reasons to RE-worry about the (swine) H1N1 flu

This article is found at SFGate.com

The big picture: 9 reasons to RE-worry about the (swine) H1N1 flu - and 7 things to do about it

by Doc Gurley

Remember April? This past spring we had our first world-wide flu-pandemic fire drill. But like fourth-graders huddled on the tarmac in the rain, it all seemed a bit silly in retrospect, didn't it? Especially since we bumbled around, not preventing anything. But hey, nobody got burned, right?
Um, well, no, not exactly. More accurately, we lost some folks - painfully. A few, sure, but for each one of them, it was devastating.
And the future remains unknown. The H1N1 is sort of like a Frankenvirus - a form of Influenza A that combines the DNA of swine, avian and human flu viruses. And now those guys in charge are starting to smell smoke again, and see gray drifts rising on the horizon.
There's no siren sounding yet, but is it time to re-worry about the H1N1 (aka swine) flu? And if so, what can reasonable people do about it?
Here are nine alarming signs that have the principals of public health worried:

1) This virus likes the young and healthy.

And kills them. New results show that 13% of this virus' victims so far were pregnant women - but keep in mind these numbers were based on six out of 45 total deaths. But that 13% is alarming, given the fact that only 1% of the population is pregnant at any one time - and these were generally otherwise completely healthy women with only the usual minor immunosuppression of pregnancy. Pregnant women also had 4 times the rate of hospitalization. Furthermore, only 1% of its victims were elderly. That distribution (more young and healthy, many fewer older victims) is the opposite of the usual flu-mortality profile. But scarily similar to the 1918 flu pandemic profile.
2) Drug resistance is here.

Initially described in Mexico, it's popped up in another country before a showdown really even begins. No matter how much you hear about stockpiles of Tamiflu and the importance of getting your doses of flu medicine, the bottom line is that our drugs against flu are not great. And we've only got 2 medicines to choose from (that's right - two). And flu mutates faster than Google ads change.

Why are these factors important when it comes to flu-sick young people? See, when a person gets hospitalization-sick with any kind of flu, one of the mainstays of treatment is to fix any underlying health problems. But it's pretty damn hard to improve on the health of your garden-variety, growing-like-a-weed 11-year-old. Or a thriving pregnant woman. Which leaves us working with our piddly list of 2 flu-meds. And hoping for the best.
3) This virus loves lung tissue.

And that's really creepy. Unlike the typical flu virus (which grows faster in nose and throat tissue), H1N1 grows much more rapidly in deep lung tissue. Overwhelming pneumonia is the classic (but not only) way people die from the flu. For those who want warning signs and gruesome details, check out the Doc Gurley article How Exactly Can Flu Kill A Healthy Person? (including the comments section).

4) We learned that school closures don't work so well - unless they're done fast, and with conviction.

Which leaves everyone in the awkward position of possibly having cried wolf once, and not wanting to again. Does that mean we negated an intervention (school closures) that might have given us benefit this upcoming winter?
5) This virus doesn't like to grow in a dish. The fact that H1N1 defies our attempts to mass-produce it means we're not likely to have the kind of dead-virus amounts we usually have for both research and vaccine development.
6) The ugly side of globalization - will our country even get the vaccines we bought?

The H1N1 threat has made nations aware of the perils of having all vaccine development centered in only a few countries. One of those "vulnerable" countries is...well, us. Only an estimated 20% of the vaccines we need are manufactured in this country. Although there's no sign this will actually happen (yet), it's not hard to see how some countries, with their government's support, might be reluctant to ship out life-saving vaccine when it's needed at home.
7) This virus knows how to rack up frequent-flyer miles.

Research tracking the spread of this virus shows us the down side of air-travel: H1N1 covered the globe in a record pace. If it evolves into a nastier version of itself, those amped up lethal viruses are also likely to spread far and wide.
8) The horse is out of the barn.

Estimates now show that containment of H1N1 is only a dim fantasy. It has so saturated our population that 6-8% of Americans are believed to be already infected.

This flu season, somewhere between one-in-ten and one-in-four Americans are expected to get it.

Although the numbers are controversial - both in terms of being both too high and too low, current estimates predict that 5 out of every 1,000 infected people will die from it.

9) The numbers are going up, here and abroad.

Both

numbers of deaths and numbers of infections requiring hospitalization are going up - and we're not even close to flu season yet. It's breaking out where people congregate, including summer camps and even Capitol Hill. The 1918 flu pandemic that killed 50 million worldwide and infected 20% of the population, followed a similar pattern - starting in spring, strengthening during the summer, and attacking with a vengeance by the time winter hit.

Looked at altogether, in just the last two weeks a very worrying picture is starting to emerge. So is everyone now feeling a bit freaked out?

Frankly, that may not be a bad thing. Because the problem with fire drills is that they can make people eye-rollingly wary the next time the siren goes off - even when it's real.

There's no H1N1 conflagration yet (and we hope there will never be) - but the question remains:
What can a reasonable person do, with a little advance warning?

Without, that is, getting too bonkers about it all?

Here are seven things you can do now to try to tilt the odds in your favor BEFORE a flu season begins.

Each of these was chosen based on the following Doc Gurley criteria -

a) is relatively cheap,

b) is supported by decent-quality research,

c) has minimal-to-no side effects and

d) is also beneficial to your health in other ways.

1) Practice handwashing.

It's time to channel your inner Lady MacBeth. And then sustain it. Not later, not when people around you start to get sick. Now. Get your kids on the bandwagon. Make it a part of daily living (with the emphasis on living). Tell teachers you don't want everyone using those huge hall-passes to go to the bathroom - if ever there was a mass-transit system for germs, it's those things. Take this article in and show them if you think it will help. This fall is the time to take the extra effort to write out a hall-pass that each kid tosses afterward. Volunteer to photocopy a bunch, or buy a distinctive memo-pad of notes so your kid's teacher can just rip one off and hand it to a kid. Work with your kids' schools to limit sharing of items, and institute handwashing before lunch-periods. Forget a chicken in every pot - put hand-sanitizer in every lunchbox! Even weeks of prevention hassles are worth just one kid's day of ICU care.

2) Get your vitamin D level up.

While no one knows absolutely whether or not low vitamin D is related to catching the flu, there are many studies that show a consistent association. I would suggest that one possible reason the H1N1 virus also seems to target people who are obese MIGHT be because obesity is also a known risk factor for vitamin D deficiency.

There's also the observed phenomenon that equatorial areas (where there are few changes in vitamin D levels) do NOT have a flu season. Vitamin D, besides being cheap, with very few possible side effects (other than over-doing it!), and easy to take, is associated with a vast number of other healthy outcomes besides flu avoidance. There are LOTS of reasons to take vitamin D, but this coming flu season should be a serious motivator for us all to get our blood levels up. For kids, talk to your pediatrician. Most kids don't want a blood test (can you blame them?). But studies have shown that many, many kids are vitamin D deficient - particularly among people of color populations. The darker anyone's skin, the harder it is to make vitamin D, and, statistically, the more likely a person is also lactose-intolerant (milk being a prime source of vitamin D for kids - but generally an inadequate sole source for many adults).

Consider going back to the cod liver oil approach. That's right, just like your grandma did - a teaspoon a day. Scrunch up your face and swallow it. However, you can now, for a few cents more, buy cod liver oil lemon-flavored and taste-sanitized. A teaspoon generally contains around 1,000 IU of vitamin D - which studies have shown is usually safe for kids over the age of 5. Most experts recommend 1,000 IU a day for all adults - but why guess? Everyone's body is different, so if you can stand the cost and fleeting misery of a blood test, get one, then dose your vitamin D until you're well within the normal range. Depending on how low your blood value is, vitamin D typically takes weeks, and even months, to shift upward, so now is a great time to start.

3) Humidify.

Some of the more provocative studies in recent years show that flu virus hates it when the absolute humidity goes up - possibly yet another reason why the tropics don't have a flu season. Not only does the virus die more rapidly on humidified surfaces, but people who are sick with the flu tend to recover faster, and have a milder illness.

Even though we get rain in the winter here in the Bay Area, when temps go down and our heaters kick on, humidity drops rapidly indoors. How good were the humidifier results? So good that researchers have suggested that it may be cost-effective to humidify hospitals and nursing homes. Keep in mind that warmed water (or air) humidifiers can grow nasty things and spew them. If you're looking for a humidifier, this is one of those times when cheap may be better than expensive - with the exception of the noise factor. If you buy one of the cheap, clattery humidifiers that then disturbs your sleep, dump and fill it each day with cold water, then run it until your window mist up and turn it off overnight.

4) Make a school-closure plan.

Here's the thing - if local officials are concerned enough to close a school, you want to benefit, healthwise, from that relatively drastic act. Talk to your teen kids about what should happen (no going to the mall, no hanging out with friends). Have a plan to stockpile home entertainment, and, for a change - encourage virtual social contact. If you've got smaller school-aged kids and both parents work, think about harm reduction. If you can't stay home indefinitely (who can?), see if you and one other family can pool resources. Each of four parents working from home two days each will get you almost two weeks of school closing coverage - generally enough time to know how things are going to go. While this kind of plan may expose your family to one more family's germs, it's better than many other options for working parents. If you have a school-closure plan in place, your family is more likely to be able to benefit from school-closing interventions.
5) Pregnant (or trying-to-get-pregnant) women and kids first!

Traditionally, our flu shots go to people in this order: healthcare providers first, elderly and sick next, healthy people last. The H1N1 virus means that order will probably get turned on its head.

Pregnant women, kids and college age kids are recommended to be first in line. While concerns about getting a new vaccination while you're pregnant are reasonable, it's also clear this virus is more lethal in pregnant women. Britain is even recommending that pregnant women avoid large gatherings this flu season. One thing's for sure - if you're pregnant and get flu symptoms, take them very seriously - get seen promptly, and ask for a swine flu test. This year is a good year to consider getting a flu shot for the generally young and healthy.
6) Don't let the virus hitch a ride on your next flight.

Please, forget the mask thing - if you want to know why, check out the detailed explanation here under #6 "What about a mask?". Instead, if you're a traveler, here's a much better way to reduce your chances of picking up a potentially lethal body stowaway. Take a pack of antiseptic wipes (cheap is fine - just make sure they include alcohol). Wipe down the surfaces near your seat that people touch - the tray table, the armrests, the controls for AV equipment, and especially that in-flight phone if you think you might use it. Most flu virus is spread through fomites - which means virus on surfaces people touch. The more people touch an object (keyboards, phones, doorknobs, elevator buttons, MUNI straps/rails), the greater your chances of (literally) picking something up from it. In general, don't touch those types of objects. And, on a plane flight, where you're going to be sitting for hours, it's probably worth the effort to wipe nearby objects down - and then wash hands/disinfect hands with sanitizer after going to the plane's toilet and touching that (used by hundreds and hundreds of people) doorknob. Will you look goofy doing this? Possibly, but not nearly as goofy as the people with blue masks hanging below a nose. And, frankly, if the alternative is being sick for days - even "just" with the regular miserable flu - do you care?
7) New habit time: keep your hands away from your face.

Completely. Start now. Make it an ingrained habit, like the handwashing obsession we all need to cultivate. This one, however, can be tricky for many of us. We're talking about not touching your face even (or especially) when you're distracted. No propping your face up with your palm. No chewing on pencils. No scrubbing your eyes. No rubbing your nose (or, frankly, other types of nasal nettoyage).

Staying both sane and healthy can be challenging tasks when so much is unknown. No one, not even the best experts with the biggest computers in the stainless steel labs where people wear astronaut helmets and pipette pink fluid, not even they can predict the future. But some simple steps may be worth the additional effort. Share the info with friends and be well.

Posted By: Doc Gurley (Email) July 30 2009 at 05:19 AMRead more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/gurley/detail?entry_id=44301#ixzz0MsS64kDd

13 Ways Turmeric Can Spice up Your Life

The following is found in an article by Dr. Mercola:



Let me summarize a few of the ways this 100% certified organic-based Turmeric can spice up your whole person:
Boosts your antioxidant protection against free radicals*
Helps promote your healthy skin*
Supports your overall eye health*
Provides you immune system support*
Aids your skeletal system and joint health*
Encourages your healthy liver function*
Helps you maintain healthy cells with support against free radicals*
Balances the health of your digestive system*
Aids you in support of healthy blood and your circulatory system*
Helps you maintain normal cholesterol levels to support your cardiovascular system*
Assists your neurological system's healthy response to stress*
Promotes a healthy female reproductive system*
Helps you maintain blood sugar levels already within the normal range*

Vitamin D Linked to Many Health Problems

Full article in Brisbane Times:

Vitamin D, which is really a building block for a hormone, is best known for its link to bone health – without it you cannot absorb enough calcium.

But the other reason why vitamin D is a hot topic is the evidence linking the lack of it to a surprisingly mixed bag of health problems.

The tally so far:

multiple sclerosis, Type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, memory loss – and even weight gain.

But the strongest evidence so far is for cancer, Mason says.

"The most consistent evidence links insufficient vitamin D to colon cancer," she says. "There’s evidence for breast, prostate, and ovarian cancer and melanoma too, but it’s limited."

As for how vitamin D might help protect against cancer, some studies have shown it helps slow the proliferation of cancer cells. It may also improve the immune system’s defence against some cancers and may reduce the growth of blood vessels that nourish cancer cells, she says.
More intriguing still is the idea that sunlight, the bringer of skin cancer, might also help prevent the disease, according to preliminary research at the Bosch Institute. The theory is that vitamin D compounds that accumulate in skin when it is exposed to sunlight may help reduce UV damage to the DNA of skin cells, Mason explains.

But for people who already have some forms of cancer, including colon or oesophageal cancer, healthy levels of vitamin D may influence their survival. Some studies show that the more vitamin D, the better the outcome, the professor says.

That is why the NSW Breast Cancer Institute is investigating the vitamin D levels of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer, says Kellie Bilinski, a dietitian and the project leader of the institute’s vitamin D research program.

Where you live, and therefore how much sunlight you get, might also influence your risk of some diseases. Overseas studies suggest that women living furthest from the equator are more at risk of breast cancer, Bilinski says. A study by the Breast Cancer Institute is trying to find out if the latitude where a woman lives in Australia affects her chances of developing the disease.

As for multiple sclerosis, ...To understand the sunlight-MS connection it helps to know that MS is an auto-immune disease – one where the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues. Researchers now believe that having sufficient vitamin D may help prevent MS by making the immune system less trigger-happy.

The D Generation
"This may also mean that vitamin D has a role to play in other auto-immune disease such as Crohns disease, rheumatoid arthritis and Type 1 diabetes," Taylor says.

So how do you get enough vitamin D from sunlight without boosting your risk of skin cancer?

"It’s a fine line between usefulness and damage," says Mason. "There’s some evidence that small amounts of UV damage are relatively easily repaired in most people and that short exposures to UV sunlight are also more efficient at producing vitamin D.

So the recommendation for UV exposure is little and often.

It’s certainly not frying your skin, which is very damaging and not particularly useful for making vitamin D either. Vitamin D compounds in skin can actually be destroyed by too much UV exposure."

The time of day spent in the sun matters too, she adds, recalling a couple who were regular walkers, but walked separately at different times of the day, and had different vitamin D levels as a result. The woman walked about midday in winter and her levels were healthy. The man walked in the early morning and evening and was mildly deficient.

Conquering Diabetes

the following is from http://www.beyondhealth.com/

Conquering Diabetes

by Raymond Francis

Diabetes, a metabolic disorder affecting carbohydrate metabolism, is an out-of-control epidemic. It doesn't have to be this way. Diabetes is both preventable and reversible.
About 18 million Americans have diabetes. Another 16 million have pre-diabetes, and about one-out-of-three people with diabetes are unaware they have it. Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes is the most common form, and it has become epidemic in our children, with alarming increases in the last decade.

Type 2 diabetes has been transformed from a disease of older people to a disease of children and young adults. An American child born in 2000 stands a one-in-three chance of being diagnosed with diabetes in his or her lifetime.

Finding out you have diabetes can be scary because diabetes is a nasty disease. Diabetics suffer from high levels of free radicals, and oxidative stress is central to the damage caused by diabetes. It is a silent killer that causes life-threatening heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. It is the leading cause of blindness, kidney failure, and foot and leg amputations in adults. Diabetes also increases the risk of cancer, depression, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders, and periodontal disease, as well as premature aging, early death and painful peripheral nerve damage. Every month 66,499 new cases are diagnosed!

Conventional treatment of diabetes is a failure. Conventional physicians are completely unaware that diabetes can be cured. Nor do they necessarily want to become aware, since if the disease goes away, so does their income.

In truth, numerous studies in medical journals have proven that type 2 diabetes can be easily controlled or reversed in the majority of patients. One study in the December 15, 2005 Journal of Applied Physiology found that in as little as three weeks more than half of type 2 diabetics can be completely cured by making changes in diet and exercising.

Just imagine what can be done with more time, plus a high-quality supplement program.
Modern medicine's treatment of diabetes is focused on controlling blood sugar with drugs. However, drugs do not cure disease; they merely "manage" it. People are told they have to remain on these drugs for the rest of their life, but the drugs cannot control the disease perfectly, so they are at risk for all the "side effects" of diabetes.

Diabetes, or for that matter any disease, ceases to be mysterious once you understand my Beyond Health Model of One Disease and Two Causes. All disease is the result of malfunctioning cells caused by deficiency and toxicity. All you have to do is restore those cells to normal function by eliminating deficiency and toxicity, and the disease will disappear -- albeit, this is sometimes easier said than done.
Diabetes is a disease involving altered sugar metabolism. Sugar is a basic fuel for the cells in the body, and the hormone insulin is necessary to get sugar from the blood into the cells.

Diabetes happens when the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore (are resistant to) signals from the insulin. This situation results in the cells not getting the sugar they need to create energy, which sends a signal to the pancreas to produce more insulin. Soon both sugar and insulin build up in the blood to toxic levels with catastrophic results. Cells become starved for energy and are unable to carry on their normal metabolism, resulting in severe cellular malfunction.

The wrong fats in the diet contribute to insulin resistance, but the primary cause of diabetes is the consumption of highly refined sugars and carbohydrates such as table sugar and white flour, which the body was never designed to process. When we eat these so-called "foods", they initiate a cascade of abnormal biochemistry that results in disease. Tragically, these recently manmade inventions masquerading as food make up most of our diet -- they are devoid of nutrition, have a toxic effect on the body, and are the primary causes of our pandemic of chronic and degenerative disease.

Nutrient-rich foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be substituted for these make-believe foods. Eating processed "foods" made with sugar and white flour contributes to another cause of diabetes -- chronic mineral deficiencies. Most Americans suffer from deficiencies in major minerals like zinc, magnesium and selenium. These minerals are necessary for normal blood sugar metabolism and hormone balance, and their absence causes the body to crave food. These food cravings are usually consumed as more sugar and white flour, which only compounds the problem.

Mineral supplementation helps to ease hunger cravings and to reverse diabetes by supporting proper sugar metabolism. However, most multivitamin and mineral supplements contain forms of minerals that are virtually useless, such as carbonates and oxides. It is essential that any nutritional supplements you take provide the minerals in natural, bioavailable forms.

Another cause of diabetes is medical intervention. Since modern medicine is our leading cause of death and a major cause of disease, it should not be a surprise that another cause of diabetes is prescription drugs.

Antidepressant drugs interfere with blood sugar metabolism, promoting type 2 diabetes. Antidepressants are toxic, ineffective, expensive and dangerous. Since nutritional solutions to depression are safer and far more effective, no one should be taking antidepressants in the first place.

Lack of exercise is another important contributor to diabetes. Exercise is necessary because it recalibrates your metabolism, hormones, and nervous system, boosting insulin sensitivity. There is no way to beat diabetes without making exercise a habit.

You don't have to become an exercise freak or run marathons to get positive results. One study showed that 30 minutes a day of moderate physical activity reduces diabetes by 58 percent among people at risk.

Rebounding in the privacy of your home is extremely beneficial. Exercise frequency is even more important than exercise intensity. Rebounding even 15 minutes a day is better than exercising only on weekends.

The best exercise for you is the one you are willing to stick with, whether that is walking, running, swimming, dancing or rebounding. The important thing is to get moving on a regular basis. Start slowly and keep increasing.

To prevent or reverse diabetes, you have to first stop assaulting your biochemistry with manmade artificial foods. This means avoiding sodas, candy, ice cream, breads, pasta, pastries, cereals, or any other product containing a refined sugar or grain. It would be best to avoid all processed foods. If you must have something sweet, use safe sweeteners such as stevia and agave nectar.

Avoid animal fats and consume healthy fats such as high-quality olive, flax, coconut, and fish oils. Meat and dairy contain the wrong fats and contribute to diabetes. Do not eat fried foods or any food that contains hydrogenated oils.

Healthy, plant-based fats provide omega-3 fatty acids and other fats known to help reverse diabetes. Avocados, nuts, seeds, and fish all contain beneficial essential fatty acids. Healthy fats maintain healthy insulin sensitivity as well as protect the heart from oxidative damage, reducing blood "stickiness", and boosting cognitive function and moods.

On the bottom line, the cellular malfunction we call diabetes is caused by dietary imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, toxicities and a lack of exercise. Eat a diet high in fiber and unrefined carbohydrates, such as fresh vegetables and whole grains, and low in saturated fat. Supplement with critical nutrients. Diabetes can be cured if you address these core issues. Many thousands of people have done so, and so can you.

Since diabetes produces a flood of free radicals, antioxidants such as vitamins C and E are essential. Vitamin E has even been shown to help prevent type 2 diabetes. B vitamins are critical-vitamin B3 is required for the function of over 50 enzymes affecting energy production.
Minerals such as chromium and magnesium are essential. Chromium is an essential trace mineral that plays a significant role in sugar metabolism, helping to control blood sugar levels. Magnesium enhances blood sugar control, and people with diabetes are often deficient in magnesium.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) improves blood sugar control, lowers blood pressure, and prevents oxidative damage.

Quercitin is a powerful flavonoid, decreasing levels of blood glucose and oxidants.

Lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that enhances blood sugar control and helps to prevent the development of long-term complications.

Carnitine lowers blood glucose, increases insulin sensitivity, and optimizes fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Carnitine deficiency is common in type 2 diabetes.

Ginkgo biloba has been shown to prevent diabetic retinopathy and to lower blood sugar levels.

Fiber is essential and is known to reduce blood-sugar levels by 10 percent.
Creating health is something we all have the power to do.

Glycemic Load vs Glycemic Index

The Carbohydrate Conundrum

Monday, July 27, 2009

by: Dr. Julian Whitaker

(http://www.naturalnews.com/)

The diet and weight loss industry is booming. Everywhere you turn, there's one gimmick or another guaranteed to melt the pounds away. From billboards and magazines to TV and radio ads, you can't escape the promises of the latest and greatest. Trying to figure out what works and what doesn't is enough to drive you crazy.

Folks, forget about low-fat this, carb-free that, and diets that require rocket science-level math to compute portion sizes and caloric intake.

There's an easy way to eat your way to health and fitness.

Understanding Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are your body's primary source of energy. As they are digested and released into the bloodstream as glucose, they signal cells in the pancreas to produce insulin, which escorts glucose into the cells, where it is metabolized into energy.

According to conventional wisdom, carbohydrates are lumped into two main categories: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are so named because they contain only one or two simple sugars, such as sucrose or fructose.

Starchy carbohydrates, comprised of long chains of sugars, are considered complex.

The old school of thought figures simple carbs are bad and should only be eaten in limited quantities, while complex carbs are given carte blanche since, in theory, they have less of an impact on blood sugar levels.

Turns out, it's much more complicated than this. We now know that the effect carbohydrate foods have on blood sugar goes far beyond the old simple-complex model.

Starchy complex carbohydrates such as potatoes and rice rapidly drive up blood sugar levels like "simple" carbs, while the blood sugar effects of "complex" grains are dependent on factors such as particle size.

For example, whole oats behave quite differently than instant oatmeal. This is why a preferred method of evaluating carbohydrate foods based on the glycemic index (GI) has evolved.

Glycemic Index vs. Glycemic Load

The GI measures the degree to which carbohydrate-containing foods trigger a rise in blood sugar levels. (Proteins and fat have little effect on blood sugar.)

• Foods with a low GI provoke smaller, more sustained elevations and provide a nice, steady supply of glucose and energy.


• Foods with a high GI, however, prompt rapid blood sugar spikes, followed by equally dramatic plummets.

Building on this knowledge, Walter Willett, MD, professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues took the concept of the GI and expanded it into something more practical:

the glycemic load (GL).

Simply put, GL takes into account quality and quantity. It is determined by both the GI of any given food, plus the amount of available, or net, carbohydrates (fiber excluded) in a standard serving.

The GL has revealed a few surprises: Some foods with a high GI actually have minimal effects on blood sugar levels when eaten in normal quantities, while others with a low GI are potentially problematic.

For example, a large carrot and a cup of spaghetti have similar GIs. Yet that carrot contains only 5 grams of available carbs (it's mostly water), while the spaghetti contains 38 grams, giving them GLs of 2 and 16, respectively.

Therefore, they have dramatically different effects on blood sugar. Carrots, watermelon, pineapple, and other fruits with a high GI once thought to be inappropriate for those minding their glucose levels turn out to be acceptable, while the GL confirms the need to go easy on pasta, bagels, and other starchy, carbohydrate-dense foods.

To see a chart, please visit: http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm .

Read the rest of the story

Red meat Raises Death Risk from Cancer & Other Diseases

Proven: Eating Red Meat Raises Death Risk from Cancer and Other Diseases

Friday, July 24, 2009 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer

Story from NaturalNews

A diet high in red or processed meats significantly raises a person's risk of early death, particularly from cancer and heart disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from the U.S. National Cancer Institute and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"The need is for a major reduction in total meat intake, an even larger reduction in processed meat and other highly processed and salted animal source food products, and a reduction in total saturated fat," wrote Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, in an accompanying article.

The researchers reviewed dietary and mortality data for more than 500,000 people over a 10-year time period. They found that those with the highest intake of red or processed meat had a significantly higher risk of death from all causes than those who ate the lowest amount. The greatest risk increase was seen for death from heart disease or cancer.

Those who got most of their meat intake from white meats had a significantly lower risk of death than those who ate a higher proportion of red meat.

People in the highest intake group ate an average of 160 grams (5.6 ounces) of red or processed meat per day, while those in the lowest intake group ate an average of 25 grams (0.88 ounces) per day.

The researchers concluded that if everyone in the study had lowered their combined red and processed meat consumption to 25 grams per day, a full 11 percent of the deaths that took place among men and 16 percent of the deaths that took place among women could have been prevented.

A growing number of studies are pointing to the conclusion that red and processed meats can have a significant effect on human lifespan. According to a recent survey, 10 percent of U.K. residents have tried to reduce their intake of such meats in response to these findings.

Sources for this story include: news.bbc.co.uk.

More Likely to be Struck by Lightning than get Swine Flu

Letter to the editor of Independent, southwestern MN Daily Newspaper

The swine flu "pandemic" is in the news. As you may be aware, the word "pandemic" does not refer to this flu being dangerous, but only that it has spread rapidly.

The potential harm from the swine flu virus in its present form seems to be minimal.
As one authority has put it, your chances of being struck by lightning are 23 times greater than the chance of contracting and dying from the swine flu.

The minimal risk from this "flu" notwithstanding, it appears that there is a major push by governments to vaccinate against this flu strain.
Based upon this country's experience with a similar strain in 1976 and vaccination efforts to deal with it, there may be much greater potential harm from being vaccinated against the swine flu than is posed by the flu itself.

Despite what appears to be minimal harm from this flu strain, it appears that a major push may be underway for vaccinations in schools this fall, and even for the population at large.
This, despite what seems to have been little available time for TESTING the vaccine for harmful effects, AND our inability to bring legal action against the manufacturers if harm results. You get hurt or die from the vaccination, too bad for you.
As individuals, parents, or grandparents, you obviously will want to make your own judgment calls as to whether your loved ones should have this largely untested vaccination. For my part, if they were my family members, I would find MANY excuses for NOT vaccinating them.

Instead, I would have at hand, materials known to be protective against influenza, in particular vitamin D and the homeopathic remedy Oscillococcinum.
Both of these are available from local health food stores.
Be aware that you may want to take far more vitamin D than we used to think was necessary for good health.
Consult the Web site www.vitaminDcouncil.org for more information on this valuable supplement.
It's run by MDs who seem well acquainted with recent research.
You will also be able to order from that site, a home test kit for vitamin D level, for a very reasonable price.
Low vitamin D is associated with so many conditions that it is wise to know that your levels are near optimum, especially in this coming flu season.

Charles Reinert ND, PhD

Nutrient Rich

Love this website: Nutrient Rich

We all know we should be “eating better”. What most people don’t know is what “better” really means.Today, we are eating predominantly nutrient poor diets. What we need are Nutrient Rich diets that provide all the nutrients we need to succeed. When you have a great tasting Nutrient Rich diet, as part of a successful lifestyle including the right activity levels… health, high performance and natural weight loss are the results! Eat Better, Not Less! “Eat less” diets are restrictive and unhealthy.
Go from nutrient poor to Nutrient Rich™ with the Expert Transition System™; the flexible approach guarantees success.

With the Nutrient Rich Food and Recipe Database, you can create a whole foods eating plan to accomplish your goals, completely free of dieting.

Natural Weight Loss

The China Study

“If you’re looking to enhance your health, performance and your success read The China Study immediately. Finally, scientifically valid guidance on how much protein we need and where we should get it. The impact of these findings is enormous.” --John Allen MollenhauerFounder, MyTrainer.com and NutrientRich.com

This book has startling implications for diet, weight loss and long term health, not to mention the health of our planet.
For nearly 50 years he ran this study, with funding from the NIH (National Institutes of Health) and findings that are so statistically significant, it earned that title of “the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted”. The findings around animal protein consumption and the development of cancer alone, part of a mere 3% of the study’s findings that have been mined to date, are alone worth reading The China Study, which was written as an amazingly easy-to-read book.
You can learn more about this now bestselling book The China Study, with over 350,000 copies in print, right here. You will soon see The Top 12 Findings of The China Study, exclusively on our newly revamped website in the coming weeks, which the authors T Colin and his son Tom authored for NutrientRich.com when we launched in 2005.
Now, T Colin Campbell has done it again, with the launch of the T Colin Campbell Foundation. Here again, is the link to the foundation where you will learn sound one-of-kind-science on health and nutrition, which we will often reference here at NutrientRich.com.
I highly recommend that you take the certificate program, being offered by eCornell.
Enjoy!
~ John Allen Mollenhauer

Dirty Secrets of Food Processing Industry: Cereal

Read entire article by Sally Fallon

Packaged Cereals

Dry breakfast cereals are produced by a process called extrusion. Cereal makers first create a slurry of the grains and then put them in a machine called an extruder. The grains are forced out of a little hole at high temperature and pressure. Depending on the shape of the hole, the grains are made into little o's, flakes, animal shapes, or shreds (as in Shredded Wheat or Triscuits), or they are puffed (as in puffed rice).

A blade slices off each little flake or shape, which is then carried past a nozzle and sprayed with a coating of oil and sugar to seal off the cereal from the ravages of milk and to give it crunch.

In his book Fighting the Food Giants, Paul Stitt has tells us that the extrusion process used for these cereals destroys most of the nutrients in the grains. It destroys the fatty acids; it even destroys the chemical vitamins that are added at the end. The amino acids are rendered very toxic by this process.
The amino acid lysine, a crucial nutrient, is especially denatured by extrusion. This is how all the boxed cereals are made, even the ones sold in the health food stores. They are all made in the same way and mostly in the same factories. All dry cereals that come in boxes are extruded cereals.

The only advances made in the extrusion process are those that will cut cost regardless of how these will alter the nutrient content of the product. Cereals are a multi-billion dollar business, one that has created huge fortunes.
With so many people eating breakfast cereals, you might expect to find some studies on the effect of extruded cereals on animals or humans. Yet, there are no published studies at all in the scientific literature.

The Rat Experiments

Let me tell you about two studies which were not published. The first was described by Paul Stitt who wrote about an experiment conducted by a cereal company in which four sets of rats were given special diets. One group received plain whole wheat, water and synthetic vitamins and minerals. A second group received puffed wheat (an extruded cereal), water and the same nutrient solution. A third set was given only water. A fourth set was given nothing but water and chemical nutrients. The rats that received the whole wheat lived over a year on this diet.
The rats that got nothing but water and vitamins lived about two months.
The animals on water alone lived about a month.
But the company's own laboratory study showed that the rats given the vitamins, water and all the puffed wheat they wanted died within two weeks---they died before the rats that got no food at all. It wasn't a matter of the rats dying of malnutrition. Autopsy revealed dysfunction of the pancreas, liver and kidneys and degeneration of the nerves of the spine, all signs of insulin shock.

Results like these suggested that there was something actually very toxic in the puffed wheat itself!
Proteins are very similar to certain toxins in molecular structure, and the pressure of the puffing process may produce chemical changes, which turn a nutritious grain into a poisonous substance.

Another unpublished experiment was carried out in the 1960s.

Researchers at University of Michigan were given 18 laboratory rats. They were divided into three groups:
one group received corn flakes and water;
a second group was given the cardboard box that the corn flakes came in and water;
the control group received rat chow and water.

The rats in the control group remained in good health throughout the experiment. The rats eating the box became lethargic and eventually died of malnutrition. But the rats receiving the corn flakes and water died before the rats that were eating the box! (The last corn flake rat died the day the first box rat died.)
But before death, the corn flake rats developed schizophrenic behavior, threw fits, bit each other and finally went into convulsions. The startling conclusion of this study is that there was more nourishment in the box than there was in the corn flakes.

This experiment was actually designed as a joke, but the results were far from funny. The results were never published and similar studies have not been conducted.
Most of America eats this kind of cereal. In fact, the USDA is gloating over the fact that children today get the vast majority of their important nutrients from the nutrients added to these boxed cereals.

Cereals sold in the health food stores are made by the same method.
It may come as a shock to you, but these whole grain extruded cereals are probably more dangerous than those sold in the supermarket, because they are higher in protein and it is the proteins in these cereals that are so denatured by this type of processing.
There are no published studies on the effects of these extruded grains on animals or humans, but I did find one study in a literature search that described the microscopic effects of extrusion on the proteins. "Zeins," which comprise the majority of proteins in corn, are located in spherical organelles called protein bodies.
During extrusion, these protein bodies are completely disrupted and deformed. The extrusion process breaks down the organelles, disperses the proteins and the proteins become toxic. When they are disrupted in this way, you have absolute chaos in your food, and it can result in a disruption of the nervous system.
Old-Fashioned Porridge
So what are you going to have for breakfast?
We need to go back to the old fashioned porridges, as I explain in Nourishing Traditions.
These porridges should be soaked overnight in an acid medium to get rid of the anti-nutrients.
Soaking will neutralize the tannins, complex proteins, enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid. You soak the grains in warm water with one tablespoon of something acidic like whey, yoghurt, lemon juice or vinegar.
The next morning, the porridge cooks in about a minute.
Of course, you eat your porridge with butter or cream like our grandparents did.
The nutrients in the fats are needed to absorb the nutrients in the grains.
That was one of the great lessons of Weston Price, that without the vitamins present in animal fats (vitamins A and D), you cannot assimilate minerals and other vitamins. You can be taking mineral supplements, drinking green juices or eating organic food until it comes out your ears, but you cannot absorb the minerals in your food without vitamins A and D that are exclusively found in the animal fats.

Coconut Oil and Candida

Coconut Oil and Candida

The following info can be found: http://www.coconutdiet.com/candida.htm

Candida albicans is yeast (or fungus) that normally inhabits our digestive system.
In healthy people, candida does little harm because it's kept in check by beneficial microorganisms, or probiotics.
These "good" bacteria, however, can be easily destroyed by antibiotics, prescription medications, birth control pills, poor diet and daily stress, allowing Candida yeast to grow out of control and produce infections.

Thought to affect more than 40 million Americans, Candida can cause uncomfortable symptoms such as

• vaginitis,
• weight retention,
• bowel disorders,
• ear and sinus irritation,
• intense itching,
• canker sores and
• ringworm.

Yeast-connected health problems occur in people of all ages and both sexes. However, women are more apt to be affected.

Yeasts are especially apt to play a role in causing your health problems if you:

• 1. Feel bad "all over," yet the cause can't be identified and treatment of many kinds hasn't helped.
• 2. Have taken prolonged courses of broad-spectrum antibiotic drugs, including the tetracyclines (Sumycin®, Panmycin®, Vibramycin®, Minocin®, etc.), ampicillin, amoxicillin, the cephalosporins (Keflex®, Ceclor®, etc.), and sulfonamide drugs, including Septra® and Bactrim®.
• 3. Have consumed diets containing a lot of yeast and sugar.
• 4. Crave sweets, breads or alcoholic beverages.
• 5. Notice that sweets make your symptoms worse or give you a "pick-up," followed by a "let-down."
• 6. Have symptoms of hypoglycemia.
• 7. Have taken birth control pills, prednisone, Decadron® or other corticosteroid drugs.
• 8. Have had multiple pregnancies.
• 9. Have been troubled by recurrent problems related to your reproductive organs, including abdominal pain, vaginal in­fection or discomfort, premenstrual tension, menstrual ir­regularities, prostatitis or impotence.
• 10. Are bothered by persistent or recurrent symptoms involving your digestive and nervous systems.
• 11. Have been bothered by persistent or recurrent athlete's foot, fungous infection of the nails or "jock itch."
• 12. Feel bad on damp days or in moldy places.
• 13. Are made ill when exposed to perfumes, tobacco smoke and other chemicals.1

Prolonged antibiotic use is believed to be the most important factor in the development of chronic candidiasis. Antibiotics suppress the immune system and the normal intestinal bacteria that prevent yeast overgrowth, strongly promoting the proliferation of candida. Systemic candidiasis is when candida spreads throughout the body, outside just the digestive tract, and it can be life-threatening.

Getting rid of candida and restoring the proper balance of healthy flora within one’s digestive system is no easy task. It takes a multifaceted approach to kill the yeast, promote the healthy microorganisms, and watching ones diet to prevent the yeast from feeding on excessive sugar.

The medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil are effective in killing off the yeast, but if this happens too quickly it can cause a “die-off” effect that is referred to as a Herxheimer reaction, which is the result of the rapid killing of microorganisms and absorption of large quantities of yeast toxins, cell particles, and antigens. Your symptoms may get worse before they improve.

Work up to 3 Tbs a day. Try taking 1 tsp the first day and increase by 1 tsp each day until taking 1 Tbs with each meal (3x/day).

Add it to hot tea or a smoothie, use it to stir fry, to cook eggs, or add it to your morning oatmeal (with cardamom, cinnamon and coriander)

Tom’s story illustrates this: I have only recently discovered coconut oil and want to relate how it caused a severe Herxheimer reaction. I've been battling a systemic Candida yeast infection for over ten years. I have the mutated (fungal) stage and it’s the toughest thing I've ever had to deal with. I recently read research reports out of Harvard and the University of Tennessee that this can be deadly and there are no pharmaceuticals for it that are effective. Candida yeast can overgrow in the gut under the right conditions until it mutates and becomes an invading pathogen, moves out of the gut and grows in mass in any part of the body.

When it affects a vital organ, then it can be deadly. I've tried everything from conventional drugs to all the natural remedies including caprylic acid but have never experienced a die off reaction as I did when I took the coconut oil and aerobic oxygen for about one week. I have subcutaneous masses on the scalp, face, buttocks, arms, and probably internally, that I can't see.

I applied the coconut [oil] heavily and would melt a large hunk in my mouth all during the day. My skin is starting to look better and I know from the reaction that it killed off a lot of Candida. The Herxheimer reaction is a welcome sign that you are doing something right. In cases where people are suffering with a chronic problem there may be a quick and somewhat adverse reaction. The "die-off effect," or Herxheimer Reaction, refers to symptoms generated by a detoxification process.

As the body begins to deal with dead microbes, one may experience a vareity of detox symptoms. I am now recovering from the reaction and will start another round of coconut oil. [This oil] is something I will not be without for the rest of my life. Brian, thanks for all your efforts in bringing this to market. Tom

(The Coconut Diet Forums, http://www.coconutdiet.com/forum.cfm)
To determine if you might suffer from Candida, Dr. W. G. Crook has developed a questionnaire that you can fill out.
http://www.coconutdiet.com/CANDIDAQUESTIONAIRE.rtf

Research

There is good research now that shows the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil kill candida yeast. Caprylic acid is one of the fatty acids found in coconut oil that has been used for quite some time in fighting candida yeast infections.

William Crook, M.D., the author of The Yeast Connection and the questionnaire above, reports that many physicians have used caprylic acid successfully for yeast infections and that it works especially well for those patients who have adverse reactions to antifungal drugs.
Besides caprylic acid, two other medium chain fatty acids found in coconut oil have been found to kill Candida albicans.
A study done at the University of Iceland showed "capric acid, a 10-carbon saturated fatty acid, causes the fastest and most effective killing of all three strains of Candida albicans tested, leaving the cytoplasm disorganized and shrunken because of a disrupted or disintegrated plasma membrane.
Lauric acid, a 12-carbon saturated fatty acid, was the most active at lower concentrations and after a longer incubation time."2 This study shows great promise that all the medium chain fatty acids in coconut oil work together to kill Candida albicans.

Another study was done in Nigeria in 2007, in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Parasitology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.
The purpose of the study: "The emergence of antimicrobial resistance, coupled with the availability of fewer antifungal agents with fungicidal actions, prompted this present study to characterize Candida species in our environment and determine the effectiveness of virgin coconut oil as an antifungal agent on these species."
Their conclusion: "It is noteworthy that coconut oil was active against species of Candida at 100% concentration compared to fluconazole. Coconut oil should be used in the treatment of fungal infections in view of emerging drug-resistant Candida species."3

The Coconut Diet Anti-Yeast Program

In addition to Virgin Coconut Oil, if you suspect that you have a candida yeast overgrowth, we strongly recommend you

• supplement your diet with strong probiotics to balance the flora in your intestinal tract and rebuild your immune system.
• eliminating refined sugars and simple carbohydrates that the yeasts feed upon.

At each step be aware that there could be “die-off” reactions as described above. Just slow down and decrease the rate of whatever you are doing at that time, or cut back altogether for a while, until your body adjusts.

References1. William G. Crook, M.D., The Yeast Connection, Vintage Books, 19862. Gudmundur Bergsson, et. al., In Vitro Killing of Candida albicans by Fatty Acids and Monoglycerides, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, November 2001, p. 3209-3212, Vol. 45, No. 113. Ogbolu DO, Oni AA, Daini OA, Oloko AP., In vitro antimicrobial properties of coconut oil on Candida species in Ibadan, Nigeria. Journal of Medical Food, June 2007, 10(2):384-7.

Swine Flu Vaccine Ready for First Responders. Guinea Pigs.

Today .... From HealthFreedonUSA.org

My body's my own.
It is not your lab!
Don't Take Me to Jail!
I WON'T TAKE YOUR JAB!
Baxter Bad Brew
Is Ready for You:
First Responders Go First.
Will They Get the Worst
In a Deadly Hot Lot
To Kill Them Off With Their Shot
Or Will Theirs Be Benign
Unlike Yours and Mine?

We have unconfirmed information that Baxter's promise of Swine Flu ready for use in the US by July was accurate and that First Responders are about to start receiving their untested, unsafe, uninsurable and unnecessary weaponized Swine Flu Vaccine. If true, it means that they become the guinea pigs for a truly horrific - and totally unnecessary - experiment.

Here is what Time Magazine said on July 13, 2009:
"WHO's vaccine experts recommend that countries decided that certain groups should get the vaccine first - like pregnant women, people with chronic respiratory problems or obesity, children, and possibly young to middle-aged adults, who have been disproportionately affected by the virus.
The decision to start vaccinating people against swine flu - which so far remains a mild virus in most people - will ultimately be a gamble, since there will be limited data on any vaccine. Until millions of people start receiving the shots, experts will not know about rare and potentially dangerous side effects."

Did WHO engineer the Swine Flu virus in the first place? We believe they did. Here's what Time says: "The swine flu viruses currently being used to develop a vaccine aren't producing enough of the ingredient needed for the vaccine, and WHO has asked its laboratory network to produce a new set of viruses [emphasis added - REL] as soon as possible." http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1910166,00.html

How to Get Enough Vitamin D

(Holick MF. Calcium and Vitamin D. Diagnostics and Therapeutics. Clin Lab Med. 2000 Sep;20(3):569-90)

How To Get Enough Vitamin D

(source: www.vitamindcouncil.org)

There are 3 ways for adults to insure adequate levels of vitamin D:

• regularly receive midday sun exposure in the late spring, summer, and early fall, exposing as much of the skin as possible.


• regularly use a sun bed (avoiding sunburn) during the colder months.


• take 5,000 IU per day for three months, then obtain a

25-hydroxyvitamin D test. Adjust your dosage so that blood levels are between 50–80 ng/mL (or 125–200 nM/L) year-round.

The Vitamin D Council offers an in-home testing kit to measure 25(OH)D, Vitamin D Levels.

CoQ10 Ubiquinol - Heart Disease, Liver Damage, Cancer

The following article is from Suzy Cohen, RPh

Ubiquinol - A Breakthrough for People With Heart Disease, Liver Damage and Concerns about Cancer

The most commonly recognized supplemental for of CoQ10 has been known as "ubiquinone" or "coenzyme Q10" Now, Japan's largest producer of CoQ10, Kaneka
(www.Kaneka.com) has found a way to stabilize a pure and BIO-IDENTICAL form of the nutrient.

It is called ubiquinol, and it's the downline metabolite of CoQ10.

In other words, it's the biologically ACTIVE version of CoQ10 so it's stronger, and it slips right into your cells. There is no need to worry about whether or not your body (and your gut) can convert the CoQ10 to it's active form (ubiquinol).

This is REALLY IMPORTANT:
As you age, not only do you produce less CoQ10, but your body becomes less efficient at converting CoQ10 to the active form - Ubiquinol

Certain people have a real hard time converting the CoQ10 to ubiquinol, especially people with diabetes, GI problems, autoimmune disorders, and those with heart disease.

So ubiquinol would be ideal for people who fit in this group.

But because you get higher plasma concentrations with ubiquinol, I recommend it for everyone.

It's definitely new and improved and worth it becuase ubiquinol is a powerful antioxidant that nourishes your muscle cells.

• It can help you with leg cramps, especially those related to the drug mugging effect of your medications (see below).


• It can improve the look of your skin,


• it can improve liver function and detoxification.


• It can increase ATP in the cells, so it's an energizing molecule...it's great for fatigue and low thyroid!!!

There are hundreds of medications which could be slowly stealing the life out of you. In fact, I wrote a book on the subject, called "Drug Muggers" and consider myself an expert on drug-nutrient depletion.

I believe that when a drug steals a nutrient, you will develop a new symptom. You may not realize that your new symptom is related to a drug-nutrient depletion and so Drug Muggers could really save you money, save your health and extend the quality of your life.

Please consider all the reasons why you might not be feeling as good as you used to, it's not always black and white, and based on some lab result.

There Are Absurdly Inexpensive Way to Feel Better
When it comes to your health, go with your intuition, and research the best you can.

Wouldn't that be wonderful? If you knew what medicines were depleting a nutrient, you could quickly fix that deficiency and hopefully erase the symptoms that plague you (without having to resort to more and more pills).

The following list of medications are those that can interfere with your heart-healthy nutrient, CoQ10 and therefore ubiquinol.

Read the list and see if you're medicine is on it.

I've tried to include as many international brand names as possible, but it helps if you know the "generic" name of your medicine.
With many wishes for great health, here is the BIG LIST of:
Drug Muggers of CoQ10 and therefore, UBIQUINOL

Gluten References

Order Magnets, Stickers, Keyrings like the one above from http://www.kidsaware.co.uk/

Here are 4 resources for you from Celiac.com

Unsafe Gluten-Free Food List

Deanna Polakowski has put together a free monthly recipe exchange for celiacs who are also diabetics. It is a recipe exchange that was started to help celiac-diabetics expand their limited menus. They have been exchanging some great recipes. If you would like to join the exchange, please e-mail her privately at: celiac1@JUNO.COM.

Free celiac.com email alerts

Celiac.com Podcasts

CoQ10

Some medicine like statins drugs, estrogen hormones, diabetic meds and certain antidepressants take CoQ10.

Without it you could get leg cramps, chronic fatigue and heart problems.

The following information is from http://www.mercola.com/

Read the entire article on Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)

Dr. Mercola:

I believe one of the key elements in the aging process
is free radical production. These free radicals are oxygen atoms deficient in
electrons that become highly reactive. This in turn causes potential damage to your tissues and DNA.

If you are over 25, your body becomes more and more challenged to
convert the oxidized Co Q10 to ubiquinol. Another very
important reason for using a Co Q10 supplement is to help boost your body's
cellular energy production.

Co Q10 helps facilitate the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy "currency for all your cells.

But if you're over 25, you need the reduced form of Co Q10, ubiquinol, to efficiently
do this.

Help you produce more energy for your cells
Act as a catalyst in your body's various chemical reactions, leading to the production
of energy.

* Ignite your body's engine by jump-starting energy production in
your cells.

* You'll enjoy your new-found energy and stamina levels.

* Boost your heart health

* Help strengthen your overall cardiovascular
system.

* Help maintain and balance the critical energy level needed in your
body's most vital muscle... your heart.

Act as an antioxidant to help
protect you from free radicals

* Provide your body with added defense against
oxidation stress to your cells, tissues, and organs.

* Help recharge other antioxidant nutrients to their active states -- and keep them working for you.

Help you reduce the signs of normal aging

* Help you potentially feel more alert and responsive.

* By keeping blood levels high in Co Q10, help you maintain your vitality.

Help you maintain blood pressure levels within the normal
range

* Promote healthy blood circulation in your body and a more efficient
heart.*
Research indicates maintaining proper levels of Co Q10 can help you
maintain normal blood pressure levels.

* Help promote your healthy immune system.

* Help support your immune system by providing a
defense against free radicals.

Support your nervous system

* Help promote an active mind.

Nothing beats having an active mind to help you deal with all of life's challenges --
and to help you make healthy decisions for your family.

Entire article

Obesity - a Risk Factor for Swine Flu

Obesity is a Risk Factor for Swine Flu

Friday, July 17, 2009 - Byron J. Richards, CCN

The Center for Disease Control is alarmed that obesity may make it much more difficult to fight off the swine flu.

Of ten severely ill swine flu patients at a Michigan Hospital, nine of them were obese. None of these patients have fully recovered.
“What this suggests is that there can be severe complications associated with this virus infection, especially in severely obese patients,” said CDC virus expert Dr. Tim Uyeki. “And five of these patients had ... evidence of blood clots in the lungs. This has not been previously known to occur in patients with severe influenza virus infections,” Uyeki said in a telephone interview.

Obese patients are already in a state of inflammatory excess from extra pounds of fat. Unfortunately, the same inflammatory signals are needed to mount an efficient immune response.
When that response is not efficient, then it can become exaggerated and result in multiple organ failure and in this case blood clots in the lungs.

Any person that is overweight should take this issue very seriously.
It should be understood that if you are on a good weight loss trend and have lost up to 20% of your extra weight and are continuing to lose weight consistently then your inflammatory problem is much better than someone who is stuck or gaining weight.
Technically, just heading in the right direction of weight loss and improved fitness is going to help any overweight person even if they haven’t lost all the weight they should. This gives everyone a few more months to work on this issue before what is likely to be a troubling flu season.

New Threat: Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Causes Deadly Pneumonia

Read Article:

New Threat: Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Causes Deadly Pneumonia

Saturday, July 18, 2009

by: S. L. Baker, features writerKey

-->(NaturalNews)

While the talking heads on TV have recently reported that thousands of people in the U.S. are now infected with the new "swine flu", or H1N1, there's another infectious disease problem brewing that has received little attention.

The over-use and abuse of antibiotics has produced antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According to the National Institutes of Health, over the past forty years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has changed from a usually controllable nuisance into a serious public health problem.

At first, it was primarily one of the most common hospital-acquired infections. But in recent years, new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often dubbed "super bugs", have popped up in communities and caused severe, even life-threatening infections in otherwise healthy people, involving the skin, heart, blood or bones.

Now a paper just published in the June edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases discusses an emerging and potentially deadly threat from community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) -- necrotizing, i.e. "flesh eating", pneumonia.

And according to previous research published in Nature News, this type of pneumonia is fatal in 75 percent of cases.

Healthy patients hit by flesh-eating

bacteria

Doctors at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta write in The Lancet Infectious Diseases article that CA-MRSA has become well known for causing skin and soft-tissue infections that are transmitted by person-to-person contact or contact with contaminated objects. However, now there are increasing cases of CA-MRSA caused pneumonia that kills lung tissue. And those becoming sick with the disease aren't necessarily the old and/or physically weak. In fact, according to the report from the Emory team led by Alicia Hidron, MD, an infectious diseases fellow and Henry Blumberg, MD, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Emory, CA-MRSA pneumonia appears to most commonly affect young and previously healthy patients.

Dr. Hidron and Dr. Blumberg also noted in their paper that, besides causing a high fever, CA-MRSA pneumonia can sometimes cause low blood pressure that progresses to septic shock and requires patients to be placed on mechanical respirators in order to breathe.

Another important point discussed in the article may turn out to have special relevance due to the emergence of H1N1 influenza, especially by the time flu season rolls around this fall: potentially deadly CA-MRSA pneumonia appears to occur most commonly following a flu-type illness.

Serious MRSA disease can strike anyone, regardless of age, health or where they live. Outbreaks have occurred among young athletes who play contact sports and among people living in close quarters, such as nursing homes, military facilities, nursing homes, and childcare centers.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases advises using these precautions to help prevent CA-MRSA infections:

• Practice good hygiene.

• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and bandage until healed.

• Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.

• Don't share soiled or used personal items, such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothes.

• Use hot water and bleach to wash soiled sheets, towels and clothes.

Reference:A.I. Hidron, C.E. Low, E.G. Honig, and H.M. BlumbergEmergence of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300 as a cause of necrotizing community-onset pneumonia. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 9, (2009)For more information:http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/...http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/an...http://www.bioedonline.org/hot-topi...

Vitamin D & Turmeric Help Ward off Alzheimer's

Reported on Fox news...
And in health news..New medical findings show Vitamin D and curry may help ward off Alzheimer's disease.

Researchers say properties of vitamin d and curcumin...which is found in the curry spice, turmeric, may help stimulate the immune system to clear the brain of plaques linked to Alzheimer's disease.

Vitamin d is found in sunshine exposure and can be consumed as a supplement.

Researchers hope the discovery will offer new preventive and treatment possibilities for alzheimer's.The study is published in the July issue of the journal of Alzheimer's disease.

MRSA Deadly Pneumonia

New Threat: Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria Causes Deadly Pneumonia
Saturday, July 18, 2009
by: S. L. Baker, features writerKey
concepts: MRSA, Bacteria and Disease
NaturalNews

While the talking heads on TV have recently reported that thousands of people in the U.S. are now infected with the new "swine flu", or H1N1, there's another infectious disease problem brewing that has received little attention.
The over-use and abuse of antibiotics has produced antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
According to the National Institutes of Health, over the past forty years, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has changed from a usually controllable nuisance into a serious public health problem.
At first, it was primarily one of the most common hospital-acquired infections. But in recent years, new strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often dubbed "super bugs", have popped up in communities and caused severe, even life-threatening infections in otherwise healthy people, involving the skin, heart, blood or bones.

Now a paper just published in the June edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases discusses an emerging and potentially deadly threat from community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) -- necrotizing, i.e. "flesh eating", pneumonia. And according to previous research published in Nature News, this type of pneumonia is fatal in 75 percent of cases.

Healthy patients hit by flesh-eating bacteriaDoctors at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta write in The Lancet Infectious Diseases article that CA-MRSA has become well known for causing skin and soft-tissue infections that are transmitted by person-to-person contact or contact with contaminated objects.

However, now there are increasing cases of CA-MRSA caused pneumonia that kills lung tissue. And those becoming sick with the disease aren't necessarily the old and/or physically weak.

In fact, according to the report from the Emory team led by Alicia Hidron, MD, an infectious diseases fellow and Henry Blumberg, MD, professor of medicine and epidemiology at Emory, CA-MRSA pneumonia appears to most commonly affect young and previously healthy patients.

Dr. Hidron and Dr. Blumberg also noted in their paper that, besides causing a high fever, CA-MRSA pneumonia can sometimes cause low blood pressure that progresses to septic shock and requires patients to be placed on mechanical respirators in order to breathe.

Another important point discussed in the article may turn out to have special relevance due to the emergence of H1N1 influenza, especially by the time flu season rolls around this fall: potentially deadly CA-MRSA pneumonia appears to occur most commonly following a flu-type illness.

Serious MRSA disease can strike anyone, regardless of age, health or where they live. Outbreaks have occurred among young athletes who play contact sports and among people living in close quarters, such as nursing homes, military facilities, nursing homes, and childcare centers. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases advises using these precautions to help prevent CA-MRSA infections:
• Practice good hygiene.
• Keep cuts and scrapes clean and bandage until healed.
• Avoid contact with other people's wounds or bandages.
• Don't share soiled or used personal items, such as towels, washcloths, razors, or clothes.
• Use hot water and bleach to wash soiled sheets, towels and clothes.

Reference:A.I. Hidron, C.E. Low, E.G. Honig, and H.M. BlumbergEmergence of community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain USA300 as a cause of necrotizing community-onset pneumonia. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 9, (2009)