The Proven Healing Power of Touch

Did you know that YOU have healing power, literally at your fingertips? The simple act of touching - not necessarily in a romantic manner - is so powerful that it can slow your heart rate, decrease your blood pressure, and strengthen your immune system!

Our culture is not very affectionate, and we are losing out on the benefits of regular physical interaction with others. The healing power of touch is so necessary for life that babies not touched regularly don't grow and develop normally, and children who are not lovingly touched enough are more likely to be violent as adults.

How Touching Helps

It's very common these days to live most of our lives in our heads. Are you experiencing the constant chatter of to-do lists, errands, worries, decisions and criticisms? You are not alone.

This mental chatter disconnects you from your body and depletes your energy. In fact, it is just another form of stress that over time pulls the energy from your body and keeps it stuck in your head.

When the time comes for rest and relaxation, you may find that your mind cannot stop. Even sleep can become more difficult, further depleting your energy.

Regular touch establishes your mind-body connection and has been proven to:

- Decrease anxiety

- Increase the number of white blood cells

- Lower blood pressure

- Increase endorphin levels (your feel-good hormones)

- Help you sleep better


Reach Out and Touch Someone!

Here are some easy ways to incorporate healing touch into your daily routine:

- Offer to give a friend a back rub - then switch.

- Borrow a custom from Europe and kiss people hello. If that is too intimate, give hugs instead.

- Pat people on the back or arm as gentle reassurance.

- Schedule regular therapeutic full-body massage. Something is better than nothing, so even 15 or 30 minutes makes a difference.

- Get foot massages or foot reflexology - these forms of healing touch allow your energy to move from your head into your abdomen, which is your "energy powerhouse."

- Don't be afraid to ask for a hug - your body and your mind both need it!

Solar Touch

You probably know that the sun's rays are therapeutic. Why else would we vacation in warm, sunny climates? You may also know that decreased sunlight is linked to seasonal depression, especially in the winter months.

While we've recently become more and more fearful of the sun's rays, safe exposure to sunlight is actually very beneficial. It provides a healing touch that affects the chemistry of your brain and the functioning of your body. Especially in winter, make sure you expose at least 80% of your bare body to 30 minutes of sunlight regularly so that you benefit from the sun's healing power. If your immune system is compromised this may mean that you schedule a vacation in the sun each winter. Sunlight is an important healing tool and it is free. Of course, the vacation might not be.

A Commitment to Physical Touch

This year, make a commitment (to yourself and those around you) to touch more. From a kiss on the cheek to a quick massage, small changes can yield big health dividends. So take your health into your own hands and feel the power of healing touch.

You may find your relationships and your health flourishing!

Holding hands can be beneficial for your body AND your relationships.

Source: BodyEcology.com

7 Key Healthy Eating Principles

Energy, vitality and longevity can be achieved at any age, and with the 7 Healing Principles which restore our body health and change our life!. We know that the stress of modern living, the Standard American Diet (SAD) of processed foods and too much sugar, and an over-dependence on drugs and antibiotics can weaken our immunity, pave the road for early aging and cause diseases like cancer because health begins in the digestive system.

Beneficial bacteria (also known as microflora) digest the foods we are eating. A lifestyle that includes stress and poor eating habits kills the beneficial microscopic "good guys" that keep us healthy, setting the stage for disease. Very often the stress and the junk foods cause digestive upset, and resulted with digestive pain, bloating and/or fatigue after eating the heavy meals. Therefore, fermented foods and drinks are required to re-populate our digestive system with the beneficial bacteria needed to digest food, assimilate nutrients, and enhance immunity.

The 7 Healing Principles

1. The Principle of Balance

The Principle of Balance is based on the concept of yin and yang, the opposing energy forces from ancient Chinese and Japanese traditions. Everything in the world has some properties of yin and yang, but in varying proportions.

Yin energy is light, expansive, wet, soft, cold and more vegetal. Yang energy is heavy, contracting, dry, hard, hot and more animal. Body Ecology uses the terms expansion and contraction to explain the yin and yang energy of the food we eat.

Some foods, like sugar and alcohol, are examples of food that is way too expansive for our body. Our blood stream quickly absorbs sugar and produces energy, making us feel temporarily open and relaxed yet these foods are damaging because they are not balanced.

Other foods, like excessive and poor-quality salt and animal products, are more contracting and cause our cells to contract and lose fluids, making us feel tight and constricted.

Our body is always seeking balance. If we eat too much salt, our body becomes too contractive and we will quickly find ourself craving something sweet. Notice this the next time we go to see a movie. While they may not fully understand this concept, the movie theaters are well aware that both soda pop (sweet and expansive) and popcorn (salty and contracting) are ever-popular combinations for concession sales.

Without understanding this principle, we may unknowingly create imbalance in a vicious cycle of cravings.


2. The Principle of Acid and Alkaline

To maintain health, our blood must be slightly alkaline. The foods we eat and the lifestyle choices we make impact our body's ability to maintain that alkaline state.

Foods can be alkaline, acidic or neutral in our body. Our goal would be to have a balance of alkaline and acidic foods so that you can maintain the alkaline state of our blood. If we get out of balance and your blood becomes too acidic, you become more susceptible to illness and disease.

At the same time, lifestyle choices like stress, taking prescription drugs and not getting enough sleep can create acidic blood. Paying attention to a balanced lifestyle is also key to our health and longevity.


3. The Principle of Uniqueness

As humans, we share so many similarities with one another, but our body is unique. Each of us is an experiment of one and for that reason, we may need to modify certain elements of any diet or lifestyle to suit our own individuality.

While restoring balance in our body, any time we try a new way of eating, it's vital to observe our body's reactions and assess whether this new path is bringing us back toward balance.


4. The Principle of Cleansing

Did you know that our body cleanses every day? Through elimination, urine, tears, and sweat, our body rids itself of toxins that would otherwise build up and could lead to sickness and disease. Fevers, colds and skin eruptions are actually a natural part of the cleansing process and shouldn't be suppressed. Cleansing allows our body to restore balance and occurs when imbalance is too great and threatens life.

As we start on certain fiber cleansing diet, we will experience the symptoms of cleansing, and might feel worse than we usually feel. It's our body's way of getting rid of the bad and making room for the good. After all, we cannot heal our current condition without cleansing.


5. The Principle of Food Combining

By combining certain foods when we eat can either help or hinder our digestion. If we combine the wrong foods, our body will actually secrete enzymes that cancel each other out!

This leads to slowed or impaired digestion, causing food to ferment in our stomach or toxins to be released in our intestines. These conditions make our body more attractive to pathogens. This is a highly useful principle to improve our health and weight, and often one of the most misunderstood.


6. The Principle of 80/20

This principle has two concepts that aid our digestion:

- Quantity: Overeating severely weakens our digestive system. Give our stomach room to digest our food by only filling our stomach to 80% of capacity and leaving 20% empty to help our body digest.

- Balance of Nutrients: 80% of every meal should be land and ocean vegetables. The other 20% should be either a protein OR a grain.


7. The Principle of Step-by-Step

Just as it takes time to get out of balance, it also takes time to rebuild our health progressively. We cannot expect instant healing, but making small, consistent changes gives our body the foundation it needs to support optimal, long-term health.

Starting any new lifestyle is about creating new habits. It takes time and effort, which can sometimes feel hard.

The key is to take everything step-by-step. Incorporate one healing principle (or even one element of a healing principle) at a time so that you don't feel overwhelmed. Take care of yourself by going at the pace that feels right to you.


Source: BodyEcology.com

Inflammation: The Real Cause of All Disease and How to Reduce and Prevent It

Did you know that inflammation is the common link between such debilitating conditions as Alzheimers, heart disease, cancer, and arthritis?

Did you know inflammation is thought to be the culprit behind the visible signs of aging?

Inflammation is a wellness buzz-word these days, and for good reason. If you reduce inflammation in your body, you'll not only look and feel younger, but you'll significantly lower your risk for chronic disease!

What is Inflammation?

Inflammation is your body's response to stress - whether from your diet, lifestyle or environment. Think of what happens when you catch a cold. You may experience inflammation in the form of a fever as your body heats up to eradicate the effects of the invading virus.

This kind of inflammation is good, but the modern epidemic of chronic, low-grade inflammation destroys the balance in your body. When your body's systems experience a constant inflammatory response, you become more susceptible to aging and disease.

What Causes Inflammation?

Body Ecology believes that one of the main causes of inflammation is low-grade bacterial, viral, and fungal infections in the bloodstream and organs like the stomach and gastro-intestinal tract.

For example, H pylori is a bacteria in the stomach that contributes to inflammation and the development of ulcers. H pylori is present in 50% of adults over 60 years old and in 20% of adults under the age of 40!

As you can see, inflammation is quite common and caused by more than just pathogenic organisms.

Other causes of inflammation include:

- Chronic low-grade food allergies or food sensitivities that may cause few symptoms.

- An imbalance of bacteria and fungi in your gastrointestinal tract, also known as dysbiosis. This causes your immune system to overreact to bacteria in your gut and can be without notable symptoms.

- Stress! Constant psychological, emotional or physical stress raises the level of cortisol, creating inflammation. [For more on the effects of stress on your body, read "How Stress Creates A Double-Whammy Threat to Your Health"]

- Environmental toxicity from our air, water, food pollutants and toxic metals like mercury and lead all contribute to inflammation and have been linked to diseases as varied as endometriosis and cancer.

- Diet and lifestyle: too much fat, sugar, and protein in your diet, constant dehydration, consumption of too many sodas or caffeine, inactivity, and lack of sleep can all increase inflammation in your body

The Lasting Effects of Inflammation

Symptoms of inflammation include:

- Visible signs of aging like wrinkles.

- Susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.

- Acid reflux

- Cancer

- Skin conditions like psoriasis and acne.

- Arthritis

- Bronchitis

- Chronic pain

- Diabetes

- High blood pressure

- Osteoporosis

- Heart disease

- Candidiasis

- Urinary tract infections

How to Reduce Inflammation

- To restore our body's balance, just going "back to basics" with both diet and lifestyle, which eliminating viral and fungal infections, increasing our mineral intake, eliminating sugar and balancing all of our nutrients in a way that supports health and vitality.

- Following the 7 Key Healthy Eating Principles to heal our body of inflammation, reduce the damaging effects of aging and giving you plenty of energy.

- Reduce stress - which is easier said than done. [Read this article on "The Healing Power of Touch"]

- Get adequate quality sleep. [For more information read "Trouble Sleeping? Why Winter is the Ideal Time to Learn How to Sleep Right!"]

- Soak up the Sun - Vitamin D, available from sunlight, is an easy way to effectively stop inflammation.

Source: BodyEcology.com

You can't be a meat eating environmentalist

UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said "Liverstock are one of the most significant contributors to today's most serious environmental problems," "Urgent action is required to remedy the situation."

In the FAO report, "Cattle-rearing is also a major source of land and water degradation"

"With increased prosperity people are consuming more meat and dairy products every year"

The global livestock sector is growing faster than any other agricultural sub-sector.

Livestock now use 30% of the Earth's land surface.

33 per cent of the global arable land is used to producing feed for livestock

As forests are cleared to create new pastures, it is a major driver of deforeststion, especially in Latin America where, for example, some 70 per cent of former forests in the Amazon have been turned over to grazing.

"Herds cause wide-scale land degradation with about 20% of pastures considered degraded through overgrazing, compaction and erosion." the report said.

This figure is even higher in the drylands.

The livestock business is among the most damaging sectors to the earth's increasingly scarce water resources, contributing among other things to water pollution from animal wastes, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and the pesticides used to spray feed crops.

The Union of Concerned Scientists and many leading environmental organisations have recognized that raising animals for food demages the environment more than just about anything else that we do.

In 2004-2005, all the wild animals and trees in more than 2.9 million acres of rainforest were destroyed in order to grow crops that are used to feed chickens and other animals in factory farms.

In a 2006 UN report, the livestock sector caused more greenhouse gases worldwide than the entire transportation sector. Nitrous oxide is about 300 times more potent as a global warming gas than carbon dioxide.

UN report cont'd "The meat, dairy and egg industries account for a staggering 65 percent of worldwide nitrous oxide emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency says the run-off from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined.

According to the UN report Chicken, hog, and cattle excrement have polluted 35,000 of rivers in 22 US states and contaiminated groundwater in 17 states.

It takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat. One average meat eater could consume that pound of meat during a meal, while 16 people could have been fed on the grain it takes to produce the pound of meat.

Animals raised for food produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population - 86,000 lbs per second. Hence the meat industry causes more water polution than all other industries combined.

90% of all corn and 80% of all grains and beans grown in the US are used to feed livestock animals. 75 percent of U.S. topsoil has been lost to date. 85 percent of that is due to livestock rearing.

The livestock population of the US consumes enough grain and soybeans to feed more that 5 times its human population.

Every 2 seconds, a child starves to death somewhere in the world. Countries such as Ethiopia and some Central American countries use their garmland to supply the US with cheap burgers instead of growing healthful grain foods for their own starving people.

Fortunately there is something we can do - switch to a plant-based diet.

Excerpts from 2006 United Nations Report & WoodstockFAS.org

FAO Newsroom: Livestock a major threat to environment - Remedies urgently needed

FAO Spotlight / 2006 - Livestock impacts on the environment

UN News Center Report: Rearing cattle produces more greenhouse gases than driving cars

UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report

Livestock - One of Major Contributors to Environmental Problems

Meat is murder on the environment

European Vegetarian and Animal News Agency (EVANA)

LobsA

You can't be a meat eating environmentalist - YouTube Video

Drink Water Empty Stomach

It is popular in Japan today to drink water immediately after waking up every morning. Furthermore, scientific tests have proven its value. We publish below a description of use of water for our readers.

For old and serious diseases as well as modern illnesses, the water treatment had been found successful by a Japanese medical society as a hundred percent cure for the following diseases:

Headache
Body-ache
Heart system
Arthritis
Fast heartbeat
Epilepsy
Excess
Fatness
Bronchitis
Asthma
TB
Meningitis
Kidney and Urine diseases
Vomiting gastritis
Diarrhoea
Piles
Diabetes
Constipation
All eye diseases
Womb cancer
Menstrual disorders
Ear nose
Throat diseases

Method of Treatment:
1. As you wake up in the morning before brushing teeth, drink four glasses of water each of 160ml.

2. Brush and clean the mouth but do not eat or drink anything for 45 minutes.

3. After 45 minutes you may eat and drink as normal.

4. After 15 minutes of breakfast, lunch and dinner do not eat or drink anything for two hours.

5. Those who are old or sick and are unable to drink four glasses of water at the beginning may commence by taking little water and gradually increase it to four glasses per day.

6. The above method of treatment will cure diseases of the sick and others can enjoy a healthy life.

The following list gives the number of days of treatment required to cure main diseases:
1. High Blood Pressure: 30 days
2. Gastric: 10 days
3. Diabetes: 30 days
4. Constipation: 10 days
5. Cancer: 180 days
6. TB: 90 days

Arthritis patients should follow the above treatment for only 3 days in the first week to be followed by daily treatment.

This treatment method has no side effects, however at the commencement of treatment you may have to urinate a few times.

Good Health to you...

Healing effect of Okra (Lady's Finger)

Okra, also known as lady's finger, fruit of a vegetable plant. Its scientific name is Abelmoschus esculentus.

Someone has been suffering from constipation for the past 20 years and recently from acid reflux. He didn't realize that the treatment could be so simple -- OKRA! (or Lady's Finger).

He started eating okra within the last 2 months and since then have never taken medication again. All he did was consume 6 pieces of OKRA everyday.

He's now regular and his blood sugar has dropped from 135 to 98, with his cholesterol and acid reflux also under control.

Here are some facts on okra (from the research of Ms. Sylvia Zook, Ph.D in nutrition, University of Illinois).

"Okra is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. Soluble fiber helps to lower serum cholesterol, reducing the risk of heart disease. The other half is insoluble fiber which helps to keep the intestinal tract healthy,decreasing the risk of some forms of cancer, especially colo-rectal cancer.

Nearly 10% of the recommended levels of vitamin B6 and folic acid is also present in a half cup of cooked okra. Okra is a rich source of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin B6 and folic acid. He got the following numbers from the University of Illinois Extension Okra Page.

Please check there for more details.

Okra Nutrition (half-cup cooked okra)

* Calories = 25
* Dietary Fiber = 2 grams
* Protein = 1.5 grams
* Carbohydrates = 5.8 grams
* Vitamin A = 460 IU
* Vitamin C = 13 mg
* Folic acid = 36.5 micrograms
* Calcium = 50 mg
* Iron = 0.4 mg
* Potassium = 256 mg
* Magnesium = 46 mg

These numbers should be used as a guideline only, and if you are on a medically-restricted diet please consult your physician and/or dietician. Ms Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D. (nutritionist) has very kindly provided the following thought-provoking comments on the many benefits of this versatile vegetable They are well worth reading

1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.

2. Okra's mucilage not only binds cholesterol but bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. But it doesn't stop there...

3. Many alternative health practitioners believe all diseases begin in the colon.

The okra fiber, absorbing water and ensuring bulk in stools, helps prevent constipation.

Fiber in general is helpful for this but okra is one of the best, along with ground flax seed and psyllium.

Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra's mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic many people abhor. In other words,this incredibly valuable vegetable not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids) which cause numerous health problems, if not evacuated, but also assures their easy passage from
the the body.

The veggie is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming (except for the many who greatly enjoy eating it), has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most.

4. Further contributing to the health of the intestinal tract, okra fiber(as well as flax and psyllium) has no equal among fibers for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics).

5. To retain most of okra's nutrients and self-digesting enzymes, it should be cooked as little as possible, e.g. with low heat or lightly steamed. Some eat it raw.

A Secret of Anti-Aging (Part 2)

... continued from Part 1

Foods which can help regeneration and anti-aging include

- RAW nuts, seeds, soaked and sprouted grains
- Almonds, especially if they have been soaked in water for 24 hours ('sprouted')
- Fruit and vegetables especially sprouts
- Green leafy vegetables
- Lentils - learn Indian cooking to make them interesting
- Beans that have been soaked for 8 hours. (That is, 'sprouted'. This makes them alkaline)
- Brown rice that has been soaked for 22 hours. This makes it alkaline
- Organic Cottage cheese and yogurt. They are alkalline. The bacteria has changed the original milk.
- GOJI JUICE - Possibly the best anti-aging substance in the world.
- Super Food
- Seeds
- Bee Pollen (not for everyone-some are allergic to pollen from some areas)
- Kambucha
- Celtic sea salt
- Spirulina
- Seaweed
- Wheatgrass juice
- Barley greens
- Aloe vera
- Antioxidants (eg vitamin C, vitamin E, pycnogenols, coenzyme Q10)
- Olive oil
- Evening primrose oil
- MSM (organic sulphur)
- Foods with omega 3 fatty acids (eg flaxseed oil) and
- Foods with omega 4 & 5 fatty acids (eg evening primrose and fish oil).
- Gentle sunlight (vitamin D)
- Gentle exercise.
- A good night's sleep every night, average at least eight hours every day. Lack of sleep is CUMULATIVE.
- And most importantly of all: Fulvic Liquid Minerals!!!!

In addition, frequent drinks of good water is crucial. We believe the best water is water that has been filtered by reverse osmosis. Next best would be spring water. Tap water is not as good because of the chlorine and the fluoride (although it is better than nothing). Distilled water is not as good for you - its energy has been altered. In Europe distilled water is labelled "not for human consumption". Mineral water is not as good because the minerals are not in a form your body likes. Water that comes from the top of mountains is no good because, according to genius Victor Schauberger, it is lacking in oxygen. Many people's health problems and anti-aging would improve if they would just drink more good water!

Nutritionists like to divide food into a number of different groups. I suggest that you think about dividing food up into two food groups. One group produces acids when it is digested. The other group produces alkalies when it is digested. Our bodies are constantly producing waste products, much the same as the exhaust coming from the back of your car. Waste products are acidic. They are called toxins. Toxins cause tiredness, pain and aging. Therefore, if you want more energy and less pain and anti-aging, you need to eat less acid-producing food.

Foods that produce acids are carbohydrates and proteins. 'Foods' such as tea, coffee, softdrinks, sugar, flavourings, artificial sweetener and preserved meats are even more acidic i.e. toxic. And pollutants (such as heavy metals) and pesticides are even worse.

To neutralise an acid you need an alkali. The main foods that produce alkalis are fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy, green vegetables, such as sprouts, parsley and cabbage. That is why people should eat LOTS of fruit and especially vegetables, for anti-aging. Raw is best. And steamed is much, much better than boiled (as it retains the vitamins and minerals). Also organic cottage cheese and yogurt.

Once you begin to understand this, it is easy to see why so many people are suffering from health problems. Have a look at what people put into their shopping carts next time you are at the supermarket. (Lots of white bread, soft drinks and preserved meats). And have a look at what people have on their plate next time you are in a restaurant. Lots of carbohydrate and protein, and very few vegetables, except maybe for some lettuce.

This is not to say that we don't need protein and complex carbohydrates. We do. The key is BALANCE. We need to balance the acid-producing foods we eat with much more alkali-producing foods, especially if we suffer from symptoms such as tiredness, pain, illness, gas and skin problems.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the body has hundreds of different chemical reactions going on, for which it needs at least NINETY different things, including vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Therefore, people need more variety in their diet, to ensure that they get everything their body needs, for effective anti-aging.

Excellent article on the dangers of meat and soy

See "The Worlds' Best Health Books"

See Vital Nutrition Plus - "Super Food"

By Stephanie Relfe B.Sc. (Syd.), Kinesiologist

A Secret of Anti-Aging (Part 1)

By Stephanie Relfe B.Sc. (Syd.), Kinesiologist

Anti aging is possible. The body is designed to heal and repair itself with the aid of proper nutrition. The body requires two vital materials to complete this - energy and raw material. These two requirements are needed to maintain the cell's proper functions. The body is made up of cells and all cells are living. All living things need food. Each cell needs the proper food to keep it strong. Cells die and replace themselves at various intervals. To understand antin-aging, understand that when a cell replaces itself it has three options that it can replace itself with:

1. A cell may replace itself with a weaker cell each time. A cell will do this if it hasn't had the right nutritional foods available to it. This process is called degeneration.

2. A cell can replace itself with the same strength cell. This means the body doesn't improve. That is, you have a chronic condition.

3. The cell is capable of replacing itself with a stronger and better cell. This will happen only if the cell has an abundance of energy and the right raw materials. This process is called regeneration. It is anti-aging.

Many of the foods that we have been told are good for us in actual fact may cause degeneration. This can be shown by muscle testing. Your kinesiologist can supply you with information on which foods to avoid to stop degeneration, and which foods to buy to aid regeneration and anti-aging.

Foods which usually cause degeneration and aging are:

- High levels of carbohydrate
- Sugar
- Milk (especially homogenized milk) and cheese
- Caffeine - Including Tea, Coffee, chocolate, cola, chuppa chups
- Chocolate (it contains dangerous levels of lead!)
- Cigarettes
- White flour
- Microwaved food
- Chemicals such as flouride (which is a rat poison)
- Artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame / nutrasweet)
- Alcohol
- Processed foods
- Artificial Colorings (as in Gatorade)
- Additives
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Preserved meat
- Moderate to high levels of meat
- Meat from animals on unnatural diets (eg pork)
- Margarine
- Vegetable oil
- Canola oil
- Cotton seed oil
- Olestra
- Hydrogenated oils
- Oil that is not cold pressed / expeller pressed (use olive oil, butter or ghee)
- Deep fried foods
- Chips / French fries
- Puffed grains
- Soy products other than soy sauce, miso and tofu (eg soy milk & soy oil)
- Meat and eggs raised by 'normal' methods which have many toxins and hormones.
- Seafood which are garbage eaters (eg oysters)
- Foods with high levels of mercury. This includes most fish, such as tuna.
- Genetically Modified Food (GMOs). At present this is about 50% of all soy and corn. Even organic soy and corn can have GMOs in it unless otherwise stated.

A MAJOR cause of aging is heavy metals. Virtually all of us suffer from heavy metal toxicity. Click here to find out more, and how chelation can help.

to be continued...

12 Points on Enzymes

Compiled by Dr. John Whitman Ray, N.D., Ph.D.

1) Enzymes rule over all other nutrients. Enzymes are responsible for nearly every facet of life and health and far outweigh the importance of every other nutrient.

2) Enzymes are needed to help control all mental and physical functions. Each body cell has in excess of 100,000 enzyme particles necessary for metabolic processes.

3) Enzymes cannot function properly without the presence of other substances which are known as coenzymes. Coenzymes are minerals, vitamins and proteins.

4) Once enzymes have completed their appointed task, they are destroyed. For life to continue, you must have a constant enzyme supply which requires continued replacement of enzymes.

5) Enzymes are found in all living cells including raw foods or those that are cooked at a temperature lower than 116 de/grees Fahrenheit. Enzymes begin to perish when the temperature increases beyond 116 degrees. The degree of enzyme destruction is a function of time and temperature.

6) Enzymes are primarily proteins, yet enzymes need amino acids for normal function. Hormones are primarily proteins which require interaction with enzymes to regulate bodily processes.

7) Enzymes aid in transforming proteins into amino acids. Protein does not perform its function unless broken down into amino acids. Amino Acids can be considered as an enzyme carrier whose function is to transport enzymes to various functions in the body.

8) Enzymes help extract minerals from food. Enzymes transform minerals into an alkaline detoxifying agent which combines with acid cellular wastes and toxic settlements within the body, thus neutralizing them and preparing them for elimination.

9) Enzymes use minerals to create an even balance of dissolved solids both inside and outside the cells, thus equalizing both internal and external pressures which we call osmotic equilibrium.

10) Vitamins are required as coenzymes to work with enzymes in every chemical reaction in every cell of the body. Without minerals extracted from food by enzymes, vitamins would be unable to perform their function.

11) An Enzyme deficiency must be carefully considered as a possible precursor of bodily imbalance and consequent disease symptoms.

12) Enzymes are, therefore, justified as a supplemental dietary substance which need is parallel with mineral, vitamin and all other supportive therapies.

From "Body Electronics Fundamentals" by Douglas Morrison .

世卫组织评选的最健康与最垃圾食品

不久前，世界卫生组织公布了一份经过约3年时间研究得出的最佳食品榜，揭开谜底。

最佳蔬菜：由于红薯既含丰富的维生素，又是抗癌能手，所以被选为所有蔬菜之首。其次分别是芦笋、卷心菜、花椰菜、芹菜、茄子、甜菜、胡萝卜、荠菜、苤兰菜、金针菇、雪里红、大白菜。

最佳水果：10份最佳水果的排名依次是，木瓜、草莓、橘子、柑子、猕猴桃、芒果、杏、柿子与西瓜。

最佳肉食：鹅鸭肉化学结构接近橄榄油，有益于心脏。鸡肉则被称为“蛋白质的最佳来源”。

最佳食油：玉米油、米糠油、芝麻油等尤佳，植物油与动物油按1比0.5至1的比例调配食用更好。

最佳汤食：鸡汤最优，特别是母鸡汤还有防治感冒、支气管炎的作用，尤其适于冬春季饮用。

最佳护脑食物：菠菜、韭菜、南瓜、葱、花椰菜、菜椒、豌豆、番茄、胡萝卜、小青菜、蒜苗、芹菜等蔬菜，核桃、花生、开心果、腰果、松子、杏仁、大豆等壳类食物以及糙米饭、猪肝等。

全球十大垃圾食物

一、 油炸类食品
1、 导致心血管疾病元凶( 油炸淀粉)
2、 含致癌物质
3、 破坏维生素，使蛋白质变性

二、腌制类食品
1、导致高血压，肾负担过重，导致鼻咽癌
2、影响粘膜系统（对肠胃有害）
3、易得溃疡和发炎

三、 加工类肉食品（肉干、肉松、香肠等）
1、含三大致癌物质之一：亚硝酸盐（防腐和显色作用）
2、含大量防腐剂（加重肝脏负担）

四、饼干类食品（不含低温烘烤和全麦饼干）
1、食用香精和色素过多（对肝脏功能造成负担）
2、严重破坏维生素
3、热量过多、营养成分低

五、汽水可乐类食品
1，含磷酸、碳酸，会带走体内大量的钙
2、含糖量过高，喝后有饱胀感，影响正餐

六、方便类食品（主要指方便面和膨化食品）
1、盐分过高，含防腐剂、香精（损肝）
2、只有热量，没有营养

七、罐头类食品（包括鱼肉类和水果类）
1、破坏维生素，使蛋白质变性
2、热量过多，营养成分低

八、话梅蜜饯类食品（果脯）
1、含三大致癌物质之一：亚硝酸盐（防腐和显色作用）
2、盐分过高，含防腐剂、香精（损肝）

九、冷冻甜品类食品（冰淇淋、冰棒和各种雪糕）
1、含奶油极易引起肥胖
2、含糖量过高影响正餐

十、烧烤类食品
1、含大量“三苯四丙吡”（三大致癌物质之首）
2、1只烤鸡腿＝60支烟毒性
3、导致蛋白质炭化变性（加重肾脏、肝脏负担）


http://article.pchome.net/30871.html

25 Reasons To Drink Green Tea

Green tea has increasingly become a very popular drink worldwide because of its immensely powerful health benefits. It is extraordinarily amazing what green tea can do for your health. And if you're not drinking 3 to 4 cups of green tea today, you're definitely NOT doing your health a big favor.

Here Are The 25 Reasons Why You Should Start Drinking Green Tea Right Now:

1. Green Tea and Cancer
Green tea helps reduce the risk of cancer. The antioxidant in green tea is 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times better than vitamin E. This helps your body at protecting cells from damage believed to be linked to cancer.

2. Green Tea and Heart Disease
Green tea helps prevent heart disease and stroke by lowering the level of cholesterol. Even after the heart attack, it prevents cell deaths and speeds up the recovery of heart cells.

3. Green Tea and Anti-Aging
Green tea contains antioxidant known as polyphenols which fight against free radicals. What this means it helps you fight against aging and promotes longevity.

4. Green Tea and Weight Loss
Green tea helps with your body weight loss. Green tea burns fat and boosts your metabolism rate naturally. It can help you burn up to 70 calories in just one day. That translates to 7 pounds in one year.

5. Green Tea and Skin
Antioxidant in green tea protects the skin from the harmful effects of free radicals, which cause wrinkling and skin aging. Green tea also helps fight against skin cancer.

6. Green Tea and Arthritis
Green tea can help prevent and reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Green tea has benefit for your health as it protects the cartilage by blocking the enzyme that destroys cartilage.

7. Green Tea and Bones
The very key to this is high fluoride content found in green tea. It helps keep your bones strong. If you drink green tea every day, this will help you preserve your bone density.

8. Green Tea and Cholesterol
Green tea can help lower cholesterol level. It also improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, by reducing bad cholesterol level.

9. Green Tea and Obesity
Green tea prevents obesity by stopping the movement of glucose in fat cells. If you are on a healthy diet, exercise regularly and drink green tea, it is unlikely you'll be obese.

10. Green Tea and Diabetes
Green tea improves lipid and glucose metabolisms, prevents sharp increases in blood sugar level, and balances your metabolism rate.

11. Green Tea and Alzheimer's
Green tea helps boost your memory. And although there's no cure for Alzheimer's, it helps slow the process of reduced acetylcholine in the brain, which leads to Alzheimer's.

12. Green Tea and Parkinson's
Antioxidants in green tea helps prevent against cell damage in the brain, which could cause Parkinson's. People drinking green tea also are less likely to progress with Parkinson's.

13. Green Tea and Liver Disease
Green tea helps prevent transplant failure in people with liver failure. Researches showed that green tea destroys harmful free radicals in fatty livers.

14. Green Tea and High Blood Pressure
Green tea helps prevent high blood pressure. Drinking green tea helps keep your blood pressure down by repressing angiotensin, which leads to high blood pressure.

15. Green Tea and Food Poisoning
Catechin found in green tea can kill bacteria which causes food poisoning and kills the toxins produced by those bacteria.

16. Green Tea and Blood Sugar
Blood sugar tends to increase with age, but polyphenols and polysaccharides in green tea help lower your blood sugar level.

17. Green Tea and Immunity
Polyphenols and flavenoids found in green tea help boost your immune system, making your health stronger in fighting against infections.

18. Green Tea and Cold and Flu
Green tea prevents you from getting a cold or flu. Vitamin C in green tea helps you treat the flu and the common cold.

19. Green Tea and Asthma
Theophylline in green tea relaxes the muscles which support the bronchial tubes, reducing the severity of asthma.

20. Green Tea and Ear Infection
Green tea helps with ear infection problem. For natural ear cleaning, soak a cutton ball in green tea and clean the infected ear.

21. Green Tea and Herpes
Green tea increases the effectiveness of topical interferon treatment of herpes. First green tea compress is applied, and then let the skin dry before the interferon treatment.

22. Green Tea and Tooth Decay
Green tea destroys bacteria and viruses that cause many dental diseases. It also slows the growth of bacteria which leads to bad breath.

23. Green Tea and Stress
L-theanine, which is a kind of amino acids in green tea, can help relieve stress and anxiety

24. Green Tea and Allergies
EGCG found in green tea relieves allergies. So, if you have allergies, you should really consider drinking green tea.

25. Green Tea and HIV
Scientists inJapanhave found that EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallate) in green tea can stop HIV from binding to healthy immune cells. What this means is that green tea can help stop the HIV virus from spreading.

Now, your health is in your hands. You know you're smart. So, start drinking three to four cups of green tea every day for a drug-free and healthier YOU!

情绪与五脏六腑及能量系统的关系

出处 胡因梦的BLOG 《心理月刊》2007年第二期所作

正念的确是最根本、最究竟的解脱途径，但也是最难以掌握、最需要以生理健康作基础的自疗手段，因为觉知的清明度与持续性完全取决于五脏六腑的健康。

根据量子力学 (Quantum Mechanics) 的理论及观察，物质是由百分之99.999的空间 (space) 和百分之0.0001的原子 (atom) 所组成的，因此我们肉眼见到的一切物质现象都是由原子的振动创造出来的幻象，而这非常类似于佛学所说的“空”与“有”的关系。事实上，印度著名的精神导师葛印卡在全世界推广的内观法门，就是要帮助禅修者体证到肉身精微次元的能量振动 (energy vibration)，以便突破惯有的自我实存感和牢不可破的情绪反应。因此我们的意识大约可以分成两个层次，一是由眼、耳、鼻、舌、触所组成的五感次元，另一个则属于直觉或直观次元，若是能够在日常生活里保持身心的静定，第二层次的意识就会示现出来，而开始觉知到我们四周的信息场。
这个信息场里的各种能量对我们身心造成的影响，绝大部分的人是感知不到的，生物能医学将其命名为“基因形态发生场” (morphogenetic field) 。人与人在互动时投射出来的情绪能量毫无例外地全都释放到这个电磁场里了，而那些已经发展出清明直觉力的人往往能捕捉到这些精微的信息能量。近年来心理学第四势力──“超个人心理学” (transpersonal psychology) ── 经常探讨到的问题，就是如何辨认我们所感知到的信息究竟是自己的，还是属于别人的。或者可以说一旦探测到信息场，自他的界分就不再那么明显，而自然能体认到生命的一体性。
我的某些学员与网友常怀疑自己是否有心理或精神问题，因为她们和周遭重要关系人在生活中互动时，经常会产生不明究理的排斥、郁闷或疲惫感，但两人的关系并没有实质上的问题。如果碰到这样的情况，就必须了解我们很可能已经和别人的情绪产生了共振。换句话说，如果你体内的能量波和他人能量波的振动频率相同，你的感觉便可能因此而改变，但只有当自己的系统里存在着类似的情绪毒素时，外在的诱因才会产生作用，这也就是流行心理学经常会强调“到最后你会发现问题全在自己身上”的理由之一。
被誉为第二个爱因斯坦的威廉·提勒博士 (Dr William Tiller)，是全世界研究物质结构的先知型科学家，他从爱因斯坦终止的地方继续进行研究，而发现了信息可以穿越空间的范畴，甚至比光速更快一些。这个革命性的发现，将科学带入了崭新的层次。提勒博士的研究后来逐渐从纯物质科学转换到另类的领域，包括能量医学、自然疗法、瑜伽及禅修等等，他的主要观点之一是：信息能影响物质，而情绪就是信息的一种。
其实情绪即是能量，情绪处理不当会造成能量结晶化之后的气滞，继而形成身心的疾病。依我二十年来的觉察，心中只要有一股萦绕不去的情绪，随即就会演变成种种念头，敏感度高的人会意识到带着情绪的念头在本质上乃是一种乱流，这些乱流会在瞬间影响到人体中脉上的七个主要能量中枢──瑜伽系统里的脉轮 (chakras) 。其中的担忧或焦虑之类的情绪，通常会影响到太阳神经丛(与脾胃有关的能量中枢)，恐惧或不信任的情绪会影响到脐轮(与肾脏、膀胱相关的能量中枢)，刻薄或自我批判的情绪则跟海底轮(掌管直肠、结肠、双腿及免疫系统)攸关，而过度自保利己、害怕孤独、不愿付出等情绪，往往会影响到心轮(与心肺功能有关)，过度注重细节、不愿彻底沟通、隐藏私密感受、无法保持客观态度等等的惯性，则会使喉轮(与甲状腺、肩颈、口腔、喉咙相关)阻塞，如果无法保持静默、不信任直觉或直观智慧，那么眉心轮(与脑下垂体，鼻窦及眼睛相关)就会遭到压制，而敌意、过度的野心与掌控性、自我压抑或傲慢自大的情绪，则通常会阻碍顶轮(与松果腺体或神圣意识相关)的开发。


更多见 胡因梦的BLOG
http://blog.sina.com.cn/u/4a2119e10100075d

Eat Good Live Long

Eating the wrong foods create toxins in the body which hinder it working efficiently. These toxins obstruct your thinking processes and so your spirituality, it also causes a lot of problems for children at school who are labeled with "disruptive syndromes", etc.

Most illnesses, (spiritual and physical), can be directly associated with unhealthy eating. So it naturally follows that almost any illness can be cured by simply knowing what to eat. For example many instances of general tiredness, especially in pregnancies is often caused by lack of Iron in their diet, so that in this instance spinach would be an ideal remedy. Another good food for exhaustion is oats which contain typically 60% carbohydrates, about 10% protein, 10% fibre, oats also have vitamin E, Thiamin B1, vitamin B6, Folacin, Pantothenic acid B5, Phosporus, Iron, Magnesium, and Zinc.

Brown sugar is better than white sugar which has had it's nutrients removed and has chemicals that contribute to hyper- activeness in children. This goes for all mainstream selling sweets, candy, chocolate and cakes. Sugary foods are bad for teeth and the digestive system. You can make your own 'sweet' things using brown sugar, honey and dried fruit. You can find some brands of good quality chocolate, oat, and fruit snack bars at some health food shops.

Sea Salt instead of commercial salt. Sea-salt contains nutrients that we need, whereas the usual rock salt you can easily find- is well known to harden arteries which carry blood.

Spring/bottle water is a better source of water especially to drink as public water contains chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride which are detrimental to health. This, again costs, an alternative measure is to add sea salt to tap water which replaces nutrients removed.

Whole-meal bread that has not been bleached contains more of it's original nutrients and vitamins. This varies from brand to brands you have to check the ingredients to find the best ones for you. Be wary of the different names, whole wheat, whole grain, brown, etc. Alternatively you can make your own, again, finding the whole-flour that hasn't had all it's nutrients removed or chemicals added such as bleaching.

Fresh fruit and vegetables - eat as much of these as you like. Best to grow your own but if shopping at markets and supermarkets try to be conscious of the journey the food has made. Most fruits and vegetables that don't grow in your locality has had to travel, so was probably picked young and force ripened, chemicals are usually added for appearance on the shop shelf. Some times when these same foods do grow in your locality, the ones that are available for you to buy don't. Ask shop staff about Genetically Modified Food (food grown using cloning and other chemical processes) and pesticides used, so you can avoid them. Be aware that foods marked 'natural', 'fresh', pure, are not necessarily so. Vegetables are best eaten as raw as possible retaining all their nutrients. Potatoes are best eaten with their skins as this is where the vitamins are.

Beans, peas, lentils and pulses can be made into burgers, soups, stews with rice/pasta and other variations. Soya beans are extremely versatile, you can get it in mince or chunks to use as substitute meat. Soya also makes milk and oil.

Soya and goats milk are better than cow's milk as it has lactose which is good for calves not us.

Dried fruits are especially good as their vitamins are concentrated by the sun during the drying process.

Olive oil is best to cook with, also peanut and soya oil. sunflower, vegetable oils are fairly good, make sure animal fats are avoided.

Cereals are a good source of carbohydrates such as rye, barley, millet and cornmeal. These are also good sweetened with fruit.

try to avoid all packet/preserved foods as these even though labeled fresh and natural, etc are very likely to have some unnatural additives.

Real butter is the best of the butters and margarine spreads, again, staying away from animal additives though these should generally be avoided.

Don't eat too much fried foods, as these are generally covered in fat that the stomach is not really equipped for. (when frying, use healthier-option oils, like olive, peanut, etc).

Herbs and spices are very good to add to dishes, as garnishes/side salads or cooked with food (herbs added last to retains nutrients), they all have different healthy properties. herbs and spices can be used medicinally in larger quantities.

Nuts

Almonds: have a large calcium content, and also contains zinc, potassium, and magnesium (calcium is essential for strong teeth and bones).

Brazils: the highest-known natural source of selenium (a mineral, believed to reduce the risk of cancer and heart- disease).

Cashews: high iron content, helps to reduce the risk of anemia.

Hazelnuts: high vitamin E content, also good for the heart.

Peanuts: rich in protein and fiber, unroasted contains potassium which is believed to reduce risk of strokes (especially in cases of high-blood pressure).

Pistachios: good source of zinc, calcium, iron and fiber.

Walnuts: can lower blood cholesterol.

(some people may be allergic to nuts, so may need alternative sources of vitamins and minerals listed)

FOOD PYRAMID

(showing the proportions in which the main food groups should be eaten in order to gain a balanced diet)


sweets sugary foods

chocolate oils cakes pastries

Proteins: Bean nuts pulses milk

Fibre & vitamins: fruit vegetables

Carbohydrates: Bread pasta cereals rice

It is difficult to eat properly no matter what country you are in. Consider your diet in a serious way and you will realize that the ideal is to grow your own food on land that you know has not been contaminated with chemicals - these can even come from rain. Your financial situation will also have a bearing as the things that we eat are generally more expensive than what 'most' people buy. The so-called 'organic movement' seems to be a middle-class led consciousness of chemicals in food which is positive but has been infiltrated by business agendas so food labeled organic are not necessarily so, and what is organic anyway?. Transport can be a problem as you may need to shop at a number of shops, some of which are small and out of the way to get what you want.

Hot Tea / Warm Water

It's always good to know these things.....

This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water during and after your meal, but about ladies and their heart attacks. This makes sense.... the Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals..... not cold water..... maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating!!!

Nothing to lose, everything to gain.....they have a much, much lower heart attack rate than we do. For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you.

It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oil in the food that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this "sludge" reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fat and could lead to
cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water (tea or coffee) during and after a meal.

A serious note about HEART ATTACKS:
Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware.

The more we know, the better chance we could survive...... A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this info sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this....... It could save your life!!

How Toxic Is Your Shampoo?

By Doris Rapp, M.D.

Announcer: This lecture is going to open up your eyes to the most shocking and incredible information you have ever heard about - the chemical invasion occurring in our society right now. Like most people, you probably do not realize that you and your family are dousing yourselves every day with the same toxic chemicals that are found in anti-freeze, engine de-greasers and brake fluid. According to scientists, these ingredients are absorbed through our skin into the body and the brain 3 times faster than water. The side effects these chemicals are causing can include chest pain, memory loss, severe skin rashes, asthma, chronic fatigue, acne and even cancer.

What is so shocking about this is that the companies that make these products know very well what these chemicals can do, but they ignore it. Does this sound familiar to you? An entire industry that knows that it is selling products that contain harmful substances, but does nothing about it. If you are thinking that this sounds like the tobacco scandal all over again, you may very well be right. Remember, the victims of the tobacco scandal were not the companies, but the American people and their health. It is entirely possible that the same exact scenario will play itself out with the personal care companies sometime in the next few decades. You owe it to yourself and your family to know the truth now because the companies are certainly not going to come forward with this vital information anytime soon.

Here to share this consumer alert message is Dr. Doris Rapp, a board certified medical doctor, founder of the Practical Allergy Foundation, former President of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine, author of eight books on healthcare and a frequent guest on talk shows such as the Oprah Winfrey show. She holds a tremendous amount of credibility in the medical community and she is speaking out today because she is sick and tired of people being taken advantage of. Remember, this could be the next tobacco scandal. So, if you want to reverse the aging process, save your skin and especially save your money, pay attention to this life-altering lecture.

The following was transcribed from a live lecture by Dr. Doris Rapp:

What I am going to tell you is not a little important, but vitally important to the future of everyone that you know and love. Let me give you a little bit of my background first. I came from a very poor family. No one had a college education. By the time I was 4 years of age, I knew I was going to be a physician. Don't ask me why. I just knew I would be a doctor. I worked very hard. I picked crops in the fields in the summer and I worked two and three jobs while I was going through college and even worked when I was in medical school. I got through and then I practiced traditional allergy. I studied first as a pediatrician, an allergist and I practiced traditional allergy for about 20 years.

Then I went to a meeting that changed my life. Maybe the way this one might change your life. At that time, I found that I was missing food sensitivities and chemical sensitivities. I didn't believe it. I thought I was practicing the best pediatric allergy in the world when I went to this meeting in 1975. At that time, I realized that I wasn't and I started to learn environmental medicine. I learned that foods and chemicals can make us very, very sick and that I had been missing it for 20 years. My whole life changed.

As time passed, I realized how much chemicals really are hurting us. I tell you that it is going to affect everyone that is listening to this. You are going to be affected by chemicals and it isn't going to help you, they are going to hurt you. I want to urge you to become an informed consumer. You simply have to start to pay attention to what you are putting on your body. Read the labels! I want all of you to go home today and pull out all the things that you use on your body every day and read the labels.

You are going to find the kinds of words that I am going to talk about later and it means caution. Beware! Do you really want to use those things on your skin? If they are found in anti-freeze, if they are known to cause cancer? It's your decision, not mine. No one is going to force you. What we are putting on our skin, what we are putting on our body, goes squish right into the inside. When you put something on your skin, it does not stay on your skin. It goes inside and if it is toxic, your body does no t know what to do with it, so it starts to try and take it to the liver to try to clean it out. Then it tries to get rid of it in your breath, in your perspiration, through your urine and through your bowel movements.

If you have too many chemicals, then you get cancer of the bladder, cancer of the bowel, cancer of the lung.

Are you beginning to see the picture? These chemicals go all over. They can affect your brain and your muscles and every area of your body can be affected. You have to understand that what you put on your body can actually be making you sick.

I am very, very concerned about certain chemicals and we are going to be talking about some of the types of chemicals that are found in ordinary body products that you may be using every single day and have never given it a thought. There are natural alternatives available. What I want to do is explain to you not only how bad it is, but what you can do about it in order to protect yourself and those you love.

The cosmetic industry and the personal care product industry is absolutely a mess. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, there are 30 billion dollars a year spent on shampoos, creams, lotions and personal care products.

The Food and Drug Administration did two studies that show that 27 out of 29 cosmetics, and that's a lot, contain high concentrations of a substance called Nitrous Diethanolamine which causes cancer. Now this means what you put on your skin can actually contain a substance that causes cancer. Should you be concerned about it? I think so.

A study by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health said that there are 884 toxic chemicals in personal care products. Seven hundred and seventy eight cause acute toxic affect. What does that mean in English? That means that it could cause a headache, it could cause a rash, it makes you sick in some way right away.

One hundred and forty six of the chemicals can cause tumors. Now some of these tumors are like cancer. Some are not cancers, but some of them are.

Three hundred and fourteen can cause developmental abnormalities. What does that mean? It means that if you put it on yourself when you are pregnant, that your baby might not be normal. When a child's nervous system and brain is developing, some of these chemicals could adversely affect that. Some of these chemicals, if you just breath the vapors, they can make a baby sick.

They can cause reproductiveproblems in two hundred and eighteen of these chemicals.

Three hundred and seventy six can cause skin or eye damage. Now that ought to be a little bit upsetting to you. If you look at the organs of the body, like your heart and your liver, and your kidney and your spleen, you will find that the biggest organ of your body is your skin. This is why it is so important to pay attention to what we put on our skin because, as I said, it goes squish right inside.

Think about the things that you put on your body as a nicotine patch. If you have a little nicotine patch and you put it on your body to stop the craving for nicotine, some people can taste the nicotine just like that. It goes squish right into their body. Imagine that you are wrapping your whole body in a patch that is not nicotine, but substances that might cause cancer or hurt you in some other way. This is what you are doing.

These things can go right inside your body. So, you have got to be concerned about it. Creams are absorbed more quickly than other substances through the skin. This was written by Dr. Olinsku, Dr. Smith and Dr. Hertog in The Body's Battle Against Pollution. Which means when you put cream on, it goes into the body.

Is there a lot of money to be made on personal care products? Well, you have got to be kidding. There's a 6,000 percent profit. 6,000 percent! Sometimes the fancy cap on the bottle costs more than the ingredients in the bottle. Actually, I do not care about the cost myself.

What I am concerned about is the medical problems - that something can cause it, it is not safe for you to use on your body or in your body. All I know is I do have an answer. That there are products that appear to be very safe, that do not contain toxic chemicals, that we know do not cause damage. So why are we using the ones that might be dangerous when we can be using the safe ones?

Many of you ladies who are here know about wrinkle creams. None of us want to be wrinkled, to put it mildly. Do you know that some wrinkle creams can make you look older, rather than younger?

Sometimes this is due to a chemical called Propylene Glycol, which is found in shampoos, styling gels, body lotions and body creams. But what disturbs me is that it is also found in anti-freeze. Would you put anti-freeze on your body? On the labels it may not say Propylene Glycol, it certainly won't say anti-freeze, unless you are in an automobile shop, but it might say PG or PEG.

In the journal called Human Reproduction, it says that this chemical can damage or alter cell membranes. In the Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, it says that it can inhibit cell growth which means the cells can not reproduce normally. If you can't make new cells, the cells can get old and they can get wrinkled. In Pharmacology Research, it says that this chemical can damage the skin and muscle tissue. This means that it can cause more wrinkles. Workers who handle this Propylene Glycol are told that they should wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles.

I don't know what more I have to say about it. In other words, I personally do not want to use something that contains Propylene Glycol on my skin.

Many of these skin preparations contains what's called Alpha Hydroxy Acids. Sometimes on the label it might say Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Malic Acid. These chemicals sometimes cause blistering, bleeding, severe redness and skin discoloration. And some of them can cause you to have an increased sensitivity to the sun, so you take a risk of getting more sunburned than usual or developing skin cancer, according to the FDA.

Have any of you experienced any hair loss? Well, I used to think hair loss was a domain of men, but I am very distressed to find that women are getting male pattern baldness. Their hair is getting thin. Why is this happening? I am sure that there are multiple reasons. Nothing in medicine is simple. There are many reasons why this is happening, but maybe it is related to the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate that is found in many personal care products. This chemical is known to damage hair follicles and it actually causes the hair to fall out due to a toxic overload, according to the Journal of the American College of Toxicology.

This chemical has been linked to eye damage, intestinal damage, breathing problems, skin spots and cysts. In fact, it has even caused a mouse's skin to sag and become wrinkled.

Should we be using it on our skin? It's also used as a de-greasing agent. Dr. Joseph Sigland, at the Medical College of Ohio, said chronic exposure to de-greasing agents can cause low energy, irritability, mood changes, chronic headaches and memory loss.

The Journal of Pharmacological Science says that this chemical, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, can stay in the body as long as 7 days after the exposure. So you put it on our skin and it stays in your body for at least 7 days and if your body cannot get rid of it and has too much, your body will tend to store it in fat places such as in your breast fat and places of that sort. That is where the body stores chemicals and that is why women that have cancer of the breast. Some women have four times more pesticides in their breast fat, then women who do not have breast cancer.

Think about it. We store these things in our body and that is what I mean when I said that we are toxic dump sites. We have to clean out our bodies and get rid of these chemicals that are already there, but more importantly, we do not want to put any more into our little bodies because we are precious. Our little temples are precious and they have got to last a lifetime and, if we take good care of our bodies, I think we can live much longer and have a much better quality of life. If you don't care and you put on something that is toxic all the time, don't be surprised if you start having problems.

Now what about people that work in beauty salons? How does it make you feel? Or even go into beauty salons, I might add. Have you ever noticed the smells when you go into the beauty salons? How does it make you feel? Think about it. Well, there is no doubt that hairstylists have a higher rate of certain types of cancer than the rest of the population, according to the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Just like pesticide applicators have more cancer and farmers have more cancer.

Why? Because they are handling toxic chemicals all the time and breathing it, especially the people that do nails, I might add. Hairstylists, in addition, have an increased risk of miscarriages and birth defects in their newborn babies because of all the chemicals that they are being exposed to all the time.

The majority of baby shampoos, for example, contain a potent chemical derived from an ingredient called Ethylene Oxide which is known to cause cancer. This is in baby shampoo. So you have got to think about everything you put on your body and in your body.

Does it make sense to wash your hair and your body with anti-freeze? There is Isopropyl Alcohol in anti-freeze, but it is also in many body lotions, hair dyes, in massage preparations, shampoos, aftershave and other body care products. Skin contact with this substance is especially dangerous for children, according to the Journal of Applied Toxicology. In addition, they say if you breath it, it can cause dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, coughing, wheezing, breathing problems and dry skin. It has been linked to skin cancer.

So I am saying if you use a preparation on your skin that contains Isopropyl Alcohol pay attention to how you feel in the next 10 or 15 minutes. When you go into the bathroom and put all of these things on your little body, how do you feel 10 minutes later? I have had children go into the bathroom after their mother has used her cosmetics and her perfumes, and the child cannot think or they have an activity or behavioral problem directly related to the smell of something that was in the bathroom that was used by their parent. I have told mothers to go out in the garage and put on your body products out there because it causes their child to get hyperactive and bit them, and I am not exaggerating.

What is the connection between cancer and Mineral Oil? Well, Mineral Oil has been linked to the following types of cancer: cancer of the skin, cancer of the rectum, cancer of the voice box, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the food tube, cancer of the esophagus, cancer of the stomach, cancer of the pancreas.

This information comes from the Rowlands School of Public Health and Emery University. Now remember, most baby oils are 100% Mineral Oil. The fact that it smells good, does not mean that it is safe. It can smell fine and feel nice, that does not mean that it is good for your skin. It does not mean that it is good for the inside of your body.

Another common name for Mineral Oil is Petroleum. It is a petroleum product. It is a coal tar derivative. That is what we call it.

Now, there are some other dangerous chemicals found in body products. One of these is Cocoamid DEA or MEA. Again, this is commonly found in shampoos, body and face creams, aftershave lotions, bubble bath.

Dr. Epstein, of the National Toxicology Program, said that repeated skin applications could result in a definite increase in liver and kidney cancer.

What are other ingredients in these body products that might harm us?

One is called Paraben and there are different types of Parabens. In bio-chemical pharmacology, they found that this chemical is toxic to the liver cells. Now remember that I told you that the liver is where substances go and it clears out all the bad stuff and gets rid of it. And so it can damage the liver if the liver isn't functioning well, if it does not have the right amount of nutrients and things of that sort.

In addition, Parabens can have anestrogenic or feminizing affect on the body. It can make males more feminine. You don don't want to fiddle around with our hormones too much. We have got lots of problems now with the estrogenic affect. We are having massive problems in society because of the feminizing affect of the chemicals that we are being exposed to on a routine basis.

Now let us talk about different ways that aromas and fragrances can make you sick. Manufacturers are not even required to even tell you what the chemicals are that are in the fragrance. This was written in Healthy Living in a Toxic World, by Cynthia Fincher.

Methyl Chloride is one of the most common fragrance ingredients and there is no doubt that it causes cancer. No doubt at all. Now Deborah Lindad has written a beautiful book called Home Safe Home and in her book she said that the side effects of aromas, nice smelling things, can lead to headaches, dizziness, fatigue, hyperactivity, nervous system problems.

That means that the brain doesn't function right, I might add, or that children cannot write normally. Depression. Some children and adults get suicidal when the smell certain aromas. Rashes, skin discoloration and brown spots on the hands. Now I thought brown spots on the hands were due to getting older and they call them senile spots which I resent. Again, they can be due to other things and we should be sure to be checking into it.

Even if something says that it is natural, it means that if only 10% of something is natural, they can put on the label that it is natural. Read the labels! I want all of you to go home today and pull out all of the things that you use in your body every day and read the label.

We are just overloading our bodies. Cancer, asthma, learning problems, Alzheimer's, muscular diseases, lie Parkinson's Disease, all kinds of diseases are almost epidemic now. They are worse than they have ever been. Forty percent increase in brain cancer in children in the past 25 years. Thirty percent increase in testicular cancer in the past 5 years.

It is just horrendous what is going on and no one seems to be getting excited about it except me. I am absolutely out on a crusade saying we have got to change it. We have got to educate the public. You have to know what the dangers are and where there are safe products.

Remember, the most important thing for you to do is read the label. Some of the words that you have heard today will ring a bell and you ought to say to yourself, hey, that is anti-freeze. Hey, I better watch out for this one. Start looking for all natural everything. In absolutely everything that comes in contact with you and those you love. Keep your nest as pure as you can.

I think that we all have to join together and urge everyone we know to start to read labels. Read labels of food that you are buying. Read labels of the products that you are using on your skin. Anything you are putting on your body, start to read all of the labels.

There is a reason why there is an epidemic of illnesses that we have never had before. We never had hyperactivity like we have it now, where up to 45-60% of children in some schools are on activity modifying drugs. Do not tell me that we are not doing something different and something wrong. These children are not different than you were or I was and we did not have these problems years ago.

You did not have 40 year olds that could not find their way to the bathroom because they have Alzheimer's. You had 95 year olds who could not find their way to the bathroom.

There are illnesses now that we have never had before. Autism, Tourets and Asthma are way, way up. Birth defects, developmental disorders. We have got to change it and I think one way we step in this direction is to change what you are putting on your body to make sure it is safe and natural. I am a physician and my interest is your health and the health of the next generation and the way we are going, we are not going to last to the end of the next century unless we clean up our act.

Let me end by saying we have polluted everything in sight. We have polluted our air, our food, our water, our soil, our homes and we cannot continue to do it.

www.discoverhealthandwealth.com/articles/toxins-in-shampoos.html

Toxic Ingredients In Personal Care Products

Are you aware that most of the shampoos and personal care products used today have cancer causing agents? The following identifies many of the ingredients commonly found in shampoos and skin care products and their possible side effects.

ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL: This is a solvent and denaturant (poisonous substance that changes another substance's natural qualities). Isopropyl alcohol is found in hair color rinses, body rubs, hand lotions, after shave lotions, fragrances and many other cosmetics. This petroleum derived substance is also used in antifreeze and as a solvent in shellac. According to a Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, inhalation or ingestion of the vapor may cause headaches, flushing, dizziness, mental depression, nausea, vomiting, narcosis and coma.

MINERAL OIL: Baby oil is 100% mineral oil. This commonly used petroleum ingredient coats the skin just like plastic wrap. The skin's natural immune barrier is disrupted as this plastic coating inhibits its ability to breathe and absorb the natural Moisture Factor (moisture and nutrition). The skin's ability to release toxins is impeded by this "plastic wrap", which can promote acne and other disorders. This process slows down skin function and normal cell development causing the skin to prematurely age.

PEG: This is an abbreviation for polyethylene glycol that is used in making cleansers to dissolve oil and grease as well as thicken products. Because of their effectiveness, PEG's are often used in caustic spray-on oven cleaners and yet are found in many personal care products. PEG's contribute to stripping the natural Moisture Factor, leaving the immune system vulnerable. They are also potentially carcinogenic.

PROPYLENE GLYCOL (PG): As a "surfactant" or wetting agent and solvent, this ingredient is actually the active component in antifreeze. There is no difference between the PG used in industry and the PG used in personal care products. It is used in industry to break down protein and cellular structure (what the skin is made of) yet is found in most forms of make-up, hair products, lotions, after shave- deodorants, mouthwashes and toothpaste. It is also used in food processing. Because of its ability to quickly penetrate the skin, the EPA requires workers to wear protective gloves, clothing and goggles when working with this toxic substance. The Material Safety Data Sheets warn against skin contact, as PG has systemic consequences such as brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities. Consumers are not protected not is there a warning label on products such as stick deodorants, where the concentration is greater than that in most industrial applications.


SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE (SLS) & SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE (SLES):
Used as detergents and surfactants, these closely related compounds are found in car wash soaps, garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers. Yet both SLS and SLES are used more widely as one of the major ingredients in cosmetics, toothpaste, hair conditioner and about 90% of all shampoos and products that foam. Mark Fearer in an article, Dangerous Beauty, says "...in tests, animals that were exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, along with depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation and corrosion and death". According to the American College of Toxicology states both SLS and SLES can cause malformation in children's eyes. Other research has indicated SLS may be damaging to the immune system, especially within the skin. Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its protein denaturing properties. It is possibly the most dangerous of all ingredients in personal care products. Research has shown that SLS when combined with other chemicals can be transformed into nitrosamines, a potent class of carcinogens, which causes the body to absorb nitrates at higher levels that eating nitrate-contaminated food." According to the American College of Toxicity report, "SLS stays in the body for up to five days..." Other studies have indicated that SLS easily penetrates through the skin and enters and maintains residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain. This poses serious questions regarding its potential health threat through its use in shampoos, cleansers and toothpaste. Animals that were exposed to SLS experienced eye damage, along with depression, labored breathing, diarrhea, severe skin irritation and corrosion and death.

CHLORINE: According to Doris J. Rapp, M.D., author of Is This Your Child's World?, exposure to chlorine in tap water, showers, pool, laundry products, cleaning agents, food processing, sewage systems and many others, can effect health by contributing to asthma, hay fever, anemia, bronchitis, circulatory collapse, confusion, delirium, diabetes, dizziness, irritation of the eye, mouth, nose, throat, lung, skin and stomach, heart disease, high blood pressure and nausea. It is also a possible cause of cancer. Even though you will not see Chlorine on personal care product labels, it is important for you to be aware of the need to protect your skin when bathing and washing your hair.

DEA (diethanolamine) MEA (momoethanolamine) TEA (triethanolamine):
DEA and MEA are usually listed on the ingredient label in conjunction with the compound being neutralized. Thus look for names like Cocamide DEA or MEA, Lauramide DEA, etc. These are hormone disrupting chemicals and are known to form cancer causing nitrates and nitrosamines. These are commonly found in most personal care products that foam, including bubble baths, body washes, shampoos, soaps and facial cleansers. On the show CBS This Morning, Roberta Baskin revealed that a recent government report shows DEA and MEA are readily absorbed in the skin. Dr. Samuel Epstein, Professor of Environmental Health at the University of Illinois said, "repeated skin applications of DEA-based detergents resulted in a major increase in the incidence of two cancers - liver and kidney cancers". John Bailey, who oversees the cosmetic division for the FDA said the new study is especially important since "the risk equation changes significantly for children."

FD & C COLOR PIGMENTS: Many color pigments cause skin sensitivity and irritation. Absorption of certain colors can cause depletion of oxygen in the body and even death according to a Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients. Debra Lynn Dadd says in Home Safe Home: "Colors that can be used in foods, drugs and cosmetics are made from coal tar. There is a great deal of controversy about their use, because animal studies have shown almost all of them to be carcinogenic."

FRAGRANCE: Fragrance is present in most deodorants, shampoos, sunscreens, skin care, body care, and baby products. Many of the compounds in fragrance are carcinogenic or otherwise toxic. "Fragrance on a label can indicate the presence of up to 4,000 separate ingredients. Most of all of them are synthetic. symptoms reported to the FDA have included headaches, dizziness, rashes, skin discoloration, violent coughing and vomiting, and allergic skin irritation. Clinical observation by medical doctors have shown that exposure to fragrances can affect the central nervous system, causing depression, hyperactivity, irritability, inability to cope, and other behavioral changes." Home Safe Home.

IMIDAZOLIDINYL UREA and DMDM HYDANTOIN: These are just two of the many preservatives that release formaldehyde (formaldehyde-donors). According to the Mayo Clinic, formaldehyde can irritate the respiratory system, cause skin reactions and trigger heart palpitations. Exposure to formaldehyde may cause joint pain, allergies, depression, headaches, chest pains, ear infections, chronic fatigue, dizziness and loss of sleep. It can also aggravate coughs and colds and trigger asthma. Serious side effects include weakening of the immune system and cancer. Nearly all brands of skin, body and hair care, antiperspirants and nail polish found in stores contain formaldehyde releasing ingredients.

www.discoverhealthandwealth.com/articles/toxic-ingredients.html