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11 Tips to De-Stress Your Life

11 Tips to De-Stress Your Life

 

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Have you ever wondered why after a stressful experience – like getting into a fight with your spouse or hearing that your office is announce massive layoffs, you have a physical reaction like a headache or stomach pain? According to the Huffington Post, this is because “the majority of stressors facing humans were physical (lions and tigers and bears, oh my!), requiring, in turn, a physical response.”

Being stressed isn’t a fun experience. On top of the physical symptoms, stress can lead to insomnia, depression and a decrease in work production, with serious implications for your personal and professional life.

Being entrepreneurs, we get stressed all the time. I get stressed at everything from traffic on the way to work to my current hosting startup on the brink of disaster! Believe me, this is something we all have to deal with from time to time. To avoid letting stress consume your life, here are 11 tips that I use to kick stress to the curb.

1. Identify triggers.

Melissa Eisler states on the Chopra Center website that “Recognizing the triggers to your stressful reactions is an important first step in managing your stress.” She suggests you can discover these triggers by asking obvious questions like “What stresses you out? And how do you react to it?”

After figuring out what exactly is working you up, you can create a list of your top triggers and then work on eliminating them if possible, or at least changing your reactions.

2. Be healthy.

It’s been proven time and time again that one of the best ways to relieve stress is by being healthy. Whether it’s going for a walk, taking a yoga class, staying away from treats like doughnuts and getting a good night’s rest, taking care of your body is one of the most common and effective ways to reduce stress in your life.

I find that when I’m healthiest in my life, I have the least amount of stress.

3. Get organized.

Whether it’s in the home or at the workplace, disorganization is one of the most common stress triggers. After all, it’s frustrating when you can never find that one thing you’re looking for. That’s why you should not only straighten up your home or office, but develop a system to keep it organized. Woman’s Day has 100 Organizing Tips that you should check out.

4. Stop procrastinating.

The Association for Psychological Science states that “people who procrastinate have higher levels of stress and lower well-being.” To help you get out of this harmful trip, Leo Babauta suggests you create a Do It Now (DIFN) habit. Do your most important task first or only work on a challenging project for 10-minutes.

5. Turn off your phone.

Richard Balding, a psychologist in the department of psychology at the University of Worcester, England discovered that smartphones can lead to stress. Why? Because they have created “a relentless need to immediately review and respond to each and every incoming message, alert, or bing.”

While you can’t keep the phone off 24/7, you should have certain times planned throughout the day to keep the phone off for a little piece of mind.

6. Do something that makes you happy.

Between all of your obligations and responsibilities, you may think you no longer have time for the hobbies that used to make you happy. To reduce the stress in your life, make the time to do something pleasurable. It could be something as simple as enjoying your favorite show, taking a nap, going to the movies, talking to a friend, listening to your favorite music, or planning a vacation to your favorite destination.

7. Stop filling up the calendar.

Commitments never end. Between work, your family, social activities and civic duties, you have a full schedule. This becomes a problem when commitments conflict with each other or begin to overrun your life.

If you edit your list of commitments, you will likely notice you suddenly do have some much needed free time, which will help destress your life. We all have the same 24 hours in each day – what are you filling your hours with?

8. Accept people for who they are.

Is there anything more frustrating than a coworker who chews with their mouth open or the spouse who never washes dishes or the neighbor who blasts their music too loudly? No matter how much the people closest in your life add to your stress level, you have to accept them for who they are.

Daylle Deanna Schwartz, recommends on the Huffington Post that you use Reality Training, which “means recognizing that if you want to be happy, you need to accept people as they are and find ways to deal with how they are, or don’t.”

9. Be grateful.

Research from renowned psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough discovered “Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism, and lower levels of depression and stress.”

Mark Williams and Danny Penman authors of “Mindfulness: An Eight Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World,” suggested on CNN that you perform a 10-finger gratitude exercise everyday. This simply means thinking of 10 things you’re grateful for.

10. Avoid multitasking.

We’re all extremely busy, which is why multitasking seems like a great idea on paper, but actually only adds to our already stressful lives. According to David Meyer, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan (via Chris Woolston, MS on HealthDay) “ juggling tasks can be very stressful. In the short-term, stress makes you feel lousy. In the long-term, it can become a serious threat to health.”

If you need assistance with avoiding multitasking, check out these tips from Zen Habits.

11. Pucker up.

WebMD cites a study led by Laura Berman, Ph.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry and ob-gyn at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, which studied 2,000 couples. The study discovered that couples who only kiss during lovemaking are “eight times more likely to report suffering from stress and depression than those who frequently kiss on the spur of the moment.”

Dr. Berman states: “Kissing relieves stress by creating a sense of connectedness, which releases endorphins, the chemicals that counteract stress and depression.”

Besides making you happier, lowering your stress level has proven medical benefits. So, grab your favorite book, pucker up, be grateful for what you have, and stop over scheduling yourself. Taking just a few of these steps will lead to a happier, healthier you.

Contributor – John Rampton

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Categories: Depression Eating Healthy Excercise Insomnia Life Lessons Personal Health Positive Outlook Self Esteem Self Improvement Toxic People Well Being

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How To Rid Your Colon Of Extra Weight Fast

The digestive system is responsible for delivering essential vitamins and nutrients throughout your body. An encrusted, unclean colon blocks your body from absorbing the vitamins and minerals from your food.

When this happens to your colon can become very bloated and result in  weight gain. When your colon can do its job properly it will make you less bloated, reduce weight gain and have fewer digestive issues.

If your want to keep your colon running smooth and your digestive system running efficiently simply try these natural methods.

Natural Colon-Cleansing Methods

Water:

For colon cleansing, the best thing you can do is drink plenty of water. It is essential to drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of water in a day. Regular consumption of water will give your body the liquid and lubrication required to flush out the harmful toxins and waste from the body in a natural manner.

Drinking plenty of water will also stimulate the natural peristaltic action, helping the food to move through the digestive system. Also, water is essential to keep your body well hydrated. Along with water, you can also drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices.

Yogurt:

Eating fresh yogurt on a regular basis is a good way to keep the colon healthy. Being a probiotic food, yogurt, especially the one with live and active cultures, will introduce “good” bacteria into the gut that promote digestion. It will also combat inflammatory bowel diseases.

Plus, it contains a good amount of calcium that discourages the growth of cells lining the colon. The intestine-friendly yogurt also solves various stomach problems such as indigestion, flatulence, irregular bowel movements and lots more.

You can eat yogurt as it is or add some fresh fruit such as apples, limes, bananas and berries.

Lemon Juice:

Lemon has antioxidant properties and its high vitamin C content is good for the digestive system. Hence, lemon juice can be used for colon cleansing.

Apple Juice:

Eat your favorite type of apple all day long or drink 100% apple juice with no sugar added, from morning to dinner time, to lose weight and cleanse your colon.

Directions

1. Start your day with one glass of unfiltered apple juice.

2. After 30 minutes, drink one glass of water.

3. Repeat this routine several times throughout the day and continue for three days.

4. In between, you can also drink one glass of prune juice. When following this remedy, it is advisable to avoid solid foods.

Fiber-rich Foods:

Eating foods rich in fiber will help cleanse the colon of the harmful toxins. Fiber helps keep the stools soft and improve the bowel movement, which ultimately encourages the body to expel waste products. At the same time, fiber-rich foods will also help get rid of any kind of intestinal problem.

You can add a lot of fiber into your diet by eating fresh fruits like raspberries, pears and apples, as well as fresh vegetables like artichokes, peas and broccoli. Cereals, whole grains, nuts, beans and seeds also contain a good amount of fiber.

Raw Vegetable Juice:

For colon cleansing, it is essential to keep away from processed and cooked food for one or two days. Instead of solid food, drink fresh vegetable juice several times a day. Green vegetables, in particular contain chlorophyll that helps remove toxins. Also, the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes present in it will keep your body healthy and well energized. You can also drink herbal teas.

Sea Salt:

Sea salt is another effective home remedy for colon cleansing. It stimulates the bowel movement and helps to remove all the harmful toxins that accumulated in fecal matter, regular feces, parasites and bacteria from digestive system.

Ginger:

Ginger not only helps to reduce bloating but also stimulates the functionality of colon and keeps it free from wastes and harmful toxins.

Flaxseeds:

Flaxseeds are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and natural fibers that helps to cleanse your colon naturally. It absorbs the water and expands in the colon, assists in removing toxins and mucus as it passes through. It will be very effective if you include flaxseeds in your diet to get rid of the problem.

Aloe Vera:

Aloe vera is well known for its detoxification abilities and laxative property which makes it as an effective colon cleanser. It has some medical properties that not only improves the condition of the colon but also helps to treat other health problems like headache, diarrhea, constipation, skin infection and gastric pain.

Sources:

http://homeremediesforlife.com/colon-cleanser/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/115950-homemade-natural-colon-cleanser/

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Get More Done by Following ‘The Productivity Diet’

Get More Done by Following 'The Productivity Diet' (Infographic)

Image credit: Shutterstock

Your productivity is directly impacted by what you eat. If you want both your mind and body to perform at optimal levels then you need to practice good nutrition.

It sounds great, but what does “good nutrition” mean?

With so much conflicting diet and health information online, it can leave you with more questions than answers most of the time.

What is a good mid-day snack to maintain high energy levels? Not candy bars and Red Bull — unless you want to trigger a blood sugar spike followed by a crash.

What we eat as well as when we eat it contributes to high productivity, and that’s why EBOC teamed up with HubSpot to create the infographic below, highlighting the food types that will help you maintain high energy levels and productivity throughout your day.

Use this as a guide to help you make better food choices, and don’t forget that every person will have different dietary needs — so consult your doctor or healthcare professional.

Jonathan Long – June 25, 2015

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Categories: Bone Health Cleansing Cleansing Diabetes Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Energy Entrepreneur Food Healthy Choices Himalayan Salt Immune System Insomnia Insomnia Kidney Health Liver Disease Lowering Cholesterol Managing Diabetes Natural Cures Organic Food Organic Foods Personal Health Reversing Damage Reversing Diseases Self Esteem Success Vitamins Well Being Your Body

5 Ways to Improve the Performance of Your Greatest Asset: You

5 Ways to Improve the Performance of Your Greatest Asset: You

Image credit: Snapwire Snaps

We are constantly looking for ways to enhance, grow and improve our assets, but we often overlook the most important one of them all. Your greatest asset is not your bank account, stock portfolio, 401(k) or real estate holdings — it’s you.

What are you doing to make sure you perform at your very best? Imagine if your personal performance started to suffer — your business would soon follow. Here are five simple ways to improve the performance of your greatest asset.

1. Prioritize your health and wellness.

For your business to thrive, you need to be involved. This won’t happen if you are in and out of the hospital with health issues. Regular exercise and an intelligent diet helps your body and mind operate at peak performance.

Time is a rare commodity — but make sure to carve out at least 30 minutes a day for physical exercise. If you are bound to a desk and chair all day make sure to get up and stretch every hour. A mid-day walk also goes a long way to help combat the health risks associated with sitting for long periods of time.

2. Delegate and outsource all of your busy work.

You will operate so much more efficiently if you can eliminate all of the busy work that typically slows you down. When you don’t have tedious tasks pulling at you from all directions you can focus 100 percent of your attention on the objectives that directly impact the growth of your business.

Learning to delegate was difficult for me at first — I felt like I had to do everything myself to ensure it was done correctly. I learned to trust the people I have in place and delegation has allowed me to focus on more important parts of my business related to growth. More doors and opportunities have opened up simply because I pushed all of those little time sucking tasks off my daily plate.

3. Don’t hold back stress and anger. Voice your opinion.

If you ignore the issues that are causing you to become stressed out and angry it’s just going to keep building up until you explode. This isn’t good for anyone involved — it’s best to address anything that upsets and angers you on the spot.

Sure, take time to assess the situation and come up with a well thought-out solution, but don’t keep putting it off and letting it build up. When you don’t have pending issues or stress on your mind you can devote all of your energy to what’s important — working on your business and working towards your goals.

4. Have fun, and include your team members.

If you aren’t having fun then you need to reconsider what you are doing and try something new. Having fun is one of the most overlooked components of success. Sales, money and growth are usually on top of the priority list — but if you aren’t having fun you are going to burn out and your performance will suffer, eventually impacting your business.

The same concept applies to your employees and team members — if they are having fun they are going to enjoy what they are doing, and that will directly impact how they perform. Make sure you create a fun work environment but also consider hosting an out-of-the-office event once a month or even once a quarter — something as simple as an evening of bowling can really help to keep the fun vibe alive and well.

5. Find a mentor.

Ask every successful entrepreneur for one piece of advice and you will undoubtedly have several of them tell you to get a mentor. You aren’t going to have the answer to every question and some situations are going to leave you seeking help.

Rather than stress out or scramble for a solution you can simply pick up the phone knowing you will have someone on the other end that is there to help. Having a mentor that you know you can turn to any time eliminates a lot of unnecessary stress. Less stress equals better personal performance.

 

Jonathan Long – July 02, 2015

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Categories: Business Depression Do's & Don't's Entrepreneur Folklore Insomnia Inspirational Life Lessons Positive Mental Attitude Positive Outlook Relationships Self Esteem Self Improvement Success Uncategorized Well Being

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5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Can Kill You

High-Fructose-Corn-Syrup

IF YOU CAN’T CONVINCE THEM, CONFUSE THEM – Harry Truman

The current media debate about the benefits (or lack of harm) of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in our diet misses the obvious. The average American increased their consumption of HFCS (mostly from sugar sweetened drinks and processed food) from zero to over 60 pounds per person per year.

During that time period, obesity rates have more than tripled and diabetes incidence has increased more than seven fold. Not perhaps the only cause, but a fact that cannot be ignored.

Doubt and confusion are the currency of deception, and they sow the seeds of complacency. These are used skillfully through massive print and television advertising campaigns by the Corn Refiners Association’s attempt to dispel the “myth” that HFCS is harmful and assert through the opinion of “medical and nutrition experts” that it is no different than cane sugar. It is a “natural” product that is a healthy part of our diet when used in moderation.

Except for one problem. When used in moderation it is a major cause of heart disease, obesity, cancer, dementia, liver failure, tooth decay, and more.

Why is the corn industry spending millions on misinformation campaigns to convince consumers and health care professionals of the safety of their product? Could it be that the food industry comprises 17 percent of our economy?

The Lengths the Corn Industry Will Go To

The goal of the corn industry is to call into question any claim of harm from consuming high fructose corn syrup, and to confuse and deflect by calling their product natural “corn sugar”. That’s like calling tobacco in cigarettes natural herbal medicine.

In the ad, the father tells us:

“Like any parent I have questions about the food my daughter eats–-like high fructose corn syrup. So I started looking for answers from medical and nutrition experts, and what I discovered whether it’s corn sugar or cane sugar your body can’t tell the difference. Sugar is sugar. Knowing that makes me feel better about what she eats and that’s one less thing to worry about.”

Physicians are also targeted directly. I received a 12-page color glossy monograph from the Corn Refiners Association reviewing the “science” that HFCS was safe and no different than cane sugar. I assume the other 700,000 physicians in America received the same propaganda at who knows what cost.

In addition to this, I received a special “personal” letter from the Corn Refiner’s Association outlining every mention of the problems with HFCS in our diet–whether in print, blogs, books, radio, or television. They warned me of the errors of my ways and put me on “notice”. For what I am not sure. To think they are tracking this (and me) that closely gives me an Orwellian chill.

New websites like www.sweetsurprise.com and www.cornsugar.com help “set us straight” about HFCS with quotes from professors of nutrition and medicine and thought leaders from Harvard and other stellar institutions.

Why is the corn industry spending millions on misinformation campaigns to convince consumers and health care professionals of the safety of their product? Could it be that the food industry comprises 17 percent of our economy?

But are these twisted sweet lies or a sweet surprise, as the Corn Refiners Association websites claim?

What the Science Says About HFCS

Let’s examine the science and insert some common sense into the conversation. These facts may indeed come as a sweet surprise. The ads suggest getting your nutrition advice from your doctor (who, unfortunately, probably knows less about nutrition than most grandmothers).

Having studied this for over a decade, and having read, interviewed, or personally talked with most of the “medical and nutrition experts” used to bolster the claim that “corn sugar” and cane sugar are essentially the same, quite a different picture emerges and the role of HFCS in promoting obesity, disease, and death across the globe becomes clear.

Last week over lunch with Dr. Bruce Ames, one of the foremost nutritional scientists in the world, and Dr. Jeffrey Bland, a nutritional biochemist, a student of Linus Pauling, and I reviewed the existing science, and Dr. Ames shared shocking new evidence from his research center on how HFCS can trigger body-wide inflammation and obesity.

Here are 5 reasons you should stay way from any product containing high fructose corn syrup and why it may kill you.  

  1. Sugar in any form causes obesity and disease when consumed in pharmacologic doses.Cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup are indeed both harmful when consumed in pharmacologic doses of 140 pounds per person per year.When one 20 ounce HFCS sweetened soda, sports drink, or tea has 17 teaspoons of sugar (and the average teenager often consumes two drinks a day) we are conducting a largely uncontrolled experiment on the human species.Our hunter gatherer ancestors consumed the equivalent of 20 teaspoons per year, not per day. In this sense, I would agree with the corn industry that sugar is sugar. Quantity matters. But there are some important differences.
  2. HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body. High fructose corn syrup is an industrial food product and far from “natural” or a naturally occurring substance. It is extracted from corn stalks through a process so secret that Archer Daniels Midland and Carghill would not allow the investigative journalist Michael Pollan to observe it for his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. The sugars are extracted through a chemical enzymatic process resulting in a chemically and biologically novel compound called HFCS. Some basic biochemistry will help you understand this. Regular cane sugar (sucrose) is made of two-sugar molecules bound tightly together– glucose and fructose in equal amounts.The enzymes in your digestive tract must break down the sucrose into glucose and fructose, which are then absorbed into the body. HFCS also consists of glucose and fructose, not in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio in an unbound form. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. And HFCS is cheaper than sugar because of the government farm bill corn subsidies. Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes, and chronic disease.Now back to biochemistry. Since there is there is no chemical bond between them, no digestion is required so they are more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called “fatty liver” which affects 70 million people.The rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin–our body’s major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and more.

    But there was one more thing I learned during lunch with Dr. Bruce Ames. Research done by his group at the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute found that free fructose from HFCS requires more energy to be absorbed by the gut and soaks up two phosphorous molecules from ATP (our body’s energy source).

    This depletes the energy fuel source, or ATP, in our gut required to maintain the integrity of our intestinal lining. Little “tight junctions” cement each intestinal cell together preventing food and bacteria from “leaking” across the intestinal membrane and triggering an immune reaction and body wide inflammation.

    High doses of free fructose have been proven to literally punch holes in the intestinal lining allowing nasty byproducts of toxic gut bacteria and partially digested food proteins to enter your blood stream and trigger the inflammation that we know is at the root of obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia, and accelerated aging. Naturally occurring fructose in fruit is part of a complex of nutrients and fiber that doesn’t exhibit the same biological effects as the free high fructose doses found in “corn sugar”.

    The takeaway: Cane sugar and the industrially produced, euphemistically named “corn sugar” are not biochemically or physiologically the same.

  3. HFCS contains contaminants including mercury that are not regulated or measured by the FDA. An FDA researcher asked corn producers to ship a barrel of high fructose corn syrup in order to test for contaminants. Her repeated requests were refused until she claimed she represented a newly created soft drink company. She was then promptly shipped a big vat of HFCS that was used as part of the study that showed that HFCS often contains toxic levels of mercury because of chlor-alkali products used in its manufacturing.(i) Poisoned sugar is certainly not “natural”.When HFCS is run through a chemical analyzer or a chromatograph, strange chemical peaks show up that are not glucose or fructose. What are they? Who knows? This certainly calls into question the purity of this processed form of super sugar. The exact nature, effects, and toxicity of these funny compounds have not been fully explained, but shouldn’t we be protected from the presence of untested chemical compounds in our food supply, especially when the contaminated food product comprises up to 15-20 percent of the average American’s daily calorie intake?  
  4. Independent medical and nutrition experts DO NOT support the use of HFCS in our diet, despite the assertions of the corn industry. The corn industry’s happy looking websites www.cornsugar.com and www.sweetsurprise.com bolster their position that cane sugar and corn sugar are the same by quoting experts, or should we say misquoting … Barry M. Popkin, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has published widely on the dangers of sugar-sweetened drinks and their contribution to the obesity epidemic. In a review of HFCS in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,(ii)he explains the mechanism by which the free fructose may contribute to obesity.He states that: “The digestion, absorption, and metabolism of fructose differ from those of glucose. Hepatic metabolism of fructose favors de novo lipogenesis (production of fat in the liver). In addition, unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin secretion or enhance leptin production. Because insulin and leptin act as key afferent signals in the regulation of food intake and body weight (to control appetite), this suggests that dietary fructose may contribute to increased energy intake and weight gain. Furthermore, calorically sweetened beverages may enhance caloric over-consumption.”He states that HFCS is absorbed more rapidly than regular sugar and that it doesn’t stimulate insulin or leptin production. This prevents you from triggering the body’s signals for being full and may lead to over-consumption of total calories. He concludes by saying that:“… the increase in consumption of HFCS has a temporal relation to the epidemic of obesity, and the overconsumption of HFCS in calorically sweetened beverages may play a role in the epidemic of obesity.”

    The corn industry takes his comments out of context to support their position. “All sugar you eat is the same.”

    True pharmacologic doses of any kind of sugar are harmful, but the biochemistry of different kinds of sugar and their respective effects on absorption, appetite, and metabolism are different, and Dr. Popkin knows that.

    David S. Ludwig, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, and a personal friend, has published extensively on the dangers and the obesogenic properties of sugar-sweetened beverages.

    He was quoted as saying that “high fructose corn syrup is one of the most misunderstood products in the food industry.” When I asked him why he supported the corn industry, he told me he didn’t and that his comments were taken totally out of context.

    Misrepresenting science is one thing, misrepresenting scientists who have been at the forefront of the fight against obesity and high fructose sugar sweetened beverages is quite another.

  5. HFCS is almost always a marker of poor-quality, nutrient-poor disease-creating industrial food products or “food-like substances”. The last reason to avoid products that contain HFCS is that they are a marker for poor-quality, nutritionally-depleted, processed industrial food full of empty calories and artificial ingredients. If you find “high fructose corn syrup” on the label you can be sure it is not a whole, real, fresh food full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. Stay away if you want to stay healthy. We still must reduce our overall consumption of sugar, but with this one simple dietary change you can radically reduce your health risks and improve your health.While debate may rage about the biochemistry and physiology of cane sugar versus corn sugar, this is in fact beside the point (despite the finer points of my scientific analysis above). The conversation has been diverted to a simple assertion that cane sugar and corn sugar are not different.

The real issues are only two.

  • We are consuming HFCS and sugar in pharmacologic quantities never before experienced in human history–140 pounds a year versus 20 teaspoons a year 10,000 years ago.
  • High fructose corn syrup is always found in very poor-quality foods that are nutritionally vacuous and filled with all sorts of other disease promoting compounds, fats, salt, chemicals, and even mercury.

These critical ideas should be the heart of the national conversation, not the meaningless confusing ads and statements by the corn industry in the media and online that attempt to assure the public that the biochemistry of real sugar and industrially produced sugar from corn are the same.

Now I’d like to hear from you …

Do you think there is an association between the introduction of HFCS in our diet and the obesity epidemic?

What reason do you think the Corn Refiners Association has for running such ads and publishing websites like those listed in this article?

What do you think of the science presented here and the general effects of HFCS on the American diet?

Please leave your thoughts by adding a comment below—but remember, we can’t offer personal medical advice online, so be sure to limit your comments to those about taking back our health!

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, MD

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Categories: Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Food General Health High Fructose Corn Syrup Immune System Information Organic Food Personal Health Sugars

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Why You Should Avoid Heinz Ketchup

heinz-ingredients-toxic-mercury
The general public is becoming more aware that processed food is toxic and full of chemicals. We’re understanding that organic is a better option and it’s better to make something at home with fresh, organic ingredients than to buy it from the store. There are certain store bought little things though that we may not think much about making ourselves because they seem simple, i’m talking about condiments like mustard, sauces, dressings and ketchup. Whether you’re a meat eater or a vegan you may still love that ketchup taste and use it on a variety of foods or to dip foods into. Recently I was doing some research on high fructose corn syrup and what I found shocked me.I’ll get to that more in a minute, but first I want to share with you why you should read and understand the heinz ketchup ingredient label. At first glance you may think that there are a few questionable ingredients but by digging deeper you’ll actually find it’s not only not healthy but extremely toxic and in my personal opinion quite dangerous to consume over time.

Here’s the heinz “ketchup” ingredient label:
heinz-ingredients-toxic-mercury

If you aren’t already familiar with how ingredient labels work, the label lists ingredients in order from most to least in the product, meaning that tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes is what is in this ketchup most, followed secondly by distilled vinegar, high fructose corn syrup etc. Onion powder and natural flavoring are a small percentage of the overall content of this bottle. Now that you understand this I want to share with you what is actually in heinz ketchup served at mostly every restaurant, fast food or not in America and in many other countries.

Here’s the full ingredient list:

1. Tomato Concentrate

2. Distilled Vinegar

3. High Fructose Corn Syrup

4. Corn Syrup

5. Salt, Spice, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor etc.

When I first read this label I laughed to myself because Heinz is already trying to trick you, the consumer into thinking it’s a healthy condiment by labeling two of the ingredients differently even though they are the exact same ingredient. Can you guess which two? It’s quite obvious right? High fructose corn syrup and corn syrup are the same exact thing, they are both ‘high fructose corn syrup’ but they are going with adding a second corn syrup name to try to trick you into thinking there are more ingredients than there really are for two reasons.

First, they probably want you to think that corn syrup is healthier than high fructose corn syrup so they separate the two. They also want you to think there is a difference, which there is not and lastly they most likely did this because consumers are becoming aware of the higher the ingredient on the ingredient list the more there is contained in the product. So if they just took “High Fructose Corn Syrup” and put that on the label with no ‘corn syrup’ that would probably be much higher on the list. The ingredient label may look more like this:

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup

2. Tomato Concentrate

3. Distilled Vinegar

4. Salt, Spices etc.

Their label would be ruined! It would create transparency and show you that you’re buying and eating more corn syrup from GMO corn than ACTUAL tomato based ketchup. This is just the start too, wait until you understand the rest of the label. This is already a tomato-red flag in my opinion though. They are already using the labeling system to try to deceive you. The second issue I have with heinz ketchup and another reason why I will not consume it is that they use distilled vinegar. Guess where most vinegar comes from? Genetically Modified Corn.

With the high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup and distilled vinegar we already have three corn based ingredients in what should be tomato tasting ketchup, but wait! there’s more.

The label goes on to say ‘salt, spice, onion powder, natural flavoring’ at the end. The salt they use is the cheapest form of salt that can be bought which is the type of salt that causes high blood pressure, toxicity in the body and mineral imbalances (high sodium in the blood) which leads to many health challenges if consumed too frequently. They go on the label to say ‘natural flavors’ and what they mean by that? Only God knows.  If we look at the rest of the heinz label (as you can see below) you’ll notice that there is no fiber or protein but there is sodium and sugar. Where does the sugar come from? Maybe ‘natural flavor’ is sugar. You’ll see that 1 tbsp is 7% of your daily sugar value so each spoonful of ketchup you consume on anything you increase your sodium daily value by 7%, count away… 7-14-21-28. Do you see how quick that adds up? you could consume a large chunk of your daily sodium value with just a condiment, let alone the food you eat along with it.

heinz-daily-value-ingredients

There are multiple reasons to avoid heinz ketchup for the sake of your health and well-being but i’ll sum it up in 3 solid reasons why you should avoid heinz ketchup like the plague and why i’ll be doing so also.

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup: Heinz Ketchup is LOADED with high fructose corn syrup. I wonder if that would be the number one ingredient in the ketchup if they didn’t play this “list the ingredient twice under two names” trick on us. High fructose corn syrup is extremely unhealthy and toxic. It acts like a sugar in the body when it’s metabolized, somewhat… only worse! because it comes from genetically modified corn it is even more toxic. It spikes your blood sugar levels and will damage the liver over time. High fructose corn syrup can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, a weakend immune system and so much more. You may already know this but what frightened me even more was what I read from Dr. Mark Hyman’s website recently.  He noted that an FDA researcher contacted the corn producers to send her a barrel of high fructose corn syrup for testing, they wouldn’t send her a barrel even though she attempted to receive one multiple times. Finally, she changed her approach and asked a new beverage company on the market for a barrel. They sent her one gladly. After doing the testing she found that high fructose corn syrup contains high levels of Mercury, an extremely toxic heavy metal. This information and research comes from an FDA researcher! Mercury affects the brain, nervous system, can lead to autism and it really harms children. I highly recommend avoiding heinz ketchup or ANY other food containing high fructose corn syrup with your children.

Remember, Heinz decided to list high fructose corn syrup and ‘corn syrup’ as separate so they actually have a higher level of high fructose corn syrup in ketchup than you’d think, meaning higher levels of mercury also if their corn syrup correlates with corn syrup that has been tested thus far.

Not only has high fructose corn syrup been proven to be unhealthy and toxic, genetically modified foods have also, this is both a GMO food and a toxic poisonous sweetener.

2. Distilled Vinegar & Sugar: Heinz ketchup contains distilled vinegar as another ingredient and on their label they list 4 grams of sugar per serving which is each tablespoon. Distilled vinegar is created from genetically modified corn which is grown with toxic pesticides and chemicals. Ingesting this in the form of vinegar is not beneficial in any way to your health, it’s only toxic. They list ‘natural flavors’ on the ingredients and list 4 grams of sugar above it. This leads me to believe they not only added high fructose corn syrup in a all to generous amount but they added sugar also and labeled it as ‘natural flavors’ on the label. Most sugar in mass produces products come from GMO sources. GMO beet sugar is the most common used. If the toxic high fructose corn syrup wasn’t bad enough for your pancreas, liver, metabolism, immune system, nervous system and brain the super generous Heinz Corporations decided to add some more chemicals, gmo’s and sugar into your ketchup to add fuel to the fire for you!

This much sugar without any fiber or anything else has been shown to spike blood sugar levels and begins to weigh on your pancreas and your liver.

3. No Nutritional Value Whatsoever: Heinz has NO fiber and NO protein and NO nutrition in their ketchup. The miniscule amount of ‘tomato paste’ may contain a very very small amount of cooked lycopene that won’t even be available by your body to absorb. This ketchup is a chemical shit storm of genetically modified ingredients, sugar and toxic sugar like substances. It’s void of any nutrition yet full of GMO’s, sugar, and chemicals and even possibly mercury, a heavy metal that is extremely toxic to the body.

If you care about your health and well-being, and the health and well-being of your family you’ll avoid this ketchup and opt for a healthier organic non-gmo ketchup, there are plenty of options on the market. Another option is to simply click here to learn how to make your own organic ketchup, it only takes two minutes to make!

Related : 5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Can Kill You

By David Benjamin – June 30

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Categories: Cleansing Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Folklore General Health High Fructose Corn Syrup Hydroponic Growing Immune System Organic Foods Personal Health Sugars

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Uncovering 5 Cannabis Misconceptions

Harvesting Cannabis

We have to admit, it makes sense why many people misunderstand cannabis and the benefits it holds for both individuals and society. Cannabis, after all, has been fraught with decades of misguided stereotypes, scare tactics, and inaccurate information masquerading as facts. Our legal system and anti-drug policies make it even harder to debunk these outlandish myths, as they themselves encourage misuse, perpetuate stereotypes, and spread fear-based messaging and biased conclusions, leaving society uninformed and struggling to separate the truths from the lies.

Exposing these false messages through research and awareness is our best bet at eliminating the misconceptions surrounding cannabis. Here are five misleading anti-cannabis sentiments we’ve all probably heard at some point or another. For each of these points, we state the facts and logic to debunk the arguments so you can decide on your own what to believe.

 

1. “Cannabis is a gateway drug.”

Heroin use

This myth has persisted despite being debunked on numerous occasions. It shouldn’t be surprising that people who consume harder, more illicit drugs have potentially consumed cannabis as well. We can say the same for alcohol and tobacco, yet, we don’t consider them a gateway to drug abuse because it’s foolish to associate a correlation as a cause.

The missing logic from the gateway argument unfolds even further when you look to its larger social implications. In a post on Psychology Today, Constance Scharff, Ph.D, points to alcohol and tobacco as the more sensible ‘gateway’ drugs:

“Many people mistakenly believe that marijuana use precedes rather than follows initiation of other illicit drug use. In fact, most drug use begins with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana, making nicotine and alcohol the two most common drugs of abuse.”

Aside from the confusing differentiation of cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco, Dr. Karen Van Gundy, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire, recently completed a study on cannabis showing other factors of causation hidden in the gateway myth:

“But pot does serve as a ‘gateway’. Mainly for young people who are poor, unemployed and subjected to severe psychological stress.”

Larger social issues are at play here, so claiming that cannabis is a gateway drug is ignoring the numerous and complex factors, from environmental to psychological, that account for why heavy drug users turn to a variety of substances.

 

2. “Marijuana is worse for your lungs than tobacco.”

Cigarettes

Hats off to the tobacco corporations who’ve successfully perpetuated the idea that smoking cannabis is more harmful to your lungs than cigarette smoke — a crux of capitalism rather than science. No matter the projected rationale behind these arguments, whether it’s harping on the lack of filters or claiming that you inhale longer with marijuana, no study proves marijuana to contain more harmful effects than tobacco.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published a study in 2012 indicating that smoking cannabis was not linked with lung damage:

“Marijuana may have beneficial effects on pain control, appetite, mood, and management of other chronic symptoms. Our findings suggest that occasional use of marijuana for these or other purposes may not be associated with adverse consequences on pulmonary function. It is more difficult to estimate the potential effects of regular heavy use, because this pattern of use is relatively rare in our study sample; however, our findings do suggest an accelerated decline in pulmonary function with heavy use and a resulting need for caution and moderation when marijuana use is considered.”

Another study found that cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic, and research led by the University of California San Francisco in conjunction with the University of Alabama at Birmingham found that cannabis is less damaging to the lungs than tobacco.

We aren’t saying that smoking marijuana doesn’t have any negative effects on your lungs — any sort of inhalation can have repercussions on your pulmonary health. But research has indicated on multiple occasions that tobacco is more harmful to your lungs than cannabis. Keep in mind that for both tobacco and cannabis, the resulting effect on your lungs is dependent on the quantity you consume.

If you’re concerned about your lung health as a cannabis user, remember that there are many other ways to consume cannabis without smoking it. Legalization opponents miss the mark when they spout this one off. Put this one to rest, people.

 

3. “Cannabis use leads to crime.”

Cannabis and crime

Here’s an example of propaganda at its best: the 1936 film Reefer Madness. Prohibition and anti-cannabis supporters still ride the waves of fear induced by a film that’s almost 80 years old. It makes sense to link cannabis to crime if you don’t want it around but, similar to the gateway myth, the argument is blind to the bigger social issues.

This myth hangs on to a premise that largely relies on the status of cannabis in our legal system. Crime trends and statistics used to fuel the argument against legalization don’t make sense, as the whole point is to end those arrests and allocate police attention to the real issues.

To take a look at how crime and cannabis really interconnect, we refer to a study in London that decriminalized cannabis for a year in the borough of Lambeth. Results showed a large drop in crime rates across the board, even in non-drug related crimes:

“We use the key lessons from this localized policing experiment to shed light on what would be the impacts on crime if the same policy were to be applied citywide, by developing and calibrating a model of the market for cannabis and crime, we account for the behavior of police and cannabis users.”

This policy change decreased crime and allowed the borough to further understand how cannabis functions in their community. The authors also noted how police were able to prioritize higher-risk crimes, improving the overall safety of the borough rather than tackling low-risk cannabis offenses. Can you imagine if the entire US adopted this model?

Speaking of the United States, in March, The Washington Post reported the significant and positive impact Colorado’s retail cannabis legalization has been having on Denver crime:

“The total number of marijuana court cases fell from 39,027 in 2011 to 2,036 cases in 2014. Those 37,000 fewer cases represent a savings of untold millions of dollars in court costs and law enforcement fees. They represent 37,000 fewer people who have to deal with the stigma and financial burden of an arrest and possible conviction.”

Cannabis isn’t indicative nor a cause of criminal behavior. Rather, anti-drug policies use cannabis as a scapegoat for community issues, which only results in promoting illicit activity and the black market rather than eliminating it.

 

4. “Cannabis is addictive.”

Cannabis user on couch

A simple guideline when it comes to using cannabis is to consume responsibly and within moderation. Anything can be considered harmful if it’s done or used in excess. People can be addicted to food, exercise, and even sleep when that’s all they do, all of which are perfectly legal activities.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse tells us that 9% of users become dependent on cannabis, which is unfortunate, but less overwhelming than cannabis opponents would have you believe. The organization describes the symptoms of marijuana addiction as “linked to a mild withdrawal syndrome”:

“Frequent marijuana users often report irritability, mood and sleep difficulties, decreased appetite, cravings, restlessness, and/or various forms of physical discomfort that peak within the first week after quitting and last up to 2 weeks.”

Addiction is an issue with all substances, which is why both awareness and mindset are crucial when using cannabis. The potential harm, no matter how minimal, should be combated through education and proper protocol, not fear and misinformation.

 

5. “We all know what stoners look like.”

Stereotypical stoner

This one doesn’t need science to be debunked; instead, it requires a moral conscience and a willingness to dispel stereotypes as a way of seeing the world. The cannabis archetype is set in stone: Cheech and Chong, Snoop Dog, Scooby and Shaggy all come to mind, but they aren’t the only stoners out there (not to mention how truly successful these so-called “lazy” stoners actually are).

Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Aniston, Maya Angelou, George Clooney, and many other successful people have all used cannabis, and they all look, live, and consume differently. There’s no one way or one type of person who consumes.

Not convinced? Check out these cannabis-friendly people, many of whom you probably recognize. Do all of them fit neatly into the archetypical stoner image?

We’ve got some work to do before the stereotypes and myths disappear, but consuming responsibly and being sensible with how we introduce the truths to others will lead to great things.

By Nick Elam — 6/30/2015

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Categories: Cancer Cannabis Cannabis Depression Disease & Prevention Eye Health Folklore General Health Herbs Medical Marijuana Myths Personal Health

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10 Serious Reasons to Avoid Soy At All Costs

soy not a healthIn the twentieth century the soybean was one of the two major new crops introduced into the U.S. (the other crop being canola). It has now become the number one export crop and one of the second largest crops for cash sales. Most soybean products are processed into oil (shortening, margarine, cooking oil & salad dressings) and meal. For example, you may have noticed (or may start noticing) the popular ingredient “Soy Lecithin” in many of your foods and household items. There was a time when soy was praised a superfood, from combating cancer and high cholesterol. However, new evidence has emerged with soy’s negative impact on health (and the environment). Read on to discover the deceptions and dangers of soy.

 

Health Dangers of Soy:

1. Impaired immune system
Soy contains endocrine disrupting chemicals called phytoestrogens (specifically Genistein and daidzein) (1, 2, 3). They influence the reproductive organs as well as the immune system. In one study they found that mice treated with genistein (soy isoflavone) had less interferon (IFN)-gamma in culture supernatants (4) compared to mice treated with oil. Interferon-gamma is a cytokine that is crucial in innate and adaptive immunity against viral and bacterial infections and tumour control. Decreased levels of this molecule mean decreased immunity and decreased tumour control.

2. Impaired Fertility
Soy isoflavones as seen in point 1 (above), are structurally similar to endogenous estrogens and display both estrogenic and weak anti-estrogenic activities (5). Impaired fertility and reproductive tract disorders can be a result of said activities. In female rats exposed to high doses of isoflavones their fertility decreased (6, 7) and had altered estrous cycling (8) – it also led to increased uterine weight and epithelial cell height which may contribute to ovarian cysts. Studies done with male rats had no found effects on sexual maturity, preputial separation, fertility, sperm count or testosterone levels (8).

 

3. Thyroid Disorders
Soy-containing foods and their isoflavones may adversely affect thyroid function. In one study they investigated whether breast and soy-containing formula feedings in infants were associated with development of autoimmune thyroid disease in the children (9). “There was no difference in the frequency and duration of breast feeding in early life among the three groups of children. However, the frequency of feedings with soy-based milk formulas in early life was significantly higher in children with autoimmune thyroid disease (prevalence 31%) as compared with their siblings (prevalence 12%; chi 2 = 7.22 with continuity factor; p less than 0.01), and healthy nonrelated control children (prevalence 13%, chi 2 = 5.03 with continuity factor; p less than 0.02)” (9). This suggests that feeding infants soy formula is associated with autoimmune thyroid disease in the early years.

 

Another study found that compounds in acidic methanol extracts of soybeans inhibit thyroid peroxidase- (TPO) catalyzed reactions required for normal thyroid hormone synthesis (10). Inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis can lead to goiter and thyroid neoplasia.

 

4. Brain Damage
In major study including 3,734 elderly Japanese-American men, those who consumed most soy during their midlife had a 2.4 times higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in their life (11, 12). These men consumed tofu at least twice a week and had more cognitive impairment than those who never ate or only sporadically consumed tofu.

 

These researchers also found that high consumption of tofu during midlife was associated with lower brain weight. 574 of the men were assessed for brain atrophy using an MRI machine, and although brain shrinkage naturally occurs with age, those men who ate more tofu had “an exaggeration of the usual patterns we see in aging” (11, 12).

 

5. Infant Abnormalities
Problems regarding infants and soy is an important topic, especially for mothers who choose to use soy-infant formulas instead of breast feeding. According to Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., “the amount of phytoestrogens that are in a day’s worth of soy infant formula equals 5 birth control pills.”

 

Soy-infant formulas contain high levels of isoflavones, and exposing infants to this daily intake equivocates to a 6-11 fold higher isoflavone exposure (based on bodyweight) than the dose that creates hormonal changes in adults consuming soy foods. When infants were tested for isoflavone concentrations circulating in the blood, the levels were 13,000-22,000 times higher than natural estrogen concentrations in the early years (13, 14).

 

Biggest Problems Surrounding Soy:

1. Genetic Modification (GMOs)
Did you know that up to 91% of soy grown in the U.S. is genetically modified (GM)? The soybeans are specially selected so that they will resist the toxic herbicide Roundup. This means that the soybeans themselves are loaded with this toxic pesticide. In addition, genes from bacteria that produce a protein foreign to the human food supply are also inserted into the genes of the soybean plant, making this food item an un-natural food supply.

 

2. Contains Toxins: “anti-nutrients”; hemagglutinin; goitrogens; phytates
Anti-nutritional factors like saponins, soyatoxin, phytates, protease inhibitors, oxalates, goitrogens and estrogens all interfere with our protein-digesting enzymes and result in poor digestion and thus poor health.

 

Soybeans also contain hemagglutinins which act as clot-inducing substances (causes red blood cells to stick together). This makes our red blood cells unable to absorb oxygen and distribute it throughout the body.

 

Goitrogens are a category of foods that promote formation of goiter (enlarged thyroid) – and soy foods fall in that category. They block thyroid hormone synthesis and obstruct iodine metabolism.

 

The soybean has one of the highest phytate levels of any grain or legume. Phytates prevent the absorption of minerals like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc by binding to the metal ions and preventing them from entering the cells of your body. As many vegans consume soybean products, and depend on them for absorption of these exact minerals, they may be doing just the opposite.

 

3. Contains Isoflavones
Soy contains the isoflavones genistein (as seen previously) and daidzein. Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen which resemble the human compound called estrogen. Phytoestrogens have been found to block the hormone estrogen and can have serious effects on human tissues such as disrupting endocrine function, causing infertility, and promoting breast cancer in women.

 

4. Toxic Levels of Aluminum & Manganese
Aluminum tanks are used to process and acid-wash soybeans before consumption. Aluminum particles from the tanks are directly absorbed into the soybean, and result in high aluminum concentrations in the bean. Soy infant formula also contains manganese levels 80 times higher than that found in human breast milk (15, 16).

 

5. Soy Infant Formula Concerns
The isoflavones in soy infant formula is of great concern to new and expecting parents who choose to bottle-feed instead of breast-feed. Nearly 20% of U.S. infants are bottle-fed soy formula. As seen throughout this article, it is clear that the isoflavones in soy formula can negatively impact your child’s health (impairing sexual development and reproductive health).

 

Soy Products That Are Good For You
Choose fermented soy products such as:
1. Tempeh – fermented soybean cake that is firm and has a nutty, mushroom-like flavor
2. Miso – fermented soybean paste that is quite salty and commonly used in miso soup
3. Natto – sticky fermented soybeans with a strong, cheesy flavor
4. Soy Sauce – fermented soybeans, salt & enzymes

 

Soy Products To Avoid:
– Tofu
– TVP (texturized vegetable protein) or soy protein isolate
– Soybean oil
– Soymilk
– Soy cheese, soy ice cream, soy yogurt
– Soy “meat”
– Soy protein
– Edamame
– Soy infant formula
– Avoid ALL processed foods, and purchase only whole foods prepared by yourself! Many packaged food products contain soy.

 

What Should You Eat Instead Of Soy?
Many vegans consume “mock meat” typically made out of soybeans that are not fermented. As an alternative to the above list you can eat:

 

– Tofu – Instead, eat tempeh (it is similar, just more dense)
– Soybean oil – Instead, use olive oil, hemp seed oil, coconut oil, etc.
– Soymilk – Instead, drink hemp, rice, almond, coconut or oat milk
– Soy cheese, soy ice cream, soy yogurt – Instead eat Daiya cheese (much better than soy cheese), and coconut or banana ice cream (you can use bananas as a yogurt too if you wanted – just mash them up!)
– Soy “meat” – Instead, eat tempeh
– Soy protein – Instead, eat heart-healthy, amino-acid packed hemp protein
– Soy infant formula – Instead, use infant formulas that are soy-free

 

by CARLY FRASER

Sources:

(1) Colborn, T., Vom Saal, F., & Soto, A. (1993) Developmental effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wildlife and humans. Environmental Health Perspectives, 101, 378-384.
(2) Poon, B., Leung, C., Wong, C., & Wong, M. (2005) Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in human adipose tissue and breast milk collected in Hong Kong. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 49, 274-282.
(3) Irvine, C., Shand, N., Fitzpatrick, M., & Alexander, S. (1998). Daily intake and urinary excretion of genistein and daidzein by infants fed soy- or dairy-based infant formulas. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 68, 1462-1465.
(4) Calemine, J., Zalenka, J., Karpuzoglu, E., Ward, D., Lengi, A., & Ahmed, S. (2003) The immune system of geriatric mice is modulated by estrogenic endocrine disruptors (diethylstillbestrol, alpha-zearalanol, and genistein): effects on interferon-gamma. Toxicology, 194, 115-128.
(5) Mitchell, J., Cawood, E., Kinniburgh, D., Provan, A., Collins, A., & Irvine, S. (2001) Effect of a phytoestrogen food supplement on reproductive health in normal males. Clinical Science, 100, 613-618.
(6) Jefferson, W., Padilla-Banks, E., & Newbold, R. (2005) Adverse effects on female development and reproduction in CD-1 mice following neonatal exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein at environmentally relevant doses. Biology of Reproduction, 73, 798-806.
(7) Jefferson, W., Padilla-Banks, E., Goulding, E., Lao, S., Newbold, R., & Williams, C. (2009) Neonatal exposure to genistein disrupts ability of female mouse reproductive tract to support preimplantation embryo development and implantation. Biology of Reproduction, 80, 425-431.
(8) Dinsdale, E., & Ward, W. (2010) Early exposure to soy isoflavones and effects on reproductive health: a review of human and animal studies. Nutrients, 2, 1156-1187.
(9) Fort, P., Moses, N., Fasano, M., Goldberg, T., & Lifshitz, F. (1990) Breast and soy-formula feedings in early infancy and the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease in children. Journal of The American College of Nutrition, 9, 164-167.
(10) Divi, R., Chang, H., & Doerge, D. (1997) Anti-thyroid isoflavones from soybean: isolation, characterization and mechanisms of action. Biochemical Pharmacology, 54, 1087-1096.
(11) White, L., Petrovich, H., Ross, G., & Masaki, K. (1996) Association of mid-life consumption of tofu with late life cognitive impairment and dementia: the Honolulu-Asia aging study. Fifth International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease, 487.
(12) White, L., Petrovich, H., Ross, G., Masaki, K., Hardman, J., Nelson, J., Davis, D., & Markesbery, W. (2000) Brain, aging and midlife tofu consumption. Journal of The American College of Nutrition, 19, 242-255.
(13) Cassidy, A., Bingham, S., & Setchell, K. (1994) Biological effects of a diet of soy protein rich in isoflavones on the menstrual cycle of premenopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 60, 333-40.
(14) Setchell, K., Zimmer-Nechemias, L., Cai, J., & Heubi, J. (1997) Exposure of infants to phyto-estrogens from soy-based infant formula. Lancet, 350, 23-27.
(15) McGraw, M., Bishop, N., Jameson, R., Robinson, M., O’Hara, M., Hewitt, C., & Day, J. (1986) Aluminum content of milk formulae and intravenous fluids used in infants. Lancet, 1, 157.
(16) Dabeka, R., & McKenzie, A. (1987) Lead, cadmium, and fluoride levels in market milk and infant formulas in Canada. J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 70, 754-57.

Additional sources:

– http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/18/soy-can-damage-your-health.aspx
– http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/09/17/soy-brain.aspx

 

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Categories: Depression Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Fertility Folklore Food General Health Immune System Personal Health Soy Soybean Suicide Your Memory

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Insomnia What Does it Effect

insom sqInsufficient sleep not only can affect your memory and daily performance, but studies have now shown that lack of sleep can impair your ability to drive an automobile.

 

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that drowsiness, including nodding off while driving, is responsible for 1,550 deaths and 40,000 injuries each year.

When the Center for Disease Control and Prevention surveyed 75,000 drivers in 12 states, results declared that 35 percent slept less than seven hours in a night, 48 percent snored, and nearly 38 percent had fallen asleep at least once during the day, while nearly 5 percent admitted to falling asleep behind the wheel.
Results also proved drivers ages 25 to 35 are more prone to nodding off while driving and men are more prone to falling asleep while driving than women. According to ABC News, Dr. Allan Pack, director of the Center for Sleep at University of Pennsylvania reports:

“Most of us believe that there are a lot more fall asleep crashes than reported… [I]t’s probably not reported accurately because a number of states don’t even having a ‘falling asleep while driving’ tick in the box when reporting a car crash… [P]eople believe that if they cut back on their sleep there is no real consequence. Everyone knows the dangers of alcohol, but I don’t think people understand the dangers of drowsy driving.”

In related news, USA Today reports that people who are sleep-deprived eat close to 300 calories a day more than they do when they are well-rested. Ice cream is one of the most common foods people eat when tired.

So perhaps it’s not surprising an additional study also showed that you can double your chances of reaching your target weight if you get the proper amount of sleep each night — between six and eight hours. According to the Telegraph, the study found that people trying to lose at least 10 pounds were more likely to reach their goal if they had lower stress levels and got the right amount of sleep.

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that over 35 percent of Americans reported getting less than seven hours of sleep on average during a 24-hour period. There is some controversy over what the ideal amount of sleep actually is, but research seems to be accumulating that sleeping less than eight hours a night has significant cumulative consequences.

Case in point, the CDC analysis found that people who slept fewer than seven hours were more likely to report unintentionally falling asleep during the day — including nodding off or falling asleep while driving. This is easily one of the most significant and potentially deadly risks of too little sleep, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that drowsy driving results in 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and more than 100,000 accidents each year. But there are other, more insidious, risks to too little sleep as well, and chief among them is the impact on your weight.

 

Lack of Sleep Could be Making You Fat

Two recent studies added to the evidence showing that your sleeping habits influence both your ability to lose weight and your tendency to eat more:

 

    • People trying to lose weight were more likely to lose 10 pounds when they slept between six and eight hours a night, according to research in the International Journal of Obesity.&
      nbsp;

 

  • People ate an average of nearly 300 calories more when they were sleep-deprived compared to when they were well rested, research presented at an American Heart Association revealed. And the calories overwhelmingly came from junk foods like ice cream and fast food.&
    nbsp;

Other research found that among adults younger than 40, those who typically slept for five hours or less each night had a greater accumulation of belly fat, and yet another study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found dieters who slept for 8.5 hours lost 55 percent more body fat than dieters who only got 5.5 hours of shut-eye.

This is only scratching the surface of the research linking your sleeping habits with your body weight — so what’s this connection all about?  It is likely the effect of altered metabolism, because when you’re sleep deprived, leptin (the hormone that signals satiety) falls, while ghrelin (which signals hunger) rises. In one study, researchers found that people who received only four hours of sleep a night for two nights experienced:

    • 18 percent reduction in leptin
    • 28 percent increase in ghrelin

 

This combination leads to an increase in appetite. Additionally, sleep-deprived people tend to eat more sweet and starchy foods, as opposed to vegetables and proteins. For instance, in the study mentioned above where people ate 300 extra calories when they were sleep-deprived.
The lead researcher told USA Today:

“Ice cream stood out as the preferred food during the sleep-deprived state.”

 

These sugar cravings may stem from the fact that your brain is fueled by glucose (blood sugar); therefore, when lack of sleep occurs, your brain starts searching for carbohydrates to keep going. If you’re chronically sleep deprived, consistently giving in to these sugar cravings will virtually guarantee you’ll gain weight.

 

More Consequences of Too Little Shut-Eye

 

I would easily rank a sound night’s sleep as high as proper diet and exercise in terms of its influence on optimal health. One of the explanations for why the health effects of sleep deprivation and sleep disruption are so numerous is that the circadian system “drives” the rhythms of biological activity at the cellular level. Hence disruptions tend to cascade outward throughout your entire body.
Among some of the consequences of too little sleep are:

      • High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of diabetes
      • Accelerated aging
      • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
      • Depression
      • Increased risk of cancer

 

 

And according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), lack of sleep can further exacerbate other serious and chronic diseases , such as:

 

Parkinson disease (PD) Alzheimer disease (AD) Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Gastrointestinal tract disorders Kidney disease Behavioral problems in children

 

According to another study, people with chronic insomnia also have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause.  Sleep deprivation can even caus changes in your brain activity similar to those experienced by people with psychiatric disorders, and your body does most of its repairs during sleep, so not getting enough of it can impair your immune system, leaving you less able to fight off diseases of ALL kinds.

 

How do You Know You’re Getting Enough Sleep?

 

Obviously if you feel well-rested and are able to wake up in the morning with no problem, you’re probably doing just fine in the sleep department. But if you’re fatigued, nodding off or yawning throughout the day, and just want to go back to bed when your alarm clock goes off in the morning, your sleep schedule may need some tweaking.

Generally speaking, adults need between six and eight hours of sleep every night. However, there are plenty of exceptions. Some people feel fine on as little as five hours a night, while others need as much as nine or 10 in order to feel at their best.

The amount of sleep you need can also drastically change depending on circumstances. For example, most people need more sleep when feeling ill, or during emotionally stressful times. Pregnant women also typically need more sleep than usual during the first trimester.

So my advice is to carefully and sensitively listen to your body and respond accordingly. And don’t think you’re going to meet all of your sleep needs by sleeping in for one morning on the weekend.  Chronic lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes to disrupting your health. You cannot skimp on sleep on weekdays, thinking you’ll “catch up” over the weekend. What’s needed is consistency, and when it comes to sleep, routine is the word.

Creating a Healthy Sleep Routine

 

If you’re a parent, you probably automatically adopted such a routine for your kids — perhaps winding down with quiet activities for an hour or two before bedtime, then getting into pajamas and reading a book.
Why are bedtime routines so important for kids?

Because they work— and they can work for you too. So if you’re staying up late watching TV, surfing the Web or working, it’s time to set some limits. Determine a set bedtime for yourself, just as you do for your children, and avoid watching TV or using electronics for about an hour prior to going to bed. It is too stimulating to your brain, making it more difficult to “shut down” and fall asleep.

Instead, try spending this wind-down time doing something that soothes and relaxes your mind. You may want to spend time journaling, meditating, sipping herbal tea, washing your face, or reading a calming or spiritual book.

I also recommend getting to bed as early as possible. Your bodily systems, particularly your adrenals, do a majority of their recharging or recovering during the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., so you should definitely try to be asleep during those hours. From there, make sure your bedroom is ideally suited for sleep, as this can also go a long way to ensure restful and uninterrupted sleep:

    • Cover your windows with blackout shades or drapes to ensure complete darkness. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the faint glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep.Also close your bedroom door, get rid of night-lights, and refrain from turning on any light during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. If you have to use a light, install “low blue” light bulbs in your bedroom and bathroom. These emit an amber light that will not suppress melatonin production.
    • Keep the temperature in your bedroom at or below 70 degrees F (21 degrees Celcius). Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees F (15.5 to 20 C). Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep.When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.

You can find my comprehensive recommendations and guidelines to help improve your sleep in my article 33 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep. If you’re having trouble sleeping, this is the place to look to get your sleep back on track.

SourceImages:deviantART/pajaaa & Wikimedia/Mikael Häggström

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The 15 Most Effective Natural Remedies For Anxiety

Herbal-Remedies-For-Anxiety

Herbal therapies are astoundingly popular and their interest is growing as the dangers of pharmaceuticals become widely known and accepted. In 2008 statistician Patricia M. Barnes of the National Center for Health Statistics and her colleagues reported that almost 20 percent of children and adults in the U.S. had used an herbal medicine during the past year. That percentage according to some experts has doubled. A team led by physician David M. Eisenberg of Harvard Medical School determined that use of herbs for physical and mental problems including anxiety had risen 380 percent in seven years.

The use of plants as treatments dates to at least 3000 b.c. although some theories propose humans have been using plants has medicine for as long as we’ve existed. Today this practice is part of a broader movement that has been fueled by the high ineffectiveness of prescription drugs, their side effects and the fact that these drugs do not work for everyone. Natural remedies come with little to no risk and if you find the right one for your condition, you can use it for life. That being said, always consult with a Naturopathic Doctor before initiating any herbal treatments for diagnosed conditions, especially if you are already taking medication.

 

1. Cannabis

Cannabis has very powerful neuroprotective properties with an incredible ability to regulate emotional behavior and may be the most reliable medicinal plant available as a therapeutic target for the treatment of anxiety and depressive disorders. A study conducted with mice suggests that beta-caryophyllene may be useful in treating anxiety and depression. The findings were published online in the journal Physiology & Behavior.


2. Valerian

Valerian root (valeriana officinalis) is derived from a plant native to Europe and Asia and has been used for thousands of years as a remedy for various ailments. It is believed that valerian root has an impact on the availability of the neurotransmitter GABA in the brain. GABA is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that is responsible for regulating and specifically for inhibiting the activity of the brain’s neurons. Extra GABA in your system promotes relaxation and lowers stress levels. For this reason, valerian root is known as a sedative. Valerian is very effective at relieving stress itself and insomnia caused by stress.

 

3. Honey

The nutrients in honey produce a calming effect, especially when taken in significant amounts. Honey can also be mixed with a suitable beverage for a good night’s sleep!

4. Lemon Balm

A large amount of published data has emerged on the benefits of lemon balm for alleviating anxiety and mood disorders in humans. In the past five years alone, the powerful relaxing effects of lemon balm extracts have been documented by scientists around the world. These studies confirm what herbal practitioners have long known–that lemon balm in combination with other herbal agents is effective in addressing conditions related to stress and anxiety. In one study of healthy volunteers, those who took standardized lemon balm extracts (600 mg) were more calm and alert than those who took a placebo.

5. Passionflower

Passion Flower

Natural sedative relieves occasional anxiety and mild panic attacks. Passion Flower is a woody vine that bears small berry-like fruit called grandilla. The brightly colored flowers and above-ground portions of the Passion Flower vine are used to derive medicinal compounds that relax the central nervous system and promote emotional balance. In the United States, Passion Flower is classified as GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration. Substances that receive a GRAS classification have maintained a long, safe history of common use in foods or have been determined to be safe based on proven scientific research.

6. Winter Cherry

Relieves nervous tension, occasional anxiety and mental fatigue. Winter Cherry, or Ashwagandha Root, is among the most prominent herbal preparations used in Ayurveda, a holistic system of medicine that originated in India. The root of this small evergreen shrub is primarily recognized for its adaptogenic properties, meaning it naturally increases the body’s resistance to physical and emotional stress. Practitioners of Ayurveda traditionally prescribe Winter Cherry to promote gentle relaxation and emotional balance. Research has shown that Winter Cherry is a safe, natural sedative that produces the most noticeable benefits following daily use for two to six weeks.

 

7. Lavender  

Lavender is a common herb used in aromatherapy for mental health and mood. Lavender is a part of aromatherapy for headaches and depression. Lavender is a part of several scented products like perfumes soaps, shampoos and sachets. The plant is usually extracted into an oil and used in aromatherapy for mood, stress and anxiety. Lavender should be used with the recommendation of a physician, because it can interact with other medications. In one German study, a specially formulated lavender pill was shown to reduce anxiety symptoms in people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as effectively as lorazepam (brand name: Ativan), an anti-anxiety medication in the same class as Valium.

 

8. Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is an Ayurvedic herb from the roots of Withania somnifera, a plant in the nightshade family. It has long been prized for hundreds of years for its ability to help the body deal with stress. It has also been used to boost the immune system, improve memory, and to promote overall wellness.

9. L-theanine (or green tea)

Research shows that L-theanine helps curb a rising heart rate and blood pressure, and human studies have found that it reduces anxiety. In one study, anxiety-prone subjects were calmer and more focused during a test if they took 200 milligrams of L-theanine beforehand. Astonishingly, even extremely short-term use of theanine had remarkable effects on manifestations of anxiety.

10. Rhodiola Rosea (Arctic Root)

Relieves occasional anxiety and positively supports the body during periods of stress. Arctic Root is a plant indigenous to Siberia, where it thrives in high altitudes and dry arctic climate. The primary medicinal compounds of Arctic Root are derived from the root of the plant.
In Russia, Scandinavia and much of Europe, Arctic Root has been traditionally recognized for its adaptogenic properties. An adaptogen is a physiological agent that naturally increases the body’s resistance to physical and emotional stress. Rhodiola Rosea has been clinically shown to stimulate Serotonin, Norepinephrine and Dopamine activity, and may help to support healthy neurotransmitter balance.

11. St. Johns Wort

Natural reuptake inhibitor that supports a healthy neurotransmitter balance. St. John’s Wort is an aromatic perennial herb with an abundance of golden-yellow flowers. Tiny perforations filled with phytochemical-rich oils cover the aerial (above- ground) portions of St. John’s Wort and yield an extract that gives the plant its primary health benefits. Current usage statistics indicate that millions of Americans supplement their daily diets with St. John’s Wort to promote positive mood balance. The medicinal components of St. John’s Wort, which include Hypericin and Hyperforin, have been clinically shown to promote a healthy neurotransmitter balance, which can help to provide positive mood support following two to six weeks of continued use.

12. Chamomile

There is good evidence that chamomile possesses anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) properties and can be used to treat stress, anxiety and insomnia. In one study at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, in Philadelphia, patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) who took chamomile supplements for eight weeks had a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms compared to patients taking placebo.

13. Skullcap

Skullcap is the anxiety remedy for people who experience anxiety along with restlessness, muscle tension, and jaw clenching. If you tend to toss and turn in bed, or if you feel like you can only relax when you’re out walking (but sitting still makes you want to jump out of your skin), or if you feel like “climbing the walls” when you’re stuck inside during a bout of anxiety, skullcap can help you to unwind not only your anxiety, but also the accompanying muscular tension and restlessness. Skullcap is effective in tea or tincture (a tincture is an herb extracted in alcohol) form, but if you can tolerate small amounts of alcohol I think 20-40 drops of the tincture (for a 150-pound person) is the most effective form.

14. Kava Kava

The known active ingredients in kava are phytochemicals called kavalactones. Kava Kava is best-known as a ceremonial South Pacific beverage. Six major kavalactones are used to identify the chemotype of variety as they represent greater than 90 percent of the total amount of kavalactones within the kava specimen. These kavalactones give kava its stress fighting, muscle relaxing, anxiety reducing effects. The are also very effective for depression and sleeplessness.

15. Licorice Root

contains a natural hormone alternative to cortisone, which can help the body handle stressful situations, and can help to normalize blood sugar levels as well as your adrenal glands, providing you with the energy necessary to deal with the stressful situation at hand. Some claim licorice stimulates cranial and cerebrospinal fluid, thereby calming the mind.

Neurotransmitter Support is one of the best formulations on the market for brain energy metabolism. It is a feast for brains in need of restoration, providing the optimum combination to facilitate the transport of vital nutrients into brain cells, and assist in re-establishment of neuronal function. And it’s a healthy snack for an aging brain, as well, giving it all the essentials necessary to support our mood, memory, and cognitive abilities, which tend to slow down as the years pass by.

by DAVE MIHALOVIC

 

Dave Mihalovic is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in vaccine research, cancer prevention and a natural approach to treatment.

 

Sources:
vtherbcenter.org
preventdisease.com
care2.com
life-choice.net
about.com

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