Eating meat kills more people than even thought

(NaturalNews) There is no more denying it. Meat contains highly toxic substances that are responsible for many deaths and diseases. Heavy meat consumption increases your risk of dying from all causes, including heart disease and cancer, according to a federal study conducted by the National Cancer Institute and featured in Archives of Internal Medicine on Monday.

The study looked at the records of more than half a million men and women aged 50 to 71, following their diet and other health habits for 10 years. Between 1995 and 2005, 47,976 men and 23,276 women died.

The researchers divided the volunteers into 5 groups or "quintiles." All other major factors were accounted for -- eating fresh fruits and vegetables, smoking, exercise, obesity, etc. People eating the most meat consumed about 160g of red or processed meat per day - approximately a 6oz steak.

Women who ate large amounts of red meat had a 20 percent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 50 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease than women who ate less. Men had a 22 percent higher risk of dying of cancer and a 27 percent higher risk of dying of heart disease. That`s compared to those who ate the least red meat, just 5 ounces per week, or 25g per day -- approximately a small rasher of bacon.

The study also included data on white meat and found that a higher intake was associated with a slightly reduced risk of death over the same period. However, high white meat consumption still posed a major risk of dying.

"For overall mortality, 11 percent of deaths in men and 16 percent of deaths in women could be prevented if people decreased their red meat consumption to the level of intake in the first quintile," Sinha`s team wrote.

Sinha`s team noted that meat contains several cancer-causing chemicals, as well as the unhealthiest forms of fat.

The good news is that the U.S. government now recommends a "plant-based diet" with the emphasis on fruits, vegetables and whole grains. The bad news is that it also hands out massive farm subsidies that keep meat prices very low and encourage meat-based diets. The government`s food-price policies contribute to such risk-filled eating habits as meat consumption.

Another drawback is that the National Cancer Institute study only looked at the increased mortality risk resulting from meat consumption. It should be noted, that if eating meat can kill a large number of people, it can make an even larger number of people seriously ill.

Food that kills or makes people sick should not be considered food at all. However, the meat industry thinks otherwise. It believes that the study is flawed. American Meat Institute executive president, James Hodges, said: "Meat products are part of a healthy, balanced diet and studies show they actually provide a sense of satisfaction and fullness that can help with weight control. Proper body weight contributes to good health overall."

The question is whether it is worth risking one`s life over having a little sense of satisfaction and fullness, which could easily be experienced by eating a healthful diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.

The new findings support a previous study published earlier this year in the Annals of Internal Medicine, which showed that eating meat boosts risk of prostate cancer by 40 Percent. And just last month, parents learned that their children had a 60% increased risk of developing leukemia if they consumed meat products, such as ham, sausages and hamburgers.

Vegetarians Live Longer and Healthier Lives

More recently, medical research has found that a properly balanced vegetarian diet may, in fact, be the healthiest diet. This was demonstrated by the over 11,000 volunteers who participated in the Oxford Vegetarian Study. For a period of 15 years, researchers analyzed the effects a vegetarian diet had on longevity, heart disease, cancer and various other diseases.

The results of the study stunned the vegetarian community as much as it did the meat-producing industry: "Meat eaters are twice as likely to die from heart disease, have a 60 percent greater risk of dying from cancer and a 30 percent higher risk of death from other causes."

In addition, the incidence of obesity, which is a major risk factor for many diseases, including gallbladder disease, hypertension and adult onset diabetes, is much lower in those following a vegetarian diet. According to a Johns Hopkins University research report on 20 different published studies and national surveys about weight and eating behavior, Americans across all age groups, genders and races are getting fatter. If the trend continues, 75 percent of U.S. adults will be overweight by the year 2015.

It is now almost considered the norm to be overweight or obese. Already more than 80 percent of African-American women over the age of 40 are overweight, with 50 percent falling into the obese category. This puts them at great risk for heart disease, diabetes and various cancers. A balanced vegetarian diet may be the answer to the current obesity pandemic in the United States and many other countries.

Those who include less meat in their diet also have fewer problems with cholesterol. The American National Institute of Health, in a study of 50,000 vegetarians, found that the vegetarians live longer and also have an impressively lower incidence of heart disease and a significantly lower rate of cancer than meat-eating Americans. And in 1961, the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that a vegetarian diet could prevent 90-97% of heart diseases.

What we eat is very important for our health. According to the American Cancer Society, up to 35 percent of the 900,000 new cases of cancer each year in the United States could be prevented by following proper dietary recommendation. Researcher Rollo Russell writes in his Notes on the Causation of Cancer: "I have found of twenty-five nations eating flesh largely, nineteen had a high cancer rate and only one had a low rate, and that of thirty-five nations eating little or no flesh, none of these had a high rate."

Could cancer lose its grip on modern societies if they turned to a balanced vegetarian diet? The answer is "yes," according to two major reports, one by the World Cancer Research Fund and the other by the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy in the United Kingdom. The reports conclude that a diet rich in plant foods and the maintenance of a healthy body weight could annually prevent four million cases of cancer worldwide. Both reports stress the need for increasing the daily intake of plant fiber, fruits and vegetables and reducing red and processed meat consumption to less than 80-90g.

If you are currently eating meat on a regular basis and wish to change over to a vegetarian diet, unless you suffer from a major cardiovascular illness, do not give up all flesh foods at once! The digestive system cannot adjust to a substantially different diet from one day to the next. Start by reducing the number of meals that include meats such as beef, pork, veal and lamb and substituting poultry and fish during these meals. In time, you will find that you are able to consume less poultry and fish also, without creating strain on the physiology due to too rapid an adjustment.

Note: Although the uric acid content of fish, turkey and chicken is less than in red meat and, therefore, not quite as taxing to the kidneys and tissues of the body, the degree of injury that is sustained to the blood vessels and intestinal tract from eating these coagulated proteins is no less than it is with the consumption of meat.

Death in the Meat

Research has shown that all meat eaters have worms and a high incidence of parasites in their intestines. This is hardly surprising given the fact that dead flesh (cadaver) is a favorite target for microorganisms of all sorts. A 1996 study by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed that nearly 80 percent of ground beef is contaminated with disease-causing microbes. The primary source of these bugs is feces. A study conducted by the University of Arizona found there are more fecal bacteria in the average kitchen sink than in the average toilet bowl. This would make eating your food on the toilet seat safer than eating it in the kitchen. The source of this biohazard at home is the meat you buy at the typical grocery store.

The germs and parasites found in meat weaken the immune system and are the source of many diseases. In fact, most food poisonings today are related to meat-eating. During a mass outbreak near Glasgow, 16 out of over 200 infected people died from the consequences of eating E. coli contaminated meat. Frequent outbreaks are reported in Scotland and many other parts of the world. More than half a million Americans, most of them children, have been sickened by mutant fecal bacteria (E. coli) in meat. These germs are the leading cause of kidney failure among children in the United States. This fact alone should prompt every responsible parent to prevent their children from eating flesh foods.

Not all parasites act so swiftly as E. coli though. Most of them have long-term effects that are noticed only after many years of eating meat. The government and the food industry are trying to divert attention from the escalating problem of meat contamination by telling the consumer it is his own fault that these incidents happen. It is very obvious that they want to avoid hefty lawsuits, and bad-mouthing of the meat industry. They insist that dangerous bacterial outbreaks occur because the consumer does not cook the family`s meat long enough. It is now considered a crime to serve a rare hamburger. Even if you have not committed this "crime," any infection will be attributed to not washing your hands every time you touch a raw chicken or to letting the chicken touch your kitchen counter or any other food. The meat itself, they claim, is totally safe and meets the standard safety requirements imposed by the government; of course, this holds true only as long as you keep disinfecting your hands and your kitchen countertop. It evades all good reasoning to propose such a "solution" to the 76 million cases of meat-borne illnesses a year, except to safeguard the vested interests of the government and the meat industry. If a particular imported food produced in China is found to be contaminated, even if it hasn`t actually killed anyone, it is immediately taken off the shelves of grocery stores. Yet, with all the research proving that meat-consumption harms and kills millions of people each year, meat continues to be sold in all grocery stores.

The new mutant bugs found in today`s meat are extremely deadly. For you to come down with Salmonella poisoning, you have to consume at least a million of these germs. But to become infected with one of the new mutant bugs, you need to ingest a measly five of them. In other words, a tiny particle of uncooked hamburger, making it from a kitchen utensil to your plate, is enough to kill you. Scientists have now identified more than a dozen food-borne pathogens with such deadly effects. The Center for Disease Control admits that they don`t even know the bugs behind most food-related illnesses and deaths.

Much of the germ-infestation of meat is caused by feeding farm animals foods that are unnatural to them. Cattle are now fed corn, which they are unable to digest, but it makes them fat very quickly. Cattle feed also contains chicken feces. The millions of pounds of chicken litter (feces, feathers and all) scraped off the floors of chicken houses are recycled as cattle feed. The cattle industry considers this "good protein." The other ingredients of cattle feed consist of ground-up parts of animals, such as deceased chickens, pigs and horses. According to the industry, giving the cattle natural, healthy feeds would be far too costly and so unnecessary. Who really cares what the meat is made of, as long as it looks like meat?

Combined with hefty doses of growth hormones, a diet of corn and special feeds shortens the duration of fattening up a steer for market from a normal time period of 4-5 years to a mere 16 months. Of course, the unnatural diet makes the cows sick. Like their human consumers, they suffer from heartburn, liver disease, ulcers, diarrhea, pneumonia and other infections. To keep the cattle alive until the deadline for slaughter at the "ripe old age" of 16 months, the cows need to be fed enormous doses of antibiotics. In the meantime, the microbes that respond to the massive biochemical assault of antibiotics, find ways to become immune to these drugs by mutating into resistant new strains.

Those unfortunate cows that don`t drop dead prematurely due to all the poisons fed to them during their short earthly existence, experience an undignified and gruesome end of life in the slaughterhouse or meat-packing plant. From there, the diseased, germ-infested meat ends up in your local grocery store, and a little later, on your dinner plate, if you so dare.

Sources:

http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/co...

http://health.yahoo.com/news/reuter...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7...

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20...

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/70/... (Oxford Vegetarian Study)

http://www.cleanse.net/index.asp?Pa...

http://www.wcrf-uk.org/

http://books.google.com/books?id=hv... (Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation)

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/... (American Cancer Society)

http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/... (USDA)

Excerpts taken from "Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation"

Law-fat diet is not the answer!

(NaturalNews) It started a few decades ago, when well-known health experts began recommending that people eliminate fat from their diets. A lot of people jumped on the no-fat train because some studies at the time seemed to point to fat as the villain of our modern diet. It soon became obvious to health professionals that completely eliminating fat was not any kind of solution. First of all, most people couldn`t stay on this type of extreme diet for any length of time. Secondly, health problems like cancer, infection, fatigue and depression ran rampant when fat was eliminated.

So over time we have seen a steady trend reintroducing the idea that fats can be a part of a healthy diet. It seems that every few years medical experts slightly raise the recommended amount of fat one should consume. It`s been happening so slowly it`s almost indiscernible, but if you look closely, low-fat diets are no longer in style.

Even so, many people are still under the impression that a low-fat diet is healthy, and most people believe cutting out fat is still the best way to lose weight. This is a popular misconception that makes sense on the surface, but when you dig a little deeper the concept begins to unravel.

First, it`s important to look at what the body actually does when you go on a low-fat diet. The most common belief is when you stop eating fat, your body will burn its own fat for energy. In reality what really happens is a little more complicated. Here are some common results of a low fat diet:

- People who drastically lower their fat intake generally increase their carbohydrate intake.

- Even complex carbohydrates can cause a rise in blood sugar and insulin levels, especially when they aren`t consumed with adequate protein and fat.

- With this sudden influx of excess carbohydrates, there is simply too much sugar in the blood to be used for energy. The rest is converted into fat and cholesterol.

- Without adequate fat and protein in the diet (which is common during a low-fat diet), the body is forced to break down lean body mass to use the nutrients it needs to function. This includes muscle and bone mass.

- Losing lean body mass shows up as drastic weight loss on the scale at first, which may thrill the dieter, but over time the body uses less energy because of the loss of muscle. Combined with excess fat storage because of high insulin levels, eventually weight loss on a low-fat diet is almost impossible and you may even start to gain weight.

Moreover, a low-fat diet can be downright harmful to your body, especially in the long-term. High insulin levels and the breakdown of lean body mass are not healthy. Over time, these factors can cause serious hormone imbalances and can even contribute to health problems like diabetes and heart disease. Cutting out fat is merely swinging the pendulum to another extreme that will have negative side effects.

A 2008 report in the New England Journal of Medicine may interest dieters who think low-fat is the answer. The report showed the results of a study which compared the effectiveness of low-fat, low-carb and Mediterranean diets. The study was partially funded by the Dr. Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Foundation (which is not to be confused with the commercial venue of Atkins Nutritionals Inc.). There were 322 participants in the study, all of whom were moderately obese. One of the three diets was randomly assigned to each person.

Study participants on the low-fat and Mediterranean diets had moderate calorie restrictions, while those on the low-carb diet did not have any. Overall, the low-fat diet had the least effect on both weight loss and cholesterol profiles, while the low-carb diet was most effective (the Mediterranean diet was a close second). It should be noted the low-carb dieters were consuming about 120 grams of carbs per day, which is a more balanced approach compared to extreme low-carb diets of yesteryear.

So, it begs the question, is fat really all that bad? Well, that`s a loaded question if there ever was one. In our society fats can be good or bad, depending on the source and how they`re prepared. Processed fats that have been exposed to heat, light and air can be rancid and oxidized. Polyunsaturated oils like soybean, canola and corn oil are most susceptible to damage. These damaged oils are linked with many health problems such as cancer, premature aging and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer`s. Then we have oils that have been purposely altered like hydrogenated oils. These are chock full of trans fat, which is known to sharply increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and many types of cancer. These types of over-processed, damaged fats should be avoided as much as possible.

Instead, if we are supposed to increase our fat intake, it should be with healthy, unprocessed fats from as natural a source as possible. Organic fats are best, since harmful chemicals and hormones tend to be stored in fat.

Again, what we are really looking at here is a balance of nutrition. The body utilizes carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Cutting out any one of these nutrients is a mistake. To achieve optimum health, the best thing you can do is eat a diet consisting mostly of natural, unprocessed foods with an overall balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates.

Sources:

http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyou...

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/ju...

Schwarzbein, Diana. (1999) The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Losing Weight, Being Healthy and Feeling Younger.

Oral contraceptives linked to asthma

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Some women who use oral contraceptives may have an increased risk for asthma, according to results of a Scandinavian study.

The effect depends on body mass index (BMI), with the rate of asthma increasing as BMI goes up, Dr. Ferenc Macsali of Haukeland University Hospital in Bergen, Norway, and colleagues report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

From 1999 to 2001, the researchers mailed questionnaires to women ranging in age from 25-44 years in Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Respondents included 4,728 women who did not use oral contraceptives and 961 who did.

After taking account of other factors that can influence the risk of asthma, the researchers found that women who took oral contraceptives were 42 percent more likely to have asthma.

When classified by BMI, however, the odds for asthma with oral contraceptive use were 45 higher for normal weight women and 91 percent higher for overweight women, but 69 percent lower for lean women.

The investigators did not gather data on the type of oral contraceptives being used.

The findings should be interpreted with caution, Macsali's team notes, and they advise that women not stop taking oral contraceptives.

"Women who believe they have asthma related to using the pill should discuss anti-asthmatic treatment with their doctors, and alternatively other forms of contraception," the researchers point out.

Even if their study's findings are eventually confirmed, they point out, "the individual health risks related to unwanted pregnancies are much larger than a slightly elevated asthma risk."

SOURCE: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, February, 2009.

Naturally treat celiac disease

(NaturalNews) Millions of people are affected by celiac disease, a condition that causes an autoimmune reaction to gluten which is found in wheat, barley, and rye. This reaction results in inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and destruction of villi (small fingerlike projections responsible for nutrient absorption) in the small intestine. As a result, malabsorption and malnutrition often occur resulting in varied symptoms that often make diagnosis of celiac disease difficult. The symptoms of celiac are a result of this malabsorption and malnutrition and can be helped through dietary changes, natural supplements, and alternative healthcare.

As many as 1 in 133 people in the U.S. have celiac disease but many of these cases are mostly likely undiagnosed because of the vagueness of symptoms. Testing for celiac disease includes a blood test for antigens and a small intestine biopsy.

Most people with celiac disease suffer from gastrointestinal difficulties including bloating, diarrhea, cramping, and gas. Some do not have any gastrointestinal symptoms at all, however, and instead have vague symptoms including weight loss, fatigue, anemia, infertility, and nerve damage. Celiac disease in children may manifest as short stature and delayed development.

There is no cure for celiac but symptoms can be controlled through following a gluten free diet. In addition, there are supplements that can be taken to help the body recover from the damaging effects of the autoimmune reactions.

*Echinacea and goldenseal taken for a short time period can help recovery by boosting immune function with their anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
*Probiotics are helpful for gastrointestinal health by providing necessary good bacteria that the gut needs to digest food. It is important to find a brand that is gluten free.
*Digestive enzymes can help with digestion as the gastrointestinal tract is recovering, allowing for better absorption and nutrition.
*Replace lost vitamins and minerals with a daily multi-vitamin. Again, check to be sure that the supplement is gluten free.
*Medicinal clay helps promote healing and protects from irritation.
*Silica decreases inflammation and protects from abrasions and toxins.

Acupuncture can also be used to help relieve the abdominal pain, bloating, and other symptoms of celiac disease. It has been shown that regular acupuncture treatments can help to relieve the acute and chronic pain that many people with celiac experience. Even in cases when gluten free diets do not result in immediate improvement, acupuncture has been shown to be effective.

When a gluten free diet is not followed there is a greater risk for gastric cancer and lymphoma. Proper diagnosis and management is important to address these risks as well as treat the issues that result from malabsorption and malnutrition.

Sources:

www.celiac.com

www.celiac.org

Acupuncture Management of Celiac Disease, John L. Stump, D.C. (http://www.medicalacupuncture.org/a...)

Music can restore vision after stroke

(NaturalNews) Natural health doesn't only encompass exercise and nutrition. A new study by UK scientists from Imperial College London, the University of Birmingham and other institutions just published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science demonstrates sound can be used to facilitate healing. By listening to their favorite music, stroke patients with impaired vision were able to see better.

According to the American Heart Association, stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Around 60 percent of stroke patients have impaired visual awareness, known as "visual neglect", as a result of damage from a stroke in parts of the brain that control vision, attention and action. The result of visual neglect is a loss of awareness of objects in the side of space opposite to the side of the brain that was injured. For instance, if a stroke occurs in the right hemisphere of the brain, a person tends to lose awareness of visual information in the left side of space.

"Visual neglect can be a very distressing condition for stroke patients. It has a big effect on their day-to-day lives. For example, in extreme cases, patients with visual neglect may eat only the food on the right side of their plate, or shave only half of their face, thus failing to react to certain objects in the environment," Dr. David Soto, the lead author of the study from the Division of Neurosciences and Mental Health at Imperial College London, said in a statement to media.

Researchers studied three patients who had lost awareness of half of their field of vision as a result of a stroke. The research subjects completed tasks while listening to their favorite music, while listening to music they didn't like at all, and in silence. The result? All three were able to identify shapes and red lights in their stroke-impaired side of vision much more accurately while they were listening to music they liked than while listening to music they didn't like or while performing the tasks in silence.

For part of the research, patients were told to press a button when they saw a red light. One research subject could point out the light in 65 percent of cases while he was listening to favorite music, but he only perceived the light 15 percent of the time when there was no music or music he didn't like was played.

What caused the improvement in visual awareness seen in these patients? The researchers think it could be a result of the research subjects experiencing positive emotions when listening to favorite music. The scientists looked at functional MRI scans to see how the patients' brains functioned during the different tasks. They found that when tasks were performed to pleasant music, areas in the brain linked to positive emotional responses from stimuli were activated. At the same time, the patients' awareness of the visual world was improved.

"We wanted to see if music would improve visual awareness in these patients by influencing the individual's emotional state. Our results are very promising, although we would like to look at a much larger group of patients with visual neglect and with other neuropsychological impairments. Our findings suggest that we should think more carefully about the individual emotional factors in patients with visual neglect and in other neurological patients following a stroke," Dr. Soto stated in the press release. "Music appears to improve awareness because of its positive emotional effect on the patient, so similar beneficial effects may also be gained by making the patient happy in other ways. This is something we are keen to investigate further."

For more information:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsande...

Diet, efficient in Autistic chidren

(NaturalNews) Autism is a developmental disorder that appears during the first three years of life. It is classified as a neurological disorder that affects social skills and interaction. The number of children diagnosed with autism has been on the rise. The Autism Society of American reports that autism is growing at a rate of 10-17% per year. One out of every 150 boys will be diagnosed with autism; the number is slightly less for girls. Although there is no cure for autism dietary changes can make a difference in functioning of an autistic individual. Research and anecdotal evidence has shown improvements when these individuals follow a gluten-free and casein-free diet.

Gluten and casein are proteins that are naturally occurring in foods that are a staple of the diets of most people. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye. Casein is found in dairy products. In addition to these whole foods, gluten and casein are often found in many processed foods. Careful reading of ingredient lists is necessary as well as familiarity of the other names that gluten and casein can be "hidden" as, such as natural flavorings, curds, caseinate, spices, lactose, and others. The prevalence of these proteins makes it difficult to avoid them but there are numerous manufacturers that produce products using soy, potato, quinoa, and other substitutes.

Research done at the Autism Research Unit at the University of Sunderland in the U.K. has shown behavioral improvement in autistic children after five months of being on a gluten-free and casein-free diet. The researchers hypothesized that autism is a result of incomplete breakdown and increased absorption of proteins in gluten and casein. This irregularity results in changes to neurological processes which accounts for autism symptoms. Direct observation, parental questionnaires, and teacher questionnaires all showed an improvement in these children in numerous behavior areas.

Changing to a gluten-free and casein-free diet is ideally done with the help of a healthcare provider and nutritionist. Healthcare providers who are familiar with autistic treatments, both conventional and alternative, can be found through the "Defeat Autism Now" (DAN) program. Nutritionists can provide listings of "hidden" gluten and casein as well as advise parents on what food their children can eat including rice, potatoes, buckwheat flour, quinoa, soy, fruits, vegetables, sorghum, tapioca, and teff among others.

There is more research that needs to be done to truly prove the benefits of a gluten-free, casein-free diet but preliminary research and anecdotal evidence seem promising.

Sources:

A Gluten-Free Diet as an Intervention for Autism and Associated Spectrum Disorders: Preliminary Findings, (http://aut.sagepub.com/cgi/content/...)

Autism Society of America, (http://www.autism-society.org/site/...)

Defeat Autism Now!, (http://www.autismwebsite.com/practi...)

The Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diet, (www.gfcf.com)

The Journey into DEEP is a courageous one

How did my life turn out like this?

We are in a time where many people are finding themselves asking deeper questions about their lives…

Questions like: What explanation have you had for your life being the way it is?
Pause for a second, take a deep breath, and really consider that question.

I’m not only referring to the difficulties in your life, I’m also referring to where your life is fantastic. Let me clarify. I’m talking about all of it; your life as a package.

…Maybe you feel you are where you are due to fate. Maybe as you ask that question you hear a voice in your head that tells you, you are lucky; or unlucky. Do either of those statements truly serve as satisfactory explanations as to why your life is the way it is?

Maybe the way you see it is that you got to where you are in life through something called Karma; that God is some kind of mega-accountant in the sky who does yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily tallies of all your good and bad deeds (or was that Santa?). Then, this magnificent accounting god dishes out the luck, both good and bad, in accordance with what’s in your good/bad account.

Does this sound ludicrous to you? Great, now we’re on the same page.

If those reasons are not how you get what shows up in your life, then maybe this concept (which I’m sure you’ve heard before) is the correct one: “Let us create mankind in our own image.”

Over the last twenty plus years of teaching workshops, seminars and working with people one-on-one it has become very obvious that…

The outer circumstances of your life are a direct result of the inner state of your being.
One of the most important things you will ever learn about success, whatever that means to you, is that what’s going on inside your thoughts and feeling ends up showing up outside, in your reality.

We are not victims of circumstance…

We are both the one who manufacturers and experiences these circumstances.
No one magically finds themselves in a divorce court, a prison cell or having a bullet removed with it being a result of something that was going on within them.

These events are a direct result of all the beliefs, thoughts, emotions feelings and behaviors you have had up to that point. That doesn’t make you wrong or right, what it makes you is either paying attention or being ignorant of what’s been going on inside you. Either way, it’s your choice, it’s your result.

Few will ever be brave enough to enter, let alone complete the Emotional Healing and Growth that is required to Reclaim the Authentic Self.

“Deep” is a hero’s journey to go back and find what was left behind in a place falsely named ‘history’. It is falsely named because…

History does not only exist in the past. History lives in every cell and every fiber of our being. It is the calcified tears we dared not cry that stiffen not only our bones but the expression of our lives. History is the constriction of our veins and arteries from laughter that dare not be laughed in a childhood where children must be adults because the adults around them never grew up and faced their own
pain."

Who among us is brave enough to stand as a champion, a guide and a warrior for that lost child?


Who among us is bold enough to say; it wasn’t good enough, the child deserved to be fully alive in all it’s feelings including play?


Who is now willing to go back and get that child, hold it in it’s sadness and give it permission to cry all of it’s tears?


Who is now willing to go back and free that child’s spirit to play in the universe of imaginings?

Who will now hold up that child’s spirit as a great light to the world that can laugh deeper, wilder and more authentically than was permitted?

Below I’d like to share a poem with you, yes you, who still hear the distant voice of a lost child that is yourself, not in some distant history, but the child who lives in the moments where you fall in love with yourself again and again.

Who will cry for the little boy
by Antwone Fisher

“Who will cry for the little boy, lost and all alone?
Who will cry for the little boy, abandoned without his own?
Who will cry for the little boy? He cried himself to sleep.
Who will cry for the little boy? He never had for keeps.
Who will cry for the little boy? He walked the burning sand.
Who will cry for the little boy? The boy inside the man.
Who will cry for the little boy? Who knows well hurt and pain.
Who will cry for the little boy? He died and died again.
Who will cry for the little boy? A good boy he tried to be.
Who will cry for the little boy, who cries inside of me?”

Looking for your life’s purpose can be a great way to stay busy enough to never fulfill it!


Sometimes you’ve just got to be willing to go in the direction of. There is any number of ways of finding your purpose, doing what you came here to do etc. It’s important to stay open to the clues, listen to your intuition etcetera. However, a major factor of discovering your purpose is this; be open to everything and attached to nothing.

Many of the most successful and happy people I know are in their 50’s and 60’s and they still don’t know what they want to do when they grow up. This however does not stop them living something that maybe even more important than living your life’s purpose: Living a purposeful life !

Start each day knowing that there will be fear and say ‘so what’, there will also be love. Each day could contain tears, ‘so what’, that same day can also contain laughter, so choose to live a life of purpose.

The fact is that living your life on purpose means you wake up each morning with a commitment to feel grateful that you are doing just that; living your life on purpose. We can move forward with clear focus toward what we want to achieve and that could be money, possessions or status, but always remember what you, we all of us are actually want is a “feeling” and you can start by deciding what feeling you want to start each day with and then deciding to create it. Take a deep breath and as you breath out step off the cliff and you’ll discover you can fly. Be willing to be surprised at how often something wonderful and wondrous shows up…

Leave me your comments and feedback about finding your life’s purpose and living purposfully below, I look forward to hearing from you.

With deep gratitude and sincere purpose.

Do you have the stones to give with it?

You could avoid it heck, that’s what most people will do, and if you want to be just like everyone else you can tell yourself..’it’s okay’. But if you know there is something within you that’s been fighting to get out, (your real self, your authentic self), It’s time to take action…

The path of least resistance is lined with the corpses of the mediocre.
Just think about that statement for a sec.

To become free we must be able to overcome the obstacles that appear before us. Telling yourself and anyone else who will listen, how tough it is, does nothing but validate that it’s okay to quit on yourself.

Those who don’t have the courage to stand up for who they really are and what they really want, die having lived lives that are, at best, half lived and all too often sadly forgotten.
These are the forgotten lives of the mediocre, whose fear of offending others has ruled them like a cruel master.

Now, it’s important that you understand something here.

All courage is subjective; so, what’s easy for one person is not necessarily easy for another. It could be the most difficult thing in the world for them.

Stop and take a moment now to acknowledge the courage you’ve already displayed in your life, and at the same time turn your back on complacency.

Because celebrating your success is an excellent thing to do; however, staying in celebration mode when it’s time to move on is like wearing your Christmas hat in February; it gets a little stale
You know what you’ve got to do, and you know that no excuse will ever really do. So stop with the excuses because I’m sorry to say, no one is really listening to the excuses anyway.

The quality of your life is not measured by the quality of your excuses…

The quality of your life is measured by your commitment in spite of all the great excuses you could come up with.
Listen, It’s never quite the right time, there is always going to be another place that needs the money, and there will always be someone who thinks your crazy for even considering ‘it.’

I don’t know what ‘it’ is that you need to do to fulfill your purpose, heal your soul or make a difference. What I do know is this; we rarely know the value of something until we’ve been through it! And when you look back on your life, no excuse will have been good enough for you to feel good about not doing what your soul cried out for.

I care about you, not your excuses.

It’s easy to tell yourself that the emotional upheavals in your life are “all in the past”, yet the question remains: Are they really?
When you stop and think about it much of our daily experiences are nothing than the same past experiences playing out in a new senerio.

What we don’t look at actually controls us; Because it becomes the undercurrent of our personality. Just because “it” is in your past on a time line doesn’t mean that you have actually let “it” go. Here’s a quick exercise.

Think about the last time someone cut you off in traffic, or some other equally frustrating behaviour.

If you remember that you got way beyond mad … and into the range of pure outrage, that’s called a ‘disproportionate response.’

Simply put, it means that from an onlookers standpoint the incident might have rated a ‘3’ on an anger response scale; however, your reaction was more like a 6 or more.

And if you can’t remember a traffic incident, think of another time where you’ve become incredibly angry at the drop of a hat. (Even if, because you have become masterfull at stuffing it no one else would know?

Anytime that happens, it’s a reliable indicator that there’s other ‘stuff’ that you’re upset about. Being outraged at this driver is just a safe place to express what you don’t feel safe expressing in another situation.

Bottom line: If you are having disproportionate responses, your past is not in the past at all and until you deal with “it”, it’s running your life!

What we refuse to acknowledge about ourselves becomes the driving force for a destiny we may not desire.
Try this: Watch for disproportionate responses and ask yourself: “What might I be angry about that actually has nothing to do with this situation?”

There is magnificence within you… Who you are is so much greater than your history. However, until you look at your history you are destined to repeat it in one form or another.

“Most people’s lives are nothing more than the realization of a promise they made to themselves”

Let’s take this a little deeper…

These promises that we made to ourselves were in all likelihood ‘unconsciously’ chosen and chances are you made them when you were very young. (Although as you read this you may have had a ‘light bulb moment’ and realized exactly when you made your promise and why you did it).

I spend a lot of my time teaching people how to create thier reality. However, what I also say is that most people are creating their realty at a very unconscious level. In fact many of them only get conscious of ‘creating reality’ when something different shows up and they quickly scramble to get things back to “normal”.

Now there’s that fascinating word: “Normal”. For most people reading this you are bright enough to realize that normal is at least somewhat subjective. I n that what’s normal for you may not be normal at all for someone living on a different continent in a completely different culture.

However, ‘normal’ goes much “Deeper” than that. Most people without even knowing it, for the most part are unconsciously busy doing their best to keep things normal. But again please note; the normal I’m speaking about is your own version of normal.

For some people when I say normal they think of the suburban family with two point five kids, a white picket fence and an minivan. But that’s not the kind of normal I am discussing here.

What I’m referring to is your own particular brand of normal. Have you ever heard the saying: “Situation Normal All F*%ked Up?” Well for some people that kind of situation is as indicated, their own brand of ‘normal’. Normal is relative to the individual, as normal as church on Sunday is to one person, smoking crack is to another.

So here’s my challenge to you to bathe in these questions for a while…

What have you made normal that might not be healthy? And…

What promise might you have made to yourself that without you realizing it, is in fact keeping your life pretty much the same as it was?

CHANGE WITHOUT CHANGING?

“people want to change as long as they don’t have to change”.

But here’s the news: You do know what’s going on underneath! You can fool some of the people some of the time, heck you can even fool yourself some of the time.

But the truth is in your quiet moments you know when the time has come and you are either going to box yourself into a deeper and deeper level of numb, where not only your sadness and pain get buried in your body but, so does any chance of true joy, fulfillment and happiness…

Or you’re on a steady slope into your own personal version of hell, where it will eventually get so painful that you will move mountains in order to change. (I know that I’ve done both and you don’t have to do either)

I challenge you to decide because, today you stand at the crossroads. You can let your ego tell you that I’m an ass for saying this, that I’m only in it for the money or some other crap about how it’s not that bad.

THE PROMISES YOU KEEP TO YOURSELF

Is your future going to be your past with a paint job?

Let me explain what I mean… If you were to take a look into the future of most peoples lives you would see that for the largest majority of them, their future will be pretty consistent with their past – except there’s possibly a slight and fairly uninspiring level of improvement. It’s like they took the old jalopy and gave it a paint job in order to convince themselves it was new.

Seriously, put some thought into it, most people are “waiting” for something or someone to bring about the change they say they want. Maybe “the secret” or some other magical thing will come along and solve their problems, but in all likelihood it won’t and in a moment I’ll tell you why.

Why is it that most people lives pretty much the same from year to year? Why are so many people ‘stuck’ when we live in the wealthiest time in history, a time when there is more knowledge and more availability to that knowledge than ever before?

Are we on automatic and if we are, can we get off it?

Let yourself marinade in this thought:

“Most people’s lives are nothing more than the realization of a promise. A promise to who, you ask. A promise or a series of promises they make to themselves”.

We either (consciously or unconsciously) promise to live ‘better’ than we have, and than those around us have, which means we are willing to butt up against the people, situations and what’s ‘normal’ in our lives. We are not talking about being a rebel without a cause here, we are talking about going “Deep” within to discover what’s authentic.

Or the other option is: We promise to not be a ‘problem’, which means we take a look around, decide what’s ‘normal’, be quiet, accept our circumstances and how we get treated as a result of being with the people we’re with in those circumstances.

The question worth asking yourself is which set of promises are you living by?

Omega-3 from fish may prevent prostate cancer

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Guard Against Advanced Prostate Cancer
Even men genetically predisposed to disease benefit from eating fish, study finds
Posted March 24, 2009
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, March 24 (HealthDay News) -- Omega-3 fatty acids could help protect men against advanced prostate cancer

Eating fish at least once a week may reduce the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer even if one is genetically predisposed to developing the disease, but more work is needed to see if the association is real, the researchers said.

"Eating a healthy diet that includes dark fish and other sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may decrease risk of more advanced prostate cancer even if one has a cox-2 genetic predisposition to the disease," said lead researcher John S. Witte, a professor in the Institute for Human Genetics, Epidemiology & Biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco.

The report is published in the April issue of Clinical Cancer Research.

For the study, Witte's team studied 466 men with aggressive prostate cancer and 478 healthy men. The researchers collected data on the men's diet and genetically assessed nine cox-2 single nucleotide polymorphisms.

"We detected strong protective associations between increasing intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and more advanced prostate cancer," Witte said. "These fatty acids are primarily from dark fish such as salmon."

This association held even if men had a high-risk genetic variant in the cox-2 gene, Witte said. "In contrast, men with low intake of dark fish and the high-risk variant had a substantially increased risk of more advanced prostate cancer," he noted.

The researchers found that men who had the highest intake of omega-3 fatty acids had a 63 percent lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer compared with men with the lowest intake of omega-3 fatty acids.

Then the researchers looked at the effect of omega-3 fatty acid in men with a cox-2 variant called rs4647310, a known inflammatory gene. Among men with low omega-3 fatty acid intake and this variant, the risk of developing advanced prostate cancer increased fivefold. However, men who had a high intake of omega-3 fatty acids had a significantly lower risk, even if they had the cox-2 variant.

These findings suggest that eating fish or other sources of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may decrease a man's risk of being diagnosed with more advanced prostate cancer, Witte said. "And the decrease in risk may be even more pronounced if one has a high-risk genetic variant in the cox-2 gene."

Focusing on more advanced tumors is important, since these tumors are most likely to take an aggressive course and thus impact a man's survival, he added. "Moreover, our results further support the hypothesis that long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may modify prostate inflammation through the cyclooxygenase (cox) pathway," Witte said.

Eric Jacobs, strategic director of pharmacoepidemiology at the American Cancer Society, thinks the jury is still out on connecting omega-3 fatty acids with a reduced risk of advanced prostate cancer.

"In this study, a diet high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids was associated with lower risk of developing advanced prostate cancer," Jacobs said. "However, some previous studies did not find similar results."

Indeed, other research has proved fruitless when it comes to using supplements to help prevent prostate cancer. Two studies released in January in the Journal of the American Medical Association found no evidence of benefit from supplemental selenium, vitamin E or vitamin C on prostate cancer and other cancers. Other recent studies have suggested that vitamins, B, C, D, E, folic acid and calcium taken alone, or in various combinations, aren't effective for cancer prevention either.

Nevertheless, more research into omega-3s role in prostate cancer prevention is needed, Jacobs said.

"
"One way men can reduce their risk of developing advanced prostate cancer, as well as risk of many other diseases, is to maintain a healthy weight. Many studies have shown that being obese is associated with increased risk of developing advanced prostate cancer," he said.

Mercury found in high-fructose corn syrup

(NaturalNews) High-fructose corn syrup has taken our food shelves by storm. It is present in many different types of bread, cereals, breakfast bars, yogurts, soups and sugary beverages. It is estimated that, on a typical day, an American consumes an average of 12 teaspoons of such syrup. Further, teenagers and others with high consumption may even be taking in up to 80% more than average. Recently, two separate studies, one published in the journal Environmental Health and the other conducted by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), have revealed a further danger of high-fructose corn syrup, having found that it may contain mercury.

Environmental Health Study

In the report of the first study, it was noted that mercury cell chlor-alkali products are used to make many food ingredients; these include citrus acid, sodium benzoate, as well as high-fructose corn syrup. The latter, referred to as HFCS for short, is used to sweeten and stabilize food products and lengthen their shelf lives.

In 2003, the Environmental Protection Agency had reported that an average of about 7 tons of mercury from each of the then 8 mercury cell chlor-alkali plants located in the US were unaccounted for in 2000. All that mercury must have gone somewhere, and, with it being such a dangerous neurotoxin, that was a dangerous statistic implying additional exposure for humans and the environment. Of particular concern is exposure for children and other sensitive segments of the population.

An Environmental Health Officer (EHO) thus conducted an investigation in 2004, which revealed that both mercury grade and membrane grade caustic soda were used by the industry to manufacture HFCS. Another chemical used was hydrochloric acid. Since mercury grade chemicals were used in the manufacturing process of HFCS, it was likely that mercury could be found in the final product, too.

The EHO dug deeper, collecting HFCS samples from 3 manufacturers and then analyzing them for total mercury content. In almost half of the samples, or 9 out of 20, mercury levels above the detection limit of 0.005 micrograms of mercury per gram of HFCS was found. The maximum level detected was 0.570 ìg mercury/g HFCS in one sample. The samples were collected from 17 to 24 February, 2005.

IATP Study

For the IATP study, the researchers had tested 55 popular brand-name food products and detected mercury in 17 of them (see WebMD link below for a list of the affected products). The 55 products had been chosen based on the fact that HFCS was the number one or two labeled ingredient; such labeling indicates that HFCS was the highest or second highest ingredient in the product, according to weight. The worst hit products were dairy products, followed by dressings and condiments.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the FDA to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," said David Wallinga, MD, from the IATP, who was involved in both the said studies.

It should be noted that a "snap-shot" sample of the products was obtained, which would not conclusively prove that these products were always or often contaminated.

Reactions

In both studies, the form of mercury detected was not stated. According to Carl Winter, a toxicologist who also directs the FoodSafe Program at the University of California, Davis, there is little to worry about. "I would imagine that a good majority of the mercury that is detected would have been in the form of elemental mercury," he said. According to him, methylmercury is "by far the most toxic form of mercury", as the body absorbs it better than other forms of the metal.

"We have a principle in toxicology, which is the dose makes the poison. It's the amount of a chemical, not its presence or absence, that determines the potential for harm, and frankly, I don't see based on their findings that they've made much of a case that this is something that consumers need to worry about," he also said.

WebMD contacted the food manufacturers and, not surprisingly, they insisted their products are safe. Audrae Erickson, the president of the Corn Refiners Association, also criticized the Environmental Health study. "This study appears to be based on outdated information of dubious significance. Our industry has used mercury-free versions of the two re-agents mentioned in the study, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, for several years" she stated.

The problem, though, according to Wallinga, is that while about 90% of HFCS production in the US now does not use mercury, it is possible that companies are obtaining their HFCS supplies from overseas. And much of European production may not be mercury-free. Further, the IATP study had found mercury in food products taken off the shelves in 2008. Erickson, however, did not comment on that study.

In any case, whether or not US manufacturers are using mercury-tainted substances is not the most important point. Either way, mercury poisoning via HFCS is still be taking place on a global level, which cannot be good news.

Conclusion

"For me, the take-home message is really that this is a totally avoidable, unnecessary exposure to mercury. We've got a safer, more efficient technology for making these chemicals that are part of the ingredients used to manufacture high-fructose corn syrup," said Wallinga. "The bad news is that nobody knows whether or not their soda or snack food contains HFCS made from ingredients like caustic soda contaminated with mercury. The good news is that mercury-free HFCS ingredients exist. Food companies just need a good push to only use those ingredients," he also said.

With mercury being such a dangerous toxin, in particular for children - the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that minimizing mercury exposure is essential for optimal child health because the metal can affect many aspects of development, in particular brain maturation - the information uncovered by the two studies is important for consumers to take note of.

In any case, notwithstanding the presence of mercury, high-fructose corn syrup is detrimental to health in other ways, and its consumption is best minimized or avoided altogether.

References

Mercury from chlor-alkali plants: measured concentrations in food product sugar (www.ehjournal.net/content/8/1/2)

Much High Fructose Corn Syrup Contaminated With Mercury, New Study Finds (www.iatp.org/iatp/press.cfm?refID=1...)

Mercury in High-Fructose Corn Syrup? (www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/200...)

Healthie options for treating cavities

(NaturalNews) Almost every person has had a cavity filled at least once. Until recently the only choice for these fillings was an amalgam. This amalgam type of filling has been used for about 150 years by dentists but has come under fire recently because of one of its ingredients: mercury. Patients who have reservations about amalgams now have other choices including plastic composite fillings as well as more natural alternatives such as xylitol and ozone therapy.

Amalgams are made of mercury combined with silver, zinc, or palladium. Many dental experts claim that the amount of mercury found in these fillings is not toxic at the small levels released by these fillings, but nevertheless many patients find it unsettling to have a dangerous metal placed in their mouth. Despite claims of amalgam safety there have been numerous studies demonstrating the dangers of these types of fillings. One such study compared the amount of mercury in fetuses, babies, and young children, and it correlated these amounts with the number of dental amalgam fillings of the mothers and found that the amount of mercury in their bodies corresponded directly to the amount of fillings that the moms had.

Composite fillings are more aesthetically pleasing and do not contain mercury. They can be matched to the color of the patient`s teeth and are made of porcelain or glass particles embedded in acrylic. Because they are able to be bonded directly to the tooth, dentists can often be more conservative when filling a cavity and use a smaller filling than they would if using an amalgam. A disadvantage of these fillings is that they are less durable than amalgam fillings. On average they tend to last eight to ten years as opposed to fifteen years with amalgam fillings.

For those who decide against both options there are other more natural ways of dealing with cavities. Xylitol is a sweetener that has been used by diabetics for years. Many years of testing has shown that it is able to help prevent tooth decay and even stop, and in some cases reverse, existing decay. It comes in sugar-free gums and candies that can be used for this purpose. Xylitol has been endorsed by numerous national dental associations.

Ozone therapy is an alternative and controversial option for dealing with cavities. Specially made dental devices that produce ozone gas are used to treat the decay. Exposing the tooth to ozone is supposed to kill the bacteria causing the decay. No drilling or filling of the tooth is required. More research is still needed to determine the effectiveness of ozone therapy but many people find it an appealing option to dental fillings.

Sources:
Composite vs. Silver Dental Filling, (http://www.dentalfind.com/Composite...)

Mercury burden of human fetal and infant tissues, (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...)

American Dental Association, (http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fi...)

www.xylitol.org

L-Carnitine may prevent liver cancer

(NaturalNews) According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), liver cancer is often fatal. In fact, about 21,000 Americans were diagnosed with liver cancer last year and over 18,000 deaths were attributed to the disease. The Mayo Clinic web site points out that not only is primary liver cancer rarely discovered at an early stage, but it also doesn't respond to current treatments. However, a new study offers hope that a viable therapy could be on the horizon. For the first time, scientists have found evidence that a natural substance may be able to prevent, slow or even reverse the occurrence of liver cancer.

L-carnitine, a naturally occurring amino acid, is synthesized in the liver and kidneys and is also derived from dietary sources, including avocados, tempeh, dairy products and red meat. A team of researchers at King Saud University in Saudi Arabia investigated the role of L-carnitine in the development of liver malignancies and, in their study just published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology, these scientists concluded that a deficiency of L-carnitine is a risk factor for liver cancer. What's more, they found long-term L-carnitine supplementation may prevent the development of liver cancer.

The research team, headed by Professor Sayed-Ahmed of King Saud University's College of Pharmacy, used an animal model of liver cancer to study how cancer develops when there is a lack of L-carnitine. They also studied what happened to liver cancers when the animals received supplementation with the amino acid. When the laboratory rats had their L-carnitine levels depleted, there was a progressive increase in the activities of liver enzymes along with massive degenerative changes in the liver and evidence of pre-malignant lesions in liver tissues. However, supplementation with L-carnitine resulted in a 100 percent reversal of the increase in liver enzymes compared to normal values and the pre-cancerous liver lesions went away, too.

This is not the first research to show L-carnitine may protect the liver. Noting that liver cancer is usually preceded by chronic inflammation, Japanese scientists published research in the International Journal of Cancer (vol. 113, 2005) showing that L-carnitine effectively protects livers from the production of free radicals caused by inflammation. Earlier research published in the journal Diabetes Care by scientists at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan, also found that L-carnitine supplements helped with pain, nerve regeneration, and vibratory perception in patients with chronic diabetic neuropathy (nerve pain).

For more information:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/...
http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/15/...
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/li...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/...

Spelt more than wheat for health

(NaturalNews) Triticum speltum, known as spelt, is a grain much like wheat. In fact, some experts have called it the grandfather of wheat. It was known in Biblical times and has seen a dramatic rise in popularity in the past two decades. Spelt is high in fiber and manganese. It also contains good amounts of copper, niacin and protein. It has a robust, nutty flavor and can be used the same as wheat with one notable benefit - spelt usually does not cause allergic reactions like wheat.

Spelt contains different groupings of nutrients from wheat. As a result, it has been found to be helpful in preventing migraines and reducing risk of atherosclerosis and diabetes. The undigested fiber in spelt helps lower LDL cholesterol. In the human body, cholesterol is produced by bile acids combining with fats. Spelt fiber attaches to the bile acids and is expelled from the body by the digestive tract, so less cholesterol is made.

Heart failure is the number one cause of hospitalization in adults over the age of 65 years. A study done by Harvard researchers resulted in data that shows there is a 29 per cent less likelihood of heart failure in those who eat an unrefined whole grain breakfast daily. Spelt fills the bill.

In another study, data shows that it is possible to reduce the incidence of childhood-onset asthma by as much as 50 per cent by regular, sustained intake of unrefined whole grains (excluding wheat) and fish.

Often sold in the form of "berries," the whole-grained form of spelt can be used like rice. Whether purchased as berries or flour, spelt must be stored properly to retain its nutrient value. Air-tight, moisture free storage is a must and spelt flour needs to be stored in the refrigerator. Hull-free, whole spelt berries must be rinsed under running water and soaked for at least eight hours before cooking. Use three ounces of water for each ounce of berries and bring to a boil. The mixture should be simmered for approximately one hour.

Spelt owes its high nutritional value and excellent nutty flavor to the tough hull covering each kernel. Wheat loses its hull during harvesting and exposes the kernel to the environment during shipping before processing. With spelt, the tough hull must be specially processed to accomplish removal. The kernel is protected up until processing, enhancing nutrients, keeping the kernel fresh and protecting it from pollutants and insects.

Spelt has an unusual genetic make up compared to other wheat-type grains. It is easily soluble in water which promotes easy digestion of nutrients. A distinct group of carbohydrates enhances spelt's contributions to blood clotting and stimulation of the immune system.

Spelt is native to Iran and Central Europe. It contains gluten, so is not suitable for those who need gluten-free diets. Individuals with celiac disease also need to avoid spelt. Because it requires less fertilization than wheat, spelt has been adopted by many organic growers. Europeans use spelt for beer, gin and vodka.

Sources:

Djouss L, Gaziano JM. Breakfast cereals and risk of heart failure in the physicians' health study I. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Oct 22;167(19):2080-5. 2007. PMID:17954802.

Tabak C, Wijga AH, de Meer G, Janssen NA, Brunekreef B, Smit HA. Diet and asthma in Dutch school children (ISAAC-2). Thorax. 2006 Dec;61(12):1048-53. Epub 2005 Oct 21. 2006. PMID:16244092.

Oplinger ES, Oelke EA, Kaminski AR, Kelling KA, Doll JD, Durgan BR et al. Alternative Field Crops Manual: Spelt. http://newcrop.hort.purdue.edu/newc... 2000.

Herbs help more in digestive disorders than drugs

(NaturalNews) Millions of people suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders and they often try a host of over-the-counter and prescription drugs to find relief from symptoms ranging from stomach pain to flatulence and heartburn. But what happens when the drugs don't work or they produce worrisome and even intolerable side effects? A study just published in the journal Neurogastroenterology and Motility says there's a solution -- Japanese herbal medicine.

Researchers analyzed data on Japanese herbal therapies and found them to be effective in relieving the symptoms of many GI disorders including not only common constipation but postoperative ileus and functional dyspepsia. Postoperative ileus is a physiologic response after abdominal surgery. Thought to be caused by a release of inhibitory neurotransmitters in the gut, it results in inflammation, edema and difficulty in having a bowel movement. Functional dyspepsia can cause a host of symptoms -- including belching, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, heartburn and bloating -- although no specific cause can be identified.

"Japanese herbal medicines have been used in East Asia for thousands of years," said lead researcher Hidekazu Suzuki, Associate Professor at the Keio University School of Medicine, in a statement to the media. "Our review of the world medical literature reveals that herbal medicines serve a valuable role in the management of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders."

The scientists investigated studies of the effectiveness of several different Japanese herbal medicines including the use of Rikkunshi-to, Dai-Kenchu-to, and other herbal combinations. Rikkunshi-to, which is prepared from eight herbs, was found to reduce the discomfort caused by functional dyspepsia. Dai-Kenchu-to, a combination of ginseng, ginger, and zanthoxylum fruit, relieved constipation in children and in adults suffering from post-operative ileus. Another herbal medicine, Hangeshashin-to, was found to help calm the severity and frequency of diarrhea caused by cancer treatments, too.

The researchers explained that herbal preparations in Japan are manufactured according to standards that measure the quality and quantity of ingredients. They have called on more rigorous studies of the health benefits of these standardized formulations, especially by researchers in the West. "There is a mandate to provide accurate data regarding the effectiveness of non-traditional therapy, not only to our patients but also to healthcare providers who face the dilemma of recommending or opposing management strategies that incorporate herbal medicine," Suzuki stated in the press release.

For more information:
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddis...
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...
http://www.agmd-gimotility.org/

Red Wine benefits on integral health

(NaturalNews) Red wine is turning out to be a superfood. Although many health conscious people have opted to get isolated grape compounds in capsule form, recent research is showing that the best way is to drink red wine. That's because red wine contains the entire grape polyphenol group of nutrients, a group that has been shown to work much better synergistically. In fact, newly released research is showing that breast tumor growth and metastasis to bone and liver are inhibited by the complete grape polyphenol complex.

Combined polyphenols from red wine found effective against breast cancer

Scientists at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine report that combined grape polyphenols at levels that would normally be consumed provide much more potent healing power than do isolated compounds even at much higher doses. Combined polyphenols from red wine at physiologically relevant concentrations are more effective than individual compounds at inhibiting estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and primary breast tumor growth.

In their latest study, reported in the March 18 edition of Clinical and Experiential Metastasis, these scientists showed that combined polyphenols induced death in cancer cells and were more effective than individual resveratrol, quercetin, or catechin extracts at inhibiting cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and cell migration in estrogen receptor negative cell lines, the cell lines most highly prone to metastasis.

When tested against primary tumor growth in mice, a statistically significant decrease in tumor area resulted from dietary combined grape polyphenols. Image analysis of distant organs for metastases demonstrated that the polyphenols reduced metastasis especially to the liver and bone.

Antioxidants from extracts are second rate compared to antioxidants from food

Polyphenols are the active compounds found in plants that give them healing powers. They also give plants their color and provide antioxidants. The high polyphenol content of red and purple grapes is reflected in their deep, intense colors. White grapes are low in polyphenol content. More than 200 polyphenols have been identified in red wine, the most notable being resveratrol, quercetin, and catechin.

The power of polyphenols to protect and heal is not surprising considering that polyphenols are the soldiers that stand guard to defend plants from ultraviolent radiation, pests and injury. They stand as sentinels against infection from bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

Why not get polyphenols from capsules? The antioxidant power of extracts is poor compared to the antioxidant power of polyphenol obtained by consuming natural fruits and vegetables. According to Dr. Erik Skovenborg, co-founder of the Scandinavian Medical Alcohol Board, extracted polyphenols are not easily protected from oxidation. He recommends getting an ample supply of antioxidants from food sources like fruit, vegetables, oils and wine to arm the cells of the body with heavy antioxidant artillery to face any threat.

Red wine has stood the test of time

Plato (428-348 BC) said, "Nothing more excellent or valuable than wine was ever granted by the Gods to man." Hippocrates (459-377 AD) suggested the application of wine as a tranquilizer, analgesic and diuretic. Hildegard of Bingen (Germany, 1098-1179) used wine to treat cardiovascular disease. The Medieval physician and scholar Paraclesus reported on the beneficial effect of wine on health in his book Concerning the Generation, Growth, Preservation, Life, Death, Resuscitation and Transmutation of Natural Things. Caesar recommended wine with meals in order to protect his soldiers from gastrointestinal infections and bleeding.

Polyphenols in red wine keep livers safe from alcohol damage

The accumulation of fat in the liver is a chronic condition commonly associated with drinking alcohol, especially in excess. But scientists involved in recent research say resveratrol, a member of the grape polyphenol complex, shows promise for preventing and treating human alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Research from the College of Medicine at the University of South Florida found that resveratrol reduces the amount of fat produced in the livers of mice chronically fed high levels of ethanol. It also increases the rate that existing liver fat is broken down. Perhaps their most interesting finding was that the combination of ethanol and resveratrol had a greater impact than resveratrol alone.

The research team created six separate groups of six to eight week old mice. Each group was fed a liquid diet. Half the groups received no ethanol, while the other half received doses of ethanol that were gradually increased to simulate the affects of sinking into alcoholism. This went on until 29 percent of the groups' daily calories came from ethanol. Four of the six groups (two groups receiving ethanol and two that did not) received resveratrol supplements. Four weeks later, their livers were examined.

The scientists found that mice receiving alcohol but no resveratrol had three times the level of liver fat as did the other groups. They determined that resveratrol performed several activities that aided in fat metabolism. One of these was the activation of sirtuin, an enzyme that helps prevent cell oxidation. The mice receiving ethanol along with the higher dose of resveratrol had five times more sirtuin in their livers than did the ethanol only mice. Mice given resveratrol but no alcohol had between three and four times more sirtuin than the group that had only ethanol. This study was reported in the October, 2008 edition of American Journal of Physiology, Gastointestinal and Liver Physiology.

Red wine gives a boost to dieters

This ability of resveratrol to inhibit the development of fat cells gives red wine star power as a weight loss aid. Other laboratory experiments have shown that resveratrol prevents the maturing of fat cells and hinders fat storage in mature cells. It also reduces production of certain cytokines, substances linked to the development of obesity related disorders like diabetes and atherosclerosis. Resveratrol stimulates the formation of adiponectin, a protein known to decrease risk of heart attack. Production of this protein is diminished by obesity.

Is the French Paradox really so puzzling?

Red wine is prominently featured in the Mediterranean diet, a way of eating that relies on whole foods along with wine. This diet has been shown to reduce mortality from all causes. Recent finding have shown that eating as the Mediterranean's do lowers the chance for metabolic syndrome, stoke, cognitive impairment, and inflammation.

The term French paradox refers to the observation that although the French eat similar amounts of high fat foods, exercise less, and smoke more than Americans do, they appear to have a markedly lower mortality rate from heart disease. There studies and other suggest that one of the reasons the French have a lower rate of heart disease is their regular consumption of red wine.

Red wine is protective of neurons

Chronic consumption of alcohol increases oxidative stress, accounting for striking neurological changes. However, polyphenols from red wine, grape skins and grape seeds exhibit strong antioxidant activity. Scientists at the University of Porto in Portugal evaluated this protective effects on the formation of the hippocampus by applying biochemical, morphological and behavioral approaches. Rats were fed red wine and the results were compared with those of ethanol fed rats, and pair-fed rats. Lipofuscin pigment, an end product of lipid peroxidation, was quantified in neurons of the hippocampus. All animals were behaviorally tested to assess their spatial learning and memory skills.

In the red wine treated rats, lipid peroxidation rated at the lowest level. The red wine group also had the highest levels of reduced glutathione and induction of antioxidant enzyme activities. Morphological findings revealed that red wine did not increase lipofuscin deposition, but ethanol did. The red wine treated animals learned a water maze task at a higher rate than the ethanol group and had better performance scores by the end of the training period on other tasks. The scientists concluded that chronic consumption of red wine, unlike ethanol alone, does not lead to a decline in spatial memory. They credited red wine polyphenols for improving the antioxidant status in the brain and preventing free radical induced neuronal damage. This study is from the June 8, 2007 issue of Neuroscience.

For more information:

http://www.aim-digest.com/gateway/p...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/04/h...

Spring natural health gifts! Garlic returns!

(NaturalNews) A sure sign of spring is the return of green plants. Garlic mustard (Alliaria officinalis or Alliaria petiolata) is not only one of the first spring greens to appear, it is also edible and delicious. Garlic mustard is widespread: it grows along shaded roadsides, woody paths, and other shady areas. Garlic Mustard is a biennial plant in the mustard family (Brassicareae.)

Not only is garlic mustard wild and free, it is extremely healthy: full of vitamins, minerals, and vibrancy. Not all wild foods have been profiled nutritionally, but those that have often show more than twice the content of vitamins and minerals than similar domesticated crops (1). Learning about wild edibles is a big step toward self-sufficiency. They grow all around us: in yards, fields, empty lots, even up through cracks in city sidewalks.

Garlic Mustard leaves first appear as heart-shaped, coarsely-toothed, and veined leaves close to the ground. They taste and smell (when crushed) strongly of garlic. Soon the second year plants will send up their flower stalk; the leaves will alternate along the flower stalk and become thinner, and white four-petaled flowers will appear at the top.

According to field guides, there are no poisonous look-alikes and all parts of this plant are edible.

The leaves become bitter as the weather gets hot, so they are best collected in early spring and summer. Leaves can be collected either from the ground rosettes or from the stalk.

Flowers and chopped leaves can be added to salads for a nice pungent garlic flavor.

The roots can be collected in early spring and again in late fall, when no flower stalks are present. These are very spicy and taste like horseradish. The root can be chopped and steeped in apple cider vinegar for a spicy condiment.

In the fall the seeds, which have a mustard flavor, can be collected and eaten.

Garlic Mustard was brought to North America in the 1860`s as a culinary herb and has become quite invasive, threatening both native plants and animals.(2) Certain butterflies mistake the flowers of garlic mustard for Toothwort flowers, and lay their eggs on the garlic mustard, which is toxic to their larvae. The National Park Service recommends various management techniques such as hand removal to toxic herbicides to fire control: another excuse to sample and use this delicious wild edible plant.

Recipes:

Note: Collect leaves and stalks for the following recipes as early as you see the garlic mustard. Taste before using, especially as the season progresses. Once the weather becomes warm the leaves become increasingly bitter.

Garlic Mustard Vinegar

1. Fill a jar with garlic mustard leaves.
2. Cover with organic raw apple cider vinegar.
3. Cap with plastic lid. If using a metal lid, protect lid from corrosion by placing wax paper under the lid.
4. Steep for 4 - 6 weeks (though you can use before then, taste and see.)
5. Pour off and save vinegar for use, compost leaves.

Raw Garlic Mustard Pesto

1 1/2 cups garlic mustard leaves
1 1/2 cups spinach leaves
juice of 1/2 - 1 lemon (to taste)
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts
1/4 cup olive oil
salt or tamari to taste

Blend above ingredients in food processor or blender and enjoy.

Footnotes:

1. Forager`s Harvest, p.15
2. Wikipedia article

References:

Brill, Steve and Dean, Evelyn. Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places. Hearst Books. New York. 1994.

Elias, Thomas S., and Dykeman, Peter A. Edible Wild Plants, A North American Field Guide. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. New York. 1990

Thayer, Samuel. The Forager`s Harvest; A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting and Preparing Edible Wild Plants. Forager`s Harvest. Ogema, WI. 2006

National Parks Service website: http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fac...

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/garlic...

Law fat diets are not for children

(NaturalNews) With childhood obesity levels climbing at an alarming rate, it's no wonder parents are more concerned than ever about what their children are eating. Adults are constantly bombarded with the latest diet foods and weight loss pills, and in a world that's so weight-conscious, it's difficult not to translate these ideas into the way we deal with our children's health. Although we want our children to be healthy, diet fads are not the answer. This includes the standard low-fat diet, which is suspiciously ineffective for adults in the long-term, and downright dangerous for our children.

In 2007, a study from the University of Delaware was published in the Nutrition Journal which showed children and adults burn about the same amount of fat each day, even though children burn much less overall energy. Children need a diet higher in fat compared to adults. They need around 5-10% more calories from fat than adults do. This is because, even though children are smaller in size, their bodies use an enormous amount of energy in support of growth and development. This includes the development of the nervous system, immune system, bone structure and muscle tissue.

Tam Fry of the National Obesity Forum states, "I think this research is absolutely right. If the word 'diet' is written on a packet or can, it really shouldn't be given to children who have totally different energy needs for their growth, and who burn off a lot of energy just by growing. Fad diets are not appropriate for children."

This information is not widely displayed in the media, where low-fat diet foods are frequently praised in both regular programming and commercial advertisements. There are even many medical professionals who give the vague recommendation of eating as little fat as possible. With parents constantly hearing that dietary fat is bad and should be avoided, it's easy to think that this must be healthy for their children, too.

This misinformation is no less than destructive to our children's health. Children's bodies require fat to develop and function properly. Without a certain amount of fat present, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K can't be stored or utilized. These vitamins are absolutely crucial for developmental growth in our children; any long-term deficiency can have lifelong effects. A committee from the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force reported that low-fat diets can cause growth retardation and thwart the natural process of puberty. Children simply can't gain enough weight or linear height on these diets.

In a society where so many adults are obsessed with the numbers on a scale, it can be difficult to view weight gain as a good thing. But in children, a certain amount of weight must be gained to develop properly. In addition, there are certain periods of growth, such as adolescence, when it is normal for a child to store extra fat. This is when many parents and teens become frightened of obesity and start the low-fat diet bandwagon that, for some, may become a lifetime battle. By distorting a child's image of food early in life, we may be paving the way for future eating disorders like anorexia.

Part of rearing healthy children is helping them form a positive relationship with food. Natural, unprocessed fats are not a food to be shunned but something that can be highly beneficial if used in moderation. The same applies to carbohydrates and proteins. We don't want to severely limit or overindulge in these types of food, either. The goal is to strive for moderation while making healthy, natural choices. Children need to learn that quality foods are to be enjoyed not only for their taste but also because these foods are necessary for life.

Sources:

http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com...

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditi...

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/article...

Complete protein intake for health(vegetarian)

(NaturalNews) All the rave reviews of fruits and vegetables lately have captured our attention. Many people have made significant changes in their diets to accommodate seven to nine serving of these healing superstars. Some have had difficulty fitting all these servings into their diets, and have cut back on primary protein sources to make room for them while trying to watch their weight. This may not be the best decision because recent research has shown that getting a higher percentage of calories from protein helps the body burn fat more efficiently. Complete proteins are especially important because they form the structure and integrity of every part of the body.

Diets high in protein promote weight loss and cardiovascular health

A recent study focused on the impact of diets high in protein on energy expenditure and satiety. Researchers studied the effects of diets on weight loss, body composition, cardiovascular risk, and blood sugar control.

They found that protein induced and promoted energy expenditure and promoted feelings of fullness and satisfaction that contributed to weight control. Their review of randomized controlled trials revealed that these studies have continued to show the comparable and even superior effects on weight loss of diets high in protein compared to lower protein diets. Preservation of lean body mass and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors was also noted.

The researchers concluded that diets in which protein is moderately increased and high carbohydrate foods are modestly decreased help control body weight, composition, and other associated metabolic parameters. This study is from the October, 2008 Current Opinions in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity.

Protein is the primary nutrient that influences metabolism

According to the FDA, people need 50 grams of protein per day, based on a 2000 calorie diet. This would be a diet that provides 200 calories from protein, or ten percent. This amount is seen as providing a minimum to sustain body structure and DNA synthesis, but it ignores the amount of protein needed to preserve muscle during weight loss and exercise. When high quality protein is increased beyond this basic amount, it may benefit muscle function and health as well as facilitate weight loss through the burning of calories.

Protein is the single most important nutrient that influences metabolic rate and favorably influences weight loss. Protein improves immunity and antioxidant function, builds HDL cholesterol, and enhances insulin function. It facilitates the message to the body to feel satisfied. All these functions contribute to the ability of the body to reach and maintain its ideal weight.

"Protein is like 2 X 4s and plywood showing up at your liver's jobsite", according to health guru Byron Richards. "Metabolism is kicked into gear." He notes that a higher protein breakfast can boost metabolic rate as much as 30 percent for as long as 12 hours.

Protein is critical for many bodily functions

Every cell in the human body contains protein. It is a major component of skin, muscles, organs, and glands. It is present in all body fluids with the exception of bile and urine. Protein helps the body repair cells and make new one. Without ample levels of protein, the body is unable to sustain and regenerate itself. Protein is especially important for growth and development during childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy.

Byron's formula for weight loss is 30 percent of calories from high quality, 30 percent from carbohydrates, and 40 percent from fat that includes a significant amount of saturated fat. This means that on a typical 200 calorie diet, 600 of the calories would come from protein. He is a big fan of saturated fats because they produce energy and feelings of satiety, unlike the widely promoted vegetable oils which produce inflammation and cancer by deadening cellular energy. High quality protein should be eaten at each meal and can also be eaten as a snack.

This ratio should be maintained whether one's calorie needs are more or less than the 2000 calories, which is really just an artificial standard. Anyone who engages in frequent strenuous exercise or has a large body frame will probably need a higher calorie diet while maintaining the 30 percent guideline for protein.

High quality protein does not have to be animal protein

Many Americans have been brought up to believe that getting high quality protein must involve eating large amounts of animals or dairy products. Yet there is a downside to eating animal protein. Kidney failure, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, gout, and low energy are potential negative effects from eating a diet high in animal protein. The Mediterranean diet which has been shown to reduce mortality from all causes and promote health and longevity features small amounts of yogurt and cheese as the only animal protein eaten on a daily basis. Small servings of fish are eaten a few times a week, and land animal flesh is consumed as infrequently as once a month on this diet.

It is ironic that the traditional plant based diet consumed by people living in poorer countries supports their hard working lifestyle and leaves them relatively disease free. The myth that Americans must consume large amounts of animal protein is the result of pressure by the animal meat industry. The reliance on animal protein places a heavy burden on the body as well as on the environment and resources needed to produce such protein.

Unless animal protein is produced without the use of harmful substances like Paylean, hormones and antibiotics, it is unfit to eat because it is contaminated. The only meat and dairy products that should ever be eaten are those from producers who have made a commitment to produce high quality products that do not contain these harmful substances. These producers have shown that they care about and are responsive to the wishes of their customers. Products from these producers cost more because their cost of production is higher. However, since animal products should make up only a small part of protein intake, the additional cost becomes a minimal consideration.

Vegetable protein can be high quality, complete protein

Animal protein is not eaten and instantly made available as human protein. Animal protein must be broken down and reassembled before it can be used by people. Proteins are composed of amino acids, twelve of which are made by the human body. The other nine are called essential amino acids and must be obtained from food. Most animal products, such as meat and dairy, contain all the essential amino acids needed for reassembling into human protein. Because they have all the essential amino acids, they are referred to as complete proteins.

Many Americans seem to think that complete protein cannot be obtained from vegetable sources. The truth is that most proteins from vegetables also contain all nine essential amino acids, but one or two of them may be at low levels compared to the protein in animal foods. The amino acids found in vegetables are just as high quality as the amino acids found in animals products and can be used just as effectively by the human body.

Vegetarians once spent a lot of time planning meals to make sure that foods high in all the essential amino acids were represented, but the need to do all that has been refuted. Research revealed that proteins have a tendency to pool in the body and remain available for combining with other proteins for as long as two days. Many vegetarians now operate under the notion that plenty of all the essential amino acids can be gotten by eating a variety of vegetables or grains over a this two day period.

The superstars of vegetable protein are :

Quinoa
Buckwheat
Hempseed
Soybeans (which should only be eaten fermented)
Blue green algae (spirulina, chlorella and others)

These five vegetarian sources are the only ones that offer complete protein and can stand alone as the main protein source in any meal.

Foods that offer high levels of incomplete protein include beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and many grains. Beans, lentils, and peas can be easily combined with brown rice or corn to create a delicious complete protein dish. Cheese added to legume or other vegetable dishes, or to grain dishes, creates a complete protein for non-vegetarians. Other combos that create complete protein include bean or lentil soup combined with a side of whole grain crackers, peanut or other nut butter on whole grain bread, whole grain pasta with peas or broccoli, hummus on pita bread, and veggie burgers on whole grain rolls.

If weight loss is the goal, go easy on the high carbohydrate foods that are easily broken down in the body, like pasta, potatoes, rice and bread. If you are not a vegetarian, stick with small amounts of animal products added to a diet that features non starchy vegetable protein. If you are a vegetarian and trying to shed some pounds, eat from the superstar complete protein vegetable list as often as possible.

For more information see:

http://www.wellnessresources.com/ti...

http://www.answerfitness.com/518/wh...

http://www.vegsource.com/attwood/co...

More benefits on honey

(NaturalNews) Honey is a marvelously sweet, syrupy liquid naturally produced by bees as food for themselves. Its golden color and delightful taste cannot be mistaken for anything else. When bees take nectar from a flower, it mixes with chemicals in their saliva to create honey. The bees fly it back to the hive and store it in various cells. It is known that excess moisture is removed from the honey by active fluttering of bees' wings to make it ready to eat. Bees perform a truly amazing process of nature that results in a truly amazing food - honey.

Honey comes in many different varieties. Its taste and texture depend on the type of flower sipped by the bee. Probably the most common honey is clover, but it can come in a variety of flavors and colors. The usual color of honey is golden, but it can range from almost white to dark red to almost black.

Since ancient times, people have used honey as a food and medicine. A combination of honey and goat's milk has been known to help heal bronchial infections. Honey also contains several anti-oxidants, which makes it important to humans. In addition, it has an anti-infective component and has been used to heal coughs, intestinal ailments and skin wounds.

Historically, honey has gone from a medicine and sweetener that only the wealthy could afford to a common item in stores and farmers' markets nearly everywhere. As it has become easy to obtain, it has also been processed more and more, which reduces the beneficial effects. For example, honey contains four substances that prevent colon cancer, each a type of caffeic. They act specifically on two substances in the colon that are involved in cancer development: phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C and lipoxygenase. These caffeics, or phytonutrients, are literally destroyed by processing. Pure raw honey is best if you are hoping for health benefits from eating honey. One tablespoon daily will make a difference in your body.

The first International Symposium on Honey and Human Health was held in Sacramento, California, in January 2008. Many significant findings were presented, including but not limited to:

*Buckwheat honey has been found to be a more effective cough remedy than dextromethorphan for children from two to eighteen years.

*Compared to other substances used as sweeteners, honey is much better tolerated by the body, leading to better blood sugar control and sensitivity to insulin.

*Honey promotes immunity, as demonstrated by findings that 32 percent of cancer patients in an immunity study reported improvement in their quality of life as a result of fewer infections.

*Honey promotes wound healing, its most useful application in medicine and has been proven to heal burns quicker.

The two primary sugars that make honey (fructose and glucose) both attract water. When applied to an open wound, honey absorbs the fluid in the wound. Most bacteria need a moist environment to grow; honey makes the wound drier.

Honey stored in airtight containers will keep for indeterminate periods of time. Airtight will prevent the honey from absorbing ambient water and will keep the flavor from changing. It should be kept in a cool, dry place.

If your honey crystallizes don't heat it in the microwave, as this will alter the flavor. Place the container in hot water for about fifteen minutes in order to return it to a liquid state. If you substitute honey for sugar in a recipe, use only about three-quarters of a cup for every cup of sugar. Baking temperature needs to be lowered by twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit. Food made with honey will brown easier during the baking process.

Avoid feeding honey to children under the age of two years. It is possible for honey to sometimes contain the bacteria that causes botulism food poisoning, an often fatal infection. It is best to simply avoid the risk.

Sources:
Fessenden R. Report to the Officers and Board of Directors of theCommittee for the Promotion of Honey and Health, January 21, 2008. http://www.prohoneyandhealth.com/Us....
Fortin, Francois, Editorial Director. The Visual Foods Encyclopedia. Macmillan, New York 1996.
Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, et al. 1983. Foods & Nutriton Encyclopedia. Pegus Press, Clovis, California.