In a study published in The Journal of International Medical Research it was found that when one group of people suffering from influenza were given 15ml of elderberry four times per day for five days they recovered faster and suffered from less severe flu symptoms than the placebo group.

In another study out of London led by Retroscreen Virology in 2009, elderberry was also found effective in fighting the flu, this time it was the dreaded Swine flu or H1N1. Again the duration and severity of flu symptoms were reduced.

What is Elderberry?

The elderberry tree has been around for thousands of years. This tree full of mystery, superstition, and magical healing powers has long been the source of many improvements in health. From improving Egyptian beauties complexion to fighting cancer and aids in the healing centers of Israel the health benefits associated with the common elderberry are vast.

This tree native to Europe grows to about twenty-five feet tall while its American counterpart peaks at around ten feet. Both varieties produce flowers, berries, and even a bark used in traditional folk healing. But today elderberry is being noticed by both the medical and scientific fields for its medicinal properties.

Health Benefits of Elderberry

Elderberry has a long, rich history of use for medicinal benefits by numerous cultures. Today science is finding evidence to back these theorized health benefits.

• Immune System Booster
• Improves vision
• Fights infections including influenza, herpes, viral infections, bacterial infections
• Lowers cholesterol
• Improves heart health
• Fights coughs and colds
• Protect against cell damage
• Impedes yeast infections
• Fights hay fever
• Helps with asthma
• Improves complexion
• Improves eczema

Many of these benefits are theorized to be a result of the ability of elderberry to balance and boost the immune system. When a person’s body and immune system are in balance the body is able to use its own natural defenses to fight off infections of any kind and stay healthy.

Today as we eat highly processed foods, live with a daily exposure to pollution of all kinds, experience high stress, and increase our toxin loads the immune system is one of the most compromised body systems.

If we balance the immune system all naturally, many of our other health issues will ‘magically’ disappear.

How Elderberry Works for Optimal Health

Now when it comes to health we’re able to look at science to logically understand the ‘magic’ of this so called “common man’s medicine chest.” What science is revealing is the antioxidant activity of elderberries that make it a must have for the body.

In particular elderberries are rich in the phytochemicals known as flavonoids. The class of flavonoid that elderberry is loaded with is anthocyanins. The elderberry is the most concentrated source of anthocyanins.

These anthocyanins act as a potent immune system booster protecting cells and keeping the body from harm. According to research by Dr. Rechkemmer, president of Germany’s Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food, the purple-black pigment of the elderberry containing the anthocyanins promote the production of cytokines.

Cytokines are the body’s protein messengers that keep the immune system healthy, balanced, and strong. These little proteins are essential for the immune system to function properly and protect the body from harm. Cytokines are sent by the body during an immune system response directly to the sight of the trouble.

Elderberry and the Panama Flu Epidemic

During the 1995 Panama flu epidemic the government employed the use of the elderberry to fight the flu. This elderberry juice greatly reduced the time of the flu as well as the severity thus helping to end the epidemic.

It’s not just the flavonoids that researchers think are at work with elderberry. In addition to this important nutrient elderberries contain:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin B
• Vitamin C
• Tannins
• Cartenoids
• Amino acids
• Sugar
• Rutin
• Viburnic acid

This rich variety of nutrients help the body to get many of the nutrients it desperately needs to stay healthy.

Using Elderberry to Boost Your Immune System

There are many ways to use elderberries. As they’ve been around for many years there are sure fire ways to prepare your own elderberry concoction or you can buy one from a high quality, reputable supplement company.

Most every part of the elderberry can be used. The flowers, bark, berries, roots, and leaves are all often used to make a health potion. You must be careful to avoid consuming raw berries however as the seeds are toxic and can cause vomiting and nausea.

Elderberry can be made into the following:

14 Ways to Consume Elderberry

• Tea
• Wine
• Juice
• Jelly and jams
• Syrup
• Ointments
• Astringent
• Infusions
• Sprays
• Lozenges
• Pills
• Liquid
• Powder
• Capsules

Depending on your personal preference as well as your health needs any of these elderberry preparations can be either made or bought. Visit your local health food store or online supplement supplier to get elderberry supplements to boost your immune system and improve your health.

Sources: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, herbwisdom.com, blackelderberry.info

Major Causes of Candida

Once conditions are right, candida will thrive and your general health will suffer. There are various causes that trigger or feed a yeast infection including:

Sources: Garlic Central, Natural News, Candidainfo.org, oxfordjournals.org

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In the U.S. an estimated 4-6% of the population are seriously affected when the weather turns grey, cloudy and cold. The Cleveland Clinic estimates the figure could be as high as 20% of the population. The condition affects mostly women in their 20s, 30s and 40s but can affect men and adolescents too. Scientists are unsure why some people suffer from winter blues and others are unaffected by it. One theory is that some people have a biological disposition to it or that certain triggers need to be present. Symptoms of SAD include feeling down, losing interest in activities, insomnia and sinking into depression.

The first step to treating any condition is recognising it, so if these symptoms sound like you, here are 7 great ways to beat the winter blues before they seriously take hold.

1    Exercise

Daily exercise is known to be a natural way to counter feeling down. A good workout or hard exercise releases serotonin and endorphins which control our feelings of well-being. Enjoying outdoor exercise can also provide us with fresh air and new sights which are a natural spirit-booster.

2    Increase Your Veggie Intake

Five portions of fruit and vegetables are the very least you should be consuming for overall good health and vitality. A healthy diet high in green leafy veggies, nuts, fruits and natural unprocessed foods will reward you with a healthy, happy body whatever the season.

3    Check Your Fish Oil Levels

Omega-3 has been shown to significantly reduce the symptoms of SAD as it relieves the general symptoms of anxiety. Good sources of this essential oil are anchovies, salmon, mackerel, tuna and other oily fish along with good quality fish oil supplements. The recommended daily dosage is at least 1000mg, so check you are getting sufficient Omega-3 every day.

4    Top up on Raw Dairy Products

Include plenty of raw dairy products that are low in fat and high in natural organic goodness. Include milk, yoghurt, raw cheese, kefir and amasai for strong bones and a healthy immune system.

5    Sleep Well

Poor sleep quality and insomnia are classic signs of depression which can quickly become a downward spiral. Make sure you have a comfortable bed in a room that is the correct temperature. Concentrate on a healthy natural diet to avoid sleep problems which can be caused by caffeine, sugar and highly processed foods.

6    Be a Sunseeker

Those who suffer from winter blues often have low levels of vitamin D, known as “the sunshine vitamin”. Vitamin D is produced naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight for 10-15 minutes several times a week.  If you live in an area with no opportunity for exposing your body to the sun’s rays, you may want to consider using a light box. Light therapy gives your body the benefits of sunshine even on cloudy winter days.

7    Supplement With Vitamin D

Although getting sufficient vitamin D naturally is always best, those living in northern climates, have darker skin or are over the age of 50 generally need to top up their dietary intake with a supplement, particularly in winter. Taken daily it helps support a healthy immune system to fight colds and flu among other benefits. It also plays a significant role in mood regulation, so adequate vitamin D is essential to banish those winter blues completely.

Additional Sources:
http://alternativemedicinenow.com/natural-treatments-for-seasonal-affective-disorder/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
http://www.livestrong.com/article/15184-natural-prevent-heal-winter-blues/
http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/01/03/sad.seasonal.affective.disorder/index.html

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If you’re like me, you love to eat chocolate! Chocolate lovers rejoiced when the benefits of anti-oxidants found in chocolate and other foods began to be marketed. But in reality, the potential benefits of anti-oxidants in processed chocolate are slim to none.

But unprocessed, dark chocolate is actually great for you. It’s very high in anti-oxidants and flavanols.

Let’s take a look at how anti-oxidants and flavanols work in our bodies.

Anti-oxidants

Free radicals are unbalanced compounds created by cellular processes in the body, especially those that combat environmental toxins. These compounds can run wild, creating damage in the body and interrupting normal physiological functioning.

Anti-oxidants are compounds that are believed to neutralize free radicals and protect the body from such damage. Anti-oxidants include vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals—helpful plant compounds.

Flavonols are one of these antioxidant phytochemicals that may protect us from damage caused by aging and environmental toxins.Flavonols are a type of flavonoid found in chocolate and cocoa.

Flavonols are said to promote heart health and reduce the risk of cancer. Flavonols may also help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the brain and heart.They may reduce cholesterol levels and arterial plaque. Some studies suggest that flavonols may reduce stickiness in blood platelets, reducing the risk of stroke, say Cleveland Clinic and University of Alabama doctors.

Chocolate manufacturers have gone hog-wild marketing these health claims for their products, but these assertions warrant another look. Sometimes things that seem too good to be true really are.

Studies on Chocolate

These studies have been conducted with chocolate that contains high levels of flavonols. Unfortunately, the chocolate that most of us eat has been processed in ways that destroys flavonols.

Cocoa is naturally bitter and very strong-tasting (as anyone who’s tried a taste of baker’s chocolate knows!) Chocolate-makers mellow this flavor by processes such as alkalizing, fermenting, roasting and adding milk and/or sugar, all of which can destroy flavonols, alter our ability to use them or negate their health effects with unhealthy additives.

Most studies of the beneficial effects of chocolate are simply observational: they’re not clinical trials.They’ve looked at people who eat chocolate and measure health effects without accounting for other dietary aspects or lifestyle habits. So a person that eats a bit of chocolate every week and is healthy might also be the person that works out three times a day or avoids other processed foods like the plague.

Types of Chocolate

Flavonol is a pigment that gives chocolate its color, that’s why dark chocolate is preferable to other options. White chocolate contains no flavonols at all. Ordinary plain chocolate, says a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, has only 43% flavonol-containing cocoa. Milk chocolate, says the study researchers, typically contains only 30% cocoa and the average candy bar only 15%.

Milk chocolate is America’s favorite, says University of Alabama doctors. A recent study posted in Nutrition and Metabolism suggests that milk interferes with the absorption of flavonols. This is especially true if the milk is pasteurized.

That’s why I only recommend you eat small amounts of minimally processed dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content. This type of chocolate will contain the most powerful anti-oxidants and the least amount of sugar.

Chocolate is one of my favorite sweet indulgences, so I was happy to learn that Beyond Organic was going to have a Dark Chocolate Bar that will satisfy a sweet tooth and provide some healthy nutrients. The Beyond Organic Chocolate includes probiotics as well as  toasted flax seeds which are high in omega-3 fats and tasty.

Sources: Cleveland Clinic (2010), University of Alabama at Birmingham (2008),  BMJ Group Partnership (2010)

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Suzanne Bowen is an AFAA certified Group Fitness & Pilates instructor classically trained at The Lotte Berk Method in New York City and Bridgehampton. She is the Nashville, TN, based creator of BarreAmped, BarreAmped Advanced, and BarreAmped Boot Camp. She has created and starred in numerous internationally renowned fitness DVDs including 10 Minute Solution Pilates Perfect Body and Suzanne Bowen’s Gorgeous Core.

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Sleep is one of the most undervalued essential practices in modern society.  In 1910, an average night’s sleep was 9 hours. By 1975, it was down to 7.5 hours. From 2000 to 2002, polls found that it had fallen to 6.9 hours. Today, many people average just 5-6 hours of sleep per night.

At the same time, obesity rates have doubled! Sleep and the neuroendocrine system are intricately entwined. Chronic lack of sleep is thought to be linked to diabetes, hypertension, obesity and memory loss. Lack of sleep increases blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.

A recent study by the University of Chicago found that cutting sleep from 8 hours to 4 hours a night for less than one week produced physiological changes that resembled the effects of advanced aging and early diabetes.

Those changes happened in less than one week!

The study’s participants took 40% longer to regulate their blood-sugar levels after eating and their ability to secrete insulin and respond to it decreased by 30%.

Lack of sleep affects the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone and increased levels of the “stress hormone,” cortisol.

The study found that recovery occurred and above-average functioning occurred when the subjects slept more than 8 hours a night.

So how does sleep affect weight?

Sleep affects the release of hormones by the hypothalamic-pituitary axes (HPA) and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Sleep triggers or inhibits the production or release of various hormones.

Growth hormone is affected by sleep. You can work out for hours, but if you don’t get enough sleep your body is not going to turn fat into muscle.

Lack of sleep raises the level of cortisol which triggers the fight-or-flight response. During stress, our body shuts down normal maintenance. It activates fat storage and releases lots of sugar (for instant energy) into the bloodstream. It depletes the body of nutrients and triggers cravings for simple carbohydrates and sugar. Chronic stress promotes insulin resistance.

Leptin and ghrelin are two very important appetite-controlling hormones that are linked to sleep. Leptin suppresses appetite and ghrelin increases it. When people are subjected to sleep loss, leptin levels fall and ghrelin levels rise. Even when they received plenty of nutrition, people that didn’t get adequate sleep were compelled to eat more. Because leptin levels were low, their brains just didn’t get the message that they were satiated—instead they just kept getting the message: “Hungry! Eat!” When deprived of sleep, study participant’s desire for high-carbohydrate and calorie-dense foods increased by 45%.

A joint study conducted by Stanford University and the University of Wisconsin measured leptin and ghrelin levels, body fat and sleep amounts in 1000 people. They found that those who slept less than 8 hours a night had low leptin levels, high ghrelin levels and higher levels of body fat. The participants that slept the fewest hours a night weighed the most.

Another study, presented at the 2006 American Thoracic Society International Conference, came up with some confounding information. 70,000 middle-aged women were studied for 16 years.

The study found that:

• Women who sleep 5 hours or less weigh more than those that sleep 7 hours.
• Women who sleep 5 hours per night are 32% more likely to experience weight gain of 33 pounds or more and 15% more likely to become obese than those that sleep 7 hours.
• Women that sleep 6 hours a night are 12% more likely to gain 33 pounds or more and 6% more likely to become obese than those that sleep 7 hours.

What was confounding in this particular study is the fact that the women that slept less did not eat more.

“Prior studies have shown that after just a few days of sleep restriction, the hormones that control appetite cause people to become hungrier, so we thought that women who slept less might eat more,” says the study’s leader, Sanjay Patel. “But, in fact, they ate less. That suggests that appetite and diet are not accounting for the weight gain in women who sleep less.”

So even though leptin and ghrelin levels might affect appetite, it is more likely that the hormones that affect the metabolism of glucose and insulin-response are behind weight gain during sleep deprivation.

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You can go without food for days, weeks and even months, but going without water for just one day can negatively impact your health.

Health Effects of Going without Water

Water is the most valuable life support product for our health, right up there with oxygen. Water and oxygen are the only two things in life that without for just a short period of time we would die.  Studies have been done that show if a 175 pound man were to lose just 2.5% of water in his body (2 quarts) he will lose 25% of his body’s effectiveness towards survival.

When a person begins to dehydrate more things happen in the body than just being thirsty. The more liquid in the body that is lost, the thicker the blood becomes and the harder the heart muscle must work to pump the blood through the circulatory system.  When a person loses their abilities to reason and think straight because of dehydration it means they will die very soon, unless they drink water to rehydrate. Depending on the circumstances, mainly environment, a person can die within 24 to 28 hours after having no water if they are laboring in the hot dry sun with no water. If a person is sedentary indoors and the elements, such as wind, sun, and heat is not present they may live up to 3 days, tops. So water is VERY important for survival, but water is also very important to your overall health.

Most people think they drink enough liquids throughout the day to keep them hydrated. But if you counted all the beverages besides water that people drink you would see that they are actually dehydrating themselves. Most liquids such as coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, Gatorade, and sugary fruit drinks do not hydrate the body like pure water can. Some people are walking around actually dehydrated and they don’t know it because they don’t feel thirsty. Let’s take a look at 4 of the main reasons you should make sure you’re getting enough water.

1. Fatigue and Tiredness
The first sign of dehydration is the feeling of being tired; some people experience a headache and feel like taking a nap. When the body begins to dehydrate it means the tissues and cells are not getting enough water to make a person feel like doing anything; enzymatic activity slows down and without water the enzymes are unable to produce energy either. In fact a dehydrated person may have no enthusiasm or joy for life.   The good news is once the individual starts to drink some water their energy reserves speed back up and sometimes the headache completely goes away.

2. Constipation and Digestive Problems
If a person is not drinking enough water they do not have enough liquid to help with the elimination process and without eliminating the foods we digest we gain weight, gain toxins, and feel awful.  Being constipated is the beginning to many health problems from allergies to toxic overload syndrome to digestive disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gas bloating, stomach pain, nausea and loss of appetite in chronic cases.

3. Stomach Ulcers
To protect the stomach from its acidic digestive fluids that is made during the digestion of food, the stomach is coated with a lining of mucous, which are 98% water and 2% sodium bicarbonate.  Sodium bicarbonate helps in the digestive process by neutralizing the acids. When a person is dehydrated the stomach does not have enough liquid available to make the mucous, thus a poor mucous lining protecting a person from the acidic fluids the digestive process makes. This is why some people are more acidic rather than alkaline, and have digestive problems such as acid stomach and heartburn, which eventually without the alkalinity results in an ulcer of the stomach lining.

4. Weight Gain
Many times when we are thirsty we eat food rather than drink water. This can cause unnecessary weight gain, especially for a sedentary person. When your body is dehydrated, just a little bit, sometimes it won’t tell you with a dry throat or mouth, but rather with a feeling of being hungry.  Here’s the thing, if you just ate a sufficient meal not too long ago how can you really need to eat again?

To know if you need water or food, next time you are hungry when you have already ate a meal, drink a couple glasses of pure water. If the hunger pangs subside you’ll know you just needed to feed the body some water. The body needs at least 2 to 3 liters of water a day, and drinking more than that will keep you from feeling hungry. Not only that, but it will also help you eliminate more toxins from your body. Eventually your body will stop telling you it’s hungry because you are maintaining hydration throughout the day.

When you drink enough water throughout the day you are feeding the tissues and cells in your body and that gets the enzymatic system moving, which actually releases fat toxins out of the body! Now isn’t that good news? Rehydrating the body through pure water gets your metabolism running in full balance rather than being slow and sluggish, which is a cause of weight gain.

Do you want to add some vitamins and zest to your water? Then squeeze two or three lemons or limes into each liter of water and drink this nourishing water throughout the day. The great news about this is you probably won’t catch a cold anytime soon! Drink water for your health!

Drink Pure Water

The new beyond organic reign supreme water label shows that it contains only pure spring water from the mountains of Northern Georgia

Some water sources are not clean even though many people drink from them. Well water can be full of toxic inorganic minerals that could be making you sick. Bottled water isn’t necessarily any better, you still need to know where it came from and what is in it. Minerals on rocks build up into a sludgy scum and then you drink it. Tap water in some cities is also very mineral laden and too much minerals will cause arterial problems. Water should be as pure as possible, without minerals and bad bacteria.

Inorganic Minerals that could be lurking in your Water

Minerals and vitamins should come from the purest source, which are organic foods that derive from plants or animals. If you think you might be drinking water that is dirty with inorganic minerals you can have it tested. The safest and easiest thing to do to ensure clean water is to buy a good water filter or softener to put on your faucet that filters out mineral toxins from your water.

Almost 18% ‘usually conceal their teeth in photos’.

1. Brush After Drinking or Eating

The best way, but not always the easiest is to simply brush your teeth after eating or drinking something. This takes a lot of persistence and can even be kind of difficult depending on where you are at the time. Most food does not stain teeth, but if you are a coffee drinker or if you smoke, you can pretty much count on having discolored teeth from staining. If this is the case then having your teeth cleaned every three months may be in order, besides trying some of the natural remedies listed here.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

This works great as a natural teeth whitener. Many people confirm to the fact that it does make their teeth look whiter. Mix a small amount of hydrogen peroxide with a small amount of baking soda to make a paste. Brush your teeth as usual, making sure you brush those back teeth too. Hydrogen peroxide is an anti-bacterial agent and works great as a total mouth and gum cleaner and keeps the mouth free of germs.

Baking soda is a gritty substance like sandpaper so be careful that you have enough hydrogen peroxide mixed in with the soda because if you don’t it can very well scrub the enamel right off your teeth and enamel does not grow back. The paste should not be gritty at all, and in fact it should be a runnier paste than a stiff paste.

3. Olive Oil

Can it be true? Olive oil to clean your teeth? Just when you thought you heard it all, along comes olive oil to the rescue as a teeth whitener. Some people are attesting to their teeth becoming whiter by applying olive oil to their teeth after they brush.  There are two ways you can apply it. Add a few drops to your tooth brush and simple brush it on, or add the olive oil to a corner of a clean wash cloth and rub it on. It can’t hurt to try this natural whitening tip. Olive oil is good for you!

4. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

It makes sense that apple cider vinegar would eventually remove stubborn stains on the teeth, especially from coffee and nicotine. It has been proven that it does work but you have to be consistent and it takes a least a month of continuous usage to see results. Some say that using ACV looks like you just got your teeth professionally cleansed.  Be careful, as with all acids, it can remove the enamel on your teeth as well. After brushing with ACV, you will need to brush again with regular toothpaste, preferably a non fluoride paste, or rinse your mouth out really well.

5. Lemon or Orange Peels

There have been reports that lemon and or orange peels will also do the trick of whitening your teeth. Guess you don’t know until you try.  Here again, these food products are very healthy and good for your stomach but the acid content might eventually wear away the enamel on the teeth. So if you use lemon or orange peel always rinse afterwards to be on the safe side. A good oral mouth rinse is hydrogen peroxide because it keeps breath fresh by eliminating bad breath and also is a very good bacterial agent. Use half water and half hydrogen peroxide, swish around in your mouth and leave in for at least a full minute.

6. Strawberries

It has been said that Catherine Zeta Jones whitens her teeth with strawberries. Who would have thought? Tyra Banks tried this teeth whitening trick on her show. She simply mashed up about four or five strawberries and rubbed this yummy mixture all over her teeth. Tyra Banks teeth are already really white from having them bleached so you couldn’t really tell any difference. Some people say this really does work, and if Catherine Zeta Jones rubs her teeth with strawberries, it must be worth giving it a try.  Some people say this works right away. Rinse well afterwards.

Some Natural Whiteners Can Eradicate Enamel

Some teeth whiteners are just not a good idea to use, especially lemon juice.  The acid in the lemon juice does great for bleaching clothes, hair, and getting stains out of furniture, but you wouldn’t want to put lemon juice on your teeth every single day. Eventually the acid creates tiny holes in your teeth and then every kind of staining type food will seep into these tiny holes and remain there. The acid from the lemons is so strong it just eventually wears away the teeth causing cavities.

Can Teeth Whitening Harm Teeth?

Apparently many people are going for the gusto to have whiter teeth and are turning it into an addiction. Here’s what one dentist had to say about teeth whitening strips. “There are people who can never get enough,” says New York City dentist Dr. Irwin Smigel, president of the American Society for Dental Aesthetics. “I’ve had situations where people have needed root canals because they’ve overbleached, where tissues were damaged. You can wear away some of the enamel and your teeth will become translucent and unnatural. They’ll become blue or blue gray.”

Research has shown that teeth whitening products can damage the teeth by removing the enamel. Constant application of whitening strips have been shown to cause erosion of enamel over time and results in tooth sensitivity, especially  with eating hot and cold liquids and foods.

Bottom line is whitening strips should be used in moderation. Teeth bleaching products should only be used under the guidance of your dentist. The best way to whiten teeth is by feeding your body lots of healthy foods for strong bones, teeth and gums and omitting coffee, tea and sugary foods in your diet. If you smoke, stop smoking. And brush and floss your teeth every day!

Sources: curebum.com, msnbc.msn.com, teethwhiteningknowhow.com

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Jeffery Kluger from Time Magazine had a wonderful message to say about Steve Jobs.

“But it’s also fair to argue that Jobs was in some ways different from other captains of industry. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Bill Gates changed the world too – Gates more than all of them, perhaps, with his second chapter as the world’s greatest philanthropist – and yet the garment rending and candle lighting that has followed Jobs’ death suggests a passion that none of the others stir up.

Perhaps it’s that Gates and the rest that invented what were essentially just products – remarkable things that transformed the way we lived, but merchandise all the same. Jobs’ inventions got inside not just our lives but also our heads and – improbably – our hearts. That, of course, is the way it is with living things.”

Steve Job’s Battle and Perhaps Fatal Decision
Steve had been battling with pancreatic cancer for two decades. Pancreatic cancer is a fast-progressing type of cancer that is quite fatal. This makes twenty years a long time to live for someone who’s battling with this type of cancer, and also shows us that the treatment Job’s was receiving must have been right on the mark. We do know that Steve Jobs chose alternative and natural cancer treatments.

There are two types of pancreatic cancer. The more aggressive form, which is not what Job’s had, attacks cells and enzymatic tissues, which help release toxins from the body. The type of cancer Job’s had was of the hormone producing cells of the pancreas, which has a life expectancy of 3 to 6 months, on average. Steve lived for twenty years with this cancer! It seems that he did not have chemotherapy or radiation treatment at all.

The Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze also had pancreatic cancer and died within 18 months. It is written in reports that he was totally against natural and alternative treatments. He and others like him who have died within months of knowing they had cancer only went for the traditional therapies such as radiation, chemotherapy, pharmaceuticals.

Two years before Steve succumbed to cancer he had to have a liver transplant operation.  Would Steve jobs be alive today had he not elected to have a risky liver transplant, followed by immune suppressant drugs? Maybe we should not be asking that question, but it is hard not to ask and wonder when even conventional oncologists question Job’s decision to have a liver transplant followed by immune suppressant drugs.

Just days after Job’s death, traditional doctors are coming out of the woodwork and have been quoted with saying that the immune-suppressant anti-rejection drugs Steve had to take, after his liver transplant surgery, may have cost him his life.  Even conventional therapy doctors know that cancer patients need immune boosting therapy to build up the body to fight off cancer, not harsh radiation or medications that are going to hold back the natural defenses. If your immune system is not strong enough to attack the cancer it will eventually attack every cell in your system and that is what happened with Steve Jobs.

Why a Liver Transplant?
Some of you may be wondering why Steve Job’s had a Liver transplant. Apparently he had a metastasis in his liver. Liver transplants are dangerous when you don’t have cancer, so then imagine being in a serious stage of pancreatic cancer and having your whole liver removed and then replacing a foreign liver with your old one?  When your immune system is already compromised by a progressive cancer, taking more immune suppressing drugs doesn’t make the prognosis very good.

The media says that Jobs died from complications of cancer, which means that cancer is not what killed him, at least not directly. The complications were that he had to take drugs following the liver transplant so his body would not reject the new liver, and those drugs put his immune system into a deep sleep—he basically had no immunity to fight off his cancer.

Steve Lived for Twenty Years with a Progressive Cancer!
Let’s think about this for a moment. Prominent doctors who treat pancreatic cancers say the prognosis for the type of cancer Job’s had is 3 to 6 months but Steve lived for 20-years! What did Steve do right? To answer this question accurately we need to know what the two major causes of cancer are.

• Toxicity (toxic overload syndrome)
• Nutritional Deficiencies

Toxicity means the body is overloaded with pollutants that are not being allowed to come out. This is why cleansing the organs, particularly the colon, liver and kidneys is a sure-fire way to keep away from toxic cancerous invaders. When toxins are not allowed to come out of the body in the form of elimination, pure water, good diet, cleansing, fasting, and exercise they remain in the body causing the first signs of cancer and disease.

When a person is overload with toxins the first signs and symptoms:

• allergies
• rashes
• suppressed immune system
• inability to fight off colds and infections
• IBS
• gluten intolerance
• boils
• Blood sugar issues
• depression
• mental and emotional disorders

Almost every health issue a person goes to the doctor for are warning signs you are not taking care of your body.  If these health issues are left unattended they continue to spread to other areas of the body, and sometimes cancer develops.

Nutritional deficiencies come about when your diet is lacking in vital nutrients. Throw away the prepackaged, boxed prepared foods and buy whole foods your body can actually utilize and thrive from. Organic is always best for the body because it has the least amount of toxic pollutants. Some of the best foods for your body can be grown right in your own garden. The best and safest way to receive vitamins and minerals the body needs is through whole organic foods.

I think we can reasonably say that Steve Job’s, for the most part, ate a healthy diet and cleansed his body periodically. Plus we know that he did receive excellent alternative care treatments. Twenty years is a long time to battle with cancer but Steve had a great outlook on life and was not in pain or weakened for most of those twenty years.

So what can we learn from this? Eat healthier and take care of yourself in every area of your life. Those areas are physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Steve Job’s recognized these areas and took action and this is why he lived happily for 20 years with pancreatic cancer.

Cancer Prevention Foods

Cruciferous vegetables and dark leafy greens – cabbage, broccoli, mustard greens, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts, spinach, and collard greens and bok choy. These excellent veggies contain cancer fighting properties that break down potential carcinogenics (toxic agents) lurking in your body. They work by preventing the formation of cancer. You should eat a variety of these veggies every day, raw or lightly steamed with sautéed garlic and a little olive oil.

Berries – raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, and other’s. A study by researchers at The Ohio State University Medical Center has shown that all berries work equally well to prevent cancer from forming and they can even shrink cancerous tumors. These finding have been published in the June issue of the journal Pharmaceutical Research.

Organic Fruits and Veggies – All whole fruits and vegetables are good for you and to ensure you are getting adequate amounts of whole foods into your diet use the color system. Eat five to seven different colors daily of raw or lightly steamed vegetables and fruits

Garlic – Best eaten raw. Supplements do not work as well as the whole herb.  The first cancer studies ever performed on garlic was in the 1950’s where researchers took the valuable active ingredient in garlic known as allicin and injected it into mice with cancer. The mice that were injected with allicin lived for 6-months and those not injected lived only 2-months. Since then numerous studies have proven the effectiveness of garlic in preventing cancer and disease.

Another active ingredient of garlic, allyl sulfur has been shown to be effective in inhibiting or preventing cancer development. A large scale study performed on middle age women from the epidemiological Iowa Women’s Health Center tested out with great results. The women who ate raw garlic regularly had a 35% lower risk of developing colon cancer.

Green Tea – Laboratory studies have shown that the active ingredient in green tea called catechins does inhibit the growth of cancer cells by zapping the dirty scavengers before they can produce cancerous tissue. In the studies of the skin, liver and stomach of mice the catechins in green and black tea decreased tumor size in mice.

To date, the studies on humans using green tea have been just as promising. In one study, 18,000 men were given green tea in their daily diet and then compared to non-tea drinkers. The tea drinkers in the study were about as half likely to develop cancer of the throat and stomach, even though some of them smoked and did not always eat a good diet!

Vitamin D3 – Vitamin D3 is obtained by natural sunlight—it is the only way to absorb Vitamin D into your system efficiently. Contrary to popular belief, lying out in the sun and getting a tan is actually excellent for your health. What is not good is getting sunburn on your skin. Sunburns are prevented by not laying out in the sun for long periods of time.

Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez is a widely known naturopathic doctor who treats pancreatic cancer using natural and alternative treatments. Most of his patients with pancreatic cancer are still alive today after 20-years, and many have gotten completely healed! In conventional medicine this is absolutely unheard of. The typical survival rate for a pancreatic cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment followed by harsh drugs is about 12-18 months, and that is if the cancer is found early enough.

Dr. Gonzalez’s program for treating pancreatic cancer consist of three basic areas that everyone should be applying into their life now, not later when they are diagnosed with cancer or diseases. Staying healthy is really quite simple if you follow these health guidelines.

• Individualized diet based on nutritional (metabolic) typing
• Individualized supplement program, which includes vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and pancreatic enzymes
• Detoxification, which includes coffee enemas and colon cleanses

Thanks to Dr. Gonzales for reaching out to people with cancer and encouraging them about alternative treatments rather than taking harsh drugs and chemotherapy. Dr. Gonzalez is publishing several books, one of which will have over 100 case studies of patients with advanced cancer who fully recovered after dutifully following his natural treatments to cure cancer.

In closing, let’s reflect on a wisdom-filled message that was often quoted by Steve Jobs. Perhaps we can put this wisdom to good use and apply it into our own lives.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Sources: mercola.com, cleveland.com, healthcastle.com

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CDC and Ambiguous Advertising
Revaccinated? What’s that all about? Apparently the vaccine wears off.  Oddly they revaccinate with the very same strain they used in the previous year.  What’s even more strange about this whole CDC picture of being revaccinated is human antibodies are supposed to last a lifetime. This means, say, if you get the chicken pox as a kid you will not develop the chicken pox again because your body creates antibodies which make you virtually immune to contracting chicken pox ever again!

The vaccine industry advertizes that their flu shot vaccine works exactly the same way, meaning the flu shot creates antibodies against that particular viral strain so you won’t get that type of flu ever again! Wow that is quite a claim. I say claim, because that’s all it is since they are pushing revaccination with the same inoculate strain they used last year. So then what is all of this revaccination hype?
When you contemplate this carefully you’ll realize that none of it really makes too much sense, except for the fact that flu shots aren’t free; they cost $25 per shot, according to Eric R. Esterbrook, pharmacist and owner of Esterbrook Pharmacy.  I think it would be safe to say that what they advertize about the vaccines is ambiguous at best.

Have you ever wondered why they push the flu vaccine on perfectly healthy people? This year they are advising that everybody over the age of six months be vaccinated. Last year and the year before it was only children, elderly and those who are immune compromised. Wow, they must have made a big batch of the flu stuff this year!

Do they really care if we get the flu or not?  Aren’t the flu vaccines just another form of revenue for the ones who push it, such as the researchers, manufacturers, pharmaceutical Industry, FDA and others? I mean, why push the flu shot onto perfectly healthy folks? Go figure.

Should I Get a Flu Shot, I’m Healthy?
The truth is most people who get the flu do not have any complications whatsoever, except for being uncomfortable through the duration of the flu. But a small percentage of people have complications. Deaths from the flu are hyped up and spread throughout the media to cause undue fear in people so they’ll rush down and get vaccinated.  The Vaccination Industry is big business and the more people who run down and get their flu shot, the more revenue.

Last year two young men (two different cases) died from simple tooth infections too.  Sadly, they couldn’t afford to have root canals done on their teeth and the infection killed them. This could have been prevented! These kinds of tragedies happen all the time, but they aren’t doing anything about those people who can’t afford to have medical and dental! This is because when it comes out of their own pocket they do not want to have anything to do with it. You never hear about these kinds of tragic and preventable stories because it makes them look bad. The point is terrible complications can arise from someone having a cavity!

It’s true, a very few amount of people will have complications when they contract the measles and they die; some people have complications when they catch the common cold because it turns into an infection in the lungs and they die.  Wouldn’t it be safe to say then that most people do NOT need to have a flu shot? It would be far better for your health to go ahead and contract the flu and ride it out so your body can then truly build up antibodies against that type of flu!

Study after Study Shows the Flu Shot is a Scam

• A study published in the October 2008 issue of the Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine found that vaccinating young children against the flu had no impact on flu-related hospitalizations or doctor visits during two recent flu seasons. The researchers concluded that “significant influenza vaccine effectiveness could not be demonstrated for any season, age, or setting” examined.
• A 2008 study published in the Lancet found that influenza vaccination was NOT associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia in older people. This also supports an earlier study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
• Research published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine also confirms that there has been no decrease in deaths from influenza and pneumonia in the elderly, despite the fact that vaccination coverage among the elderly has increased from 15 percent in 1980 to 65 percent now.
• In 2007, researchers with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the National Institutes of Health published this conclusion in the Lancet Infectious Diseases:
• A large-scale, systematic review of 51 studies, published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in 2006, found no evidence that the flu vaccine is any more effective than a placebo in children under 2. The studies involved 260,000 children, age 6 to 23 months.

Skip the Shot and Naturally Protect Yourself!
Our bodies are not intended to be given noxious toxins such as what the flu shots are made of.  According to an article on doctor Mercola’s website, vaccines have aluminum, sucrose, animal tissues, MSG, and antifreeze in them. Ugh!

The best way to help YOU from getting sick this winter is to take care of YOU. Treat yourself better than you ever have before. That starts with a healthy eating regime. Get healthy now and stay healthy!

• Eat a wide variety of raw fruits and vegetables (get your seven colors in daily)
• Cleanse your digestive tract (colon cleanse) before the flu season hits
• Include more probiotics in your diet now such as yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut
• Don’t stay up late, de-stress your life and get plenty of sleep
• Amp up your water intake by two extra glasses a day
• Eat an organic apple with the skin on every night before bed (helps with constipation)
• Start juicing today, organic fruits and veggies each morning on an empty stomach (don’t forget to add two or three cloves of natural antibiotic, garlic)
• Get some sunshine on your skin
• Exercise regularly even if its brisk walking a few miles every day (get outside and enjoy the fall weather)
• Don’t let the media hype scare you into getting the flu shot

Be good to yourself! If you happen to get the flu even though you are doing all of these things, your symptoms will be very mild and you will get over it more quickly. You can bet on it! Take care of yourself and let nature take its due course.

Sources: readingeagle.com, naturalnews.com, medhelp.org, mercola.com

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Paul Bragg, health pioneer and nutritionists said, “If it is boxed, canned, or processed in any way, don’t eat it”

The Government Loophole
The big manufacturing and processing companies know that if they make the food taste good with additives such as yeast extract and free glutamate, the main ingredient of MSG, then you’ll want more and buy more. The loophole is within a section of the labeling committee that says “what can be posted on food labels”. As in this case, if free glutamate or glutamate acid is less than 78% of an additive, they don’t have to label it as having MSG! Really? This is more than just a loophole—this is misleading and false advertising of their products.

Research by Vanderbilt University has found that although the FDA does not prohibit the use of yeast extract, even when the name is used to disguise the presence of MSG, the quantity of free glutamate it contains poses problems for MSG-sensitive individuals who experience its effects as toxic. Which many people do find that ingesting even small amounts of MSG will make them sick.

So remember this next time you go grocery shopping. Many popular prepared food items at your grocery store will have MSG in them but it will not be listed as an ingredient on the label. Why are we being mislead like this? Well, we’re being misled because the big processing plants want to save money. It’s far cheaper for them to use food additives (chemicals) such as free glutamate and glutamate acid rather than natural spices and herbs to enhance flavors of food. Ugh!

This is why it’s so important to heed the advice of health gurus such as Bill Bragg and myself about the importance of preparing your own meals versus buying processed dinner entrees and snacks. It is much healthier and safer preparing your own meals and snacks using organic, whole foods rather than buying already prepared food items that who knows what could be lurking inside.

Yeast Extract is a Form of MSG
Next time you’re out grocery shopping and reading labels and it says yeast extract it’s really MSG incognito. It also may be called autolyzed yeast, or hydrolyzed yeast, but they all contain some amounts of free glutamates or glutamate acids, which is MSG. Below is just a few of the food items that have MSG in them but DO NOT list it on their labels.

• McKay’s Chicken Style Instant Broth and Seasoning
• Spice Boquet Adobo Seasoning
• Nightlife Foods Tofu Pups
• Simply Organic Spicy Chili
• Hain Pure Foods All Natural Chicken Broth and Vegetable Broth
• Blue Diamond Almond Toppers
• Farm House Parmesan Pasta (General Mills Sales, Inc.)
• Dominique’s New England Clam Chowder
• Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing

According to the Live Strong website yeast extracts are used in most canned and frozen soups to enhance the flavors. It would be far healthier to buy some beef bones or whole organic chicken and prepare your own soups and stews and stay clear of all canned food products. Paul Bragg knew what he was talking about. “If it is canned, boxed or processed in any way, it is bad for your health”!

More Popular Foods that Contain Yeast Extracts

• Most canned meats and fish products
• Frozen hamburger patties
• Brand name turkey’s and chicken’s
• Lunch meats
• Some brands of veggie burgers
• Most sauces and gravies
• Spice and savory mixes
• Salad dressings
• Bouillon cubes and spices

Usually only those meats that are cut and sold right in the butcher shop or grocery store, without packaging, will be free of yeast extracts. It is always best to steer clear of canned fruits and vegetables; you know for sure that buying the whole fruit or vegetable will not have any additives as the canned one would.

Most boxed snack foods such as crackers, pretzels, and cookies contain yeast extracts. You’re better off making your own snacks and bringing them with you. Yeast extracts are also used for cultivating microorganism in most dairy products such as in cheeses, cottage cheese, and yogurts. Yeast extract is extensively used to make cheese taste cheesy. And even though it is MSG in disguise the FDA still calls it a natural favorer as if it is something good for your health.

The bottom line is if most of the food products sold in the groceries stores have MSG lurking inside, then I think it is far safer to stop buying their filthy food. America’s food is dirty and unfit for human consumption, that is to say, if we want to be healthy and fit. I think we need to heed the wise words of our pioneers in health and just say no to canned, boxed, and processed foods of any kind, so we can truly know that we are not eating toxic chemical additives disguised as something good for us in our food! Simply, do NOT eat it!

Sources: naturalnews.com, truthinlabeling.org, livestrong.com, jacklalanne.com

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“There are factors in aloe that help the cells regenerate and heal faster,”

Healing Burns
Have you ever looked at the ingredients on sunburn soothing gel and creams? Aloe is almost always a listed ingredient. If it didn’t work to sooth sunburns and other types of skin burns it wouldn’t be a listed ingredient in almost every burn cream out on the market. The thing is the natural whole gel from the plant is going to work so much better than those creams you buy from the grocery store.

So for this very fact it would be a good idea to have your own aloe plants growing in pots in your home. A simple way to use the gel for sunburns just snip a small leaf from the plant and slice it open and there’s the gel, apply it to wherever you are blistering and have a sunburn. Not only will aloe help to keep you from peeling and blistering from minor sunburn but it will soothe your skin immensely. If you want to learn more about sunburn remedies, watch this video.

Healing Wounds – Digestive Tract and Ulcers
In a study published for “Preventative Medicine” on aloe vera juice and its effect on the human gastrointestinal tract, Dr. Jeffrey Bland wrote that aloe vera juice helps digestion, normalizes acid/alkaline balance, lessens yeast formation, encourages digestive bacteria and regularizes bowel processing.

Aloe Vera is so amazing it has been used to soothe and heal stomach ulcers. Apparently it has antibacterial agents and natural healing properties that can restore the stomach lining back to health. Remember though, if you are taking a medication that contradicts healing and is actually causing the ulcer, as some medications do, while you are trying to repair an ulcer it probably will not work.

In a report by BBC Health one of the causes of stomach ulcers is the taking of anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain medications, which can irritate the lining of the stomach and produce an ulcer, hole in the gut. If you truly want to heal yourself you must first go to the root of the problem and stop doing whatever it is that may be harming your body. Then you can let nature go to work through rebuilding of cells and tissues and natural remedies such as Aloe Vera juice.

An article by the “Journal of Environmental Science and Health” states that drinking aloe juice works as a cleanser and detoxifier because of its antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties within this amazing plant. This sounds really promising.

However, not all aloe vera juices are good for the body to drink. The University of Maryland Medical Clinic warns to not drink the juice that contains “aloe latex”, which is a yellow bitter fluid that is a powerful laxative. As we all know, too much of a good thing might just be too much. Scientists say that drinking the juice with aloe latex present causes severe stomach cramping and diarrhea. For this reason it is best to purchase aloe vera juice at your local health food store. Apparently, it is difficult to separate the gel from the latex from the plant yourself unless you know what you are doing.

Hair and Scalp Moisturizer
Aloe makes a wonderful nourishing hair and scalp shampoo and conditioner. And because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties it also helps with most causes of dandruff according to the authors of “Aloe Vera the New Millennium”, Bill C. Coats and Robert Ahola. It appears that the gel has enzymes that actually help to rid the scalp of dead cells and promote regeneration of skin tissue around the hair follicles. Aloe also helps to stop itching which is a symptom of dandruff.

What kind of shampoo do you use? Did you know that some shampoos can cause scalp irritation and itching which leads to dandruff. Most store bought shampoos aren’t that great for the skin and scalp. After reading this information it makes you want to try some aloe vera shampoo, doesn’t it? Especially since we now know that the active properties in aloe gel are known to promote new skin growth and decrease pain and inflammation.

This is good news for some people who have a problem with their shampoos or who have scalp irritation and inflammation. Take a look at the shampoo and conditioners you are now using. One or two of the listed ingredients may be causing the inflammation and dandruff. There are a lot of chemicals in most shampoos that actually cause skin irritation and itching.

Growing Aloe Vera
Growing your own Aloe Vera or buying a plant from the nursery would probably be a good idea for using topically on mild burns and wounds. Interestingly enough there are over 250 species of aloe in the world. All Aloe plants may be grown outdoors where there is no chance of freezing. But they also make beautiful houseplants and are quite easy to take care of. Some species even bloom with beautiful flowers.

If you buy a potted plant have it in a window that gets a good amount of sunshine because aloes love the sun. The pot can be moved outdoors during the summer months. Aloe is very succulent and therefore stores a lot of water within its leaves, but it will need watered at least two or three times a month. In the winter aloe becomes dormant somewhat and during this time you should water the plant very little. That’s all there is to it, except to enjoy your new aloe houseplant.

Sources: nytimes.com, livestrong.com

Among Indian people aged 70 to 79, the rate of Alzheimer’s is less than one-quarter that of the United States.

Alzheimer Studies
There are so many wonderful reasons to add turmeric to your diet. It tastes wonderful in soups, stews and curry dishes and you can even sprinkle it on roast chicken. According to scientists turmeric added to your daily diet will help prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer disease by eliminating amyloid plaque buildup in the brain. Not only that but it has shown to improve brain function and performance.

According to Dr. Sally Frautschy of the University of California, her studies show that elderly individuals living in Indian villages appear to have the lowest incidence of Alzheimer’s disease in the world. Her studies show that only 1 percent of elderly Indian men and women get Alzheimer’s.

This is great news but let’s not forget that we should look at all components to good health and not just one spice or herb. For instance, the spice turmeric eaten daily, coupled with eating a diet based on whole foods is preventing brain degeneration in the Indian population. It’s interesting that this study was done on the villagers who do not eat processed foods because they are much too expensive for the villagers to buy. Therefore they only eat whole foods most likely grown right there in India.
Anytime manufacturing/processing of whole food stuffs come into the equation, it will not matter where you live, if processed, dead foods are a major part of your diet, your body will degenerate much quicker, and that includes the brain.
It’s interesting to note that most Asian peasants are healthier than their city counterparts because they eat more whole foods (brown rice vs. white) than those folks who live in the city and can afford to buy processed food items.

Arthritis Studies
According to researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine turmeric may help with different forms of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and even osteoporosis. During their research they discovered an extract from turmeric called curcuminoid that blocks a protein called NF-KB factor from being activated in the joints. According to the researchers when NF-KB is activated it causes inflammation and degeneration of joint tissue.

The scientists doing the study did conclude that more research needs to be done on the effectiveness of turmeric. They are now looking at the benefits of turmeric for multiple sclerosis and bowel disease.

Research has also shown in numerous studies that eating a diet high in refined flours and sugar will negatively impact our joints tremendously. The saying “you are what you eat” rings very true in this case. Adding Turmeric to your daily diet will help with quieting down inflammation caused from joint diseases and so will eating a good daily, organic, whole foods diet.

Cancer Studies
Scientists believe that the active ingredient in Turmeric, curcumin is responsible for preventing some types of cancer. One study in Texas showed that the antioxidant properties of curcumin can slow and even stop reproduction of cancer cells in myeloma, a deadly form of cancer. Studies are positive and are mounting up with evidence that turmeric extract with curcumin does fight skin and breast cancers.

Doctors at the University of Texas, after following up on previous studies that they had been working on, found that turmeric extract helped stop the spread of breast cancer cells to the lungs! The doctors were very excited about these new studies. The researchers also found that this great tasting yellow spice may also diminish the occurrence of prostate and colon cancers.

Turmeric the Powerful Antioxidant
Curcumin has been shown to be a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are potent elements found in most raw fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals, which is everything we are exposed to in a given day, such as processed foods, environmental pollution, pharmaceuticals, and exposure to radiation. Free radicals run havoc in our body where they cause cellular damage, and degeneration of the immune system, all of which lead to infections, degenerative organ diseases and cancer.

If we expose ourselves to more free radicals than we expose ourselves to antioxidants, eventually our body will begin to give way to these environmental free radicals in the form of negative health issues. It is very important that every individual and family work at improving their health by doing everything possible to make positive change for themselves according to their circumstances.

You can prevent degenerative disease from happening to you by taking care of your health in all areas of your life. This would include diet, fitness, mental and emotional outlook, and anything you may be negatively exposed to in your environment. It’s up to you. Don’t depend on your doctor for your fitness and well being because he or she cannot do anything for you like what you can for yourself. You are your best friend so be nice to yourself.

Sources: huffingtonpost.com, healthdiaries.com, livestrong.com, nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com

According to a 2009 study at Kingston University, white tea was found to have high anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-collagenase, and anti-elastase properties.

White tea originates from China from the Camellia Sinensis plant. Its buds and leaves are allowed to wither in the sun during the plants growth.  They are harvested prematurely and the delicate buds and leaves are processed to prevent oxidation.  They say this preserves the distinct flavor of this aromatic tea. Camellia Sinensis plant is abundant with what is called polyphenols, a phytonutrient which is responsible for the tea’s health benefits.

Improved Cardiovascular Function
White tea has a substance known as Catechins, a group of antioxidants that have been shown to reduce cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, repair vein tissue, and improve overall cardiovascular function.

Immune System Booster
Studies have shown that animals that were given white tea were more resistant to the bacteria Salmonella. Furthermore, the antioxidants that is abundant in white tea helps to booster the immune system in animals and humans.  And there’s more good news: A study conducted by the Pace University in 1984 revealed that white tea may in fact slow down viruses and the growth of bacteria, reducing the incidence of staphylococcus and streptococcus infections, pneumonia, fungus growth, and even dental plaque.

Cancer Prevention
Amazingly, white tea has been shown to work as well as prescription drugs in providing the body with antioxidants and preventing many types of cancer, such as colon, prostate, and stomach cancers. Flavonoids, a group of antioxidants present in this tea reduce the growth of cancer cells, and help new ones to grow!
It would seem a good idea to drink this tea often throughout the day. Not a tea-lover? Well, how about adding a teaspoon of raw honey and a squeeze of a lemon or lime to your tea for an added zest?

Reduce Blood Pressure
Chances are that you or someone you know personally has high blood pressure. Well, the good news is studies have proven that white tea can actually thin the blood and drastically improve artery function. Drinking white tea several times a day on a consistent basis can actually lower the pressure of your blood and protect the body against one of its common health enemies, stroke. This only works when you drink the tea every day, a couple of times a day. Bring it to work with you and share the health benefits with your coworkers.

Stronger Bones and Teeth, and Healthier Skin
Numerous studies have shown that regular drinkers of white tea had greater bone density than non drinkers of white tea. If you suffer from arthritis or osteoporosis, better grab yourself some white tea and have a couple of cups a day. White tea has small amounts of fluoride which help to keep the teeth and gums healthy too.

This remarkable tea has also been shown to fight free radicals from sun, stress and poor diet, and reverse some of the signs of aging. According to a study by Kingston University in London, it seems that white tea may be an interesting option for reducing and preventing wrinkles. Out of 21 different compounds tested, white tea was found to contain by far the highest concentration of antioxidants.

Is there anything this tea doesn’t help improve? Well, let’s see here, white tea may also reduce blood sugar and lessen the symptoms of diabetes. This astounding tea has shown to reduce stress and yet increase energy levels. Now who doesn’t want to have more energy throughout the day?

How to Brew White Tea
Boiling hot water can diminish the distinct flavor as well as deplete the nutrients of the tea. Experts all agree that water for white tea should be no hotter than 170-185 degrees Fahrenheit (76 to 85 degrees Celsius).  For best results bring the water to a roaring boil and then let sit for a couple of minutes and then pour onto the tea leaves.  This should be done for all types of teas.

Because white tea leaves are not as dense and compact as other teas you should use at least two teaspoons of white tea leaves for every cup (8 ounces) of water. The longer you brew the tea for the stronger the flavor and the more nutritional value you will be receiving. Some people recommend steeping the tea for up to 15 minutes.

White tea sounds like the king of teas and the health benefits are awesome! But with any natural health remedy or healing product out there they always work best when we do other things to take care of our body. White tea works well in conjunction with other ways to keep healthy and fit.

For an example: someone who eats a poor diet, is overweight, and leads a sedentary lifestyle will not see the health benefits from white tea as well as someone who already eats a well balanced diet, and who regularly exercises. The fact of the matter is, you have to take care of your body by doing everything you can to protect it from disease and illness.

Provide your body with clean whole foods, pure water, adequate amounts of exercise, and sufficient amounts of sunshine, and lead a stress free lifestyle as much as possible. You are your body’s best friend when it comes to health so treat it well and you will enjoy your life that much more. And of course, incorporating white tea into your diet would be a wonderful idea. Here’s to your health!

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tea

http://www.whiteteaguide.com/whiteteahealthbenefits.htm

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1 in 5 people, or an estimated 50 million Americans sugger from all types of allergies

What’s important to understand is when the body is trying to combat an allergic reaction to something, whether it is something as simple as a skin allergy like eczema or if it is something more complex like a food allergy it is because something is not right within your body therefore it cannot fight off the allergen by its own defenses, hence you get allergy symptoms.

When we take prescribed medications for allergies what happens is they disturb the natural process and PH balance of our body’s immune system so that we will always have to take a drug to alleviate the symptoms from whatever allergy we are suffering from. What’s more is all these allergy drugs and toxic creams do is alleviate/hide the symptoms but the problem gone awry in our body still exists. This is why it is so important that we give our body a break from toxic pharmaceuticals and provide it with the remedies that grow naturally in nature.

Besides watching what we eat, getting plenty of fresh air, and drinking plenty of pure water, there are natural remedies to many of the allergies that afflict us today. There is more good news: Caring for our bodies in the more natural way provides our body with what it needs to repair itself, bringing it back into balance so it can fight off the allergy we are suffering from.

1. Garlic

What’s so fantastic about garlic? Garlic is a natural antibiotic that wards off infections, viruses and even allergies. Eating or juicing two raw cloves of this powerful antioxidant literally keeps the doctor away! Some people go for the supplements because they don’t want to smell like garlic, but the supplements do not work as well as the real herb does, so don’t be deceived by this. Raw garlic eaten every day will fight off all types of allergies because it boosts your immune system immensely. Garlic is definitely the herb to live for since it truly helps us to breathe better and live healthier lives.

2. Lemons

As most of us know an alkaline body means better balance and immune function. Lemons and limes are excellent immune boosting little fruits and are used for various afflictions, including allergies. Both of these little fruits are loaded with Vitamin C and immune boosting antioxidants. Drinking lemon water throughout the day detoxifies the body and rids it of impurities.

Do not get confused with lemonade and lemon water, however. Lemonade made with refined sugar causes all kinds of skin problems as well as weight gain and low resistance to infections and allergies. Go for the pure lemon water without refined sugar. Healthful Food Tip: Mix the juice of one or two lemons or limes with olive oil to make a wonderful tasting dressing for salads and veggie sandwiches.

3. Raw Local Honey

Raw honey contains bee pollen, which is known to ward off infections, allergies, and boost immunity. If you suffer from seasonal allergies here is something to think about. The bees in your neighborhood are going from flower to flower collecting pollen that you are suffering from. It would make sense then that eating local RAW honey in your neighborhood made from those same flowers will build up your immunity to the pollen allergies where you live.

Getting stung by bees boosts immunity! Naturopaths have been using bee sting therapy with their patients for hundreds of years. According to Chronic Fatigue Treatments website bee sting or venom therapy is used to treat such conditions as multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic pain, and rheumatic conditions. Some people allow themselves to get stung up to 20 times a day.

Researchers believe the substances melittin and apelin are the two major medicinal properties found in the venom. Melittin is a peptide found in bee venom that can stimulate the pituitary gland to release ACTH, this leads to the production of cortisol. Cortisol is a powerful hormone in our body which controls the immune system and our stress response.

4. Butterbur

In a study, published in the British Medical Journal, a group of Swiss researchers showed how just one tablet of butterbur taken four times daily was as effective as a popular antihistamine drug in controlling symptoms of hay fever — without the traditional symptom of drowsiness that sometimes occurs. In a second study, a group of British researchers found that butterbur worked effectively in relieving symptoms of grass allergies. Who needs drugs when you can find what you need naturally in nature?

Butterbur is a big leafy green plant native to Europe and has been used for generations to alleviate migraine headaches, stomach ulcers, coughs, allergies and asthma. It is available in extracts, teas, tablets and capsules. It is always best to use the product in its natural form so taking it as a tea or as an extract is the best way to use Butterbur for allergy symptoms.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar was used by Hippocrates, the father of medicine to treat numerous health conditions. Organic raw apple cider vinegar is used for numerous medicinal purposes such as boosting immunity, controlling weight and caring for the skin and hair; it promotes alkalinity and PH balance of the body, which is one reason why it works great as a natural remedy to ward off all types of allergies.

Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and 5% acidity. ACV Contains the amazing Mother of Vinegar which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules. If you take a good look at a jar of apple cider vinegar you will see little floating strands in the cider, this is the living enzymes that work to fight off infection and bring balance back to your body.

The best way to use apple cider vinegar for your allergies is on a consistent basis. Mix 1 tablespoon ACV with 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon raw bees honey and drink three times a day. Let it go to work in your body. It may take several weeks before you see any positive results. Be patient as this mixture of natural ingredients begins to balance out your GI tract and build up your natural defenses to fight off all types of allergies.

Sources: chronicfatiguetreatments.com, webmd.com, bragg.com

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“One complete night of sleep deprivation is as impairing in simulated driving tests as a legally intoxicating blood-alcohol level.”

That’s scary to think about considering if there are 60 million Americans who are having trouble sleeping and a third of them are driving on our byways and highways at any given time. Research has also shown that chronic sleep deprivation will result in serious health issues. At the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in June 2001, Eve Van Cauter, Ph.D., reported that people who regularly do not get enough sleep can become less sensitive to insulin. “This increases their risk for diabetes and high blood pressure – both serious threats to the brain”.For an example, sleep Deprivation can:

• Weaken your immune system
• Cause symptoms of attention deficient disorder (ADD) especially in children
• Impair memory
• Cause hallucinations
• Drastically Impair physical and mental performance
• Increase tumor growth (studies have shown that tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with sleep deprivation
• Mental disorders and depression’
• Augment heart disease
• Aggravate stomach ulcers
• Age a person prematurely
• Increased risk for diabetes and high blood pressure
• Three times greater chance of dying from any cause

The good news is there are many natural products and safe ways to ensure a good night’s sleep once again! Throw away the sleeping pills and do this instead to help you sleep.

Get Your Daily Magnesium

Studies have shown that being deficient in magnesium can cause sleep disturbances throughout the night as well as insomnia. The best way to get your daily dose of magnesium is through whole foods. Eating foods high in magnesium will relax your nerves and muscles, build and strengthen bones, keep your blood circulating, and help you get good nights sleep.

Foods with the highest amounts of magnesium are: raw pumpkin seeds, steamed spinach and swiss chard, raw sunflower seeds, Chinook salmon, raw sesame seeds, baked or broiled halibut, blackstrap molasses, dried figs, artichokes, buckwheat, oat bran, almonds, cooked black beans and navy beans.

Lack of Exercise and Sleepless Nights

Have you ever had restless leg syndrome while you’re trying to go to sleep? You might toss and turn for hours but your fidgety legs are keeping you awake. People who work behind a desk for most of the day are more prone to have a restless night. The body has to get energy out and if that’s not happening through exercise you will lose sleep over it. Studies have shown that people who exercise consistently have less sleepless nights.

For some people exercising at least four times a week will help them combat insomnia. You want a tired body when going to bed at night, not one that is roaring like a lion at 2am.  Researchers at the Stanford University of Medicine studied the effects of exercise on adults aged fifty-five to seventy-five who were sedentary and troubled by insomnia. They were asked to exercise for twenty to thirty minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low-impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle. The conclusion showed positive results. The time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and sleep time increased by almost one hour.

Do you have a favorite exercise but can’t seem to find the time? If so, it’s time to find the time and start being more active, it will really help with restlessness at bedtime. The hardest part about starting a new exercise regime is the ambition to get started. Once you get into a schedule you’ll feel so good that you will never want to skip a routine again. Exercise, coupled with increasing magnesium in your diet is sure to bring on positive sleep patterns for you. Don’t forget about brisk walking. Get yourself a buddy and begin a brisk walking routine. Walking every day is surely going to help with those restless legs at night.

Self Expression Releases Emotions and Stress

Does this sound familiar? Many times you go to bed with too much on your mind. You have this and that to take care of and nothing is getting done. Your mind is running in overtime. You feel overwhelmed and stressed out and its bed time. No wonder you can’t fall asleep! All the worrying and emotional stress is bogging you down.  Here’s the best remedy for dealing with an overwhelmed brain. Write!

Every night before bed get your journal out by writing everything off your mind. This really works! Make lists of what needs done and then prioritize. Then if you are emotionally stressed get that out too through self expression. Write, write and write some more! If you’re angry with someone or if you feel resentment over something that happened to you write about it—get it off your chest.

Don’t worry no one has to see your journal, its private between you and God. Self expression releases pent up negative emotions as well as anger. Writing out our thoughts helps us to release our emotions and get them out of our brain so we can actually fall asleep. Plus, it helps us to be more productive the next day because it releases those negativities from our mind that were bogging us down.  Don’t worry, be grateful and you will get a good night’s sleep!

Eat Fish and Sleep Better?

Omega 3 fats are the good fats and are essential to a healthy body. Fish oil is the best way to get your omega 3 fatty acids. Doctors worldwide recommend we eat fish oil daily to ensure a healthy body and to get a good night’s rest. Not all fish have abundance of omega 3’s however, so choosing a fatty fish is the first step. Fish with the most omega 3 fatty acids are salmon, tuna, herring, trout, sardines, and halibut.  Atlantic, Coho, and Sockeye salmon are more abundant in omega 3’s. Eating fish twice a week will ensure you are getting the proper amount of omega fats in your diet.

Bad Diet Can Cause Restlessness and insomnia

What is a bad diet? A bad diet is one that is deficient in raw foods and whole foods but high in refined foods. The worse culprits are refined sugar and flour products. These two foods are the body’s worse enemies. Between the two they can literally wreck havoc within your physical, emotional and mental state causing all kinds of health ailments, not to mention nightmares and restless sleep.

Eating a diet high in refined sugars and carbohydrates will trigger restlessness throughout the night called the “fight or flight” reaction, which causes wakefulness. Keeping blood sugar levels regulated is important in sleeping well at night. Going to bed after eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugars will negatively influence how you feel the next day. You may toss and turn throughout the night, not really going into a deep sleep, and this is why you may feel tired and groggy the next day.  

Foods that help you sleep at night and can be eaten a few hours before bedtime are oatmeal, whole grains (if you are not gluten intolerant), cottage cheese, turkey, chicken, eggs, and nuts, especially almonds.  These foods encourage sleep because they are high in the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is converted to serotonin and melatonin, which are natural sleep-inducing compounds.

Lower Cortisol Levels for a Good Night’s Sleep

The hormone cortisol can deprive you of sleep. Cortisol is secreted during times of stress, danger, and fear. The good news is this hormone can be completely managed by you. Exercise and omega 3 fatty acids both reduce the levels of cortisol in your brain and help you to be tired at bedtime. Remember do not do any strenuous exercise right before going to bed. Walking on the treadmill or stationary bike is about as taxing as you want to get before bedtime.

The bottom line is if you are stressed out or emotionally distraught before going to bed, it will raise the levels of cortisol in your body and you won’t be able to go to sleep or you will wake up in the middle of the night not able to go back to sleep. De-stress yourself through exercise, diet, and self expression and it will help you to sleep soundly through the night.

Sources: www.fi.edu, www.whfoods.com, www.doctormurray.com, bodyecology.com

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