Author: joy

OMEGA-3 FISH OILS

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The Greatest Nutritional Health Discovery Since Vitamins

  • Reduce your chance of dying a sudden death by 45%!
  • Reduce your risk of dying from sudden cardiac death by 90%.
  • Reduce your chance of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 45%-50%.
  • Stay younger longer!
  • Reduce the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis and the pain of osteoarthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

The litany of health benefits from OMEGA -3s goes on, but hopefully these are enough to get your attention so that you will read on about this miraculous dietary supplement.  And as always, remember that not all Omega 3s are created equal which is also discussed in these articles printed in the WholeFoods Magazine in 2010:

Omega-3 Fish Oils: The Greatest Nutritional Health Discovery Since Vitamins – An Interview with Professor Jørn Dyerberg, M.D.

PART ONE: http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/columns/vitamin-connection/omega-3-fish-oils-greatest-nutritional-health-discovery-vitamins-part

PART TWO; http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/columns/vitamin-connection/omega-3-fish-oils-greatest-nutritional-health-discovery-vitamins-part-two

PART THREE: http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/columns/vitamin-connection/omega-3-fish-oils-greatest-nutritional-health-discovery-vitamins-part-0

PART FOUR: http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/columns/vitamin-connection/omega-3-fish-oils-greatest-nutritional-health-discovery-vitamins-part-4

Choices matter!

ALWAYS – ALWAYS – HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY.

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Negative is wearing me out.

My favorite magazine, Southern Living, published some great thoughts in the March 2013 edition on this subject in an ariticle entitled: Charm Them With Your Social Graces.
Let these two contributors inspire you to more joyful moments:

ALWAYS – ALWAYS – HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY
Tennessee author Jane Borden spins a few negatives into positives.
Thinking: She’s self-centered.
Say: She’s deeply in touch with her emotions.
Thinking: I can’t believe that’s her fourth husband!
Say: She’s optimistic about marriage.
Thinking: He’s such a know-it-all.
Say: He should be on Jeopardy!
Thinking: She’s loud.
Say: She should be a stage actress; she can really project.

My latest focus is trying not to think the negative in the first place – at least not dwelling on it when it pops in my head.

SAY GOODBYE TO GOSSIP
Instead of whispering through the grapevine, use a strategy from Florida-based business etiquette coach Patricia Rossi.
– Change the subject. “Where did you get those gorgeous shoes?”
– Be direct. “It’s not nice to talk about Alison-she isn’t here to defend herself.”
– Use humor. “Oh, lawd! I have way too much to correct in myself to say a word about Mary Katherine.

One of my favorite turn-a-round methods when I see something I think is ugly – I’m sure glad they like their house painted neon green.

Makes me feel better anyway.

Here are some thoughts from my favorite passage in my favorite Book:

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again — rejoice!
5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
7 If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (New Living Translation)

Isn’t that energizing?

Choices matter!

Is This Prescription Drug Destroying Your Health?

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Here are Dr. Monte Kline’s comments on statin drugs:

One in four people over age 45 take this drug, making it America’s #1 prescription. We’re talking about statins taken for high cholesterol. The insane level of statin usage is the result of one of most successful and deceptive marketing campaigns ever. When I was first in practice in 1983, cholesterol was considered OK if it was below 240. Then it was lowered to 220. Today it’s not considered OK unless it’s below 200, or even 180 by many doctors. The LDL (low-density lipoprotein) level was considered OK before 2004 if it were 130 or less, but now it’s supposed to be below 100, or even below 70. So why do the guidelines keep lowering? The guidelines are set by the National Cholesterol Education Program. What they don’t tell you is that eight of the nine doctors on the panel lowering the LDL guidelines in 2004 were in the pay of drug companies manufacturing statins. Every time they lower the guidelines, millions more potential customers are added for their product. It is absolutely obscene. But it isn’t just about money. Statins can destroy your health in numerous ways:

14 WAYS STATINS CAN DESTROY YOUR HEALTH

1. Alzheimer’s Disease

2. Diabetes

3. Cancer

4. Cardiovascular Disease

5. Vitamin D Deficiency

6. Hormonal Deficiencies

7. Muscle Weakness

8. Increase Aging

9. Increased Arthritis

10. Depression

11. Increased Parkinson’s disease

12. Increased Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS)

13. Decreased Immune Function

14. Teratogenesis (fetal malformations)

SO WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE TO STATINS?

1. Understand Cholesterol if Not Your Enemy — Your body produces cholesterol because it needs it. Among other things, cholesterol is a repair material.

2. Don’t Get Conned into a “Low Cholesterol” Diet — 75% of the cholesterol in your body is produced in your liver, while only 25% comes from your diet. When you reduce dietary cholesterol, guess what your liver does? It makes more cholesterol to compensate.

3. Get Some Sunshine — Quit regarding the Sun as being out to kill you. Get a healthy amount of sunshine on your skin when possible (normally don’t exceed 20-30 minutes).

4. Use Natural Supplements to Lower Cholesterol — Several supplements can help with naturally lowering cholesterol and/or plaques without side-effects. High quality, mercury-free fish oils are very helpful (stay away from the big box store products that are typically contaminated with mercury), as are Policosinol, Resveratrol, Nattokinase, and others. Joy Note: I have had four friends successfully, significantly lower their cholesterol with quality supplements and wise choices in eating.

5. Exercise

More tips and details on each of these points can be read in the entire aritcle by Dr. Kline from the Pacific Health Center at this site: http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/blog/?p=679&utm_source=Statin+Drug+Dangers&utm_campaign=Calcium+Supplements&utm_medium=email

Choices Matter!

How to Protect Yourself Against Influenza

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While the media is sure to continue hyping potential pandemic influenzas, remember that a healthy immune system is your best and primary defense against any viral threat. Remember:  Every decision you make is either building or tearing down the immune system.

Here are some guidelines from www.pacifichealthcenter.com and www.mercola.com will help you keep your immune in good health – ones that I truly think have kept my family healthier:

Tips for Avoiding the Flu

From Dr. Kline:

1. DON’T GET A FLU SHOT — The reason is simply:  (1) Flu shots aren’t safe, and (2) Flu shots don’t work.  Some people’s body’s just can’t handle being injected with a bunch of germs, so it’s possible for some to have serious reactions, one of the worst being Guillain-Barre Syndrome.                                                     (See Better Health Update #61 “Flu Shots — Yes or No?” at: http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/blog/?page_id=119).  Some have allergic reaction problems, particularly in cases of chicken or egg allergy.  All viral vaccines contain trace amounts of leukemia virus and other cancer causing viruses.  Flu vaccines usually contain mercury preservatives and aluminum adjuvants.  When it comes to effectiveness, various studies have shown virtually no difference in flu incidence in the vaccinated versus unvaccinated population.  For example, a Dutch study, noted in my Better Health Update, found 50% of the vaccinated population of a home for the elderly got the flu compared to 48% of the non-vaccinated population.  Ironically, the elderly are generally the most vulnerable to flu shot reactions while they are also the group conventional medicine urges the most to get flu shots.

2. DO PRACTICE SANITATION — This is one area where I agree with conventional medicine.  Wash your hands lots, but don’t use anti-bacterial soaps which can compromise your immune system. (Joy note: I use one that does not kill the good bacteria!) I make it a practice to not touch door knobs in public restroom by using a paper towel to open the door, given half the people don’t wash their hands after using the toilet and then touching the door. Think about the stuff you’re touching, and who else may have touched it.  By the way, paper money is probably one of the filthiest, germ-laden things you can touch, so again, wash your hands a lot if you have to have contact with it.

3. AVOID CONFINED CONTACT – Much of the flu and other infectious diseases are spread in the winter because of breathing recirculated air.  Airplanes are probably the worst and likely comprise one of the main ways these flu outbreaks spread around the country and around the world.  If your immune system is fragile for any reason, I would avoid being with groups of people, particularly in confined air space.  A little ventilation can really help, so go out of your way to regularly get some fresh outdoor air.

4. STRENGTHEN YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM — The most important thing I can tell you is to focus on strengthening your immune system.  Build up your health, and it’s highly unlikely that you will get sick.  So how?  First of all, don’t eat junk.  Nothing suppresses your immune system like eating refined sugar.  Second, take vitamin C, from 3000 – 6000 mg/day (I take over 3000 mg/day just for normal maintenance).  Third, take an L-Lysine amino acid supplement to strengthen your connective tissue and thus prevent infectious invasion.  Fourth, take 4000 – 5000 units of Vitamin D-3 daily.

And from Dr. Mercola:

Avoid Sugar, Fructose and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.

Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.

Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads.

Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Remember that antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary and cause more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.

Avoid Hospitals. I’d recommend avoiding hospitals unless you’re having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to any new bug. Also keep in mind that virtually all vaccinations have the potential to reduce the effective functioning of your immune system, NOT make it stronger!

The entire articles can be viewed at:

http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/blog/?p=737

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/18/flu-shot-increases-flu-illness.aspx?e_cid=20120918_DNL_art_1

Choices Matter!

7 Ways to Cancer-Proof Your Home

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Just posting Number 5 – because I know from personal experience that it is something you can do this week without costing you time or money! And it will make a huge difference in your health. (So will #3 – skin care.)  

If after reading the article excerpt, you are attracted to the home recipe ideas, then there are some things you need to know:

  • You need a fresh mix of solutions because these products are not stable used together.  And you need them all for disinfecting. (Got time for that?)
  • They do not do the job as well as you would probably like.
  • And…I think you might not even want to discuss mixing your own skin care.

5. Clean Out Your Cleaning Products

Research has found that breast-cancer risk is twice as high among women who report the most use of cleaning products and air fresheners, compared to those who rarely use such products. While it is very difficult to prove that a person’s exposure to household cleaners over the course of 10, 20 or 30 years is what caused their cancer diagnosis, it is well known that commonly used household chemicals do, in fact, cause cancer, along with other serious health effects like reproductive and developmental problems in developing children.

Mold and mildew cleaners and air fresheners have shown the greatest correlation with breast cancer. Some of the chemicals of greatest concern that you’ll want to avoid include:

Synthetic musks Phthalates 1,4-diclorobenzene
Terpenes Benzene Styrene
Phenol Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) Formaldehyde
Petroleum solvents Butyl cellosolve Triclosan (antibacterial)

My top list of cancer prevention strategies has always included reducing your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, and synthetic air fresheners. Fortunately, this is a relatively easy task to accomplish.

For those times when you need to do a bit of cleansing, one of the best non-toxic disinfectants is plain soap and water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body and for other household cleaning. Another all-purpose cleaner that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar. You can also keep your home very fresh and clean by making your own natural cleaning products using items you probably already have around your home. Some more tips for making simple and effective all-natural cleansers:

  • Use baking soda mixed with apple cider vinegar to clean drains and bathtubs, or sprinkle baking soda along with a few drops of lavender oil or tea tree oil (which have antibacterial qualities) as a simple scrub for your bathroom or kitchen.
  • Vinegar can be used to clean almost anything in your home. Try it mixed with liquid castile soap, essential oils and water to clean floors, windows, bathrooms and kitchens. It can even be used as a natural fabric softener.
  • Hydrogen peroxide is safer to use than chlorine bleach for disinfecting and whitening.
  • Vodka is a disinfectant that can remove red wine stains, kill wasps and bees and refresh upholstery (put it into a mister and simply spray on the fabric).

For a great video on how to use these ingredients and other tips for cleaning your home without hazardous chemicals, please review the article How to Keep Your Home Clean Naturally. If you really want to use a commercial product, look for one that uses a natural base. To find out about the ingredients in common household products, there’s a searchable database you might find helpful from Environment, Health and Safety Online (EHSO)10.

Read about all seven ways here:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/11/12/cancer-proof-home.aspx?np=true

Take heed for – Choices Matter!

Correcting Behavioral Problems Without Drugs

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Here are a few some guidelines to help you address underlying toxins in your child, without, or at least BEFORE, you agree to any kind of drug therapy:

    1. Severely limit or eliminate fructose from your child’s diet as sugar/fructose has been linked to mental health problems such as depression and schizophrenia.
    2. Avoid giving your child ANY processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives. This includes lunch meats and hot dogs, which are common food staples in many households.
    3. Replace soft drinks, fruit juices, and pasteurized milk with pure water. This is HUGE since high fructose corn syrup is a primary source of calories in children.
    4. Make sure your child is getting large regular doses of healthy bacteria, either with high quality fermented organic foods and/or high quality probiotic supplements.
    5. Give your child plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega-3 fats like krill oil. Also, make sure to balance your child’s intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, by simultaneously limiting their intake of vegetable oils.
    6. Include as many whole organic foods as possible in your child’s diet, both to reduce chemical exposure and increase nutrient content of each meal.
    7. Also reduce or eliminate grains from your child’s diet. Yes, even healthy organic whole grains can cause problems as they too break down into sugars.

Additionally, whole wheat in particular contains high amounts of wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), which can have adverse effects on mental health due to its neurotoxic actions. Wheat also inhibits production of serotonin, the largest concentration of which can, again, be found in your intestines, not your brain. Try eliminating them first for 1-2 weeks and see if you don’t notice a radical and amazing improvement in your child’s behavior.

    1. Avoid artificial sweeteners of all kinds.
    2. Make sure your child gets plenty of exercise and outdoor playtime.
    3. Get them out into the sun to help maintain optimal vitamin D levels. Scientists are now beginning to realize vitamin D is involved in maintaining the health of your brain, as they’ve recently discovered vitamin D receptors in the brain, spinal cord, and central nervous system. There’s even evidence indicating vitamin D improves your brain’s detoxification process. For children and pregnant women, getting enough vitamin D is especially crucial, as it may play a major role in protecting infants from autism.

If natural sun exposure is not feasible, for whatever reason, you can use either a safe tanning bed or an oral vitamin D3 supplement. For more details on how to safely optimize your and your child’s vitamin D levels, please see this previous article.

  1. Give your child a way to address his or her emotions. Even children can benefit from the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which you or an EFT practitioner can teach them to use.
  2. Prevent exposure to toxic metals and chemical by replacing personal care products, detergents and household cleaners with all natural varieties. Metals like aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury are commonly found in thousands of different food products, household products, personal products and untold numbers of industrial products and chemicals. The presence of toxic metals in your child’s body is highly significant for they are capable of causing serious health problems by interfering with normal biological functioning. The health effects range from minor physical ailments to chronic diseases, and altered mood and behavior.

From an article at mercola.com entitled Why have Antipsychotic Prescriptions in Children Skyrocketed?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/08/30/antipsychotic-drugs-in-children.aspx?e_cid=20120830_DNL_artNew_1

Choices matter!

Confirmed! Flu Vaccine INCREASES Risk of Serious Pandemic Flu Illness

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A research article at www.mercola.com by this title also suggests the following simple steps you can take to prevent flu in your life – not only risk free, but they provide a whole lot of other benefits as well!

How to Protect Yourself Against Influenza

While the media is sure to continue hyping potential pandemic influenzas, remember that a healthy immune system is your best and primary defense against any viral threat. The following simple guidelines will help you keep your immune system in :

  • Optimize your vitamin D levels. As I’ve previously reported, optimizing your vitamin D levels is one of the absolute best strategies for avoiding infections of ALL kinds. This is probably the single most important and least expensive action you can take. I would STRONGLY urge you to have your vitamin D level monitored to confirm your levels are therapeutic at 50-70 ng/ml year-round.

An inexpensive option to get your vitamin D levels checked on a regular basis is to join the GrassrootsHealth D*action Project.

  • Avoid Sugar, Fructose and Processed Foods. Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately. Be aware that sugar is present in foods you may not suspect, like ketchup and fruit juice.
  • Get Enough Rest. Just like it becomes harder for you to get your daily tasks done if you’re tired, if your body is overly fatigued it will be harder for it to fight the flu. Be sure to check out my article Guide to a Good Night’s Sleep for some great tips to help you get quality rest.
  • Have Effective Tools to Address Stress. We all face some stress every day, but if stress becomes overwhelming then your body will be less able to fight off the flu and other illness. If you feel that stress is taking a toll on your health, consider using an energy psychology tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique, which is remarkably effective in relieving stress associated with all kinds of events, from work to family to trauma.
  • Exercise. When you exercise, you increase your circulation and your blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of finding an illness before it spreads.
  • Take a Good Source of High Quality Animal-Based Omega-3 Fats. Increase your intake of healthy and essential fats like the omega-3 found in krill oil, which is crucial for maintaining health. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils that are trans fats and in processed foods as it will seriously damage your immune response.
  • Wash Your Hands. Washing your hands will decrease your likelihood of spreading a virus to your nose, mouth or other people. Remember that antibacterial soaps are completely unnecessary and cause more harm than good. Instead, identify a simple chemical-free soap that you can switch your family to.
  • Use Natural Antibiotics. Examples include oil of oregano and garlic. These work like broad-spectrum antibiotics against bacteria, viruses, and protozoa in your body. And unlike pharmaceutical antibiotics, they do not appear to lead to resistance.
  • Avoid Hospitals. I’d recommend avoiding hospitals unless you’re having an emergency, as hospitals are prime breeding grounds for infections of all kinds and could be one of the likeliest places you could be exposed to any new bug. Also keep in mind that virtually all vaccinations have the potential to reduce the effective functioning of your immune system, NOT make it stronger!

Do you have any steps to add to this?

The entire article can be viewed at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/09/18/flu-shot-increases-flu-illness.aspx?e_cid=20120918_DNL_art_1

Choices Matter!

Dirty secrets…Could Tide cause cancer?

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Do I hear a sigh?  Yeah – it gets tiring, doesn’t it?  Bad for you one day, okay another day.

But – it pays to just stay in touch.  I have been around the wellness industry for 35 years – my pendulum has swung from one extreme to the other; however, balance has arrived.

These are tough, tough bodies.  In my semi-educated opinion, we do not have to be purists, and every  healthy step we take pays off.  And the part I love is that every healthy step  we take pays off!  You don’t have to have your entire act together to benefit.  Healthy choices will help you to avoid many things that we have grown accustomed to thinking are just a part of old age.

So…here are a couple links to help you stay in touch:

From WREG Memphis – Channel 3:

http://www.1-4dioxane.com/uploads/ShoppersSafetyGuide_Print2010a.pdf

And a Safety Guide from Organic Consumers Association and The Green Patriot Working Group: http://www.1-4dioxane.com/uploads/ShoppersSafetyGuide_Print2010a.pdf

Notice that some of the “healthier” brands are on the caution list? I don’t trust much.

35 years ago – my choices were only mlm company products or health food store shelf products.  They didn’t work very well and their prices were hard justify when compared to the national brand prices.  But – things have changed.  Now you can purchase safer-for-you-products for less money if you are willing to bypass the Walmart personal care and cleaning care aisles.

Choices matter!

“That’s the secret to life,” said Charlie Brown. “Replace one worry with another.”

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Dr. Richard Swenson just makes me grin.  Here is a section of Reflection 65 from A Minute of Margin.  Please enjoy it and worry less…

“A century ago people worried they wouldn’t have enough food to last the winter and might die of starvation.  Now we worry we have too much food for winter and might die of overeating.  A century ago they worried about dying too young, by an accident, or infection, or childbirth.  Now we worry we might die too old, with wrinkles and Alzheimer’s. A century ago they worried there might not be enough pennies to buy livestock.  Now we worry there might not be enough millions to last through retirement.

The parents worry whether Johnny and Susie will grow up emotionally secure, yet also worry when Johnny and Susie don’t speak French by age six.  The traveler worries it might rain, while the farmer worries it might not rain.”

“Medical studies revel that worry is bad for your health, harming the circulatory system, immune system digestive system, and nervous system.  We read such studies and then begin worrying that we are worrying too much.”

In the Bible we find:

Do not fret.

Do not be anxious about anything.

Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Dr. Swenson points out that ignoring these will compromise our emotional energy, damage our physical health and weaken our spiritual vitality.

He suggests we ask: How often does worry actually change circumstances?

Only one sort of worry is permissible – to worry because one worries. – Hasidic Proverb

Choices Matter!