Eating Fish Safety

Why Eating Fish Is Even More Dangerous Than You Thought

By Environmental Working Group
Bad news for seafood lovers: fish isn't quite as healthy as we've been led to believe. If you eat fish regularly, chances are you're getting too much mercury and too few omega-3s. That's the conclusion of a report released today from the Environmental Working Group. 

While US Dietary Guidelines encourage Americans to eat up to 12 ounces of a seafood (about three servings) a week, the EWG has discovered that this may be dangerously high for some people. 

EWG’s analysis of mercury and omega-3 concentrations in seafood finds that 10 of the most popular seafoods in the American market would pose an unacceptable mercury risk to an average-weight pregnant woman who ate amount recommended by the government each week. Since safe mercury levels are based on body weight, lighter women are at greater risk from mercury in seafood. 

And for folks eating fish because they're hoping to get their omega-3 fats, which have been shown to lower cardiac risks, and boost infant brain development, there's more grim news. The EWG concluded that many people won't benefit as much as they hope, because 8 of the 10 most popular types of seafood, including shrimp and catfish, rank low for healthy omega-3 fats. 

EWG investigated mercury contamination and beneficial omega-3 levels in seafood in order to identify species that offer the greatest health benefit and lowest mercury risk. 

If you're going to eat fish, the EWG recommends the following:

• Anchovies
• Herring
• Mussels
• Salmon
• Sardines
• Shad
• Trout

All of these can provide ample omega-3s while posing little mercury risk when eaten once or twice weekly. 

Avoid these fish, which have the highest levels of mercury and the lowest levels of Omega 3s.

• Canned Albacore Tuna
• Halibut
• King Mackerel
• Sea bass
• Shark
• Spanish and Atlantic Mackerel
• Swordfish
• Tilefish
• Tuna Steaks

You can read the complete report here.

Blue Green Algae Water

Dr Robert Cassar shows you how to make Blue Green Algae Water.  
(Refrigerate after you make)

Purchased at Wholesale Superfoods/Products Buyers Club
 "Save up to 40% off market retail" at: http://earthshiftproducts.com/

 Ingredients

• Blue Green Algae
• Pure Water 

Recipe: Making Blue Tea (single serving)
Simply add ¼ teaspoon to 1 qt. of purified water and shake well. 
Let stand in refrigerator over night. 
Once removed from refrigerator, drink the same day. 
If making multiple bottles is desired, they will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.   

 The many colors of blue green algae- so pretty! In natural light it's the prettiest bright blue color!

 Just the slightest light angle changes the color...in photos it almost always turns out deep purple. In person you get a hint of the purple.

In this photo you can see both the colors:)

Do you know what makes Blue Green Algae different from other green foods on the market? It contains 68% protein (glycoprotein) which is 98% assimilable by the body. Other green foods are considered lipoproteins, which are mostly inassimilable.   BGA offers a complexity of Bio-available nutrients that can not be duplicated. Specifically it contains 20 antioxidants, 68 minerals and 70 trace elements, all amino acids (essential and non-essential) as well as important enzymes.   Blue Green Algae (Aphanizomenon Flos-Aguae) offers a maximum of crucial micronutrients at a minimum caloric intake, making it one of the most nutrient dense super foods on the planet. Pound for pound the consumer receives more nutrients from AFA than any other whole green food known  
Contains all the 14 vitamins:

high content of vitamin A
highest content of B vitamins
vitamin K (100% RDA/gr)
spectrum of 15 carotenoids
More than 60 organic minerals and trace minerals
high content of iron (30% RDA/gr.)
vanadium (30% RDA/gr.)
organic fluorine (50% RDA/gr.)
iodine (10% RDA/gr.)
good source of Omega-3
High quality complete proteins: 20 amino acids.
B vitamins: essential for healthy aging.

Vitamin B12: crucial for all vegan/vegetarian diets and recommended by WHO for all after age 50.   A good dietary intake of B vitamins, especially B12 and folic acid, of which AFA algae is rich in and prevents the accumulation of homocysteine (a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease) in the body.  

  

Warning to All Cell Phone Users

NEW Urgent Warning to All Cell Phone Users

If you think the jury's still out on whether cell phones can be dangerous to your health, then you might want to take the time to listen to this video from the Environmental Health Trust (www.ehtrust.org). Dr. Devra Davis, author of "Disconnect--The Truth About Cellphone Radiation," has been researching the safety hazards of radiation emanating from your cell phone.

Like many people, Dr. Davis just didn't believe the possibility of cell phones being dangerous - ntil she studied it. And now, with the toxicological and epidemiological evidence to back up her claims, she's trying to get the word out that cell phone radiation is not only dangerous, but can be downright lethal.
In her lecture, Dr. Davis explains how the biological impact of your cell phone is not related to its power, which is quite weak, but rather to the erratic nature of its signal and its ability to disrupt resonance and interfere with DNA repair. This is now believed to be the most plausible theory for understanding the wide array of health impacts discovered, which includes cancer...

Can Your Cell Phone Cause Cancer?

One interesting case that can serve as an illustrative warning of the cancer-causing potential of cell phones is that of a young woman with no other predisposing risk factors for cancer who came down with multi-focal breast cancer. The case was revealed in the May issue of the Environmental Health Trust's newsletterⁱ. As it turns out, the young lady had the curious habit of tucking her cell phone into her bra...
Two cancer specialists, Robert Nagourney and John West, concluded there was only one other possibility that might have directly contributed to her breast cancer. "We connected the dots," the patient said. And the dots - quite literally the pattern of the cancer, and distribution of the cancerous cells―lined up perfectly with the shape of her cell phone.
While her doctor can't prove the cell phone caused her cancer, it should serve as a potent warning not only to other women who might tuck their phones in their bras, but also to those of you who keep your phones in your pants pocket or shirt pocket as well. As a general rule, you'll want to avoid carrying your phone anywhere on your body. Keep in mind that the most dangerous place to be, in terms of radiation exposure, is within about six inches of the emitting antenna. You do not want any part of your body within that proximity. 

Why Carrying Your Cell Phone on Your Body is a Bad Idea...

Regardless of the area exposed to the continuous radiation emitted by your cell phone, there's the potential for harm, although certain areas are clearly more vulnerable than others. 

For example, research published in 2009 showed evidence that wearing a cell phone on your hip may weaken an area of your pelvisⁱⁱ. Using an X-ray technique used in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with osteoporosis, researchers measured pelvic bone density in 150 men who regularly carried their cell phones attached to their belts. The men carried their phones for an average of 15 hours each day, and had used cell phones for an average of six years. The researchers found that bone mineral density was lowered on the side of the pelvis where the mobile phones were carried, raising the possibility that bone density could be adversely affected by the electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones. 

It's important to realize that as long as your cell phone is on, it emits radiation intermittently, even when you are not actually making a call. So wearing a cell phone on your hip for 15 hours a day is giving that area of your body nearly continuous radiation exposure.

Previous studies have found that cell phone radiation can affect men's sperm count, and the quality and motility of their sperm, and this may be a far greater issue than its effect on bone density. One such study, published in PLoS Oneⁱⁱⁱ found that:

"RF-EMR in both the power density and frequency range of mobile phones enhances mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation by human spermatozoa, decreasing the motility and vitality of these cells while stimulating DNA base adduct formation and, ultimately DNA fragmentation. These findings have clear implications for the safety of extensive mobile phone use by males of reproductive age, potentially affecting both their fertility and the health and wellbeing of their offspring."

Men in particular may want to reconsider carrying their cell phones on their belts or in their pocket, in close proximity of their reproductive organs. In addition, you have a number of other sensitive organs in that general area, including liver, kidneys, colon and bladder - all of which are susceptible to radiation.

 

Recent Evidence Identifies Strong Cell Phone Cancer Link

Last year, an Israeli research group reported a sharp increase in the incidence of parotid gland tumors over the last 30 years, with the steepest increase happening after 2001. Your parotid gland is a type of salivary gland, located closest to your cheek - the same area where most people typically hold their cell phones. The researchers found a four-fold increase in parotid gland cancers from 1970 to 2006, while rates of other salivary gland cancers remained stable^iv. 

That same year, Dr. Siegal Sadetzki, the principal investigator of a 2008 study, testified at a U.S. Senate Hearing that cell phones were identified as a contributor to salivary gland tumors. The report states that your risk of getting a parotid tumor on the same side of your head that you use for listening to the mobile phone increases by:

• 34 percent if you are a regular cell phone user and have used a mobile phone for 5 years.
• 58 percent if you had more than about 5,500 calls in your lifetime.
• 49 percent if you have spoken on the phone for more than 266.3 hours during your lifetime.

 

World Health Organizaion Classifies Cell Phone Radiation as Class B Carcinogen

Cell phone subscriptions are now estimated at 5.9 billion globally^v - that's 87 percent of the world population! I think it's safe to say, we've already passed the point of no return when it comes to this technology. But as cell phone use continues to grow unabated, a growing body of researchers is speaking out against the technology, warning that it may have serious biological side effects that must be acknowledged and remedied. 

Fortunately, their warnings are slowly but surely beginning to be heard.
On May 31, 2011, the World Health Organization (WHO)/International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued a report admitting cell phones might indeed cause cancer, classifying radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" (Class 2B)^vi. The classification came in part in response to research showing wireless telephones increase the risk for brain cancer. 

According to the press release^vii:

"Dr Jonathan Samet (University of Southern California, USA), overall Chairman of the Working Group, indicated that "the evidence, while still accumulating, is strong enough to support a conclusion and the 2B classification. The conclusion means that there could be some risk, and therefore we need to keep a close watch for a link between cell phones and cancer risk." 

"Given the potential consequences for public health of this classification and findings," said IARC Director Christopher Wild, "it is important that additional research be conducted into the long‐term, heavy use of mobile phones. Pending the availability of such information, it is important to take pragmatic measures to reduce exposure such as hands‐free devices or texting."
 

Children are at Greatest Risk - Including While in Utero

Sadly, children and teens are at greatest risk - both for parotid gland tumors and brain tumors - as their thinner skull bones allow for greater penetration of cell phone radiation. The radiation can enter all the way into their midbrain, where tumors are more deadly. In addition, children's cells reproduce more quickly, so they're more susceptible to aggressive cell growth. Children also face a far greater lifetime exposure. According to Professor Lennart Hardell of Sweden, those who begin using cell phones heavily as teenagers have 4 to 5 times more brain cancer as young adults! 

The following image, used with permission from the book Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution, clearly shows the differences in depth of penetration between adults and young children.

Pregnant women would also be wise to avoid cell phones as much as possible. In 2008, researchers analyzed data from nearly 13,000 children and found that exposure to cell phones while in the womb, and also during childhood, were linked to behavioral difficulties.^viii Using handsets just two or three times a day during pregnancy was enough to raise the risk of their babies developing hyperactivity and difficulties with conduct, emotions, and relationships by the time they reached school age - and the risk became even greater if the children also used the phones themselves before the age of seven. 

Overall, the study revealed that mothers who used mobile phones were 54 percent more likely to have children with behavioral problems. Later on, when the children began using cell phones themselves, they were:

• 80 percent more likely to suffer from behavioral difficulties
• 25 percent more at risk from emotional problems
• 34 percent more likely to suffer from difficulties relating to their peers
• 35 percent more likely to be hyperactive
• 49 percent more prone to problems with conduct

 

Experts Adamantly Claim Harmful Effects are Now Provable

Experts in the area of the biological effects of electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and wireless technologies believe there's virtually no doubt that cell phones and related gadgets are capable of causing not only cancer but contributing to a wide variety of other conditions, from depression and diabetes to heart irregularities and impaired fertility. Researchers have now identified numerous mechanisms of harm, which explain how electromagnetic fields impact your cells and damages your DNA. 

One such expert is Dr. Martin Blank, PhD, one of the most experienced researchers of the cellular and molecular effects of electromagnetic fields in the U.S. He gave an informative speech at the November 18, 2010 Commonwealth Club of California program, "The Health Effects of Electromagnetic Fields," co-sponsored by ElectromagneticHealth.org. In it, he explained why your DNA, with its 'coil of coils' structure, is especially vulnerable to electromagnetic fields of all kinds. 

As described in the International Journal of Radiation Biology, April 2011^ix, DNA possesses the two structural characteristics of fractal antennas: electronic conduction, and self-symmetry. 

These properties contribute to greater reactivity of DNA to electromagnetic fields than other tissues, making the long-term consequences of repeated microwave exposures to our genetic material of great concern. Dr. Blank is adamant when he says that there IS evidence of harm, and that the harm can be significant. He also points out that the science showing harmful effects has been peer-reviewed, published, and that the results have been replicated, evaluated and "judged by scientists capable of judging it." I wrote an in-depth article about these findings back in January of last year. If you missed it, go ahead and review it now.

An analysis of the range of known mechanisms of action, including DNA effects, was published in November 2010 in "Non-Thermal Effects and Mechanisms of Interaction Between Electromagnetic Fields and Living Matter^x." Furthermore, the mobile industry's own research in the 13-country Interphone study^xi showed a 40 percent increased risk of brain cancer from 1,640 or more hours of cell phone use, and independent Swedish research published in 2007 showed a 540 percent increased risk of brain cancer from greater than 2,000 hours of cell phone use^xii. 

My Top Tips for Cell Phone Safety

It's worth remembering that the telecommunication industry is much larger than the medical industrial complex, and they have far more influence than the drug companies. They're also mirroring many of the same tactics as the tobacco industry to peddle their wares. This includes attempting to discredit researchers who publish unfavorable cell phone studies.

As Dr. Davis shows in her lecture above, the results of any study can be accurately predicted by looking at its sponsorship. According to a review by Dr. Lai in 2008, the probability that a study will find "no effect" is two to three times higher in industry-funded studies, while independently-funded studies into the health effects of mobile technology are TWICE as likely to find a positive result.
So please, be aware that there is already robust scientific evidence that cell phones and other wireless devices pose significant health risks to all of us - especially to children and pregnant women. So while such findings are not being widely publicized as of yet, it makes sense to take action now to protect yourself and your children. You can help to minimize your exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and other wireless devices by heeding the following advice:

• Children Should Always Avoid Using Cell Phones: Barring a life-threatening emergency, children should not use a cell phone, or a wireless device of any type. 

• Reduce Your Cell Phone Use: Turn your cell phone off more often. Reserve it for emergencies or important matters. As long as your cell phone is on, it emits radiation intermittently, even when you are not actually making a call. If you're pregnant, avoiding or reducing your cell phone use may be especially important. 

• Use a Land Line at Home and at Work: Although more and more people are switching to using cell phones as their exclusive phone contact, it is a dangerous trend and you can choose to opt out of the madness. SKYPE offers a portable number via your computer that can plug into any Ethernet port while traveling. 

• Reduce or Eliminate Your Use of Other Wireless Devices: You would be wise to cut down your use of these devices. Just as with cell phones, it is important to ask yourself whether or not you really need to use them as often as you do. And most importantly, do not even consider having any electronic or wireless devices in the bedroom that will interfere with the quality of your sleep.
  If you must use a portable home phone, use the older kind that operates at 900 MHz. They are not safer during calls, but at least many of them do not broadcast constantly even when no call is being made. Note the only way to truly be sure if there is an exposure from your cordless phone is to measure with an electrosmog meter, and it must be one that goes up to the frequency of your portable phone (so old meters won't help much). As many portable phones are 5.8 Gigahertz, we recommend you look for RF meters that go up to 8 Gigahertz, the highest range now available in a meter suitable for consumers.
  
  Alternatively you can be very careful with the base station placement as that causes the bulk of the problem since it transmits signals 24/7, even when you aren't talking. So if you can keep the base station at least three rooms away from where you spend most of your time, and especially your bedroom, they may not be as damaging to your health. Another option is to just simply turn the portable phone off, only using it when you specifically need the convenience of moving about while on a call.
  Ideally it would be helpful to turn off your base station every night before you go to bed.
  
  You can find RF meters as well as remediation supplies at www.emfsafetystore.com. But you can pretty much be sure your portable phone is a problem if the technology is DECT, or digitally enhanced cordless technology.
  
  
• Use Your Cell Phone Only Where Reception is Good: The weaker the reception, the more power your phone must use to transmit, and the more power it uses, the more radiation it emits, and the deeper the dangerous radio waves penetrate into your body. Ideally, you should only use your phone with full bars and good reception.

• Avoid Carrying Your Phone on Your Body as that merely maximizes any potential exposure. Ideally put it in your purse or carrying bag. Placing a cell phone in a shirt pocket over the heart is asking for trouble, as is placing it in a man's pocket if he seeks to preserve his fertility.

• Don't Assume One Cell Phone is Safer than Another: There's no such thing as a "safe" cell phone. This is particularly true for industry promoted SAR ratings, which are virtually useless in measuring the true potential biological danger as most all of the damage is not done by heat transfer, which SAR measures.

• Keep Your Cell Phone Away From Your Body When it is On: The most dangerous place to be, in terms of radiation exposure, is within about six inches of the emitting antenna. You do not want any part of your body within that area.

• Respect Others Who are More Sensitive: Some people who have become sensitive can feel the effects of others' cell phones in the same room, even when it is on but not being used. If you are in a meeting, on public transportation, in a courtroom or other public places, such as a doctor's office, keep your cell phone turned off out of consideration for the 'second hand radiation' effects. Children are also more vulnerable, so please avoid using your cell phone near children. If you are using the Pong case, which redirects the cell phone radiation away from the head and successfully lowers the SAR effect, realize that in redirecting the radiation away from your head this may be intensifying the radiation in another direction, perhaps toward the person next to you, or, if in your pocket, increasing radiation intensity toward your body. Caution is always advised in dealing with any radiation-emitting device. We recommend cell phones be kept 'Off' except for emergencies. 
  
  
• Use Safer Headset Technology: Wired headsets will certainly allow you to keep the cell phone farther away from your body. However, if a wired headset is not well-shielded -- and most of them are not -- the wire itself acts as an antenna attracting ambient radio waves and transmitting radiation directly to your brain. Make sure that the wire used to transmit the signal to your ear is shielded.
  The best kind of headset to use is a combination shielded wire and air-tube headset. These operate like a stethoscope, transmitting the information to your head as an actual sound wave; although there are wires that still must be shielded, there is no wire that goes all the way up to your head.
  

Combat Tight Shoulders

How Can I Combat Tight Shoulders?

 By: Erin Beresini
Shoulder pain can be avoided.     

 
A:We posed the question to Dr. Kevin Laudner, a kinesiologist at Illinois State University who specializes in shoulders. “There are 20 to 30 muscles around the shoulder,” Laudner says. “I’m guessing there are quite a few that are causing the tightness, and there’s no one stretch that’s gonna get everything.”
Shoulder tightness often occurs when the muscles stay contracted after a workout. “The longer they stay in that contracted state, that’s when they start to develop scar tissue,” Laudner says. “That scar tissue gets really hard and hurts your range of motion.”

He recommends four stretches, including one performed on a foam roller, that should increase your mobility. You can do the stretches several times a day, just make sure they don’t cause you any pain. And “don’t be frustrated if you’ve been doing them for a week and you don’t see any improvement,” Laudner says. “It may take longer to break up any scar tissue—it can get rock hard and hard to break up—but just keep at it.”

Fight Tight Shoulders With a Foam Roller

Lie down on your side with your arm overhead. Place the foam roller just below your armpit, and rock back and forth on it. Repeat on the other side.

Fight Tight Shoulders With a Tennis Ball

This exercise uses a ball. Start out with a tennis ball, then as you can tolerate it, move up to something harder like a baseball, and finally a golf ball.

Lie down on your back with the ball underneath you. Start by putting the ball on the inside of your scapula (shoulder blade)—the part closest to the spine. Roll around until you find a tender spot, then roll the ball over it a bit, and hold it there. You can use your legs to move your body around until you find a sensitive spot, or move your arms until the ball falls into a tight place. “Maybe it’s bringing your arm across your body, overhead, or to the side,” Laudner says.

Alternatively, put the ball on the outside of your scapula—the part closest to your arm.

Fight Tight Shoulders at Work

Standing in front of a table or a desk, bend over at your hips and put your arms straight out in front of you with your hands on top of the table. Then drive your chest down toward the ground. “This’ll really get the chest muscles. They’re part of the shoulder and they can cause major shoulder problems,” Laudner says. “Tight chest muscles are one of the number-one causes of shoulder tightness.”

From this starter stretch, you can play with your arm angles. For example, with your hands straight out in front of you, you can move your hands to the sides and do the same thing—drive your chest down with your hands still on the table

January Conscious Box - Gluten-Free

January Conscious Box 2014 - Gluten-Free

How Does Conscious Box work?

Conscious Box is the best way to discover the most ethical and sustainable products on the planet! Focusing on strict tenets of organic, fair trade, and pure and natural products, each month Conscious Box will introduce you to healthy and honest alternatives for every aspect of your life and for every member of your family. Discover the best natural products, earn points for leaving feedback and reviews, and buy your favorites at incredible discounts!

• Get a variety of unique pure & natural products every month!
• From organic food to vegan beauty products, you’re sure to find new favorites!
• Discover ethical and purpose-driven businesses of all sizes!
• Get content on daily living tips, exciting monthly themes, and creative ways to use your box!
• Easily earn points you can apply to full size products for unbeatable discounts! 

Fine Feather Heads Fly Ties Hair Ties

Soft and durable, Fly Ties will not tug or damage your hair, but rather hold it in place without strain. Discover where comfort meets style and try Fly Ties today - adorable for both your hair and your wrist!

Two Degrees Bar

Made with natural ingredients and fortifying quinoa, chia, and millet, Two Degrees makes healthy, delicious snacks with purpose. For every bar purchased, Two Degrees donates one to a hungry child in need. Vegan, gluten-free, and GMO free, Two Degrees is helping fight malnutrition while keeping to principles of sustainable, honest business. Where will you choose to send your bar? 

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds

A perfect addition to your morning cereal or yogurt (or a great snack on its own!) Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts Raw Shelled Hemp Seeds have a buttery, nutty, absolutely delicious taste. Filled with essential nutrients like omegas, magnesium, and digestible protein, Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts make for a super-charged, super-healthy snack (move over potato chips!).

Zarbee's All-Natural Cough Syrup

Strangely enough, many of today's remedies provided by modern "medicine" contain questionable ingredients. Why settle? Gluten-free, dye-free, and free of harmful drugs and alcohol, Zarbee's All-Natural Cough Syrup is made from dark honeys and comes pediatrician recommended. But hey! That's not to say it can't help your sore throat even if you're all grown up!

Slumberland Snacks Sleep Squares

Feeling a little weary as we head into these summer months? Sleep Squares are deliciously simple treats that help you get a better night's rest.

Mighty Leaf Organic Teas

Mighty Leaf Teas are indulgent and soothing artisanal whole leaf teas. You'll love these luxurious, aromatic and organic teas in varieties such as Earl Grey and Green Jasmine.

BumBoosa Bamboo Baby Wipes

Switch to a more sustainable and all-natural baby wipe with BumBoosa's baby wipes, made from 100% bamboo-derived viscose. Soothing ingredients such as organic aloe vera, calendula and chamomile extracts, assure your little one will be happy, safe and clean.

Bee Rescued Propolis Toothpaste

Nordic Naturals Vitamin D3 Gummies

Get 1000 I.U. of vitamin D in each serving of these delicious little gummies from Nordic Naturals.

Flora Flor-Essence Supplement

Use this natural detox supplement to purify your body and strengthen your immunity.

Quit Tea

Quitting smoking is hard. Quit Tea's herb and spice blend helps make it a bit easier.

Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Pet

Even your pets need their omega-3s, so give them this safe, healthy supplement.

Vital Formulas Multivitamins

Feel more energized and sleep more soundly with this set of morning, mid-day and evening multivitamins.

Naked Wines $100 Wine Voucher

Stock your cellar with $100 off any case priced at $160 or more from Naked Wines.

For Sinus Infection

The Best Home Remedy For Sinus Infection

Sinus inflammation accompanied by stuffy nose, wheezing and headache can be quite common, especially in the upcoming winter days.

If you think you have tried everything you could, and nothing helped so far, we recommend you try this homemade mixture and the best about it is that you do not need much time or money.
Ingredients:

• 1 small cup of honey
• 1 small cup of lemon juice
• 5 to 7 radishes
• 1 small purple onion
• 6 garlic cloves

Preparation:
Wash the vegetables and peel the onions and the garlic. Cut vegetables in quarters and use a blender to get a nice and smooth mixture. Add all the ingredients and stir again. Put the mixture in a jar and keep it in the fridge.
Use:
Adults should take about 2 tablespoons per day, or more if necessary. The recommended maximum dose for children is 1 tablespoon per day. The first reaction of this homemade remedy will be noticed in just 24 hours.

Asthma root cause

Breathe Easy — Addressing the Root Causes of Asthma

by Mark Hyman, MD

The question this week is, “what causes asthma and what can I do about it? How do I get rid of these terrible symptoms that I have?”
Asthma is a big problem. It affects 8.4 percent of the population or over 25 million Americans (including many children), and it’s increasing every day in America.

Why? For a number of reasons: increasing environmental toxins, increasing pollution, increases in food sensitivities and gut problems, food additives and dyes, increasing use of antibiotics and medications, and increasing consumption of Frankenfoods with altered proteins and other strange ingredients. All these things can trigger asthma.

So, what can we do about it? Functional Medicine is medicine by cause not by symptom. We focus on finding the root cause, while most conventional treatment focuses on just suppressing the symptoms.

I saw a patient in the other day. She was 42 years old. She had actually died twice from respiratory symptoms due to her allergies. We call it anaphylaxis, which is a severe allergy reaction.

She had to be coded with paddles to revive her. She was taking 42 different sprays, pills, and potions every day, which had been prescribed by top doctors at Harvard. She had seen the lung doctor, the immunologist, and the allergist. Everybody was trying to fix her and no one could, because they weren’t asking the right questions. They were trying to suppress the inflammation rather than trying to address the cause of the inflammation, a very different perspective. That’s the perspective we take in Functional Medicine: getting to the root cause.
When this patient came to see me, I ran some tests in order to understand exactly what was irritating her immune system. I looked for the common causes and asked a few simple questions. Is it food allergies? Is it environmental allergens? Is it mold? Is there something wrong with the bacteria and microbes in her gut? Is it a toxin? What about stress or a poor diet? All of these things are potential triggers for asthma and all chronic disease.

In her case, I found out that she had very high antibodies to gluten, an indication that she had celiac disease, which turned out to be the root cause of her asthma. This was completely missed by the top medical school and university in the country, because they don’t think that food might have something to do with disease. It’s just not something they are taught to look for in medical school.

One Harvard doctor said to me, “if food was medicine, I would have learned about it in medical school”.

So, what did I do for her? I simply removed the things that were causing the problem. I got rid of the gluten, cleaned up her gut, and got rid of the bad bugs. Then, I put in good bugs and nutrients, like fish oil, vitamin C, and zinc. A few simple things helped restore and balance her body, and within six weeks, she was off every medication, she had no symptoms, no allergies, no hives, and no asthma.

We have a very simple rule in Functional Medicine: if you’re standing on a tack, it takes a lot of aspirin to make it feel better. Get the tack out, and you don’t need the aspirin. That’s really the focus of Functional Medicine—fixing the cause.

More Causes of Asthma

Why do we have an epidemic of asthma that affects as many people as heart disease or diabetes?
One example is that we have increased our C-section rates. More than half of all new babies are now being born this way. When babies aren’t delivered through the birth canal, they don’t get the bacteria from the mother’s vagina in their intestinal tract. This prevents them from developing normal, healthy gut flora, which is important to a healthy immune system. They also might not be breastfed, which, again, impedes their immune development. They might be fed foods like gluten and dairy before they are one year old (like all the Cheerios fed to babies who are teething), which can trigger an immune reaction in an immature immune system. They might be given a lot of antibiotics for sore throats or ear infections, which also create disturbances in the gut flora. All these things, over time, will trigger more allergies, more inflammation, and more problems.

One study found that if women with a family history of allergies were given acidophilus during pregnancy, their babies were 50% less likely to develop asthma, allergies, runny nose, and eczema—very simple intervention, very low risk, very powerful.

The goal here is to get rid of the things that are causing the problem and then help the body to reset. What we do is very simple.

How To Cure Your Asthma

We get rid of the bad stuff, starting with the foods that might be a problem—gluten and dairy are the most common cause of asthma. And then, we put in things that the body needs to heal, and we clean up the gut. There may be yeast issues; there may be bad bugs that are growing in there. We clean those out, and then we put in good things like healthy bacteria and probiotics.

If you have asthma, here are some simple things you can try to get to the root of the problem and re-balance and cool off your immune system:

• Do an elimination diet (see The UltraSimple Diet) to get rid of the most common food allergens. Gluten and dairy are the biggest culprits!
• Look for other causes (food additives, pesticides, chemicals, pollution in your environment).
• Check for mold in your home or work. See www.survivingmold.com to learn more.
• Consider taking antifungal herbs such as oregano or medication, such as Diflucan or Nystatin
• Take probiotics. I use Ther-Biotic Complete, two capsules twice a day with my patients.
• Take fish oil, which is anti-inflammatory. I use Omegagenics 720 one or two capsules twice a day.
• Take extra zinc. I use Zinc Citrate, 30mg one capsule twice a day for my patients.
• There are the types of things we do in Functional Medicine to help reset the body. But much of this can be done through SELF-HEALTH, the process of taking care of your own wellbeing.

Take out the bad stuff, put in the good stuff, and your body knows what to do.
Now, I’d like to hear from you:

• Have you had asthma?
• What causes it for you? Do you know?
• What’s worked to help it and what hasn’t?

Share your experiences with us in the comment section below, so you can help others and we can help you. And if you like this House Call, sign up above to get it every single week. Share it with your friends on Facebook and Twitter. Also, submit your questions so that, next week, I may make a House Call to you. Thanks for joining me.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD

Choose Happiness

Each morning when I open my eyes I say to myself:

I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today.

I can choose which it shall be. 

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today?

Today is a gift that's why they call it the present.

Watch your thoughts, they become your words

Watch your words, they become your actions
Watch your actions, they become your habits

Watch your habits, they become your character

Watch your character, it becomes your destiny .

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high,

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is strange with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about ,

When he might have won had he stuck it out.

Don't give up though the pace seems slow .

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out .

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit.

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn't arrived yet.

I have just one day, today, and I'm going to be happy in it .

Be yourself. Who else is better qualified!