The post The BRCA Gene Fallacy: From Mastectomy To Mutilation appeared first on HoneyColony.
The Lancet Oncology study, a cohort study of female patients recruited from 127 hospitals in the UK, looked at 2733 women over a 10-year period, and on January 11th, 2018, came to the conclusion that…
The news may be a shocker to women who opted for a prophylactic mastectomy, or oophorectomy, otherwise known as futile mutilation of vital body parts for the sake of an evil-sounding acronym. Unfortunately, preventative surgery on basis of assumed genetic predisposition has been promoted for years by celebrity influencers like Angelina Jolieand prestigious doctors from medical institutions like the Mayo Clinic.“There is no significant difference in overall survival or distant disease-free survival between patients carrying a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and patients without these mutations.”
“Women with BRCA1/BRCA2 mutations are recommended to have their ovaries and fallopian tubes removed prophylactically to prevent ovarian cancer,” stated Dr. Mary Daly, M.D. Ph.D, of Fox Chase Center, prior to the new study.
The Journal of Clinical Ontology even claimed that zapping the ovaries would drop the odds from dying from BRCA activated cancer by 77 percent. In other words, if you don’t cut yourself up, you are going to die. It sounds like Monty Python, but that’s how the industry rolls. Hospitals and doctors have been chiming with this message for a decade. The reality is that women who went through preventative surgery were taken for a ride.
The average woman faces a 12 percent risk of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. More than half a million American women have had a mastectomy in the last decade, tripling the rate recently. The flood of mastectomies was dramatically boosted by news of Jolie’s double mastectomy in 2013. But genes have no part in this story.
The BRCA myth is not a unique medicinal fallacy, but it is special in that it persisted for so long, especially when it was proven already in 2013 that cancer has no correlation with genes. Yes, that’s right. DNA doesn’t cause cancer.
The NHI announced the largest cancer study in history, known as The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), in 2005. It was run by Dr. Bert Vogelstein, the father of the genetic theory of cancer, who proposed “a comprehensive effort to accelerate our understanding of the molecular basis of cancer through the application of genome analysis technologies.” The supercomputers cranked 10,000 more data than the Human Genome Project for more than a decade. At the end, all the supercomputers nodded in unison at the results: there was zero correlation between DNA and tumors.
Dr. Vogelstein himself was so baffled by the results that he blamed the results on “dark matter,” some type of unidentified poltergeist that could mess up decades of computer logic. Vogelstein had a reason to freak out. He was working for pharmaceutical companies to develop billion dollar drugs that targeted genetic factors of cancer. TCGA was created to find miracle cures for cancer, and billions for the patent holders, and Ferraris for their scientists.
The gene fallacy has been maintained by Big Pharma to protect the bulk of their revenue channels, especially genetic cancer drugs like Astra Zeneca’s Iressa ($647 million in sales), Genentech’s Tarceva ($564 million in sales), and dozens of other similar hoaxes. While these type of drugs have been promoted as lifesavers, the reality is that 5-10 percent of the patients may get the benefit of a few extra months of survival, most likely because of the placebo effect that is associated with a pill that costs thousands of dollars per month to swallow.
The gene fallacy also protects Monsanto’s and Bayer’s crop mutation and pesticide ventures. A French research group confirmed after a two-year study that GM corn and glyphosate massively increased the death rate by causing breast tumors, liver damage and pituitary disruption in people exposed to these supposedly “safe and guaranteed” food sources. The report was later retracted under immense pressure, with the kind of censorship that has also protected the cancer industry for nearly a century.
The reason TCGA couldn’t find the genetic cause of cancer was that the mutations are simply a side-effect of rapidly cloning cancer cells. They’re not the cause. The actual root causality of cancer was discovered by German scientist and Nobel laureate Otto Warburg, one of the 20th century’s leading biochemists, already in 1924.
Warburg showed us that cancer was metabolic, a cellular respiration issue caused by damage to mitochondria, the cell’s energy source. Epigenetic factors like exposure to a cumulative amount of toxins (like herbicides), nutrition-poor diets, stress and repetitive consumption of refined carbs, cause damage to the mitochondria. That’s why modern diets rich in sugar and trans fats are a major factor in the world’s cancer epidemic. Forty percent of women and 50 percent of men will get cancer in their lifetime, eating and living as per modern standards, and following doctors’ orders.
The cancer plague is a brand new phenomenon that has no precedent in history. If the cause was genetic, it would have been on the map before the 20th century. Yet cancer was marginal before the Industrial Revolution. Tribes deep in South American Amazon who are insulated from Western diets and lifestyles have never witnessed a single cancer case, nor any other form of chronic disease.
Realizing the truth behind the facade doesn’t require supercomputers.
The healthcare industry is designed to deliver services that maximize profits, not health. Even the physician’s pay is tied to hospital revenues. The more surgeries, consults, organ transplants, MRI scans and other procedures with million dollar machines that say “beep-beep,” the likelier it is that physicians get rich. The Institute of Medicine reported recently that “over $750 billion, or 30 cents of every healthcare dollar, are wasted on unneeded care, byzantine paperwork, fraud and other waste.”
The cancer industry itself is worth $1 trillion per year. The juggernaut feeds on surgeries, chemo and drugs that cost north of $10,000 per month per patient. Recommending a modified diet in combination with natural protocols would undermine one of the most lucrative industries in the world.
What can we learn here? Question everything, for one. If you don’t want to belong to the mainstream statistic, then don’t trust the mainstream information. Question the experts who cite acronyms in order to sell you drugs and surgeries. Do your own research from independent sources and become your own best health advocate. Cancer is just one of a hundred major fallacies out there.
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The post Sin By Silence: Rachel Carson, Bees, & The Future Of Our Planet appeared first on HoneyColony.
Her work inspired the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970. Prior to this, the government agency responsible for the protection and preservation of our environment was the Fish and Wildlife Service where Carson served as editor in chief. She was integral to the EPA’s creation.
Today, under Trump/Scott Pruitt, the EPA is for all intents and purposes now defunct, a mere face like so many things in our world. Slick packages, lofty promises, but when you look inside – really look – there’s no actual substance or what you get is simply full of shit, either figurately and/or literally.
Given that the government is not really protecting anything but the bottom line, who will stand for truth, purity, and conservation in our environment if not us? Can we impact our communities and own lives? What would Carson say in 2018, given that we continue to destroy – more than ever- nature and our health in the name of business?
Carson once remarked,
It is one of the ironies of our time that while concentrating on the defense of our country against enemies from without, we should be so heedless of those who would destroy it from within.
Invisible Threat: Bees, Birds, And Beyond
Carson advocated strongly against the chemical DDT, which was eventually banned in 1972. Ironically, she was even vilified and blamed for the spread of malaria as though this extremely dangerous chemical is the only way to fight mosquito-borne diseases. This is an illogical fallacy folks! Silver, for instance, is a possible remedy against malaria compared to creating super resistant mosquitos that are now unfazed by certain poisons.Meanwhile, systemic pesticides are not only the most popular in the world today but said to be five to 10,000 times more toxic than DDT. The (EPA) recently considered allowing the bee-killing systemic pesticide thiamethoxam to be sprayed on the most widely grown crops in the U.S. The application, if approved, would allow the highly toxic pesticide to be sprayed directly on 165 million acres of wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, alfalfa, rice, and potato. So keep in mind that these carbs and grains are not only inflammatory they are doused with dangerous chemicals.
According to the nonprofit Eco Watch, the proposal by the agrochemical giant Syngenta to dramatically escalate the use of the harmful neonicotinoid pesticide came last Friday, on the same day the EPA released new assessments of the extensive dangers posed by neonicotinoids, including thiamethoxam.
“You know the pesticide-approval process is broken when the EPA announces it will consider expanding the use of this dangerous pesticide on the same day its own scientists reveal that the chemical kills birds and aquatic invertebrates,” says Lori Ann Burd, director of the Center for Biological Diversity‘s environmental health program. ”
These dangerous chemicals are not only killing bees but birds, bats, butterflies, worms, degrading our soil, and now affecting aquatic invertebrates and the coral reef. A recent report found that 75 percent of honey samples collected around the world contained neonicotinoids.
Watch this 12-minute clip about Malaria, DDT, and Rachel Carson.
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The post Low Dose Naltrexone: A Therapeutic Breakthrough You’ve Probably Never Heard Of appeared first on HoneyColony.
Two months prior, I had been exposed to a mosquito fumigant in the Dominican Republic while, ironically, attending an environment festival to screen my documentary Vanishing of the Bees, narrated by Ellen Page. It was poetic: I stormed out onto the patio to ask that a leaf blower be turned off. Except, the man wasn’t holding a leaf blower; he was wearing an applicator on his back and spraying poisons between two buildings. He was wearing a mask (and no other protection) and turned, pointing his hose toward me. And because it was windy, I inhaled a whole bunch of chemicals. When I shrieked, he seemed clueless as to why.
Upon returning to America, I developed 24-hour pain. My body was constantly sore; the connective tissue in my neck and torso screamed with inflammation, and I had to push myself through every day.
“But you don’t look sick,” friends stated. Yes because I had a ‘Look Good, Feel Bad’ disease aka an autoimmune condition. But I didn’t know this yet.
Given that I had started to study alternative medicine on my own, I suspected my thyroid. My GP at Cedar’s Sinai in Los Angeles sent me to a rheumatologist, who after looking at my blood tests looked at me like a wounded bird. I could sense the pity me when she diagnosed me with markers for the autoimmune condition Lupus. She also checked for sore spots on my body, which were aplenty, and proceeded to also diagnose me with Fibromyalgia.
The Super Superfood: Now Get Energy On Autoship.
When I asked her if chemical body burden could be a consideration given my exposure, she gave me a blank stare. It reminded me of the time a former general practitioner deemed me crazy when I told him an air conditioning unit filled with mold spores had given me pneumonia. I was at the emergency room in a gown and 103 fever when he sent a young psychiatrist into my room. For a moment, I was genuinely concerned they were going to throw me into a padded room for refusing the antibiotics that weren’t working and proposing that a building could have made me ill. I wasn’t yet versed on the ills of antibiotics and the fact we were on the precipice of antibiotic resistance epidemic. By the way, today they’re even questioning if the rule of having to finish your dose of antibiotics is even safe. Whoops.
After delivering an incurable diagnosis, the rheumatologist swiftly prescribed the antidepressant Cymbalta and sent me home with several samples. She also offered me an additional prescription for the synthetic corticosteroid prednisone, which causes weight gain and suppresses the immune system, leaving you more susceptible to infections and feelings of overall horribleness.
I kept the samples in my medicine cabinet and looked at them often while I started researching safer alternatives. Many days the pain was intolerable and out of desperation and curiousity I tried Cymbalta. The experiment lasted five days. The pain did not disapate, but knots in my tummy had formed. It was as though my intestines were trying to digest fragments of glass.
Then one day while my neighbor, who had very bad ulcerative colitis, told me to try a medication called LDN. It had given her reprieve after trying everything under the sun.
Just three months ago, she had been hospitalized for pooping blood, was placed on prednisone, and was constantly fatigued. And now she was doing yoga and even had pizza again (read: gluten and dairy). While I don’t believe eating inflammatory foods is ever a smart idea (the proteins in these foods wreak damage whether you feel it or not), I was intrigued at the thought of moving past a world of pain.
People who suffer from an autoimmune condition are told that their body is attacking itself, but this is a VERY damaging belief to adopt.
“… That’s not true,” says Anthony Williams, author of the Medical Medium. “The body never attacks itself. Your body hasn’t betrayed you.”
Your body just needs help to heal.
Thinking Outside The Prescription Bottle
If LDN was having promising results with Crohn’s, Fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis, and only cost about $1 a day, why had I never heard of it?In short, it’s because the patent ran out in the ‘80s and Big Pharma can’t make money on it. The systems in place are configured to place profits over people.
“… It is for all intents and purposes, made unavailable by our system to the public because of its low profit potential for Big Pharma,” writes David Gluck, a board-certified specialist in both Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine.
“Unfortunately, because naltrexone has been without patent protection for many years, no pharmaceutical company will bear the expense of the large clinical trials necessary for FDA approval of LDN’s new special uses. It is now up to public institutions to seize the opportunity that LDN offers.”
Opioid Antagonist: Accidental Therapeutic Breakthrough
Naltrexone was originally synthesized in 1963 as an orally active competitive opioid receptor antagonist. LDN works by briefly obstructing the effects of brain endorphins (the brain’s natural painkillers). Sensing an endorphin deficit, the pituitary signals for increased production of endorphins, which re-balances the immune system.LDN is not an immunosuppressant but an immune modulator.
The drug was originally administered to addicts to wean them off heroin, alcohol, and opiates. It simply blocks the opiates, causing dysphoria. Let’s just say mixing Naltrexone with one of these substances doesn’t make for a happy camper.
In 1985, a doctor by the name of Bernard Bihari noticed that addicts, who also suffered from HIV, were enjoying an improvement in their immune systems.
“LDN may well be the most important therapeutic breakthrough in over 50 years,” writes Gluck, who is also the editor of the website, ldninfo.org. “It provides a new, safe and inexpensive method of medical treatment by mobilizing the natural defenses of one’s own immune system.”
According to LDNScience, a public information project of the MedInsight Research Institute, endorphins are produced in most cells in the body, and are important regulators of cell growth, and therefore the immune system. Disorders of the immune system can occur with unusually low levels of these endorphins. The particular endorphin that has been found to influence cell growth, as well as immunity, is called Opioid Growth Factor (OGF) or Met-Enkephalin.
At a low dosage level, naltrexone exhibits paradoxical properties, including analgesia and anti-inflammatory actions, which have not been reported at larger dosages.
As the body responds by upregulating its synthesis of opiates, you receive a thousand times more endorphins and a better functioning immune system, explains Dr. Thomas Cowan, a strong proponent of using low-dose naltrexone (LDN) for autoimmune diseases.
“Since LDN blocks the OGF receptors only for a few hours before it is naturally excreted, what results is a rebound effect; in which both the production and utilization of OGF is greatly increased, according toLDNScience. “Once the LDN has been metabolized, the elevated endorphins produced as a result of the rebound effect can now interact with the more-sensitive and more-plentiful receptors and assist in regulating cell growth and immunity.”
Despite growing awareness surrounding LDN since my experience years ago, the challenge for patients remains: finding a doctor who has heard of LDN and is willing to prescribe it “off-label.” I personally didn’t even bother to ask my rheumatologist. Waste of Time. I just asked my naturopath Dr. Lisa Fillis, who I now collaborate with when I give someone a consult.
A Brand New Day
In the 1990 film Awakenings, Robert De Niro’s character plays an encephalitis patient, who after years of literally being catatonic, wakes up because of a promising new drug. LDN was sort of revolutionary like that.I started with 3 mg at night and worked my way to 4.5 and slowly the pain greatly dissipated and the flare-ups diminished. I could do a chaturanga in my hot flow yoga class without psychologically gritting my teeth from the pain in my torso. My mood lifted. I felt a respite from a cold winter; a return to a life where I didn’t feel like a decrepit old lady.
According to a 2009 study, low-dose naltrexone can reduce fibromyalgia symptoms, with a greater than 30 percent reduction of symptoms over placebo. In addition, laboratory visits showed that mechanical and heat pain thresholds were improved by the drug.
LDN is not FDA-approved for the treatment of pain and is still experimental.
While some report side effects of insomnia, they are rare and transient, explains Jayne Crocker, the co-founder of LDNNow, a group aimed at getting LDN more accepted in mainstream medicine. “If it interferes with your sleep pattern it makes no sense whatsoever to take it at night. It works just the same if you take it at night or if you take it in the morning. It really is down to how you/your body reacts to LDN.”
The only side effect I personally experienced were vivid dreams. I took one pill a day upon bedtime.
An article in the Herald&Review, explains how taking low dose naltrexone turns on T regulatory cells responsible for “smack[ing] down your attacking immune system. “T regulatory cells have their own job, which is to make sure that inflammatory chemicals are secreted appropriately to help you when you’re injured and then to stop that inflammation after you’re healed.”
Low dose naltrexone acts like “a referee and blows the whistle,” continues the same article, giving your thyroid, joints, adrenals, heart or myelin sheath a break.
Today, there is an increasing about of small studies and scientific trials and more than 25 years of strong anecdotal reports, illustrating the efficacy of LDN on inflammation and chronic pain. Meanwhile, several scientists and doctors claim that LDN can help alleviate 170 other illnesses and diseases, including cancer. It has been reported that LDN is able to reduce tumor growth by interfering with cell signaling as well as by modifying the immune system. LDN has also been reported to aid with sleep problems, gastrointestinal complaints, and headaches.
I believe I responded so positively to LDN because I was already doing so many other things at the time. For instance, I already didn’t eat wheat, dairy or sugar. I was healing my gut and adrenals and taking essential supplements like magnesium and vitamin B. I had also started taking intravenous glutathione to combat oxidative stress and bolster my liver. In previous years I had adhered to a strict candida cleanse that even included taking the very strong antifungal Diflucan. ( I mention this because if you contend with Candida, LDN has been known to bring it to the surface.)
Because our bodies are so vastly different, it’s impossible to know how you will react to LDN. Remember that whatever healing protocol you follow, it’s ultimately best supported by lifestyle changes that include avoiding inflammatory foods, removing toxins, bolstering your immune system, and improving your gut.
Dr. Mercola and Dr. Cowan Discuss Low-Dose Naltrexone
The post Low Dose Naltrexone: A Therapeutic Breakthrough You’ve Probably Never Heard Of appeared first on HoneyColony.
The post Superbugs: 8 Bacterial Infections That Can Kill You appeared first on HoneyColony.
In March 2016, the CDC reported that “superbugs” – bacteria that are highly resistant to antibiotics – are responsible for one out of seven infections caught in general hospitals, causing an annual estimate of 80,000 in the U.S.
Several types of bacterial infections have evolved to ‘deadly invader’ status, and it’s partially our fault.
Among the 18 superbugs identified by the CDC are salmonella, drug-resistant tuberculosis, and a staph bacteria known as MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)
These bugs are gaining ‘super’ status because we’ve been careless and stupid with antibiotics like Colistin, rendering them useless, if not dangerous. In other words, we’re helping create deadly types of bacteria.
These bad bacteria strains are so ancient and intelligent that a small minority of them that invade our bodies, “may be intercepting the antibiotics and changing their molecular structure,” reports Medical Daily. It’s suspected that bacteria can also beat antibiotics by releasing energy that banishes them before they can even take effect.
Bacteria are naturally able to adapt to the drugs designed to kill them, such as penicillin and ampicillin. So much so that the more these bacteria become exposed to drugs, the more they become resistant microbes that can spread rampantly.
In light of superbugs and the decline of antibiotics that actually work, we’re facing a war against these types of bacteria.
Yes, antibiotics enjoyed their heyday as effective go-to weapons against conditions such as influenza, E. coli, hepatitis, malaria, and STDs. But bacteria are naturally able to adapt to the drugs designed to kill them. They adapt so much that, the more these microbes become exposed to drugs, the more resistant they become. As “superbugs” they can spread rampantly.
Health researchers worldwide warn that resistant strains of bacteria can spread practically anywhere in the world, rapidly crossing borders and continents with increased ease.
According to a CDC report, in the U.S. alone:
- Some two million people per year acquire serious infections via antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
- More than 20,000 die, costing billions of dollars.
- Most of these infections happen in the general community.
- Acinetobacter Baumannii – A common bacterium that can easily infect patients in health-care settings; poses little risk to healthy individuals.
- Difficile – This bacterium is spread through contaminated food and objects, and can cause infectious diarrhea and colitis.
- CRE – A type of bacterium highly resistant to many antibiotics, earning the name “killer bacteria.” Death rate exceeds 40 percent.
- CRKP – This bacterium (carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae) is known to cause meningitis, pneumonia, and bloodstream infections, and is fatal in many cases.
- Coli – Highly contagious bacterium that accounts for a large percentage of bacterial infections in the blood. Researchers are seeing a growing resistance to the antibiotic colistin.
- MRSA – (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) is a staph bacterium that is resistant to penicillin and many other antibiotics. It can cause serious skin infections, bloodstream infections, and infect surgical wounds.
- Multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) – This strain causes an estimated 440,000 new cases of MDR TB annually around the world, with an estimated 150,000 deaths.
- NDM-1 – This is an enzyme produced by different bacteria that causes resistance to many antibiotics.
As Dr. Danilo Lo Fo Wong, a WHO senior adviser stated, “A child falling off their bike and developing a fatal infection would be a freak occurrence…but that is where we are heading.” In March 2015, the Obama administration released its National Action Plan in response to this threat.
The good news is that many superbugs aren’t antagonistic and pose little threat to healthy individuals. However, people with weakened immune systems, or those confined to health care settings such as hospitals and nursing homes, face a heightened risk. These locations are considered hot spots for the spread of bacteria via scrubs, stethoscopes, and surgical and medical equipment.
How do simple bacteria resist complex and expensive drugs? Quite simply, by evolution. As antibiotics kill off these microbes, those carrying a particular gene survive, rapidly reproducing and passing their drug-resistant traits to the next generation.
Meanwhile, these bacteria may transfer a copy of their DNA to other bacteria they come into contact with, making them resistant, too. They’re extremely resourceful mofos.
Some factors contributing to the rise of resistant microbes are:
- Overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
- Widespread/unnecessary use of antibiotics among livestock.
- The lack of research and development of new antibiotics.
- Poor personal hygiene.
It’s unfortunate that antibiotics, which are primarily low-cost, do not factor into a drug company’s bottom line. Because the world’s drug giants reap such small profits from the sale of available antibiotics, particularly compared to lucrative drugs that are designed as long-term treatments, there is no monetary incentive to invest in the development of new antibiotics.
Despite the absence of new antibiotics, there are a few innovations and ancient solutions that may prove effective in combating superbugs.
For example, researchers at universities worldwide (Boston, Scotland, and Tel Aviv, among others) are studying the use of bacteriophages – viruses found naturally in water that act like bacteria hunters, killing bacteria and their antibiotic resistance, while leaving human cells unharmed. These viruses are being engineered so that their targets’ resistance-evolving genes are destroyed.
Ancient and Natural Antibiotic: Colloidal Silver
A more natural approach – dating back thousands of years – is the use of silver, one of the most powerful antibiotics found in nature (toxic to pathogens but not human cells!).Colloidal silver, despite decades-long opposition from the FDA, has been used for decades as an effective multi-use remedy against:
- Influenza and the common cold
- Skin, throat, eye, and many other infections
- Cancer, diabetes, arthritis, and allergies
- Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and other STDs
In terms of effectiveness and ease of use, colloidal silver is a popular, practical solution to maintain health and ward off dangerous bacteria and viruses.
In the words of Dr. James F. Balch, author of Prescription for Natural Cures and Prescription for Nutritional Healing, among other best-selling health books, “Taken internally, colloidal silver can be used to fight infection. It has been shown to be effective against more than 650 disease-causing organisms.”
In addition, colloidal silver is quite affordable. By using a micro-particle generating kit, a whole quart of colloidal silver can be made for less than 40 cents! As antibiotics continue to lose their effectiveness at an alarming rate, there are plenty of good reasons to use colloidal silver to stay healthy .
Discover How Silver Healer Can Help You Replace Antibiotics!
Watch The Antibiotic Apocalypse Explained, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates who are big fans of vaccines.
Charles Cozic is a freelance writer and book editor in San Diego, where he enjoys exploring its diverse neighborhoods and parks. He also collects and restores violins.The post Superbugs: 8 Bacterial Infections That Can Kill You appeared first on HoneyColony.
The post Petroleum Jelly Vaseline — Don’t Rub It On Despite What Tyra Banks Says appeared first on HoneyColony.
I know a girl who thinks of ghostsThe commonly known brand Vaseline, now owned by Unilever, has been a staple product in many homes. That goop-filled jar with its blue color scheme and cursive writing has become an iconic part of American culture.
She’ll make ya breakfast
She’ll make ya toast
She don’t use butter
She don’t use cheese
She don’t use jelly
Or any of these
She uses Vaseline
Vaseline
Vaseline
~ Flaming Lips She Don’t Use Jelly (1993)
By the late 1880s, Vaseline petroleum jelly was being sold nationwide at the rate of one jar per minute and most medical professionals recognized it as the standard remedy for skin complaints.
Vaseline runs through our veins. Think about it: the imprint is forged during infancy when your mom smears it on your bottom to avoid diaper rash. In later years, perhaps petroleum jelly helped you preserve a saddle or baseball glove, or kept your lips from getting chapped in a blizzard. Or maybe it’s been part of your makeup regimen since you were 16.
Vaseline gained star status a few years ago when Unilever asked Mad Fashion star and Project Runway alum Chris March to super-glam their tubs of distilled crude oil. The result: a limited edition of jars blinged out with about $100 worth of blue and white Swarovski crystals.
Tyra Banks, who calls Vaseline her “biggest beauty secret ever,” doled out some of those bedazzled jars to an audience of cackling, hysterical women. If you saw the frenzy that ensued, you’d think Tyra was giving away millions and not just a jar of refined petrochemicals that retails for $9.99.
Did the ladies believe the tub would transform them into supermodels because Tyra had personally handed it to them on national TV?
Hugh Hefner and his bunnies, icons in their own right, are also avid fans of Vaseline. Several years ago, during a film shoot, an ex-boyfriend told me he’d noticed a jar in each room of the Playboy mansion. Even by the tennis courts.
From Drilling Rigs To Pharmacy Aisles
By the sounds of the inventor, I doubt he’d be rolling in his grave. I bet he’d be proud of Vaseline’s evolution. It was 1872 when 22-year-old Robert Chesebrough, a London-born Capricorn and chemist living in Brooklyn, discovered Vaseline. It was following a visit to an oil rig where he noticed a gooey substance, which was raw petrolatum.Oil workers would smear their skin with residue from their drills and it appeared to aid the healing of cuts and burns. After much experimentation, Chesebrough developed a process to distill the rod wax into petrolatum. This was a man who had once clarified Kerosene out of whale sperm for a living. The discovery of petroleum had made his skills obsolete. Until now.
Chesebrough was a natural when it came to marketing. He would supposedly burn his skin with acid or on an open flame, and then spread the clear jelly on his injuries, while demonstrating past injuries now healed by his miracle product, as he so claimed.
Today petroleum jelly has saturated the Beauty Industry and is now found in a slew of cosmetics, hair conditioners, and lotions.
Click Here For A Simple, Food-Grade Organic Alternative To Vaseline
3rd Rock Nutroleum Jelly
Beauty Is Skin Deep
While Vaseline was first marketed as an ointment, it does not actually heal cuts and burns as previously thought. The petroleum jelly basically creates a seal, which can protect a wound from invasion. On the other hand, it also traps bad bacteria in the skin. Is petroleum jelly really superior to a good old-fashioned scab?“If you were to take a barrel of oil, you would see that it’s not homogenous throughout,” explains Guerry L. Grune, Ph.d., P.A. and owner of 3rd rock Sunblock. “The bottom consists of a gunky sludge and that is what is turned into Vaseline by distilling crude oil at very high temperatures.”
It’s left over gunk. Why not convince an entire planet that it’s a great skin aid!?
This process also creates potent atmospheric pollutants known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can contaminate petroleum jelly. PAHs are environmental pollutants that may be found in air attached to dust particles, in soil, stream sediment, water, and food. A study linking PAHs to breast cancer was completed at Columbia University in 2004. The study indicated that breast tissue of women with breast cancer were 2.6 times more likely to have increased amounts of PAHs attached to their DNA than the breast tissue of women without breast cancer.
In their Skin Deep database, the Environmental Working Group lists petroleum as a nearly-moderate concern and PAHs as high and cancerous.
The FDA restricts petrolatum in food to no more than 10 parts per million, and requires petrolatum used in food packaging or drugs to meet impurity restrictions for PAHs. So I don’t know about those who spread it on toast. Yuck!
PAHs are also linked to reproductive/developmental toxicity (by the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory, among other sources), endocrine disruption, persistence, and bioaccumulation. They are banned for use in cosmetics in Europe and Canada.
Other Perils of Petrolatum
Up to 60 percent of whatever we put on our skin goes into our blood stream. Petrolatum, which was eventually used for its cost-effective glide in makeup applications, is an emollient and not a moisturizer, remarks Eric A. Weiss, MD, plastic surgeon and Medical Director of Love Alchemy; so theoretically it decreases oxygen and can suffocate the skin.“Petroleum is essentially a fossil fuel and while manufacturers like Vaseline state they can take the hydrocarbons out, in most cases consumers have no real way of knowing. It’s not the best thing for the skin,” adds Weiss.
Other problems have been discovered through the years, including something called “lipid pneumonia,” contracted when petroleum jelly is used around and inside the nose, adds Carly Stewart, MD and Medical Expert at MoneyCrashers.com.
“There has only ever been one case of lipid pneumonia caused by Vaseline that I am aware of, but this risk is the reason ENT physicians recommend water-based gels to be used in the nose for nasal drying and crusting. It is best to use water-based health products whenever possible so as not to introduce possibly harmful chemicals into your body.”
Petrolatum or mineral oil jelly and mineral oils can also cause skin photosensitivity or promote sun damage. Petrolatum may interfere with the body’s moisturizing mechanism, leading to dry skin and chapping despite its cosmetic use as lip protection. According to the Environmental Working Group, petrolatum may be found in one of every 14 products as well as 15 percent of lipsticks and 40 percent of baby lotions and oils.
While it has not been definitively proven that petroleum-based products are carcinogenic in humans, those who want to err on the side of caution and wish to avoid petrolatum in their skin care products can look for ingredients listed as petroleum jelly, petrolatum, white petrolatum, mineral oil (which is a petroleum-derived oil), and soft paraffin.
Skin Care Alternatives Outside of Petroleum Jelly
Even if a petroleum jelly product is void of PAHS, it likely has other iffy stuff. Take for instance, the Vaseline of today; it is loaded with “other” ingredients considered irritants and endocrine disruptors, such as parabens, potassium hydroxide, myethyparabens, propybparabens, triethanolamine, and fragrance.“I avoid petroleum jelly and petroleum-derived ingredients, as superb alternatives exist. There are so many other lovely alternatives, which are not based on a dwindling resource,” remarks Joanna Runciman, BSc, author of Actual Organics: The Radiant Woman’s Handbook. “I just keep skin care really simple and avoid any ingredients that I cannot ingest. Stick with ‘edible skin care’ and you’ll be good.”
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The post 12 Health Benefits of Phytoplankton appeared first on HoneyColony.
Phytoplankton are a strong source of omega 3 fatty acids, amino acids, DHA, EPA, carotenoids, antioxidants, nucleic acids, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, and an assortment of minerals including copper, iodine, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. And all these nutrients are packed in a way that makes them 100 percent bioavailable to the body; the cells absorb everything.
With so many vital nutrients in one tiny bundle, it isn’t surprising that scientific research suggests that phytoplankton contains a slew of health advantages for the human race and may even possibly be an aid in curing several degenerative diseases. It’s one of the highest superfoods, known to be 100 times more potent and powerful than blue algae, resveratrol, acai berries, and any other superfood combined.
Here are some of the most major health benefits that people have experienced with phytoplankton.
1. Improvement in Depression Symptoms
Many chronically depressed patients have reported improvements in their symptoms after taking incorporating marine phytoplankton as a supplement to their daily diets. One pilot study performed at the University of Utah showed significant improvements in subjects’ depression symptoms after regularly taking marine phytoplankton as a supplement. Participants reported having an improved mood, better ability to focus, and higher feelings of joy and personal success.2. Cellular Regeneration
Perhaps one of the most important benefits of marine phytoplankton is its unique ability to strengthen cell membranes and induce cell regeneration,” states Lauren Feingold, nutritionist and co-founder of the organic Shanti Bars. “Consumption of a high quality phytoplankton triggers the body to create and regenerate healthy cells.”When we’re young and healthy, the majority of our cells regenerate every seven years, but the older we get, the less efficient and effective this process becomes. Lack of proper cellular regeneration leads to many of the disease people develop later in life.
Dr. Jerry Tennant, MD, from the Tennant Institute of Integrative Medicine,the Federal Government’s lead agency for scientific research on the diverse alternative medical and health care systems, practices, and products, explains how micronutrients and electrolytes in marine phytoplankton are exactly what human cell membranes need to carry out their metabolism. Not surprisingly, the composition of human plasma, or fluid surrounding cell membranes, is similar to that of sea water.
This is also due to the fact that phytoplankton is the richest source of the potent antioxidant enzyme, SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD), which is produced by virtually every cell in the human body. it reduces free radicals formed during normal metabolic cell processes , and protects against oxidative damage . Unlike antioxidants found in food, which are ingested to seek out and eliminate toxins, SOD works harmoniously with the body’s systems and the antioxidants which naturally occur in it to prevent potential contamination.
“There are very few products that provide all, or even most, of the raw materials to make new cells and sustain the existing ones,” according to Dr. Hugo Rodier “The problem is that we need all of them at the same time for things to work. One of those rare products that contains almost everything you need for life (and the rebuilding of cells) is marine phytoplankton.”
3. Immune System Boost
Marine phytoplankton contains many known immune system enhancers – including alanine, beta-Carotene, bioflavonoids, and vitamin E. In a 2008 clinical study performed by the University of Utah, researchers found that participants showed a significant increase in their number of antigen fighting cells in their bodies and also reported feeling an overall positive increase in their physical and psychological well-being. This increase in antibodies makes it easier for the body to fight off infection and diseases.4. Supports Cardiovascular Health
Phytoplankton supplements contain high levels of antioxidants, amino acids, and omega 3 fatty acids, all of which are known to support a healthy cardiovascular system.5. Promotes Clear and Beautiful Skin
There are high amounts of bioflavonoids in marine phytoplankton, which promote healthy skin by removing impurities that build up in our skin cells. Phytoplankton also contains riboflavin, which is known to reduce free radical attacks on skin cells.6. Helps Maintain Healthy Glucose Levels
Check Out The Brand New Evolutionary Peak Of Superfoods! Rich In Phyotoplankton And Other Potent Superfoods!
7. Supports Healthy Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol is a problem faced by millions of people and is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. Many nutrients found in marine phytoplankton – such as niacin,gamma linolenic acid, and omega 3 fatty acids – can help to reduce high cholesterol.8. Supports Better Vision
Beta-carotene, found in marine phytoplankton, is known to protect the cornea of the human eye. It also helps to improve visual function.9. Helps Improve Mental Clarity
There are many nutrients found in marine phytoplankton that are known to help improve mental clarity as well as memory and mood. These nutrients include omega 3 fatty acids, nucleic acids, phenylalanine, proline, and magnesium.10. Supports Healthy Joints
Marine phytoplankton helps support joint health in more ways than one. The manganese found in phytoplankton helps improve joint mobility while omega 6 fatty acids and pantothenic acid help to maintain joint health.11. Promotes a Healthy Liver
Studies have shown promising results in the use of L-arginine, a nutrient found in marine phytoplankton, to improve fatty liver disease. This is because L-arginine is known to increase blood flow, and may be able to increase blood flow to the liver where flow was once restricted.12. Contains Essential Trace Minerals
An estimated 80 percent or more of us are deficient in certain vital trace minerals.Recent research at the University of Madrid confirms overdependence on land – based food sources often leads to deficiencies in micronutrients and trace minerals. Ionic trace minerals are an integral part of a healthy human system for several reasons.
“Lab testing revealed hundreds of nutritional chemicals in marine phytoplankton, including every known nutritional molecule and dozens that had not been identified or studied until its discovery,” says Feingold. “Marine phytoplankton is an excellent source of all of the trace minerals that the body needs in the most bioavailable form.”
This list provides only few of the amazing benefits of phytoplankton. Of the many life sustaining nutrients found in marine phytoplankton. These one-cell nutrient-dense creatures are also believed by many to possess healing qualities capable of aiding in relieving symptoms for everything from allergies to infertility.
Linda Miriam Aziz-Zadeh is a freelance writer and editor who is passionate about preserving the natural beauty and wonder of our bodies, this planet, and the world. She is the cofounder of Crunchy Buzz, a digital wellness marketing firm that serves the health and wellness industry.The post 12 Health Benefits of Phytoplankton appeared first on HoneyColony.
The post The Race Is On: Big Pharma VS The CBD Supplement Industry appeared first on HoneyColony.
“I think the market will stand as it is until GW has a commercially viable product, at which point FDA will start sampling at the border and they will shut down the trade,” Marc Ullman, a New York-based attorney told Natural Product Insider.
Many CBD producers in the supplement space have already felt the heat and experienced hurdles. We know of five companies off hand who have been dropped by their merchant processor, leaving them unable to do business or get this natural medicine to the people.
Here at HoneyColony, we will be referring to 2017 as the Year Of Playing Whack-A-Mole. After four years of hard work building this company from scratch, we were starting to see the fruits of our efforts. But instead of doubling our business, we have experienced more than 200k of losses indirectly because of the politics of CBD and it’s impacts on the CBD Supplement Industry.
First thing that happened in January of 2017 was that Facebook shut down our ads and took all our proprietary data over the past three years.Then PayPal shut us down and froze our money. HoneyColony went to another processor, Stripe, which also shut them down after causing HoneyColony to lose two weeks’ worth of sales — about $30,000, not counting lost auto-ship orders and disgruntled customers. A third product card processor, Square, got aboard then jumped off shortly later. Next up was QuickBooks. Same results.
“Many cannabis businesses have been subject to social media and bank closures, as well as ongoing, underreported law enforcement raids,” adds Martin A Lee Director, founder of Project CBD and Author of Smoke Signals.Project CBD Author, Smoke Signals.
Super rich hemp oil.
Eventually, we had to stop selling the hemp oil product on HoneyColony altogether despite it being a perfectly legal dietary supplement made from industrialized hemp. We were forced to create a whole new website Simply Transformative and find a ‘high-risk’ merchant processor just to carry our Superior CBD, which is a highly sought after product. Unfortunately, the first processor we found arguably witheld tens of thousands of dollars, further putting strains on our operations.Because freedom of speech, the right to articulate one’s opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship, or societal sanction — is still allowed ( I think?), we’ve continued to publish solid content about full spectrum hemp oil on HoneyColony.
CBD Supplement Industry: Big Pharma VS Mother Nature
In January 2017 when the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) inexplicably classified CeeBeeDee from marijuana extracts (we carry oil from industrialized hemp with less than .3 THC), as a Schedule 1 substance – in the same category as heroin. And yet in 2003, the government also patented cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.Some lawyers contend FDA’s position is erroneous. Garrett Graff, an associate in Denver with the Hoban Law Group, which specializes in cannabis law, has challenged a marijuana extract rule by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that affects CBD. He argues there’s an exception in the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) to the exclusionary clause that applies to CBD.
“Hemp oil and cannabinoid-rich hemp oil, along with CBD specifically, was marketed prior to the GW Pharma application,” Graff said in a podcast interview with Natural Products INSIDER.
However, Lee states that Project CBD has spoken with several attorneys and hemp activists and that none are able to back up this claim.
Graff also disputed other aspects of FDA’s conclusions.
“While the FDA claims that they have made public the substantial clinical investigations that they’ve conducted, according to the GW Pharma application, we … respectfully disagree with that conclusion and do not believe that those results, and the substantial nature of them, have been conducted and/or disclosed,” Graff declared.
According to Natural Product Insider, GW declined to comment specifically on FDA’s opinion that CBD cannot be sold in a dietary supplement. They do maintain however those patients who suffer from severe forms of epilepsy need a drug that is consistent with the “hallmarks of a medicine.”
So does that mean that a faux compound is more effective than mother nature because Big Pharma says so? Or is it because they have invested about half a billion dollars into getting their drug to market, and expect to make many billion more?
A press release from the Hemp Business Journal states that the hemp-derived CBD market in the United States grew to US $90 million in 2015 for consumer sales of CBD products. Insiders predict it will eventually be as profitable as the NFL at around 13 billion.
Incidentally, it’s important to note that humans have a endocannabinoid system that has been recently recognized as an important modulatory system in the function of the brain, endocrine, and immune tissues. It appears to play a very important regulatory role in the secretion of hormones related to reproductive functions and response to stress. So, in fact, CBD interfaces with our body.
The Connection Between Bees And Bud
In 2011, GW Pharmaceuticals entered into a partnership with Bayer for the distribution of Sativex in the UK. Bayer CropScience is the maker of systemic pesticides that are killing bees worldwide at the core of colony collapse. Interesting that Bayer amd are are both involved with colonies and cannabis.According to GW, most of the products marketed as CBD oils pale in comparison in efficacy and contend that FDA has tested several CBD products and discovered some didn’t even contain any cannabinoids.
The supplement Industry is mostly made up of mom and pop stores that tend to chronically ill patients. And unfortunately, many who have jumped on the cbd bandwagon in the supplemental space do make an inferior product, giving the industry a bad name. Consumers must do their research and ask questions about extraction methods, bioavailability, and sourcing.
We personally cater to hundreds of customers who are dealing with autoimmunity issues, anxiety, inflammation, insomnia. Sandy Miles of North Carolina for instance, swears by our cbd formula, stating that it’s the only one on the market that works for her.
Despite all the politics, the agency has not moved to shut down the CBD industry. In 2015 and 2016, FDA issued warning letters to a select number of companies, but that was in regards to health claims that their said products could treat diseases. We now have a solid merchant processor, a solid product, and hundreds of customers.
“It is not an industry for the faint of heart,” Will Woodlee has told the press. Woodlee is a partner in Washington with Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker LLP who has studied the regulatory issues surrounding CBD.
It absolutely isn’t. We are cbd crusaders on the front lines. As a result of this experience we are partnering with other groups and launching a full-team investigation into potential collusion between FDA, DEA, and Big Pharma. We ask for your support to
1) Investigate the full story, connections, etc.
2) Unite the independent industry of plant medicine and companies that were unfairly taken down.
3) Unite the people who have been refused medicine in this manner and suffered consequences.
You can join our fight here:
The post The Race Is On: Big Pharma VS The CBD Supplement Industry appeared first on HoneyColony.
The post Is it Possible To Raise Your Child Sugar-Free In A Sugary Society? appeared first on HoneyColony.
For Halloween they dress like vampires, pirates, zombies, and ghosts, but underneath the fake clothes exists a more frightening reality – our children’s growing dependence on sugar.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, kids under 12 consume 49 pounds of sugar per year, several pounds more than adults twice their size. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that preschoolers receive no more than 4 teaspoons of added sugar per day. But a study conducted by the AHA foundchildren as young as 1-3 years already bypass the daily recommendations, and typically consume around 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. By the time a child is 4-8 years old, their sugar consumption skyrockets to an average of 21 teaspoons a day.
It’s not difficult to see why children and sugar are best buds. Studies shows that newborns can detect sweet and will actually prefer sweeter solutions to less sweet ones. Scientists don’t really know why, but mother’s milk is sweet (naturally) and has a calming effect on babies. Biologically programmed to prefer sweet or not, the tastes of babies typically expand with age.
However, “Sugar overload may prevent their taste buds from maturing,” says Dr. David Ludwig.
The problem of children and sugar, according to Ludwig, is that foods marketed to kids are now super sweet so children often struggle to accept other flavors such as the taste of green vegetables, which they may find initially find to be bitter.
“Sugar is a powerful food additive because our bodies are hardwired to like sugar,” says anthropologist Solveig Brown, author of All On One Plate: Cultural Expectations on American Mothers.
Brown says sugar is “eight times more addictive than cocaine” and every one of our 10,000 taste buds have sugar receptors, which ultimately trigger the pleasure center in our brain.
“Food manufacturers employ scientists to figure out the ‘bliss point’ of sugar. In other words, what is the exact level of sweetness something needs to be to trigger the brain’s pleasure center.”
According to Brown, children in every culture innately like sugar and tend to have a higher bliss point for sugar than adults, which is why cereals targeted at children are sweeter than adult ones.
“Early childhood experiences shape our food preferences, which means that the average American child, who has a diet high in sugar, is learning that foods should taste sweet.”
Sugar Connects Children To A Lifetime Of Bad Health
Psychotherapist Valerie Kolick says excessive sugar in a child’s diet has long-term effects on the child’s future physical and mental health.“A child who consumes large amounts of sugar in their childhood has a higher chance for diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, and more as they age,” Kolick says.
Simply put, a plethora of studies show that sugar kills and has been linked to cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and heart disease.
Additionally, excess sugar weakens the immune system by creating an imbalance in the digestive tract between the good and bad microorganisms. If your children seem to always have runny noses, or other cold-like symptoms, this may be due to excess sugar, according to Pediatric otolaryngologist Dr. Julie Wei of Orlando, Florida. Kids diagnosed with allergies may actually be suffering from too much sugar, Wei says.
Children and Sugar = Bad Behavior
Many studies have shown that excessive sugar consumption by children can contribute to, and may even cause, attention deficit disorder (ADD), difficulty concentrating, tooth decay, obesity, and strange behavior in general. Sugar is quickly digested to glucose, the food of the brain, and in large amounts makes the neurons in the brain go haywire and causes children to manifest disruptive behavior.Then there’s liver damage. About 13 percent of children suffer from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The disease is often characterized by a “sugar belly,” stomach fat that occurs when the liver detects more fructose than can be used by the body for energy.
The sugar train comes from all directions: birthday parties, school lunches, Slurpee-infested convenience stores, and well-meaning grandparents, friends, and neighbors.
Needless to say, Halloween doesn’t help, with children going door to door and begging for yet more sugar.
So what’s a responsible parent to do when forced to raise children in a sugary world?
Children and Sugar: Let’s Start With Halloween
Andrea Donsky, a registered holistic nutritionist (RHN), recommends parents simply say “no” to giving out candy to avoid a children and sugar alliance.“Alternatives to Halloween candy include temporary tattoos, stickers, LED finger lights, or glow sticks, and mini packages of raisin, dried fruit, or pretzels.”
Sharon Vecchiarelli, certified health coach and healthy living educator owner, says there is no lawmaking participation in a traditional trick or treat Halloween mandatory.
“When you have little ones, it can be easier to have a Halloween gathering with some of their friends rather than taking them trick or treating,” says Vecchiarelli. “Make a deal with the other parents to bring a small Halloween-themed toy rather than candy to put in each child’s loot bag.”
As the child gets older and goes out trick or treating, Vecchiarelli recommends setting a candy ground rule before they go out.
“It can be as simple as having two pieces of candy when they get back and picking seven more pieces for the week ahead,” says Vecchiarelli. “The candy they keep stays in the loot bag in the kitchen or dining table – not their room.”
Freezing excess candy and doling out over a long period of time is also recommended. Parents are also encouraged by health experts to limit the trick or treating to a small area or only permit it for a specified amount of time.
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Children and Sugar: 5 More Tips For Sugar Downgrades
1. Fill ‘Em Up — Children, like adults, are less likely to crave desserts and treats if they are filled up with all around nutritious food (not just non-sugar carbohydrates). Vecchiarelli recommends making sure your child has had something healthy to eat and does not arrive hungry at gramma’s house, soccer practice, or social events.“Always having celery and carrot sticks with hummus or almond butter will help them feel satiated and energized, which will limit their sweets intake,” says Vecchiarelli.
Krysten Dornik, a food blogger specializing in allergy-friendly recipes, agrees.
“Keep your child filled with good foods like organic fruits, vegetables, some meats along with water to keep them from feeling the urge to eat sweets,” Dornik says.
2. Pack Lunches – Chris Brantner is the father of a 6-year-old and a 17-year-old. He says they both provide their own challenges when it comes to keeping them away from sugar.
“For little ones, it’s easier to control what they eat outside the home,” Brantner says. “The biggest thing you can do is pack their lunch. If you let them eat the school lunch, it’s highly likely they will end up getting the sugar whenever they can find it.”
Nutritionists recommend incorporating all the food groups into a packed lunch as well as getting kids involved in selecting and packing their own lunch.
3. Cook Together – In the belief that the family that cooks together eats less sugar together, Banter suggests planning healthy meals and having the kids help.
“Find healthy recipes with them and then cook together,” Brantner says. “If you can instill a love for cooking as opposed to a love for fast food, then you’ll be more successful.”
You can take it one step further and teach kids to help make their own healthy snack after dinner. For example, if they ask for ice cream, make something healthy like fresh strawberries on a graham cracker. Or instead of graham crackers you could use a custard pie shell and fill it with fruit.
4. Be A Role Model – Practice what you preach.
“Role modeling is essential to influence kids’ eating habits,” says registered dietician nutritionist Jennifer Glockner. “Show your kids that you love and prefer fruits, veggies, and a balanced diet.”
Psychologist Stacy Haynes says children, like adults, form habits. If candy is not in their daily routine, children don’t need it or crave it, according to Haynes.
“Many parents provide sweets all day in the lives of their children beginning with the breakfast Pop-Tart. The daily habits of families have to improve if children are going to improve.”
5. Make A Plan And Stick To It – Parents must be on the same page when dealing with children and sugar, says Kolick.
“It’s important that you have the conversation about children and sugar with grandparents, babysitters, friends parents, and anyone else who is raising the child. Talking to your children about how different foods make them grow and feel differently can be effective for even the very young.”
Jeff Campbell, father of two and martial arts teacher for children, says kids are much smarter than most parents give them credit for.
“I speak to my kids about sugar, processed foods, and diet in general,” says Campbell. “They know about the dangers of too much sugar and while that doesn’t make them not want it, it does make them think twice and they know it’s more of a special treat than a daily food item.”
Thomas Ropp Longtime journalist Thomas Ropp is an environmental advocate and proponent of living healthier. After spending most of his life in Arizona, he relocated to a Costa Rican rainforest ten years ago and helped with reforestation projects to expand the habitat of the endangered mono titi monkey. He has dual residency in the United States and Costa Rica.The post Is it Possible To Raise Your Child Sugar-Free In A Sugary Society? appeared first on HoneyColony.
The post Mysterious Holistic Doctor Deaths Are On The Rise appeared first on HoneyColony.
In the early morning of July 28th, holistic doctor, Glenn Scarpelli, 53, and his wife Patricia, 50, allegedly jumped to their deaths together from a ninth-floor office building in Manhattan. Their holistic clinic, located between Madison and Park Avenue, a few blocks from the Empire State Building, was where the remains of their bodies were found. Both were discovered with typed suicide notes in a plastic baggie in their pocket and they strangely left their their two children (Joseph, 19, and Isabella, 20) behind in the building.
The alleged reasons behind their supposed suicide have been evolving quickly, from the potential repeal of “Obamacare,” to rising health care costs and debts. Details have been sketchy and there have been numerous aspects of the story that have been called into question, including the fact they weirdly left typed suicide notes and the mainstream media confusion over the reason for their suicide — the story seemed to change numerous times (as Erin Elizabeth pointed out).
The Latest In A String Of Deaths
Unfortunately, this is not the first such incident, a few months back, Dr. Glenn Layne Towery was reported missing after he failed to turn up to his chiropractic practice in Victoria, Texas. According to Health Nut News, he had “an impressive resume as a chiropractor and an acupuncturist with advanced training well beyond that.” And it was extremely out of character for him to have missed appointments he had scheduled. Dr. Towery is still reported missing, although police have been following new leads after his truck was discovered abandoned in Victoria County, in May 2017. Holistic Doctor DeathsThis string of mysterious deaths of holistic and alternative doctors all began in 2015 with the death of Dr. Jeffrey Bradstreet, a renowned autism doctor and researcher. He was found in a river with a gunshot wound to the chest. Initially authorities thought his death was suicide, however, the family and a number of autism and holistic practitioners claim that Dr. Bradstreet was murdered and that the wound was not self-inflicted. Holistic Doctor Deaths
Health Nut News has reported on around 60 suspicious deaths over the past two years. We spoke to Erin Elizabeth from Health Nut News to see whether she felt that there was any connection between the deaths:
I have maintained in nearly all my 100+ articles that I have no idea whether there is a connection or not. I have done my best to stay neutral on this, and while the death of so many friends and colleagues of Dr Mercola and mine definitely seems suspicious, I just have no definitive proof they are all connected, or partially connected, or not at all. I hope one day we find out for certain.Healthy Wild and Free and the Centre For Research on Globalization reported that the majority of these doctors were researching Nagalase and its effect on GcMAF in the body around the time they disappeared. GcMAF is, according to First Immune (who are one of the companies selling the product), “an essential human protein our bodies make that removes a number of diseases,”whilst Nagalase is an enzyme produced by cancer cells that can cause immune deficiency and blocks the GcMAF activating factor in the human body.
Thrive Movement, seemed to suggest that the death of Dr. Bradstreet was related to his work surrounding autism and vaccines, as well as GcMAF as a cure for cancer and other diseases. Before his death, Bradstreet’s research facility had been raided by U.S. government agents to shut down his research and halt his treatment of patients. The warrant that describes the items to be seized allegedly indicates a motive to protect pharmaceutical dominance and suppress natural cures, allowing for the removal of all records associated with “Globulin component Macrophage Activating Factor (GcMAF)”. The real question here seems to be why they raided an office that is still practicing today without restriction.
The families of many of these doctors and naturopathic practitioners believe that they were killed for promoting controversial therapies, such as GCMaF as a potential cure for cancer. Holistic Doctor Deaths
Amanda Froelich of Bloom for Life (an online holistic wellness hub) stated last year:
It seems that health practitioners that promote the idea that every individual can be their own doctor, by taking responsibility for their own health rather than waiting for emergency medicine, are being targeted, as they are going against a system which is corrupt and toxic.We spoke to Amanda to see if she could shed some light on whether there was any connection between the deaths of holistic doctors and practitioners across the country and beyond. Holistic Doctor Deaths
Though I cannot personally validate any link between the naturopathic/holistic practitioners’ untimely deaths, I do know that upon crafting a new article based on Erin’s findings and others’ reporting, at least seven individuals who were related or were close friends with similar practitioners contacted me via email. Nearly everyone mentioned that the individual in question would never have committed suicide, or that their death/disappearance was incredibly unexpected.
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Holistic Doctor Deaths Globally
These mysterious deaths aren’t confined to the U.S. Just a few months back in Germany, 29 “alternative and homeopathic practitioners” were purportedly poisoned in the space of a few days — these are not counted as part of the 60 deaths Elizabeth has been reporting on. According to reports by Health Nut News and larger outlets like U.S. News, the victims (several of whom died) at the scene were “suffering from delusions, breathing problems, racing hearts and cramps.” Holistic Doctor DeathsSnopes did a scathing fact check of Erin’s ongoing reporting about the list of more than 60 “suspicious” deaths, claiming that there is no real connection between the list of doctors and practitioners. Snopes has come under fire recently following a Daily Mail investigation that alleged embezzlement of company money and exposed a secret relationship and divorce between the owner and an employee that has damaged the sites reputation. Although the allegations were not aimed at the credibility of their work, the story does raise doubts over the legitimacy and intentions of the site.
When asked about the Snopes article Erin stated:
I think it’s inaccurate, and since they just did a gofundme stating they needed to raise money from perfect strangers to ‘survive’. Also the fact that they got caught lying when they attempted to ‘debunk’ one of my articles, and had to quietly change the article with no apology. I think it’s pretty clear they’re not trustworthy, and could be getting shut down soon.Froelich postulates that big pharma is feeling hugely threatened by the potential of real cures to diseases that would stunt their profits. Holistic Doctor Deaths
I believe one has to ask, who would gain the most from silencing the naturopathic doctors and the like? Holistic Doctor Deaths
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) admits that a minimum of 40 percent of the top five leading U.S. causes of death are preventable (heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, a stroke, and Alzheimer’s). By adopting an organic and primarily plant-based diet, adopting mindfulness practices, and engaging in exercise a minimum of 3-5 times per week, an individual can dramatically reduce their likelihood of developing diseases of affluence in the future — and even get off medications in the present.
“There is no money in ‘health care,’ only ‘sick care,’” says Froelich.
Naturopathic doctors and alternative medical practitioners ultimately teach clients that they have the tools necessary to help themselves. Considering pharmaceutical drugs are responsible for killing over 100,000 people each year and remedies such as C B D oil (non-psychoactive component of cannabis) have killed zero (and have even been proven to benefit conditions such as cancer better than chemotherapy), it would not be inconceivable to imagine that a ‘war’ of some sort is being waged between the two factions of medicine.Annually, vaccine revenues equate to $25 billion and cancer drugs over $100 billion, so the pharmaceutical industries risk losing huge profits if research like Bradstreet’s continue to grow and reach a wider audience.
The frequency of these deaths however, must be taken with a pinch of salt. Reason Magazine pointed out that basic mathematics can explain the frequency of the deaths:
As of March 2015, there was an estimated range of 897,000 to just over 1,000,000 doctors in the United States, and per every 100,000 people (of all vocations) each year, approximately 821 die. Going by those numbers alone, between 6,500 and 8,200 medical doctors will statistically die of myriad causes in any given year. Each month approximately 700 doctors would die (based upon the number of American doctors and the number of overall deaths)… As such, six to eight deaths is well within the realm of expected doctor deaths.What mathematics can’t explain, is the mysterious circumstances surrounding many of these deaths, but right now we don’t have any definitive explanation.
Josh Hamilton is an aspiring journalist from Belfast, Northern Ireland, living in London, Ontario. Lover of music, politics, tech and life. Editor in chief at www.TheJist.co.ukSubmit your story or essay to Buzzworthy Blogs
The post The MTHFR Gene And Methylation – What’s All the Fuss? appeared first on HoneyColony.
Do you or someone you know have a history of heart disease, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD, diabetes, insomnia, or autism? These are just some of the conditions that have been linked to faulty methylation. If you are pregnant, or thinking of becoming pregnant, then supporting methylation to prevent neural tube defects (and actually lots more!) is super-important, too. It’s the reason your doctor tells you to make sure you’re getting enough folate (or folic acid).
Methylation is a process that happens in every cell of our body. It is essentially an attachment or creation of a methyl group (one carbon plus three hydrogens) on an existing molecule. This simple change, however, is enough to alter the function or action of that molecule. It’s a form of biochemical governance.
Here are some of the ways we use methylation:
- Cell division and renewal
- Healthy immune cells
- Synthesizing and clearing adrenaline
- Detoxification in the liver (and elsewhere)
- Producing energy for cells to use in chemical reactions
- Clearing out excess estrogen and histamine
- Regulating how our genes get expressed
MTHFR Gene
You may have heard about the MTHFR gene. MTHFR stands for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, an enzyme that converts folate into the active form (5-mTHF) that can be used to make S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe). SAMe is a fantastically versatile compound and used in most methylation reactions because it has a readily-donatable methyl group.A well-functioning MTHFR gene also helps to keep homocysteine within normal levels. Homocysteine is a compound that may have come onto your radar if you have heart disease, since higher levels have been associated with worse outcomes.
If you already know what the MTHFR gene is, perhaps you know that you have a variant of this gene such as C677T or A1298C. If you have two copies of the C677T gene (this means you are homozygous for this variant), then the MTHFR enzyme’s activity can drop by 70-75 percent. If you have one copy of this gene (heterozygote), then activity can be reduced by 33-35 percent. If you have two copies of the A1298C variant you may lose 39 percent of MTHFR gene activity.
Treating Methylation Deficits
Most often, treating methylation deficits involves adding supplemental nutrients such as natural folates (5mTHF), B-12, and betaine to help overcome the lagging enzyme activity. We know that this approach can work well.However, this doesn’t work for everyone, nor is it an ideal long-term approach. Many individuals can actually experience an increase in symptoms, especially those related to anxiety, nervousness, and depression. If this has happened to you, then you may be wondering where to go from there.
If you don’t tolerate methylation supplements, and actually even if you do, it is really important to get your diet and lifestyle dialed in, too. With supplementation, we can run the risk of pushing methylation activity too far the other way and actually promote a state of excess methylation, which research is showing can be detrimental, too. Alzheimer’sdisease, autoimmune disease, and cancer are some of the conditions associated with aberrant methylation.
What we want is balance — not too much, not too little. Just right. And there is actually a way to do that with food-based nutrients, superfood methylation adaptogens, specific eating patterns, sleep hygiene, stress management, and exercise. Your functional medicine practitioner should also be looking at areas of excessive SAMe drain, which can reduce the amount of SAMe available for healthy functions. Inflammation, oxidative stress, environmental toxins, and poor gut health can all have negative effects on methylation activity and must be considered as well.
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Screening And Methylation Deficits?
Supporting healthy methylation is actually a good anti-aging strategy since we tend to lose methylation capacity as we age. Methylation should therefore be on all of our radars. It’s certainly on mine.More specifically, I recommend that anyone with the following conditions (or with a family history of these concerns) ask their practitioner to order the MTHFR genetic test, or have your full genetic profile done through 23andme.
- ADD/ADHD
- Addiction
- Allergies
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Autism
- Behavioral disorders
- Bipolar disorder
- Cancer
- Chemical sensitivity
- Chronic fatigue
- Cleft palate
- Dementia
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Downs syndrome
- Fertility issues
- Fibromyalgia
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Insomnia
- Multiple sclerosis
- Neuropathy
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pre-pregnancy and pregnancy
- Schizophrenia
- Thyroid disease
You can find out more about our full program for correcting and optimizing your methylation capacity in our eBook Methylation Diet and Lifestyle. Use coupon code mymdl15 for 15 percent off.
Dr. Kara Fitzgerald received her doctorate of naturopathic medicine from National College of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She completed the first CNME-accredited post-doctorate position in nutritional biochemistry and laboratory science at Metametrix (now Genova) Clinical Laboratory under the direction of Richard Lord, Ph.D. Her residency was completed at Progressive Medical Center, a large, integrative medical practice in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Fitzgerald is lead author and editor of Case Studies in Integrative and Functional Medicine, a contributing author to Laboratory Evaluations for Integrative and Functional Medicine and the Institute for Functional Medicine’s updated Textbook for Functional Medicine. She has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Fitzgerald is on faculty at the Institute for Functional Medicine, and is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. She was formerly on faculty at University of Bridgeport in the School of Human Nutrition and the School of Naturopathic Medicine. She is a clinician researcher for The Institute for Therapeutic Discovery. Dr. Fitzgerald regularly lectures internationally for several organizations and is in private practice in Sandy Hook, Connecticut.Submit your story or essay to Buzzworthy Blogs.
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