I'm going back to my roots of general practice so I'm eager to hear from you all and to catch up.  Please give us a holler at 847 577 4455. I'm truly eager to catch up with you.

Last week I promised a Corona virus update and here it is….  I personally have been distancing myself from media and online news about the virus.   Judging by how stressed I feel when I leave my home I think this is probably a good idea.   Stress and fear are the number one way you can drop your immune system and make yourself more vulnerable to this, or truly, any illness. 

Lack of sleep, poor eating especially sugars or other simple carbohydrates will also make your much more susceptible to the virus.   Right now, avoiding social contact is probably a good idea and does seem to be having a positive effect on slowing the pandemic aspect of the Corona virus.

So what can you do to make you and your family less likely to contract this illness?

Eat a healthy diet,  making sure you are getting a variety of whole foods.   Avoid junk foods and foods high in processed or even natural sugars as they will depress your immune system.

Take a good multi vitamin mineral supplement each day.  This will help to fill in some dietary gaps.

If you are stressed out about the situation take at least 500-1000 mgs buffered time released vitamin C and a good B-Complex vitamin  also time released… 

Take a good probiotic each day.

If you are forced to engage with others I would also like to suggest some anti viral immune tonics.  Most people know about elderberry but that is more effective at the early stages of viral infection.  Two products that I feel are safe for PREVENTION for most people and children are Astra 8 by Health Concerns and Argentyn 23 by Allergy Research.  We also have products for those immune compromised people needing more help but I will not cover these here.   Should you need help please give a call and we can do a phone consultation to discuss your needs in depth.

Next week join me for a discussion about how nutrition affects your mental health.  Sign UP so you don't miss a thing.  And PLEASE visit our natural pharmacy for great deals on hundreds of professional products and FREE shipping on each item.

Best of Health,

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

Holistic Doctor

Acupuncturist

Naturopathic Doctor

Holistic Nutritionist     

Scientists at ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science and University of L'Aquila, in Italy, suggest the spice could reverse the course of blinding diseases and may hold one of the keys to preventing the loss of sight in old age.

The researchers led by Professor Silvia Bisti have shown that saffron has remarkable effects on the genes which regulate the performance of the eye's key vision cells and not only protects the vision cells (photoreceptors) from damage, but may also slow and possibly even reverse the course of blinding diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and retinitis pigmentosa.

A clinical trial with patients suffering AMD in Rome has found early indications that treatment with a dietary supplement of saffron may cause damaged eye cells to recover.

Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world and comes from the dried stigma of the flower of the saffron crocus - it is used in cooking as a seasoning and as a colouring agent.

Saffron is native to Southwest Asia and has a bitter taste and contains a carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow colour - it is a much-sought ingredient in many foods worldwide and widely used in Persian, Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian,Turkish and Cornish cuisines and in sweets and liquors.

Saffron has also been used as a fabric dye, particularly in China and India, and in perfumery.

But saffron also has medicinal applications and a long history in traditional healing for the treatment of a variety of ailments such as menstrual pain, menopausal problems, depression, chronic diarrhoea and neuralgia - modern medicine has also discovered saffron as having anticarcinogenic (cancer-suppressing), anti-mutagenic (mutation-preventing), immunomodulating, and antioxidant-like properties.

Professor Bisti, who is currently visiting colleagues in The Vision Centre in Australia, says saffron is not simply an anti-oxidant but appears to possess a number of other properties which are protective to vision - it appears to affect genes which regulate the fatty acid content of the cell membrane and this makes the vision cells tougher and more resilient.

Professor Bisti says it has been shown in animal models that a saffron diet will protect the eye from the damaging effects of bright light – something we all suffer whenever we go out in the sun and is active in affecting genetic diseases of the eye, such as retinitis pigmentosa, which can cause life-long blindness in young people.

Animal research has also shown the prospect of slowing down the progression of sight loss and when saffron was given to human patients suffering from age-related macular degeneration, which causes partial or total loss of sight to many people in old age, signs of cell recovery were seen. One product I like: FREE Shipping  Don't forget to visit our Natural Pharmacy for amazing deals and FREE shipping on hundreds of FRESH professional products.Next week join me for a discussion of the status of the Corona Virus.  SIGNUP Here so you don't miss a thing.. See you soon and as always, best of health!

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Holistic Doctor

Naturopathic Doctor

Acupuncturist

Holistic Nutritionist

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The process works by providing the user with a direct infusion of vitamins and minerals, like high doses of vitamin C or magnesium. Receiving vitamins through an IV allegedly allows the nutrients to bypass the digestive system for faster vitality. There are various different formulations of vitamins you can receive depending on your needs.

Fans of the treatment ― from Bravo reality stars to Adele to Chrissy Teigen ― and companies that offer the service advertise that it will help with various health concerns.

Does it? And Is it SAFE?

Most treatments cost from 300-$500 and last from 20 minutes to one hour.  The most popular treatment is called a “Myers Cocktail” which contains a drip of saline solution, magnesium, B vitamins, and vitamin C.  A licensed health professional must oversee the procedure and it is best if a Medical Doctor is there in the facility in case emergency procedures need to be implemented which is what happened to Kendall Kardashian a short while ago.

Most healthy people with functioning GI tracts do not need IV therapy.  It bypasses nature, costs a lot of money and opens the door for all kinds of complications to occur.

What kind of complications?  Well for starters you really don't have any idea what is in your IV.  A woman recently died from a turmeric IV she was getting to treat eczema which was due to a mistake by the compounding pharmacy that created it.  IV clinics are not regulated by the FDA so you really have no idea what you are getting…

While technically the person administering the IV should have training the training standards vary widely across the country.  IV clinics don't have sufficient information about your medical history to provide safe care.  If you have diagnosed or undiagnosed heart disease you should not do this as it will put an added strain on your heart. 

Insertion of an IV can cause bruising, infection, blood clots and vein inflammation.  

When one considers the risk and expense of IV therapy, in my opinion no ethical doctor will advocate or prescribe it except under extreme medical conditions.

Many of my patients are being treated for long term digestive problems and have a multiplicity of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.  We customize patches for these clients and they work extremely well and circumvent the above risks.  Contact me if you'd like more information about this!  I think most of the hype of IV treatment comes from the increase in energy one will experience immediately upon getting hydrated. Obviously drinking  16 ounces of water does not seem exciting to people,LOL. Next week join me to learn how ONE nutrient can stop blindness and cure eye disease.  SignUP so you don't miss this.   We proudly offer brands like: Douglas, Pure Encapsulations, Thorne Research, NeuroScience, Allergy Research and so many more.  Please visit our natural pharmacy for great deals and FREE shipping on hundreds of FRESH products.  We ship same day in most cases.  Thank you and best of health!

Taryn DeCicco

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

Naturopathic Doctor

Acupuncturist

Clinical Nutritionist

Holistic Physician

 Image:holisticcare.com

I'm often asked for referrals across the country for "holistic doctors like you."   It's so hard for me to give personal recommendations because I couldn't possibly know that many people.  Also, selecting your own practioner is part of taking responsiblity for your own health care.  This means creating an environment where you can flourish.  I will not accept appointments made by a third party like a husband or a wife or a sister, etc.  This never works out.  After all, if someone is unwilling to do the work of finding a practioner, are they going to do the work of actually getting well?  Not in my experience.  Except of course for very young children.

To find a good fit begin by asking a healthcare provider you know and trust.  Your fit with a holistic doctor must be based on your needs and values.If they do not meld the relationship will not be a good therapeutic one.  Another source of referrals is from actual patients who are satisfied with the care they receive.

Credentials are important as they demonstrate that at least in the case of board certifications, a doctor has completed rigorous training over a long period of time.  Credentials do not always gage the talent of a doctor clinically.  Often the doctor with a better emotional IQ is less highly credentialled than one who has tons plaques on the wall but not very good interpersonal skills.  It's often true as well that some very gifted "healers" have no real credentials whatsoever.  Sometimes, in the case of specialties mine are digestive and skin disorders you are well served by working with the most knowlegable experienced person there is even if you have to do it long distance.  This is why I do this and clients are very appreciative as well.

Ask yourself the most important question there is. Does the holistic doctor seem like a healer?  Do you leave their office feeling uplifted and reassured?  Do you feel as though you are in good hands?  This is paramount to a good therapeutic relationship so trust your gut and intuition on this.

Don't be vicitimized by Insurance.  Over the years Ive heard so many people say that they couldn't come in or take supplements or do much of anything because their "insurance wouldn't pay for it".  Invariably these people suffer from bad health compared to those who say they will do whatever it takes to get and stay well.

You and only you are responsible for your health choices.  Insurance should really only be reserved for crisis intervention the rest if up to you.  Building a healthful life will never be covered by insurance it is up to each and everyone of us and is about choices we make each and every day.

While a holistic doctor is an expert in a body of knowlege, you are the expert of your own body.  When you find the right relationship your health cannot help but flourish.

Best of Health and Healing

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

Holistic Doctor

Naturopath

Acupuncturist

Arlington Heights, IL

847 577 4455

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For some time Americans have been supporting alternative medicine in the United States.  Almost 40% of adults are participating in treatments like: nutritional therapy, acupuncture, yoga, meditation and homeopathy.  Most of the treatments are being used by adults though,not children.  I am estimating but guess 90% for adults and only 10% for children at present.

Interestingly, people without health insurance and people in lower income brackets spent a much larger proportion of their incomes on alternative medicine.  A recent review shows that pain therapies were very popular.

Statistically speaking, 70% believed in the positive effects of complementary and alternative medicine.

The latest statistics show that Americans spend almost 10% of their annual incomes on alternative therapies. The annual amount spent in the USA is over 30 BILLION dollars per year.  

Clearly, complementary therapies are not going away.  One reason is the time and attention given by holistic doctors versus conventional ones.  Getting to the root cause of a health concern is another issue.  Safety and efficacy is yet another and a realistic one since western medicine is now the third leading cause of death in this country.

Personally speaking, I am somewhat surprised at the low numbers of participation for both children and for higher income families. I suppose this is due to greater pressure to conform to conventional care from both peers and also institutions like major employers and schools for instance.

These percentages have remained flat for probably close to a decade. More reason for you to be proud to have chosen a different path.

Next week I will discuss the latest health concerns relative to smart phones.  SignUp so you don't miss a thing.  Also please visit our fabulous natural pharmacy where we offer hundreds of FRESH, professional supplements I have hand selected at great prices and FREE shipping on each order.

See you next week and best of health,

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Holistic Doctor

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

I promised to share my 2020 health resolutions with you and here they are!  Any or preferably ALL are the most important steps a person could ever take to improving their health.

#1. Just MOVE

I decided that I had gotten semi lazy after hurting my shoulder back in August and it was true.  After a month of relative inactivity I had never gotten back up to my previous level of activity.  Over the holidays, I had decided to extremely limit my time on social media, as well as the smart phone and computer in general and that has helped loads. When I am not sitting staring at those objects I am infinitely more active.  Each morning I limit my time checking emails to just a few minutes and get moving.  I find my house is getting cleaner by the minute and I feel better having strenous physical activity and the feeling of accomplishing things.  Movement is one of the most important requirements the human body has and it is no secret that a sedentary lifestyle is linked to every chronic disease there is.  Aim for at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity it's important and it feels great especially once you get used to it.

#2 Drink ALOT Of Water

I believe I have mentioned that in Japan it is customary to drink a huge glass of water upon arising in the morning. Even I did not drink much water in the morning but I realized I needed to change that....and I have.  I try to now drink one half to three quarters of a liter of mineral water in the morning before lunch. If your urine is not very light yellow or colorless you are not drinking enough water.  This is true even in the presence of supplements.  Without water most metabolic processes in the body are hampered.  Thirst is not a reliable indicator of hydration.  By the time you are thirsty or your urine is yellow you are dehydrated.  Drinking coffee or tea in the morning is extremely dehydrating.  I gave up caffeine about 5 years ago and that certainly helps but you simply MUST drink water.

#3 Stay Positive

I do my best to remain positive and that is largely due to staying away from news headlines.  Unfortunately, social media means you are literally forced to ingest large quantities of bad news everyday.  I know it had an impact on my attitude so I don't participate anymore and I feel better.   When you feel better emotionally your health HAS to improve.

Well, these are just some thoughts on my 2020 health resolutions.  I hope they are helpful to you.  Should you need assistance with your health and wellness this year, please contact us anytime for an appointment at 847-577-4455. Above, I have posted our other upcoming topics for January.  Don't miss why the US life expectancy is on the decline for several years now.  Sign up here for notifications.  

Did you know we offer 500 professional products from brands like Douglas Labs, Metagenics, Neuroscience, Rx Vitamins, Pure Encapsulations and so much more!  You can even test kits on our website for many health concerns you may have.    Our current best selling item is the TimeMaster Pro!  Get yours Here! They are sold out everywhere!   Thanks and see you next week!

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

Most people really dislike winter.  And for good reason:  With extreme cold weather comes health hazards like frostbite, seasonal affective disorder, SAD,  and even an increased risk of heart attacks.

BUT:  There's some benefits to that cold:

Cold Weather Burns Calories

You may have heard of "brown fat," a type of fat found naturally in parts of the body that, when triggered, can burn off other "white" fat. In a 2012 study, researchers found that cold weather seemed to set the brown fat into motion, and that simply being cold could cause significant calorie burn. (Exercise may have a similar effect, as demonstrated in a study from around the same time, the New York Times reported.) The study, admittedly, was small – however.

COLD WEATHER MAY HELP FORGE RELATIONSHIPS

Staying indoors may help relationships.  With less distraction people may focus more on their relationships.

Cold Weather Is Less Hospitable For Disease-Carrying Bugs

Winter and its effect on the disease-spreading mosquito population. The pests thrive in milder climates, meaning  they were able to survive -- and breed -- all winter, just waiting to feast come spring. Freezing or below-freezing temps might kill off some of them (and ticks), thereby protecting you from the illnesses they are known to spread.

Cold Weather Brings Greater Appreciation Of Brighter Days

Research suggests that if the weather never changes, you start taking that sunshine for granted. Shivering through the cold makes those warm spring days seem even better when they finally come along, according to Psychology Today.  I notice this all the time in Chicago. A day with sunshine is a day where people positively bloom

Cold Weather Can Reduce Inflammation

There's a reason putting ice on an injury works. That drop in temperature reduces inflammation in, say, a sprained joint. But the theory also works on a big scale, too -- cold temperatures can reduce inflammation and pain all over.  A 2011 study found that, at extremely low temperatures, such treatments, called cryotherapy, did more for athletes to recover from physical activity than simply resting. Runners who were exposed to temperatures as low as -166 degrees F recovered from exercise faster than those who given other therapies or told to rest.

Cold Weather May Boost Your Body Image

While I can't advocate chowing down on wintertime comfort foods, there is an escape from the pressure to get a "bikini body." It's a great time to focus on fitness -- hello, New Year's resolutions -- without the pressure to do so for your looks alone.  On Tuesday I will disclose my New Year's Health resolutions.  SignUP!  If you'd like to hear them.  Did you know we sell over  500 professional products from brands like: Metagenics, Thorne, Health Concerns, Orthomolecular products, Pure Encapsulations, RX Vitamins, and many more. Visit our store to see our great prices and FREE shipping on every order!  Thank you!

Wishing you all a very healthy and happy 2020!  

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

This may not be the most timely post as we are entering into a feasting mode but it came up due to discussion with a dear friend of mine who asked me what I thought of Sadh Guru's discussion of intermittent fasting on FB.  It took me a couple of days to watch the video he posted on his Facebook page but I was glad I did as I agreed with it totally.  I was unaware that this is a yogic practice but it is one that I have intuitively done for all of my life.

His premise is that a minimum of an 8 hour span is necessary in order for your body to assimilate and metabolize the foods you eat.  He emphatically states  that all modern illness is due to overeating and that in 6 weeks these illnesses can be overcome by fasting intermittently.   Sounds reasonable but is there any real science behind this?

Seems like there is:

#1 IF improves lipolysis, fat burning in the body. In fact, studies show that participants lose about 7% if their waist circumference.  This is due to reductions in insulin and increases in growth hormone.  Fasting can also decrease insulin levels and lower "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.

#2 IF may slow the aging process. According to research, IF keeps mitochondria in a youthful state, and literally rejuvenates our bodies.

#3 IF may be beneficial to skin disorders by triggering detoxification.

#4 Reduces inflammation,  since inflammation is at the root of most chronic disease decreasing inflammation is extremely helpful in preserving and restoring health.  Fasting controls the release of free radicals.  IF along with increased water consumption will help eliminate inflammation in some cases.

#5 Improves brain function.  Between the reduction of inflammatory chemicals and the increase of neurotrophic factors, people who try IF report feeling sharper minded and focused.

#6 Reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes.  By reducing blood sugars, and insulin levels, IF drops risk of these chronic illnesses.

#7 Reduces oxidative stress which is akin to rusting in the human body and plays a significant role in development of chronic diseases as well as the aging process.

#8 Since it is more focused on when to eat versus what to eat it may be simpler for many people to implement. I do not advocate IF for people who have chronic illness unless it is supervised well.  If you'd like more information please schedule an appointment at 847 577 4455.

This is our last blog post before Christmas so Happy Holidays to you all.  On Tuesday 12 31 I will discuss some benefits to living in cold weather.  I hope you will join us.  We will also post our topics for the month of January at that time.  Sign UP here so you don't miss a thing.  And DON'T Forget to visit our store for great prices on hundreds of amazing professional products.  Thank you for your support and Happy Holidays!

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Activated charcoal has one real use: accidental posioning or drug overdose. Activated charcoal removes these poisons through a process called adsorption.  I recently became aware of a new health craze regarding activated charcoal around Halloween of this year. At the root of the new activated charcoal health fad is the misuse, or misunderstanding, of the word “toxin”. In a detox- crazy-fad world, toxins are used to refer to impurities or anything undesirable in your body: stains on your teeth, dirt or dust on your skin, naturally present sugars in your juice, a hangover after a night out,too much Halloween candy?

Personal care products (like teeth whiteners, face masks, soaps, shampoos, and deodorants) containing activated charcoal bank on the idea that impurities can be drawn out during use. Since these products are meant for external use only, they perhaps won't cause any real harm. But there is little to no research to prove that the trace amounts of activated charcoal, combined with other ingredients, in these products are effective or more just marketing.

Activated charcoal products meant to be taken by mouth or eaten, however, are a different story.   The same detox effects of activated charcoal can disrupt your regular diet and medication regimen. Whatever foods or other supplements are  sitting in your stomach can potentially adsorb to the activated charcoal in your detox .

Though the recommended starting dose of activated charcoal for adults (25–100 grams) may not seem like a lot, a teaspoonful of the powder has the same surface area as a football field. Since supplements and retail restaurants are not regulated by the FDA, it's hard to know the exact amount of activated charcoal used, so it's possible that there's enough to cause some harm. Regular intake of activated charcoal may even cause nutrition deficiencies malnutrition or malabsorption.

Here are the risks of consuming activated charcoal:

1. It can prevent your body from digesting food and absorbing nutrients.
2. It can make medications and other supplements WAY less effective.
3. Side effects can include diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, and blockage of the digestive tract.

Last summer, New York City, under orders from the FDA, had to ban activated charcoal in restaurants—presumably because the city had become a mecca of activated charcoal treats.

What medications are affected by activated charcoal?

As  above, almost anything taken by mouth can adsorb to activated charcoal given the right circumstances. There is really no safe way to take this and no health advantages to doing so.

People taking ongoing or chronic medications (like statins, antidepressants, the birth control pill, and blood pressure drugs) can be affected the most by activated charcoal, since staying on schedule is important for managing the condition.

– – –

While activated charcoal definitely has a place in the medical world, consumer products and foods containing activated charcoal are not proven to have any medical benefit. Always discuss with your holistic physician or nutrition specialist if you're thinking about changing your diet, starting a new supplement, or going on a detox cleanse. Also, be a lot more discerning of information found on the internet.  Next week join me for a discussion about if you are awakening each night at the same time, Chinese medicine may explain why.  Until then, I hope you will visit my Natural Pharmacy for great deals on hundreds of amazing.  FRESH health products and FREE, superfast shipping on each order. I am an authorized distributor of every product we sell so you know they are100% authentic and have never been warehoused.  Please sign up for notifications of blog topics, special events and sales on our website. I look forward to sharing this topic with you next week and as always:

Best of Health!

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Apple-A-Day-Clinic

This is not a trick! 

Weight Loss can be a very complex and frustrating situation for the average person. This is because:

·         Metabolism is VERY complex and unique to each and every person

·         The type of calories you consume matters

·         The health of your GI tract matters

For example, those following the ketogenic diet (high fat, low protein, low carbohydrate) tend to lose weight rather quickly as the body is in a state of ketosis, which is its fat-burning mode. The ketogenic diet, which is typically higher in calories, may be helpful for quick weight loss, but it may not be beneficial long-term for supporting the gut microbiome as a high fat diet may negatively affect diversity of microorganisms in the gut.   

Research shows that the gut-brain axis can influence metabolism via many different pathways,and microbes are partly responsible. We know that microbes directly influence the following, mainly through communication with the vagus nerve:

·         Immune system function via cytokine production

·         Short chain fatty acid production (e.g., butyrate)

·         Neurotransmitter production (e.g., serotonin)

There are Mice Studies, But Limited Human Studies

Researchers have revealed some pretty interesting connections between gut microbes and weight, but we don't have many human studies to back up their findings. For instance, if bacteria from obese mice are transplanted into the intestines of germ-free mice (mice bred with a sterile gut, i.e., no gut microbiome), the germ-free mice tend to gain weight. Think about that for a moment. 

What we do know from human trials is lean twins tend to have greater diversity of gut microbes compared to obese twins. What this means is that certain bacteria, like Bacteriodetes, may play a role in the breakdown of dietary fibers and utilization and production of energy by the body.

Findings like these do not necessarily suggest that human fecal microbial transplants from lean people into overweight people will lead to weight loss. These types of studies are being conducted right now, though, so this scenario might be a possibility in the future. 

What about antibiotics?  For example in one animal study,  when mice are administered low levels of antibiotics similar to what livestock receive, they can put on 15% more body fat than mice not given low dose antibiotics. Blaser goes on to explain that in certain areas of the USA, particularly the South where antibiotics are heavily used, the obesity rates are higher. This makes a stronger case for buying organic and pastured-raised animal products to minimize exposure to antibiotic residues. 

Inflammation in the Gut

If you have ever known anyone that's suffered with an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) like Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, you know keeping weight on can be a problem for them. There are many reasons why IBD can lead to weight loss or the inability to gain weight, but chronic inflammation in the gut is likely the major cause. 

When the gut is inflamed, the cells lining the intestine are more likely to be damaged and absorption of nutrients is affected. As the body does not receive an adequate supply of nutrients from food, basic metabolic functions are disrupted, and muscle growth and fat storage are less likely to occur. When IBD sufferers are given steroids and/or supported through personalized medicine treatments, weight usually stabilizes and tends to return over time. 

Dysbiosis and Sugar Cravings

Dysbiosis is a term used to describe an imbalance of gut flora. It usually indicates an overgrowth of an organism, like yeast or bacteria or even a parasite. Dysbiosis can develop for many reasons such as frequent antibiotic use or chronic stress or poor diet, and I find that many people with chronic gut issues have dysbiosis. 

What I've seen clinically, and experienced personally myself, is that overgrowth of yeast can cause sugar cravings. Yeast throw a party when sugar and simple carbohydrates are present; eating these foods keeps the party going. 

When patients come in and complain of the following constellation of symptoms, I like to rule out bacterial, fungal and/or yeast or candida overgrowth in the intestines, or even SIBO:

·         Sugar and carbohydrate cravings

·         Skin rashes, or pruritus (itching of the skin)

·         Fatigue

·         Brain fog

·         Joint pain

·         Itchy anus

·         Yeast infections

Of course, this presentation of symptoms can be due to other factors, but if I hear all or some of the above symptoms, I'll investigate further by running a stool test and candida antibodies of blood work. Once I've backed up my findings and I'm certain that dysbiosis is present, I'll treat the dysbiosis with antifungal, antibacterial herbs and major dietary changes to change the intestinal terrain. There will also be a reimplantation of the beneficial bacterial strains the patient is deficient in.  Usually within 8 weeks, sugar cravings are down and weight tends to plateau or even decrease as dietary habits improve, as well as many other health markers.

If you have been unsuccessful using conventional methods to achieve weight loss, please give us a call at 847 577 4455.  I know you will be glad you did. 

PS. Many of our clients love this product for the metabolism. 

As always, Best of Health! and Happy Halloween

Dr. Taryn DeCicco 

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After doing some exhaustive research a few months ago, I decided to take a break from fluoride for awhile.  This followed some marginal thyroid hypofunction that I had been wishing to eradicate for many years.

Fluoride has been touted as a risk-free, effective way of preventing tooth decay. Its daily use had been supported by the American Dental Association, World Health Organization, and Center for Disease Control. It is thought to prevent tooth decay by depositing onto teeth during a process called remineralization, a natural process whereby minerals are deposited back onto areas of teeth that have been demineralized (areas of mineral break down). By depositing onto teeth, fluoride is thought to enhance the remineralization process by speeding it up and attracting other minerals, like calcium, to help strengthen teeth. Moreover, fluoride has been shown to inhibit cavity-causing bacteria.

THE HISTORY OF FLUORIDE...

Since the 1940s, the addition of fluoride to the drinking water supplies (termed, ‘fluoridation') became widespread in the United States. This was reported to have drastically lowered the rates of tooth decay. However, over the past decade, fluoridation has come under scrutiny, as evidence emerged that the declining rates of tooth decay may not be related to widespread fluoridated water supply, but rather improved dental hygiene (i.e., consistent daily flossing and tooth brushing). The World Health Organization (WHO) published data on tooth decay trends internationally, and found that tooth decay rates have ‘precipitously declined' in all western countries regardless of whether or not the country fluoridated the water. Moreover, in countries that have abolished fluoridated drinking water, the rates of tooth decay have not increased.

CRITICISM OF FLUORIDE...

In the recent years, fluoridated drinking water has come under ethical scrutiny, as many critics argue that US populations are receiving medical treatment without consent.  Additionally, the appropriate ‘dose' of fluoride intake is difficult to control due to the variation of fluoride levels in various water supplies, as well as its presence in a multitude of foods and products. Moreover, fluoride is not considered to be biologically useful to the human body (there has never been a documented case of ‘fluoride-deficiency').

IMPORTANT HEALTH CONCERNS RELATED TO FLUORIDE...

More concerning was the emerging evidence that fluoride ingestion could be harmful. Excess fluoride was discovered to lead to:

Skeletal fluorosis - a health problem caused by excess accumulation of fluoride in bone, characterized by pain and tenderness of major joints as well as brittle bones and increased risk of bone fractures.

Dental fluorosis - tooth discoloration and pitting- This can easily occur in young children who should avoid ingesting fluoride.

Thyroid dysfunction - fluoride competitively binds to iodine and slows the production of thyroid hormones (Peckham and Awofeso, 2014). This can lead to hypothyroidism, a disorder in which the body produces too little thyroid hormone, which can lead to a multitude of symptoms, including weight gain, depression, fatigue, and cognitive problems.

There is also evidence that supports that chronic fluoride exposure is a possible cause of uterine and bladder cancer (Peckham and Awofeso, 2014).

FLUORIDE TOXICITY CAN HARM THE BRAIN. FLUORIDE TOXICITY HAS BEEN RELATED TO:

1. DECREASED IQ AND COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN CHILDREN

-A multitude of published studies support that fluoride can harm the developing brain of children. In 2012, Harvard published a meta-analysis of 27 different fluoride studies, and found that fluoride exposure was associated with reduced IQ in children.

-A recent meta-analysis published in 2018 found that greater exposure of children to high levels of fluoride in water was significantly associated with reduced levels of intelligence in children.

-A review published in the Lancet concluded that fluoride is a neurotoxin that damages the developing brain, thus increasing the risk of autism, developmental delay, ADHD, and learning disabilities.

2. POOR SLEEP BY DAMAGING THE PINEAL GLAND       

Fluoride can cross the blood brain barrier (the special protective layer between the blood vessels and the brain) and deposits itself in brain tissue. When fluoride binds to aluminum, another common molecule ingested regularly, it becomes even more permeable to the blood brain barrier and thus can damage neurons more easily.

-The pineal gland secretes a hormone called melatonin, which is important for regulating our sleep patterns. Melatonin is also a potent antioxidant and neuroprotector. Calcification of the pineal gland leads to impaired melatonin secretion. Reduced melatonin can lead to insomnia. Reduced melatonin levels are also observed in various diseases, such as dementia, mood disorders, severe pain, cancer, and diabetes type 2  (Hardeland, 2012).

3. POOR MEMORY AND/OR LEARNING BY DAMAGING THE HIPPOCAMPUS

-Fluoride can induce neuron damage and increase inflammation in rat brains, especially within the hippocampus (Yang et al, 2018). The hippocampus is a region in the brain that allows us to learn and form new memories.

HOW DO I AVOID FLUORIDE TOXICITY?

FOUR EASY TIPS TO AVOID EXCESS FLUORIDE

While topical fluoride has been shown to help prevent dental cavities, excess exposure can lead to harmful health consequences.  How do you minimize your risk of fluoride toxicity? The best way is to limit your exposure to it. It is important to be aware of the commonly used products that contain fluoride, to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of fluoride use, and to make well-informed decisions about the products you use.

1.   AVOID FLUORIDATED WATER

Given the abundant data that reveals an association between fluoride and low IQ in children, this is especially important for women planning a pregnancy or who are already pregnant, and for those with young children.

The CDC website allows you to search your county to identify if it fluoridates the water supply.

If your city fluoridates the water and you make the decision to drink non-fluoridated water, you can purchase a water filter that filters out fluoride. Royal Berkey Water Filter and APEC are both high quality filters, that are recommended by experts but are a bit costly.  If you are looking for a less expensive option, Aquagear Water Filter Pitcher is cost-effective, filters out fluoride, and is also BPA-free.

-You can also, of course just buy bottled water

2.  AVOID NON-STICK COOKWARE

Most non-stick cookware contain fluoride-containing chemicals called fluoropolymers (i.e., Teflon and perfluorooctanoic acid/aka PFOA). While these chemicals make non-stick cookware easier to cook, they are also toxic and are released into the food we cook at high temperatures.  Make sure to read product labels carefully, because products claiming to contain no Teflon can still contain PFOA. Given that the chemicals used in nonstick cookware have also been associated with female infertility, I have avoided non-stick cookware for years, and instead use ceramic, cast-iron, glass, and stainless steel cookware .

3.     CHOOSE TEA WISELY

Who doesn't enjoy a hot cup of tea on a cold winter day? It is important to make informed decisions about the tea you drink. Certain tea leaves absorb a particularly high amount of fluoride from the soil, which can lead to high fluoride levels in tea drinks. But not all teas carry the same risk. Herbal teas and white teas contain the lowest amounts of fluoride, while black, green, and oolong teas have the highest content.  If you drink tea infrequently, I doubt it is an issue but if you consume large quantities it is probably worth rotating your favorites with those lower in fluorides.

AVOID BUYING TEA GROWN IN CHINA

WHERE tea leaves are grown is also important because of the variation of fluoride content of fluoride in different regions.  For instance, green tea from China contains more fluoride than the green tea grown in Japan due to lower fluoride content in Japanese soil. Other areas with high fluoride soil content include Sri Lanka, India, parts of Africa and the Middle East. Also, the age of the tea leaf makes a big difference: the younger the leaves are, the less fluoride content they have been shown to have. Older mature leaves (which also on a side note, have less of the antioxidant EGCG than younger leaves) have up to 20 times more fluoride than younger leaves! The best bet if you want to avoid fluoride and still receive the health benefits of tea is to go with White Tea. If you desire black, green or oolong tea, drink tea from leaves grown in areas with low environmental fluoride (i.e. the US or Japan) or younger tea leaves.

4.     USE FLUORIDE-FREE TOOTHPASTE

There are a few brands that offer this option. My favorite is right here FREE SHIPPING. The toothpaste contains no artificial dyes, sweeteners or flavors, and the taste is pleasant and leaves my mouth feeling just as fresh as regular toothpaste.   I will tell you that after approximately 3 months, I just got the best thyroid panel results I have had…I cannot for certain ascribe it to this lifestyle change as I did a few other helpful things as well but I am sure it has had an impact.  If you are concerned about your dental health sans fluoride, I would ask you to investigate oil pulling.  I think this, if practiced consistently, will do wonders for your dental health.  Here is an article I previously published on the benefits of oil pulling and remineralizing teeth-https://www.apple-a-day-clinic.com/Health_and_Nutrition_Blog?m8:post=regrow-tooth-enamel-and-get-healthier-teeth-with-these-tips. NOTE: I have an entire library of hundreds of articles you can peruse by searching.  Next week join me for a discussion on a Glaucoma breakthrough.  I have treated a few patients naturally and successfully for this chronic disorder and this research has confirmed things I have learned on my own.  SignUP NOW so you don't miss it!   Don't forget to visit our natural pharmacy where we offer hundreds of professional products at great prices with FREE shipping.

If you'd like to try our clinic whether in person or by phone, here is an offer for you but make your appointment by next Tuesday to get the discount.  Call 847-577-4455 to arrange the appointment.  Thank you!

Image: shutterstock

Throughout history there are many different theories on how glands and organs work, repair and rejuvenate.

If one concentrates specifically on the glandular tissues then we know that they are rich in nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, polypeptides, enzymes and many other nutritional substances.

In  many cases,  like supports like.

“Some of the pioneers in nutrition believed that raw glandular tissues contain intrinsic protein factors which are separate from, but synergistic with the vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, enzymes, co-enzymes, and fatty acids contained therein.  These specific protein factors are organ — or  tissue — specific.  This means that the raw cellular material of a bovine kidney, for example, will be picked up from the lymph of the human kidney when ingested.  These tissue-specific particles apparently “target” other cooperative and essential nutrients to the gland or organ for repair and maintenance. ”

Ample research has been conducted to prove the effectiveness of glandulars. “In 1967 and 1972, Dr. A. Kment of Germany demonstrated (through radioactive isotope tracing) that the bloodstream transports specific factors from glandular tissues and  is absorbed by the corresponding glands of the patient.  This radioactive isotope confirmation of organ specificity was also demonstrated by Stein (1967) and several years later again by Starzyl (1979).”

Some researchers even believe that in order for the glands to be useful to the consumer they need to be digested and that is why oral consumption works best.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries glands and organs were used by medical doctors. In the mid 20th century pharmaceuticals began producing hormones in laboratories to replace glandulars as they claimed them to work better that glandular extracts. This production was very profitable and the stakes were high to eliminate all competition. There was propaganda against the use of glandular therapies and subsequently most doctors, using western medicine stopped using glandulars. It is however still one of the cornerstones of eastern medicine as well as naturopathic medicine and clinical nutrition practice.   Armor thyroid  has been largely replaced by levothyroxine but many patients swear by the natural version.  Very few doctors are willing to prescribe it in these days because they have been told or taught that it is difficult to manage.

In the 21st century  interest in using glands and organs has been reawakened in USA, Europe and many other countries. Today there is a thriving interest glandular supplements amongst health conscious consumers and those who lean towards natural preventative ways to health.

Glands that are used are most often derived from pig (porcine), cow (bovine) or sheep (ovine). They are both sold as only glands or as a combination of other glands or herbs.  Glands that I use frequently in my practice include, thymus, adrenal  and thyroid  glandular.  I also use supplements from organs such as liver for many deficient clients.  The organs provide those nutrients most valuable to rejuvenate the patient's organs or glands.   Results can be extraordinary.   It is extremely important though to use only very,  very clean sources of these nutrients.  That is be challenging at times.   Should you wish to learn more, please contact me anytime at 847-577-4455.  I also hope you will visit our store where we offer hundreds of top natural products at discount prices and FREE shipping.

Next week, discover why I stopped using fluoride toothpaste and you may too!  Sign up here so you don't miss a thing.

Best of Health,

Dr. Taryn

Apple-A-Day-Clinic.com

847-577-4455

Image Dr. Sam Robbins

 

 

Fall and winter will be upon us shortly and the forecast is that this will be another long, severe one.  I am going to stay positive but already this season, I have seen many clients that are suffering with sick children, spouses and other family members not to mention work and school associates.

Just a few years ago, a medical doctor recommended this product to me as something that would be effective against a very potent strain of intestinal bacteria called Klebsiella.  I see a lot of this in my practice and also discovered this bacteria in my stool culture at that time.  Needless to say, I tried it immediately and was pleased with the results I experienced as well as how gentle it is.  This is a homeopathic silver product so the silver particles are so tiny and reduced in the solution that even infants could ingest this product safely.  This information been confirmed by a third party laboratory.

I do not, and (NEVER have) use colloidal silver in my practice due to risks of metals building up but this product does not pose any risk of that.  This silver hydrolsol product however does not pose that risk. In fact, this product has been endorsed for efficacy and safety by Health Canada and the EU and is categorized in the trace element area.  

I think this is a great product to have in your armamentarium this fall and winter as a great preventive for example while travelling etc. or when your immune system needs a boost. It is also effective taken at the first signs of getting sick.

As a homepathic, a small amount of liquid (between one half and one teaspoon) is ingested and held under the tongue for 30 seconds before swallowing.  I think it is a terrific product and hope you will give it a try-FREE Shipping!   I normally do not devote a blog post to one product but I think this is safe and effective for the vaast majority of people. Should you have questions or concerns please let us know.

Best Of Health.

Dr. Taryn DeCicco

Next week,join me for a discussion about glandular medicine and how important it is to the human body and your health.  Sign up! So you don't miss it. Don't forget to visit our store where we offer hundreds of professional products at amazing prices, discounts and FREE shipping. What are you waiting for?

This just in! Scientists have found a strong correlation between a disease involving chronic pain and alterations in the gut microbiome.

Fibromyalgia now affects 2-4 percent of the population and has no known cure. Symptoms include fatigue, impaired sleep and cognitive difficulties, but the disease is most clearly characterized by widespread chronic pain. In a paper published just today in the journal Pain, a Montreal-based research team has shown, for the first time, that there are alterations in the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tracts of people with fibromyalgia. Approximately 20 different species of bacteria were found to greater or lesser quantities in the microbiomes of participants suffering from the disease than in the healthy control group.

Greater presence or absence of certain species of bacteria 

“We used a range of techniques, including Artificial Intelligence, to confirm that the changes we saw in the microbiomes of fibromyalgia patients were not caused by factors such as diet, medication, physical activity, age, and so on, which are known to affect the microbiome,” says Dr. Amir Minerbi, from the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), and first author on the paper. The team also included researchers from McGill University and Université de Montréal as well as others from the Research Institute of the MUHC.

Dr. Minerbi adds, “We found that fibromyalgia and the symptoms of fibromyalgia – pain, fatigue and cognitive difficulties - contribute more than any of the other factors to the variations we see in the microbiomes of those with the disease. We also saw that the severity of a patient's symptoms was directly correlated with an increased presence or a more pronounced absence of certain bacteria – something which has never been reported before.”

Are bacteria simply the markers of the disease?

At this point, it's not clear whether the changes in gut bacteria seen in patients with fibromyalgia are simply markers of the disease or whether they play a role in causing it. Because the disease involves a cluster of symptoms, and not simply pain, the next step in the research will be to investigate whether there are similar changes in the gut microbiome in other conditions involving chronic pain, such as lower back pain, headaches or neuropathic pain.

The researchers are also interested in exploring whether bacteria play a causal role in the development of pain and fibromyalgia. And whether their presence could, eventually, help in finding a cure, as well as speed up the process of diagnosis.

Next Steps

Fibromyalgia is a disease that has been difficult to diagnose. Patients can wait as long as 4 to 5 years to get a final diagnosis. But that may be about to change.

“We sorted through large amounts of data, identifying 19 species that were either increased or decreased in individuals with fibromyalgia,” says Emmanuel Gonzalez, from the Canadian Center for Computational Genomics and the Department of Human Genetics at McGill University. “By using machine learning, our computer was able to make a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, based only on the composition of the microbiome, with an accuracy of 87 per cent. As we build on this first discovery with more research, we hope to improve upon this accuracy, potentially creating a step-change in diagnosis.”

“People with fibromyalgia suffer not only from the symptoms of their disease but also from the difficulty of family, friends and medical teams to comprehend their symptoms,” says Yoram Shir, the senior author on the paper who is the Director of the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at the MUHC and an Associate Investigator from the BRaiN Program of the RI-MUHC. “As pain physicians, we are frustrated by our inability to help, and this frustration is a good fuel for research. This is the first evidence, at least in humans, that the microbiome could have an effect on diffuse pain, and we really need new ways to look at chronic pain.”

How the research was conducted

The research was based on a cohort of 156 individuals in the Montreal area, 77 of whom suffer from fibromyalgia. Participants in the study were interviewed and gave stool, blood, saliva and urine samples, which were then compared with those of healthy control subjects, some of whom lived in the same house as the fibromyalgia patients or were their parents, offspring or siblings.

The researchers' next steps will be to see whether they get similar results in another cohort, perhaps in a different part of the world, and to do studies in animals to discover whether changes in bacteria play a role in the development of the disease.

This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.

Reference: Minerbi, A., Gonzalez, E., Brereton, N. J. B., Anjarkouchian, A., Dewar, K., Fitzcharles, M.-A., … Shir, Y. (2019). Altered microbiome composition in individuals with fibromyalgia. PAIN, Articles in Press. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001640

Not A Surprise

As a clinician dealing with a host of microbiome type disorders I can assure you that alterations in gut bacteria are at the core of a great majority of pain syndromes.  Thusly, I truly encourage you to explore our testing and digestive programs to get to the root cause of the issue. Thank you!  Don't forget to visit our natural pharmacy where we offer hundreds of professional products with great prices, volume discounts and FREE shipping!

Best Of Health!

Taryn DeCicco, ND, LDN, LAc

Apple-A-Day-Clinic

847 577 4455  

Anxiety may well be the epidemic of our time.

And now, a new human scientific study from Japan has found a significant correlation between panic/anxiety attacks,  and vitamin B6 and iron levels in the blood. [1]

This study indicates that if you get occasional panic attacks marked by episodes of hyperventilation, you may be suffering from a simple deficiency syndrome.

Panic attacks and hyperventilation attacks are serious psychiatric events, and the symptoms occur suddenly without warning  although often they follow a state of chronic anxiety.  Panic attacks are diagnosed by the sufferer experiencing at least four of the following symptoms: palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate, sweating, trembling or shaking, shortness of breath.

Numerous other studies have also reported this finding. In this particular study, Vitamin B-6 and Iron were those associated with anxiety symptoms. However, it is worth noting that B vitamins in general are associated with better mental health,in fact, pantothenic acid or B5 is called the anti stress vitamin. Other symptoms of vitamin B deficiency may include agoraphobia, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, and emotional instability. I think it is unwise to supplement with single B vitamins as they work in concert in a constellation of metabolic functions.  Also, supplementing just one can cause deficiencies in the others.

For food sources, pumpkin seeds are a rich source of tryptophan. Other rich tryptophan sources include turkey (responsible for the sleepy feeling after turkey dinner!), grapefruit juice, tuna, eggs, Mozzarella, chia seeds, sesame seeds, pistachios.  Foods highest in B vitamins include brown rice, other whole grains and red meat.  Iron of course is highest in organ meats, soybeans, red meat , cooked oysters and lentils. Iron should NEVER be supplemented without a test establishing need and treatment supervised by a health professional.

Serotonin, the brain's “happiness chemical” is synthesized in the brain and gut from its precursor (“building block”) tryptophan, and it is well established that vitamin B6 and iron each play important roles as cofactors in the synthesis of serotonin in the human body. An additional factor includes obtaining tryptophan, an amino acid, from the diet, of course this is not helpful in cases of intestinal dysbiosis.  I have found a huge correlation between gut dysbiosis or bacterial imbalances and various mood disorders including anxiety and panic.  In fact, it is usually one of the first symptoms of serious gut imbalances along with sleep disturbances and it one of the first symptoms to improve upon embarking on a treatment program.  As a nutritrion specialist and experienced clinician, I will tell you that anxiety and panic can and will manifest due to any and all nutritional deficiencies not just these.  Our nutritional panels often reveal surprising deficiencies…  If you would prefer to take supplements here are two  I recommend  trying  FREE shipping!: Buffalo Liver by Carlson Labs Tri-B-100 by Douglas Labs - Free Shipping If you are going to benefit from these it will not take very long.  Often though, remember anxiety and panic attacks are just symptoms not diseases.  As such, it behooves you to get to the root cause to establish exactly why you are so depleted. For anxiety and panic related to emotional trauma I cannot recommend acupuncture highly enough.

  Please call if I can help!  847 577 4455

As always, best of health!  Next week join me for a groundbreaking discussion about fibromyalgia.  Please Sign UP so you don't miss a thing.  Thank you! 

.

.

Reference:

[1] Low Serum Concentrations of Vitamin B6 and Iron Are Related to Panic Attack and Hyperventilation Attack. (2013) Full study (PDF). http://wwwacta/pdf/67_2_99.pdf.lib.okayama-u.ac.jp/www/

Recently, researchers tested chamomile tea against various laboratory cell lines and found it selectively killed thyroid cancer cells, but did not harm healthy blood cells. There was also a clear dose-response effect, with increasing doses having more powerful anticancer results.

The active chemicals were identified as types of polyphenol known as flavonoid glycosides and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives, and the researchers suggested that research was needed in real people, rather than their cells, to assess the full benefits.Later, new study, published in the European Journal of Public Health, has now shown that drinking chamomile tea offers significant protection against both thyroid cancer and benign thyroid conditions such as nodules and autoimmune inflammation like that which occurs in Hashimoto Thyroiditis.

Chamomile tea protect against thyroid disease

In the latest study, Greek researchers compared the chamomile tea intakes of 113 people with thyroid cancer, 286 with benign thyroid diseases and 138 healthy controls with no thyroid problems. The results showed that people who drank chamomile tea two to six times a week, on average, were 70% less likely to develop thyroid cancer and 74% less likely to develop benign thyroid disease than those who drank no chamomile tea at all.

These astonishing results remained even after other potential confounding factors such as age, gender, BMI, smoking, alcohol and coffee intakes were accounted for.

The duration of consumption was also inversely associated with thyroid disease, so that people who'd enjoyed chamomile tisanes for 30 years were almost 80% less likely to develop thyroid problems than those not drinking camomile tea.

Chamomile is an ancient medicine!

I find it fascinating that herbal teas have such a long history of medicinal use in Europe and other countries where this research-Greece was carried out. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, selected chamomile tea to treat fevers and, although we call it German chamomile, its common name comes from the Greek: chamos means ‘ground' and melos means ‘apple' – a name it earned due to its low-growing habit and apple scent.

If chamomile tea is so popular in Greece, could that mean that thyroid disease is less common in that part of the Mediterranean than in other countries where chamomile tea is less traditional and enjoyed less frequently?

Guess what – the Greek incidence of thyroid cancer is right at the bottom of the W.H.O. International league table!

Although the United States doesn't feature on this list, the annual incidence of thyroid cancer among US men and women is 13.5 per 100,000, placing it around the same level as Italy – right at the top.

Many other factors are involved such as following a Mediterranean-style diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, veg, oily fish, olive oil and garlic, as well as sunlight to synthesise vitamin D. But then again, Italy is also a Mediterranean country and features all these healthy foods in their national diet, yet are right at the top of the global list for thyroid cancer incidence. Perhaps chamomile is the missing factor that protects the Greeks from thyroid cancer and other thyroid diseases.  Chamomile has many studied and folk health benefits so I do not see any harm in trying it.  It also works wonders for stress and anxiety.  Since in these studies, benefits are dosage dependent my product below is a very strong version. It is an alcohol tincture and can be used as a tea by steeping for 30 seconds in hot water the alcohol is eliminated.  I do use and prescribe this herb frequently and think great things of it.  REMEMBER we are authorized distributors of all the products we sell and guarantee them to be fresh from the manufacturer and never warehoused.  FREE shipping on all orders!  Next week join me for a discussion about vitamin deficiencies and their links to anxiety and panic disorders!  Sign UP so you don't miss this!  Anxiety is the disease of our time.  Thank you for your business and best of health!

As we have observed for several years, now researchers are catching up!  Scientists are quickly discovering that gut microbiomes may hold the key to a vast amount of health issues including Parkinson's, ALS, MS and even Autism.  

Researchers at the Weizman Institute of Science in Israel have demonstrated in mice that intestinal microbes, collectively known as the gut microbiome may affect the course of ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As reported recently in the journal Nature, progressive of an ALS like disease was slowed after mice received specific strains of gut microbes or substances known to be secreted by and the preliminary findings suggest that these findings are likely applicable to humans as well.  

The researchers, while far from declaring a cure for the diseases are optimistic that various means of altering the microbiome may be harnessed for developing new therapeutic options for ALS.

According to other recent research at the institute, gut bacteria abnormalities play a role in motor neurone diseases according to early studies in animals and people.  The research team at the Weizman Institute says its studies suggest that the microbiome alters the brain in MS, autism and Parkinson's disease.   These illnesses are a group of diseases that stop messages from the brain and spinal cord from reaching the muscles.

Following successful interventions in mice, the group has published their research in prestigious journals but are cautious not to imply that they have stopped, cured or reversed the diseases.  There is some early stage work in people as well.  Results showed that differences were found in the microbiomes and nicotinamide in the body suggesting a different metabolism for those people suffering from these illnesses.  More research is planned. 

Curious about your microbiome?  Please check out our array of amazing products and available testing in our natural pharmacy.   FREE shipping on all orders... Even better, visit us for an office or phone appointment.  You can schedule online anytime, or call us at 847 577 4455.  Thank you!   Next week join us as we review the results of the HPV vaccine.  Sign up so you don't miss a thing.

A few weeks ago I noticed something with my hair just wasn't right.  It seemed to lack life, seem dry, and overall bleh...I became concerned because this can be a strong indication of thyroid trouble or iron deficiency anemia which I have experienced in the past.  Then one day, I looked at the new hair products I had been using and said A HA!  Overproteinization!  Too much protein buildup in my products had caused my hair to become dehyrated, frizzy and unruly.  I had never experienced this before. So of course I stopped using those products and started moisturizing like mad but this would wear off by mid day and my hair would become unruly again.  So what do do to restore my hair health?  My hair is long and I really didn't want to cut it all off.

I could wait and ask my hairdresser but I didn't have an appointment for 6 weeks.

Then, inexplicably while researching another topic I came across this information. There might be a simple solution to my dilemma ...

Blackstrap molasses is a by product of the sugar refining process. As part of the boiling process of sugar refining molasses is born. It has the lowest sugar content of any sugar cane product.  Unlike sugar products which actually leach nutrients from the body Molasses is a plethora of nutrients including iron, calcium, magnesium, B6, and selenium.  

Molasses has major benefits to treat anemia, build bones, and help with potassium needs. 

Believe it or not it also defrizzes hair! Even permed, bleached or colored hair. That is the good news.  The bad news is that applying it can be a bit of a challenge like handling a tar baby to apply.  I have found that getting it in your hands, mixing it with warm water and applying over the sink is the least messy way.  You also will need to cover it with a plastic cap and leave on for 15 minutes. I shampooed afterwards and you will need to rinse very well.

After that, voila!  Smooth hair that lasts.  I would guess that about 80 to 90 % of the damage has been resolved in two treatments and the shine and bounciness has returned.  I plan to continue to use this.  It also seems to work for coarse unruly hair like beards or eyebrows in men.

The only caveat I see is that if you suffer from dermatitis or seborrhea or even dandruff the sugar content in this may be enough to aggravate it for a few days. If you have very light natural blonde, bleached or gray hair this may discolor your hair as well.  Otherwise I think this is a great natural treatment once you get the application down.

We have wonderful health and beauty products for sale on our website!  FREE shipping so I hope you will check them ALL out . I hope you will see how easy it is to make purchases on this new website.

Next week, join me for a discussion on what Parkinson's, ALS and MS have in common.  Sign Up so you do miss this leading edge forum.

Best of Health

Dr. Taryn

Did you know that pet's illnesses often mirror that of their owners?  Sometimes they provide a warning in advance of what is to come. I noticed long ago that friends would get pets that would have similar disorders and later on they would present with the same conditions almost as if the pet was a mirror to their internal organs.  Often, after losing pets, they adopt another pet with the exact same health disorders.

In my own case, I wish I had taken my Shiba Tre's anxiety levels more seriously. I was told that “ it was the breed”, but in truth I was much more high strung  back then.  People's anxiety translates easily to their pets.  Recent studies have demonstrated that pets pick up on people's moods, stress levels and even phobias.   In cats, chronic cystitis is frequently related to stress within a household.  It tends to resolve when the stress is alleviated or another home located more suitable to the pet's comfort.

Allergies, too can be consistent from pet to owner on a frequent basis.   If you and your pet have “allergies”, take a look at your home environment.   Secondhand smoke can be a real trigger for allergies and asthma in both humans and pets.  and Pets reacting to smoke can oftentimes be a real incentive for owners to quit.   Cleaning products as well as other household toxins can also be more problematic for pets, at least initially because they are more in the line of fire and also are more sensitive so they will experience adverse events sooner.

If your pet is heavy or is gaining weight better check yourself.   Have you gained some unwanted pounds too? It is no coincidence that obese pets are on the rise just as obesity in people is.  Check your pet's diet, treat intake, including people food and daily activity level.  Show your pets TLC with more activity, preferably outdoors and it will benefit both of you.   Just as in humans, diabetes, heart disease and autoimmune disorders are showing up more frequently in pets.  And, just as in people, the microbiomes in pets are radically altered from optimal when they present with skin conditions, inflammation, and gut problems.  

I am offering a low cost pet nutrition consult for a limited time, just $99. Give us a call at 847 577 4455 to schedule.   Thank you!  Also check out some of our new pet products in our natural pharmacy, FREE shipping. Next week, I am excited to tell you about an all natural way to defrizz hair using something you may already have.  Sign UP below!!!  You may also want to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In or Instagram.  Our YouTube channel will be implemented shortly.

"We have essentially confirmed what many smaller studies have suggested," says Jill Crandall, MD, professor of clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Bronx, who led the new study. "There is a small but significant risk of developing Vitamin B12 deficiency when people take metformin."

The finding, she adds, ''has implications for the consequences of B12 deficiency." These can include cognitive impairment, nerve problems (neuropathy) and anemia (low red blood cell count). B12 is crucial for the proper formation of red blood cells, for neurological functioning and for making DNA.

The link between taking the popular diabetes drug and deficiencies in vitamin B12 has been discussed as long ago as 1969, according to Dr. Crandall. However, few studies have looked at long term use, as her new study has done, tracking people for up to 13 years.

The new study was published online Feb. 22 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Overview of the Metformin Study

The researchers evaluated more than 2,000 men and women enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. In these studies, researchers enrolled overweight people who had prediabetes (blood sugar levels higher than normal but not high enough to be termed diabetes) to see if modest weight loss or treatment with metformin could prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, then followed them to see if the effects endured.

Half of the participants were given 850 milligrams of metformin twice daily and half got placebo pills. At the 5-year mark, more of those in the metformin group than the placebo group had low B12 levels, affecting 4.3% of the metformin group but just 2.3% of the placebo group. However, the gap narrowed at 13 years, with 7.4% of the metformin group and 5.4% of the placebo group having low B12 at that point. The narrowed gap seems counter-intuitive until Dr. Crandall explains what is happening.  "As time goes on, the groups are a little contaminated," Dr. Crandall says, because some in the placebo group, as time went on, developed diabetes and had to begin taking metformin.

Years of use was linked with an increased risk of B12 deficiency, Dr. Crandall found. Those taking metformin were more likely to have anemia, regardless of their B12 status. Those taking metformin with low B12 were more likely to have neuropathy.

The study findings suggest that routine testing of Vitamin B12 should be considered in patients on metformin treatment, Dr. Crandall says. Experts think that metformin affects the way Vitamin B12 is absorbed by the body. "People should be aware of this possibility," Dr. Crandall says of the metformin and low B12 link. Currently, she says, there are no official recommendations for B12 testing of those on metformin. 

Metformin & Vitamin B12: Second Opinion

"I think it lends more support to a practice that is already in place with endocrinologists," says Minisha Sood, MD, director of inpatient diabetes at the Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, of the study findings. She reviewed the research but didn't participate in it.

She screens for Vitamin B12 deficiency in her patients ''at least annually if on metformin."  According to Dr. Sood, many endocrinologists do screen for B12 deficiencies in those on metformin. However, she says, many patients with diabetes who are on metformin are cared for by general practice physicians or internists. These patients should ask their doctor's advice about getting screened for B12 deficiencies, Dr. Sood says. 

B12 Deficiency Symptoms & Treatment 

Symptoms of B12 deficiency may include numbness, tingling in the feet, and memory problems, Dr. Crandall says. Loss of appetite, weight loss and fatigue can occur. The deficiency typically develops slowly over time, so the regular screening could detect it early.

Treatment includes a weekly B12 injection and then switching to oral vitamins. 

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for B12 is 2.4 micrograms for those age 14 and older.  Foods high in B12 include cooked clams and beef liver, fortified breakfast cereals and fish such as salmon and trout. You can also take a sublingual B-12 Lozenge-FREE Shipping. And of course, best practice is to take care of your diabetes and eliminate your need for meds.CALL US to learn more at 847-577-4455.Next week, join me for a discussion about how acupuncture is gaining momemtum for all kinds of health concerns. SIGN up so you don't miss it.  Our new responsive website is nearing completion and I cannot wait for you to see it.

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The FDA has recently issued a warning after assessing reports that have associated certain diets with cardiovascular disease. 

Researchers have found that pet foods with peas, lentils, potatoes and other legume seeds have been linked with instances of canine dilated cardiomyopathy, CDC,  a disease of the heart muscle in dogs. The condition can enlarge the heart, often leading to heart failure.

Although the illness is typically found in larger breeds like Great Danes and Newfoundlands, the FDA said “highly unusual” reports of dogs not vulnerable to the disease have contracted it. 

Diets in cases reported to the FDA frequently list potatoes or multiple legumes such as peas, lentils, other “pulses” (seeds of legumes), and their protein, starch and fiber derivatives early in the ingredient list, indicating that they are main ingredients. Early reports from the veterinary cardiology community indicate that the dogs consistently ate these foods as their primary source of nutrition for time periods ranging from months to years. High levels of legumes or potatoes appear to be more common in diets labeled as “grain-free,” but it is not yet known how these ingredients are linked to cases of DCM. Changes in diet, especially for dogs with DCM, should be made in consultation with a licensed veterinarian.

In the reports the FDA has received, some of the dogs showed signs of heart disease, including decreased energy, cough, difficulty breathing and episodes of collapse. Medical records for four atypical DCM cases, three Golden Retrievers and one Labrador Retriever, show that these dogs had low whole blood levels of the amino acid taurine. Taurine deficiency is well-documented as potentially leading to DCM. The Labrador Retriever with low whole blood taurine levels is recovering with veterinary treatment, including taurine supplementation, and a diet change. Four other cases of DCM in atypical dog breeds, a Miniature Schnauzer, Shih Tzu and two Labrador Retrievers, had normal blood taurine levels. The FDA continues to work with board certified veterinary cardiologists and veterinary nutritionists to better understand the clinical presentation of these dogs. The agency has also been in contact with pet food manufacturers to discuss these reports and to further the investigation.

The FDA encourages pet owners and veterinary professionals to report cases of DCM in dogs suspected of having a link to diet by using the electronic Safety Reporting Portal or calling their state's FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinators. Please see the link below about “How to Report a Pet Food Complaint" for additional instructions.  I am currently pursuing advanced education in veterinary nutrition and am a pet lover and animal advocate so this is of great interest to me and I am sure to many of you.  Please be exceedingly careful in changing your pet's diet, as pets, just like people are very sensitive to dietary deficiencies.  Feel free to set up a consultation for guidance about your pet's nutritional needs or discuss with your veterinarian.   Next week join me as I discuss a popular diabetes drug that causes vitamin B-12 deficiency.  Sign UP Here.  You can also follow us on our social media pages, links below.  Our 500+ item Natural Pharmacy features brands like: Douglas Labs, Pure Encapsulations, Thorne Research and more.  FREE shipping on every order!  Thanks!

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LOCAL TREATMENT (Vaginal Suppositories)- APPLIED TO THE CERVIX in cervical Dysplasia and Cervical Cancers:

Risk Factors for cervical dysplasia or cervical cancers include: multiple sexual partners, young age at first intercourse, unprotected intercourse, HPV, Chlamydia, and HIV, poor immune status, poor nutritional status, smoking, use of oral contraceptives, and more.  The purpose of today's post is to address use of various vaginal suppositories such as green tea suppositories, vag pak, vaginal depletion pack and others in the quest for remission of cervical dysplasia. I receive daily requests for information regarding buying these vaginal suppositories on a daily basis.  Here is a brief history on their use, my recommendations will follow below.

Vaginal Suppositories: Escharotic treatment
The use of escharotic or caustic treatments for epithelial cancers is based on a centuries-old observation that select plant and mineral extracts could be used to treat topical skin lesions. Two small studies show the efficacy of this treatment in reversing cervical dysplasia in women. This treatment is used for CIN I and II after a satisfactory colposcopy is performed and if there is no disease in the endocervical canal and no glandular cells present. Escharotic treatment for cervical dysplasia involves the local application of a natural enzyme, bromelain, to the surface of the cervix. This is left in place for 15 minutes with heat applied to activate the enzyme. The protein dissolving properties in bromelain dissolve the top layer of cells on the cervix which are infected and damaged by the HPV virus. A mixture of zinc chloride and a plant (Sanguinaria) is applied to the cervix to cause sloughing of abnormal tissue. Zinc chloride is caustic and acts to disrupt the cellular membrane integrity and the mucus over coating to allow the Sangunaria to penetrate the cells. Sanguinaria has been shown to have anti-neoplastic qualities. The treatment is performed twice per week with at least two days in between treatments for 4-5 weeks. The ZnCl solution is made by a compounding pharmacist.

Vaginal suppository treatment
Vaginal depletion packs have been in use since the 1800s. Vaginal depletion packs, Vag pak, work by the action of the substances within the packs, which draw infection out of the cervical cells and boast the immune system. Each suppository contains: magnesium sulfate, glycerin complex, hydrastis tincture, thuja oil, tea tree oil, bitter orange oil, vitamin-A (as palmitate) 100,000 iu, ferric sulfate,ferrous sulfate in polybase. Hydrastis canadensis is effective against many microbial pathogens, as are the essential oils of tea tree, thuja and bitter orange.Vag Pak suppositories are often used for mild dysplsia and/or high risk HPV.

Green tea suppositories are also effective for cervical dysplasia and HPV. ECGC in green tea was evaluated on cervical epithelial; cells and cervical cancer cells and HPV. Green tea inhibited cancer cell growth, induced apoptosis, decreased gene expression, and cell cycle changes. As mentioned green tea has been shown to be effective against HPV.

Critics of natural medicine say there is no published evidence that these options work or are backed in science. There are several recent published articles explaining the science and patient outcomes. One can be found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19679625

SUMMARY
As a specialist in the area of HPV, cervical dysplasia etc, I feel it is important that a woman be informed of her options for managing cervical health. In my opinion, and clinical experience the very best outcomes occur with an individualized program addressing the patient's immune system, diet and lifestyle factors. The least invasive, most natural, safe and effective treatments that address the cause should be offered. There are times natural medicine is not an exclusive option for treating cervical cell changes due to the severity and location of disease but in many cases naturopathic treatment of cervical dysplasia and HPV is the safest and most effective option. I do not advocate suppositories alone as the condition can and does recur. With the right comprehensive treatment protocol, most of my clients reach remission in 3 to 6 months.  I do work long distance with clients so please feel free to call to schedule an appointment at 847 577-4455.  Thank you!  Next week I will investigate a phenomenon causing deaths of dogs due to pet food. Sign up here for more information and future blog posts.   Don't forget to visit our Natural Pharmacy for great prices, FRESH NEW EFFECTIVE products and free shipping on hundreds of "doctor only"products.We add new products daily. If you'd like us to offer something send us an email at DocTaryn@apple-a-day-clinic.com and I will be happy to add it.  Thanks so much. Our new website is still being developed I appreciate your patience as we perfect it. Thank you!

REFERENCES
1. Synder U. A look at cervical cancer. Medscape OB/GYN & Women's Health. 2003;8(1):1-12
2. Wheeler C. Advances in primary and secondary interventions for cervical cancer: prophylactic human papillomavirus vaccines and testing. Nat Clin Pract Oncol. 2007;4(4):224-235.
3. ACOG.org
4. Wright TC, et al. 2006 consensus guidelines for the management of women with abnormal cervical cancer screening tests. Am J OB/GYN 2007;11:346-355.
5. Wright TC, et al. 2006 consensus guidelines for the management of women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or adenocarcinoma-in-situ. Am J OB/GYN 2007;11:340-345.
6. Synder U. A look at cervical cancer. Medscape OB/GYN & Women's Health. 2003;8(1):1-12
7. Weinstein SJ, et al. Low serum and red blood cell folate are moderately, but nonsignificantly associated with increased risk of invasive cervical cancer. J Nutr. 2001;131:2040-2048.
8. Schiff MA, et al. Serum carotinoids and risk of cervical epithelial neoplasia in southwestern American women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2001;10:1219-1222.

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Several studies have confirmed the immune-boosting power of elderberries.

In fact, studies from 2004 and 2009 demonstrated its ability to cut flu duration in half, and in many cases eliminate symptoms within 48 hours.

A more recent 2016 study, shows the berry works similar miracles on colds.

The 2004 study, published in the Journal of International Medical Research, showed that when elderberry extract is used within 48 hours of the onset of the influenza A or B virus, it shortens the duration of flu symptoms by an average of four days.Bottom of Form

Patients received 15 ml of elderberry syrup four times a day for 5 days.

In a 2009 study, published in the Online Journal of Pharmacology, H1N1 and avian flu patients were given four 175-milligram doses of elderberry extract daily.

While a group of patients receiving a placebo showed no improvement or worsening symptoms, those who received the extract “showed significant improvement within 24 hours.”

Fever, headache, muscle ache and nasal congestion were all significantly reduced within 24 hours.

“Within 48 hours of treatment, nearly 90% of the elderberry extract treated patients were either symptom free or had only mild symptoms,” the researchers wrote.

A 2016 study, published in the journal Nutrients, showed elderberry to reduce the duration and symptoms of a cold in air travelers.

Travelers using this herb from 10 days before travel until four to five days after arriving overseas experienced on average a two-day shorter duration of colds and also a significant reduction in cold symptoms.  You need a FRESH,quality product for these benefits. Try ours: FREE Shipping and discover the hundreds of PROFESSIONAL quality natural products we offer online, and at our office.    Next week I will discuss the benefits of vaginal suppositories in the treatment of HPV and cervical dysplasia.  Sign UP and receive notifications of articles by email.  A beautiful, responsive design website is nearing completion. Until then I am unable to publish a calendar for the month.  Our facebook page@appleadayclinic is also available for health tips.  Hope to see orders, visits and referrals from you. Thanks!

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Depression and anxiety disorders are on the rise. These emotional problems peak between the ages of 30 and 44, and almost 20% of Americans experience at least one anxiety episode annually.

Environmental and genetic factors are influential, but experts believe that there are also other potential associations and causes of anxiety, like nutrition and diet. They also maintain that there is a growing link between anxiety and gut health.

I have seen countless cases where treating the gut has effectively eliminated depression and anxiety. Scientists have shown that anxious people often suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, and experience symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and irritable bowel syndrome, which are also called ‘co-occurring disorders'.  In fact, in most new client cases involving mental health disorders, I will typically order a microbiology analysis to get to the root cause of their disorders.

Here is how gut health improves mood and help in the case of mental disorders:

Eliminates inflammation, and some scientists believe that depression is an inflammatory disease

Elevate the levels of tryptophan which supports the release of serotonin; the ‘happy hormone'

To boost your mental health and reduce the symptoms of depression and anxiety, eat a diet rich in anti-anxiety foods, such as pickles, Korean kimchi, dark chocolate, yogurt or kefir, and Japanese miso.

As part of a complete heath program, you can take high potency probiotics. Probiotics will not in any case rectify intestinal dysbiosis in and of themselves. Also, they might raise the risk of side effects of other drugs, like corticosteroids, antibiotics, diet remedies, and immunosuppressants. So,if you want lasting relief from these disorders I would recommend correcting the root cause. For an appointment please call us at 847 577-4455. This concludes our series for December.  I will publish our new calendar on January 1^st for next month.  Happy New Year! Sign UP so you don't miss a post or Like us on Facebook!  We are looking forward to having a very beautiful website for your ordering convenience.  Visit our Natural Pharmacy for great prices and FREE shipping on hundreds of professional products. Thanks and Happy New Year. Best of Health!

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A study published this week in the journal Cell follows multi-generation immigrants from Southeast Asia to the United States. As they moved, their gut microbes responded. Once in the United States, the immigrants' gut diversity dropped to resemble the less-varied microbiomes in European Americans. At the same time, obesity rates spiked.

“We found that moving to a new country changes your microbiome,” said Dan Knights, a computational microbiologist at the University of Minnesota and an author of the paper. “You pick up the microbiome of the new country and possibly some of the new disease risks that are more common in that country.”

 In the United States, immigrants in the study ate foods richer in sugars, fats and protein. Microbiomes changed within months of moving. “People began to lose their native microbes almost immediately after arriving in the U.S.," Knights said. “The loss of diversity was quite pronounced: Just coming to the USA, just living in the USA, was associated with a loss of about 15 percent of microbiome diversity.”

Obesity rates among many of the study immigrants increased sixfold. Those who became obese also lost an additional 10 percent of their diversity. “And the children of immigrants,” Knights said, “had yet again another 5 to 10 percent loss.”

As microbial diversity decreases, the risk of diseases such as obesity and diabetes increases. “It's been known from previous studies that people in developing nations tend to have more gut microbiome diversity and lower risk of metabolic diseases,” Knights said. “It was also known that moving from a developing nation to the U.S. increases your risk of those diseases.” But no one had tested whether the microbiome changed after immigration, too.

 “The association made between changes in dietary factors, toward a more ‘Westernized' nutritional diet, and the loss of bacterial diversity” was “particularly striking,” said Eran Elinav, who studies the human microbiome at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. (In 2014, Elinav and his colleagues reported that traveling to distant time zones by plane alters the microbiome, as though the germs were jet-lagged.)

But changes in diet were slower than changes in microbiome, suggesting factors beyond American food were at play. “We found that diet alone wasn't enough to explain the rapid Westernization of the microbiome,” Knights said — differences in drinking water and antibiotics possibly contributed as well.

The new study supports hypotheses that Western lifestyle influences the microbiome. Industrialization is correlated with a drop-off: Indigenous South American people, for instance, have about twice as many species in their guts, compared with a person in the United States.

  “We have known from some small, not well controlled studies that the microbiome does change — and we have known for many years that adopting a Western lifestyle is associated with an increase in disease,” said microbial ecosystem expert Jack Gilbert, director of the University of Chicago's Microbiome Center, who was not involved with the current study. “This brings those two concepts together.”

Knights and his colleagues examined microbiomes in stool samples from more than 500 women. Two ethnic groups from Asia, the Hmong and Karen people, represent a large portion of immigrants in Minnesota. (Men were not included, because substantially more women from these communities moved to the state.)

Some Hmong and Karen women in this study lived and remained in Thailand. Others were first- and second-generation U.S. immigrants. To get a before and after snapshot, researchers also took microbiome samples from 19 Karen women before their departure and after their arrival. The scientists compared all of these microbiomes with those of 36 European Americans born in the United States.

  The dominant species in the gut changed from strains of bacteria called Prevotella to a group of bacteria called Bacteroides. Prevotella bacteria produce enzymes that digest fibrous foods more common in Asia than the United States. In Thailand, the women ate more palm, coconut, a fruit called tamarind and the bulbous part of a plant named konjac.

“The diet analysis is as good as it can be for any populations. Yes, lifestyle factors could influence these trends, but the trends we observe could easily be explained by diet changes,” Gilbert said.

"We know from studies in animals that having the wrong set of microbes can cause obesity,” Knights said. In pioneering work at the Washington University in St. Louis, scientists took germs from obese women and transplanted the microbes into healthy mice. Those mice grew heavier, even when they ate the same food as their lean rodent equivalents.

  The authors of the current work, though, do not have evidence the microbial changes directly increased obesity risk in immigrant women. It is possible that a Western lifestyle leads to obesity while the microbiome independently adjusts. Or a sequence of events could occur: A new diet and lifestyle leads to different microbes, and those microbes, as the mouse studies suggest, have a direct effect on obesity. For the time being, no “formal proof” exists to link microbiome alterations to human disease, Elinav said.

Knights suspects these patterns hold for people elsewhere across the world who adopt Western countries or lifestyles as their own. “Because we were able to confirm the same findings in two different ethnic groups, we expect that we would see something similar happening in the other immigrant groups,” he said. But, as always, future research will show whether this prediction rings true.  Sources for this article include the Journal Cell and the Washington Post.  If you would like to learn about your microbiome, please contact me for an appointment at 847 577-4455. To learn more about stool testing click this link.   May I also suggest our highly regarded Maxbiotic, and other top quality probiotics available from our store-FREE shipping!  We sell hundreds of professional quality products from brands such as Metagenics, Thorne, Pure Encapsulations and much more at GREAT prices, and are authorized distributors.  Our new website is being updated as we speak and it is GORGEOUS!  You will love it!  Next week discover the health risks of too little sunshine!  SignUP! 

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A  NEW study published in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology found that children born via C-Section have a higher risk of developing food allergies, compared to babies born through a natural birth.

The study looked at one million children born between 2001 and 2012 in Sweden, and discovered that 2.5% of those kids were diagnosed with a food allergy later in life.

Among those children, a majority of them were born via cesarean section, making babies born via this delivery method 18% more likely to develop a food allergy, while babies born via an emergency C-section 21% more at risk.

That's not the only thing researchers discovered about C-section births...

Mothers who had asthma and pulmonary disease while pregnant were also more likely to have offspring that developed food allergies later in life.

Now, it's clear that the way a child is delivered has a strong impact on the development of their immune system.

"It has previously been implied that mode of delivery is a significant determinant of postpartum adaptation of the immune system," the authors explain. "Cesarean delivery seems to delay and alter the development of the offspring's immune system, subsequently increasing the risk of [allergic] disease[s]."

1 in 5 children in the U.S. currently are obese according to Wikipedia.

Other health issues that C-section births have been linked to are: obesity, asthma, diabetes, and other chronic health problems.  

"To me, that evidence says that it is reasonable to believe that cesarean sections have the potential for long-term adverse health consequences for children," Jan Blustein, from New York University's Wagner School, said in her study on C-section births.  This should be discussed with your OB-GYN before making decisions as to birthing method. Next week join me for a discussion about: the American diet and what it does to gut microbes. SignUP right here so you don't miss a thing. You can also follow Apple-A-Day Clinic on instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Linked in!  Did you know we offer hundreds of professional products right here on our website. With FREE shipping and discounts from 10-20%?  Shop Now!  Gift Certificates available.

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Rising levels of carbon dioxide could make crops less nutritious and damage the health of hundreds of millions of people, research has revealed, with those living in some of the world's poorest regions likely to be hardest hit.

Previous research has shown that many food crops become less nutritious when grown under the CO2 levels expected by 2050, with reductions of protein, iron and zinc estimated at 3–17%.

Now experts say such changes could mean that by the middle of the century about 175 million more people develop a zinc deficiency, while 122 million people who are not currently protein deficient could become so.

In addition, about 1.4 billion women of childbearing age and infants under five years old will be living in regions where there will be the highest risk of iron deficiency.

Among other problems, zinc deficiencies are linked to troubles with wound healing, infections and diarrhoea; protein deficiencies are linked to stunted growth; and iron deficiencies are tied to complications in pregnancy and childbirth.

“This is another demonstration of how higher CO2 could affect global health that may not be as well recognised,” said Dr Matthew Smith, co-author of the study from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. “Continuing to keep up our vigilance around reducing CO2 emissions becomes all the more important because of this research.”

Writing in the journal Nature Climate Change, Smith and co-author Samuel Myers, also from Harvard, describe how they drew on data from a host of sources, including figures from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, to explore food supply in different countries. In total Smith and Myers looked at 225 different foods including wheat, rice, maize and specific vegetables, roots and fruits.  This is a very serious situation. The world is becoming so volatile there is no telling what is next.  Support the environment in your political decisions.  Visit our store for GREAT prices and FREE shipping on hundreds of professional products. Gift certificates available. Gift health this year! This concludes our series for November. SignUP! to receive our upcoming topics.  Thanks!  We will post our new calendar on Monday.  Sources for this article include Nature Climate Change and the Guardian.

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How Your Gut Affects Your Joints

Many people who experience different types of joint pain try to find a “fast fix” by masking the pain with drugs or topicals. These are only temporary solutions. Though it is true that some types of arthritis in joints have no cure, don't lose hope. The origin of the problem may be in your gut.

Someone who is experiencing a form of leaky gut syndrome will often experience the spread of inflammation and toxicity. When toxins, bacteria, undigested food particles, and other pollutants escape through the damaged walls of your gut, they will find new places to wreak havoc. If you have a tendency toward inflammation in your joints, this could be a problem for you. Recent studies have connected leaky gut syndrome to rheumatoid arthritis. So, if you're having issues in your joints, you may be focusing on the wrong spot in your search for a solution.

Thankfully, there are ways to work on healing your gut so that your health can be restored. One of the most important steps to take in reestablishing healthy gut flora is having a digestive analysis.  Many bacterial infections begin in the gut and migrate to the joints causing different forms of arthritis.  Generalized inflammation also wreaks havoc on joint health.  Foods that help gut health are:

·         Sauerkraut

·         Yogurt

·         Cottage Cheese

·         Kefir

·         Whey

·         Kimchi

·         Natto

·         Tempeh

·         Fermented tofu

What Are the Different Types of Arthritis?

Translated directly from the Greek, arthritis means “inflammation of the joint,” and it comes in many forms. Here are forms of arthritis you should know:

Osteoarthritis Joint Pain

This is the most common form of arthritis in joints, referring to the “wear and tear” you usually develop in your fifties or older.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Joint Pain

This type of arthritis is an autoimmune disease, which means the immune system attacks the body's own tissues. In this case, the thin membrane that lines the joints is the tissue that is being targeted, resulting in pain and inflammation. Unfortunately, since this is an autoimmune disease, it can only be managed—not cured.

Gout Joint Pain

People who have high uric acid crystals in their blood may develop this type arthritis. The acid can form small, sharp crystals in a joint that can cause severe pain, soreness, and inflammation.

Bursitis Joint Pain

This joint pain comes from an inflamed bursa which is a sac-like structure that contains fluid you need to lubricate areas like a muscle or tendon that rubs over a bone or another muscle. Many people experience this pain in joints like their shoulder or knee.  

How to Relieve Joint Pain Naturally

If  you're experiencing joint pain, I'd recommend figuring out the origin of the problem first. In addition to that, here are some natural ways to relieve joint pain:

Rehydrate Your Joints

Joints are enclosed capsules that need fluid, making dehydration an often-forgotten issue. I recommend drinking at least six to eight cups of water a day as a way to help joint pain.

Diet: Foods that Reduce Inflammation

I recommend filling your diet with foods that reduce inflammation. Some of these include:

·         Fruits (kiwi, cherries, papaya)

·         Vegetables (broccoli, leeks, onions

·         The anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric make it an effective supplement for alleviating symptoms of joint pain and stiffness. Preliminary cell studies propose that the curcuminoids in turmeric work to stimulate an anti-inflammatory response by hindering the expression of the COX-2 "pain" enzyme.  One, I often used is linked above. FREE shipping!

Taking oral supplements can help reduce joint discomfort throughout the body. I recommend starting with 2-3 capsules a day. If you want to treat specific joints, you can apply turmeric topically. To make the topical paste, mix two tablespoons of turmeric powder and one tablespoon of lime juice. To this mixture, add a small amount of boiling water to help form a uniform thick paste.

Exercise: These are some of the best exercises for joint pain relief:

·         Moving the joint under water in a heated bathtub, or hot tub, etc.

·         Stretching

·         Walking

There is a lot of research on Hyalauronic Acid for joint pain.  Quite a few oral hyaluronic acid supplements have been shown to help in the treatment of arthritic joints—though they are quite expensive, we offer hefty discounts and FREE shipping. Collagen powder may also work for some people.  They are made from the same compounds found in bovine (cattle) and properly processed shark cartilage which can help repair and protect numerous joints throughout the body.  Acupuncture is a GODSEND for managing many types of arthritis.  Please call me at 847 577-4455 if I can be of any assistance with these ailments.   Best of Health and Happy Thanksgiving.  Nexr week we will how explore the ways climate change is causing nutritional deficiencies. SignUP! So you don't miss anything.  ALSO: Don't forget to visit our store, a redesign is under way and I KNOW you will be delighted with it.

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High blood pressure and hypertension is an issue that affects millions of people across the country. For those that have high blood pressure, the thought of taking medication for the rest of their lives can be an intimidating thought. Fortunately, there are five products that you can take that could help you to naturally reduce your blood pressure without taking medications that come with side effects.

Room Temperature

Keeping your  space too cold can cause a rise in blood pressure. This is due to constriction of blood vessels.

 Honey

One of our favorite foods can also help to reduce blood pressure. Honey is a sweet treat that effectively dilates blood vessels. While you can add honey to anything, you should try to consume it with warm water first thing in the morning to get the full effect. You should then wait at least 30 minutes before eating anything else. 1 teaspoon of honey is all that is needed to get effects. People with diabetes or hypoglycemia should NOT use this.

Watermelon Seeds

 While most people end up picking out the seeds, watermelon seeds can actually be beneficial for you. Watermelon seeds contain a product called cucurbocitrin, which also helps to dilate blood vessels and reduce pressure. Eating seeds every day can reduce your blood pressure symptoms.

Lemon Juice

When it comes to superfoods, lemon juice is often near the top of the list. While it has other health benefits as well, lemon juice can also help to reduce hypertension. This citrus juice works to keep your blood vessels elastic, which can improve blood flow and prevent too much pressure from occurring.

Bananas

Eating this tropical fruit has also been shown to provide a lot of health benefits, particularly for your heart. Bananas are full of amazing vitamins including magnesium, potassium, Vitamin D, and calcium. All of these elements can help to reduce blood pressure. At the same time, eating bananas is also shown to help reduce stress.

Celery

While celery has been a popular health food snack for a long time, it also can be good for your heart and blood pressure. Celery is believed to reduce the pressure on the heart muscle and improve blood flow. Furthermore, celery is full of vitamins, amino acids, and essential oils, each of which are good for your heart. Incorporating this into your diet on a daily basis could soon prove to be great for your heart and overall physical health. Nutritional deficiencies can cause hypertension, especially mineral deficiencies.  A tissue mineral analysis is a great way to find out what is going on in your case.  Many vitamins and herbals can lower blood pressure naturally as well as dietary changes, exercise and stress reduction. Chinese medicines are also very effective in lowering blood pressure to safe levels without the risk of prescriptions.  Please schedule an appointment at 847-577-4455 to learn more!  Visit me next week for a discussion about the connection between joint and gut health!  Sign up here so you don't miss it!  and Please Visit our store for amazing prices and FREE shipping on each order.  We are creating a wonderful new website for your pleasure it should be ready by the New Year! 

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For most people, taking the “typical” OTC  probiotic supplement doesn't result in any side effects because most products don't really do anything after an hour or so due to the actuality that the good bacterias are destroyed by stomach acids and other biochemical factors in the GI system. If you have a pristine gut that just needs good flora, for example, if you just came off of antibiotics after being very healthy… you may only experience higher energy and better digestive health. But for some—particularly those whose gut bacteria has been out of balance for years—there can be a real tug of war in the gut where many existing symptoms like gas, bloating, loose stools and or constipation are exaggerated.

This aspect of taking probiotics isn't often discussed, which is unfortunate. Many people look at their worsening symptoms and conclude that not only is the supplement not working as expected, but it's actually making their situation worse. Consequently, they just stop taking the product.  If you cannot tolerate a good probiotic supplement due to worsening symptoms, you owe it to yourself to address the underlying trouble which is intestinal dysbiosis. Contact a specialist, such as myself, for assistance in testing your gut and receiving a treatment program that will address these complexities.   Intestinal dysbiosis refers to other bacterias that have taken up residence in the gut displacing the beneficial bacterias that should be there.  These must be removed in order to “grow” a good, healthy microbiome.

If you're experiencing probiotic side effects, please understand that while the symptoms may be inconvenient (and, I'll admit, occasionally embarrassing), they also are a dramatic sign that your gut needs attention!

The normal pH (the acidity/alkalinity scale) of the colon should be between 6.7 and 6.9. A pH of 7.0 is neutral; anything below that is acidic and anything above is alkaline. To inhibit pathogenic bacteria and encourage the growth of good gut bacteria, your colon needs to be slightly acidic.  Hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid is also a factor that frequently co exists with intestinal dysbiosis.

Stress, antibiotics, chlorine in the water supply, drugs (prescription and over the counter), are factors that wipe out gut bacteria and make the environment of the colon more alkaline. When you start taking a probiotic supplement, these newly introduced friendly bacteria change the pH to become more acidic—a much more hospitable environment for them. This can be a struggle in the beginning because the other bacteria are so firmly entrenched. I find that it isn't much of a struggle if the pathogenic bacterias are treated concurrently.

If not, the colon's pH changes from alkaline to acidic and the good and bad bacteria go through a type of war, whereas some people may begin to experience grumblings, pain,  gas, loose stools, or other uncomfortable bowel symptoms.

How long this lasts can vary from individual to individual. For example, if you're taking antibiotics or other drugs that kill good gut bacteria, the transition could take a long time or may never even happen. Common medications such as painkillers, analgesics, steroids, anti-inflammatories, sleeping pills, birth control pills, antacids, vaccines, and many others either kill or interfere with the growth of beneficial flora. If you can eliminate or, at the very least, minimize these drugs, you will have a much better chance of restoring your bowel flora to normal.  Some highly stressed individuals suffer the same plight.

Discontinuing the probiotic may get rid of your worsening symptoms, but it won't give your good bacteria a chance to take over.  And,  you won't experience the health benefits associated with a healthy colon.  Leave that to an expert, like myself, you will be glad you did!  Contact us for an office or phone appointment at 847 577 4455.  You can also email at doctaryn@apple-a-day-clinic.com, or fill out our new patient inquiry form on the appointment button.  Next week, I will discuss ways to lower your blood pressure naturally.  SignUP so you don't miss a thing.  and please, as always,  visit our store for great prices on hundreds of natural products. FREE shipping on every order!   Wishing you all a healthy week!

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Depression is now a global epidemic.  It is the main factor behind suicide, which now claims more than a million lives per year worldwide. One in four Americans will suffer from clinical depression within their lifetimes, and the rate is increasing with every generation.

It robs people of sleep, energy, focus, memory, sex drive and their basic ability to experience the pleasures of life, says author of The Depression Cure Stephen Ildari. It can destroy people's desire to love, work, play and even their will to live.  If left unchecked it can cause permanent brain damage.

Depression lights up the pain circuitry of the brain to such an extent that many of Ildari's psychiatric patients have called it torment, agony and torture. “Many begin to look to death as a welcome means of escape,” he said in a Ted Talks presentation.

But depression is not a natural disease. It is not inevitable. Ildari argues, like many diseases, depression is a disease of civilization. It's a disease caused by a high-stress, industrialized, modern lifestyle that is incompatible with our genetic evolution.

Depression is the result of a prolonged stress-response, Ildari said. The brain's “runaway stress response” – as he calls it – is similar to the fight or flight response, which evolved to help our ancestors when they faced predators or other physical dangers. The runaway stress response required intense physical activity for a few seconds, a few minutes, or – in extreme cases – a few hours.

“The problem is for many people throughout the Western world, the stress response goes on for weeks, months and even years at a time, and when it does that, it's incredibly toxic,” Ildari said.

Living under continually stressful conditions – as many modern humans do – is disruptive to neuro-chemicals like dopamine and seratonin, which can lead to sleep disturbance, brain damage, immune dysregulation and inflammation, Ildari says.

Civilization is the disease

Epidemiologists have now identified a long list of other stress-related diseases as “diseases of civilization” – diabetes, atherosclerosis, asthma, allergies, obesity and cancer. These diseases are rampant throughout the developed world, but virtually non-existent among modern-day aboriginal peoples.

In a study of 2000 Kaluli aborigines from Papua New Guinea, only one marginal case of clinical depression was found. Why? Because the Kaluli lifestyle is very similar to our hunter-gatherer ancestors' lifestyle that lasted for nearly 2 million years before agriculture, Ildari said.

“99.9 percent of the human experience was lived in a hunter-gatherer context,” he added. “Most of the selection pressures that have sculpted and shaped our genomes are really well adapted for that environment and that lifestyle.”

In view of nearly 3 million years of hominid existence, since homo habilis first began use of stone tools, our genus has undergone rapid environmental change since the advent of agriculture about 12,000 years ago. And in the last 200 years, since the industrial revolution, our species has had to cope with what Ildari calls “radical environmental mutation.”

While our environment has radically mutated, our human genome is essentially the same as it was 200 years ago, Ildari says. “That's only eight generations. It's not enough time [for significant genetic adaptations].”

“There's a profound mismatch between the genes we carry, the bodies and brains that they are building, and the world that we find ourselves in,” he said. “We were never designed for the sedentary, indoor, socially isolated, fast-food-laden, sleep-deprived frenzied pace of modern life.”

The Cure

Though he's not entirely opposed to medication, Ildari says we can throw all the drugs in the world at the depression epidemic, and it won't make a dent.

Anti depressant use has gone up 300 percent in the last 20 years, but the rate of depression has continued to increase. One in nine Americans over age 12 is currently taking an antidepressant, and one in five have been on them at some point.

The answer, Ildari says, is a change in lifestyle. He advocates 6 things:

1. Exercise

2. Omega 3 Fatty Acids-FREE shipping

3. Sunlight

4. Healthy Sleep

5. Anti-ruminative activity..IE: Meditation

6. Social connection

In his presentation, he emphasized the importance of exercise and social connection, as they are two of the hardest parts of the program for modern Americans to achieve.  Source for this Article: ReturnToNow.  Next week, join me for a simple solution for better sleep. Sign Up so you don't miss a thing.  Visit our STORE for FREE shipping and major discounts on hundreds of professional products.  Thanks!

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Did you know that there is a country with the lowest infant mortality rate, highest life expectancies, that has banned several vaccines mandatory in the United States? I didn't either…Read on for the important facts…

Japan has the lowest infant mortality rate following their ban on mandatory vaccinations, and they urge other countries to follow this firm stance

The citizens of Japan are statistically proven to be the healthiest and achieve the highest life expectancy of any people in the world. This country also has the lowest infant mortality rate on the planet. It may therefore, come as no surprise to many that the Japanese Government hasbanned a number of vaccines that are currently mandatory in the United States Japan also has strict regulations in place for other Big Pharma drugs and vaccines in general. Japan's anti-vax policies have long been criticized by vaccine pushers in the US who claim that vaccinating the public “promotes health.”

However, Japanese people live longer, healthier lives than Americans, with babies born in the US twice as likely to die in infancy than those born in Japan. It's clear to see that Western nations have a lot to learn from the Japanese when it comes to their approach to vaccinations and issues facing public health. The Japanese are vaccine sceptics, to put it simply, and due to adverse reactions suffered by Japanese children, have banned many vaccines.

The Japanese are well educated on the dangers of over-vaccinating their children and oppose the use of multi-shot vaccinations such as the MMR vaccine. Following a record number of children developing adverse reactions, including meningitis, loss of limbs, and even sudden death, the Japanese government banned the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine from its vaccination program, despite facing serious opposition from Big Pharma.

Despite the fact that it has been blamed in vaccine courts for causing autism, supporters still deny the correlation between the MMR vaccination and skyrocketing rates of autism spectrum disorder, which now affects at least one in 45 children, and even higher rates of diagnosis among boys. However, the vaccine carries other serious risks in addition to the autism links, which has led to an outright ban of MMR jab in Japan.

The MMR Vaccine's Troubling History in Japan

The MMR vaccine was introduced in Japan in April 1989, and parents who refused the compulsory vaccine were fined. After three months of analysis, officials realized that one in 900 children developed adverse reactions to the vaccine, a rate that was 2,000 times higher than expected. Officials had hoped to resolve the problem by switching to another version of the vaccine, but the excessive amount of adverse reactions persisted, with one in 1,755 children affected.

Testing of 125 children's spinal fluid determined that the vaccines had entered one child's nervous system, with two additional suspected cases. Four years later, in 1993, the government removed the MMR mandate against measles and rubella.

A doctor from Japan's Ministry of Health and Welfare admitted that the separate, individual doses of measles and rubella cost twice as much to administer and he defended the decision, stating, “but we believe it is worth it.” Furthermore, a member of the health ministry also stated that the ban has not caused an increase in deaths from measles. Japanese officials were also concerned about the MMR vaccine causing additional cases of mumps, citing numerous studies in The Lancet. Mumps and Hepatitis B vaccines are not part of the National Immunization Program in Japan.

Twice as many infants die in America than in Japan

What most parents don't know about the MMR Vaccine is the list of adverse reactions.  Side effects to the MMR vaccine, straight from Merck's vaccine package inserts, are long and alarming. A shortened version of the vaccine damage associated with the MMR vaccine includes: vomiting, diarrhoea, anaphylaxis, ear pain, nerve deafness, diabetes, arthritis, myalgia, encephalitis, febrile seizures, pneumonia, and death.

Consequences of vaccinations are vastly under-reported

As acknowledged by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Vaccine Information Center estimates that less than one to ten percent of adverse reactions to vaccines are reported. Many of the numbers reported above could, therefore, be multiplied by one hundred to determine a more accurate amount of adverse reactions.

The people of Japan put children s health before big pharma profits and also take a protective stance against other Vaccines. The flu vaccine has also been the subject of controversy in Japan after 100 deaths occurred from the vaccine by the end of 2009.

Japan's health ministry has been criticized for its cautious stance against vaccines, but so far, government officials have wisely defended their position, citing public safety as the paramount concern. Finally, the Japanese government has also taken a protective stance against vaccines on behalf of its young girls, suspending the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine in 2013 after numerous cases of serious adverse events were reported, with one report citing as many as 1,968 adverse events, 358 of which were classified as serious. Japanese officials were MORE concerned about the well-being of their young citizens, despite having invested $187 million in the program.

Damage payments to only a fraction of the victims who have suffered adverse reactions to the HPV vaccine have reached $6 million. Additionally, since 2011, at least 38 infants have been reported to have died after they had been vaccinated against Haemophilus influenza B and Streptococcus pneumonia, according to records compiled by the health ministry in Japan.

Japanese Officials Speak Out

Japan has been criticized for being behind the times when it comes to vaccination. Vaccine advocates claim that Japan has not kept pace with other developed countries regarding the use of vaccines. Despite listing 110 infectious diseases in a government registry, Japan offers vaccines for only 22. Some Japanese health experts disagree, however. Hiroko Mori, a vaccine researcher, is one of those experts. He was the former head of the infectious disease division at Japan's National Institute of Public Health. He has noted that Japan has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world and has advocated for fewer vaccines, stating that the country's excellent sanitation and nutrition has boosted children's health: He states:

“Medicine is supposed to be about healing, but babies who cannot speak are being given unnecessary shots because parents are scared. Children are losing their ability to heal naturally. “There are so many people who have suffered side effects. All we are asking is to establish the right to say ‘no.' The right to choose should be recognized as a fundamental human right.”

Tetsuo Nakayama, Dean of Kitasato University's Graduate School of Infection Control Sciences, is an expert who supports vaccines, but he, too, acknowledges the risks of vaccination, stating that: “There is no guarantee that your child will not be that one out of 1,000. You have to compare the risks between the side effects and what will happen if you are infected with the disease naturally… Under the existing law, the decision to vaccinate your child or not is basically left up to the parents, but there is not enough information out there for them to make an informed decision.”

Masako Koga, a former representative of the Consumers Union of Japan, has shared his concerns about the ulterior motives behind mass vaccination programs: “Vaccines should only be given to those who need them but that is not happening. The global industry is being driven by a strategy that promotes VPD [vaccine preventable diseases].

“We must put a stop to it. Vaccines have close ties to funding. From development to circulation to research on side effects, there are a lot of vested monetary interests involved.”

He also summarised what motivates many parents' decisions not to vaccinate their children: “There is no knowing who will suffer side effects as a result of vaccination. [Proponents of vaccination] say the chance of suffering a side effect is 1 in a million. For parents, however, that one is everything.”

Conclusion

Japanese officials have made the decision that the health and safety of their citizens comes first and so have removed vaccines with dangerous side effects from their national vaccination program. Japan boasts a low infant mortality rate, despite — or perhaps because of — mandating only a fraction of the vaccines required by other developed countries, including the United States. Has your child suffered an adverse reaction to the MMR vaccine or the HPV vaccine, both of which have been removed from Japan's national vaccination program?

More than 9 billion US dollars have been awarded for vaccine injuries alone last year in the USA and consider that  those are the ones that could afford to take the time and vast sums of money needed to take a case through our entire legal system. 

If you have concerns about vaccines PLEASE, schedule an appointment to discuss...there ARE ways to mitigate side effects. Thanks!  847 577 4455.   Take advantage of our fall intro special,AND:Don't Forget to Visit our Store: FREE shipping on all our AMAZING products!  NEXT WEEK,  Join us for a discussion about Depression and WHY it has become an epidemic...You DON'T want to miss this so SIGN UP HERE!                

Sources: Healing Oracle: Pubmed.gov,  NCBI & Neon nettle 

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I never jumped upon the vitamin D testing and supplementation trolley.  It is because I know too much about health to believe the claims made for ONE particular element as a panacea for most ills. Not that vitamin D isn't important...it is. All nutrients are...  BUT that type of philosophy generally falls under the “science” of MLM companies, not real research.  Dr. Michael Holick, a Boston University endocrinologist, created a billion dollar vitamin D sales and testing empire when he drafted national vitamin D guidelines and the embrace of his message by mainstream doctors and wellness gurus alike, have helped push supplement sales to $936 million in 2017. That's a ninefold increase over the previous decade. Lab tests for vitamin D deficiency have spiked, too: Doctors ordered more than 10 million tests for Medicare patients in 2016, up 547 percent since 2007, at a cost of $365 million.

But few of the Americans swept up in the craze are likely aware that the industry has sent a lot of money Dr. Holick's way. A Kaiser Health News investigation for The New York Times found that he has used his prominent position in the medical community to promote practices that financially benefit corporations that have given him hundreds of thousands of dollars — including drug makers, the indoor tanning industry and one of the country's largest commercial labs.

In an interview, Dr. Holick acknowledged he has worked as a consultant to Quest Diagnostics, which performs vitamin D tests, since 1979. Dr. Holick, 72, said that industry funding “doesn't influence me in terms of talking about the health benefits of vitamin D.”

There is no question that the hormone is important. Without enough of it, bones can become thin, brittle and mishapen, causing a condition called rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. The issue is how much vitamin D is healthy, and what level constitutes deficiency.

Dr. Holick's crucial role in shaping that debate occurred in 2011. Late the previous year, the prestigious National Academy of Medicine (then known as the Institute of Medicine), a group of independent scientific experts, issued a comprehensive, 1,132-page report on vitamin D deficiency. It concluded that the vast majority of Americans get plenty of the hormone naturally, and advised doctors to test only patients at high risk of certain disorders, such as osteoporosis.

A few months later, in June 2011, Dr. Holick oversaw the publication of a report that took a starkly different view. The paper, in the peer-reviewed Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, was on behalf of the Endocrine Society, the field's foremost professional group, whose guidelines are widely used by hospitals, physicians and commercial labs nationwide, including Quest. The society adopted Dr. Holick's position that “vitamin D deficiency is very common in all age groups” and advocated a huge expansion of vitamin D testing, targeting more than half the United States population, including those who are black, Hispanic or obese — groups that tend to have lower vitamin D levels than others.

The recommendations were a financial windfall for the vitamin D industry. By advocating such widespread testing, the Endocrine Society directed more business to Quest and other commercial labs. Vitamin D tests are now the fifth-most-common lab test covered by Medicare.

The guidelines benefited the vitamin D industry in another important way. Unlike the National Academy, which concluded that patients have sufficient vitamin D when their blood levels are at or above 20 nanograms per milliliter, the Endocrine Society said vitamin D levels need to be much higher — at least 30 nanograms per milliliter. Many commercial labs, including Quest and LabCorp, adopted the higher standard.

Yet there's no evidence that people with the higher level are any healthier than those with the lower level, said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a senior scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute and co-author of the National Academy report. Using the Endocrine Society's higher standard creates the appearance of an epidemic, he said, because it labels 80 percent of Americans as having inadequate vitamin D. “We see people being tested all the time and being treated based on a lot of wishful thinking, that you can take a supplement to be healthier,” Dr. Rosen said.

Patients with low vitamin D levels are often prescribed supplements and instructed to get checked again in a few months, said Dr. Alex Krist, a family physician and vice chairman of the United States Preventive Services Task Force, an expert panel that issues health advice. Many physicians then repeat the test once a year. For labs, “it's in their financial interest” to label patients with low vitamin D levels, Dr. Krist said.

In a 2010 book, “The Vitamin D Solution,” Dr. Holick gave readers tips to encourage them to get their blood tested. For readers worried about potential out-of-pocket costs for vitamin D tests — they range from $40 to $225 — he listed the precise reimbursement codes that doctors should use when requesting insurance coverage. “If they use the wrong coding when submitting the claim to the insurance company, they won't get reimbursed and you will wind up having to pay for the test,” Dr. Holick wrote.

Dr. Holick acknowledged financial ties with Quest and other companies in the financial disclosure statement published with the Endocrine Society guidelines. In an interview, he said that working for Quest for four decades — he is currently paid $1,000 a month — hasn't affected his medical advice. “I don't get any additional money if they sell one test or one billion,” he said.

A Quest spokeswoman, Wendy Bost, said the company seeks the advice of a number of expert consultants. “We feel strongly that being able to work with the top experts in the field, whether it's vitamin D or another area, translates to better quality and better information, both for our patients and physicians,” Ms. Bost said.

Today, seven years after the dueling academic findings, the leaders of the National Academy report are struggling to be heard above the clamor for more sunshine pills. “There isn't a ‘pandemic,'” said A. Catharine Ross, a nutritional sciences professor at Penn State and chairwoman of the committee that wrote the report, in an interview. “There isn't a widespread problem.”

Ties to drug manufacturers and tanning salons

In “The Vitamin D Solution,” Dr. Holick describes his promotion of vitamin D as a lonely crusade. “Drug companies can sell fear,” he writes, “but they can't sell sunlight, so there's no promotion of the sun's health benefits.”

Yet Dr. Holick also has extensive financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry. He received nearly $163,000 from 2013 to 2017 from pharmaceutical companies for consulting and other services, according to Medicare's Open Payments database, which tracks payments from drug and device manufacturers. The companies paying him included Sanofi-Aventis, which markets vitamin D supplements; Shire, which makes drugs for hormonal disorders that are given with vitamin D; Amgen, which makes an osteoporosis treatment; and Roche Diagnostics and Quidel Corporation, which both make vitamin D tests.

The database includes only payments made since 2013, but Dr. Holick's record of being compensated by drug companies started before that. In his 2010 book, he describes visiting South Africa to give “talks for a pharmaceutical company,” whose president and chief executive were in the audience.

Dr. Holick's ties to the tanning industry also have drawn scrutiny. Although Dr. Holick said he doesn't advocate tanning, he has described tanning beds as a “recommended source” of vitamin D “when used in moderation.” Dr. Holick has acknowledged accepting research money from the UV Foundation — a nonprofit arm of the now-defunct Indoor Tanning Association — which gave $150,000 to Boston University from 2004 to 2006, earmarked for Dr. Holick's research. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified tanning beds as carcinogenic in 2009.

A “miracle pill”  loses its credibility

Enthusiasm for vitamin D among medical experts has dimmed in recent years, as rigorous clinical trials have failed to confirm the benefits suggested by early, preliminary studies. A string of trials has found no evidence that vitamin D reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease or in falls by elderly people. Although the amount of vitamin D in a typical daily supplement is generally considered safe, it is possible to take too much. Some researchers say vitamin D may never have been the miracle pill that it appeared to be. Sick people who stay indoors tend to have low vitamin D levels; their poor health is likely the cause of their low vitamin D levels, not the other way around, said Dr. JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Only really rigorous studies, which randomly assign some patients to take vitamin D and others to take placebos, can provide definitive answers about vitamin D and health. Dr. Manson is leading one such study, involving 26,000 adults, expected to be published in November.

A number of insurers and health experts have begun to view widespread vitamin D testing as unnecessary and expensive. In 2014, the United States Preventive Services Task Force said there wasn't enough evidence to recommend for or against routine vitamin D screening. In April, the task force explicitly recommended that older adults outside of nursing homes avoid taking vitamin D supplements to prevent falls.

In 2015, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield of Rochester, N.Y. published an analysis highlighting the overuse of vitamin D tests. In 2014, the insurer spent $33 million on 641,000 vitamin D tests. “That's an astronomical amount of money,” said Dr. Richard Lockwood, Excellus' vice president and chief medical officer for utilization management. More than 40 percent of Excellus patients tested had no medical reason to be screened.

In spite of Excellus' efforts to rein in the tests, vitamin D usage has remained high, Dr. Lockwood said. “It's very hard to change habits,” he said, adding, “The medical community is not much different than the rest of the world, and we get into fads.”

Most of this information was obtained from Kaiser Health News , and the New York Times.  Join me next week for a discussion of: This country is anti VAX and has the lowest rate of infant mortality and the highest life expectancy.  Sign UP!  so you don't miss it!  Don't forget to visit our STORE, where we offer hundreds of professional products at great prices and FREE shipping on all orders!   

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This Liver Disease Isn't  Visible During Tests Until It's Too Late But These 7 Signs Are!

The liver is a powerhouse of bodily activity.  While the liver's main job is to filter blood coming from the digestive tract, the liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolizes drugs. The liver also produces proteins necessary for blood clotting.

It is possible for fat globules to build up in the liver, leading to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Unchecked, this can lead to even bigger problems like fibrosis and ultimately cirrhosis. Fatty liver causes inflammation and other damage to the liver. Insulin level changes can also result from fatty liver. Fatty liver is often caused by obesity, but it can also be a result of other problems. Seven signs that you may be suffering from a fatty liver are: fatigue, unintentional weight loss, swelling of the body, pain in the abdomen, jaundice, increased bruising, and mental confusion. Fortunately, there are several natural remedies that can help with fat build-up in the liver.

Dandelion Root

Dandelion root will help cleanse the liver. It can also help with inflammation and cirrhosis of the liver. One of its greatest strengths is preventing and reversing cancers.

Turmeric

Turmeric will facilitate digestion and reduce inflammation. The active ingredient in Turmeric is Curcumin a potent antioxidant.  

Weight loss

This one is obvious. If you have a fatty liver, you need to lose weight, modified fasts may be helpful here. If you take this route, you should also make sure you stay well hydrated. This will help cleanse toxins from the body.

Black Seed Oil

NAFLD can be treated with black seed oil. It can also treat a variety of other issues. Adding black seed oil to your diet is an incredible way to improve health. It has been used successfully for thousands of  years and I use it to great effect in my practice frequently.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is essential to the body. Taking vitamin E not only helps fight inflammation in the liver, it can also help with several other important organs.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol comes from red grapes. It is a very powerful antioxidant, so it soothes inflammation. Scientists have discovered that it extremely useful at fighting inflammation that is caused by NAFLD.

Goji

This berry has been used by the Chinese for centuries. The Chinese used them for a variety of ailments. Today, they are known as glucose stablizers, tumor supressors, and an antioxidant. These berries can also help heal the liver, reducing problems associated by NAFLD.

Xiao Yao Wan

Along with many other Chinese formulas have been used for thousands of years to soothe and harmonize the liver.

Natural supplements as well as dietary and lifestyle changes are the path of least resistance with respect to recovering from this and all other disorders. It is important to work with a naturopathic doctor or expert nutritionist in order to get a comprehensive plan and derive the proper dosages and dietary benefits to reverse this and any chronic disorder.  Join us next time for a discussion about some conflicts of interest with regard to Vitamin D research. You do not want to miss this so sign up!  And don't forget to visit our store where you can purchase hundreds of professional products with great prices and FREE shipping on each order. We are beginning development of an updated, easy to navigate site for your shopping and learning pleasure.  Stay Tuned!  I have also launched our new website for our skin products at beautifulskinandhair.com which has a separate facebook page. I will be doing education and videos on that site shortly. 

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This is a story for the archives….I am not certain what I think about it. I am not advocating anyone try it, but it may have some merit. Currently, unpasteurized milk is being seized and sellers being jailed due to concerns about foodbourne illness. This story is the other side of the coin, possibly.

In 1929, Mayo Clinic's Dr. J. R. Crewe wrote an article about the miraculous healing abilities of raw, grass-fed milk.

His protocol for the “Milk Cure” was simple – put patients on bed rest and feed them nothing but a couple of gallons of milk a day.

The milk Dr. Crewe was speaking of was the unpasteurized, non-homogenized, rich-in-butterfat milk of heritage-breed, pasture-raised cows.

The results were so “uniformly excellent” his words, that they changed Crew's entire “conception of disease and its alleviation” and inspired him to open a sanitarium where he used raw milk almost exclusively in the treatment of all kinds of disease.

His 1929 article, “The Milk Cure,” became the subject of two subsequent books and quoted an earlier medical textbook of the day, suggesting he was not the only doctor of his time using milk as medicine.

“For more than 16 years I have conducted a small sanitarium where milk is used almost exclusively in the treatment of various diseases,” Crewe wrote in Certified Milk Magazine. “The results have been so regularly satisfactory that I have naturally become enthusiastic and interested in this method of treating disease. We used good Guernsey milk, equal to 700 calories to the quart.”

Crewe and his colleagues used the milk cure to treat countless conditions, including tuberculosis, cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, diseases of the nervous system, diabetes, anemia, obesity and underweight patients.

“Striking results are seen in diseases of the heart and kidneys and high blood pressure,” he wrote. “Patients with cardiac disease respond splendidly without medication.”

“One patient reduced from 325 pounds to 284 in two weeks, on four quarts of milk a day, while her blood pressure was reduced from 220 to 170.”

“One patient with very advanced cardiac and nephritic disease lost over thirty pounds of edema in six weeks. One would expect the large quantities of fluid would increase the edema but the above experience has been repeated many times in lesser degrees.”

Crewe spoke of the “worst case of psoriasis” he'd ever seen: “This boy was literally covered from head to foot with scales. We put him on a milk diet and in less than a month he had a skin like a baby's.”

He also spoke of a “very sick” diabetic man: “As milk contains about five percent milk sugar, it was feared that he could not manage this amount of sugar. But he did manage it, and improved in every way, and in eight weeks was sugar free”

“A professor of surgery in one of our state universities once said to me, ‘Since I have used your method in preparing prostate cases, I have had most excellent results and no mortality.'” Crewe wrote. “I replied that if he had continued the treatment a little longer, he would not need to operate. All infections of the urinary tract are greatly improved by this treatment.”

Crewe received a letter from a soldier quarantined in a government hospital with  tuberculosis. He'd heard about Crewe's method from a former patient and was doing so well on it he'd inspired several other patients in the ward to try it.

“The patients had to buy their own milk and received no encouragement from the hospital authorities,” he said.

Crewe said he even had a number of patients who used the raw milk fast as a beauty treatment: “The tissues become firmer and the general appearance is markedly improved.”

“It is well known that there is no time in the life of practically any mammal, but especially of the human, when the body is so beautiful and perfect as during the period when milk is the only food,” Crewe writes.

“The Arabs are said (Encyclopedia Brittanica) to be the finest race, physically, in the world. Their diet consists mostly of milk and milk products with fruits and vegetables, and some meat,” he adds.

“The treatment of various diseases over a period of 18 years with a practically exclusive milk diet has convinced me personally that the most important single factor in the cause of disease, and in the resistance to disease, is food. I have seen so many instances of the rapid and marked response to this form of treatment that nothing could make me believe this is not so.”

Despite its success “The Milk Cure,” it has since been long forgotten. The Weston A. Price Foundation speculates two reasons for this: 1. Mainstream milk is no longer a medicinal super-food, it's a disease-causing, denatured, highly processed product of factory farming. 2. The medical industry can't make any money from it.

“The method itself is so simple that it does not greatly interest most doctors and the main stimulus for its use is from the patients themselves,” Crewe noted.  Due to the vast changes of the Earth's soil and the over processing, not to mention modifications of crops it is very much in question as to whether it is possible to obtain these results today.  It is interesting to note that, as always, food has the capability to cure all types of seemingly unrelated disorders.  I have always known that all “diseases” are in fact deficiencies of nutrients.  This story certainly substantiates that.  Next week join me for a discussion about anxiety and the great gift it may be. You do NOT want to miss it!  Please sign up so you don't miss it.  Also, don't forget to visit our STORE to get FREE shipping and great prices on hundreds of professional products.  I apologize for the delay in getting our email out to you.  We have been swamped with patients, and I will get on that as soon as I can.  Thanks so much! 

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I knew that Canola oil was an unhealthy choice quite a few years ago. The reason I knew this was because I would get a strange feeling in my throat any time I ingested it, this was rare because I rarely, (then), and never, (now) eat processed foods. Canola oil has recently taken over as the food processing industry's oil of choice. Whether it's in mayonnaise, crackers, baked goods, or salad dressings, canola oil is usually the first, second or third ingredient on the list. Unfortunately, the health dangers of canola oil are far worse than we've been led to believe.

So if there aren't any actual health reasons to use it, why would it be so widely used throughout the food industry? As with most reasons certain ingredients are used over others – COST. Canola oil is extremely inexpensive to grow and harvest. It is also very easy to grow, due to its genetic modifications and the fact that insects won't go near it- that pretty much tells you everything you need to know.

Canola oil was first created in the early 1970s as a natural oil. But in 1995, Monsanto created a genetically modified version of canola oil. By 2009, over 90 percent of the Canadian canola oil crop was genetically engineered (1).

What is Canola Oil?

Canola oil comes from a descendant of the rapeseed plant, a member of the Brassicagenus, along with some of our favourite vegetables like kale, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. Rapeseed oil was put on the market for human consumption in the 1950s, but not many people wanted to consume it due to its strong flavour and off-putting colour.

Scientists at the time began to discover that erucic acid, one of the major fatty acid components of the oil (over 50%), was damaging to heart tissue. Meanwhile, olive oil started being marketed as the next big thing in health. So what did marketers do for rapeseed oil? They genetically“modified” it! After some selective breeding and careful marketing, rapeseed oil was now low in erucic acid, high in oleic acid (just like heart-healthy olive oil), high in omega-3 fats and also neutral tasting. The name rapeseed was replaced with canola (the term can from canada, and ola for oil) (2).

While canola oil has been marketed as a healthy oil, low in saturated fats and a source of omega-3 fatty acids, it is far from that. Canola oil is not only genetically modified, but it is highly processed and refined, all of which contribute to major health problems in the body. Canola oil is not the healthy oil you believe it to be…you have been misled.  Here are some facts:

Some Dangers of Canola Oil   

1. Canola Oil is Hydrogenated If they're not “cold-pressed” or “extra-virgin,” the oil is considered refined. This process includes caustic refining, bleaching, and degumming – all which involve high temperatures or chemicals that are damaging to the human body. Last but not least comes the deodorization process. Because canola oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids, it becomes easily rancid and foul-smelling when subjected to oxygen and high temperatures. The standard deodorization process removes a large portion of the omega-3 fatty acids by turning them into trans-fatty acids (3).

If you're consuming any vegetable oils that are oxidized from heat and light in processing, you are also exposing your body tissues to oxidized or rancid products. This contributes to chronic inflammation and degenerative diseases.

2. It's a A Genetically Modified Product

Almost all canola oil is produced from genetically modified crops. More than 90% of all canola oil is produced from genetically engineered crops. While genetic modification was successful at lowering the erucic acid content, it also increased the amount of oleic acid.

Health concerns linked to high oleic acid intake include:
– Retarded growth (banned in infant formulas)
– Abnormalities in blood platelets
– Damage from free radicals
– Increased risk of developing certain cancer types

Genetically engineered foods also pose some very serious health concerns like allergic reactions, immuno-suppression, toxicity, and loss of nutrition through the foods we eat.

3. Increased Risk of Developing Cancer

Canola oil is extremely unstable under heat, light and pressure, which causes oxidation and releases free radicals inside the body. When canola oil is heated (aka. when we cook with it), it produces high levels of butadiene, benzene, acrolein, formaldehyde and other nasty compounds. These chemical compounds, combined with increased free radicals create the perfect environment for cancer growth.

Researchers have found that cancer cells feed on the oleic acid in canola oil. The acid causes the cancer cells to become stronger and maintain malignancy Additional research has also shown that oleic acid promotes tumour progressions .With the amount of free radicals released in canola oil after cooking, it's no wonder this oil is a trigger for cancer growth. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that play a major role in cancerous cell mutation. They can be deactivated to some extent by taking an antioxidant like this: FREE shipping!

4. Contributes To Heart Disease

While genetic modification has lowered erucic acid levels in canola oil, it is still a major source of the acid. Erucic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid that has been linked with heart damage, specifically Keshan disease (a thickening and scarring of connective tissue within the heart). Studies have shown that in areas where people are prone to Keshan, erucic acid levels are higher, and selenium levels are lower. Canola oil is also capable of promoting high levels of inflammation in the body, as well as arterial calcification. Any oil that is partially hydrogenated has the capability to do so. As you might have guessed, systemic inflammation and calcification are major risk factors for coronary heart disease .

5. Interferes with Healthy Brain Function

A new study out of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and published in the journal Scientific Reports has linked canola oil with a decrease in memory and learning indicative of Alzheimer's disease – the most common form of dementia). The study found that the brains of canola-oil treated mice had higher amounts of amyloid plaques as well as diminished contact between brain neurons.

Canola oil, being an inflammatory food, contributes to poor brain function. Chronic inflammation, as you  know, is detrimental to all tissues in the body. It attacks healthy cells, blood vessels and tissues instead of protecting them. It can shut down energy production in brain cells and slow down the firing of neurons, contributing to ADHD, anxiety, brain fog, depression, memory loss and Alzheimer's.

6. Hypertension and Strokes

As a major contributor to inflammation in the body, canola oil takes a toll on our cardiovascular system – particularly blood pressure. Studies have found that canola oil shortens the life span of stroke-prone and hypertensive animal subjects.

One study explored the relationship between rats fed canola oil and rats fed non-canola oil diets. The catch? All rats were bred to have high blood pressure and proneness to stroke. Rats who were fed canola oil died sooner, and rats fed the non-canola oil-based diets lived longer.  Another study published in Toxicology Letters looked at the effects of canola and soybean oil on blood coagulation time and erythrocytes (type of red blood cell) in stroke-prone hypertensive rats. The study found that there was a “canola oil-induced shortening of blood coagulation time and increased fragility in [red blood cell membranes],” which may trigger strokes in animal subjects who are stroke-prone.

7. Compromises Detoxification Organs

Being a genetically modified food product, canola oil takes a toll on our liver and kidneys.

A 2011 review of 19 different studies that involved mammals being fed genetically modified soy and corn for a period of 90 days, found that GMO foods can disrupt kidney and liver function. The review, published in Environmental Sciences Europe, stated that in the trials mentioned, kidney function was reduced by 43.5%, while liver function was reduced by 30.8%.

Vegetable oils also lack oxidative stability, so they quickly turn rancid if left untreated. Food manufacturers found their way around this problem by adding synthetic antioxidants like TBHQ, BHA and BHT. When consumed in large doses, these preservatives can cause liver tumours, as well as liver enlargement. (While the preservatives in canola oil are not enough to cause adverse effects, the accumulation of such products is enough. We can easily surpass acceptable preservative limits if our diet subsists of lots of processed foots. The amounts build up over time, and as a result, our health suffers.

If you want your detox organs to work properly, avoid canola oil, processed foods with added vegetable oils, and other GMO products.

8. May Hamper Normal Growth in Children

Erucic acid in canola oil was the main reason canola oil was banned from use in infant formula. The erucic acid in canola oil is harmful to infants, due to an inability to properly break it down. While the FDA previously made canola oil illegal for use in baby formula, that isn't the case anymore. As of a few years ago, canola oil made it to the generally recognized as safe list meaning that infant formula companies can use all the canola oil they want in their formula.

Best Oils

So which oils can you use? It depends on what you're using it for!

1. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is best when it is cold-pressed and virgin. Try your best to avoid refined coconut oil. Coconut oil has a high heat threshold, meaning it doesn't turn into trans-fatty acids when heated. Coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids, too, which support a healthy nervous system, and also encourage fat loss.

2. Olive Oil

I do personally cook with olive oil but I cook foods at lower temperatures (due to its delicate nature), which is healthier anyway. Look for an organic extra-virgin or cold-pressed olive oil that's available in dark-coloured glass. Some fake olive oils are mixed with cheaper, GMO vegetable oils, so always make sure it is GMO-free and organic.

3. Avocado Oil

Avocado oil has a high smoke point like coconut oil, so it can safely be cooked with at high temperatures. Alternatively, you can also use this oil in its raw form on salads and the like.

4. Sesame Oil 

Sesame oil is another great option to cook with. It has a high smoking point, and isn't hybridized like canola and other vegetable oils. Sesame oil works great for stir-frying, Asian and Indian cooking and makes a great salad dressing with coconut sugar, non GMOsoy sauce and some ginger! On Friday, check your emails for tips on natural ways to remove pests and insects from your home. Sign UP!  Right here so you do not miss a thing!  And don't forget to visit our store where you can purchase hundreds of amazing professional products at great prices and with FREE shipping.  See you Friday, and Thank you.

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The study actually found that moderate drinking might protect against heart disease.

But it also found out that can lead to other negative health outcomes.    This includes a risk for cancer and injuries.Source: The Lancet: GBD 2016 Alcohol Collaborators

“Previous studies have found a protective effect of alcohol on some conditions, but we found that the combined health risks associated with alcohol increases with any amount of alcohol. The strong association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cancer, injuries, and infectious diseases offset the protective effects for heart disease in our study,” the study's lead author, Dr. Max Griswold of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, said. “Although the health risks associated with alcohol start off being small with one drink a day, they then rise rapidly as people drink more.”Please join me next week for a discussion about: a very TOXIC oil most people think is beneficial. Sign up here!  Don't forget to visit our store for amazing prices, FREE shipping and great products! Thanks!

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You've heard it from health experts, beauty gurus, and possibly even your social media friends. Collagen is the latest buzzword on every one's lips, and it can now be found in just about everything — from creams and cosmetics, to powders and pills. And the truth is, this may be one instance where the hype is actually factual.

As the most abundant protein in the body, collagen protein is available in your muscles, skin, blood, bones, cartilage, and ligaments. You may want to consider squeezing in an extra serving of this vital protein for several reasons, as collagen is a building block that: