Current Health News and Studies Concerning Nutrition & Exercise

Your body can make primary antioxidants; but secondary antioxidants come from your diet.

November 12, 2010: The rise in new diabetes cases is staggering. Currently 24 million Americans (1 in 10) have the disease which is costing them $174 billion a year for treatment.

Sadly, traditional medicine's advice and treatment of diabetes is contributing heavily to the problem. Conventional recommendations for diabetes's medication and nutrition is completely wrong -- so says Dr. Joseph Mercola of mercola.com.

Long adhered to advice concerning diabetes is that eating starchy carbohydrates and added sugar 'in moderation' is fine for people with the disease as long as they use blood glucose lowering tools to balance its effects.

Dr. Mercola recommends that all diabetics ignore advice from these three agencies: (1) American Dietetic Association (ADA) (2) American Heart Association (AHA) (3) American Diabetes Association (ADA.)

November 15, 2010: Your body is composed of two types of muscle: red and white. Red muscle is where slow twitch muscle fiber is located. White muscle comprises fast twitch (2A) and super-fast twitch (2B) muscle fibers.

Fast twitch muscle fibers move 5 times faster than slow twitch muscle fibers while super-fast twitch fibers move 10 times as fast.

Phil Campbell who is associate director of Bethel University, and has 35 years of training professional athletes under his belt says the following concerning a new study:

"...when you work the fast twitch fiber and work your heart muscle anaerobically (without oxygen), your body releases exercise-induced growth hormones (HGH) that actually mimic taking injections of growth hormones.

...[Y]ou get as much as a 530 percent increase in growth hormone!

...It stays your body for two hours, going after body fat like a heat seeking missile. It's so powerful that if you were to do the program today and monitor your blood, it will look like you injected growth hormone illegally. That's why there is no HGH test for Olympic athletes today."

Almost every bodybuilder who has been training for a year or more knows how important it is to feed the body after a workout. There is what is known as a window of opportunity in which the body is primed to receive nutrients in order to replenish depleted reserves.

These nutrients should be comprised of protein and carbohydrates. In this instance, fast acting or high glycemic carbohydrates are called for.

This strategy should be tweaked if you are middle-aged and more concerned with maintaining HGH (human growth hormones) levels. Your protein intake should be 20 to 25 grams as it should be for the young athlete who needs a speedy recovery, but the glycemic impact of carbohydrates should be monitored.

An insulin spike has to be avoided. It increases the release of somatostatin, the hormone that shuts down HGH.

The 'window of opportunity' is based primarily on the research of Dr. John Ivey. His research utilized young cyclists who had to perform several days consecutively, and therefore a quick recovery was mandatory.

But determining a cut and dry system for glycemic impact on older adults is virtually impossible. Everyone is different. The insulin producing mechanism changes from person to person, and varying muscle to body fat ratios influences the glycemic response.

According to published research, the insulin response of an individual is reduced in youth or with a high muscle to body fat ratio. Keep in mind that insulin spikes shuts down the fat burning process and helps in fat storage. This underscores the importance of maintaining lean body mass (muscle,) especially as one gets older.

Peak, high intensity or interval training -- different names, same concept -- is the only way to maximize HGH (also known as the fitness hormone) output without taking illegal drugs. HGH drops dramatically as one gets older -- typically your 30s.

Reduced levels of HGH is what drives what is known as somatopause. Part of this is responsible for the aging process. Your muscle atrophies, body fat increases, and you get what is known as the 'middle-age' spread.

High HGH levels are partly responsible for the fountain of youth. You will experience good health and the strength of your youth with it.

Here is Phil Campbell's program for proper interval training. The exercise can be almost anything -- from a treadmill to weight training:

• Warm up for 3 minutes
• exercise as hard and as fast as you possibly can for 30 seconds. (You should feel as though you couldn't possibly go on for another second)
• recover (rest) for 90 seconds
• repeat the exercise and recovery phase 7 more times

Of course if you are just beginning an exercise program, you want to go slow. Begin with 2 or 3 repetitions, and slowly work your way up to eight. The objective is push your body into the anaerobic threshold where HGH is released.

Here are the physical markers of that threshold:

• It will be relatively hard to breathe and talk because you are in oxygen debt
• You will start to sweat profusely. Typically this occurs in the second or third repetition unless you have a thyroid issue and don't sweat much normally
• Your body temperature will rise
• Lactic acid increases and you will feel a muscle "burn"

Don't interval train more than 2 to 3 times a week. Anything more than this is counterproductive and will lead to burn-out (if you are pushing yourself to the limit that is.)

In summing up, Phil Campbell says, "Really, if you think about it, when you're looking at exercise-induced growth hormone it's like you're listening to your body tell you how, as a human being, you should exercise. Because when you do it this way, your body releases this huge amount of growth hormone that does so many things synergistically for you for two hours after you work out."
Source: mercola.com November 14, 2010.

November 16, 2010: The October 13, 2010 edition of the Chicago Tribune reported on a government report which says that Hispanics live more than two years longer than whites and almost eight years longer than blacks. Some are calling this the Hispanic paradox.

The Tribune states, "A Hispanic born in 2006 could expect to live about 80 years and seven months, the government estimates. Life expectancy for a white is about 78, and for a black, just shy of 73 years."

This finding is remarkable in that the Hispanic population contains its share of undereducated and poor members. Generally speaking, the well educated and wealthy tend to outlive everyone else.

One theory that attempts to explain this so-called paradox is that the Hispanics who immigrate to the United States tend to originate from the healthiest members of their country.

There is however another belief. It holds that first generation Hispanics cling to the healthy eating habits and diet of their native country. But second generation Hispanics start to assimilate the lifestyle of the United States. They begin to smoke and eat fast and denatured processed foods. The result of this unhealthy lifestyle is a reduced lifespan and the development of chronic disease.

This is the more likely scenario.

Weston A. Price, D.D.S, has documented just such results of contamination with Western culture. It is all documented in an exhaustive book entitled Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.

Commenting on Dr. Price's book, Dr. Robert Cathcart says in part:

"Circling the world in the 1920s and '30s, Dr. Price and his wife found the same sinister pattern among "primitive" populations, whether isolated Irish fisherman, tribal Africans, Pacific Islanders, Eskimos, North and South American Indians or Australian Aborigines. Those groups that followed their traditional nature-based diets enjoyed good health and vigor, and those that turned to the "civilized" diet of processed, sugar-laden foods soon developed a variety of ills, including misshapen bones and teeth -- and the situation worsened with each generation..." (Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.)

The descent of Western food actually began in the early part of 1800 with the invention of vacuum bottling. This was followed by tinning and canning technology in 1810. Louis Pasteur discovered the process which bears his name -- pasteurization-- in 1862. Along with that process came the demise of a healthy food group -- raw dairy. America's shift to more processed food occurred in the 1920s.

Dr. Price was able to see the effects modern Western civilization had on indigenous peoples globally. He looked at the physical characteristics and general health of people who maintained their dietary habits and compared them to people of the same race who have been impacted by Western civilization's processed foods. And no matter what the culture and native diet was, the results were the same. The people experienced healthy teeth and bone structure and the absence of chronic disease.

And those people, regardless of race or culture, who have been influenced by the sugar and processed diet of modern civilization inevitably developed dental cavities and disease. Sometimes Dr. Price was able to document the result of a native diet and Western diet on members of the same family.

An example of two family members who ate opposing diets occurred in the Isle of Harris which lies off the northwest coast of Scotland. This is just one of many such patterns noted by Dr. Price in his travels.

The predominant food of this island was oatmeal porridge, oatcake, and sea foods. Dr. Price noted two brothers of the Isle of Harris who ate completely different foods. One brother ate his native food while the other ate modern food. The brother who ate his traditional food had excellent teeth; the one who ate a Western diet had runaway tooth decay.

"...I have presented descriptions of certain peoples and their environments in primitive state, and, for comparative study, descriptions of members of the primitive tribes who have been in contact with modernized white races. I have recorded the effects of that contact as expressed in physical and character changes, and have given a survey of the factors in the environment which have changed..." ( Nutrition and Physical Degeneration; pg. 5.)

The populations examined by Dr. Price who lived on native diets ate locally-grown and seasonal food. In addition, the traditional food among the various people groups shared the following:

• The foods were natural, unprocessed, and organic (and contained no sugar except for the occasional bit of honey or maple syrup)
• Many of the cultures ate unpasteurized dairy products, and all of them ate fermented foods
• The people ate a significant portion of their food raw
• All of the cultures ate animal products, including animal fat and, often, full-fat butter and organ meats

These native diets were also enzyme-rich because of the fermented and raw foods eaten. Enzymes are necessary for the digestion of cooked food. Their consumption of omega-3s were at least ten times higher than what we eat today.

Dr. Price's analysis of his findings shows that the traditional, native diets had ten-times the amount of fat-soluble vitamins, at least four times the amount of calcium, other minerals, and water-soluble vitamins as that of Western diets during the same time period (1920s and 1930s.)

November 23, 2010: Vitamin C is a well-known nutrient that most people link to colds and other infectious diseases. However this vitamin is also very effective against one of the most dreaded of all chronic diseases -- cancer.

The internationally recognized expert on vitamin C is Dr. Ronald Hunninghake. Twenty-two years ago Dr. Hunninghake joined Dr. Hugh Riordan who conducted research on the use of intravenous (IV) vitamin C for cancer patients.

Dr. Riordan invested fifteen years in a cancer research program using vitamin C intravenously. He called his program RECNAC which is 'cancer' spelled in reverse. Dr. Riordan's research into cell cultures showed that vitamin C was selectively cytotoxic against cancer cells.

Working as a team, Drs. Riordan and Hunninghake performed studies of intravenous vitamin C on stage 3 and stage 4 cancer patients.

Dr. Hunninghake commented, "I.V. vitamin C was found to be very beneficial. It's not considered a stand-alone therapy for cancer, but it's a perfect adjunct to any kind of therapy that the cancer patient is receiving at this time. It will reduce side effects and improve quality of life. There have actually been two major studies now showing how it improves quality of life."

Most cancer patients experience depression, pain, and tremendous fatigue. These are symptoms of scurvy too which is caused by a vitamin C deficiency. And according to Dr. Hunninghake, vitamin C levels in cancer patients -- especially those in advanced stages -- are low.

"One of the things that I.V. vitamin C does is it immediately relieves their scurvy symptoms. So they start having a greater sense of well being. They don't need as much pain medicine. Their appetite improves. Their mood improves. They have a better quality of life...Certainly, anyone that's got a cold or a flu, or chronic fatigue, or any chronic viral infection, we do use [vitamin C]...Dr. Levy wrote Curing the Incurable, which is a fantastic book about vitamin C for infectious disease and toxin control. So certainly, I.V. vitamin C works very well for infectious diseases, as well as cancer" (Dr. Hunninghake.)

Human beings as well as primates and guinea pigs once had the ability to produce vitamin C. All other creatures increase their liver's production of vitamin C. The gene that manufactures the L-gulonolactone oxidase enzyme which converts glucose to vitamin C is present but non-functioning. When vitamin C is given intravenously, it recreates your liver's ability to synthesize huge quantities vitamin C.

Orally, Dr. Hunninghake advises his patients to take 1 gram of vitamin C twice a day. If suffering from chronic fatigue or infections, he advises dosages up to the bowel tolerance dose.

Vitamin C is very safe to take. That vitamin C causes kidney stones has been disproved totally. They have been proven by many studies by urologists to be a non-issue.

Dr. Hunninghake says that if a patient has a serious illness, such as cancer, intravenous vitamin C is advisable. That will amplify and and change the benefits of I.V. vitamin C.

The Riordan IVC protocol calls for a dosage of 15 grams for the typical patient. However, it is important to get your G6PD (Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) level checked first. G6PD is an enzyme that your red blood cells need to maintain membrane integrity.

High dosages of intravenous vitamin C is a pro-oxidant. Giving a pro-oxidant to a G6PD-deficient person can cause hemolysis of their red blood cells.

G6PC deficiency is relatively uncommon though. People of Mediterranean- and African decent are at greater risk, but it's rare even in those groups. In one series of over 800 G6PD tests, Hunninghake only found four people with a deficiency.

Dr. Riordan's original research suggested that you need to achieve a vitamin C blood level of around 300-350 mg/dl in order to achieve selective cytotoxicity. However, Hunninghake claims blood levels around 250 mg/dl may be sufficient to have an anti-cancer effect.

For further information on the applications of intravenous vitamin C, please go to Riordan Clinic and Health Hunter Online.
Source: Mercola.com.
Studies about the effectiveness of vitamin C the established medical community doesn't want you to know about.

November 23, 2010: There exists a carotenoid which is more powerful than beta carotene, alpha tocopherol, and lutein. It is 65 times more powerful than vitamin C, 54 times as strong as beta carotene, and 14 times as strong as vitamin E. This nutrient is called astaxanthin.

Results of studies that have been written in peer-reviewed scientific publications have catapulted astaxanthin to the status of a super- nutrient.

Here are a few of astaxanthin's many properties:

• it is more powerful than any other carotenoid at "singlet oxygen quenching;" (this is a specific type of oxidation; it is a less than stable form of oxygen)
• it the crosses the blood-brain barrier and the blood-retinal barrier (this means a lot for eye health)
• it is soluble in lipids (fats)
• it is a potent UVB absorber
it reduces DNA damage
• very powerful anti-inflammatory

The two major sources of astaxanthin are microalgae and sea creatures that eat algae such as salmon, krill, and shellfish. As such, astaxanthin is virtually impossible to get from dietary sources alone.

Wild salmon is 400 percent higher in astaxanthin than farmed salmon -- and it is 100 percent natural.

In contrast to some other carotenoids, astaxanthin is not a pro-oxidant (which is a positive.) It has the unique ability to cross the blood-brain barrier which no other carotenoid that has been tested can.

The latest research shows that astaxanthin can boost your health in the following ways:

• Boosting immune function
• Improving cardiovascular health by reducing C-Reactive Proteins (CRP), reducing triglycerides, and increasing beneficial HDL
• GREATLY protecting your eyes from cataracts, macular degeneration, and blindness
• Protecting your brain from dementia and Alzheimer's
• Reducing your risk for many types of cancer (including cancers of the breast, colon, bladder and mouth) by stimulating apoptosis (cancer cell death) and inhibiting lipid peroxidation
• Improving recovery from spinal cord and other central nervous system injuries
• Reducing inflammation from all causes, including arthritis and asthma
• Improving endurance, workout performance and recovery
• Helping to stabilize blood sugar, thereby protecting your kidneys
• Relieving indigestion and reflux
• Improving fertility by increasing sperm strength and sperm count
• Actually helping to prevent sunburn, and protecting you from the damaging effects of radiation (i.e., flying in airplanes, x-rays, CT scans, etc.)
• Reducing oxidative damage to your DNA
• Reducing symptoms from pancreatitis, multiple sclerosis, carpal tunnel syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Lou Gehrig's disease, and neurodegenerative diseases

Dr. Mercola recommends taking 2 milligrams of astaxanthin a day if you decide to supplement with it. If you are taking a krill supplement, factor that into it as krill contains astaxanthin.
Source: Mercola.com.

November 26, 2010: This ad was released by the Soda Pop Board of America in the 1950s. As unbelievable as it may seem, this board actually endorses carbonated beverages for toddlers. Here is what is the text underneath the question "How soon is too soon? says:

"Not soon enough. Laboratory tests over the last few years have proven that babies who start drinking soda during that early formulative period have a much higher chance of gaining acceptance and "fitting in" during those awkward pre-teen and teen years. So do yourself a favor. Do your child a favor. Start them on a strict regimen of sodas and other sugary carbonated beverages right now."

It is obvious that this and subsequent campaigns were highly successful seeing that the single highest source of calories in the United are those gained by drinking soda. And contrary to what many people believe, diet soda is no better for your waistline than regular soda. As a matter of fact, it is worse.

If sodas and other sugary beverages contained just ordinary table sugar, they wouldn't be as bad. But they contain artificial sweeteners which are many times worse than table sugar. To of these sweeteners are aspartame and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS.)
Source: NaturalNews.com.

November 26, 2010: Calisthenics is the use of resistance utilizing your own body weight. This can be done anywhere and anytime because you don't need weights or any special equipment.

Resistance training, using calisthenics or weights, is very important as you approach your 40s and older. As you progress in age, your body naturally begins to lose muscle. As muscle is lost, fat accumulates.

The loss of lean body mass or muscle has far-reaching effects. You are not able to lift objects that formerly were no problem for you. Your bones become less dense, more brittle and easily broken. You also begin to lose balance more easily.

The process of muscle wasting is known as sarcopenia. Calisthenics is a sure way to stop it in its tracks.

An astounding study was undertaken in which researchers took muscle samples from young adults and older adults. The older adults were placed on a resistance training exercise program. They worked out three times a week.

Prior to the start of the exercise sessions, the older adults were found to be 59 percent weaker than their younger counterparts. However, after just six months of resistance training, their strength improved by 50 percent.

Not only did the seniors' strength improve remarkably, but their muscle tissue was re-energized on a cellular level. The majority of their genes that express aging reverted back you younger levels.

Calisthenics can be performed to affect your entire body. Try the following:

Squats (for upper legs & buttocks)- stand with legs about shoulder with apart; squat down until your upper legs are at least parallel to the floor. As you squat, bring both arms up until they too are parallel to the floor. Repeat for 10 to 15 repetitions.

Push-ups (fo chest and triceps)- get on floor with your hands palms down and under your shoulders; your toes should be in contact with the floor. Make certain their is a straight line from your head to your feet. Go down until your face is a couple of inches from the floor. Push yourself up until your elbows are locked.

Leg levels (for back and abdominals)- Lie on your back, legs six inches off the ground. Lift legs another foot higher, return to starting position.

Calisthenics offer these benefits:

• Build core muscle groups which are essential for good balance, coordination and functional strength.
• Increase your cardiovascular fitness and heart health.
• Fuel your metabolism, add lean muscle and help you melt fat more efficiently.
• Boost your endurance and stamina to prepare you for more challenging exercises.
• Shore up bone density for protection against breaks and fractures.
• Improve posture and back health by powering up muscles in your upper and lower torso

November 28, 2010: Dynamic tension is the name given to an exercise method which uses self-resistance -- pitting muscle against muscle. It calls for tensing the muscles of a specific body part, and then moving that body part against the resistance or tension as though a weight was being lifted.

Dynamic tension goes beyond isometrics; it incorporates movement which isometrics does not. Charles Atlas publicized this system in the 1920s.

This radical departure of developing a strong physique by lifting weights was invented and popularized by Charles Atlas. According to Atlas, he got the idea from watching lions and tigers stretching themselves at Prospect Park zoo in Brooklyn, NY. The story he always told is that he thought to himself that he never saw Mr. Lion or Mr. Tiger lift a barbell to build muscle and strength.

Charles Atlas reasoned that lions and tigers got strong by pitting muscle against muscle.

Atlas' "Dynamic Tension" program consists of twelve lessons and one final perpetual lesson. Each lesson is supplemented with photos of Atlas demonstrating the exercises. His lesson booklets added commentary that referred to the readers as his friends and gave them an open invitation to write him letters to update him on their progress and stories. His products and lessons have sold millions, and Atlas became the face of fitness.

I can honestly thank Charles Atlas for starting me on the road to building my physique and getting strong. As a comic book fanatic in my youth, I discovered the Charles Atlas ads in them.

The comic strip ad you see at left is like the ones I saw in my favorite comic books in the early to mid '60s. This strip is entitled, "The Insult That Made a Man Out of Mac."

These comic book ads appeared in the 1940s. They were so popular that many comic book collectors and readers were influenced by them. I was always small, and at times picked on. I readily identified with Mac who was bullied at the beach.

The ad so inspired me, and I was so desperate to put on weight, that I remember purchasing the course. This was years before I knew anything about weight lifting.

In reality, Charles Atlas was born Angelo Siciliano in Acri, Calabria, Italy, in 1892. Angelino moved to Brooklyn, New York in 1905.

After a friend told Angelino that he resembled a statue of Atlas on the top of a Coney Island hotel, he changed his name. He legalized the name change in 1922.

Charles relates how he was always bullied by boys larger than himself. He even had sand kicked in his face at the beach. At the time, Charles said that he weighed in at 97 pounds.

Atlas joined the local YMCA and began exercising. He became obsessed with getting stronger. At the beginning, Atlas performed traditional weight lifting exercises using barbells. That changed soon after witnessing lions and tigers at the zoo.

To be completely honest, I never developed a muscular physique from the principles of 'dynamic tension.' Whether that was because I didn't faithfully apply the lessons, or I didn't do it long enough remains to be seen. I only developed my physique after several years of consistent bodybuilding (using dumbbells and barbells of course.)

Some famous personalities who subscribed to Atlas' program were the heavyweight boxer Joe Louis and professional baseball player Joe DiMaggio.
Source: Wikipedia.com.

November 29, 2010: Fresh, organic vegetables contain the highest amounts of biophotons. Biophotons are small, physical units of light stored in and used by all biological organisms -- including your body. They are light units which have wavelengths between 200 and 800 nanometers. They is otherwise known as low-level luminescence.

Dr. Fritz-Albert Popp has suggested that biophotons originate -- a least in part -- from the food we eat. It is thought that plant foods contain these light units which are assimilated into the cells of the body when consumed.

Biophotons are transmitters of important nutritional bio-information that are used in many complex bodily processes. Current thinking is that the higher the level of light energy a cell emits, the greater the vitality and potential for the transfer of light energy to your body.

The greater the capacity of food to store light, the greater the nutritional value it has.

Research undertaken by Dr. Popp shows that the light emissions from healthy people follow a set pattern of biological rhythms according to day, night, week, and month. His findings from cancer patients shows that these ordered patterns are scrambled.

Research has also shown that cancer-causing chemicals alter your body's biophoton emissions, interrupting proper cellular communication, while certain natural substances can help to restore proper cellular communication. For instance, Dr. Popp found that mistletoe appeared to restore biophoton emissions of tumor cells to a normal level.
Source: Mercola.com.

December 1, 2010: Dr. Jonathan Wright of Nutrition & Healing says this of mainstream medicine when it comes to Alzheimer's disease:

"Mainstream medicine is stumped when it comes to Alzheimer's. They don't understand why it strikes, how it erodes your mind, or how to get rid of it once it does.

The only thing they DO [emphasis Dr. Wright] understand is how to overcharge you for useless pills ... and how to recommend a good nursing home..."

That about sums it up concerning conventional medicine, and I couldn't agree more.

Did you know that there exists a natural mineral that can actually "regrow" and regenerate your brain before Alzheimer's attacks, and can do so at any age. Although once thought impossible, scientists have clinically verified this.

This is not the lithium that is used to treat bipolar disorder. That is lithium carbonate -- given in high dosages. The lithium that I am referring to is found in nature, and belongs to the same family as sodium and potassium.

The brain-healing lithium which you can purchase at many health food stores for as low as 26 cents a dose is lithium aspartate or lithium orotate.

Unlike high cost prescription drugs like Namenda, lithium aspartate and lithium orotate are completely safe. As a matter of fact, one person has used this mineral for 31 years without reporting one single significant side effect.

FDA- (Food and Drug Agency) approved Namenda costs almost $4.84 a day, and one common side effect is confusion. Imagine a treatment that causes the same symptom as the disease it supposedly "treats!"

Namenda blocks only one major Alzheimer's pathway; in comparison, lithium blocks 6 major pathways! And remember, there are no significant side effects with lithium aspartate and lithium orotate.

December 3, 2010: If Alexander Graham Bell could see what has evolved from his early telephone he would be stunned out of his wits. We now have tiny cell phones which can fit in our ears and worn all day.

The first computer was a room-sized monstrosity with huge heat-generating vacuum tubes. My laptop is many times more powerful and functional than all of those early models combined. We have indeed come a long way.

By and large, technology has made our lives easier by improving electronic and mechanic devices. It has come to our rescue with everything with the exception of food.

It was thought by food engineers that foods manufactured in a laboratory could correct perceived health issues with natural food. Case in point is margarine. Due to the flawed work of Ansel Keys in 1953, researchers thought that the saturated fat in red meat, eggs, and butter was damaging to heart health.

As a result, health officials within the government mounted a highly successful campaign to get the public to eliminate, or at least reduce, the amount of red meat in their diets; they also recommended that Americans reduce their consumption of eggs. Margarine was invented through a process known as hydrogenation to totally replace butter.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that saturated fat does not lead to heart disease. As a matter of fact, saturated fat from healthy, grass-fed cows is very good for you. A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine (Nutrition Week; 03/22/91.)

Studies have now shown that the real food that our great-grandparents and grandparents ate was much better and healthier than that which modern food technologists have manufactured. As a matter of fact, meat raised through factory farms and margarine are harmful to your health. Beef, pork, and chicken raised in factory farms are sick animals pumped up with growth hormones and antibiotics. The process of hydrogenation leads to products which can in turn lead to cancer and heart disease.

It turns out that butter is a nutritional powerhouse. It is a source of easily absorbed vitamin A. Among other things, vitamin A is necessary for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland.

Butter is a source of important trace minerals such as manganese, chromium, zinc, copper and selenium too.

Did you know that butter has more selenium per gram than wheat germ or herring? And selenium has been shown to be a cancer fighter.

Butter is also an excellent source of iodine. The form of iodine from butter is greatly absorbed by your body.

The Wulzen or "anti-stiffness" factor in raw butter and also Vitamin K2 in grass-fed butter, protect against calcification of the joints as well as hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland. Calves fed pasteurized milk or skim milk develop joint stiffness and do not thrive.

Glycospingolipids in butterfat protect against gastrointestinal infection, especially in the very young and the elderly.

Butter that comes from grass-fed cows contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA.) CLA can reduce body fat while at the same time enhance muscle. It is also rich in short- and medium-chain fatty acids. These fats or triglycerides help control body fat.

Like the majority of other processed and packaged foods, margarine is a chemical engineer's dream. The ingredients which make up the product, and that are used in processing, are mind-boggling. Many of these chemicals are not required to be listed on the label.

Margarine contains synthetic vitamins, man-made trans fats, emulsifiers and preservatives, artificial colors, hexane and other chemicals used in the extraction process, mono- and di-glycerides, bleach, soy protein isolate, and sterols (estrogen compounds.)

It's no wonder cancer, heart disease, autism, Alzheimer's disease is increasing. The body is inundated with this chemical soup from the hundreds of food products sold in fast food restaurants and supermarkets.

The best butter is raw butter from grass-fed cows, preferably organic. Next is pasteurized butter from grass-fed cows, followed by regular pasteurized butter from supermarkets. Even the latter two are still a much healthier choice than margarine or spreads.

The website realmilk.com can be used to locate sources of raw butter. If you want to make your own, go to positron.org.
Source: Weston A. Price Foundation.

December 4, 2010: Parents have been feeding their children who are beginning to eat solid food the same kind of meal since the 1950s. Baby food companies have advocated that children be given rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. Alan Greene, a pediatrician at Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children Hospital, says children have launched their eating careers this way for 60 years.

But according to David Ludwig of the Optimal Weight for Life program at Children's Hospital Boston says "... there's no scientific basis for this recommendation. That's a myth."

Due to escalating childhood obesity and growing rates of diabetes, some pediatricians want to reform that pattern. They want to get the "white" out of babies' foods.

The concern of Greene and other pediatricians is that children are becoming addicted to the taste of highly processed flour which will prime their taste buds for fat-producing sweets later in life.

Ludwig says that white rice and flour are "nutritional disasters." "[It's] as processed as anything in the food supply," and "the nutritional equivalent of table sugar," he continues.

December 7, 2010: Professor Cynthia Kenyon has discovered that by "tweaking" the genes of earthworms, they have lived up to six times longer than normal. This was done by controlling the amount of carbohydrates they were fed. So momentous was her discovery that many experts in the field say that Professor Kenyon deserves the Nobel prize.

The genes of the earthworms that were manipulated directly control youthfulness and longevity. These same genes also control aging in rats, mice, and more than likely, monkeys. And, best news of all, there are indications that these genes are active in human beings too.

The Daily Mail reports regarding Professor Kenyon's amazing discovery:

"Discovering the ... [first] gene has prompted the professor to dramatically alter her own diet, cutting right back on carbohydrates. That's because carbs make your body produce more insulin (to mop up the extra blood sugar carbs produce) ... so the vital second gene, the 'elixir' one, won't get turned on" (October 26, 2010.)

By altering her carbohydrate intake, Professor Kenyon is going contrary to conventional wisdom. Medical science has been admonishing people to cut back on their fat intake and increase consumption of complex carbohydrates. This has been the message for the past 30 years.

Complex carbohydrates are metabolized by your body into simple sugars which generates insulin like white flour or sugar. It is this insulin response which is driving epidemic proportions of diabetes, cancer, and obesity.

Professor Kenyon has found out that carbohydrate intake affects two key genes that control youthfulness and longevity.

Comments Jeff Holly, professor of clinical sciences at Bristol University, "This work has revolutionized our understanding of ageing ... Ten years ago we thought ageing was probably the result of a slow decay, a sort of rusting, but Professor Kenyon has shown that it's not about wear and tear, but instead it is controlled by genes."

Sadly, true to her traditional medical mindset, Professor Kenyon is looking upon her discovery as an opportunity for synthetic drugs to be produced to turn genes on and off.

But she has implemented a drug less procedure into her own life -- reduce carbohydrate intake! Dr. Mercola comments: "The real answer is staring you right in the face! Limit your intake of carbohydrates, primarily in the form of fructose and grains, and you'll achieve these results without any negative drug-induced side effects!"

Here is Dr. Mercola's recommendations regarding how much fructose to consume:

"As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. However, most people would be wise to limit their fructose to 15 grams or less, particularly if you have elevated uric acid levels, which can be used as a predictor for fructose toxicity.

This includes keeping track of your fructose intake from whole fruits. For a helpful chart showing the fructose content of many common fruits, please see this link. I recommend this lower level simply because if you consume processed foods or sweet beverages at all, you're virtually guaranteed to consume "hidden" sources of fructose.""

Previous research has shown that you can extend your lifespan by cutting calories. But these calorie must come from a specific source -- carbohydrates. When this is done, it turns down the gene that controls insulin which in turn switched on another gene which is being called the "elixir of life."

"We jokingly called the first gene the Grim Reaper because when it's switched on, the lifespan is fairly short. The second 'elixir' gene seems to bring all the anti-ageing benefits -- its proper name is DAF 16, but it was quickly nicknamed 'Sweet Sixteen' because it turned the worms into teenagers. It sends out instructions to a whole range of repair and renovation genes," says Professor Kenyon.

The so-called "sweet sixteen" boosts compounds that make certain skin and muscle producing genes are working properly; they make your immune system even more effective in fighting infections and turn off genes that promote cancer.

Alternative medicine advocates such as Dr. Joseph Mercola have long stated that elevated insulin levels are primarily responsible for premature aging and death. Excessive consumption of sugar, grains, and processed foods, combined with limited to no exercise, are known to cause problems with insulin and leptin levels.

Exercise is an easy, no drug way to reduce insulin levels. Your exercise program should be consistent and moderate-to-vigorous in intensity. Science has also proved that exercise such as weight training will reduce your risk of cancer and help prevent or delay your onset of hypertension, obesity and heart disease, just to name a few of the diseases that significantly contribute to premature death.

In order to implement the strategy of Professor Kenyon, you will need to severely curtail your intake of carbohydrates. The primary source of calories in the United States, and maybe the entire world, is soda -- including diet.

Sweetened beverages usually contain artificial sweeteners of which the worse is high fructose corn syrup. Unfortunately, high fructose corn syrup is not confined to soda. You will find it in low-fat products such as mayonnaise. It can also be found in cereals and baked goods. High fructose corn syrup is ubiquitous.

As a matter of fact, most packaged, processed foods should be on your "no-no" list. And depending on your metabolic type, you may need to increase your consumption of organic, grass-fed protein or free-range (beef, chicken, etc.) and wild fish such as salmon. If you are a carb-type, increase your vegetable intake.
Source: Mercola.com.

December 8, 2010: Did you know that oral health (your teeth and gums) can influence your risk of developing heart disease?

KSBW noted some indications of poor oral health:

• Flat, worn teeth and headache -- Sign of: Stress
  Many people are surprised to find out they're tooth-grinders. You might be doing it in your sleep.
• Cracking, crumbling teeth -- Sign of: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  Tooth erosion isn't a consequence of aging. Disintegrating teeth are usually caused by acid that's coming up from the stomach and dissolving them
• Sores that won't go away -- Sign of: Oral cancer
  When an open sore in the mouth doesn't go away within a week or two, it always warrants showing to a dentist or doctor.
• Gums growing over teeth -- Sign of: Medication problems
  This can be caused by medication for heart disease or seizures, or drugs that suppress your immune system.
• Dry mouth -- Sign of: Sjogren's Syndrome and/or Diabetes
  Many things can cause dry mouth, but a lack of sufficient saliva can also be an early warning sign of two autoimmune diseases -- Sjogren's syndrome and diabetes.
• White webbing inside cheeks -- Sign of: Lichen planus
  This mild skin disorder tends to strike both men and women between the ages 30 and 70.
• Crusting dentures -- Sign of: Potential aspiration pneumonia
  Aspiration pneumonia, often caused by inhaling debris around the teeth and dentures, is a leading cause of death in older people.

Gum disease and heart disease have one thing in common -- both can be caused by inflammation. Inflammation can precipitate a buildup of plaque in your arteries which in turn can lead to a heart attack.

A new study has also determined that the number of times a day you brush your teeth can have an impact on the development of heart disease. People who brushed their teeth twice a day had a 70 percent reduced risk of heart disease as compared with those who brushed less often, and had relatively poor oral hygiene. Regular brushing is necessary in order to prevent periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is caused by the interaction of the bone and the tissue that comes in contact with the bone. This contact can lead to bacteria and toxic, inflammatory compounds to enter into your blood stream.

Once in your blood stream, these compounds are able to injure the lining of your blood vessels. Injured blood vessels can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

Root canals compromise your health

In his landmark publication Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, Dr. Weston Price wrote about the association between root canals and chronic, degenerative diseases such as heart and circulatory disease, cancer, arthritis and rheumatism, and diseases of the brain and nervous system.

Like your body's organs, teeth too require a blood supply and lymphatic drainage. Root canals kill teeth and they can become a source of chronic inflammation caused by bacterial toxicity.

Root canal treated teeth are almost always infected; this is due to the fact that anaerobic bacteria continue to thrive by digesting necrotic tissue inside the now dead roots.

The toxins released by these bacteria are deadly. The longer root canal-treated teeth stay in your mouth, the more compromised your immune system becomes, and antibiotics will be of no help in these cases because the bacteria is kept safe and secure inside the tooth.

December 11, 2010: Kava is a natural herb that once was very popular in Europe. There it was used as a tranquilizer, and in time became a popular alternative to prescription drugs. Europeans used it for its calming effect and put them to sleep.

Kava is an excellent anti-inflammatory. It is used now in Jamaica to help fight pain and inflammation.

Jamaicans call kava African minty. It's been used by Jamaica's Maroon healers for almost 500 years to ease stress, and to soothe aching muscles and sore throats.

The Maroons were originally Kormanteen people who were taken from Africa by the Spanish as slaves. They rebelled and fled to a mountain stronghold where they live to this day.

The Kormanteen were renowned herbalists in Africa. That tradition is continued in Jamaica.

Kava leaves contain a compound called kavalactones. This compound fights pain and inflammation in much the same fashion as aspirin but without the potential side effects. Kavalactones is also good at relaxing muscles. This is the reason African minty is so good at relieving muscle pulls and soreness.

African minty leaves can be used effectively topically as well as taken internally. For muscle pulls and aches, its leaves can be applied like a poultice.

Place five fresh leaves in a clean cloth and pound it with a hammer. These leaves are saturated with juice so you needn't apply any water. Tie the poultice onto whatever muscle you want relief from, and sleep with it. African minty can be used for up to three days. But make certain to change the leaves every eight hours.

Here's a recipe for a tea made from African minty:

• Add 1 ounce fresh or dried leaves to 1 quart of boiling water
• Simmer fresh leaves for 1 minute or dried for 3 minutes
• Steep fresh leaves for 5 minutes or dried for 10 minutes
• Strain
• Drink straight or sweeten with honey to your liking

Drink a cup of tea three times a day for up to two weeks as needed.

You need to take steps to prevent inflammation from thriving in your body. Grains, refined sugars, and processed food feed inflammation. Instead get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids and natural sugar from nuts like pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds.

December 12, 2010: One type of water for human consumption that you hear about today is alkaline or ionized water. Both terms refer to the same thing.

Alkaline water is water that has been separated into alkaline and acid fractions by the process of electrolysis. Water has naturally- occurring electric charges found in the magnesium and calcium ions. Alkaline water prepared for drinking has a pH over 7.

What is pH? pH is an acronym for potential of hydrogen. It is the measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions. The higher the pH, the fewer free hydrogen ions are present; the lower a liquid's pH, the greater the number of free hydrogen ions present.

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Anything below 7 is considered acidic; battery acid has a pH of about 1. Numbers above 7 are alkaline. Lye has a pH of 13. A pH of 7 is neutral.

Natural water on earth ranges from a pH of 6.5 to 9. The number depends on several parameters such as surrounding soil and vegetation, seasonal variations and weather, and even time of day responses to sunlight. Even man-produced pollutants can influence the pH.

There is currently no standard pH for drinking water. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a voluminous guide called Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality. Even in this almost 600 page book there is no recommended pH value for drinking water.

They do however recommend that your water's pH be in a range of 6.5 to 8.0 so that metal pipes don't corrode.

There has been a great deal of debate about battling cancer by making your body alkaline. This has become a focus of interest as cancer rates have skyrocketed (along with many other chronic, debilitating diseases). In the meantime our bodies have become more acidic from our processed-food diets.

Rigorous scientific studies are not conclusive about the feasibility of an alkaline body. A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found that alkalosis (rising cellular pH) causes alkaline-induced cell death as a result of altering mitochondrial function.

Research by Robert Gilles seems to suggest that an alkaline atmosphere is no deterrent to cancer. Gilles has studied tumor formation and acidity. He states that tumors make themselves acidic even in an alkaline cellular structure.

Scientists who are in the process of developing prototypes for potential new anticancer agents that selectively kill tumor cells by interfering with the regulation of intracellular pH, have found that alkaline treatments do NOT have the desired effect - but strongly acidic treatments do.

A 2005 study by the National Cancer Institute revisits the use of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) to treat cancer. They found that, in pharmacologic doses administered intravenously, ascorbic acid successfully killed cancer cells without harming normal cells. Vitamin C is acidic.

Water that is too acidic or too alkaline can be detrimental to human health and lead to nutritional disequilibrium. This was demonstrated in a Swedish well water study, which found both pH extremes to be problematic.

As with anything else, it would seem that balance is the key. Going to extremes on either end can prove harmful.

Consistently drinking alkaline or ionized water will certainly raise your stomach's alkalinity; this will interfere with the acid that's necessary to digest food. Low stomach acid is one of the common causes of ulcers.

Natural water from mountain springs have a pH around 6.5. The pH of drinking water probably should be between 6 and 8.
Source: Mercola.com.

December 12, 2010: The Army Times News is reporting on a disturbing phenomena. U.S. military soldiers are using extreme measures in order to meet weight requirements.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one soldier stated that he and others resort to laxatives, starvation, and even liposuction in order to meet weight and height requirements.

A 2009 military fitness report said that over one-third of men and women do not meet the Army's weight standards. One method used to determine fitness is the tape measure to compute body fat percentage.

The Army Times paper also said that if soldiers fail to meet body fat limits, they are barred from earning roles in leadership or being promoted. In addition, officers can lose their jobs if they are overweight and fail to lose a significant amount of weight in two months.

A report in Military Medicine said that between 1992 and 2007, 24,000 military sldiers were discharged for failing to meet weight standards.

Wary of the problem military leaders and doctors warn soldiers of the dangers of unhealthy weight loss.

December 14, 2010: The 21st century has brought increasing terrorist threats and loss of personal freedoms and privacy along with increased technological advancements. The latest intrusion of Big Brother into personal privacies is that of intrusive body scans, and its alternative, a highly-invasive personal "body search."

Both forms of the many times embarrasing searches are all in the name of safety from terrorist acts of violence. But, are we trading protection from terrorist threats for an increased risk of cancer from the TSA scanners?

Many scientists are sounding the alarm of the potential threat of developing cancer from the radiation emitted by the scanners. John Sedat, a biophysicist with expertise in imaging raised these concerns in a letter to President Obama.

Sedat and his team of experts are concerned because:

• People who have HIV or cancer may be at higher risk due to the high doses of skin radiation
• Further research needs to be completed when it comes to pregnancy and the risk that may be imposed on the fetus.
• Any glitch in power that stops the device could cause an intense radiation dose to a single spot on the skin
• The risk of radiation emission to children and adolescents hasn't been fully evaluated

According to the TSA website, 385 scanners are already in place at 68 airports all across the nation. There are plans to install many more.

TSA officials say that these units are safe, but I am not convinced in the light of concerns by independent, third-party scientists.

Here are the facts concerning the radiation put out by the scanners. TSA officials say that the amount of radiation emitted is less than 10 microREM of emission, or about one-ten-thousandth of a chest X-ray.

Dr. David Brenner, head of Columbia University's center for radiological research, said the dose absorbed by the skin may be up to 20 times higher than earlier estimates; a physics professor at Arizona State University in Tempe performed his own calculations on the amount of radiation emitted. He found that the dose was about one-fiftieth to one-hundredth the amount of a standard chest X-ray.

As you can see, all third-party estimates of the radiation dosage is many times greater than the TSA officials are publically admitting.

These machines are also scanning the head. This is a concern because it could pose a very real cancer risk for people over 50 years of age. Basal cell carcinomas normally occur in the head and neck area of this age group.

Some folks are more sensitive to radiation than others. Dr. David Brenner, head of Columbia University's center for radiological research, is concerned about airline passengers with gene mutations. They represent about 5 percent of the American population (1 in 20.)

These people are more at risk as they are less able to repair X-ray damage to their DNA. This is especially worrisome when it comes to breast and ovarian cancer.

TSA scanners are of special concern to people who fly a lot like frequent flyers, pilots and flight attendants. And what about the TSA workers who work with and operate the machines every day? They are at an increased risk of developing cancer.

Radiation effects are cumulative; this means that it builds up in your body as it is absorbed from different sources. This is another reason for concern.

There are a couple of things you can do to lessen the radiation damage from airport scanners. Take coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). It inteferes with radiation absorption. Make certain to take the ubiquinol as it is readily absorbed by the body and 8 to 10 times more powerful than ordinary CoQ10. Begin taking this supplement about a week to 10 days before your planned flight.

The other thing you can do is load up on vitamin D. Vitamin D can reduce the risk of all cancers by up to 77 percent. The ideal way to get this nutrient is to spend time in the sun. If that is not possible because of where you live, take a supplement. The amount should be 2,000 IUs daily; double this amount in preparation to taking a flight.

December 20, 2010: Up to now the seaweed-based extract carrageenan has been known for its negative impact on health. It creates a form of processed free glutamic acid (MSG) in food when used as an additive; it also causes gastrointestinal distress.

New research shows that carrageenan when used as a nasal spray is an effective treatment against the common cold, viruses and even H1N1 influenza. It works by binding directly to viruses and preventing them from attaching to cells and spreading throughout the body.

Carrageenan when used as a nasal spray protects healthy cells from viral attacks. As a matter of fact, a recent study shows that carrageenan works as effectively as the antiviral drug Tamiflu, but without the harmful side effects.

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