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High Fructose Coin Syrup —User Beware!

TreeLite — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:46:23 +0000

The following information was taken from the magazine Alternatives by Dr. David Williams and is paraphrased so that I can share the key content of that article with you for your own information.
Several years ago the food industry began using the sweetener high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Many in the health industry praised the use of fructose, saying it didn’t cause the rapid swings in blood sugar like common sugar. One of the “benefits” of HCFS – that it doesn’t stimulate the release of insulin- may be just another of its problems. The release of insulin is one of the signals the body uses to monitor food intake and body weight.
Researchers at Louisiana State University and the University of North Carolina now report that HCFS consumption has increased 1,000 percent between 1970 and 1990, “far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or food group.” It now represents 40 percent of caloric sweeteners added to foods and beverages and is the primary sweetener now added to soft drinks. And data from the Department of Agriculture links the rise in obesity and Type 2 Diabetes directly to the increase of HCFS. Avoid HFCS like the plague it is!
Also keep n mind that soft drinks aren’t as harmless as they seem. In addition to their HFCS sweetener, you have the acid problem. The sweetener causes acid wastes after metabolism and adds to the phosphoric acid already in the soft drinks, and all this acid has a direct connection with the loss of minerals used to form health bones, teeth and muscles & tissues.
Recently it was reported at the Digestive Disease Week meeting in New Orleans that soft drink consumption may be linked to the increase in esophageal cancer that has been occurring in this country over the last 30 years. Since most cancers are linked to what we eat and drink, researchers began looking for major dietary changes over the last 50 years and found that during that rime soft drink consumption has increased by more than 450 percent!
In 1946 average soft drink consumption per person in the US was 10.8 gallons. In 2000 that increased to 49.2 gallons. During this same period, esophageal cancer has risen by 570 percent and is still rising!
Researchers then compared these trends worldwide and found that esophageal cancer has increased only in those countries where soft drink consumption has also increased. Countries where the annual consumption of soft drinks is below 10 gallons per person haven’t seen any increase, while countries with increased consumption all have corresponding increasing rates of esophageal cancer.
This certainly doesn’t prove that soft drinks cause esophageal cancer because there are a lot of other factors that have changed during this time too. However, I’m betting that if we watch closely we’ll see researchers find more clear links to the increased acid exposure of soft drinks. Here’s why;

Dr. Mohandas Mallath, head of the digestive diseases department at Tata Memorial Hospital in India, explains that carbonated soft drinks cause distension of the stomach and can trigger reflux of stomach acid into the lower part of the esophagus. Drinking a cup of water will only distend the stomach by a cup, whereas drinking a cup of carbonated soda can distend it twice that much. Dr. Mallath found that consumption of 350 ml (about one 12 oz. can) of carbonated soft drink a day results in 53.5 minutes of acid exposure that over the entire year would subject the esophagus to an additional 32,100 minutes of acid exposure.
A lot of folks think that drinking bottled fruit juices is a much healthier choice for them and their families. Because it’s not carbonated I’d say it’s an improvement over the soda, but that’s about all. I’d suggest that you look at the labels closely. Almost all of these list HFCS as their main component (first on the list of ingredients).
Need another reason to put down that can of soda?
The Nutrition and Healing team has already covered the connections between soft drinks & Alzheimer’s, cancer, aging, & all-around cell damage.
But here’s one more shocking side effect: drinking huge amounts of soda can lead to muscle weakness & even paralysis, according to Greek doctors.
Drinking 2 to 9 liters of soda per day can cause a chronic depletion of potassium. Now, 2 to 9 liters sounds like a lot (NINE!?), but the editorial that goes with the study comments that there’s not much doubt that tens of millions of people drink at least 2-3 liters per day.

Do Vaccines Really Protect Your Health?

TreeLite — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:54:34 +0000

Before You Get That Vaccine…..know that vaccines have some risks that may outweigh their benefits and that there are effective ways you can boost your immune system without taking a shot in the dark!

Vaccines are hailed as one of the miracles of modern medicine. They are credited with reducing the incidence of infectious diseases and saving lives. People have such strong faith in vaccines that governments have passed laws requiring children to be vaccinated to enter public schools. The number of available vaccines continues to grow and media messages everywhere encourage people to immunize themselves and their children.
There is also a growing body of people who are concerned about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines. They are opting not to immunize their children or get vaccines for themselves. These people point to a lack of objective scientific proof that vaccines really work and the serious side effects they can have. They also know the research that suggests that vaccines may be contributing to more serious health problems like cancer, autoimmune diseases and behavior and learning problems in children. These people feel the risks of vaccines outweigh the benefits.
It’s not our purpose to convince you not to vaccinate yourself or your children. That is a decision you should make for yourself after researching the facts. Our purpose is to present you with information for your consideration about the “dark side” of immunizations and some natural options for creating immunity.
But, before we do, let’s address the question, “Do vaccines themselves make you immune?” The answer may surprise you, but it is a most definite, “No!” The real truth is this:

Vaccines Don’t Make You Immune, Your Immune System Makes You Immune

That’s right! A vaccine doesn’t create immunity but challenges your immune system to mount a response to an artificially-created threat. The vaccine is a “weakened” form of the disease to which it is supposed to make you immune. If your immune system is strong enough, then it will create antibodies against the illness for which you are being immunized.
That’s because your immune system was designed to fight disease. When your body perceives the presence of organisms that don’t belong there, it mounts a response that fights the infection. After it has successfully defeated a particular infection, the body’s immune system retains the antibodies it used to fight that infection so it can readily destroy it again. This is what we call immunity.
So, the real hero in this story isn’t the vaccine, it’s the immune system. It is a strong immune system that enables a body to mount any immune defense, whether it is against the components of a vaccine or a normal infection. Therefore, the most important thing we can do to stay healthy, whether we choose to be vaccinated or not, is to maintain a strong immune system.
The fact that the immune system must mount a successful response to the vaccine in order for it to work is also the reason why vaccinations can “backfire.” If the immune system is too weak to mount an effective response, the compounds in the vaccine can damage the body, producing serious, and even life-threatening, consequences.

Building an Immune System That Kicks *#@!

We realize that the issue of vaccines is an emotionally “loaded” one. People in both camps—those who are for compulsory immunization and those who question the widespread use of these drugs—are very passionate about their positions.
However, one thing people on both sides of the fence should agree on is that it is important to maintain a healthy immune system. After all, a healthy immune system is essential to making a vaccine work, as we pointed out on page one. So, here are some tips for keeping your immune system strong, whether or not you choose to vaccinate.

Vaccines Won’t Make Up for a Poor Diet
When Weston Price, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, toured the world in the 1930s, he found native peoples living on their traditional diets rarely got sick. The nutritional density of their diets helped them have strong immune systems. If these same people started eating the foods of Western civilization (refined sugar and flour, processed oils and canned goods) they became more susceptible to disease.
So, our first line of protection against disease is to eat a diet of natural foods, avoiding refined and processed foods as much as possible. Vaccines can’t make up for a junk food diet, so be sure to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes, healthy fats and naturally-raised animal foods.

Take a ”Shot” of Pleasure in Life
There is ample research that demonstrates that our immune system responds to stress and our mood. Excessive anger, sadness, negativity and stress depress our immune function, while pleasure, hope, love, joy and laughter all enhance it. Even in difficult times like these, we should make the time to indulge in life’s little pleasures and find reasons for fun and laughter. If you eat a healthy diet and learn to fill your heart with love and joy, you’ll have a better “shot” at fighting off anything that comes your way.

“Shape Up” Your Immune System with Herbs

Unlike vaccines, which can only challenge your immune system, there are many herbs and supplements that can actually boost your immune system. Whether or not you choose to get vaccinated, doesn’t it make sense to boost your immune system to help it fight off whatever comes at you? Think of the following herbs and supplements as “coaches” for your immune system that will help whip it into tip-top shape.
For starters, let’s consider echinacea, one of the very best single herbs for boosting immunity. Echinacea can be used when infections are “going around” reducing your risk of getting them. You can take Echinacea Purpurea in capsules, or use the liquid Ultimate Echinacea, a combination of three different species of echinacea that puts the immune system on “hill alert.” Echinacea can be used as a preventive when infections are going around to keep children and adults from “catching” bacterial or viral infections. Echinacea also reduces inflammation and inhibits the spread of infection.
Elderberry Plus combines astragalus, elderberry and reishi into a chewable tablet that helps the cells to resist viral infection. It’s another excellent choice for keeping children healthy through the cold and flu season and can be taken daily for prevention.
For adults, one of the best products for stimulating the immune system is Immune Stimulator. This formula features beta-glucans and arabinogalactan, polysaccharides which stimulate an immune response similar to echinacea. You can also get the benefits of these immune-boosting substances, along with echinacea, in FizzActive Immune. These effervescent tablets are a fin and convenient way to give your immune system a boost.
Another great immune stimulant for adults is Trigger Immune. This formula is particularly valuable for the elderly or when a person feels generally tired and “rundown.”

Breast-feed Your Children
Mother’s breast milk transfers immune factors to infants and research shows that children who are breast-fed have healthier immune systems (and better cognitive development) than children who are bottle fed. An infant’s immune system is not very well developed, which is why nature provides us with a natural way to boost their immune system through a substance called colostrum, which is also available as an immune-boosting supplement.

Vaccines May Not Be Such a “Hot Shot”

The vast majority of Americans submit to vaccines without ever bothering to question either their efficacy or their safety. So, we’d like to present you with some of the issues raised by opponents of compulsory vaccination This information is not intended to constitute “proof,” but hopefully these ideas will spark your interest and motivate you to investigate the subject more thoroughly.
Vaccine Side Effects

Like any drug, vaccines have potential side effects as there are a number of highly toxic compounds in vaccines. The body’s immune system has to mount a response to build up antibodies against the weakened microbes in the vaccine, and it has to be able to detoxify from the mercury, formaldehyde and other compounds used to weaken the organisms.
But, what happens if the body’s immune system isn’t strong enough to do this? In that case, the vaccine can actually “backfire” causing serious damage to the body. This is not secret. All you have to do is read the warning label provided with the vaccine and look at the potential side effects. There is evidence that vaccines may be linked to all of the following conditions:

• Sudden infant death syndrome
• Mental retardation and autism
• Blindness and hearing impairment
• Respiratory diseases

• Seizures and paralysis
• Cancer and leukemia

Multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune disorders

Clearly, vaccines are not without risk. However, one can minimize vaccine risk, by following a few simple rules. First, don’t have vaccines if you or your child suffer from several allergies, have epilepsy or other conditions which might make you sensitive to vaccines or have a sibling that has had a bad reaction to a vaccine. You should be able to push for a medical waiver in these cases.
It is probably wise to postpone getting vaccines if you or your child has been recently ill or is severely weakened or physically depleted. Consider taking supplements like Ultimate Echinacea, Immune Stimulator and/or Trigger Immune to build up your immune system prior to getting a vaccine. Furthermore, babies don’t have a very strong immune system, so your children are much less likely to have a bad reaction to shots if you wait until they are at least two before getting them immunized.

Questioning the Effectiveness of Vaccines

For many people, questioning the efficacy of vaccines is like questioning the validity of their religious beliefs. But, it is important to remember that unlike other drugs, vaccines are not subjected to double-blind studies to determine their effectiveness. The reasons are obvious. It would not be moral to provide one group of people with the real vaccine and another group with a placebo and then expose both groups to an infection to see if the vaccine was effective. So, the “proof” of the efficacy of vaccines is theoretical and statistical. The decline in the incidence of contagious diseases is generally seen as proof that the vaccines work.

Researchers into the vaccine controversy have raised some serious questions with this hypothesis. We present some of their arguments in abbreviated form for your consideration.
For starters, opponents of vaccines point to the fact that most of the diseases were already on the decline before the vaccines were introduced. It is probable that improved sanitation has had more to do with the decline in contagious diseases than vaccines.
Secondly, because vaccines are assumed to work, medical doctors often overlook cases where an immunized person actually comes down with the disease. They are likely to assume the problem is something different and report it as such. For instance, some
searchers believe that multiple sclerosis (MS) is actually a form of polio contracted through vaccines. Cases of MS rose at the same rate cases of polio declined.
Thirdly, there is statistical evidence that vaccines may not always work. When the pertussis vaccine for whooping cough became mandatory, incidence went up 300%. There was a notable decrease in polio prior to the initiation of the vaccine; upon introduction, there was a rise in incidence. There are other similar cases of disease rates climbing with mandatory vaccination. There are also cases of outbreaks among fully immunized people.

Are the Risks Worth It?
In considering any medical therapy, we believe people should be fully informed about both the potential benefits and risks involved. That way they can make an informed decision as to whether they believe the potential benefits out-weigh the potential risks.
If you do some research, you may find that the risks for some vaccines are acceptable and choose to have them. For others, it may be clear that the risk of problems from the disease is statistically less than your risk of injury from the vaccine. To learn more, consult some of the resources below.

Additional Help and Information

If you have questions about vaccines consult some of the resources below:

Dr. Mary Reed Gates, CNHP, MH, ND EMAIL: MarysHerbs@aol.com Phone: 814-674-8835
It’s Not Such, a Hot Shot After All DVD with Steven Horne (www.treelite.com)
Or Leave us a comment and we will get right back to help you!

Vaccination Tips

If you decide to vaccinate your children, or have a vaccine yourself, it may be a good idea to take something to boost your immune system for a few days before the vaccine. For children, consider using Ultimate Echinacea and the Chewable Elderberry Plus. For adults, especially the elderly, Immune Stimulator and Trigger Immune would be good choices. For both children and adults you should also consider taking Super Omega-3 essential fatty acids and a multiple vitamin along with extra vitamin C.
After having a vaccine, take something to help the body detoxify from the solvents and heavy metals they contain. A good blood purifier like VS-C or All Cell Detox would be helpful. Vaccine Detox homeopathic can also be used by all ages to minimize side effects and aid the immune system in mounting a successful response to the vaccine. Since vaccines often contain heavy metals, Heavy Metal Detox, Algin, N-Acytel Cysteine and/or Alpha Lipoic Acid can also be considered as part of a heavy metal cleanse.
If you or your child has a reaction to a vaccine, such as a Fever or irritability, you should immediately report this to the doctor. They may tell you that it was not related to the vaccine, but you should have your concerns go on record.
You can use the same types of remedies you’d use to combat fevers, colds and flu. Elderberry Plus or Elderberry Defense would be good options. Yarrow and peppermint tea is a good choice for children who have a fever or act cranky and irritable after vaccines. An enema with Catnip & Fennel in the water can be helpful for bringing down fevers.

A Confession to you

Ty — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:03:55 +0000

My Dear HealthyChatter readers,

As you all have probably noticed, there haven’t been any new articles for quite some time and I have come before you all today to make my great confession! I have been SLAMMED with school work and unfortunetly, because this blog can sustain itself, I have pushed you, my faithful readers, to the bottom of my to-do list. Well, NOT ANY MORE! Here’s the ‘New Deal’, seeing that I have zero time to even do homework throughout the week I have decided to set aside some time on Saturday morning to give you folks a new article every weekend. And unless I have a big physics test to study for, like last weekend, I hope to have that weekly article out to you by around noon EST.

So, my dear readers, you may be consoled that I have not forgotten about you, or most importantly you health, so make sure you check back this weekend to see the new article I am working on that seems to be coming out at a good time, Do vaccines really protect your health?

Yours truly,

No related posts.

Shark Cartilage, a medicine??

Dr. Mary — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:00:57 +0000

Again, foods that other cultures have taken for granted has sparked the interest of natural health practitioners as well as scientists. It has been accepted for quite a while that shark cartilage contains important amino acids, protein, phosphorus, mucopolysaccharides (a type of carbohydrate) as well as being a good source of calcium. Historically it has been used to help nourish the immune system.
Recently after scientists have noticed that unlike all other animals, sharks do not get cancerous tumors, they realized that sharks must have a powerful immune system, some say the strongest of any other living organism. Further study has given a little insight on what attributes this phenomena. Sharks have a unique skeletal system made up of not bone, but cartilage. This cartilage contains no blood vessels but instead receives it’s nourishment from the nearby tissue. It was later discovered that when ingested that this cartilage inhibits blood vessels to grow (which is called antiangioqenesis) in whatever host that has ingested it.
This is exciting news to those who have diabetic retinopathy or has cancerous growths, because for these conditions to exist there needs to be a generation of new blood vessels. For instance, as a tumor grows it needs nourishment to feed it. Take away all of it’s nourishment by shutting off the generation of new blood vessels and the tumor will die.
Some say that this is the health breakthrough of the century. That may be debatable but what isn’t debatable is that shark cartilage is nontoxic and there are absolutely no known side effects.
Shortly after reports of this discovery were released animal activist took measures to protect sharks, therefore shark cartilage is very expensive, but some have speculated the possibility of sharks being raised like cattle to supply the world with this seemingly miracle cure, which hopefully will help lower its cost.
Some herbs (such as PauDarco) have historically been used to draw the bodies immune system attention to a tumor by increasing blood flow and toxin elimination to help shrink or annihilate it. Shark cartilage should not be used with this regimen because the two would be working against what the other is trying to accomplish.
As it is made known we will inform you of the many possibilities that shark cartilage may hold. In the mean time it is a great source of a variety of nutrients.

Alzheimer’s

Dr. Mary — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:23 +0000

There have been more than 2 1/2 million people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s’ disease after performing autopsies many have concluded that the major contributing factor is inorganic aluminum deposits that have been found in the hippocampus (part of the brain which stores information). It is believed that the information is still there and that just the ability to retrieve it is gone. Although this is not conclusive it makes sense to me that depositing metal in an electrical impulse system such as the brain can cause a type of short circuiting.
Common sense would dictate limiting future aluminum absorption. Many of us have thrown out our pots and pans made of aluminum but only through research was I aware of the vast source of aluminum such as:
Almost all beer and soda cans
Cooking, reheating or storing in aluminum foil.
Most underarm deodorants
Most antacids
Certain baking Powders
In some mixes such as: cake, flours, pickling
packs, frozen dough and dressing mixes
Many buffered aspirin
Many over the counter drugs
Some water softeners
Plants and organic sources of aluminum to my knowledge do not contribute in any way to Alzheimer’s.
If the inorganic aluminum theory is indeed the cause of Alzheimer’s then not ingesting or absorbing any of the above should drastically lower the chances of developing it.

Why the right food combinations are so important.

Dr. Mary — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:00:27 +0000

Various foods are digested in different areas of the body in different ways. Starches begin to break down in the mouth when they mix with enzymes in the saliva. As the food enters the stomach, proteins are broken down by HCL (Hydrochloric acid) If you drink before, during or after a meal you are diluting the HCL in your stomach which will inhibit or slow down digestion. If fruits or salad are eaten at the beginning of a meal and then followed up with a protein, this also inhibits digestion and assimilation. Protein should be eaten first so that the HCL can work on them immediately. You can then eat vegetables, but do not eat any fruit. Fruits cause an alkaline substance to be excreted which inhibits protein and starch digestion.
As food leaves the stomach and goes into the duodenum (upper part of the small intestine) it is acted upon by many different enzymes secreted by the pancreas, according to the type of food which the body is ingesting. At this point bile is received from the liver through the gallbladder to aid in digestion.
Friendly bacteria are essential for breaking down food and for the good health of your intestines. However they are destroyed or replaced by unfriendly bacteria when we ingest drugs (including those prescribed by a doctor) and the preservatives found in our foods today. The lack of friendly bacteria can cause many health problems.
Because of this marvelous and intricate digestive process it is better to watch combinations of food at any one meal. High acid and low acid foods for instance, should not be combined, nor should fruits and vegetables. Protein foods can be combined with vegetables: starches can be combined with vegetables to produce a fair balance. Fruits should be eaten alone, not combined with either starches or proteins. Melons should not be ingested with other foods, including fruits, for they require special enzyme action which other foods inhibit.

All this is really not as complicated as it sounds: it involves only some basic rules. The main thing to remember is that we must simplify. If we simplify the number of different foods served per meal and cut down on our food intake, the principle of food combination becomes easy.

What are Bioflavonoids?

Dr. Mary — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:06:20 +0000

Bioflavonoids aka Vitamin P is a vitamin (found in the white part of citrus fruit and in paprika) which often accompanies Vitamin C in foods. Indeed most of the health attributes allotted to Vitamin C are in fact produced by Bioflavonoids. Rutin is another element often found in foods containing Bioflavonoids and it now believed to be the element which actually protects the body from scurvy.

The Sugar That’s Good for You

Dr. Mary — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:00:06 +0000

A great ally in satisfying your sweet tooth in a healthy way is xylitol. Xylitol is a naturally-occuring 5-carbon sugar that has about the same sweetness as sucrose (table sugar) so it can be substituted one to one in recipes. However, it has 40% less calories than sucrose and 75% less carbohydrates than sucrose. That’s great news for people trying to lose weight.
Xylitol also has a very low glycemic index (7), which means it does not spike blood sugar or cause an insulin reaction. This makes it safe for both hypoglycemics and diabetics.
Even better, xylitol actually helps reduce carbohydrate cravings. So, it really does soothe that savage sweet tooth and help you in your battle to get over your addiction to sweets.
And, best of all, xylitol actually has some great health benefits of its own. Yeast and bacteria can’t feed on it, so it actually helps combat yeast infections and bacterial infections like sinusitis, middle eat infections and periodontal (gum) disease.
Xylitol encourages re.-mineralization of bones and teeth. This makes it helpful in preventing and reversing osteoporosis. It also gives it a double action against tooth decay. It not only inhibits plaque formation by reducing levels of harmful bacteria in the mouth; it actually helps teeth to increase their resistance to cavities.
The Nature’s Sweet Life line includes high quality Bulk Xylitol, as well as xylitol-sweetened gum, mints and chocolate bars. When that craving for a sweet treat comes, try chewing a piece of Xylitol Cinnamon, Peppermint or Spearmint Gum. For a breath mint or quick treat, try Xylitol Berry, Lemon or Peppermint Mints. There are also two flavors of chocolate bars, plain and dark orange. Using these natural candies can give you your “sweet fix” and improve your health at the same rime.

Soothing Your Sweet Tooth The Healthy Way

Dr. Mary — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:27 +0000

Giving up sweets “cold turkey” is about as hard as quitting smoking. Refined sugar is actually highly addictive. So, rather than denying yourself any sweets at all, it’s best to soothe that savage sweet tooth with something a little healthier.
Try making cookies, cakes, brownies and other treats using whole grain flours (whole wheat pastry flour, brown rice flour, etc.) and natural sweeteners such as freeze-dried sugar cane juice, raw sugar, real maple syrup and raw honey. These sugars contain B-vitamins and other nutrients that the body needs to process sugar. This makes the treats made with them more satisfying to the body, so you’ll eat less of them.
If you don’t have time to make such treats yourself, buy some treats at the health food store or in the health food section of your grocery store. These healthier versions of goodies are becoming increasingly easy to find.

The Good News About Chocolate

Dr. Mary — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 14:00:33 +0000

If you crave chocolate now and then, there is good news for you. Cacao, the cocoa part of chocolate, actually has a lot of health benefits.
For starters, cacao is one of the richest sources of antioxidants on the planet- Antioxidant effects are measured as ORAC values (oxygen-radical absorbing capacity) and dark chocolate’s ORAC value is one of the highest ever measured. Chocolate also contains flavonoids that help keep blood vessels elastic.
Your craving for chocolate is probably pretty natural because chocolate has some mood-elevating chemicals such as phenyl eth >‘lamine Chocolate also raises serotonin levels in the brain and appears to influence endorphins and oxytocin, neurotransmitters – associated with pleasure and intimacy.

If you’re worried about tooth decay, chocolate actually contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay of course this effect is negated by eating chocolate loaded with refined sugar. In Fact, the only unhealthy thing about chocolate is the sugar and other additives that are usually mixed with it.
Fortunately, Nature’s Sweet Life offers two flavors of chocolate bars sweetened with xylitol, so you can get the health benefits of chocolate without the negative effects of refined sugar. There are two flavors to choose from: Plain Dark Chocolate and Memory Orange Dark chocolate. These treats offer a way to satisfy that chocolate craving with something that is actually good for you.