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The wheat of today is different from the wheat of 1960, due  to massive genetics manipulations introduced to increase yield-per-acre.  Modern wheat actually causes heart disease and heart attack. This fascinating video  will explain how the bread throughout human history is not what we are eating today as “bread.” Foods that contain gluten (both whole grains and flours) contain substances that inhibit nutrient absorption, damage our intestinal lining, and activating a potentially destructive autoimmune response.



Read more:Why Wheat is Unhealthy
 
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A sinus infection is the most annoying and uncomfortable feeling.  Unfortunately, sinus infections are very common; it affects around 37 million Americans a year.  Sinus infections are an inflammation of the lining in the sinus cavities. Sinusitis can be caused by colds, flu, bacteria or allergies. Fortunately, you don’t have to over-medicate yourself with conventional drugs, there are many natural and effective remedies for a sinus infection.


Read more: LA Healthy Living
 
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”Factory farming serves up pesticide-laden produce; the horrifying mills of high-density feedlots and hog and poultry sheds produce meat laced with hormones and antibiotics but still tainted with lethal bacteria; pesticide, fertilizer and manure runoff pollute air and water; immigrant meatpackers are paid paltry wages and physically ruined by inhuman line speedups.”

Spoiler alert: Stop reading now if you can’t live without Quarter Pounders, packaged pastries, or expensive sushi.

Read the whole article:

Five Foods That Are Killing the Planet
 
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“Back in 2001 I weighed more than 400 pounds. I tried every diet I could think of to lose weight. I even worked face to face with the late Dr. Atkins for two months, and after charging me thousands of dollars, the best he could do was yell at me for being so fat.” – Jon Gabriel

Jon decided to start ‘living the life of his dreams’. He also decided to apply all of his research skills and scientific background toward understanding and eliminating the real reasons he was fat.


Read more:

7 Things I Did To Lose 220 Pounds Without Dieting



 
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When we think of Amish people we think of a simple life, free of modern advancements. Most of us view them as foolish for not using the advantages of convenient technology and even look down on them for not conforming to the norms of mainstream society.  But if we look at the statistics, the Amish are much healthier than the rest of America. They virtually have no cancer, no autism, and rarely get sick. What are they doing different from the rest of America?  Let’s look at some of the things they are doing different (here).  


Why the Amish Don’t Get Sick


The Amish have chosen the traditional wisdom of our ancestors over our “modern” way of living. They live by the practices of past generations. 

1. The Amish Don’t Get Vaccinated. Did you know that Amish people rarely have any learning disabilities or autism. There have been only 3 cases of autism among the amish in which the kids got vaccinated (here).  Instead of crediting their lack of autism to the absence of vaccines, mainstream society credits it to a superior gene that the Amish possess. In spite of constant pressure from the government, the Amish still refuse to vaccinate.  You can read more about the dangers of vaccines 
– here.
Vaccine-nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time

2. The Amish Eat Organic, Locally Grown Food.The Amish not only avoid prepackaged and processed food, they actually grow all of their food using  organic farming methods.  They raise their own animals; their food is natural and gmo free (the dangers of gmo). It’s important to note that they eat seasonal food during the harvest months, and save the rest by canning and fermenting.  Seasonal fruits and vegetables are nutritionally higher in value. They are filled with anti-oxidants that are of great benefit to our health. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals, which helps you stay healthy and young.  Thus, the lack of  ADHD, food allergies and asthma can be undeniably contributed to their diet.

Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating
3. The Amish Eat Plenty of Healthy Fats.The Amish have a very low obesity rate despite their high fat diet. Their eating habits by all means are not low fat. They  eat plenty of butter, meat, eggs, raw dairy. Foods like butter and raw grass fed dairy contains a lot of fat soluble vitamins such as A, E and K2. It’s important to note that Vitamin K2  is very insufficient in modern diets. All that low fat nonsense has depleted our bodies from these essential nutrients. Vitamin K2 is particularly important as it is involved in calcium metabolism.  Vitamin K insufficiency leads to many diseases such as cardiovascular disease,  osteoporosis, and even cancer. 

4. The Amish People are Physically Active. Compared to the overall 31 % obesity rate in America, the Amish only have a 3 percent obesity rate. Since they don’t use cars, or any modern technologies, their level of physical activity is very high: men averaged 18,000 steps a day and women 14,000. They walk a lot and are truly involved in physical labor which reflects in their extremely low rate of cardiovascular diseases.  Accodring to David R. Bassett, Ph.D., FACSM, a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville,  “The Amish were able to show us just how far we’ve fallen in the last 150 years or so in terms of the amount of physical activity we typically perform. Their lifestyle indicates that physical activity played a critical role in keeping our ancestors fit and healthy.”

5. The Amish Live Stress Free LivesStress is probably the number one culprit to our health problems. When you are stressed, your cortisol levels get elevated which is extremely dangerous for your health in the long run.  Health problems associated with stress include heart disease, adrenal fatigue, hormonal imbalances,  high blood sugar levels, elevated cholesterol and obesity. 

The Amish live in a stress free community. They live slow paced, patient lifestyles.  They don’t compete with each other; they created a egalitarian community for themselves where their lifestyles are based on equality, cooperation and harmony.
 (here)

The Amish live the same way they lived 300 years ago and we can definitely can learn some lessons from them. They live toxic, free self sustainable lives. They are not plagued with various diseases and they are much healthier than the rest of America. 


Source: http://www.lef.org/news/LefDailyNews.htm?NewsID=9191&Section=Disease

http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Cancer_Issues_660/Amish_Have_Lower_Rates_of_Cancer.shtml

 
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Did you know that grilled well done meat might be dangerous for your health. Researchers have discovered a possible link between grilled meat and cancer. So does it mean we need to give up grilling? Fortunately, not! The solution to the problem is to marinate your meat before grilling.   



The problem with grilling lays in the fact that when meat is cooked at high temperature, several compounds are formed - heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) which can damage your DNA, thus increasing the risk of cancer. So marinating meat will drastically decrease the amount of carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs) by as much as 99 percent.  They are formed when the meat is cooked at high temperatures.  Marinades act as "bodyguards" between the skin and carcinogenic compounds. Adding herbs to marinades such as rosemary may reduce the amount of these toxic compounds even more due to the presence of antioxidants in herbs and spices.

Researchers have conducted a study on the inhibitory effect of antioxidant-rich marinades on the formation of heterocyclic aromatic amines in pan-fried beef.  They discovered that antioxidant-rich marinades containing white wine (with/without alcohol) alone or mixed with herbs  (garlic, ginger, thyme, rosemary, and red chili pepper) were the most powerful HCA-reduction marinades. Additionally, if you marinate meat in acid (such as vinegar), it will stop the growth of harmful bacteria, like listeria.

Here are some useful tips for marinating your meat before grilling or pan frying:
 
  • Allow at least 30 minutes for your meat to be marinated before cooking
  • Always marinate your meat in the fridge in order to avoid the growth of bacteria
  • Marinades containing lemon juice have been found more effective at reducing PAH production
  • Create a barrier between the flame and meat by placing foil on the grill.


Happy Grilling!


 
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We've been told for years that sun exposure does too much damage to the skin, and that's why we are bombarded with tons of sunscreen choices. However, despite all the skin protection out there, skin cancer has been on the rise. AND what do we put the blame on - THE SUN. How can we blame all the sunscreen lotions when they are supposed to protect us from cancer? Despite a popular belief, sun does more good than damage and it helps protect us from cancer! Sunlight exposure is crucial for our health.

Vitamin D is so needed for our bodies since we can't produce it on our own, thus, by putting all those chemically packed sunscreen choices, we are robbing ourselves of the precious vitamin. Vitamin D promotes strong bones, helps protect against cancer, builds a healthy immune system and can even protect against cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, sunscreens have been designed to block UVB rays which are involved in vitamin D3 production by our bodies
and allow UVA rays that are responsible for DNA damage and most skin cancers penetrate our skin. UVB rays from the sun penetrate the outer layers of the skin, then cholesterol in the tissue of the skin absorbs this UV light to make vitamin D3.  This cannot  happen without sunlight.

However, Vitamin D3 can not get into your bloodstream immediately since it is first  formed on the skin surface. It takes time for the Vitamin D3 to be absorbed from the skin into the bloodstream. Thus, washing your body wish soap needs to be delayed after sun exposure because you can wash away the skin's oils that have started the vitamin D process. So, the so-called science for the last 30 years has been dictating to use dangerous sunscreens that contain cancer causing substances and avoid the very sun that can actually protect us from skin cancer.

You need to know that UVB rays are strongest during summer and they are at their full force during mid day.  It's been proven that  8,000 to 10,000 iu  dosages safe for nearly everyone. You need to also take into account that skin color affects a person's ability to create D3 in the skin. The darker your skin, the more you ought to be exposed to sunlight for Vitamin D3 production. Light skinned people should be in the full sun from 10 to 45 minutes and dark skinned people from 2 to 2.5 hours.

 
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Chocolate is one of the most controversial products on earth. Some consider it an enemy in the fight against obesity and a destroyer of teeth… others consider chocolate as a health booster. So who is really right? Does chocolate do more harm or good?

The answer to this question lays in the type of chocolate people consume, since not all chocolate is created equal. Usually when people talk about the benefits of chocolate, they consider dark chocolate which is made from cocoa powder, cocoa butter and a small amount of sugar, whereas milk chocolate is made of dry milk or cream, white sugar and a tiny amount of  cocoa powder. So, when people say “health benefits of chocolate”, they are talking about  dark chocolate (with a minimum sugar and a maximum cocoa content) . Many believe that chocolate is one of the main causes of tooth decay. They are right if you keep milk chocolate in mind, or any other chocolate candies which have more sugar and powdered milk than cocoa. Tooth decay is caused by sugar but not cocoa.  Moderate consumption of dark chocolate with a minimum sugar content on the contrary protects your teeth. The presence of cocoa determines the beneficial properties of dark chocolate. What are the heath benefits of dark chocolate?

  • Scientists have discovered that dark chocolate has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system due to the presence of flavonoids - natural antioxidants, which the human body cannot synthesize on its own. The darker the color, the more flavonoids are present in the chocolate. Besides, it is considered that these antioxidants are able to slow down the aging process.  Moderate, regular consumption of dark chocolate strengthens blood vessels, improves their performance and prevents blood clots. Antioxidants in chocolate can protect blood vessels from atherosclerosis, prevents heart attacks, stroke and normalizes blood pressure. Biologically active substances and useful flavonoids contained in dark chocolate prevent the coagulation of blood cells - platelets. Therefore, reducing the likelihood of blood clots in blood vessels.
  • Dark chocolate contains theobromine. Theo bromine can lower  blood pressure due to its ability to dilate blood vessels. Theobromine is similar to caffeine but unlike caffeine it has no effect on the central nervous system. Theobromine contained in dark chocolate can be used as cough medicine. Recent studies have showed that theobromine is one the most effective natural cough suppressants.
  • Dark chocolate is rich in tannins, which possess antimicrobial qualities, preventing the formation of plaque on teeth.
  • Dark chocolate is also rich in phosphorus, calcium and magnesium. Phosphorus is required for the proper brain functioning. Calcium is needed for the formation of bones. Magnesium can instantly improve mood, filling life with optimism and energy. It has fast and beneficial effect on nerve cells, relieving symptoms of stress and depression.
  • Dark chocolate contains stearic acid, which purify vessels. Stearic acid is the main saturated fat in cocoa butter. The research has shown that it has a neutral effect on cholesterol.
  • Dark chocolate with high cocoa powder content is beneficial for diabetics due to its ability to lower insulin resistance.
  • Dark chocolate can protect your skin. German researchers have shown that flavonoids in dark chocolate absorb ultraviolet light and increase blood flow to the skin, improving your skin color and texture.

So eat your dark chocolate with high cocoa content and low sugar level… it is healthy and good for you.

 
PictureHealthiest Food: Chicken Hearts
Organ meats are paid little or no attention at all at popular restaurants. Sadly, the most nutritional part of the animal is thrown away. Even ancient physicians believed that for treatment of a particular organ, you should eat similar organs of animals. For a healthy heart - beef heart and chicken hearts; for the health of the liver - chicken, or beef livers, and etc.  Now days, such beliefs are sceptically perceived by many, which is very unfortunate. Our organs and organs of different animals have similarities when it comes to the biochemical composition and functional purpose. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that beef liver contains substances that are healthy for the human liver.  Beef and chicken hearts are not the exception. They are good for your heart and your body. As you know, the heart is a muscle, and perhaps the most important in the body. Like all muscles, it is very rich in protein (up to twenty percent of the weight), which is well absorbed by our bodies. Additionally, chicken hearts contain many useful elements, which include potassium, calcium, magnesium, and also vitamins B1 and B2.

Beef and Chicken Hearts Contain:


Vitamins
Chicken hearts are a great source of riboflavin, folate, vitamin B12 and pantothenic acid. Group B vitamins help with frequent fatigue, stress, chronic fatigue syndrome, problems with the heart and blood vessels etc.  For example, A boiled or stewed heart contains 10 times more vitamin B12 than muscle meat. Vitamin B-12 is important for the proper functioning of several enzymes that turn fat into energy. These chemical reactions help cells fight carcinogens.

Amino acids contained in beef heart help improve metabolism and even help produce elastin and collagen which prevent aging of the skin. 

Minerals
Chicken hearts are a good source of zinc, selenium and iron which help build muscles. They provide 1 to 4 percent of the daily value of copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium,

Beef and chicken hearts are an excellent source of  CoQ10 - a very important nutrient responsible for proper cell and cardiac functioning.

It is important to remember that grass fed animals contain even higher levels of vitamins and minerals. To prepare beef or chicken hearts, rinse them in water first and then either boil or cook them slowly to medium rare. Because beef hearts are tough and very lean, you need to cook them for even longer time at low temperature.



 
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For some it might come as a surprise to hear that eating red meat does a body good. After all, we are told by many doctors that we need to cut down on meat consumption in order to prevent high cholesterol levels (which is a fallacy on its own, but that's another topic for a later discussion). Red meat and all saturated fats have become villains. Unfortunately, we blindly follow the mainstream nutritional approach to red meat consumption (which has no credible science behind it). And of course, when we discuss the amazing health benefits of red meat, we are talking about the grass fed kind which greatly surpasses the conventional (though even grain fed beef will provide you with health benefits).
The latest study found that eating red meat from an early age will help supply people with recommended levels of vitamin and mineral intake. Red meat nutrients plays a key role in immune and cognitive health. Meat is a great source of protein, iron, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, selenium, and B vitamins (especially B1, B3, B6, and B12). In the light of this, why do we still follow the modern nutritional guidelines and avoid these nutrients? Let's look at some of the health benefits of  red meat.

Meat is a rich source of vitamin B12

Vitamin B-12, or Cobalamin, is the most complex vitamin and can only be found naturally in animal products. Vitamin B-12 is needed for red blood cell formation. It helps build DNA and makes sure cells work properly. It is vital for the nervous and circulatory systems.   Long term deficiency of vitamin B-12 can lead to brain and central nervous system damage. A lack of B12 damages the myelin sheath that surrounds and protect nerves. B12 deficiency can also lead to dementia, loss of memory, anemia, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite and constipation. On average, a 150g serving of beef provides  85% of the Recommended Dietary Intake for vitamin B12.

Red Meat is an excellent source of Zinc

Zinc in the body contributes to the development of bone tissue, stimulates the growth and division of cells, tissue regeneration, reproductive function and brain development.  Unfortunately, most people are difficient in Zinc. Zinc is an active agent responsible for triggering 100 internal enzymes that are required to metabolize food and nutrients.
Our immune system depends on the presence of zinc.   Zinc is actively involved in the processes of tissue regeneration, and the normal processes of DNA synthesis depends on it. Zinc found in meat plays an important role in the secretion of sexual hormones, the successful balance of amino acids and valuable vitamins.
The deficiency of zinc can lead to the growth retardation and development in children. With a significant shortage of zinc comes a clear distortion of taste sensors. Deficiency in zinc also effects all metabolic processes. The immune system is weakened thus reducing resistance to infection. Zinc deficiency disturbs the normal functioning of the thymus, responsible for the formation of protective cells - lymphocytes.  Low zinc content leads to dysfunction of the genital organs, and this, in turn, leads to a slowdown of puberty. The shortage of zinc in the body can lead to hair loss, loss of appetite and dermatitis.

Red Meat is an excellent source of Magnesium

Every organ in our body needs magnesium, and unlike trace minerals, magnesium is needed by the body in large amounts.  Magnesium is a macro-mineral, which means that our bodies have to be supplied with hundreds of milligrams of magnesium every day through food. It is necessary for the proper functioning of the brain, nervous and cardiovascular systems, bone strength, muscles, kidneys, hormone-secreting glands and the liver. It performs about 300 biochemical functions. Magnesium is a cofactor of many enzymes and enzymatic reactions, including energy metabolism, the synthesis of nucleic acids and protein. Magnesium plays a vitally important role in the reactions that generate and use ATP, the fundamental unit of energy within the body’s cells. Magnesium has a stabilizing effect on membranes, it is necessary for maintaining calcium, potassium and sodium homeostasis. Magnesium also works as a cofactor in the repair of DNA damage.

Magnesium deficiency can lead to chronic fatigue syndrome, diabetes, kidney disease, constipation, heart disease, sleep disorders, irritability, fatigue, hypertension, convulsions in children and an increased risk of cancer.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is crucial for helping the body to absorb calcium from the foods. It's also important for the growth and maintenance of bones and teeth. Thus, it does not matter how much calcium we take, because without Vitamin D, calcium is excreted in our urine. The presence of vitamin D is also necessary for blood clotting, tissues, the work of the heart, the regulation of the activity of the nervous system. Vitamin D is also necessary in the modulation of cell growth, neuromuscular and immune function and reduction of inflammation.

Iron

Iron is a vital mineral because it is involved in the transportation of oxygen to your cells. It is essential for hemoglobin formation and muscle function. In addition, iron is included in the antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase), which protect cells from the ravages of oxidation. Your thyroid gland and the central nervous system can not properly work without iron.

Meat is an excellent source of Iron, of which approximately 40% is heme iron. It enters your cells faster and is better absorbed by the body compared to plant based sources of iron (which contain a different form of Iron).  Iron deficiency causes low immunity levels and anemia. Anemia leads to the reduction in hemoglobin, red blood cells and lymphocytes, which results in weakened immunity and a higher risk of infectious diseases. In children, iron deficiency can delay growth and mental development. Adults feel constant fatigue. Problems begin with the skin and mucous membrane, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory ways, which, may be one of the causes of dermatitis, eczema, rhinitis, gastritis, etc.