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More Thankful Equals Better Mental and Physical Health

Recognizing and giving thanks for the positive aspects of life can result in improved mental, and ultimately physical, health in patients with asymptomatic heart failure.

“We found that more gratitude in these patients was associated with better mood, better sleep, less fatigue and lower levels of inflammatory biomarkers related to cardiac health,” said lead researcher, the professor of family medicine and public health at the University of California, San Diego.

Gratitude is part of a wider outlook on life that involves noticing and appreciating the positive aspects of life. It can be attributed to an external source another person or God). It is also commonly an aspect of spirituality. Because previous research has shown that people who considered themselves more spiritual had greater overall well-being, including physical health, reseachers examined the role of both spirituality and gratitude on potential health markers in patients.

The study involved 186 men and women who had been diagnosed with asymptomatic (Stage B) heart failure for at least three months. Stage B consists of patients who have developed structural heart disease (e.g., have had a heart attack that damaged the heart) but do not show symptoms of heart failure (e.g., shortness of breath or fatigue). This stage is an important therapeutic window for halting disease progression and improving quality of life since Stage B patients are at high risk of progressing to symptomatic (Stage C) heart failure, where risk of death is five times higher.

Using standard psychological tests, the researchers obtained scores for gratitude and spiritual well-being. They then compared those scores with the patients’ scores for depressive symptom severity, sleep quality, fatigue, self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to deal with a situation) and inflammatory markers. They found higher gratitude scores were associated with better mood, higher quality sleep, more self-efficacy and less inflammation. Inflammation can often worsen heart failure.

What surprised the researchers about the findings, though, was that gratitude fully or partially accounted for the beneficial effects of spiritual well-being.

“We found that spiritual well-being was associated with better mood and sleep, but it was the gratitude aspect of spirituality that accounted for those effects, not spirituality per se”.

To further test their findings, the researchers asked some of the patients to write down three things for which they were thankful most days of the week for eight weeks. Both groups continued to receive regular clinical care during that time.

“We found that those patients who kept gratitude journals for those eight weeks showed reductions in circulating levels of several important inflammatory biomarkers, as well as an increase in heart rate variability while they wrote. Improved heart rate variability is considered a measure of reduced cardiac risk”.

“It seems that a more grateful heart is indeed a more healthy heart, and it supports cardiac health.”

-Spirituality in Clinical Practice

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “More Thankful Equal Better Mental and Physical Health:

What is gratitude? The dictionary definition is “a feeling of being grateful to someone because they have given you something or have done something for you”. From the original Latin it means “gratitudinem (nominative gratitudo) “thankfulness,” from Latin gratus “thankful”.

This research just confirms what has been known for thousands of years. It was a simple but so powerful verse from the Bible:

1 Thess 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. NIV

How can you give thanks when you have a disease, when your spouse wants to divorce you, when you lost your job, or cannot pay your bills? How can you give thanks when everything is going wrong in your life?

Because no matter what hits you in this life and not matter how bad it appears you must put everything in its eternal perspective. What will matter 100 years from this day to YOU? Only things of the heart, only things of the spirit, only things of God. God did not bring the disease, the relationship problem, the job situation or the financial situation but what He did bring is the ANSWER to all the problems and situations. He sent His one and only Son to make sure you could overcome all obstacles and have the power of His Spirit living in your to give you the wisdom, the love, the power to go forth and walk in victory and freedom no matter how much this world tries to steal from you, no matter how much this world tries to kill you and the desires He has put into your heart, no matter how much this world tries to destroy who you are which is the son or daughter of God.

Remember and never ever forget:

“What the world means for evil God will turn it around into victory and freedom”.

How does this happen? You must walk by faith, totally trusting what HE said is True and that Truth will manifest in your life if you meditate on it day and night. Who are you going to believe your circumstances or GOD? Your body or GOD? Your finances or God? When you realize that God cannot lie and His Word is the same yesterday, today and forever then you will start trusting what He says more and more and what the situations say less and less. This is the faith, the trust that produces action steps in you led by the Holy Spirit within you.

This all begins with thankfulness. Thank God that He sent His Son Jesus to set you free from all the power of the lie and that He placed in your heart the Spirit of Truth. You will know the Truth (in each and every area of your life) and the Truth will set you free.

This world cannot defeat you if you live from a thankful heart to your Father in Heaven for sending His Son Jesus to set you free from all obstacles that could ever come against you and by constantly listening to the voice of Truth as the Holy Spirit guides you in your life journey.  Many of our patients have realized this Truth with our teaching on knowing who you are in Christ. The audio series is called “sally & george- Going Deeper

Don’t forget to thank people in your life who help you and do things for you. This is the natural expression of a thankful heart to thank others for the good they do for you no matter how small it may appear. It acknowledges that they gave to you from their heart and this thankfulness empowers both their heart and yours.

Purpose in life tied to healthier brain

Previously, a number of studies suggest that having a purpose in life – the sense that life has meaning and direction – may reduce a number of adverse health effects. Researchers from Rush University Medical Center (Illinois, USA), and colleagues studied autopsy results on 453 older adults, who participated in the Rush Memory and Aging Project. All of the participants underwent annual physical and psychological evaluations, including a standard assessment of purpose in life – where purpose in life was judged on a five-point scale (higher scores indicated a greater purpose), with the average score at 3.5. Participants were followed until they died, at an average age of 90 years.  At the study’s start, 114 subjects were affected by stroke.  At autopsy, 154 individuals had macroscopic infarctions (areas of stroke damage visible to the naked eye) and 128 had “microinfarcts” (areas of damage visible with a microscope).  The team observed that for every one-point increase in the score of purpose in life, the likelihood of having one or more macroscopic infarctions decreased by about 50%.  The study authors write that: “Purpose in life may affect risk for cerebral infarcts, specifically macroscopic lacunar infarcts.”                                  

Stroke

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Purpose in life tied to healthier brain:

What is your purpose in life? This is the million dollar question or to say it another way, this is what will determine how long your brain stays healthy.

You need to really ponder this question before you answer. Most people would answer with responses like these:

  • To be healthy
  • To be happy
  • To have a great marriage
  • To have healthy and happy children
  • To have a great job that you love
  • To be financially secure

 

All these are great answers but they still not do not answer the question: What is your purpose in life?

Westminster Catechism states the purpose of man:

  • What is the chief end of man?
  • Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
  • What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
  • The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.
  • What do the scriptures principally teach?
  • The scriptures principally teach, what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

Let see what Jesus says about this God designed life in you or as He calls it “eternal life”:

John 17:3-5

Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. NIV

So this God designed purpose is eternal life and that come from knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son. We also see according to Jesus how to glorify God- it is done by completing the mission for which you were sent here. You were not sent here for you but to do something for HIM but only done from HIS Spirit in you.

Last Jesus make it clear how you should live your life when He was asked a question:

Mark 12:28-31

“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.   Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’   The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” NIV

So Jesus made it very clear. Your purpose is to love God with every part of your being and love others as He would love them. Did you notice there is nothing in there about you?

That is why Jesus said when you seek first and foremost God’s purpose everything will be given to you or you can say it this way: when you are about the Father’s business the Spirit of God can flow unblocked in your life. You never have to think about you when you are constantly thinking about Him.

Matt 6:33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.NIV

So to sum it all up it is very simple. You were designed to live as a son or daughter of God being about the FAMILY business. This is accomplished when your eyes are fixed on Jesus and you are constantly listening to the Holy Spirit speak to your heart through the written and spoke Word of God and obeying this Word with action steps taken by faith. Live this kind of life and you will surely have a healthy brain and a healthy body because you are not focusing on you but Him and when you get yourself out of the way the Spirit can flow unhindered in your life. The more you focus on you the more you block the Spirit of God in your life.

Not my will (I, me, my, mine) but your will be done!

 

Is Stress the Cause of Cancer?

How can you live a stress-free life and prevent cancer and other health problems? By learning to manage your cortisol stress hormone levels and by putting the mental/emotional stress in your life in the proper perspective. Once you know how to balance the physical factors of sleep, diet and exercise along with the mental and emotional stresses in your life then you will restore health in your body and mind. This is critical in any alternative cancer treatment.

It is a fact that high stress is a major contributing factor to cancer and many other diseases. The question is how does stress cause cancer? To answer this, one must look at what the stress response does physiologically in the body. Hans Selye, the father of stress research, said there are two types of stress, distress and eustress. Distress is a longer, more damaging response which negatively affects the organs, glands and systems including the immune system. Eustress is a short term beneficial stimulus to the system. If you run up and down the stairs ten times you feel invigorated. Now if you run up and down the stairs one thousand times you are exhausted and totally drained, so eustress is health boosting whereas distress is health depleting.

The stress response is controlled by the brain via the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal axis or HPA axis. The hypothalamus, which has been called the brain of the brain, is the part of your brain that senses biochemical changes similar to the thermostat in your house. If certain biochemicals go high or low, it triggers the brain to respond. The hypothalamus does so by telling the master hormone gland, the pituitary, to send messages to the adrenal glands to secrete a hormone called cortisol. When cortisol is at the proper level it is anti-inflammatory and promotes health. When cortisol goes too high with acute stress or too low with chronic stress, it causes your immune and digestive systems to shut down, inflammation to increase, blood sugar to rise, hormones to go out of balance and bones to become osteoporotic. When cortisol stays high or low it predisposes you to cancer and many other diseases.

What causes cortisol to go out of balance?

  1. Mental/emotional stress (distress)
  2. Lack of total sleep and pre-midnight sleep (four hours is ideal)
  3. Diet high in sugar, starch or acid forming foods
  4. Too little or too much exercise

Cancer can form when cortisol becomes chronically high or low because adrenal exhaustion causes immune system suppression and your immune system is what keeps the individual cancer cells (which everyone has), from growing into colonies called tumors.

The most important stress management plan starts with proper sleep, diet, and exercise along with learning how to change your perception of the situation. When you change your perception you can change your reality and your health. To reduce the mental/emotional distress one must live fully in the moment without spending time thinking about the “if only I would have” past or the “if only I could” future. If you had excruciating pain in your body, what does your mind say? “I am going to die if I do not get out of this pain”. But is this really true? Can you endure the pain for one second? The answer is yes and this is how you will endure any storm in your life, by living one moment at a time instead of living in the past or the future. This type of living keeps your cortisol and immune system in balance and keeps you healthy in mind and body.

Listening to the Voice of God

Be still and know that I AM God, meaning still your racing, thinking mind and go into your heart where I AM speaking to you and trust MY WORD and MY SPIRIT which is constantly being spoken to your heart. Many have asked “I do not hear God’s voice”.  The reason is not that He is not talking but because you have been trained to listen to the mind instead of the heart. How can you start listening to the heart? Without faith it is impossible to please God. You must start by trusting that your Father in heaven loves you and wants the best for you. This must be the first premise and it cannot ever be questioned or doubted. From there you must stop seeking facts of the mind and world and start listening to the Truth He is speaking to your heart.

The Health Benefits of Dandelion

Dandelion, to some is a bothersome weed, to others it holds numerous vitamins and minerals that aid in various health challenges.   The dandelion leaves contain vitamin A, also known as beta-caratene.  The flowers of the dandelion contain flavonoids which are antioxidants and aid in disease fighting properties.    Dandelion contains the nutrients of lutein and zeaxanthin which are important for the protection of eye tissues from damage induced by light.  These nutrients are important factors in the reduction of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.  The vitamin K in dandelion is important for the maintaining of healthy bones.  Dandelion contains the calcium needed for maintaining bone density.  Dandelion vitamin C increases immune strength.  Both calcium and vitamin C are important to the functioning of the nervous system.  Other vitamins noted in dandelion would be B6, Betaine, Choline, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin and Thiamin.  Minerals found in dandelion would include copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc.

Current research published by the International Journal of Oncology indicated that dandelion leaf decreased breast cancer cells and prostate cancer cells.  Another study published by the Journal of Ethnopharmacology indicated that dandelion was effective in the killing of leukemia cells, the process which is called apoptosis.  It also indicated that dandelion did not affect the healthy cells.  The same was indicated in a study with melanoma cells with the same results.  

Research has indicated that dandelion can be used to help stimulate digestion which then would be helpful for those with appetite loss and upset stomachs.  It aids in the stimulation of liver bile to the gallbladder and great for liver cleansing.  Dandelion can aid in weight loss as it helps in the breaking down of liver fats and can also be considered as a tonic for the aid in strengthening intestines, kidneys, liver, pancreas, stomach and spleen.  Dandelion has been used in the aid in the removal of toxins by boosting liver function.  For bowel function, dandelion can be used as a laxative to increase movements. Research continues on the use of Dandelion for acne, appendicitis, cirrhosis, eczema, gout, jaundice, and possibly hepatitis.

For diabetics, research is indicating that dandelion can aid in the leveling of blood sugar levels, lower triglycerides, lower total cholesterol and raise the HDL.

When you think about Dandelion, think about a healthy liver because Dandelion has such a powerful healing affect on the liver. You may ask “what is so important about my liver?”

The liver is the master organ for creating optimal nutrition for all the 50-70 trillion cells in your body. The liver is the body’s largest organ, weighing three to five pounds in adults. It uses 12 – 20% of the body’s total energy, and it must generate this energy to it’s own cells. The liver routinely performs over 500 known functions to regulate your cell’s metabolism. It is the detoxification workhorse of the body, transforming toxins into harmless chemicals for excretion, and digestively absorbed nutrients into the proper biochemical forms your cells can use to function. Yet the liver is probably the organ most assaulted by toxic modern lifestyles, full of pollution, stress, junk foods, drugs, etc. In the US 40000 deaths a year are due to liver disease. Yet most people will never suffer from hepatitis, cirrhosis, or jaundice, the “classic” liver diseases. Toxic modern lifestyles may however promote “subclinical” liver disfunction. And no matter how good your diet and digestion, if your liver does not perform its many jobs properly, your cells can still be grossly malnourished. Optimal nutrition is a function, not just of what we eat and digest, but of how well the liver bio-transforms incoming food nutrients into forms that the bloodstream can transport to all the body’s cells, and that the cells can use to perform their metabolic functions.

So start adding Dandelion to your salads whenever you can and if you juice add some there also. Your liver will thank you and your health will benefit.

Exercise increases function despite old age brain decline

Older people who are physically active may be protecting themselves from the effects of small areas of brain damage that can affect their movement abilities.

Many older people have small areas of damage in their brains seen on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as white matter hyperintensities. Higher levels of this damage have been linked to more problems with movement, such as difficulty walking. But this new study found that people who were the most physically active did not have a drop-off in their movement abilities, even when they had high levels of brain damage.

Physical activity may create a ‘reserve’ that protects motor abilities against the effects of age-related brain damage.

The study involved 167 people with an average age of 80. MRI scans were used to determine the volume of white matter hyperintensities in the brain. Compared to those at the 50th percent in activity level measured using the movement monitors, those in the top 10 percent had activity equal to walking at 2.5 mph for an additional 1.5 hours each day.

For the people in the top 10 percent, having greater amounts of brain damage did not change their scores on the movement tests. But for those at the 50th percent activity level, having greater amounts of brain damage was associated with significantly lower scores on the movement tests.

The results remained the same after researchers adjusted for other factors that could affect the relationship, such as body mass index (BMI), depression and vascular disease.

Neurology

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Exercise increases function despite old age brain decline:

Do you grasp the power of what this research has shown? It has proven that function and movement rule over structure. What does that mean? Let us state it another way if you keep using it you will not lose it even if they say you lost it on the MRI! Another way to state this is: If you focus on your mission, the purpose God has brought you into this physical realm for and keep going forward in the purpose you cannot be stopped unless you take your eyes off of the mission and put them back on YOU!

There was a similar finding discovered years ago when a high IQ college student developed a regular headache and was sent for a CT scan and to their amazement his brain was not there. 95% of the brain mass or cortex had been replaced with fluid. So the question remains “how can he have such a high IQ with almost no brain?” or as in this present study shown these senior who had brain damage had no loss of function as long as they kept moving?

What is the answer?

God’s ways are not man’s ways. God’s thoughts are not man’s thoughts.

We are spirit beings made in the image of God who happen to have 2 pounds of dirt attached to that spirit. We are NOT human beings who just happen to have a spirit.

When God puts a purpose or vision in your heart, in your spirit, go for it and always remember you don’t need a brain or a mind to achieve it all you need is a heart filled with the Spirit of God and you cannot be stopped that is unless you look at the MRI and believe that is YOU.

 

 

Chemotherapy and Cancer

Chemotherapy will never be the cure of cancer. Cancer will only heal when the toxic load is decreased, an internal biochemical environment is achieved that only produces health and not disease and the mental and emotional toxins are released. When you get the chemicals and toxins (physical as well as mental and emotional) out of the body and the proper nutrients in, along with living a lifestyle of seven basic steps to total health (which include proper oxygen, water, food, sleep, exercise, fasting/detoxification and learning to live fully in the moment), then cancer and all disease can heal.

Is chemotherapy the best choice when you are diagnosed with cancer? To answer this you must look at what chemotherapy’s success rate has been. In an Australian study, researchers stated: “in lung cancer, the median survival has increased by only 2 months during the past 20 years and an overall survival benefit of less than 5 percent has been achieved in the treatment of breast, colon and head and neck cancers.” This study showed that chemotherapy’s 5-year survival in adults was 2.1 percent in the USA.

So if chemotherapy is not the cancer cure, what is? The answer is not found in curing the disease but in increasing the level of health in the body, so it can do what it was designed by God to do, which is heal. To heal cancer you must treat the cause and not the effect. You must balance all the systems of the body naturally instead of targeting one organ or gland with toxic medication that negatively affects all other systems of the body. Most importantly you must release the stored mental and emotional toxins that manifest as disease in the body.

According to the toxicology model of cancer formation, cancer is the end result of toxic buildup in the cells which causes them to dedifferentiate into cancer stem cells in order to survive in a toxic environment. The nucleus of the cell is where the DNA and genetic material are made. When toxins enter into the nucleus, the cell has one final attempt to survive: it dedifferentiates into a stem cell to try to adapt to this toxic environment. The stem cell can change into any cell type and grow very rapidly.

Toxic chemotherapy cannot heal cancer, but instead it only increases the toxic load in the cells more, which causes the cells to produce even more resistant cancer stem cells. The term in cancer therapy is MDR or multiple drug resistance. When these cancer stem cells are exposed to chemotherapy, they become resistant and even more aggressive in order to survive.

The dilemma arises when you keep putting more chemicals in the body to try to cure cancer and these very same chemicals cause cancer stem cells to become more aggressive. This is seen repeatedly with people that undergo chemotherapy; they see tumor shrinkage, but then the tumors grow back even more aggressively later. The reason this occurs is because chemotherapy does not kill cancer stem cells but only the outer core of the tumor, which is made of non-stem cell cancer cells. When cancer stem cells are exposed to these toxic chemicals, it simply makes them more aggressive and they produce more cancer cells, and the cancer will spread.

The only answer to cancer is found in bringing balance and homeostasis to each system of the body along with balancing the biochemical and mental/emotional states. When this is achieved, then healing will naturally occur, and the cancer stem cells will no longer have to produce more cancer cells because there will no longer be any toxicity in the body causing the cells to dedifferentiate into cancer stem cells. Alternative cancer treatment must focus on changing the internal and mental/emotional environment instead of trying to kill cancer cells. Focus on health and health will come. Focus on getting rid of a disease and you will always be magnifying the disease.

Exercise Equal to Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer

One way many cancers grow is by oxygen starvation, the tumor gains a sort of cloaking device that protects it from the toxic effects of chemotherapy drugs and radiation, which are designed to seek out well-oxygenated tissue.

Researchers have long tested various approaches to improving blood flow to the tumor in the hopes of restoring potency to treatments. Not much has shown promise.

Until researchers investigated exercise.

Researchers led by Duke Cancer Institute (DCI) scientists studied the impact of exercise in models of breast cancer in mice. They found that exercise stimulated significant improvements in the number and function of blood vessels around the tumors, improving oxygen flow to the cancer site. When treated with chemotherapy, the tumors shrank markedly better than they did in sedentary animals.

The researchers used two different models of breast cancer cells and implanted them in mice, then randomly assigned the animals to either exercise (running on a wheel), remaining sedentary.

Among the animals that exercised, tumor growth was significantly slower than growth in the sedentary mice, and tumor cell death was 1.5 times higher. The density of small blood vessels was approximately 60 percent higher in exercised mice compared to the controls, and oxygen transport improved, leading to less oxygen starvation of the cancer tissue. The vasculature in the tumors also looked and behaved more normally.

Based on the observed effects of exercise on tumor physiology, the researchers next tested whether exercise would improve the efficacy of the chemotherapy drug cyclophosphamide.

Animals were randomized to one of four groups:

  1. sedentary,
  2. exercise alone,
  3. cyclophosphamide alone,
  4. or exercise in combination with cyclophosphamide.

The rate of tumor growth was significantly slower in mice treated with exercise and cyclophosphamide compared to all other groups. Tumor growth was also delayed in both the exercise alone and cyclophosphamide alone groups, but there was no difference in tumor growth rate between those two groups, suggesting that exercise showed similar effect as chemotherapy in this experiment.

-JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 2015

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Exercise equal to chemotherapy in breast cancer:

Let us state CLEARLY what this research found: Exercise showed similar effects in decreasing tumor growth as compared to chemotherapy!

Let us restate this just incase you still need clarification: You have two choices to get the similar results in stopping cancer?  Door number one is you exercise multiple times per day. Door number two is you go for chemotherapy treatments. Which door do you choose?

Remember God designed the body to stay healthy when you live 7 Basic Steps to Total Health each and every day of your life.

What type of exercise should you be doing multiple times per day?

  1. Celllular exercise which moves lymphatic fluid. This is done on a rebounder 5 minutes of light health bounce done each hour.
  2. Cardiovascular exercise which moves blood. This can be as simple as going up and down the stair for one minute 1-3 times per day.

Life is motion and this motion helps get oxygen to cells to inhibit cancer growth. Do not wait until you get cancer. Start exercising today and for the rest of your life.

 

Cancer Stem Cells – The Queen Bee

Cancer stem cells are what drive cancer growth and spread. To heal cancer you must cause the cancer stem cells to differentiate back into normal cells. This can only be accomplished if the proper internal cellular environment is created.  This environment is affected by both physical and mental/emotional factors.  When chemicals are introduced into the body, this makes cancer stem cells produce non-stem cancer cells rapidly. Only when health promoting environment is produced will the cancer stem cells revert back to normal healthy cells.

The key to heal cancer is found in the cancer stem cell. A cancer stem cell is the cell that produces all the other cancer cells that give a malignant tumor it bulk. The majority of these cancer cells are called non-stem cancer cells. Cancer can be analogous to a bee hive. In the hive the queen is responsible for the growth of the hive. If you killed all the bees but left the queen, she would lay more eggs so that more bees would be produced. The queen represents the cancer stem cell and the rest of the bees in the hive would be the non-stem cancer cells.  You will never get rid of the hive until you get rid of the queen. So it is with cancer. Unless you cause the cancer stem cell to differentiate back into a normal cell, no matter how much chemotherapy or radiation you do, no matter how much tumor shrinkage or cancer reduction you achieve, the cancer will return and be even more aggressive, growing faster.

What causes a normal cell to transform into a cancer stem cell? When the chemical or toxin load builds up to a peak level or oxygen levels drop very low, this triggers a survival mechanism in the cells. The toxicology disease model demonstrates that cancer forms when toxicity builds up to the point that it spills over from the blood to the space between the blood and the cells called the extracellular matrix and then finally spills over into the cell itself and enters the nucleus of the cell where the DNA and genetic material are made. When toxins enter into the nucleus the cell has one final attempt to survive, it dedifferentiates into a stem cell to try to adapt to a toxic environment.

Chemotherapy does not kill cancer stem cells only the outer layers of the tumor made up of non-stem cell cancer cells. Normal cells have a survival mechanism to transform into cancer stem cells to adapt to a toxic environment.  When a person does chemotherapy it will cause more cancer cells to be produced in order to survive an even more toxic environment.  The only logical answer to heal cancer would be to decrease the toxic load and naturally support the function of all systems, glands and organs.

Cancer cells should not be seen as a foreign invader that needs to be destroyed. They are your cells that have adapted to survive. To get them to change back into normal cells calls for a change in the internal environment. Cancer cells grow rapidly in high toxins, low oxygen, high sugar and an acidic environment along with certain mental/emotional traumas or shocks. Cancer cells would have no reason reproduce rapidly and spread if this environment was reversed. If you change the environment you can cause the cancer stem cells to revert back into normal cells. This is the first step in healing cancer. Any alternative cancer treatment must understand this basic premise in order to be successful.

 

The Intestine – Brain Connection

The gut microbiome – comprised of several trillion bacteria living in the digestive tract, is gaining recognition as a contributing factor to diseases not only of the GI system, but cardiovascular, immune, and neurological.  Researcher from the Foundation for Integrated Medicine reports on the relationship between the proteins produced by intestinal bacteria and the human central nervous system.  There are various mechanisms through which the microbiome can influence the brain: by stimulating and over-stimulating the immune system, producing neurotoxic agents, releasing hormones or neurotransmitters identical to those made by the human body, or through direct neuronal stimulation that sends signals to the brain. “Through these varied mechanisms, gut microbes shape the architecture of sleep and stress reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. They influence memory, mood, and cognition and are clinically and therapeutically relevant to a range of disorders, including alcoholism, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and restless legs syndrome. Their role in multiple sclerosis and the neurologic manifestations of celiac disease is being studied. “Nutritional tools for altering the gut microbiome therapeutically include changes in diet, and probiotics.”

-Journal of Medicinal Food.

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “The Intestine – Brain Connection:

You have 10 times as many organisms living in your gut compared to cells in your entire body. To say it another way- you are outnumbered 10:1. That is not a problem if the 10 are beneficial health producing bacteria or flora in the intestinal tract but if the 10 are pathogenic bacteria then ill health will always follow. In this research it was found that the intestinal issues affect the brain tissue directly. The primary way the pathogenic bacteria negatively impact your brain and nervous system is through INFLAMMATION. This is why it is critical to have a healthy digestive tract if you want to have a healthy brain, mind, cognitive function, memory and proper balanced emotional responses.

What can you do to balance your digestive tract and thus balance your brain?

  1. Eat more living and raw plant foods like seeds, nuts, avocados, olives and olive oil along with all raw vegetables and fruits to include the most important is the avocado but also you can enjoy tomato (yes it is a fruit), lemons and limes. Make sure you avoid sweet fruit because the sugar will cause an overgrowth of candida in the digestive tract and cause not only a weakened immune system but and inflammatory nervous system and brain.
  2. Take probiotics daily- we recommend 1-3 caps three times per day. This is the beneficial bacteria that you are “planting” into the soil of your gut.
  3. Eat raw garlic- this is God’s food which is medicine. Raw garlic (start with 1 clove and work your way up) not only kills pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, candida and cancer cells but it grows the good bacteria. This is a smart bomb designed by God.
  4. Take digestive enzymes with each and every meal- enzymes help you fully digest the food so it does not set off an immune reaction which will then set off and inflammatory cascade that ends with either autoimmune disease or eventual cancer. This is easy just take 3-6 digestive enzymes with each meal and you are covered.

 

Healing Your Nervous System with Natural Foods

With an ever-ageing population it is predicted that by 2030, 20% of people over 65 will have dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, the first symptoms of which are depression, irritability, confusion and forgetfulness. In Europe alone 1 million people develop impaired memory every year, more than half of which will be later diagnosed with dementia. About 70% of dementia is really Alzheimer’s disease (diagnosed by a CT scan) with cerebrovascular dementia (a circulation disease) accounting for most other cases.

Cinnamon has the ability to boost memory and enhance intellectual capabilities. Sprinkling cinnamon on food is considered to improve mental functions and help in the effective treatment of brain fog. Cinnamon also is considered beneficial in the management of digestive disorders and treatment of diabetes as stabilizing insulin levels.

Avocados are almost as good as blueberries in promoting brain health. Avocados are a fatty fruit with monounsaturated fats which contributes to healthy blood flow, resulting in healthy flow to the brain. Avocados also lower blood pressure, while hypertension is a risk factor for causing a decline in cognitive abilities, a lower blood pressure promotes brain health.

A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that a good intake of vitamin E might help to prevent cognitive decline, particularly in the elderly. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E along with leafy green vegetables, asparagus, olives, and seeds.

Coconut oil contains nature’s most abundant source of MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides), and it is an easily convertible fuel source for ketones, which is a high energy source for the brain. Also, it is one of nature’s richest sources of saturated fat which is needed to produce HDL cholesterol to feed the brain for energy. With the brain being comprised of mostly cholesterol and fat, it is necessary in the diet to feed the brain, but best in a non-animal source.

At Duke & Emory University, a four month clinical trial was done of combining aerobic exercise with diet and caloric restriction showed that neurocognitive function was improved.  When one stays or becomes active, eat healthfully (less meat and saturated fat and more fruits and vegetables), and work to keep your weight down, not only does your body benefit from improved blood pressure, fitness, and cardiac health, but your brain function improves as well.

There has been millions spent on research for Nervous system disorders, especially Alzheimer’s, Dementia and Parkinsons Disease. There are some simple food items and activities that can help ease the progression of Dementia, Parkinsons Disease, memory loss and brain fog issues. From Cinnamon, to Avocados, foods containing high Vitamin E content of leafy green vegetables, asparagus, olives and seeds to Coconut Oil, all of these have proven a brain-feeding and preventative action of nervous system health issues. Exercise is quite an important component to overall health and to keeping the brain active, along with fine-tuned motor skills.  Caloric restriction benefits can be achieved by cutting out high glycemic index foods including starches, sugars and grains and substituting more raw plant fats such as seeds, nuts, avocados, olives and coconut.

 

 

Walnuts Stop Cancer and Reduce Cholesterol

An abundant source of antioxidants, walnuts are a good source of protein, fiber, and alpha linoleic acid – a  plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Researchers from the University of California Davis (California, USA), fed mice either whole walnuts (equivalent of 2.6 ounces for humans), walnut oil or a walnut-like fat for 18 weeks. Both the walnuts and walnut oil slowed prostate cancer growth in mice.  Notably, walnuts and walnut oil increased MSMB mRNA a tumor suppressor and decreased COX-2 mRNA, both reported to inhibit prostate tumor growth.  In addition, both walnuts and walnut oil reduced cholesterol and increased insulin sensitivity.

Researchers at UC Davis and other institutions have found that diets rich in whole walnuts or walnut oil slowed prostate cancer growth in mice. In addition, both walnuts and walnut oil reduced cholesterol and increased insulin sensitivity. The walnut diet also reduced levels of the hormone IGF-1, which had been previously implicated in both prostate and breast cancer.

“For years, the United States government has been on a crusade against fat, and I think it’s been to our detriment,” said lead scientist and research nutritionist. “Walnuts are a perfect example. While they are high in fat, their fat does not drive prostate cancer growth. In fact, walnuts do just the opposite when fed to mice.”

Researchers have been investigating the impact of walnuts on health for some time. A previous study found that walnuts reduced prostate tumor size in mice; however, there were questions about which parts of the nuts generated these benefits. Was it the meat, the oil or the omega-3 fatty acids? If it was the omega-3 fats, the benefit might not be unique to walnuts. Since the fatty acid profile for the soybean oil used as a control was similar, but not identical, to walnuts, more work had to be done.

In the current study, researchers used a mixture of fats with virtually the same fatty acid content as walnuts as their control diet. The mice were fed whole walnuts, walnut oil or the walnut-like fat for 18 weeks. The results replicated those from the previous study. While the walnuts and walnut oil reduced cholesterol and slowed prostate cancer growth, in contrast, the walnut-like fat did not have these effects, confirming that other nut components caused the improvements – not the omega-3s.

We showed that it’s not the omega-3s by themselves, though, it could be a combination of the omega-3s with whatever else is in the walnut oil,” “It’s becoming increasingly clear in nutrition that it’s never going to be just one thing; it’s always a combination.”

“The energy effects from decreasing IGF-1 seem to muck up the works so the cancer can’t grow as fast as it normally would,” “Also, reducing cholesterol means cancer cells may not get enough of it to allow these cells to grow quickly.”

In addition, the research showed increases in both adiponectin and the tumor suppressor PSP94, as well as reduced levels of COX-2, all markers for reduced prostate cancer risk.

“In our study the mice were eating the equivalent of 2.6 ounces of walnuts,” he said. “You need to realize that 2.6 ounces of walnuts is about 482 calories. That’s not insignificant, but it’s better than eating a serving of supersized fries, which has 610 calories. In addition to the cancer benefit, we think you also get cardiovascular benefits that other walnut research has demonstrated.

Journal of Medicinal Food

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Walnuts Stop Cancer and Reduce Cholesterol”

As Hippocrates said “Let your food be your medicine”. Research like this excites us knowing that God put what we needed to stay healthy in the food we eat if we would only eat enough of it and and in the right form. What form is that? Living or raw! Do not cook or you kill the enzymes and denature the proteins and oxidize the fats and make a very healthy food become a very unhealthy one.

What is eye opening about this study is that it was not the omega 3 fatty acids that stopped the cancer but something else in the walnut or a combination of various phytochemicals unique to walnuts that did the job. What does this mean to you? Eat real food! You can take supplements but not at the expense of thinking your okay not to eat the real food also.

Over the last 30 years of seeing patients from time to time a patient would ask be about dry roasted nuts. These are cooked, killed, denatured and not even in the category of a health promoting nut. Once you apply heat you not only destroy all the health benefits but now it becomes a toxin to the body. This is the same principle with glycemic index and food. A raw white potato has a glycemic index of about 25 whereas a cooked potato jumps to100 which is inflammation producing. The raw potatoe has enzymes and phytochemicals that are destroyed with the cooking process and leaves too much sugar as a byproduct.

Take home message is that raw seeds and nuts have many health benefits besides their listed vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acid content. The “secret sauce” is usually found in the unique phytochemicals produced by that plant. These health benefits are only available when the food is uncooked.

Mercury and seafood are risk factors for autoimmune disease

One of the greatest risk factors for autoimmunity may be associated with exposure to mercury such as through seafood, a new University of Michigan study says.

The findings found that mercury — even at low levels generally considered safe — was associated with autoimmunity. Autoimmune disorders, which cause the body’s immune system to attack healthy cells by mistake, affects nearly 50 million Americans and predominately women.

“We don’t have a very good sense of why people develop autoimmune disorders,” says lead author the associate professor in the departments of Internal Medicine in the division of Rheumatology, Environmental Health Sciences, and Obstetrics & Gynecology at the U-M Medical and Public Health Schools.

“A large number of cases are not explained by genetics, so we believe studying environmental factors will help us understand why autoimmunity happens and how we may be able to intervene to improve health outcomes. In our study, exposure to mercury stood out as the main risk factor for autoimmunity.”

Autoimmune disease — which can include such conditions as inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis — is among the 10 leading causes of death among women.

Researchers analyzed data among women ages 16-49 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Greater exposure to mercury was associated with a higher rate of autoantibodies, a precursor to autoimmune disease. Most autoimmune diseases are characterized by autoantibodies, proteins made by a person’s immune system when it fails to distinguish between its own tissues and potentially harmful cells.

Many fish consumption recommendations are aimed at pregnant women, those who may become pregnant, nursing moms and young children. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) say pregnant women can safely eat up to 12 ounces (340 grams) of seafood a week. This recommendation was before the data from this study was compiled.

The presence of autoantibodies doesn’t necessarily mean they will lead to an autoimmune disease, however, we know that autoantibodies are significant predictors of future autoimmune disease, and may predate the symptoms and diagnosis of an autoimmune disease by years.

 -Environmental Health Perspectives

 

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Mercury, seafood and autoimmune disease”

Simply put an autoimmune disease is your immune system is so revved up that it starts attacking your own cells, tissues, glands and organs. This happens when some chemical, toxin or antigen enters the body and starts an immune reaction. If this chemical, toxin or antigen continually enters the body they the immune system gets hypersensitized to it and this is where the problem begins.

Autoimmune disease is a last stage adaptation to an over active immune response. When the immune system is over stimulated in the initial stages can or cannot manifest with allergies. If the root source of these allergies are not found and corrected (this is NOT with allergy shots or medications), then the allergies will eventually become chronic immune overstimulation and can transform into autoimmune disease. Some people skip the symptomatic allergy phase and go right to the autoimmune disease.

Autoimmune diseases and where they originate from:

  • Multiple Sclerosis-nervous system
  • Rheumatoid Arthritis-joints
  • Crohn’s Colitis-bowel
  • Diabetes-pancreas
  • Hasimoto’s/Graves-thyroid
  • Addison’s-adrenal
  • Hepatitis-liver
  • Nephritis-kidney
  • Lupus- systemic, whole body
  • Scleroderma-skin
  • Vitiligo-skin
  • Alopecia-skin
  • Meniere’s-ear

The message of this research is that chemicals and toxins at levels that the EPA thought were safe are not. So cut out the fish and anything else that has chemicals, toxins or heavy metals.

 

Mercury exposure comes from coal burning factories (China is the highest) which allows the mercury to circulate worldwide. Once the mercury is in the air it eventually will end up in the water or the land near water and then certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury that builds up in fish, shellfish, and those that consume the fishes. Methylmercury is a highly toxic form of mercury and a main source of exposure to humans. Other sources of mercury include dental amalgams.

What should you do?

Stop the fish and start getting the mercury out of your system. We use the following protocol at THI:

Detoxification Protocol

  1. Toxin Chelation– 3 caps twice a day on empty stomach
  2. Spirulina/Chlorella– 2 tablespoons twice a day with food
  3. Liver Maintenance– 6 caps twice a day with food or 4 caps three times a day with food
  4. Liver Detox Tea– 3 cups a day

Nature, religion and art are some of life’s best anti-inflammatories

Taking in such beautiful wonders as the Grand Canyon, Sistine Chapel ceiling may give a boost to the body’s defense system, according to new research from UC Berkeley.

Researchers have linked positive emotions — especially the awe we feel when touched by the beauty of nature, art and spirituality — with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins that signal the immune system to work harder.

“Our findings demonstrate that positive emotions are associated with the markers of good health,” said researcher at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study, which she conducted while at UC Berkeley.

While cytokines are necessary for herding cells to the body’s battlegrounds to fight infection, disease and trauma, sustained high levels of cytokines are associated with poorer health and such disorders as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and even Alzheimer’s disease and clinical depression.

It has long been established that a healthy diet and lots of sleep and exercise bolster the body’s defenses against physical and mental illnesses. But the Berkeley study is one of the first to look at the role of positive emotions in that arsenal.

“That awe, wonder and beauty promote healthier levels of cytokines suggests that the things we do to experience these emotions — a walk in nature, losing oneself in music, beholding art — has a direct influence upon health and life expectancy,” said UC Berkeley researcher.

In two separate experiments, more than 200 young adults reported on a given day the extent to which they had experienced such positive emotions as amusement, awe, compassion, contentment, joy, and love. Samples of tissue, known as oral mucosal transudate, taken that same day showed that those who experienced more of these positive emotions, especially awe, wonder and amazement, had the lowest levels of the cytokine, Interleukin 6, a marker of inflammation.

In addition to autoimmune diseases, elevated cytokines have been tied to depression. One recent study found that depressed patients had higher levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine known as TNF-alpha than their non-depressed counterparts. It is believed that by signaling the brain to produce inflammatory molecules, cytokines can block key hormones and neurotransmitters — such as serotonin and dopamine — that control moods, appetite, sleep and memory.

-Emotion

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Nature, Religion and Art”

The key words in this research are “awe and wonder”.

What does nature remind us of?

Why does the Grand Canyon cause awe when we see it?

What do the paintings on the Sistine Chapel bring remembrance of?

When a baby is born and we see the awesome wonder of life what does this baby remind us of?

Rom 1:20

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. NIV

The answer is GOD! So what this research is basically saying in the translated form is that when we see things or think on things that remind us of God our Father in Heaven who created and sustains all things this boosts your immune system and reduces inflammation in your body.

Phil 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.NIV

Heb 12:2

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…NIV

So lets take this one step further. If looking at the Grand Canyon reminds us of the awesomeness of God and that increases immunity and decreases inflammation then it goes without saying that thanking God for who He IS and praising Him for what He has DONE for you would even boost your immune system more and decrease more inflammation.

This is called prayer. Prayer is not about you it is about HIM! It is not about your needs, but about His kingdom come His will being done hear and now on earth as it is in Heaven.

If you could always remember this one simple Truth it would transform your prayer life. IT IS ALWAYS ABOUT HIM NEVER ABOUT YOU!

Now you might say what about me? Remember it says the God knows what you need before you even ask. He is always looking out for you but you have to be in His presence to hear His Holy Spirit speaking to your heart and that comes when you are in a constant state of thanksgiving and praise.

Eccl 5:7

Therefore stand in awe of God. NIV

Luke 5:24-26

He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.” NIV

Luke 7:14-16

Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God.NIV

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,  praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.NIV

Ps 47:2

How awesome is the Lord Most High,the great King over all the earth! NIV

Ps 68:35

You are awesome, O God. NIV

Acts 3:6-10

Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. NIV

Isa 9:6

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. NIV

1 Peter 2:9-10

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. NIV

Ps 145:5-6

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds. NIV

 

Brain Inflammation Causes Major Depression

A new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) found that the measure of brain inflammation in people who were experiencing clinical depression was increased by 30 per cent. The findings have important implications for developing new treatments for depression.

“This finding provides the most compelling evidence to date of brain inflammation during a major depressive episode,” says senior author of CAMH’s Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute. “Previous studies have looked at markers of inflammation in blood, but this is the first definitive evidence found in the brain.”

Specifically, the research team was able to measure the activation of immune cells, known as microglia, that play a key role in the brain’s inflammatory response.

To investigate whether brain inflammation was increased in people during clinical depression, The research team conducted brain scans on 20 patients with depression but who were otherwise healthy and 20 healthy control participants using a brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography (PET). Results showed a significant elevation of brain inflammation in participants with depression. Rates of inflammation were also highest among those with the most severe depression.

A growing body of evidence suggests the role of inflammation in generating the symptoms of a major depressive episode such as low mood, loss of appetite, and inability to sleep. But what was previously unclear was whether inflammation played a role in clinical depression independent of any other physical illness.

“This discovery has important implications for developing new treatments for a significant group of people who suffer from depression,” “It provides a potential new target to either reverse the brain inflammation or shift to a more positive repair role, with the idea that it would alleviate symptoms.”

The drive to uncover new ways to target and treat depression is fueled by the reality that more than half of people with major depression do not respond to antidepressant treatments and four per cent of the general population is the midst of a clinical episode. Current treatments do not target inflammation, and treating depression with anti-inflammatories is one avenue for future research.

-JAMA Psychiatry

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on Brain inflammation and depression:

As we have told patients for the last 30 years at Total Health Institute- Inflammation is the root of all disease and this includes mental and emotional disease according to this new study.

So if inflammation is the culprit in disease then what causes the inflammation? To answer that question you have to address the systems of the body. Health is only achieved when all the systems are in balance working in harmony. If one system malfunctions with lower function another system will compensate with an excessive function and this can be termed “inflammation”. What are the systems what we analyze with each patient we see at Total Health Institute?

  1. Nervous system
  2. Immune system
  3. Hormonal system
  4. Cardiovascular system
  5. Lymphatic system
  6. Digestive system
  7. Detoxification system

Your body is this symphony of motion and action that continually flows life and health to your cells. If one system drops the ball because of an excessive stress placed upon it (your nervous system gets stressed from a poor diet that includes chemical additives, preservatives and excitotoxins then it malfunctions from a hyper response to a hypo or lower response. This can then trigger the immune system to counter with an increase of circulating inflammation producing white blood cells. This then leads to higher levels of inflammation throughout the blood and body. If this stays longer then necessary the end result is chronic inflammation in the blood, brain and body which can lead to any disease physically or mentally and emotionally.

What is the answer to get rid of inflammation?

Well it is NOT to take anti-inflammatory medication because that only works short term for acute situations and if taken long term will damage multiple organ systems including your liver.

The answer is found in balancing these 7 systems naturally. We do this at Total Health Institute with specific treatments and teaching a diet and lifestyle that heal the root of all inflammation. A first step that everyone should start today is to implement the  Seven Basic Steps to Total Healthinto your lifestyle. If you have more significant issues give us a call and we will help guide you to the best next step.

Stop thinking “I should take this for this and take that for that”. Instead get healthy in all your systems and the body will do what God designed it to do. It will heal.

 

Two are Always Better than One when Restoring Health

People are more successful in taking up healthy habits if their partner makes positive changes too, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Scientists at UCL funded by Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation, and the National Institute on Aging looked at how likely people were to quit smoking, start being active, or lose weight in relation to what their partner did.

They found that people were more successful in swapping bad habits for good ones if their partner made a change as well.

For example, among women who smoked, 50 per cent managed to quit if their spouse gave up smoking too at the same time, compared with 17 per cent of women whose spouses were already non-smokers, and 8 per cent of those whose spouses were regular smokers.

The study found that men were equally affected by their spouses and were more likely to quit smoking, get active, or lose weight if their spouses made the same behavior change.

The research looked at 3,722 couples over the age of 50.

One of the study authors, said: “Unhealthy lifestyles are a leading cause of death from chronic disease worldwide. The key lifestyle risks are smoking, excess weight, physical inactivity, poor diet, and alcohol consumption. Swapping bad habits for good ones can reduce the risk of disease, including cancer.

Lead author of the study at UCL, said: “Now is the time to make New Year’s resolutions to quit smoking, take exercise, or lose weight. And doing it with your partner increases your chances of success.”

Cancer Research UK’s head of health information, said: “Making lifestyle changes can make a big difference to our health and cancer risk. And this study shows that when couples make those changes together they are more likely to succeed.

“Getting some support can help people take up good habits. For example if you want to lose weight and have a friend or colleague who’s trying to do the same thing you could encourage each other by joining up for a run or a swim at lunchtime or after work. And local support such as stop smoking services are very effective at helping people to quit.

“Keeping healthy by not smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight and being active can all lower the risk of cancer, and the more people can help and encourage each other the better.”

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s  comment on “Two are Always Better than One when Restoring Health”:

What is the answer when it comes to changing a habit?  Jesus gave us the answer 2000 years ago.

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.”

…every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’  Matt 18 NIV

What this research showed was that husbands and wifes will change habits of stopping smoking, starting exercise and losing weight when they do it TOGETHER!

The study showed women successfully changing a habit 50% of the time if there husband also changed with them. It dropped to 17% if their husband already had changed this habit before on his own. There was only an 8% chance of the habit changing if the women tried to change the habit that the husband was still engaging in.

What is the take home message?  Everyone has negative or health destroying habits that need to be broken and to break them you are going to need support, so what are your options for that support?

  1. Your spouse is the best and first choice because he or she is supposed to be your other half. What this means is they would be willing to lay down their life for you and the real test comes when it feels like dying to break an old nature, flesh habit that is no only stealing your physical health but also blocking your spiritual growth.
  2. A very close relative or friend that wants to also break the same negative habit. A word of caution do not start this with anyone who is not 100% committed to break this bondage no matter what the cost and what pain and suffering has to be endured. It does you no good and some harm to set a goal to lose 25 lbs. with your good friend and find that in two weeks she/he decides it’s just too hard and they quit.
  3. A social group or community group that specializes in breaking this habit. These are not as good but at least there is some accountability.

A final word of encouragement to all of you who either have a spouse that does not want to change or have no one else to turn to. In the 30 years we have been treating patients at Total Health Institute we put patients on treatment programs to give them the best chance of healing their health challenges. When we do this we can see how much the spouse really loves their other half. Over the years we have seen the most Christ-filled spouses say “no matter what it costs I want her/him to overcome this and I also want to do the program with her/him and eat the same diet she/he does so we can do it together.”  What was unique about these spouses of our patients is that they truly laid down their life in every way for their other half so that the two would remain one.

With that said always remember and never forget who your first love is?

We have had patients heal with no support from their spouse or anyone else in their life but they did it together with their covenant partner Christ Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit within them. So if you have no one one your side do not concern yourself because you always have three others who will always be there for you and support you in anything that THEY put into your heart: The Father, Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit- Your FAMILY!

 

Harmful Effects of a High Protein Diet

High protein diets have gotten a lot of attention in the past decade, especially with the social popularity of the Atkins diet. However, much research shows the harmful effects on the body from consuming a high protein diet.

From a recent study published in the journal Cell Metabolism, researchers discovered that the risk of dying from any cause was increased by 74% simply from eating a high-protein diet during middle age compared to eating a low-protein diet, and the risk of dying from cancer increased more than four times. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consuming a high-protein diet has similar risks with smoking, with an increase of three times for overall risk of death, as compared to not smoking. There were 6,381 subjects followed for 18 years and were aged 50 and older. As this study showed a large difference between high and low-protein diets, subjects who ate moderate amounts of protein during middle age were still three times more likely to die of cancer than low-protein eaters. In addition, risk of diabetes increased by a four-fold. A plant derived protein diet resulted in a decrease risk of mortality and disease as compared to an animal, high-protein diet.

From a recent study of 66,000 women from the British Medical Journal, researchers discovered that pregnancy women who consumed a diet rich in vegetables, and fruits had a significant reduced risk of preterm delivery. This supports and encourages a healthy diet for pregnant women, not just for a short time period but to be following through for life.

High dietary protein can cause or aggravate chronic kidney disease. It has been shown in various studies that high protein diet increases glomerular filtration rate or GFR, as endocrine factors increase as well, which both can strain or overwork the kidneys. For those with risk of kidney stones or chronic kidney disease, this is important to be aware of and to decrease risk of disease progression. Urea production and urea excretion are controlled by the kidneys and are increased with a high protein diet, which can cause dehydration and accumulation of blood urea nitrogen.

From a prospective, cohort study done with 43,396 Swedish women, aged 30-49 years of age, they completed dietary questionnaires and had a follow up after 15.7 years. Cardiovascular health and correlation with diet was investigated. A 1/10th increase in protein and decrease in carbohydrate consumption was statistically significant for an increased correlation of overall cardiovascular disease. Four additional cohort studies have shown this correlation between high protein diet and cardiovascular disease.

From a recent cohort study found that men and women that ate a diet high in red meat, had a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Subjects included 37,083 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up study, 79,570 women from the Nurses’ Health Study I, and 87,504 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II. For each additional serving beyond 50g/day of red meat and processed red meat each day that study participants consumed, their risk of diabetes rose 12 and 32%, respectively. Consuming a serving of nuts instead of red meat each day lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes from 16 to 35%.

Also from the Nurses’ Health and the Health Professionals Follow-up study, it was stated that for each additional serving per day of red meat or processed red meat was correlated with a 10 and 16% increase in cancer death, respectively. There is research stating that consuming a lot of red meat and processed meat is correlated with an increased risk of colon cancer.

A low carbohydrate, high-protein diet increases acidity throughout the body, resulting in a subclinical chronic metabolic acidosis, which promotes calcium loss from the skeletal system. Osteoblasts and osteoclasts respond to small changes in pH in the body, so a small decrease in pH causes a large release of bone resorption. A study of young women on a metabolic diet showed that changing dietary protein intake creates the bone turnover along with renal calcium excretion, raises urinary N-telopeptide concentrations, and raised parathyroid hormone levels, which all have negative impacts throughout the body.

As observed, there are numerous studies concluding that a high-protein diet has a negative impact on the body, affecting most body systems. Simply increasing the risk of developing cancer 4 times and the risk of dying 74% from any cause from a high protein diet was recently observed in a recent study. Eating less meat and more fruits and vegetables lessens preterm delivery for expecting mothers. Worsening chronic kidney disease increases for those with kidney issues on a high protein diet. Cardiovascular disease incidence increases with high protein consumption. Lastly, a high protein diet alters pH levels, creating an acidic environment, with alters all body systems.

The answer?

Eat a plant based diet high in vegetables, sprouts, seeds, nuts avocados and olives and eat as much as you can living/raw. Remember where does an elephant get it’s protein from? The leaves and grass it eats has just the right amount, not too much, not too little. It must be enough because elephants are the largest land animals with the largest muscles. Even look at apes who are three times the weight of a man but 30 times as strong. Apes do not eat meat, chicken, fish, milk or cheese. How do they get so strong? They eat a living/raw plant diet very high in greens.

Want to Lose Fat- Get Cold

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that exposure to cold temperatures increases levels of a newly discovered protein that is critical for the formation of brown fat, the type of fat in our bodies that generates heat. With extended exposure to cold air, the protein, called transcription factor Zfp516, also helps the more abundant white fat in our bodies — the kind that stores excess energy — become more similar to brown fat in its ability to burn energy.

The researchers found that mice with boosted levels of the Zfp516 protein gained 30 percent less weight than control mice when both groups were fed a high-fat diet.

Unlike white fat, which stores excess energy, brown fat burns energy to keep us warm. Brown fat gets its hue from relatively high levels of mitochondria, the cell’s power station. In humans, brown fat was thought to be present only in infants, but stores of it were recently discovered in adults around such vital areas as the heart, brain, neck and spinal cord.

The study authors said that because we generally live our lives in controlled, ambient temperatures, our need for brown fat has decreased over time. It has been noted that outdoor workers in northern Finland who are exposed to cold temperature have a significant amount of brown fat when compared to same-aged indoor workers, but overall, the percentage of brown fat in adults is small compared to white fat. Obese people have lower levels of brown fat.

Brown fat is active, using up calories to keep the body warm. It’ll burn fat, it’ll burn glucose. So the idea is that if we can harness this, we can try to use this in therapy for weight loss and for diabetes.

-Molecular Cell

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Want to Lose Fat- Get Cold:

The simple things are usually the best. In this study they found that if they exposed mice to cold air it stimulated a transformation of white fat which is stored calories that is very inflammatory into health promoting brown fat which is burned for heat similarly to putting logs in the fireplace to warm the house.

So what is the answer? If you live in a colder climate do not dread the winter and cold temperatures but instead get outside and exercise in them. This can be as little as a 30 minute walk to full out cross country skiing. It is important to understand you are constantly giving your cells messages and they listen to those messages and act accordingly. If the cells get the message of cold then they transform inflammatory white fat (which is nothing more than stored calories that one could do without) into health promoting brown fat which not only produces heat in the body but also kicks the body into a fat burning mode. In this study even when they fed the mice a high calorie diet, when they were exposed to the cold they did not gain weight.

So the take home message is this:

  1. Keep it simple in life– live the simple Seven Basic Steps to Total Health.
  2. See good in everything– What the world system and worldly people mean for evil God means for good. Remember Joseph’s brothers did him wrong by selling him into slavery but in the end Joseph became the second most powerful man in the world. What was the key in his journey? Two things- first he had to trust God and keep his eyes fixed on the vision that God had given him. Second he had to have a heart of forgiveness. If Joseph would have failed on either of these we would not have fulfilled his God appointed destiny.
  3. See stresses in your life as weights to grow you stronger in body, mind and spirit. Cold will strengthen your body and make it healthier. Cold can also balance your attitude which can allow the Spirit of God to flow through you more powerfully. Whether you eat or drink (or go out for a walk in -20F weather) or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God and watch yourself grow healthy and strong in body, mind and spirit.

So in the winter, in the bitter cold remember when you go out into it you are burning fat, getting rid of inflammation and becoming healthier for it.

How To Lose Weight Without Going On A Diet

More than two-thirds of United States adults are overweight or obese.  Every year countless studies are used to investigate various weight loss tactics.  A successful weight-loss program is a mind/body mission.  It includes a program to become healthy again and also dealing with psychological and habit changes.

It’s important to get mentally prepared before you start thinking of weight loss.  You have to be mentally ready for the changes that are going to take place.  Do not set goals of cutting calories but instead start eating food that promotes fat burning. By eating living and raw plant food especially raw plant fats like avocados, seeds, nuts, olives and coconuts you start telling the body to burn fat instead of sugar. The more you do this the more weight you lose.  Including regular exercise in your daily routine is important for weight maintenance even if it’s just adding a few more walking steps per day.

Eating breakfast is important to start the day and to help jump start the body and make sure you do not eat late at night.  Increase water intake and eat more vegetables.  It is important to know how to substitute foods such as salsa or hummus as a dip.  Eating a raw plant based diet which would include raw vegetables, leafy greens, raw nuts, seeds, and sprouts.

Herbal products are recommended to aid in the removal of toxins that occur with weight loss as they increase urination and/or bowel movements, they stimulate the central nervous system, increase serotonin levels (which is a chemical in the brain that creates a “feeling of fullness”.     Some of the products recommended would be capsaicin because it is a natural substance that comes from chili peppers and aids in speeding up the metabolism, reduces fat tissues and aids in overeating as it curbs the appetite.  Fucoxanthin is a carotenoid found naturally in edible brown seaweed like wakame and hijiki.  Probiotics are important to correct bacterial imbalances that contribute to weight gain.  Psyllium which is a plant that produces seeds which are rich in fiber and Spirullina, a blue-green algae is recommended for weight loss because of their high nutrient content, ability to make one feel full and their ability to balance blood sugar.  Having low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk of obesity, so including vitamin D may help promote weight loss and weight maintenance.   B-vitamins, lipoic acid, iron, magnesium, manganese, chromium, L-carnitine and Co-enzyme Q10 are important and essential for the proper metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.

The most important key to remember with trying to lose weight is not to try to lose weight but to become healthier instead. We have had people at Total Health Institute lose 100 pound without dieting but instead living Seven Basic Steps to Total Health lifestyle and eating food that brought balance into their mind and body. You never count calories when you are getting healthy just count the 7 Basic Steps that you are to do each day and watch the pounds fall off.

 

Hugs help protect against stress and infection

Researchers found that greater social support and more frequent hugs protected people from the increased susceptibility to infection associated with being stressed and resulted in less severe illness symptoms.

Instead of an apple, could a hug-a-day keep the doctor away? According to new research that may not be that far-fetched of an idea.

The researchers at Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences tested whether hugs act as a form of social support, protecting stressed people from getting sick. They found that greater social support and more frequent hugs protected people from the increased susceptibility to infection associated with being stressed and resulted in less severe illness symptoms.

The researchers chose to study hugging as an example of social support because hugs are typically a marker of having a more intimate and close relationship with another person.

“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety. We tested whether perceptions of social support are equally effective in protecting us from stress-induced susceptibility to infection and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and themselves protect a person against infection.”

In 404 healthy adults, perceived support was assessed by a questionnaire, and frequencies of interpersonal conflicts and receiving hugs were derived from telephone interviews conducted on 14 consecutive evenings. Then, the participants were intentionally exposed to a common cold virus and monitored in quarantine to assess infection and signs of illness.

The results showed that perceived social support reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing conflicts. Hugs were responsible for one-third of the protective effect of social support. Among infected participants, greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs both resulted in less severe illness symptoms whether or not they experienced conflicts.

“This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the deleterious effects of stress. The apparent protective effect of hugs may be attributable to the physical contact itself or to hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and intimacy. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection, said the lead researcher.”

Psychological Science

Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec’s comments on “Hugs help protect against stress and infection”:

A hug is the new apple making the new phrase, “a hug a day keeps the doctor away”.

Does body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body? According to this study the mind rules the body so what do you want to make sure you have covered when you are looking to be your healthiest? Of course your mind, your will and your emotions: these rule supreme over the physical body.

So what do you think is going to hurt your physical health more? Going to bed late or fighting with your spouse or boyfriend/girl friend? Not drinking enough water or not giving and receiving unconditional love? Not eating the right food or not saying the right words to the one you love?

Do not get us wrong, proper sleep, hydration and diet are crucial for your health and they are a part of our core teaching on how to be in total health. They are three of the Seven Basic Steps to Total Health.

But remember this very, very important truth: the physical is onefold positive or negative in your health and healing whereas the mental/emotional is tenfold positive or negative in your total health and healing. So this means if you do all the right physical steps but you are staying in your mind instead of living from your heart, if you are letting fear and doubt rule you instead of Love, Grace and Truth then you surely will open the door to disease in your body.

Let us change the phrase from “Just Do It” to “Just Live It from your heart and not your mind”. Do this and you will experience the blessing of higher levels of health and healing and don’t forget to hug the ones you love today and tell them how much you love them and how much a blessing they are to you and that you thank God everyday that they are in your life.

Diet and Supplementation to Reduce Inflammation

According to the Surgical Neurology International research group, pain, heat, redness and swelling are the class signs of the inflammatory process. Usually the origin of pain is an inflammatory response. For centuries, natural anti-inflammatory agents have been used to lessen the effects of the inflammatory process often with fewer side effects.

The active ingredients of plant based omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), enhance the conversion of COX to prostaglandin E3 which is a natural anti-inflammatory agent. Prostaglandin E3 prevents the effects of arachidonic acid conversion to prostaglandin E2, which is a very inflammatory substance and is commonly created from meat, dairy and starch consumption. The EPA and DHA degrade the cytokines enzymes associated with the inflammatory mechanism.

White willow bark is one the oldest herbal remedies for inflammation and pain, dating back centuries to Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Indian civilization, primarily used as an antipyretic and analgesic agent. Aspirin has common gastric side effects and that brings many to look for alternatives such as white willow bark for an inflammatory syndrome treatment. The process of action that white willow bark has is similar to aspirin which inhibits COX-1 and COX-2, which is thus used to prevent inflammatory prostaglandins.

Capsicum annum is a small spreading shrub that has been used for centuries and grown throughout the world. It is a small red fruit and is commonly known as a chili pepper, yet its stinging pungency is from the chemical capsaicin. Capsaicin activates a receptor vanilloid 1, which is the body’s main receptor for nociception. There is also an inhibition of NF-kB which produces an anti-inflammatory effect. This herb can be used alone, but is commonly mixed into natural anti-arthritic herbal mixtures. It has also been used for peripheral neuropathies and chronic musculoskeletal pain.

Curcumin is a natural occurring yellow pigment from turmeric, a flowering plant of the ginger family. It is commonly used as flavoring and coloring spice in certain foods. Curcumin has a long history of being used in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines as an anti-inflammatory component, healing digestive disorders and to improve wound healing. Numerous clinical trials have shown curcumin’s antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties including treatment for cystic fibrosis.  Curcumin has also been a proposed treatment for arthritis, chronic neurodegenerative diseases, colitis and cancer. Essentially it regulates the activity of several enzymes and cytokines to prevent COX-1 and COX-2.

In a randomized, double-blinded crossover trial, hempseed oils and flaxseed oils were compared with the same doses for 4 weeks. The hempseed subjects increased concentrations of both L A and GLA in serum levels. It was also found that levels of arachidonic acid in cholesteryl esters were lower after the flaxseed diet compared to the hemp seed diet, but both had a decreased level. However, the hempseed subjects resulted in lowered total cholesterol.

From a double-blind trial, 260 individuals with arthritis of the knee were given a placebo or Avocado unsaponifiables (AU) at 300 or 600 mg daily for 3 months. It was shown that the AU mix significantly improved arthritis symptoms compared to a placebo. More importantly, NSAID and analgesics taken by subjects decreased their dosage by 51% in 71% of subjects.

For individuals with low vitamin D levels, there is an association with increased levels of inflammation and oxidative load. A prospective study of more than 3000 male and female subjects scheduled for coronary angiograph, found a positive correlation between low vitamin D levels, cardiovascular health as well as all-cause mortality. Vitamin D has also been correlated with several contributing factors to the development of inflammatory diseases including type 2 Diabetes and defects of pancreatic cell function, insulin sensitivity and systemic inflammation. Subjects were from the Framingham Offspring Study and there were 1,739 men and women without prior cardiovascular disease.

Inflammation in the body can lead to numerous disorders and diseases that plague Americans. Plant based omega-3 fatty acids, which comprise of DHA & EPAs, have countless positive effects on the body being an anti-inflammatory response. White willow bark is used to treat inflammatory and a pain and inhibits COX-1 and COX-2 which prevents inflammatory prostaglandins. Chili peppers contain capsicum which prevents a protein that causes inflammation. Curcumin is from turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory effect as well, but also heals digestive issues and improves wound healing. Intake of Hemp and Flax seeds help to lower arachidonic acid as well as cholesterol serum levels. Intake of an avocado significantly decreased arthritis symptoms. Vitamin D has numerous benefits but also many anti-inflammatory diseases.