Insulin – King of the Hormones

There is a single important chemical in the body which manages a variety of processes and levels in the blood and the entire body.  This single master control – the king in your hand – is called Insulin, and controlling your Insulin is the key to your health.
When I was 75 pounds heavier, I was not in control of my Insulin levels. I was significantly heavier. I always feeling tired and run down. I was snoring and even stopped breathing at multiple times during the night (a condition called Sleep Apnea). I felt like I needed high calorie, high sugar and caffeinated foods to give me an energy boost at every meal and even between meals. I was not in control of my Insulin, and this was messing with the rest of my bodily functions.

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by certain organs and cells in our body. They are stimulated and secreted in order to maintain a balance of many factors related to metabolism, stress and energy production. This balance is called “Homeostasis”.

Insulin is considered the “master hormone” of the body. It is a chemical messenger which is produced and secreted by cells of the Pancreas (Beta-cells) in response to eating food, but most notably, in response to carbohydrates. Insulin facilitates the movement of all macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates) out of the bloodstream and into our cells for use either immediately, or in the future.

When we eat a meal high in carbohydrates (sugar, cereal, pasta, breads, rice), our body responds to the elevated level of sugar in our blood by releasing a wave of Insulin in the bloodstream, telling the cells to remove all this sugar from the blood and take it into the cells for energy production and/or storage. If this happens occasionally in the body, the response will occur properly. When we are eating high carb meals multiple times per day, our blood sugar levels remain chronically high and insulin needs to be produced constantly in order to keep levels within the normal range. When our insulin levels are constantly high, the constant knocking at the door by Insulin annoys our cells.

If a friend rings your doorbell or knocks on your door asking for a favour, you generally have no problem and will help them out. Now imagine that same friend constantly knocking at your door, 3-4 times per day, asking you to help them with this or that. Initially you would get annoyed. Soon, you may not even answer the knock at the door because this friend is asking for too much and is being incredibly annoying, and so you become less friendly and the favour doesn’t get completed.
The same thing happens in our cells when Insulin is constantly knocking at the door, asking for our cells to do them a favour by taking in some sugar from the bloodstream. Our cells eventually stop answering the knock at the door (Insulin Resistance). This can eventually lead to chronically high blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia), which is harmful to our long-term health. The pancreas eventually stops producing insulin because our body stops reacting to it. We have lost our master hormone so our body’s hormone system. Our body reacts by many other hormones going out of balance including Glucagon, Cortisol, Thyroid, Testosterone, Progesterone, Estrogen and Leptin as well as their controlling hormones.

Chronically high blood sugar is a major cause of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, brain and memory conditions (read the book “Grain Brain”), Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, and low sex drive.

Overcome these issues by eating meals higher in natural sources of carbohydrate and other micronutrients like dark, leafy green vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Your diet should also be higher in good quality protein like free-run eggs, chicken and wild-caught fish as well as good quality fats like avocado, nuts and seeds. Cook in coconut oil, ghee or butter and avoid low quality industrial oils. Feel free to sprinkle your salads with Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar as well rather than packaged dressings.

Stack your deck by treating the King of the Hormones well. Keep insulin working correctly and cells responding to that friendly neighbour. If you treat it will, your outlook will improve immensely as health will no longer limit you.

Dr. Navaz Habib


Click Here For More Articles

Research Shows: Powerful Plant that Kills Cancer Cells and Fights Diabetes

According to many scientists, when discussing one of the most dangerous and common diseases of 21th century – cancer, the remedy against this disease lies in natural substances that simply kill cancer cells and destroy their reverse metabolism.

It is very well known fact that cancer cells lack oxygen and simply multiply in uncontrolled manner. Some of the substances that are good and used for cancer cells elimination are green and black tea, backing soda without aluminium, grape seed juice rich with resveratrol, shiitake mushrooms and many other. Recently, scientists discovered a fruit called “ Bitter Melon”, popular in Japan, Okinawa region.

The juice produced by this fruit is mixed in 5% in water and proved to kill pancreatic cancer cells. It is conformed that this bitter melon juice eliminates cancer cell lines by 90%. This juice is also applied on animals that is mice and is confirmed that the tumor size is drastically decreased. This would also be applied on humans. It is sure that there no side effects.

The dosage is six grams of this miraculous powder for a human with average high and weight. This bitter melon juice is also helpful for diabetes removal. It is proven that this juice helps to diminish metabolic problems.

Talking about those illnesses it is better that several methods along with this one to be applied, since the synergy of several medicines is the best therapy along with the best results.
Resource: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed

These People Reversed Their Diabetes In 30 Days With This One Change

Diabetes is one of the most rampant diseases of our time. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2012, 29.1 million Americans, or 9.3% of the population, had diabetes. [1]

In fact, diabetes is growing at a fairly fast rate. A study completed by the CDC & Research Triangle Institute concluded that If recent trends in diabetes prevalence rates continue linearly over the next 50 years, future changes in the size and demographic characteristics of the U.S. population will lead to dramatic increases in the number of Americans with diagnosed diabetes. [2]

According to the current mainstream approach, the major goal in treating diabetes is to minimize any elevation of blood sugar (glucose) without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar. Type 1 diabetes is treated with insulin, exercise, and a diabetic diet. Type 2 diabetes is treated first with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. [3] Currently the belief is “Diabetes is a chronic disease that has no cure.”– The American Diabetes Association.

But what if we could not only prevent diabetes before it happened, but also reverse it once it shows up?

6 Test Subjects Reverse Diabetes In 30 Days
In the film Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days, six test subjects were used, all of whom had varying lifestyles and conditions but were all diabetic- five type 2, and one type 1. Each subject was taking insulin.

Before we get into the results of this film, let’s take note of what is established about type 1 and type 2 diabetes. This information is from The National Diabetes Education Program:

Type 1 diabetes – the body does not make insulin. Insulin helps the body use glucose from food for energy. People with type 1 need to take insulin every day.

Type 2 diabetes – the body does not make or use insulin well. People with type 2 often need to take pills or insulin. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes.

The participants of the program were as follows:

Austin (age 25) was not only a type 1 diabetic, but he also had a drinking problem.
Kirt (age 25) had a blood sugar reading of 1200. Normal is below 100. His doctor told him, “You should be dead.”
Bill (age 58) was seeing a cardiologist and had neuropathy. He could not feel his feet.
Michelle (age 36) was quite obese.
Henry (age 58) took insulin plus 9 pills daily. Blood sugar was at 464.
Pam (62) was quite obese. Her father, brother and sister are also diabetic.
Simply-RawThe Method
The approach Gabriel Cousens takes to cure people of diabetes is all about changing their diet. He states that research shows that in terms of health, meat eaters have 4 times more breast cancer, 3.6 times more prostate cancer, 4 times more diabetes, and much more in general chronic disease. If you’re just having milk, that’s 3 times more leukemia.[4]

Given his position on diet, he believes in taking a mainly raw approach to eating and consuming a plant based diet. His team prepares raw, well-balanced and whole meals for the test subjects throughout the 30 day period. The food becomes their medicine.

With medical supervision, all of the subjects took their medication as needed and ate the food that is provided to them by Gabriel and his team at the Tree Of Life Rejuvenation Center.

Results
By Day 3 of the program Kirt, Bill and Henry were able to stop taking insulin and medication. Their blood sugar levels had already dropped to the normal range after just 3 days of changing their diet. Pam was able to cut her insulin intake by 1/3. Austin, the type 1 diabetic, was able to cut his insulin intake down to half. And Michelle saw her blood sugar at around 362. This discouraged her to the point where she didn’t want to stay in the program any longer, although she did.

By day 12 of the program, Henry’s blood sugar had dropped 256 points compared to day 1. He was not using medication to lower his blood sugar levels. Although he was seeing great results, Henry felt he was too old for the program and requested to go home. His family arrived on day 17 and he went home. By that time, he was no longer taking 17 medications, he had lost 30 pounds and his blood pressure had decreased. In Henry’s case, his addiction to the food he used to eat was too difficult to overcome.

By the very last day, day 30, incredible results were seen that intensely challenges the current belief that diabetes has no cure.

Kirt no longer needed medications. His blood sugar had dropped 214 points to as low as 73 (normal) without medication. It was later found out he was type 1 diabetic since the beginning. Status: Within normal range.
Bill stopped taking 19 medications and lost 32 pounds. His blood sugar dropped 214 points to 74 (normal) without medication or insulin. Status: Within normal range.
Michelle stopped taking all of her medications and lost 23 pounds. Her blood sugar dropped from 291 to 109 without the use of medication. Status: Within normal range.
Pam lost 26 pounds while her blood sugar dropped 167 points down to 112 without medication. Status: Within normal range.
Austin, who is type 1 diabetic, lost 20 pounds and reduced his insulin from 70 units down to 5. Status: Drastic improvement in diabetic condition.
As you can see, all participants had drastic turn-arounds in their health and all had their diabetes either completely reversed or severely under control. A type 1 diabetic (Kirt) had his diabetes completely cured -something that is considered impossible. All type 2 diabetics no longer needed insulin.

What Does This Tell Us?
Like many things in modern medicine, we don’t have all of the answers and in a lot of cases we have a difficult time admitting that what is currently mainstream  isn’t always the best course of action.

People everywhere are taking alternate routes to achieve results equal to and sometimes better than what is made available to them through mainstream voices like doctors and government appointed professionals. I feel it’s important that people know their options and have a fair chance of hearing them out. I know many people with diabetes who aren’t aware of the power of food in transforming their condition yet are taking insulin and following mainstream ideas as if it’s the only truth.

It isn’t to say that the mainstream is bad, it’s simply that we are missing out on other options in a big way. After all, the American Diabetes Association makes claims about there being no cures yet the above results would suggest there is more to that story.

Have you ever tried raw food to cure your diabetes? We are curious to hear some real live results from others.

Sources:

1. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/

2. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/24/11/1936.full

3. http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_treatment/article.htm

4. http://www.treehugger.com/culture/dr-gabriel-cousens-on-curing-diabetes-with-raw-food-and-on-why-going-vegan-makes-sense.html

5. http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/blood-glucose-control

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/09/09/these-people-reversed-their-diabetes-in-30-days-with-this-one-change/

World Renown Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease

by Doctor Dwight Lundell, M.D.
 We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong.. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries,today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled “opinion makers.” Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working!

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.
The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.

Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.

Inflammation is not complicated — it is quite simply your body’s natural defense to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process, a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.
What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well,smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.
The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine.

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.

Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.

Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.

While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed withomega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.
http://www.curejoy.com/content/world-renown-heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease/

How to Stop Prediabetes in Its Tracks

When your doctor tells you that you have prediabetes, you might think there's no reason to take action just yet. Or you might assume that you're definitely going to get diabetes. Not so! You do need to take prediabetes seriously, but there's still time to turn things around -- if you start now.

The goal is to get your blood sugar level out of the prediabetes range, and keep it that way.

What you do every day makes a big difference. Making lifestyle changes may be even more powerful than just taking medication.

That's what happened in a large study called the Diabetes Prevention Program: People with prediabetes who lost a small amount of weight through diet and exercise cut their odds of getting type 2 diabetes by 58%, compared to 31% for people who only took the prescription drug metformin.

Start by making these three changes.

1. Lose Extra Weight.

If you're overweight, slimming down is the key to turning the odds in your favor.

Research shows that shedding just 5% to 10% of your body weight is often enough to get blood sugar levels back into the normal range and avoid diabetes or at least delay its onset.

To reach your goal, limit portion sizes; cut calories; and eat fewer foods that are high in fat (especially saturated fat), sugar, and carbohydrates.

You should also eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains.

2. Make Exercise a Habit.

Leading an active life is a must. Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic activity (something that raises your heart rate, like walking, biking, or swimming) 5 days a week (150 minutes per week). Plus, do some strength-training exercise, like lifting weights or using resistance bands, at least twice a week.

Strength work builds muscle, which helps lower your blood sugar level, helps your body respond better to insulin (which controls blood sugar), and burns calories even when you're not moving.

3. If You Smoke, Stop.

Smoking is strongly linked to diabetes: People who smoke are 30% to 40% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who don't. And people with diabetes who continue smoking are more likely to develop complications such as heart disease and blindness. So the sooner you ditch the cigarettes, the better.

When You Need Medication

While lifestyle changes can work wonders, some people with prediabetes also need medication.

Your doctor may prescribe metformin if you have certain risk factors, such as low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, high triglycerides (a type of blood fat), a parent or sibling with diabetes, or are overweight.

If you take metformin, you'll need to follow up with your doctor. You'll also need to keep up a healthy lifestyle.

Take action now, and ask for extra help from your doctor, a nutritionist, or personal trainer if you need it.http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/stop-prediabetes-progression

Okra: The Wonder Vegetable – 22 The Amazing Health Benefits Of Okra

by Ashley Mathieu

Okra: The Wonder Vegetable – 22 The Amazing Health Benefits Of Okra

Okra is one of the best medicinal vegetable, that hasn’t got its due sometimes due to its taste. Read this article to understand why this is unarguably one of the best natural veggies to add to your wonder list and diet today!

What is Okra?

Okra, also known as “lady’s finger”, is a perennial flowering plant belonging to the Malvaceae (mallows) family and named scientifically as Abelmoschus esculentus.  One of most nutritious vegetables around Okra is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions around the world for its fibrous fruits or “pods”. The pods are handpicked while just short of reaching maturity and eaten as a vegetable.

Why you should include Okra in your diet?

Okra has a long list of health benefits:

1. Rich Fiber Source: Okra’s rich fiber content helps in better digestion, and regularization of bowels. The soluble fiber, Pectin, swells up in the intestine and helps in easier elimination of the wastes from the intestine.
2. For Diabetes: It has insulin-like properties that help to reduce blood sugar levels. Eugenol, a type of fiber found in Okra, helps to stabilize blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
3. For Pregnancy and Fetal development: Abundant Folates in Okra, not only help in conceiving but also in fetus’ brain development, prevention of miscarriages, formation of the fetal neural tube, and preventing any defects in the tube.
4. For Strong Bones: Vitamin K is a co-factor in the vital blood-clotting process and along with Folates, restores bone density, strengthens bones and prevents osteoporosis.
5. For Asthma: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Okra, and rich vitamin C content, curtail the development of asthma symptoms and prevent fatal attacks.
6. Respiratory soother: A decoction of leaves and flowers of Okra are used in treating bronchitis and pneumonia. Its mucilaginous (slimy, gluey) quality makes it an excellent home remedy for treatment of common cold and flu.
7. Relieves Constipation: The rich fiber and mucilaginous content in Okra pods help increase stool bulk, facilitate proper absorption of water, bind to toxins, lubricate the large intestines, and ensure easy bowel movements, with its natural laxative properties.
8. Treats Sun strokes: Those suffering from summer heat and sun strokes should include Okra in their diet. Relieves from weakness, exhaustion, and overall depression.
9. Lowers Colon cancer risk: The insoluble fiber found in Okra cleans out the intestinal tract, decreasing the risk of colon-rectal cancer. The high antioxidants in Okra helps protect the immune system against harmful free radicals and prevent mutation of cells.
10. Prevents Obesity: Okra provides minimum calories, the fiber helps in keeping you full for longer, and the abundant nutrients nourish you.
11. Lowers Cholesterol: Okra contains soluble fiber pectin, which helps in lowering the serum (bad)cholesterol and prevents atherosclerosis. It does it by altering the production of bile in the intestines and aiding in elimination of deposited cholesterol and clots.
12. Skin Detoxifier:  Fiber aidstoxic waste cleansing and Vitamin C aids in repairing body tissues, preventing skin pigmentation, reducing acne, psoriasis and other skin conditions.
13. Lively Hair: The transparent mucilage imparts life and bounce to unruly, curly and lifeless hair. It acts as a great hair conditioner, scalp moisturizer for dry and itchy scalp, fights dandruff and lice, and adds a youthful sheen to your hair.
14. Detoxification: Okra’s fiber not only aids the stool function but the mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid, ejecting toxins, dumped into it by the filtering liver.
15. Immunity Booster: The high antioxidants and vitamin C content make Okra a good immune booster food. Other essential minerals like magnesium, manganese, calcium and iron fight against harmful free radicals and promote healthy immune system.
16. Clear Vision: Okra contains beta-carotenes (precursor of vitamin A), xanthin and lutein, all antioxidant properties, preventing eye problems like cataract and glaucoma.
17. Prevents Anemia: Iron, Folate, and Vitamin K aid in hemoglobin formation, blood coagulation, and red blood cells production, providing a supreme defense against anemia.
18. Cures Ulcers: The alkaline mucilaginous content helps neutralize acids and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract speeding up the healing of peptic ulcers.
19. Treats Genital Disorders: Okra increases sexual potency and is beneficial in treating genital disorders like syphilis, gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, dysuria and excessive menstrual bleeding.
20. Rich Protein Source: The seeds of Okra are an excellent source of first-rate vegetable protein and oils, enriched with amino acids like tryptophan, cystine and other sulfur amino acids.
21. Feeds Blood Network: Studies show that eating plenty of flavonoid and vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables, such as Okra helps to support the structure of blood capillaries.
22. Probiotics Feed: Good bacteria (probiotics), in intestines, thrive on Okra, contributing greatly to the health of the intestinal tract. It helps biosynthesis of Vitamin B complex, similar to how yoghurt serves the small intestine.

If you want to get healthy from the inside out this is one food that you should not miss out on.

http://www.curejoy.com/content/okra-the-wonder-vegetable-22-the-amazing-health-benefits-of-okra/

This Infographic Shows What Soda Does to Your Body

Just one sip of soda can have health consequences on your body. This infographic explains the dangers of what happens when soda enters your body.

11 Toxic Chemicals Affecting Brain Development In Children
Alice G. Walton

The list of chemicals that can affect brain development in children has grown. In a study out today in The Lancet Neurology, researchers outline new chemicals that may be contributing to what they dub the “global, silent pandemic of neurodevelopmental toxicity.” In 2006, the team had released a list of five neurotoxins that may contribute to everything from cognitive deficits to attention problems. Now that list is expanded, based on new research that has since accumulated on chemicals linked to developmental disorders in children. Today, they outline six more.

“The greatest concern is the large numbers of children who are affected by toxic damage to brain development in the absence of a formal diagnosis,” said study author Philippe Grandjean, of the Harvard School of Public Health. “They suffer reduced attention span, delayed development, and poor school performance. Industrial chemicals are now emerging as likely causes.”

Neurobehavioral problems, like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia, affect about 10-15% of kids born today, the authors say. Genes play a large role in some of these disorders – but not that large. Only about 30-40% of the cases of the disorders can be accounted for by genes alone, so environment must make up the other part. Outlining those compounds can be difficult, but the research is mounting, and pointing to a growing list of chemicals that we should avoid.

Because of the frequency with which these chemicals are present in our everyday lives – even banned ones – and the rising rates of developmental disorders in children, the authors say that urgent change should take place: “A new framework of action is needed.”

Here are the 11 chemicals for which there is strong evidence of connection to neurodevelopmental disorders in children:

Lead–This is one of the most extensively researched compounds in terms of neurodevelopment, and has been consistently linked to serious deficits, including low IQ. Its effects seem to be permanent, leading to the conclusion that there is no safe level of exposure.

Methylmercury–Affecting the neurological development of the fetus,exposure often comes from maternal intake of fish containing high levels of mercury, according to the World Health Organization and the EPA.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) – This family of chemicals has routinely been associated with reduced cognitive function in infancy and childhood. It is often present in foods, particularly fish, and can be passed along in breast milk.

Arsenic – When absorbed through drinking water, this chemical has been linked to reduced cognitive function in schoolchildren. Follow-up studies from the Morinaga milk poisoning incident have linked it to neurological disease in adulthood.

Toluene – Used as a solvent, maternal exposure has been linked to brain development problems and attention deficit in the child, according to the EPA and OSHA.

Manganese – In the drinking water in Bangladesh, for example, this chemical has been linked to lower scores in math, diminished intellectual function, and ADHD.

Fluoride – Higher levels of this chemical has been connected with a 7-point decrease in IQ in children.

Chlorpyrifos and DDT (pesticides) – Linked to structural abnormalities of the brain and neurodevelopmental problems that persist up to age 7. These pesticides are banned in many parts of the world (U.S. included), but still used in many lower-income countries. They have recently been linked to Alzheimer’s disease as well.

Tetrachloroethylene (AKAperchlorethylene)– These solvents have been linked to hyperactivity and aggressive behavior, and increased risk of psychiatric diagnosis. Mothers in certain professional roles, like nurse, chemist, cleaner, hairdresser, and beautician had higher levels of exposure.

The polybrominateddiphenyl ethers – These flame retardants are banned now, but believed to be neurotoxins. Prenatal exposure has been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders in the child.

Two more compounds of concern are bisphenol A (BPA), a common plastics additive, and phthalate, found in many cosmetics. BPA is an endocrine (hormone) disruptor, and, strongly suspected to affect neurodevelopment in children, it has been banned in baby bottles and sippy cups. Phthalates, which are common in personal products like nail polish and hair spray, have been routinely linked to shortened attention span and impaired social interactions in children.

The developing human brain is incredibly vulnerable to chemical exposures, both in utero and in early childhood, and these changes can be lifelong. “During these sensitive life stages,” say the authors, “chemicals can cause permanent brain injury at low levels of exposure that would have little or no adverse effect in an adult.”

The neurotoxin “pandemic” is disturbing enough that the authors strongly recommend having mandatory tests for chemicals, which many have been arguing for years. One common complaint has been that when one compound does finally become banned, another equally toxic and often untested chemical may take its place. More rigorous testing, though complicated to carry out, might address this major issue.

“The problem is international in scope,” says Grandjean,“and the solution must therefore also be international. We have the methods in place to test industrial chemicals for harmful effects on children’s brain development—now is the time to make that testing mandatory.”

Avoiding these chemicals can be difficult, because they are so prevalent, and present in food, cosmetics, receipt papers, and containers. 

But reading labels and avoiding certain products is a start.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2014/02/15/11-toxic-chemicals-afffecting-brain-development-in-children/

Why not even exercise will undo the harm of sitting all day—and what you can do about it

By Hannah Newman

A large review recently published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute confirms what we’ve been hearing for years: Sitting can be fatal.

+

It’s been linked to cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In this latest meta-analysis, Daniela Schmid and Michael F. Leitzmann of the University of Regensburg in Germany analyzed 43 observational studies, amounting to more than 4 million people’s answers to questions about their sitting behavior and cancer incidences. The researchers examined close to 70,000 cancer cases and found that sitting is associated with a 24% increased risk of colon cancer, a 32% increased risk of endometrial cancer, and a 21% increased risk of lung cancer.

+

The really bad news: You can’t exercise away the habit’s harmful effects. “Adjustment for physical activity did not affect the positive association between sedentary behavior and cancer,” the authors write. Even participants who achieved the daily recommended levels of physical activity were at the same risk as those who spent their day sitting. “[The results] indicate that the increased risk of cancer seen in individuals with prolonged time spent sedentary is not explained by the mere absence of physical activity in those persons,” the researchers say.

+

Some reasons why

1. Sitting –> weight gain –> elevated risk

When you’re sedentary, you burn only about a calorie a minute. Being overweight or obese is a known risk factor for many common chronic diseases. The cancer risk, the authors note, comes about because obesity can promote insulin resistance and bodily inflammation, two of the many things known to increase increase the risk of cancer for people of above-average body weight. Interestingly, the authors also mention the link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency, which has been associated with an elevated risk of colon cancer.

+

2. Sitting –> inactive muscles –> harmful biological signaling

Sitting also means your large postural support muscles, such as the quadriceps and glutes, aren’t doing anything. When active, these muscles produce a suite of beneficial molecules. “Skeletal muscles have an electrical activity in them when they’re working which is like the light switch that turns on all these healthy things in the muscles,” explained Marc Hamilton, director of the Inactivity Physiology Program at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana in a recent webinar. When you sit, you turn these light switches off.

+

A widely studied casualty of this blackout is lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that Hamilton likens to “a vacuum cleaner for fats in the blood stream.” When Hamilton forced rats to remain inactive for 24 hours, their lipoprotein lipase activity became virtually nonexistent (a 90%-95% reduction). This led to a more than 75% drop in the ability of their muscles to remove noxious fats from the bloodstream, as well as a significant decrease in “good” cholesterol (HDL cholesterol).

+

Hamilton has also found that just a few hours of sitting suppresses a gene that helps keep your cardiovascular system healthy by controlling inflammation and blood clotting. The worrying thing, Hamilton told Runner’s World, is after a day of sitting, exercise doesn’t seem to turn the gene back on. As the article pithily put it: “Sitting is the new smoking—even for runners.”

http://qz.com/223160/why-not-even-exercise-will-undo-the-harm-of-sitting-all-day-and-what-you-can-do-about-it/

Moringa leaf powder for...appetite suppression

Feeling constantly hungry can lead to snacking and before you know it, you've put on extra pounds that can be awkward to shift, but by taking Moringa leaf powder, you could suppress your appetite and cut your food intake. The supplement does this by keeping your blood sugar levels constant, which is important as it's the spikes in this that can give you hunger pangs – keeping them steady allows your body to feel full for longer so you don't want to snack so much. Suppressing your appetite isn't the only way that Moringa leaf powder may help you maintain a trim physique – by eating less, your body will break down the fat deposits in it and your metabolism will increase, meaning that your weight shouldn't fluctuate wildly – once you get the fat off, it can stay off. Find out more about how Moringa leaf powder may help your weight control regime and make a purchase by visiting ankhrah.com.
http://www.ankhrah.com/wpsite/health-and-nutrition-videos/

Is Sugar The New Tobacco?

By Elizabeth Svoboda

You already know that eating too much sugar causes your teeth to rot and can lead to diabetes and obesity. But could it also trigger high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and possibly even cancer? That's the theory of a group of progressive medical researchers who argue that sugar acts as a toxin in the body and is responsible for not only our rising rates of diabetes and obesity but also increasing incidences of heart disease, cancer and other chronic illness. Because sugar is so prevalent in food today -- in obvious items like ice cream, cookies and soda, as well as in "healthy" foods like crackers, energy bars and salad dressings -– experts contend that most people are living in toxic overload.

"Sugar is the biggest public health crisis in the history of the world," says Dr. Robert Lustig, an endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco, whose 2009 speech "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" has received more than 2.5 million hits on YouTube. In an opinion paper published earlier this year in the journal Nature, Lustig and colleagues provoked debate when they stated that sugar is so harmful, it should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco. "Every substance of abuse -– cocaine, heroin, you name it -– has required personal or social intervention," says Lustig. "For sugar we have nothing, and my prediction is that we will need both."

At first blush, this antisugar advocacy may seem alarmist. But Lustig and his University of California colleagues argue that sugar is harmful in significant amounts –- not necessarily because it's high in calories but rather because it triggers a toxic chain of reactions in the body that produce harmful fats, hormones and other metabolic by-products. Sugar is found in nearly every food except meat, oil and butter. But there's a big difference between the sugar that occurs naturally in raw, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, milk and whole grains and the type added to prepared or processed foods. Added sugars include every sweetener imaginable: white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, honey, agave nectar. It's these added sugars that experts say are the root cause of our sugar problem because high amounts of them are found in almost every food we eat, most of which are also high in calories and devoid of nutrients. "Nature made sugar hard to get," Lustig and his colleagues wrote in Nature. "Man made it easy."

Among all the different types of sugar, fructose may be the most harmful, many experts believe. Fructose is found naturally in small amounts in fruit, but is also combined with glucose (the other basic sugar molecule) to make nearly every type of commercial sweetener, including table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Why is fructose so harmful? "It's unique," says Dr. Miriam Vos, a gastroenterologist at Emory University. "It's primarily metabolized by the liver," so when you eat it, it's processed and then stays in your liver and starts producing harmful blood fats called triglycerides.

Sugars that don't contain fructose, on the other hand, like pure glucose and corn syrup, are processed by the liver and then sent out into the bloodstream, whether you need the fuel or not. Eat enough fructose and build enough triglycerides, and the result can be a fatty liver and insulin resistance -– when the body can't produce enough insulin to break down the sugar you eat.

For years, researchers have known that insulin resistance can lead to weight gain and diabetes. More recently, though, they've also discovered that it can cause heart disease, in part because eating too much sugar suppresses "good" HDL cholesterol. Eating too much sugar of any kind also seems to increase blood pressure, yet the effect is worse when glucose and fructose are consumed together, which is the case with high-fructose corn syrup and white sugar. Some researchers suspect that the effects of sugar on insulin metabolism may even cause cancer or accelerate its growth. "The cancer story is very early," says Lustig. "But we know that sugar drives insulin resistance, and insulin resistance drives cancer." One theory is that the high levels of insulin drive tumor growth, as the hormone already stimulates cancer cells to grow faster in the lab.

Unfortunately, exercise can't entirely save you from the negative effects sugar has on the body. While exercise may improve your cholesterol numbers by a few points, it's usually not enough to bring levels into a healthy range. "If you're a thin, active person, having a diet high in sugar is still harmful," says Vos. If you're an athlete, you may not want to cut out sugar entirely, especially before and during hard workouts. "There's some evidence for the super-athlete that small amounts of fructose are good," says Dr. Richard Johnson, a nephrologist at the University of Colorado, noting that the effect is beneficial only when sugar is consumed in moderate amounts before or after intense activities.

Other experts insist that sugar isn't as much of a threat to anyone -– including those of us who don't exercise intensely –- as Lustig and others have claimed.

Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale Prevention Research Center, says that while too much sugar isn't great for us, Lustig's dismissal of it as "poison" goes too far, pointing out that our bodies manufacture it naturally as an energy source. "The notion that sugar is toxic is silly," says Katz. "You can show dreadful effects of a high dose, but so what?" He's also skeptical of experts who push elimination of sugar to the exclusion of all else. "This is exactly the sort of dietary boondoggle we've been bogged down in for decades. We fell in love with low-fat; we fell in love with low-carb. If we fall in love with low-sugar, we won't improve our overall nutrition. It's a classic missing-the-forest-for-a-single-tree scenario."

Though Katz does agree that most Americans probably eat too much sugar, he doesn't recommend giving up the sweet stuff entirely because that can lead to food bingeing. Instead, he and most nutritionists advise learning to keep your quantities under control. For men, this means limiting yourself to nine teaspoons of added sugar per day and six for women (a can of cola has eight) if you want to meet the American Heart Association's recommendation. To gauge that limit, start scanning the nutrition labels of the packaged products you eat every day for at least one week. Add up your daily intake, keeping in mind that four grams of sugar on a food label is equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar. If you exceed the recommended limit on a regular basis -– and most of us do -– start by substituting lower-sugar options for foods that shouldn't taste sweet, like crackers and salad dressings. Ditch all sugar-sweetened drinks, like soda and even fruit juice, which packs a condensed amount of fructose without the fiber or other healthy nutrients of real fruit. Finally, prioritize eating whole, unpackaged foods, which don't contain added sugars.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/05/sugar-new-tobacco

Want to Build up Endurance, Boost your Energy and Increase your Speed? 24 more reasons to eat Beetroot.

■Alternative Cure
by Claude Butler

Want to Build up Endurance, Boost your Energy and Increase your Speed? 24 More Reasons to Eat Beetroot.

Tracing the Beets roots:

Beetroot, botanically-known as Beta vulgaris, evolved from wild sea beet, the ancestor of the beet with which we are familiar today, and is thought to have originated in prehistoric times in North Africa and grew wild along Asian and European seashores.

The beetroot taste is described as sweet, earthy and tender to eat. It is grown in the ground and is related to turnips, swedes and sugar beet. Most beetroot on sale is round and deep red, but yellow, white and stripy versions are available.

Transition from Medicine to Food:

Originally, it was the beet greens that were consumed; the sweet red beet root that most people think of as a “beet” today wasn’t cultivated until the era of ancient Rome. The Roman times used beets to treat fever, constipation, wounds, skin problems – and also as an aphrodisiac. By the 19th century, however, the natural sweetness of beets came to be appreciated and beets began to be used as a source of sugar. Historical reports of Napoleon declaring that beets be used as a primary source of sugar, after the British restricted access to sugar cane, have been documented.

At that time, the roots were long and thin like a carrot. The rounded root shape that we are familiar with today was not developed until the sixteenth century and became widely popular in Central and Eastern Europe 200 years later. Many classic beetroot dishes originated in this region including the famous beetroot soup, known as borscht.

TOP 24 HEALTH WONDERS OF BEETROOT:

1. For Pregnancy and Fetus- Beetroot is a good source of vitamin B folate, critical for conception, and preventing congenital disorders like spina bifida (affecting the development of spinal column) and neural tube defects in the fetus. Provides energy and reduces fatigue in pregnant mothers.
2. Prevents Anemia- iron increases the production of blood in your body. And increases your HB level (hemoglobin), improves blood circulation and the oxygen-carrying capacity of erythrocytes (the red blood cells).
3. Lowers Blood Pressure: Beetroot is a great source of nitrates, which when consumed, is oxidized to nitrites and nitric oxides, which widen the arteries, increases the oxygen content in blood, reduces blood pressure and with it the risk of atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes. Another nutrient Betaine lessens homocysteine concentration, which affects blood vessels, contributing to peripheral vascular disease, stroke and heart disease.
4. Reduces ‘Bad’ Cholesterol: Beetroot contains large amounts of soluble fibers, flavanoids and a powerful antioxidant, betacyanin, which reduces the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, preventing arterial wall deposits. Beet fiber reduces cholesterol, and triglycerides, by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and strips and expels excess LDL cholesterol from arterial walls preventing atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.
5. Prevents Osteoporosis: Mineral silica is critical for efficiently absorbing calcium in the body, necessary for musculo-skeletal health, and keeping osteoporosis and brittle bone diseases at bay. Other key nutrients like magnesium, vitamin C, and folate, act as vital supplements for strong bone development.
6. Cures Diabetes: Beet contains natural sugars which is fat free, low in calories and has a medium glycaemic index, which means these sugars get released gradually into the blood, avoiding spikes. Helps stabilize blood sugar levels while satiating that sugar craving.
7. Instant Energy Source: Oxidation of beet’s nitrate content, increases the efficiency of the mitochondria (your energy powerhouses), helps dilate the arteries, increases the efficient uptake of oxygen, and increasing vitality and energy. Beets are high in carbohydrates which means they are a great instant energy source.
8. Aphrodisiac: The oxidation of nitrates, widens the blood vessels, and increases blood flow to the genitals. Another chemical compound, boron, is critical in the production of the human sex hormone, boosting libido, increasing fertility, and improving sperm mobility.
9. Prevents Cancers- Betacyaninis, in beetroot juice, stops the process of cell mutations, precancerous esophageal lesions and tumors that are caused by certain harmful compounds. It also negates Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs), harmful byproducts during meat and fish cooking. Beet fights breast, prostate, colon, liver, blood diseases and leukemia.
10. Cures Constipation: Its high soluble fiber content cleanses the colon, regularizes bowel movements, helps digestion of fatty food, and also stimulates the nerves in the intestine. Betaine raises the levels of stomach acid, providing relief to patients of hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid).
11. For Brain Health: Nitrate oxidation increases the oxygen uptake by the brain, helps in the better transmission of neural impulses and beats the onset of dementia. Studies suggest folic acid can help protect against Alzheimer’s and dementia.
12. Prevents Respiratory Problems: Vitamin C, besides it stellar role of free radical busting antioxidant, stimulates the activity of white blood cells, body’s main line of defense against viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan toxins. Vitamin C’s range goes from fighting the sniffles to reducing the chances of cancer, to prevent asthma symptoms. The natural beta carotene in beetroot also helps to prevent lung cancer.
13. Eye Care: Beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A, prevents age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) and cataracts.
14. Capillary Support: The flavonoids and vitamin-C in beets help to support the structure of capillaries.
15. For Healthy Liver: The beta cyanin in beetroot can help detox your liver, preventing oxidative stress, while protecting the liver cell’s DNA, eliminating toxins and potentially preventing the build-up of fatty deposits, caused by alcohol abuse, and protein deficiency. It also protects the liver and bile ducts, thereby improving liver, kidney and bladder functioning and overall health.
16. Anti-Inflammatory: Beetroot juice is helpful in fighting any inflammatory diseases, which are one of the main causes of premature aging, and age related diseases.
17. For Hair: Carotenoids increase the quality, thickness and glossiness of hair, and prevent dandruff, by increasing blood circulation and nourishing the hair follicles.
18. Radiation Protection: Concentrates of dietary fibers (CDF) in beetroot (containing lignin) are a very effective agent for radiation protection and radiation poisoning.
19. For Weight Management: Beet’s high fiber content, low calories content, and soluble fibers, help cleanse the toxic and excess water and fat from the body. Beets, which have zero trans fat, and zero saturated fat, help spike the metabolic rate in obese and overweight patients.
20. Stress Buster: Magnesium contained in the juice can also help to ease muscle tension, stress and anxiety. While Betaine enhances production of the body’s natural mood-lifter seratonin, trytophan relaxes the mind and creates a sense of well-being, similar to chocolate.
21. Anti-Aging: Contains extremely active antioxidants and phenolic compounds, which help prevent cell and DNA degeneration, by eliminating damaging and aging free radicals.
22. Curative Plant: Leaves of raw beet have been known to counter “garlic” breath and as binding for healing wounds. Beets have been shown to help cleanse the blood and colon, strengthen the gall bladder and liver, and cure boils, abscesses and even acne.
23. Nutrient Store: contains magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and calcium as well as small amounts of copper, selenium, zinc, iron and manganese, in addition to carbohydrates, protein, powerful antioxidants and soluble fibre. It contains trace amounts of various amino acids (including D-amino acids [Alpha Amino Acids]) which help to build proteins and for use by the body.
24. Vitamin Store: Beetroot juice provides vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, beta-carotene, beta-cyanine and folic acid [folate] (B9). Beets are particularly beneficial to women whom are pregnant, as the vitamin B and iron are very beneficial to new growth cells during pregnancy and replenishing iron in the woman’s body.

Reported Side Effects:

• An estimated 10-15% of all U.S. adults experience beeturia -a reddening of the urine, after consumption beets. Though this isn’t harmful in itself, it may be a possible indicator of iron metabolism disorders. Persons with iron deficiency, iron excess or known problems with the metabolism of iron are more likely to experience beeturia.
• If you get kidney stones because of too much calcium, you may be advised to cut down on oxalates in your diet. Beetroot is just one food which contains oxalates, which prevent calcium from being absorbed by your body allowing it to build up as stones in the kidney.

Still there’s enough good reason for inclusion of beetroot in your family diet plans, considering the sheer variety of its unique health-boosting nutrients that you may not be getting from one single food source. Plus they’re delicious too!

http://www.curejoy.com/content/want-to-build-up-endurance-boost-your-energy-and-increase-your-speed-24-more-reasons-to-eat-beetroot/