Use This Herb to Naturally Whiten Teeth

Yes, it's true. The yellow powder that will stain (almost) everything it touches is the secret ingredient in giving you the brightest whitest teeth possible. Yesterday I came across an article on Examiner.com called "Whiten Teeth Safely with Turmeric" and since turmeric is one off my all time favorite culinary/medicinal herbal cross-overs, I was intrigued. We already know that turmeric is a superstar for cooling inflammation and protecting the brain against aging, as well as being a powerful antiseptic and antibacterial agent, so I wouldn't put it past this great herb to do something else miraculously.

As a side note, turmeric has other beautifying properties as well, and can be taken orally or topically as a mask to shrink the pours on the face, and is used by Indian brides before their wedding day for just this reason.

Anyway, using about a half tablespoon dried organic turmeric powder and a bit of water to make a paste, I gave it a go. You do have to be very careful because anything not inside of your mouth that comes in-contact with it will be dyed bright yellow (including the toothbrush). But, as you might have guessed, it works like a miracle to whiten teeth.

Turmeric would also be great for oral hygiene, not just tooth whitening, because it is such a strong anti-inflammatory, which is good for the gums--since 90% of people over the age of 30 have gum disease, and is also a strong antimicrobial, so it kill all those bag germs causing tooth decay and gum disease (and be sure to take your vitamin K2).

Directions: use 1/2 tablespoon dried organic turmeric root (bulk in any health food store), add just a bit of water to make a thin paste. I use a small--real small--cup for this. Scoop it up with the bristles of your toothbrush (which will become irreversibly stained), and brush like normal. Enjoy!



Source: the-universe-inside-your-mind.blogspot.com

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35 Reasons You Should Store Salt

Salt has a lot of surprising uses in a survival scenario. The most common uses of salt are as food flavouring, for food preserving and baking. But here’s 35 more reasons to store salt – and lots of it!

1. Rust remover. Make paste out of 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 6 tablespoons of salt, apply to rusted area with cloth. Rub thoroughly then rinse and dry.

2. Improve coffee flavor. Adding a pinch of salt in your ground coffee before turning the coffeemaker on will reduce the beverage’s acidic taste.

3. Eliminate bad odors. Pour 1/2 cup of salt into the garbage disposal then run it according to manufacturer’s directions. Get rid of fish odor from your hands by rubbing them with a lemon wedge dipped in salt and then rinse with water. For smelly wooden cutting boards, remove the bad odor by gently rubbing a generous amount of salt over the surface using a damp cloth. Wash it with warm, sudsy water afterwards.

4. Salt soothes sore throats. A mild sore throat can be remedied by gargling several times a day with a mixture of 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup warm water.

5. Test egg freshness with salt. Add 2 teaspoonfuls of salt to a cup of water. Put the egg in the cup of water; if it sinks, it is fresh. If it floats, throw it away.

6. Clean greasy pans with salt. Greasy iron pans are no match to salt; simply use a bit of the substance on the greasy surface then wipe with paper towels.

7. Remove coffee or tea stains on cups by rubbing them with salt.

8. Calm that rogue BBQ fire. Sprinkle some salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to minimize the flames and smoke without cooling the coals. Also, throwing salt on a kitchen fire will extinguish it.

9. Remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken by rubbing the chicken skin with salt.

10. Prevent mold on cheese by wrapping it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before putting it in the fridge.

11. Keep milk fresh longer by adding a pinch of salt to milk. (Great if you don’t mind your milk a tad salty)

12. Make it easier to scale fish by soaking the fish in salt water first before descaling it.

13. Make non-stick pancakes by first rubbing salt on your pancake griddle.

14. Cut flowers can be kept fresh by adding a dash of salt to the water in the vase.

15. Kill weeds by spreading salt on the ground near the roots of the weeds. This is an easy and effective way to get rid of unwanted weeds on your rock garden, patios and driveways. However, be careful not to sprinkle too much salt because this substance in excess can ruin the soil.

16. Kill poison ivy by mixing 3 pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water then spray the mixture to the leaves and stems.

17. Deodorize your canvas shoes by sprinkling it with a little salt occasionally. The salt will reduce moisture and remove bad odor.

18. Relieve bee stings by immediately wetting the stung area and covering it with salt.

19. Discourage ants from invading your home by sprinkling salt in places where ants can sneak in such as doorways and window sills.

20. Clean your teeth with salt. Mix 1 part fine salt with 2 parts baking soda, dip your toothbrush in the mixture and brush your teeth. The baking soda also helps whiten teeth.

21. Saltwater mouthwash will treat sore gums, canker sores and bad breath. Just add 1 teaspoon salt with 1 glass warm water and you have a very effective oral hygiene treatment.

22. Melt ice by sprinkling salt over it.

23. Salt removes soot. Loosen soot from the chimney by throwing a handful of salt on the flames in your fireplace. The salt also makes a bright yellow flame.

24. Soak pecans and walnuts to make them easier to shell.

25. Lessen the starch content of potatoes by soaking them in salt water before using them. Saltwater also keeps potatoes and apples white.

26. Freshen the air in your house by cutting an orange in half and sprinkling both halves with salt.

27. Fix small holes in plaster using salt and cornstarch paste. Mix up to 2 tablespoons of salt and cornstarch and add enough water to make a thick paste.

28. Brighten your curtains and rugs by pouring ½ cup of salt into your washing machine along with the curtains or rugs.

29. Keep windows from becoming frosty during the winter by rubbing a rag dampened with saltwater over them.

30. Dry clean your dog with salt. Sprinkling salt on your dog’s fur and then brushing the salt out will easily remove dirt and fleas.

31. Exfoliate your skin with salt. Add salt to some baby oil then gently rub on skin. Rinse well after.

32. Make an antiseptic saline solution to use both internally and externally on sores and minor lacerations. Dilute 1 teaspoon of salt diluted in one cup of warm water (best to use natural sea salts) and you have an excellent antiseptic solution.

33. Make salt soaks that can offer relief in times of duress and bodily pain. Salt soaks can be applied to cramped and aching hands and feet or used as a whole body bath.

34. Reduce boiling time (especially in high altitude) by adding a dash of salt to the water.

35. Sanitize sponges with salt. Sponges can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Remove some of the germs by sudsing up the sponges, rinsing them thoroughly and then soaking them in cold, heavily salted water for up to 2 hours.

Source / Source / Source

23 Ingenious Uses For White Vinegar

By Allison Ford

About 10,000 years ago, ancient people discovered a product that would change lives forever. Wine had been around for a while, but after some was allowed to oxidize, vinegar was born. It became an immediate hit. The Babylonians used vinegar as a preservative, as did Ancient Greeks and Romans. Some peoples, including the Chinese, believed that vinegar was a tonic that would give them strength and vitality, as well as bestow healing properties. Legend has it that Hannibal only succeeded in crossing the Alps because his armies heated mountain boulders and doused them with vinegar, causing the rocks to crumble and clear the path.

Vinegar’s magic ingredient is acetic acid, which comprises about 5 percent of the finished product. Vinegar has been produced commercially for about 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest products in use by humans. There are many different types of vinegar out there, all produced by the oxidization of alcohol into acetic acid, but white vinegar is the most useful and the most versatile by far.

White vinegar has dozens of household applications, and the best part is that it’s green. It’s enjoying a newfound popularity as many people try to avoid toxic or harsh cleaning chemicals around their pets and children, as well as save money by making their own cleansers. Not to mention that vinegar is cheap, it’s versatile, and it doesn’t irritate allergies like some fragranced cleansers. Chances are, whenever you run into a household funk, vinegar is your answer.

Kitchen Remedies

Besides adding zest to salad dressings, white vinegar is handy for many cooking tasks.

1. Adding a few tablespoons of white vinegar to the water when poaching eggs helps the whites stay formed. Add a few tablespoons to the water when boiling eggs, and if any shells crack, the whites won’t leak out.

2. If your leafy veggies are wilted, soaking them in cold water with a little vinegar can perk them right up.

3. After chopping an onion, you can eliminate the odor from your hands by rubbing them with a bit of white vinegar.

4. When cooking any vegetables from the cabbage family (like broccoli or cauliflower), adding a little vinegar to the water will perk up the taste and reduce the gassiness they can induce. This also works when cooking beans, making Mexican food a far more attractive option.

Cleaning House

Vinegar can help with a variety of cleaning tasks, since the acid acts as a disinfectant and an odor neutralizer.

5. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal by mixing equal parts vinegar and baking soda and putting it down the drain. After letting this fizzing mixture sit for a few minutes, flush out the drain with warm water for a clean and stink-free sink.

6. The steam from a boiling a bowl of vinegar and water can loosen caked-on food.

7. One of my favorite vinegar remedies and my personal weapon against fruit flies is to set out a small dish of white vinegar and some smashed fruit, covered with plastic wrap with some holes in it–the flies crawl into the trap, but can’t get out.

8. If your stemware is cloudy from the dishwasher, wrap the glasses in paper towels soaked in vinegar, let them sit, and the cloudy deposits will rinse right off.

9. There’s no need to use bleach on tile grouting when you can let vinegar soak on it and then scrub with a toothbrush.

10. Bring lightly scuffed or dirty DVDs back to life by wiping them down with some vinegar on a soft cloth.

11. If you have water condensation marks on your wood, just rub the piece of furniture with equal parts vinegar and vegetable oil to remove them. Make sure to rub with the grain, and then invest in a set of coasters.

Cleaning Clothes

Vinegar works magic on upholstery and fabric, too.

12. If a child has an “accident” on a mattress, clean it with a solution of vinegar and water. Afterwards, pour some baking soda onto the mattress, and brush or vacuum the residue once it’s dry.

13. Spraying vinegar onto deodorant-stained shirts before the wash can remove the discoloration. It’s also great for fighting mustard, tomato sauce, or ketchup stains.

14. Adding a cupful of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine can freshen up bright colors and give you cleaner laundry. Acetic acid won’t harm fabrics, but it dissolves the soap residue that can dull dark clothing. It also acts as a fabric softener, a static reducer, and a mildew-inhibitor.

15. Vinegar will also loosen chewing gum stuck to car upholstery, rugs, and carpeting.

Outdoor Solutions

Tough enough even for the outdoors, vinegar can function as a car cleaner and an organic pest remover.

16. If your car still sports a bumper sticker from two elections ago, remove it by spraying the decal with white vinegar to saturate the area, and the sticker will peel off in a few hours. (You might need to spray it a few times.)

17. Wiping down your car windows and windshield with a three-to-one vinegar-water mixture can keep them frost-free in the wintertime.

18. Kill weeds and crabgrass growing in sidewalks and driveways by pouring vinegar onto them. A half-and-half solution of vinegar and water can even kill garden slugs if it’s sprayed directly onto them.

19. To extend the life of cut flowers, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water in their vase, along with a teaspoon of sugar.

Pet Protection

There’s no need to use chemicals near pets when vinegar can handle most cleaning and bathing tasks.

20. Wipe out itchy ears with undiluted vinegar to keep dogs and cats from scratching at them.

21. Cats avoid vinegar, so to keep them from scratching furniture or sitting on certain areas, spray a vinegar solution onto the spot.

22. For outdoor areas, soak a sponge in vinegar and place it in the forbidden area to keep cats away. If kitty likes to mark his territory, spraying the area with vinegar can help eliminate the smell and deter recurrences.

23. Vinegar also gets rid of skunk odor. Soak the animal with a half-and-half vinegar and water solution, and then rinse with fresh water.

Vinegar can disinfect, deodorize, and de-gunkify just about everything. From shower curtains to sofa cushions, there’s not much that it can’t do. As an alternative to expensive and harsh cleaning chemicals, vinegar is something you can feel good about keeping in your cupboards. White vinegar and baking soda can even remove product buildup from hair and leave it soft and manageable. A product that can clean you, the dog, your car, and your house is what I’d call a good, green buy.

SOURCE: Wakeup World

New Research: Ginger Selectively Kills Breast Cancer Cells

New research published in the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology found that “ginger may be a promising candidate for the treatment of breast carcinomas.”[i]  This is a timely finding, in so far as breast cancer awareness month is only days away, and one of the primary fund-raising justifications is the false concept that a low-cost, safe and effective breast cancer treatment is not yet available. Could ginger provide the type of cure that conventional, FDA-approved treatments have yet to accomplish?

The new study was performed by researchers at the Biological Sciences Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Saudi Arabia, who discovered that a crude extract derived from the medicinal plant ginger (Zingiber officinale) inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells, without significantly affecting the viability of non-tumor breast cells — a highly promising property known asselective cytotoxicity, not found in conventional treatments.

The researchers outline the serious problems with present breast cancer therapies thusly:

Despite significant advances toward targeted therapy and screening techniques, breast cancer continues to be a chronic medical problem worldwide, being the most common type of cancer in women and the leading cause of death [1]. Typically, the treatment of breast cancer involves hormonal therapy with tamoxifen or other selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulators [2–4]. However, almost all patients with metastatic disease and approximately 40% of patients that receive tamoxifen experience relapse that ends by death [5]. In addition, the clinical utility of ER antagonists is often limited by side effects [2, 3, 6] and is largely ineffective against ER-negative breast cancer [2, 3]. Furthermore, despite the fact that many tumors initially respond to chemotherapy, breast cancer cells can subsequently survive and gain resistance to the treatment [7]. Thus, identification of novel agents that are relatively safe but can suppress growth of both ER-positive and ER-negative human breast cancers is highly desirable.

They described their interest in investigating crude extracts of ginger in the following manner:

Despite knowledge about the potent anticancer activity of the ginger, the molecular mechanisms underlying this activity are not currently well known in breast cancer. Based on the previously mentioned reported scientific data and considering the fact that in some cases herbal extracts are showing more potency than the purified components [21, 22], the present study was undertaken to investigate the impacts of crude extracts of ginger on growth of breast cancer cell lines.

They discovered that ginger was capable of positively modulating a surprisingly wide range of molecular mechanisms simultaneously, such as:

• Induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death)
• Upregulation of Bax (a pro-apoptosis gene)
• Downregulation of Bcl-2 proteins (cancer-associated)
• Downregulation of prosurvival genes NF-κB, Bcl-X, Mcl-1, and Survivin
• Downregulation of cell cycle-regulating proteins, including cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase-4 (CDK-4). (cancer-associated)
• Increased expression of CDK inhibitor, p21 (anti-cancer associated)
• Inhibition of c-Myc, hTERT (cancer-associated)

This is not the first study to confirm ginger’s anti-breast cancer properties.[ii]  In fact, a ginger compound known as [6]-Gingerol has recently been shown to have anti-metastatic properties in breast cancer. [iii]  Nor is ginger’s anti-cancer activity limited to breast cancer. Ginger and its constituents have been studied to inhibit the following cancers:

• Colon and Rectal Cancer[iv]
• Liver Cancer [v] [vi] [vii]
• Lung Cancer [viii] [ix]
• Melanoma [x]
• Pancreatic Cancer [xi] [xii]
• Prostate Cancer [xiii] [xiv] [xv]
• Skin Cancer [xvi]

Ginger is an archetypal example of a food-medicine – that is, something we ingest that both nourishes us, and helps alleviate pain and suffering. Today, it is consumed as a delicacy, spice and medicine by hundreds of cultures throughout the world.  Modern science now confirms that ginger has over 100 distinct health benefits.[xvii] It’s use stretches back thousands of years – something no existing FDA-approved drug can lay claim to – and is believed to have originated in southern China, spreading to the Spice Islands and other regions of Asia, and eventually to West Africa, the Caribbean, finally to India, its largest producer.[xviii]  There is also recent evidence that ginger was traded in Greece, as far back as 3rd century BC.[xix]

Source: Raw For Beauty & HTTP://WWW.GREENMEDINFO.COM/BLOG/RESEARCH-GINGER-SELECTIVELY-KILLS-BREAST-CANCER-CELLS

This college ditches football for farming

Paul Quinn College only has 250 students, so a football field is not really necessary (or financially prudent). Plus, the Dallas college is in a federally recognized food desert, with no supermarkets or restaurants nearby. So the administration made the awesome decision to turn the 1.3-acre football field into a working organic farm: 

Yes, the goalposts still stand where the field once was — but the hashmarks and logos have been replaced by sweet potatoes, kale, cilantro, even a chicken coup. 

 Students get $10 an hour for working on the farm, and it’s also integrated into academia: “Students work on the farm as a part of their biology and social entrepreneurship curricula,” writes the college. The fruits of their labor go to the school cafeteria, food pantries, the community — and even get turned into salsa for Dallas Cowboys games.

 What started as something modest is now a huge success: The school estimates it’ll sell 17,500 pounds of food this year, and its profits are now in the six figures. What a cool transformation.




Author: Holly Richmond

Article Sources: Grist.org, Msn FoxSports

CSA health secret: Eating local means eating in tune with the seasons

They seem to be everywhere these days: straight-from-the-farm subscription programs where folks can order shares of the weekly food harvest from their favorite local farms and partake in their seasonal offerings. But community supported agriculture (CSA) is expanding to become a whole lot more than just a regular box of vegetables, as many farms are now adopting whole-diet CSA systems that provide their customers with a full range of healthy foods they can eat in tune with the changing seasons.

One such farm is Moutoux Orchard in Purcellville, Virginia, where every week a full array of fruits and vegetables is spread across long wooden tables, and refrigerators and freezers are stocked with fresh eggs, meat and dairy, allowing customers to pick and choose what their families will eat that week. Members of this full diet CSA drive in from all over the region to load up their coolers, tote bags and trunks with some of the freshest and healthiest food available in the area, all of which is grown either directly on the farm or on nearby farms and is in season.

"We look to produce a full diet of mineralized, healthy food for you and your family -- including beef, pork, chicken, dairy, eggs, vegetables, fruits, and whole grain flours," explains Moutoux Orchard on its website about the program. "Simply put, you can think of it like homesteading with us, like being part of the family and having the same access to all of the abundance of foods that we enjoy out here on the farm. You come to the farm weekly, all year round, to pick up your bounty -- and the offerings change throughout the year following the cycles of seasonal eating."

Benefits of whole-diet CSA living include better health, stronger communities, greater appreciation for food

Though it represents a somewhat significant shift away from the conveniences of the modern supermarket, where the same generic foods are always available year-round, whole-diet CSA programs like the one offered at Moutoux Orchard offer members other unique benefits that surpass mere convenience. Besides gaining the unique opportunity to forge stronger community relationships with local farmers and fellow CSA subscribers, members also get to take advantage of better nutrition through local, fresh foods grown and raised in harmony with the seasons.

"More than a vegetable supplement, the whole-diet CSA embodies the full extent of community-supported agriculture, in which one farm provides members with the makings of a well-rounded omnivorous diet, year-round," writes Emily C. Horton for The Washington Post. "Subscribers commit to align their diets with the output of one farm ... one tied closer to land and community, in which they swap recipes for the ingredients that give them pause, and seasonal shifts are reflected in the butter as it turns from buttercup to pale blond."

It is food the way nature intended, in other words, and it is revolutionizing the way health-conscious individuals everywhere live their lives. Since it obviously takes extra time and creativity to adapt one's eating patterns to reflect the availability of seasonal foods, there tends to emerge a much deeper appreciation for food in general and the energy and resources needed to produce it. Eating locally and seasonally also encourages community, as local farms that specialize in different foods can mix and match their offerings to maximize variety and availability.

"The goal is to reclaim our food, from field to kitchen, and to be able to provide year-round for a community and ourselves a healthy, well rounded diet of whole, local foods," adds Moutoux Orchard about its mission. "Our motivations are living well in good health, achieving that intimate and close connection to our food sources, and fostering a sense of community."

To find a local CSA near you, visit:
http://www.localharvest.org
http://www.eatwild.com

Sources for this article include: Natural News

http://www.washingtonpost.com

http://www.moutouxorchard.com

http://www.localharvest.org

http://www.eatwild.com

Raw & Natural Raspberry Jam

This raspberry jam is easy to prepare (it takes less than 5 minutes!), and is GOOD for you! It doesn't contain any nasty preservatives, gelatin, or refined sugar which most conventional jams contain. The jelly-like power of chia seeds when they come into contact with moisture makes them an excellent substitution for gelatin which is the main ingredient used in jams and jelly's to make it thicken up. You may use this spread on anything! It can even be used as a sweet dip for fruit or vegetables!
Ingredients:







- 1 cup fresh organic raspberries (or frozen)
- 2 soaked medjool dates, pitted (or you may use 3 soaked prunes)
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds

Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Put into a small jar and let settle in the fridge for 2-3 hours - Enjoy!

Source : Live Love Fruit

Liver Cleanse Juice

Your first line of defence against toxins is your liver! Cleansing the liver helps it produce better, more efficient bile, which helps your body flush toxins and break down fat more effectively. Many fruits and vegetables help to cleanse the liver, but dandelion greens (and other bitter greens like arugula and mustard greens) are particularly effective.

This amazing green helps to increase bile flow so that the liver can be properly detoxed. The incredible mineral and vitamin density of these greens also helps flush out toxins, binding to them and transferring them to the kidneys to be eliminated via urination.

Celery is also a diuretic while increases urine flow to help expel toxins at a faster rate, while ginger helps to eliminate bacteria and viruses and any inflammation that might be harming our precious detox organs.

 

Need a juicer? Want a juicer that extracts all the nutrients without heating to high temperatures and thus preserves phytonutrients and energy life force? I swear by the Omega 8005 juicer! If you order the Omega through Live Love Fruit, you will get FREE shipping! Click HERE to order.

Ingredients:

- 1 bunch organic dandelion greens

- 5 large organic carrots

- 1 head organic celery

- 2 lemons

- 4-5 inches ginger

- *Optional: to sweeten, add 2 granny smith apples (to make dandelion greens less bitter)

Take the above ingredients and juice them in a juicer like the Omega 8005. Enjoy!

Article Source: Live Love Fruit

 

 

How to grow 100 lb of Potatoes in 4 square feet

Grow a few potato plants, each or in their own wooden box, crib, barrel or wire cage. The container should be about 18x18 inches at the base, about 24-30 inches tall, and able to be gradually filled with soft soil or mulch as the vines grow. Set each container atop a well-prepared fertile soil. Plant one strong seed piece and cover lightly with 4 inches of soil. As the vines grow, gradually fill the container with mellow compost, mulch or soil, but always make sure you don't cover more than one-third of the vine's new growth. With some varieties, the underground stolons which produce potato tubers keep on forming new ones for some time. In containers the yield may be increased 200-3000 percent compared with open-field culture. This is a great way to grow a lot of potatoes in a very limited space. We recommend doing this with Yellow Finn, Indian Pit, Red Pontiac, or the fingerling types. Watering requirements will be greater however, so check the cages or containers frequently in warm weather.

You will need:

6 - 2"x6"x8' *boards 1 - 2"x2"x10' *board 96 - 2½" wood screws * - You can use pine, cedar, redwood or pressure treated mud sill that has been treated with copper sulfate, which is not toxic to the soil.

Step 1

Cut 2"x2"s into 4 - 33" lengths. Cut 2"x6"s into 12 - 21" lengths and 12 - 24" lengths.

Step 2 : Assemble as shown in figure 1.

HINT: Pre-drill screw holes in 2"x6"s. Over prepared soil you will only build your box one board high. Fill with soft soil or mulch and plant seed potatoes 4" deep. As the vines grow approximately 12" above soil add another board and fill with soil being careful not to cover more than 1/3 of the vine. Keep repeating the process until the box is completed as shown.

Step 3 : Harvest Time!

As shown in figure 3 remove screws on bottom board and harvest your oldest potatoes first. Replace soil and boards. Your next harvest will be layer #2 and so on until you reach the top board.

Source :  Irish Eyes Garden Seeds

Vitamin D More Effective Than Vaccines At Preventing The Flu

The risk of children suffering from flu can be reduced by 50% if they take vitamin D, doctors in Japan have found. The finding has implications for flu epidemics since vitamin D, which is naturally produced by the human body when exposed to direct sunlight, has no significant side effects, costs little and can be several times more effective than anti-viral drugs or vaccines according to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.


Only one in ten children, aged six to 15 years, taking the sunshine vitamin in a clinical trial came down with flu compared with one in five given a dummy tablet. Mitsuyoshi Urashima, the Japanese doctor who led the trial, told The Times that vitamin D was more effective than vaccines in preventing flu.
Vitamin D was found to be even more effective when the comparison left out children who were already given extra vitamin D by their parents, outside the trial. Taking the sunshine vitamin was then shown to reduce the risk of flu to a third of what it would otherwise be.

Dr. Damien Downing, a doctor and medical consultant has publicly stated that governments "do like" epidemics as a chance to impose their will. The London based doctor has been advising patients to increase their vitamin D intake rather than get the vaccine.

You might be shocked to know that there are many physicians in both Canada and the United States who prescribe as much as 50,000 IU of vitamin D daily as a treatment for a long list of chronic diseases.

Dr. John Cannell, MD, suggests high-dose vitamin D (50,000 IU) be consumed for three days at the first sign of a cold or the flu. If you have an infection, the truth is you need more vitamin D. That’s a given. In other words, vitamin D acts as a natural antibiotic. It works against every type of microbe (viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites).

Vitamin D deficiency is common during the winter months, especially in countries far north of the equator. Vitamin D acts as an immune system modulator, preventing excessive production of inflammatory cytokines and increasing macrophage (a type of white cell) activity. Vitamin D also stimulates the production of potent anti-microbial peptides in other white blood cells and in epithelial cells lining the respiratory tract, protecting the lungs from infection.

50 Percent Reduction In Flu Infections Using Vitamin D

Altogether 354 children took part in the trial. Vitamin D was found to protect against influenza A but not against the less common influenza B.

The trial, which was double blind, randomised, and fully controlled scientifically, was conducted by doctors and scientists from Jikei University School of Medicine in Tokyo, Japan.

The children were given a daily dose of 1200 IUs (international units) of vitamin D over a period of three months. In the first month children in the group taking the vitamin became ill just as often as those taking the dummy tablet. But by the second month, when the vitamin level in the children’s blood was higher, the advantage of the vitamin was clear.

The Japanese scientists, writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, say that the anti-viral drugs zanamivir and oseltamivir reduce risk of flu infection by 8 percent in children who have been exposed to infection, compared with a 50 percent or greater reduction with vitamin D.

Anti-virals are typically more effective than vaccines for the influenza virus which suggests that both forms of medical intervention would consistently fail in similar studies when pitted against vitamin D.

Anti-virals are also too expensive, and possibly too toxic, to be given to the population as a whole whereas vitamin D has additional benefits. The sunshine vitamin not only prevents bone fractures but is also believed to reduce risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other illness, including various bacterial as well as viral infections.

The Japanese finding supports a theory that low blood levels of the sunshine vitamin occurring in winter explain why flu epidemics generally peak between December and March.

Vitamin D activates the innate immune system, enabling the body to produce several proteins such as defensin and cathelicidin which trigger cell activity and disable viruses.

Dr John Oxford, professor of virology at Queen Mary School of Medicine, London, said: “This is a timely study. It will be noticed by scientists. It fits in with the seasonal pattern of flu. There is an increasing background of solid science that makes the vitamin D story credible. ”

Dose and Vitamin D Levels Are Critical

Researchers have recently pinpointed the mechanism behind vitamin D3's ability to enhance the immune system and why it is so critical to our health.

- Vitamin D is not a vitamin, but a steroid hormone precursor, which has profound effects on innate immunity.

- The amount of vitamin D in most food and nearly all multivitamins is literally inconsequential.

- The correct daily dose of vitamin D for adults is approximately 5,000 IU/day, not the 200 to 600 IU recommended by the Institute of Medicine, the National Institutes of Medicine and the FDA.

- The only blood test to determine vitamin D adequacy is a 25-hydroxy-vitamin D, not the 1,25-di-hydroxy-vitamin D test many physicians now order.

- Healthy vitamin D blood levels are between 70 and 90 ng/ml, levels obtained by fewer than 5% of Americans.

- The mechanism of action of vitamin D in infection, dramatically increasing the body’s production of broad-spectrum natural antibiotics (anti-microbial peptides or AMP), suggests pharmaceutical doses of vitamin D (1,000 IU per pound of body weight per day for several days) will effectively treat not only influenza and the common cold, but help treat a host of other seasonal infections, including meningitis, septicemia, and pneumonia, in both children and adults.

Sources:

preventdisease.com
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
ajcn.nutrition.org


by Marco Torres. Marco is a research specialist, writer and consumer advocate for healthy lifestyles. He holds degrees in Public Health and Environmental Science and is a professional speaker on topics such as disease
prevention, environmental toxins and health policy.

Foods For Healthy Blood

Keeping your circulatory system healthy is very important. Your body depends on your heart to pump blood through thousands of miles of blood vessels to be delivered to each and every one of your cells. Blood carries oxygen from your lungs to the cells of your body, so if there is a problem with your blood (anemia, diabetes) or your blood vessels (clogged arteries and veins, atherosclerosis), then your whole body can suffer. If your brain is not receiving enough oxygen, you may feel dizzy and lightheaded and not able to think clearly. If your stomach is not receiving enough oxygen then your digestion and metabolism will begin to slow and you may feel cold. If one of your blood vessels isn’t functioning properly, then blood could stop flowing to a certain body part, and without blood, the cells in that certain body part could die.

Thankfully, we have mother nature to thank for her wonderful herbs, roots, fruit and vegetables. Food is our medicine, so eating heart and blood-healthy foods will be sure to keep your circulatory system healthy (of course, reducing the amount of processed foods being consumed is also an important factor in a healthy blood system).

Below is a list of 6 natural food items that help with keeping your blood strong, and to help fight and/or prevent against anemia:

1. Kale
Chlorophyll is molecularly identical to our red blood cells, with the exception of the central molecule, magnesium in chlorophyll, and iron in blood. Once it enters the body, chlorophyll, in a way, starts to act like haemoglobin (the proponent of blood that is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the cells of our body). This means increased nutrient delivery and oxygenation to our cells.

Kale is incredibly rich in chlorophyll (making it a great blood builder), and many other vitamins and minerals like Vitamins K, A, C, and E as well as manganese, calcium, iron and copper. The iron in kale is also essential for healthy blood, keeping us alert and clear-headed.

Adding some kale into your green juices, or making a nice leafy green kale salad (see http://rawedibles.blogspot.ca for kale recipes) is a great way to get kale into your diet.

2. Figs
Figs are a very mineral dense fruit. They have incredibly high iron content which makes them a great blood builder and useful in cases of anemia. Research also indicates that figs have the ability to shrink cancerous tumours, and contain more calcium than milk, and more potassium than bananas. Potassium is a mineral that helps control blood pressure, keeping our circulatory system strong and healthy.

3. Stinging Nettles
Drinking one cup of nettle tea a day can have significant effects on your blood! It is one of the best blood purifiers available, and can thus clean eczema internally and help fight against anemia. It has a tremendous influence on the pancreas and help assists in lowering high blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Stinging nettles not only help the blood, but they protect against hair loss, kidney stones, allergies, hay fever, osteoarthritis, internal bleeding, uterine bleeding, nosebleeds and bowel bleeding. They protect against enlarged spleens, diabetes, endocrine disorders, stomach acid, diarrhea, dysentery, lung congestion, cancer and anti-aging.

The best way to consume nettles is early in the morning before breakfast. Drink the tea every day for one month, twice a year, to help purify and cleanse the blood.

4. Beets
Beet juice is a blood purifier and blood builder and helps in the creation of red blood cells. Beet juice improves blood structure and cures diseases of the circulatory system, large intestine and digestive system, states longevity researcher, Mikhail Tombak, Ph.D.. Beets are very powerful cleansers of the liver and kidney, which help cleanse the circulatory system. Drinking fresh beet juice may help reverse your problems with anemia or other blood issues such as high cholesterol.

5. Parsley
Parsley is well known for it’s remarkable blood-cleansing benefits which classify it as a superfood. It is incredibly rich in chlorophyll (see above) and vitamin C which is a major anti-inflammatory and helps the body absorb iron. Parsley is also an excellent source of folic acid which is crucial for reducing homocysteine levels. Homocysteine mediates inflammation and is linked with cardiovascular disease and brain degeneration. Not only that, but parsley is a powerful diuretic that lowers blood pressure and improves kidney function.

6. Spinach
Anemia occurs when there isn’t enough hemoglobin (an iron-protein compound in red blood cells that transports oxygen) in the blood and there are too few red blood cells. Thus, increasing your iron levels is an important thing to do when you have anemia or other blood related problems. Spinach is rich in iron and vitamin C, and the two together help improve iron uptake (vitamin C helps the body absorb more iron from the foods you eat). Spinach is also a wonderful chlorophyll source, which is a great blood builder (see above). Enjoy spinach in your smoothies or in your salads!

Sources: Live Love Fruit


(1) Patek, A. (1936) Chlorophyll and regeneration of the blood: Effect of administration of chlorophyll derivatives to patients with chronic hypochromic anemia. Arch Intern Med (Chic)., 57, 73-84.

(2) Whipple, G. (1922) Pigment metabolism and regeneration of hemoglobin in the body. Arch Intern Med (Chic)., 29, 711-731.

(3) Appel, L., Moore, T., Obarzanek, E., et al. (1997) A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. New England Journal of Medicine, 336, 1117-24.

(4) Ensminger, A., Esminger, M., et al. (1986) Food for Health: A Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, California: Pegus Press.

(5) http://www.naturalnews.com/027290_stinging_nettles_tea_herb.html

(6) Can We Live 150 Years?, Mikhail Tombak, Ph.D.

8 Ways To Eat Healthy On A Budget

I am often asked how individuals and their families can eat healthy when they have to stick to a monthly budget – when a container of organic lettuce costs 3 times as much as an easy pop-me-in-the-microwave dinner, it is often much more convenient (and cheaper) to go for the latter than the former.

However, once you begin to realize how much you might be spending on food items outside of the foods you buy at a grocery store (say, a lunch bought at work, or going out to eat a couple times a week for dinner) you start to realize that you could be saving pocketfuls of cash.

When I switched my diet, I actually managed to save money because I stopped eating out, I gave up alcohol, I don’t smoke cigarettes, and I live a simplistic life with minimal materialistic possessions. Even choosing organic foods didn’t budge the bills – I came to realize that much of the organic produce was similarly priced as the non-organic produce, and that shopping around was my best bet to getting good deals.

Here are some tips and tricks so that you can work toward consuming a healthy, high raw and organic lifestyle on a budget!

Farmer’s Markets

Farmer’s markets are one of the best ways to get the most for your money. The produce is fresh, local, and instead of supporting corporate giants, you are supporting individuals in your community which leaves a sense of fulfillment and gratitude. If you are concerned about pesticides and herbicides, you can often find vendors which are certified organic, or, you can simply ask the farmers if they spray their farms. You can make the decision as to whether you trust their sincerity, I often take their word (and individuals who cannot afford certified organic labelling, but do not spray, usually have cheaper produce too!).

Store Swapping

Shopping between stores for the best deal is a must for helping save money. I often find that the same produce distributors at one store might be 2-3 dollars cheaper at another (which can save a lot of money, especially if you are buying per pound or kilogram). Getting to know stores and which are more pricey than others is also useful in ensuring your money isn’t spent ruthlessly.

For example, I often shop between a few different stores in my area. There is Organic Planet, Organza, Vita Health, Superstore, Safeway, Mondragon, and of course farmer’s markets in summer. The prices between these places vary, and so I shop between them weekly to find the best deal on organic produce.

Sprouting

Sprouting is incredibly easy, and they are packed with a variety of nutrients. Eating nutrient rich foods help satiate the hunger signals in your brain, and also help mineralize your body (meaning that you don’t need to eat as much food and thus save money). If you are fond of sprouts but can’t afford them, sprouting is also an excellent way to save money.

Buying bulk sprouting seeds and sprouting them in an old jar with a sprouting lid (or even a rubber band and some clean pantyhose) is inexpensive and one of the best ways for introducing organic micro-greens into your diet. My favourites to sprout are sunflower seeds and broccoli seeds (all organic of course!).

Bulk Buying

Buying in bulk is an excellent way to save money, especially if you want to go in on it with a couple other friends or households nearby. You can also ask your local health food store if they sell items in bulk, and if so, if you can get a discount (for example, an organic grocer in my city gives a 10% discount on items when you buy in bulk).

Going to your local health food store and buying your nuts, seeds, legumes, dried fruit or grains (if you consume grains) from bulk bins is a sure way to save money on the same product that might be in a fancy package but priced at double the cost.

On Sale Produce

A lot of stores have discounted produce shelves where they put produce out that can no longer be sold because they are not in perfect condition. Usually this means that all of the ripe, ready to eat fruit will be in these discounted sections, which is great because that is the condition we should be eating our fruit in – RIPE!

Wholesalers are also a great way to save money on produce, although finding organic wholesalers is a little more difficult (especially where I live). Whenever I buy produce, if I find some fruit or vegetable that looks a little bruised or battered up, I will ask the produce people or someone up front if I can get it for a discount price. More often than not, their answer is yes, and I end up getting a 50% discount on my produce!

Eat at Home

Preparing food and eating at home is one of the most important lifestyle changes to help save money. Eating out is expensive, no matter what way you look at it. I can stay at home and make the most delicious, satiating, massive salad for under $7, OR, I could go out and get a bland, boring salad which is 1/8th of the size of the ones I make at home for $10. It only makes sense not to eat out when you can.

Eat Seasonally

Seasonal eating is another great money saver. Seasonal produce is much cheaper, because it is much more abundant and readily-available (opposed to something being grown under less-than-optimal conditions during a time when nature did not intend for it to be grown). Eating seasonally is also much healthier too! In-season produce is more nutrient dense, and also more flavourful. This also works out well for people who do not want to eat vegetables or fruit, because in-season produce that tastes better will be eaten more often.

Ditch Supplements (& other non-necessary expensives)

If you are consuming vitamin and mineral rich fruit and vegetables, supplements are not really necessary. Protein powders and daily vitamins are taken to supplement an already deficient diet. If you are eating healthy, and consuming adequate quantities of fresh, organic, mostly local produce then your body doesn’t need supplementation. The same goes for superfood blends which can be bought for so much cheaper in bulk at health food stores, separately, and mixed yourself.

Supplements are a $25-billion-a-year industry, because so many people think they need supplements to have a balanced body chemistry. Nutritionists and medical professionals argue that supplements are necessary because most people don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables and rely more on processed foods which lack essential nutrients. When I went raw vegan I removed all supplements from my diet and my blood work still comes out great every year (and I have been raw for 3.5 years!).

It might also be the case that the soil in which our food is grown is depleted and thus lacks essential minerals. If you have reason to believe that your food may not be mineral rich, then look into buying a quality mineral supplement such as those provided by Mother Earth Minerals.

Article Source: Live Love Fruit