company, wh ch typ ca y w cont nue r ght a ong w th the r dece tfu behav ors. Th s s ev denced by the stunn ng frequency w th wh ch these ma or sett ements occur:6 2007: Br sto -Myers Squ bb pa d $515 m on for ega y promot ng ts atyp ca ant psychot c drug Ab fy to k ds and sen ors (desp te a b ack box warn ng that warned of potent a y fata s de effects n the e der y). Other accusat ons nc uded g v ng payments, k ckbacks and expens ve vacat ons to med ca profess ona s and pharmac st to d spense ts drugs. 2010: AstraZeneca sett ed for $520 m on for try ng to persuade doctors to prescr be ts psychotrop c drug Seroque for unapproved uses rang ng from A zhe mer s d sease and ADHD to s eep essness and post-traumat c stress d sorder (PTSD). Us ng Seroque for mproper use has been nked to an ncreased r sk of death. Company execut ves a so promoted the drug for we ght oss, h gh ght ng one favorab e study wh e bury ng others that nked t to substant a we ght ga n. 2007: Purdue Pharma pa d $634.5 m on for fraudu ent y m sbrand ng Oxycont n, and suggest ng t was ess add ct ve and ess abused than other pa nk ers. The company was charged w th us ng m s ead ng sa es tact cs, m n m z ng r sks and promot ng t for uses for wh ch t was not appropr ate y stud ed. 2012: Amgen, the makers of anem a drugs Aranesp and Epogen, has been accused of hand ng extra prof ts to doctors who prescr be the drugs (by overf ng v a s, then a ow ng doctors to charge nsurance compan es for drugs they got for free). Other accusat ons nc ude m sconduct nvo v ng c a ms of safety and eff cacy, market ng, pr c ng and dos ng of the drugs. Amgen has agreed to pay $762 m on to sett e the su ts. 2011: Merck sett es for $950 m on to reso ve fraudu ent market ng a egat ons and safety c a ms re ated to V oxx. V oxx was pu ed from the market n 2004, after t was shown to doub e the r sk of heart attack and stroke. In add t on to the $950 m on, Merck pa d hundreds of m ons more to harmed pat ents and the r fam es (V oxx contr buted to caus ng heart attacks n up to 140,000 peop e, ha f of wh ch were fata ). 2009: E L y pays $1.4 b on for promot ng Zyprexa for off- abe uses, often to ch dren and the e der y, and not proper y d vu g ng s de effect nformat on. For nstance, Zyprexa was marketed as a s eep ng a d for the e der y because one of ts s de effects s sedat on, even though the drug a so ncreases the r sk of death. 2012: Abbott Laborator es sett es for $1.5 b on for aggress ve y promot ng the r se zure drug Depakote for off- abe use n e der y dement a pat ents, desp te ack ng ev dence of safety or effect veness (and a known ncrease of ser ous s de effects, ke anorex a, n the e der y). Current y pend ng: Johnson & Johnson w pay anywhere from $1.5 to $2 b on for ega market ng of R sperda and other drugs. The company not on y heav y marketed drugs to ch dren and the e der y desp te nadequate ev dence of safety or eff cacy, they a so h d data about drugs s de effects. 2009: Pf zer pays $2.3 b on for market ng fraud re ated to Bextra, Lyr ca and other drugs. Charges nc uded market ng drugs to doctors for uses for wh ch they had not been approved and g v ng k ckbacks to doctors and other hea th care profess ona s for prescr b ng the r drugs. Th s was Pf zer s fourth sett ement number ng n the mu t m ons n ess than a decade. 2012: G axoSm thK ne (GSK) to pay $3 b on for ega market ng of Pax and We butr n and downp ay ng safety r sks of Avand a, among other charges. The company h d data about drug r sks, marketed drugs for unapproved uses, and pa d doctors (or gave them av sh g fts ke expens ve vacat ons) for prescr b ng the r drugs. One of the most h gh-prof e accounts nvo ved te ev s on ce ebr ty Dr. Drew, who reported y rece ved $275,000 from GSK to promote We butr n to treat sexua dysfunct on assoc ated w th depress on even though t hasn t been proven effect ve for th s purpose. Are You Putt ng Your Hea th n the Hands of Cr m na s? If you re y on drugs to stay we , or be eve that f you get s ck one day you s mp y take a med cat on to "get better," t s worth recogn z ng that the same compan es that are manufactur ng and promot ng those drugs have probab y been conv cted of cr m na and fraudu ent charges. You m ght want to recons der your dec s on n ght of these c rcumstances. Putt ng your hea th, your very fe, n the hands of these drug compan es s a fr ghten ng prospect because the ead ng pharmaceut ca compan es are a so among the argest corporate cr m na s n the wor d, often behav ng as f they are tt e more than wh te-co ar drug dea ers. As these compan es have shown t me and aga n, they cons stent y put prof ts above human hea th … and th s nc udes your hea th. Add ng sa t to the wound, most of the top-se ng drugs treat cond t ons that are better treated w th festy e changes, hea thy food and other forms of natura hea ng! v deo.... You don t want to be the r next v ct m. My s te s chock fu of free comprehens ve recommendat ons that can serve as an exce ent start ng po nt to break free from th s fata y f awed parad gm. The too s I prov de w he p you to reduce your re ance on the broken hea th care system, nc ud ng ts overuse of often-dangerous drugs, and prov de you w th the too s and resources to take contro of your hea th.
jimmyg
01-07-2013, 10:00 PM
6 Ways to Avo d Osteoarthr t s of the Knee http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/knee-pa n. pg Posted by Matthew Corn
As a phys ca therap st, I see pat ents w th knee ssues every day, and I am see ng a scary trend n the boomer popu at on n the form of the ear y onset of m d to moderate osteoarthr t s (OA) due to the kneecap wear ng out at faster rates than prev ous y seen. The Amer can Co ege of Rheumato ogy reports that 27 m on Amer cans suffer from OA w th nd v dua s hav ng a 46% chance of deve op ng OA of the knee n the r fet me.[1] I w sh I cou d say th s s due to Amer cans hav ng overact ve festy es, but, sad y, that s not the case. There are a ot of ep dem o og ca reasons for th s phenomenon such as b gger wa st nes, sedentary festy es and onger per ods of s tt ng. St , t doesn t exp a n the upt ck n the more act ve persons. Repet t ve stress, musc e mba ance and t ghtness and even nutr ent def c enc es can ead to rap d progress on of arthr t s. But one often- gnored factor to cons der s the mere anatomy of the knee and how one can protect t.) The anatomy of the knee As one of the pr mary we ght bear ng o nts of the body, one wou d expect wear w th age. Wh e most peop e th nk of the knee as compr sed of ust one o nt t s actua y compr sed of two: the t b ofemora o nt (TFJ) and the pate ofemora o nt (PFJ) . The TFJ s what most peop e th nk of as the “knee”; t s where the femur, or th gh bone, and the t b a, or sh nbone, connect. The other o nt, the PFJ, s where the kneecap and the femur connect. Both o nts are essent a to the hea th and funct on of the knee, but the atter s often neg ected. How strength and f ex b ty p ay a ro e The PFJ p ays a very mportant ro e n the overa funct on and hea th of the knee. F rst, t s an attenuator for forces produced by the powerfu quadr cep musc es. The PFJ a so he ps to ock the knee nto p ace to m n m ze the stresses on the TFJ. Add t ona y, the hamstr ng musc es act as a dece erator as the knee moves from a bent to a stra ghtened pos t on. Weaknesses of the ns de part of the quadr ceps (known as the VMO) and hamstr ngs, as we as t ght gaments around the kneecap, p ace tremendous forces through the PFJ as the knee stra ghtens and bends. The comb nat on of add t ona sheer ng forces poor a gnment, and musc e mba ance cause OA to deve op ear er n fe and progress more rap d y due to chron c nf ammat on. The resu t s a decreased mob ty, more nact v ty and ower qua ty of fe. What you can do about t When I counse my pat ents on mprov ng the hea th of the r PFJ we ta k about: 1. Ma nta n ng a hea thy we ght. 2. Regu ar aerob c exerc se nc ud ng ow-we ght bear ng act v t es. 3. Stretch ng and strengthen ng the h p f exors, th gh musc es, and hamstr ngs. 4. Keep ng the knee cap mob e by massag ng the per meter and stretch ng t n a d rect ons wh e t ghten ng the top of the th gh w th a stra ght knee. 5. Ma nta n ng good posture n the pe v s and h ps when stand ng, wa k ng, and exerc s ng. 6. Us ng natura hea th products such as g ucosam ne/chondro t n su fate and methy su fony methane (MSM) supp ementat on. I p ace a part cu ar emphas s on the use of natura hea th products, as they are a ready used w th success by 30% of nd v dua s w th OA pa n.[2] In part cu ar, severa prom s ng stud es tout the benef ts of MSM, a powerfu natura ana ges c and ant - nf ammatory, nc ud ng one study that showed a reduct on n pa n and mprovement n funct on n as tt e as 12 weeks.[3] One way s to comb ne two of the t ps out ned above s by da y massag ng the area around the kneecap w th a product ke SAN s Ce edr n Jo nt Re ef Lot on w th MSM (wh ch you can read more about here). However, wh e the benef ts of massage and MSM are essent a to the b omechan ca hea th of the knee o nt, t does not work n so at on. Remember to ncorporate a the t ps out ned above and you have the greatest changes of m n m z ng pa n and max m z ng your movement. Resources: 1. Amer can Co ege of Rheumato ogy (2012). 2. BMC Comp ementary and A ternat ve Med c ne. 2012; 12:98. 3. BMC Comp ementary and A ternat ve Med c ne. 2011; 11:50.
jimmyg
01-07-2013, 10:10 PM
6 Ways to Avo d Osteoarthr t s of the Knee http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/knee-pa n. pg Posted by Matthew Corn
As a phys ca therap st, I see pat ents w th knee ssues every day, and I am see ng a scary trend n the boomer popu at on n the form of the ear y onset of m d to moderate osteoarthr t s (OA) due to the kneecap wear ng out at faster rates than prev ous y seen. The Amer can Co ege of Rheumato ogy reports that 27 m on Amer cans suffer from OA w th nd v dua s hav ng a 46% chance of deve op ng OA of the knee n the r fet me.[1] I w sh I cou d say th s s due to Amer cans hav ng overact ve festy es, but, sad y, that s not the case. There are a ot of ep dem o og ca reasons for th s phenomenon such as b gger wa st nes, sedentary festy es and onger per ods of s tt ng. St , t doesn t exp a n the upt ck n the more act ve persons. Repet t ve stress, musc e mba ance and t ghtness and even nutr ent def c enc es can ead to rap d progress on of arthr t s. But one often- gnored factor to cons der s the mere anatomy of the knee and how one can protect t.) The anatomy of the knee As one of the pr mary we ght bear ng o nts of the body, one wou d expect wear w th age. Wh e most peop e th nk of the knee as compr sed of ust one o nt t s actua y compr sed of two: the t b ofemora o nt (TFJ) and the pate ofemora o nt (PFJ) . The TFJ s what most peop e th nk of as the “knee”; t s where the femur, or th gh bone, and the t b a, or sh nbone, connect. The other o nt, the PFJ, s where the kneecap and the femur connect. Both o nts are essent a to the hea th and funct on of the knee, but the atter s often neg ected. How strength and f ex b ty p ay a ro e The PFJ p ays a very mportant ro e n the overa funct on and hea th of the knee. F rst, t s an attenuator for forces produced by the powerfu quadr cep musc es. The PFJ a so he ps to ock the knee nto p ace to m n m ze the stresses on the TFJ. Add t ona y, the hamstr ng musc es act as a dece erator as the knee moves from a bent to a stra ghtened pos t on. Weaknesses of the ns de part of the quadr ceps (known as the VMO) and hamstr ngs, as we as t ght gaments around the kneecap, p ace tremendous forces through the PFJ as the knee stra ghtens and bends. The comb nat on of add t ona sheer ng forces poor a gnment, and musc e mba ance cause OA to deve op ear er n fe and progress more rap d y due to chron c nf ammat on. The resu t s a decreased mob ty, more nact v ty and ower qua ty of fe. What you can do about t When I counse my pat ents on mprov ng the hea th of the r PFJ we ta k about: 1. Ma nta n ng a hea thy we ght. 2. Regu ar aerob c exerc se nc ud ng ow-we ght bear ng act v t es. 3. Stretch ng and strengthen ng the h p f exors, th gh musc es, and hamstr ngs. 4. Keep ng the knee cap mob e by massag ng the per meter and stretch ng t n a d rect ons wh e t ghten ng the top of the th gh w th a stra ght knee. 5. Ma nta n ng good posture n the pe v s and h ps when stand ng, wa k ng, and exerc s ng. 6. Us ng natura hea th products such as g ucosam ne/chondro t n su fate and methy su fony methane (MSM) supp ementat on. I p ace a part cu ar emphas s on the use of natura hea th products, as they are a ready used w th success by 30% of nd v dua s w th OA pa n.[2] In part cu ar, severa prom s ng stud es tout the benef ts of MSM, a powerfu natura ana ges c and ant - nf ammatory, nc ud ng one study that showed a reduct on n pa n and mprovement n funct on n as tt e as 12 weeks.[3] One way s to comb ne two of the t ps out ned above s by da y massag ng the area around the kneecap w th a product ke SAN s Ce edr n Jo nt Re ef Lot on w th MSM (wh ch you can read more about here). However, wh e the benef ts of massage and MSM are essent a to the b omechan ca hea th of the knee o nt, t does not work n so at on. Remember to ncorporate a the t ps out ned above and you have the greatest changes of m n m z ng pa n and max m z ng your movement. Resources: 1. Amer can Co ege of Rheumato ogy (2012). 2. BMC Comp ementary and A ternat ve Med c ne. 2012; 12:98. 3. BMC Comp ementary and A ternat ve Med c ne. 2011; 11:50.
Sev
01-08-2013, 09:41 AM
http:// o9.com/5968164/why-you-shou d-probab y-stop-eat ng-wheat Why you shou d probab y stop eat ng wheat http:// mg.gawkerassets.com/ mg/1888gmxsp1sq1 pg/or g na . pg Wheat and gra n-based foods are a around us. We ove our bage s, pasta, bread, and breakfast cerea s. For many, the thought of e m nat ng these stap es from our d ets seems who y unreasonab e, f not ud crous. But a grow ng number of peop e are sw tch ng to wheat-free d ets — and for very good reason. As sc ence s ncreas ng y show ng, eat ng wheat ncreases the potent a for a surpr s ng number of hea th prob ems. Here s why you shou d probab y stop eat ng wheat. W thout a doubt, wheat p ays a ma or ro e n our d ets. It supp es about 20% of the tota food ca or es wor dw de, and s a nat ona stap e n most countr es. But as s we known, some peop e, ke those w th ce ac d sease, need to stay away from t. The prob em s that the r sma ntest ne s unab e to proper y d gest g uten, a prote n that s found n gra ns. But wheat s be ng ncreas ng y b amed for the onset of other hea th cond t ons, ke obes ty, heart d sease, and a host of d gest ve prob ems — nc ud ng the dramat c r se n ce ac- ke d sorders. So what s go ng on? And why s everybody sudden y b am ng wheat? The answer, t appears, has to do w th a who e ot of nast ness that s present n gra n-based foods. Wheat ra ses b ood sugar eve s, causes mmunoreact ve prob ems, nh b ts the absorpt on of mportant m nera s, and aggravates our ntest nes. And much of th s may stem from the fact that wheat s mp y a n t what t used to be. Hybr d zed wheat Indeed, today s wheat s a far cry from what t was 50 years ago. http:// mg.gawkerassets.com/ mg/1888gyq0beg e pg/or g na . pg Back n the 1950s, sc ent sts began cross-breed ng wheat to make t hard er, shorter, and better-grow ng. Th s work, wh ch was the bas s for the Green Revo ut on — and one that won U.S. p ant sc ent st Norman Bor aug the Nobe Pr ze — ntroduced some compounds to wheat that aren t ent re y human fr end y. As card o og st Dr. W am Dav s noted n h s book, Wheat Be y: Lose the Wheat, Lose the We ght and F nd Your Path Back to Hea th, today s hybr d zed wheat conta ns sod um az de, a known tox n. It a so goes through a gamma rrad at on process dur ng manufactur ng. But as Dav s a so po nts out, today s hybr d zed wheat conta ns nove prote ns that aren t typ ca y found n e ther the parent or the p ant — some of wh ch are d ff cu t for us to proper y d gest. Consequent y, some sc ent sts now suspect that the g uten and other compounds found n today s modern wheat s what s respons b e for the r s ng preva ence of ce ac d sease, "g uten sens t v ty," and other prob ems. G uten and G ad n No doubt, g uten s a grow ng concern — and t s start ng to have a ser ous mpact on our hea th, and as a resu t, our d etary cho ces. G uten s a prote n compos te of g ad n and g uten n that appears n wheat as we as other gra ns ke rye, bar ey, and spe t. It s a so what g ves certa n foods that wonderfu , chewy texture. G uten a so he ps dough to r se and keep ts shape. The prob em, however, s n how t s metabo zed. Accord ng to A ess o Fasano, the Med ca D rector for The Un vers ty of Mary and s Center for Ce ac Research, no one can proper y d gest g uten. "We do not have the enzymes to break t down," he sa d n a recent nterv ew w th TenderFood e. "It a depends upon how we our ntest na wa s c ose after we ngest t and how our mmune system reacts to t." H s concern s that the g uten prote n, wh ch s abundant n the endosperm of bar ey, rye, and wheat kerne s, s sett ng off an aberrant mmune response. Spec f ca y, the g ad n and g uten n are act ng as mmunogen c ant -nutr ents. Un ke fru ts, wh ch are meant to be eaten, gra ns have a way of f ght ng back. They create an mmunogen c response wh ch ncreases ntest na permeab ty, thus tr gger ng system c nf ammat on by the mmune system — what can ead to any number of auto mmune d seases, nc ud ng ce ac, rheumato d arthr t s, rr tab e bowe syndrome, and so on. And th s ho ds true for peop e who don t have ce ac d sease. Dav s a so be eves that g ad n degrades to a morph ne- ke compound after eat ng, what creates an appet te for more wheat; h s c a m, therefore, s that wheat actua y has an add ct ve qua ty to t. G ad n, what sc ent sts ca the "tox c fract on of g uten," has a so been mp cated n gut permeab ty. When someone has an adverse react on, t s because g ad n cross ta ks w th our ce s — what causes confus on and a eak n the sma ntest nes. Fasano exp a ns: Why you shou d probab y stop eat ng wheat G ad n s a strange prote n that our enzymes can t break down from the am no ac ds (g utam ne and pro ne) nto e ements sma enough for us to d gest. Our enzymes can on y break down the g ad n nto pept des. Pept des are too arge to be absorbed proper y through the sma ntest ne. Our ntest na wa s or gates, then, have to separate n order to et the arger pept de through. The mmune system sees the pept de as an enemy and beg ns to attack. The d fference s that n a norma person, the ntest na wa s c ose back up, the sma ntest ne becomes norma aga n, and the pept des rema n n the ntest na tract and are s mp y excreted before the mmune system not ces them. In a person who reacts to g uten, the wa s stay open as ong as you are consum ng g uten. How your body reacts (w th a g uten sens t v ty, wheat a ergy or Ce ac D sease) depends upon how ong the gates stay open, the number of "enem es" et through and the number of so d ers that our mmune system sends to defend our bod es. For someone w th Ce ac D sease, the so d ers get confused and start shoot ng at the ntest na wa s. The effects of g uten and g ad n c ear y vary from person to person. But as a recent study showed, near y 1.8 m on Amer cans have ce ac d sease, and another 1.4 m on are ke y und agnosed. And surpr s ng y, another 1.6 m on have adopted a g uten-free d et desp te hav ng no d agnos s. In add t on, t s est mated that about 18 m on Amer cans have "non-ce ac g uten sens t v ty," wh ch resu ts n cramps and d arrhea. H gh g ycem c ndex Wheat a so ra ses b ood sugar. As Dav s notes, the g ycem c ndex of wheat s very h gh (check out th s chart from Harvard to see how var ous foods rank). It conta ns amy opect n A, wh ch s more eff c ent y converted to b ood sugar than ust about any other carbohydrate, nc ud ng tab e sugar. Why you shou d probab y stop eat ng wheat Consequent y, two s ces of who e wheat bread ncreases b ood sugar eve s h gher than a s ng e candy bar. Overdo ng the wheat, says Dav s, can resu t n "deep v scera fat." Wheat can a so tr gger effects that aren t mmed ate y not ceab e. Sma ow-dens ty poprote n (LDL) part c es form after eat ng ots of carbohydrates — wh ch are respons b e for atherosc erot c p aque, wh ch n turn can tr gger heart d sease and stroke. And n fact, t has been shown that a wheat-free d et can mprove g ucose to erance n nd v dua s w th schaem c heart d sease. Lect ns Lect ns, wh ch are a c ass of mo ecu es, can be found n beans, cerea gra ns, nuts, and potatoes. And when consumed n excess, or when not cooked proper y, they can be harmfu . Now, most ect ns are actua y qu te ben gn, and n some cases they can even be therapeut c — ke f ght ng some forms of HIV. But the prob em w th some ect ns, ke the ones found n who e gra ns, s that they b nd to our nsu n receptors and ntest na n ng. Th s ncreases nf ammat on and contr butes to auto mmune d sease and nsu n res stance. It a so fac tates the symptoms of metabo c syndrome outs de of obes ty. Phyt c ac d Phytates are a so a prob em, a compound that s found w th n the hu s of nuts, seeds, and gra ns. Phyt c ac d cannot be d gested by humans. And worse, t b nds to meta ons ke ca c um, magnes um, z nc, and ron. In turn, these m nera s cannot be proper y absorbed after eat ng. Consequent y, any m nera s that m ght be prov ded by consum ng gra n-based foods are not we metabo zed. So phytates, comb ned w th g uten, make t d ff cu t for the body to absorb nutr ents — wh ch can ead to anem a and osteoporos s. The F ber myth Last y, a common argument n favor of cont nu ng to eat who e gra ns s that they prov de necessary f ber. Th s s actua y a b t of a myth. As nutr t on expert Mark S sson has noted, "Apart from ma nta n ng soc a convent ons n certa n s tuat ons and obta n ng cheap sugar ca or es, there s abso ute y no reason to eat gra ns." And ndeed, we can get adequate amounts of nso ub e f ber s mp y by eat ng p enty of fru ts and vegetab es.
jimmyg
01-08-2013, 09:20 PM
Is Stev a Rea y Better than Other Sweeteners? http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2010/06/stev a-600x393. pg Posted by L ssa But er Q: Is stev a rea y better than art f c a sweeteners? A: Imag ne wa k ng out nto your garden and p ck ng a sweetener to add to your coffee or tea. A quarter to a ha f of a eaf s a you wou d need to sweeten your ent re dr nk f the eaf was from a stev a p ant. Stev a rebaud ana, a so known as sweet eaf, s be ng so d n many forms as a natura sweetener — an a ternat ve to ref ned sugar and art f c a sweeteners. Stev a s un que n that t tastes natura y sweet, but has a g ycem c ndex of zero, wh ch means that t does not affect b ood sugar and can be used by d abet cs and others who w sh to avo d b ood sugar sp kes or ca or es. Best of a , a sma amount of stev a s 100 – 300 t mes sweeter than cane sugar; a tt e goes a ong way. Stev a s a p ant that en oys subtrop ca and trop ca temperatures. But th s sweet tast ng p ant can a so be eas y cu t vated n Western North Amer ca and South Amer ca. Th s be ng sa d, I grew stev a n my yard a coup e of years ago n Mary and! It thr ved and I en oyed us ng t as a sweetener. Stev a has been used for centur es n three d fferent ways: as a natura sweetener, as an herba tea and as herba med c ne. As a natura sweetener, t s used n who e eaf, qu d extract and powder form. “Who e eaf” stev a s s mp y the dr ed stev a eaf, wh ch has been cut and s fted. Another form of who e eaf stev a s n powder form where the eaf s s mp y powdered. In th s way, stev a can be used n bak ng and cook ng. You can te f stev a powder s from unprocessed who e eaf stev a f the co or of the powder s du green. If the powder s wh te ke cane sugar, t has been processed. The processed stev a extract powder s what s typ ca y found n the grocery store. These products often conta n other added ngred ents. L qu d stev a extract can be found n natura food markets. Th s extract d ffers from the who e eaf and processed powdered extract by the extract on process. The act ve compounds — stev os des and rebaud os des — are extracted n e ther a water and a coho base or a water and g ycer n base. A few drops of qu d stev a extract are usua y a that s needed to sweeten a beverage. Advert sement: Pa eo Cookbooks - Rec pes for the Pa eo D et Med c na y, stev a s often recommended as an a ternat ve to cane sugar and art f c a sweeteners because t does not affect b ood g ucose. Furthermore, who e eaf stev a conta ns nu n, a so ub e f ber that cannot be absorbed by much of the d gest ve tract and therefore does not ra se b ood sugar eve s. Inu n a so a ds n the growth of fr end y bacter a n the sma ntest nes. Stev a has a so been shown to have poss b e ant m crob a act on, wh ch s why t s now be ng used n toothpastes and mouthwashes. Th s may a so be why a owered nc dence of co ds and f u has been observed n stev a users. D gest ve hea th support s another benef t of th s sweet p ant. In Ch na, many dr nk stev a as an herba tea to ncrease d gest on, he p regu ate d gest on and as a we ght oss a d. Regard ng the sk n, severa tr bes ke the Guran Ind ans ocated n South Amer ca use stev a top ca y to he p w th acne, dermat t s, eczema, cuts and wounds. Stev a app ed top ca y seems to he p hea cuts and wounds w thout scarr ng, eav ng a smooth appearance. So, n conc us on, stev a s n most cases a most certa n y better than art f c a sweeteners. The more unref ned the product, the better though, so opt for who e eaf stev a or a natura qu d extract (SweetLeaf and NuStev a are good brands to try) over h gh y processed products ke Truv a. Truv a s d fferent from stev a n that t conta ns the chem ca compound reb ana from stev a, erythr to and natura f avors. We don t know what the natura f avors are and w thout us ng the who e stev a p ant, you do not get the hea th benef ts of stev a. As for erythr to , a though t s a natura sugar a coho , t s extracted through excess ve process ng and ts s de effects nc ude oose stoo s, b oat ng and gas. I have to adm t, stev a s not one of the sweeteners I use often, as my heart be ongs to honey (wh ch we w d scuss next week). However, I am p ann ng to start us ng t more. Last y, I d ke to emphas ze the fact that on y a sma amount of stev a s often a that s needed. Us ng too much often eads to a b tter or astr ngent taste. Th s post s part of our ser es on natura sweeteners. C ck here to read the rest. Sources: Erythr to . Retr eved from http://en.w k ped a.org/w k /Erythr to on 6/18/10 “L fe w th Stev a: How Sweet It Is!” Retr eved from http://hea thfree.com/stev fe.htm on 6/9/10 Stev a. Retr eved from http://en.w k ped a.org/w k /Stev a on 6/9/10 Stev a Rebaud ana. Retr eved from http://www.n8ture.com/herbs-stev a.htm on 6/9/10
jimmyg
01-10-2013, 07:24 AM
3 Adaptogens That He p Your Body Adapt to Stress http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2011/01/ Stock_000010077726XSma -400x265. pg Posted by Ga e Ma eskey, MS, RD
Res ency — bounce back ab ty — s a good tra t to have. It he ps us to recover from the rough spots on fe s road. The menta aspects of res ency can be earned, to some degree. And the phys o og ca aspects of res ency can be enhanced w th botan ca med c nes, ca ed adaptogens. An adaptogen s, s mp y, an herb that he ps your body adapt to stress, rather than succumb to t. In Ch nese, Russ an and Ind an cu ture, adapatogens have been used for centur es as genera ton cs, to strengthen mmun ty, mprove sexua v gor and ath et c performance, and as “ant -ag ng” therap es. Here s what you need to know about three of the most popu ar adaptogens: Ashwagandha Ashwagandha s an Ind an p ant that s used extens ve y n Ayurved c med c ne. Research shows t can he p to protect parts of your bra n from stress- nduced changes. It a so seems to reduce stress hormones secreted by the adrena g and, and to reduce secret on of act c ac d, the b ochem ca created n musc es when they are heav y used. It can reduce anx ety. And t mob zes a number of nfect on-f ght ng wh te b ood ce s, st mu at ng ung funct on and re ax ng smooth musc es so you can breathe eas er. It s a so reputed to mprove sexua funct on. If you re tense, nervous and hypera ert, you can take ashwagandha dur ng the day. For others, t s best to take t at n ght, s nce t can make you s eepy. It can take up to 3 to 4 weeks before you beg n to exper ence the fu effects of ashwagandha. It s the k nd of herb you can take da y dur ng a per od of recovery from stress, then, ease off or even stop. S nce ashwagandha can st mu ate the thyro d g and, t s best not to take t f you ve had hyperthyro d sm or an auto mmune d sease such as Hash moto s thyro d t s. So t s best for peop e w th ow mmun ty, frequent nfect ons, espec a y resp ratory nfect ons, as we as peop e recover ng from surgery or ness (who a so have anx ety). It s mportant to take a h gh qua ty product f you re tak ng ashwaganda, s nce herba products can vary w de y n potency and qua ty. Look for one that prov des 450 mg of ashwagandha root extract, standard zed to a m n mum of 4.5% tota w thano des, the h ghest standard zat on ava ab e. Rhod o a Rhod o a rosea, or roseroot, s an herb that has been used n trad t ona med c ne n Russ a and the Scand nav an countr es for centur es. It s been used by ath etes, astronauts, even ag ng po t c ans. Nowadays, t s more ke y to be used by peop e who are s eep-depr ved or do ng n ght sh ft work, by ath etes who need to ncrease endurance and shorten recovery t me, peop e w th chron c fat gue syndrome, or even those undergo ng stressfu med ca treatments. (Get your doctor s OK f rst.) Rhod o a s sa d to ncrease energy, stam na, strength and menta capac ty, and to the body adapt to and res st phys ca and menta stress. It s used for mprov ng ath et c performance, mprov ng sexua funct on, and reduc ng depress on and anx ety. In one study, 50 m grams of rhod o a, tw ce a day, reduced menta fat gue and mproved we -be ng n students dur ng an exam nat on per od. In another study, 170 m grams a day reduced fee ngs of fat gue and mproved menta performance n n ght sh ft workers. Research does show t has s gn f cant centra nervous system act v ty, reduc ng depress on. However, f you take too much, t can make you ttery, or cause d zz ness or dry mouth. Peop e who are both anx ous and depressed shou d take a gent er adaptogen, such as ashwaganda. Don t take t f you are a so tak ng musc e re axants or ant depressants. The qua ty of rhod o a products on the market var es cons derab y. A good rhod o a product meets USP manufactur ng requ rements and conta ns a standard zed extract of rosav ns, the most act ve ngred ent n rhod o a. A dose of 500 mg of rhod o a root extract, standard zed to conta n a m n mum 3% rosav ns, has been proven to prov de the best resu ts for mprov ng mood, endurance and menta performance. Amer can G nseng Th s herb s cons dered an a -around favor te, w th broad, safe use for ncreas ng res stance to env ronmenta stress, as a genera ton c, st mu ant, d uret c and d gest ve a d. Amer can g nseng s a so used for acute resp ratory ness, mprov ng stress res stance, prevent ng the effects of ag ng and mprov ng stam na. Some peop e take t dur ng the w nter months to he p them res st co ds and f u, espec a y f they are n an env ronment where da y exposure s ke y, such as schoo teachers and hea th care workers. Research does show that tak ng 200 m grams of Amer can g nseng tw ce a day over a 3-4 month per od dur ng f u season decreases the r sk of deve op ng symptoms of an upper resp ratory tract nfect on such as the common co d or f u, and reduces the symptom sever ty and durat on of symptoms when nfect ons do occur. Amer can G nseng s genera y cons dered safe, but f you take a b ood th nn ng drug, such as warfar n, you shou d not take Amer can g nseng. As w th other herba s, products very w de y n strength and potency. A good g nseng product w conta n a standard zed extract of the herb s most act ve ngred ent, g nsenos des and meet USP standards for manufactur ng. A dosage of 1,000 m grams a day s cons dered effect ve.
jimmyg
01-11-2013, 09:04 AM
What You Need to Know About the D fferent Forms of Mercury, the Next Generat on of Mercury Test ng, and How to Detox Safe y L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/06/dr-shade-on-mercury-exposure.aspx?e_c d=20130106_SNL_Art_1 V deo... By Dr. Merco a Dr. Chr stopher Shade, a former organ c farmer, rece ved h s PhD from the Un vers ty of I no s. H s educat on nc uded the study of meta - gand nteract on n the env ronment, and for a ong t me, he spec a zed n env ronmenta - and ana yt ca chem stry of mercury. About s x years ago, he deve oped and commerc a zed techno ogy for mercury spec at on ana ys s — a process that separates and measures d fferent forms of mercury. Short y after start ng th s company, Qu cks ver Sc ent f c, he turned h s focus to the c n ca s de, and the human body s ab ty to detox fy mercury. "The heart of mercury s tox c ty s what I ca nappropr ate b nd ng," Dr. Shade says. "Mercury s never a free on... [M]ercury s a ways bound n these cova ent re at onsh ps w th what s ca ed the gand. Mercury s favor te gand s su fur; spec f ca y a reduced form of su fur ca ed a th o . Th s s what you have on cyste ne, ke N-acety cyste ne or n g utath one [ed tor s note: wh ch s why they re so mportant for mercury e m nat on]. But these th o s are a throughout your body. [M]eta s... ke z nc, copper, or ron... are he d n p ace by th o groups. Mercury has h gher aff n ty for those th o groups than the [other] meta s do. How much h gher? For z nc — a b on t mes h gher – 10 to the n nth. When the mercury comes by... and t sees an enzyme that s ho d ng z nc n t, those cyste nes are go ng to reach over and grab on to the mercury. ... Other p aces that mercury w b nd to th o s are on ce membranes... [and] d fferent forms of mercury w cross your b ood-bra n barr er." Mercury can a so d sp ace other e ements such as z nc and copper, by attach ng to the receptors that wou d otherw se ho d these essent a m nera s. Overa , mercury has a very strong ab ty to dysregu ate your ent re system, wh ch s part of the reason why mercury tox c ty symptoms are so d ff cu t to p n down. "Neuro og ca y, t can take you nto depress on, or t can take you nto anx ety," Dr. Shade exp a ns. "S m ar y, t can make you hyperact ve, or t can g ve you chron c fat gue." From a more mechan ca perspect ve, mercury destroys the enzyme tubu n, wh ch bu ds m crotubu es that p ay an mportant ro e n ntrace u ar commun cat on. Accord ng to Dr. Shade, you can c ear y see how mercury stops the assemb y of tubu n n neuro og ca ce s, caus ng them to fa apart nstead. The Most Common Sources of Mercury Exposure There are two pr mary forms of mercury: Inorgan c Mercury Methy mercury (organ c mercury) Pheny mercury was used n ear y pa nts, wh ch s why you need to be carefu w th pee ng pa nt ayers n o der homes. In terms of ce u ar tox c ty, norgan c mercury rates the h ghest. Wh e methy mercury penetrates your body very we , t s s ght y ess tox c to the ce s than the norgan c form, wh ch s what gets re eased from your denta ama gams. Add t ona y some norgan c mercury n the body s formed by breakdown of methy mercury or vacc ne-based ethy mercury (another form of organ c mercury). Accord ng to Dr. Shade s research, the two pr mary sources of mercury exposure are: Inorgan c mercury from denta ama gam and vacc nes Organ c mercury from f sh consumpt on "Vacc nes wou d come underneath that, though they re s ow y remov ng the mercury from the vacc nes. So, t depends f you get a ot of vacc nes or not. Now f you re go ng n for f u shots rout ne y, you m ght be exposed to a fa r amount of mercury," he says. "Research on spread ng out doses versus punctuated doses show that punctuated or per od c h gh doses have more ab ty to penetrate the bra n than d str buted doses do. That s one of the worst th ngs about gett ng t from vacc nes." Another source of mercury exposure comes from coa -burn ng power p ants. Th s mercury po ut on s d str buted n the a r, and s depos ted n the ocean, where of course t b oaccumu ates n f sh. So nd rect y, t s st a ma or source of exposure. "The one paper that has shed some ght on coa -burn ng was the Pa mer paper com ng out of Texas, where they found h gher rates of aut sm w th prox m ty to coa -burn ng power p ants. ...... Why Most Mercury Tests are Ineffect ve and/or Inaccurate Wh e I no onger see pat ents, when I d d, one of the standard mercury tests used was a cha enge test, us ng a che at ng chem ca such as ntravenous DMPS or DMSA. Then you d measure the ur ne for 24 hours. You can a so measure the mercury content n ha r and b ood. However, a of these tests have drawbacks and shortfa s, and Dr. Shade has deve oped a test ng method that far surpasses a of these ear er tests. Wh e most of these o der tests pr mar y measured tota mercury oad (and naccurate y at that), h s techno ogy, ca ed mercury spec at on, s ab e to separate and measure the d fferent forms of mercury n your system. Th s a ows you to determ ne your pr mary source of exposure — e ther f sh-based methy mercury, or the denta -based norgan c mercury. It can a so he p you eva uate how we your k dneys are process ng such tox ns. Dr. Shade exp a ns: "When we move to spec at on test ng, then we re ab e to take someth ng ke your b ood and say, Th s much of t s methy mercury from f sh, and th s much of t s norgan c mercury from ama gam, though some of t s from the breakdown of the f sh-based mercury. Peop e used to do everyth ng as tota mercury... Somet mes they cou dn t rea y corre ate that w th how many denta ama gams they had. That was because b ood was pr mar y a measure of methy mercury exposure of f sh-based exposure. In the b ood, you got a h gh representat on of your f sh burden, and a ower representat on of your denta burden, and thus the need to separate those two. B ood was used, but b ood d dn t make sense for certa n types of exposures. If you re exposed to e ementa mercury vapor, t d dn t rea y show correct y n the b ood." Ur ne ana ys s has s m ar shortcom ngs. "If your k dneys are work ng we and you re excret ng we , the amount that comes out n the ur ne w be near y corre ated w th the amount or norgan c mercury n your b ood. So as the norgan c mercury goes up from your oad ng, the ur nary eve w go up near y. But f your k dneys are not excret ng we , then the ur nary output w be ow, and you get a damm ng up and bu d ng up of the reservo r of norgan c mercury n your b ood. You see h gh norgan c mercury n the b ood, ow n the ur ne." So, f you re on y ook ng for mercury n your ur ne, ow eve s of (tota ) mercury can be e ther good or bad, but you won t eas y know wh ch. A ow measurement cou d mean you have very tt e norgan c mercury n your system, or t cou d mean your k dneys are fa ng to process t and the norgan c mercury s actua y accumu at ng n your t ssues. If you pr mar y have methy mercury from f sh n your b ood, t w not show n the ur ne. "Ur ne a one s very myop c, whereas ur ne norma zed by the amount of norgan c mercury n the b ood s a very good nd cator then of how we you re detox fy ng or excret ng that form of mercury," Dr. Shade exp a ns. As for ha r test ng, wh e ha r s a good marker of f sh-based methy mercury n your b ood, t w te you abso ute y noth ng about the amount of norgan c mercury you re gett ng from denta ama gams. The Prob em w th Cha enge Test ng "In a cha enge test, you ora y take the che ators ke DMSA or DMPS. They go nto your b ood. They so ub ze a ot of the mercury that s n your b ood, and they make t ab e to go very eas y through your k dneys. Th s wou d round up a bunch of mercury n your b ood and pass t through your k dneys. Now you wou d get both organ c and norgan c forms com ng out through your k dneys. The prob em here s the same one w th a ur nary measurements. If you ve got prob ems n the k dney – and th s happens common y when peop e are exposed for ong per ods of t me – you m ght not pass that mob zed mercury out through your ur ne. The other prob em w th the cha enge test s that you don t know what the d str but on s. How much of th s s organ c? How much of th s s norgan c? Then you got two che ators. You got DMPS and DMSA, and they re d fferent. They b as towards one of the other form of mercury. DMPS b ases towards norgan c mercury. If you have a ot of norgan c mercury exposure, you use DMPS... Then there s a mytho ogy that the cha enge test s show ng you the body burden, ke t s reach ng nto every s ng e ce tak ng out a representat ve amount of mercury n there and tak ng t out of the body. That s rea y not true," Dr. Shade says. So as a summary, a of the ear er test ng methods offer an ncomp ete p cture of your actua mercury oad. Ha r test ng on y shows organ c (methy ) mercury oad Ur ne test ng on y shows norgan c mercury oad B ood test ng for tota mercury oad rea y on y g ves you a measure of your mercury from f sh consumpt on, wh e mercury from denta ama gams rema ns h dden Cha enge test ng can g ve fa se ow read ngs f your k dneys are not funct on ng we , and each of the che ators are b ased toward one form or mercury or the other, wh ch can g ve you a m s ead ng measurement of your mercury oad Mercury Spec at on — the Next Generat on of Mercury Test ng Dr. Shade s mercury spec at on techno ogy overcomes a these prob ems by be ng ab e to separate and measure each of the d fferent forms of mercury. "You have got a ump sum of mercury n the samp e. We want to pu them apart, so we know how much s the organ c form and how much s the norgan c form," ..... Inorgan c mercury – even though t s more tox c to the ce –does not accumu ate we and t does not get nto organ sms very we , whereas methy mercury s the b oaccumu at ve form. That s the one that a f sh sw mm ng n the water w have a m on to 10 m on t mes more [of]... than s n the water. It s very mportant to be ab e to see the methy mercury separate from the norgan c mercury. I deve oped th s system where we cou d take a samp e and re at ve y qu ck y – at east compared to the o d methods – separate these two d fferent forms... When I came to the c n ca wor d, I started app y ng that... to b ood and ur ne. What we found s that f you want to get a good measure of b ood, you need to separate the methy - and the norgan c mercury." The ethy - and methy mercury have d fferent reference ranges. Methy mercury s a most a ways h gher than the ethy mercury f you re exposed to both types. After measur ng over 2,000 pat ents, Dr. Shade d scovered that methy mercury eve s n those w th the h ghest oads s a most 15 t mes h gher than the ethy mercury, on average. "If you re exposed to both, the methy mercury s a ways go ng to swamp out the norgan c mercury," he says. "But once you separate those two, you can see very c ear y how the two are track ng n the body. They have d fferent targets n the body, and they have d fferent sources com ng n." Cont nued....
jimmyg
01-11-2013, 09:08 AM
... Ur ne can be n ce y corre ated to b ood norgan c mercury, as ong as the k dneys are work ng okay. That means that as b ood norgan c mercury goes up, ur nary norgan c mercury shou d go up w th t. It be a near ncrease between the two. We can now p ot out how we the k dneys are work ng." Be ng ab e to chart how we your k dneys are work ng s a s gn f cant benef t, as th s w g ve you a better dea of how we your natura detox system s work ng. If you have h gh eve s of norgan c (ethy ) mercury n your b ood, but ow mercury n your ur ne, t s a s gn that your body s reta n ng tox c ty. "These tend to be the s ckest peop e and have the hardest t me detox fy ng," Dr. Shade says. "Then we know that we have to work more on the r k dneys before we go nto rea y mov ng the mercury out of the body." The same techn que s be ng used on ha r, wh ch, aga n, s an norgan c (ethy ) mercury marker. As your b ood methy mercury goes up, the methy mercury n your ha r shou d r se n a near fash on. If they do not track together (mean ng you have h gh eve s n your b ood but ow eve s n your ha r), then t s an nd cat on that your b ochem stry has been d srupted and cannot effect ve y mob ze methy mercury. On Detox ng Mercury Accord ng to Dr. Shade, effect ve detox f cat on s h gh y dependent on your g utath one and su fur metabo sm. For examp e, when your g utath one and su fur eve s ncrease, you typ ca y see h gher eve s of mercury com ng out of your ha r. It s mportant to rea ze, however, that detox ng cannot be ach eved overn ght. Or even n a few weeks. ...
"But then you have to keep n m nd one of the aspects of detox f cat on. You got to be m ndfu of that, and ncorporate a ot of th s nto your fe. I mean a ot of t s festy e changes that are go ng to keep you effect ve y detox fy ng. Then, once or tw ce a year go back n for whatever per od of t me t takes you. Go back and do another detox f cat on, because even f you get a the mercury out, you re cont nuous y exposed to a k nds of th ngs. I mean, you ve got the a rborne mercury com ng n. You ve got tt e b ts through the food. Then you have cadm um, arsen c, and ead com ng n... you ve got a the d fferent organ c tox ns... pest c des and herb c des... ch or nated organ cs... mo d-based tox ns... tox ns from organ sms that ve n your GI tract, f you don t have a perfect b ot c f ora... ... Probab y, the b ggest myth that s got to be destroyed mmed ate y s that mercury w stay n your body unt you go n there w th a chem ca che ator and pu t out — that mercury s never removed from the body and t ust bu ds up forever. That s comp ete y a myth. We d a be dead f that were the case. You have a system for mov ng mercury and other heavy meta s out of your body. They may work n d fferent eff c enc es for d fferent peop e, or may be tota y d srupted n some, but you have a [detox f cat on] system." How Your Body Detox f es Natura y One of the centra prob ems n modern tox co ogy s the fa ure to fu y understand the vast d spar ty amongst the popu at on n the r ab ty to dea w th certa n tox ns, and the r ab ty to detox fy them. ....... "The core of the detox f cat on system s the g utath one system," Dr. Shade says. "Not ce that I don t say, t s g utath one. No, t s the g utath one system. G utath one b nds to meta s and can move them out of your body, but t doesn t do that a one. If we ook at what the requ rements for res stance to meta s and effect ve detox f cat on (mean ng not on y the res stance but shutt ng them out), you need hea thy eve s of g utath one n your ce s. You [a so] need act v ty of... a phase II detox f cat on enzyme ca ed g utath one S-transferase. Th s s an enzyme that s respons b e for pry ng the mercury off the ce u ar prote ns and nk ng t together w th the g utath one. [Lets say] those two parts work: You have the g utath one; you have the g utath one S-transferase — now you have a mercury-g utath one con ugate n the ce . Now you ve got to get t out of your body. At the ce membrane, ...... You have to have a parts of th s go ng." If any one of these mechan sms s knocked out, your ce s w ose the r res stance to the meta , and b oaccumu at on sets n. So n order to strengthen your detox f cat on system, you need to opt m ze the ENTIRE system from top to bottom w th n the transport cha n, so that your body can pu the mercury away from the prote ns t s bound to, and transport t out of your body. Strateg es for Opt m z ng Your G utath one System There are a number of d fferent opt ons for do ng th s. Tak ng ora or ntravenous g utath one can be both expens ve and neffect ve. A more eff c ent way to opt m ze your g utath one eve s s to prov de your body w th the precursor to g utath one, cyste ne, n the form of foods that are natura y h gh n t. Whey prote n, espec a y organ c, grass-fed whey prote n conta ns some of the h ghest eve s of cyste ne. "Tak ng ora g utath one n a capsu e s very neff c ent, because your pept dases w break down the g utath one nto ts am no ac ds," ......... We use a ot of th s posoma g utath one. We have recent y taken on the manufactur ng of that that s mak ng a very sma , h gh ntegr ty posome. But as de from posomes, whey prote n s my favor te way to get those precursors nto the body." Accord ng to Dr. Shade, f your body s mak ng g utath one we , then ust tak ng whey prote n shou d be suff c ent. But f your detox f cat on system s severe y comprom sed, the posoma g utath one can serve an mportant funct on as t can offer mmed ate re ef aga nst the ox dat ve stress caused by the mercury. He typ ca y recommends us ng both for peop e who are . "Once you have repa red the system and you re gett ng t work ng aga n, then the whey prote n can susta n you," he says. But t s mportant to remember that there s more to your g utath one system than ust g utath one. You a so need the proper enzymes and prote ns that work together w th the g utath one to e m nate the mercury. These nc ude: G utath one S-transferase G utath one synthetase Gamma-g utamy cyste ne gase Phy ogenom cs — Gene Act vat on through Superfoods "Th s s a beaut fu part of the sc ence ca ed phy ogenom cs, phy o mean ng p ants, and genom cs mean ng genes," he says. "What we re f nd ng s that genes are not a ways [expressed]… What are tr ggers to start express ng these genes? We re f nd ng that who e fam es of genes that can be upregu ated together. There s prote n out n the cytop asm ca ed the Nrf2 prote n. ....... What are the th ngs that tr gger th s? We , a ot of these th ngs that we cons der superfoods. The ma n fam y of food chem ca s that do th s or p ant chem ca s are po ypheno c ant ox dants ke you wou d f nd n green tea extract or p ne bark extract. The one we use the most s ca ed Har tak . We have a b end ca ed C ear Way Cofactors, where we br ng together what we th nk are the best po ypheno cs for do ng th s. The other s de of t s the su fur-based chem ca s." The Importance of Su fur Compounds for Your Detox f cat on System One su fur-based food s gar c, wh ch has ga ned a reputat on for be ng good for mercury detox f cat on. As exp a ned by Dr. Shade, gar c conta ns su fur mo ecu es that tr gger the trans ocat on of the Nrf2 prote ns nto your ce s. Thus ..... "You wou d want to use the whey prote n n con unct on w th some of these po ypheno c ant ox dants, w th the cruc fer fam y, or gar c. Then you wou d get the enzyme up, as we as br ng ng n the precursors," Dr. Shade says. As a s de note, a c n s NOT the chem ca respons b e for upregu at ng the enzyme system. A c n s part of what g ves gar c ts ant m crob a effect. Accord ng to Dr. Shade, tak ng gar c o capsu es s ust as good as eat ng raw gar c, maybe even better, for upregu at ng your g utath one system. Another mportant su fur compound s po c ac d, wh ch he ps regenerate v tam n C and E. "V tam n C — th s who e defense system that we re ta k ng about s part of the ant ox dant system," Dr. Shade says. "You need a ot of e ectron donors n there, feed ng nto the system. You re go ng to transfer those e ectrons nto the g utath one. As you re us ng the g utath one up as an ant ox dant, t s gett ng ox d zed and needs to be re ntroduced... That s the use of v tam n C: constant y br ng ng e ectrons nto the system, as we as ts mmune effects bu d ng up the mmune system. V tam n C s an ntegra part of that. But you re not go ng to do v tam n C a one. That s a very myop c scene. But t s a strong p ayer. It s a ways there. It shou d be one of your ma n pawns n th s game. Then you ook at po c ac d. L po c ac d s a very potent upregu ator of the g utath one system and spec f ca y R- poate. So, w thout the po c ac d, you have got two forms: You have S- po c ac d and R- po c ac d. These are ke am no ac ds where you ve got D am no ac ds and L am no ac ds. L am no ac d s the on y one that f ts nto the b ochem stry, and D does not. S- po c does not f t nto the b ochem stry. I mean, t can act as an ant ox dant n the body. It can do some funct ons. But t can t upregu ate the g utath one system. On y the R- poate f ts nto th s Nrf2 mechan sm to upregu ate the g utath one system. That s why we have a posome that s a m xture of v tam n C and R- po c ac d. You can take h gh doses of th s w thout runn ng nto bowe nto erance and very effect ve de very of that po c ac d. That s the common su fur chem ca that we use the most." Other He pfu P ayers Astaxanth n, wh ch I ve prev ous y wr tten about at great ength, s one of the best performers when t comes to protect ng your ENTIRE ce from damage, and as such, t can be an mportant ngred ent to he p opt m ze your detox f cat on system as a who e. Dr. Shade agrees, stat ng: "You got the cytoso , or cytop asm, that s water-so ub e. Then you got the membranes that are fat-so ub e. You need to take care of both the water s de and the fat s de. I th nk astaxanth n wou d be a great th ng to ncorporate nto the systems." Another common y used detox f cat on too s ch ore a, wh ch w he p detox fy your system v a your gut. Ch ore a s a b nder, mean ng that t b nds to the heavy meta s present n your gut, wh ch serves two mportant funct ons as t: Prevents absorpt on and/or re-absorpt on (many meta s can be excreted nto your b e and then be re-absorbed), and Prevents the meta s from rr tat ng your ntest nes by ho d ng them away from the ep the a of your ntest na wa . Th s he ps prevent nf ammat on More Informat on Some states, such as Co orado, are so-ca ed "d rect access" states, n wh ch you can buy a test ng k t d rect y from Dr. Shade s company, Qu cks ver Sc ent f c. Then a you have to do s get your b ood drawn at a oca ab, wh ch sends t back to the company for ana ys s. In other states, you have to go through your pr mary care phys c an to get the mercury spec at on test done. The test reta s for about $350. The sens t v ty of the test s "unmatched," accord ng to Dr. Shade. "We re the on y one n the wor d do ng the spec at on — the separat on of the d fferent forms of mercury. And we re the on y ones work ng at the ow ranges than we are... We have a detect on m t of 10 part per tr on. Now you compare that to one of the rout ne abs ke Lab Quest or Lab Corp; they do a b ood mercury for you, and the r detect on m t w e ther be one or 0.5 parts per b on. That s 50 t mes h gher, at the best, than what we re runn ng. We re very sens t ve. We run at very ow eve s, so we can see ALL the changes and the amb ent prof es. ...I te you that I ke peop e [to be] under 0.05 nanograms per m gram for the denta form of mercury. That s when you know that you re rea y c eaned up. For methy mercury, that number can be a tt e h gher. Depend ng upon the state of the r hea th, I ke them down be ow 2 nanograms per ter, or f they have shown some sens t v ty to mercury, then I ke them under 1 nanogram per ter."
jimmyg
01-12-2013, 08:26 AM
The Tr ck to Creat ng Perfect y Layered Mea s n Mason Jars Posted by Cas e Terry L nk to art c e & rec pes: http://www. ve nthenow.com/art c e/rec pe-round-up-mea s- n-mason- ars?utm_source=san&utm_med um=newsf ash&utm_content=a&utm_campa gn=01_08_13 Mason ars have ong been used for cann ng and preserv ng, but n recent years, the uses for th s Amer can nvent on seem to be end ess. Mason ars are now used for soup rec pe exchanges, cook e rec pe g ft ng and, our favor te, a n-one easy mea p ann ng. Us ng mason ars to prepare and store mea s has severa advantages. 10 Reasons We Advocate Mason Jars 1. They re nexpens ve 2. Made w th g ass (BPA FREE!) 3. Sturdy and re-usab e 4. Doub e as dr nk ng g asses 5. Sta n-res stant 6. C ear (never the scary mystery conta ner n the refr gerator) 7. Easy to stack and easy to transport 8. Can he p to contro your port ons 9. M crowave and d shwasher safe 10. L ds and ars can be purchased separate y (and eas y rep aced when you have the p ece w th no mate… a common tupperware frustrat on) A so Read 10 Creat ve Ways to Repurpose Mason Jars We h t the web and browsed some of our favor te b ogs to f nd some great, hea thy deas for mea s n mason ars. But there s a tr ck to t! Here s the best way to effect ve y ayer a mason ar mea , p us a few of our favor te “mea s n mason ars rec pes. Have you prepared a mea n a mason ar ate y or have any rec pes to share? Let us know! http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/01/mason- ar- ayer ng. pg Wheat Berry App e Sa ad n a Jar http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/01/rec pes- n-a- ar-wheatberry ar31. pg Mason Jar Layered Cornbread and Turkey Sa ad http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/01/Mason-Jar-Layered-Cornbread-and-Turkey-Sa ad. pg Sa ad n a Jar http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/01/DSC_0032-9. pg
Sev
01-12-2013, 02:55 PM
http://www.natura news.com/037315_Monsanto_GM_corn_breakfast_cerea s.htm The top 10 breakfast cerea s most ke y to conta n Monsanto s GMO corn (Natura News) By now, near y everyone nterested n hea thy v ng s aware of the recent research nk ng Monsanto s GMO corn to cancer tumors and an ncrease r sk of premature death n both men and women. News of the research s spread ng ke w df re across the net, and support for Propos t on 37 -- wh ch seeks to abe GMOs n foods -- s grow ng by the day. But the med a has not yet reported on the everyday foods be ng so d n grocery stores r ght now and made w th Monsanto s genet ca y mod f ed corn (GM corn). Wh ch foods are most ke y to conta n Monsanto GM corn? To answer th s quest on, I v s ted a oca grocery store n Aust n, Texas and purchased 10 breakfast cerea s made w th h gh eve s of non-organ c corn. Accord ng to the Center for Food Safety, up to 85% of the corn grown n the Un ted States s genet ca y mod f ed. Th s means corn-based cerea s that use non-organ c corn have a very h gh ke hood of conta n ng GM corn. The fo ow ng st presents the top 10 popu ar breakfast cerea s most ke y to conta n Monsanto s genet ca y mod f ed corn. For the record, none of these cerea s c a m to be GMO-free, nor made w th organ c corn. The exact GMO content of these cerea s rema ns a mystery prec se y because manufacturers of these cerea s refuse to abe them w th the r GMO content. Th s ack of fu d sc osure by the food ndustry underscores the urgent need for a abe ng aw so that consumers can make an nformed dec s on. Lega note: In no way are we c a m ng these cerea s w cause cancer tumors to grow n your body or that they pose an mmed ate r sk to your hea th. Those stud es have not yet been done on humans. GM corn s an exper menta crop w th unknown ong-term effects of humans. Breakfast cerea s made w th GM corn may turn out to pose a s gn f cant ong-term r sk to human hea th, but that has not yet been determ ned. Th s art c e s presented n the pub c nterest, ref ect ng reasonab e caut on over a common food ngred ent wh ch French sc ent sts have now conv nc ng y nked to cancer and premature death n stud es conducted on rats. Cocoa Puffs Corn Chex Frosted F akes Honey Graham Oh s Honey Nut Chex Kash Heart to Heart Ke ogg s Corn F akes Ke ogg s Corn Pops K x Barbara s Bakery Puff ns Peanut Butter
Wh ch cerea s conta n no GMOs? Nature s Path There s on y one brand of breakfast cerea I know of that s 100% non-GMO and 100% organ c across the r ent re product ne. That company s Nature s Path: http://www.natura news.com/ mages/cerea s/Natures-Path. pg If you buy breakfast cerea , and you don t want to eat Monsanto s GM corn, a ways choose cerea s from Nature s Path. Th s s my No. 1 most h gh y trusted cerea company. Many "natura " brands that appear to be hea thfu and natura are actua y not organ c or GMO-free. For examp e, "Barbara s Bakery" cerea s are not organ c. A though they are pos t oned n store she ves a ongs de other organ c cerea s, they are actua y made w th convent ona crops grown w th pest c des wh ch may nc ude Monsanto s Roundup. You may a so not ce that most of the cerea s most ke y to conta n GM corn are ch dren s cerea s. It s the ch dren n Amer ca who are be ng fed the most GMOs. Th s represents a h gh y uneth ca food exper ment be ng conducted on an ent re generat on, and the ong-term effects of human consumpt on of GMOs are s mp y not known. What we do know s that rats fed th s very same Monsanto GM corn deve oped shock ng y arge cancer tumors.
jimmyg
01-13-2013, 08:09 AM
D abetes Rem ss on Poss b e w th D et, Exerc se http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/rem ss on. pg L nk to art c e & v deo: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/07/d abetes-rem ss on.aspx?e_c d=20130107_DNL_art_1 January 07, 2013 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: In a four-year- ong study, overwe ght and obese d abet cs p aced on a ca or e-restr ct ve d et a ong w th near y three hours of exerc se per week fared much better than contro s After one year, 11.5 percent of the program part c pants no onger needed med cat on to keep the r b ood sugar eve s be ow the d abetes thresho d. On y two percent of the non- ntervent on group exper enced any s gn f cant mprovement n the r cond t on Obes ty has now become a greater g oba hea th cr s s than hunger. It s a so the ead ng cause of d sab t es around the wor d Accord ng to a nat ona study there s been a modest dec ne n obes ty rates among 2- to 4-year-o ds from poor fam es. Wh e the cause for the drop s unc ear, some of the potent a contr butors nc ude a mass ve ncrease n breastfeed ng over the past three decades, and reduced advert s ng of unk food to young ch dren
It has taken decades, but med ca profess ona s are f na y start ng to g ve d et and exerc se for the prevent on and reversa of type 2 d abetes some we -deserved attent on. "... the new study can g ve peop e w th the d sease hope that through festy e changes, they cou d end up gett ng off med cat on and ke y ower ng the r r sk of d abetes-re ated comp cat ons," Reuters Hea th reports.1 The research,2 a so featured by MedPage Today,3 demonstrates that d et and phys ca act v ty are the answer d abet cs have been search ng for, wh ch s exact y what I ve been teach ng s nce I started th s web s te, 16 years ago. It s worth not ng that I do not at a agree w th some of the d etary recommendat ons g ven to the part c pants n th s study. For examp e, I be eve nc ud ng hea thy saturated fats and avo d ng processed qu d mea rep acements wou d be a w se move. I a so be eve fo ow ng the d etary recommendat ons a d out n my free Nutr t on P an can prov de far better resu ts than those ach eved n th s study. The researchers random y ass gned d abet c part c pants, who were a so overwe ght or obese, to an ntens ve program of d et and exerc se, n wh ch they were urged to cut ca or es down to 1,200-1,800 ca or es per day and engage n near y three hours of phys ca exerc se per week. After one year, 11.5 percent of the program part c pants no onger needed med cat on to keep the r b ood sugar eve s be ow the d abetes thresho d. On y two percent of the non- ntervent on group exper enced any s gn f cant mprovement n the r cond t on. Those who d had been d agnosed w th d abetes more recent y saw greater b ood sugar mprovements on the program. D tto for those who ost the most amount of we ght and/or made the greatest progress n ra s ng the r f tness eve . The festy e ntervent on group a so managed to susta n the r rem ss on better over the fo ow ng three years. The On y Way to Avo d and/or Reverse Type 2 D abetes Amaz ng y, one n four Amer cans has some form of d abetes or pre-d abetes. If th s s not a c ear s gn that convent ona hea th recommendat ons are f awed, I don t know what s. I too have persona exper ence w th th s d sease. I deve oped t myse f for a short wh e, when I tr ed to mp ement an Eat R ght for Your Type program n the ate 90s. Add t ona y, most of my paterna re at ves (my dad nc uded), have, or have d ed from, d abetes. My persona exper ence w th d abetes and subsequent rev ew of the terature made t very c ear to me that v rtua y every case of type 2 d abetes s revers b e... And the cure for type 2 d abetes has noth ng to do w th g v ng nsu n or tak ng drugs to contro your b ood sugar. In fact, g v ng nsu n to someone w th type 2 d abetes s one of the worst th ngs that can be done. The truth of the matter s that type 2 d abetes s a fu y preventab e cond t on that ar ses from fau ty ept n s gna ng and nsu n res stance, both of wh ch are d rect y d et- and exerc se-re ated. It s NOT a d sease of b ood sugar. Once you understand that, the remedy becomes c ear: To reverse the d sease, you need to recover your body s nsu n and ept n sens t v t es. The ONLY way to accomp sh th s s through proper d et and exerc se, as deta ed n my free Nutr t on P an. Bar atr c surgery, wh ch s be ng ncreas ng y recommended as a d abetes treatment, w NOT do the tr ck, and there s NO drug that can correct ept n s gna ng and nsu n res stance... Adher ng to the fo ow ng gu de nes can he p you do at east three th ngs that are essent a for successfu y treat ng d abetes: recover your nsu n/ ept n sens t v ty; norma ze your we ght; and norma ze your b ood pressure: Severe y m t or e m nate sugar and gra ns n your d et, espec a y fructose wh ch s far more detr menta than any other type of sugar. Fo ow ng my Nutr t on P an w he p you do th s w thout too much fuss. Exerc se regu ar y. Exerc se s an abso ute y essent a factor, and w thout t, you re un ke y to get th s devastat ng d sease under contro . It s one of the fastest and most powerfu ways to ower your nsu n and ept n res stance. If you re unsure of how to get started, I recommend rev ew ng my Peak F tness program for t ps and gu de nes. Avo d trans fats. Get p enty of omega-3 fats from a h gh qua ty, an ma -based source, such as kr o . Opt m ze your v tam n D eve s. Recent stud es have revea ed that gett ng enough v tam n D can have a powerfu effect on norma z ng your b ood pressure and that ow v tam n D eve s may ncrease your r sk of heart d sease. Opt m ze your gut f ora. Your gut s a v ng ecosystem, fu of both good bacter a and bad. Mu t p e stud es have shown that obese peop e have d fferent ntest na bacter a than ean peop e. The more good bacter a you have, the stronger your mmune system w be and the better your body w funct on overa . Fortunate y, opt m z ng your gut f ora s re at ve y easy. You can reseed your body w th good bacter a by eat ng fermented foods (such as fermented vegetab es, natto, raw organ c cheese, or raw m k kef r) or by tak ng a h gh-qua ty prob ot c supp ement. Address any under y ng emot ona ssues and/or stress. Non- nvas ve too s ke the Emot ona Freedom Techn que can be he pfu and effect ve. Get enough h gh-qua ty s eep every n ght. Mon tor your fast ng nsu n eve . Th s s every b t as mportant as your fast ng b ood sugar. You want your fast ng nsu n eve to be between 2 and 4. The h gher your eve , the worse your nsu n sens t v ty s. D et and Hea thy Ag ng In re ated news, an art c e n the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne4 rev ewed the conf ct ng research on ca or e restr ct on and morta ty. "Two ong-term stud es of the effect of ca or e restr ct on n rhesus monkeys conf ct: one conc udes that restr ct on does not affect morta ty, and the other conc udes that t does. D fferences n d etary compos t on and extent of restr ct on may exp a n the d screpant resu ts," L nda Partr dge, PhD, wr tes. Yes, as a ways, the dev s n the deta s, and th s s part cu ar y true when t comes to d et. A ca or e s not " ust a ca or e," for examp e. There s every reason to be eve that the key to mproved hea th and ongev ty es not n ca or e restr ct on per se, but n restr ct ng certa n k nds of ca or es—ca or es from sugars, to be spec f c. And poss b y a so those from poor qua ty prote ns. Dr. Ron Roseda e has been pass onate about d abetes and ag ng for over 30 years and he s constant y rev ew ng the terature n th s area. He s one of my pr mary mentors on th s top c. He s conv nced, as most other experts are, that ca or e restr ct on does ndeed prov de fe extens on. But t s ke y not because there are decreased tota ca or es. He be eves the key s to m t the carbs and excess ve prote n. The fat ca or es are "essent a y free and do not mpa r nsu n or ept n s gna ng, or the mTOR pathways, wh ch can contr bute to decreased ongev ty. Dr. Partr dge po nts out two pr mary d fferences between the two stud es that may account for the conf ct ng resu ts: The contro groups n the two stud es were not fed n the dent ca manner. In the f rst study, wh ch d d f nd ca or e restr ct on reduced chron c d sease and morta ty, the contro group had no restr ct ons on the r food ntake. Rather they were a owed to eat as much as they wanted. In the second study, wh ch d d not f nd a corre at on between ca or e restr ct on and reduced morta ty, the contro group rece ved a f xed amount of food, wh ch was ower than the ad b tum ntake. Th s was done n order to prevent obes ty. "Work w th aboratory an ma s has shown that the benef ts of ca or c restr ct on are quant tat ve, w th stronger reduct ons n food ntake produc ng a greater extens on n fe span, prov ded that ma nutr t on s avo ded," Partr dge wr tes. "The contro s n the most recent study rece ved a d et that was somewhat ca or e restr cted, and ndeed they were ghter n we ght than contro s n the ear er study. Thus, they may have had some benef ts of ca or c restr ct on, m t ng the power to detect any add t ona benef ts from the substant ve y restr cted d et compr s ng the ntervent on." The nutr t ona compos t on of the d ets a so d ffered between the two stud es. Proport ons of carbohydrate, fat, and prote n were s m ar, but n the f rst study (wh ch d d f nd a corre at on between ca or e restr ct on and morta ty), sucrose made up near y 30 percent of the an ma s d et. In the second, wh ch d d not f nd such a corre at on, the d et conta ned on y four percent sucrose. Th s shou d come as no surpr se to any of you who have read any of my art c es about the hea th hazards of sugar. The sugar mo ecu e s one of the most ravag ng, and eat ng a h gh-sugar d et s the most eff c ent way to acce erate the ag ng processes n your body. So c ear y, a d et ow n sugar w s gn f cant y he p reduce morta ty. When both the study group and the contro s are fed a f xed ow-sugar d et, the r outcomes can be expected to be fa r y comparab e... Dr. Partr dge a so ment ons that stud es have shown the compos t on of the prote n n your d et can have a substant a effect on your hea th. Accord ng to Partr dge: "Stud es of an ma mode s, nc ud ng rodents, have shown that reduced ntake of part cu ar nutr ents, espec a y spec f c am no ac ds, rather than reduced ca or e ntake under es the hea th mprovements brought about by reduced food ntake. Th s observat on underscores the mportance of d etary restr ct on over ca or c restr ct on: the effects on hea th of reduc ng overa food ntake w often depend on the compos t on of the d et that s fed to the contro s." I be eve th s s an mportant po nt to remember, as most peop e s mp y eat far too much prote n of poor qua ty; th nk ng t s a the same. Th s s mp y sn t true, as the nutr t ona content of meats and other an ma products, such as eggs, are dependent upon how the an ma was ra sed and fed. There are ma or nutr t ona d fferences between prote n sources ra sed n conf ned an ma feed ng operat ons (CAFO s) and those ra sed accord ng to organ c standards, such as grass-fed beef and pastured ch ckens and the r eggs. Obes ty B gger Hea th Cr s s than Hunger Cont nued......
jimmyg
01-13-2013, 08:10 AM
Understand ng what makes for a hea thy d et and festy e has never been more mportant. Shock ng y, obes ty has now become a greater g oba hea th cr s s than hunger! Obes ty s a so the ead ng cause of d sab t es around the wor d, accord ng to the atest G oba Burden of D sease study, pub shed n The Lancet.5 As reported by CNN Hea th:6 "The report revea ed that every country, w th the except on of those n sub-Saharan Afr ca, faces a arm ng obes ty rates -- an ncrease of 82 percent g oba y n the past two decades. M dd e Eastern countr es are more obese than ever, see ng a 100% ncrease s nce 1990. The so-ca ed Western festy e s be ng adapted a around the wor d, and the mpacts are a the same, [co-author A ] Mokdad sa d. ... for the f rst t me, noncommun cab e d seases ke d abetes, stroke and heart d sease top the st of ead ng causes of years spent s ck or n ured. A these prob ems are t ed to obes ty, Mokdad sa d. We re even see ng a arge percentage of peop e suffer ng back pa n now. If we cou d ower the obes ty rates, we d see the numbers of noncommun cab e d seases and pa n decrease as we . Peop e are v ng onger than pro ected n 1990 -- on average, 10.7 more years for men, and 12.6 more years for women. But for many of them, the qua ty of fe dur ng those years s not good. On average, peop e are p agued by ness or pa n dur ng the ast 14 years of fe..." Yes, modern med c ne may be ab e to keep s ck peop e a ve onger, but t fa s m serab y when t comes to prov d ng a h gh qua ty of fe. L festy e-re ated chron c d seases are a so threaten ng to bankrupt nat ons across the g obe. Dr. Margaret Chan, d rector-genera of the Wor d Hea th Organ zat on has referred to noncommun cab e d seases "a s ow-mot on d saster" that may eventua y become f nanc a y unsusta nab e. Accord ng to a 2011 report7 by the Wor d Econom c Forum and Harvard Schoo of Pub c Hea th, noncommun cab e d seases s expected to cost more than $30 tr on over the next two decades a one! C ear y, someth ng needs to change. Part of the prob em s that so many of the recommendat ons ssued by convent ona med c ne are ser ous y f awed, hav ng been thorough y corrupted by conf cts of nterest. The not on that you cannot trust your doctor s adv ce on d et and exerc se s d sconcert ng for most peop e, but the fact s that many doctors are c ue ess when t comes to nutr t on and f tness. There s no shortage of phys c ans that w OK aspartame for we ght contro and d abet cs, or te you to avo d saturated fats and st ck to a ow-fat d et, for examp e. The st goes on. The fa ure of such recommendat ons to produce good hea th can c ear y be seen among the genera popu at on that be eves such myths. I ve spent the better part of the ast two decades research ng and try ng to p n down the necessary ngred ents of a hea thy d et and festy e. The end resu t can be found n my comprehens ve Nutr t on P an, wh ch s ava ab e free of charge. v deo..... There s st cause for hope however. Accord ng to a nat ona study8 featured n The New York T mes,9 there s been a modest dec ne n obes ty rates among 2- to 4-year-o ds from poor fam es, wh ch s a good s gn, however sma t m ght be. As reported by the NYT: "The study was based on data from 30 states and the D str ct of Co umb a and covered the years from 1998 to 2010. The share of ch dren who were obese dec ned to 14.9 percent n 2010, down from 15.2 percent n 2003, after r s ng between 1998 and 2003. Extreme obes ty a so dec ned, dropp ng to 2.07 percent n 2010 from 2.22 percent n 2003... It s unc ear what drove the dec ne, but Dr. B anck offered hypotheses. Breastfeed ng, wh ch often eads to hea th er we ght ga n for young ch dren, has ncreased s nce 2000. The percentage of 6-month-o ds st be ng breast-fed ncreased to 47.7 percent among ch dren born n 2009, up from 34.2 percent among ch dren born n 2000. Breastfeed ng of nfants from ow- ncome fam es has r sen over the years. In 1980, on y 28 percent of nfants from those fam es had ever been breast-fed, compared w th 66 percent n 2011. ... the amount of money spent on food market ng to ch dren dec ned by near y 20 percent from 2006 to 2009, w th the b ggest drop n te ev s on advert s ng." How to Stop Wast ng Food Fresh who e food s an essent a part of a hea thy d et, but buy ng and stor ng fresh foods does requ re a b t more p ann ng and know-how, compared to stock ng up on processed foods w th extended exp rat on dates. A recent art c e n CNN Hea th10 exp ored the many ways you can reduce your food waste, wh ch can cost the average Amer can househo d anywhere from $500 to $2,000 a year. Be ow are two of my favor te t ps. For the rest, wh ch nc udes what to do w th bread, fresh fru ts (and espec a y bananas), p ease see the or g na art c e.11 Seasona vegetab es Use t now: As w th fru t, the f avors of most vegetab es marry we . Cut whatever you have nto b te-s ze p eces, sauté a d ced on on n a soup pot, and add the vegg es (start ng w th the f rmest, s nce they take ongest to cook). Cover w th vegetab e broth and s mmer unt tender. Purée or eat chunky. Save t for ater: Make your own frozen vegg es. Prepare them as you d cook them, except stop when they re ha fway done. You can steam or bo green beans, corn, brocco , and chard, then qu ck y r nse n co d water to stop the cook ng, and dra n and pack n freezer-safe bags. Or p ck e your vegg es. Herbs Use t now: Fresh herbs are f avor powerhouses, so t can be tr cky to mprov se w thout a rec pe. A few combos that work de c ous y: Try thyme, rosemary, and bay eaf w th ch cken; add rosemary, pars ey, and sage to pork. Toss m nt, d , and c antro n your sa ads or green vegg e d shes. Save t for ater: To preserve tender herbs (d , c antro, pars ey), make a sauce or paste (th nk pesto) w th o ve or vegetab e o . Purée the c eaned eaves n a food processor w th the o and a tt e sa t. C antro o , for examp e, can ater be m xed w th coconut m k, ch es, me, and soy sauce to make a Tha sauce for f sh or ch cken. Herb pastes keep up to one week n the refr gerator (dr zz e o over the top to prevent brown ng) and up to s x months n the freezer. Hardy herbs, ke rosemary and sage, meanwh e, are easy to dry. C ean a bunch, grasp the stems, t e w th str ng, then suspend, eaves down, n a dry room. When herbs crumb e, transfer to a ar and store n a coo , dry p ace. Or submerge herbs n a bott e of wh te-w ne v negar. The f avor w spruce up your sa ads for months. To th s I wou d add the fo ow ng recommendat ons: FoodSaver Vacuum ng System: One of my a -t me favor te tr cks, wh ch works for most produce, s to create a "vacuum pack" to he p protect t from oxygen and a rborne m crobes that w acce erate ts decay. Leave the produce n the bag t came n from the grocery store, p ace t aga nst your chest and use your arm to squeeze the excess a r out of the bag. Once the a r s removed you can sea t w th a tw st t e and thus m n m ze exposure to oxygen. Th s s mp e techn que can eas y doub e or tr p e the norma she f fe of your vegetab es by keep ng a r away from them. I typ ca y store my food n quart or p nt g ass Ba ars. The FoodSaver brand a so has a w de-mouth ar sea er attachment, wh ch s dea for sea ng your eftovers, fermented vegg es, sauces and other qu ds stored n a w de-mouth ar, and can keep your food fresh up to f ve t mes onger. I regu ar y use t for extend ng the fe of my vegetab e u ce and mak ng my u c ng more eff c ent so I don t have to u ce every day. Ferment your own vegetab es us ng a the eft-overs, before they go bad. Ferment ng your own vegg es s a rea y nexpens ve way to make sure you re gett ng benef c a bacter a (prob ot cs) n your d et, and t s much eas er than you m ght th nk! To earn more, p ease refer to th s prev ous art c e, How to Eas y and Inexpens ve y Ferment Your Own Vegetab es, wh ch nc udes an nformat ve nterv ew w th Caro ne Barr nger, a Nutr t ona Therapy Pract t oner (NTP), and an expert n the preparat on of the foods prescr bed n Dr. Natasha Campbe -McBr de s Gut and Psycho ogy Syndrome (GAPS) Nutr t ona Program.
jimmyg
01-13-2013, 10:43 PM
How to Stop Wast ng Food January 07, 2013 http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/food-waste. pg By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: 40 percent of food n the Un ted States goes uneaten, wh ch amounts to a waste of more than 20 pounds of food per person, every month U.S. fam es throw out about 25 percent of the food and beverages they buy T ps nc uded for how to proper y store your fresh foods so you actua y get the chance to eat them before they spo In add t on to mak ng sure your fr dge s kept co d enough -- be ow 40 degrees Fahrenhe t, or 4 degrees Ce s us – a vacuum sea er can great y extend the she f- fe of produce and other per shab e food tems
That o d bunch of carrots or pot of soup that sat for too ong n your fr dge, then ended up n your trash, doesn t seem ke much. But when trans ated over an ent re year, and expanded g oba y, the prob em of food waste transforms nto one of ep c proport ons. Unfortunate y, Amer cans now waste 50 percent more food than they d d n the 1970s, wh ch means the prob em s gett ng worse nstead of better...1 Amer cans Waste 20 Pounds of Food, Per Person, Per Month In a recent report from the Nat ona Resources Defense Counc (NRDC), t s revea ed that 40 percent of food n the Un ted States goes uneaten, wh ch amounts to a waste of more than 20 pounds of food per person, every month. Th s amounts to upwards of $2,275 n annua osses for the average U.S. househo d of four.2 So th s sn t s mp y a matter of the food tse f, but the waste t generates: $165 b on that s essent a y “thrown out” 25 percent of freshwater usage, wasted Huge amounts of unnecessary chem ca s, energy, and and use, a so wasted Rott ng food n andf s, wh ch accounts for near y 25 percent of U.S. methane em ss ons The NRDC report a so est mates: 3 “...food saved by reduc ng osses by ust 15 percent cou d feed more than 25 m on Amer cans every year at a t me when one n s x Amer cans ack a secure supp y of food to the r tab es.” In a , t s est mated that U.S. fam es throw out about 25 percent of the food and beverages they buy. In the UK, about two-th rds of househo d food waste s due to food spo ng before t s used, whereas the other one-th rd s due to cook ng and serv ng too much. Th s prob em sn t on y on the consumer eve , of course, as s gn f cant food waste occurs at every eve of the supp y cha n, nc ud ng dur ng: Product on and farm ng Post-harvest, hand ng and storage Process ng and packag ng Reta and restaurant d str but on Is “Cheap” Food Creat ng Even More Waste? The average Amer can wastes 10 t mes more food than the average consumer n Southeast As a. NRDC suggested th s may be because food s re at ve y nexpens ve, and typ ca y w de y ava ab e, n the U.S., wh ch makes t seem ke t has ess va ue. They reported:4 “Cheap, ava ab e food has created behav ors that do not p ace h gh va ue on ut z ng what s purchased. As a resu t, the ssue of wasted food s s mp y not on the radar of many Amer cans, even those who cons der themse ves env ronment- or cost-consc ous.” I was rea y surpr sed when I earned of th s stat st c, as t s rea y a sad test mony as to the wastefu ness of the U.S. cu ture re at ve to other countr es ke As a. I persona y waste ess than a pound of food per month, a most a due to spo age and typ ca y from the vegetab es I grow n my garden. I can typ ca y f t a week s worth of my trash n a sma p ast c grocery bag that we ghs 1-2 pounds (not nc ud ng my Amazon sh pp ng boxes, wh ch I put n recyc ng). It s true that Amer cans have a cheaper food supp y than most other countr es. In 2010, Amer cans spent ust over 9 percent of the r d sposab e ncome on food (5.5 percent at home and 3.9 percent eat ng out).5 Th s s a dramat ca y ower percentage spent than ust decades ago n the ear y 1960s, when over 17 percent was spent on food, and even more of a "barga n" compared to 1930, when Amer cans spent over 24 percent of the r d sposab e ncome to feed the r fam es. When you compare what Amer cans spend to what peop e n other countr es spend, you a so not ce some great d spar t es. As reported n TreeHugger, professor Mark J. Perry stated on h s Carpe D em b og:6 "... compared to other countr es, there s no other p ace on the p anet that has cheaper food than the U.S. The 5.5% of d sposab e ncome that Amer cans spend on food at home s ess than ha f the amount of ncome spent by Germans (11.4%), the French (13.6%), the Ita ans (14.4%), and ess than one-th rd the amount of ncome spent by consumers n South Afr ca (20.1%), Mex co (24.1%), and Turkey (24.5%), wh ch s about what Amer cans spent DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION, and far be ow what consumers spend n Kenya (45.9%) and Pak stan (45.6%)." Unfortunate y, the "faster, b gger, cheaper" approach to food product on that the Un ted States has mastered s unsusta nab e and contr but ng to not on y excess waste but a so the destruct on of our p anet and your hea th. M chae Po an, author of The Omn vore s D emma and a number of other bestse ers, sa d t best: “Cheap food s an us on. There s no such th ng as cheap food. The rea cost of the food s pa d somewhere. And f t sn t pa d at the cash reg ster, t s charged to the env ronment or to the pub c purse n the form of subs d es. And t s charged to your hea th.” Creat ng Vacuum Packs s a Great Food-Sav ng Tr ck One of my a -t me favor te tr cks, wh ch works for most produce, s to create a "vacuum pack" to he p protect t from oxygen and a rborne m crobes that w acce erate ts decay. Leave the produce n the bag t came n from the grocery store, p ace t aga nst your chest and use your arm to squeeze the excess a r out of the bag. Once the a r s removed you can sea t w th a tw st t e and thus m n m ze exposure to oxygen. Th s s mp e techn que can eas y doub e or tr p e the norma she f fe of your vegetab es by keep ng a r away from them. A ternat ve y, you can use an automat c vacuum sea er, ke the FoodSaver ava ab e on Amazon, to do th s automat ca y and create an even t ghter, a rt ght sea . However, I near y a ways store my food n quart or p nt g ass Ba ars. The FoodSaver brand a so has a w de-mouth ar sea er attachment, wh ch s dea for sea ng your eftovers, fermented vegg es, sauces and other qu ds stored n a w de-mouth ar, and can keep your food fresh up to f ve t mes onger. I regu ar y use t for extend ng the fe of my vegetab e u ce and mak ng my u c ng more eff c ent so I don t have to u ce every day. Other T ps for Keep ng Your Per shab e Food Items Fresher, Longer If you re eat ng hea thy, fresh produce and other foods that spo eas y w be a arge part of your d et. These are a so the foods most ke y to be wasted; for nstance, more fru ts and vegetab es are wasted n the U.S. food system than are actua y consumed (52% are wasted versus 48% consumed)!7 Of course, wasted food equa s wasted resources of a k nds, nc ud ng the hard-earned money you spend on grocer es that never actua y reach your p ate. So part of be ng a savvy grocery shopper s know ng how to proper y store your fresh foods so you actua y get the chance to eat them before they spo . S mp e t ps to keep your foods fresher, onger, to avo d food waste, nc ude: Store fresh herbs (washed and sea ed n p ast c bags) n your freezer. They stay fresh for a month and defrost nstant y when you want to use them for cook ng. Make mp ce ery, carrots and rad shes crunchy aga n by p ac ng them n a bow of ce water w th a s ce of raw potato. Spread butter on the cut s de of hard cheeses to keep them from dry ng out n the fr dge. Put r ce n your sa t shaker to absorb condensat on and keep sa t from harden ng. Store your butter n the freezer; t w keep fresh for up to s x months. But for the butter you are us ng cons der eav ng t out of the fr dge. I eave my butter on the counter so t stays more spreadab e. I go through about a pound a week so spo age s not an ssue, espec a y s nce t s raw butter. Comb ne fru t nto a fru t sa ad to snack on, or freeze t for ater use n smooth es Vegg es ke green beans, brocco and chard can be cooked ha fway, then r nsed n co d water to stop the cook ng, dra ned and packed n freezer-safe bags for ater use Proper Food Storage s A so Cruc a You want to make sure your fr dge s kept co d enough -- be ow 40 degrees Fahrenhe t, or 4 degrees Ce s us. Th s w ensure food safety. A so eave enough space n your fr dge for co d a r to c rcu ate. If your refr gerator s too t ght y packed, your food w spo faster. Next, you want to proper y store each nd v dua food: To best preserve beets, remove the green tops and refr gerate the beets and the greens n separate p ast c bags Corn shou d be refr gerated wh e st n the husk to stay fresh the ongest. C trus fru ts can ast up to two weeks r ght on the counter Gar c and on ons need to be stored n a dark, coo pantry, where they w stay fresh for up to four months Berr es keep the best when refr gerated unwashed n the r or g na conta ner Keep fresh herbs n an a rt ght conta ner wrapped n a mo stened paper towe ; they ma nta n the r freshness for up to 10 days n your fr dge (or you can use the freezer tr ck ment oned ear er). You can a so puree the herbs w th o ve o and sa t to make a pesto- ke sauce that w ast for a week n your fr dge or s x months n your freezer. Herbs ke rosemary and sage can a so be washed then hung ups de down to dry; when dr ed, crumb e the eaves nto a ar for ater use The fe of eafy greens can be extended by as much as three extra days f you don t wash them before putt ng them n your fr dge Bunches of asparagus shou d be stored upr ght n the refr gerator n a p ast c bag n an nch of water, or w th a damp towe wrapped around the base A Rem nder About Exp rat on Dates... If you automat ca y throw a food away once t s past ts exp rat on date, you re probab y wast ng food unnecessar y. Unbeknownst to many, “best by” dates on many food packages are typ ca y a measure of peak qua ty, not an nd cat on of food safety. Typ ca y, t s st safe to eat a food after the “best by” or “best before” date (the except on s nfant formu a, wh ch has safety-based “use by” dates). Keep n m nd, too, that surface mperfect ons -- ke sma "bru ses" on fru ts, a m nute speck of mo d on a p ece of cheese, or a b t of w t ng -- are typ ca y not go ng to make you s ck. They can be cut off and the food w st be f ne to eat. It s a ways best to avo d rott ng fru t or vegetab es, as the decay process w berate methano , wh ch s a bra n neurotox n.
jimmyg
01-14-2013, 07:53 AM
How Secret Drug Data s Putt ng Your Hea th at R sk http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/1-7-2013-12-08-11-PM. pg Posted by Mary West W th ts money f ng the pockets of researchers and overs ght agenc es ke the Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) and Wor d Hea th Organ zat on (WHO), t seems B g Pharma s, n fact, ca ng the shots n the drug rev ew process. What s more, drug compan es are actua y w thho d ng data from pub c v ew that cou d eopard ze hea th – and gett ng away w th t. Inf uenza drug, ose tam v r, wh ch goes by the trade name Tam f u, has made b ons of do ars for ts manufacturer, Roche. Yet the company steadfast y refuses to g ve ndependent researchers, doctors and pat ents access to the fu c n ca data concern ng the drug. The company s ns stence on secrecy begs these quest ons: What do they have to h de? Is the drug rea y effect ve aga nst the f u? And more mportant y, s the drug safe? If the secret data rea y supports the use and safety of Tam f u, the re ease of the nformat on wou d forever s ence the quest oners, wou dn t t? Tam f u s a dangerous drug. A drugs have s de effects, but Tam f u s potent a for ser ous neuropsych atr c effects make t a dangerous drug. It can cause psychos s, de us ons and parano a n add t on to ha uc nat ons and se f- n ury. Short y after the drug was ntroduced n Japan n 2002, the Japan Inst tute of Pharmacov g ance rece ved grave reports of effects from ch dren tak ng t. These nc uded a fourteen-year-o d ump ng from a n nth f oor to th s death, a seventeen-year-o d runn ng nto a freeway and be ng k ed and a three-year-o d who d ed n h s s eep. By no means are the horror stor es conf ned to Japan. Accounts of fe-threaten ng s de effects are var ed and ch ng. The Br t sh press reports a teen who spent a month n the hosp ta batt ng for her fe after Tam f u caused her sk n to pee off. Another teen was put on fe support after an a erg c react on to the drug. Other, ess ser ous reports nc ude genera unbearab e s ckness, nausea and fat gue upon tak ng Tam f u. Why was th s drug approved? Why, ndeed! Independent researcher Tom Jefferson has nvest gated the ssue and states that the effect veness c a ms of Tam f u were based on 10 random zed contro ed tr a s. The prob em s that e ght of the ten stud es were never pub shed and the company refuses to d vu ge the data. Th s secrecy ra ses enormous red f ags. Furthermore, the two pub shed stud es were not on y funded by Roche but were a so authored by Roche emp oyees. Wasn t Tam f u approved by the FDA? Th s agency that Amer cans trust to oversee drug safety has even approved th s drug for nfants two weeks o d and younger. As B g Pharma ncreas ng y funds the FDA, t s not surpr s ng that the agency tends to dance to the r tune. Pharmaceut ca compan es prov de 60 percent of the FDA s drug rev ew costs, wh ch nd cates the agency s rev ews of new drugs are arge y funded by the compan es who manufacture them. B g Pharma s nf uence reaches as far as WHO. B g Pharma s tentac es of nf uence are deep and ong, reach ng even as far as the WHO, the agency w th overs ght of g oba hea th ssues. How so? In 2009, the WHO ssued a warn ng of an mpend ng f u pandem c, promot ng Tam f u as an essent a means of f ght ng the feared nfect on. In response to th s warn ng, governments around the g obe co ect ve y spent two b on do ars stockp ng Tam f u. It turns out, that a month before th s dec arat on was ssued, a prom nent sc ent st and adv sor to WHO warned a BBC rad o aud ence that on y Tam fu and a Re enza, a re ated ant v ra drug, wou d prevent a g oba catastrophe s m ar to the 1918 f u pandem c. At th s t me, the sc ent st was rece v ng $186,000 per year form G axoSm thK ne, the maker of Re enza. A though th s s a b atant conf ct of nterest, th s sc ent st rema ns an adv sor to WHO. We won t even de ve nto the facts regard ng Tam f u hard y be ng a measure for “prevent on.” The system needs to be f xed. When w th s end? How many t mes must we earn th s esson? Because of B g Phama s monetary nf uence n every stage of the drug rev ew process, from researchers to the FDA, and because of the r refusa to pub sh resu ts from c n ca tr a s, the pub c s at r sk from drugs that are not safe. Th s s ev denced by the d abetes drug Avand a, wh ch was assoc ated w th thousands of heart attacks, as we as the pa nk er V oxx, assoc ated w th thousands of heart d sease deaths. And now Tam f u, an neffect ve and dangerous drug st be ng pushed by phys c ans desp te the devastat ng s de effects. The monetary ga n has caused researchers and agenc es to over ook the fact that or g na data s not made ava ab e for ndependent rev ew. It s t me to enact aws requ r ng fu d sc osure and ensur ng that those rev ew ng the safety of drugs are ndependent from drug compan es. What og ca measures do you th nk we need to take to ensure drug safety? Sources: http://www.bm .com/content/345/bm .e7303 http://www.nybooks.com/art c es/arch ves/2011/may/12/f u-warn ng-beware-drug-compan es/?pag nat on=fa se http://www.sa em-news.com/art c es/december312012/tam f u-newborns-ms.php http://www.anh-usa.org/fda-negot at ng-more-money-from-pharma/
jimmyg
01-15-2013, 07:04 AM
Act Now to Stop Genet ca y Eng neered F sh from Rece v ng Approva http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/gmo-f sh. pg L nk to art c e & v deo: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/08/genet ca y-eng neered-f sh.aspx?e_c d=20130108_DNL_art_1 January 08, 2013 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: The FDA s gett ng c oser to ssu ng f na approva of the f rst genet ca y eng neered food an ma —a sa mon des gned to grow up to f ve t mes faster than norma . The draft env ronmenta assessment s now open for pub c comment for 60 days FDA has a owed th s GE f sh to move forward based on tests of a ergen c ty of on y s x eng neered f sh, and those tests actua y d d show an ncrease n a ergy-caus ng potent a The env ronmenta r sks are a so tremendous. In a prev ous Purdue Un vers ty computer mode that tracked the effects of re eas ng ust 60 “Frankenf sh” nto a popu at on of 60,000, there was a comp ete ext nct on of the norma f sh n ust 40 f sh generat ons A aska s congress ona de egat on s un ted n ts oppos t on aga nst the approva of AquaBounty s GE sa mon, and Rep. Don Young has announced a p an to ntroduce eg s at on that w , at m n mum, requ re GE sa mon to be abe ed
On December 21, 2012 — wh e everyone was busy ng themse ves w th preparat ons for ho day fest v t es—the US Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) took a g ant step c oser toward the f na approva of the f rst genet ca y eng neered (GE) f sh food — a sa mon des gned to grow abnorma y fast.1 It s a move that many, nc ud ng myse f, have worr ed m ght happen, and t now appears the f rst GE f sh cou d reach your d nner p ate w th n the next year or two, un ess a suff c ent y strong oppos t on s mounted. Accord ng to the FDA,2 the GE sa mon s "as safe as food from convent ona At ant c sa mon," but many have brought up s gn f cant f aws and m tat ons of the env ronmenta assessment (EA) on wh ch th s conc us on s drawn. The FDA s draft EA3 s now open for pub c comment. What are the Potent a Dangers Assoc ated w th GE Sa mon? Accord ng to Andrew K mbre , execut ve d rector of the Center for Food Safety:4 "The GE sa mon has no soc a y redeem ng va ue. It s bad for the consumer, bad for the sa mon ndustry and bad for the env ronment. F.D.A. s dec s on s premature and m sgu ded." Two years ago, GMO expert Jeffrey Sm th, founder of the Inst tute for Respons b e Techno ogy, ca ed the potent a approva of genet ca y eng neered sa mon "a move that w go down n h story as one of the most as n ne and dangerous ever made by our government." Accord ng to Sm th, ev dence5 suggests the buffed-up sa mon m ght have h gher eve s of a potent a y cancer promot ng hormone, IGF-1, more ant b ot cs, and more of potent a y fethreaten ng a ergen(s). In a recent statement, M chae Hansen PhD, Sen or Sc ent st w th Consumers Un on sa d:6 "The Env ronmenta Assessment (EA) states that the FDA has found that the sa mon s safe to eat. However, we are deep y concerned that the potent a of these f sh to cause a erg c react ons has not been adequate y researched. FDA has a owed th s f sh to move forward based on tests of a ergen c ty of on y s x eng neered f sh — tests that actua y d d show an ncrease n a ergy-caus ng potent a ." [Emphas s m ne] But that s not a . The sa mon — wh ch conta ns a sp ced- n growth hormone gene that makes t grow up to f ve t mes faster, reach ng market s ze n about 18 months nstead of three years — poses a s gn f cant threat to the env ronment and natura f sh stocks as we . Accord ng to a Purdue Un vers ty computer mode that tracked the effects of re eas ng ust 60 "Frankenf sh" nto a popu at on of 60,000, there was a comp ete ext nct on of the norma f sh n ust 40 f sh generat ons. It appears the arger s ze, wh ch attracted mates more eas y, comb ned w th a s ght reduct on n surv va rates, was a k er comb nat on. Furthermore, accord ng to Jeffrey Sm th, Canad an sc ent sts a so eng neered the r own set of fast grow ng sa mon and tested the r behav or n tanks w th other f sh. "When there was suff c ent food, a was f ne. When food stocks decreased, the Frankenf sh freaked," he says. "They became cann ba s, attack ng and k ng other f sh — whether GE or natura . The r unexpected behav or resu ted n popu at on crashes or comp ete ext nct ons n the f sh tanks. The study a so suggested that f re eased, these ravenous aggress ve sa mon wou d pursue and consume other types of f sh." The FDA pooh-pooh s such fears. As reported by the New York T mes:7 "The agency [FDA] sa d the chance th s wou d happen was extreme y remote. It sa d the sa mon wou d be ra sed n n and tanks w th mu t p e barr ers to escape. Even f some f sh d d escape, the nearby bod es of water wou d be too hot or sa ty for the r surv va . And reproduct on wou d be un ke y because the f sh wou d be ster zed, though the ster zat on techn que s not foo proof." The ssue of the ster ty of the f sh s a can of worms n and of tse f. Accord ng to Hansen: "...We are a so concerned that FDA puts great we ght, n the r f nd ng of no s gn f cant mpact, on the fact that the eng neered sa mon wou d be ster e fema es. However FDA nd cates that on y 95 percent of the sa mon may be ster e, and the rest fert e. When you are ta k ng about m ons of f sh, even one percent comes to thousands of f sh. Moreover, perhaps even more mportant, the f sh at the egg product on fac ty n Pr nce Edward Is and, Canada wou d obv ous y not be ster e — otherw se they cou d not produce eggs..." And what about the prom se that these GE sa mon w be f rm y and ocked, w th no poss b ty of escape? Th s may sound good and we to some peop e, but t s mportant to remember how the process typ ca y ends up work ng — "g ve them an nch and they take a m e," as the say ng goes. George Leonard, wr t ng for the Nat ona Geograph c recent y addressed th s w th the fo ow ng statement:8 "Wh e th s n t a app cat on to grow GE sa mon s for and-based fac t es, the prospect of even arger prof ts from grow ng GE sa mon n the ocean w certa n y create pressure for approva n these more env ronmenta y r sky systems n the future. The U.S. s poor y equ pped to dea w th th s future scenar o. In June 2011, NOAA Adm n strator Dr. Jane Lubchenco re eased a Nat ona Aquacu ture Po cy to gu de how mar ne aquacu ture proceeds n our ocean waters. Wh e the po cy nc udes some strong env ronmenta prov s ons, t does not categor ca y proh b t the grow ng of GE f sh n the ocean. It shou d. G ven FDA s act on yesterday and NOAA s fa ure to proh b t GE f sh n ts aquacu ture po cy, the t me has come for Congress to ntervene. Congress shou d work to pass Senator Mark Beg ch s PEGASUS Act or s m ar eg s at on that requ res FDA to take the env ronmenta r sks ser ous y before approv ng GE f sh. If Congress doesn t act soon, the nat on s ocean may suffer from FDA s efforts to chart a course for GE sa mon." Env ronmenta Assessment Woefu y Inadequate, Sc ent st Says V deo..... The v deo above s two years o d, but the arguments made n t rema n unchanged. The v deo features M chae Hanson, a br ant sen or sc ent st w th the Consumers Un on (the pub sher of Consumers Reports), and Va G dd ngs, a b otechno ogy consu tant to var ous governments and compan es. One ma or concern s that the conta nment systems des gned to segregate these f sh from w d f sh cou d fa . I am conv nced th s s the MAJOR argument aga nst the approva of these GE f sh, not the a ergenc ty of them. As exp a ned by Hanson, the fact that the FDA s on y ook ng at two fac t es, both outs de the Un ted States, and that they ve on y performed an env ronmenta assessment on ONE fac ty, spec f ca y ocated on Pr nce Edward Is and (PEI), s of ma or concern. There s no assessment of the env ronmenta mpact f the f sh are produced e sewhere. In h s 2010 comments to the FDA Veter nary Med c ne Adv sory Comm ttee Meet ng, he stated:9 "A fundamenta prob em w th a the phenotyp c character zat on data, and ndeed a the nutr t ona and food safety assessment data, s that they a come from GE Sa mon ra sed n the PEI fac ty, not at the fac ty n Panama. FDA adm ts that the cu ture/husbandry cond t ons at the fac ty n Panama w ke y d ffer s gn f cant y from the cond t ons at the PEI fac ty w th unknown effect on the GE sa mon s phenotype but then conc udes that t has no concerns w th the d fferent cu ture cond t ons: the cu ture (e.g., water temperature, pH, a ka n ty, etc.) were ke y to be s gn f cant y d fferent from the fac ty at PEI as a resu t of d fferences n, among others, water surface, fac ty des gn, and env ronmenta factors due to geograph c ocat on. ...the effect of the d fference between the PEI and Panama fac t es, espec a y temperature, on the resu t ng AquAdvantage phenotype s unknown. Conc us on: The husbandry and rear ng cond t ons at the PEI and Panama fac t es do no present concerns w th respect to an ma hea th. We do not understand how FDA can conc ude, n the absence of any data on the phenotype of GE sa mon ra sed at the Panama fac ty, that there are no an ma hea th concerns w th GE sa mon ra sed at the Panama fac ty. Th s ack of data s h gh y prob emat c as the GE sa mon that consumers w be exposed to w be those grown at the Panama fac ty. FDA appears w ng to conc ude that there are no an ma or human safety prob ems from AquAdvantage sa mon ra sed n Panama based on no data at a ..." Furthermore, another ma or concern that env ronmenta act v sts have s that f the f sh acc denta y get out nto the w d, they re more aggress ve; they feed more, and can eas y outcompete not on y other sa mon but any oca f sh. As ment oned ear er, Canad an researchers showed th s to be the case — when food supp y was scarce, the GE sa mon turned cann ba st c, resu t ng n comp ete ext nct ons w th n the f sh tanks... The approva of these sa mon s ust the beg nn ng, and for that very reason, we shou d ns st on caut on and the str ctest, most deta ed sc ent f c nqu ry poss b e, and th s s s mp y NOT the case here... As G dd ngs says, f these f sh are approved, " t w demonstrate that there s a funct ona regu atory system that s ab e to ook at the data and make a reasoned, sc ence-based dec s on based on the data," and th s wou d natura y open the door to the ntroduct on of other genet ca y eng neered an ma -based foods. Accord ng to Hanson, the sc ent f c bar shou d be set very h gh when t comes to eva uat ng the hea th- and env ronmenta mpact of GE an ma s, but the FDA s "sett ng t about an nch off the f oor." Breakdown of the Federa Government s Sc ence Integr ty Process Cont nued.....
jimmyg
01-15-2013, 07:05 AM
Forbes magaz ne10 recent y ran an art c e quest on ng whether the federa government s sc ence ntegr ty process has comp ete y broken down as the Wh te House adm n strat on stands accused of open y medd ng w th the approva of the controvers a Frankenf sh. Two years ago, the FDA prom sed to re ease the env ronmenta assessment of AquaBounty s mod f ed sa mon "w th n weeks." But t d dn t... A draft assessment was eventua y produced, dated Apr 19, 2012, but t ended up not be ng re eased. Why? Accord ng to Forbes, the draft was b ocked on orders from the Wh te House, and subsequent y de ayed seven months — presumab y to protect Pres dent Obama s ree ect on efforts. "Genet ca y mod f ed p ants and an ma s are controvers a among the pres dent s po t ca base, wh ch was thought cr t ca to h s ree ect on efforts dur ng a ow po nt n the pres dent s popu ar ty," Forbes wr tes.11 "...Accord ng to sources, the Wh te House po t ca b ock — a d rect v o at on of numerous eth cs regu at ons and poss b y of federa aws — was nst tuted over the ob ect ons of sc ent sts at the FDA, but w th the awareness of HHS Secretary S be us, her sen or adv ser Andrea Pa m and the Off ce of Sc ence and Techno ogy Po cy and ts d rector John Ho dren, who s respons b e for enforc ng sc ence ntegr ty across government agenc es. The OSTP had overseen an nter-agency rev ew process that was comp eted by ear y spr ng. Accord ng to sources, Ho dren stood by as the Wh te House open y medd ed. The reve at ons have come as an embarrassment to the adm n strat on, say sources. As pres dent, Barack Obama had p edged to change the posture of our federa government from be ng one of the most ant -sc ence adm n strat ons n Amer can h story to one that embraces sc ence and techno ogy. To pub c y guarantee that, the Wh te House had ssued a sc ence ntegr ty memorandum n 2009 p edg ng, Po t ca off c a s shou d not suppress or a ter sc ent f c or techno og ca f nd ngs and conc us ons, and putt ng Ho dren n charge of enforcement. FDA sc ent sts and staffers say they were nstructed not to d scuss the dec s on to approve the sa mon — a v o at on of the agency s sc ent f c ntegr ty gu de nes adopted ast February that requ re the FDA to sh e d ts staff from po t ca nf uence and to a ow off c a s and sc ent sts to commun cate the r persona sc ent f c or po cy v ews to the pub c, even when those v ews d ffer from off c a Agency op n ons. " W Congress Protect You From th s Potent a y Hazardous Food? Fortunate y, some congress ona members are not s tt ng d y by, wa t ng for the devastat on to take p ace. A aska s congress ona de egat on s un ted n ts oppos t on aga nst the approva of AquaBounty s GE sa mon,12 Senator Mark Beg ch ca s the not on that GE sa mon s safe for human consumpt on and our oceans "a oke," and Senator L sa Murkowsk has stated: "I am concerned w th the recent news that FDA s mov ng forward w th the approva of genet ca y mod f ed f sh. Th s s espec a y troub ng as the agency s gnor ng the oppos t on by sa mon and f sh ng groups, as we as more than 300 env ronmenta , consumer and hea th organ zat ons." Of course, another ma or area of concern s, f the sa mon s approved, whether you w be ab e to know when you re buy ng t, s nce GE foods are st not requ red to be abe ed. Consumer advocates are concerned about how arge the no- abe ng prob em w grow, s nce genet ca y eng neered beef, pork and other f sh are next n ne beh nd sa mon for FDA cons derat on. For examp e, Sc ence Nord c13 has announced ts ntent ons to create a sa mon w th h gher omega-3 content than regu ar sa mon. In response to these grow ng concerns, Rep. Don Young recent y announced a p an to ntroduce eg s at on that w , at m n mum, requ re GE sa mon to be abe ed.14 Act on Items to Stop Approva of GE Sa mon W thout abe ng, there s no way for you to te how the food you eat was grown, and wh e th s s bad enough as t re ates to GE corn, soy, sugar, and other common food ngred ents, t s an ssue that w become ncreas ng y mportant w th the ntroduct on of an ma foods where the ent re an ma tse f has been genet ca y a tered. I be eve the o d adage that "you are what you eat" s rooted n bas c truth, and I for one do not th nk there s any poss b e way to ach eve the same hea th benef ts from a genet ca y a tered food source as from "the rea dea " produced by nature. These are remarkab e t mes, but t s become qu te c ear that we must v gorous y protect and defend natura foods of a k nds. We cannot afford to st ck our heads n the sand and hope for the best on th s ssue. The Center for Food Safety has created a pet t on ask ng the FDA not to approve GE sa mon AND, f the Obama Adm n strat on ns sts on approv ng these genet ca y eng neered f sh, t shou d requ re the f sh to be abe ed. I urge you to s gn t. The Food & Water Watch has a so created a pet t on ask ng members of congress to stop the approva of GE sa mon. Keep F ght ng for Labe ng of Genet ca y Eng neered Foods Wh e Ca forn a Prop. 37 fa ed to pass ast November, by a very narrow marg n, the f ght for GMO abe ng s far from over. The f e d-of-p ay has now moved to the state of Wash ngton, where the peop e s n t at ve 522, "The Peop e s R ght to Know Genet ca y Eng neered Food Act," w requ re food so d n reta out ets to be abe ed f t conta ns genet ca y eng neered ngred ents. As stated on Labe WA.org:15 "Ca or e and nutr t ona nformat on were not a ways requ red on food abe s. But s nce 1990 t has been requ red and most consumers use th s nformat on every day. Country-of-or g n abe ng wasn t requ red unt 2002. The trans fat content of foods d dn t have to be abe ed unt 2006. Now, a of these abe ng requ rements are accepted as mportant for consumers. The Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) a so says we must know w th abe ng f our orange u ce s from fresh oranges or frozen concentrate. Doesn t t make sense that genet ca y eng neered foods conta n ng exper menta v ra , bacter a , nsect, p ant or an ma genes shou d be abe ed, too? Genet ca y eng neered foods do not have to be tested for safety before enter ng the market. No ong-term human feed ng stud es have been done. The research we have s ra s ng ser ous quest ons about the mpact to human hea th and the env ronment. I-522 prov des the transparency peop e deserve. I-522 w not ra se costs to consumers or food producers. It s mp y wou d add more nformat on to food abe s, wh ch manufacturers change rout ne y anyway, a the t me. I-522 does not mpose any s gn f cant cost on our state. It does not requ re the state to conduct abe surve ance, or to n t ate or pursue enforcement. The state may choose to do so, as a po cy cho ce, but I-522 was wr tten to avo d ra s ng costs to the state or consumers." Vermont has a so created a R ght to Know Campa gn.16 Remember, as w th CA Prop. 37, these are peop e s n t at ves, and they need support of peop e ke YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 fa ed w th a very narrow marg n s mp y because we d dn t have the funds to counter the mass ve ad campa gns created by the No on 37 camp, ed by Monsanto and other ma or food compan es. Let s not a ow Monsanto and ts a es to confuse and m s ead the peop e of Wash ngton and Vermont as they d d n Ca forn a. So p ease, I urge you to get nvo ved and he p n any way you can, regard ess of what state you ve n. No matter where you ve n the Un ted States, p ease donate money to these abe ng efforts through the Organ c Consumers Fund. If you ve n Wash ngton State, p ease s gn the I-522 pet t on. You can a so vo unteer to he p gather s gnatures across the state. If you ve n Vermont, p ease s gn the VT R ght to Know GMO s pet t on. For t me y updates on ssues re at ng to these and other abe ng n t at ves, p ease o n the Organ c Consumers Assoc at on on Facebook, or fo ow them on Tw tter. Ta k to organ c producers and stores and ask them to act ve y support the Wash ngton and Vermont n t at ves.
LAMas
01-15-2013, 09:18 AM
O ve O Eases Inf ammat on by Dr. Dav d W ams F ed Under: Genera Hea th, Bone & Jo nt Hea th Last Rev ewed 01/05/2012 . Sc ent sts have d scovered that extra v rg n o ve o conta ns a mo ecu e that works n exact y the same fash on as buprofen at nh b t ng two nf ammat on- nduc ng enzymes (COX-1 and COX-2). Ibuprofen, of course, s a w de y used over-the-counter pa n med cat on. Wh e on a recent tr p to Ita y, a U.S. sc ent st not ced a st ng ng sensat on after consum ng extra v rg n o ve o . He recogn zed t as the same sensat on he had exper enced dur ng h s stud es of qu d buprofen. Subsequent ana ys s revea ed that a compound ca ed o eocantha so ated from the o ve o was respons b e. Th s compound he ps further exp a n some of the many hea th benef ts assoc ated w th a Med terranean d et (wh ch s r ch n o ve o ). However, I don t th nk you cou d effect ve y treat acute pa n and nf ammat on str ct y through the use of o ve o s nce the concentrat on of o eocantha s qu te ow. Based on the research, f 1¾ ounces of extra v rg n o ve o were consumed a day, the o eocantha content wou d be equ va ent to on y about 10 percent of the adu t recommended dosage of buprofen for pa n re ef—not near y enough to treat, for examp e, a headache. On the other hand, regu ar consumpt on of extra-v rg n o ve o wou d prov de a cont nuous dose of th s ant - nf ammatory compound, wh ch cou d have profound resu ts over a per od of t me. The key once aga n, as n exerc se and supp ement use, appears to be cons stent, rout ne use. O eocantha s on y one of the many benef c a compounds n o ve o —and I m sure many more have yet to be d scovered. . Read more: http://www.drdav dw ams.com/o ve-o -eases- nf ammat on/?key=199889&utm_campa gn=Mu t -Product&utm_source= oy-ema -a &utm_med um=ema -E etter&utm_content=w ams-e etter011413&sm_m d=263310&sm_r d=263310.10301.11984# xzz2I3s 2g00
jimmyg
01-16-2013, 06:54 AM
5 New y D scovered Hea th Powers of Asparagus http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/ASPARAGUS2. pg Posted by Mary West Exc t ng research s f nd ng that asparagus s va uab e for hea th n d verse ways, be ng benef c a for severa med ca cond t ons that p ague many wor dw de. Perhaps most exc t ng of a s a new study that f nds the vegetab e may he p prevent or treat a feared cancer that over 200,000 women n the Un ted States are d agnosed w th each year. 1. Asparagus found to have ant cancer propert es. A new study pub shed n the Ind an Journa of Pharmaco ogy found asparagus conta ns certa n compounds that have substant a ant cancer propert es. Researchers tested the compounds, known as shatavar ns, on test tubes of human breast, co on and k dney cancer, as we as on m ce w th breast cancer. A the resu ts showed that shatavar ns had potent tox c ty aga nst cancer ce s. Extract of asparagus adm n stered ora y n doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg body we ght for 10 days caused a s gn f cant reduct on n tumor vo ume and tumor ce count. 2. Asparagus may he p prevent d abetes. In add t on to the ant cancer propert es of asparagus, t may have some ant -d abet c propert es as we . Researchers at the Un vers ty of Karach n Pak stan found that h gh doses of asparagus extract had a pos t ve effect on nsu n output by the pancreas. The f nd ngs add to a 2006 study by the Br t sh Med ca Journa that found the vegetab e tr ggered an 81 percent ncrease n g ucose uptake by body t ssues. Therefore, asparagus can he p d abetes by st mu at ng an ncreased product on of nsu n, n add t on to enab ng the body to absorb more g ucose. 3. Asparagus may prevent a hangover. Those who ce ebrate the New Year by dr nk ng too much a coho may prevent a hangover by tak ng asparagus extract. Chron c dr nk ng can cause detr menta changes n the ver, as we as the unp easant symptoms of a hangover. Sc ent sts at the Inst tute of Med ca Sc ence and Je u Nat ona Un vers ty n Korea found the asparagus extracts “s gn f cant y a ev ated” the ce u ar tox c ty of a coho , a benef t that trans ates to essen ng of a hangover and protect on of ver ce s. 4. Asparagus offers up tremendous card ovascu ar benef ts. Th s vegetab e conta ns a compound ca ed rut n that can he p prevent dead y b ood c ots, wh ch can ead to heart attacks and strokes. Moreover, asparagus s a good food source of fo c ac d, a nutr ent that he ps counter the bad effects of homocyste ne, an am no ac d n the b ood nked to ncreased card ovascu ar r sk. 5. Asparagus can he p ba ance out your e ectro ytes Add ng to the st of mpress ve hea th propert es are three more benef ts. Asparagus s a r ch source of potass um, a m nera that regu ates f u d ba ance; so the d uret c effects of asparagus can reduce b oat ng n the tummy area that somet mes occurs after eat ng a b g mea . The vegetab e a so has ant - nf ammatory and ant funga propert es Sources: http://www.sc enceda y.com/re eases/2012/12/121226101227.htm http://www.savannahtr bune.com/news/2012-12-12/Hea th/What_Is_Homocyste ne.htm http://cooks.ndtv.com/art c e/show/asparagus-can-keep-d abetes-away-304491 http://t mesof nd a. nd at mes.com/ fe-sty e/hea th-f tness/d et/How-to-beat-that-be y-bu ge/art c eshow/17872223.cms http://www.shape.com/hea thy-eat ng/d et-t ps/20-artery-c eans ng-foods-you-shou d-be-eat ng?page=7 http://www.foodconsumer.org/news te/Nutr t on/Phytochem ca s/asparagus_breast_cancer_1228120409.htm
jimmyg
01-17-2013, 09:28 AM
Study Sees R se n Young Stroke Sufferers http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/mr -stroke. pg January 09, 2013 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Younger peop e are ncreas ng y at r sk of stroke, accord ng to new research show ng the rate of strokes among those younger than 55 near y doub ed between 1993 and 2005 In 1993, 20- to 54-year-o ds accounted for 13 percent of strokes; n 2005, the rate had r sen to 19 percent Researchers be eve the pr mary dr v ng force beh nd the ncrease s a h gher nc dence of stroke r sk factors among the young, nc ud ng cond t ons such as obes ty, d abetes and h gh b ood pressure, wh ch are mpacted by festy e cho ces Up to 80 percent of strokes are preventab e because they re the resu t of unhea thy festy e cho ces, or the cond t ons that are caused by them; you can reduce your r sk by eat ng better, exerc s ng, reduc ng stress and opt m z ng your v tam n D eve s
Your r sk of stroke r ses w th age, w th most cases occurr ng at age 55 or o der. However, younger peop e are ncreas ng y at r sk, accord ng to new research show ng the rate of strokes among those younger than 55 near y doub ed between 1993 and 2005.1 Researchers B ame Unhea thy L festy es for R s ng Stroke Rates n the Young In 1993, 20- to 54-year-o ds accounted for 13 percent of strokes. In 2005, the rate had r sen to 19 percent. Wh e the ncrease may be part y due to ncreased d agnos s – MRIs that can detect m nor stroke damage were much more w de y used by 2005 than they were n 1993 – the researchers sa d they d d not be eve that was the ma or reason. Instead, they b amed a h gher nc dence of r sk factors for stroke among the young, nc ud ng cond t ons such as obes ty, d abetes and h gh b ood pressure, wh ch are mpacted by festy e cho ces. "… f you re deve op ng [these d seases] at the age of 20," the study s ead researcher sa d, "then you may have a stroke at a younger age, too."2 Many of the Same R sk Factors for Heart D sease App y for Strokes Just as stroke rates are ncreas ng among the young, so too are rates of heart d sease. Card ovascu ar morta ty rates have, for the f rst t me, r sen among younger adu ts ages 35 to 44, wh e researchers be eve today s ch dren and ado escents may d e of heart d sease at a younger age than today s adu ts do.3 The cu pr ts, aga n, are obes ty, h gh b ood sugar eve s (a cause of endothe a dysfunct on, the pr mary contr butor to heart d sease), and other cond t ons that negat ve y mpact heart hea th – these are a so overwhe m ng y the resu t of poor d et, ack of exerc se and other unhea thy festy e cho ces, ke smok ng. You see, t s to be expected that f heart d sease s occurr ng at younger ages, so too wou d strokes, as many of the same processes that ncrease your r sk of heart d sease a so ncrease your r sk of stroke, name y, damage to the card ovascu ar system. These factors are nked to: H gh b ood pressure, h gh tr g ycer des and e evated homocyste ne eve s Obes ty D abetes Low eve s of HDL (good) cho estero and h gh eve s of LDL (bad) cho estero Smok ng and excess a coho But what do the f rst four r sk factors have n common? They are v rtua y a caused by d srupt ons n nsu n and ept n s gna ng. U t mate y th s s what dr ves arter a p aque, d sturbed s gna ng between nsu n ept n and the r receptors. One of the best ways you can mprove th s cr t ca mechan sm s to m n m ze your carbs to most y h gh-f ber vegetab es, eat about 1 gram of prote n per 1 k ogram of LEAN body mass per day (much ower than most peop e eat) and have h gh-qua ty fats (no omega-6 o s) and do Peak F tness exerc ses. Add t ona y, for schem c stroke secondary to atherosc eros s t wou d be very w se to opt m ze your v tam n K2 eve s. Th s v tam n s cruc a to st mu ate matr x GLA prote n, wh ch w prevent ca c f cat on of your arter es and he p p ace the ca c um n the bones where t be ongs. V tam n D w a so he p work synerg st ca y w th the v tam n K2. Up to 80 Percent of Strokes are Preventab e I ke to refer to the most common type of stroke ( schem c stroke) as a "bra n attack," wh ch s actua y very s m ar to a heart attack; the on y d fference s that the b ood c ot b ocks b ood and oxygen f ow to your bra n nstead of to your heart. As a resu t, bra n ce s beg n to d e. Natura y, the onger your bra n goes w thout oxygen, the greater your r sk of ast ng bra n damage. Some r sk factors for stroke are out of your contro (age, fam y h story, gender), but many – the ma or ty, actua y – are not. The Nat ona Stroke Assoc at on states that up to 80 percent of strokes are preventab e4 because they re the resu t of unhea thy festy e cho ces, or the cond t ons that are caused by them. You can drast ca y reduce your stroke r sk, no matter what your age, by: Eat ng r ght: I recommend you rev ew my free nutr t on p an for comprehens ve gu de nes on what to eat to stay hea thy. A ong w th avo d ng excess sugars and fructose, you want to avo d synthet c trans fats, processed meats and d et sodas, a of wh ch can ncrease your stroke r sk. It w be cruc a to opt m ze ept n and nsu n s gna ng by m n m z ng your ntake of carbs to most y f ber vegetab es, m t ng your prote n to the eve s ment oned above. Opt m z ng your v tam n D and v tam n K2 eve s: One study found peop e who got ess than the m dpo nt eve of sun exposure were at a 60 percent ncreased r sk for stroke.5 The connect on s most ke y due to the "sunsh ne v tam n," v tam n D, wh ch s produced when your body s exposed to sun ght. V tam n D has been assoc ated w th a ower r sk of stroke and heart attack r sk n prev ous research. V tam n K2 works synerg st ca y w th v tam n D and act vates matr x GLA prote n, wh ch nh b ts arter a ca c f cat on. Exerc s ng: I recommend a comprehens ve program that nc udes some Peak F tness exerc ses a ong w th Super S ow strength tra n ng, Act ve Iso ated Stretch ng and core work. If you ve had a stroke, exerc se s a so very mportant, as research shows t can s gn f cant y mprove both your menta and phys ca recovery.6 Th s w a so go a ong way toward mprov ng your nsu n and ept n receptor s gna ng. Reduc ng emot ona stress: Accord ng to a 2008 study pub shed n the ourna Neuro ogy,7 the more stressed you are, the greater your stroke r sk. The researchers actua y found that for every notch ower a person scored on the r we -be ng sca e, the r r sk of stroke ncreased by 11 percent. Check out the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT) for a s mp e way to he p r d your body and m nd of negat ve emot ons. Not smok ng or dr nk ng a coho excess ve y: Both of these can ncrease your stroke r sk s gn f cant y. Avo d ng hormone rep acement therapy (HRT) and b rth contro p s: If you re on one of the hormona b rth contro methods (whether t s the p , patch, vag na r ng or mp ant), t s mportant to understand that you are tak ng synthet c progesterone and synthet c estrogen. These contracept ves conta n the same synthet c hormones as those used n hormone rep acement therapy (HRT), wh ch has we -documented r sks, nc ud ng an ncreased r sk of b ood c ots, stroke, heart attack, and breast cancer. Do You Know the Most Common Stroke Warn ng S gns? Gett ng med ca he p qu ck y can mean the d fferent between fe and death, or permanent d sab ty, f you re suffer ng from a stroke. Th s s an area where convent ona med c ne exce s, as there are emergency med cat ons that can d sso ve a b ood c ot that s b ock ng b ood f ow to your bra n, and f done qu ck y enough can v rtua y reverse any permanent neuro og ca damage. In order to be effect ve, you typ ca y need to get treated w th n one hour. So t s very mportant that you re ab e to recogn ze the s gns of stroke and get med ca he p mmed ate y. The Nat ona Stroke Assoc at on recommends us ng the FAST acronym to he p remember the warn ng s gns of stroke:8 F = FACE: Ask the person to sm e. Does one s de of the face droop? A = ARMS: Ask the person to ra se both arms. Does one arm dr ft downward? S = SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a s mp e sentence. Does the speech sound s urred or strange? T = TIME: If you observe any of these s gns ( ndependent y or together), ca 9-1-1 mmed ate y. Other s gns of stroke nd cat ng you shou d get he p r ght away nc ude: Sudden troub e wa k ng (d zz ness, oss of ba ance, etc.) Sudden confus on Sudden numbness or weakness (espec a y on one s de of your body on y) Sudden troub e see ng Sudden severe headache
jimmyg
01-18-2013, 08:28 AM
Is Pay ng Extra for Organ c Rea y Worth It? http://www.stopag ngnow.com/content_med/6827 Posted by Dr. Kev n Passero There s much debate among consumers as to whether the added pr ce assoc ated w th organ c foods ref ects added va ue. Organ c products have become so popu ar over the past ten years that t s a most mposs b e to go to a grocery store and not see some organ c products on the she f. Do you ever wonder f t s worth t? What Is Organ c? F rst of a , to accurate y udged any perce ved va ue, t s mportant to understand what t means for a product, be t a cracker or an app e, to be organ c. Organ c farm ng s the pract ce of ra s ng crops n a way that exc udes the use of most synthet c fert zers, pest c des and herb c des. Farmers nstead re y exc us ve y on natura farm ng methods. For nstance, nstead of us ng pest c des to contro nsects, organ c farmers use predatory bugs or b rds to keep nsect popu at ons down. They can a so use strateg es that d srupt pests mat ng cyc es and app y m ted amounts of natura y based pest c des. Weed contro s done by hand, w th mu ch or by t ng the so , rather than w th herb c des. The way n wh ch organ ca y ra sed crops rece ve nutr ents a so d ffers great y from convent ona farm ng methods. In trad t ona agr cu ture, n trogen based fert zers are used heav y on crops to produce h gh y e ds. In organ c farm ng, on y natura fert zers ke manure can be used to enhance de very of nutr ents to crops. Organ c farm ng a so bans the common pract ce of us ng human sewage and s udge to fert ze crops. Add t ona y, organ c farmers often use crop rotat on. Th s s a process that nvo ves rotat ng d fferent crops among the var ous f e ds n a farm n order to prevent any one nutr ent from becom ng over y dep eted n the so . In 2002, the USDA took over organ c cert f cat on n the U.S. Foods that are abe ed organ c must now meet str ct gu de nes. In add t on to meet ng the requ rements out ned above, organ c crops must be grown on f e ds that have not had any synthet c herb c des, pest c des or fert zers used on them for a m n mum of f ve years. In add t on, organ c foods cannot be genet ca y mod f ed. In order for an ma products (meat, eggs and da ry) to be cert f ed as organ c, the an ma s must be g ven food that was grown accord ng to organ c gu de nes, and there can be no adm n strat on of growth hormones or rout ne adm n strat on of ant b ot cs. Poss b e Benef ts of Organ c Foods 1. Reduced Exposure to Pest c des and Herb c des Many peop e argue that the exposure we get to the pest c des and herb c des used on our food s too m n ma to make a d fference n our hea th. It s mportant to take nto account, however, that a though each nd v dua exposure tse f may not be tox c, the accumu ated exposure over a fet me may be. Pest c de exposure has been nked to a var ety of hea th prob ems rang ng from d zz ness and nausea to cancer. H gh rates of certa n types of b ood cancers are common y found among farm workers w th h gh exposure eve s to pest c des. Most of the chem ca s used n farm ng have on y been n use for the past 60 to 80 years. Our bod es have not deve oped the e aborate detox f cat on mechan sm necessary to effect ve y c ear many of these substances. Over t me, they accumu ate n our ce s. Over 150 d fferent env ronmenta tox ns can be found n the cord b ood of a newborn baby. These tox ns are pervas ve n a humans and ex st everywhere n our env ronment. By eat ng organ c foods, we m n m ze our exposure to these tox ns. Organ c foods have been found to have a th rd ess pest c de res dues than convent ona y grown crops. In add t on, ess of these chem ca s end up n our ground water thereby mprov ng the hea th of our waterways and the f sh and she f sh we eat. Ch dren are at the b ggest r sk when t comes to pest c de exposure due to the r deve op ng systems and mmature detox f cat on capab t es. They a so eat more food per pound of body we ght than adu ts. Some stud es have shown that ch dren fed an organ c d et have one s xth the eve of pest c de res dues n the r ur ne than ch dren g ven a d et of convent ona y grown food. Measurab e d fferences n deve opmenta scores are a so seen between ch dren g ven organ c vs. convent ona foods. Th s s no surpr se cons der ng that pest c des are des gned to d srupt the neuro og ca system of v ng organ sms. 2. No GMOs No ong term human safety stud es have ever been conducted on genet ca y mod f ed organ sms (GMOs). We assume that they are safe, but ack any sc ent f c ev dence to prove that they do not pose a threat to our hea th. In fact, there s more research po nt ng towards potent a y harmfu effects of these foods. Sp c ng genes from other organ sms nto a p ant or an ma can nadvertent y expose someone to a potent a y harmfu substance. Take for examp e the soybean that had a gene from a Braz nut sp ced nto t; peop e w th a erg es to Braz nuts showed a erg c responses to th s var ety of soybean. Another research study done on genet ca y mod f ed potatoes showed that they created s gn f cant gastro ntest na rr tat on and nf ammat on n rats when compared to non-GMO potatoes. Because genet ca y mod f ed foods are not requ red to be abe ed n the U.S., t s mposs b e to know f you are be ng exposed to a potent a y harmfu substance. Eat ng organ c foods ensures that your foods have not been genet ca y eng neered. Other countr es, nc ud ng the European Un on, requ re that a GMO foods be c ear y abe ed so consumers can make the r own cho ces. The on y way to make that cho ce n Amer ca s to eat organ c. Genet ca y mod f ed foods a so contr bute to greater po ut on because many are des gned to w thstand greater app cat on of pest c des and herb c des. Pest c des use has fue ed the spread of dengue fever n South Amer ca by becom ng concentrated n ground water and k ng the f sh and amph b ans that prey on mosqu toes. 3. H gher Nutr ent Content There have been ong debates throughout the years regard ng the nutr ent content of organ c foods. Because the so s nour shed w th good farm ng and natura , r ch fert zers many peop e specu ated that th s wou d trans ate to h gher nutr ent content n the p ants. Remember, the ma n nutr ent used n convent ona farm ng s n trogen. Th s makes the p ants grow qu ck y and swe to arge s zes, but does not nour sh the so n wh ch they grow. Naysayers of organ c farm ng have a ways c a med that research shows no greater nutr ent content n organ c foods than n convent ona foods. In t a research on the matter seemed to conf rm th s. However, the most def n t ve and comprehens ve research pro ect regard ng the d fferences n nutr ent content of organ c vs. non-organ c foods was comp eted n 2007 and some very nterest ng data came to ght. A though some controversy st ex sts regard ng the content of certa n v tam ns and m nera s, organ c foods were found to conta n 40% greater eve s of ant ox dants than convent ona foods. We know that ant ox dants serve as a s gn f cant contr butor to good hea th. Organ c m k was found to have 60% h gher eve s of benef c a ant ox dants than convent ona y produced m k. Th s suggests that those peop e eat ng organ c foods are rece v ng a s gn f cant hea th benef t. Ant ox dants are corre ated w th many aspects of mproved hea th, nc ud ng reduced r sk of cancer and heart d sease. In add t on, because organ c foods are not treated w th art f c a chem ca s they do not ast as ong on the she f. A though th s can be a d sadvantage f you do not eat your produce qu ck y, the food does not s t around as ong wh ch he ps ensure that some nutr ent content s st eft by the t me you eat t. The chem ca s used to preserve fru ts and vegetab es can prevent spo age but they do not s ow the natura degradat on of nutr ents. The Bottom L ne: Pay ng extra for organ c IS worth t! The h gher pr ce ref ects the true cost of grow ng foods n a manner that s respectfu to the env ronment and safe for human hea th. The tox c chem ca s that convent ona farmers re y on to produce h gh y e d ng crops have been nked to var ous cancers and have been shown to have damag ng effects on the nervous and endocr ne systems. Not on y are organ c foods safer, they are h gher n nutr ents, and best of a , most peop e f nd that they taste better! So t on y makes sense to choose organ c or pest c de-free foods whenever you can. The foods that are most mportant to buy organ c (because they tend to be the most heav y contam nated) nc ude a an ma products, and fru ts and vegetab es w thout protect ve sk ns – ke app es, pears, grapes, berr es, be peppers, ce ery, ettuces and sp nach.
jimmyg
01-18-2013, 08:47 PM
Prevent Back Pa n and Other Common Prob ems by S tt ng Correct y L nk to art c e & v deos: http://f tness.merco a.com/s tes/f tness/arch ve/2013/01/11/proper-s tt ng.aspx?e_c d=20130111_DNL_art_1 v deo.... By Dr. Merco a From smart phones to computers to Pads, our be oved e ectron c dev ces are cr pp ng our posture and contr but ng to we ght ga n, back pa n, and o nt prob ems ke carpa tunne syndrome. Fortunate y, there are a few strateg es and exerc ses – such as chang ng your pos t on often and “reorgan z ng” your torso – that can address a ot of these potent a prob ems and he p keep you more f t and proper y a gned. As m serab e as back pa n s, that may be the east of your worr es f you spend a s gn f cant port on of your t me on your duff. S tt ng may actua y cut years off your fe. Lack of exerc se s s tt ng s ev accomp ce. The more you s t, the ess your body wants to move. Accord ng to a study n the Br t sh Med ca Journa ,1 reduc ng the average t me you spend s tt ng to ess than three hours per day cou d ncrease your fe expectancy by two years, wh ch s a s gn f cant decrease from the 4.5 to 5 hours per day the average Amer can now spends on a cha r or sofa. An ana ys s of 18 stud es showed that peop e who sat for the ongest per ods of t me were tw ce as ke y to have d abetes or heart d sease, compared to those who sat the east.2 S tt ng has actua y o ned smok ng and obes ty as an mportant r sk factor for chron c d sease. The Pr ce You Pay for a Sedentary L festy e A number of stud es have nvest gated the hea th ram f cat ons of a sedentary festy e. The research nk ng too much s tt ng w th ncreased r sks of d sease and premature death s qu te noteworthy: Men who were sedentary for more than 23 hours a week had a 64 percent greater r sk of dy ng from heart d sease than those who were sedentary ess than 11 hours a week, accord ng to a 2010 study n Med c ne & Sc ence n Sports & Exerc se.3 A study of more than 17,000 Canad ans found that the morta ty r sk from a causes was 1.54 t mes h gher among peop e who spent most of the r day s tt ng, compared to those who sat nfrequent y.4 Accord ng to an Austra an study, s tt ng t me s a pred ctor of we ght ga n among women, even after contro ng for ca or es consumed and e sure y phys ca act v ty, such as exerc se.5 Peop e who use a computer for at east 11 hours per week or watch TV for more than 21 hours per week are more ke y to be obese than those who use a computer or watch TV for more than 5 hours per week.6 Your r sk of metabo c syndrome r ses n a dose-dependent manner depend ng on your "screen t me" (the amount of t me you spend watch ng TV or us ng a computer). Phys ca act v ty has on y a m n ma mpact on the re at onsh p between screen t me and metabo c syndrome.7 Go ng to the Gym May NOT Be Enough Interest ng y, research has a so suggested a regu ar f tness reg men m ght be nsuff c ent to counteract the effects of excess ve y sedentary hab ts dur ng the rema n ng hours of the day, due to the adverse metabo c mpact of s tt ng. Espec a y f the f tness reg men s focused around equ pment that puts you back n a seated pos t on ke a recumbent b ke or row ng mach ne. A 2009 study8 h gh ghted much of the contemporary ev dence nk ng s tt ng w th b omarkers of poor metabo c hea th, show ng how tota s tt ng t me corre ates w th an ncreased r sk of type 2 d abetes, heart d sease and other preva ent chron c hea th prob ems. Accord ng to the authors: "Even f peop e meet the current recommendat on of 30 m nutes of phys ca act v ty on most days each week, there may be s gn f cant adverse metabo c and hea th effects from pro onged s tt ng – the act v ty that dom nates most peop e s rema n ng non-exerc se wak ng hours." In other words, even f you re fa r y phys ca y act ve, r d ng your b ke to work or h tt ng the gym four or f ve days a week, you may st succumb to the effects of too much s tt ng f the ma or ty of your day s spent beh nd a desk or on the couch. Researchers have dubbed th s phenomenon the "act ve couch potato effect." Accord ng to a New York T mes art c e,9 after ust an hour of s tt ng, the product on of enzymes that burn fat n your body dec nes by as much as 90 percent. Extended s tt ng s ows your body s metabo sm of g ucose and decreases your HDL, wh ch s the type of p d you want MORE of, nstead of ess. Th s exp a ns why those who s t hab tua y for extended per ods of t me have h gher r sk for type 2 d abetes and card ovascu ar prob ems. The Key To S tt ng Successfu y: Stand Up The bas c remedy s to get up and do a few s mp e exerc ses – but you have to do th s frequent y f you spend a ot of your fe n a cha r. Most back, neck, and other musc e pa ns are re ated to mba anced absorpt on of force throughout your body, created by work ng n unnatura pos t ons for extended per ods. When you teach your body to estab sh and repeat correct pos t on ng, the pa n often goes away. You must correct your foot, pe v s, torso, shou der and neck pos t ons as these are a requ red for good posture and ba ance. When these core areas are pos t oned mproper y, you w ke y deve op pa n f rst n those areas, w th other areas soon to fo ow. As the center of your body changes ts structure to adapt to the demands you ask t to do most frequent y, the extrem t es w fo ow.. For examp e, a great dea of carpa tunne ssues do not resu t so e y from mproper wr st pos t on, but from forward rotat on of the shou der. The forward rotat on of the shou der s d rect y connected to the pos t on of your ower back, and pe v s. As the shou der changes pos t on a of the musc es and nerves be ow the shou der are adverse y affected. The resu t s symptoms w th n the wr st that cannot be f xed at the wr st. A bas c remedy s to s mp y get up! But add t ona y, there are certa n exerc ses you can perform to further reduce the adverse mpact of s tt ng. In the nterv ew above, Ke y Starrett, popu ar mob ty expert and phys ca therap st w th Crossf t, shares some exce ent t ps for ma nta n ng good posture wh e work ng for extended per ods n a cha r.10 The key s to change pos t ons often – at east every 20 to 30 m nutes – and ma nta n proper torso a gnment, regard ess of what pos t on you re n. Starrett recommends stand ng up often and do ng some spec f c rea gnment exerc ses, wh ch are actua y qu ck and easy. S tt ng, espec a y wh e do ng computer work or text ng, tends to resu t n ean ng forward w th your head, neck, shou ders and upper back. The key s to teach your body to support tse f n a more neutra pos t on, w thout overcorrect ng. Rea gn ng Your Body n F ve Easy Steps Starrett recommends a f ve-step ser es of body “reorgan zat ons” or rea gnments, done n the fo ow ng sequence: Stand up w th your w th feet po nt ng stra ght forward or s ght y nward. In the nterv ew Ke y recommends that we rea gn the pe v s by s mp y squeez ng your butt t ght y, we wou d ke to add that th s w be more effect ve for the ma or ty of peop e f a so to d to nterna y rotate the r feet 10-15 degrees (b g toes s ght y towards each other), ro feet to the outs de of the arch and then try to pu the back of the egs together w thout the hee s mov ng. Th s w a ow the th gh and butt musc es to work together; the squeeze a one s otherw se ess effect ve. Create some tens on n your core by s ght y t ghten ng your abdom na s (th s s not an extreme t ghten ng – ust to 20 percent of your max) Correct your shou der pos t on by externa y rotat ng (th nk of unscrew ng) your shou ders and arms (ro ng your shou ders back), wh ch br ngs your shou der b ades c oser together, your chest up and forward, and your thumbs po nt ng away from your body Wh e keep ng your shou ders externa y rotated, turn your hands back to neutra , so that your thumbs are now fac ng forward These bas c a gnments can be app ed no matter what pos t on you re n – whether you re stand ng, s tt ng, knee ng, or anyth ng n between. In the v deo, Starrett demonstrates exact y how to perform these s mp e correct ons, mak ng t much eas er to v sua ze. If you pract ce these exerc ses regu ar y, you be prevent ng many of the prob ems that common y ar se. In case you re wonder ng f you can ust subst tute a ba ance ba for your cha r, there s tt e ev dence for any benef t. Stud es show m n ma , f any, postura mprovement, and one study even showed “sp na shr nkage” from us ng these ba s as a cha r.11 The apparatus you s t on s far ess mportant than the pos t ons n wh ch you teach your body to s t. However, the ergonom c revo ut on has ed to the b rth of some nterest ng desks and workstat ons that offer the opt on of stand ng up to work. Some workstat ons even have a treadm underneath for wa k ng. Sa es of the “TredDesk” have reported y grown tenfo d s nce ts ntroduct on n 2008. There are a number of compan es putt ng a ot of money nto research and deve opment n th s area, and I suspect to see many more of these des gns com ng down the p ke. Foundat on Tra n ng Exerc ses: Foundat on Tra n ng s another way to compensate for ong hours spend s tt ng. Foundat on tra n ng exerc ses are powerfu s mp e structura movements that he p strengthen and rea gn your body posture. ........ Backrests tend to promote excess ve round ng of the sp ne and push us nto what s ca ed an anter or head carr age. S t upr ght on the front edge of a cha r and pract ce the next 2 t ps. At east 2/3 of your th gh shou d be off of the cha r, and your knees shou d be no more than 6 nches apart wh e pract c ng. When s tt ng, try to keep your ch n beh nd your chest bone. When your ch n s too far forward, you w nadvertent y teach your h p f exors to rema n abnorma y short and you set yourse f up for ncreased compress on and degenerat on. An easy way to earn to engthen your h p f exors w thout hyperextend ng your sp ne s to s ow y ncrease the d stance between your r b cage and pe v s wh e keep ng your ch n pu ed n and down towards your throat. Th s s demonstrated n the ast 5 m nutes of the TED Ta k sted above. Exerc se v deos.... Yet another type of exerc se ca ed Egoscue can a so be he pfu n m t gat ng the damage from excess s tt ng Take Breaks from S tt ng to Ground Yourse f to the Earth Another downs de to s tt ng s the ack of contact w th the Earth, s nce most of us are s tt ng ndoors. Have you not ced how much better you fee when you wa k barefoot on the Earth, whether t s d rt or sand or grass? Sc ence has f na y so ved th s mystery! For most of our evo ut onary h story, humans have had cont nuous contact w th the Earth, but th s s certa n y not the case today. We are separated from t by a barr er of aspha t, wood, rugs, p ast cs, and espec a y shoes. L v ng n d rect contact w th the Earth grounds your body, produc ng benef c a e ectrophys o og ca changes that he p protect you from potent a y d srupt ve e ectromagnet c f e ds. Some of the EMFs c osest to our bod es are those generated by the e ectron c dev ces that have pract ca y become a modern appendage – ke smart phones and Pads. Your mmune system funct ons opt ma y when your body has an adequate supp y of e ectrons, wh ch are eas y and natura y obta ned by barefoot/bare sk n contact w th the Earth. Research nd cates Earth s e ectrons are the u t mate ant ox dants, act ng aspowerfu ant - nf ammator es. Chron c nf ammat on eads to a mu t tude of hea th prob ems. Therefore, reduc ng nf ammat on w he p m t gate the negat ve effects of excess ve s tt ng. Earth ng (ground ng) decreases the effect of the potent a y d srupt ve e ectromagnet c f e ds that are em tted by those e ectron c dev ces we ve come to depend on. Bottom ne: the more you can wa k or stand barefoot upon the Earth, the hea th er you w be. Whenever poss b e, take a moment to venture outs de and p ant your feet n the wet grass! We are des gned to move we , s t we and p ay we w th n our env ronment. It s up to us to teach our body to do these th ngs as t s des gned to. We can on y depr ve our body of what t requ res for so ong before t beg ns to rebe aga nst us phys ca y.
jimmyg
01-19-2013, 06:36 AM
Why You Shou d Avo d Afternoon Surgery http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/pm-surgery. pg January 10, 2013 L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/10/afternoon-surgery.aspx?e_c d=20130110_DNL_art_2 By Dr. Merco a If you are schedu ng a surgery, you probab y put some thought to the procedure tse f, the surgeon who w perform the procedure and, hopefu y, wh ch hosp ta to go to. But f you d dn t pay much attent on to the t me of day your surgery s schedu ed, you cou d be m ss ng out on a very s mp e and free, yet cruc a y mportant var ab e n your outcome … Pat ents Undergo ng Afternoon Surgery May Fare Worse A study conducted by Duke Un vers ty researchers found that adverse events re ated to surg ca anesthes a were more frequent for surger es started between 3 pm and 4 pm than they were for those that began ear y n the morn ng, at 7 am.1 After ana yz ng more than 90,000 surger es, researchers found that adverse events such as nausea, vom t ng and postoperat ve pa n were more common n the afternoon surger es. Among adverse events categor zed as "other," wh ch nc uded potent a y dangerous changes n b ood pressure and operat ng room equ pment prob ems, a ong w th prob ems re ated to pa n med cat on and pa n management through anesthet c techn ques, the pred cted probab ty of one occurr ng rose from 1 percent at 9 am to over 4 percent at 4 pm. There were other prob ems w th afternoon surger es too, nc ud ng an ncreased ke hood of adm n strat ve de ays, such as wa t ng for aboratory test resu ts, doctors runn ng ate, transporters not be ng ava ab e to move pat ents and rooms not be ng ready on t me, a of wh ch have the potent a to u t mate y ncrease adverse events as we . Fat gue, C rcad an Rhythms and Sh ft Changes May be to B ame As for why the afternoon may prove to be a more dangerous t me for surgery, there are ke y severa factors nvo ved. Among them:2 C rcad an rhythm: The natura c rcad an rhythm, wh ch governs s eep, bra n act v ty and other bod y funct ons, d ps between 3 pm and 5 pm, wh ch may make t harder for hea th care profess ona s to stay on top of comp ex tasks, such as adm n ster ng anesthes a. Fat gue: Many hea th care workers start the r days ear y and end the r sh fts r ght around 3 pm. Th s end-of-the-day fat gue, or s mp y the r eagerness to get home, cou d mpact the r performance on the ob. Sh ft Changes: Anesthes a care teams often change sh fts around 4 pm to 6 pm. Th s means you may end up w th d fferent peop e car ng for you from the start to f n sh of your surgery. Wh e essent a nformat on shou d be transferred between teams dur ng the sh ft change, t s a pr me s tuat on for m shaps to occur. Weekends, The Month of Ju y A so Better Off Avo ded What s my persona recommendat on when t comes to hosp ta stays? Natura y, my number one suggest on s to avo d hosp ta s un ess t s an abso ute emergency and you need fe-sav ng med ca attent on. If you re hav ng an e ect ve med ca procedure done, remember that th s g ves you greater eeway and persona cho ce—use t! Many be eve tra n ng hosp ta s w prov de them w th the atest and greatest care, but they can actua y be more dangerous. As a genera ru e, avo d e ect ve surger es and procedures dur ng the month of Ju y because th s s when brand new res dents beg n the r tra n ng. Accord ng to a 2010 report n the Journa of Genera Interna Med c ne, etha med cat on errors cons stent y sp ke by about 10 percent each Ju y, part cu ar y n teach ng hosp ta s, due to the nexper ence of new res dents.3 A so be caut ous of weekends. Every Hosp ta Stay Poses a R sk … v deo... Dr. Andrew Sau , co-author of Hosp ta s and Hea th: Your Orthomo ecu ar Gu de to a Shorter Hosp ta Stay (wh ch s ava ab e on Amazon), exp a ned that the owest est mate makes hosp ta s one of the top 10 causes of deaths n the Un ted States ... and the h ghest est mate makes hosp ta and drugs the number one cause of death n the Un ted States. Some of the top 10, and most etha , med ca m shaps are m stakes that shou d be extreme y rare, but happen w th shock ng regu ar ty: 1. Preventab e Adverse Drug React ons An est mated 450,000 preventab e med cat on-re ated adverse events of most y correct y prescr bed drugs occur n the U.S. every year. A arge part of the prob em s s mp y because so many drugs are used and prescr bed – and many pat ents rece ve mu t p e prescr pt ons at vary ng strengths, some of wh ch may counteract each other or cause more severe react ons when comb ned. Dosage errors, med cat on m x-ups and even g v ng the wrong med cat on to the wrong person are a too common. 2. Avo dab e Infect ons Hosp ta -acqu red nfect ons are a arm ng y common, and sad y they re often dead y. In the Un ted States, more than 2 m on peop e are affected by hosp ta -acqu red nfect ons each year, and a whopp ng 100,000 peop e d e as a resu t. Accord ng to the 2011 Hea th Grades Hosp ta Qua ty n Amer ca report,4 ana ys s of approx mate y 40 m on Med care pat ents records from 2007 through 2009 showed that 1 n 9 pat ents deve oped such hosp ta -acqu red nfect ons! The saddest part s, most of these cases cou d ke y have been eas y prevented w th better nfect on contro n hosp ta s – s mp e rout nes such as doctors and nurses wash ng the r hands between each pat ent, for examp e. 3. Surg ca Souven rs Surg ca too s or other ob ects are eft ns de peop e after surgery far more often than you d ke to th nk. Th s s often the resu t of surg ca staff fa ng to count, or m scount ng, equ pment dur ng the procedure. Unexpected pa n, fever and swe ng after surgery are a nd cat ons that you cou d have a surg ca too or p ece of a too st ns de you. Just how often does th s occur? One study n the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne found that about 1,500 Amer cans have ob ects eft ns de of them fo ow ng surgery every year.5 Remember to C a m Your Power If You re Adm tted to the Hosp ta One of the reasons I am so pass onate about shar ng the nformat on on th s s te about hea thy eat ng, exerc se, and stress management w th you s because t can he p keep you OUT of the hosp ta . P ease be proact ve and start pursu ng a hea thy festy e today so you don t become a v ct m of the med ca system. I have comp ed my best t ps n a custom zed 100-page report on how you can Take Contro of Your Hea th. It s custom zed to three d fferent eve s and you can start at any eve , but be sure and read from the beg nn ng, as rev ew ng the bas cs s the best way to re nforce hea thy patterns. Now, f you do have to go nto a hosp ta for surgery or any other procedure, you need to know how to p ay the "game." In my recent nterv ew (above) w th Dr. Sau , he shared potent a y fe-sav ng t ps n the event you f nd yourse f n a hosp ta . It s worth tak ng Dr. Sau s recommendat on to br ng a persona advocate -- a re at ve or fr end who can speak up for you and ensure you re g ven proper care f you can t do so yourse f. But a so understand that you, the pat ent, are the most powerfu ent ty w th n the ent re hosp ta system. However, the system works on the assumpt on that the pat ent w not c a m that power. Know ng your r ghts and respons b t es can he p ensure your hosp ta stay s a safe and hea ng one. "The most mportant th ng to remember s th s: the hosp ta power structure," Dr. Sau says. "No matter what hosp ta you go n… the quest on s, Are you go ng to wa k out the front door, or be whee ed out the back? Now, here s what peop e need to do. They need to understand that when they are faced w th hosp ta zat on, the most powerfu person n the most ent re hosp ta system s the pat ent. … A pat ent can say, No. Do not touch me. And they can t. If they do, t s assau t, and you can ca the po ce. Now, they m ght say, We , on your way n, you s gned th s form. You can uns gn t. You can revoke your perm ss on. Just because somebody has perm ss on to do one th ng, t doesn t mean that they have the perm ss on to do everyth ng. There s no such th ng as a s tuat on that you cannot reverse. If you can make amendments to the U.S. Const tut on, you can change your m nd about your own persona hea thcare. It concerns your very fe. You don t want to cry wo f for no reason, but the pat ent has the potent a to put a stop to anyth ng -- abso ute y anyth ng. … It s a game, and you can w n t. But you can t w n t f you don t know the ru es. And bas ca y, they don t te you the ru es. In Hosp ta s and Hea th, we do." Know ng how to prevent d sease so you can avo d hosp ta s n the f rst p ace s c ear y your best bet. But know ng what to do to make your hosp ta stay as safe and hea ng as poss b e s equa y mportant. For the ns de scoop, I h gh y recommend read ng Dr. Sau s book, Hosp ta s and Hea th; th s s espec a y mportant f you know you re go ng to be fac ng a hosp ta stay, such as for a rout ne surgery, n the near future.
jimmyg
01-20-2013, 08:09 AM
How to End Jo nt Pa n — for Good! http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/06/1707. pg Posted by Joshua Corn Jo nt Pa n Doesn t Have to S ow You DownCan you mag ne what your fe wou d be ke w thout o nt pa n? If throbb ng, ach ng o nts never made you th nk tw ce about do ng the act v t es you used to en oy? Imag ne be ng ab e to p ay 18 ho es of go f effort ess y or s t through a mov e w thout gett ng st ff. How about be ng ab e to get out of bed n the morn ng w thout fee ng those creaks and pops, ready to take on the day? Many peop e seem to accept as fate that they w become ess act ve as they get o der. They unw tt ng y be eve that t s norma to be p agued by st ffness, soreness and pa n as you age. We , I m here to te you that th s fa se be ef can cause you to suffer unnecessar y. There s a s mp e, natura o nt pa n remedy that your doctor doesn t know about, and ts effects are safe, permanent and actua y ncrease over t me, nstead of wear ng off! Stay ng Act ve Is the Founta n of Youth Here s a s mp e truth to remember. Noth ng does more for your qua ty of fe and ongev ty than stay ng act ve as you age. Unfortunate y, however, most peop e rea y s ow down as they age, as a resu t of be ev ng that aches and pa ns are a NORMAL part of the ag ng process, and qu te s mp y, bad adv ce from the r doctors. Desp te what your doctor m ght te you, there s an under y ng cause for o nt pa n that may have noth ng to do w th your age (more on that ater). But f rst, t s mportant to understand that the convent ona pharmaceut ca approach to o nt pa n s bas ca y ust a Band-A d f x. Don t Let B g Pharma Take Away Your Best Years The current med ca menta ty on pa n management has spurred a mu t b on-do ar ndustry for B g Pharma. However, stud es show that ong-term use of seem ng y “harm ess” over-the-counter p s, such as buprofen, can actua y weaken your o nts over t me, and prescr pt on pa n p s have a we -estab shed track record of caus ng ser ous damage and even death. You may reca the tragedy that unfo ded w th the FDA-approved pa nk er V oxx, wh ch c a med as many as 55,000 ves (and poss b y up to 100,000) before the FDA banned t.[1] It makes me wonder, s the next V oxx urk ng out there? I m on a m ss on to et peop e know that they have a cho ce when t comes to manag ng o nt pa n. Desp te what your doctor m ght say, you don t have to stop exerc s ng and take pa nk ng med cat ons ust to ma nta n an acceptab e qua ty of fe as you get o der. And any way you s ce t, tak ng pa nk ers ong-term, even over-the-counter ones ke buprofen, s NOT safe. Myth: Exerc se Makes Jo nt Pa n Worse If you re suffer ng from any k nd of o nt pa n, the common y he d be ef s that add t ona “wear and tear” w make t worse. But the prob em w th th s dea s that t doesn t take nto account the body s nherent ab ty to repa r damage, and that phys ca act v ty actua y st mu ates th s repa r. The fact s, nact v ty s known to weaken musc es and decrease o nt f ex b ty.[2] Yet, strange y, f you go to your doctor comp a n ng of o nt pa n, you probab y be to d to “rest up.” The truth s that ow mpact exerc se, such as wa k ng or b k ng, s h gh y benef c a to your o nts because t ncreases c rcu at on, wh ch n turn enhances your body s natura ab ty hea o nt t ssue and protect t from further damage. Stud es have conf rmed that not on y does moderate exerc se not damage o nts, t may actua y make them stronger![3,4] But what f the pa n s too great to cons der be ng act ve? Keep read ng, as I revea how you can safe y beg n to hea your o nts so that you can start exerc s ng s ow y. Myth: Pa nk ers Are a Safe, Long-Term So ut on for Pa n At the r doctor s suggest on, many peop e take over-the-counter pa n med cat ons ke asp r n, naproxen or buprofen day after day, under the assumpt on that t s perfect y safe to do so. You can b ame th s at east n part on those fancy pharmaceut ca ads that make t seem ke th s p s are s de effect free. But th s s far from the truth. What those ads won t te you, and what your doctor may not know, s that these p s have ser ous negat ve hea th consequences when taken for ong per ods of t me. For examp e, astound ng new research shows that the ong term use of buprofen may actua y damage your o nts over t me, s nce one way t reduces pa n s by suppress ng the natura hea ng process.[5] The p s a so have other ser ous s de effects nc ude ver and k dney damage, stomach b eed ng, u cers and ncreased heart attack and stroke r sk. Myth: Natura Products Don t Work Here s a funny th ng about doctors. Recent surveys show that the ma or ty of them take supp ements on a da y bas s, but many ba k at the not on of recommend ng them to the r pat ents. But when t comes to manag ng o nt pa n, the fact s that thousands of sc ent f c stud es prove that natura products do work — often t mes better than prescr pt on drugs. Isn t t a doctor s respons b ty to recommend the most effect ve and safest so ut on? Let me rem nd you that proper y prescr bed pharmaceut ca drugs are thought to k approx mate y 100,000 peop e each year. Guess how many peop e have been k ed as a resu t of tak ng d etary supp ements n the ast severa years? ZERO.[6] For th s reason, I contend that any doctor who fa s to recommend natura o nt hea th products, at east as an opt on to more dangerous over-the-counter or prescr pt on p s, s comm tt ng a form of ma pract ce. After a , doctors take an oath n wh ch they vow to hea — not wr te prescr pt ons. Is Your Jo nt Supp ement Out-of-Date? The comb nat on of g ucosam ne and chondro t n has become the most w de y used natura remedy for o nt pa n — and for a good reason. Hundreds of stud es have shown that t s safe, he ps to protect and rebu d cart age and s effect ve n some degree for a arge port on of o nt pa n sufferers.[7] That be ng sa d, the research on o nt hea th has taken ma or steps forward s nce g ucosam ne-chondro t n was f rst popu ar zed n the 80s. One of the ma or d scover es n recent years s that supp ement ng w th hya uron c ac d (a so known as HA) can rev ta ze synov a f u d, a th ck ge - ke substance that surrounds cart age, act ng as a ubr cant and shock absorber.[8] Nowadays, a number of popu ar o nt support formu as conta n some comb nat on of g ucosam ne, chondro t n and HA. However, wh e mportant, these three ngred ents don t address what many ead ng experts now be eve to be the root cause of 90% of o nt pa n prob ems. Most Supp ements Fa to Address Th s Cr t ca Issue Temporary nf ammat on s a norma part of your body s natura hea ng process. But when nf ammat on becomes chron c, the hea th consequences can be d re. Unfortunate y, as a comb ned resu t of exposure to tox ns, consumpt on of processed foods and other factors, many peop e unknow ng y suffer from “ nv s b e” chron c ow-grade nf ammat on. It s now thought that th s s one of the ead ng causes of o nt pa n and d scomfort throughout your body. The prob em w th most o nt support supp ements s that the r ngred ents are des gned to on y focus on the o nts themse ves and don t have any ngred ents that f ght the nf ammat on that s caus ng the pa n. If you don t address the arger system-w de ssue, then you re on y f x ng a sma part of a arger prob em. That s why the very best o nt support supp ements out there are packed w th natura nf ammat on f ghters. It s s mp y the very best way to ensure both mmed ate and ong ast ng re ef for your ent re body, not ust spec f c areas. 5 Inf ammat on-F ghters M ss ng from Most Supp ements Fasc nat ng new research shows that there are a number of powerfu but perfect y safe herbs that work amaz ng y we at beat ng back chron c ow-grade nf ammat on and hea ng your who e body w th amaz ng effect veness. These herbs have been used n trad t ona med c ne around the wor d for thousands of years. But t s not ust anecdotes and fo k ore. Breakthrough sc ent f c stud es are prov ng that these anc ent remed es can be safer and more effect ve than the tox c pot ons con ured up by modern med c ne. I ve read thousands of stud es on var ous nf ammat on-f ght ng herbs and have exper mented w th dozens of them myse f over the years. There are many good ones out there, so where do you start? I make t easy for you. The f ve herba nf ammat on-f ghters have cons stent y stood out from a the rest are boswe a, curcum n, g nger, tart cherry and brome a n. Let me exp a n why. The Anc ent Herba So ut on to Jo nt Pa n Hundreds of years ago n Ind a, when peop e comp a ned of ach ng o nts and musc es, Ayurved c hea ers prescr bed an extract made from the un que bark of the Boswe a tree. Today, we know much more about th s anc ent herba remedy and the compound, ca ed Boswe a serrata, has been proven to be a powerfu nf ammat on f ghter capab e of prov d ng both fast re ef and ong ast ng. In a andmark go d-standard study conducted at UC Dav s, boswe a was shown to ease knee pa n and st ffness w th n ust seven days.[9] And n a breakthrough study ust comp eted ast year, researchers found that boswe a nh b ts the product on of key nf ammatory mo ecu es, wh ch he ps to prevent the breakdown of cart age![10] The Amaz ng Hea ng Sp ces of L fe The great and of Ind a has g fted us w th a few powerfu a -around nf ammat on f ghters. Curcum n, a compound found n the curry sp ce turmer c, has been proven to nh b t the synthes s of nf ammatory substances throughout the body, decreas ng pa n and st ffness wh e at the same t me enhanc ng mmun ty and even protect ng the bra n aga nst cogn t ve dec ne.[11] G nger s another powerfu sp ce that has many of the same benef ts as curcum n and demonstrates remarkab e ant - nf ammatory propert es.[12,13] In my exper ence, curcum n and g nger synerg st ca y work together as a dynam c duo f ght ng back nf ammat on w th ease and prov d ng fast act ng pa n re ef. P neapp es and Cherr es: Fru ts That F ght Inf ammat on A p neapp e and cherry-studded ups de-down cake may be a far cry from a o nt hea th so ut on, but nterest ng y though, p neapp e has been used for centur es to reduce pa n and nf ammat on. It turns out that an enzyme found n p neapp es ca ed brome a n does, n fact, have sc ent f ca y proven med c na benef ts. Stud es have shown that brome a n reduces swe ng, bru s ng, hea ng t me and pa n.[14,15] S m ar y, cherr es a so conta n un que ant - nf ammatory ant ox dant compounds that spec f ca y target musc e t ssue, mak ng cherry extract an mportant component of any o nt hea ng strategy. Accord ng to researchers at Oregon Hea th & Sc ence Un vers ty, cherry extract may be a safer way to treat musc e pa n and nf ammat on than over-the-counter pa n re evers.[16] The Su fur So ut on to Inf ammat on In add t on to my top f ve herba nf ammat on-f ghters, many peop e (myse f nc uded) have had ncred b e success us ng a natura form of su fur, ca ed MSM, to beat back nf ammat on and ncrease o nt f ex b ty. Su fur s cr t ca to the hea th of your o nts, yet most of us are actua y def c ent n because t s become arge y removed n our food supp y due to so dep et on. MSM works to soothe o nts by mak ng cart age ce s p ab e, wh ch ensures that harmfu substances f ow out and nutr ents f ow n wh ch speeds up the regenerat on of the cart age that cush ons your o nts. In fact, a recent go d-standard c n ca tr a , showed w thout a doubt that MSM prov ded s gn f cant reduct ons n knee pa n and back pa n.[17] The Jo nt Hea th So ut on I Persona y Recommend ........
Mr. Magoo
01-20-2013, 09:20 AM
"Why Is The Food Industry Try ng To K Us?" The arge food corporat ons are a about mak ng money . . . ots of money. The r core goa s are to produce the r so-ca ed food as (a) cheap y as poss b e and (b) as attract ve to buyers as poss b e. Add t ves are one tact c wh ch furthers both of these core goa s. The th ngs that b ow my m nd are (a) n nety-n ne percent of us buy th s freak n garbage and (b) our gooberment a ows th s crap nto the marketp ace.
Sev
01-20-2013, 08:44 PM
Cascad an Farm. Another non GMO cerea . http://b og.cascad anfarm.com/category/farm/can-gmos-genet ca y-mod f ed-organ sms-be-used- n-organ c-farm ng.aspx http://cascad anfarm.com/ mages/products/Products. pg
chefjeff
01-21-2013, 06:17 AM
"Why Is The Food Industry Try ng To K Us?" The arge food corporat ons are a about mak ng money . . . ots of money. The r core goa s are to produce the r so-ca ed food as (a) cheap y as poss b e and (b) as attract ve to buyers as poss b e. Add t ves are one tact c wh ch furthers both of these core goa s. The th ngs that b ow my m nd are (a) n nety-n ne percent of us buy th s freak n garbage and (b) our gooberment a ows th s crap nto the marketp ace. The govt doesn t ust a ow t, the govt subs d zes t (w th your money), promotes t as best (food pyram d, e.g.), and the govt even out aws or h gh y taxes better a ternat ve foods (e.g., raw m k, cane sugar). Then t te s us that we can t ve w thout t and that 99% be eve. Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
01-21-2013, 11:10 AM
Threats to Your Water Supp y Abound -- The Devastat ng Impact of Fert zers, Frack ng, and Water-Hungry GMO s January 15, 2013 http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/dr nk ng-water. pg L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/15/m nnesota-water-contam nat on-prob em.aspx?e_c d=20130115_DNL_art_1 By Dr. Merco a Po uted dr nk ng water s a s gn f cant hea th threat that s sore y underreported and oft- gnored. A recent art c e n the Star Tr bune1 h gh ghts the very rea strugg e to access c ean dr nk ng water r ght here n the Un ted States. "Debb e Car son can augh at the rony: She s the w fe of a we d gger who can t f nd good water for h s own fam y. L ke one out of three we s n Dakota County, hers s so contam nated w th n trates she won t et anyone dr nk from t -espec a y her 8-year-o d granddaughter. Most ke y t comes from n trogen used as fert zer on the cornf e ds surround ng her home," Joseph ne Marcotty wr tes.2 " N trogen was a great th ng for the fam y farm, Car son sa d. But I am pay ng the pr ce. " M nnesota Fac ng Grow ng Water Contam nat on Prob em In part due to the fact that M nnesota s pr me farm and, many of the state s nhab tants now face the prob em of hav ng e evated eve s of n trogen n the r dr nk ng water. The convers on of grass ands and pastures nto chem ca -dr ven, ndustr a crop and has e m nated much of the natura f ter ng of ground water that such nat ve andscapes typ ca y prov de. The areas worst affected nc ude: Dakota county Wash ngton county Centra Sands reg on (14 count es) Karst reg on Bes des the hea th r sks — wh ch nc ude a potent a connect on to cancer, as we as thyro d and reproduct ve prob ems n both humans and vestock — groundwater contam nated by n trogen s a so a huge f nanc a dra n for affected commun t es. Accord ng to the featured art c e, about a dozen M nnesota commun t es so far have spent m ons of do ars to c ean n trogen from the r water supp es. However, we owners, such as the Car son s, are on the r own. The r on y a ternat ves are to pay to d g a new, deeper we , or nsta the r own treatment system. At present, an est mated s x percent of pr vate we s are contam nated w th n trogen; th s desp te the fact that farmers have actua y cut the r use of the fert zer qu te dramat ca y. "Now, through an emerg ng statew de strategy, the M nnesota Department of Agr cu ture s dev s ng a range of f xes, nc ud ng more water mon tor ng and gu dance on how commun t es can restore some of the ost pra r e andscape. In the process, off c a s and farmers w tack e two thorny quest ons: How w government use ts power to regu ate n trogen use n contam nated areas? And even f every andowner fo ows the best gu dance sc ence can prov de, when w they know f t works? Str k ng the r ght ba ance s cruc a because the current approach, sa d J Trescott, Dakota County s groundwater-protect on superv sor, mposes a cost sh ft from agr cu ture to taxpayers and homeowners that s ust not fa r. Says Car son: I th nk water s one of our most prec ous resources. What are our grandch dren go ng to be eft w th? " Is Your Water Safe to Dr nk? Un ess you are gett ng your water from a we that s ocated 800 feet or more be ow the ground surface, chances are your we water has been contam nated by some, f not many, tox c substances that have been dumped nto the ground so over past decades. Bes des fert zers ke n trogen, other common tox ns that are dumped by the m ons of pounds nto so every year are: Herb c des Pest c des Estrogen-m m ck ng hormones Drug res dues Heavy meta s Many pr vate we s n the Un ted States have been affected by these types of chem ca or heavy meta runoff from the surround ng ground so , and th s s to say noth ng of the m croorgan sms v ng n we water as we . No matter how c ean or pure your natura ground water ooks, th s has noth ng to do w th potent a bacter a contam nat on or tox c po ut on n the water. Many of the offenders n we water are ust much too sma to be seen w th the naked eye. So, f your home uses we water, you rea y need to test to see what unwanted contam nants you re p p ng nto your house, and then f ter t accord ng y. If you get mun c pa water, you shou d have that tested too. There are more than 140 chem ca s n U.S. dr nk ng water supp es that are not regu ated by the U.S. Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA).3 Th s nc udes gaso ne, pest c des, rocket fue , prescr pt on drugs and more. More than 20 percent of U.S. water treatment systems v o ated key prov s ons of the Safe Dr nk ng Water Act between 2004 and 2009 a one. S nce 2004, the water prov ded to more than 49 m on peop e has conta ned ega concentrat ons of chem ca s ke arsen c or rad oact ve substances ke uran um, as we as dangerous bacter a often found n sewage. Frack ng — Another Threat to Fresh Water Reserves Industr a agr cu ture s not the on y threat to our dr nk ng water. Hydrau c fractur ng, the method used to dr for natura gas, a so known as "frack ng," s becom ng yet another ma or source of groundwater contam nat on. The documentary Gas and shed much needed ght on the env ronmenta destruct veness of the method. Prom sed Land, a Ho ywood product on featur ng actor Matt Damon prem ered on December 28, 2012. Accord ng to Reuters:4 "In the f m, Damon p ays a gas company andman - an agent who buys or eases and - ntent on dr ng beneath a town where some res dents are concerned about the per s of frack ng. As the andman gets to know the townspeop e, he suffers a cr s s of consc ence. ...oth ndustry and ant -frack ng camps have mounted ma or campa gns to sway hearts and m nds. It cou d become the b ggest env ronmenta debate of our t me, sa d Robert McNa y, an energy po cy expert and former Wh te House adv ser under George W. Bush. Ho ywood s tak ng not ce, and the ndustry w have ts work cut out for t to defend frack ng. Near y four out of ten Amer cans surveyed by the Pew Research Center ear y th s year sa d they knew noth ng about frack ng. Other po s show most Amer cans fam ar w th the pract ce be eve frack ng offers econom c benef ts but requ res tougher regu at on. Th s year, for the f rst t me, U.S. on ne searches for the term frack ng became more popu ar than c mate change, Goog e data showed." The pr mary concern over frack ng s ts env ronmenta mpact, part cu ar y ts potent a to render water supp es undr nkab e. The method enta s pump ng chem ca - aced water and sand at h gh pressure nto sha e rock format on, thereby re eas ng hydrocarbons. The chem ca s used n the process have the potent a to eak nto nearby groundwater, e ther from the we , or from sp s above ground. Yet another concern s frack ng- nduced earthquakes. V deo.... Accord ng to Reuters, severa dr ers have been f ned for water contam nat on due to sp ed frack ng f u ds, and n 2011, the US Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA) re eased f nd ngs of a potent a nk between frack ng and water contam nat on after samp ng water supp es n Pav on, Wyom ng. The EPA s schedu ed to re ease an n-depth study on frack ng s mpact on water supp es n 2014. Fresh Water Reserves Dep eted by Agr cu tura Irr gat on Bes des contam nat on, fresh water reserves are a so be ng outr ght dep eted by agr cu tura rr gat on. An art c e n Harper s Magaz ne5 pub shed ast summer h gh ghted the rap d dep et on of the Oga a a Aqu fer — the argest subterranean water supp y n the Un ted States. "Unt the Second Wor d War, the Oga a a went a most ent re y untapped... It wasn t unt the 1940s, when a var ety of new techno og es coa esced on the p a ns, that arge-sca e rr gat on sprang up for the f rst t me — but from there, the transformat on was qu ck. W th n a decade thousands of we s were dr ed, creat ng a sp ke n product v ty as unprecedented as t was unsusta nab e... Even as the U.S. popu at on surged, w th so d ers return ng and bab es boom ng, the output of the p a ns rose fast enough to meet and exceed demand. No one worr ed about the aqu fer. To farmers t seemed a bottom ess reserve, generat ng the same out and sh vo ume no matter how many straws went n. Soon there were hundreds of thousands of we s produc ng the same re ab e f ow, year after year, w thout any ev dent stress. Then, dur ng the ear y 1990s, farmers throughout the Great P a ns began to not ce a dec ne n the r we s. Irr gat on systems from the Dakotas to Texas d pped, and, n some p aces, have been abandoned ent re y." Accord ng to Kev n Mu gan, a professor at Texas Tech Un vers ty who eads the effort to mon tor the Oga a a, ava ab e water n the aqu fer has gone down by about 80-100 feet n ust the past 15 years, and none of the water s ke y to be rep en shed. A mere 20 years from now, t s un ke y that any rr gated agr cu ture w be poss b e on the h gh p a ns — the water w be a gone... Then what? Genet ca y Eng neered Crops Compound These Prob ems Industr a monocu ture farm ng pract ces as a who e pose a tremendous threat to water supp es, n mu t p e ways, whether through contam nat on or by dep et ng what tt e fresh water s ava ab e. And far from be ng a so ut on, genet ca y eng neered (GE) crops make matters even worse, as they end up need ng more agr cu tura chem ca s than other crops, and typ ca y requ re more water... Ind a s an agrar an country, popu ated by 1.1 b on peop e, about 60 percent of whom are d rect y or nd rect y dependent on agr cu ture. W th the ntroduct on of genet ca y eng neered crops, Ind an farmers have taken to su c de at a arm ng rates due to the fa ure of such crops. There are four pr mary factors d rect y re ated to the use of genet ca y eng neered seed that contr bute heav y to th s gr m s tuat on: L m ted water supp es and poor access to rr gat on, comb ned w th per od c drought and decreased monsoona ra nfa regu ar y cause GE crops to fa Compared to trad t ona seed, GE seeds are very expens ve and have to be repurchased every p ant ng season Genet ca y eng neered crops a so have much h gher requ rements for fert zer and pest c de ( n sp te of Monsanto s c a ms to the contrary) and, n sp te of the r cost to farmers, prov de NO ncreased y e d What s the Best Opt on for Safe, Pure Water? There s no doubt about t: Safe, pure water s becom ng ncreas ng y d ff cu t to come by, even n otherw se aff uent, deve oped nat ons. For most peop e, regard ess of where you ve, pur fy ng the water you dr nk s more a necess ty than a cho ce. [B]By th s I do NOT mean resort ng to bott ed water from your supermarket. Bott ed water s typ ca y noth ng more than bott ed tap water that may or may not have rece ved add t ona f trat on, and the federa test ng requ rements for bott ed water are actua y more ax than those for communa water supp es. One of the best a ternat ves to the tap may be f nd ng a grav ty-fed raw spr ng n your area — barr ng contam nat on from nearby agr cu ture, that s. Fortunate y, natura spr ngs are often mon tored by the oca mun c pa t es for contam nants. Natura spr ng water s natura y f tered by the earth and s " v ng water," n the same way that raw food s " v ng food," wh ch s why t s some of the most hea thfu water on the p anet. Before you d sm ss th s dea because you th nk there are no such spr ngs n your neck of the woods, there s a Web s te ca ed F ndaSpr ng.com that can he p you ocate spr ngs n your area. The next best opt on s to f ter the water that comes out of your tap, but there are benef ts and drawbacks to v rtua y every water f trat on system on the market. Current y, I use a who e house carbon-based water f trat on system. Pr or to th s I used reverse osmos s (RO) to pur fy my water. Th s prev ous art c e can he p you make a dec s on about what type of water f trat on system w be best for you and your fam y. S nce most water sources are now severe y po uted, the ssue of water f trat on and pur f cat on cou dn t be more mportant.
Fatboy
01-21-2013, 12:40 PM
The govt doesn t ust a ow t, the govt subs d zes t (w th your money), promotes t as best (food pyram d, e.g.), and the govt even out aws or h gh y taxes better a ternat ve foods (e.g., raw m k, cane sugar). Then t te s us that we can t ve w thout t and that 99% be eve. Jeff L v ngston
Coke and meth dea ers get off eas er than raw m k dea ers.
jimmyg
01-21-2013, 09:22 PM
Co d Hard Facts: The Rea D fferences Between Organ c and Convent ona Foods Posted by Cas e Terry A b g thanks to the reader who sent us th s nforgraph c! When you ook at an nfograph c ke th s, t s hard to see why anyone wou d opt for convent ona y grown foods over organ c ones. The on y og ca exp anat on s cost, r ght? Even f one be eves the push to r d of GMOs s hype w thout mer t (as one commenter argued n the comments sect on of th s art c e), sn t t st ust safer to consume organ c foods n the nterest of spar ng your body exposure to other harsh chem ca s and tox ns? It s as f we cou d app y some vers on of Pasca s Wager here: t s better to eat organ c so that you have “a chance [to] ga n aga nst a f n te number of chances of oss, [when] what you stake s f n te,” such as your hea th. Th s nfograph c presents pretty s mp e facto ds about the foods we eat n a manner that makes the d fferences pretty nd sputab e, no matter where you e on the organ c vs. convent ona spectrum. So what are your thoughts? Do you buy organ c 100% of the t me or ust try to avo d GMOs as much as poss b e?
http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/organ c-vs-gmo-foods_50f4639b3db18_w587. pg
chefjeff
01-22-2013, 05:46 AM
Coke and meth dea ers get off eas er than raw m k dea ers. Of course. It s harder to br be an "off c a " w th a g ass o m k vs. a pound of b ow. G ve t t me...the See Eye Eh w f gure out a way to prof t from raw m k....and then watch the v o ence esca ate! Da ry barns w exper ence dr ve-by shoot ngs and poor o E s e w catch some ead. Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
01-23-2013, 09:55 AM
BIRTH RAPE: The cr m na assau t on mother and ch d Saturday, September 29, 2012 by: Cra g Ste pf ug http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Women/Woman-Hosp ta -De very. pg (Natura News) B g Pharma has taken the b essed event of ch db rth and s turn ng t nto a med ca procedure. The genera att tude n a norma hosp ta b rth s more ke treat ng a d sease rather than a natura , hea thy and nsp r ng event. Med ca personne rush to the abor and de very ward and operat ng arena for a rescue operat on w th the ntens ty of urgency rat ng upwards of a catac ysm c event w th ma or casua t es. Doctors and med ca staff across the nat on are cutt ng nto mothers and pok ng them and the newborns w th need es and ob ects aga nst the r w . They do th s through systemat c bu y ng, fear tact cs, demand ng, threats, nt m dat on, so at on and even phys ca attacks and drugg ng. When th s s done to a mother aga nst her w - wh e she s abor ng and weak n contract ons - that mother and ch d are v ct ms of b rth rape. What s b rth rape? B rth rape happens when any med ca doctor, nurse or other personne nsert anyth ng nto or cut nto any part of women n abor, de ver ng a baby, or after b rth aga nst her w shes. Even adm n ster ng an enema to a abor ng mother aga nst her w can be b rth rape. B rth rape happens when mothers are abor ng and weak and e ther not ab e to say "NO," or somet mes even when she says "Don t!" Ignor ng the mother s res stance to or re ect on of a method of penetrat on: n ect on, enema, forceps, nc s on, suct on, etc. s a cr me aga nst a woman s c v r ghts of peace, equa ty and pr vacy ns de the body. Even the med ca extract on of p acenta after b rth s often unnecessary because the nutr ent-r ch p acenta s natura y and spontaneous y expe ed after the b rth, and no hurry s necessary n a norma de very. Of course, the we tra ned med c has "the r good reason," c t ng the "need" of the pat ent, a the wh e caus ng pa n, shock and suffer ng w th the r attacks nto the body. Med ca b rth rape s rat ona zed as "for her own good" and these body nvas ons can cause pa nfu trauma and ong ast ng harm to both mother and ch d. One out of three bab es now cut out of the womb The most common surger es n U.S. hosp ta s today are C-sect on de ver es. Nat ona y, about one n three b rths are now by C-sect on. 2008 est mates by Intermounta n Hea thcare c a m a most 500,000 C-sect ons n the U.S. were potent a y unnecessary. C-sect ons rates have ncreased by more than 50 percent s nce the 1990s wh e the nc dents of b rth re ated trauma n ur es to the ch d have not fa en. OB-GYN M tche Ma man, MD, cha rman of the department of obstetr cs and gyneco ogy at Staten Is and Un vers ty Hosp ta , near New York C ty, be eves a arge percentage of C-sect ons performed n the U.S. are "not med ca y necessary." Ma man says "The fact s, phys c ans are the ones demand ng the C-sect ons for the r own conven ence and because of the med ca - ega c mate. If someth ng goes wrong and they get sued, the quest on s a ways, Why d dn t you do a C-sect on? " The cost of C-sect ons C-sect on b rths come w th a pr ce of obes ty n ch dren w th doub ed ncrease n obes ty at age three n a study from Harvard Med ca Schoo and Harvard Schoo of Pub c Hea th. C-sect on de very has a so recent y been nked to an ncreased r sk for a ergy and asthma. C-sect on b rths not on y come w th ncreased med ca comp cat ons for the mother and baby but a so carry a much arger pr ce tag at a most doub e the money. At the nonprof t Ka ser Permanente Redwood C ty Med ca Center, new mothers have a n ne percent chance of b rth by C-sect on wh e at the for-prof t Los Ange es Commun ty Hosp ta , new mothers face a 47 percent chance of gett ng a C-sect on. How to avo d b rth rape The best way to avo d b rth rape, med ca b rth ng procedures and unnecessary C-sect ons, s to avo d hosp ta s for the event of ch db rth. Seek out a reputab e natura b rth ng center and exper enced m dw fe. Better yet, have that ch db rth at home and nv te your m dw fe to attend. Sources for th s art c e http://www.f ndadou atoday.com/art c es/b rthrape.asp http://www.f ercehea thcare.com http://www.mothersnatura y.org/
jimmyg
01-23-2013, 10:28 PM
True h story: The AMA (Amer can Med ca Assoc at on) was bu t on racketeer ng and the pocket ng of non-prof t prof ts Tuesday, September 11, 2012 by: S. D. We s http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Money/P s-Money-Med cat on-Pa d. pg (Natura News) The year s 1847. Phys c ans n Amer ca are not en oy ng compet ng w th nexpens ve, natura remed es, wh ch are offered by Ind ans and sk ed m dw ves. These are remed es wh ch are very effect ve but are not prof tab e, nor patentab e, so the phys c ans get together to form an a ance ca ed the AMA, the Amer can Med ca Assoc at on. On y "regu ars" were a owed to o n th s new, prest g ous organ zat on, wh ch str ct y exc uded herba sts, homeopaths and Ind an doctors. The new by aws enacted wou d ensure that any phys c an caught dea ng w th a "non-regu ar" wou d be cast out and h s reputat on ru ned. There was on y one prob em, and t was a huge prob em. Convent ona med c ne n Amer ca was based on ph osophy, not sc ence, because noth ng had been tested. We know th s as a co d hard fact today. The k nd of med c ne regarded as convent ona then cons sted of b ood ett ng, mercury po son ng, and other methodo ogy we augh at today. Word started gett ng out. Doctors from Europe who v s ted and then returned home to d others of the hea th of the average Amer can, whose sk n was sa ow, eyes sunken, and teeth and aws crooked. Lo and beho d, these are a symptoms of mercury po son ng. And so there you have t. Un ted States hea thcare started w th mercury po son ng! That s why t s st n vacc nes and f u shots, because they can get away w th t. The year the AMA h red thugs In 1905, Co er s magaz ne pub shed an expose on the "patentab e remedy ndustry," n a ser es of art c es ca ed The Great Amer can Fraud. But by then, t was too ate to stop the tsunam of cr m na consp racy that was crash ng n on natura med c ne. The AMA had created the Department of Invest gat on (DOI) to hunt down doctors st us ng natura remed es. The department s so e ob was to shut down ANY HEALERS who cou d threaten AMA prof ts. The AMA s thug department "DOI" actua y kept f es on anyone who was cured of cancer. They a so kept f es on hea th foods, v tam ns, acupuncture, fa th hea ng, and Sc ento ogy. The head of the AMA, one Morr s F shbe n, was a cr m na and an extort on st, and f you d d not pay h m arge sums of money for the AMA "Sea of Acceptance," you s mp y cou d not surv ve n the med ca f e d. F shbe n was the u t mate scam art st. The AMA never even had any fac t es to test any of the drugs on wh ch they put the r "Sea of Acceptance" anyway, so t was a a huge scam. Jump forward to 2001 Apr , 2001: Three state med ca soc et es o n together w th over 75,000 members and sue the nat on s argest hea th nsurers. 12 d fferent hea th p ans and the r so ca ed "managed care" author t es were v o at ng federa racketeer ng aws. 20 nd v dua doctors from seven states accused managed care compan es of deny ng med ca y necessary treatments, systemat ca y de ay ng payments, and bund ng c a ms. Bund ng means they were mak ng p es of c a ms they d dn t want to pay on and deny ng them w thout rev ew, a to keep money from phys c ans so the company cou d prof t. The end resu t: The HMO nsurers "managed care" pract ces had v o ated the Federa Racketeer ng and Corrupt Organ zat ons Act. The HMOs AUTOMATICALLY "down-coded" and "bund ed" c a ms, wh ch was done w th software wh ch had protoco s set by the Amer can Med ca Assoc at on tse f, we n advance. Th s enab ed the mass man pu at on of re mbursements. The conv ct on marked the th rd t me that the AMA was found gu ty of ant trust v o at ons for CONSPIRACY. AMA found gu ty of racketeer ng three t mes In Amer ca, we ca t a "repeat offender," and usua y THREE STRIKES AND YOU RE OUT, and so that person gets fe n pr son or execut on n some states. But corporat ons, federa comm ss ons, regu atory agenc es and po t c ans s mp y pay f nes, sett e out of court, or get pardoned. The Amer can peop e, for the most part, are so ob v ous to med ca corrupt on that even when the BIG CATS do get busted red-handed for quackery and racketeer ng, they st go r ght back to the same doctors for mag c p s, surgery, chemotherapy, and rad at on, be ev ng there s some m rac e cure for the r bad d et and earned he p essness. A racketeer s a person who comm ts cr mes, ke those of extort on, br bery, or oan shark ng. Yet, to most Amer cans, the concept of "nonprof t" goes hand- n-hand w th trust. After a , f an organ zat on sn t dr ven by money, they must be trustworthy! Th s s where fa se advert s ng takes over. The AMA s a nonprof t agency wh ch g ad y accepted huge sums of advert s ng fees from tobacco compan es who advert sed heav y n the Journa of Amer can Med c ne throughout the 20th century. After sc ent f c PROOF came n about the dangers of smok ng and deve opment of ung cancer, the AMA st ran ads that quoted doctors ta k ng about smok ng the r favor te brands, and other ads c a m ng Came s were good for d gest on! The AMA pa d sa ar es and expenses for a team of med ca doctors and awyers to covert y destroy the ent re ch ropract c profess on n the Un ted States, and th s s not some consp racy theory or accusat on. In 1990, four ch ropractors won a andmark ant trust awsu t where the court ru ed that the AMA had v o ated the SHERMAN ACT. Accord ng to a 1998 art c e n The New York T mes, the AMA pa d Sunbeam Corporat on near y $10 m on to avo d a breach-of-contract tr a . The AMA was go ng to endorse Sunbeam s b ood pressure mon tors w thout any p ans to test them. The AMA on y pu ed out of the p an once the pub c knew. Th s s s mp y de a vu of F shbe n s fake sea of acceptance. That huge e was SETTLED OUT OF COURT a so n 1955 by the AMA, ust ke the Sunbeam awsu t. After the case, the AMA sa d t was "now fu y focused on ts h stor c m ss on to serve Amer ca s pat ents and the qua ty of Amer can med c ne." So what was t before that? To make money and e? Bury ng natura remed es s b g bus ness Cancer attacks every other man and every th rd woman n the Un ted States. There s a 50 percent surv va rate. You need a p an. Who are you go ng to trust f you get cancer? Wou d you trust the huge pharmaceut ca compan es that run Western med c ne and the Naz sc ent sts who nvented chemotherapy, or wou d you trust cancer pat ents who were at stage four and f ve, on the r death beds, and were hea ed by the herba "Hoxsey Treatments," who swore n a Un ted States court that t worked, and the chemotherapy d d not? (http://www.mnwe d r.org/docs/h story/quackery.htm) Wou d you trust the AMA, the FDA and the NCI (Nat ona Cancer Inst tute), organ zat ons whose adm n strators and heads bounce back and forth, from B g Pharma CEO obs to runn ng the government rackets that regu ate food and med c ne safety? Noth ng s changed The nfamous AMA "Sea of Approva " s exact y the same s tuat on as we have today w th the FDA, where approva of pharmaceut ca drugs requ res m ons of do ars up front, but no rea test ng s done, and the heads of the FDA are former pres dents and v ce pres dents of pharmaceut ca and chem ca compan es that eng neer and market these same untested, dangerous synthet c drugs. Then when the FDA gets caught, they s mp y g ve the v ct m s fam y a coup e m on (from the r b ons) to shut up. For those nc ned to p ace trust n the AMA, ust take a ook at the assoc at on s h story. Even today, the AMA cont nues to make dec s ons obv ous y des gned to protect organ zed med c ne, not pat ents. So what s the mora of the who e story? S nce before Wor d War II, Amer cans have been fa se y reaff rmed by the FDA, AMA, and NCI that convent ona med c ne s based upon sc ence, and t s a a b g e. Seek natura remed es! Source: http://www.natura news.com/spec a reports/25-Amaz ng-and-D sturb ng-Facts-H dden-H story-150. pg CLICK HERE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD: 25 Amaz ng (and D sturb ng) Facts about the H dden H story of Med c ne (http://www.natura news.com/RR-25-Amaz ng-Facts-About-H dden-H story-Med c ne.htm ) Learn more about the true h story of modern med c ne n th s revea ng report. Free down oadab e PDF. Covers Naz connect ons w th B g Pharma, war cr mes of Bayer, the weapons or g ns of prescr pt on med cat ons, the shock ng h story of psych atr c med c ne and much more. Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://natura treatmentsforcancer.b ogspot.com http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2001/04/16/gvsa0416.htm http://www.mnwe d r.org/docs/h story/quackery.htm
Sev
01-24-2013, 04:44 PM
http:// 162.photobucket.com/a bums/t278/Seve /Genera %20P ctures%201/428354_333574786751199_1647239336_n. pg
Sev
01-24-2013, 05:07 PM
http:// 162.photobucket.com/a bums/t278/Seve /Genera %20P ctures%201/72902_331819030260108_908459037_n. pg
Sev
01-24-2013, 05:15 PM
http:// 162.photobucket.com/a bums/t278/Seve /Genera %20P ctures%201/270895_331766160265395_1093803750_n. pg
jimmyg
01-25-2013, 07:52 AM
Everyth ng You Need to Know About the FDA s Irrad at on Loopho e http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/button. pg Posted by L ve n the Now Is th s the FDA s dea of food safety? Act on A ert! The Food Safety Modern zat on Act (FSMA) became aw n 2010. We, a ong w th other consumer groups, were ab e to b ock some of the worst prov s ons of the proposed b , but t was st f awed eg s at on as passed. The bas c prob em s that every t me food safety prob ems emerge, the government g ves a pass to the b g ndustr a farms where the prob ems or g nate. The FDA has ust proposed two new ru es as part of the act s mp ementat on. Not surpr s ng y they appear to have been heav y nf uenced by the same spec a nterests respons b e for many of the dangers to our foods: the chem ca , rad o ogy, and meat ndustr es are exempted, a n the name of food safety. The f rst of the ru es concerns standards for raw agr cu tura commod t es (RAC). The reason ng beh nd the exc us ve focus on raw foods s that processed food s ess ke y to be contam nated. Never m nd how unhea thy processed food s so ong as the food s not contam nated. The FDA s b g dea seems to be rrad at on. Irrad ated foods are exempted because FDA be eves nuked, ster e food s safer. The agency s apparent y not concerned w th what happens to the food s nutr t ona va ue or whether the rrad at on tse f s safe. How many food producers, hop ng to avo d burdensome and expens ve comp ance requ rements, w s mp y rrad ate the r fru ts and vegetab es? W th such onerous ru es comb ned w th th s b g oopho e, the FDA s act ve y encourag ng rrad at on. There are many reasons rrad ated food s bad for us. There are no federa standards for safe eve s of rad at on n ster zed food, and research nd cates a w de range of prob ems n an ma s that eat rrad ated food, nc ud ng chromosoma abnorma t es, a rare form of cancer, and even premature death. Irrad at ng food can k bacter a from f thy CAFOs and process ng p ants, but t cannot address the other unhea thy cond t ons found there. Irrad at on may a so dramat ca y change f avor, odor, and texture of food, n add t on to nutr t ona va ue. But that rea y doesn t matter, s nce the FDA no onger cons ders s aughtered meat to be a raw agr cu tura commod ty. The meat ndustry s exempted from the new ru es. So t actua y doesn t matter how unhea thy or d sease-r dden CAFOs (conf ned an ma feed ng operat ons) become. The FDA conven ent y dec ded not to worry about contam nat on from chem ca hazards e ther, nstead focus ng exc us ve y on m crob o og ca contam nat on. S nce chem ca contam nat on nc udes pest c des, c ean ng compounds, etc., th s s a b g om ss on. The FDA reasons that ts current regu atory framework to mon tor these contam nants s suff c ent, and says “ nesses attr butab e to chem ca hazards are rare.” I nesses from pest c des, c ean ng compounds, and other chem ca contam nants are rare? We , that s the FDA s wor dv ew, because f they acknow edged the prob em they m ght have to do someth ng about t. Th s exc us ve focus on b o og ca hazards (and the exc us on of standards for chem ca and rad o og ca hazards) s essent a y a harmon zat on w th an nternat ona standard ca ed Codex. As reported ast month, Codex gu de nes can and do have a ma or nf uence on US po cy, and may have more nf uence n the future. Fortunate y, ANH-USA, work ng w th a arge coa t on, was ab e to he p w n acceptance of the Tester amendment, ensur ng protect ons n the aw for sma er farms. The second proposed FDA ru e amends the agency s Current Good Manufactur ng Pract ces (CGMPs) gu de nes by creat ng hazards ana ys s requ rements and r sk-based protect ons w th ots of deta ed record keep ng. If you are wonder ng what th s means, you are n good company. F rms w presumab y have to h re former FDA emp oyees at h gh fees to f gure out what the requ rements rea y mean and to be sure they are sat sfy ng the regu ators. There s, of course, no guarantee that the FDA has the resources to rev ew any of the mounta n of new paperwork. There s no quest on that the proposed ru e g ves the FDA more power. What the FDA current y ca s “recommendat ons” for food product on now become requ rements. Because of your efforts when the food safety eg s at on was be ng passed, the new ru es do not app y to fam y farms w th revenues under $500,000. That was a ma or mprovement. It may a so not app y to other sma producers f they are be ow $250,000 n revenues or don t exceed $500,000 n revenues and se ha f the r food to consumers or reta ers. Is a f rm that se s both reta and who esa e a reta er for purpose of th s ru e? If you are a sma f rm, you may have to h re a awyer to f gure that one out. Act on A ert! Contact FDA today and te them the r food safety approach s wrong. Nuk ng a our food s not the so ut on. It w ust make th ngs worse. Ask them to address the rea dangers of our food system: CAFOs, unsafe ndustr a farm ng pract ces, re ance on genet ca y mod f ed foods, and pest c de, herb c de, and ant b ot c overuse. Take Act on!
LAMas
01-25-2013, 10:12 AM
Ear obe crease Mu t p e stud es show that near wr nk es n one or both obes may pred ct future card ovascu ar events (heart attack, bypass surgery, or card ac death.) A crease on one obe ra ses the r sk by 33 percent; a crease on both obes ncreases t by 77 percent, even after ad ust ng for other known r sk factors, found a study n The Amer can Journa of Med c ne. Though experts aren t exact y sure, they suspect a oss of e ast c f bers may cause both the crease and the harden ng of arter es. Prevent t: Keep your heart hea thy n other ways: S m down, and ower your cho estero and b ood pressure.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/hea th/2013/01/24/your-bodys-10-we rdest-hea th-c ues/? ntcmp=features# xzz2J0Z yZ8m
jimmyg
01-27-2013, 08:01 AM
Meet the Seed That K ed 80% of Cancer Ce s http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/b ack-cum n-600x399. pg Posted by L ve n the Now Accord ng to Dr. Gary Nu of the Progress ve Rad o Network , “B ack cum n o s probab y the s ng e most mportant o you can put n your system. Every t me you take b ack cum n you are st mu at ng your mmune system to f ght on your beha f and ncrease natura k er ce s.” Nu was referr ng to ts ab ty to mprove the mmune system, treat cancer and HIV successfu y. No truer words were ever spoken. B ack cum n s a so known as N ge a sat va, b ack seeds and ka on and has been hea ng ma ad es of the body for more than 2,000 years. A though b ack cum n has been used for centur es, on y dur ng the ast 40 years has the true potent a of th s remedy been rea zed. Or g na y, b ack cum n was used ma n y for m gra nes, asthma and a erg es. It has now been shown to be successfu n st mu at ng the mmune system, treat ng HIV and hea ng cancer tumors. These are three of the most worr some prob ems peop e are faced w th today, except for heart d sease wh ch b ack cum n has been shown to treat a so. B ack cum n s a v ab e opt on for mmun ty and auto- mmune d seases When you ook at the broad term “ mmun ty,” auto mmune d seases shou d a so be nc uded. These tt e b ack seeds have shown to mprove the mmune system by 72 percent n as few as four weeks. Two stud es were done n 1987 at the I.I.M.E.R. n Panama C ty, F or da to ver fy the mmune bu d ng effects of b ack cum n. The vo unteer groups were g ven one gram of b ack cum n tw ce a day or a p acebo. After four weeks, the end resu ts showed a 72 percent ncrease n T-ce rat os and ce funct ona act v ty n most part c pants. B ack cum n s now a v ab e opt on to treat and/or hea peop e aff cted w th auto mmune d seases wh ch are a ead ng cause of death and d sab ty for many. In 2010, there were approx mate y 23.5 m on Amer cans aff cted w th auto mmune d seases wh ch nc ude more than 80 ser ous d seases. Some of the types are rare and some qu te common ke rheumato d arthr t s, upus, Ce ac d sease and Crohn s d sease. St , b ack cum n hea s more than ust auto mmune d seases such as cancer, d abetes, ba dness, asthma and m gra nes. It e m nates paras tes and even he ps w th menstrua b ood f ow. B ack cum n ann h ates pancreat c cancer tumors Dr. Hwyda Arafat at the K mme Cancer Center at Jefferson conducted severa stud es us ng N ge a sat va (b ack cum n) to treat pancreat c cancer. The resu ts were astound ng w th an 80 percent cancer tumor ce death. Pancreat c cancer s the fourth ead ng cause of cancer deaths n Amer ca w th an overa 4.6 percent surv va rate over a f ve-year per od. Dr. Arafat went on to say, “N ge a sat va he ps treat a broad array of d seases, nc ud ng some mmune and nf ammatory d sorders. Prev ous stud es a so have shown ant cancer act v ty n prostate and co on cancers, as we as ant ox dant and ant - nf ammatory effects.” How to take b ack cum n and dosage requ rements It s mperat ve to purchase organ c, co d pressed o that s free of add t ves. To mprove your mmune system, take one teaspoon da y m xed w th raw honey or fresh u ce one hour before breakfast. For cancer, take three teaspoons da y n d v ded doses comb ned w th a hea thy cancer d et and exerc se program. Both mmune prob ems and cancer are treated w th the add t on of fresh gar c. B ack cum n shou d be taken da y as a preventat ve measure for a d seases. http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/b ack-cum n1. pg Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://h amac n c.net/b ack_seed.php http://www.kcc.t u.edu/news/2008-05-23_Arafat.htm http://www.habsh fa.com.au http://www.natura news.com http://www.academ a.edu
Sev
01-27-2013, 08:33 AM
Meet the Seed That K ed 80% of Cancer Ce s http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/b ack-cum n-600x399. pg Posted by L ve n the Now Accord ng to Dr. Gary Nu of the Progress ve Rad o Network , “B ack cum n o s probab y the s ng e most mportant o you can put n your system. Every t me you take b ack cum n you are st mu at ng your mmune system to f ght on your beha f and ncrease natura k er ce s.” Nu was referr ng to ts ab ty to mprove the mmune system, treat cancer and HIV successfu y. No truer words were ever spoken. B ack cum n s a so known as N ge a sat va, b ack seeds and ka on and has been hea ng ma ad es of the body for more than 2,000 years. A though b ack cum n has been used for centur es, on y dur ng the ast 40 years has the true potent a of th s remedy been rea zed. Or g na y, b ack cum n was used ma n y for m gra nes, asthma and a erg es. It has now been shown to be successfu n st mu at ng the mmune system, treat ng HIV and hea ng cancer tumors. These are three of the most worr some prob ems peop e are faced w th today, except for heart d sease wh ch b ack cum n has been shown to treat a so. B ack cum n s a v ab e opt on for mmun ty and auto- mmune d seases When you ook at the broad term “ mmun ty,” auto mmune d seases shou d a so be nc uded. These tt e b ack seeds have shown to mprove the mmune system by 72 percent n as few as four weeks. Two stud es were done n 1987 at the I.I.M.E.R. n Panama C ty, F or da to ver fy the mmune bu d ng effects of b ack cum n. The vo unteer groups were g ven one gram of b ack cum n tw ce a day or a p acebo. After four weeks, the end resu ts showed a 72 percent ncrease n T-ce rat os and ce funct ona act v ty n most part c pants. B ack cum n s now a v ab e opt on to treat and/or hea peop e aff cted w th auto mmune d seases wh ch are a ead ng cause of death and d sab ty for many. In 2010, there were approx mate y 23.5 m on Amer cans aff cted w th auto mmune d seases wh ch nc ude more than 80 ser ous d seases. Some of the types are rare and some qu te common ke rheumato d arthr t s, upus, Ce ac d sease and Crohn s d sease. St , b ack cum n hea s more than ust auto mmune d seases such as cancer, d abetes, ba dness, asthma and m gra nes. It e m nates paras tes and even he ps w th menstrua b ood f ow. B ack cum n ann h ates pancreat c cancer tumors Dr. Hwyda Arafat at the K mme Cancer Center at Jefferson conducted severa stud es us ng N ge a sat va (b ack cum n) to treat pancreat c cancer. The resu ts were astound ng w th an 80 percent cancer tumor ce death. Pancreat c cancer s the fourth ead ng cause of cancer deaths n Amer ca w th an overa 4.6 percent surv va rate over a f ve-year per od. Dr. Arafat went on to say, “N ge a sat va he ps treat a broad array of d seases, nc ud ng some mmune and nf ammatory d sorders. Prev ous stud es a so have shown ant cancer act v ty n prostate and co on cancers, as we as ant ox dant and ant - nf ammatory effects.” How to take b ack cum n and dosage requ rements It s mperat ve to purchase organ c, co d pressed o that s free of add t ves. To mprove your mmune system, take one teaspoon da y m xed w th raw honey or fresh u ce one hour before breakfast. For cancer, take three teaspoons da y n d v ded doses comb ned w th a hea thy cancer d et and exerc se program. Both mmune prob ems and cancer are treated w th the add t on of fresh gar c. B ack cum n shou d be taken da y as a preventat ve measure for a d seases. http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/b ack-cum n1. pg Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://h amac n c.net/b ack_seed.php http://www.kcc.t u.edu/news/2008-05-23_Arafat.htm http://www.habsh fa.com.au http://www.natura news.com http://www.academ a.edu N ce one. Thats on my st. A ready tak ng f sh, hemp and f ax seed o .
Sev
01-27-2013, 08:38 AM
http:// 162.photobucket.com/a bums/t278/Seve /Genera %20P ctures%201/74161_334469459995065_658221234_n. pg
jimmyg
01-27-2013, 07:47 PM
Found ng Father and Cont nenta Army Surgeon Genera pred cted the med ca tyranny of today http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Government/Dec arat on-of-Independence-Amer can-Paper-Document. pg Tuesday, January 22, 2013 by: M ke Bundrant (Natura News) Un ess we put med ca freedom nto the Const tut on, the t me w come when med c ne w organ ze nto an undercover d ctatorsh p to restr ct the art of hea ng to one c ass of men and deny equa pr v eges to others; the Const tut on of the Repub c shou d make a spec a pr v ege for med ca freedoms as we as re g ous freedom. - Ben am n Rush (1746-1813)
Ben am n Rush was a s gner of the Dec arat on of Independence and Surgeon Genera to the Cont nenta Army. He was a so a p oneer n psych atry, nterest ng y. If he were a ve today, he d probab y be s ck. If there were ever a "c ass of men" and women who fu f h s eer e pred ct on, t wou d be psych atr sts. Psych atr sts pretend they are un que y qua f ed to treat menta and emot ona ssues, even though they don t understand these very ssues. They don t understand how the m nd works. They don t understand fam y systems. They don t understand commun cat on dynam cs. They don t even spend much t me w th the r pat ents! The psych atr sts who do understand these cruc a menta hea th ssues have gotten tra n ng outs de of med ca schoo and must break w th trad t on n order to pract ce. G ven the r utter ack of ab ty to treat menta ssues - other than w th that wh ch does not hea - you d wonder why they are so adamant n the r quest to be the on y group qua f ed to treat menta prob ems. Money and power. It must come down to th s, wh ch s why Ben am n Rush s quote s so potent. The undercover d ctatorsh p s we estab shed n Amer ca today Even pat ents don t have r ghts anymore. When you see a psych atr st, you are no onger protected under conf dent a ty aws. Your m nd and emot ons w be sub ect to a d agnos s of menta ness ust for exper enc ng ord nary human fee ngs. Under th s mode , hea ng s not poss b e. Rout ne y, psychotherapy, coach ng, a ternat ve hea th and nutr t on are gnored or suppressed by psych atry, even when a of these methods have shown cons derab e prom se w th the toughest menta ness. In the 1960 s psychotherap st Jay Ha ey was cur ng sch zophren a by us ng a mode of fam y dynam cs that s v rtua y ost to modern menta hea th. En ghtened psych atr st Abram Hoffer rout ne y cured depress on and sch zophren a w th n ac n therapy and orthomo ecu ar med c ne. Reform psych atr st Peter Bregg n often speaks of the re ef h s pat ents fee when he assures them that t s h s ntent on to he p them, not med cate them. Psychotherap st Peter M chae son has preserved a suppressed psychoana yt c moda ty that po nts the way out of se f-sabotage and preserves menta hea th ke no other moda ty. As for ch dren and ADHD, even the toughest cases of ADHD have been cured w th a ternat ve med c ne. If you doubt th s, read the book, The Secrets to Recovery from Menta I ness, by L nda Sant n . In th s book, L nda te s her very persona story about how she he ped her boys recover from severe menta hea th ssues that nc uded psych atr c hosp ta zat on. Menta hea th so ut ons are ava ab e, even for tough, fe ong prob ems, but you have to ook beyond the med ca bureaucracy to the pract t oners who actua y have the sk to he p! It s a tough one to accept, that the psych atr c med ca estab shment s not nterested n true menta hea th and hea ng. It s counter ntu t ve for most good peop e. Yet, the horror stor es speak for themse ves. Thousands of obotom es done w th a ce p ck. Tons of chem ca obotom es. New psychosurger es deve oped rout ne y that tera y burn bra n c rcu try. And a of t unnecessary. About the author: Watch the free v deo The AHA! Process: An End to Se f-Sabotage and d scover the ost keys to persona transformat on and emot ona we -be ng that have been suppressed by ma nstream menta hea th for decades. The nformat on n th s v deo has been ca ed the m ss ng nk n menta hea th and persona deve opment. In a wor d fu of sha ow, qu ck-f x techn ques, second rate psycho ogy and pharmaceut ca takeovers, rea so ut ons have become near y mposs b e to f nd. Th s presentat on w turn your wor d ups de down. M ke Bundrant s co-founder of the NLP Center and host of Menta Hea th Exposed, a Natura News Rad o program.
jimmyg
01-28-2013, 08:17 AM
The Unsavory Truth of the McR b and Other Fake Foods, and Why Russ a Banned US-Ra sed Meat
By Dr. Merco a L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/16/mcdona ds-mcr b.aspx?e_c d=20130116_DNL_art_1 v deo....
Story at-a-g ance: Sneaky “tr cks of the trade” emp oyed by the meat ndustry nc ude “p nk s me” made of otherw se unusab e scraps, meat g ue, and reconst tuted meat—a of wh ch foo you nto th nk ng you re buy ng someth ng of h gher qua ty than you are McDona d s seasona y-ava ab e McR b sandw ch conta ns more than 70 ngred ents, nc ud ng a chem ca used n gym shoes and other tems requ r ng a rubbery substance. And the pork s actua y a restructured meat product made from the ess expens ve nnards and scraps from the p g Russ a has recent y banned U.S. meat supp es after d scover ng t conta ns ractopam ne—a beta agon st drug that ncreases prote n synthes s, thereby mak ng the an ma more muscu ar. Th s reduces the fat content of the meat. Ractopam ne s known to affect the human card ovascu ar system, may cause food po son ng, and s thought to be respons b e for hyperact v ty, musc e breakdown, and ncreased death and d sab ty n vestock As much as 20 percent of ractopam ne rema ns n the meat you buy from the supermarket. Desp te potent a hea th r sks, the drug s used n 45 percent of U.S. p gs, 30 percent of rat on-fed catt e, and an unknown percentage of turkeys
Over the past coup e of years, we ve earned the unsavory truth about “p nk s me,” reconst tuted meat, and how the use of meat g ue cheats you out of your hard-earned money at the grocery store and threatens your hea th. We ve a so earned that fast food fare such as McDona d s hamburgers conta n so many chem ca s and so few rea food ngred ents that a burger fa s to show s gns of decompos t on after more than a decade... The famous McD s McR b a so came under c oser scrut ny, and turned out to be someth ng ess than mouthwater ng. The McR b sandw ch s a non-standard tem on the fast food restaurant s menu;1 ts annua return s a ways advert sed w th great fanfare — ast year t even made the head nes on ABC News.2 bbq sauce, s vered on ons and tart p ck es, served on a hoag e sty e bun. Sounds perfect y norma , but what s t made of, rea y? In a November 2011 art c e, CBS Ch cago news3 sp ed the beans on th s seasona favor te: “More than 70 ngred ents make up the McR b and, yes, one of them s pork. But as CBS 2 s V nce Geraso e reports, there s a so an ngred ent that can be found n shoes... [Reg stered d et c an Cass e] Vanderwa gave the McR b a c oser ook and found the McR b has azod carbonam de, wh ch s used to b each the f our n bread. It has other uses. It cou d be on your yoga mat, n your gym shoes, n your anyth ng that s rubbery, Vanderwa sa d... Then there s the pork – wh ch s rea y restructured meat product. In other words, t s made from a the ess expens ve nnards and castoffs from the p g... Vanderwa sa d the McR b ngred ent st rem nds me of a chem stry ab. ” To see p ctures of a deconstructed McR b sandw ch, check out foodfacts. nfo s McR b page.4 It sure doesn t ook so appet z ng anymore once the sauce s washed off and the meat s ced n ha f. In fact, t can bare y pass meat, wh ch was the po nt CBS news tr ed to make n the f rst p ace. What s "Food" Anyway? Two years ago, the nonprof t Phys c ans Comm ttee for Respons b e Med c ne s ng ed out McDona d s n the r advert sement aga nst obes ty-re ated deaths. As the ad c a med, obes ty, d abetes, h gh cho estero , hypertens on and heart attacks are ha mark d seases assoc ated w th a fast food d et – a c ear nd cat on that t does not prov de the appropr ate nutr t on for your body. So, s McDona d s fare rea y food? When you cons der the fact that a arge number of the ngred ents n a fast food mea ex st nowhere n nature, but are rather concocted n a ab, the answer wou d have to be no. Unfortunate y, and to our severe detr ment, ever s nce the advent of the so-ca ed TV d nner back n the 1950 s, the concept of "food" has expanded from meat, vegetab es, raw da ry products, fru t and other such natura tems to nc ude the h gh y processed, preserved, art f c a y f avored and often br ght y co ored chem ca concoct ons. But man s mp y was NOT des gned to thr ve on man-made chem ca s. Sad y, store-bought foods you m ght not recogn ze as processed, such as ground beef, are oftent mes no better. As reported ast year, approx mate y 70 percent of the ground beef so d n U.S. supermarkets conta ns "p nk s me" added n as a cheap f er. The Pepto-B smo -co ored concoct on cons sts of beef scraps and cow connect ve t ssues, wh ch has been treated w th ammon um hydrox de (bas ca y a so ut on of ammon a n water). It can ega y make up 15 percent of any g ven beef product, wh ch shaves about three cents off the cost for a pound of ground beef. The tr mm ngs used come from parts of the cow that are most ke y to be contam nated w th dangerous bacter a ke E. co — wh ch s why t must be treated w th ammon a to k off the pathogens n the f rst p ace. It s rea y ndustr a food pract ces ke th s that pose very rea threats to your hea th, not raw unpasteur zed da ry products and other non-processed who e foods... Russ a Throws Po sonous Meat Back to U.S. In re ated “quest onab e food” news, Russ a has recent y banned U.S. meat supp es after d scover ng t conta ns ractopam ne — a beta agon st drug that ncreases prote n synthes s, thereby mak ng the an ma more muscu ar. Th s reduces the fat content of the meat. As reported by Pravda,5 Russ a s the fourth argest mporter of US meats, purchas ng about $500 m on-worth of beef and pork annua y. The drug s banned for use n 160 countr es, nc ud ng Ch na and Russ a, but a owed n 24 countr es, nc ud ng Canada and the Un ted States. Accord ng to the New York T mes,6 the ban took effect as of December 7, 2012, and Russ an hea th regu ators stated that wh e they w n t a y conduct the r own test ng, fore gn countr es w soon be requ red to cert fy the r meat as ractopam ne-free f they want to export t to Russ a. Wh e the US Department of Agr cu ture (USDA) cons ders ractopam ne safe and doesn t test for t, Russ a s ch ef hea th nspector, Gennady On shchenko, c a ms there are “ser ous quest ons” about the safety of the drug. He to d the New York T mes: “For nstance, use of ractopam ne s accompan ed by a reduct on n body mass, suppress on of reproduct ve funct on, ncrease of mast t s n da ry herds, wh ch eads to a steep dec ne n the qua ty and safety of m k.” Ractopam ne s a so known to affect the human card ovascu ar system, and may cause food po son ng, accord ng to Pravda.7 It s a so thought to be respons b e for hyperact v ty, musc e breakdown, and ncreased death and d sab ty n vestock. Wh e other drugs requ re a c earance per od of around two weeks to he p ensure the compounds are f ushed from the meat pr or to s aughter (and therefore reduce res dues eftover for human consumpt on), there s no c earance per od for ractopam ne. In fact, vestock growers ntent ona y use the drug n the ast days before s aughter n order to ncrease ts effect veness. Accord ng to veter nar an M chae W. Fox, as much as 20 percent of ractopam ne rema ns n the meat you buy from the supermarket. Desp te potent a hea th r sks, the drug s used n 45 percent of U.S. p gs, 30 percent of rat on-fed catt e, and an unknown percentage of turkeys. Mex co and Braz have announced that they w comp y w th Russ a s demand for ractopam ne-free meats.8 The US has shown no s gn of com ng to an agreement, however. Instead the US has accused Russ a of v o at ng Wor d Trade Organ zat on (WTO) ru es — an accusat on Russ an Deputy Pr me M n ster Arkady Dvorkov ch has d sm ssed as be ng part of bus ness as usua , s nce “a WTO members break these ru es.” How to Ident fy REAL Food There are ma or ncent ves to center your d et on rea foods as opposed to “food- ke” products, the pr mary one be ng that rea food s essent a for opt ma hea th. Rea foods a so taste de c ous, and when bought from susta nab e sources he p to protect the env ronment. But w th a the sneaky tr cks be ng emp oyed, how can you te the d fference? Here s a st ng of the character st cs and tra ts of rea food versus processed “food products.” Rea Food -------- Processed Food-L ke Products It s grown, and so d “who e” ---- Produced, manufactured n a factory, and so d n neat, conven ent packages Var ab e qua ty ----- A ways the same (no qua ty or taste var ance) Spo s fast ---- Stays “fresh” for extended per ods of t me Requ res preparat on ---- No preparat on requ red, ust heat and serve V brant co ors and r ch textures ---- Conta ns f ers, add t ves and preservat ves to make otherw se du and b and m xtures appet z ng Authent ca y f avorfu ------- Art f c a y f avorfu Strong connect on to and and cu ture ---- No connect on to and or cu ture Shopp ng Gu de nes for Rea , Hea th-Promot ng Food As the U.S. agr cu ture ndustry now stands, ant b ot cs, pest c des, genet ca y eng neered ngred ents, hormones and count ess drugs are fa r game for nc us on n your food. So f you purchase your food from a typ ca supermarket, you re tak ng the chance that your food s teem ng w th chem ca s and drugs — even those that have been banned n other countr es due to adverse hea th effects. So p ease do your hea th a favor and support the sma fam y farms n your area. You rece ve nutr t ous food from a source that you can trust, and you be support ng the honest work of a rea fam y farm. It a bo s down to th s: f you want to opt m ze your hea th, you must return to the bas cs of hea thy food cho ces. Put your focus on WHOLE foods — foods that have not been processed or a tered from the r or g na state — food that has been grown or ra sed as nature ntended, w thout the use of chem ca add t ves, drugs, hormones, pest c des, fert zers, and “mystery concoct ons” of d scarded scrap parts. It s rea y as s mp e as that! And t s not near y as daunt ng a task as t may seem to f nd a oca farmer that can supp y your fam y w th hea thy, humane y ra sed an ma products and produce. At Loca Harvest.org, for nstance, you can enter your z p code and f nd farmers markets, fam y farms, and other sources of susta nab y grown food n your area, a w th the c ck of a button. Once you make the sw tch from supermarket to oca farmer, the cho ce w seem natura , and you can have peace of m nd that the food you re feed ng your fam y s natura y who esome. That sa d, regard ess of where you do your grocery shopp ng, these are the s gns of h gh-qua ty, hea th-promot ng foods you want to ook for: It s grown w thout pest c des and chem ca fert zers (organ c foods f t th s descr pt on, but so do some non-organ c foods) It s not genet ca y mod f ed It conta ns no added growth hormones, ant b ot cs, or other drugs It does not conta n any art f c a ngred ents, nc ud ng chem ca preservat ves It s fresh (keep n m nd that f you have to choose between w ted organ c produce or fresh convent ona produce, the atter may actua y be the better opt on) It d d not come from a factory farm It s grown w th the aws of nature n m nd (mean ng an ma s are fed the r nat ve d ets, not a m x of gra ns and an ma byproducts, and have free-range access to the outdoors) It s grown n a susta nab e way (us ng m n ma amounts of water, protect ng the so from burnout, and turn ng an ma wastes nto natura fert zers nstead of env ronmenta po utants) If the food meets these cr ter a, t s most ke y a w se cho ce, and wou d fa under the des gnat on of "rea food." Keep n m nd that rec a m ng your k tchen s part and parce of hea thfu v ng, so you know exact y what you re putt ng n your body. If you need he p to get started, see Co een Huber s he pfu t ps on how to eat hea th er organ c food on a budget. And f you re "hooked" on fast food and other processed foods, p ease rev ew my art c e How to Wean Yourse f Off Processed Foods n 7 Steps. It s one of the abso ute most pos t ve fe changes you cou d make!
jimmyg
01-29-2013, 01:24 PM
The Many Hea th Benef ts of Avocado http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/avocado. pg January 17, 2013 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: A sma p ot study found that eat ng one-ha f of a fresh med um Hass avocado w th a hamburger s gn f cant y nh b ted the product on of the nf ammatory compound Inter euk n-6 (IL-6), compared to eat ng a burger w thout fresh avocado Avocados, wh ch are actua y c ass f ed as a fru t, are r ch n monounsaturated fat that s eas y burned for energy. They a so prov de c ose to 20 essent a hea th-boost ng nutr ents, nc ud ng potass um, v tam n E, B-v tam ns, and fo c ac d Prev ous research has found avocado can he p opt m ze cho estero eve s w th n as tt e as one week; conta ns compounds that appear to nh b t and destroy ora cancer ce s, and those that protect aga nst ver damage The greatest concentrat on of benef c a caroteno ds s n the dark green fru t of the avocado, c osest to the pee , so use the “n ck and pee ” method to max m ze the benef ts from your avocado You can ncrease your avocado consumpt on by us ng t as a fat rep acement n bak ng; add t to soups, dessert wh ps and count ess other rec pes; and use as a baby s f rst food n eu of processed baby food
You probab y know that avocados are an exce ent source of hea thfu fats, but th s who e food may a so have other un que hea th benef ts. To earn more, the Hass Avocado Board (HAB) s support ng c n ca research to nvest gate var ous hea th effects of avocado consumpt on, part cu ar y ts benef ts for card ovascu ar d sease, we ght management, d abetes, and ts ab ty to enhance your body s absorpt on of nutr ents. The f rst of these HAB-supported stud es was pub shed n November, 2012.1 The sma UCLA- ed p ot study found that eat ng one-ha f of a fresh med um Hass avocado w th a hamburger (made w th 90 percent ean beef) s gn f cant y nh b ted the product on of the nf ammatory compound Inter euk n-6 (IL-6), compared to eat ng a burger w thout fresh avocado. Accord ng to ead author Dav d Heber, MD, PhD, the f nd ngs offer “prom s ng c ues” about avocado s ab ty to benef t vascu ar funct on and heart hea th. As reported by Med ca News Today:2 “The researchers observed a s gn f cant peak (approx mate y a 70 percent ncrease), of IL-6 four hours after the p a n burger was eaten, but ess effect on IL-6 (approx mate y a 40 percent ncrease) over the same t me per od when fresh avocado was eaten w th the burger. Add t ona y, the study found that when fresh Hass avocado was eaten w th the burger t d d not ncrease tr g ycer de eve s beyond what was observed after eat ng the burger a one, desp te the extra ca or es and fat from the fresh avocado... The p ot study a so reported that the d fference n per phera arter a b ood f ow (the movement of b ood to d fferent parts of the body, as measured by PAT), a pred ctor of vascu ar hea th, after eat ng the hamburger mea compared to the hamburger-fresh avocado mea was approach ng stat st ca s gn f cance... PAT scores s gn f cant y decreased (s gn fy ng reduced b ood f ow) on y after the p a n burger was eaten (approx mate y a 27 percent drop, on average) compared to a burger w th fresh avocado (approx mate y a 4 percent drop, on average, s gn fy ng ess reduct on n b ood f ow).” Avocados – A Rea “Super Food” Avocados, wh ch are actua y c ass f ed as a fru t, are r ch n monounsaturated fat that s eas y burned for energy. Persona y, I eat a who e avocado v rtua y every day, wh ch I usua y put n my sa ad. Th s ncreases my hea thy fat and ca or e ntake w thout ser ous y ncreas ng my prote n or carbohydrate ntake. (See Nutr t on Facts Pane be ow.) It s a so very h gh n potass um and w he p ba ance your v ta y mportant potass um to sod um rat o. As I ve ment oned before, e m nat ng gra n carbs s one of the best ways to support your hea th and ma nta n your we ght, but when you cut down on carbs, you need to ncrease your ntake of hea thy fats. Avocados are an exce ent source, a ong w th organ c raw butter, coconut o , and organ c pastured eggs, ust to name a few. http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2013/January/nut r ondata. pg There s a so ev dence suggest ng that m t ng your ntake of prote n can be he pfu for ong-term good hea th and the prevent on of cancer. At the very east, most peop e are consum ng far too much poor-qua ty prote n, such as beef and an ma products from vestock ra sed n conf ned an ma feed ng operat ons (CAFOs). Here aga n, f you cut down on prote n, you need to rep ace ost ca or es w th hea thy fats such as avocados, coconut o , o ves, o ve o , butter and nuts. Overa , most peop e wou d do we to get upwards of 50-70 percent fat n the r d et (a ong w th h gh amounts of vegetab e carbs, moderate-to- ow amounts of h gh-qua ty prote n, and very tt e, f any, carbs). Accord ng to the Ca forn a Avocado Comm ss on, a med um Hass avocado conta ns about 22.5 grams of fat, two-th rds of wh ch s monounsaturated. They re a so very ow n fructose, wh ch s yet another boon, and prov de c ose to 20 essent a hea th-boost ng nutr ents, nc ud ng: F ber Potass um (more than tw ce the amount found n a banana) V tam n E B-v tam ns Fo c ac d Avocados are one of the safest fru ts you can buy convent ona y-grown,and most experts do not be eve you need to purchase organ c ones. The r th ck sk n protects the nner fru t from pest c des. Add t ona y, t has been rated as one of the safest commerc a crops n terms of pest c de exposure,3 so there s no rea need to spend extra money on organ c avocados, un ess you can afford t. The Many Hea th Benef ts of Avocados Avocados have a ong st of potent a hea th benef ts. For examp e, bes des ts ant - nf ammatory propert es, prev ous research from Japan suggests th s powerfu fru t may a so he p protect aga nst ver damage. In one study,4 aboratory rats were fed avocado and 22 other fru ts. The rats were then g ven D-ga actosam ne, a potent ver tox n that nterferes w th ce synthes s and resu ts n ce death. The rats fed avocado suffered the east amount of ver damage. The chem ca - nduced ver n ur es resemb e those caused by v ruses, so the researchers suggested avocado cou d potent a y offer support n the treatment of v ra hepat t s. Accord ng to one ead author H rokazu Kawag sh , Ph.D: “Bes des offer ng taste and nutr t on, avocados seem to mprove ver hea th. Peop e shou d eat more of them." Due to ts benef c a raw fat content, avocado enab es your body to more eff c ent y absorb fat-so ub e nutr ents (such as a pha- and beta-carotene and ute n) n other foods eaten n con unct on. One 2005 study,5 found that add ng avocado to sa ad a owed the vo unteers to absorb three to f ve t mes more caroteno ds ant ox dant mo ecu es, wh ch he p protect your body aga nst free rad ca damage. Other research has found that avocados: Conta n compounds that appear to nh b t and destroy ora cancer ce s.6, 7 Can he p mprove p d prof es n both hea thy nd v dua s and those w th non opt m zed HDL/ tota cho estero eve s). In one study,8 hea thy nd v dua s saw a 16 percent decrease of serum tota cho estero eve fo ow ng a one-week ong d et h gh n monounsaturated fat from avocados. In those w th e evated cho estero eve s, the avocado d et resu ted n a 17 percent decrease of serum tota cho estero , and a 22 percent decrease of both LDL-cho estero and tr g ycer des, a ong w th an 11 percent ncrease of the so-ca ed “good” HDL cho estero . The Best Way to Pee an Avocado D d you know there are many ways to sk n an avocado? We , there are, and how you de-sk n your fru t can have a bear ng on the nutr ents you get from t. In 2010, the Ca forn a Avocado Comm ss on ssued gu de nes for gett ng the most out of your avocado by pee ng t the r ght way:9 “Ca forn a-grown avocados conta n 11 caroteno ds. Accord ng to USDA s Agr cu tura Research Serv ce, avocados conta n a comp ex package of phytonutr ents, nc ud ng caroteno ds that may prov de numerous hea th benef ts. Caroteno ds appear to protect humans aga nst certa n cancers, heart d sease and age-re ated macu ar degenerat on. The UCLA research showed that n Ca forn a avocados, the greatest concentrat on of benef c a caroteno ds s n the dark green fru t of the avocado c osest to the pee . The Comm ss on s pub c re at ons outreach to encourage consumers to n ck and pee the r Ca forn a avocados and to eat that dark green area of the fru t has resu ted n 33 m on consumer mpress ons, sa d Jan DeLyser, v ce pres dent of market ng for CAC. Th s n ck and pee message s a so va uab e nformat on for produce departments to share w th the r shoppers. ” To preserve the area w th the greatest concentrat on of ant ox dants, you bas ca y want to pee the avocado w th your hands, as you wou d a banana: F rst, cut the avocado ength-w se, around the seed Ho d ng each ha f, tw st them n the oppos te d rect ons to separate them from the seed Remove the seed Cut each ha f, engthw se Next, us ng your thumb and ndex f nger, s mp y pee the sk n off each p ece How to Get More Avocado nto Your D et Wh e avocado s common y eaten raw, on sa ad or a one, w th noth ng but a dash of H ma ayan sa t and some ground pepper, for examp e, there are many other ways to nc ude avocado n your d et. For examp e, you can use avocado n the fo ow ng ways: Use as a fat rep acement n bak ng. S mp y rep ace the fat ca ed for (such as o , butter or shorten ng) w th an equa amount of avocado Use as a f rst food for bab es, n eu of processed baby food For hundreds of un que rec pes that nc ude avocado–from sa ads to dessert wh p and everyth ng n between – check out the Ca forn a Avocado Comm ss on s webs te10
jimmyg
01-31-2013, 04:57 PM
Interm ttent Fast ng F na y Becom ng Ma nstream Hea th Recommendat on L nk: http://f tness.merco a.com/s tes/f tness/arch ve/2013/01/18/ nterm ttent-fast ng-approach.aspx?e_c d=20130118_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130118 V deos (2) .... January 18, 2013 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Two new hea th books revea how nterm ttent fast ng can he p you norma ze your we ght, prevent many chron c d seases, and ncrease ongev ty The 8-hour d et s a type of schedu ed eat ng p an where you s mp y restr ct your norma da y eat ng to an e ght hour w ndow of t me, w thout cutt ng ca or es. Research has shown that th s s mp e festy e tweak can s gn f cant y mod fy body compos t on, nc ud ng reduce fat mass H gh ntens ty nterva tra n ng has been shown to be h gh y synerg st c w th nterm ttent fast ng, and both techn ques prov de many of the same hea th benef ts Research has shown that nterm ttent fast ng qu ck y mproves nsu n s ab ty to manage b ood sugar, and that f uctuat ons n food consumpt on appear to be REQUIRED for opt ma metabo c funct on
It s n ce to see the nterm ttent fast ng approach that I have recommended for some t me now s start ng to catch on. Th s s no surpr se to me as t s one of the most powerfu ntervent ons I know of to move your body nto fat burn ng mode and have your hunger near y mag ca y d sappear. It s a powerfu too to he p you keep a hea thy we ght. In a new d et book, The Fast D et: Lose We ght, Stay Hea thy, and L ve Longer w th the S mp e Secret of Interm ttent Fast ng, Dr. M chae Mos ey1 suggests the best way to ose we ght s to eat norma y for f ve days a week, and fast for two. On fast ng days, he recommends cutt ng your food down to ¼ of your norma da y ca or es, or about 600 ca or es for men and about 500 for women, a ong w th p enty of water and tea. Dr. Mos ey h mse f c a ms to have ost 19 pounds n two months by fo ow ng th s recommendat on. I ost about seven pounds when I mp emented the approach ast year, but the most amaz ng aspect s not the we ght oss, t s the absence of hunger and sugar crav ngs once you are fat adapted. Your des re to eat unhea thy foods seems to d sappear; at east that was my exper ence. I prefer to th nk of nterm ttent fast ng as a festy e rather than a d et. It s a way of v ng and eat ng that can he p you ve a onger, hea th er fe. I promoted the hea th benef ts of nterm ttent fast ng we before t h t the ma nstream, and have been exper ment ng w th d fferent types of schedu ed eat ng n my own fe for the past two years. I current y restr ct my eat ng to a 6-7 hour w ndow each day. In the featured BBC nterv ew,2 Dr. Mos ey a so po nts out the mportance of h gh- ntens ty nterva tra n ng (HIIT) — espec a y n con unct on w th fast ng — and how sheer nact v ty s actua y more detr menta to your hea th than ack of forma exerc se. He recommends gett ng up every 15-20 m nutes f you have a desk ob, to avo d the hea th hazards assoc ated w th pro onged s tt ng. For more he pfu t ps and recommendat ons, p ease see my recent art c e S tt ng Less May be Key for Max mum Longev ty, n wh ch I d scuss th s ssue. HIIT, wh ch s a foundat ona part of my Peak F tness Program, s another aspect of opt ma hea th that I ve been try ng to dr nto my readers s nce the m d-2000 s, when the sc ence beh nd t was show ng s gns of be ng rea y so d. Now the ma nstream s f na y start ng to catch up on th s as we , and proof that t rea y does work as advert sed s becom ng ncreas ng y ev dent as peop e are try ng t out. Interm ttent Fast ng Becom ng Ma nstream Hea th Recommendat on In re ated news, MSNBC3 recent y featured Dav d Z nczenko and Peter Moore, co-authors of yet another book expound ng on the hea th benef ts of nterm ttent fast ng: “Can Amer cans tr m the r wa st nes by spend ng ess t me at the d nner tab e? In The 8-Hour D et, best-se ng authors Dav d Z nczenko and Peter Moore argue that peop e can ose we ght (and combat our 24-hour eat ng cu ture) by on y consum ng food dur ng a set 8-hour t me per od.” Th s s another vers on of nterm ttent fast ng, n wh ch you s mp y restr ct your da y eat ng to a spec f c w ndow of t me. Z nczenko and Moore recommend an e ght hour w ndow, wh ch s doab e and conven ent for most peop e, but you can restr ct t even further — down to s x, four, or even two hours, f you want, but you can st reap many of these rewards by m t ng your eat ng to a w ndow of about 8 hours. Th s means eat ng on y between the hours of 11am unt 7pm, as an examp e. Essent a y, th s equates to s mp y sk pp ng breakfast, and mak ng unch your f rst mea of the day nstead. Remember, you re NOT supposed to starve yourse f. You re not even requ red to restr ct the amount of food you eat when on th s type of da y schedu ed eat ng p an, ust chose hea thy foods and be carefu to m n m ze carbs and rep ace them w th HEALTHY fats, ke coconut o , o ve o , o ves, butter, eggs, avocados, and nuts. It typ ca y takes severa weeks to sh ft to fat burn ng mode, but once you do, your crav ngs for unhea thy foods and carbs seems to d sappear as you re now actua y ab e to burn your stored fat and not have to re y on new carbs for fue . As d scussed n “The 8-Hour D et”: “Cons der th s 2007 Amer can Journa of C n ca Nutr t on study: Researchers d v ded study part c pants nto two groups and had each group eat the same number of ca or es — enough for them to ma nta n the r we ght. The on y d fference: One group ate a the r ca or es n three mea s spread throughout the day, wh e the other pract ced nterm ttent fast ng, eat ng the same number of ca or es but n a restr cted t me frame. Among the resu ts: Part c pants who ate n a sma er w ndow of t me had a s gn f cant mod f cat on of body compos t on, nc ud ng reduct ons n fat mass. Part of that fat burn comes s mp y from the body s search ng for energy and f nd ng t n your be y. But part of t s a so from a surpr s ng source: Accord ng to Panda s research, restr ct ng the t me per od dur ng wh ch you eat makes your body burn more ca or es throughout the day. That s r ght: The onger you feed, the az er your metabo sm becomes. But f t your food ntake nto an 8-hour w ndow and your body steps up to the p ate, burn ng more ca or es day and n ght. And new ev dence shows that we ght oss s ust the beg nn ng of nterm ttent fast ng s range of hea th benef ts.” Keep n m nd that the form of fast ng that m ght be best for you w vary depend ng on your we ght, hea th, and f tness goa s. Is your goa to ve a onger, hea th er fe? Or are you a compet t ve or e te ath ete? It may surpr se many to earn that you cannot ach eve max mum f tness and max mum ongev ty and fert ty at the same t me. Each goa requ res a d fferent strategy, and w not prov de you w th equa end resu ts. For examp e, e te fema e ath etes typ ca y have a d ff cu t t me gett ng pregnant—the r f tness has been max m zed at the expense of the r fert ty, as fema e hormones depend on suff c ent amounts of body fat. A so, p ease remember that proper nutr t on becomes even MORE mportant when fast ng, so address ng the foods you eat rea y shou d be your f rst step. Common sense w te you that fast ng comb ned w th a denatured, h gh y processed, tox n-r ch d et s ke y to do more harm than good, as you re not g v ng your body proper fue to thr ve when you DO eat. How “Schedu ed Eat ng” Can Promote Genera Hea th and Longev ty As de from remov ng your crav ngs for sugar and snack foods, me t ng the pounds of excess fat away, and mak ng t far eas er to ma nta n a hea thy body we ght, modern sc ence has a so conf rmed there are many other good reasons to fast nterm ttent y, such as: Norma z ng your nsu n and ept n sens t v ty, wh ch s key for opt ma hea th as nsu n res stance (wh ch s what you get when your nsu n sens t v ty p ummets) s a pr mary contr but ng factor to near y a chron c d sease, from d abetes to heart d sease and even cancer Norma z ng ghre n eve s, a so known as "the hunger hormone" Promot ng human growth hormone (HGH) product on, wh ch p ays an mportant part n hea th, f tness and s ow ng the ag ng process Lower ng tr g ycer de eve s Reduc ng nf ammat on and essen ng free rad ca damage There s a so p enty of research show ng that fast ng has a benef c a mpact on ongev ty n an ma s. There are a number of mechan sms contr but ng to th s effect. Norma z ng nsu n sens t v ty s a ma or one, but fast ng a so nh b ts the mTOR pathway, wh ch p ays an mportant part n dr v ng the ag ng process. The fact that t mproves a number of potent d sease markers a so contr butes to fast ng s overa benef c a effects on genera hea th. Interest ng y, one recent study4 found that fast ng ncreased the part c pants ow-dens ty poprote n cho estero (LDL or "bad" cho estero ) and h gh-dens ty poprote n cho estero (HDL, the "good" cho estero ) by 14 percent and 6 percent, respect ve y. Why wou d fast ng ra se tota cho estero ? Dr. Ben am n D. Horne, PhD, MPH, d rector of card ovascu ar and genet c ep dem o ogy at the Intermounta n Med ca Center Heart Inst tute, and the study s ead author, offers the fo ow ng exp anat on: "Fast ng causes hunger or stress. In response, the body re eases more cho estero , a ow ng t to ut ze fat as a source of fue , nstead of g ucose. Th s decreases the number of fat ce s n the body... Th s s mportant because the fewer fat ce s a body has, the ess ke y t w exper ence nsu n res stance, or d abetes." Even more remarkab e, the study a so found that fast ng tr ggered a dramat c r se n human growth hormone (HGH)—1,300 percent n women, and an astound ng 2,000 percent n men! The on y other th ng that can compete n terms of dramat ca y boost ng HGH eve s s h gh- ntens ty nterva tra n ng. HGH, common y referred to as "the f tness hormone" p ays an mportant ro e n ma nta n ng hea th, f tness and ongev ty, nc ud ng promot on of musc e growth, and boost ng fat oss by revv ng up your metabo sm. The fact that t he ps bu d musc e wh e s mu taneous y promot ng fat oss exp a ns why HGH he ps you ose we ght w thout sacr f c ng musc e mass, and why even ath etes can benef t from the pract ce (as ong as they don t overtra n and are carefu about the r nutr t on). Cut D abetes and Heart D sease R sk Just by Chang ng WHEN You Eat In a 2005 study,5 Dan sh researchers showed that nterm ttent fast ng qu ck y ncreases nsu n-med ated g ucose uptake rates. E ght hea thy men n the r m d-20 s fasted 20 hours every other day for 15 days. At the end of the tr a , the r nsu n had become more eff c ent at manag ng b ood sugar. Accord ng to the authors, th s appears to conf rm the theory of “thr fty genes,” wh ch s s m ar to Dr. R chard Johnson s f nd ng that metabo c syndrome s actua y a hea thy adapt ve cond t on that an ma s undergo to store fat to he p them surv ve per ods of fam ne. The prob em s that most a of us are a ways feast ng and never undergo fast ng... Our bod es have not adapted to th s yet and as a resu t, th s benef c a adaptat on actua y causes damage to contemporary man. Accord ng to the Dan sh researchers:6 “Insu n res stance s current y a ma or hea th prob em. Th s may be because of a marked decrease n da y phys ca act v ty dur ng recent decades comb ned w th constant food abundance. Th s festy e co des w th our genome, wh ch was most ke y se ected n the ate Pa eo th c era (50,000–10,000 BC) by cr ter a that favored surv va n an env ronment character zed by f uctuat ons between per ods of feast and fam ne. The theory of thr fty genes states that these f uctuat ons are requ red for opt ma metabo c funct on. ...Th s exper ment s the f rst n humans to show that nterm ttent fast ng ncreases nsu n-med ated g ucose uptake rates, and the f nd ngs are compat b e w th the thr fty gene concept.” [Emphas s m ne] Cont nued.....
jcg
02-02-2013, 08:24 AM
So, by m m ck ng the natura f uctuat ons n food ava ab ty w th an nterm ttent fast ng schedu e, you natura y opt m ze your metabo c funct on w thout actua y chang ng what or how much you eat when you DO eat (keep ng n m nd the qua ty of the nutr ents you eat, of course). Stud es have a so found compe ng nks between fast ng and reduced r sk of heart d sease.7 One of the most recent stud es, pub shed n June 2012,8 found that those who fasted regu ar y had a 58 percent ower r sk of coronary d sease compared to those who never fasted (90 percent of the part c pants were Mormons who are encouraged to fast one day a month). Regu ar fast ng was a so found to be assoc ated w th ower g ucose eve s and ower body mass ndex (BMI) overa . Interm ttent Fast ng May A so Boost Your Bra n Hea th A recent art c e n the Wash ngton Post9 h gh ghted yet another mportant hea th benef t assoc ated w th nterm ttent fast ng, name y bra n hea th and protect on aga nst dement a. Mark Mattson at the Nat ona Inst tute on Ag ng to d the paper: “We know from an ma mode s that f we start an nterm ttent fast ng d et at what wou d be the equ va ent of m dd e age n peop e, we can de ay the onset of A zhe mer s and Park nson s.” A c ue to the mechan sm beh nd th s benef t s offered n the fo ow ng paragraph:10 “A fast s cons dered to start about 10 to 12 hours after a mea , when you have used up a the ava ab e g ucose n your b ood and start convert ng g ycogen stored n ver and musc e ce s nto g ucose to use for energy. If the fast cont nues, there s a gradua move toward break ng down stored body fat, and the ver produces ketone bod es, short mo ecu es that are byproducts of the breakdown of fatty ac ds. These can be used by the bra n as fue .” Mattson s research suggests that fast ng every other day (restr ct ng your mea on fast ng days to about 600 ca or es), tends to boost product on of a prote n ca ed bra n-der ved neurotroph c factor (BDNF) by anywhere from 50 to 400 percent, depend ng on the bra n reg on. BDNF act vates bra n stem ce s to convert nto new neurons, and tr ggers numerous other chem ca s that promote neura hea th. Th s prote n a so protects your bra n ce s from changes assoc ated w th A zhe mer s and Park nson s d sease. “In m ce eng neered to deve op A zhe mer s- ke symptoms, a ternate-day fast ng begun n m dd e age de ayed the onset of memory prob ems by about s x months,” the Wash ngton Post revea s11. “ Th s s a arge effect, Mattson says, perhaps equ va ent to 20 years n humans.” Grow ng ev dence nd cates that both fast ng and exerc se tr gger genes and growth factors that recyc e and re uvenate your bra n and musc e t ssues. These growth factors nc ude BDNF, as ust ment oned, and musc e regu atory factors, or MRFs. These growth factors s gna bra n stem ce s and musc e sate te ce s to convert nto new neurons and new musc e ce s respect ve y. Interest ng y enough, BDNF a so expresses tse f n the neuro-muscu ar system where t protects neuro-motors from degradat on. (The neuromotor s the most cr t ca e ement n your musc e. W thout the neuromotor, your musc e s ke an eng ne w thout gn t on. Neuro-motor degradat on s part of the process that exp a ns age-re ated musc e atrophy.) So BDNF s act ve y nvo ved n both your musc es and your bra n, and th s cross-connect on, f you w , appears to be a ma or part of the exp anat on for why a phys ca workout can have such a benef c a mpact on your bra n t ssue—and why the comb nat on of nterm ttent fast ng w th h gh ntens ty exerc se appears to be a part cu ar y potent comb nat on. G ve Interm ttent Fast ng a Try Cons der sk pp ng breakfast eat unch and d nner and make sure you stop eat ng three hours before you go to s eep, so you re eat ng w th n an 8-hour t me frame every day. In the 6-8 hours that you do eat, you want to have hea thy prote n, m n m ze your carbs ke pasta and bread and potatoes and exchange them for HEALTHY fats ke butter, eggs, avocado, coconut o , o ve o and nuts. The type of fats the med a and “experts" te you to avo d. Th s w he p sh ft you to fat burn ng mode from carb burn ng mode. Remember t takes a few weeks, and you have to do t gradua y, but once you succeed to sw tch to fat burn ng mode, you w be eas y ab e to fast for 18 hours and not fee hungry. Your crav ngs for sugar w mag ca y d sappear and t w be much eas er to ach eve your dea we ght. The other “mag ca ” benef t that occurs s that you w rad ca y mprove the benef c a bacter a n your gut. Why s th s a good th ng? Because support ng hea thy gut bacter a, wh ch actua y outnumber your ce s 10 to one— s one of the most mportant th ngs you can do to mprove your mmune system so you won t get s ck, or get coughs, co ds and f us. You w s eep better, have more energy, have ncreased menta c ar ty and concentrate better. Essent a y every aspect of your hea th w mprove. Hopefu y these new books and stud es, a ong w th my own p easant exper ence and pos t ve resu ts w th nterm ttent fast ng w encourage you to g ve t a try. It s another powerfu too to he p you and your fam y take contro of your hea th.
jcg
02-03-2013, 02:09 PM
Gatorade pu s ngred ent nked to f ame retardant http://www.trb mg.com/ mg-5102e700/turb ne/ a-f -mo-gatorade-f ame-retardant-20130125-001/580/580x355 Gatorade w remove a controvers a chem ca from ts ngred ents. (Ram n Ta a e / B oomberg News) By T ffany Hsu January 25, 2013, 12:41 p.m. Brom nated vegetab e o , a synthet c chem ca that has been patented n Europe as a f ame retardant, w no onger doub e as an ngred ent n Gatorade sports dr nks. Mo y Carter, a spokeswoman for Gatorade owner Peps Co Inc., sa d the company has been cons der ng the move for more than a year, work ng on a way to take out the ngred ent w thout affect ng the f avor of the dr nk. A recent pet t on on Change.org to drop the chem ca – wh ch has more than 200,000 supporters – d d not nsp re the dec s on, Carter sa d, though she acknow edged that consumer feedback was the ma n mpetus. In the pet t on, posted by Sarah Kavanagh of Hatt esburg, M ss., “BVO” s descr bed as banned n Japan and the European Un on. The effort quotes a Sc ent f c Amer can art c e suggest ng that “BVO cou d be bu d ng up n human t ssues” and that stud es on m ce have shown “reproduct ve and behav ora prob ems” nked to arge doses of the chem ca . The reformu ated Gatorade f avors “w start ro ng out n the next few months,” Carter sa d. There s no hard date for the aunch because “we re not reca ng Gatorade,” she sa d. “We don t th nk our products are unsafe. We don t th nk there are hea th or safety r sks.” The BVO ngred ent was used as a f avor emu s f er, he p ng to d str bute Gatorade s co or ng throughout the bott e, Carter sa d. Now, the company s swapp ng n another emu s f er w th an nt m dat ng name: sucrose acetate sobutyrate.
jcg
02-03-2013, 02:15 PM
Yum! The McR b s Back, Get Yours Today (After You F nd Out What s In It); The Secret s n the Sauce! https://encrypted-tbn2.gstat c.com/ mages?q=tbn:ANd9GcRLqWmhzvBk1380C64qLEzhchFFzbWXL 7NeYNFVr0heAIfgv McDona d s does an exce ent ob at promot ng sandw ches on ts menu. Top on the st s the "McR b" wh ch comes and goes n " m ted t me" offers. You can even use a McR b Locator to f nd out wh ch cha ns have the de cacy. Before you rush out of your house to get one, you may be wonder ng "What s n a McR b". That s a good quest on and the Natura Soc ety has the answer n McDona d s McR b Sandw ch a Franken Creat on of GMOs, Tox c Ingred ents, Banned Ingred ents. The McR b s the resu t of ntens ve market ng by McDona d s. Ut z ng the bas cs of supp y and demand through creat ng scarc ty over the McR b by on y un eash ng the cu nary abom nat on for a fract on of the year that s on y known once t s re eased, McDona d s fans have been known to hoard McR b sandw ches and eat them n extreme excess. But what s rea y ns de the McR b spec f ca y that makes t such a food abom nat on? Conta n ng over 70 ngred ents, the McR b s fu of surpr ses — nc ud ng restructured meat techno ogy that nc udes trad t ona y-d scarded an ma parts brought together to create a r b- ke substance. Here s some of the d sturb ng substances found w th n the McDona d s McR b sandw ch: A f our-b each ng agent used n yoga mats Out of the 70 ngred ents that make up the pork sandw ch, a tt e-known f our-b each ng agent known as azod carbonam de es among them. At f rst g ance, th s strange ngred ent sounds concern ng enough to ook nto. After a tt e research, you w f nd that even ma nstream med a out ets have generated content revea ng how azod carbonam de s actua y used n the product on of foamed p ast cs. Foamed p ast cs ke yoga mats and more. What s more? In Austra a and Europe, the use of azod carbonam de as a food add t ve s banned. In S ngapore spec f ca y, use of th s substance n food can resu t n a $450,000 f ne and 15 years n a . Thank you McDona d s for supp y ng the nat on w th such hea thfu ngred ents. Restructured Meat from P g Heart, Tongue, Stomach McDona d s McR b s famous n some c rc es for ut z ng what s known as restructured meat techno ogy. S nce McDona d s knows you d never eat a p g heart, tongue, or stomach on your p ate, they dec ded nstead to gr nd up these ngred ents and put them nto the form of a typ ca r b. That way, consumers won t know what they re putt ng nto the r mouths. As the Ch cago Mag reported, the nnovator of th s techno ogy back n 1995 sa d t best: “Most peop e wou d be extreme y unhappy f they were served heart or tongue on a p ate… but f aked nto a restructured product t oses ts dent ty. Such products as tr pe, heart, and sca ded stomachs…” So n other words, t s not actua y a r b. Instead, t s a comb nat on of unwanted an ma scraps processed down n ma or fac t es and restructured nto the form of a r b. Then, 70 add t ves, chem ca s, f ers, and GMO ngred ents ater, you have a meat product that tastes ke r bs. Whopper Horsemeat Sure y Burger K ng s not ta nted w th such tact cs. Or s t? For the answer, et s take a ook at another report from the Natura Soc ety: Burger K ng Adm ts Burgers Conta n Horsemeat In a p ece of h gh y d sturb ng news, Burger K ng has now adm tted after cont nuous den a that t has actua y been se ng UK customers both burgers and Whoppers that conta n horsemeat. Th s adm ss on comes ust after The Guard an reports that Burger K ng reps offered a round of abso ute assurances to customers that t d d not ever use horsemeat n ts products. A ser es of tests done on the burger products now revea that Burger K ng has been ssu ng comp ete y phony statements, w th burgers made for the fast food cha n from the Ir sh company S vercrest conta n ng measurab e eve s of horsemeat. It s mportant to note th s s the same company that processes meat for Tesco, Asda, and the Co-op. The managers at S vercrest have been revea ed to be ut z ng non-approved ngred ents w th n the r burger assortment – even for househo d brands . Burger K ng Adm ts Error The Guard an reports Burger K ng revea s ts burgers were contam nated n horsemeat scanda . Burger K ng has revea ed that some of ts burgers were contam nated n the horsemeat scare, as the ta nted food cr s s threatened to underm ne the conf dence of consumers, and ma or reta ers tr ed to protect the r reputat ons. As governments n Ire and, the UK and Po and, where a supp er used by S vercrest for a year s thought be the source of the contam nat on, cont nued the r nvest gat ons, Burger K ng adm tted that, contrary to prev ous assurances made to t by S vercrest, t too had now been nked to the scanda . Author t es ns st there s no hea th danger to consumers. Meanwh e A d UK became the f rst ma or reta er to suspend ts contract w th a Br t sh p ant, Da epak Hamb eton n North Yorksh re, wh ch, ke S vercrest, s part of the ABP Food Group, pend ng further nvest gat ons nto why three of n ne new y tested burger samp es had traces of horse and pork DNA. The products were from stock w thdrawn n recent weeks as a precaut on but made s nce October, the company sa d. Burger K ng sa d: "Our ndependent DNA test resu ts on product taken from restaurants were negat ve for any equ ne DNA. However, four samp es recent y taken from the S vercrest p ant have shown the presence of very sma trace eve s of equ ne DNA. W th n the ast 36 hours, we have estab shed that S vercrest used a sma percentage of beef mported from a non-approved supp er n Po and. They prom sed to de ver 100% Br t sh and Ir sh beef patt es and have not done so. Th s s a c ear v o at on of our spec f cat ons, and we have term nated our re at onsh p w th them." D ego Beamonte, v ce-pres dent for g oba qua ty at Burger K ng, sa d the company was "deep y troub ed by the f nd ngs of our nvest gat on and apo og se to our guests, who trust us to source on y the h ghest qua ty 100% beef burgers. Our supp er has fa ed us and n turn we have fa ed you". Surpr se? What Surpr se? Is anyone surpr sed by th s? I certa n y am not. Indeed, after report ng on the "Extra-Va ue" Horse-Burger at grocery cha ns n the UK and Ire and, I wou d have been surpr sed to f nd out that burger cha ns were not contam nated as we . Heck, even before read ng art c es on contam nat on I wou d have been surpr sed. The Secret s n the Sauce! Inqu r ng m nds m ght wonder "Just how does McDona d s get the McR b to taste so yummy?" That s a good quest on too, and I have two answers. Some s mp y ke azod carbonam de, b each ng agents, tr pe, heart, sca ded stomachs, tongues, and other unwanted an ma scraps restructured nto the form of a r b. For everyone e se, "The secret s n the sauce!" (Just don t ask what s n t). M ke "M sh" Shed ock
Sev
02-04-2013, 05:26 AM
Grow your own n the K tchen. K tchen Nano Garden. http://www. ovesfoodandart.com/hyunda -k tchen-nano-garden-hydropon c-br ance/ https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/71808_341103535998324_1241977044_n. pg Or The Urban Cu t vator. http://www. ovesfoodandart.com/hyunda -k tchen-nano-garden-urban-cu t vator/ http://www. ovesfoodandart.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/05/Commerc a -Cu t vator. pg http://www. ovesfoodandart.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/05/K tchen-Cu t vator-Bu t-In. pg http://www. ovesfoodandart.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/05/K tchen-Cu t vator-Ro ng. pg
jcg
02-04-2013, 11:59 AM
States Cons der ng Laws That Wou d Make t an Act of Terror sm to Report on Abuses at Factory Farms February 4th, 2013 V a: G oba Poss b t es: How do you keep consumers n the dark about the horrors of factory farms? By mak ng t an “act of terror sm” for anyone to nvest gate an ma crue ty, food safety or env ronmenta v o at ons on the corporate-contro ed farms that produce the bu k of our meat, eggs and da ry products. And who better to wr te the An ma and Eco og ca Terror sm Act, des gned to protect B g Ag and B g Energy, than the awyers on the Energy, Env ronment and Agr cu ture Task Force at the corporate-funded and nfamous Amer can Leg s at ve Exchange Counc (ALEC). New Hampsh re, Wyom ng and Nebraska are the atest states to ntroduce Ag-Gag aws a med at prevent ng emp oyees, ourna sts or act v sts from expos ng ega or uneth ca pract ces on factory farms. Lawmakers n 10 other states ntroduced s m ar b s n 2011-2012. The aws passed n three of those states: M ssour , Iowa and Utah. But consumer and an ma -we fare act v sts prevented the aws from pass ng n F or da, I no s, Ind ana, M nnesota, Nebraska, New York and Tennessee.
jcg
02-06-2013, 10:10 AM
Saturday, February 02, 2013 9:48 AM Yum! The McR b s Back, Get Yours Today (After You F nd Out What s In It); The Secret s n the Sauce! McDona d s does an exce ent ob at promot ng sandw ches on ts menu. Top on the st s the "McR b" wh ch comes and goes n " m ted t me" offers. You can even use a McR b Locator to f nd out wh ch cha ns have the de cacy. Before you rush out of your house to get one, you may be wonder ng "What s n a McR b". That s a good quest on and the Natura Soc ety has the answer n McDona d s McR b Sandw ch a Franken Creat on of GMOs, Tox c Ingred ents, Banned Ingred ents. The McR b s the resu t of ntens ve market ng by McDona d s. Ut z ng the bas cs of supp y and demand through creat ng scarc ty over the McR b by on y un eash ng the cu nary abom nat on for a fract on of the year that s on y known once t s re eased, McDona d s fans have been known to hoard McR b sandw ches and eat them n extreme excess. But what s rea y ns de the McR b spec f ca y that makes t such a food abom nat on? Conta n ng over 70 ngred ents, the McR b s fu of surpr ses — nc ud ng restructured meat techno ogy that nc udes trad t ona y-d scarded an ma parts brought together to create a r b- ke substance. Here s some of the d sturb ng substances found w th n the McDona d s McR b sandw ch: A f our-b each ng agent used n yoga mats Out of the 70 ngred ents that make up the pork sandw ch, a tt e-known f our-b each ng agent known as azod carbonam de es among them. At f rst g ance, th s strange ngred ent sounds concern ng enough to ook nto. After a tt e research, you w f nd that even ma nstream med a out ets have generated content revea ng how azod carbonam de s actua y used n the product on of foamed p ast cs. Foamed p ast cs ke yoga mats and more. What s more? In Austra a and Europe, the use of azod carbonam de as a food add t ve s banned. In S ngapore spec f ca y, use of th s substance n food can resu t n a $450,000 f ne and 15 years n a . Thank you McDona d s for supp y ng the nat on w th such hea thfu ngred ents. Restructured Meat from P g Heart, Tongue, Stomach McDona d s McR b s famous n some c rc es for ut z ng what s known as restructured meat techno ogy. S nce McDona d s knows you d never eat a p g heart, tongue, or stomach on your p ate, they dec ded nstead to gr nd up these ngred ents and put them nto the form of a typ ca r b. That way, consumers won t know what they re putt ng nto the r mouths. As the Ch cago Mag reported, the nnovator of th s techno ogy back n 1995 sa d t best: “Most peop e wou d be extreme y unhappy f they were served heart or tongue on a p ate… but f aked nto a restructured product t oses ts dent ty. Such products as tr pe, heart, and sca ded stomachs…” So n other words, t s not actua y a r b. Instead, t s a comb nat on of unwanted an ma scraps processed down n ma or fac t es and restructured nto the form of a r b. Then, 70 add t ves, chem ca s, f ers, and GMO ngred ents ater, you have a meat product that tastes ke r bs. Whopper Horsemeat Sure y Burger K ng s not ta nted w th such tact cs. Or s t? For the answer, et s take a ook at another report from the Natura Soc ety: Burger K ng Adm ts Burgers Conta n Horsemeat In a p ece of h gh y d sturb ng news, Burger K ng has now adm tted after cont nuous den a that t has actua y been se ng UK customers both burgers and Whoppers that conta n horsemeat. Th s adm ss on comes ust after The Guard an reports that Burger K ng reps offered a round of abso ute assurances to customers that t d d not ever use horsemeat n ts products. A ser es of tests done on the burger products now revea that Burger K ng has been ssu ng comp ete y phony statements, w th burgers made for the fast food cha n from the Ir sh company S vercrest conta n ng measurab e eve s of horsemeat. It s mportant to note th s s the same company that processes meat for Tesco, Asda, and the Co-op. The managers at S vercrest have been revea ed to be ut z ng non-approved ngred ents w th n the r burger assortment – even for househo d brands .
Burger K ng Adm ts Error The Guard an reports Burger K ng revea s ts burgers were contam nated n horsemeat scanda . Burger K ng has revea ed that some of ts burgers were contam nated n the horsemeat scare, as the ta nted food cr s s threatened to underm ne the conf dence of consumers, and ma or reta ers tr ed to protect the r reputat ons. As governments n Ire and, the UK and Po and, where a supp er used by S vercrest for a year s thought be the source of the contam nat on, cont nued the r nvest gat ons, Burger K ng adm tted that, contrary to prev ous assurances made to t by S vercrest, t too had now been nked to the scanda . Author t es ns st there s no hea th danger to consumers. Meanwh e A d UK became the f rst ma or reta er to suspend ts contract w th a Br t sh p ant, Da epak Hamb eton n North Yorksh re, wh ch, ke S vercrest, s part of the ABP Food Group, pend ng further nvest gat ons nto why three of n ne new y tested burger samp es had traces of horse and pork DNA. The products were from stock w thdrawn n recent weeks as a precaut on but made s nce October, the company sa d. Burger K ng sa d: "Our ndependent DNA test resu ts on product taken from restaurants were negat ve for any equ ne DNA. However, four samp es recent y taken from the S vercrest p ant have shown the presence of very sma trace eve s of equ ne DNA. W th n the ast 36 hours, we have estab shed that S vercrest used a sma percentage of beef mported from a non-approved supp er n Po and. They prom sed to de ver 100% Br t sh and Ir sh beef patt es and have not done so. Th s s a c ear v o at on of our spec f cat ons, and we have term nated our re at onsh p w th them." D ego Beamonte, v ce-pres dent for g oba qua ty at Burger K ng, sa d the company was "deep y troub ed by the f nd ngs of our nvest gat on and apo og se to our guests, who trust us to source on y the h ghest qua ty 100% beef burgers. Our supp er has fa ed us and n turn we have fa ed you". Surpr se? What Surpr se? Is anyone surpr sed by th s? I certa n y am not. Indeed, after report ng on the "Extra-Va ue" Horse-Burger at grocery cha ns n the UK and Ire and, I wou d have been surpr sed to f nd out that burger cha ns were not contam nated as we . Heck, even before read ng art c es on contam nat on I wou d have been surpr sed. The Secret s n the Sauce! Inqu r ng m nds m ght wonder "Just how does McDona d s get the McR b to taste so yummy?" That s a good quest on too, and I have two answers. Some s mp y ke azod carbonam de, b each ng agents, tr pe, heart, sca ded stomachs, tongues, and other unwanted an ma scraps restructured nto the form of a r b. For everyone e se, "The secret s n the sauce!" (Just don t ask what s n t). M ke "M sh" Shed ock
jcg
02-07-2013, 08:11 AM
Study suggests ch cken pox vacc ne respons b e for tr gger ng nat onw de sh ng es ep dem c Thursday, February 07, 2013 by: Jonathan Benson, staff wr ter http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Med ca /Need e-V a s-Vacc ne-F u. pg (Natura News) For the past severa years, the U.S. Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on (CDC) has been act ve y promot ng the sh ng es vacc ne as the so ut on to what some experts say s a bu d ng sh ng es ep dem c. But a new study pub shed n the German med ca ourna Der Hautarzt, or "The Dermato og st" n Eng sh, has revea ed that the ch dhood vacc ne for ch cken pox, a common v ra d sease re ated to sh ng es, may actua y be d rect y respons b e for tr gger ng th s ep dem c. A so known c n ca y as var ce a-zoster v rus (VZV), ch cken pox s a re at ve y m d form of herpes v rus that typ ca y man fests tse f dur ng the ear y ch dhood years. Near y a ch dren who deve op the cond t on at a young age, n fact, never deve op t aga n, and are a so usua y mparted w th fe ong mmun ty to both VZV and ts re at ve, herpes zoster, a more severe form of the d sease common y referred to as sh ng es. Accord ng to the new study; however, gett ng vacc nated w th the ch cken pox vacc ne, wh ch f rst became commerc a y ava ab e n the U.S. back n 1995, cou d damage th s natura mmune cyc e. Based on the ava ab e data, gett ng vacc nated for ch cken pox may end up b ock ng the mechan sms the body uses to deve op ts own natura mmun ty to both ch cken pox and sh ng es, caus ng much worse nfect on ater on down the road. A f ve-year-o d g r , t turns out, was found recent y to have deve oped severe symptoms of sh ng es not ong after be ng vacc nated for ch cken pox. Researchers from He os K n kum n Germany conducted a d rect mmunof uorescence assay on the ch d to ook for ev dence of the vacc ne stra n n the nfect on, and found that the vacc ne stra n had, ndeed, caused the ch d to become nfected w th the much more severe sh ng es v rus. "Th s case demonstrates that a negat ve VZV d rect mmunof uorescence assay does not exc ude an nfect on w th the vacc ne stra n," wrote the authors n the r study abstract, wh ch you can v ew here: http://www.ncb .n m.n h.gov/pubmed/23358727 Ch cken pox vacc ne prevents body from deve op ng ts own natura mmun ty to sh ng es Adu ts, and part cu ar y those who have not yet had the ch cken pox, are sa d to be most prone to deve op ng sh ng es, wh ch s why the CDC and others are urg ng nd v dua s over age 50 to get a sh ng es vacc ne. But what th s b oated bureaucracy s fa ng to d sc ose pub c y s the fact that the sudden upt ck n sh ng es cases s d rect y assoc ated w th the advent of the ch cken pox vacc ne. Peop e who were vacc nated for ch cken pox as ch dren beg nn ng n the 1990s are now ec ps ng nto adu thood. Many of these ch dren have never had the ch cken pox, wh ch means the r bod es have never had the chance to deve op natura mmun ty to both future nfect on w th ch cken pox and sh ng es. As a resu t, th s ch cken pox-vacc nated generat on s not on y see ng an ncrease n sh ng es nfect ons rates, but s a so shedd ng the v rus onto others. Back n 2005, Dr. Gary S. Go dman, Ph.D., the formed Ed tor- n-Ch ef of the char ty Med ca Ver tas, pub shed a study n the Internat ona Journa of Tox co ogy show ng that even f the ch cken pox vacc ne d d erad cate ch cken pox as c a med, t wou d nduce a much more severe sh ng es ep dem c that wou d gradua y bu d n ntens ty for up to 50 years. It now appears as though Dr. Go dman s f nd ngs were, ndeed, correct. Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://www.ncb .n m.n h.gov/pubmed/23358727 http://hea th mpactnews.com
jcg
02-07-2013, 08:53 PM
Sp nach vs. Mâche: The U t mate Gu de to Your Greens Posted by Cas e Terry http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/02/ Stock_000005053668XSma . pg In restaurants and grocery stores, we often see terms ke “mesc un greens” or “spr ng m x” — but what do these terms mean exact y, and how do the comb nat ons affect the taste and nutr t ona prof e of the greens? Wh e terms ke “mesc un greens” or “spr ng m x” are gener c and have no rea def n t on, chefs and manufacturers are qu te ca cu at ng n creat ng these m xed greens comb nat ons. And many of them can eas y be made at home us ng organ c greens that are much fresher. The tr ck s s mp y know ng a tt e more about the textures and f avor prof es of each eafy green. StartCook ng.com summed up a great ru e of thumb for m x ng your own greens: When t comes to mak ng a sa ad, try creat ng your own m x by toss ng together at east three var et es. Here s a bas c formu a: Use a m d ettuce or green, ke Boston, b bb or end ve Another shou d be a cr sp ettuce or green, ke roma ne or cabbage The th rd k nd shou d be tart, peppery, or b tter greens, ke arugu a or rad cch o Armed w th th s great t p, t s sudden y eas er to create your own de c ous m x of sa ad greens that are organ c and fresher than prepackaged greens. Here s a tt e nformat on p us some fun facts about 10 of the most common sa ad greens. (Note: we are on y cover ng green eaves but there are other eafy ngred ents that are common sa ad stap es such as rad cch o and red cabbage. If you re nterested, we can a ways fo ow up w th a post that d st ngu shes red eafy vegetab es as we . Just et us know n the comments sect on.) http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/02/greens1. pg 1. Sp nach Look: Sp nach eaves tend to be narrow to round eaves w th no protrus ons. They are dark, tender and soft to the touch. Taste: Often the exc us ve foundat on of a sa ad, sp nach s hearty w th a b tter f n sh. Nur t on Factor: Sp nach s a great source of the eye support ng ant ox dant, ute n. Its a so h gh n ron, ca c um, v tam n K, v tam n A, V tam n C and B v tam ns. A though sp nach packs more ron per gram than beef, t a so conta ns oxa ates wh ch can b nd to both ca c um and ron, comprom s ng absorpt on. To max m ze absorpt on of these m nera s, try a c trus-based dress ng as v tam n C can boost ron absorpt on. Fun Fact: The F orence, Ita y-born w fe of K ng Henry II of France, Queen Cather ne de Med c , oved sp nach so much that she ns sted t be served at every mea . To th s day, her ove of sp nach s the reason we ca rec pes that are dressed w th sp nach “F orent ne.” 2. Roma ne Look: Roma ne heads are ta w th ong eaves and a f rm r b n the center. They tend to be ghter and more f rm at the base and darker more oose y packs towards the t p. Roma ne, wh ch comes n both green and red var et es, s one of the on y common sa ad greens that can accurate y be ca ed “ ettuce.” Taste: Roma ne eaves are very m d w th an ncreas ng y b tter taste c oser to the r b. Nur t on Factor: Th s crunchy green a very hydrat ng eaf and a great source of v tam n A, v tam n C and fo ate. Fun Fact: As you probab y know, the roma ne eaf s the on y green used n Caesar sa ads. But what you m ght not know s that the Caesar sa ad was nvented n the U.S. by restaurant owner Caesar Card n . In 1924, a Fourth of Ju y rush dep eted h s k tchen of most ngred ents and n a moment of desperat on, Caesar sprung nto act on creat ng a sa ad w th the ngred ents he had eft: Roma ne, o ve o , gar c, v negar, Worcestersh re sauce, emon u ce, egg, Parmesan and croutons. 3. Arugu a Look: Fast becom ng a sa ad stap e, the arugu a eaves are ong and sk nny, darker n co or and have 2-3 s de pro ect ons. Taste: Arugu a s known for be ng a very r ch green w th peppery notes. Nur t on Factor: Arugu a s an exce ent source of v tam n A, v tam n C, v tam n K, and d - ndo y -methane (DIM), a p ant compound thought to promote hea thy hormone ba ance. Fun Fact: Arugu a a so grows t ny f owers wh ch are often used as ed b e garn shes on sa ads. 4. Fr sée Look: A so known as “cur y end ve,” Fr sée s eaves are sk nny and cur y w th co ors that range from ght ye ow to ye ow green. (I a ways remembered the name of th s eaf by reca ng that they ook frazz ed– “frazze ed fr sée”). Taste: Th s green s m d y b tter and nutty w th notes of pepper. Nutr t on Factor: These eaves are a great source of v tam n C and f ber. Fun Fact: D d your sa ad seem huge but you re st hungry? Fr sée s often used by restaurants to add vo ume and d mens on to sa ads, mak ng the sa ads ook b gger than they rea y are. 5. Be g um End ve Look: A member of the ch cory fam y, Be g um end ve s ta , f rm and cr spy w th sat ny eaves that are often wh te to pa e ye ow n co or. Taste: Be g um end ve s m d y b tter w th the more m d tastes com ng from the ghter end of the eaf. Nutr t on Factor: End ve s an exce ent source of beta carotene, B v tam ns and f ber. Fun Fact: Because the eaf of the Be g um end ve s so strong and has a “scoop” shape, t s often used as a serv ng spoon for many appet zers. 6. Watercress Look: Watercress s character zed by ts ong, ho ow stem and sma round green eaves. Taste: Th s green s peppery w th a tangy f avor. Nutr t on Factor: Watercress s known to have many hea th benef ts. In add t on to be ng an exce ent source of ron, ca c um, v tam n A, v tam n C and fo c ac d, t s thought that watercress may act as a d uret c, an expectorant, and a d gest ve a d. Fun Fact: In h s 1617 pub cat on of The Surgeon s Mate, John Wooda recommended watercress as a potent a remedy for scurvy. 7. Butterhead Lettuce Look: Another of the true “Luttuces,” Butterhead Lettuce s actua y an umbre a term used to descr be Boston, B bb, Buttercrunch, and Tom Thumb. Due to the r de cacy, you typ ca y f nd these eaves packed n p ast c conta ners. Butterhead ettuce heads are oose y packed w th sma , round and soft eaves that are range from pa e green to dark green n co or. Taste: These eaves are very m d and smooth ( ke butter). Somet mes they are even a tt e on the sweeter s de. Nutr t on Factor: A var et es of butterhead ettuce are h gh n v tam n K and s very hydrat ng. They usua y average about 96% water (how c eans ng!). Fun Fact: Lettuce was actua y named for ts m k. The at n name, Lactuca sat va, was der ved from the Lat n word for m k, “ ac” wh ch referred to the p ant s m ky u ce. 8. Cr sphead Lettuce Look: The f na “ ettuce” on th s st, cr sphead ettuce, a so known as ceberg, s arger n s ze w th t ght y packed eaves that are ght pa e green n co or. Taste: The most neutra of sa ad greens, cr sphead ettuce s cr sp and very m d. Nutr t on Factor: S m ar to butterhead ettuce, cr sphead ettuce s a good source of v tam n K, water and f ber. Fun Fact: It s thought that anc ent Romans and anc ent Egypt ans consumed both cr sphead ettuce and butterhead ettuce at the end of even ng mea s because they conta n Lactucar um, an op ate- ke substance thought to nduce s eep. 9. Mâche Look: Often so d st p anted n a pot of so , Mâche has a ong, wh te stem and sma ova -shaped eaves. Taste: Th s ess common but de c ous green s very m d and s ght y sweet. Nutr t on Factor: Mâche s thought to be very h gh n v tam n C as ettuce, beta-carotene and B v tam ns. Fun Fact: A more common name for Mâche s corn sa ad wh ch refers to the fact that t often grew as a weed n wheat f e ds. 10. M zuna Look: Deep green n co or w th a ght sta k, M suna eaves are typ ca y med um n s ze w th agged edges. Taste: M zuna s s ght y peppery w th a d st nct mustard- ke f avor. Nutr t on Factor: Th s eafy green s h gh n caroteno ds and s a great source of f ber. Fun Fact: Ind genous to Japan, M zuna s h gh y res stant to co d weather and grown dur ng the co d w nter months (the Japanese a so en oy th s green p ck ed).
Sev
02-08-2013, 12:56 PM
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/529875_343335069108504_2135269362_n. pg
jcg
02-09-2013, 07:35 AM
Researchers Revea The 5 Easy Ways You Can Lower Your B ood Pressure W thout Drugs http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/ Stock_000008162584XSma . pg Posted by John Ph p Hypertens on or h gh b ood pressure s one of the most s gn f cant r sk factors for card ovascu ar d sease, ead ng to an est mated 15 percent of a deaths wor dw de each year. Excess ve b ood pressure causes m cro-cracks n the nner n ng of arter a wa s, ead ng to a cascade of ser ous hea th concerns. In a desperate attempt to prevent a potent a y dead y hemorrhage, patch ng mater a s are qu ck y pu ed from b ood c rcu at on to repa r the cracks. Wh e th s may save your fe n the short term, over the course of severa decades, p aque vo ume ncreases unt b ood f ow s cut off to the heart and bra n, or a c ot becomes odged n a narrowed artery. Med ca researchers have dent f ed a number of mportant festy e factors that ncrease the r sk for hypertens on and have found that by mod fy ng these act ons, b ood pressure can be returned to norma w thout the need for pharmaceut ca s that are neffect ve and wrought w th dead y s de effects. Fo ow Hea thy L festy e Parameters to S ash the R sk of H gh B ood Pressure A research team from F n and report ng to the European Soc ety of Card o ogy Congress has found that hea thy behav ors regard ng a coho , phys ca act v ty, vegetab e ntake and body we ght reduce the r sk of hypertens on by twoth rds. They note that prevent on of hypertens on s essent a to mprov ng hea th and prevent ng morb d ty and morta ty. The team dent f ed f ve ma or card ovascu ar d sease re ated festy e factors: smok ng, a coho consumpt on, phys ca act v ty, obes ty and consumpt on of vegetab es. The r task was to determ ne f correct ng abnorma t es n these factors cou d he p pred ct the future ncrease of b ood pressure and deve opment of c n ca hypertens on. They deve oped a arge cohort study nc ud ng 9,637 men and 11,430 women, aged 25 to 74 years who were free of hypertens on dur ng base ne measurements. The study asted for twenty years. The researchers set parameters for hea thy festy e factors as fo ows: 1. Not smok ng. 2. A coho consumpt on ess than 50g per week. 3. Le sure t me phys ca act v ty at east 3 t mes per week. 4. Da y consumpt on of vegetab es. 5. Norma body we ght (BMI ower than 25). Contro ng Two L festy e Factors Can Cut H gh B ood Pressure R sk n Ha f Dur ng a 16 year fo ow-up per od, 709 men and 890 women deve oped hypertens on. The study authors conc uded “The r sk of hypertens on was on y one th rd among those hav ng a four hea thy festy e factors compared to those hav ng none… four mod f ab e festy e factors: a coho consumpt on, phys ca act v ty, consumpt on of vegetab es and keep ng norma we ght have a remarkab e effect on the deve opment of hypertens on.” The team found that the effect of festy e mod f cat ons was more pronounced n men than women, ke y due to ncreases n a coho consumpt on and a tendency toward obes ty found w th n the ma e group. Most hea th consc ous nd v dua s ve w th n the festy e parameters def ned as hea thy n th s study, yet t st acts as an mportant rem nder to rema n v g ant at a stages of fe to prevent hypertens on and rema n d sease-free. Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://www.escard o.org/about/press/press-re eases/esc12-mun ch/Pages/hea thy- festy e-reduces-r sk-hypertens on.aspx http://www.sc enceda y.com/re eases/2012/08/120827074155.htm http://www.eureka ert.org/pub_re eases/2012-08/esoc-h r082712.php
jcg
02-09-2013, 08:42 PM
Has the Hea th Care Industry Lost Its Mora Compass? http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/mora -compass-e1358952419145. pg Posted by L ssa Rank n, MD Med c ne s f ed w th good peop e do ng the best they can to operate n a bad system. In my exper ence, most peop e n the hea th care ndustry are do ng the r obs we . They ust don t rea ze that the r ob descr pt ons are ust p a n wrong. In the U.S., we spend 2.7 tr on do ars per year on hea th care. E sewhere, the average hea th care expend ture s $3,000 per person per year. In the U.S., t s $8,000 per person per year. We spend more than $300 b on per year on pharmaceut ca s, a most as much as the who e rest of the wor d comb ned. Yet our fe expectancy s ranked at #50 n wor d. Forty-n ne countr es are more successfu at v ng ong hea thy ves than we are, and they do t at a esser cost to boot. Dartmouth Un vers ty even d d a study exam n ng reg ona d fferences n how much t costs to care for a Med care pat ent. They found that Med care pat ents n M am averaged a cost of $15,000 per pat ent per year, whereas Med care pat ents n M nneapo s averaged about $7,000 per pat ent per year. The pat ents n M am were gett ng s gn f cant y more med ca care, and many more Med care do ars were spent, yet the M am pat ents d d not have better outcomes and actua y were more ke y to d e sooner than the M nneapo s pat ents. 20% of pat ents take up 80% of hea th care do ars, usua y from chron c ness, repet t ve hosp ta zat on, and morb d obes ty, yet th s ncreased spend ng of hea th care do ars doesn t mprove the fe expectancy of these pat ents. Not Hea th Care – D sease Care I b ame our system for go ng about t a wrong. As Andrew We sa d n the documentary f m Escape F re, “We don t have a hea th care system. We have a d sease care system.” A so read: Guess What K s One Person Every 19 M nutes? There s no ncent ve n the way the system s set up to prevent d sease. Doctors don t get pa d f they spend an hour teach ng you how to eat a hea thy d et, exerc se regu ar y, prevent work stress, a ev ate one ness, nvest n hea thy re at onsh ps, and focus on pos t ve be ef. The rea ty s that our for-prof t hea th care system s set up to reward phys c ans who order tests or do procedures, not the ones who spend t me ta k ng to the r pat ents. And yet ta k ng to pat ents s the #1 best th ng a phys c an can do f he or she rea y cares about he p ng pat ents hea . If a card o og st spends 5 m nutes w th you and then puts a stent n your heart, he gets pa d about $1500. If he spends 45 m n ta k ng about preventat ve hea th, he gets pa d about $15. Th s fee-for-serv ce mode the U.S. has embraced rewards phys c ans for de ver ng more care – for order ng more tests and perform ng more procedures, wh ch eads to overd agnos s and overtreatment, when the best th ng we cou d do s reward phys c ans who devote themse ves to he p ng pat ents ve opt ma y hea thy ves so they can avo d ab tests and procedures. The R sks Of Overd agnos s & Overtreatment Accord ng to a 2011 study, 30% of hea th care do ars are wasted and don t mprove outcomes. And t s not ust that med ca do ars get wasted. Such overd agnos s and overtreatment can do mmeasurab e harm. 187,000 pat ents d e each year from harmfu hea th care, def ned as med ca error and nosocom a nfect ons acqu red w th n the hosp ta , often the resu t of nfect on from drug-res stant bacter a stra ns that ex st on y n hosp ta s. Wh e modern med c ne, espec a y n the rea m of trauma care, saves ves that wou d have been ost a century ago, the rea ty s that modern med ca care s the 3rd ead ng cause of death, ust after heart d sease (#1) and cancer (#2.) A so read: The #1 Nutr t ona Def c ency Damag ng Your Bra n Our hea th care system s ser ous y broken. Yet, those n power do not want the system to be f xed. Most of the money n hea th care do ars s go ng nto the hands of med ca dev ce compan es, HMO s, and pharmaceut ca compan es, not doctors or hosp ta s. These compan es have powerfu obb es and b g budgets to ensure that Congress doesn t enact aws that m t the r power and prof ts. For examp e, we a know that a nutr t ous d et s essent a to good hea th. As H ppocrates sa d, “Let food be your med c ne and med c ne be your food.” Yet, our government subs d zes a the wrong th ngs – gra ns and corn, not carrots, beets, and ka e. Imag ne f ow ncome peop e cou d get cheap organ c produce! How much eas er t wou d be for poor fam es to dr nk green u ce and eat sa ad. What Happened To Our Integr ty? When med c ne became a for-prof t bus ness and we dec ded that good hea th was a pr v ege, not a human r ght, we ost our mora compass. Insurance compan es don t care about pat ent outcomes. They care about prof ts and are ega y ob gated to bow to the r nvestors on Wa Street. And pharmaceut ca compan es don t care about he p ng peop e hea – they care about mak ng money so the r stock goes up. As descr bed n Escape F re, Steven N ssan MD was do ng a Goog e search about Avand a, a 3-4 b on do ar drug for d abetes, and he d scovered that, n the c n ca tr a s for Avand a, there were more heart attacks n the Avand a group – a 30% ncrease, n fact. Yet the company fa ed to d sc ose to the FDA, the phys c ans, or the pat ents that tak ng Avand a wou d ncrease heart attack r sk by 30%. The ead ng cause of death n pat ents w th d abetes s heart d sease, so hav ng a w de y-prescr bed d abetes drug that ncreases heart attacks by near y 1/3 s a pub c hea th catastrophe. Yet through some crazy tw st of po t cs, the drug got fast tracked through FDA approva , and n 2006, Avand a was the #1 se ng d abetes drug unt someone f na y got w nd of the study resu ts and b ew the wh st e. The company sett ed a awsu t for $3 b on. When W We Start Do ng The R ght Th ng? Lobby sts are ru ng hea th care n Wash ngton, master ng sp n to scare peop e nto vot ng aga nst the r own se f nterests. They re so masterfu and t s so stea th that you may have ust done th s n the ast e ect on w thout even know ng t. Yet th ngs must change. Dr. Dean Orn sh sa d, “We spend so much t me n med c ne mopp ng up the f oor around the s nk that s overf ow ng w thout turn ng off the faucet.” It s t me to turn off the faucet and stop the hemorrhage that s b eed ng hea th care of ts heart. The so ut on s not more tests, more drugs, or more procedures. The so ut on requ res phys c ans to spend more t me w th pat ents engaged n the art of hea ng and educat ng pat ents not ust about d et, exerc se, gett ng enough s eep, and tak ng your v tam ns, but a so the other factors I ve nc uded n my rad ca new we ness mode the Who e Hea th Ca rn. To be who y hea thy, you need to do more than care for your phys ca body. It s a so essent a to be hea thy n your re at onsh ps, your work fe, your creat ve fe, your sp r tua fe, your sex fe, your f nanc a fe, your env ronment, and your menta hea th. Are You Ready For Change? I shared my v s on for how to hea hea th care here. Do you share my v s on? Share your thoughts n the comments.
jcg
02-10-2013, 09:32 AM
5 Fake Foods w th a D sturb ng Dark S de http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2012/09/ Stock_000015949710Sma . pg Posted by L ve n the Now A s f ne and dandy w th W y Wonka s Three-Course D nner Chew ng Gum or the nstant p zza from “Back to the Future.” But over here n the rea wor d, many food-sc ence nvent ons have been created n the ab as m tat on counterparts to rea food tems, and we re scarf ng them down. Margar ne for butter, sacchar ne for sugar, nonda ry topp ng for wh pped cream, to name a few — but are they actua y mprovements on the rea th ng? S ate.com recent y ran a prof e on one of the atest faux foods on the b ock, Beyond Meat, the fake meat so good “ t w freak you out.” Says Ethan Brown, Beyond Meat s founder, “the ong-term goa s to offer a product that can sat sfy the wor d s grow ng, and arge y unsusta nab e, demand for meat, espec a y n ba oon ng markets ke Ind a and Ch na.” Un ke most m tat on food products, Beyond Meat doesn t nc ude a shamefu y ong aundry st of art f c a ngred ents, ust a few quest onab e ones ( ke d potass um phosphate and t tan um d ox de). Regard ess, t s a h gh y processed affa r and requ res the use of natura resources to turn soy beans nto counterfe t f esh. So v ng the wor d s demand for meat w th a vegan product s audab e for hea th, env ronment and an ma we fare cons derat ons. But t s start ng to fee a b t too Isaac As mov, where overpopu at on eads to a wor d w th tt e meat, and n ts p ace peop e are fed vat-grown art f c a yeast-based prote ns. Is the Jetson s mea - n-a-p far beh nd? As de from Beyond Meat, here s a ook at a few of the many other ersatz foods born n the test-tube and adopted by the masses. 1. Wh pped cream There s no te ng ust how ong peop e have been wh pp ng h gh butterfat da ry nto the co o d known as wh pped cream, but there are p enty of wr tten references to t n the 16th century when t was common y referred to as m k-snow. What we do know s that the wor d s f rst nonda ry wh pped topp ng, Coo Wh p, was nvented n 1966. Created by chem st W am A. M tche — a so the masterm nd beh nd Pop Rocks, Tang, qu ck-set Je -O and powdered egg wh tes — the nvent on was ntended to afford conven ence as a frozen product w th an extended fr dge fe. Two years after B rds Eye ntroduced the product, t became the company most prof tab e product. Now owned by Kraft, t cont nues to se ke hotcakes. So what s the mag c beh nd a wh pped “cream” that can ma nta n ts wh pped-cream ness for days, even out of the refr gerator? The secret s: No cream n the wh pped cream! Actua y, as of 2010 Kraft started add ng cream to Or g na Coo Wh p, but t hasn t had much effect on ts remarkab e stab ty. What s the prob em w th Coo Wh p? How s th s: Water, Hydrogenated Vegetab e O (Coconut and Pa m Kerne O s), H gh Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup, Sk m M k, L ght Cream, Sod um Case nate, Natura and Art f c a F avor, Xanthan and Guar Gums, Po ysorbate 60, Sorb tan Monostearate, Beta Carotene (Co or). So, bas ca y, you cou d opt for organ c heavy cream wh pped w th a tt e sugar, or a foamed o product w th a host of superf uous chem ca s. 2. Butter Oh how the m ghty have fa en. How d d beaut fu butter s de down the s ppery s ope nto the c ass of products known as butter f avor sprays? Fake butter had a nob e start when n the 19th century Lou s Napo eon III of France sought a sat sfactory subst tute to prov de buttery p easure for the armed forces and ower c asses. A butter- ke emu s on, o eomargar ne, was nvented, and ts pr mary ngred ent was beef fat. Fo ow ng the Depress on and war rat on ng, Amer can food makers came up w th vegetab e-based margar ne, wh ch eventua y surpassed consumpt on of rea butter. By the end of the 20th century, the average Amer can ate around 5 pounds of butter and near y 8 pounds of margar ne. A though the trend s revers ng, many brands of st ck margar ne have often been h gh n trans fat — the bad fat that ncreases bad cho estero and owers good cho estero . Softer margar ne spreads have ess hydrogenated o s and are thus ower n trans fat, but quest ons rema n about the use of vegetab e o s. When you sw ng to the other end, qu d buttery sprays, t s not so pretty e ther; they are often chock-a-b ock w th add t ves that go m es beyond cream and sa t: Emu s f ers, preservat ves, ac du ants and art f c a f avors and co ors to name a few. St ck w th Ju a Ch d on th s one: “If you are afra d of butter, use cream!” 3. Cheese More than ust cheese, Amer can cheese — or shou d we say, “pasteur zed prepared cheese product” — was f rst patented n the Un ted States n 1916 by James Lew s Craft as a way to prov de a t nned cheese w th a onger she f fe for so d ers. The n t a vers on was revo ut onary, but s mp e enough. Further cheese nvent ons by Kraft brought us the g ant g ow ng oaves of processed cheese known as Ve veeta n 1928, and processed cheese s ces n 1950. Fast forward 60 years and the Kraft S ng es fam y has grown to nc ude a var ety of new f avors and fat-content opt ons. More than the bas c components requ red to make cheddar cheese — m k, enzymes, sa t and annatto — Kraft S ng es are a stunn ng cong omerat on of ngred ents, nc ud ng: M k, Whey, M k Prote n Concentrate, Water, Sod um C trate, Ca c um Phosphate, M kfat, Sa t, Ge at n, Sod um Phosphate, Cheese Cu ture, Lact c Ac d, Sorb c Ac d as a Preservat ve, O eores n Papr ka and Annatto (Co or), Enzymes, V tam n A Pa m tate, V tam n D3. W th comparab e ca or e and saturated fat content to rea cheese, and often ava ab e at a s m ar pr ce po nt, why wou d anyone want a processed vers on f ed w th chem ca s? 4. Sugar The cur ous h story of non-nutr t ve sweeteners goes someth ng ke th s. Sacchar ne was the f rst art f c a sweetener, d scovered n 1879 by a sc ent st work ng on coa -tar der vat ves (that shou d say enough r ght there). A though t faced ear y threats of a ban n 1911, sacchar n soared n popu ar ty. But sacchar n s unp easant meta c aftertaste ed to the nvent on of another sweetener n 1951 ca ed cyc amate. By 1968, Amer cans were consum ng more than 17 m on pounds of the ca or e-free cyc amate a year n snack foods, canned fru t and d et sodas — unt t was banned n 1969 for caus ng cancer n ab an ma s, that s. In 1977, sacchar ne got n troub e because t was nked as a poss b e contr butor to cancer n rats. An FDA move to ban the chem ca fa ed, though products conta n ng sacchar n were requ red to carry warn ng abe s. In 2000, the chem ca was off c a y removed from the federa government s st of suspected carc nogens. (A though t s st banned n other countr es). The synthet c compound aspartame was approved for use n 1981, but was then v ct m to a k nds of bad press nk ng the chem ca to everyth ng from mu t p e sc eros s to Gu f War syndrome. Wh e aspartame does adverse y affect some peop e — repeated tests deem t safe. The bas c g st s that sc ent sts and regu at ng agenc es can t agree on the safety of art f c a sweeteners. If you fo ow the precaut onary pr nc p e and consume on y those tems pos t ve y known to be safe, then art f c a sweeteners probab y aren t on your green- ght st. Same goes f you prefer eat ng who esome, natura foods over art f c a facs m es. 5. Crab meat A so known by the more poet c name, sur m , the pu ver zed and reconstructed f sh product has p ayed a ro e n Japanese cu s ne for centur es. As an ear y cu tura marker of mo ecu ar gastronomy, t s pretty coo . But th ngs have gone a b t hayw re and now the product s mass-manufactured, h gh y processed and nc udes a bevy of art f c a ngred ents that make t a far cry from the food-th ng former y known as f sh. The ngred ent pane on these products reads ke a engthy who s who of unpronounceab e food add t ves, and the manner n wh ch s t s processed s noth ng short of amaz ng. The bas c dea s that processed f sh myof br ar prote ns are formed nto a paste w th other ngred ents to create a sturdy ge . K nd of ke a f sh hot dog. In fact, watch ng the v deo be ow, p nk s me may come to m nd … or, say, the manufacture of bu d ng mater a s. It ooks very far-removed from someth ng that once may have gambo ed about the ocean f oor. No amount of upbeat mus c can make th s ook appet z ng…Watch the v deo here: http://youtu.be/WrzThzPW6Zw Th s art c e was or g na y pub shed on Sept. 19, 2021. ©2012 Mother Nature Network. D str buted by MCT Informat on Serv ces
jcg
02-11-2013, 02:54 PM
How to Boost Your Body s Natura C eans ng System http://www. ve nthenow.com/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/How-to-strengthen-your-bodys-c eans ng-system. pg Posted by Jacob Te te baum, M.D. Your body s about 60% water. There s water ns de your ce s and out. There s water n your b oodstream and n your organs. There s even water ns de your bones (synov a f u d) and your sp na cord (sp na f u d). L ke any hea thy body of water — a sw mm ng poo , a ake, an ocean — the water n your body needs to stay CLEAN. And to stay c ean, t needs a FILTER. Fortunate y, your body has one. In fact, t has two — your k dneys. They f ter out tox ns and wastes and send them to the b adder for d sposa . The k dneys a so he p contro the a ka ne/ac d ba ance of the body (cr t ca for opt ma hea th), ce u ar eve s of e ectro ytes (potass um, sod um, ca c um, magnes um), and b ood pressure eve s. Meanwh e, your b adder s the storage conta ner that ho ds your ur ne, so you can contro your ur nat on to when t s conven ent. Un ess of course your b adder s rr tated, n wh ch case you go when IT wants you to! If your k dneys and b adder are n t ptop shape, you fee c ean and c ear from the ns de out, he p ng you ma nta n abundant energy and a sharp m nd. Here are a few s mp e but h gh y effect ve t ps for the care and ma ntenance of your f ter ng system. Dr nk P enty of Water It s hard for your k dneys to f ush tox ns out of your system f you re dehydrated. But exact y how much water shou d you dr nk every day? There are a ot of d fferent recommendat ons — and I th nk you shou d gnore them a ! Just check your ps and mouth. If they re dry, you need to dr nk more water. It s as s mp e as that! Another s mp e method s to check the co or of your ur ne. If t s a du ye ow, then there s not enough water d ut ng t and you shou d dr nk more. (Ur ne can a so turn br ght ye ow from tak ng B v tam ns, but that s d fferent from the murky ye ow of over y concentrated ur ne.) A th rd method s that when you fee t red, dr nk a g ass of water and see f your energy mproves n a coup e of m nutes. If t does, you were dehydrated. Another method, wh ch I often use to te f I m dehydrated: when I m th rsty, I can eas y chug a who e g ass of water; when I m not th rsty, I prefer to s p t. My f na t p? To m n m ze your ntake of poss b y tox c chem ca s n the water supp y, dr nk f tered tap water. Keep the System Ster e Your body s f ter ng system funct ons best when bacter a n the system are kept to a m n mum. Fortunate y, the body does an exce ent ob of r dd ng the system of bacter a, wash ng them out every t me you ur nate. But two t ps can he p: After a bowe movement, women shou d w pe front to back, wh ch he ps keep nasty bowe bacter a (E. co ) from reach ng the b adder. If you exper ence ur nary burn ng or urgency, try D-mannose. D-mannose s a natura substance that stops E. co from st ck ng to b adder wa s. Use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon, d sso ved n water, every two to three hours. (Ch dren under 5 shou d use ha f that dose.) To outf ank frequent b adder prob ems, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon a day. Another good dea os that f you tend to deve op b adder prob ems after sexua ntercourse (wh ch can a so de ver E. co where t s not wanted), take a dose one hour before and another dose ust after ntercourse. A so read: What s the Best Water to Dr nk? Stop Ca c um Crysta s From Form ng The k dney f ters e ectro ytes ke ca c um — but too much ca c um can prec p tate nto sharp-edged crysta s that can tera y r p up the de cate t ssues of the k dney and the urethra (the tube between the k dney and b adder). Fortunate y the amount of ca c um n the d et doesn t cause these crysta s. So en oy h gh-ca c um foods! The ma n way to keep ca c um d sso ved so t doesn t form crysta s? Get enough magnes um, wh ch counterba ances ca c um. 200 mg a day s a good dose. V tam n B6 (25 mg da y) s a so he pfu . I actua y formu ated my Energy Rev ta zat on System to offer that amount of magnes um and B6 n the v tam n powder for the very purpose of k dney hea th. Increase Your Potass um Intake Ma nta n ng hea thy b ood pressure eve s a so keeps your k dneys hea thy. And the best way to keep b ood pressure opt ma s by gett ng enough of the m nera potass um. Coconut water s an exce ent source. (I dr nk Z co, the Safeway brand — t s 100% natura and nexpens ve.) Tomato u ce and V8 u ce a so de ver p enty of potass um. Bananas and avocado are exce ent food sources. Other nutr ents that opt m ze b ood pressure nc ude magnes um and coenzyme Q10. Cut Back on Sugar Ma nta n ng opt ma b ood sugar eve s a so he ps protect your k dneys. The best way to do that s to not overdose on sugar! The average Amer can eats 140 to 150 pounds of sugar a year. An easy way to start cutt ng back? L m t (or comp ete y e m nate) your ntake of the four types of foods that are oaded w th added sugar: fast food, processed food, sodas and fru t dr nks. Overcome Leaks As women age, they can start to eak ur ne dur ng augh ng, sneez ng or cough ng. An easy so ut on? Kege exerc ses — repet t ve squeez ng of the pe v c musc es used to stop the f ow of ur ne — can a so he p. S mp y t ghten the musc e for a few seconds wh e augh ng, sneez ng or cough ng, to decrease the r sk of nk ng. Over t me, us ng kege s to prevent eakage w become second nature. To earn how to do kege exerc ses, see th s on ne gu de from the Mayo C n c. You can a so try us ng a vag na b o dent ca estrogen/progesterone cream, app ed da y by the urethra, the out et for ur ne. Caut on If there s b ood v s b e n your ur ne, and you have fever and back pa n, see your doctor mmed ate y — these are s gns of a k dney nfect on, wh ch can cause severe damage to your k dneys f eft untreated.
jcg
02-12-2013, 08:49 AM
Treat ch dren s asthma natura y w th fru ts, vegetab es, f sh o and prob ot cs http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Ch dren/Ch d-Asthma-Inha er-Breath-Lungs. pg Tuesday, January 22, 2013 by: J. D. Heyes (Natura News) New ev dence suggests that a d et r ch n fru ts, vegetab es, prob ot cs and f sh o may re eve asthma n ch dren, accord ng to a recent study. "A schoo -based, doub e-b nd, p acebo-contro ed, random zed tr a nvo v ng 192 asthmat c ch dren aged 10-12 found that a supp ement comb n ng fru ts, vegetab es, f sh o and prob ot cs reduced med cat on use and mproved pu monary funct on," sa d a summary of the study, wh ch was conducted by the Department of B ochem ca Sc ence and Techno ogy, Co ege of L fe Sc ence, Nat ona Ta wan Un vers ty n Ta pe . Accord ng to researchers, the treatment group was g ven a fru t-and-vegetab e concentrate, a ong w th f sh o and prob ot cs (FVFP supp ement), wh ch are bacter a that he p ma nta n the natura ba ance of m crof ora n your ntest nes. A contro group, meanwh e, was g ven a p acebo. Part c pants were eva uated at the start, then at e ght and 16 weeks. Fast food may be beh nd the steady surge n ch dren s asthma "Resu ts showed the treatment group exper enced s gn f cant mprovement n pu monary funct on parameters and had a s gn f cant y reduced proport on of those us ng short-act ng nha ed bronchod ators and nha ed cort costero ds, n compar son to the p acebo group," sa d the summary. "Resu ts suggest that FVFP supp ements may reduce med cat on use and mprove pu monary funct on n asthmat c ch dren." The resu ts of the study, wh ch was t t ed, "Reduced med cat on use and mproved pu monary funct on w th supp ements conta n ng vegetab e and fru t concentrate, f sh o and prob ot cs n asthmat c schoo ch dren: a random zed contro ed tr a ," were supported by other med ca experts. By compar son, separate stud es have shown that other types of foods may ncrease the nc dence of ch dhood asthma, wh ch can be dead y. Sc ent sts from New Zea and, Spa n, Austra a, Germany and the Un ted K ngdom found that a d et of fast food and other foods w th tt e nutr t ona va ue "may be beh nd the steady surge n ch dren s asthmas affect ng the UK and other deve oped countr es," Br ta n s The Guard an newspaper reported Jan. 14. The nternat ona co aborat on of sc ent sts found that younger teens n part cu ar were 40 percent more ke y to deve op severe asthma f they eat burgers and other fast foods ke fr es more than three t mes a week. They sa d k ds aged s x to seven were 27 percent more ke y to deve op asthma f they ate fast food that often. Meanwh e, researchers sa d ch dren who ate arger amounts of fast food were a so much more ke y to deve op severe eczema and rh n t s, a cond t on where the nose gets stopped up or runs excess ve y and the r eyes are tchy and watery. Researchers sa d the resu ts cou d have "ma or pub c hea th s gn f cance ow ng to the r s ng consumpt on of fast foods g oba y," f the nk they have found turns out to be causa , not co nc denta . Fast food s the on y type assoc ated w th deve opment of asthma and a erg es As n the Ta wan Un vers ty study, eat ng fru t appeared to protect ch dren and young teens from deve op ng asthma and other a erg es. The nternat ona research coa t on found that eat ng three or more port ons of fru t per week cut the sever ty of symptoms by 11 percent among teens and 14 percent among younger k ds. The team s resu ts were pub shed n the peer-rev ewed ourna Thorax, wh ch s part of the BMJ (Br t sh Med ca Journa ) Group. They "came out of a arge co aborat ve pro ect ca ed the Internat ona Study of Asthma and A erg es n Ch dhood (ISAAC), wh ch nvo ves near y two m on ch dren n more than 100 countr es, mak ng t the b ggest of ts k nd," The Guard an reported. The study nvo ved a re at ve y sma port on of the tota number of ch dren tak ng part n ISAAC, from two age groups: 319,000 13 to 14-year-o ds from 51 countr es and 181,000 s x to seven-year-o ds from 31 countr es. Fast food (the authors spec f ca y ment oned burgers on y; however, because that s the reference to fast food most peop e are fam ar w th) was the on y type of food that has been assoc ated w th the deve opment of asthma and a erg es, across a age ranges and n a nvo ved countr es, the study sa d. Sources: http://www.v tasearch.com/get-c p-summary/40494 http://www.ncb .n m.n h.gov/pubmed/23211647 http://thorax.bm .com/content/ear y/2013/01/03/thorax n -2012-202285
jimmyg
02-13-2013, 10:43 AM
New farm b g ves Monsanto carte b anche - Mass ve pub c outcry necessary to stop the eg s at on from pass ng nto aw http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Logos/Monsanto-Logo. pg Tuesday, January 22, 2013 by: Caro anne Wr ght (Natura News) Imag ne ud c a rev ew for protect ng consumer r ghts and the env ronment go ng up n a puff of smoke and b otech corporat ons ke Monsanto hav ng comp ete mmun ty to p ant whatever they want, whenever they want -w thout test ng. Th s s exact y what a sma amendment n the proposed new farm b guarantees. The f ne pr nt: H.R. 5973: Agr cu ture, Rura Deve opment, Food and Drug Adm n strat on, and Re ated Agenc es Appropr at ons Act, 2013 s eg s at on that w form agr cu tura and food po cy n the U.S. f passed. Accord ng to Amer can Farm and Trust: "The farm b s a package of federa eg s at on enacted every f ve to seven years to set the genera d rect on for Amer ca s farm and food po cy. Congress enacted the f rst farm b n the wake of the Great Depress on w th the dua goa s of support ng Amer ca s farmers and ranchers and he p ng them to ma nta n the r and." H.R. 5973 (otherw se known as The Monsanto Protect on Act) carr es a sma r der n sect on 733 that grants b otech compan es free re gn w th tt e overs ght. The ega team at the Center for Food Safety trans ates sect on 733 as a "dangerous assau t on fundamenta federa and ud c a safeguards" and "wou d create a precedent-sett ng m tat on on ud c a rev ew." Food Democracy Now states that, f a owed to pass, The Monsanto Protect on Act "fundamenta y underm nes the concept of ud c a rev ew and wou d str p udges of the r const tut ona mandate to protect consumer r ghts and the env ronment, wh e open ng up the f oodgates for the p ant ng of new untested genet ca y eng neered crops, endanger ng farmers, consumers and the env ronment." Vote de ayed n the House of Representat ves As of December 2012, H.R. 5973 has yet to be presented n the House. An extens on has been approved, push ng the vote nto 2013. Th s s good news for food safety advocates -- more t me s ava ab e to mob ze and make vo ces heard. To take act on and express concern over th s proposed eg s at on, a d rectory of House members can be found here. Some sober ng food for thought from RT Quest on More: " ... one th ng s certa n - f passed, th s one ne n a 90-page document w mean Frankenfood for consumers, osses for farmers and huge prof ts for b otech compan es that don t appear to care much for anyth ng e se." Sources for th s art c e nc ude: "Monsanto r der: New b cou d make b otech compan es mmune to courts" Da y Pau , Ju y 11, 2012. Retr eved on December 20, 2012 from: http://www.da ypau .com "Language from the FY 2013 House Ag Appropr at ons B Deta ng the The "Farmer Assurance Prov s on" AKA the Monsanto Protect on Act" Food Democracy Now! Ju y 29, 2012. Retr eved on December 20, 2012 from: http://fooddemocracynow.org "Prospects for the New Farm B " Kent Th esse, Corn & Soybean D gest, December 11, 2012. Retr eved on December 20, 2012 from: http://cornandsoybeand gest.com/b og/prospects-new-farm-b "Monsanto r der: New b cou d make b otech compan es mmune to courts" RT Quest on More, Ju y 11, 2012. Retr eved on December 20, 2012 from: http://rt.com/usa/news/monsanto-b - mmun ty-court-862/ "H.R. 5973: Agr cu ture, Rura Deve opment, Food and Drug Adm n strat on, and Re ated Agenc es Appropr at ons Act, 2013 112th Congress, 2011-2012. Text as of Jun 20, 2012 (Reported by House Comm ttee)." Govtrack. Retr eved on December 20, 2012 from: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/b s/112/hr5973/text "2012 Farm B Update (as of Jan 2, 2013)" KWOA. Retr eved on January 2, 2012 from: http://kwoa.com/farm/2012/12/31/2012-farm-b -update- an-2-2013 "About the Farm B " Amer can Farm and Trust. Retr eved on January 2, 2012 from: http://www.farmb facts.org/2012-farm-b About the author: Caro anne enthus ast ca y be eves f we want to see change n the wor d, we need to be the change. As a nutr t on st, natura foods chef and we ness coach, Caro anne has encouraged others to embrace a hea thy festy e of organ c v ng, gratefu ness and oyfu or entat on for over 13 years. Through her webs te www.Thr ve-L v ng.net she ooks forward to connect ng w th other ke-m nded fo ks who share a s m ar v s on. Fo ow on Tw tter at: www.tw tter.com/Thr ve_L v ng For P nterest fans, connect here: www.p nterest.com/thr ve v ng/natura -news/ Read her other art c es on Natura News here: http://www.natura news.com/Author1183.htm
jimmyg
02-14-2013, 08:51 AM
Soybean O : One of the Most Harmfu Ingred ents n Processed Foods http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/January/soybean-o . pg January 27, 2013 By Dr. Merco a L nk to art c e & v deo: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/27/soybean-o .aspx?e_c d=20130127_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=sn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130127 Processed food s perhaps the most damag ng aspect of most peop e s d et, contr but ng to poor hea th and chron c d sease. One of the pr mary cu pr ts s h gh fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the dangers of wh ch I touch on n v rtua y every art c e on d et I wr te. The second cu pr t s part a y hydrogenated soybean o . These two ngred ents, e ther a one or n comb nat on, can be found n v rtua y a processed foods and one can make a compe ng argument that the re ance on these two foods s a pr mary contr but ng factor for most of the degenerat ve d seases attack ng Amer cans today. Part of the prob em w th part a y hydrogenated soybean o s the trans fat t conta ns. The other part re ates to the hea th hazards of soy tse f. And an added hazard factor s the fact that the ma or ty of both corn and soybeans are genet ca y eng neered. As the negat ve hea th effects from trans fats have been dent f ed and recogn zed, the agr cu tura - and food ndustry have scramb ed to come up w th new a ternat ves. Part a y hydrogenated soybean o has been dent f ed as the ma n cu pr t, and for good reason. Unfortunate y, saturated fats are st m staken y cons dered unhea thy by many hea th “experts,” so rather than embrac ng tru y hea thfu trop ca fats ke coconut o , wh ch s most y grown outs de the US. The food ndustry has nstead turned to domest c US a ternat ves offered by compan es ke Monsanto, wh ch has deve oped mod f ed soybeans that don t requ re hydrogenat on. Why Hydrogenate? Amer cans consume more than 28 b on pounds of ed b e o s annua y, and soybean o accounts for about 65 percent of t. About ha f of t s hydrogenated, as soybean o s too unstab e otherw se to be used n food manufactur ng. One of the pr mary reasons for hydrogenat ng o s to pro ong ts she f fe. Raw butter, for examp e, s ke y to go ranc d far qu cker than margar ne. The process a so makes the o more stab e and ra ses ts me t ng po nt, wh ch a ows t to be used n var ous types of food process ng that uses h gh temperatures. Hydrogenated o 1 s made by forc ng hydrogen gas nto the o at h gh pressure. V rtua y any o can be hydrogenated. Margar ne s a good examp e, n wh ch near y ha f of the fat content s trans fat. The process that creates part a y hydrogenated o a ters the chem ca compos t on of essent a fatty ac ds, such as reduc ng or remov ng no en c ac d, a h gh y react ve tr unsaturated fatty ac d, transform ng t nto the far ess react ve no e c ac d, thereby great y prevent ng ox dat ve ranc d ty when used n cook ng. In the ate 1990 s, researchers began rea z ng th s chem ca a terat on m ght actua y have adverse hea th effects. S nce then, sc ent sts have ver f ed th s to the po nt of no d spute. Beware that there s a d fference between “fu y hydrogenated” and “part a y hydrogenated” o s. Whereas part a y hydrogenated o conta ns trans fat, fu y hydrogenated o does not, as tak ng the hydrogenat on process “a the way” cont nues the mo ecu ar transformat on of the fatty ac ds from trans fat nto saturated fatty ac ds. Fu y hydrogenated soybean o s st not a hea thy cho ce however, for reasons I exp a n be ow. The fo ow ng s de presentat on exp a ns the techn ca aspects re at ng to the hydrogenat on process. v deo.... The Hea th Hazards of Trans Fats Found n Part a y Hydrogenated O The comp ete y unnatura man-made fats created through the part a hydrogenat on process cause dysfunct on and chaos n your body on a ce u ar eve , and stud es have nked trans-fats to: Cancer, by nterfer ng w th enzymes your body uses to f ght cancer Chron c hea th prob ems such as obes ty, asthma, auto- mmune d sease, cancer, and bone degenerat on D abetes, by nterfer ng w th the nsu n receptors n your ce membranes Heart d sease, by c ogg ng your arter es (Among women w th under y ng coronary heart d sease, eat ng trans-fats ncreased the r sk of sudden card ac arrest three-fo d!) Decreased mmune funct on, by reduc ng your mmune response Increase b ood eve s of ow dens ty poprote n (LDL), or "bad" cho estero , wh e ower ng eve s of h gh dens ty poprote n (HDL), or "good" cho estero Reproduct ve prob ems by nterfer ng w th enzymes needed to produce sex hormones Interfer ng w th your body s use of benef c a omega-3 fats As usua , t took many years before convent ona hea th recommendat ons caught up and began warn ng about the use of trans fats. Not surpr s ng y, as soon as the FDA requ red food manufacturers to st trans fat content on the abe — wh ch took effect on January 1, 2006 — the ndustry began search ng for v ab e a ternat ves to appea to consumers who ncreas ng y began ook ng for the “No Trans Fat” des gnat on. It d dn t take ong before Monsanto had t nkered forth a genet ca y eng neered soybean that s ow n no en c ac d, wh ch we get to n a moment. Beware that some food manufacturers have opted to s mp y foo buyers — a tact c a owed by the FDA as any product conta n ng up to ha f a gram of trans fat per serv ng can st ega y c a m to have zero trans fat2. The tr ck s to reduce the serv ng s ze to br ng t be ow th s thresho d. At t mes, th s w resu t n unreasonab y t ny serv ng s zes, so any t me you check a abe and a serv ng s someth ng ke 10 ch ps or one cook e, t probab y conta ns trans fats. The Hea th Hazards of Soybeans Bes des the hea th hazards re ated to the trans fats created by the part a hydrogenat on process, soybean o s, n and of tse f, NOT a hea thy o . Add to that the fact that the ma or ty of soy grown n the US s genet ca y eng neered, wh ch may have add t ona hea th consequences. When taken together, part a y hydrogenated GE soybean o becomes one of the abso ute worst types of o s you can consume. Years ago, trop ca o s, such as pa m and coconut o , were common y used n Amer can food product on. However, these are obv ous y not grown n the US. W th the except on of Hawa , our c mate sn t trop ca enough. Spurred on by f nanc a ncent ves, the ndustry dev sed a p an to sh ft the market from trop ca o s to someth ng more "home grown." As a resu t, a movement was created to demon ze and v fy trop ca o s n order to rep ace them w th domest ca y grown o s such as corn and soy. The fat n soybean o s pr mar y omega-6 fat. And wh e we do need some, t s rare for anyone to be def c ent as t s pervas ve n our d et. Amer cans n genera consume FAR too much omega-6 n re at on to omega-3 fat, pr mar y due to the excess ve amount of omega-6 found n processed foods. Omega-6 fats are n near y every an ma food and many p ants, so def c enc es are very rare. Th s omega-6 fat s a so h gh y processed and therefore damaged, wh ch compounds the prob em of gett ng so much of t n your d et. The omega-6 found n soybean o promotes chron c nf ammat on n your body, wh ch s an under y ng ssue for v rtua y a chron c d seases. What About Organ c Soybean O ? Even f you were fortunate enough to f nd organ c soybean o , there are st severa s gn f cant concerns that make t far from attract ve from a hea th standpo nt. Soy n and of tse f, organ ca y grown or not, conta ns a number of prob emat c components that can wreak havoc w th your hea th, such as: Go trogens – Go trogens, found n a unfermented soy whether t s organ c or not, are substances that b ock the synthes s of thyro d hormones and nterfere w th od ne metabo sm, thereby nterfer ng w th your thyro d funct on. Isof avones: gen ste n and da dze n – Isof avones are a type of phytoestrogen, wh ch s a p ant compound resemb ng human estrogen, wh ch s why some recommend us ng soy therapeut ca y to treat symptoms of menopause. I be eve the ev dence s h gh y controvers a and doubt t works. Typ ca y, most of us are exposed to too much estrogen compounds and have a ower testosterone eve than dea , so t rea y s mportant to m t exposure to fem n z ng phytoestrogens. Even more mportant y, there s ev dence t may d sturb endocr ne funct on, cause nfert ty, and promote breast cancer, wh ch s def n te y a s gn f cant concern. Phyt c ac d -- Phytates (phyt c ac d) b nd to meta ons, prevent ng the absorpt on of certa n m nera s, nc ud ng ca c um, magnes um, ron, and z nc -- a of wh ch are co-factors for opt ma b ochem stry n your body. Th s s part cu ar y prob emat c for vegetar ans, because eat ng meat reduces the m nera -b ock ng effects of these phytates. Somet mes t can be benef c a , espec a y n postmenopausa women and n most adu t men because we tend to have eve s of ron that are too h gh wh ch can be a very potent ox dant and cause b o og ca stress. However, phyt c ac d does not necessar y se ect ve y nh b t ust ron absorpt on; t nh b ts a m nera s. Th s s very mportant to remember, as many a ready suffer from m nera def c enc es from nadequate d ets. The soybean has one of the h ghest phytate eve s of any gra n or egume, and the phytates n soy are h gh y res stant to norma phytate-reduc ng techn ques such as ong, s ow cook ng. On y a ong per od of fermentat on w s gn f cant y reduce the phytate content of soybeans. Natura tox ns known as "ant -nutr ents" -- Soy a so conta ns other ant -nutr t ona factors such as sapon ns, soyatox n, protease nh b tors, and oxa ates. Some of these factors nterfere w th the enzymes you need to d gest prote n. Wh e a sma amount of ant -nutr ents wou d not ke y cause a prob em, the amount of soy that many Amer cans are now eat ng s extreme y h gh. Hemagg ut n n -- Hemagg ut n n s a c ot-promot ng substance that causes your red b ood ce s to c ump together. These c umped ce s are unab e to proper y absorb and d str bute oxygen to your t ssues. Worst of A — Genet ca y Eng neered Soybean O The genet ca y eng neered (GE) var ety p anted on over 90 percent of US soy acres s Roundup Ready — eng neered to surv ve be ng doused w th otherw se etha amounts of Monsanto s Roundup herb c de. The og c beh nd Roundup Ready crops such as soy s that you can decrease the cost of product on by k ng off everyth ng except the actua soy p ant. However, an ma stud es revea there may be s gn f cant adverse hea th effects from these GE soybeans, nc ud ng progress ve y ncreased rates of nfert ty w th each pass ng generat on. By the th rd generat on, v rtua y a the hamsters n one feed ng study were found to be nfert e. Second-generat on hamsters ra sed on GE soy a so had a f ve-fo d h gher nfant morta ty rate. Are Low-L no en c Soybeans the Answer? cont nued.....
jimmyg
02-14-2013, 08:52 AM
We now a so have other Monsanto-made soy crops to contend w th. Respond ng to the grow ng demand for hea th er d ets, Monsanto aunched V st ve ow- no en c soybeans n 2005. Most soybeans conta n rough y seven percent no en c ac d. The new var et es conta n one to three percent. As exp a ned by Monsanto3: “The o from these beans can reduce or v rtua y e m nate trans fat n processed soybean o ... V st ve ow- no en c soybeans have ower eve s of no en c ac d. Because of these ower eve s, wh ch were ach eved through trad t ona breed ng pract ces4, the o produced by V st ve ow- no en c seeds does not requ re hydrogenat on, the process that s used to ncrease she f fe and f avor stab ty n fr ed foods, baked goods, snack products and other processed foods.” Yet another soybean var ety created by Monsanto s the h gh stearate soybean, wh ch a so has the propert es of margar ne and shorten ng w thout hydrogenat on. But are these soybeans any better or safer than e ther convent ona soybeans or Roundup Ready soybeans, even though they don t have to go through part a hydrogenat on, and therefore do not conta n trans fat? No one knows. Another Hazard of GE Soybeans: G yphosate I keep stack ng hea th r sks upon hea th r sks, and here s another one: Research has shown that soybean o from Roundup Ready soy s oaded w th g yphosate, the ma n ngred ent n Roundup — the broad-spectrum herb c de created by Monsanto. Accord ng to a report n the ourna Chem ca Research n Tox co ogy, the h ghest MRL for g yphosate n food and feed products n the EU s 20 mg/kg. GE soybeans have been found to conta n res due eve s as h gh as 17 mg/kg, and ma format ons n frog and ch cken embryos occurred at 2.03 mg/kg.5 That s 10 t mes ower than the MRL. Th s s an a arm ng f nd ng because g yphosate s eas y one of the wor d s most over ooked po sons. Research pub shed n 2010 showed that the chem ca , wh ch works by nh b t ng an enzyme ca ed EPSP synthase that s necessary for p ants to grow, causes b rth defects n frogs and ch cken embryos at far ower eve s than used n agr cu tura and garden app cat ons.6 The ma format ons pr mar y affected the: Sku Face M d ne and deve op ng bra n Sp na cord When app ed to crops, g yphosate becomes system c throughout the p ant, so t cannot be washed off. And once you eat th s crop, the g yphosate ends up n your gut where t can dec mate your benef c a bacter a. Th s can wreak havoc w th your hea th as 80 percent of your mmune system res des n your gut (GALT – Gut Assoc ated Lymph T ssue) and s dependent on a hea thy rat o of good and bad bacter a. Separate research has a so uncovered the fo ow ng effects from g yphosate: Endocr ne d srupt on - DNA damage - Deve opmenta tox c ty - Neurotox c ty - Reproduct ve tox c ty - Cancer. To Avo d Harmfu Fats of A K nds, D tch Processed Foods If you want to avo d dangerous fats of a k nds, your best bet s to e m nate processed foods from your d et. From there, use these t ps to make sure you re eat ng the r ght fats for your hea th: Use organ c butter (preferab y made from raw m k) nstead of margar nes and vegetab e o spreads. Butter s a hea thy who e food that has rece ved an unwarranted bad rap. Use coconut o for cook ng. It s far super or to any other cook ng o and s oaded w th hea th benef ts. Be sure to eat raw fats, such as those from avocados, raw da ry products, o ve o , o ves, organ c pastured eggs, and raw nuts, espec a y macadam a nuts wh ch are re at ve y ow n prote n. A so take a h gh-qua ty source of an ma based omega-3 fat, such as kr o . Fo ow ng my comprehens ve nutr t on p an w automat ca y reduce your trans-fat ntake, as t w g ve you a gu de to focus on hea thy who e foods nstead of processed unk food. Remember, v rtua y a processed foods w conta n e ther HFCS (probab y made from genet ca y eng neered corn) and/or soybean o — e ther n the form of part a y hydrogenated soybean o , wh ch s ke y made from GE soybeans, oaded w th g yphosate, or from one of the newer soybean var et es that were created such that they do not need to be hydrogenated. They re ALL bad news, f you va ue your hea th.
jimmyg
02-15-2013, 05:33 AM
What s Ch ore a Good For? http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2011/December/ch ore a-so ut ons-for-mercury-po son ng-1202. pg January 28, 2013 nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/28/ch ore a-for-mercury-po son ng.aspx?e_c d=20130128_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130128 By Dr. Merco a Ch ore a, s ng e-ce ed fresh water a gae, s often referred to as a near-perfect food, w th a w de range of hea th benef ts. A recent study nvest gated the effects of ch ore a on methy mercury transfer to fetuses dur ng pregnancy. Pregnant m ce were fed d ets conta n ng e ther 0% or 10% ch ore a powder, a ong w th methy mercury n the r dr nk ng water. Two neonates were random y se ected from each mother mouse w th n 24 hours of b rth, and exam ned for mercury n the b ood, bra n, ver, and k dneys. The mothers were a so exam ned for mercury. Accord ng to the study1: "The b ood and bra n [mercury] eve s of both neonates and mothers n the [ch ore a powder] d et group were s gn f cant y ower... The resu ts obta ned here revea ed that cont nuous [ch ore a powder] ntake suppressed [methy mercury] transfer to the fetus, n add t on to effect ve suppress ng [methy mercury] accumu at on n bra ns of the mothers." Methy mercury s a neurotox c compound w de y used n ndustr a app cat ons. It accumu ates n f sh, wh ch has ed to w despread adv sor es aga nst f sh consumpt on by pregnant women. In fetuses and deve op ng nfants t can have negat ve effects on attent on span, anguage, v sua -spat a sk s, memory and coord nat on. An est mated 60,000 ch dren each year are born at r sk for neuro og ca prob ems due to methy mercury exposure n the womb. Do You Need to Detox? Heavy meta tox c ty, ust ke chem ca tox c ty, has become one of the most press ng hea th hazards of our day. Whether you recogn ze t or not, your body s assa ed by chem ca s and heavy meta s on a da y bas s. The two pr mary sources of mercury exposure are: Seafood Denta f ngs (mercury ama gams, better known as s ver f ngs ) The average nd v dua has e ght ama gam f ngs, from wh ch they cou d absorb up to 120 m crograms of mercury per day. For compar son, est mates of the da y absorpt on of mercury from f sh and seafood s 2.3 m crograms, and from a other foods, a r, and water s 0.3 m crograms per day. Adu ts w th four or more ama gams run a s gn f cant r sk of mercury-re ated hea th prob ems from them, wh e n ch dren as few as two ama gams w contr bute to hea th prob ems. It s mportant to rea ze that mercury and other heavy meta s accumu ate n your body, and your eve s therefore ncrease w th age. Such b oaccumu at on a so pose a d rect threat to the deve op ng fetus n pregnant women, as ment oned above. Wh e detox ng was once cons dered a fad, n today s wor d, regu ar detox ng has become more or ess a necess ty, espec a y f you re p ann ng a pregnancy. It s w se for most peop e to proact ve y remove meta s from the r body before becom ng p agued by symptoms. If you a ready have symptoms (see be ow), then r dd ng your body of meta s may he p reso ve them. C antro can be used as a synerget c a d a ong w th ch ore a. It s part cu ar y usefu to take when consum ng seafood. Ch ore a s effect veness was demonstrated n a study ast year2, where m ce g ven ch ore a a ong w th methy mercury excreted approx mate y tw ce the amount of methy mercury n the r ur ne and feces, compared to m ce not treated w th ch ore a. S gns and Symptoms of Mercury Tox c ty As mercury and other heavy meta s bu d up n your body over t me, they can produce chron c symptoms that you m ght never assoc ate w th your ove for sush , or your denta f ngs. Mercury s espec a y damag ng to your centra nervous system (CNS), and stud es show that mercury n the CNS causes psycho og ca , neuro og ca , and mmuno og ca prob ems. Some of the symptoms of mercury bu d-up and tox c ty nc ude: Fat gue - Ach ng o nts - Depress on, rr tab ty, anx ety - D gest ve d stress and reduced ab ty to proper y ass m ate and ut ze fats - Impa red b ood sugar regu at on - Fema e reproduct ve prob ems such as menstrua d ff cu t es, nfert ty, m scarr age, pre-ec amps a, pregnancy- nduced hypertens on and premature b rth - Neuron degenerat on - Centra nervous system damage - K dney damage. Mercury Test ng: What You Need to Know Trad t ona mercury test ng nvo ves test ng e ther your ha r, b ood, ur ne, or stoo . Cha enge tests that mp ement a che at ng chem ca , such as DMPS or DMSA, are a so common y used. However, a of these tests have drawbacks. They pr mar y measure tota mercury oad — and naccurate y at that. But most mportant y they don t g ve you any nformat on about the forms of mercury n your system or how eff c ent y you are gett ng r d of them. Trad t ona mercury tests don t answer quest ons ke, how much of your mercury oad s from the seafood you eat? How much from ama gams? How we are your k dneys and ver e m nat ng t? The two pr nc pa forms of mercury accumu ate d fferent y n your body, and are e m nated by d fferent pathways. For examp e, mercury eve s n your ha r on y ref ect the mercury from the f sh you eat. But mercury eve s n your ur ne ref ect the mercury com ng from your denta f ngs (p us some of the f sh-based methy mercury that has broken down nto norgan c mercury). The on y way to determ ne f there s a prob em s to compare your ha r and ur ne eve s w th eve s n your b ood. So, f mercury test ng s to be mean ngfu , t must measure both of the fo ow ng: Exposure eve : Overa mercury eve for each of the two ma n forms of mercury (methy mercury, re ated to your f sh/seafood consumpt on, and norgan c mercury, re ated to denta ama gam exposure) Excret on ab ty: How we your body s gett ng r d of each k nd of mercury, regard ess of your overa mercury eve A newer test ng method ca ed “mercury spec at on ”does ust th s — t measures both of these factors. Th s test uses b ood, ur ne and ha r to g ve you a more comprehens ve p cture of how your body s e m nat ng mercury and where the process may be b ocked. Th s nformat on can be mmense y he pfu n prepar ng a successfu detox f cat on p an. For more nformat on about mercury spec at on test ng, refer to my recent nterv ew w th Dr. Shade be ow. v deos... How to Use Ch ore a Preferab y, you want to take t n the morn ng. Many ch ore a products are so d n sma tab ets, typ ca y 500 mg each, wh ch means you shou d take severa tab ets a day. Accord ng to G nny Banks, an expert n funct ona foods and nutraceut ca s: "It s not someth ng that you ust take occas ona y ke some herbs or some supp ements. Ch ore a s someth ng you want to be tak ng every day… You need to be gett ng at east 4 grams each day of ch ore a to get the benef ts that t prov des." I recommend start ng w th a ower dose and s ow y work your way up to 4 grams. Tak ng t w th food can he p a ev ate nausea. M d d arrhea may a so occur. For more nformat on and gu dance on detox ng mercury, p ease see my fu protoco . To Get the Hea th Benef ts, Make Sure You re Gett ng a Good Product One of the most mportant factors to cons der when purchas ng a ch ore a product s ts d gest b ty. The key to ts detox ng ab t es es w th n the membrane of th s s ng e ce , but the ce wa of ch ore a s actua y nd gest b e to humans. "Broken ce wa " s the term most often used to descr be that t has been rendered d gest b e. If a product does not spec fy that the ce wa has been broken, you re ke y f ush ng your money down the to et as the ch ore a w s mp y pass r ght through you w thout do ng you any good. And detox s certa n y not the on y benef t that you m ss out on. Ch ore a has a number of other hea th benef ts. The web s te GreenMedInfo has assemb ed a st of stud es 3 that found ev dence of over 40 d fferent hea th cond t ons that ch ore a can he p to prevent or ease. Here s a samp ng of some of the hea th benef ts assoc ated w th th s green a gae: Repa r ng nerve t ssues Increas ng your energy eve s Enhanc ng your mmune system Norma z ng your b ood sugar Improv ng d gest on Norma z ng your b ood pressure Promot ng hea thy pH eve s n your gut, wh ch n turn he ps good bacter a to thr ve Remov ng potent a y tox c meta s from your body Overa CAUTION It s mportant to rea ze that any mercury detox f cat on s a marathon and NOT a spr nt. You do NOT want to do th s qu ck y. Even f you be eve you are hea thy you want to start th s process SLOWLY as you cou d eas y cause severe f are ups. I am one of the hea th est peop e I know and when I d d my program I d d t over s x months. Some peop e may need to do t far more s ow y and may need a few years to effect ve y e m nate the mercury safe y. Your Most Important Goa : Remov ng the Source of Exposure The very f rst goa s to p ug the ho e n your eak ng sh p. You must remove your source of mercury exposure, whether t s pr mar y from the seafood you eat or from ama gams (or both). Mercury spec at on test ng, as descr bed above, can he p you dent fy wh ch source s prob emat c. There s tt e po nt n embark ng on a ma or detox m ss on f you cont nue expos ng yourse f to the offender... that s ke try ng to ba water out of a s nk ng boat. Avo d the consumpt on of contam nated f sh and seafood. Most f sh and seafood are now contam nated, unfortunate y, but some types are worse than others. Avo d ng f sh s re at ve y easy, but hav ng your ama gams removed s more nvo ved and cost y and must be done w th great care. You shou d do th s ONLY w th the he p of a qua f ed b o og ca dent st as you can become qu te f your ama gams are extracted ncorrect y. However, f you have a mouthfu of ama gams t s no mystery that you have exposure that dea y needs to be addressed. Just be very carefu about ump ng from the fry ng pan nto the f re and have your mercury ama gam f ngs removed by a non-b o og ca dent st ke I d d. That m stake caused very ser ous damage to my k dneys that st troub es me 20 years ater. You can f nd a tra ned and qua f ed dent st from the fo ow ng st: Internat ona Academy of Ora Med c ne & Tox co ogy (IAOMT) Internat ona Academy of B o og ca Dent stry and Med c ne (IABDM) Tox cTeeth.org Ho st c Denta Assoc at on Denta Ama gam Mercury So ut ons (DAMS) Hugg ns App ed Hea ng
jimmyg
02-15-2013, 10:37 AM
Coca-Co a Ro ng Out New M s nformat on Campa gn to “Combat Obes ty” January 30, 2013 nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/01/30/coke-m s nformat on-campa gn.aspx?e_c d=20130130_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130130 By Dr. Merco a v deo....
Story at-a-g ance: A new Coca-Co a ad campa gn focuses on the m staken be ef that beat ng obes ty s a matter of count ng ca or es. Th s theory has been found to be patent y fa se. A ca or es are NOT the same, and obes ty s the resu t of consum ng too many of the wrong type of ca or es Carbs (fructose and gra ns) affect the hormone nsu n and ept n, wh ch are very potent fat regu ators. Fats and prote ns affect nsu n to a far esser degree Wh e soda consumpt on n the US has dec ned by 40 percent n the ast 10 years, consumpt on of art f c a y sweetened “d et” beverages has r sen n that same t me Research pub shed n 2011 found that peop e who drank two or more d et sodas a day exper enced wa st s ze ncreases that were s x t mes greater than those of peop e who d dn t dr nk d et soda Research from 2005 found dr nk ng more than two cans of d et soda a day ncreased r sk of obes ty by more than 57 percent. Dr nk ng more than two cans of regu ar soda per day ncreased obes ty r sk by ust over 47 percent
A new Coca-Co a ad campa gn that encourages peop e to come together to f ght obes ty s draw ng f re from consumer advocates and obes ty experts.1, 2 Coke says t s try ng to make consumers more aware of the hea thy cho ce beverages Coke makes; cr t cs say Coke s s mp y do ng damage contro . There can be no doubt that soda s one of the pr mary beverages respons b e for skyrocket ng obes ty rates. As Dr. San ay Gupta to d CNN:3 "...the sc ent f c commun ty has ...reached a consensus that soft dr nks are the one food or beverage that s been demonstrated to cause we ght ga n and obes ty. And f we re go ng to dea w th th s obes ty ep dem c, that s the p ace to start." Granted, no one s forc ng anyone to dr nk them, but there s mp y has not been enough pub c educat on about the dangers of excess ve fructose consumpt on. In fact, the ndustry has fought tooth and na to m n m ze or f at out deny these hea th dangers, very s m ar to the tobacco ndustry deny ng the r sk of ung cancer.. A perfect examp e of th s ongo ng den a s Coca-Co a s rep y to the v deo be ow, The Rea Bears, produced by CSPI. The company ca ed the short-f m “ rrespons b e” and “grandstand ng” that w not he p anyone “understand energy ba ance.” I cannot th nk of any nstance where you m ght need a soda n order to ma nta n correct “energy ba ance.” You can ach eve opt ma hea th w thout any added sugar or art f c a sweeteners. In fact, f you want to understand energy ba ance, read up on how to become fat-adapted rather than be ng a sugar burner. Th s requ res cutt ng out v rtua y a added sugars. St , the r vehement refusa to accept respons b ty for ead ng you astray does not surpr se me. Just take a ook at the h story of Coca-Co a s advert s ng, and you qu ck y rea ze that th s eopard s not about to change ts spots anyt me soon. Two s tes offer ng th s h story esson nc ude Arand a s “Coca-Co a Advert s ng Through the Years” b og4, and NPR s b og page5, “V gor, Bra n Power and Other Hea th C a ms From Coke s Advert s ng Past.” Now, Coca-Co a, the ead ng beverage brand n the wor d, rea zes t s os ng the nformat on war and s try ng to sh ft your attent on to ts 180 d fferent no- and ow-ca or e beverages. We , th s certa n y s NOT go ng to address the obes ty prob em. On the contrary, art f c a sweeteners have been shown to produce even MORE we ght ga n than regu ar sugar and even h gh fructose corn syrup. v deo.... Coke Advocat ng F awed, Outdated Ca or e-Count ng Adv ce Ev dence of ust how beh nd-the-t mes Coca-Co a s, the r brand new mu t -m on do ar campa gn focuses on the sent ment that: "...beat ng obes ty w take act on by a of us, based on one s mp e, common-sense fact: A ca or es count, no matter where they come from. ...And f you eat and dr nk more ca or es than you burn off, you ga n we ght."4 Th s “convent ona w sdom” has been f rm y debunked by sc ence. Not a ca or es count equa y. And the “ca or es n, ca or es out” hypothes s for ma nta n ng we ght has equa y been shown to be ncorrect. It s n fact FAR more mportant to ook at the source of the ca or es than count ng them. In short, you do not get fat because you eat too many ca or es and don t exerc se enough. You get fat because you eat the wrong k nd of ca or es. At the end of the day, your consumpt on of carbohydrates, whether n the form of gra ns and sugars (espec a y fructose), w determ ne whether or not you re ab e to manage your we ght and ma nta n opt ma hea th. Th s s because these types of carbs (fructose and gra ns) affect the hormone nsu n, wh ch s a very potent fat regu ator. Fats and prote ns affect nsu n to a far esser degree. Kudos to The At ant c5 for ca ng Coca-Co a on ts m s ead ng tact cs n ts recent art c e t t ed, Coke s Unconsc onab e New Ad: "Coca-Co a s atest attempt to pos t on tse f aga nst the r s ng t de of concern about the ro e of sodas n the obes ty ep dem c s unconsc onab e, because of th s statement: A ca or es count. No matter where they come from nc ud ng Coca-Co a and everyth ng e se w th ca or es. For Coca-Co a to suggest that a ca or es are equa f es n the face of rea ty as best as we can determ ne t... Coca-Co a wants us to gnore the cons derab e research conf rm ng that sugary soda s a ma or contr butor to obes ty, and that t has no nutr t ona va ue... Coca-Co a cou d use ts cons derab e advert s ng musc e to promote hea thy exerc se, yes, but when t does so as a p oy to confuse the pub c about the dangers of ts products, that s not a pub c serv ce, that s uneth ca .” v deo... The v deo above s from Youtube and s ava ab e to the pub c for nformat on and enterta nment purposes on y. Merco a.com does not own and d d not produce th s v deo. Why Ca or e Count ng Doesn t Work Dr. Robert Lust g, an expert on the metabo c fate of sugar, exp a ns that fructose s soca or c but not sometabo c. Th s means you can have the same amount of ca or es from fructose or g ucose, fructose and prote n, or fructose and fat, but the metabo c effect w be ent re y d fferent desp te the dent ca ca or e count. Th s s a cruc a po nt that must be understood. Fructose s n fact far worse than other carbs because the vast ma or ty of t converts d rect y to FAT, both n your fatty t ssues, and n your ver. And th s s why count ng ca or es does not work... As ong as you keep eat ng fructose and gra ns, you re programm ng your body to create and store fat. Furthermore, research by Dr. R chard Johnson, ch ef of the D v s on of Rena D seases and Hypertens on at the Un vers ty of Co orado and author of The Sugar F x and The Fat Sw tch, demonstrates that arge port ons of food and too tt e exerc se are NOT so e y respons b e for why you are ga n ng we ght. Rather t s fructose-conta n ng sugars that cause obes ty – not by ca or es, but by turn ng on your “fat sw tch,” a powerfu b o og ca adaptat on that causes ce s to accumu ate fat n ant c pat on of scarc ty (or h bernat on). Accord ng to Dr. Johnson, based on h s decades of research: “Those of us who are obese eat more because of a fau ty sw tch and exerc se ess because of a ow energy state. If you can earn how to contro the spec f c sw tch ocated n the powerhouse of each of your ce s – the m tochondr a – you ho d the key to f ght ng obes ty.” Accord ng to Beverage D gest, soda consumpt on n the US has been on a steady dec ne s nce 1998.6 A recent art c e n The At ant c7 shows consumpt on of soda “ n freefa ,” w th US consumpt on hav ng dec ned by 40 percent s nce 2003. Unfortunate y, many are s mp y sw tch ng to no- or ow-ca beverages, wh ch Coca-Co a s now try ng to boost, and qu te frank y, f I had to choose between these two ev s, I d choose regu ar soda, as art f c a sweeteners are even worse for your ong-term hea th, and have been nked to ncreased we ght ga n when compared to ca or e-conta n ng sweeteners. No- or Low-Ca Beverages CONTRIBUTE to Obes ty Prob em Wh e soda consumpt on has gone down, consumpt on of art f c a y sweetened “d et” beverages has r sen n that same t me, accord ng to an October 11, 2012 report by USA Today.8 The ndustry has effect ve y conv nced peop e that d et dr nks are a hea th er cho ce because they ack any ca or es. However, f you re concerned about your we ght and hea th, sw tch ng to art f c a sweeteners s NOT a w se move. Mount ng research shows that d et soda s not a "gu t-free" treat at a . For examp e, two stud es pub shed n 2011 nked d et soda to poor hea th outcomes. In one study, peop e who drank two or more d et sodas a day exper enced wa st s ze ncreases that were s x t mes greater than those of peop e who d dn t dr nk d et soda. A second study that found that aspartame (NutraSweet) ra sed b ood sugar eve s n d abetes-prone m ce. As you may know, your wa st s ze s not on y a matter of aesthet cs, but a so a powerfu nd cator of a bu d-up of v scera fat, a dangerous type of fat around your nterna organs that s strong y nked w th type 2 d abetes and heart d sease. Your wa st s ze s a far more accurate pred ctor of your heart r sks than your body mass ndex (BMI). Near y e ght years ago, research by Sharon P. Fow er, MPH9 (who was a so nvo ved n the newer stud es noted above) found that your r sk of obes ty ncreases by 41 percent for each can of d et soda you dr nk n a day. Furthermore, for d et soft-dr nk dr nkers, the r sk of becom ng overwe ght or obese was: 36.5 percent for up to 1/2 can per day 57.1 percent for more than 2 cans per day For regu ar soft-dr nk dr nkers, the r sk of becom ng overwe ght or obese was: 26 percent for up to 1/2 can per day 32.8 percent for 1 to 2 cans per day 47.2 percent for more than 2 cans per day cont nued....
jimmyg
02-15-2013, 10:38 AM
How Decreas ng Sugar Intake Can Impact Body We ght In re ated news, recent y pub shed research10 shows that decreas ng sugar consumpt on can he p you ose we ght. The researchers exam ned outcomes from 71 stud es on sugar consumpt on and body fat. The durat on of nc uded stud es ranged from two weeks to one year. Accord ng to the authors: “In tr a s of adu ts w th ad b tum d ets (that s, w th no str ct contro of food ntake), reduced ntake of d etary sugars was assoc ated w th a decrease n body we ght (0.80 kg/1.8 b); ncreased sugars ntake was assoc ated w th a comparab e we ght ncrease (0.75 kg/1.7 b). Isoenerget c exchange of d etary sugars w th other carbohydrates showed no change n body we ght . Tr a s n ch dren... n re at on to ntakes of sugar sweetened beverages after one year fo ow-up n prospect ve stud es, the odds rat o for be ng overwe ght or obese ncreased was 1.55 (1.32 to 1.82) among groups w th the h ghest ntake compared w th those w th the owest ntake. Desp te s gn f cant heterogene ty n one meta-ana ys s and potent a b as n some tr a s, sens t v ty ana yses showed that the trends were cons stent and assoc at ons rema ned after these stud es were exc uded.” Skyrocket ng Obes ty s Re ated to M s ead ng You on Hea th Issues Obes ty s the resu t of nappropr ate festy e cho ces, and unfortunate y, our government has done an abysma ob at d ssem nat ng accurate nformat on about d et and hea th. It s one th ng for corporat ons to put out m s ead ng ads – honesty s not n the se f- nterest of the processed food and beverage ndustry. It s another when the government fa s n ne w th for-prof t decept on and becomes a propagator of corporate propaganda. And th s s exact y what has happened... For examp e, convent ona adv ce that s dr v ng pub c hea th n the wrong d rect on nc udes: Cutt ng ca or es: Not a ca or es are created equa , and count ng ca or es w not he p you ose we ght f you re consum ng the wrong k nd of ca or es Choos ng d et foods w he p you ose we ght: Substances ke Sp enda and aspartame may have zero ca or es, but your body sn t foo ed. When t gets a "sweet" taste, t expects ca or es to fo ow, and when th s doesn t occur t eads to d stort ons n your b ochem stry that may actua y ead to we ght ga n Avo d ng saturated fat: The myth that saturated fat causes heart d sease has undoubted y harmed an nca cu ab e number of ves over the past severa decades, even though t a began as tt e more than a sc ent f ca y unsupported market ng strategy for Cr sco cook ng o . Most peop e actua y need at east 50 percent of the r d et to nc ude hea thfu saturated fats such as organ c, pastured eggs, avocados, coconut o , rea butter and grass-fed beef n order to opt m ze the r hea th Reduc ng your cho estero to extreme y ow eve s: Cho estero s actua y NOT the ma or cu pr t n heart d sease or any d sease, and the gu de nes that d ctate what number your cho estero eve s shou d be to keep you "hea thy" are fraught w th conf ct of nterest -- and have never been proven to be good for your hea th Th s s ust a t ny samp ng of the m s ead ng nformat on on we ght and obes ty d ssem nated by our government agenc es. A more comp ete st of convent ona hea th myths cou d eas y f an ent re ser es of books. The reason beh nd th s sad state of affa rs s the fact that the very ndustr es that prof t from these es are the ones fund ng most of the research; nf trat ng our regu atory agenc es; and br b ng our po t ca off c a s to support the r f nanc a y-dr ven agenda through any number of ega , and at t mes not so ega , means. Cou d Warn ng Labe s Be Part of the Answer? Accord ng to Dr. Haro d Go dste n, execut ve d rector of the non-prof t group The Ca forn a Center for Pub c Hea th Advocacy (CCPHA), “43 percent of the ncrease n da y ca or es Amer cans consumed over the ast 30 years came from sugary dr nks.” The CCPHA has pub shed a st of seven th ngs soda makers cou d do to create “mean ngfu change,” such as11: Cease a advert s ng of sugary dr nks to ch dren under 16 Add warn ng abe s to conta ners stat ng the nk between soda consumpt on and obes ty, d abetes and tooth decay, ust ke c garettes must dec are ts connect on to ung cancer Dec are number of teaspoons of sugar the conta ner conta ns, n arge pr nt Qu t market ng sports dr nks as hea thy beverages You Can Avo d Becom ng a Stat st c Perhaps one of the most powerfu sc ent f c d scover es to emerge n the past severa years s that the o d adage “a ca or e s a ca or e” s patent y fa se. Furthermore, the dea that n order to ose we ght a you have to do s expend more ca or es than you consume s a so fa se... The research c ear y demonstrates that even f you contro the number of ca or es you eat, f those ca or es come from fructose, you are at ncreased r sk of deve op ng metabo c syndrome, or pred abetes, wh ch nc udes nsu n res stance, fatty ver, h gh b ood pressure and h gh tr g ycer des. Convent ona th nk ng te s us that metabo c syndrome s the outcome of obes ty, wh ch s s mp y the resu t of eat ng too many ca or es and not exerc s ng enough. However, Dr. Johnson s research, d scussed above, shows that a h gh fructose d et s the key to deve op ng metabo c syndrome, and that as soon as you throw fructose nto the m x, “ca or es n versus ca or es out” s no onger a funct ona equat on. In short, avo d ng fructose n a ts forms, a ong w th other sugars, s mperat ve n order to avo d “f pp ng the fat sw tch” that can tr gger your body to accumu ate excess fat. So p ease, do yourse f and your fam y a favor, and don t get swept up n Coca-Co a s mu t -m on do ar ad extravaganza. The ent re campa gn s based on f awed, naccurate, m s ead ng, and patent y fa se convent ons of th nk ng. Let s not forget: Coca-Co a spent $1.2 m on to defeat Ca forn a Propos t on 37 ast November, wh ch wou d have requ red genet ca y eng neered (GE) foods to be abe ed as such (wh ch cou d have nc uded soda conta n ng GE h gh fructose corn syrup). That, n and of tse f, s proof pos t ve that Coca-Co a has no concern for hea th consc ous consumers. http://www.cornucop a.org/wp-content/up oads/2012/08/prop37-poster-sm 3. pg
jimmyg
02-15-2013, 09:03 PM
Your Bow of Soup May Conta n a Tox c Ingred ent — Me am ne http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2013/01/c r2911_MAIN-400x400. pg Posted by Mary West On a ch y w ntry even ng, noth ng s as appet z ng as a steam ng bow of soup. But sc ent sts have found that f the bow s made of me am ne, heat can cause the chem ca to each out nto the soup, enter ng the body and potent a y ncreas ng the r sk of hea th prob ems. Th s d scovery adds to the ev dence nd cat ng that eat ng for hea th not on y nvo ves the cho ce of food but a so the cho ce of d shes n wh ch the food s served. What s me am ne? Me am ne s a chem ca used to make cook ng utens s and some types of d shes, n add t on to paper and p ast c products. Regu ar ow-dose exposure to th s chem ca has been assoc ated w th k dney and b adder stones, a ong w th k dney fa ure and cancer n an ma stud es. In 2008, a scanda n Ch na nvo v ng me am ne occurred when the powdered form of th s chem ca was added to nfant formu a to ncrease the prote n content. Th s f asco ed to the ness of 300,000 bab es, s x of whom d ed. Study ra ses concerns In the recent study pub shed n JAMA Interna Med c ne, researchers worked w th two groups of part c pants who ate hot soup from e ther a ceram c bow or a me am ne bow . The r ur ne was tested before the mea and every two hours after eat ng the mea up to 12 hours. They found that 8.35 mcg of me am ne was excreted n the ur ne of these who used a me am ne bow and on y 1.31 mcg was excreted n the ur ne of those who used a ceram c bow . Is th s quant ty enough to cause harm? It s not known, but the researchers conc ude that t does ra se enough concern to warrant further stud es, espec a y when the me am ne s exposed to heat through m crowav ng or through ho d ng hot foods. Another factor to be aware of s that the amount eached nto food when exposed to heat w vary from brand to brand. So the resu ts from th s one brand may be better or worse than other brands, the authors po nt out. An expert speaks out Wh e me am ne has on y been the sub ect of a few stud es, t s a tox c substance and shou d be dea t w th caut ous y n regard to pub c hea th, asserts Dr. Ken Spaeth, d rector of the Occupat ona and Env ronmenta Med c ne Center at North Shore Un vers ty Hosp ta n Manhasset, New York. He exp a ns that me am ne can each out of d shes f the food s part cu ar y ac d c or f the d shes are damaged, as we as when the tab eware s used to serve or reheat hot foods. Spaeth cons ders the h gh eve s of me am ne from the study to be a pretty strong nk. “It s reasonab e to have some concerns of what exposure cou d be happen ng, and the mpact t cou d have on human hea th,” he says. Sources: http://arch nte. amanetwork.com/art c e.aspx?art c e d=1558449#qundef ned http://hea th and.t me.com/2013/01/22/hot-soups-can-cause-chem ca -to- each-from-me am ne-bow s/ http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57565240/me am ne- n-soup-bow s-may-seep- nto-our-bod es- s- t-safe/ http://www. at mes.com/features/food/da yd sh/ a-dd-food-fy -whats- n-your-bow -of-nood es- t-may-be-me am ne-20130122,0,7901629.story
jimmyg
02-16-2013, 07:39 AM
Study: Both Exerc se and Whey Augment Human Growth Hormone Product on, Wh ch Can Keep Your Body Young February 01, 2013 http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/February/whey. pg By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Exerc s ng on an empty stomach has been shown to have a number of hea th and f tness benef ts as the comb nat on of fast ng and exerc s ng max m zes the mpact of ce u ar factors and cata ysts that force the breakdown of fat and g ycogen for energy, effect ve y forc ng your body to burn fat w thout sacr f c ng musc e mass H gh- ntens ty nterva tra n ng boosts your body s natura product on of human growth hormone (HGH), a synerg st c, foundat ona b ochem ca that addresses the ser ous musc e oss and atrophy that typ ca y occurs w th ag ng New research has shown that not on y does exerc se ncrease HGH concentrat ons, but you can nf uence ts product on nutr t ona y through the ntake of whey prote n When part c pants ran on a treadm for 90 m nutes, then consumed whey prote n dur ng the r recovery, they had an ncreased HGH response after comp et ng a second bout of ntense exerc se Once you h t the age of 30, you enter what s ca ed "somatopause," at wh ch po nt your eve s of HGH beg n to drop off qu te dramat ca y; th s dec ne of HGH s part of what dr ves your ag ng process, so ma nta n ng your HGH eve s gets ncreas ng y mportant w th age Exerc se s one of the “go den t ckets” to prevent ng d sease and s ow ng the ag ng process. One reason for th s s because exerc se s one of the most effect ve ways to rega n nsu n and ept n sens t v ty and reverse nsu n and ept nres stance, wh ch s a key to stay ng hea thy as you get o der. But another reason why exerc se s somet mes regarded as a rea - fe founta n of youth s because, when done ntense y, t boosts your body s natura product on of human growth hormone (HGH), a synerg st c, foundat ona b ochem ca that addresses the ser ous musc e oss and atrophy that typ ca y occurs w th ag ng. Interm ttent fast ng has many of the same benef ts, nc ud ng dramat ca y boost ng HGH and opt m z ng nsu n- and ept n sens t v ty, wh ch I d scuss more toward the end of th s art c e. Recent research1 a so shows that ngest ng carbohydrates (sucrose) w th added whey prote n so ate dur ng short-term recovery from 90 m nutes of treadm runn ng ncreases the growth hormone response to a second exhaust ve exerc se bout of s m ar durat on. However, I ve prev ous y d scussed the ssue of mp ement ng an exerc se and d et p an based on your des red goa , e ther: Ath et c performance, or Hea th, ongev ty and reproduct ve success If you are seek ng to opt m ze compet t ve ath et cs, then carb- oad ng as used n the featured study can be usefu . However t s not a w se strategy f you re seek ng ong-term opt ma hea th, as that requ res a d fferent approach. Avo d ng carbs then becomes paramount, a ong w th mak ng sure you re us ng on y h gh qua ty prote n sources. (C ear y, compet t ve ath etes cou d a so mprove f they used h gh qua ty organ c, grass-fed whey rather than the far nfer or whey prote n so ate.) Interest ng y, n the wake of Lance Armstrong be ng str pped of h s seven t t es and banned from cyc ng for fe after be ng found gu ty of dop ng, one study known as the Go dman D emma, showed that more than ha f of O ymp c- eve ath etes wou d g ad y use a drug that wou d k them w th n f ve years as ong as t guaranteed them a go d meda .2 To most peop e, however, th s wou d be an unacceptab e exchange. The featured approach c ear y w not k you n f ve years, and I suspect most of the adverse ongev ty consequences are revers b e, but n my op n on carb- oad ng s not dea for ong-term hea th. Why Carb-Load ng s Not Recommended f You Exerc se for Longev ty The dea beh nd carb- oad ng s to saturate yourse f w th carbs so your musc es w have p enty of g ycogen to go on wh e you exerc se. Th s works f ne for rea y f t ath etes that have an ntense workout reg men. They a so have the musc e mass that cou d accommodate arge g ucose surges as musc es can rap d y ut ze g ucose. Add t ona y most ath etes have opt m zed nsu n and ept n s gna ng and are exerc s ng wh ch a so a ows them to better use the carbs. However, I be eve t s tota y nappropr ate for the vast ma or ty of non-ath etes that exerc se casua y, or ust to get hea thy as the r musc e mass sn t as we deve oped and the r nsu n and ept n s gna ng s typ ca y mpa red. Another po nt to cons der n th s study s that, wh e whey s great for st mu at ng musc e prote n synthes s, I d sagree w th the use of whey prote n so ate as whey prote n concentrates are c ear y super or. As I d scuss be ow, the focus on carbs s one of the most detr menta p eces of adv ce that s st w de y promoted to ath etes and non-ath etes a ke, and there are FAR better ways to boost HGH product on than what was tested n the featured study, n wh ch part c pants ran for 90 m nutes w th a four-hour ong break n between repeated sess on. F rst, t s mportant to remember that what you eat can e ther add to or detract from your exerc se benef ts, and f you re devot ng the t me to exerc se for hea th and ongev ty, you d be we adv sed to harness your mea s to support your goa s, not detract from them. F rst and foremost, contrary to popu ar adv ce, to max m ze the benef ts of exerc se you want to avo d fructose and other sugars un ess you are engaged n ntens ve and pro onged card o exerc ses that w a ow you to burn these sugars, espec a y fructose, and not store them as fat. However, exerc se, wh ch n and of tse f mproves nsu n and ept n sens t v ty, w NOT comp ete y compensate for excess ve use of fructose. Th s means that most casua exerc sers and those seek ng to mprove the r body compos t on and opt m ze hea th and f tness rather than boost ath et c performance or compet t veness, need to d tch the energy dr nks, sports dr nks, most energy bars and even "hea thy" dr nks ke v tam n water, as these w effect ve y sabotage your exerc se benef ts. Fructose, wh ch s found pr mar y n the form of h gh fructose corn syrup, s part cu ar y detr menta as t tr cks your body nto ga n ng we ght by turn ng off your body s appet te-contro system. Th s happens because fructose does not appropr ate y st mu ate nsu n, wh ch n turn does not suppress ghre n (the "hunger hormone") and doesn t st mu ate ept n (the "sat ety hormone"). The end resu t s that you end up eat ng more, caus ng uncontro ed accumu at on of sugar metabo tes n your ver, wh ch then eads to nsu n res stance. Fructose a so rap d y eads to decreased HDL ("good" cho estero ), ncreased LDL ("bad" cho estero ), e evated tr g ycer des, e evated b ood sugar, and h gh b ood pressure – .e. c ass c metabo c syndrome. And f that s not bad enough, fructose has shown to ncrease the eve s of TNF-, a pro- nf ammatory cytok ne known to nh b t fat burn ng and promote musc e wast ng. Eat ng Whey Prote n Dur ng Your Exerc se Recovery May Boost HGH Your product on of v ta human growth hormone ncreases by up to 771 percent dur ng a h gh- ntens ty, nterva workout ke Peak F tness because you are st mu at ng your fast tw tch musc e f bers, wh ch are rare y used dur ng most exerc se programs. The h gher your eve s of HGH, the hea th er and stronger you w be. Once you h t the age of 30, you enter what s ca ed "somatopause," at wh ch po nt your eve s of HGH beg n to drop off qu te dramat ca y. Th s dec ne of HGH s part of what dr ves your ag ng process, so ma nta n ng your HGH eve s gets ncreas ng y mportant w th age. http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2011/November/hgh-graph. pg Some ath etes choose to n ect HGH for ts performance enhanc ng potent a , though t s a banned substance n near y every profess ona sport. I do not recommend n ect ng HGH however, due to the potent a s de effects, the cost and, more mportant y, ts potent a to cause more ong-term harm than good. Bes des, as we now know, tak ng such r sks s unnecessary because f you eat and exerc se correct y, you w natura y opt m ze your HGH. What You Eat n the Two to Three Hours After You Exerc se s Extreme y Important After an ntense workout, there s an exerc se recovery phase of two to three hours dur ng wh ch you have to be somewhat carefu about what foods you choose to eat. Spec f ca y, n order to promote HGH re ease, you do need to restr ct sugar ntake post-exerc se (a though carbs can benef t those more nterested n fast recovery, such as profess ona ath etes). F tness veteran Ph Campbe exp a ns: "What we recommend... s to get 25 grams of prote n afterwards w th n that 30-m nute go den w ndow. There s a ot of research to support that, but there s a so some research done by Dr. John Ivy of the Un vers ty of Texas, a great researcher on a young cyc st who made recovery. They re not ook ng at growth hormone or max m z ng growth hormone. They re try ng to get to recover as qu ck y as poss b e so they can cyc e severa days n a row. cont nued....
jimmyg
02-16-2013, 07:40 AM
They showed that gett ng a rat o of 4:1 carbs to prote n s better for recovery... 4:1 starts recovery faster. If you re go ng after recovery, that s the best strategy... [ f] you re not ook ng for growth hormone, that s. But on the other s de, f your goa ke most m dd e-aged adu ts and o der s to max m ze growth hormone, and to get th s wonderfu hormone c rcu at ng for that fu two hours n the surg ng w ndow for go ng after body fat ( ust about ke you re do ng card o for two hours), you can do that. ... f you throw too many carbohydrates n... then that re eases the hormones ca ed somatostat n. That, for whatever reason, ust shuts down growth hormone. That s c ear n the research." So t s mportant to avo d carbs, espec a y sugar or fructose-conta n ng foods, n the two hours after your workout, and th s nc udes sports dr nks, to be sure you re gett ng the fu HGH benef ts. Consum ng whey prote n, however, appears to be near y dea , as t s a prote n that ass m ates very qu ck y, and w get to your musc es w th n 10-15 m nutes of swa ow ng t, supp y ng your musc es w th the r ght food at the r ght t me to stop the catabo c process n your musc e and sh ft the process toward repa r and growth. Whey He ps W th Musc e-Bu d ng, Too An mportant rev ew found that consumpt on of ~20–25 grams of a rap d y absorbed prote n, such as whey prote n, may serve to max ma y st mu ate musc e bu d ng after res stance exerc se n young hea thy nd v dua s;3 h gh-qua ty euc ne-r ch prote ns, such as whey, may be part cu ar y mportant for the e der y to max m ze musc e prote n synthes s as we . Further, consum ng whey not on y mmed ate y fo ow ng your workout but a so for up to 48 hours after res stance exerc se may st offer some benef t:4 "...s nce res stance exerc se ncreases MPS for up to ~48 h [hours] consumpt on of d etary am no ac ds 24-48 h post-exerc se recovery wou d a so ke y convey the same synerg st c effects on MPS [musc e prote n synthes s] as those that are observed when am no ac ds are prov ded mmed ate y after res stance exerc se. The synerg st c enhancement of pre-ex st ng res stance exerc se- nduced e evat ons n MPS by prote n prov s on s greatest mmed ate y postexerc se and wanes over t me, but may st be present up to 48 h ater. We have recent y shown that feed ng 15 g of whey prote n, a ess than opt ma y effect ve dose of prote n for max m z ng MPS, ~24 h after acute res stance exerc se resu ts n a greater st mu at on of ...prote n synthes s than the same dose prov ded at rest. ...We propose that there s, at east n young nd v dua s, an extended w ndow of anabo c opportun ty beyond the mmed ate post-exerc se per od that pers sts for at east 24 h..." A recent study pub shed n the ourna Med c ne and Sc ence n Sports & Exerc se demonstrated that consum ng whey prote n (20g prote n / serv ng) 30 m nutes before res stance tra n ng a so boosts your body s metabo sm for as much as 24 hours after your workout.5 In pract ca terms, consum ng 20 grams of whey prote n before exerc se and another serv ng afterward w most ke y y e d the doub e benef t of ncreas ng both fat burn ng and musc e bu d-up at the same t me. Interm ttent Fast ng: Another Way to Boost HGH Natura y Just as comb n ng whey prote n w th h gh- ntens ty exerc se appears to work together synerg st ca y to boost HGH product on, so too does exerc s ng wh e n a fasted state. Research has found that fast ng ra sed HGH by 1,300 percent n women and 2,000 percent n men!6 And the comb nat on of fast ng and exerc s ng max m zes the mpact of ce u ar factors and cata ysts (cyc c AMP and AMP K nases), wh ch force the breakdown of fat and g ycogen for energy. It s mportant to rea ze that th s f tness-enhanc ng strategy s more about the t m ng of mea s, as opposed to those fad p ans where you essent a y “starve” yourse f for severa days n a row. On nterm ttent fast ng, the ongest t me you ever absta n from food s 36 hours, a though 14-18 hours s more common. You can a so opt to s mp y de ay eat ng. For examp e, sk pp ng breakfast may be ust the step to get you off a p ateau n your f tness rout ne. Persona y, I ve rev sed my own eat ng schedu e to e m nate breakfast and restr ct the t me I eat food to a per od of about s x to seven hours each day, wh ch s typ ca y from noon to 6 or 7 pm. For more nformat on on hea thy, safe nterm ttent fast ng, read th s. Interm ttent Fast ng for Genera Hea th and Longev ty There s p enty of research show ng that fast ng has a benef c a mpact on ongev ty n an ma s. There are a number of mechan sms contr but ng to th s effect. Norma z ng nsu n sens t v ty s a ma or one as nsu n sens t v ty s cr t ca for the act vat on of the mTOR pathway, wh ch a ong w th IGF-1 p ays an mportant part n repa r ng and regenerat ng your t ssues nc ud ng your musc es and thereby counteract ng the ag ng process. The fact that t mproves a number of potent d sease markers a so contr butes to fast ng s overa benef c a effects on genera hea th. Even f you take the exerc se component out, modern sc ence has conf rmed there are many good reasons for fast ng, nc ud ng: Norma z ng your nsu n sens t v ty, wh ch s key for opt ma hea th as nsu n res stance (wh ch s what you get when after pro onged per ods of over-secreted and e evated nsu n) s a pr mary contr but ng factor to near y a chron c d sease, from d abetes to heart d sease and even cancer Norma z ng ghre n eve s, a so known as "the hunger hormone" Promot ng human growth hormone (HGH) product on, wh ch p ays an mportant part n hea th, f tness and s ow ng the ag ng process Lower ng tr g ycer de eve s Reduc ng nf ammat on and essen ng free rad ca damage Ty ng t A Together Whether you seek to opt m ze your ath et c performance or hea th and ongev ty, ncorporat ng 1-3 sess ons of h gh- ntens ty exerc ses per week w he p you ach eve your a ms by s gn f cant y boost ng HGH product on. Add ng nterm ttent fast ng can k ck t up another notch. The same cannot be sa d for your d et, however. Whereas carb- oad ng can be usefu for profess ona ath etes, those seek ng hea th and ongev ty w not benef t from th s strategy. On the contrary, severe y m t ng sugars and gra ns s part and parce of any d et des gned to opt m ze overa hea th and prevent chron c d sease. Furthermore, t s mportant to note that consum ng fructose w th n two hours pr or to or after h gh- ntens ty exerc se w nu fy HGH product on... So carb- oad ng wh e do ng Peak Exerc ses w amount to wasted effort.
jimmyg
02-17-2013, 01:54 PM
The Pa n Re ef So ut on Your Doctor May Not Know About http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2011/12/3946. pg Posted by Joshua Corn Do you have st ff o nts, sore musc es or genera aches and pa ns that ust never seem to go away? I know from persona exper ence ust how frustrat ng dea ng w th chron c pa n can be, wh ch s why I want to share w th you the so ut on that he ped me. Unfortunate y, many doctors address chron c pa n w th band-a d so ut ons ke pa nk ers or stero ds. What your doctor may never te you s that there cou d be an under y ng cause for your aches and pa ns, for wh ch there s a natura remedy that s both safe and permanent. The current ma nstream med ca menta ty on treat ng o nt pa n has spurred a mu t b on-do ar ndustry for B g Pharma. However, the r pa nk ng drugs are far from an dea so ut on. Stud es show that ong-term use of non-stero da ant nf ammatory drugs, ke asp r n, buprofen and Ce ebrex, actua y weakens o nts. And the prescr pt on pa nk er, V oxx, c a med as many as 55,000 ves before be ng banned. It makes me wonder, s the next V oxx urk ng out there? The Trad t ona Route D dn t Work So We for Me A few years ago I started to exper ence s gn f cant, unexp a ned o nt and musc e pa n. I went the trad t ona route f rst, see ng one doctor after another, but every test came back negat ve. Two years went by w th very tt e progress, and I knew that surger es, stero ds and pa nk ers were not the ong-term so ut on I was seek ng. What none of my doctors knew was that I was suffer ng from chron c, ow-grade body-w de nf ammat on – an aff ct on that causes body-w de symptoms such as pa n and st ffness. G ucosam ne Worked Great…But It Wasn t Enough Dur ng th s t me I was tak ng a h gh qua ty g ucosam ne and chondro t n supp ement, wh ch s an extens ve y stud ed comb nat on proven to be effect ve for natura o nt hea th support. It worked pretty we , however, t ust wasn t gett ng the ob done for my excruc at ng pa n. That s when I dec ded to “h t the books” to earn what other natura so ut ons were out there that cou d he p. I Looked at V rtua y Every Natura Opt on for Pa n Re ef Determ ned to f nd a so ut on, I read vo umes on natura hea ng and near y every research paper ever pub shed on o nt and musc e pa n. I earned that the under y ng cause of these ssues s often chron c bodyw de nf ammat on. Norma y, nf ammat on s part of the natura hea ng process, but when nf ammat on becomes chron c, that s when rea prob ems start. Many peop e unknow ng y suffer from “ nv s b e” w despread nf ammat on. But I ve earned that by putt ng an end to th s nf ammat on, wh e at the same t me tak ng nutr ents to fort fy your o nts, you can end pa n and d scomfort and beg n hea ng your body from the ns de out. It s Not Just Cart age That Protects Your Jo nts G ucosam ne and chondro t n are known to work together to protect and rebu d cart age, but t turns out that th s s on y ha f the batt e. Surround ng your cart age s a th ck ge - ke substance ca ed synov a f u d, wh ch acts as a ubr cant, shock absorber and nutr ent carr er. A ma or component of th s f u d s hya uron c ac d (a so known as HA). Your ab ty to produce HA dec nes w th age and comprom ses the synov a f u d. Research shows that supp ement ng w th HA can actua y rep en sh synov a f u d, ead ng to enhanced cush on ng and protect on for your o nts. 3 Letters That R d Your Body Of Inf ammat on My research he ped me to d scover the ro e that a compound ca ed methy su fony methane, or MSM, p ays n keep ng nf ammat on at bay. MSM s a natura form of su fur, wh ch s an essent a bu d ng b ock for o nts and cart age. Most of us ack MSM because t s been processed out of many foods. Amaz ng y, MSM prov des powerfu re ef from swe ng, nf ammat on and pa n by a ow ng harmfu substances that have accumu ated n the t ssues to f ow out and hea ng nutr ents to f ow n. Add t ona y, stud es have shown that MSM works w th g ucosam ne to protect and rebu d cart age. I Found What Tru y Is the Sp ce of L fe As I cont nued to read about natura ways to reduce nf ammat on, I earned about the amaz ng benef ts of curcum n, a component of the sp ce, turmer c, wh ch s common y used n curr es. Research shows that curcum n nh b ts the synthes s of nf ammatory substances n the body. One exc t ng study found that those tak ng curcum n showed: • A 58 percent decrease n overa reported pa n and st ffness • A 16-fo d dec ne n C-react ve prote n, a marker for nf ammat on • A 63 percent reduct on n the use of OTC drugs such as buprofen • A 300 percent mprovement n emot ona we be ng A L tt e G nger Goes a Long Way G nger has many of the same ant - nf ammatory and pa n reduct on benef ts as curcum n, however t affects the body n ways that comp ement curcum n s benef ts. In two d fferent c n ca stud es that I rev ewed, phys c ans found that 75% of pat ents w th o nt pa n and 100% of pat ents w th musc e pa n exper enced s gn f cant re ef from pa n and swe ng after tak ng g nger! Nature s G ft for Eas ng Jo nt Pa n New research suggests that an age-o d herba remedy, ca ed boswe a, may be nature s “g ft” to o nt pa n sufferers. Boswe a has emerged as a powerfu pa n and nf ammat on f ghter capab e of prov d ng s gn f cant and rap d re ef, In a go d standard research study conducted at UC Dav s, boswe a was shown to ease knee pa n and st ffness w th n ust seven days. And n another study ust comp eted th s year, researchers found that boswe a nh b ts the product on of key nf ammatory mo ecu es, wh ch he ps to prevent the breakdown of cart age. What Do P neapp es Have to Do w th Jo nt Pa n? P neapp es have been used for centur es to reduce nf ammat on and pa n. It turns out that an enzyme found n p neapp es, ca ed brome a n, s capab e of reduc ng pa n, nf ammat on and hea ng t me. Amaz ng y, some stud es show that brome a n can reduce knee pa n as effect ve y as over-the-counter pa n med cat ons. The Cherry on Top of the Jo nt Pa n So ut on One of the most exc t ng th ngs I earned n my research was that tart cherr es prov de amaz ng hea ng and pa n re ef benef ts. Tart cherr es conta n un que ant - nf ammatory compounds that spec f ca y target musc e t ssue. Accord ng to researchers at Oregon Hea th & Sc ence Un vers ty, “Tart cherry u ce may be a safer way to treat musc e pa n and nf ammat on than over-the-counter pa n re evers.” Another amaz ng study suggests that eat ng even a sma amount of tart cherr es he ps to s gn f cant y mprove musc e recovery after exerc se.
jimmyg
02-17-2013, 03:44 PM
Shock ng Reve at on: US Hea th Care System Wastes More Money than the Ent re Pentagon Budget Annua y By Dr. Merco a nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/02/us-hea thcare-system.aspx?e_c d=20130202_DNL_art_2&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130202 v deo.... A rev ew of U.S. hea thcare expenses by the Inst tutes of Med c ne1 has revea ed that 30 cents of every do ar spent on med ca care s wasted, add ng up to $750 b on annua y. The report dent f es s x ma or areas of waste: Unnecessary serv ces; neff c ent de very of care; excess adm n strat ve costs; nf ated pr ces; prevent on fa ures; and fraud. "Apart from the econom c to these def c enc es p ace, they a so resu t n pat ents hav ng to suffer need ess y. Some stud es have nd cated that n 2005, about 75,000 deaths cou d have been averted f each state had de vered hea thcare at the qua ty and eff c ency eve s of the best perform ng state," Med ca News Today reports.2 Accord ng to The Wash ngton T mes:3 " Hea th care n Amer ca presents a fundamenta paradox, says the report from an 18-member pane of prom nent spec a sts, nc ud ng doctors, bus ness peop e and pub c off c a s. The past 50 years have seen an exp os on n b omed ca know edge, dramat c nnovat on n therap es and surg ca procedures, and management of cond t ons that prev ous y were fata ... Yet, Amer can hea th care s fa ng short on bas c d mens ons of qua ty, outcomes, costs and equ ty. ...If bank ng worked ke hea th care, ATM transact ons wou d take days, the report says. If home bu d ng were ke hea th care, carpenters, e ectr c ans and p umbers wou d work from d fferent b uepr nts and hard y ta k to each other. If shopp ng were ke hea th care, pr ces wou d not be posted and cou d vary w de y w th n the same store, depend ng on who was pay ng. If a r ne trave were ke hea th care, p ots wou d be free to des gn the r own pref ght safety checks – or not perform one at a ." Amer ca s Hea th Care System Must Transform That the hea th care system n the Un ted States s hope ess y nadequate and neffect ve s obv ous. Stat st cs p ace the US hea th care system among the top three ead ng causes of death n the US – an rony that never ceases to amaze me... Furthermore, Amer cans spend more on hea th care than c t zens of any other country, up to 1.5 t mes more per person, yet we rank 50th n fe expectancy and 47th n nfant morta ty. These are abso ute y d sma outcomes from the most expens ve hea th care system n the wor d! Accord ng to Med ca News Today:4 "The Comm ttee sa d that a m ng for ust ncrementa upgrades and a terat ons carr ed out by nd v dua hosp ta s or hea th care prov ders w have tt e mpact on mprov ng the nat on s overa hea th care serv ce... The on y way the USA s hea thcare system can rea y mprove s to transform t nto a earn ng system that cont nuous y mproves tse f by systemat ca y captur ng and broad y d ssem nat ng essons from every care exper ence and new research d scovery... The report urges nsurance prov ders, profess ona soc et es, researchers, and hea th econom sts to work together to f nd ways of measur ng qua ty performance and to des gn new payment mode s and ncent ves that reward qua ty rather than vo ume." That wou d be a good start. But we cannot gnore the a -pervas ve nf uence of the pharmaceut ca ndustry on our hea th care system. Conf cts of nterest that affect not on y the qua ty but a so the cost of care are rampant throughout the ent re system, start ng w th our med ca educat on. Doctors today are tra ned to prescr be drugs and to treat symptoms, and are taught v rtua y noth ng about nutr t on and f tness, wh ch are cornerstones for good hea th. U t mate y, f we want to mprove the hea th care system, we must address the b nd re ance on drugs as the number one strategy for d sease prevent on and treatment. Med care B "Upcod ng" Costs Tax Payers $1.1 B on Annua y In re ated news, an nvest gat on conducted by the Center for Pub c Integr ty found "upcod ng" Med care b s cost taxpayers about $1.1 b on annua y. "Between 2001 and 2010, doctors ncreas ng y moved to h gher-pay ng codes for b ng Med care for off ce v s ts wh e cutt ng back on ower-pay ng ones, accord ng to a year- ong exam nat on of about 362 m on c a ms. In 2001, the two h ghest codes were sted on about 25 percent of the doctor-v s t c a ms; n 2010, they were on 40 percent. S m ar y, hosp ta s sharp y stepped up the use of the h ghest codes for emergency room v s ts wh e cutt ng back on the owest codes," The Wash ngton Post reports.5 However, wh e Med care fraud s becom ng ncreas ng y common, t s worth not ng that the pharmaceut ca ndustry as a who e s the b ggest defrauder of a .6 From over-pr c ng and fa se c a ms for med ca serv ces, to gross m sconduct and m smanaged care of sen or c t zens n nurs ng homes, the pharmaceut ca ndustry eads the pack n hea th care fraud and abuse. It s been that way for decades. That s why the U.S. government has repeated y enacted new aws – n 1986, 1996, 2009, and 2010 – to crack down on offenders. The 1986 eg s at on strengthened a C v War-era fraud aw, the Fa se C a ms Act, w th ncent ves for pr vate c t zens to report fraud and abuse of government programs by corporate Amer ca.7 Th s aw enab ed "wh st eb owers" to expose corporate cr m na s whose cr mes had prev ous y gone undetected. But t d dn t stop these cr mes, so a decade ater Congress created the Hea th Care Fraud and Abuse Contro (HCFAC) program, wh ch prov des for huge f nes and pr son sentences for hea th care fraud and abuse. Enacted w th the passage of the Hea th Insurance Portab ty and Accountab ty Act (HIPAA) and adm n stered o nt y by the Department of Just ce (DOJ) and Hea th and Human Serv ces (HHS), th s program has returned over $18 b on to the Med care Trust Fund s nce 19978 – most of wh ch came from pharmaceut ca compan es. It, too, he ped root out prev ous y undetected corporate cr m na s, as we as those comm tted by nd v dua s, hosp ta s and other hea th serv ce prov ders. St , the fraud went on. So, n 2009, Congress enacted yet another enforcement too under the Affordab e Care Act and the format on of the Hea th Care Fraud Prevent & Enforcement Team (HEAT). In 2010 a one, the DOJ and HHS reported they d co ected a tota of $4 b on as a resu t of udgments and sett ements nvo v ng Med care.9 The bu k of these funds are from drug compan es, mak ng the pharmaceut ca ndustry the new government fraud eader, surpass ng the former top fraud perpetrator, the defense ndustry.10 That s why HHS and the DOJ dec ded n 2010 to form yet another comm ttee to address ust drug company cr mes: The Pharmaceut ca Fraud P ot Pro ect (PFPP),11 w th the goa of root ng out pharmaceut ca , b o og c, and med ca dev ce fraud. It s qu te c ear that the fraud and dece t aga nst Med care by B g Pharma s so great that no amount of ant -fraud agenc es seem capab e of stopp ng t. Th s s ev denced by the fact that many drug compan es are repeat offenders. F nes for ega act v t es appear to be v ewed as the cost of do ng bus ness... Is t any wonder then that some of the drug compan es repeated y caught defraud ng the Med care system are a so sted n A Bus ness.com s Top Corporate Cr m na s of the 1990s? B g Pharma s Offshore Fraud Strategy Over the past few years, Pf zer, G axoSm thK ne, Br sto -Myers, AstraZeneca, and Abbott Laborator es have a pa d huge sums to sett e c v and cr m na a egat ons of ega sa es and market ng pract ces. Most recent y, G axoSm thK ne p ead gu ty n the argest hea th fraud sett ement n US h story. The company was f ned $3 b on to reso ve cr m na and c v ab ty charges re ated to ega drug market ng andw thho d ng nformat on about hea th hazards assoc ated w th ts d abetes drug Avand a. Prov ng that ega bus ness pract ces are standard pract ce w th n the pharmaceut ca ndustry, Forbes12 recent y reported that many pharmaceut ca compan es are now be ng nvest gated for us ng br bes to boost sa es outs de the US as we . Referred to as "emerg ng markets," these potent a consumers are ocated n As a, Europe, and the M dd e East. The U.S. Fore gn Corrupt Pract ces Act (FCPA) makes t ega to br be fore gn off c a s to w n bus ness, but nonethe ess t happens – as ev denced by Pf zer, the wor d s argest drugmaker, wh ch pa d $60.2 m on to the U.S. n August to sett e charges that the company br bed an assortment of government hea th off c a s, nc ud ng doctors, n Ch na, Russ a, Ita y, Bu gar a, Croat a, Serv a, and Kazakhstan. Accord ng to Forbes: "The company had someth ng of a frequent f yer program for br bery. Pf zer subs d ar es n severa countr es had br bery so entw ned n the r sa es cu ture that they offered po nts and bonus programs to mproper y reward fore gn off c a s who proved to be the r best customers, sa d Kara Brockmeyer, Ch ef of the SEC Enforcement D v s on s Fore gn Corrupt Pract ces Act Un t." Have You Taken Contro of Your Hea th? As you can see, there s no shortage of ev dence that the US hea th care system s n need of urgent transformat on. Hundreds of thousands are k ed by med ca care tse f, wh e others are wa k ng around w th far ess than ste ar hea th due to convent ona treatments. Rates of chron c d seases are through the roof, and we re fac ng ep dem cs of obes ty, heart d sease, d abetes, depress on and too many others to st. As a who e, Amer cans are not hea thy – they re t red, depressed, stressed out and often n pa n. As pat ents, many peop e have taken the r hea th nto the r own hands by abandon ng th s fata y f awed med ca mode and embrac ng ho st c moda t es that can he p hea on a body-w de eve . It s mportant to remember that the more you take respons b ty for your own hea th – n the form of nurtur ng your body to prevent d sease – the ess you need to re y on the "d sease care" that passes for hea th care n the Un ted States. If you carefu y fo ow some bas c hea th pr nc p es – s mp e th ngs ke exerc s ng, eat ng who e foods, s eep ng enough, gett ng sun exposure, and reduc ng stress n your fe – you w drast ca y reduce your need for convent ona med ca care, wh ch n and of tse f w reduce your chances of suffer ng s de effects. I recent y comp eted the f rst ma or rev s on of my Nutr t on P an, wh ch can gu de you, step by step, toward opt ma hea th. It s now s gn f cant y mproved and conta ns a number of updated recommendat ons, such as the add t on of fermented vegetab es as a source of hea thfu prob ot cs; and us ng nterm ttent fast ng and h gh ntens ty exerc se to rea y opt m ze your hea th. The P an s d v ded nto three stages: beg nner, ntermed ate, and advanced. If you rea ze you re a ready do ng a the th ngs nc uded n the beg nner s phase, then t may be t me to move on to the next phase. I strong y recommend rev ew ng the rev sed Nutr t ona P an whenever your schedu e a ows. It s a very deta ed and comprehens ve program – t s bas ca y an ent re book, n mu t -med a format, as we ve now added ots of nformat ve v deos to t as we . If you re new to the s te, I encourage you to go through t from the beg nn ng as t s one of the most powerfu too s to tru y a ow you and your fam y to take contro of your hea th. After you ve rev ewed the p an, fee free to add your feedback or comments about the p an n the V ta Votes sect on on the re- aunch page. Yes, You Can Inf uence Your Doctor as We ... In the event you do need med ca care, seek a hea th care pract t oner who w he p you move toward comp ete we ness by he p ng you d scover and understand the h dden causes of your hea th cha enges... and create a custom zed and comprehens ve – .e. ho st c – treatment p an for you. What s more, you can have an mpact on your doctor s tendency to recommend natura a ternat ves, as when you nqu re about them, some hea th care prov ders do n fact sten. Remember, when you do go to the doctor, know that t s OK to ask quest ons and opt for ess med ca ntervent on wh e choos ng a more natura way of hea ng your body. If your phys c an s not open to such opt ons, t may be t me to f nd one who s, who can he p coach you and your fam y to take contro of your hea th.
jimmyg
02-17-2013, 10:46 PM
The Benef ts of M n ma y Invas ve Dent stry February 03, 2013 L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/03/m n ma y- nvas ve-dent stry.aspx?e_c d=20130203_SNL_Art_1&utm_source=sn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130203 V deo..... By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Ear y ntervent on w th m n ma y nvas ve dent stry can e m nate 80 percent of future denta ntervent ons on the vast ma or ty of pat ents By dent fy ng hypoca c f c areas and us ng a m n ature a r abras on t p to c ean out those p ts, f ssures and grooves, removes the n t a decay. The area s then sea ed w th g ass onomer. The end resu t s that those teeth tend to not decay n the future Tooth decay s pr mar y dr ven by the symb ot c re at onsh p between bacter a and ac d ty, wh ch creates a pathogen c b of ora n your mouth. If you re cont nua y ower ng the pH n your mouth, you start os ng ca c um, wh ch s necessary for strong hea thy teeth. Ca c um def c ency eads to poros ty n the teeth, wh ch a ows p aque that has turned pathogen c to attack the tooth more thorough y The three ma n components of m n ma y nvas ve dent stry compr ses d etary prevent on (creat ng a hea thy b of ora n your mouth and body), denta prophy ax s (bak ng soda; o pu ng), and m n ma y nvas ve restorat ons, wh ch w he p prevent ever need ng more nvas ve procedures ke root cana s, crowns, br dges and mp ants
It s very d ff cu t to ach eve h gh- eve phys ca hea th f your denta hea th sn t effect ve y addressed. I ve been nvo ved w th a ternat ves to regu ar dent stry for qu te some t me. I th nk many peop e fa to apprec ate how mportant dent stry s to our tota hea th. Most tend to separate these two components, but both need to be cons dered as work ng n tandem. Contrary to convent ona dent stry, m n ma y nvas ve dent stry, ke b o og ca dent stry, s not about “dr ng and f ng;” creat ng an end ess oop of rev s ts and retreat ng the same tooth aga n and aga n. Instead, by us ng d etary prevent on to create a hea thy cav ty-f ght ng b of ora n your mouth; denta prophy ax s such as brush ng and rr gat ng w th bak ng soda, and o pu ng; comb ned w th m n ma y nvas ve restorat ons start ng as ear y as poss b e, you can prevent about 80 percent of future denta prob ems. M n ma y Invas ve Dent stry — A Va uab e Aspect of B o og ca Dent stry Dr. T m Ra ney s a true p oneer n b o og ca dent stry, and s a b g proponent of and eader n what s termed “m n ma y nvas ve dent stry.” “Bas ca y, I knew that the way that we were prepar ng teeth back then was dead wrong; that you cou dn t go n and ust fy destroy ng mass ve amounts of tooth structure,” Dr. Ra ney says. “...We need to be much more conservat ve.” After denta schoo , the tra n ng and dogma of wh ch he rebe ed aga nst, he began nvest gat ng a ternat ves to the standard “dr and f ” dogma. After read ng a ha mark art c e by a Japanese researcher back n 1977, he began to put everyth ng together: How tooth decay actua y occurs, what the tooth ooks ke on the ns de, how the decay ooks ke, and f na y, what cou d be done to m n m ze the damage be ng done to the tooth wh e try ng to restore t. “It took me about unt 1983 to rea y understand what was rea y go ng on w th n the teeth. I m ta k ng severa years there. I m ta k ng about d ssect ng hundreds, f not thousands, of teeth... I rea zed two th ngs. Number one, we d d not even have a rud mentary understand ng of the decay process n the teeth. Number two, everyth ng that we ve been taught about tooth structure and anatomy was ust dead wrong. By 1985, I had actua y pub shed the art c e on how to address 80 percent of a decay, wh ch s n the chew ng surface of the back teeth. That s where most decay starts. We had a rather crude rud mentary way of go ng n and treat ng these teeth,” he says. M n ma y Invas ve Restorat ons Can Last a L fet me The f rst pat ent he used h s new y dev sed procedure on was the daughter of one of h s c ass mates from denta schoo . The g r rece ved these m n ma y nvas ve restorat ons n 1983 or 84. Today, she s Dr. Ra ney s ead hyg en st, and those restorat ons are st there, and those teeth have never decayed or broken down. Th s s n stark contrast to what happens w th most convent ona f ngs, espec a y f the dent st uses ama gam (about ha f of wh ch s mercury, desp te be ng decept ve y referred to as “s ver f ng”). When you dr nto the tooth w th a h gh speed dr , and then stuff ama gam or other ncompat b e mater a n there, you can be a most certa n that you w need add t ona work on that tooth down the road as the tooth beg ns to crack and the tooth structure fa s. “The average s somewhere around 14 to 15 years before the breakdown of the f rst restorat on n the tooth and then somewhere around e ght years for the second restorat on,” Dr. Ra ney says. “Then you re nto the tooth has fractured, you start gett ng decay n between the teeth. That s the root. That w destruct your teeth. Decay starts break ng down the teeth, and then you start gett ng nto crowns and root cana s. Here you have a who e ser es of manmade atrogen c (dent stry-caused) d sasters, wh ch fue s the future generat ons of dent sts. It a so fue s 80 percent of what a denta pract ce s about, that s repa r ng prev ous dent stry.” By us ng ear y d agnos s and ear y ntervent on w th m n ma y nvas ve dent stry, Dr. Ra ney and other dent sts tra ned n h s techn ques have e m nated 80 percent of future dent stry on the vast ma or ty of the r pat ents who are pr v eged to grow up n a pract ce such as the rs. As someone who has strugg ed w th my own denta hea th, th s sounds abso ute y extraord nary. That equates to phenomena sav ngs n terms of money, pa n, and emot ona angu sh, f you happen to be afra d of the dent st cha r. “Remember, there are severa other peop e throughout the wor d who are now do ng th s. It has a very profound effect. We re ta k ng about someth ng that the ev dence of nformat on has been out there approach ng 30 years – three decades. Denta pat ents found out about t ke they d d n a ternat ve med c ne... They seek me out from a over. We have pat ents com ng n from Canada. We haven t even counted the number of states; I wou d say someth ng around 30 states,” Dr. Ra ney says. “Of course, there are eas er and s mp er ways to do dent stry! You start these k ds off very ear y. You e m nate the decay... and guess what? They don t have much decay ater on. We ca t bu etproof ng the teeth; where we go n, dent fy the defect ve p t, f ssures, and grooves n the teeth, and c ean those out. There are severa d fferent types of mater a s that we can use. My preference s for g ass onomer cement... Not on y do those chew ng surfaces on those teeth never decay, but the nterprox ma areas are ga n ng some degree of protect on because you re remov ng the n dus of the nfect on, wh ch s the bacter a w th n the teeth that are caus ng decay. You don t have that bo us of xbowe b oact v ty there to ead off nto decay.” Understand ng Tooth Structure The tooth s covered w th a ayer of poprote n, aden w th ca c um phosphate that comes and goes — eat ng and dr nk ng, espec a y ac d c foodstuffs and beverages, remove t, wh e sa va puts t back. Beneath that s an extreme y hard and dense ayer of ename , wh ch s about 0.2 m meters, or 200-400 m crons th ck. Ins de of that hard ayer, the tooth structure becomes much softer. These parts a form the structura ntegr ty of the tooth. When you b te down on the tooth, the stress s transferred through the ent re tooth down nto the root, wh ch deforms s ght y. Th s s part of ts natura stress-re ev ng mechan sm. Dur ng the format on of the tooth can form tt e p ts, f ssures and grooves that may be hypoca c f c — a defect that causes the ename to be softer than norma and suscept b e to decay. “In the dea wor d, you do not have decay start down n these p ts and f ssures, because you have a natura o -based organ c p ug that sea s that tooth,” Dr. Ra ney exp a ns. “However, n the rea wor d what happens s as these teeth are f na z ng deve opment, you get what we ca hypoca c f ed ename . Now, f you put ac d n that area, then you start gett ng a ca c um def c t. That s the beg nn ng of decay n teeth.” He dent f es those areas, and us ng a m n ature a r abras on t p that s very prec se and focused, c eans out those p ts, f ssures and grooves. Th s removes the n t a decay. Then he sea s t w th g ass onomer. The end resu t s that those teeth tend to not decay n the future. Why Decay Occurs Tooth decay s pr mar y dr ven by the symb ot c re at onsh p between bacter a and ac d ty, wh ch creates a pathogen c b of ora n your mouth. If you re cont nua y ower ng the pH n your mouth, you start os ng ca c um, wh ch s necessary for strong hea thy teeth. Ca c um def c ency eads to poros ty n the teeth, wh ch a ows p aque that has turned pathogen c to attack the tooth more thorough y. Once certa n types of bacter a are ab e to penetrate the ename , they put out enzymes that beg n to break down the co agen of the nner structure of the tooth. “That s where you get cav tat on, wh ch s the oss of tooth structure to the po nt where you have a ho e n that tooth,” Dr. Ra ney exp a ns. One of the most mportant th ngs Dr. Ra ney nstructs h s pat ents to do s to use noth ng but bak ng soda on the r teeth at n ght. “The pathogen c bacter a must have an ac d c env ronment. Then you have the bacter a – the prob ot c bacter a – that ve n a neutra env ronment. You re go ng to have X number of bacter a regard ess of what you do. So, why not promote the non-pathogen c bacter a by neutra z ng the ac d ty w th bak ng soda at n ght, wh ch has profound effects on the overa ora hea th of the nd v dua ?” Dr. Ra ney says. You can brush w th t, use t as a mouth r nse, and even d sso ve a tt e n the water you use n your WaterP k or HydroF oss. Cont nued....
jimmyg
02-17-2013, 10:46 PM
To brush: Wet your toothbrush and d p t nto the bak ng soda. Brush as usua . Your teeth shou d fee smooth when f n shed To r nse: About a teaspoon n a sma g ass of water s suff c ent. Just sw sh t around n your mouth and sp t out To f oss: D sso ve a sma amount of bak ng soda n water and f your rr gat on nstrument. Make sure not to et t dry ns de your water p k as t w cause bu dup and eventua y render the too use ess. So, a ways keep water n your rr gat on too , and nstead of stor ng t stand ng up, store t ups de-down n a g ass of bak ng soda and water, as the bak ng soda w prevent harmfu bacter a from pro ferat ng. Once a week, dra n t a out and r nse t thorough y w th water In the morn ngs, you cou d use toothpaste conta n ng ca c um and phosphate sa ts, or even hydroxyapat te, wh ch can he p rem nera ze your teeth. “S nce the Pro-Ename [toothpaste], I ve be eved that a most a of the toothpastes out there now have ca c um of some form n them. The mag c s the ca c um phosphate. You want those present, so they can prec p tate back nto the teeth as amorphous hydroxyapat te... You re rebu d ng an amorphous crysta of ename , because of a the nteract ons of the enzymes, ca c um, phosphate, and everyth ng e se that goes on w th n your mouth. Where you rea y mess th s up s by gett ng t too ac d c. That s where the bak ng soda comes n. We use t n our cancer pat ents, where they have a rea def c t of ca c um and phosphate n the r sa va – peop e who have prob ems. The brand name of t, as a prescr pt on tem, s ca ed Caphoso®. You actua y get t n a ca c um so ut on, a phosphate sa t so ut on. You m x those together, and then you r nse w th them.” That;s the bu d ng b ock of ename , and what t takes to rem nera ze ename . Promote Benef c a Ora Bacter a w th Fermented Foods To promote a benef c a ora b of ora he a so recommends tak ng Evora tab ets wh e you re try ng to change the bacter a ba ance n your mouth. Eat ng fermented foods, such as cu tured yoghurt made from raw organ c m k (AVOID store-bought yoghurts as they are worth ess n terms of prob ot cs. Most are oaded w th sugars and other detr menta ngred ents, and a of them are pasteur zed), or fermented vegetab es, wh ch you can eas y and nexpens ve y make at home. Accord ng to Dr. Ra ney, any type of prob ot cs w natura y he p get r d of harmfu Strep mutans. Th s nc udes Lactobac us and bacter a that are b oact ve n h gh concentrat ons of act c ac d. To Pu or Not to Pu ... Another nterest ng techn que that can he p mprove your ora hea th s o pu ng. The techn que s thousands of years o d, and t s an anc ent Ayurved c Ind an trad t on. To perform t, you v gorous y sw sh an o n your mouth, “pu ng” t between your teeth for 20-30 m nutes. You can use a number of o s for th s, but sesame, sunf ower or coconut o are common y used. Dr. Ra ney s a so work ng extens ve y w th ozonated o s. O pu ng s thought to remove pathogen c bacter a, mprove ora hyg ene, and he p detox fy your system. Dr. Ra ney agrees the techn que can be benef c a . A drawback s that t s t me consum ng. You need to go at t for qu te some t me n order to get resu ts. It s not ke sw sh ng w th mouthwash for 30 seconds. Idea y, you want to reach c ose to 30 m nutes. The Three Ma n Components of M n ma y Invas ve Dent stry Contrary to convent ona dent stry, m n ma y nvas ve dent stry, ke b o og ca dent stry, s not about “dr ng and f ng;” creat ng an end ess oop of rev s ts and f x ng o d denta work unt there s noth ng eft to work w th. It compr ses three ma n components: D etary prevent on (creat ng a hea thy b of ora n your mouth and body) Denta prophy ax s (bak ng soda; o pu ng) M n ma y nvas ve restorat ons As for denta prophy ax s, the s mp est th ng s ust add ng bak ng soda to your n ght y ora hyg ene. Idea y, add t to your denta rr gator, and brush w th t. You can a so use o pu ng n con unct on w th th s. They re not mutua y exc us ve. You can comb ne the two, because t w prov de a sort of organ c matr x p ug, wh ch he ps combat denta decay. And u t mate y, you want to change the b of ora n your mouth, wh ch s done through your d et. Fermented foods are key. A h gh-qua ty prob ot c supp ement may suff ce f you rea y cannot stand fermented foods. I urge you to at east try some fermented vegg es though, as they are, for most peop e, the most pa atab e. I th nk they re de c ous! The next step, (where, dea y, you d start your k ds off) wou d be to see a dent st tra ned n m n ma y nvas ve dent stry. K ds treated w th the NovaM n or bak ng soda a r abras on process to c ean the p ts and f ssures and then sea them w th g ass onomer, rece ve s gn f cant protect on aga nst future decay. How to F nd a B o og ca and M n ma y Invas ve Dent st At present, there are a number of dent sts tra ned n Dr. Ra ney s techn ques. Severa of them are n Ca forn a and F or da. There s a so one n Be rut, Lebanon, and n New Zea and. To ocate a qua f ed dent st, you can contact Dr. Ra ney s off ce at www. t mra ney.com, or ca 361-526-4695. If there s no m n ma y nvas ve dent stry pract ce n your area, or w th n reasonab e trave d stance, the fo ow ng nks can he p you to f nd a mercury-free, b o og ca dent st. These may not be tra ned n Dr. Ra ney s m n ma y nvas ve dent stry techn que, but are tra ned to treat your ora and phys ca hea th as a cohes ve who e. If you re cons der ng remov ng ama gam, you a so need to make sure t s done by b o og ca dent st that s been proper y tra ned to do t safe y, as remov ng ama gam can ead to severe and acute mercury po son ng: Consumers for Denta Cho ce Internat ona Academy of B o og ca Dent stry & Med c ne (IABDM) Denta Ama gam Mercury So ut ons (DAMS). E-ma them at: dams@usfam y.net or ca 651-644-4572 for an nformat on packet Hugg ns App ed Hea ng. You need to f out a form and they w connect w th you to f nd a su tab e dent st n your area Ho st c Denta Assoc at on Internat ona Assoc at on of Mercury Safe Dent sts
jimmyg
02-18-2013, 09:08 AM
Dear L ve n the Now readers, Fact: Wash ng your hands w th soap and water s a great way to prevent the spread of nfect ous d sease. Doctors and nurses d scovered th s decades ago when they found that by s mp y wash ng the r hands n between pat ents, the nc dence of nfect ons n hosp ta s was great y reduced. F ct on: Us ng ant bacter a soaps, hand san t zers and common househo d c eaners to k germs s a good way to protect yourse f and your fam y from nesses such as the f u and common co d. In what I cons der one of the b ggest market ng coups of the ast decade, ant bacter a products have become ub qu tous n our soc ety and have spread faster than the germs they supposed y protect us from. These days, ant bacter a d spensers are ocated n off ce bu d ngs, schoo s, restaurants, a rports — you name t. But n rea ty, they may do more harm than good. Our soc ety has been bra nwashed nto be ev ng that the more ster e we are ab e to make th ngs, the better. Th s cou d not be farther from the truth. And unfortunate y, we ve become a nat on of germophobes, afra d to touch nnocuous ob ects and afra d to touch each other. Worse yet, we re ndoctr nat ng our ch dren nto th nk ng the same th ng — s ather ng them w th ant bacter a everyth ng, and mak ng them afra d to touch anyth ng "d rty." It wou d be one th ng f th s behav or was mak ng us hea th er — but guess what — t s not! Certa n y, bas c san tat on pract ces are essent a to prevent ng the spread of nfect ous d sease, but that s where t ends. Accord ng to a Un vers ty of M ch gan study, use of soaps conta n ng tr c osan, the act ve ngred ent n most ant bacter a products, are no more effect ve than p a n soap at prevent ng nfect ous ness symptoms or reduc ng bacter a on the hands. Tr c osan s a known tox n that has been nked to mpa red musc e funct on and heart prob ems. The M ch gan reseachers conc uded that us ng ant bacter a products can actua y make you s cker, by creat ng bacter a res stant germs and by render ng ant b ot cs ess effect ve. The resu ts of th s study don t surpr se me at a . Ma nstream med c ne s founded on a fau ty concept known as the "germ theory of d sease," wh ch supposes that m croorgan sms (germs) are the cause of a nfect ous d sease. But there s a gap ng ho e n th s theory. The germ theory makes the assumpt on that a hea thy human body s comp ete y ster e, or germ-free. But we now know that a hea thy human body s actua y br mm ng w th m croorgan sms, wh ch are abso ute y essent a to d gest on, nutr ent ass m at on and mmune funct on. So to try to quarant ne yourse f from germs that your body has adapted to and may even depend upon makes no sense. We enough s enough. We don t need to spend the extra money and expose ourse ves to tox ns to "protect" ourse ves. Of course, advert sers w cont nue to promote ant bacter a products as a godsend for hea th and safety, but that doesn t mean you have to sten. By a means, wash your hands frequent y. But nstead of us ng ant bacter a hand soap, use a natura c eanser ke cast e soap. Instead of us ng tox c househo d c ean ng products, opt for any of the many eco-fr end y brands out there. And perhaps most mportant y, earn how to boost your mmune system natura y w th fermented foods and prob ot cs, v tam n D, mushrooms and other hea ng foods and supp ements — so you can f ght off the bad germs w thout k ng off the good ones! In good hea th, Joshua Corn, Ed tor- n-Ch ef osh@ ve nthenow.com
Sev
02-18-2013, 05:40 PM
http://natura soc ety.com/ ead ng-genet c st-human- nte gence-s ow y-dec n ng/ Lead ng Genet c st: Human Inte gence s S ow y Dec n ng
jimmyg
02-18-2013, 08:18 PM
Eat ng Smart When D n ng Out http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/February/eat ng-smart. pg February 04, 2013 By Dr. Merco a Do you regard eat ng out as a b t of a resp te from your da y fe? A t me to et someone e se do the cook ng, and perhaps treat yourse f to someth ng more ndu gent that you don t norma y eat? Restaurant cha ns are on to th s sent ment, and they ve responded by offer ng customers ncreas ng y decadent d shes that are s mp y not good for your hea th. I m ta k ng about: A m k shake that has a s ce of app e p e b ended n (Johnny Rockets) Country fr ed steak served w th pancakes, potatoes, gravy and syrup (near y a days worth of ca or es n one mea , thanks to IHOP) A mass ve port on of macaron and cheese that has two days worth of sod um (Uno Ch cago Gr ) A s ce of choco ate cake that we ghs near y one pound and conta ns 26 teaspoons of added sugar (Magg ano s L tt e Ita y)1… and the st goes on and on Med a reports often focus on the ca or e content of such mass ve mea s, a ong w th the saturated fat and sod um. C ear y, overeat ng to th s extent can eas y pack on the pounds, espec a y f your eat ng out s not ust a “treat” but more of a da y rout ne … But there s more to these mea s than s mp y extra ca or es, fat and sa t … Do You Know Where Most Restaurant Food Comes From? Eat ng the food at near y every fast food cha n (except maybe Ch pot e and a few other restaurants comm tted to susta nab e, organ c supp ers) and even most s t-down restaurants means you are ke y consum ng feed ot an ma meat – f esh that comes from an ma s ra sed n crowded unsan tary cond t ons, fed mass ve doses of ant b ot cs and unnatura "frankenfeed" fu of genet ca y mod f ed (GM) crops and some other tru y d sturb ng ngred ents. Th s s ust the t p of the ceberg when t comes to a the dec ded y unhea thy pract ces that go on at a CAFO (Concentrated An ma Feed ng Operat on). The prob em beg ns at the mass ve CAFOs where the beef, ch cken or p gs are fed genet ca y mod f ed corn and soybeans and excess ve gra ns n genera (wh ch are not the natura d et of these an ma s), a ong w th the fo ow ng a most unbe evab e feed ngred ents: P ast cs -- for the many an ma s whose d gest ve systems need roughage to pass food through them, the CAFOs now use p ast c pe ets. Meat from members of the same spec es -- CAFOs turn farm an ma s nto cann ba s. Sc ent f c research has nked th s pract ce to the spread of both mad cow d sease and av an b rd f u. Manure and an ma feces-- th s can nc ude catt e manure, sw ne waste, and pou try waste. It a so nc udes wood, sand, rocks, d rt, sawdust and other non-food substances. Roxarsone -- more common y known as arsen c, wh ch unt recent y was put nto ch cken and p g feed to contro ntest na paras tes that m ght cause them to eat ess and grow s ower. Ch cken tter (conta n ng the arsen c that passes through the b rds) s a so co ected from ch cken CAFOs and fed to feed ot catt e, for some apparent reason that def es common sense. An ma byproducts -- categor zed as "an ma prote n products," th s nc udes rendered feathers, ha r, sk n, hooves, b ood, nterna organs, ntest nes, beaks and bones, dead horses, euthan zed cats and dogs, and road k . Chem ca -Laden Food s the Norm, Not the Except on A burger or a ch cken sandw ch from a fast-food restaurant s not equa , nutr t ona y, to the equ va ent you wou d make at home … near y a ways the fast-food vers on w conta n a stagger ng var ety of add t ves, f avor ng, co or ng, and other chem ca s that g ve t that “fast-food” f avor …For nstance, on y about ha f of a Ch cken McNugget s actua ch cken. The rest s a m x of corn-der ved f ers and add t ves (most ke y genet ca y mod f ed), a ong w th a s ew of synthet c chem ca s, nc ud ng: D methy po ys oxane, a type of s cone w th ant -foam ng propert es used n cosmet cs and a var ety of other goods ke S y Putty Tert ary buty hydroqu none (TBHQ), a petro eum-based product w th ant ox dant propert es You probab y expect th s from McDona d s, but tox c unknowns ke h gh-fructose corn syrup, preservat ves and MSG can urk n food from even the f nest of restaurants. Many restaurants actua y buy processed frozen foods that are s mp y heated or cooked n the m crowave, and then passed off as "home cooked." Th s s someth ng you d expect from a cafeter a or fast-food o nt, but t occurs even at f ve-star eater es. Other tr cks of the restaurant trade not spec f ca y ment oned above nc ude pass ng off nexpens ve f sh such as po ock as someth ng more expens ve, ke cod. Or, Mary and-sty e crab cakes made from crab that came from V etnam. Most f sh n restaurants s a so farm-ra sed, wh ch you def n te y want to avo d. Due to a of the added sugars and other ngred ents, stud es have shown that eat ng fast food ust tw ce a week can make you ga n 10 pounds, but even more shock ng t DOUBLES your r sk of deve op ng nsu n res stance.2 Insu n res stance, as I ve d scussed on many occas ons, s one of THE pr mary dr v ng factors beh nd many chron c d seases, nc ud ng d abetes, cancer and heart d sease. Ask Quest ons BEFORE You Go … Many restaurants have the r menus on ne and t can be he pfu to dent fy what you want to eat before you go to the restaurant. If poss b e, choose a restaurant known for the r h gh-qua ty standards, such as buy ng produce oca y and n season, or serv ng raw and/or organ c foods. Idea y, you d want to opt for who y organ c- or raw food restaurants, but they can be few and far n between. At the other end of the spectrum are fast-food cha ns, wh ch shou d be avo ded at a costs. For restaurants that fa somewhere n the m dd e, ca ahead and speak to a manager, chef or owner ahead of t me. Most servers are typ ca y c ue ess about where the food they are serv ng actua y comes from, or what s n t, wh ch s why ca ng ahead s so mportant. If you wa t unt you re a ready there, the server w ke y head nto the k tchen to get your quest ons answered, but you have no way of tru y ver fy ng the r responses. Some quest ons to ask ahead of t me wou d nc ude: Where does the bu k of the r food come from (A CAFO? A food who esa er? An organ c farm?) Is the beef grass-fed? Do they use organ ca y ra sed, free-range ch cken? Is the f sh w d-caught? Are organ c ngred ents ava ab e? Are fu ngred ents sts for menu tems ava ab e? Do they use MSG? Does the sauce (or any other cond ment) conta n h gh fructose corn syrup? Do they use genet ca y mod f ed (GM) ngred ents? (Remember, typ ca y anyth ng conta n ng corn, soy, cano a, or any of the r der vat ves are GM var et es UNLESS cert f ed organ c) More T ps for Eat ng Out at a Restaurant I urge you to take your hea th to the next eve and seek out the restaurants n your area that are mak ng a comm tment to us ng seasona , susta nab e ngred ents and prepar ng mea s n a hea thy way. These restaurants are out there, and the more peop e who support them the more they w cont nue to grow. Ca ng ahead and ask ng quest ons s even an exce ent way to open up a d scuss on about the need for a tru y h gh-qua ty restaurant n your area. If your goa s s mp y to avo d overeat ng or tak ng n excess ca or es, you can use some of these common t ps: Ask your server to put ha f of your mea n a to-go box before they br ng t to the tab e Sp t an entrée w th a fr end Avo d entrees descr bed as “cr spy,” “breaded,” “fr ed,” or “smothered” and opt for those that are steamed nstead Order f rst so you re not nf uenced by your d n ng compan ons cho ces Ta or your mea how you want t, such as swapp ng a potato s de for a vegg e or ask ng for your f sh to be steamed nstead of fr ed Many oca bus nesses wou d be g ad to hear about your concerns over food qua ty and your des res for a h gher standard, and w work w th you to come up w th a so ut on – espec a y f they get ca s ke th s often … Idea y Prepare Most of Your Mea s at Home I have ong stated that f you want to be opt ma y hea thy, you, a fam y member or someone you h re needs to take the t me to prepare your mea s from scratch. Th s way, you can be sure you re gett ng unprocessed, h gh-qua ty food made w th ngred ents you trust. I am a so fond of say ng that f you fa to p an you are p ann ng to fa , so each n ght before bed, p an what you re go ng to eat the fo ow ng day so you can avo d hav ng to re y on purchas ng unhea thy restaurant mea s. Even better, make a week y mea p an each weekend, and buy a the ngred ents you need for that week s mea s ahead of t me so you re prepared.
jimmyg
02-19-2013, 08:48 AM
New UN Treaty on Mercury Requ res Countr es to Phase Down Denta Ama gam http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/February/denta -ama gam. pg February 05, 2013 By Dr. Merco a The momentum toward mercury-free dent stry s ga n ng speed and, t appears, may be set to become a rea ty n the 21st century. The f na mercury treaty sess on took p ace n Geneva, Sw tzer and n January 2013. There the mercury treaty was f na zed, and nc uded mportant prov s ons to reduce and e m nate mercury po ut on, one of them be ng a requ rement for countr es to phase down the use of denta ama gam (mercury f ngs). As M chae T. Bender, d rector of the Mercury Po cy Pro ect, sa d:1 “Th s s the beg nn ng of the end of denta ama gam g oba y.” Mercury Treaty Requ res Countr es to Phase Down the Use of Denta Ama gam The treaty, wh ch has been under negot at on for four years and cou d be s gned as ear y as October, w requ re countr es to undertake at east two of the prescr bed steps to “phase down ama gam use.” Among those measures sted are these:2 Sett ng nat ona ob ect ves a med at m n m z ng (ama gam) use; Promot ng the use of cost-effect ve and c n ca y-effect ve mercury-free a ternat ves; Encourag ng profess ona soc et es and denta schoo s to educate and tra n denta profess ona s n the use of mercury-free denta restorat on; and Encourag ng nsurance po c es and programs that favor the use of qua ty a ternat ves to ama gam. Textbook Examp e of C t zen Power Cha eng ng Corporate Power Though we d d not yet ach eve the phase-out of ama gam, we made progress ke never before. Two key goa s were ach eved that are the next best th ng. F rst, ama gam s the one product w th a road map, a step-by-step approach, to reduc ng ts use; t s the on y mercury-based product w th a p an. Second, ama gam was kept n the annex, wh ch means that a pet t on can ater be f ed to end ama gam a together. (Had ama gam nstead been p aced n the body of the treaty nstead of the treaty s annex, th s cou d not happen.) And th s s n the b ggest forum of them a -- the wor d stage. The f ve treaty sess ons -- from June 2010 through January 2013 -- spanned a most 1,000 days. We have w tnessed a textbook case for success aga nst the odds. A comb nat on of v s on, of hard work, of bu d ng a team from s x cont nents, of grassroots support beneath, and of a cons stent message pa d off. The success of the Wor d A ance for Mercury-Free Dent stry, created upon the recommendat on of and ed by Consumers for Denta Cho ce, shows that c t zen act on st can make progress over corporate power. Countr es Around the G obe A ready Phas ng Out Denta Mercury The prov s ons are n ne w th grow ng att tudes around the wor d, where phase-outs of mercury n dent stry have a ready occurred or have been recommended. In October 2011, for nstance, the U.S. State Department ca ed for a "phase down" of mercury f ngs, fo owed by an "eventua " phase out. The State Department s subm ss on to the Mercury Internat ona Negot at on Comm ttee a so ca ed for: Educat ng pat ents and parents (about ama gam) n order to protect ch dren and fetuses Tra n ng of denta profess ona s on the env ronmenta mpacts of mercury n denta ama gams Ama gams have been banned n severa countr es, nc ud ng Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Russ a, and arge y n Japan. And n a 2012 etter to European Un on (EU) member state representat ves and denta experts, the European Env ronmenta Bureau (EEB) a so asked rec p ents to support a phase-out of the use of mercury n dent stry, both n the EU and around the wor d. The EU has been aggress ve n both the r ntent and act ons a med at reduc ng mercury usage, and even adopted a mercury strategy n 2005, wh ch conta ns 20 measures to reduce mercury em ss ons, cut supp y and demand and protect aga nst exposure. The EEB etter came on the hee s of a Ju y 2012 European Comm ss on report,3 wh ch a so recommended the phase-out of denta ama gam and mercury n button ce batter es. European Comm ss on Report: Hea th and Env ronmenta Concerns L nked to Denta Ama gam The European Comm ss on report noted both human hea th and env ronmenta concerns re ated to denta ama gam: “…denta ama gam s a s gn f cant contr butor to overa EU env ronmenta em ss ons of mercury from human act v t es. Mercury em tted to the a r can be part y depos ted nto other env ronmenta compartments (so , surface water, vegetat on). Em ss ons to so and groundwater are a so s gn f cant, a though the r contr but on to overa mercury re eases to th s env ronmenta compartment s more d ff cu t to quant fy. It s est mated that about ha f of the mercury re eased from current and h stor ca denta ama gam use rema ns potent a y b oava ab e, w th the potent a to contam nate f sh n part cu ar, the other ha f be ng e ther sequestered for ong-term (stored n hazardous waste andf s) or recyc ed for new purposes. A nd v dua s are exposed to mercury po ut on to some degree; however, some groups are part cu ar y exposed and/or vu nerab e to the hea th effects of mercury po ut on (pr nc pa y n the form of methy mercury through d et), such as h gh- eve f sh consumers, women of ch dbear ng age and ch dren. Th s presents a r sk of negat ve mpacts on hea th, n part cu ar affect ng the nervous system and d m n sh ng nte ectua capac ty. There are a so env ronmenta r sks, for examp e the d sturbance of m crob o og ca act v ty n so s and harm to w d fe popu at ons. More than 70% of the European ecosystem area s est mated to be at r sk today due to mercury, w th cr t ca oads for mercury exceeded n arge parts of western, centra and southern Europe.” The env ronmenta hea th effects of ama gam are we known and nc ude bra n damage and neuro og ca prob ems, espec a y for ch dren and the unborn bab es of pregnant women. W th denta mercury uncontro ab y enter ng the env ronment from mu t p e pathways, phas ng out ama gam and trans t on ng to non-mercury a ternat ves s the on y way to reduce – and eventua y e m nate – th s s gn f cant source of mercury that threatens our env ronment and u t mate y our hea th. Char es Brown of Consumers for Denta Cho ce and the Wor d A ance for Mercury-Free Dent stry noted:4 "Countr es that have phased out ama gam recogn ze that mercury-free denta f ngs are read y ava ab e, affordab e and effect ve.” In response to the mercury treaty prov s ons, he exp a ned, “Th s pushes the reset button on dent stry. Now the rest of the wor d can benef t from the exper ence of those countr es." Mercury F ngs: A B t of Background on th s Archa c Pract ce Under a "dr -f -and-b " approach that puts prof ts above pat ents, ama gam rema ns popu ar w th dent sts who choose not to get tra n ng n modern a ternat ves. Such protect on of the econom c status quo makes a smooth trans t on to mercury-free dent stry a the more d ff cu t. Dent sts nexper enced w th mercury-free a ternat ves c a m they nsta ama gam f ngs much faster than the pr mary a ternat ve, compos te f ngs, but nat ons ke Denmark, wh ch has made the trans t on, d scount the c a m that ama gam s more eff c ent. So the rat ona e s to g ve ama gams as a cost-sav ngs for t ght hea th care budgets. Low- ncome and m dd e- ncome peop e, peop e n th rd-wor d countr es, and our so d ers – even the pregnant ones – get mercury f ngs based on th s bogus "eff c ency" argument. The Amer can Denta Assoc at on (ADA) has cont nued to defend the r use, even though ama gam f ngs conta n more tox c mercury than any other product so d n the Un ted States and safer a ternat ves, such as res n compos te, are read y ava ab e. In response to the mercury treaty phase-down requ rements, they even spun a pos t ve news re ease app aud ng the fact that peop e wou d st be ab e to get mercury f ngs w thout restr ct ons.5 Th s sn t at a surpr s ng, as the ADA has h stor ca y covered up the fact that the term "s ver f ng" to descr be ama gams s profound y decept ve, as the compos te mater a conta ns anywhere from 49 to 54 percent mercury, thus shou d be ca ed mercury f ngs not the euphem st c and decept ve term s ver f ng. At one t me they even dec ared that remov ng mercury f ngs s uneth ca and many dent sts ost the r censes for remov ng them. The ADA a ded and abetted denta boards to yank censes from dent sts who truthfu y to d pat ents that ama gam s ma n y mercury and who adv sed aga nst ts use. Th s was desp te the known fact that denta ama gam em ts mercury vapor after t s mp anted n your mouth, and th s mercury b oaccumu ates and endangers your hea th – and the env ronment -- n many ways. Mercury Treaty Phase-Down May S gna the End of Denta Mercury G oba y The ADA and other pro-mercury groups w undoubted y cont nue the r crusade to keep denta ama gam – a pr m t ve po ut ng product -- n the forefront of 21st century dent stry. So even though the mercury treaty prov s ons are a ma or step forward n the phase-down and eventua phase-out of th s tox c substance, support for Consumers for Denta Cho ce, wh ch has worked to educate the government about denta mercury po ut on and the many mercury-free a ternat ves to ama gam, s now more mportant than ever. Consumers for Denta Cho ce eads the batt e for mercury-free dent stry both n the Un ted States and wor dw de. Its f nanc a needs are greater than ever, so we ask for your he p! P ease cons der a donat on to Consumers for Denta Cho ce, a 501(c)(3) non-prof t organ zat on ded cated to work ng for mercury-free dent stry for every ch d and every adu t. Donat ons can be made on ne here. Checks can be ma ed to: Consumers for Denta Cho ce 316 F St., N.E., Su te 210 Wash ngton DC 20002
jimmyg
02-20-2013, 11:00 AM
Hea th er A ternat ves to the Seasona F u Vacc ne: Gar c, Z nc, and V tam n D http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/February/co d-f u. pg February 04, 2013 L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/04/z nc-gar c-v tam n-d.aspx?e_c d=20130204_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130204 By Dr. Merco a The co d and f u season got off to an ear y start th s year n the US, and everywhere you turn, you ve undoubted y seen ads and med a reports urg ng you to get the f u vacc ne. Meanwh e, sc ent f c rev ews by the ndependent Cochrane Database1, 2 pub shed ast fa aga n refuted pervas ve “expert” hea th and med a c a ms that the f u vacc ne s the most effect ve way to protect yourse f aga nst the f u, and that t s a safe way of do ng so... Fortunate y, there are many a ternat ves ava ab e, from opt m z ng your v tam n D eve s and tak ng z nc at the f rst s gn of nfect on, to ncorporat ng mmune boost ng foods nto your da y d et. Why the F u Vacc ne s Your Least Effect ve Opt on... Last fa , the Cochrane group re eased two new sc ent f c rev ews on f u vacc nes. The r rev ew of a tr a s compar ng vacc nated versus unvacc nated adu ts3 found that, at best, vacc nes m ght be effect ve aga nst on y nf uenza A and B. Th s represents on y about 10 percent of a c rcu at ng v ruses. Under dea cond t ons, where the vacc ne comp ete y matches the c rcu at ng v ra conf gurat on, 33 hea thy adu ts need to be vacc nated to avo d one set of nf uenza symptoms. In average cond t ons (part a y match ng vacc ne) 100 peop e need to be vacc nated to avo d one set of nf uenza symptoms. They a so found that vacc ne use d d not affect the number of peop e hosp ta zed or work ng days ost, but d d cause one case of Gu a n-Barré syndrome (a ma or neuro og ca cond t on ead ng to para ys s) for every one m on vacc nat ons. So p ease, carefu y we gh the r sks versus benef ts before you opt for vacc nat on. A so do your research on r sk free a ternat ves, such as those d scussed here. Gar c – As Good or Better Than Tam f u? A recent art c e by PreventD sease.com4 h gh ghted the use of gar c, wh ch has natura ant v ra , ant b ot c, and ant funga act v ty. “Forget the f u shot. A soup based on more than 50 c oves of gar c, on ons, thyme and emon w destroy a most any v rus that enters ts path nc ud ng co ds, f u and even norov rus,” John Summer y wr tes. Gar c has ong been ha ed for ts hea ng powers, espec a y aga nst nfect ous d seases ke co d and f u. Th s s ke y due to ts mmune boost ng effects. Accord ng to the featured art c e: “...Compounds n th s fam ar bu b k many organ sms, nc ud ng bacter a and v ruses that cause earaches, f u and co ds. Research nd cates that gar c s a so effect ve aga nst d gest ve a ments and d arrhea... A recent and s gn f cant f nd ng from Wash ngton State Un vers ty shows that gar c s 100 t mes more effect ve than two popu ar ant b ot cs at f ght ng d sease caus ng bacter a common y respons b e for foodborne ness.” The respected research organ zat on The Cochrane Database, wh ch has repeated y demonstrated that the sc ence n support of the f u vacc ne s f msy at best, has a so rev ewed stud es on the a ternat ves, such as the use of gar c.5 Unfortunate y, such research s harder to come by, as there s no f nanc a ncent ve dr v ng t. St , n the s ngu ar study dent f ed by the Cochrane group, those who took gar c da y for three months had fewer co ds than those who took a p acebo, and, when they d d come down w th a co d, the durat on of ness was shorter – an average of 4.5 days compared to 5.5 days for the p acebo group. Wh e th s may not seem over y mpress ve, t s st better than the resu ts ach eved by the much-advert sed f u drug Tam f u. If taken w th n 48 hours of onset of ness, Tam f u m ght reduce the durat on of f u symptoms by about a day to a day and a ha f. That s the extent of what th s $100-p us treatment w get you. It s v rtua y dent ca to ust tak ng gar c on a regu ar bas s... However, some pat ents w th nf uenza are at ncreased r sk for secondary bacter a nfect ons when on Tam f u, wh ch of course wou d defeat the p an of be ng ab e to ump out of bed a day sooner. Furthermore, adverse events reported nc ude ped atr c deaths, ser ous sk n react ons, and neuropsych atr c events, nc ud ng su c de comm tted wh e de r ous – s de effects you won t exper ence f you re tak ng gar c. Furthermore, there are p enty of reasons to doubt the verac ty of Tam f u s c a ms. In 2009, conf cts of nterest w th n WHO were unearthed, show ng nks between Roche, the manufacturer of Tam f u, and those respons b e for creat ng pandem c f u p ann ng gu de nes. Tam f u s current y on the organ zat on s st of "essent a med c nes." But the Cochrane team cou d f nd "no ev dence" to suggest that Tam f u actua y reduces comp cat ons n cases of nf uenza. In fact, e ght out of 10 c n ca tr a s on Tam f u are st “m ss ng n act on,” as Roche has dogged y refused to re ease them. K nd of makes you wonder why, doesn t t? If you ove gar c, the featured art c e nc udes a hearty gar c soup rec pe, cons st ng of unpee ed gar c c oves, o ve o , organ c grass-fed butter, cayenne, g nger, on ons, thyme, coconut m k, organ c vegg e broth, and emon wedges. For the rec pe, p ease refer to the or g na art c e.6 If you don t en oy gar c, you cou d opt for a h gh-qua ty supp ement. Understand ng What Causes Co ds and Inf uenzas Can He p You Prevent Them Both co ds and var ous nf uenzas are caused by a w de var ety of v ruses (not bacter a). Wh e the two a ments typ ca y affect your resp ratory tract, there are some d fferences between them. Common symptoms of a regu ar co d nc ude runny nose, congest on, cough, and sore throat. The symptoms of the f u tend to be far more severe, as the nf uenza v ruses are capab e of caus ng severe ung nfect on, pneumon a and even resp ratory fa ure. They a so tend to affect your o nts – hence that a over achy fee ng. The fo ow ng v deo offers an exce ent, rap d-f re c ff-notes-type educat on on f u v ruses, where the “H” and “N” f u c ass f cat ons come from and the r transm ss on, a ong w th common f u symptoms. (Bear n m nd that I obv ous y do NOT recommend or adv se gett ng a f u vacc ne, wh ch s sted as one of the prevent on methods at the end of th s v deo.) v deo..... The most common way these v ruses are spread s v a hand-to-hand contact. For nstance, someone w th a co d b ows the r nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you a so touch. However, the key to remember s that ust be ng exposed to a co d v rus does not mean that you re dest ned to catch a co d. If your mmune system s operat ng at ts peak, t shou d actua y be qu te easy for you to fend off the v rus w thout ever gett ng s ck. If your mmune system s mpa red, on the other hand, they can eas y take ho d n your body. So, t s mportant to understand that the reason you catch a co d or f u s because your mmune system s mpa red. It s not an nev tab e event based on exposure a one. L festy e factors that can depress your mmune system, a one or n comb nat on, nc ude: Eat ng too much sugar and gra ns. The average person consumes about 75 grams of fructose per day (pr mar y n the form of h gh fructose corn syrup found n v rtua y a processed foods), and when fructose s consumed at that eve t can devastate your mmune system. One of the ways t does th s s by unba anc ng your gut f ora. Sugar s fert zer for pathogen c bacter a, yeast, and fung that can set your mmune system up for an assau t by a resp ratory v rus. Most peop e don t rea ze that 80 percent of your mmune system actua y es n your gastro ntest na tract. That s why contro ng your sugar ntake s CRUCIAL for opt m z ng your mmune system. It wou d be w se to reduce your tota sugar ntake, and m t your fructose consumpt on to be ow 25 grams a day f you re n good hea th, or be ow 15 grams a day f you have h gh b ood pressure, d abetes, heart d sease, or are nsu n res stant or are seek ng to recover from an acute ness ke the f u. V tam n D def c ency. In the argest and most nat ona y representat ve study7 of ts k nd to date, nvo v ng about 19,000 Amer cans, peop e w th the owest v tam n D eve s reported hav ng s gn f cant y more recent co ds or cases of the f u -- and the r sk was even greater for those w th chron c resp ratory d sorders ke asthma. At east f ve add t ona stud es a so show an nverse assoc at on between ower resp ratory tract nfect ons and v tam n D eve s. Insuff c ent s eep. If you aren t gett ng enough restorat ve s eep, you be at ncreased r sk for a host e v ra takeover. Your mmune system s a so the most effect ve when you re not s eep-depr ved, so the more rested you are the qu cker you recover. You can f nd 33 secrets for a good n ght s s eep here. Insuff c ent exerc se. Regu ar exerc se s a cruc a strategy for ncreas ng your res stance to ness. There s ev dence that regu ar, moderate exerc se can reduce your r sk for resp ratory ness by boost ng your mmune system. In fact, one study8 found that peop e who exerc sed regu ar y (f ve or more days a week) cut the r r sk of hav ng a co d by c ose to 50 percent. And, n the event they d d catch a co d, the r symptoms were much ess severe than among those who d d not exerc se. Exerc se ke y cuts your r sk of co ds so s gn f cant y because t tr ggers a r se n mmune system ce s that can attack any potent a nvaders. Each t me you exerc se you can benef t from th s boost to your mmune system. Idea y, estab sh a regu ar f tness program, such as Peak F tness, now, to he p you ward off co ds and other ness. Exerc se can a so he p boost your mmune system acute y, by ncreas ng your body temperature. Th s he ps k off nvad ng pathogens, s m ar y to the fever your body produces when s ck. Us ng neffect ve strateg es to address emot ona stressors. Emot ona stressors can a so pred spose you to an nfect on wh e mak ng co d symptoms worse. F nd ng ways to manage da y stress as we as your react ons to c rcumstances beyond your contro w contr bute to a strong and res ent mmune system. Effect ve strateg es nc ude a var ety of energy psycho ogy too s, such as the Emot ona Freedom Techn que (EFT). Z nc – Another Trusted Co d-F ghter cont nued...
jimmyg
02-20-2013, 11:00 AM
A Cochrane Database Rev ew of the med ca research on z nc found that when taken w th n one day of the f rst symptoms, z nc can cut down the t me you have a co d by about 24 hours. The rev ew nc uded 15 random zed contro tr a s, cons st ng of 1,360 part c pants of a age groups. Z nc was a so found to great y reduce the sever ty of symptoms. The rev ew stopped short of recommend ng any spec f c dose of z nc, c t ng the need for further stud es to estab sh opt ma formu at ons and durat ons of treatment. However, some of the stud es showed the benef c a qua t es of z nc n f ght ng the common co d used between 50 and 65 mg a day. The peop e tak ng ozenges were more ke y to exper ence adverse effects than those tak ng syrup, nc ud ng a bad taste n the r mouth and nausea. Z nc was not recommended for anyone w th an under y ng hea th cond t on, ke owered mmune funct on, asthma or chron c ness. A so keep n m nd that any t me you so ate one m nera and ngest t ndependent y of the others, the potent a ex sts for mba ance, or n the worst case, overdose. Therefore, I wou dn t current y recommend tak ng more than 50 mg a day, and I do not recommend tak ng arge doses of z nc on a da y bas s for prevent ve purposes as you cou d eas y deve op a copper mba ance that way. You can a so act vate the "Reverse Effect" n wh ch too much of a good nutr ent can actua y cause the oppos te of what t s supposed to do. So eave z nc for acute, short-term use on y. Foods ke gar c, on the other hand, can safe y be consumed regu ar y to ma nta n a robust mmune system. Let Food Be Thy Med c ne As ment oned ear er, the f rst th ng you want to do when you fee yourse f com ng down w th a co d or f u s to avo d ALL sugars and processed foods. (I a so recommend avo d ng a art f c a sweeteners, as they can have a detr menta effect on mmune funct on as we .) Sugar s part cu ar y damag ng to your mmune system -- wh ch needs to be ramped up, not suppressed, n order to combat an emerg ng nfect on. Th s nc udes fructose from fru t u ce, and a types of gra ns (as they rap d y break down to sugar n your body). Make sure to dr nk p enty of pure water. Water s essent a for the opt ma funct on of every system n your body and w he p w th nose stuff ness and oosen ng secret ons. You shou d dr nk enough water so that your ur ne s a ght, pa e ye ow. Idea y, you want to address nutr t on, s eep, exerc se and stress ssues the moment you f rst fee yourse f com ng down w th someth ng. Th s s when mmune-enhanc ng strateg es w be most effect ve. Foods that w he p strengthen your mmune response nc ude: Raw, grass-fed organ c m k, and/or h gh-qua ty whey prote n Fermented foods such as raw kef r, k mchee, m so, p ck es, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetab es Raw, organ c eggs from pastured ch ckens Grass-fed beef n sma quant t es of a few ounces Coconuts and coconut o Organ c vegetab es Gar c. Idea y consumed raw and crushed ust before eat ng Turmer c, oregano, c nnamon, c oves Mushrooms, espec a y Re sh , Sh take, and Ma take Does Ch cken Soup Rea y Work? Short answer, yes, ch cken soup can be he pfu aga nst co d and f u symptoms. Ch cken conta ns a natura am no ac d ca ed cyste ne, wh ch can th n the mucus n your ungs and make t ess st cky so you can expe t more eas y. Processed, canned soups won t work as we as the homemade vers on, however. For best resu ts, make up a fresh batch yourse f (or ask a fr end or fam y member to do so) and make the soup hot and sp cy w th p enty of pepper. The sp ces w tr gger a sudden re ease of watery f u ds n your mouth, throat, and ungs, wh ch w he p th n down the resp ratory mucus so t s eas er to cough up and expe . Mak ng t from scratch s easy. Be ow, I demonstrate a s mp e rec pe for mak ng your own ch cken soup and stock v deo... Put the ch cken bones n a arge stock pan (use bones from organ ca y-ra sed ch cken) Cover the bones w th water Br ng to a bo and ower the heat S mmer for about an hour or onger V tam n D – An Exce ent Co d and F u Prevent on Strategy V tam n D s an amaz ng y effect ve ant m crob a agent, produc ng 200 to 300 d fferent ant m crob a pept des n your body that k bacter a, v ruses and fung . So opt m z ng your eve s w not on y he p send a co d or f u v rus pack ng, t can prevent them from nvad ng your body n the f rst p ace. Contrary to f u vacc nes, th s recommendat on has been stead y ga n ng sc ent f c va dat on. In fact, there s compe ng ev dence suggest ng co d and f u may actua y be symptoms of v tam n D def c ency. Dr. John Canne , founder of the V tam n D Counc , was one of the f rst to ntroduce the dea that v tam n D def c ency may actua y be an under y ng cause of nf uenza, wh ch wou d he p exp a n ts apparent benef ts as a f u-f ghter. H s hypothes s was pub shed n the ourna Ep dem o ogy and Infect on n 2006,9 wh ch was fo owed up w th another study pub shed n the V ro ogy Journa n 2008.10 H s hypothes s rece ved further support and conf rmat on when, n the fo ow ng year, the argest and most nat ona y representat ve study of ts k nd to date d scovered that peop e w th the owest b ood v tam n D eve s reported hav ng s gn f cant y more recent co ds or cases of the f u.11 In another study, pub shed n 2010,12 researchers nvest gated the effect of v tam n D on the nc dence of seasona nf uenza A n schoo ch dren. Over the course of a year, nf uenza A occurred n ust 10.8 percent of the ch dren n the v tam n D group, compared w th 18.6 percent of the ch dren n the p acebo group. Accord ng to the authors: "Th s study suggests that v tam n D3 supp ementat on dur ng the w nter may reduce the nc dence of nf uenza A, espec a y n spec f c subgroups of schoo ch dren." Rev sed and Updated Recommendat ons for Opt m z ng Your V tam n D Leve s Research on v tam n D s mov ng sw ft y, so you d be we adv sed to stay on top of the atest deve opments as recommendat ons are ref ned and updated. I w cover the atest deve opments here, so you may want to share th s art c e w th your peers. F rst, t s mportant to remember that sun exposure s the best way to opt m ze your v tam n D eve s as your body has bu t- n “fa -safe” mechan sms that prevent detr menta s de effects from occurr ng. Last year, I created a v deo to he p you determ ne f you can get enough v tam n D from sun exposure n your area at d fferent t mes of the year. Based on add t ona nformat on rece ved, I now be eve that my prev ous pos t on was too str ct... The good news s, you can ke y get v tam n D under far ess dea cond t ons than prev ous y suggested. The rad at on from the sun that reaches the earth s surface (and hence your body) s part a y f tered out by the atmosphere. I had prev ous y stated that UVB rays w on y penetrate the atmosphere when the sun s above an ang e of about 50° from the hor zon, and that when the sun s ower than 50°, the ozone ayer w absorb v tam n D-produc ng UVB-rays wh e a ow ng the onger, and more harmfu , UVA-rays to get through, wh ch wou d defeat the purpose of spend ng t me n the sun. Th s recommendat on s ke y too str ct. Accord ng to experts n the f e d, you can ke y get suff c ent amounts of UVB rad at on when the sun s as ow as 30 degrees above the hor zon, or whenever the temperature s warm enough to expose arge amounts of sk n. I thank John Hochman, MSME, for br ng ng th s to my attent on. Accord ng to Dr. O a Enge sen w th the Norweg an Inst tute for A r Research, the creator of a ca cu ator13 that takes a number of factors nto cons derat on g ve you an est mate of how many m nutes of exposure you need to produce the equ va ent of 1,000 IU s of v tam n D, the sun must be more than 15 degrees above the hor zon dur ng c oud ess cond t ons. If You Take V tam n D Supp ements, Remember to Take V tam n K2 Second, based on the atest nvest gat ons by Caro e Bagger y, d rector of GrassrootsHea th, the average adu t dose requ red to reach hea thy v tam n D eve s s around 8,000 IU s of v tam n D per day f you re tak ng an ora supp ement. For ch dren, many experts agree they need about 35 IU s of v tam n D per pound of body we ght. Here, t s mportant to remember that f you re tak ng h gh dose v tam n D supp ements, you ALSO need to take v tam n K2. The b o og ca ro e of v tam n K2 s to he p move ca c um nto the proper areas n your body, such as your bones and teeth. It a so he ps remove ca c um from areas where t shou dn t be, such as n your arter es and soft t ssues. V tam n K2 def c ency s actua y what produces the symptoms of v tam n D tox c ty, wh ch nc udes nappropr ate ca c f cat on that can ead to harden ng of your arter es. The reason for th s s because when you take v tam n D, your body creates more v tam n K2-dependent prote ns that move ca c um around n your body. W thout v tam n K2, those prote ns rema n nact vated, so the benef ts of those prote ns rema n unrea zed. So remember, f you take supp ementa v tam n D, you re creat ng an ncreased demand for K2. Together, these two nutr ents he p strengthen your bones and mprove your heart hea th. Wh e the dea or opt ma rat os between v tam n D and v tam n K2 have yet to be e uc dated, Dr. Kate Rheaume-B eue, author of V tam n K2 and the Ca c um Paradox: How a L tt e Known V tam n Cou d Save Your L fe, suggests that for every 1,000 IU s of v tam n D you take, you may benef t from about 100 m crograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 m crograms (mcg). So, f you take 8,000 IU s of v tam n D3 per day, that means you d need n the ne ghborhood of 800 to 1,000 m crograms (0.8 to 1 m gram/mg) of v tam n K2. Last y, remember that your v tam n D requ rements are h gh y nd v dua , as your v tam n D status s dependent on numerous factors, so wh e 8,000 IU s of v tam n D3 per day may put you c oser to the ba park of what most peop e ke y need, t s mposs b e to make a b anket recommendat on that w cover everyone s needs. The on y way to determ ne your opt ma dose s to get your b ood tested. Idea y, you want to ma nta n a v tam n D serum eve of 50-70 ng/m year-round. For an n-depth exp anat on of everyth ng you need to know before you get tested, p ease read my atest updates n Test Va ues and Treatment for V tam n D Def c ency. Other Supp ements that Send Pathogens Pack n There are a number of supp ements that can be benef c a for co ds and nf uenza, but I be eve they shou d be used on y as an ad unct to other hea thy d etary and festy e measures d scussed n th s art c e. Some of the more he pfu opt ons for co d and f u – above and beyond v tam n D, gar c, and z nc – nc ude: V tam n C: A very potent ant ox dant; use a natura form such as acero a, wh ch conta ns assoc ated m cronutr ents. A tea made from a comb nat on of e derf ower, yarrow, boneset, nden, pepperm nt and g nger: Dr nk t hot and often for combat ng a co d or f u. It causes you to sweat, wh ch s he pfu for erad cat ng a v rus from your system Oregano O : The h gher the carvacro concentrat on, the more effect ve t s. Carvacro s the most act ve ant m crob a agent n oregano o Med c na mushrooms, such as sh take, re sh , and turkey ta Propo s: A bee res n and one of the most broad-spectrum ant m crob a compounds n the wor d; propo s s a so the r chest source of caffe c ac d and ap gen n, two very mportant compounds that a d n mmune response O ve eaf extract: Anc ent Egypt ans and Med terranean cu tures used t for a var ety of hea th-promot ng uses and t s w de y known as a natura , non-tox c mmune system bu der So p ease, carefu y rev ew the ev dence aga nst f u vacc nes, and cons der us ng a -natura mmune boost ng festy e strateg es as your f rst ne of defense aga nst co ds and f u. As you can see, there are many a ternat ves ava ab e, from opt m z ng your v tam n D eve s and tak ng z nc at the f rst s gn of nfect on, to ncorporat ng mmune boost ng foods ke gar c nto your da y d et.
jimmyg
02-20-2013, 08:15 PM
10 Unexpected Uses for Lemons: K ss the Chem ca s Goodbye! http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2013/02/ emons11. pg Posted by Amanda Schoonover Nature supp es us w th some great stuff, no? L ke emons. In a emon you can f nd a tangy comp ment for any beverage, a f avor-enhanc ng ngred ent for food, a deodor zer, a sta n remover and p enty of other uses. Lemons are nexpens ve, safe for human consumpt on and env ronmenta y fr end y. Grab a few on your next supermarket tr p for these 10 common uses. 1. Laundry br ghtener. Add a ha f cup of emon u ce to your wh tes for extra br ghten ng. That s t! 2. A r freshener I recent y found an exce ent t p that s espec a y good for dry w nter days: F a pot w th water and p ace t on the stove top. Add emon u ce and pee s a ong w th c nnamon st cks, c oves and app e sk ns (a opt ona ). S mmer for as ong as you d ke. It rea y freshens the room wh e a so add ng a tt e mo stur z ng. 3. Ha r ghtener. Spr tz ng or squeez ng a m xture of two-parts emon u ce and one-part water nto your ha r as you s t n the sun w gent y ghten your ocks. En oy a good book or ust bask n the sunsh ne mak ng v tam n D wh e your ha r dr es. 4. C eaner. Squeeze emon u ce onto counter tops and n gr tty p aces, ke fr dge drawers, fo owed by w p ng down w th a wet c oth. Add v negar for an extra c ean ng. 5. Sta n remover. It may take some extra e bow grease, but t beats us ng heavy chem ca s to get r d of sta ns. P us, t doub es as an arm workout. Use a emon, v negar and water m xture to remove sta ns on your counter top, tub and more. 6. Guacamo e sav or. You know what makes me sad? Mak ng fresh guaco om e on y to have t brown. But there s an easy f x! Squeeze some emon u ce on top (w thout b end ng) before popp ng t n the fr dge to prevent brown ng. Lemon works as a natura preservat ve for p enty of other foods, too. 7. Grease remover. No need for harsh chem ca s to remove the greasy f m on your pots and pans — use a emon! Squeeze u ce onto the surface and et s t for f ve m nutes. Then add some bak ng soda to eas y scrub away the gr me. 8. Scar and age spot ghtener. Be very carefu not to go out n the sun wh e emon u ce s on your sk n. It w actua y cause your scars to darken. But wh e I m ndoors, I ke to dab a drop or two on any dark spots after shower ng. But ust be aware: t w b each your sheets. 9. Sa ad dress ng. Forget sa ad dress ngs fu of sod um, sugar and art f c a f avors, encased n wastefu packag ng. How beaut fu s t that we can f avor our greens w th one s mp e squeeze of a z ngy emon and a tt e o ve o ? I ove to squeeze ha f a emon over my baby sp nach nstead of heavy dress ngs. 10. Water enhancer. Wh e I ove water n ts natura state, a tt e emon u ce makes t a tad more exc t ng, wh e add ng to t va uab e nutr ents. Lemons are an exce ent source of ca c um and a so prov de sma amounts sma amounts of ron, copper, potass um, and B v tam ns. And don t waste the sk n! Grate the pee for a zest to bake nto muff ns, breads and other foods.
jimmyg
02-21-2013, 08:17 AM
Beef Burgers Made of Horse Meat and Sa mone a Outbreak from Ground Beef -- The Unsavory Truth of R s ng Food Fraud and Contam nat on http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2013/February/ground-beef. pg February 06, 2013 By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance Severa supermarkets n the UK have been found se ng beef burgers conta n ng near y 30 percent horse meat, as we as p g meat. Supermarket g ant Tesco has prom sed to f nd out how t happened In the Un ted States, federa hea th off c a s recent y reported that at east 16 peop e n f ve states were s ckened by ground beef contam nated w th sa mone a. About ha f of them requ red hosp ta zat on, but none have d ed so far The more steps your food goes through before t reaches your p ate, the greater your chances of contam nat on becomes. If you are ab e to get your food oca y, you e m nate numerous routes that cou d expose your food to contam nat on Food fraud s on the r se. Accord ng to a report by the U.S. Pharmacope a Convent on (USP), a whopp ng 800 new records of food fraud have been added to ts ever expand ng database over the past two years
When you buy processed meat, whether from your oca grocer or a restaurant, what are you rea y gett ng? That s a very va d quest on these days, as one meat-re ated scanda after another has been revea ed. Most recent y, at east 16 peop e n the US have been s ckened from sa mone a-ta nted ground beef, and n the UK, many got s ck to the r stomach when t was d scovered beef burgers conta ned horsemeat. New DNA sequenc ng techno ogy now a ows regu atory agenc es to nexpens ve y make th s determ nat on. From the standpo nts of hea th, an ma we fare, and env ronmenta susta nab ty, there s rea y on y one type of meat I recommend: organ ca y ra sed, grass-fed or pastured. Th s app es to a types of meat, from fow to beef, and re ated an ma products such as eggs and da ry. Tesco Apo og zes for Se ng Burgers Conta n ng Horsemeat On January 17, BBC News1 reported that the supermarket cha n Tesco had p aced fu -page ads n severa nat ona newspapers, apo og z ng for se ng hamburgers found to conta n near y 30 percent horse meat. A ma or ty of tested beef burgers a so conta ned p g meat, as d d over 30 other processed beef products, nc ud ng cottage p e, beef curry p e, and asagna. "The supermarket g ant sa d t and ts supp er had et customers down and prom sed to f nd out what happened, " BBC wr tes. "So here s our prom se. We w f nd out exact y what happened and, when we do, we come back and te you. And we w work harder than ever w th a our supp ers to make sure th s never happens aga n." Wh e horse meat does not pose a hea th r sk per se, many are d sgusted by the thought of eat ng horse, much ke you d shun cat or dog meat. The d screpancy was d scovered by Ir sh food nspectors. Horse meat was a so found n burgers so d by Ice and, L d , A d and Dunnes. The stores have reported y removed a products from the meat supp er n quest on. Burger K ng n the UK has a so ssued a statement say ng t has rep aced the meat supp er. Accord ng to Reuters:2 " Th s s a vo untary and precaut onary measure, Burger K ng, famed for ts f ame-gr ed burgers, sa d. We are work ng d gent y to dent fy supp ers that can produce 100 percent pure Ir sh and Br t sh beef products that meet our h ghqua ty standards. " Accord ng to Reuters, the source of the contam nat on s thought to be “a beef based product bought from two th rd-party supp ers outs de of Ire and.” Th s h gh ghts one of the most bas c prob ems w th mass-produced meat products. The f na product s a umb e-toss of meat and scraps from mu t p e sources, mak ng the r sk of contam nat on of huge amounts of meat very h gh – whether the contam nat on s a type of meat that doesn t be ong, or contam nat on w th a pathogen. It a so makes trac ng the contam nat on back to ts source a the more d ff cu t. Overa , t s mportant to rea ze that the more steps your food goes through before t reaches your p ate, the greater your chances of contam nat on becomes. If you are ab e to get your food oca y, d rect y from the f e d or after harvest, such as d rect y from a farmer or farmer s market, you knock out numerous routes that cou d expose your food to contam nat on. Severa S ck After Eat ng Contam nated Ground Beef Case n po nt... In the Un ted States, federa hea th off c a s recent y reported that at east 16 peop e n f ve states were s ckened by ground beef contam nated w th sa mone a.3 About ha f of them requ red hosp ta zat on, but none have d ed so far. Seven of those aff cted ate K bbeh – a raw ground beef d sh – at an unnamed Detro t restaurant. Aga n, the contam nat on was scattered around a very arge area: M ch gan, Ar zona, I no s, Iowa, and W scons n. Accord ng to the Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on4 (CDC), the outbreak s nked to a recent reca of more than 1,000 pounds of ground beef from Gab Ha a Foods and Joun Meats, both based n M ch gan. Each year, an est mated one n s x Amer cans become from consum ng contam nated food. Somet mes th s resu ts n a 24-hour bout of d arrhea and vom t ng that c ears up on ts own, but n other cases foodborne pathogens can ead to organ fa ure, para ys s, neuro og ca mpa rment, b ndness, st b rths and even death. Wh e the ma or ty of food contam nat ons are nked to mported foods, the mere fact that a food s manufactured on U.S. so does not guarantee ts safety. Most of the meat so d n U.S. grocery stores and restaurants comes from conf ned an ma feed ng operat ons (CAFOs), wh ch can house tens of thousands of an ma s (and n the case of ch ckens, 100,000) under one roof, n n ghtmar sh, unsan tary, d sease-r dden cond t ons. It s under these cond t ons that foodborne pathogens f our sh, and ndeed stud es have shown that the arger the farm, the greater the chances of contam nat on. How CAFO Ch cken Farms May Contam nate Other Foods In one study, more than 23 percent of CAFOs w th caged hens tested pos t ve for Sa mone a, wh e ust over 4 percent of organ c f ocks tested pos t ve. The h ghest preva ence of Sa mone a occurred n the argest f ocks (30,000 b rds or more), wh ch conta ned over four t mes the average eve of sa mone a found n sma er f ocks. Organ c f ocks are typ ca y much sma er than the mass ve commerc a f ocks where bacter a f our sh, wh ch s part of the reason why eggs (and other products, ke meat) from tru y organ c, free-range sources are FAR ess ke y to conta n dangerous bacter a such as Sa mone a. What many don t rea ze s that not on y are you at greater r sk of gett ng s ckened from CAFO ch cken meat, contam nated ch cken tter from these farms can a so spread d sease throughout the food cha n... Yes, even ettuce and other vegetab es have occas ona y been found to conta n Sa mone a, courtesy of contam nated fert zer. Ch cken tter and feathers are a so common y used n other vestock feed, further ncreas ng chances of spread ng contam nat on around from one mass-produced food source to another.5 If you buy your meat at your supermarket, even f t s U.S. ra sed, you shou d know that you are d rect y support ng a food system that typ ca y promotes w despread contam nat on. And you can bet that as ong as there are peop e w ng to buy cheap, contam nated meat, the ndustry w cont nue to produce t. Consumer Reports tests6 have nd cated that 83 percent of fresh, who e bro er ch ckens bought at supermarkets nat onw de harbor Campy obacter or Sa mone a. Th s s c ear y unacceptab e, and f you start to demand more -- meat that s ra sed n a hea thy, humane way, free from tox ns and d sease -- producers w have no cho ce but to sten. Study Shows Roundup Creates Botu sm Breed ng Ground n Pou try CAFO ch ckens can a so be heav y exposed to g yphosate when fed genet ca y eng neered feed, and accord ng to recent research,7 g yphosate res dues w preferent a y k benef c a spec es of m croorgan sms n the GI tract, eav ng pathogen c spec es that can cause harm. What does th s mean for you and me? The essent a mp cat on s that pou try fed GE corn or soy wou d fa v ct m to dysb os s, mean ng unhea thy changes n the r gut f ora that threaten the hea th of the b rds, as we as anyone consum ng them. The benef c a bacter a n the pou try gut, such as Enterococcus, B f dobacter um and Lactobac us, are k ed off, a ow ng the pathogen c or d sease caus ng bacter a to f our sh. Var et es such as Sa mone a and C ostr d um are very dangerous pathogens for humans. C ostr d a bacter a are some of the dead est, w th stra ns nc ud ng C. tetan (tetanus) and C. botu num (botu sm). Ch ckens bred n CAFOs are a ready rout ne y fed ant b ot cs, arsen c, and even ant depressants, a of wh ch have ser ous adverse hea th consequences. But th s German study8 suggests CAFO ch ckens exposed to g yphosate may become breed ng grounds for Botu sm, Sa mone a and other ma or pathogen c organ sms. Accord ng to a new report by the CDC9 deta ng the most common sources of foodborne ness reported between 1998 and 2008, the ma or ty – 19 percent – of food po son ng deaths were nked to contam nated pou try.10 The mp cat ons of th s become even c earer when you cons der the recent y re eased f nd ngs of a decade- ong feed ng study that showed GE feed can cause s gn f cant changes n the d gest ve system, mmune system, and ma or organs ( nc ud ng ver, k dneys, pancreas, gen ta s and others) of rats, m ce, p gs and sa mon. If t s do ng a of that to an ma s and f sh, what s t do ng to you? C ear y, the convent ona agr bus ness food system has emerged as a ma or threat to your hea th. Food Fraud at A T me H gh... cont nued.....
Sev
02-21-2013, 09:38 AM
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/72630_349725365136141_690730357_n. pg
j2pac
02-21-2013, 09:42 AM
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/72630_349725365136141_690730357_n. pg Was the wheatgrass sprayed w th any pest c de/s? If so, Gary was st gett ng chemo, he ust d dn t know t! :D
jimmyg
02-21-2013, 09:47 AM
Accord ng to a recent report by the U.S. Pharmacope a Convent on (USP), a whopp ng 800 new records of food fraud have been added to ts ever expand ng database.11 You can both search the USP database and report fraud d rect y, at www.foodfraud.org. It seems qu te c ear at th s po nt that food fraud s on the r se, and wh e many have started read ng food abe s, those abe s are ncreas ng y found to be ess than truthfu .12 Accord ng to the USP s press re ease:13 “The f rst terat on of the database comp ed 1,300 records of food fraud pub shed between 1980 and 2010. The update ncreases the tota number of records by 60 percent – and cons sts most y of newer nformat on pub shed n 2011 and 2012 n both scho ar y ourna s and genera med a. In t a ana yses of the database by USP food sc ent sts was pub shed n the Apr 5, 2012, Journa of Food Sc ence. Th s research revea ed that m k, vegetab e o s and sp ces were among the top categor es where food fraud occurred as documented n pub shed reports. Ana yses of new nformat on by USP sc ent sts show s m ar trends for 2011 and 2012, and add seafood (f sh, shr mp), c oud ng agents and emon u ce as categor es vu nerab e to food fraud. Food fraud s a co ect ve term that encompasses the de berate subst tut on, add t on, tamper ng or m srepresentat on of food, food ngred ents or food packag ng, or fa se or m s ead ng statements made about a product for econom c ga n. A more spec f c type of fraud, ntent ona or econom ca y mot vated adu terat on of food ngred ents, has been def ned by USP as the fraudu ent add t on of nonauthent c substances or remova or rep acement of authent c substances w thout the purchaser s know edge for econom c ga n to the se er. Wh e food fraud has been around for centur es, w th a handfu of notor ous cases we documented, we suspect that what we know about the top c s ust the t p of the ceberg, sa d Dr. Jeffrey Moore, sen or sc ent f c a son for USP and the database s creator and ead ana yst.” Are You Buy ng Unusab e Scraps and F ers, Th nk ng t s Good Food ? Over the past year a one, I ve d scussed a number of food ssues that have come to ght that wou d turn the stomach of most peop e, nc ud ng: Fast food burgers that do not decompose, even after be ng eft out for a decade “P nk s me” (an unsavory comb nat on of ground up beef scraps and connect ve t ssues m xed w th a so ut on of ammon a and water) be ng used n schoo unches and processed meats across the US Reconst tuted meat, and how the use of meat g ue cheats you out of your hard-earned money at the grocery store and threatens your hea th, and most recent y The truth of what s rea y n the famous McR b pork sandw ch – a quest onab e concoct on of over 70 d fferent ngred ents, the “meat” port on of wh ch s actua y “restructured” meat that can nc ude the nnards and castoffs from the p g Buy ng Loca s One of the Best Ways to Avo d Food Contam nat on A n a , modern food manufactur ng s far from savory once you earn what goes on, and there s room for fraud at every turn. Qu te frank y, I d be hard-pressed to ca much of the processed fare ava ab e n stores today food. It s so far from t, t s no wonder we have such prob ems w th obes ty and poor hea th. What can you expect when you re not actua y consum ng rea nutr ents? The so ut on, of course, s to revert back to rea , who e food. If you va ue food safety, you want to get your meat, ch ckens, eggs and da ry from sma er commun ty farms w th free-rang ng an ma s, organ ca y fed and oca y marketed. Th s s the way food has been ra sed and d str buted for centur es... And by support ng the sma fam y farms n your area, part cu ar y organ c farms that respect the aws of nature and use the re at onsh ps between an ma s, p ants, nsects, so , water and hab tat to create synerg st c, se fsupport ng, non-po ut ng, GMO-free ecosystems, you he p everyone n your commun ty to eventua y have greater access to who esome food. Because as demand for oca y-grown food r ses, farmers w heed the ca ... If you opt for mported foods, or those from U.S. CAFOs, your food w go through upwards of n ne steps before t reaches your d nner p ate. Pub c hea th agenc es ke the FDA use the term "f e d-to-fork cont nuum" to descr be the path any g ven food takes on the way to your p ate, and dur ng any of the fo ow ng steps, contam nat on s poss b e: Open f e d product on Harvest ng F e d pack ng Greenhouse product on Pack nghouse Repack ng and other d str but on operat ons Fresh-cut/va ue-added process ng Food serv ce and reta Consumer If you are ab e to get your food d rect y from the farmer, you knock out f ve potent a operat ons that cou d expose your food to contam nat on. The c oser you are to the source of your food, the fewer hands t has to pass through and the ess t me t w s t n storage, the better, and ke y safer, t w be for you and your fam y. P us, when you know the person who grows your food, you can ask quest ons about ts grow ng cond t ons -- an mposs b ty when you buy food from CAFOs or other countr es. He pfu Resources If eat ng oca y s new to you, rest assured that you can f nd a source near you, regard ess of whether you re n a remote or rura area or a b g c ty. Here s a st of he pfu resources: For a st ng of nat ona farmer s markets, see th s nk. Another great web s te s www. oca harvest.org. There you can f nd farmers markets, fam y farms, and other sources of susta nab y grown food n your area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other good es. Subscr be to a commun ty supported agr cu ture program (CSA). Some are seasona wh e others are year round programs. Once you subscr be, many w drop affordab e, h gh qua ty oca y-grown produce r ght at your door step. To f nd a CSA near you, go to the USDA s webs te where you can search by c ty, state, or z p code. Eat We Gu de: Who esome Food from Hea thy An ma s s a free on ne d rectory of susta nab y ra sed meat, pou try, da ry, and eggs from farms, stores, restaurants, nns, and hote s, and on ne out ets n the Un ted States and Canada. Commun ty Invo ved n Susta n ng Agr cu ture (CISA) s ded cated to susta n ng agr cu ture and promot ng the products of sma farms. FoodRoutes. The r "F nd Good Food" map can he p you connect w th oca farmers to f nd the freshest, tast est food poss b e. On the r nteract ve map, you can f nd a st ng for oca farmers, CSA s, and markets near you. For an even more comprehens ve st of CSA s and a host of other susta nab e agr cu ture programs, check out th s nk to my Susta nab e Agr cu ture page. W th food fraud and contam nat on of processed foods on the r se, the safest and hea th est food you can get your hands on are those grown r ght n your backyard – perhaps tera y your own yard, or from a oca farm. Remember, from the standpo nts of hea th, an ma we fare, and env ronmenta susta nab ty, there s rea y on y one type of meat I recommend: organ ca y ra sed, grass-fed or pastured. Th s nc udes a types of meat: ch cken, turkey, pork and beef, and a re ated an ma products, such as eggs and da ry.
jimmyg
02-22-2013, 08:30 AM
U.S. government to a ow rad oact ve waste meta s to be recyc ed nto consumers products ke be t buck es, s verware http://www.natura news.com/ga ery/d r/Rad at on/Rad oact ve-caut on-tape. pg Thursday, February 07, 2013 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff wr ter (Natura News) The federa government s current y n the process of try ng to get r d of tens of thousands of tons of rad oact ve scrap meta t has accumu ated over the years from var ous nuc ear test ng and wart me act v t es. And a recent proposa made by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wou d ft ex st ng restr ct ons on the recyc ng and reuse of th s nuc ear waste, a ow ng t to be formu ated nto everyday consumer products ke be t buck es, s verware, and even surg ca dev ces used by med ca personne on pat ents. The shock ng proposa comes more than a decade after DOE f rst tr ed to fo st th s grow ng stock of nuc ear waste onto the Amer can pub c back n the ate 1990s. Back n 2000, Congressman Ed Markey from Massachusetts reported y nf uenced then-Energy Secretary B R chardson to re nstate a ban that was temporar y fted on the unm t gated recyc ng and reuse of rad oact ve waste meta s n consumer products. But now, DOE s try ng once aga n to secret y d spose of th s rad oact ve waste stock by a ow ng scrap compan es to se t to consumer product manufacturers. "A Department of Energy proposa to a ow up to 14,000 metr c tons of ts rad oact ve scrap meta to be recyc ed nto consumer products was ca ed nto quest on today by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) due to concerns over pub c hea th," wrote Rep. Markey n a recent news br ef about the ssue. "In a etter sent to DOE head Steven Chu, Rep. Markey expressed grave concerns over the potent a of these meta s becom ng ewe ry, cut ery, or other consumer products that cou d exceed hea thy doses of rad at on w thout any know edge by the consumer." If granted ts request, DOE cou d soon be respons b e for tr gger ng the w despread po son ng of the pub c w th even more ow-dose rad at on v a meta -based consumer products. Such products nc ude not on y cut ery and ewe ry, but a so automob es, c ty buses, coffee makers, toasters, braces for teeth -- pract ca y anyth ng that conta ns meta cou d end up be ng ta nted w th ow-dose rad at on as a resu t of DOE s efforts. Many mported consumer products a ready ta nted w th rad at on Even though DOE s proposa has yet to become off c a po cy, Amer can consumers a ready need to be wary of the safety of meta -based products, part cu ar y those mported from other countr es. As we reported ast January, domest c merchand se reta er Bed, Bath & Beyond reca ed a ne of t ssue ho ders produced n Ind a from ts stores after earn ng that the meta used n the r product on was ta nted w th rad o- sotope coba t-60. In fact, rad oact ve goods rout ne y s p through customs, accord ng to the U.S. Department of Home and Secur ty (DHS), wh ch s a ser ous cause for concern. "Ind a and Ch na were the top sources of rad oact ve goods sh pped to the U.S. through 2008," exp a ns a March 24, 2012, B oomberg art c e about rad oact ve scrap meta . And there s no nd cat on that th ngs have mproved s nce that t me, accord ng to Ross Bart ey, a meta urg st who has been track ng rad oact ve contam nat on s nce the ear y 1990s. In a ke hood, he says, the prob em has rema ned the same or even gotten worse. S nce ow-dose rad at on has been shown t me and t me aga n to cause b rth defects, cataracts, cancer, and many other hea th prob ems, DOE s ns stence on expos ng the pub c to even more of t s h gh y d sturb ng. Perhaps th s s at east part of the reason why DOE head Steven Chu recent y stepped down from h s pos t on at the agency fo ow ng Rep. Markey s etter of oppos t on to the agency s proposa , not to ment on a w despread and grow ng d sapprova among c t zens of th s ser ous affront to pub c hea th. Contact DOE and say NO to rad oact ve po son ng of consumer products Though DOE ns sts that the amount of rad at on em tted from rad oact ve waste s "neg g b e" n terms of be ng a pub c hea th threat, sc ence says otherw se. Cumu at ve exposure to even ow-dose rad at on over the course of many months or even years can damage ce s, DNA, and even hormone ba ance. Th s s why t s mportant to oppose DOE s proposa to end the current morator um on the reuse of rad oact ve waste meta s. You can contact DOE and urge the agency to keep rad oact ve meta s out of ndustr a , commerc a , and consumer products by ema ng:
[email protected] Or by wr t ng to: Jane Summerson DOE NNSA P.O. Box 5400, B dg. 401K AFB East A buquerque, NM 87185 Sources for th s art c e nc ude: http://markey.house.gov http://www. nfowars.com http://www.natura news.com http://phys cswor d.com
jimmyg
02-22-2013, 09:07 PM
Researcher Says Conduct ng a Study on Soda Consumpt on Wou d Be Uneth ca http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2013/02/founta n-dr nk. pg Posted by Cas e Terry Researchers at Lund Un vers ty n Sweden were perhaps surpr sed to f nd that the resu ts of the r study on carbohydrate ntake and prostate cancer were someth ng of a m ss. After a 15 year study on 8,128 men aged 45–73 years o d, they found no assoc at on between tota carbohydrate or d etary f ber ntake and ncreased prostate cancer rates. What they d d f nd though was even more remarkab e. After ad ust ng for age and other known r sk factors, researchers conc uded that, compared to men who never touch the stuff, men who consume even one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage a day ncrease the r prostate cancer r sk by an a arm ng 40%! And be eve t or not, th s number s ower than t wou d be f “sugar-sweetened beverages” were not a factor, as that s a rather oose y def ned term. Back n 2010, a study pub shed n Cancer Ep dem o ogy, B omarkers & Prevent on exam ned soda and u ce consumpt on over a 14-year per od and found that those who consumed ust two sodas a week were 87% more ke y to deve op prostate cancer than those who d d not consume sodas at a . However, there was no s gn f cant assoc at on between u ce consumpt on and r sk of pancreat c cancer. So, where s the pub c outcry that m ght warrant a arger study on the chron c d sease r sks assoc ated w th da y soda and sugar-sweetened beverage consumpt on? Wh e the beverage ndustry certa n y puts a cons derab e amount of t me and money nto d scred t ng conc us ons ke those of the Lund Un vers ty study, there may be another reason. It turns out that many sc ent sts fee that a human study on soda consumpt on wou d be uneth ca . Stud es thus far have been based on d etary reca , ask ng part c pants to s mp y remember and report the r behav ors and the foods they consumed over a per od of t me. A proper study w th the ob ect ve of ga n ng some hard ev dence aga nst soda wou d requ re a group of part c pants to consume a spec f ed amount of soda per day. In an nterv ew w th A terNet, sen or researcher Isabe Drake sa d: “When t comes to stud es of soda consumpt on and chron c d sease r sk, the on y super or a ternat ve to a prospect ve cohort study wou d be to conduct a random zed, contro ed tr a , where you ass gn one group to dr nk h gh amounts soda over 20 years, and the other group to not consume soda…Th s, of course, s uneth ca and never go ng to be feas b e. There are s tuat ons ke th s one, to assess for causa assoc at ons between soda consumpt on and cancer or other chron c d seases, where observat ona stud es are rea st ca y the best study des gn to address causa assoc at ons.” What str kes me most about Drake s th s statement s her casua use of the word “uneth ca .” So, t s uneth ca to perform a study n wh ch part c pants wou d be requ red to dr nk soda every day, but don t worry — t s safe for da y consumpt on? Coca-Co a and Peps say so, and what have they got to ose f you earn the truth? (Oh yeah, $60 b on a year…) And n the meant me, the beverage ndustry can ust cont nue to safe y c a m that the consumpt on of the r sugar and chem ca - aden products have never conc us ve y been assoc ated w th chron c d seases or obes ty. Th s study and, more mportant y, Isabe Drake s comments, come at an nterest ng t me. It seems the controvers es surround ng soda have been front page mater a ever s nce Mayor B oomberg announced New York C ty s ban on the B g Gu p. S nce then we ve earned that h gh fructose corn syrup damages the ver n add t on to s gna ng your hunger cues, caus ng you to eat more. We ve a so earned that many sweet beverages end to severe depress on and that two types of carame co or ng used n co as can cause cancer. A that, and we st buy t up. Where do we draw the ne? I agree the government shou d not be nvo ved n regu at ng what one chooses to put nto h s or her body, but when sc ent sts are c a m ng t wou d be uneth ca to conduct a human study on sodas, the quest on then becomes: What s prevent ng the ma or ty of Amer cans from s mp y mak ng better dec s ons regard ng the r hea th? What are your thoughts on why Amer cans can t seem to k ck the soda hab t? Is t nosta g a? Apathy? The us on that they are exempt from the stat st cs? Or cou d the rat ona e ess comp cated and more removed? For examp e, t s certa n y easy for one to perhaps form the r argument around soda consumpt on around the statement, “I don t fee bad after I dr nk a Coke, so t must be okay.” P ease share your comments n the comment sect on be ow or tweet us w th the hashtag #WhyTheSoda.
chefjeff
02-23-2013, 06:07 AM
I th nk I go down to the f ng stat on, get me a bott e of pop, go home and take a nap, then go to The ma Lou s and watch a tte TV....yep, that s what I m gonna do.... Go down to the f ng stat on, get me a bott e of pop, go home and take a nap, then go to The ma Lou s and watch a tt e TV.
---Barney F fe.
http://home.h waay.net/~thefanns/ mages/bcounter. pg Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
02-23-2013, 10:01 AM
FDA Ignores Congress s Request to Test for Leve s of G uten n Food http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2013/02/a ergy. pg Posted by L ve n the Now The Food and Drug Adm n strat on (FDA) s aga n gnor ng nstruct ons from Congress and turn ng a b nd eye to a erg c react ons from B g Agra s favor te foods. In 2004 Congress passed the Food A ergen Labe ng and Consumer Protect on Act (FALCPA), wh ch requ red that food abe s state c ear y when any of e ght “ma or food a ergens,” are present n the product. These e ght foods or food groups are m k, egg, f sh (e.g., bass, f ounder, cod), crustacean she f sh (e.g., crab, obster, shr mp), tree nuts (e.g., a monds, pecans, wa nuts), wheat, peanuts (wh ch are not true nuts, but egumes n the same fam y as peas and ent s), and soybeans—or an ngred ent that conta ns a prote n der ved from one of these foods. Why these e ght? Because they account for 90% of the most obv ous a erg c react ons to food. They produce c ass c, mmed ate a ergen responses, such as a c os ng of the throat, sneez ng, an asthma attack, or h ves. These are a caused by the react on of an ant body ca ed Immunog obu n E (IgE). The med ca estab shment s not tak ng nto account the nterna and often s ent IgG or IgA mmune responses ke those to g uten, wh ch can create nf ammat on or ntest na permeab ty, not to ment on rr tab e bowe syndrome. It s not ust a matter of d scomfort: our mmune system “res des” n our gut. When the sma ntest ne s damaged, our ent re mmune system s vu nerab e. G uten shou d techn ca y be n the b g e ght anyway, s nce t s a prote n found n wheat, but s not nc uded n the abe ng scheme. The st a so fa s to ment on a ergen c effects from f avor ng, preservat ves, add t ves, etc. Desp te th s emphas s on the B g E ght, when Congress nstructed FDA to determ ne thresho d eve s of a ergens that must be abe ed, t a so requ red thresho d eve s for g uten, ma n y so that some products cou d safe y ca themse ves “g uten-free.” In another “here we go aga n” moment, FDA s work ng on the abe ng thresho ds for the e ght “ma or a ergens,” but s choos ng to gnore the g uten ssue—probab y because g uten s n so many foods, and the food ndustry won t ke t. A max mum thresho d of 20 mg of g uten contam nat on per k ogram of food marketed as g uten-free has been successfu n protect ng ce ac consumers n Europe, accord ng to a new study pub shed n the Amer can Journa of C n ca Nutr t on. We are not a ways a fan of nternat ona standards, but n th s case agree that the US thresho d shou d be cons stent w th them. G uten s not an ssue to be swept under the rug n order to p ease ndustry. A shock ng number of peop e have an a erg c mmune react on that causes damage to the nner surface of the sma ntest ne whenever they ngest t wh e eat ng bread, pasta, cook es, p zza crust, and many other foods conta n ng wheat, bar ey, or rye–and the truth s many don t even know they re suffer ng these damages. The ntest na damage causes an nab ty to absorb nutr ents, depr v ng the bra n, per phera nervous system, bones, ver, and other organs of v ta nour shment. It can a so cause abdom na pa n and d arrhea. As we reported prev ous y, severe cases can nfert ty, as we as an ncreased r sk of osteoporos s and certa n cancers, part cu ar y co on cancer. One n 133 peop e have ce ac d sease, the most dramat c form of the food a ergy. But researchers say between ten and th rty percent of Amer cans—up to 100 m on peop e n our country—have non-ce ac g uten sens t v ty, w th more subt e mmune react ons, ke dermat t s herpet form s, a sk n rash often confused w th eczema or psor as s. They suffer ntest na damage and Leaky Gut Syndrome but may exper ence no ntest na d stress. G uten sens t v ty may be respons b e for a number of chron c nesses, fat gue, arthr t s and other mmune system react ons, and bra n and neura network ma funct ons. Interest ng y, g ven the FDA s obsess on w th deve op ng and approv ng we ght oss drugs, a new study has ust determ ned that wheat g uten may promote we ght ga n. The researchers found that m ce fed a g uten-free d et showed a reduct on n body we ght ga n and body fat percentage when compared to m ce fed a d et conta n ng g uten—w th no other changes n the amount of food they ate or the number of ca or es they consumed. Th s nd cates that g uten d srupts endocr ne and exocr ne processes w th n the body, and d rect y modu ates nuc ear gene express on n such a way as to a ter mamma an metabo sm n the d rect on of we ght ga n. Ignor ng Congress s nstruct ons about g uten s bad enough. But th s s not the on y other ma or a ergen be ng gnored. A study n the New Eng and Journa of Med c ne showed that genet ca y mod f ed soybeans can cause an a ergen c response. A erg es have a ready skyrocketed n the US, and w th the ntroduct on of GE soy n the UK, soy-re ated a erg es rose by 50%. GMOs a so cause mmune system dysregu at on, w th changes n the number of mmune response ce s show ng up n the gut, sp een, and b ood of m ce—a of wh ch po nts to an a ergen c and nf ammatory response to GMOs. At m n mum, GMO vers ons of the “b g e ght a ergens” need to be cons dered when sett ng thresho d eve s because tr gger ng eve s are ower for GMO foods. Th s s ust one more proof that GMO foods are mater a y d fferent from non-GMO foods—a fact that the FDA cons stent y gnores. If they adm t there s a d fference between GMO and non-GMO foods, GMO wou d be cons dered “mater a y d fferent” from other foods, and cou d ega y be requ red to be abe ed. The FDA s ask ng for comments on estab sh ng thresho ds for food a ergens for abe ng purposes and enforcement act on. P ease te the FDA that they shou d broaden the r scope to ook at g uten, n add t on to the so-ca ed “ma or” food a ergens. Ask them to cons der the exacerbat ng effect that GMOs have on food a erg es (e.g., the thresho d eve for GMO soy m ght be d fferent than for convent ona soy). And te them to cons der IgA and IgG a ergen c responses n add t on to the more dramat c IgE responses. Long-term but hea th-damag ng a erg c responses are as mportant—and far more w despread—than react ons to the “b g e ght.” In add t on to respond ng to the FDA, you can a so take act on here.
jimmyg
02-23-2013, 10:20 PM
How Add ct on to P ast c Po sons Our P anet February 09, 2013 v deo.... nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/09/p ast c-dangers.aspx?e_c d=20130209_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130209 By Dr. Merco a We ve n a throwaway soc ety. The next t me you re n a grocery store, take a ook around you and note the number of tems packaged n p ast c. The prob em s, these petro eum-based p ast cs are des gned to ast forever. So you have products for short-term consumpt on packaged n mater a s that surv ve for centur es. Th s throwaway m ndset s a re at ve y recent phenomenon. Your parents and grandparents used products n reusab e, recyc ab e or degradab e conta ners made from g ass, meta s and paper. But today, d scarded p ast cs are c rc ng the g obe at a s gn f cant human and env ronmenta cost. Th s “out of s ght, out of m nd” menta ty s suffocat ng our oceans and chok ng our w d fe — but the damage doesn t end there. P ast c chem ca s are f nd ng the r way nto your body and accumu at ng over t me. The potent a for catastroph c b o og ca consequences for the human race s grow ng w th every d scarded bott e or bag. P ast c z ng chem ca s ke BPA d srupt embryon c deve opment and are nked to heart d sease and cancer. Phtha ates dysregu ate gene express on and cause gen ta anoma es, espec a y n baby boys, that may pass down severa generat ons. DEHP may ead to mu t p e organ damage. So, whether you ook at env ronmenta or b o og ca effects, our care ess use of p ast cs has created a monster need ng mmed ate attent on. 20 B on Pounds of P ast c Makes ts Way nto Our Oceans Every Year Accord ng to Greenpeace, the wor d produces 200 b on pounds of p ast cs every year. Ten percent of that ends up n our oceans. Seventy percent s nks (Po ycarbonate, Po ystyrene, and PETE), caus ng damage to the ocean f oor, and the rema n ng 30 percent that f oats (LDPE, HDPE, Po ypropy ene and foamed p ast cs) accumu ates nto mass ve s ands of trash that many cons der an embarrassment to the human race.1 V rtua y every mo ecu e of the s x b on pounds of po ycarbonate tossed nto andf s each year, stays there forever. On y a very sma percentage of p ast c waste s remade nto durab e goods. In sp te of our green campa gns, we current y recyc e on y f ve percent of the p ast cs we produce. Cons der the fo ow ng: Amer cans d scarded more than 22 b on water bott es n 20062 and about a b on p ast c shopp ng bags every year, creat ng 300,000 tons of andf waste3 More than seven b on pounds of PVC are thrown away annua y n the U.S., and on y about one-quarter of one percent s recyc ed Approx mate y 50 percent of p ast c waste goes to andf s where t w s t for hundreds of years due to m ted oxygen and ack of m croorgan sms to break t down; the rema n ng 45 p us percent “d sappears” nto the env ronment where t u t mate y washes out to sea, damag ng mar ne ecosystems and enter ng the food cha n A Un ted Nat ons report c a ms there are 46,000 p eces of p ast c n every square m e of ocean4 You Mean F sh and Turt es Aren t Supposed to Eat P ast c? F sh and other sea creatures are be ng found w th p ast c n or around the r bod es. Forty-four percent of a seab rd spec es, 22 percent of Cetaceans (wha es, do ph ns and porpo ses), a sea turt es and a grow ng st of f sh have been found contam nated w th these mater a s.5 Why wou d any creature know ng y EAT p ast c? A p ast c starts as “nurd es,” or tt e p ast c res n beads. These nurd es appear to sea creatures ke f sh eggs or other food sources, so they s mp y m stake them for food. Loggerhead sea turt es often m stake p ast c bags for e yf sh, the r favor te food. And the effects are d sastrous, nc ud ng nterna b ockages, dehydrat on, starvat on, and potent a y death. A batrosses are frequent y found strang ed by the p ast c r ngs that ho d s x-packs of soda together. Other creatures meet a pa nfu end by gett ng tang ed up n p ast c nett ng. Debr s a so b ocks sun ght from wh ch p ankton and a gae susta n themse ves, and th s has negat ve mp cat ons on up the food cha n. In some ocean waters, p ast c exceeds p ankton by a factor of s x to one. Not on y do sea creatures suffer the effects of consum ng chunks of p ast c, but they re a so at r sk from the organ c po utants p ast c absorbs. P ast c part c es are ke “sponges” for waterborne contam nants such as PCBs, pest c des ke DDT, herb c des, PAHs, and other pers stent organ c po utants. When PCB .......... From Heart Va ves to Hu a-Hoops, Mass ve P ast c Is ands F oat upon Our Oceans What has become of a the p ast cs humans have casua y d scarded? Sc ent sts have d scovered mass ve accumu at ons of p ast c trash n each of the wor d s f ve ma or ocean c gyres. Gyres are arge, s ow y rotat ng ocean c wh r poo s, dr ven by g oba w nds and ocean currents.6 Garbage and debr s s funne ed nto the center of these gyres, n a k nd of to et bow effect. One of these gyres, the North Pac f c Gyre, s n the m dd e of the Pac f c Ocean about a thousand m es from the Western coast. In ts m dst s a huge mass of trash (90 percent p ast cs), wh ch f oats n a soup of sma er p eces that have been broken apart by wave act on. Some ca t the “Great Pac f c Garbage Patch” and others the “Pac f c Trash Vortex,” but regard ess of ts name, t s the argest “ andf ” n the wor d. In t you w f nd everyth ng from p ast c nett ng to bott es and bags and buckets, pa nt ro ers, hu a-hoops and med ca equ pment. Most of the garbage patch, however, s not made up of arge tems but rather m crop ast cs you can t see w th the naked eye, such as the nurd es prev ous y descr bed. No one knows exact y how vast these garbage patches are because so much of them can t be v sua zed.7 .......... Dangerous Leve s of BPA Found n More than 95 Percent of Peop e Tested Perhaps the most we known p ast c chem ca s BPA (b spheno -A), w de y used n the n ng of food cans, denta sea ants, paper money, rece pts and other products. Unfortunate y, BPA ........... Stud es show that adu ts w th the h ghest eve s of BPA n the r ur ne are more than tw ce as ke y to deve op narrowed arter es and coronary heart d sease as those w th the owest eve s. A Br t sh hea th survey corre ated h gher eve s of ur nary BPA w th an ncreased r sk of heart d sease. One study found that eat ng canned goods ncreases ur nary BPA concentrat ons more than 1,000-fo d. BPA s an endocr ne d srupter, wh ch means t nterferes w th your body s hormona system. An an ma study ......... BPA stud es have captured the pub c s attent on, and there s grow ng eg s at on to m t ts use, as a resu t. The state of Ca forn a ust dec ared BPA a reproduct ve hea th hazard10. The message s c ear: BPA s harmfu and shou d be avo ded. BPS May Be Even Worse than BPA As the pub c has grown ncreas ng y wary of BPA, a s ew of BPA-free p ast cs have h t the market, from water bott es to p ast c toys. However, many compan es are s mp y swapp ng out BPA for another b spheno , b spheno -S (BPS), wh ch s now show ng up n human ur ne at eve s s m ar to those of BPA. Research suggests BPS has hormone-m m ck ng character st cs s m ar to BPA, but t may be s gn f cant y ess b odegradab e, and more heat-stab e and photores stant, wh ch means t may be even more tox c than BPA over t me. Phtha ates: The P ast c Gender-Benders Another group of tox c chem ca s com ng from p ast c are the phtha ates. Phtha ates funct on as p ast c zers n everyth ng from v ny f oor ng to detergents, hoses, ra ncoats, adhes ves, a r fresheners, med ca supp es, shampoos and even toys. Phtha ates be ong to "gender-bend ng" chem ca s group that causes ma es of many spec es to become more fema e. Phtha ates have been nked w th chron c d seases such as a erg es, asthma and aut sm, and can cause nf ammat on for at-r sk nfants. Ch dren have been found to absorb phtha ates from craw ng around on soft, f ex b e p ast c f oor ng and p ast c p ay mats. One of the more pervas ve phtha ates s DEHP, used pr mar y n the med ca ndustry. Manufacturers add t to po yv ny ch or de (PVC) to make p ast c equ pment more f ex b e. In PVC, DEHP extends the she f fe of red b ood ce s, so you f nd t n IV tub ng, catheters, b ood bags, nasogastr c tub ng and the ke. Fam ar w th that “new shower curta n sme ”? That s the aroma of offgass ng DEHP. Groundbreak ng research ust pub shed n PLoS One and Reproduct ve Tox co ogy11 found that rats exposed to phtha ates produced offspr ng w th h gher rates of k dney and prostate d sease, and the r great-grandch dren showed greater obes ty and d seases of the reproduct ve organs. Th s s the f rst t me env ronmenta y nduced nher tance of d sease has been demonstrated sc ent f ca y. The authors wr te12: “Th s s the f rst study to show the ep genet c transgenerat ona nher tance of d sease, such as obes ty." Unfortunate y, every s ng e person may have measurab e phtha ates n the r bod es. In 2000, the CDC d scovered h gh eve s of phtha ates n a 289 adu t Amer cans tested. Dr. Busbee reports ......... Are B op ast cs the Po ut on So ut on? Numerous compan es have umped onto the p ant-p ast cs bandwagon n fervent efforts to come up w th the perfect b op ast c mater a . As of 2010, more than 2.5 b on p ant-p ast c bott es were a ready n use around the wor d, nc ud ng the P antBott e by Coca-Co a Co.13 Desp te a of the buzz, p ant-based bott es are arge y non-b odegradab e, so they do noth ng to re eve the garbage prob em. But even when b op ast cs are compostab e and made from “renewab e resources,” they fa m serab y when you ook at the r carbon footpr nt. P ant-based p ast cs run nto the same prob em as p ant-based fue s — they have an mpact on food product on, turn ng va uab e farm and to cornf e ds.14 ........ So what s the answer? The featured documentary, Add cted to P ast cs, presents severa examp es of tru y eco-fr end y so ut ons that take a of the above factors nto cons derat on — for examp e, mak ng b odegradab e p ast cs from ch cken feathers.16 But perhaps the most mportant th ng s what you can do TODAY to reduce your own p ast c footpr nt. What You Can Do R ght Now D scarded p ast cs are c ogg ng up our oceans and threaten ng mar ne fe from p ankton on up. Mass ve s ands of p ast c waste now occupy the centers of the f ve ma or ocean c gyres. Our “d sposab e cu ture” has eft a tra of destruct on, n terms of both env ronmenta and human mpact. Chem ca s ke BPA, BPS, and phtha ates d srupt the reproduct ve funct on and genet c express on of mu t p e spec es — nc ud ng humans — caus ng nfert ty and potent a y d sastrous hea th effects ke metabo c dysfunct on, organ damage, and cancer. There s no s ng e so ut on to the p ast c waste prob em. But you can do your part by tak ng the fo ow ng act on steps that reduce your p ast c consumpt on, wh ch w benef t your hea th as we as the env ronment. Reduce p ast c use: Purchase products that are not made from or packaged n p ast c. Here are a few deas... Use reusab e shopp ng bags for grocer es. Br ng your own mug when ndu g ng n a coffee dr nk — and sk p the d and the straw. Br ng dr nk ng water from home n g ass water bott es, nstead of buy ng bott ed water. Store foods n the freezer n g ass mason ars as opposed to p ast c bags. Take your own eftover conta ner to restaurants. Request no p ast c wrap on your newspaper and dry c ean ng. These are ust a few deas — I m sure you can th nk of more. Recyc e what you can: Take care to recyc e and repurpose products whenever poss b e. For examp e, here s a v deo demonstrat ng a s mp e way to turn your p ast c shopp ng bags nto very strong rope.
Support eg s at on: Support eg s at ve efforts to manage waste n your commun ty; take a eadersh p ro e w th your company, schoo , and ne ghborhood. Be Innovat ve: If you have a great dea, share t! .... Ass st Recovery: Return depos ts on bott es and other p ast c products, and part c pate n “p ast c dr ves” for oca schoo s, where cash s pa d by the pound.
jimmyg
02-24-2013, 09:39 AM
Sun ess Tann ng: Why Bak ng Is Out and Fak ng Is In http://med a.merco a.com/ImageServer/Pub c/2099/December/suntan- ot on. pg
Dr. Merco a “Dermato og st-recommended” sun ess tann ng ot ons and sprays are be ng ca ed “a better way to get that go den g ow.” The bas c message? Sk p the sun and s mp y “fake” your tan w th a bronzer or sun ess tanner nstead .... .......... But f you re gett ng the tan w thout the sun …we that s m ss ng the po nt comp ete y! Your Hea th Isn t Foo ed by a Fake Tan The tan that you get after expos ng your sk n to sun ght s a natura “s de benef t” of exposure to UVA and UVB ght from the sun. Wh e the UVA rays prov de most of the “tann ng” effect, wh ch s your body s natura way of protect ng your sk n from sun damage, UVB rays can a so ead to sk n redden ng and sunburn, f you stay out too ong. But more mportant y, t s the UVB rays that a ow your body to produce va uab e v tam n D, and nstead of ox d z ng the a ready ex st ng me an n n your sk n, produce new sun-protect ve me an n, wh ch resu ts n a hea th er tan. Th s s why gett ng safe sun exposure every day s actua y one of the best act ons you can take for your hea th. If that s s mp y not an opt on, as t s for most n the w nter, a safe tann ng bed can a so be used. ....... If you ve spent any t me on my s te at a , you know that I m a f rm advocate for opt m z ng your v tam n D eve s. For examp e, th s hea thy exposure to sunsh ne s known to prov de the fo ow ng benef ts. Us ng a fake tann ng ot on, of course, w g ve you none of these hea thfu perks … Protect aga nst cancer, nc ud ng me anoma Support hea thy k dney funct on Enhance your musc e strength - Promote hea thy teeth He p produce and ma nta n opt ma b ood pressure eve s He p keep your bones strong and hea thy He p ma nta n a hea thy mmune system Support your card ovascu ar hea th Why Sun ess Tann ng Can be Dangerous Spray tans are genera y cons dered to be ben gn cosmet c treatments — but are they REALLY? Sun ess tanners conta n a engthy st of chem ca agents — up to 45 n the case of spray tanners. Many of these agents have never been stud ed for the r ong-term effects on human hea th, because the FDA does not systemat ca y rev ew the safety of persona care products. S nce test ng s vo untary and contro ed by the manufacturers, many ngred ents n cosmet c products are not safety tested at a . One of the ma n ngred ents n spray tann ng so ut ons s d hydroxyacetone, a co or add t ve that darkens your sk n by react ng w th am no ac ds n your sk n s surface ayer. D hydroxyacetone s often abbrev ated DHA (wh ch shou d not be confused w th docosahexaeno c ac d, the hea thy omega-3 fat often g ven the same abbrev at on). Sun ess tann ng products often conta n between 1 and 15 percent DHA; the h gher the DHA eve , the darker the tan produced. Manufacturers of sun ess tann ng products c a m DHA s a s mp e carbohydrate sugar so ut on, but some tox co og sts d sagree. Part of the prob em s that the U.S. government s regu at ons for DHA a ow contam nants such as ead, arsen c and mercury. Lead and mercury n part cu ar are known to affect bra n deve opment, and no one knows how arge the effect may be on your baby, shou d you be pregnant wh e spray tann ng. A report by the Nat ona Tox co ogy Program1 suggests the r sks of DHA rema n unc ear, po nt ng to some ev dence that DHA may be a mutagen that cou d nduce breaks n DNA strands, wh ch cou d contr bute to acce erated ag ng and even sk n cancer. Another ssue s absorpt on through your sk n. You shou dn t put anyth ng on your sk n you wou dn t fee safe eat ng. Absorb ng chem ca s transderma y s actua y MORE dangerous than ngest ng them ora y, because they can be absorbed d rect y nto your fat t ssue, ymphat c system and b oodstream w thout any d gest ve degradat on. Anyth ng you consume ora y must go to the h gh y evo ved detox f cat on systems w th n your ver f rst before be ng re eased nto your b ood. D gest ve ac d a so works, at east n part, to neutra ze some chem ca s — but th s does not occur when you absorb them transderma y, or nha e them, for that matter. When you have DHA-conta n ng products sprayed on you n a booth, tt e drop ets become suspended n the a r a around you, ncreas ng your r sk for exposure through your eyes, nose and mouth. Wear ng protect ve gear over your eyes, nose and mouth s extreme y mportant — but t does not remove a the r sk. In fact, ear er th s year a pane of med ca experts rev ewed 10 sc ent f c stud es on DHA and conc uded the use of DHA-conta n ng spray tans may cause genet c a terat ons and DNA damage that cou d ead to cancer and chron c ung d seases when nha ed.2 Sun ess tann ng sprays have even been found to nh b t your sk n s ab ty to produce v tam n D, as the dark ayer on your sk n produced by the DHA resu ts n the prevent on of UVB absorpt on, thereby nh b t ng v tam n D product on.3 Amer can Academy of Dermato ogy Attacks Tann ng Industry, States Sun ght Not an Eff c ent Source of V tam n D A news re ease from the Amer can Academy of Dermato ogy (AAD)4 c a ms to “expose” the “truth” about the ndoor tann ng ndustry by d spe ng the r statement that ndoor tann ng s a good source of v tam n D. It s, n fact, a good source, assum ng you cannot get outdoors for rea sun exposure, and you use a safe tann ng bed (wh ch I exp a n short y). Outrageous y, AAD states: “ … dermato og sts po nt out that UV rays are not very eff c ent n creat ng v tam n D n the sk n. In add t on, the Amer can Academy of Dermato ogy recommends that the pub c obta n v tam n D safe y from a hea thy d et that nc udes food natura y r ch n v tam n D, foods and beverages fort f ed w th v tam n D, and/or d etary supp ements, rather than by sun exposure or ndoor tann ng, wh ch can cause sk n cancer.” For any rat ona phys c an or sc ent st to c a m that UV rays are not eff c ent n creat ng v tam n D n the sk n s v rtua y ncomprehens b e n ght of the fact that, under opt ma env ronmenta exposures, your body can produce about 20K IU of v tam n D per day w th fu body exposure, about 5,000 IU w th 50% of your body exposed, and as much as 1K IU w th ust 10% of your body exposed! In the w nter months however and/or dur ng t mes of the year when nsuff c ent amounts of UVB rays reach your ocat on, you w most ke y not get enough v tam n D. In that case, I recommend us ng a safe tann ng bed, wh ch s st better than ora v tam n D. How do you know f your tann ng bed s safe? Most tann ng un ts use magnet c ba asts to generate ght. These magnet c ba asts are we known sources of EMFs that can contr bute to cancer. If you hear a oud buzz ng no se wh e n a tann ng bed, t has a magnet c ba ast system. I strong y recommend you avo d magnet c ba ast beds, and restr ct your use of tann ng beds to those that use e ectron c ba asts. The person operat ng the tann ng equ pment can a so make a d fference n ts safety. If the person s not educated on ts safe operat on, you have a h gher r sk of overexposure and sunburn. H gh-qua ty ndoor tann ng dev ces are safe f you prec se y fo ow the s mp e gu de ne of never gett ng burned. Your sk n shou d on y turn the ghtest shade of p nk after us ng them. Safe tann ng beds have ess of the dangerous UVA than sun ght, wh e unsafe ones em t more UVA than sun ght; t s the UVA rays that penetrate your sk n more deep y than UVB, and appear to be a much more mportant factor n caus ng photoag ng, wr nk es and sk n cancers. In a 2012 rev ew of the ava ab e research nto the re at ve r sk for ma gnant me anoma (the most etha form of sk n cancer) and tann ng bed use, the researchers conc uded that tann ng bed use was not assoc ated w th me anoma, and, n fact, can decrease 10 t mes as many cancers than they m ght contr bute to.5 Wh e the AAD c ted data that nd cate the use of tann ng beds before the age of 35 s assoc ated w th a 75 percent ncrease n the r sk of me anoma, ma nstream med a gnores the fact that th s s the re at ve r sk rat o. Your abso ute r sk of gett ng sk n cancer from a tann ng bed s ess than three-tenths of one percent — and even then, th s s ke y on y f you hab tua y overexpose yourse f!6 And remember th s data was for unsafe tann ng beds, not the ones we encourage to use for a ternat ve sun exposure. So Is It Rea y Wrong to Get a Tan the O d-Fash oned Way? Certa n y not, assum ng you use sens b e exposure and avo d gett ng burned. The f rst few days, you shou d m t your exposure to the sun to a ow your body s me anocyte ce s to rev up the ab ty to produce protect ve p gmentat on that not on y g ves you a tan, but a so serves to he p protect you aga nst overexposure to the sun. If you are a fa r y ght-sk nned nd v dua that tends to burn, you w want to m t your n t a exposure to a few m nutes, espec a y f t s n the m dd e of summer. The more tanned your sk n w get, and/or the more tanned you want to become, the onger you can stay n the sun. If ......
A ways err on the s de of caut on however, and et t be your pr mary goa to never get sun burned. The sk n around your eyes and your face s typ ca y much th nner than other areas on your body and s a re at ve y sma surface area so w not contr bute much to v tam n D product on. It s strong y recommended to protect th s frag e area of your body, as s at a much h gher r sk for cosmet c photo damage and premature wr nk ng. You can use a safe sunb ock n th s area or wear a cap that a ways keeps your eyes n the shade ke I do when I am outs de seek ng to ncrease my v tam n D eve s. Whether you re tann ng or us ng a v tam n D supp ement, t s mportant to get your v tam n D eve s tested to ensure you re w th n the opt ma range of 50-70 ng/m . For more nformat on about proper sun exposure and how to determ ne whether you can actua y get enough v tam n D from the sun at your ocat on dur ng d fferent t mes of year, p ease see th s prev ous art c e. If you re ook ng for an nexpens ve, regu ar test ng schedu e, I h gh y recommend o n ng the GrassrootsHea th D*Act on Pro ect; ............ There s a $60 fee each 6 months for your sponsorsh p of the pro ect, wh ch nc udes a comp ete new test k t to be used at home (except n the state of New York), and e ectron c reports on your ongo ng progress. When you f n sh the quest onna re, you can choose your subscr pt on opt on. .......... P ease Remember the Importance of V tam n K2 for Heart Hea th If you are go ng to supp ement w th v tam n D for whatever reason then you need to ser ous y cons der supp ement ng w th v tam n K2. V tam n K2 s found pr mar y n fermented foods and an ma fats. The best sources of t that most peop e consume are egg yo ks and cheese, espec a y hard cheeses. The opt ma amounts of v tam n K2 are st under nvest gat on, but t seems ke y that about 100 mcg of v tam n K2 shou d be used for every 1,000 un ts of v tam n D. When you take v tam n D, your body creates more v tam n K2-dependent prote ns — the prote ns that he p move the ca c um around n your body. But you need v tam n K2 to act vate those prote ns. If they re not act vated, the ca c um n your body w not be proper y d str buted and can ead to weaker bones and hardened arter es. In short, v tam n K2 ensures the ca c um s depos ted and removed from the appropr ate areas. By tak ng v tam n D, you re creat ng an ncreased demand for K2. And v tam n D and K2 work together to strengthen your bones and mprove your heart hea th. My favor te source of v tam n K2 s fermented vegetab es made w th a spec a starter cu ture des gned to cu t vate v tam n K2-produc ng bacter a. We recent y had samp es of h gh-qua ty fermented organ c vegetab es made w th our spec f c starter cu ture tested, and were shocked to d scover that not on y does a typ ca serv ng of about two to three ounces conta n about 10 tr on benef c a bacter a, but t a so conta ned 500 mcg of v tam n K2. P ease note that not every stra n of bacter a makes K2. For examp e, most yogurts have a most no v tam n K2. Certa n types of cheeses are very h gh n K2, and others are not. It rea y depends on the spec f c bacter a. You can t assume that any fermented food w be h gh n K2, but some fermented foods are very h gh n K2, such as natto.
jimmyg
02-24-2013, 10:15 PM
The Ch ng L nk Between Ant depressants and Murder http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2013/02/p s. pg Posted by Mary West Are ant depressants overprescr bed? Do they rea y work? Are they dangerous to those who take them and to soc ety at arge? Let s take these quest ons one at a t me, exam n ng the ev dence. Are they overused? Ant depressants are current y the most frequent y prescr bed drugs n the US, soar ng by 400 percent over the past two decades, accord ng to the Centers for D sease Contro and Prevent on (CDC). Does th s ref ect appropr ate treatment or overmed ca zat on? In a debate on the ssue pub shed n the January 22, 2013 ssue of the on ne Br t sh Med ca Journa , Dr. Des Spence, a G asgow genera pract t oner, be eves these drugs are overprescr bed due n part to the present def n t on of c n ca depress on — exper enc ng ow mood for a per od of two weeks. He says th s def n t on s “too oose,” not ng that 75 percent of those who formu ate these def n t ons have t es to the pharmaceut ca ndustry. The effect veness of ant depressants s a myth. In a fasc nat ng study pub shed n Ph osophy, Eth cs and Human t es n Med c ne (PEHM), researchers set out to determ ne f the effect veness of ant depressants was a myth. The r eye-open ng f nd ngs revea the untrustworth ness that pervades the drug rev ew system. A though med ca terature reports severa hundred ant depressant c n ca tr a s that y e ded “pos t ve” resu ts, the PEHM s c oser ana ys s shows a d fferent story. Here s what they found: C n ca tr a s that rece ved negat ve resu ts were e ther not pub shed or were d storted. The benef ts were exaggerated, as pos t ve resu ts of a sma magn tude were reported as be ng arge. The on y genu ne benef t of ant depressants was found n a t ny m nor ty of pat ents who had very severe depress on. The so ca ed “ev dence” support ng the effect veness of ant depressants d d not ho d up to the scrut ny of h gher standards and carefu exam nat on. Researchers who had presented a rosy p cture of the effect veness of these drugs had m s nterpreted the s gn f cance of stat st cs and man pu ated the des gn of the stud es, as we as d storted the report ng of f nd ngs and se ect ve y p cked study popu at ons based on b as. A of these b atant breaches n eth cs have nour shed a myth that these drugs a ev ate depress on. Ant depressants are the common denom nator n mass shoot ngs. A ch ng nk between ant depressants and murderous v o ence s po nted out by Lawrence Hunter of the Soc a Secur ty Inst tute who states, “In v rtua y every mass schoo shoot ng dur ng the past 15 years, the shooter has been on or n w thdrawa from psych atr c drugs.” The common denom nator among the perpetrators of th s v o ence s ant depressants. Moreover, John H nck ey, Jr., Ted Kacz nsk and the Am sh schoo k er Char es Car Roberts IV were a under the nf uence of these med cat ons where they comm tted the r cr m na acts. Psych atr st Peter Bregg n re ates to Fox News that depress on rare y eads to v o ence. He exp a ns that murders and mass murders assoc ated w th depress on have on y occurred after the advent of a certa n c ass of ant depressants. Furthermore, the Phys c ans Desk Reference, wh ch s an author tat ve source of drug nformat on, sts su c da and hom c da deas as hazardous s de effects of these drugs. The preva ng m ndset s that ant depressants are re at ve y harm ess med cat ons that e evate mood. In rea ty, they are m nd-a ter ng, potent a y dangerous drugs that on y offer a benef t to those who are very severe y depressed. Sources: http://www.sc enceda y.com/re eases/2013/01/130122191404.htm http://www.thenewamer can.com/usnews/cr me/ tem/14335-drug- nduced-murder-what-caused-the-connect cut-schoo -shoot ngs http://www.peh-med.com/content/3/1/14
chefjeff
02-25-2013, 06:34 AM
But J mmy, those are " ega " drugs so that means, those drugs know not to harm peop e. And bes des, the govt g ves Persons perm ss on to use those. They re here to protect us from the bad stuff so t can t be the govt s fau t, e ther. I th nk you hate ch dren. Jeff L v ngston
jimmyg
02-25-2013, 08:31 AM
Cou d Th s “Natura ” Food Ingred ent Be Harm ng Your Hea th? http://dgchaac cgqa5.c oudfront.net/wp-content/up oads/2012/07/chem ca s. pg Posted by Mary West A report from the Cornucop a Inst tute warns that a natura but unnecessary food add t ve used n convent ona as we as some organ c foods and dr nks cou d be fue ng more than 100 med ca cond t ons, nc ud ng cancer and d gest ve d sorders. The cu pr t s carrageenan, a seaweed-der ved compound used n products to prov de a better “mouthfee ” and to keep ngred ents n suspens on. What products conta n carrageenan? As carrageenan s a natura th ckener or emu s f er, t s common y used n a broad spectrum of da ry products nc ud ng yogurt, sour cream and choco ate m k, a ong w th ce cream and creamers. The compound s a so used n da ry a ternat ves ke soym k, a mond m k and coconut m k. Other products conta n ng carrageenan nc ude toothpaste and beer, n add t on to u ces and e y based foods. As de from mpart ng a cream er texture, carrageenan prevents the separat on of the ngred ents of a product, prevent ng the need to shake t before use. Mark Kaste of the Cornucop a Inst tute asserts most mothers wou d not m nd shak ng a conta ner to avo d us ng a product conta n ng an ngred ent that cou d harm the r ch d s hea th. He po nts out that shak ng or st rr ng products before use s a m nor nconven ence to ensure your fam y s rece v ng a natura and pure product. How s carrageenan harmfu to hea th? Carrageenan s detr menta effects stem from the fact that t causes nf ammat on w th n the body. Th s effect s so cons stent that researchers use th s compound to nduce nf ammat on n sc ent f c exper ments, accord ng to Joanne Tobacman, MD, a researcher at the Un vers ty of I no s Co ege of Med c ne. Tobacman has exp a ned to the Nat ona Organ c Standards Board (NOSB) that both th s compound and ts breakdown product produce dangerous nf ammat on, wh ch s the foundat on of more than 100 nesses, nc ud ng rheumato d arthr t s, atherosc eros s and nf ammatory bowe d sease.[ Add t ona y, carrageenan potent y feeds other fe-threaten ng cond t ons ke cancer. Regu ar consumpt on of the compound s strong y nked to d fferent types of gastro ntest na cancers n rats. Why s carrageenan perm tted n organ c products? You wou d expect carrageenan to be rampant y used n nonorgan c foods and dr nks, as t ndeed s, but t s d stress ng to know t s perm tted n organ c ones, too. Wh e foods des gnated as be ng organ c have the advantages of be ng grown w thout tox c chem ca s, hormones and ant b ot cs, somet mes detr menta substances are nc uded n the NOSB s st of approved ngred ents. Why s t that th s board, wh ch shou d be ded cated to the pur ty of organ c food, approves the use of carrageenan n organ c products? The answer es n corporate nterests who appear to deem prof tab ty more va uab e than pur ty and product ntegr ty. How so? The organ c food ndustry has become so enormous y ucrat ve that arge trad t ona food manufactures, such as Ke ogg, Peps Co and Genera M s, have bought out most of the nat on s organ c food compan es. Ma or corporat ons such as these now dom nate the NOSB, the board that sets the standards for organ c products. The nf uence of these corporate nterests on the board has been rather corrupt ng, demonstrated n a recent meet ng of NOSB, where the members voted 10 to 5 to reta n carrageenan on the expand ng st of quest onab e ngred ents that can be used n products hav ng the “cert f ed organ c” abe . How do you avo d carrageenan? Be d gent about read ng abe s or se ect one of the organ c carrageenan-free products from th s work ng st prov ded by the Corn cop a Inst tute. Choco ate M k Cast e Rock Organ c Farms Crysta Ba Farms Strafford Organ c Creamery Tr ck ng Spr ngs Creamery Cottage Cheese Nancy s Organ c Va ey Cream Organ c Va ey (pasteur zed on y…u trapasteur zed conta ns carrageenan) Butterworks Farm Strauss Fam y Creamery Ice Cream Stonyf e d Green & B ack s Organ c Ju e s (except m nt fudge, mocha fudge and peanut butter fudge) A den s Yogurt Seven Stars Stonyf e d (a brands except carame O kos and Squeezers) Hor zon (a except Tuberz) Wa aby Soym k EdenSoy Westsoy Sources: http://www.roda e.com/carrageenan http://www.mother ones.com/tom-ph pott/2012/07/f ve-we rdest- ngred ents-a owed-organ c-food http://www.d ets nrev ew.com/d et_co umn/07/beware-carrageenan-a-food-add t ve-common- n-organ c-products/ http://www.nyt mes.com/2012/07/08/bus ness/organ c-food-pur sts-worry-about-b g-compan es- nf uence.htm ?_r=3&pagewanted=a http://www.cornucop a.org/shopp ng-gu de-to-avo d ng-organ c-foods-w th-carrageenan/
jimmyg
02-27-2013, 08:47 AM
Safety of F ame Retardants n Quest on L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/12/f ame-retardants-hea th-r sks.aspx?e_c d=20130212_DNL_art_2&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130212 v deo.... Dr. Merco a The average U.S. home conta ns mu t p e sources of tox c f ame-retardant chem ca s (po ybrom nated d pheny ethers, or PBDEs), as they re w de y used n Carpets and text es Foam nsu at on Po yurethane foam furn sh ngs E ectron cs and p ast cs Motor veh c es They outgas nto your home regu ar y and are common y found n househo d dust, where they are nha ed. PBDEs are a so found n var ous foods, nc ud ng w d and farm-ra sed f sh and the most "pure" food of a , breast m k. Wh e the chem ca ndustry ma nta ns that these chem ca s keep f ames from engu f ng your home as qu ck y, g v ng you va uab e t me to escape, the rea ty s that they have at best, quest onab e effect veness, wh e expos ng you and your ch dren to unden ab y tox c substances. Hea th R sks from F ame-Retardant Chem ca s Exposed PBDEs resemb e the mo ecu ar structure of PCBs, wh ch have been nked to cancer, reproduct ve prob ems and mpa red feta bra n deve opment. L ke PCBs, even though certa n PBDEs have been banned n some U.S. states and the European Un on, they pers st n the env ronment and accumu ate n your body – and often ex st n products mported from other countr es. H gher exposures to PBDEs have been nked to decreased fert ty,1 wh ch cou d be n part because the chem ca s may m m c and therefore d srupt your thyro d hormones. Research has suggested PBDEs can ead to decreases n TSH (thyro d-st mu at ng hormone).2 When present w th norma T4 eve s, ow TSH s typ ca y a s gn that your thyro d s be ng d srupted and you are deve op ng hyperthyro d sm, wh ch can have s gn f cant ram f cat ons both for you and your unborn ch d f you re pregnant. As for cancer, one type of PBDE (decaBDE) s c ass f ed as a poss b e human carc nogen by the U.S. Env ronmenta Protect on Agency (EPA), wh e the others rema n arge y untested. A f ame-retardant chem ca known as ch or nated tr s (TDCPP) was removed from ch dren s pa amas n the 1970s am d concerns that t may cause cancer, but now t s a ub qu tous add t on to couch cush ons across the Un ted States. It can eas y m grate from the foam and nto househo d dust, wh ch ch dren often p ck up on the r hands and transfer nto the r mouths. A recent study by researchers at the Un vers ty of Ca forn a, Berke ey a so revea ed that both n utero and ch dhood PBDE exposures were assoc ated w th neurodeve opmenta de ays, nc ud ng decreased attent on, f ne motor coord nat on, and cogn t on n schoo -age ch dren.3 F ame Retardants May Not Even be Effect ve – and May Make F res Dead er The chem ca ndustry kes to downp ay the proven hea th r sks of these tox c chem ca s by c a m ng that they can save ves n the event of a f re. But can they, rea y? In the CNN v deo above, you can see a compar son of two burn ng cha rs, one treated w th f ame-retardant chem ca s and one w thout. In ess than a m nute, the d fferences n v s b e f ames between the two cha rs are m n ma . Inez Tenenbaum, cha r of the Consumer Product Safety Comm ss on, test f ed before the Senate that: “The f re-retardant foams d d not offer a pract ca y s gn f cant greater eve of open f ame safety than the untreated foams.” Andrew Mcgu re of the Trauma Foundat on a so reported to CNN that f ame retardants put nto furn ture foam are not effect ve because the foam s not gn ted by a match, open f ame or c garette. Instead, t s the fabr c that gn tes f rst, and the f ames from the burn ng fabr c overwhe m the f ame-retardant chem ca s. Yet another study found that certa n f ame-retardant chem ca s (ha ogen-based f ame retardants) actua y ncrease the amounts of tox c carbon monox de and hydrogen cyan de gas re eased nto the a r dur ng a f re.4 Inha at on of these gasses, not burns, s actua y the ead ng cause of death n f res! Chem ca Industry Tugs on Leg s ators Heartstr ngs Us ng Phony Stor es Dr. Dav d He mback, a burn expert and star w tness for the manufacturers of f ame retardants, to d the trag c story of a 7-week-o d baby who was burned n a f re and d ed as a resu t, three weeks ater, after suffer ng mmense y. The f re was sa d to have been started by a cand e that gn ted a p ow that acked f ame retardant chem ca s, where the baby ay. The story was heard by Ca forn a awmakers, who were dec d ng on a b that cou d have reduced the use of f ame retardant chem ca s n furn ture. The prob em, as we deta ed n a prev ous art c e, was that the ent re story was a c ever hoax, a comp ete fabr cat on, from beg nn ng to end. It turns out other t ny pat ents the doctor had descr bed n test mony support ng tox c f ame retardant mater a s d dn t ex st e ther. Accord ng to the Ch cago Tr bune:5 "...[Dr. Dav d] He mbach s pass onate test mony about the baby s death made the ong-term hea th concerns about f ame retardants vo ced by doctors, env ronmenta sts and even f ref ghters sound abstract and petty. But there was a prob em w th h s test mony: It wasn t true. Records show there was no dangerous p ow or cand e f re. The baby he descr bed d dn t ex st. Ne ther d d the 9-week-o d pat ent who He mbach to d Ca forn a eg s ators d ed n a cand e f re n 2009. Nor d d the 6-week-o d pat ent who he to d A aska awmakers was fata y burned n her cr b n 2010. He mbach s not ust a prom nent burn doctor. He s a star w tness for the manufacturers of f ame retardants. H s test mony, the Tr bune found, s part of a decades- ong campa gn of decept on that has oaded the furn ture and e ectron cs n Amer can homes w th pounds of tox c chem ca s nked to cancer, neuro og ca def c ts, deve opmenta prob ems and mpa red fert ty.” C ear y, when t comes to mak ng money many ndustr es throw eth cs and ntegr ty out the w ndow, and the chem ca ndustry s a perfect examp e of th s. G oba y, f ame-retardant chem ca s gross more than $4 b on a year ... and desp te the grow ng proof of hea th r sks, and the fact that the r actua va ue n sav ng ves s h gh y quest onab e, the ndustry s f ght ng tooth and na to not ose one penny. Gatorade P ans to Remove F ame Retardant From Sports Dr nk Fo ow ng an outpour ng of consumer feedback, nc ud ng an on ne pet t on that has more than 200K supporters, Gatorade sa d t wou d be remov ng brom nated vegetab e o (BVO) from the r products. BVO was f rst patented by chem ca compan es as a f ame retardant. The chem ca s present y banned n food throughout Europe and Japan, but BVO has been added to about 10 percent of sodas n North Amer ca for decades, even though t has resu ted n soda-dr nkers need ng med ca attent on for sk n es ons, memory oss and nerve d sorders – a symptoms of overexposure to brom ne. Stud es suggest that BVO can bu d up n human t ssues, and an ma stud es have found t causes reproduct ve and behav ora prob ems n arge doses. Brom nated vegetab e o (BVO) s vegetab e o , der ved from corn or soy, bonded w th the e ement brom ne. It s added as an emu s f er, to prevent the f avor ng from separat ng and f oat ng to the surface. Brom nes are known endocr ne d sruptors, and are part of the ha de fam y, a group of e ements that nc udes f uor ne, ch or ne and od ne. What makes t so dangerous s that t competes for the same receptors that are used to capture od ne. If you are exposed to a ot of brom ne, your body w not ho d on to the od ne that t needs. And od ne affects every t ssue n your body, espec a y your nervous system, not ust your thyro d. Wh e Gatorade has p ans to pu the ngred ent from ts products w th n the next few months, BVO can st be found n other beverages ke Mounta n Dew, Squ rt, Fanta Orange and Fresca Or g na C trus. F ame Retardants n Your Couch, Mattress, Baby s Carseat and More... It s qu te d ff cu t to avo d these tox c chem ca s because of the r abundant use n househo d goods and even n the foam nsu at on used n your wa s. Research pub shed n Env ronmenta Sc ence & Techno ogy revea ed that 85 percent of couch foam samp es tested conta ned chem ca f ame retardants.6 The samp es came from more than 100 couches purchased from 1985 to 2010. As of 7/1/07, a U.S. mattresses are requ red to be h gh y f ame retardant, to the extent that they won t catch on f re f exposed to a b owtorch. Th s means that the manufacturers are dous ng them w th h gh y tox c f ame-retardant chem ca s ke PBDEs, wh ch do NOT have to be d sc osed n any way. And, even though ch dren are among those most at r sk from PBDEs ab ty to d srupt and harm deve opment, products ntended for k ds and bab es are a so those most ke y to be doused n f ame-retardant chem ca s. For nstance, such chem ca s were recent y detected n 60 percent of 2011 car seats tested by The Eco ogy Center,7 most ke y n the po yurethane foam. A separate study n Env ronmenta Sc ence & Techno ogy8 a so detected f ame-retardant chem ca s n 80 percent of the fo ow ng ch dren s products tested: Nurs ng p ows - Baby carr ers - Car seats - Chang ng tab e pads - H gh cha rs - Stro ers - Bass nets - Portab e cr bs - Wa kers - Baby tub nserts and bath s ngs G der rockers - S eep ng wedges. S nce these tox ns are not chem ca y bound to the p ast cs, foam, fabr cs and other mater a s to wh ch they re added, they eas y each out nto your home where they accumu ate n househo d dust9 – and are a so contam nat ng a r, so and waterways dur ng the r manufacture, use and degradat on n andf s. T ps for Reduc ng Your Exposure to F ame-Retardant Chem ca s In case you re wonder ng why there are so many of these tox c chem ca s n use, t s arge y due to Ca forn a Techn ca Bu et n 117, wh ch requ res furn ture so d n Ca forn a to w thstand a 12-second exposure to a sma f ame w thout gn t ng. Because of Ca forn a s econom c mportance, the requ rement has essent a y become a nat ona standard. U.S. bu d ng codes estab shed n the 1970s a so requ re nsu at on to pass the Ste ner Tunne test, wh ch measures how qu ck y the mater a burns through. Manufacturers typ ca y use f ame retardants to pass th s requ rement. The good news s that Ca forn a s reported y rev s ng the r f ammab ty standards to he p cut back on the use of f ame-retardant chem ca s, w th a proposa expected n the spr ng. Unt these chem ca s are removed from use ent re y, t ps you can use to reduce your exposure to PBDEs around your home nc ude:10 Be espec a y carefu w th po yurethane foam products manufactured pr or to 2005, such as upho stered furn ture, mattresses and p ows, as these are most ke y to conta n PBDEs. If you have any of these n your home, nspect them carefu y and rep ace r pped covers and/or any foam that appears to be break ng down. A so avo d reupho ster ng furn ture by yourse f as the reupho ster ng process ncreases your r sk of exposure. O der carpet padd ng s another ma or source of PBDEs, so take precaut ons when remov ng o d carpet. You want to so ate your work area from the rest of your house to avo d spread ng t around, and use a HEPA f ter vacuum to c ean up. You probab y a so have o der sources of the PBDEs known as Deca n your home as we , and these are so tox c they are banned n severa states. Deca PBDEs can be found n e ectron cs ke TVs, ce phones, k tchen app ances, fans, toner cartr dges and more. It s a good dea to wash your hands after hand ng such tems, espec a y before eat ng, and at the very east be sure you don t et nfants mouth any of these tems ( ke your TV remote contro or ce phone). As you rep ace PBDE-conta n ng tems around your home, se ect those that conta n natura y ess f ammab e mater a s, such as eather, woo and cotton. Look for organ c and "green" bu d ng mater a s, carpet ng, baby tems, mattresses and upho stery, wh ch w be free from these tox c chem ca s and he p reduce your overa exposure. Furn ture products f ed w th cotton, woo or po yester tend to be safer than chem ca -treated foam; some products a so state that they are "f ame-retardant free." PBDEs are often found n househo d dust, so c ean up w th a HEPA-f ter vacuum and/or a wet mop often.
Sev
02-27-2013, 08:51 AM
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/482482_352363441539000_219846986_n. pg
Sev
02-27-2013, 09:38 AM
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/306194_352375334871144_1889205652_n. pg
jimmyg
02-28-2013, 11:11 AM
What You See n the To et Can G ve You Va uab e Ins ghts nto Your Hea th February 14, 2013 nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/14/norma -stoo .aspx?e_c d=20130214_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130214 v deo..... By Dr. Merco a When t comes to to et ng hab ts, the top c s not exact y a favor te among Amer cans – at east for those above the age of four. Ment on poop and you can eas y c ear a room – or at the east, generate some unusua fac a express ons, nervous aughter, and w secracks about “too much nformat on.” But your bod y em ss ons are an mportant hea th top c that deserves ser ous attent on, regard ess of the “ ck factor.” In fact, f you gnore what you depos t n your to et, you cou d be f ush ng your hea th down the dra n! D d you know the average person generates about f ve TONS of stoo n h s or her fet me? Turns out, there s much to be earned from th s mounta n of poop. The shape, s ze, co or, and other feca features can te you a great dea about your overa hea th, how your gastro ntest na tract s funct on ng, and even g ve you c ues about ser ous d sease processes that cou d be occurr ng, ke nfect ons, d gest ve prob ems, and even cancer. Poop comes n ust about a the co ors of the ra nbow... and p ease forg ve me for us ng the words poop and ra nbow n the same sentence. A though there s a certa n y a w de var ety of stoo co ors, textures and forms that are cons dered “norma ,” there are def n te y th ngs that, f seen or exper enced, warrant mmed ate med ca attent on. W th th s n m nd, the overv ew that fo ows covers what you need to know about what s norma and not norma n the bathroom department. What s Norma Stoo ? Your stoo s about 75 percent water. The rest s a fet d comb nat on of f ber, ve and dead bacter a, m sce aneous ce s and mucus.1, 2 The character st cs of your stoo w te you a good dea about how happy and hea thy your d gest ve tract s – the co or, odor, shape, s ze, and even the sound t makes when t h ts the water and whether t s a “s nker” or a “f oater” are a re evant nformat on. If you re one to poop and scoot qu ck y out of the bathroom w thout ook ng n the to et, then you m ght want to s ow down and ook down. The Br sto Stoo Chart s a handy too that may he p you earn what you re go ng for. Idea y, your stoo shou d approx mate Types 3, 4 and 5, “ ke a sausage or a snake, smooth and soft” to “soft b obs that pass eas y.” Type 4 s the Ho y Gra .3 http://med a.merco a.com/ mageserver/pub c/2013/January/stoo -chart. pg F ber tends to bu k up your stoo and acts ke g ue to keep the stoo stuck together, nstead of n p eces. If your stoo s on the softer s de, short of d arrhea (“soft serve,” as some ca t), t cou d be re ated to actose nto erance, art f c a sweeteners (sorb to and Sp enda), or a react on to fructose or g uten. Look, L sten and Sme Before You F ush What s norma and what s not when you ook nto the to et? The fo ow ng tab e w he p you narrow down what to ook for, so that you aren t need ess y a armed. Of course, there are a few s gns that ARE cause for concern, and those are sted too. If you have a change n stoo s accompan ed by abdom na pa n, p ease report th s to your phys c an.4 Hea thy Stoo -------------------------------------- Unhea thy Stoo Med um to ght brown -----------------Stoo that s hard to pass, pa nfu , or requ res stra n ng Smooth and soft, formed nto one ong shape and not a bunch of p eces ------ Hard umps and p eces, or mushy and watery, or even pasty and d ff cu t to c ean off About one to two nches n d ameter and up to 18 nches ong --- Narrow, penc - ke or r bbon- ke stoo s: can nd cate a bowe obstruct on or tumor – or worst case, co on cancer; narrow stoo s on an nfrequent bas s are not so concern ng, but f they pers st, def n te y warrant a ca to your phys c an5 S-shaped, wh ch comes from the shape of your ower ntest ne6 --------B ack, tarry stoo s or br ght red stoo s may nd cate b eed ng n the GI tract; b ack stoo s can a so come from certa n med cat ons, supp ements or consum ng b ack cor ce; f you have b ack, tarry stoo s, t s best to be eva uated by your hea thcare prov der Qu et and gent e d ve nto the water... t shou d fa nto the bow w th the s ghtest tt e “whoosh” sound – not a oud, wet cannonba sp ash that eaves your toosh n need of a shower -------- Wh te, pa e or gray stoo s may nd cate a ack of b e, wh ch may suggest a ser ous prob em (hepat t s, c rrhos s, pancreat c d sorders, or poss b y a b ocked b e duct), so th s warrants a ca to your phys c an; antac ds may a so produce wh te stoo Natura sme , not repu s ve (I m not say ng t w sme good) -------Ye ow stoo s may nd cate g ard a nfect on, a ga b adder prob em, or a cond t on known as G bert s syndrome – f you see th s, ca your doctor Un form texture ------- Presence of und gested food (more of a concern f accompan ed by d arrhea, we ght oss, or other changes n bowe hab ts) S nks s ow y ------------------- F oaters or sp ashers ---------------- Increased mucus n stoo : Th s can be assoc ated w th nf ammatory bowe d sease ke Crohn s d sease, or u cerat ve co t s, or even co on cancer, espec a y f accompan ed by b ood or abdom na pa n Does Your Stoo Have a Rea y Bad Odor? If your stoo has an extraord nar y bad odor, t shou d not be gnored. I am referr ng to an odor above and beyond the norma y ob ect onab e stoo odor. St nky stoo can be assoc ated w th a number of hea th prob ems, such as:7 A ma absorpt ve d sorder Ce ac d sease Crohn s d sease Chron c pancreat t s Cyst c f bros s Cyst c f bros s (CF) s a d sease caused by a defect ve gene that causes your body to produce abnorma y th ck, st cky mucus, wh ch bu ds up and causes fe-threaten ng ung nfect ons and ser ous d gest ve prob ems. Most cases of CF are d agnosed before the age of 2, so th s s more of a concern w th nfants and todd ers. Speak ng of ma odorous th ngs, what about gas? Pass ng gas (f atu ence) s norma . Not on y s t norma , t s a good s gn that tr ons of hard work ng gut bacter a are do ng the r obs. Peop e pass gas an average 14 t mes per day – anywhere from one to four p nts of t!8 N nety n ne percent of gas s odor ess, so you may even be unaware you re pass ng t. Th nk about t – were t not for an ex t, we d a b ow up ke ba oons! How Often Shou d You Move Your Bowe s? Norma bowe hab ts vary. When we ta k about regu ar ty, what we re rea y ta k ng about s what s regu ar for you. Three bowe movements per day to three per week s cons dered the norma range. What s more mportant than frequency s the ease w th wh ch you move your bowe s. If you need to push or stra n, someth ng s off – mov ng your bowe s shou d take no more effort than ur nat ng or pass ng gas. The th ng to watch for s a sudden change n your bowe hab ts. Many factors can affect regu ar ty, such as d et, trave , med cat ons, hormona f uctuat ons, s eep patterns, exerc se, ness, surgery, ch db rth, stress and a who e host of other th ngs.9 Const pat on and D arrhea v deo.... The average body takes between 18 and 72 hours to convert food nto poop and pass t on out. When th s t me s s gn f cant y shortened, the resu t s d arrhea because your ntest ne doesn t have t me to absorb a of the water. Converse y, when trans t t me s engthened, you may end up const pated because too much water has been absorbed, resu t ng n hard, dry stoo s. Const pat on s def ned as pass ng hard, dry stoo s that you have to stra n to move, and t s typ ca y accompan ed by decreased frequency of defecat on. Stra n ng s not norma , nor are exper enc ng fee ngs of ncomp ete e m nat on, b oat ng, cramp ness, or s ugg shness after go ng number two. If you re over the age of 65, your r sk of becom ng const pated ncreases s gn f cant y. Chron c, untreated const pat on can ead to feca mpact on,10 wh ch can be a ser ous med ca cond t on. Laxat ves shou d be avo ded at a cost and used on y as a ast resort. If you abso ute y must use a axat ve, make sure t s used for on y a very short per od of t me. Common Causes of INCREASED Bowe Frequency/D arrhea11 L festy e ---------------------------------------------- D seases and Cond t ons Eat ng more fru ts and vegetab es ( ncreased f ber) ---Hyperthyro d sm (overact ve thyro d) Increased exerc se ---------------------------- Crohn s d sease Dr nk ng more water ----------------------------- U cerat ve co t s Emot ona stress ----------------------------- Ce ac d sease Food a erg es ---------------------------------- Irr tab e bowe syndrome (IBS) Med cat on s de effects ------------------------- Gastro ntest na nfect on Common Causes of DECREASED Bowe Frequency/Const pat on12, 13 Change n d et, ess f ber, ess fru ts and vegetab es ---- Pregnancy, ch db rth, or hormona d sturbances Emot ona stress ------------ Prob ems w th the musc es or nerve n the ntest ne, rectum or anus Ignor ng the urge to “go,” trave and schedu ng factors that cause you to ho d t ---------- Irr tab e bowe syndrome (IBS) Insuff c ent exerc se ----------------------- D abetes Inadequate hydrat on ---------------Hypothyro d sm (underact ve thyro d) Ca c um or ron supp ements ------------ Loca pa n or d scomfort around the anus, such as from f ssures or hemorrho ds Drugs such as narcot c pa nk ers (code ne, for examp e), d uret cs, antac ds, ant depressants, and excess or overused axat ves ------------- Less often: d vert cu t s, ntest na obstruct on, co orecta cancer, mu t p e sc eros s, Park nson s d sease and sp na cord n ury Food a erg es --------------------------------- How to Score a Home Run w th Your Bowe Movements Most gastro ntest na prob ems can be prevented or reso ved by mak ng s mp e changes to your d et and festy e. If you aren t ach ev ng poo perfect on, or f you don t fee r ght, then ook at the fo ow ng factors and cons der mak ng a few changes. These strateg es w he p reverse const pat on or d arrhea, n add t on to he p ng prevent recurrences. Remove a sources of g uten from your d et (the most common sources are wheat, bar ey, rye, spe t and other gra ns) Eat a d et that nc udes who e foods, r ch n fresh, organ c vegetab es and fru ts that prov de good nutr ents and f ber; most of your f ber shou d come from vegetab es, not from gra ns Avo d art f c a sweeteners, excess sugar (espec a y fructose), chem ca add t ves, MSG, excess ve amounts of caffe ne, and processed foods as they are a detr menta to your gastro ntest na (and mmune) funct on Boost your ntest na f ora by add ng natura y fermented foods nto your d et, such as sauerkraut, p ck es, and kef r ( f you to erate da ry); add a prob ot c supp ement f you suspect you re not gett ng enough benef c a bacter a from your d et a one Try ncreas ng your f ber ntake; good opt ons nc ude psy um and fresh y ground organ c f ax seed (shoot for 35 grams of f ber per day) Make sure you stay we hydrated w th fresh, pure water Get p enty of exerc se da y Avo d pharmaceut ca drugs, such as pa n k ers ke code ne or hydrocodone wh ch w s ow your bowe funct on, Ant depressants, and ant b ot cs can cause a var ety of GI d srupt ons Address emot ona cha enges w th too s ke EFT Cons der squatt ng nstead of s tt ng to move your bowe s; squatt ng stra ghtens your rectum, re axes your puborecta s musc e and encourages the comp ete empty ng of your bowe w thout stra n ng, and has been sc ent f ca y shown to re eve const pat on and hemorrho ds Cons der a B det As a pract ca and affordab e a ternat ve to to et paper, you m ght want to try a b det. ....... The b dets pay for themse ves n no t me w th the money saved on to et paper, as we as he p ng save va uab e env ronmenta resources. ....... I ve made my favor te b det ava ab e n the Merco a store.
jimmyg
03-01-2013, 08:05 AM
Da ry Industry Wants to Add Art f c a Sweeteners to M k W thout D sc os ng Th s on Labe s March 1st, 2013 V a: Yahoo Hea th / Hea th ne: Got d et m k? In a h gh y controvers a move, the da ry ndustry wants to market art f c a y sweetened m k—w thout any spec a abe to a ert consumers. In a pet t on f ed w th the FDA, the Internat ona Da ry Foods Assoc at on (IDFA) and the Nat ona M k Producers Federat on (NMPF) seek to change the def n t on of “m k” so that chem ca sweeteners ke aspartame and sucra ose can be used as opt ona ngred ents not sted on the product abe . If the pet t on—or g na y f ed n 2009 and now under cons derat on by the FDA— s successfu , these h dden add t ves cou d a so be nc uded n 17 other da ry products— nc ud ng wh pp ng cream, ow-fat and non-fat yogurt, eggnog, sweetened condensed m k, sour cream, and ha f-and-ha f—w thout requ r ng any spec a abe ng. The da ry ndustry contends that us ng art f c a sweeteners ke aspartame as opt ona ngred ents n m k and other da ry foods w thout any spec a abe ng wou d “promote more hea thy eat ng” and boost k d appea . Current y, m k consumpt on s dropp ng among both ch dren and adu ts.
jimmyg
03-01-2013, 08:31 PM
Pub cat on B as—the H dden Systemat c F aw n Med c ne that Can Threaten Your L fe L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/13/pub cat on-b as.aspx?e_c d=20130213_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130213 v deo.... By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: Pub cat on b as—the pract ce of se ect ve y pub sh ng tr a resu ts that serve an agenda—represents a systemat c f aw of the sc ent f c bas s of med c ne B as nc udes pub sh ng pos t ve resu ts but not the negat ve ones, not pub sh ng retract ons of fraudu ent stud es, and fund ng b as Ha f of a c n ca tr a s ever comp eted on the med ca treatments current y n use have never been pub shed n the med ca terature. Tr a s w th pos t ve resu ts for the test treatment are about tw ce as ke y to be pub shed, and th s app es to both academ c research and ndustry stud es In 2010, researchers dent f ed a the pub shed tr a s for f ve ma or c asses of drugs, and then measured two key features: Were they pos t ve, and were they funded by ndustry? Out of a tota of 500 tr a s, 85 percent of the ndustryfunded stud es were pos t ve, compared to 50 percent of the government-funded tr a s Pub shed stud es are used by doctors and hea th agenc es as the bas s for mak ng recommendat ons and wr t ng prescr pt ons. When they re g ven a rad ca y skewed p cture of the facts, they cannot make sound recommendat ons, and pat ents d e Exposure and concerns over med ca research fraud s on the r se, and for good reason. Pub cat on b as — the pract ce of se ect ve y pub sh ng tr a resu ts that serve an agenda — represents a “systemat c f aw of the sc ent f c bas s of med c ne,” Ben Go dacre says n h s TED Ta k above. Indeed th s ssue s a very ser ous one, and I agree w th Go dacre s assert on that t s “a cancer at the core of ev dence-based med c ne.” It underm nes and negates everyth ng modern med c ne pr des tse f n. In recent years, we ve d scovered that fraud can occur anywhere. Even at the best nst tut ons. Even f a drug or treatment s “sc ent f ca y proven,” the examp es h gh ghted by Go dacre make t crysta c ear that th s s mp y s not a guarantee of safety or effect veness. L kew se, f an a ternat ve treatment has not been pub shed n a med ca ourna , t s m ar y does not mean t s unsafe or neffect ve. There s much to be sa d for the anc ent tr ed-and-true remed es, even f they ve not been r gorous y stud ed by a modern researcher. What Gets Pub shed, and What Doesn t? I am a f rm be ever n the sc ent f c method, prov ded t s app ed appropr ate y. And that s the key ssue here. In order to qua fy n the f rst p ace, the research must be unb ased, unpre ud ced and free from any s gn f cant conf cts of nterest. Sad y, th s s s mp y not the case w th most of modern med c ne — espec a y not when t comes to drug research. It s c ear y the except on and not the ru e. In the ta k above, and n two recent art c es pub shed n Sa on1 and The New York T mes,2 Go dacre offers a number of examp es of pub cat on b as, wh ch s pervas ve across a f e ds of med c ne. Both art c es are exce ent, and I recommend read ng both of them f you have the t me, a ong w th h s 13-m nute ong ta k above. B as can take a few d fferent forms, such as: Pos t ve resu ts are pub shed wh e negat ve ones are not Retract ons are frequent y not pub shed, wh ch wou d a ert prescr bers, researchers and academ a that a study has been retracted due to fraud or other wrongdo ng and cannot be re ed upon The source of fund ng pred ctab y affects the outcome of the tr a For examp e: Aston sh ng y, ha f of a c n ca tr a s ever comp eted on the med ca treatments current y n use have never been pub shed n the med ca terature. Tr a s w th pos t ve resu ts for the test treatment are about tw ce as ke y to be pub shed, and th s app es to both academ c research and ndustry stud es Former drug company researcher G enn Beg ey ooked at 53 papers n the wor d s top ourna s, and found that he and a team of sc ent sts cou d NOT rep cate 47 of the 53 pub shed stud es — a of wh ch were cons dered mportant and va uab e for the future of cancer treatments3 In 2010, three researchers from Harvard and Toronto dent f ed a the pub shed tr a s for f ve ma or c asses of drugs, and then measured two key features: Were they pos t ve, and were they funded by ndustry? Out of a tota of 500 tr a s, 85 percent of the ndustry-funded stud es were pos t ve, compared to 50 percent of the government-funded tr a s In 2007, researchers dent f ed a pub shed tr a s of cho estero - ower ng drugs known as stat ns. A tota of 192 tr a s were found n wh ch e ther two stat ns were compared to each other, or a stat n was compared aga nst a d fferent k nd of treatment. Industry-funded stud es were 20 t mes more ke y to favor the test drug, compared to those w th ndependent fund ng Accord ng to a 2011 study n the Journa of Med ca Eth cs,4 near y 32 percent of retracted papers were not noted as hav ng been retracted by the ourna n quest on, eav ng the readers comp ete y n the dark about the naccurac es n those stud es The Industry Doesn t Pay for Negat ve Resu ts Sc ent f c fraud and/or the m suse of sc ence to further a preconce ved commerc a agenda s so rampant today that t can be qu te tr cky to determ ne what s what. One key factor you d be w se to cons der s who pa d for the study? It s we -estab shed that the source of fund ng can s gn f cant y skew research resu ts, as those who pay genera y want the research to be of benef t to them, one way or another. Tru y ndependent research that s not funded or executed by any person or group w th a f nanc a stake or nterest n the resu ts s, genera y speak ng, the most trustworthy. A though somet mes you may have to do some s euth ng to determ ne whether the research m ght have h dden t es or agendas. In the New York T mes, Go dacre wr tes: “There s one ast study I d ke to te you about. It turns out that th s pattern of ndustry-funded tr a s be ng vast y more ke y to g ve pos t ve resu ts pers sts even when you move away from pub shed academ c papers and ook nstead at tr a reports from academ c conferences, where data often appears for the f rst t me... Fr es and Kr shnan stud ed a the research abstracts presented at the 2001 Amer can Co ege of Rheumato ogy meet ngs that reported any k nd of tr a and acknow edged ndustry sponsorsh p n order to f nd out what proport on had resu ts that favored the sponsor s drug. There s a sma punch ne com ng, and to understand t we need to ta k a tt e about what an academ c paper ooks ke. In genera , the resu ts sect on s extens ve: The raw numbers are g ven for each outcome and for each poss b e causa factor, but not ust as raw f gures... each deta of the resu t s descr bed n tab e form and n shorter narrat ve form n the text, exp a n ng the most mportant resu ts. Th s engthy process s usua y spread over severa pages. In Fr es and Kr shnan [2004], th s eve of deta was unnecessary. The resu ts sect on s a s ng e, s mp e and — I ke to mag ne — fa r y pass ve-aggress ve sentence: The resu ts from every RCT (45 out of 45) favored the drug of the sponsor. Th s extreme f nd ng has a very nterest ng s de effect for those nterested n t me-sav ng shortcuts. S nce every ndustry-sponsored tr a had a pos t ve resu t, that s a you d need to know about a p ece of work to pred ct ts outcome: If t was funded by ndustry, you cou d know w th abso ute certa nty that the tr a found the drug was great.” When Negat ve Resu ts Go M ss ng n Act on Pub cat on b as s profound y ser ous, because the end resu t s that peop e frequent y w d e f they are mak ng cho ces on naccurate nformat on and recommendat ons. Research does not ex st n a vacuum. Pub shed stud es are used by doctors and hea th agenc es as the bas s for mak ng recommendat ons and wr t ng prescr pt ons. When they re g ven a rad ca y skewed p cture of the facts, how can they make sound recommendat ons? Accord ng to Go dacre, negat ve resu ts m ss ng n act on cuts to the core of pub cat on b as. When negat ve resu ts are suppressed, peop e d e. Somet mes n very arge numbers. In 1980, a study was done on a heart arrhythm a drug ca ed orca na de. It nc uded 100 peop e. Ha f of them rece ved the drug; the other a p acebo. Among those who rece ved the drug, 10 d ed, compared to ust one death n the p acebo group. The tr a was stopped and the drug was abandoned. The resu ts of the study were never pub shed. Over the next decade, other pharmaceut ca compan es created and marketed s m ar drugs to treat arrhythm a n heart attack pat ents. An est mated 100,000 peop e d ed before the deaths were f na y traced back to the drugs. Th s case s now used as a perfect examp e of the pr ce of pub cat on b as, as the pub cat on of those negat ve resu ts cou d have prov ded an ear y warn ng. Current y, the sc ence beh nd the f u drug Tam f u s a so M.I.A., wh ch shou d concern every c t zen n every country that recommends t and stockp es t n ant c pat on of a f u pandem c. Remarkab y, e ght of the 10 stud es on Tam f u have never been re eased for rev ew, desp te years of effort. The Cochrane Co aborat on conducts and pub shes ana yses of the sc ent f c ev dence support ng the use of var ous drugs and vacc nes. They are cons dered the "go d standard" of ndependent sc ent f c rev ews, so when they ssue a report, you re we adv sed to pay heed because t s free of conf ct of nterests and therefore very ob ect ve. I ve prev ous y d scussed a number of the r rev ews on f u vacc nes that have shed ght on the sheer ack of sc ent f c data support ng the c a m that f u vacc nes are a safe and effect ve means of prevent ng seasona nf uenza. Last year, Cochrane dec ded to update prev ous rev ews that m ght have a bear ng on nf uenza management, wh ch nc udes Tam f u. The prev ous assessment of Tam f u was done n 2009. At the t me, the group was unab e to get Roche, the manufacturer of Tam f u, to re ease e ght of the 10 c n ca tr a s nvo v ng the drug. The rev ew therefore conc uded that: "Pauc ty of good data has underm ned prev ous f nd ngs for ose tam v r s prevent on of comp cat ons from nf uenza. Independent random zed tr a s to reso ve these uncerta nt es are needed." Years ater and faced w th cont nued stonewa ng, Cochrane n co aborat on w th the Br t sh Med ca Journa dec ded to take the ssue to the pub c. The BMJ Open Data Campa gn5 was recent y created n an effort to force transparency as Roche cont nues to refuse to re ease the data from e ght out of 10 c n ca tr a s on Tam f u. The campa gn s te conta ns nks to Cochrane s correspondence w th not ust Roche, but a so w th the CDC and WHO — a of whom appear to be comp c t n th s scheme to mass ve y promote a drug w thout sc ent f c support for do ng so. The Depress ng Research on Ant depressants cont nued....
jimmyg
03-01-2013, 08:32 PM
The ant depressant Reboxet ne s another examp e of how negat ve resu ts eopard ze the hea th of pat ents. Go dacre had a pat ent who found no re ef from other ant depressants, so after do ng h s research, he put the pat ent on Reboxet ne. However, they d both been sore y m s ed. As t turns out, wh e seven stud es had been comp eted on the drug, on y ONE was pub shed — the one show ng a favorab e resu t. S x stud es show ng negat ve resu ts were never pub shed, and were therefore not taken nto cons derat on when Go dacre suggested the drug to h s pat ent. Three tr a s compar ng Reboxet ne aga nst other ant depressants had a so been pub shed, n wh ch the drug was found to be as ust as good as the others. However, three t mes as many pat ents -worth of data was co ected, but never pub shed, show ng that Reboxet ne was worse than other ant depressants, and that pat ents suffered more deb tat ng s de effects on t. Go dacre wr tes:6 “I d d everyth ng a doctor s supposed to do. I read a the papers, I cr t ca y appra sed them, I understood them and I d scussed them w th the pat ent. We made a dec s on together, based on the ev dence. In the pub shed data, reboxet ne was a safe and effect ve drug. In rea ty, t was no better than a sugar p , and worse, t does more harm than good. As a doctor, I d d someth ng wh ch, on the ba ance of a the ev dence, harmed my pat ent, s mp y because unf atter ng data was eft unpub shed... The repercuss ons of th s go way beyond s mp y m s ead ng doctors about the benef ts and harms of ntervent ons for pat ents, and way beyond tr a s. Med ca research sn t an abstract academ c pursu t: It s about peop e, so every t me we fa to pub sh a p ece of research we expose rea , v ng peop e to unnecessary, avo dab e suffer ng.” Pub cat on b as has been we stud ed — over 100 of them have been done. And they a test fy to the fact that pub cat on b as s very rea , and very ser ous. For examp e, researchers ooked at a tr a s subm tted to the FDA dur ng the approva process of 12 d fferent ant depressants. They found 38 pos t ve resu ts, and 36 negat ve ones. That s ust about 50/50 go ng e ther way. But guess how many of these stud es cou d be found n the pub shed med ca terature after the drugs were approved? Th rty-seven of the pos t ve stud es were pub shed, and on y THREE of those w th negat ve f nd ngs. Th s s a stagger ng d fference, and th s pub cat on b as s no doubt hav ng a profound y negat ve mpact on pat ents. Fake F xes Frequent y Fata So, s anyth ng be ng done to remedy th s pervas ve, ongo ng prob em? In the New York T mes, Go dacre wr tes: “The Food and Drug Adm n strat on Amendments Act of 2007 s the most w de y c ted f x. It requ red that new c n ca tr a s conducted n the Un ted States post summar es of the r resu ts at c n ca tr a s.gov w th n a year of comp et on, or face a f ne of $10,000 a day. But n 2012, the Br t sh Med ca Journa pub shed the f rst open aud t of the process, wh ch found that four out of f ve tr a s covered by the eg s at on had gnored the report ng requ rements. Amaz ng y, no f ne has yet been ev ed. An ear er fake f x dates from 2005, when the Internat ona Comm ttee of Med ca Journa Ed tors made an announcement: the r members wou d never aga n pub sh any c n ca tr a un ess ts ex stence had been dec ared on a pub c y access b e reg stry before the tr a began. The reason ng was s mp e: f everyone reg stered the r tr a s at the beg nn ng, we cou d eas y spot wh ch resu ts were w thhe d; and s nce everyone wants to pub sh n prom nent academ c ourna s, these ed tors had the perfect carrot. Once aga n, everyone assumed the prob em had been f xed. But four years ater we d scovered, n a paper from The Journa of the Amer can Med ca Assoc at on, that the ed tors had broken the r prom se: more than ha f of a tr a s pub shed n ead ng ourna s st weren t proper y reg stered, and a quarter weren t reg stered at a . Even f these f xes had been successfu , we wou d st be decades away from know ng the fu truth about our med ca treatments, because today s dec s ons are nformed by the tr a s of the past, on drugs that were f rst researched and approved n 2007, 2002, 1998 and ear er. None of the reforms has even tr ed to ensure pub c access for these resu ts, and so they rema n bur ed n dry storage arch ves, deep underground.” Rea F xes are What s Needed The ast po nt s an mportant one. In order for modern med c ne to be “sc ence-based” we have to go far enough back to nc ude ALL the research for ALL the treatments that are current y IN USE. Otherw se, we re operat ng on qu cksand. As Go dacre states n h s TED ta k: “I don t know what wor d t s n wh ch we re on y pract c ng med c ne based on tr a s comp eted n the past two years.” F x ng the prob em and return ng sc ence-based med c ne s easy though. Accord ng to Go dacre, we must: Pub sh a human tr a s, nc ud ng o der tr a s, for a drugs n current use Te everyone you know about th s prob em. For more nformat on, contact nfo@a tr a s.org Take Contro of Your Hea th It s mportant to understand that our current med ca system has been masterfu y orchestrated by the drug compan es to create a system that g ves the percept on of sc ence when rea y t s a heav y man pu ated process des gned to conv nce and dece ve you to use expens ve and potent a y tox c drugs that benef t the drug compan es more than they benef t your hea th. Across the board, drugmakers do an exce ent ob of pub c z ng the f nd ngs they want you to know, wh e keep ng stud es that don t support the r product h dden from you and the med ca commun ty. It s mportant to rea ze that a research s NOT pub shed. And t shou d come as no surpr se that drug stud es funded by a pharmaceut ca company that reaches a negat ve conc us on w rare y ever see the ght of day... What th s means s that even f you scour the med ca terature to determ ne what the consensus s on any g ven med ca top c, what you f nd s an overwhe m ng preponderance of data n favor of the drug approach that n no way, shape or form ref ects the rea ty of the sc ent f c nvest gat on that went nto that spec f c drug. W th so much data m ss ng n act on, what does the c a m “sc ent f ca y proven” rea y amount to? It certa n y cannot be construed as a guarantee of safety or effect veness... I recommend us ng a the resources ava ab e to you, nc ud ng your own common sense and reason, true experts adv ce and exper ences of others, to determ ne what med ca treatment or adv ce w be best for you n any g ven s tuat on.
jimmyg
03-02-2013, 11:35 AM
F uor degate—Why s Po son ng of Ch dren Cons dered a Va uab e Pub c Hea th Po cy? L nk: http://art c es.merco a.com/s tes/art c es/arch ve/2013/02/16/f uor degate-water-f uor dat on.aspx?e_c d=20130216_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dn &utm_med um=ema &utm_campa gn=20130216 F uor degate v deo..... By Dr. Merco a
Story at-a-g ance: F uor de s a tox c substance that s b o og ca y act ve n the human body where t accumu ates n sens t ve t ssues over t me, wreaks havoc w th enzymes and produces a number of ser ous adverse hea th effects — nc ud ng neuro og ca and endocr ne dysfunct on The f m, F uor degate, p aces part cu ar focus on how water f uor dat on harms young ch dren, as they tend to suffer the greatest hea th effects 25 human stud es have nked f uor de w th owered IQ n ch dren, nc ud ng recent research from Harvard, and 100 an ma stud es nk ng t to bra n damage Water f uor dat on came about as the resu t of a mass ve y successfu PR campa gn, and was reported y f rst suggested as a way to protect a um num and stee producers from awsu ts aga nst the f uor ne po ut on com ng from the r p ant
The debate over the dangers of f uor de has been ongo ng for more than s x decades. Study after study conf rms that f uor de s a dangerous, tox c po son that b oaccumu ates n your body wh e be ng neffect ve at prevent ng denta decay. Dr. Dav d Kennedy s documentary f m F uor degate — An Amer can Tragedy,1 exposes the sord d truth about water f uor dat on, and t has noth ng to do w th promot ng denta hea th. Water f uor dat on came about as the resu t of a mass ve y successfu PR campa gn, and was reported y f rst suggested as a way to protect a um num and stee producers from awsu ts aga nst the f uor ne po ut on com ng from the r p ant. In fact, what s be ng hera ded as a safe and effect ve prophy act c aga nst cav t es s actua y a tox c ndustr a waste product, and t s be ng added to water supp es because they have so much to get r d of, and tox c waste d sposa s expens ve. In a nutshe , a so ut on was dev sed n wh ch hazardous waste cou d be e m nated at a prof t. Water F uor dat on — The W fu Destruct on of Ch dren s Hea th Dr. Kennedy, who produced and d rected the f m, s no sc ent f c s ouch. He has a BA n Comparab e B ochem stry and Phys o ogy, and s the past Pres dent of the Internat ona Academy of Ora Med c ne and Tox co ogy. He rece ved h s Doctorate of Denta Surgery from the Un vers ty of M ssour n 1971. He has ectured about the safety of denta mater a s n the human body to denta profess ona s around the wor d, nc ud ng before the Wor d Hea th Organ zat on (WHO). The f m nc udes a number of d st ngu shed profess ona s;2 sc ent sts, doctors and academ cs — some of wh ch have pa d a very steep pr ce for revea ng the tox c truth about f uor de, such as Dr. B Marcus, who was the Ch ef Tox co og st for the Off ce of Dr nk ng Water at the t me. The US government had comp eted a cancer study on f uor de, and Dr. Marcus d scovered the raw data s mp y d d not f t the f na conc us on. He subsequent y wrote a report ca ng for the study to be reopened and nvest gated. Robert Carton, PhD, a sc ent st at the EPA, rece ved a copy of the report, and w th Dr. Marcus perm ss on eaked t to the press. Dr. Marcus was subsequent y f red and spent the next two-and-a-ha f years ook ng for another ob. "Wh e the bas s of the r mot vat on rema ns uncerta n, the outcome [of water f uor dat on] s crysta c ear: t s destroy ng our nat on," the f m states. The f m p aces part cu ar focus on how water f uor dat on can harm young ch dren, as they tend to suffer the greatest hea th effects. One mportant po nt to remember, wh ch few ped atr c ans, dent sts or other hea th profess ona s stress, s that you shou d NOT use f uor dated water when m x ng nfant formu a. As Dr. Kennedy states on h s webs te: "One of Ca forn a s h ghest pa d and most pro f c F uor dat on advocate adm ts that g v ng an nfant a formu a made w th f uor dated tap water w overdose the baby and cause the teeth to come n spotted and f uorot c. One can on y wonder why such nsan ty pers sts n our country when t has been banned n so many other more advanced democrac es." Wh e the CDC has ha ed f uor dat on as one of the top 10 pub c hea th ach evements of the 20th century, the ev dence s stack ng up aga nst such a proc amat on. Sc ent sts from the EPA s Nat ona Hea th and Env ronmenta Effects Research Laboratory have c ass f ed f uor de as a "chem ca hav ng substant a ev dence of deve opmenta neurotox c ty," and 25 stud es have now reported an assoc at on between f uor de exposure and reduced IQ n ch dren — nc ud ng a recent study out of Harvard, n wh ch the authors noted: "The resu ts support the poss b ty of an adverse effect of h gh f uor de exposure on ch dren s neurodeve opment." Facts About F uor de You NEED to Know You can rev ew some of the documentat on gathered together by Dr. Kennedy on the f m s webs te.3 Th s nc udes Dr. Marcus memorandum, surve ance data for denta f uoros s, and more. No matter wh ch sc ent f c stud es you exam ne or wh ch popu at on trends you v ew, the on y rat ona conc us on you can come to s that f uor de s hea th dangers far outwe gh the marg na denta benef ts t m ght offer. The sc ence s very c ear about the fo ow ng: F uor de s a tox c ndustr a waste product that s a po son to your body and n no way a "nutr ent," offer ng no benef ts at a to the human body. The f uor de added to water supp es can be contam nated w th ead, arsen c, rad onuc eot des, a um num and other ndustr a contam nants. Add t ona y, the f uor de added to mun c pa water supp es s not pharmaceut ca grade. F uor de exposure comes from tap water, most toothpaste and many ant b ot cs, nc ud ng ones g ven to farm an ma s. There s a arge var at on n exposure eve s, mak ng t mposs b e to accurate y pred ct these var ab es for any person, fam y or commun ty. F uor de exposure for many can eas y reach tox c eve s. For examp e, po son contro shou d be ca ed f you swa ow a quarter m gram of f uor de from toothpaste. Meanwh e ust ONE g ass of water can conta n th s amount of f uor de. F uor de s a cumu at ve po son that has been proven to cause w de-rang ng, ser ous hea th prob ems, such as damage to your bones, bra n and endocr ne system. Denta car es can be prevented w th means other than f uor dat on, thereby avo d ng the adverse effects of f uor de. The Many Hea th Hazards of Long-Term F uor de Exposure It s mportant to rea ze that f uor de s a cumu at ve tox n, wh ch over t me can ead to more ser ous hea th concerns than denta f uoros s (spott ng on your teeth). Ske eta f uoros s from f uor de tox c ty can be cr pp ng and even dead y. The neuro og ca effects are a so qu te d sturb ng. As prev ous y ment oned, there are now 25 stud es show ng f uor de s assoc ated w th d m n shed IQ, even at eve s as ow as 0.3 to 3 parts per m on, wh ch over aps the range of f uor de added to the water supp y n many Amer can commun t es (0.7 to 1.2 ppm). About 100 an ma stud es have a so nked f uor de to bra n damage. Stud es have shown f uor de tox c ty can ead to the w de-rang ng prob ems sted be ow. Increases ead absorpt on - D srupts co agen synthes s - Hyperact v ty and/or ethargy - Cr pp ng ske eta f uoros s and bone fractures - Genet c damage and ce death - Increased tumor and cancer growth - D srupts mmune system - Inh b ts ant body product on - Bra n damage, and owered IQ - Dement a - Arthr t s - Severe eye prob ems, nc ud ng b ndness - Impa red thyro d funct on - Bone cancer (osteosarcoma) - Inact vates 62 enzymes - Musc e d sorders. Educate Others — Share the F m Dr. Kennedy g ves fu perm ss on to anyone to share the f m, n any way poss b e. Post t to your b og, web s te, Facebook or Tw tter. L nk and embed code can be found here. I a so o n Dr. Kennedy n urg ng you to share the f m w th your government representat ves. The r addresses can be found on the US House of Representat ves webs te.4 "By shar ng the nks w th off c a s v a ema you are he p ng us ncrease awareness where t counts! You may even save the fe of a ch d," he wr tes. The f uor de added to water supp es s a tox c ndustr a waste product. It s not even pharmaceut ca grade f uor de, wh ch wou d be bad enough. At best, t cou d be v ewed as forced med cat on, g ven w thout med ca overs ght or mon tor ng, and w thout regard for dosage or contra nd cated hea th cond t ons. At worst, t can be v ewed as po son ng. There s no doubt about t: F uor de shou d NOT be ngested. At east when t comes to top ca app cat on, you have a cho ce. You can eas y buy f uor de-free toothpaste and mouthwash. But you re stuck w th whatever your commun ty puts n the water, and t s very d ff cu t to f ter out of your water once t s added. Many do not have the resources or the know edge to do so. Jo n the F ght to Get F uor de Out of Dr nk ng Water The batt e to force the uncontro ed dosage of mass med cat on by hydrof uoros c c ac d has moved to Port and, Oregon - home of one of the best natura water sources n the country. It s so good they ve rece ved a f trat on exempt on. After more than a year of secret ve p ann ng, f uor de obby sts conv nced the Port and c ty counc to add th s tox c waste for the r pub c s consumpt on. Luck y, the c t zens of Port and stood together by gather ng enough s gnatures to force th s to a vote on May 21, 2013. These obby sts are we funded, and we re go ng to see a campa gn s m ar to Prop 37 n Ca forn a. The c t zens need your he p to keep Port and free of th s contam nant. P ease he p by donat ng to the r campa gn to ensure Port and s pure water source rema ns that way. vBu et n® v3.8.9, Copyr ght ©2000-2018, vBu et n So ut ons, Inc.