Blood sugar/insulin problems

Allergies?

Adrenal Fatigue

Leptin/Ghrelin imbalance due to lack of sleep

READ THE ARTICLE: The DARE Force Blog: “Why on Earth Can’t I Lose Weight and Keep it Off?”

To quote Bechamp, “It is the terrain, milieu or environment that determines health or disease, NOT the pathogen.” This mature outlook on our biology was finally acknowledged by Pasteur, himself, on his deathbed. He recanted his germ theory, saying “It’s the terrain, not the germ.”

In fact, it is both. If your terrain is toxic it is much harder for your immune system to fight off a pathogen. The status of your terrain is determined primarily by four things: its pH (it’s acid/alkaline balance); its electric/magnetic charge (negative or positive); its degree of toxicity; and its nutritional status. For example, low oxygen levels, stagnating body fluids, or loss of electrical charge on red blood cells can all of these result in an unhealthy terrain.

Health is about balance.

Here is a wonderful article which explains all this in greater detail.

http://www.laleva.org/eng/2004/05/louis_pasteur_vs_antoine_bchamp_and_the_germ_theory_of_disease_causation_2.html

Also, take 3 grams of Vitamin C (buffered, preferably, or Ester C) before the party, and 3 more afterwards. And, if you think there might be a hangover anyway take 3 pellets of Nux Vomica 30c, a homeopathic remedy from the health food store, just before you go to bed.

There’s the shortest blog in the world on a busy day just before Christmas!

Have a great one!

Check this out from ScienceDaily.com:

A long-held mantra suggests that you can’t change your family, the genes they pass on, or the effect of these genes. Now, scientists are attacking that belief. The researchers discovered the gene that is the strongest marker for heart disease can actually be modified by generous amounts of fruit and raw vegetables.

The results of their study are published in the current issue of the journal PLoS Medicine.

“We know that 9p21 genetic variants increase the risk of heart disease for those that carry it,” said Dr. Jamie Engert, joint principal investigator of the study, who is a researcher in cardiovascular diseases at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC) and associate member in the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University. “But it was a surprise to find that a healthy diet could significantly weaken its effect.”

The research, which represents one of the largest gene-diet interaction studies ever conducted on cardiovascular disease, involved the analysis of more than 27,000 individuals from five ethnicities — European, South Asian, Chinese, Latin American and Arab — and the effect that their diets had on the effect of the 9p21 gene. The results suggest that individuals with the high risk genotype who consumed a prudent diet, composed mainly of raw vegetables, fruits and berries, had a similar risk of heart attack to those with the low risk genotype.

“We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables,” said Sonia Anand, joint principal investigator of the study, and a researcher at the Population Health Research Institute and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.

Read the article

“Everyone should know that cancer research is largely fraud.”
Dr. Linus Pauling, 1986
Nobel Laureate

Dr. Mercola has written a very good article on this – CLICK HERE TO READ ENTIRE ARTICLE

Alas, the war on cancer has been a MASSIVE failure, and the reasons for this failure are clearly explained in the featured documentary Cut, Poison, Burn.

Greed bordering on the grotesque has been allowed to rule the game here, and the primary beneficiaries of this 40-year long “war” are pharmaceutical companies and the tremendously profitable cancer industry as a whole, including so-called “non-profit” organizations like the American Cancer Society.

Rather than decreasing, cancer rates have increased during the last 40 years, and now surpass heart disease as the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 45 to 74. According to statistics detailed in the film, one in three women, and one in two men will now get some form of cancer in their lifetime!

Organic food

FROM: July 13, 2011 by POPEYE
Filed under Featured Stories, Health

FederalJack.com

Not many consumers realize that the FDA does not require genetically modified food to be labeled. That’s because the FDA has decided that you, dear consumer, don’t care if the tomato you’re eating has been cross bred with frog genes to render the tomato more resistant to cold weather. Some consumers may not be concerned with eating Frankenfood, but for those who are, here’s how to determine if the fruits and vegetables you’re buying are (GM) genetically modified.

Hat tip to Marion Owen for her valuable information. Here’s how it works:

For conventionally grown fruit, (grown with chemicals inputs), the PLU code on the sticker consists of four numbers.

Organically grown fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 9.

Genetically engineered (GM) fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 8.

For example:
A conventionally grown banana would be: 4011
An organic banana would be: 94011
A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011
These tips are specially important now that over 80% of all processed foods in the US are genetically modified. Many countries in the European Union have been banning GM products and produce (including Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg). We say “Eat healthy, buy or grow organic”.

This helps for fresh produce.

The best sites for getting updated info on GM foods are the following.

http://www.powerbase.info/index.php/GM_Watch:_Portal

http://truefoodnow.org/: This one also has an app to download so you can keep up with the latest info on your mobile phone
http://responsibletechnology.org/buy-non-gmo: Jeffrey Smith, who wrote ‘Seeds of Deception’ and ‘Genetic Roulette’, founded this organization. This site also has a wealth of information.

Attached is the non-GMO phamplet I downloaded on 7/15/11.
Also recommended are the 2 books above by Jeffrey Smith, which will help people better understand genetic engineering.

There are many other helpful sites but those may be the best place to start.

Btw, the USDA just approved GE Alfalfa. The issue especially with this is that compost sold as organic for our gardens will be impacted. This means the organic compost seller will need to certify his compost. So if he gets compost from horse barns and mixes it with other ingredients, how does he know the horses have all been fed non-GMO hay.

Also, free free to review or download the non GMO shopping guide (pdf) here;  Non GMO Shopping Guide

Thanks again to FederalJack.com

Best to keep an eye on it yourself, and articles like this help. It is a great concise list, here – thanks to Health.yahoo.net

And bottom line? Shop from the outer edges of your grocery store, where it is primarily fresh foods – eat as little as possible from the pre-packaged and pre-pared foods from the inner aisles, and frozen aisles.

Top Ten Scariest Food Additives: Health.yahoo.net (By David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding)

There was a time when “fruit flavored” and “cheese flavored” meant “made with real fruit” and “made with real cheese.” Today? It’s artificial everything. Most of the food at your local supermarket is no more authentic than Snooki’s tan. Our fruit comes packaged in Loops, our cheese delivered via Whiz. Sure, it’s edible, but there’s no way your great grandparents would recognize this junk as food.

The problem with additives runs deep. The FDA currently maintains a list of ingredients called Everything Added to Food in the United States (EAFUS), which features more than 3,000 items and counting. Thankfully, most EAFUS ingredients are benign, but a few of them do have potentially harmful effects. Why they’re legal is a mystery to us. Some of them might be backed by powerful lobby groups, while others probably survive simply because some guy at the FDA has too much paperwork on his desk and hasn’t made time to adequately review the data.

Below are 10 of the most dubious ingredients hiding in your food, compliments of Eat This, Not That! 2011. Even if you’re not convinced of their danger, you have to admit this: The more filler ingredients you cut from your diet, the more space you have for wholesome, nutritious foods.

DROP 15 POUNDS FOR SUMMER: You can lose a couple of inches fast–and without dieting. Follow me right here on Twitter for daily weight-loss secrets. (Sample: A daily glass of red wine can keep you from putting on fat, especially around your belly. Experts cite resveratrol. Cheers!)

Scary Ingredient #1: Olestra
A fat substitute synthesized by Procter & Gamble. Because human digestive enzymes can’t break down the big molecules, Olestra contributes 0 calories to your diet.

Why it’s scary: In the late ’90s, Frito-Lay released Olestra-enhanced WOW chips and Procter & Gamble introduced Fat Free Pringles. Both products were required to carry warning labels to notify customers about the risk of “loose stools.” Within 4 years, some 15,000 people had dialed in to a hotline set up specifically to handle adverse-reaction complaints. Apparently the complaints didn’t move the FDA, because in 2003, the administration revoked the warning-label mandate. If you want to take your chances with diarrhea, go ahead, but first consider this: Olestra also appears to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb some crucial nutrients like beta-carotene and lycopene. To counteract the effect, processers add some nutrients back, but it’s unlikely that all the blocked nutrients are adequetly replaced.

Furthermore, just last week I tweeted that an animal study at Purdue University found that fake fats like Olestra may cause more weight gain than real fat.

Where you’ll find it: Lay’s Light chips, Pringles Light chips

20 NEW TERRIBLE FOODS! Some restaurant foods have an entire day’s worth of calories and several days’ worth of fat and salt. Avoid these shocking diet disasters at all costs: The Worst Foods in America!

Scary Ingredient #2: Caramel Coloring
An artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.

Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it’s relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren’t required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you’d be wise to avoid it as much as you can.

Where you’ll find it: Colas and other soft drinks, La Choy soy sauce, Stove Top stuffing mix

Scary Ingredient #3: Saccharin
An artificial sweetener discovered by accident in the 1870s.

Why it’s scary: Studies have linked saccharin to bladder tumors in rats, and in 1977, the FDA required warning labels on all saccharin-containing foods. In 2000, the agency changed its stance and allowed saccharin to be sold without warning labels. But that doesn’t make it entirely safe. A 2008 Purdue study found that replacing sugar with saccharin in rats’ diets made them gain more weight, proving once again that you should be aware of these faux fat foes.

Where you’ll find it: Sweet ‘N Low, TaB cola

YOUR NEW SHOPPING LIST! There are more than 45,000 options in the average supermarket. Some will wreck your waistline; some will shrink it. The easiest way to choose: Go ahead and put anything from our list of the 125 Best Supermarket Foods in your shopping cart–and watch the pounds drop away!

Scary Ingredient #4: Potassium Bromate
A compound that conditions flour and helps bread puff up during baking.

Why it’s scary: Potassium bromate causes thyroid and kidney tumors in rats, and it’s banned from food use in many countries. In California, products containing potassium bromate are required to carry a cancer warning. Fortunately, negative publicity has made the additive relatively rare, but until the FDA banishes it, you should remain on the lookout.

Where you’ll find it: Johnny Rockets Hoagie Roll

TERRIBLE SALADS: Even foods that sound perfectly healthy can be secretly loaded with  dangerous amounts of fat and sodium. To prove it, we’ve collected this absolutely shocking list of 20 Salads Worse Than a Whopper. (Yes, in THESE cases it’s better for you to have the burger instead!)

Scary Ingredient #5: Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Petroleum-derived antioxidants and preservatives.

Why they’re scary: The Department of Health and Human Services says BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” yet the FDA allows it to be used anyway. BHT is considered less dangerous, but in animal research, it too has resulted in cancer. Oddly, the chemicals aren’t even always necessary; in most cases they can be replaced with vitamin E.

Where you’ll find it: Goya lard, Golden Grahams, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Orbit gum

Scary Ingredient #6: Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
A semi-solid fat created when food processors force hydrogen into unsaturated fatty acids.

Why it’s scary: Partially hydrogenated fats are the principle sources of trans fat in the American diet, and a Harvard study estimated that trans fat causes 70,000 heart attacks every year. The good news: Partially hydrogenated oils are beginning to slowly retreat from our food. Progressive jurisdictions like New York City are starting to restrict the allowable amounts in restaurants, and many chains are switching to healthier frying oil. Still, the battle isn’t over. At Long John Silver’s, for example, there are still 17 menu items with more than 2 grams of the stuff. According to the American Heart Association, that’s about the maximum you should consume in a single day.

Where you’ll find it: McDonald’s McChicken, Long John Silver’s Broccoli Cheese Soup

Scary Ingredient #7: Sulfites
Preservatives that maintain the color of food, and by releasing sulfur dioxide, prevent bacterial growth.

Why it’s scary: Humans have used sulfites to keep food fresh for thousands of years, but some people—especially asthma sufferers—experience breathing difficulties when exposed. In the 1980s, unregulated use resulted in at least a dozen deaths, prompting the FDA to slap warning labels on wine bottles and develop new guidelines for proper use. Now restaurants can no longer soak fresh ingredients in sulfites. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, there have been no known deaths since the new legislation took hold. The bottom line: If you’re among the majority of people not sensitive to sulfites, consumption won’t hurt you. If you’re not sure, ask your doctor for a test.

Where you’ll find it: Wine, Sun-Maid Mixed Fruit, Jolly Ranchers, Fig Newtons

SNACK YOURSELF THIN! It can be a challenge to find snacks low in sugar and high in protein and fiber. Our list of the 50 Best Snack Foods in America will help keep you lean and full all day long!

Scary Ingredient #8: Azodicarbonamide
A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner

Why it’s scary: This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it.

Where you’ll find it: Dunkin’ Donuts bagels, McDonald’s burger buns

Scary Ingredient #9: Carrageenan
A thickener and emulsifier extracted from seaweed.

Why it’s scary: Seaweed is actually good for you, but carrageenan is a mere seaweed byproduct. Through animal studies, it has been linked to cancer, colon trouble, and ulcers. It isn’t certain that carrageenan harms humans, but avoiding it is clearly the safer option. Most studies examined degraded forms of the additive, and research from the University of Iowa found that carrageenan could be degraded through the normal digestive process.

Where you’ll find it: Weight Watchers Giant Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, Creamsicles

Scary Ingredient #10: Ammonium Sulfate
An inorganic salt that occurs naturally near active volcanoes and is used commercially to nourish yeast and help bread rise.

Why it’s scary: This nitrogen-rich compound is most often used as fertilizer, and also appears commonly in flame retardants. Thankfully, the ingredient only sounds scary—a 2006 Japanese rat study found the additive to be non-carcinogenic. Both the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the FDA deem it safe.

Where you’ll find it: Nature’s Own bread, Subway rolls

Also here is a useful link to a list of food additives, where you can heck to see what something actually IS that you are thinking of putting in your body!

Food Additive List from Wiki

Sunscreen and Wrinkle Prevention

* Sunscreen in a pill?

* Prevention of wrinkles, dry skin, age spots and freckles?

* Reversing the visible signs of aging?

If you think checking “all of the above” seems too good to be true, you’re not alone.

But there just happens to be a natural compound that clinical studies are suggesting does ALL of the above—without a hefty price tag or side effects. This is a little miracle your plastic surgeon won’t want you to hear about.

It’s a relatively unknown carotenoid called astaxanthin, which is now believed to be the most potent antioxidant nature has to offer.

Scientists long ago discovered that a class of naturally occurring pigments called carotenoids held powerful antioxidant properties that are crucial for your health. Carotenoids are the compounds that give foods their vibrant colors—from green grasses to red beets, to the spectacular yellows and oranges of your bell peppers.

There are more than 700 naturally occurring carotenoids, but most people are familiar with only a few. Right now, you probably have about ten different carotenoids circulating through your bloodstream.

As a source of antioxidants and vitamin A, carotenoids are critical to the photosynthetic process and protect a plant or organism from damage by light and oxygen. By consuming plants or organisms that contain these pigments, you gain a similar protective benefit.

Astaxanthin has recently jumped to the front of the line in terms of its status as a “supernutrient,” becoming the focus of a large and growing number of peer-reviewed scientific studies.

One of the benefits of astaxanthin that has piqued the interest of researchers is its ability to help protect your skin from the sun, reducing the signs of aging.

However, ataxanthin’s benefits to your health are more than skin deep—in fact, so many benefits that I’ve had to write several articles just to cover the jaw-dropping activities of this amazing nutrient.

Astaxanthin is in a League of Its Own

Astaxanthin is produced only by the microalgae Haematoccous pluvialis when its water supply dries up, forcing it to protect itself from ultraviolet radiation. It’s the algae’s survival mechanism—astaxanthin serves as a “force field” to protect the algae from lack of nutrition and/or intense sunlight.

It is this “radiation shield” that underlies how astaxanthin can help protect you from similar radiation.

Many carotenoids are easily obtainable through a good diet rich in fresh organic produce. However, this powerful carotenoid is harder to come by. There are only two main sources of astaxanthin—the microalgae that produce it, and the sea creatures that consume the algae (such as salmon, shellfish, and krill).

Astaxanthin is the reason salmon have the strength and endurance to swim up rivers and waterfalls for days on end—their diets are high in this pigment, which concentrates in their muscles and makes them one of the “kings of endurance” of the animal kingdom.

This pigment is the most commonly occurring red carotenoid in marine and aquatic animals and is what gives salmon and pink flamingos their characteristic pink color. Most people don’t realize that baby flamingos are actually white and don’t turn pink until they receive astaxanthin, primarily from shrimp and algae.

Astaxanthin is leaps and bounds more powerful than beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, lycopene and lutein, other members of its chemical family. It exhibits VERY STRONG free radical scavenging activity and protects your cells, organs and body tissues from oxidative damage.

Astaxanthin’s unique “antioxidative artillery” provides for an impressive array of health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, stabilizing blood sugar, boosting your immune system, fighting cancer, reducing inflammation, improving eye health—and even improving your athletic abilities.

Read more

Dr Mercola has addressed this in detail – nice article: From Mercola.com

D-Mannose is not a drug. This nutritional supplement occurs naturally in cranberries, peaches, apples, other berries, and some plants.

At some time in their lives, one out of every five women will experience less-than-optimal urinary tract health. And, it’s not just women who are concerned with urinary tract health – men are, too.

It’s entirely possible that your urinary tract health could be less than optimal… and you don’t even know it. You’ve probably heard of a number of ways to promote optimal urinary tract health naturally. And I bet cranberry juice is one of the things you think can do it the best…

Cranberry juice has long been thought to help boost your urinary tract health. And, you’ll be happy to know that studies do indeed show that drinking cranberry juice can help support a healthy urinary tract.

But, this will come as a surprise to many, drinking blueberry, peach, or apple juice could theoretically have the same beneficial effects, too.

However, there’s a BIG problem with cranberry juice as well all of these other juices: SUGAR.

To be more specific, these juices, including cranberry juice, are loaded with fructose, a monosaccharide (simple sugar) that can potentially cause many health problems, including impacting the normal way your urinary tract functions.

You see, if you eat sugars and grains (which also rapidly break down to sugars), it becomes more difficult to maintain a healthy balance of flora. As a result, you’re much more likely to experience less-than-optimal urinary tract health.

So, although cranberry juice can assist your efforts, I would not advise using it in its juice form. It simply has far too much sugar in it.

Thanks to Dr. Mercola for a very good list of the “why” we should go organic.

From Mercola.com

Organic food is increasing in popularity as people pay more attention to food safety and quality.

But what does organic really mean?

Organic refers to how foods are grown and processed, natural health expert Joseph Mercola explains. Organic foods must be produced without antibiotics, artificial ingredients, chemical preservatives and toxins, genetic engineering, irradiation, synthetic fertilizers, synthetic hormones or pesticides.

The U.S Department of Agriculture established the guidelines for organic foods in 2002. The USDA classifies foods as: 100 Percent Organic – all ingredients are organic; Organic – 95 percent or more of the total ingredients are organic; and Made with Organic Ingredients – at least 70 percent of the ingredients are organic.

Dr. Mercola gives you the top 5 reasons:

1. Organic food is safer than conventionally grown food. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 30 percent of fungicides, 60 percent of herbicides and 30 percent of insecticides can be carcinogenic. Pesticides may also be neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors and immune system suppressors. Additionally, they can harm the male reproductive system and cause miscarriages in women. Going organic reduces the risk of food allergies that many people experience when eating genetically modified food.

2. Organic produce tastes better and is nutritionally superior to conventional produce. A four-year, $25-million European Union study suggests that organic milk, vegetables and fruits contain up to 60 percent more antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids, Dr. Mercola points out. Organic food was also found to have higher levels of vital minerals like iron and zinc.

3. Organic food appears to promote weight loss. Going organic reduces your exposure to chemical residues which bind to fat that may stay in your body for a lifetime. Some 350 chemicals are known to accumulate in body fat.

4. Organic food is earth friendly. Celebrate Earth Day 2010 by going organic. Organic farming uses less energy, conserves more water, causes less soil erosion, maintains soil quality, conserves more biological resources, and helps prevent harmful chemicals from getting into the air, ground, and water than conventional farming.

5. Organic farming is efficient. Contrary to arguments that only conventional farming practices can secure the world’s food supply, studies show that organic agriculture is just as productive. It also encourages innovative research.

Organic Consumers Association

Get educated, get involved, go organic: Organic.org

Organic food: Wiki