Herald Article #7, Cholesterol

What Is Cholesterol, and Why Do You Need It? Cholesterol has been unfairly blamed for just about every case of heart disease for the last 20 years, when in reality, you need cholesterol in order to be healthy; That's right, you do need cholesterol. It is a vital component of every cell membrane on Earth. In other words, there is no life on Earth that can live without cholesterol. We would not be here without it. You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. These myths are actually harming your health. Here are a few of the many vital functions of cholesterol? It builds and maintains cell membranes (outer layer), it prevents crystallization of hydrocarbons in the membrane It is essential for determining which molecules can pass into the cell and which cannot (cell membrane permeability) It is involved in the production of sex hormones (androgens and estrogens) It is essential for the production of hormones released by the adrenal glands (cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, and others) It aids in the production of bile It converts sunshine to vitamin D It is important for the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E, and K It insulates nerve fibers So where does it come from? Foods you consume containing cholesterol such as the much maligned egg and healthy saturated fats only contribute a mere 20-25%, whereas your liver manufactures 75 -80% of your body’s cholesterol. Inflammation and Diet are the two main factors that stimulate the liver to produce cholesterol. Inflammation is your bodies natural response to invaders and the perception of a threat. If you get a cut for instance, the process of inflammation is what allows you to heal. Blood vessels constrict to keep you from bleeding to death. Blood becomes thicker so it can clot. The immune system sends cells and chemicals to fight viruses, bacteria and other "bad guys" that could infect the area. Cells multiply to repair the damage. Ultimately, the cut is healed and a protective scar may form over the area. If your arteries are damaged (say from stress or high blood sugar levels or high blood pressure), a very similar process occurs inside of your body, except that a "scar" in your artery is known as plaque. This plaque, along with the thickening of your blood and constricting of your blood vessels that normally occur during the inflammatory process, can indeed increase your risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks. Cholesterol comes in because it is necessary to replace your damaged cells. Remember that no cell can form without it. So if you have a bunch of damaged cells that need to be replaced, your liver will be notified to make more cholesterol and release it into your bloodstream. This is a deliberate process that takes place in order for your body to produce new, healthy cells. It is also possible, and quite common, for damage to occur in your body on a regular basis. In this case, you will be in a dangerous state of chronic inflammation . Eating the Standard American Diet (high in processed carbohydrates from grains) results in elevated blood sugar levels which are inflammatory to the body and the natural response is for the liver to convert this excess blood sugar first into triglycerides and then into cholesterol. Cholesterol levels reflect chronic inflammation in your body; the more inflammation you have, the higher your total cholesterol tends to be. Your body makes cholesterol to "patch up damages" from this ongoing inflammation. Even conventional medicine is warming up to the idea that chronic inflammation can trigger heart attacks. In the eyes of conventional medicine, when they see increased cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream, they conclude that it -- not the underlying damage to your arteries -- is the cause of heart attacks. Experts in lipid biochemistry, have gone so far as to call high cholesterol "an invented disease, a 'problem' that emerged when health professionals learned how to measure cholesterol levels in the blood." And this explanation is spot on. If you have increased levels of cholesterol, it is at least in part because of increased inflammation in your body. The cholesterol is there to do a job: help your body to heal and repair. The Dangers of Cholesterol lowering drugs. As with most drugs they are about inhibiting normal physiology in the body. Along with the Cholesterol’s inhibition comes the inhibition of Glutathione (one of the largest antioxidants in the body, esp for the brain) and Coenzyme Q10 (a major part of energy production in muscles, esp in the heart). Statin drugs have also been linked to: An increased risk of polyneuropathy (nerve damage that causes pain in the hands and feet and trouble walking) Dizziness Cognitive impairment, including memory loss A potential increased risk of cancer Decreased function of the immune system Depression Liver problems, including a potential increase in liver enzymes (so people taking statins must be regularly monitored for normal liver function) Who Decided What Cholesterol Levels Are Healthy or Harmful? Eight of the nine doctors on the panel that developed the new cholesterol guidelines had been making money from the drug companies that manufacture statin cholesterol-lowering drugs. Coincidence? The standard recommendation to get to that level almost always includes one or more cholesterol lowering drugs with never a mention of how to lower inflammation without drugs. How to Lower Inflammation, and Thereby Your Risk of Heart Disease, Naturally There is a major misconception that you must avoid foods like eggs and saturated fat to protect your heart. While it's true that fats from animal sources contain cholesterol, I've explained earlier in this article why this should not scare you. This misguided principle is based on the "lipid hypothesis" -- developed in the 1950s by nutrition pioneer Ancel Keys -- that linked dietary fat to coronary heart disease. The nutrition community of that time completely accepted the hypothesis, and encouraged the public to cut out butter, red meat, animal fats, eggs, dairy and other "artery-clogging" fats from their diets -- a radical change at that time. What you may not know is that when Keys published his analysis that claimed to prove the link between dietary fats and coronary heart disease, he selectively analyzed information from only six countries to prove his correlation, rather than comparing all the data available at the time -- from 22 countries. As a result of this "cherry-picked" data, government health organizations began bombarding the public with advice that has contributed to the diabetes and obesity epidemics going on today: eat a low-fat diet(high carb) diet. Not surprisingly, numerous studies have actually shown that Keys' theory was wrong and saturated fats are healthy. Of course, as Americans cut out nutritious animal fats from their diets, they were left hungry. So they began eating more processed grains, more vegetable oils, and more high-fructose corn syrup, all of which are nutritional disasters. It is this latter type of diet that will lead to increased inflammation, and therefore cholesterol, in your body. So don't let anyone scare you away from saturated fat anymore. How to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally... Eat a plant based diet (with lots of cruciferous veggies). Make sure you're getting plenty of high-quality, animal-based omega3-fats. 1,000mg of combined EPA & DHA. Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars in your daily diet. It is especially important to eliminate dangerous sugars such as fructose. If your HDL/Cholesterol ratio is abnormal and needs to be improved it would also serve you well to virtually eliminate fruits from your diet, as that it also a source of fructose. Once your cholesterol improves you can gradually reintroduce it to levels that don't raise your cholesterol. Eat healthy, preferably raw, fats. This includes: Olives (not the canned black ones), and olive oil, Coconut and coconut oil, Avocados, Raw nuts, Seeds, Eggs (lightly cooked with yolks intact or raw), and Organic, grass-fed meats. Exercise, When you exercise you increase your circulation and the blood flow throughout your body. The components of your immune system are also better circulated, which means your immune system has a better chance of fighting an illness before it has the opportunity to spread. Eat a condiment size serving of a fermented food daily Avoid smoking and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. Address your emotional challenges. So there you have it; the reasons why high cholesterol is a worry that the majority of you simply do not need to have, along with a simple plan to optimize yours.

Herald Article #6, Vitamin D

In this weeks health talk I will be discussing Vitamin D, which actually is not a vitamin but a combination of neuro-steroid/prohormone (sort of like a precursor to a hormone with the ability to amplify the expression of other hormones). It is also labeled as a powerful epigenetic influencer (having the ability to change a gene expression that is not through DNA change). Humans have about 30,000 genes and currently we know that Vitamin D is responsible for regulating at least 2,000 of them. A number of informed health care professionals will say that Vitamin D is where the biggest bang for your health care buck is. With an overwhelming number of high quality studies showing that Vitamin D plays a major role in weight control, high blood pressure, autism, cancer, anti aging, skin disorders and more. In past articles, I have cited studies showing how Vitamin D outperforms the flu shot and Metformin, blood sugar control. So lets talk about how the mechanics of exposing your skin to sunlight actually results in the production of Vitamin D, because that is the way we optimally maintain health promoting levels. There are many types of sunlight rays, the main two for this discussion are Ultra violet (UV) A & B. UVA has the ability to increase our risk of cancer (more discussion later). UVB creates Viamin D3 with the help of skin bacteria and cholesterol, then it passes through the skin and enters the bloodstream and is modified first in the liver then again in the kidneys to an active form that is able to create change. The concept that sun exposure causes cancer has created our current epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency. Over the last 100 years our exposure to the sun has actually decreased, but because there is a small connection to non melanoma skin cancer(about 1500 deaths per year) the campaign to further reduce sun exposure has contributed to the 200,000 to 300,000 deaths per year from more common cancers such as Lung, Breast, and Prostate. So what is the problem and how do we reverse this Vitamin D deficiency? There are three ways to accomplish this, they are natural sunlight, tanning beds, and supplementation. First lets address what healthy sun exposure looks like, and what the body requires to support the sun exposure and not promote increased cancer risk. On average you need about 10 minutes a day of whole body exposure with out immediately jumping in the shower. The following all factor in: time of day, (if your shadow is shorter than you, you will make Vitamin D, if your shadow is longer than you, you will not). Windows block the good UVB and let the cancer risk UVA through. Clothing blocks UVB, and sunscreen (most contain toxic chemicals that your skin will absorb) blocks UVB. The pigmentation of our skin and our age (the darker and olde, the more time is required). Getting sunburned is dangerous, Never let yourself Burn. You must correct/improve your ratio of omega 6 fat to omega 3 fats by reducing your intake of the bad omega 6 in cheap veggie oils, trans fats and hydrogenated fats, while increasing your omega 3 (and some good omega 6) by eating more nuts and seeds and taking a fish oil supplement. You must maintain a healthy pool of antioxidants by eating more veggies and berries. This is essential in helping the body make vitamin D and not producing disease such as cancer. If prudent sun exposure is not possible where you live or because of your job then there are tanning beds and supplementation. Tanning beds must have the new electronic ballast not the old magnetic. Look for beds that provide the best ratio of UVA to UVB and how they are cleaned and disinfected after each use. Here is a need in our community that could be filled by a local entrepreneur without a staggering amount of capital. Supplementation should be under the guidance of a knowledgeable practitioner, performing blood testing to determine where your current level is and to monitor your progress into a healthy range. As deficient as most of us are, it takes a very specific high therapeutic dose to get into a healthy range. Emulsified D3 is best, never D2 and speak to your practitioner about specific short term therapeutic doses for acute infection. Next week we will discuss Cholesterol.

Herald article #2, healthy diet

Earlier this month I spent a week in Portland, Oregon attending the first International Conference on Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. This event was attended and presented by leaders from around the world, 19 countries in all. Each day started out with a leading PHD presenting the most recent studies on Diet and Exercise, followed by a leading clinical practitioner (MD, Cardiologist, Nephrologist, or Orthopedic surgeon) presenting on how they were having consistent, remarkable results from applying these nutrition and exercise protocols to their patients. The topics covered were: Hypertension, Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, Autoimmunes, Cardiovascular, Type 2 and Type 3 Diabetes and more. These are all disease processes which are heavily influenced by lifestyle, and when you strip away all the technical biochemistry, neurology, and physiology of the presentations, what was left at the heart of things is actually the gut. The problem with our gut is Inflammation, sustained and ever increasing, because of our poor diet. This starts out on a very small scale, one in which you really have no idea that it is happening. The gut and its microbiotic flora are of key importance to good health. 80-90% of all serotonin (your feel good neurotransmitter) is manufactured in the gut. Your thyroid produces 2 forms of hormone, the majority of which is inactive and must be activated in your gut. 80% of your Immune system is located in your gut and communication from these immune cells to your nervous system is thru your microbiota. So how do you create and maintain a healthy gut lining and microbiota? It all starts with your mother, she provides you with your first inoculation of microbiota as you travel through the birth canal during delivery, ( it does not happen with a cesarean). So it is extremely important for women considering childbirth to get their gut in order. For all you mothers to be and the rest of us, here is a beginners list of items to grow a healthy gut: Diet, Exercise, Stress Management, and Sunlight, all big words that don’t mean much unless we put some specifics to them. You’ve all seen that commercial where the actor in the white lab coat says “when diet and exercise are not enough” , well that is a marketing statement, with no truth to it, because when you are given correct information about diet and exercise and you are compliant, they work every time. So here is what a health promoting Diet consists of: First, It should be plant based, with a minimal amount of starch/carbohydrate and maximal amounts of nutrition, yes, at every meal, even breakfast. The cruciferous family of veggies provides the most nutritional bang for your buck (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, turnips, and radishes). These veggies provide major and trace minerals, phytonutrients, enzymes, anti-cancer factors and more. Second, a variety of nuts and seeds (almonds, walnuts, macadamia, pistachio, flax, pumpkin, sunflower, chia, quinoa, and hemp). These provide your body with healthy fats, fiber and protein. Other healthy fats include avocados, olive oil and coconut oil. Third, “lean protein”, fish, chicken, beef, and eggs. Lean protein comes from animals that have been grass fed, or from animals that are wild. It does not come from animals that are fed cheap grains (soy, or corn). Fourth, fruits, limited to small berries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. These provide powerful nutrition with minimal fructose. Fifth, pre-biotics, such as garlic, onions, inulin and probiotics in the way of fermented foods, sauerkraut, kim chee, miso, pickles, kefir, yogurt, kombucha. These foods feed and fortify the health promoting microbiota population of your gut. Look for our article next week when we discuss the foods that have gotten us into this unhealthy mess and also what are the best types of exercise.

Herald article #5 , Exercise

In the last few articles I detailed what a Health Promoting Diet looks like and what a Chronic Disease Promoting Diet looks like. Now I will do the same for Exercise. If you are given correct information and you are compliant, it will have a huge impact on your health, as far as stopping and reversing chronic disease. Depending on where you are on your unique health curve, determines how long it will take to create this impact. There is as much mis-information out there about exercise as there is about diet. So what does a truly healthy exercise program entail? It must makes you sweat: promoting the release of toxins, stimulating the firing of neuron pathways/better brain function), resetting receptors in cell walls to reduce insulin resistance and restore your energy metabolism processes. It must have a strengthening component: minimally it focuses specifically on extensor muscles, those that keep us upright in gravity. These are the muscles on the back of the body from the waist up and the muscles on the front of the body from the waist down. This is an absolutely crucial part of your exercise equation, and without it you will have decreased brain function, decreased metabolism, and decreased joint mobility. It should have an interval training component: this is actually how we live our lives, short spurts of energy not marathons. This is very versatile and can be applied to a number of different exercises, 30 seconds as hard as you can, followed by 90 seconds of easing back, for around 8 sets. This form of exercise promotes the greatest production of DHEA (growth hormone) and reversal of insulin resistance. Exercise done on a machine such as the ROM fall into this category. It should have an aerobic component. Don’t get stuck in the old myth that a good exercise program is running a 10K or marathon. For most walking is a mode of transportation not exercise. Aerobics by itself leads to reduced lean body mass (reduction in healthy muscle). Aerobics increases free radical cell damage. It also reduces muscle cell fuel (glucagon) and to replace this your appetite is increased, leading to excess calorie consumption. It should have a meditative and breath control component such as Yoga and Tai Chi. It should promote integrated movements; your body’s muscle and fascial systems were designed to work best as a whole not individually. One way in which we damage our bodies is by repetitive movements that rely on singled out muscles. There is a fantastic program(Foundation Training.com) that came out last year that restores healthy movement patterns teaching these systems to move as one. What you eat and when you eat has a huge affect on your exercise routine results. Sugar, especially fructose, ingested 30 minutes before your workout and up to 2 hours after will have a defeating effect. A small amount of protein ingested 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after will maximize gain. Wow that is quite a list, so if you are only performing aerobic training, you are missing the boat. There is no one exercise and there is no precise equation that can tell you how much of each of these you should perform. Start with a balance of variety, pay attention and adjust to how your body responds. Just like diet, where we all need proteins, fats and phytonutrients from veggies, the amount of each is unique to the individual. Exercise is the same, your workouts need to cover certain essential elements, of which the amounts are unique to the individual. Also, like diet it is important that exercise is part of your lifestyle, not just a short term attempt to lose a few pounds.

herald article #4, GMO

Last week I spoke about the bad and ugly in our diet, covering Grains, Dairy, Cheap Vegetable Oils, and Industrial Farmed Meats. Today I will cover GMO and another large culprit that I left out, Fructose. Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) are created by taking one or more genes from one species and forcing it into the DNA of another species. Such genetic cross-breeding between incompatible species can never occur in nature. The two main types of GMO foods are Herbicide-Tolerant crops and Pesticide-Producing crops. Herbicide-Tolerant crops, are designed to withstand otherwise lethal doses of chemicals. Roundup Ready crops are in this category. Glyphosate residue (from roundup ready), enhances the damaging effects of other food-borne chemical residues and toxins in the environment. This disrupts normal body functions and induces disease. Glyphosate is found in most commonly consumed foods in the Western diet courtesy of GMO sugar, corn, soy and wheat, Interestingly, your gut bacteria are a key component of glyphosate’s mechanism of harm. Roundup is suppose to be harmless to animals and humans because the mechanism of action it uses (which allows it to kill weeds), called the Shikimate pathway, is absent in all animals. However, the Shikimate pathway is present in bacteria, and that’s the key to understanding how it causes such widespread systemic harm in both humans and animals. The bacteria in your body outnumber your cells by 10 to 1. For every cell in your body, you have 10 bacterial microbes of various kinds, and all of them have the Shikimate pathway, so they will all respond to the presence of Glyphosate! Glyphosate causes extreme disruption of the microbe’s function and lifecycle. What’s worse, glyphosate preferentially affects beneficial bacteria, allowing pathogens to overgrow and take over. At that point, your body also has to contend with the toxins produced by the pathogens. Once the chronic inflammation sets in, you’re well on your way toward chronic and potentially debilitating disease. Pesticide-producing crops, designed to produce a toxic protein inside the plant itself, which kills bugs that eat the plant by causing their stomachs to rupture. These are the so-called Bt crops. A study published in February 2012 shows that this Bt toxin is capable of breaking open human cells, causing the same kind of disruption in the gut of humans as it causes in the insects it kills. We are talking about gut permeability ("leaky gut"), which can predispose you to all sorts of health problems. An eye opener presentation is "Genetic Roulette-The Gamble of Our Lives", winner of the Top Transformational Film of 2012 by Jeffery Smith. The health promoting diet we have been talking about in previous articles, does not include most of the current list of GMO’s (corn, soy, wheat, and sugar). If you do consume these products read the label and make sure it is stamped NO GMO (and is preferably organic). Ask your local grocer to stock GMO FREE products. Use your shopping dollars to vote for NO GMO. Now the last of the health deteriorating culprits is High Fructose Syrup. I know everyone has seen the TV commercials where they tell you there is no difference between cane sugar and corn sugar, well I don’t know how they get away with it, but it is simply not the truth. Sucrose/Cane Sugar and Fructose/Corn Syrup are different types of simple sugars. After they are separated apart and broken down in your body they are metabolized using completely separate pathways. Cane Sugar/ Sucrose is broken down into mainly Glucose. Glucose is utilized by every cell in your body for energy, but Fructose is shuttled to your liver where it is metabolized into fats and a variety of waste products, one of which is uric acid. Uric acid drives up your blood pressure by inhibiting the nitric oxide in your blood vessels. Nitric oxide helps your vessels maintain their elasticity, so nitric oxide suppression leads to increases in blood pressure. Fructose consumption also leads to decreased signaling to your central nervous system from the hormones Leptin, Ghrelin and Insulin. These are key signals in regulating how much food you eat, as well as your body weight, all contributing to increased food intake and weight gain. Decreased Insulin and Leptin signaling is also a main cause of diabetes and a host of other obesity-related conditions. So what are we left with? Go back to our healthy diet which contains moderate amounts of small berries as your fructose source, no processed foods, and no soft drinks. If your going to take part in these bad items read the labels and pick the best choice of the evils, cane sugar over fructose, and by the way agave is at the top of the bad fructose list. If all of the above information does not convince you to get fructose products out of your diet, then ponder on the fact that mercury is used as a preservative for fructose products. Way too much information, so we will wait till next week to take a look at healthy exercise.

Herald article #3, the bad and the ugly in your diet

"Health Talk by Dr. Dean R. Brock, DC, APC Last week we talked about the good part of a healthy diet, now lets cover the bad and ugly parts, the foods that have brought on the overwhelming numbers of chronic diseases. The top culprits would have to be Grains, Dairy, Cheap Vegetable Oils, GMO and Industrial Farmed Meats. Grains were never intended to be consumed by humans, they are a cheap food capable of providing large amounts of calories to avoid starvation. Three serious problems associated with grains are the lack of nutrition, the large blood sugar spike and gut lining damage. A huge additional note on blood sugar is that it is the major contributor to hypertension. The insulin spike it induces causes the kidneys to retain sodium; this fluid retention raises blood pressure. Everyone has heard of gut disorders such as Celiac, which is associated with the ingestion of gluten (found in several grains). Gluten causes damage in everyone, but some individual's genes make them more susceptible to far greater damage. Lectins are also in all grains, beans and legumes and they create the same gut damage as gluten, in everyone. Lectins destroy connecter proteins that hold cells together, thus creating a “leaky gut” . So a gluten free diet using other alternative grains, merely avoids the damage from gluten and does nothing about the damage caused by lectins. Everyone benefits from a grain free (flour free) diet. Cows Milk, what is its purpose? It is a unique biological secretion of the mammary gland endowed by nature to fulfill the entire nutritional needs of a neonate. It provides immune system start-up and growth hormones (estrogen & testosterone precursors) to stimulate proliferation. So if you are not a four legged neonate, it is not for you. Now if you add on top of that what industrial farming has done to the cows, by feeding with grains instead of grass, injecting growth hormones and using antibiotics because the cows stand in their own excrement 24/7. They also decrease the age of starting to milk the cows and have increased the duration of milking. Pushing the productivity to extremes has made a food not intended for humans even worse. There are sufficient numbers of quality studies pointing to milk as the root cause of acne. More and more studies are linking milk to cancer, which is what happens when you ingest something that upregulates and over expresses system functions. There are also sufficient studies showing how cows milk induces hyperglycemia and promotes insulin resistance. So what do you do? Heard of Almond milk? Yes, milks made from nuts, they are a great source of healthy fats and fiber. Stay clear of soy, and read the labels for bad additives such as caregeenan and fructose. Better yet make your own, it is a simple process that just takes minutes. Vegetable oils, when produced under conditions that allow in oxygen and do not control high temperatures, yields a highly oxidized product that when used by the body as a building block of a cell wall, results in a stiffer, less fluid and less functional organelle. What we should be cooking with is a saturated fat, like coconut oil or tallow. These saturated fats due not undergo chemical changes at higher temperatures. Olive oil is also very good for us, however; it is a mono-unsaturated fat and it should be used raw, it is not for cooking. Maintaining it at high temperatures changes its chemical structure turning it into a trans fat which is a very unhealthy building block in cell walls. Additionally, when the industry turns these cheap oils into saturated fats (trans & hydrogenated) with electricity and hydrogen to extend the shelf life of a processed food, they have created a very damaging substance. The much maligned red meat is your best source of iron and B-12 and if it is fed properly (there is the problem), it is a phenomenal source of essential fats. Because Industrial farmed beef are fed cheap GMO grains (corn & soy) instead of their natural food of grass, the result is a meat that is high in a very bad form of saturated fat, very low in mono saturated fat (the good stuff), very low in omega 3 fat (the good stuff) and very high in a bad form of omega 6. Industrial farmed pork has the same bad fat profiles, in addition to issues with viruses and bacteria due to living conditions. Industrial farmed chickens have extremely high levels of arsenic. So meat being a major source of protein, and an essential macro nutrient, that we must have, what do we do? Buy from a local rancher that does not use antibiotics or hormones and only grass feeds. Fish, is an excellent source of protein but must be wild caught. If the package label does not say wild caught, don't buy it and certainly don't eat it. Farm raised fish is not a healthy alternative due to the environment they are raised in and the food they are fed, which can contain high levels of Polychlorinated biphenyls(PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE), both toxic and linked to cancer. Since we have covered so much this week, and so as not to dilute the information and give you a change to absorb it, we will continue our discussion next week with exercise. Also coming soon an entire article will be devoted to GMO or genetically modified organisms.

Analysis Identifies Shocking Problems with Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Corn

Every day I talk about diet in the clinic . Protein(wild or grass fed), Healthy fats and tons of organic Cruciferous veggies and some fermented foods. By Dr. Mercola I’ve warned you of the potential dangers of genetically engineered (GE) foods for many years now, pointing out that such crops might have wholly unforeseen consequences. In recent years, such suspicions have increasingly proven correct. One of the latest pieces of evidence supporting the suspicion that GE crops are in no way, shape or form comparable to their natural counterparts is a nutritional analysis that shows just how different they really are. Inherent differences are essentially implied by the fact that GE crop seeds can be patented in the first place. And in many ways, I believe Monsanto is slowly but surely inching its way toward patenting nature itself, in the same way others are fighting to maintain patent rights for human DNA.1 These companies are trying to patent “life,” and they likely will unless they’re stopped by the courts. But it’s quite clear that humans cannot outsmart nature. The latest nutritional analysis of GE corn couldn’t be more relevant as the recently passed Agricultural Appropriations Bill (HR9332) included a hotly detested provision (Section 735) that places Monsanto above the law. As noted by the featured article:3 “With the recent passing of the Monsanto Protection Act, there is no question that mega corporations like Monsanto are able to wield enough power to even surpass that of the United States government. The new legislation provides Monsanto with a legal safeguard against federal courts striking down any pending review of dangerous genetically modified crops. It is ironic to see the passing of such a bill in the face of continuous releases of GMO dangers.” At present, the only way to avoid GMOs is to ditch processed foods from your grocery list, and revert back to whole foods grown according to organic standards. Analysis Finds Monsanto’s GE Corn Nutritionally Inferior and High in Toxins A report given to MomsAcrossAmerica4 by an employee of De Dell Seed Company (Canada's only non-GMO corn seed company) offers a stunning picture of the nutritional differences between genetically engineered (GE) and non-GE corn. Clearly, the former is NOT equivalent to the latter, which is the very premise by which genetically engineered crops were approved in the first place. Here’s a small sampling of the nutritional differences found in this 2012 nutritional analysis: Calcium: GMO corn = 14 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 6,130 ppm (437 times more) Magnesium: GMO corn = 2 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 113 ppm (56 times more) Manganese: GMO corn = 2 ppm / Non-GMO corn = 14 ppm (7 times more) GMO corn was also found to contain 13 ppm of glyphosate, compared to zero in non-GMO corn. This is quite significant and well worth remembering. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “safe” level for glyphosate in American water supplies is 0.7 ppm. In Europe, the maximum allowable level in water is 0.2 ppm. Organ damage in animals has occurred at levels as low as 0.1 ppm... At 13 ppm, GMO corn contains more than 18 times the “safe” level of glyphosate set by the EPA. This is truly disturbing when you consider the fact that in countries like Argentina, glyphosate is blamed for the dramatic increase in devastating birth defects as well as cancer. Sterility and miscarriages are also increasing. This may be due to its similarity to DDT, which is well-known to cause reproductive problems, among other things. Another health hazard associated with glyphosate is its effect on gut bacteria. Not only does it promote the growth of more virulent pathogens, it also kills off beneficial bacteria that might keep such pathogens in check—both in the soil, and in the gut of animals or humans that ingest the contaminated crop. It's important to understand that the glyphosate actually becomes systemic throughout the plant, so it cannot be washed off. It's inside the plant. And once you eat it, it ends up in your gut where it can wreak total havoc with your health, considering the fact that 80 percent of your immune system resides there and is dependent on a healthy ratio of good and bad bacteria. An additional disturbing piece of information is that GMO corn contained extremely high levels of formaldehyde. According to Dr. Huber, at least one study found that 0.97 ppm of ingested formaldehyde was toxic to animals. GMO corn contains a staggering 200 times that amount! Perhaps it’s no wonder that animals, when given a choice, avoid genetically engineered feed. Next Up: Genetically Engineered Apples, Using New GE Technique Besides so-called Roundup Ready crops, genetically engineered to resist otherwise lethal doses of glyphosate, there are other types of GE food crops. Another equally troublesome one is Bt crops, engineered in such a way as to contain a toxic protein within the plant itself. These were created by inserting a foreign gene into the plant in question. Now we’re looking at yet another type of genetic engineering technology: RNA interference (RNAi), also known as post transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS). According to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA),5 apples modified using this technique are slated for approval by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) sometime this year. The apple will not require approval by the FDA, which is responsible for human food and animal feed. It only needs approval by the USDA, which is responsible for protecting agriculture from pests and plant diseases. The new GMO Arctic® Apple does not turn brown when sliced or bitten into. For the cosmetic “advantage” of these genetically engineered apples, you get to be a test subject for yet another untested genetic modification technology. How’s that for a bargain? According to OCA, non-organic apples are already among the most pesticide-laden foods sold. In the Pesticide Action Network’s analysis of the most recent USDA data, apples tested positive for 42 different pesticides, including two endocrine disrupting pesticides (organophosphate and pyrethroid). The additional risk of untested tinkering with the RNA is not a step in the right direction if we want safer, healthier foods. The OCA writes:6 “[U]nlike the case with GMO corn or salmon, scientists aren’t injecting pesticides or genes from foreign plants or animals into the genes of apples to create the Frankenapple. While most existing genetically engineered plants are designed to make new proteins, the Arctic Apple is engineered to produce a form of genetic information called double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). The new dsRNA alters the way genes are expressed. The result, in the Arctic Apple’s case, is a new double strand of RNA that genetically 'silences' the apple’s ability to produce polyphenol oxidase, an enzyme that causes the apple to turn brown when it’s exposed to oxygen. Harmless? The biotech industry, OSF and some scientists say yes. But others, including Professor Jack Heinemann (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), Sarah Agapito-Tenfen (from Santa Catarina University in Brazil) and Judy Carman (Flinders University in South Australia), say that dsRNA manipulation is untested, and therefore inherently risky. Recent research has shown that dsRNAs can transfer from plants to humans and other animals through food. The biotech industry has always claimed that genetically engineered DNA or RNA is destroyed by human digestion, eliminating the danger of these mutant organisms damaging human genes or human health. But many biotech scientists say otherwise. They point to evidence that the manipulated RNA finds its way into our digestive systems and bloodstreams, potentially damaging or silencing vital human genes.” OCA also points out the indirect health consequences. The chemical compound used in the RNA manipulation process is one that also combats plant pests. So what might conceivably happen when you compromise the fruit’s ability to fend off insects? As noted by OCA, most likely, growers will have to start using more pesticides—on a fruit that’s already among the most heavily sprayed. In the end, all those pesticides end up in your body and, certainly, avoiding toxic exposures is important if you want to protect your health. Despite What You Are Told GE Crops Are NOT the 'Most Tested' Product in the World It’s important to realize that genetically engineered (GE) foods have never been proven safe for human consumption over a lifetime, let alone over generations. Monsanto and its advocates claim genetically engineered crops are “the most-tested food product that the world has ever seen.” What they don’t tell you is that: Industry-funded research predictably affects the outcome of the trial. This has been verified by dozens of scientific reviews comparing funding with the findings of the study. When industry funds the research, it’s virtually guaranteed to be positive. Therefore, independent studies must be done to replicate and thus verify results The longest industry-funded animal feeding study was 90 days, which recent research has confirmed is FAR too short. In the world’s first independently funded lifetime feeding study, massive health problems set in during and after the 13th month, including organ damage and cancer Companies like Monsanto and Syngenta rarely if ever allow independent researchers access to their patented seeds, citing the legal protection these seeds have under patent laws. Hence, independent research is extremely difficult or nearly impossible to conduct. If these scientists get seeds from a farmer, they sue them into oblivion as one of their favorite tactics is to use the legal system to their advantage. Additionally, virtually all academic agricultural research is controlled by Monsanto as they are the primary supporters of these departments and none will risk losing their funding from them There is no safety monitoring. Meaning, once the GE item in question has been approved, not a single country on earth is actively monitoring and tracking reports of potential health effects Middle School Student’s Brilliant Experiment Speaking of research; while there’s no research to support the long-term safety of GMOs, studies do show that organic foods are safer than their conventional counterparts in terms of toxic exposure, and likely far more nutritious as well. Three years ago, middle school student Ria Chhabra created a science fair project to help settle a debate between her parents, revolving around whether or not organic foods have merit. Now 16 and a sophomore at Clark High School in Plano, Texas, Ria’s continued research into the effect of organic food on fruit flies has earned her top honors in a national science competition, and her work was recently published in the respected scientific journal, PloS One.7 As reported by the New York Times:8 “The research, titled Organically Grown Food Provides Health Benefits to Drosophila Melanogaster, tracked the effects of organic and conventional diets on the health of fruit flies. By nearly every measure, including fertility, stress resistance and longevity, flies that fed on organic bananas and potatoes fared better than those who dined on conventionally raised produce. While the results can’t be directly extrapolated to human health, the research nonetheless paves the way for additional studies on the relative health benefits of organic versus conventionally grown food... The difference in outcomes among the flies fed different diets could be due to the effects of pesticide and fungicide residue from conventionally raised foods. Or it could be that the organic-fed flies thrived because of a higher level of nutrients in the organic produce. One intriguing idea raises the question of whether organically raised plants produce more natural compounds to ward off pests and fungi, and whether those compounds offer additional health benefits to flies, animals and humans who consume organic foods.” While the scientific merit of organic food continues to be studied and debated among scientists and laypeople alike, the issue has been settled in the Chhabra household. According to Ria, all the fresh produce the family buys is now organic. Keep Fighting for Labeling of Genetically Engineered Foods While California Prop. 37 failed to pass last November, by a very narrow margin, the fight for GMO labeling is far from over. The field-of-play has now moved to the state of Washington, where the people's initiative 522, "The People's Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act," will require food sold in retail outlets to be labeled if it contains genetically engineered ingredients. As stated on LabelitWA.org: "Calorie and nutritional information were not always required on food labels. But since 1990 it has been required and most consumers use this information every day. Country-of-origin labeling wasn't required until 2002. The trans fat content of foods didn't have to be labeled until 2006. Now, all of these labeling requirements are accepted as important for consumers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also says we must know with labeling if our orange juice is from fresh oranges or frozen concentrate. Doesn't it make sense that genetically engineered foods containing experimental viral, bacterial, insect, plant or animal genes should be labeled, too? Genetically engineered foods do not have to be tested for safety before entering the market. No long-term human feeding studies have been done. The research we have is raising serious questions about the impact to human health and the environment. I-522 provides the transparency people deserve. I-522 will not raise costs to consumers or food producers. It simply would add more information to food labels, which manufacturers change routinely anyway, all the time. I-522 does not impose any significant cost on our state. It does not require the state to conduct label surveillance, or to initiate or pursue enforcement. The state may choose to do so, as a policy choice, but I-522 was written to avoid raising costs to the state or consumers." Remember, as with CA Prop. 37, they need support of people like YOU to succeed. Prop. 37 failed with a very narrow margin simply because we didn't have the funds to counter the massive ad campaigns created by the No on 37 camp, led by Monsanto and other major food companies. Let's not allow Monsanto and its allies to confuse and mislead the people of Washington and Vermont as they did in California. So please, I urge you to get involved and help in any way you can, regardless of what state you live in. No matter where you live in the United States, please donate money to these labeling efforts through the Organic Consumers Fund. If you live in Washington State, please sign the I-522 petition. You can also volunteer to help gather signatures across the state. For timely updates on issues relating to these and other labeling initiatives, please join the Organic Consumers Association on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter. Talk to organic producers and stores and ask them to actively support the Washington initiative.

Preliminary research suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 183,000 deaths

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/04/03/sugary-drink-consumption.aspx?e_cid=20130411_WNL_art_1&utm_source=wklynl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130411

Tops news article of the New York Times

Top News Dementia Cost, Already High, Is Projected to Double by 2040 By PAM BELLUCK The most rigorous study to date of how much it costs to care for Americans with dementia found that the financial burden is at least as high as that for either heart disease or cancer, and is probably higher. Now look at this article by Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/03/31/diet-may-slow-alzheimers.aspx?e_cid=20130404_WNL_art_1&utm_source=wklynl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130404

Food additives, the truth

Great article about processed food additives. I just purchased my first free range beef, no hormones, no corn , no vaccinations, just great protein and great fat. The stories about being tough and tasteless are just not true, it is terrific. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/27/us-food-products.aspx?e_cid=20130307_WNL_art_1&utm_source=wklynl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130307

Feb is Heart Health Month

Pop in to Agape to get some heart healthy lab work done to see where you stand. Vitamin D and Heart Health Our grandmothers understood the significance of vitamin D. At the turn of the 20th century, more than 80% of children living in industrialized cities in North America and Europe developed rickets. In response, many households turned to cod liver oil supplementation for the vitamin D they knew it contained. We often hear of this former practice from our patients, who are surprised to learn that it held a purpose beyond their perceived torment. Fast forward one century later; vitamin D is the darling of nutritional investigation. A growing body of evidence has identified vitamin D deficiency (blood levels below 30 ng/ml) as a potential widespread risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of mortality and morbidity, accounting for nearly 30% of deaths worldwide. A recently published retrospective study of over 10,000 individuals spanning a five year period found increased mortality, obesity, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease in patients with vitamin D deficiency, and a better survival rate for patients receiving vitamin D supplementation - significant in those with a documented deficiency. Vitamin D receptors are widely distributed throughout the cardiovascular system including vascular smooth muscle, endothelium and cardiomyocytes. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone with the primary function of maintaining calcium homeostasis by enhancing the intestinal absorption of calcium. Maintained blood calcium levels results in suppressed parathyroid hormone (PTH) activity and is the mechanism by which much of vitamin D's cardiovascular benefits are attributed, as PTH is involved in many mechanisms of action that increase the risk for heart disease. Inhibiting PTH prevents mobilization of calcium from bone which may reduce the risk of calcification of heart valves and coronary vessel walls and decreases the risk of developing hypertension. Additionally, decreasing PTH may limit the hypertrophic response, specifically left ventricular hypertrophy. Vitamin D has also been shown to control renin activity, thus modulating the release of angiotensin II, subsequently preventing blood pressure from rising and reducing the risk of arrhythmias. Are you and your patients at increased risk for cardiovascular disease? February is National Heart Month, a great time to promote the importance of Vitamin D and heart health. Labrix' 25-OH Vitamin D blood spot test is a great place to start!

Educate yourself about artificial sweeteners

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/18/aspartame-toxic-effects.aspx?e_cid=20130218_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130218

Vaccine Propaganda Heats Up—The Latest Scandals You Need to Be Aware of

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/12/flu-vaccine-propaganda.aspx?e_cid=20130212_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130212

cold & flu advice that is better than a vaccine

The foods and nutrition talked about all stimulate your immune system and improve your bodies physiology instead of harming your body with mercury, aluminum, polysorbate 80...... all found in your dreaded flu vaccine. And don't forget how much an adjustment improves sympathetic , para sympathetic and immune nervous system function. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/02/04/zinc-garlic-vitamin-d.aspx?e_cid=20130204_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130204

coca cola

Take a few minutes to watch the tree short videos http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/30/coke-misinformation-campaign.aspx?e_cid=20130130_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130130

Educated yourself about the Flu Vaccines

The side effects are totally uncalled for, just read and implement the last paragraph about how to protect yourself against the flu with out a shot.. I is so simple, to stimulate and improve your immune systems ability to protect you, instead of injecting a long list of toxins(used as preservatives). http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/29/genetically-engineered-flu-vaccine.aspx?e_cid=20130129_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130129

Five Strategies for a Healthier Gut in 2013

everyday there is more and more info on the importance of a healthy Gut. Here is a great way to be a participant in a study about gut function. Remember Agape Chiro has a great source of locally prepared organic fermented veggies, stop in and pick up a jar. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/24/healthy-microbiome.aspx?e_cid=20130124_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130124

americas health standing

The link to the full article is pasted at the end of this last paragraph I coppied 11 Basic Guidelines for General Health and Longevity Leading a common sense, healthy lifestyle is your best bet to produce a healthy body and mind, and increase your longevity. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry, the food industry, and even government itself sure won't make it easy for you to avoid the garbage that ruins your health. The following guidelines form the basic tenets of optimal health and healthy weight—foundational strategies that will not change, regardless of what marvels modern science comes up with next. For more comprehensive guidance, please see my fully updated nutritional plan, which takes you from beginner’s stage to advanced: Eat a healthy diet, paying very careful attention to keeping your insulin levels down (my free nutritional plan will help guide you through your dietary changes with minimal effort) Replace sweetened drinks (whether they’re sweetened with sugar, HFCS, or artificial sweeteners) with plenty of pure, clean water Avoid all genetically engineered foods. There are nine primary GE food crops, but their derivatives are in over 70 percent of supermarket foods, particularly processed foods. GE ingredients can hide. For example, every can of soda containing high fructose corn syrup most likely contains GE corn. Make sure none of the following are on your grocery list, unless they are USDA certified organic: Soy Cottonseed Corn Canola Oil Hawaiian papaya Alfalfa Sugar from sugar beets Some varieties of zucchini Crookneck squash Avoid any product containing aspartame, which is derived from a GE organism. And avoid any milk products that may have rBGH. I recommend consuming only raw, organic milk products you've obtained from a trustworthy local dairy farmer. The Institute for Responsible Technology has put together a helpful Non-GMO Shopping Guide you can download and print. They even have an iPhone app. Optimize your gut flora with fermented foods, such as fermented vegetables, which you can easily and inexpensively make at home Consume healthy fats, like butter, eggs, avocados, coconut oil, olive oil, and nuts, especially macadamia nuts which are higher in fat and lower in protein Eat plenty of raw food Exercise regularly. Make sure to incorporate high intensity interval training at least once or twice a week Get an appropriate amount of sunlight to optimize your vitamin D levels Limit toxin exposure Get plenty of sleep Manage your stress Let’s face it, government health recommendations and regulations relating to diet and health have failed miserably, and the featured report delivers the somber statistics of where we’re at on the global scene. While spending twice as much on health care per capita, we’re not getting results. I believe we’ll keep seeing more of the same until or unless we change our stance on what a healthy diet is, and what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. We need to move away from the idea that being on a dozen medications means you’re doing something right for your health... This is NOT health care. This is disease management, and it comes at a very steep price, namely your longevity. Until or unless the US government takes industry to task, our regulators and legislators cannot be trusted to usher Americans toward better health. In the meantime, it is up to YOU to take control of your health, and do what is right for you, to live a healthier, longer, drug- and disease-free life. Proper nutrition, exercise, and avoidance of toxins are three critical factors to address in this process, and this website contains literally tens of thousands of freely available articles to help you do just that. By buying organic, you will dramatically reduce your exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics, as those are used on nearly all GE crops. When shopping locally, know your local farmers. Many are too small to afford official certification, but many still adhere to organic, sustainable practices. The only way to determine how your food is raised is to check them out, meeting the farmer face to face if possible. Yes, it does take time but is worth it if you are really concerned about your family's health. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/23/united-states-health-ranking.aspx?e_cid=20130123_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130123

Sugars connection to depression

Look at containing all your eating into a 8 hour or less time frame and loose the sugars ( sucrose, fructose, lactose, processed carbs) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/21/sweetened-beverages-increase-depression-risk.aspx?e_cid=20130121_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130121

Some real flu season advice

So instead of putting harmful flu shot chemicals into your body take a look at this article on some health promoting pro-active ways to stave off the flu http://bodyecology.com/articles/will-you-get-sick-this-flu-season-6-steps-to-build-your-immune-system?utm_source=The+Body+Ecology+Newsletter&utm_campaign=388e685a3f-MailChimp_Will_You_Get&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=388e685a3f&mc_eid=607e4c47be#.UPhFBifExLX

Aspirin, think twice

I can't tell you how many people I know that follow The Medical Professions advice of taking a baby aspirin daily for heart health. The side affects are just not worth it and now here is another article connecting it to macular degeneration. Diet, Exercise and a few really good supplements that is what I continue to say and there are mountains of evidence based studies to back it up. We all have to do are part and take responsibility for our health if not the medical consequences will soon be the death of this country physically and financially. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/14/aspirin-increases-macular-degeneration-risk.aspx?e_cid=20130114_DNL_art_2

more and more info about fructose

OUR diets need to focus on lean animal proteins, healthy fats( nuts, seeds, coconut oil, olive oil, avocados) and lots of veggies(look to the cruciferous family). Sugars both sucrose(table sugar and fructose are at the root of our overwheming chronic diseases( diabetes, obesity, CVD...). Here is another reed from Dr. Mercola http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/14/fructose-spurs-overeating.aspx?e_cid=20130114_DNL_art_1

Great article by Dr. Mercola about a 4 year study that show how diet and exercise truely work as the way to overcome diabetes and obesity. T looked at venues for this years cooking/nutrition classes and it looks like I will be using the kitchern at the bountiful alliance. I have to get certified a s a food handler then we can produce a schedule. Here is a preview of topics to be covered: -Personal plan (BMI, %BF, DCN) -The essence of Flavor -Equipment(non stick stuff, knives, peelers, juicers, vitamix, dehydrators) -Nuts/seeds (soaking, roasting, milks) -meats (slow cooking meats, 3 ways to cook fish) -Veggies (fermented, raw, stir fry, soups, miso) -Desserts -Paleo bread/fermented breads -Drinks (green tea, nut milks, lemon-lime) Meals and recipes, the Diet and proportions (sizes and numbers and amounts) eggs, steel cut oats, shakes, wraps, soups(miso, brocolli, fish,)composed salads, salmon cakes & fillets, one skillet dishes, soft serve, popcicles, d/f cheese cake, fruit, mousse http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/07/diabetes-remission.aspx?e_cid=20130107_DNL_art_1

I will be offing classes this year to help you make your own fermented vggies or just stop by our office to purchase ours. Cut and paste the link below to read a very good article from Dr. Mercola http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/01/02/digestive-system-gut-flora.aspx?e_cid=20130102_DNL_art_1