Kale can help you beat the blues
by PF Louis
Natural News
August 3, 2013
(NaturalNews) Kale is actually an earlier form of the cruciferous cabbage family. In addition to its high level of nutrients, now its carotenoid content is associated with mood elevation.
Actually, Mother Jones health editor Tom Philpott reported on a late 2012 Harvard study that associated high carotenoid consumption with elevated moods. He whimsically chose kale to headline his article.
But the study itself focused on nine different carotenoids and antioxidants from leafy green and orange vegetables.
The Harvard School of Public Health study
The study involved a cross-sectional association between reported optimism and serum concentrations of antioxidants and carotenoids among 982 men and women from a Midlife in the United States study.
Mood reports were conducted with the LOT-R (Life Orientation Test – Revised), a short 10-question psychological research test not meant for clinical applications that has allows for different predetermined levels of answering. The code for “grading” is tilted toward determining optimism over pessimism.
Fasting blood samples had to be taken for antioxidant and carotenoid serum levels. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation funded Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS) is part of ongoing research started in 1989 on several health and psychological factors involved with mid-life, mostly in the 40 to 60 age bracket.
Although the association of high carotenoid serum content and optimism were obvious, the researchers were reluctant to cite a causal link. It could be that optimistic middle aged folks who eat lots of veggies are naturally optimistic, they cautioned.
Well yeah, maybe so. But the fact is that if your health is good, you will tend to be more optimistic. Consuming lots of organic veggies while shunning processed foods leads to better physiological health as a foundation for better psychological health.
Carotenoid Sources
According to the Linus Paul Institute, “Carotenoids can be broadly classified into two classes, carotenes (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene) and xanthophylls (beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin).”
All green veggies, including kale, are high in xanthophylls, while orange and red fruits and vegetables are high in alpha-carotene and beta-carotene, both precursors to vitamin A.
Vitamin A toxicity can occur from too many supplements, but food based alpha or beta carotene’s vitamin A production diminishes as the body establishes sufficient vitamin A.
This phenomena is similar to how vitamin D from sunshine exposure halts upon sufficient serum of vitamin D, while supplementing vitamin D can potentially lead to toxic levels.
Both sets of carotenoids are fat based, so eating them with healthy cold-pressed oils or real organic butter or coconut oil enhances bio-availability. If you juice veggies and fruits, adding a small scoop of coconut or other oil on the side may be wise.
Of course the less cooked they are, the better. An exception is tomatoes’ lycopene. Its lycopene bio-availability is improved when cooked in oil. Thus tomato sauce is considered a good prostate health protector.
Juicing three times a week is considered sufficient for greatly reducing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease as well as providing a lot more carotenoids to boost overall health than one could consume as part of a normal diet (http://www.naturalnews.com/028523_Alzheimers_juicing.html).
According to Mother Jones health editor Tom Philpott’s coverage of a different UK study, leafy greens such as kale contain a substance known as indole-3-carbinol, responsible for maintaining the immune system’s white blood cells and maintaining overall gut health.
A diet without greens leads to lower immunity and gastrointestinal issues. Kale is great for juicing with carrots and an apple to ameliorate the bitter taste, but some folks like it lightly steamed and seasoned or mixed into a tossed salad.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/content/75/1/2.abstract
http://www.healthaliciousness.com
http://www.nutritionexpress.com
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/phytochemicals/carotenoids/
VIDEO — Forest Gardening Explained Part Two – Jo Homan
108morris108
August 2, 2013
This is a new field and not all the answers are known
See part one for a good introduction: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gypurU…
http://ediblelandscapeslondon.org.uk
29 Nettle Tea Benefits: Sipping on Nettle Tea for Better Health
by Christina Sarich
Natural Society
July 29, 2013
Milarepa, the Tibetan saint, was said to have lived on nothing but nettles for decades of meditation. Yet another weed that most of us pull and throw out, like dandelions, nettle is a wonderful health-boosting herb that should never be dowsed with weed-killer, but plucked and dried to make into an herbal panacea that could make the local pharmacy go bankrupt. Nettle, from the flowering plant genus VIDEO — Forest Gardening Explained – Low Maintenance
108morris108
July 28, 2013
Traditional Food Gardens require watering, sunlight, fertiliser and concerns for pests. With Forest gardening there is a natural ecosystem that provides nourishment and protection.
http://www.ediblelandscapeslondon.org…
[part 2]
Arsenic being intentionally added to conventional chicken
by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer
Natural News
May 30, 2013
(NaturalNews) The old saying, “You are what you eat,” poses troubling implications for public health in light of a new study on chicken meat, which found that most of it contains dangerously high levels of toxic arsenic. And the worst part is that industrial chicken producers are directly responsible for causing this, as they intentionally add arsenic-based pharmaceutical drugs to chicken feed in order to bulk them up quickly and improve the color of their meat, which in turn poisons you and your family.
You can thank researchers from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future in Maryland for exposing this little-known fact in a recent paper published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. As it turns out, virtually all commercial chicken, including certified organic and “antibiotic-free” varieties, contain some level of inorganic arsenic. But it is the conventional chicken fed arsenic-based drugs that have the highest levels.
As reported by GRACE Communications Foundation Senior Policy Advisor Chris Hunt, writing for Ecocentric, Johns Hopkins researchers collected a variety of chicken samples from grocery stores in 10 cities across the U.S. Some of the meat samples came from conventional sources, while others were U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic or “antibiotic-free.” All the samples were tested side-by-side with each other, including in both raw and cooked form.
Upon analysis, the team discovered that the conventional chicken meat samples had the highest levels of inorganic arsenic overall, containing up to four times as much arsenic as the organic chicken samples. These same conventional chicken meat samples contained up to three times more arsenic than the maximum levels proposed, but later retracted, as a safety standard by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) back in 2011.
“The levels of inorganic arsenic discovered in chicken are cause for concern, especially since many of us are already exposed to the carcinogen through additional dietary and environmental paths,” writes Hunt. “But unlike these other sources of exposure, which typically result from natural arsenic deposits, industry or residual contamination from the days of widespread arsenical pesticide use, as noted in the study, ‘arsenical poultry drugs are deliberately administered to animals intended for human consumption.'”
FDA currently allows Big Pharma to lace chicken feed with arsenic to boost profits
What the study is referring to, of course, is the common practice, at least up until 2011, of industrial chicken producers adding a pharmaceutical drug known as roxarsone to chicken feed. The Pfizer, Inc.-manufactured drug was in heavy use between 2010 and 2011 when the Johns Hopkins study was conducted, and researchers found traces of this chemical in a significant percentage of the conventional chicken meat tested.
According to Hunt’s analysis, arsenical chemicals like roxarsone have been in use since the 1940s, when chicken producers began adding it to chicken feed to speed up growth, prevent disease, and improve meat pigmentation. But as we now know, these chemicals are pervasive, and are known to cause cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, mental impairment, miscarriage, and other serious human health issues.
“[T]his study provides further evidence that continued use of arsenicals in food animal production poses an entirely unnecessary threat to public health,” adds Hunt. “While the practice might boost the profits earned by poultry giants and the manufacturers who supply them with arsenical drugs, it’s imprudent and irresponsible. As such, the FDA has no legitimate justification for its ongoing failure to prohibit arsenicals from food animal production.”
You can read Hunt’s full report here:
http://www.gracelinks.org/blog/2561/the-arsenic-in-your-chicken
You can also read the original study in both abstract and complete form here:
http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1206245/
Sources for this article include:
http://www.gracelinks.org/blog/2561/the-arsenic-in-your-chicken
http://www.thealternativedaily.com
http://communities.washingtontimes.com
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130513095030.htm
Justin Trudeau On Bill C279, GMOs, U.N NWO, UNPA, Syrian Rebels and Decriminalizing Pot
by Frankie Gotz
Canadian Awareness Network
July 22, 2013
In the past the Canadian Awareness Network has had opportunities to ask Justin Trudeau some questions. Some past questions were about Bilderberg Group also if he became Prime Minister would he change what his father did with the policies of the Bank of Canada which allowed private banks to create national currency, we’ve questioned him if he was involved with Power Corporation of Canada to find out if he’s following his fathers footsteps and a whole lot more. In fairness majority of the questions C.A.N has asked Trudeau were questions about things he has not done yet.
For two previous questioning sessions please click the bolded titles below:
On June 20th 2013, Justin Trudeau paid a visit to the city of Hamilton at the Dundas Farmers Market. C.A.N and friends were there to great him with political questions pertaining the U.N New World Order and much more.
THE QUESTIONS ASKED (CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IN FILM):
1. Dex asks Trudeau if he supports Bill C 279 (controversial transgender bathroom law)
2. Since Trudeau paid a visit to Dundas Farmers Market which had venders selling organic foods Anthony asked him if he supports banning GMOs.
3.Jay gave Trudeau a sincere “good luck” for his career as being a politician and informed him that he does not want to be ruled by the United Nations New World Order..
4. Since Trudeau told Jay that the NWO is a bad thing I confronted Trudeau about him being signed onto the United Nations Parliamentary Assembly (UNPA).
5. Jay asks “Justin, do you think Canada has any business supporting United States proxy war in Syria?” … Jay informed Trudeau that the rebels in Syria are Al Qaeda and CIA is shipping weapons to them which they are using on the Syrian population.
6. I ask Trudeau if he supports decriminalizing marijuana.
Please click play on video below for Trudeau’s answers (and check description of video on YouTube for more links):
Natural solutions for varicose veins
by Dr. David Jockers
Natural News
July 13, 2013
(NaturalNews) Varicose veins are blood vessels that have become enlarged and tortuous. This most commonly develops in the legs and is associated with chronic inflammation and poor circulation. There are natural solutions to improve circulation and prevent and reverse the effects of varicose veins.
Blood is constantly pumping through our blood vessels and the most challenged regions are those areas that pump against gravity. In particular, this would be the leg regions which depend upon a complex set of venous leaflets and muscular pump to return blood back to the heart. When the veins become inflamed it damages the leaflet valves and they no longer close properly which allows blood to flow backwards. This creates a swelling or varicosity in the legs.
Circulatory problems are typically indicative of chronic inflammation and can also be found with arteriosclerosis, hypertension and kidney dysfunction. Long-standing varicose veins not only are unsightly but they lead to swelling and edema in the legs and ankles, skin thickening and ulceration. Similar conditions include reticular veins (blue veins) and telangiectasias (spider veins) which are associated with chronic inflammation and vascular insufficiency.
De-inflame the body
One of the common findings with individuals with circulatory problems is elevated insulin levels. This is due to poor blood sugar metabolism and leads to chronic inflammatory states. It is important to keep grains, sugars and starches out of the diet as they increase blood sugar and elevate insulin. It is also important to keep high omega-6 vegetable oils and processed meats completely out of the diet as they promote the inflammatory mediators that damage the blood vessel walls.
The best defense against circulatory problems is an anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle. This begins with a diet rich in phytonutrient-dense vegetables, healthy fat and clean protein sources. Non-starchy vegetables, herbs and teas are great sources of anti-oxidants and have very low carbohydrate content. Healthy fat sources include coconut products, avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds and purified omega-3 fish oil supplements. Healthy protein includes wild-caught fish, grass-fed red meat and organic poultry.
Exercise improves circulatory patterns
Regular exercise is another critical component to an anti-inflammatory lifestyle. This includes bouts of both high-intensity and low-intensity exercise. Individuals with varicose veins or those at risk should look to avoid high impact activities such as jumping and running on concrete or treadmills. These individuals would do much better running and walking on a softer surface like grass, dirt or sand.
Lots of low-level activity is important and would include riding a stationary bike, walking, dancing, rowing, etc. All of these activities improve blood flow and circulatory tone. Individuals with severe varicose veins should refrain from doing very high intensity lower body exercises due to the high pressure this would place on the blood vessels. They could partake in high intensity upper body strength training and burst training.
Lower c reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine levels
A common finding in individuals with varicose veins and other circulatory problems is elevated CRP. This protein is increased in the acute phases of inflammation that occurs from various environmental stressors. Homocysteine is another commonly elevated inflammatory amino acid that is found in individuals with circulatory problems. Elevated homocysteine levels are associated with deficiencies in nutritional methylation agents.
It is important for individuals with varicose veins and other circulatory problems to supplement with specific nutrients. These include a whole food based B complex vitamin with B2, B6, B9 and B12 and zinc which provide the necessary methylation elements to lower homocysteine levels naturally. Systemic enzymes are extremely helpful for breaking down fibrotic plaque and lowering inflammatory proteins like CRP.
Sources for this article include:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varicose_veins
http://www.naturalnews.com/032720_hypertension_prevention.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12061687
http://www.naturalnews.com/031655_heart_disease_prevention.html
About the author:
Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.drjockers.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance phone consultations to help you beat disease and reach your health goals
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