Category: Organic Food

How to Combine Foods for Optimal Health

proper-food-combining-chart

By Dr. Mercola

Dr. Wayne Pickering is a naturopathic physician on the East Coast of Florida, and was a good friend of fitness legend Jack Lalanne. He gave a beautiful eulogy at Jack’s funeral. At the age of 67, he swims several miles a week in addition to extensive biking and a wide variety of calisthenics, pushups and pull ups.

He has quite an impressive exercise regimen and is a personal inspiration to me as I hope to be in as good a shape as he as that age. He also has one of the most positive attitudes of anyone I know.

He eats plenty of fruit and caused me to seriously reevaluate my position on consuming fruits and I have gradually been increasing my intake of them, especially mangoes, which is his pseudonym (Mango Man). He even has a variety of mangoes named after him. I actually have two of the Pickering mangoes growing in my yard.

But one of the things he’s known for in the nutrition world is food combining—and he is truly like a walking billboard for his program. The man looks about 20-30 years younger than his calendar age.

“Age is not a matter of years; it’s a matter of condition. You can keep your health up until you die because you have 75 to 90 trillion cells in your body that work symbiotically on your behalf striving towards health. You cut yourself? It’s going to heal without a thought. It just does,” he says.

Improper food combining is one of the primary factors that cause gas, flatulence, heartburn, and upset stomach. What’s worse, poor digestion can also contribute to malnutrition, even if you think you’re eating a decent diet.

In his youth, Dr. Pickering was no different from most Americans today—severely overweight, out of shape, and eating the wrong foods. He recalls the key moment that turned his life around:

“I was in Illinois when I came back from Vietnam. I stayed up there for a year in Rockford. A little lady found me one day in a distraught situation. She owned a health food store. I went in there, and I bought a bottle of vitamins and a little book, How to Be Healthy with Natural Foods, by Edward E. Marsh.”

He also found a postcard-sized food combining chart. He’d had frequent stomach pains for years, and was absolutely shocked when 24-hours after putting the information into practice, he didn’t suffer with indigestion anymore.

Since then, Dr. Pickering has become an avid teacher of natural health, in which health and longevity is the natural outgrowth of proper nutrition—which also encompasses proper food combining, to optimize digestion.

ashton-foodcombiningrules

Three Principles of Health

 

Many are under the mistaken belief that the human body is a frail instrument, prone to disease and pre-programmed to decay. Dr. Pickering wholeheartedly disagrees, and I second that motion. The truth is, your body is infinitely wise, with a natural inborn “instinct” toward health, and by following certain natural principles, you allow your body to do what it does best, which is to maintain an equilibrium of health. Dr. Pickering’s three basic principles of health are:

  1. You are automatically healthy, by design, and sick only by default
  2. You don’t catch disease; you “earn” it, as it stems from “crud in the blood from being drunk with junk,” as he says
  3. You get well by what comes out of you, not by what goes into you

In essence, health is as much based on getting rid of toxins and other harmful substances as it is based on optimizing your nutrition. Part and parcel of this philosophy is that food is your number one ally. And while certain nutritional supplements can be beneficial, they will not allow you to circumvent a poor diet. They can only complement your diet; they cannot take the place of a meal.

“Nutrition doesn’t heal. It doesn’t cure. It doesn’t do anything,” Dr. Pickering says. “It’s a science though and it never changes... Here’s what nutrition is: it’s a series of four processes that your body employs to make food materials for the body to use.”

Those four processes are the following:

  1. Digestion
  2. Absorption
  3. Assimilation
  4. Elimination

Four Principles of Wholesome Nutrition

According to Dr. Pickering, one of the most important factors when it comes to healthful eating is to make sure you’re eating foods that are in season. Your constitution changes with the seasons of your local climate, and eating local foods when they’re in season is a natural way to harness that intrinsic relationship your body has with the Earth.

Seasonal foods will typically be at their cheapest when they’re in season, and will be readily available in most stores and farmers markets. Dr. Pickering’s food combining guide1 can also help you determine which foods are in season, in addition to how to combine them for optimal health.

Next, Dr. Pickering advises eating foods that are indigenous to your area. Eskimos, for example, are not going to reap the same nutritional rewards from watermelon as someone living in the American South where watermelons grow naturally. The climate itself makes nutritional demands on your body.

Third, you also want to select foods according to the type and amount of physical activity you’re involved in (an office worker, for example, will not benefit from the diet of a triathlete), and lastly, you want to choose foods according to your body’s digestive chemistry. As a side note, albeit an important one, Dr. Pickering also points out the importance of your thoughts.

“Your thoughts, you see, help to govern chemistry,” he explains. “When you sit down to eat, it’s crucial to not talk about problems at the dinner table; talk about joyous things just because it gives you a chance to get together [with each other].”

Recent research has even confirmed that if you want to make your food taste better, and more thoroughly enjoy the experience of a meal, perform a ritual first. One of the most rewarding rituals you can do before a meal is to stop and give thanks for your food.

Not only might this make your food taste better, but also people who are thankful for what they have are better able to cope with stress, have more positive emotions, and are better able to reach their goals. People who give thanks before they eat also tend to eat more slowly and savor the meal more so than those who do not, lending a natural transition to mindful eating, which has a direct and beneficial impact on digestion.

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Why Food Combining Matters

Wayne is probably best known for promoting the importance of food combining. If the food you eat is not digesting properly, not only can painful gas, heart burn, acid reflux and other stomach problems arise, but your body will also be deprived of critical nutrients.

The short definition of digestion is: you put food or liquid into your mouth, swallow it, and then your body breaks these molecules down into a size it can absorb. What your body doesn’t use is excreted as waste. These are the four processes listed above—digestion, absorption, assimilation and elimination. But food is actually broken down in a number of different areas, including in your mouth, stomach, and the first and middle sections of your small intestine, called the duodenum and jejunum respectively. Furthermore, you have two kinds of digestion:

  1. Mechanical (chewing and churning) digestion
  2. Chemical digestion

Food combination takes into account the area and complexity of digestion of each food, to ensure it goes through your entire digestive system with ease. Dr. Pickering explains:

“There’s only one food that chemically breaks down in the stomach and that’s protein. Proteins require pepsin, a very highly acidic [enzyme] in conjunction with hydrochloric acid. But the hydrochloric acid doesn’t have the ability to break the food down. It just sets the medium for the concentration of the amount of pepsin that’s poured into the stomach to digest whatever food that’s in there. The intelligence of this human body is phenomenal.”

There are three primary categories of food: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Proteins, again, begin their digestion chemically in your stomach. Carbohydrates are divided into two categories: fruits and starches. While fruits pass through your digestive system with relative ease, starches require three levels of breakdown; the very first stage is in your mouth. That’s why it’s crucial to carefully chew starchy foods.

According to the rules of food combination, you do not want to mix proteins and starches in the same meal. This means, no bun with your hamburger, no meatballs if you have pasta, no potatoes with your meat… Why is that? Dr. Pickering explains:

“Starches require an alkaline digestive medium to digest. If you put your fist in your stomach while it’s digesting steaks and all that, chances are, you wouldn’t have a hand anymore. The acid is intense… When you mix them both together – an acid-type of food and an alkaline – basic chemistry shows that they don’t digest. They neutralize. Then what happens? If the food is not digesting… it’s going through your body [undigested], throwing it into all kinds of turmoil.”

Related Article: What Happens to your body when you eat Meat & Potatoes Together

The Three Commandments of Food Combination

Dr. Pickering lays out three basic commandments of eating that he recommends you not deviate from:

    1. No proteins and starches at the same meal, as they neutralize each other and prevent proper digestion of either food. To ensure proper digestion of each food, wait two hours after eating a starch before eating protein. And wait three hours after eating protein before eating a starch.
    2. No fruits and vegetables at the same meal. Fruits are either a single or double sugar, whereas the starches are a triple sugar. Fruits mechanically break down in your stomach, but chemically, they don’t break down until they reach the third and fourth stage of your digestive system, which are in your small intestine. Starches, again, are broken down in three different stages, starting in your mouth.

According to Dr. Pickering, this is also why it’s crucial to not eat dessert after a meal. When you do, it gets trapped in your stomach with all that other food, where it starts to rot as it’s not being chemically digested there. Therefore, eat fruit 30-60 minutes before dinner. The same applies if you want to eat another piece of fruit. Acidic fruits, such as lemons for example, also do not combine well with starches. Lemon and banana is but one example of a combination that is sure to lead to gastrointestinal upset…

Many people consider tomatoes a fruit, yet it’s commonly added to salad. Dr. Pickering classifies tomatoes as a “fruit-vegetable,” because even though they don’t have the sugar like most fruits, they’re still an acidic fruit-vegetable. As such they’re okay to combine with other vegetables. He suggests the following recipe for an excellent salad:

“Any kind of vegetable that has seed in it; for example summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, bell peppers, and okra—those are all fruit-vegetables. Your tomatoes go well with those. And since lettuce and celery have a neutral effect, as far as the breakdown of food, the celery and the lettuce combine very well with all of that. You can also add avocados.”

  1. “Eat melon alone, or leave it alone, or your stomach will moan.” In short, melons do not digest well with other foods and will frequently cause problems unless consumed by itself.

The When and What of Eating

According to Dr. Pickering, the amount and sequencing of the foods you eat can also make a difference. He recommends the following eating schedule:

  • Morning meal: The least concentrated foods, in the greatest amount. Ideal food choice: fruits
  • Middle of the day: More complex foods, but in a smaller amount than your first meal. Ideal food choice: starchy carbs
  • Evening: The most concentrated foods, but in the least abundant amount. Ideal food choice: protein
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What Happens to Your Body When You Eat Meat and Potatoes Together

 

steak potatoes

Do you eat your meat and potatoes together at the same meal? If you’re a vegetarian that answer is obviously a resounding “no,” but for millions of people it’s something they’ve probably never even thought twice about.

“He’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy” is of course a common phrase and just one example of how eating these two favorite foods together has become ingrained in our DNA.

It’s a practice that hasn’t been questioned much, but the truth is that eating meat and starches like potatoes together could be doing serious harm to your body’s systems.

Should you really abandon your favorite Sunday meal of meat and potatoes? If you truly care about your health then the evidence is pretty clear.

The Problem With “Meat and Potatoes”

The science of food combining is not well known, but many naturopathic doctors have discovered some surprising patterns and rules for better health.

One of the biggest no-no’s is actually combining meat such as steak with high starch carbohydrates such as potatoes, or even buns with your hamburgers.

Dr. Wayne Pickering, a longtime friend of fitness legend Jack Lalanne, tells us why in this article.

“Starches require an alkaline digestive medium to digest,” he notes. But meat such as steaks require heavy acids to digest. “If you put your fist in your stomach while it’s digesting steaks and all that, chances are, you wouldn’t have a hand anymore. The acid is intense…”

When you mix meat and starches together in the same meal, Dr. Pickering says, your body chemistry does not allow them to mix at all.

“They neutralize…Then what happens? If the food is not digesting… it’s going through your body (undigested), throwing it into all kinds of turmoil.”

That type of turmoil can consist of: heartburn, discomforting gas, acid reflux, serious digestive issues and much more. To make matters worse, your body will be deprived of key nutrients from the food you just ate.

One Doctor’s Incredible Personal Story 

Cutting out the meat and potatoes (or just bread and meat) together is one highly effective way that Dr. William Howard Hay, founder of the Hay Diet, was able to recover his health, and lose a ton of weight for that matter.

Dr. William Hay

He had weighed 225 pounds and suffered from all sorts of medical conditions including a dilated heart, which he found out about while attempting to catch a fast-moving train.

Using the simple plan of not eating proteins such as meat with starches, he began to treat himself and lost 50 pounds in about three months while recovering from his life-threatening heart condition.

Dr. Hay then went on to create the Hay Diet (this book from Doris Grant has a good rundown) and the rest is history.

Suffice it to say if you’ve noticed any of the symptoms above or had any health problems similar to Dr. Hay’s, it may be time to stop eating your meat and potatoes together and see what kind of differences you notice.

Health is complex, but at the end of the day this one simple change really could save your health, not to mention your life.

by | July 9, 2015

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How to Optimize Turmeric for Maximum Bioavailability and Therapeutic Potency

 

Turmeric BoostCountless studies have demonstrated the medicinal benefits of this amazing herb which you can view here. Once you see the irrefutable proof that turmeric has a plethora of important health benefits  you will be eager to work it into your everyday diet. However, before you begin consuming this potent food medicine, you need to understand how to fully unlock its powerful healing potential.

Turmeric, is a rhizome (A type of horizontal, usually underground stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes; AKA as a rootstock.)  It’s related to ginger root (also a rhizome) both are classified as members of the Zingiberacaea family; it has been a stellar staple in the pharmacopeia of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic medicine for eons; It’s been in continuous use for thousands of years as a medicine, spice (curry) and yellow dye.

 Curcumin and Curcuminoids

curcumin

 

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is the yellow pigment found in the spice turmeric (Curcuma longa). Curcumin is one of three known curcuminoids present in turmeric, the other two being desmethoxycurcumin and bis-desmethoxycurcumin.

 

Scientists have still not identified all the constituents in turmeric. Researchers continue to discover new curcuminoids. Current estimations are that turmeric contains well over a hundred chemical compounds which are primarily located in the essential oil of this complex medicinal spice.

 

A major problem with Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is curcumin’s (CUR) low bioavailability. Curcumin is the key active constituent of Turmeric.  A preponderance of animal and clinical studies reveal that the concentrations of CUR in blood plasma, urine, and peripheral tissues, if detectable at all, are extremely low regardless of dosage size.

tumericroot

What is Bioavailability?

According to the Merck manual, “Bioavailability refers to the extent to and rate at which the active moiety (drug or metabolite) enters systemic circulation, thereby accessing the site of action.”

 

Essentially, bioavailability is about how much of an ingested substance is actually absorbed by our bodies. It follows that substances with poor bioavailability will not be effective for healing purposes.

 

Research Confirms Turmeric’s Low Bioavailability

Key Points:

Numerous curcumin studies confirm that very low blood serum levels are reached when curcumin is orally administered. The majority of orally ingested curcumin gets metabolized before it reaches the bloodstream. Increasing the dose does not result in greater absorption.

The route of administration and method of preparation are major factors affecting the bioavailability or serum levels of turmeric.

Turmeric’s bioavailabity can be enhanced with the addition of specific Adjuvants.

 

Studies

Low Serum Concentratiions

A study on the fate of curcumin in the rat (1978) by Whalstrom and Blennow showed oral curcumin was poorly absorbed in the gut. When 1g/kg of curcumin was orally administered to the rats only a negligible amount of curcumin was found in their blood plasma. About 75% of it was excreted via the feces.

 

A study in 1980 by Ravindranath et al found when rats were orally administered 400 mg of curcumin, no trace of curcumin was found in the heart blood while only a small trace was found in the portal blood within 15 min to 24 hours of administration.

 

Another recent study by Yang et al found that when 10 mg/kg of curcumin was orally administered only 0.36 µg/ml of curcumin was found in the blood serum.

 

A pilot study conducted by Sharma et al. on patients with colorectal cancer. The patients were given Curcuma extract which contained 36–180 mg curcumin in proprietary capsule for 4 months. After 29 days of oral curcumin: Neither curcumin nor its metabolites were detected in the plasma, blood and urine. Although traces of curcumin and curcumin sulfate were found in feces.

 

Tissue Distribution

In another study: Absorption and tissue distribution of curcumin in rats. Ravindranath et al found after orally administering 400 mg of curcumin to rats: “only traces of the unchanged molecule were found in the liver and kidney. At 30 min, 90% of the curcumin was found in the stomach and small intestine, but only 1% was present at 24 h. [hours].”

NOTE: Very few studies have been done on Curcumin and tissue distribution.

 

Metabolites

Metabolites are the intermediate and final products of the process known as metabolism, which is from the Greek word for “change.” Metabolism is a step-wise series of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. The term metabolites commonly refer to small molecules.

 

Primary metabolites are necessary for the normal growth and maintenance of life. Secondary metabolites support primary metabolite activity indirectly and serve other important ecological functions. Metabolites are a natural occurrence formed when as part of an inherent biological process that breaks down and eliminates various compounds.

 

curcuminmetabolites

 

Research indicates that metabolites of curcumin, instead of curcumin itself, are detected in plasma or serum following oral consumption.

 

The majority of studies have shown that these metabolites are actually less active or potent compared to curcumin itself.
Bottom Line: when curcumin is metabolized the potency of its metabolites are less potent than curcumin.

 

The intestine and liver, is where oral curcumin is conjugated (the formation of a water-soluble derivative of a chemical by its combination with another compound, such as glutathione, glucuronate, or sulfate.) into metabolites.

 

Based on various studies the metabolites produced are: curcumin glucuronides and curcumin sulfates or, alternately, reduced to hexahydrocurcumin(HHC) and Tetrahydrocurcumin (THC). Again most studies have shown that these metabolites are less biologically active compared to the parent compound curcumin.

 

Short Half-life

Half-life is the time it takes for a drug or other ingested substance to lose half its strength. Medications with a short half-life must be taken several times a day, to maintain therapeutically effective concentrations of blood serum levels.
In contrast, medications with longer half lives maintain effective blood serum levels for much longer periods of time and can be taken less frequently.

 

The studies by Whalstrom and Blennow demonstrated curcumin’s rapid systemic excretion from the body or short half-life. As mentioned when 1g/kg curcumin was given orally to rats  around 75% of the curcumin was excreted via the feces with only trace amounts found in the urine.  A short half -life decreases Turmeric’s therapeutic effect in the body. More studies are needed in order to draw  definitive conclusions about Turmeric’s half-life.

 

 Three Easy Kitchen Table Strategies that can Skyrocket Turmeric’s Bioavailability

NOTE: Always use fresh organic, non-irradiated Turmeric powder or whole, organic turmeric root.

 

 

1) Add BLACK PEPPER to Your Turmeric

black pepper benefits

 

Black Pepper is a powerful medicine in its own right  and a Potent Turmeric Adjuvant.

 

How does Black Pepper Enhance the Bioavailability of Turmeric?

“Piperine is a potent inhibitor of drug metabolism. One of the ways our liver gets rid of foreign substances is making them water soluble so they can be more easily excreted. But this black pepper molecule inhibits that process.” –Michael Greger, M.D. (Michael Greger, M.D., is a physician, author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues.)

 

How much Black Pepper?

Not much!

“If people are given a bunch of turmeric curcumin, within an hour there’s a little bump in the level in their blood stream. We don’t see a large increase because our liver is actively trying to get rid of it. But what if the process is suppressed by taking just a quarter teaspoon’s worth of black pepper? Then you see curcumin levels skyrocket. The same amount of curcumin consumed, but the bioavailability shoots up 2000%. Even just a little pinch of pepper—1/20th of a teaspoon—can significantly boost levels. And guess what a common ingredient in curry powder is besides turmeric? Black pepper.” – Dr. Michael Greger

 

Black Pepper’s Side-effects

The compound Piperine in pepper significantly increases curcumin and thus Turmeric’s overall bioavailability. When pepper is freshly ground from whole peppercorns the essential oils in the pepper are more available.

Piperine is the active ingredient in black pepper; it’s what causes black pepper’s spiciness and heat.

 

Black pepper Chemistry

“The sharp aroma of black pepper is due to its essential oil content. Black pepper contains approximately 1.2 to 3.5% essential oil.  Its key chemical constituents include: d-limonene (up to 20%), a-pinene, b-pinene, sabinene, b-caryophyllene and δ-3-carene.  It is an essential oils rich in monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes (e.g. b-caryophyllene).

 

As a herb: Black pepper contains 5-10% pungent acid-amides (pseudoalkaloids), with piperine as its main compound and several others including piperyline, piperoleines, and piperamine.  Pharmacological studies show that piperine is analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and exhibits a depressant effect on the central nervous system.”

 

One Study entitled: Influence of piperine on the pharmacokinetics of curcumin in animals and human volunteers
demonstrated that when piperine was co-administered with curcumin and given to human subjects the bioavailibity of curcumin increased 2000%.

 

2) Add a Healthy Fat to Turmeric

Since turmeric is fat-soluble, in order for your body to fully absorb it and experience its amazing health benefits, Turmeric needs to be combined with a fat.

 

“When it doesn’t dissolve properly, curcumin has a tough time getting into the gut, which is where most of the immune system lives. “80 percent of your immune system is located in your digestive system, making a healthy gut a major focal point if you want to maintain optimal health,” explains Dr. Joseph Mercola.

‘Another way to boost the absorption of curcumin is to consume it in the whole food, turmeric root (fresh or dried as a powder) because natural oils found in turmeric root and turmeric powder can enhance the bioavailability of curcumin seven to eight fold. When eaten with fat, curcumin can be directly absorbed into the bloodstream through the lymphatic system thereby in part bypassing the liver.’ –Dr. Michael Greiger, MD

 

3) Heat Increases Turmeric’s Bioavalibility

DrSaraswatiSukumar

Dr. Saraswati Sukumar explains how to enhance Turmeric’s bioavailability

“The potent ingredient in turmeric is curcumin, which, despite its power, is not easily absorbed by the body without assistance. This is where the sauté pan and a little warm oil come into play.” Dr. Sukumar explains “I use it [turmeric] in every sauté, just a quarter teaspoon, a half teaspoon is enough. But you don’t have to use it sparingly – use it lavishly.”

 

“The problem with the pill is that it is very insoluble in water,” she said. “The better way to take it, I feel, is to use it in your cooking very extensively. If you have any sauté, just sprinkle it in. The moment you heat oil and add turmeric to it, it now becomes completely bio-available to you.” –Dr. Sukumar

 

SUMMARY: To extract the optimum benefit when consuming turmeric as a medicine

1. Activate turmeric with some cooking heat.

2. Boost turmeric’s absorption 2,000% by combining it with some freshly ground black pepper.

3. Skyrocket turmeric’s bioavailability and healing potential by mixing it with a healthy fat (such as coconut oil or ghee) some fresh ground black pepper and then gently cook cycle on medium low heat (never boil). Ghee has been used as a vehicle for medicine and as a medicine itself by Ayurvedic doctors for thousands of years.

Dosage guidelines according to the University of Maryland Medical Center

• Cut root: 1.5 – 3 g per day
• Dried, powdered root: 1 – 3 g per day

 

Note: If you make the Turmeric Golden Milk Recipe (above) be sure to put a teaspoon or so of  the paste in a full fat milk of your choice or add some to a saute with fat to fully activate the turmeric. And make sure some black pepper to add black pepper to the paste as you make it.

Note: Do NOT use flaxseed oil. It’s toxic when heated. Best oils to use are ghee or coconut oil. The video recipe instructions advise  using 70 ml oil. To keep it simple use 1/3 cup of your chosen oil.

PAUL FASSA

Paul Fassa is a contributing staff writer for REALfarmacy.com. His pet peeves are the Medical Mafia’s control over health and the food industry and government regulatory agencies’ corruption. Paul’s valiant contributions to the health movement and global paradigm shift are world renowned.

 

Additional Sources:
http://www.healthfreedoms.org/how-to-improve-bioavailability-of-turmeric/
http://www.stepin2mygreenworld.com/healthyliving/greenfoods/the-best-tips-on-how-to-enhance-turmeric-absorption/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/health-benefits-turmeric/#axzz3Q5ifCQUR
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/lifestyles/the-superman-of-spices/nTzGf/
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/boosting-the-bioavailability-of-curcumin.html#ixzz3Q5dSreeI
http://www.ayurvedacollege.com/articles/students/turmeric
http://www.methowvalleyherbs.com/2012/01/turmeric-medicine-cabinet-in-curry-bowl.html
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-black-pepper.html
http://margaret.healthblogs.org/life-with-myeloma/discovery-of-curcumin/bioavailability-of-curcumin/general-bioavailability/
http://www.turmericforhealth.com/turmeric-benefits/health-benefits-of-black-pepper-and-turmeric/

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10 Ways To Empty Your Lymphatic System From Toxins

lymphatic-system-drainage
Yesterday I wrote an article about the lymphatic system sharing the three most important actions to take on a daily basis to drain your lymph fluids and quite a few people asked how else to drain lymphatic fluids so I decided to create a nice size list to share with you so that you could engage in these practices as often as you’d like to see results faster. The lymphatic system is very important in the human body. The lymphatic system is composed of tissue and fluids and runs mostly throughout your entire body just like your circulation does. One key difference between lymphatic tissue and your circulation is that the lymphatic system does not have a heart (pump) to move it throughout the body. This is why consistent daily exercise and hydration are crucial to keep the lymphatic system and lymph nodes healthy.If your lymphatic system is congested, or lymph nodes are swollen this will result in different aches and pains. Your joints could have pain or feel weak, your immune system is compromised dramatically because your immune system works directly with your lymphatic system. Your liver and kidneys become toxic because they aren’t draining toxins and chemicals from the lymphatic system to excrete them from the body as it should be. This can lead to weight gain, digestive disorders, being sick more often, hormonal imbalances, poor circulation, and much more.

Thankfully there are more than a few ways to stimulate your lymphatic system though and it’s important to stay on top of it each and every single day.

10 Ways To Empty Your Lymphatic System From Toxins:

1. Exercise: Exercise moves the lymphatic system and lymph fluids and circulates them to your liver and kidneys to be filtered and excreted from the body. You should walk briskly or engage in high intensity workouts every single day. Do one or both, but move faster than a slow walk every single day to get the lymphatic system moving.

2. Water: The lymphatic system is rich in water and if you’re dehydrated the entire system will be holding onto water for dear life. You need new water to filter the lymphatic system, and to help excrete and remove chemicals and toxins through your liver and kidneys. A good rule of thumb is to drink 50% of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Example: If you weigh 100 pounds, drink 50 ounces daily.

3. Breath work: Breathing does so much for your body, from calm your heart and nervous system to change brainwaves and even to help the lymphatic system drain and stay healthy. By taking deep breathes in through your nose and out through your mouth you’re giving your body more oxygen to work with. Oxygen and Hydration are two essential parts to keeping the lymphatic system clear of impurities. Exercise also helps you breathe deeply by exerting energy so exercise gives you multiple lymphatic draining benefits.

4. Rebounding: Rebounding is simply jumping on a small trampoline up and down. It doesn’t take much energy but is a slight workout that get’s your heart rate and breath up. It uses the force of gravity to move your lymphatic system and to detoxify cells by going in an up and down motion. This is a great exercise for lymphatic drainage as well as overall health and well-being. You can look for rebounders by clicking here.

5. Massage: Massage works by hands physically moving your lymphatic tissue. Deep tissue massage will work to move the lymphatic tissue to drain it most but any form of massage is beneficial. Massage is a way to squeeze the lymphatic system to remove impurities so that new hydration and nutrients can keep the lymphatic system healthy and able to do it’s job.

6: Laughter: Believe it or not laughter is an effective method for helping the lymphatic system. Laughing causes you to take deeper breaths which is once again beneficial but it also stimulates your lungs, circulation and other organs that create more harmony working with the lymphatic system. You need to make it an effort to laugh at least a few times daily for not only your lymphatic system but your heart, immunity, brain and overall sense of well-being.

7. Skin Brushing: Dry skin brushing is taking a brush and rubbing it around your entire body. It is similar to massage except for it’s not quite as deep into the tissue and it’s a great way to exfoliate dead skin cells. It works best right before a bath or shower so you don’t have a layer of dead skin cells on your skin. You can get a dry skin brush by clicking here.

8. Take A Hot+Cold Shower: I personally love taking a hot+cold shower because it’s so invigorating. What is a hot+cold shower you ask? it’s a shower where you turn the water hot, then cold, then hot, then cold. You continue switching the temperature of the water. It’s extremely invigorating and the change in temperature stimulates your lymphatic system to move as well as circulation by expanding and contracting blood vessels. It’s a great practice that will leave you feeling extremely rejuvenated.

9. Eat Raw Fruits: Fruits are great for stimulating the lymphatic system to drain. The key here is to eat fruits raw (uncooked) and to eat them on an empty stomach so that the acids and enzymes in the fruit have the best lymphatic draining and stimulating effects. Lemon, lime and grapefruit work well. You can also get these in therapeutic grade essential oils to add to your water and drink throughout the day to stimulate lymphatic drainage and overall digestive detoxification.

10. Use Essential Oils Topically: You can apply ginger, peppermint and rosemary essential oils topically on lymph nodes throughout your body to stimulate drainage. Specifically on the back of your neck is a great spot to apply these oils to get into the skin, circulation and lymph nodes and allow them to go to work. I use certified pure therapeutic grade essential oils which can be found here.

There you have it, 10 different ways to stimulate the lymphatic system to drain and detoxify. The more of these you engage in the more you’ll feel the benefits of a healthy lymphatic system. I hope you try these out and keep them as consistent practices.

By   July 7, 2015

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The Secret to Lowering Your Blood Pressure in 15 Minutes

bloodpressure

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a very serious health concern that can lead to heart disease and increased risk for stroke. The good news is, by optimizing your dietary intake, exercising, and effectively managing your stress, the odds of lowering your blood pressure are greatly in your favor.

If you or someone you love is affected by high blood pressure, then please review and share the guidelines given below. A list of supplementary articles is also included, if you desire further information. Hypertension is actually an easily treated condition, but one that can cause serious damage to your health if ignored.

Your Diet Will Raise or Lower Your Blood Pressure

Are you on a high grain, low fat regimen? If so, I have bad news for you, because this nutritional combination is a prescription for hypertension and can absolutely devastate your health.

Groundbreaking research published in 1998 in the journal Diabetes reported that nearly two-thirds of the test subjects who were insulin resistant (IR) also had high blood pressure, and insulin resistance is directly attributable to a high sugar, high grain diet, especially if accompanied by inadequate exercise. So, chances are that if you have hypertension, you also have poorly controlled blood sugar levels, because these two problems often go hand in hand.

As your insulin level elevates, so does your blood pressure.

As explained by Dr. Rosedale, insulin stores magnesium. If your insulin receptors are blunted and your cells grow resistant to insulin, you can’t store magnesium so it passes out of your body through urination. Magnesium stored in your cells relaxes muscles. If your magnesium level is too low, your blood vessels will constrict rather than relax, which will raise your blood pressure and decrease your energy level. Insulin also affects your blood pressure by causing your body to retain sodium. Sodium retention causes fluid retention. Fluid retention in turn causes high blood pressure and can ultimately lead to congestive heart failure. If your hypertension is the direct result of an out-of-control blood sugar level, then normalizing your blood sugar levels will also lower your blood pressure readings into the healthy range.

Fructose Can Cause Your Blood Pressure to Skyrocket

The first thing you need to do is remove all grains and sugars from your diet, particularly fructose, until both your weight and your blood pressure have normalized. Eating sugars and grains — including any type of bread, pasta, corn, potatoes, or rice — will cause your insulin levels and your blood pressure to remain elevated.

A study1 published earlier this year discovered that those who consumed 74 grams or more per day of fructose (the equivalent of about 2.5 sugary drinks) had a 77 percent greater risk of having blood pressure levels of 160/100 mmHg. (For comparison, a normal blood pressure reading is below 120/80 mmHg.) Consuming 74 grams or more of fructose daily also increased the risk of a 135/85 blood pressure reading by 26 percent, and 140/90 by 30 percent.

This is significant because the average American now consumes 70 grams of fructose EVERY day!

Fructose breaks down into a variety of waste products that are bad for your body, one being uric acid. Uric acid drives up your blood pressure by inhibiting the nitric oxide in your blood vessels. Nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity, so nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure. In fact, 17 out of 17 studies demonstrate that elevated uric acid levels lead to hypertension. For more information on the connection between fructose, uric acid, and hypertension, please see this article that explains it in greater depth.

I’ve also interviewed Dr. Richard Johnson, one of the leading medical researchers in this field, about his research into the health dangers of fructose, specifically how fructose causes health problems such as high blood pressure.

My Recommended Fructose Allowance

As a standard recommendation, I strongly advise keeping your TOTAL fructose consumption below 25 grams per day. Since the average 12-ounce can of soda contains 40 grams of sugar, at least half of which is fructose, this can of soda ALONE would exceed your daily allotment.

In addition, most people would be wise to also limit the amount of fructose you get from fruit to 15 grams or less, because you’re virtually guaranteed to consume “hidden” sources of fructose (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup) from most beverages and just about any processed food you eat.

Fifteen grams of fructose is not much — it represents two bananas, one-third cup of raisins, or just two Medjool dates. In his book, The Sugar Fix, Dr. Johnson includes detailed tables showing the fructose content in different foods, and I’ve included a sample of these values in the linked article.

Additional Dietary Considerations

  1. Normalize your omega 6:3 ratio — Both omega-3 and omega-6 fats are essential for your health. Most Americans, however, are getting too much omega-6 in their diet and far too little omega-3. Consuming omega-3 fats is one of the best ways to re-sensitize your insulin receptors if you suffer from insulin resistance. Omega-6 fats are found in corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil. If you’re consuming a lot of these oils, you’ll want to avoid or limit them.Omega-3 fats are typically found in flaxseed oil, walnut oil and fish, with fish being by far the best source. Unfortunately, most fresh fish today contains dangerously high levels of mercury. Your best bet is to find a safe source of fish, or if this proves too difficult, supplement with a high quality krill oil, which has been found to be 48 times more potent than fish oil.
  2. Eliminate caffeine — The connection between caffeine consumption and high blood pressure is not well understood, but there is ample evidence to indicate that if you have hypertension, coffee and other caffeinated drinks and foods can ex­acerbate your condition. Caffeine is a drug, and while it’s entirely legal and widely consumed, it can have a powerful effect on your individual physiology. If you want to eliminate caffeine from your diet, try to do it gradually over a period of days or even weeks in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms like headaches.
  3. Consume Fermented Foods – Differences in gut flora from one person to another appears to have a large effect on whether or not you develop heart disease. If your gut flora is not healthy, your risk is much greater for heart disease, as well as many other chronic health problems. The best way to optimize your gut flora is by including some naturally fermented foods in your diet, such as sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables, yogurt, kefir, and natto. An additional benefit of fermented foods is that some of them are excellent sources of vitamin K2, which is important for preventing arterial plaque buildup and heart disease.

Use Exercise as a Drug

Physical activity is by far one of the most potent “drugs” there is, and its side effects are exactly the kinds you want to experience. Regardless of the primary reason you start an exercise program, your efforts will be rewarded in countless other ways.

A comprehensive exercise regimen, such as my Peak Fitness program, is very important in producing long-term benefits in people with high blood pressure. Nearly every program should incorporate anaerobic sprint or burst-type exercises one to three times a week, as these have been shown to be even more effective than aerobic exercises at reducing your risk of dying from a heart attack.

If you are insulin resistant, you’ll definitely want to include weight training in your exercise program. When you work individual muscle groups, you increase blood flow to those muscles. Good blood flow will increase your insulin sensitivity. Depending on your physical condition when you embark on your exercise program, you may need to consult with a health care professional for help increasing to the intensity required to lower your insulin level. Exercise in combination with the supplement L-arginine has been shown to correct the abnormal functioning of blood vessels seen in people with chronic heart failure. However, I would view this more as a drug approach and not necessarily a supplement you would consider using for optimizing health in general. L-arginine probably works through its interaction with nitric oxide. I would consider it an adjunct, not a replacement, for coenzymeQ10, which is a well-proven therapy for heart failure.

Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels

Believe it or not, the farther you live from the equator, the higher your risk of developing high blood pressure2. And did you know that blood pressure is typically higher in winter months than in summer?

Sunlight actually affects blood pressure in several ways:

  • Sun exposure causes your body to produce vitamin D. Lack of sunlight reduces your vitamin D stores and increases parathyroid hormone production, which increases blood pressure.
  • Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance (IR) and Syndrome X (also known as Metabolic Syndrome), a group of health problems that can include IR, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, obesity, and high blood pressure.
  • Vitamin D is also a negative inhibitor of your body’s renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which regulates blood pressure. If you’re vitamin D deficient, it can cause inappropriate activation of your RAS, which may lead to hypertension.
  • Additionally, exposure to UV rays is thought to cause the release of endorphins, chemicals in your brain that produce feelings of euphoria and pain relief. Endorphins naturally relieve stress, and stress management is an important factor in resolving hypertension.

Exposure to appropriate amounts of sunlight is a basic health requirement that extends far beyond blood pressure normalization. Vitamin D helps systems and organs throughout your body to function properly. Ideally, you’ll want to get your vitamin D through safe exposure to sunshine or a safe tanning bed, but vitamin D3 supplements can also be used. Please do NOT let your doctor give you a “prescription” vitamin D. That is vitamin D2, which is synthetic, and not nearly as beneficial as the real vitamin D, which is D3 (cholecalciferol).

Keep in mind that if you decide to supplement with oral vitamin D3, you must carefully monitor your vitamin D blood levels to avoid overdosing. (This is why it is highly preferable to get your vitamin D through sun exposure, since there is virtually no chance of overdosing.)

To learn much more about vitamin D test values and the best labs to get your tests done, please visit the linked page. I also recommend watching my free one-hour vitamin D lecture for more information about the incredible health benefits of this essential nutrient.

Controlling Your Stress is Crucial


ABC US News | World Newsnbsp;

One in three American adults have high blood pressure (hypertension), and just as many, if not more, battle emotional and mental stress on a day-to-day basis.

Are these two conditions connected?

You bet. As reported by ABC World News on September 16, 20103, one cardiologist believes the connection between stress and hypertension is undeniable, yet still does not receive the emphasis it deserves. In response, Dr. Kennedy developed a stress-relieving technique he calls “The 15 Minute Heart Cure,” a set of breathing and creative visualization techniques that can be done anywhere, anytime. The technique is demonstrated in the ABC World News video above. By teaching your body to slow down and relax when stress hits — essentially short-circuiting your physical stress reaction — you can protect your health.

My preferred method is the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), an easy to learn, easy to use technique for releasing negative emotions. EFT combines visualization with calm, relaxed breathing, while employing gentle tapping to “reprogram” deeply seated emotional patterns.

Supplements and Other Alternatives

Although certain supplements may be helpful, it’s important to understand they should never be used as a substitute for basic lifestyle choices that treat the real cause of the problem. Using only supplements without modifying your lifestyle is an allopathic approach not very different from using drugs. In most instances, it is not likely to be effective. Once you have made some beneficial changes to your lifestyle, you can then consider some of the following supplements as a way to further enhance your health:

  • Calcium and magnesium. Daily calcium and magnesium supplementation can be useful in lowering blood pressure, especially if yours is on the high end of high. However, if you avoid sugars and grains and eat for your Nutritional Type™ (see above), it’s unlikely additional calcium or magnesium supplements will be necessary.
  • Vitamins C and E. Studies indicate that these vitamins can be helpful in lowering your blood pressure. Ideally, you’ll want to get the right amount of both these nutrients through diet alone. If you decide you need a supplement, make sure to take a natural (not synthetic) form of vitamin E. You can tell what you’re buying by carefully reading the label. Natural vitamin E is always listed as the “d-” form (d-alpha-tocopherol, d-beta-tocopherol, etc.) Synthetic vitamin E is listed as “dl-” forms.
  • Olive leaf extract. In one 2008 study, supplementing with 1,000 mg of olive leaf extract daily for eight weeks caused a significant dip in both blood pressure and LDL (“bad cholesterol”) in people with borderline hypertension. If you want to incorporate olive leaf extract as a natural adjunct to a nutritionally sound diet, you should look for fresh leaf liquid extracts for maximum synergistic potency. You can also prepare your own olive leaf tea by placing a large teaspoon of dried olive leaves in a tea ball or herb sack. Place it in about two quarts of boiling water and let it steep for three to 10 minutes. The tea should be a medium amber color when done.
  • Electrical acupuncture. Acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation has shown to temporarily lower elevations in blood pressure in animals by as much as 50 percent. It’s currently undergoing testing in humans and could be a promising alternative treatment for controlling blood pressure.
  • Breastfeeding. Studies have shown that babies who are breastfed for more than 12 months have a dramatically lower risk of developing hypertension. Researchers believe long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (the same found in fatty fish) in breast milk provide a protective effect for newborns.
  • Quick tricks. Increasing nitric monoxide in your blood can open constricted blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Methods of increasing the compound include taking a warm bath, breathing in and out through one nostril (close off the other nostril and your mouth), and eating bitter melon, rich in amino acids and vitamin C.

Like obesity, high blood pressure is an epidemic. And like obesity, your best treatment is to evaluate your lifestyle and make the necessary adjustments.

A natural approach to preventing disease and healing yourself when illness strikes is always the better choice. In the case of high blood pressure, lifestyle changes — with particular emphasis on normalizing your insulin levels — can put you on the road to a drug-free, all-natural return to optimal health.

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Broccoli Sprouts Kill Cancer; Fast

The development of science once more suggests that the best medicine can be found in the diet, and the most knowledgeable doctor is the Nature. In this case, broccoli, or even more potent, broccoli sprouts, have been proved to possess the capacity to prevent numerous health issues.

broccoli-sprouts-kill-cancer-fast

This vegetable has been repeatedly shown to be one of nature’s most valuable health-promoting foods. Broccoli sprouts are more than beneficial in cases of:

  • Allergies (1)
  • Osteoarthritis (2)
  • Diabetes (3)
  • Hypertension(4, 5)
  • Cancer

Broccoli Kills Cancer

Many researchers suggest that eliminating cancer stem cells may be key to controlling cancer. Sulforaphane, a sulfur compound, has been shown to kill these cancer stem cells, thereby, it has the potential to slow down the growth of cancer.

This is a thing that cannot be done by chemotherapies, but it can be done through our diet! The  cancer- fighting power of broccoli has been proved on various occasions, ever since studies in the mid-1990s showed that the broccoli compound glucoraphanin, which is a precursor to sulforaphane, boosts cell enzymes that protect against molecular damage from cancer-causing chemicals. (9, 10 )

Moreover, studies have also found that sulforaphane normalizes DNA methylation.(11) This is a process by which a methyl group is added to part of a DNA molecule.

The methyl groups consists of one carbon atom attached to three hydrogen atoms. DNA methylation is crucial in regulating gene expression, and is also an extremely important a part of normal cell function, allowing cells to “remember who they are and where they have been”.

This DNA process also suppresses the genes for things we want to avoid, such as viral and other disease-related genes. On the other hand, abnormal DNA methylation plays a critical role in the development of nearly all types of cancer.

The sulforaphane found in broccoli activates more than 200 different genes. To be more concrete, broccoli possesses the needed ingredients to activate genes that prevent cancer development, and deactivate the opposite ones, the genes that help the cancer to spread. What is even better, you do not need large amounts of broccoli to use its benefits and feel ots effects.

Actually, PLoS One (12) found published a study in 2008 which studied the effects of broccoli. The researchers collected tissue samples over the course of the study and found that the men who ate broccoli showed hundreds of beneficial changes in genes known to play a role in fighting cancer.

In addition, their findings showed that four servings of broccoli per week are enough to protect from prostate cancer. One serving of broccoli is about two spears, which means that the enough quantity is only 10 broccoli spears per week.

Various Cancers Can Be Cured With The Use Of Sulforaphane

One rather disturbing aspect of chemo- protection strategies is that they are rarely organ-specific. In particular, chemo- protection produces a general cancer protective effect which blocks multiple steps that are common to cancer formation. This is probably a reason why broccoli appears to work against a variety of different types of cancers.

There have been numerous studies on the sulforaphane’s effect on breast cancer, and it has been discovered that it hinders the growth of human breast cancer cells as well, at least in the laboratory. Moreover, it was also proved that it acts by disrupting the action of protein microtubules within the cancer cells, which promote cell division and growth.

What makes broccoli even more suitable for this matter is the fact that certain cancer drugs also work in this manner, but, of course, its use does not bring any of the side effects associated with synthetic drugs.

Furthermore, PreventDisease.com (13) also reports that:
“Previous research has also proven that the compound blocks the formation of breast tumors in rats, and it can even force colon cancer cells to commit cell suicide. It seems that sulforaphane works its magic on the detoxification enzymes that try to defend the cancer-promoting substances.”

Sprouts Have Even Bigger Power

As we previously mentioned, about 10 broccoli spears per week has been shown to offer protection against prostate cancer. Nevertheless, fresh broccoli sprouts have been shown to be far more capable and powerful, allowing you to eat far less in terms of quantity, which is excellent for those who do not like the taste or smell of broccoli.

In terms of research, (14) even small quantities of broccoli sprout extracts have been shown to markedly reduce the size of rat mammary tumors that were induced by chemical carcinogens.

 “Three-day-old broccoli sprouts consistently contain 20 to 50 times the amount of chemoprotective compounds found in mature broccoli heads, and may offer a simple, dietary means of chemically reducing cancer risk.”- according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University. (15)

Another good thing related to broccoli sprouts is that you can grow them at home quite easily and with low costs. Moreover, it is an advantage that they do not need to be cooked. They are eaten raw, usually as an addition to salad.

When compared to either broccoli or cauliflower, which also contains sulforaphane, (16)three-day-old broccoli sprouts contain anywhere from 10 to 100 times higher levels of glucoraphanin, compared to the mature varieties.

If you prefer mature broccoli heads, always opt for a variety of high potency, since the chemo- protective abilities of samples from 22 varieties of fresh and seven brands of frozen mature broccoli varied greatly, as tests showed. Fresh broccoli sprouts, on the other hand, are far more uniform in their potency. (17)

Furthermore, an extract of broccoli sprouts was discovered to be capable to protect your skin from sun damage, which could potentially lead to skin cancer.

Actually, Dr. Paul Talalay, a professor of pharmacology and molecular sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore investigated this issue and claims that:

“Cells contain an elaborate network of protective genes that code for proteins that protect against four principal injurious processes to which all of our cells are exposed and which are the causes of cancer, degenerative disease and aging. Those four processes are: oxidation; DNA damage; inflammation and radiation, namely ultraviolet radiation. The cells’ protective system normally operates at about one-third capacity, so the real question is what would ramp up that system.

The highest doses of sulforaphane extract reduced UV-induced redness and inflammation (erythema) by an average of 37 percent, although protection varied from 8 percent to 78 percent. If you apply an extract of broccoli sprouts that contains high levels of sulforaphane to regions of human skin, you can protect them very substantially.” 

Grow Your Own Broccoli Sprouts

Broccoli sprouts are easily grown at home, even if you have limited space. What is extremely important is to always pick organic seeds, and a pound of seeds will probably make over 10 pounds of sprouts. When you try, you will discovered that it is very easy to grow a continual supply of broccoli sprouts, and the benefit of your homemade- grown broccoli is more than evident.

By Dr. Mercola

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10 Most Overlooked Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue

Conventional medical wisdom only recognizes the most extreme version of adrenal fatigue known as Addison’s disease. Often connected to a severe autoimmune disease, about 4 out of 100,000 people are diagnosed with Addison’s, making it extremely rare. A more subtle version of the disease called non-Addison’s hypoadrenia, or adrenal fatigue, is not an official medical condition as typical testing methods do not measure low hormonal levels caused from depleted adrenal glands. Thus, when patients experience symptoms related to low adrenal levels and seek treatment, they are often sent home with no diagnosis as or a misdiagnosis resulting in unnecessary pharmaceutical intervention.

However, with holistic health practitioners and an increasing body of Medical Doctors leading the way, more and more health care professionals are acknowledging the existence of adrenal fatigue and the subsequent affects it has on our overall health. Adrenal fatigue

It’s important to remember that the adrenal glands, though less than the size of a walnut, produce some of the most vital compounds in our body. One of the most important compounds produced are the hormones our body uses to adapt to stress. However, when the adrenal glands are over worked or over stressed adrenal fatigue can set in which causes several consequences for our overall health.

10 Symptoms of Adrenal fatigue

Unfortunately, there are no tests that diagnose adrenal fatigue. Diagnosis is made by observing these symptoms.

(1) Feeling tired all the time- You wake up tired, even after what should have been a good night’s sleep. You nap, but never feel like you’ve had enough.
(2) Low libido.
(3) Craving for salty and sweet foods
(4) Dizzy or light headed while getting up quickly from sitting or prone positions.
(5) Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms.
(6) Mood swings that were uncharacteristic earlier in life.
(7) Often spacey, or foggy thinking, even memory loss.
(8) Hormonal imbalance and/or depletion.
(9) Constant muscular tension leading to hypertension and high blood pressure. Inability to relax completely.
(10) Autoimmune issues: constantly catching colds or allergic reactions.

 

Rebuilding your adrenals

You can feel well again, but  it does take time.

If you have adrenal fatigue, you can fully live life again by making the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes to treat your disorder. Here is what you need to do.

-Eat organic, healthy natural foods.

-Sleep at least 8 hours a day.

-Exercise.

-Minimize stress

-Eat regular meals

-Avoiding junk  and processed food

-Eat a lot of vegetables daily.

-Take calcium and magnesium supplements

-Adding sea salt to your diet

-Take B-complex supplements

-Take licorice root extract

by ANYA V

Source: Living Traditionally

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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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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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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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