Category: General Health

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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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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Freezing Lemons ? What’s All That about ?

Lemon“A new study has shown for the first time how Limonoids, natural compounds present in lemons and other citrus fruit, impede both ER+ and ER- breast cancer cell growth. This sheds new light on the importance of citrus fruit for breast cancer prevention and supports past studies which showed fruit consumption may lower breast cancer risk.(1)”

All kinds of people are saying that the entire lemon should be used with nothing wasted.   Not only for the obvious health benefits but also for the amazing taste!

How?

Simple, take a ORGANIC lemon, wash it, and then put it in the freezer. Once it is frozen you get whatever is necessary to grate or shred the whole lemon without even peeling it first.

Then sprinkle it on your salad, ice cream, soup, cereals, noodles, spaghetti sauce, or whatever. No holds barred. What you will experience is that whatever you sprinkle it on will take on a taste you may never have experienced before.

Why would I do this? Because the lemon peel contains 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself and the peel is the part that is usually wasted. Not only that, but the peel helps to get rid of toxins in the body.

But wait, there’s more. Lemon is effective in killing cancer cells because it is allegedly 10,000 stronger than chemotherapy.

This has not been revealed because there are people out there that want to make a synthetic, toxic version that will bring them huge profits.   Shades of Monsanto.

The good news is that the taste of lemon is pleasant and does not deliver the horrific effects of chemotherapy.

What’s bizarre is that people are closely guarding this fact so as to not jeopardize the income to those that profit from other’s illnesses.

Another interesting aspect of the lemon is that it has a remarkable effect on cysts and tumors. Some say the lemon is a proven remedy against all types of cancer.

It doesn’t end there. It has an anti-microbial effect against bacterial infections and fungi; it is effective against internal parasites and worms; it regulates blood pressure, which is too high; it acts as an anti-depressant; it combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information, although not specifically named, is one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world. They further say that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the extracts revealed that it destroys the malignant cells in 12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas and that the compounds of the lemon tree were 10,000 times more effective than the product Adriamycin, which is a drug normally used chemotherapeutically in the world to slow the growth of cancer cells.

Even more, this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and does not affect healthy cells.

The process is simple: buy an ORGANIC lemon, wash it, freeze it, grate it, and put it on everything you eat.

freeze lemon

It’s not rocket science. God puts stuff on the planet to keep the body healthy. The corporations hide this information and create synthetics to treat disease. The synthetic chemical creates other symptoms from its ingestion requiring another drug to combat these symptoms.

And so the cycle continues, which equates to enormous profits coming from an overt intention to keep a body ill and suppressing natural healing foods, minerals and modalities, all withheld by the mainstream media to not jeopardize their advertising dollar income, and payoffs to the politicians to not pass laws that will greatly benefit the people.

If we do not take responsibility for ourselves and go against the mainstream grain, we will inevitably remain a “trick” our whole life.

Aloha!

About the author:
I have been doing a weekly radio show in Honolulu since 1981 called “Health Talk”. In 2007 I was “forced” to get a Masters degree in Nutrition because of all the doctors that would call in asking for my credentials. They do not call in anymore. Going to www.healthtalkhawaii.com enables you, among other things, to listen to the shows. I am an activist. In addition to espousing an organic vegan diet for optimum health, I am strongly opposed to GMOs, vaccines, processed foods, MSG, aspartame, fluoridation and everything else that the pimps (Big Pharma, Monsanto and the large food companies) and the hookers (the doctors, the government agencies, the public health officials, and the mainstream media) thrust upon us, the tricks.

After being vaccinated with the DTP vaccine as a child I developed asthma. After taking the organic sulfur crystals (they are harvested from the pine trees in Louisiana) in November of 2008 for 10 days my asthma reversed and has not come back over 4 years later, 18 cases, so far, of autism have been reversed, as has cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, joint pain, astigmatism, gum disease, increased sexual activity, heavy metal and radiation elimination, parasite elimination, free radicals elimination, faster athletic recovery time, increased blood circulation, reduced inflammation, resistance to getting the flu, reduction of wrinkles, allergy reduction, reduced PMS and monthly period pain, nausea, migraines and so much more. And it’s only possible because of the oxygen it releases that floods the cells of the body. The sulfur, as proven by the University of Southampton in England, enables the body to produce vitamin B12 and the essential amino acids. You can find out more about this incredible nutrient at

www.healthtalkhawaii.com
by HESH GOLDSTEIN

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Categories: Cancer Cancer Cells Cleansing Cleansing Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Folklore Food General Health Organic Food Organic Foods Personal Health Recipes Vitamins Your Body

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The Health Truth about Coffee

Liver CoffeeThe health effects of coffee are quite controversial. Depending on who you ask, it is either a super healthy beverage or incredibly harmful. But despite what you may have heard, there are actually plenty of good things to be said about coffee. For example, it is high in antioxidants and linked to a reduced risk of many diseases. However, it also contains caffeine, a stimulant that can cause problems in some people and disrupt sleep. This article takes a detailed look at coffee and its health effects, examining both the pros and cons.

 

Coffee Contains Some Essential Nutrients and is Extremely High in Antioxidants

Coffee is more than just dark brown water… many of the nutrients in the coffee beans do make it into the drink.

A typical 8oz (240 ml) cup of coffee contains (1):

•Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 11% of the RDA.

•Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid): 6% of the RDA.

•Vitamin B1 (Thiamin): 2% of the RDA.

•Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2% of the RDA.

•Folate: 1% of the RDA.

•Manganese: 3% of the RDA.

•Potassium: 3% of the RDA.

•Magnesium: 2% of the RDA.

•Phosphorus: 1% of the RDA.

This may not seem like a lot, but try multiplying with 3, 4, or however many cups you drink per day. It can add up to a significant portion of your daily nutrient intake.

But where coffee really shines is in its high content of antioxidants.

The average person who eats a typical Western diet actually gets more antioxidants from coffee than fruits and vegetables… combined (2, 3).

Bottom Line: Coffee contains a small amount of some vitamins and minerals, which add up if you drink many cups per day. It is also high in antioxidants.

Coffee Contains Caffeine, A Stimulant That Can Enhance Brain Function and Boost Metabolism

Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance in the world (4).

coffee punch

 

Soft drinks, tea and chocolate all contain caffeine, but coffee is the biggest source.

The caffeine content of a single cup can range from 30-300 mg, but the average cup is somewhere around 90-100 mg.

Caffeine is a known stimulant. In the brain, it blocks the function of an inhibitory neurotransmitter (brain hormone) called Adenosine.

By blocking adenosine, caffeine actually increases activity in the brain and the release of other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and dopamine. This reduces tiredness and makes us feel more alert (5, 6).

There are numerous studies showing that caffeine can lead to a short-term boost in brain function… including improved mood, reaction time, vigilance and general cognitive function (7, 8).

Caffeine can also boost metabolism (calories burned) by 3-11% and even increase exercise performance by 11-12%, on average (9, 10, 11, 12).

However… some of these effects are likely to be short-term. If you drink coffee every day, then you will build a tolerance to it and the effects will be less powerful (13).

There are also some downsides to caffeine, which I’ll get to in a bit.

Bottom Line: The main active compound in coffee is the stimulant caffeine. It can cause a short-term boost in energy levels, brain function, metabolic rate and exercise performance.

Coffee May Help Protect Your Brain in Old Age, Leading to Reduced Risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s

 

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease and a leading cause of dementia.

Studies have shown that coffee drinkers have up to a 65% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (14, 15, 16).

Parkinson’s is the second most common neurodegenerative disease and caused by the death of dopamine-generating neurons in the brain.

Coffee drinkers have a 32-60% lower risk of Parkinson’s disease. The more coffee people drink, the lower the risk (17, 18, 19, 20).

Bottom Line: Several studies show that coffee drinkers have a much lower risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease in old age.

 

Coffee Drinkers Have a Much Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by elevated blood sugars due to resistance to the effects of insulin.

This is a very common disease… it has increased 10-fold in a few decades and now afflicts over 300 million people.

Interestingly, coffee drinkers appear to have a significantly reduced risk of developing this disease, some studies showing that coffee drinkers are up to 23-67% less likely to become diabetic (21, 22, 23, 24).

In one large review study that looked at 18 studies with 457,922 individuals, each daily cup of coffee was linked to a 7% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes (25).

Bottom Line: Numerous studies have shown that coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Coffee Drinkers Have a Lower Risk of Liver Diseases

The liver is an incredibly important organ that has hundreds of different functions in the body.coffee liver

 

It is very sensitive to modern insults like excess alcohol and fructose intake.

The end stage of liver damage is called Cirrhosis, and involves most of the liver being replaced with scar tissue.

Coffee drinkers have up to an 84% lower risk of developing cirrhosis, with the strongest effect for those who drink 4 or more cups per day (26, 27, 28).

Liver cancer is also common… it is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Coffee drinkers have up to a 40% lower risk of liver cancer (29, 30).

Bottom Line: Coffee drinkers have a significantly lower risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. The more coffee they drink, the lower the risk.

 

People Who Drink Coffee Are at a Much Lower Risk of Depression and Suicide

Depression is an incredibly common problem.

It is the world’s most common mental disorder and leads to a significantly reduced quality of life.

In one Harvard study from 2011, people who drank the most coffee had a 20% lower risk of becoming depressed (31).

In one review of 3 studies, people who drank 4 or more cups of coffee per day were 53% less likely to commit suicide (32).

Bottom Line: Studies have shown that people who drink coffee have a lower risk of becoming depressed and are significantly less likely to commit suicide.

 

Some Studies Show That Coffee Drinkers Live Longer

Given that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of many common, deadly diseases (and suicide), it makes sense that coffee could help you live longer.

There is actually some good evidence to support this.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2012 looked at the habits of 402,260 individuals between 50 and 71 years of age (33).

In this study, people who drank coffee had a much lower risk of dying over the 12-13 year study period:coffee death

 

The sweet spot seems to be at 4-5 cups per day, with men having a 12% reduced risk and women a 16% reduced risk.

You can read more about it in this article on how coffee can make you live longer.

Bottom Line: Some studies have shown that coffee drinkers live longer, which makes perfect sense given that they have a lower risk of many diseases. The strongest effect is seen for 4-5 cups per day.

 

Caffeine Can Cause Anxiety and Disrupt Sleep

It wouldn’t be right to only talk about the good stuff without mentioning the bad.

The truth is… there are some important negative aspects to coffee as well (although this depends on the individual).

Consuming too much caffeine can lead to jitteriness, anxiety, heart palpitations and may even exacerbate panic attacks (34).

If you are sensitive to caffeine and tend to become overstimulated, then perhaps you shouldn’t be drinking coffee.

Another unwanted side effect is that it can disrupt sleep (35). If coffee reduces the quality of your sleep, then try avoiding coffee late in the day, such as after 2pm.

Caffeine can also have some diuretic and blood pressure raising effects, but this usually goes away with regular use. However, an increase in blood pressure of 1-2 mm/Hg may persist (36, 37, 38).

Bottom Line: Caffeine can have various negative effects, such as causing anxiety and disrupting sleep, but this depends greatly on the individual.

 

Caffeine is Addictive and Missing a Few Cups Can Lead to Withdrawal

One issue with caffeine, is that it can lead to addiction in many people.

When people consume caffeine regularly, they become tolerant to it. It either stops working as it used to, or a larger dose is needed to get the same effects (39).

When people abstain from caffeine, they get withdrawal symptoms like headache, tiredness, brain fog and irritability. This can last for a few days (40, 41).

Tolerance and withdrawal are the hallmarks of physical addiction.

A lot of people (understandably) don’t like the idea of being literally dependant on a chemical substance in order to function properly.

Bottom Line: Caffeine is an addictive substance. It can lead to tolerance and well documented withdrawal symptoms like headache, tiredness and irritability.

 

The Difference Between Regular and Decaf

Some people opt for decaffeinated coffee instead of regular.

The way decaffeinated coffee is usually made, is by rinsing the coffee beans with solvent chemicals.

Each time this is done, some percentage of the caffeine dissolves in the solvent and this process is repeated until most of the caffeine has been removed.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that even decaffeinated coffee does contain some caffeine, just much less than regular coffee.

Unfortunately, not all of the health benefits of regular coffee apply to decaffeinated coffee. For example, some studies show no reduction in the risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s or liver diseases for people who drink decaffeinated coffee.

Bottom Line: Decaffeinated coffee is made by extracting caffeine from the coffee beans using solvents. Decaf does not have all of the same health benefits as regular coffee.

 

Things to Keep in Mind in Order to Maximize The Health Benefitscoffee benefits

 

There are some things you can do in order to maximize the beneficial health effects you get from coffee.

The most important is to NOT add anything unhealthy to it. This includes sugar and any sort of artificial, chemical-laden creamer.

Another important thing is to brew coffee with a paper filter. Unfiltered coffee (such as Turkish or French press) contains cafestol, a substance that can increase cholesterol levels (42, 43).

Also keep in mind that some of the coffee drinks at places like Starbucks can contain hundreds of calories and a whole bunch of sugar. These drinks are NOT healthy.

There are some more tips in this article on 8 ways to make your coffee super healthy.

Bottom Line: It is important not to put sugar or a chemical-laden creamer in your coffee. Brewing with a paper filter can get rid of a cholesterol-raising compound called Cafestol.

 

Should You be Drinking Coffee?

There are some people who would definitely want to avoid or severely limit coffee consumption, especially pregnant women.

People with anxiety issues, high blood pressure or insomnia might also want to try limiting coffee for a while to see if it helps.

There is also some evidence that people who metabolize caffeine slowly have an increased risk of heart attacks from drinking coffee (44).

All that being said… it does seem clear that for the average person, coffee can have important beneficial effects on health.

If you don’t already drink coffee, then I don’t think these benefits are a compelling reason to start doing it. There are downsides as well.

But if you already drink coffee and you enjoy it, then the benefits appear to far outweigh the negatives.

I personally drink coffee, every day… about 4-5 cups (sometimes more). My health has never been better.

Take Home Message

It’s important to keep in mind that many of the studies in the article are observational studies, which can not prove that coffee caused the beneficial effects.

But given that the effects are strong and consistent among studies, it is a fairly strong indicator that coffee does in fact play a role.

Despite having been demonized in the past, the evidence points to coffee being very healthy… at least for the majority of people.

If anything, coffee belongs in the same category as healthy beverages like green tea.

by KRIS GUNNARS

Source: Authority Nutrition

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Categories: Coffee Depression Diabetes Disease & Prevention Folklore General Health Immune System Information Insomnia Kidney Health Liver Disease Managing Diabetes Myths Suicide

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Vitamin B17: The Greatest Cover-Up In The History Of Cancer

Apricot Seeds - Vitamin B17

Ever heard of Vitamin B17 chances are you probably haven’t. Since Vitamin 17 has been banned by the FDA.

One of the biggest concentrated types of vitamin B17 can be found in the seed of the apricot. A fruit we don’t give enough credit to. The actual seed can be found within the hard pit in the apricot. The anti-cancer agent based in the actual Laetrile B17 vitamin is known as amygdalin.

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Why is B17 not prescribed by modern Physicians as a treatment? If it is so helpful towards the elimination of many cancers? G. Edward Griffin answers, “A control for cancer is known, and it comes from nature, but it is not widely available to the public because it cannot be patented, and, therefore, is not commercially attractive to the pharmaceutical industry.”
Vitamin B17 is comprised of hydrogen cyanide and glucose that is what gives it its cancer-solving properties. The benzaldehyde from the glucose and the cyanide work together as a poison that targets cancer cells. Many medical professionals claim B17 is toxic, but this is merely a myth.

So Here’s Where The Cover-Up Comes In

Even though this vitamin was not approved for treatment by the FDA, many doctors including one named John A. Richardson M.D. who started using the vitamin “illegally” in order to treat parents at his medical clinic in San Francisco, and it was giving astonishing results better than orthodox treatments. Richardson’s success in these treatments is documented in Laetrile Case Histories: The Richardson Cancer Clinic Experience by John A. Richardson M.D. and Patricia Irving Griffin, R.N. The FDA came out hard in its attack on Laetrile. The FDA sees at Laetrile as an unapproved form of treatment and is ” illegal” for a practitioner to administer, there for buying Laetrile is not available in the United States. But, on the other hand, you can still buy amygdalin (B12) in supplement form. There are many reports of people who will swear they have defeated cancer from using B17.

4007403093

Sloan-Kettering outraged at the B17 cover-up by the FDA and the AMA, for five years studies were conducted by Sloan on the anti-cancer benefits of B17 to which it was found that:

1. It improved general health of the cancer patient

2. It acted as a cancer preventative.

3. It stopped the spreading of cancer in mice.

4. Laetrile inhibited the growth of tumors.

To hear about clinical trials of B17 and learn how it fights cancer cells is one thing, but actually to hear real life people who have fought against cancer and thanks to vitamin B17 they won.

Being Protective in Our Fight Against Getting Cancer

If you exercise very little and engage in harmful bodily choices, then cancer is only chasing you. Although in some cases they are no matter how much you exercise or no matter what you do cancer will find you. But this is no reason not to be proactive throughout your day and engage in healthy bodily choices.

Besides B17 there has also been many other natural foods that help fight cancer such as: Consuming aloe gel, wheatgrass, sumac, chili peppers, swiss chard, food mushrooms, turmeric, Vegetables and raw fruits, flax, aloe juice, chia and black seed better known as Nigella sative. It is never too start late eating healthy and lowering your health risks. You could even start right now!

Sources:

http://treatments-for-cancer.com/tag/alternative-cancer-treatment/

http://www.ssqq.com/stories/cancerfight02.htm

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5 Myths About Sugar That Everyone Needs To Stop Believing

Photo credit: White, or brown sugar? Shutterstock

Every day we’re fed new and often conflicting information on our health and diets; what’s good for you, what’s bad, what to eat in moderation and what to avoid completely. As a result of poor education coupled with laziness, obesity rates are rising like never before. Obesity has doubled since 1980, and in 2014, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. Of these over 600 million were obese.

So are we totally to blame for our ever expanding waist lines? Or are we being subjected to a barrage of misinformation and misdirection in the form of health advice and advertising?

Those of us that try to eat balanced diets and watch their weight are likely to be limiting or removing sugar from their diets completely, switching to “healthier” options like cane sugar, artificial sweeteners and “sugar-free” options which are better for us. Right?

Wrong

Take a look at Business Insiders post debunking common sugar myths.

by Danielle Andrew | June 25, 2015
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Baking Soda And Himalayan Salt, A Danger to the Pharmaceutical Industry ?

baking-soda-himalayan-salt-drink-recipe
Image Courtesy of HealthyWildAndFree

Baking soda is commonly found in most homes around the world as a good all purpose scraping and cleaning powder, or to be used for baking purposes but there’s a good chance that you’re not fully utilizing the full potential of baking soda for your health and well-being. Baking soda is very cheap, only a few bucks and can be bought practically anywhere so to use baking soda like it can be used to treat ailments and health issues is information that the pharmaceutical industry does not want to get out.

The great thing about it is that it can be used in many different ways and to help reduce aches and pains, reduce symptoms or even reduce the chances of potential life-threatening issues by doing all that it does! So what does baking soda actually do to your body and health?
The first and probably the earliest use of baking soda medicinally was written in 1924 by Arm & Hammer to treat and prevent the cold and flu. They found that people who consumed baking soda in water prevented the flu and cold and those who had already caught the flu or cold could take baking soda in water and their symptoms would begin to dissipate.
Baking soda is also used for ulcer pain, instead of taking an anti-acid medication baking soda can neutralize the pH of the stomach helping to relieve the Ulcer symptoms. Reducing stress and having healthy lifestyle practices will ultimately reduce the ulcers in the first place, but supplementing with baking soda orally can help relieve symptoms on the spot.
Baking soda is slightly more alkaline than human blood and helps to deliver oxygen to the body as well as bring the pH level up if it is too low (too acidic). This means that any ailment, or medical condition that suffers from an acidic environment or lack of oxygen can be benefited by baking soda. Literally every cell in the human body could use more oxygen and alkaline support because of the acidic, chemically-laden and overuse of acids in our world today.

People have used and recommended baking soda for ulcers, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease or any and all skin conditions ranging from sunburn to scars and acne. It is also very commonly used topically as a foot bath, a sunburn remedy, an addition to the bathtub for skin health as well as used in all natural aluminum free baking soda based deodorants like Primal Pit Paste which I personally use and love. Baking soda mainly oxygenates the body which allows your body to have direct access to more oxygen especially in cells that are suffering and need it, wherever they may be in the body. Secondly, it will alkalize your body and work to bring the pH into a more alkaline state, there is one issue with this however.

Based on my research I do not personally think that just swallowing baking soda and water throughout the day is the healthiest idea as most suggest. Why? Baking soda water is quite alkaline and that water goes right into your gut which is supposed to be an acidic environment in order to digest hard food. If you continuously bombard your gut with alkaline liquid without giving it some acids (which may not be an issue for some people) throughout the day you can actually weaken your gut and digestive system in general. This is why (and where) the second ingredient comes in, pink Himalayan salt.I’m sure you’ve heard of this salt before, it’s very mineral rich boasting a mineral content of 84 minerals as well as being rich in electrolytes which help the health of the cell, nervous system and entire body.

By mixing baking soda with Himalayan pink salt you are creating a mineral rich water (which provides more hydrogen and oxygen to your cells and entire body) that is pH balanced for the human blood which is going to supply your entire body. This is a drink that oxygenates, alkalizes and hydrates your body while balancing the pH of the blood which works to balance the pH of other individual organ as a carrier and modulator. This drink also balances and oxygenates the lungs which are responsible for balancing pH throughout the body as well as the kidneys with the many minerals and oxygen infusion. By drinking this you help your lungs and kidneys perform healthier which helps to supply a balanced pH and carry more oxygen and a balanced pH effect throughout the entire body.

Healthy human blood has a pH in the range of 7.35-7.45 and in order to optimize and enhance the health of your blood we’ll be ingesting something meant to do so as well as to balance the pH of your blood and get it back in the 7.35-7.45 range, or very close to it. The pH of baking soda in water is 8.2, slightly alkaline, The pH of Himalayan pink salt in water is right around 6.50 (depending on your water source) and if you put the two of these together you have something quite magical I discovered, You have a mineral and electrolyte rich drink that also gives you all of the benefits of baking soda, not to mention the pH of this drink will be right around a pH of 7.35-7.5 or so, this is right in the exact range of pH to balance the pH of your blood which runs through and gives your entire body nutrients, hydrogen and oxygen which are all vital to healing whatever is going on anywhere in your body.

Baking Soda + Himalayan Salt Drink Recipe:

1/2 tsp. of baking soda + 1/2 tsp. of Himalayan salt in a half glass of water (approximately 3-4 ounces of water) Simply add the baking soda and Himalayan salt to a half glass of water, stir and drink! You can drink this once in the morning and once at night.

Ingredients needed:

1. Himalayan Pink Salt 2. Baking Soda (Some people and companies claim that most conventional baking soda contains aluminum in it, which is a toxic metal that you definitely do not want to ingest! I’m not sure if this is true or not but you can get an aluminum free baking soda by clicking here just to be safe, I’m not sure if these claims are true and the aluminum free baking soda does cost a bit more but still fairly cheap.) 3. Purified Water (Ionizer/Distilled/Reverse Osmosis) Tap water is dead water. It’s sanitized and toxic. Chlorine, fluoride, heavy metals, traces of pharmaceutical drugs and many other compounds are in our tap water. It’s not the healthiest water and has little to no vitality left in it.

I highly recommend looking into getting a water filtration system, whether it’s purified, ionized, distilled or reverse osmosis, whatever floats your water floating boat! This drink recipe above can be used for heartburn, to balance pH of the blood and body, to oxygenate the body. Boost your immune system to fight the cold and flu as well as any other infection or sickness/disease. It can also be used to treat ulcers, help the blood for diabetic patients and many more uses. It’s oxygen, mineral and electrolyte rich and does a great job at fighting candida, bacteria or fungal infections as well as keeping your cells and blood healthy. Try drinking it once or twice daily and go from there!

By David Benjamin – June 23, 2015

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Categories: Bone Health Cancer Cures Cleansing Cleansing Disease & Prevention Eating Healthy Food Himalayan Salt Information Kidney Health Lowering Cholesterol Natural Antibiotics Natural Cures Organic Food Personal Health Spices Well Being

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How To Grow 168 Plants In A 6×10 Space: DIY A-Frame Hydroponic System

Here’s an incredibly efficient system that grows 168 plants in a 6 X 10 space by using an A frame hydroponic system. It’s an effortless way to grow a lot of food in a small space.

This idea can be approached in several ways. Once you understand the basic concept you could swap in salvaged materials or adjust the shape. To get a good idea of how it works check out the horizontal A-frame hydroponic system below.
This system is a fantastic way to grow greens, herbs, strawberries, and more.

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Sources:

http://thehomesteadsurvival.com/grow-168-plants-in-a-6-x-10-space-with-a-diy-a-frame-hydroponic-system/

http://www.offgridworld.com/a-frame-vertical-hydroponic-garden-grows-168-plants/

 

Cymantra Admin – June 20, 2015

 

 

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Categories: Eating Healthy Food General Health Herbs Hydroponic Growing Information Management Organic Food Personal Health

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