Thursday 27 September 2012

How gut Bacteria can make you Fat or Slim

How Gut Bacteria Can Make You Fat – Or Slim Your body is a host to a universe of microorganisms. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses live on – and in – every inch of your body. Trillions of bacteria live in your gut alone. In fact, these bacteria actually outnumber the human cells of your body by ten to one. But there’s no reason to get nervous. This is actually a good thing. Make friends with the critters within As you might expect, these tiny organisms have a big impact on your body’s functions. In fact, some biologists consider the gut microbiota (the term used to describe a population of microbes in the human body) to be another organ – just like your brain, pancreas, or liver. Because so many of these critters live in your digestive system, they are key players in your metabolism. “There are more bugs in our gut than there are cells in our bodies, so it’s not very difficult to imagine that they would have a profound impact on metabolic balance and metabolic activity,” says Christopher Newgard, a metabolism researcher at North Carolina’s Duke University. Scientists have yet to identify all the species of bacteria in our gut. Nor do they completely understand how they interact with our metabolism – and, in turn, influence metabolic conditions such as obesity and diabetes. But this is a hot area of research for microbiologists. For instance, the ambitious Human Microbiome Project exists purely to analyze the role of the microbiome in our health. As a recent New York Times article reports: The microbiome should be thought of as a “garden we tend” rather than a frightening invasion. Are microbes the cause of metabolic syndrome? Researchers at the University of Maryland set out to identify the links between these microbes and obesity. They studied the gut microbes of 310 adult members of the Amish community. (They chose the Amish because their community is genetically closed and its members share very similar lifestyles, reducing the number of factors that might influence health differences among them.) The Maryland researchers discovered that 22 bacterial species and 4 specific groups of bacteria were either positively or negatively correlated with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance, and diabetes – a cluster of medical conditions collectively known as metabolic syndrome. The researchers concluded that having too few or too many of these particular gut microbes seems to contribute to obesity, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Can gut bacteria make us fat or slim? This study adds to an ever-growing body of knowledge about gut bacteria and metabolism. Previous research has shown, for example, that certain bacteria are more populous in the obese (both mice and humans), whereas other bacteria are prevalent in lean mice and people. Moreover, the researchers found that the bacterial composition in the gut can improve or worsen insulin resistance (both in mice and humans). In addition, scientists have found that the bacterial strains in obese and insulin-resistant people can trigger chronic, low-grade inflammation. Long-term inflammation can damage healthy tissues and lead to a variety of chronic diseases – such as Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and many others. How modern life upsets gut flora: The modern Western lifestyle – and the health problems which arise from it – shed light on the changing relationship between our bodies and our microbiota. Writer Lauren Gravitz notes in the journal Nature: “Humans and the microbiome … have co-evolved for millennia. But lately we have been messing with the delicate balance between our flora and ourselves by eating more fats and sugars, by washing with antibacterial soap, and by taking antibiotics at the faintest hint of infection. This shift in behavior has coincided with an increase in the incidence of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, both of which are rising at a pace that cannot be down to genetics alone.” The health of your microbial population depends on a number of factors, including your environment. While there isn’t much you can do about the dietary, sanitary, and medical habits of the people around you, you can do plenty to promote your own good gut health. Here are just a few suggestions… Avoid sugar and other refined carbohydrates, which cause detrimental changes in gut flora and contribute to metabolic syndrome. Don’t use antibacterial soaps or other antibacterial household products. These kill the good bugs along with the bad ones inside you – as do antibiotics! Take them only when your illness truly calls for them. Increase your consumption of prebiotic and probiotic foods. Ample research shows that both of these food categories can improve gut health and reverse metabolic symptoms. What are “prebiotics”? Prebiotics are foods and ingredients which stimulate the growth and/or activity of beneficial bacteria in your digestive system. The top 10 prebiotic foods are: raw chicory root raw Jerusalem artichoke raw dandelion greens raw garlic raw leek raw or cooked onion raw asparagus raw wheat bran raw banana flax seed In addition, consume more foods that contain probiotics or “beneficial bacteria.” Some simple sources of probiotics are fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, pickles, tempeh, kimchi, and kombucha tea. For help in choosing gut-healthy yogurt, see my article “Not All Yogurts Are Created Equal.” For instructions on making your own delicious, healthful, and inexpensive yogurt, see “Better Yogurt Than You Could Ever Buy.” How do you keep your digestive system healthy? What is your experience with prebiotic and probiotic foods? Do you have some favorites? Do you take a probiotic supplement? Please share your thoughts, tips and favorites here, so we all can benefit from them. Happy eating and good health to you – and to your trillions of inhabitants! Take care of your digestive health is one of the major things you can do to contribute to a healthy disease free body. I personally eat pro biotic foods as much as possible and take a supplement with 10 billion of live cultures in my monthly program as well as a fiber drink before bed which I purchased wholesale through a shopping club. Patented nutrition guaranteed to work with a government stamp to prove it-very hard to find in natural supplements. What good is cheaper if you don't absorb it and it doesn't do the job? Check out connectingfromhome.com/kjsolutions Better Yogurt Than You Could Ever Buy! Did you know that yogurt has been prized for its healing powers for over 4,000 years? Some version of it exists in every culture on the planet. And countries that consume the most tend to have the most impressive health statistics. Remember the extraordinarily high population of 100-year-olds of the Russian Steppes who attributed their remarkable longevity to this fermented superfood? People the world over prize yogurt, although they may not fully realize why. Certainly it’s unique flavor is appealing — as well as the way it can fit in to every meal: Breakfasts, snacks, sauces and dips. But it’s more than that. Ancient cultures recognized a healthful effect from eating yogurt, and it became embedded in their cuisine. Scientists today recognize that yogurt’s health-power lies in the “live” bacteria (called probiotics – literally “for life”) that transform it into a powerhouse of health and healing. Numerous studies confirm yogurt’s astounding anti-inflammatory properties, which are therapeutic in treating a variety of medical conditions from arthritis and cancer to diabetes. Call In the Reinforcements! Eating live yogurt regularly is like sending in the cavalry to reinforce the beneficial bacteria in our GI tracts. These good bugs keep the “bad guy” bacteria (such as eColi, salmonella, listeria, campylobacte and clostridium perfringens) responsible for food poisoning and other health problems from overwhelming your body. In fact, your GI tract is home to more than 500 species of bacteria — about 100 trillion in number! These good bacteria are waging war 24/7 against the infectious microbes and viruses that want to colonize your body and make you sick and weak. In addition, beneficial bacteria aid digestion, boost your immune system and help make calcium available for bone strength, enhance weight-loss and encourage heart health. Even people who are lactose intolerant (currently about 50 million Americans who lack the enzyme needed to digest the milk sugar, lactose) benefit from eating yogurt without the typical gas and cramping that result from consuming unfermented dairy products. This is a huge plus, because lactose intolerance prevents many folks from getting the diary-based calcium that contributes to strong bones and healthy joints. But Store-Bought Yogurt Is “Spoiled” Yogurt Commercial yogurt (the kind advertised on TV) is another story. It’s about as healthful as a candy bar. Here’s why. Big yogurt manufacturers begin with milk from inhumanely raised cows. It’s also loaded with bovine growth hormone (bGH), which has been linked to several human cancers, as well as antibiotic residues. After inoculating this unfriendly milk with friendly bacteria, some brands heat (pasteurize) it to extend the yogurt’s shelf life — and actually kill the beneficial bacteria in the process! Go figure? Then they add goopy fruit, artificial sweeteners, preservatives and thickening agents, all of which add calories, carbs and known carcinogens. Finally, the yogurt is stuck in a carcinogenic plastic container, and you get to pay almost a dollar for a 6-ounce serving of unhealthy “food.” Don’t even waste your money on widely advertised brands of yogurt like Dannon, Yoplait and others. They’re all produced in the same way. But what about the organic, non-bGH antibiotic-free brands such as Nancy’s, Stoneyfield or Brown Cow? A 32-oz tub of Stoneyfield plain yogurt costs $2.99. And Brown Cow is priced at $3.69. So if you eat an 8-oz. serving daily (as you should to control your weight, strengthen your bones and build your immunity) your yearly cost will be $272 to $336! How to Get the Best Yogurt on Earth for Half-Price — or Less! Today, I’m going to show you how you to save that money by making your own yogurt. It’s easy, fast and fun. And your live yogurt will cost less than half the price of those upscale brands sold at Whole Foods and health food stores. Never again will you go without yogurt! Getting started. Although you can buy specialty yogurt-makers (some people are “gadget freaks”), I’ve found that using either a thermos bottle or a small beverage cooler is the cheapest, easiest way to achieve sure success with no fuss. To get started, you’ll need: 1 quart organic low-fat milk or organic soy milk (purchase by the gallon to save money) yogurt starter (see below) cooking thermometer 2-quart sauce pan 2 quart jars with lids bath towel Thermos bottle or a small picnic cooler. So Let’s Make Yogurt! First, be sure your pots and utensils are very clean, because kitchen microbes can interfere with the yogurt’s bacteria growth. Next, like bread yeast, you’ll need a “starter” of the right bacteria cultures to get the yogurt going. My favorite yogurt starter is Probiotic Acidophilus by American Health. It comes in a brown bottle and is kept refrigerated in the Vitamin section of your supermarket or local health food. You’ll pay $12 for 30 tablespoons. (I keep mine in the fridge and eat a tablespoon straight from the bottle when my digestive system needs an extra boost.) One tablespoon of the acidophilus starter is all you need. I also tried the Yogourmet starter, priced at $8 for a package of three starters. This product was totally acceptable. It has milk powder and three strains of bacteria. The end result was a nice thick and tangy yogurt that was a little firmer than the other types. The cheapest starter of all (under $1) is a cup of good quality organic yogurt with “live active cultures” printed on the label. Look for specific bacteria that fight inflammation, such as the Lactobacillus strains and Propionibacterium. This method tends to produce yogurt that’s a bit runny, but adding 1/3-cup powdered milk with the starter thickens the yogurt nicely. You’ll only have to purchase a starter once because your homemade yogurt will provide you with a continuous supply of starter. One cup will breed the next batch. Ready, Set, Multiply! Here’s all you have to do: 1. Heat 3/4-quart of organic, non-bGH milk in a saucepan to 170-180 degrees. 2. Turn off the heat and let the milk cool to 108-112 degrees. 3. Add the starter and stir. 4. Pour cultured milk into a thermos or a quart jar (see instructions below). 5. Let sit 4-8 hours, or until thickened. Do not bump, move or otherwise disturb! 6. Refrigerate. The Thermos Method Once the starter has been added to the milk, pour it into a wide-mouth, quart-size Thermos bottle. Cap it, wrap the thermos in a kitchen towel and set it in a warm place. When the yogurt has thickened (4-8 hours), transfer it to a glass jar or plastic container and store in the fridge. This is the easiest method by far. The Cooler Method After adding the starter to the warm milk, pour the mixture into a quart jar and set it in the cooler. Fill a second quart jar with boiling water, and nestle it right up against the yogurt. Cap the jars, cover them with towels and close the cooler. When the yogurt has thickened (4-8 hours), put it in the fridge. This method works well for bigger batches. For a double batch, mix two quarts of milk and two cups of starter and pour the mixture into two glass quart jars. Fill two more quart jars with boiling water and nestle them in the cooler, right next to the yogurt jars. Top with a towel, and close the cooler. For the Insatiably Curious I can never follow instructions unless I know why I’m supposed to do something a certain way. For those stricken with a similar affliction, here’s the explanation: Heating the milk to just below boiling kills off any “bad” bacteria that might interfere with the good bugs. Cooling the milk to 108-112 degrees brings the temperature into a range that will help the good bacteria multiply. Any warmer, and you’ll destroy the friendly bugs. Any chillier, and they’ll be shivering so much they won’t procreate. I say “do not disturb” because any rocking of the container interferes with the bacteria setting up and thickening the milk. So position the container in a place that’s easy to access. Avoid jostling it while checking for progress. Yummy Yogurt! My tests found that this simple method result in yogurt with a tangy, complex flavor. This yogurt has a slightly tart bite and is creamier than store-bought brands, but still sturdy enough when making a sauce or dip. Adding the acidophilus gives it a sharper taste, while adding powdered milk mellows the tang and thicken the yogurt. Experiment on your own to get it just as you like it. Once you have created a yogurt you prefer, you can use it to start your next batch. After a few tries, you’ll easily master the art of yogurt-making. To make a richer, thicker Greek yogurt. Pour the yogurt into a muslin cloth hanging over a bowl. A probiotic-rich liquid will drain off. Don’t waste it! Drink it — or add it to juices or smoothies. Scrape the Greek yogurt from the cloth after two hours and refrigerate. Yogurt will keep for at least a week in the fridge. Remember to reserve one cup of your last batch to start your next batch. Consume at least one cup of yogurt daily and resupply your stash every few days so you don’t run out. Here’s a photo of my favorite breakfast. I eat it every morning without fail. I start with a bowl of fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries), mix in a cup of yogurt, sprinkle generously with ground flaxseed and a dash of cinnamon. This keeps me going until mid-afternoon (I rarely eat lunch) because it’s loaded with fiber. You won’t get this much taste and nutrition from a bowl of Cheerios! An Arthritis Healing Superfood In addition to helping me control my weight, the berries contain natural pain-relieving compounds, anti-inflammatory and joint-healing properties that soothe my arthritis. (For more about my personal drug-free arthritis program, seewww.arthritishealingbook.com). I was diagnosed with Stage 3 (bone-on-bone) osteoarthritis six years ago and told I’d need joint replacement surgery. But my program has kept me completely pain-free and off of drugs. I’m fully active and in the best shape of my life. When my orthopedic surgeon compared this year’s x-rays to those he took last year, he was surprised to find new cartilage in my joints! Yogurt Is So Versatile Another reason to keep a steady supply of yogurt on hand is its versatility. I use it in place of sour cream in tacos and burritos or instead of mayonnaise in spreads for sandwiches or wraps. Combine equal parts yogurt and pureed nonfat cottage cheese to make a base for dishes like macaroni and cheese. You can also use this to replace ricotta in lasagna or make a cream sauce with fresh herbs to go over grilled fish or chicken. Here’s a recipe for a delicious salmon burger that uses citrus yogurt dressing instead of mayonnaise: http://myhealingkitchen.com/recipes/joint-soothing-salmon-burger-with-citrus-dressing-and-chayote-salad/ One Response to “Better Yogurt Than You Could Ever Buy!”

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Health Benefits of Epsom Salt Bath

By: Melissa Breyer, Care2 Most of us know about the importance of iron and calcium for our bodies, but what about magnesium? It is the second most abundant element in human cells and the fourth most important positively charged ion in the body. It helps the body regulate over 325 enzymes and plays an important role in organizing many bodily functions, like muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins. Most of us are deficient in magnesium, so I’m going to put on my wise-granny hat on here and tell you this: soaking in a bath with Epsom salt, which is high in magnesium, is one of the easiest ways to get a boost. According to the National Academy of Sciences, American’s magnesium deficiency helps to account for high rates of heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive maladies, stress-related illnesses, chronic fatigue and a number of other ailments. Who knew?! Our magnesium levels have dropped by half in the last century due to changes in agriculture and diet. Industrial farming has depleted magnesium from soil and the typical American diet contains much less magnesium than that of our forefathers. And in fact, the modern American diet with its fat, sugar, salt and protein actually works to speed up the depletion of magnesium from our bodies. Another factor in decreased magnesium levels has been our focus on getting enough calcium. It’s a delicate dance–calcium depletes magnesium yet calcium functions best when enough magnesium is present. Studies indicate that taking a calcium supplement without enough magnesium can increase the shortage of both nutrients. Researchers have found that many Americans have five times as much calcium as magnesium in their bodies, although the proper ratio for optimum absorption of both minerals is two to one. With such widespread magnesium deficiency one might think that magnesium supplements would be called upon, but studies show that magnesium is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract. The presence of specific foods or drugs, certain medical conditions, and the chemistry of a person’s stomach acid can render magnesium supplements ineffective. This brings us to Epsom salt. Known scientifically as hydrated magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is rich in both magnesium and sulfate. While both magnesium and sulfate can be poorly absorbed through the stomach, studies show increased magnesium levels from soaking in a bath enriched with Epsom salt! Magnesium and sulfate are both easily absorbed through the skin. Sulfates play an important role in the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. They stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and are thought to help detoxify the body of medicines and environmental contaminants. Researchers and physicians suggest these health benefits from proper magnesium and sulfate levels, as listed on the web site of the Epsom Salt Industry Council: Improved heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure. Improved ability for the body to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes. Flushed toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. Improved nerve function by electrolyte regulation. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood. Relieved stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation. Reduced inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps. Improved oxygen use. Improved absorption of nutrients. Improved formation of joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins. Prevention or easing of migraine headaches. All this from a bath? Hurray! While there are many different brands of Epsom salt, they are all the same product chemically, and can be found at most drug stores. Add two cups of Epsom salt and soak for at least 12 minutes. Do this three times weekly. If you are pregnant or have any health concerns, please check with your doctor before using Epsom salts.

Wednesday 1 August 2012

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Monday 23 July 2012

Why You Want to Avoid Using Chemical Disinfectants

Why You Want to Avoid Using Chemical Disinfectants

chemical disinfectantsChemicals used to kill bacteria could be making them stronger. Low levels of biocides, which are used in disinfectants and antiseptics to kill microbes, can make the potentially lethal bacterium Staphylococcus aureus remove toxic chemicals more efficiently, potentially making it resistant to being killed by some antibiotics.

Biocides are commonly used in cleaning hospitals and home environments, sterilizing medical equipment and decontaminating skin before surgery. At the correct strength, biocides kill bacteria and other microbes. But if lower levels are used, the bacteria can survive and become resistant to treatment.

Researchers exposed S. aureus taken from the blood of patients to low concentrations of several biocides. Exposure to low concentrations of a variety of biocides resulted in the appearance of resistant mutants.
Sources:

* Science Daily October 6, 2008

* Microbiology October 2008, 154; 3144-3153


What You Should Know About UVA and UVB Rays

Ultraviolet light from the sun comes in two main wavelengths – UVA and UVB. It’s important for you to understand the difference between them, and your risk factors from each.
Find Out More

Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola's Comments:
The invention of chemical disinfectants is credited to Joseph Lister, an English surgeon who, back in the late 19th century, used carbolic acid to soak surgical dressings.

This dramatically reduced the number of post-surgical infections, and spurred the eventual widespread use of such disinfectants in hospitals. In case you’re wondering, the mouthwash Listerine was also named after Joseph Lister.

Disinfectants are indeed a necessity in the operating room and in hospitals. But they’re also a classic example of a good thing gone bad. Nowadays many people go on cleaning frenzies in their own homes, using disinfectants on their kitchen countertops, bathrooms, floors and even in their laundry.

And while disinfectant soap may be a good idea before surgery, there’s no need to use it every time you wash your hands or your body.

The Risk of Chemical Disinfectants

When disinfectants are used in low levels, researchers found that they actually make certain bacteria stronger and resistant to antibiotic treatment. This is true even in hospital settings, and certainly applies to the low-level disinfectants many use around their homes.

While building up antibiotic-resistance and thereby contributing to the creation of superbugs, chemical disinfectants disrupt the balance of bacteria, both good and bad, in your home, making it much easier for the bad bacteria to flourish.

Meanwhile, the chemicals themselves are toxic in their own right. For instance Lister’s carbolic acid, now known as phenol, is a common main ingredient in household detergents like Lysol, Pine-Sol and Spic-n-Span. It’s also found in mouthwash.

Phenol is toxic and people who are hypersensitive can experience serious side effects at very low levels. Studies have linked phenols to:

• Damage to your respiratory and circulatory systems
• Heart damage
• Respiratory problems
• Damage to your liver, kidneys and eyes
• Nonyl phenol ethoxylate, a common ingredient in laundry detergents and all-purpose cleaners, is banned in Europe, and biodegrades slowly into even more toxic compounds

Other chemicals found in household disinfectants include:

• Formaldehyde, found in spray and wick deodorizers, which is a suspected carcinogen
• Petroleum solvents in floor cleaners may damage mucous membranes
• Butyl cellosolve, found in many all-purpose and window cleaners, may damage your kidneys, bone marrow, liver and nervous system
• Triclosan, the active ingredient in most antibacterial products, not only kills bacteria, it also has been shown to kill human cells

Are You Disinfecting Your Way to Poor Health?

In an ironic twist, while you’re disinfecting your home to keep your family safe, you may actually be causing them harm.

If a child is raised in an environment doused in disinfectant soaps and cleansers, given antibiotics that kill off all of the good and bad bacteria in their gut, and kept away from the natural dirt, germs, viruses and other grime of childhood, they are not able to build up resistance to disease, and they are vulnerable to illnesses later in life.

This theory, known as the hygiene hypothesis, is likely one reason why many allergies and immune-system diseases have doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in the last few decades.

For instance research has shown that 10 percent of children born into families who used cleaning products such as bleach and carpet cleaners were twice as likely to battle wheezing problems than those who were exposed to cleaning products the least.

Keeping Your Home Clean, Safely

I strongly encourage you to think about ditching all of your chemical disinfectants, including your antibacterial soaps, laundry detergents and bath and kitchen cleansers, in favor of more natural alternatives.

Why?

Because no study has shown that a vigorous program of home disinfection leads to a reduction of illness in a family. Yet, studies have shown that disinfectants can cause you and your family harm.

For those times when you need to do a bit of cleansing, one of the best non-toxic disinfectants is simple soap and water. You can use this for washing your hands, your body and for other household cleansing. Another all-purpose cleanser that works great for kitchen counters, cutting boards and bathrooms is 3% hydrogen peroxide and vinegar.

Simply put each liquid into a separate spray bottle, then spray the surface with one, followed by the other.

In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, and E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.

The best results came from using one mist right after the other -- it is 10 times more effective than using either spray by itself and more effective than mixing the vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in one sprayer.

Sunlight is another powerful disinfectant, and drying your laundry in the sun is one of the best ways to save energy and wind up with fresh, clean linens and clothing.

So there’s really no need to expose your family to dangerous chemical disinfectants. As an added bonus aside from the health benefits, using this type of natural homemade cleanser is much less expensive than commercial varieties.

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WHAT YOUR BODY IS TRYING TO TELL YOU - SYMPTOMS YOU SHOULD NOT AVOID

By Catherine Guthrie, Experience Life The body is a magnificent machine. When things go awry, it generally doesn’t just shut down without warning, like an incandescent light bulb popping its filament. Instead it sends us little signals (think of them as gentle biological taps on the shoulder) letting us know that something is amiss. “Physical signs and symptoms are ways your body tries to alert you to deeper imbalances,” says Elson M. Haas, MD, a San Rafael, Calif., physician with a natural-medicine approach and author of Staying Healthy with Nutrition (Celestial Arts, 2006). “Taking the time to decipher the body’s codes is always better than simply popping a pill and hoping the symptoms just go away. Ideally, we want to get to the causes of problems, not just suppress the end result of ill health.” But interpreting the body’s quirky Morse code requires a deep level of body awareness that, like any skill, takes time and practice to perfect. To that end, we recruited a handful of the country’s leading integrative health practitioners to help identify nine of the most common conditions underlying frequent, and sometimes mysterious, symptoms. Read on to clue into your body’s messages. You’re drinking too much diet soda… One likely signal: Headaches Background: Artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame (found in Nutrasweet and Equal), can trigger headaches, even migraines. At highest risk are people with a genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (or PKU for short); they lack the enzyme needed to metabolize a substance (phenylalanine) that is created when the body breaks down aspartame. But even those without the genetic disorder may find that drinking diet soda results in brain fog or headache. Why? Animal studies have shown aspartame to be a potent neurotoxin, at least in young rats. I’m concerned about whether aspartame might cause nerve damage in humans, as well — or at least disrupt the nerve signaling that enables the brain to register satiety,” says Sharon Fowler, MPH, a faculty associate at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio who studies the health effects of artificial sweetener use. One of the prime suspects is the methanol in aspartame, which is broken down into formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. People who are sensitive to formaldehyde may experience headaches after ingesting aspartame. Other signals: Intense cravings for sweet or salty foods, inability to focus, irritability How to respond: When the urge for diet soda strikes, Kathie Swift, MS, RD, LDN, chief nutrition adviser for the online-based sites MyFoodMyHealth and My Foundation Diet, suggests drinking sparkling water flavored with a splash of 100 percent fruit juice and a squeeze of lime. You’ve got candida overgrowth… One likely signal: Itchy ears, throat or mucus membranes Background: The average American downs nearly 150 pounds of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup a year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. And if you’re eating anywhere near that much sugar, you may have more than just a sweet tooth — your body may be hosting an unhealthy overgrowth of Candida albicans. A small amount of this common, yeast like fungus living in the gut is OK when its numbers are kept in check by healthy flora. But when an intestinal imbalance allows it to run amok, it acts like kudzu, colonizing everything in its path. Among its favorite environs are the body’s warm, dark nooks and crannies, such as between the toes, under the breasts and, yes, in the ears. As it infiltrates, it irritates and inflames the skin, leading to the telltale signs of itching and redness. Other signals: Mood swings, fatigue, weak immune system, weight gain, frequent yeast infections How to respond: If you think you have candida overgrowth, the quickest fix is to starve the little buggers. Candida flourish in the presence of both refined and unrefined sugar, such as fresh fruit, dried fruit and fruit juice. Cutting off their food supply can bring their numbers back to a healthy level. They also love refined flour products and anything fermented, such as alcohol and soy, so if you have a serious overgrowth, you may need to cut out all of the above for a number of consecutive weeks. You’re dehydrated… One likely signal: Chapped lips Background: Lips are a reflection of the health and hydration of the entire body. “If you are well hydrated, then your lips will be well hydrated,” says Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, clinical nutritionist and author of Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill, 2004). Less water in the body means less moisture for the skin– the body’s largest organ. The delicate tissue of the lips is extra sensitive to drought. “If you are constantly using lip balm or lip gloss to sooth chapped lips, it’s a sign you need to drink up,” says Lipski. Other signals: Headaches, infrequent urination, dark yellow or smelly urine, dry skin, slow turgor (meaning that if you pinch the skin on the back of your hand, it doesn’t snap right back into place). Although the aging process slows turgor down somewhat, even in older adults it still should return to normal within a second or two. How to respond: Drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day can be intimidating, says Swift, so if you’re not able to quaff that amount, you can still get hydrated by sipping herbal tea and working additional servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. “The transition to a more whole-foods diet puts us on autopilot to get more water because they are naturally high in moisture,” says Swift. And, make sure to include whole foods that are rich in essential fatty acids, such as nuts and seeds, avocados, and anchovies and sardines, which help maintain healthy cell membranes and hold in moisture. You’re not getting enough fiber… One likely signal: Constipation Background: Constipation is the clearest indicator of the body’s need for more fiber. “Our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate up to 100 grams of fiber a day and had an average stool weight of 2 pounds,” says Mark Hyman, MD, the editor of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine and author of The UltraSimple Diet (Pocket Books, 2007). “Today, the average American eats less than 8 grams of fiber a day, and the average bowel movement is a puny 4 ounces.” That’s a problem, he says, because the bowels are key to the body’s elimination process. When traffic is backed up, toxins from the bowel leach back into the body and can cause a multitude of inflammation-based health problems in everything from your digestion and skin to your heart and brain. They can also disrupt hormonal balance and immunity. The bottom line, Hyman says: “If stools are hard and hard to pass, you’ve got a problem.” Other signals: Frequent hunger pangs, energy slumps, digestive trouble, skin problems, inflammatory conditions How to respond: Eat more legumes, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. All are chock-full of fiber and other nutrients, making them natural go-to foods. Getting the recommended 35 to 40 grams of fiber a day not only improves bowel health, but it also lowers the risk of diabetes and heart disease, says Andrew Weil, MD, director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson. If you want other ways to sneak extra roughage into your day, Swift suggests sprinkling rice-bran fiber on salads or oatmeal. She likes rice-bran fiber because it’s gluten-free and has been shown to help eliminate toxins, such as PCBs. Another one of her favorite fiber boosters is a seasoning she makes out of crushed pumpkin seeds, ground flax meal, sesame seeds, kelp flakes and sea salt — basically, a riff on gomasio, which is used as a salt alternative in Japanese cuisine. Put it in a wrap, sprinkle over brown rice or use to garnish soups, she says. “The nuts, seeds and ocean veggies are a nutrient- and fiber-licous powerhouse.” (Keep it in the fridge to lengthen its lifespan.) You have a B-vitamin deficiency… One likely signal: Cracks at the corners of the mouth Background: “You see nutritional deficiencies first in those tissues that turn over the quickest, such as the tongue and lips,” says Lipski. Studies show that cracks or sores that appear at the corners of the mouth (a.k.a. cheilitis) may be a sign that your body isn’t getting enough B vitamins. “Deficiencies of one or more of the B vitamins may occur fairly easily,” notes Haas, “especially with diets that include substantial amounts of refined and processed food, sugar or alcohol.” Other signals: Anemia, low energy, fatigue, skin problems, dark circles under the eyes How to respond: Your best bet is eating a whole-foods diet and prioritizing foods high in B vitamins. The richest dietary source of B vitamins is found in brewer’s yeast or nutritional yeast (although, if you have candida issues, you’ll want to skip those). Other solid picks include wheat germ, whole grains, legumes, egg yolks, sweet potatoes, salmon, red meat, liver and poultry. Taking a good B-complex vitamin supplement can also be helpful (particularly if you’re a vegetarian). Under the care of a nutritionally inclined health professional, you may also be prescribed a supplement for a specific B vitamin (or even given a vitamin B-12 shot) to help correct a significant deficiency. But be careful mixing up your own B-vitamin cocktails. When taken in excess and out of balance with other B’s, certain B vitamins can wind up leaching nutrients out of your system. That’s why emphasizing B-rich foods should be your first priority. You’re eating something that doesn’t agree with you… One likely signal: Eczema Background: First a little background about food intolerances. When the body doesn’t tolerate a food well, ingesting that food creates a chronic, low-level irritation or inflammation in the gut. Over time, with regular exposure, the irritation worsens and creates fissures in the spaces between the cells. (Picture the walls of the gut, once tightly knitted together, looking more like an old afghan.) These holes allow bacteria and their toxins, as well as incompletely digested proteins and fats, to “leak” out of the gut and into the bloodstream. Called leaky gut syndrome (or increased intestinal permeability), this condition sets the stage for myriad health problems, including rashes and skin problems, like eczema. The skin is the body’s largest elimination organ, notes Lipski, so it’s not surprising that it comes under assault when toxins careen through the bloodstream. “A skin rash or eczema is a sign that the body is trying to slough out these toxins,” she says. “It’s trying to eliminate the problem the best way it knows how. Other signals: Gas, bloating, fatigue, sinus congestion, foggy thinking How to respond: An elimination diet is the best way to pinpoint the offending food. “Start with one or two foods you suspect,” says Swift, who prefers to call this the “illumination diet” because its focus is on “illuminating your health.” Don’t know where to start? Foods that are most likely to wreak havoc on the gut include wheat and gluten-containing products, dairy products, sugar, soy, eggs, corn and yeast. If you’re uber-motivated, take Haas’s advice and go off what he calls “the big five” for a week: wheat, dairy, sugar, caffeine and alcohol. “It’s not easy to do”, he admits, “but you’re guaranteed to learn a lot about your body’s signals.” You might also consider keeping a food journal. Spend a week or two writing down what you eat and how your body feels in the minutes, hours and days afterward (e.g., an hour after you eat dairy, you feel bloated). “It’s about pattern and symptom recognition and connecting the dots,” says Swift, which in turn helps you decide which foods to eliminate first. You’re drinking too much caffeine… One likely signal: Fatigue Background: “Caffeine goes to an already low energy bank account and tries to lend it a little extra energy for the short term,” says Haas. “But it’s getting that energy from your own stores, meaning you have less and less on reserve, leaving you less able to generate your own energy on an ongoing basis.” Caffeine works by stimulating the central nervous system. Specifically, the chemical gooses the adrenal glands into releasing hormones — namely cortisol and adrenaline that tell the body to go faster. The short-term result can be increased focus and better hand-eye coordination. But overdo caffeine on a regular basis and, eventually, the central nervous system runs out of gas. “If you don’t restore yourself with sleep, nutrients and relaxation, you’ll quickly get into a cycle of whipping a weakened horse,” says Haas. Other signals: Jitters, agitation, insomnia, heartbeat irregularities, frequent urination How to respond: Weil advises limiting your daily dose of caffeine to less than 300 milligrams (mg). As a reference, a 12-ounce cup of Starbucks brewed coffee packs 260 mg of caffeine, while a 12-ounce Americano (two shots of the coffee chain’s espresso added to hot water) contains 150 mg. A 12-ounce cup of black tea, on the other hand, contains roughly 100 mg and green tea only 50 mg. “If you’re going to indulge,” advises Swift, “think about the quality of the source. Are you drinking green tea or a chemical-laden energy drink? What’s a healthy amount for you? Most people know what amount their system can handle,” she says. In the meantime, support your adrenal glands with B vitamins (especially B5/pantothenic acid), vitamin C and licorice. Also, fuel up on healthy, whole foods that boost and maintain your energy. You’re low on stomach acid… One likely signal: Burping and indigestion Background: If you’re low on stomach acid, your body won’t digest foods efficiently, especially dense foods like fats and proteins. When food sits in the stomach, so does the air you naturally swallow when you eat. The air has only two options — get pushed down the digestive tract with food or catch the next flight up the esophagus and out the mouth. The longer food loiters in the stomach, the more likely you’ll burp. Other signals: Gastric reflux, weak immune system, cracked fingernails, chronic infections, gas How to respond: Boost the first phase of digestion by becoming a more “sensory-based eater,” says Swift. “That means enjoy the sight and smell of the meal before you dig in so that your gut has time to release digestive factors, such as hydrochloric acid, in anticipation of a meal.” Then, eat more mindfully. Chew your food so that it’s easier for the gut to digest, especially proteins and fats. If you still feel like your food sits in your stomach like a rock, Haas recommends trying digestive enzymes, which can help you better digest your food. For example, he says, you might try a product called betaine hydrochloride with pepsin (a time-released protein digestant), found at health-food stores. Hydrochloric acid is the main ingredient in stomach acid. By taking it as a supplement, you’re basically giving your stomach a head start, especially with proteins and fats, which are the hardest food stuffs to digest, meaning they require more stomach acids than carbs. After you begin eating a meal with protein and fat, for instance, take one capsule. See how you feel after a couple of meals. If you feel OK, you can try two capsules and gradually increase to three or four. If you have any sensation of burning or acid indigestion, cut back to a level where you didn’t experience any negative side effects. You’re short on good flora… One likely signal: Frequent colds Background: The immune system‘s command center is housed inside the gut. “An ecological imbalance of organisms in the gut means the body can’t defend itself against unfriendly microbes,” says Swift. “The result is we get sick a lot.” Ironically, says Hyman, it’s often medicine, such as antibiotics, that wipe out the gut’s supply of good bacteria. “When we wipe them out again and again with antibiotics and then eat a poor diet, it’s a disaster for the gut.” That, in turn, can spell trouble for the rest of the body. Other signals: Intestinal gas, bloating, loose stools or constipation, vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections, skin rash, athlete’s foot, nail fungus How to respond: The experts agree that one of the easiest (and most delicious) ways to restore the gut’s healthy flora is to eat more foods rich in good bacteria, such as miso, sauerkraut, kombucha (a fermented Japanese tea), yogurt that contains live bacteria, and kefir (a fermented milk drink). “The gut houses 5 pounds of beneficial bacteria,” notes Haas. “We have to feed this stuff.” If you think your gut needs more than food can deliver, Weil recommends taking a daily probiotic that contains Lactobacillus GG or Bacillus coagulans (BC-30). Although many of the body’s messages can be decoded with a little guesswork and a lot of active listening, it’s important to remember that some of these same symptoms can be signs of more serious illnesses. If, after a couple of weeks of self-care, things don’t improve or resolve, it’s best to consult a health-care professional. “A chronic ache or pain is an invitation to stop and take a look at your life,” says Lipski. “Your body is telling you it’s time to make a change. Respect its request and odds are you’ll be heading off a greater health issue down the pike.” More Than One Way to Heal A multipronged approach to health-care — seeking advice from both alternative medicine practitioners as well as Western doctors — can help you decode your body’s warning signals before they cascade into something more serious. Western medicine has many strengths: stamping out infections; treating emergencies, like heart attacks; and swooping in with trauma care after an accident or disaster. But when a condition is hard to diagnose, or is chronic or nagging, like poor digestion, insomnia or general fatigue, going outside the doctor’s office may be your best bet. “Most medical-school curriculum focuses on acute care and doesn’t adequately train for chronic health issues — which constitute the most common troubles for most of the patients they see,” says Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN, and author of Digestive Wellness (McGraw-Hill, 2004). As both a medical doctor and a naturopath, Elson M. Haas has a foot in each world. He tends to agree with Lipski’s take, and he also sees limitations in the way that Western medical practitioners typically try to snuff out the body’s attempts to heal. “Many symptoms, such as sinus congestion, allergies and excess mucus, are ways it’s trying to rid itself of excess toxins,” he says. “Western medicine tries to control these symptoms, by suppressing the fever or drying up the congestion, instead of supporting the body’s natural means of elimination and detoxification.” Alternative practitioners come in many forms. In addition to your primary care physician, consider seeing a chiropractor or osteopath if your condition is skeletal; a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner for hormone imbalances; or a naturopath for overall wellness, digestive, immunity and dietary advice. All of these modalities have regulating organizations that provide lists of qualified practitioners. Source: www.care2.com/greenliving...

DISPELLING THE DISEASE MYTH

By: Thomas Lodi MD Integrative Oncologist Thomas Lodi MD, says “Cancer is not a disease. Cancer is the body’s extraordinary effort to keep you alive!” What is cancer? You ask. Well first of all let’s say what it’s not. It’s not a thing, it’s not something you inherited, and it’s not something you caught. It’s a process, it’s a dance; it is the body’s extraordinary effort to keep us alive. Now at first that sounds strange but it’s really not. I want you to consider something, because what you need to consider now is not just cancer. Cancer falls into a category called diseases and the first thing we have to do is remove the myth of diseases. If I go in to see a doctor and he takes my blood pressure and my blood pressure is, by whatever current standards, considered elevated, and let’s say this happens on three separate occasions, the doctor will tell me, “You have high blood pressure. We have to lower it because here is all the data that shows that people with this disease have a higher incidence of stroke and heart attack, etc.” Okay sounds logical. So I buy into this myth and I start taking a drug that is going to lower my blood pressure. Have I solved the underlying cause? What studies now show is that when people follow this course of action they are much more susceptible to getting all kinds of cancers. People given anti- hypertensive medications for a long time, have a higher-incidence of cancer in all organs. Let’s look again at high blood pressure. The real reason I have elevated blood pressure is not because my body has made a mistake. The body being part of nature always acts out of absolute wisdom. So the focus of the doctor and the question he or she should be asking is not “how do we lower your blood pressure?” but rather the question should be “why would this body that only does things out of wisdom, why would it elevate your blood pressure?” Well the blood pressure is elevated because the arteries are blocked. Because of my lifestyle I’ve accumulated deposits in my arteries, and my body knows that if I’m going to stay alive I’ve got to get blood to all the organs of my body, and so in it’s innate wisdom it increases pressure to get blood and oxygen to all the system. So is that a problem? No, it’s saving my life: It’s keeping me alive! So the answer is not to artificially via a pharmaceutical product dilate those arteries and lower the blood pressure, because I’m not accomplishing anything long-lasting with that approach. And I’m also removing what the body knew needed to happen for survival. You see, high blood pressure is not a disease; it’s the body’s effort to keep us alive. The real problem is the plugging of the arteries. And this is the true cause of any so-called disease and the root of what needs to be addressed. In the same manner let’s look at diabetes. It is not a disease, it’s not an entity, it’s not something you inherit; it’s something you develop. In fact it turns out that all these conditions are really, and can almost always be classified as eating disorders! At our clinic, it takes us two to three weeks for someone who has been diagnosed as diabetic to normalize their blood sugar and get their fasting insulin’s down to normal. That happens, and it happens without drugs! And in fact it can’t happen with drugs. So it’s not a disease, again it’s an eating disorder because we do this just by changing the person’s diet. So again, as a doctor what I want to tell you is: Address the root cause. I think the analogy that works best for people to gain a clear understanding of this is this one: Imagine that you are driving in your car on a long drive and a red blinking light comes on your dashboard. Do you reach into your glove compartment, grab a hammer, smash the light and go on back to driving? Did you clear that problem? No, actually you didn’t. Down the road the car is going to break down. And that’s what happens with the body as well. That’s what I learned to do as an MD when I went to medical school and residency. As MD’s we learned how to smash those lights in the dashboard so you don’t notice them. And that doesn’t ultimately work. And that’s what the current paradigm does with cancer. So what we’ve done is that we’re naming the processes that the body is engaged in to save us as a disease. The whole paradigm is wrong. And since that entire paradigm is wrong, if you work within that paradigm you cannot ultimately achieve your goal. And your goal is not to get rid of these symptoms; your goal is to be restored to health. That’s what you’re looking for. What I want people to understand first of all is that cancer is not a disease. It’s the damage your body is doing to maintain your life and what you need to do is to modify your biochemistry, which starts in your mind and ends in your colon. There are all sorts of ways of going about this. One of them is to monitor what you eat and what you don’t defecate. If we can change all that, then what we are calling disease will no longer be required because the body is not out to harm us; our body is our best friend. And a best friend has certain requirement, that’s all. So take care of those requirements and the body will just be restored to health. Source Link: www.StopMakingCancer.com

Monday 6 February 2012

Replace those unhealthy Oils in your kitchen with Healthier Choices

Here's the Smarter Oil Alternative I Recommend to Replace Those Other Oils in Your Kitchen"


I have profiled and even offered some very good brands of coconut oil in the past. Because I believe that it is so beneficial for you, I have been dedicated to staying on top of current coconut oil research. I want to make sure you have peace of mind, knowing I'm recommending and offering you the absolute best coconut oil that exists.

That's why I'm excited to make available to you a product that I personally feel is superior to all other leading brands: Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. A recent survey that we conducted showed customers raving about this product, and they prefer it hands down ,over any other oils. (You'll see why shortly.)

But first, to understand how a fat can help you with your overall health, and even your weight loss program, you first need to take a little trip with me.

So let's drift back in time, well over 50 years ago...

World War II is Long Over -- You Can Have Your Coconut Oil Again!

During World War II, the Japanese military occupied the Philippines and other South Pacific islands, where bloody battles were being fought.

The once-plentiful supply of coconut oil was effectively cut off from the United States.

Although coconut oil had been popular both as a cooking oil and ingredient in numerous food products, the occupation continued to interrupt the supply for several long years as the war slowly dragged on.

Enter good old American ingenuity (in this case, not so good for your health).

Manufacturers began to develop alternative sources of cooking oils, and the polyunsaturated oils phase was born. By the time the war was over, there was a lot of money at stake in the promotion of these polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

By the end of the 1950's, public opinion had turned totally against saturated fats like butter (and coconut oil). Saturated fats were blamed for raising cholesterol, and cholesterol was now viewed as the evil enemy, the culprit responsible for the steep rise in heart disease.

Butter, eggs and coconut oil were out.

The new vegetable oils were in... and erroneously touted as "heart-healthy."

Coconut oil continued to be demonized by the vegetable oil industry throughout the ensuing decades. Adding insult to injury, the soybean industry began to condemn the use of tropical oils, particularly coconut oil.

And I'm sure you realize the reason why -- competition... and millions and millions of dollars.

Unfortunately, the tropical oil industry, centered in poorer nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, could not afford to counter the negative propaganda spread by rich American industrial conglomerates.

Science and good health took a back seat to profits, as they have on more than one occasion...

The Hidden Truth About Coconut Oil

The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health. There was no evidence that the high saturated fat intake had a harmful effect in these populations.

Coconut Oil -- Your Smart Alternative to Those Other Oils






Those living in tropical populations who follow traditional diets high in coconut oil and coconut products enjoy overall good health.


So, now that you have heard the history behind coconut oil's unfortunate "fall from grace", you should also know today's good news: coconut oil is finally beginning to get the respect it deserves as a smart alternative to other oils.

The many benefits of coconut oil are finally reaching the mainstream.

Benefits like:
Promoting your heart health
Promoting weight loss when and if you need it
Supporting your immune system health
Supporting a healthy metabolism
Providing you with an immediate energy source
Helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland

users of Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil:
Gained peace of mind knowing they were making the smartest oil choice
Loved the taste and the enhanced flavor added to their food
Embraced the improvement made to their skin when used as a lotion

With all of these fantastic perks from pure coconut oil, it probably won't surprise you to...

Peek Inside My Pantry to See the Only Oil I Cook With




Customer testominial


I have been using the virgin coconut oil for 3 years now in all of my cooking and it is just wonderful!! I love how it cooks and the nice flavor it adds to all food. Since using the coconut oil and the health/life suggestions, I have felt better than ever. I credit all the healthful tips and my healthy lifestyle to having a great pregnancy and birth experience during the past year. I have shared the benefits of the coconut oil to my whole family, friends, and coworkers. They are now all users of the coconut oil!!"

- Sharon H. ; Seattle, WA



I must confess...

If you could peek inside my pantry, you would find two oils that I use in food preparation.

The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat. It works great as a salad dressing.

However, it is not the best oil to cook with. Due to its chemical structure, cooking makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of all the double bonds they have.

I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets. Why?
Reason #1: Most people believe that frying creates trans fats. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils than trans fats.

Frying destroys the antioxidants in oils and as such oxidizes the oils. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans fats.

Reason #2: They contribute to the overabundance of omega-6 fats in your diet, and the imbalance of the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health, maintain normal cholesterol levels and even supports weight loss -- coconut oil.

So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

Curiously, coconut oil contains the most saturated fat of all edible oils. We continue to be inundated by media portrayals of saturated fats as dangerous, but now you know better. And now you should have more peace of mind, knowing that you're making the right choice by using great-tasting Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.

Coconut Oil Is Not Just For Cooking & Eating -- Your Skin Likes It, Too!




Customer testominial


"I am a male who has always been under weight. I have tried for years to bulk up, eating everything in sight and more than most anyone around. Friends have told me that I'm lucky to be able to eat like a pig, and not be fat. But most everyone will know that eating everything is not smart and can lead to health problems later in life. So as I begin to learn about a healthy diet and live smarter my weight fell off even more. My being small in my line of work has it's own problems. I just didn't have the power of larger people. I also found my self always COLD, and difficult to get warm. The Virgin Coconut Oil is solving both problems; my weight is coming on to a healthy level and I'm not cold as much any more. The Coconut products have been a wonderful addition to my diet. Thanks for the great info and Oils."

- Kent P. ; Preston, ID



The benefits of Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil don't stop in your kitchen. For decades, professional massage therapists have used pure coconut oil to knead away tight stressed muscles.

However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Feel free to use this high-quality coconut oil as you would any lotion.

Coconut oil is ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.

In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil to be an antioxidant, due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he feels it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into the skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep connective tissues strong and supple.

Coconut oil will not only bring temporary benefits to the skin, but it will aid in restoring your skin's youthful appearance. The coconut oil will aid in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making the skin smoother. It also penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin to strengthen the underlying tissues.

Responders to the Mercola.com survey provided remarkable feedback on how Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil supported healthy skin, including:
Smoothing and moisturizing effects
Promoted skin elasticity
Convenient eye make-up remover
Use in shaving applications

Surprise! Coconut Oil Is Also Good For Your Heart...

FACT: Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.

And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the saturated fats, as you have been led to believe. As you saw earlier, countries that subsist on a coconut-based diet appear to enjoy good heart health.

The U.S. Department of Health and the FDA estimate that artificially hydrogenated trans-fats -- the type found in fast food, processed foods and your favorite pastries -- are ultimately responsible for a huge number of fatal heart attacks every year. These dangerous unsaturated fats are the ones you should ban from your diet, not naturally pure coconut oil, which is a better alternative because it contains very few fats with highly perishable double bonds -- and also has NO TRANS-FATS.

Plus, those commonly-used polyunsaturated fats encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.

A Fat Is A Fat... Or Is It?






Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is 100% organic, made from fresh-picked coconuts, and contains no chemical additives or trans-fats.


All fats are not equal.

And just so we're clear, the terms "fats" and "oils" are often used interchangeably, but fat is more correctly considered solid at room temperature, while oils are liquid. But what's really important is the structure.

The unique health benefits of coconut oil are directly related to its chemical structure, or more precisely, the length of its fatty acid chains.

Coconut oil is comprised of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs.

Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.

By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

There are several reasons to explain why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs in coconut oil:
LCFAs are difficult for the body to break down -- they must be packaged with lipoproteins or carrier proteins and require special enzymes for digestion.
LCFAs put more strain on the pancreas, the liver and the entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in the body as fat. (That's why most people buy into the myth that fats are automatically "fattening".)
LCFAs can be deposited within arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.

On the other hand, however, the MCFAs in coconut oil are more health-promoting, because:
MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require lipoproteins or special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system. This is especially important for those of you with digestive or metabolic concerns.
MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs in coconut oil can actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.

Coconut Oil Is the Dieter's Best Friend




Customer testominial


"We use it inside our bodies and OUT! That's right. Every day, my husband takes one tablespoon of the Coconut Oil with his morning meal. I use it on my face and neck! Try that with your face creams, 'margarine', etc. Can't do it! It's great for a moisturizer and adds a glow to my skin that no other product can do. Results? Less wrinkles, softer, smoother skin with a silky feeling. Just a little goes a long way. My husband swears by the coconut oil too, taken internally. He feels so much better and attributes it to the coconut oil. We both love the volume discount [we always buy the 6lb. container because it stores well without refrigeration]. Cost wise, it's a bargain compared to moisturizers, face creams, body lotions. Plus it has NO artificial ingredients, NO 'additives', NO multi-syllable 'stuff' added, just natural pure coconut oil!"

- Linda G. ;Rockmart, GA



If you live in the United States, you have a 55% chance of being overweight.

And, by now, I'm sure you're aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.

Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

It didn't work!

Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.

Now, I'm certainly not comparing you to a farm animal...

However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.

So, by changing the fats in your diet from the unsaturated long-chain fatty acids found in vegetable or seed oils to the MCFAs in coconut oil, along with following an exercise plan, you may find yourself gradually losing those unnecessary pounds.
The reasons are simple:
1.The long-chain fats nearly always go to fat storage, while the MCFAs are burned for energy
2.Since coconut oil helps to stimulate your metabolism, you may burn more calories each day, helping to accelerate weight loss (and probably your activity and energy level, too)






Outside of mother's milk, pure coconut oil is nature's most plentiful source of lauric acid.


Mercola.com survey respondents provided many examples of how coconut oil got them started optimizing their weight. Here are a few excerpts:
"I lost about 24 pounds in 6-8 weeks"
"I wasn't really overweight to begin with but I have lost some of my excess belly fat"
"In conjunction with exercise and eliminating most starches from my diet, I have lost 45 pounds over the past 5 months"
"I have been losing weight and body fat"
"Besides the good taste, my weight seems to have stabilized"

Coconut oil has often been compared to carbohydrates in its ability to be "burned" for energy. However, since insulin is not involved in the process of digesting the MCFAs in coconut oil, you won't get those carb-related spikes in your blood sugar level. This is especially good news for those of you concerned about maintaining normal blood sugar levels.

In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs enhance physical or athletic performance.

Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut Oil's Natural "Miracle" Ingredient: Lauric Acid

Yes, it's true.

Nature still has a few miracles up her sleeve.

You've probably heard that breast milk is jam-packed with nutrients and disease-fighting ingredients that help keep babies healthy.

Well, incredibly, coconut oil contains one of the same compounds -- lauric acid -- found in mother's milk! And lauric acid is the predominant type of MCFA found in coconut oil.

Fortunately for our health, lauric acid in both breast milk and coconut oil transforms when consumed into a substance called monolaurin, the actual compound responsible for helping to strengthen the immune system.

Skeptical? So were a lot of scientists, who've proceeded to test the heck out of this substance.

In fact, a great volume of research has been done establishing the ability of lauric acid to enhance immunity.

What researchers found was that this medium-chain fatty acid derivative actually disrupts the lipid (or fatty) membranes of the offending organisms.

The lauric acid in coconut oil is one effortless way to help strengthen your immune system.

And, unlike the usual lauric acid content of 42-49% in many coconut oil brands, Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil contains a whopping 57% of lauric acid.

If all this wasn't enough, coconut oil has even more tricks up its sleeve.

Why You Must Be Choosy About Your Brand of Coconut Oil

As you may know, there is a very wide variety in coconut oil due to factors such as the manufacturing process used to make the oil, the age and type of coconuts, and other issues that impact the quality, effectiveness and healthiness of your coconut oil.

Meeting such high standards is no small feat, but you should not settle for anything less if you want to experience all the health benefits of coconut oil. (If you are currently using or considering another brand, please make sure it meets the requirements below.)

The only reason Mercola.com is now offering Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is that we made sure that it meets all these requirements of a better coconut oil, including:



Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil



Certified organic by USDA standards
No refining
No chemicals added (including hexane)
No bleaching
No deodorization
No hydrogenation
Made from traditional coconut palms only, no hybrid or genetically modified (GMO) varieties
Made from fresh coconuts, not the dried "copra" used in cheap oils
Made without heat processing


Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is made from fresh coconuts -- opened less than 48 hours after they are picked from the trees. These coconuts are grown and processed organically, without potentially harmful fertilizers, additives or chemical solvents.






Adding Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil to your pet's diet is one of the smartest things you can do to enhance your pet's life.


In contrast, most commercial coconut oils are made from copra, the dried up meat from coconuts. Using the cheaper copra-grade coconut means that the oil extracted may not be sanitary, and, in my opinion, it is not suitable for human consumption.

It must not be refined or purified. In fact, this type of inferior coconut oil is called RBD -- refined, bleached and deodorized.

Mass-producing coconut oil in this manner typically uses nutrient-removing heat, chemical solvents, bleaching agents and sometimes even hydrogenating processes, which can create trans fats.

Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is made without heat processing. The fresh coconuts are first cold pressed to make a coconut emulsion. After being chilled to help pull out the oils, the milk goes through a centrifuge, where the pure oil spins away from the water layer. This results in a pure and natural, organic, unrefined and highly stable coconut oil.

Additionally, blindfolded taste tests confirm this coconut oil to have a fresh and mild, light coconut flavor -- and to consistently beat out other brands in taste. And of course, laboratory analysis continues to confirm the high quality of this extra virgin coconut oil.

Even More Reasons to Replace Those Other Oils With Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

The use of coconut oil is one of the smartest dietary measures I recommend.

The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they have been used in baby formulas, and in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems.

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.

No guilt. No cholesterol. No trans-fats. No downside. Only your peace of mind.

The light, non-greasy taste of Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil is so delicious, you'll want to use it nearly every time you cook. Just to get you started, here are a few things you can do with your coconut oil:
Whenever you fry, stir-fry or sauté veggies, eggs, poultry, fish or whatever, use coconut oil for a health-conscious light flavor
Toss some coconut oil into your smoothies or juiced drinks for a burst of lauric acid
Make your own mayonnaise with coconut oil
Use it on your salads for a tropical flair
Try it on popcorn instead of butter

NOW Is the Best Time to Order Your Own Extra Virgin Coconut Oil!

Why you need to replace your table salt but need a Healthy salt

"The 13 Amazing Health Benefits of Himalayan Crystal Salt,
the Purest Salt on Earth"

(and Why You Want to Avoid Conventional Salt)






Salt is essential for life -- you cannot live without it. However, most people simply don't realize that there are enormous differences between the standard, refined table and cooking salt most of you are accustomed to using and natural health-promoting salt.

These differences can have a major impact on your staying healthy.

If you want your body to function properly, you need holistic salt complete with all-natural elements. Today's common table salt has nothing in common with natural salt.

Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt.

This Salt Is Over 250 Million Years Old

This is by far the purest salt available on earth and is absolutely uncontaminated with any toxins or pollutants.

Once I learned about it and how beneficial it can be for you, my team and I literally spent nearly the last two years working on having it brought over to the U.S. from Nepal.

I thought I would be able to provide this salt last year but to say obtaining this salt is difficult would be an enormous understatement. You see, the suppliers of this salt have no standard infrastructure available and we have to work through people that have no idea of how normal business operates.

The shipment had to go through a number of different countries before we were finally able to import it into the US so you can use it.

Quite truthfully, all the bugs are not worked out in the supply system, and we may sell out of this salt very quickly because of all its incredible benefits -- that's why, if you are interested I encourage you to place your order as soon as possible! If we do sell out this supply early, if our past experience is any predictor of the future it may be 6 months to a year before we are able to have more to sell to you. I have never in my life seen a product that has been this challenging to obtain.

This salt from the Himalayas is known as "white gold." Together with pure spring water, Himalayan Crystal Salt offers all the natural elements exactly identical to the elements in your body -- the very same elements originally found existing in the "primal sea."




Get the benefits of Himalayan Salt in a stylish lamp that can accentuate your home or office!


Containing all of the 84 elements found in your body, the benefits of natural Himalayan Crystal Salt include:
1.Regulating the water content throughout your body.
2.Promoting a healthy pH balance in your cells, particularly your brain cells.
3.Promoting blood sugar health and helping to reduce the signs of aging.
4.Assisting in the generation of hydroelectric energy in cells in your body.
5.Absorption of food particles through your intestinal tract.
6.Supporting respiratory health.
7.Promoting sinus health.
8.Prevention of muscle cramps.
9.Promoting bone strength.
10.Regulating your sleep -- it naturally promotes sleep.
11.Supporting your libido.
12.Promoting vascular health.
13.In conjunction with water it is actually essential for the regulation of your blood pressure.

The Typical Table And Cooking Salt In Your
Grocery Store Has Been "Chemically Cleaned"

What remains after typical salt is "chemically cleaned" is sodium chloride -- an unnatural chemical form of salt that your body recognizes as something completely foreign. This form of salt is in almost every preserved product that you eat. Therefore, when you add more salt to your already salted food, your body receives more salt than it can dispose of.

This is important as over 90% of the money that people spend on food is for processed food.

Typical table salt crystals are totally isolated from each other. In order for your body to try to metabolize table salt crystals, it must sacrifice tremendous amounts of energy.

Inorganic sodium chloride can keep you from an ideal fluid balance and can overburden your elimination systems.

When your body tries to isolate the excess salt you typically expose it to, water molecules must surround the sodium chloride to break them up into sodium and chloride ions in order to help your body neutralize them. To accomplish this, water is taken from your cells in order to neutralize the unnatural sodium chloride.

This results in a less-than-ideal fluid balance in the cells.

You Are Losing Precious Intracellular Water When You Eat Normal Table Salt

For every gram of sodium chloride that your body cannot get rid of, your body uses 23 times the amount of cell water to neutralize the salt. Eating common table salt causes excess fluid in your body tissue, which can contribute to:
•Unsightly cellulite
•Rheumatism, arthritis and gout
•Kidney and gall bladder stones

When you consider that the average person consumes 4,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium chloride each day, and heavy users can ingest as much as 10,000 mg in a day, it is clear that this is a serious and pervasive issue.

So Why Are Many People Still Using Table Salt?

Because well over 90% of the world's salt is being used directly for industrial purposes that require pure sodium chloride. The remaining percentage is used for preserving processes and ends up on your kitchen table.

With the use of rigorous advertising, the salt industry is successful in convincing you there are actually health advantages to adding potentially toxic iodine and fluoride to salt. In addition, your table salt very often contains potentially dangerous preservatives. Calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, and aluminum hydroxide are often added to improve the ability of table salt to pour. Aluminum is a light alloy that deposits into your brain -- a potential cause of Alzheimer's disease.

Get Salt as Nature Intended It -- Pure Himalayan Crystal Salt





With chemical dumping and toxic oil spills polluting the oceans at an alarming rate, most of today's sea salt is not nearly as pure as it used to be. Himalayan Crystal Salt is pure salt that is mined and washed by hand -- with zero environmental pollutants.


Today's table and cooking salt is void of the vital trace minerals that make this Himalayan crystal salt so precious. Crystal salt has spent over 250 million years maturing under extreme tectonic pressure, far away from exposure to impurities.

The salt's unique structure also stores vibrational energy. All of the crystal salt's inherent minerals and trace elements are available in colloidal form -- meaning they are so small your cells can readily absorb them.

The Crystal Salt from the Himalayas does not burden your body as other salts do. It is very difficult for your body to absorb too much crystal salt since there are powerful and effective feedback loops that regulate this process. Natural crystal salt always promotes a healthy balance and does not contribute to high blood pressure like typical table salt.

Crystal Salt's array of elements forms a compound in which each molecule is inter-connected. The connectedness allows the vibrational component of the 84 trace elements present in the salt to be in harmony with each other and adds to the ability to promote a healthy balance. When it comes to the power of natural salt, nothing compares to Himalayan Crystal Salt. Here's why:

It is the highest grade of natural salt.


Under an electron microscope, crystal salt has a perfect crystalline structure.


It is mined by hand and hand-washed.


Crystal salt is immune to electromagnetic fields


Crystal Salt contains no environmental pollutants.


There is no limited shelf life and no need for silica packets to prevent clumping.


Key Minerals in Himalayan Crystal Salt Promote a Healthy Balance in Your Body

Himalayan Crystal Salt is salt in its native form, with all its vibrational energy intact and it helps promote a healthy balance in your body. Promoting balanced electrolytes helps to keep your body in homeostasis -- the balance of chemicals that is conducive to the body's function.

The renowned Frezenius Institute in Europe analyzed the Himalayan Crystal Salt and proved that it has an amazing array of important trace minerals and elements including potassium, calcium and magnesium that help promote a healthy balance by maintaining fluids and replenishing your supply of electrolytes whenever you sweat heavily. (This salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient.)

Himalayan Salt vs. Sea Salt and Rock Salt: A Crystal Comparison

Many people believe sea salt is a healthy alternative to table salt, but this is no longer the case. The oceans are being used as dumping grounds for harmful toxic poisons like mercury, PCBs and dioxin. Reports of oil spills polluting the sea are becoming more frequent. With some 89% of all the sea salt producers now refining their salt, today's sea salt simply isn't as healthy as it used to be.

If you were to look into a microscope at sea salt (pictured left) you would see it has irregular and isolated crystalline structures disconnected from the natural elements surrounding them. Thus, however many vital minerals it may contain, they cannot be absorbed by your body unless the body expends tremendous energy to vitalize them. Your body's net gain is small compared to the great loss of energy.

Because the crystalline structure of crystal salt is balanced (pictured right), it is not isolated from the 84 inherent mineral elements, but is connected to them in a harmonious state. This means the energy content in the form of minerals can be easily metabolized by your body. When you use this salt it has a vital energetic effect. Your body gets an ample net gain with little energy loss.

Mined salt, or rock salt, is also a poor substitute for Himalayan Crystal Salt. While natural rock salt comes close to being intact and is more valuable than industrial table salt, from a biophysical as well as bio-chemical perspective, it holds little value.

The elements contained in rock salt lack sufficient compression to be included in the crystal web, but are only attached to the surface and in the gaps of the crystalline structure. It is the considerable pressure that brings the elements to a colloidal state - where your cells can readily absorb them. The valuable elements found in rock salt are useless because your body cannot absorb and metabolize them.

Is your Shampoo safe or causing Harm

"I Recommend You STOP Using Your Shampoo and Conditioner Until You Read This"

Despite the potentially toxic ingredients in your shampoo and conditioner, the FDA doesn't have the resources to stop them from flooding the market...

Keep reading to discover:
•5 Potentially Toxic Ingredients Found in Most Shampoos and Conditioners
Do you get a dose of them every time you wash your hair?
•Why the FDA is Allowing Shampoo Manufacturers to Get Away With What I Consider To Be Open Fraud

In trying to formulate a safe, non-toxic shampoo and conditioner, my team learned a lot about what’s been going on in the hair care industry for more than the last decade. It’s a sad situation that could be robbing you and your family of better health

And if you are using shampoo and conditioner right now, you need to hear everything I am about to share with you.

Don’t just take my word for it. Consider what a prominent Senator said at a Senate Hearing on the FDA Reform on September 10, 1997...

"The Cosmetics Industry Has Borrowed a Page from the Playbook of the
Tobacco Industry by Putting Profits Ahead of Public Health"

And while the bigwigs in the hair care industry don’t want you to know this, every time you put shampoo or conditioner into your hair, you may be putting yourself in harm’s way. Just take a look at your shampoo and conditioner the next time you shower and ask yourself...

"Does my Shampoo or Conditioner Contain Any of These
5 Potentially Toxic Ingredients?"

Is Your Shampoo and Conditioner Interfering With Your Hormones and Making You Fat?

The EPA has found synthetic hormone-disrupting chemicals in shampoo preservatives and many of them can be found in products that claim to be 'natural' and 'organic.'

The most disturbing of these is antimicrobial preservatives called parabens which have proven to disrupt your endocrine system.

So what is an endocrine disruptor and why should it concern you?

It all boils down to this: they mimic, disrupt or block the actions of your hormones and interfere with your body’s hormonal pathways.

And when you consider the fact the endocrine system regulates every function of your body and provides instructions to your body that tell your cells what to do, this can have disastrous consequences.

For instance, one messenger hormone, estrogen, is secreted by ovaries and plays a big part in regulation of fertility, pregnancy, menstruation and fat cell activity.

And too much estrogen can cause big problems including weight gain, fluid retention, and depression.

So what can you do to avoid these parabens?

Check your product labels for these terms:
•Propylparaben
•Parahydroxybenzoic acid
•Parahydroxybenzoate
•Methylparaben
•Ethylparaben
•Butylparaben
•Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
•Methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
•Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
•Propyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid
•Butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid

Toxic Ingredient #1: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Did you know the same ingredient which produces all that foam and lather when you shampoo your hair is also the ingredient used in car washes and garages as a degreasing agent?

It’s true. And not only does it act as a penetration enhancer (allowing other potentially toxic ingredients to slip into your bloodstream), but according to the Environmental Working Group’s "Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Reviews", research studies on SLS have shown links to...
•Irritation of skin and eyes
•Organ toxicity
•Development / reproductive toxicity
•Neurotoxicity, endocrine disruption, ecotoxicological, and biochemical or cellular changes
•Possible mutations and cancer

If you visit the SLS page on the Environmental Working Group’s (a non-profit public-interest research group known for making connections between chemical exposure and adverse health conditions) website, you will see a very long list of health concerns and associated research studies. In fact, you will also see their mention of nearly 16,000 studies in the PubMed science library (as well as their link to that list) about the toxicity of this chemical.

So look for it in your hair care products. It also goes by a number of different names including sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laurel sulfate, sodium dodecylsulfate, sulfuric acid, sodium salt sulfuric acid, A12-00356, Akyposal SDS, Aquarex ME, and Aquarex methyl.

Toxic Ingredient #2: Dioxane

In the medical journal Cancer’s 2007 review of mammary carcinogens, dioxane was identified as one of the 216 chemicals which was linked to breast cancer in rodents.

Not that this is anything new. Its connection to carcinogens was first reported in 1965 and confirmed in 1978.

In fact, back in 1985, the FDA recognized these dangers, and requested that manufacturers voluntarily limit dioxane levels in cosmetics and personal-care products to 10 parts per million.

But it hasn’t happened.

In fact, Los Angeles Times staff writer, Marla Cone, in February 2007 reported that all eighteen personal care products for both adults and children which she had tested by an independent laboratory were contaminated with high levels of dioxane.

Toxic Ingredient #3: Diethanolamine or DEA

In a recent FDA report, approximately 42% of all cosmetics were contaminated with NDEA, with shampoos having the highest concentrations. DEA also readily reacts with nitrite preservatives and contaminants to create nitrosodiethanolamine (NDEA), a known and potent carcinogen.

This is a big problem because DEA seems to block absorption of the nutrient choline, which is vital to brain development. Pregnant women actually require extra choline so they can pass it onto their fetus.

An associate dean for research at the UNC School of Public Health mentioned that choline is necessary to help provide proper nutrients for a healthy baby; stating that, "At this point it is a caution. But it would probably be prudent to look at labels and try to limit exposure until we know more."

Toxic Ingredient #4: MSG

You’ve been told to avoid MSG in your food, right? After all, many people experience symptoms like headaches, dizziness, and stomach discomfort after consuming MSG-containing products. And according to the FDA, MSG side effects include: numbness, burning sensations, tingling, facial pressure, headaches, nausea, drowsiness and weakness, among other problems.

But did you know MSG, short for monosodium glutamate, is also more than likely in your shampoo, often secretly hidden and referred to as amino acids, yeast extract, nayad, glutamic acid, or glutamates?

Toxic Ingredient #5: Propylene Glycol

This active ingredient is found in engine coolants and antifreeze, airplane de-icers, tire sealants, rubber cleaners, polyurethane cushions, paints, adhesives, enamels and varnishes, and in many products as a solvent or surfactant.

And guess what? Despite the fact the material safety data sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as it is a strong skin irritant and can also cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage, it’s more than likely in your shampoo!

Okay, so now that you’ve read about these 5 potentially toxic ingredients, let me ask you two critical questions: If you knew of a food which contained all of these toxins...
•Would you add it to your grocery basket on a week to week basis?
•Would you feed it to your children?

Of course, you wouldn’t.

But it’s safe because your skin is protecting you, right? Wrong. The reality is your skin is often a carrier, not a barrier and...

Toxins in Your Shampoo and Conditioner May Be
More Toxic Than Those in Your Food

You might think that because your skin is about one tenth of an inch thick, it protects your body from absorbing the many things you come into contact with.

But the truth is, when you consume toxins in foods, such as pesticides in fruit and vegetables, the enzymes in your saliva and stomach often break them down and flush them out of your body. Food also passes through your liver and kidneys. The toxins which make it through are detoxified to varying degrees by enzymes before they reach the remainder of your body.

However when toxins are absorbed through your skin, they bypass your liver and enter your bloodstream and tissues – with absolutely no protection whatsoever.

Think of it like this: when you put shampoo or conditioner into your hair, the twenty blood vessels, 650 sweat glands, and 1,000 nerve endings soak in the toxins.

And some studies suggest skin can sometimes absorb more than your digestive tract. According to evidence presented at 1978 Congressional hearings, the absorption of the carcinogen nitrosodiethanolamine (NDELA), which is commonly found in shampoo products, was shown to be more than 100 times greater when exposure came through your skin than via your mouth. What’s more...

A Hot Shower Opens Up Pores in Your Skin
and May Make it Easier for Toxins To Enter Your Body

Here’s how it works: When you have a warm
shower, your pores automatically open up, which may
make it easier for sodium laurel sulfate... DEA... MSG... propylene glycol, and Ethylene Oxide to enter your blood stream.

And while you have been told about the damaging effects of pesticides and additives in food, the ugly truth about the damage shampoo and conditioner may do to your body has been hidden until now.

If You Think You Can Trust the Labels
on Your Hair Care Products THINK AGAIN!

For instance, about half of all the labels on 14,200 products examined by the Environmental Working Group ended up having mislabelled ingredients with some misspelled, and others having different names for the same ingredient depending on the manufacturer.

What’s more, there were 41 online retailers of cosmetics identified by EWG who failed to post any of their ingredients online. And when the FDA was pressured to make these retailers conform, they replied: "There is no requirement that a manufacturer put an ingredient list on a website."

The reality is your shampoo and conditioner may be just as toxic. In fact, it’s a serious case of "Buyer Beware" because it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to determine whether a product is safe.

In my opinion, it’s an outrage. At least with cigarettes you know they are dangerous to your health. But the manufacturers selling you shampoo and conditioner are taking reckless advantage of the less stringent FDA regulations applicable to cosmetics.

The FDA Regulations (21 CFR Sec. 740.10) state quite clearly that "Each ingredient used in a cosmetic product and each finished cosmetic product shall be adequately substantiated for safety prior to marketing. Any such ingredient or product whose safety is not adequately substantiated prior to marketing is misbranded unless it contains the following conspicuous statement on the principal display panel:

"WARNING. THE SAFETY OF THIS PRODUCT HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED."

So who’s in control of the safety?

The manufacturers. It seems that the FDA is allowing them to pass their own judgement about the safety of their product.

What a joke.

The FDA regulations are intended to protect you from dangerous products by insisting products which contain dangerous ingredients include warning statements. But the reality is that the agency does not have adequate resources to enforce this requirement.

Your Hairdresser Knows Best Right? Wrong!

A group which was founded in 1894 called the Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association (which in 2007 changed its name to the Personal Care Products Council), is comprised of over 600 different distributors and manufacturers of personal care, cosmetic, and fragrance companies that are committed to championing "voluntary regulation and reasonable government requirement." But here’s the ugly truth...

As Stacy Malkan made quite clear in her 2007 book, Not Just a Pretty Face, the following untruth was on its website as of January, 2007: "The FDA routinely conducts studies and tests to ensure the safety of all cosmetic products... FDA’s legal authority over cosmetics is comparable with its authority over foods, non-prescription drugs, and non-prescription medical devices."

However, the FDA simply does not have the resources to "routinely" test skin products like shampoo in the way I believe they should.

And as long as the manufacturers’ profits stay high, I do not believe that anything is about to change. Meanwhile, most people are content to put their trust in the FDA and take them at face value believing if the products actually contained threats to their health, the FDA would have the resources to routinely take enforcement action.

In my opinion, nothing could be further from the truth.

And that’s why several months ago I decided that until Congress gives the Food and Drug Administration the required resources to do its job, I’ll do what I can to expose the truth about the risks that can be associated with hair care products.

The Problem with Natural Shampoos

The primary ingredient found in many natural shampoos is soap based. The problem with many of these "natural" shampoos is that they typically don’t clean very well, and tend to form scum by reacting with calcium and magnesium ions present in water. This leaves a residue that can leave your hair feeling unclean and looking rather dull.

What’s more, the pH of soap-based cleansers is very basic, about 8-9--which can cause damage to your hair by lifting cuticles and causing reactions which affect the disulfide bonds in your hair. Ingredients like sodium silicate and borax are added to help overcome the scum formation and dulling effect on your hair.

Additionally, many of the natural products on the market today don’t create a luxurious, creamy, rich lather.

Everything is Made From Natural Ingredients – See Why I Believe
the Purity is Supreme