EarthTurns Nutritional Supplement Blog

Living Consciously

2010-02-21T08:55:00.004-05:00

If you ask someone if they're living consciously, they'll most likely give you a strange look. So, my advise is not to worry about others, but rather, ask yourself, 'am I living consciously?'. What does that really mean? Actually, it's quite simple. Are you aware of what you are doing throughout the day? Do you make choices, or are you on 'autopilot'?

Ever go to the movies and watch someone eating popcorn and drinking one of those million ounce cups of soda? They will almost robotically put piece after piece of popcorn in their mouth until that huge, salty, dripping with artificial butter (oil) tub of popcorn is empty. Of course they'll top it off with finishing that high fructose filled (or aspartame, if diet) soda that will certainly not quench their thirst. This is just one example of being unconscious while eating something not healthy. I assert however, that when that movie goer first purchased their unhealthy snack, if they thought about the 'choice' they were about to make, then that would be living consciously.

Living consciously doesn't always mean making the right decision, it does however, being the one that makes the choice.

Natural Cold and Flu Remedies

2009-12-20T14:20:00.004-05:00

Many people are having been getting colds and the flu for the past few weeks by now. However, it is interesting to note that the common cold or the flu can strike us any time in the year if our defenses our down and we're not careful.

As far as health is considered, colds and flu are not usually dangerous conditions although they can make us very weak. They make our noses run and make us cough intermittently, creating that miserable feeling.

The common cold and the flu are two different conditions, but both are caused by viruses. The common cold is caused by a virus - rhinovirus - and it attacks the nose and throat while the flu is caused by three viruses - types A, B and C. They go straight into the bloodstream and cause weakness and even loss of appetite. One sure sign that you have the flu are muscle aches and pains, high fever, headaches, loss of appetite and generalized fatigue.

If you just have a cold, count yourself lucky because you can expect to recover after about a week. The flu is a different story: it can last for weeks, and can recur. In serious and lingering cases you may want to see your family physician.

The elderly and those with impaired immune systems have to be watched closely when they have the flu.

Here's what you can do when you have the cold or flu:

Rest - call in sick and stay in bed. You don't want to spread your germs to others in the office plus complete rest will help you recover quicker.
Take extra care of your nose - when you're constantly blowing your nose, the skin around it easily gets irritated. Apply a lubricant. Try a natural decongestant such as Vaxa Sinus formula.
Eat light but nutritious meals - people who have the flu don't have much of an appetite; some of them have sore throats making swallowing painful. But try to eat as many citrus fruits as possible, and take your soup and apple sauce.
Rinse your mouth with warm water and salt at least twice a day - to ward off bacteria and to relieve your sore throat.
Call your doctor if your symptoms last longer than 7 days or you don't feel better in spite of medication. If you feel pain in the chest area and your mucus is green or yellow, see your doctor right away. He may want to prescribe stronger medication.
Ask your doctor if you can complement your medication with natural cold remedies or supplements specifically formulated for fighting cold and flu symptoms.

If your doctor says it's okay to take natural remedies you'd be pleased to know that there are excellent natural remedies out there that are not only effective, but are also safe because they're made from plant extracts. Vaxa Virexin is a natural remedy to help boost your immune system.

Select supplements that serve like a complete prevention package with anti-bacterial properties. There are supplements that target chronic sinusitis. They contain natural ingredients that will open up nasal passages that are blocked or filter secretions. Some natural remedies also provide eye relief and minimize dizziness.

You may also want to consider a neti pot - an effective nasal irrigation system for natural sinus relief. A neti pot will help you breathe and will eliminate allergens and pollutants. You can use your net pot with a special kind of salt, such as Scentgarden neti salt.

Whatever you do when you have a cold or flu, make sure to drink plenty of fresh water and get lots of rest.

Sprayology Natural Homeopathic Remedies

2009-08-28T08:21:00.013-04:00

EarthTurns.com has recently added several of Sprayology homeopathic remedies to its line of natural health products. Perhaps the single most convincing argument you can say about sprays is convenience. These homeopathic sprays are safe and effective for a variety of uses. Simple enough, but far from simplistic. Let’s take a close look at each one.

Sprayology AllergEase
Sprayology AllergEase Homeopathic Oral Spray is a 41 ml spray bottle that was formulated to help you ward off potential allergies and hay fever and provides all-season protection. My whole family keeps a steady supply. No less than 14 natural ingredients go to work right away to relieve itchy eyes, runny nose, difficult breathing, skin rashes, headaches and other discomforts. Sprayology AllergEase is made in America to assure quality.

AllergEase Homeopathic Oral Spray contains red onion extract (Allium cepa) to relieve eye burn and runny nose; purple coneflower (Echinacea) for inflammation and skin eruptions; honeybee venom (Euphrasia) to unblock respiratory congestion and yellow jasmine (Gelsemium) for headaches and muscle aches and pains.

Sprayology SleepEase
Sprayology SleepEase Homeopathic Oral Spray – put an end to endless tossing and turning with this unique homeopathic insomnia remedy in a spray. The 41 ml bottle contains ingredients that will not cause adverse side effects. Put two drops under your tongue before bedtime or at 3:00 in the morning when you suddenly awake. I do it all the time!

Made entirely in the USA, SleepEase has passed FDA lab standards to guarantee desired results and to put your mind at rest about product quality and integrity.

SleepEase is also used to decrease anxiety levels and bring about calm when stress levels spike. You'll like its safe and natural ingredients: valerian root for trouble-free sleep; passion flower for nervousness and restlessness experienced by older people; and chamomile (minimize anxiety).

Sprayology TravelEase
Sprayology TravelEase Homeopathic Oral Spray – r spray product to help reduce symptoms of jet lag. Different people experience varying intensities of jet leg syndrome, but this product will eliminate sluggishness so you can continue to be productive. There’s no need to dread crossing the Atlantic or the Pacific – as long as this 41 ml spray bottle is within easy reach.
Sprayology TravelEase will not harm any existing health condition because all ingredients that went into its formulation are 100% natural, passing the Made-in-the-USA criteria.

Don't let jet lag turn your bed topsy turvy. Two hours before boarding your flight, spray TravelEase twice under your tongue and then again after two hours from take off. It's also effective against dehydration (due to cabin pressure), insomnia and anxiety. Don't board an aircraft without TravelEase!

Sprayology Stress Relief
Sprayology Stress Relief Homeopathic Oral Spray – If you have chronic stress consider this all natural stress relief spray. 21st century lifestyles are characterized by high stress levels brought about by personal, health and on-the-job factors. Why not control your stress the natural way? Passiflora, Avena, Cinchona and Valeriana have been combined to reduce anxiety, calm turbo-charged nerves and control mood swings.

Spray Sprayology Stress Relief two to three times daily and observe how your nerves shift from high to low voltage. Take full control of your stress for the sake of your personal productivity.

WHAT KIND OF HEADACHES DO YOU HAVE?

2009-08-02T14:21:00.009-04:00

I hate it when I get headaches because they slow me down, but I count myself lucky when I hear some of my friends when they complain about their headaches.

Through conversations and my own readings I learned that there are at least five types of headaches:

Tension
Migraines
Cluster
Hormonal
Other types

The first two – tension and migraine headaches - are the most common.

What does a tension headache feel like?

Tension headaches are usually felt on both sides of the head and feel like a vise-grip. Neck pain and tightness may also be associated with tension type headaches.

Migraine pain is usually on one side of the head and usually is throbbing or pounding. Usually, when a person has a migraine it makes them sensitive to light. Migraine headaches may also induce nausea. Happily, it lasts only from a few hours to a couple of days.

Migraine headaches are the type I wouldn’t even wish upon an enemy. One, they make you very weak, you’re almost immobilized. Second, they last a long time (some sufferers say their migraines could last up to as long as a week). Third, migraine victims prefer to sleep in a dark and quiet room, because the slightest noise or a speck of light heightens their ordeal.

Cluster headaches “behave” differently. People who have them say they cause a lot of pain. They are unpredictable. The pain is severe; add the fact that it can occur many times during the day. Cluster headaches also last a long time (anywhere from days to months) and usually attack in the morning or evening.

Not a significant number of people suffer from cluster headaches. From what I’ve read, less than 1% of the population has them. Just as well because those who have them say the pain is excruciating.

Hormonal headaches, on the other hand, are like menstrual headaches. Women get them during their periods, but unlike migraines, menstrual headaches are not preceded by an aura.

You need to speak to your doctor when:

It’s a kind of headache you’ve never had before
You’re having a headache after you’ve been in an accident or after sustaining physical injury
You have symptoms that persist: drowsiness, blurred vision, stiff neck, vomiting, pain or swelling in the limbs and other parts of the body

OTC Painkillers or Natural Headache Remedies?

Ibuprofen, an analgesic, is what many people take for a headache. These analgesics are fine but they won’t solve the problem. Plus they’re habit forming. Once your body gets accustomed to ibuprofen, you’ll need to increase your intake just to make the headache go away.

There are many excellent made-in-the-USA natural remedies for headaches. Some products will not only relieve the headache but also relieve muscle spasms – those linked to arthritic, bursitis and backache conditions. There is one product, CryoDerm Roll-On that was specifically formulated for neck pain. This is an American-made product and has been recommended to patients by chiropractors, physical therapists and sports therapy professionals.

Combining Cryoderm roll-on with a natural muscle relaxer such as Formula 303 Natural Muscle Relaxant may also help to relieve tension headaches. Choose products that contain menthol and homeopathic formulations; an example of which is Arnica, known for its compounds that help inflamed and tense muscles.

For migraine pain, a natural migraine remedy that many people find effective is MigraSpray. Migraine relief can also be achieved by regular use of Headache Free, a natural vitamin supplement for headaches that was developed by a board certified neurologist.

Headaches certainly can affect your life, but with regular exercise, stress reduction techniques and eating a chemical free healthy diet, you can reduce the frequency and severity of your chronic headaches.

BOGGED DOWN BY FATIGUE?

2009-06-16T08:15:00.009-04:00

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

The Cleveland Clinic says that the cause of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) or immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS) is not known. There is also no cure. The Clinic says however that “there is symptomatic therapy.” Funny that symptomatic therapy does exist for something like CFS which the medical community has a hard time pinpointing cause or cure.

Chronic fatigue syndrome, according to the Cleveland Clinic, may be related to underlying illnesses such as fibromyalgia, tension headaches, multiple chemical sensitivities, irritable bowel syndrome, atypical chest pains and others.

The occasional fatigue we feel after a hard day’s work or after a stressful life event like a divorce or death in the family is normal, but if it persists long after we’ve recovered from the initial “shock”, then it’s time to speak to your doctor. It may be just a symptom of another health problem like insomnia, thyroid irregularities, or chronic stress. CFS can also be an offshoot of depression or over-anxiety.

Tips: How to Combat Fatigue

Following these tips will help us minimize the debilitating consequences of frequent fatigue:

Make sure you get your full night’s sleep – 6-8 hours. To achieve this, it is important to go to bed at a fixed hour every night. Erratic bedtime hours are a sure fire way to rob you off quality sleep. Also, wake up at the same hour every morning. Have a consistent sleep schedule.
Being overloaded with work aggravates your fatigue, so learn to say no when you’re asked to take on more projects, even if these projects are things you enjoy. When you have too much work, your mind is racing and your adrenalin levels remain high. If you think you can catch up on your sleep on weekends, think again. As with health and fitness, people who are weekend athletes are not really doing their bodies a favor.
Review your eating habits. Making healthier changes in what you eat – incorporating more fruits and vegetables, legumes, fiber – can spell a huge difference. Cut back on fat-rich foods like cheese, desserts and red meat.
Take care of your body. Give it the physical TLC (tender loving care) it needs. Get plenty of fresh air and engage in exercise regularly. If your job requires you to work on your computer, take frequent breaks and walk during your lunch hour instead of sitting in the cafeteria gabbing away.
Identify your stress triggers. At the first sign of stress, learn to take a few steps back. Better yet, walk away from those situations that will only contribute to more fatigue.

Fatigue: Natural Treatments

We highly recommend natural treatments for fatigue that are made in the USA. This is your only assurance that the ingredients are pure and 100% natural.

Here are some examples:

Energy boosters – these natural treatments such as Optimize Energy Booster and Beyond Energy work for you to help you combat stress, compensate for a poor diet and protect you from lifestyle habits. In addition, your mind becomes more alert, increasing your concentration skills.
Plant adaptogens – Vaxa's Adapt Adaptogens help to combat stress which can cause fatigue. Adaptogens are herbs that were first found in Russia and given to Russian athletes so they perform better at competitions. Adaptogens help reduce stress, decrease levels of cortisol and sharpen concentration.
Bee pollen products – millions now appreciate the beneficial properties of bee pollen concentrates and extracts. Super Bee Pollen by Dee Cee Labs is a great energy booster. The barks of trees contain bee propolis – a substance that not only eliminates fatigue but also boosts the immune system.
B-vitamins – products with B-Complex vitamins such as Formula 34 as the main ingredients are particularly advantageous for people deficient in the B-vitamins. B-vitamins have the ability to deliver nutrients directly into the bloodstream and to help lower homocysteine levels which are identified as a precursor to cardiovascular problems.
Multiple Vitamins - sometimes, you just don't know what nutrient you are missing. The best multiple vitamin we have seen is Intramax Organic Liquid Vitamin with over 400 nutrients to provide your body with almost everything it needs.

Natural Remedies for Diabetes

2009-05-17T07:25:00.006-04:00

DIABETES CAN BE TREATED NATURALLY

How sugar and insulin work in our body determines our vulnerability to diabetes. When our bodies are incapable of processing sugar efficiently, that means we’re having problems with our insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.

There are two known types of diabetes:

a) Type I – or insulin-dependent diabetes - means that the pancreas is no longer producing insulin. People diagnosed with type 1 diabetes exhibit the following symptoms: thirst, frequent need to urinate (especially at night), difficulty breathing, sudden loss of weight, itching in the genital organs and sensitive feet.

b) Type II – is non-insulin dependent diabetes which means that the body is rejecting insulin. Symptoms are similar to type I diabetes, and may also include poor vision and unexplained fatigue.

Most cases of type I diabetes are diagnosed in young people while type II is more common among adults, those in the over-40 age group.

People who are overweight are likely candidates for diabetes type II. They weigh 30% more than they should and their fat is concentrated around their waist. When people weigh more than the normal weight recommended for their height, it puts pressure on the pancreas to produce more insulin. And when this demand can no longer be met, diabetes develops.

Diabetics usually have a family history of diabetes and tend to have poor eating habits.

Diabetes can be Treated Naturally

Thanks to modern science and particularly to innovation in the natural supplements industry, diabetes is no longer a life-threatening disease provided people take the necessary measures to follow a strict diet and exercise program.

It is important to consult your doctor if you suspect that you have early symptoms of diabetes. Your doctor will ask you to go through some tests to measure your blood sugar level. People who follow their doctor’s advice about making some changes to their lifestyle, eating healthier and more balanced meals and exercising regularly don’t necessarily need to be on medication.

Whether or not you are diagnosed with diabetes or seem a likely candidate for diabetes, ask your doctor about taking natural supplements or natural remedies. Chances are that for as long as these supplements don’t interfere with your prescription medication, you can take them. Because they’re natural, these dietary supplements won’t cause any side effects.

What I recommend is first, choose products that are made in the USA. You are guaranteed that the ingredients are pure and have been processed according to existing standards for certified US laboratories.

Second, buy natural supplements, such as Vaxa Diabin that are effective processing of insulin and in glucose metabolism. Another great natural remedy for diabetes is GTF chromium. GTF stands for glucose tolerance factor; it stimulates insulin performance in the body. When our bodies are deficient in chromium, we become vulnerable to diabetes.

Fourth, another good product to look for is one that contains cinnamon bark powder. Cinnamon bark powder, according to ancient herbalists, can counter-act the effects of high sugar levels. Diabetic II patients who took products with cinnamon bark powder were able to reduce their fasting blood glucose and to decrease their triglycerides and cholesterol. This is also made as natural cinnamon bark capsules.

For more information, visit Natural Diabetes Remedies.

PROBIOTICS AND BODY CLEANSING AGENTS FOR DIGESTIVE ILLS

2009-05-09T09:42:00.007-04:00

Gas and Bloating

Two common digestive ills people complain about are gas and bloating. These conditions are caused by the build-up of gas in our digestive tract which certain foods like beans and cabbage trigger. Not everyone will have a reaction after eating beans or cabbage, but those who do can experience digestive discomfort.

Our digestive tract can be thrown off kilter when we eat on the run, eat fat-rich foods, or if we suffer from a health problem like IBS. Other signs of indigestion include constipation, cramping in the stomach, nausea or decreased appetite.

While these types of digestive discomforts are not life threatening, you need to see your doctor if there is blood in your stool. You also need to tell your doctor if you’re vomiting regularly and experiencing excruciating pain.

Minimizing the Effects of Indigestion

There are some steps you can take to minimize the effects of poor digestion:

Cut back on your caffeine intake. Instead switch to herbal teas (mint, peppermint, chamomile, fennel)
If you have not been taking fiber with your diet before, do not suddenly add large quantities the first time. Add small amounts gradually.
See if eating the following foods cause you to bloat or have excess gas: cauliflower, brussell sprouts, garlic, spices, cabbage. If they do, don’t eat them and see if your condition improves.
Avoid drinking soft drinks, chewing gum, milk, smoking, or adding artificial sweeteners
Do what millions of people do: take natural dietary supplements!

Natural Remedies for Digestive Problems

I once knew a lady who complained incessantly of stomach cramps and when someone suggested that she might have parasites, she went to the doctor to ask him if it was possible, considering that she hadn’t been anywhere. A few simple tests confirmed it. She then went to a herbalist to ask about parasitic cleansing solutions, because she was totally against taking strong prescription medication.

Fortunately for her, the natural parasitic cleansing kit she purchased eliminated many of the parasites that were in her system.

People aren’t aware that they can be infected with parasites even if they have not travelled outside the United States. Food and drink, our lakes and rivers, and exposure to infected humans others can trigger the spread of parasites.

It often times is important to get a natural parasite cleanse to rid the digestive system of harmful parasites.

Supplements with digestive enzymes like amylase, lipase, cellulose and others are also recommended. Find a product that contains papaya root. Since I’ve been in the dietary supplements industry for a few years now, I know of such products containing papaya root. Friends swear by papaya root.

I feel strongly about the need to take a full spectrum probiotic. Probiotic supplements not only kill harmful bacteria but also restore good bacteria so that our pH balance does not get disturbed by modern-day diets rich in fats and trans-fats. A good probiotic supplement can also support our immune system and protect our gut's lining, delivering the nutrients efficiently into our bloodstream.

Finally, I can't emphasize it enough: select products that are made in the USA. This is the only assurance you get if you’re after purity and integrity of ingredients.

Depression - Natural Depression Remedies

2009-05-03T09:31:00.004-04:00

DEPRESSION

People are under the impression that depression is an illness that strikes more women than men. This is simply not true, and a considerable number of males also get depressed. There’s just one difference: perhaps men are not in the habit of talking about their depression even to loved ones. Women are more open about their feelings of depression, especially when they’re with friends who have suffered the same symptoms.

We ought to be able to tell the difference between depression and the “being down in the dumps” feeling. They’re not the same. In fact 99.9% of the population feel the occasional blues, accompanied by a lack of motivation and unexplainable lethargy. The blues, however, are temporary.

You could be feeling bad about something in particular and mope about for days, but you come back to your senses and snap out of it. It’s a simple case of melancholia triggered by something that really frustrated you. For instance, if you’ve been bypassed for a promotion, you were frustrated and resentful because it was a job that fit your skills to a T and you were sure that you were the top contender. The feeling of rejection is normal. It lasts for days – maybe even weeks – but after awhile you decide that life continues and you move on.

Depression is radically different. It feels like a cloud of darkness persistently hovers above you and you can’t make it go away. Depression is also of a longer duration and if left untreated, may deteriorate your quality of life.

Some people who are depressed don’t even know they are depressed; others accept it as part of life and experience the symptoms for two to three years. It is when they can no longer function and undergo changes in their personality that it becomes imperative for them to see their doctor.

Signs You Are Depressed

You may be depressed if you:

Consistently have sad/morbid/suicidal thoughts
Suffer from insomnia
Have lost your passion for activities you were once passionate about (loss of interest lasting more than a month)
Alienate yourself from friends and family
Have lost your appetite or suddenly eating much more than usual
Can’t concentrate or focus on your tasks
Have been de-motivated for longer than a month
Always feel tired
Cry for no apparent reason
Unable to control your anger

Depression: Known Causes

Recent job loss
Financial problems (bad credit, house foreclosure, etc)
Divorce or death of a family member
Stress on the job
Other factors that can potentially cause depression are a family history of depression (or suicide), a disease that erodes quality of life, pregnancy, menopause, medication side effects, and change of seasons.

Take heart. If you’re opposed to prescription medication, there is one way you can help or prevent depression: taking natural antidepressant supplements regularly. It must be stressed, however, that if you or someone close to you believes that you are suffering from depression, don’t self-medicate. See your doctor right away. Only a medical professional specializing in mental problems can confirm whether or not you are depressed.

If your doctor says it is okay to take natural remedies for depression, choose supplements that have natural ingredients known for their anti-depression properties. An example is 5-HTP, a substance that restores and regulates serotonin. When the brain does not have enough serotonin, feelings of anxiety or depression can occur.

St. John’s Wort is a popular choice among depression sufferers. It became popular in Europe many years ago. If you’re on prescription medication, speak to your doctor first about St. John’s Wort as it may interfere with your treatment.

Choose anti-depression supplements that have been formulated with homeopathic principles in mind, are natural, and are made in the USA for product integrity. Deprex is a great natural product for depression. Many people have had very good results with Deprex by Vaxa.

Cardiovascular Health, Naturally

2009-03-21T11:02:00.011-04:00

Today's blog is about the heart, specifically about heart health. The health of this vital organ depends largely on what we eat, drink and do. Our heart is a personal responsibility. The thing is, we could also use a bit of help either from our doctors or from natural products in the health and natural supplements industry because some heart problems develop which we can't control 100%.

When we speak of heart trouble, the vast majority of people think that the heart suffers only one problem, or that there's only one kind of trouble. One thing is clear: when the heart does not receive sufficient blood because the arteries are blocked, then that's when the problems start.The cardiovascular question then is not one question, but several. What I mean is that there are at least six types of heart problems. I'll give a brief description of each:

Stroke - There's a heart and brain connection, and when this connection is not in synch, a stroke occurs. Someone gets a stroke when the blood vessels in the brain do not receive adequate oxygen because they are either blocked or impaired. This stroke can either be ischemic (it is a temporary condition usually lasting 24 hours) or permanent (clot or coronary thrombosis).
Heart attack - a heart attack develops when the heart cannot pump enough blood for distribution to other parts of the body. Again, this means that basic heart functions are impaired or the heart muscles are damaged.
Rheumatic heart disease - children aged between five and 15 years old get this condition when they are exposed to bacteria that cause rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can inflame the body's connective tissues, particularly the heart, joints, brain or skin. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, "about 60% of people with rheumatic fever develop some degree of subsequent heart disease." Rheumatic heart fever is, however, not an exclusively childhood disorder because it can affect adults later in life.
Ischemic heart disease - this type of heart disease is prevalent in modern, industrialized societies. Signs of ischemic heart disease are blocked arteries, chest pain or shortness of breath. A total blockage can result, leading to damaged tissues or a heart attack.
Peripheral vascular disease - known as PAD. It is a condition that develops when fat deposits accumulate in the arterial walls that impede blood circulation. The arteries leading to some vital organs like the stomach, kidneys and the extremities (hands and feet) are affected. Early symptoms are leg cramps, fatigue or pain in the buttocks during activity. PAD should be detected and treated early because those who are diagnosed with it are subject to a higher risk of death from heart attack and stroke.
Congenital heart disease - this occurs at birth. The infant could be born with a hole in the heart affecting circulation. This is usually corrected by surgery. If not treated, this disease can lead to severe disability or death. Some of us mayhave heart problems and not even know it because for some heart conditions, there are no clear warning signs. This is why it is a good idea to have our hearts checked at least once a year. It is even more crucial to have these tests if we've been diagnosed with high blood pressure, diabetes or high cholesterol.

I care about my heart, so I don't wait for a problem to start. I take natural supplements. Since they are 100% natural, they are more safe than traditional medicatons. Fact is, I'd rather be taking natural supplements than heart medication so I'm doing what I can now to stave off any potential problems.I carefully choose my heart dietary supplements.

The are several natural heart supplements that many people find effective:

Cholesten LDL or CholestSure - naturlly lower LDL cholesterol
HDL Booster - promote HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol)
Heart Supplement (Oral Chelation) - act as natural chelating agents
intraMAX - supply over 415 vitamins and minerals in one product
Omega 3 - contains molecularly distilled fish oil
Resveratrol (red wine complex) - like drinking almost 50 glasses of red wine
Anti-Oxin - provide antioxidant support

I don't think you'll find one product that will provide all the above, but because they're all natural, you can take two or three natural remedies at the same time without problems. For example, if you have high cholesterol, you can choose those supplements that are developed for lowering bad cholesterol and boosting good cholesterol and combine them with antioxidants or a product with all the required vitamins and minerals.

BLOOD SUGAR: ARE YOU HYPERGLYCEMIC OR HYPOGLYCEMIC?

2009-03-15T09:36:00.008-04:00

Blood sugar problems such as Type 2 diabetes are becomming rampant in the America and the rest of the world. You must learn about blood sugar to understand how to naturally prevent and help blood sugar problems.

Monosachharides – also known as simple sugars – are sugars in your blood. As long as your sugar levels are within the normal range, you should be fine. Your body and brain are "in sync." But when your sugar levels shoot up, you should start worrying. When your sugar levels go down significantly, you should also be worried. Depending on the severity of your sugar levels, your doctor may want to put you on medication that will keep your glucose levels balanced.

There are two – actually three – conditions associated with blood sugar. One is hyperglycemia. It means that you have too much sugar. Hypoglycemia, on the other hand, means that you don't have enough sugar.

The third condition – euglycemia – is what we should all strive for. It means our sugar levels fall within the normal range of 3.5 and 5.5 mmol/liter. When your sugar level registers below 3.5, you have hypoglycaemia; when it registers above 7.0, you may be diagnosed with hyperglycaemia. Being hyperglycemic all the time does not bode well for your health. You could be a candidate for diabetes.

There are times when having low blood sugar is only temporary. It can be triggered when you've skipped a meal and you feel very hungry. It can also be triggered when you take certain kinds of medication on an empty stomach. Generally, hypoglycemia symptoms are not as bad as hyperglycemia symptoms. Hyperglycemia symptoms range from mild (hunger, sweating, numbness), to moderate (changes in mood, headaches, blurred vision, incoherent speech) to severe (failure to concentrate, prolonged confusion, losing consciousness, and even changes in personality).

Natural Remedies for Blood Sugar Control

In the past, my blood sugar levels were not always consistent; that's because I lead a hectic life and tend to skip meals or eat on the run. Or else I binge on sweets and sweet wine during special occasions – and then sugar blood levels go up. I also noticed that my sugar levels would go up during the holidays. I know I've overdone it because I feel some of the symptoms mentioned above.

I have always been careful with my blood sugar, though, because the last thing I want to have is diabetes. What I've done in the last three years is taking natural remedies for hyperglycaemia to keep my glucose levels in check. I'm extremely satisfied with the dietary supplements I've been taking. They're all made in the USA so I am assured that the ingredients have been tested and formulated under rigorous lab conditions.

Since natual blood sugar supplements are 100% natural, there is minimal risk of experiencing any side effects often associated with prescription meds. When looking for natural treatments for blood sugar and type 2 diabetes to stabilize glucose levels, look for products that stimulate proper utilization of insulin. Also, be on the lookout for supplements that have GTF chromium as an active ingredient. Chromium is an important factor for glucose tolerance.

Another great supplement for blood sugar balance is cinnamon bark powder or, cinnamon bark capsules– most of the literature I've read suggests that cinnamon has been recognized as a natural treatment for type II diabetes because it can help lower blood sugar.

Many people have not heard of Gymnema Sylvestre. It has a strange name, but has been shown to help with blood sugar problems.

Whatever supplement you take, you should understand more about Insulin Resistance. Good luck and stay healthy.

Attend by Vaxa - Video Explanation

2009-03-06T08:19:00.003-05:00

Attend is the natural ADD remedy by Vaxa. It is a homeopathic medicinal that helps adults or children with ADD or ADHD. Here, Leslie explains the benefits of Attend.

Formula 303 Review

2009-02-22T12:59:00.003-05:00

Formula 303 is the natural muscle relaxer that works! Listen to another satisfied customer who shares her thoughts about Formula 303.

Bad Breath Doesn't Have To Last Forever!

2009-02-21T08:38:00.006-05:00

I once heard someone say that as one gets older, the more susceptible one is to bad breath. He said that people acquire a certain smell as they get older, so it's only logical that their breath gets to smell rather unpleasant with time. I don't know if that's true, frankly I have doubts.
What I do know is that bad breath is not age-related. Nor is it necessarily caused by certain foods. Oh sure, garlic will make you feel like your mouth's on fire; reason why people avoid garlic before going out on a date.

Bad breath - or halitosis - is caused by bacteria that stays lodged in between the teeth, so both old and young can get bad breath if they're not careful about brushing and flossing regularly.

Bad breath can also be caused by a throat infection, lung disease, or diabetes. Bad breath usually strikes in the morning when we wake up. This is because the mouth is dry. If you're healthy, a good rinsing of the mouth should do it. If you have chronic bad breath and it's beginning to affect your social life, you may want to see your dentist or oral hygienist.

The Obvious
There are some steps you can take to ensure that you don't get bad breath. Stop smoking and avoid alcohol. If you have to smoke or drink, brush your teeth or gargle vigorously. Follow your dentist's recommendations on oral hygiene. Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day (to avoid drying up of the mouth and esophagus). Minimize your intake of strong spices and maximize your intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Natural Remedies for Halitosis
The commercial mouthwashes you see on shelves are manufactured with certain chemicals. While they are effective, the benefits are only short term. If you're susceptible to bad breath, you may want to try products that are 100% natural. Natural products for bad breath have no side effects whatsoever.

There are 3 products we can recommend:

OraMd - this natural tooth oil is made in the USA and gets straight to work on bacteria that remain in between teeth and on gums. It has been used to treat periodontal disease and gingivitis - major causes of halitosis.
Breath Freshener - this is truly an all natural product, also made in America. Its main ingredient is parsley - a favorite herb of many to freshen breath.
Chlorophyll Concentrate - the benefit of chlorophyll is not only evident in the process of photosynthesis in plant life, but it has been identified by researchers as the perfect solution for bad breath and body odor.

Natural Arthritis Treatments

2009-02-03T07:34:00.004-05:00

The thing I remember most about my grandfather was his deformed hand. As a kid I would avoid looking at it because it was grotesque; my parents would tell me to not run about and to avoid bumping into him. They'd say, "granddad's in pain, don't ask him to play with you."
I'd sit quietly and listen to him, enthralled by what he told me about penguins. He seemed to know so much and I could tell he had a burning passion for these creatures. Once he gave me a video on penguins and encouraged me to watch it over and over again. "It may be the same video, but you pick up something new each time you watch it", he said.

Since then I've had a fascination with the Arctic. But while the Arctic had its own mysteries, it was hard for me to visualize the cold there. I was aware that older people dreaded cold weather; my grandfather suffered pain the most during cold weather. My parents tried to get him to move to Florida at least temporarily but he wouldn't budge. "I'd much rather suffer with my arthritis here in the cold than travel to another state." He was as hard-headed as his ten fingers - hard, shriveled and painful because of arthritis.

Types of Arthritis

I was surprised to learn that there are more than 100 types of arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta say that 1 out of 3 Americans (that's about 70 million) suffer from some type of arthritis.

I can't name all 100 types, but here are a few:

Osteoporosis - a condition where bones become fragile and hence are susceptible to breaking if not treated or controlled. Bones of the hips, spine and wrists are the bones that break frequently;

Osteoarthritis - this is the most common form of arthritis and affects about 16 million Americans, mostly women. When someone is diagnosed with osteoarthritis, that means the cartilage has practically disappeared and bone-to-bone rubbing occurs. By the time you reach age 50, you shall have some change in your cartilage.

Rheumatoid arthritis - inflammation is the most common symptom of rheumatoid arthritis, which is often called a symmetric disease. It affects the joints in both sides of the body. Most people who have rheumatoid arthritis will suffer pain in the ankle or foot; the reason is the foot has a large number of joints and is one part of our body that is subject to a lot of wear and tear.

Cervical arthritis - this type of arthritis causes neck pain because the upper spine is affected. The pain in the neck eventually spreads to the arms. Risk factors for cervical arthritis include age, poor posture and injury.

Other types of arthritis - juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, gout, fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis and many others also affect men and women. Arthritis has been known to significantly reduce quality of life.

Treating Arthritis Naturally

Probably because of my grandfather's arthritis, I have been reading anything and everything about this disease. I've also been researching natural treatments and have come across some effective supplements that can help alleviate the painful symptoms and inflammation caused by this terrible disease. This is why we included these supplements on EarthTurns. They are all made in the USA and have those natural ingredients that target cartilage, joints, bones and the spine.

Check out Arthritin, MegaFlax Joint, Joint Gard and Arthoplex. To alleviate the pain of arthritis, we recommend two amazing natural topical analgesic remedies; either Cryoderm or Sombra.

Natural Anti-Aging Remedies

2009-01-18T10:24:00.006-05:00

Anti-Aging Supplements and Remedies

Madge and her husband used to go to the mall every Sunday. They'd have lunch at the food court, walk around the shops and then buy a thing or two for the house. That was their Sunday afternoon routine up until three months ago. They're not as enthused about their Sunday afternoons anymore.

Madge said, "after lunch one Sunday, I went to the shops as usual but I suddenly felt very tired. I told my husband I wanted to go home right away and take a nap. Surprised, he said that he was going to suggest the same thing because he too was feeling beat. Once in the car, we looked at each other and realized we were getting old. It dawned on me that this aging process is not going to be pleasant at all."

The problem is, Madge and her husband are only in their mid-50s. That's an age where you're supposed to be still running on a full tank. But many people their age are feeling bone-weary and sluggish. What happened to the saying that the new 80 is 60? Tell people that and they'll probably think you're dreaming in technicolor.

Anti-Aging Remedies
Of course it's a question of lifestyle. Someone once said that the human body is a wonderful machine. If you treat it well, it will serve you well. But how many of us can honestly say that we've been kind to our bodies consistently? Think back to the years when we drank too much, ate too much junk food, deprived ourselves of sleep and spent countless hours on the couch in front of the television. Something's got to give.

How do we ward off pre-mature aging? It's never too late to adopt some changes today.

Nutrition - Nutrition means more natural foods (instead of processed), more color (go for dark green, dark orange, dark red fruits and vegetables) and more fiber. You need roughage to help prevent gastro-intestinal problems like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or the more serious diseases like colon and pancreatic cancer. A really good probiotic will help ward off many GI problems before they start. Restoring the normal bacterial flora is the first defense for a good immune system and improving overall health.
Exercise - three times a week for 45 minutes per session should help you regain the stamina you once had in your youth. The more frequently you engage in exercise, the better. Ideally, you should be exercising most days during the week. Go for a well-rounded workout by combining cardio and resistance training. If you have sore, tight muscles that prevent you from exercising, try Formula 303, a maximum strength natural muscle relaxant.
Relaxation - Squeeze in some rest and relaxation into your busy schedule - you know the saying, all work and no play makes a man dull. Re-invigorate your brain by breaking your routine. By taking frequent time outs and spending quality time with loved ones, you distribute oxygen to your cells more efficiently. When you work 12-hour days, seven days a week, what do you think that does to your mental capabilities? If you have trouble sleeping, a natural insomnia remedy may help. If you are suffering with chronic stress, Extress, a natural homeopathic stress remedy may help.
Protect Your Skin - the skin is our largest organ. Most people don't realize that by putting chemical laden beauty products on their skin, they are absorbing harmful chemicals and increasing the chances of getting wrinkles. Protecting your skin with a natural sun screen when you are in the sun is a first step to helping your skin stay young. You should follow this up with moisturizing your skin with a chemical free face moisturizer.
Consider taking anti-aging supplements - most of us agree our diet is deficient in vitamins and minerals. This deficiency makes it easier for free radicals to invade our system, making us susceptible to various bacteria and viruses. Because we lack essential nutrients, we feel weaker, easily get tired, and frequently get headaches and the common cold. Focus on supplements that are formulated with antioxidants. Eternal-In is a wonderful anti-aging supplement.

For supplements that are formulated to delay the aging process and are excellent sources of antioxidants, click here:

Helping Anemia Naturally

2009-01-09T07:47:00.008-05:00

What to Do if You Have Anemia

If your doctor says you're anemic (also known as anaemic), there's generally nothing to worry about because it's not a life-threatening disease. But it can rob you of quality of life, and the way things are looking at the moment, quality of life is hard to come by these days. Health do's and don'ts abound, you're confused as to what supplements to take, and you're no longer sure what vitamin and minerals are good for certain conditions.

What is Anemia?

The Mayo Clinic describes an anemic person as someone who has "tired blood." There aren't enough healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen to various tissues and organs. Symptoms vary from mild to severe. If your anemia is severe, you ought to take the steps leading to better health.

CBC stands for complete blood count. It's one of the ways to test for anemia. A physical exam and certain blood tests are two other ways to test for this condition. If your diagnosis is iron-deficiency anaemia, your doctor may order additional tests just to make sure you don't have an underlying condition like internal bleeding or benign polyps in the colon.

The College of Family Physicians in Canada say that in some cases, there are no symptoms and energy levels don't change. Other people may feel chronic fatigue, have pale skin, experience shortness of breath, and feel rapid beating of the heart.

Are there ways to prevent anemia? Fortunately, there are. The word "iron" and "hemoglobin" should be your guiding principles. Hemoglobin is the protein in blood that carries oxygen. So an effective way to prevent anaemic symptoms is to load up on iron. Eat foods that are high in iron: liver, sardines, nuts, dried fruits, beans (lima beans are highly recommended) and greens.

There's a strange word that relates to anemia - "megaloblastic." Don't worry, it sounds like your cells may have gone ballistic, but it's just a type of anemia that is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is essential for the proper functioning of red blood cells and for stabilizing the central nervous system. Unique B12 is an American made sublingual B12 supplement that many have found helpful. Hemo-Chelate-Iron is another very good supplement you can take that provides essential nutrients and iron.

Natural Allergy Remedies - There is Hope!

2008-12-30T07:30:00.006-05:00

Dealing with Allergies

When I was young, I suffered from all kinds of allergies. They were mostly seasonal allergies while a few were reactions to certain foods. My mother would tap me on the head and assure me that my allergies would disappear as soon as the weather got better or when my stomach had recovered from the ingested food. She didn't give me any medication for my allergies because her own mother – my grandmother – told her that there was no need to treat allergies. "Leave them be. They'll just go away on their own," she used to say.

Grandma was right. They do go away eventually. I went through life tolerating my allergies and in a way, I'm grateful that I wasn't fed any syrup or decongestant or given tablets and capsules to get rid of them.

Ever since I can remember, I was always wary about taking medication – over-the-counter or prescription allergy medication. I'd rather live with my allergy than take drugs to cover up the symptoms. I'm sure grandma would be proud of me if she were still living today.

The Cleveland Clinic classifies allergies into major types: environmental, drug, and food, including pediatric allergies. It defines an allergy as the immune system's incorrect reaction to a foreign substance. The immune system reacts to a foreign body as though it was harmful.

Allergens are substances that trigger allergies. Your allergy may be different to the allergy of your co-worker down the corridor. If you have food allergies and you're not sure if the foods you buy contain allergens, you'll be happy to know that the US Food and Drug Administration now require food manufacturers to include the eight (8) top allergens in their labels if they are included in manufacturing the product. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergies/AA00057).

These eight allergens have to be listed on the label:

• Milk

• Eggs

• Peanuts

• Tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts)

• Fish (such as bass, cod, flounder)

• Shellfish (such as crab, lobster, shrimp)

• Soy

• Wheat

Be careful though: if the label says "non-dairy", it doesn't mean that the product is completely dairy-free. A milk derivative (like casein) could be present.

If you're looking for natural remedies to relieve allergies, I would give the following products a try:

Aller-sine Allergy Remedy by Vaxa – a product that is made in the USA and helps relieve runny nose, watery eyes and minimizes reactions to pollen, mold and animal dander. Contains no medication.
Vaxa Sinus Formula – helps individuals deal with their chronic sinus infections
Ceramic Neti Sinus Pot – the all-natural product for your nasal cleansing/irrigation needs.

You don't have to take allergy medication to get relief. I would try the Neti Sinus Pot first to try and eliminate with a natural salt solution the allergens that may be in your nasal passages. If you need additional help, you can try the Sinus Formula or Aller-Sine allergy remedy.

Good luck.

ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER - Natural Remedy for ADD

2008-12-14T11:26:00.002-05:00

In the last few years, we have spoken with many parents who state that they feel helpless about their children who are diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Their specific complaints:

(a) Doctors are quick to prescribe medication that produce side effects

(b)The lack of information about natural treatments for ADD

Parents tell us, "Why should I start my 12-year old on medicines that I'm not sure are safe or will bring about complications? It raises my antennas when we're pumping young bodies with medicines containing strong chemicals.”

It's intuitve to be cautious about giving children ADD/ADHD medication, some of which have caused controversy among medical circles.

ADD is attracting a lot of attention (no pun intended) because studies show that it is behind poor academic performance, rebellious behaviour and anti-social qualities. Over 1.6 million suffer from this mental disorder according to the American Psychiatric Association. Five percent of American children are diagnosed with ADD; that represents about two million American children.

How do you know if your child has ADD? If your child exhibits these symptoms, have your doctor examine him or her: your child cannot focus on his school work or on simple tasks, is nervous and anxious (your child can't sit still and wanders around frequently), talks excessively, tends to lose or misplace things. Some children with ADD also interrupt people who are talking and have no sense of organization.

Ask your doctor about natural remedies that can either replace prescriped meds or be taken as complementary homeopathic treatment. Your doctor is the best person to advise you.

We recommend Attend by Vaxa to those with ADD or have children with attention deficit disorder. It contains essential nutrients that promote brain health by reinforcing neurotransmitters and a person's memory functions. For more information, go to: ADD/ADHD Alternative Treatment.

Chemical Free- No Parabens, No Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

2008-04-30T07:28:00.007-04:00

Earth Day has been a time for many to reflect on how we can all help the planet and ourselves at the same time. Now is the best time to consciously shop with your health and the environment in mind. With so many amazing chemical free products available, it has never been easier. Even Oprah is now exposing the harm that chemicals can cause to our body and our planet.

What is Chemical Free and Why is it So Important?

Basically, if you think you need a PhD in biochemistry to read the label, don't buy it. Sadly, most products on the store shelves contain harmful chemicals such as parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, Diethanolamine (DEA), fragrances and other synthetic chemicals. Most of these are hormone interrupters and are potentially cancer causing.

What are the Alternatives to Products with Chemicals?

The good news is that now many amazing natural cleaning products, natural shampoo and even natural skin cream is available at reasonable prices. Many of these natural health and beauty products are even organic.

Perfect Organics is a wonderful line of natural, organic products that uses shea butter as a main ingredient in many of their products. Shea butter closely matches the bodies own moisturizers and is a wonderful ingredient. They probably have the best natural lip balm available, as well as one of the best natural face creams called Perfection Cream.

Vermont Soap Organics is another fantastic line of natural, chemical free products. Some of their best sellers include foaming hand soap, veggie wash and bath and shower gel.

We must do what we can each and every day, in our small way. Use rags instead of paper towels, take reusable shopping bags to the grocery store, carpool and turn off the lights when you are not using them. Every little thing helps our planet.

At EarthTurns.com we buy 'carbon credits' that offset our carbon footprint by purchasing trees that help remove carbon dioxide from our air. We don't package with plastic, and we use as little packaging material as possible.

We welcome your comments on how you do your part to help the planet and live a chemical free life!

Insulin Resistance: A Culprit In Today's Health Crisis

2008-04-01T07:57:00.007-04:00

You may have heard of insulin, but do you really know all of its functions in the body and what insulin resistance is doing to you?

Insulin: An anabolic hormone for growth and repair.

Insulin:

Stores excess nutrients
Stores blood sugar for future energy requirments
Stores Magnesium
Retains Sodium
Mediates blood lipids (fat)
Stimulates cell division
Stimulates sympathetic nervous system

You may be saying, so what, insulin does all these great things, what's the big deal? Here's the problem.

When we eat carbohydrates (sugar, pasta, bread, grains) the body converts them into glucose. The liver only stores about a one day supply of glucose (stored as glycogen). What do you think happens to the rest of it? It's stored as FAT (about 98% is Palmitic acid---a saturated fat).

SORRY TO GET SO TECHNICAL

So, a high carbohydrate diet is really a high glucose (SUGAR) diet. Insulin needs to be secreted to help store this added glucose and there is a large secretion of insulin. However, the cells try to protect themselves from the toxic effects of insulin (which in large amounts is irritating to the cells) and they down regulate their receptors and the number of receptors.

When this happens, the pancreas secretes more and more insulin because the receptors aren't sensing that there is so much insulin circulating in the blood. Finally the pancreas gets tired and Type 2 Diabetes can result.

Negative Affects of Insulin Resistance

Now that you understand why so much insulin is secreted due to our diets, I want you to understand the negative affects of insulin resistance, so that YOU will resist from eating so many carbohydrates in the form of pasta, donuts, muffins, cake, bread, sugar, cereal, etc.

Insulin is involved in the storage of magnesium. When the cells are resistant to insulin, magnesium is secreted in the urine. One of magnesiums major jobs is to relax muscles. With lower magnesium levels the smooth muscles in the blood vessels can't relax and they constrict, causing--high blood pressure.

To add insult to injury, magnesium also is involved in intracellular energy, so you also feel weaker and tired all the time.

Insulin is also involved in sodium retention. With the added sodium, you get fluid retention and you guessed it, yet higher blood pressure.

Insulin also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and you get further vasoconstriction (higher blood pressure), increased heart rate, increase in ability for blood to clot, increased respiration and an increase in blood sugar and cholesterol in the blood.

Since insulin is a mytogenic hormone, you also get increased cell division, which leads to increase in cancer and aging.

There is so much more insulin does, but I think you are getting the idea by now.

There Are Things You Can Do

Doesn't it sound like many of the medications you or your family and friends are on are designed to reduce the effects of insulin resistance?

Think of these: Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, stroke, cancer.

These are all preventable illnesses that have nothing to do with our genetics. It's our lifestyle that is killing us. There is hope if you begin now to change your lifestyle.

You must eat right, exercise right and think right to be a healthy human being. It is easier than you think. It's a lot harder to be sick than healthy.

Begin by:

Drinking 2-3 liters of pure water each day
Stop Smoking
Eat fresh fiber throughout the day---veggies, fruit
Limit your intake of sugar and other carbohydrates
Eat Grass Fed Meats---high in Omega 3's...nothing wrong with good fat
Take Cinnamon Bark or GTF Chromium to help lower your blood sugar
Exercise 30-60 minutes EVERY DAY...you must get your heart rate up
Meditate or Pray Daily.
Love yourself, and your friends, family and the planet.

If you are not physically fit, you should always discuss with your doctor before beginning exercise or changing your medication.

More information on Diabetes Remedies...

Importance of Probiotics--Best Probiotic Available

2008-03-08T19:07:00.004-05:00

Probiotics are the live, beneficial bacteria that are nature's way of maintaining proper balance in the intestinal tract.

There are over 400 species of bacteria, weighing more than 4 pounds, in the normal adult colon. Many scientists report that the intestinal tract should contain approximately 85% good bacteria and only 15% of the harmful microorganisms.

Balancing the micro-organisms in the gut is not possible in many people, because of their lifestyle of poor diet, chronic stress, pollution and antibiotics.

The word 'probiotic' originates from the Greek meaning 'for life'. Some common names for probiotics include:

Friendly bacteria
Beneficial bacteria
Healthy bacteria
Normal flora

What Do Probiotics Do?

These natural probiotics help to digest our food, produce vitamin K and several B vitamins, promote normal absorption of nutrients, improve intestinal blood flow and even detoxify our body.

In addition, they are an integral part of our immune system, helping to kill the harmful microorganisms that find their way into our gut.

You may have already experienced the signs of killing the good bacteria:

Stomach discomfort
Gas and bloating
Loose bowels
Vaginal yeast infections

It is important to take a complete spectrum probiotic supplement so that you replenish the good bacteria as soon as possible following a course of antibiotics, stress or poor diet.

Fundamental Probiotic- Complete Spectrum Probiotic Blend

Although most of us were raised to think eating yogurt provided the good bacteria, unfortunately it only contains 2 strains of the healthy normal flora and only 100 million or so active cultures per serving. This just isn't good enough.

Although 100 million sounds like a lot, in the bacteria world, it's an insignificant amount. Scientists tell us the lowest amount that would really be effective is about 10 billion bacteria per day. Ideally you should be getting more, and doctors may recommend up to 100 billion per day in some cases.

The other problem with yogurt is that humans were not designed to consume dairy products into adulthood. Dairy makes our bodies acidic, further deteriorating our health and possibly leading to osteoporosis. In addition, most yogurts are loaded with sugar, further increasing the body's acidity and increasing the chance of a yeast infection or type-2 diabetes.

Using just one Fundamental Probiotic ™ supplement on a daily basis will provide you with over 25 billion healthy bacteria that will go to work for you to promote health.

While most yogurt contains only 2 strains of bacteria, Fundamental Probiotics contains:

12 different strains of friendly bacteria
More than 25 BILLION CFU's in every vegetarian capsule

There is not a better Probiotic capsule available that is Made in the USA and that contains such a wide variety of bacterial strains.

More Information About Probiotics

Americans are the Corn People

2007-12-10T09:09:00.000-05:00

Eat a steak, drink a soda, milk or beer and you've eaten corn.

Corn is what feeds the steer that becomes the steak and feeds the chicken, turkey, pigs and lamb. Even the catfish, tilapia and salmon are now raised on farms and fed corn.

Your cheese, milk, yogurt--all corn, from cows formerly grazed on grass to Holsteins living indoors tied to machines and eating corn.

Let's look at a chicken nugget. Chicken, from corn, glued together with modified corn starch, battered with corn flour and fried in corn oil. Also included the leavening, lecithin, mono-glycerides, di-glycerides, tri-glycerides, and the citric acid to keep them "fresh".

You then wash down your nugget with soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup.

Continue to read labels in your supermarket and you'll find all of these products....made from Corn:

Modified or unmodified corn starch

Glucose syrup

Maltodextrin

Crystalline fructose

Ascorbic acid

Dextrose

Lactic acid

Lysine

Maltose

HFCS-High Fructose Corn Syrup

Polyols

Caramel color

Xantham Gum

Coffee whitener, cake mixes, soups, candies, TV dinners, canned fruit, snacks, frosting, mayo, ketchup, mustard, hot dogs, bologna, margarine, shortening, fake maple syrup, salad dressings, relishes, etc....ALL MADE WITH CORN!

So...Why is Corn So Bad?

Corn is mostly omega 6 fatty acids.
The average American diet consists of food products with Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratios of about 30:1. Nutritional scientists report that chronic diseases are detectible when the ratio exceeds 4:1.

The ratio of Omega 6:Omega 3 should be closer to 1:1.

What Can You Do?

Start decreasing eating foods derived from corn.
Eat Grass-Fed Beef (CLICK HERE for Info) and
Eat Wild Caught Fish
Start taking Omega 3 Fish Oil supplement

Omega 3 is Vital to Your Health

2007-11-16T06:35:00.001-05:00

In my most recent post, I discussed the preventative power of the Omega-3 fats found in fish oils in treating high cholesterol and heart disease. However, Omega-3 is beneficial to the human body in many other ways as well.

Recent studies suggest that children with Omega-3 deficiency are substantially more prone to having learning disorders, and they are also more likely to display signs of hyperactivity and behavioral problems.

Research has also indicated that low Omega-3 intake may also be connected to the following health conditions:

Depression
Weight Gain
Violent Tendencies
Heart Disease
Allergies
Cancer
Eczema
Inflammatory Diseases
Diabetes
Arthritis
Dyslexia
Loss of Memory

There have been over 2,000 studies documenting the correlation between Omega-3 insufficiency and the wide range of health problems mentioned above.

One of the reasons that Americans are so at risk for many chronic diseases may be because our diets are almost completely deprived of Omega-3 fatty acids. An estimated 60% of Americans have an Omega-3 deficiency. Furthermore, it is estimated that about 20% of Americans have such a significant lack of Omega-3 that it is incapable of being detected in their bloodstream.

Obviously, our bodies need fat, but instead of consuming the fats that are necessary to keep our system running properly, like Omega-3, we fill up on man-made fats. Most Americans today eat an exorbitant amount of saturated fat and trans-fats, in addition to vegetable oils that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids. All of this inhibits the body’s ability to utilize its "good fats," like Omega-3, and results in what researchers have described as fatty acid imbalance.

Fatty acid imbalance is particularly problematic in its tendency to impact learning capabilities. One of the problems with consuming high levels of man-made fats instead of essential Omega-3 fatty acids is that the body uses the man-made fats as a replacement. DHA is one particular Omega-3 that is imperative to the proper functioning of our neural networks. When the brain attempts to replace DHA with an alternative kind of man-made fat, it slows down the body’s ability to process incoming stimuli and consequently impacts memory and learning.

The following are additional signs and symptoms of an improper balance of Omega-3 fatty acids:

Dry skin
Dandruff and/or dry hair
Eczema
Irritability
Fatigue
Lowered immune system, which can be detected by frequent infections and/or delayed healings from wounds and sickness
Hyperactivity
Dry eyes
The need for frequent urination
Allergies
Soft or brittle nails
Attention Deficit
Learning disabilities
Cracked skin on sensitive areas like the heels, fingertips and back of arms

Because many of the foods we eat contain refined sugars and man-made fats, it is important to be sure that we are consuming an adequate amount of Omega-3 fatty acids to give our brain and our body the proper nourishment it needs.

Some natural sources of Omega-3 fatty acids include green, leafy vegetables, fruits and nuts, fish, and free range chicken and beef. Free range animals are fed diets of grass and green leafy vegetables, which significantly increases their source of Omega-3, as opposed to farm raised animals that are fed lots of grains.

If you are not able to boost your intake of Omega-3 through your diet alone, dietary supplements such as fish oils are an excellent way to naturally prevent an Omega-3 fatty acid deficiency.

Even if you don’t experience any of the symptoms of Omega-3 deficiency listed above, it is best to take preventative action before it is too late. Adjusting your diet and increasing your intake of natural fats, as opposed to those that are man-made, will improve your health and decrease your risk of chronic disease in the future.

Exploring Natural Alternatives to Treating High Cholesterol

2007-11-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

With sales approaching nearly $13 billion in 2006, Lipitor, used for lowering cholesterol, is the highest selling drug in the world. Lipitor belongs to a class of cholesterol inhibiting drugs known as statins, and it is highly effective in lowering the body’s level of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol. However, what the pharmaceutical industry fails to tell you is that Lipitor poses a serious threat to your health in the way that it may affect your heart and your immune system.

If you are interested in lowering your cholesterol naturally or preventing yourself from being susceptible to high cholesterol in the future, there are so many natural alternatives to taking a volatile, prescription drug like Lipitor. While Lipitor may be successful in lowering LDL cholesterol, it does not actually cure the fundamental problem that is causing the high cholesterol in the first place. Statin drugs like Lipitor treat the symptoms, but not the disease. They also have been known to depress the immune system, and exhaust levels of Coenzyme Q10, which can cause muscle weakness, fatigue and even heart failure. Lipitor may also increase your risk of atherosclerosis, a disease that results in the chronic inflammation of the arterial walls.

A recent study suggests that fish oils are actually more effective in contributing to high levels of HDL, or “good” cholesterol than Lipitor in insulin-resistant and obese men. In this six-week study, 48 men were given separate and combined dosages of fish oil and Lipitor. When taken together, the Lipitor/fish oil combination proved effective in raising HDL levels. But only the fish oil alone impacted HDL cholesterol by transforming the rates of catabolism, which is the metabolic breakdown of complex molecules into simpler ones, of HDL apolipoproteins. This phenomenon did not occur as a consequence of taking Lipitor alone.

There is significant evidence to suggest that the omega-3 fats in fish oil supplements will impact HDL cholesterol in a much safer and effective way than taking a prescription drug like Lipitor, and it is much more economical as well. A 30 day supply of Lipitor currently runs at about $90, while a 30 day supply of all-natural, chemically free fish oil supplements can be purchased for under $10.

Aside from taking fish oil supplements, there are also other, completely natural ways to normalize cholesterol levels and prevent heart disease. Many people experience high cholesterol due to elevated insulin levels, which can be the result of poor diet and exercise habits. By engaging in regular exercise and restricting your intake of grains and sugars, you will lower your blood pressure and regulate your insulin levels, thus resulting in healthier cholesterol levels.

Although some people are more genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, we each have the power and the resources available to decrease our likelihood of becoming a victim of heart disease. Before turning to a prescription drug, think about the safer alternatives to treating a cholesterol problem.

Top Rated Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep

2007-11-02T08:49:00.001-04:00

Top Rated Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep

If you are one of the millions of Americans that suffers from sleep related problems, whether it is chronic insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, a tendency to wake up frequently throughout the night, or simply a pervasive sense of feeling exhausted throughout the day, you may want to try one or more of the following techniques to improve the quality and quantity of your rest.

A current favorite insomnia aid is Formula 303. Formula 303 is an all-natural sleep aid that promotes gentle, relaxing sleep without any harmful side effects.

Sleep in as dark an environment as possible. Exposure to light while your body is at rest can potentially disturb your pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin, which are important sleep aids, and it may also throw off your circadian rhythm. If you need to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, be advised to use as little light as possible. Turning on a bright light after your body has been at rest may completely terminate your body’s production of melatonin for the remainder of the night which will inhibit your ability to fall back asleep.
Go to sleep as early as possible. It is in our nature to sleep with the rise and fall of the sun, which is what nearly all humans did for centuries before electricity was invented. Therefore, going to bed at 3 a.m. and getting 8 hours of sleep is not the same as going to bed at 10 p.m. and getting 8 hours of sleep. Most of our systems recharge predominantly between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., which occurs at the same time that our gallbladder is releasing toxins. If you are awake during this process, it can back up your entire system and jeopardize your health as well as your sleep.
Use an eye mask. If you aren’t able to sleep in total darkness, wearing an eye mask can block out light and increase your body’s production of melatonin and serotonin, as described above.
Try listening to a soothing CD as you fall asleep. Today, there is a large market for this type of sleep aid, and there are a host of relaxing CDs available geared specifically toward this purpose. Whether it is listening to the sounds of a rainforest or the ocean waves, many people find that experiencing the calming sounds of nature helps ease them into a peaceful sleep. Gentle music may also help.
Avoid watching television before bed. Contrary to popular belief, having the television on as you lie in bed does not make it easier for your body to relax. The TV’s stimulation will overwhelm your brain and interfere with the proper functioning of your pineal gland, in the same way that bright lights will disrupt your body’s production of melatonin and serotonin.
Try reading material that is relaxing. Reading something that contains a lot of action, like a mystery novel, may make it difficult for your body to settle down when you eventually decide to try and fall asleep. You may also unintentionally get in absorbed in something that keeps you preoccupied for hours, therefore preventing you from getting a good night’s rest. Instead, try reading material that will help you to unwind, such as a book that is spiritual or religious in nature.
Keep a nightly journal. It is very common for people who have difficulty falling asleep to feel that their mind is racing before bedtime. Putting down your thoughts on paper may help you to detach from the stress of your day, and it may also put your mind in a more relaxing state.
Avoid working before bed. Putting your work away at least an hour or two before bedtime will prevent you from lying awake due to anxiety and stress.
Refrain from eating before bedtime. Consuming late at night, especially grains and sugars, will raise your blood sugar and make it difficult for your body to relax as it is digesting the food. It also may cause you to wake up in the middle of the night when your blood sugar drops too low, therefore impairing your ability to fall back asleep.
Use the bathroom right before bed. This will decrease the likelihood that you’ll have to get up in the middle of the night.
Keep your socks on. Your feet are the first area of your body to get cold, as they have the poorest circulation. Studies have shown that keeping your feet comfortable will prevent you from experiencing a disturbed sleep.
Sleep in a temperature of 70 degrees F or cooler. Many people keep their bedrooms too warm, which actually inhibits sleep. The best sleeping conditions are a cool (not cold) room with enough covers to remain comfortable.
Supplement your sleep with the hormone melatonin. This can be induced orally through a pharmaceutical, which I would advise against, or you can try it naturally, by increasing your exposure to bright light during the day, and avoiding exposure to light when you go to bed. Sleeping in complete darkness is ideal.
Eat a snack that is high in protein, as well as a small piece of fruit a few hours before going to bed. High protein foods such as fish, poultry, nuts and eggs contain tryptophan, which can be an effective sleep aid. Consuming the fruit will enable the tryptophan to cross the blood-brain barrier and contribute to your body’s production of melatonin and serotonin.
Avoid using drugs whenever possible. There are many prescription and over-the-counter medications that have serious sleep related side effects. Whenever possible, try using natural remedies like the ones suggested on this website to avoid relying upon these types of medications.
Reduce your caffeine intake. Many people will experience the effects of caffeine long after they’ve consumed it. If your body is not able to metabolize caffeine efficiently, you may find that an afternoon cup of coffee or tea can impact your sleep even hours later. Also be sure to take note of any medications that you use that contain caffeine, as these will inhibit sleep.
Try to maintain a healthy weight. Studies have shown that obesity can increase your risk of sleep apnea, a condition where your body has difficult breathing while you are asleep, which can seriously damage the quality of your rest.
Exercise regularly. Studies have shown that exercising for at least 30 minutes a day will improve the quality of your sleep, and make it easier for you to fall asleep at night. However, this should not be done right before bed, as your body needs time to return to its normal state.
Stay away from foods that disagree with your system. Certain foods, like dairy and wheat products, can cause gastrointestinal problems and congestion for people who are sensitive to them, therefore causing discomfort while sleeping.
Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol is often treated as a nightcap, its effect is short lived. Alcohol interferes with your body’s sleep cycle and when consumed in excess, it may prevent you from entering the stage of REM sleep, which is essential to your health.
Enjoy a hot bath or shower before going to bed. If you increase your body temperature before bedtime, as it falls back down it may help your body relax into a state of sleep.
Avoid electrical devices. Keeping an alarm clock or cell phone close to your bed will disturb your sleep if it goes off, so it is best to keep electrical devices as far away from your sleep area as possible.
Remove any clocks from your line of vision. If you have trouble falling asleep, staring at the time will only increase your anxiety and make it even more difficult for you to achieve a state of rest. It is best to keep the clock as far away from your bed and your mind as possible.
Avoid using your bed for non-sleep related activities. Many people tend to engage in other activities, such as watching TV or using the computer, while they are in bed. Doing this may cause you to dissociate your bed from the notion of sleep, and therefore make it difficult for you when it is actually time to go to bed.
If you are premenopausal or menopausal, consult a physician. Sleep problems caused by hormonal changes may create more severe, long term problems if not addressed. Try a natural menopausal formula to help with menopause symptoms.
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time everyday. Establishing a sleep rhythm will make it easier for your body to relax at night and get up in the morning.
Create a bedtime routine that works for you. Find something that relaxes you, and try to engage in it every night before going to sleep. This could mean a hot bath, aromatherapy, meditation, or maybe a massage from your partner. If it works, repeat it each night and see if it helps you to achieve a more peaceful sleep.

HPV Vaccine for Girls?

2007-04-08T10:16:00.000-04:00

Once again the drug companies using their herd mentality want to vaccinate young girls for HPV. They claim this will prevent thousands of girls from getting cervical cancer.

What they don't tell you is that the risk of a girl to get cervical cancer is related to the age at which she begins sexual activity and the number of partners she has.

According to a government website, cancer.gov, "in 2006, an estimated 10,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with this type of cancer and nearly 4,000 will die from it." The site also explains that most of the abnormal cell changes caused by the HPV go away on their own. Of course pap smears can also detect cervical cell changes and those abnormal cells can also be removed.

Vaccinating millions of young girls who are not at risk with a vaccine that no one knows the long term effects of is insanity. Think long and hard before allowing your daughter to get vaccinated. Instead, when appropriate, teach her the risk behaviors associated with contracting HPV.

Is the Wave Here?

2007-03-22T07:31:00.000-04:00

What's the wave?

It's the idea that health comes from within. That health won't come in a prescription bottle. That we must take responsibility for our own lifestyle choices which will dramatically influence our health and well-being.

At times it's frustrating blowing the warning horn; letting folks know that the 'mountain is falling on the city of the blind', then, I am reminded and thanked on a daily basis for providing health information and products that people are using to save and improve their lives.

For anyone that has read some of the EarthTurns Blog or gotten our newsletters, you know, that repeatedly I encourage everyone to take Omega 3 Fatty Acids. My personal favorite way to achieve this is by consuming only grass-fed-beef and using Salmon oil capsules. This assures I get enough Omega 3's each day.

But it can't stop there. You must drink 2-3 liters of water per day. Read spiritual work on a daily basis. Then there's the one that most people don't find the time to do...exercise some how, some way, a little each day.

Is that all, no!

If you smoke. Stop!
Be kind to your friends and family
Help others
Limit or stop soda drinking. Stop completely drinking diet soda or diet drinks of ANY kind!
Help others. Remember, we're here to lessen the burden of others. Receive for the sake of sharing. Don't worry...this will help you in the long run.

There is no better time then now to start taking responsibility for your own health. Begin today. No more excuses! There is a higher power behind you all the way.

Pain Management

2007-03-06T07:55:00.000-05:00

Millions of Americans are suffering with pain on a daily basis. These pain sufferers fall into one of two categories; either acute pain or chronic pain. Most of us however don't understand much about pain.

For those with chronic pain of arthritis or fibromyalgia the daily suffering can be quite frustrating. Understanding your pain is the first step in managing it appropriately.

I've found a site that is very detailed and explains the:

causes of pain
types of pain
assessment of pain
traditional treatments of pain
alternative treatments of pain

This site is easy to navigate and the information regarding pain is so thorough that even doctors can learn something; or at least review what they forgot. You can even buy books and products relating to pain directly from Amazon.com on the site.

Visit Pain-Management-Info.com for more information.

11 Prescriptions for Every American

2007-01-25T07:59:00.000-05:00

Many people blame their genes for their ill-health, thereby removing any guilt or responsibility. It is literally blaming your parents and grandparents for being overweight, having Type 2 diabetes or coronary artery disease.

Nothing can be further from the truth. Our genes have changed only .02% in 40,000 years. So how can the dramatic rise of obesity, ADHD, heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes during the last few years be related to genes? Answer: they can't be.

Recently, I read that we spend $5000 for each man, woman and child in America on health care. In fact, there are enough prescriptions written in the USA alone that it equals 11 prescriptions for every single person. President Bush spoke the other night about the importance of getting health insurance for every American. Does anyone really believe, that taking more drugs or cutting out more organs will make us any healthier?

As it is, we are shamefully low on the totem pole when it comes to health compared to other industrialized nations. NO, we are not missing out on new, or more drugs; in fact, we are taking too many.

These powerful drugs have many side-effects that create new symptoms for which more drugs are given. It is a terrible consequence for relying on health doled out by the drug companies.

We are either toxic, or deficient. Eliminate all toxins and deficiencies and you will have true health. More prescriptions are not the answer, more drugs can only make us sicker.

If you are truly sick and tired of being sick and tired, then take responsibility; start by:

eliminating soda & drinking more water (2-3 liters per day)
eliminating salt and white flower
take a good multiple vitamin every day
take 3 grams of fish oil per day to decrease cardiac death by 80%
exercise at least 30 minutes EVERY day
read daily
keep your relationships healthy
do some spiritual reading daily

By doing the above daily, you will help decrease your stress, eliminate toxins and begin to eliminate deficiencies as well. Remember, you can be deficient in relationships, exercise, spirituality as well as vitamins, etc.

Please take responsibility today. If you are on medication, talk with your doctor and have them work with you to get off the drugs as you improve your lifestyle.

Best of luck.

Great Grass Fed Beef Site

2007-01-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

We've been talking about Grass-fed beef for some time now. Well we finally found a site that is clear, concise and gives many of the health benefits and environmental benefits for choosing to eat grass fed beef.

The disadvantages of eating grain fed meats is also clearly explained.

You will find links to many grass-fed-meat ranchers so that you can compare prices. Prices vary greatly, so buyer beware.

To help you decipher all of the information about grass-fed meats, we highly recommend visiting OrganicGrassFedBeefInfo.com

You will be amazed about what you didn't know.

Treating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Naturally

2006-11-24T15:18:00.000-05:00

5-10% of women in the US suffer to some degree with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, or PCOS. Although many women with PCOS do not know what is wrong with them, they all understand that something is not quite right.

Symptoms of PCOS include:

Infrequent menstrual periods, no menstrual periods at all, and/or irregular bleeding during menstrual periods
Infertility, lack of ovulation
Increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs or toes
Acne, oily skin or dandruff
Pelvic pain
Weight gain or obesity, usually carrying excess weight around the waist
Type 2 diabetes
High cholesterol
High blood sugar
Male-pattern baldness or thinning hair
Patches of thickened and darker skin on the neck, arms, breasts or thighs
Skin tags in the armpits or neck area
Sleep apnea or excessive snoring

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a condition in which women's bodies have high levels of male hormones, or androgens, they have an irregular menstrual cycle or none at all, and they may have many small cysts in their ovaries.

No cause has been found for PCOS, and there is no way of knowing who will have it. There may be a genetic link, but this has not been proven. There also may be a link to insulin resistance, the body's inability to properly produce and use insulin to regulate blood sugar.

Life with PCOS is often miserable, with severe menstrual pain, excruciating pain when large cysts develop, irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings, obesity, and a general feeling of things not being right.

What's more, not only is PCOS itself difficult to live with, causing major problems for the women who suffer from it, but it creates long-term risks as well.

Irregular menstrual periods and the absence of ovulation produce estrogen but not progesterone, which cases the endometrium to shed each month. This can eventually lead to endometrial hyperplasia or cancer.

Women with PCOS are at a higher risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

The earlier in life the symptoms are brought under control, the better the prognosis for a healthy life.

There are several natural supplements and vitamins which can help with PCOS symptoms and bring the condition under control, improving not only the PCOS but also overall health, and decreasing the risks for serious long-term illnesses.

First, a good multivitamin and mineral are called for to increase overall health.

Chromium is well-known as a PCOS treatment because it helps with insulin usage by encouraging the formation of Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF), a substance produced by the liver which makes insulin more effective. A deficiency in chromium can lead to insulin resistance, which seems to be a lead factor in PCOS.

B Vitamins help control PCOS symptoms, including controlling weight and hormone balance.

Zinc is necessary for the correct behavior of many hormones, including insulin, and is crucial to overall health.

Magnesium deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance, which is a major element in PCOS.

Agnus Castus (chastetree berry) helps to regulate pituitary gland function, and is very important for PCOS treatment.

Saw Palmetto, which is often used for treatment of prostate conditions, functions to prevent excess levels of testosterone.

PCOS is a miserable and potentially very serious condition, but there are natural treatments available, and it can be treated effectively.

2006-11-24T15:06:00.000-05:00

The Unrecognized Disease: Insulin Resistance

Before discussing what insulin resistance is, it might be useful to explain exactly what insulin is, because there is a very low awareness among most people about this hormone. We hear the term "insulin-dependent diabetes," but we don't really know what insulin is.

The hormone insulin, which is produced by the pancreas, helps the body use glucose, or blood sugar. Insulin binds with receptors on cells, much like a key fitting a lock. Insulin resistance is a condition where, to continue the metaphor, the doors have too many locks. The cells cannot accept the insulin.

When the insulin is not accepted by the cells, the pancreas secretes more insulin to maintain healthy blood sugar. The more insulin resistance, the more insulin the body creates. In about 1/3 of the people with insulin resistance, when the cells do not respond to the higher levels of insulin, glucose builds up in the blood. This high blood glucose is known as Type 2 Diabetes, and is a direct result of insulin resistance.

Not everyone with insulin resistance develops diabetes, and researchers have not discovered what causes some individuals to develop the disease while others do not.

However, the risk of diabetes is clearly high for those with insulin resistance.

While insulin resistance is still not widely known, it is becoming more recognized as more people in the U.S. become obese and/or physically inactive, and this is being reported more by news organizations and healthcare agencies.

Obese/physically inactive people are more likely to be insulin resistant, which can lead to an increased level of blood fat, or triglycerides, and a decrease in HDL, which is the good cholesterol. These two imbalances can increase the risk for heart disease.

Thus, insulin resistance can directly influence heart health, and that has become a focus for health reporting.

Another problem related to insulin resistance is Syndrome X, a collection of risk factors for heart disease, including hypertriglyceridmia (high blood lipid), low HDL-cholesterol, hyperinsulinemia (high blood insulin), and often hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) and hypertension (high blood sugar). All of these conditions are influenced by insulin resistance and the group together poses a high risk for heart disease.

Insulin resistance is present in almost all individuals with Type 2 diabetes and in many with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. Women with polycystic ovarian disorder are generally insulin resistant. About 20-25% of "healthy" people may actually be insulin resistant.

There are natural treatments which can greatly decrease insulin resistance and the health risks that go along with being insulin resistant.

Vitamin E improves glucose metabolism and insulin absorption.

Chromium lowers glucose levels as well as cholesterol levels, and is best taken as chromium picolinate.

The B Vitamins, especially B6 and B12, and folic acid, help prevent complications in those with diabetes.

Magnesium deficiency is one of the most common health problems, and since diabetics especially do not absorb magnesium well, this supplement is recommended for anyone at risk for diabetes.

Lipoic acid, which is a powerful antioxidant, also improves insulin sensitivity and is a must for anyone with insulin deficiency.

Vanadium is believed by some experts to be the most important supplement for insulin resistance. It activates the insulin receptors in the same way insulin does, and can effectively lower glucose levels.

American ginseng, in recent studies, has been proven to prevent the spike in blood sugar that follows a meal.

Because many diabetics are deficient in the hormone DHEA, fish oil has been found useful in blood sugar control.

Supplements, a healthy diet, and regular exercise can greatly increase overall health and reduce insulin resistance, also reducing the risks of diabetes and heart disease.

2006-11-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

Alzheimer's: Don’t Be a Victim

There is a misconception, particularly in the United States, that Alzheimer's disease is a normal part of aging. Because of this misconception, the disease is accepted as something you will definitely face as you age, and you might as well get used to the idea.

The fact is, Alzheimer's is not unavoidable, and it is not just a normal part of aging. Alzheimer's disease is just that--a disease. No one knows what causes it or who will be affected by it, but we do know what it is, and we know ways to reduce our risk.

We do not have to live in fear of developing Alzheimer's disease.

First, we should know exactly what Alzheimer's disease is. It's a progressive, degenerative disease affecting the brain. Cells in the brain shrink, or disappear altogether, and are replaced with plaque. Thread-like structures of plaque choke off healthy brain cells.

All of this causes the brain to cease functioning correctly, which results in loss of mental and physical abilities and changes in behavior.

You're probably very familiar with the advanced symptoms of Alzheimer's, including loss of memory and inability to function on one's own.

You may not be aware of some of the warning signs of Alzheimer's, including:

Memory loss
Difficulty in performing routine tasks like balancing a checkbook
Forgetting simple words more often than before
Difficulty being understood when you speak
Misplacing items, i.e. putting the phone in the refrigerator
Mental confusion, such as getting lost on your own street

Many of these are things we all do occasionally; of course the point at which they become warning signs is the point at which they become abnormal for you.

Avoiding Alzheimer's is not as easy as one would hope, because no one knows what causes it or who is likely to get it. But there are things you can do to help reduce your chances of getting Alzheimer's.

Exercise, according to a 5-year study in Canada, cuts the risk not only of Alzheimer's but of other forms of mental decline and dementia, particularly in women. The more you exercise, the more your brain is sheltered from the risks of Alzheimer's.

According to the study, those who exercised the most were half as likely as inactive people to develop Alzheimer's disease and 40% less likely to suffer other forms of mental decline and dementia.

But even low levels of activity decreased risk for mental decline, dementia and Alzheimer's.

Doctors believe that medications designed to lower blood cholesterol may protect against the development of Alzheimer's. One natural supplement used for cholesterol, red yeast extract, is a natural statin; the very substance doctors believe can reduce chances of Alzheimer's.

Folic acid and vitamins C and E are believed to help prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's, as well, and are very good for overall health. The antioxidant properties of these vitamins help prevent neuron damage in the brain and reduce the risks of mental decline.

One of the best things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's is to keep your brain active. Read, take courses, play games, do crossword puzzles, and have intellectual conversations. Keep your brain active; keep developing new connections in your brain.

There are no guarantees against Alzheimer's, but there are steps you can take, naturally, to protect your brain, and your mind, against this horrible illness.

2006-11-24T13:11:00.000-05:00

Nutrasweet-Not So Sweet After All

While sugar is often seen as "bad" these days, and aspartame as "good"-- it is useful to look at the real facts surrounding this food additive.

It is also useful to point out that sugar, after all, is a natural substance, one that our bodies know how to deal with. Rather than substituting another, chemical, substance for sugar, it might be far better to limit our sugar intake and improve our overall diets to make better use of the natural foods available to us.

It is not well-known that aspartame, which may also appear on food labels as "acesulfame-k" or "sunette" can cause a variety of health symptoms, including:

seizures and convulsions
dizziness
tremors
migraines and severe headaches
memory loss (common toxicity effects)
slurring of speech
confusion
numbness or tingling of extremities
chronic fatigue
depression
insomnia
irritability
panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction)
marked personality changes
phobias
rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction)
asthma
chest pains
hypertension (high blood pressure)
nausea or vomiting
diarrhea
abdominal pain
swallowing pain
itching
hives / urticaria
other allergic reactions
blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia)
menstrual cramps and other menstrual problems or changes
impotency and sexual problems
food cravings
weight gain
hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair
burning urination & other urination problems
excessive thirst or excessive hunger
bloating, edema (fluid retention)
infection susceptibility
joint pain

Aspartame disease, or chronic aspartame intake, can also mimic many serious illnesses, including:

fibromyalgia
arthritis
multiple sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson’s disease
lupus
multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS)
diabetes and diabetic Complications
epilepsy
Alzheimer’s disease
birth defects
chronic fatigue syndrome
lymphoma
Lyme disease
attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD)
panic disorder
depression and other psychological disorders

While aspartame seems safe, and while many organizations promote its safety, most of these organizations are in some way sponsored by or related to the companies that manufacture and use aspartame.

The best way to know the truth about aspartame is to get completely off of all aspartame products for at least 60 days, and measure the positive difference in your health and well-being at that point.

When you're avoiding aspartame, make sure you read labels carefully, because even items you would not expect to have aspartame in them may contain this substance. Almost any "light" or "diet" food, from soda to salad dressing, is a good candidate for aspartame and should be avoided.

Remember, rather than trying to avoid sugar by substituting aspartame, try eating more natural fruits and vegetables and less processed food. This is the best way to avoid aspartame and other harmful substances.

Once you've been off of aspartame for 60 days, if you're still not convinced of the health effects, try going back on it for 10 days and see how you feel then. You'll see a marked difference after just a short time of going back on aspartame.

If you are a diabetic and wish to balance your sugar levels naturally, go to our Blood Sugar Formulas to read more about various all natural products that can help you.

We recommend, NEVER using NutraSweet. It is a poison and neural toxin.

AGING, OBESITY and INSULIN

2006-10-14T09:30:00.000-04:00

Many of us are aging too rapidly. Perhaps you've seen someone that told you they were 50 and you thought to yourself, "wow, I thought they were 62"---of course, the opposite can be true, but unfortunately it is usually that someone looks older than they really are. One of the best ways to slow down aging is to have normal insulin levels.

Interestingly, this is precisely what is responsible for most people being overweight. Their insulin levels are too high from eating too many carbohydrates.

One of the things that happen with too many carbohydrates, is that as more and more insulin is secreted to handle the carbohydrates, receptors called insulin receptors start to down regulate, or turn themselves off because of all the 'noise' from too much insulin. As this happens, the pancreas secretes more insulin because it doesn't realize there is so much insulin in the blood already. Remember the receptors have started to turn themselves down...just as you would a loud radio. This leads to the pancreas working too hard and eventually shutting down. We call this Type 2 diabetes. The old name was Adult Onset Diabetes.

All of us should be taking the following:

Fish oil---I've found Salmon Oil to be best.
BioChromate -- has an important role in regulating appetite, reducing sugar cravings, and lowering body fat.
Alpha Lipoic Acid --may enhance the glucose lowering action of insulin and a powerful antioxidant
IF you have sugar problems, you may want to add Cinnamon Bark Capsules as well.

Unfortunately, there has been a childhood obesity epidemic in our country and many of these children are developing Type 2 diabetes which is why the name was eventually changed. Obesity in children is now at 30% and growing.

This is NOT genetics, this is lifestyle choice. This is very controllable. We were given free will, and we live in a free country. The choices we make ultimately decide what how healthy we will be.

Obese people will more rapidly degenerate and come down with diseases of aging such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis. We must reverse this trend or for the first time in human history, we will begin to have children living shorter lives than their parents.
One way to get started is to do the following:
reduce the amount of time you and your children spend in front of the TV
eliminate all refined sugars and carbohydrates from your diet
no salt
no white flour
do not buy candy (it should be a RARE treat)---get healthy nuts (walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds) and have them have daily as snack
start walking with your children
STOP all soda drinking, yes, diet too, it's a poison---(what do you give your dog to drink?)---well, start giving your kids water too!
don't give your kids milk (type "dangers of milk" in google)---where do cows get calcium
give your child raw vegetables at EVERY MEAL
Reduce the amounts of GRAINS they are eating
start eating GRASS FED BEEF (read my article on the EARTHTURNSBLOG )
No one said it will be easy. But the alternative is a disaster. You are paying $90 a pound for Tic-Tacs so lets get real and not complain that healthy meat is $10 or $12 a pound and that fruits and vegetables are getting more expensive.
I welcome your comments for a lively discussion on this topic. More info to follow.
.

2006-09-13T11:35:00.000-04:00

New Study Reveals Omega 3 Fatty Acids Influence Mood, Impulsivity and Personality

An exciting new study presented recently by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine revealed that adding Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (EFA=essential fatty acids) may influence mood, personality and behavior.

This is huge. Research continues to prove what many of us have known and understood for quite some time. Americans are deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids and a myriad of chronic health conditions have emerged that are not genetic and not due to lack of drugs in their bodies, but due to lifestyle choices.

In the study of 106 healthy volunteers, the researchers discovered that participants who had lower blood levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids were more likely to report mild or moderate symptoms of depression, a more negative outlook and be more impulsive. Conversely, those with higher blood levels of omega-3s were found to be more agreeable.

"A number of previous studies have linked low levels of omega-3 to clinically significant conditions such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse and attention deficit disorder," said Sarah Conklin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral scholar with the Cardiovascular Behavioral Medicine Program in the department of psychiatry at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Medicine. "However, few studies have shown that these relationships also occur in healthy adults. This study opens the door for future research looking at what effect increasing omega-3 intake, whether by eating omega-3 rich foods like salmon, or taking fish-oil supplements, has on people's mood."

Due to mercury in our waters, it is imperative to take molecularly distilled fish oil supplements to get enough EFA’s. Unfortunately if you eat large quantities of fish, you run the risk of mercury toxicity.

Another great source of Omega 3 fatty acids is grass-fed beef. Read our article below about the benefits of grass fed beef.

Good luck and keep educating yourself about the role Omega 3’s play in your health.

Importance of Omega 3's and Fish Oil Great Source!

2006-08-05T17:09:00.000-04:00

Though Lipitor is a common method for treating high levels of cholesterol, the drug is not nearly as efficient as Omega-3 fatty acids, found mainly in fish oils. Both Lipitor and Omega-3 fatty acids aim to raise levels of HDL cholesterol—known as “good” cholesterol.

The higher the level of this HDL cholesterol, the less the risk a person would have of acquiring a cardiovascular disease. HDL also removes any excess cholesterol from cells within the arteries, protecting against conditions such as atherosclerosis.

In several studies, both the drug and the fish oils successfully decreased plasma triacylglycerols and increased HDL cholesterol levels, but only the Omega-3 fats in the fish oil also affected the rates of the production and molecular breakdown of HDL apolipoproteins.

Not only did Lipitor have no such effect, but it was also found to do more harm than good. Statin drugs such as Lipitor deplete levels of bad LDL cholesterols, but they do nothing to modify the original cause of the rise in such cholesterol. Statin drugs also deplete the body of certain requirements, such as Coenzyme Q10—which can ultimately result in heart failure. Lipitor is more likely to depress your immune system than improve it and even manages to increase your risk of atherosclerosis.

While hurting your body, Lipitor also hurts your wallet in significant way. Omega-3 rich supplements or foods can be purchased without prescription for less than a prescription co-payment of Lipitor. Even though insurance companies pay for most of the bill, prescription companies such as Pfizer continually raise their prices to acquire more funding to make this harmful product. Omega-3 fatty acids are a safer, cheaper, and more natural way to solve health problems than by purchasing an expensive, dangerous little pill.

With drugs that have such setbacks, it is important to realize that there are simpler methods to normalize your cholesterol and move towards a healthier lifestyle.

One effective method to lower your cholesterol is to keep an exercise regimen. By doing so, you can easily lower your insulin levels and lower your risk of heart disease.

Diet is also by far one of the most important methods to lower insulin levels. Unless a person is coping with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, an individual’s cholesterol is heightened by a rise in insulin levels.

A rather easy and effective change in your diet would be to detract from sugar and grains. Grains are harmful to your cholesterol because they quickly break down into sugars in the body and heighten insulin your level along with other sugars you ingest. By cutting down on sugar and grains not only do you normalize cholesterol in your body, but you also normalize your weight and blood pressure, as well as heighten your energy levels.

Getting a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids into your body can be beneficial in improving cholesterol, but that’s merely the tip of the iceberg of what if can do for your health. As long as you make sure to find Omega-3 supplements that meet strict purity guidelines, these fatty acids have been known to improve conditions in all parts of the body. They have been known to aid in disorders such as anxiety, depression, and weight gain, along with life threatening conditions such as heart disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and diabetes. Omega-3 fatty acids can improve allergies and skin problems such as constant dryness, abundant thick patches, and eczema.

Since Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally required by the body, a lack or imbalance of Omega-3’s can also be detrimental to your health. The dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain that influence both mood and attention deficit disorders are made up of a certain type of Omega-3 fatty acid known as DHA. If there is a lack of DHA in the blood, the body may use man-made trans-fats (known as hydrogenated oils) to build into some of these receptors, causing these receptors to become seriously deformed. For a child who is still growing, this problem could ultimately cause health problems such as depression and ADD. This is why hydrogenated oils should be avoided. If your body does not have the proper building blocks...it will use what it finds.

Within a child whose brain is still developing, new neural pathways are constantly forming as the child is learning new things. DHA is needed to create delicate neural synapses and if there is a lack in DHA, other types are fats are used, and a child may develop memory problems.

Without a considerable amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in a diet, it is possible to harm a growing mind that needs DHA to build it. The imbalance has a serious effect on moods, memory, and concentration in both children and adults. Omega-3 deficiencies have also been known to be an influence in other conditions such as diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, allergies, arthritis, violence, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and various skin diseases.

Today, it is simple to still find foods that contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids, but the American diet is almost devoid of them. Rather, we eat excessive amounts of man-made trans-fats that are high in Omega-6 fatty acids, which block our body’s effort to thrive on the few Omega-3’s that it obtains. Though the human brain is made up of more than 60% structural fat, we no longer eat the correct types of fats that we used to, but rather we ingest fats that deflect any helpful substances.

Centuries ago, men who lived as hunters and gatherers had diets rich in Omega-3’s, as they ate grass-fed meat along with fruits and vegetables, and rarely ate any grain. Certain components of their diets such as green leafy vegetables, nuts, and seeds are very good sources of Omega-3’s. (See our Post about Grass-fed meats)

Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in types of high-quality fish or krill oil and in meat that has been raised to eat “free-range,” or grass-fed. Research has shown that wild animals are much healthier to eat than grain-fed animals. Such animals that have diets lacking greens and grasses have significantly low or non-detectable Omega-3 levels, while those that eat only leafy greens and vegetables have considerably high Omega-3 levels and are a much leaner and healthier contribution to one’s diet.

Such meat cannot yet be found in your local grocery store, but it can be ordered online and shipped overnight. It has been predicted that within the next 10 or so years, the population will become more aware and concerned for the need of Omega-3 fatty acids and the production of food will change drastically to meet such requirements. For now, only some companies are taking steps to market Omega-3 rich foods by introducing not only free-range meat, but also tuna and eggs from chickens fed with Omega-3 rich foods. The Gerber baby food company has also begun to formulate foods with more Omega-3’s.

As the pressure rises to increase Omega-3 content in foods, the FDA also has announced that within a few years they will enforce a new rule that will require the trans-fat content of foods. For now, we will have to wait and continue to seek out the purest Omega-3 sources that we can.

Grass Fed Beef in Panama

2006-07-22T08:43:00.000-04:00

I just got back from a wonderful trip to Panama. The people are friendly, the temperature constantly hovers in the high 80's...and guess what? All of their beef, yes even at Wendy's, is grass-fed.

At a wonderful steak house we visited, they had Omaha steaks on the menu for $25, but why buy grain-fed beef when for $9.00 you can have a healthier Panamanian grass-fed steak.

Panama is a great place to think about for retirement for many reasons. Visit http://www.retireinpanama.info/ to get more information about why Panama is a great destination.

NutraSweet--Silent Killer

2006-07-02T09:29:00.000-04:00

Aspartame (the generic name) or NutraSweet (the brand name) is an innocuous killer that is finding its way into the fabric of many foods. NutraSweet has been linked to leukemia and lymphoma, migraine headaches, seizures, memory loss and even psychotic episodes.

Would you believe that at one time, the Pentagon listed aspartame as a biochemical warfare agent? Who would ever think that it would eventually wind up in our foods, chewing gum, sodas and even some prescription and over the counter meds?

If you are not paying attention to labels, then you and your family are probably consuming aspartame. I would imagine that numerous symptoms that you and your family are suffering from can be attributed to aspartame. In fact, you are probably going to the doctor and getting prescription meds to cover up symptoms created by taking aspartame. This is insane.

You must act now and stop allowing your family to be poisoned by NutraSweet. Read the labels; if it says aspartame or NutraSweet on the label, do not buy it. Make healthy choices. Instead of soda, try water. Instead of gum, try nibbling on some carrots. The choices you make now will affect you and your family for years.

Natural Muscle Spasm Remedy

2006-06-07T20:58:00.000-04:00

I am asked all the time about which product is best for chronic muscle spasms. Whether the problem is back spasm, neck spasm or menstrual cramps, my answer is the same. Formula 303 is safe, and the most effective natural muscle relaxant we've seen.

The greatest thing about Formula 303 is that it also helps alleviate the associated anxiety and tension associated with the muscle spasm. Even if your problem is anxiety, stress, insomnia and you don't have muscle spasm, our Maximum Strength Formula 303 containing valerian, passiflora and magnesium carbonate is very effective when taken as directed.

We have now created a combo pack, which contains both our best selling Formula 303 and professional strength CryoDerm Analgesic pain spray. When used together for muscle sprains, bursitis and back pain or neck pain, you get the best possible natural home remedy available.

Importance of Grass-fed Meats

2006-05-20T15:37:00.001-04:00

Most of the following information was taken from a newsletter written by Ted Slanker.

Scientists have proven that all chronic diseases can be traced to the imbalances of essential Omega-6 fatty acids compared to Omega-3 fatty acids in the membranes of an animal body’s cells. For all of time the O6 to O3 ratio hovered around one to one because the foundation food of the Hunter Gatherer’s food supply was the green leafy plant. Man’s invention of grain farming changed all that. Today people skew their fatty acid balances by eating grains, grain-based foods, and grain-fed livestock products (grains are high in Omega-6 fatty acids and deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids). This skewing of the fatty acid balances in man away from God’s given plan for one to one, to what today the scientific community estimates to be between 20:1 to 30:1, is what causes cells in a body (bone cells, brain cells, muscle cells, skin cells, etc., etc.) to misfire in their function over time resulting in body failure. Body failures include obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, allergies, autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson's disease, and the list goes on and on.

Prior to his invention of grain farming, grain (the seed head of grasses, mostly annual grasses) was never an abundant and readily available food for man or beast. Grain was highly seasonal and most of what would have been grain was consumed by grazing livestock while it was in the green shoot stage. "So," you might ask, "if grain was not a food, what was?"

Since the very beginning of animal life, in the sea or on land, the foundation food has been the green leafy plant; not the cured seeds of grasses. Therefore, unless the people who are analyzed in nutritional studies eat properly, many of the observed markers for chronic diseases are associated events that indicate body failures are imminent rather than the actual root causes of the failure. For that reason, when scientists publish, invent, and prescribe cures for the associated events they have observed, in most cases they are grappling with a symptom instead of the cause.

Every anthropologist in the business will tell you that prior to man’s invention of grain farming he ate virtually everything he could catch; even grasshoppers, snakes, armadillos, and rats. (In some regions of the world people still regularly eat with relish what Americans arrogantly consider disgusting fare.) Killing bigger game meant he could feast for days and enjoy considerable leisure time. So, man really focused on big game. As a hunter-gatherer man also ate the leaves of green leafy plants, vegetables, some fruit, some nuts, some wild fish, and even some honey once and a while. But grains (the seed heads of annual grasses) were very rare since they were seasonal and, unless protected from grazing livestock who liked to graze grass fruit (grain) shoots when they were still green and before they had become dried out seeds, very difficult to gather in quantity. This was the diet of man for literally millions of years before he invented grain farming between 4,000 and 10,000 years ago depending on which region of the world he lived. Consequently, in God’s plan grain was never a primary food for man nor beast. It was man’s idea to change the plan.

In spite of scientific facts that are readily available to all who seek the truth, folks like John Robbins can spread their untruths and be praised like gurus. They get away with their shenanigans because their readers are poorly grounded in mathematics and the sciences which prevents them from realizing they are being scammed.

Here is a real life for instance.
Some people believe that if cattle are continuously grazed in large pastures, that means their meats will be inferior compared to cattle rotated through many pastures. Of course this is absolute nonsense, but the "beautiful people" don’t know that. But in order for you to know the real story, here are the scientific facts.

Continuous grazing versus rotational grazing has everything to do with a rancher’s economics (his ability to compete with New Zealand ranchers), very little to do with the eating experience of the meats produced. Unbeknownst to all except students of grazing management, continuous grazing studies usually result in greater daily gains per animal. This may actually produce a better eating experience! Rotational grazing studies result in greater total pounds of gain produced per acre.

Under continuous grazing pasture "management" is left up to the livestock. This lowers pasture utilization because livestock "cherry pick" the pastures. Consequently stocking rates are lower than with management intensive grazing practices. Ranchers who manage their pastures with rotational grazing practices have significantly greater stock densities. Their critters mow down a pasture and are moved frequently (often daily) and the "mowed" pastures have a rest period of 24 to 36 days on average. Which system is better for the livestock is debatable, especially since livestock gain better on continuously grazed systems. On the other hand, livestock love moving to fresh pastures when they get the hang of it.

As you may now imagine it is absolutely ridiculous for a consumer to be concerned about which grazing method is employed to raise his T-Bone steaks. Yet some folks have the notion that rotational grazing is mandatory for a good steak and a happy steer. For sure, if we are to compete in the production of grass-fed meats with countries like New Zealand, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, Costa Rica and scores of other counties large and small, then American ranchers must utilize rotational grazing methods.

How Could It Be?
Now you may wonder, how could it be that there is so much knowledge in the world yet so many people are so naive? The answer is people have become too specialized. They are so specialized that even the most sophisticated scientific types know next to nothing regarding anything outside their specialty. For instance a rocket scientist specializing in propulsion may know nothing about flight stability. The fellow who puts up sheet rock in a new house doesn’t know how to install plumbing, wiring, or kitchen cabinets. A fellow on the production line at General Motors who puts on fenders, can’t install headlights. I know for a fact that beef cattle specialists at Texas A&M can’t answer questions regarding forages! And I know that a few years ago most of the nutritional scientists working on fatty acids and real foods did not realize that the meats they had proven were best for our health were readily available in the form of domestic livestock that had only grazed pastures. As you can imagine this list of specialists who know everything there is to know about their particular fields of endeavor, yet are incredibly naive regarding virtually every other aspect of life, can go on forever.

Combine specialization, little interest in science and mathematics generally, and the average Americans disconnect with nature (especially the growing and harvesting of fruits, vegetables, and livestock) and you have a nation of people who know nothing about the world they live in. These people can easily starve to death in an environment their ancestors would have called bountiful. Of course most Americans never give all this a thought. Instead they trust in an artificial environment and believe it’s artificial foods will properly sustain their earthly bodies.
Amazingly, today most Americans are afraid to eat real foods! It would blow your mind if I were to list all the various reasons, phobias, concerns, religious taboos, and myths people have for not buying our meats. Yet the same people who can come up with all the excuses for not eating real food readily suck down concocted foods, fast foods, drugs, supplements, various drinks, grain and grain based foods, and what have you without a second thought. Is our country’s leadership to blame. Is it because of Big Business? Or are Americans too lazy, too arrogant, and too ignorant?

Every individual’s capacity to learn knows no limits unless he imposes those limits on himself by refusing to spend the time and energy required to ask good questions and seek good answers. We are all students of life and today there is far more to learn than ever before. Consequently we will never know it all. That means we must remain humble students until the day we die.

Big Nutritional Changes in Recent History
The domestication of livestock for food occurred very recently in time. In most regions of the world it coincided with grain and vegetable farming, which commenced, in most cases, anywhere from 10,000 to 4,000 years ago depending on the region of the world one studies. Yet as recently as the Twentieth Century there were still small isolated pockets of people here and there who were still Hunter Gatherers. But the Peace Corp, missionaries, and others driven to do good deeds have worked rapidly to eliminate these few remaining pockets of healthy people by teaching them "modern" grain farming methods to improve their food supplies. For these unfortunate late comers to modern civilization the changes in their foods have been abrupt to the extreme.

Here in the United States we have also experienced significant changes in our foods in a matter of a very few decades. For the most part the residents of the first permanent settlements (circa 1600) in what is now the United States had to live off the land. Sure they had brought with them their livestock and seeds for gardens, but hunting, fishing, and the gathering and cultivation of wild indigenous vegetables and fruits were vital and significant food sources. In 1800 about 95% of the U.S. population was still considered rural and farming (at a very minimum gardening) was nearly everyone’s business. By 1920 though the rural population of the country had dropped to about 50% and in the 1970s it had dropped to 25%, which is about where it is today.

In the 1960s, even though urban numbers had risen significantly, it was not uncommon for city dwellers to still have vegetable gardens and fruit trees. But now a garden in any town, much less a city, is a rarity. Shockingly farmers too are a rarity with only one percent of our nation’s population making a living off the land. But most shocking of all is the fact that most of the folks who make their living by ranching and farming do not raise their own food. They go to town and purchase most if not all of their foodstuffs!

Fast and Furious
The first major change in our country's foods commenced in the 1800s with the creation of the first modern and commercial cereal foods by the Seventh-day Adventists who were strict vegetarians. The Adventists formed the Western Health Reform Institute in the 1860s. The Institute was later renamed the Battle Creek Sanitarium after its location in Battle Creek, Michigan. The Adventists manufactured, promoted, and sold cereals. Common cereals are: wheat, rice, rye, oats, barley, corn (maize), and sorghum.

In 1894, W.K. Kellogg was trying to improve the vegetarian diet of hospital patients. He was searching for a digestible bread substitute using the process of boiling wheat. Kellogg accidentally left a pot of boiled wheat to stand and the wheat became tempered (soften). When Kellogg rolled the tempered or softened wheat and let it dry, each grain of wheat emerged as a large thin flake. The flakes turned out to be a tasty cereal. In the years that followed cereal production and the varieties of cereals soared. Even Wall Street got into the act and there was a cereal stock mania in the early 1920s! By the time 1950 rolled around "breakfast" cereal was a mainstay of the American diet.

The changes in our foods really came fast and furious after WWII; so fast that by the late 1950s people were already speculating on how long it would be before everyone would simply suck down a paste squeezed from a tube (like an astronaut) that would contain all the ingredients for a healthy body. That kind of thinking is more prevalent today as can be noted by all the attention consumers give to concocted foods, preserved foods, convenience foods, snacks, drinks, fast foods, and supplements. Obviously folks don’t realize that the complexity of the nutrient makeup and mix required by all living animals goes well beyond the most sophisticated analysis to date. That means there is no such thing as a tube of gunk we can eat on the run that will provide exactly what our bodies require for optimal health. And there is no way to calculate what supplements one needs to make up for what he is or is not eating. Yet nearly everyone in America believes just the opposite.

Scientists have conclusively proven, and commonsense supports, that the foods all animals require for optimal health and vitality are the same foods they always ate before man started changing the natural way with modern agricultural concepts, mechanization, and chemical concoctions. As I have stated over and over again in previous letters and this one, the biggest change in man’s food was when he invented grain farming. And it makes sense too. No other form of agriculture, except maybe dairying, is more unnatural.

To grow grain, man plants grass seed and protect the grass plants from grazing critters. He allows the grasses to fully mature, flower, and produce the maximum number of cured seeds. Then after the grass dies he chops down the grass to collect its cured seeds, stores the seeds, and consumes them throughout the year. This never occurred in nature prior to man’s intervention.

Yes, whenever and wherever grain farming first commenced it caused a drastic change in man’s nutritional intake. But in most cases grain farming merely supplemented man’s other natural foodstuffs so its impact was minimized. Then in more modern times technological advances greatly increased grain production and its uses and consequently grain consumption. With the advent of modern machinery, superior fertilization, improved grass species, extensive storage facilities, and highly efficient transportation systems man has been able to greatly increase grain production to levels never before imagined by farmers of just three generations ago.

Grain-Feeding America’s Livestock
The first self-propelled grain combines (machines that harvest grain) were introduced during World War II and they enabled U.S. farmers to produce substantially more grain than the nation’s population could consume. So the farmers started feeding it to their livestock to add value to their livestock production, not as an exception, but as the rule. Feedlots were invented and that created a whole new form of livestock production. (The first commercial feedlot in Texas was started in 1950!) Consequently, the supply of grain-fed cattle soared. By 1955 it had shot up to 7.4 billion pounds. It reached 22.8 billion pounds in 2004 while the non-fed beef supply fell from 5.7 billion pounds in 1955 to 3.6 billion pounds today. (Today’s non-fed beef supply comes mainly from old cull cows and cull bulls that are made into ground beef mostly for the school lunch program and a whole host of processed meat products such as sausages, canned meats, etc.)

In the late 1950s the poultry industry started moving the chickens out of the pastures, where they had grazed while being fed grain, into huge buildings where they were fed only grain. Now instead of taking three months or more to raise a fryer, it takes seven weeks. During the 1960s the dairy industry evolved away from the small 25-cow, pastured-based dairies to huge operations with 1,000 or more cows housed in feedlot conditions being fed grain and alfalfa. Milk production per cow soared. By the 1970s the pork industry followed suit by moving sows indoors where they were fed grain and turned into living machines that mass produced more live pigs than ever before. The piglets are weaned at 30 days and are fed more grain so they grow exceptionally fast to produce more pork than ever before imagined from a sow.
If we step back 100 years we’d discover that nearly all of the beef sold in America was grass-fed. Folks let their chickens and pigs range freely and for the most part those critters had to fend for themselves like their wild counterparts. Consequently fried chicken and chicken and dumplings were considered luxurious cuisine in the good old days.

Fat Animals, Fat People
By looking at old photographs and movies we can see how people changed along with their foods. In the 1950s most actors, and even the people hired to play minor roles in the background, were thin. (They were also always nicely dressed.) Go back 100 years to old flicks and pictures, and you have to search hard and long to find obese people. But not today. Fat people are the norm.
We can really see glaring examples of this in the agricultural community. One-hundred-year-old pictures of farmers and ranchers nearly always showed skinny people. Today most of the farmers and ranchers are as fat, or fatter, than their show animals. Pick up an agricultural publication sometime. Many of the people in the pictures are grotesquely fat. Nearly all are overweight.

Lots of folks believe that the primary reason for these differences in "body styles" is that people did more physical labor back then. For a fact they were more physical, but by a long shot diet plays a larger role in obesity and chronic disease than does exercise. I’m proof positive. I’ve always worked physically. But before I learned about the differences between real food and concocted food I was always gaining weight a little each year. Every once and awhile I’d interrupt the upward spiral with a Sunday Supplement crash diet. But I kept gaining and eventually reached 193 pounds. After I changed my diet to real foods and started eating MORE FOOD my weight dropped. Now I’m 152 pounds. That’s not bad for being 5' 10.5" tall. I lost that weight not by working out but by eating different foods. I do not run, go to the gym, do calisthenics, etc. I just keep active working on the ranch like I’ve being doing for decades.
Why are the people who eat the Hunter Gatherer diet (Best and Worst Foods) fit and trim? Primarily it’s because their cell membranes have the same essential fat ratios as the green leafy plant. Their vitamin levels and other nutrients for optimal health and body function are perfect. Peer reviewed, professionally published reports of controlled studies of laboratory animals show that incidences of chronic disease (including obesity) accelerates dramatically as the ratio of Omega-6 fatty acids to Omega-3 fatty acids in the membranes of their bodies’ cells moves higher than 4:1. This is quite disturbing when we note that nutritional scientists estimate that the ratio for the average American is somewhere between 20:1 and 30:1 and the optimal ratio is 1:1.

Omega6 to Omega3 Ratio
When the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega3 fatty acids exceeds 4:1 in the membranes of a body’s cells, over time the cells start "misfiring." The misfiring cells result in body failure. All body failures are called Chronic Diseases and 70% of all deaths in our country are caused by Chronic Disease. Most other deaths are from various causes and virtually no one in America dies of natural causes. (See http://www.cdc.gov/ for more statistics regarding death and disease.)
Grains skew the fatty acid ratios of cell membranes away from the ideal balance of 1:1. The reason is grains are mostly Omega-6 sources. For instance wheat’s ratio is around 9:1, rice is around 30:1, and corn is around 59:1. Grain-fed beef is about 15:1. Grain-fed skinless chicken breasts are 18:1. Grain-fed chicken eggs are 20:1. Compare those ratios with grass-fed meats and grass-fed eggs that hover around 1:1.

Yes, even in modern times foods have changed dramatically within just a few years. Of course our body’s nutritional requirements can’t possibly change that fast. In fact it may take literally hundreds of thousands of years for our bodies to evolve and adapt to even a minor change in the nutrient stream that’s required for optimal body function.

For Grass-fed meat information, we recommend visiting Organic Grass Fed Beef.

Eat Like an American, Die Like an American!

2006-05-05T08:37:00.000-04:00

Recently, there was an article discussing the fact that our friends the British are much healthier than us, even though we spend twice what they do on healthcare. Critics of America immediately jumped on the bandwagon and declared how unfair our healthcare system. They ranted and raved about the fact that there are millions without healthcare.

Let's not forget, that the poor in this country have all the "free" healthcare they want. Free is capitalized, because obviously, it's only free to them...Someone (us) is paying for it.

But all this aside, it is not the amount spent on health care that is creating the discrepancy. Health care is actually a misnomer, as it is really sick care. No, the problem is not dollars spent on "sick care", the problem simply boils down to America's choices.

We choose to eat and drink the way we do. It is our choices that is killing us. Simply put, our choices are making us sick.

Most of us consume huge amounts of beer, soda, fake juice, milk, etc., and rarely drink a full glass of water. Do you think our Paleolithic (cave man) ancestors drank soda? Of course not, they drank ONLY water.

Most of us rarely eat the proper amount of fruits and vegetables; we consume huge amounts of processed grain foods soaked cooked the wrong kind of oil or meat that has been raised on a grain diet.

We consume more food than we need and exercise less than we should. Most of us are nutrient deficient and toxic from all of the chemicals we breath, drink, put on our skin or eat.

Think about it and start making some healthy choices. Let's not blame our health on insurance or lack of it.

Diabetes Kills 3 Million People Each Year

2006-04-19T20:25:00.002-04:00

Diabetes is causing 3.2 million deaths per year worldwide, a figure three times higher than previous estimates, according to the World Health Organization. There were 171 million cases of diabetes worldwide in 2000, a figure expected to rise to 366 million by 2030. In developing countries, at least one in ten deaths in adults aged 35 to 64 is attributable to diabetes.

Diabetes is a major cause of premature illness and death in most countries, mainly through the increased risk of cardiovascular disease. The disease can be combated by healthy diet and physical activity, often combined with medication. Type 2 diabetes, which accounts for 90 percent of all cases, can often be prevented through lifestyle interventions including proper supplementation. Visit Natural Diabetic Remedies for more specific information about different supplements to help with Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes May Shorten Lifespan
Canadian researchers have found diabetics die up to 13 years sooner than people without the disease. This travesty could be avoided with proper nutrition and supplementation. The University of Toronto team says diabetic males in Ontario live 64.7 years on average, compared to 77.5 years in the general male population. Diabetic females live an average of 70.7 years, compared to 82.9 years for all females. A sad fact when much of the premature death is avoidable.

Diabetics Neglect Own Health
Less than 12 percent of people with diagnosed diabetes meet their recommended treatment goals, according to Washington's American Medical Association. More diabetics are taking medicine for high blood pressure and cholesterol than for controlling their diabetes. Unfortunately, too few are making needed lifestyle changes such as exercising, lowering dietary fat, and losing weight to control the risk factors for diabetes complications.

Cinnamon May Cut Blood Sugar Levels
A half teaspoon of cinnamon a day can reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics, according to a study by the Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md. In a study published in Diabetes Care, volunteers taking cinnamon also had lowered blood levels of fats and "bad" cholesterol, which are also partly controlled by insulin.

It is obviously not advisable to increase the consumption of cinnamon buns or apple pie because they are high in fat and sugar. Probably the best way to assure daily dosage with cinnamon is with supplementation. Cinnamon Bark Capsules. In addition, soaking a cinnamon stick in a cup of tea or sprinkling some cinnamon on cereal could be beneficial. In addition, natural diabetes supplement is Vaxa Diabin.

The active ingredient in cinnamon that lowers blood sugar is the water-soluble polyphenol compound called MHCP which mimics insulin, activates its receptor and works synergistically with insulin in cells.

Read Here for More Natural Diabetes Information...

FAMILY MEALS A BENEFIT

2006-04-19T07:25:00.000-04:00

Girls Benefit from Family Meals Minnesota researchers say the regularity and quality of family meals has an impact on preventing eating disorders in girls.

The University of Minnesota team has found the significance, structure, and atmosphere of family meals may help guide adolescent girls away from developing eating disorders. It was shown that girls who ate recurring family meals in a structured and positive environment were less probable to exhibit extreme weight control behaviors, such as diet pill use, vomiting and chronic dieting.

The meal itself provides an opportunity to model healthy eating habits to children, and it also gives parents the chance to talk with their children.

The study revealed that:
1. Girls who ate three to four family meals per week were at about one-third the risk for extreme weight control practices.

2. Girls who ate five family meals per week were at about one-fourth the risk for extreme weight control practices.

3. Boys also benefit from family meals, but the association was not as strong as it is for girls.

This study found what common sense knew all along.

MENOPAUSE TIPS- Natural Menopause Remedies

2006-04-17T08:30:00.001-04:00

Nutrition for Menopause

For everyone, proper nutrition is essential to a healthy lifestyle. But for women approaching premenopause, it is fundamental in reducing unnecessary symptoms. Dietary importance should be placed on whole, unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, and healthy oils such as flaxseed and fish oils (which contain Omega-e fatty acids). Foods to avoid include the whites—salt, sugar and white flower. Reduce or minimize your animal fats and caffeine intake.

For a natural menopause remedy, soy products containing phytoestrogens that act like estrogen in the body may help. Research also suggests that 40-80 mg per day of soy may improve the symptoms of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and possibly help reduce cholesterol.

A healthy diet and regular exercise can help prevent heart disease, which menopausal women are at an increased risk for. Before a woman reaches menopause, the higher levels of estrogen protect against LDL ("bad") cholesterol. During menopause, this protective effect diminishes and the level of HDL ("good") cholesterol decreases.

Herbal Medicine

Studies have found the herb Black Cohosh to be effective in relieving menopause related symptoms including night sweats, hot flashes and depressed mood. When considering the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and natural hormones, it is important to weigh individual risks and benefits before deciding which route to take.

There are many factors involved in reducing menopause symptoms, so it is important to seek the advice of a qualified and knowledgeable health care practitioner before using any herbal medicines.

EarthTurns Nutritional Supplement Blog Begins

2006-04-16T10:40:00.001-04:00

Today, we are proud to launch our nutrition blog, where customers, and non-customers can share thoughts about nutrition, natural vitamins and natural healthcare products. We hope you will take advantage of this blog and visit it often. Your comments are always welcome.

With this blog we hope to provide a place where people:

can get honest, ethical nutritional information
can ask questions and have the wisdom and insight of thousands of people
share thoughts about how natural nutritional products have helped them
write how nutritional supplementation has improved their lives

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