I don’t know about eating a Yam-a-Day, but it is certainly has more vitamins like Beta-Carotene (Vitamin A), B vitamins, and Potassium then the other One-A-Day advertised product.

One-a-day

A sweet potato provides a natural source for vitamins and is certainly better absorbed by the body. Now I am not talking about the candied yam like the one anticipated at Thanksgiving dinner.  I mean a plain boiled, baked or steamed Sweet Potato.  The Sweet potato is sweet enough on its own. And if you keep the skin on, it is also high in fiber.  The sweet potato is a starch and a carb but a vegetable carb. There are good carbs and bad carbs.  Wheat both white and brown bread, rice, white or brown are considered bad carbs and Vegetable carbs are considered good carbs.

I mean a simple boiled or steamed Yam.

Blood Sugar Benefits

The Sweet Potato is not only considered a good carb it is actually good for blood sugar regulation. Many people think about starchy root vegetables as a food group that could not possibly be helpful for controlling their blood sugar. That’s because many people realize that food starches can be converted by our digestive tract into simple sugars. If foods are especially concentrated in starch, there can often be a risk of too much simple sugar release in our digestive tract and too much pressure upon our bloodstream to uptake more sugar. (The result in this situation would be an overly quick elevation of our blood sugar level.) What’s fascinating about sweet potatoes is their ability to actually improve blood sugar regulation—even in persons with type 2 diabetes.

Also note it is important to consume 3-5 grams of saturated or poly-saturated fat along with your sweet potato to reduce the carb and increase the full beta-carotene benefit. Include a fat like Olive-oil, coconut oil or other good fat.

White Potato is good but not as good as the Sweet Potato

The white potato is a good carb also but a little light when it comes to vitamins.  Whether mashed, baked or roasted, people often consider potatoes as comfort food. It is an important food staple and the number one vegetable crop in the world. Potatoes are available year-round as they are harvested somewhere every month of the year.

The potato belongs to the Solanaceae or nightshade family whose other members include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatillos. Potatoes are called tubers for they form a part of the root system under the soil.

When you compare the benefits of the sweet potato vs. the white potato the sweet potato wins hands down.

Picture credit http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/food-face

Higher Fiber twice as much fiber as other types of potatoes.

Nutrition  Daily Value % 1 Cup

White Potato                         Sweet Potato

Fiber               15%                                   29%

Manganese    19%                                   28% Great antioxidant plus

Potassium     26%                                   15% helps lower blood pressure

Vitamin A      —                                   438%   Beta Carotene

Vitamin B6   27%                                   61% helps keep walls of blood vessels flexible for healthy blood flow.

Vitamin C      28%                                 37% Rich in Vitamin E also

Some Sweet potato History

Sweet potatoes are native to Central America and are one of the oldest vegetables known to man. They have been consumed since prehistoric times as evidenced by sweet potato relics dating back 10,000 years that have been discovered in Peruvian caves.

Christopher Columbus brought sweet potatoes to Europe after his first voyage to the New World in 1492. By the 16th century, they were brought to the Philippines by Spanish explorers and to Africa, India, Indonesia and southern Asia by the Portuguese.

The Sweet Potato was introduced and grown in the Southern United States during the Civil War. George Washington Carver and the Tuskegee Institute, introduced the peanut plus other cash crops like the sweet potato to be cultivated in the south to replace the soil destroying cotton.  It not only provided revenue, but a nutritional loaded food for the farmer to support their selves.  The sweet potato is popular in the south to this day. The Americans gave the name “yam” to the orange-fleshed American grown sweet potato to distinguish it from other sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are a featured food in many Asian and Latin American cultures. Today, the main commercial producers of sweet potatoes include China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, India and Uganda.

The Sweet Potato has over a thousand species

The edible tuberous root is long and tapered, with a smooth skin whose color ranges between beige, brown, orange, purple, red and yellow. Its flesh ranges from beige through orange, pink, purple, red, violet, white, and yellow. Sweet potato varieties with white or pale yellow flesh are less sweet and moist than those with red, pink or orange flesh. Also note; the fresher the potato is the softer the skin.  A potato fresh from the farmer’s field is soft, a potato that has been sitting in a bin for some time is hard and tough to eat.

The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a dicotyledonous plant that belongs to the family Convolvuaceae. Its large, starchy, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots are a root vegetable.  The young leaves and shoots are sometimes eaten as greens.  You cannot eat the white potatoes plants leaves but you can eat the sweet potatoes. The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato (Solanum tuberosum) and does not belong to the nightshade family.

South Carolina Sweet potato Vine

The genus Ipomoea that contains the sweet potato also includes several garden flowers called morning glories.

Some suggestions.

-         Sweet potatoes don’t have to take a long time to prepare. Cutting them into 1/2-inch slices and Healthy Steaming them for just 7 minutes not only brings out their great flavor but helps to maximize their nutritional value. And you can add cinnamon, nutmeg, and/or cloves for extra flavor and nutrition.

-         It is important to consume 3-5 grams of saturated or poly-unsaturated fat along with your sweet potato to reduce the carb and increase the full beta-carotene benefit. Include a fat like Olive-oil, coconut oil or other good fat.

-         Steaming is the Healthiest Way to cook the sweet potato, but boiling or roasting have shown to also have good blood sugar effects.

-         The Sweet potato is an excellent source of fiber if eaten with the skin on but the fresher the potato is the softer the skin.  A potato fresh from a farmer’s field is soft, a potato that has been sitting in a bin for some time is hard and tough to eat.

A Special note about George Washington Carver 

Picture credit 

http://www.digitalafro.com/george-washington-carver-agricultural-scientist-inventor-political-consultant/

George Washington Carver is famous for the introduction of the peanut as a profitable cash crop in the south to replace cotton.  Growing Cotton destroyed the soil and to be profitable more and more land had to be planted.  But what has been forgotten is – he also introduced other cash crops such as soybeans and the sweet potato.  These crops allowed the newly freed slave to grow their own nutritional loaded food and support themselves by farming a cash crop.

Brief history of George Washington Carver

His exact birthday is not known, he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864.  He died on January 5, 1943.  What is known about Carver, is his reputation and invention and research into farming and growing crops. In 1896 Booker T. Washington first principal and president of the Tuskegee Institute invited Carver to head its Agriculture Department.  Carver taught there for 47 years, He taught methods of crop rotation, introduced several alternative cash crops for farmers that would also improve the soil of areas heavily cultivated in cotton, initiated research into crop products (chemurgy), and taught generations of black students farming techniques for self-sufficiency.

http://www.digitalafro.com/george-washington-carver-agricultural-scientist-inventor-political-consultant/

Videos from food channel

Sweet potatoes – nutritional powerhouses

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/healthy-foods/sweet-potatoes—-nutritional-powerhouses.html

Sweet potatoes in the developing world

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/healthy-foods/sweet-potatoes-in-the-developing-world.html

Sources

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/food-face

http://www.naturalnews.com/035739_sweet_potatoes_beta-carotene_nutrients.html

http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html

http://www.naturalfoodbenefits.com/display.asp?CAT=2&ID=60

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/999.html

Folk Medicine continued

This is my second post on Alternate medicine, civilizations and traditions. Americas practiced Homeopathy medicine before the 1930s.  It rested on tradition and philosophy.  The Rockefeller Foundations and its unlimited funds created what we now know as Modern medicine. Heavily financed, patient profit guaranteed, scientific business would become the new American medical profession. It would be based on chemicals, chemistry, pharmacology, and science.  It uses pharmacologically active agents or physical interventions to treat or suppress symptoms or pathophysiologic process of diseases or conditions.  It ignores body function and focuses on organ function.

I am recovering from being very sick and I have found many others along the way with the same story. Researching what causes illness has many concluding – it is life style and what you eat that made you ill. Modern medicine ignored me and could not help. Like myself, these people have found solutions and have “regain control of their health”.  People have “cured themselves” from some pretty nasty diseases including terminal cancer.

Grandma Talked About

It seems to me the general public is getting sicker, disease is increasing like antibiotic resistant super bugs, Auto Immune disorders, Alzheimer’s, ADHD, dementia, depression, diabetes, food allergies, cancer, Heart problems, immune suppressed disease, and obesity to list a few. People are asking questions.  They are returning to their tradition – the system Grandma talked about – the systems that have worked for over 6,000 years – and finding healthy solutions like I did.

Allopathy Medicine

Allopathy was a term coined by doctors of homeopathy to refer to all forms of medication which are not considered alternative medicine. The modern allopathic doctor is taught to see the human body as a collection of organs that have independent function.  They use Pharmaceuticals, and Lab test never really asking or caring how you feel or what you eat.  The Pharmaceuticals have a huge list of nasty side effects, and the labs see only part of the picture but a very extensive list of profitable Pharmaceutical Patents. Today’s Doctor, also called, allopathic, modern, or western have little if any training in nutrition, hands on, or natural medicine and homeopathic medicine.  A new scientific medicine was to be created concentrating on scientific solutions. This new approach replaced the well-established homeopathic Colleges and institutions all over the country.

These Doctors are the people who spend a fortune going to Medical School at some famous “Teaching Hospital”. Yet the field of Nutrition isn’t even an educational requirement.  Today’s well educated Doctor is taught to turn toward the profit making patented medication, not our traditional teaching or Herbal remedies.

Folk Medicine has become Alternate medicine

Since the start of time, generations of civilizations have passed on life saving remedies and folk traditions.  Every civilization had an elder or spiritual leader, who specialized in medical remedies.  This knowledge was passed on to the next generation.  Some traditions go back over 6,000 years. The knowledge was written down but in most cases it was verbally communicated in the form of things my Grandparents told me. Traditions using self-applied health enhancement methods (SAHEM).  Below is a list of some of these traditions. I am writing this for I am afraid we are losing the concept of Folk medicine.

. Picture credit

Some civilization traditional medicine

As I have listed in previous posts  there are many traditional arts some of them are – African medicine, Alternative, Acupuncture, Atkins diet, Ayurveda, biofeedback, Biology-based practices, Breathing Exercises, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chiropractic, Dance Therapy, Folk Medicine, Greek Medicine, Herbalism, Herbal medicine, Herbal treatments, Homeopathy, Massage Therapy, meditation, Mind-body medicine, Music Therapy, Naturopathic, osteopathic manipulation, Osteopathy, palliative care, self-healing, Shamanism Traditions, Self-applied health enhancement methods (SAHEM), Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and many others.

Alternative medicine vs. Western or Modern Medicine

In complete contrast to Western medicine, alternative medicine treats the body, mind and spirit as a whole rather than so many separate parts. It supports the human body’s immune system rather than destroy it. Modern medicines extensive use of antibiotics have created the Super Bug resistant to any antibiotic treatment (MRSA).  In the process, the treatment has destroyed the body’s good bacteria (immune system) as well as the bad.

Alternative medicine is all about finding balance and harmony. This can be done through many techniques including natural cures, massage therapy, meditation and acupuncture. Unlike Western medicine, alternative medicine rarely creates unwanted side effects. Pharmaceutical companies have convinced people that side effects are just a normal part of medicine, when the fact is they should not be. True medicine works with the entire body.

Folk Medicine based on evidence based science.

Evidence Based Medicine

In this post I deal with the overall concept of evidence based medicine, a concept kept alive by what we call the scientific method.  I explore the practice of folk medicine, alternate medicine and holistic medicine vs. the practice Western or Modern medicine. Future posts will deal with individual civilizations like Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic from India.

I am not anti-science, if anything I feel the scientific method of the 17^th Century, has been overtaken by pseudo-science.  The science used by modern medicine is based on chemistry forgetting the overall philosophy of healing. The Health Care Ranger of Natural News calls traditional medicine “evidence-based science”.

The trust we gave science to find the truth using principles of reasoning seems to have been replaced by greed, cooperate profit driven motive, group think, distorted science based on falsified evidence, bribery and corruption of government regulators. If I spend more time thinking about it I find myself thinking — there is a War on Science.

The trouble ridden, and short term double-blind and placebo-controlled trial as the standard for the modern medicine’s scientific method has many questioning the results and length of study.  Many stories have surfaced of rigged trials and findings.  Yet the industry is quick to assert the “scientific proven” efficacy of a new drug. The very same industry that has been found conducted it’s the research on its own product.

Has modern medicine reverted back to bloodletting?

Bloodletting (or blood-letting) a medical practice performed by physicians from antiquity until the late 19^th century. It is the withdrawal of often small quantities of blood from a patient to cure or prevent illness and disease. The practice has now been abandoned for all except a few very specific conditions.

Instead of testing, measurement and modification of hypotheses the new science seems to be based on propaganda, shelf life and is destroying the health of the population. As I continue my research, I am finding most of our traditional natural remedies have been proven using the Scientific method.

Are we re-living the Roman Inquisition?

Galileo Galilei – (February 15, 1564 – January 8, 1642) As every school child should know, Galileo was an Italian astronomer, mathematician, philosopher, and physicist who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. He is considered to be the father of modern observational astronomy.  He was sentenced to indefinite imprisonment in 1633 by the Roman Inquisition who found him “gravely suspect of heresy“.  This was subsequently commuted to house arrest, under which he remained for the rest of his life.

His crime? He claimed the earth rotated around the sun not the sun rotated around the earth.

Galileo Galilei

Picture Credit

The Scientific method was used by different scientists to prove or disprove a theory.

Scientific method

Before the scientific method scientists came up with theories and everyone thought they were true, until Galileo proved Aristotle a Greek philosopher wrong. Aristotle thought that light stone would fall faster to the ground than a heavy stone. Galileo disagreed with his theory and set up an experiment that proved stones of different weights fall at the same pace.

Homeopathy a form of holistic medicine

Homeopathy formally developed by Samuel Hahnemann

Homeopathy is another form of alternate medicine. Many people think of homeopathy as the same thing as herbal medicine, but that is not necessarily true. Homeopathy seeks to treat diseases with the philosophy that “like cures like”. This means that when you have a disease, you will be treated with a medicine causes similar symptoms to what you have.

The principles of homeopathy go back to Hippocrates around 2500 years ago, but weren’t formalized as homeopathic medicine until 200 years ago. It was formally developed by Samuel Hahnemann and comes from the Greek words homios which means like and pathos which means suffering. One of the most interesting things about homeopathy is that many of the treatments are made from poisonous ingredients like rattlesnake venom which have been extensively diluted.

Self-applied Health Enhancement Methods (SAHAM)

Dr. Mercola has an elaborate article on; The Five Levels of Healing.  Follow the link for the detail information and Videos.

Health.net also has a great article on SAHEM.

Below is a brief summary of the concept of SAHEM:

The Five Levels of Healing are based on a healing model developed some 12,000 years ago. It has been the influence for Tibetan medicine, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as well as Ayurvedic medicine and many others.

These self-applied health enhancement methods (SAHEM), that spring from the Asian traditions, are tried and true techniques refined over thousands of years. Some of these ancient methods are listed below:

• Attitudinal harmony
• affirmation
• breath practice and self-healing
• concentration
• emotional resolution
• focus
• gentle movement
• intention
• meditation
• relaxation
• reflex stimulation (self-applied massage, stroking, thumping, pressure)
• toning, sounding or chanting
• visualization

Until my next post

Sources

http://allopathic.org/

http://www.progress.org/monop01.htm

http://www.everyday-wisdom.com/old-fashioned-remedies.html

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/02/20/breathing-part-one.aspx

http://www.dreliaz.org/recommended-product/for-healthy-circulation/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/05/29/five-principles-that-can-heal-virtually-any-illness-part-1.aspx

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/23/antibiotic-resistant-diseases-apocalyptic-threat

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/27/resurrection_of_3billionyearold_antibioticresistance_proteins.html

http://www.healthy.net/Health/Essay/Self_Applied_Health_Enhancement_Methods_SAHEM/135/2

http://www.sassafrasstation.com/herbal-remedies/natural-remedy

http://www.essentialoils.co.za/homeopathy.htm

http://www.naturalnews.com/036702_doctors_nutrition_fatalities.html

http://www.extremehealthradio.com/

By Joan McDaniel               April 18, 2013

I have been doing research and turned my attention to Vitamins and supplements.  But articles from the Health Ranger (NaturalNews) on Vitamin additives that made me do a second look at the nutrition label.  The article warns of harmful additives used to formulate common Vitamins and supplements. I have gathered several articles on the same subject so I decided to put together a complete list of the most common natural and synthetic additives used to formulate (make) Vitamins.

Health care officials recommend a daily multiple vitamins to cover the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA).

Picture source

After putting this list together and finding some dangerous mind-blowing ingredients in these vitamin supplements I have decided what you don’t know will hurt you! It is questionable if you’re getting any vitamin at all. Seems to me I’ll get sicker taking the vitamin then if I did without.

I also disagree with the RDA’s recommendations.  Your body needs nutrients, not toxins.  Every day is different and everyone’s body is different.  Learn to listen to your own body not some 1950 prearranged group’s Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) – But more of that later – On with Vitamin supplements.

Picture credit

I am not a chemist and don’t have the foggiest idea what half of these ingredients mean.  But some sound very familiar like nail polish (Shellac), talcum powder and sand. I now understand why many natural food enthusiasts recommend getting vitamins from the actual natural food source rather than by synthetic pill form.

Shellac is nail polish

This research has made me do a complete double take on what exactly I put into my body.  For example; I decided I needed the Vitamin magnesium so I bought a magnesium supplement only to find it (and a lot of other processed foods like baby food, hard candies, and soap scum) contain Magnesium Stearate.

Magnesium Stearate – a lubricate used as a filler when manufacturing vitamin supplement pills. It is derived from cottonseed which makes it a hydrogenated saturated fat. This fat allows the particles to flow or slide quickly during manufacturing speeding up the manufacturing process. It speeds up manufacturing process, but once consumed by the human body it slows if not prevents absorption of nutrients. Magnesium stearate melts at about 120 degrees C, is not soluble in water. Your body cannot dissolve it or the vitamin that comes with it.  It is expelled as a foreign substance.

Three sources for additives

• Plant (e.g. starches, sugars, cellulose)
• Animal (e.g. lactose, gelatin, stearic acid)
• Mineral (e.g. calcium phosphate, silica)

There is a big difference between Synthetic vitamins and natural vitamins. In the mid-1930s, multivitamins became available in grocery stores and pharmacies.  These supplements were made from natural, dried and compressed vegetable and fruit concentrates. In the early 1940s Synthetic tablets began being produced and the games began. Synthetics are man-made in the lab to look like the real thing. Synthetic may be derived from toxic sources such as coal-tar, glue, nail polish, petroleum, talcum powder, or other known carcinogen sources.

Synthetic additives interfere with the delivery and absorbing of any vitamin or mineral. In many cases the vitamin you take is simply expel from your system as a foreign substance. That is the good part.  Some of these additives get stored in the muscle and cells as toxins and free radicals which in time can create inflammation and illness.

Natural Ingredients for Vitamin Additives include:

When and if you can find a provider of natural vitamins these are the additives plus others that you should find on the label.  There are reliable  manufactures that provide a safe product, you just have to search for them.

Bioflavonoids – naturally occurring plant compound

Cellulose – A bulking agent also referred to as dietary fiber.

Citric acid – Natural acid causes foods to taste sour.  Lemons contain large sources of Citric acid.

Dulse – used as an organic base non-synthetic foundation.

Magnesium ascorbate – Neutral salts

Magnesium activator of Amino acid chelate

Medium chain triglycerides -

Natural flavors

Potassium sorbate – Used in fermentation occurs naturally in some berries.

Purified Stevia Extract – Natural Plant sugar alternative supplement

Purified water –Mechanically filtered water

Sodium Alginate – Food thickener

Sodium ascorbates – Water-soluble vitamin, known as vitamin C.

Vegetable glycerin (palm) – Natural lipids known as triglycerides

Xanthan gum – Natural Food thickener

Xylitol – A naturally occurring pentose sugar alcohol sugar substitute

Multi Vitamins example

Seems to me these ingredients do more to protect the product than they do to give me anything natural.  An example: Centrum “C” vitamins made from the Coal Tar, Silicon, and petroleum distillate. Below is a label from Centrum C – I could not find petroleum but boy I sure found a lot of other stuff.  None of it sounds too natural to me. The ingredient Soy is not organic therefore is GMO.

Note – Wyeth is a Pfizer’s subsidiary Pfizer owns Centrum and Bayer owns One a Day.

Ingredient additives that inhibit the effectiveness of Vitamins are:

The follow is a list of Excipients.  These items inhibit the function of the vitamin if not completely prevent the vitamin absorption in the human digestive system.  These can be classified according to their function. Some serve multiple functions:

• Binders – Glue
• Coatings and Glaze (Shellac)
• Colors
• Compression Aids
• Disintegrates
• Extenders
• Fillers
• Flavors
• Flow Enhancers
• Film formers
• Lubricants – Fatty acids from hydrogenated vegetable oils
• Preservatives
• Suspending/dispensing agents
• Sweeteners

Excipient additives that inhibit the effectiveness in supplements:

Picture source

• Calcium Stearate – main component of soap scum, a white solid that forms when soap is mixed with hard water

• Corn Starch – preservative encapsulate, binder
• Crospovidene – preservative
• Dicalcium phosphate – acutally decrease absorption
• Microcrystalline cellulose – lubricant provider

• Ethylcellulose
• Flavors or Natural Flavors
• Food dyes – FD&C Food dyes are made from coal tar that may retain carcinogenic impurities.
• Glaze – A glassy film covering. Like a glace for pottery or for a ham.
• Hydoxy Propyl Methylcellulose – cellulose preservative
• Lactose – Sugar from milk
• Magnesium Stearate – Animal based filler saturated fatty acid also used to make candles, soap and softening rubber. It also makes “bathtub rings.”

• Palmitate – Palmitic acid is also used to produce cosmetics, release agents and soaps
• Potassium Sorbate
• Shellac – Nail polish
• Silicon Dioxide – derived from quartz used in the production of computer chips, ceramics, glass and is also called sand.
• Stearic Acid – Animal based filler saturated fatty acid also used to make candles, soap and softening rubber
• Sodium Borate – The common name for this additive is borax which is a detergent.
• Sodium Benzoate – also used in vinegar, carbonated drinks (carbonic acid), and fireworks.
• Sodium Glycolate – A Starch
• Sucrose – Table Sugar
• Talc – talcum powder
• Titanium Dioxide – White pigment

This is a partial list.  The next time you see a different ingredient look it up in a search engine and be amazed.

Look out Vitamin supplements may be hazardous to your health.

After this article I will take a longer look at getting most of my vitamins from the actual natural food rather than an artificially produced vitamin pill.  To quote the health ranger again – “No matter what the FDA says or wants you to believe, organic vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, prebiotic, and enzymes are “MEDICINE,” and synthetic vitamins are simply ANTI-MEDICINE – disease and disorder breeding health criminals. Get smarter. Read the labels. Ask questions. If your vitamins are not organic, then they’re probably making you sick.”   

Talc is great for the baby’s bottom but not so great in my gut.

Talc – talcum powder

I do not recommend the purchase of any product, or the consumption of any product shown.

Sources

http://www.naturalnews.com/039271_vitamins_supplements_magnesium_stearate.html

http://www.trustedhealthproducts.com/vitamin-c-and-more/

http://www.trustedhealthproducts.com

http://www.indiamart.com/scientificsurgicalcorporation/pharmaceutical-excipients.html

www.trustedhealthproducts.com.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/43113-definition-sodium-ascorbate/

http://www.naturalnews.com/036650_synthetic_vitamins_disease_side_effects.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/036241_nutritional_supplements_media_lies_disinfo.html

You don’t have to be a Cowardly Lion to like Turmeric.

What is Turmeric?

Turmeric is all about ancient civilization and deep traditions, both in food and holistic medicine.  It has been harvested for more than 5,000 years. Like ginger you plant it in the ground and eat the roots.  We know it for its yellow color but there is much more to learn of its powers.  The plant is called Curcuma longa and the root is called a rhizome. It has a tough brown skin and a deep orange flesh.  Like ginger and other spices it has amazing anti-inflammatory and healing benefits. It is also used as a textile dye.

Turmeric is traditionally been used both in the Traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic traditions of holistic medicine.  It is also known as “Indian saffron”.  It is 5 to 8 times stronger than Vitamin E and stronger than Vitamin C.

In South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine turmeric is used in spice curries, for dyeing, and to impart color to mustard condiments.

Its active ingredient is curcumin and it has a distinctly earthy, slightly bitter, slightly hot peppery flavor and a mustard smell.

Turmeric is anything but weak – It is a powerful healing herb used in ancient holistic healing.

Turmeric is native to Indonesia and southern India.  Arab traders introduced it into Europe in the 13^th century, but it isn’t until recently it has become popular in Western cultures.  The leading commercial producers of turmeric include China , Haiti, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, and the Philippines.

Turmeric used in disease prevention

Turmeric has been used in over 500 applications in disease prevention and treatment in some of the following applications:  

Anti-inflammatory                                            Turmeric Plant

Antioxidant

Helps maintain blood sugar

Cancer fighter and treatment

Helps maintain cholesterol levels

Helps support a healthy blood and circulatory system

Improves cognitive functions for those with neurological disease pathology      Turmeric Plant

Helps Diabetic blood sugar maintain

Diabetic prevention

Maintain a healthy digestive system

Helps promote eye health

Fat loss promoter

A good source for fiber

Heart disease prevention

Improves your Immune System

Liver detoxifier

Local antiseptic for wound care

Natural painkiller

Helps promote a healthy overall skeletal system (healthy bones and joints)

Reduced oxidative stress

Source for iron, manganese, potassium and vitamin B6

Skin tonic

Here is more information on the top health benefits of turmeric.

According to Dr. Mercola’s article Turmeric is … “The Spice that Ignites Your Body’s Astonishing Immune System” 5 to 8 times stronger than vitamin E and stronger than vitamin C, this ‘antioxidant breakthrough’ may help boost your immunity, maintain normal cholesterol levels, and put the brakes on aging.*

                                             Rhizomes in plant

Plant  Ground into a powder

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial plant of the ginger family. It is native to tropical South Asia and needs nice warm temperatures between 68°F and 86°F and a good amount of water or rainfall to thrive.  Plants are gathered annually for their rhizomes, and when not used fresh are boiled for several hours, dried in hot ovens then grounded into the deep orange-yellow power we see in the spice jar.Many plants are propagated this way asparagus, Cannas, fingerroot, galangal, ginger, irises, Lily of the Valley, sympodial orchids, and Turmeric.

Turmeric

A gift from nature

Spice with a healing history

The Food Channel Turmeric Video

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/healthy-foods/turmeric.html

Please note this is not a recommendation for any product nor advice to buy any product.

Coconut cream care

Most people know turmeric as a primary spice in curries. The FDA considers it a “food color additive” for its bright yellow-orange color.

For thousands of years, turmeric has been recognized for its healing properties. Studies show benefits for turmeric and its active component, curcumin, as an anti-inflammatory, in treating arthritis, slowing the growth of cancer, protecting against liver damage, and even protecting against Alzheimer’s.

Some sources say that big pharma tried to get the FDA to change the classification of turmeric and call it a drug. What does that tell you?

Many people who have experienced the benefits of turmeric get their daily dose as a tea. Here’s a simple recipe from Dr. Andrew Weil:

- Bring four cups of water to a boil.
- Add one teaspoon of ground turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
- Strain the tea through a fine sieve into a cup, add honey and/or lemon to taste.

Sources

http://organicindia.mercola.com/herbal-supplements/turmeric.aspx?e_cid=20130101_DNL_YRP_1

http://naturalsociety.com/3-most-potent-healing-foods/?utm_source=Natural+Society&utm_campaign=f55afe0225-Email+45%3A+12%2F5%2F2012&utm_medium=email

http://naturalsociety.com/overcoming-pharmaceuticals-top-health-benefits-of-turmeric/

http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

Has Political Correctness made us forget our history?

Has Political Correctness (PC) and the thought police waged a battle for your mind?  Has PC thought influenced your beliefs allowed us to forget our history and deeply held tradition notions? Like George Orwell’s Newspeak, non PC language has become forbidden by law, and transgressors should be punished.

Alternate Medicine

There is a Natural Remedy for Just About Everything.

Helping You Get Healthy and Wealthy

If you are suffering from virtually any disease or condition, there is a natural remedy that can help heal you. In many parts of the world, herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years to cure disease and improve quality of life.

There are numerous forms of natural remedy medicines. All of them focus on individualizing treatments, treating the whole person, promoting self-care and self-healing and recognizing the spiritual nature of each individual. Some of the most widely used are:

African medicine , Alternative, Acupuncture, Atkins diet, Ayurveda, biofeedback, Biology-based practices, Breathing Exercises, Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chiropractic, Dance Therapy, Folk Medicine, Greek Medicine, Herbalism, Herbal medicine, Herbal treatments, Homeopathy, Massage Therapy, meditation, Mind-body medicine, Music Therapy, Naturopathic, osteopathic manipulation, Osteopathy, palliative care, self-healing, Shamanism Traditions, Self-applied health enhancement methods (SAHEM), Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and many others.

I will be giving a brief summary of just some of the most popular in later posts. This will serve as an introduction to the concept of Alternate Medicine.

Native American Practices

With the birth of modern medicine, we in America have a healing tradition that has been forbidden and now is totally forgotten. This tradition is that of the Native American tribal elder, herbalist, healer, Medicine Man, Shamanism, spirit communicators or Witch Doctor.  This forgotten tradition is represented by the Medicine wheel pictured below.  Click the link to go to the site the wheel has some interesting meanings.

Picture Credit http://basicallymedicine.blogspot.com/2008/12/native-american-medicine-wheel.html

Has Modern Medicine Failed?

Maybe we have missed something – in our hurry for the latest scientific grand solution we have forgotten our past.  If you have ever been sick, I mean really sick – You can’t even get out of bed you are so sick – suddenly you see life very differently.  You ask your doctor … What happened to me…? He just gives you more pills or schedules you for a Cat Scan or lower GI.  But then says “your Insurance won’t pay for it”.  I didn’t need a Cat Scan to learn that I was sick due to my life style what I ate.

Western medicine has created the “Superbug” can our immune system be restored?

According to recent articles in the news; overuse of antibiotics, have created what some scientist are calling “super bugs”.  A Super bug is; bacteria that has developed resistance to all known antibiotics. The Germ theory was created when Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic penicillin in 1928. The widely accepted germ theory of disease has many fundamental flaws. Antibiotics kill both the good and the bad bacteria resulting in weakening or destroying the human immune system. While scientist are trying to find new drugs or a solution to this problem, Holistic and alternate medicine is promoting the use of fermentation, nutrition and using probiotic to restore the human body’s immune system.

According to Britain’s most senior medical advisor Dame Sally Davies; “ …the rise in drug-resistant diseases could trigger a national emergency comparable to a catastrophic terrorist attack, pandemic flu or major coastal flooding.”

And she is not alone other scientist are warning that antibiotic resistance proteins are increasing in strength.  An article in biology news warns of resurrection of 3-billion-year-old antibiotic-resistance proteins

Alternate traditional medicine

It didn’t take a day to get sick and it will not take a day to get well. It will take time there isn’t a magic bullet or red pill that will and make it all better tomorrow. The one thing I have learned among many others is that while getting well I have learned to STOP and Listen.  You can almost hear the ancients.  There in that bird, or in that cloud.  They are all around you STOP and LISTEN. But above all begin to listen to your own body – Its telling you something.

This article will not address the human body’s immune system or how to handle the on-coming “Super bugs” battle, but a LOOK SEE at some of our traditional systems of the past and the wisdom of our elders.

The Birth of Modern Medicine

During and after the Progressive Era Woodrow Wilson and World War I, America’s traditionally doctor practiced Holistic medicine or natural medicine.  That would all change with the Rockefeller investment money.

John D. Rockefeller Sr. and Jr.  Picture credit http://www.whale.to/cancer/griffin14.html

In 1903, John D. Rockefeller Jr. the son of the famous Oil baron established an organization that would promote American Education in all levels everywhere in the country. He provided financial support to established eastern institutions as Columbia, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Harvard, Wellesley, Yale, and Vassar. This program revolutionized the study of medicine in the United States. Traditional Holistic Medicine would become scientific and profitable. The typical Medicine man, or Witch Doctor would be a thing of the past and a new huge money-maker would be established.

In 1924 Fisbein was appointed the head of the American Medical Association (AMA).  Fisbein created is guidelines and a  Seal-of-Acceptance  allowing “Only “regulars” to join this new, prestigious organization, which excluded herbalist, homeopathy and Indian (Witch) doctors.

The Witch Doctor

Each civilization across the world and across the span of thousands and thousands of years also has their deep and rich ancient traditions. Diagnosis is reached through spiritual means and a treatment is prescribed, usually consisting of an herbal remedy that has not only healing abilities, but symbolic and spiritual significance.

  Native American or Shamanism

Currently there are many Native American educational services, healing practitioners, metaphysical groups and Shamanism workshops all over the country. These practices have been adopted from traditions that originated from various Native American tribes. History indicates that each tribe would have one or more elders who were groomed in the healing arts. These individuals would serve as herbalists, healers, and spirit communicators. The duties and types of healing arts and spiritual ceremonies performed would naturally vary from tribe to tribe.

Medicine Man Movie

When I first entered the term “Witch Doctor” in a search engine I received the link to this movie.

A pharmaceutical company sends biochemist Dr. Rae Crane into the Amazonian rainforest to locate researcher Robert Campbell after his wife and research partner abandon him.

Medicine Man is a 1992 American film directed by John McTiernan. The film stars Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco. It also features a noteworthy score by composer Jerry Goldsmith.

At least it is nice to know that someone knew the tradition of the word even if you have to go back to 1992.

More on other Traditional Medicine soon

Sources

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/jan/23/antibiotic-resistant-diseases-apocalyptic-threat

http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2013/02/27/resurrection_of_3billionyearold_antibioticresistance_proteins.html

Sassafras Station

http://www.sassafrasstation.com/herbal-remedies/natural-remedy

http://www.whale.to/cancer/griffin14.html

Picture Credit http://basicallymedicine.blogspot.com/2008/12/native-american-medicine-wheel.html

Picture credit Medicine man www.toutlecine.com       http://health.wikinut.com/~wiedg/health

What is CO?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air.  It is toxic to humans and animals.  Carbon monoxide is produced as a byproduct when operating a stove or in internal combustion engine in an enclosed space which then produces carbon dioxide (Co2), in other words Carbon monoxide poisoning. I have heard the rumor that some people last act on earth was to close all the windows and put their head in an oven.  In other words — commit suicide.

CO other natural sources include other forms of combustion like forest fires, iron smelting, and volcanoes.

Treating meat with carbon monoxide is more common than you think.

According to this Video from the food channel  CO is being used as a preservative.

Global Warming

Co is not a preservative, it is the result of burning and flame and once all the O2 is gone you get Co2.  Where is Al Gore when you need him?  Isn’t he all upset about Co2 and Global Warming?… err Global Cooling…err CLIMATE CHANGE??? … or something like that?????

But the same thing that once burned makes Co2 makes packaged meats look pink and fresh.  It actually prevents the meat from aging.

Is your meat treated with CO?

Video (2:45):

Video from the food channel

This Video is dated

Uploaded on Jul 25, 2007

- Traci Styner
The Real Food Channel

P.S. Please share Real Food Channel videos with your friends, family and
colleagues.

Video on youtube

Meat treated with carbon monoxide

To repeat part of an old article of mine:

Why All the Fuss About Grass-Fed Meat?

Grass-fed beef is vastly superior to grain-fed beef, and in fact it’s the clear beef of choice you should be eating. It is far more important to choose grass-fed than to choose organic, as most grass-fed beef are also organic.

Not only is it raised in a more sustainable way for the environment, and a more humane way for the animal, but it’s the superior choice for your health.

Grass-fed beef, for instance, is lower in fat than regular beef and, more importantly, contains higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid. Grass-fed animals have from three to five times more CLA than grain-fed animals.

The Growing Demand for Grass-Fed Beef in America

Dr. Mercola’s article explains more about what is grass-fed beef and why it is a much better choice.

When I want to eat beef, I use my local New York farmer who’s link is below.

Grass Fed cows

From Kiernan Farm http://kiernanfarm.com/

You best bet to find grass-fed beef is a local farmer.  Check out your local Farmers Market and local Health food stores and ask around

Published on Feb 26, 2013

FOOD FIGHT – Saving Kids From Processed Junk – Earth Amplified feat. Stic.Man of Dead Prez

This is hitting the Web and going Viral.  It is not addressed to my age group but I get the message loud and clear.  I have provided the lyrics at the end in case you are like me and can’t quite hear or understand what it says….Joan.

From the Food Channel

It’s the hottest food-related
video making a statement
through social media.

I admit, it’s not my usual
style of music. But it gets
to the point in a big way.

Food Fight is the story of a kid who
lives in a world where the food at
the local corner store is killing his
neighborhood — literally.

Video: on youtube:

A boy must escape a world where the processed food is killing his neighborhood — literally. SHARE to teach kids who is behind it, and how to escape.

Food Fight is the story of a kid who lives in a world where the food at the local corner store is killing his neighborhood — literally.

I admit, this isn’t normally my style of music. Kudos to Ben Zolno, AshEl Eldridge (aka Seasunz) and SoS Juice for getting the word out to an audience we might not reach in other ways.

LYRICS

VANDANA SHIVA:

“Once they have established the norm –

that seed can be owned as their property –

royalties can be collected.

We will depend on them

for every seed we grow

of every crop we grow.

If they control seed, they control food, they know it; it’s strategic.

It’s more powerful than bombs.

It’s more powerful than guns.

This is the best way to control the populations of the world.”

CHORUS:

That’s what the streets them say.

That’s what police them say.

That’s what the Babylon say.

Put cola upon lips

and get popped the same way now.

That’s what The Pentagon say.

That’s what the generals say.

That’s what the empire say.

Put death down your throat,

you get dropped the same way.

SEASUNZ:

There’s a war going on inside,

no man is safe from:

DDTs, PCBs,

every corner in the hood got a KFC

or McD’s. It’s crack speed like RED

Bull-ish they pulpit — so caffeine,

Kit Kat like a click-clack holes in your genes

Cuz everything at market ain’t all what it seems.

Little Debbie bussing biscuits at sugar-high fiends.

Ain’t nothing but a G thing –

GMO, MSG, genocide of street gangs.

Aspartame or street cane.

Monsanto is Rambo.

Round Up with ammo.

Who would have known you can die from a diet

Diabetes and the -itis from the dairy and the dose

of the high fructose

cuz your ribs too close

so you might start a riot.

Might be a FOOD FIGHTER!

CHORUS REPEATED

SEASUNZ:

They shootin’!

Made you look

at the labels on the food that you cook.

Just say no to cocoa box

cuz when you Google the ingredients, you might get got.

Is your milk on drugs? Cuz your brain on Fox.

Factory farming spawning the Meatrix plot,

Globally warming us all, enough cows and NOx

driving the climate, driving a hummer or not.

Drive-in like a drive-by.

E.coli served super sized with a side of super lies.

so tell me what’s more gangsta than that?

Bullets or burgers both blaze burners to black.

Breakfast is a little like Texas,

Petro is everything that you’re eating on

My pesto is backyard like choppin’ chard.

My school lunch pack a punch.

FOOD FIGHT IS ON!

CHORUS REPEATED

STIC.MAN:

What’s Beef?

Beef is when you’re 12 years old and obese

clogged arteries, can’t see your own feet

until you’re up in ICU, guaranteed to be an ‘I see you”

From that processed food.

Suicide. It’s a suicide.

Don’t want no microwaves, no pesticides.

Fast food’s a slow death in disguise.

It’s the wild wild westernized world of deception and lies.

What’s Beef?

Beef is when you starve in a famine.

Nothing won’t grow and the land stays barren.

Pollution in the river, mercury in the salmon.

What sense do it make, being at war with the planet?

We’re at war for the mind so impressionable.

Instead of vegetables,

we reach for Red Bulls.

Poor diets kill more brothers than pistols.

We’re fighting for our lives like Michael Vic’s pit bulls.

Dog eat dog, America eats the young,

We die from beef, but more from meat than the gun.

Bullets for breakfast and mass murder meals.

Enemy of the state, and your plate is the battlefield

in this FOOD FIGHT!

By Joan McDaniel                        January 30, 2013

Photo credit

http://www.eschooltoday.com/

The following is from many sources such as Dr. Mercola, Health Care Ranger and others.  I decided to spend some time with the immune system since the flu and just being sick is becoming very common during this winter season and the recent cold spell.  The article goes on to discuss the flu vaccination, which in my past, I spent enormous time with.  I do not want to take the time now for that discussion but find I do agree with Dr. Mercola’s position against the flu-vaccine.

A new product has come onto the market called Tamiflu, I agree with this following article completely it is just a very profitable gimick.

Buy Tamiflu for Flu Treatment? Flu Drugs Only Make Money for Big Pharma

http://naturalsociety.com/buy-tamiflu-flu-treatment-big-pharma/

Now back to how to do things naturally.

One way to fight  to avoid the flu is by getting on an airplane and taking a trip to a beach. Lying on the beach with the sun flowing over you cures just about anything, but… only in my dreams and someone else’s budget.

Following is a list of suggestions on how to protect yourself from the flu, by re-enforcing your God-given and very capable natural immune system.

Some quick definitions:

antibacterial soaps – I agree with Dr. Mercola, in that antibacterial soaps are harmful.  Use good old soap and water.  Better yet get rid of all toxins and use coconut soap and water.

Fermented foods - such as raw kefir, kimchee, miso, (if you can find these raw milk products) pickles, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar,  etc, which are rich in probiotics, or good bacteria. Anything pickled specially in sea-salt.  Scientific research shows that 80 percent of your immune system resides inside your digestive tract, so eating probiotic-rich foods, or taking a high-quality probiotic, will help support your immune system health and maintain optimal gut flora.

Careful for, If you’ve never eaten fermented foods before, too large a portion may provoke a healing crisis, which happens when the probiotics kill off pathogens in your gut. When the pathogens die, they release potent toxins. If you’ve never had fermented foods in your life, you need to start very carefully and very gradually.

To quote myself “Feeling you’re getting a cold — Eat a very sour dill pickle”

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/22/flu-epidemic.aspx?e_cid=20130122_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130122

Avoiding a serious case of influenza is not about vaccination but more about maintaining a healthy, well-functioning immune system. By following these simple guidelines, you can help keep your immune system in optimal working order so that you’re far less likely to acquire the infection to begin with or, if you do get sick with the flu, you are better prepared to move through it without complications and soon return to good health.

• Optimize Your Gut Flora. This may be the single most important strategy you can implement as the bacteria in your gut have enormous control of your immune response. The best way to improve your beneficial bacteria ratio is to avoid sugars as they will feed the pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, processed foods and most grains should be limited and replacing with healthy fats like coconut oil, avocados, olives, olive oil, butter, eggs and nuts. Once you change your diet, than regular use of fermented foods can radically optimize the function of your immune response.
• Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I’ve previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds, and vitamin D deficiency may actually be the true culprit behind the seasonality of the flu – not the flu virus itself. This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. Regularly monitor your vitamin D levels to confirm your levels are within the therapeutic range of 50-70 ng/ml.

Ideally, you’ll want to get all your vitamin D from sun exposure or a safe tanning bed, but you can also take an oral vitamin -D-3 supplement. According to the latest review by Carole Baggerly (Grassrootshealth.org), adults need about 8,000 iU a day. Be sure to take vitamin K 2 if you are taking oral vitamin D as it has a powerful synergy and will help prevent any D toxicity.

• Avoid Sugar and Processed Foods. Sugar impairs the quality of your immune response almost immediately, and as you likely know, a healthy immune system is one of the most important keys to fighting off viruses and other illness. It also can decimate your beneficial bacteria and feed the pathogenic yeast and viruses. Be aware that sugar (typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup) is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice. If you are healthy then sugar can be consumed but the LAST thing you should be eating when you are sick is sugar. .
• Get Plenty of Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
• Have Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.
• Get Regular Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads. Be sure to stay hydrated – drink plenty of fluids, especially water. However, it would be wise to radically reduce the intensity of your workouts while you are sick. No Peak Fitness exercises until you are better.
• Take a High-Quality Source of Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
• Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Be sure you don’t use antibacterial soap for this – antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary, and they cause far more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
• Tried and True Hygiene Measures. In addition to washing your hands regularly, cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. If possible, avoid close contact with those, who are sick and, if you are sick, avoid close contact with those who are well.
• Use Natural Antibiotics. Examples include oil of oregano and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.  Note: Do not cook or heat the garlic use raw for best effect.
• Avoid Hospitals. I’d recommend you stay away from hospitals unless you’re having an emergency and need expert medical care, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds. The best place to get plenty of rest and recover from illness that is not life-threatening is usually in the comfort of your own home.

Some additional tips from natural news

http://www.naturalnews.com/038825_vitamins_natural_immunity_influenza.html
Vitamin C – Look for buffered C or time released when using supplements. Food sources are citrus fruits, berries and cherries, red peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli. Research showed that taking 1,000 mg of vitamin C every six hours effectively relieved, or even prevented, flu symptoms.

Zinc – Once signs and symptoms of a cold show use zinc to shorten the duration.  Zinc sprays, every three hours.

by Dr. Isaac Eliaz

Below are suggestions from Dr. Isaac Eliaz

http://easyhealthoptions.com/alternative-medicine/10-unusual-flu-remedies-simple-ways-to-boost-your-immunity-and-speed-recovery/

Coconut Oil – Possesses anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and antioxidant properties.  Studies has shown the oil, a saturated fat, has remarkable curative health benefits.    It is loaded with antiviral properties including lauric acid. Lauric acid is shown to directly interfere with the ability of viruses to replicate and spread, thus halting infection. Coconut oil is even used to help with the HIV infection.  Add 1 to 2 tablespoons per day to soups, salads and smoothies or even eat it straight.

Baking Soda – Also known as sodium bicarbonate is a necessary household remedy.  It is used in numerous medical conditions and first aid applications.  Its main power is the ability to neutralize acidity in the human body, creating an alkaline environment for viruses and germs which they hate and pack up and leave.  When you start to feel the flu coming on or are exposed to a virus, begin by taking ½ teaspoon in water every two hours, six times throughout the day. Scale down two doses per day thereafter until symptoms subside.  Be aware this is a temporary procedure for sodium bicarbonate has adverse reactions including Metabolic alkalosis, edema and hypertension due to the increased sodium.

This year, if you are thinking of getting a flu shot, consider natural immune boosters and healthy lifestyle habits as a first line of defense. These holistic approaches can not only protect against colds and flu, they help maintain overall health and longevity throughout the year and beyond. For more practical health and wellness information, visit www.dreliaz.org.

Most people are not aware of their bodies need for the essential mineral magnesium.  In fact, when I say Magnesium most people will think of a science and a chemical element.

But if I mention a common health problem like acid indigestion, or constipation and then mention an over the counter product name like Milk of Magnesia, the mineral magnesium makes a little more sense.

Magnesium- An Essential Mineral

Magnesium may be overlooked but it is in fact an essential mineral for the body to function. According to a researcher from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; “Magnesium is one of the most important minerals to supplement, as most of us do not get enough.”  Without this mineral the body will not function. Magnesium relaxes the smooth muscles within the blood vessels promoting lower blood pressure and a healthy cardio system. Magnesium has also been shown to beneficially impact insulin resistance and improve the metabolic profile.

Magnesium is twice as important as its complementary minerals Calcium, vitamin D3 and K2.  Modern medicine may overlook the use of magnesium because it is a supplement and not a medicine, but since the 1930’s, hospitals ICU and the Emergency Rooms use IV magnesium to treat life ending conditions. Conditions like out of control Blood Pressure, Heart attack, and Pregnancy pre-eclampsia.

Magnesium is used in hundreds of processes in the body and is found in all your tissues. But up to 90 percent of American’s are not even getting the RDA recommended daily allowance of magnesium in their diet. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and it is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body.

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is deficient in magnesium

Most modern western diets are extremely deficient in magnesium. Processed foods, meat, and dairy have no magnesium. Magnesium is quickly depleted from the body during times of stress and with the consumption of alcohol and coffee.  Nutritional imbalances exist for nearly everyone who has either a mental or illness disorder. Too much processed, junk food and not enough healthy nutrition causes magnesium destroying inflammation and stress to the body.

Reasons to eat foods high in magnesium

Magnesium offers these benefits:

Dilate blood vessels thus reducing blood pressure, Prevent spasms in heart muscle and blood vessel walls, dissolve blood clots, and acts as an antioxidant against the free radicals forming at the site of injury.

After several searches of the Internet, I have compiled the following magnesium deficient conditions.  These symptoms may indicate you may not be getting enough magnesium.

The RDA of magnesium is 320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/day for men. In order to get the recommended amount, you’d have to eat large quantities of foods high in magnesium. To make up for not getting the right amount through their diet alone, many people take magnesium supplements. Renal failure patients should not take a magnesium supplement. As with any supplement, you should first consult your physician. This is not a recommendation for any product or supplement nor is it a recommendation for any vitamin supplement.

It must be kept in mind there isn’t a lab test that will accurately read your body’s magnesium level. Only 1% of magnesium is in your blood.  You need to also be aware of how your body is functioning before you take supplements.

Some Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

Anxiety and panic attacks                         

Asthma

Blood clots and blood circulation

Bowel disease induced by constipation

Cardiovascular disease or Heart disease

Confusion

Constipation (remember over the counter Milk of Magnesia?)

Depression

Diabetes and/ or imbalanced blood sugar levels

Dizziness

Eye twitches

Fatigue and weakness

Fibro-myalsia

Headaches and/or Migraines

Heart disease like Heart arrhythmias, irregular contraction, or increase heart rate

Hypertension or elevated blood pressure

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

Insomnia

Kidney stones or calcification

Loss of appetite

Metabolic syndrome

Muscle cramps, spasms, tremor and/or weakness

Nausea and vomiting

Nervousness

Numbness and tingling

Personality change

PMS

Pregnancy problems (eclampsia, pre-eclampsia, and premature contractions)

Osteoporosis  Softness of weakening of the bones.

Raynaud’s syndrome

Seizures

Stress

Tooth decay

Toxicity

Food Sources of Magnesium

Almonds, Avocados, Black Beans, Cashews, Unsweetened Cocoa, Collard greens, Green Beans, Kale, Halibut, Molasses, Mustard Greens, Herbs (basil, chives, coriander, dill, mint and sage), Nuts (Brazil), Salmon, Bell Peppers, Sea Vegetables, Sea Weed, Seeds (Pumpkin, Sesame and Sunflower ), Spices (Basil, Coriander, flaxseed, whey) Spinach, and Swiss Chard.

The Real Food Channel

Food can kill – or heal. Info to help you choose wisely.

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/healthy-foods/the-magnesium-miracle.html

Sources

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=75

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

http://www.healthywriter.com/are-you-getting-enough-magnesium/

http://www.debralynndadd.com/_blog/toxicfreenutrition/post/Is_Your_Body_Magnesium_Deficient/

http://www.holistichands.org/magnesium-essential-mineral/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/06/11/Magnesium-Benefits-Your-Blood-Pressure.aspx

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/02/low-magnesium-risk-factor-for-heart-disease-death.aspx

http://www.naturalnews.com/magnesium.html

http://www.lef.org/Vitamins-Supplements/Item01369/Magnesium-Caps.html?source=search&key=magnesium

http://naturalsociety.com/magnesium-is-a-powerful-natural-anti-inflammatory-mineral/?utm_source=Natural+Society&utm_campaign=903139c4fc-Email+87%3A+1%2F29%2F2013&utm_medium=email

Food can kill – or heal. Info to help you choose wisely.

Dave the raw food trucker

I am including this Video of the trucker, only because of his tremendous achievement.  I am not on the same food intake as the trucker. I like to chew my meal to make it feel real, therefore I am not a juicer, nor do I avoid animal food.  I eat fresh Bacon, and eggs right from the farm.

The truckers story and mine are the same in that, I was sick and ate myself back to health feeding my thyroid, eating saturated fats and getting off the sugars, Carbs, processed food, and household toxins.  I am paying very close attention to food for I used it as my medicine. I was on 13 medications, I’m now off all meds.

Watch this video, for it is beyond amazing what one person can do just by eating the right foods and actively getting involved in your own health. TAKE CHARGE You will be amazed at how much better you will feel!!!!! Joan

Raw foods led him down a new road

Watch this Inspirational video of Dave, a truck driver who had cancer, diabetes, kidney leakage, weighed 430 lbs, had a heart attack…and healed himself with a raw vegan diet.

This is a great story for anyone who’s lost hope of healing. The fact that he made healing meals while driving a long-distance truck makes Dave’s story all the more impressive. Determination and taking action make all the difference!

http://www.therealfoodchannel.com/videos/inspiration/dave-the-raw-food-trucker.html