Sunday, January 31, 2016
Why Low-Carb Diets May be Ideal for Most People Including Athletes
Why Low-Carb Diets May Be Ideal for Most People, Including Athletes
January 31, 2016 | 110,969 views
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Click HERE to watch the full interview!
By Dr. Mercola
Jeff Volek, Ph.D., and registered dietitian and professor in the Human Science Department at Ohio State University, has done enormous work in the field of high-fat, low-carbohydrate diets, investigating how it affects human health and athletic performance.
Volek has published many scientific articles as well as several books, including "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living," and "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance."
Both of these books were co-authored with Dr. Stephen Phinney, a physician and true pioneer in this field, who has studied low-carb diets even longer than Volek.
Starting out as a dietician, Volek was taught that low-fat diets were healthy and that saturated fats and cholesterol should be avoided. But in working with diabetics, he kept feeling that something was "off." Why should diabetics eat so many carbs?
"In essence, it drove me to want to understand metabolism and nutrition at a much deeper level," he says.
"I was also into self-experimentation ... I was at the time into very low-fat diets, thinking that was how I would optimize my own health. But I decided to experiment with a very low-carb diet."
Low-Carb Diets Can Benefit Athletes and Non-Athletes Alike
His experimentation began in the early '90s and, to his great surprise, his low-carb experiment proved to be anything but harmful. This fueled his passion for understanding how humans respond to diets that are very low in carbohydrates, and led him to continue his education.
He has now spent the last 15 years conducting research in this area, and the outcomes from most experiments have been very encouraging.
"The science continues to point in the direction that there are a lot of applications for these diets for a large number of people.
We're still sorting out a lot of the details, but clearly we need to change the way we feed Americans and the way we think about nutrition in order to reverse ... obesity and diabetes."
He's also done research on low- and non-fiber carb diets and athletic performance, and here too results have proved quite positive — despite running counter to everything he was taught about diet and performance in school, and in most of the scientific literature as well.
"It's been an interesting journey to say the least ...The things I was reading, the things I was taught were not really based on a lot of science, and were a lot of half-truths and misinformation, which still persist today," he notes.
Is Your Diet Driving Your Metabolism in the Right Direction?
Most of the food (fuel) people eat these days is moving their metabolism in the wrong direction. The Westernized diet constantly biases you toward using more nonfiber carbs for fuel.
Most Americans are primarily burning glucose as their primary fuel, which actually inhibits their body's ability to access and burn body fat.
Healthy fat, meanwhile, is a far preferable sort of fuel, as it burns far more efficiently than carbs. As noted by Volek, humans evolved to primarily burn fat as fuel — not carbs — and yet that's not how we're feeding our bodies.
"As a result, we're running into a lot of metabolic problems, because we're constantly inhibiting our body's ability to burn fuel that we evolved to burn," he says.
We all have to eat; we need fuel to live. Without generating ATP you cannot survive at all. The question is how to do that efficiently, without generating harmful reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can destroy your mitochondria and contribute to disease?
It's all about keeping your mitochondria healthy, and low-carb, high-fat diets tend to do that far more effectively than high-carb, low-fat diets.
Healthy Fat Is a 'Cleaner' Burning Fuel
An indirect measurement included in one of Volek's books shows that when people burn fat as their primary fuel, their respiratory quotient can go down as low as 0.7 as opposed to 1, which suggests they're generating less carbon dioxide.
Regardless of the fuel your body burns, you're going to generate carbon dioxide and water. But when you burn fat, you generate 30 percent less carbon dioxide, suggesting it's a lot "cleaner" fuel.
"To use the term 'clean,' that's kind of a provocative term, but I think it is an appropriate one because ... there's a lot of 'exhaust' associated with burning carbs for fuel ... free radicals, reactive oxygen species ... That contributes to the metabolic problems we're seeing in this country."
Also, the most efficient way to train your body to use fat for fuel is to remove some of the sugars and starches from your diet. According to Volek, that's true for everyone, whether you're an elite athlete or a sedentary diabetic.
In essence, the reason why low-carb diets work so well is because it helps you escape this non-fiber, carb-based metabolism that depends on insulin levels to drive blood sugar into cells and use carbs for fuel.
Volek also introduces another term: "carb intolerance" — a metabolic impairment that you suffer from if you're insulin resistant or prediabetic. As noted by Volek:
"It really makes no sense if you're carb intolerant to be consuming half your energy from nonfiber carbs, and to be trying to force your body to burn more carbs."
Healthy Versus Harmful Fats
Most Americans consume harmful fats like processed vegetable oils, which will invariably make your health worse. So when we're talking about dietary fats, we're referring to natural, unprocessed fat, found in real foods such as seeds, nuts, butter, olives, avocado, or coconut oil.
Another good one is raw cacao — it's a phenomenal source of healthy saturated fats and many beneficial polyphenols. Fats are critical for a number of health reasons. They contribute to the formation of cellular membranes, for example, and it's really difficult to have good biological function with impaired cell membranes.
So, dietary fat serves two purposes: it serves as fuel; but it's also a foundational structural component of your biology.
If you're trying to lose weight, training your body to access your body fat is key, or else you cannot shed it. So if you're overweight, you want to teach your body to burn excess fat, and then, once you've reached your maintenance weight, the majority of fat your body will be burning is that from dietary sources.
But how do you make this conversion — to allow your body to become adapted to burn fat as your primary fuel — starting with any excess body fat you already have?
How to Make the Conversion from Burning Sugar to Burning Fat
In short, the key is to restrict non-fiber carbohydrates. It's important to make the distinction about which carbs we're talking about here, as vegetables are "carbs" too, but fiber carbs will not push your metabolism in the wrong direction — only the non-fiber ones will (think sugars and anything that converts to sugar, such as soda, processed grains, pasta, bread and cookies, for example).
You calculate the dangerous non-fiber carbs by simply subtracting the grams of fiber from the grams of total carbohydrate in the food.
Another important point is this:
"Your body can burn both carbs and fat, but your body will burn carbs first. As long as you're eating carbs, your body will try to burn those first. They're like the bully cutting in line. You may just think of them as kind of a throw-away nutrient too, because your body cannot store high levels of carb.
You have to try to oxidize them and burn them first. But if you're carb intolerant, which is highly prevalent in this country, you can't burn carbs, by definition, very well.
Your body then only has one alternative, and that's to convert the carbs you eat into fat. That happens to a greater extent to folks who are insulin resistant or carb intolerant. That really sets the stage for a lot of metabolic problems. Again coming back to how do you train the body to burn more fat; it all starts with removing the availability of carbohydrate because, as long as it's there, it's going to take precedence, and will simultaneously inhibit burning of fat.
These are very sensitive and exquisite mechanisms in place for this to work. You eat just a single meal of carbs and your fat-burning shuts down right away.
This is why a low- nonfiber carb diet works so well to shift fuel use over to fat. You restrict the amount of glucose and starches that you're consuming, and your body naturally shifts over to preferring fat for fuel. It does take some time to adapt to that. Your cells have to shift over their machinery to handle the increased levels of fat and lipid-based fuels. It takes a matter of weeks to get that adaptation.
But once it's there, they're fairly robust adaptations that don't just go away. This is why there is an adaptation period to a low-carb diet. It can be disrupted though if you reintroduce carbs. But a lot of the adaptations do remain."
Finding Your Ideal Carb Level
According to Volek, a level of non-fiber carbs that allows you to enter into nutritional ketosis (a metabolic state associated with an increased production of ketones in your liver; it's the biological reflection of being able to burn fat) is on average about 50 grams per day or less of digestible or absorbable carbohydrates. However, we all vary how we respond to the same food, so this is not an exact recommendation.
Some people can be in a full fat-burning state with full ketosis at a level of non-fiber carbs that's higher than 50 grams; maybe 70 or 80 grams. Others, especially if you're insulin resistant or have type 2 diabetes, may require less than 40 grams or even 30 grams per day.
Again, it bears repeating that when we say carbohydrates, we're referring to non-fiber carbs only. If you look at the nutrition facts on a processed food package, it will list total carbs, and that's not what we're talking about. Don't get confused about this or you'll get really nervous. You do need carbs, but you need most all of them from vegetables.
By volume, vegetables are not very calorie-dense. You could have an 85 percent fat diet, and the volume of the fat would be one-tenth the volume of the vegetables you're eating.
To find your personal carb limit, it's important to actually measure your ketones, which can be done either through urine, breath, or blood. This will give you an objective measure of whether or not you're truly in ketosis, rather than just counting the grams of carbohydrates you consume.
"That even varies within a person over time," Volek says. "You may be able to tolerate more carbs when you're in your 20s, but suddenly now you're in middle age and the same level of carbs is resulting in a few extra inches on your waist, your blood sugars are creeping up, you now have prediabetes, or worse.
The appropriate level of carb for an individual is bit of a moving target, but it is a very important element to personalizing a diet, which I think is fundamental to this idea of personalized nutrition. It's finding the appropriate level of carb for you at any given point in your lifespan that allows you to maintain health."
Research has shown that ketosis is a very safe and a therapeutic metabolic state to be in, especially if you're diabetic or suffering from carb intolerance. But there are people who are naturally very insulin sensitive and carb tolerant that don't need to be in ketosis to thrive. So there's certainly room for flexibility, depending on your individual situation.
Ketogenic Diet Can Benefit Many Chronic Health Problems
Beyond insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, there are a number of applications for a well-formulated ketogenic diet, including epileptic seizures, especially in kids who are unresponsive to drugs, and neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Cancer is another area where ketogenic diets show great promise.
"I think that is the next frontier of ketogenic diets," Volek says. "There are multiple reasons why many cancers would benefit from a ketogenic diet, not just the decreased glucose availability influx (which many tumors depend on) but also the lower insulin response and less inflammation, as many tumors thrive in a pro-inflammatory environment.
There are multiple potential mechanisms by which a ketogenic diet would benefit, including epigenetic effects. We now know that the principal ketone body, beta hydroxybutyrate, is more than a metabolite. It's more than just an alternative fuel for the brain.
It acts like a hormone or a potent signaling molecule that affects gene expression, including upregulating genes that are protective against oxidative stress and enhance the antioxidant status.
Our knowledge and perspective on ketosis is expanding almost daily. It's all pointing toward positive health effects, which is quite interesting considering that for the last three or four decades, we've been demonizing ketones because we only associate it with ketoacidosis."
Other benefits include the resistance to sugar and other food cravings, as you're never that hungry once you've made the shift. Mental clarity is another great boon. According to Volek, the U.S. military is showing great interest in ketones for this reason — along with the fact that it boosts physical stamina and endurance.
Being an efficient fat burner may also predispose you to a longer life. Dr. Ron Rosedale told me many years ago that the single most important variable for controlling the aging process is the ratio of fat versus carbohydrate you burn. The more fat you burn, the slower you’re going to age in general. More recent research supports this notion.
How Ketogenic Diet May Promote Longevity and Increased Muscle Mass
Recent research has found about a dozen genes associated with longevity. The primary function of one of these genes is to cripple the degradation of branched-chain amino acids, such as leucine, which can be useful for building muscle mass. Interestingly, in one of his books, Volek mentions that ketones share a close structural similarity to these branched-chain amino acids, and seem to be preferentially metabolized.
In other words, ketones spare those branched-chain amino acids, leaving higher levels of them around, which promotes longevity and increased muscle mass.
"We learned a lot about ketogenesis from the classic work done by people in the '60s studying starvation ketosis. One of the reasons why we can survive so long without food is we enter into ketosis, and ketosis spares protein breakdown. One of a more consistent effect we see in people on a ketogenic diet is that leucine levels go up in the blood, because they're not being oxidized to the same level.
Ketones are sparing oxidation and breakdown of important structural proteins, and therefore their levels or concentrations in the blood increase and allow them to do other important signaling-type functions.
I do see a very positive interaction here with nutritional ketosis and protein metabolism in general in sparing of the branched-chain amino acids in particular, which are unique in that they are a preferential fuel, unlike other amino acids, which don't really serve as a fuel substrate," Volek explains.
The Importance of Eating Moderate Protein
There's also a "sweet spot" regarding protein. You don't want more protein than your body actually needs. As noted by Volek, this is an important point because there's a common misconception that low non-fiber carb diets are high-protein diets. In reality, a ketogenic diet must actually be moderate in protein because excessive protein is anti-ketogenic.
On the other hand, you don't want to consume too little protein, as this may push you into a negative nitrogen balance. As a general rule, I recommend eating one-half gram of protein per pound of lean body mass per day, which for most sedentary folks is 40 to 70 grams, but this may be higher for athletes and larger individuals.
The best approach is to measure ketosis to know you are not over-consuming protein. For details on how to calculate this, please see my previous article, "The Very Real Risks of Consuming Too Much Protein."
"It's also important to maximize the quality of the protein," Volek says. "I am a general proponent of high-quality protein sources [such as] whey protein. Most animal sources of protein maintain these essential amino acids [discussed above].
I do think, with the potentially unique characteristics of leucine and branched-chain amino acids, we may discover that it's beneficial to include extra leucine even within a context of a ketogenic diet ... Especially if you're an athlete wanting to enhance lean body mass, there could be some benefit to specific use of leucine in particular after exercise or even before exercise ...
I generally think including all three [is best]. Leucine is a potent stimulator of mTOR and protein synthesis in skeletal muscles. It's one thing to turn on the machinery, but you still have to have the building blocks in order to build proteins. I do think it's important that you have full complement of the essential amino acids to make sure that you have all the material there to take advantage of the signaling effect of leucine."
Low-Carb Benefits for Athletes
The dogma in sports nutrition for the last four decades has been that in order to perform at a higher level and recover adequately, athletes need to consume high amounts of (non-vegetable) carbs before, during, and after exercise. However, in more recent years, the understanding of how low-carb diets can augment performance in certain athletes is starting to catch on.
It has certainly gained a great deal of traction in the ultra-endurance world, where athletes are exercising continuously for several hours.
"To be quite frank, they're challenged from a fueling perspective," Volek says, "because if they're eating carbs, they're inhibiting their ability to burn fat optimally. They're putting themselves in a situation where they're increasingly dependent on providing more carbs.
You can only store a limited amount of carbs in your body as glycogen, about 2,000 kilocalories, and if you're exercising for more than a couple of hours, you're burning through the majority of that stored carbohydrate.
That's when an athlete hits the wall. We know that's associated with obvious decrements in performance. How do you avoid that? You can carb-load. That's been the traditional recommendation; to try to pack even more carbs into your muscles ... but that will only delay exercise fatigue by a half hour or so. That doesn't really solve the problem.
It actually exacerbates the problem in some ways. The alternative is to train your body to burn more fat. If you're burning fat and sparing carbohydrates, you don't hit the wall. That's one of the most commonly perceived benefits of a low-carb diet for athletes."
Athletes who adopt this strategy can become exceptionally good at burning fat. Even if they're not eating calories during exercise, lean athletes have at least 20,000 to 30,000 kilocalories on their body in the form of adipose tissue that they can access during exercise. That's more than enough to finish even a 100-mile race. So from a fueling perspective, it makes sense that you'd want to burn more fat as opposed to carbohydrate.
Ultra-endurance athletes who have switched to low-carb, high-fat diets are now winning races and, in some cases, setting new course records. They're also experiencing other benefits, such as speedier recovery rates, improved metabolic health, and a leaner body composition.
More Information
Mounting evidence suggests low- non-fiber carb, high-fat diets may be the key that many people have been looking for, as it solves more than one problem. Not only does it help you shed excess body fat, it does so while simultaneously improving metabolism, boosting overall energy levels, and promoting optimal health and maximizing longevity in a number of different ways.
It can also help ward off neurological dysfunction, boost mental clarity, and improve athletic performance.
For those who struggle with insulin resistance or diabetes, it's certainly one of the most efficient ways to reverse the condition. Even those suffering with more serious conditions, such as cancer, may reap significant benefits.
To learn more, I highly recommend picking up one or both of Volek's books — "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living," and "The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance" — the latter of which is geared toward athletes in particular.
Saturday, January 30, 2016
10 Foods That Help Heal the Pancreas
Located just below the stomach, the pancreas plays an important role in the human body – keeping our blood sugar levels at normal levels. When blood sugar becomes too high, it affects other parts of our body, slowing our healing and damaging our blood vessels. This is why problems with the pancreas often translate to either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body is unable to control the amount of glucose circulating in the blood stream.
Because the pancreas is very easily damaged by an unhealthy diet, there are certain food items that you can include in your meals and snacks to boost its health. Scientific studies have indicated that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is inversely associated with pancreatic cancer (reduces risk).
#1: Broccoli
Broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables out on the market. Rich with antioxidants and a substance called sulforaphane, broccoli is able to reduce serum cholesterol, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress – all contributing factors to pancreatic damage. [1] Another study in 2012 was able to prove that broccoli supplementation significantly reduced levels of serum insulin concentration among diabetic patients. [2]
#2: Garlic
Garlic is not only good for cardiovascular health, it is also an excellent food item that has anti-hyperglycemic and lipid-lowering properties – properties that improve the glycemic control and pancreatic health. In a 2013 study, garlic capsules (with and without metformin intake) was able to improve fasting blood glucose levels. [3]
#3: Red Grapes
The next time you make a salad, think of adding in some red grapes! Red grapes have high levels of polyphenols and reserveratrol, two substances that improve carbohydrate metabolism in the body and glucose transport into the cells. They are able to effectively moderate the insulin sensitivity of the pancreas. [4][5]
#4: Blueberries And Cherries
Despite popular belief that fruit intake increases blood sugar levels and is bad for people affected by diabetics, it is actually the opposite! A 2014 Finnish study revealed that intake of berries in particular, was able to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. [6] This can be attributed to the anti-inflammatory properties of berries, which reduces vascular damage to the pancreas caused by diabetes. [7]
#5: Red Reishi Mushrooms
Used in traditional Asian medicine for hundreds of years, the red reishi mushroom was a popular choice among royalty and the upperclass to manage a variety of ailments. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it may be able to prevent the inflammation of pancreatic tissue which can lead to cancer. [8]
#6: Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are not only a good source of much need carbs, they also are thought to have significants benefits for pancreatic health. An astonishing study published in 2000 revealed that sweet potato intake was able to regranulate pancreatic islet B-cells, which are responsible for insulin production. [9]
#7: Tomato / Tomato Soup
One of the biggest lifestyle contributors in preventing pancreatic cancer is the intake of fruit and vegetables. Tomatoes are very high in lycopene, which is regarded as a potent cancer-fighting agent able to reduce your risk for pancreatic cancer. [10]
#8: Spinach
A substance found in spinach called MGDG (monogalactosyl diacylglycerol) is a potent cancer-fighting substance because it inhibits DNA replication in cancer cells. A 2013 study revealed that it was able to slow the growth of cancer cells in the pancreas, as well as promote cancer cell death or apoptosis. Note that this was an in vitro study and the bioavailability of the spinach compound after digestion was not ascertained. [11]
#9: Tofu
Protein malnutrition is one of the most dangerous effects of pancreatic cancer. To build up protein without causing damage to other parts of the body can be tricky. Tofu is a good source of much needed protein without the harmful effects of having too much meat in the diet.
#10: Natural Yogurt
Natural yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, with the additional benefits of probiotics which help prevent infections and boost the body’s immune system. This is one of the most natural ways to protect the pancreas and prevent damage to the pancreatic tissue.
References:
[1] Bahadoran, Z., Mirmiran P. & Azizi F. (2013). Potential efficacy of broccoli sprouts as a unique supplement for management of type 2 diabetes and its complications. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23631497
[2] Bahadoran, Z., et. al. (2012). Effect of broccoli sprouts on insulin resistance in type 2 diabetic patients: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22537070
[3] Kumar, R., et. al. (2013). Antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, anti-inflammatory and adenosine deaminase- lowering effects of garlic in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with obesity. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23378779
[4] Vallianou, N., Evangelopoulos, A., & Kazazis, C. (2013). Rerveratrol and Diabetes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4160010/
[5] Dragan, S., et. al. (2015). Polyphenols-rich natural products for treatment of diabetes. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25174925
[6] Mursu, J., et. al. (2014). Polyphenols-rich natural products for treatment of diabetes.Intake of fruit, berries, and vegetables and risk of type 2 diabetes in Finnish men: the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24257723
[7] Vendrame, S., et. al. (2013). Wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) consumption improves inflammatory status in the obese Zucker rat model of the metabolic syndrome. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23465589
[8] WebMD. Reishi Mushroom. http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/reishi-mushroom-uses-and-risks
[9] Kusano, S. & Abe, H. (2000). Antidiabetic activity of white skinned sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) in obese Zucker fatty rats. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10706405
[10] Janses, R., et. al. (2011). Fruit and vegetable consumption is inversely associated with having pancreatic cancer. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21915615
[11] Akasaka, H., et. al. (2013). Monogalactosyl diacylglycerol, a replicative DNA polymerase inhibitor, from spinach enhances the anti-cell proliferation effect of gemcitabine in human pancreatic cancer cells. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23174220
Essiac Tea
This Native American Tea Cures Cancer And This Is How You Make It…
By Daily Health Post - January 6, 2016
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As you’ve probably noticed, conventional medicine is finally catching up to the methods traditional medicine has been using for millennia.
In fact, there are more and more scientific studies being done that support the healing properties of certain foods and herbs.
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Even big pharmaceutical companies are catching on, marketing products like fish oil supplements and curcumin extracts.
Unfortunately, the scientific community is still skeptical about Traditional Medicine, and Essiac tea is no exception.
The Story Of Rene Caisse
For over 50 years, Rene Caisse, a registered nurse, used a tea to successfully treat terminally ill cancer patients (1).
The ingredients and recipe for the tea originally came from an Ojibway Native American medicine man in remote northern Canada.
The man had told the recipe to a woman suffering from breast cancer. Within a few months of using the tea, she had been cured! By the time she met Rene, she had been a breast cancer survivor for 30 years.
Rene then prepared the tea for her aunt, who was suffering from stomach and liver cancer at the time and had been given 6 months to live. There was nothing medical science could do for her anymore. With the blessing of Dr. R.O. Fisher, who was caring for her aunt, Rene prepared and administered the treatment. Her aunt lived on for 21 years.
After that episode, Rene spent over 50 years treating terminally ill patients with the tea, always making sure to work alongside certified doctors, who often asked for her help.
What Does Science Say?
The Canadian government and pharmaceutical companies have long tried to stop the use of Essiac, and there has been no new research on the subject since 2007.
However, The Journal of Ethnopharmacology stated in a 2006 study that: “Essiac tea possesses potent antioxidant and DNA-protective activity, properties that are common to natural anti-cancer agents.” (2).
Additionally, The Journal Of Alternative And Complimentary Medicine found that : “Essiac preparations may be able to inhibit tumor cell growth while enhancing immune response to antigenic stimulation. This may be especially valuable in immune-suppressed individuals.” (3).
Despite there being measurable scientific data proving the efficacy of Essiac tea, as well as multiple accounts of patients being successfully treated, the medical community chooses not to acknowledge these facts.
How To Make Essiac Tea
The tea’s benefits come directly from the various ingredients used in its preparation. That’s why it’s important to use high-quality, organic ingredients and make sure they are stored in glass jars and kept in a dark, dry place.
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Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups of burdock root (cut)
- 1/4 pound of sheep sorrel herb (powdered)
- 1/16 pound of slippery elm bark (powdered)
- 1/2 tablespoon of Indian rhubarb root (powdered)
- 10 cups of spring water
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, as your would mix baking ingredients.
- Boil the water in a stainless steel or cast iron pot with a lid.
- Add the herbs and boil hard for 10 minutes.
- Turn of the heat and leave your tea overnight.
- In the morning, heat it up to steaming hot (do not boil it!).
- Let it cool and strain the mix using a stainless steel strainer
- Store your mix in sterilized glass jars and keep in the refrigerator.
Directions For Use OF Essiac
Take four tablespoons of distilled water. Heat the water. To the heated water add Four Tablespoons (2 oz) ESSIAC. Mix and drink. To be taken at bedtime on an empty stomach. At least 2 hours after eating. Can be taken in the morning on an empty stomach. If taken in the morning do not eat for at least 2 hours after taking. via CancerTutor
Essiac may interact with some types of cancer treatment so it is very important to tell your doctor if you are thinking of taking Essiac.
Additional information on Essiac Tea can be found at HealthFreedom.
sources:
[1]http://www.essiacinfo.org/caisse.html
[2]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16226859
[3]http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15353028
Water Kefir Versus Kombucha
Water Kefir Versus Kombucha
January 18, 2011 by Laurie Neverman 77 Comments
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Which is better, water kefir or kombucha?
This is a question I’ve heard a number of times. Kelly the Kitchen Kop gave her vote to water kefir in her post “5 Reasons Why Homemade Kefir Soda Pop Is Better Than Kombucha Tea“, but I was looking for a more technical explanation. I have to agree with her that my kids like the flavor of water kefir soda better than kombucha tea, but I generally prefer the kombucha myself, and my husband will drink either, depending on the flavor. Water kefir is quicker than kombucha tea – unless you do a continuous ferment, in which case you can draw off kombucha every day. Her water kefir is more consistent, my kombucha tends to be more consistent. She feels guilty about excess scobys, I have been able to give most of mine away, or I simply compost them. A few I’ve used to treat skin ailments, such as my son’s cradle cap. (Read The SCOBY Cure.) (DON’T FLUSH YOUR SCOBY! It may just be able to grow in your septic system and cause big problems.)
So, other than personal preference, what is the real difference between water kefir and kombucha? Both start with a base of sweetened liquid (kombucha with sweetened tea, water kefir with sweetened water). I did a lot of hunting, and what follows are some of the best explanations I found on the Net. First, kombucha.
Kombucha AKA Kombuchal, Gerbstoffe, Combucha, Kum-Cha, Fungus japonicas, Fungojapon, Indo-Japanese tea fungus, Pichia fermentans, Cembuya orientalis, Combuchu, Tschambucco, Volga spring, Mo-Gu, Champignon de longue vie, Tea Kvas, Teakwass, Kwassan, Kargasok, Kocha kinoko, Tibetian mushroom and more.
From the forums at Wild Fermentation:
The bacterial component of a kombucha culture usually consists of several species, but will almost always contain Gluconacetobacter xylinus, which ferments the alcohols produced by the yeast(s) into acetic acid. This increases the acidity while limiting the alcoholic content of kombucha. G. xylinum is responsible for most or all of the physical structure of a kombucha mother, and has been shown to produce microbial cellulose.
From the Happy Herbalist (which I highly recommend – tons of great information):
The classification of kombucha vinegar according to Traditional Chinese Medicine is Sour, Bitter and Warm, and milder than alcohol which is Hot (alcohol contributes to phlegm and stagnation). TCM uses vinegar (kombucha) to break stagnation and to move the blood and Qi. Thus improving circulation and contributing to the general feeling of well-being.
As a Pro-biotic: Acidic kombucha, pH 2-3.5 aids the Stomach (both in the TCM and western sense) in the breakdown and digestion of food ingested. Beneficial bacteria and yeasts, that comprise the Live K-T or Pressed Extract (as opposed to pasteurized, neutralized, alcoholic or dead kombucha) compete with and help remove (suppress) harmful bacteria, yeast, parasites. … Then due to the synergism of the stomach acids and kombucha (Acid and Alkaline meets Yin and Yang, Herman Aihara ISBN 0-918860-44-x), kombucha transforms into an alkaline forming substance. Now the transformed Alkaline kombucha pH 7+, aids the Spleen (function in TCM), intestines, gall bladder and pancreas (function in western speak) in metabolizing and distributing that digest throughout the body. Thus IMHO, kombucha truly holistically balances and harmonizes the body.
And finally, from the Heal Thyself Forums:
Kombucha also has the effect of increasing detoxification in the liver. This is beneficial, unless pregnant or nursing, or excess mercury stores. You also need your detox pathways to be open first for effective detox.
So, kombucha acts as an immediate digestive tonic, much like apple cider vinegar. It colonizes the guts with friendly bacteria and yeasts. It detoxifies the liver, and generally cleans and rejuvenates the digestive system as a whole.
Now, water kefir:
Water Kefir AKA Japanese Water Crystals, sugary-kefir grain (SKG), Sugary Fungus, Tibicos, Ginger Beer Plant, California Bees, Water Kefir Grains, tibetan mushroom grains, snow lotus, water crystals, tibi, Kephir, Paris, Kephir, kefir fungus, kefir d’aqua, and more.
(Water kefir) is loaded with valuable enzymes, easily digestible sugars, beneficial acids, vitamins and minerals. Water kefir is also generally suitable for some diabetics (though personal discretion is advised). It also is a nice option if you are trying to avoid the caffeine present in kombucha, but still seeking a probiotic drink. Water kefir supplies your body with billions of healthy bacteria and yeast strains. Some store-bought probiotic foods or supplements can help, but they are not as potent, and do not contain the beneficial yeasts usually (just bacteria).
Within your body there are already billions of bacteria and yeast. Your internal microflora support proper digestion, synthesis of vitamins and minerals, and your immune system by warding off foreign and harmful bacteria, yeast and viruses. It has thus long been known to promote and aid in digestion and overall health. Some studies show it may be anti-mutagenic and help manage free radicals in the body. Folic acid (and B vitamins) increases as the length of the ferment increases. Some people let the strained kefir sit on the counter or the fridge another day to increase the folic acid and B vitamin content before drinking (this will increase the acidity too).
Kefir may also help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. As with most things we’ve personally found, food and health is too difficult to reduce to facts and statistics. While kefir is not a magic bullet for health (what is) we believe kefir has a myriad of possible health benefits, and those will be individual for everyone. Some feel it helps them digest better, others get colds and viruses less often, some get more energy, and some people feel nothing much in particular, but enjoy the taste and value of it over store-bought yogurt, kombucha or kefir.
Pat at Heal Thyself includes more information and a word of caution (she leans to the kefir side of the discussion):
Kombucha has Saccharomyces boulardii which displaces and replaces candida albicans in the gut. Candida binds mercury to keep it out of circulation. When you kill off candida in the gut, stored mercury is released back into circulation to redeposit into other organs and the brain.
Kefir does not do this similarly. Some people get GI symptoms if they start kefir too much too fast due to the microbial shift in the gut. Kefir has many beneficial microbials. You only need 1 tablespoon to equate to a whole bottle of probiotics.
So, water kefir is loaded with probiotics that colonize the entire digestive tract, doesn’t contain caffeine (although if you use continuous brewing, caffeine in kombucha can be significantly reduced), may help with free radicals and boost the immune system. It doesn’t produce a significant detox effect.
So what do you find in a typical glass of water kefir or kombucha?
Cultures for Health lists the following bacteria and yeasts as potentially occurring in water kefir:
Bacteria
Species Lactobacillus
L. acidophilus
L. alactosus
L. brevis
L. bulgaricus
L. casei subsp. casei
L. casei subsp. pseudoplantarum
L. casei subsp. rhamnosus
L. casei subsp. tolerans
L. coryneformis subsp. torquens
L. fructosus
L. hilgardii
L. homohiochi
L. plantarum
L. psuedoplantarum
L. reuterietc
L. yamanashiensis
Species Streptococcus
S. agalactiae
Sr. bovis
S. cremeris
S. faecalis
S. lactis
S. mutans
S. pneumoniae
S. pyogenes
S. salivarius
S. sanguinis
S. suis
S. viridans
Species Pediococcus
P. damnosus
Species Leuconostoc
L. mesenteroides
Species Bacillus
B. subtilis
B. graveolus
Yeast
Species Saccharomyces
S. bayanus
S. boullardii
S. cerevisiae
S. florentinus
S. pretoriensis
S. uvarum
Species Kloeckera
K. apiculata
Species Hansenula
H. yalbensis
Species Candida
C. gueretana
C. lamica
C. valida
Species Torulopsis
T. insconspicna
The Happy Herbalist contains links to a number of kombucha studies at http://www.happyherbalist.com/analysis_of_kombucha.htm. On this page, they state that the typical composition of kombucha may include:
Bacterium gluconicum
Bacterium xylinum
Acetobacter xylinum
Acetobacter xylinoides
Acetobacter Ketogenum
Saccharomycodes ludwigii
Saccharomycodes apiculatus
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Zygosaccharomyes
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Acetic acid
Acetoacetic acid
Benzoic acid
propenyl ester
Benzonitrile
Butanoic acid
Caffeine
Citric acid
Cyanocobalamin
Decanoic acid
Ethyl Acetate
Fructose
d-Gluconic acid
Glucose
Hexanoic acid
Itaconic acid
2-Keto-gluconic acid
5-Keto-gluconic acid
2-Keto-3-deoxy-gluconic Lactic acid
Niacinamide
Nicotinic acid
Pantothenic acid
Phenethyl Alcohol
Phenol, 4-ethyl
6-Phospho gluconate
Propionic acid
Octanoic acid
Oxalic acid
Riboflavin
d-Saccharic acid
(Glucaric acid)
Succinic acid
Thiamin
plus 40 other acid esters in trace amounts.
Cultures for Health highlights key kombucha elements in their Q &A section:
Not all kombucha cultures will contain the exact same strains, but generally, these are some that you might expect:
Acetobacter: This is an aerobic (requiring oxygen) bacteria strain that produces acetic acid and gluconic acid. It is always found in kombucha. Acetobacter strains also build the scoby mushroom. Acetobacter xylinoides and acetobacter ketogenum are two strains that you might find in kombucha.
Saccharomyces: This includes a number of yeast strains that produce alcohol, and are the most common types of yeast found in kombucha. They can be aerobic or anaerobic (requires an oxygen-free environment). They include Saccharomycodes ludwigii, Saccharomycodes apiculatus, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Zygosaccharomyes, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
Brettanomyces: Another type of yeast strain, either aerobic or anaerobic, that are commonly found in kombucha and produce alcohol or acetic acid.
Lactobacillus: A type of aerobic bacteria that is sometimes, but not always, found in kombucha. It produces lactic acid and slime.
Pediococcus: These anaerobic bacteria produce lactic acid and slime. They are sometimes, but not always, found in kombucha.
Gluconacetobacter kombuchae is an anaerobic bacteria that is unique to kombucha. It feeds on nitrogen that is found in tea, and produces acetic acid and gluconic acid as well as building the scoby mushroom.
Zygosaccharomyces kombuchaensis is a yeast strain that is unique to kombucha. It produces alcohol and carbonation as well as contributing to the mushroom body.
Kombucha also contains a variety of other nutrients, particularly various acids and esters that give the drink its characteristic tang and fizz. Included in these components is gluconic acid, which is the primary difference between the makeup of kombucha and the makeup of apple cider vinegar!
Basically, when you compare water kefir versus kombucha, it seems to me that water kefir acts primarily as a wide spectrum probiotic, whereas kombucha acts as a digestive aid, a probiotic and detoxifier.
I think both are valuable, but if I only had to choose one I would probably stick to kombucha. Both of them simply help your body to do what it needs to do – they are not miracle cures. Some sites warn not to use both, but I do and haven’t had any problems. Most sites advise starting with small doses until you body acclimates to the new inhabitants. I think it gets down to individual taste preference, and individual body chemistry. I encourage you to try both if you have the opportunity.
You can find starter cultures online through various swap groups, or sometimes from friends.
You may also enjoy:
Healthy Homebrew – Kombucha – How to brew kombucha
Flavoring Kombucha and Kombucha Testimonials – Tips for flavoring kombucha and stories about how people I know have been helped by kombucha
Kombucha Q and A and More Flavoring Ideas – More flavoring ideas and all the Q and A from the comments in a more readable format
How to Make Coffee Kombucha – Using coffee instead of tea to brew kombucha
Holiday Kombucha Flavors– Ideas for holiday flavor blends such as pumpkin spice and cranberry collins
Featured at Simple Lives Thursday, Fight Back Friday, Fat Tuesday and the Kombucha Challenge.
Posts may contain affiliate links, which allow me to earn a commission to support the site at no extra cost to you. Thank you!
Pinkeye, Conjunctivitis and Homeopathy
Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na)
August 28th, 2014 | 24 Comments
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“One of the greatest threats to public health is the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria…this is due to the misuse and overuse of antibiotics.“
James M. Steckelberg, M.D.
Chair, Infectious Diseases
Mayo Clinic
Conjunctivitis. Pinkeye. Eye infection. Whatever you call it, it means the same thing: inflammation of the conjunctiva, due to either a bacterial or viral infection, or due to allergens or irritants.
So get to the doctor and get a prescription for an antibiotic, right?
Baloney! Do it yourself!
Conjunctivitis frequently troubles children, but adults can also be afflicted and it is very contagious. Yet conjunctivitis is rarely serious. If infections spreads beyond the conjunctiva there is concern for deeper pathology yet this is an uncommon occurrence.
If viral in nature, no antibiotic will touch it and it will secrete clear and watery tears, while discharges that are thick, yellow or greenish are usually bacterial. Even without treatment most of these infections resolve within 10 days or so.
A worthwhile way to treat this illness is with the herb eyebright or Euphrasia. If purchased in alcohol as a tincture, it needs to be diluted 1:25. That is, one drop of tincture to 25 drops of warm water. This mixture is then dropped by an eyedropper directly into the eye. If this is not possible, a clean cloth dipped in the solution can be gently placed and squeezed into it.
Homeopathy, however, is the most profound and effective way of treating pinkeye. It will not only abort the present condition, but support the system so that the likelihood of it returning will be lessened. If it in fact it does return, it will be of a lesser severity. This is the kind of health we’re looking for….robust, resilient, independent of the props of conventional drugs.
When choosing a homeopathic remedy for conjunctivitis, give a dose three to four times in a 12 hour day for as long as three days. As in most homeopathic settings, as soon as there is completion of the illness (it no longer exists) stop administering the remedy.
The first homeopathic remedy to consider is Belladonna 30C. The need for this remedy is determined by the intense redness of the conjunctiva (membrane of the front of the eye and the inner eye lids) including bloodshot appearance to the whites.
There may be pain that is throbbing in nature or the eye may be experienced as hot . External environments affect the comfort of the eye, such as too much light, and even loud noises.
Conjunctivitis might also be accompanied by a fever or it may not. Use Belladonna 30C, when the eye infection comes on quickly, is associated with a high fever (above 105), and use it as soon as possible.
But remember that the outstanding characteristic for the use of Belldonna is its intensity.
That is, concentrated heat, intense pain or vibrant redness. If the case is a mild version, don’t consider this remedy.
Euphrasia officinalis 30C is another homeopathic medicine of great value in pinkeye. It is made from the herb eyebright discussed above, but is potentized in the homeopathic method, hence it is more powerful (yet gentle) than the herb in its crude form.
The use of this remedy is most valuable when there is a large quantity of clear flowing watery tears that burn the eye and the surrounding skin. This may in time develop to a greenish or white discharge and be accompanied by the sensation of having a foreign object such as sand embedded in the eye.
Pulsatilla 30C is the homeopathic remedy for pink eye that presents with a great deal of itching. There is often a thick yellowish or greenish discharge that doesn’t excoriate the skin. The person needing this remedy is often a female, but not always. She may be extra clingy, feel worse in a warm room and more comfortable in cool breezes. Cool water applied to the eyes is often soothing and she will crave this. Eruptions may appear around the eyes and on the lids such as pimples, whiteheads and scales. Often this person has little or no thirst.
There are other remedies to consider but I love to make this blog easy for you to use and pass on to others, so I’ll cut straight to the quick.
When an eye infection comes your family’s way, do what I have done and use Hepar Sulph. 30X, every 3 hours until improvement, while also dropping Euphrasia tincture (diluted or course 1:25) directly into the eye.
It has worked every time for my family, including for our dog, Buster and cat, Carmelina.
I’ve taught this method to my students and have heard only first-rate reports.
You’ve just learned what pediatricians wish they knew…how to cure without antibiotics.
Now stay home and cure your family and then pass on this blog to your friends.
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I love sharing other’s competent research on my favorite topic…gut health.
In Dr. Mercola’s blog today, he recounts the importance of good gut health. He tells us that we need to treat our gut like royalty. You might want to check out his take, which is, that diet is everything.
I agree and I also promote Dr. Weston A Price’s values and teachings, but my message is slightly different. It’s that diet is not enough. Particularly when damage has been already done via antibiotics, steroids and other drugs, some are left with a frustrating, never ending cycle of trying to figure out what needs to be eaten (and not eaten).
I am joined by the likes of Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, founder of the GAPS diet, when I say that once a gut has been made chronically ill, diet needs to be adjusted, but then homeopathy ought to be employed to finish the job.
Should this subject be of interest to you, go to Good Gut Bad Gut – A Homeopathic Strategy to Uproot Seemingly Unrelated Illnesses in Body and Mind and learn how to reverse gut related illness.
Friday, January 29, 2016
This Man Found Out That Salt, Pepper and Lemon Can Solve These 9 Problems Better Than Any Medicine
January 29, 2016 Food, Fruits No comments
A rough replica of Minimal layout in html5.
In the season of flu and infections, it is of great importance to find a natural way to protect ourselves and prevent illnesses. Even though you are most often advised to use shots and antibiotics, it is a fact that you can use natural remedies against the flu which are proven to be even more effective.
Lemon juice is an extremely powerful agent, as it contains antibacterial, antiviral and immune-building properties. Moreover, it is abundant in bioflavonoids, pectin, limonene, citric acid, magnesium, calcium and vitamins , so it is beneficial against diseases and infections.
It also helps in the process of weight loss, as it stimulates digestion. Furthermore, lemon juice has a great number of other benefits and uses.
We will reveal 9 different and simple ways to treat and cure common colds at home using some of these 3 natural ingredients. Undoubtedly, the following recipes will provide remarkable results.
1. In order to treat your sore throat, you need the juice of one lemon, a bit of salt and ground black pepper. Mix these ingredients and gurgle. You can also eliminate a sore throat by using cold vinegar.
2. To open a blocked up nose – The following mixture will be extremely useful, it will cause healthy sneezing and will open the nose ducts. Simply mix equal amounts of black pepper, cinnamon, cumin and cardamom seeds, grind them to a thin powder and smell or inhale the mixture.
3. Mix lemon juice and olive oil to eliminate gall stones
4. Mix lemon juice and water and swish to relieve a sore throat or canker sores. In the case of tonsillitis, add some salt to the lemon juice and gargle.
5. To lose weight – In a glass of water, mix 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and one tablespoon of honey, stir well and drink the combination every day.
6. Relieve nausea – To alleviate nausea, mix black pepper and water in a glass, add some fresh lemon juice, mix and drink slowly.
7. To relieve asthma attacks – Black pepper can also help you reduce asthma attacks. You need to boil 8 to 10 grains of pepper, 2 clove buds and 10 to 15 basil leaves in water. Let the brew sit for about 15 minutes, strain it and add 2 spoons of honey. Also, you can add some milk, and drink it.
8. To treat a toothache – In order to eliminate the toothache, mix some ground black pepper with clove oil, and smear the ointment on the afflicted area.
9. Reduce a fever, fight the flu, relieve nausea, and lessen a chill by adding some lemon juice to your hot tea with honey, and also stop nose bleeding by applying lemon juice to cotton and placing it in the nostril
sourcce: www.healthyfoodhouse.com
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Dr. Oksana M. Sawiak What does Breast Cancer have to do with Oral Health and 10 things you can do to avoid it.
Breast cancer is on the rise. It is going to affect 1 in 4 women in the next decade. Men are not immune either, though their numbers are 1 in 40.
Why?
Genetics? They may give us a predisposition, but most of the factors are medical-dental or environmental. What does that mean?
This means:
· what we eat
· what we wear
· where we live and work
· how we use microwaves, IT, computers and cell phones
· What we put on our face, hair and nails eg. Antiperspirants
· how we deal with stress
· the water we drink and bathe in
· the habits we engage in like smoking, drinking to excess
· mammograms and other xrays
· microwaves and Electromagnetic Frequencies
· pharmaceuticals and recreational drugs (including Birth Control Pills)
· what we use in our homes from paint to cleaners to deodorizers
· what dental problems and procedures we undergo
· what infections we succumb to
· daily movements and postures of our bodies
The Acupuncture/Dental Connection:
In the 40 + years of my experience, one of the biggest and most consistent causative factor in Breast Cancer that I have found, is the blockage of the acupuncture meridian going through the breast. Each Acupuncture Meridian goes through an organ, a muscle and a tooth. It is like an electric wire that delivers power to an appliance. When the electricity flows through it, the appliance works. When there is a short or breakage in the wire, the power is blocked and the appliance fails to perform as expected.
In the 38 years I have been aware of the situation I have not seen one case of breast cancer that did not have a root canal, an infected tooth, a cavitation (hidden bone infection), a metal implant or a toxic restoration, like an amalgam or a metal crown (that has nickel or palladium,) on a tooth (teeth) on the breast meridian on that side.
When there is a blockage in the meridian, -whether it's the muscle that is in spasm, the organ that is inflamed or an infection in gums, tonsils or bone, a toxic implant, filling, cavitation (hidden bone infection) or Root Canal Treated tooth- it can contribute to the development of the tumor and eventually cancer.
Let's look closer at the “tooth connection”. When a tooth is abscessed, the nerve in it has died and the pus resulting from that is pushed out into surrounding bone. In today's dentistry, standards dictate that a dentist is required to “save the tooth “ with a root canal procedure. This means that the nerve is removed from the tooth and the nerve channel is filled with some kind of material. In many cases the root canal treatment is either incomplete or not thoroughly sterilized or not properly filled with a material the seals all the tubules properly. That tooth not only may remain infected but also can become very toxic. In 75% of extracted root canal treated teeth that were studied by Dr. Boyd Haley at the University of Kentucky were infected. In 100% of the cases they were also toxic.
Can you imagine if you had a rose thorn lodge under your thumb nail and it got infected and without taking the thorn out, you mummified the thumb? It would affect the rest of the body with the toxins it would produce. Can you see that it does not make sense to keep a mummified thumb on your hand? Would it not make sense to remove the thorn and heal the infection?
The Root Canal treated tooth is that mummified thumb with a thorn under its nail. If the immune system is strong and can overcome this challenge over time, no symptoms develop. However, if the immune system has had a lot of factors to deal with over time, it shows a “cliff effect”. In other words it keeps coping until it is overwhelmed – like falling over the edge of the cliff- and then something breaks down.
Cancer can be the symptom of the immune system falling over the edge of the cliff.
Infections:
So let’s get back to infections that can originate in the mouth.
If you read the work of Hulda Clark (eg. Cure for all Cancers) she mentions that parasites are a factor in cancer as well. For instance liver fluke and isopropyl alcohol will be the main factors in causing liver cancer. If you remove isopropyl alcohol from your life and eliminate the liver fluke, she predicts that you will cure your liver cancer.
Even gingivitis can be a precursor to an immune system breakdown. We all know that bleeding gums can lead heart infections (endocarditis), arthritis and diabetes. This is easily determined by a microscopic analysis of plaque – a painless, quick and accurate test for gum health.
When we do the Microscopic Plaque analysis we frequently find parasites and spirochetes. One of the main causes of gum disease is a parasite called Entamoeba Gingivalis (amoeba for short). Many people who have long suffered with gum disease have been able to cure this problem in 30 days by eliminating the parasites.
Cavitations (hidden bone infections) can also be a factor. These may be remains of infections after a tooth was extracted, or caused by trauma etc. The way we find these is a Cavitat scan or a Cone Beam x-ray (CT scan).
Bras:
One environmental factor that we can address is what we wear as foundation garments – namely underwired bras. Wires block the Meridian. They also block the lymphatic drainage from the area of the breast. The lymphatic system is like our sewer system. It takes away the waste products, and toxins. We need to keep these channels flushed, or they clog and back up. The breasts are full of lymphatic tissue. When this lymph becomes too thick or is blocked from draining, the stasis causes lumps and tumors to develop. With today's fashion of push-up bras with under wires, the drainage from these areas can be slowed or blocked. Having an underwired “Party Bra” is one thing. Wearing it 18 hours a day everyday is another.
Water:
Environmental issues of another kind are the water we drink and bathe in. When we drink city tap water, we are exposed to chlorine and fluoride. Municipal water often also contains remnants of drugs. Hormones from birth control pills are being eliminated through the urine of users into our sewer system. None of these are safe for our bodies.
Fluoride:
Fluoride is a known toxin. It poisons our thyroid, especially when the iodine level in our bodies is low. It also makes our bones brittle, causes fluorosis in teeth and lowers IQ in children.
Cosmetics and Hygiene products:
When we use cosmetics do we always read all the ingredients?
Next time you buy a body care or oral hygiene product, look at all the ingredients. Even so called natural toothpastes contain fluoride and sodium laurel sulfate which is a carcinogen. Creams and body lotions contain toxic petroleum-based products. Makeup, hairsprays nail polish, hair dye, and cosmetics like lipsticks all need to be carefully watched for toxic ingredients. And read up on tattoo ink‼
One of the most common toxins that we use daily in our lives are hand sanitizers. They contain isopropyl alcohol, which is carcinogenic.
Heavy Metals:
Heavy metals are another significant player in all cancers. WHO has noted that the mercury level in women has risen by 50% in one generation. The main reason is dental fillings (amalgams) and vaccines.
Those working in dental offices are most affected by Mercury. A study of dental assistants in Norway showed that dental staff had more infertility, miscarriages, and birth defects, then any other occupation in the world- including IV drug addicts. A new study of dental staff exposure by the IAOMT (international Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology) is showing that the mercury levels in dental offices are higher than in any other industry. In the USA the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and in Canada Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS)are government agencies that set standards for the highest acceptable level of mercury in a work environment. If they applied this existing standard to dental offices, most dental offices in North America would be shut down for occupational hazard infractions.
10 things you can do now:
1. Start with a wellness consultation that identifies toxins, infections, nutritional imbalances and exposure to Electro Magnetic Frequencies.
2. Find a biological dentist who can deal with infections and root canals properly and who uses safe restorative materials and procedures.
3. Read every label and avoid all GMO’s and chemicals in food, cleaners, personal hygiene and cosmetic products.
4. Promote lymphatic drainage with massage, rebounding (trampoline) exercise, Far Infra Red Sauna, and proper undergarments without wires.
5. Get out in the fresh air
6. Meditate, Pray. Walk , listen to music or dance – whatever reduces stress for you. Take time for yourself.
7. Avoid mammograms (use ultrasound or thermography instead
8. Throw away your microwave oven and protect yourself with EMF protection devices (e.g. Shungite) from the radiation of Wi-Fi and Cell towers.
9. Question the safety of every procedure that a dentist or a medical doctor suggests and insist on full disclosure of hazards and side effects.
10.Do your research. Search out healthier alternatives for everything in your life – from the soap you are using to the toxic new carpet being installed at your office,- from eating more raw or home cooked organic food, to avoiding pharmaceuticals as much as possible.
Disclaimer
Information in this article is intended for educational purposes only and is not to replace independent professional judgment, medical or dental advice.
Readers are welcome browse for more information at www.drsawiak.com or to ask questions through email at drsawiak@drsawiak.com
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