Dengue - fatal disease, causes and cures

Dengue - fatal disease, causes and cures
How to fight Dengue? Causes and Prevention of Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is a flu kind of illness spread by mosquito bites. Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are caused by any of the dengue family virus. This is also widely known as 'Break bone fever' due to the severe joint pain caused during the attack. Dengue can be diagnosed by blood test. The infected person as such cannot spread the infection but can be a source to spread it.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is often complicated and severe. This rather can be termed as a complication dengue fever. Those bitten by the mosquito can get dengue fever and those already infected once if infected again are prone to higher risk of getting dengue hemorrhagic fever.

Dengue is an infectious disease causing frequent epidemics. There are various factors that contribute like lack of effective mosquito control, lack of public health systems to control the epidemic, the increase usage of plastic items which are the breeding sites of the mosquitoes.

Dengue is spread by the bite of an 'Ades' Mosquito. This mosquito bites the infected person and then bites someone else who is not affected thus transmitting the infection. These mosquitoes are active during the day time and spread the infection during day time. These mosquitoes live among human beings and breed in discarded tyres, flower pots, water stores etc.

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Dengue fever starts suddenly accompanied by headache, severe joint pain ,rashes, nausea and lack of appetite. The illness can last up to 10 days and the complete recovery could take about four to six weeks. Widely the dengue infections result in relatively mild illness however in some cases it may lead to the dengue hemorrhagic fever. In the complicated stage the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding through mouth, nose and gums. This is most prevalent among children and young adults. This stage requires close medical attention.


Treatment for Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic fever

As far as the treatment is concerned there is no specific course, However the affected person is treated with Paracetamol to bring down the fever. The person is usually adviced to drink lots of fluids. The infected person should be isolated until recovery from the rest of the family to prevent further infections.

Although there is no vaccine to prevent this epidemic certain preventive measures as specified below can be taken to control the epidemic.

Preventive Measures to control Dengue Fever
Use mosquito repellents.
discard all unwanted items getting gathered around the living area to avoid the breeding of mosquitoes.
Keep the water stores clean and closed.
keep yourself well covered when outside.
Take prompt medical advice once fever starts.

TIP- Seasonal Diet, Body and Skin Care

The usefull information on Seasonal care and tips and technics to maintain a healthy body and a healthy skin.

Skin care depends on various other factors of the body condition. Fruits and vegetables are having abundant sources of vitamins and minerals to keep your body fit and healthy.

A good skin can be achieved by ensuring that all natural elements required for it are given accordingly. Sunlight, water, fruits, milk and many other such things provide lot of value to skin
     Get rid of unwanted hair: Because the amount of body hair varies considerably from woman to woman and there is a wide range that is considered normal, someone may think she has excessive hair but not be considered hirsute
     Treatment for eyes : Home remedies for puffed eyes and dark circles. Treat your eyes for a rejuvenated and refreshing appearance
     Summer Care - Beat the heat with fruit juices: Juices of grapes, watermelon, banana, jack fruit, lemon and pineapple are essential during summer.
     Summer Care - How to avoid Heat exhaustion: Avoid Heat Exhaustion by consuming lot of water and eating more fruits and vegetables.

     Tips to treat tired eyes: Most computer users suffer from the problem of tired eyes, dark circles and headaches. Follow these ten tips to avoid them.

Outlawing of Airbnb ironically highlights hotel health hazards, human herding

Do you prefer to sleep on a bed not slept-in by thousands of people before you?
Does your body thrive better where no disinfectant chemicals have been heavily applied?
Does being surrounded by hundreds of televisions (including the one right behind your head on the other side of the wall in the next room) throw off your electromagnetic field?
Do you choose not to stomach the GMO and processed foods at "complimentary" breakfasts at hotels?
Are aware it is less stressful and healthier you to enjoy the friendliness and care of an individual who has made their home a healthy sanctuary?

Thus, traveler, have you begun successfully and healthfully using Airbnb for your travel accommodations?
If so, you're likely to be up the creek now that the regulatory government is involved.

Why? Because Airbnb has now been officially made "illegal" in New York.

Through a law that was supposed to "protect against landlords running illegal hotels from their property" (read: protect existing hotel hegemony despite the above health and ecology hazards), an Airbnb host in New York City has been fined $2,400 for using the Airbnb website, as it was designed.

"Down with creative individual solutions!"
Airbnb came to the host's defense, but the host lost the court case anyway.

Airbnb, in a statement, said the ruling is a concern for those who want to occasionally rent out their own homes: "It is time to fix this law and protect hosts who occasionally rent out their own homes. Eighty-seven percent of Airbnb hosts in New York list just a home they live in--they are average New Yorkers trying to make ends meet, not illegal hotels that should be subject to the 2010 law."

Instead, the "rules" (tyrannical dictates?) will now make it even harder to travel, to find a homely, personal place to sleep among people who trust other people, and to avoid:
Mega-corporation provided "breakfasts"
Industrial, flame-retardant coated rugs
VOCs in paints
Chemical waste-products masquerading as fragrant soaps
Intake of allergens and toxins from cheap rubber and vinyl shower curtains
Off-gassing window curtains
Conventional cotton sheets which come from cotton crops, which is the most intensely insecticided crop grown in the world
The hustle-bustle of the human act of traveling to visit a city having been turned into a rigid business operation, where you are just a room number
Using Airbnb, you can screen the potential home you would stay in for your exact specifications, moral stances, sensitivities, social and environmental preferences with a willing local where you are visiting, and get to know your unique host before you arrive.

Even if you simply choose not to support in the mega-hotel institutions that host pharmaceutical, biotech, western medical conferences, and yet not stay in a run-down dirty motel either, you are born having that innate freedom and right. Nevertheless the "law" appears to infringe on your freedom of mobility.

Source :-OverInternet News

Recipes: Prepare Dandelion Root Tea

 

Good Morning!

Recipes: Prepare Dandelion Root Tea

Here is how you prepare dandelion root tea:

Boil a quart of water in a pot Reduce the heat.

Add 2 tbsp. of cleaned and chopped fresh dandelion roots to the water.

Let the water simmer for thirty minutes, keeping it covered during this time.
Then, remove the pot from the heat source.

Following this, add two tbsp. of freshly picked and chopped dandelion leaves.
Let the leaves steep into the liquid for twenty
minutes. After which, the liquid can be strained.

You will benefit by drinking two cups of the herbal dandelion tea every day.

Food Combinations

 

Good Morning!

Food Combinations

The purpose of food combining is a simple, scientifically based system of selecting foods, from among different types, which are compatible. This facilitates easy and efficient digestion and ensures after-meal comfort.

The digestive system is responsible for receiving food, breaking it down into nutrients, absorbing the nutrients into the bloodstream, and eliminating the undigestible parts of food from the body. The chemical part of digestion is accomplished by a series of
juices and their enzymes. The juices alternate between alkalis and acids, and their character is determined by the requirement of the enzymes they contain. These enzymes remain active in suitable media of well defined acid-alkaline ranges and are destroyed in unsuitable media.

For instance, the salivary amylase (ptyalin) or starch-splitting enzyme of the mouth is active only in an alkaline media and is destroyed by a mild acid. The gastric enzyme, pepsin, which initiates protein digestion, is active only in the acid medium and is destroyed by alkalis.

A noteworthy feature of the digestive secretions is that the body suits its fluid and enzymes to the character of the food eaten. There are, however, severe limitations in this process. It is possible to suit the juices to a particular food, however, complex it may be, but not to a variety of foodstaken together. It is the combining of many varieties and incompatible foods at a meal that causes 90 per cent of digestive disorders.

The goal is in eating similar foods at one time in order to accomplish the most complete digestion.

The most important rule for combining foods is to avoid mixing protein and carbohydrate concentrated foods.

Although every food contains some protein, those regarded as protein concentrated foods demand the longest digestive time. They are held in the stomach for some hours until the gastric juices has performed its task.

This may vary from two-and-a-half to six hours, depending upon the complexity of the protein in the food. If a protein food is mixed with starch-concentrated or sugar-concentrated foods, it will usually result in fermentation. This may lead to indigestion and gas in the stomach.

Animal-food proteins, such as meats, fish and cheese, require very high concentration of hydrochloric acid. Their gastric digestion will be greatly inhibited by carbohydrate fermentation in the stomach. This will produce more gas and increased discomfort.

Eating meat, potatoes, bread and sweets should, therefore, be especially avoided.

BEST SUGGESTIONS

#1. Protein foods are best digested when eaten with fresh vegetables (different vegetables can be eaten together).

Primary protein foods such as nuts, seeds and soybeans also combine very well with acid fruits like oranges, pineapples, grapefruit and lemons, and fairly well with sub-acid fruits, like grapes, pears, apples, berries, apricots and peaches. These vegetables and fruits are rich natural sources of vitamin C which helps protein digestion.

#2. Avoid mixing proteins and fats at the same meal.

Fat in foods inhibits the secretion of gastric juice through the small wall. When fat-concentrated foods are taken with protein foods, gastric catabolism will decrease by the degree of liquid concentration in the stomach. Fat will remain undigested in the stomach until gastric juices complete their work on the complex protein molecule.

Although all primary protein foods contain high concentration of fat, such lipids will be held in suspension, awaiting catabolism in the intestine, without impeding gastric action. Free fats like oil, butter, and milk tend to coat the gastric mucosa, thereby inhibiting its effort to secrete gastric juice. Fat surrounding fried foods is also regarded as free fat and it interferes with gastric catabolism.

#3. Avoid mixing carbohydrates and acid fruits in the same meal.

The starch-splitting enzyme ptyalin in the saliva plays an important role as the food is chewed. It converts the complex starch molecules into simple sugars. Ptyalin requires a neutral or slightly alkaline medium for proper functioning and this is the normal condition of the saliva in the mouth. However, when acid foods are taken, theaction of ptyalin is halted. It is, therefore, necessary to avoid acid fruits in the same meal as sweet fruits or starches. Tomatoes should not be eaten with starches especially potatoes or bread.

Refined sugar products are also acidic, both in the mouth and in the blood stream.
The acidifying of the saliva by sucrose is one of the main causes of tooth
decay. It can also cause severe damage to the digestion. Food combining is designed to facilitate easier digestion.

MEALS
An important point to remember about meals is that the smaller the number of courses they consist of, the better it will be. They should approximate to a one-course meal as much as possible. Simple meals in every way are more conducive to health, than more elaborate ones, no matter how well they may be combined.

A meal consisting of proteins, carbohydrates and fats may remain in the stomach for six to seven hours before the stomach is emptied. If carbohydrates are eaten without proteins, they remain in the stomach for a relatively short period. A fruit meal remains in the stomach for even shorter time.

It is advisable to eat these different foods at different meals -- a fruit meal, a starch meal and a protein meal. The ideal practice is a fruit meal for breakfast, a starch meal with salad and non-starchy vegetables for lunch, and a protein meal with a salad and non-starchy vegetables for dinner.

Proteins: Nuts, seeds, soybeans, cheese, eggs, poultry* meat*, fish*, yogurt.

Fats: Oils, olive, butter, margarine.Starches: Whole cereals, peas, beans, lentils.

Vegetables: Leafy green vegetables, sprouted seeds, cabbage cauliflower,broccoli, green peas, celery, tomatoes, onions.

Clinical Nutrients for Osteoporosis

 

Good Evening!

Clinical Nutrients for Osteoporosis
by Tori Hudson, ND

Numerous modifiable and non-modifiable factors influence the risk of developing
osteoporosis. This article provides the practitioner with an understanding of
supplementary clinical nutrients and their effect on bone loss and fractures.
Lifestyle modifications and nutrient supplementation may be able to reduce the
risk of osteoporosis and the associated debilitating fractures. For women who
have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, these nutritional factors can
serve as an adjunct to conventional therapies to slow bone loss and, more
importantly, decrease the risk of fractures.

NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION

Calcium
Adequate calcium intake has an established role in maintaining bone health,
primarily in very young women and the elderly. However, calcium is only modestly
effective for slowing the loss of bone mineral density in peri- and early
postmenopausal women. Calcium supplementation also appears to have an important
role in improving the efficacy of pharmaceutical agents used to treat bone loss
and osteoporosis.

Prior to the Women's Health Initiative study, there was no clear evidence that
higher calcium intake decreased fracture risk.1 A meta-analysis of prospective
cohort studies and clinical trials found that higher calcium intake and calcium
supplementation were not associated with a lower incidence of hip fractures.2 In
a 2004 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, supplementation with
500-2,000 mg per day of calcium had only a modest benefit on bone density in
postmenopausal women: the difference in the amount of bone loss between calcium
and placebo was 2.05% for the total body, 1.66% for the lumbar spine, and 1.64%
for the hip.3 Two trials within this meta-analysis suggested a modest and
nonsignificant benefit with calcium supplementation and the risk of nonvertebral
fractures. In the Women's Health Initiative, which enrolled more than 36,000
postmenopausal women, supplementation with 1,000 mg per day of calcium and 400
IU per day of vitamin D decreased the risk of hip fractures nonsignificantly by
12%, when compared with placebo. However, when the analysis was restricted to
women who took the tablets at least 80% of the time, calcium plus vitamin D
significantly decreased hip fractures by 29% compared with placebo.4

Other calcium studies also showed a beneficial effect on bone loss. In
postmenopausal women, calcium supplementation has been shown to decrease bone
loss by as much as 50% at nonvertebral sites. The effects were greatest in women
whose baseline calcium intake was low, in older women, and in women with
established osteoporosis.5 In a study by Elders et al,6 a significant decrease
in vertebral bone loss was observed with supplementation of 1,000 to 2,000 mg
per day of calcium for 1 year. Bone loss was also less in the calcium group than
in the control group after 2 years, but the difference was no longer
statistically significant.

Dietary calcium is essential throughout a woman's life, and requirements
increase with advancing age, in part due to reduced calcium absorption and
decreased renal calcium conservation. However, calcium supplementation by itself
is not effective in preventing the accelerated bone loss that occurs in the
first few years after menopause. Ten years postmenopausally, calcium
supplementation again becomes effective in reducing age-related bone loss.7
While consuming an adequate amount of calcium is important, it is too often
overemphasized, supplemented at excessive doses, and is only one of many
nutritional and lifestyle factors that play a role in promoting bone health.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D enhances intestinal calcium absorption, thereby contributing to a
favorable calcium balance in the body. Increased calcium absorption also reduces
parathyroid-hormone-mediated bone resorption. In the United States, most infants
and young children have adequate vitamin D consumption from fortified milk.
During adolescence, however, the consumption of dairy products drops off, and
inadequate vitamin D intake is more likely to adversely affect calcium
absorption.

Several large randomized controlled trials have found that the combination of
calcium and vitamin D had no significant effect on fracture risk.1,8,5

However, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in elderly
postmenopausal women found that a dose of 700 – 800 IU per day of vitamin D was
associated with significant reductions in the risk of hip and nonvertebral
fractures.9 Especially in older women, vitamin D in combination with calcium
supplementation reduced the rate of postmenopausal bone loss.10 Vitamin D has
also been shown to improve muscle strength11 and balance12, thereby reducing the
risk of falling.13

Magnesium
Magnesium is a cofactor for alkaline phosphatase, which plays a role in bone
mineralization. Low magnesium status is common in women with osteoporosis, and
magnesium deficiency is associated with abnormal bone mineral crystals.14 Some
women with reduced bone mineral density do not have an increased fracture rate,
possibly because their bone mineral crystals are of high quality, due in part to
high levels of magnesium. In a group of postmenopausal women, supplementation
with 250-750 mg per day of magnesium for 6 months, followed by 250 mg per day
for 6-18 months, resulted in an increase in bone density in 71% of women. This
increase was noteworthy, because it occurred without calcium supplementation.15

Strontium
Strontium is a non-radioactive earth element physically and chemically similar
to calcium. Strontium ranelate is the specific strontium salt used in clinical
trials for osteoporosis, but this form of strontium is not available in the U.S.
Strontium in large doses stimulates bone formation and reduces bone resorption.
In a phase 2 clinical trial, 2 g per day of oral strontium ranelate (containing
680 mg per day of elemental strontium) for three years was shown to reduce the
risk of vertebral fractures and to increase bone mineral density in 1,649
postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.16

In the first year, there was a 49% reduction in the incidence of vertebral
fractures in the strontium ranelate group and 41% reduction at the end of three
years. After adjusting for artifact effect on imaging, a 6.8% increase in bone
mineral density was seen at the lumbar spine after 3 years of strontium
supplementation.. There was also an 8.3% increase at the femoral neck, but there
was insufficient data to adjust it for an artifact effect, and therefore it is
not clear as to how accurate this is.
In a two year trial 353 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and a history of
at least one vertebral fracture received a placebo or one of three different
doses of strontium: 170 mg per day, 340 mg per day or 680 mg per day.17 A small
increase in lumbar bone mineral density was seen with each dose of strontium,
but the difference compared with placebo was statistically significant only for
the highest dose. The incidence of new vertebral fractures was lowest (38.8%)
with the lowest dose of strontium, vs. 54.7%, 56.7% and 42.0% in the placebo,
340 mg per day and 680 mg per day groups, respectively.

Strontium chloride is the most common form of strontium used in U.S.
supplements. This form of strontium has not been the subject of published
research. Due to potential adverse effects of higher doses of strontium,
including rickets, bone mineralization defects, and interference with vitamin D
metabolism, it may be prudent to use low doses until more research is conducted.

Zinc
Zinc is essential for the formation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and it
enhances the biochemical action of vitamin D. Zinc is also is necessary for the
synthesis of various proteins found in bone. Low zinc levels have been found in
the serum and bone of elderly people with osteoporosis.18

Copper
A deficiency of copper is known to produce abnormal bone development in growing
children, and may be a contributing cause of osteoporosis. In vitro studies have
shown that copper supplementation inhibits bone resorption.19,20 In a
double-blind trial, supplementation with 3 mg per day of copper for 2 years
significantly decreased bone loss in postmenopausal women.21

Manganese
A deficiency of manganese may be one of the lesser known but more important
nutritional factors related to osteoporosis. Manganese deficiency causes a
reduction in calcium deposition in bone. Manganese also stimulates
mucopolysaccharide production, which provides a framework for the calcification
process.22

Zinc, Copper, and Manganese
In a double-blind study of postmenopausal women, the combination of zinc,
copper, manganese, and calcium appeared to be more effective than calcium alone
for preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women.23

Boron
Boron supplementation reduces urinary excretion of calcium and magnesium and
increases serum levels of 17beta-estradiol and testosterone in postmenopausal
women.24 These observations suggest that boron supplementation could help
prevent bone loss.

Silicon
During bone growth and the early phases of bone calcification, silicon has an
essential role in the formation of cross-links between collagen and
proteoglycans. In animals, silicon-deficient diets have produced abnormal skull
development and growth retardation,25 and supplemental silicon partially
prevented trabecular bone loss in ovariectomized rats.26

Other Nutritional Factors

Folic Acid and Vitamin B12
Accelerated bone loss in menopausal women may in part be due to increased levels
of homocysteine, a breakdown product of methionine. Homocysteine has the
potential to promote osteoporosis if it is not eliminated adequately. In a
prospective study, women with high homocysteine levels had almost twice the risk
of nonvertebral osteoporotic fractures as did women with low homocysteine
levels. There was no association in that study between homocysteine levels and
bone mineral density at either the femoral neck or the lumbar spine, which
suggests that the reduction in fracture risk was due to an improvement in bone
quality.27 Folic acid promotes the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine,
and supplementing postmenopausal women with this nutrient results in significant
reductions in homocysteine levels. Vitamin B12 has also been shown to reduce
homocysteine levels.28 In a double-blind study of stroke victims with elevated
homocysteine levels, daily supplementation with 5 mg of folic acid plus 1,500
mcg of vitamin B12 for two years reduced hip fracture incidence by 78%, compared
with placebo.29

Vitamin B6
Vitamin B6 also plays a role in homocysteine metabolism. In people with the
genetic disorder homocystinuria, vitamin B6 supplementation reverses the
elevated levels of homocysteine.30 Animal studies have shown that vitamin B6
deficiency can prolong fracture healing time,31 impair cartilage growth, cause
defective bone formation,32 and promote osteoporosis.33 Vitamin B6 may also
influence progesterone production and exert a synergistic effect on
estrogen-sensitive tissue. Laboratory evidence of low vitamin B6 status appears
to be common, even among healthy individuals.34

Vitamin C
Vitamin C promotes the formation and cross-linking of some of the structural
proteins in bone. Animal studies have shown that vitamin C deficiency can cause
osteoporosis35 and it has been known for decades that scurvy, a disease caused
by vitamin C deficiency, is also associated with abnormalities of bone.

Vitamin K
Vitamin K is required for the production of the bone protein, osteocalcin.
Osteocalcin draws calcium to bone tissue, enabling calcium crystal formation.
Osteocalcin provides the protein matrix for mineralization and is thought to act
as a regulator of bone mineralization.36 Vitamin K plays a key role in the
formation, remodeling, and repair of bone by attracting calcium to the site of
this protein matrix.37 A low dietary intake of vitamin K seems to increase the
risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in women, according to data from the Nurses'
Health Study.38

There are various forms of vitamin K, but the human trials have been done on
vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and menaquinone-4, (MK4, a form of vitamin K2).

In a double-blind study, 452 men and women (ages 60-80 years) received a
multiple vitamin/mineral supplement that provided 600 mg per day of calcium and
400 IU per day of vitamin D, plus either 500 mcg per day of vitamin K1 or no
vitamin K1.39 Bone mineral density (determined by dual-energy x-ray
absorptiometry) and bone turnover were measured at 6, 12, 24 and 36 months.
There were no differences in bone mineral density at the femoral neck, lumbar
spine, or total body, between the two treatment groups, indicating that vitamin
K1 did not enhance the effects of calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients in
this patient population. In the double-blind ECKO trial,40 a daily 5-mg
supplement of vitamin K1 for 2 to 4 years did not protect against age-related
decline in bone mineral density in postmenopausal women with osteopenia, but
significantly fewer women in the vitamin K group than in the placebo group had
fractures.

Epidemiological evidence has shown associations between low dietary intake of
vitamin K and increased bone loss in elderly men and women. A 2006 meta-analysis
of 13 randomized controlled trials41 that gave vitamin K1 or menaquinone-4 (a
form of vitamin K2) supplements for longer than 6 months reported data on bone
loss and fracture rates. All but one study showed a reduction in bone loss with
supplemental vitamin K. All 7 of the 13 studies that reported fracture data were
in Japanese individuals and used menaquinone-4. Most of these trials used a high
dose, 45 mg/day.

While the recommended dietary intake of vitamin K is 90-120 mcg per day, the
optimal dose and form of vitamin K supplementation to achieve a protective
effect on bone loss and fracture reduction is not known. The majority of studies
used menaquinone-4 at doses approximately 400-fold higher than dietary
recommendations for vitamin K1. An additional issue is that these studies have
been conducted almost exclusively in Japanese postmenopausal women. This
population group may have unique dietary, environmental, and/or genetic factors,
so it is not clear whether the findings from these studies can be generalized to
other populations. In contrast to the 7 positive Japanese studies, a
double-blind trial in 381 postmenoapusal women received either phylloquinone 1
mg/day, MK4 45 mg/day or placebo for 12 months.42 No effect of phylloquinone or
MK4 on the bone density of the lumbar spine or proximal femur was observed.

Two long-term trials have previously been done evaluating the effect of vitamin
K1 supplementation on bone loss. In one study using 1 mg per day of vitamin K1
plus calcium and vitamin D for 3 years in postmenopausal women ages 50-60
years,43 bone loss was reduced at the femoral neck but there was no beneficial
effect on spine bone density. In a second study,44 200 mcg per day of vitamin K1
plus calcium and vitamin D given for two years to non-osteoporotic women aged 60
years or older resulted in a modest increase in bone mineral density of the
radius, but not the femoral neck.

Menaquinone-7 (a form of vitamin K2), which is derived from natto (fermented
soybeans) has been found in animal studies to be more potent and more
bioavailable, and to have a longer half-life, than menaquinone-4. In a study of
Japanese postmenopausal women, a significant inverse association was found
between natto consumption and the incidence of hip fractures.45

Conclusion

The most effective approach to osteoporosis is prevention. The risk of
developing osteoporosis may be reduced by optimizing peak bone mass in the
younger years and by minimizing subsequent bone loss in elderly women. In order
to maximize peak bone mass (even in the context of hereditary and other
non-modifiable risk factors), lifestyle habits, proper nutrition with a whole
foods diet, moderate exercise, and avoiding tobacco and excessive alcohol
consumption should begin during childhood and adolescence and continue
throughout life. The physician is encouraged to maintain a key interest in
dietary habits that promote optimal bone health, and include nutritional
supplementation that may favorably alter patients' risk and provide optimal bone
strength, bone architecture, and bone density with reduced risk for fractures
later in life.

References

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23Strause L, Saltman P, Smith KT, et al. Spinal bone loss in postmenopausal
women supplemented with calcium and trace minerals. J Nutr 1994;124:1060-1064.
24Nielsen FH. Boron—an overlooked element of potential nutritional importance.
Nutr Today 1988;Jan/Feb:4-7.
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26Hott M, de Pollak C, Modrowski D, Marie P. Short-term effects of organic
silicon on trabecular bone in
mature ovariectomized rats. Calcif Tissue Int 1993, 53:174-179.
27Van Neurs J, Dhonukshe-Rutten R, Pluijm S, et al. Homocysteine levels and the
risk of osteoporotic fractures. N Engl J Med 2004;350:2042-2090.
28Brattstrom L, Hultbnerg B, Mardebo J. Folic acid responsive postmenopausal
homocysteinemia. Metabolism 1985;34:1073-1077
29Sato Y, Honda Y, Iwamoto J, et al. Effect of folate and mecobalamin on hip
fractures in patients with stroke: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA
2005;293:1082-1088.
30Barber G, Spaeth G. Pyridoxine therapy in homocystinuria. Lancet 1967;1:337.
31Dodds RA, Catterall A, Bitensky L, Chayen J. Abnormalities in fracture healing
induced by vitamin B6 deficiency in rats. Bone. 1986;7:489-495.
32Silberberg R, Levy BM. Skeletal growth in pyridoxine deficient mice. Proc Soc
Exp Biol Med.1948;67:259-263.
33Benke PJ, Fleshood HL, Pitot HC. Osteoporotic bone disease in the
pyridoxine-deficient rat. Biochem Med. 1972;6:526-535.
34Azuma J, Kishi T, Williams RH, Folkers K. Apparent deficiency of vitamin B6 in
typical individuals who commonly serve as normal controls. Res Commun Chem
Pathol Pharmacol 1976;14:343-348.
35Hyams DE, Ross EJ. Scurvy, megaloblastic anemia and osteoporosis. Br J Clin
Pract 1963;17:332-340.
36Ducy, P, Desbois C, Boyce B, et al. Increased bone formation in
osteocalcin-deficient mice. Nature. 1996;382(6590):448-452.
37Booth SL, Tucker KL, Chen H, et al. Dietary vitamin K intakes are associated
with hip fracture but not with bone mineral density in elderly men and women. Am
J Clin Nutr 2000;71:1201-1208.
38Feskanich D, Weber P, Willett WC, et al. Vitamin K intake and hip fractures in
women: a prospective study. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69:74-79.
39Booth S, Dallal G, Shea K, et al. Effect of vitamin K supplementation on bone
loss in elderly men and women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008;93:1217-1223.
40Cheung A, Tile L, Lee Y, et al. Vitamin K supplementation in postmenopausal
women with osteopenia (ECKO Trial): A randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med.
2008 Oct 14;5(10):e196.
41Cockayne S, Adamson, J, Lanham-New S, et al. Vitamin K and prevention of
fractures. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Arch Intern Med 2006;166:1256-1261.
42Binkley N, Harke J, Krueger D, et al. Vitamin K treatment reduces
undercarboxylated osteocalcin but does not alter bone turnover, density or
geometry in healthy postmenopausal, North American women. J Bone and Mineral
Research 2009;24(6):983-991.
43Braam L, Knapen M, Geusens P, et al. Vitamin K1 supplementation retards bone
loss in postmenopa-usal women between 50 and 60 years of age. Calcif Tissue Int
2003;73:21-26.
44Bolton-Smith C, McMurdo M, Paterson C, et al. Two-year randomized controlled
trial of vitamin K1(phylloquinone) and vitamin D3 plus calcium on the bone
health of older women. J Bone Miner Res 2007;22:509-519.
45Kaneki M, Hedges S, Hosoi T, et al. Japanese fermented soybean food as the
major determinant of the large geographic difference in circulating levels of
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2001;17:315-321.

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Recipes: Crescent Moon Cookies

 

Good Morning!

Recipes: Crescent Moon Cookies

These cookied can be made to celebrate the Crescent moon!
Yet another one of my mother's specialties, these delicious cookies are always a favorite around Christmas time. It is impossible to stop at just one of these absolutely yummy almond crescent cookies. Infused with vanilla and lightly dusted with sugar, these beautiful cookies are crunchy on the outside and soft, buttery and crumbly on the inside.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, at room temperature
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 cup ground almonds (almond meal)
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar for dusting

Directions:

1.Place the butter and the sugar together in a large mixing bowl and use a electric hand beater to mix until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract and mix well.

2.Add the flour and almonds. Mix thoroughly.

3.Line baking sheet with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 350F

4.The dough will be slightly crumbly. Take generous tablespoons of the dough and roll into a small ball, about 1" in diameter. Shape into a crescent shape. Place onto baking sheet about 1" apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven and dust with confectioner's sugar. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Re-dust with sugar.

5.Repeat with remaining dough.

6.Store in an airtight container.

Make about 24 cookies

__.

How to Make Cultured Veggies at Home to Boost Your Immune System

Your digestive tract is probably the most underappreciated system of your body, often ignored until its screams of discontent become loud enough to grab your attention.

By the time your gut reaches this degree of disgruntlement, the problems have usually been developing for months — or years — and are challenging to resolve.

Instead of waiting for obvious signs of a problem, why not perform some regular “gut maintenance” that will lessen your chances of developing a problem in the first place?

Your gut is much more than a food processing tube — it houses about 85 percent of your immune system. This is in large part due to the 100 trillion bacteria that live there, both good and bad that can stimulate secretory IgA to nourish your immune response.

When your GI tract is not working well, a wide range of health problems can appear, including allergies and autoimmune diseases. If you suffer from any major illness, you simply will NOT be able to fully recuperate without healing and sealing your gut. Balancing the menagerie of microorganisms that occupy your GI tract is a key part of maintaining your immune health, which will be the focus of this article.

Your stomach is where digestion really gets rolling, with the introduction of more enzymes and a whole lot of acid. Fortunately, your stomach is uniquely designed for this process, as it is SO acidic. Its lining must actually regenerate at a feverish pace — just to keep up with the continuous digestion of itself! You require a brand new stomach lining every few days.
Your Stomach Actually Protects You from Infections

A recent article in Scientific American1 explores an alternate explanation about how your stomach works. The “sieve hypothesis” suggests your stomach may operate as a sieve or filter, preventing some of the more harmful microbes from passing through to your small intestine. Evidence for this is not new. It comes from a 1948 study by Dr. Orla-Jensen, a retired professor from the Royal Danish Technical College — a study that has essentially been “lost” in the literature for more than 60 years.

The professor argued that your stomach uses acid to kill pathogenic disease-causing bacteria, fungi, viruses, worms and protozoa, while allowing the more beneficial microbes (which are acid-tolerant) to pass through. If your stomach is unsuccessful at killing these pathogens, then they can dominate your intestines, damaging and eroding your intestinal walls and causing illness.

Your stomach generally becomes less acidic as you age, particularly after age 70. In his study, Orla-Jensen compared the gut bacteria of young people with that of healthy seniors, as well as with seniors suffering from dementia. He found that as people age, they have a greater proportion of pathogenic microbes to beneficial microbes in their intestinal tracts. This was particularly pronounced in seniors with dementia... which begs the question about whether dementia could actually be caused by an “intestinal infection.”

A study done at UC Davis found that E. coli and salmonella bacteria in mice produce fiber-like structures very similar to the inflammatory brain plaques seen in people with Alzheimer’s disease2. Your brain is shaped by bacteria in your digestive tract. Bacteria in your gut actually control how your brain cells express specific genes.3 Other studies report that disturbed gut flora in seniors contributes to accelerated aging, frailty and premature death.

More research is needed in order to understand the exact relationship between dysbiosis and dementia. But at the very least, these studies underscore the importance of maintaining high levels of beneficial bacteria in your intestinal tract. In fact, this bacterial community may be in charge of your entire metabolism.
Unhappy Gut Bacteria May Make You Fat

Inflammation from bacterial endotoxins may be a factor helping to drive the obesity epidemic.4 Junk food causes nasty microbes to bloom and friendly bugs to decline, just as sugar and refined carbohydrates feed the bacteria in your mouth that are responsible for tooth decay. Sugar and processed foods make your “friendly” microbe community unfriendly — even downright hostile. Humans today have lost the microbial diversity that once kept us healthy.

When dysbiosis occurs, bacteria release noxious byproducts called endotoxins. Endotoxins increase the permeability of your gut wall (“leaky gut syndrome”) and make their way into your bloodstream, triggering system wide inflammation. It’s been shown that the hypothalamus, which houses the appetite control center of your brain, is often inflamed and damaged in obese individuals. When inflammation affects your brain, and especially your hypothalamus, your entire metabolism changes.

So, here’s how it goes...

When you consume junk foods, certain bacteria flourish and produce endotoxins, which your immune system detects and, interpreting these endotoxins as an attack, responds with inflammation. Your body changes its metabolism to redirect energy for “battle.” The result is overproduction of insulin, increased fat storage, dampening of your appetite control signals, and eventually obesity. The best way to reverse this inflammation and restore a healthy metabolism is by eliminating excess sugar and processed food, and adding more friendly, beneficial bacteria from naturally fermented foods.
Cultured Vegetables Are the Ultimate Superfood

One of the leading experts in the optimization of intestinal flora is Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, who developed the GAPS nutritional protocol (Gut and Psychology Syndrome/Gut and Physiology Syndrome). For decades, Dr. McBride has successfully treated adults and children with severe illnesses, including autism, epilepsy, mood disorders, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease and many more, with her GAPS protocol.

A key component of the GAPS program is the daily consumption of fermented foods. Fermented foods are potent chelators (detoxifiers) and contain much higher levels of probiotics than probiotic supplements, making them ideal for optimizing your gut flora. In addition to helping break down and eliminate heavy metals and other toxins from your body, beneficial gut bacteria perform a number of surprising functions, including:
Mineral absorption, and producing nutrients such as B vitamins and vitamin K2 (vitamin K2 and vitamin D are necessary for integrating calcium into your bones and keeping it out of your arteries, thereby reducing your risk for coronary artery disease and stroke5)
Preventing obesity and diabetes, and regulating dietary fat absorption
Lowering your risk for cancer
Improving your mood and mental health
Preventing acne
Introducing Cultured Vegetables into Your Diet — The Right Way
Now that you understand the importance of optimizing your GI flora, let’s take a look at just how easy it is to accomplish this task by making fermented vegetables at home, in your own kitchen. If you aren’t accustomed to these foods, you may have to work them into your diet gradually. Many folks really enjoy the taste of fermented vegetables, which really have a pleasantly salty-tart flavor.

According to nutritional consultant Caroline Barringer, just one quarter to one half cup of fermented veggies, eaten with one to three meals per day, can have a dramatically beneficial impact on your health.

If you’ve never eaten fermented foods, too large a portion may provoke a healing crisis, which occurs when the probiotics kill off pathogens in your gut. When these pathogens die, they release potent toxins. If you are new to fermented foods, you should introduce them gradually, beginning with as little as one teaspoon of sauerkraut with a meal. Observe your reactions for a couple of days before proceeding with another small portion, and increase your dose gradually, as tolerated.

Realize that many food preferences develop very early in life, so the sooner you can introduce fermented vegetables to your child, the better. Traces of the flavors of the foods mothers eat are perceptible in their breast milk and amniotic fluid. Babies whose mothers eat things like garlic or broccoli while pregnant tend to be more likely to enjoy these foods later in life.
Making Cultured Veggies at Home: Equipment Checklist

Culturing your own vegetables is not difficult, but as with anything, having the right tools makes the job much easier and more fun. I have spent the last six months streamlining the process and refining my basic recipe. One of the key ingredients though is the starter culture. We are in the middle of a very extensive testing process to provide a culture that will give you large amounts of vitamin K2 in your fermented vegetables. We hope to have that available later this year if all goes well. In the meantime, you can use the following kitchen tools to make your own fermented vegetables:
Food Processor: You’ll be cutting up large quantities of raw vegetables, which is very labor intensive without a food processor. Make sure yours has a shredding disc, as a typical S-blade will result in too fine a chop, which makes for a pulpier, mushier end product.
Juicer: My own experimentation has resulted in selecting celery juice as the basic brine for my cultured veggies, making a juicer necessary.
Good Knives: Make sure you have a set of good quality, sharp knives for prepping your vegetables.
Cutting Board: A large, sturdy cutting board is a must.
Very Large Bowl: This bowl should be large enough to hold the entire batch of shredded veggies, so a large capacity stainless bowl is a necessity.
Canning Jars: Basic wide-mouthed 32-ounce Mason jars are all that is necessary for both fermenting and storing the vegetables. These are inexpensive and easy to find at your local hardware store, grocery, or online. Make sure they are wide-mouthed, as you’ll need to get your hand or a tool down into the jar for tightly packing the veggies.
Krautpounder: This solid wood tool that looks like a small baseball bat is very handy for tightly packing the shredded veggies into your jars and eliminating air pockets.
Making Cultured Veggies at Home in Six Easy Steps

The following are the basic steps to making wonderful cultured vegetables at home. For additional information, refer to our previous article on this topic.
Vegetable and Herb Selection: The first step is gathering up your veggies. Make sure they are all organic. Cabbage (red or green) should be the “backbone” of your blend, comprising about 80 percent (I use green). Choose dense, tightly packed heads. Five or six medium-sized cabbages will yield 10 to 14 quart jars of fermented vegetables. Remember to reserve some cabbage leaves for the jar tops (see Step 3).

Add in hard root vegetables of your liking, such as carrots, golden beets, radishes and turnips. Peel your veggies as the skins can impart a bitter flavor. I also enjoy adding red bell pepper, Granny Smith apples, and even a hot pepper, like a habanero (make sure you wear gloves!). One pepper for the entire batch is plenty.

Aromatics can be added in small quantities — a little goes a long way, as fermenting concentrates the pungent flavors. Tasty additions include peeled garlic, peeled ginger, and herbs such as basil, sage, rosemary, thyme, or oregano. Onions tend to overpower the mix, no matter how little are used, so I avoid them.

Finally, you can add sea vegetables or seaweed to increase the mineral, vitamin, and fiber content. You can add pieces of whole dulse, or use flakes. Wakame and sea palm do not have any kind of fishy flavor but need to be presoaked and diced into the desired size. Arame and hijaki DO have a fishy flavor.
Culture and Brine: For your brine, I recommend using a starter culture dissolved in celery juice. One quart of celery juice is adequate for 10 to 14 quarts of fermented veggies. While you can do wild fermentation (allowing whatever is naturally on the vegetable to take hold), this method is more time consuming, and the end product is less certain. Inoculating the food with a starter culture speeds up the fermentation process. I currently recommend using two of our Complete Probiotics as the starter culture until we get our refined version which will make more vitamin K2.
High Vitamin K2 Starter Culture As I said above, we are in the middle of a very extensive testing process to provide a culture that will give you large amounts of vitamin K2 in your fermented vegetables and we hope to have that available later this year if all goes well. In the meantime i recommend using two of our Complete Probiotic Capsules for every quart of fermented vegetables as that is very close to what our final culture will be.
Packing the Jars: Once you have your shredded veggies and brine mixture combined in your large bowl, tightly pack the mixture into each Mason jar, and compress using a masher to remove any air pockets. Top with a cabbage leaf, tucking it down the sides. Make sure the veggies are completely covered with brine and that the brine is all the way to the top of the jar, to eliminate trapped air. Put the lids on the jars loosely, as they will expand due to the gases produced in fermentation.
Fermentation: Allow the jars to sit in a relatively warm place for several days, ideally around 72 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer, veggies are typically done in three or four days. In the winter, they may need seven days. The only way to tell when they’re done is to open up a jar and have a taste. Once you're happy with the flavor and consistency, move the jars into your refrigerator.
Storage: Refrigerating your vegetables drastically slows down the fermentation. They will keep for many months this way, continuing to mature very slowly over time.
Enjoy! Always use a clean spoon to take out what you’re eating. Never eat out of the jar, as you will contaminate the entire batch with bacteria from your mouth. Make sure the remaining veggies are covered with the brine solution before replacing the lid.

About Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is passing loose or watery faeces more than three times a day, or more frequently than is normal for that particular person. It affects almost everyone from time to time and is usually nothing to worry about.

A common cause of diarrhoea in both children and adults is gastroenteritis, which is an infection of the bowel.

Bouts of diarrhoea in adults may also be brought on by anxiety or drinking too much coffee or alcohol. Diarrhoea may also be a side effect of a medicine.

In adults, diarrhoea caused by gastroenteritis will usually clear up in two to four days when the infection has cleared. If it lasts for more than a few weeks it may be a sign of a more serious condition and should be investigated by your doctor, especially if there is blood or pus in your faeces.

Diarrhoea in children usually passes within five to seven days, and will often clear within two weeks. Seek medical advice if your child has diarrhoea for longer than this.

If a baby or child has had six or more episodes of diarrhoea in the last 24 hours, then see your doctor. It can be serious in babies because of the risk of dehydration.

Facts & figures

While statistics are not kept on how many people have diarrhoea in Australia, it is a serious problem in poorer countries around the world. Some key facts to keep in mind are:
There are about 2 billion cases of diarrhoeal disease every year.
Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years of age and kills about 1.5 million children every year.
Diarrhoeal disease mainly affects children younger than two years of age and is a leading cause of malnutrition in children under five years of age.

More Calcium Tips

Foods high in calcium and vitamin D are essential for children who are growing. These nutrients give them the essential vitamins and minerals to grow healthy strong bones and teeth. Both of these nutrients work together.
My Plate reminds us that a healthy plate has a serving of a dairy food at each meal.

Here is a list of helpful tips that
give you ideas on how to get your child to eat more high calcium and vitamin D foods like milk
easy recipe and meal tips for adding more dairy foods to your child's meal
tips on how to encourage your child to choose low fat or nonfat dairy foods

List of Tips To Help Kids Eat Foods Like Dairy Products That Are High In Calcium and Vitamin D


Add low-fat or fat-free milk instead of water when cooking oatmeal and hot cereal.
Dip fruits and vegetables into yogurt.
A five year old needs about 2 cups of non-fat or 1% milk each day.
Make a smoothie with fruit, ice, and low-fat or fat-free milk.
If your child can’t drink non-fat or 1% milk, try soymilk with calcium.
Make a salad with dark green, leafy vegetables. It is another source of calcium.
Look for cereals fortified in calcium
Wean your child off of whole milk to 2% and then to 1% or fat free.
Add low-fat or fat-free milk instead of water to tomato soup.
Have pizza or macaroni and cheese
Have a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk instead of soda.
Have a low-fat or fat-free frozen yogurt.
Serve broccoli or cooked, dry beans as a side dish for added calcium.
Have some low-fat or fat-free string cheese.
Toss tofu with added calcium into stir fry and other dishes
Top salads, soups, and stews with low-fat shredded cheese
4 to 8 year olds need 800mg and 9 to 18 year olds need 1300mg each day of calcium.
Make cocoa for a cozy drink for the kids with low fat or nonfat milk.
Kids' need Vitamin D to keep bones strong and fight disease.
Try some pudding made with low-fat or fat-free milk.
Try flavored low-fat or fat-free milk such as chocolate or strawberry
Add low-fat or fat-free cheese to a sandwich.
Drink a glass of orange juice with added calcium.
Pour low-fat or fat-free milk over your breakfast cereal.
Have a cup of low-fat or fat-free yogurt

How Angelina Jolie was duped by cancer doctors into self mutilation for breast cancer she never had

In a New York Times op-ed explaining her decision to have both of her breasts surgically removed even though she doesn't have breast cancer, Angelina Jolie cited risk numbers as key to her decision. She said that doctors told her she had an "87% risk of breast cancer." Her solution? Undergo three months of surgical procedures and have her breasts cut out.

Problem solved, right? With her breasts removed, she says her risk of breast cancer is now reduced to a mere 5 percent. The same bizarre logic can also be applied to men who cut off their testicles to "prevent testicular cancer" or people who cut out their colons to "prevent colorectal cancer." But that would be insane, so nobody does that, because one of the most basic principles of medicine is that you don't subject patients to the considerable risks and costs of surgery and anesthesia to remove organs that have no disease!

But the really sad part about all this is that Angelina Jolie was lied to. She didn't have an 87% risk of breast cancer in the first place. All the women reading her NYT op-ed piece are also being lied to. Here's why...

How cancer doctors lie with statistics and use fear to scare women into high-profit procedures
The very idea that breast cancer is a "percent risk" is a complete lie. In reality, everyone has cancer micro-tumors in their bodies, including myself. Cancer is not a disease you just "get" like being randomly struck by lightning. It's something you must "manage" or "prevent" day by day, meal by meal, through a lifestyle choice that involves vitamin D supplementation, nutrition, superfoods, vegetable juices and avoidance of cancer-causing chemicals and radiation.

So when a doctor says you have a "chance" of getting cancer, what he's implying is that you have no control over cancer, and that's an outright lie. Cancer quackery, in other words.

Even Jolie with her BRCA1 gene that's linked to breast cancer can quite easily follow a dietary and lifestyle plan that suppresses BRCA1 gene expression. It's not rocket science. It's not even difficult. It can be done with simple foods that cost a few dollars a day. Those foods include raw citrus, resveratrol (red grapes or red wine), raw cruciferous vegetables, omega-3 oils and much more. Those same foods also help prevent heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and other chronic diseases.

Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), by the way, a natural chemical found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, offers powerful prevention against BRCA1 gene expression. But you don't hear cancer doctors telling women to "eat more cabbage" because that doesn't make the cancer industry any money. You can buy I3C as a potent nutritional supplement from a variety of sources. It's literally cancer prevention in a capsule.

So the whole "chance" argument is pure quackery. There is no chance involved in whether you get cancer. It's all cause and effect. You are either living a pro-cancer lifestyle and therefore growing cancer, or you're living an anti-cancer lifestyle and keeping cancer in check so that it never becomes a problem. Cause and effect is what results in either the growth of cancer tumors or the prevention of cancer tumors. There is no "luck" involved.

It's fascinating, isn't it, that medical doctors don't believe in luck or voodoo on any topic other than cancer. But when it comes to cancer, they want all women to be suckered into the victim mentality that cancer is purely a matter of "luck" and therefore women have no control over their own health outcomes. How dis-empowering! How sick! How incredibly exploitive of women!

If you really want to be informed about breast cancer and the corrupt, dishonest cancer industry, read my related article 10 Facts about the Breast Cancer Industry You're Not Supposed to Know. Or listen to our upcoming FREE Cancer Solutions Summit broadcasting this coming Monday, May 20th.

Why doesn't the cancer industry empower women with a sense of control over their own health?
I find it astonishing that the cancer industry doesn't believe in cause and effect. They would rather scare women with "risk" statistics that imply people have no control over cancer. Empowering women with a sense of control over their own health is the last thing the cancer industry wants to do, because that would cause them to lose customers and lose money.

It's far more profitable to scare all women into a state of such irrational panic that they agree to the most insane things imaginable such as chopping off both their healthy breasts even though they have no cancer. Such women are then convinced they've literally saved their own lives by agreeing to be mutilated by cancer surgeons.

"My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent," says Jolie. "I can tell my children that they don't need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer."

Will she also tell her children they should mutilate themselves, too, as a form of medical disease prevention? And what happens if she learns she has a risk of brain cancer? Does she chop off her head and call it a cure?

The scam of making women believe there is only ONE way to reduce your "risk" of breast cancer
The other enormous scam in all this is the idea that there's only one way to reduce your "risk" of breast cancer. Even if you believe the fictitious number of "87% risk," why does everyone automatically assume there is one and only one way to lower that risk?

"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options," writes Jolie in the NYT. Yet she utterly fails to offer women any options other than the one she took: check in to a cancer center and let them play "cut-poison-burn" on your body. Jolie's op-ed piece, which reads as if it were written by the public relations department of the Pink Lotus Breast Center, offers nothing in the way of nutrition advice, lifestyle choices, holistic therapies, wellness, alternative medicine... nothing! What an incredible disservice to all the women of America...

In the world of health, nutrition and cancer, there are thousands of ways to prevent cancer and suppress the expression of BRCA1 genes. But Jolie and the cancer industry seem to imply no options exist other than chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. Three options only. Nothing else exists in their world, not nutritional prevention, not vitamin D therapy, not vitamin C potentiated micro-chemotherapy, not ozone therapy, sauna treatments, acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, stress reduction or anything else. You are supposed to believe that none of these things exist!

And why? Because the cancer industry wants to funnel women like cattle into their slash-poison-burn system of quack treatments. And Angelina Jolie is their new cheerleader. Scarred and no doubt experiencing the chest and armpit numbness that almost always accompanies mastectomy surgery, she now seeks to "inspire" other women to exercise their own sick "choice" and have their breasts removed, too!

It is the sickest invocation of women's power that I've ever witnessed. This is not empowering women, it's marching them into self-mutilation. And the "risk" is a complete fraud. In truth, Angelina Jolie had a higher risk of dying on the operating table than dying from breast cancer if she simply followed an anti-cancer lifestyle.

Don't be tricked into self-mutilation by cancer industry quacks
In summary:

• The claim that you have a "percent risk" of breast cancer is a big lie which implies you have no control over cancer.

• BRCA1 genes can be kept quiet (suppressed) through proper foods and lifestyle choices. A gene is not a death sentence.

• The implication that there is only ONE way to reduce breast cancer risk is a complete lie. There are thousands of options and strategies for preventing cancer. Never be cornered into surgery by a group of surgeons pushing irrational fear.

• Cancer micro-tumors exist in everyone. Cancer must be "managed" in everyone to keep it in check and avoid the growth of tumors.

• The cancer industry tricks women using unethical fear tactics to scare women with false statistics into high-profit cancer procedures that only cause them harm.

• The claim that cutting off healthy breasts somehow "empowers" women is sick and demented. Women are far more empowered by honest information on nutrition and healthy living that allows them to keep their bodies intact rather than being sliced up by dishonest cancer surgeons.

Listen to our FREE cancer solutions seminar on May 20th, as we launch our New Cancer Solutions Healing Summit featuring incredibly valuable lectures by holistic / alternative cancer doctors who know what they're talking about. It's FREE and all women need to be empowered by this truthful information.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/040349_Angelina_Jolie_breast_cancer_surgery.html#ixzz2V7pwku9R

Teeth Brushing Risks Most People Don't Know About

Brushing your teeth is important, but most people don't realize is there

is something just as critical when it comes to having clean, healthy teeth.

Find out the "other key" most people completely dismiss -

and the healthy alternative everyone should know about...

Doesn't it make sense to take control of keeping your teeth clean and breath fresh with the same focus you put on other aspects of your body?.

It doesn’t take much thought to realize how everything you consume, healthy or otherwise, must pass through your mouth to get absorbed by your body.

So, it should not be a total surprise that using a toothbrush twice a day is important to reduce tooth decay…

The bottom line… using a toothbrush regularly is one way to help reduce plaque and tooth decay.

And I’ll help you discover what I believe is the total dental solution.

Let’s take a closer look at some crucial wakeup messages your teeth could be ‘telling’ you…

Toothbrush and Dental Floss:

Signals Your Teeth Could Be Warning You About

Your teeth have plenty to ‘say’. The problem is many folks just don’t ‘listen’.

In My Opinion, It All Starts with What You Eat

Your diet can make or break the cleanliness of your teeth and mouth…

If you’ve been a visitor to my site or a subscriber to my Newsletter, you know how I constantly stress the importance of eating a wholesome diet of unprocessed, low-sugar, and primarily organic foods.

Well, when you think about it… all food comes into contact with your teeth before it moves on to be absorbed into your system. So, eating a healthy diet is key to a clean mouth… it all starts there.

And when it comes to oral care, there’s a virtual war going on.

A clean mouth and teeth start with your diet.

In fact, there’s plenty of evidence showing fluoride to be highly toxic. Ever wonder why fluoride-containing products carry warning labels like…“Do not swallow”?

Despite what you’ve been led to believe by conventional health and dental agencies, fluoride is NOT an essential nutrient and in my opinion, it does NOT prevent tooth decay.

Here is a recent finding showing more evidence exposing the fluoride myth…
From Langmuir (Dec 2010) – A study conducted at Saarland University (Saarbrucken, Germany) examined the effects of fluoride on a synthetic counterpart of tooth enamel and challenged the effectiveness of fluoridation on your tooth enamel when potential protective fluoride layers created on your teeth are so thin and narrow.

Plus, there are plenty of studies showing the dangers of ingesting fluoride, both from dental products and fluoridated water, including potential…
Increased lead absorption
Hyperactivity and/or lethargy
Brain damage and lower IQ
Dementia
Lowered thyroid function
Genetic damage and cell death
Immune system disruption
Bone fractures and arthritis
Bone cancer (osteosarcoma)
Increased tumor and cancer rates
Fertility abnormalities

With all this said, I realize it’s not easy to find fluoride-free toothpaste and mouthwash. But that’s what I’m here for… I’m ready to help you find the best solution possible to help clean your teeth and freshen your breath.

But before we jump into the solution I recommend, let’s take a closer look at one of the most important functions in oral hygiene… brushing your teeth.

My Checklist for the Ultimate Oral Care Dental Kit

With all the misconceptions out there about what makes up a good dental kit to help keep your mouth and your teeth clean, I had my team put together a checklist to help you weed through all the misinformation and find what I believe works best.



Here’s what I believe are the key elements of a good oral care kit…

Fluoride-free Toothpaste – Fluoride-free toothpaste is hard to come by.
Fluoride and Alcohol-free Mouthwash – In my opinion, one of the biggest risks with most conventional mouthwashes is the fact that they are loaded up with alcohol. You already know some of the inherent risks with fluoride… alcohol is another culprit lurking in many mouthwashes that I believe you need to avoid.
Natural Breath Spray – Though not a total necessity for oral care, having the convenience of a natural breath spray (free from alcohol) while on the go is a major plus to keeping your breath fresh and your mouth feeling clean.
Fluoride-free Dental Floss – Many floss packages come with a fluoride coating. In my opinion, you should avoid this like the plague and instead look for floss with natural essential oils for optimal cleaning between your teeth. I also recommend floss waxed with 100% vegetable waxes (as opposed to beeswax) to help it glide more easily between your teeth.
BPA-free Toothbrush – It’s vitally important to find a toothbrush with soft nylon bristles and is BPA-free. Why BPA-free? BPA is a plasticizer and while the FDA has not recognized a health risk, issues have been raised as to potential ill-effects to your health if absorbed into your body.

So, this is my basic checklist for a dental care kit… not an easy task to find many of these components. But that’s exactly what I’ll help you do. My team has come up with a phenomenal dental kit that meets or exceeds my challenging checklist.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the extraordinary Mercola Natural Dental Kit and discover why it’s something I strongly recommend to give your mouth a boost.

But please remember, without a wholesome diet of unprocessed, low-sugar, organic foods, I believe that your mouth and teeth won’t be as clean as they can be.

12 Superstar Ingredients for a Natural and Effective Toothpaste

One thing I’ve quickly learned when searching for high-quality solutions, is there may not always be something available that meets my demanding criteria.

And such was the case with toothpaste. I was determined to go beyond even my own checklist on this one, to bring you the best of the best natural toothpastes. So, what did I do?

My first step was to find a manufacturer willing to work with my staff and I in creating a unique toothpaste formula… an all-natural formula I could feel good about recommending to you.

The end result was I found a manufacturer willing to work with us to create this amazing toothpaste. Here are the natural teeth-cleansing ingredients of the Mercola Natural Toothpaste you can only find on my site…
Calcium carbonate – Mild abrasive for cleaning your teeth.
Xylitol – Enhances flavor. More details on this amazing ingredient coming up.
Organic Aloe Vera Juice – Helps to cleanse the teeth and gums while soothing your entire mouth.
Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) – Promotes whitening and helps freshen your breath.
Essential Oil Blend – Made from natural peppermint, eucalyptus, cardamom, and anise for breath freshening.
Natural Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate (SLL) – Multi-purpose ingredient produced from coconut oil and food-grade all-natural lactic acid. It creates foaming action. This is not the same as risky SLS (more on this coming up).
Organic Tapioca Starch – Used traditionally in the West Indies as a basis for oral vitality.
Carageenan – Natural red seaweed extract used to help thicken the toothpaste.
Stevia Leaf Extract – A sugar free sweetener that actually helps clean teeth.
Licorice Root Extract – Helps to freshen your breath.
Tea Tree Oil –Promotes clean teeth.
Tulsi Oil – Holy Basil prevents occasional bad breath and cleans your teeth.

So, not only is Mercola Natural Toothpaste fluoride-free, it’s also loaded with natural ingredients to promote brilliant white teeth and fresh breath.

Prior to going into the other components of the Mercola Natural Dental Kit, some of the toothpaste ingredients (listed above) merit a little more detail.

First of all here’s…

Why Tulsi is a Key Ingredient in Natural Toothpaste

If you’re a regular visitor to my site, you’re aware of the powerful benefits associated with Tulsi.

So, why did I include Tulsi in the Mercola Natural Toothpaste formula?

Because Tulsi oil potentially helps prevent occasional bad breath… just another plus when it comes to this amazing toothpaste.

Why I Chose Xylitol

One critical ingredient found in both the Mercola Natural Toothpaste and the Mercola Natural Mouthwash formulas is xylitol.

Xylitol adds to the flavor of the toothpaste and mouthwash.

Xylitol is not toxic… unlike fluoride.

Plus, because xylitol is a low glycemic sweetener, it is slowly absorbed and is metabolized independently of insulin. Therefore, xylitol may be suitable for diabetics as well as the general population. If you’re diabetic, always check with your health care professional prior to using any sweetener.

Including xylitol in both my natural toothpaste and mouthwash was a decision that should help enhance the cleanliness of most everyone’s teeth and mouth. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Dispelling SLL Misconceptions

Another ingredient that may raise some eyebrows because of its assumed closeness to a harsh chemical and irritant called sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), is sodium lauroyl lactylate (SLL).

Many people might confuse the two surfactants as being one and the same. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

Here’s a handy chart that should clear up some of this misconceptions, and further shows why SLL is a highly beneficial natural ingredient in Mercola Natural Toothpaste…

The lemon detox diet - a recipe that really works

Ever since Beyonce Knowles was associated with the Lemon Detox diet, there has been a surge of interest in this particular program. Also known as the Master Cleanse, this detox diet has been around for almost 50 years and has seen variations on its recipe and program. It's effectivity in breaking down built up toxins in the body while contributing to short term weight loss has made it a popular option for a spring detox.

Reviewing the Master Cleanse
The Lemonade Detox diet first became effective, strangely, when its creator, Stanley Burroughs, recommended it for the healing of stomach ulcers. In his book "The Master Cleanser", he goes on to share how he first came to test the Master Cleanse diet on a patient who was suffering from ulcer for three years. Left with no other recourse, the patient approached Stanley who recommended that he undertake the cleanse. After eleven days, the patient was totally healed to the amazement of the doctors. Many other cases followed with same consistent and astounding results corrected within ten days. Of particular note also was that those undergoing the Master Cleanse also experienced a reduction in weight.

If there have been doubts as to the veracity of Stanley Burrough's claim of the Lemon Detox diet's effectivity, there have been testimonies over the years of its efficacy. Of recent vintage is Tom Woloshyn's work, "The Master Cleanse Experience", published by Ulysses Press in 2009. This book briefly mentions Woloshyn's experience in advising clients who has undergone the Master Cleanse program and provides among other insights health benefits which include better sleep, positive outlook, clarity of mind and freedom from addictions. He, thus, advocates keeping a journal to monitor developments as well as a reference for future use when undergoing the program for the second or many more times over.

The Master Cleanse operates on the principle that, for disease to be addressed, cleansing must be undertaken. Simplifying and correcting disorders through this process is actually a way of correcting every disease. Developments in nutrition and science have clearly identified improper diet, negative mental attitudes and inadequate exercise as the factors that create the conditions to produce toxin build up over time. That is why the Master Cleanse is not an end to itself. It is actually just the tip of a long chain of healthy decisions of those who wish to undertake it. Observing a healthy diet, regular exercise as well as stress reduction is essential in maintaining the gains that the Master Cleanse Detox diet can offer.

Surrendering to the process
Undergoing a detox diet is just like preparing for a marathon. It is necessary to keep sight of your goals or you stand to be cast in the wayside, a victim of your doubts. Tom Woloshyn offers this delightful insight when encouraging first timers who wish to undertake the Master Cleanse, fully knowing its side effects firsthand. Defining the outcome after having identified where you are, and what you want to achieve is the next step to achieving the goal you have set for yourself.

According to Woloshyn, some people prepare themselves before undergoing the detox by going on a vegetarian diet. It's less stressful on the body and makes the transition to the Master Cleanse easier. For those who regularly take coffee or soda drinks, a gradual reduction in intake are recommended as well as taking pantothenic acid (vitamin B-5) to help prevent the onset of headaches brought about by caffeine withdrawal.

People who have undergone organ transplants as well as those on immune suppressant drugs cannot take the fast. Woloshyn warns that the cleanse stimulates the immune system while effectively inhibiting the results of the drugs, this combination will most likely lead to the organ transplant being rejected by the body.

How to do the Master Cleanse
The Lemon Detox diet is a cleansing program and encourages only the intake of lemonade made from the following ingredients: lemons, pure maple syrup, cayenne pepper and water for a minimum of ten days only.

To create the mixture, mix the ingredients in the amount instructed by Burroughs and drink a minimum of at least six to twelve glasses of the concoction daily through out the day. Drink the lemonade whenever hunger pangs strike.

A laxative must be taken in the morning and then in the evening. Using a salt water flush instead of a morning laxative can also be availed of instead. However, be sure to observe at least three bowel movements in a day. This will ensure that the waste accumulated in the intestinal walls is totally removed.

Always enjoy the Master Cleanse lemonade drink fresh and do not subject it to microwave as doing so will minimize its effectiveness. For each successful day, the psychological need to eat is slowly overcome full, providing confidence and a sense of control that motivates the person undergoing the diet.

Breaking the Master Cleanse is just as critical as starting it. On day one coming off the fast, immediately after the end of the master cleanse, slowly introduce orange juice into the diet. Day two will see the introduction of vegetable soups and broths. Day three observe a diet of fruits and vegetables. Be careful not to overeat or eat too soon and drink plenty of water. Slowly ease your self to a normal diet and avoid meat, fish, milk and eggs.

After undergoing the Master Cleanse, it is advisable to eat wisely. The gains derived from the Master Cleanse diet will surely be a powerful foundation to change old habits and start a life free from disease.

The lemonade recipe
The original recipe by Stanley Burroughs produced fantastic results for almost 50 years. However, some have been promoting alterations of the original recipe. The problem with this arrangement is that they are done without understanding why the original ingredients work. Since the Master Cleanse is essentially a juice fast, adding shakes, cayenne pepper capsules or protein powder in an attempt to improve its efficacy is self defeating because it reduces the efficacy of the diet.

The purpose of the program is to give the digestive tract a ten day vacation, so adding things to be digested does not contribute to the objective of the diet. Stanley Burroughs in fact discourages the intake of supplements and vitamins during the program because it interferes with the body's elimination system. Furthermore, the natural sources of vitamins and minerals already found in lemon and the maple syrup already provide for the body's needs during the detox program.

Other alterations include mistakes in the ratio of water through modification of the original recipe and dilution. This modification defeats the purpose of the minimum 6 drinks a day because it is more than the amount of water required. It is best to remember that variations on the process and especially in the recipe will not produce the results that originally worked for the many that faithfully followed the original Master Cleanse program and lemonade recipe.

This is the classic single serve recipe provided in Stanley Burrough's book:

2 (tbs). of lemon or lime

2 (tbs). of genuine maple syrup

1/10 tsp cayenne pepper

10 oz. water (hot or cold as preferred)

For those who cannot enjoy their lemonade, Tom offers this alternative:

1. Mix equal parts of lemon juice and maple syrup as a concentrate in a dark container. Keep this mixture cool.

2. Make enough concentrate for as long as you are incapable of making the fresh lemonade juice.

3. Every time you want a glass of lemonade, measure 4 tbs. of this mixture in a glass.

4. Add water and cayenne pepper, stir and drink. The maple syrup preserves the lemon juice and prevents oxidation of the vitamin C and enzymes.

Tom Woloshyn fondly recalled Stanley Burrough's remarks. He was said to have repeated many times over a phrase most technical people use when instructing frustrated customers, "When all else fails, follow the instructions." In order to ensure success and experience the benefits of the Master Cleanse Detox diet, it is essential to understand how to do the program properly. Faithfully following what has been prescribed is the first step in this direction.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/035854_lemons_detox_recipe.html#ixzz2V7pdh7Uz

09 Ayurvedic herbs that significantly slow down aging

Herbal anti-aging treatment is now being accepted by scientific communities with Ayurvedic treatment being the most well-known. Ayurvedic treatments concentrate on three areas of a person - Vata, Kapha and Pitta. According to Ayurvedic treatment experts, maintaining a perfect balance among these three aspects is the secret to staying young-looking and healthy.

One very effective ayurvedic treatment
One very effective Ayurvedic treatment is called Rasayana. Its two major faculties are what experts call Kutipravesika and Vatatapika. These may be very strange sounding names, but they can be understood easily with a simple explanation. For instance, Kutipravesika's unique methodology is its requirement that the person being treated should stay in a small shelter that has only one door. There are holes around the shelter for air to pass through, but these holes are all very tiny.

The goal and the herbs
The goal of Ayurvedic treatments is not only to bring about the slowing down of the aging process but also to make the body work at its best and bring vitality and peace to individuals. The 12 types of herbs used in the treatment are the following:

Amla or emblica officianalis

This herb is specifically given special attention in the literature Charaka Samhita. This herb is full of natural vitamin C and therefore has the capacity to rejuvenate bodily systems.

The ginger family

The herbs of the ginger family are rich in anti-oxidative ingredients, ingredients that increase blood flow to the peripheries and ingredients that reduce inflammation at the cellular level.

Turmeric rhizomes

These substances in the form of curcumin, curcuminoids and tetrahydrocurcuminoids possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Galanga (also called chinese ginger)

Galanga contains gingerols, diarylheptanoids and essential oils. Diarylheptanoids are anti-arthritic. Pure Galanga extracts have the ability to fight oxidants, absorb UV radiation and inhibit tyrosinase.

Frankincense, boswellia

This herb also fights arthritis. Pure compounds from this herb are very much used in many anti-aging formulations.

The clove family

These herbs are used to relieve pain such as toothache and muscle pains. It is because they contain anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

Vitis
The anti-aging abilities of Vitis are attributed to the grape family members' antioxidant properties. Procyanidins are concentrated in the seeds while resveratrol is concentrated in grapes' skin.

Rosemary

The rosmarinic acid, carnosic acid, amyrenones, rocciferone, seco-hinokiol, oleanoic acid, carnosol and diterpenes ursolic acid contained in the rosemary herb exhibit strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and tyrosinase-controlling properties.

Licorice

This herb contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has also been found to protect the skin from the harmful UV rays. Licorice's active ingredients include liquiritins, glabridins, glabrol, glycyrrhetinic acid, and glycyrrhizin.

Neem

This herb is already recognized for its ability to control bacteria and insects. Found to have hypoglycemic, anti-malarial and wound-healing properties, neem is also known to have powerful free radical inhibiting and antioxidant properties.

Andrographis

Research suggests that the herb andrographis has a strong potential to control skin aging. This substance is taken from the Andrographis herb.

Pomegranate

This herb has punicalagins, punicalins, gallagic acid and ellagic acid. Although some of these substances are not yet used commercially, all of them have been found to be effective in neutralizing oxidants and free radicals.

How three fateful actions helped lead to the failure of today's mainstream medicine

(NaturalNews) Three fateful actions dating back over 100 years ago ultimately led to today's mainstream model of medicine: Treating the body as a collection of parts instead of treating and nurturing the whole body; treating illness by managing symptoms with unnatural drug compounds; and ignoring and suppressing safer and more effective natural health and healing. As a result, millions of lives have been lost and many millions more have suffered needlessly.

The genesis of medicine turning from healing to symptom management can be traced to medicine embracing the "germ theory" of medicine espoused by French scientist Louis Pasteur over the competing theory of another prominent French scientist, Antoine Bechamp. Pasteur postulated that disease was caused by microbes (germs) whereas Bechamp rightly believed that disease and illness were largely due to poor cellular terrain. Pasteur won the day, no doubt because germs could be treated with patented and profitable anti-germ drugs controlled by mainstream medicine.

Around the turn of the 20th century, the American Medical Association (AMA), set out with the help of rich benefactors John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie to monopolize healing and drive out competition. Such was their success that by 1923 the 22 homeopathic medical schools that flourished in 1900 had dwindled to just two and were gone entirely by 1950. By 1925, 10,000 herbalists were out of business and nutritionists, midwives, chiropractics and other healers were greatly diminished.

About the same time, the world's largest pharmaceutical companies, centered mostly in Germany, formed the I. G. Farben cartel whose goal was to gain a monopoly on the world drug trade. They succeeded beyond their own wildest dreams, thanks in large part to the FDA becoming the drug companies lapdog instead of their watchdog - to the absurd point that foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs and other natural items cannot use the word "cure" or even refer to a medical condition without being subject to prosecution and persecution by the FDA for "making false drug claims".

Today's Medical Model
Today, we see our doctors taught in medical schools, whose largest source of funding is the world pharmaceutical empire and whose curricula are set by the AMA. Little or nothing is taught about the role of diet and nutrition, very little positive is taught about natural healing and only token education isdirected towards disease prevention. Instead, doctors are taught that the way to treat illness is to prescribe patented drugs and that the only effective, safe and legal medical procedures are those approved by the AMA and the FDA.

Over 95 percent of our FDA-approved medications have side effects which often lead to other problems and sometimes lead to death. Most approved medications do not cure illness; instead, they manage and mask symptoms. Thus our current model of managed illness results in a never-ending cycle of additional conditions, drugs and doctor's visits. As noted alternative health voice Jon Barron observed: By the time a male reaches the age of 65 it is not uncommon for him to take up to 15 prescribed and over-the-counter medications daily - and it all began with one or two conditions which could have been treated effectively and safely naturally.

Today, virtually all of the major diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes are treated largely unsuccessfully by approved unnatural drugs and procedures. Safer and more effective natural cures for all of them have been ignored, suppressed and persecuted and suppressed - largely because of the competition they represent to mainstream profits.

What mainstream medicine has given us is a great model for profit, but a horrible one for healing and humanity.