An interesting blog site with a useful content for all of those who are looking for helpful hints on health topics such as work out, body builder, diets, any related fields and more.
The UK Department of Health is putting the fast food companies, processed food companies, and soft drink manufacturers at the heart of writing government policy on obesity.
The companies in question include McDonald's, KFC, PepsiCo, Kellogg's, Unilever, Mars and Diageo.
Health secretary Andrew Lansley has set up five "responsibility deal" networks with businesses to come up with policies. Many say this is the equivalent of putting cancer policy in the hands of tobacco companies.
According to The Guardian:
"The groups are dominated by food and alcohol industry members, who have been invited to suggest measures to tackle public health crises ... In early meetings, these commercial partners have been invited to draft priorities and identify barriers, such as EU legislation, that they would like removed."
The UK Department of health is clearly placing the health and well-being of their citizens in grave danger with this foolish decision. But I can't say I'm surprised. This action is a phenomenal testimony as to just how powerful the food industry is. It certainly rivals the drug cartels as to their pernicious influence on public health. In the US, Americans currently spend about 90 percent of their food budgets purchasing processed foods, which offer very little in terms of nutritional value and instead typically contain ingredients that will actually cause you harm. According to a previous article in the New York Times, "no country has embraced the movement toward commercialized, prepackaged food as much as the United States. " Sure seems that this latest decision is little more than a scheme to drag the UK down the same path of increasing corporate profits while rapidly destroying the health of the British people.
What Does McDonald's, PepsiCo, and Mars Know About Health?
That's an important question that the UK department of health appears to ignore. The evidence showing how processed foods and fast foods destroy health is so overwhelming you'd have to be buried in a Chilean coal mine to be ignorant of this connection. And yet some of the worst corporate culprits are now supposed to write government health policies to combat obesity, alcohol and diet-related disease! According to The Guardian:
"The alcohol responsibility deal network is chaired by the head of the lobby group the Wine and Spirit Trade Association. The food network to tackle diet and health problems includes processed food manufacturers, fast food companies, and Compass, the catering company famously pilloried by Jamie Oliver for its school menus of turkey twizzlers. The food deal's sub-group on calories is chaired by PepsiCo..."
This is blatant folly. Additionally, the board created to oversee the work of these "deal networks" is ALSO dominated by the food, alcohol, advertising and retail industries! So what you end up with is foxes guarding the foxes that guard the hen house... Making matters even more precarious for the public, The Guardian reports that "one group was told that the health department did not want to lead, but rather hear from its members what should be done." In essence, the UK health department is giving carte blanche to industry to devise whatever "health recommendations" they see fit, and you can be sure of one thing – these industries will NOT recommend anything that could jeopardize their business! For example, they've already ruled out using pricing of food or alcohol as a strategy to change consumer behavior. What does that tell you? It's quite clear to me that nothing good can come out of this.
Poor Nutrition Drives Declining Health Statistics
It's not hard to predict that public health policies dictated by the likes of McDonald's, PepsiCo and Mars will be far from successful in creating recommendations to successfully curb obesity and diet-related diseases. How could they? The very existence of these corporations relies on consumers maintaining their purchasing habits! And that's the crux of the public health disaster facing both the US and the UK. We all need to REDUCE our consumption of processed foods, fast foods, sugary snacks and sodas! None of these types of "food" have any place whatsoever in a health-promoting, nutritious diet. If you eat a fast-food burger, you can easily take in close to half of your daily caloric requirements. Add in fries and a soda and you may be nearing an entire day's worth of required calories in just one meal! But in that one meal, which is designed to be eaten quickly, on-the-go, you have not received the vitamins and minerals, the live enzymes and micronutrients, the healthy fats or high-quality protein that your body needs to function, let alone thrive... Regularly eating these types of foods is a prescription for obesity, diabetes, and all the health problems associated with these conditions. The obesity rate in the US is now nearing 27 percent, more than two out of three are overweight, and 1 in 4 Americans are affected with diabetes or pre-diabetes. If British citizens end up listening to the recommendations that arise from this unholy alliance between the UK health department and industry, British obesity statistics will soon mirror those in the US. In fact, the UK is already closing in. According to the latest statistics from the UK NHS, a quarter of all adults in the UK are now classified as obese. As of 2008, nearly 17 percent of British boys between the ages of 2 and 15 also fell in the obese category, along with just over 15 percent of all girls. The report also found that fresh produce purchases fell substantially between 2007 and 2008. Fresh fruit purchases fell by nearly 8 percent, and fresh green vegetables fell by almost 10 percent! Only 25-29 percent of men and women, respectively, consume the recommended five portions of fruits and vegetables a day, and British children fare even worse when it comes to consuming healthful foods, with less than 20 percent of children consuming the recommended levels of fruits and veggies.
Corruption and Bribes – Business as Usual in the Food Industry
There's a very real danger in letting the food industry call the shots when it comes to establishing public health policies. It just can't work. The food industry, just like the pharmaceutical industry, is fraught with corruption and questionable business practices, including bribery and racketeering schemes. Like other players in big business, those running the food industry are out to make a profit, and often this comes at the expense of your health. Three prominent examples of food industry manipulation include the cases of:
You can read the entire history of fraud and deception that led to the approval of aspartame here, but, in a nutshell, the evidence that showed aspartame was harmful was ignored or falsified, and the artificial sweetener was pushed through the the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process by a select few who stood to benefit handsomely from its profits. Ditto for rBGH. The U.S. FDA didn't even require that rBGH be adequately tested before allowing it on the market. And, the fact that genetically modified (GM) foods have been allowed to infiltrate the market at all is a major lesson in the corruption of the food industry. Further, the food crops currently subsidized in the US are corn, wheat, soy and rice. Growing little else but corn and soy means we end up with a fast food diet. In essence, these commodity programs are subsidies for the creation of junk and fast food, not REAL food that could have a positive impact on public health. In short, regardless of where you live, the food you depend on to survive is slowly being degraded, devalued, and de-humanized by giant corporations and short-sighted, lackadaisical governments. And soon the UK will provide their citizens with even more highly questionable health recommendations fashioned by the very companies that actively created the health crises' of obesity, diabetes and alcohol- and diet-related diseases in the first place...
Take Control of Your Diet and Your Health With these Crucial Four Steps
Folks, whether you live in the US, the UK, or elsewhere, the current madness appears to be Universal... So, what's the answer? Quite simply, you need to start thinking for yourself, and ignore much, if not most, of the health- and dietary advice you get through the conventional channels. Fortunately, "eating healthy" is actually far easier than most people think. Here's a quick and dirty summary:
Focus on raw, fresh foods, and avoid as many processed foods as possible (for those who still have trouble understanding what "processed food" is: if it comes in a can, bottle, or package, and has a list of ingredients, it's processed)
Avoid foods that contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) like the plague, but don't just limit it to HFCS, you must limit ALL sources of fructose to less than 25 grams per day, and that includes fruit. If you are taking the average amount of fructose you are consuming three times that or 75 grams. At that level any fruit will cause more harm than good for all but those engaging in unhealthy levels of aerobic cardio activity.
Limit or eliminate grain carbohydrates if you have diabetes, are overweight, or have high cholesterol or high blood pressure
Replace sodas and other sweetened beverages with clean, pure water
Knowledge truly is power, and the more people become informed, the faster real and needed changes can come about. Below are several wonderful films that will give you an excellent overview of the health dangers of fast food, and the problems with modern agriculture. I highly recommend you watch and share these with your friends and family!
Many allergy sufferers believe that locally produced honey can alleviate symptoms. The idea is that bees become covered in pollen spores when they from one flower to the next -- spores which are then transferred to their honey.
It is thought that eating that honey, even just a spoonful a day, can build immunity through gradually exposure.
For some reason the New York Times recently chose to report on this topic citing the negative results of a nearly decade-old study, stating:
"In the study ... the scientists followed dozens of allergy sufferers through the springtime allergy season. The subjects were randomly split into three. One consumed a tablespoonful daily of locally collected, unpasteurized and unfiltered honey; another ate commercial honey; and a third was given a corn syrup placebo with synthetic honey flavoring. After tracking the subjects' symptoms for months, the scientists found that neither of the honey groups saw improvements over the placebo group."
Interestingly enough, a study published earlier this year came to a completely different conclusion!
This brand new study assessed the effects of the pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey or regular honey on symptoms and medication during birch pollen season.
A total of 44 patients with diagnosed birch pollen allergy consumed either the birch pollen honey or regular honey daily from November to March. The control group consisted of 17 patients who were just using their usual allergy medication to control symptoms.
The study found that, during birch pollen season, compared to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced:
60 percent reduction in symptoms
Twice as many asymptomatic days
70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms
50 percent decrease in usage of antihistamines
The New York Times article linked below may require a subscription to view. It may, however, be possible to view it in its entirety by using a web search.
Asthma is a growing problem, both for children and adults. In the last two decades, the incidence of asthma has increased by more than 300 percent, and it now affects about 20 million Americans. Locally produced honey is believed by many to be a viable alternative treatment, despite the lack of scientific evidence of its effectiveness. However, before throwing the idea out as being bogus due to this lack, it's worth noting that precious few studies have ever been done on local honey as an asthma remedy. And lack of evidence is not to be equated with evidence of lack of efficacy. I had to conduct extensive searches just to find the references I will provide later in this article. There is however, a rather large body of anecdotal evidence—people who have tried it with great success. And anecdotal evidence can be just as important when considering a treatment. For example, many drugs are prescribed off label, not because there have been extensive studies done showing beneficial results, but because "word spreads" that a certain drug "appears to provide benefit" for health problems unrelated to its approved use.
The Theory of Local Honey as an Asthma Treatment
The theory itself actually appears quite sound. The idea is that locally produced honey, which will contain pollen spores picked up by the bees from local plants, can act much in the same way as a natural type of vaccine. By introducing a small amount of allergen into your system, your immune system is activated and over time can build up your natural immunity against it. Why should the honey be locally produced? Because your allergies are activated through exposure to pollens present in your local area. Different states, for example, can have wildly varying types of plants, grasses and other foliage, each of which can cause allergic reactions in different people. The typical recommendation is to take about a teaspoon-full of locally produced honey per day, starting a few months PRIOR to the pollen season, to allow your system to build up immunity.
What Does the Science Say?
The study featured by the New York Times, published all the way back in 2002, found that local honey offered no benefit over a placebo. However, a far more recent study, published this year, in fact, differs in its conclusion. This study "assessed the effects of the pre-seasonal use of birch pollen honey (birch pollen added to honey) or regular honey on symptoms and medication during birch pollen season." One of the primary differences between these two studies is that the latter narrows it down to one specific allergen (birch). A total of 44 patients with diagnosed birch pollen allergy consumed either the birch pollen honey or regular honey daily from November to March. The control group consisted of 17 patients who were just using their usual allergy medication to control symptoms. From April through May, the patients recorded their symptoms and use of medication daily. The study found that, during birch pollen season, compared to the control group, the patients using birch pollen honey experienced:
60 percent reduction in symptoms
Twice as many asymptomatic days
70 percent fewer days with severe symptoms
50 percent decrease in usage of antihistamines
Interestingly enough, there were few differences between the two honey groups (those who took regular honey, versus those who took honey that contained birch pollen.) However, the birch pollen honey group used less histamines than those who used regular honey. The authors concluded that:
"Patients who pre-seasonally used birch pollen honey had significantly better control of their symptoms than did those on conventional medication only, and they had marginally better control compared to those on regular honey. The results should be regarded as preliminary, but they indicate that birch pollen honey could serve as a complementary therapy for birch pollen allergy."
"[A]n account of a small clinical trial involving 21 patients known to suffer from hay fever is given. The patients were advised to eat 10-20 grams of honey each day for a period lasting from autumn 1987 up to and through the following hay fever season. In some instances honey comb cappings were also eaten. The patients filled in detailed reports on any symptoms experienced during the trial and these are summarized in a table. The mean age of the 16 patients who reported beneficial effects was 42.6 years, compared with 33.2 years for those who reported no benefit. The patients who reported benefit had suffered from hay fever for longer (average 24.8 years) than the other 5 patients (17 years)."
Although I do not own this book, so I can't specify the benefits or how substantial these benefits were, it appears that a significant majority, 16 out of 21, did report some form of beneficial effects from honey. In this case, it appears as though regular honey, as opposed to locally produced honey, was used. But as the results from the study above indicate, regular honey may impart some benefits in and of itself, regardless of whether it's local honey or not…
Two Important Warnings
While I believe there's truth to the anecdotal claims that local honey can help reduce symptoms of asthma, it's important to be aware that honey itself can also trigger in some cases severe allergic reactions, including anaphylactic shock. So clearly you should not attempt to use honey if you've ever experienced an adverse reaction to honey in the past. Also be careful and use it very sparingly in the beginning until you've confirmed that you can tolerate it. Another important point to remember is that honey is high in fructose, which, in excessive amounts, typically about 70-80% of honey is fructose and it can exacerbate pre-existing insulin resistance and wreak havoc on your body. Each teaspoon of honey has nearly four grams of fructose so carefully add the total grams of fructose (including fruits) that you consume each day, and stay below 25 grams of total fructose per day. This is particularly important if you suffer from signs of elevated insulin, such as:
Overweight
High blood pressure
High blood cholesterol
Diabetes
But as long as it's used in moderation, eating raw honey is likely to promote health, and may indeed help alleviate asthma symptoms.
The MOST Important Allergy "Treatment" You Need to Pay Attention to
While I believe you certainly could try using local honey to reduce your asthma symptoms, there's another dietary/lifestyle factor that plays an absolutely CRUCIAL role in asthma, namely vitamin D. In fact, recent research suggests that vitamin D deficiency may be a primary underlying cause of asthma. This means that many are needlessly suffering with a potentially life threatening ailment, since vitamin D deficiency is easily remedied. It's important to remember that you will likely need far more than the recommended daily allowance, which is a mere 200 to 600 units a day, depending on your age. You really need to make sure you're getting therapeutic levels, which isbetween 50-70 ng/ml. Ideally, you'll want to get your vitamin D from safe sun exposure. Beware that using sunscreen when outdoors effectively shields your skin from making any vitamin D. Another alternative is using a safe tanning bed, or if neither of those options are available, an oral vitamin D3 supplement. If you get your levels to about 60 ng/ml there's a strong likelihood -- especially if you combine it with exercise and balancing out your omega 3 and omega 6 fats as described below -- that you will not experience asthma anymore.
Additional Safe and Effective Strategies to Treat Asthma
Although asthma is a serious disease, safely treating your asthma is not a complicated affair. Optimizing your vitamin D levels is the first step, but there are other basic strategies that can help treat the root of the problem as well. In my experience, the following strategies are highly effective when treating asthma:
Increase your intake of animal-based omega 3 fats – I can't emphasize enough the importance of getting sufficient amounts of high quality animal-based omega 3 fats in your diet.
Although I strongly believe we all need plant-based omega 3 fats, the difference is that most people do not possess the metabolic machinery to rapidly convert the ALA in these plants to the higher order fats DHA and EPA, which are potent anti-inflammatories.
Although I still recommend fish oil in some instances, I believe krill oil is an even better source of omega 3 fats for most people.
Reduce your intake of omega 6 fats – In addition to adding omega 3 fats to your diet, you also want to reduce the amount of omega 6 fats you consume because the ratio between these two fats is very important.
Many don't realize that about a century ago, people only consumed 1-2 pounds of plant-based omega 6 fats per year. Today, the average American is consuming about 75-80 pounds a year of these vegetable oils, such as corn oil, soy and safflower oil.
When you eat processed foods daily, the balance between omega 3 and omega 6 fats will become distorted, which can cause the type of inflammation that leads to asthma.
Consider the hygiene hypothesis – There's a tendency in our modern culture to be obsessive about cleanliness, especially in children. However, this may not be as healthy as initially thought. It appears that being exposed to common bacterial and viral infections as a child can be instrumental in providing the stimulus to your immune system to prevent asthma naturally.
Get regular exercise – Exercise (especially out in fresh air if you're an asthmatic) is actually crucial, as it helps to moderate insulin levels. It increases your insulin receptor sensitivity, and as a result your body produces less insulin, which tends to optimize it.
You can also use allergy testing to build up your immune system. However, my experience is that conventional testing does not work very effectively and there is a fair amount of risk. A far better test would be provocation neutralization testing, which is an intradermal skin test. The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) has a list of physicians who are trained in this highly effective technique. As for natural remedies, you can try some Butterbur (Petasites hybridus). This perennial shrub has been used since ancient times to treat a variety of conditions. As far back as the 17th century, butterbur was used to treat coughs, asthma, and skin wounds. Researchers have since identified the compounds in butterbur that help reduce symptoms in asthma by inhibiting leukotrienes and histamines, which are responsible for symptom aggravation in asthma. Also remember that pasteurized milk products are notorious for making asthma worse.
Diet foods are many, many people are on, how many different types of food allowed on the Atkins Diet Plan menu are surprised. You still have the responsibility to select appropriately and double check the actual carb content of different foods, but you will quickly learn just how varied and interesting a low carb lifestyle can be.
The basics of the Atkins diet plan is the basic philosophy of the Atkins diet planthat you will be adjusted to a low-carb diet the body`s metabolism and burn fat deposits begin. The process starts during the induction phase when you change your eating habits substantially so that you only consume 20 grams of net carbohydrates per day. Net carbohydrates are, by dividing the total number of grams of carbohydrates in the diet determines the amount and subtracting grams of fiber.
Once you are past the 14 day induction phase you then start to increase your daily net carb intake a little bit each week - starting at 25 grams per day, then the next week going to 30 grams per day, and so forth. How to increase your intake gradually pay attention to what you lose weight, until a level considerably to the weight loss slows or stops all available. When you get close to your goal weight, you move into pre-maintenance and maintenance phases so that low carb choices become part of your everyday lifestyle.
Definition of Low Carb Foods
Low-carb foods are those that have low enough levels of carbohydrates, the Atkins diet foods are considered. In general, meats, poultry, fish, leafy green vegetables, eggs and butter form the core assortment of your low carb food choices. Some cheese and other dairy products are relatively low carb, but generally not permitted in large quantities, while on the Atkins Low Carb Diet Plan.
Remember, though, a food which is high in carbs but also high in fiber can be eaten as part of a low carb lifestyle because the goal is to keep net carbs low, not just carbs as a whole. Make sure to check out food labels to determine who buys the net carbs, and consider, CARB check meter bag with you the accounts net carbs in fresh food.
As the Atkins diet plan exploded in popularity over the last few years, many food producers have tried to get in on the phenomenon by promoting their products as low carb. The problem is that many of these foods is not really low carb. With the exceptions of certified Atkins diet foods, you should never just believe the large print on the front that says low carb. Always, always read nutrition labeling and confirm for yourself whether the food is really low-carb.
Finding Low Carb Foods
Finding low carb foods is as easy as going to the grocery store, dropping into the convenience store located at your neighborhood gas station, or going to your favorite restaurant. Sure, in some places a better selection of dishes that have other Atkins diet, and some have the temptations are rich in carbohydrates need, but there is no reason for you to visit a specialty store to get food Low Carb.
Atkins Diet Foods from the Grocery Store
In the grocery store you have a huge selection of foods, ranging from fresh to processed, all of which you can check for net carb count. Processed foods have nutritional information printed on the packaging ol label, making it easy to determine net carbs. Fresh foods are a bit more difficult because that information is not printed on the food item and usually not on the shelf label. You can well remember a few fresh goods, which are allowed, but a really good tool with a carb counter in a bag or pocket to bring, so you can check if you have any questions.
Convenience Store
In a convenience store, you have to search a bit more for the low carb Atkins diet plan foods. The large display of potato chips, candies, cookies and more a place is not likely to find low-carb choices, but if you go a little , more usually found in the official Atkins snack bars, shakes, liquid or even some fresh foods that are low carb.
Restaurants
Restaurants can be a bit tricky because you do not always know what is in that great tasting gravy or sauce, but most eating establishments now offer designated low carb choices. If in doubt, for the meal without sauces and other add-ons that may have hidden carbohydrates. When you find a restaurant that serves a good selection of low carb foods that you enjoy, be sure to give the manager or owner positive feedback and make that establishment a primary choice whenever you want to dine out.
Atkins Diet Plan
Atkins Diet food meals are much more than individual foods. They can be combined in many ways to create tasty and interesting meals, but even the most dedicated low carb follower can get tired of the same old thing. The best way to keep your low-carb meals, is interesting for a variety of Atkins diet foods to try. There are many cookbooks and recipe books available that are filled with low carb meal choices using approved Atkins diet foods. Everything you need to do is to combine every day or every week to keep a variety of dishes on the table.
Another reason to have a good cookbook or recipe book on hand is for those times when you are tired, running late or otherwise need to come up with something low carb to eat when maybe you do not feel like putting a lot of effort into it. These are the times when you tried everything, something that does not reach low-carb, so can a collection of Atkins diet recipes will help you to get rid of that temptation.
Destiny deep sea water offers natural electrolytes and nutrients found in the depths of the ocean, uncontaminated by the effects of photosynthesis or impurities in the upper layers of ocean water.
Destiny deep sea water is the healthiest and most refreshing bottled water solution for your body’s needs.
A Natural Gift from Hawaii
From its blue oceans and beautiful beaches to its tropical forests and steaming volcanic peaks, Hawaii fills all of your senses with the richness of life. Destiny deep sea water, like so many other tropical delights, comes from Hawaii.
Just off the coast of Hawaii’s big island, over three thousand feet below the surface, the most pristine water the earth has to offer flows in the great global conveyer, all the way from the glaciers of Greenland. This water is unspoiled, electrolyte-rich, and aged for millennia. From this source, Destiny draws its cool and refreshing water.
Follow your Destiny to the life-giving waters of the deep sea.
Water is one of the primary ingredients required to maintain health and energy through the absorption of key vitamins and minerals into our bodies. Destiny deep sea water offers these life-enhancing functions with natural electrolytes and nutrients found in the depths of the ocean, uncontaminated by the effects of photosynthesis or impurities in the upper layers of ocean water. Destiny deep sea water is the healthiest and most refreshing solution to your body’s water needs.
Water: an essential component of health and life
As the healthiest alternative in bottled water, Destiny deep sea water offers tremendous value to the body.
Along with amino acids (protein), minerals are the basic building blocks of every human cell. RNA/DNA, the blueprints to each cell, require certain minerals to function properly. Protein chains cannot form without the presence of minerals. Destiny contains miniscule sized ionic minerals that are easily absorbed into human cells.
Destiny sources its 100% pure Hawaii deep sea water from NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority), which draws its water from depths of over 3000 feet in the pacific ocean just off the coast of Kona, located on the big Island of Hawaii. The source of this water lies in the icebergs near the coast of Greenland 2000 years ago. The cold temperature of this arctic area increases the density of the water, causing it to plunge to the depths of the sea.
This dense, mineral rich seawater travels deep along the Atlantic Continental Shelf of North America. It flows past the coasts of Australia and New Zealand and finally rises in the Northern Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands after a 2,000-year long journey. This under-sea stream is called The Great Global Conveyor.
Extraction and purification of nutrient rich deep-sea water
Destiny deep sea water is extracted from 3,000 feet below the surface. Once the nutrient rich water reaches our facility, it is processed using a state-of-the-art, purification system before bottling. Desalinization is the process used to remove salt from seawater, to ready it for human consumption.
Destiny deep-sea water uses a proprietary natural process that removes unwanted chemicals without relying solely on a harsh reverse osmosis system to desalinate the water. This allows all life-enhancing minerals and nutrients to remain intact in the water throughout the desalinization process and leaves the life enhancing minerals untouched in their natural form instead of adding them back in like many others do. The final result is water that is nutrient rich and flavorful, making Destiny deep sea water perfect for the human body, and for the palate.
Our sanitary standards mean pure, healthy water
The Destiny water purification process includes two filters: a primary filter (sand filter) and a secondary filter (check filter) before desalination occurs. Once water is cleaned and desalinized, it is adjusted for hardness, depending on customer preference. It is then sent through a third ultra-fine filter to kill germs before moving to a filling machine to be bottled, labeled, and packaged.
At Destiny deep sea water, customer health and satisfaction are our top priorities. This means that every part of the process is sanitary. Bottling takes place in a pristine environment that exceeds all FDA Standards.
The result: precious, life-enhancing water, uncontaminated, full of natural minerals and flavor—the perfect option to quench the thirst and compliment even the most discerning palate.
Ocean Water Temperature
Most of the solar radiation (light and heat) that penetrates the ocean is absorbed in the first twenty yards of water. Waves and turbulence mix this heat downward quickly. The surface layer of the ocean is mixed from the top to the bottom of that layer. The temperature of the surface waters varies with latitude. The polar seas can be as cold as -2 degrees Celsius (28.4 degrees Fahrenheit) while the Persian Gulf can be as warm as 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The normal temperature of the ocean surface waters is about 17 degrees Celsius (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
There is a boundary between surface waters of the ocean and deeper layers that are not mixed. The boundary begins about 100-400 yards and extends several hundred of yards downward from there. This boundary region, where there is a rapid decrease of temperature, is called the thermocline. Ninety percent of the total volume of ocean is found below the thermocline in the deep ocean. Here, temperatures approach freezing. So even though surface waters can be a comfortable 20 degrees Celsius, the majority of our ocean water has a temperature between 0-3 degrees Celsius (32-37.5 degrees Fahrenheit).
The density of ocean water continuously increases with decreasing temperature until the water freezes. Ocean water, with an average salinity of 35 psu, freezes at -1.94 degrees Celsius (28.5 degrees Fahrenheit). Near the polar latitudes, ocean water can reach these low temperatures and freeze. Dissolved salts in the water tend to be rejected by the forming ice so that sea ice is only about 1 % salt. An interesting tidbit for those of you interested in survival tactics - because of the lessened amount of salt, melted sea ice would be fit to drink even if sea water is not! Sea ice formation at high latitudes ultimately drives circulation of the deep waters of the ocean.
Question: This next question sir is very important. I've talked to you a little bit the last couple of days about this question. It is in regards to the supplementation of probiotics and digestive enzymes. They both have strong anecdotal and seemingly clinical positive results. Is it harmful to take a tablespoon of enzymes with a quart of alkalizing greens, and do enzymes have a beneficial effect for the body?
Dr. Young: Taking probiotics and enzymes can have perceived health benefits with many long-term harmful effects. Probiotics and enzymes are acidifying to the body and therefore should not be ingested for long periods of time.
Probiotics are biological transformations of what use to be healthy organized matter into bacteria, yeast and/or mold. All bacteria is the evidence of matter fermenting and breaking down to adapt to a changing acidic environment. There is no such thing as healthy bacteria. All bacteria including the ones found in the body and especially in the small and large intestines are morbid evolutions of putrefying plant and/or animal food and/or body cells. My theory is to keep your alimentary canal clear, clean, free of cellular debris and all bacteria, yeast or mold. This would be the healthy alkaline state of the small and large bowel.
When one is constipated with undigested animal flesh in the small and/or large intestine, acidic probiotics and enzymes may help to breakdown this undigested protein. This may provide for temporary relief with better bowel elimination. This may be the only benefit from ingesting these potentially harmful acidic supplements.
The reason I suggest probiotics and enzymes are potentially harmful is they can also damage healthy cells and tissues, including the delicate intestinal villi. The intestinal villi, line the wall of approximately 27 feet of the small intestine, increasing the surface area to over 7,200 square feet. I call the intestinal villi of the small intestine the root system of the body.
The intestinal villi are like plant roots and can be damaged by acidic food, drink, bacteria, yeast, mold, enzymes, probiotics, and antibiotics. Bottom-line, when you ingest enzymes and/or probiotics you may gain short-term benefits (the breakdown of undigested matter from meat and dairy) but you may also incur long-term damage to the root system of your body - the breakdown of the intestinal villi.
As I have mentioned, enzymes are acids. The word "enzyme" itself means "ferment". It is a Greek word. When you understand that enzymes are all acids, and that most of America is congested or constipated to a lesser or greater degree, any enzyme ingested may help break down some of the undigested food in the 9 yards of the intestine.
This undigested food, (meat), which rarely completely breaks down on its own, comes from chicken, beef, turkey or fish. The real risk in taking enzymes or probiotics are the acidic damage to the root system of the body while trying to break down and eliminate undigested food. The best choice is to eliminate all animal protein from the diet to prevent the bowel congestion or constipation.
Even the mucus created from the acids of dairy products (lactic acid) may be dissolved with enzymes and/or probiotics. But, long-term use of acidic enzymes or probiotics are not good for the health of the alimentary canal. Once again, the risk is a compromised alkaline environment in the small and large intestine and damage to the delicate intestinal villi of the small intestine.
My 30 years of research has indicated that the impact of enzymes and probiotics, including antibiotics will eventually compromise the alimentary canal and damage the delicate intestinal villi in the small intestine. Once you understand that the alimentary canal is not a digestive system but an alkaline-buffering system, then you realize that from the mouth to the stomach, to the duodenum to the intestines, these organs are trying to raise the pH of the food, not digest the food.
Food, in and of itself, is broken down from the inside out from the mere fact that you break the membranes of that food with your teeth. Once you break the membranes of any organized matter, with your teeth, it will start its own disorganization or digestion. So, food digests from the inside out not from the outside in as suggested by current medical savants. The theory that food digests in the stomach is FALSE.
Food is alkalized in the stomach not digested in the stomach. And, the major purpose of the stomach is to produce sodium bicarbonate to alkalize the food and the liquids you eat. Out of the disorganizing food, acids or enzymes are released as a waste product of that disorganization or unfolding of the plant or animal cells.
The enzymes or acids released from the food when broken with your teeth activates the alkaline-buffering system. The alkaline buffering system includes the mouth, the stomach, the pylorus glands, the duodenum, the pancreas, the gallbladder, and the alkalizing glands in the small intestine, that all release sodium bicarbonate to alkalize the food you eat and the liquids you drink.
The major contributor of sodium bicarbonate for maintaining the alkaline design of the body is the stomach. The stomach therefore is an organ of contribution not an organ of digestion which is currently taught by traditional and holistic doctors. The stomach is an alkalizing organ.
In the mouth, the salivary glands start secreting sodium bicarbonate, to raise the alkalinity of the food and to neutralize or buffer the food enzymes or acids. The process of alkalizing the food continues in the stomach as the stomach lining releases sodium bicarbonate to alkalize the food. Yes, for every molecule of sodium bicarbonate produced to alkalize the food you ingest a molecule of hydrochloric acid is also produced. But, the hydrochloric acid never touches or should never come in contact with the food you eat.
The sodium bicarbonate produced in the lining of the stomach rises to meet the food as the hydrochloric acid falls into the gastric pits of the stomach away from the food. Hydrochloric acid is the WASTE PRODUCT of sodium bicarbonate production and will destroy the life or electron potential of the food. That is why you find residues of hydrochloric acid in the stomach after the food has taken up all the alkaline sodium bicarbonate and left for the small intestine.
The hydrochloric acid in the stomach is the evidence that the food has been alkalized and is on its way to the intestines for transformation into stem cells and then red blood cells. The primary site for stem cell and red blood cell production is in the crypts of the intestinal villi. When the food leaves the stomach, hopefully in a liquefied alkaline state and enters the duodenum the pancreas secrets more sodium bicarbonate to raise the pH of the liquefied food up to an alkaline pH of 8.2 to 8.4. The food is now prepared to be received by the small intestine for transformation into stem cells and then red blood cells.
As the food enters the small intestine in a liquefied alkaline state it falls into the crypts of the intestinal villi to be transformed into the new stem cells that will become the new erythroblast, and the new erythrocyte or red blood cell. These new cells are then taken up into blood circulation via the portal vein and the inferior vena cava to the heart for oxygenation and general circulation.
What I have described to you is the normal healthy alkaline process of the food you ingest and how it is alkalized (not digested) and how it becomes your new blood and eventually your new body cells. The process of food becoming blood and then body cells takes place in an alkaline environment - not in an acidic environment.
When the small intestine is clear of bacteria, yeast, mold, enzymes, probiotics, antibiotics and undigested food, then the normal healthy process of food transformation can take place creating healthy strong stem cells that will then become healthy strong red blood cells and eventually healthy strong body cells.
Taking enzymes, probiotics and antibiotics disrupts this normal healthy alkaline process of creating stem cells and then red blood cells in the small intestine which then leads to ALL sickness and disease. This is also the cause of all anemic conditions of the blood. This is why I no longer use or recommend the use of supplemental probiotics and/or digestive enzymes. And, most important why I never recommend the ingestion of ANY antibiotics. They destroy the alkaline design of the body, beginning with the most important system of body - the alkaline buffering system.
One last thing to remember. When you eat raw foods you eat them for their electrical energy potential not for their enzyme potential. The enzymes in raw foods are released when you break their cellular membranes with your teeth. All enzymes are poisonous acidic waste products of cellular breakdown that are buffered in the mouth, stomach, duodenum and small intestine by sodium bicarbonate. The reason you should eat liberal amounts of organic raw electron-rich alkaline foods is for their electron-rich alkaline properties - not for their toxic acidic enzymes.
Finally, the answer to your question - Is it harmful to take a tablespoon of enzymes with a quart of alkalizing greens, and do enzymes have a beneficial effect for the body? The answer to your question is absolutely yes - enzymes are harmful to the body. Enzymes should not be ingested with alkalizing greens. Enzymes destroy the alkalizing effect of the greens. And second, enzymes should only to be used with a client or patient with extreme bowel constipation and for a very short period of time.
I prefer to have my clients use mineral salts such as magnesium carbonate and/or magnesium oxide to break-up the undigested proteins in the 9 yards of the small intestine. You can also drink whole leaf cold-pressed aloe vera juice, which can also be helpful in breaking up undigested food in the bowel. The best advise I can give you is to stay away from probiotics, antibiotics and enzymes and choose to alkalize your body with electron-rich alkaline foods and drinks. That is, if you want to live a life of health, energy and fitness, free from ALL sickness and disease?
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Follows a summary about 2 studies from the beginning of the last century showing that acid-fed rabbits and dogs may develop atherosclerotic lesions:
1) Experiments from Oswald Loeb, a well-known professor in pharmacology and scientist from the University of Gottingen - Germany, have demonstrated in study published in 1913, that lactic acid-fed rabbits and dogs have resulted in atherosclerotic lesions in these animals. The book “Arteriosclerosis and hypertension, with chapters on blood pressure" by Louis M Warfield, M. D. (Johns Hopkins), showed the following commentary about the experiments from Oswald Loeb:
“Oswald Loeb produced changes in the arteries of rabbits by feeding them sodium lactate (lactic acid). His controls fed on other acids became cachectic, but showed no arterial changes. He further found that in 100 gm. of human blood there was normally from 15 to 30 mg. of lactic acid. After heavy work, he found as much as 150 gm. He considers that after adrenalin or nicotin injections, the function of the liver is so disturbed that lactic acid is not bound. The arteriosclerosis is actually due to the presence of free lactic acid in the circulation. He succeeded, also, in producing lesions of the intima in a dog fed for a long time on protein poor diet, plus lactic acid and sodium lactate.”
2) I. Adler, M.D., from the Laboratories of the New York Board of Health, told in his paper entitled “Studies on Experimental Atherosclerosis” (4), published in 1913, that a casual remark by Dr. P. A. Levene have suggested the simple procedure of adding dilute hydrochloric acid to the dog's food and thus producing a chronic hyperacidity.
This led Adler to include acid-fed dogs in his experiments. He told in his paper that though only two dogs have thus far been fed with hydrochloric acid, presenting sclerotic affections, the possibility can not be denied, especially in view of the numerous negative results with other methods, that these positive results are not mere coincidences, but are probably due to the hydrochloric acid.
Referring at the end of his paper about the acid-fed dogs presenting atherosclerotic lesions he stated “that the work is being continued, and definite conclusions would at this stage be premature; but perhaps it may be permitted, even now, to venture the statement that in all probability the theory which bases atherosclerosis on a purely mechanical etiology will not prove tenable.
Whether mechanical factors come into play at all, and if so, to what extent, remains to be seen. It seems almost certain, at least in our present state of knowledge, influences, subject possibly to more or less nerve control, are dominant factors in the etiology of atherosclerosis. Perhaps it may be discovered also that cholesterin and its various modifications and combinations, while undoubtedly an element of importance in atherosclerosis of the rabbit and human beings, may not be the sole predominant etiological factor.“.
He finished telling that “If it should turn out that so simple a procedure as adding a certain proportion of hydrochloric acid to the food of dogs is sufficient to produce lesions of the blood vessels closely analogous, if not wholly identical with human atherosclerosis, a revision of our present theories will become necessary“.
1. Carlos ETB Monteiro, Acidic environment evoked by chronic stress: A novel mechanism to explain atherogenesis. Available from Infarct Combat Project, January 28, 2008 at http://www.infarctcombat.org/AcidityTheory.pdf
2. Loeb, O., Ueber experimentelle Arterienveraender ungen mit besonderer Beruecksichtigung der Wirkung der Milchsaeure auf Grund eigener Versuche, Deutsch. med. Wchnschr., 1913, xxxix, I819
Dandruff is a common scalp ailment that people in their twenties and thirties suffer from. It is caused from a fungal infection that causes the scalp to excessively shed dry skin. Common symptoms include skin flakes on the head and shoulders as well as incessant itchiness, dryness and scaly growth on the skin. The scaly growth can become chronic and hard to get rid of.
While mostly young adult disease, dandruff can be found in all age groups. Suffering from hair dandruff can be extremely embarrassing for people, especially those who like to where dark blue or black shirts. While it may be embarrassing, dandruff hair is not really a harmful ailment and, despite the common urban myths floating around, dandruff has never been scientifically linked to hair loss.
Malassezia FurFur is the fungi that is mostly responsible for dandruff hair, being fun in bigger numbers on the scalps of dandruff numbers the those who are lucky enough to remain flake free. Dandruff is not really considered a disease but merely a term to describe the excessive shedding of dead skin that fan pile on a persons shoulders like snow on a mountain peak.
Causes for the onset of dandruff include hormonal imbalances that occur after the onset of puberty, allergies to hair care products, as well as not properly maintaining your hair and scalp with good hygiene practices. If dandruff gets extreme, it can morph into the condition known as psoriasis.
The best way to defeat dandruff is to take proper care of your hair and scalp. Salicylic acid is the ingredient found in most anti-dandruff shampoos and works quite well, but some more natural remedies include henna, Indian gooseberry, and alma paste While shampoos and soaps with large amounts of chemically concocted anti bacterial agents will probably kill off the dandruff causing fungus, it is better utilize herbal and organic products to help control it.
If you have hair dandruff, it is advisable to stay away from scalp damaging practices such as bleaching, dyeing, chemical treatments or using hair styling tools that heat up. Scratching your head will only provide temporary relief and help spread the infection as will sharing your hair tools with others. Dyes and gels containing irritants should also be avoided.
Changing your diet may be one of the best ways to fight off dandruff hair. Drinking plenty of water and eating more fresh fruits and vegetables will help balance your ph and keep your hormones in check. Staying properly moisturized will also help reduce the amount of dry skin flakes.
The Guardian November 12, 2010
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