How an 8-year old treated cancer and shrunk her tumor by 75%

Arjun Walia | Collective-Evolution

Image: YouTube

Another story of a cancer patient treating themselves through diet has surfaced. Not long ago we shared a similar story of a man with stage 3 colon cancer who refused chemotherapy and cured himself with a vegan diet. I want to make it clear that surgery does not cure cancer, especially when an individual is already in the later stages of the disease. If it did, that’s all they would do. Cancer is a systemic metabolic disease, the result of a body that is nutrient deficient, overloaded with toxins and usually the result of a PH level that’s too low, meaning that the body is bathed in acidity. If the body is not given the essential nutrients it needs to repair, regenerate and detoxify, cancer will most likely return.

Let food by thy medicine, and medicine by thy food – Hippocrates

In this case, the PH levels were raised, and as a result the lactic acid goes down and the cancer activity  goes down. This allows the body repair itself. It’s very concerning that most doctors don’t know that nutrition plays a vital role when it comes to cancer treatment. If you have cancer, the options you are given are usually drugs, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Rarely is nutrition thought of when it comes to an effective cure for cancer. While each case is unique and no ONE treatment can be used in every case, it is important to look at multiple options that have been effective vs only looking at mainstream options which don’t have high success rates to begin with. For example, here is a list of  20 medical studies that prove cannabis can cure cancer.




Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are constantly pushed as the only go-to options for cancer treatment, when this couldn’t be farther from the truth. How often does a cancer patient see a doctor who tells them that dichloroacetate can cure their cancer? That was recently discovered by researchers at the University of Alberta. Cancer is a multi-trillion dollar industry, it can be hard to believe that there are those who do not promote treatments that have been proven successful, but it simply means we have to go beyond what we are taught, use our critical thinking skills and find out the truth for ourselves.

Source: collective-evolution.com

10 Foods That Will Detox and Cleanse Your Entire Body

John Summerly | Prevent Disease

Image: preventdisease.com

Practiced for thousands of years by cultures around the world --detoxification is about resting, cleansing and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health. These foods will assist in boosting your metabolism, optimizing digestion, while allowing you to lose weight and fortify your immune system.

1. ARTICHOKES

Artichokes help the liver function at its best, which in turn will help your body purge itself of toxins and other things it doesn’t need to survive. It ups the liver’s production of bile, and since bile helps break down foods which helps your body use the nutrients inside them, an increase in bile production is typically a good thing.

2. APPLES

Apples are full of wonderful nutrients. You get fibre, vitamins, minerals and many beneficial phytochemicals such as D-Glucarate, flavonoids and terpenoids. All of these substances are used in the detox process. One flavonoid, Phlorizidin (phlorizin), is thought to help stimulate bile production which helps with detox as the liver gets rid of some toxins through the bile. Apples are also a good source of the soluble fibre pectin, which can help detox metals and food additives from your body. It's best to eat only organic apples as the non-organic varieties are among the top 12 foods that have been found to contain the most pesticide residues. Organically produced apples also have a 15 percent higher antioxidant capacity than conventionally produced apples.

3. ALMONDS

Almonds are the best nut source of Vitamin E. In fact, just one ounce contains 7.3 mg of "alpha-tocopherol" vitamin E, the form of the vitamin the body prefers. They're also high in fiber, calcium, magnesium, and useable protein that helps stabilize blood sugar and remove impurities from the bowels.

4. ASPARAGUS

Not only does asparagus help to detoxify the body, it can help you wage the anti-aging battle, protect you from getting cancer, help your heart to stay healthy, and is a general anti-inflammatory food. It’s also known to help with liver drainage, which might sound like a bad thing, but since the liver is responsible for filtering out the toxic materials in the food and drinks we consume, anything that backs up its drainage is not doing you any favors. Asparagus also helps reduce risk of death from breast cancer and increase the odds of survival.

5. AVOCADOS

This wonder fruit is packed with antioxidants, lowers cholesterol and dilates the blood vessels while blocking artery-destroying toxicity. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least 30 different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that elderly people who had high levels of glutathione were healthier and less likely to suffer from arthritis. Consuming avocados is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake level, lower intake of added sugars, lower body weight, BMI and waist circumferences, higher “good cholesterol” levels and lower metabolic syndrome risk.

6. BASIL

Basil has anti-bacterial properties, and it’s full of antioxidants to protect the liver. The active ingredients are terpenoids. It is also wonderful for digestion and detoxification, too. It supports the functioning of the kidneys and also acts as a diuretic to help the body expel unwanted toxins. Basil has been known to have anti-ulcer qualities as well as antimicrobial effects that guard against bacteria, yeast, fungi and mold. Basil seed can also help with constipation. The anticancer properties of basil may also relate to its ability to influence viral infections.

7. BEETS

A single serving of beets can do more for your health than most foods in the produce isle. Not only can they boost your energy and lower your blood pressure, but eating beets in the long-term can help you fight cancer, reduce arthritic pain, boost your brain as well as help you lose weight. Beets contain a unique mixture of natural plant chemicals (phytochemicals) and minerals that make them superb fighters of infection, blood purifiers, and liver cleansers. They also help boost the body’s cellular intake of oxygen, making beets excellent overall body cleansers. When you’re detoxing, beets will help by making sure that the toxins you’re getting out actually make it out of your body. Many detox cleanses go wrong when toxins are reintroduced to the body because they don’t make it all the way out.

8. BLUEBERRIES

Blueberries contain natural aspirin that helps lessen the tissue-damaging effects of chronic inflammation, while lessening pain. Just 300 grams of blueberries protects against DNA damage. Blueberries also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract, thereby helping to prevent infections. They have antiviral properties and are loaded with super-detoxifying phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins.

9. BRAZIL NUTS

These tasty treats are packed with selenium, which is key to flushing mercury out of your body. The body uses selenium to make ‘selenoproteins’, which work like antioxidants preventing damage to cells and there is growing body of evidence to show it has a key role in our health. The consumption of brazil nuts has been found to be inversely associated with risk of pancreatic cancer, independent of other potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer.

10. BROCCOLI


Broccoli specifically works with the enzymes in your liver to turn toxins into something your body can eliminate easily. If you’re stuck for ways on how to make broccoli taste better try dehydrating or consider eating it raw. But don’t microwave it as this destroys both the nutritional and detox potential. Broccoli contains a very powerful anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial called sulforaphane which helps prevent cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and allergies.

Read more at preventdisease.com
Sources:
whfoods.com

John Summerly is nutritionist, herbologist, and homeopathic practitioner. He is a leader in the natural health community and consults athletes, executives and most of all parents of children on the benefits of complementary therapies for health and prevention.

How to Heal Your Thyroid Naturally

Carly Fraser | LiveLoveFruit.com

Image: itsnotthegoodkind.blogspot.com

Can you really heal your thyroid with proper diet, exercise and stress maintenance? The answer is yes! When individuals are told they have hypo- or hyperthyroidism, the “only option” available to them by their doctors is drugs – these drugs also come with nasty side effects like heart palpitations, nervousness, insomnia, tremors, frequent bowel movements, discomfort in warm weather, and osteoporosis (bone thinning as a result of taking high medication doses for long periods of time).

How does the thyroid work? The thyroid sits in the front of the neck and is responsible for secreting proper amounts of thyroid hormone. The thyroid is incredibly important because it effects every cell in the human body by helping to increase or decrease the metabolic activity of the cells.

There are a variety of causes as to why your thyroid might be malfunctioning. Below are some of these causes:

Nutrient Deficiencies:
Chromium, copper, iodine, iron, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12

Medications:
Beta blockers, birth control pills, estrogen, iodinated contrast agents, lithium, phytoin, steroids, theophylline

Nutrition:
Cruciferous vegetables, soy

Other:
Aging, alcohol, lipoic acid, diabetes, fluoride, lead, mercury, obesity, pesticides, radiation, stress, surgery

How can you fix your thyroid naturally?
Improving your overall health through eating properly and ruling out adrenal fatigue is the first step to helping your thyroid heal on its own, naturally. In addition, ensuring adequate sleep, recovery from any kind of exercise and proper stress reduction techniques are all critical in improving thyroid function.

Here are SIX STEPS to help your thyroid start functioning at it’s optimal best:

Foods You Should Be Consuming:
Seaweeds
Seaweed products like nori, kelp, dulse, wakame, etc. are very high in iodine which is what a lot of individuals with thyroid problems are lacking. Iodine is essential for proper thyroid functioning because it helps the thyroid gland produce the hormone thyroxin which regulates our metabolism.

Selenium-rich Foods
A major contributor to thyroid problems is a lack of selenium. This mineral keeps the various hormones produced by the thyroid gland in balance. Foods rich in selenium include garlic, kelp, onion, sunflower and sesame seeds as well as brazil nuts!

Essential Fatty Acids
To help out our metabolism, it is important to eat foods rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. This includes things such as leafy green vegetables, nuts (i.e., walnuts), pumpkin & sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds and avocado. Don’t forget seeded fruits such as watermelon, berries, pomegranates, kiwi, etc. also contain these essential fatty acids within their seeds. Consuming watermelon seeds is harmless! They taste wonderful too! Finding seeded watermelons is pretty much near impossible unless you grow your own heritage watermelon or pick up non-hybrid watermelons from a local farmers market.

Copper & Iron-rich Foods
Copper and iron are also crucial to help the thyroid function properly. Foods rich in copper include things such as sunflower & hemp seeds, nuts (cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts), shittake mushrooms, spirulina, and tomatoes. Copper is also found (in lesser amounts) in pears, persimmons, peaches, apricots, prunes, dates, grapes, avocado, and potatoes.

For an extensive list of iron-rich plant foods to consume, click HERE.

Foods You Should Eliminate:
Soy
Soy is in the category of foods known as “goitrogens” which promote the formation of a goiter (enlarged thyroid). Goitrogens also slow down thyroid functioning and can trigger thyroid disease. The isoflavones found in soy are inhibitors of thyroid peroxidase which is the main factor in creation of T3 and T4. Inhibition of thyroid peroxidase can lead to thyroid abnormalities.

Too many cruciferous vegetables
Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds called . This doesn’t mean to eliminate cruciferous vegetables – these guys are vitamin and mineral dense and have wonderful effects on the body. Simply limiting yourself to cruciferous vegetables 3-4 times per week, instead of 7 days a week is a good place to start! Cruciferous vegetables include things like carrots, beets, brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, cabbage, collard greens, bok choy, chinese cabbage, watercress, arugula, turnips and parsnips.

Wheat Products (and other grains like rye, barley, millet & oats)
Foods that contain gluten (aka. wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats) contain gliadin (the protein portion of gluten), which closely resembles the molecular structure of the thyroid gland. When we consume gluten, this protein is targeted by the immune system for destruction – but, because the thyroid gland also closely resembles this protein, the immune system gets confused and also starts attacking the thyroid gland, mistaking it for the gliadin intruder.

If you must eat grains, consume pseudo-grains like rice, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, sorghum, teff or wild rice! There are plenty of options available, as you can see!

Coffee
Be wary of your coffee intake. Coffee raises cortisol levels, and cortisol slows down the production of thyroid hormone. In addition, if you are on thyroid medication, coffee consumed within 60 minutes of taking said hormone replacements reduces absorption even further. Our thyroid hormone consists of two main players: T4 and T3. T4 is needed to make T3, and T3 is the component that helps boost metabolism, keeps weight levels down, and puts you in a happy mood. High cortisol (triggered by coffee consumption, and other external stressors as mentioned below) blocks the production of T3, leading to slowed metabolism, weight gain and poor moods.

Stress Reduction:
Did you know that chronic stress can trigger a thyroid condition? If you suffer from any kind of thyroid condition, being able to manage your stress levels is essential! Especially if you wish to treat your thyroid naturally. When we are bombarded with stressful situations such as stressful jobs, relationships, financial issues, etc., our body goes into over-drive and our adrenal and thyroid glands become overwhelmed and stop functioning properly. As a protective mechanism, the body slows down thyroid hormone production to slow metabolism and slow down the catabolic process that normally occurs when the body is in a high state of stress.

Managing your stress by meditating and relaxing, getting out of toxic relationships with friends or lovers, opting for a job that will make you happy instead of stressed and learning how to properly manage your money are all ways to help de-stress and improve the functioning of the thyroid.

Exercise:
To improve thyroid function and to heal a poorly functioning thyroid you must exercise at least 3 days a week for 40 minutes! Whether that is walking, jogging, swimming, dancing, you name it! Exercise helps lower insulin levels (especially circuit training) which helps to boost thyroid function. Make sure you get adequate recovery time too! Without enough recovery time, your body will not have enough time to heal and this can lead to burnout.

Remove All Chemicals & Endocrine Disruptors:
This includes toxin-free living in your home and body. The endocrine system (also called “hormone system) is made up of glands throughout the body which secrete hormones to be released to other parts of the body (which respond to said hormones). The thyroid gland is apart of the endocrine system, and so it is important to avoid harsh chemicals, especially those classified as endocrine disruptors. Disruption of the endocrine system can occur via some chemicals which mimic a natural hormone and fool the body into over-responding to the stimulus or responding at times when not appropriate. Other endocrine disruptors block hormones from entering certain receptors, while others cause the overproduction or underproduction of hormones.

Many of your household chemical cleaners, hair-care products, skin-care products, air fresheners, perfumes, and the like, contain these chemicals. Going all-natural is the best way to avoid harsh chemicals. When it comes to eating food, switching to a high-organic, pesticide/herbicide/fungicide free diet is the best way to avoid any potential endocrine disruptors.

Here is a list of endocrine-disrupting chemicals which directly target the thyroid gland:
Persistent organohalogens (found in chemical cleaners, hair-care/skin-care products, etc.):

• Benzenehexachloride (BHC)
• Octachlorostyrene
• PBBs
• PCBs
• PCB, hydroxylated

Pesticides (found in MANY foods, not labelled organic: boxed, bagged, canned, fruits, veg):

• Acetochlor
• Alachlor
• Amitrol
• Chlofentezine
• Ethylene thiourea
• Fenbuconazole
• Fipronil
• Heptachlor
• Heptachlor-epoxide
• Karate
• Malathion
• Mancozeb
• Maneb
• Methomyl
• Mirex
• Nitrofen
• Pendimethalin
• Pentachloronitrobenzene
• Prodiamine
• Pyrimethanil
• Tarstar
• Thiazopyr
• Thiram
• Toxaphene
• Zineb
• Ziram

Other compounds:
Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS)
Resorcinol

Metals:
Mercury

Sources:
http://livelovefruit.com/2013/11/heal-your-thyroid-naturally/

http://drchadedwards.com/1407/the-mismanaged-thyroid-gland-hormones/

http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/thyroid-hormone-medications-for-hypothyroidism

http://chriskresser.com/the-gluten-thyroid-connection

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-gottfried-md/thyroid-coffee_b_1585136.html

http://www.epa.gov/endo/pubs/edspoverview/whatare.htm

http://www.ourstolenfuture.org/basics/chemlist.htm

Nine healthy winter foods to include in your diet

(NaturalNews) Several foods give the body nutrients that actually help to promote wellness, and this is very important during the winter months when many illnesses circulate through the population. Being able to get fresh fruits and vegetables, even in the dead of winter, is a great advantage in today's world. Fresh fruits and vegetables are available year round, and these are the foods that are most likely to ensure health and wellness, as they impart vitamins, minerals and other beneficial substances to the body. A healthy diet should include all food groups, including fruits and vegetables.

Make cancer-preventive Brussels sprouts taste good by taking off the outer leaves and roasting them on a baking sheet with some olive oil and sea salt in a 425 degree Fahrenheit oven.

• Leeks

Leeks taste much like mild onions and work well in potato soup, or in rice dishes, salads and other dishes that require onions. They are tasty and full of antioxidants.

• Beets

Bake vitamin-rich beets by wrapping them in foil and baking them in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Cut into small cubes and put them in a green salad with some goat cheese and a drizzle of walnut oil.

• Kale

Kale is full of iron but has a very bitter taste. Saute kale in some olive oil, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Throw in some pine nuts to have as a side dish.

• Pomegranate

Inflammation-reducing pomegranate has a tart flavor which makes it good for mixing in with oatmeal in the morning. You can also use the gelatinous seeds, which have a crunch and large amounts of flavor.

• Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit is very high in vitamin C, which can increase immunity to several different illnesses. Mix some kiwifruit into a spinach salad to combine immune-boosting fruits and vegetables in one dish.

• Persimmon

Persimmons contain substances that fix damage to cells caused by diabetes. Serve the miniature orange-like fruit with a bitter citrus flavor in a dish with some prosciutto and fresh mozzarella cheese.

• Guava

Guava is filed with the antioxidant lycopene, which could protect against coronary artery disease. Add raw guava to figs and blue cheese for a heart-healthy dish suitable for a snack or breakfast.

• Pomelo

Use pomelos as a dessert additive for sorbet or frozen yogurt. This fruit is suspected to prevent the spread of cancer cells because of its high density of antioxidants called flavanoids.

Indulge in health-promoting fruits and vegetables all year round, but especially during the winter time. Not only will they help the body stay well, but they also promote mental wellness with their fresh flavors. Many healthy fruits and vegetables have strong flavors. It is possible to combine them with other flavors to make them more delicious and have the family wanting more.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.besthealthmag.ca

http://www.eatingwell.com

http://science.naturalnews.com
 

http://www.naturalnews.com/042829_healthy_diet_winter_foods_disease_prevention.html#ixzz2k9JRpi9Q

Four Ways to Naturally Heal Acne

Image: prettyskin.info

Acne is an issue that a large majority of the population suffers from – not only do teens get acne, but many adults get acne as well! Sometimes people will go to the extremes of taking antibiotics to clear up their issue, or will subject their skin to harsh chemical soaps and creams which make the skin dependent on their use to maintain a clear face (and/or back) – when individuals stop using these products, it seems that their acne comes back full-force.

The real issue here is that the acne is caused by something internal, and individuals are trying to treat themselves externally (a completely backward process). To truly heal your skin, and find success in clearing acne, an individual must take a total-body healthy living approach. This includes changing diet, ensuring good digestion, exercising and maintaining proper skin care. Below I outline these aspects.

Diet
Eating a clean diet is crucial to maintaining clear, healthy skin. When you eat clean, your liver and kidneys are able to flush out toxins on a regular basis. All toxins that enter the body must first be broken down in the liver before they go to the rest of the body – when the liver breaks down these toxins, they are transformed into molecules that can go out in the blood and be filtered by the kidneys and removed in the urine.

When our kidneys and liver are not functioning optimally, this process gets backed up, so instead of secreting toxins through urine, our bodies resort to excreting toxins through other body parts like sweat (major cause of bad body odour) and especially our skin. Having a healthy functioning liver and kidneys will result in clearer skin and less (or no more) acne.

Foods that are highly acidic like processed foods, animal products, and refined sugar all lead to an acidic body environment which puts a lot of pressure not only on our liver and kidneys, but other body organs too! Consume a high alkaline diet, full with plenty of fruit, vegetables, and water (aim for 3-4L of water daily to flush toxins out of your body).

It is important to decrease your consumption of dairy and other animal products which are loaded with synthetic and naturally occurring hormones specific to those species (and NOT humans). Pregnant cows produce a protein which inhibits testosterone processing in our bodies – this means that individuals consuming a high amount of dairy products may also be loading themselves with an abundance of testosterone, throwing off hormones and thus resulting in facial issues. Many people have responded positively with better facial complexion once going off dairy (true of my own experience, and an account of many individuals I have spoken with, read about – online, in books, and friends/family).

Higher testosterone levels also make the sebaceous glands start to produce more sebum, which the bacteria in acne love to feed on.

Digestion
Improving digestion can help your skin tremendously! Start by learning to properly combine foods (you can learn all about that HERE) – properly combining foods means that your digestive system is not as stressed, and can digest one or two foods at a time without being over loaded with many different enzymes and nutrients. This will also ensure that you maintain healthy digestive flora, an important part of ensuring toxins are eliminated and not absorbed back into the bloodstream.

Exercise
How can exercise help acne? It can help tame your hormones (like testosterone) which cause excess sebum production. It also helps reduce stress and builds your immune system (which equates to better overall health). Stress is one of the main triggers in acne flare-ups – when we get stressed, a hormone called cortisol is released, and this thickens hair follicle linings which causes blackheads and whiteheads. If bacteria get trapped in this area, then large pimples will develop.

Reducing stress through exercise (and mindfulness meditation, yoga, breathing techniques) will allow proper blood flow and oxygen to the skin which are normally directed to vital organs in times during stress (and thus, when stressed, withdraws blood and oxygen from the skin). The skin, when stressed, then becomes starved of oxygen and blood and makes it more prone to acne bacteria (and will also make you look dull and lifeless).

Exercise helps pump the lymphatic system and circulatory system which helps flush out excess toxins – the less toxins we have in our body, the less our liver and kidneys need to work to filter them out.

Skin Care 
Proper skin care in times of blemished skin is incredibly important. If you are currently using chemical-based face washes and lotions, throw them out now – they are not helping! Over time, your skin will become dependent on these products and without them, your skin will flare up. You must simply ease yourself off these products, and instead stick to the natural route so that you can repair the natural pH of your skin and allow it to breathe again.

I would suggest minimizing your face washing to once in the morning, and once at night – simply wash off your face with warm water, and scrub with a little bit of sea salt (I use Himalayan sea salt to scrub my face at night – if you suffer from acne, use sea salt morning and night). Once you are done exfoliating with the sea salt, rinse off with cooler water, and pat dry your face. Next, rub in some natural oils on your face like jojoba oil or argan oil.

Remember, your skin might feel oily for the first couple weeks, but it is simply getting used to natural oil production and detoxing harsh chemical soaps and lotions – trust me, your face will look amazing in a month or two after using this routine, and sticking to a healthy diet and active lifestyle!

Source: Live Love Fruit

Scientists Officially Link Processed Foods To Autoimmune Disease

April McCarthy | Prevent Disease

The modern diet of processed foods, takeaways and microwave meals could be to blame for a sharp increase in autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, including alopecia, asthma and eczema.

Image: stopmakingsense.org

A team of scientists from Yale University in the U.S and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, in Germany, say junk food diets could be partly to blame.

'This study is the first to indicate that excess refined and processed salt may be one of the environmental factors driving the increased incidence of autoimmune diseases,' they said.

Junk foods at fast food restaurants as well as processed foods at grocery retailers represent the largest sources of sodium intake from refined salts.

The Canadian Medical Association Journal sent out an international team of researchers to compare the salt content of 2,124 items from fast food establishments such as Burger King, Domino's Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald's, Pizza Hut and Subway. They found that the average salt content varied between companies and between the same products sold in different countries.

U.S. fast foods are often more than twice as salt-laden as those of other countries. While government-led public health campaigns and legislation efforts have reduced refined salt levels in many countries, the U.S. government has been reluctant to press the issue. That’s left fast-food companies free to go salt crazy, says Norm Campbell, M.D., one of the study authors and a blood-pressure specialist at the University of Calgary.

Many low-fat foods rely on salt--and lots of it--for their flavor. One packet of KFC’s Marzetti Light Italian Dressing might only have 15 calories and 0.5 grams fat, but it also has 510 mg sodium--about 1.5 times as much as one Original Recipe chicken drumstick. (Feel like you’re having too much of a good thing? You probably are.

Bread is the No. 1 source of refined salt consumption in the American diet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Just one 6-inch Roasted Garlic loaf from Subway--just the bread, no meat, no cheeses, no nothing--has 1,260 mg sodium, about as much as 14 strips of bacon.

How Refined Salt Causes Autoimmune Disease

The team from Yale University studied the role of T helper cells in the body. These activate and 'help' other cells to fight dangerous pathogens such as bacteria or viruses and battle infections.

Previous research suggests that a subset of these cells - known as Th17 cells - also play an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases.

In the latest study, scientists discovered that exposing these cells in a lab to a table salt solution made them act more 'aggressively.'

They found that mice fed a diet high in refined salts saw a dramatic increase in the number of Th17 cells in their nervous systems that promoted inflammation.

They were also more likely to develop a severe form of a disease associated with multiple sclerosis in humans.

The scientists then conducted a closer examination of these effects at a molecular level.

Laboratory tests revealed that salt exposure increased the levels of cytokines released by Th17 cells 10 times more than usual. Cytokines are proteins used to pass messages between cells.

Study co-author Ralf Linker, from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, said: 'These findings are an important contribution to the understanding of multiple sclerosis and may offer new targets for a better treatment of the disease, for which at present there is no cure.'

It develops when the immune system mistakes the myelin that surrounds the nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord for a foreign body.

It strips the myelin off the nerves fibres, which disrupts messages passed between the brain and body causing problems with speech, vision and balance.

Another of the study's authors, Professor David Hafler, from Yale University, said that nature had clearly not intended for the immune system to attack its host body, so he expected that an external factor was playing a part.

He said: 'These are not diseases of bad genes alone or diseases caused by the environment, but diseases of a bad interaction between genes and the environment.

'Humans were genetically selected for conditions in sub-Saharan Africa, where there was no salt. It's one of the reasons that having a particular gene may make African Americans much more sensitive to salt.
'Today, Western diets all have high salt content and that has led to increase in hypertension and perhaps autoimmune disease as well.'

The team next plan to study the role that Th17 cells play in autoimmune conditions that affect the skin.
'It would be interesting to find out if patients with psoriasis can alleviate their symptoms by reducing their salt intake,' they said.

'However, the development of autoimmune diseases is a very complex process which depends on many genetic and environmental factors.'

Stick to Good Salts

Refined, processed and bleached salts are the problem. Salt is critical to our health and is the most readily available nonmetallic mineral in the world. Our bodies are not designed to processed refined sodium chloride since it has no nutritional value. However, when a salt is filled with dozens of minerals such as in rose-coloured crystals of Himalayan rock salt or the grey texture of Celtic salt, our bodies benefit tremendously for their incorporation into our diet.

"These mineral salts are identical to the elements of which our bodies have been built and were originally found in the primal ocean from where life originated," argues Dr Barbara Hendel, researcher and co-author of Water & Salt, The Essence of Life. "We have salty tears and salty perspiration. The chemical and mineral composition of our blood and body fluids are similar to sea water. From the beginning of life, as unborn babies, we are encased in a sack of salty fluid."

"In water, salt dissolves into mineral ions," explains Dr Hendel. "These conduct electrical nerve impulses that drive muscle movement and thought processes. Just the simple act of drinking a glass of water requires millions of instructions that come from mineral ions. They're also needed to balance PH levels in the body."
Mineral salts, she says, are healthy because they give your body the variety of mineral ions needed to balance its functions, remain healthy and heal. These healing properties have long been recognised in central Europe. At Wieliczka in Poland, a hospital has been carved in a salt mountain. Asthmatics and patients with lung disease and allergies find that breathing air in the saline underground chambers helps improve symptoms in 90 per cent of cases.

Dr Hendel believes too few minerals, rather than too much salt, may be to blame for health problems. It's a view that is echoed by other academics such as David McCarron, of Oregon Health Sciences University in the US.

He says salt has always been part of the human diet, but what has changed is the mineral content of our food. Instead of eating food high in minerals, such as nuts, fruit and vegetables, people are filling themselves up with "mineral empty" processed food and fizzy drinks.

Study Source:
This is the result of a study conducted by Dr. Markus Kleinewietfeld, Prof. David Hafler (both Yale University, New Haven and the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, and Harvard University, USA), PD Dr. Ralf Linker (Dept. of Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen), Professor Jens Titze (Vanderbilt University and Friedrich-Alexander-Universitat Erlangen-Nurnberg, FAU, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg) and Professor Dominik N. Muller (Experimental and Clinical Research Center, ECRC, a joint cooperation between the Max-Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, MDC, Berlin, and the Charite -- Universitatsmedizin Berlin and FAU) (Nature, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature11868)*. In autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks healthy tissue instead of fighting pathogens.

April McCarthy is a community journalist playing an active role reporting and analyzing world events to advance our health and eco-friendly initiatives.

Source: preventdisease.com

How to Treat and Cure Type 2 Diabetes Naturally

With diabetes on the rise all over the country, many new treatments for the disease are being found. Here's one natural way that has been found to treat and cure diabetes. Jay Wortman, MD, tells the story of how he got rid of his rampant type 2 diabetes, using a simple dietary change. Ten years later he is still free from the disease and needs no medication. He just stopped eating the foods that turn to sugar in the body.

Image: Friends of Irony

New scientific studies demonstrate that this common-sense approach works well. More info here (completelyfree): http://www.DietDoctor.com/lchf

Dr Wortman's website :http://www.drjaywortman.com/

My Big Fat Diet documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjTmdvFH3gQ&list=PL4D9B65D69295AAFC&index=1

Five practical ways to add kale to your diet

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Image: Raw For Beauty

There is a great deal to be said for kale. Kale is recognized as one of the most nutrient rich foods on the planet. The benefits of kale are multitudinous; it possesses antioxidant properties and beneficial phytochemicals and also serves as an anti-inflammatory agent. When consumed on a regular basis, kale is believed to have the capacity to help lower cholesterol level and even prevent cancer.

This super food is also rich in calcium, sodium, copper, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and iron.
With all the benefits that are associated with kale, it makes perfect sense that you should find as many ways as you can to get as much of it into your system as possible. This article will discuss 5 practical ways to add kale to your diet. It is important to remember to consume organic kale rather than conventional kale. You will also find that kale will be more digestible when you find ways to break it down before eating it. You can use something with an acidic property, such as apple cider vinegar or lemon, or you can chop it up.
Below, you will find five non-hassle ways to add kale to your diet.

Smoothies. Simply add two to five stems of kale, with leaves attached, to a fruit or protein smoothie. Use a high speed blender to break down the stems. This blending process will also help in making the kale more digestible. You can tweak the smoothie in a number of ways until you reach the desired taste.
Chips

Try making kale chips. They are not difficult to make at all. Remove the leaves from the stems and tear them into relatively large pieces, (roughly 3 inches in diameter) because they will shrink. Toss the leaves with a light salt and olive oil. You can also use your choice of herbs. You can then place the leaves in the oven or a dehydrator if you have one. Set the temperature at the lowest possible setting and leave the door slightly cracked. Once the chips are crisp, you can remove them, and they are ready for consumption.
Juice

You can add kale to a natural juice, such as vegetable or grapefruit juice, which allows for quick absorption by your body. These drinks are also highly nutritious. If you prefer to have your juice with a sweeter taste, you can always add a beet or a green apple as a sweetener.
Salad

There are multitudinous recipes for kale salad. The choice is yours. You can choose a stem-included recipe or choose to chop it up into fine pieces. What you add is totally up to you.
Substitute

Another great way to integrate kale into your diet is by substituting it for some of your other green vegetables, such as collard greens or spinach. You can even make a kale soup.
There are numerous ways to integrate kale into your daily diet, but these listed methods are simple, practical and easy to execute. With all of the valuable benefits that are associated with kale, it is of immense importance to find ways that you are comfortable with to integrate it into your diet.

Source: NaturalNews.com

10 Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance

Author: Dr. Amy Myers 

More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed. It is also estimated that as much as 15% of the US population is gluten intolerant. Could you be one of them? If you have any of the following symptoms it could be a sign that you have gluten intolerance:

1.) Digestive issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and even constipation. I see the constipation particularly in children after eating gluten.

2.) Keratosis Pilaris, (also known as ‘chicken skin’ on the back of your arms). This tends be as a result of a fatty acid deficiency and vitamin A deficiency secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.

3.) Fatigue, brain fog or feeling tired after eating a meal that contains gluten.

4.) Diagnosis of an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis.

5.) Neurologic symptoms such as dizziness or feeling of being off balance.

6.) Hormone imbalances such as PMS, PCOS or unexplained infertility.

7.) Migraine headaches.

8.) Diagnosis of chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia. These diagnoses simply indicate your conventional doctor cannot pin point the cause of your fatigue or pain.

9.) Inflammation, swelling or pain in your joints such as fingers, knees or hips.

10.) Mood issues such as anxiety, depression, mood swings and ADD.

Source: Eat Local Grown

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Use These 5 Alternatives to Popular Foods for Better Health

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Smart substitutions will not only improve the way you look, but they will also make you feel better, and can help encourage healthier habits on your journey to a new and better you. Making these 5 easy food swaps will help you lose weight, improve the appearance of your skin, reduce cravings, and increase your energy levels. It is time for “out with the old and in with the new!” Why wait? Start today!

Image: Live Love Fruit

Instead of candy eat fruit!
Fruit is literally nature’s candy! Candy is essentially refined sugar, some kind of corn product, and weird thickeners. It isn’t really food, at all, just something that we have substituted for what our brain truly craves – fruit sugar, or in other words, fructose (and some glucose). Fruit also contains beneficial vitamins and minerals which help shut off hunger signals in our brain and prevents us from eating the entire fridge after a hard days work. Fruit provides our body with proper carbohydrates, healthy starches, and cellulose which provide fiber. Instead of reaching for some candy, reach for a banana, peach, mango or if you really want something sweet, try some fresh medjool dates, or dried apricots or goji berries!

Instead of salt swap in fresh or dried herbs & spices!
Sodium dehydrates, and raises blood pressure putting us at risk for developing heart disease or suffering from a stroke. Most people think not using salt will lead to bland tasting foods – this is usually because they leave out salt and don’t add in anything else to help maximize flavour. This is where herbs and spices come in! They help add incredible flavour to your foods and contain plenty of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which help fight off disease. I particularly like to use dill because it is very salty and makes everything taste amazing. The variety of herbs and spices you can use are endless! From mint to basil, to chile flakes and garlic – you won’t even remember that you forgot to add salt.

Instead of butter or margarine eat avocado!
Using avocado in place of butter is a great food swap! Butter is laden with artery-clogging saturated fat and margarine is loaded with ingredients that are found in plastic products – so what better to use than omega rich avocado? Avocados have a naturally smooth, creamy texture, and can be used as a healthy substitute in baking for butter and eggs! You can also use it as a spread on toast in the morning, or just scrap the toast and eat the avocado itself! Avocado is also loaded with vitamins and can help reduce cholesterol and fight heart disease. You can even make a raw chocolate pudding using avocado – click HERE for the recipe!

Instead of mucus-forming milk drink body-slimming almond milk!
Almond milk is a popular milk substitute, and is about 500x healthier than cow’s milk due to it’s incredible vitamin and mineral content and heart-protecting properties. People who are lactose intolerant can also safely consume almond milk without any adverse side effects! Almond milk is packed with vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron, fiber, zinc, and calcium! It is also incredibly low in calories (only 40 calories per 8 oz. serving) and is very low in fat. It is free of casein, gluten, lactose, and is completely cholesterol free – it is also void of saturated animal fats which regular cows milk is full of. Cows milk also contains pus (white blood cells), which we probably shouldn’t be consuming. It is also a leading cause of runny and stuffy noses (congestion) and creates a lot of mucus in the body – clogging up our cells and giving us brain fog. Switch to almond milk today! It can be used in place of milk in any situation!

Instead of bagels for breakfast eat bananas!
Grains are not necessarily a human food – in fact, before the Agricultural Revolution, a couple hundred thousand of years passed without consumption of grains. In fact, studies have found that the human brain’s physical ability and functioning was highest just prior to this wheat-based revolution. Not just that, but archeological evidence has shown that since humans became more involved in their agricultural practices, human strength has slowly, but surely declined. Grains contain a compound called Phytic Acid which blocks the ability of our bodies to absorb calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc – when grains begin to sprout, vitamin and mineral content increases and phytic acid content decreases. However, most of the grains individuals consume today are not sprouted, leading to a variety of mineral deficient diseases like osteoporosis. Instead, eat some fruit carbs like bananas! Fully ripe bananas are packed with vitamins and minerals and will nourish your body instead of depleting it! If you please, make a banana smoothie with bananas, dates, and coconut water – you will feel 100x better, compared to the tiredness most individuals feel after consuming breads and pastas.

Source: Live Love Fruit

Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days (Full Documentary)

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Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days is an independent documentary film that chronicles six Americans with diabetes who switch to a diet consisting entirely of vegan, organic, uncooked food in order to reverse disease without pharmaceutical medication.

Full Length Movie: Part 1


Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days – Part 1 from jolipere on Vimeo.

Part 2


Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days – Part 2 from jolipere on Vimeo.

Source: Raw For Beauty

The Amount Of Food The Average American Eats Yearly Will Shock You

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What Are We Eating? How Much Are We Eating? While I find the following chart very sobering, I do not find it shocking. Healthy diet is foundational to good health and well-being.  In fact, we can say that in most instances one’s diet will be proportional to their current state of health and wellness.

The average American is 36.6 years old and eats 1,996.3 lbs. of food per year. The average man is 5’9” and weighs 190 lbs. The average woman is 5’4” and weighs 164 lbs.

Each year, Americans eat 85.5 lbs. of fats and oils. They eat 110 lbs. of red meat, including 62.4 lbs. of beef and 46.5 lbs. of pork. Americans eat 73.6 lbs. of poultry, including 60.4 lbs. of chicken. They eat 16.1 lbs. of fish and shellfish and 32.7 lbs. of eggs.

Americans eat 31.4 lbs. of cheese each year and 600.5 lbs. of non-cheese dairy products. They drink 181 lbs. of beverage milks. Americans eat 192.3 lbs. of flour and cereal products, including 134.1 lbs. of wheat flour. They eat 141.6 lbs. of caloric sweeteners, including 42 lbs. of corn syrup. Americans consume 56 lbs. of corn each year and eat 415.4 lbs. of vegetables. Every year, Americans eat 24 lbs. of coffee, cocoa and nuts. Americans eat 273.2 lbs. of fruit each year.

These foods include 29 lbs. of French fries, 23 lbs. of pizza and 24 lbs. of ice cream. Americans drink 53 gallons of soda each year, averaging about one gallon each week. Americans eat 24 lbs. of artificial sweeteners each year. They eat 2.736 lbs. of sodium, which is 47 percent more than recommended. Americans consume 0.2 lbs. of caffeine each year, about 90,700 mg. In total, Americans eat an average of 2,700 calories each day.

Source: Oasis Advanced Wellness

Research Shows Cancer Cells Thrive on Sugar

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(NaturalNews) Do you have a sweet tooth? If so, your dietary habits could be significantly adding to your risk of developing cancer. New research published in the journal Nature Medicine has confirmed that processed sugar is one of the primary driving forces behind the growth and spread of cancer tumors, so much so that the future of cancer screening could rely on scanning the body for sugar accumulation.

Scientists from University College London (UCL) in the U.K. made this discovery after experimenting with a new cancer detection method that involves utilizing a unique form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). After sensitizing an MRI scanner to look specifically for glucose in the body, it was revealed that cancer tumors, which feed off sugar, light up brightly as they contain high amounts of sugar.

“The new technique, called ‘glucose chemical exchange saturation transfer’ (glucoCEST), is based on the fact that tumors consume much more glucose (a type of sugar) than normal, healthy tissues in order to sustain their growth,” explains a recent UCL announcement, noting that tumors appear as “bright images” on MRI scans of mice.

Traditionally, cancer screenings have involved the use of low-dose radiation injections to identify the presence of tumors, which makes sense as radiation is another known cause of cancer. The things that trigger and promote cancer development and spread, in other words, can also be used by doctors to detect it inside the body. And now sugar can officially be added to this list.

“The method uses an injection of normal sugar and could offer a cheap, safe alternative to existing methods for detecting tumors, which require the injection of radioactive material,” says Dr. Simon Walker-Samuel, lead researcher of the study from the UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging (CABI).

Interestingly, it was also noted by the study’s senior author that the amount of sugar in “half a standard sized chocolate bar” is all it takes to effectively identify the presence of tumors using the glucoCEST method. This is astounding, as it suggests that even relatively low amounts of sugar have the potential to promote cancer proliferation.

Many cancer tumors respond directly to insulin produced by sugar consumption

The UCL study is hardly the only one to have identified a connection between processed sugar consumption and diseases like cancer. Other research, including that being currently being conducted by Dr. Robert H. Lustig, M.D., a Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), confirms that the bulk of chronic illnesses prevalent today are caused by sugar consumption.

You can watch a presentation from Dr. Lustig entitled Sugar: The Bitter Truth here:

As far as cancer is concerned, hormones produced by the body in response to sugar consumption also feed cancer cells. This means that every time you down a soda or eat a piece of cake, your body produces certain chemicals that tell cancer cells to not only start taking up sugar, but also to grow in size and spread.

“What we’re beginning to learn is that insulin can cause adverse effects in various tissues, and a particular concern is cancer,” says Dr. Lewis Cantley, head of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) at Harvard University, as quoted during an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes.

“If you happen to have a tumor that has insulin receptors on it, then it will get stimulated to take up the glucose that’s in the bloodstream,” he adds. “So rather than going to the fat or to the muscle, the glucose now goes into the tumor, and the tumor uses it to grow.”

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041232_cancer_cells_processed_sugar_research.html

Source: Raw For Beauty