Antioxidants

Dr. Oz Fights Cancer With Antioxidant Scanner

 Dr. Oz discusses the risk of cancer and how to fight it with antioxidants by showing you how to get your antioxidant score with a biophotonic scanner. 

 

What do Antioxidants do? 

Dr. Joseph Mercola, answers a question about antioxidants

 

Antioxidants from Plants

Dr. Joseph Mercola, answers a question about good plant sources of antioxidants

 

How to Boost Antioxidant Intake Without Fruit? 

Dr. Joseph Mercola, answers a question about how to intake antioxidants for those who can't have fruit

One of the most important steps you can take to prevent heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's disease is to eat plenty of antioxidant-rich foods.  Antioxidants protect your health by preventing and repairing damage caused to your cells by excessive free radicals. 

Antioxidants are plentiful in plant foods, particularly those that have bright colors. As of May, 2005, one of the most comprehensive study of the antioxidant content of common foods was published in the June 2004 edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. According to this study, the 20 most antioxidant-rich foods are as follows: 

Rank	Food	Serving Size	Antioxidant Capacity per Serving
1	Small red beans, dried	1/2 cup	13727
2	Wild blueberries	1 cup	13427
3	Red kidney beans, dried	1/2 cup	13259
4	Pinto beans	1/2 cup	11864
5	Blueberries, cultivated	1 cup	9019
6	Cranberries	1 cup	8983
7	Artichoke hearts, cooked	1 cup	7904
8	Blackberries	1 cup	7701
9	Dried prunes	1/2 cup	7291
10	Raspberries	1 cup	6058
11	Strawberries	1 cup	5938
12	Red delicious apple	One	5900
13	Granny Smith apple	One	5381
14	Pecans	1 ounce	5095
15	Sweet cherries	1 cup	4873
16	Black plum	One	4844
17	Russet potato, cooked	One	4649
18	Black beans	1/2 cup	4181
19	Plum	One	4118
20	Gala apple	One	3903

The highest ranked foods in four major categories are as follows:

Fruits: blueberries, cranberries, and blackberries. (berries tend to be lower on the sugar surge index)

Vegetables: beans, artichoke hearts, and surprisingly, russet potatoes.

Nuts: pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts.

Spices: cinnamon, oregano, and ground cloves.

Here are a few points to keep in mind when choosing antioxidant-rich foods:

1. Because there are many different types of antioxidants that can protect your tissues from different types of damage, it is best to eat a wide range of antioxidant-rich foods.
2. How much you benefit from the antioxidants found in the foods you eat depends on how well you breakdown and absorb these foods.
3. One of the best ways of making sure that you are getting plenty of antioxidants in your diet is to strive to eat lots of fresh vegetables. If you just don't have the time to eat a large green salad every day, consider buying a good juicer and drinking a fresh vegetable juice on a daily basis. Another more convenient option is to use a high quality super green food product.
4. It is best to limit the amount of sweet fruits that you eat according to your dental health and blood sugar and insulin levels. If you haven't already, please read this article on the dangers of eating too much fruit.
5. When washing and preparing vegetables and fruits, be sure to wash non-organic varieties with extra care to help remove pesticide residues. This is especially important for vegetables and fruits that are known to be heavily contaminated with pesticides.

Raw chocolate and goji berries are two foods that are extremely rich in antioxidants but were not evaluated for the study cited above that I include in my diet and absolutely love.

Full Body Cleanse- lifestyle

Having been on a raw diet for 2 months during the summer of 2010, I know first hand what a drastic change in healthier eating can do for your body and how amazing it can make you feel.

During and after an intense, full body cleanse, you can expect to feel refreshed, like your body has become younger and lighter. To experience the greatest possible benefits during your intense cleanse, it's important that you minimize your exposure to endogenous and exogenous toxins.

Minimizing your exposure to endogenous toxins is relatively simple - you just need to follow a similar diet to Dr. Kim's full body cleanse diet, chew your foods well, and do your best not to overeat. This combination of actions will minimize production of toxins in your digestive tract and within your cells. 

What follows is a list of suggestions by Dr. Kim on how to minimize your exposure to exogenous toxins:

1. Minimize use of cosmetics - it's best to use none at all during an intense cleansing period. It's most important to avoid use of cosmetics around your mouth to prevent accidental ingestion of chemicals found in many cosmetic products.
   
2. Minimize use of moisturizer and chapstick / lip balm. If you must use something on your skin and lips, consider using a small amount of coconut oil...that works wonders.
   
3. Try not to use deodorants, and never antiperspirants, or perfumes/colognes. Use a non-toxic mineral salt based one if you must or magnesium oil.
   
4. Use the smallest amount of shampoo possible, and if your life circumstances permit, use a brand made with natural ingredients - there are plenty of such brands at most department stores these days that are well worth it.
   

Here are some additional suggestions on how to conserve energy and allow your body to devote the bulk of its resources to cleansing and detoxification:

1. Minimize use of soap - sounds strange, but warm or hot water is sufficient for cleaning...plus Much better for your skin in retaining its moisture, especially in winter.
   
2. In looking to get as much physical rest as possible, don't neglect resting your eyes. Even while awake, you can enhance physical rest by closing your eyes for a minute or more at a time. Practicing deep breathing during breaks help too.
   
3. As your circumstances permit, take a break from activities that tend to promote emotional distress. For example, taking a week-long break from watching the evening news, or even taking a two-day break from surfing the internet and checking your e-mail may give your nervous system much needed rest.
   
4. Get plenty of fresh air. Your lungs are constantly expelling carbon dioxide into the air around you, and your cleansing mechanisms are best served by a steady stream of fresh, oxygen-rich air. If you live in a relatively unpolluted environment, sleep with your window cracked open if the weather permits.
   
5. Get sunlight exposure on your skin without getting burned, but be careful not to get so much sun that you become exhausted - about 15 minutes of direct sunlight exposure each day while at rest is optimal for many people; this doesn't include exposure while going about your daily activities.
   
6. Engage in light stretching, walking, and even mild sports activities, but don't participate in strenuous exercise during your intense cleanse. The goal is to keep your body moving and your blood circulation strong, but to conserve as much energy as possible for your cleansing mechanisms. A light yoga practice is ideal.
   

Clearly, the suggestions provided above can be beneficial to your health after you complete an intense period of cleansing, and I highly suggest incorporating them in your every day life. As you experience the intense, full body cleanse perhaps you can make it a goal to adopt some or many of these dietary and lifestyle suggestions into your everyday routine for the long term:)  It's a fantastic way to kick of 2012! Make it your healthiest year yet!

If you're serious about using an intense period of detoxification to greatly improve your health, I encourage you to try this program with a close friend or family member. Having a partner to experience this with can make a huge difference in your commitment level, and in the results that you obtain.

Dr. Ben Kim also create a special recipe section on his website that provides recipes that are well suited to the full body cleanse diet.

Full Body Cleanse- diet

During an intense, full body cleanse, the goal with your diet is simple: it's to minimize the workload on your digestive organs while supplying your body with enough energy to carry out its everyday activities. Cleansing is performed primarily by your body's self-regulated cleansing mechanisms, not by the nutrients in the foods that you eat.

Vegetables, fruits, and their juices are excellent food choices for an intense, full body cleanse for the following reasons:

1. For most people, vegetables and fruits are extremely easy to digest.
   
2. Vegetables and fruits are naturally rich in water; staying hydrated is an essential requirement for an intense, full body cleanse.
   

For the vast majority of people, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and all cooked animal foods are harder to digest than vegetables and fruits. So for an intense period of cleansing, it's best to avoid everything but vegetables, fruits, their juices, and water.  I plan to do this for 2 weeks, and see how it goes, and slowly incorporate cooked foods after week 2. 

How to Prepare for an Intense, Full Body Cleanse

Before beginning, it's ideal to take a week or at least a few days to taper your intake of the following:

• Coffee
• Alcohol
• Salt
• Sugar and other sweeteners
• All animal foods, including dairy, eggs, fish, shellfish, chicken, beef, pork, and all other flesh meats

I didn't do much tapering but the things I needed to prepare to eliminate from above included nuts, boiled eggs, Himalayan salt to season cooked veggies, palm sugar for my hot cocoa, and cocoa (the thing I will miss most!) and rarely fish. 

These foods put significant strain on your digestive organs, and avoiding them "cold turkey" can sometimes create withdrawal symptoms that are too powerful for some people to tolerate. Thankfully I am used to not having the really harsh foods on the system so not a problem for me...but taper slowly if you are used to meats, lots of caffeine etc.

It's fine to eat grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds right up until the day before you begin your intense period of detox - these foods are rich in fiber, and their remains should move through your digestive tract without too much difficulty during your intense cleanse.

If you don't wish to spend up to a week to taper your intake of the foods listed above, it's fine to begin right away as I did; just be aware that you may experience highly uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal, like strong headaches, lightheadedness, and nausea.

Other than tapering the foods-to-avoid during your cleanse, all that remains during the preparatory phase is to make sure that your kitchen is well stocked with vegetables and fruits that you enjoy!

Here is a list of vegetables and fruits that can be used for a highly effective cleanse that I will include in my month:

• Dark green, leafy lettuce (romaine, red leaf, green leaf, baby spinach)
• Avocados
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Celery
• Carrots
• Red beets (one or two will last a week)
• Zucchini
• Bell peppers (preferably not green)
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Red Onions
• Organic Corn
• Sweet potatoes or yams
• Acorn or butternut squash
• Watermelon
• Honeydew
• Cantaloupe
• Pears
• Apples
• Bananas
• Mangoes
• Papaya
• Peaches
• Plums
• Nectarines
• Grapes
• Coconut
• Oranges and grapefruit
• Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, goji berries, mulberries, and any other berries that you enjoy
• Any other fruits or vegetables that you enjoy raw or juiced!

Clearly, it's best to choose fruits and vegetables that are in season. Organic varieties are best, but my experience has been that non-organic produce can also be used to experience an intense period of detox. 

Regarding liquids: Have on hand plenty of clean filtered water.

It's fine to drink warm or hot water. It's great to have with lemon.

It's also fine to use sparkling mineral water as you desire, although you should mainly drink "still" water during your cleanse.

Regarding medications: Please do not taper or stop taking prescription medications without your physician's consent.

Regarding nutritional supplements: Avoid any supplements that contain synthetic nutrients, protein isolates, grains, nuts, seeds, or lecithin. It's fine to take whole food supplements that contain nothing but vegetables and/or fruits. It's also fine to take a probiotic as long as it doesn't have added protein, grains, nuts, seeds, or lecithin.

Regarding equipment: If you can chew your foods well, you don't need much by way of equipment. If you have access to a strong blender and a juicer, you can make smoothies and juices during your intense cleanse, but these aren't absolutely necessary. I do wish I had a juicer, but I will have to stick to chewing and blended smoothies.

 

The Full Body Cleanse Diet

Morning

Eat any raw, ripe fruits that you desire, along with any combination of lettuce, celery, and avocado, if desired. 

If you have trouble staying full on just raw fruits and vegetables, be sure to have avocado with your fruit, as the healthy fatty acids found in avocado should help you stay satisfied until your next meal.

If you'd like, you can blend up your morning meal into a smoothie, as I often do.

You can also have water, sparkling water, or a hot drink made with boiling water and peppermint or chamomile tea. 

Afternoon

Eat a large vegetable salad with as many different vegetables as possible. If you would like a salad dressing, use extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice or any combination of extra-virgin olive oil and citrus juice. Try to avoid vinegar, honey, salt, and spices.

If you have trouble feeling full, again, try to include an avocado with your salad.

If you don't think you can make it to dinner on a raw vegetable salad with avocado, have a steamed sweet potato after your salad. 

Feel free to have water, sparkling water, or peppermint or chamomile tea after your lunch meal. Also feel free to have any fresh, ripe fruits that you desire after your vegetable salad. 

Evening

Eat any combination of raw vegetables and fruits that you desire, but aim to have at least as many vegetables as fruits.

If you're still hungry after eating raw vegetables and fruits, have any steamed vegetables that you enjoy, such as steamed broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, corn, and asparagus. 

If you're still hungry after eating steamed vegetables, feel free to have steamed root vegetables, such as steamed sweet potatoes and carrots. 

Have as much water, sparkling water, or peppermint or chamomile tea that you desire.

Snacks

Any raw fruits, vegetables, their juices, and smoothies made with raw fruits and vegetables are fine snack choices. For a dip to eat with raw vegetables, have guacamole made with avocado, red onion, and lemon or lime juice.

 

Full Body Cleanse Sample Menu

Morning

1 grapefruit with a large handful of romaine lettuce leaves and 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado.

Afternoon

A large vegetable salad made with leafy lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato slices, shredded carrots, shredded red beets, sliced red onions, shredded zucchini, 1/2 to 1 whole avocado, 1/2 a sweet bell pepper, and raw organic corn kernels. 

Optional: Dressing made by mixing one part extra-virgin olive oil and one part orange juice or lemon juice.

Evening

Small bowl of romaine lettuce, celery sticks, mango, and blueberries.

Steamed cabbage, broccoli, and 1/2 to 1 whole raw avocado.

Snack

Smoothie made with banana, blueberries, mango, and water.

 

Full Body Cleanse Schedule

A nice feature of this full body cleanse is that you can follow it for however many days you desire and/or your schedule allows. I hope to do it for 2 weeks, then decide from there what to slowly add back. 

You may want to try it over the weekend, beginning on Friday evening, and ending on Monday afternoon to test the waters. 

Many people find that seven full days is quite manageable, and produces noticeable changes in energy level and sense of well-being. The first while can be tough for some people who experience severe symptoms of withdrawal, but for the majority of people who experience such symptoms, things start to look up after a few days. 

If you like how this program of eating makes you feel, it's fine to continue with it for as long as you feel strong and healthy. 

When you're ready to add other foods back into your diet, it's best to proceed slowly. On the first day of "breaking" your cleanse, you should follow the same diet, but add one additional food to your afternoon or evening meal, like hummus made with chickpeas. 

On day 2, you can have two servings of protein-dense foods, say a serving of eggs with lunch and a serving of fish for dinner.

As you break into a long-term pattern of eating, the goal should be to keep the full body cleanse diet as the foundation of your diet, and to add small servings of healthy, protein-dense foods (grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and animal foods) to your meals as your appetite dictates. 

Tomorrow I will go over the Lifestyle of maintaining an optimally cleansed body....

Full Body Cleanse- basics

Now if you're taking a more intense kick off to the New Year as I am you will start the year with a full body cleanse and focus on normalizing that into a sustainable Healthy lifestyle to follow...to look and feel fabulous by the time summer rolls around:)

I will be following Dr. Ben Kim's Full body cleans plan that I have tweaked to work for me, and it is what I will be following for the first 2 weeks of the new year. So I won't be sharing any cooked recipes during this time, unless I cook some new healthy dishes just for my family.  Dr. Kim's blog is fabulous! I encourage you to check it out.

Over the next few days I will share his information on detoxification and how I will adapt his plan and my experiences on it. 

Today's focus...Full Body Cleanse Basics

Detoxification refers to the process of eliminating toxins from your body.

There are two major types of toxins that your body accumulates over time:

Environmental Toxins: Sometimes called exogenous (made outside your body) toxins, environmental toxins include all the chemicals and pollutants that you're exposed to through air, water, and food.

Common environmental toxins include pesticides, herbicides, prescription and over-the-counter medications, carbon monoxide, triclosan, bisphenol A, phthalates, and volatile organic compounds.

Metabolic Toxins: Sometimes called endogenous (made inside your body) toxins, metabolic toxins are produced by each of your cells as they go about their everyday metabolic processes. Metabolic toxins can also be produced by microorganisms that act on incompletely digested food in your digestive tract.

It's normal for your cells to contain some toxins at all times. After all, your cells need to manufacture energy on an ongoing basis, and the manufacturing process results in waste (toxin) production. 

Toxins only present a challenge to your health when they accumulate to a point where they interfere with cellular function - we call this state toxicosis. Which can contribute to coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes mellitus, respiratory illness, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, autoimmune illness, hormonal imbalances, skin conditions, and most types of cancer.

Your Body is Constantly Detoxifying and Cleansing

Your body is designed to constantly gather up and remove toxins from your cells. Most of the toxins that are stirred up from your cells are broken down in your liver, and then eliminated from your body via your kidneys, colon, skin, lungs, and mucus linings in your nose and ears. 

 If your eliminative mechanisms cannot keep up with the number of toxins that are coming in and being generated in your cells, in an effort to preserve your health, your body attempts to store some of the toxins in your fat tissues.  Even if you are lean for your body type, your body can store toxins in fat tissues that can be found interspersed between your muscle fibers and surrounding your organs. 

 

Full Body Cleanse

So your body is experiencing a full body cleanse at all times as it is constantly at work to keep every cell in your body as healthy as possible.

Any effective full body cleanse or any other type of cleansing program that you go through should be designed to accelerate the detoxifying process that your body is already engaged in. This is what I will experience this first month of the year.

You can accelerate cleansing and detox by reducing the number of exogenous and endogenous toxins that you are exposed to, and by giving your body the rest that it needs to devote its resources to its cleansing and detoxifying mechanisms. 

 Put another way, to experience a truly effective period of intense cleansing, you don't need to give your body much by way of nutrients. Actually, all you need to give your body are physical and emotional rest, fresh air, water, and enough fuel to sustain your most basic metabolic processes. And as people who understand water fasting know, the fuel that you need for intense cleansing can actually come from reserves found in your liver, muscles, and fat. But this won't be water fasting.

One point to realize during a cleanse is that your body detoxifies all of its cells at about the same pace...not one organ at a time.  But you may notice changes in some parts of your body before others. And with that said don't forget this fact: many chronic health challenges take years to develop, so it's unrealistic to expect such challenges to fully heal within months, even if you fully support your cleansing mechanisms.

Also, please remember that the positive effects of an intense period of cleansing will last only as long as your dietary and lifestyle choices support your health after your cleanse. Which is why I mention the full body cleanse being a Kickoff to a healthier lifestyle for the new year:) If you want to experience your best health, your job is to support your body's self-cleansing mechanisms every day. 

 

How to Experience an Intense, Full Body Cleanse

Here are the most basic requirements for an intense, fully body cleanse:

1. Expose yourself to as much fresh air as possible (even if it's cold out...bundle up for some fresh breaths every single day)
   
2. Get as much physical and emotional rest as possible (get no less than 8hrs of sleep, even more if possible during the cleanse)
   
3. Stay hydrated with water-rich foods and liquids (be sure to drink filtered water and no sugary drinks)
   
4. Minimize your exposure to exogenous and endogenous toxins
   

Tomorrow I will go over the diet plan for the cleanse....

 

Dental Health Matters

Having learned about true health, and being more aware and conscious of what I put in my body, several months ago during my transformation to optimal health, I was surprised to realize that my dental routine would need a total makeover as well. For many months now I have changed my routine, using a healthier form of tooth paste (powder) and changed my mouthwash too. The only thing that remained the same was flossing daily. Do you know what's in your dental products and how they affect your teeth? Do you know the "Right" way to brush your teeth, and how different techniques affect your tooth enamel?

The following excerpts on toothpastes and preventing tooth decay are from How To Save Your Teeth: Toxic-Free Preventive Dentistry, by David Kennedy, Doctor of Dental Surgery.

Toothpastes: Do They Help?

In general, toothpastes are often just a cosmetic product with limited decay-preventive value. If you stain your teeth with smoke or tea, then a toothpaste may help reduce the staining. Pleasant flavored toothpastes seem to help motivate children and adults to brush. However, kids may be tempted to swallow the good-tasting stuff, and if it contains preservatives, saccharin, lead, colorings, or fluoride, they will receive a dose of a questionable or toxic substance. The fact that a tube of toothpaste contains a lethal dose of fluoride for a small child has been discreetly obscured from the general public’s knowledge.

And remember when toothpaste tubes stayed rolled up? Many of those tubes contain lead which the toothpaste absorbed and thus gave you an additional daily dose of lead every time you brushed. Until manufacturers furnish complete evidence that their products are effective and harmless, I refuse to recommend them. 

Many dermatologists are aware that some of the additives in toothpaste can cause a rash or sores inside the mouth. Fluoride is particularly notorious in this respect. One patient came to me after going to see a dermatologist about an irritation at the corners of her mouth. She had always had beautiful skin, but for the previous several months, she had a persistent rash. The doctor correctly identified her toothpaste as the culprit, and as soon as she switched to a non-fluoride brand, her problem cleared up. 

The abrasiveness of toothpaste can help polish teeth, but too much abrasion will wear away the enamel and especially the root. Many of the gritty products sold as smokers’ toothpastes are overly abrasive. In time, they may actually cause yellowing of the teeth by wearing down the enamel. Gritty toothpaste should not be used around the root surfaces, since even the mildly abrasive products can damage this area. That does not mean you should not brush around the gums. I’d rather see a root worn down by brushing than rotted away by neglect. Wear is usually a minor problem but root decay can destroy teeth quickly. Baking soda should not wear away enamel, but if it is improperly applied, it can scratch the gums.

Other toothpastes contain bleaching agents that are supposed to whiten your teeth. Teeth can be whitened through the use of a mouth guard which holds the whitener against the tooth surface for several hours, but the topical application of a paste has only little effect on the brightness of teeth. 

Several companies have advertised new toothpastes designed to prevent the buildup of tartar in the hopes that they will reduce gum disease. These tartar-control toothpastes apparently interfere with the remineralization of the teeth. Several of my patients have reported increased root sensitivity after using tartar-control toothpaste. There is little evidence at this time that the tartar itself is the cause of gum disease. It is but one of several factors that contribute to the spread of disease. Since I am concerned about the long-term effects of demineralization, I do not recommend the use of tartar-control toothpastes. Where root sensitivity is a problem, there are toothpastes designed to help remineralize root surfaces. These pastes are best applied after brushing just before bed. That way they will stay on the tooth longer. Just dab a spot on the sensitive root and go to bed. It usually takes six weeks to feel the improvement.

Why haven’t any reliable scientific studies been carried out to determine the comparative safety and effectiveness of the different toothpastes? Maybe because there is no money to be made from such a study. Maybe because large toothpaste manufacturers don’t want you to know that fluoride-containing toothpastes cause allergic-type reactions and gum damage and that a family-sized tube of fluoridated toothpaste contains enough fluoride to kill a small child. 

Many believe the pronouncements and recommendations made by the American Dental Association and leading consumer magazines, but few realize that these organizations have not done the scientific research necessary to show safety. In fact, in many cases, just the opposite has been found – the products they have recommended have been shown to be unsafe! 

For now, the most reliable approach is to use the common, time-tested agents: baking soda and salt, or a mixture of both with hydrogen peroxide. Other natural products and options are listed in the chapter on gum disease. 

Toothpaste is good to the extent that it encourages kids to brush. It is bad if it discourages dry brushing anywhere and anytime. Only a few commercial toothpastes are helpful in controlling tooth decay or gum disease. Feel free to brush without toothpaste; don’t get fixated on the idea that you must have it in order to clean your teeth. 

To prevent tooth decay, Dr. Kennedy recommends the following three-step approach:

1. The first step is nutritional. The amount of decay is proportional to the length of time the teeth are in contact with sugar. Diet is very important. I can recall the surprise on a very health-conscious mother’s face when she found out that apple juice is a common cause of children’s tooth decay. “But it is natural,” she protested. Decay germs grow faster and produce more acid to damage teeth if sugar is present. Any kind of sugar will do, even the sugar found in dried fruit such as raisins.
   
2. The second step is easy. I call it antibacterial. The germs that eat teeth are removed by baking soda. They can be washed away after soda is applied. The soda also helps neutralize any acid present.
   
3. The third step may be the most important. The weak grooves in a child’s permanent molar teeth can be completely protected. By sealing them with a bonding material, tooth decay can be sealed out before it begins. If left unsealed, more than 50% of these grooves will decay within just a few years. The twelve permanent molars erupt four at a time at ages 6, 12, and 18. Other permanent teeth may have a significant groove defect that may need sealants but the six and twelve year molars are the critical ones.
   

Dr. David Kennedy practiced preventive dentistry for over 25 years in San Diego, California. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology from the University of Kansas and a Doctor of Dental Surgery from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He served for two years in the United States Navy Dental Corps. He has lectured internationally to dentists and professionals on preventive and restorative dentistry and on the hazards of mercury and fluoride. He is a past President of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology.

Clear and Healthy Skin

How to Have Clear and Healthy Skin, by Dr. Ben Kim

By: Dr. Ben Kim

This article is one Dr. Ben Kim wrote on natural principles of skin care. 

Before we take a close look at how to use principles of natural skin care to promote clear and healthy skin, please consider the following facts about your skin:

• You lose millions of dead skin cells every day - about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells are sloughed off of your body every minute. Over the course of your life, you will shed about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of dead skin.
  
• Your body is constantly generating new skin cells to replace the ones that you shed off. In fact, the top layer of your skin, called your epidermis - is fully replaced about once every 30 days.
  
• Your skin accounts for as much as 15 percent of your entire body weight.
  
• Every day, about 2.5 million sweat glands in your skin secrete about 2 cups of sweat.
  

Anatomy of Your Skin

Make no mistake about it: your skin is a complex organ, one that consists of three layers that are optimally organized to protect you against disease and injury. These layers are called your epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, and they're described below.

Epidermis
The uppermost layer of your skin - the one that is in contact with the air - is called your epidermis. Your epidermis is actually composed of five different layers. The bottommost layer of your epidermis is called the basal layer, and as your basal layer produces new skin cells, they move up toward the surface, where they are eventually sloughed off as dead skin.
Your epidermis houses cells called melanocytes that produce melanin, which provides some protection against ultraviolet rays, and also partly determines the color of your skin.

Dermis
Below your epidermis lies a thicker layer called your dermis. In contrast to your epidermis, which is constantly replacing itself, your dermis remains pretty much the same throughout your life. Your dermis houses a number of structures, the most prominent ones being:

• Blood vessels, which allow delivery of nutrients to your skin cells, removal of waste products, and transportation of specialized cells of your immune system whenever they are needed to combat an infection.
  
• Lymphatic vessels, which provide a transportation network for immune-related cells, and also balance the distribution of fluids throughout your body.
  
• Nerve endings, which allow you to sense pain, temperature changes, and different pressures and textures through your skin.
  
• Hair follicles, which are the roots of the hairs that exist throughout your scalp and skin, except on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet.
  
• Sebaceous glands, which produce and secrete sebum, an oily substance that helps to protect you against infection and helps to make your skin water resistant.
  
• Sweat glands, which produce and secrete sweat.
  
• Collagen, which is a protein that gives your skin strength and flexibility.
  
• Elastin, which is a protein that gives your skin the ability to return to its original shape whenever it is manipulated.
  

Hypodermis (Subcutaneous tissues)
Below your dermis is a layer that consists mainly of fat, and is called your hypodermis or subcutaneous layer. Your hypodermis isn't technically a part of your skin, but it's essential to anchoring your skin to the tissues that lie below your epidermis and dermis - these deeper tissues are usually your muscles, and sometimes your bones.

Together, the three layers described above form skin that varies in thickness throughout your body. Your skin is thinnest above your eyelids, and is thickest on the heels of your feet and palms of your hands. 

How Your Skin Keeps You Healthy

Being the largest organ in your body, your skin plays a number of critical roles in keeping you healthy, the most important ones being:

1. Physical barrier for protection - the most important function of your skin is to prevent harmful microorganisms from entering your blood. Your skin accomplishes this through three main features:
   
   • The way in which its cells are tightly organized.
   • Regular production of sebum.
   • The presence of large colonies of friendly bacteria that produce a number of substances that destroy unfriendly organisms - this is why using anti-bacterial soap is a bad idea.
2. Regulator of body fluids and temperature - your skin helps to regulate body fluid balance, pH balance, and your core temperature by manipulating its blood supply and sweat production.
   
3. Channel for elimination of waste products - through your sweat glands, your skin eliminates waste materials like urea, toxic metals, and excess lactic acid that is created by overworked muscles.
   
4. Physical protection and detection of dangerous stimuli - your skin provides a layer of cushion for the rest of your body, protecting it against injury. Your skin also allows you to sense danger (hot temperatures, sharp objects, too much pressure, etc.) through sensory receptors that are located throughout your body - mainly in your hands, feet, and lips.
   
   

Natural Skin Care Tips - How to Keep Your Skin Clear and Healthy

Be Gentle When You Wash and Scrub Your Skin

Many people are led to believe that aggressive scrubbing of their skin with a rough towel can help remove waste material and toxins from their skin. Abrasive scrubbing does not promote healthy skin; in the vast majority of cases, it actually worsens skin tone and health because it leads to damage of one or more structures in the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis.

Your skin is well designed to cleanse itself from the inside out if your diet and lifestyle are health-promoting. Be gentle when you wash your skin, and pat-dry with a soft towel.

Do Not Use Anti-Bacterial Soap

Millions of friendly bacteria live on your skin; these bacteria take up room and resources, making it difficult for unfriendly bacteria to establish colonies on your skin. Friendly bacteria in your skin also produce various substances, including fatty acids, peroxides, and bacteriocins that protect you against unfriendly bacteria.

Regular use of anti-bacterial soap can diminish the strength and quantity of friendly colonies of bacteria in your skin, increasing your risk of experiencing infections, including acne.

Minimize Use of Soap and Hot Water

Regular use of hot water and almost all types of soap can dry out your sebaceous glands, causing your skin to become dry and unhealthy. Healthy skin requires regular sebum production to promote resistance against water and microbes.

A natural soap and water should be used only when necessary to remove any chemicals, grease, gas, and oil that you are exposed to. On days when your skin hasn't been exposed to any of the substances mentioned above, consider washing your skin with lukewarm or cool water only; this is, after all, the way that people washed themselves for most of human history.

In the winter, it's best to minimize the length of your showers and baths, and to use lukewarm water rather than hot water. Repeated use of hot water showers and baths can cause your skin to become dry and unhealthy.

Minimize Exposure to Furnace Heat

When you're living in dry furnace heat during colder months, your skin regularly loses water content, which can cause chronic dryness and itchiness. To combat this type of skin dryness, consider taking the following steps:

1. Turn down the heat. Wear warm clothes and slippers to stay warm. Less exposure to dry furnace heat results in less water loss from your skin, which results in healthier skin.
   
2. Hydrate your skin by taking lukewarm baths, and moisturizing as soon as you get out of the tub while your skin is in a hydrated state. Use the most natural moisturizer that you have access to - virgin coconut oil works well for most people.
   Take a lukewarm bath or shower only when necessary for cleansing. If you don't need to bathe or shower every day, then don't; your skin will be healthier for it.
   

Minimize Use of Makeup, Perfumes, Colognes, Shaving Cream, and Other Personal Care Products and Cosmetics that Contain Toxic Chemicals

When your skin is bare, just as it is intended to be, it stands its best chance of receiving nourishment, getting cleared of waste products, breathing with your environment, and cleansing from the inside out. This is why children tend to have clear and healthy skin - they don't regularly burden their skin cells with personal care products and cosmetics that many adults are conditioned to use daily.

Ironically, people who regularly burden their skin cells with a number of unnecessary personal care and cosmetic products to look "better" for society tend to look "worse" for society at a much earlier age than those who don't bother with such products. And using such products year after year further increases dependence on them to maintain a public outer shell that is emotionally acceptable to the user.

The truth - and let it be heard loud and clear - is this: the less stuff you put on your skin, the healthier and more beautiful it will be in the short and long term.

Eat Plenty of Water-Rich Foods

Healthy skin requires strong and steady blood flow, as your blood circulation brings your skin cells nourishment, and clears away waste products that your skin cells are constantly generating.

Eating water-rich foods - mainly fresh vegetables and fruits - is essential to experiencing strong and steady blood flow, as the naturally occuring water, vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients found in these foods all promote optimal blood circulation to your skin and throughout your body.

Dark green vegetables are arguably the single best food group for promoting healthy skin via healthy blood flow, as no other food group can match the water content and pound-for-pound nutrient density of dark green vegetables. This is why I regularly recommend shooting for one head of romaine lettuce every day. And if you can't hit this target, then consider including a pure green food powder mixed with healthy liquids in your diet.

Eat Foods Rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Flavonoids

Both groups of nutrients are strongly associated with healthy blood vessels, which are essential to experiencing optimal blood flow to and from your skin cells.

Healthy foods that are naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids include:

• Dark green leafy vegetables
• Raw walnuts
• Wild salmon
• Fresh or dried seaweed
• Freshly ground flax seeds
• Freshly ground hemp seeds
• Free-range eggs

Healthy foods that are naturally rich in flavonoids include:

• Lettuce
• Acerola cherries
• Citrus fruits
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Spinach
• Goji beries
• Asparagus
• Lima beans
• Kidney beans
• Raw cacao

Ensure Adequate Intake of Foods that are Rich in Vitamin A, Carotenoids, and Healthy Fats

Vitamin A is arguably the single most important micronutrient for healthy skin, as it is needed to maintain the integrity and function of your skin cells.

If your overall health is good and you regularly eat foods that are abundant in healthy fats, then chances are good that your body is effectively synthesizing vitamin A from carotenoids found in dark green, yellow, and orange vegetables like spinach, carrots, and sweet potatoes.

If you have any doubt about your body's ability to synthesize vitamin A from carotenoids, you can eat foods that contain actual vitamin A, such as organic eggs. 

If You Have an Autoimmune-Related Skin Challenge, Decrease or Eliminate Your Intake of Dairy and Flesh Meats

Autoimmune-related skin conditions like psoriasis and vitiligo can be triggered and fueled by a number of different factors, but in almost all cases, these progressive conditions can be improved or at least halted by eating a vegetable-centered diet. It's impossible to know with certainty why this is, but it's likely that in people who are genetically predisposed to developing autoimmune illness, regular consumption of animal protein is a trigger for antigen-antibody-complex-induced inflammation.

For my comprehensive guidelines on how to address these and other autoimmune-related health challenges, view: Root Causes of Autoimmune Illness

Colds & Flus

What Most Doctors Won't Tell You About Colds and Flus

By Dr. Ben Kim 

The next time that you experience a cold or the flu, remember this: giving your body plenty of rest while allowing the cold or flu to run its course is good for your health.

Conventional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry would have you believe that there is no "cure" for the common cold, that you should protect yourself against the flu with a vaccine that is laden with toxic chemicals, and that during the midst of a cold or flu, it is favorable to ease your discomfort with a variety of medications that can suppress your symptoms.

Unfortunately, all three of these positions represent a lack of understanding of what colds and flus really are, and what they mean to your body.

Colds and flus are caused by viruses. So to understand what colds and flus do at a cellular level, you have to understand what viruses do at a cellular level.

Do you remember learning about cellular division in grade seven science class? Each of your cells are called parent cells, and through processes of genetic duplication (mitosis) and cellular division (cytokinesis), each of your parent cells divides into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell is then considered a parent cell that will divide into two more daughter cells, and so on, and so on, and so on. 

Viruses are different from your cells in that they cannot duplicate themselves through mitosis and cytokinesis. Viruses are nothing but microscopic particles of genetic material, each coated by a thin layer of protein. 

Due to their design, viruses are not able to reproduce on their own. The only way that viruses can flourish in your body is by using the machinery and metabolism of your cells to produce multiple copies of themselves.

Once a virus has gained access into one of your cells, depending on the type of virus involved, one of two things can happen:

1. The virus uses your cell's resources to replicate itself many times over and then breaks open (lyses) the cell so that the newly replicated viruses can leave in search of new cells to infect. Lysis effectively kills your cell.
2. The virus incorporates itself into the DNA of your cell, which allows the virus to be passed on to each daughter cell that stems from this cell. Later on, the virus in each daughter cell can begin replicating itself as described above. Once multiple copies of the virus have been produced, the cell is lysed.

Both possibilities lead to the same result: eventually, the infected cell can die due to lysis.

Here is the key to understanding why colds and flus, when allowed to run their course while you rest, can be good for you:

By and large, the viruses that cause the common cold and the flu infect mainly your weakest cells; cells that are already burdened with excessive waste products and toxins are most likely to allow viruses to infect them. These are cells that you want to get rid of anyway, to be replaced by new, healthy cells.

So in the big scheme of things, a cold or flu is a truly natural tool that can allow your body to purge itself of old and damaged cells that, in the absence of viral infection, would normally take much longer to identify, destroy, and eliminate. 

Have you ever been amazed by how much "stuff" you could blow out of your nose while you had a cold or the flu? Embedded within all of that mucous are countless dead cells that your body is saying good bye to, largely due to the lytic effect of viruses. 

So you see, there never needs to be a cure for the common cold, since the common cold is nature's way of keeping you healthy over the long term. And so long as you get plenty of rest and strive to stay hydrated and properly nourished during a cold or flu, there is no need to get vaccinated or to take medications that suppress congested sinuses, a fever, or coughing. All of these uncomfortable symptoms are actually ways in which your body works to eliminate waste products and/or help your body get through a cold or flu. It's fine to use over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen if your discomfort becomes intolerable or if such meds can help you get a good night's rest. But it's best to avoid medications that aim to suppress helpful processes such as fever, coughing, and a runny nose.

It's important to note that just because colds and flus can be helpful to your body doesn't mean that you need to experience them to be at your best. If you take good care of your health and immune system by getting plenty of rest and consistently making health-promoting dietary and lifestyle choices, your cells may stay strong enough to avoid getting infected by viruses that come knocking on their membranes. In this scenario, you won't have enough weak and extraneous cells to require a cold or the flu to work its way through your body to identify and lyse them. 

Curious about how to differentiate the common cold and the flu? Here is an excellent summary of the differences from cbc.ca:

A cold usually comes on gradually — over the course of a day or two. Generally, it leaves you feeling tired, sneezing, coughing and plagued by a running nose. You often don't have a fever, but when you do, it's only slightly higher than normal. Colds usually last three to four days, but can hang around for 10 days to two weeks.

Flu, on the other hand, comes on suddenly and hits hard. You will feel weak and tired and you could run a fever as high as 40 C. Your muscles and joints will probably ache, you will feel chilled and could have a severe headache and sore throat. Getting off the couch or out of bed will be a chore. The fever may last three to five days, but you could feel weak and tired for two to three weeks.

One final note on this topic: because the common cold and the flu are both caused by viruses, antibiotics are not necessary. People who take antibiotics while suffering with a cold or flu often feel slightly better because antibiotics have a mild anti-inflammatory effect. But this benefit is far outweighed by the negative impact that antibiotics have on friendly bacteria that live throughout your digestive tract. In this light, if you really need help with pain management during a cold or flu, it is usually better to take a small dose of acetaminophen than it is to take antibiotics.

Please share this basic health information on colds and flus with family and friends; although it isn't readily available from the annals of conventional medicine, this information can save you and your loved ones significant time, money, and angst.