Protect yourself naturally by improving GUT flora Part Two

We have four hundred to five hundred types of bacteria living in our intestinal tract. Some of these are good bacteria and some of these are bad bacteria. When we eat properly the ratio of good to bad bacteria remains around 85% good to 15% bad.

Most Americans don't have nearly enough of the good bacteria. Now let's discuss what you can do to to improve your good gut flora.

I. Add probiotics to your daily diet and supplement regime -

Probiotics not only make it harder for the bad bacteria to overtake the good bacteria, which helps strengthen out immunity, they also improve many digestive functions. Some of the benefits of probiotics are;
• Contain high amounts of aerobic bacteria which compete with e.coli and staphylococcus auerus, two food poisoning agents
• Yogurt/Kefir both contain high amounts of biotin a B Complex vitamin
• Miso, tamari, tempe all contain vitamins A, B-complex and K.
• Probiotics contain high amounts of health building enzymes
• Act as anti-carcinogens and have powerful anti-tumor effects
• Help digest and absorb certain types of carbohydrates
• Help control high cholesterol
• Protects against pollution and radiation damage
• Help produce vitamin K and the B Vitamins and promote mineral absorption
• Aid metabolism and the breakdown of toxins
• Starve out bad bacteria and bring you body into balance for proper nutrient absorption and elimination of wastes.
• Help prevent allergies by training your immune system to distinguish between pathogens and friendly or non-harmful antigens.
• Help to enhance bowel function by improving peristalsis and increasing transit time
• Help keep female hormones in balance. 60 percent of the circulating female hormones such as estrogen are excreted into the GI tract in the bile.

Probiotics are found in the following (naturally fermented) foods:
Yogurt
Sauerkraut
Pickles
Kefir (made from either cow, goat, soy milk & also from green coconuts)
Tofu
Miso
Tamari
Lassi (a fermented dairy drink)
Chinese green tea

I always recommend using a supplement in addition to eating probiotic rich foods. If you supplement you want to make sure the supplement includes at least five different strains of the following and has at least 5 Billion of each strain per day.
• Bifidobacterium lactis: a friendly bacteria often found in yogurt that is known to help stimulate immune responses.
• Lactobacillus acidophilus: guards the health of your entire digestive tract.
• Bifidobacterium longum: keeps your digestive system running smoothly, and helps enhance your immune system.
• Bifidobacterium bifidum: helps promote a healthy balance of flora in your intestine.* This organism is especially helpful for enhancing immune response.*
• Lactobacillus casei: works with other helpful organisms, and helps to encourage the growth of other "good" bacteria.
• Lactobacillus plantarum: helps to ensure that the nutrients in vitamins and supplements are getting to your cells.

II. FOS = fructooligosaccharides are a fiber-like substance which feeds the bifidobacteria in the intestines. FOS are prebiotics and are also found in food. These work with probiotics and have been found to be important in that they produce short chained fatty acids essential for cell maintenance and repair. Many supplements now contain FOS in their formulations.

Here are some foods containing FOS;
Jerusalem artichoke, onions, chicory, garlic, leeks, fruit (especially banana), soybeans, peas, legumes, eggplant, burdock root, asparagus, sugar maple, Chinese chive and rye and whole wheat (small amounts).


III. Get plenty of Enzymes –
Enzymes work with probiotics to improve our resistance to pathogens.

• Enzymes are essential for life.
• Enzymes occur in all living things; all plants and animals.
• Researches have identified more than 3,000 enzymes in the human body.
• Enzymes are catalysts. Catalysts are substances that initiate a chemical reaction, enabling a substance to proceed under different conditions such as a lower temperature.
• Enzymes are very specific. Each enzyme promotes just one type of chemical reaction.
• Our bodies require enzymes in order to function, repair injury and to fight off pathogens. Our ability to fight off disease is directly related to strength and number of enzymes in our bodies.

Benefits of enzymes

• Essential for proper digestion of nutrients from foods
• Increases nutrient absorption
• Improves immunity and the bodies own ability to fight off pathogens
• Aids in detoxification
• Aids in weight loss and management
• Helps re-build and repair cells, tissues and maintain homeostasis
• Works with probiotics to restore proper friendly bacteria to unfriendly bacteria ratios important for immune health.

How enzymes work-
Enzymes make our digestive system work. No matter what we consume it’s protein, fat or carbohydrate. The body requires enzymes to convert these foods into nutrients our bodies need though the digestive process. They also transport nutrients, carry away toxic wastes, purify the blood, deliver hormones, balance cholesterol and triglycerides, nourish the brain, build protein into muscle and feed and fortify the endocrine system.

Metabolic enzymes occur naturally in the body and act as catalysts enabling us to see hear, feel, move and think. Metabolic Enzymes speed up the chemical reaction within the cells for detoxification and energy production.

Another type of enzymes comes from food. Food enzymes come from the food we eat. All fruit and vegetables come equipped with their own enzymes needed to digest them. The foods with the highest food enzymes are mango, papaya, banana, pineapple and avocado, but all raw fruits and vegetables ad sea vegetables contain live enzymes. Lemons, limes and grapefruits are also high in digestive enzymes.


The three main types of enzymes are;

Proteases are enzymes which decompose protein. Protein is made up of amino acids. Each protein enzyme works on only a specific amino acid.

Lipases decompose fats. The lipid family includes triglycerides (fats & oils), phospholipids (lecithin) and sterols (cholesterol).

Amylases decompose carbohydrates such as sucrose, lactose, fructose, starches, as well as several other sources of carbohydrates.

Foods that are rich in enzymes and aid digestion:

All fresh fruits and vegetables contain enzymes!
Apples
Carrots
Grapes
Lemons/limes
Grapefruit
Onions
Garlic
Sprouted raw seeds and nuts
Raw honey
Pineapple
Papaya
Guava
Figs
Ginger root
Kiwi
Asparagus
Barley
Wheat
Rice bran
Sea Vegetables (Nori & dulse)
Green beans
Tomatoes
Oranges
Raw honey
Spinach
Sprouts
Watermelon

IV. Enzyme supplements

Taking enzyme supplements may be beneficial in helping you restore your body’s ability to repair itself. This is especially true for those who have not eaten properly, have undergone surgery, are under digestive distress, or are suffering from chronic health conditions. There are many high quality supplements available today. Look for a supplement which contains proteases, lipases and amylases. There are also special enzyme formulations that target specific health conditions such as allergies, inflammation, cognition etc....

Conclusion:
Moving toward a diet that is based on fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouted nuts, seeds, naturally fermented foods and whole grains help restore the proper balance of good to bad bacteria. Current research advocates eating 70 -80% raw foods with the remaining 20-30% in cooked form. Most Americans are far from this.

The immune systems job is to repair and restore. To do this each cell transformation requires many steps which can only happen when enzymes are available. Eating a diet rich in whole fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, naturally fermented foods and high quality protein sources ensures our body will have what it needs to maintain a strong immune system naturally. Both enzymes and probiotics help improve transit time which lessens accumulation of wastes in the GI tract. This in turn reduces the risk of chronic disease.

Links –

www.sayingnotovaccines.com

www.theflucase.com

http://www.healingcrow.com/index.html

http://www.wildfermentation.com

Books –

Enzymes and Enzyme Therapy by Dr. Anthony J. Cichoke

Micro Miracles by Ellen W. Cutler, D.C.

Dr. Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care, Dr. Bernard Jensen

Note: colonics are used by many people to help eliminate built up waste material in the colon. If you are considering colonics be sure who ever you go to has been trained properly. You can also give yourself a colonic by purchasing a “colema” board and supplies and do it yourself at: home. www.bernardjensen.com

Protect yourself naturally by improving GUT flora

This is the first of two posts on boosting immunity naturally.

Did you know that between 70-80% of our immunity resides in our gut? This means that having a robust immune system is very dependent upon gut health.

As we enter “flu season” you may be considering obtaining a flu vaccine. Before you make your decision I hope you will consider that you have another option, and that option is to improve your existing immunity through improved digestive health.

So how does our immune system get compromised in the first place?

• Over processing of foods strips food of important nutrients and fiber. Americans currently eat on average only 12 grams of fiber a day while our need for fiber is three times that amount. Fiber is critical to help our bodies manufacture short chained fatty acids which protect us against diseases of the colon. Commercial food processing techniques destroy nutrients and kills enzymes.
• Healthy fats have been replaced with less healthy oils including the creation by the food industry of hydrogenated oils.
• Omega -3 fatty acids found in seafood, grain, nuts and seeds are lacking in most Americans SAD diets. These essential fatty acids are needed for growth, healing, reduction of pain and inflammation, healthy skin, reproduction, nervous system functioning and overall well being.
• Commercial farming techniques rob soil of micro nutrients. Commercial farming relies on synthetic fertilizer which in effect kills the soil. Prior to chemical fertilizers being used in farming crops were rotated which helped encourage microorganisms. Commercial farming and over use of fertilizers depletes antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, Selenium nitric oxide, glutathione and carotenoids.
• Organic produce has consistently been proven to contain higher nutrients that commercially processed foods. Pesticides used in commercial farming also create numerous health hazards due to the neurotoxic effects on our nervous systems.
• Long distance transportation of food necessitates picking produce before it’s ripe. Long distance transport of our food means that many nutrients are lost during transit time, not to mention the taste of food is less vibrant. Another drawback to long distance transportation of food is that most Americans have no idea how to eat seasonally since out of season produce is readily available all year long. Consider that asparagus – which is normally an early spring crop, is available year long no matter where you live. This is just one example.

The SAD (Standard American Diet) consists of predominantly processed and over cooked food devoid of living enzymes. Most American still do not eat naturally fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, tamari and tempe on a regular daily basis. Pasteurization of many dairy foods removes any beneficial bacteria.
Most vinegars sold on the market today contain sulfates, a preservative so even if you can your own pickles and make your own sauerkraut, unless you are using a preservative free vinegar you are not getting the benefit of live enzymes and probiotics in food.

Did you now that antibiotics can kill a significant percentage of beneficial bacteria in the intestines?

The amount killed is largely dependent upon whether they are narrow-spectrum or wide-spectrum antibiotics and how long they are used for. If you are forced to use antibiotics, use narrow-spectrum antibiotics for as short a time as possible and subsequently take probiotic supplements.

Our modern diets are built around consuming primarily cooked foods vs. raw, fresh foods n their natural state. Moving toward a diet that is based on fresh fruits, vegetables, sprouted nuts, seeds and whole grains helps restore the proper balance of good to bad bacteria.

Current research advocates eating as much as 70 -80% raw foods with the remaining 20-30% in cooked form. Most Americans are far from this. All of this sets us up for an imbalance in our intestinal flora.

We each have 400 to 500 types of bacteria living in our intestinal tract. Some of these are good bacteria and some of these are bad bacteria. When we eat properly the ratio of good to bad bacteria remains around 85% good to 15% bad. However, most of us actually have many more bad bacteria living in our gut than 15%. This imbalance manifests itself in many common health conditions, such as;

Diarrhea
Urinary tract infections
Vaginal infections
Lactose intolerance
Hypertension
Cancer
Allergies
Kidney stones
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic Fatigue syndrome
Liver disease
Bacterial and fungal infections
Digestive disorders such as -
Leaky gut syndrome
IBS
Candida
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lactose intolerance

And of course a compromised immune system leaves us more susceptible to catching every virus that goes around.

In my next post I'll lay out just what you an do to avoid this imbalance and improve your odds of staying healthy during flu season and all year long.

Menopausal Hot Flashes and CNS neurotransmition linked

Could relief be as easy as simple amino acid supplementation?

Women around the world experience vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) as they enter and complete the menopause transition. Hot flashes, are caused by a narrowing of the thermoneutral zone in the brain. This effect, once thought strictly related to to estrogen withdrawal, is most likely related to changes in central nervous system neurotransmitters.

The latest development in management of hot flashes indicates that selective serotonin and selective nor epinephrine reuptake inhibitors and gabapentin may influence some control over hot flashes. While estrogen replacement therapy has long been the protocol used to treat menopausal hot flashes this new research suggests to me that their may be a role for amino acid supplementation therapy to help reduce hot flashes! I am currently testing this on myself by using 5-HTP, and GABA before bedtime. The report states that - "Of the other interventions investigated, selective serotonin and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and gabapentin show efficacy greater than placebo. Objective monitoring of hot flushes indicates a robust improvement with hormone replacement therapy but little to no change with placebo"

Additionally, based on preliminary reports, women experiencing hot flashes have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and a reduced incidence of breast cancer.

You can read the abstract here:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21848495?dopt=Abstract

Cancer is Curable Now!

Who among us has not been touched by the tragedy of cancer?

Cancer wards are teaming with cancer patients from every age, race, and walk of life. It has reached epidemic proportion. Conventional medical treatment presents three options, poison, burn or cut yet we know their are CURES that exist that are NOT being presented to us!

This new film is all about those cures and the money trail of the AMA and BIG PHARMA who does not really want to see you get cured unless they can make a buck off you. Ask anyone who's been through the "system' and they will tell you that is what it feels like to them.

Here's a quote from the film's producers:

"I don't know how long it's going to take but I think conventional medicine, as we know it, will be dead and gone within the next 20 years. M.D.'s will either be nonexistent or they'll have learned about supplements, good nutrition, hyperthermia, ozone therapy and all the rest of the treatments they now call quackery!"

Did you now that statistics show there's no proof that a mastectomy — removal of the whole breast — extends the life of breast cancer patients, yet doctors go right on doing it. The women are scarred for life. Does that kind of treatment deserve the term "Medieval"? I think so.

Another doctor, from Denmark, cites a German study of women over age 80 with breast cancer. Those who received no treatment lived eleven months longer on average than those who received conventional cancer treatments.

See the film - it might save your life or life of a loved one.

About the Movie | (Official Site) Wake Up Cancer is Curable Now

Under the guise of consumer protection...

Or -is something more sinister at work with the FDA?

Under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) signed into law January 2011, the New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notifications requirements to the FDA will force supplement manufactures to prove new methods of formulation are safe - sounds reasonable right? There is more. This new law will also remove many of the previously grandfathered in "safe" ingredients.

The FDA breaks down the nutritional components into ODI's and NDIs. Old dietary ingredients (ODIs) are nutritional ingredients(herbal extracts and nutrients), that were sold prior to 1994. NDI's are supposed to be completely new compounds.

NDI's are often hybrids of nutrients – never before seen in nature in exactly that form. FYI - many "safe nutrients" are often combined with other safe, natural substances that help the mineral or vitamin’s absorption. These benign compounds be considered “new” when compared to products of genetically engineered bacterial fermentation, for example.

This means that if a new manufacturing process, extraction method or plant part is used, then it will now be considered a new dietary ingredient and thus required for testing.

Why would this pose any problem you ask?

Because this added regulation point to the real intent of the FDA - to use these side-door and back-door routes to undermine and effectively dismantle DSHEA, the law that protects our right to safe and effective dietary supplements.

If FDA were allowed to interpret the law in this way, it would endanger thousands of products and scores of categories of supplements, extracts and tinctures. The ones that survived would be locked into pre-1994-era processing and manufacturing standards ( outdated, nferior and less safe in many instances. Future development of innovation would be almost totally blocked, since any new advances used with existing ingredients would require participation in the draconian NDI notification process.

What can you do? File a comment with the FDA telling them to withdraw this notification as it is an outrageous, and unacceptable, approach to re-classifying hundreds, if not thousands, of safe dietary supplement ingredients. If you agree, let the FDA know that you will not stand for this egregious attempt to roll back the clock on innovation by nearly 20 years, to grievously harm the health food industry and to set the stage for far less choice and for virtually no more cutting edge products going forward.

You can read the entire op-ed by By James Gormley, Senior Policy Advisor, Citizens for Health at this link:

What’s old is new again? The FDA takes aim at modern science and innovation

Hypertension risk should be based on ratio of sodium to potassium and not sodium intake alone

Studies have shown that individuals with high sodium and low potassium intake have a higher risk for hypertension, and hypertension is related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and mortality.

An analysis of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)looked at the effect of high sodium intake on the risks of cardiovascular disease mortality; including hypertension risk. Importantly the analysis also looked at the association of the ratio between sodium and potassium intake and the risks for cardiovascular disease mortality.

Functionally trained practitioners have been talking about this with their patients for some time. We know there is a correlation between eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits and legumes and having a lower incidence of hypertension vs. eating a diet of mostly processed foods which increases risk for hypertension. The 15-year follow-up study, done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA and published in the July 1011 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine confirmed that people with the highest ratio of sodium to potassium in their diet had a significantly increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared with those who had the lowest ratio of sodium to potassium intake.

"This is the first large, nationwide study where we followed a pretty big cohort of people and looked at sodium and potassium at the same time," coauthor Dr Elena V Kuklina (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) told heartwire .

"The major implications of our findings are that a diet balanced in both micronutrients is important. People should try to reduce sodium in particular by consuming less processed food, but also they should increase potassium intake, and this is easily done by eating more fruit and vegetables and dairy products, which are a good source of potassium and low in sodium. This is nothing new; a healthy diet is good for your health." (I say AMEN!)

Kuklina stresses that people must understand the massive impact that processing has on foods: for example, 100 g of unprocessed pork contains 61 mg of sodium and 340 mg of potassium, she notes, but turning this into ham alters that ratio significantly, to yield a whopping 921 mg of sodium and, to boot, reduces the potassium content to 240 mg. (Well duh!)

In an accompanying editorial [2], Drs Lynn D Silver and Thomas A Farley (New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NY) agree: "It is crucial that we understand the interplay of sodium and potassium in the diet and how to optimize intake in an increasingly processed food supply without generating harm."

Sodium/Potassium Ratio of <1 Is Protective


Some of the findings "are not new," says Kuklina. "We know for sure the relationship between sodium and hypertension, although there is a little bit more inconsistency when it comes to sodium and CVD mortality. And we know that higher potassium is protective against hypertension, but much less is known about potassium intake and cardiovascular disease and mortality."

We found that potassium does matter.

The results show that sodium/potassium ratio of <1 is protective, she says: "We found that potassium does matter."

Here is just one more reason to eat your veggies!
You can read the full research here:
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/746360?src=cmemp

How about eggs?

Do you make an effort to buy humanely raised eggs? Think organic, free range are all humanely raised?
This research might surprise you - it did me! Egg cartons are covered in statements that are confusing and often misleading. If you are not able to buy farm direct, the Cornucopia Institute has developed an "Organic Egg Scorecard" that provides accurate information.

What quickly becomes obvious is that just because eggs are "organic" doesn't mean they are humanely raised. In fact, there are "organic" factory farm operations with more than 80,000 "organic" hens in a single building.

The second thing the Organic Egg Scorecard reveals is exactly which brands of eggs found in your local stores are produced using the best organic practices and with the most ethical regard for the hens.


The Cornucopia Institute

Michigan Nutrition News!

Send Your Comments to Lansing!

The Office of Regulatory Reinvention has been set up to review all existing regulations in order to identify those that are unnecessary, burdensome, and counterproductive to promoting economic growth. They are soliciting comments from citizens like YOU. We know they are looking closely at PA333, the Dietetics/Nutrition Licensure Law, and public comment will play a significant role in it's future. Your voice really matters here, so please take 5 minutes and put your opinions in writing. Comment on the Dietetics/Nutritionist Licensure Law Note: The form asks for "Applicable rule or rule set; fill in "PA333 Dietetics Licensure Law"



If you can tie in your personal or opinions story about nutrition to any of these themes it will send a powerful message.



This regulation will put many hundreds of people out of work and make MIchigan hostile to those considering nutrition-related businesses.
Michigan needs more, not fewer nutrition care providers of varying backgrounds to implement stronger preventive health programs and reduce the costly burden of chronic disease to our state. This law reduces those resources.
Dietitians are employed primarily in hospitals, nursing homes and government programs and this law disproportionately affects the employment of those non-dietitian nutritionists who are entrepreneurs serving the community at large.
Citizens who are better educated about nutrition support other related businesses such as small farms, farmer's markets, artisan food makers, health food stores and food businesses, nutraceutical manufacturers. We need a business climate that promotes diverse entrepreneurship and strengthens our agricultural base.
Americans currently have free access to an unlimited amount of nutrition and supplement information in any number of forms. Consumers are protected by consumer protection and malpractice laws and should have the right to make their own decisions about the kind of practitioner they choose to see without government interference. People are harmed by bad nutrition not by learning how to eat well.
Health Care spending is a big part of our nation's current debt crisis; we need to focus on job creation is a sector that can really lower long-term spending on health care.
Please don't put this off, do it now! Comment on the Dietetics/Nutritionist Licensure Law
Again, where the form asks for applicable rule or rule set type in "PA333" or Dietetics Licensure Law

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Michigan-Nutrition-Association.html?soid=1103531196550&aid=y3xzfjFtH-I

Be kind to your liver!

Everybody knows you can't live with out a liver - right? But, I bet you didn't know the health of your liver is directly connected to ALL chronic health conditions. Did you know that poor liver health is the biggest reason so many people can't seem to lose weight?

The liver is an incredible workhorse for the body and it acts as the body's major filtration and detoxification system. The liver is truly amazing! The liver functions as part of our digestive system by breaking down fats, proteins and carbohydrates from food we eat. All hormones,chemicals (including medications),environmental toxins, bacteria, viruses, fungus and parasites must be filtered through the liver.

Many of us (if not most of us) were raised in a time before there was much awareness of environmental toxins or any real understanding of the health hazards of commercially produced food. Just thinking back on the toxic household cleaning products my mother used in our home when I was growing up makes me grimace!

Years of eating commercial raised produce and livestock and exposure to toxic household cleaning products,eventually over stress the liver and it can't do it's job as a part of the digestive system and this is a major contributor to difficulty in losing weight.

Toxic Overload-
All those years of toxic overload begin to damage the liver and the toxins that normally get filtered out start to re-circulate through the body. This re-exposes glands to damaging compounds. Just consider how many medications you have been given over the years that have been found to be harmful and have been pulled off the market! Plus our livers were never designed to process synthetic hormones like estrogen or bovine growth hormones, OTC medications like NSAID's,or artificial sweeteners derived from pesticides like aspartame.

Reduce your toxic load-
This means of course its vitally important to takes steps to reduce the burden of toxins your liver is exposed to though daily living. And, this is one reason the top health experts agree that eating naturally raised livestock and organically grown produce is so important to overall health. These foods are free from man made toxins, plus they are complete and nutrient dense "fuel" for the body.


The Weight and Liver Connection -
If you have ever seen anyone with a pot belly you know that person has a congested liver. This is called edema. This is because the area in the abdomen becomes filed with liquid from the liver that cannot process protein properly. The only way to address this problem is to change the quality of the protein you eat from commercially raised to naturally raised. If you have a protruding pot belly begin by switching to quality protein and eliminate high fat foods and gluten containing grains. This is an essential step in beginning to repair your liver. Next you need to add foods that sooth and support the liver so it can do it's job again. Green leafy vegetables are rich in minerals and help ease a congested liver. Healthy fats such as avocados, raw coconut oil and raw nuts are beneficial too. There are many other good foods to help repair a clogged liver these are only a few.

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Nourish-Holistic-Nutrition-Therapy.html?soid=1103840564316&aid=JCSCJdmebqQ

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-Nourish-Holistic-Nutrition-Therapy.html?soid=1103840564316&aid=JCSCJdmebqQ

Magnesium in Neurological Diseases and Emotions

Fascinating information about magnesium to help with so many diseases - even cancer....


Magnesium in Neurological Diseases and Emotions

Why Antidepressants Don’t Work for Treating Depression

Dr. Mark Hyman has just written about unpublished evidence the pharmaceutical industry has hidden from the public confirming what many already know - anti-depressants don't solve depression issues! The reason they don't work are that they do not address the underlying cause of why a person is depressed. The "symptoms" of depression can vary from person to person and this "diagnosis" is very broad. Besides hidden food allergies, which a common cause of depression linked symptoms, vitamin, mineral and amino acid deficiencies or excesses play a leading role in why a person is depressed.Hormones (for both men and women) also can create depression related symptoms. Finding and correcting these imbalances is what functional nutrition & medicine aims to do.Click on the link below to read Dr. Hyman's thoughts on this subject.

Why Antidepressants Don’t Work for Treating Depression

Why is Lansing Playing Monopoly With Our Health?

Did you know that a law passed in 2006 has the potential to restrict your right to choose who you go to for nutritional counseling? Click on the link to read more -

Playing Monopoly With Our Health

Please also see the Michigan Nutrition Association's website here:

Are legislators poised to end natural supplement censorship?

You have no doubt read all the bad news about limiting your freedom to choose holistically oriented health care - now it seems we have three new bills being introduced for a vote in Washington that may actually make it easier for us to choose holistic care over allopathic care. Here are the three bills:

The Free Speech About Science Act of 2010 (H.R.4913)
What it does: permit the free exchange of legitimate scientific evidence showing that food, herbs and vitamins hold therapeutic, healing power.

The Freedom of Health Speech Act (H.R.3394)
What it does: stops the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from being able to freely and arbitrarily prosecute food and supplement manufacturers for making legitimate health claims. It will force the FTC to prove a claim is false before they can prosecute.

The Health Freedom Act, (H.R.3395)
What it will do: puts the burden of proof on the FDA to convince a court that a claim is false before being able to pursue a company for making health claims.

Why is this so important?
An important reason for showing evidence of a specific nutraceutical product is that using published researched studies and peer reviewed articles is the way the scientific and allopathic medical community evaluates methods and protocols to treat various disease conditions. Right now just as published scientific research studies are done on pharmaceutical drugs so too are they being done on many supplements. This is especially true for those supplement companies who are more reputable and of higher grade.

Each time a micro nutrient or herb is tested in a trial or in vivo (in animals) or in human trials it scientifically verifies these products are effective (and often more effective than pharmaceuticals).

The allopathic medical and scientific communities are slow to change but this is how they will begin to acknowledge, accept and begin adopting more functional methods of treatment and prevention. And ultimately, this is how the current "sick care system” will evolve to be a true "well care system".

Once documentation is legally allowed and you can take this to your doctor when he/she questions why you are following a program based on whole foods, nutrition, supplementation etc, the Medical Schools will be forced to properly train/re-train their students and practitioners in the field of functional nutrition.

This is called a paradigm shift.

This website provides an easy way for you to contact your legislator in support of these important bills: http://truehealthclaims.citizens.org

Further information can be found here:

Help end criminalization of vitamin, supplement makers in America

Fatty acids in disorders of neurodevelopment, learning and behavior

Essential fatty acid supplementation is so important for everyone. EFA's positively impact brain, heart, hormonal and neurological health.

The brain is made mostly of fat. The correct balance of fatty acids is necessary for neuronal health, nerve transmission, maintaining a normal threshold of excitability, and the regulation of inflammation in the brain and elsewhere. A fascinating study published recently in the journal Neuropharmacology reveals the relationship between fatty acids, electrical activity (EEG), and brain function in adolescent boys with ADHD.

“Abnormal fatty acid status has been implicated in the aetiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Delayed maturation in ADHD may result in raised frontal low frequency (theta) electroencephalographic activity (EEG) and a reduction in posterior high frequency (beta, alpha) activity.”

Continue reading at this link...

Fatty acids in disorders of neurodevelopment, learning and behavior

Michigan legislature close to approving nutrition and dietetics regulations limiting choice

I need your help.

I and others who work in the field of holistically oriented nutrition are in a battle for our survival here in Michigan against the American Dietetic Association.

Four years ago the ADA’s (American Dietetic Association) lobbyists succeeded in convincing a legislator that all nutritional and dietetics practitioners should be licensed for the safety of the public and a law was passed. As a result of the licensure law that passed in 2006 the Board of Dietetics and Nutrition - appointed by the governor was charged with evaluating other nutrition credentials to determine if any other professionals (besides the Registered Dietitian) can be licensed. The credentials for licensure have been being debated for 4 years now by board members. Only two of the board members are supportive of the distinction between the ADA educational & careers paths and the Nutritionist educational and career paths. The registered dietitians are so far succeeding in writing the licensure requirements to be that of the RDA –

Based on the criteria that the board developed as "equivalent course of study" to dietetics, no other nutrition credentials are accepted. This means that the CNS, CCN, CNC, CN, DACBN do not meet criteria for licensure. However, a PhD or MS Nutrition who can document 900 hours of clinical experience is eligible to take an exam given by the state. The state will use the RD exam and may use the CNS exam for those who do not go through a dietetics program, such as someone with a MS or PhD in Nutrition.

This law will restrict your right to choose what kind of nutritional counseling by legally silencing those who have a different approach than the ADA. For more on some of the distinctions and impact of this law please visit the websites below. (aka; the food programs in our public schools, hospitals and prisons and their sponsors such as Coca-Cola Company - all run bay and endorsed by the ADA).

Please add your voice by using the forms at these websites to send an email against the law as it is being drafted an in support of health freedom of choice.

http://www.michigannutritionassociation.org/

https://secure3.convio.net/aahf/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=563

Please view the video (next post) featuring Jamie Oliver for more reasons why defeating this law is so important!

Jamie Oliver Speaks out on Obesity and Disease

Jamie Oliver Speaks out on Obesity and Disease

FDA Finally Admits That Drugs for Crohn's Disease and Arthritis May Promote Cancer

FDA Finally Admits That Drugs for Crohn's Disease and Arthritis May Promote Cancer

Foods that impact Alzheimer's Diseae Risk - New Study

Study Identifies Food Combination Associated With Reduced Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

Individuals whose diet includes more salad dressing, nuts, fish, poultry, and certain fruits and vegetables and fewer high-fat dairy products, red meats, organ meats, and butter appear less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease, according to a report that will appear in the June print issue of Archives of Neurology.

Yian Gu, PhD, of Columbia University Medical Center, New York, and colleagues studied 2148 older adults (aged 65 years and older) without dementia living in New York. Participants provided information about their diets and were assessed for the development of dementia every 1.5 years for an average of 4 years. Several dietary patterns were identified with varying levels of seven nutrients previously shown to be associated with Alzheimer's disease risk: saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin E, vitamin B12 and folate.

During the follow-up, 253 individuals developed Alzheimer’s disease. One dietary pattern was significantly associated with a reduced risk of the disease. This pattern involved high intakes of salad dressing, nuts, fish, tomatoes, poultry, fruits, and cruciferous and dark and green leafy vegetables and low intakes of high-fat dairy, red meat, organ meat, and butter.

The combination of nutrients in the low-risk dietary pattern reflect multiple pathways in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. “For example, vitamin B12 and folate are homocysteine-related vitamins that may have an impact on Alzheimer's disease via their ability of reducing circulating homocysteine levels, vitamin E might prevent Alzheimer’s disease via its strong antioxidant effect and fatty acids may be related to dementia and cognitive function through atherosclerosis, thrombosis or inflammation via an effect on brain development and membrane functioning or via accumulation of beta-amyloid,” the authors write.

Fermented Soy is Only Soy Food Fit for Human Consumption

Is soy good for you? Read this informative article about why fermented soy is the only soy you should consume.

Fermented Soy is Only Soy Food Fit for Human Consumption