Today's Natural Cure: Blue Light for Improved Brain Function and Focus

Today's article is courtesy of NaturalNews.com.

Blue light found to improve brain function and focus better than coffee

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Swedish researchers have made a fascinating discovery with regard to short wavelength blue light that suggests that it could be used as a natural therapy to help improve cognitive function and boost energy levels. In a test comparing the effects of blue light to caffeine and several other modalities, a team of scientists from Mid Sweden University in Ostersund found that simple exposure to blue light actually outperforms caffeine in helping people to think more clearly, focus on the task at hand and have enough energy to get through the day.

While previous research has shown that exposure to blue light, especially right before bed, can obstruct the natural sleep cycle by interfering with hormone production, this latest study found quite the opposite in terms of how it affects brain and motor function. Not only does exposure to blue light help promote better focus, according to the latest data, even in the presence of distractions, but it also enhances overall psychomotor function and alertness.

To arrive at this conclusion, a group of 21 healthy individuals was instructed to perform a computer-based psychomotor vigilance test both before and after undergoing one of four randomly assigned trial conditions. These conditions included exposure to the following: white light and a placebo, white light and 240 milligrams (mg) of caffeine, blue light and a placebo, or blue light and 240 mg of caffeine. Following the exposures and the test, the research team analyzed the results using the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale.

What they found was that both the caffeine only and the blue light only groups experienced enhanced accuracy when taking a visual reaction test that required making a decision. Not only were the participants in these two groups better equipped to make the decision, but they were also able to make it faster than those in the other two groups. Additionally, the blue light and caffeine groups were found to have improved overall psychomotor function compared to the other groups.

However, the blue light only group outperformed the caffeine group in several other key areas, one being a test of executive function that involved introducing a distraction into the mix. Those in the blue light only group had improved accuracy and consistently outperformed those in the caffeine only group when both congruent and incongruent distractions were put before them. Visual reaction performance was also substantially improved in the blue light only group, and especially among participants with blue eyes.

"Blue light and caffeine demonstrated distinct effects on aspects of psychomotor function and have the potential to positively influence a range of settings where cognitive function and alertness are important," wrote the authors about their findings, which were recently published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE.

Blue light also shown to help treat pain, improve brain function among blind individuals

The study builds on related research involving the use of blue light to improve memory, alertness and reaction time. Doctors at the University Hospital of Heidelberg in Germany, for instance, have already developed a blue light patch that can be used to treat chronic pain. And another study on blue light that was published earlier this year found that it can be used to help stimulate and improve brain activity in blind patients.

"[Blue] light stimulates higher cognitive brain activity, independently of vision, and engages supplemental brain areas to perform an ongoing cognitive process," wrote the authors of this earlier study, from the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. Their study was published in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.plosone.org

http://www.dailymail.co.uk

http://boston.cbslocal.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Today's Natural Cure: Stay Clear of these Brain-Draining Items

Today's post comes courtesy of BeWellBuzz.com. 

7 Things That Can Drain Your Brain

By BeWellBuzz 2013-12-17

The human brain-over 4 million years in the making, and a marvel of evolution. Compared to body-size, we have the largest brain on the planet, by almost double. We also have the most complex brain, capable of over 100 million MIPS (Million Computer Instructions Per Second)¹. That’s the equivalent of a 1,618,000 Mhz Pentium processor, or 10,000 super computers. Our brains are the third largest organs in our bodies (right after the skin and the liver…), and the hungriest. Although our brains only make up about 2% of our weight, they consume 25% of the nutrients and oxygen, and a whopping 70% of all the glucose. The brain controls thousands of operations per second, and it does it without any conscious input from us, so we never need to worry about forgetting to breathe, or make our heart beat. The brain is the body’s Command and Control Center. The average person has over 70,000 thoughts per day. And it continues to do so for over 100 years in some cases².

As you might guess, anything this complex should be subject to many glitches and malfunctions. But, with the exceptions of disease and illness, the human brain is very reliable, most of the time. However, there are a few things that can throw a monkey-wrench into the works from time-to-time.

Here are 7 of the most common:

1. Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame can wreck havoc with your moods. Marketed under cute little names like Sugar Twin, Equal, and NutraSweet, these little chemical bombs fragment into two amino acids; aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. The rest is methanol, also known as wood, or rubbing alcohol. The main problem is the phenylalanine, which makes up over 50% of the total, and is a neurotoxin that goes directly to the brain. Phenylalanine depletes serotonin levels³. Serotonin controls moods.  So enough aspartame could, in theory, cause manic-like symptoms in large enough doses. People who already have mood disorders should probably avoid aspartame totally.

2. Monosodium Glutamate, or MSG

MSG is a flavor-enhancing food additive that serves no nutritional purpose whatsoever. What is does to is effect your brain chemistry and endocrine system. MSG is an excitotoxin, which interferes with the orderly firing of nerve synapses within the brain. It ‘excites’ the neurons into firing so much that neuron damage and neuron death can occur. This can cause effects all over the body. Some of the milder effects are headaches, nausea, and chest pains⁴.  Long-term effects are not documented, but many physicians suspect that MSG could trigger neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s Chorea⁵.

3. Heavy Metals

Heavy metals can be toxic when they reach certain levels in the body. Symptoms can include chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and mood swings. There are two types of heavy metal toxicity; acute, and chronic. Chronic Heavy Metal Toxicity often goes undiagnosed when neurological symptoms are present, because unlike acute toxicity, where the metal is circulating in the bloodstream, the metal has leached into the tissues, bones, and fat. A blood test will likely come back negative for Heavy Metal Toxicity. In either case, the standard treatment is Chelation Therapy, which removes the metal from the body.  Heavy metals can get into the body through air pollutants, dust, paints containing heavy metals like lead, and industrial exposure⁶. People living in U.S. houses built prior to 1978 (when lead paint was banned in the US) should be especially watchful for Heavy Metal Toxicity symptoms, because the walls and ceilings may still have lead-based paint on them.

4. Digestive Infections

Digestive infections can cause problems in brain functions, because the digestive system contains 95% of the body’s serotonin stores. Bacterial, fungal, and yeast infections in the digestive tract can cause mood, and brain disorders⁷.

5. Household Products

These products can be very dangerous to your brain’s health. Things like spray paint, glues, solvents and especially organophosphate-based insect sprays (which are basically watered-down nerve gas) can be very dangerous when used improperly. They should only be used in well ventilated areas, with proper breathing protection, and always kept out of the reach of children⁸.

6. Grains

There are some that believe that grains can have detrimental effects on the brain, especially in people with wheat allergies (celiacs)⁹. There is little documentation on this issue, but the suspicions are not totally without merit. There have been documented cases where people have become inflamed, disoriented, and had other ill-effects after consuming some grains. It is not clear why, as of yet. Clearly, further study is needed.

7. Sugar.

Sugar is not part of a natural human diet, except when it is contained in fruits and vegetables. Refined sugar is especially damaging to the body. Refined sugars effect the brain in two ways; they suppress a key growth hormone, that can cause depression, and mood swings, and they cause all kinds of adverse chemical reactions, leading to chronic systemic inflammation. The long term effects can include suppression of the immune system, and chemical imbalances in the brain¹⁰.
While most of these things, in small amounts, may be unnoticeable, your over-all health, and especially, your brain will be much better if you limit your exposure to these 7 hazards as much as possible.
—————–
References:
http://www.ualberta.ca/~chrisw/howfast.html
Foresight Update No. 6, August 1989.
http://www.onhealth.com/artificial_sweeteners/article.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/monosodium-glutamate/AN01251
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/04/21/msg-is-this-silent-killer-lurking-in-your-kitchen-cabinets.aspx
http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/heavy-metal-poisoning
Consumption of Fermented Milk Product With Probiotic Modulates Brain Activity: Kirsten Tillisch, Jennifer Labus,,Lisa Kilpatrick, Zhiguo Jiang, Jean Stains, Bahar Ebrat, Denis Guyonnet, Sophie Legrain–Raspaud, Beatrice Trotin, Bruce Naliboff, Emeran A. Mayer        Gastroenterology Volume 144, Issue 7 , Pages 1394-1401.e4, June 2013
http://www.healthy.net/Health/Essay/The_Danger_in_Household_Cleaning_Products/721
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/07/04/can-eating-this-common-grain-cause-psychiatric-problems.aspx
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/neuronarrative/201204/what-eating-too-much-sugar-does-your-brain

Today's Natural Cure: Hormone-Balancing with Food

Today's post comes from 247wereport.com.

The Hormone-Balancing Food Plan For Women 

The hormonal health of any woman depends upon the delicate dance of progesterone and estrogen. Estrogen is meant to be the predominant hormone in the first half of the menstrual cycle and progesterone the predominant one in the second half. However, for most women in the industrialized world this is not the case. 

CAUSES OF HORMONE IMBALANCE
There are many causes of hormone imbalance, but at the base of the problem is something called Estrogen Dominance - which means there is too much estrogen and not enough progesterone present in the body. There are many symptoms that result from having low progesterone levels.

The common causes of hormonal imbalance and estrogen dominance include:

• taking the pill,
• taking HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy),
• exposure to environmental poison,
• eating non organic and estrogen pumped animal products,
• stress in all its forms and
• dangerous cosmetics.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

When you consider the average lifestyle of most women today, it is not hard to understand why insulin, estrogen and eicosanoids have become imbalanced, setting the stage forincreased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, PMS, arthritis and breast cancer. Here are my suggestions for keeping your blood sugar, eicosanoids and hormones in balance.

Eat at least three meals per day.

Many women skip breakfast or lunch, or even both, "saving" their calories for dinner. The problem with this approach is that the metabolic rate naturally peaks at noon and slows after that. So the food you eat at night is far more likely to be stored as fat. When you eat breakfast, your metabolism gets jump-started for the day. If you skip it, your metabolism will slow down into conservation mode and this can lead to weight gain.

Cut down on refined and high-glycemic index carbohydrates.

Not all carbohydrates are created equal. Whether certain foods with a high-glycemic index, such as baked potatoes or bananas, can be part of a healthy diet for you depends upon your unique metabolism. If you are a true carbohydrate addict, you need to find what foods are healthy for you. I find that eliminating refined carbohydrates, such as sugar, white rice, bread, alcohol, and foods made with white flour, such as muffins, bagels, pasta, pretzels and other snack foods, helps the body burn stored fat and keeps insulin and blood sugar levels normal.

Consume whole grains in moderation.

Even if you have eliminated refined grains, if you are a carbohydrate-sensitive person you may still have problems with whole wheat, whole rye, whole oat, or millet flour. Research shows that the degenerative diseases that currently plague Americans didn't arrive on the scene until agriculture became widespread. In fact, the ancient Egyptians were fat and had dental disease associated with a grain-based diet.

Eat a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruit daily.

You want to shoot for five servings per day. And remember, a serving is small, approximately four ounces, or a half-cup. Think color and you'll be on the right path, because the deep pigments in these foods contain powerful antioxidants. Go for broccoli, green leafy vegetables, berries, red, yellow and green peppers, and tomatoes, and vary your choices through the seasons.

Eat healthy fats each day.

The low-fat diet fads of the past, which reached their peak in the 1980s and early 1990s, had women brainwashed into believing that fat was the enemy. In their attempt to eliminate saturated fat from their diets, many women eliminated all fat. I watched my patients complain of sallow skin, brittle hair and nails, susceptibility to infection, inability to concentrate, and weight gain despite their rigid diets. None of these women were getting enough healthy fat. Essential fatty acids, namely omega–3 and omega–6 fats, are needed to assist the body in many important functions, including those of the brain and nervous system. Good sources of EFAs include eggs, high-quality flax seeds, soybeans, walnuts, and cold water fish harvested from the wild. Again, the best way to obtain nutrients is in your food, but if your diet is lacking, high-quality EFA supplements are widely available.

Eat protein at each meal.

Eggs, fish, whey, dairy, or non-animal sources of protein, such as whole soybeans, tempeh or spirulina are all good choices. Beans contain protein, but also contain a considerable amount of carbohydrates. If you are a true carbohydrate addict and you are perimenopausal, beans may be too high in carbohydrates for you.

Protect your body with antioxidants.

Antioxidants combat cellular damage from free radicals, which are known to be a cause of chronic conditions such as heart disease, cataracts, macular degeneration, and cancer.1 Antioxidants are found in fresh fruits and vegetables, especially brightly colored ones. Food is the best source for antioxidants, but if you don't always get enough in your diet, high-quality supplements can provide significant protection.

HEALING ALTERNATIVES

Here are the relative glycemic indexes of some common foods. This is simply a guide; these numbers do vary from study to study, with plant varieties, and food preparation methods. Use this chart to help balance high glycemic foods with low glycemic ones. Try eating smaller portions of high glycemic foods and add some protein and fat to your plate.

Glycemic Index Chart

Low Glycemic: broccoli, cherries, chickpeas, leafy vegetables, milk, pears, plums, black beans, soybeans, tomatoes, tomato soup, wild rice, yogurt.

Low to Moderate Glycemic: All-Bran, apples, garbanzo beans, ice cream, navy beans, oranges, peas, pinto beans, potato chips.

Moderate to High Glycemic: bananas, candy bars (most), potatoes, pita bread, oat bran, oat bread, raisins, carrots, brown rice, kidney beans.

High Glycemic: bagels, basmati rice, cakes, Cheerios, corn, corn flakes, pies, pretzels, durum wheat pasta, white bread.

RESOURCES

These are explained in more detail, along with a supplement program, in The Wisdom of Menopause, by Christiane Northrup, M.D.
The Glucose Revolution: The Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index by Jennie Brand–Miller, PhD; Thomas Wolever, M.D., Ph.D.; Kaye Foster-Powell; & Stephen Colagiuri, M.D.
The Midlife Miracle Diet by Adele Puhn, MS, CNS
Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell — After Pregnancy: Every Woman's Guide to Shaping Up, Slimming Down, and Staying Sane After the Baby by Debra Waterhouse, MPH
Releasing Fat by Ray Strand , M.D.
The Schwarzbein Principle: The Truth About Weight Loss, Health and Aging by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D.

Source: www.drnorthrup.com/womenshealth..."

 

Today's Natural Cure: Getting to the Root Cause of Autoimmunity

Today's article is from EatLocalGrown.com.

10 Signs You Have an Autoimmune Disease and How to Reverse It

Author

Dr. Amy Myers

Autoimmune conditions affect over 50 million Americans, a large percentage of whom are women. In fact, I myself had an autoimmune diseases called Graves. Autoimmune diseases are considered a top 10 leading cause of death in women under the age of 65. They come in many different varieties, including rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, thyroid disease, lupus, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and more, and can cause many different types of symptoms all over the body that range from mild to severe in nature. But what are they, what causes them, and how can they be treated?

What are autoimmune diseases?

an immune response caused by systemic inflammation that leads your body to attack itself

Although there are many different types of autoimmune diseases and they can affect many different organs, at their core they are all similar in that they are an immune response caused by systemic inflammation that leads your body to attack itself. Your immune system has a very sophisticated system for keeping you safe that leads it to identify all of the foreign substances that enter your body or that you come into contact with. If your immune system deems anything dangerous, it will produce antibodies to ward off the harmful intruders.
Autoimmune diseases are born when your body is working hard to defend itself against something potentially dangerous, such as an allergen, a toxin, an infection, or even a food, and it fails to differentiate between the intruder and parts of your own body. Mistaking certain types of tissues for harmful substances, your body turns these antibodies against itself, wreaking havoc on your organs.

 

What causes autoimmune diseases?

There are many underlying factors that can cause people to develop an autoimmune condition. There certainly is an underlying genetic component. However, whether these genes get expressed or turned on is actually caused by a host of other factors, such as toxins from heavy metals like mercury or mycotoxins from molds, infections like Candida, Epstein-Barr and the herpes simplex virus, and most significantly, chronic inflammation tied to food sensitivities — particularly gluten intolerance. There is a significant link between autoimmune diseases and gluten intolerance.

10 Signs You May Have an Autoimmune Disease

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, especially a combination of several of them, you may have an autoimmune disease.

1. Joint pain, muscle pain or weakness or a tremor
2. Weight loss, insomnia, heat intolerance or rapid heartbeat
3. Recurrent rashes or hives, sun-sensitivity, a butterfly-shaped rash across your nose and cheeks.
4. Difficulty concentrating or focusing
5. Feeling tired or fatigued, weight gain or cold intolerance
6. Hair loss or white patches on your skin or inside your mouth
7. Abdominal pain, blood or mucus in your stool, diarrhea or mouth ulcers
8. Dry eyes, mouth or skin
9. Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet
10. Multiple miscarriages or blood clots

 

What should you do if you suspect you have an autoimmune disease?

Conventional doctors only treat the symptoms

If you suspect that you have an autoimmune disease, the most important steps to stopping and reversing your disease and symptoms are to identify and then to treat the underlying cause. Conventional doctors only treat the symptoms of autoimmune diseases; they don’t look to find the root cause. Often, they prescribe medications such as anti-inflammatory drugs, steroids, or immunosuppressants. All of these treatments fail to address the underlying cause of the autoimmune condition in the first place and, while they may be effective in the short term, they are not a long-term solution. Treatments involving immunosuppressant drugs increase the risk of severe infections and cancer when taken for long periods of time.
Identifying which autoimmune disease is affecting you can be a difficult process. Symptoms may be vague, and autoimmune diseases can present themselves in so many different ways, affecting the thyroid, the brain, the skin, or other organs. Working closely with a functional medicine physician to review your family medical history, understanding your risk factors for infections, food sensitivities and toxins, as well as listening to you closely to discover how all of your symptoms are related is an essential part of getting well. A functional medicine physician will help to narrow down which labs they recommend in order to help find the root cause of your condition.

What is my approach to treating and reversing autoimmune diseases?

My approach to a patient who has a known or suspected autoimmune disease is to immediately place them on a comprehensive elimination diet to remove the top twelve inflammatory foods. I also recommend that they remove all grain and legumes from their diet if they think they can. Lectins in grains and legumes have been implicated in autoimmune diseases.

place them on a comprehensive elimination diet to remove the top twelve inflammatory foods

I order a comprehensive stool test to look at levels of good bacteria, check for infections and leaky gut. I then apply a functional medicine 4R approach to healing the gut. This is essential! More than 80% of your immune system is in your gut. If you have an autoimmune disease, then by definition you have a leaky gut that needs to be repaired, otherwise you won’t be able to reverse your condition.
I check blood levels for various antibodies and look for hidden or underlying infections.
After I’ve done all of this, if the symptoms have not completely resolved I look for hidden toxins like mercury and mycotoxins. If we find heavy metals, I often will place the patient on oral chelation treatment. If we find mycotoxins, I have the patient remediate their home.
I know from personal experience how overwhelming, confusing and scary a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease can be. I also know that conventional medicine only offers treatment of the symptoms, not a real solution to the disease.
I urge you to find a functional medicine physician in your area to help you get to the root cause of your illness and to help you reverse your disease. It can be done.

 

Today's Natural Cure: Methylation

Today's article comes from Greenmedinfo.com.
 

Methylwho? Why You Should Know About Methylation

Posted on: Wednesday, December 25th 2013 at 11:00 am

Written By:  Dr. Kelly Brogan, M.D.

I was giving a lecture to a group of psychiatric fellows recently, and I got to my slide on folate.  I get excited about this topic, and so I rambled on about the one-carbon cycle, and SAMe, methylcobalamin, and the MTHFR mutation.  As I looked away from my slides, I could see the vacant stares from the near-audience and knew I had lost them.  If highly educated and trained physicians don't know about this, it may be safe to assume that the average woman with mental illness may not either.  This article will serve as a boarding call for anyone not on the methylation-train.
Here's the deal:  there are a number of processes in the body that, when compromised, broken, or otherwise dysfunctional can manifest as fatigue, worry, insomnia, low mood, poor concentration and attention, agitation, a trip to your psychiatrist, and a stop off at the pharmacy.
What if you could manage this particular problem without a psychiatrist?  When I consider symptoms of psychiatric illness, I think gut, hormones, mitochondria, and methylation.  These arenas are so intimately inter-connected, that it rarely makes sense to look at one without the other, and it never makes sense (to me, anymore) to think about invented neurochemical imbalances before addressing these bedrock issues.
When you eat folate, or B9, in foods like spinach, or you take a multivitamin or eat flour "enriched" with the much-lauded folic acid, your body has to convert that into a usable form.  This process requires an enzyme called MTHFR (5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase) to convert folic acid and food folate into 5-methylenetetrahydrofolate.  Here's what this form of folate does:

• Donates a methyl group to homocysteine to ultimately make SAMe – the brain's major methyl donor which is responsible for the formation of phospholipids, glutathione, myelin, coenzyme q10, carnitine, and creatine.  Vital stuff.
• Synthesizes BH4 or biopterin, a major cofactor for neurotransmitter synthesis.
• Synthesizes DNA and tRNA.
• Recycles the inflammatory amino acid, homocysteine.
• Builds red and white blood cells, and platelets.

Methyl-folate is pretty busy. It doesn't work alone; however. Vitamins B2, B6, and B12 as well as cofactors like magnesium all help support the functioning of this pivotal cycle in the body.
Maybe She's Born With It
MTHFR is just one example of a gene for which we can test for decently studied variants at a local lab. There are two common variants to this gene wherein replacements of single nucleotides results in lesser functioning.  These variants are inherited.
C677T – one bad copy means your enzyme is functioning at 70% and two means you're down to 30%.  This mutation has been associated with cardiovascular and psychiatric pathology and its impact is often assessed through screening of homocysteine.
And...
A1298C – this variant has been less well studied but is estimated to confer 70% functioning when both copies are mutated.  This mutation has been implicated in the production of neurotransmitters (because of its involvement in making biopterin, and important cofactor), and breakdown of ammonia.
Predicated on associations of low folate to depression incidence and treatment resistance, this review discusses the evidence-based association between MTHFR C677T and depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar, but only included one study on 1298.
Estimates of prevalence for these variants range by ethnicity from 2-20%, but in my practice, over 5 years of testing for this gene, only 3 patients have been mutation-free.
Given the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in women, it is worth noting that active thyroid hormone is needed to support MTHFR function, so women with hypothyroidism may bring an additional handicap to this process.  Thyroxine regulates conversion of riboflavin, a necessary co-factor for the FAD, an MTHFR-stabilizing enzyme.
Alcohol and yeast overgrowth also produce acetylaldehyde which functionally interferes with a related enzyme MTR, which allows activated folate to enter this one-carbon cycle.
Brain access to activated folate may be dramatically improved by non-synthetic forms as demonstrated in this case report of reversal of paraplegia with folinic acid. Even cow dairy can cause increase in folate receptor antibodies which functionally interfere with cerebral access to folate.
There are also a number of medications that interfere with folate metabolism including metformin, oral contraceptives, and lamotrigine.  Antacids can alter the stomach conditions needed for B12, a vital cofactor for the one-carbon cycle.
In this way, we begin to paint a picture in which available nutrients, genetic variants, and interfering factors may all result in different symptom states.

The Good News

Through the wonder of epigenetics, we have recovered power over our genes and learned ways to influence more optimal expression.  Methyl-folate (or 5MTHF) is a form of this critical B vitamin that can be taken, over the counter, in an effort to bypass any gene mutations. Different forms of activated B12 (hydroxy, methyl, and adenosylcobalamin) are typically essential players in treatment with methylfolate, as well.
Continue reading...

Today's Natural Cure: Hemp

Today's article comes from Natural News.

Discover the superfood power of hemp

by Dr. David Jockers

(NaturalNews) Foods that have an incredible array of health benefits that go well beyond just their nutrient value are considered 'super-foods.' One of the oldest and yet seemingly most misunderstood superfoods on the planet is hemp. Hemp is an incredible multi-purpose plant that can be used for anything from paper, rope, and cloth. It is also one of the most nutritionally well-balanced foods on the planet.

Although many people associate hemp with its sister plant marijuana (Cannabis sativa l.) the two are not the same. Hemp products come from a special variety that contains virtually no THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is the chemical that gives marijuana its psychoactive effects. Therefore hemp is a perfectly safe food that will not make one "high" or cause anyone to fail a drug test.

Hemp has been cultivated and used by many ancient cultures since the beginning of recorded history. Researchers have found its use in China, India, Babylonia, Persia, Egypt, and the native cultures in North & South America. Hemp fiber was used to make rope and cloth, while the stalk was used to make paper. These cultures also used the seed for nutritional purposes. It can be eaten as shelled seeds, oil, butter, flour, and protein powder.

Hemp protein is one of the very few plant based complete protein sources. This means that it contains sufficient quantities of all 9 essential amino acids. Hemp is a great source of sulfur containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, which are necessary for cellular detoxification and the production of vital enzymes. Additionally, it is rich in branched chain amino acids that are needed for muscle growth and repair.

Almost 60% of the protein in hemp is made up of a globulin source called edestin. Most of the rest is in the form of albumin. Albumin and Edestin have a very similar molecular makeup as the protein found in the human body. Because of this common link, hemp protein is very easily absorbed into human blood and used for roles as critical as DNA repair.

Most of our world is suffering from abnormal fatty-acid ratios. Two critical forms of essential fats are the omega 6 and omega 3 varieties. Due to the heavy consumption of processed vegetable oils and grain-fed meat & dairy products most people have very high levels of omega 6. The World Health Organization recommends a 4:1 omega 6:omega 3 ratio. The typical western diet produces a ratio from 20:1 - 50:1. Abnormal ratios cause heavy increases in inflammation that lead to accelerated aging and advanced disease states.

Hemp contains the optimal ratio of 3.75:1 (omega 6:3) making it a powerful source for an anti-inflammatory diet. Hemp is also a great source of the omega-6 essential fat gamma linoleic acid (GLA). GLA is only found in quantities of significance in hemp, borage oil, evening primrose oil, black currant seed oil, & Spirulina. Because of the scarcity of GLA much of our society is deficient in this essential fatty acid. GLA is critical for reducing inflammation in our body and is one of the most powerful nutrients for balancing hormones. Additionally, sufficient quantities of GLA promote healthy skin, hair, & nails.

GLA significantly increases metabolism by encouraging stored fat known as brown adipose tissue (BAT) to be effectively used for energy. Additionally, GLA activates the metabolic process by providing key nutrients for the cellular energy system called the sodium-potassium pump. When the sodium-potassium pump is effectively operating in every cell it can remove toxic substances from deep within the cell structure. If the pump is weak, cells will store toxins and the metabolism will be slowed.

http://manitobaharvest.com/articles_studies/...

http://manitobaharvest.com/articles_studies/...

http://www.naturalnews.com/029841_coconut_su...

http://manitobaharvest.com/articles_studies/...

http://manitobaharvest.com/articles_studies/...

About the author

Dr. David Jockers owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Ga. He is a Maximized Living doctor. His expertise is in weight loss, customized nutrition & exercise, & structural corrective chiropractic care. For more information go to www.exodushc.com To find a Maximized Living doctor near you go to www.maximizedliving.com

Today's Natural Cure: Detoxifying Foods

Today's article comes from Waking Times.

36 Foods That Help Detox and Cleanse Your Entire Body

December 12, 2013 | By WakingTimes | 2 Replies

John Summerly, Prevent Disease Waking Times
Practiced for thousands of years by cultures around the world –detoxification is about resting, cleansing and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health. These foods will assist in boosting your metabolism, optimizing digestion, while allowing you to lose weight and fortify your immune system.
1. ARTICHOKES
Artichokes help the liver function at its best, which in turn will help your body purge itself of toxins and other things it doesn’t need to survive. It ups the liver’s production of bile, and since bile helps break down foods which helps your body use the nutrients inside them, an increase in bile production is typically a good thing.
2. APPLES
Apples are full of wonderful nutrients. You get fibre, vitamins, minerals and many beneficial phytochemicals such as D-Glucarate, flavonoids and terpenoids. All of these substances are used in the detox process. One flavonoid, Phlorizidin (phlorizin), is thought to help stimulate bile production which helps with detox as the liver gets rid of some toxins through the bile. Apples are also a good source of the soluble fibre pectin, which can help detox metals and food additives from your body. It’s best to eat only organic apples as the non-organic varieties are among the top 12 foods that have been found to contain the most pesticide residues. Organically produced apples also have a 15 percent higher antioxidant capacity than conventionally produced apples.
3. ALMONDS Almonds are the best nut source of Vitamin E. In fact, just one ounce contains 7.3 mg of “alpha-tocopherol” vitamin E, the form of the vitamin the body prefers. They’re also high in fiber, calcium, magnesium, and useable protein that helps stabilize blood sugar and remove impurities from the bowels.
4. ASPARAGUS
Not only does asparagus help to detoxify the body, it can help you wage the anti-aging battle, protect you from getting cancer, help your heart to stay healthy, and is a general anti-inflammatory food. It’s also known to help with liver drainage, which might sound like a bad thing, but since the liver is responsible for filtering out the toxic materials in the food and drinks we consume, anything that backs up its drainage is not doing you any favors. Asparagus also helps reduce risk of death from breast cancer and increase the odds of survival.
5. AVOCADOS
This wonder fruit is packed with antioxidants, lowers cholesterol and dilates the blood vessels while blocking artery-destroying toxicity. Avocados contain a nutrient called glutathione, which blocks at least 30 different carcinogens while helping the liver detoxify synthetic chemicals. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that elderly people who had high levels of glutathione were healthier and less likely to suffer from arthritis. Consuming avocados is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake level, lower intake of added sugars, lower body weight, BMI and waist circumferences, higher “good cholesterol” levels and lower metabolic syndrome risk.
6. BASIL
Basil has anti-bacterial properties, and it’s full of antioxidants to protect the liver. The active ingredients are terpenoids. It is also wonderful for digestion and detoxification, too. It supports the functioning of the kidneys and also acts as a diuretic to help the body expel unwanted toxins. Basil has been known to have anti-ulcer qualities as well as antimicrobial effects that guard against bacteria, yeast, fungi and mold. Basil seed can also help with constipation. The anticancer properties of basil may also relate to its ability to influence viral infections.
7. BEETS
A single serving of beets can do more for your health than most foods in the produce isle. Not only can they boost your energy and lower your blood pressure, but eating beets in the long-term can help you fight cancer, reduce arthritic pain, boost your brain as well as help you lose weight. Beets contain a unique mixture of natural plant chemicals (phytochemicals) and minerals that make them superb fighters of infection, blood purifiers, and liver cleansers. They also help boost the body’s cellular intake of oxygen, making beets excellent overall body cleansers. When you’re detoxing, beets will help by making sure that the toxins you’re getting out actually make it out of your body. Many detox cleanses go wrong when toxins are reintroduced to the body because they don’t make it all the way out.
8. BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries contain natural aspirin that helps lessen the tissue-damaging effects of chronic inflammation, while lessening pain. Just 300 grams of blueberries protects against DNA damage. Blueberries also act as antibiotics by blocking bacteria in the urinary tract, thereby helping to prevent infections. They have antiviral properties and are loaded with super-detoxifying phytonutrients called proanthocyanidins.
9. BRAZIL NUTS
These tasty treats are packed with selenium, which is key to flushing mercury out of your body. The body uses selenium to make ‘selenoproteins’, which work like antioxidants preventing damage to cells and there is growing body of evidence to show it has a key role in our health. The consumption of brazil nuts has been found to be inversely associated with risk of pancreatic cancer, independent of other potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
10. BROCCOLI
Broccoli specifically works with the enzymes in your liver to turn toxins into something your body can eliminate easily. If you’re stuck for ways on how to make broccoli taste better try dehydrating or consider eating it raw. But don’t microwave it as this destroys both the nutritional and detox potential. Broccoli contains a very powerful anti-cancer, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial called sulforaphane which helps prevent cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and allergies.
11. BROCCOLI SPROUTS
Broccoli sprouts can actually provide more benefit than regular broccoli as they contain 20 times more sulfurophane. They contain important phytochemicals that are released when they’re chopped, chewed, fermented, or digested. The substances are released then break down into sulfurophanes, indole-3-carbinol and D-glucarate, which all have a specific effect on detoxification. Add these to your salads and get creative with them in your meals. Researchers have found that an oral preparation made from broccoli sprouts trigger an increase in inflammation-fighting enzymes in the upper airways.
12. CABBAGE
In addition to cleansing your liver, cabbage will also aid in helping you go to the bathroom, which in turn helps you expel the toxins, getting them out of your system so you can start fresh. It contains sulfur, which is essential when it comes to breaking down chemicals and removing them from your body. Along with other cole crops, cabbage is a source ofindole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.
13. CILANTRO
Cilantro, also known as coriander, Chinese parsley or dhania, contains anabundance of antioxidants. Cilantro helps mobilize mercury and other metals out of the tissue so it can attach to it other compounds and allow it to be excreted from the body. It also contains an antibacterial compound called dodecenal, which laboratory tests showed is twice as effective as the commonly used antibiotic drug gentamicin at killing Salmonella.
14. CINNAMON
The oils from cinnamon contain active components called cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol. Cinnamaldehyde has been well-researched for its effects on blood platelets helps prevent unwanted clumping of blood cells. Cinnamon’s essential oils also qualify it as an “anti-microbial” food, and cinnamon has been studied for its ability to help stop the growth of bacteria as well as fungi, including the commonly problematic yeast Candida. Cinnamon’s antimicrobial properties are so effective that recent research demonstrates this spice can be used as an alternative to traditional food preservatives. It has one of the highest antioxidant values of all foodsand its use in medicine treats everything from nausea to menstruation and energy to diabetes.
15. CRANBERRIES
While they are more popular as fruits that help prevent urinary tract infections, cranberries are antibacterial and are known to remove many different toxins from your body. Cranberries feature a rich profile of anti-inflammatory nutrients, provide immune and cardiovascular support, as well as promote digestive health. Consuming cranberry products has beenassociated with prevention of urinary tract infections (UTIs) for over 100 years.
16. DANDELIONS
Dandelions are considered a powerhouse food full of nutrients that are essential for anyone regularly eating processed foods. Dandelion root (taraxacum officinale) is known to act on the liver and pancreas bystraining and filtering toxins & wastes from the bloodstream and its beneficial effects on liver complaints have been well documented by both Asian practitioners and American physicians. They’re a rich source of minerals and provide a variety of phytonutrients. They’re super antioxidants that support cleansing of the digestive tract. Try adding dandelion leaves to your salad.
17. FENNEL
The fennel bulb is high in fiber may also be useful in preventing colon cancer. In addition to its fiber, fennel is a very good source of folate, a B vitamin that is necessary for the conversion of a dangerous molecule called homocysteine into other, benign molecules. The vitamin C found in fennel bulb is directly antimicrobial and is also needed for the proper function of the immune system.
18. FLAXSEEDS
When detoxifying your body, it’s essential to ensure toxins are eliminated properly. Ground flaxseeds provide a wonderful source of fibre that helps to bind and flush toxins from the intestinal tract. They’re also a great source of health promoting omega 3 oils. Try consuming two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds in lemon water every morning. University of Copenhagen researchers report that flax fiber suppresses appetite and helps support weight loss. Men should be cautious when consuming flax as the lignans are similar to the female hormone estrogen as can cause problems for some men.
19. GARLIC
Many detox diets list garlic as a crucial piece of the puzzle. The reason is that garlic boosts the immune system as well as helping out the liver. One good thing about garlic is that you can up your intake without having to worry if your body is going to get used to it or build up a resistance.Sulfur is found in high quantities in garlic — which makes it a good detox food and its antibiotic properties heal your body. Garlic is proven to be 100 times more effective than antibiotics and working in a fraction of the time.
20. GINGER
Along side turmeric, ginger is one of the world’s most potent disease-fighting spices. Ginger spikes your metabolism, flushes out waste, is thought to help liver function, and has some astringent properties. Some detox diets ask you to chew on ginger root. You may also find that adding it to hot water makes the water taste better. Basically any way you can think of it get it into your system is going to be beneficial, especially if you’re suffering from a fatty liver caused by too much alcohol, or too many toxic foods and drinks.
21. GOJI BERRIES
Replace raisins with nutrient-dense Goji berries to boost your vitamin C and beta-carotene intake. Gram for gram, goji berries pack more vitamin C than oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots. Vitamin C can help remove waste from your body, while beta-carotene improves liver performance.
22. GRAPEFRUIT
Grapefruits can prevent weight gain, treat diabetes, lower cholesterol, fight cancer, heal stomach ulcers, reduce gum disease and even keep stroke and metabolic syndrome at bay. Grapefruits can treat disease as well as pharmaceuticals without the side effects. The rich pink and red colors of grapefruit are due to lycopene, a carotenoid phytonutrient. Among the common dietary carotenoids, lycopene has the highest capacity to help fight oxygen free radicals, which are compounds that can damage cells. The big takeaway on grapefruit is that it gets your liver fired up and ready for action, while infusing the rest of your organs with nutrient-laden fruit juice.
23. GREEN TEA
Green tea is often thought of as a great addition to any detox program because of its high antioxidant value. It is the least processed tea and thus provides the most antioxidant polyphenols, notably a catechin called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which is believed to be responsible for most of the health benefits linked to green tea. According to 17 clinical trials, green tea is linked with significantly lower blood sugar.
24. HEMP
Hemp might just be one of nature’s most perfect foods since it is full of antioxidants like Vitamins E and C, as well as chlorophyll which is wonderful for cleansing the body from toxins of all kinds, including heavy metals. The soluble and insoluble fiber in hemp can also keep the digestive tract clean and therefore, reduce the toxic burden on other internal organs. Hemp could free us from oil, prevent deforestation, cure cancer and it’s environmentally friendly.
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