Hazardous Household Cleaning Products

New study confirms what you’ve suspected for years
National brand cleaning products contain so many harmful chemicals.

Study Details:

• 20 year longitudinal study
• Completely independent
• 6,235 male and female subjects
• Average age of 34 at the beginning of the study; 54 at conclusion
• Use of spray and liquid home cleaning products monitored
• Lung capacity tested regularly
• Results compiled by 28 top researchers from 9 countries
• Peer reviewed and published in the Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. (1)

Finding 1: Weekly use of home cleaning products is as damaging to lung health as smoking 20 cigarettes per day.

Finding 2: Women are affected far more than men.

Finding 3: Cleaning at home is just as harmful as being an occupational cleaner, if not more so.

Finding 4: Liquid cleaners are just as dangerous as sprays.

Finding 5: Dangerous chemicals including ammonia, chlorine bleach, and quaternary disinfectant compounds appear to be primary culprits.

Finding 6: Women who regularly use cleaning products have increased rates of asthma.

Finding 7: Damage is cumulative over time.

(1) Full Publication: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29451393

What does this study meant to you? For those that try to keep a clean, safe home, the results of the study are an imperative call to action. If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to rid your home of the dangerous national brand cleaning products that contain so many harmful chemicals.

Protect your family today! Replace national brand cleaning products with Melaleuca’ s Ecosense® products.

For more than three decades, Melaleuca scientists have formulated cleaning products that perform household chores with unparalleled results – without the cheap widely available, dangerous chemicals national store brands are known to contain.

Instead, we use safer, biodegradable solutions that are found in nature, like plant derived ingredients. We use thyme oil, surfactants from coconut and palm oil, natural enzymes, the same citric acid found in lemons, and 100% pure Melaleuca oil. This is why Ecosense® cleaning products are so safe that childproof caps are not required.

For more information, contact Ray Barmore at raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
Maricopa Arizona
raybarmore@gmail.com

Other Blog:
God in America

Only Search This Blog

Can Celery Be the Cure for cancer?

Celery has a ton of nutritional benefits, being packed full of vitamins and water, bettering your health while hydrating you at the same time. But scientists have found an even more interesting property.

A recent study performed in vitro found that celery can kill up to 86% of lung cancer cells in patients. The research showed that celery induces something called apoptosis, which is the programmed death of cells. This takes care of any uncontrolled cell proliferation – something that is common in various forms of cancer.

Celery also contains a high amount of apigenin, which has been shown to possess a number of anti-carcinogenic properties. It isn’t even limited to lung cancer – apigenin also helps fight against breast, prostate, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers all around.

The study that was performed in vitro showed amazing results in killing off cancer cells, but other studies show positive results for eating celery.

One such study focused on the effects of eating celery in women, and the development of ovarian and breast cancer by consequence. The results showed that women who eat diets high in celery are about 20% less likely to develop both types of cancer.

To reinforce those findings, another set of research in China showed that people eating 2-3 servings of celery every week reduced their chances of developing lung cancer by about 60%.

These numbers are incredible, and particularly shocking because they indicate that celery (a vegetable that is commonly looked at as useless) really does more than its given credit.

Why is celery so effective?

Researchers believe that apigenin is primarily the reason why celery is so great for the prevention and treatment of cancer. This glycoside decreases the growth of new blood vessels, which consequently impairs tumor growth in cancer patients. It also disrupts glucose uptake, which attacks the cell cycle for pancreatic cancer development.

In short, it pretty much stops the key processes that cancer cells need to spread throughout your body.

While celery does contain all of these great anti-carcinogenic properties, it is also an amazing antioxidant. Eating a healthy supply of it can effectively strengthen your cell health, and help you build a strong immune system as a result.

You also get the most nutrition out of your celery by opting for organic choices whenever possible. Not only are they packed with more nutrients, but they also taste better and cook more easily than alternatives.

Hopefully, celery really is as useful as scientists are finding.

Sources:
Healthy Holistic Living
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
Medical News today
Oxford Journals
Huffington Post

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Celery Juice

Celery juice is highly nutritious and one of the most hydrating foods we can put in our bodies. Because it is incredibly alkalizing, it equalizes the body's PH, which is vital for peak health. In ancient times, it was considered a medicinal herb used to treat a variety of health complaints. The minerals and vitamins and nutrients are in perfect harmony with each other. Celery leaves are high in vitamin A, whilst the stems are an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and C and dense in potassium, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, sodium and essential amino acids.

This super food also contains important concentrations of plant hormones and the very special essential oils that give celery its characteristic smell. These oils help to regulate the nervous system, and are very calming.

Celery is rich in sodium, which is very different to table salt. Normal table salt is composed of insoluble inorganic compounds which lead to the development of varicose veins, hardening of the arteries and other aliments. If salt, including sea salt is white, then it has been processed and all minerals and nutrients have been destroyed.

On the other hand, the sodium that is available in celery is soluble and organic (live), and is essential for the body. Organic salt allows the body to use the other nutrients that are taken into the body. Every cell in our body is constantly bathed in a salt solution, and if the salt level is not in balance, dehydration occurs. This is why celery juice is a perfect rehydration drink for athletes.

Other Benefits of Celery Juice

Fights Cancer - Celery is known to contain at least eight families of anti-cancer compounds. A study at Rutgers University of New Jersey found that celery contains a number of compounds that help prevent cancer cells from spreading. Celery contains compounds called acetylenics and this compound has been shown to stop the growth of tumor cells. Celery contains other compounds called phonolic acids that block the action of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins, which encourage the growth of tumor cells. Coumarins, another phytonutrient in celery helps prevent free-radicals from damaging cells and prevent the formation and development of the colon and stomach cancers.

Lowers Cholesterol - Laboratory studies also indicate that butyl phthalide, a chemical in celery, may help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol. According to researchers at the University of Chicago, celery reduces cholesterol levels by as much as 7 points with as little as 2 stalks a day. Celery also aids in increasing bile acid secretion which helps to remove cholesterol from the body.

Aids in Digestion - Special nutrients in the fiber are released during juicing that aid bowel movements. This makes celery a natural laxative that helps to relieve constipation. It also helps relax nerves that have been overworked by man-made laxatives.

Diuretic - The potassium and sodium in celery juice are powerful body fluid regulators that stimulate urine production to help rid the body of excess fluid.

Anti Inflammatory - The polyacetylene in celery is an amazing relief for all inflammation including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, gout, asthma and bronchitis. A study published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Science U.S.A found that another powerful phytonutrient called luteolin prevents activation of a pathway that allows inflammation in the brain to get switched on. Luteolin also inhibits the excess production of TNF-alpha, a direct cause of inflammation. Juice is the most efficient and nutritious way to eat celery, and people who have these conditions can drink as much juice as desired without overdosing.

Lower blood pressure - Celery's potential for reducing high blood pressure has long been recognized by Chinese medicine. Studies show that drinking celery juice every day for 1 week can significantly help lower blood pressure. A compound called phtalides helps relax the muscles around the arteries, dilating the vessels and allowing blood to flow smoothly. Pthalides also reduce stress hormones, one of whose effects is to cause blood vessels to constrict. When researchers injected 3-n-butyl phthalide derived from celery into laboratory animals, the animals' blood pressure dropped 12 to 14 percent. Celery amazingly doesn't lower blood pressure which is already low.

Insomnia - The minerals and essential oils in celery juice have a calming effect on the nervous system, making it beneficial for insomniacs. Its high magnesium levels help people to relax into a soothing and restful sleep.

Weight loss - Drinking celery juice frequently throughout the day helps curb cravings for sweet. It is filling without putting any extra pounds on.

Elimination and Prevention of stones - Celery juice is an amazing eliminator of toxins from the body, which aids in the breaking and elimination of urinary and gall bladder stones. This lovely juice helps those who have suffered from stones from getting them again.

Increased Sexuality - Celery juice is beneficial for weak sexuality, yet doesn't cause an uncontrollable urge as some pharmaceutical drugs do. Celery balances the system rather than increasing it.

Celery can be juiced with any other fruits or vegetables. A particularly delicious and powerful combination is carrot, apple, cucumber and celery.

About the author

Sheryl Walters is a kinesiologist, nutritionist and holistic practitioner.

Her website, Young Living Guide provides the latest research on preventing disease, looking naturally gorgeous, and feeling emotionally and physically fabulous. You can also find some of the most powerful super foods on the planet including raw chocolate, purple corn, and many others.

Learn more about: Celery Juicing

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Bottled Water

Here is What You Need To Check Next Time You Buy Bottled Water

Lately, when buying bottled water, consumers are advised to check the bottom of the bottle, in order to protect their health.

Plastic bottles labeled with letters like HDP, HDPE, PP and a few others, do not release any toxic material in the water, and the remaining letters can represent the chemicals found in the water you are drinking.

Every brand must label the content of the bottle, and we offer you a little help to recognize the toxic water bottles.

PET or PETE – stands for single-use bottles. These bottles can possibly release heavy metals and chemicals that affect the hormonal balance.

HDP or HDPE – plastic that practically releases no chemicals. Experts recommend choosing these bottles, when buying bottled water, because it is probably the healthiest water you can find on the market.

PVC or 3V – releases 2 toxic chemicals that affect the hormones in your body.

LDPE – this plastic can not be used in the production of bottles, but plastic bags, even though it does not release any chemicals into the water.

PP – another white colored or semi transparent plastic, used as a packing for syrups and yoghurt cups.

PS - releases some carcinogenic substances, and it is commonly used in the production of coffee cups and fast food casings.

PC or non-labeled plastic – the most dangerous plastic in the food production which releases BPA chemicals, and it is often used in the production of sports water bottles and food containers.

As of today, check the bottom of the bottle twice!

- See more at: http://www.healthyfoodhouse.com/here-is-what-you-need-to-check-next-time-you-buy-bottled-water/#sthash.Rxo4IfuO.dpuf

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Fluoridation

Profitable Toxic Waste Disposal!

China does NOT allow water fluoridation because it's too toxic and causes damage, according to their studies. Instead, the waste product from their phosphate fertilizer industry is shipped to the United States, where we add it to our water supply!

This is a very important point: the fluoride added to your water is NOT pharmaceutical grade. It's a toxic industrial waste product, which is also contaminated with lead, arsenic, radionucleotides, aluminum and other industrial contaminants. About 75 percent of Americans get fluoridated water, and just over 65 percent have artificially fluoridated water with hydrofluorosilicic acid; the toxic waste product from phosphate industries. Meanwhile, naturally occurring fluoride is found in many water supplies, especially in volcanic regions and areas with harder water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not distinguish between these two types of fluoride, but they should.

Naturally occurring fluoride in hard water areas often has a calcium fluoride. Calcium and fluoride bond very well and are not absorbed well by your body. Hydrofluorosilicic acid, on the other hand, dissolves easier and is absorbed by your body at a greater rate.

Natural calcium fluoride is about 1,000 times less toxic than hydrofluorosilicic acid or sodium fluoride, and this is because your body can't absorb nearly as much. (Note: Sodium fluoride is pharmaceutical grade fluoride, which is used in most studies, but NOT the kind added to water supplies.)

Evidence of Brain Damage (2) from Fluoride Exposure is Mounting

Amazingly, as Dr. Connett states, there are no less than 23 more studies from four different countries indicating that even moderate exposure to fluoride lowers IQ in children. (1) According to the authors: "Our study suggested that low levels of fluoride exposure in drinking water had a negative effects on children's intelligence and dental health and confirmed the dose–response relationships between urine fluoride and IQ scores as well as dental fluorosis."

This study indicates a 5 point lowering in IQ as the fluoride level in drinking water went from about 0.3 ppm to 3.0 ppm. Dr. Osmunsen also expresses deep concerns about the economic impact of brain damage, stating that you lose about $500 to $1000 dollars per year in income for every IQ point that is dropped.

"No one fixes IQ," he says. "This is an irreparable, irreversible damage that's happening to our public.

When you look at the bell curve of human distribution of intelligence, at the very bottom, way down there at the end, is what we scientifically call the mentally retarded. When you skew IQ five points down, that means that you're doubling the number of mentally retarded and you're halving the number of gifted and everybody else moves on down."

In a nutshell, everyone drinking fluoridated water on a regular basis is getting less intelligent across the board…

(Editor's Note: I have suspected that society was being dumbed down. If you don't believe me, how do you explain the people we have been electing to our government?)

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/10/11/dr-bill-osmunson-on-fluoride.aspx

(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21237562
(2) Barack Obama was elected President twice.

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Cast Iron Skillet

"Cooking with a Cast Iron Skillet.

Cast-iron skillets may seem like an old-fashioned choice in the kitchen. But this dependable cookware is a must in the modern kitchen. Cast-iron skillets conduct heat beautifully, go from stovetop to oven with no problem and last for decades. (In fact, my most highly prized piece of cookware is a canary-yellow, enamel-coated cast-iron paella pan from the 1960s that I scored at a stoop sale for $5.) As a registered dietitian and associate nutrition editor of EatingWell Magazine, I also know that there are some great health reasons to cook with cast iron.

17 Healthy Recipes for Cast Iron Skillets

1. You can cook with less oil when you use a cast-iron pan.

That lovely sheen on cast-iron cookware is the sign of a well-seasoned pan, which renders it virtually nonstick. The health bonus, of course, is that you won’t need to use gads of oil to brown crispy potatoes or sear chicken when cooking in cast-iron. To season your cast-iron skillet, cover the bottom of the pan with a thick layer of kosher salt and a half inch of cooking oil, then heat until the oil starts to smoke. Carefully pour the salt and oil into a bowl, then use a ball of paper towels to rub the inside of the pan until it is smooth. To clean cast iron, never use soap. Simply scrub your skillet with a stiff brush and hot water and dry it completely.

The 2 Healthiest Oils to Cook With (and the Worst to Avoid)

2. Cast iron is a chemical-free alternative to nonstick pans.

Another benefit to using cast-iron pans in place of nonstick pans is that you avoid the harmful chemicals that are found in nonstick pans. The repellent coating that keeps food from sticking to nonstick pots and pans contains PFCs (perfluorocarbons), a chemical that’s linked to liver damage, cancer, developmental problems and, according to one 2011 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, early menopause. PFCs get released—and inhaled—from nonstick pans in the form of fumes when pans are heated on high heat. Likewise, we can ingest them when the surface of the pan gets scratched. Both regular and ceramic-coated cast-iron pans are great alternatives to nonstick pans for this reason.

7 Simple Ways to Detox Your Diet and Your Home

8 More Products to Help You Green Up Your Kitchen

3. Cooking with cast iron fortifies your food with iron.

While cast iron doesn’t leach chemicals, it can leach some iron into your food...and that’s a good thing. Iron deficiency is fairly common worldwide, especially among women. In fact, 10% of American women are iron-deficient. Cooking food, especially something acidic like tomato sauce in a cast-iron skillet can increase iron content, by as much as 20 times.

By Kerri-Ann Jennings

Kerri-Ann, a registered dietitian, is the associate editor of nutrition for EatingWell magazine, where she puts her master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University to work writing and editing news about nutrition, health and food trends.

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

The Proper Way to Lose Weight

The right way to lose weight is to start eating healthy and exercising, not dieting. People need to develop an eating and exercise plan that they can live with for the rest of their lives. Dieters often lose weight and then gain it right back. Changing your life style means losing weight slowly until you reach a plateau, then changing again until you reach your desired weight.

First thing is to make sure you start your day with a good breakfast. Then you need to incorporate 75-85 grams of protein a day; 25-35 grams of fiber a day; ½ your body weight in ounces of water a day (if you weigh 200 lbs, you should try to drink 100 oz of water). You need to eat about every 3 hours which equates to 3 meals a day plus 2 protein snacks or 5 small meals a day. And you have to start exercising a little each day, even if it is just walking for 10-15 minutes a day; then slowly increasing it.

Herbalife teaches all of this in their Weight Loss Challenges. Their groups have lost thousands of pounds in the last 3 years. People can go to http://www.weightlosschallenge.com and be their own coach or they can contact a Herbalife representative. (Which I am not.) For this to work, people really need to want to make changes in their life.

They can't just take a shake in the morning and eat junk food the rest of the day. Changing a pattern of behavior is complicated, and requires time and energy. They just need to take that first step away from the diet mentality and closer to a new and improved lifestyle. Healthy lifestyles stick when people weave weight loss into their lives rather than weaving their lives around weight loss. Hope all this helps. Go to that website if you haven't already and read all the valuable information so you can properly teach yourself. Knowledge is the key.

For additional information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Heartburn Meds Cause Heart Attacks

A novel data-mining project reveals evidence that a common heartburn medication taken by more than 100 million people every year is associated with a greater risk of heart attacks, Stanford University researchers reported. After combing through 16 million electronic records of 2.9 million patients in two separate databases, the researchers found that people who take medication to suppress the release of stomach acid are 16 percent to 21 percent more likely to suffer myocardial infraction, commonly known as a heart attack.

The link between the drugs, known as proton pump inhibitors, and heart attacks is strong enough that “we do think patients should think about their risks and bendfits and should discuss their risk with their doctors,” said Nicholas Leeper, an assistant professor of cardiovascular surgery at Stanford, and one of the authiors of the study.

Proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium, Priosec and Prevacid are among the most widely used drugs in the world.

Source: The Washington Post

My Notes: The above Brands use a drug called lansoprazole. I had been using Prevacid in 2012 and 2013 and experienced heart attacks both years. In December of 2013, I switched to a product produced by Melaleuca called Calmicid AC which uses a drug called Famotidine. It has been almost two years since my last heart attack.

Before taking famotidine, tell your doctor if you have kidney or liver disease, a history of Long QT syndrome, stomach cancer or other problems, or asthma, COPD, or other breathing problems. (1)

Side effects associated with famotidine use include headache, dizziness, and constipation or diarrhea. (2)

(1) http://www.drugs.com/famotidine.html

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Famotidine

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

An Apple A Day

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away" has been a common saying for more than a century, and it turns out that people have been repeating it for good reason.

What makes apples so great?

In 2004, USDA scientists investigated over 100 foods to measure their antioxidant concentration per serving size. Two apples—Red Delicious and Granny Smith—ranked 12th and 13th respectively. Antioxidants are disease-fighting compounds. Scientists believe these compounds help prevent and repair oxidation damage that happens during normal cell activity. Apples are also full of a fiber called pectin—a medium-sized apple contains about 4 grams of fiber. Pectin is classed as a soluble, fermentable and viscous fiber, a combination that gives it a huge list of health benefits.

Women’s Sexual Pleasure.

Apples improve health in numerous ways, and the latest study found that apples can even boost a woman's sexual pleasure.

Apples fight many chronic health problems including:

Obesity.

A Brazilian study published in the journal Nutrition found that women who ate apples while dieting lost more weight over 12 weeks than dieters who didn't eat apples.

In addition, apples have a lot of fiber and eating foods high in fiber will fill you up without costing you too many calories.

Cancer.

Researchers believe that the phytochemicals in apples fight cancer. Researchers at Mayo Clinic found that the antioxidant quercetin, which is abundant in apples, stops changes in prostate cells that lead to cancer, slowing or preventing their growth. Chinese researchers found that human prostate cells treated with quercetin died within 48 hours. A Hawaiian study found that people whose diets were high in quercetin lowered their risk of developing lung cancer by 40 to 50 percent, and a Cornell study using rats found that eating apples daily reduced breast cancer by up to 44 percent.

Scientists from the American Association for Cancer Research, among others, agree that the consumption of flavonol-rich apples could help reduce your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by up to 23 per cent. Researchers at Cornell University have identified several compounds—triterpenoids—in apple peel that have potent anti-growth activities against cancer cells in the liver, colon and breast.

Boost your immune system

Recent studies have found that quercetin can help boost and fortify your immune system, especially when you're stressed out.

Lung diseases.

Several studies have shown that eating apples improves lung function and lowers the risk of respiratory diseases including emphysema, bronchitis, and asthma.

Diabetes.

A Finnish study that found a decreased risk of lung disease also found a significant decrease in the risk of Type 2 diabetes among people who ate apples. They attributed the decrease to a high intake of quercetin found in apple peels. A study at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that people who ate at least two servings a week of specific fruits, including apples, grapes, and blueberries, reduced their risk of diabetes by up to 23 percent.

Strokes.

A review of 20 studies published in the journal Stroke found that eating the equivalent of two small apples a day (a total of about 200 grams) cut stroke risk by almost a third. Part of the benefit may come from pectin, a form of soluble fiber found in apples that lowers blood pressure and levels of bad cholesterol.

Heart attacks.

A study at University of California at Davis found that eating two apples a day reduces the artery-clogging damage caused by LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

The soluble fiber found in apples binds with fats in the intestine, which translates into lower cholesterol levels and a healthier you.

The phenolic compound found in apple skins also prevents the cholesterol that gets into your system from solidifying on your artery walls. When plaque builds inside your arteries, it reduces blood flow to your heart, leading to coronary artery disease.

Prevent gallstones

Gallstones form when there’s too much cholesterol in your bile for it to remain as a liquid, so it solidifies. They are particularly prevalent in the obese. To prevent gallstones, doctors recommend a diet high in fiber to help you control your weight and cholesterol levels.

Get whiter, healthier teeth

An apple won’t replace your toothbrush, but biting and chewing an apple stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, reducing tooth decay by lowering the levels of bacteria. This will also freshen your breath.

Avoid Alzheimer’s

A new study performed on mice shows that drinking apple juice could keep Alzheimer’s away and fight the effects of aging on the brain. Mice in the study that were fed an apple-enhanced diet showed higher levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and did better in maze tests than those on a regular diet.

Protect against Parkinson’s

Research has shown that people who eat fruits and other high-fiber foods gain a certain amount of protection against Parkinson’s, a disease characterized by a breakdown of the brain’s dopamine-producing nerve cells. Scientists have linked this to the free radical-fighting power of the antioxidants contained therein.

Beat diarrhea and constipation

Whether you can’t go to the bathroom or you just can’t stop, fiber found in apples can help. Fiber can either pull water out of your colon to keep things moving along when you’re backed up, or absorb excess water from your stool to slow your bowels down.

Neutralize irritable bowel syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain and bloating. To control these symptoms doctors recommend staying away from dairy and fatty foods while including a high intake of fiber in your diet.

Avert hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are a swollen vein in the anal canal and while not life threatening, these veins can be very painful. They are caused by too much pressure in the pelvic and rectal areas. Along with controlling constipation, fiber can prevent you from straining too much when going to the bathroom and thereby help alleviate hemorrhoids.

Detoxify your liver

We’re constantly consuming toxins, whether it is from drinks or food, and your liver is responsible for clearing these toxins out of your body. Luckily, one of the best—and easiest—things you can eat to help detoxify your liver is fruits—like apples.

Prevent cataracts

Though past studies have been divided on the issue, recent long-term studies suggest that people who have a diet rich in fruits that contain antioxidants—like apples—are 10 to 15 per cent less likely to develop cataracts.

Source 1: http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/apple-health-doctor-sexual/2014/07/24/id/584776/?ns_mail_uid=14565204&ns_mail_job=1579002_07272014&s=al&dkt_nbr=dwa7lkkz    By Sylvia Booth Hubbard

Source 2: http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-eats/nutrition/15-health-benefits-of-eating-apples

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Lose weight with Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Nighttime Bathroom Trips

For several years, I have been getting up about every two hours during the night to go to the bathroom. I always cease my intake of liquids 3 to 3 ½ hours before I go to bed. I talked to my doctor about this and he suggested I try Saw Palmetto for 30 days. If my symptoms didn’t change, I should stop. Well, I bought a bottle with 60 pills so I decided to take all 60 over the two months. After about 6 weeks, I started to notice a change. I now sleep anywhere from 3 to 6+ hours without getting up. I haven’t been able to figure out why sometimes I sleep for 3 hours and sometimes for 6 without getting up, but, it is indeed a welcome change.

It seems like most Saw Palmetto pills also have pumpkin seed oil.

There are several possible side effects of Saw Palmetto and some warnings about moderate medical interactions. Be sure to discuss this issue with your doctor before you try it.

Good Luck

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Markethive
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Why Low Fat Diet and Statins May Cause Alzheimer's

by Stephanie Seneff

seneff@csail.mit.edu
December 15, 2009

(Editor’s Note: I can’t possibly do justice to this subject in one blog post. However, this is a very important subject so I encourage you to go to the original article.

I have thought for a long time that Alzheimer’s was caused by something we can control, like diet or medication. My thinking has always put the blame on the substance used to cover the inside of aluminum cans. ) (1)

For the original article, go to http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/alzheimers_statins.html Or CLICK HERE

(1) http://www.ehow.com/info_8147954_hazards-aluminum-can-lining.html

Bisphenol A - Since the early 1960s, Bisphenol A, or BPA, has been added to hard plastics and epoxy resins, such as those used in aluminum can liners. Initial toxicity tests of BPA showed that it did not pose a significant health risk to consumers. However, in 2008 the National Toxicology Control Program Center released a study that linked BPA exposure to negative health effects on “the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and children.”

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Inbound Marketing
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

Obesity Costs $2 Trillion a Year

The Washington Post via the San Diego Union Tribune, November 22, 2014

We’re big and we’re getting bigger. One estimate from earlier this year found that almost one-third of the world was now obese (That is more than 2 billion people) and that numbers have been rising, significantly for decades.

The world’s growing obesity and the health problems that come with it are a big deal (no pun intended) and come with a significant cost.

A new report from consulting firm McKinsey estimates that the world’s obesity problem cost it $2 trillion in 2012. That’s more than alcoholism, climate change, or even drug use, and almost as much as war and terrorism or smoking.

McKinsey’s report, titled “How the world could better fight obesity”, hopes to outline the ways that things could improve, though he admits that with no major success stories in combating obesity in the past 30 years, we’re left to guess at what actually works.

For the complete article: Click Here

The McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), the business and economics research arm of McKinsey, was established in 1990 to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving global economy. Our goal is to provide leaders in the commercial, public, and social sectors with the facts and insights on which to base management and policy decisions.

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Venus Factor
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting
Venus Factor

Only Search This Blog

The Dangers of Food Dyes (Part 2)

Cancer and Other Serious Risks from Food Dyes Revealed

In CSPI's summary of studies on food dyes ⁽²⁾, you can see that some of the most commonly used food dyes may be linked to numerous forms of cancer. CSPI reported ^(3).

"The three most widely used dyes, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6, are contaminated with known carcinogens … Another dye, Red 3, has been acknowledged for years by the Food and Drug Administration to be a carcinogen, yet is still in the food supply."

In their 58-page report, "Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks," CSPI revealed that nine of the food dyes currently approved for use in the United States are linked to health issues ranging from cancer and hyperactivity to allergy-like reactions -- and these results were from studies conducted by the chemical industry itself.

For instance, Red # 40, which is the most widely used dye, may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice, while also triggering hyperactivity in children.

Blue # 2, used in candies, beverages, pet foods and more, was linked to brain tumors. And Yellow 5, used in baked goods, candies, cereal and more, may not only be contaminated with several cancer-causing chemicals, but it's also linked to hyperactivity, hypersensitivity and other behavioral effects in children.

As CSPI reported ⁴

"Almost all the toxicological studies on dyes were commissioned, conducted, and analyzed by the chemical industry and academic consultants. Ideally, dyes (and other regulated chemicals) would be tested by independent researchers.

Furthermore, virtually all the studies tested individual dyes, whereas many foods and diets contain mixtures of dyes (and other ingredients) that might lead to additive or synergistic effects.

In addition to considerations of organ damage, cancer, birth defects, and allergic reactions, mixtures of dyes (and Yellow 5 tested alone) cause hyperactivity and other behavioral problems in some children.

… Because of those toxicological considerations, including carcinogenicity, hypersensitivity reactions, and behavioral effects, food dyes cannot be considered safe. The FDA should ban food dyes, which serve no purpose other than a cosmetic effect, though quirks in the law make it difficult to do so (the law should be amended to make it no more difficult to ban food colorings than other food additives).

In the meantime, companies voluntarily should replace dyes with safer, natural colorings."

Remember Why Food Colorings Are Added to Foods in the First Place …

If you need further incentive to ditch artificially colored foods from your diet, remember the reason they're added to processed foods in the first place: to make a food that would otherwise be an off-colored mess look appealing.

When foods are processed not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the texture, natural variation and flavors are lost also. After processing, what's actually left behind is a bland, uninteresting "pseudo-food" that most people would find entirely unappetizing.

So at this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture in order to make them desirable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives.

Most commonly, additives are included to:

Slow spoilage

Prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor

Prevent cut fruits from turning brown

Fortify or enrich the food with synthetic vitamins and minerals (which are lost during processing)

Improve taste, texture, and appearance

In the case of kids' foods, bright colors are also added to attract kids' attention and make the foods appear "fun." But in most cases, if a food comes in an outrageous color that is not found in nature, consuming it is not a good idea.

Take one carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal The Lancet ⁽⁵⁾. It concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate -- found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings -- do in fact cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.

The study also found that the E-numbered food dyes do as much damage to children's brains as lead in gasoline, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ.

The results of this study were what prompted the British Food Standards Agency (FSA) to issue an immediate advisory to parents ⁽⁶⁾, warning them to limit their children's intake of additives if they notice an effect on behavior. As mentioned earlier, they also advised the food industry to voluntarily remove the six food dyes named in the study back in 2009, and replace them with natural alternatives if possible.

The United States, however, has not followed suit in issuing any similar warnings to American parents, even now two years later.

Stick to Naturally Colored Foods for Your Health

Let me make it clear that your diet should include a range of vibrantly colored foods … but these foods should be the ones that are naturally rich in color. Red bell peppers, purple eggplant, green spinach, blueberries and rainbow chard are all examples of healthy foods whose bright colors are signs of the important nutrients they contain.

These are the food colors you need in your diet … not the man-made varieties found in most processed foods. The good news is avoiding artificial food dyes is incredibly easy -- just stick to whole fresh foods and avoid the processed ones. If you need help breaking an addiction to processed foods, these seven steps will help you wean off of them in favor of healthier, unprocessed, natural alternatives.

(2) Center for Science in the Public Interest, Summary of Studies on Food Dyes (PDF)
(3) Center for Science in the Public Interest
(4) Center for Science in the Public Interest, Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks (PDF
(5) The Lancet November 3, 2007
(6) British Food Standards Agency, Food Additives and Hyperactivity (PDF)

Source:http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/24/are-you-or-your-family-eating-toxic-food-dyes.aspx

For additional information, go to http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Dr-Blaylock/food-dyes-toxic-substances-processed-foods-DrRussell-Blaylock/2013/09/11/id/525051/

Or http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/food-safety-dangers-associated-with-food-dyes.html

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Rays Nutrition Center
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting

Only Search This Blog

THE DANGERS OF FOOD DYES

(Note: This is the first of two articles on the dangers of food dye. Once again, the EU is way ahead of the US. I believe the US lawmakers are more corrupt than our EU counterparts and therefore, big business can’t dictate health and safety concerns to the EU.)

Food dyes are one of the most widely used and dangerous additives. While the European Union has recently placed regulations on labeling food dyes to inform consumers of the health risks, the United States has no such requirement.

Here are some of the most common food dyes used today, according to the Food Freedom Network:

Blue #1 (Brilliant Blue)
An unpublished study suggested the possibility that Blue 1 caused kidney tumors in mice. What it's in: Baked goods, beverages, desert powders, candies, cereal, drugs, and other products.

Blue #2 (Indigo Carmine)
Causes a statistically significant incidence of tumors, particularly brain gliomas, in male rats. What it's in: Colored beverages, candies, pet food, & other food and drugs.

Citrus Red #2
It's toxic to rodents at modest levels and caused tumors of the urinary bladder and possibly other organs. What it's in: Skins of Florida oranges.

Green #3 (Fast Green)
Caused significant increases in bladder and testes tumors in male rats. What it's in: Drugs, personal care products, cosmetic products except in eye area, candies, beverages, ice cream, sorbet, ingested drugs, lipsticks, and externally applied cosmetics.

Red #3 (Erythrosine)
Recognized in 1990 by the FDA as a thyroid carcinogen in animals and is banned in cosmetics and externally applied drugs. What it's in: Sausage casings, oral medication, maraschino cherries, baked goods, and candies.

Red #40 (Allura Red)
This is the most-widely used and consumed dye. It may accelerate the appearance of immune system tumors in mice. It also causes hypersensitivity (allergy-like) reactions in some consumers and might trigger hyperactivity in children. What it's in: Beverages, bakery goods, dessert powders, candies, cereals, foods, drugs, and cosmetics.

Yellow #5 (Tartrazine)
Yellow 5 causes sometimes-severe hypersensitivity reactions and might trigger hyperactivity and other behavioral effects in children. What it's in: Pet foods, numerous bakery goods, beverages, dessert powders, candies, cereals, gelatin desserts, and many other foods, as well as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.

Yellow #6 (Sunset Yellow)
Caused adrenal tumors in animals and occasionally causes severe hypersensitivity reactions. What it's in: Color bakery goods, cereals, beverages, dessert powders, candies, gelatin deserts, sausage, cosmetics, and drugs.

Every year, food manufacturers pour 15 million pounds of artificial food dyes into U.S. foods -- and that amount only factors in eight different varieties, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).

These dyes are so common in U.S. foods -- especially kids' foods -- that parents don't think twice about giving their children rainbow-colored cereal or fluorescent blue "juice," and adults don't consider bright orange cheese puffs out of the ordinary, either.

But you might do a double take if these food packages contained warnings detailing what these artificial food colorings may really be doing to your health, and that of your children.

Well, in the European Union at least, they do. As of July 2010, most foods in the EU that contain artificial food dyes were labeled with warning labels ⁽¹⁾ stating the food "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children." The British government also asked that food manufacturers remove most artificial colors from foods back in 2009.

In the United States, however, consumers are still snatching up artificially colored foods with fervor, as most are completely unaware of the risks involved … and let me just say, hyperactivity in children is only the tip of the iceberg.

Stay tuned for Part 2

Source: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/24/are-you-or-your-family-eating-toxic-food-dyes.aspx

(1) 1 Center for Science in the Public Interest, July 2010

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Rays Nutrition Center
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting

Only Search This Blog

Cereal Killers - The Movie

By Dr. Mercola

The persistent myth that dietary fat causes obesity and promotes heart disease has undoubtedly ruined the health of millions of people. It's difficult to know just how many people have succumbed to chronic poor health from following conventional low-fat, high-carb recommendations, but I'm sure the number is significant.

In the featured documentary, Cereal Killers, 41-year-old Donal O'Neill turns the American food pyramid upside-down—eliminating sugars and grains, and dramatically boosting his fat intake. In so doing, he improves his health to the point of reducing his hereditary risk factors for heart disease to nil.

Watching people's reactions to his diet brings home just how brainwashed we've all become when it comes to dietary fat. Most fear it. Yet they will consume sugar in amounts that virtually guarantee they'll suffer all the devastating health consequences they're trying to prevent by avoiding fat, and then some!

Fat versus Carbs—What Really Makes You Pack on the Pounds?

The fact is, you've been thoroughly misled when it comes to conventional dietary advice. Most dietary guidelines have been massively distorted, manipulated, and influenced by the very industries responsible for the obesity epidemic in the first place—the sugar and processed food industries.

Shunning the evidence, many doctors, nutritionists, and government health officials will still tell you to keep your saturated fat below 10 percent, while keeping the bulk of your diet, about 60 percent, as carbs.(1)This is madness, as it's the converse of a diet that will lead to optimal health.

A recent Time Magazine (2) article highlighted a report by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which showed that many breakfast cereals contain more than 50 percent sugar by weight! Cereals marketed specifically to children are among the worst offenders. Kellogg's Honey Smacks and Mom's Best Cereals Honey-Ful Wheat topped the list with 56 percent sugar by weight.

Even diabetes organizations promote carbohydrates as a major component of a healthy diet—even though grains break down to sugar in your body, and sugar promotes insulin resistance, which is the root cause of type 2 diabetes in the first place.

As noted in the film: "If we could get all diabetics to eat a high-fat, high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, we would cut the insulin requirement so dramatically that it's been estimated that six pharmaceutical companies would go out of business tomorrow." Contrary to popular belief, you do not get fat from eating fat. You get fat from eating too much sugar and grains.

Refined carbohydrates promote chronic inflammation in your body, elevate low-density LDL cholesterol, and ultimately lead to insulin and leptin resistance. Insulin and leptin resistance, in turn, is at the heart of obesity and most chronic disease, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's—all the top killers in the US.

END OF BLOG POST

To learn more about this subject and to see the original article, go to http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/05/24/cereal-killers-movie.aspx

The following additional topics are discussed in the article.

• Don't Fear the Fat
  
• Saturated Fat and Cholesterol Are Both Necessary for Optimal Health
  
• There's reason to believe that low-fat diets and/or cholesterol-lowering drugs may cause or contribute to Alzheimer's disease. (3)
  
• Replacing Refined Carbs with Healthy Fat—The Answer to Most of Your Health Concerns
  
• What's the Deal with Protein?
  
• Your Health Is Within Your Control
  
  

(1) US Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 (PDF) Time
(2) May 15, 2014
(3) Stephanie Seneff, APOE-4: The Clue to Why Low Fat Diet and Statins may Cause Alzheimer's

_________________________________________

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Rays Nutrition Center
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting

Only Search This Blog

Drinking Water Protects Against Fatal Heart Attack

Drinking Water Helps Reduce Heart Disease Risk

Want to lower your risk of having a heart attack? Drink more water, and less of everything else, new research reports.

Researchers at Loma Linda University in California found that people who drank at least five glasses of water each day were less likely to die from heat attack than those who drank two or fewer glasses per day.

In contrast, people who drank a lot of other fluids (soda, juice, coffee, tea) were more likely to die from heart attack than those who drank less, with high levels of non-water drinking women associated with more than a two-fold increased risk of death.

Officials at the college said the results reveal that drinking high amounts of plain water is as important as exercise, diet, or not smoking in preventing coronary heart disease. “Basically, not drinking enough water can be as harmful to your heart as smoking,” said Dr. Jacqueline Chan, principle investigator and lead author of the article.

The study followed 20,000 Seven Day Adventists for 6 years. They found that women who drank more than five 8-ounce glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from heart attack during the study period than those who drank two or fewer glasses. In high-water consuming men, that risk decreased by 54%.

But when they looked at consumption of other fluids, including coffee, tea, juice, milk and alcohol, the risk was reversed, with women exhibiting a more than two-fold higher risk of dying of heart attack and men a 46% increased risk.

While not glamorous, the degree of benefit from drinking plain water reportedly surpasses drinking moderate amounts of alcohol, taking aspirin, and other preventive measures, with none of the adverse side effects. The researchers think that drinking water keeps the blood thin. Other types of liquid probably do not do this as well, or have a negative effect. Drinks that contain the stimulant caffeine, such as coffee and tea, probably have a diuretic effect. Soft drinks and juices are full of fast sugars. In studies where subjects were made to drink three glasses of grape juice a day, the concentration of triglycerides in their blood rose as a result by fifty percent, and by thirty percent in the subjects who drank the same amount of orange juice. Triglycerides [or fats in ordinary language] in the blood increase the risk of a heart attack.

Drinking more water has no side effects and can only do you good.

Source: http://www.ergo-log.com/waterheart.html

Get help losing weight and keeping it off.

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Rays Nutrition Center
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting

Obesity's Causes and Repercussions

Obesity's causes and repercussions continue to be topics of research.

Fries and pies aren’t the only reasons Americans are obese.

The following article originally appeared on AlterNet.

Americans have become huge. Between the 1960s and the 2000s, Americans grew, on the average, an inch taller and 24 pounds heavier. The average American man today weights 194 pounds and the average woman 165 pounds. The growing girth has led to the creation of special-sized ambulances, operating tables and coffins as well as bigger seats on planes and trains. Almost a third of American children and teens are overweight, but 84 percent of parents believe their children are at a healthy weight in one study. Why? The adults are probably overweight too.

Still there are scientific reasons why Americans are blimping up and they aren’t limited to eating too much and exercising too little. Here are a few areas under suspicion.

1. Antibiotics in food and as medicine. A recent article in the New York Times confirms suspicions that the antibiotics routinely given to livestock to make them fat do the same thing to people. Antibiotics are thought to fatten by changing gut bacteria to make absorption of nutrients more efficient. In 1974, an experiment was done on several hundred Navy recruits to see if they would gain weight on antibiotics and, after only seven weeks, they did. An experiment was also done, unethically it sounds, on “mentally deficient spastic” children in Guatemala in the 1950s, reports the Times. The children gained an extra five pounds over a year compared with children who were not given antibiotics. Denmark researchers found babies given antibiotics within six months of birth were more likely to be overweight by age seven.

Most researchers blame over-prescription of antibiotics for excessive human exposure; US children get as many as 20 antibiotic treatments while they are growing up, says Martin Blaser, a leading antibiotic researcher at New York University Langone Medical Center. But studies show there are antibiotic residues in US food too, especially in meat and milk, and the government tests for them. That means even if you avoid unnecessary antibiotics from the doctor, you could be getting them from the grocery store.

2. Other livestock fatteners. If antibiotics used to make livestock fat could make us fat, is there any reason to think other weight-producing drugs for livestock wouldn’t do the same?Ractopamine, marketed as Paylean for pigs, Optaflexx for cattle and Topmax for turkeys is widely used in the US and banned in many other countries. It is given to 60 to 80 percent of US pigs, 30 percent of ration-fed cattle and an undisclosed number of turkeys. There is no withdrawal period for ractopamine before slaughter but Big Ag says the drug is not in the meat because it exits the animal as manure. Okay, but what happens to the manure?

Also banned in European countries are the hormones US cattle growers rely upon, such as oestradiol-17, trenbolone acetate, zeranol and melengestrol. Zeranol may have more actions than just making mammals fat. It is a “powerful estrogenic chemical, as demonstrated by its ability to stimulate growth and proliferation of human breast tumor cells in vitro at potencies similar to those of the natural hormone estradiol and the known carcinogen diethylstilbestrol,” says the Breast Cancer Fund. Translation: it may be linked to US breast cancer rates, too.

No wonder Europe doesn’t want our beef.

3. Pesticides and other endocrine disrupters. Some antibiotics and artificial sweeteners are similar molecules to endocrine disrupters—the chemicals used to make fire retardants and plastics that are increasingly in our food and environment. Endocrine disrupters, like BPA (Bisphenol A), banned in some baby bottles, and Triclosan found in Colgate’s Total and many dish detergents, are linked to a host of shocking symptoms like genital deformities in wildlife and infertility, low sperm counts and possible early puberty and diabetes in humans. But they also may be linked to obesity.

As early as 2003, the journal Toxicological Sciences addressed effects that endocrine disruptors have on fetal development that likely play a role in adult obesity. “Obesity has been proposed to be yet another adverse health effect of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during critical stages of development,” echoes an article in the International Journal of Andrology. Pregnant women with high levels of the endocrine disrupter PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid used in the manufacture of as Teflon and Gore-Tex) in their bodies were three times as likely to have daughters who grew up to be overweight, reported the New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof.

4. Sugar substitutes. Artificial sweeteners have always been billed as a way to cut calories and lose weight. But recent research shows they may do just the opposite. When researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center studied 474 people who drank two or more artificially sweetened soft drinks a day they found the people gained five times as much as those not drinking diet drinks. Thanks for nothing!

There are three reasons artificial sweeteners may do more harm than good. One is that some of the sweeteners—which tend to be chemicals like acesulfame potassium and aspartame—may slow metabolism, speculate researchers. Secondly, artificial sweeteners separate “food seeking behavior” from the “reward” of real nutrients and can set up sweets addictions because the reward is never received. They literally “train” people to crave sweets. Finally the presence of artificial sweeteners in a product doesn’t automatically mean natural sweeteners aren’t present too. Some food manufacturers use both. Read the label. Marion Nestle, a professor in nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University and leading food expert, told me she isn’t aware of any convincing evidence that proves artificial sweeteners help people to lose weight. One artificial sweetener, Splenda, has similarities to endocrine disrupting pesticides….

5. Industry and government marketing. Most people are aware of aggressive junk food marketing, especially to children, and everyone from Disneyland to First Lady Michelle Obama has spoken out about it. In a study in the journal Pediatrics, children who tasted identical graham crackers and gummy fruit snacks, some with and some without cartoon characters, “significantly preferred the taste of foods that had popular cartoon characters on the packaging.” Who says advertising doesn’t work?

Researchers who studied 500,000 California middle- and high-school students found those who attended schools located near fast-food outlets—surprise!—weighed more. Still, it is not just the food industry that is responsible for our growing national girth.

The USDA, even though it cautions food consumers about high-fat, obesity-linked foods, plays the other side of the street as well and is linked to a group that seeks to get people to double their cheese intake to help milk sales. Dairy Management, a USDA “marketing creation” with 162 employees, according to the New York Times, has helped Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy’s and Domino’s cheesify their menu options!

“If every pizza included one more ounce of cheese, we would sell an additional 250 million pounds of cheese annually,” rhapsodized the Dairy Management chief executive in a trade publication. Though Dairy Management is mostly funded by farmers, it received $5.3 million from the USDA during one year, for an overseas dairy campaign, which almost equals the total $6.5 million budget of USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion—the group that cautions us about fatty foods like cheese. Yes, the government is talking out of both sides of its mouth when it tells the public what to put in its mouth.

---

I can help you with diet planning and counseling.

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Rays Nutrition Center
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Websites:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting

Only Search This Blog

You Might want to rethink a Gluten free diet

Going gluten-free is all the rage these days. It's the diet of choice for Hollywood starlets and health nuts alike; supermarket aisles are packed full of products touting their lack of the stretchy protein. But for a lot of people, the gluten-free lifestyle may do more harm than good.

What Is Gluten?

Gluten is a sticky, stretchable protein found in grains like wheat, barley, oats, and rye. Formed during the kneading process, gluten chains create a matrix that traps carbon dioxide bubbles produced by the fermenting yeast. This gives bread its chewiness, pizza dough its stretchiness, and acts as a thickening agent in dozens of products from salad dressing to soy sauce. Even beer contains a fair amount.

Gluten is a relatively new addition to the human diet. For a large portion of our species' evolution, humans subsisted primarily on animal protein supplemented with fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It wasn't until the start of the Neolithic era—around 9500 BC—and the transition to agriculture that we began consuming carbohydrates and gluten in the form of grains. In evolutionary terms, we might as well have started yesterday. Just as our teeth are still built for tearing through meat and plants rather than processed flour, our digestive system has not yet fully adapted to adequately handle complex carbohydrates (the same goes for bovine lactose—milk) and lacks the ability to fully break down gluten molecules into its component amino acids.

For most people, this is no big deal. Even though the body doesn't fully process the gluten or lactose, no harm comes of it and we're no worse for wear. However for the one in seven Americans that suffers from a sensitivity to gluten, consuming it can lead to severe intestinal distress.

And even that discomfort is a walk in the park compared to what happens when someone who suffers from celiac disease—full blown gluten intolerance—eats the stuff. For them, any amount of the protein will trigger a massive autoimmune response within the gut as the body's defenses attack gliadin, a glycoprotein found in gluten. Unfortunately, this response also damages the villi of the small intestine (villi are the tiny structures that absorb nutrients from digesting food) which, if left untreated, can result in symptoms ranging from diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), intestinal ulcers, intestinal cancer, and a host of nutrient deficiencies.

Once regarded as an rare digestive malady afflicting maybe 1 in 10,000 people worldwide, celiac disease is now considered one of the most common genetic disorders in the western world by the Center for Celiac Disease Research at the University of Maryland. According to a 2003 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine celiac disease affects an estimated 1 in 133 people in America alone. Being a hereditary disorder, celiac disease runs in the family. Your chances of being diagnosed with it jump from 1 in 133 to 1 in 39 if a cousin, aunt, or uncle has it; 1 in 22 if a member of your immediate family does. Interestingly, celiac disease is far less common for Americans of African, Hispanic, and Asian descent—just 1 in 236. What's more, this disease has shown a marked propensity to occur in combination with lactose intolerance, as well as with type 1 diabetes.

Not Just Another Atkins Diet

Where there is a disease, there is a marketing opportunity. As celiac disease has gained notoriety, an increasing number of people have begun self-diagnosing as gluten sensitive, and consequently have adopted gluten-free lifestyles. It's also been touted as a new-age cure-all for a number of maladies including migraines and fibromyalgia, though there is little scientific data to support such claims. Going gluten-free, unless recommended by a physician, is a bad call according to Carol M. Shilson, executive director of the Center for Celiac Disease Research.

"There's no scientific evidence that it's better for you if you don't have celiac disease," Shilson told the Journal Sentinel. In fact, given the difficulty our bodies have digesting gluten as it is, "it's very hard to go back to a regular diet" after any prolonged lapse in its consumption. Heck, just eliminating gluten in the first place is a challenge given its ubiquitous use as a thickening agent. Consequently, much of the weight-loss benefit brought on by giving up gluten is due to the severely restrictive diet one must follow.

As Mark DeMeo, M.D., director of gastroenterology and nutrition at the Adult Celiac Disease Program at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago told Women's Health, "there's nothing magical about a gluten-free diet that's going to help you lose weight."

In fact, doing so can have the opposite effect. As Shelley Case, R.D., author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide and a medical advisory board member for the Celiac Disease Foundation, explained to Women's Health, without gluten to hold baked goods together, food manufacturers will often use fats and sugar instead.

That means, Case continued, going gluten-free can potentially increase your risk of developing a micronutrient deficiency, especially if you rely on hyper-processed and fat/sugar-packed, packaged foods rather than the nutritionally stable and vitamin-packed fresh fruits, vegetables, and gluten-free grains (like quinoa) you should be eating anyway.

While there is no reliable means of testing for a gluten sensitivity, a simple blood test can determine whether or not someone suffers from celiac disease by identifying specific anti-gluten antibodies.

"Because it is a lifelong genetic disease that can be passed on, it's important to get a proper diagnosis," Shilson said. "And you have to be eating a regular diet (with gluten) or all the diagnostic tests will be rendered invalid." And even if the results come back positive, an intestinal biopsy may be first necessary to confirm it. So before you start stocking up on quinoa, make sure to talk to your doctor. And unless your body has a genuine sensitivity, think about limiting your glutens instead of replacing them with stuff that's even worse.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten
http://www.jsonline.com/features/food/92134239.html
http://www.massgeneral.org/children/services/treatmentprograms.aspx?id=1723
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/gluten-free-diet
http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/what-is-gluten

---

For information on nutrition and losing weight, go to Rays Nutrition Center
or contact me at: raybarmore@gmail.com

Ray R Barmore
Health and Wellness Coach
The Herbal Guy
San Diego California
619-876-5273
Skype: barmore4

Other Blog:
God in America

Other Website:
Healthy Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate
Melaleuca
Winning at Sports Betting

Only Search This Blog