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Health Benefits and Prevent Disease with Aloe Vera Gel

1/8/2014

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PictureForever's Aloe Vera Gel ~ Exclusive Natural Goodness!
Why the Aloe Vera Plant and More Health Benefits
The aloe plant is one of the most studied herbs in the natural products category.  This plant it is often called "the miracle plant"  and is the oldest known and the most used medicinal plant. It has about 200 active ingredients which have been proved scientifically and numerous combinations of these ingredients ensure a broad spectrum of activity against disorders in human health. Aloe helps maintain a healthy intestinal pH while promoting a friendly environment for probiotics in the digestive tract. Aloe also assists in controlling harmful bacteria growth which can cause further damage to the digestive system. This fascinating plant has been known to help reduce the toxins in the body and assist in the elimination of waste that can slow down cellular process and inhibit nutrient absorption. Again, Aloe is a natural detoxification as  it boosts the immune system, partly by increasing beneficial intestinal flora.  It soothes and repairs damaged and inflamed tissue internally and externally and is therefore often seen as a "cure-all" because its uses are so wide-ranging. Regular consumption of Aloe vera gel relieves digestive disorders like ulcers, Infectious bowel syndrome, Celiac disease and Crohn's disease- an inflammatory bowel disease. Nutrients in Aloe Vera include minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids and plant compounds like triterpenes and polysaccharides. Triterpenes are known to exhibit antioxidant activity and reduce blood sugar. Polysaccharides boost immune function and digestive function. It is this breakdown that makes Aloe one of the most useful herbal products on the market today. 

For more information on the Health Benefits with Forever's Aloe Vera Gel, read recent published article in 
Prevent Disease.com on "Colon Cleansing" and or see this quick video...

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Rid your body of Toxins by Cleansing with Aloe

10/16/2013

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Benefits of Colon Cleansing with Aloe

Aloe vera and its cleansing functions are much touted all over the world. People with digestive complications have experienced great benefits from this plant. 
Cleanses are used to break down and clean out waste from the colon and detoxify the blood stream. Toxins in the colon, if reabsorbed into the blood stream, may cause fatigue, low energy and headaches. Cleansing the colon flushes the toxins from the colon and the blood stream, and rejuvenates the body. This can help with weight loss, boost the immune system and reduce the risk of colon cancer. 

Aloe vera juice is thicker in texture; it helps in easing bowel functions by counterbalancing the effects of toxins and wastes in the body, thus ridding the body of waste materials. It is very important to cleanse the colon regularly to improve bowel functions and enhance general health. Furthermore, colon cleansing can help in strengthening immunity and boosting metabolism too.  Aloe Vera does not require a procedure or a major lifestyle change and is easy to incorporate into other types of cleanses. Unlike other methods of cleansing, aloe vera colon cleanse is very effective as well as efficient. It is one the easiest ways to improve your colon health and ensure that your immunity is at its best. 

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Dietary Benefits of Aloe Vera

The benefits of a diet that is supplemented by Aloe Vera can be varied and profound. To name a few, research suggests that Aloe may lower cholesterol, slow tumor growth, prevent kidney stones and ease inflammation. It is widely known that topical use of this plant will increase recovery time for scratches and burns, however, it is less well known that ingestion of the gel, or derivatives thereof, may also increase healing time of internal afflictions like ulcers. Nutrients from these plants have also been used as a natural treatment for colon polyps and pre-cancerous lesions in the colon. Moreover, when ingested, the gel is a gentle natural laxative that cleanses the colon and detoxifies the blood.Nutrients in Aloe Vera include minerals, vitamins, essential amino acids and plant compounds like triterpenes and polysaccharides. Triterpenes are known to exhibit antioxidant activity and reduce blood sugar. Polysaccharides boost immune function and digestive function. It is this breakdown that makes Aloe one of the most useful herbal products on the market today. The unique blend of these vital ingredients allows aloe to cleanse the body in a way that is safe and powerful. Because of the colon cleansing attributes of this plant, it helps in addressing all colon ailments and improving the colon health by eliminating and ejecting wastes from the human body. The juice of aloe vera, as well as aloe vera extracts can be extremely beneficial for overall health.

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Wheat Warnings!  

10/9/2013

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Dr. William Davis, seeker-of-truth in health, a preventive cardiologist who practices in Milwaukee, Wis., argues in his new book Wheat Belly that wheat is bad for your health—so bad that it should carry a surgeon general’s warning! 

"I’m not promoting drugs, fancy medical procedures, or costly equipment. I’m not promoting a process that makes a pharmaceutical company rich or helps a hospital gain more revenue-producing procedures. I’m talking about a simple change in diet that yields incredible and unexpected health benefits in so many more ways than you’d think. And it’s not just about celiac disease, the destructive intestinal disease from wheat gluten that affects 1% of the population. It’s about all the other destructive health effects of wheat consumption, from arthritis to acid reflux to schizophrenia, caused or made worse by this food we are advised to eat more of. It’s about being set free from the peculiar appetite-stimulating effects of the opiate-like compounds unique to wheat. It’s also about losing weight–10, 20, or 30 pounds is often just the start–all from this thing I call wheat belly. The key to understanding wheat’s undesirable effects is to recognize that the total effect on human health is greater than the sum of its part."

FAQ's on Frankengrains being Bad for your Health ...

Q: How does wheat make us fat, exactly?
A: It contains amylopectin A, which is more efficiently converted to blood sugar than just about any other carbohydrate, including table sugar. In fact, two slices of whole wheat bread increase blood sugar to a higher level than a candy bar does. And then, after about two hours, your blood sugar plunges and you get shaky, your brain feels foggy, you’re hungry. So let’s say you have an English muffin for breakfast. Two hours later you’re starving, so you have a handful of crackers, and then some potato chips, and your blood sugar rises again. That cycle of highs and lows just keeps going throughout the day, so you’re constantly feeling hungry and constantly eating. Dietitians have responded to this by advising that we graze throughout the day, which is just nonsense. If you eliminate wheat from your diet, you’re no longer hungry between meals because you've stopped that cycle. You've cut out the appetite stimulant, and consequently you lose weight very quickly. I've seen this with thousands of patients.

Q: A lot of us have switched to whole wheat products because we've been told complex carbohydrates are heart healthy and good for us.  Are you saying that’s not true?
A: The research that indicates whole grains are healthy is all conducted the same way: white flour is replaced with whole wheat flour, which, no question, is better for you. But taking something bad and replacing it with something less bad is not the same as research that directly compares what happens to health and weight when you eliminate wheat altogether. There’s a presumption that consuming a whole bunch of the less bad thing must be good for you, and that’s just flawed logic. An analogy would be to say that filtered cigarettes are less bad for you than unfiltered cigarettes, and therefore, a whole bunch of filtered cigarettes is good for you. It makes no sense. But that is the rationale for increasing our consumption of whole grains, and that combined with the changes in wheat itself is a recipe for creating a lot of fat and unhealthy people.

Q: You say the crux of the problem with wheat is that the stuff we eat today has been genetically altered. How is it different than the wheat our grandparents ate?
A: First of all, it looks different. If you held up a conventional wheat plant from 50 years ago against a modern, high-yield dwarf wheat plant, you would see that today’s plant is about 2½ feet shorter. It’s stockier, so it can support a much heavier seedbed, and it grows much faster. The great irony here is that the term “genetic modification” refers to the actual insertion or deletion of a gene, and that’s not what’s happened with wheat. Instead, the plant has been hybridized and crossbred to make it resistant to drought and fungi, and to vastly increase yield per acre. Agricultural geneticists have shown that wheat proteins undergo structural change with hybridization, and that the hybrid contains proteins that are found in neither parent plant. Now, it shouldn't be the case that every single new agricultural hybrid has to be checked and tested, that would be absurd. But we've created thousands of what I call Frankengrains over the past 50 years, using pretty extreme techniques, and their safety for human consumption has never been tested or even questioned.

Q: But I’m not overweight and I exercise regularly. So why would eating whole wheat bread be bad for me?
A: You can trigger effects you don’t perceive. Small low-density lipoprotein [LDL] particles form when you’re eating lots of carbohydrates, and they are responsible for atherosclerotic plaque, which in turn triggers heart disease and stroke. So even if you’re a slender, vigorous, healthy person, you’re still triggering the formation of small LDL particles. And second, carbohydrates increase your blood sugars, which cause this process of glycation, that is, the glucose modification of proteins. If I glycate the proteins in my eyes, I get cataracts. If I glycate the cartilage of my knees and hips, I get arthritis. If I glycate small LDL, I’m more prone to atherosclerosis. So it’s a twofold effect. And if you don’t start out slender and keep eating that fair trade, organically grown whole wheat bread that sounds so healthy, you’re repeatedly triggering high blood sugars and are going to wind up with more visceral fat. This isn’t just what I call the wheat belly that you can see, flopping over your belt, but the fat around your internal organs. And as visceral fat accumulates, you risk responses like diabetes and heart disease.

Q: What extreme techniques are you talking about?
A: New strains have been generated using what the wheat industry proudly insists are “traditional breeding techniques,” though they involve processes like gamma irradiation and toxins such as sodium azide. The poison control people will tell you that if someone accidentally ingests sodium azide, you shouldn't try to resuscitate the person because you could die, too, giving CPR. This is a highly toxic chemical.

Q: Can’t you just get around any potential health concerns by buying products made with organically grown wheat?
A: No, because the actual wheat plant itself is the same. It’s almost as if we’ve put lipstick on this thing and called it organic and therefore good, when the truth is, it’s really hardly any better at all.

Q: You seem to be saying that aside from anything else, wheat is essentially the single cause of the obesity epidemic.
A: I wouldn't go so far as to say that all obesity is due to wheat. There are kids, of course, who drink Coca-Cola and sit in front of video games for many hours a day. But I’m speaking to the relatively health-minded people who think they’re doing the right thing by limiting fat consumption and eating more whole grains, and there’s a clear subset of people who are doing that and gaining weight and don’t understand why. It causes tremendous heartache. They come into my office and say, “I exercise five times a week, I’ve cut my fat intake, I watch portion size and eat my whole grains—but I’ve gone up three dress sizes.”

Q: You write that wheat is “addictive,” but does it really meet the criteria for addiction we’d use when talking about, say, drugs?
A: National Institutes of Health researchers showed that gluten-derived polypeptides can cross into the brain and bind to the brain’s opiate receptors. So you get this mild euphoria after eating a product made with whole wheat. You can block that effect [in lab animals] by administering the drug naloxone. This is the same drug that you’re given if you’re a heroin addict; it’s an opiate blocker. About three months ago, a drug company applied to the FDA to commercialize naltrexone, which is an oral equivalent to naloxone. And it works, apparently, it blocks the pleasurable feelings you get from eating wheat so people stop eating so much. In clinical trials, people lost about 22.4 lb. in the first six months. Why, if you’re not a drug addict, do you need something like that? And of course there’s another option, which is to cut wheat out of your diet. However, and this is another argument for classifying wheat as addictive, people can experience some pretty unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Q: For how long?
A: Generally about five days. And once you’re through withdrawal, your cravings subside, your calorie intake decreases and your alertness and overall health improve.

Q: So do you believe food manufacturers are putting wheat into more and more food products, not just bread and crackers, because it’s addictive and stimulates appetite?
A: These are not stupid people. The research showing that wheat stimulates appetite didn't come from some little alternative health practitioner. It comes from the NIH. It stretches credibility to believe they have no awareness of the evidence.

Q: If there’s all this evidence, why does the government encourage us to “eat healthy” by upping our consumption of whole grains?
A: That’s the million-dollar question. Wheat is so linked to human habit, it’s 20 per cent of all calories consumed by humans worldwide, that I think there was the presumption, “Gee, humans have consumed this for thousands of years, so what’s the problem?” I don’t think the misguided advice to eat more whole grains came from evil intentions.

Q: Wheat is a huge industry. What do you say to all the farmers who grow it?
A: To me, it’s reminiscent of tobacco farmers, who would say, “Look, I’m just trying to make a living and feed my family.” Nevertheless, tobacco is incredibly harmful and kills people. It could turn out that if we wind back the clock 100 or 1,000 years, and resurrect einkorn or some of the heritage forms of wheat, maybe that would be a solution. Of course, wheat products would then be much more expensive. Instead of a $4 loaf of bread, maybe it would cost $7 when grown with a heritage wheat. To me, it’s similar to free range eggs or organic beef 20 years ago. Everyone said, “No one will pay a premium for those.” But people do. And when it comes to wheat, my main goal is to inform people, including farmers, that the prevailing notion that cutting fat and eating whole grains will make you healthy is not only wrong, it’s destructive.

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Candida, understanding the Gastrointestinal (GI) connection

10/8/2013

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What is Candida and do I suffer from it?

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What is Candida and how does it connect to intestines?
Candida is a fungus, which is a form of yeast, and a very small amount of it lives in your mouth and intestines. Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption but, when overproduced, candida breaks down the wall of the intestine and penetrates the bloodstream, releasing toxic byproducts into your body and causing leaky gut. This can lead to many different health problems, ranging from digestive issues to depression.

How do you get candida overgrowth?

The healthy bacteria in your gut typically keep your candida levels in check. However, several factors can cause the candida population to get out of hand: 
  • Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar (which feed the yeast)
  • Consuming a lot of alcohol 
  • Taking oral contraceptives 
  • Eating a diet high in beneficial fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut and pickles
  • Living a high-stress lifestyle
  • Taking a round of antibiotics that killed too many of those friendly bacteria

Here are 10 common candida symptoms
  1. Skin and nail fungal infections (such as athlete’s foot or toenail fungus) 
  2. Feeling tired and worn down or suffering from chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia
  3. Digestive issues such as bloating, constipation, or diarrhea
  4. Autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis
  5. Difficulty concentrating, poor memory, lack of focus, ADD, ADHD and brain fog
  6. Skin issues such as eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rashes
  7. Irritability, mood swings, anxiety, or depression
  8. Vaginal infections , urinary tract infections, rectal itching or vaginal itching
  9. Severe seasonal allergies or itchy ears
  10. Strong sugar and refined carbohydrate cravings
How do you test for Candida overgrowth?

Blood test:  You'll want to check your levels for IgG, IgA, and IgM candida anti-bodies. These can be checked through most any lab. High levels indicate an overgrowth of candida.

Stool testing: The most accurate test available. This will check for candida in your colon or lower intestines. The lab can usually determine the species of yeast as well as which treatment will be affective. (Note: be sure that your doctor orders a comprehensive stool test rather than the standard stool test.) 

Urine Organix Dysbiosis Test: This test detects a waste product of Candida yeast overgrowth known as D-Arabinitol. An elevated test means an overgrowth of candida. This test will determine if there is candida in your upper gut or small intestines.

Here is a detailed list of more symptoms and conditions that commonly occur in people with Candida overgrowth.  Most all of these same symptoms typically improve or disappear with effective treatment for Candida.

Some of the symptoms listed may sound “normal,” because the Candida problem is so common in the modern world.  Some are led to say, when they review this list, “Doesn’t that describe everybody?”  It must be emphasized that none of these symptoms are part of normal health.  When too many people around us are ill, strange symptoms may become common, but that does not make themnormal.  Many of the things listed — such as asthma, diabetes, epidemic obesity, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, ADD/ADHD, autism, panic attacks and others — were virtually non-existent (or at least much less common) before the 1970s.  They became much too common as a consequence of various factors, including:  widespread overuse of antibiotics starting in the 1950s; increased availability of chlorinated swimming pools; much increased use of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics in the food supply; the advent of the birth control pill; and the addition since the 1990s of barley malt into nearly every baked food (cereals, crackers, cookies) and of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener in beverages.

A person with Candida overgrowth may have only 2-3 of these symptoms, or may identify with many.


Mental/emotional/nervous system:
  • Headaches and migraine headaches
  • Depression
  • Sleep problems — difficulty falling asleep, or waking up in the middle of the night with a mind that won’t calm down (typically between 1 and 3 am)
  • Irritability and confusion
  • Poor memory
  • Anxiety attacks, panic attacks
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Heart beating too fast or irregularly
  • Sexual problems — impotence or lack of desire, or excessive sexuality
  • Attention deficit, hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD)
  • Dizziness
  • Numbness
  • Feeling of floating or not quite being in your body
  • Indecisiveness, difficulty organizing and cleaning messy areas

Digestive system:
  • Cravings for sugar, chocolate, milk, cheese, vinegar, pickles, alcohol, bread, nuts or fruit
  • “Metabolic syndrome” which includes the following: large abdomen (“beer belly”), adult-onset diabetes, high cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure
  • “Beer belly,” also called truncal obesity — excess weight centered around the abdomen
  • Acid reflux/GERD (heartburn)
  • Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
  • Bloating, flatulence or abdominal pain
  • Rectal itching
  • Constipation and/or diarrhea
  • Excessively thin or anorexic/bulimic

Skin, eyes, hair:
  • Skin and nail fungal infections (current or past), including: athlete's foot, vaginal yeast infections, fungal toenails, ringworm, jock itch, tinea versicolor or itchy eyelids
  • Skin problems like eczema, rashes, psoriasis
  • Prematurely graying hair
  • Pupils always dilated
  • Unusually green eyes, or eye color has turned greenish

Immune disorders:
  • Asthma and allergies
  • Recurring infections — colds, ears, bladder, sinus
  • Autoimmune disease (lupus, hypothyroidism, arthritis, others)
  • Penicillin allergy

Whole body:
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or joint pain, fibromyalgia
  • Cold feet, cold hands, sometimes cold nose
  • Sweating, especially at night
  • Uncomfortable at any temperature

Women’s health issues:
  • Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
  • Endometriosis (chronic pelvic pain)
  • Infertility (female), some miscarriages, toxemia of pregnancy (preeclampsia)

Symptoms seen particularly in children up to about 8 years old:
  • Early allergy to foods like milk
  • Infections as a baby
  • Child had or has frequent ear infections, tonsillitis, strep throat or bladder infections, especially if these infections were treated with antibiotics
  • Cravings for milk, cheese, yogurt, macaroni and cheese, or peanut butter
  • Asthma
  • “Drama king” or “drama queen” — complains quite vocally and often
  • Poor sleep patterns — difficulty going to sleep, sleeps too lightly or has frequent nightmares, and wakes up too early (or sometimes too late)
  • Too thin or overweight
  • Attention deficit with or without hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD)
  • Aggressive, poor social interactions, can’t stop moving, frequent fights or arguments, frequent crying
  • Autism
  • Pale complexion, dark circles under the eyes

Two points should be understood with regard to the above list of signs and symptoms of Candida overgrowth.  First, while all of the symptoms listed are definitely seen in Candida patients and evidence indicates Candida causes or strongly contributes to the development of these problems, there are other contributing factors that can also bring about some of these problems (such as mercury or other metal toxicity, consistent excess electromagnetic field exposure, underlying viral infections, petrochemical exposure, etc.).  Second, treatment for Candida alone will usually bring about significant improvement in these symptoms, but will not be adequate in all cases to restore health.  Often additional treatments aimed at improving liver, adrenal or thyroid function, or correcting immune and allergic problems, are necessary to regain health.

How do you treat candida overgrowth?

Effectively treating candida involves stopping the yeast overgrowth, restoring the friendly bacteria that usually keep them in check, and healing your gut so that candida can no longer enter your bloodstream.

Getting rid of the candida overgrowth primarily requires a change in diet to a low carbohydrate diet. Sugar is what feeds yeast, so eliminating sugar in all of its simple forms like candy, desserts, alcohol and flours. 

And reducing to only one cup a day of the more complex carbohydrates such as grains, beans, fruit, bread, pasta, and potatoes will prevent the Candida from growing and eventually cause it to die.  I would recommend eliminating all fermented foods as well. 

It's a must to restore the healthy bacteria that typically keep your candida population under control, you should take probiotics on a regular basis. Taking anywhere from 25 to 100 billion units of probiotics should help to reduce the Candida levels and restore your levels of good bacteria. Finally, healing your gut by eliminating inflammatory foods that can harm your GI tract and introducing foods that aid in digestion and nutrient absorption, will prevent candida from working its way through your body, and will dramatically improve your overall health.

If you would like to find out for sure if you have candida overgrowth, consider seeing a functional medicine doctor who is trained in detecting and treating candida.
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10 Best & Worst Foods for Your Tummy

5/13/2013

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A healthy digestive system begins with a good diet. Eat the right stuff and improve digestion. Eat badly and you feel like a human garbage can. How you eat can affect the way you feel too. The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is also home to our most precious disease-fighting resource: the immune system. Your digestive system is vital to your health and happiness. So how do you keep it working well? For starters, avoid these 5 gut enemies.

5 Best Foods for Your Gut

1. Dietary fiber
Fiber keeps things moving through your digestive system and out. Otherwise, your colon is stuck with toxins that can build up and cause major health problems. Your body then begins reabsorbing toxins, hormones and other substances. “If you don’t have regular bowel movements, you’re retaining wastes that your body has finished with,” Lipski says. “It’s like not moving a stinky garbage bag out of your kitchen.” A diet rich in fiber protects against colon cancer and cancers of the small intestine, according to a 2008 study in the journal Gastroenterology.

Fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes are all packed with healthy fiber. But when it comes to staying regular, prunes, because of their mild laxative effect, is the go-to fruit. They’re also a great source of energy, nutrition and disease-fighting phenolic compounds.

2. Probiotics
Probiotics are those “good bugs” you hear health nuts raving about. Why would anyone willingly eat bacteria? Because our intestinal flora is made up of trillions of good bacteria that aid in digestion and promote immunity and health. In fact, four pounds of our body weight comes from the bacteria that live in the digestive tract. The No. 1 probiotic food is yogurt. Yes, it’s a dairy product – the bane of millions of lactose intolerant people – but eating yogurt or kefir calms digestive complaints. That’s because it contains live cultures, typically Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which help lactose digestion. When choosing a yogurt, make sure the cultures are listed as “live” or “active.” Yogurts with added fiber are even better.

But steer clear of yogurts with a lot of sugar, which hurts digestive health because it feeds the bad bacteria in your GI tract. Plain, unsweetened yogurt is best. Add some fiber-rich berries or honey, which has prebiotic properties, if you need to sweeten it up.

3. Prebiotics
Prebiotics are food for probiotics. Prebiotics help good bacteria thrive while driving down the number of disease-producing bacteria trying to invade the digestive tract. They also promote a more acidic intestinal environment, which helps the body absorb nutrients in food such as the minerals calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. Fortunately, prebiotics are found in many of the foods we already eat.

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) and inulin are two naturally occurring prebiotics in onions, garlic, leeks, legumes, bananas, asparagus, sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) and more.

4. Gluten-free grains
Gluten – a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye – isn’t necessarily bad for you. But it does cause stomach aches for many people. About 30% of people poorly digest gluten-containing grains. Expanding your grain repertoire is a good idea whether or not you’re gluten intolerant. Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is an excellent option. This gluten-free grain is a complete protein, meaning it provides all eight essential amino acids. It’s also fiber-rich and bursting with minerals.

It cooks up like rice (two parts water to one part grain) and adds a unique texture (chewy yet crispy) to side salads, casseroles, soups and more.

5. Fermented foods
Sometimes your GI tract just needs a break. Fermented foods are the solution. Fermenting or culturing makes food more digestible and increases our absorption of the other nutrients in the food. Pickles, sauerkraut, kefir, miso, tempeh and Japanese tamari or soy sauce are all easy-to-digest fermented foods. Sourdough is also a good option as it’s a sub for wheat bread if you’re sensitive to gluten. It is made with wheat flour but the fermentation weakens the gluten.

Something to wash it all down...
Don’t forget the most essential “food” of all – water. Digestion can’t occur without water, so be sure to drink eight 8-ounce glasses throughout the day.


And last but certainly not least, add Forever Aloe gel to you daily nutrition for ultimate results!

5 Worst Foods for Your Gut

1. Red meat
The more red meat you eat, the higher your risk of colorectal cancer risk. That’s because it’s typically high in saturated fat, which is tied to cancer of the small intestine, according to a 2008 Cancer Research study.

How to avoid it: Choose lean cuts of beef, lamb and pork. Eat more protein- and iron-rich legumes in place of red meat. Grill a portobello mushroom instead of a burger; it’s meaty flavor will fill you.

2. Processed meat
Lunch meats, hot dogs, sausages and other processed meats are packed with saturated fat, sodium and nitrates. Processed meats have been linked to colon cancer, possibly because they are cooked at high temperatures, which can increase carcinogens.

How to avoid it: Stick to fresh, lean cuts and eat other forms of protein (legumes and grains) as much as possible.

3. Hydrogenated oils
Trans fats, created when liquid oils are hydrogenated (so they become solid at room temperature), aren’t found in nature. They’re an inexpensive way to make fats last longer on supermarket shelves, but your body pays a high price: they’re tough to digest and have been linked to many health problems, including increased bad (LDL) cholesterol, decreased good (HDL) cholesterol and colon cancer. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires trans fats to be labeled on food products. But the federal agency also allows manufacturers to claim zero trans fats if there are fewer than 0.5 grams per serving. 
Don’t be fooled: If a food lists hydrogenated oils as an ingredient, it contains trans fats.

How to avoid it: Get nutrients in foods that are fresh, whole and natural, and ditch the packaged, processed stuff.

4. Gluten
About 2 million Americans suffer from gluten intolerance, says the National Institutes of Health (NIH).Gluten is a protein found in barley, rye, spelt, wheat and countless other foods such as processed meats, soy sauce, ice cream, cheese, cookies, pasta, ketchup, salad dressings and more. Food sensitivities affect 10%-20% of us, and can cause lots of digestive complaints and stomach aches (gas, cramping, bloating, heartburn, indigestion) and other symptoms, including chronic headaches, aching joints and muscles, depression, concentration, memory problems and poor energy levels, Lipski says.

How to avoid it: A gluten-free diet is the only solution to this food sensitivity; it’s a challenge but possible.

5. Lactose
Another cause of stomach aches is lactose, the principal sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance affects 30-50 million Americans, according to the NIH. 
Avoiding milk will help, but you don’t have to give up all dairy. Some lactose-intolerant people do fine with small amounts of milk.

How to avoid it: Drink lactose-free milk and eat cultured dairy products, like yogurt, which break down lactose. Aged cheeses (like Cheddar and Swiss) have less lactose and may be easier to digest.

Source http://www.lifescript.com/
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Aloe Vera, preventing, treating and healing cancer!

12/5/2012

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PictureAloe Vera ~ Natural Remedy
If you're looking to prevent cancer, you need to know about Aloe Vera. More research on aloe vera is taking place all around the world as word spreads about its natural healing potential. You'll learn a wealth of information about this in this article.

Here, we present a collection of quotes and observations about aloe vera and cancer, documented in some of the best health books ever written. Read and remember these quotes, and feel free to share what you learn here with others who may also need this information.

Some clinics have used aloe vera to increase the effectiveness of cancer treatment with the chemotherapy agents cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan, Neosar) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Several studies indicate that aloe vera gel can protect both the immune system and the skin from the effects of radiation treatment. In addition, at least one study suggests that taking aloe internally can reduce the likelihood of lung cancer in smokers.
- Prescription for Herbal Healing: An Easy-to-Use A-Z Reference to Hundreds of Common Disorders and Their Herbal Remedies by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Radiation burns cause skin ulcerations that had been nearly incurable until physicians began trying the old folk remedy of the aloe vera leaf. Today, aloe vera has gained such great popularity that it is being used in many cosmetics and health products. Aloe vera juice that is taken internally has been found to be effective in almost every illness, including cancer, heart disease and AIDS. In fact, there is hardly any disease or health problem for which aloe vera has not been proven successful.
- Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation: Unleash The Natural Healing Power That Lies Dormant Within You by Andreas Moritz

Added to the juice, we should take aloe vera. Aloe vera is the single most healing of all the herbs. It's anti-cancer, anti-parasitic, and it repairs DNA. It protects us from viruses and bacteria. Every time I take juice, I take aloe, and it makes a big difference.
- Gary Nulls Ultimate Anti Aging Program by Gary Null, Ph.D.

Hyland commented that normal cells appeared protected and abnormal cells appeared more sensitive to treatment, when Aloe vera was a part of an integrated approach. Various cancer patients have experienced remarkable reversals in health status after adding aloe to their protocol. It was, in fact, triumphant accounts of Aloe vera enhancing the efficacy of previously failed treatments that spurred the glyconutrient movement.
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff

Ivan Danhoff of the North Texas Research Laboratory in Grand Prairie, Texas, discovered large 9,000-molecule Aloe Vera polysaccharides, he freeze-dries to inactivate enzymes, called "Albarin" used in I.V. treatment of terminal cancers. He was in application and raided by the FDA. in October 2001 at the Medical Centers for Preventive & Nutritional Medicine in Florida, after having put 94 of the first 100 cancers studied into remission in terminal patients given 2-3 months to live, with 80% of remaining patients in remission.
- Anti-Aging Manual: The Encyclopedia of Natural Health by Joseph E. Mario

Acemannan, extracted from the aloe vera plant, appears to be one of its most active ingredients. It is used both orally and intravenously, and has uses from antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial to helping with symptoms from AIDS and cancer.
- Smart Medicine for Healthier Living : Practical A-Z Reference to Natural and Conventional Treatments for Adults by Janet Zand, LAc, OMD, Allan N. Spreed, MD, CNC, James B. LaValle, RPh, ND

Reports of Aloe vera being life-saving to cancer patients are not scarce. Dr. Julian Whitaker reported that a 10-year-old boy diagnosed with a rare brain tumor (a meningioma) went into total remission after drinking 8 oz of whole-leaf Aloe vera concentrate a day for 3 months. Because surgeons were unable to remove the entire tumor, its continued growth rendered an uncertain prognosis. At the time of the Whitaker report, the child was living a normal life and participating in sports but drinking Aloe vera juice every day (Whitaket 1995a).
- Disease Prevention and Treatment by The Life Extension Editorial Staff

Taken internally, 98 or 99 percent pure aloe vera juice is known to aid in the healing of stomach disorders, ulcers, constipation, hemorrhoids, rectal itching, colitis, and all colon problems. Aloe vera can also be helpful against infections, varicose veins, skin cancer, and arthritis, and is used in the treatment of AIDS. We have had excellent results using colon cleansers containing psyllium husks in combination with aloe vera juice. We have found this combination to be good for food allergy and colon disorder sufferers.
- Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements
by Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

One tablespoon of aloe vera juice, diluted with a little water, before meals or at least once in the morning before breakfast, helps to break down old deposits of waste and bring basic nutrients to cells and tissues. Those who feel their liver is still releasing many toxins several days after a liver flush may greatly benefit from drinking aloe vera juice. Aloe vera has been found to be effective in almost every illness, including cancer, heart disease, and AIDS.
- The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush: A Powerful Do-It-Yourself Tool To Optimize your Health and Wellbeing by Andreas Moritz

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Forever Bright Toothgel 

10/25/2012

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Did you know that according to a recent study, Forever Bright® was found to be more effective than other leading toothpastes on the market?

Find out more at: http://bit.ly/aloedentalstudy
Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of aloe vera tooth gel and two popular commercial toothpastes: An in vitro study.

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The Digestive System 101

8/16/2012

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Health begins in the gut has been a central theme of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic health principles. This includes the complete digestive system, with special emphasis on the spleen and liver in both ancient traditions.  The whole cycle of digestion and nutrient absorption, from chewing to bowel elimination, should take 24 hours more or less depending on what's been eaten.  More time indicates a sluggish metabolism with foods, especially meats, putrefying in the gut and/or constipation; while less time indicates not enough nutrients are being absorbed.

A simple test with beets can reveal how long your digestive cycle is. Eliminating beets' creates a red stool. Eat beets and see how long it takes for you to produce a red stool. Of course, there are other phases and contributing organs involved with digestion.

From mouth to stomach. As you become aware of the food visually or by smell, the brain signals glands to begin secreting juices into saliva. The saliva and juices are intensified as you chew, and the saliva contains enzymes that begin working on removing nutrients from the food. This is why many recommend chewing slowly and more often than usual.  As the saliva moistened food slides down the throat, it comes to a fork in the road. One fork is the trachea, which connects to the bronchial and lung area. The other is the esophagus leading into the stomach.  The act of swallowing closes a flap over the trachea and opens the upper esophageal sphincter allowing the food to bypass the airway and enter the esophagus to the stomach.  The esophagus undergoes contractions to push food down to the lower esophageal sphincter, which opens to let the food into the stomach and shuts to prevent stomach acids from coming up that creates acid reflux (heartburn). The stomach secrets acid enzymes while mucous protects the inner walls. The walls churn to mix the acid and food, creating a liquid or pasty solution, depending on the food type, which the small intestine can handle.

Through the small intestine and beyond.  The small intestine is small in circumference only. It's estimated that the surface area of the small intestine could cover a tennis court. It fits in the body because there are many folds containing villi. Villi are tiny projections containing smaller micro-villi that pull nutrients into our blood streams with the help of liver and spleen activity.

The liver and gall bladder contribute fat emulsifying bile into the small intestines and the spleen contributes more enzymes to support the absence of food enzymes. Enzymes are active proteins that break down food into absorbable nutrients.  The first part of the small intestine, the duodenum, receives the enzyme and bile mixture. Intestinal contractions ensure this mix is exposed to the various villi to absorb the nutrients. The remaining mixture arrives into the large intestine, which is shorter with more circumference.

The large intestine has three phases for creating waste, which arrives into the colon where a bacteria colony awaits to finalize fermentation and fiber extraction.  Mucous is created within this process to help slide the stuff along, then the waste is ready for eliminating with a bowel movement.

Keeping your digestive system working well.  Consume fermented foods or beverages or add probioitic supplements. Avoid pasteurized foods and beverages that destroy enzymes. Eat raw veggies and fruits or juice often to take in more digestive enzymes. Add full spectrum enzyme supplements to your diet. Avoid processed and junk foods, especially HFCS spiked foods and beverages and processed cooking or salad oils. Consume organic whole foods.

Courtesy of NaturalNew;
Sources for this article include:
http://www.netplaces.com
http://altmedicine.about.com
http://science.howstuffworks.com
http://www.drnatura.co.uk/probiotics.php
http://www.jonbarron.org
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False labeling and it's legal!

6/11/2012

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100 percent false labeling - and it's legal!  by: Craig Stellpflug
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(NaturalNews) In yet another wave of "truth in advertising" lawsuits, embattled Tropicana is now fending off approximately 20 lawsuits at once because of blatant truth-slanting labeling that misleads consumers to think that they are buying fresh, unadulterated, good-for-you OJ. The FDA oversees packaged food labeling and has no definition of what is "natural." As long as a food labeled "natural" doesn't contain added color, artificial flavor or synthetic substances, the FDA doesn't care. But the consumers do!

Tropicana markets its orange juice as "fresh from the grove" and calls its product "great-tasting 100 percent orange juice," all the while claiming that it has fully complied with labeling laws. Can this be true when Tropicana's heavily processed, aseptic, oxygen deprived, tank-stored juice adds chemically engineered flavor packs - ethylbutyrate to the sluice of juice? If they didn't add ethylbutyrate to the juice it would taste flat and no one would buy it. I guess if they put toxic ethylbutyrate added to improve devitalized flavor no one would buy that either.

"It's not simply orange, it's complicated orange," says Alissa Hamilton, author of "Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice."

New wave of consumer lawsuits.          
These Tropicana lawsuits are just the latest to be filed in a new wave of lawsuits over "all natural" label claims. Recently, a number of national brands have been sued over deceptive labeling. Coca Cola, Snapple, Tostitos, SunChips, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream, to name a few, have found themselves on the defendant side of the law. Greedy companies looking to milk the cash-cow on consumer driven natural products are labeling everything they can "all natural" even when the products are just plain old junk food. Some companies like 7UP and Capri Sun have wised up to change their labels back from the lies.

If a product does not naturally occur in nature or has to be chemically processed, it is NOT natural and cannot be called all natural even by a major stretch of the imagination. But Big Grocery companies are arguing that chemically processed high fructose corn syrup should be allowed on the All Natural label. A New York judge backed Big Grocery to rule in favor of Snapple's grab at labeling high fructose corn syrup "all natural". Snapple however, eventually chose to distance itself from the high fructose corn syrup bailiwick by removing it from their All Natural products anyhow.

How the market is changing... again
The only thing Big Grocery companies pay attention to is Big Money. When facing multimillion dollar lawsuits and embarrassing consumer settlements, companies change, albeit slowly. This year already, Ben & Jerry's and Breyers ice cream settled lawsuits for $7.5 million, changing packaging labels and providing customers who bought mislabeled flavors like "Chubby Hubby" and "Chunky Monkey" cash rebates.

How the market is NOT changing
In
seeking truth in labeling for processed free glutamic acid (MSG), the Truth in Labeling Campaign found out how obstinate the FDA can be in protecting Big Grocery interests. Their first project was launched to identify whenever and wherever MSG occurs in processed food. The Truth in Labeling Campaign joined with physicians, researchers, parents and an ever-growing number of volunteers to file a Citizen Petition with the FDA asking the FDA to require labeling of all MSG found in processed foods. After snubbing the Citizen Petition, the FDA used procedural trickery to get the lawsuit set aside and also to "protect" sensitive evidence contained in its own files that document the fact that MSG has toxic potential.

The best solution
The best solution, even better than expensive lawsuits and other maneuvers, is to get the Big Grocery companies where it really counts. Stop buying their deceptive products. Stick with organic foods as-much-as-possible (which are healthier for you anyhow) and avoid all processed foods. It's really not even about the money; it's about your health.

Sources for this article

http://abcnews.go.com
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/index.html
Jonathan Deutsch, PhD. ABC-CLIO (2012) They Eat That?: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Weird and Exotic Food from around the World.


About the author:
Craig Stellpflug is a Cancer Nutrition Specialist, Lifestyle Coach and Neuro Development Consultant at Healing Pathways Medical Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. http://www.healingpathwayscancerclinic.com/ With 17 years of clinical experience working with both brain disorders and cancer, Craig has seen first-hand the devastating effects of vaccines and pharmaceuticals on the human body and has come to the conclusion that a natural lifestyle and natural remedies are the true answers to health and vibrant living. You can find his daily health blog at www.blog.realhealthtalk.com and his articles and radio show archives at www.realhealthtalk.com

http://www.naturalnews.com/036134_Tropicana_food_labeling_deceptive.html#ixzz1xXcNq1Ok

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Sugar ... need to know!

6/6/2012

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Sugar is an important element of our diet. There are various types of sugar derived from different sources. Some of the simple sugars, a.k.a. Monosaccharide, include glucose, fructose and galactose. The “regular” or white sugar that we use commonly in our food is sucrose, a disaccharide. Some of the other disaccharides include maltose and lactose.

Some people think of sugar as something natural, but it is entirely false. Sugar is actually manufactured from sugarcane through a series of chemical processes, so it is artificial and not a natural nutrient. Basically, sugar is 99.9% carbs and when taken in excess, can be harmful for us. It has been found that fructose has the most dangerous effects on the human system, in comparison to all other types of sugar.


Why Fructose Is Toxic For Your Health?

Earlier, like sucrose, fructose was known to be harmless but more recent scientific research has proven it to be a toxic sugar. Some of the main reasons why it is deemed harmful for human beings are:

•Obesity & Diabetes: High fructose intake is linked with diabetes and obesity. According to the most recent WHO reports, nearly 8.3% of the population has diabetes in America and it is expected to triple by 2050. According to the New York Times, obesity in Americans has markedly increased in 2011. This is mainly because of the popular use of the inexpensive corn syrup, a derivative of fructose. In 2009, LA Times reported that – on an average, Americans consume about 50gms of high fructose corn syrup each day.

•Energy Explosion: Since fructose is the source of energy, a high intake of fructose may energize the body a bit too much. In layman’s terms, eating a lot of fructose at once may become hard for your body to handle causing energy explosion in the body.

•Heart Attack: What happens when fructose enters your body anyway? The body excretes insulin when normal glucose sugar enters the system, but fructose is processed by the liver. The liver doesn’t have enough capability to handle a lot of fructose at once and starts converting it into fat sending it into the bloodstream as body fat (triglycerides in medical terms). These triglycerides cause a risk of heart attack when produced in excess.

•Appetite Satiation: As the old metaphor goes – a person is never satisfied if he gets too much of something. Same is the case with fructose and the human body. When an excessive amount of fructose enters our system, it increases our craving for food even more, it will make us feel as if we’re eating enough, but not really feeling satisfied.

•Type-2 Diabetes: Substances like high fructose from corn syrup and soft drinks are the main reasons for increasing risks of type-2 diabetes in United States. High fructose leads to reductions in insulin generation, an important element for the proper functioning of the body.

•Gastrointestinal Problems: Eating too much fructose can lead to gastrointestinal problems like muscle cramps, bloating and diarrhea.

•Hypertension: Excess fructose consumption has also been linked to hypertension and high blood pressure levels. In a 2010 study, published in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology, it was found that volunteers with an average fructose consumption of more than 74 g per day were likely to have high blood pressure. Some 4528 adults who were facing hypertension were examined to check the relation between their fructose intake and blood pressure levels. Average daily consumption of fructose, amongst these volunteers, was found to be nearly 74 g (contained in 2.5 cans of soft drink).

•Cancer: Another study carried out in UCLA’s Jonson Comprehensive Cancer Center showed that pancreatic tumor cells use the fructose present in the body to divide and reproduce, causing high risks for cancers.

•Other Heart Diseases: A research published in Journal of Clinical Investigation showed that overweight patients had more risks of heart and diabetes when their 25% consumed calories came from fructose-sweetened beverages in comparison to glucose sweetened beverages. 32 participants (male and female) aged 50 years were used for this study. For 10 weeks, the participants were asked to drink either glucose- or fructose-sweetened beverages which totaled up to 25% of their daily calorie intake. Obviously both type of participants gained weight, but the fructose ones gained more belly weight than the glucose ones. Belly weight has been linked to heart diseases and diabetes. Another important finding of this study was that the fructose group had developed more bad cholesterol than the sucrose group.

A lot of scientists are of the opinion that it’s not just high fructose, which is dangerous for you; it is any type of excessive sugar intake in your diet that can prove harmful.

What A 300ML Can Of Soda May Do To You?

Most of us don’t know what’s in that can of cola, but if you are one of those who drink soda with every meal, you might have to stop and think again.

Most of the soft drinks we consume contain high amounts of fructose. In fact, drinking flavored soft drinks is the main reason why obesity is on the rise in America. Obesity is just the first step to a lot of chronic diseases like heartattacks, high cholesterol, cancer, and osteoporosis.

The choice is yours whether to control your fructose intake or keep living in ignorance, whether or not it leads you ultimately to a painful death.

References:
http://jasn.asnjournals.org/content/21/12/2036 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/health/nutrition/26fat.html?_r=1 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/21/dining/21sugar.html
http://www.trit.us/transition/sugars.html
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/nutrition/a/fructosedangers.htm

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    Welcome!

    about the Author

    Sonia is an advocate for 'Natural Alternatives' while sharing easy everyday solutions.
    Her goal is to introduce  practical and natural strategies in our lives as opposed to the accessible conventional ways that our society has so adapted to. She is determined and continuously researching alternatives to cultivate healthier wellness methods. Her life has not been an easy one but she persevered and is truly empathetic in nature and completely interrelates with others. Due to her experiences Sonia has a real understanding of the difficulties that our busy lifestyles and culture bring and wants to help.
    Sonia maintains years of business knowledge, holistic passion and enthusiasm for change. Here on her blog you will meet some of her discoveries and revelations.

    Sonia's Blog is produced to offer information for natural wellness solutions with an easy to follow blueprint for living well and enjoying life!

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