Die Fleas! Die! Die! Die! Freaky Cheap Flea Control flea control in a nutshell: by Paul Wheaton Permaculture Articles

permaculture articles by paul wheaton

sepp holzer diatomaceous earth cast iron skillet rocket mass heater raising chickens lawn care flea control hugelkultur wofati light bulbs electric heaters permaculture articles permaculture forums permaculture blog permaculture podcast permaculture videos missoula Die Fleas! Die! Die! Die! Freaky Cheap Flea Control flea control in a nutshell: 1) don't panic! Fleas are nothing more than a minor nuisance. Panic can lead to poisons for you and profits for the panic mongers.  2) keep a paper thin layer of diatomaceous earth wherever a vacuum cannot reach 3) vacuum once every three days, tossing a little diatomaceous earth on the floor first 4) if you have a pet: flea comb every three days (every day if fleas are found) wash bedding every three days 5) do not use toxic gick! No flea bombs, no boric acid, no borate powders (and this definitely includes the fleabusters product), no flea collars, no pyrethrins. flea control details Don't Panic! Marcia Larkins, D.V.M., chief of the companion and wildlife drugs branch in the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine says fleas are "Just a nuisance. They generally cause a lot of itching and scratching. They may also cause some discomfort due to possible allergic flea bite dermatitis." You're going to be fine. Fleas are nothing more than a minor nuisance. Yes, they do bite people. Yes, they did help spread disease hundreds of years ago - but they need a source of disease to spread it - and that is, these days, virtually unheard of in North America. I think that horse flies and mosquitoes are about a thousand times more dangerous - mostly because they can go get disease from far away and bring it to you. How freaked out do you get over a mosquito bite? And if you have a flea control problem in your house, those fleas can only bring to you disease that is already in your house. You're going to be fine. Flea control can be easy, cheap, and organic. I hesitate to mention the plague, but it is a tool that the flea control fear mongers use. And this is, by far, the scariest thing possible with fleas, so let's take a proper look at it.  To get the plague you also need rodents. But not just any rodents, the rodents must have the plague. The fleas must bite the rodents and then bite you. Since fleas don't travel far, and this page is about controlling fleas in your home, you would have to have rodents with the plague in your home. Nearly all plague cases involve rodents living far away from people's homes. Therefore, the odds of you getting the plague from a flea in your home is about one in a skillion jillion. You have a better chance of being elected president and then getting hit by lightning on your first day in office. From the Center for Disease Control: "human plague in the United States has occurred as mostly scattered cases in rural areas (an average of 10 to 15 persons each year). ... Most human cases in the United States occur in two regions: 1) northern New Mexico, northern Arizona, and southern Colorado; and 2) California, southern Oregon, and far western Nevada." And nearly all of those cases were in undeveloped areas. Usually undeveloped land far from most people. The people that do catch the plague are often researchers studying the rodents.  Since this is the scariest thing that can be thrown at you, do I really need to talk about anything else the flea control fear mongers will try to toss your way in order to scare you into parting with your money? I wonder how many people die every year from flea poison? I'm having a hard time finding that data, but I did find this anecdotal report: From http://www.prescriptionbeds.com/people_sick.htm "My good friend acquired asthma after prolonged exposure to boric acid. (carpet treatment) Subsequently, she died from an asthma attack. This happened over a period of two years!!!" If anybody finds good info on sickness/death coming from flea control toxins, please share that information in the flea control discussion thread.  I have to say "don't panic" because I have personally witnessed panic. And this panic led to dropping $560 for "natural" toxic gick for flea control that came with a "guarantee" to be free of fleas for a year. And yet the fleas remained. And then the panic went way beyond that and everybody moved out of the house. Panic means profits! It is scary how easily people will panic and then do all sorts of unreasonable things. And there are lots of less than ethical folks out there stirring up the panic so they can make money with flea control. Don't be that gullible! You're going to be fine. With a little knowledge, a little time and about 20 bucks, the fleas will be all gone. Know your enemy! Wikipedia has some good info on fleas. At the time of this writing, it is pretty accurate and I expect it will become more accurate as time passes. There are four stages in a flea's life: egg, larva (maggoty-like-thing), pupa (in a cocoon) and adult. Egg-to-egg life cycle is usually two to four weeks. Under the right conditions this can be a little shorter (12 days), or much longer (8 months). An average fertile female flea lays about 200 eggs per month and 500 eggs over her entire lifespan. Some folks want to shock you (panic means profits!), so they compound this tidbit of data along with the life cycle information. So, suppose you have a flea worthy of the flea olympics and can lay 500 eggs per month - a real performer! I'll name her Helga. And combine with that the perfect flea nursery so that those eggs can become adults in, say 14 days. So, on day one, Helga has an amazing day and lays 50 eggs!  Helga's best performance ever! 14 days later, Helga's bratty kids pop out as adults. Flea sex. Eating. And then each brat squeezes out 50 eggs. Helga is so proud! So, that's 2500 eggs. 14 days after that you have 125,000 eggs! You could then say "a single flea could be responsible for 125,000 eggs in one month!" Sunnuffabitch! Where's my checkbook! A quick pass at some rational math. Let's say that Helga lays a more realistic 12 eggs. And we will go ahead and assume that half of those will hatch as male fleas. So at the two week point there are 6 females laying 6 more female eggs. So at the end of the month there are 36 females laying 12 eggs each. 432 eggs at the end of the month. Further, this is assuming a lot of optimal things about the mating, finding food, the optimal egg, larva and pupal environment, the fastest possible egg-to-egg cycle with no consideration for mortality at all of the different stages. The reality check is that it's a hard life to be a flea. The larva compete for food (their favorite food is flea poop, but they'll eat most forms of organic matter). In a clean house, it can be so difficult to find food, that hardly any larva become pupa. Hot and/or dry conditions can be deadly too. Even under the best conditions, flea mortality is often more than 80%. Assuming that Helga beats the odds and becomes a granny within the one month time frame, then she might have personally laid one female egg that survives to lay more eggs. That one might lay 12 eggs. If helga managed to lay another 12 eggs, you have a total of 24 possibly viable eggs at the end of the month, most of which will probably not make it to adulthood. So when you read outlandish numbers like 125,000, I think you're reading something that is trying to get suckers to part with their money. For a small, one bedroom filthy house with five filthy cats, and nobody ever does anything about it .... I could see a breeding pair of fleas growing to a family of 20 in two months. Left without intervention, I could imagine a maximum of a thousand adult fleas living there. 50 to 100 per cat, and the rest looking for a host. In my worst flea control situation, I don't think there was ever more than 30 adult fleas alive in the house at one time. So the important thing to keep in mind here is that if you keep a clean house, you're probably not going to be dealing with more than a few dozen fleas at any given time. On with the flea trivia .... A flea cannot jump higher than eight inches (hundreds of times their own height!). My understanding is that a flea will sit in the pupal stage for a long time waiting for a host to come by. Then suddenly leap out and ... boing! boing! boing! boing! boing! boing! and grab! On the host! Sometimes they miss. And if they miss, they have about one week to find food (blood) or they die. A female flea has to consume blood before she can lay eggs. The female will usually lay eggs on the host and the eggs then roll off of the host as the host moves about. A flea can hitch a ride on a human. You could get fleas in your home and have no pets. You would then be the flea's only food source. And you thought you were at the top of the food chain! When a flea bites you, you probably won't even notice. What you do notice is your own immune system reacting to the flea's saliva (complete with anti-coagulants and some antigen proteins). The important thing here is that you might feel the itch two or three times! This can make you think that you have been bitten two or three times, but really you've been bitten just once. If you don't sense the actual bite (and you probably won't), the first itch comes about five to six hours later, and the second comes 24 to 48 hours later. So chances are that you feel the itch and think you have been bitten just now - but in reality, that flea came and went hours ago. Lots of people come to the errant conclusion that there are fleas in a room or in a house because of this. The only way to know where fleas are is to see the actual flea. Some people say that fleas don't bother them. My understanding is that the fleas still bite them, but they just don't have an allergic reaction to flea spit, like 90% of humans do. That's what that little red dot is: an allergic reaction to flea spit. If you have the red dot - you're allergic! Flea Control with Diatomaceous Earth According to wikipedia: "fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of hard-shelled algae." This is an off white powder that feels a bit like flour. Not only can you eat it, it is already in a lot of the food that you eat. I have heard two explanations of how it works.  One is that on a microscopic level, the particles are very sharp looking. These particles stick to an insect and get stuck between its exoskeleton joints. As the insect moves, it gets physically cut up. The other explanation is that it sticks to the insect and somehow causes them to dry out. I think this approach involves scratching the insects waxy layer which then allows precious moisture within the insect to get out. A reader, Sue, in Washington state writes: Both are true and connected. DE is almost pure silica (with some beneficial trace minerals); under a microscope, it looks like shards of glass (glass is made from silica). On any beetle-type insect that has a carapace, like fleas and cockroaches, the DE works under the shell and punctures the body, which then dehydrates and the insect dies. DE is totally nontoxic. There is no buildup of tolerance like there is to poisons because the method of killing is PHYSICAL, not chemical. The important thing to us is that if an insect with an exoskeleton gets diatomaceous earth on them, they die. At the same time, we can rub it all over our skin, rub it in our hair, eat it .... whatever ... and we are unharmed. Farmers dump diatomaceous earth by big scoops in with grains when the grains are stored. It kills the insects that want to feast on the grain. This is a great improvement over the stuff they used to put in with the grain. Farmers feed gobs of it to animals in the hopes that it will cure whatever ails them. Many farmers swear that the stuff kills all sorts of worms in their critters. The only concern about this stuff is that if you throw it into the air, you can make a big cloud of the stuff. Breathing that in can irritate your lungs. Just as breathing in anything other than pure air can irritate your lungs. The same concern applies to pastry flour, talcum powder, corn starch or dust on the wind from outside. The dust that gets into the air from emptying your vacuum cleaner bag is probably far worse for you than diatomaceous earth dust. I've heard of some folks intentionally making a cloud of the stuff in a room to make sure the diatomaceous earth gets into everything. If you're going to do this, you should probably turn appliances off first so that their fan stuff doesn't get plugged with the dust. I don't go this route - all that dust makes me cough. For flea control, I try to make a paper thin layer of diatomaceous earth wherever the vacuum doesn't reach easily and use the vacuum technique (below) also. That way, when an adult flea jumps out of its cocoon, instead of going "boing! boing! boing! boing!" it goes "piff! piff! piff! piff! urk!" I don't throw it around - more like lay it about and then spread it around slowly with my hand. Kinda like finger painting. Note that diatomaceous earth works only on the adult stage of the flea. (Some say it works on the larval stage too) So while traveling this road for flea control, be thinking that there are lots of eggs, larva and pupa around still. The strategy is to kill the adults before they lay more eggs. If we assume that diatomaceous earth works so good that the lifespan of an adult flea is one minute, then you will continue to see adult fleas for the next two to four weeks - from the eggs already laid. They just won't live very long. Make sure you buy "food grade" diatomaceous earth. There is some stuff used for swimming pool filters. Don't use that. There are some other varieties of diatomaceous earth that are labeled just "Diatomaceous Earth" but they have other stuff added to it. Icky stuff. The "food grade" diatomaceous earth is pure. A great thing about diatomaceous earth is that you can leave it around the edges of your home and in hard to reach places for months or years. As long as it doesn't get wet, it will continue to work. One time I had some fleas in my room and I just put down diatomaceous earth. I did no other flea control. I then put it out of my mind. Two days later I checked my ankles and had no new flea bites. I vacuumed up all of the dust about two weeks later, and set out a flea trap (see below). I caught one flea, then I went to the diatomaceous earth-along-the-edges and vacuum approach combined with a flea trap every night. The flea trap did turn up a flea once in a while for two weeks, and no more after that. My first attempts at flea control with diatomaceous earth on carpet were to just sprinkle and not spread it to make a paper thin layer. This had mixed results. My sprinkle without spreading, covered about 20% of the surface. Mathematically, this means that the average flea lifespan is five times longer (if a flea has to touch diatomaceous earth 5 times to die, then that would be 5 hops with full coverage and 25 hops on average with 20% coverage). Some fleas might then live long enough to bite. Possibly long enough to lay eggs. Not good. The paper thin layer has 99% coverage and no bites were experienced. I have heard from two people that said that they won't use diatomaceous earth anymore because "the tiny particles cut my lungs!" --- (deep sigh goes here) All I can say is "Did you actually examine your lung with a microscope and watch the diatomaceous earth cut into it?" - of course, they did not. I think the truth behind these reports is that these folks heard how diatomaceous earth works, and when they would breath in the dust, it would make them cough - just as breathing in flour or corn starch would make you cough. And then they thought of the sharpness at a microscopic level. My understanding is that when diatomaceous earth becomes moist, the sharp thing is no longer happening. That's why you have to keep it dry when you use it. Lungs are all squishy and moist. Squishy beats diatomaceous earth. Squishy, squishy, squishy. I have encountered over a dozen ignorant boobs that have proclaimed "Diatomaceous Earth does NOT work!" I have read this statement in all caps. In extra big fonts. With italics. And I've even had it screamed at me. I'm gonna stick with "ignorant boobs". On closer inspection of each case there is always a flaw. Usually the problem is that it was not used correctly. If you put it in one place and hope the fleas are drawn to it to die, I have found that strategy sucks. Another flaw is to use it correctly, but there are still eggs hatching and fleas come out of the pupal stage. The diatomaceous earth hasn't had a chance to do its magic yet. I kinda wonder if the pesticide companies pay people to go to internet forums and say this sort of thing. diatomaceous earth is super cheap, non toxic, and generally more effective than anything the pesticide companies have to offer - so it kinda cuts into their profit margins a bit. I've been meaning to create an experiment to set the record straight on this topic, but a participant in the flea control thread, Stephanie, beat me to it: I tried my own experiment with the DE to see how quickly it kills the fleas; I caught a few fleas and put them in a jar with a pinch of DE - all were dead within just a couple of hours. How to get diatomaceous earth? Well, I have a lot to say about that too, so it is part of a new article I wrote on diatomaceous earth.  Flea Control by Vacuuming This assumes that you have carpets. One of the things that convinces a flea that it is time to leave the cocoon and jump on a host is vibration. And a vacuum provides one helluva vibration! If you toss a little diatomaceous earth on the floor before vacuuming, then the flea ends up in a cush pile of diatomaceous earth in the vacuum bag. If you are going to vacuum less often than once every three days, you should probably spread diatomaceous earth all over the floor between vacuuming. If you are experiencing a LOT of fleas, you might want to vacuum once or twice a day just to be comfortable. Flea Control with Light Traps (aka "Flea Traps") These things feed my inner scientist! (evil, maniacal laugh goes here) Fleas are so small, often the only way to measure success is whether you are still getting bitten. So this simple trick is a great way to not only kill fleas, but to monitor your progress. Just a little lamp next to a plate of soapy water. Fleas are of an insect family that is drawn to light. They're just stupid that way. And fleas drown easily provided that you disable their mechanism to deal with water (that's what the soap does). Set the trap out at night. Count the number of dead fleas in the morning. This is the best way to measure how your efforts are working. You don't have to wear a white lab coat and thick rimmed glasses if you don't want to. If you don't have engingeering paper on a clipboard, you can use the back of an envelope. If you are doing a good job with the diatomaceous earth approach, then during the first couple of weeks you should see fleas in your trap every night. After two or three weeks the numbers should start to drop a lot. Around four weeks the numbers should be zero. I would continue monitoring for four weeks beyond the sight of the last adult. After all, what if that adult managed to lay eggs before dying? A desk lamp is the best. It can focus the light into a small area, rather than illuminate the whole room. If you are setting many traps each night, we've found the easiest thing to do is to put dry plates on the ground and pour soapy water into the plates. I think that light traps alone probably won't be a complete flea control solution. Even if you used lots of them every night, they would probably only kill 95% of your population. That remaining 5% can go on reproducing. Diatomaceous earth is going to be your real flea control workhorse. If you have a pet, don't think that using the light trap takes the place of using a flea comb. The light attracts fleas that are looking for food. The fleas on your pet are living on the food. You want a lamp with a sturdy base and that is AC powered (not battery powered). You also need something that is flexible enough to reach close to the ground. This one is ten bucks:  Lamp that is perfect for a flea trap Flea Control with a Dehumidifier I'm having a hard time coming up with any really hard research on this one, but I am finding a lot of anecdotal success. My understanding, from some pretty weak sources, is that this does work on all stages of a flea's life. Apparently, fleas require 50% or higher relative humidity to live. They prefer 70% or higher. Think about it: all life requires water. Fleas can survive in a house, but where do they get their water? The only source is the air, and apparently they need plenty of it or their innards quickly turn into flea jerky. As I examine my own history .... the only time I have had to deal with fleas was when living in Eugene, Oregon (moist with mild temperatures) and in Seattle, Washington (moist with mild temperatures). In all other places (mountain desert) I let cats and dogs in and out of the house willy nilly and never gave a thought to flea control. I think this is a strong indicator of how fleas thrive in humidity and are almost non-existent where it is dry. I have now tried this flea control dehumidifier trick on two rooms: Room 1: A housemate captured seven fleas by hand in about an hour and drowned them in soapy water. We moved the dehumidifier into his room and ran it for two days with nobody living in there. We entered the room only to empty the water from the dehumidifier. We then put flea traps in the room every night. No fleas. The dehumidifier appears to have worked very well. But note that this is a very small room. By September 2007, I should post the longer term flea control results here. Well, it is now April, 2008 and that room has been flea free since I wrote the above in July of 2007. In fact, the whole house has been flea free since about a week after I wrote this article.  Room 2: This much larger room had diatomaceous earth on the floors and was getting vacuumed daily. It had a serious flea problem at one point. There were two traps. The night before putting in the dehumidifier, the traps had caught two fleas each. The dehumidifier was run for two days with nobody living in the room. We entered the room only to empty the water. Immediately afterward, six fleas were caught. Another round of heat (93 degrees F max) plus dehumidifier was done. The next day two more fleas were caught. So this flea control experiment didn't work. I think that the size of the room is a factor. Either the dehumidifier needs to run longer, or a more more powerful dehumidifier is needed.  I don't yet have the flea control confidence in this that I have in diatomaceous earth, but I think there is a lot of potential. I just need to do more experiments. Hmmmmmm .... I think I need a way to test relative humidity ... My reading suggests that this works on nearly all critters that don't drink water. There are some dehumidifiers sold specifically for controlling problem insects in a closed space. A possibly worthwhile note: most of the work done by an air conditioner is to dehumidify. Flea Control with Heat This is one that I have not yet properly tried, but it has actual science behind it and it just sounds cool (pun?). A flea larva cannot survive 103 degrees F for one hour. My thinking is that you would want to sustain a temp of about 108 for at least four hours - just to make sure that the temperature penetrated all of the hiding places. On one web site, a guy said that he turns his thermostat all the way up (about 90) and leaves for the day. He comes home and there are no more fleas. Since I first mentioned this form of flea control in this article, I have had two more people contact me to say that it worked for them too! I have now tried this twice. 1) One room with a portable heater: My portable heater has a thermostat built in. I couldn't get the temperature in the room above 93. I probably sustained that temperature for six or seven hours. Two fleas were caught in that room the next day. 2) A friend's house. I turned the heat up to full blast for the whole house. It got to about 85 for about three hours. Still lots of fleas. UPDATE! Both times this failed for me, I'm pretty sure it was raining outside. That would mean that relative humidity (RH) probably did not drop below 50%. In other words, what if it isn't exactly the heat that kills the fleas, but it is the RH? RH would need to get to under 40%, or maybe under 30% in order to kill the fleas. So on the days that I did the test, the dewpoint was probably at about 65. What if I did the test when the dewpoint would be something like 40? Then the RH would be something like 25% and would probably easily kill all of the fleas in the house. That is probably why other people did this and it worked, while when I did it, it didn't work! If this works, and I can repeat it a few times, this could become my #1 solution! More flea control testing coming soon!  Flea Control by Shampooing (or steam cleaning) your carpet Another one I have not tried. The theory is that fleas drown easily in soapy water. And they don't cope with heat well either, so the steam cleaning would be even better. This should also remove more flea poop - the flea larva's favorite food. My reading suggests that this impacts all stages of the flea's life. Note that once diatomaceous earth is wet, it won't work anymore. Note also that there are some folks that say this doesn't work because the fleas are not under water long enough to drown fleas like warm and moist, and you just gave them moist you can't get to the fleas in the edges, and, possibly, some nooks and crannies, where a lot of the fleas live in the earlier stages. So if shampooing works, it won't kill the fleas in the edges, nooks and crannies, and then those fleas have a fantastic, moist environment to move into. Flea Control by Less Carpet If you have hardwood floors and no carpets, chances are that you have no flea problem. People with no carpets rarely have flea problems. And if you do, it seems to be easy to get rid of fleas. It might be worth considering. Flea Control by Washing your clothes/bedding If your clothes are on the floor, they could be harboring fleas in one of the many stages. A trip through a washing machine (with soap/detergent) will kill all fleas in all stages. Pretty easy. During the days of flea trouble, it would be wise to keep your room(s) clean and do all of your laundry at least once a week. If you have flea bites above your knees, the fleas are in your bedding. Wash all of your bedding. Your comforters and blankets might need to go for a ride in those big, front loading things at the laundromat. I never heard of dry cleaning doing anything to fleas, so if you have wool or down, I think you're going to have to go with a very gentle cold wash followed by air drying with no heat. Flea Control for your Critters If you have a critter (dog, cat ... ferret ... etc.) that has become a home to fleas, the first thing you need to do is use a flea comb. Comb the animal in such a way that the fleas and eggs will end up outside or in soapy water. That way, the fleas don't just jump back onto your pet two minutes later. Optionally, once a week, dunk your critter in warm water with a mild soap for about five minutes. It might help to wrap the critter tightly in a towel first to prevent squirming. Just dunk the critter and the towel. When you do this, be prepared for fleas to make a dash for the head - be prepared with the flea comb. Wet fur can often expose more fleas. Pick them all off. Wash your pets bedding every few days and (optionally) dust with diatomaceous earth. You can even work the diatomaceous earth into your pet's fur if you like. A reader, Sue, in Washington state writes: I live in a flea paradise: warm and humid. At the first sign of a flea, I dust all my pets with DE, working it down to the skin. I do this weekly or every two weeks, mostly depending on the type of the animal's haircoat. My dog has a thick coat (Belgian Tervuren), and one cat has a bushy coat. I do them every two weeks. The smooth-haired cats I do every week, as I suspect their usual grooming removes the DE faster. Then I dust their bedding. Then I use a small-mesh wire sieve and lightly dust my carpets with the DE. Since the DE does tend to fly when I do the carpets, I use a simple drugstore face mask to protect myself. I've been using DE for three years. A friend of mine that has 16 unadoptable cats from a rescue operation uses it, too. I've now heard from a lot of people that they are having great flea control success feeding their pets flea treats. Apparently, they are loaded with liver and B vitamins. The important part is that there are no nasty chemicals and the reports I have been reading suggest it is not only very effective at getting the fleas to go away, but the animals appear healthier overall. DO NOT USE POISON! I think this topic is large and obvious. Just take a look at the warning labels if nothing else. In nearly every case, you end up poisoning yourself and your family along with the fleas. If you think I'm out of my gourd, please google "MSDS" and the name of your product of choice to get the facts BEFORE you poison yourself. "MSDS" is the "Material Safety Data Sheet" that is required by law to be provided with the product. Although it turns out that actually providing that material cuts way back on the sales of these products, so it is "forgotten." Use your brain before your flea control poison lowers your IQ by 20 points. DO NOT USE Borate Powder This is an edge case poison. Often pushed as "natural" or "least toxic". I discuss it in detail here because, while it is a lot less toxic than other stuff, it is still toxic and if you are considering using it for flea control, you should get a grip on just how toxic it is. This stuff travels under a lot of names: Boric Acid, Fleabusters, Sodium Polyborate, Borax, Sodium Borate, Sodium Tetraborate, Disodium Tetraborate, Boracic Acid, Orthoboric Acid, Acidum Boricum and many other names. Because this stuff is far less toxic than most other poisons, a lot of ignorant environmental groups have pushed it as a solution. Of course, you need lots more of it (compared to the stronger poisons) to work against fleas. So in the end you may be about equally poisoned. Since this stuff can occur naturally, it is sometimes marketed as a "natural" product. Well, there are lots of powerful poisons out there that occur naturally (arsenic, cyanide and asbestos come to mind), that doesn't mean it's a good idea to bring it into your home and expose yourself to it. A fascinating article at http://www.unexco.com/boric-op.pdf. As it introduces part 2, it says "Part I of Mr. Cartwright's article addressed the use of Boric Acid (the main ingredient in many flea control products such as Fleabusters) in a method that is inconsistent with that recommended by the manufacturer * -- i.e. broadcast application, or spreading over a large area where there will be constant direct contact. This type of application can lead to exposure to the chemical which can have harmful effects. Particularly susceptible would be children and animals." * In this case, "the manufacturer" is "U.S. Borax" Mr. Cartwright then says "U.S. Borax has the only correct Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on boric acid that I have seen to date. Most, if not all, other manufacturers of pesticides that contain boric acid have incomplete information contained in their MSDSs about boric acid and/or borates." check the MSDS at http://www.anvilfire.com/21centbs/material/33850-usborax-borax.pdf Here is an excellent, scientifically backed, article on Boric Acid and Borates Toxicity DO NOT USE Pyrethrins/Pyrethrum This is another edge case poison. Like borates, it is often pushed as "natural" or "least toxic". I discuss it in detail here because, while it is a lot less toxic than other stuff, it is still toxic and if you are considering using it, you should get a grip on just how toxic it is. From this fantastic document on Pyrethrin/Pyrethrum Toxicity: "Pyrethrins are a common cause of insecticide poisonings. According to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) survey of poison control centers, they cause more insecticide poisoning incidents than any other class of insecticides except the organophosphates. Symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and difficulty breathing." DO NOT USE Flea bombs Think about how they work. They put poison on everything. If you touch a wall and then eat a grape, you just ate poison. Of course the product is labeled to say that you need to clean everything afterward so that you don't poison yourself. Somehow I doubt folks clean everything that the flea bomb can reach. And besides, isn't the whole idea with the flea bomb is the convenience? Just set it off and come back the next day. Cleaning EVERYTHING doesn't sound really convenient. My reading suggests that for the flea bombs to work, you need to set a new one off once a week for three to six weeks. That's a lot of poison. And even then. some people say that the fleas are still not gone. DO NOT USE Flea collars Pretty straight forward. Poison on your pet. And they stink! Flea Control Summary With hardwood floors, I just toss out a little diatomaceous earth in the nooks and crannies. With carpets, you need to add in some regular vacuuming with some diatomaceous earth mixed in. The light traps help you to make sure you are making good progress. After the fleas are gone, keep a little diatomaceous earth in nooks and crannies and in pet bedding - just as a preventative. I have great hopes about the dehumidifier and the heat approaches. We'll see what information shows up on these fronts over the next few months/years. Fleas are nothing more than a minor nuisance and are easily controlled with with some really cheap, safe products and a little patience. other articles about flea control Most of the information I can find seems to be selling something. And the primary ingredient to get you to part with your money is to freak you out. Even the articles that aren't selling something seem to want to sensationalize a bit. I've tried to pick out a couple that are more reasonable. Natural Flea Control (motherearthnews.com): I've subscribed to mother earth news off and on for years. I generally like the mag, but their web site is just way too commercial for my tastes. The article is first rate. I especially like how the statements are not exaggerated and are well qualified. There is a focus on general cleanliness, vacuuming and diatomaceous earth. Unfortunately, there is a recommendation for flea bombs, which I don't agree with. Natural, Non-toxic Flea Control (eartheasy.com): For a commercial outfit, this is really good. I think they are pushing a little bit of panic when they say "A single flea can lay as many as 60 eggs per day" instead of something like "The average adult flea lays an average of 2 eggs per day" (figuring in the males, and the older females). There is good stuff about how to deal with fleas for your pets, advocating good overall health. While they sell the sticky flea traps, they do mention the home made soapy water flea traps. Comments? Questions? Rude gestures? Discuss this article in the flea control thread. Thanks! If you like this article, please link to me. Click on one (or many) of the social network links below. Linking to this article from a forum is nice. Or even better, mention this article in a blog! Many thanks!

How Centenarians Explain Their Longevity

How Centenarians Explain Their Longevity

January 09, 2014 | 144,183 views

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By Dr. Mercola

"For years I would not take any medicines at all. I don't think they do much, and lots of times the doctor is using you as a guinea pig." - Advice from Centenarian, Sardinia, Europe

Do you want to live to be 100? How about 110, or even 120? Statistically, the younger you are, the greater your chances of reaching those milestones—that much is known.

There is even a fairly strong possibility that lifespans beyond 150 will be possible in the next few decades as improvements in 3D printing, stem cell, and nanotech continue to improve.

But when it comes to understanding the complexity of human longevity and all of the factors that determine your lifespan, there is much we still don't understand. Researchers have the advantage of an ever-growing pool of centenarians and supercentenarians. Supercentenarians are those rare individuals who live past 110.

Both demographics are growing. And the good news is, most centenarians and supercentenarians are quite healthy until very near the end of their lives. Research tell us that the older the age group, the later the onset of degenerative diseases and cognitive decline.1 Here are a few interesting facts about centenarians—who now represent the fastest growing segment of the American population:2

• One quarter of children born today are expected to live beyond 1003 whereas only one in 26 baby boomers will reach the century mark4
• There are between 96,000 and 105,000 centenarians living in the US, and about 12,640 in the UK5
• Research indicates that the number of American centenarians has been doubling every decade since the 1950s; by 2050, the number of centenarians living in the US is expected to pass one million
• There are about 65 verified supercentenarians living today, but unofficial estimates are as high as 3506,7
• Approximately eight of every nine Centenarians are women; 19 percent use cell phones, 12 percent use the Internet, and three percent have participated in online dating

What's Their Secret?

Scientific explanations for longevity remain elusive. Researchers studying centenarians agree: there is no specific pattern.  

There appears to be a connection between your longevity and the age your mother gave birth. Researchers at the University of Chicago Center on Aging found that if your mother was under age 25 when you were born, your chances of reaching age 100 are twice as high as for someone whose mother was older than 25. Makes me grateful my mother was only 19 when she had me.

This presumably has something to do with the robustness of a woman's eggs over time, but this is just one potential factor among many. According to Israeli physician Nir Barzilai of the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York:8

"There is no pattern. The usual recommendations for a healthy life—not smoking, not drinking, plenty of exercise, a well-balanced diet, keeping your weight down—they apply to us average people. But not to them. Centenarians are in a class of their own."

Based on years of data from studying centenarians, Barzilai reports that when analyzing the data from his particular pool of centenarians, at age 70:

• 37 percent were overweight
• 8 percent were obese
• 37 percent were smokers (for an average of 31 years)
• 44 percent reported only moderate exercise
• 20 percent never exercised at all

Despite this, centenarians as a population have 60 percent lower rates of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.9 Depression and other psychiatric illnesses are almost nonexistent. Barzalai is quick to emphasize you should not disregard the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices (such as keeping your insulin level low). He explains:

"Today's changes in lifestyle do in fact contribute to whether someone dies at the age of 85 or before age 75. But in order to reach the age of 100, you need a special genetic make-up. These people age differently. Slower. They end up dying of the same diseases that we do—but 30 years later and usually quicker, without languishing for long periods."

What the Elders Themselves Have to Say

The majority of centenarians do not feel their chronological age; on average, they report feeling 20 years younger. They also tend to have positive attitudes, optimism, and a zest for life. Could it be that personality characteristics and worldviews play a more significant role than genetics, diet, or exercise?

One way to determine this is to ask centenarians questions about how they see the world, what they value, and to what they attribute their own longevity. What are their secrets to aging well? These individuals represent centuries of wisdom that should not be overlooked. So that's what researchers are now doing—mining the minds of centenarians for nuggets of wisdom. Regardless of which interviews you read, this is where patterns really DO emerge. In interviews and surveys with centenarians, the following themes come up time and time again when asked to explain why they've lived so long:10

Keeping a positive attitude	Eating good food
Exercising moderately (most report basic activities, like walking, biking, gardening, swimming, etc.)	Clean living (not smoking or drinking excessively, etc.)
Living independently	Family
"Good genes"	Friends
Staying mentally active and always learning something new	Faith/spirituality

Some jokingly said they attribute their longevity to "avoiding dying." Others give hints to their life philosophy, such as "Find your passion and live it," "Make time to cry," and "Practice forgiveness." Centenarians overwhelmingly cite stress as the most important thing to avoid. Their lives are marked by as many stressful events as the rest of us, but they differ in how well they manage their stress. Rather than dwelling on it, they let it go. And they are very happy people!

Rx: Happiness

Happy people live longer—by 35 percent, according to one study.11 Another study found that happiness and contentment increases health and longevity.12 Other studies show optimists live longer than pessimists.13 So it's no surprise that centenarians are a happy and optimistic lot. Positive thoughts and attitudes seem to somehow do things in your body that strengthen your immune system, boost positive emotions, decrease pain, and provide stress relief.  In fact, it's been scientifically shown that happiness can alter your genes!

A team of researchers at UCLA showed that people with a deep sense of happiness and well-being had lower levels of inflammatory gene expression and stronger antiviral and antibody responses.14 This falls into the realm of epigenetics—changing the way your genes function by turning them off and on.

Part of your longevity may depend on the DNA you were born with, but an even larger part depends on epigenetics—over which you have more control. Your thoughts, feeling, emotions, diet, and other lifestyle factors exert epigenetic influences every minute of the day, playing a central role in aging and disease.15 Perhaps it's not as important to avoid that bowl of ice cream as it is to feel sheer bliss when eating it... at least, on occasion!

Four Nutrients That Will Help You Reach the Century Mark

The fact that you can manipulate your genes with happiness doesn't mean you can completely disregard lifestyle choices, as that would be foolhardy. The basics are still important—diet, exercise, sleep, etc. Research suggests the modern American diet is increasingly low in four important nutrients that have a direct bearing on aging, and our brains are suffering for it. If you hope to one day become a healthy, happy centenarian, you must address the following:16

1. Vitamin D
2. DHA
3. Folate
4. Magnesium

Vitamin D

Vitamin D's list of health benefits is amazingly long, including helping your brain combat the damage from free radicals, which helps prevent cognitive decline. The important factor when it comes to vitamin D is your serum level, which should be between 50-70 ng/ml year-round, and the only way to determine this is with a blood test.

Your skin produces vitamin D in response to ultraviolet light, so sun exposure or a safe tanning bed are the preferred methods of boosting your vitamin D. However, a D3 supplement can be used when necessary. Most adults need about 8,000 IUs of vitamin D3 per day to achieve serum levels of 40 ng/ml. If you take supplemental vitamin D3, you also need to make sure you're getting enough vitamin K2, as these two nutrients work in tandem to ensure calcium is distributed into the proper areas in your body.

Sources

DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

DHA is an omega-3 fat that plays a role in keeping your cell membranes healthy, flexible, and resistant to oxidative stress, which decreases inflammation. Chronic inflammation is a key factor in many degenerative diseases, including dementia. Low DHA is has been linked with depression, memory loss, and even elevated hostility, which reflect its importance to optimal brain function.

The American diet has far too many omega-6 fats and not enough omega-3 fats due to its heavy reliance on processed food. You can boost your DHA by eating more fish, such as salmon and sardines, but so much of the fish today is contaminated with mercury and other toxic compounds that I prefer to take a high quality omega-3 fat supplement such as krill oil.

Folate (Vitamin B9)

Folate helps prevent depression, seizure disorders, brain atrophy, and other neurological problems. Folate deficiencies correlate with impaired memory, slowed mental processing and overall cognitive decline, particularly in the elderly. Your body also needs folate to make red blood cells. Folate deficiency has been thought to lead to elevated homocysteine levels, which can be a major contributor to heart disease and Alzheimer's. However, recent studies may have disproven that idea.17

People often confuse folate with folic acid, and it's important to know the difference. Folate is the naturally-occurring form of the vitamin and contains all of the related isomers your body needs for optimal use. Folic acid is the synthetic form of the vitamin that is used in most supplements and in fortified foods.

It is always preferable to raise your folate levels by modifying your diet, as opposed to eating "enriched" foods or taking a multivitamin. Foods rich in folate include egg yolks, sunflower seeds, asparagus, avocados, broccoli, cauliflower, basil, parsley, and greens such as romaine, turnip, collards, and spinach.18 If you do think you need a supplement, make sure it lists "folate" on the label, rather than folic acid, as this suggests food sources were used.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays a role in your body's detoxification processes and is therefore important for minimizing damage from environmental chemicals, heavy metals and other toxins. Even glutathione, considered by many to be your body's most powerful antioxidant, requires magnesium in order to be synthesized. But this important mineral also helps your brain.

Magnesium acts as a buffer between neuron synapses, particularly those involved with cognitive functions (learning and memory). Magnesium "sits" on the receptor without activating it, in effect protecting the receptor from over-activation by other neurochemicals, especially glutamate. Glutamate is an "excitotoxin," which can harm your brain if it accumulates, and magnesium helps prevent this. That's why you often see magnesium advertised as a "calming" nutrient.

Good sources of magnesium are whole organic foods, especially dark green leafy vegetables, seaweed, dried pumpkin seeds, unsweetened cocoa, flaxseed, almond butter, and whey. If you choose to add a magnesium supplement, there are many forms so it can be a bit confusing. A newer type called magnesium threonate is particularly good due to its ability to penetrate cell membranes and cross your blood-brain barrier, which is important for preserving good cognitive function as you age.

Healthy Aging Is a 'Package Deal'

There is no magic bullet when it comes to aging well. Generally speaking, the better you treat your body throughout your life, the better your aging experience will be. Most people do not revel in the thought of getting older because, for many, aging is synonymous with aches and pains, forgetfulness and loneliness. It is inevitable that you're going to get older, but I can tell you from personal experience that this need not be a bad thing!

Now, as I approach my 60th birthday in a few months, I am the fittest I have ever been—and I live every day to its fullest potential. I may have been able to run faster when I was younger, but I would never trade that for the muscle strength, flexibility and knowledge I have today. You too can achieve wellness on both physical and mental fronts, at any age. In fact, for me in many ways life continues to get better as the years go by.

Total Video Length 19:09

Cancer & GERD Metabolic Inflammatory Conditions Dr Sircus

Cancer & GERD Metabolic Inflammatory Conditions Where does it all start? This important question can determine the success or failure of medical treatments so we better get it right. Actually there are several starting places to chronic illness but the one I want to talk about here starts in the stomach, which starts screaming at us with a host of GERD symptoms when things start going wrong in our lives. One of the most important points for doctors and patients to realize is that GERD is a deficiency disease meaning it is not caused by excess acid it is caused by deficient acid. When the stomach does not produce enough acid the food sits in the stomach and repeats back up to the esophageal sphincter. It is, as they call it an excess acid condition only because it is an acid mix, just not high enough to create proper digestion, but high enough to burn tissues that it is exposed long enough to. Hydrochloric acid, referred to as HCl, is produced in the stomach by the parietal cells that lie deep in the stomach walls. The truth is, we wouldn't be able to digest at all without it. Stress and dietary deficiencies drive HCL deficiencies yielding not only local acid upset and thus GERD but also systemic inflammation. What happens in the face of HCL deficiencies is undigested proteins and a rotting mix of food collects, first in the stomach, which then gets released into the intestines. Undigested food, and very often with undigested gluten (from fast yeasted breads) and for many, with all types, will putrefy creating perfect conditions for gut inflammation and infection. Over the past 25 years, the incidence of esophageal cancer (of the adenocarcinoma type) has increased 350%, faster than any other malignancy in the western world. One study showed that esophageal adenocarcinoma cases are increasing 5% to 10% each year in developed countries. Another study showed that the rate of esophageal adenocarcinoma increased eight-fold over a 20-year period in Denmark. The two common forms of esophageal cancer are squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.[1] This is really bad news. These higher rates are related to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which is a mirror of our terrible eating habits as well as a host of life stress events. At least 10 percent of Americans have episodes of heartburn every day, and 44 percent have symptoms at least once a month, according to conservative statistics. In fact the NY times stated in 2010: As many as four in 10 Americans have symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, and many depend on P.P.I.’s like Prilosec, Prevacid and Nexium to reduce stomach acid. These are the third highest-selling class of drugs in the United States, after antipsychotics and statins, with more than 100 million prescriptions and $13.9 billion in sales in 2010, in addition to over-the-counter sales.[2] Cancer Begins With? We know some basic things about why cancer starts. We know it is initiated under low-oxygen conditions. We know that it is initiated also by trauma and inflammation. We know with low-oxygen conditions and inflammation we have infectious agents running around out of control. Evidence supports the emerging hypothesis that metabolic syndrome may be associated with the risk of many common cancers[3] but we really do not need “evidence.” If we know how to think rationally we know that diabetes, which starts with metabolic syndrome, leads a person more easily to the gates of cancer. The earliest inflammations hold the potential to create the conditions that eventually lead to cancer. That is worth saying and reading again and again and this is not only true for the stomach it is also true for the mouth when the gums become inflamed. So we have low O2, low CO2, low pH (acidity) and low cellular energy; we have infection hordes fighting for their claim of the territory. Mix in some inflammation, heavy-metals and chemical contamination and nutritional deficiency (along with some genetic disruption) and we have the recipe for CANCER—a beast that is eating the human race alive starting with the elderly but now increasingly working its way down to the young and very young where death should not be lurking. A new MIT study[4] offers a comprehensive look at chemical and genetic changes that occur as inflammation progresses to cancer. One of the biggest risk factors for liver, colon or stomach cancer is chronic inflammation of those organs, often caused by viral or bacterial infections. Orthodox cancer treatments do not treat inflammation, thus they do not really treat cancer. Cancer is a Late Stage Inflammation and Infection The precursor to cancer is inflammation. Cancer is a disease of inflammation. Until recently it wasn’t well known that inflammation was the culprit responsible for many chronic diseases. However, many physicians now recognize that inflammation is a precursor to diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and high blood pressure. This is important information because early detection of inflammation helps prevent negative health conditions and cancer from developing. Dr. Jonathan Wright says that to improve digestion and end heartburn we should increase stomach acid, not decrease it. It seems that ninety percent of the patients that Dr. Wright tested in his digestion clinic had too little stomach acid, not too much. Dr. Wright prescribes for his patients’ hydrochloric acid pills. One can look for betaine hydrochloride, which is hydrochloric acid in their local health food store as well as pepsin, papaine, bromelian, and pancreatic enzymes, which are what Wright prescribes for his patients. Personally I use pure HCL and it does wonders!  Proper stomach acid production is vital to unlocking perfect digestion. The digestive process downstream from the stomach is controlled chiefly by pH changes. When the food (chyme) in your stomach reaches a pH of about 2-4, the valve at the bottom of the stomach (pyloric sphincter) starts to slowly release the stomach contents into the duodenum. If the pH is wrong from the beginning, everything down-stream from the small intestine to the large intestine will likely be compromised. Think of it like this: chewing your food is the first crucial step to perfect digestion and stomach acid is the next most important. Always remember and tell your kids: YOUR STOMACH HAS NO TEETH SO CHEW YOUR FOOD! So what does stomach acid do? It helps neutralize harmful microorganisms that are in contaminated food. It acts as a trigger for the other crucial players in digestion: pancreatic juices, hormones and bile. It activates extremely powerful digestive enzymes that break down protein structures so our body can utilize them in their most basic building block form: amino acids. It ionizes minerals which are vital for our health. Symptoms of low stomach acid: Extreme fullness after meals Belching Heartburn/burning sensation Gas, flatulence after meals Indigestion Burning Vitamin B12 deficiency Aging due to malabsorption Food allergies/sensitivities Anemia Constipation Diarrhea Food allergies/sensitivities Skin problems Weak nails Causes Eating too much, too quickly Stress Excess alcohol H. pylori infection Hiatal hernia Zinc deficiency (required for HCl production) Low stomach acid Relaxation of esophageal sphincter Hypochlorhydria Hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid, is a commonly overlooked problem that is typically linked to other diseases like stomach cancer, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.  If you’re having symptoms such as acid reflux, heartburn, burping, gas, bloating or nausea after eating, then it’s very likely that you have a stomach acid issue. People diagnosed with gastrointestinal issues, especially inflammatory bowel diseases of Celiac Disease or IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) are at a higher risk of having stomach acid problems. It makes sense to concentrate on the fact that we would expect a deficiency disease when it comes to HCL not an excess. Again the most important point to remember is that the burning feeling is food sitting too long in the stomach causing a burning feeling and eventual inflammation in the esophagus. Yes there is acid present but its low acid meaning not high enough to get the food released at the bottom of the stomach. Stomach acid is also a crucial part of the immune system.  The acid barrier of the stomach during normal states of health easily and quickly kills bacteria and other bugs that enter the body. It also prevents bacteria from the intestines from migrating up and colonizing the stomach. Appropriate stomach acid levels are crucial for our immune system and for adequate nutrient status both of which support total health. How does stomach acid become low? It takes an enormous amount of energy to generate these acidic compounds. Consider this: the pH of our bodies is around 7, yet the pH of our stomach ideally is between 1-2 for optimal digestion and digestive function. As we get older, we have decreased acid output simply because these cells are not as efficient as they were. We don’t have the energetic currency to produce enough acid to keep the lower esophageal sphincter closed. If we throw in food sensitivities, bacterial overgrowth, H. pylori, stress, and a damaged gut, we have the perfect storm for reflux to develop. Bicarbonate and Stomach Acid Issues The effect of an alkali in the stomach will vary according to the nature of the stomach contents at the time of administration. In the resting period (after food is digested) sodium bicarbonate merely dissolves mucus and is absorbed as bicarbonate into the blood, to increase its alkalinity directly. In the digestive period it reduces the secretion of gastric juice, neutralizes a portion of the hydrochloric acid, liberates the carminative carbon dioxide gas, and is absorbed as sodium chloride. In cases of fermentation or ‘sour stomach’ it may neutralize the organic acids and so result in the opening of a spasmodically closed pylorus (the opening between the stomach and the small intestine); while at the same time it acts to overcome flatulency (accumulation of gas in the stomach and bowels). The time of administration must, therefore, be chosen with a definite purpose. Usually for hyperchlorhydria (excess of acid) one hour or two hours after meals will be the period of harmful excess of acid. A dose at bedtime tends to check the early morning acidity, or a dose on arising cleans the stomach of acid and mucus before breakfast. Whenever taking a bicarbonate solution internally, the soda should be dissolved in cold water. People believe that sodium bicarbonate reduces stomach acids and for this reason think that this is not a good idea since stomach acid is crucial for good digestion. The stomach is protected by the epithelial cells, which produce and secrete a bicarbonate-rich solution that coats the mucosa.  Bicarbonate is alkaline, a base, and neutralizes the acid secreted by the parietal cells, producing water in the process. This continuous supply of bicarbonate is the main way that our stomach protects itself from auto digestion (the stomach digesting itself) and the overall acidic environment. If one feels that they are deficient in stomach acid one should supplement with hydrochloric acid.   The mucus membrane of the human stomach has 30 million glands which produce gastric juice containing not only acids, but also bicarbonate. The flow of bicarbonate in the stomach amounts from 400 µmol per hour (24.4 mg/h) for a basal output to 1,200 µmol per hour (73.2 mg/h) for a maximal output. Thus at least half a gram of bicarbonate is secreted daily in our stomach. This rate of gastric bicarbonate secretion is 2-10% of the maximum rate of acid secretion. In the stomach, bicarbonate participates in a mucus-bicarbonate barrier regarded as the first line of the protective and repair mechanisms. On neutralization by acid, carbon dioxide is produced from bicarbonate. Ulcers, once thought caused by excess stomach acid, are actually often the result of the H. pylori bacteria, which eats away the stomach lining, making it vulnerable to stomach acid and ulcers. Quick at-home way to see if you have low Stomach Acid Mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 4-6 ounces of cold water first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything. Drink the baking soda solution. Time how long it takes you to belch. Time up to five minutes. If you have not belched within five minutes stop timing. In theory, if your stomach is producing adequate amounts of stomach acid you’ll likely belch within two to three minutes. Early and repeated belching may be due to excessive stomach acid (but don’t confuse these burps with small little burps from swallowing air when drinking the solution).  Any belching after 3 minutes indicates a low acid level. Because the time frames can vary person-to-person, as well as how they drink the solution, this test is only a good indicator that you might want to do more testing to determine your stomach acid. Overall all there are a lot of variables.  I would recommend performing the test 3 consecutive mornings to find an average.  By doing this, you’re looking for more of a pattern than a onetime test of “yes” or “no”.  Also, to increase accuracy of the test, you must do it as soon as you wake up in the morning before putting anything in your mouth. This test works by drinking baking soda and creating a chemical reaction in your stomach between the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and hydrochloric acid (HCL).  The result is carbon dioxide gas that causes burping. Ingesting baking soda is an old school natural home remedy for upset stomachs. Personal Testimony of Dr. Sircus After sixty years of eating what I pleased of any quantity desired I had a bad attack of GERD. I will spare the entire story but it certainly has brought me to my knees more than several times and it certainly has forced me to change a lifetime of eating habits, up and down for a year using many healing agents for what turned into a general inflammation of my lower esophagus. These past weeks I have finally seemed to strike on the right protocol for me and that includes my liquid selenium, as much magnesium intake as I can manage, magnesium transdermally ., most recently a lot of CBD (the kind of medical marijuana that does not get you high and is totally legal because it has no THC), HCL capsules taken at the beginning of meals, and Bioresonance therapy with Deta Elis equipment out of Russia. Also I was using the Breathslim breathing device, also out of Russia, and I needed that not only for increasing my oxygen delivery to my cells but also for deep relaxation and de-stressing. I am giving Bioresonance therapy a big nod for my struggles seemed to really begin to clear when I started that. I love the concept and the digital delivery of frequencies that address 3,000 different conditions. There are that many programs that can be uploaded into their treatment devices. A new way of practicing medicine has been born in Russia. Rife was the first with Bioresonance therapy but the Russians have taken it to an entirely new level, which the president of Russia is known to be using and enjoying as well. The CBD seems to directly put the fires of inflammation out and have been using high dosages. Medical marijuana is a lifesaver and very soon people will wake up to the increasing need for it because of the increasing radiation and other toxic chemical exposures. It is rapidly being legalized as society and medicine comes to its senses and recognizes its enormous and essential medicinal value. For more in-depth study of the connection between cancer of the esophagus and gastrointestinal issues read this case study from my colleague Dr. George Georgiou. I will, as my next step, get into a new oxygen system called Live Oxygen that will pump into the cells unheard of levels of oxygen for wound and inflammation repair.

Dr. Mark Sircus, Ac., OMD, DM (P) Director International Medical Veritas Association Doctor of Oriental and Pastoral Medicine

Mushroom Compound Lengthens Lives for Dogs with Cancer by more than 400%, Research

Mushroom Compound Lengthens Lives for Dogs with Cancer by more than 400%, Research FindsMushroom Compound Lengthens Lives for Dogs with Cancer by more than 400%, Research

by Elizabeth Renter

December 19th, 2013

Updated 12/19/2013 at 2:04 am

(NaturalSociety.com) A Chinese mushroom is offering hope to some pet owners in the treatment of hemangiosarcoma, an aggressive cancer that shortens life to a matter of days. The compound has been found to extend the lifespans of cancer-stricken dogs by Researchers believe the mushroom could eventually help humans in the fight against cancer as well.

Used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years, the mushroom is called coriolus versicolor, or more simply, the Yunzhi mushroom. Polysaccharopeptide, or PSP, is the active ingredient, the compound that researchers say has immune-boosting and tumor-busting properties.

At Penn Vet, part of the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, researchers are testing the PSP on dogs diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. These dogs, once diagnosed, have a life expectancy of about 86 days. But initial results with the PSP show them living beyond a year after diagnosis.

“We were shocked,” Cimino Brown said. “Prior to this, the longest reported median survival time of dogs with hemangiosarcoma of the spleen that underwent no further treatment was 86 days. We had dogs that lived beyond a year with nothing other than this mushroom as treatment.”

Hemangiosarcoma is a cancer that originates in the blood vessels and affects the spleen. It comes on quickly and seems to kill just as fast.

“It’s a very devastating disease,” said Penn Vet researcher Dottie Brown. “The presentation is very acute. The dog looks completely normal, running around the yard and then literally collapses in a short period of time and gets into an emergency room situation. Usually it is growing in the abdomen and also the spleen and no one sees it, then it breaks open and bleeds.”

Early results from the dog clinical trials are promising, with those receiving the highest dose of PSP doubling their life expectancy. They have exhibited no additional side effects from the treatment and their overall health seems improved.

“We believe if we can definitely show this can decrease the spread of tumors, it will be applicable in other kinds of tumors, not just hemangiosarcomas in dogs, cats and people,” said Dr. Brown.

Currently, there are products with PSP on the market for human consumption. But, as the researchers caution, they are supplements and therefore not regulated by the FDA. Therefore, it’s hard to say whether those labeled PSP actually contain the mushroom compound and if so, what quality it is.

Pets are like honorary family members for many people. They become the children we never had or the sibling our child always wanted. So when illness threatens to take them away, pet owners often wish there was more they could do. Now, another treatment option exists.

Additional Sources:

Good Morning America

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Read more: http://naturalsociety.com/mushroom-compound-dog-hemangiosarcoma-cancer/#ixzz2pyBKgZko 

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Prevent and Treat Whooping Cough Naturally Without Drugs

Prevent and Treat Whooping Cough Naturally Without DrugsPrevent and Treat Whooping Cough Naturally Without Drugs

NATURAL REMEDIES

by Joette Calabrese, HMC, CCH, RSHom(Na) January 9, 2014

Editor’s Note: Joette Calabrese, author of today’s article, is currently in Kolkata, India serving her second fellowship at the Prasanta Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation, the busiest clinic in the world.  Her first fellowship resulted in the development of her course – Good Gut Bad Gut. Her time in India will give her even more experience and knowledge to continue her work teaching moms and dads how to safely cure their families without drugs.

The 100-day cough.

Pertussis.

Whooping cough.

Whatever you call it, it’s not nice.

It afflicts children and adults, whether vaccinated or not, and although it used to be assigned to early spring and summer, recently it’s rearing its spasmodic head at nearly anytime of the year. It’s a disease on a mission despite conventional medical efforts to corral it.

An Educated Consumer Is the Pediatrician’s Worst Customer

Allow me to step back for a moment. An underlying subject must be established before we continue the topic at hand. That is, the question of responsibility when making choices that affect ourselves and our families. Allow me to advance that I believe in the free trade system. What does this have to do with whooping cough? Let me explain.

Living in a free trade society is not always perfect. Undeniably, there is a price to pay, and that price is the effort required to be an educated consumer. If we don’t exert a little sweat in studying, then the market forces will carry us in the direction that is most likely to benefit others, not us. So, proper use of a free trade system demands doing thorough homework, not just in choosing the best mortgage or studying comps when buying a new car but, more importantly, when choosing a medical method. After all, medicine is a commodity, too.

When we approach life from a skeptical and well-informed posture, we learn to ferret out industry-promulgated information lest we be sold a sales pitch that doesn’t fit our needs.

Having said this, it is not uncommon for the pharmaceutical industry and their minions to capitalize on parental fears. And until parents carve out the requisite time to get the facts (and I mean all the facts), we’re often better off tucking in and doing nothing rather than doing something we later find out was misleading or, worse yet, dangerous to the well being of our brood.

Once you delve into the arena of childhood diseases and stop taking the doctor’s word for everything, you’ll likely be shocked at the juxtapositioned and contradictory information surrounding whooping cough. For example, while your pediatrician likely chants the praises of vaccines, there are other doctors who don’t. Dr. Joseph Mercola recently posted an article entitled 81% of Whooping Cough Cases Occurred in People Who Were Fully Vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics condescendingly blames “uninformed parents” with unvaccinated children for whooping cough outbreaks. These contradictory messages should create a mindful pause in any intelligent parent.

Then there is Dr. Sheri Tenpenny, an MD who unquestioningly vaccinated other people’s children until one of her own was seriously harmed by a vaccine. Her research into the CDC created a 180-degree change in her position. Today, she warns parents of the inconsistencies and flaccid information that have led many to agree to vaccinations unwittingly.

“Uninformed parents,” indeed. After a comprehensive personal study, it shouldn’t take much to convince most parents to consider a shift in their opinion as well.

Ok, So Now What?

If I don’t vaccinate my children for pertussis, or in the likely chance that they get it in spite of vaccination, do I just let them suffer with this trying illness? Instinctively, many parents know there must be another way.

Enter homeopathy, a medicine used by more than 500 million people today, most of who do not live in North America. (There’s a reason for this, but that’s fodder for another story.)

Why homeopathy? Because it has no side effects, it’s inexpensive, and most importantly, it works!

Let’s begin with prevention. Homeopathy has a history of not only thwarting and/or minimizing the effects and shortening the rigors of whooping cough, but also treating it if the disease presents. When it comes to prevention, homeopathy has used homeo-prophylaxis on a small scale as well as on sweeping governmental scales.

Homeo-prophylaxis is a term that describes using homeopathic remedies to prevent disease before it occurs. Not unlike the optimism of vaccination programs but without the potential long-term side effects and additives of conventional vaccines. One of the largest efforts to use homeo-prophylaxis in contemporary times was performed in Cuba with 1.5 million citizens of that country. For more on that study and homeo-vaccine programs, go to http://joettecalabrese.com/members.

For prophylactic treatment of pertussis, many homeopaths suggest the following protocol: Pertussinum 200 one day every month until the threat of whooping cough is gone. One dose of the remedy is given one day on the first, third, fifth, and seventh months, while on the even months, three doses are given on that one day.

While no method of disease protection is guaranteed, if a child is exposed to pertussis, it has clinically been shown that the illness may be avoided or its virulence reduced by using this method.

But there’s another point of view to consider. When a childhood disease presents, it provides an opportunity. Does that sound strange? Until we understand that it is important to educate our children’s immune system, this method will certainly appear different than the outdated paradigm of the killing-every-bug-at-any-cost model. Measles, chickenpox, pertussis, rubella and mumps are all childhood diseases that can prove valuable in building our children’s immunity.

What if They Still Get It?

Preparedness is particularly critical because no conventional medical treatment exists for whooping cough other than antibiotics and only during the infectious period.

Consider the following remedies that have been used for more than 200 years. Nine main homeopathic remedies have been used to treat whooping cough: Drosera rotundifolia 30 and 200, Belladonna 30, Coccus cacti 30 or 200, Ipecacuanha 30, Bryonia alba 30, Antimonium tart 30 or 200, Cuprum metallicum 30 or 200, Kali carbonicum 30 or 200 and Pertussinum 200.

However, when I recently worked at the Prasanta Banerji Homeopathic Research Foundation in Calcutta, I learned a method that the Banerjis and their familial medical predecessors have employed for more than 150 years to treat whooping cough.

The Banerji Protocol is as follows: Cuprum metallicum 6 mixed with Ipecac 30, administered every 3 hours when the disease is in an intense state and twice daily for a milder version. This mixture can be made by adding 4 pills of the first remedy with 4 of the second in 3 ounces of clean water, allowing the pills to dissolve and giving it one gentle stir to incorporate. From this mixture comes the medicine. One teaspoon is considered one dose. This means that an entire family can benefit from this blend. As usual, the sooner the remedies are used, the better.

Be prepared. Own your remedies in advance. Frequently, it’s not until the first member of a family gets a severe cough that the disease is acknowledged to be whooping cough. For the one with the cough, as well as the rest of the family, neighbors and friends, having well-chosen homeopathic remedies in the medicine cabinet has a history of being able to shelter a family in the safe harbor of self reliance.

Discover the world of homeopathy to avoid drugs and angst for other childhood illnesses as well.

How easy. How inexpensive. How efficacious.

Indeed, how like homeopathy.

- See more at: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/prevent-treat-whooping-cough-naturally-without-drugs/#sthash.8BIjkOAk.dpuf