Dr. MERCOLA --> alternative health and fitness

[BroJones]

How Medical Ripoffs Threaten Your Health and Financial Security???

No surprises here. We have been referred several times by doctors to hospitals for various "treatments" (such as IV iron therapy for anemia). We always call and ask the insurance how much does this cost, they refer as to the hospitals. We call the hospitals and they can never give us a real estimate just a huge "ballpark figure" saying it depends on the insurance. In other words they will charge whatever the insurance will pay out, less any coinsurance and deductibles. Tell them you have no insurance and they will hang up on you. And round and round it goes.

Thus, we have for the past few years found alternative treatments for such hospital referrals and been very happy with the results, health-wise and financially.

We actually had one of the insurance phone reps be quite shocked at our questions and said "no one ever shops around for the best price on a treatment".

Very interesting, Karen -- yes we SHOULD "shop around", and take charge of our own health!

[BroJones]

GREAT article by Dr Mercola today IMO -- how to STARVE out cancer cells! Now, if we could just figure out how to starve out the LDG's! (Note that the Nephites did just that, see 3Nephi 3-6).

Quote:

The fact is that you’ve been thoroughly misled when it comes to dietary advice. Still today, many doctors, nutritionists, and government health officials will tell you to avoid saturated fat and keep fat consumption to below 10 percent while keeping the bulk of your diet, about 60 percent, as carbs. This is madness, as it’s the converse of a diet that will lead to optimal health

By Dr. Mercola

To some, a ketogenic diet amounts to nothing less than a drug-free cancer treatment. The diet calls for eliminating carbohydrates, replacing them with healthy fats and protein.

The premise is that since cancer cells need glucose to thrive, and carbohydrates turn into glucose in your body, then cutting out carbs literally starves the cancer cells. Additionally, low protein intake tends to minimize the mTOR pathway, which accelerates cell proliferation.

This type of diet, in which you replace carbs with moderate amounts of high quality protein and high amounts of beneficial fat, is what I recommend for everyone, whether you have cancer or not. It’s simply a diet that will help optimize your weight and health overall, as eating this way will help you convert from carb burning mode to fat burning.

Ketogenic Diet May Be Key to Brain Cancer Recovery

The featured video shows Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D, who is one of the leaders in teasing the details of how to treat cancer nutritionally. I am scheduled to interview him shortly and hope to have that interview up later this year. In the video, Professor Seyfried discusses how, as a metabolic disorder involving the dysregulation of respiration, malignant brain cancer can be managed through changes in the metabolic environment.

“In contrast to normal neurons and glia, which transition to ketone bodies (beta-hydroxybutyrate) for respiratory energy when glucose levels are reduced, malignant brain tumors are mostly dependent on non-oxidative substrate level phosphorylation due to structural and functional abnormalities in mitochondria. Glucose and glutamine are major fuels for malignant cancer cells.

The transition from glucose to ketone bodies as an energy source is an ancestrally conserved adaptation to food deprivation that permits the survival of normal cells during extreme shifts in nutritional environment. Only those cells with a flexible genome, honed through millions of years of environmental forcing and variability selection, can transition from one energy state to another.

We propose a different approach to brain cancer management that exploits the metabolic flexibility of normal cells at the expense of the genetically defective and metabolically challenged. This evolutionary and metabolic approach to brain cancer management is supported from studies in orthotopic mouse brain tumor models and from case studies in patients.

Calorie restriction and restricted ketogenic diets (R-KD), which reduce circulating glucose levels and elevate ketone levels, are anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic towards malignant brain cancer.”1

Current conventional cancer treatment typically involves chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Chemotherapy is a cytotoxic poison, and radiation is devastating to the human body. More often than not, the treatment is what eventually kills the patient. This can no longer be accepted as “the best we can do.” As Dr. Seyfried says:

"The reason why we have so few people surviving is because of the standard of care. It has to be changed, if it's not changed, there will be no major progress. Period."

Metabolic Therapy/Ketogenic Diet Being Investigated as Cancer Treatment

CBN News recently published an article on the ketogenic diet.2 Clearly, many people are realizing that what we have been doing in terms of fighting cancer is simply not working, and we cannot afford to continue in the same way. Prevention must be addressed if we ever want to turn the tide on the growing incidence of cancer across all age groups. But even more astounding, in terms of treatment, is that cancer may respond to diet alone.

“Dr. Fred Hatfield is an impressive guy: a power-lifting champion, author of dozens of books, a millionaire businessman with a beautiful wife. But he'll tell you his greatest accomplishment is killing his cancer just in the nick of time,” CBN News writes. "The doctors gave me three months to live because of widespread metastatic cancer in my skeletal structure," he recalled. "Three months; three different doctors told me that same thing."

Dr. Hatfield was preparing to die when he heard of metabolic therapy, also known as the ketogenic diet. He had nothing to lose so he gave it a try, and... it worked. The cancer disappeared completely, and at the time of his interview (above), he’d been cancer-free for over a year.

The video above also features Dr. Dominic D'Agostino who, along with a team of researchers at the University of South Florida studies metabolic therapy. They found that when lab animals were fed a carb-free diet, they survived highly aggressive metastatic cancer better than those treated with chemotherapy. CBN reports:

“'We have dramatically increased survival with metabolic therapy,' [Dr. D’Agostino] said. 'So we think it's important to get this information out.' It's not just lab mice. Dr. D'Agostino has also seen similar success in people - lots of them. 'I've been in correspondence with a number of people,' he said. 'At least a dozen over the last year-and-a-half to two years, and all of them are still alive, despite the odds. So this is very encouraging.'”

How Does Ketogenic Diet Starve Cancer Cells?

Dr. D’Agostino explains how the ketogenic diet can have such a dramatic (and rapid) effect on cancer. All of your body’s cells are fueled by glucose. This includes cancer cells. However, cancer cells have one built-in fatal flaw – they do not have the metabolic flexibility of your regular cells and cannot adapt to use ketone bodies for fuel as all your other cells can.

So, when you alter your diet and become what’s known as “fat-adapted,” your body starts using fat for fuel rather than carbs. When you switch out the carbs for healthy fats, you starve the cancer out, as you’re no longer supplying the necessary fuel – glucose – for their growth. As D’Agostino explains:

"Your normal cells have the metabolic flexibility to adapt from using glucose to using ketone bodies. But cancer cells lack this metabolic flexibility. So we can exploit that.”

I’ve previously discussed ways to “starve” cancer, and eliminating sugar/fructose and grains (ie carbohydrates) is at the very top of the list. It’s the most basic step without which few other dietary strategies are likely to succeed. In order to be effective, you must first STOP doing that which is promoting cancer growth (or poor health in general), and then all the other preventive strategies have the chance to really have an impact.

What Makes for a Cancer-Fighting Diet?

Please remember addressing your diet should be at the top of your list. Rather than just adding certain cancer-fighting foods. Naturally, processed foods and soft drinks do not belong in a cancer-preventive diet, as they are loaded with carbs that turn into fuel for cancer cells. Carbs also raise your insulin and leptin levels, and keeping your insulin and leptin signaling healthy is imperative if you want to avoid chronic disease of all kinds, including cancer.

Processed foods may also contain trans fat – the only type of fat you really need to avoid like the plague. They are also loaded with omega-6 fats which the featured otherwise excellent video failed to mention. Increasing the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is another potent way to increase your risk of cancer cell proliferation.

What About Protein?

One of my primary mentors in the importance of insulin and leptin, Dr. Rosedale. was one of the first professionals to advocate both a low-carb and moderate protein (and therefore high quality fat) diet. This was contrary to most low-carb advocates who were, and still are, very accepting of, if not promoting, high protein, as a replacement for the carbs.

If you or someone you know is challenged with cancer, the healthiest option may be to replace the carbs with beneficial fats, and limit your protein to high quality organic/pastured sources only. Dr. Rosedale advises 1 gram of protein per kilogram of lean body mass which for most people will be about 50 grams of protein a day (or 0.5 grams per pound of lean body weight). While you can take carbs to very low levels in ketogenic diets, you must have some protein every day to replace your body’s requirements. The key is to add healthy fat to replace the carbs and excess protein.

Olives and Olive oil Coconuts and coconut oil Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Organic raw nuts, especially macadamia nuts, which are low in protein and omega-6 fat Organic pastured egg yolks and pastured meats Avocados

The Fallacies of Fats and Carbs

Coincidentally, Dr. Robert Lustig – another expert on the dangers of high carb diets – was recently interviewed by NPR radio’s Science Friday segment.2 His new book, Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease, tackles the persistent myths about fat that is endangering the health of millions. It’s difficult to know just how many people have suffered poor health because they followed conventional low-fat recommendations, but I’m sure the number is significant.

The fact is that you’ve been thoroughly misled when it comes to dietary advice. Still today, many doctors, nutritionists, and government health officials will tell you to avoid saturated fat and keep fat consumption to below 10 percent while keeping the bulk of your diet, about 60 percent, as carbs. This is madness, as it’s the converse of a diet that will lead to optimal health. As an example, you’ve probably seen the whole grain label, which is certified by the American Heart Association3 of all things. Do whole grains support heart health? Hardly. The following outtake from the transcript addresses this head on:

“Flatow: ...there’s something that came out yesterday released from Harvard... and it talks about one of the most widely used industry standards, the wholegrain stamp. [It] actually identified grain products [bearing the stamp] were higher in both sugars and calories than products without the stamp.

Lustig: Absolutely. And to be honest with you, wholegrain doesn’t mean much... Basically what it means is you start with a whole grain; that is the starch on the inside, the kernel, or the husk or the bran on the outside, and then whatever you want to do with it is perfectly fine. It’s still a whole grain. So if you pulverize it and add sugar to it, hey it’s still a whole grain because that’s what you started with. But you know what? All the benefits you get from whole grain are gone as soon as you pulverize it. So.... what it means is irrelevant because the definition is not helpful.”

Other Lifestyle Factors that Influence Your Cancer Risk

Other lifestyle factors that have been found to have an impact on chronic disease and cancer include:

Vitamin D: There's overwhelming evidence pointing to the fact that vitamin D deficiency plays a crucial role in cancer development. You can decrease your risk of cancer by more than half simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure or a safe tanning bed. And, if you are being treated for cancer, it is likely that higher blood levels – probably around 80-90 ng/ml – would be beneficial. To learn the details on how to use vitamin D therapeutically, please review my previous article, Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency. In terms of protecting against cancer, vitamin D has been found to offer protection in a number of ways, including:
Regulating genetic expression
Increasing the self-destruction of mutated cells (which, if allowed to replicate, could lead to cancer)
Reducing the spread and reproduction of cancer cells
Causing cells to become differentiated (cancer cells often lack differentiation)
Reducing the growth of new blood vessels from pre-existing ones, which is a step in the transition of dormant tumors turning cancerous
Getting proper sleep: both in terms of getting enough sleep, and sleeping between certain hours. According to Ayurvedic medicine, the ideal hours for sleep are between 10 pm and 6 am. Modern research has confirmed the value of this recommendation as certain hormonal fluctuations occur throughout the day and night, and if you engage in the appropriate activities during those times, you're 'riding the wave' so to speak, and are able to get the optimal levels. Working against your biology by staying awake when you should ideally be sleeping or vice versa, interferes with these hormonal fluctuations.

There's a spike of melatonin that occurs between midnight and 1am that you don't want to miss because the consequences are absolutely spectacular. Melatonin is not only a sleep hormone, but it also is a very powerful antioxidant. It decreases the amount of estrogen your body produces, and boosts your immune system. It also interacts with other hormones. So, if you go to bed after 10, it can significantly increase your risk of breast cancer.
Effectively addressing your stress: The research shows that if you experience a traumatic or highly stressful event, such as a death in the family, your risk of breast cancer is 12 times higher in the ensuing five years. I believe energy psychology tools are ideal to address stressors in your life. My favorite is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), but there are many others available as well.
Exercise: If you are like most people, when you think of reducing your risk of cancer, exercise doesn't immediately come to mind. However, there is some fairly compelling evidence that exercise can slash your risk of cancer.

One of the primary ways exercise lowers your risk for cancer is by reducing elevated insulin levels, which creates a low sugar environment that discourages the growth and spread of cancer cells. Additionally, exercise improves the circulation of immune cells in your blood. Your immune system is your first line of defense against everything from minor illnesses like a cold right up to devastating, life-threatening diseases like cancer.

The trick about exercise, though, is understanding how to use it as a precise tool. This ensures you are getting enough to achieve the benefit, not too much to cause injury, and the right variety to balance your entire physical structure and maintain strength and flexibility, and aerobic and anaerobic fitness levels. This is why it is helpful to view exercise like a drug that needs to be carefully prescribed to achieve its maximum benefit. For detailed instructions, please see this previous article.

Additionally it is likely that integrating exercise with intermittent fasting will greatly catalyze the potential of exercise to reduce your risk of cancer and stimulate widespread healing and rejuvenation.

You CAN Beat 'the System'...

Cancer is the second most lethal disease in the US after heart disease (not counting iatrogenic mortality, aka “death by medicine”). We all know that the war on cancer has been a dismal failure. Tragically, conventional wisdom is blind when it comes to cancer prevention and treatment and hundreds of thousands die prematurely every year as a result. They have little to no appreciation of the concepts discussed in this article. But you don’t have to fall into that trap as you know better and can take control of your health and ability to treat cancer in your own hands.

The ketogenic diet, which can be summarized as a high-fat, moderate-protein, no-grain-carb diet, has brought many back to health, even after being diagnosed with aggressive cancer, and given no hope of survival. Hopefully, research by the likes of Dr. D’Agostino will become more widely known. Until then, do your own research and take control of your own health, and that of your family.

Severely limiting sugar/fructose, processed foods of all kinds, sweetened beverages (as well as diet versions), and replacing carbs with healthy fats and high quality protein can do what no medicine can – it can prevent disease from setting in, and may even be the U-turn you’re looking for if you’ve been diagnosed with cancer or other chronic disease. Add to that appropriate sun exposure, sleep, effective stress management, and regular exercise, and you’ll be well ahead

[jonesde]

How Medical Ripoffs Threaten Your Health and Financial Security???

No surprises here. We have been referred several times by doctors to hospitals for various "treatments" (such as IV iron therapy for anemia). We always call and ask the insurance how much does this cost, they refer as to the hospitals. We call the hospitals and they can never give us a real estimate just a huge "ballpark figure" saying it depends on the insurance. In other words they will charge whatever the insurance will pay out, less any coinsurance and deductibles. Tell them you have no insurance and they will hang up on you. And round and round it goes.

Thus, we have for the past few years found alternative treatments for such hospital referrals and been very happy with the results, health-wise and financially.

We actually had one of the insurance phone reps be quite shocked at our questions and said "no one ever shops around for the best price on a treatment".

Very interesting, Karen -- yes we SHOULD "shop around", and take charge of our own health!

This is probably THE biggest issue in healthcare in the USA: the lack of consumer choice. Of course the insurance, healthcare, and pharma companies don't want to compete on price or be pinned down by a price, they want you to write a blank check when you walk in the door, and state and federal governments are more than happy to help them do it. The govt solution to the problem? Regulate the industry so that prices are "fair". How's that working for us?

This is another example of the government creating problems and then offering solutions for them, and both the problems and the "solutions" cause more problems. It's like the old saying that we thank government for giving us crutches even when they broke our leg in the first place.

[BroJones]

This is probably THE biggest issue in healthcare in the USA: the lack of consumer choice. Of course the insurance, healthcare, and pharma companies don't want to compete on price or be pinned down by a price, they want you to write a blank check when you walk in the door, and state and federal governments are more than happy to help them do it. The govt solution to the problem? Regulate the industry so that prices are "fair". How's that working for us?

This is another example of the government creating problems and then offering solutions for them, and both the problems and the "solutions" cause more problems. It's like the old saying that we thank government for giving us crutches even when they broke our leg in the first place.

Good points. "The lack of consumer choice" in several areas seems to be the goal of the Gadiantons, all right, as they parasitically suck wealth from the system.

[BroJones]

More on benefits of a high-good-fat, LOW-SUGAR diet that may surprise you:

Low-Fat Diet and Avoidance of Vitamin D - Two Health Recommendations You’re Best Off Rejecting
March 11, 2013 | 83,824 views
Visit the Mercola Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

While there are many variations of the Mediterranean diet, its primary hallmark is whole, minimally processed foods.

Clearly, the emphasis on fresh vegetables, nuts and fats like olive oil makes it far more healthful than the standard American diet which is very high in processed foods.

Now, a study many consider to be a “landmark” trial provides compelling evidence that the type of fat you consume, not the amount, is what imparts the cardiovascular health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet. As summarized by Dr. Dean Ornish:1

“...the most responsible conclusion from this study would be, ‘We found a significant reduction in stroke in those consuming a Mediterranean diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, when compared to those who were not making significant changes in their diet.’”

Sadly, our government has been pushing a low-fat diet recommendation that has been causing death and disease for decades.

The Right Fats Can Cut Your Heart Disease Risk by Nearly One-Third

The Spanish trial, which included nearly 7,450 volunteers between the ages of 55 and 80, began in 2003 and was stopped early for ethical reasons, in 2011, as the control group was deemed to be at a dangerous disadvantage. The participants had all been diagnosed with high risk of cardiovascular disease, but were asymptomatic at the outset of the study. Participants were followed for a median of 4.8 years.

The volunteers were randomly divided into three groups (two intervention groups and one control):

Mediterranean diet rich in fresh vegetables, seafood, mono-unsaturated fats, supplemented with 30 grams of nuts per day (15 grams walnuts, 7.5 grams almonds, and 7.5 grams hazelnuts)
Mediterranean diet (as above) supplemented with 50 ml of virgin olive oil per day instead of nuts
Low-fat diet (control)

There were no calorie restrictions for any of the groups, nor was physical activity promoted or required. Compliance with olive oil and nut consumption was tested via blood and urine analysis. The primary end point was a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and death from cardiovascular causes. Secondary end points were stroke, myocardial infarction, death from cardiovascular causes, and death from any cause.

Remarkably, in less than five years, the two intervention groups achieved a 30 percent relative risk reduction for cardiovascular disease, and stroke reduction was an impressive 49 percent.

No wonder they felt the trial had to be stopped for ethical reasons! Sadly, low-fat diets are among the most accepted diets in the medical community, both for weight management and cardiac health, and have been aggressively promoted for the past 60 years. Now the evidence is showing this is perhaps the worst type of diet one could consume. There’s just no telling how many millions of people have prematurely died from this fatally flawed advice. According to the authors:2

“In observational cohort studies and a secondary prevention trial (the Lyon Diet Heart Study), increasing adherence to the Mediterranean diet has been consistently beneficial with respect to cardiovascular risk. A systematic review ranked the Mediterranean diet as the most likely dietary model to provide protection against coronary heart disease. Small clinical trials have uncovered plausible biologic mechanisms to explain the salutary effects of this food pattern.

We designed a randomized trial to test the efficacy of two Mediterranean diets (one supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil and another with nuts), as compared with a control diet (advice on a low-fat diet), on primary cardiovascular prevention...

Our findings are consistent with those of prior observational studies of the cardiovascular protective effects of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil, and nuts; smaller trials assessing effects on traditional cardiovascular risk factors and novel risk factors, such as markers of oxidation, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction; and studies of conditions associated with high cardiovascular risk — namely, the metabolic syndrome and diabetes. Thus, a causal role of the Mediterranean diet in cardiovascular prevention has high biologic plausibility.

...The risk of stroke was reduced significantly in the two Mediterranean-diet groups. This is consistent with epidemiologic studies that showed an inverse association between the Mediterranean diet or olive-oil consumption and incident stroke.”

When Will Government Alter its Dangerous Dietary Guidelines?

The single-blind, randomized clinical trial was published online at the end of February in the New England Journal of Medicine.3 It is perhaps one of the strongest validations of my optimized Nutritional Plan so far, which calls for high amounts of healthful raw fats, including omega-3, modest high-quality animal protein, and restriction of carbohydrates to high-fiber vegetables — all from fresh whole foods, as opposed to processed. During his presentation at the 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition at Loma Linda University in California, Mayo Professor David Jacobs, PhD, called for nutrition researchers to focus on food and dietary patterns instead of isolated nutrients.

“What this study gives us is A-level evidence,” he said. “The US Dietary Guidelines Committee will notice that.”4

Another interesting tidbit is the fact that calories per se did not account for the benefits. Those in the extra virgin olive oil group consumed an average of 2,172 calories a day and those supplementing with nuts ate 2,229 calories per day, whereas the control group consumed only 1,960 calories a day. Yet, despite consuming more calories, and far more fat, the intervention groups reduced cardiovascular disease and stroke risk by 30 and 49 percent respectively.

This is precisely what I’ve been telling my readers for years: Eating fat does NOT make you fat! Eating sugar and grains does... As explained by Dr. Robert Lustig, fructose in particular is "isocaloric but not isometabolic." This means you can have the same amount of calories from fructose or glucose, fructose and protein, or fructose and fat, but the metabolic effect will be entirely different despite the identical calorie count. Many governments around the world have been pushing low-fat diet recommendations5 that have been causing death and disease for decades. How quickly will they admit their error and failure and make the necessary changes? Only time will tell...

Healthy Fat Guidelines

Sources of healthy fats include:
Olives and Olive oil Coconuts and coconut oil Butter made from raw grass-fed organic milk
Raw nuts, such as, almonds or pecans Organic pastured egg yolks Avocados
Grass-fed meats Palm oil Unheated organic nut oils



Another healthful fat you want to be mindful of is animal-based omega-3. Deficiency in this essential fat can cause or contribute to very serious health problems, both mental and physical, and may be a significant underlying factor of up to 96,000 premature deaths each year. For more information about omega-3's and the best sources of this fat, please review this previous article. It will also be crucial to eliminate any trans fats, which are loaded in virtually all bakery goods and most processed foods. Trans fats embed themselves into your cell membranes and disrupt key metabolic functions. They are pernicious poisons and ideally your consumption of them should be zero.

Another Crazy Health Study in the News

While we’re on the topic of flawed health recommendations, vitamin D has made headlines in the mainstream media lately. For example, the Los Angeles Times6 recently reported that calcium and vitamin D are not effective for preventing bone fractures — a surprising statement, to say the least. The US federal government’s expert panel on preventive medicine came to this conclusion after reviewing six randomized trials studying the health effects of vitamin D and calcium supplements.

However, and this is a MASSIVE however, the dosages assessed were highly suspect: only 400 IU’s of vitamin D3, combined with 1,000 mg of calcium per day. Two of the most obvious potential problems here are:

The vitamin D3 dose was FAR too low to provide therapeutic benefit
Both calcium and vitamin D supplementation requires vitamin K2 in order to function properly. Without K2, both calcium and vitamin D supplements can cause improper calcification and related health problems

First, let’s look at the dosage. While there is no one-size-fits-all dosage level at which "magic" happens, based on the most recent research by GrassrootsHealth — an organization that has greatly contributed to the current knowledge on vitamin D through their D*Action Study — it appears as though most adults need about 8,000 IU's of vitamin D a day in order to get their serum levels above 40 ng/ml — a far cry from the 400 IU’s studied. Secondly, the calcification problem... According to the LA Times:

“The analysis also made clear that this level of vitamin D and calcium supplementation increases the risk of kidney stones. The added risk is small, but considering the lack of demonstrated benefits, even a small risk can’t be justified, the panel said.”

This is a perfect example of how there’s more to nutrition as medicine than taking any one individual nutrient to prevent or treat any given problem, and why getting the majority of your nutritional needs from whole food is always recommended.

As discussed in a recent interview with Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, both calcium and vitamin D need vitamin K2 to function properly. Vitamin K2, also called menaquinone, is made by the bacteria that line your gastrointestinal tract. K2 goes straight to your blood vessel walls, bones, and tissues other than your liver, and is really critical for keeping your bones strong and arteries clear.

In fact, the biological role of vitamin K2 is to help move calcium into the proper areas in your body, such as your bones and teeth. It also helps remove calcium from areas where it shouldn’t be, such as in your arteries and soft tissues. Unfortunately, about 80 percent of Americans do not get enough vitamin K2 in their diet, which makes taking calcium and vitamin D supplements a riskier proposition.

If Taking a Vitamin D Supplement, Remember Vitamin K2

What’s more, while vitamin D is a critical nutrient for optimal health, taking oral vitamin D could become problematic unless you're also getting sufficient amounts of vitamin K2. As explained by Dr. Rheaume-Bleue:

"When you take vitamin D, your body creates more of these vitamin K2-dependent proteins, the proteins that will move the calcium around. They have a lot of potential health benefits. But until the K2 comes in to activate those proteins, those benefits aren't realized. So, really, if you're taking vitamin D, you're creating an increased demand for K2. And vitamin D and K2 work together to strengthen your bones and improve your heart health.

...For so long, we've been told to take calcium for osteoporosis... and vitamin D, which we know is helpful. But then, more studies are coming out showing that increased calcium intake is causing more heart attacks and strokes. That created a lot of confusion around whether calcium is safe or not. But that's the wrong question to be asking, because we'll never properly understand the health benefits of calcium or vitamin D, unless we take into consideration K2. That's what keeps the calcium in its right place."

According to Dr. Rheaume-Bleue, vitamin K2 deficiency is also what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries. So, while the conclusion that taking vitamin D and calcium supplements may be bad for you is not false per se, it is incomplete, and therefore misleading...While the ideal or optimal ratios between vitamin D and vitamin K2 have yet to be elucidated, Rheume-Bleue suggests about 150-200 micrograms of K2 will meet the need for the "average" healthy person.

Reminder: The Best Form of Vitamin D Does Not Come in a Pill...

While many are interested in the guidelines for vitamin D supplementation, it's important to realize that the IDEAL way to optimize your vitamin D level is not by taking a pill, but rather allowing your body to do what it was designed to do — create vitamin D from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed. Sunlight is better for a number of reasons:

It is natural. Our ancestors optimized their vitamin D levels by sun exposure, not by swallowing it in foods. Although vitamin D is in some animal foods, it is in relatively low quantities and to my knowledge there are no known ancestral populations that thrived on oral vitamin D sources.
When you expose your skin to the sun, your skin also synthesizes high amounts of cholesterol sulfate, which is very important for cardiovascular health. In fact, Dr. Stephanie Seneff, believes that high LDL and associated heart disease may in fact be a symptom of cholesterol sulfate deficiency. Sulfur deficiency, in fact, also promotes obesity and related health problems like diabetes
You cannot overdose when getting your vitamin D from sun exposure, as your body has the ability to self-regulate production and only make what it needs
Sunlight has additional health benefits unrelated to vitamin D production

Also, while Norway,7 and Europe8 as a whole, are wisely increasing the recommended daily allowance for vitamin D, it’s important to realize that the most important factor is your serum vitamin D level (the level in your blood), not the daily dose. The only way to determine whether you’re within the therapeutic range is to regularly test your vitamin D levels. Again, according to the most recent research the ideal adult dose is closer to 8,000 IU’s a day in order to achieve serum levels at or above 40 ng/ml.

That said, you really should be taking whatever dosage required to obtain a therapeutic level of vitamin D in your blood. For more information, including an in-depth explanation of everything you need to know before you get tested, please see Test Values and Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency.

vitamin d levels

Measuring Vitamin D Performance is One of Your Most Cost Effective Health Strategies

Many families have seen a rise in the proportion of their income spent on healthcare expenses. For many, the costs now exceed what they spend on food. Measuring your vitamin D performance and taking steps to optimize your level is one of the easiest and least expensive things you can do for your health, and could help you with out-of-control health care expenses.

According to a January 17 press release by Orthomolecular Medicine,9 3,600 medical papers with vitamin D in the title or abstract were published in 2012 alone, bringing the grand total to 33,800. That’s a lot of studies on vitamin D. The Top 16 vitamin D papers of 2012 selected by a panel of vitamin D experts focused on vitamin D’s beneficial impact on:
Pregnancy outcomes (reduced risk of Cesarean section and pre-eclampsia) Autism
Childhood language impairment Cardiovascular disease
Type 1 diabetes Type 2 diabetes
Bacterial and viral infections Cancer
Falls and bone fractures All-cause mortality



GrassrootsHealth D*Action is an integrated set of performance and feedback systems to give you complete control of your individual vitamin D performance systems, which will help you gain a total picture of your health. There’s no doubt in my mind that the D*Action program can be a major key to help turn the current health paradigm from 'treatment' to 'prevention.’

It’s truly exciting to consider that, within our lifetime, we will be able to prevent the majority of breast cancer, for example. The D*Action Breast Cancer Prevention project began last year, and is a major step in that direction. While it still needs four more years’ worth of data to be complete, the women enrolled in the project are already exhibiting fewer cases of breast cancer than would be expected within the general population. To learn more about this breast cancer prevention project, please see this previous article. (Women 60 and over with no current cancer or current treatment are eligible for the breast cancer prevention study. You can sign up here if you're eligible.)

I’m a firm believer that the D*Action project can help create a massive change in how we address common health problems. I hope you’ll become a part of it. To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included.

As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five year program, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee every 6 months for your sponsorship of the project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you "it's time for your next test and health survey."

Please note that 100 percent of the proceeds from the kits go to fund the research project. I do not charge a single dime as a distributor of the test kits.

[BroJones]

Today's Mercola was fun to read for me -- lots on the use of LIGHT therapy. I find the physics behind this fascinating. Note the part on curing toenail fungus.



By Dr. Mercola

Skin and soft tissue infections are among the most common bacterial infections encountered in clinical practice.

Such infections can be caused by a number of bacteria that gain entrance into your body via cuts, scrapes, bites or open wounds. Even bacteria that normally live on your skin can cause an infection when introduced into your body this way.

Skin and soft tissue infections account for more than 14 million hospital visits each year, costing the health care system an estimated $24 billion.

Unfortunately, many infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat. Antibiotic overuse has led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA.

Finding effective countermeasures to this growing public health threat has turned out few options, but the remedy may be as simple as colored light.

According to a new proof-of-principle study,1 blue light can selectively eliminate infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. According to lead researcher Michael R. Hamblin of the Massachusetts General Hospital:2

"Microbes replicate very rapidly, and a mutation that helps a microbe survive in the presence of an antibiotic drug will quickly predominate throughout the microbial population. Recently, a dangerous new enzyme, NDM-1, that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics available has been found in the United States. Many physicians are concerned that several infections soon may be untreatable.

Blue light is a potential non-toxic, non-antibiotic approach for treating skin and soft tissue infections, especially those caused by antibiotic resistant pathogens."

Could Blue Light Replace Antibiotics?

In the study, lab animals were infected with P. aeruginosa. Incredibly, ALL of the animals treated with blue light survived while 82 percent of the controls died. Could this possibly be the beginning of a whole new treatment paradigm for infections? Clearly, we’re nearing the end of the road of the antibiotic era, as antibiotic-resistance spreads.

Blue light therapy has also been shown effective against MRSA and other resistant bugs, offering new hope for effective treatments.

In a previous study published in 2009,3 over 90 percent of community acquired and hospital acquired strains of MRSA were successfully eradicated within mere minutes of exposure to blue light. According to the authors:

“These significant levels of photo-destruction at low dosages indicate that irradiation with 470nm LED light energy may be a practical, inexpensive alternative to treatment with pharmacological agents, particularly in cases involving cutaneous and subcutanious MRSA infections that are susceptible to non-invasive types of radiation.”

Here, the word “radiation” does NOT refer to ionizing radiation but rather the emission of energy from an LED light source – here within the blue light spectrum, which has a range of 450-495 nanometers (nm). (The study in question used 470nm blue light).

Natural sunlight will expose you to the full light spectrum from 415-660nm light, which encompasses the entire spectrum of colors: violet, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

UV Light Not Necessary to Kill Pathogens

A similar study from 20084 had found 405nm blue light to be an effective treatment for MRSA. However, according to the researchers, the 390-420 nm spectral width could raise safety concerns in clinical practice as it also contains part of the ultraviolet (UV) light within the spectrum. Fortunately, the 2009 follow-up study demonstrated that UV is not necessary to successfully kill the pathogens.

Blue light therapy was actually FDA approved over a decade ago, for the treatment of severe acne. Many of the blue light treatments for acne use the same wavelengths needed to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria like MRSA, which means the technology is already commercially available.

In 2006, researchers also tested a combination of 405-nm blue light and 880-nm infrared light on Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro.5 According to the authors:

“Two common aerobes, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were tested because of their frequent isolation from skin infections and wounds. Each organism was treated simultaneously with a combination of 405-nm and 880-nm light emitted by a cluster of Super Luminous Diodes (SLDs).

...The results revealed significant dose-dependent bactericidal effects of the combined blue and infrared light... With P. aeruginosa, the treatment reduced the number of bacteria colonies at all doses... and reducing bacterial colony by as much as 93.8 percent... Irradiation of S. aureus resulted in statistically significant decreases in bacterial colonies at all dose levels; the most decrease, 72 percent, was also achieved with 20 Jcm2.

...Appropriate doses of combined 405-nm and 880-nm phototherapy can kill Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in vitro, suggesting that a similar effect may be produced in clinical cases of bacterial infection.”

How to Naturally Decrease Your Risk of Bacterial Infections

Two years ago, I reported the finding that low vitamin D levels increase your risk of being a nasal carrier of MRSA.6 The relationship held even after adjusting for age, race, recent antibiotic usage, recent hospitalization, and poverty. This means that vitamin D status could be a modifiable risk factor for MRSA carriage and potentially MRSA infection, and is yet another reason for making sure your vitamin D levels are optimized year-round.

The study built upon the already established findings that vitamin D helps regulate your immune system and offers potent protection against infections. It does this by acting on specific genes that in turn produce over 200 anti-microbial peptides that help fight all sorts of bacterial and viral infections.

For example, research has shown that vitamin D can counter the effects of Crohn’s disease (inflammatory bowel disease) by acting directly on two genes – the beta defensin 2 gene, which encodes an antimicrobial peptide, and the NOD2 gene that alerts cells to the presence of invading microbes. Here, they looked specifically at vitamin D’s impact on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). According to the authors:7

“...individuals with vitamin D deficiency had a statistically significant increased risk of MRSA carriage... Further trials may be warranted to determine whether vitamin D supplementation decreases the risk of MRSA colonization.”

How I Used Sunlight to Treat a Chronic Toenail Fungus Infection

In college, I developed a common nail infection called onychomycosis. These infections are notoriously difficult to treat even with powerful oral antifungal drugs. I acquired the infection largely as a result of not understanding what an optimal diet was and many thousands of miles of running. I tried many different therapies to eliminate it for nearly 20 years, but it only finally resolved when I wasn’t even trying to get rid of it.

Several years ago, I switched my life around so I could work in the subtropics during the winter and get regular doses of sunshine to naturally maximize my vitamin D levels. So after five months of going out in the sun nearly every day for an hour or more, I noticed that my infection had disappeared. I then remembered that UVB is a very potent germicidal and was clearly responsible for removing the infection that the dozens of previous approaches had failed miserably at. I do believe that regular, ideally daily, exposures for many months are required for this to work. Going out a few days a month will not be enough to treat this resistant infection. One could likely use a tanning bed or UVB lamp to get the same results.

Even conventional physicians acknowledge that the treatment of choice for psoriasis is UVB, ideally through sun exposure. Interestingly, I also tried to get a symmetrical tan so was tanning my armpits and I also noticed that it eliminated armpit odor, probably by the same mechanism – by the UVB killing odor-causing bacteria in the armpit.

UV Radiation has Long History of Use as Treatment of Disease

An article written by Richard J. Wurtman,8 while over 40 years old, still contains loads of interesting information about the health benefits of sunlight, and is well worth a read-through. If you have any interest, I strongly recommend you download this classic, superbly written 11-page PDF from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology More recent evidence presented in the journal Dermato-Endocrinology9 just last year confirms that exposure to the sun in appropriate and measured timeframes has a number of health benefits unrelated to vitamin D production, such as:
Enhancing mood and energy through the release of endorphins Protecting against and suppressing symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)
Treating skin diseases, such as psoriasis, vitiligo, atopic dermatitis, and scleroderma. UV radiation also enhances skin barrier functions Inducing nitric oxide (NO), which helps protect your skin against UV damage and offers cardiovascular protection, promotes wound healing through its antimicrobial effect, and has some anti-cancer activity
Melatonin regulation through the “third eye” of the pineal gland photoreceptors Relieving fibromyalgia pain
Standard treatment for tuberculosis 100 years ago, long before the advent of antibiotics Treating neonatal jaundice
Can be used to sterilize your armpits and eliminate the cause of most body odor. Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Synchronizing important biorhythms through sunlight entering your eye and striking your retina Regulating body temperature
Protecting against melanoma and decreasing mortality from it



According to the featured Dermato-Endocrinology article:10

“Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been used since ancient times to treat various diseases. This has a scientific background in the fact that a large number of molecules (chrromophores) in different layers of the skin interacts with and absorbs UV... Phototherapy is a valuable option in the treatment of many psoriatic and nonpsoriatic conditions, including atopic dermatitis, sclerosing skin conditions such as morphea, scleroderma, vitiligo, and mycosis fungoides. Phototherapy is the treatment of certain skin disorders with UV radiation which can be produced by the sun, fluorescent lamps, short arc lamps with UV filters and lasers.”

UV Exposure – An Effective Prevention against Tuberculosis

Nearly one third of the word’s population carries the tuberculosis bacteria, but only about 0.2 percent of those infected with tuberculosis (TB) actually develop a clinically significant infection. This fact indicates that something other than the bacteria itself is responsible for developing the disease. Several studies have appeared in the last decade, indicating that vitamin D is one of the major keys that dictate whether you will actually develop the disease. These studies have all come to the conclusion that vitamin D deficiency sets off the disease if you are a carrier of the bacteria.

One previous study was able to show an astonishing 100 percent resolution rate by treating TB patients with 10,000 units of vitamin D daily (compared with the 400 units usually advocated by conventional medicine). This treatment was so effective that it was the treatment of choice prior to the introduction of antibiotics.

How does vitamin D treat TB so effectively? Your white blood cells convert vitamin D that your skin produces from proper sun exposure into an active form, which helps form a protein that kills the tuberculosis bacteria. Therefore the more severe your vitamin D deficiency is, the higher your risk of developing the active form of TB.

Although there are vitamin D supplements on the market, I am convinced that supplementing with oral vitamin D is a poor substitute for proper UVB exposure on your skin. The primary reason is that it’s just too darn easy to overdose on vitamin D since it is an oil-soluble supplement, which easily stores in fat tissue. It is so easy that I’ve actually done it a few times, so I speak from personal experience on this one. Instead, your safest bet is to get your vitamin D from natural sunlight exposure.

Why? Because unlike other vitamins, vitamin D is created by your body after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. This is the active vitamin D – vitamin D3. Nearly all the prescription-based supplements are synthetic vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), which is FAR LESS effective.

How Vitamin D Performance Testing Can Help You Optimize Your Health

Additionally, a robust and growing body of research clearly shows that vitamin D is absolutely critical for good health and disease prevention. Vitamin D affects your DNA through vitamin D receptors (VDRs), which bind to specific locations of the human genome. Scientists have identified nearly 3,000 genes that are influenced by vitamin D levels, and vitamin D receptors have been found l throughout the human body.

Is it any wonder then that no matter what disease or condition is investigated, vitamin D appears to play a crucial role? This is why I am so excited about the D*Action Project by GrassrootsHealth.11 It is showing how you can take action today on known science with a consensus of experts without waiting for institutional lethargy. It has shown how by combining the science of measurement (of vitamin D levels) with the personal choice of taking action and, the value of education about individual measures that one can truly be in charge of their own health.

In order to spread this health movement to more communities, the project needs your involvement. This is an ongoing campaign during the month of February, and will become an annual event.

To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included. (Please note that 100 percent of the proceeds from the kits go to fund the research project. I do not charge a single dime as a distributor of the test kits.)

As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five year program, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee each 6 months for your sponsorship of the project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you "it's time for your next test and health survey."

[BroJones]

"you CAN take control of your health - you don't have to listen to and abide by this system that makes and keeps you sick in order to make multinational corporations wealthy."

It’s Time to Change American Disease-Management into a Health-Fostering System
March 18, 2013 | 62,409 views |

By Dr. Mercola

I’ve recently written a couple of articles about the exorbitant cost of medical care in the US, which is incompatible with the poor health outcomes of Americans at large.

Americans pay the most for but reap the least amount of benefits from their health care, compared to other industrialized nations. Overcharging and over-treating are two factors contributing to this enormous problem.

Andrew Weil, author of You Can't Afford to Get Sick: Your Guide to Optimum Health and Health Care, recently jumped into the fray with an article on CNN1 and a full one-hour long CNN documentary. The documentary is called Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare, which CNN premiered on March 10. Weil writes:

“The most insistent political question of the past four years has been: How can more Americans get access to medical care?

The federal response was the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Better known as 'Obamacare,' it is a complex mix of insurance changes and tax credits. When the act takes effect on January 1, 2014, it will provide access to insurance to about 30 million people who currently don't have it.

Unfortunately, that was the wrong question. So the looming 'answer' is wrong as well. Here's the right question: How can we improve medical care so that it's worth extending it to more people? In other words, how can we create a health care system that helps people become and stay healthy?”

Disease-Management versus Health Care

I could not agree more with Weil’s statement that the US does not have a health care system; we have a disease-management system.

It’s a system that is wholly dependent on expensive drugs and invasive surgeries, opposed to preventive measures and simpler, less expensive treatment alternatives. In short, it’s a system rooted in an ideal of maximized profits, opposed to helping people maintain or regain their health.

The majority of the diseases we’re trying to “manage” in this manner are lifestyle-related, and if you don’t address this root cause, you’ll never get better. You’re just paying for overpriced band-aids that do absolutely nothing to fix the underlying cause.

As Weil states:

“Making this system more accessible by passing costs to taxpayers will simply spread its failures more broadly.”

Like myself, Weil promotes integrative medicine (IM) as a better alternative to the current system. IM offers a combination of conventional medical therapies and complementary or alternative therapies "for which there is some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness."

Placing greater emphasis on prevention, IM fosters long-term health, and when disease does set in, conventional drug and surgery approaches are used sparingly and/or as a last resort.

Our current system does the exact opposite. Drugs and surgery are employed FIRST, and then, when the patient has exhausted all conventional avenues, he or she will sometimes turn to alternative therapies or nutritional interventions out of sheer desperation, on their own (and at their own expense).

Frequently this is what ends up saving that person’s life... Unfortunately, many have been financially ruined by the time they’ve wound their way through the conventional system.

Escape Fire takes a deeper look at the problems inherent with our medical system; the cause of the problems and its devastating effects, and provides some hopeful solutions. Weil issued the following highlights from the film:

The torturous journey of Sgt. Robert Yates, an injured veteran wounded in Afghanistan. He was prescribed a shopping bag full of prescription medications that left him broken and miserable in body, mind and spirit. Watching Yates begin to regain his health through gentle, low-cost therapies, including meditation and acupuncture, is profoundly moving.
A look at the revolutionary Safeway Healthy Measures Program. It gives the supermarket chain's employees financial incentives for taking responsibility for their own health, decreasing Safeway's insurance costs significantly while improving participants' well-being.
The dramatic story of Dr. Erin Martin, an Oregon primary care physician fed up with being pushed to treat patients faster and faster to boost clinic profits. She enrolled in the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine's Fellowship Program to find a better way, explaining that "I'm not interested in getting my productivity up -- I'm interested in helping patients."

Why the Affordable Health Care Act is Unlikely to Benefit Your Health

Last fall, I gave a presentation at Harper College, in which I discussed the Affordable Health Care Act, and why it’s likely to make matters far worse rather than better. It’s important to understand that guaranteed health insurance does NOT equate to guaranteed health care.

A major part of the problem is that the Act does not include any strategies designed to actually prevent illness. It also does not contain any measures to rein in or reduce out-of-control health care costs related to overcharges. Instead it expands an already flawed model of “care” that has been and continues to be a leading cause of both death and bankruptcy in the US.

For example:

Americans spend twice as much on health care per capita than any other country in the world; in fact according to a series of studies by the consulting firm McKinsey & Co, the US spends more on health care than the next 10 biggest spenders combined: Japan, Germany, France, China, the U.K., Italy, Canada, Brazil, Spain, and Australia.

Despite that, we rank dead last in terms of quality of care among industrialized countries, and Americans are far sicker and live shorter lives than people in other nations
A review of U.S. healthcare expenses by the Institutes of Medicine2 last year revealed that 30 cents of every dollar spent on medical care is wasted, adding up to $750 billion annually. Exorbitant hospital costs are a leading cause of this overspending
According to a 2011 report by the global consulting firm Milliman, annual healthcare costs for the average American family of four, if covered by a preferred provider organization, is still a staggering $19,3933
As opposed to other countries, American laws prevent the government from restraining drug prices. Federal law even prevents the single largest drug buyer - Medicare - from negotiating drug prices
Overall, Americans pay 50 percent more than other countries for identical drugs. This year alone, the US will spend more than $280 billion on prescription drugs. If Americans paid the same prices other countries pay for the same products, we’d save about $94 billion a year

We Need a Whole New System of Medicine

When it comes to medical charges, you the buyer are completely separated from the seller or provider. There’s absolutely no market feedback to regulate and control the prices that are charged, whether they are related to medications or hospital/treatment charges. For the most part, drug makers and hospitals are allowed to charge as much as they want, which plays a large role on why these charges have gotten so outrageously out of control. This simply does not happen in countries outside of the US.

As a result, more than half, or approximately 60 percent, of all personal bankruptcies in the US are related to medical bills. Even more remarkably, the majority of those bankruptcies are among people WITH health insurance... Weil writes:

“The film [Escape Fire] takes its name from the practice of setting a small fire to clear out nearby brush, allowing a fast-advancing forest fire to pass by harmlessly. Will we be sufficiently clear-eyed and rational to take a similarly bold action to avoid disaster wrought by our dysfunctional health care system? I hope so. In the film, I say, 'The present system doesn't work, and it's going to take us down. We need a whole new kind of medicine.'"

This new system needs to address preventive strategies, and allow for less expensive, less invasive and more health-promoting alternatives as the first line of treatment. This automatically means reduced profits for the medical industry as a whole, but the pharmaceutical industry in particular would have to relinquish its grasp on its greatest cash cow, the American drug consumer.

When you consider how far Big Pharma has gone to manipulate the political system to its advantage, lobbying for laws to protect and bolster its profits even to the detriment of the country as a whole, this is not going to happen overnight. But you don’t have to wait for the system to change. You can take control of your own health in the meantime, and proactively work to protect not only your life but your pocketbook as well. At the end of this article, I will list a few of my top healthy lifestyle considerations, the most important of which is proper food choices.

Most of the Leading Causes of Death are Preventable

Still, there is light at the end of the tunnel because you CAN take control of your health - you don't have to listen to and abide by this system that makes and keeps you sick in order to make multinational corporations wealthy.

The majority of deaths are due to chronic, not acute, disease. And most chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity, are largely preventable with simple lifestyle changes. Even infectious diseases like the flu can often be warded off by a healthy way of life. Just imagine the lowered death toll, not to mention costs to the economy, if more people decided to take control of their health … heart disease and cancer alone accounted for 47 percent of deaths in the United States in 2010, and there are many strategies you can implement to lower your risk of these diseases.

The added bonus to this is that the healthier you are, the less you will need to rely on conventional medical care, which is a leading cause of death. So what does a "healthy lifestyle" entail? The following is a short list of the basics expounded upon in my nutrition plan:

Proper Food Choices

For a comprehensive guide on which foods to eat and which to avoid, see my nutrition plan. It's available for free, and is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and all-inclusive guides on a healthy lifestyle out there. Generally speaking, you should be looking to focus your diet on whole, ideally organic, unprocessed foods that come from healthy, sustainable, ideally local, sources.

For the best nutrition and health benefits, you will want to eat a good portion of your food raw. Nearly as important as knowing which foods to eat more of is knowing which foods to avoid, and topping the list is fructose. Sugar, and fructose in particular, can act as a toxin in and of itself when consumed in excess, and as such drive multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of accelerated aging and virtually all chronic disease.

For most people (although there are clearly individual differences), a diet high in healthful fats (as high as 50-70 percent of the calories you eat), moderate amounts of high quality protein, which is far less than the average amount most people eat, with the bulk of carbohydrates coming from vegetables and very low or no carbohydrates from grains and sugars, will set you on the right track toward health.
Comprehensive Exercise Program, including High-Intensity Exercise

Even if you're eating the healthiest diet in the world, you still need to exercise to reach the highest levels of health, and you need to be exercising effectively, which means including not only core-strengthening exercises, strength training, and stretching but also high-intensity activities into your rotation. High-intensity interval-type training boosts human growth hormone (HGH) production, which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor. I've discussed the importance of Peak Fitness for your health on numerous occasions, so for more information, please review this previous article.
Stress Reduction and Positive Thinking

You cannot be optimally healthy if you avoid addressing the emotional component of your health and longevity, as your emotional state plays a role in nearly every physical disease -- from heart disease and depression, to arthritis and cancer. Effective coping mechanisms are a major longevity-promoting factor in part because stress has a direct impact on inflammation, which in turn underlies many of the chronic diseases that kill people prematurely every day. Meditation, prayer, energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, social support and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium.
Optimize Vitamin D with Proper Sun Exposure

We have long known that it is best to get your vitamin D from appropriate sun exposure during times when UVB rays are present. Vitamin D plays an important role in preventing numerous illnesses ranging from cancer to the flu.

The important factor when it comes to vitamin D is your serum level, which should ideally be between 50-70 ng/ml year-round. Sun exposure or a safe tanning bed is the preferred method for optimizing vitamin D levels, but a vitamin D3 supplement can be used when necessary. Most adults need about 8,000 IU's of vitamin D a day to achieve serum levels above 40 ng/ml, which is still just below the minimum recommended serum level of 50 ng/ml.

Be aware that if you take supplemental vitamin D, you also need to make sure you're getting enough vitamin K2, as these two nutrients work in tandem to ensure calcium is distributed into the proper areas in your body. Vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries.

While the ideal or optimal ratios between vitamin D and vitamin K2 have yet to be elucidated, Dr. Kate Rheaume-Bleue, author of Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life, suggests that for every 1,000 IU's of vitamin D you take, you may benefit from about 100 micrograms of K2, and perhaps as much as 150-200 micrograms (mcg).

Fermented vegetables can be a great source of vitamin K if you ferment your own using the proper starter culture. We recently had samples of high-quality fermented organic vegetables made with our specific starter culture tested, and a two to three ounce serving contained about 500 mcg of vitamin K.
High Quality Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats

Animal-based omega-3 fat like krill oil is a strong factor in helping people live longer, and many experts believe that it is likely the predominant reason why the Japanese are the longest lived race on the planet.
Avoid as Many Chemicals, Toxins, and Pollutants as Possible
This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives.

[BroJones]

Often find TV ads of drugs to be annoying... worse than that it seems:

I
TV Ads for Statins Drive Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment According to Study
March 20, 2013 | 76,809 views |


By Dr. Mercola

The United States is one of only two countries, the other being New Zealand, that allows drugs to be advertised on TV, and it’s not difficult to understand why nearly every other country has given such ads the boot.

As with all commercials, the ads are intended to influence you to buy their products. In the case of prescription medications, the “product” is a potentially dangerous chemical drug that is loaded with side effects.

In a 2009 Harris Poll, 51 percent said that drug ads encourage them to ask questions when they go to their doctor, and a whopping 44 percent actually believe drug ads make them more knowledgeable about treatments for their ailments.

Now, a new study assessing the effect of direct-to-consumer drug advertising has concluded that TV ads for statins may be a driving factor of overdiagnosis of high cholesterol and overtreatment with the drugs.1

The reason is clear. People who dutifully ask their doctors about a drug advertised on TV usually end up receiving a prescription...

Is it any wonder then that one in four Americans over the age of 45 is now taking a statin drug, despite the fact that there are over 900 studies proving their adverse effects, which run the gamut from muscle problems to diabetes and increased cancer risk.

Odds are likely greater than 100 to 1 that if you're taking a statin, you don't really need it. The ONLY subgroup that might benefit are those born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this makes them resistant to traditional measures of normalizing cholesterol.

TV Ads for Statins Drive Overdiagnosis and Overtreatment

To determine the relationship between estimated exposure to direct-to-consumer advertising for statin drugs and two clinical variables: diagnosis with high cholesterol and statin use, the featured study, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine,2 used logistic regression to analyze repeated cross-sectional surveys of more than 106,000 Americans, merged with data on the frequency of ads appearing on national, cable, and local television, between 2001 and 2007. Interestingly, those who reported seeing statin ads on TV were:

16-20 percent more likely to be diagnosed with high cholesterol
16-22 percent more likely to be using a statin drug

That’s quite a boost in diagnosis and treatment, and proof positive that advertising works, even when you’re selling something with greater potential harms than benefits, as is the case with statins.

Tellingly, both the diagnosis of high cholesterol and increased statin use was driven almost exclusively by those who were at LOW risk for future cardiac events, indicating that overdiagnosis and unnecessary drug treatment is quite real. Conversely, those at high risk of heart disease were not more likely to be taking a statin after seeing the commercials. According to the authors:

"Our findings raise questions about the extent to which direct-to-consumer advertising may promote over-diagnosis and over-treatment for populations where risks may outweigh potential benefits. In addition, we found no evidence of favorable associations between exposure to statins in television advertisements and statin use among those at high risk for future cardiac events."

Turning People into Patients — At YOUR Expense

The 1997 change in direct-to-consumer advertising laws unleashed an avalanche of drug commercials. Two years later, the average American was exposed to nine prescription drug TV ads every day. Between 1994 and 2000, TV drug ads increased 40-fold.3

In 2005, two of the top four most heavily promoted drugs were cholesterol-lowering medications. In that year alone, Merck/Schering-Plough spent $161.5 million on ads for Vytorin, and AstraZeneca spent $158.6 million advertising Crestor — down from the $212 million4 they spent the year before.

In all, pharmaceutical companies spend an estimated $4 billion a year on these types of consumer marketing campaigns in the US, so you can bet they’re getting a hefty portion of this expense back in the form of increased profits.

No doubt you’ve heard that drugs cost so much because it’s expensive to perform research and development of new drugs. Yet pharmaceutical companies spend nearly TWICE as much on marketing in the US as they do on R&D! This finding was published in the journal PloS Medicine in 2008.5 According to the authors:

“From this new estimate, it appears that pharmaceutical companies spend almost twice as much on promotion as they do on R&D. These numbers clearly show how promotion predominates over R&D in the pharmaceutical industry, contrary to the industry's claim.

While the amount spent on promotion is not in itself a confirmation of Kefauver's depiction of the pharmaceutical industry, it confirms the public image of a marketing-driven industry and provides an important argument to petition in favor of transforming the workings of the industry in the direction of more research and less promotion.” [Emphasis mine]

The US is, by far, the largest market for pharmaceuticals in the world, representing around 43 percent of global sales. This is in part due to Americans being grossly overcharged. As I recently reported, Americans pay TWICE the price compared to other countries for the identical drugs.6

Well, here’s part of the answer to the question why: You’re paying for their direct-to-consumer advertising, which is illegal everywhere else (with the exception of New Zealand).

Aside from their inherently misleading nature, and the fact that they dramatically increase drug prices, direct-to-consumer drug ads like those on TV often plant a seed in your mind that you may be sick. Drug companies are masters at disease mongering -- inventing non-existent diseases and exaggerating minor ones, with the end result making you rush to your doctor to request their drug solutions. It also misleads people into thinking drugs are the only option for every ill. If you think about it, a child who grows up seeing these ads is clearly going to be indoctrinated to turn to a drug when something goes wrong, unless he or she receives a different education from some other source.

Effective Statin Ads Place Millions of Americans at Risk of Serious Health Problems

Statins are HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, that is, they act by blocking the enzyme in your liver that is responsible for making cholesterol (HMG-CoA reductase). The fact that statin drugs cause side effects is well established — there are now 900 studies proving their adverse effects, which run the gamut from muscle problems to increased cancer risk.

Please note that statins are classified as a "pregnancy Category X medication" meaning, it causes serious birth defects, and should NEVER be used by a woman who is pregnant or planning a pregnancy. If it is prescribed, it is simply gross negligence and malpractice.

Statins have also been shown to increase your risk of diabetes, via a number of different mechanisms. The most important one is that they increase insulin resistance, which can be extremely harmful to your health. Increased insulin resistance contributes to chronic inflammation in your body, and inflammation is the hallmark of most diseases.

In fact, increased insulin resistance can lead to heart disease, which, ironically, is the primary reason for taking a cholesterol-reducing drug in the first place. It can also promote belly fat, high blood pressure, heart attacks, chronic fatigue, thyroid disruption, and diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and cancer.

Secondly, statins increase your diabetes risk by actually raising your blood sugar. When you eat a meal that contains starches and sugar, some of the excess sugar goes to your liver, which then stores it away as cholesterol and triglycerides. Statins work by preventing your liver from making cholesterol. As a result, your liver returns the sugar to your bloodstream, which raises your blood sugar levels.

Drug-induced diabetes and genuine type 2 diabetes are not necessarily identical. If you're on a statin drug and find that your blood glucose is elevated, it's possible that what you have is just hyperglycemia — a side effect, and the result of your medication. Unfortunately, many doctors will at that point mistakenly diagnose you with "type 2 diabetes," and possibly prescribe another drug, when all you may need to do is simply discontinue the statin in order for your blood glucose levels to revert back to normal.

Statin drugs also interfere with other biological functions. Of utmost importance, statins deplete your body of CoQ10, which accounts for many of its devastating results. Therefore, if you take a statin, you must take supplemental CoQ10, or better, the reduced form called ubiquinol. Statins also interfere with the mevalonate pathway, which is the central pathway for the steroid management in your body. Products of this pathway that are negatively affected by statins include:

All your sex hormones
Cortisone
The dolichols, which are involved in keeping the membranes inside your cells healthy
All sterols, including cholesterol and vitamin D (which is similar to cholesterol and is produced from cholesterol in your skin)

Ninety-Nine Out of 100 People Do Not Need Statin Drugs

That these drugs have proliferated the market the way they have is a testimony to the effectiveness of direct-to-consumer marketing, corruption and corporate greed, because the odds are very high — greater than 1000 to 1 — that if you're taking a statin, you don't really need it. From my review, the ONLY subgroup that might benefit are those born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this makes them resistant to traditional measures of normalizing cholesterol.

Even more importantly, cholesterol is NOT the cause of heart disease. If your physician is urging you to check your total cholesterol, then you should know that this test will tell you virtually nothing about your risk of heart disease, unless it is 330 or higher. HDL percentage is a far more potent indicator for heart disease risk. Here are the two ratios you should pay attention to:

HDL/Total Cholesterol Ratio: Should ideally be above 24 percent. If below 10 percent, you have a significantly elevated risk for heart disease.
Triglyceride/HDL Ratio: Should be below 2.

I have seen a number of people with total cholesterol levels over 250 who were actually at low risk for heart disease due to their elevated HDL levels. Conversely, I have seen many people with cholesterol levels under 200 who had a very high risk of heart disease, based on their low HDL. NMR testing is another important new lipid assessment you can now take to determine your risk for heart disease.

Remember, your body NEEDS cholesterol — it is important in the production of cell membranes, hormones, vitamin D and bile acids that help you to digest fat. Cholesterol also helps your brain form memories and is vital to your neurological function. There is also strong evidence that having too little cholesterol INCREASES your risk for cancer, memory loss, Parkinson's disease, hormonal imbalances, stroke, depression, suicide, and violent behavior.

To learn more about statins, please see my special report: Do YOU Take Any of These 11 Dangerous Cholesterol Drugs?

Turn Off the Tube and Tune in to Your Body’s Innate Wisdom

These ads are now on your TV, in magazines and on the Internet, so it’s difficult to eliminate your exposure. What you can do, however, is keep a healthy air of skepticism about you whenever you do see a drug commercial. Really listen to the side effects and ask yourself if cancer is an acceptable risk for a drug to treat an embarrassing skin condition, for example.

If you think you might need the drug, first seek out an unbiased source of information to see if you truly do. The internet can frequently be a helpful tool here.

Also check for the truth about side effects. The average drug comes with a list of 70 potential reactions, according to researchers who used a computer program to analyze 5,600 drug labels. If you take one of the more commonly prescribed drugs, the potential drug reactions rise to about 100 -- and some drugs even carry over 500. Given that, it’s not so surprising that more than 700,000 people visit U.S. emergency rooms each year as a result of adverse drug reactions. Not only that, but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered cause about 106,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the US.

Polypharmacy Raises Drug Side Effects Exponentially

According to the latest statistics from the Kaiser Health Foundation,7 the average American aged 19 to 64 now takes nearly 12 prescription drugs. The average senior is on 28. The word 'polypharmacy' means "many drugs," and essentially refers to these instances where an individual is taking multiple drugs -- often because more drugs are prescribed than are clinically indicated.

This is a significant problem, as the more drugs you mix together, the greater the chances of serious side effects. And, if the average American is taking a dozen different prescription drugs, and the average prescription drug carries 70 side effects… do the math! That's an average of 770 potential individual side effects but the drug to drug interaction is far higher and is likely one to two orders of magnitude greater. To me, this is simply unacceptable, especially considering that most drugs people take are for conditions that can be better treated, and prevented, using natural methods.

Take Control of Your Health

Anytime you’re considering taking a drug, whether you’ve succumbed to a seductive drug ad or your doctor wants to prescribe one for an ailment you’ve presented, please do remember that you carry the ultimate responsibility here. Don’t trust blindly; ask questions about the drugs prescribed to you, such as:

Do I really need this drug?
Is it prescribed appropriately, or is it being prescribed for an off-label use?
What are the side effects?
Is it addictive?
What are the natural alternatives?

In the majority of cases, you’ll likely find that you can prevent or resolve the condition not by taking a drug, but by following these basic tenets of optimal health:

Eat a healthy diet focused on fresh, whole foods (ideally organic and/or locally-grown). Try to eat a large portion of your food raw.

You want to pay careful attention to keeping your insulin levels down, which means avoiding sugars and grains of all kinds, and replacing the lost carbs with healthful fats. Also be mindful of your protein sources, making sure they’re of high quality (ideally organically-raised and pasture-fed). A high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet is likely to improve the health of most people. My optimized Nutritional Plan can guide you, whether you’re at a beginner’s or advanced level.
Consume healthy fat. The science is loud and clear on this point: omega-3 fats are essential for optimal health. Unfortunately most fish commercially available today are polluted with mercury, PCBs and other toxic substances, which is why I recommend you take a supplement like krill oil instead of getting it from your food. Other healthy fats include coconut oil, avocados, olives, olive oil, butter and macadamia nuts. All these fats are low in protein and carbs and will not impair insulin, leptin or mTOR.
Make clean, pure water your primary beverage, and steer clear of all sweetened and/or flavored beverages, including those that contain artificial sweeteners.
Manage your stress.
Exercise regularly. Ideally, you want a comprehensive fitness regimen that includes stretching, high intensity interval training, core strengthening exercises and strength training.
Get plenty of appropriate sun exposure to optimize your vitamin D levels naturally. UV exposure also has additional health benefits beyond vitamin D production.

A robust and growing body of research clearly shows that vitamin D is absolutely critical for your health. The D*Action project has been initiated by GrassrootsHealth along with 42 leading vitamin D researchers to demonstrate how health can be achieved right now with what’s known about vitamin D with a combination of vitamin D measurement and health outcome tracking. To learn more, please see this recent article.

I encourage you to participate in the D*Action Project, which has multiple concurrent vitamin D programs going on. Not only will you be able to take control of your own health by participating, you’ll also become part of one of the most profound public health projects of the 21st Century. To participate, simply purchase the D*Action Measurement Kit and follow the registration instructions included. As a participant, you agree to test your vitamin D levels twice a year during a five year program, and share your health status to demonstrate the public health impact of this nutrient. There is a $65 fee each 6 months for your sponsorship of the project, which includes a test kit to be used at home, and electronic reports on your ongoing progress. You will get a follow up email every six months reminding you "it's time for your next test and health survey."
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Limit your exposure to toxins of all kinds. The number of toxic chemicals and their sources is so large, addressing them all could easily require an entire library, but I believe you can help you keep your toxic load as low as possible by becoming an informed and vigilant consumer. This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives.
Get plenty of quality sleep. Scientists have discovered that your circadian rhythms regulate the energy levels in your cells. In addition, the proteins involved with your circadian rhythm and metabolism are intrinsically linked and dependent upon each other. Therefore, when your circadian rhythm is disrupted, it can have a profound influence on your physical health. For example, research has also linked disrupted sleep cycles to serious health problems like depression, coronary heart diseases, and even cancer.

If you have any kind of sleep problem, whether you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, my article 33 Secrets to a Good Night's Sleep is packed with great tips to help you finally get some good rest.

It Takes Personal Involvement to Stay Healthy in a Sick System

Ultimately, it's your body, and the decision to medicate yourself for an ailment is yours alone. However, I urge you to research any drug your doctor prescribes before you take it. Do not just take your doctor's word for its safety. Most physicians have little information to offer you aside from what they've been told by their drug reps.

Also remember that no drug is completely safe. Even under the BEST circumstances -- such as with a drug that has gone through unbiased, stringent, long-term testing -- anything can happen when a drug is released into the uncontrolled environment of your body. It may interact badly with another drug you're taking, or perhaps a food you eat causes an unforeseen reaction, or maybe your genetic makeup, metabolism or the state of your immune system will cause it to have an unpredictable impact.

Ads are intended to make you want to buy a product — they are NOT public health announcements!

In the case of prescription medications, the “product” is a potentially dangerous chemical that may do more harm than good. This is certainly the case with statins. One in four Americans are now taking a statin, when the odds are greater than 100 to 1 that you don’t need it! Please understand that unless you have familial hypercholesterolemia, you do NOT need a drug to normalize your cholesterol. This can easily be achieved via diet and exercise.

[BroJones]

Think about it before letting them give your baby vaccination shots!

By Dr. Mercola

By the time your newborn is 12 hours old, federal health officials recommend administering the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine. TWELVE HOURS! If you want to avoid it you must make it VERY clear to all hospital staff well before the delivery and monitor your baby closely until you leave the hospital.

Three hepatitis B shots are part of the standard government-recommended childhood vaccination schedule, with the third dose to be given before 18 months of age.

But hepatitis B is a primarily blood-transmitted adult disease associated with risky lifestyle choices such as unprotected sex with multiple partners and intravenous drug use involving sharing needles — it is NOT primarily a "children's disease" or one that is a common threat to newborn babies.

In fact, according to the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC):1

“The primary reason that the CDC recommended hepatitis B vaccination for all newborns in the United States in 1991 is because public health officials and doctors could not persuade adults in high risk groups (primarily IV drug abusers and persons with multiple sexual partners) to get the vaccine.”

But now new research has shown that by the time a child reaches his or her teenage years – the time when acquiring a hepatitis B infection may be more likely – the protection from the childhood vaccine may have long since waned…

Infant Hepatitis B Vaccination May be Ineffective in Teenagers

The study, which involved nearly 9,000 high school students, found that by the age of 15, about 15 percent of teens who received the full series of hepatitis B shots as infants tested positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), which is an early indicator of infection or a sign that the person is a chronic carrier of the virus.2

This percentage was even higher among teens who had received the hepatitis B vaccine off schedule, or whose mothers were high risk, meaning they tested positive for hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg).

In other words, it appears that in many this vaccine does NOT provide lasting protection. The researchers noted:

“A significant proportion of complete vaccinees may have lost their immunological memories against HBsAg.”

It’s for this reason that the hepatitis B vaccine for newborns and young children is the least justifiable of any vaccine I can think of and certainly should not be mandated for daycare or school attendance. Remember, the disease is only transmitted via contaminated needles, blood transfusion, or contact with contaminated blood and/or body fluids.

In fact, it is described by the CDC primarily as a sexually-transmitted disease, e.g. vaginal, anal, oral sex transmitted. While babies can contract hepatitis B vertically via their mother at birth, this very rare risk can be identified via prebirth hepatitis screening of mothers, hence making vaccination essentially unnecessary in nearly every case.

And so, we must ask ourselves, if the only way a newborn infant can be infected with hepatitis B in a hospital is through infected blood or semen, either the hospital is doing a terrible job of protecting their newborns against such exposure, or the medical justification for vaccinating infants against Hepatitis B simply doesn’t exist.

Hepatitis B Vaccine Linked to SIDS and Other Serious Side Effects

The recommendation to vaccinate newborns against a disease they have little to no risk of catching becomes all the more ludicrous when you consider the serious side effects the vaccine may cause. As NVIC reported:3

“As of March 2012, there was a total of 66,654 hepatitis B vaccine-related adverse events reported to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including reports of headache, irritability, extreme fatigue, brain inflammation, convulsions, rheumatoid arthritis, optic neuritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) and neuropathy.

There have been more than 1,500 hepatitis B vaccine-related deaths reported, including deaths classified as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).”

Keep in mind that this is likely an underestimation because only a fraction of the serious health problems, including deaths, following vaccination are ever acknowledged due to a lack of public awareness about how to recognize signs and symptoms of vaccine reactions.

Also, vaccine adverse events are substantially underreported — some estimate only between one and 10 percent of all serious heath problems and deaths that occur after vaccination are ever reported — even though the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 mandated that all doctors and other vaccine providers report serious health problems, including hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following vaccination.

Moreover, often only acute reaction symptoms that occur soon after vaccination are recognized, since chronic inflammation and other subclinical adverse effects may take weeks, months, years or even decades to fully manifest. This makes it very difficult, if not impossible in many cases, to link chronic health problems back to an earlier vaccination or series of vaccinations, especially when doctors fail to inform themselves or their patients about vaccine risks and fail to keep accurate medical records.

The 1986 Act did not include sanctions for failing to inform, record or report potential vaccine reactions, injuries and deaths to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS). So most vaccine providers, for reasons that are obvious, e.g. their guilt and desire to conveniently write off all vaccine-associated health problems as a “coincidence,” do not file a report when the health of a person recently vaccinated begins to deteriorate.

Truth be told, many vaccine reactions are not even recognized by medical personnel as vaccine-related, in part because many have been mislead into believing that vaccine-induced injuries are exceedingly rare.

For instance, when babies die after hepatitis B vaccinations, most of the time their deaths are automatically attributed to SIDS -- without investigation into whether the vaccine caused the baby's sudden death. When a baby's death is listed as "SIDS," rarely does anyone ask about the deceased infant's vaccination history to find out whether there were symptoms of vaccine reactions before death, even though the biomedical literature has repeatedly signaled this connection.4

60 Diseases and Adverse Reactions are Associated With the Hepatitis B Vaccine

As Dr. Jane Orient of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) testified to Congress:

"For most children, the risk of a serious vaccine reaction may be 100 times greater than the risk of hepatitis B."

Indeed, at least 60 diseases or adverse unintended consequences are associated with hepatitis B vaccination.5 Common reactions to the vaccine include fatigue, muscle weakness, fever, headache, irritability and joint pain. A study published in Annals of Epidemiology6 also found that giving hepatitis B vaccine to infant boys more than tripled their risk for an autism spectrum disorder. This was doubly concerning because an earlier study by the same researcher group, using a different database, found the same results. And there have been reports of disabling neurological and immunological disorders that have developed following hepatitis B vaccinations as well, including:
Multiple sclerosis (MS) Guillain Barre syndrome Bell's Palsy
Diabetes Rheumatoid arthritis Lupus
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia purpura Convulsions and brain disorders such as encephalitis (brain swelling) and brain demyelination Immune dysfunction
Visual and hearing impairments, including optic neuritis Pancreatitis Autism spectrum disorders



The association between hepatitis B vaccine and autism, particularly the 3-fold higher risk in males as reported by parents,7 may be explained by the well-known phenomena of molecular mimicry. Some researchers have proposed that the hepatitis B vaccine induces autoimmune demyelinating disease through the molecular mimicry that exists between the vaccine antigen, Epstein-Barr virus and human myelin. Basically, the vaccine stimulates an antibody response that cross-reacts against neurological self-structures, such as myelin, resulting in neurological damage.8

What You Should Know About Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is often called "the silent killer" because as many as 95 percent of those with the disease exhibit no symptoms at all, until it's too late. The disease can progress unnoticed for years in some cases, and patients oftentimes learn they have chronic hepatitis B once they develop severe liver damage Hepatitis actually means liver inflammation. Ironically, hepatitis B vaccines have actually been shown to induce liver inflammation associated with hepatitis.9 The "A," "B" and "C" designations refer to the type of hepatitis virus involved. Symptoms of hepatitis A and B are very similar, and include:

Abdominal pain
Fever
Fatigue
Joint pain
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)

Fortunately, in most cases the hepatitis B infection will resolve on its own provided you have a well-functioning immune system. Symptoms can be relieved by:

Resting
Avoiding foods that weaken your immune function, such as sugars/fructose, grains, and processed foods. Healthful foods that help boost your immune system include fermented foods and organic vegetables. (For a list of the top 12 most beneficial foods for robust immune function, please see this previous article)
Optimizing your vitamin D levels
Drinking plenty of pure water
Avoiding alcohol and drugs

If you recover completely from hepatitis B infection, you’ll acquire life-long immunity. A diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B, on the other hand, will typically include some form of antiviral medication, and depending on how far along your disease has progressed, you may even require a liver transplant. Even if you have been vaccinated as a child, it’s important to remember that you may not be protected from these risks, and could still be infected via IV drug abuse, sexual activity with an infected partner, a blood transfusion with contaminated blood or even getting a manicure or pedicure…

You Have a Choice Regarding Hepatitis B Vaccination

If you're an expecting parent, it's important to know that the hepatitis B vaccine is given to virtually every newborn in the hospital — many times without parents' consent — shortly after the child is born.

Please carefully review the reward-to-benefit ratio well before your deliver. If you conclude like many concerned health care professionals, that subjecting all healthy newborns to hepatitis B vaccination within hours of birth is both risky and unnecessary and you decide it is not appropriate for your baby, you can amend the "consent for medical treatment" forms you sign upon entering the hospital before giving birth by writing on the form that you do not give consent for your baby's hepatitis B vaccination in the newborn nursery. You should let any nurses or other medical staff taking care of you and your baby know this directly as well.

However, there are reports that some newborns are being vaccinated in the newborn nursery against the parent's wishes. So it is a good idea to keep your newborn with you at all times or have a family member stay with the baby while in the hospital.

That said, it is important to be tested for hepatitis B if you're pregnant, as it's possible to have a chronic infection with no symptoms and not know it. If you are pregnant and are a carrier for the hepatitis B virus, your baby could be at risk for being infected during childbirth.

And although hepatitis B vaccines may be "mandated" for your child to attend school or day care, most states offer different legal vaccine exemptions (medical, religious, and philosophical). On NVIC.org, you can research your state's specific vaccine laws and requirements and find out what kind of exemption to hepatitis B vaccination you are allowed to exercise in your state for your child to attend daycare or school.

[BroJones]

Immediate benefits of exercise as a motivator...
Hmmmm.... wish I had an elliptical device in my home; that's my favorite!

By Dr. Mercola

You’ve heard it all before... exercise can help you lose weight, help prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and help you live to a healthy old age -- all spectacular benefits that are well worth a bit of sweat and exertion.

So why, then, do the majority of U.S. adults get no vigorous exercise, and only 28 percent do so three times or more a week?1

Clearly, something in the message is not getting through... or it is not motivating enough to make most people think of exercise as a priority in their day – like working, eating and sleeping. New research has revealed that part of the problem may, in fact, be in the way exercise is advertised, which is missing out on a key motivating factor.

Would You Exercise More If...

You thought your workouts would enhance your well-being today? If, after you walked out of the gym or got home from a run, you knew you would feel happier, more optimistic and better able to deal with all of the stress that comes with living?

Research by Michelle L. Segar, a research investigator at the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan, and colleagues suggests you would. The study found that while many people started an exercise program to lose weight and improve their appearance, they continued to exercise because of the benefits to their well-being.2

Once people recognized this connection to their emotional health, they continued to work out because it made them feel good mentally. Dr. Segar stated:3

“It [Exercise] has to be portrayed as a compelling behavior that can benefit us today... People who say they exercise for its benefits to quality of life exercise more over the course of a year than those who say they value exercise for its health benefits.

…Immediate rewards are more motivating than distant ones... Feeling happy and less stressed is more motivating than not getting heart disease or cancer, maybe, someday in the future.

…Physical activity is an elixir of life, but we’re not teaching people that. We’re telling them it’s a pill to take or a punishment for bad numbers on the scale. Sustaining physical activity is a motivational and emotional issue, not a medical one.”

Exercise 'Marketing' Should Focus on Its Benefits to Your Happiness

Perhaps in order to entice people to want to exercise, we do need to change the way we “market” the idea. Rather than viewing exercise as a medical tool to lose weight, prevent disease, and live longer, why not view it as a tool to immediately enhance your frame of mind?

It does this well, after all.

Regular workouts, even during the winter months, will boost your mood naturally and chase away the blahs or even more serious feelings of depression. Exercise has been found to work at least as well as antidepressants to treat symptoms of depression. Just getting outside for a walk or to the gym for a 30-minute workout can dramatically improve your mood, both short and longer term.

Exercise boosts levels of potent brain chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which may help buffer some of the effects of stress. Many avid exercisers also feel a sense of euphoria after a workout, sometimes known as the “runner’s high.” It can be quite addictive, in a good way, once you experience just how good it feels to get your heart rate up and your body moving.

So if you’re having trouble motivating yourself to exercise, there are immediate benefits to help get you over the hump. Aside from the emotional “high,” other immediate or near-immediate benefits include:

Better sleep
Boost your immune system
Improve blood flow to your brain
Enhance learning
Build self-esteem and body image

Once you experience these personally, you’ll likely have a high level of self-determination or autonomy when it comes to deciding to exercise. Rather than viewing it as a chore that you have to do, you’ll view it as a choice that you value spending your time doing – and probably also start to think of it as essential to keeping your emotional sanity. And exercise is, indeed, essential.

“We need to make exercise relevant to people’s daily lives,” Dr. Segar continued. “Everyone’s schedule is packed with nonstop to-do’s. We can only fit in what’s essential.”4

Turning on Some Tunes Will Improve Your Exercise Performance Effortlessly

Since we all want to make the most of our exercise time, it’s worth noting that listening to music while exercising can increase your endurance by 15 percent,5 and your movement will likely follow the tempo of the song. For instance, in one study when the music's tempo slowed, the subjects' exertion level reduced as well.6 And when the tempo was increased, their performance followed suit.

Your body may be simply responding to the beat on a more or less subconscious level, but the type and tempo of the music you choose while working out may also influence your conscious motivation. Certain music may also have an enhancement effect by either reducing perceptions of fatigue or increasing work capacity with higher than expected levels of endurance, power, productivity or strength.7 To get the most benefits, the "right" music has to be chosen, and researchers determined the most effective music for exercise should be:

Functional for the activity (rhythm should match up with your movements)
Selected with desired effects in mind (loud, fast, percussive music with a lot of bass will increase arousal, slower music will help you unwind, cool down, etc.)
Accompanied by lyrics associated with movement, such as "the only way is up"
Within the tempo band of 125-140 beats per minute for most people

You needn't get bogged down with the details, however, as selecting music is a highly personal and intuitive process. When a song gets you energized and rearing to go, you'll know it, and these are the types of songs you should add to your workout playlist. Most of the music playing in typical gyms I have not found very helpful, but you can use your own music with a pair of high-quality lightweight headphones.

Another Motivating Factor – Your Workout Only Needs to Take 20 Minutes

If you dread exercising because you associate it with grueling hour-long sessions on the treadmill, you’re in luck. This is the “old-school” way of doing cardio, and it’s becoming increasingly apparent that it is not the most effective way to work out. Since time (or a lack of it) is one of the most often cited reasons why people don’t work out, being able to cut your workout time by more than half should help you to find a way to fit it into your schedule.

In the case of Peak Fitness exercises, less truly is more, as you can get all the benefits you need in just a 20-minute session performed twice a week. In fact, you should not do Peak Fitness exercises more than three times a week. If you do, you may actually do more harm than good. Because while your body needs regular amounts of stress like exercise to stay healthy, it also needs ample recuperation, and if you give it more than you can handle your health will actually begin to deteriorate. So it is really crucial to listen to your body and integrate the feedback into your exercise intensity and frequency.

With high-intensity interval training like Peak Fitness, you can literally reap greater rewards in less time. The same can be said for the super-slow form of weight training, which mirrors many of the health benefits of high-intensity interval training.

You can see a demonstration of this type of high-intensity exercise below, and read more about it here. The key to remember is this: the more you get into the habit of exercising, the better it’s going to make you feel. And soon you’ll begin to regard your daily workout, whether that be a session of Peak Fitness, strength training, yoga, or a hike in the woods, as a type of respite or solace from the stress of your day... and that will probably be all the motivation you’ll need.

[BroJones]

Simple Prevention and Treatment Strategies for Back Pain
March 29, 2013 | 79,728 views |

By Dr. Mercola

An estimated 75-85 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some time in their life, and most cases are mechanical in nature, meaning the pain is not due to a serious medical condition such as inflammatory arthritis or fracture.

Fifty percent of all working adults say they have back pain, and it's one of the most common reasons for missed work.

According to the American Chiropractic Association,1 Americans spend at least $50 billion annually on back pain treatments, and are often left feeling more confused about their problem.

Not surprisingly, back pain has become a major target for Big Pharma disease mongering.2 The latest example of this is the emergence of ads for ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, which includes the spine.

“Do you have back pain? Are you dismissing it as resulting from 'lifting too much' at the gym or 'bad posture'?” one radio ad asks. “You might have ankylosing spondylitis.”

The drug advertised is Humira, which has a price tag of about $20,000 a year. It is reprehensible for drug companies to promote this expensive and dangerous drug for an exceedingly rare cause of low back pain, which likely is responsible for less than a tenth of a tenth of one percent of low back pain.

Side effects of the drug3 include tuberculosis, serious infections, increased risk of lymphoma and other cancers, hepatitis B infection in carriers of the virus, allergic reactions, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, certain immune reactions including a lupus-like syndrome, liver problems, and new or worsening psoriasis — and that’s the short list! There are many more.

Considering the fact that most cases of low back pain are not caused by inflammatory conditions, you probably do not need this drug — although you may have no trouble receiving it should you ask your doctor for it...

Besides addictive and dangerous painkillers, pain injections also carry risks. Last year, nearly two dozen people receiving steroid injections for chronic back pain contracted meningitis. The outbreak was traced to a contaminated batch of injectable steroids.4

Since poor posture and/or improper movement is to blame for most cases of back pain, one of the best things you can do to prevent and manage back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong.

Foundation Training is a simple response to this common back pain problem. The program is inexpensive and can be surprisingly helpful, as these exercises are designed to help you strengthen your entire core and move the way nature intended.

What’s Causing the Pain?

With the exception of blunt force injuries, low back pain is commonly caused and exacerbated by:
Poor posture

Poor physical conditioning facilitated by inactivity


Internal disease, such as kidney stones, infections, blood clots

Obesity


Psychological/emotional stress


Osteoporosis (bone loss)

Back Pain is a Primary Reason Why the US has so Many Prescription Drug Addicts

Unfortunately, many simply end up taking pain killers and retiring to bed instead of increasing their activity once the back pain starts. Back pain is actually one of the primary reasons why so many American adults get addicted to pain killers. Addiction is a terrible side effect of these drugs, considering they do not actively change the issue causing the pain in the first place.

Pharmaceutical drug overdoses now rank second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in the US. The number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers alone more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, to 13,800 deaths that year. This despite the fact that the FDA increased the restrictions for consumer drug ads in 2005, especially for COX-2 painkillers like Celebrex and Bextra.

In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin. But prescription painkillers have now surpassed both heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of fatal overdoses. In addition, more than 700,000 people visit US emergency rooms each year as a result of adverse drug reactions to all drugs, not just the opioids.

Adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered also kill about 106,000 people per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the US.

Pharmaceutical drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide, yet they’re still allowed to be advertised on TV, radio and in magazines. This is particularly ironic when you consider that the death toll from illegal drugs – which is about 10,000 per year – is dwarfed by the death toll (106,000 or more) from properly administered pharmaceuticals!

The first step toward meaningful change is realizing that prescription drugs are JUST as addictive and dangerous as illegal street drugs. In many cases, they are identical. The only difference is their legal status. For example, hydrocodone, a prescription opiate, is synthetic heroin – indistinguishable from any other heroine as far as your brain and body are concerned. So, if you’re hooked on hydrocodone, your body is responding as if you’re a heroin addict...

Perhaps even more ironic, prescription drug addiction is now also being advertised as a “medical condition” for which there is treatment... Back in the day, this was simply called Drug Rehab, but now they’re trying to remove the stigma associated with drug addiction, since the vast majority are hooked on legal meds. Just because the drugs are legal, does not mean the addiction is any less severe or damaging.

Tools to Prevent and Treat Back Pain

I strongly recommend considering the least invasive avenues before resorting to pain medication or surgery. For starters, many people fail to realize that many times back pain actually originates from tension and imbalance at a completely different place than where the pain is felt.

For example, the very act of sitting for long periods of time ends up shortening the Iliacus, Psoas and Quadratus Lumborum muscles that connect from your lumbar region to the top of your femur and pelvis. When these muscles are chronically short, it can cause severe pain when you stand up as they will effectively pull your lower back (lumbar) forward. The reality is that the imbalance among the anterior and posterior chains of muscles leads to many of the physical pains you may experience daily. By bringing these muscles to a better balance, you will consistently remedy many of these pains and discomforts.

Many people end up going through drastic medical procedures to "fix" this type of pain, or end up taking pain killers for extended periods of time. Seeing a qualified chiropractor is certainly a wise consideration if you suffer from back pain. I am an avid believer in the chiropractic philosophy, which places a strong emphasis on your body's innate healing ability and far less reliance on band-aid responses like drugs and surgery.

Foundation Training—an innovative method developed by Dr. Eric Goodman to treat his own chronic low back pain—is an excellent alternative to the Band Aid responses so many are given. Foundation Training exercises work to gradually pull your body out of the movement patterns that are hurting you.. The focus is on strengthening your complete core, which includes anything that directly connects to your pelvis, whether above or below it. Foundation Training teaches all those muscles to work together through integrated chains of movement, which is how your body is structurally designed to move. Every muscle that directly connects to your pelvis should be considered a piece of your core and this includes your glutes, adductors (inner thigh muscles), deep lower back muscles, hip flexors, hamstrings and all of your abdominal muscles.

Having strong, balanced core muscles is like having a built-in corset that not only holds your gut in, but also stabilizes your spine, vertebrae, discs, and most importantly your pelvis. Teaching your body to naturally support itself at the deepest level is going to be far more effective than strapping on an external back brace, which over time can lead to even weaker musculature. Foundation Training is like Olympic weight lifting for the deep postural muscles of the human body.

Yet another type of exercise called Egoscue can also be helpful in mitigating the damage from excess sitting. And, if you’re in pain, Neuro-structural integration technique (NST) is another non-drug pain relief option. NST is a gentle, non-invasive technique that stimulates your body's reflexes. Simple movements are done across muscles, nerves and connective tissue, which helps your neuromuscular system to reset all related tension levels, promoting natural healing. It is completely safe and appropriate for everyone from highly trained athletes, to newborns, pregnant women, and the elderly and infirm. To find an NST therapist near you, see our NST Therapists Page. You can also purchase a DVD set to learn more about this technique.

Foundation Training Basics

I’m a huge fan of Foundation Training, and the primary exercise, called The Founder, is one that everyone would be wise to learn. It’s an integrated movement that pulls together your entire posterior chain of muscles, thereby strengthening your back while lengthening your front. This and all other Foundation Training exercises disperse the force throughout your body and takes friction away from your joints, placing that tension into your muscles instead.

I do these exercises daily and it is a great tool to build a stronger and more stable low back that is free from pain. Foundation Training can help counteract the negative effects of excessive sitting, which is not only a cause of chronic back pain, but can also increase your mortality risk from all causes.

When you sit, your head and shoulders drop forward, and your hip flexors and abdomen shorten. Every exercise included in Foundation Training lengthens the front of your body, which is over-tightened, and strengthens the back of your body, which will help you stand tall and move with strength and flexibility. As explained by Dr. Goodman:

“The place to start is learning how to hinge effectively. Learning how your hamstrings, lower back, and glutes are designed to stretch together. Once that part is in place, you can then advance to all the exercises that build upon that foundation, that build upon The Founder exercise.”

Structural Decompression Breathing Also Helps Improve Posture and Reduce Pain

Breathing is another important tool that is unfortunately ignored by most people. In his TED Talk below, Dr. Goodman demonstrates structural breathing, which will help improve your posture, especially while seated. Here’s a summary:

Sitting down or standing, place your thumbs at the base of your rib cage, pinkies at pointy bones at the front of your waist. Think of the space between your fingers as a measuring stick.
Pull your chin back so that your chest is lifting upwards and take three slow deep breaths as I instruct you below.
As you breathe in, the distance between your thumbs and pinkies should increase.
As you breathe out, tighten your abdominal muscles to prevent your torso from collapsing back down. This is the important step, do not let your torso drop back down towards the pelvis as you exhale. It should be challenging and you should feel your abdomen engage as you exhale.

When done properly, your breath will help lengthen your hip flexors, stabilize your spine, and support your core using your transverse abdominal muscles. This will strengthen your back and keep your chest high and open. Do this exercise for 30 seconds or so, then go back to your normal seated position. With time, those muscles will get stronger, and your seated posture will gradually improve. With Foundation Training you should quickly notice dramatic improvement to your daily posture.

The basic Foundation Training program takes about 20 minutes, and is ideally done daily. You can purchase the Foundation Training DVD from my online store. FoundationTraining.com also offers several free videos , and their thought provoking first book called: Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence.


Even More Tips to Beat Back Pain

Preventing back pain is surely easier than treating it. Besides the recommendations already covered above, which included getting chiropractic adjustments, Foundation Training, Egoscue exercises, and NST, below are several more tips for beating back pain. With this many alternatives available, there are few good reasons to turn to pharmaceutical or surgical band-aids that do nothing to treat the underlying causes of your pain, and might cause additional harm in the process:

Exercise and physical activity will help strengthen the muscles of your spine. Make your exercise time count by including high-intensity sessions. You probably only need this once or twice a week at the most. You'll also want to include exercises that really challenge your body intensely along with those that promote muscle strength, balance and flexibility. Remember to build up your entire core to avoid back pain. Always do some stretching and warm-ups before engaging in strenuous physical activity, and make sure you focus on strong, balanced posture.
Optimize your vitamin D and K2 levels to prevent the softening of the bones that can often lead to lower back pain.
If you spend many hours every day in a chair like I do pay careful attention to consciously sucking in your belly and rotating your pelvis slightly up. At the same time make sure your head is back with your ears over your shoulders and your shoulder blades pinched. This will help keep your spine in proper alignment. You can hold these muscles tight for several minutes and do this every hour you are sitting.
Address psychological factors. Few people want to be told that their pain is psychological or emotional in origin, but there's quite a bit of evidence that backs this up.

Underlying emotional issues and unresolved trauma can have a massive influence on your health, particularly as it relates to physical pain. Dr. John Sarno,5 for example, used mind-body techniques to treat patients with severe low back pain and has authored a number of books on this topic. His specialty was those who have already had surgery for low back pain and did not get any relief. This is one tough group of patients, yet he had a greater than 80 percent success rate using techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (he has now retired from practice).
Get regular massage therapy. Massage releases endorphins, which help induce relaxation and relieve pain.
Keep your weight spread evenly on your feet when standing. Don’t slouch when standing or sitting to avoid putting stress on your back muscles.
Always support your back, and avoid bending over awkwardly. Protect your back while lifting – this activity, along with carrying, puts the most stress on your back.
Sleep in a firm bed. Sleeping on your side to reduce curving of your spine and stretching before getting out of bed is also helpful.
Use chairs or car seats that offer good lumbar support. Switch positions often while sitting, walk around a bit and do some light stretching to relieve tension.
Wear comfortable shoes. For the ladies, it would be good to not wear heels most of the time.
Drink plenty of water to enhance the height of your intervertebral disks. And because your body is composed mostly of water, keeping yourself hydrated will keep you fluid and reduce stiffness.
Quit smoking as it reduces blood flow to your lower spine and your spinal disks to degenerate.

[BroJones]

QUOTE:


By Dr. Mercola

It’s official. Even the conservative US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the latest stats show one in 50 US kids now has autism.

This is a startling increase from their 2007 data, which showed one in 88 children with the condition. Boys are also four times as likely to be diagnosed with autism as girls, according to the new data. The CDC attributed the steep increase on improved diagnoses, particularly in older kids, noting:

“Children who were first diagnosed in or after 2008 accounted for much of the observed prevalence increase among school-aged children (those aged 6–17).”

Even if this is true (and this is the same rationale they used to explain the last noted increase), the deeper implications behind this rising trend are being downplayed by the media, or worse, entirely ignored. The latest statistics mean that between 3-4 percent of US boys now have autism, and the rate is growing …

Consider that about 15 years ago, 1 in 10,000 kids had autism. Ten years ago it was 1 in 1,000, then 1 in 150, 1 in 88 and now 1 in 50.1 This means there’s one child with autism on just about every school bus (one school bus holds about 50 kids). This is beyond tragic and a shocking testimony to the accumulated insults that our modern health care system and lifestyle have on the developing fetus.

Are Genes Really to Blame for Autism?

It’s long been known that boys have a greater risk for developing autism than girls, a trend that’s often blamed on mutations in genes on the X chromosome, which only affect boys.

Some have even gone so far as to say that genetics account for 90 percent of a child's risk for autism. However, research from Stanford University using identical twins suggested otherwise.2

Since identical twins share nearly the same DNA, if there were an important genetic component to autism, then if one identical twin has autism, so should their identical sibling in the vast majority of cases.

But, when researchers completed diagnostic assessments on 192 twin pairs, they found fraternal twins were more likely to share an autism diagnosis than identical twins. Fraternal twins share only 50 percent of their DNA, which means something else is probably responsible for the double diagnosis -- and researchers suspect environmental factors are likely to blame.

The majority of autism cases do appear to result from the activation, or "expression," of a number of different genes, along with multiple epigenetic and environmental factors that interact to produce the traits of autism.

What Environmental Factors are Linked to Autism?

Science is increasingly showing us just how malleable our genes are — they continuously respond to their environment, meaning, your body and everything you put into and onto it. The possible environmental factors for autism are incredibly diverse. The following is just a short list of examples:

Vitamin D Deficiency: This is a simple and inexpensive factor to eliminate. It is simply inexcusable to be vitamin D deficient when you are pregnant. There is also a link between rampant vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and the proportionate jump in autism, which has been highlighted by Dr. John Cannell.3 The vitamin D receptor appears in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain. You can only imagine what happens to the fragile, developing nervous system of an infant or young child if insufficient vitamin D is present to support neurodevelopment.
Electromagnetic fields: Work by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt suggests there are distinct correlations between a woman's exposure to electromagnetic fields during pregnancy and her child's neurological functioning. He found that if you sleep in strong electromagnetic fields during pregnancy, your child will likely begin to exhibit neurological abnormalities within the first two years of life, such as neurological dysfunction, hyperactivity, and learning disorders.

In 2007, this theory received additional support from a study published in the Journal of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine.4 It presented the theory that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi devices and other similar wireless technologies may work in conjunction with genetic and environmental factors, becoming an accelerating factor in autism.

After more than five years of research on children with autism they found that EMR negatively affects cell membranes, encouraging heavy metal toxins, which are associated with autism, to build up.
Mercury toxicity: It is already an established fact that exposure to mercury can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions -- all similar to traits defining, or associated with autism. Mercury pollution is widespread from the burning of fossil fuels, but the use of thimerosal-containing vaccines (still used in annual flu shots) and dental amalgams — both of which contain mercury — also cannot be overlooked as major sources of individual exposure to this neurotoxin.
Vaccines: A 2011 review of the peer-reviewed published studies on autism (going all the way back to 1943) revealed numerous documented cases of autism caused by encephalitis following vaccination.5 There are many potential vaccine-related culprits, including the use of toxic adjuvants, the presence of human DNA in vaccines, and the increasing number of vaccines given in a short period of time, any one of which could induce autoantibodies to be formed that may attack self-structures such as the myelin that coats the nerves, disrupting neurological development and function.

Phthalates: Research from 2009 discovered that infants who lived in homes with vinyl floors were twice as likely to have autism five years later, compared to those with wood or linoleum flooring. Vinyl floors can emit chemicals called phthalates, which are widely used plastic softeners found in much more than just vinyl flooring. Hairsprays, perfumes, cosmetics, toys, shower curtains, wood finishers, lubricants, certain medical devices and more all contain phthalates. Researchers have suggested the chemicals may contribute to autism by disrupting hormones not only in small children but also in the womb.

The Autism-Gut Connection You May Not Have Heard About

Neurologist Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride recently shared a common thread that may be linking these and other environmental factors together, namely brain toxicity stemming from gut toxicity, otherwise known as Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS). She cured her own son of autism using an all-natural treatment involving dietary changes and detoxification, and her hypothesis is in my view one of the most relevant.

In her research, Dr. Campbell-McBride discovered that nearly all of the mothers of autistic children have abnormal gut flora, which is significant because newborns inherit their gut flora from their mothers at the time of birth. Establishing normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in the maturation of your baby's immune system. Babies who develop abnormal gut flora are left with compromised immune systems, putting them at higher risk for suffering vaccine reactions.

If your baby has suboptimal gut flora, vaccines can become the proverbial "last straw" — the trigger that "primes" his/her immune system to develop chronic heath problems.

How to Prevent GAPS

In short, there is a close connection between abnormal gut flora and abnormal brain development — a condition Dr. Campbell-McBride calls Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS). The best way to prevent GAPS is for the mother to avoid all antibiotics and birth control pills prior to conception and then by breastfeeding and avoiding the use of antibiotics during (intrapartum) and after delivering. This is because they destroy the balance of gut flora and promote the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Fortunately, it's possible to rather inexpensively identify GAPS within the first weeks of your baby's life, which can help you make better-informed decisions about vaccinations, and about how to proceed to set your child on the path to a healthy life.

The entire process for identifying children who would be at risk for developing autism from a vaccine is described in her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, but to sum it up, in her practice she starts out by collecting a complete health history of the parents, and their gut health is assessed. Then, within the first few days of life, the stool of the child can be analyzed to determine the state of her gut flora, followed by a urine test to check for metabolites, which can give you a picture of the state of your child's immune system.

These tests are available in most laboratories around the world and cost a very reasonable amount, about $80 to $100 per test -- peanuts compared to the incredible expense of treating an autistic child once the damage is done.

In my view it is absolutely VITAL to perform this analysis BEFORE you consider vaccinating your child. If the test results are normal the likelihood of autism after vaccines is dramatically reduced. As Dr. Campbell-McBride states, she has yet to find an autistic child with normal bowel flora. If you find that your baby has abnormal gut microflora, or begins to develop symptoms of autism a year or two later, the GAPS program should be started immediately, as the younger the child is when you start the treatment, the better the results. The child should not be given any vaccines until their microflora tests normal; that is, assuming you choose to vaccinate at all.

If you want to know what is “normal” behavior for a developing child, and what may indicate signs of autism or another delay, the CDC has a milestone chart online for ages two months to five years.6

Reducing Your Child’s Toxic Burden is Crucial to Preventing Chronic Diseases Like Autism

Autism is a complex condition with many contributing factors and it takes a multi-faceted approach to treat it. We're now also beginning to understand it requires a multi-faceted approach to prevent it. This includes avoiding as many dangerous chemicals as possible, which makes listing the do's and don'ts virtually impossible. As a general rule, eating whole organic foods will go a long way, as that automatically cuts out processed foods and related chemicals, genetically engineered foods and artificial sweeteners.

Also be careful with the personal care products you use, as well as your household cleaning products and home building materials and furnishings ... Opting for "green" and/or organic alternatives will help reduce many of the toxins most people encounter on a daily basis. Do whatever you can to establish a toxin-free environment for your whole family, and then establish a detoxification program. Please remember hidden toxins like mold and fluoride. The book Our Toxic World: A Wake Up Call, by Dr. Doris Rapp, is an excellent resource if you're unsure of how or where to start. Other helpful tips for tackling autism include:

Lower the EMF burden in your home, especially in your bedrooms.
Carefully review the vaccination issue, including the conventional vaccination schedule, and know that in most US states you still have the right to opt out of vaccines.
Avoid pasteurized milk; it's an absolute imperative to the treatment of autism. Those managing this illness without restricting milk are deceiving themselves. This includes all milk products, such as ice cream, yogurt and whey. Even natural flavorings in food must be avoided unless the processor can guarantee that caseinate is not included.
Completely eliminating sugar/fructose, juice, soda, French fries and wheat (pasta, bagels, cereal, pretzels, etc.) is also highly recommended.
Get proper sun exposure. It is my personal belief that vitamin D deficiency in conjunction with damaged gut flora may be two of the most significant contributing factors to autism. Optimizing your vitamin D levels and your gut flora during pregnancy may be the most important prevention strategies discovered to date.

Tell the White House It’s Time to Take Action Against Autism

Today the autism rates are one in 50. What are we waiting for to start looking for real answers about this devastating condition? For rates to rise to one in 30 or one in 15?

We must tackle this problem from all angles, and the Autism Action Network has launched a campaign urging the US government to finally take action against autism. You can join in via this Take Action Link to send an email to the President, your two United States Senators and your member of the House, letting them know that it’s time to acknowledge there’s a problem and start taking the autism epidemic seriously.

[BroJones]

I strongly agree with Dr Mercola that it is high time we take steps to understand and STOP the growth/spread of autism.

Now a warning about vaccine tests proposed on children:

By Dr. Mercola

The US government has proposed a children’s trial of anthrax vaccine arguing that it is a necessary step in protecting them from the effects of a potential future bioterrorism attack using weaponized anthrax.

The Alliance for Human Research Protection (AHRP) is in strong opposition to this idea, and rightly so. Experimenting on the most vulnerable members of our society with a dangerous vaccine, without the promise of any benefit, is both heartless and unnecessary — not to mention highly unethical.

The fact that anthrax is a dangerous bacterium deserving our concern if it is weaponized is not the issue. Unlike most other bacteria, anthrax forms very potent spores that can remain alive under harsh conditions for 100 years or longer.

The rugged survivability of the anthrax spore is what could make it a powerful biological weapon. For example, it can easily survive being dropped from an airplane or exploded in a bomb.

The issue is that your risk for anthrax exposure has been vastly blown out of proportion. History tells us that exposure to anthrax is extremely rare, and bioterrorism experts say the likelihood of it ever being used as an agent of attack on a mass scale is negligible.

Fortunately, the idea of trying out the anthrax vaccine on children has met with fierce opposition. In fact, even Paul Offit, a pediatric vaccine developer and long-time vaccine advocate, advised against such a trial.1

On February 18, 2013, AHRP sent a detailed exposé to Amy Gutman, PhD, Chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, which is the committee assigned the task (by DHHS Secretary Sebelius) of evaluating the ethical problems with the proposed vaccine trial.

The Commission met four times over the past year regarding this issue, having completed their deliberations in January 2013. You can read the complete transcript of their final discussion here.2

This powerful exposé, authored by Vera Sharav and Dr. Meryl Nass of AHRP, is a convincing argument that exposes the many flaws in logic, misleading propaganda, and ethics violations of this proposed vaccine trial. What follows is a synopsis of the concerns covered in their exposé.

Anthrax as a Bioterrorism Agent is Extremely Unlikely

In modern times, no foreign enemy has used biological weapons against Americans, neither military nor civilian.

The only possible exception was the anthrax-laced mail attack in October 2001. The federal government has maintained that a scientist in charge of anthrax vaccine testing at a US military lab, who is now dead, was to blame for the anthrax letter attacks although others have suggested the mystery is not solved and the investigation should continue.3 Since 2001, there have been no credible reports about an anthrax bioterrorism threat to the U.S. civilian population.

How can they declare an emergency when there is no evidence for one?

In the anthrax-laced mail attack of 2001, thousands of people were exposed to anthrax spores. Antibiotics were successful in preventing illness in 100 percent of those treated after exposure. Five people died, but their cases were recognized very late. There was no additional benefit from using anthrax vaccine over antibiotics alone and the vaccine was accepted by less than two percent of those who received antibiotics.

This is a Flash-based video and may not be viewable on mobile devices.
Why Do We Need the Anthrax Vaccine when Antibiotics have Proven 100 Percent Effective?

The anthrax vaccine, BioThrax,4 manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions, has never been proven effective in humans against inhaled anthrax and is not licensed for post-exposure use, even in adults. Two papers published in 2012 by top anthrax scientists (Ingram and Baillie, and Bellanti, et al) confirm this point. Because there is no animal model for anthrax vaccine response that translates to humans, there is no human efficacy data for adults or children; therefore, it’s impossible to derive effectiveness data for children from any anthrax trial that DHHS may propose.

That said, why would a vaccine be needed when there is already a treatment proven to be 100 percent effective? As stated above, prompt treatment with antibiotics after anthrax exposure was 100 percent effective for all 30,000 people exposed in 2001. When the appropriate treatment is antibiotics, why the urgency to test an outmoded, inferior and potentially dangerous treatment on children, especially when the vaccine itself frequently causes severe adverse reactions?

Giving a Risky Vaccine to Children Violates Federal Regulations

The statistics for adverse reactions from anthrax vaccine are very concerning:

According to the 2002 anthrax vaccine label, between five and 35 percent of vaccine recipients develop systemic adverse reactions.
Of those, approximately six percent are serious and life threatening, including birth defects, hospitalization, permanent disability and death.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), one to two percent of vaccinated individuals may experience severe adverse reactions harmful enough to result in death or disability.

There is no acceptable justification for exposing healthy children to these dangers. In fact, doing so is a violation of a US statute requiring children to be exposed to no greater than a “minor increase over minimal risk.” The child subjects of the proposed vaccine trial are not receiving treatment for any condition or other problem affecting their health or welfare (“nontherapeutic research”), so do not stand to benefit in any way, which is against Federal regulations.

In fact, the Presidential Commission was never informed of a pivotal trial involving the safety issues with anthrax vaccine. The complete findings of this trial were submitted to the FDA in 2009 but have never been published or disclosed to the public. The trial found that 186 people suffered 229 serious adverse events during the trial, with seven deaths. That is, 12 percent of the subjects suffered serious adverse events! Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Sebelius has the authority to demand the release of this safety data at any time, but she has not done so.

If the proposed trial were going to provide meaningful answers to any questions about the vaccine’s safety for children, thousands of children would have to be experimented upon. The proposed trial, which involves a much smaller number of children, would have no scientific or clinical value at all and would therefore be unethical and illegal under US statute.

Whose children will be the sacrificial lambs in a corporate-government collusion scheme to expand the BioThrax stockpile and create a potential civilian market for the vaccine’s sole US manufacturer, Emergent BioSolutions? And what happens when something goes wrong? Who is liable?

Government Shields Vaccine Makers from All Liability

If you're in the military, you can't sue the government for damages for injuries that occurs during your military service (Fere's Doctrine). Instead, you have to use the VA health system. The situation is just as dire for civilians when it comes to pandemic vaccines, such as the now infamous H1N1 swine flu vaccine, as well as anthrax, thanks to the PREP Act passed by Congress and signed into law in 2006.

The PREP Act, or Public Readiness Emergency Preparedness Act, said that if a public health emergency is declared by the federal government, the manufacturer of a product made to address the emergency would be given a near blanket waiver of liability. This waiver of liability would apply to the vaccine manufacturer, the doctors administering the vaccine, the distributors, and anybody in the government who had been part of the planning for a vaccine or drug program. The waiver was supposed to be for “emergencies” only.

In spite of the lack of any credible anthrax threat, DHHS Secretary at that time, Michael Leavitt, invoked the extraordinary “emergency” powers given to him by Congress and declared anthrax a public health emergency in 2008, effective through 2015. So, when the government declares anthrax a “public health emergency,” you are prevented from seeking damages if you (or your child) are injured by the anthrax vaccine. And your risk of being injured by this vaccine, based on its history, is quite likely.

Problem-Reaction-Solution... Will You Take the Bait?

There is a strategy that some refer to as “Problem-Reaction-Solution,” which looks like this:

You create or manufacture a problem
There is a public reaction
You solve the problem in a way that completes your own agenda

The threat of bioweapons can easily be manipulated for financial gain using the Problem-Reaction-Solution process. With respect to the anthrax vaccine, the problem created after 9-11 was the fear of bioterrorism attacks on the U.S. civilian population. People reacted to the implied threat of further attacks with widespread panic, and the government and pharmaceutical industry came to the rescue with plans to expand production and civilian stockpiling of anthrax vaccine already being given to U.S. military personnel.

The bizarre anthrax letters incident 10 years ago boosted the biodefense budget by $60 billion dollars, and Emergent BioSolutions, the sole producer of BioThrax vaccine for the US military, received a $1.4 billion contract to produce anthrax vaccine for public use. This contract was recently renewed to the tune of $1.25 billion.

The PREP Act in combination with the Problem-Reaction-Solution process creates a massive opportunity for vaccine makers by allowing them to "sneak in" new ingredients and adjuvants (immune-boosting additives with potentially unknown or risky profiles) under the guise of needing to prepare for a bioterrorism “emergency.” Then, since the new vaccine ingredient has been used already, they can use these ingredients in other vaccines without having to go through a rigorous approval process.

By declaring a public health emergency, Secretary Leavitt did not protect the public health but instead sacrificed the public’s civil and human rights, while protecting biodefense stakeholders. The Presidential Commission’s review process itself was extremely flawed, and there were multiple conflicts of interest. AHRP identified the following issues:

No expert witnesses knew anything about anthrax or anthrax vaccine and there was no scientific testimony about the vaccine's safety or efficacy in adults. They never even looked at the vaccine label!
No details about the proposed vaccine trial were provided, and the issue of anthrax risk was never discussed.
The trial on children is ostensibly to test the vaccine for post-exposure use in an emergency, but in fact the trial would involve pre-exposure, which might lay the groundwork for the vaccine’s routine use in children
The Commission was never briefed on the existing legal cases relevant to pediatric research that provides them no benefit

The Real Motivation: Increasing Vaccine Profits by Any Means Possible

The entire history of the anthrax vaccine enterprise has been rife with evidence of profiteering at taxpayer expense. To gain insight about the motives behind DHHS’ anthrax policies, you need to examine the hidden web of financial conflicts of interest and revolving doors.. The government was able to capitalize on the public’s post-9/11 fear of another terrorist attack by getting away with pretty much anything. The country was manipulated into believing it “needed” a 2 billion dollar stockpile of anthrax vaccine, which DHHS continues to maintain in spite of safety concerns about the vaccine and lack of efficacy data. Indeed, the anthrax vaccine has been exceedingly profitable to BioThrax manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions:

On October 3, 2011, the government awarded Emergent BioSolutions a five year contract worth up to $1.25 billion to provide millions of doses of anthrax vaccine for government stockpiles
Emergent BioSolutions has sold more than 55 million vaccine doses to the US government and plans to supply another 44.75 million doses over the next few years5
Emergent BioSolutions has made more than one billion dollars in profit6

Realizing that experimenting with children is fraught with difficulty in terms of informed consent and ethical restrictions, they cleverly devised a method for conducting the trial that would sidestep these problems by starting with 18 to 20 year olds, who CAN give informed consent, then working their way down through the age groups. This "method" has an underlying assumption: that data do not exist on this vaccine's safety, and must therefore be obtained for 18 to 20 year olds. Of course, that is hardly the case. According to AHRP, such a trial could begin to overturn existing federal protections for child subjects.

Once you consider the issue in its broader context, you can only conclude that the real goal of this child trial is expanding civilian vaccinations and marketing the vaccine to parents, rather than obtaining safety and efficacy data. Naturally, the financial incentives are enormous for increasing vaccine stockpiles and widening its use.

In Summary

The government’s proposed anthrax vaccine trial for children is being vehemently opposed by AHRP, citing conflicts of interest, corrupt political motives and financial incentives, and a blatant disregard for federal regulations that protect children from unnecessary harm. The entire premise that we are at high risk for a bioterrorist attack is erroneous, and the idea that a vaccine is needed is ridiculous, as antibiotics have proven to be 100 percent effective for anthrax exposure. This is yet another example of greed and political corruption trumping public health.

[BroJones]

Is your sleep-cycle/ circadian clock messed up? dangers lurk if so... and what you can do about it -

By Dr. Mercola

Do you often feel sluggish when the clock rolls around to 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon? A psychiatry professor at the University of California, Los Angeles’s Brain Research Institute may have an explanation about why many people hit “the wall” shortly after lunch hour.

Circadian rhythms, or circadian cycles, affect nearly every living organism, including plants, bacteria, insects and human beings. Circadian rhythms, largely based on signals of light and darkness, are your body’s internal clock sending signals to all of your cells directing how and when to conduct certain physiological processes.

The reason newborns wake up in the middle of the night isn’t because they aren’t yet “trained” to their parent’s schedule — it’s because their internal clocks haven’t yet developed1.

Your sleep and wake cycles are governed by this internal clock, which acts like a “choreographer” so that all your body’s systems can work together smoothly. How does it do this? By altering genetic expression, which controls the protein messengers your body sends to your heart, brain, liver and other vital organs. These proteins are vital to internal communication and coordination — and for staying healthy.

The featured study, appearing in the December 2012 Journal of Physiology2, found that exercise helps regulate your circadian rhythms, and the effect may be most profound if it’s done in the middle of the day.

A Broken Internal Clock Comes with Serious Health Risks

If you have trouble sleeping at night or staying awake during the day, your internal clock may be broken. This is a growing problem in today’s world of ever-present electronic devices, globalization, and around-the-clock media. Your circadian rhythms may become confused, for example, by sleeping in a lit room when your body expects darkness, or by working the night shift. Or by jet lag, which is a common temporary disruption. Aging appears to worsen people’s internal clocks, according to Dr. Colwell3:

“By middle age, most of us start to have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, then we have trouble staying awake the next day.”

The problem is, research shows there are potentially serious health consequences of disrupted circadian rhythms, such as increased risk of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, memory loss, headaches, indigestion, mood disorders, learning problems, and even certain types of cancer. Disrupted sleep cycles have the potential to stimulate cancer growth by altering the hormones your brain makes while you sleep, such as melatonin. Melatonin is known to suppress tumor development. For help getting a good night’s sleep, refer to our comprehensive sleep guide. Lack of sleep and altered circadian cycles can exacerbate other serious diseases such as:

Parkinson and Alzheimer diseases
Multiple sclerosis
Gastrointestinal tract disorders
Kidney disease
Behavioral problems in children

Decreased melatonin can even accelerate the aging process of your brain. For more about the importance of melatonin and how to optimize your melatonin production, please watch the following video.

Your Circadian Clock Switches Genes On and Off

Scientists at the Salk Institute have actually determined the specific genetic switches that synchronize liver activity to your circadian cycle, which sheds some light on how a damaged internal clock predisposes you to health problems.

The headquarters for your circadian clock is located in your brain, in a structure called the suprachiasmatic nucleus4, a tiny area sitting just above your optic nerves. However, there are other clocks in your body, including in your visceral organs, which tell specific genes when to make certain proteins. The switching on and off of genes is regulated by your “epigenome,” a set of molecules that signal to your genes how to direct your body’s physiological processes.

According to research scientists Satchidananda Panda of the Salk Institute, your liver’s clock regulates genes that control the timing of your metabolism of fat, glucose and cholesterol. You can’t control what genes you’re born with, but you CAN help control their expression, and exercise is one of the ways you can stack the deck in your favor.

Panda explains :

"We know that when we eat determines when a particular gene turns on or off; for example, if we eat only at nighttime, a gene that should be turned on during the day will turn on at night. In response to natural cycles, our body has evolved to make glucose at nighttime. But if on top of what you eat, you're creating excess glucose and that damages organs, which leads to diabetes. It's like over-charging a car battery. Bad things will happen."

Exercise May Help Fix a Broken Clock

Since a broken internal clock can wreak havoc on your health, researchers became interested in how one might repair it. Exercise seemed a viable possibility.

They designed a study comparing the circadian rhythm effects of exercising at various times of day, using two groups of mice: one healthy group, and one group with biologically induced circadian disruptions. He found that all of the mice showed positive benefits from exercising, regardless of what time of day they exercised (for mice, exercising meant running on a wheel). But the benefits were much higher for the mice whose internal clocks were impaired in the first place.

For those discombobulated mice, after several weeks of running, their internal clocks were much more robust, particularly among the mice that exercised in the afternoon. This finding was a real surprise to researchers who expected to see the highest benefit from morning exercise, which tends to be favored by athletes. Mice exercising in the late evening showed the least benefit, some developing even more circadian disruptions, including poor sleep (which was not a surprise).

Exercising in the Morning Versus Afternoon: Good Arguments on Both Sides

It is interesting that this study favors afternoon exercise over morning exercise, at least when it comes to circadian rhythms. There is a good deal of evidence to the contrary — that exercising first thing in the morning is preferable in several ways. Many, including me, prefer exercising in the morning for a couple of reasons. First, it gets the task done early in the day, before time pressures invariably tend to interfere with your best intentions.

Secondly, there is strong evidence that exercising in a fasting state, which is easiest to do before breakfast, offers the highest metabolic benefits. A 2010 study in the Journal of Physiology5 showed that exercising in a fasting state improved insulin sensitivity, which has great implications for weight loss/fat loss and prevention of type 2 diabetes. The metabolic benefits of exercising are, of course, some of the strongest motivators for getting people to the gym.

Could it be that exercise has different types of benefits, depending on the time of day it’s performed?

From a circadian point of view, it makes sense to see higher benefits from afternoon exercise. Circadian rhythms control your body temperature, which has an impact on your workout. Your body temperature tends to be a degree or two warmer in the afternoon than in the morning, resulting in better muscle performance and decreased risk of injury. You are also generally more alert in the afternoon. Plus, if you tend to hit that wall around 1:00 or 2:00pm, going to the gym might be a good way to get over it.

However, on the other hand, the argument Ori Hofmekler makes strongly favors pre-breakfast workouts. Ori is a fitness expert and author of several books, including The Warrior Diet. He is a huge proponent of the combination of calorie restriction with exercise as the best way to optimize our health.

In a nutshell, Ori explains that your body has a preservative mechanism that protects your active muscle from wasting itself. So, if you exercise without fuel in your system (i.e., before breakfast), you’ll tend to break down tissues other than your active muscle, which is what you want. In other words, your body spares the active muscle during exertion.

Instead, your body burns up the worn out tissues for fuel. It digests and recycles damaged proteins, tumors, sick cells, etc., into the amino acid building blocks for new and stronger muscle tissue. Not only is the timing of your exercise important, but what you eat after exercise is also important if you want to maximize your benefits. For more about this, please listen to my interview with Ori.



Total Video Length: 22:49
Download Interview Transcript

The Bottom Line... Listen to Your Body to Decide

Even though there are discrepancies in the scientific literature about the best time of day to work out, most experts will agree that the best time for YOU to exercise is when you will do it consistently! One thing is certain: any exercise is better than none, regardless of when you do it.

If you enjoy exercising in the morning and have successfully organized your schedule around it, then don’t change it. The most important thing is to choose a time of day you can stick with, so that exercise becomes a habit. I would generally discourage exercising in the evening, IF you have an alternative, especially if you struggle with your sleep. Exercise raises your heart rate and body temperature, which are not conducive to sleeping.

The researcher of the featured study, Dr. Colwell, admits it’s too early to conclude that afternoon exercise is more beneficial to circadian rhythms in humans, since his study involved mice. But it’s possible afternoon sessions may produce stronger benefits for your internal clock.

It seems to me that, until new research answers the remaining unanswered questions, you can do some experimentation on your own. Perhaps try a month of exercising in the morning, followed by a month of exercising in the afternoon, as your schedule allows. Maybe you can exercise on your lunch hour — you might even convince a couple of friends to join you. Then see how you feel, and let your body be your guide.

[BroJones]

I'd like to interject something NOT from Dr Mercola, but from a natural-health writer that may be of interest. I am not a fan of Zoloft-like pharmaceuticals!

Print Friendly and PDF
As Predicted, James Holmes Was Taking Violence-Linked Antidepressant Drugs
Anthony Gucciardi
by Anthony Gucciardi
April 5th, 2013
Updated 04/05/2013 at 4:35 pm
As Predicted, James Holmes Was Taking Violence Linked Antidepressant DrugsIt likely comes as no surprise to those who have been following the disturbing trend of mass shooters over the years, but a new Los Angeles Times report has confirmed that Holmes had been taking the prescription psychotropic drugs Zoloft and Clonazepam (Klonopin) — one of which is the same drug that the Colombine Eric Harris was on.

For months now the alternative news media has been predicting that Holmes was most certainly on antidepressant drugs as we know 90% of school shootings have links to psych meds, but until now it has only been announced that certain prescription medication was seized (and listed as Vicodin by some sources). Ultimately, we received a large degree of flak and downright hate for predicting that Holmes was on these drugs like to aggression and suicide, but it’s simply following a very blatant pattern.

As the LA Times reports, the following prescription medication was found:

“…prescription medication for sertraline, a generic version of Zoloft used to treat depression, panic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder; and Clonazepam, usually prescribed to treat anxiety and panic attacks”

In my article from when the incident happened, I immediately wrote a piece about how Holmes was most definitely on hardcore pharmaceuticals based on previous trends. At the time, it was being reported that he was taking Vicodin, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was on at least one antidepressant-type drug. I’ve since updated the piece with a link to the confirmation, but you can see in many of the comments individuals were very doubtful that Holmes was on any type of drug.

From my 2012 article Follow the Trend: Batman Shooter James Holmes Was On Hardcore Pharmaceutical Drugs:

Like virtually all massacre shooters before him, there is no doubt that the notorious Batman shooter James Holmes was taking hardcore pharmaceutical drugs.

As more information comes out on the case, it will likely reveal an increasingly deep history of prescription drug abuse on behalf of Holmes. Just as the Columbine incident continued to develop into a horrific story of drug abuse and an obsession with mind alteration, it appears this case will follow a similar trend.

Prescription drug abuse that is found with antidepressants, that even at normal levels have been linked to violence, suicide, and aggression.

Side effects for the baseline drug Prozac alone include:

Suicidal behavior
Suicidal thoughts
Violent actions and reckless behavior

And once again, these were side effects that up until 2005, when Harvard psychiatrist Martin Teicher blew the whistle on the cover up, were completely hidden from the public. As detailed in the USA Today article on the subject, Teicher explains how Prozac manufacturer Eli Lilly & Co. lied for 15 years denying the very real link between Prozac and suicide. In his own words, Teicher said that the public was being treated like ”guinea pigs” in a mass experiment.

And the Klonopin Holmes was on is even more dangerous, and as Paul Joseph Watson details, has been called the world’s “deadliest drug” by certain publications. It has been linked to substantial aggressive and violent behavior, and that’s just the beginning.

People and websites like Mike Adams of NaturalNews, Alex Jones & crew of Infowars, World Net Daily, Lew Rockwell, and myself have all done the research and held their ground on the issue even amid the ‘political correct’ assault over the issue in which people actually decided to attack us over publishing the trends. And now, these websites are enjoying record traffic and credit as they reveal their predictions were 100% accurate.


Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/james-holmes- ... z2PiDpmlS9" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook

[BroJones]

Hmmmm... I'd like to take sprouting, especially sunflower seeds.. Love those sunflower sprouts, but they are expensive if purchased as sprouts.

Does anyone know of a good way to do sprouts? Easier the better.

Leafy Greens Essential for Immune Regulation and Tumor Resolution
April 08, 2013

By Dr. Mercola

Only about one-quarter of American adults eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. If you are in the majority who does not, you are missing out on major benefits, as consuming fresh vegetables is one of the key cornerstones to optimal health.

Although I am convinced virtually everyone would benefit from some animal protein in their diet, I firmly believe we all need to eat large amounts of fresh, high-quality vegetables every day to achieve high-level health. Some of us need far more than others.

Most vegetables are not very calorie dense and as a result they probably should constitute the bulk of your diet by volume. Even though my diet is 70 percent fat by calories, if you were to spread out all the food I eat in a day, the largest volume of food would be vegetables.

There is little that compares to the nutritional value of organic, raw vegetables, and according to new research, eating your greens may be even more important than previously imagined.

The Importance of Eating Your Greens

Researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Molecular Immunology division have discovered1 that a gene, called T-bet, which is essential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eat—specifically leafy green vegetables. According to the press release:2

“The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestine.

They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.

... [T]he research team revealed T-bet was essential for generating a subset of ILCs which is a newly discovered cell type that protects the body against infections entering through the digestive system.

'In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop into ILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut,' Dr Belz said. 'ILCs are essential for immune surveillance of the digestive system and this is the first time that we have identified a gene responsible for the production of ILCs.'”

ILCs are thought to be essential for:

Maintaining balance between tolerance, immunity and inflammation in your body
Producing interleukin-22 (IL-22), a hormone that can protect your body from pathogenic bacteria
Maintaining healthy intestinal balance by promoting growth of beneficial bacteria and healing small wounds and abrasions in the gut
Helping resolve cancerous lesions

More Reasons to Eat Your Veggies

Vegetables contain an array of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds that are very difficult to get anywhere else. Plant chemicals called phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and eliminate carcinogens, while others regulate the rate at which your cells reproduce, get rid of old cells and maintain DNA. Studies have repeatedly shown that people with higher vegetable intake have:
Lower risks of stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease Lower risks of certain types of cancer, eye diseases and digestive problems Reduced risk of kidney stones and bone loss
Higher scores on cognitive tests Higher antioxidant levels Lower biomarkers for oxidative stress



Further, if you eat your veggies raw, you’ll also be receiving biophotons, the smallest physical units of light, which are stored in, and used by all biological organisms -- including your body. Vital sun energy finds its way into your cells via the food you eat, in the form of these biophotons. They contain important bio-information, which controls complex vital processes in your body. The biophotons have the power to order and regulate, and, in doing so, to elevate the organism -- in this case, your physical body -- to a higher oscillation or order. Generally, the more sunlight a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is.

Naturally-grown fresh vegetables, raw sprouts, and sun-ripened fruits are rich in light energy. Ideally, look for fresh, non-GMO produce that is organically grown on a local farm in your area. Choose the vegetables that appear freshest first, and consume them raw shortly after purchase for optimal benefits.

If you can't obtain organic, conventionally-grown vegetables are better than none! Just take extra care with non-organic vegetables by washing them thoroughly and removing peels and cores when possible to minimize your exposure to pesticides. Certain fruits and vegetables also 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 produce3 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.

Reasons to Eat Sprouts, a Living Food with Amazing Health Benefits

Sprouts are a “super” food that many overlook. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy to grow on your own. I started sprouting seeds in ball jars 10 to 15 years ago. A Care2 article published last year4 listed 10 reasons for eating sprouts, including the following. For the rest, please see the original article:

Sprouts can contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat
Both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted
The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. For example, depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30 times the original value within just a few days of sprouting. Sunflower seed and pea sprouts tend to top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden
During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable
Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food, and can easily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know exactly what you’re eating. And since they’re very inexpensive, cost is no excuse for avoiding them

Planting and Harvesting Sprouts at Home

About to plant Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds - 2 days after soaking


Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds – 3 ½ days post germination.

Sunflower seeds and Pea sprouts – 3 days until ready for harvest.


Sunflower seed sprouts and Wheat Grass - ready to harvest.

Sprouts as Medicine

Sprouts-as-medicine.com5 is a good source for things relating to sprouts: their health benefits, recipes, and how to grow your own. The British verticalveg.org6 is another. The latter gives helpful growing tips for each month of the year. One of the benefits of sprouts is that you can grow them year-round, even when it’s cold and dark. The article 6 Easy Steps to Sprout Heaven7 teaches you how to grow your own sprouts, from start to finish. While you can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains, sprouts in general have the following beneficial attributes:

Support for cell regeneration
Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical damage
Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many tumors are acidic)
Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can also help protect against abnormal cell growth, viruses and bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment

Common Sprouts and Their Superior Nutritional Profiles

Some of the most commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:
Broccoli: known to have anti-cancer properties, courtesy of the enzyme "sulforaphane" Alfalfa: a significant dietary source of phytoestrogens. Also a good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, and K Wheat grass: high in vitamins B, C, E and many minerals Mung bean: good source of protein, fiber, vitamin C and A
Clover : significant source of isoflavones Lentil sprouts: contain 26 percent protein, and can be eaten without cooking Sunflower: contains, minerals, healthy fats, essential fatty acids, fiber, and phytosterols. It’s also one of the highest in protein Pea shoots: good source of vitamins A, C and folic acid and one of the highest in protein



My two favorites are pea and sunflower sprouts. They provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat. They have radically improved the nutrition of my primary meal, which is a salad at lunch. They are a perfect complement to fermented vegetables. It is hard to imagine a healthier combination that provides the essentials of nutrition very inexpensively.

I plan on producing some videos on how to grow them later this year but for now you can get instructions on how to grow them by viewing a step-by-step guide at rawfoods-livingfoods.com.8

Vegetarians in Paradise9 offers an in-depth write-up on the history and health benefits associated with sunflower seeds. Of the seeds, sunflower seeds are among the best in terms of nutritional value, and sprouting them will augment their nutrient content by as much as 300 to 1,200 percent! Similarly, sprouting peas will improve the bioavailability of zinc and magnesium. Sprouted sunflower seeds also contain plenty of iron and chlorophyll, the latter of which will help detoxify your blood and liver. The phytosterols in sprouted sunflower seeds can help enhance your immune system. According to Vegetarians in Paradise:

“One of the richest sources of protein, 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of sprouted sunflower seeds contains 22.78 grams. The mineral content soars in the sprouted state. That 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) offers a notable 116 mg of calcium, 5.06 mg of zinc, 689 mg of potassium, 1.75 mg copper, and 354 mg of magnesium.

Vitamins increase during sprouting when the seeds are producing a new life. Vitamin A increases to 50,000 IU, and Vitamin E offers 52.18 mg, while vitamin D provides 92.0 IU for 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams). The vitamin B family offers niacin at 4.50 mg, riboflavin at 0.25 mg, and thiamin at 2.29 mg. Sprouted sunflower seeds are also a rich source of iron, providing 6.77 mg for 31/2 ounces (100 grams) that can be a benefit to people with anemia.”

Simple Ways to Increase Your Veggies

Two of the easiest and most efficient ways to optimize your vegetable intake is to juice your vegetables and add sprouted seeds. Not only will juicing help your body absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables by making them easily digestible, but you’re also avoiding the risk of damaging any of their sensitive micronutrients through cooking. Cooking and processing food destroys many micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. And the sprouting process tends to increase nutrient content and bioavailability of nutrients. Sprouts also contain valuable enzymes that allow your body to absorb and use the nutrients of all other foods you eat.

Another benefit of juicing is that it allows you to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet that you might not normally enjoy eating whole. This way, you’re working with the principle of regular food rotation, which will lessen your chances of developing food allergies. For more in-depth guidelines and information about juicing, I recommend you review the juicing section of my nutrition plan.

But whatever method you choose, juiced, whole, sprouted or cooked, please make it a point to eat your veggies. This is one food group that is incredibly diverse, so there’s a wide variety to choose from and plenty to suit virtually everyone’s tastes. And mounting evidence shows that eating vegetables every day is a cornerstone of good health, and a habit that can go a very long way toward preventing disease of all kinds, including cancer.

[BroJones]

OK, my daughter wants to do sprouts, too...

Here's a funny one, not Dr M, Natural Society

Shock Study: Southerners Actually Aren’t Fatter… They Just Lie Less
by Anthony Gucciardi
April 12th, 2013
Updated 04/12/2013 at 4:20 am
1
comment

Southern states have developed a reputation for obesity thanks to previous research that has continually classified Southerners at large as being vastly overweight. As it turns out, however, many northern states are actually statistically more populated with obese citizens. In fact, the reason for the previous error was due to the fact that Southerners actually lie less.

Unlike their northern counterpart, Southerners were more likely to report their real height and weight — ultimately leading to skewed statistics that pinned excessive obesity levels on the truth tellers. The new study, published in the journal Obesity, shockingly found that when breaking through the misinformation given by lying participants, states like Minnesota, Kansas, and North and South Dakota contained considerably more obese individuals.

Granted, the levels of obesity we’re talking about are truly concerning in pretty much every state, but the West North Central region of the United States is now known to have about 41% obesity rates — topping the 31% obesity rates of southern regions like Alabama and Mississippi. As professor George Howard from the Department of Biostatics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham explains:

“What we found is the West North Central region has about 41 percent obesity compared to 31 percent obesity in the southern region that includes Alabama and Mississippi… 31 percent is not a good thing — but it’s not at the bottom.”

The formerly accepted skewed data came from a national telephone survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which asked individuals to report their exact height and weight along with a few other factors. Going under the label of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the study’s conclusion stated that the South had the highest rates of obesity with Mississippi and Alabama topping the charts at number one and number two.



Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/southerners-a ... z2QHOESi8x" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook

[Jason]

Hmmmm... I'd like to take sprouting, especially sunflower seeds.. Love those sunflower sprouts, but they are expensive if purchased as sprouts.

Does anyone know of a good way to do sprouts? Easier the better.

Leafy Greens Essential for Immune Regulation and Tumor Resolution
April 08, 2013

By Dr. Mercola

Only about one-quarter of American adults eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. If you are in the majority who does not, you are missing out on major benefits, as consuming fresh vegetables is one of the key cornerstones to optimal health.

Although I am convinced virtually everyone would benefit from some animal protein in their diet, I firmly believe we all need to eat large amounts of fresh, high-quality vegetables every day to achieve high-level health. Some of us need far more than others.

Most vegetables are not very calorie dense and as a result they probably should constitute the bulk of your diet by volume. Even though my diet is 70 percent fat by calories, if you were to spread out all the food I eat in a day, the largest volume of food would be vegetables.

There is little that compares to the nutritional value of organic, raw vegetables, and according to new research, eating your greens may be even more important than previously imagined.

The Importance of Eating Your Greens

Researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Molecular Immunology division have discovered1 that a gene, called T-bet, which is essential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eat—specifically leafy green vegetables. According to the press release:2

“The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestine.

They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.

... [T]he research team revealed T-bet was essential for generating a subset of ILCs which is a newly discovered cell type that protects the body against infections entering through the digestive system.

'In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop into ILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut,' Dr Belz said. 'ILCs are essential for immune surveillance of the digestive system and this is the first time that we have identified a gene responsible for the production of ILCs.'”

ILCs are thought to be essential for:

Maintaining balance between tolerance, immunity and inflammation in your body
Producing interleukin-22 (IL-22), a hormone that can protect your body from pathogenic bacteria
Maintaining healthy intestinal balance by promoting growth of beneficial bacteria and healing small wounds and abrasions in the gut
Helping resolve cancerous lesions

More Reasons to Eat Your Veggies

Vegetables contain an array of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds that are very difficult to get anywhere else. Plant chemicals called phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and eliminate carcinogens, while others regulate the rate at which your cells reproduce, get rid of old cells and maintain DNA. Studies have repeatedly shown that people with higher vegetable intake have:
Lower risks of stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease Lower risks of certain types of cancer, eye diseases and digestive problems Reduced risk of kidney stones and bone loss
Higher scores on cognitive tests Higher antioxidant levels Lower biomarkers for oxidative stress



Further, if you eat your veggies raw, you’ll also be receiving biophotons, the smallest physical units of light, which are stored in, and used by all biological organisms -- including your body. Vital sun energy finds its way into your cells via the food you eat, in the form of these biophotons. They contain important bio-information, which controls complex vital processes in your body. The biophotons have the power to order and regulate, and, in doing so, to elevate the organism -- in this case, your physical body -- to a higher oscillation or order. Generally, the more sunlight a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is.

Naturally-grown fresh vegetables, raw sprouts, and sun-ripened fruits are rich in light energy. Ideally, look for fresh, non-GMO produce that is organically grown on a local farm in your area. Choose the vegetables that appear freshest first, and consume them raw shortly after purchase for optimal benefits.

If you can't obtain organic, conventionally-grown vegetables are better than none! Just take extra care with non-organic vegetables by washing them thoroughly and removing peels and cores when possible to minimize your exposure to pesticides. Certain fruits and vegetables also 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 produce3 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.

Reasons to Eat Sprouts, a Living Food with Amazing Health Benefits

Sprouts are a “super” food that many overlook. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy to grow on your own. I started sprouting seeds in ball jars 10 to 15 years ago. A Care2 article published last year4 listed 10 reasons for eating sprouts, including the following. For the rest, please see the original article:

Sprouts can contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat
Both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted
The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. For example, depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30 times the original value within just a few days of sprouting. Sunflower seed and pea sprouts tend to top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden
During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable
Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food, and can easily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know exactly what you’re eating. And since they’re very inexpensive, cost is no excuse for avoiding them

Planting and Harvesting Sprouts at Home

About to plant Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds - 2 days after soaking


Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds – 3 ½ days post germination.

Sunflower seeds and Pea sprouts – 3 days until ready for harvest.


Sunflower seed sprouts and Wheat Grass - ready to harvest.

Sprouts as Medicine

Sprouts-as-medicine.com5 is a good source for things relating to sprouts: their health benefits, recipes, and how to grow your own. The British verticalveg.org6 is another. The latter gives helpful growing tips for each month of the year. One of the benefits of sprouts is that you can grow them year-round, even when it’s cold and dark. The article 6 Easy Steps to Sprout Heaven7 teaches you how to grow your own sprouts, from start to finish. While you can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains, sprouts in general have the following beneficial attributes:

Support for cell regeneration
Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical damage
Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many tumors are acidic)
Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can also help protect against abnormal cell growth, viruses and bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment

Common Sprouts and Their Superior Nutritional Profiles

Some of the most commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:
Broccoli: known to have anti-cancer properties, courtesy of the enzyme "sulforaphane" Alfalfa: a significant dietary source of phytoestrogens. Also a good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, and K Wheat grass: high in vitamins B, C, E and many minerals Mung bean: good source of protein, fiber, vitamin C and A
Clover : significant source of isoflavones Lentil sprouts: contain 26 percent protein, and can be eaten without cooking Sunflower: contains, minerals, healthy fats, essential fatty acids, fiber, and phytosterols. It’s also one of the highest in protein Pea shoots: good source of vitamins A, C and folic acid and one of the highest in protein



My two favorites are pea and sunflower sprouts. They provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat. They have radically improved the nutrition of my primary meal, which is a salad at lunch. They are a perfect complement to fermented vegetables. It is hard to imagine a healthier combination that provides the essentials of nutrition very inexpensively.

I plan on producing some videos on how to grow them later this year but for now you can get instructions on how to grow them by viewing a step-by-step guide at rawfoods-livingfoods.com.8

Vegetarians in Paradise9 offers an in-depth write-up on the history and health benefits associated with sunflower seeds. Of the seeds, sunflower seeds are among the best in terms of nutritional value, and sprouting them will augment their nutrient content by as much as 300 to 1,200 percent! Similarly, sprouting peas will improve the bioavailability of zinc and magnesium. Sprouted sunflower seeds also contain plenty of iron and chlorophyll, the latter of which will help detoxify your blood and liver. The phytosterols in sprouted sunflower seeds can help enhance your immune system. According to Vegetarians in Paradise:

“One of the richest sources of protein, 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of sprouted sunflower seeds contains 22.78 grams. The mineral content soars in the sprouted state. That 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) offers a notable 116 mg of calcium, 5.06 mg of zinc, 689 mg of potassium, 1.75 mg copper, and 354 mg of magnesium.

Vitamins increase during sprouting when the seeds are producing a new life. Vitamin A increases to 50,000 IU, and Vitamin E offers 52.18 mg, while vitamin D provides 92.0 IU for 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams). The vitamin B family offers niacin at 4.50 mg, riboflavin at 0.25 mg, and thiamin at 2.29 mg. Sprouted sunflower seeds are also a rich source of iron, providing 6.77 mg for 31/2 ounces (100 grams) that can be a benefit to people with anemia.”

Simple Ways to Increase Your Veggies

Two of the easiest and most efficient ways to optimize your vegetable intake is to juice your vegetables and add sprouted seeds. Not only will juicing help your body absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables by making them easily digestible, but you’re also avoiding the risk of damaging any of their sensitive micronutrients through cooking. Cooking and processing food destroys many micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. And the sprouting process tends to increase nutrient content and bioavailability of nutrients. Sprouts also contain valuable enzymes that allow your body to absorb and use the nutrients of all other foods you eat.

Another benefit of juicing is that it allows you to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet that you might not normally enjoy eating whole. This way, you’re working with the principle of regular food rotation, which will lessen your chances of developing food allergies. For more in-depth guidelines and information about juicing, I recommend you review the juicing section of my nutrition plan.

But whatever method you choose, juiced, whole, sprouted or cooked, please make it a point to eat your veggies. This is one food group that is incredibly diverse, so there’s a wide variety to choose from and plenty to suit virtually everyone’s tastes. And mounting evidence shows that eating vegetables every day is a cornerstone of good health, and a habit that can go a very long way toward preventing disease of all kinds, including cancer.

Interesting part about that article was the fact he was sprouting in soil....

[Jason]

Hmmmm... I'd like to take sprouting, especially sunflower seeds.. Love those sunflower sprouts, but they are expensive if purchased as sprouts.

Does anyone know of a good way to do sprouts? Easier the better.

Leafy Greens Essential for Immune Regulation and Tumor Resolution
April 08, 2013

By Dr. Mercola

Only about one-quarter of American adults eat three or more servings of vegetables a day. If you are in the majority who does not, you are missing out on major benefits, as consuming fresh vegetables is one of the key cornerstones to optimal health.

Although I am convinced virtually everyone would benefit from some animal protein in their diet, I firmly believe we all need to eat large amounts of fresh, high-quality vegetables every day to achieve high-level health. Some of us need far more than others.

Most vegetables are not very calorie dense and as a result they probably should constitute the bulk of your diet by volume. Even though my diet is 70 percent fat by calories, if you were to spread out all the food I eat in a day, the largest volume of food would be vegetables.

There is little that compares to the nutritional value of organic, raw vegetables, and according to new research, eating your greens may be even more important than previously imagined.

The Importance of Eating Your Greens

Researchers at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute’s Molecular Immunology division have discovered1 that a gene, called T-bet, which is essential for producing critical immune cells in your gut, responds to the food you eat—specifically leafy green vegetables. According to the press release:2

“The immune cells, named innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), are found in the lining of the digestive system and protect the body from ‘bad’ bacteria in the intestine.

They are also believed to play an important role in controlling food allergies, inflammatory diseases and obesity, and may even prevent the development of bowel cancers.

... [T]he research team revealed T-bet was essential for generating a subset of ILCs which is a newly discovered cell type that protects the body against infections entering through the digestive system.

'In this study, we discovered that T-bet is the key gene that instructs precursor cells to develop into ILCs, which it does in response to signals in the food we eat and to bacteria in the gut,' Dr Belz said. 'ILCs are essential for immune surveillance of the digestive system and this is the first time that we have identified a gene responsible for the production of ILCs.'”

ILCs are thought to be essential for:

Maintaining balance between tolerance, immunity and inflammation in your body
Producing interleukin-22 (IL-22), a hormone that can protect your body from pathogenic bacteria
Maintaining healthy intestinal balance by promoting growth of beneficial bacteria and healing small wounds and abrasions in the gut
Helping resolve cancerous lesions

More Reasons to Eat Your Veggies

Vegetables contain an array of antioxidants and other disease-fighting compounds that are very difficult to get anywhere else. Plant chemicals called phytochemicals can reduce inflammation and eliminate carcinogens, while others regulate the rate at which your cells reproduce, get rid of old cells and maintain DNA. Studies have repeatedly shown that people with higher vegetable intake have:
Lower risks of stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease Lower risks of certain types of cancer, eye diseases and digestive problems Reduced risk of kidney stones and bone loss
Higher scores on cognitive tests Higher antioxidant levels Lower biomarkers for oxidative stress



Further, if you eat your veggies raw, you’ll also be receiving biophotons, the smallest physical units of light, which are stored in, and used by all biological organisms -- including your body. Vital sun energy finds its way into your cells via the food you eat, in the form of these biophotons. They contain important bio-information, which controls complex vital processes in your body. The biophotons have the power to order and regulate, and, in doing so, to elevate the organism -- in this case, your physical body -- to a higher oscillation or order. Generally, the more sunlight a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is.

Naturally-grown fresh vegetables, raw sprouts, and sun-ripened fruits are rich in light energy. Ideally, look for fresh, non-GMO produce that is organically grown on a local farm in your area. Choose the vegetables that appear freshest first, and consume them raw shortly after purchase for optimal benefits.

If you can't obtain organic, conventionally-grown vegetables are better than none! Just take extra care with non-organic vegetables by washing them thoroughly and removing peels and cores when possible to minimize your exposure to pesticides. Certain fruits and vegetables also 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 produce3 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.

Reasons to Eat Sprouts, a Living Food with Amazing Health Benefits

Sprouts are a “super” food that many overlook. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy to grow on your own. I started sprouting seeds in ball jars 10 to 15 years ago. A Care2 article published last year4 listed 10 reasons for eating sprouts, including the following. For the rest, please see the original article:

Sprouts can contain up to 100 times more enzymes than raw fruits and vegetables, allowing your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat
Both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted
The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. For example, depending on the sprout, the nutrient content can increase as much as 30 times the original value within just a few days of sprouting. Sunflower seed and pea sprouts tend to top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables you can even harvest in your backyard garden
During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable
Sprouts are the ultimate locally-grown food, and can easily be grown in your own kitchen, so you know exactly what you’re eating. And since they’re very inexpensive, cost is no excuse for avoiding them

Planting and Harvesting Sprouts at Home

About to plant Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds - 2 days after soaking


Wheat grass and Sunflower seeds – 3 ½ days post germination.

Sunflower seeds and Pea sprouts – 3 days until ready for harvest.


Sunflower seed sprouts and Wheat Grass - ready to harvest.

Sprouts as Medicine

Sprouts-as-medicine.com5 is a good source for things relating to sprouts: their health benefits, recipes, and how to grow your own. The British verticalveg.org6 is another. The latter gives helpful growing tips for each month of the year. One of the benefits of sprouts is that you can grow them year-round, even when it’s cold and dark. The article 6 Easy Steps to Sprout Heaven7 teaches you how to grow your own sprouts, from start to finish. While you can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains, sprouts in general have the following beneficial attributes:

Support for cell regeneration
Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical damage
Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many tumors are acidic)
Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can also help protect against abnormal cell growth, viruses and bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment

Common Sprouts and Their Superior Nutritional Profiles

Some of the most commonly sprouted beans, nuts, seeds and grains include:
Broccoli: known to have anti-cancer properties, courtesy of the enzyme "sulforaphane" Alfalfa: a significant dietary source of phytoestrogens. Also a good source of vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F, and K Wheat grass: high in vitamins B, C, E and many minerals Mung bean: good source of protein, fiber, vitamin C and A
Clover : significant source of isoflavones Lentil sprouts: contain 26 percent protein, and can be eaten without cooking Sunflower: contains, minerals, healthy fats, essential fatty acids, fiber, and phytosterols. It’s also one of the highest in protein Pea shoots: good source of vitamins A, C and folic acid and one of the highest in protein



My two favorites are pea and sunflower sprouts. They provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat. They have radically improved the nutrition of my primary meal, which is a salad at lunch. They are a perfect complement to fermented vegetables. It is hard to imagine a healthier combination that provides the essentials of nutrition very inexpensively.

I plan on producing some videos on how to grow them later this year but for now you can get instructions on how to grow them by viewing a step-by-step guide at rawfoods-livingfoods.com.8

Vegetarians in Paradise9 offers an in-depth write-up on the history and health benefits associated with sunflower seeds. Of the seeds, sunflower seeds are among the best in terms of nutritional value, and sprouting them will augment their nutrient content by as much as 300 to 1,200 percent! Similarly, sprouting peas will improve the bioavailability of zinc and magnesium. Sprouted sunflower seeds also contain plenty of iron and chlorophyll, the latter of which will help detoxify your blood and liver. The phytosterols in sprouted sunflower seeds can help enhance your immune system. According to Vegetarians in Paradise:

“One of the richest sources of protein, 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of sprouted sunflower seeds contains 22.78 grams. The mineral content soars in the sprouted state. That 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) offers a notable 116 mg of calcium, 5.06 mg of zinc, 689 mg of potassium, 1.75 mg copper, and 354 mg of magnesium.

Vitamins increase during sprouting when the seeds are producing a new life. Vitamin A increases to 50,000 IU, and Vitamin E offers 52.18 mg, while vitamin D provides 92.0 IU for 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams). The vitamin B family offers niacin at 4.50 mg, riboflavin at 0.25 mg, and thiamin at 2.29 mg. Sprouted sunflower seeds are also a rich source of iron, providing 6.77 mg for 31/2 ounces (100 grams) that can be a benefit to people with anemia.”

Simple Ways to Increase Your Veggies

Two of the easiest and most efficient ways to optimize your vegetable intake is to juice your vegetables and add sprouted seeds. Not only will juicing help your body absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables by making them easily digestible, but you’re also avoiding the risk of damaging any of their sensitive micronutrients through cooking. Cooking and processing food destroys many micronutrients by altering their shape and chemical composition. And the sprouting process tends to increase nutrient content and bioavailability of nutrients. Sprouts also contain valuable enzymes that allow your body to absorb and use the nutrients of all other foods you eat.

Another benefit of juicing is that it allows you to add a wider variety of vegetables to your diet that you might not normally enjoy eating whole. This way, you’re working with the principle of regular food rotation, which will lessen your chances of developing food allergies. For more in-depth guidelines and information about juicing, I recommend you review the juicing section of my nutrition plan.

But whatever method you choose, juiced, whole, sprouted or cooked, please make it a point to eat your veggies. This is one food group that is incredibly diverse, so there’s a wide variety to choose from and plenty to suit virtually everyone’s tastes. And mounting evidence shows that eating vegetables every day is a cornerstone of good health, and a habit that can go a very long way toward preventing disease of all kinds, including cancer.

If ya wanna really grow some sprouts...perhaps some of these production systems will provide some inspiration -

http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/ ... 215446.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.foddertech.com/products/mini-systems" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZTikdxj8AI" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.utahnaturalmeat.com/farm_lif ... routs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Dig their meat and milk...too bad the raw milk went to $10 gallon...that was some good stuff...course the gov (mainstream folks) treats it like a controlled substance...

Looking forward to Mercola's videos he's workin' on....

[BroJones]

Thanks, Legion, for the links.

Next from Dr Mercola -- Greening the Desert, reversing desertification --

QUOTE

By Dr. Mercola

Throughout centuries of farming, animal grazing and deforestation, the earth’s natural resources have been exhausted. Deserts are encroaching into previous lush areas and water is becoming alarmingly scarce.

Our soil is depleting 13% faster than it can be replaced, and we’ve lost 75% of the world's crop varieties in just the last hundred years. Over a billion people in the world have no access to safe drinking water, while 80% of the world’s fresh water supply is used for agriculture.

Even from space, the visual scale of the destruction is both disheartening and sobering. Add to this travesty the fact that the world’s population is expanding by a billion people every 12 years.

On a photographic assignment of the 640,000-square-kilometer Loess Plateau in North-Central China in 1995, cameraman John Liu witnessed the ravaging effects of man’s ignorance and greed. But he was amazed to discover that the mindful, purposeful efforts of local Chinese residents had rehabilitated a stark desert area the size of the Netherlands into a lush, green oasis.

He wondered if similarly devastated landscapes had once been vistas of lush, thriving vegetation that include waterfalls, rainforests and fertile valleys – before several thousand years of exploitation had stripped the land of every natural resource.

The epiphany Liu experienced spawned his provocative film, Hope in a Changing Climate, which he posted on the Internet. You could say the results have gone viral …

'What Happens When Humans Don’t Understand How Ecosystems Function?'

As Liu witnessed the negative trend being reversed around the Loess Plateau, he discovered that not only can damaged ecosystems be rehabilitated, and that similar remediation can restore other parts of the world, but that the pathway for accomplishing it is fairly simple.

But the first order of business is to understand how it happened in the first place. It often begins with several thousand years of relentless grazing of domestic animals on mountainous slopes until there’s nothing left but barren ground.

Rains that may have restored the land erode, carrying fertile topsoil down the hillsides, effectively removing any chance for new growth to emerge. On the Loess Plateau, millions of tons of powder-fine silt were swept down into the Yellow River, not only obstructing its flow, but causing massive flooding and the river’s new name: China’s Sorrow.

On his travels, Liu noticed the same scenario of cumulatively encroaching desert land where it had once been fertile.

“The lands are exhausted. They allow hundred of thousands of sheep and goats to walk across here, and any green thing that sticks up its head is food, and they’re just walking around here getting everything. Well, you can’t let them do that any more. They’ll have to stop… that’s what’s destroyed this area. If that doesn’t stop, you won’t be able to fix this.”



Greening the Desert – Can This Be Replicated in Other Parts of the World?

This same trend in Jordan prompted the government to take action. Working with civil engineers and scientists, Liu sectioned off areas to allow the land to rest for three years. In an amazingly short time, grass began to appear. A plant species last recorded in the 1800s and thought to be extinct emerged on its own.

“Grasses develop perennial root systems that spread, encouraging microbial communities living and growing in this microclimate that’s created,” Liu explained. “Then you won’t have direct sunlight hitting, and UV radiation sterilizing this microbiological habitat. Then, everything will change – you’ll have a cumulative situation where there’s always vegetation, organic matter and biodiversity.

“You can see the relationship between hydrology and vegetation and biological life. That’s the basis of the air and the natural water system. It’s how the atmosphere and the hydrological cycle were created and how they were constantly renewed. …If we emulate those and don’t disturb them, we can live in the Garden of Eden.”

Eden Restored: Strategy-Inspired Green Resurgence

Centuries of vitality-sapping farming in Ethiopia have destroyed nearly every inch of vegetation, leaving wide swaths of bone-dry desert. Heavy flooding has etched deep gullies into the land, sweeping topsoil downward and away with nothing to halt its progress. With not even a drop left for farmers to water their crops, their animals or themselves, the ensuing drought and famine has been catastrophic.

But in just 6 years, villagers have planted indigenous trees and vegetation, transforming the severely eroded terrain. Rainfall now absorbs into the ground, feeding a clear stream that flows year-round, aided by the cover of dense vegetation. This has saved the region from desert-induced annihilation and instilled hope for a future of continued sustainability.

A thousand miles north in Abraha Asfaha, another miraculous resurgence has taken place. Where five years previous, heat and wind had induced drought, a government program instigated relocation for local villagers, who were given permission to set aside and remediate the land as the Chinese had. Now, villagers find water at the bottom of their wells, in spite of poor rainfall.

"In the ravines they built small dams which are now fed by underground springs… Rain that fell weeks ago slowly seeps through the subsoil, replenishing the supply of water. 'The land has become fertile again,' the village chief reports. 'There have been enormous improvements. Our fruit trees were shriveled up, but now they’re growing again. There’s even a larger number of species. Those are really positive results. We now have food security. Our children can go to school. We have a better life. We no longer need to ask the government for support, thanks to the changes that were implemented.'"

'People aren’t thinking about this ecological function. They’re ignoring science…'

Studies focusing on the relationship between the soil, moisture and organic matter helped scientists, ecologists and engineers form strategies to produce other success stories, such as one in Rwanda, where over-farmed hillsides caused serious erosion. In a desperate gamble to grow more food, poor farmers drained the protected Regazi Wetlands. But not only did this damage the wetland’s fragile ecosystem and wildlife, as it began drying out, it impacted power stations downriver, including the hydroelectric power system in Rwanda’s capital city Kagali three hours south. The Rwandan government was forced to rent diesel power generators to remedy the situation.

In bringing back the wetlands, as well as restoring fertility to the villagers’ lands, those responsible for its demise were solicited to help. Today, carbon-free electricity is replacing the diesel generators, stabilizing electricity prices throughout the region. Rwandan President Paul Kagame:

“We had to take a careful look at what had been happening to damage it, this system, and how to reverse that with human action. And it’s important to understand how human actions can destroy, or reverse what has been destroyed (to) even protect our environment.”

Identifying the Goal: Is It Temporary Production or Ongoing Sustenance?

Liu contends that our source of wealth is a functional ecosystem, not the products derived from them.

“It’s impossible for the derivative to be more valuable than the source. … And yet, in our economy now, as it stands, the products and services have monetary values, but the source – the functional ecosystems – (have) zero. This cannot be true. It’s false! We’ve created a global economic institution based on a theory of flawed logic. Carry that flaw in logic from generation to generation, we compound the mistake. “We’ve only just begun to understand the real value of natural capital. Surely investing in the restoration of damaged environments is a cost-effective way of solving many of the problems we face today.”

But farmers the world over sometimes need convincing. The problem, Liu says, is that they usually believe “production” is the goal, when the crucial, pressing need is sustainability so that the entire planet can be functional. In 1995, Jordanian farmers scoffed at the suggestion that trees be planted in order to build a more sustainable agricultural platform. It was confusing at first, but the premise held that investing in the program would come to fruition, literally, in their own foreseeable future, with the promise of ongoing agricultural enrichment for upcoming generations.

It meant the area’s farming-and-grazing status quo had to stop temporarily, but homesteaders were financially compensated. As villagers headed up the mountains with shovels, their new objective was to create a “hat” of trees at the top, terraces to form a “belt” and “shoes” – the foundation of a constructed dam at the bottom. Hills and gullies were designated as protected “ecological zones.” And it worked.

Permaculture: The Art of Working With – Not Against – Nature

Geoff Lawton introduced the permaculture concept in Australia, where rebuilding functional ecosystems from the ground up restores them to their fullest potential. It can create an agricultural heartland even in the desert in as little as three-and-a-half years, and being fully self-sufficient year-round, cycling its own nutrients without the need for irrigation or artificial fertilizer.

“Permaculture is the conscious design and maintenance of agriculturally productive ecosystems (to) have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people — providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way.”1

Lawton says there’s potential for abundance even in arid climates like Jordan’s Petra, now a stark shell of what was once thriving, known as “the land of milk and honey.” With its “ecological range of diversity and abundance, there’s potential for water flow, regional climate and microclimate moderation, completely different hydrology and the potential for well-designed productivity, (can lead) to permanence in human culture.”

Without restoration, the cycle of poverty continues to be passed down from generation to generation. When the trend is reversed, quality of life is improved, followed by improved diet, healthcare and educational opportunities.

Nature: NOT an 'Enemy' To Be Conquered or Manipulated…

In just the last ten years, 100 million tons of herbicides have been dumped onto our crops, polluting waterways and the soil where our food grows. A genetically engineered crop called “golden rice” has tainted the entire food industry throughout Asia, thanks to a sizable investment of cash from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which socked $20 billion into the enterprise.

Slash and burn agriculture, such as what’s done in Bolivia to make room for farming, involves burning ‘biomass’ – forests full of trees and fauna – for short-term monetary gain. But the most valuable commodity is being destroyed in the process destroying the most valuable thing in their system – the ability to help create biomass in other areas. It could create multiple industries in both areas and be mutually beneficial for everyone. Massive soy-growing plantations in Brazil are so dependent on the promise of economic wealth that local farmers are murdered and their lands confiscated, all to increase multi-nationally-owned soybean operations that decimated nearly 3 million acres of rainforest in just one year.2

Small- and Large-Scale Sustainability Practices – for Your Family, Community and the Globe

The life-giving effects of sustainability practices can be seen on several large scales now, but the principles are only as deep and complex as the soil. Compost feeds not just the plants, but the soil – or more specifically the soil organisms – is where 50 million genuses of bacteria and 50 million genuses of fungi thrive under the right conditions. According to Liu:

“Farmers in the Loess Plateau have continued to prosper, and the soil has been accumulating organic material from plants and animals. This holds the moisture and contains carbon… Living soils like this retain on average three times more carbon than the foliage above the ground. If we were to restore the vast area of the planet where we humans have degraded the soils, just think what an impact it would have in taking carbon out of the atmosphere.”

The entire Chinese continent has benefited from the lessons learned on the Loess Plateau. You can see it in the marketplaces, Liu says. Incomes have risen three-fold. We can make it happen here, as well.

The Ecosystem Isn’t Just Broken Over There… Look In Your Own Back Yard!

The tendency most of us have in so-called “developed” countries is to think those images of widespread ecological damage is far, far away and doesn’t involve us. But it does! Worse than simple farmers destroying the landscape through ignorance and tradition, the stripping and poisoning of our own natural resources is being done not unwittingy, but intentionally; not for the good of whole continents in the foreseeable future but for the financial profit of a few, now.

Perhaps you can’t do anything about that, and remedying those situations must be left to others. But you can make a difference now for yourself, for your family and community that might have residual effects.

Growing your own vegetables is a growing concept for thousands of Americans. It can help you save money, involve everyone in the family and help create a store that can last through the winter.
Organic gardening isn’t something extra you do – in fact it’s quite the opposite. It’s what you don’t do that makes the difference: no chemicals, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides on your plate! When you take control of what you eat, you’ll naturally enjoy better health, ensure and protecting future generations.
Composting is another way to make what you already have work for you in the future. Save those scraps, from egg shells to coffee filters, and use them to feed your vegetable garden.
When shopping for food, be informed regarding where that food was produced. A guide to help you can be found by clicking here!

If you take advantage of the farm-fresh sustainability that’s becoming more prevalent as people take control of what they’re consuming, you’ll realize many benefits. First, you’ll know where the foods you and your family eat comes from, ensure optimal nutrition, and protect the health of future generations.

[BroJones]

"Dangers of carnitine" in the news lately; but how true are the media reports?
Side note: Is it true that the Church has a major cattle-producing business? I think so.

Will Eating Meat Really Increase Your Risk of Heart Disease?
April 22, 2013
By Dr. Mercola

Nearly 100 trillion bacteria, fungi, viruses and other microorganisms compose your body’s microflora, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that these tiny organisms play a major role in your health.

Gut microbes are particularly prominent in the news lately, and one of the most talked-about studies suggests bacteria in your gut may play a role in your risk of heart disease through a surprising mechanism: the breakdown of a widely consumed compound in protein known as L-carnitine.

As a result, the media has mounted a virtual campaign warning that red meat eaters may be at higher risk of heart disease. But does the research really back up that claim? Some nutritional experts disagree, pointing out the many weaknesses in the study, and why giving up meat to prevent heart disease may be premature, if not downright wrong.

This 6 person study may be one of the worst and most publicized since last year's media attack stating eggs were as bad for you as smoking.

Microflora Composition--A New Explanation for the Link Between Red Meat and Heart Disease?

It’s widely stated that eating red meat causes heart disease, an association that is often blamed (incorrectly) on its impact on cholesterol levels. Yet, research has repeatedly shown that the dietary cholesterol-heart disease connection is incorrect.

So while the featured study may offer intriguing clues to the importance of gut bacteria, and how gut bacteria is influenced by your diet, it’s doubtful that this latest hypothesis linking heart disease to red meat consumption via another pathway is entirely correct.

For example, a 2010 study from Harvard found no evidence that eating red meats leads to heart disease.1

That said, the featured study published in Nature Medicine2 claims to shed some light on why some people who eat red meat develop heart disease while others do not – and the reason may come down to differences in gut bacteria.

The study,3 by researchers from the Cleveland Clinic, found that human gut bacteria can metabolize L-carnitine, a substance found in red meat, energy drinks and dietary supplements, and in so doing produce a byproduct called trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is thought to encourage fatty plaque deposits to form within arteries (atherosclerosis), and therefore, the more TMAO you have in your blood the greater your risk of heart disease might be.

Interestingly, people with diets high in L-carnitine, i.e. meat eaters, had a gut microbe composition that was more prone to forming TMAO, while vegetarians and vegans did not. Even after consuming large amounts of L-carnitine in a steak or supplement, the vegetarians and vegans in the study did not produce significant amounts of TMAO.

This, the authors believe, means that eating red meat alters your gut flora in a way that predisposes your body toward TMAO production, and subsequently, heart disease. This was confirmed by giving the omnivores a course of antibiotics, after which they did not produce TMAO. Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD, the study’s lead author, said in a statement:4

“The bacteria living in our digestive tracts are dictated by our long-term dietary patterns… A diet high in carnitine actually shifts our gut microbe composition to those that like carnitine, making meat eaters even more susceptible to forming TMAO and its artery-clogging effects.”

Is Red Meat Being Inaccurately Singled Out as a Heart Disease Promoter?

The latest study is not the first to link gut bacteria to heart disease. In 2011, the same researchers, Hazen and colleagues, used data from nearly 2,000 people and showed that when the bacteria in your gut break down lecithin, a type of fat found in meat, eggs, dairy and other animal foods along with baked goods and dietary supplements, and its metabolite choline, it also leads to the creation of TMAO and, subsequently, increases your risk of heart disease.5

In response to this and the current study, many have wondered whether red meat and other animal foods, along with supplements containing L-carnitine, lecithin or choline should be avoided. Chris Masterjohn PhD, who is currently researching fat-soluble supplements at the University of Illinois, rebutted the 2011 findings stating:6

“...previous studies have shown that supplements with salts of free choline do in fact generate TMAO, but uncontaminated phosphatidylcholine, the main form of choline found in food, does not. Moreover, choline-rich foods like liver and eggs did not produce more TMAO than a control breakfast, but seafood, which is generally contaminated with some trimethylamine or TMAO, did.”

Masterjohn also disagrees with the group’s latest findings, in which the researchers claim that carnitine in red meat contributes to heart disease via the same pathway, i.e. the creation of TMAO. According to Masterjohn, incomplete reporting of data in the paper combined with “wild runaway inferences” by the press has generated a grossly misleading picture of red meat’s impact on heart disease, while simultaneously ignoring the food group that actually generates the most TMAO.

He points out that red meat is only one of many foods that increases TMAO when eaten, and cites data from a 1999 study that evaluated TMAO excretion following consumption of 46 different foods, which shows that red meat generated no more TMAO than fruits and vegetables. In fact, some veggies, such as peas, cauliflower and carrots generated more TMAO than beef did! Still, none of the foods generated TMAO at levels that were statistically different from the control. (Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference between different kinds of meats, compared to the control.)



Previous Research Shows Seafood Produces More TMAO than Any Other Food, Including Beef

The 1999 study did show however, one food group that stood out as a major source of TMAO, and that was seafood. Virtually all fish and invertebrates, with few exceptions (including trout and cockles) produced statistically significant more TMAO than the “light breakfast” control alone. And, according to Masterjohn’s own statistical test, all invertebrates except clams and cockles, and all fish except tuna, trout, plaice, and roe produced significantly more TMAO than beef. He writes:

“The single 'representative female omnivore' from the [2013] Nature Medicine7 paper excreted similar amounts of TMAO in her urine as the six subjects from the 1999 study after consuming red meat, suggesting that, had they measured the response to seafood, the authors of the Nature Medicine paper would also have found much greater excretion of TMAO after consumption of seafood than after consumption of red meat

The difference between seafoods and red meat in the 1999 paper is like the difference between night and day. To take the most extreme example, halibut generated over 107 times as much TMAO as red meat. It seems obvious from this study that if any foods should be singled out for the production of TMAO, it should be seafoods. Yet the Nature Medicine paper makes no mention of fish and the New York Times8 article only mentions fish to point out that it has less carnitine than red meat (and thus, by inference, will generate less TMAO, though that is clearly not the case, presumably because seafood tends to be contaminated with trimethylamine or TMAO itself...)

If we are to single out red meat as a source of TMAO, we should be able to identify other foods with which it should be replaced that generate less TMAO. Yet this 1999 study, which had a small sample size but tested an expansive number of foods, found that there basically are no other foods that generate meaningfully less TMAO than red meat.”

Axing Beef to Prevent Heart Disease Looks Like Another Red Herring...

Chris Kresser L.Ac has also weighed in on this issue,9 comparing the hypothesis that red meat causes heart disease via TMAO to the patently false notion that dietary cholesterol and saturated fat cause heart disease by raising serum cholesterol. Kresser lists three reasons for not taking the featured study at face value:

Inconsistent epidemiological evidence
“Healthy user” bias, and
Inconclusive and insufficient evidence on the role of TMAO in heart disease
“...even if Paleo meat eaters have higher TMAO levels than vegans and vegetarians, we still don’t have evidence proving a causal relationship between TMAO and cardiovascular disease,” he writes. “Once again, the supposed link between cholesterol and saturated fat and heart disease should serve as a reminder not to jump to hasty conclusions that unnecessarily deprive people of nutrient-dense, healthy foods. It is virtually impossible to control for all of the possible confounding factors.”

Should You Avoid L-Carnitine and Choline-Rich Foods and Supplements?

Masterjohn offers an in-depth critique of the featured study’s data in his recent Weston A Price article,10 so for more information I recommend reading it in its entirety. For example, he points out that the study does not include any data for eating steak alone (the steak was consumed with a carnitine supplement); the data also does not indicate if TMAO differences are due to a single outlier or a fundamental gender difference, or if the antibiotic treatment is a confounding factor as none of the vegans were given antibiotics. According to Masterjohn:

“There is no data in this paper showing that TMAO increases in response to steak alone in anyone.”

At this time, more investigation is still needed to support the assumption that red meat and other animal foods, along with supplements containing L-carnitine, lecithin or choline should be avoided. What’s more, these substances occur naturally in a wide range of foods, making it nearly impossible, and likely inadvisable, to avoid them entirely.

In terms of L-carnitine, an omnivorous diet provides 20 to 200 mg/day, compared to a strict vegetarian diet, which would add about 1 mg/day.11 But even non-dairy infant formulas are sometimes fortified with L-carnitine, and the substance is also found in seafood, chicken breast, avocado and cheese (although in far lower amounts than are found in red meats, especially beef). It’s also important to realize that both L-carnitine and choline are essential nutrients your body needs. Choline, for instance, is linked to beneficial epigenetic changes in fetuses that likely last into adulthood, while L-carnitine has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetes.

Masterjohn also points out that while there were significant differences in the intestinal bacterial strains between omnivores and vegans, which might account for why TMAO levels were 45 percent higher in the meat eaters, intestinal flora may not be the sole answer. He writes:

“While it is possible that intestinal flora accounts for the difference, it is disappointing that the authors did not consider other possibilities, such as differences in the activity of the enzyme that converts trimethylamine to TMAO. For example, vitamin B2 is the main cofactor for the enzyme, and vegans are three times as likely to be deficient in vitamin B2 as vegetarians and omnivores.

...While antibiotics wipe out TMAO levels in humans and mice, showing that intestinal bacteria are necessary for its formation, the authors provide no clear evidence that the specific differences in intestinal bacteria between vegetarians and vegans on the one hand and meat-eaters on the other cause the observed difference in TMAO levels. It is unclear whether the 45 percent higher TMAO levels in meat-eaters represents something that we should regard as 'unhealthy.' As I pointed out above, for all we know it could be due to riboflavin (vitamin B2) deficiency among the vegans.”

The Link Between Whole Grains and Gut Bacteria that Drive TMAO Production

Jeff Leach with the Human Food Project has also weighed in on the featured study. His article is well worth reading in its entirety as well. He expounds on many of the same issues as Masterjohn and Kresser, but also focuses much of his discussion on the role of gut bacteria in the conversion of carnitine to TMAO. He writes, in part:12

“If we assume for the moment that TMAO can accelerate atherosclerosis, then the observation that enriched levels of Prevotella are associated with higher levels in of TMAO become more interesting – especially as enrichment of this group of bacteria seems to occur in vegans and vegetarians as well as omnivores. So what causes enrichment of Prevotella?

In a paper published in 2010, Italian researchers found that rural African kids in Burkina Faso had super high levels of Prevotella, while a similar aged group of kids in suburban Italy had none.The striking dietary difference between the kids in Burkina Faso and the Italian kids was whole grain consumption... whole grains made up >50% of the daily calories in this [African] village... In contrast, the Italian kids got ~25% of their daily calories from highly processed bread, biscuits, pasta, and rice... All in all, a much more diverse diet, though apparently devoid of whole grains but high in processed foods. As mentioned, the Italian kids had no traceable amounts of Prevotella in their stool samples...

In the Burkina Faso paper, the researchers attributed the high levels of Prevotella to grain-based carbohydrates... it doesn’t appear that dietary fiber in general is driving enrichment of Prevotella... So, it appears somehow specific to the starch in grains or the dietary fiber in grains.”

The Bottom Line...

According to Masterjohn, to interpret the featured study “as an indictment of red meat makes no sense.”

“Even if physiological levels of TMAO contribute to heart disease in humans (which is a big 'if' at this point) and even if red meat were to raise TMAO substantially more than most other foods (which appears to be false), it wouldn’t in any way whatsoever follow that eating red meat causes heart disease. The biological effects of a food cannot possibly be reduced to one of the biological effects of one of the food’s components. Believing such a thing would require believing not only that the particular component has no other relevant biological effects, but that there are no relevant biological effects of any of the other tens of thousands of components of that food

...If the carnitine in red meat were promoting atherosclerosis through its conversion to TMAO, however, then red meat should be no more dangerous than potatoes and carrots and the real killer should be seafood. How likely is this to be true?”

Indeed... Countless studies have shown the health benefits associated with a seafood-rich diet, including its value for prevention of heart disease. Personally, I believe the best option is not to avoid these potentially beneficial substances in your diet but to optimize your gut bacteria so it favors health-promoting, rather than disease-causing, processes.

Testing Your Breath May Reveal Gut Bacteria Linked to Obesity

Another area where gut bacteria are making headlines is related to your weight. One study last month revealed that as much as 20 percent of the substantial weight loss achieved from gastric bypass, a popular weight loss surgery, is actually due to shifts in the balance of bacteria in your digestive tract.13

Separate research has also revealed that a breath test of the gases given off by your gut bacteria may help predict your likelihood of becoming obese. The study found that people with high levels of hydrogen and methane in their breath are more likely to have a higher body-mass index (BMI) and proportion of body fat.14 This, the researchers believe, may be because the related gut bacteria influence your body’s ability to extract calories from food, leading to weight gain.

Previous research has also shown that lean people tend to have higher amounts of various healthy bacteria compared to obese people. For example, one 2011 study found that daily intake of a specific form of lactic acid bacteria could help prevent obesity and reduce low-level inflammation.15 Taken together, the research adds to the growing knowledge that nurturing the growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut is likely to have significant benefits to your health and may be essential for:

Protection against over-growth of other microorganisms that could cause disease
Digestion of food and absorption of nutrients and certain carbohydrates
Producing vitamins, absorbing minerals and eliminating toxins
Preventing allergies
Maintaining natural defenses
Numerous studies have also shown that your gut flora plays a role in:

Mood, psychological health, and behavior
Celiac disease
Diabetes
Weight gain and obesity
Metabolic syndrome
Your Gut Flora is Constantly Under Attack

Your gut bacteria are vulnerable to your diet and lifestyle. If you eat a lot of sugar, refined grains, GMOs and processed foods, for instance, your gut bacteria are going to be compromised because processed foods in general will destroy healthy microflora and feed bad bacteria and yeast. Your gut bacteria are also very sensitive to:

Antibiotics
Chlorinated water
Antibacterial soap
Agricultural chemicals
Pollution
Because of this, you need to avoid processed, refined foods in your diet (this is essential for heart disease prevention, too) and regularly reseed your gut with good bacteria by taking a high-quality probiotic supplement or eating non-pasteurized, traditionally fermented foods such as:

Fermented vegetables
Lassi (an Indian yoghurt drink, traditionally enjoyed before dinner)
Fermented milk, such as kefir
Natto (fermented soy)
One of the reasons why fermented foods are so beneficial is because they contain lactic acid bacteria as well as a wide variety of other beneficial bacteria. Also, if fermented with a probiotics starter culture, the amount of healthy bacteria in a serving of fermented vegetables can far exceed the amount you’ll find in commercial probiotics supplements, making it a very cost effective alternative. Ideally, you want to eat a variety of fermented foods to maximize the variety of bacteria you’re consuming.

Nurturing Your Gut Flora is One of the Foundations of Optimal Health

Mounting research indicates the bacterial colonies residing in your gut may play key roles in the development of cancer, asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, autoimmune diseases and even brain-, behavioral- and emotional problems like ADHD, autism and depression. The heart disease connection is also now emerging, as discussed, although I’d hesitate to draw any conclusions from it as of yet.

Overall, I believe it would be unwise to try to eliminate foods just because they’re known to raise TMAO, as they’re all healthy and appear to include everything from meats to vegetables and seafood It’s far more likely that maintaining a healthy gut flora is paramount to prevent heart disease, and if you’re going to eliminate a food to protect your beneficial gut bacteria, it would be processed foods, not fresh whole foods of any kind.

Another confounding factor not addressed is the fact that meat from confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) are a source of hidden antibiotics, which wreak havoc on your gut bacteria. So that too may have played a role. This is reason alone to make sure you only buy organically raised grass-fed meats, as they’re not allowed to use antibiotics as growth promoters.

Previous research has shown that around age 60, there is a significant drop in the number of bacteria in your gut. According to Dr. Sandra McFarlane from the microbiology and gut biology group at the University of Dundee, people over 60 typically have about 1,000-fold less "friendly" bacteria in their guts compared to younger adults, and increased levels of disease-causing microbes.16 What this means is that it’s incredibly important to actively nurture your gut flora health, especially as you get older.

Eating fermented foods should be your primary strategy, but if you don't enjoy the taste of fermented foods, taking a probiotic supplement is definitely advised. However, before you give up on fermented foods, it is best to start with small amounts like half a teaspoon and use them as a condiment integrated with your food, similar to a salad dressing. If you still don't want to eat them then it is important to note that while I do not generally advocate taking a lot of supplements, a high-quality probiotic is an exception. I recommend looking for a probiotic supplement that fulfills the following criteria, to ensure quality and efficacy:

The bacteria strains in the product must be able to survive your stomach acid and bile, so that they reach your intestines alive in adequate numbers
The bacteria strains must have health-promoting features
The probiotic activity must be guaranteed throughout the entire production process, storage period and shelf life of the product
Through my years of clinical practice, I've found that no single probiotic supplement works for everyone. However, more people seem to respond favorably to Lactobacillus sporogenes than any other probiotic, so when in doubt, that's a great place to start.

[BroJones]

Dr Mercola addresses emotional/mental health

By Dr. Mercola

If you physically over-tax your body, say by overexerting yourself on a hot day or staying up for 24 hours with no sleep, you probably wouldn’t be surprised if it suddenly “breaks down.”

We avoid such pitfalls by tending to our physical health, resting and drinking water when doing taxing work in the outdoor heat or making sure we get adequate sleep on most nights.

Your mind is subject to the same rules, meaning that it can only take so much stress before it breaks down, yet many neglect to tend to their emotional health with the same devotion they give to their physical well-being. This is a mistake, but one that’s easily remedied with the following tips for emotional nurturing.1

9 Strategies to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Avoid a Breakdown

1. Be an Optimist

Looking on the bright side increases your ability to experience happiness in your day-to-day life while helping you cope more effectively with stress.

2. Have Hope

Having hope allows you to see the light at the end of the tunnel, helping you push through even dark, challenging times. Accomplishing goals, even small ones, can help you to build your level of hope.

3. Accept Yourself

Self-deprecating remarks and thoughts will shroud your mind with negativity and foster increased levels of stress. Seek out and embrace the positive traits of yourself and your life, and avoid measuring your own worth by comparing yourself to those around you.

4. Stay Connected

Having loving and supportive relationships helps you feel connected and accepted, and promote a more positive mood. Intimate relationships help meet your emotional needs, so make it a point to reach out to others to develop and nurture these relationships in your life.

5. Express Gratitude

People who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with stress, have more positive emotions, and are better able to reach their goals. The best way to harness the positive power of gratitude is to keep a gratitude journal or list, where you actively write down exactly what you’re grateful for each day. Doing so has been linked to happier moods, greater optimism and even better physical health.

6. Find Your Purpose and Meaning

When you have a purpose or goal that you’re striving for, your life will take on a new meaning that supports your mental well-being. If you’re not sure what your purpose is, explore your natural talents and interests to help find it, and also consider your role in intimate relationships and ability to grow spiritually.

7. Master Your Environment

When you have mastery over your environment, you’ve learned how to best modify your unique circumstances for the most emotional balance, which leads to feelings of pride and success. Mastery entails using skills such as time management and prioritization along with believing in your ability to handle whatever life throws your way.

8. Exercise Regularly

Exercise boosts levels of health-promoting neurochemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, which may help buffer some of the effects of stress and also relieve some symptoms of depression. Rather than viewing exercise as a medical tool to lose weight, prevent disease, and live longer – all benefits that occur in the future – try viewing exercise as a daily tool to immediately enhance your frame of mind, reduce stress and feel happier.

9. Practice Mindfulness

Practicing “mindfulness” means that you’re actively paying attention to the moment you’re in right now. Rather than letting your mind wander, when you’re mindful you’re living in the moment and letting distracting or negative thoughts pass through your mind without getting caught up in their emotional implications. Mindfulness can help you reduce stress for increased well-being as well as achieve undistracted focus.

Are You in the Midst of an Emotional Breakdown?

If difficult life circumstances and the negative emotions they create are making happiness hard to come by, I urge you to try the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).

EFT is a powerful self-help method based on research showing that emotional trauma contributes greatly to disease. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress. Once the distress is reduced or removed, your body can often rebalance itself and accelerate healing.

I've seen its effectiveness first-hand for a number of years, which is why EFT is the healing technique I most highly recommend to optimize your emotional health.

Specifically, EFT is a form of psychological acupressure, based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles. Instead, simple tapping with your fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on your head and chest while you think about your specific problem -- whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. - and voice positive affirmations.

This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation works to clear the "short-circuit" — the emotional block — from your body's bioenergy system, thus restoring your mind and body's balance, which is essential for optimal emotional health and the healing of physical disease.

Healthy Habits are Happy Habits

Embracing healthy habits will help keep your mood elevated naturally even in the midst of stress. Happy people tend to be healthy people, and vice versa, so in addition to the tips above, the following lifestyle strategies can also help to support emotional wellness:

Eat well: What you eat directly impacts your mood and energy levels in both the short and long term. Whereas eating right can prime your body and brain to be in a focused, happy state, eating processed junk foods will leave you sluggish and prone to chronic disease. My free nutrition plan is an excellent tool to help you choose the best foods for both physical and emotional wellness.
Proper sleep: Sleep deprivation is linked to psychiatric disorders such as anxiety and bipolar depression, while getting the right amount of sleep has been linked to positive personality characteristics such as optimism and greater self-esteem, as well as a greater ability to solve difficult problems.2
Animal-based omega-3 fats: Low concentrations of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are known to increase your risk for mood swings and mood disorders. Those suffering from depression have been found to have lower levels of omega-3 in their blood, compared to non-depressed individuals. Krill oil is my preferred source of omega-3 fats.
Regular sun exposure: This is essential for vitamin D production, low levels of which are linked to depression. But even beyond vitamin D, regular safe sun exposure is known to enhance mood and energy through the release of endorphins.

[BroJones]

Dr Mercola responds to CNN, with a list of health-promoting foods and practices.

By Dr. Mercola

A recent article by CNN1 lists 25 ways to get healthier. Some of the suggestions certainly have merit, but it was more noteworthy for the many ridiculous tips they included, and some of the crucially important ones they neglected.

Actually, no surprises there, as the media is a mere reflection of the corrupted medical paradigm that focuses on treating symptoms rather than addressing the foundational causes of disease.

So, here’s my own list of the top dozen lifestyle strategies I believe can make the biggest difference in your health as they address most of the disruptions that are at the core of most health challenges.

#1. Add Sprouts to Your Diet

One of the most nutritious powerhouses to add to your diet are sprouts. They are an authentic “super” food that many overlook or have long stopped using. In addition to their nutritional profile, sprouts are also easy and fun to grow in your own home as they don’t require an outdoor garden.

They can contain up to 39 times the nutrition of organic vegetables grown in your own garden, and allow your body to extract more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fats from the foods you eat. During sprouting, minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, bind to protein, making them more bioavailable.

Furthermore, both the quality of the protein and the fiber content of beans, nuts, seeds and grains improves when sprouted. The content of vitamins and essential fatty acids also increase dramatically during the sprouting process. Sunflower seed, broccoli and pea sprouts tend to top the list of all the seeds that you can sprout and are typically each about 30 times more nutritious than organic vegetables. While you can sprout a variety of different beans, nuts, seeds and grains, sprouts in general have the following beneficial attributes:

Support for cell regeneration
Powerful sources of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and enzymes that protect against free radical damage
Alkalinizing effect on your body, which is thought to protect against disease, including cancer (as many tumors are acidic)
Abundantly rich in oxygen, which can also help protect against abnormal cell growth, viruses and bacteria that cannot survive in an oxygen-rich environment
Planting and Harvesting Sprouts at Home

I used to grow sprouts in Ball jars over 10 years ago but stopped doing that. I am strongly convinced that actually growing them in soil is far easier and produces far more nutritious and abundant food. It is also less time consuming. With Ball jars, you need to rinse them several times a day to prevent mold growth. Trays also take up less space. I am now consuming one whole tray you see below every 2-3 days and to produce that much food with Ball jars, I would need dozens of jars.

I am in the process of compiling more specific detailed videos for future articles but I thought I would whet your appetite and give you a preview with the photos below.


About to plant wheat grass and sunflower seeds – 2 days after soaking


Wheat grass and sunflower seeds – 3 ½ days post germination


Sunflower seeds and pea sprouts – 3 days until ready for harvest


Sunflower seed sprouts and wheat Grass – ready to harvest



My two favorites are pea and sunflower sprouts. They provide some of the highest quality protein you can eat. Sprouted sunflower seeds also contain plenty of iron and chlorophyll, the latter of which will help detoxify your blood and liver. Of the seeds, sunflower seeds are among the best in terms of overall nutritional value, and sprouting them will augment their nutrient content by as much as 300 to 1,200 percent! Similarly, sprouting peas will improve the bioavailability of zinc and magnesium.

I have been sprouting them now for a few months and they have radically improved the nutrition of my primary meal, which is a comprehensive salad at lunch. They are a perfect complement to fermented vegetables. My current salad consists of about half a pound of sunflower sprouts, four ounces of fermented vegetables, half a large red pepper, several tablespoon of raw organic butter, some red onion, a whole avocado and about three ounces of salmon or chicken. It is my primary meal. In the late afternoon, I typically only have macadamia nuts and coconut candy in addition to drinking 16-32 ounces of green vegetable juice. I break it up occasionally by going to a restaurant with friends.

#2. Make Fermented Vegetables a Daily Staple

The importance of your gut flora and its influence on your health cannot be overstated. Your gut is home to countless bacteria, both beneficial and pathogenic. These bacteria outnumber the cells in your body by at least 10 to one, and maintaining the ideal balance of good and bad bacteria forms the foundation for good health – physical, mental and emotional. In fact, your gut literally serves as your second brain, and even produces more of the neurotransmitter serotonin than your brain does.

Cultured or fermented foods are essential for maintaining a healthy gut. The culturing process produces beneficial microbes, also known as probiotics, which help balance your intestinal flora. Fermented foods are also some of the best chelators available, capable of drawing out a wide range of toxins and heavy metals. Just a quarter to a half a cup of fermented vegetables per day is sufficient for most people. Ideally, you’ll want to include a variety of fermented or cultured foods, as each food will inoculate your gut with a variety of different microorganisms.

To learn how to easily ferment your own vegetables, see my interview with Caroline Barringer, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and an expert in the preparation of the foods prescribed in Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) Nutritional Program. We are currently finishing some sophisticated DNA sequencing experiments on our new high dose vitamin K2 probiotic starter culture.

#3. Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels with Appropriate Sun Exposure

Vitamin D, once linked to only bone diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis, is now recognized as a major player in overall human health. There are only 30,000 genes in your body and vitamin D has been shown to influence over 2,000 of them. That’s one of the primary reasons it influences so many diseases, including diabetes, depression, heart disease and cancer, just to name a few. But while many focus on vitamin D supplementation, it's important to realize that the IDEAL way to optimize your vitamin D level is not by taking a pill, but rather allowing your body to do what it is designed to do – create vitamin D from sun exposure (or a safe tanning bed). Sunlight is superior to supplements for a number of reasons:

It is natural. Our ancestors optimized their vitamin D levels by sun exposure, not by swallowing it in foods. Although vitamin D is in some animal foods, it is in relatively low quantities and to my knowledge there are no known ancestral populations that thrived on oral vitamin D sources
When you expose your skin to the sun, your skin also synthesizes high amounts of cholesterol sulfate, which is very important for cardiovascular health. In fact, Dr. Stephanie Seneff, believes that high LDL and associated heart disease may in fact be a symptom of cholesterol sulfate deficiency. Sulfur deficiency, in fact, also promotes obesity and related health problems like diabetes
Most experts believe you cannot overdose when getting your vitamin D from sun exposure, as your body has the ability to self-regulate production and only make what it needs
When taking a high dose vitamin D supplement, you also need to boost your intake of vitamin K2, either from food or a supplement, in order to maintain the proper ratio. These two nutrients work in tandem, and vitamin K2 deficiency is actually what produces the symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which includes inappropriate calcification that can lead to hardening of your arteries
Sunlight has many additional health benefits unrelated to vitamin D production
#4. Intermittent Fasting

It's long been known that calorie restriction can improve metabolic disease risk markers and increase the lifespan of certain animals. More recent research suggests that intermittent fasting can provide the same health benefits as constant calorie restriction, which may be helpful for those who cannot successfully reduce their everyday calorie intake. I believe it’s one of the most powerful interventions out there if you’re struggling with your weight and related health issues. One of the primary reasons for this is because it helps shift your body from burning sugar/carbs to burning fat as its primary fuel.

Research has also shown that fasting can boost your body’s production of human growth hormone (HGH) by as much as 1,300 percent in women and 2,000 percent in men. HGH, commonly referred to as "the fitness hormone," plays an important role in maintaining health, fitness and longevity, including promotion of muscle growth, and boosting fat loss by revving up your metabolism. Other health benefits of intermittent fasting include:

Normalizing your insulin and leptin sensitivity, which is key for optimal health Improving biomarkers of disease
Normalizing ghrelin levels, also known as "the hunger hormone" Reducing inflammation and lessening free radical damage
Lowering triglyceride levels Preserving memory functioning and learning


A simple way to incorporate intermittent fasting into your lifestyle is to simply time your meals to allow for regular periods of fasting in between. To be effective, the length of your fast must be at least eight hours long. This means eating only between the hours of 11am until 7pm each day, as an example. Essentially, this equates to simply skipping breakfast, and making lunch your first meal of the day instead.

#5. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into Your Exercise Routine

Compelling and ever-mounting research shows that the ideal form of exercise is short bursts of high intensity exercise. Not only does it beat conventional cardio as the most effective and efficient form of exercise, it also provides health benefits you simply cannot get from regular aerobics, such as a tremendous boost in human growth hormone (HGH), aka the “fitness hormone,” which is essential for optimal health, strength and vigor.

HIIT has also been shown to significantly improve insulin sensitivity, boost fat loss, and increase muscle growth. Best of all, high intensity exercises are so efficient, you can get all the benefits you need in just a 20-minute session, start to finish, performed twice or a max of three times per week.

The key factor that makes interval training so effective is intensity. To reap maximum results, you need to work out at maximum intensity, with rest periods in between spurts. If you are using exercise equipment, I recommend using a recumbent bicycle or an elliptical machine for your high-intensity interval training, although you certainly can use a treadmill, or sprint anywhere outdoors. (Keep in mind that if you intend to sprint outside, be very careful about stretching prior to sprinting. Also, unless you are already an athlete, I would strongly advise against sprinting, as several people I know became injured doing it the first time that way.)

You can also modify your weight training routine to turn it into a high intensity exercise. This is done by slowing it down. The super-slow movement allows your muscle, at the microscopic level, to access the maximum number of cross-bridges between the protein filaments that produce movement in the muscle. To learn more, check out my interview with Dr. Doug McGuff – an emergency room physician who is also an expert in high-intensity interval training.

An important dietary adjunct that will help you get the most out of your high intensity training is to avoid fructose. If you consume sugar or fructose, especially within two hours post-exercise, you will increase somatostatin (also known as growth hormone-inhibiting hormone), which will in turn obliterate the production of growth hormone that you’d otherwise get from your high intensity exercise. So avoid commercial sports drinks, juices, enhanced water products and any other beverage containing fructose, and stick to pure water. If you need to replenish electrolytes, coconut water is an excellent alternative but it’s only recommended if you’re exercising intensely and sweating profusely. Otherwise, the high sugar content can be counterproductive.

#6. Get High Quality Sleep

Sleep is such an important part of your overall health that no amount of healthful food and exercise can counteract the ill effects of poor sleeping habits. Poor sleep has been linked to a number of health ailments, including short-term memory loss, behavioral problems, weight gain, diabetes, increased risk of heart disease and cancer. Sleep deprivation also prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep (and during high intensity Peak Fitness exercises discussed above). Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger.

Most people need somewhere around seven to eight hours of sleep per night, but sleep needs are highly individual, and tend to vary depending on your current state of health and stress levels as well. If you still feel sleepy upon waking or feel like you need a nap during the day, you’re probably not getting enough.

Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning – or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep – I strongly recommend reviewing my special report on improving your sleep hygiene.

If you feel well-rested in the morning, that's a good sign that your sleep habits are just fine. But if not, you might want to investigate your sleep patterns more closely. ZEO is an innovative sleep measurement device that allows you to perform a personalized 'sleep study' from the comfort of your own home. The beauty of this device is that it lets you evaluate how various factors affect your sleep. For example, you can evaluate how your sleep was affected by a cup of coffee in the afternoon, or how doing computer work past a certain hour impacted your sleep.

You could actually go through my 32 recommendations for improving your sleep and evaluate the effects of each one if you wanted to. I recommend using the less expensive mobile sleep manager as that will allow you scan your brainwaves without transmitting the data until the morning when you awake and manually transfer to your smart phone or tablet via Bluetooth.

#7. Get Grounded

Did you know the energy from the Earth can help you live a healthier life? The concept is known as earthing or grounding, which is nothing more than walking barefoot; grounding your body to the Earth. You can connect any part of your skin to the Earth, but one is especially potent, and that's right in the middle of the ball of your foot; a point known to acupuncturists as Kidney 1 (K1). It's a well-known point that conductively connects to all of the acupuncture meridians and essentially connects to every nook and cranny of your body.

Compelling research shows that lack of grounding has a lot to do with the rise of modern diseases.

When you're grounded, there's a transfer of free electrons from the Earth into your body. And these free electrons are probably the most potent antioxidants known to man. Any free radicals they encounter in your tissues will immediately be electrically neutralized. This occurs because the electrons are negative, while the free radicals are positive, so they cancel each other out.

Another very important discovery, and one of the most recent, is that grounding thins your blood, making it less viscous. This can have a profound impact on cardiovascular disease, which is now the number one killer in the world. Virtually every aspect of cardiovascular disease has been correlated with elevated blood viscosity. It can also help protect against blood clots.

The ideal location for walking barefoot is the beach, close to or in the water, as sea water is a great conductor. Your body also contains mostly water, so it creates a good connection. A close second would be a grassy area, especially if it's covered with dew, which is what you'd find if you walk early in the morning. Concrete is a good conductor as long as it hasn't been sealed; painted concrete does not allow electrons to pass through very well. Materials like asphalt, wood, and typical insulators like plastic or the soles of your shoes, will not allow electrons to pass through and are not suitable for barefoot grounding.

Exercising barefoot outdoors is one of the most wonderful, inexpensive and powerful ways of incorporating earthing into your daily life and will also help speed up tissue repair and ease muscle pain due to strenuous exercise.

#8. Drink Pure Water

Your body requires a constant daily supply of water to fuel all the various waste filtration systems nature has designed to keep your body healthy and free of toxins. Your blood, your kidneys, and your liver all require a source of good clean water to detoxify your body from the toxic exposures you come into contact with every day.

When you give your body water that is filled with toxins leached from plastic, by-products from chlorination, volatile organic compounds, or water that is contaminated by pesticides, fluoride, or prescription drugs, you are asking your body to work twice as hard at detoxification, because it must first detoxify the water you are drinking, before that water can be used to fuel your organs of detoxification!

Clearly, the most efficient way help your body both avoid and eliminate toxins is to provide your body with the cleanest, purest water you can find. This is easily done by installing one or more types of water filtration systems in your house.

If you could only afford one filter, there is no question in most experts' minds that the shower filter is the most important product to buy for water filtration, even more important than filtering your tap water. This is because the damage you incur through your skin and lungs far surpasses the damage done by drinking water (which at least gives your body a fighting chance to eliminate the toxins through your organs of elimination).

An even better solution to the problem of harsh chemicals and toxins in your home's water supply is to install a whole house water filtration system. There's just one water line coming into your house. Putting a filter on this is the easiest and simplest strategy you can implement to take control of your health by ensuring the water and the air in your house is as clean as possible. To learn more about different types of water and water filtration systems, please see my special report on this topic.

#9. Limit Processed Foods and Replace Non-Veggie Carbs with Healthy Fats

Two of the most powerful dietary interventions I know of are 1) limiting or eliminating processed foods and 2) replacing non-vegetable carbohydrates and excess protein with healthful fats. Beneficial fats include avocados, coconut oil, olives, olive oil, butter and nuts. Wild Alaskan salmon is also a powerhouse of nutrition, providing critical omega-3 fats. As a general rule, when you cut down on carbs, you need to increase your fat consumption. Both are sources of much-needed energy, but fats are a source of energy that is far more ideal than carbohydrates. Replacing carbs with more protein is not a wise choice as it can produce similar adverse hormonal changes as burning non-vegetable carbs.

For a comprehensive guide on which foods to eat and which to avoid, see my nutrition plan. Generally speaking, you should be looking to focus your diet on whole, ideally organic and/or locally grown, unprocessed foods. For the best nutrition and health benefits, you will want to eat a good portion of your food raw.

Processed foods are notoriously high in fructose, not to mention artificial additives. All forms of sugar (but fructose in particular) have toxic effects when consumed in excess, and drive multiple disease processes in your body, not the least of which is insulin resistance, a major cause of chronic disease and accelerated aging. Replacing non-vegetable carbs with healthful fats will also optimize your insulin and leptin levels, which is key for maintaining a healthy weight and optimal health.

Most people eat far too much protein. Like many areas of health there is a “Goldilocks” dose that provides most of the benefits and minimal side effects. Dr. Rosedale believes that the ideal amount is about one gram per pound of lean body weight unless you are pregnant or doing competitive athletics. But that is a level that will more than supply your body’s amino acid needs without sacrificing your health.

#10. Avoid Toxins

Volumes of books could be written on modern day toxic exposures, but while it may be impossible to list every possibility, if you avoid the most notorious offenders, you’ll be way ahead of the game. In general, this includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives. In terms of specific toxins, some of the most hazardous yet commonly encountered ones include:

Mercury – found in dental amalgams and fish.
Fluoride – found in toothpaste, fluoridated water, and non-organic food (due to the widespread use of fluoride-based pesticides. For example, conventionally-grown iceberg lettuce can contain as much as 180 ppm of fluoride – 180 times higher than what's recommended in drinking water).
EMFs. Electromagnetic field exposures are becoming increasingly pervasive and they can interact unfavorably with your biology. So please review the many previous articles we have written on this subject to learn more.
Bisphenol-A (BPA) and Bisphenol-S (BPS) – Used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics, bisphenols are estrogen mimicking chemicals that can leach into food or drinks from the plastic containers holding them. These chemicals are known to be particularly dangerous for pregnant women, infants and children.
To avoid plastic toxins such as bisphenols, opt for glass over plastic, especially when it comes to products that will come into contact with food or beverages, or those intended for pregnant women, infants and children. This applies to canned goods as well, which are a major source of BPA (and possibly other chemicals) exposure, so whenever you can, choose jarred goods over canned goods, or opt for fresh instead. Another good idea is to ditch plastic teething toys for your little ones and choose natural wood or fabric varieties instead.

Phthalates – found in soft plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), as well as many toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, and cosmetics. Phthalates is one of the most pervasive type of endocrine disrupting chemicals discovered so far, and have been linked to a wide range of developmental and reproductive “gender-bending” effects. Twelve tips for avoiding common sources of phthalates, see this previous article.
#11. Have Great Tools to Address Your Stress

Research has linked emotional stress to a wide variety of health problems, including physical pain, chronic inflammation,2 stillbirths,3 lowered immune function, increased blood pressure, altered brain chemistry, increased tumor growth4 and more. Even the conservative Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that 85 percent of all disease has an emotional element.

Clearly, it is not possible or even recommended to eliminate stress entirely. However, you can work to provide your body with tools to compensate for the bioelectrical short-circuiting that can cause serious disruption in many of your body's important systems. By using energy psychology techniques such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), you can reprogram how your body responds to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life so that “the little things” no longer pose such a great threat to your health.

Exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, and meditation are also important “release valves” that can help you manage your stress. EFT is akin to acupuncture, which is based on the concept that a vital energy flows through your body along invisible pathways known as meridians. EFT stimulates different energy meridian points in your body by tapping them with your fingertips, while simultaneously using custom-made verbal affirmations. This can be done alone or under the supervision of a qualified therapist.5 Since these stressors are usually connected to physical problems, many people’s diseases and other symptoms can improve or disappear as well.

#12. Replace Drugs with Natural Alternatives that Address the Cause

Last but certainly not least, replacing drugs with natural alternatives, or better yet, addressing the lifestyle factors that are causing your health problem in the first place, are your best bets if you want to avoid becoming a disease- or pharmaceutical-mortality statistic.

Drugs are known to cause well over 125,000 deaths per year in the US when taken correctly as prescribed. This is not so surprising when you consider the average drug label lists 70 potential adverse reactions. Overall, drugs are 62,000 times more likely to kill you than nutritional supplements, and 7,750 times more likely to kill you than herbal remedies. According to the US National Poison Data System,6 the following drug categories are among the most lethal:

Analgesics, sedatives, hypnotics, and antipsychotics Cardiovascular drugs Opioids Acetaminophen combinations Antidepressants
Muscle relaxants Anti-inflammatories Antacids Anticoagulants Antihistamines


The vast majority of health problems are in fact responsive to appropriate lifestyle changes – the most important of which have been covered above. Type 2 diabetes, for example, is not only wholly preventable, it’s virtually 100 percent reversible through diet and exercise alone. Even cancer has been shown to be responsive to such measures. Scientists are seriously looking into a number of dietary treatment alternatives, such as ketogenic- and anti-angiogenesis-type diets.

For example, research led by Dr. Dominic D'Agostino has found that when lab animals are fed a carb-free diet, they survive highly aggressive metastatic cancer better than those treated with chemotherapy. The reason a ketogenic diet can have such a dramatic (and rapid) effect on cancer is because all of your body’s cells are fueled by glucose. This includes cancer cells. However, cancer cells have one built-in fatal flaw – they do not have the metabolic flexibility of your regular cells and cannot adapt to use ketone bodies for fuel as all your other cells can.

So, when you alter your diet and become what’s known as “fat-adapted,” your body starts using fat for fuel rather than carbs. When you switch out the carbs for healthy fats, you starve the cancer out, as you’re no longer supplying the necessary fuel – glucose – for their growth. Intermittent fasting, discussed above, is one of the most powerful ways I know of to become fat adapted.

[BroJones]

Why MUSIC is so important to our health -- in more ways than one...

By Dr. Mercola

If you’re a music lover, you already know that turning on the tunes can help calm your nerves, make stress disappear, pump up your energy level during a workout, bring back old memories, as well as prompt countless other emotions too varied to list.

Even if you’re not a music aficionado, per se, there are compelling reasons why you may want to become one, which were recently revealed by a series of new research.

Music Prompts Numerous Brain Changes Linked to Emotions and Abstract Decision Making

When you listen to music, much more is happening in your body than simple auditory processing. Music triggers activity in the nucleus accumbens, a part of your brain that releases the feel-good chemical dopamine and is involved in forming expectations.

At the same time, the amygdala, which is involved in processing emotion, and the prefrontal cortex, which makes possible abstract decision-making, are also activated, according to new research published in the journal Science.1

Based on the brain activity in certain regions, especially the nucleus accumbens, captured by an fMRI imager while participants listened to music, the researchers could predict how much money the listeners were willing to spend on previously unheard music. As you might suspect, songs that triggered activity in the emotional and intellectual areas of the brain demanded a higher price.

Interestingly, the study’s lead author noted that your brain learns how to predict how different pieces of music will unfold using pattern recognition and prediction, skills that may have been key to our evolutionary progress. Time reported:2

“These predictions are culture-dependent and based on experience: someone raised on rock or Western classical music won’t be able to predict the course of an Indian raga, for example, and vice versa.

But if a piece develops in a way that’s both slightly novel and still in line with our brain’s prediction, we tend to like it a lot. And that, says [lead researcher] Salimpoor, ‘is because we’ve made a kind of intellectual conquest.’

Music may, in other words, tap into a brain mechanism that was key to our evolutionary progress. The ability to recognize patterns and generalize from experience, to predict what’s likely to happen in the future — in short, the ability to imagine — is something humans do far better than any other animals. It’s what allowed us (aided by the far less glamorous opposable thumb) to take over the world.”

Why Music Makes Us Feel United

So far we’ve covered that music is involved in both emotional and intellectual centers of your brain, but music also has an, almost uncanny, ability to connect us to one another.

Separate research published this month showed one reason for why this might be. When listening to four pieces of classical music they had never heard before, study participants’ brains reacted in much the same way. Areas of the brain involved in movement planning, memory and attention all had similar activation patterns when the participants listened to the same music, which suggests we may each experience music in similar ways.

The study’s lead author noted:3

"We spend a lot of time listening to music -- often in groups, and often in conjunction with synchronized movement and dance … Here, we've shown for the first time that despite our individual differences in musical experiences and preferences, classical music elicits a highly consistent pattern of activity across individuals in several brain structures including those involved in movement planning, memory and attention."

Co-author Daniel Levitin, PhD, expanded:4

"It's not our natural tendency to thrust ourselves into a crowd of 20,000 people, but for a Muse concert or a Radiohead concert we'll do it … There's this unifying force that comes from the music, and we don't get that from other things."

Music Relieves Anxiety Better Than Drugs and Benefits Premature Babies

If you want a more concrete example of music’s powers, a meta-analysis by Levitin and colleagues found some striking benefits of music after reviewing 400 studies.5 Among the data was one study that revealed listening to music resulted in less anxiety and lower cortisol levels among patients about to undergo surgery than taking anti-anxiety drugs. Other evidence showed music has an impact on antibodies linked to immunity and may lead to higher levels of bacteria-fighting immune cells.

Still more research revealed that playing music in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) improved the health of premature babies with respiratory distress or sepsis.6 When parents sang to their babies, or sounds mimicking those in the womb were played, numerous benefits occurred, including changes in heart rates, sucking behavior and parents’ stress levels. The researchers noted:

“Entrained with a premature infant’s observed vital signs, sound and lullaby may improve feeding behaviors and sucking patterns and may increase prolonged periods of quiet–alert states. Parent-preferred lullabies, sung live, can enhance bonding, thus decreasing the stress parents associate with premature infant care.”

Taken together, the latest research makes a strong case for using music as a therapeutic tool for babies and adults alike.

Why Music Should be a Part of Your Workouts, Too

Many people instinctively don a headset linked to their favorite music when hitting the gym, which makes sense since certain types of music can motivate you to run faster, or keep going even though you're fatigued, giving you a better workout. Additionally, research has shown that listening to music while exercising boosted cognitive levels and verbal fluency skills in people diagnosed with coronary artery disease (coronary artery disease has been linked to a decline in cognitive abilities). Signs of improvement in verbal fluency areas more than doubled after listening to music compared to that of the non-music session.7

Listening to music while exercising can also improve your performance, increasing your endurance by 15 percent,8 and your movement will likely follow the tempo of the song. For instance, in one study when the music's tempo slowed, the subjects' exertion level reduced as well.9 And when the tempo was increased, their performance followed suit.

Your body may be simply responding to the beat on a more or less subconscious level, but the type and tempo of the music you choose while working out may also influence your conscious motivation.

What Music Is Best?

When a song gets you energized and rearing to go, you'll know it, and these are the types of songs you probably naturally add to your workout playlist. For that matter, when a song makes you feel relaxed, eases your anxiety or pain levels, or boosts your mood, you’ll know it too, as selecting music is a highly personal – and highly intuitive – process. In other words, only you know the “best” music for you, and that will inevitably change – not only day to day with your mood but also over time with the different chapters of your life.

For now, technology has given us a simple way to harness the power of music by allowing you to create different playlists for exercising, relaxing, working and other important aspects of your day so you can instantly access the right music for your mood or activity. You can also listen to music over Internet radio using free services like Pandora, which will actually create stations for you based on your musical tastes.

However, my favorite music source is Spotify, which I believe is the new model for listening to music. Rather than purchase music in iTunes or CDs prior to that, you simply rent it. Spotify has access to over 16 million songs and most likely has well over 95% of the music you would ever listen to. For $10 a month you can play all of your favorite music on your phone, tablet, computer or home stereo system. They even have high-quality bitrates at no extra charge. I have been using them for about a year and am very pleased.

Whatever method you choose, making music part of your lifestyle is a simple yet powerful way to enhance your health and your life.

[BroJones]

EPA Slapped with Lawsuit over Ongoing Bee Deaths
May 07, 2013
By Dr. Mercola

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has failed to protect bees from neonicotinoid pesticides, according to a lawsuit against the agency, filed by beekeepers and environmental groups. Said Paul Towers, spokesperson for the Pesticide Action Network (PAN), one of the groups involved in the lawsuit:

“Despite our best efforts to warn the agency about the problems posed by neonicotinoids, the EPA continued to ignore the clear warning signs of an ag system in trouble.”

Lawsuit Maintains the Link Between Neonicotinoids and Bee Die Off Is ‘Crystal Clear’

Neonicotinoid pesticides are a newer class of chemicals that are applied to seeds before planting. This allows the pesticide to be taken up through the plant’s vascular system as it grows, where it is expressed in the pollen and nectar.

These insecticides are highly toxic to bees because they are systemic, water soluble, and pervasive. They get into the soil and groundwater where they can accumulate and remain for many years and present long-term toxicity to the hive as well as to other species, such as songbirds.

Neonicotinoids affect insects' central nervous systems in ways that are cumulative and irreversible. Even minute amounts can have profound effects over time.

The disappearance of bee colonies began accelerating in the United States shortly after the EPA allowed these new insecticides on the market in the mid-2000s. The lawsuit alleges that the EPA allowed the neonicotinoids to remain on the market despite clear warning signs of a problem.

It also alleges the EPA acted outside of the law by allowing conditional registration of the pesticides, a measure that allows a product to enter the market despite the absence of certain data.

European Food Safety Authority Ruled Neonicotinoids ‘Unacceptable’

The EPA’s continued allowance of neonicotinoids becomes all the more irresponsible in light of recent findings by other government organizations. Earlier this year, for instance, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a report that ruled neonicotinoid insecticides are essentially “unacceptable” for many crops.1 The European Commission asked EFSA to assess the risks associated with the use of three common neonicotinoids – clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam – with particular focus on:

Their acute and chronic effects on bee colony survival and development
Their effects on bee larvae and bee behavior
The risks posed by sub-lethal doses of the three chemicals
One of the glaring issues that EFSA came across was a widespread lack of information, with scientists noting that in some cases gaps in data made it impossible to conduct an accurate risk assessment. Still, what they did find was “a number of risks posed to bees” by the three neonicotinoid insecticides. The Authority found that when it comes to neonicotinoid exposure from residues in nectar and pollen in the flowers of treated plants:2

“...only uses on crops not attractive to honeybees were considered acceptable.”

As for exposure from dust produced during the sowing of treated seeds, the Authority ruled “a risk to honeybees was indicated or could not be excluded...” Unfortunately, neonicotinoids have become the fastest growing insecticides in the world. In the US, virtually all genetically engineered Bt corn crops are treated with neonicotinoids.

Serious Risks to Bees Already Established

One of the observed effects of these insecticides is weakening of the bee's immune system. Forager bees bring pesticide-laden pollen back to the hive, where it's consumed by all of the bees.

Six months later, their immune systems fail, and they fall prey to secondary, seemingly "natural" bee infections, such as parasites, mites, viruses, fungi and bacteria. Pathogens such as Varroa mites, Nosema, fungal and bacterial infections, and Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV) are found in large amounts in honeybee hives on the verge of collapse.

Serious honeybee die-offs have been occurring around the world for the past decade but no one knows exactly why the bees are disappearing.

The phenomenon, dubbed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), is thought to be caused by a variety of imbalances in the environment, although agricultural practices such as the use of neonicotinoid pesticides are receiving growing attention as more research comes in. As written in the journal Nature:3

"Social bee colonies depend on the collective performance of many individual workers. Thus, although field-level pesticide concentrations can have subtle or sublethal effects at the individual level, it is not known whether bee societies can buffer such effects or whether it results in a severe cumulative effect at the colony level. Furthermore, widespread agricultural intensification means that bees are exposed to numerous pesticides when foraging, yet the possible combinatorial effects of pesticide exposure have rarely been investigated."

This is what the Nature study set out to determine, and it was revealed that bees given access to neonicotinoid and pyrethroid pesticides were adversely affected in numerous ways, including:

Fewer adult worker bees emerged from larvae
A higher proportion of foragers failed to return to the nest
A higher death rate among worker bees
An increased likelihood of colony failure
The researchers said:

"Here we show that chronic exposure of bumble bees to two pesticides (neonicotinoid and pyrethroid) at concentrations that could approximate field-level exposure impairs natural foraging behavior and increases worker mortality leading to significant reductions in brood development and colony success.

We found that worker foraging performance, particularly pollen collecting efficiency, was significantly reduced with observed knock-on effects for forager recruitment, worker losses and overall worker productivity. Moreover, we provide evidence that combinatorial exposure to pesticides increases the propensity of colonies to fail."

Why the Food Supply Could Be Dependent on Urgent Action by the EPA

The EPA acknowledges that “pesticide poisoning” may be one factor leading to colony collapse disorder,4 yet they have been slow to act to protect bees from this threat. The current lawsuit may help spur them toward more urgent action, which is desperately needed as the food supply hangs in the balance.

There are about 100 crop species that provide 90 percent of food globally. Of these, 71 are pollinated by bees.5 In the US alone, a full one-third of the food supply depends on pollination from bees. Apple orchards, for instance, require one colony of bees per acre to be adequately pollinated. So if bee colonies continue to be devastated, major food shortages could result.

There is also concern that the pesticides could be impacting other pollinators as well, including bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and others, which could further impact the environment.

Four Steps to Help Protect the Bees

If you would like to learn more about the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee, check out the documentary film Vanishing of the Bees. If you’d like to get involved, here are four actions you can take to help preserve and protect our honeybees:

Support organic farmers and shop at local farmer's markets as often as possible. You can "vote with your fork" three times a day. (When you buy organic, you are making a statement by saying "no" to GMOs and toxic pesticides!)
Cut the use of toxic chemicals in your house and on your lawn, and use only organic, all-natural forms of pest control.
Better yet, get rid of your lawn altogether and plant a garden or other natural habitat. Lawns offer very little benefit for the environment. Both flower and vegetable gardens provide excellent natural honeybee habitats.
Become an amateur beekeeper. Having a hive in your garden requires only about an hour of your time per week, benefits your local ecosystem, and you can enjoy your own honey!