“It is a bone-deep change you are going into, my beloved,” counsels Grandmother Growth. “You must open to your very marrow for this transformation. No cell is to remain untouched. You are to open more than you ever dreamed you could open, more than you have opened in birth or in passion. You open now to the breath of mortality as it plays the bone flute of your being. What can you do but dance to the haunting melody, develop a passion for an elegant posture and a long stride?

“Ah, ye s,” Grandmother Growth smiles rather wantonly. “It would do you well to develop a taste for dark greens tarted with vinegar and mated with garlic. These things will build strong flexible bones to support you as you become Crone.”

Did you know that your bones are always changing? Every day of your life, some bone cells die and some new bone cells are created. From birth until your early 30s, you can easily make lots of bone cells. So long as your diet supplies the necessary nutrients, you not only replace bone cells that die, you have extras left over to lengthen and strengthen your bones.

Past the age of 35, new bone cells are more difficult to make. Sometimes there is a shortfall: more bone cells die than you can replace. In the orthodox view, this is the beginning of osteoporosis, the disease of low bone mass. By the age of forty, many American women have begun to lose bone mass; by the age of fifty, most are told they must take hormones or drugs to prevent further loss and avoid osteoporosis, hip fracture, and death.

Women who exercise regularly and eat calcium-rich foods enter their menopausal years with better bone mass than women who sit a lot and consume calcium-leaching foods (including soy “milk,” tofu, coffee, soda pop, alcohol, white flour products, processed meats, nutritional yeast, and bran). But no matter how good your lifestyle choices, bone mass usually decreases during the menopausal years.

For unknown reasons, menopausal bones slow down production of new cells and seem to ignore the presence of calcium. This “bone-pause” is generally short-lived, occurring off and on for five to seven years. I noticed it in scattered episodes of falling hair, breaking fingernails, and the same “growing pains” I experienced during puberty.

I did not see it in a bone scan, because I didn’t have one.

The idea behind bone scans is a good one: find women who are at risk of broken bones, alert them to the danger, and help them engage in preventative strategies. There’s only one problem: bone scans don’t find women who are at risk of broken bones, they find women who have low bone density.

I would like to help you let go of the idea that osteoporosis is important. In the Wise Woman Tradition, we focus on the patient, not the problem. In the Wise Woman tradition, there are no diseases and no cures for diseases. When we focus on a disease, like osteoporosis, we cannot see the whole woman. The more we focus on one disease, even its prevention, the less likely we are to nourish wholeness and health.

Focusing on osteoporosis, defining it as a disease, using drugs to counter it, we lose sight of the fact that postmenopausal bone mass is a better indicator of breast cancer risk than broken bone risk. The twenty-five percent of postmenopausal women with the highest bone mass are two-and-a-half to four times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer than those with the lowest bone mass. And that hormones which maintain bone mass also adversely affect breast cancer risk. Women who take estrogen replacement (often given to prevent osteoporosis), even for as little as five years, increase their risk of breast cancer by twenty percent; if they take hormone replacement, the risk increases by forty percent.

Focusing on bone mass, we lose sight of the fact that a strong correlation between bone density and bone breakage has not been established, according to Susan Brown, director of the Osteoporosis Information Clearing House, and many others. We lose sight of the fact that women who faithfully take estrogen or hormone replacement still experience bone changes and suffer spinal crush fractures.

Bone-pause passes and the bones do rebuild themselves, especially when supported by nourishing herbs, which are exceptional sources of bone-building minerals and better at preventing bone breaks than supplements. The minerals in green plants seem to be ideal for keeping bones healthy. Dr. Campbell, Professor of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, has done extensive research in rural China where the lowest known fracture rates for midlife and older women were found. He says, “The closer people get to a diet based on plant foods and leafy vegetables, the lower the rates of many diseases, including osteoporosis.” Women who consume lots of calcium-rich plants and exercise moderately build strong flexible bones. Women who rely on hormones build bones that are massive, but rigid.

Hormone replacement regimes do not increase bone cell creation; they slow (or suppress) bone cell killers (osteoclasts). There is a rebound effect; bone loss jumps when the hormones are stopped. Women who take hormones for five years or more are as much as four times more likely to break a bone in the year after they stop than a woman of the same age who never took hormones. Women who build better bones with green allies and exercise nourish the bone cell creator cells (osteoblasts).

Hormone or estrogen replacement, taken as menopause begins and continued for the rest of your life, is said to reduce post-menopausal fracture rates by 40-60 percent. Frequent walks (you don’t even need to sweat) and a diet high in calcium-rich green allies (at least 1500 mg daily) have been shown to reduce post-menopausal fractures by 50 percent. The first is expensive and dangerous. The second, inexpensive and health promoting. It’s easy to see why more than eighty percent of American women just “say no” to hormones. It is never too late to build better bones, and it is never too soon. Your best insurance for a fracture-free, strong-boned cronehood is to build better bones before menopause. The more exercise and calcium-rich green allies you get in your younger years, the less you’ll have to worry about as you age.

“A woman has lost half of all the spongy bone (spine, wrist) she’ll ever lose by the age of 50, but very little of the dense (hip, hand, forearm) bone. Attention to bone formation at every stage of life is vital; there is no time when you are too old to create healthy new bone.” - American MD

CALCIUM

“Osteoporosis is much less common in countries that consume the least calcium. That is an undisputed fact.” -T. C. Campbell, PhD. Nutritional Biochemistry

Step 1: Collect Information

Calcium is, without a doubt, the most important mineral in your body. In fact, calcium makes up more than half of the total mineral content of your body. Calcium is crucial to the regular beating of your heart, your metabolism, the functioning of your muscles, the flow of impulses along your nerves, the regulation of your cellular membranes, the strength of your bones, the health of your teeth and gums, and your vital blood-clotting mechanisms. Calcium is so critical to your life that you have a gland (the parathyroid) that does little else than monitor blood levels of calcium and secrete hormones to ensure optimum levels of calcium at all times.

When you consume more calcium than you use, you are in a positive calcium balance: extra usable calcium is stored in the bones and you gain bone mass (insoluble or unusable calcium may be excreted, or stored in soft tissue, or deposited in the joints). When you consume less calcium than you use, you are in a negative calcium balance: the parathyroid produces a hormone that releases calcium stores from the bones, and you lose bone mass.

To ensure a positive calcium balance and create strong, flexible bones for your menopausal journey, take care to:

• Eat three or more calcium-rich foods daily.
• Avoid calcium antagonists.
• Use synergistic foods to magnify the effectiveness of calcium.
• Avoid calcium supplements.

Step 2: Engage the Energy

• The homeopathic tissue salt Silica is said to improve bone health.

Step 3: Nourish & Tonify

• What do we need to make strong flexible bones? Like all tissues, bones need protein. They need minerals (not just calcium, but also potassium, manganese, magnesium, silica, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, phosphorus, sulphur, chromium, and dozens of others). And in order to use those minerals, high-quality fats, including oil-soluble vitamin D.

Step 4: Stimulate/Sedate

• Beware of calcium antagonists. Certain foods interfere with calcium utilization. For better bones avoid consistent use of:

• Greens rich in oxalic acid, including chard (silver beet), beet greens, spinach, rhubarb.
• Unfermented soy products, including tofu, soy beverages, soy burgers.
• Phosphorus-rich foods, including carbonated drinks, white flour products, and many processed foods. (Teenagers who drink sodas instead of milk are four times more likely to break a bone.)
• Foods that produce acids requiring a calcium buffer when excreted in the urine, including coffee, white sugar, tobacco, alcohol, nutritional yeast, salt.
• Fluoride in water or toothpaste.
• Fiber pills, bran taken alone, bulk-producing laxatives.
• Steroid medications, including corticosteroids such as prednisone and asthma inhalers. (Daily use reduces spinal bone mass by as much as ten percent a year.)
• Restricted calorie diets. Women who weigh the least have the greatest loss of bone during menopause and “neither calcium supplements, vitamin D supplements, nor estrogen” slow the loss. Among 236 premenopausal women, all of whom consumed similar amounts of calcium, those who lost weight by reducing calories lost twice as much bone mass as women who maintained their weight.

• Drink spring water and herbal infusions; avoid soda pop and carbonated water.
• Eat only whole grain breads, noodles, cookies, and crackers.
• Buy only unpreserved meats, cheeses, potatoes.
• Avoid buying foods with ingredients; they are highly processed.

• Drink lemon juice in water with or after your meal.
• Take 10-25 drops dandelion root tincture in a little water before you eat.
• Use calcium-rich herbal vinegars in your salad dressing; put some on cooked greens and beans, too.

Step 5a: Use Supplements

• I really wish you wouldn’t use calcium supplements. They expose you to dangers and don’t prevent fractures. A study in Australia that followed 10,000 white women over the age of 65 for six and a half years found “Use of calcium supplements was associated with increased risk of hip and vertebral fracture; use of Tums antacid tablets was associated with increased risk of fractures of the proximal humerus.”

Step 5b: Use Drugs

Even if you take hormone therapy (ERT or HRT) you must get adequate calcium to maintain bone mass, according to researchers at Columbia University. That’s 1200-1500 mg a day (a cup of plain yogurt, two cups of nettle infusion, a splash of mineral-rich vinegar, plus three figs is about that). As you increase your intake of calcium-rich foods/herbs, gradually cut back on your hormone dose if you wish.

Step 6: Break & Enter

Bone density tests are frequently used to push women into taking hormones or drugs. If your bone density is low, use the remedies in this section and schedule another test (for at least six months later) before agreeing to such therapies.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.

Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081

Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.

Susun is one of America’s best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women’s health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at http://www.susunweed.com

Building Healthy Bones in Children - How Parents Can Help
Parents regularly discuss their children's health with their health care providers but rarely do they discuss bone health, even though it is a central part of a child's overall health. Building strong bones by adopting nutritional and healthy lifesty...

An Overview Of Foot Arthritis
Foot arthritis is most commonly an occurrence of osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is arthritis of the bone. It is due to common wear and tear which results in inflammation, swelling and pain. Many times foot arthritis is caused by injury to the foot...

Nutrients That Matter To Your Joints
The human body is composed of more than two hundred fully and partly movable joints. Joints usually exist where bones connect and they are the sole means that allow your body to move efficiently and safely. Imagine if you can not pivot the bones foun...

List Building Secrets
List building is such a great way to build an income online and it is one of the only ways to build a long term, asset-like business online. List building of course is the process of allowing visitors to opt in to one of your automated online lists...

What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a general term used to categorize over 100 different conditions and diseases. What these 100+ diseases and conditions all have in common is a problem with a joint inside the body. The human body has joints in the spine, shoulders, knees,...

Could You Have Developed Arthritis in Your Hands? If So, Do You Know How to Treat It?
Arthritis is a condition which quite literally means inflamed joint. Usually in a joint, you have smooth, cartilage covered bones which move smoothly against each other when they move.Arthritis generally occurs when those bones become worn down by th...

Natural Arthritis Treatments and Safe Solutions
Most of the people take this for granted that all the bones of the human body are meant to driven by the sensation of the brain and thus to keep the civilization mobile. But any one takes the time to think the life without the bones. Arthritis is the...

Hip Joint Replacement - The Best Way To Solve Arthritic Hip Bones?
In the US alone, relevant statistics show that there are around 150,000 patients who have had hip joint replacements. And a big chunk of this number are aged sixty and above. But hip joint problems are hardly restricted to older people. Regardless of...

Wrist Arthritis - What Could it Be?
Arthritis of the wrist may not sound like a big deal... until you need to open a door, type on your computer, or shake hands. Then you realize how much a role your wrist plays in these simple activities.The wrist is like many other joints. Its encl...

List Building for 2007 and Beyond - the Future of List Building
List Building for 2007 and Beyond - the Future of List BuildingList building has been rapidly becoming one of the most important internet marketing techniques for online organizations. It, in most cases, involves getting a large list of email address...

For some people it is really hard to give up the junk food and sweets and eat a better, more nutritious diet. So let’s use the example of eating the 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables we need daily.

There are ways to work with your mind so that it becomes much easier and more enjoyable to eat all those servings of vegetables we need each day.

Did you know that you think in pictures?

You are motivated by the things that you want to move away from that might cause emotions you don’t want such as pain, grief, anger etc. Examples: Ill health, overweight, not being able to join your family due to sickness is certainly things you want to move away from.

You are also motivated by the things you want to move towards. Emotions that would go with this are feeling happy, satisfied, loved, forgiven, respected, etc.

Move away from or move towards. These two ways you are motivated are the key to help you get past your dislike of vegetables and fruit if that is the problem .

Decide which type you are. Which are you most motivated by? Do you put moving away foremost in your mind or moving toward?

Ready to Start? Grab some vegetables. Look at them, feel them taste them, Chew on them. Snap them, break them up and hear the crunchiness. Involve as many of your senses as you can.

While doing that, do one of two things:

If motivated by what you are moving away from:

Paint the picture of what you are leaving behind. Accentuate the problems. Make them look really big and bad in your picture. Show your self what the big bad picture would be like a year from now or 5 years from now if you continued eating your bad diet. Put a lot of feeling into this.

If motivated by what you are moving towards:

Paint a big bright picture of what you will look like and feel like when you have better health. Think about who you love, who loves you and what you want to do and could do when you have good health.

Maybe you are not sure where you fit in to this process. Then play both pictures for yourself. Really put some pictures in your head. Use plenty of color. Turn the sound up.

Now which did you feel more motivated to eat the vegetables you need?

Play this picture over and over again as you eat the right foods, especially your vegetables and this will help you stay on track for better food choices.

Jeannie Crabtree C.Ac. shares health answers that work, tips, nutrition suggestions and research in her health newsletter and health blog.

List Building - Writing Content Emails Part 2
I will generally open the content email by telling them why I want to share this, either because I get a lot of questions about it, or because I have been thinking about it, or because it is something new and I want to get them thinking. I will tell...

The New York Wine Train
Finger Lakes is one of the more beautiful regions of New York and the region produces quality wine. Now there is a train trip designed to explore the wineries of the region!The Finger Lakes of western New York make up an abundant wine producing regio...

Daily Healthy Eating Plan That’s Right for You
It seems today that everyone is looking for the "secret" to lose weight and maintain a healthy long life. That is why the weight loss industry is a 33 billion dollar industry and climbing. Everyone wants a quick fix and they want it now. Even though ...

Healthy Diet - Key Requirement For A Healthy Body And Mind
Importance of Health"Health is Wealth" - This is a very well said proverb, universal truth for every person living anywhere in the world irrespective of any factors. Even in this damn economic world people are aware with the benefits of a healthy bod...

What Is Worse Then Fat?
People make a big deal about fat. But the thing that I really feel is important to watch is the simple carbs. We often hear terms like "empty calories" or "empty carbs" those would be hollow foods right? I don't like those terms. When was the last ti...

Is It Possible To Follow a Strict Diet Program and Still Have A Normal Lifestyle?
Following a diet program of any sort can sometimes be restricting depending on different circumstances. A Strict diet program can be hard to stick to and the best diet programs are the diet programs that you can definitely stick with for the rest of ...

Feeling The Benefits Of Healthy Eating
In the western world we are fortunate in that we can choose what we eat. With the growth of processed and fast foods this is not always a good thing. Learning the discipline of eating a more varied and natural diet can have a positive affect on all a...

Are Fat Free Foods Actually Healthy? Shocking Truth Revealed
Yesterday I was walking through my local grocery store, and I was so upset about all the deceptive food labels that I saw everywhere. I saw product claiming ridiculous nonsense saying that their foods are healthier than natural products. This is actu...

Our Livers Need for Water
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing system, it does need help - as it cannot maintain its healthy state if its being abused. Abuse occurs when too much of the wrong foods are entering the body.The livers main role is to neutral...

A Proper Breakfast For a Healthy Life
Morning shows the day is a good saying which holds good for breakfast also. Breakfast which is the first meal of the day has its own advantages. It plays a crucial role in the growth of a human body and brain.Breakfast is the gear of the human body j...

Do you know anyone who can’t consume milk or milk-based products? The condition is not uncommon and these people are classified as lactose intolerant.

Lactose is the main carbohydrate or sugar found in milk, and in varying quantities in dairy products made from milk including yoghurt, ice cream, soft cheeses and butter. Lactose (milk sugar) intolerance results from an inability to digest lactose in the small intestine.

Back in the cave-days, the only time a person would ever ingest lactose would be when they were infants getting milk from their mothers. During their adult lives milk was never consumed. Only with the invention of agriculture has milk become readily available to adults. Lactose is unique in that only in milk does it exist as a free form, unattached to other molecules.

What causes lactose intolerance?

Lactose is digested in the small intestine by an enzyme called lactase. This enzyme allows the body to break down the lactose into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. These are quickly absorbed by the intestine and provide energy for the body. The level of the lactase enzyme varies between individuals, as does the severity of the symptoms caused by lactose intolerance.

What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?

Symptoms range from milk abdominal discomfort, bloating and excessive wind to sever abdominal cramps and diarrhoea.

Substitutes for lactose-containing foods

Lactose intolerance generally isn’t serious and can be controlled by some simple changes in your diet. The dietary changes for lactose intolerance should include the exclusion of those foods highest in lactose. There is now a wide range of fresh soy milks, yoghurts and ice creams which are lactose free and calcium enriched. Many dairy foods actually have little or no lactose so you can continue to enjoy them.

The power of soy protein

Soy-based products are on the rise for very healthy reasons. The humble soybean boasts some extraordinary benefits. Lactose-free, soy protein is a “complete protein” which contains all 9 essential amino acids in the right balance to meet your body’s needs. Soy protein is the only plant protein that is complete. This makes it a great substitute for many meats, allowing you to eliminate more saturated fat and cholesterol from your diet.

While soybeans have much to offer from a protein perspective, it is because they contain so many nutrients, such as isoflavones, that they are now the centre of so much attention. Soy protein enhances the body’s ability to retain and better absorb calcium into the bones. Soy isoflavones help by slowing bone loss and inhibiting bone breakdown.

Lactose-Free Soy Recipes

There are an abundance of wonderful soy recipes that enable you to get all the benefits of soy….without the traditional soy flavour. Further information available at the link below.

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. This world renowned, medically approved program will give you results you’ll love and all the support you need! Estimate your healthy body weight, tons of recipes, articles, ezine and more at http://weight-loss-health.com.au

A Look at Lactose Intolerance
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in milk. Cows milk contains 4-5% lactose, whereas human milk contains almost twice that amount. Lactose provides 30-50% of the energy in milk, depending on the fat content (skim vs. homogenized). A numbe...

Feel Better - Eliminate Conflicting Foods and Additives
Are those delicious foods that you just consumed making you feel sick and tired? You could be allergic or intolerant to certain foods and by understanding the warming signs, you can eliminate that food or additive before it becomes a complication, a...

Common Myths About Nutrition
Staying healthy is the most discussed topic of all these days. In spite of the increased awareness about healthy eating habits, quick weight loss tips, body sculpting programs, low cal foods, and custom eating plans, there are many nutrition related ...

Ways to Relieve Bloating
Bloating can be uncomfortable, it makes it hard to get into your pants and then to sit in them. It causes stomach cramps and indigestion. This condition can be worsened by prepackaged foods and all of the fast foods we eat, because we are to busy to ...

Healthy Food Choices
It is not true that you have to go on a dieting in order to have a successful weight loss experience. In fact, by reducing the amount of food intake everyday drastically, it is harmful for your body. What you need to do actually is to carefully consi...

Nutrition Therapy - When It Is Used and How It Works
Nutrition therapists; are consulted to treat obesity, eating disorders, and disease; caused by deficiencies of certain vitamins and minerals. Although deficiency diseases are rare in the United States, they still occur, especially among the poor. The...

Nutritional Health Supplements - How I Was Wrong About Them
It was my opinion that everybody gets enough nutrients in their diets and that nutritional health supplements were a waste of money. Having played competitive sports for many years, my belief was that women's or men's health supplements are only for ...

The Sugar-Coated Truth
It is believed that cane sugar was discovered before the birth of Christ. As early as 500 B.C., India was said to have a reed which gives honey without bees. This reed would later become known as sugar cane.The invasion of Arabs into India nearly 1,0...

Milk Ranked Among the Top Eight Offenders for Food Allergies
Cows milk contains over 25 different molecules, which have the potential to elicit an allergic reaction. No wonder milk is repeatedly ranked among the top eight offenders for food allergies! In fact, many doctors, scientists, and health specialists r...

10 Easy Food (and Life) Ideas to Increase Your Focus and Energy
Changing seasons, especially summer into fall, is the ideal opportunity to use your food to increase your focus and energy (Its time to get back to school, right?). By changing your food (and the way you live) to adjust to the season, you build e...

Headlines:

Nearly a quarter of American adults just got diagnosed with a
new disorder: pre-hypertension. Is your blood pressure
low enough?

Nearly 23% of people over the age of 18 have pre-hypertension
(blood pressure over 120/80 and less than 140/90).
Another 25% of those over 18 have full-blown hypertension
(blood pressure over 140/90).

Hypertension

At age 34 I had to have an insurance exam. I weighed 175 pounds
on a 5′6″ frame and for the first time in my life, had elevated
blood pressure, 140/90, up from 118/78. That was one of the first major health warnings my body gave me.

Pre-hypertension

Back in those days hypertension was considered anything above
140/90. Today we have the diagnosis of “pre-hypertension”
which is any elevation of blood pressure over 120/80. Starting
as low as 115/75 the risk of heart attack or stroke doubles
for every 20 point increase in systolic pressure (the higher
of the two, when the left ventricle of the heart actually
pumps blood out into the body) and for every 10 point increase
in diastolic pressure (when the heart is resting in between
pulses). Between the pressures of 120/80 and 140/90 there is
a fourfold increase in heart attack, compared to people with
normal blood pressure. According to Aram Chobanian, M.D. Dean
of Boston University School of Medicine, people over 54 years
old have a 90% chance of developing hypertension at some time.

Aging does not necessarily correlate to hypertension.

For some reason especially here in America, there has been the
idea that there is a normal increase in blood pressure as one
gets older. That has been proven to be false. There are many
populations around the world that reach old age and beyond
without any increase in blood pressure. The idea that blood
pressure goes up with age is based on studying the
American population where it does in most cases. However, this
does not mean that it is normal and is most likely a reflection
of the eating habits and lifestyle of most Americans. I can
still remember when a serum cholesterol was considered normal
if it was less than 275, hardly normal for anyone.

Prevention is the best approach.

Better to not get hypertension than to try to control it with
drugs once you have it. This means lifestyle changes that to
some, are not really what they want to do. No free lunch here.
If you want to prevent hypertension or control it once you have
it, diet and exercise are the answer. Below are twelve simple
lifestyle changes you can make to help keep your blood pressure
under control.

Lose Weight

Exercise

Drinks lots of water

Dietary modification to decrease animal products and sugar
and increase fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates.
(The sugar-free vegan MericleDiet is the optimal diet to
help you control your weight, blood pressure and risk for
serious disease).

Stop Smoking

Reduce salt intake

Increase potassium intake (bananas, melons, potatoes)

Reduce or stop alcohol intake

Reduce or stop caffeine

Avoid drugs … recreational (cocaine, ecstasy), birth control
pills, some over the counter anti-inflammatory medicines

Relax, as much as you can.

If you want sweet -use Stevia. It has been shown to be the
safest sweetener today and in well designed experiments
it has reduced blood pressure.

The MericleDiet and Hypertension.

Current dietary recommendations for hypertension are a low
salt diet that restricts saturated fat, cholesterol and
total fats and emphasizes fruits, grains and low-fat dairy.
This diet, however, still allows fish, chicken, dairy and
insulin stimulating sugars such as sucrose and maple syrup.
While there is no doubt that cutting down on these will
improve your blood pressure, it would be best to stop them.
Also, there has been some difficulty with adherence to these
dietary recommendations. Why not learn to transition
completely away from all hypertension causing meats, dairy
and sugars with the MericleDiet, which also is much easier
to adhere to. It is the only 100% organic sugar-free
diet there is today. To visit the MericleDiet please follow
the link below:

http://www.DrMericle.com

Endorsement

The Mericle Diet and Me

I have been reading about diet and health since 1986, but The
MericleDiet has definitely helped me the most. After following
Dr. Mericle’s suggestions for over 15 months, I can truthfully
say I will never stray from his program. One of the unseen
benefits has been the reduction of blood pressure medicine I
take. Although I have never been a big consumer of sugar,
I now consume even less since I now understand the importance
of keeping your insulin levels low. I am now able to keep my
blood pressure at an optimal level with half the medication
of my pre-MericleDiet days. And, the ease of this program!
I always have something yummy and ready to eat! For the first
time in my adult life I no longer suffer, and I do mean suffer,
from the yo-yo syndrome!

This is absolutely the best program for me and my family…

Kay McIlroy

Colorado Springs

Reference:

Health24.com
MyWebMD.com

If you would like to take stevia for a test drive or just
purchase some online, the link below will take you to
Carol Bond Health Foods. Just search stevia or “Stevita”
when you get there.

http://www.DrMericle.com/rcb.php

Please stay tuned for next week when we will discuss in more
detail the twelve recommendations for controlling your blood
pressure.

Thanks for your time.

Copyright 2005 John Mericle M.D. All Rights Reserved

DrMericle.com is devoted to achieving optimal health and peak performance through diet and lifestyle change. Dr. Mericle brings together a unique blend of formal training in organic chemistry and biochemistry, medical education, 29 marathons, 3 Hawaii Ironman competitions and a lot of practical real life experience.

Can Coffee Help Your Health?
How does coffee help your health?All right. We all know that coffee is that mystical beverage that almost everyone grew up smelling in the kitchen as a child and in the coffee isle at the grocery store while walking through with mom. But healthy?It...

Six Ways Soy Benefits Your Health
Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are the only plant food that has all of the essential amino acids our body requires, making it a complete protein. Soy foods do not have any cholesterol, and most are high in f...

Grocery Shopping for Low Cholesterol Foods
Anyone who has high cholesterol levels will most likely be put on a low cholesterol diet by their doctor. The reason for this is simple, dietary changes are the fastest and easiest way to control blood cholesterol levels. The only thing you will need...

Is A Debt Consolidation Loan Right For You?
Too much debt can be a major cause of stress and anxiety. If you're struggling to make the minimum payments on all your bills, a debt consolidation loan may be a good option but there are some things to take into consideration first.A debt consolidat...

Benefits Of Calcium - Why I Order Milk In Restaurants
Do you know the benefits of calcium?Calcium might be almost as popular as vitamin C. Everybody knows about it. It's why adults always forced you to drink milk as a kid. My parents did. At dinner, I had to down a big gulpin' glass of milk before I cou...

Health Benefits of Garlic and Tips for Cooking with Garlic
A more detailed account of what garlic does for various organs in the human body: If garlic had been created in the laboratory instead of by nature, it would probably be a high-priced prescription drug. A Common Saying everyone knows..That's just how...

Eat, Exercise, And Be Healthy - A Lesson From Our Ancestors
Long before fast-food restaurants became a part of our lives, our ancestors hunted wild animals for meat, gardened, and gathered berries, nuts and plants to provide a healthy and well-rounded diet.These "hunter-gatherers", as they were called lived l...

The Health Benefits of Using Gourmet Sea Salts
For years scientists have proclaimed the negative aspects of salt; however they generally fail to leave out one very important thing. We need salt in our diets. Just as the majority of nutrients are taken out of foods when they're processed and put...

A Straight-Up Guide On Alcohol Problems And Treatment
Alcoholism is not a problem that is exclusive to adults. Many teenagers find themselves addicted to alcohol even though the legal drinking age is twenty one. The pressure to fit in with others and the pressure to be popular among peers may play a sig...

Five Reasons You Should Drink More Water
I know you've heard this many times - "Drink more water!". Yet, 99% of the people don't heed this advice. Maybe if water was more expensive, people would pay more attention to consume enough of it on a daily basis. We are living in a dehydrated world...

I want to thank you for taking the time to look this important
information over. I’m not here to convince you or push you. I’m
here to inform and guide you. We’ve chosen many highly dangerous
products and given alternatives. Take the time to really read over everything. It’s time well spent.

Toxins! What are they anyway?

Toxins are chemicals and poisons placed in products and toiletries we use everyday. Chemicals like formaldehyde and dioxins are used to clean and sanitize our homes. They are disbursed in the air we breathe and absorbed into our skin. These chemicals and poisons weaken our immune system, which slows our bodies’ ability to fight off germs. It takes longer for your body to fight off a cold.

Toxins are everywhere.

We have become a world of “chemical soup” so to speak and we are
inadvertently letting it happen. The reason why?

- It’s convenient to just grab it off the shelf without thinking.

- We are creatures of habit. We do what our parents have done before. “My mom uses whatever so I will too.”

- We accept and trust what is on the shelves of our local stores. We blindly think the products are safe.

- We are under the assumption that the government is protecting us against these dangerous products, when in fact - they are not.

- We don’t look for an alternative until either we are lucky enough to become informed prior to trouble or…maybe not so lucky, when it has already affected you or a family member through a worrisome disease process.

Come with me… I will show you how to change your thinking by
taking you through your home, one product at a time, showing you
potential hazards and providing you with better, safer, ounce for
ounce, superior economical alternatives.

In the past 20 years, the construction of “tight” energy-efficient buildings has led to a sharp reduction in the amount of fresh air in our homes, schools and workplaces. In these same two decades, our buildings have been filling up with fumes from paints, stains, furniture, household cleaning products, and other materials, and the results are startling.

According to research conducted by the EPA, the air inside the
average home is typically 2-5 times more polluted than the air just outside its walls. One five-year study found that the levels of certain chemicals in many homes were 70 times higher than they were outdoors.

Another study examining indoor air quality in six cities discovered that peak concentrations of 20 toxic chemicals were a remarkable 200-500 times higher inside than the highest concentrations recorded outside. When the Consumer Products Safety Commission studied air pollution, it found that outdoor air contained an average of less than 10 volatile organic compounds (or VOCs-a type of airborne pollutant) while indoor air contained approximately 150.1. I received these startling facts from www.seventhgeneration.com.

Did you know our homes contain more toxins and poisonous chemicals than a typical chemistry lab at the turn of the century? This is according to Dr. George Grant, Toxicologist/Analytical. Chemical labs have strict health and safety codes as dictated by law. The products you purchase in the store have no guidelines or restrictions on use or disposal.

The New York Poison control study that indicated the poor labeling makes it very difficult for them to prescribe treatment in accidentally poisonings. It is a fact, that up to 80% of all
products that come into the home are mislabeled on proper use,
disposal of, or worse - correct listing of active in inert
ingredients.

According to an article in National Geographic, we throw away 4
million tons of hazardous waste each year. Where does all this
hazardous waste go? It’s in our air, ground and water system.

Since WWII more than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced and less than 2% have been tested for toxicity, mutagenic and carcinogenic (cancer) effects or birth defects. When you do the math it’s only 1,440 chemicals that have been tested compared to over 72,000 produced. In fact, thousands of NEW chemicals make it into the consumer market each year that are inadequately tested for long term toxic effect on human health. That’s over 70,000 chemicals plus more pouring in every year, that we have no idea what their impact may be on our long term health. These are products we slather on our skin, clean our homes with and use daily without a second thought.

We take over 24,000 breathes a day. We all know about pollution in the air, but getting back to our earlier thought on toxic levels in the home, did you know that the air in your home can be actually up to 200% worse? In addition to the everyday products you unquestionably use, the risky use of antibacterial products
particularly sprays and fumigants. Even with proper ventilation,
they are dangerous.

Read the very small print on the back of the container. These antibacterial or pesticide chemical active ingredients, which are put in these bactericide sprays, were originally formulated for use ONLY outside where they can naturally dissipate through the sun, water and air process. When used inside the home, the pesticides in those products have been measured to have levels of 205 times their original application amount by toxicologists who assess toxic levels in home areas.

Children and babies crawling and playing on the floor are the most at risk for these poisons getting into their little bodies, because pound for pound, they absorb much more than an adult with their rapid breathing rate and high (growth) metabolic levels! These high level toxins get into their systems easily through the mouth, skin and lungs.

Some of us spend 90% of our time in our homes. And even if we
don’t, because of the outside responsibilities, the risk is still
there. The toxins in our environment and homes have accumulative
effects and add up to a lowered immune system response eventually, if not already. There are more colds, viruses, allergies and asthma problems to tend with. As time passes, the immune system response gets more compromised, and then serious long term illnesses show up.

I will show you how to clean your home and keep the air of you
personal environment at optimal healthy levels, without spending a ton of money on air purifiers and other expensive needs.

Email me and change your store now. It only takes a few minutes
to switch. I look forward to helping you clean your home environment.

Angie Hembree - Infinite Possibilities

SMALL steps to BIG accomplishments! - Take the plunge, it’s life at it’s best.

http://wahw.infinitepossibilitiesteam.com - alanni9799@comcast.net

home 847-581-9633 - toll free# 877-459-4027

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison

Kids Electric Guitars - The 3-4 Kids Guitar and Other Options
Choosing an electric guitar for your child.The description usually assigned to kids electric guitars is "Short scale or 3/4 sized".But this description, while fairly accurate, isn't quite the whole story. Some short scale electrics are longer than o...

Can You Harmonize The Melody?
The melody is a group of notes, played one after the other. The melody is the main tune, like "Here Comes The Bride". You'll know it because it's easy to remember. Plus, you hum it a lot! When you add harmony, the mood or tone of the song changes!Wha...

How to Play C Major on Piano
C major scale is one of the first thing every piano student should start with. This scale starts on the note C which can easily be located on the piano. You can see that on piano there are black and white keys and also that there can be 2 black keys ...

For Blues Guitarist - Blues Guitar Chords & Progression
Learning how to play and improvise great blues riffs and licks is not as easy as it might seem to a novice but the one good thing is that focused learning and practicing with a great blues backing track will help a lot in understanding blues chords a...

Learning Blues Guitar - Mastering the Sounds of the Greats
Many people the world over decide to pick up the guitar and start playing because they are inspired by their favorite blues artists. Learning blues guitar is a fun and rewarding experience and in reality is not much different than learning how to pl...

5 Foods That Detox The Body
The following list shows 5 foods that detox the body, flushing out toxins and improving a person's health and well being:Garlic - Garlic is a powerful detox product that not only cleans the body from the inside, but also strengthens the immune system...

Osteo Arthritis - Panchkarma Management
According to Ayurveda, a holistic way of living, Oestoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease affecting the cartilages of joints can be treated by Panchakarma. It stops future deterioration of the joints and helps to rejunevate the damaged joints ...

Do Bananas Cure Hangovers? Yes They Do!
Bananas are a popular remedy for treating hangovers, but do bananas cure hangovers? Is it fact or fiction? The answer is yes, bananas cure hangovers by helping your body recuperate from a hangover in numerous ways.When you consume high amounts of alc...

Our Livers Need for Water
Although many realize that the liver has its own cleansing system, it does need help - as it cannot maintain its healthy state if its being abused. Abuse occurs when too much of the wrong foods are entering the body.The livers main role is to neutral...

Yahoo: A Brief History of Yahoo! What You Need to Know
In January of 1994, two graduate students at Stanford University, Jerry Yang and David Filo created what we know today as Yahoo! Originally named Jerrys Guide to the World Wide Web, Yahoo was a directory that organized other web sites into a hierarch...

Originally, all foods were organic grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, hormones, irradiation to prevent spoilage, and microwave cooking.

Our food these days, whether of vegetable or animal origin, is not only deficient in
nutrients but also full of pollutants and farm chemicals. The modern denaturing of
foods through massive refining and chemical treatment deeply affects their
Energy qualities, making them devoid of the exact boost that we should be
getting from our food.

Not only are they not giving us that KICK that we need, but many Energy
foods could actually be making us sick. As pesticides get lodged and increase in our
tissues, the immune system becomes weakened, allowing other carcinogens and
pathogens to affect our health. Yuck!

Top five reasons to shop and eat organic foods

1. Fresh organic produce contains on average 50% more vitamins, minerals,
enzymes and other micronutrients than intensively farmed produce.

2. If you eat dairy or meat products, eating organic has never been more essential to
safeguard your health. Intensively reared dairy cows and farm animals are fed
dangerous antibiotics, growth hormones, anti-parasite drugs and many other
medicines on a daily basis, whether they have an illness or not. These drugs are
passed directly onto the consumers of their dairy or meat, which contribute to
meat-related diseases like coronaries and high blood pressure.

3. Organic produce simply tastes better. Fruit and vegetables are much more full of
flavor. Experiment with an organic carrot and a conventionally grown carrot. Which
is sweeter?

4. Organic food is not really more expensive than intensively farmed foods, as we
pay for conventional foods through our taxes. We spend billions of dollars every
year cleaning up the mess that agrochemicals make in our natural water supply.

5. The few extra cents you pay for organic food may save you hundreds, if not
thousands of dollars in doctors bills.

To your energy and success,

Heather Dominick, The Energy Expert is an energy and nutrition
specialist with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heathers
primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical
energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. To sign up to receive your
free chapter of the famed e-Book “Get EnergyRICH”, for her freebie how-to
articles and no-charge teleclasses on creating your most energized life, visit
http://www.individual-health.net

Why Go Organic? Part IV - Preserve Ecology!
Organic farming is as close to what Mother Nature intended as possible. Did you know that the soil is an ecosystem in and of itself? In organic farming, you feed the soil so it will in turn feed your plants. Farmers who have pledged to go organic do ...

Let’s Talk About Organic Food
Organic foods are foods produced, grown, or farmed in accordance with standards set by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s National Organic Standards Board. In general, organic foods must be produced without the use of sewer-sludge, human waste...

Certified Organic Food Products
Organic certification is a process of certification for organic food producers and the producers of other organic agricultural products. Any business that is directly involved in the food production process can seek certification, and this includes t...

Find Out Which Type Of Search Marketing Works For You
The Differences Between Pay-Per-Click And Organic Search Optimization RevealedYou probably already knew the benefits of being ranked highly on a search engine. While you may know that search engine marketing gets you ranked higher on search engines, ...

Eating Naturally
A diet rich in uncooked, wholesome food will be a major determining factor in your health and wellbeing as you age. Keep in mind, youth enhancing nutrients are destroyed during processing, storage and exposure to heat. It is also important to reduc...

Organic Search Engine Marketing, Make Your Mark On The Web World
There are two ways about doing things, be it in business, in personal life or in professional life and it is you who has to decide how you would like to do things. Now when it is in regards to your online site or any other business that you are runni...

You Don’t Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget
Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than conventional. In many cases, organic foods are priced higher. However, people arent weighing the costs of eating healthy against the costs of eating poorly. Americans spend millions of doll...

Organically Grown Foods And Your Health
Growing your own organic food is a good choice. Growing organic foods is better for both the environment and also healthier for our bodies. However, it is not an easy task. It is a standard known fact that the land we use to grow organic produce shou...

Daily Healthy Eating Plan That’s Right for You
It seems today that everyone is looking for the "secret" to lose weight and maintain a healthy long life. That is why the weight loss industry is a 33 billion dollar industry and climbing. Everyone wants a quick fix and they want it now. Even though ...

Organic Search Engine Marketing - Makes Your Site Visible
Whether it is in the personal life or professional life, if your work is unnoticed then all your efforts will go in vain. And if you are in the online business having your website than you have to fight tooth and nail to make your page appear on the ...

The Importance of Alkalinity

People who are depressed are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease than people who have never had depression, according to a study published in the April 8, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

According to Dr. Robert O. Young, a research scientist at The pH Miracle Living Center, states, Alzheimer’s disease as well as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and sclerosis are caused by lifestyle, diet and metabolic acids. Depression is an active acid condition that creates metabolic acids that can cause breakdowns of the brain and central nervous system.”

A healthy, alkaline diet is the foundation for pH Balance. You must begin by changing your eating habits. An alkaline diet is a diet that emphasizes, to a varying degree, fresh fruit, vegetables, roots and tubers, nuts, and legumes. The theory behind the alkaline diet is that our diet should reflect this pH level and be alkaline. A diet high in acid-producing foods disrupts this balance and promotes the loss of essential minerals such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, and sodium, as the body tries to restore equilibrium. This imbalance is thought to make people prone to illness. An alkaline body is when your body is in a healthy state therefore allowing your it to fight bacterial and infectious diseases as well as many other critical diseases. An acidic body has an abundance of acid thereby creating toxic accumulations that may result in an encumbered colon as a result, the individual is in an unhealthy state.

To maintain alkalinity in the body, it is necessary to consume foods that supply the necessary alkaline minerals. People with this eating life style take in less man-made toxins that are found in many processed foods, and their pH level is usually in an alkaline state. With all of those put together, your health and energy levels operate at their optimum.

Say good-bye to low energy, poor digestion, extra pounds, aches and pains, and disease.Say hello to renewed vigor, mental clarity, better over-all health, and a lean trim body. Your health depends on the pH balance of the blood.Which foods explode your energy levels and make you feel incredible as soon as you wake up.Muscle up your energy levels Restore your health by creating a balance in your diet that will give you the energy. Boost your alkalinity and lose weight fast .

For optimum health, your body needs a balanced quantity of alkaline substances and acids. An imbalance diet can result in health problems ranging from minor skin irritations, chronic fatigue, back pain, and depression. Most people consume an abundance of highly processed foods that acidify the body and, as a result, are afflicted with many of these ailments.

http://unlimitedhealth.blogspot.com

My Rheumatologist Ordered A Rheumatoid Factor- What Is That?
There are four main antibodies in the blood. They are IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE. An antibody is a protein made by white blood cells. The purpose of an antibody is to fight off infections and to destroy any other invaders that might do harm. For exampl...

The Art of the Grape
Selecting a perfect wine for an occasion can be complex. To truly understand a wine, you must know the elements of its growth and processing.As you can imagine, the quality of a wine is a direct result of the growing of the grape making up the wine. ...

Bamboo - Rising Star in an Ecologically Friendly World
In recent times, people have been hearing more and more about products made of bamboo like bamboo rugs, bamboo floor mats, bamboo furniture, bamboo room dividers, flooring, fences, bamboo wind chimes and much more. How has bamboo reached this popular...

Internet Ezine Publishing Using 3 Simple Steps
Ezines are a great marketing resource that you can have due to the leverage and money earning potential that it can provide. You can utilize ezines to stay in consistent contact with your current clients as well as structure lucrative ventures with o...

Profiting Better With SEM
Search Engine Marketing or SEM is not a new thing that is emerging nowadays. Search Engine Marketing is like just any other marketing tool that online business people are accustomed at using. It is in fact considered as one of the most useful and s...

Productive Ezine Publishing - 4 Keys To Make More Profit With Ezine Publishing
Getting published was very difficult for the writers only few years back. Although there always were many talented writers out there, but not all of them were able to make a good living out of their writing careers. It is because that people were not...

How to Calculate Your Calorie Needs
Before we get to the calculation, let me start by saying that I don't think it's necessary to be enslaved to counting calories, fat grams, points, or carbs every day for the rest of your life in order to lose weight. However, in the beginning of your...

Vitamin B12 Injections - Do You Need B12 Shots?
Vitamin B12 is a unique vitamin for many reasons. It was the most recent vitamin to be discovered, when scientists finally isolated its pure form in 1948. Until that time, doctors knew only that an "extrinsic factor" existed (a compound that had to b...

Image is CD Duplication
When it comes to CD duplication, image is everything. I am not saying that your CD has to look like Universal Records distributed it, but there should be some level of professionalism used when designing the graphics. Most artists plan to duplicate t...

Does Someone You Know Need Palmdale Alcohol Treatment?
Are you a Palmdale resident who knows of someone who you feel may have an alcohol dependency problem; a problem that may require Palmdale alcohol treatment? If so, you are definitely not alone, although you may sometimes feel like it, as it is often...

The acai (ah-SAH’-ee) berry grows in the Brazilian rainforest on tall slender palms found in the floodplains and swamps of Brazil and Peru. These palms range from 49 to 98 feet tall. Small dark purple berries hang from the branches near the top of the tree in clusters with ribbon like leaves.

In the Brazilian Amazon the Indian tribes use all parts of the acai tree. The timber is cut down, the palm hearts are eaten, fruit is turned into a juice drink and the mature palm fronds are used for thatch house roofs. The people of the tribes then urinate on the rest of the fallen tree which attracts a type of beetle, Rhynchophorus Beetle, who then lay their eggs inside the fallen tree. A few weeks later, the tribes people harvest 3 - 4 pounds of beetle grub larvae that are very rich in protein. Acai fruit juice is very popular throughout the local communities and tribes in the Amazon.

The acai fruit is also used in Brazilian herbal medicine. The oil of the fruit is used to treat diarrhea, the root is used for jaundice and to build blood cells, the grated fruit rind is used as a topical wash for skin ulcers, the fruit seeds are used for fevers, the root extract is used for malaria, diabetes, hepatitis, jaundice, hair loss, hemorrhages, liver and kidney diseases, menstrual pain and muscle pain.

The main use of the acai fruit is to make a thick dark purple juice for the locals know as “poor-mans juice”. The ripe berries are soaked, steeped and squeezed into a thick, dark purple liquid with a distinct taste. The juice is so popular that the local people have established “acailandias” where they prepare and sell juice in the towns and villages of the Amazon.

Rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids and protein, the acai’s history is known as the “Miracle Fruit” of the Amazon. This fruit has been used by the native people for centuries to enjoy and as a remedy for many ailments.

Scientists from around the world are just beginning to understand this little purple berry and the amazing benefits that the acai can give. Findings show that it is rich in athocyanins , antioxidant flavonoids that give the plants and fruits, like the red grape, their deep red color or deep purple color of the acai. The acai has 30 times the anthocyanins than that of the red grape. Anthocyanins prevent blood clots, improve circulation, relax blood vessels and prevent arteriosclerosis. Scientists have also uncovered antiviral and anti-allergenic properties in athocyanins.

Another key component in acai are essential fatty acids. These are very important for the human body to function. The most common forms of essential fatty acids are omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9. Acai has all of the beneficial fatty acids that are in olive oil. Essential fatty acids or EFA’s are broken down in the body to control inflammation, immunity and the central nervous system

A study was done at the University of Florida that showed cultured human cancer cells were destroyed by the acai berry extracts. This berry has not been proven to kill cancer in the human body, but shows that it would be very beneficial as a dietary supplement. The acai is already known as one of the richest food sources for antioxidants.

A scientific study was done with the acai berry and cultured human cancer cells at the University of Florida

For health tips and advice go to Health for Your Success blog.

Acai Berry Juice - The Best Antioxidant in the World
One the best book to read is "The Detox Strategy, Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps" by Brenda Watson, C.N.C. with Leonard Smith, M.D. A powerful educational health book on how to live a healthy and vibrant life, by reducing the toxins that our body abs...

Antioxidants - Add a Lean, Muscular Body to the List of Benefits!
Im sure by now youve heard all about the amazing health benefits of antioxidant rich foods in your diet. Not only do these free-radical fighting antioxidants help you look and feel younger by slowing down the aging process, but they also help to prev...

Certified Organic Food Products
Organic certification is a process of certification for organic food producers and the producers of other organic agricultural products. Any business that is directly involved in the food production process can seek certification, and this includes t...

The Acai’s Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty Acids and Their Health Benefits
Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids are essential fatty acids for the human body, but the body can not make them, so they must come from food. These Omega acids are essential to normal body function and lack of their nutrients in the body can lead to in...

Stop Arthritis Pain - Make Wiser Food Choices!
The pain associated with arthritis can definitely be very intense. Whats worse is that every time your arthritis flares up, your normal range of motion can be limited to a significant degree. As a result, you cannot do all the things you used to do...

A "Berry" A Day Keeps The Doctor Away
The wisdom "An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away" fit people's lifestyle just right two thousand years ago when the air was still clean and crisp, and pollution and industrialization had not entered the minds of people; the earth was rich and fertile...

Many Health Benefits of Green Tea
As you may know, the benefits of green tea are abundant and far-reaching. Green tea is used by many to lose weight, improve cardiovascular condition, or simply as a preventative health measure. Bottom line, studies show that those who drink green tea...

Antioxidants and Your Health
Get back to the basics - eat fresh at home and neutralize free radical oxidation, which is rusting away your body, by eating a variety of foods high in antioxidants every day.Why? Antioxidants, as the name implies, help prevent oxidation, may help in...

Eat the Right Foods for Health and Wellness
OUR BUSY lives and schedules create a rush, rush mentality to our days, and our health and wellness is placed second or even third on our priorities and our first inclination is to give up breakfast, and it is true what they have been saying for year...

Health Update: Have Your Chocolate and Eat It, Too!
According to the Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis & Haemostasis, a report released on August 10, 2005 elaborates how "Cocoa is the New Red Wine..."In Southampton, England, a research team headed by Dr. Denise O'Shaugnessy, presents...

Soy Products - Beware

My mother was (and still is) a fabulous cook and only served the best of meat and fresh fruit and vegetables as I was growing up. When I was 13, I went on school camp and was served each night for dinner greasy sausages and chops. From that camp onward until I was 27, I never ate another piece of meat. My reasons were part humanitarian and part health, but what I did not realize at such a young age was how the ramifications of not eating meat was to effect my health. It is only now in hindsight that I can see clearly. While I was a vegetarian, I had weight problems. I had to get glasses at the age of 19 and had menses from 19 to 21. Every year I would get colds during the winter season and generally my health was not as good as it could have been. At the age of 27 I had an unbelievable urge to eat meat and so changed from a vegetarian to a ravenous omnivore and have never looked back. My mother was very adamant that I needed to substitute my vegetarian diet with a protein and at the time there were very few alternatives on the market. I believe a canned meat substitute (something I tried just once) was the only thing I could find along with the many legumes such as lentils, soy bean and chickpeas, which my mother tried valiantly to include in the family meal. So for the most part, being a vegetarian became a matter of having the same as everybody else in the family less the meat component. These days it is easy to become a vegetarian; people are more knowledgeable and the soy industry has created many foods in order for vegetarians to get their daily protein compliment. For the vegetarian, there is soy flour, tempeh, tofu, soy milk, miso, soy cheese, soy burgers and the like. Now at first this seems like a good thing but for the last 2-3 years there has been a ground swell of negative publicity re soy and although for me I am still undecided about this situation I believe with the proliferation in research and discoveries it is worth looking at. I must express here that it seems soy, like every other food I talk about, has become a victim of the fact that science and technology tries to improve the food and get the most out of a food financially and then we seem to have problems. While I believe soy inherently is a good food when eaten in moderation and cooked correctly and without genetic modification, it is what we have done to the humble soy that has created the problems we are now seeing.

The History of Soy.

Soy was traditionally used by the Asian community, but not in generous amounts. It was often used by the less affluent in times of scarcity of food and then only eaten after painstaking processes (lengthy fermentation) to destroy the soy toxins. Probably the best survey of the consumption of soy amongst the Asian people identified that the soy products consumed were tofu (plain, fried, deep-fried, or dried), miso, fermented soybeans, soymilk, and boiled soybeans. The estimated amount of soy protein consumed from these sources was 8.00 g/day for men and 6.88 g/day for women (Nagata C et al; J Nutr 1998, 128:209-13). The Asian people generally only use small portions of soy to complement their meal. It should also be noted that soy is not the main source of dietary protein amongst Asians. On the other hand many vegetarians in Australia would think nothing of consuming 8 ounces (about 220 grams) of tofu and a couple of glasses of soy milk per day, two or three times a week. But this is well in excess of what Asians typically consume. Soy was once a minor crop which was not termed a food but rather an industrial product. It now has become a major food crop that in the last 20 years the proliferation of soy and soy by-products now dominates and is contained in a whopping 60% - 80% of foods on grocery shelves in the guise of soy flour, textured vegetable protein, partially hydrogenated soy bean oil, soy protein isolate and vegetable oil. These are found in such common foods as cake mixes, chips, crackers, cookies, margarine, infant formulas, meat substitutes, bread and many more. Soy now plays a major role in our diet.The chief concern is that we take the risk of mega dosing on soy isoflavones such as genistein and diadzen ( see notes below on phytoestrogens ) and once again overdosing on a food that could eventually cause more food sensitivities as we have seen with wheat and dairy.(Fukutake M, et al; Food Chem Toxicol 1996, 34:457-61). I do not mean to scare people but rather make them aware that this food that was not in the diet 20 years ago is now creeping slowly into many processed foods. With this knowledge it is possible to make educated choices about the food consumed rather then being bullied into a food by it being a substitute to other foods once used.

The Dark Side of the Soy Bean.

Soy contains potent enzyme inhibitors that block the action of trypsin and other enzymes needed for protein digestion. They can produce serious gastric distress, reduced protein digestion and chronic deficiencies in amino acid uptake. In test animals diets high in trypsin inhibitors cause enlargement and pathological conditions of the pancreas including cancer. Soy beans also contain haemagglutinin, a clot promoting substance that causes red blood cells to clump together. Together trypsin and hamagglutinin cause growth retardation. Soy beans are also high in phytic acid, present in the bran or hulls of all grains. It’s a substance that can block the uptake of essential minerals such as calcium,magnesium, copper, iron, and especially zinc. The phytates in soy beans are highly resistant to normal phytate reducing techniques such as long, slow cooking. Zinc malabsorption is a major concern as this is needed for brain and nerve function.

Phytoestrogens - Hormone and Thyroid disrupters.

The one ingredient within the soy bean, which is of particular concern is the endocrine-disrupting isoflavones; genistein and diadzen, also known collectively as phytoestrogens. In 1991 a team of Japanese scientists found that 30gms of soy beans (two tablespoons) per day for one month resulted in a significant increase in thyroid stimulating hormone. Goitre and hypothyroidism appeared in some of the subjects and many complained of constipation, fatigue and lethargy. Some studies have gone as far as to say that soy may increase the chances of oestrogen-dependent breast cancer.

Soy Based Infant Formulas.

The most serious problem with soy may be its use in infant formulas. “The amount of phytoestrogens that are in a days worth of soy infant formula equals 5 birth control pills”, say Mary G Enig, Ph.D., president of the Maryland Nutritionists Association. She and other nutrition experts believe that infant exposure to high amounts of phytoestrogensis is associated with early puberty in girls and retarded physical maturation in boys. A study reported in the British medical journal Lancet found that the “daily exposure of infants to isoflavones in soy infant formulas is 6-11 fold higher on a bodyweight basis than the dose that has hormonal effects in adults consuming soy foods.” (A dose, equivalent to two glasses of soy milk per day, that was enough to change menstrual patterns in women). In the blood of infants tested, concentrations of isoflavones were 13,000- 22,000 times higher than natural oestrogen concentrations in early life. Genetic Modification Soy was also the first crop to be genetically modified, therefore a large amount of the soy products used in Australian foods have this factor to consider as well.There is not only a health issue to consider with genetically modified foods but a moral and ethical dilemma. Green peace puts out a booklet which lists the manufacturers in Australia who do not use genetically modified soy products or other genetically modified foods. It is well worth getting.

Beware Soy Protein Isolate.

While soy produces try their best to get rid of the antinutrients I have mentioned above, they also destroy many of the good nutrients. Miso, tofu,tempeh and other fermented soy products are by far the most superior of soy foods. On the other hand, Soy Protein Isolate (SPI) is not something you can make in your own kitchen but is found as the key ingredient in many soy foods that imitate meat and dairy products, including baby formulas and some brands of soy milk.Production of SPI is prepared in an industrial factory where a slurry of soybeans is first mixed with an alkaline solution to remove fibre, then precipitated and separated using an acid wash and finally neutralised in an alkaline solution. Acid washing in aluminium tanks leaches high levels of aluminium into the final product. The resultant curds are spray-dried at high temperatures to produce a high protein powder. Finally, high temperatures, high pressure extrusion processing of the SPI produces the textured vegetable protein TVP. Nitrites which are potent carcinogens, are formed during spray drying and a toxin called lysinoalanine is formed during alkaline processing. Numerous artificial flavourings particularly MSG, are added to SPI and TVP products to mask their natural taste. In some experiments the use of SPI increased requirements for vitamins E, K, D and B12 and created deficiencies in calcium, magnesium,manganese, molybdenum, copper, iron and zinc.

Is it Safe or only Edible?

We naively believe that the foods on our shelves are safe. I strongly urge any one eating soy products or drinking soy milk to find out what they can about it. That just about means everybody who buys food in a supermarket. The soy industry is very powerful and there is much misinformation out there. Always make sure you check who funded any research you refer to, as well as the affiliations of any author writing about soy. Needless to say I have no affiliations. A task to do after reading this article is to go into your pantry and read the ingredients on your food packages and see just how much has soy or soy by- products within them. It may startle you if you have not been aware of it before. While I believe a small amount of soy occasionally can be good for our health I believe that we need to be very wary of how much we are eating, especially in light of current research and knowledge.

Cyndi O’Meara is a nutritionist, speaker and best selling author. Her books Changing Habits Changing Lives and companion cook book, audio series and weight loss programmes have changed lives. She does not agree with low fat, low joule diets, she thinks that coffee, butter and sugar should be part of a healthy diet. For more information on her books go to http://www.changinghabits.com.au for Cyndi’s free 21 day weight loss e course program go to http://www.changinghabitsinnercircle.com and read more at http://www.cyndiomeara.com

Bean Bag Chairs For The Children
There are many little problems that appear in the every-day life of a parent that other people might not experience. For instance, buying new furniture with a futuristic design can only be a welcomed longed-for achievement, but a parent does concern ...

Cure Your Joint Pain
As we get older, our joints become more susceptible to illness and certain precautions need to be in place to counter the dangers known as osteoarthritis. Before you can even consider diagnosing your aching joints, you need to understand what is the ...

Soytastic - The Health Benefits of Soy
It is often taken as a given fact that soy is beneficial to our health, and that it is certainly a healthier alternative to dairy products and meat. However, it is rare that anyone actually either asks or informs us of what soy is or why we should co...

Healthy Food Choices
It is not true that you have to go on a dieting in order to have a successful weight loss experience. In fact, by reducing the amount of food intake everyday drastically, it is harmful for your body. What you need to do actually is to carefully consi...

Heroin Addiction
Heroin is a highly addictive, illegal drug. It among the most abused and fastest acting of the opiates (opiates, also called narcotics, are a family of drugs which are used in the medical profession to relieve pain, but are also highly abused due to ...

Osteo Arthritis - Panchkarma Management
According to Ayurveda, a holistic way of living, Oestoarthritis, a chronic degenerative disease affecting the cartilages of joints can be treated by Panchakarma. It stops future deterioration of the joints and helps to rejunevate the damaged joints ...

Debt Consolidation Loan - Beneficial or Dangerous - Is Debt Consolidation Right for You?
Debt consolidation loans do not always add up to savings. It is important to know what you are getting into with a debt consolidation loan to decide if this debt management option is right for you. It can be beneficial to consolidate your debt into o...

Next Generation of Glucosamine Formulas Have Gone Liquid and Deliver Results Fast
Arthritis, particularly osteoarthritis, is a debilitating joint disease that has no specific cure though several treatments have been recommended to manage these conditions. In most cases, those suffering the joint pain associated with this afflictio...

Can Coffee Help Your Health?
How does coffee help your health?All right. We all know that coffee is that mystical beverage that almost everyone grew up smelling in the kitchen as a child and in the coffee isle at the grocery store while walking through with mom. But healthy?It...

The Influence of Heavy Metals on Addiction
Many studies have been done in regard to the heavy metal connection and substance abuse. According to research at the individual level, done through Dartmouth University, the uptake of heavy metals is associated with higher levels of learning disabil...

I think this is an impossible ask, but if we can at least make a difference to our kids diet and allow them to consume a little less preservatives then maybe just maybe we as parents may be a little more sane and not have to deal with as many behavioural outbursts. Well, that’s just a thought and in some case a dream as well.

Sticking to a preservative free diet does require quite a bit of work and commitment, of which sometimes I tend to lack, but when I do stick to it, I believe it does make a difference.

There have been times with my daughters, particularly my 2 year old where they have really gone a little mad and it has been directly after consuming the wrong type of food. If may be a little treat or even a supposed ‘healthy snack’ but if it has a certain preservative in it, then it doesn’t matter if it’s a lolly, chocolate, dried fruit or a muesli bar. For my children if it has the preservative 220 in it, then my kids can have a really bad reaction and end up incredibly hyperactive.

Many of these preservatives used to flare up my eldest daughters asthma a few years ago and so I learnt to stay clear of them, but now it seems that almost every food we consume is laden with preservatives that are no good for us and preservatives that can affect our behaviour and that of our children in a very detrimental way.

The preservatives, that I believe should be avoided as much as possible are E200-203; E210-219: E220-227; E230-232. All of these preservatives have a tendency to bring on headaches and can result in stomach or intestinal upsets. They can also increase hyperactivity in kids and can make asthma worse.

I am not infallible and I do sometimes get slack but I certainly do notice a difference when I stick to this diet. My 2 year old throws a lot less tantrums and my 6 year old doesn’t seem to be as tired or get as many headaches. I notice with myself as well, that my stomach doesn’t tend to react or become bloated if I stay away from these preservatives as much as possible.

If I can give my daughters healthy snacks, like homemade icypoles instead of the bought ones, made with fresh fruit and ice then at least I know what I am putting into their little systems. Perhaps too sorbets or home made cakes are worth sticking too instead of all the processed bought stuff that nowadays seem to adorn our shelves. As I said before at least we know what goes into the food that we make, as opposed to what someone else makes in a shop or supermarket operating purely for profit.

By the way, I am not suggesting that we all throw out our store bought stuff and resort to making all our own food, as these days I realise how busy we all are and how un-realistic that is. Life is so busy that sometimes it can be hard just making healthy sandwiches, but even if we elect to no longer purchase one or two items that are laden with these preservatives, we will still be doing our kids an enormous favour.

I say let’s think of our kids and make our life easier by hopefully having to deal with less upset stomachs, less headaches and less behavioural problems. And remember next time you go shopping, look for these preservatives on the food labels and see if you can find a better alternative. Good luck and happy shopping.

From Melinda Walker. For more information on alternative treatments and improving your way of life please visit http://www.counselling4life.com

Kids Electric Guitars - The 3-4 Kids Guitar and Other Options
Choosing an electric guitar for your child.The description usually assigned to kids electric guitars is "Short scale or 3/4 sized".But this description, while fairly accurate, isn't quite the whole story. Some short scale electrics are longer than o...

Teaching Kids to Think via Better TV Programming
We see some spark in this current generation of kids. We certainly do and we see some creative geniuses in the group and lots of brilliance too. Many programs in school such as NASA, Legos and Robotic Contests are getting those little minds thinking ...

Creative Kid Bedroom Decorating Ideas
Before decorating a bedroom for kids it is necessary to first understand what do kids love the most. If you have seen a kid playing in his room you will notice that kids love to mimic real life situations.For example they will play about a fake schoo...

Addicted Kids
CNN reports that twenty-five percent of college kids are addicted to either alcohol or drugs. What are we doing to our kids? And its not them the drug dealers or seedy, single-parent friends that are the cause. Just look in the mirror. We have crea...

Bean Bag Chairs For The Children
There are many little problems that appear in the every-day life of a parent that other people might not experience. For instance, buying new furniture with a futuristic design can only be a welcomed longed-for achievement, but a parent does concern ...

Kids Wall Murals - How To Create A Whole New Magical World
Kids' wall murals can take any child on a magical trip into a whole new world. A world where they can turn their fantasies into hours of playful memories.Regardless of what your child enjoys, a wall mural can be created for it. No matter if it is a c...

Kid’s Bedroom Themes - Where Do You Start?
When its time to update your child's room, were do you start? You're not exactly spoilt for choice these days! We know that a new kid's bedroom theme can be daunting. And were do you find the time in your busy life as a mom?Making a themed room for y...

Disney Character Bedding - A New Concept in Children’s Character Bedding
Featuring Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and other famous Disney characters, Disney character bedding is a fairly new concept in children's character bedding. The best part about these beddings is that majority of them come with plenty of nursery acce...

Easy Acoustic Guitar Tabs
The good thing about being a beginner is the internet is loaded with easy acoustic guitar tabs. Just search around and you will find them You can even find some songs that are arranged for "easy guitar". These are good because you will be able to pla...

Ideas For Interesting Boy’s Rooms
In your quest to make the perfect boy's room you will do much research. There are so many things to consider and you want things to turn out perfectly. Your project begins with the perfect idea. If you are still lacking that perfect idea you should r...