A good spiritual plan includes the following. If you are not doing any of these add one at a time until it becomes a habit then add another. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day.
-Daily Mass
-Daily Rosary
-Frequent Confession
-Morning Prayers including the morning offering
-Evening Prayers including examination of conscience
-Spiritual reading
-Formative reading
-Bible reading
-Annual retreat
-Monthly day of recollection
-Particular examin
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Stressed About Office Work? Here’s How to Relax
Posted by: Dr. Mercola Identifying Your Sources of Stress
The first step to dealing with work-related stress is identifying the source of it.
There are two types of factors that cause work-related stress, internal and external. Once you determine the types of stress factors affecting you, you will be able to effectively find coping strategies to dealing with it.
Some external factors may include:
How to Deal With Stress at Your Desk
If your job involves working on a computer all day, you may not be able to find the time to take many breaks away from your desk. However, for your mental health it is important to make a point of practicing occasional stress reduction techniques throughout the day. This will allow you to clear your mind so you’re able to produce quality work and reenergize your body physically. For those aches and pains and moments of stress during your workday, you could try these simple tips sitting right at your desk:
Unwinding from the stresses of your workday should begin before you leave the office. Here are some great tips that will help you leave stress at the office where it belongs:
Exercise is also an excellent way to relieve tension and ward off the physical consequences of stress. Studies have shown that during exercise, tranquilizing chemicals, endorphins, are released in the brain. Exercise is a natural way to bring your body pleasurable relaxation and rejuvenation.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
In addition to these tips, many studies have shown that humor has increased work productivity. It has been cited as the best antidote to stress. A good hearty laugh has been proven to increase the immune system’s activity, lower stress hormones and increase the antibody immunoglobulin A, which protects the upper-respiratory tract. Other benefits of humor that make your work environment a more pleasant place to be includes that it shows you are easy to work with, it makes people like you and want to be around you, it enhances your creativity and can change a negative perception into a positive one.
Since stress in the office has become such a prominent issue in our society, people have resorted to seeking a variety of products from the practical to the bizarre to help alleviate their stress at the office.
These products range from:
For people constantly "on the go" and contending with overwhelming schedules daily, I recommend you consider the book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. In this book you will find practical and realistic approaches to improving your personal productivity. It is also available on audiocassette, which is great because you could listen to it while in traffic and discover ways to effectively manage your time and prioritize your goals.
(The best thing to do for dealing with stress is to put God first--prioritize your spiritual life. Have a spiritual plan and try to stick with it at least 80% of the time. You will definitely start to progress and with progression comes peace. You see things clearly. Things that used to stress you don't. Life is short the only thing that matters is loving God and doing His holy will so you can get to heaven. This isn't something to stress about either.)
The first step to dealing with work-related stress is identifying the source of it.
There are two types of factors that cause work-related stress, internal and external. Once you determine the types of stress factors affecting you, you will be able to effectively find coping strategies to dealing with it.
Some external factors may include:
- Personality conflicts with a co-worker or dealing with a difficult supervisor.
- Technology overload--attached to work through e-mail, pagers, cell phones and faxes.
- Understaffed due to cutbacks and downsizing.
- Lack of training or supervision.
- Working an excess number of hours and finding you are spending more time at work than at home.
- Perfectionism--setting unrealistic expectations for yourself.
- Having unrealistic expectations of your job.
- Taking on too much and ignoring your limitations.
How to Deal With Stress at Your Desk
If your job involves working on a computer all day, you may not be able to find the time to take many breaks away from your desk. However, for your mental health it is important to make a point of practicing occasional stress reduction techniques throughout the day. This will allow you to clear your mind so you’re able to produce quality work and reenergize your body physically. For those aches and pains and moments of stress during your workday, you could try these simple tips sitting right at your desk:
- Raise your shoulders and try to touch your ears. Stay in this position for a couple of seconds, then release. Try this about 10 times or until your shoulders feel less tense.
- For at least 30 seconds, shake your wrist.
- Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds, then slowly exhale. Do this five times.
- Quickly rub the palms of your hands together until they get hot, then close your eyes and place your palms over your eyes. You will find the heat relaxes the eyeballs.
Unwinding from the stresses of your workday should begin before you leave the office. Here are some great tips that will help you leave stress at the office where it belongs:
- Start winding down from your workday 30 minutes before you leave for the day. You can do some professional reading, straightening or cleaning your office area or putting away files. This should be any task that is not demanding and can be done leisurely.
- Make a tomorrow’s to-do list and put a star by two items that will give you a sense of accomplishment.
- If you have to deal with traffic on your way home, try picking up books on tape or a comedy tape. Music is great therapy so why not put on your favorite CD and belt it out.
- Aromatherapy produces a calming effect, particularly the scent of lavender, which you could spray on your dashboard or buy a lavender-scented air freshener.
- Take some winding down time for yourself when you get home. This could be some kind of aerobic activity or reading a book or favorite magazine.
- Put the thoughts from your day out of your mind and get a good night’s sleep.
Exercise is also an excellent way to relieve tension and ward off the physical consequences of stress. Studies have shown that during exercise, tranquilizing chemicals, endorphins, are released in the brain. Exercise is a natural way to bring your body pleasurable relaxation and rejuvenation.
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
- Walking
- Swimming
- Jogging
- Bicycling
- Hiking
- Cross-country skiing
- Volleyball
In addition to these tips, many studies have shown that humor has increased work productivity. It has been cited as the best antidote to stress. A good hearty laugh has been proven to increase the immune system’s activity, lower stress hormones and increase the antibody immunoglobulin A, which protects the upper-respiratory tract. Other benefits of humor that make your work environment a more pleasant place to be includes that it shows you are easy to work with, it makes people like you and want to be around you, it enhances your creativity and can change a negative perception into a positive one.
Since stress in the office has become such a prominent issue in our society, people have resorted to seeking a variety of products from the practical to the bizarre to help alleviate their stress at the office.
These products range from:
- Punching bags
- Desk pillows
- Stress relief aromatherapy kits for the office
- Having a dog at the office
- Essential oils in vaporizers
- Stress reduction office massages
For people constantly "on the go" and contending with overwhelming schedules daily, I recommend you consider the book, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. In this book you will find practical and realistic approaches to improving your personal productivity. It is also available on audiocassette, which is great because you could listen to it while in traffic and discover ways to effectively manage your time and prioritize your goals.
De-stress Tips
Here is a list of de-stressing tips.
from: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/relieve.html#relievequick
Relax Now List
Visualize yourself in a tranquil place.
Gain control of your breathing.
Repeat a helpful quote or word.
Get away from the noise.
Use your imagination.
Use good scents. (essential oils)
Laugh.
Cry.
A List of Relaxing Thoughts
See problems as opportunities.
Don't take it personally.
There is no right answer.
It's not a perfect world.
Let go, and let God.
This too shall pass.
Refute negative thoughts.
Stop overgeneralizing.
Control yourself, not others.
Be yourself.
De-Stress List
Exercise .
Meditate .
Take a nap.
Get a massage .
Practice yoga or tai chi. (pray and/or exercise)
Listen to soothing music.
Use guided imagery tapes. (?)
Take an aromatherapy bath.
Use biofeedback or hypnotherapy. (?)
Take time-out: a short walk or a long vacation .
Take a news fast: stop being a receptacle for the world's problems.
Let's Get Physical List
Do exercises that work your leg muscles, as in "Run away!"
Bounce on a rebounder or jog in place.
Climb stairs or use a stair-stepper.
Walk it off or run around the block.
Use a treadmill. (It works for lab rats.)
Use short bursts of muscular energy, as in "Put 'em up!"
Shadowbox or have a punching bag handy.
Do push-ups, sit-ups, and other upper body work with dumbbells.
from: http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/relieve.html#relievequick
Relax Now List
Visualize yourself in a tranquil place.
Gain control of your breathing.
Repeat a helpful quote or word.
Get away from the noise.
Use your imagination.
Use good scents. (essential oils)
Laugh.
Cry.
A List of Relaxing Thoughts
See problems as opportunities.
Don't take it personally.
There is no right answer.
It's not a perfect world.
Let go, and let God.
This too shall pass.
Refute negative thoughts.
Stop overgeneralizing.
Control yourself, not others.
Be yourself.
De-Stress List
Exercise .
Meditate .
Take a nap.
Get a massage .
Practice yoga or tai chi. (pray and/or exercise)
Listen to soothing music.
Use guided imagery tapes. (?)
Take an aromatherapy bath.
Use biofeedback or hypnotherapy. (?)
Take time-out: a short walk or a long vacation .
Take a news fast: stop being a receptacle for the world's problems.
Let's Get Physical List
Do exercises that work your leg muscles, as in "Run away!"
Bounce on a rebounder or jog in place.
Climb stairs or use a stair-stepper.
Walk it off or run around the block.
Use a treadmill. (It works for lab rats.)
Use short bursts of muscular energy, as in "Put 'em up!"
Shadowbox or have a punching bag handy.
Do push-ups, sit-ups, and other upper body work with dumbbells.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Soy
From Mercola.com:
It is crucial, however, to make a distinction between the health effects from fermented versus non-fermented soy, which I will go over toward the end of this comment, because as you will see, fermented soy dishes do have some redeeming qualities that conventional soy products lack.
Perfect Food or Brilliant Propaganda?
In recent years soy has emerged as a 'near perfect' food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopause symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis, among other things.
But how did such a 'perfect' food emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product?
Lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD shed some light on this issue when she said, "The reason there's so much soy in America is because they [the soy industry] started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. Once they had as much oil as they did in the food supply they had a lot of soy protein residue left over, and since they can't feed it to animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another market."
In short, the soy industry CREATED a market where there was none, to profit from their waste products. It required multi-million dollar advertising campaigns and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but now about three-quarters of U.S. consumers believe soy products are healthy.
It's like a re-run of the water fluoridation propaganda machine, which began in the 1940s as solution to the fluoride pollution from aluminum plants. The disposing of fluoride had become a costly problem that needed a radical solution. The solution was to create the false belief that fluoride had some health benefit, and today, not only are you likely consuming this toxic waste product in your municipal tap water, but you may even believe it's good for your teeth, AND industry is getting PAID rather than paying for toxic waste removal…
Soy has become a grossly misunderstood food category, to be added to the ranks of coconut oil, saturated fats and vegetable oils. The two former have gained a negative reputation where a good one actually applies, whereas vegetable oil, along with soy, have emerged with sparkling reputations that cover up an unsavory truth.
The Truth About Soy
For just a brief look at what's really going on, consider that numerous studies have found that soy products can actually:
Like Feeding Birth Control Pills to a Baby
One of the most disturbing ill effects of soy has to do with its phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking just two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle.
The FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, however no warnings exist on soy.
Soy products are particularly problematic for infants, and soy infant formulas should be avoided at all cost. It's been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula exclusively receive the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of estrogen every day!
When testing the blood of soy formula-fed infants, concentrations of isoflavones have been found to be 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than natural estrogen concentrations in early life. It should be obvious that the potential damage to your child can be quite significant. Not to mention the fact that soy formula lacks other vital nutrients for normal and healthy brain- and biological development.
Soy Also Contributes to Dangerously Lopsided Intake of Essential Fats
One of the most important things you can do for your overall health is to balance your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These two types of fat are both essential. However, the typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats in their diet while consuming very low levels of omega-3.
The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is probably close to 1:1. But the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 today averages from 20:1 to 50:1!
That spells serious danger for your health. Even the mainstream health media is now reporting that lack of high quality omega-3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society.
The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil; oils that are overabundant in the typical American diet. And when you consider the fact that some form of soy or corn (oftentimes both) is found in just about every processed food product on the market, it really helps to explain these excessive omega-6 levels.
What About Soy as a Source of Protein?
While soybeans are relatively high in protein compared to other legumes, they are still a poor source of protein because other proteins found in soybeans act as potent enzyme inhibitors.
These "anti-nutrients" block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion, effectively cancelling out any potential benefit you may have thought it had.
Regular soy consumption can also lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake.
It is believed that it is this ability to interfere with enzymes and amino acids that might be one of the reasons for why soy has such a negative effect on your brain. Isoflavones in tofu and other soy foods might exert their influence by interfering with the tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanisms required for optimal hippocampal function, structure and plasticity.
High amounts of tyrosine kinases are found in your hippocampus, a brain region involved with learning and memory. One of soy's primary isoflavones, genistein, has been shown to inhibit tyrosine kinase in the hippocampus, effectively blocking the mechanism of memory formation.
If You Want to Benefit From Soy, Make Sure it is Fermented !
There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy 'burgers', soy 'ice cream', soy 'cheese', and the myriad of other soy junk foods that are so readily disguised as health foods.
The study above affirms this as well, showing that consumption of tempeh was related to better memory, particularly in participants over 68 years of age. Their explanation for this difference between (unfermented) tofu versus (fermented) tempeh is that the fermentation process produces high amounts of folate, which might have a protective effect against the phytoestrogens.
Additionally, not only does the fermentation process blunt the anti-nutritive effect of the soybeans' phytic acid, it also produces probiotics -- the "good" bacteria your body is absolutely dependent on – that increase the quantity, availability, digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in your body.
As a side note, formaldehyde (used as a preservative) was also introduced as a potential culprit rather than the tofu itself in this article. Granted, formaldehyde is somewhere at the very bottom of the list of things you want to consume for good health, but even so, there are so many studies confirming the benefits of fermented soy and the dangers of non-fermented soy products in general that I believe preservatives play a secondary role in the outcome, if any.
Soy is a broad and deep subject that cannot be fully covered in a single article, so for further reading, I recommend you review my related articles below as well as my Soy Index Page, which contains links to many of my best articles and important research findings on soy.
It is crucial, however, to make a distinction between the health effects from fermented versus non-fermented soy, which I will go over toward the end of this comment, because as you will see, fermented soy dishes do have some redeeming qualities that conventional soy products lack.
Perfect Food or Brilliant Propaganda?
In recent years soy has emerged as a 'near perfect' food, with supporters claiming it can provide an ideal source of protein, lower cholesterol, protect against cancer and heart disease, reduce menopause symptoms, and prevent osteoporosis, among other things.
But how did such a 'perfect' food emerge from a product that in 1913 was listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) handbook not as a food but as an industrial product?
Lipid specialist and nutritionist Mary Enig, PhD shed some light on this issue when she said, "The reason there's so much soy in America is because they [the soy industry] started to plant soy to extract the oil from it and soy oil became a very large industry. Once they had as much oil as they did in the food supply they had a lot of soy protein residue left over, and since they can't feed it to animals, except in small amounts, they had to find another market."
In short, the soy industry CREATED a market where there was none, to profit from their waste products. It required multi-million dollar advertising campaigns and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but now about three-quarters of U.S. consumers believe soy products are healthy.
It's like a re-run of the water fluoridation propaganda machine, which began in the 1940s as solution to the fluoride pollution from aluminum plants. The disposing of fluoride had become a costly problem that needed a radical solution. The solution was to create the false belief that fluoride had some health benefit, and today, not only are you likely consuming this toxic waste product in your municipal tap water, but you may even believe it's good for your teeth, AND industry is getting PAID rather than paying for toxic waste removal…
Soy has become a grossly misunderstood food category, to be added to the ranks of coconut oil, saturated fats and vegetable oils. The two former have gained a negative reputation where a good one actually applies, whereas vegetable oil, along with soy, have emerged with sparkling reputations that cover up an unsavory truth.
The Truth About Soy
For just a brief look at what's really going on, consider that numerous studies have found that soy products can actually:
- Increase thyroid damage, especially in women
- Increase the risk of breast cancer in women, brain damage in both sexes, and cause abnormalities in infants
- Contribute to thyroid disorders, especially in women
- Promote kidney stones
- Weaken your immune system
- Cause severe, potentially fatal food allergies
- Phytoestrogens (isoflavones) genistein and daidzein, which mimic and sometimes block the hormone estrogen
- Phytates, which block your body's uptake of minerals
- Enzyme Inhibitors, which hinder protein digestion
- Haemaggluttin, which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen take-up and growth
- High amounts of omega-6 fat, which is pro-inflammatory
Like Feeding Birth Control Pills to a Baby
One of the most disturbing ill effects of soy has to do with its phytoestrogens, which can mimic the effects of the female hormone estrogen. These phytoestrogens have been found to have adverse effects on various human tissues, and drinking just two glasses of soy milk daily for one month has enough of the chemical to alter a woman's menstrual cycle.
The FDA regulates estrogen-containing products, however no warnings exist on soy.
Soy products are particularly problematic for infants, and soy infant formulas should be avoided at all cost. It's been estimated that infants who are fed soy formula exclusively receive the equivalent of five birth control pills worth of estrogen every day!
When testing the blood of soy formula-fed infants, concentrations of isoflavones have been found to be 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than natural estrogen concentrations in early life. It should be obvious that the potential damage to your child can be quite significant. Not to mention the fact that soy formula lacks other vital nutrients for normal and healthy brain- and biological development.
Soy Also Contributes to Dangerously Lopsided Intake of Essential Fats
One of the most important things you can do for your overall health is to balance your intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats. These two types of fat are both essential. However, the typical American consumes far too many omega-6 fats in their diet while consuming very low levels of omega-3.
The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is probably close to 1:1. But the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 today averages from 20:1 to 50:1!
That spells serious danger for your health. Even the mainstream health media is now reporting that lack of high quality omega-3 is one of the most serious health issues plaguing contemporary society.
The primary sources of omega-6 are corn, soy, canola, safflower and sunflower oil; oils that are overabundant in the typical American diet. And when you consider the fact that some form of soy or corn (oftentimes both) is found in just about every processed food product on the market, it really helps to explain these excessive omega-6 levels.
What About Soy as a Source of Protein?
While soybeans are relatively high in protein compared to other legumes, they are still a poor source of protein because other proteins found in soybeans act as potent enzyme inhibitors.
These "anti-nutrients" block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion, effectively cancelling out any potential benefit you may have thought it had.
Regular soy consumption can also lead to chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake.
It is believed that it is this ability to interfere with enzymes and amino acids that might be one of the reasons for why soy has such a negative effect on your brain. Isoflavones in tofu and other soy foods might exert their influence by interfering with the tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanisms required for optimal hippocampal function, structure and plasticity.
High amounts of tyrosine kinases are found in your hippocampus, a brain region involved with learning and memory. One of soy's primary isoflavones, genistein, has been shown to inhibit tyrosine kinase in the hippocampus, effectively blocking the mechanism of memory formation.
If You Want to Benefit From Soy, Make Sure it is Fermented !
There are some redeeming qualities to soy, however these are found primarily in fermented soy products like tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts. If you want to get some health benefits from soy, stick to these four forms and pass on ALL processed soy milks, tofu, soy 'burgers', soy 'ice cream', soy 'cheese', and the myriad of other soy junk foods that are so readily disguised as health foods.
The study above affirms this as well, showing that consumption of tempeh was related to better memory, particularly in participants over 68 years of age. Their explanation for this difference between (unfermented) tofu versus (fermented) tempeh is that the fermentation process produces high amounts of folate, which might have a protective effect against the phytoestrogens.
Additionally, not only does the fermentation process blunt the anti-nutritive effect of the soybeans' phytic acid, it also produces probiotics -- the "good" bacteria your body is absolutely dependent on – that increase the quantity, availability, digestibility and assimilation of nutrients in your body.
As a side note, formaldehyde (used as a preservative) was also introduced as a potential culprit rather than the tofu itself in this article. Granted, formaldehyde is somewhere at the very bottom of the list of things you want to consume for good health, but even so, there are so many studies confirming the benefits of fermented soy and the dangers of non-fermented soy products in general that I believe preservatives play a secondary role in the outcome, if any.
Soy is a broad and deep subject that cannot be fully covered in a single article, so for further reading, I recommend you review my related articles below as well as my Soy Index Page, which contains links to many of my best articles and important research findings on soy.
Vanillin --bad for you
From reader post from Mercola.com
With respect to vanillin, I fully agree with Larisa 67. I am rather too fond of dairy-free dark chocolate and usually puchase Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, which contains natural Bourbon vanilla beans. When New Zealand based Whittakers began selling their 72% Dark Ghana slabs in Australia at less than half the price per gram of Lindt, I decided to give it a go. But every single time I did so, within 36 hours of consuming their chocolate, I became almost psychotic. I carefully studied both labels. They appeared to have the same ingredients. Then I suddenly noticed one extra word - "flavour" - on the Whittaker's packaging so I telephoned Whittakers and asked exactly what flavour they used. Their answer was "vanillin". At that stage, I had never even heard of vanillin. I immediately consulted a book by Australian additives expert Sue Dengate and was informed that vanillin was generally OK. But this contradicted what I knew was happening to me whenever I consumed the Whittakers chocolate! So I googled" vanillin +anger" and "vanillin +rage" and came up with thousands of hits. World economic crisis or not, I now studiously avoid any chocolate that lists vanillin or simply the word "flavour" as an ingredient!
With respect to vanillin, I fully agree with Larisa 67. I am rather too fond of dairy-free dark chocolate and usually puchase Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa, which contains natural Bourbon vanilla beans. When New Zealand based Whittakers began selling their 72% Dark Ghana slabs in Australia at less than half the price per gram of Lindt, I decided to give it a go. But every single time I did so, within 36 hours of consuming their chocolate, I became almost psychotic. I carefully studied both labels. They appeared to have the same ingredients. Then I suddenly noticed one extra word - "flavour" - on the Whittaker's packaging so I telephoned Whittakers and asked exactly what flavour they used. Their answer was "vanillin". At that stage, I had never even heard of vanillin. I immediately consulted a book by Australian additives expert Sue Dengate and was informed that vanillin was generally OK. But this contradicted what I knew was happening to me whenever I consumed the Whittakers chocolate! So I googled" vanillin +anger" and "vanillin +rage" and came up with thousands of hits. World economic crisis or not, I now studiously avoid any chocolate that lists vanillin or simply the word "flavour" as an ingredient!
Artificial additives like artificial colors and flavors in sweets & artificial vanilla (called vanillin) in chocolate are the cause of behavior issues with children. My kids become very aggressive if they eat sweets with artificial additives or artificial vanilla, which are in most all of the mainstream candies kids have access to. There are all natural candies available and parents should look for these to give their kids. Sugar/sweets are not the culprit, it is the non-food petroleum based artificial additives causing the problems. I am a volunteer for The Feingold Assn. of the U.S. (a 30 yr old non-profit) and help 100's of families each year take artificial additives out of their children's diets. The families I help, see improvements in behavior, learning and health when these harmful additives are removed. They do have an addictive quality like most chemicals do, and many kids actually go through a detox when 1st starting the Feingold program, but the results are so worth it. More info an be found at www.feingold.org .
top 10 anti-pollutant houseplants
Posted by: Dr. Mercola
October 20 2009 | 20,540 views
Over the years there has been quite a bit of debate about whether houseplants really can filter indoor air by removing toxins and particles. NASA tests in a spacecraft packed with plants showed markedly better air, but proving that plants are efficient filters in other situations hasn't been so easy.
But houseplants can't hurt. Not only might they take out some of the air pollution, but some think they may offer some protection against electromagnetic radiation. But which houseplants should you pick?
The New Ecologist made a list of the top 10 anti-pollutant houseplants. They rate the best as:
The Feston Rose plant
Devil’s Ivy
Phalaenopsis
English Ivy
Parlor Ivy
African Violets
Christmas Cactus
Yellow Goddess
Garlic Vine
Peace Lily
October 20 2009 | 20,540 views
Over the years there has been quite a bit of debate about whether houseplants really can filter indoor air by removing toxins and particles. NASA tests in a spacecraft packed with plants showed markedly better air, but proving that plants are efficient filters in other situations hasn't been so easy.
But houseplants can't hurt. Not only might they take out some of the air pollution, but some think they may offer some protection against electromagnetic radiation. But which houseplants should you pick?
The New Ecologist made a list of the top 10 anti-pollutant houseplants. They rate the best as:
The Feston Rose plant
Devil’s Ivy
Phalaenopsis
English Ivy
Parlor Ivy
African Violets
Christmas Cactus
Yellow Goddess
Garlic Vine
Peace Lily
Underground Wellness videos
I just ran across this guy who does these videos. He is a bit entertaining and has some videos promoting the truth about many health issues. For the most part he is pretty much on target. They can be good to pass on to friends and family who may have fallen for some health lies like: 'saturated fat is bad for.'
stupidity of the avoidance of saturated fats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Carbs and blood sugar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on fluoride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on splenda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on stevia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on aspartame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on vegetable oil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
stupidity of the avoidance of saturated fats: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on sleep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Carbs and blood sugar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on fluoride:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on water: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on splenda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on stevia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on aspartame: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
on vegetable oil: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Depression hypothyroidism fuoride etc
Misc. posts from vital vote at Mercola.com:
I've gotten a few requests about what exactly I did to get off the meds. I actually thought I was doing all this to deal with candida and inflammatory polyarthritis and being able to get off meds was a pleasant surprise. I was on Cymbalta, Klonopin, Neurontin, Wellbutrin and Buspar at the time I decided to change my life. I had been on various antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs for most of my adult life.
Diet changes included no sugars, no grains, nothing processed, no starchy veggies, no root veggies except garlic and onions, no fruit except occasional berries and granny smith apples, no soy, plenty of good fats. Only dairy is raw milk kefir and occasional sheep's milk cheese. My meat is from a local farm and is largely free range/grass fed. Produce is 99% organic and mostly from a local farm. About the only organic exception is avocados. I did not go to these extremes with produce, pretty much sticking to the EWG guidelines, but I've started reacting to unknowns in many non-organic produce and don't feel safe doing otherwise. I have multiple chemical sensitivity.
Supplements that helped get me off the drugs I attribute mostly to 6 grams of fish oil/day and at least 1 gram of elemental magnesium per day, usually in the form of mag citrate but I also like magnesium malate. About 2 years ago, I posted here on Dr. Mercola's site for help getting off these drugs. The outpouring of support was amazing. Although I couldn't afford many of the things suggested, just people's kindness and caring went very far. If you are on antidepressants, especially SSRIs and SSNRIs, go to www.theroadback.org.
I now also know that know that hypothyroidism, even subclinical is a major factor in depression, so if you are suffering from depression I'd advise getting FREE T3 and FREE T4 tested and getting it interpreted correctly which is near impossible. For more information on hypothyroidism go to www.stopthethyroidmadness.com
I second what she said about Free T3 and Free T4 levels to detend hypothyroidism, but would recommend avoiding the Website she mentions. That Website thinks there is only one medication that should be used to treat hypo, and the truth is that no one medication is right for everyone.
I wanted to bring up a point about the hypothyroidism that you may or may not be aware of. Fluoride's potential to impair thyroid function is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that -- up until the 1970s -- European doctors used fluoride as a thyroid-suppressing medication for patients with HYPER-thyroidism (over-active thyroid). Fluoride was utilized because it was found to be effective at reducing the activity of the thyroid gland - even at doses as low as 2 mg/day. Today, many people living in fluoridated communities are ingesting doses of fluoride (1.6-6.6 mg/day) that fall within the range of doses (2 to 10 mg/day) once used by doctors to reduce thyroid activity in hyperthyroid patients. While it may be that the thyroid in a patient with hyperthyroidism is particularly susceptible to the anti-thyroid actions of fluoride, there is concern that current fluoride exposures may be playing a role in the widespread incidence of HYPO-thyroidism (under-active thyroid) in the U.S. Hypothyrodisim, most commonly diagnosed in women over 40, is a serious condition with a diverse range of symptoms including: fatigue, depression, weight gain, hair loss, muscle pains, increased levels of "bad" cholesterol (LDL), and heart disease.. The drug (Synthroid) used to treat hypothyroidism is now one of the top five prescribed drugs in the U.S. All of this information and more is available at the Fluoride Action Network in the Health effects Database look in the thyroid section or click here: www.fluoridealert.org/.../ 8 ounces of water fluoridated to 1 ppm has a quarter milligram of the drug fluoride in it drink 1 liter or 32 ounces of water and you have consumed 1 milligram of fluoride. Drink 1 gallon and you have taken a 4 milligram dose of fluoride. www.youtube.com/.../
I have to agree that proper nutrition is a huge key to resolving depression and also to living well with thyroid issues. In 2002, I had RAI for hyperthyroid and gained a ton of weight. I was put on Synthroid at a dose where my doctor thought my levels were optimal, but I was unable to lose the weight, even with more exercise and good mutrition. I found STTM and discovered that there were alternative meds to Synthoid, about which my endo was totally clueless. I tried one of the alternatives, with the help of a new doctor, and discovered I also had adrenal issues. Now, 6 years later, most of my health issues have been totally resolved, and I am doing very well. I didn't feel that STTM pushed one particular thyroid replacement, only that it told me of alternatives to synthetic meds.
Nobody's mentioned gluten intolerance! I was on Wellbutrin and Celexa for almost 5 years. Terrible brain zaps getting off! I hated it. My dermatologist suggested a blood test for gluten intolerance and I was positive. I am now gluten free and drug and depression free. If I eat something that is cross contaminated with gluten, I get depressed and irritable! Read the side effects of gluten intolerance and depression and irritability is always there. Get off gluten!
I just want to encourage anyone reading this. I got off over 25 years of antidepressants with diet, magnesium and fish oil and am more emotionally stable than at any time in my life.
Depression is also linked to chronic low level inflammation. It is no accident that the supplements mentioned are also anti-inflammatory in nature.
By using Turmeric, Ginger and Krill Oil, I accidentally resolved a life long depression problem brought on by undiagnosed Crohn's Disease.
When you spend some time investigating, you will find most all inflammatory diseases have depression and/or anxiety as symptoms. Most doctors and Psychiatric professionals do not make this correlation.
I would consider protein intake to be the major factor in diet that can alleviate depression and Isay this from personal experience of going from a low protein diet and feeling depressed, to a high protein diet and feeling much better, along with scientific evidence as supplied by Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D. www.radiantrecovery.com
The feel good brain chemicals rely so much on tryptophan, the amino acid found in some protein foods and also the trytophan has to be able to cross the blood brain barrier, so some healthy carbs can assist with that.
So I do believe diet can help with depression, omega 3s I agree and also though and maybe even more important, is a good intake of protein so that your body has the basic building blocks it needs to create the feel good chemicals.
St. John Wort tea is the best for depression. Make sure to buy organic. Omega-3 is also great for depression. Last year I cured myself of life-long depression & anxiety by going gluten-free. The only time that I've become depressed since I started the GF diet was after I had a food that contained 'natural flavors' which turned out to be MSG (gluten). I'm interested in trying the Krill oil to supplement my diet and I highly encourage everyone to attempt natural and dietary methods to treat depression. Life CAN be good! :)
laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener? Fragrances
( from: www.hsibaltimore.com )
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. And according to Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D. – an environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington – the contents of many air freshener brands and scented products may actually INCREASE indoor pollution. Dr. Steinemann became interested in air fresheners and other household products after hearing numerous reports from people who believed these items made them feel sick. When she conducted a chemical analysis of three best- selling air fresheners and three laundry products, she says, "I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found." To avoid legal issues, Dr. Steinemann didn't reveal any brand names of the products tested.
STUDY RESULTS:
So what's the real danger in getting an occasional whiff of laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener?
In the e-Alert "Something in the Air" (2/14/05), I told you about a UK study in which researchers monitored VOC levels for one year in 170 homes where mothers spent their days at home with children.
STUDY RESULTS:
Dr. Steinemann suggests that consumers avoid air fresheners and choose fragrance-free products. But beware – some manufacturers simply use a masking fragrance to neutralize the aroma of scented products.
Another thing that fragrances have that are bad for you are phytoestrogens which we know cause prostate problems in men and wreak havoc in women and mess up everyone's thyroid. Other things to avoid besides fragrances that have phyotestrogens are plastics, soy, and pesticides. Fragrances that the dear good God made are fine as in the completely natural ones found in flowers and herbs which can be distilled and found in essential oils.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air. And according to Anne C. Steinemann, Ph.D. – an environmental engineering professor at the University of Washington – the contents of many air freshener brands and scented products may actually INCREASE indoor pollution. Dr. Steinemann became interested in air fresheners and other household products after hearing numerous reports from people who believed these items made them feel sick. When she conducted a chemical analysis of three best- selling air fresheners and three laundry products, she says, "I was surprised by both the number and the potential toxicity of the chemicals that were found." To avoid legal issues, Dr. Steinemann didn't reveal any brand names of the products tested.
STUDY RESULTS:
- In six products, Dr. Steinemann found nearly 100 volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- 10 of the VOCs are regulated as either toxic or hazardous
- Three are classified as carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, which have no safe exposure level according to the EPA
- One of the VOCs was methyl chloride, linked to nervous system, liver, and kidney damage in animals
- Each of the six products contained at least one of the 10 toxic or hazardous VOCs
So what's the real danger in getting an occasional whiff of laundry detergent, shampoo, or air freshener?
In the e-Alert "Something in the Air" (2/14/05), I told you about a UK study in which researchers monitored VOC levels for one year in 170 homes where mothers spent their days at home with children.
STUDY RESULTS:
- In homes where air fresheners were used daily, mothers averaged nearly 10 percent more frequent headaches than mothers in homes where air fresheners were used once a week or less
- In the "daily" homes, mothers had more than 25 percent higher risk of depression compared to mothers in the "once a week" homes
- In the "daily" homes, infants were 32 percent more likely to suffer from diarrhea
- Infants in the "daily" homes had a significantly higher rate of earaches than infants in "once a week" homes
Dr. Steinemann suggests that consumers avoid air fresheners and choose fragrance-free products. But beware – some manufacturers simply use a masking fragrance to neutralize the aroma of scented products.
Another thing that fragrances have that are bad for you are phytoestrogens which we know cause prostate problems in men and wreak havoc in women and mess up everyone's thyroid. Other things to avoid besides fragrances that have phyotestrogens are plastics, soy, and pesticides. Fragrances that the dear good God made are fine as in the completely natural ones found in flowers and herbs which can be distilled and found in essential oils.
Diabetes
From westonaprice.org:
Complications of diabetes include heart disease and circulation problems; kidney disease; degeneration of the retina leading to blindness; neuropathy resulting in numbness, tingling, pain and burning in the extremities; foot ulcers leading to gangrene; and high risk of infection.
Compared to dozens of hormones that are produced when our blood sugar drops too low, the body has only two mechanisms to deal with blood sugar that goes too high. One is exercise--any muscular activity drives the sugar from the blood into the muscle cells where it is used as fuel. The second is the production of insulin. Insulin production is the body’s way of saying that the sugar level is too high, that the body is overfed with sugar. Insulin helps remove sugar from the blood into the cells where it is stored as fat. (It is interesting to note that the type of fat that is made by the body under the guidance of insulin is saturated fat.)
The second conclusion we can draw is that the cause of type II diabetes is actually quite simple. Type II diabetes occurs when for many years the consumption of foods that raise the blood sugar chronically exceeds the amount of sugar needed by the muscles for exercise. This forces the body to gradually make more and more insulin in order to bring this sugar level down. Eventually, the body cannot make enough insulin to lower the sugar level, the sugar level remains chronically high and the patient is diagnosed with diabetes.
Complications of diabetes include heart disease and circulation problems; kidney disease; degeneration of the retina leading to blindness; neuropathy resulting in numbness, tingling, pain and burning in the extremities; foot ulcers leading to gangrene; and high risk of infection.
Compared to dozens of hormones that are produced when our blood sugar drops too low, the body has only two mechanisms to deal with blood sugar that goes too high. One is exercise--any muscular activity drives the sugar from the blood into the muscle cells where it is used as fuel. The second is the production of insulin. Insulin production is the body’s way of saying that the sugar level is too high, that the body is overfed with sugar. Insulin helps remove sugar from the blood into the cells where it is stored as fat. (It is interesting to note that the type of fat that is made by the body under the guidance of insulin is saturated fat.)
The second conclusion we can draw is that the cause of type II diabetes is actually quite simple. Type II diabetes occurs when for many years the consumption of foods that raise the blood sugar chronically exceeds the amount of sugar needed by the muscles for exercise. This forces the body to gradually make more and more insulin in order to bring this sugar level down. Eventually, the body cannot make enough insulin to lower the sugar level, the sugar level remains chronically high and the patient is diagnosed with diabetes.
Along the way a curious thing happens called insulin resistance. This means that as the blood sugars are chronically elevated, and the insulin levels are rising, the cells build a shield or wall around themselves to slow down this influx of excess sugar. Insulin resistance is a protective or adaptive response, it is the best the body can do to protect the cells from too much glucose. But as time goes on the sugar in the blood increases, more insulin is made by the pancreas to deal with this elevated sugar and the cells resist this sugar influx by becoming insulin resistant, in a sense by shutting the gates. This leads to the curious situation in which blood sugar levels are high but cellular sugar levels are low. The body perceives this as low blood sugar. The patient has low energy and feels hungry so he eats more, and the vicious cycle is under way.
Having a chronically elevated insulin level is detrimental for many other reasons. Not only do high insulin levels cause obesity (insulin tells your body to store fat), but they also signal that fluid should be retained, leading to edema and hypertension. Chronic high insulin provokes plaque development inside the arteries and also suppresses growth hormone needed for the regeneration of the tissues and many other physiological responses.
During the 1980s, researchers began to ask whether obesity, coronary artery disease, hypertension and other common medical problems that occur together are really separate diseases, or manifestations of one common physiological defect. The evidence now points to one defect and that is hyperinsulinemia, or excessive insulin levels in the blood. Hyperinsulinemia is the physiological event that links virtually all of our degenerative diseases. It is the biochemical corollary or marker of the events described in heart disease.
The question we need to answer, then, is what causes hyperinsulinemia? In basic biochemistry we learn about the three food groups: fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Under normal circumstances it is the carbohydrates that are transformed into the sugar that goes into the blood. Fats are broken down into fatty acids and become the building blocks for hormones, prostaglandins and cell membranes. Proteins are broken down into amino acids which then are rebuilt into the various proteins in our bodies. Carbohydrates are used for one thing only and that is energy generation. This allows us to define a "balanced" diet, which is one where the energy used in movement and exercise equals the energy provided by the carbohydrates we consume.
For a person of a given size, protein and fat requirements are relatively fixed and can be controlled with the appetite. (It is actually difficult to overeat fats and proteins, as our bodies make us nauseous when we do.) However, carbohydrate intake should be intimately related to our level of activity. If we run a marathon every day, a balanced diet would probably include about 300 grams of carbohydrates per day, the amount contained in 20 potatoes or 6 brownies. If we sit on the couch all day, obviously our requirement for energy food will be less. In this case a balanced diet would include only about 65-70 grams of carbohydrate per day. Any more, and our bodies are forced to make more insulin and the whole vicious cycle begins.
The problem of diabetes can be summarized by saying that the western diet has us eating like marathon runners, when in fact most of us simply sit on the couch. When we regulate the carbohydrate intake to match our exercise level, type II diabetes cannot develop, and in fact, I have found that most cases of type II diabetes respond well to treatment when these basic principles are kept in mind. Type I diabetes responds equally well to a high-fat, low carbohydrate diet. In fact, before insulin was available, the only way to treat type I diabetes was a high-fat diet from which carbohydrate foods were completely excluded because the body does not need insulin to assimilate proteins and fats.
Unless eaten to great excess, fats do not contribute to diabetes--with one exception. Trans fatty acids in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils can cause insulin resistance. When these man-made fats get built into the cell membrane, they interfere with the insulin receptors. In theory, this means that one could develop insulin resistance without eating lots of carbohydrates. But in practice, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are always used in the very high-carbohydrate foods--french fries, cookies, crackers, donuts and margarine on bread or potatoes--that flood the bloodstream with sugar. Trans fatty acids in modern processed foods present a double whammy for which the human species has developed no defenses.
DIET FOR DIABETICS
Studies of indigenous peoples by Weston Price and many others reveal the wisdom of native diets and life-style. For not only did so-called primitive peoples follow the "perfect" anti-diabetes life-style program, but their diets incorporated specific foods only recently discovered to play an important role in the prevention and treatment of this disease. In general, indigenous peoples had a low carbohydrate intake coupled with a lot of physical activity. In fact, those peoples especially prone to diabetes today, such as northern Native Americans and Inuits, consumed virtually no carbohydrate foods. In warmer climates, where tubers and fruits were more abundant, these foods were usually fermented and consumed with adequate protein and fat. It is only in the change to Western habits that their so-called "genetic" tendency to diabetes manifests.
There are three other nutritional factors in indigenous diets that are helpful for diabetics. First, the diets were rich in trace minerals. Modern science has shown us that trace mineral deficiencies--particularly deficiencies in zinc, vanadium and chromium--inhibit insulin production and absorption. Without vanadium, sugar in the blood cannot be driven into the cells and chromium is necessary for carbohydrate metabolism and the proper functioning of the insulin receptors. Zinc is a co-factor in the production of insulin. Traditional foods were grown in mineral-rich soil, contained mineral-rich bone broth and salt, and included mineral-rich water or beverages made with such water. In the modern diet, the best sources of zinc are red meats and shell fish, particularly oysters. Extra virgin unfiltered olive oil supplies vanadium, and chromium is found in nutritional yeast, molasses and organ meats like liver.
Second, indigenous peoples ate a portion of their animal foods, such as fish, milk or meat, uncooked--either raw or fermented. This strategy conserves vitamin B6, which is easily destroyed by heat. Vitamin B6 is essential for carbohydrate metabolism; it is often the rate-limiting vitamin of the B vitamin complex because it is one of the most difficult to obtain in the diet. Indigenous peoples intuitively understood the need to eat a portion of their animal foods completely raw.
Third, traditional peoples consumed foods rich in fat-soluble vitamins, including butterfat from grass-fed animals, organ meats, shellfish, fish liver oils and the fats of certain animals like bear and pig. High levels of vitamin A are absolutely essential for the diabetic because diabetics are unable to convert the carotenes in plant foods into true vitamin A. Vitamin A and vitamin D also protect against the complications of diabetes, such as retina and kidney problems. And vitamin D is necessary for the production of insulin.
Putting all these rules together, we find that a nutrient-dense traditional diet fits all the requirements for the prevention and treatment of diabetes. The diet should include sufficient trace minerals from organic and biodynamic foods, Celtic sea salt, bone broths, shellfish, red meat, organ meats, unfiltered olive oil and nutritional yeast. High levels of vitamins A and D are essential, as are raw animal foods to provide vitamin B6.
Most importantly, diabetics must strictly limit their daily carbohydrate intake. While the optimum amount of carbohydrate foods depends somewhat on activity levels, most diabetics need to start on a 60-gram-per-day carbohydrate regimen until their sugars normalize. I recommend The Schwarzbein Principle as a guide to carbohydrate consumption. The book contains easy-to-use charts that allow you to assess carbohydrate values. During the initial period of treatment, which can take up to a year, average blood sugar levels should be determined by a blood test that measures HgbA1c, a compound that indicates average blood sugar levels over a period of about 6 weeks. Carbohydrate restriction will also help with weight loss.
For Type II diabetics, this diet should help both blood sugar levels and weight to normalize, after which the daily carbohydrate intake can be liberalized to about 72 grams per day. This level should be maintained throughout the life of the diabetic. The same approach applies to the Type I diabetic, although it may not allow him to get off insulin. However, strict carbohydrate restriction should reduce insulin requirements, help keep blood sugar stable and, most importantly, prevent the many side effects associated with diabetes.
Please note that in this approach there are no restrictions on total food intake, nor do we pay attention to the so-called glycemic index of various carbohydrate foods. Fats consumed with any carbohydrate food will lower the glycemic index. Worrying about glycemic indices adds nothing to the therapy and only increases time spent calculating food values rather than enjoying its goodness. One should eat abundantly from good fats and proteins--only carbohydrate foods need to be restricted.
With this approach, diabetics can expect greatly improved quality of life and even a complete cure.
Eggs and Cholesterol busting a myth
From HSI:
Two years ago the British Heart Foundation (BHF) acknowledged new evidence about dietary cholesterol in eggs. Previously, the BHF had advised against eating more than three eggs per week.
Victoria Taylor – a BHF dietician – told the BBC: ""There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol."
Finally! A little common sense from the mainstream! Thank you, Victoria.
More recently, University of Surrey researchers evaluated a variety of egg nutrition studies and found that the misconception that eggs raise cholesterol levels is based on out-of-date evidence.
Professor Bruce Griffin of the Surrey team told the BBC that the idea that egg intake is linked to high cholesterol and heart disease "must be corrected." And as if he were reading from a past e-Alert, Prof. Griffin added that eggs are in fact quite nutrient-dense.
So how in the world did eggs get such a bad rap in the first place? In case you missed it, here's how HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explained it in the e-Alert "Egging On" (3/18/09): "The studies on cholesterol/eggs and heart disease were done using POWDERED eggs! However, there is a familial hypercholesterolemia where some have to ease up on egg intake, but primarily the problem has always been OXIDIZED cholesterol – cholesterol heated and exposed to air for an extended period...not an issue in a real egg, where the yolk sac insulates the cholesterol from oxidation."
Dr. Spreen adds that eggs are a rare good source of sulfur. In addition, you'll get plenty of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins B, D, A, and riboflavin, and minerals, including calcium, potassium, and iron.
(www.hsibaltimore.com)
Two years ago the British Heart Foundation (BHF) acknowledged new evidence about dietary cholesterol in eggs. Previously, the BHF had advised against eating more than three eggs per week.
Victoria Taylor – a BHF dietician – told the BBC: ""There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol."
Finally! A little common sense from the mainstream! Thank you, Victoria.
More recently, University of Surrey researchers evaluated a variety of egg nutrition studies and found that the misconception that eggs raise cholesterol levels is based on out-of-date evidence.
Professor Bruce Griffin of the Surrey team told the BBC that the idea that egg intake is linked to high cholesterol and heart disease "must be corrected." And as if he were reading from a past e-Alert, Prof. Griffin added that eggs are in fact quite nutrient-dense.
So how in the world did eggs get such a bad rap in the first place? In case you missed it, here's how HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., explained it in the e-Alert "Egging On" (3/18/09): "The studies on cholesterol/eggs and heart disease were done using POWDERED eggs! However, there is a familial hypercholesterolemia where some have to ease up on egg intake, but primarily the problem has always been OXIDIZED cholesterol – cholesterol heated and exposed to air for an extended period...not an issue in a real egg, where the yolk sac insulates the cholesterol from oxidation."
Dr. Spreen adds that eggs are a rare good source of sulfur. In addition, you'll get plenty of protein, essential amino acids, vitamins B, D, A, and riboflavin, and minerals, including calcium, potassium, and iron.
(www.hsibaltimore.com)
Espom Salt Baths
By Melissa Breyer, Senior Editor, Healthy & Green Living
Many of us are deficient in magnesium, and by simply soaking in a relaxing bath with magnesium-rich Epsom salt we can boost our levels of this important element. “Magnesium,” you might wonder, “what’s the big deal?” Find out the importance of magnesium and discover the many surprising health benefits of using Epsom salt in your bath.
We all know about the importance of iron and calcium, but what about magnesium? It is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body. Surprisingly, it helps the body regulate over 325 enzymes and plays an important role in organizing many bodily functions, like muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, most Americans are magnesium deficient, which the academy says helps to account for high rates of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies, stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigue and a number of other ailments. Who knew?!
Americans’ magnesium levels have dropped by half in the last century due to changes in agriculture and diet. Industrial farming has depleted magnesium from soil and the typical American diet contains much less magnesium than that of our forefathers. And in fact, the modern American diet with its fat, sugar, salt and protein actually works to speed up the depletion of magnesium from our bodies.
Interestingly, our focus on getting enough calcium is another factor in decreased magnesium levels. In a delicate dance of balance, calcium depletes magnesium yet calcium functions best when enough magnesium is present. Studies indicate that taking a calcium supplement without enough magnesium can increase the shortage of both nutrients. Researchers have found that many Americans have five times as much calcium as magnesium in their bodies, although the proper ratio for optimum absorption of both minerals is two to one.
With such widespread magnesium deficiency one might think that magnesium supplements would be called upon, but studies show that magnesium is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract. The presence of specific foods or drugs, certain medical conditions, and the chemistry of a person’s stomach acid can render magnesium supplements ineffective.
This brings us to Epsom salt. Known scientifically as hydrated magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is rich in both magnesium and sulfate. While both magnesium and sulfate can be poorly absorbed through the stomach, studies show increased magnesium levels from soaking in a bath enriched with Epsom salt! Magnesium and sulfate are both easily absorbed through the skin. Sulfates play an important role in the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. They stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and are thought to help detoxify the body of medicines and environmental contaminants.
Researchers and physicians suggest these health benefits from proper magnesium and sulfate levels, as listed on the web site of the Epsom Salt Industry Council:
- Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
- Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
- Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
- Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
- Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
- Reduced inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps.
- Improved oxygen use.
- Improved absorption of nutrients.
- Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins.
- Prevention or easing of migraine headaches.
All this from a bath, hurray! While there are many different brands of Epsom salt, they are all the same product chemically, and can be found at most drug stores. Add two cups of Epsom salt and soak for at least 12 minutes. Do this three times weekly.
If you are pregnant or have any health concerns, check with your doctor before using Epsom salts.
Depression and Vitamin D Deficiency
I don't know where I copied this from:
"i recently spoke with several counselors & psychiatric physicians in charge of an emergency psychiatric in-patient clinic in Texas & posed the question to the following questions to them: 1) in your experience approximately what percentage of the patients who revolve through this ward are suffering from some form of depression? "a very high percentage", "90 percent", & "100 percent" were the replies. 2) since we know that there is a correlation between mood & sunlight exposure, & vitamin d deficiency is known to induce depression in the winter months, why not administer a 25(OH)D test on every patient who comes in? invariably they enthusiastically agreed that this would be a great idea! alas, for the doctors to try this would require the persistent demand for this from every patient in the ward..."
Magnesium Deficiency and Type 2 Diabetes and Gallstones Link
from HSI:
Dear Reader,
If you don't have a gallstone story, you probably know someone who does.
My friend Emily has one. After a few weeks of coping with what she thought was nagging acid reflux, she woke up late one night with an abdominal pain so severe she thought she was dying. Removal of her gallbladder took care of the problem.
A new study shows that Emily might have entirely avoided the brutal pain and the surgery if her magnesium intake had been sufficiently high.
Magnesium has a type 2 diabetes connection, which in turn has a gallstone connection.
Last summer I told you about a meta-analysis of seven large magnesium/diabetes studies from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Six of the studies found a significant link between high magnesium intake and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. And the sources of magnesium (either from diet or supplements combined with diet) were equally effective.
The Karolinska team found that diabetes risk dropped by 15 percent for every 100 mg increase in magnesium intake.
Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency can develop fairly easily. Menstruation, prolonged stress, a high intake of starches, alcohol, diuretics and some prescription drugs (such as antibiotics) have all been shown to reduce magnesium levels. [Conventionally grown food is magnesium deficient]
In the February 2008 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers at the University of Kentucky Medical Center note that low magnesium levels have been associated with high insulin concentrations. They write: "Chronic hypersecretion of insulin, a feature of insulin resistance, may increase the cholesterol saturation index in the bile, and thus may facilitate gallstone formation."
Magnesium deficiency may also increase gallstone risk by raising triglyceride levels while lowering HDL cholesterol levels.
To investigate the effect of long-term magnesium intake on the risk of gallstone disease, the Kentucky team (in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the National Cancer Institute) launched a study to follow magnesium intake and medical records for more than 42,000 men. ...
HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., recommends 500 mg of magnesium per day, with the added note that magnesium gluconate and chelated magnesium are the preferred supplement forms. Talk to your doctor before adding a magnesium supplement to your daily regimen.
Dietary sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, avocados, nuts, and whole grains. [Take an Epsom salt bath one a day for thirty days, then once a week]
(www.hsibaltimore.com)
Dear Reader,
If you don't have a gallstone story, you probably know someone who does.
My friend Emily has one. After a few weeks of coping with what she thought was nagging acid reflux, she woke up late one night with an abdominal pain so severe she thought she was dying. Removal of her gallbladder took care of the problem.
A new study shows that Emily might have entirely avoided the brutal pain and the surgery if her magnesium intake had been sufficiently high.
Magnesium has a type 2 diabetes connection, which in turn has a gallstone connection.
Last summer I told you about a meta-analysis of seven large magnesium/diabetes studies from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Six of the studies found a significant link between high magnesium intake and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. And the sources of magnesium (either from diet or supplements combined with diet) were equally effective.
The Karolinska team found that diabetes risk dropped by 15 percent for every 100 mg increase in magnesium intake.
Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency can develop fairly easily. Menstruation, prolonged stress, a high intake of starches, alcohol, diuretics and some prescription drugs (such as antibiotics) have all been shown to reduce magnesium levels. [Conventionally grown food is magnesium deficient]
In the February 2008 issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers at the University of Kentucky Medical Center note that low magnesium levels have been associated with high insulin concentrations. They write: "Chronic hypersecretion of insulin, a feature of insulin resistance, may increase the cholesterol saturation index in the bile, and thus may facilitate gallstone formation."
Magnesium deficiency may also increase gallstone risk by raising triglyceride levels while lowering HDL cholesterol levels.
To investigate the effect of long-term magnesium intake on the risk of gallstone disease, the Kentucky team (in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and the National Cancer Institute) launched a study to follow magnesium intake and medical records for more than 42,000 men. ...
HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., recommends 500 mg of magnesium per day, with the added note that magnesium gluconate and chelated magnesium are the preferred supplement forms. Talk to your doctor before adding a magnesium supplement to your daily regimen.
Dietary sources of magnesium include leafy green vegetables, avocados, nuts, and whole grains. [Take an Epsom salt bath one a day for thirty days, then once a week]
(www.hsibaltimore.com)
Gout
From westonaprice.org:
Finally, it will probably come as no surprise to the readers of Wise Traditions that the specific nutrient that seems to prevent the buildup of uric acid is vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that is particularly associated with the kidney. In fact, gout can be seen as a problem of the kidneys not being able to excrete enough of the uric acid to prevent the buildup, rather than simply a matter of excessive protein intake. In my years of treating patients with gout, a program of decreasing protein intake along with liberal use of all the usual animal fats (butter from healthy cows, cream, etc) and the regular use of gelatinous stocks has been the key to preventing uric acid buildup and further attacks of gout.
As for other medicines, cherry juice is a virtual specific for preventing uric acid buildup and further attacks of gout. I have patients with gout take 1 teaspoon 2 times per day of cherry juice concentrate (without the sugar), literally for the rest of their lives. I also make sure they take 1 teaspoon per day of high-vitamin cod liver oil to supply the vitamin A [Green Pasture's Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil--the only brand acceptable], which antagonizes the uric acid buildup and also nourishes the kidneys. Of course, the patient should avoid refined carbohydrates and alcohol (which contributes to syndrome X).
As for medicines, I use arginex from Standard Process at a dose of 1-2 tablets three times per day. Arginex is made from fermented beets and helps stimulate excretion via the kidneys. For acute attacks, I use the antiinflammatory Boswellia comp from Mediherb 1-2 tablets three times per day. Hopefully, with these measures your client will be able to overcome the tendency for these painful attacks.
From me:
Below my note are a bunch of cut and pasted notes from various sources all concerning gout. The things that seem to work are the raw apple cider vinegar (Braggs), Buffered vitamin C with bioflavinoids (3000-5000 a day separated), Celery Seed extract, cod liver oil, digestive enzymes, grape seed extract, vit E, sour unsweetened cherry juice and sour cherries. And putting DMSO on it for pain relief. Cut out all sugar, high fructose corn syrup, fried foods and processed foods, pop (especially diet pop), alcohol and coffee. When one does this it seriously subsides within several hours. If one would do this for two weeks it would go completely away. Eating eggs either over easy, soft boiled or raw is good. If you are going to eat beef make sure it is good quality and cooked rare or raw. Cooked beef is no good for gout. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Strawberries are good too. Eat no margarine, vegetable oils or shortening. The fats that are allowed are butter, extra virgin olive oil, lard (from a good source) and organic coconut oil, raw milk and plain yogurt and kefir (plain). Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Salads with either the raw apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice with olive oil. I would have to say drinking the apple cider vinegar (2 T in a cup of water) a couple times a day (up to 5 times a day) is the most important thing to do. Balance your pH. Chew your food well!
comments from various sources:
I had gouty arthritis last summer and went to earthclinic.com to find a remedy. The number one remedy was raw apple cider vinegar. I used 2 tablespoons in about 12 ounces of water 3 times per day and the pain was gone within hours. The swelling mostly gone in less than one day and all gone in two days. My mother saw my swollen foot and ankle which were huge and could not believe it when it was mostly gone the next day! I had the problem which was worsening day by day for weeks and couldn't believe how quickly it was gone myself. I also noticed how much better I felt on the ACV so still use it twice per day.
While most of the comments are saying that sour cherries or its juice has shown to help, it seems that most do not understand the reason why. Cherries, and to be more specific sour cherries, are an alkaline fruit. The alkalinity helps reduce the acidic effect of our diets and life styles. As stated in my earlier comment, drinking alkaline water does the same thing but with greater efficiency. Kangen Water is water that has had the molecular structure of the water broken down so that it has a greater absorbency factor, thus allowing it to more readily enter your blood stream. I as well as many others I know have had miraculous results from drinking Kangen Water.
I think that saying gout is caused by excessive uric acid not the whole story. The inflammation in gout is triggered by the tissue deposition of uric acid crystals, but why does one have excessive uric acid in the first place. Yes gout is an inflammatory disease and as such is influenced by all major inflammatory triggers like Insulin and prostaglandins - resulting from high glycemic foods, to much arachidonic acid (one of the omega 6 fats) and trans and long chain saturated fats. Obviously leaky gut, ( and thus candida and heavy metal toxicity ) poor digestion (too much cooked food and lack of digestive enzymes) and circulating immune complexis can increase inflammation. An acidic environment will lead to earlier crystallization and poorer excretion, but where does uric acid really come from. In the catabolic pathway DNA is converted (with Xantienoxidase) to Uric acid - a means to make it more water soluble. I believe any catabolic trigger is the real cause of gout and that proper nutrition with all that it entails is your best anticatabolic means. Decrease catabolism and thus formation of uric acid, support the kidneys and excretion of uric acid by taking water and alkalinizing the body. Decrease inflammation. Gerrit Gouws
This is a very old time farm based recipe for gout based on one of the most successful ways of addressing removal of excess uric acid from the body through the use of pure celery juice. and raw cider vinegar...especially if you prefer to enjoy your medicine! Try this really tasty salad and add to your regular diet..... 3-4 stalks of organically raised green celery chopped - add chopped cucumber (skin removed) and chopped or thin sliced onion (yellow), raw cider vinegar and blend well with raw organic honey to sweeten very lightly and be very sparing on seasonings if any at all - 1 clove crushed garlic pieces and/or just a bit of sea salt and pepper is enough - you will be amazed at the results.
Kris sometimes the pain is in the big toe but it can also be any part of the foot. I would add that the real cause of gout is really your kidneys are not functioning correctly. The kidneys are not filtering out the waste ( uric acid). Some of the comments on how people dealt with gout here supports this. It is thought that purine in the diet is causing the problem but I have read doctors will use a high purine diet ie grass fed meats and home made broths to correct the problem. Kidney function is really the root of the problem
I posted this in a previous article regarding HFCS:
Well I have 2 anecdotes for you that (to me at least) proves there are not the same.
1) If I drink typical "corn syrup" Cokes regularly (1+ every day) for an extended time (week or so) I will develop gout in my foot. I can switch imported Cokes (from Mexico) that are sweetened with sugar and the gout will go away.
2) My mother (in her late 50's) was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (shortly after being treated with major antibiotics for a suspected MRSA infection). She can drink a bottle of US Coke and her blood sugar will spike extremely high (I can't remember the #'s, but 600-900 sticks in my head). If she drinks the Mexican Cokes it is unaffected...
But you can rest assured that there is no difference, because those pushing this crap on us tells us so! (Coke is not recommended)
My husband has gout. The cure for him is Apple Cider Vinegar. Works wonders!
Since gout is like a symptom of kidney failure, those who "died of gout" in reality probably had undiagnosed kidney failure.
Alcohol, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) , poor food choices contribute to gout.
Well I have 2 anecdotes for you that (to me at least) proves there are not the same.
1) If I drink typical "corn syrup" Cokes regularly (1+ every day) for an extended time (week or so) I will develop gout in my foot. I can switch imported Cokes (from Mexico) that are sweetened with sugar and the gout will go away.
2) My mother (in her late 50's) was recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes (shortly after being treated with major antibiotics for a suspected MRSA infection). She can drink a bottle of US Coke and her blood sugar will spike extremely high (I can't remember the #'s, but 600-900 sticks in my head). If she drinks the Mexican Cokes it is unaffected...
But you can rest assured that there is no difference, because those pushing this crap on us tells us so! (Coke is not recommended)
My husband has gout. The cure for him is Apple Cider Vinegar. Works wonders!
Since gout is like a symptom of kidney failure, those who "died of gout" in reality probably had undiagnosed kidney failure.
Alcohol, HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) , poor food choices contribute to gout.
used celery seed for his gout and many others have. As for the celery seed pills- save your nickels and buy celery seed in bulk at your Health Food Store. Make it in to a tea. don't drink more than 1/2 cup 2x a day, and don't take it indefinitely. Celery Seed is a potent cleanser of the kidneys and used long term can be irritating.
Sour cherry juice.
My brother juices celery for his gout and it works great, but I just buy a gallon of aloe vera juice at Sam's Club for under $6 and it also works great with less fuss. I wonder how much the celery seed pills are?
relieving a potassium deficiency can relieve it somewhat
As we all know, gout is caused by uric acid. Most all of the health problems we have are caused by too much acid in our bodies. Interesting that some of the responses talk about coke and its effect on gout. All soft drinks are very, very, very acidic. What I have found, and have gotten almost 100% relief from, is drinking electrolyzed water that turns ordinary tap water into alkaline hexagonal water. I have Kangen Water machine attached to my tap that changes my tap water to Kangen Water. I have many testimonials from people that are using Kangen Water to relieve symptoms of many various problems such as acid reflux, diabetes, arthritis etc. All of these are the result of to much acid in our systems. Relief could be a glass of water away. You can check it out at www.water4unow.com
I have had the question in my mind for awhile of whether or not excessive coffee drinking could cause gout. As it leeches calcium from the bones, and causes dehydration as well, it makes sense that it would increase uric acid levels.
Sour cherry juice.
My brother juices celery for his gout and it works great, but I just buy a gallon of aloe vera juice at Sam's Club for under $6 and it also works great with less fuss. I wonder how much the celery seed pills are?
relieving a potassium deficiency can relieve it somewhat
As we all know, gout is caused by uric acid. Most all of the health problems we have are caused by too much acid in our bodies. Interesting that some of the responses talk about coke and its effect on gout. All soft drinks are very, very, very acidic. What I have found, and have gotten almost 100% relief from, is drinking electrolyzed water that turns ordinary tap water into alkaline hexagonal water. I have Kangen Water machine attached to my tap that changes my tap water to Kangen Water. I have many testimonials from people that are using Kangen Water to relieve symptoms of many various problems such as acid reflux, diabetes, arthritis etc. All of these are the result of to much acid in our systems. Relief could be a glass of water away. You can check it out at www.water4unow.com
I have had the question in my mind for awhile of whether or not excessive coffee drinking could cause gout. As it leeches calcium from the bones, and causes dehydration as well, it makes sense that it would increase uric acid levels.
In another narration by Abu Dharr (A.S.), he said, "The Prophet (PBUH) was given a basket full of figs as a present. He said to us, "Eat!" He ate of it and said: "If I could say that a fruit was sent down from Heaven, it would be this, as the fruit in Heaven has no stones. Eat it, as it cures hemorrhoids and it is useful for treating gout (or arthritis)."
In my chiropractic practice we prescribe tea made from celery seeds. Take two to four cups per day works just about every time. I do agree with staying away from bad fats and sugars, this will inflame the condition every time. Also, EXERCISE(pain free range) and vitamin D.
Thank you for talking about Uric Acid and how it affects the joints when it crystallizes in the joints. This is all because we are over acidic. If you ever drink any soda pop, sports drinks, vitamin water, or even reverse osmosis or distilled water, you are drinking highly acidic around 2.5PH. There are all very toxic.
The key to eliminating gout and any of the arthritic conditions we suffer from is drinking Alkaline, Anti-Oxidant Water. This water is produced in your home by a device that has been used in Japanese hospitals and clinics for nearly 40 years. Good health is as simple as the water you drink.
You can get information on the internet, just look for Whole Life Water. I got one nearly 2 years ago and the arthritis in my hands that I had suffered with for 5 years was gone in less than 24 hours. It works just as well for Gout as it dissolves the Uric acid crystals and flushes them out of your body.
I take a 600 mg tablet of Bromelain on an empty stomach 2 times/day when I feel a twinge of gout (also arthritic twinges). Usually takes care of the problem before the 2nd dose. I did the same thing both times I had a synovial cyst on the back of my hand (from surgical excision of trapezoid, each hand). Surgeon expected to do second surgeries for the cysts but I wiped each one out using Bromelain within 2 days. They never returned. Now he recommends it to his patients (quite a sacrifice for him, income-wise!).
Bromelain seems to consume uric acid (and some other bad proteins) in the joints and surrounding tissue. I'm sure Doc Mercola could expand on Bromelain's uses...
Bromelain seems to consume uric acid (and some other bad proteins) in the joints and surrounding tissue. I'm sure Doc Mercola could expand on Bromelain's uses...
I agree. I have seen much quicker relief from gout by using bromelain than cherries or other diuretics. I like plain bromelain over enzyme combinations with acidic ingredients because it can be taken in very large amounts without stomach upset. I have seen gout cured in a single day with 10 capsules of high potency (2000GDU) and drinking a cup of water every couple of hours.
Uric acid is a byproduct of incomplete protein digestion so using protein digesting enzymes should always stop it from occurring.
Uric acid is a byproduct of incomplete protein digestion so using protein digesting enzymes should always stop it from occurring.
I would suggest that anyone who accepts that uric acid is the cause of gout has been misinformed. Dr Mercola in the above article says this:
"Because the REAL underlying problem causing the inflammation, and subsequent damage, is likely due to having chronically elevated blood sugar. (The sugar molecule causes far more damage than any other molecule.) And, your number one way of normalizing your blood sugar and insulin levels is through your diet".
To this, I subscribe. Serendipitously I discovered that the cause of my own gout was indeed diet and principally the high intake of carbohydrates. Immediately those were reduced in the diet the gout disappeared. This problem is not connected to animal protein which, together with saturated fat, is our body's natural food.
The problem, however, and many other health problems, is not always directly related to diet (which, obviously is a contributory factor) but more connected to digestion. It is not easy to distinguish this difference but leptin studies are indicating that the stomach needs longer periods of fasting between meals than traditionally we have allowed. Furthermore, to those who suffer from nocturnal cramp then do two things, stop snacking between meals (which is not as easy as it sounds) and have the last meal of the day at least three hours prior to retiring; it is best to go to sleep on an empty stomach. Nocturnal cramp will then be found to have decreased by 95% and what little one suffers will be of a milder form.
inadequate magnesium can also cause nocturnal cramps. I tell my patients to take 1 tbsp liquid calcium/magnesium and it works within a day or two. even for those with long term muscle cramps.
Thank you, Kerstin, that was my impression from personal experience (the only time that I had gout). And it wasn't only taken over a long time. I was forced to take these drugs in four days and caused horrendous symptoms - gout was one of the adverse reactions.
"Because the REAL underlying problem causing the inflammation, and subsequent damage, is likely due to having chronically elevated blood sugar. (The sugar molecule causes far more damage than any other molecule.) And, your number one way of normalizing your blood sugar and insulin levels is through your diet".
To this, I subscribe. Serendipitously I discovered that the cause of my own gout was indeed diet and principally the high intake of carbohydrates. Immediately those were reduced in the diet the gout disappeared. This problem is not connected to animal protein which, together with saturated fat, is our body's natural food.
The problem, however, and many other health problems, is not always directly related to diet (which, obviously is a contributory factor) but more connected to digestion. It is not easy to distinguish this difference but leptin studies are indicating that the stomach needs longer periods of fasting between meals than traditionally we have allowed. Furthermore, to those who suffer from nocturnal cramp then do two things, stop snacking between meals (which is not as easy as it sounds) and have the last meal of the day at least three hours prior to retiring; it is best to go to sleep on an empty stomach. Nocturnal cramp will then be found to have decreased by 95% and what little one suffers will be of a milder form.
inadequate magnesium can also cause nocturnal cramps. I tell my patients to take 1 tbsp liquid calcium/magnesium and it works within a day or two. even for those with long term muscle cramps.
May I add that blood thinners (taken over a long time) causes gout in some people, such as Plavix and Aspirin.
True Story: I had a heart attack at age 30. My cholesterol had been 250 or higher for 5 consecutive years. My blood pressure was never lower than 135/85. After the mild heart attack I was put on blood pressure, blood thinning, and cholesterol medication. For the next 3 years I was on this medication and I was on a very strict diet and I was running 2 miles a day in 15 minutes (started out 25 minutes). I was also doing strength training 3 days a week for 45 minutes each day. My blood pressure stayed the same and my cholesterol went up over 300. The last 4 months I was on this low fat (no fat) high carb diet I actually grew my own garden. It included corn, okra, purple hull peas, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, peppers, and water melon. The garden itself was a major work out because I had no tiller. It required at least an hour of my time every day. My cholesterol went to over 350. I told my doctor what my diet was and that I only ate foods I grew out of my own garden and that I did hard labor at least an hour a day on top of my 2 mile run a day and he called me a liar. Needless to say, I changed doctors. I found a doctor in Little Rock. AR who has a reputation for thinking outside the box. He has a PHD in Bio-Chemistry and Psychology and he has an MD. I told him I would rather die than to continue this unsustainable life style of growing my own foods and working out every day while taking tons of medication. I gave him the whole spill of the medications I was on, the heart attack I had, and the diet I was own and told him I was going to end all of it and go back to eating the foods I love like Ribeye steak!! He told me that was a great idea which totally blew me away. He told me to stop exercising because it maybe aggravating inflammation due to arthritis. He told me to stop eating anything "low fat" and anything containing sugar. Then he said for 2 weeks to limit my total carb intake to 3 grams/day. I immediately felt better. I was able to sleep and much of my pain went away. Within another 2 weeks I went to the local clinic to have my cholesterol checked and to my surprise it was 140. For the first time in 10 years it was normal!! That was 1998. 10 years later, I still don't exercise and I still eat mostly high protein/high fat foods. The highest my cholesterol has been in the last 10 years is 190 (lots of vegetables and so called "health food" contributed to that 190). I continue to amaze myself every 6 months when my cholesterol comes back 120, 135, and sometimes 160. All the joint pain and gout I experienced my entire life is gone. I rarely even have a stiff neck at 43 years of age. There were days when I was 30 that I missed work due to neck and back pain. All this low fat high carb diet the doctors promote is for one thing: to keep you coming back to their office. It's a money making machine. For all you people that are tired of being sick do something different. Buck the system. Tell your doctor to K.Y.A.!!! Guess what? Most diseases are related to chronic inflammation. Medications treat the symptoms and not the causes of the inflammation. Get off the insulin producing foods and your life will change.......
The best rule of thumb is this: If you can make bread or alcohol out of it don't eat it. If it is out of a can or box don't eat it. If it says "LOW FAT" don't eat it. If it says "Contains Alcohol Sugars" don't eat it. If it is green, yellow, orange, or red you can eat it. If it is white or brown don't eat it. You can eat any meat in any quantity you like. Of course, meats high in Omega 3's is best but you have to be concerned about heavy metals. Therefore, stick to beef and preferably GRASS fed beef. Try this for 4 weeks and see if your not able to quit your "anti-inflammatory" drugs.
The best rule of thumb is this: If you can make bread or alcohol out of it don't eat it. If it is out of a can or box don't eat it. If it says "LOW FAT" don't eat it. If it says "Contains Alcohol Sugars" don't eat it. If it is green, yellow, orange, or red you can eat it. If it is white or brown don't eat it. You can eat any meat in any quantity you like. Of course, meats high in Omega 3's is best but you have to be concerned about heavy metals. Therefore, stick to beef and preferably GRASS fed beef. Try this for 4 weeks and see if your not able to quit your "anti-inflammatory" drugs.
Every one is different! My husband suffered gout for years, and we tried everything! Best for short term was taking baking soda in water (alkalizes the body). Consuming huge amounts of water and sweating is what works for him. I'm sure a sauna would work too.
... lead toxicity causing gout is interesting...
... lead toxicity causing gout is interesting...
High Blood Pressure revisited
Swanson's is the place to get certain supplements. Lee Swanson Signature Line Ultimate Probiotic Formula , Alpha Lipoic Acid, digestive enzymes, Kyolic Digestion garlic , buffered vitamin C with bioflavinoids 1000 , magnesium (espsom salt baths). Swanson Health Products
1. Eat lots of raw cloves of garlic. Eat it on your salads and in your
soup (squeezed in your bowl) or you can take garlic caps (Kyolic Digestion garlic). My grandmother brought her blood pressure down by eating fresh garlic when she had it really high and was hemorrhaging from the nose profusely.
2. Eat good fats: raw organic butter, coconut oil, lard(homemade), and raw animal foods (raw dairy and meat--raw yolks, over easy eggs, soft boiled eggs, meat cooked rare or just seared or raw--only high quality, pastured), unfiltered extra virgin cold pressed olive oil.
3. Eat bone broths, organic leafy green veggies especially salads, and live sour kraut (homemade from organic cabbage). Look for foods high in potassium and magnesium.
4. Take cod liver oil every day (the only one to take: Green Pasture's Blue Ice fermented cod liver oil).
5. Avoid all processed foods and commercial salt, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, aspartame, sucralose, sugar and white flour products, unfermented soy in any form. Do use Celtic sea salt.
6. Avoid alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, and fruit juices from concentrate.
7. Temporarily avoid all grains for a few weeks then use only sparingly.
8. Exercise, I can't stress this enough. Walks are great and use the rebounder.
9. Pray. This is good for your soul and it helps reduce stress, but most importantly you're loving God.
10. Do deep breathing exercises and make sure you breath deeply. Many people especially in America breath shallowly thus causing stress and a lack of oxygen.
11. Get enough regular sleep--set bedtime and wake time preferably be asleep by 10:00pm.
12. Drink enough good water (spring water, Perrier (expensive and some say the carbonation is bad--it makes me feel hydrated the best) or Reverse Osmosis with minerals added back, I put a pinch of Celtic sea salt in).
13. Herbs: cayenne (capsicum), chamomile, fennel, hawthorn berries, parsley, and rosemary. You can get these in teas, capsule form or tinctures from Swanson Health Products
14. Probiotics and digestive enzymes seem to help just about everyone.
15. Kumbacha tea (make your own) essiac tea (make your own).
16. Balance your pH. (fresh lemon juice and/or raw apple cider vinegar with water)
17. Take Epsom salt baths-- this is very important. Lack of magnesium plays a significant role in hypertension. This is a great way to absorb and utilize magnesium.
18. I also like to use essential oils.
19. Eliminate stress--it can kill you. Laugh.
But consult your doctor or alternative health practitioner if you want to. I am not a doctor, every body is different, use your own best judgment. See what works for you.
Things one can do if one has high blood pressure:
1. Eat lots of raw cloves of garlic. Eat it on your salads and in your
soup (squeezed in your bowl) or you can take garlic caps (Kyolic Digestion garlic). My grandmother brought her blood pressure down by eating fresh garlic when she had it really high and was hemorrhaging from the nose profusely.
2. Eat good fats: raw organic butter, coconut oil, lard(homemade), and raw animal foods (raw dairy and meat--raw yolks, over easy eggs, soft boiled eggs, meat cooked rare or just seared or raw--only high quality, pastured), unfiltered extra virgin cold pressed olive oil.
3. Eat bone broths, organic leafy green veggies especially salads, and live sour kraut (homemade from organic cabbage). Look for foods high in potassium and magnesium.
4. Take cod liver oil every day (the only one to take: Green Pasture's Blue Ice fermented cod liver oil).
5. Avoid all processed foods and commercial salt, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, aspartame, sucralose, sugar and white flour products, unfermented soy in any form. Do use Celtic sea salt.
6. Avoid alcohol, coffee, soft drinks, and fruit juices from concentrate.
7. Temporarily avoid all grains for a few weeks then use only sparingly.
8. Exercise, I can't stress this enough. Walks are great and use the rebounder.
9. Pray. This is good for your soul and it helps reduce stress, but most importantly you're loving God.
10. Do deep breathing exercises and make sure you breath deeply. Many people especially in America breath shallowly thus causing stress and a lack of oxygen.
11. Get enough regular sleep--set bedtime and wake time preferably be asleep by 10:00pm.
12. Drink enough good water (spring water, Perrier (expensive and some say the carbonation is bad--it makes me feel hydrated the best) or Reverse Osmosis with minerals added back, I put a pinch of Celtic sea salt in).
13. Herbs: cayenne (capsicum), chamomile, fennel, hawthorn berries, parsley, and rosemary. You can get these in teas, capsule form or tinctures from Swanson Health Products
14. Probiotics and digestive enzymes seem to help just about everyone.
15. Kumbacha tea (make your own) essiac tea (make your own).
16. Balance your pH. (fresh lemon juice and/or raw apple cider vinegar with water)
17. Take Epsom salt baths-- this is very important. Lack of magnesium plays a significant role in hypertension. This is a great way to absorb and utilize magnesium.
18. I also like to use essential oils.
19. Eliminate stress--it can kill you. Laugh.
But consult your doctor or alternative health practitioner if you want to. I am not a doctor, every body is different, use your own best judgment. See what works for you.
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