As cost rises, preventing cancer is the best option.

"Cancer Costs Becoming Unsustainable" is what I read on my own blog under the heading 'In the news' provided by the Free Dictionary.

According to the news article, about 12 million people are diagnosed with cancer each year, and the cost of treating cancer is becoming unaffordable. To me. that is good news, although I am no doctor.

Have you noticed that it is when things get rough that we get tougher. The guy who never exercise thinks of starting on it only when he falls sick. Never earlier! It takes sickness to get people to think of their health, to think of exercise. So, if cancer becomes unaffordable to try and cure, people would start paying attention to preventive steps. As for me, exercise is essential to me as I do not wish to live as a sickly man dependent on anyone.

It has been known for a good number of years the possible causes of cancer; one of the most important being our own immune system. And with the internet, knowledge on the type of nutrients and activities essential to a good immune system is available at all times. So, what is there to prevent us from searching for knowledge on nutrients such as vitamin C, E and beta carotene (vitamin A), vitamin B12, chromium, zinc, vitamin D, calcium, potassium, selenium, magnesium, glutathione,coenzyme Q-10 and calciferous vegetables as well as friuts that can help our immune system prevent cancer.

I have also read a book in which an Australian doctor used green papayas and papaya leaves to overcome cancer. I eat at least three raw young papaya leaves each day and I must add that I have not been sick, not even with the cold for a long, long time. I have also read of sprouts giving new life to our cells. And there is this book, 'The One Minute Cure' which uses 'hydrogen peroxide', my present interest, to cure cancer. The knowledge is there in the internet. Of course, we have to be cautious in searching for information on the internet but we can find out from people who have taken it whether what was written can be relied on.

With costs so high and the cure getting unaffordable and so not so easily within reach, people will be more willing to search for knowledge to help themselves. So this high cost may be a blessing in disguise.

Never retire from life.

Looking back, there were those who upon retirement decided to rest from work for the rest of their lives and those people are no longer around today to tell their stories.

There was one man who liked to eat a lot although he had diabetes. Fortunately, when there was work to be done each day; when he had to climb stairs and move from classroom to classroom or back to the staffroom there was movement and the use of energy taking away excess sugar from his body, his diabetes was still under control.

However, the day he retired, he fixed Astro, a private broadcasting station's programmes and soon he was sitting the whole day in front of the television, watching captivating programmes and enjoying some tit-bits perhaps. "That's life!' some would exclaim but soon the television was watching this elderly man instead as he napped in the comfortable chair in front of the entertaining box. And it's my turn to protest,"What kind of life is that?"

Without some form of activity to use up energy and the sugar that is required for it, the body suffering from diabetes was fighting a losing battle with no assistance from the body's owner. A few months later, God sympathetically removed him from the boredom that must have been his.

Many people forget, perhaps conveniently dismissed, that we have a body that needs proper care and cleanliness to have it in tip-top condition, failing which, we may have to suffer some kind of illness or weakness, both of them inconveniencing us in movement and enjoyment of life.

For me, to be able to enjoy life to my fullest possible, I must be able to be painless, flexible, able to enjoy with all my senses, walk and run. When I am unable to enjoy life any longer, I would pray for the journey from this life.

Now, my wish I believe is every other person's wish. The only difference is how much effort or discipline would anyone put in to ensure his/her body would be in such a desirable health. Does the person exercise? Are the exercises the right type? Is it sufficient? Is the body given the best possible nutrients for it to maintain its capability? What about the senses? Is the mind and all the other senses given the necessary stimulation to work well. Reading? Thinking? When was the last time deep breathing was done using the diaphragm to suck in fresh, untainted air to the deepest part of the lungs? Unless we do all these things, is it fair to expect our body and its organs to function at its optimum level?

There is too much life ahead to retire from it yet. Retirement from life ought to be the second we breathe our last.

How come some children have lots of energy?

I met a grandfather this morning and he commented to me about his grandson who is always on the move, doing this and that throughout the day with just a short nap in the afternoon.

"As a man who have lived more than seventy years, I have seen and noticed that some children are slow not just in development but also in movement whereas there are some who seem to have a lot energy throughout the day just like my grandson," the proud grandfather observed.

Yes, some children, like my own sons and this man's grandson, have lots of energy and are always alert and active. I believe it has to do with two factors.

One is the nutrition of the mother during her pregnancy. Once a human egg has been fertilised, a foetus is formed. With formation of the first stage of the foetus, nutrition is required for its development as from then on the foetus develops at a fast rate, the various organs and parts of the body. If the mother does not consume sufficient nutrient for both of them, both may have to suffer from some form of malnutrition. I believe a lot of mothers suffer osteoporosis earlier than man because of pregnancy when the developing foetus may have to take calcium from the mother.

Another factor is the baby's nutrition. Some babies are weaned off milk too early. I have seen parents giving milo, a beverage drink their babies. Upon questioning such mothers, they would claim that their babies prefer the beverage drink to milk. Of course, as milo is sweetened with sugar. It is sweeter than milk. A wise mother would not allow the baby to make that choice and even prevent it as the babies are too small to know the existence of such a drink except through the introduction of it by the mothers or guardians. Mothers or parents, sometimes the problem lies with the fathers, should know that mother's milk is the most nutritious drink or food for babies, and to exchange the best with something else is certainly not advisable.

Without sufficient nutrition for growth and development of the organs, how can a child function at its best; how can there be sufficient energy for play which at that stage is a learning process. Without lots of play, there will be less opportunities to know the various texture on the many surfaces he/she feels or the development of strength in carrying things around, riding tricycles and pushing objects or the development of the brain as he/she thinks of improvising objects to become a vehicle, a pet or some other things within his/her imagination. Without sufficient nutrition, the body and the mind will not work as well and development can slow down while others are many steps ahead in growth, strength and intelligence.

Nutrition is important at every stage of our lives starting from the day we emerge from the egg as foetus. And even when we age we need even better nutrition for it is then that absorption of nutrients may be slower or not as efficient, unless we wish to slide fast downhill during our retirement. Anyway, we can retire from our job but never retire from life as much awaits us and that is when we need the strength and energy to enjoy life truly.

Pros and Cons of rich calcium supplement for the foetus.

During pregnancy, women who take a lot of nutritious food, especially food which contains a lot of calcium such as milk are bound to have bigger babies; babies who at the time of their birth are approximately ten pounds.

When babies are too large, ordinary birth becomes a problem as the size of the foetus does not allow its whole body to move easily from the womb to the vagina and then out of the mother's body. As I have related a day ago about the woman who had to suffer the trauma of difficult delivery because of the huge size of the foetus, there is a need for a machine to suck the baby out (according to the husband of the woman) or go through a cesarean birth. The best procedure to choose would be the cesarean birth but usually gynecologists advise women not to have a third cesarean birth, possibly because of danger.

As for the lady in the previous day's true story, she told me her doctor advised her to drink a lot of milk during her pregnancy. I suspect she needed a rich supply of calcium and in her case the child also benefited with larger bones.

From observation of children I have found that those who are well nourished during life as a foetus and throughout early childhood have better energy and strength than the rest. Possibly the early excellent nutrition has put the child one step ahead of the development of the others. Of course, I have never done a proper research into the subject and am just making a layman's conclusion.

Enjoy our fruits.

At the morning market today, I saw a crowd of mostly ladies and took a closer look to see all of them looking at and choosing some dukong. A few new-comers and I asked for the price and was told it was only two ringgit a kilo. That was really cheap! This made one or two persons wonder if what was being sold was actually langsat or dukong. The seller quickly explained that the langst has a thinner skin while the dukung has a thicker skin although both may look similar. Still wondering why the price was that cheap, one lady tasted one of the fruits and exclaimed, "Oh, it's not sweet!". As the dukung is reputed to be sweet, everyone looked in her direction and saw the size of the dukung she had taken. It was small. So, another lady told her, "Aiyah, the one you took is too small, lah. It's not ripe enough, mah. Let me try a bigger one." And she split the skin of one rounded fruit to taste the whitish flesh. "Ah! This is sweet," she beamed to the others. Most of them went on choosing while some uncertain ones decided not to buy and went off. As for me, I took home a kilogram of that fruit.

For me, it was not so much the sweetness of the fruit that counts. It was a fruit I like because it is a local fruit which usually meant no preservative needed to lengthen its shelf-life or to keep it fresh. Of course it is definitely more fresh, possibly plucked from the tree just a day ago and certainly not needing any preservative while imported fruits could be at least a few days after plucking before they could reach the consumers. Commercially, those imported fruits have to be preserved one way or the other.

Furthermore, fruits such as the dukung hardly needs any pesticides as they grow. Insects hardly are a problem, probably because the skin of the fruit is so thick.

Of course, there are those who believe the apple, kiwi fruit or grapes are better than local fruits. Certainly, research has placed the apple, the kiwi fruit and the grapes and berries high up the ladder of nutrition. Lately, so much researchers have found grapes with their resveratrol and apple juice so high in fighting sicknesses. Not only that, researchers discovered that the powerful antioxidant, resveratrol, which is found naturally in the red skin of grapes, can activate genes and prolong the life of cells without having to go on a starving diet which was what scientist found was the only way to prolong cell life once upon a time.

But then with the apples and the grapes, we are always troubled with the decision: to remove the skin or not. Is there too much toxic chemicals in the skin? Unfortunately, for these two fruits, the skin contains the more important and most necessary nutrients for better health. Of course, according to some, enzymes can be used to wash and remove most of the toxic chemicals. Still, is it safe to eat the skin? Anyone who have read of any research papers on the use of enzymes, please be kind enough to give the information.

Since local organic fruits and vegetable have their nutrients too, I reach out to local fruits and vegetables more than imported fruits because I think we should eat imported fruits too so as to supply our body with as many of the necessary nutrients as possible.

I hasten to add that not all the skin of local fruits are safe to be consumed. Bananas, for example, unless bought straight from a plant or while it is still green, usually go through the process of heat through the use of a kind of chemical which could be harmful. Some may be wondering what I am talking about, eating banana skin which almost everyone discard. Well, not me if it comes from mu plant or straight from another person's plant. I put flesh and skin in the blender. The powerful blades of my blender soon mashed up everything and all I need to do is to just pour it in to a cup and drink it. You see, I believe, where possible, it is better to make the drink from the whole fruit with non of the nutrients missing.

Papayas are also taken the same way as the bananas as the skin contains lots of nutrients. However, commercial papayas do seem to have some kind of powder on its skin. And most of them are plucked too young and green from the plant.

In a world where fruits and vegetables are still easily available, we can consider ourselves lucky. And even luckier are those who have a little bit of land, a small garden to plant them. Then we can be assured of organic food in a world where more and more chemicals are used in commercial production of fruits and vegetables.

The pain of obesity.

In the Star Online today, I read of a Malay lady in Bukit Mertajam who, at the age of 35 years, is already unable to move out of her house. She was crippled by a body too heavy to be carried by her equally bulky legs.

At that age, whe was already 170 kg, a weight that gave her so much inconvenience. Even to get around in her house, she had to drag her body with her hands.

Apparently, at the age of thirty years, she was already 110 kilogram, Due to her weight, she suffered from muscular pain in her knees.

To find relief for her pain, she took traditional Indonesian medicine and her weight shot up to her present weight. In two weeks the pain did disappear but when she discontinued the medicine, the pain returned and presented her with the new problem of a swelling below the knee of her left leg.

Obesity can bring a lot of pain and joint problems to a person. I know of a retired lady teacher who was a colleague of mine who had this problem too. She was almost as heavy as the lady from Bukit Mertajam. She suffered from pain in her legs and eventually, one of her ankle joints slipped sideways and, as far as I know, is now warded in a hospital.

Another sixty-three year old lady who could not control her weight was constantly having body aches, back pain as well as pain in the legs.Her weight was just too much for her skeletal frame and it caused havoc on her vertebrae column or spinal cord as well as her knee joints.

All the above mentioned pains are common among very fat people. This situation is always aggravated with age which brings along muscle weakness and oesteoporosis.

This means young people can afford to be obese if they are able to reduce their weight as they grow older. This is because strong muscles of our body help to hold up the extra weight and reduces the burden on the skeletal frame. However, with age and a sedentary lifestyle, muscles weaken and degenerate into fat and the load, without the assistance of those strong muscles, fall heavily onto the skeletal frame, gradually compressing the joints and wearing out the protective cartilage and disc at the joints. When this happens in the spinal column, the bulging disc narrows the gap between two vertebrae and with nerves being pinched by any of the two vertebrae in the spinal column coming together, there can be pain.

Therefore, as we grow older, we should throw out any extra weight. The lighter we are, the less burden we place on our body. It is not just the weight. Our organs would not have to overwork so often if we can control out food intake, consuming only enough nutrients essential for the fitness, strength and health of our body. And if we wish to eat a little bit more, well, there is always the pleasurable brisk walk with friends in the morning each day to rid the body of excess calories.

Of course, to enjoy life, do not be too obsessed with anything we plan. Just have a healthy lifestyle.

Carbohydrates, not necessarily fat, can cause obesity.

We know that obesity is not healthy. We know that when a person becomes too fat, chronic diseases are bound to follow.

Thus, it is not strange that people avoid fats but not the other types of food. When we buy meat, we try to have the leanest parts. That is the right path for people to take.

However, we need fats as nutrionists and research will tell you. Fats, be they liquids or solids are essential to our health.

In a previous posting, I have written on the need of fats to be consumed together with vitamins A, D, E and K for these vitamins to be digested and absorbed.

Fats are also necessary for healthy skin and hair. The fat around our organs insulate them against shock. It promotes healthy cell function and is a ready source of energy as well as maintaining body temperature.

Toxic substances entering the bloodstream can be held captive in fat tissues till they can be removed through our body's waste disposal system.

Some fatty acids are essential nutrients which means that they can't be produced in our body and need to be consumed in small quantities through food.

Fats are nutrients that the body uses to build nerve tissue and hormones.

Fat gives food flavor and texture, making food tastier. However, fats also contain a lot of calories and therefore it is better to eat lean meat.

Nevertheless, despite avoiding too much lard, people in developing or developed countries are suffering from sicknesses brought on by obesity and too much fat in the body.

It is the result of concentrating on fat as the problem and forgetting other facts about nutrition.

Have we ever thought ot the amount of calories we take in from carbohydrates such as grains, fruits and vegetables? Have we ever thought of the calories from excessive intake of protein? When we take in too many calories; more than what our body needs daily, what happens to the excess calories?

In fact, there are some among us who consume so much carbohydrates and protein that it exceeds the healthy portion needed in our diet. According to the nutritionists, we should take approximately 25% of the calories needed from fat. The remaining 75% ought to come from carbohydrates and protein. But, is the calories consumed through carbohydrates and protein 75% of our diet? For a lot of people it's "No!". It's a resounding 'no!'.

Especially for office staff who do not perform any strenous physical tasks, the carbohydrates and protein ought to be less.

In fact, when excessive simple carbohydrates, as opposed to complex carbohydrates are consumed, the sugar content is released so quickly into the bloodstream that it raises the blood sugar level leading to insulin increase there which is not good for our health.

Because simple carbohydrates are easily digested, we feel hungry faster and so we consume even more food with a even greater increase in calories in our body.

Where does the excess calories go to. Unlike the fibres and undigestible seeds they are not excreted. They are changed into fat. And that is how carbohydrates could be the culprit to the problem of obesity.

To lose weight needs discipline, knowing our daily energy output, understanding calories and how excess is converted to fat and the type of fats we ought to consume.

The failure of most weight-loss programmes is due to inattentiveness to such facts.

Let us go into failure to maintain weight loss in a later posting.

Without fats, where would these vitamins be?

The other day, I wrote on imparting to children the knowledge of food and its nutrients. In it, I mentioned the importance of fat to our body.

Perhaps, some may wonder about this importance as many are advised to cut down on fat, eating more lean meat. That is not wrong. However, it does not mean that fat is not necessary to our health. (Later, in another post I would like to pass on further information in which I would like to point out that it is not fat which is the cause of obesity; in fact, the culprit is too much carbohydrates.)

Take for example such nutrients as vitamins. With out fat in our diet, Vitamin A,D,E and K would not have been able to be absorbed into the blood stream from the food intestines.

So, without fats, vitamin A cannot be absorbed. What a great loss that would be. It can result in vitamin A deficiency such as night-blindness and keratomalacia.

Those with night-blindness, unable to see well at night, ought to understand that taking vitamin A supplement without it being accompanied by a meal with fats will not help.

Keratomalacia is an eye disorder. this disorder leads to a dry cornea. Vitamin A deficiency is a cause.

Without fats to help in its absorption into the bloodstream, Vitamin D is lost. Of course, we are fortunate to have our body manufacture its own vitamin D with the assistance from sunlight. So, people in the tropics are able to obtain sufficient vitamin D. But, in other countries, with the few hours of very mild sun, people ought to be more careful as vitamin D is so important to our health.

Deficiency of vitamin D can cause rickets which is a softening of the bones, especially in children, which can cause fractures and deformity. Rickets can also be caused by a lack of calcium.

Vitamin E, the important antioxidant, is another vitamin which is fat soluble. It is rare to find deficiency problems but mild hemolytic anemia which is due to the abnormal breakdown of red blood cells may occur in newborn infants.

Vitamin K is important for its blood clotting properties. Vitamin K deficiency can lead to bleeding diathesis which is an unusual susceptibility to bleeding as a result of an inabilty for the blood to coagulate or clot. Vitamin K is available in food such as Brussels sprouts and spinach. So, have some oil or fat in your meals so that vitamin K in food can be absorbed into the body.

As further information on vitamin K, babies are given vitamin K injections to prevent a bleeding disorder known as VDBD.

Thus, fats do have their roles to play in our health.

Feed essential knowledge to the young.

A few days ago I wrote on how the imagination of children could be easily stimulated through stories their parents told them.
This morning, on my trek up the Sungai Paisr hill, I met this friend, Ah Ju, who told me his story when I told him how the minds of children can be affected by whatever is told them. He totally agreed with me.

Minds of children absorb whatever adults tell them with such ease that we ought to be careful with what we tell them. We ought to make use of this knowledge of our children's mind to teach them things essential to their lives.

Ah Ju told me how he was so frightened of policemen when he was young just because an adult friend told him that the police would catch a small little boy like him. He was nine years old then, very naive and what he heard had such an effect on him that he would run and hide whenever a policeman happened along.

Somehow, in his mind was this idea that a policeman would apprehend any boy who is not accompanied by a parent or adult. This fear of policeman took some years of knowledge to remove. It is unnecessary fear and may even deter him from approaching a policeman for help, should such a need arises.

Of course, fear does have its use for dangers that we do not want our children to learn through experience.

Instead of such nonsense, adults should use this belief of children in adults to teach them good manners and habits.

Tell them, perhaps, how people with good manners are always respected and well-recieved by others wherever they go. Point out to them the people who practice good manners in the neighbourhood and how popular they are.

Teach children to observe good habits and show, explain or tell them how such good habits can bring better health, better growth and greater wealth.

Have the children exercise through walks or runs in the parks as well as in your enjoyable activities. Tell and show them how strong and healthy are the people who do such exercises. Compare these healthy ones with people who are weak through having a sedentary life.

Inform the children of the food that is consumed. Let them understand about proteins and how essential it is for muscular and body development. Educate them on the carbodhydrates from plants, fruits, grains and cereals. Tell them about the vitamins and minerals their body needs. Do not forget about fats and its importance to our body. (Of course, too much, especially saturated fat from animals, is not good for us. However, fat has its role to play.) Make sure they know about the cleanliness of the air they breathe and the water they drink. Finally, tell them that the amount of all those nutrients which ought tobe consumed depends upon the needs of the individual; the weight-lifter will need more protein and food than others, the labourer will need more carbohydrates and fat than other people, and we should also tell them about the healthy oils which are also fats. Let us give our children the knowledge some of us took so long to realise. Of course, all these are disseminated as and when it is opportune to do so.

Tell them about the habit of saving. Explain to them how wealth can multiply through savings. Show them how, a little at a time, for the next ten to fifteen years, when they reach their early twenties, can yield at lot.

You know, I had parents who could not find the time to talk to me about all those things. Fortunately, I had always had this thirst for knowledge and at approximately the age of nine, I went along the book shelves of the USIS (United States Information Service) building in Beach Street in Penang, in search of the above knowledge.

And I must add that my health is this good today because of the knowledge learned since then till now; knowledge which I put into practice every single day.

Through this, I hope parents as well as their children can achieve better health.

Of course, there are always people who have even better knowledge and practices than this writer at improving health. Therefore, comments and further knowledge will always be welcome.

Should You Eat Like A Caveman? By Laura LaValle, RD, LD Top

As a dietitian I am often asked, “What is the best diet?” Is there one perfect diet that all humans should follow? A film that is expected out later this summer also asked that question. The film, called “In Search of the Perfect Human Diet” was made by C.J. Hunt, who nearly died at age 24.

As a result of his health issues, he set out to find the secrets of optimal health and became a broadcast journalist in the process. Though I haven’t seen his film yet, I can tell by the list of people it interviewed as experts, it is likely to advocate what is called the Paleolithic Diet.

The concept of this diet is to eat as our ancient ancestors, the hunter-gatherers did: plants (greens, tubers, fruits, nuts), wild-caught meats, fish and eggs. No grains. No dairy.

In short — eat like a caveman.

Several THB contributors believe there is something to this diet. And at the LaValle Metabolic Institute, we have been using a modified version of this diet in our practice for years. (Our exception is that we do allow some use of goat's milk foods, like the milk itself or yogurts or cheeses made from it.)

The primary tenet of the diet is that cavemen did not eat grains at all, much less refined flours, because these foods hadn’t been cultivated yet. In our experience, since grains are high in starches, which break down to glucose, cutting out grains (even whole grains) does seem to be very helpful.

In fact it’s necessary for some people who are severely insulin resistant. This is evidenced by waists that are larger than hips and blood sugars that are trending high and difficult to get down.

Whole grains can also be problematic due to their high lectin content, as Jim’s article discusses.

The caveman diet has other healthful properties beyond helping obesity and insulin resistance. One study that I love examines how the diet relates to another common and completely modern health problem: chronic acidosis, which is linked with osteoporosis, muscle wasting, kidney stone formation, and damage to the kidneys.1

If you read a lot of bloggers and their hastily flung opinions, you will find that they typically recommend you stop eating meat to combat acidosis. But the scientists who analyzed this issue state clearly that our ancestors had alkaline bodies, not because they didn't eat meat, but because they didn't eat cereal grains and modern, energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods (refined sugars and vegetable oils).

The study authors write that the change that switched human diets from net-base (alkaline) to net-acid production was “entirely” from “the displacement of base-rich plant-food groups (roots, tubers, leafy green vegetables, vegetable fruit, and fruit) by cereal grains and [foods such as] refined sugars and separated fats.”

They recommend that to more closely mimic the caveman diet and return our bodies to an alkaline state we need to:
• Remove refined, processed foods from our diet, especially sugars and flours.
• Add plant foods back into our diet, especially greens and vegetables.
• Include animal proteins.

To mimic the animal proteins that would have been eaten then, choose meat cuts from animals that eat their natural foods. That means no grain-fed fish, cows, chickens or hogs. Cows should graze on grass. Fish should eat their natural foods (smaller fish and algae or plankton). Chickens should eat insects, grass, insect larvae and worms. Hogs should feed on acorns and roots.

Paleolithic diets can be a challenge if you are a stickler and never eat grains. However, our patients do get good results with them. We find that even if you give in and eat grains occasionally, the drastic reduction in grains and refined sugars does wonders for waistlines, blood sugar, blood pressure and healthy lipid profiles.
If you have any of these issues, I recommend you try it, and watch for Hunt’s film if you are interested in an informative exploration of the “perfect diet” for health.

Reference
1. Am J Clin Nutr. 2002:76(6): 1308-1316.
[Ed. Note: Laura B. LaValle, RD, LD is presently the director of dietetics nutrition at LaValle Metabolic Institute. Laura and her husband, Jim LaValle, R.Ph, CCN, ND have developed the powerful and life-changing Metabolic Code Diet – containing step-by-step, easy to follow recommendations for harnessing optimal metabolic energy and turning your body’s chemical make up into a fat-burning furnace. To learn more click here now.]

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com”

The Living Link Missing From Our Diets by Al Sears, MD

For millions of years, our ancestors hunted for meat and gathered fruits, nuts and other plant foods. They followed the food supply, so there was no kitchen sink to wash it in. Instead, they brushed the dirt off the foods they gathered. Or rinsed it in a nearby stream.

Today, factory farms add thousands of tons of pesticides and herbicides to our food. Even if we wash our fruits and vegetables thoroughly, we run the risk of slowly poisoning ourselves.

This modern dilemma means that our ancestors received a benefit from their food that we don’t. I think of that benefit as “living foods” — the good bacteria that inhabit our guts.

Living foods aid digestion. They hold dangerous bacteria in check. And recent research has revealed an amazing variety of other benefits. Here are just a few of the health benefits connected to these living foods:
• They support normal growth in infants1
• They help protect against early childhood infections2
• They improve your body’s defenses against food-borne toxins3
• They may be useful in the treatment of ulcers4
• They can reduce the discomfort of diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome5
• They can reduce the damaging effects of alcoholism6

We have these healthy bacteria growing in our guts, too. But many of us have far fewer than we need.

I’ll show you why you need living foods. How an entire industry has misled consumers about them. And how you can enjoy the healthy benefits living foods offer.
Protection from Disease-Causing Bacteria

There wasn’t much interest in the good bacteria in our guts until the early 20th century. Then a Russian scientist named Metchnikoff had an idea. He believed that replacing the “bad” bacteria in our systems with “good” bacteria could slow aging.
Mechnikoff’s early theories were a little off. But his work led to many discoveries about the bacteria living in our digestive systems. In the 1970s, these living foods were named “probiotics.”

I like that term. It directly counters modern medicine’s dependency on “anti” biotics, which focuses on killing biological organisms rather than on supplying them.

The word “bacteria” makes most people think of germs and infection. But trillions of good bacteria live in our digestive systems. These good bacteria promote better health in several ways.

Your intestinal wall is like a parking lot with billions and billions of individual “parking spaces.” Many disease-causing bacteria can only make you sick if they find an open space on the intestinal lining.

If good bacteria have taken up all the available parking spots, the bad bacteria can’t adhere to the intestinal lining. Instead they pass through the gut. And you don’t get sick.

If bad bacteria take over, the bacteria can migrate throughout your body and cause a host of diseases that you would never associate with your gut.

There’s a good reason bacteria thrive in our intestines. There’s plenty of food. Probiotic bacteria compete against bad bacteria for this food supply.

Your digestion works a lot like natural decomposition. And that’s a perfect environment for bacteria. Bacteria don’t have complex digestive systems. So they take advantage of the free meals available in our intestines.

But probiotics give us plenty in return. Because they’re more efficient feeders than many harmful bacteria, they can crowd bad bacteria out.7 And a UK study found that probiotics lower the toxin levels of a bacteria that causes a form of colitis.8
Add these to the benefits I mentioned earlier, and you can see how probiotics promote good health.

But don’t run out and fill your fridge with cultured yogurt products. That’s because most of the so-called probiotic foods on your grocer’s shelf aren’t that useful. In fact, neither are most of the probiotic supplements I’ve seen.
And a pair of product tests help explain why.

Make Sure Your Probiotic Gets Past These Two Obstacles to be Effective
In 2003, ConsumerLab.com tested 25 probiotic products. Some were supplements. Others were foods with bacteria added. Nine products failed their tests. Almost a third contained “too few live bacteria to be effective.”

ConsumerLab.com’s second round of tests didn’t do much better. In their 2006 study, five of the 13 products they tested flunked.

But there’s still a problem. Even if a product contains “enough” bacteria, those bacteria still have to survive two attacks in your body.

First, they have to survive your stomach acid. Then, they have to face the bile salts in your upper intestine. Up until now, survival rates have been less than exciting.

The food industry has spent a fortune on special coatings to protect probiotics from stomach acid. But a research paper presented at the Israel Institute of Technology found they’re not having great success.

They tested three of the most common coating processes and found the coating process itself killed up to 60% of the bacteria.9 So, even if the bacteria make it through your stomach, most of them could already be dead.

Getting through your stomach is a challenge. But even the latest double-coating process is no match for bile salts. The new process worked well with stomach acid. But researchers found the double-coated capsules didn’t provide any extra protection against bile salts.10

What this all boils down to is that most probiotic products simply don’t deliver on their promises. And even those promises are being called into question.

Yogurt giant, Dannon Corp., recently agreed to settle a $300 million class-action lawsuit out of court. The reason for the suit? Evidence that health claims for Dannon’s probiotic yogurt products may not be true.

Dannon says it stands behind its claims. But the fact they’re settling the suit seems to say something else. And this isn’t the first time they’ve been called out on probiotic claims.

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) asked Danone, Dannon’s parent company, to pull “misleading” ads in both 2006 and 2008. Danone also ran afoul of the ASA in 2003. Then it was for ads for its “Shape” yogurt product.

Danone isn’t alone. The U.S. National Advertising Division claimed General Mills was running misleading ads for its Yoplait “Yo-Plus” product. General Mills pulled the ads in December 2008.

So you’re faced with a dilemma. Probiotics are good for you. But getting enough of them can be a challenge. And you may not be getting what you think you are anyway.
What do you do?

Getting Probiotics’ Benefits
There are several ways to get more of these healthy living foods into your diet.
The first is to grow your own organic fruits and vegetables. Fresh, organic produce from your own garden doesn’t require the scrubbing that factory-farmed veggies do. And you’ll have the bonus of tastier meals.

I’ve been growing my own organic garden for years, and I rarely get sick. In fact, I’ve been known to just pluck a tomato off the vine, dust if off, slice it up and eat it. No washing required.

If you don’t have room or time for your own organic garden, buy organic when you shop. Your local farmer’s market is a great place to find organic fruits and veggies. You should still wash this produce. But, like homegrown, it doesn’t need the kind of thorough cleaning commercial produce does.

Plus you can give the healthy bacteria in your gut a better chance of surviving. Simply cut out the foods that bad bacteria thrive on.

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are bad bacteria’s favorite meal. These “foods” aren’t natural to your body anyway. So giving them up — or even cutting down — offers a whole range of health benefits, including weight loss.

Finally, stay tuned… Because my staff and I here at the Wellness Research Foundation have uncovered a promising new twist in probiotics.

A lab in Europe has been quietly breeding new strains of good bacteria. These bacteria are highly resistant to both stomach acid and bile salts. But they’re not genetically engineered, and there’s no coating involved.

So far, the research has been very promising. But I’m not going to jump on board until I know that these living foods live up to their promise. If they do, you can be sure I’ll let you know.

To Your Good Health,

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is Chairman of the Board of Total Health Breakthroughs. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.]
References
1. Scalabrin DM, et. al. Clin Pediatr (Phila). 2009 Mar 4.
2. Rautava S, et. al. Br J Nutr. 2008 Nov 6:1-5. [Epub ahead of print].
3. Gratz S, et. al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Jun;73(12):3958-64.
4. Lam EK, et. al. Probiotic Eur J Pharmacol. 2007 Jun 22;565(1-3):171-9.
5. Gawronska A, et. al. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2007 Jan 15;25(2):177-84.
6. Forsyth CB, et. al. Alcohol. 2009 Mar;43(2):163-72.
7. Wilson KH, Perini F. Infect Immun. 1988 Oct;56(10):2610-4.
8. Plummer S, et. al. Int Microbiol. 2004 Mar;7(1):59-62.
9. Semyonov D. Dry Microencapsulation and Enteric Coating of Probiotic Bacteria. M.Sc Thesis, Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Israel Institute of Technology.
10. Ding WK, Shah NP. J Food Sci. 2009 Mar;74(2):M53-61.

"This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise's Total Health Breakthroughs, offering alternative solutions for mind, body and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com”

When growth starts, nutrition is important.

The other day I saw a pregnant woman smoking and drinking alcoholic drinks at a wedding dinner. Ought this woman take advantage of the free drinks available to the wedding guests? Even worse, she was smoking, sending nicotine to her unborn child.

That made me think: how many parents think of their children's nutrition before their birth? How many are aware of the toxic substances sent to the foetus through the mother?

The alcoholic content can reach the foetus. Would it have any effect on the foetus' kidneys and liver. (Adults who consume too much alcoholic drinks too often could get their livers burnt. What about the poor foetus?)What effect would nicotine have on the foetus?

Today's parents ought to know that growth for their child starts from the first day of his/her life in the womb. For that growth to be good and healthy, proper nutrition must be available to the foetus.

Since the necessary nutrition is made available to the foetus through the mother, the mother must be aware that anything that goes in through her mouth into her body and the bloodstream can reach the foetus.

From the nutrients through the mother, the foetus' development of all organs and body parts progresses. Based on this knowledge alone, we ought to realise the importance of the pregnant woman's health and diet.

Thus, pregnant women should be aware of the importance of nutrition. Of course, all of us have to be conscious of our nutrition. However, when one is pregnant, one is responsible not only for her own body but also that of her developing foetus. A pregnant woman has doubled responsibility.

The husband should be sympathetic to her cause and refrain from smoking or imbibing food and drinks that are not desirable for the growth of their child. He must ensure that her happiness, health and diet are well taken care of. That is the responsibility of the husband in a marriage. Together, they make everything go smoothly. They must work at it as one single family.

When it comes to development of the various organs and body parts, protein is of utmost importance. Then comes vitamins and minerals. The right kind of fats and oils are just as important as they play a part in the development of cells and tissues as well as other parts of the body. Some carbohydrates is needed as energy is required for organs to function and movement to take place.

Health care during pregnancy is easily available throughout the world. Seek the advice of gynaecologists for the latest knowledge and advice to ensure the children will be given the best possible start in life.

Today, we have cancer patients getting younger and younger each year. Where did those young patients get their carcinogenic substances from? Is it from the toxic food they eat as a child? Could it be through the mother even as a foetus? Whatever it is, would not it be better to eat less toxic and processed food with its toxic preservatives? If possible, take as much organic vegetables and fruits as possible. When it comes to meat, meat from grass-fed animals are better than those fed with processed feed containing antibiotics and growth hormones.

Yes, somebody could be taking unfinished hormones injected into animals. What could happen to us when ingesting such hormones? Could it fatten us faster? All I know is that it cannot be good for us. After all, we are no chicken, duck, goose, cow or pig.

Unless, of course, if we could grow angel's wings to fly us off to a paradise, a land without any toxicity.

Fantastic facts about saturated fat.

Healthy Nutrition: Saturated Fat: What to Do?
By Laura LaValle, RD, LD

One of the biggest areas of dietary confusion today is whether saturated fat is bad for us or not. For the most part, conventional medical thought remains firmly in the “saturated fat is bad for you” corner, while a growing number of people feel that not only is the jury still out on saturated fat intake, it may even have health benefits.

One of the primary reasons we are told to lower our saturated fat intake is to lower heart disease risk. As Jim and I have already discussed in several Total Health Breakthroughs articles, studies looking at the effects of low carb diets are a big reason the effects of saturated fats are being questioned; that’s because numerous studies have found that low carb diets lower total cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL — despite being higher than is conventionally recommended for saturated fat intake.

These changes in lipid profiles lower the risk of heart disease, not raise it.

As if these findings aren’t reason enough to prove that conventional medicine may be wrong about saturated fat, another study out of Harvard has really raised some questions. This study looked at postmenopausal women who had previously eaten low fat diets and who, despite that fact, had plaque build-up in their arteries. But the same study found that when the women ate diets that were higher in saturated fat, the progression of arterial plaque stopped.

Interestingly, the one factor that was associated with progression of artery clogging plaque was a higher intake of carbohydrates, as is typically eaten on a low fat diet.

Other findings that are shedding more light on the effects of saturated fats stem from research that is being conducted on the different types of fatty acid chains like lauric acid, myristic acid, stearic acid, and butyric acid, which together make up the whole category of saturated fats.

These fatty acids are all saturated, but they differ in composition and function depending on the length of their carbon chains. If you haven’t heard much about them yet, you will, because the research on them is hot and heavy.

Here are some examples of the research findings:
Stearic fatty acids are composed of 18 carbon atoms and are commonly found in cocoa butter and fatty meats, like beef. Quite surprisingly, research has revealed that stearic acid doesn’t raise cholesterol levels as much as myristic acid found in dairy foods; and palmitic acid from palm oil actually lowers cholesterol.

Lauric acid, a 12-carbon chain, is commonly found in coconut oil, palm oil and breast milk. It is gaining attention because it raises healthy HDL cholesterol but not serum triglycerides and lipoprotein(a) concentrations (risk factors for heart disease). These findings further shatter the notion that saturated fats as a whole increase heart disease risk.

In considering whether we should consume saturated fats or not, heart disease should not be our only consideration. Higher saturated fat intake from full fat dairy products has been found to decrease a woman’s risk of being infertile, while eating low fat dairy foods, which most people do to lower their heart disease risk, was found to increase risk of being infertile.

And while I see many headlines and articles stating that saturated fat intake in general is associated with an increased risk of cancer, many people feel that some of the risk could be from other factors like heterocyclic amines (HCAs) produced from over-cooked meats or the hormones that are sometimes injected into commercial livestock and poultry.

In fact, while it is not yet definitive, it looks like butyric acid, one source of which is butter (a saturated fat), may play a role in preventing cancer by stopping the development of cancer cells.

As more research accumulates, there is no doubt the messages to consumers about saturated fats will be modified. In the meantime, our position at LMI remains the same: limit carbohydrates and center the diet on plant foods and organic proteins. And we probably shouldn’t be afraid to include some saturated fats from butter, cocoa butter, coconut oil, and organic meats and dairy (as tolerated).

This article appears courtesy of Early to Rise’s Total Health Breakthroughs which offers alternative health solutions for mind, body and soul.

Nourishment for the fetus: Some dangers.

Nourishment of our child starts from the first day of life in the egg in the mother’s womb. The egg depends upon the mother’s food for the nutrients to develop the fetus.

It is just like the eggs of chickens. Today, we have people feeding chickens with omega 3 to give us eggs rich in omega 3. So, if a mother does not have sufficient nutrients or take in lots of chemicals through one means or another, would it affect the nutrients in the egg? Could it result in a weakened fetus?

The fetus gets its nutrients through the mother from the first day it is formed. From these nutrients through the mother, the fetus’ development of all the organs and body parts progresses.

Based on this knowledge, we ought to realize the importance of the mother’s health and diet during her pregnancy. Today, we are fortunate to have gynecologist for the latest knowledge on proper nutrition and care for pregnant women. Through their advice, the best possible start in life for our child can be assured.

When my wife was pregnant, we were lucky to have a specialist gynecologist attend to her. We adhered to all the advice given. She never smoke. She avoided smokers as far as possible. And she took no alcoholic drinks. she did not take any medicine or supplement not given by the gynecologist. We took healthy, balanced meals. The result was a healthy baby.

We were fortunate too when it comes to seeking advice. We never listened to the many unqualified experts on pregnancy.

It is especially dangerous nowadays to take over the counter supplements or medicine. This is especially so when it comes to medicine which claims to cure a thousand and one ailments. There was this friend who took a tonic which apparently was very good for the chronic pain in his body. He extolled the wonder of that tonic until the day it was banned for containing steroids.

Now, imagine what can happen to our children if our wives were to take something that could be harmful to the child. Could it result in malformed babies or babies with certain disabilities? Precaution here is worth our children’s whole life time. Always consult the gynecologist!