Use these six amazing spices to burn fat fast Friday, March 29, 2013 by: PF Louis

971 (NaturalNews) Spices can turn mundane bland foods into culinary delights, and that's there primary use in our modern world. Some "foodies" recognize how they support health as well, sometimes as an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antimicrobial, or a combination of any or all of those attributes. But not many realize that spices can also help burn body fat. That's right, you can spice it up while eating a little less and staying off sugars and simple or refined carbs. Just make sure you use organic herbs that aren't irradiated. Purchasing them from bulk sections is less expensive. Cinnamon comes up on almost everyone's list of fat burning spices. Could be that cinnamon's ability to stabilize glucose blood levels is a factor. It's been clinically proven to help stabilize blood sugar levels with Type II diabetics. It also happens to have all the attributes mentioned in the first paragraph. Using three grams daily for eight weeks improved blood glucose and lipid levels. After the eight weeks, the treatment group demonstrated weight loss and lower BMI (body-mass index). The journal report is in source [1] below if you wish to review it yourself. It's easy to add cinnamon to coffee or tea, smoothies, or use it in cooking. Adding cinnamon to a baked apple while holding the sugar may be a good weight loss treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. Cardamom is another spice that goes well with coffee or tea. It's best to buy fresh whole organic cardamom seeds and grind them into a fine powder as used. If you drink coffee, a rumor among Ayurveda medicine advocates is that adding ground cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg to coffee ameliorates coffee's adverse health effects while punching up flavor. You can get your caffeine buzz with less guilt. Cayenne has many positive health aspects, especially regarding heart health. But it can also be used to help you lose weight if used often enough. If you don't like hot, spicy foods, you can try it the Dr. John Christopher way. Dr. Christopher was a famous master herbalist nicknamed Dr. Cayenne because he used this herb in so many ways. For heart and cardiovascular health or digestive maintenance, he recommends gulping down a teaspoon of cayenne powder with at least a 40,000 heat unit index (SHU) in pure water. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028954_cayenne_tonic_herbs.html) Okay, it's really hot. But you can dowse that immediately with a cold beverage. Then it's over. Not all of us can tolerate chewing and swallowing spicy hot foods for several minutes. If you enjoy eating that way, go for it as often as possible for burning fat. Garlic is well known for its antibacterial properties. It also contains phytochemicals that break down fat deposits. Find a way to consume a couple of cloves raw often. Chewing a garlic clove with a bit of raw honey is one method. Wrapping it in a lettuce leaf or inserting into a tomato slice works too. Onions are easy to eat raw. They also contain fat burning phytochemicals. Simply slice them up into salads and enjoy. Turmeric has many positive qualities, possibly more than any other spice. It's a terrific antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Clinical trials have found it useful as an adjunct for treating cancer. Many who treat their cancer away from the medical mafia's toxic treatments incorporate turmeric with a "cancer diet" and other natural remedies. In addition to all that, turmeric helps reduce fat in the liver, which in turn helps the liver metabolize other fats that have accumulated from excess sugars and refined carbs. Ironically, turmeric should be taken with a fat. Traditionally, it's heated slightly in milk or coconut oil. Ground black pepper is added to enhance assimilation. (http://www.naturalnews.com/028954_cayenne_tonic_herbs.html) Sources for this article include: [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3429799/ http://www.care2.com/greenliving/top-5-fat-burning-spices.html http://suite101.com http://fatburnerbootcamp.com

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039694_fat_burning_spices_secrets.html#ixzz2PBIuwgm0

Turin Shroud 'Is Not a Medieval Forgery' The Turin Shroud is not a medieval forgery, as has long been claimed, but could in fact date from the time of Christ's death, a new book claims

Turin Shroud 'Is Not a Medieval Forgery'
The Turin Shroud is not a medieval forgery, as has long been claimed, but could in fact date from the time of Christ's death, a new book claimsTurin Shroud 'Is Not a Medieval Forgery' The Turin Shroud is not a medieval forgery, as has long been claimed, but could in fact date from the time of Christ's death, a new book claims

             Low-Carb Diet May Slow Alzheimer’s Disease

4,446 views | + Add to Favorites

4

0

0

0 Email

Print

By Dr. Mercola

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S. This fatal and progressive condition destroys brain cells, resulting in memory loss and severe thinking and behavioral problems (aggression, delusions, and hallucinations) that interfere with daily life and activities.
The cause is conventionally believed to be a mystery. While we know that certain diseases, like type 2 diabetes, are definitively connected to the foods you eat, Alzheimer's is generally thought to strike without warning or reason.
That is, until recently.
A growing body of research suggests there may be a powerful connection between the foods you eat and your risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia, via similar pathways that cause type 2 diabetes. Some have even re-named Alzheimer's as "type 3 diabetes."

Top Dietary Factor Now Implicated in Skyrocketing Dementia Rates

Faulty insulin (and leptin), signaling caused by a high non-fiber carb diet is an underlying cause of insulin resistance, which, of course, typically leads to type 2 diabetes. However, while insulin is usually associated with its role in keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range, it also plays a role in brain signaling.
In a 2012 animal study,¹ researchers were able to induce dementia by disrupting the proper signaling of insulin in the brain.
All in all, it seems clear that your diet plays a tremendous part in Alzheimer’s, and the low-fat craze may have wrought more havoc than anyone could ever have imagined. It was the absolute worst recommendation possible, limiting the nutrient you, and your brain, need the most in your diet.
The disease is currently at epidemic proportions, with 5.4 million Americans — including one in eight people aged 65 and over — living with Alzheimer's disease. By 2050, this is expected to jump to 16 million, and in the next 20 years it is projected that Alzheimer's will affect one in four Americans. If that comes to pass, it would then be more prevalent than obesity and diabetes is today!

How Carbohydrates Can Activate Disease Processes

Dr. Ron Rosedale, a prominent expert in the low-carb, high-quality fat approach to improving your health, was possibly the first person to advocate both a low-carb and moderate protein (and therefore high fat) diet. Most low-carb advocates were very accepting of, if not promoting, high protein, and protein was, and still is, often recommended as a replacement for the carbs.
However, a high-fat, low-carb diet is very different than a high-protein, low-carb diet and this is a major source of confusion by both the public and researchers when doing studies and publishing conclusions as if all low-carb diets are the same.
You cannot live without protein, as it’s a main component of your body, including muscles, bones, and many hormones. We also know that protein was instrumental in advancing our intelligence. However, most people today are indulging in hormone laced, antiobiotic loaded meats conveniently available at fast food restaurants and processed meats in grocery stores.

How Much Protein is 'Enough?'

Dr. Rosedale believes the average amount of protein recommended for most adults is about one gram of protein per kilogram of LEAN body mass, or one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body weight. (As an example, if your body fat mass is 20 percent, your lean mass is 80 percent of your total body weight.

If your total weight is 200 pounds, you would divide 160 by 2.2 to convert pounds to kilograms and come up with 72.7 grams of protein. If you are doing vigorous exercises or are pregnant you can add up to another 25 percent or another 18 grams in this illustration to increase your total to 90 grams per day.)
This is something that makes sense to me and something I seek to apply personally, but this is partly because I foolishly had my amalgam fillings removed 20 years ago by a non-biologically trained dentist that caused serious kidney damage, so I can’t tolerate high levels of protein anyway. However, it seems obvious to me that most people consume too much low-quality protein and carbohydrates, and not enough healthy fat.
So it would make sense that the majority of your diet should be comprised of good fats, followed by good proteins like whey protein concentrate from grass-fed cows, and organic grass-fed beef, pastured organic eggs and chicken, and fish like wild caught salmon.

Your healthiest option is to ensure your carbs come primarily from fresh, organic vegetables, high-quality protein, and eat primary a high fat diet. Depending on the type of carbs (high fiber or not), most people need anywhere between 50-75 percent fat in their diet and sometimes even higher for optimal health.

Another Brain-Boosting Alternative: Intermittent Fasting

Recent research has also shown that intermittent fasting triggers a variety of health-promoting hormonal and metabolic changes similar to those of constant calorie restriction — including reduced age-related brain shrinkage. According to Professor Mark Mattson,² head of neuroscience at the U.S. National Institute on Ageing:

“Suddenly dropping your food intake dramatically — cutting it by at least half for a day or so — triggers protective processes in the brain.”

He likens the effects to those from exercise, stating intermittent fasting could help protect your brain against degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Constant calorie restriction typically includes restriction of protein, and as discussed above, some of the beneficial effects of calorie restriction may actually be due to the reduction in protein. Likewise, intermittent fasting, where meals are either restricted to a small window of time each day, or calories are restricted on specific days of the week, will also typically lead to a reduction in the amount of protein you consume.
Again, going back to the featured study, the animals were only given a protein-restricted diet every other week for four months — essentially, they were on an intermittent fasting-type diet. So we’re not promoting going vegan here. Just cutting your protein back to what your body really needs, and no more. The science on this is relatively new and there are many different protocols but I personally have evolved to the point where I do it on most days. I will make exceptions a few times a month.

Alzheimer's Might be 'Brain Diabetes'

No discussion of brain health can be complete without emphasizing the need to dramatically cut down on the sugars in your diet. It's becoming increasingly clear that the same pathological process that leads to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes may also hold true for your brain. As you over-indulge on sugar and grains, your brain becomes overwhelmed by the consistently high levels of sugar and insulin and eventually shuts down its insulin signaling, leading to impairments in your thinking and memory abilities, and eventually causing permanent brain damage.
You may already know I have become passionate about warning of the dangers of fructose. There is NO question in my mind that consuming more than 25 grams of fructose regularly will dramatically increase your risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. Consistently consuming too much fructose will inevitably wreak havoc on your body's ability to regulate proper insulin levels.
Additionally, fructose has other modes of neurotoxicity, including causing damage to the circulatory system upon which the health of your nervous system depends, as well as profoundly changing your brain's craving mechanism, often resulting in excessive hunger and subsequent consumption of additional empty carbohydrate-based calories. In one study³ from UCLA, researchers found that rats fed a fructose-rich and omega-3 fat deficient diet (similar to what is consumed by many Americans) developed both insulin resistance and impaired brain function in just six weeks.

More Tips for Avoiding Alzheimer's Disease

The beauty of following my newly revised Nutrition Plan is that it helps treat and prevent all chronic degenerative diseases, from the common ones like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and Alzheimer's to the ones you have never heard of or can't even pronounce. It is divided into three helpful sections, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced to help you start at the right level.
The plan is the first step in addressing Alzheimer's disease. In spite of how common memory loss is among Westerners, it is NOT a "normal" part of aging. While even mild "senior moments" may be caused by the same brain lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, these cognitive changes are by no means inevitable! People who experience very little decline in their cognitive function up until their deaths have been found (post-mortem) to be free of brain lesions, showing that it's entirely possible to prevent the damage from occurring in the first place… and one of the best ways to do this is by leading a healthy lifestyle.

• Limit fructose. Most people will benefit from keeping their total fructose consumed below 25 grams per day.
• Only use moderate amounts of protein. The featured studies provide compelling evidence that in most cases you will want to limit your protein to the levels discussed in the article. Most people consume 200-300 percent more protein than their body can use and the altered metabolism and metabolic breakdown products can be pernicious to human health.
• Improve your magnesium levels. There is some exciting preliminary research strongly suggesting a decrease in Alzheimer symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain. Unfortunately most magnesium supplements do not pass the blood brain barrier, but a new one, magnesium threonate, appears to and holds some promise for the future for treating this condition.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun exposure. Strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer's patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests have been revealed.⁴ Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important chemicals in your brain and protect brain cells by increasing the effectiveness of the glial cells in nursing damaged neurons back to health. Vitamin D may also exert some of its beneficial effects on Alzheimer's through its anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties. Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer's.
  
• Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3. This is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin resistance. However other sugars (sucrose is 50 percent fructose by weight), grains and lack of exercise are also important factors.
• Vitamin B12. According to a small Finnish study recently published in the journal Neurology,⁵ people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer's in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin) the risk of developing Alzheimer's was reduced by 2 percent. Very high doses of B vitamins have also been found to treat Alzheimer's disease and reduce memory loss.
• Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan. Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day.
• High-quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding regular consumption of most fish because, although fish is naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA help by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder.
• Coconut Oil may offer profound benefits in the fight against Alzheimer's disease. One of the primary fuels your brain uses is glucose, which is converted into energy. When your brain becomes insulin resistant, atrophy due to starvation can occur. However, ketone bodies, or ketoacids can also feed your brain, perhaps better, and prevent brain atrophy. It may even restore and renew neuron and nerve function in your brain after damage has set in. In fact, ketones appear to be the preferred source of brain food in patients affected by diabetes or Alzheimer's. Ketones are what your body produces when it converts fat (as opposed to glucose) into energy, and a primary source of ketone bodies are the medium chain triglycerides (MCT) found in coconut oil.
  
• Astaxanthin is a natural pigment with unique properties and many clinical benefits, including some of the most potent antioxidant activity currently known. As a fat-soluble nutrient, astaxanthin readily crosses your blood-brain barrier. One study⁶ found it may help prevent neurodegeneration associated with oxidative stress, as well as make a potent natural "brain food."
• Eat plenty of blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanidin and antioxidant content, are known to guard against Alzheimer's and other neurological diseases.
• Gingko biloba: Many scientific studies have found that Ginkgo biloba has positive effects for dementia. Gingko, which is derived from a tree native to Asia, has long been used medicinally in China and other countries. Sixteen years ago, in one of the first issues of my newsletter, I posted the results of a 1997 study from JAMA that showed clear evidence that Ginkgo improves cognitive performance and social functioning for those suffering from dementia. Research since then has been equally promising. One study in 2006 found Gingko as effective as the dementia drug Aricept (donepezil) for treating mild to moderate Alzheimer's type dementia. A 2010 meta-analysis found Gingko biloba to be effective for a variety of types of dementia.
• Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) can help stabilize cognitive functions among Alzheimer's patients and may slow the progression of the disease.
• Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
• Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc.
• Exercise regularly. It's been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized,⁷ thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer's. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. Research has also shown that people with Alzheimer's have less PGC-1alpha in their brains⁸ and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer's. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations.
• Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both mercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and immunotoxic agents.
• Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer's disease.
• Avoid anticholinergic and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density lipoprotein.
  

Common Clothing Stains and How To Remove Them by Antonio Centeno The Art of Manliness

Common Clothing Stains and How To Remove Them

by Antonio CentenoThe Art of Manliness

Dangers of high blood sugar can be alleviated with cinnamon, chromium and bitter melon Friday, March 29, 2013 by: Talya Dagan

355 37 (NaturalNews) Blood sugar causes degenerative disease. Not only diabetes is a concern, but also high blood sugar affects the eyes, kidneys, brain, the heart, and also speeds the aging process. Sugar creates inflammation in the body, and burns the cells by inflammatory oxidation. This inflammatory process is called glycation. It damages the organs, blood vessel and cells. Excess sugar in the blood can make a person feel tired and fatigued and turn into fat. This causes weight gain and fat deposits in the stomach area. To reduce blood sugar, first stop eating any refined sugar or white sugar. Read packaging for hidden sugars in processed foods such as corn sweeteners. Symptoms of low or high blood sugar imbalance Low blood sugar can cause a jittery or nervous sensation. Some people feel shaky and lightheaded when their blood sugar is low. They can crave sweets or coffee as a pick-me-up. Even after eating, you can experience hungry and sugar cravings if your blood sugar is low. High blood sugar can make a person feel tired, especially after eating. It can also cause a person to feel irritated by little things, or tired throughout the day. Nutrients to reduce high blood sugar Chromium Chromium removes glucose from your blood. When you eat sugar, your body utilizes the supply of chromium, so it's important to add this nutrient to your diet. Chromium levels also decrease with aging by as much as 40 percent. The most biologically active form of chromium is chromium polynicotinate. Vanadium Vanadium is a trace mineral that helps stabilize blood sugar. Vanadium in the form of vanadyl sulfate is easily absorbed. It allows the sugar in your blood to go to the muscles where it can be burned more easily. Cinnamon Cinnamon challenges the body to respond better to insulin. This is a great benefit to individuals who are insulin resistant or have diabetes or other blood sugar issues. Cinnamon contains methylhydroxy chalone (MHCP), a polymer that balances the blood sugar and increases the body's energy stores. One study showed that cinnamon reduced blood sugar by 29 percent while also reducing cholesterol. Gymnema sylvestre Gymnema sylvestre is an herb used in ayurvedic medicine in India. It destroys sugar, which is also the meaning of the plant's name. This herb prevents the sugar in foods you eat from turning into glucose too quickly. It slows the conversion of sugar to blood glucose. By doing so, the blood sugar remains more stable. Bitter melon Momordica charantia, or bitter melon is a tropical fruit with blood sugar lowering properties, demonstrated in over 100 research studies. It also has been shown to reduce the appetite. The ingredient in the fruit called lectin along with four other chemical compounds, lower the concentration of sugar in the blood. Bitter melon stimulates an enzyme in the body that mimics the method by which exercise utilizes sugar in the blood. This means that by eating bitter melon, the sugar in the blood is moved from the blood to the muscles and is then converted to energy, instead of to fat. Sources for this article include: http://www.naturalnews.com/027896_diabetes_gymnema.html http://www.naturalnews.com/031538_cinnamon_coughs.html http://bittermelon.org/heal/healthbenefits http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14633804 About the author: Talya Dagan is a health advocate and health coach, trained in nutrition and gourmet health food cuisine, writing about natural remedies for disease and nutrition and herbal medicine. Stay informed! FREE subscription to the Health Ranger's email newsletter Get breaking news alerts on GMOs, fluoride, superfoods, natural cures and more... Join over four million monthly readers. Email privacy 100% protected. Unsubscribe at any time.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/039696_high_blood_sugar_cinnamon_bitter_melon.html#ixzz2OyIYVRUY

Previous Article

Next Article

Story at-a-glance

• An estimated 75-85 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some time in their life. Most cases are mechanical in nature, meaning the pain is not due to a serious medical condition such as inflammatory arthritis or fracture, instead the pain is a product of poor posture and improper movement.
• One of the latest drug scams is pushing an expensive anti-rheumatic drug for back pain. This drug can cost you $20,000 per year, yet most people’s back pain is NOT due to random inflammation, even inflammatory arthritis such as Rheumatism is controlled better through diet and exercise than with drugs. Shutting down your body’s natural inflammatory response is simply asking it to stop warning you of a larger problem that needs to be addressed.
• Our often seated lifestyle contributes to back pain more than any other isolated factor. Too much sitting without proper balancing exercises can also decrease your lifespan and the quality of your years..
• Daily Foundation Training Exercises are one of the best practices you can add to compensate for long hours spent sitting. These are powerful, simple whole body movements that help strengthen your complete core and activate the muscles designed to keep you in a powerful posture all day long. More than a dozen additional guidelines are included that can help you prevent and treat back pain, whether acute or chronic. The key thing to take home from this is that most back pain is manageable, and the reality is that more often than not we are accidentally hurting ourselves by using the wrong muscles to move, or masking pain with chemicals that stop us from addressing the actual problem.

Most Popular

1

One of My Readers Shares His Personal Success Story Using High Intensity Training

2

How Strength Training Can Help You Live a Longer, Healthier Life

3

The Push-Up that Blasts Your Core

4

How Intermittent Fasting Stacks Up Among Obesity-Related Myths, Assumptions, and Evidence-Backed Facts

5

Benefits of Yoga—What the Research Says About its Use for Common Health Problems

You Might Also Like

• 
  
  How to Prevent Lower Back Pain
  112,360 Views
  
  
• 
  
  Prevent Back Pain and Other Common Problems by Sitting Correctly
  290,517 Views
  
  
• 
  
  How Foundation Training Can Help You Maximize Strength and Freedom of Movement
  252,556 Views
  
  

Simple Prevention and Treatment Strategies for Back Pain

March 29, 2013 |9,432views | + Add to Favorites

4

2

0 Email

Print

HLN's Susan Hendricks reports on how you can prevent some back pain.

This is a Flash-based video and may not be viewable on mobile devices.

Visit the Fitness Video Library

By Dr. Mercola

An estimated 75-85 percent of Americans will experience back pain at some time in their life, and most cases are mechanical in nature, meaning the pain is not due to a serious medical condition such as inflammatory arthritis or fracture.
Fifty percent of all working adults say they have back pain, and it's one of the most common reasons for missed work.
According to the American Chiropractic Association,¹ Americans spend at least $50 billion annually on back pain treatments, and are often left feeling more confused about their problem.
Not surprisingly, back pain has become a major target for Big Pharma disease mongering.² The latest example of this is the emergence of ads for ankylosing spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the axial skeleton, which includes the spine.

“Do you have back pain? Are you dismissing it as resulting from 'lifting too much' at the gym or 'bad posture'?” one radio ad asks. “You might have ankylosing spondylitis.”

The drug advertised is Humira, which has a price tag of about $20,000 a year. It is reprehensible for drug companies to promote this expensive and dangerous drug for an exceedingly rare cause of low back pain, which likely is responsible for less than a tenth of a tenth of one percent of low back pain.
Side effects of the drug³ include tuberculosis, serious infections, increased risk of lymphoma and other cancers, hepatitis B infection in carriers of the virus, allergic reactions, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, certain immune reactions including a lupus-like syndrome, liver problems, and new or worsening psoriasis — and that’s the short list! There are many more.
Considering the fact that most cases of low back pain are not caused by inflammatory conditions, you probably do not need this drug — although you may have no trouble receiving it should you ask your doctor for it...
Besides addictive and dangerous painkillers, pain injections also carry risks. Last year, nearly two dozen people receiving steroid injections for chronic back pain contracted meningitis. The outbreak was traced to a contaminated batch of injectable steroids.⁴
Since poor posture and/or improper movement is to blame for most cases of back pain, one of the best things you can do to prevent and manage back pain is to exercise regularly and keep your back and abdominal muscles strong.
Foundation Training is a simple response to this common back pain problem. The program is inexpensive and can be surprisingly helpful, as these exercises are designed to help you strengthen your entire core and move the way nature intended.

What’s Causing the Pain?

With the exception of blunt force injuries, low back pain is commonly caused and exacerbated by:

Poor posture	Poor physical conditioning facilitated by inactivity	Internal disease, such as kidney stones, infections, blood clots
Obesity	Psychological/emotional stress	Osteoporosis (bone loss)

Back Pain is a Primary Reason Why the US has so Many Prescription Drug Addicts

Unfortunately, many simply end up taking pain killers and retiring to bed instead of increasing their activity once the back pain starts. Back pain is actually one of the primary reasons why so many American adults get addicted to pain killers. Addiction is a terrible side effect of these drugs, considering they do not actively change the issue causing the pain in the first place.
Pharmaceutical drug overdoses now rank second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in the US. The number of overdose deaths from opioid painkillers alone more than tripled from 1999 to 2006, to 13,800 deaths that year. This despite the fact that the FDA increased the restrictions for consumer drug ads in 2005, especially for COX-2 painkillers like Celebrex and Bextra.
In the past, most overdoses were due to illegal narcotics, such as heroin. But prescription painkillers have now surpassed both heroin and cocaine as the leading cause of fatal overdoses. In addition, more than 700,000 people visit US emergency rooms each year as a result of adverse drug reactions to all drugs, not just the opioids.
Adverse drug reactions from drugs that are properly prescribed and properly administered also kill about 106,000 people per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the US.
Pharmaceutical drugs kill more than twice as many Americans as HIV/AIDS or suicide, yet they’re still allowed to be advertised on TV, radio and in magazines. This is particularly ironic when you consider that the death toll from illegal drugs – which is about 10,000 per year – is dwarfed by the death toll (106,000 or more) from properly administered pharmaceuticals!
The first step toward meaningful change is realizing that prescription drugs are JUST as addictive and dangerous as illegal street drugs. In many cases, they are identical. The only difference is their legal status. For example, hydrocodone, a prescription opiate, is synthetic heroin – indistinguishable from any other heroine as far as your brain and body are concerned. So, if you’re hooked on hydrocodone, your body is responding as if you’re a heroin addict...
Perhaps even more ironic, prescription drug addiction is now also being advertised as a “medical condition” for which there is treatment... Back in the day, this was simply called Drug Rehab, but now they’re trying to remove the stigma associated with drug addiction, since the vast majority are hooked on legal meds. Just because the drugs are legal, does not mean the addiction is any less severe or damaging.

Tools to Prevent and Treat Back Pain

I strongly recommend considering the least invasive avenues before resorting to pain medication or surgery. For starters, many people fail to realize that many times back pain actually originates from tension and imbalance at a completely different place than where the pain is felt.
For example, the very act of sitting for long periods of time ends up shortening the Iliacus, Psoas and Quadratus Lumborum muscles that connect from your lumbar region to the top of your femur and pelvis. When these muscles are chronically short, it can cause severe pain when you stand up as they will effectively pull your lower back (lumbar) forward. The reality is that the imbalance among the anterior and posterior chains of muscles leads to many of the physical pains you may experience daily. By bringing these muscles to a better balance, you will consistently remedy many of these pains and discomforts.
Many people end up going through drastic medical procedures to "fix" this type of pain, or end up taking pain killers for extended periods of time. Seeing a qualified chiropractor is certainly a wise consideration if you suffer from back pain. I am an avid believer in the chiropractic philosophy, which places a strong emphasis on your body's innate healing ability and far less reliance on band-aid responses like drugs and surgery.
Foundation Training—an innovative method developed by Dr. Eric Goodman to treat his own chronic low back pain—is an excellent alternative to the Band Aid responses so many are given. Foundation Training exercises work to gradually pull your body out of the movement patterns that are hurting you.. The focus is on strengthening your complete core, which includes anything that directly connects to your pelvis, whether above or below it. Foundation Training teaches all those muscles to work together through integrated chains of movement, which is how your body is structurally designed to move. Every muscle that directly connects to your pelvis should be considered a piece of your core and this includes your glutes, adductors (inner thigh muscles), deep lower back muscles, hip flexors, hamstrings and all of your abdominal muscles.
Having strong, balanced core muscles is like having a built-in corset that not only holds your gut in, but also stabilizes your spine, vertebrae, discs, and most importantly your pelvis. Teaching your body to naturally support itself at the deepest level is going to be far more effective than strapping on an external back brace, which over time can lead to even weaker musculature. Foundation Training is like Olympic weight lifting for the deep postural muscles of the human body.
Yet another type of exercise called Egoscue can also be helpful in mitigating the damage from excess sitting. And, if you’re in pain, Neuro-structural integration technique (NST) is another non-drug pain relief option. NST is a gentle, non-invasive technique that stimulates your body's reflexes. Simple movements are done across muscles, nerves and connective tissue, which helps your neuromuscular system to reset all related tension levels, promoting natural healing. It is completely safe and appropriate for everyone from highly trained athletes, to newborns, pregnant women, and the elderly and infirm. To find an NST therapist near you, see our NST Therapists Page. You can also purchase a DVD set to learn more about this technique.

Foundation Training Basics

I’m a huge fan of Foundation Training, and the primary exercise, called The Founder, is one that everyone would be wise to learn. It’s an integrated movement that pulls together your entire posterior chain of muscles, thereby strengthening your back while lengthening your front. This and all other Foundation Training exercises disperse the force throughout your body and takes friction away from your joints, placing that tension into your muscles instead.
I do these exercises daily and it is a great tool to build a stronger and more stable low back that is free from pain. Foundation Training can help counteract the negative effects of excessive sitting, which is not only a cause of chronic back pain, but can also increase your mortality risk from all causes.
When you sit, your head and shoulders drop forward, and your hip flexors and abdomen shorten. Every exercise included in Foundation Training lengthens the front of your body, which is over-tightened, and strengthens the back of your body, which will help you stand tall and move with strength and flexibility. As explained by Dr. Goodman:

“The place to start is learning how to hinge effectively. Learning how your hamstrings, lower back, and glutes are designed to stretch together. Once that part is in place, you can then advance to all the exercises that build upon that foundation, that build upon The Founder exercise.”

Structural Decompression Breathing Also Helps Improve Posture and Reduce Pain

Breathing is another important tool that is unfortunately ignored by most people. In his TED Talk below, Dr. Goodman demonstrates structural breathing, which will help improve your posture, especially while seated. Here’s a summary:

• Sitting down or standing, place your thumbs at the base of your rib cage, pinkies at pointy bones at the front of your waist. Think of the space between your fingers as a measuring stick.
• Pull your chin back so that your chest is lifting upwards and take three slow deep breaths as I instruct you below.
• As you breathe in, the distance between your thumbs and pinkies should increase.
• As you breathe out, tighten your abdominal muscles to prevent your torso from collapsing back down. This is the important step, do not let your torso drop back down towards the pelvis as you exhale. It should be challenging and you should feel your abdomen engage as you exhale.

When done properly, your breath will help lengthen your hip flexors, stabilize your spine, and support your core using your transverse abdominal muscles. This will strengthen your back and keep your chest high and open. Do this exercise for 30 seconds or so, then go back to your normal seated position. With time, those muscles will get stronger, and your seated posture will gradually improve. With Foundation Training you should quickly notice dramatic improvement to your daily posture.

The basic Foundation Training program takes about 20 minutes, and is ideally done daily. You can purchase the Foundation Training DVD from my online store. FoundationTraining.com also offers several free videos , and their thought provoking first book called: Foundation: Redefine Your Core, Conquer Back Pain, and Move with Confidence.

Even More Tips to Beat Back Pain

Preventing back pain is surely easier than treating it. Besides the recommendations already covered above, which included getting chiropractic adjustments, Foundation Training, Egoscue exercises, and NST, below are several more tips for beating back pain. With this many alternatives available, there are few good reasons to turn to pharmaceutical or surgical band-aids that do nothing to treat the underlying causes of your pain, and might cause additional harm in the process:

1. Exercise and physical activity will help strengthen the muscles of your spine. Make your exercise time count by including high-intensity sessions. You probably only need this once or twice a week at the most. You'll also want to include exercises that really challenge your body intensely along with those that promote muscle strength, balance and flexibility. Remember to build up your entire core to avoid back pain. Always do some stretching and warm-ups before engaging in strenuous physical activity, and make sure you focus on strong, balanced posture.
2. Optimize your vitamin D and K2 levels to prevent the softening of the bones that can often lead to lower back pain.
3. If you spend many hours every day in a chair like I do pay careful attention to consciously sucking in your belly and rotating your pelvis slightly up. At the same time make sure your head is back with your ears over your shoulders and your shoulder blades pinched. This will help keep your spine in proper alignment. You can hold these muscles tight for several minutes and do this every hour you are sitting.
4. Address psychological factors. Few people want to be told that their pain is psychological or emotional in origin, but there's quite a bit of evidence that backs this up. Underlying emotional issues and unresolved trauma can have a massive influence on your health, particularly as it relates to physical pain. Dr. John Sarno,⁵ for example, used mind-body techniques to treat patients with severe low back pain and has authored a number of books on this topic. His specialty was those who have already had surgery for low back pain and did not get any relief. This is one tough group of patients, yet he had a greater than 80 percent success rate using techniques like the Emotional Freedom Technique (he has now retired from practice).
5. Get regular massage therapy. Massage releases endorphins, which help induce relaxation and relieve pain.
6. Keep your weight spread evenly on your feet when standing. Don’t slouch when standing or sitting to avoid putting stress on your back muscles.
7. Always support your back, and avoid bending over awkwardly. Protect your back while lifting – this activity, along with carrying, puts the most stress on your back.
8. Sleep in a firm bed. Sleeping on your side to reduce curving of your spine and stretching before getting out of bed is also helpful.
9. Use chairs or car seats that offer good lumbar support. Switch positions often while sitting, walk around a bit and do some light stretching to relieve tension.
10. Wear comfortable shoes. For the ladies, it would be good to not wear heels most of the time.
11. Drink plenty of water to enhance the height of your intervertebral disks. And because your body is composed mostly of water, keeping yourself hydrated will keep you fluid and reduce stiffness.
12. Quit smoking as it reduces blood flow to your lower spine and your spinal disks to degenerate. 

http://drsircus.com/consultations

 

Search

• Books
• Medicine
• Natural Allopathic Protocol
• Treating at Home
• Treatment Costs

Consultations

Dr. Sircus is available to take patients via his online clinic. There are two ways to benefit from his expertise, you can either have a single consultation with him or subscribe to one of his online clinic programs.
After you pay for the consultation or online program you will receive a link to download a questionnaire that needs to be filled in and sent back to us with a recent picture of the patient. Dr. Sircus will review your case and the staff will get in touch with you to set up your appointment.
This entire offering of online support and consultation extends to anyone interested in professional-to-professional training and for those who might eventually want to become registered and certified by the International Medical Veritas Association.
If you have any questions please contact us.

Consultation

A single consultation is recommended in cases where the need for Dr. Sircus’s advice is brief and also if the person is already familiar with his work. It is highly recommended that patient reads the book Treatment Essentials before consultation, for more efficient use of time.

Half Hour Consultation

$125

If you are already familiar with Dr. Sircus’s work, have read Treatment Essentials and have specific questions on how to implement treatments, you can contract a mini consultation of half an hour.

Add to Cart

One Hour Consultation

$250

The consultation is one hour long and can be broken in two parts so the doctor can follow up with you after you start implementing the protocol.

Add to Cart

Programs

In Dr. Sircus’s online support programs you will have access to him and his staff on a daily basis and he will instruct you step-by-step in the application of his protocol and follow-up with patients’ reactions, advances, etc. Extended email and Skype text exchanges are used as well as audio and video conferencing.

Program 1

$600

Program 1 fee includes four of Dr. Sircus’s e-books and is recommended for people, families and children who are not in life threatening situations. This would include cancer patients who have read Treatment Essentials and who feel that they will need a minimum level of support. Time frame is generally a month but the program is flexible and can be adapted to last over a longer period of time.

Add to Cart

Program 2

$1200

Program 2 was designed for those who need intense in-depth support. This is highly recommended for stage 3 and 4 cancer patients and for all those who have serious ailments that demand intensive care. Also this program would be for anyone wanting to engage Dr. Sircus in a deep process and counseling on emotional issues. This program includes four of Dr. Sircus’s ebooks and support spans for 3http://drsircus.com/consultations 

Obama signs Monsanto Protection Act Into Law

GMO Labeling in 2007

by Anthony Gucciardi
March 27th, 2013
Updated 03/27/2013 at 7:16 pm

Obama Sign Monsanto Protection Act into Law

comment

3

President Obama has signed into law the notorious Monsanto Protection Act legislation hidden inside of the Continuing Resolution spending bill, which protects Monsanto and its genetically modified creations from federal courts.
Passing up the chance to veto the bill in favor of stopping Monsanto’s increasing monopoly on the food supply, Obama pushed the bill through into a law in a move that reminds us of his failed 2007 promise to ‘immediately’ label GMOs upon his election.
Contained in the rider (Farmer Assurance Provision, Sec. 735) of HR 933, Monsanto is now even protected (at least under this law) from the United States government.
As I pointed out in a previous article, the Monsanto Protection Act’s success actually proves how corporations have more power than even the United States federal government. Monsanto’s lobbyists managed to slip the rider into the major bill, which — despite the rider — has virtually nothing to do with the topic.

This is a typical and routinely practiced move by lobbyists to insert an incognito line of legislation into a bill generally viewed as favorable overall. One that has proven to be effective for Monsanto.

2007 Promise to Label GMOs

The result is now major outcry against Obama for signing the bill into law and protecting the biotech juggernaut Monsanto. Many fail to remember, however, that Obama first decided to allow Monsanto to continue pulverizing the food supply and the health of the nation back in 2008 when he went back on his promise to ‘immediately’ label GMOs. It was in 2007, during a campaign speech, that Obama first stated his support of non-GMO and GMO labeling activists, in which he promised to swiftly label GMOs.
You can see the video from our Youtube channel here:

For a brief period before the bill was passed by the Senate and now signed into law by Obama, both myself and many others in the alternative news community crusaded tirelessly to alert politicians and activists in order to stop the Protection Act from going through. Unfortunately, time was not on our side. The hasty vote by the Senate and the news blackout from the mainstream media were enough to break through the warnings of concerned activists (and people who just want real food). Now, however, renewed interest in the GMO labeling campaign and the fight against Monsanto brews.
With such a blatant and cocky act against the United States and its people, Monsanto has set itself up to fail. Let’s remind Obama of his promise to label GMOs he made many years ago.

About Anthony Gucciardi: Google Plus ProfileAnthony is an accomplished investigative journalist whose articles have appeared on top news sites and have been read by millions worldwide. Anthony's articles have been featured on top health & political websites such as Reuters, Yahoo News, MSNBC, and Bloomberg. Anthony is also a founding member of Natural Attitude, a leading developer of super high quality spagyric formulations.

Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/obama-signs-monsanto-protection-act-into-law-after-promising-gmo-labeling-in-2007/#ixzz2OqYWxP4a
Follow us: @naturalsociety on Twitter | NaturalSociety on Facebook