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Spring Clean Your Body!

It’s Time for SPRING CLEANING with our

21 Day Herbal Cleansing Program

 

Cheryl Wisdom, MS, RN

 

*”Throw open the windows, air out that mattress, shake out those rugs, it’s Spring Cleaning Time!!  We all enjoy the first fine days of spring.  You feel rejuvenated after a long winter.  But don’t just Spring Clean your house.  Spring Clean yourself!  Why?  I’m going to let our Medical Advisory Board answer that.  We just got a flyer from Herbalife about this:

“Unhealthy nutritional habits and environmental factors may reduce your elimination process and toxic accumulation can occur.  Because the colon is the digestive system’s key organ of elimination, when it is impaired it can affect proper colonic functioning.”

 

According to Balch and Balch (Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 3rd ed., 2000) “retained debris in the colon leads to the absorption of toxins, resulting in systemic intoxication (poisoning).  Symptoms of this condition can include mental confusion, depression, irritability, fatigue, gastrointestinal irregularities, and even allergic reactions such as hives, sneezing, and coughing.  Many nutritionists and researchers believe that this toxicity can eventually lead to more serious disorders.  Colon cleansing can rid the colon of debris, and help prevent and treat a variety of health problems.”

 

Herbalife’s 21 Day Herbal Cleansing Program is a two-product system designed to detoxify and maintain colon health.  The PM Cleansing Formula supports the body’s ability to remove health-robbing toxins from every cell in your body.  In addition, it promotes the body’s regular, natural self-cleansing action.  One of the first questions I usually get is, “Will it give me diarrhea?”  No.  Right before bed, you take one to four tablets, depending on how your system normally works.  By morning you experience a nice, cleansing bowel movement.  When taking the appropriate number of tablets, you will not have loose stool, just good results from your cleanse.  Continue to take the appropriate number of tablets for your system either until 21 days are up or you run out of tablets.

 

Every morning you take two tablets of the AM Replenishing Formula.  This product is a special combination of wholesome ingredients such as “friendly bacteria” and health enhancing “probiotic factors” along with an exclusive blend of fiber and fructooligosaccharides that help soothe, rebuild and revitalize the colon environment.

 

Fruit-toe-what?  Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are considered “pre-biotics.”  Prevention Magazine (May 1999) did an article on FOS which tells us they are a type of carbohydrate that reaches your colon undigested to “feed health-promoting bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.”  Don’t worry about the names, just know that if you have lots of “good bacteria” they can fight off and prevent the build up of any bad bacteria such as salmonella.

 

Prebiotics are known for their ability to relieve constipation, prevent diarrhea, and reduce some food sensitivities such as lactose intolerance.  Research is currently underway investigating the effects of prebiotics on strengthening the immune system, inhibiting the effects of food borne illness, preventing colon cancer and reducing cholesterol.  Good stuff!

     

While cleansing, it’s always a good idea to boost your antioxidant support with Herbalife’s Schizandra Plus, RoseOx and Mega Garlic Plus products to augment the cleansing process.  Use our 21 Day Herbal Cleansing Program two to three times a year and always after you’ve used a prescription antibiotic.”

 

CLEANSING / AUTOINTOXICATION

 

We clean our face everyday, but people seldom think about whether or not they need to clean their intestines.  Our intestinal tract is like plumbing system in a house, with the small intestines comparable to sewage pipes and the colon comparable to the septic tank.  When fat and debris are poured down the drain every day, the pipes will become clogged.  Septic tanks need to be pumped out occasionally.  Otherwise, too much waste will accumulate and back up into the house.  The same thing will happen to your intestines.  When you pour greasy food, excessive dairy products, meats and other foods with toxic substances down your intestinal tract every day, food residues build up.  Food residues, combines with mucous secreted by mucous membranes in the colon, form layers of gluey feces, which will build up in pockets and may pile up along the entire length of the colon and part of the small intestines, year after year.  Constipation becomes a norm.  People have been known to carry 40-50 pounds of old, dried up fecal matter in their intestines.  Old feces do not pass from the body with ordinary bowel movements.  They need special treatment to dissolve the glue which binds them to the intestinal wall.  If you let these decayed food residues accumulate in your intestines, you will suffer from AUTOINTOXICATION (self – poisoning), which is a disorder resulting from absorption of the waste products of metabolism, decomposed matter from the intestine, or the products of dead and infected tissue as in gangrene.  The toxins can be carried by the blood stream to all parts of the body and end up in every cell, leading to various forms of illness.

 

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may be experiencing autointoxication, and therefore you might want to consider some type of internal cleansing program:

-          allergy or intolerance to certain foods

-          bad breath and foul-smelling gas and stools

-          constipation, diarrhea, sluggish elimination, irregular bowel movements

-          frequent congestion, colds, viruses

-          flatulence or gas and frequent intestinal disorders

-          general aches and pains that migrate from one place to another

-          intolerance to fatty foods

-          low energy; loss of vitality for no apparent reason

-          lower back pain

-          lowered resistance to infections

-          needing to sleep a long time

-          pain in your liver or gall bladder

-          premenstrual syndrome, breast soreness, vaginal infections

-          skin problems, rashes, boils, pimples, etc

 

If you have severe symptoms or any serous disorders, seek the attention of a competent health care provider.  The above list only meant to indicate some of the symptoms of autointoxication.  Anyone who has been on a Standard American Diet for more than two years would benefit from periodic cleansing, especially if you live in an urban area.

 



* Wisdom, C., M.S., R.N., Success Forum, Vol. 4, No. 2, April 1999. 

[Note:  These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information or product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.]

The poison of Aspartame - malicious pharmaco-genocide

ASPARTAME NEURO GENOTOXIN PHARMACO-GENOCIDE CRISIS March 30, 2008

ASPARTAME IS NEUROTOXIC GENOTOXIC MOLECULAR FOOD & VACCINE PHARMACO-GENOCIDE

Dr Bill Deagle MD FCFP DABFP AAEM A4M ACOEM CIME

Aspartame was approved by the FDA for food and medicine in the 1980s after the intervention of Donald Rumsfeld, recently Secretary of Defense to Geo Bush Jr. Terms 1 and 2. The poison of Aspartame dipeptide is a deadly neurotoxin and genotoxin. This paper will analyze results of extensive animal studies, human case reviews, cellular pathology and a logical analysis of biochemical and cellular toxicology. It is not a matter of incompetence but of malicious pharmaco-genocide that this toxin is present in from 6,000 and over 90 countries. It is even registered with MSG, Ethyl Salicylate Mercury Thiomerosal, and other adjuvant immunologic and neurotoxic substances that are now approved by FDA for vaccine antigenic amplification as an adjuvants.

Aspartame is manufactured in North America in Aiken, South Carolina with a genetic engineered GMO bacterial factory. The sludge of bacterial proteins is centrifuged to separate out differing molecular weights, and the dipeptide is spun out for transfer to tankers to transport for packing and marketing at other facilities. During my work at the Humana - Augusta Regional Trauma Center in Family Practice and as a near full time at the Emergency Department, we had the emergency occupational contract with this facility. Our director of the Emergency and the ARTC director told us not to talk to media at any time about reactions to the airborne particulates in the facility, neurological emergencies such as seizures, neuropathy, disabilities or any other illness including other acute or chronic serious and unusual medical conditions. During this time, I observed a disproportionate high rate of polyneuropathy, organic brain dysfunction, ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, MS multiple sclerosis, seizures, aggressive brain tumors of multicentric gliomas and astrocytomas, to name of few, and high incidence of diabetes, obesity, and optic neuropathy and autoimmune disorders. It was evident from the warnings, that any physician whistleblower would be dismissed and defrocked via the hospital administration.

Dr Olney personally advised me in 1978 of his preliminary Aspartame research that identified chromatin clumping of the DNA similar to the DNA changes of gliomas of the most aggressive type of multicentric astrocytomas. Dr Roberts found diabetic control induction and endocrine disorders of Hashimoto?s throiditis, cancer and neurological disorders such as transverse myelitis, ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis etc. Dr Blaylock has written extensively on the Glutamate toxicity of Aspartame and Hydroperoxyl Radical damage to glial cells, brain cell damage and neuron death, and biochemical toxicology of methanol and the genotoxic effects of the Aspartame metabolites. Reduced Glutathione depletion is serious with oral or injected Aspartame and co-toxicity with Mercury, MSG, GMO organic acids, and other polytoxins in air, food and water and ubiquitous Xenoestrogenic Antifolate toxins such as Halides of Chlorine, Chloramines, Bromides and Bromamines and Fluorides and Fluoramines. Cancers of brain, and many organs and significant lymphomas and leukemic induction is proven with animal studies induced by Aspartame. Cellular replication is reduced and micronuclei result similar to radiation exposure. Aspartame is a ELF electromagnetic wave sensitizer, and induces phasic brain and peripheral nerve entrainment to fire neurons to external pulsed magnetic field effects. WiFi networks, AC power fields, and other electromagnetic fields from cell phones, computers, appliances effects on cells are amplified by Aspartame Glutamate neural network amplification and lowering of threshold to activation potential.

Searle Pharmaceuticals identified for the C.I.A. Dr Delgado MD at Yale and his mind influencing technologies as a ?mind tenderizer? for entraining brains of animals for externally pulse training electromagnetic field IS Induced Stimulus for paradigms of control of brain function. ELF pollution 1,000,000 fold more than in 1998 in Western Nations is a major cotoxin with Aspartame and other lesser NMDA receptor toxins in food and medicines.

Aspartame directly affects the NMDA N-Methyl D-Aspartate subtype Glutamate receptors, injuring neurons and directly and indirectly interfer with AChE Acetylcholinesterase receptors, functionally interfering with the ability to learn new tasks and causing a functional frontal lobotomy of those suffering toxicity. Cytochrome P450 Phase I enzyme induction depletes the brain of Glutathione Peroxidase Phase II enzymatic ability to clear hydroperoxynitate free radical. This is cotoxic with MSG, DU and organic acids in new GMO foods that induce NMDA receptor Glutamate pathways.

Loss of executive inhibitory influences may explain more violent or spontaneous out of control behavior, autism of all forms, and onset and progression of many neurological disorders from cortical to midbrain motor interneuron Parkinson?s to ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and peripheral motor and sensory neuropathic disorders. Increased mental illness, behavioral and learning disorders, autism, dementia and violent behaviors can be now explained by population neurotoxicity. Autism rates have gone up 2800% in three decades, organic dementia in the over 60 age group 1000% in 20 years, and Aspartame is a major player in this toxic soup that has pushed the canary in the mineshaft, the neuron to sing its swan song.

Aspartame is directly toxic to Beta Islet cells and induces diabetes as does MSG to a lesser extent in animal models. This would explain MODY Mature Onset Diabetes of the Young and the exploding diabetes and obesity with Glutamate toxins that destroy insulin production and amplify tissue insulin resistance. It is a major factor destroying appestat control of appetite control with blood sugar, and endorphin related hypothalamic pituitary axis. I conclude that along with DU NotSo Depleted Uranium, MSG and other toxins that have similar or lesser toxicities of these types, are contributors to the diabetes and obesity global pandemic.

Testing of Aspartame enzymatic induction which can cause accumulative effects can be evaluated with Genova Labs organic acids, amino acids, and Gene panels for Phase I and II pathway polymorphisms. Those people with GSMT1 pathway deletions or abnormal polymorphisms, will be more toxically damaged by Aspartame and other NMDA toxins. Mitochondrial damage results from enzymatic induction and peroxynitrate radicals, results in tissue targeted long-standing mitochondrial pathology. Mitochondriopathy is a final pathway for much of the chronic effects of Aspartame. Also, iNOS, Induce Nitric Oxide Synthase enzymatic induction and production of Hydroperoxyl Free Radical is the step resulting in mitochondrial gene damage, and loss of cellular energetic metabolism. This explains the vaccine suit evidence in the Poling Federal Vaccine Damage Suit, where mitochondrial defects from adjuvants resulted in neurological deficits and autism. Aspartame is the worst of NMDA toxins in our food and vaccines, but MSG and many others are cotoxins.

Protocols for evaluation may include quantitive EEG or QEEG demonstrates coherent frequency anomalies, voltage pattern from frontal to occipital and temporal cortex, and P300 index abnormalities, that can monitor dynamic higher cortical function and neural net plasticity and learning capacities for holographic learning paradigms. SPECT scans indentify blood flow abnormalities consistent with microvascular defects consistent with loss of glial cell energetic metabolic support of neurotransmitters, myelinated neuron action potentials and proper neural network cortical to cortical learning and motor, sensory and abstract concept processing functions. fMRI Functional MRI can demonstrate abnormal myelination and neural pathway functioning with changes in neural traffic and dysmyelination patterns that can be verified on T2 Weighted MRI. PET Positron Emission Tomography is most sensitive at identification of abnormal AChE Acetylcholinesterase metabolism and Positron-Fluoro-Glucose metabolism deficits in neural tissues. Frontal lobe hypofunction, loss of temporal and transcortical metabolic patterns should correlate with full tracking neuropsychological testing and QEEG voltage patterns and coherence pattern analysis of intercortical frequencies. Enzymatic induction of Phase I CYP450 and Reduced Glutathione levels with high levels of Peroxynitrate should show in urine and blood analysis. Platelet bioamines in blood, urine or saliva for NE norepinephrine, Dopamine and Serotonin, Melatonin, Acetylcholine, GABA should reflect NMDA induction and depletion of presynaptic inhibitory neurotransmitters.

Core Asparatame acute or chronic exposure testing should include QEEG available from PhD psychologists certified on QEEG testing in America, Canada and overseas; Genova Labs or similar functional medicine lab - organic acids and amino acids and oxymarkers with Gene polymorphisms for Phase I and II Detox pathways; PET Scan for brain hypometabolism AND / OR SPECT Scan for abnormal microcirculation; fMRI scans for neural pathway traffic abnormalities and neuropsychological evaluation of higher cortical functions to identify deficits correlated with above imaging and neurological studies.

Essential testing should be QEEG and organic acids and Gene Phase I & II Detox polymorphisms. The cotoxic effects of MSG, GMO Frankenfoods with organic acids that induce NMDA receptors, and 7,700 ppm water drug, heavy metals, chemical toxins in our water.

Aspartame cell toxic effects are the tip of the spear against human biology, made worse by Agribusiness, Big Pharma, Big GMO, and world trade with reintroduced previously banned pesticides forced on nations acception the WTO Codex Alimentarius Food Rules. Aspartame has already received a nod across the board approval by WTO UN FAO bureaucrats, to the danger of the world?s peoples. When you review the extensive analysis by Dr HJ Roberts MD, Dr Russell Blaylock MD and Dr Olney MD and the Ramazzini Foundation cancer research, there is no excuse for continued toxic contamination of food of vaccines. Aspartame must be banned from all foods, medicines, and vaccines. It is the first step for mankind, of many to steps needed to restore healthy functional support for future generations of the peoples of Earth.

UPLOAD THE 53 PAGE ARTICLE WITH REFERENCE, ABSTRACTS AND KEY HIGHLIGHTED ANAYLSIS OF ABSTRACTS -- READ AND ACT NOW !

Menopause and Managing the Symptoms Naturally

By Alisha Forbes

Menopause, also known as 'the change of life', occurs in women from their late forties onwards. Age that it starts varies due to genetic and lifestyle factors. It is a period of time in a mature woman's life marked by the stopping of her menses (period) due to decreasing levels of reproductive hormones, particularly oestrogen. This means the woman has finished with her child-bearing years but that is ALL that is finished! Some women embrace their menopausal years as their fun, fantastic "me" years! Oestrogen has many roles to play in a woman's body and lowering levels have an effect on certain functions. Symptoms can arise during this phase and can last anywhere from 1-10 years. I thought I would outline a few of these changes and include alternative tips for managing them.

Oestrogen has a 'bone protective' effect and so with lower levels in older age, bone disease such as osteoporosis is of greater risk. To ensure bones don't lose their density, taking a good daily calcium supplement and exercising daily (including resistance exercise such as weights, pilates and swimming) will reduce the risk of bone problems.

Emotional changes are unfortunately part of menopause just like any major hormonal swing (think of pregnancy and PMS!) and talking about how you feel with your peers, friends and family, your doctor, counsellor or natural therapist is very important. Also relaxing and reducing stress wherever possible can ease the moodiness and anger you may be feeling. See list below for some stress reducing ideas.

The lubrication we experience during arousal is also thanks to hormones and sex can become dry and painful if that lubrication has diminished. Using natural lubrication gels (best are made from kiwi fruit extracts such as the brand 'SYLK' or an organic coconut oil) will enable the sex life to get right back on track. Hey, it might even get better as contraception doesn't need to be an issue anymore!

Certain foods and herbs can also have 'oestrogen-like' activity in the body and can therefore reduce symptoms of menopause. Eating more soya based foods such as tofu, tempeh, and soya milk, and eating flaxseed meal or oil, will help with symptoms like hot flushes. Herbs such as Black Cohosh and Red Clover can be taken in tincture, tea or tablet form and can display an 'oestrogen-like' action also. There are many supplements available from healthfood stores and pharmacies to help with menopause symptoms that may contain these herbs.
And of course menopause would not be complete without hot flushes! Below is a list of ways to reduce these occurring by staying away from certain triggers.
Hot flushes can be triggered by a variety of stimulants such as:

  • Spicy food (cayenne, chilli, ginger, pepper)
  • Acidic foods (pickles, citrus, tomatoes, capsicum)
    Hot drinks
  • Caffeine (coffee, black tea, cola's)
  • Alcoholic drinks including wine, beer and spirits
  • White sugar
  • Hydrogenated or saturated fats (meat, margarine, butter) try and use olive and flax oils instead, and eat more organic chicken and fish. Stick to very lean red meat occasionally.
  • Stress! So make sure you have a relaxing outlet as stress is part of life, for eg. yoga, tai chi, walking, swimming, art and craft, meditation, gardening, visits with friends, baths and spas, massage, reading, watching a movie. Every day, do something for yourself that makes you feel relaxed.
  • Hot weather – can be unavoidable so make sure your clothing feels light and loose and is a fabric that can breathe
  • Hot tubs and saunas
  • Tobacco and marijuana
  • Intense exercise, especially sex! (In these cases I think the flushes are worth it!)
  • Anger, especially if you can't express it, so if you feel like there is suppressed anger in you – beat up a pillow or yell in your house or car – get it out!

    Whatever you experience during menopause, don't let it be an excuse to sit life out. Embrace it and run with it and show the world what a powerful and beautiful woman you are!

    Alisha Forbes is a clinical Naturopath and freelance health article writer with diplomas in Herbal Medicine and Nutrition. Alisha is a frequent contributor to Healthy Comparisons

    This article was provided by Kristy Lee

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    Proven Home Remedies

    Head-to-Toe Healthy

    Home remedies are a staple of natural medicine. They are cheap and fast, often work just as well as a drugstore fix, and may be as near as your spice cabinet, refrigerator, or laundry room. To update your arsenal, we asked seven experts to share their latest discoveries, from headache panaceas to simple solutions for stiff backs, indigestion, charley horses, and more. Here are their surprising, patient-tested contributions.

    Dry, Tired Eyes

    Infuse a bag of chamomile tea in 4 to 6 ounces hot water, cool in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, then apply as a compress on eyes for 10 minutes, until it comes to room temp. Chamomile has a mild anti-inflammatory effect.

    The Expert: Paul S. Anderson, ND, associate professor of naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University

    Bad Breath

    Drink up to ¼ cup pure aloe vera gel dissolved in about half a cup of water or apple juice. Aloe vera contains an anti-inflammatory compound called B-sitosterol that soothes acid indigestion, a common cause of bad breath. But go easy; in large doses, aloe vera can work like a laxative.

    The Expert: New York-based herbalist Letha Hadady, DAc, author of Healthy Beauty

    Nasal Congestion

    Irrigate the nose with contact lens saline solution, using a Neti Pot. Or try: putting a few drops of eucalyptus oil on the floor of a hot, running shower and inhaling the steam that accumulates. (Note: The room may be too hot for children.)

    The Expert: Benjamin Kligler, MD, MPH, research director at the Continuum Center for Health and Healing in New York City

    Less-than-White Teeth

    Combine ½ teaspoon baking soda with 1 or 2 drops of peroxide. Brush on, let sit for a few minutes, then rinse (don't swallow) and ta-da—enjoy your once-again pearly whites. Baking soda serves as a safe, light bleach. A baking soda and salt mixture canalso restore the shine of dingy teeth (dip a wet toothbrush into 1 4 teaspoon soda and sprinkle with up to 1 8 teaspoon salt) as effectively as it polishes your pots and pans. However, the peroxide recipe is safer for people on no-salt diets.

    The Expert: Letha Hadady, DAc

    Mild Heartburn

    Combine 1 teaspoon powdered glutamine, an amino acid, to fuel gastrointestinal tract cells and cool inflammation; 1 capsule to introduce good bacteria to the gut; and 1 teaspoon herbal marshmallow or slippery elm powder to coat and soothe the digestive system. (The ingredients are available at health food stores.) Mix with 6 to 8 ounces yogurt or applesauce (to get everything down) and take one or two times a day for 8 to 10 weeks.

    The Expert: Paul S. Anderson, ND

    Mosquito Bites

    Rub liquid laundry detergent on the spot and let dry. The liquid soothes the skin, dries the bite to reduce irritation, and seals the area from outside irritants.

    The Expert: Paul Lyons, MD, associate professor of family and community medicine at Temple University School of Medicine

    Restless Legs Syndrome

    Drink a 6-ounce glass of tonic water each night before bed until symptoms go away. Tonic water contains quinine, which stops repeated muscle contractions.

    The Expert: Paul Lyons, MD

    Charley Horse

    Use your thumb to apply pressure to the middle of the calf for 30 seconds. "When you release, the cramp should have subsided."

    The Expert: Ben E. Benjamin, PhD, author of Listen to Your Pain

    Read more http://health.msn.com/health-topics/pain-management/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100193323&page=1

    What Your Bowel Movements Are Telling You About Your Health

    By Sally Wadyka for MSN Health & Fitness

     

    It may not be a topic typically talked about at the dinner table or a cocktail party, but most people are actually somewhat obsessed with it. And with good reason: The state of your gastro-intestinal tract (as well as the quality and quantity of its output) is a great barometer of the health of your body. “The GI tract is a processing unit that metabolizes all of the nutrients you take in and eliminates all of the body’s waste,” explains Dr. Amy Foxx-Orenstein, president of the American College of Gastroenterology. “What comes through it is reflective of how well or how ill the body is.”

    Hard and dry
    The amount of time it takes for the food you eat to make its way through the gastro-intestinal system and exit into the toilet will have an impact on the consistency of your stool. “Intestinal transit averages 40 to 45 hours from when you eat to when it comes out,” says Foxx-Orenstein. If it stays in the GI tract for longer than that, fluid is re-absorbed into the body and the stool becomes harder and dryer. Certain medications—like blood pressure drugs, antidepressants and histamines—can slow down the GI tract. Constipation, which has a myriad of causes, will lead to harder, drier stools (since you’re going less often, your stool will stall in the system and the fluid re-absorbed). For some people, a diet high in dairy can be a cause of constipation, so if you are experiencing problems going (and have dry, hard-to-pass stool when you do finally go), it is worth reducing your dairy intake for a week or two to see if that helps. And being dehydrated can also lead to this problem because if the body is lacking in water, it will draw it—and conserve it—from wherever it can find it.

    Little lumps
    “An ideal stool looks like a torpedo—it should be large, soft, fluffy and easy to pass,” says Foxx-Orenstein. But when conditions are less than ideal, the stool may become more like little deer pellets. Again, transit time may be part of the issue because slow-moving stool will lose fluid, making them less fluffy and lumpier. A lack of fiber in the diet may also to be to blame. Beware if you’re following a weight-loss plan (such as Atkins) that focuses on increasing protein and decreasing carbohydrates, since that can leave you with a diet that’s low in fiber. And since fiber holds on to fluid, a lack of it will lead to harder, pellet-like poops that may be more difficult to pass.

    Too liquid
    Your body secretes about eight liters of fluid during the course of a day—from the stomach, salivary glands and pancreas—to help your food get broken down and make its way through the digestive system. Under normal, healthy conditions, the majority of that fluid is absorbed along the way, resulting in those sought-after soft, fluffy stools. But if food passes through too quickly, there isn’t enough time for all of that liquid to absorb, and the stool emerges in a too-soft state. The reasons for such super-quick transit could include a sudden increase in fiber in the diet, or a bacterial or viral infection. “When there is an infection, the body produces toxins which cause water to be released,” says Dr. Michael Farber, director of the Executive Health Program at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Things move through very quickly through your system because the body wants to get rid of them.”

    Pencil thin
    Thin may be the preferable state for many things—figures, cell phones, television screens—but when it comes to bowel movements, thin is definitely not a good thing. Specifically, thin stools could be an indicator of colon cancer, or its precursor, polyps in the colon. “Whenever you have mass in the colon that creates blockage, anything that needs to be pushed past that mass will become thinner,” Farber says. “If you are seeing thin stools on a consistent basis, that it something you should have looked at by your doctor.”

    Looking pale or gray
    Normal stool can come in a range of colors (influenced by what you eat and what medications you take, among other factors). But if your stool has an unhealthy hue, particularly if it’s pale or grayish in tone, you could have problems somewhere along your digestive tract. The liver excretes bile to help break down fats in the food you eat, and that bile also adds color to the stool. But if there’s a blockage in the liver—or in the tubes through which the bile travels—the stool might take on a too-pale appearance. Also, if you are suffering from a pancreatic disorder, the stool might look gray because it will be lacking the color imbued by the digestive enzymes produced in that organ.

    read more

    *resource http://health.msn.com/health-topics/digestive-health/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100182622&page=1

    Alternative Cold Prevention

    The common cold has proved to be an undefeated champion of infectious disease. So why not try alternative ways to knock it out?

    By Rich Maloof for MSN Health & Fitness

    Reality Check
    For alternative medicines, proof is hard to come by.

    Many people tend to sniff at supplements and herbal alternatives to cold prevention. Though herbs have been used medicinally for centuries, a knee-jerk charge against them is that their effectiveness is unproven, and consequently they lack drug-class approvals by the Food and Drug Administration.

    The major obstacle is difficult to surmount: You can’t patent a plant. Dr. Bruce Barrett, a researcher and associate professor of family medicine at University of Wisconsin, explains that manufacturers don’t pay to research natural remedies because they can’t protect the investment. “If one company sinks $10 million into research, the rest of the world can just jump on the bandwagon. There are a few exceptions, but in general you can’t patent most herbal medicines very well. Nobody is going to fund a 10,000-person, three-year trial on Echinacea or ginseng, and that’s what we’d really need to provide convincing evidence.”

    So the burden of proof usually remains just that—a burden. It’s ironic, since botanicals are the foundation of modern medicine. Barrett notes that between one-quarter and one-third of pharmaceuticals are derived from plants.

    Reality Check

    If you believe something works, it just might.

    “The placebo effect” is a well-known, if not well-understood, phenomenon. Scientists have suggested that when subjects are given a simple sugar pill believing it is helpful medicine, the part of their brain that controls the immune system goes to work.

    A fundamental guideline for research credibility is the use of “double-blind” studies, which is when neither the researchers nor the subjects know who is receiving drugs and who is receiving placebos. There’s an inverse relationship between placebo effect and a drug’s perceived effectiveness: As the percentage of subjects who respond to the placebo increases, the perceived value of the drug withers.

    So even when the drug is imagined, the results can be very real. “Over and over we find that when people believe in stuff, it works!” laughs Barrett. “I think it’s very reasonable for people who believe in alternatives to use them, provided they are safe and taken in safe doses. Just because there are no trials doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be used.”

    Reality Check

    The assertion behind many alternatives is that they will bolster the immune system.

    Such assertions are difficult to verify, though, because even when we see evidence that a medicine is helping to activate the immune system, we don’t know exactly how it’s done. “For instance, it’s been known for 50 years that vitamin C links with collagen, and that’s why it’s effective in preventing scurvy,” says Barrett. “We know a bit about what it does do, but how that links to prevention against an infectious disease is not well known. I think that’s why there are so many things out there that supposedly affect the immune system. It’s hard to prove or dispute them when we don’t know what we should be measuring.”

    The list of natural substances that may help strengthen human defense against the common cold is long. It includes andrographis, astragalus, garlic, ginger, ginseng, goldenseal, lemon, peppermint and several Chinese herbs—any or all of which may be helpful, but none has been adequately tested. A 1999 article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reviewed the health-promoting properties of common herbs and concluded, “The discriminate and proper use of some herbal products is safe and may provide some therapeutic benefits, but the indiscriminate or excessive use of herbs can be unsafe and even dangerous.”

    Reality Check

    The effectiveness of vitamin C and Echinacea, two of the most popular defenses against colds, is undetermined.

    The Cochrane Collaboration is a large, multinational group of experts who systematically review published research and make careful health-care recommendations. While acknowledging that vitamin C may reduce the risk of colds in people exposed to extreme physical stress or cold weather, the group’s latest review of evidence found that vitamin C had “no effect on common cold incidence in the ordinary population.” It’s worth noting, though, that the last time Cochrane reviewed research it had a positive recommendation for vitamin C’s preventive properties. The facts never changed—just the group’s read on the data. Cochrane continues to encourage further study.

    Echinacea is Barrett’s expertise, and he’s currently conducting a major trial he hopes will show the effectiveness of this herbal medicine. He cites the humble stats for Echinacea, based on admittedly thin evidence to date. “It looks like the benefit [for cold prevention] would be small even if it’s true: Around 15 percent reduction in incidences of colds in someone who takes it. If the average person gets four colds a year, you’d have to take Echinacea for two years straight, on average, before you’d prevent one cold!”

    This doesn’t mean vitamin C or Echinacea is useless against colds—it means the research to date has not been statistically significant enough to be conclusive. Evidence for both treatments continues to swing in and out of favor.

    Reality Check
    A healthy body tends to stay healthy.

    You probably don’t need a doctor to tell you that good health and fitness habits make for a stronger body in every way. Some people are genetically predisposed to have robust immune systems, but most anyone can fortify himself or herself with a better cold defense. Good hygiene, especially proper hand washing, is fundamental to limiting virus transmission. Nutrition clearly plays a role as well: In areas where people are malnourished, cold infections are more frequent and more severe. Regular exercise promotes fewer and less intense bouts with colds. However, evidence shows that people who run marathons are very likely to get a cold soon afterward, which suggests that overexertion can increase susceptibility.

    “Alternative Cold Prevention” has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr. Bruce Barrett, associate professor of family medicine at the University of Wisconsin.

    * resource http://health.msn.com/health-topics/cold-and-flu/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100153480

    Tap Water vs. Bottled

    Glug, glug, glug--that’s the sound a ginormous number of us make as we sip bottled water in our cars, at the gym, behind our desks.

    The sound you DON’T hear is the thwack of 60 million bottles a day being tossed into U.S. landfills, where they can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade.

    If that’s not enough to turn your conscience a brighter shade of green, add this: Producing those bottles burns through 1.5 million barrels of crude oil annually--enough fuel to keep 100,000 cars running for a year. Recycling helps but reusing is even better. Invest in a couple of portable, dishwasher-safe, stainless steel bottles like Klean Kanteens that won’t leach nasty chemicals into your water. (Don’t get into the habit of refilling the water bottle you just emptied; the polyethylene terephthalate it’s made of breaks down with multiple usings.)
     
    4 REASONS TO TURN ON THE TAP

    1. Tap water is tested daily
    Under the Safe Drinking Water Act, water suppliers are required to provide an annual report on the quality of your local water and to test tap water daily. By comparison, the FDA examines bottled water only weekly, and consumers can’t get the agency’s results. You can easily get the lowdown on your state’s drinking water quality at  http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/index.html

    2. Tap water is a bargain 
    Bottled water costs about 500 times more than tap. If you’re into really fancy labels, up to 1,000 times more.

    3. Tap water is a tooth saver
    It has more fluoride than bottled water, which helps prevent tooth decay. (Yes, you never outgrow your need for fluoride.)

    4. Tap water is often tasty
    Some places (New York City for one) have delicious water, but if you don’t love the flavor of yours, the solution is simple: Run your tap water through a Brita or Pur filter to remove most tastes and odors. The average home filter goes for $8.99 and produces the equivalent of 300 large (16.9 ounce) bottles of water. That’s about $0.03 cents a bottle, versus the $1.25 or so you’d pay in a market. 

    One last thing: Don't just think about making this switch; actually do it. Today. It does the world and you good. Plus, allowing nagging, unfinished tasks (known as NUTs) to go undone can make your RealAge 8 years older!

    resource- http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/22317/tap-vs-bottled-what-should-you-drink   Posted Mon, Jan 07, 2008, 1:10 pm PST

    Toxic Mercury in your mouth

    Due to the compelling evidence implicating mercury amalgam fillings in many disease processes and health disturbances, Dr. Evans, Dr. Nordin-Evans and Dr. Carney have practiced mercury-free dentistry for over 20 years. They believe strongly that the currently available, non-mercury alternatives, can be used for ALL restorative procedures and if a patient truly wants to achieve health and wellbeing, they need to consider removal of their mercury containing dental fillings. It is of great importance to note however, that the patient must be protected (mercury amalgam removal protocol) during the removal process to avoid greater contamination by exposure to the mercury debris.

    Detoxifying from heavy metals should be a significant component of any holistic approach to the treatment of chronic illness. It should also be a significant component of any preventive health regimen or "anti-aging" program. PLEASE remember that the only thing worse than having a mouth full of mercury amalgam fillings is having them removed improperly. If you are unable to have Dr. Evans, Dr. Nordin-Evans or Dr. Carney safely replace your fillings, insist that the dentist who does it follows the mercury amalgam removal protocol found on this website, or refer to the protocol listed on the IAOMT website.

    For even more information on mercury toxicity please refer to the recommended reading list, or visit the many listed links on this website.

    http://grotondentalwellness.com/mercurytoxicity.htm

    Common signs, symptoms, and diseases of mercury toxicity include:

    Disturbances of the Central Nervous System

    • Irritability
    • Anxiety/nervousness, often with difficulty in breathing
    • Restlessness
    • Exaggerated response to stimulation
    • Fearfulness
    • Emotional instability
    • Lack of self-control
    • Fits of anger, with violent, irrational behavior
    • Loss of self-confidence
    • Indecision
    • Shyness or timidity, being easily embarrassed
    • Loss of memory
    • Inability to concentrate
    • Lethargy/drowsiness
    • Insomnia
    • Mental depression, despondency
    • Withdrawal
    • Suicidal tendencies
    • Manic-depression
    • Numbness and tingling of hands, feet, fingers, toes, or lips
    • Muscle weakness progressing to paralysis
    • Ataxia
    • Tremors/trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids, or tongue
    • Incoordination
    • Myasthenia gravis (Graves disease)
    • Multiple sclerosis

    Head, Neck, Oral Cavity Disorders

    • Bleeding gums
    • Alveolar bone loss
    • Loosening of teeth
    • Excessive salivation
    • Foul breath
    • Metallic taste
    • Burning sensation, with tingling of lips, face
    • Tissue pigmentation (amalgam tattoo of gums)
    • Leukoplakia
    • Stomatitis
    • Ulceration of gingival, palate, tongue
    • Dizziness/acute, chronic vertigo
    • Ringing in the ears
    • Hearing difficulties
    • Speech and visual impairment
    • Glaucoma
    • Restricted, dim vision

    Gastrointestinal Effects

    • Food sensitivities
    • Abdominal cramps
    • Colitis/diverticulitis
    • Chronic diarrhea/constipation

    Cardiovascular Effects

    • Abnormal heart rhythm
    • Abnormal blood pressure, either high or low

    Immunologic

    • Repeated infections
    • Viral and fungal infections
    • Candida or other yeast infections
    • Mycobacterial infections
    • Cancer

    Autoimmune disorders

    • Arthritis
    • Lupus erythematosus (LE)
    • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
    • Scleroderma
    • Amyolateral sclerosis (ALS)
    • Hypothyroidism

    Systemic Effects

    • Chronic headaches
    • Allergies
    • Severe dermatitis
    • Unexplained reactivity
    • Thyroid disturbance
    • Subnormal body temperature
    • Cold, clammy skin, especially hands and feet
    • Excessive perspiration, with frequent night sweats
    • Unexplained sensory symptoms, including pain
    • Unexplained numbness, or burning sensations
    • Unexplained anemia
    • Chronic kidney disease
    • Nephritic syndrome
    • Patient receiving renal dialysis
    • Kidney infection
    • Adrenal disease
    • General fatigue
    • Loss of appetite/with or without weight loss
    • Loss of weight
    • Hypoglycemia

    In Children/Infants

    • Autism
    • Slow in speech development
    • Hands and feet red, swollen, and cold
    • Intelligence disturbances
    • Slight, persistent fever
    • Pyramidal symptoms
    • Mental retardation
    • Disturbed body growth
    • Primitive reflexes
    • Anorexia
    • Irritability
    • Limb deformity
    • Fretfulness
    • Weakness
    • Acrodynia
    • Cerebral palsy

    *Awareness of this issue has been provided by:

    Jennifer M. Bourassa - JAMAC Associates, Inc
    Noah's Ark Workshop http://www.safbyjen nifer.com - Stuff-A-Friend w/ "bear" hands!
    Divine Designs by Leslie http:// www.ddblbyjennifer. com - Business needs
    A Personalized Party http://www.appbyjen nifer.com - Party needs
    Usborne Books at Home - http://www.usborneb yjennifer. com Commercial free kid's books
    http://store. auctiva.com/ wahm76 on eBay buy cookbook& the $$ is donated!

     

    Signs of a Stroke

    STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.. S.T.R.


    My friend sent this to me and encouraged me to post it and spread the word I agree. If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously.. Please read:


     
    STROKE IDENTIFICATION:
     
    During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) and just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food - while she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening. Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm , Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.
     
    It only takes a minute to read this...
     
    A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.
     
    RECOGNIZING A STROKE
     
    Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR . Read and Learn!
     
    Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke
     
    Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:
     
    S * Ask the individual to SMILE.
     
    T * Ask the person to TALK to SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE(Coherently) (I.e. It is sunny out today)
     
    R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.
     
    NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out their
    tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other  
    that is also an indication of a stroke.

    If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 911 immediately !! and describe the  
    symptoms to the dispatcher.
     
    A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

    Are the health benefits of pomegranate really so miraculous?

    **content derived from www.newstarget.com

     

    With all the good news about pomegranate juice, many people wonder exactly how much juice they should drink. I find this to be a curious question, borrowed from the pharmaceutical mindset of the population where everything has to have a dosage and side effects disclaimer.

    My opinion? Drink as much as you want. This isn't some drug. You can't overdose on pomegranate juice. Just drink at least one serving (8 oz.) a day if you want any serious health benefits.

    Pom juice is an excellent addition to any smoothie, by the way, and I've published a collection of healthy smoothie recipes in my book, Superfood Smoothies.

    Are the health benefits of pomegranate really so miraculous?


    Yes they are. If the drug companies had come up with this, they'd call it a miracle drug and try to get it prescribed to everyone. But it's from nature, not a drug company, so it can't be patented, marketed and sold at ridiculous profits. That's why this genuine natural medicine is only a couple of bucks per serving (or dose).

    In my view, it's one of the best investments in your health. For less than the price of a cup of coffee at Starbucks, you can have an anti-cancer, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-heart disease, anti-diabetes drink that's delicious and healthful. That beats a can of sugar water soda any day!

    Remember: The best medicine comes from nature. Plants are like tiny pharmaceutical factories, and they synthesize natural medicines automatically, using soil, sunshine, air and water. It's amazing, but true. These medicines are what the human body was intended to eat, not the processed factory food advertised on television and stocked in grocery store shelves. Food made by man will probably kill you. But food made by nature will heal you, and pomegranate juice is made entirely by nature. Get it fresh if you can, or mininally processed as a second choice.

    Scientists today have only begun to explore the healing benefits of pomegranate juice. In the years ahead, even more medicinal benefits will almost certainly be found. I predict that pomegranate juice will one day be prescribed as preventive medicine to halt cancers and protect cardiovascular health. One thing for sure is that drinking pomegranate juice has no negative side effects. You'll be healthier and happier by consuming this miraculous fruit on a daily basis.

     

    Below are the final ratings for the products reviewed in the article(to read the entire article, please see the link below all the ratings). These ratings are my own personal opinion based on nutritional knowledge and a well-informed interpretation of beverage labeling (both Nutrition Facts and front label claims).

    These are presented in order, with the best products at the top (highest rated first):

    R.W. Knudson Just Pomegranate

    Picture on front label: Honest
    Name on front label: Honest
    Claims on front label: n/a
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate juice
    Fresh or from concentrate? Fresh
    Price: $7.99 for 32 oz.
    Price per ounce: 25 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 5 stars (out of 5) - Kudos for glass container

    POM Wonderful Pomegranate

    Picture on front label: n/a
    Name on front label: Honest
    Claims on front label: 100% Pomegranate Juice
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate juice
    Fresh or from concentrate? Fresh
    Price: $4.59 for 16 oz.
    Price per ounce: 29 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5) - Would be 5 stars if the bottle was glass

    Trader Joe's Pomegranate Blueberry Juice

    Picture on front label: Honest
    Name on front label: Honest
    Claims on front label: 100% Juice From Concentrate
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate and blueberry juice
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $(unknown) for 16 oz.
    Health Ranger rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5) - Kudos for the glass container

    Odwalla PomaGrand Pomegranate Juice

    Picture on front label: Honest
    Name on front label: Honest
    Claims on front label: n/a
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate juice from concentrate
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $? (unknown) for 64 oz.
    Health Ranger rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

    Purely Juice 100% Pomegranate Blueberry

    Picture on front label: Honest
    Name on front label: Honest
    Claims on front label: 100% pom + blueberry juice
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate and blueberry juices from concentrate
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $4.59 for 16 oz.
    Price per ounce: 29 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

    Langers All Pomegranate Blueberry

    Picture on front label: Honest
    Name on front label: Honest
    Claims on front label: 100% Juice
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate and blueberry juices from concentrate
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $(unknown) for 50 oz.
    Health Ranger rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

    Naked Pomegranate Acai

    Picture on front label: Mostly honest (but does not show apple)
    Name on front label: Mostly honest
    Claims on front label: 100% Juice
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Yes
    What is it mostly? Pomegranate + acai juice blend
    Fresh or from concentrate? Mostly from concentrate
    Price: $2.75 for 15.2 oz.
    Price per ounce: 18 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

    V8 Fusion Vegetable & Fruit Pomegranate Blueberry

    Picture on front label: Honest
    Name on front label: Mostly Honest
    Claims on front label: AHA logo, Full Serving of vegetables and fruits claim
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? Partially (it's a complex product made of both fruits and vegetables)
    What is it mostly? Vegetable blend made of juices from carrots and sweet potatoes, plus apple and grape juices
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $(unknown) for 46 oz.
    Health Ranger rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5) - would be 4 stars if not for so much apple and grape juice

    Tropicana Pure

    Picture on front label: Deceptive
    Name on front label: Deceptive
    Claims on front label: 100% Juice
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? No
    What is it mostly? Water + juice blend (pom, pear, apple grape, blueberry)
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $? (unknown) for 32 oz.
    Health Ranger rating: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

    R.W. Kundson Organic Blueberry Pomegranate

    Picture on front label: Deceptive
    Name on front label: Deceptive
    Claims on front label: 100% Juice - No Sugar Added
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? No
    What is it mostly? Apple juice
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $4.55 for 32 oz.
    Price per ounce: 14 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

    "O" Organics Organic Blueberry

    Picture on front label: Deceptive
    Name on front label: Deceptive
    Claims on front label: 100% Juice
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? No
    What is it mostly? Water, organic apple juice
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $3.99 for 64 oz.
    Price per ounce: 6 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

    FruitSimple Pomegranate Blueberry

    Picture on front label: Deceptive
    Name on front label: Deceptive
    Claims on front label: 100% Pure, No Sugar Added
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? No
    What is it mostly? Apple juice
    Fresh or from concentrate? Concentrate
    Price: $3.99 for 40 oz.
    Price per ounce: 10 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

    Langers Pomegranate

    Picture on front label: Deceptive
    Name on front label: Deceptive
    Claims on front label: 100% Vitamin C
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? No
    What is it mostly? Water and high-fructose corn syrup
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $3.99 for 50 oz.
    Price per ounce: 8 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 1 star (out of 5)

    TrueBlue Blueberry Pomegranate

    Picture on front label: Deceptive
    Name on front label: Deceptive
    Claims on front label: NO High Fructose Corn Syrup
    Does front label mention primary ingredients by name? No
    What is it mostly? Water, grape juice and sugar
    Fresh or from concentrate? From concentrate
    Price: $4.49 for 64 oz.
    Price per ounce: 7 cents
    Health Ranger rating: 1 star (out of 5)

     

    The Amazing Banana

    A professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on: 

    Never, put your banana in the refrigerator!!! 

    This is interesting.
     
    After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. 


    Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy 

    Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. 

    But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit.
    It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet. 

    Depression:
     According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better afte r eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier. 

    PMS:
     Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood. 

    Anemia:
     High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. 

    Blood Pressure:
     This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. 

    Brain Power:
     200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert. 

    Constipation:
     High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. 

    Hangovers:
     One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system. 

    Heartburn:
     Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief. 

    Morning Sickness:
     Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness. 

    Mosquito bites:
     Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation. 

    Nerves:
     Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. 

    Overweight
     and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady. 

    Ulcers:
     The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach. 

    Temperature control:
     Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature. 

    Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): 
    Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan. 

    Smoking &Tobacco Use:
     Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal. 

    Stress:
     Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack. 

    Strokes
     According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%! 

    Warts:
     Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape! 

    So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!' 


    PASS IT ON TO YOUR FRIENDS
     
    PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time! I will add one here; want a quick shine on our shoes?? Take the INSIDE of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe...polish with dry cloth. Amazing fruit 
    !!! 

    9 Conditions You Couldn’t—and Shouldn’t—Do A Thing About

    Sometimes it's best to let the body heal itself

    By Rich Maloof for MSN Health & Fitness

    “First, do no harm.”

    That’s the numero uno credo of physicians around the world, and a reminder that medical intervention can sometimes do more harm than good. The human body has a remarkable ability to function as its own pharmacy and even its own emergency room. Sometimes, wise doctors know, we need to step aside and let the body conduct its own repairs.

    Several of the conditions listed here can be difficult to endure, and perhaps the future of medicine will save us the pain and speed the healing. Until then, let time heal all of these wounds.

    Broken Rib

    For years, physicians would wrap a patient’s chest tightly in bandages to immobilize a rib fracture—until it was understood that the practice led to increased instances of pneumonia. Bandaging a torso inhibits deep breathing, which can lead to respiratory infection. Your upper body’s muscles and skeleton adequately form a de facto cast of their own. Unfortunately, all you can do for a broken rib is try not to laugh or cough too much; the force of either is very painful and can even re-fracture a healing break.

    Food Poisoning

    So you thought the deli’s tuna salad was supposed to be brown, and now you can’t be more than eight feet from a toilet. A wave of vomiting and three or four hours of diarrhea is not the best way to spend an afternoon, but it’s the best way to clear your body of the bacteria you’ve ingested. “The more you try to stop it, the more trouble you’re going to get into,” warns Dr. Thom Horowitz, chairman of family medicine at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. “Your body is trying to clean itself out. Our rule is, ‘The first couple of hours of diarrhea are your friend.’” When you’re finally ready to eat again, find a new deli. And a new friend.

    Conjunctival Bleed

    This condition sounds and looks far worse than it is. When tiny blood vessels burst in the eye, blood gets trapped beneath the eye’s clear surface (the conjunctiva), leaving red splotches in the white part (the sclera). Your doctor may want to check your blood pressure and discuss blood-thinning medications, but a conjunctival bleed can occur with no apparent cause—and there’s no treatment necessary. The blood will disappear, absorbed into your eye, within two weeks.

    Hematospermia

    They say one of the few times a man pays full attention is when he’s talking about himself. Another is when blood is coming out of his penis. Traces of blood in the semen, known as hematospermia, seems nightmarish but is typically the harmless result of blood vessels breaking in the testicle or along the urethra. The condition often follows sexual exploits that are a bit too, er, vigorous. “It happens when someone’s into indoor sports,” Horowitz adds dryly. “Men almost always panic when they see that but it’s not associated with any bad diseases. Unless it keeps bleeding, get a good night’s sleep. And be a little more gentle next time.”

    Coughing

    A cough that results from an upper respiratory infection is one of the body’s protective mechanisms; expelling air prevents secretions from getting into the lungs. Though very annoying to the patient (and to others in their vicinity), coughing can and should last the six or so weeks it takes to completely clear the infection. Says Horowitz, “As long as a person is not having fevers or bringing up large amounts of colorful phlegm—or getting exhausted because they can’t get any rest—it is actually counterproductive to stop a cough.”

    Sheared-off Nail

    Having a fingernail or toenail torn off can be torturous, there’s no question about it. But once the nail comes sliding off its bed, there’s little to do other than cover the area and wait for it to start growing back from the cuticle. If there’s blood under a nail and the patient is desperate to save it, a doctor can sometimes drill a small hole to drain the blood.

    Fractured Skull

    When you break an arm or a leg, the fractured bone needs to be immobilized (with a splint, cast and/or sling) so that it can heal in its proper position. When the dome of bone around your brain is cracked, though, only rarely will movement cause the fissure to open or worsen. Short of a second blow to the head, the fracture most likely will stay aligned and heal on its own. “There can be a problem if the fracture is out of place, putting pressure on a nerve, or if there’s bleeding underneath it,” Horowitz says. “The issue is not whether the skull is broken but whether it’s out of alignment.”

    Ruptured Eardrum

    The eardrum is a thin membrane that can be breached by loud noise, air pressure (e.g., on an airplane or while scuba diving), infection, or by having a friend stick a pencil in there. A perforation of the membrane is like a tear in fabric, but the hole will usually close on its own as the delicate tissue grows back. One of the worst things you can do for a ruptured eardrum is to use ear drops, because the ear needs to remain dry and free of infection to repair itself. When a rupture worsens or won’t heal, a doctor may patch it in a simple office or outpatient procedure.

    Missing Recommended Sleep

    “People get very concerned if they’re not getting eight hours of sleep because they see the commercials on TV and the propaganda,” asserts Horowitz. “Getting people into a coma for a full eight or nine hours has turned into a multimillion-dollar business.” It’s an oppositional view in the age of Ambien and Lunesta, but people vary tremendously in the amount of sleep they require. When assessing your own requirements, separate the concepts of sleep and of rest. Are you functioning properly in the daytime? Are you alert and clear-headed, or were you fired for napping in a board meeting? As long as you regularly feel rested and healthy, there’s not a pressing need to spend a third of your life in your pajamas.

    What Your Body Says About Your Health

    Rich Maloof is a regular contributor to MSN Health & Fitness. He specializes in health as well as technology and music education. Rich has also written for CNN, Yahoo!, Women’s Health, Billboard and the “For Dummies” book series.

    *resource- http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100188830>1=10914