Dr. Keith Nemec – Page 11 – Total Health Institute

Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Naturally

Cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death for adults in the United States. The major causes of heart disease can be attributed to lifestyle. While it’s an unpleasant truth, Americans need to accept the fact that many of our health problems are the result of poor lifestyle choices. The good news is that cardiovascular disease can be easily prevented. By making a few choice lifestyle changes, it is possible to avoid heart disease and to help restore the body’s total health potential. Making the following changes can help improve your overall heart health, and can stem the onset of cardiovascular disease in otherwise healthy individuals.

Stop Smoking

Smoking is one of the chief offenders in the cause of heart disease. Everyone understands the link between smoking and lung cancer, but many people overlook the direct connection between tobacco use and heart disease. Nicotine restricts the blood vessels, forcing the heart to work harder than it should. Moreover, the carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke reduces the oxygen levels in the blood, ultimately damaging the lining of the blood vessels. Fortunately, it is never too late to quit smoking. Even heavy smokers who quit the habit can greatly reduce their risk of heart disease and lung cancer.

Transitioning to a Heart Healthy Diet

Diet plays an important role in the overall health and well-being of our bodies. Many Americans rely on a diet that is far too high in saturated fats, refined sugars and grains, and meat and animal byproducts. Transitioning to a largely vegetarian diet, rich in fresh fruits, organic vegetables and seeds, nuts and avocados, can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. It can also lead to an overall improvement of the body’s general health. Vegetarian diets help to boost the immune system, allowing the body to fight off infections and common viruses, thereby reducing the occurrence of everyday ailments such as colds, flu and stomach disorders.

Reduce Cholesterol

When cholesterol levels in the body are too high, it can build up along artery walls, reducing blood flow to the heart and leading to atherosclerosis. Arterial blockage can also decrease the level of oxygenated blood reaching the heart, leading to heart attacks. Conventional medicine tends to treat high cholesterol with prescriptions, using drugs to lower cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, many of these medications come with unwanted side effects. The best and most effective way of managing your cholesterol is through diet and exercise. Eliminate high fat foods such as milk, cheese and processed meats. Replace these with plant fats like seeds, nuts, avocados, olive and coconut oils. Add plenty of raw vegetables especially greens like organic kale, collards, spinach, broccoli and cauliflower. Substitute heart healthy flax and hemp seeds high in Omega-3 fatty acids, for the meat that has been removed from your diet.

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Not only does regular exercise strengthen the heart muscle itself, it also helps to oxygenate the blood which is vital to the health of all the body’s organs. Regular exercise will help you control your weight, reduce your cholesterol and maintain a healthy blood pressure. All are factors in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system. An exercise routine of high intensity and short duration, three to five days a week, is ideal for most people. For those who already have compromised systems, it may be more difficult to fully engage with a regular exercise regimen. In those cases, it is advisable to begin slowly, perhaps with a regular daily walk or some light aerobic exercises, and build up the body’s strength. Even small amounts of regular exercise will be good for your heart.

Stress

Stress, both physical and emotional, can take quite a toll on our bodies. A healthy diet and regular exercise can alleviate much of the physical stresses and strains so common to modern life. Emotional stresses can be more difficult to address. Trusting God is the key to eliminating the emotional stresses and anxieties that can adversely affect the body’s health. Set aside a portion of every day to listen to what God is trying to tell you, meditate on what the Holy Spirit is speaking to your heart. These quiet moments spent in prayer listening to God’s voice will help to ease the daily stresses and strains. By remembering “not my will but your will be done through me Lord”, we can achieve the inner peace necessary to release the body’s own healing power. Through a devotion to God’s will, you can eliminate stress and anxiety. This allows the lifestyle changes you have made to help your body return to the total health of body, mind and spirit that God intended.

Fasting and Your Total Health

Throughout history, periodic fasting has been used to help maintain the general health of the body. In ancient cultures, fasting was a common part of a person’s health regimen. As the western world developed, and agriculture and commerce increased the availability and variety of foods, the concept of regular fasting became lost. So called “developed” nations began to see food as more than fuel for the body, and an age of overindulgence was born. But the modern world is now rediscovering the health benefits of periodic fasting, and people are beginning to incorporate periodic fasts into their modern health regimens.

Overindulgence and Our Health

People today tend to consume more food than the body actually needs or wants. Moreover, these foods tend to be high in unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates and refined sugars. Add to that the overindulgence in soft drinks and alcohol, and the increased use of tobacco and other stimulants, and it’s easy to see the potential impact our lifestyles can have on our general health. The Western diet and lifestyle can be seen to be directly responsible for a number of health threatening conditions, including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. Periodic fasting gives us the opportunity to reverse the harmful effects of an overindulgent lifestyle, and to begin the process of restoring our bodies to optimal health.

Fasting and Detoxification

The first major benefit of periodic fasting is detoxification. Detoxification is the process by which the body eliminates, or neutralizes, potentially harmful toxins through the liver, colon, kidneys, lungs and skin. When we eliminate solid food for a short period of time, the body turns to fat reserves for energy. These fat reserves were created when glucose and carbohydrates were not needed, or used, for energy production and were therefore converted into fat. During this conversion into fat, many chemicals and environmental toxins become trapped in the fat reserves. When we fast, and the body turns to fat reserves for energy, these chemicals and toxins are released and can be naturally eliminated from the body. The release and elimination of these unwanted chemicals and toxins is vital to maintaining total health.

Fasting and Healing

The second major benefit of periodic fasting is the healing process that is set in motion when the body is denied solid foods. Much of the body’s innate energy is spent on digestion, and periodic fasting allows the body to redirect that energy, and to apply it to the immune system. With the body’s energy freed from the daily tasks of digestion, it can be applied to the repair and replacement of damaged cells. During a period of fasting, the body is also able to make more efficient use of available proteins helping to produce stronger cells, and to rejuvenate tissues and organs. Human growth hormone is also released during a fast, and these play an integral part in the body’s ability to maintain its own health and to repair the typical damage caused by diet and lifestyle choices.

Fasting and Extended Life Expectancy

One of the most significant benefits of periodic fasting is a feeling of rejuvenation. This is more than simply emotional, and is caused by the natural improvement of the immune system, the more efficient use of proteins and the release of anti-aging hormones that occurs during a controlled fast. Recent studies indicate that the Western tendency to take in more nutrients than is necessary to fuel the body puts a strain on the system, causing our bodies to age more quickly than God intended. Periodic fasting helps to return the body to its nutritional balance, while allowing it the time and energy needed to effect repairs and to rejuvenate cells, tissues and organs.

While the idea of depriving ourselves of food for any period of time may seem counter intuitive, recent studies have demonstrated that periodic fasting offers a wide range of health benefits. Fasting allows the body to eliminate unhealthy toxins, and to use its innate energies to heal and repair itself. Before engaging in any type of fast, patients should first consult their holistic clinician to set up a fasting schedule that includes a detailed plan for the gradual transition back to solid foods. Your clinician will also be able to help you decide which type of fasting procedure is most appropriate for your general health and lifestyle.

What is Love?

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
NIV

Let us start with what love is NOT. Love is not an emotion. Love is not a feeling or sensation. The English language has only one word “love” whereas the Greeks used 5 different word for the meaning of love.

philia = friendship type of love
eros = desire, sensual and romantic love
storge = family love
koinonia = community love
Agape = unconditional love

Philia refers to the love between friends. It involves commitment and support, a willingness to help, a tighter bond than just acquaintances.

Eros is commonly used to refer to love that includes sensuality, sexuality and romance. It is self and significant other focused.

Storge refers to brotherly or sisterly love, parental love, family loyalty, bonds that are stronger than friendship, that cross generations and create unity within a group.

Agape is unconditional love. This is the only true definition of love.

Agape is God’s love. Agape is God. Agape means covenant. All the rest of the definitions of love are nothing more than feeling, emotions and are a product of the mind. These are not love, because only God is love.

What is love? Love is God, God is love. Love has been in us from the beginning, we were born from love. We were created in God’s image. God does not have love, God is love. When we were born in the Garden of Eden, God gave man power and this power was his choice. He could choose to live from the tree of life (from his heart) or he could choose to live from the tree of knowledge (from his mind). Man chose to live from the tree of knowledge and that choice produced the world system that runs man’s life today. But each and every moment of our life we do have a choice to live from the mind or from the heart.

The world system is a product of the tree of knowledge. Many people cannot see the truth because they are run and ruled by

World system
Ego
Flesh
Personality
False belief systems
Religion
5 senses bound thinking
Time past, time future bound thinking
Physical Bound Thinking

People live in a world system that cannot know love. The false love that comes from the tree of knowledge is the old emotion that says ” I love you today” but then when tomorrow come it says ” I don’t love you anymore”

Love is a spiritual state of being. Love is an action.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. NIV

Love is a choice, and you will know you made the right choice because you are willing to die for that choice. By that choice you have now entered the covenant.

When you are willing to die for what God puts into your heart, now you have entered into the covenant.

God wants to be in covenant with us. He brought His Son to bring us back to the tree of life, to show us the way home. We have the same choice we had in the beginning; choose life or death. When we choose to enter into the tree of life we enter into eternal life, we enter into covenant with God. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil produced fruit which was the old nature (old mind, old will and old emotions). That old nature is still trying to run our mind, emotions and body. We are not what our old mind tells us we are. Our heart continues to lead us as long as we are willing to die to everything of the old mind/old will of the tree of knowledge.

To understand love you must understand covenant.

The following is an excerpt from How to Know You Are Healed CD series

Vitamin E from Seeds Kills Cancer Cells

Vitamin E from seeds, but not supplements, might halt the growth of prostate and lung cancer cells, scientists at Purdue University reported.

Walnuts, pecans, sesame seeds, as well as sesame oils, have gamma-tocopherol, which kills human prostate and lung cancer cells in lab cultures. The vitamin’s presence interrupts the synthesis of certain fatty molecules called sphingolipids in the cancer cells but leaves healthy human prostate cells unaffected.

The compound is not found in manufactured vitamin supplements, the scientists said. Supplements contain only alpha-tocopherol, a different form of vitamin E that alone does not have anti-cancer properties.

– National Academy of Science.

Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec Comments on Vitamin E from seeds

The moral of the story is this–God made is always far better than man made. Vitamin E from sesame seeds kills cancer cells in prostate and lung cancer in lab cultures. Supplemental Vitamin E does not kill the cancer cells.

Why is this so? Because a seed is the container of life which has not only the most natural, absorbable vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals but also, if it is not heated/cooked, it contains the two most powerful components of food–bioelectricity and enzymes. Both are critical for life, health and healing. This can be seen when they feed baby cows cooked (pasteurized) milk. The baby cows die in 30 days. When heat is applied over 105 degrees Fahrenheit, it destroys all enzyme activity and bioelectricity. So the best choice is always plant food that is living/raw (uncooked). How many animals eat cooked, bioelectrically devoid, enzymeless, dead food–only two. Your dogs and cats and they get the same diseases you do.

The Natural Prevention of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting women in the United States. Nearly 250,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year, with more than 40,000 ultimately succumbing to the disease. Unfortunately, these statistics show no signs of abating. While cancer treatments continue to improve, the best medicine remains prevention. There can be no guarantees where anyone’s health is concerned, but there are a number of completely natural proactive steps that women can take to reduce their risk for developing breast cancer. These steps are easy to implement, and provide the best defense women have against this life threatening disease.

Common Risk Factors for Breast Cancer

There are a number of factors that place women at a greater risk for developing breast cancer. It is clear that genetics plays some role, and women from families with a history of cancer may be more prone to developing the disease. But genetics alone cannot explain the increasing number of breast cancer diagnoses over the last half a century. Environmental toxins, including pollutants, pesticides and industrial chemicals also contribute to the occurrence of all types of cancer. Whether or not a woman has given birth, and whether or not they choose to breast feed, also plays a part in increasing the risk for breast cancer. Few, if any, of these risk factors can be avoided, but there are ways to naturally enrich the body and make it an unwelcome host for cancer cells.

How Your Environment Affects Your Breast Cancer Risk

Cancer and all disease is a product of your environment, your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual environment. When you change these then you will change the course of any disease and be able to return to health. If you think your genes are going to give you cancer then you deny the latest in molecular biology research which shows that your genes do not dictate your health but the environment those genes are in that controls your health. This is empowering because you cannot change your genes but you most definitely can change your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual environment.

Reducing Your Breast Cancer Risk Through Lifestyle

Lifestyle choices play a key role in all cancer prevention. A healthy diet and regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy body, making it an inhospitable host for cancer. Women at risk for breast cancer should transition to a low fat diet, rich in organic fruits and vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables, such as cabbage, kale and broccoli, help to decrease the levels of estrogen in the body. Tumors require estrogen to grow, and by reducing estrogen levels in the body it is possible to deny cancer cells the ‘food’ they need to develop.

It is also important to maintain the body’s pH balance, the ratio of alkalinity and acidity, at optimal levels. Cancer thrives in an acidic environment, but struggles to survive in an alkaline environment. Maintaining a healthy pH balance is crucial to remaining cancer free. Women at risk for breast cancer should concentrate on a diet that is rich in alkalizing foods such as green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, garlic, onions and lemon.

Exercise also plays a large part in cancer prevention. Regular exercise helps to maintain a healthy weight, reducing the risk of diabetes and heart disease which weakens the body and can lead to the development of cancer. Exercise also helps to oxygenate the blood, and to circulate that highly oxygenated blood to organs and tissue. Cancer cells perish in highly oxygenated environments, so regular exercise can help to keep the body cancer free.

Make Changes to Your Environment

Exposure to environmental toxins and pollutants has been linked to the development of not only breast cancer, but cancer in general. It is difficult to entirely avoid the toxins and chemicals that have become so prevalent in modern society, but there are some steps women can take to reduce their level of exposure. Avoid using commercial weed killers and chemical pesticides, and switch to wholly organic products. Minimize the use of dry cleaning. The chemicals used in the dry cleaning process are highly toxic and full of carcinogens. Use only all natural sun screens when exposed to the elements for long periods of time. Switch to wholly organic household cleaners whenever possible.

Breast cancer prevention should begin early, and mothers should teach their daughters at an early age the basic natural steps that can be taken to make the body inhospitable to cancer cells and tumors. It is impossible to avoid all of the risk factors associated with cancer, but by making some fundamental lifestyle changes, and by embracing a natural approach to their continued health, women can greatly reduce their chances of developing breast cancer.

Stress a Major Factor in Breast Cancer

What you do to your mind you do to your body. To prevent and if necessary overcome breast cancer or any cancer you must bring balance into your mind and emotions. Breast cancer can be triggered by stress especially traumatic loss of a spouse, child or partner. Although you cannot always control these factors you CAN control how you respond to these. The correct response in all things is to trust God and to know that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength. In life it is not about the things that happen to us but how we react to these things that show what we are made of. If we are created in God’s image then we need to become the sons and daughters that God created us to be. Be still and know that I AM God.

Malnutrition Leads to Antisocial Behavior

Children who are malnourished in their first few years of life are more likely to be aggressive and antisocial throughout childhood and into their late teens, says a University of Southern California study.

The 14-year study tracked more than 1,000 children on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa. Researchers assessed the children’s nutrition at age 3.

The researchers found that malnourished children showed 41 percent greater aggression at age 8 than properly nourished children, 10 percent greater aggression and delinquency at age 11, and 51 percent greater violent and antisocial behavior at age 17.

“These are the first findings to show that malnutrition in the early postnatal years is associated with behavior problems through age 17,” study author Jianghong Liu, a postdoctoral fellow with USC’s Social Science Research Institute.
-American Journal of Psychiatry.

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec Comments on Malnutrition
This study shows that food affects emotions and behavior. If the body does not receive the proper amount of nutrients (bioelectricity, enzymes) from living/raw uncooked plant food, the mind and emotions begin to go out of balance. It is important to note that these nutrients are not made up by taking vitamin and mineral supplements. As can be seen in the sesame seed Vitamin E study previously mentioned—a person needs God made living/raw nutrients to keep not only the body healthy but also the mind and emotions as well. How many acts of crime, violence and even war can be attributed to toxic bodies (from eating cooked, dead food) which causes toxic mind/emotions which manifests in antisocial behavior, anger and rage?

Maintain Blood Sugar Levels Naturally To Lower Your Risk For Certain Cancers

Diabetes and Cancer If you have Type 2 Diabetes, you know how important it is to keep your blood sugar levels under control. Kidney damage or failure, damaged blood vessels resulting in amputation of limbs, blindness, heart attack and stroke are some of the complications that can arise from too much sugar in the blood. New studies have also shown that people with Type 2 Diabetes are at a higher risk for certain types of cancer such as liver, pancreas, colon, uterus, breast, and bladder; and the risk is even higher for thyroid, esophagus, kidneys, and cancers of the nervous system and small intestine.

The good news is that by arming yourself with this knowledge, you CAN make healthy lifestyle choices that put you in control of your diabetes. Here are some ways you can maintain healthy blood sugar levels naturally and strengthen your immune system to lower your risk for cancer.

Reduce Your Risk for Cancer

According to the latest research, you can help reduce your risk for diabetes-related cancer by doing the following:

Lose as little as 7% of your body weight.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes, 5 days per week.
Stop smoking.
Eat a balanced diet of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Practice portion control.
Get regular cancer screenings as recommended by your doctor.

Maintain Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Naturally

In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet, introducing certain foods into your diet may help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels:

Adding lemon to foods can help lower glycemic index.
Chillies have vitamins and antioxidants that may help regulate insulin.
Fiber in nuts and beans regulate blood sugar and provide slow burning energy.
Foods that contain chromium help regulate insulin and blood sugar. Try broccoli, garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
Newer studies have found sprinkling cinnamon on your food may help regulate blood sugar.

Tips for Strengthening Your Immune System

Maintaining a healthy diet, exercising regularly, and getting adequate sleep all contribute to a strong immune system. Additionally, supplementing your diet with Vitamins A, B2, B6, C, D and E have been shown to have a positive effect on the immune system, as does taking Zinc and Selenium. By strengthening your immune system naturally, you will fortify your body’s natural ability to ward off disease.

The Importance of the Mind, Body, Spirit Connection

Optimal health is a balance of a calm mind, healthy body, and peaceful spirit. Take time for exercise and relaxation, as well as quiet time in prayer and meditation. Practice deep breathing or go on a nature walk to let go of the day’s stresses. Remembering that we are never alone, we can do all things through Him who give us strength. God has a perfect plan and purpose for everything that enters our life, what the world meant for evil God meant for good. Our life journey is at times challenging, but only in the challenge is the victory attained- and the victory brings freedom from the fear and doubt that try to hold us captive. You will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free.

Managing Lupus Symptoms Naturally

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), more commonly known as Lupus, is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes over-active and begins to attack the organs and tissues of the body.

It is currently estimated that SLE affects nearly two million people, though that number could be significantly higher. The wide range of symptoms associated with lupus often make diagnosis difficult, and it is likely that many more people are suffering with the disorder than is commonly believed. Conventional treatments for Lupus largely depend on drug therapies. Corticosteroids are used to suppress the hyperactive immune system, while a series of anti-inflammatory medications are prescribed to reduce the swelling of tissues and joints.

There is currently no known cure for Lupus, and conventional treatments can only work to alleviate the patient’s symptoms. The most commonly prescribed drug therapies for SLE can have devastatingly unforeseen effects upon the patient’s body. Many Lupus sufferers are beginning to look to natural therapies to help manage their symptoms, and to find relief from this often debilitating disease.

Causes and Symptoms of Lupus

While the precise cause of Lupus remains undiscovered, there does appear to be a genetic component that makes certain people more prone to the disorder. SLE appears to be more likely to occur in those people who have a family history of the disease. Certain environmental factors are believed to be triggers for Lupus, including an over-reliance on sulfa drugs and antibiotics. Lupus also appears to be triggered by viral infections, prolonged periods of exhaustion and physical and emotional stress. The most common symptoms of Lupus are:

fatigue
skin lesions and rashes
unexpected weight gain or weight loss
joint pain
chest pain
hair loss
depression

While there is no known cure for SLE, many of these symptoms can be relieved with all natural treatments that are designed to restore the body’s balance to optimum performance levels. Rather than manage these symptoms with drugs, natural therapies concentrate on reducing and eliminating Lupus symptoms through diet, nutrition and meditation.

Diet and Lupus

Dietary choices appear to be linked to the occurrence of Lupus symptoms, as well as to their severity. In fact, many Lupus patients find that their symptoms are triggered by previously undiagnosed food allergies. It is recommended that Lupus patients keep a food journal, taking note of flare-ups and when they occur in relation to daily dietary choices.

People diagnosed with Lupus should begin to transition to a low calorie, low carbohydrate diet. Foods high in animal fat and carbohydrates, have been shown to trigger Lupus symptoms, and should be removed from the diet. A new emphasis on a vegetarian based diet can help to reduce the occurrence and severity of Lupus symptoms, and will improve the patients overall health. Refined sugars and highly processed meats and grains should be eliminated, and foods rich in Omega-3, such as flax seeds, walnuts, chia seeds and hemp seeds should be introduced to the patient’s diet.

Certain nutritional supplements can also be taken to help reduce the symptoms of SLE. Many Lupus sufferers have been found to have lower than normal stomach acid levels. Regular doses of vitamin B complex can help to correct that imbalance. Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids have been proven to help reduce the inflammation that typically plagues Lupus patients if they are taken in the proper form and ratio. While the best source for these fatty acids is diet, all-natural supplements can be taken to help boost the patient’s daily intake.

The Mind Body Equation

One of the major triggers for Lupus is stress, both physical and emotional. Research has shown a direct link between episodes of intense stress and the occurrence of SLE. By learning to manage their stress levels, Lupus patients can begin to reduce the severity and re-occurrence of their symptoms. Deep breathing exercises can help to reduce daily stresses that can trigger Lupus symptoms, and are easily integrated into the patient’s daily schedule. Neuro-feedback and biofeedback can also help Lupus sufferers to relax, and to manage the pain that typically accompanies their disorder.

Mental and spiritual well-being plays a large part in the overall health of the body, and daily prayer and meditation have been shown to be of great help to Lupus sufferers. Setting aside a part of the day to pray, and to meditate on God’s word, helps to ease both physical and emotional stresses while eliminating the depression and anxiety that is so common among Lupus patients. Regular meditation on God’s word, whether individually or with a prayer group, can provide more than comfort for Lupus patients. It can help to recharge the body, and to energize it with the Lord’s healing power.

People diagnosed with Lupus often feel that their lives, and their health, have moved beyond their control. But by making some key nutritional choices, and by focusing on what God is speaking to their heart instead of what their mind and the world system is speaking into their head, Lupus sufferers can take charge of their lives and can return to the path of total health.

Stress Ages Your Cells

A new finding may explain how stress could ultimately lead to premature aging. Chronic psychological stress is associated with accelerated shortening of the caps, called telomeres, on the ends of chromosomes in white blood cells – which causes them to die more quickly — according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Telomeres promote chromosome stability, Dr. Elissa S. Epel at the University of California, San Francisco, explains. Telomeres shorten with each replication of the cell, and cells cease dividing when telomeres shorten sufficiently. Researchers investigated the theory that psychological stress affects telomere shortening and thereby contributes to accelerated aging.

The study included 39 healthy, premenopausal women who were primary caregivers for a child with a chronic illness, and 19 age-matched mothers of healthy children who served as a comparison “control” group. Stress was measured with a standardized questionnaire, and telomere length was measured in participants’ blood samples.

Within the caregiving group, the longer that a woman had been a caregiver, the shorter was the length of telomeres. In the 14 women with the highest stress scores, telomeres averaged 3,110 units in length; the 14 with the lowest stress had telomeres that averaged 3,660 units.

In adults, telomeres shorten by an average of 31 to 63 units per year, so the scientists estimate that the 550-unit shortening in the high-stress group translates to 9 to 17 additional years of aging. These findings may have implications for human health since telomere shortening is also associated with premature death from cardiovascular disease and infections.

While the number of years that mothers had been a caregiver did matter, “not all caregivers fell into the high-stress group,” she added. “This points to the importance of trying to use stress reduction interventions as much as possible.”
-Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec comments on Stress Ages Your Cells:
This interesting study shows how stress decreases the life span of white blood cells, thus weakening your immune system. Also found was an accelerated aging of cells which increases risk of cancer, heart disease and most other diseases.

What is stress? It is an external force or concept/idea that has the power to destroy the wholeness of body, mind and emotions of a person.

The real issue is not about stress but how you perceive the situation. This was seen in the study that not all the caregivers of children with chronic illness fell into the high stress group. Why? Attitude, belief and faith.

Our attitude is how we see and react to life’s situations. The more we follow what God puts in our heart and the less we follow what the world system has filled our head with, the more we have the attitude of God. The greatest stressor in your life is not your job, your money, your disease, or your marriage. The greatest stressor is your choosing to believe the lies that your world-filled old mind has been speaking to you your whole life. The greatest comfort is seeing God’s plan behind everything in this life. His ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. This life journey is made up of tests and trails along the path.

When we come to one, we are called by God to overcome them in His strength, not ours, and to be transformed into His image and glory. Do you think the mother of the chronically ill child is stressed when she is offering her life to God as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him, and is she stressed when she is there loving her child every moment, just thanking God for the child’s blessing in her life. No, she only becomes stressed when she is filled with the ego, world-filled mind that compares and wants to be somewhere else than where she is. This is the definition of suffering; always wanted to be somewhere else than where you are. To close, think about this: is it better to have given and received love from a child with illness or never to have had the child at all?

Another example of how stress is a product of the mind and how you perceive life situations: I you were sitting in your house and a man knocked on the door and said your child just was run over by a car. If you believe his words, your heart rate would increase, your adrenal gland would start pumping out adrenaline, your emotions would skyrocket the tears would begin to flow. But, if you know that your child is in the next room playing you would dismiss his words as a lie and continue doing what you were doing with no change in your physical or mental emotional state. What was the difference? KNOWING. The difference between perceiving life as a stress or not is KNOWING God is behind everything and He will not leave or forsake you, and that He will not ever put you in any situation that you cannot handle but will always leave a way out or up as you climb over the tests, trials and obstacles in your life on your journey into being transformed into His image and glory.

KNOWING is more powerful than believing and believing is more powerful than thinking.

Could Candida Albicans Be Impacting Your Health?

Candida albicans is naturally occurring yeast that can be found in the intestinal tract. Candida is normally kept in check by the beneficial probiotic bacteria within the body. When normal levels of probiotic bacteria are diminished by poor diet, or by an over reliance on antibiotics and other drugs, candida albicans is left to grow unchecked leading to chronic fatigue, skin infections, sinus congestion, depression, loss of concentration and immune system stress.

In extreme cases, candida yeast can penetrate the intestinal wall, leaking into the body and triggering the immune system into an overdrive that produces symptoms commonly associated with more serious autoimmune disorders. Many people deal with the chronic symptoms of an overabundance of candida albicans on a daily basis, never knowing what is causing their recurring health problems. Fortunately, by making a few simple changes to their diet, candida sufferers can return their bodies to a natural balance and gain relief from these chronic maladies.

Causes and Symptoms of Candida Yeast Syndrome

Candida syndrome can have many causes. The most common is an improper diet. Too much refined sugar, meats and overly processed grains can lead to a reduction in the healthy probiotic bacteria that keeps candida albicans in check. Certain drugs, such as oral contraceptives, steroids, anti-ulcer medications and antibiotics can also lead to an overabundance of the candida albicans yeast bacteria. The most common symptoms of Candida syndrome are:

chronic fatigue
stomach pain
numbness and tingling in the extremities
joint pain
muscle weakness
bloating, gas, and acid reflux
constipation, diarrhea and gastritis
anxiety and depression

Dietary Changes to Control Candida Albicans

Specific dietary choices can help to reduce the levels of candida albicans within the intestinal tract, and to help promote the growth of beneficial bacteria within the digestive system. First, certain foods need to be eliminated from the diet, or at the very least greatly restricted. Chief among these are foods with a high sugar content. This includes fresh and frozen fruits, and prepared foods that contain sucrose, fructose, glucose and sorbitol. Foods with a high yeast content, primarily baked goods and alcohol, should also be restricted. Foods containing gluten, such as wheat, barley, pasta, crackers and most sauces and gravies should also be removed from the diet.

A diet rich in organic vegetables, avocado, seeds, nuts and sprouts should be introduced in place of the foods that have been eliminated or restricted. All green vegetables including spinach and kale, garlic, summer squash and zucchini are good supplements to a Candida defeating diet.

The good news is that as the Candida symptoms disappear, patients can begin to reintegrate some of the eliminated foods back into their diet. An emphasis should be placed on balance, however, and patients should restructure their diets accordingly, and should consult a nutritionist to help them design a well-balanced nutritional plan.

Supplements for Candida Albicans

Some dietary supplements can be taken to help reinforce the Candida diet cleanse. Acidophillus, often found in probiotics, helps to control the growth of Candida by making the intestinal tract more acidic and discouraging the growth of candida bacteria. Garlic powerfully helps to control candida, and should be taken raw for maximum benefit. It can be taken in pill form as part of a regular nutritional regimen if necessary. Fiber supplements can also help to control the growth of candida, and patients may consider taking a tablespoon of soluble fiber in an 8 ounce glass of water twice daily until symptoms diminish.

Patients who are on a candida cleanse diet should also remember to drink plenty of purified water. As the body begins to shed the unwanted candida bacteria, it is vital that it be flushed out of the body before it can cause any further irritations. Between one half to one ounce of water per 50 pounds of body weight per day is necessary to flush the unwanted toxins out of the body.

It is sometimes hard to imagine something as small as a yeast being the cause of so many health disorders. Perhaps that is why so many symptoms caused by Candida albicans get attributed to more serious conditions. But with a well regulated Candida cleansing diet, and with the right choice of supplements, it is possible to return the body to its natural balance and enjoy total health once more.

Chronic Stress May Raise Skin Cancer Risk

Chronic stress may increase the risk of skin cancer in those at high risk for the disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

The study found that mice exposed to stress and to cancer-causing excessive ultraviolet (UV) light developed skin cancer in less than half the time as mice that weren’t stressed.

The researchers subjected 40 mice to stress by exposing them to the scent of fox urine. The mice also received large amounts of UV light. One of the mice developed a skin tumor within eight weeks of testing. Non-stressed mice exposed to UV light began developing tumors 13 weeks later.

After 21 weeks of testing, 14 of the 40 stressed mice had at least one tumor, compared with two of the non-stressed mice.

“There’s a lot of evidence pointing to the negative effects of chronic stress, which dampens our immune system and impacts various aspects of our health,” study director Dr. Francisco Tausk, an associate professor of dermatology, said.
-Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology/Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, news release

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec comments on Chronic Stress May Raise Skin Cancer Risk:

This interesting study shows how stress decreases the life span of white blood cells, thus weakening your immune system. Also found was an accelerated aging of cells which increases risk of cancer, heart disease and most other diseases.

What is stress? It is an external force or concept/idea that has the power to destroy the wholeness of body, mind and emotions of a person.

What was the difference? KNOWING. The difference between perceiving life as a stress or not is KNOWING God is behind everything and He will not leave or forsake you, and that He will not ever put you in any situation that you cannot handle but will always leave a way out or up as you climb over the tests, trials and obstacles in your life on your journey into being transformed into His image and glory.

KNOWING is more powerful than believing and believing is more powerful than thinking.

Alternative Treatments for Liver Cancer

The liver filters the blood stream, removing toxins and waste for excretion, and converting nutrients into fuel for the body. This process makes it especially susceptible to the growth of cancerous cells. There are two primary types of liver cancer, one that develops within the liver itself, and a secondary form that is caused by the movement of cancerous cells from other organs as the liver filters the blood stream.

For years, liver cancer has been more prevalent in the developing world than in the western world, but that is beginning to change. Recently, the diagnosis rates of liver cancer in the United States in particular, and the western world in general, have begun to rise. Conventional treatments for liver cancer rely heavily on surgery and chemotherapy. These assaults on the patient’s body seek to cure the disease by destroying the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, these techniques tend to damage the healthy tissue as well, and patients often find the cure as debilitating as the disease. Consequently, more and more people are looking to natural holistic therapies as a way of beating liver cancer and restoring their health.

Causes and Symptoms of Liver Cancer

The primary causes of liver cancer are over exposure to environmental toxins, alcohol abuse, and chronic disorders such as Hepatitis-B and diabetes. Smoking is also a major contributing factor to the occurrence of liver cancer in otherwise healthy patients. In some cases, liver cancer develops as the result of the metastasizing of a primary cancer in another part of the body.

The most common symptoms associated with cancer of the liver are:

unexplained weight loss
loss of appetite
abdominal swelling and pain
swelling of the legs
an enlargement of the liver
chalky, light colored stools

Herbal Treatments for the Cause of Liver Cancer

Cancers develop due to an abnormal functioning of the cells and tissues within the body. Many herbal supplements have been shown to help the body protect itself from abnormal cell growth, by both preventing the initialization of cancer cells and by destroying the abnormal cells that do develop. One of the most effective herbal treatments for the cause of liver cancer is Essiac tea. Made from a variety of herbs, including burdock, Indian rhubarb, blessed thistle, red clover and kelp, Essiac tea contains vital antioxidants that help to prevent the growth of cancerous cells. Recent studies have also indicated that Essiac tea may help to prevent the mutation of cells at the DNA level.

Other herbal supplements have been shown to provide protection for the liver, and to increase the liver’s potential for self healing. AHCC, a mushroom extract, can be used to enhance the immune system and to protect the liver from disease. Astragalus, coptis and barberry can also be taken to help prevent the multiplication of abnormal cells within the liver.

When taking herbal supplements, patients should work closely with their holistic clinician to design a dosage plan. As everything put into the body is ultimately filtered by the liver, cancer patients will want to be careful when taking any supplements to prevent the already compromised liver from being over taxed.

Nutrition Therapy for Liver Cancer

Good nutrition is the basis of any healthy, and health restoring, lifestyle. Liver cancer patients will want to transition to a more vegetarian based diet, with an emphasis on fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Some vitamin supplements can be taken to compensate for any lack of nutrients in the patients normal diet. Vitamins C and E, as well as beta carotene and selenium, can be taken to help boost the immune system and to help prevent the development of any related disorders as the body works to defeat the cancer that is attacking the liver.

The Power of the Mind

Mind-Body medicine plays a large part in the prevention of, and recovery from, all forms of cancer. A cancer diagnosis inevitably leads to stress and anxiety, which sap the native energy the body needs to heal itself. Prayer, and meditation on the word of God, plays a vital role in centering the spiritual well-being of cancer patients, and in helping them direct much needed energies to the healing process. Daily affirmations, drawn from the word of God, can provide a sense of tranquility in patients who are battling their cancer. By meditating on God’s word and who they are in the family of God, patients can achieve an inner calm that will release the body’s innate potential to heal itself.

Placebo Pills Can Help Heart Failure Patients

Heart-failure patients have a better chance of survival if they take their pills, even if those pills are placebos, says a Duke University Medical Center study.

They analyzed international data on 7,599 heart-failure patients and found that similar lower death rates were associated with good adherence when taking a placebo or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), a drug that relaxes and dilates blood vessels.

Lower hospitalization rates were also associated with good adherence when taking both a placebo and an active drug, the study found.

-Duke University Medical Center, news release

Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec comments on Placebo Pills Can Help Heart Failure Patients:

This study shows the power of beliefs. In the study heart failure patients had the same survival rate whether they took a placebo (no medication in the capsule) or a strong drug for the heart.

If the power of the mind is this influential on the heart and the whole body for that matter, can you imagine the devastating affects of the mind that believes the lie. The mind that believes the lies: that nothing can be done, that it is impossible to overcome this obstacle/challenge, that you just have to accept the fact that you only have 6 months to live with this cancer or this incurable disease. The mind is a powerful force that can make a tremendous impact on your physical health and well being either positively or negatively. There is a power though that is far greater than the mind in its affects on your total health. It is your heart/spirit.

If you believe something in your mind, it is a strong motivating force but it can be changed or swayed by the facts and beliefs of the world system, of the doctors and of the research. Your heart/spirit is where the KNOWING comes from. Knowing is far above and beyond believing because KNOWING is what GOD puts in your heart and it is unshakeable. To KNOW something means that you will never quit, stop or give up on it no matter what, no matter how long it takes or how much it costs, even if it costs you your life. Remember, God puts the knowing in the heart, the world system, family and friends put the beliefs in your mind. God always gives you the desires of your heart not your head because He put the desire in your heart in the first place.

Preventing Gallstones Through Good Nutrition

It is estimated that at least 20 million Americans suffer with gallstones. That number is likely overly conservative, as many people with gallstones show no outward symptoms until a major flare-up occurs.
Gallstones are small, pebble like substances that are formed when the bile in the gallbladder contains too much cholesterol. The cholesterol crystallizes, and forms hard “stones” that can block bile ducts, restricting the flow of bile from the bladder to the digestive tract. This blockage can lead to infections and, in extreme cases, to a rupturing of the gallbladder itself.

People suffering with gallstones typically experience pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, pain between the shoulder blades, and sharp pains under the right shoulder. The most common treatment for gallstones is medication to shrink the stones, or surgery to remove the gallbladder entirely. Fortunately, by making some sound dietary and nutritional choices, it is possible to greatly reduce the risk of gallstones, and so avoid the need for costly, and often dangerous, conventional treatments.

Common Causes of Gallstones

Instances of gallstones in otherwise healthy individuals can be linked to the high fat, low fiber, and diets of the western world. Our increasingly sedentary lifestyles, with diets consisting mainly of rich, overly processed foods are the primary underlying cause of gallstones. Research has shown a direct correlation between western diets and lifestyles with the occurrence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in general. Populations that depend upon more traditional diets, rich in vegetables and fruits have far fewer instances of gallstones and gallbladder disease.

Choosing a Healthy Diet

With diet being the primary contributing factor in the development of gallstones, it only makes sense that the right nutritional choices can help to maintain a healthy gallbladder. Transitioning to a high fiber, low fat, diet is the first step in avoiding the development of gallstones. Raw fruits and vegetables provide the fiber necessary to keep bile cholesterol from crystallizing and forming gallstones. It is important to change the fat intake from cooked animal fat to raw plant fat. The body needs some fat to function properly, and too little can also result in the formation of gallstones. A healthy balanced diet including “good fat” sources, such as avocado, olive oil, walnuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds and coconut oil will help to maintain a healthy gallbladder and to avoid the formation of gallstones.

It is very important to understand that the gall bladder secretes bile which helps in the digestion of fat and the detoxification of the liver through that bile. You need fat to stimulate the flow of bile and to detoxify the liver so reducing your total fat is not the answer but instead switching the type of fat. Raw plant fat does not aggravate the gall bladder whereas cooked animal fat and processed plant fats that are hydrogenated can cause stress to the gall bladder.

Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements

In addition to a balanced high-fiber, low-fat diet certain vitamins and nutritional supplements have been shown to have a positive effect on the health of the gallbladder. For example, recent research has revealed that Vitamin C helps to convert cholesterol to bile acids, reducing the chances that the cholesterol will crystallize and begin to form gallstones. A daily allowance of 200mg of Vitamin C can be taken to help guard against the formation of gallstones. Milk Thistle, which contains the compound Silibinin, can be taken to reduce the overall level of cholesterol in bile within the gallbladder thus helping to keep gallstones from forming.

Women are at a higher risk for gallstones, and calcium supplements should already be a part of their daily vitamin regimen. Calcium helps to bind bile acids, and greatly reduces the risk of gallstone formation. Women should consider consuming 500 – 700 mg of calcium in the form of green vegetables, seeds and nuts especially sesame seeds and almonds.

By making some sound nutritional choices, it is possible to greatly reduce the risk of having gallstones form within the gallbladder. Gallstones can lead to serious health conditions, and in many cases will result in surgery to remove the gallbladder. Switching to a high-fiber, raw plant fat diet, supported by all natural nutritional supplements, can help to keep the gallbladder healthy and to greatly reduce the risk of gallstones. As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Marriage Keeps You Healthy

Marriage keeps you healthy, married people are less likely to smoke, drink heavily or be physically inactive, the report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows.

They are less likely than singles, divorcees or widowed adults to be in fair or poor health, and are less likely to suffer from headaches or serious psychological distress.

“For the smoking rates between married and unmarried people, the differences were quite remarkable,” the report demonstrated.

“One in five married adults were current smokers compared to four in 10 of those living with a partner. Married people are about half as likely to be current smokers as those who are divorced or living with a partner.”

The report from the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was based on interviews with 127,545 adults aged 18 and over.

It finds that 58.2 percent of adults are married, 10.4 percent are separated or divorced, 6.6 percent are widowed, 19 percent never married and 5.7 percent are living with a partner.

People living together but not married are more likely to have health problems than married adults, the survey found, and the findings hold firmest for the youngest adults.
–National Center for Health Statistics shows

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec comments on Marriage
What is marriage? It is a covenant relationship meaning each will give all they have—their time, their energy, their resources, even their life to help their covenant partner.This is total commitment, a commitment that does not see other options. This is why married people are healthier than people who live together, who are single, divorced or widowed.

Why would people who live together not have the same health benefits as those that are married? Because they have not truly covenanted to each other, they have not committed everything they have for the other, they are not willing to lay down their life for the other. This is why their health showed to be worst than those who have married, than those who have entered covenant with each other.

Natural Approach to Anxiety and Depression

Everybody experiences feeling of anxiety and depression from time to time. It’s a normal part of life. But when these feeling become chronic, and begin to interfere with our day to day lives, they can lead to greater health concerns. Conventional treatments for anxiety and depression rely heavily on mood altering drugs that can often have extreme, and unwanted, side effects. The holistic approach to natural health understands that the mind and body are closely connected, and depression and anxiety are only manifestations of the body’s total health. To find release from depression or anxiety, one must treat the whole body, not just the symptoms, and work to restore the natural balance of body and mind.

Nutrition Plays a Vital Role in Mental Health

People tend to think of good nutrition as a way of maintaining optimum physical health, overlooking the fact that diet also plays a vital role in a person’s mental well-being. What we eat, and when we eat, has a direct influence on the release of chemicals within the brain. These chemicals control our emotional sense of well-being. A balanced diet, preferably based on whole organic foods, is the foundation of a life free of anxiety and depression. Transitioning to a vegan, or vegetarian, diet should be the goal. It is also important to reduce, or eliminate, highly processed foods, as these have an overabundance of man-made chemicals and toxins that can adversely affect mood.

What we eat is important, but it is also necessary to plan our meals to schedule. Three balanced meals a day, containing a significant source of protein, should be taken at regular intervals. Protein is vital to the production of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, without which the mind is prone to attacks of depression and anxiety.

Supplements to Combat Anxiety and Depression

Optimally, the majority of our nutrients should come from a healthy diet. But certain nutritional supplements may be taken to help offset any deficiencies in diet, and to help to improve a person’s overall mental health. Vitamin D, St. John’s Wort, and certain amino acids all help to maintain a healthy chemical balance within the brain. Passionflower, taken as an herbal supplement, has also been shown to combat anxiety, while reducing the drowsiness associated with depression and helping to focus the mind.

Fighting Anxiety and Depression with Exercise

Regular activity of any kind helps to maintain a healthy body and mind. Recent studies have shown that moderate exercise, taken three to five times a week, can have positive lasting effects on a person’s mood and general mental health. A regular exercise routine, consisting of high intensity and short duration cardiovascular exercise, releases chemicals in the brain which promote an overall sense of well-being. Once one realizes the stress relieving aspects of exercise, and it becomes clear how vital regular exercise is to maintaining a happy and healthful life.

Prayer and Meditation

Tending to the health of the body is only the beginning of releasing oneself from the burdens of anxiety and depression. We must also tend to our spiritual needs. As we begin to bring our bodies back into balance, it is important to take time to meditate on the word of God. Set aside a portion of the day to pray. Understand that God has a plan for and if you still your mind and learn to listen to your heart you will hear His voice. Trust in His design, place your faith in who you are in the family of God, and let go of the day to day travails that are causing the feelings of depression or anxiety. Through faith or trust in Him and what He said was true, all things are possible. Once you have accepted that, chronic anxiety and depression will become a thing of the past.

No one path will provide freedom from anxiety and depression. We must strive to balance our physical health with our mental well-being through diet, nutrition, exercise and prayer. Taken in combination, these can lead to a general sense of well-being, and a natural fortification of the body, mind and spirit. Above all, it is important to remember that depression and anxiety are a part of life’s journey. When those feeling occur, trust in God and understand that with Him you are more than a conqueror.

Painkillers Damage the Intestinal Tract

More than 70 percent of patients who took painkillers such as ibuprofen for more than three months suffered damage to their small intestines, U.S. researchers reported. The study is yet another blow to patients trying to find ways to treat arthritis pain, after reports that the most advanced drugs, called COX-2 inhibitors, can raise the risk of heart death.

Dr. David Y. Graham of the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and colleagues studied 21 patients taking a range of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS. They compared them to 20 patients taking acetaminophen, an unrelated painkiller, or nothing.

“Small-bowel injury was seen in 71 percent of NSAID users compared with 10 percent of controls,” they wrote in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

“We have always known that NSAIDs can cause potentially deadly stomach complications, but the extent of the impact on the small intestine was largely unknown until now,” Graham added.

Arthritis pain is incurable but can be treated with a range of drugs, including NSAIDS such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen; acetaminophen; or the newer drugs called COX-2 inhibitors. NSAIDS work very well but damage the stomach and intestine. They are blamed for 16,500 deaths a year in the United States alone, Graham said.

Graham’s team used an endoscope in the form of a swallowed camera in a capsule to examine the intestines of their volunteers. Although people taking NSAIDs frequently suffer stomach pain or anemia, none of the volunteers in this study had any symptoms. “We saw some ulcers and we saw lots of erosions,” Graham said.

The American Gastroenterological Association estimates that more than 30 million Americans take over-the-counter or prescription drugs for headaches and arthritis.

-Reuters

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec comments on Painkillers Damage Intestinal Tract

You have to understand the full implication of taking ANYTHING to relieve pain whether it be aspirin or non-aspirin (NSAIDS). All of them damage both the small intestinal and stomach lining or the small intestinal lining alone. Do you know what this produces long, long before you get ulcers, long, long before you get visible damage to the small intestine and stomach lining and long, long, long before it results in the 16,500 deaths a year that they cause? Leaky Gut Syndrome. What is Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS)? It is one of the leading causes of all symptoms, conditions, and diseases that plague all humankind.

Your intestinal tract is like a screen on your window to your house. The screen does not let flies and other bugs enter the house, only the air. The intestinal lining has what is called selective permeability which means it only allows totally digested and broken down food particles access into the blood stream (just like the window screen only lets the air in). It does not let in larger, undigested food particles or toxic material entrance into the blood stream (just like the window screen does not let the flies or bugs into the house). Now, when you break down or inflame the intestinal lining with:

Cooked food
Toxic animal products
Parasites (from animal products)
Drugs/medicines
Processed or refined sugars and starches
Alcohol
And by taking any type of PAINKILLER

You cause an instant Leaky Gut Syndrome which means that your cooked food, toxic animal products, sugars and starches, alcohol and drugs, medicines, including any PAINKILLERS, causes the window screen to break similarly to throwing a baseball through the screen. This destruction of the intestinal lining’s selective permeability means now not only digested broken down food particles can enter the circulating blood stream but also can large undigested food particles and toxic material. What do these cause? The large, undigested food particles trigger reactions in your white blood cells (Pac man) causing them to see these large food particles as foreign invaders. What does this mean? It means that your white blood cells have to start eating and digesting your breakfast, lunch and dinner because every meal you eat is causing more and more of these large, undigested food particles to “leak” into the blood stream.

What is the end result of this?

A completely out of balance immune system which opens the door to all disease. If your white blood cells are busy eating your breakfast, lunch and dinner, they cannot eat the bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and cancer cells that they normally would be consuming.

This causes a decreased immunity and increased likelihood of getting infectious disease and cancers. On the other side, if the immune system overreacts to the overload of work it has to do then, it starts attacking everything, even your own cells and tissues.

This is autoimmune disease and allergies. The second problem with the Leaky Gut Syndrome is toxicity. When the toxic material is allowed to “leak” into the circulating blood, then these toxins deposit in all cells, glands, organs and tissues. What does this mean? It means you are progressively poisoning your organs, glands, and tissues. You are slowly killing yourself. If the toxins deposit in the heart tissue, you will have heart symptoms of palpitations and arrhythmias and eventually heart disease. If the toxins go into the brain cells, you have progressive “brain fog” and eventually Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

If the toxins end up in your breast or prostate, this causes breast cancer and prostatic cancer. Do you get the picture yet? All this because you had to have a painkiller. So what do I do when I am in pain? The answer is easy—get healthy by living the 7 Basic Steps to Total Health and watch all the pain leave because you addressed it’s causes instead of covering up it’s effects with pain pills.

Preventing Colon Cancer Through Diet

Colorectal cancer, more commonly known as colon cancer, is the third most common type of cancer in the western hemisphere. In the United States alone, it strikes more than 150,000 men and women every year. Any diagnosis of cancer can have a devastating effect on a patient and their family. Colon cancer is no different. With the statistics for colorectal cancer rising every year, it is clear that conventional medicine has had little luck in defeating this life threatening disease. But as the old saying would have it, “the best medicine is prevention”. Today, more and more people are educating themselves on what they can do to prevent colon cancer. What they’re finding is what holistic clinicians have known all along. The balance of mind and body, coupled with proper nutrition, is the best defense against all physical disorders.

Causes and Symptoms of Colon Cancer

Colon cancer has a number of different causes. Studies suggest that certain people have a genetic predisposition for colon cancer, and that lifestyle and dietary habits are major triggers for the development of the disease. Cigarette smoking, and the regular consumption of red meat, has been linked to the growth of polyps in the colon that are likely to develop into cancerous tumors. Men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer also have a greater likelihood of developing colon cancer.

Unfortunately, the most common symptoms of colon cancer tend not to present themselves in the earliest stages of the disease. This can make it difficult to diagnose, which is why it is important to have regular screenings for the disease. The most common symptoms of colon cancer include abdominal pain, constipation, fatigue and feeling as though you constantly need to empty your bowel.

Diet and Colon Cancer

Diet plays a large part in the predisposition for any cancer, and sound nutritional choices should be the foundation of all cancer prevention. Transitioning to a vegan plant based diet can dramatically lower the risk for colon cancer. Red meat and highly processed meat products have been linked to an increased risk for colon cancer, and should be eliminated from the diet. A new emphasis should be placed on organic fruits and vegetables, seeds, nuts and avocados as a dietary staple. Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty aids, such as flax seed, hemp seeds, walnuts, broccoli and spinach, are also key components in a cancer fighting diet.

Obesity has also been linked to colon cancer, and maintaining a healthy weight can greatly reduce the risk for developing the disease. A predominantly vegan diet helps to maintain a healthy weight, and can also reduce the risk of diabetes, which is often a precursor to the development of colon cancer. Combining these dietary changes with regular exercise is the foundation of a cancer prevention lifestyle.

Exercise and Colon Cancer

Regular exercise has been proven to lower the risk of cancer, and should be a part of everyone’s healthy lifestyle. High intensity and short duration vigorous exercise can help to reduce the risk of colon cancer and other bowel disorders. Exercise helps the body to process nutrients more effectively, and to dispose of dangerous toxins through sweat. Exercise also helps individuals to maintain a healthy weight, which is the enemy of diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Regular moderate to vigorous daily exercise also plays a vital role in oxygenating the body’s cells, giving them the nutrients they need to heal damaged tissue and prevent the growth of cancerous cells.

Nutritional Supplements and Colon Cancer

In addition to a healthy diet and exercise, certain nutritional supplements appear to have anti-cancer properties. When used as part of a sound dietary plan, these supplements can help make the body an unwelcome host to cancerous, and precancerous, cells. St. John’s Wort has been shown to lower the risk of colorectal cancer in otherwise healthy individuals by as much as 63%. Regular doses omega 3 fatty acids appear to lower the risk of colon cancer by 27% to 35%. Vitamin D has also shown to be helpful in strengthening the immune systems fight against colon cancer. These nutritional supplements are easy to integrate into a healthy diet, and are entirely natural.

The best cancer prevention begins with providing the body with the tools it needs to achieve and maintain total health. Good nutrition, coupled with cancer fighting supplements, allows the body to repair and recharge itself on a daily basis. Exercise reinforces the natural cancer fighting ability of the body. By making the right dietary and lifestyle choices, we restore the natural balance of our bodies, and release our God given right to achieve and maintain total health.

Natural Treatments for Scleroderma

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes a thickening, and hardening, of skin and connective tissues. The disorder is the result of the body producing an overabundance of collagen.

There are two basic types of scleroderma, localized and systemic:

Localized scleroderma most typically affects the skin of the hands, feet, and face, causing dry patches which become progressively thicker and harder.
Systemic scleroderma is a more serious condition, and typically affects the blood vessels, heart, lungs and gastrointestinal tract.

Left unchecked, localized scleroderma can lead to pain, disfigurement and a loss of dexterity. Systemic scleroderma, untreated, can often have life threatening consequences.

What Causes Scleroderma?

Scleroderma can be difficult to diagnose, and it is often mistaken for other connective tissue disorders. Particularly in the early stages, scleroderma can be mistaken for rheumatoid arthritis, or for the early onset of lupus. Like many autoimmune disorders, the exact cause of scleroderma remains unclear. Doctors have long believed that there is a genetic component to the occurrence of scleroderma in otherwise healthy individuals. More recently, studies have pointed to environmental factors that seem to be linked to the disease. Certain environmental hazards, such as silica dust, plastics and some pharmaceutical chemicals have been linked to the rising number of patients with scleroderma.

Conventional Treatments for Scleroderma

While there is no accepted cure for scleroderma, conventional medicine treats the symptoms with a wide range of corticosteroids, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and immunosuppressent drugs. In extreme cases, surgery will be used to remove infected fingers or toes, or to repair affected organs. Some patients with systemic scleroderma have undergone kidney, heart or lung transplants in an effort to halt the advance of the disease. These treatments are not only highly invasive; they further compromise the total health of the patient’s body.

Individuals suffering with localized, or systemic, scleroderma are beginning to look for alternative treatments for their condition. Fortunately, there are therapies based wholly on natural ingredients and holistic methods that offer scleroderma patients new hope.

Alternative Therapies for Scleroderma

Scleroderma is an autoimmune disorder, and the best therapy for sufferers begins with the natural support of the body itself. Diet, lifestyle and nutrition play a large part in supplying the body with the materials it needs to achieve, and maintain, total health. Switching to a vegan diet, rich in organic fruits and vegetables, has proven to be effective in relieving the symptoms of scleroderma, and in slowing the advance of the disease. Meat, dairy, and other animal byproducts, are full of hormones, chemicals and antibiotics which force an otherwise healthy system out of balance. By eliminating exposure to these toxins, patients can restore their body’s ability to absorb and process the life giving nutrients needed to maintain its overall health. The resulting nutritional balance strengthens the body’s immune system, which can lead to a reduction in the occurrence of scleroderma symptoms.

Nutritional supplements also play a vital role in the natural treatment of scleroderma. Herbs such as Cleavers and Red Clover help to cleanse toxins from the lymphatic system and to purify the blood, allowing much needed nutrients to reach the skin and tissues. Mineral supplements can also be taken to support the health of both the skin and connective tissues of the body. These minerals help to hydrate the epidermis, and help to oxygenate the cells and tissues of the body so that they can repair themselves naturally.

Hope for Scleroderma Sufferers

Only those suffering with scleroderma truly know the pain, anxiety, and depression that can accompany the disease. Many patients feel helpless, as their bodies seem to turn against them. Anxiety and depression only exacerbate the symptoms, as vital energy is directed away from the self-healing process. Meditation on the word of God and prayer helps patients to redirect that energy, putting it to work returning their bodies to a harmonious balance. Many scleroderma patients find that a spiritual contemplation and meditation on the word of God, not only helps them deal more effectively with the symptoms of their disorder, but also allows their bodies to direct its energies to the attainment of total health.

Inflammatory Protein Role in Heart Disease

It’s not enough to reduce “bad” cholesterol to prevent heart attacks because a substance called C-Reative Protein or CRP also must be kept low, doctors said in a finding that could save tens of thousands of lives.

Evidence has been growing that a special type of inflammation, different from the form treated with aspirin and other related drugs, contributes to heart disease. CRP measures that inflammation.

A study led by Paul Ridker of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston showed that the people with the lowest risk of suffering a second heart attack also had the lowest levels of CRP.

A second study, led by Steven Nissen of the Cleveland Clinic, found that among 502 patients who lowered their CRP levels the most, there was ultrasound evidence that their clogged arteries had opened.

Ridker said the findings have “the potential to save thousands of lives” and should radically change the way the public thinks about heart disease prevention.

-New England Journal of Medicine

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec comments on Inflammatory Protein Role in Heart Disease:
Inflammation is the new buzz work in the health care world. In actuality, it is an old word, not a new one. Inflammation always has been the root of most all disease. Medical researchers are just now discovering what alternative medicine practitioners have always known. Inflammation produces symptoms, conditions and eventually disease in everyone.

So, if inflammation is the cause, what’s the cure or more correctly stated, how does one heal the inflammation?

Well, let us start with what NOT to do. Once medical researchers established that inflammation drives most disease processes, they thought they had the answer –just give the patient anti-inflammatory drugs and not only will you help their pain but help protect them from disease. Well, the premise is correct but the action steps are all wrong. As was previously discussed in the article about painkillers any pain pill, or anti-inflammatory drug causes Leaky Gut Syndrome, which opens the door to all disease and opens it very, very WIDE!

So what is the answer?

Put the fire out with 7 Basic Steps to Total Health.

Oxygen—the more air you fill your lungs with (in deep diaphragm breathing) the more you heal and the more inflammation you will reduce.
Water—water puts fire (inflammation) out so drink up.
Food—Living/raw plant food, not only does not cause inflammation (as cooked food, toxic animal products and refined sugars and flour do) but also causes existing fire (inflammation) to be put out.
Sleep—this is a powerful anti-inflammatory that few know about. In bed by 9 a.m. and up by 6 a.m. will do wonders for pain and inflammation.
Exercise—rebounding cellular/lymphatic exercise is the most powerful exercise available to decrease inflammation.
Fasting—the less you eat the better you will feel. When the diet is 100% living/raw plant food, there is no more inflammation being formed.
Prayer. The greatest anti-inflammatory of all is a still mind that listens to the voice of God spoken to the heart.

Be still and know that I AM GOD