Archive for July, 2008

Natural Preventive Medicine

July 25, 2008 · Filed under Preventive Medicine · Tagged

There are so many voices telling us what is good and what isn’t good for us that it can drive you crazy.
We are told one-week coffee has beneficial properties, the next week someone is crying coffee is the devils child!
Enough already with so called experts telling us how to live our lives. These experts are usually money motivated and have a vested interest in a certain product, organization, institution or company. It is a rare event when someone isn’t selling a book or promoting a business and truly has something to say concerning our health. It is a sad commentary but a lot of people only care about their good fortune.

I recently read an article published in the AMA (American Medical Association) concerning preventive medicine written by a doctor who specialized in that field of medicine. BORING! The same old stuff thrown against a wall in hope something would stick. If I sound a trifle upset at our medical industry, I am, our medical industry does little to enhance our good health. Their answer to preventive medicine is to prescribe more and more pills!

Natural Preventive Medicine Basics

Let us cut through the nonsensical and get to basic common sense. Let’s forget what others are telling us to do. We know instinctively what is good for what isn’t and us. The problem isn’t the knowing it is the doing. How many times have you made a New Year’s resolution with great expectations only to see your hopes fall by the way side? Your plans were dashed because you failed to follow through. You know what is good and right so stand fast and follow through with your efforts.

Here are some plain and simple things that I have implemented in my life with great success. Please understand I’m not telling you or suggesting these will all work for you, what I am saying is that they have worked for me and they are a list of common sense practices.

1. Don’t smoke anything.

2. Drink alcohol beverages sparingly. (I drink NO alcohol)

3. Drink few or no soft drinks. They are loaded with sugar. (I drink no soft drinks)

4. Don’t eat meat that has been cooked well done. Red meat, poultry, fish, naturally contains amino acids, sugars, and a protein called creatinine. Cooking, especially under high temperatures, converts these compounds into heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which have been linked to cancer in animal and human studies.

5. Don’t fry your food. Frying food can cause the production Acrylamide that is a neurotoxin of which has been linked to cancer.

6. Limit your intake of carbohydrates to fruits and vegetables that are loaded with enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

7. Meat is rich in nutrients and when eaten non fried and not well done it is good source of protein,
iron and zinc and contributes significant amounts of vitamins. Buy hormone free meat when available.

8. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

9. Avoid sugar at all costs. Read labels and ingredients before you buy, you may be surprised how much sugar a product contains.

10. Eat three meals day and limit snacks to nutrious foods such as nuts, fruit, and veggies, non-fried snacks that contain salt and low fat ice cream.

11. Exercise naturally by walking, running, climbing, playing sports, and working and just having fun.

12. Drink clean cold natural water free of man made additives. I drink only decaffeinated coffee, tea, and only drink fruit drinks with no added sugar.

13. I absolutely refuse to take any prescription drug.

14. I supplement with all natural health products.

15. I make sure I get a minimum of 30 minutes of unfiltered direct sunlight, every day. (no sunblock)

16. Try in earnest to avoid processed foods containing dyes, preservatives, and additives.

17. Try your best to get a sound 8 to 9 hours of sleep overnight. (This is a tough one but wow what a difference.)

18. Avoid people who have colds and who have a contagious illness.

19. Wash hands frequently with an antibiotic soap.

20. Laughter is good for the soul and body.

21. Stop watching the nightly news which is loaded with negativism and pessimism. Fill yourself up with hope, optimism and set goals for yourself, fill your life up with enthusiasm.

22. Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity kills!

23. Live life in moderation, too much of anything probably isn’t good.

24. Love the creator of all life and place your life in his hands.

Well there you have it my very own testimonial on what has kept me healthy all these years. I’m not a doctor just an extraordinary (everyone is extraordinary) citizen with a whole lot of common sense. If we all could learn to listen to inner being, logic and common sense might prevail. I sure hope you discover your very own natural preventive medicine plan and when you do you see it through. Life is short so why not live healthy? I am!
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How Can I Control Stress?

July 9, 2008 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Stress is a major contributor to many maladies that inflict us humans. Day after day we drudge on worrying about every imaginable thing some so trivial that it’s just plain stupid.

Humans are the only earthly animal that has such a problem.(as far as we know!) Other animals go about go about their business undaunted of stressful situations. We are seemingly addicted to stress. Stress has literally taken over our lives. It is as if we fuel our bodies on a daily basis with stress. Seems ridiculous doesn’t it, but you know exactly what I’m talking about, we thrive on everyday stress. Well if we thrive on it why eliminate it; what’s the point? The point is stress is a killer, it’s out to get you, throw you to the ground and stomp all over you.

Stress is a killer

Talk to any doctor and they will tell you unequivocally that stress damages the body immeasurably in countless ways. Stress is the silent killer that infiltrates and then does it’s damage overtime. Okay you know you are stressful and you don’t like it one bit but how in the world can we eliminate something that is so much of our life? You don’t eliminate stress you control stress. A certain amount of stress is actually good for you, it produces a sense of urgency, a motivation, a driving force. Stress can be compared to an adrenaline rush in as much they both create a burst of energy a sense of urgency. The trick is to harness stress so it works for you not against you.

What is Stress?

Stress is negative energy (worry), bottled up inside with no where to go. Most stress is self-induced. We are a fast paced society, continually trying to go faster. For example, if a speed limit is set at 55-mph invariably most drivers will push the limit and go at least 10-mph faster. It is our nature to push the limit. We are driven to exceed, succeed, and proceed. Unfortunately stress is a part of our everyday lives so we need to deal with it.

Controlling Stress

People make things more difficult then need be. Life needn’t be complicated. Simple is better. Uncomplicate your life. Set a rule of priorities for your day to day life. Make these priorities realistic, simple, uncomplicated. Know your limitations don’t over extend abilities.

Here are some things that can help you reduce stress.

1.Start your day earlier then you normally would. Allow yourself plenty of time to get ready for work.
2.Eat a sensible breakfast allowing enough time to actually relax and enjoy breakfast.
3.Don’t watch the doom and gloom news while eating breakfast start the day on a positive note.
4.Allow a lot of time to comfortably get to work and if your driving listen to some good music and drive within the speed limit.
5.Limit your caffeine intake to one cup of coffee in the morning and 3 cups total for the day.
6.Avoid refined sugar foods such as doughnuts, processed cereals, pop tarts etc.
7.Don’t drink any soft drinks for are loaded with sugar.
8.Stop with all the competition with co-workers do your job to the best of your ability and good things will happen.
9.Be happy for others who succeed in their endeavors.
10.Drink plenty of clean unpolluted spring water. Water naturally detoxifies the body.
11.If possible take a short nap. I personally nap half an hour after my half-hour lunch.
12.Set realistic goals. Too many people try to accomplish too much too quickly. Most good things worth striving for require a lot of nurturing.
13.Stop worrying about things that are out of your control. 90% of everyday concerns are about stuff you can’t do a wit to change.
14.If a particularly stressful moment or situation occurs take a deep breath (or many) reflect on a pleasant memory and then proceed slowly, deliberately, maintaining control.
15.Set time aside everyday for ‘family talk’ where family members can express their thoughts, problems and communicate one to another. This is a solid ’stress buster’.
16.Eat nutrious foods high in vitamins and minerals low in calories. Good food delivers optimum health thus reducing stress.
17.Live within your means don’t buy things you know you can’t afford.
18.Only use credit cards for emergencies and plan on paying dept in full each month.
19.Don’t try to keep up with what others have, (I.e. neighbors, family, and friends.) be happy for them, don’t resent what they have.
20.Ground your life in faith, family, and friends. Express your love for the important people in your life openly, let them know how you feel about them without any expectations.
21.Laugh often, smile alot.
22.Exercise moderately at least 3 times a week.
23.Sleep a sound 8 hours every night this alone will reduce stress dramatically.
24.Finally accept the fact that life is unpredictable and we all will be thrown a curve ball now and then that may flatten us for a time. Find solace in your faith and know that things will get better and always think highly of yourself.

Stress can be controlled however you must take it seriously and make a plan of action. The silent killer is lurking just below the surface and it wants to destroy you. Are you up for the challenge?

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Tart Cherries-Super Food

July 2, 2008 · Filed under healthy food · Tagged , ,

Strong evidence from research studies indicates that tart cherries may help in pain relief, fight against certain cancers and have neuro protection capabilities.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltimore Md. discovered that anthocyanins in tart cherries provided a significant reduction of painful inflammation. Scientists believe this is possible because anthocyanins are able to counteract stress brought on by an inflammatory attack.

Anthocyanins occur in all higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, and fruits. Anthocyanins are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that may appear, red, purple, or blue depending to pH.

Tart cherries regardless how they are consumed either fresh, canned, frozen or juices are very rich in nutrients particularly in powerful flavonoids. Flavonoids are widely distributed in plants fulfilling many functions including producing yellow or red/blue pigmentation in flowers and vegetables. Consumers and food manufacturers have become interested in flavonoids for their medicinal properties, especially their potential role in the prevention of cancers and cardiovascular disease. Raspberries, blue berries, black berries, purple plums, red grape, oranges, choke berry, blackberry, blackcurrant, redcurrant, red wine are all rich in anthocyanins.

Another possible benefit of tart cherries is that they may help reduce muscle pain. Men who added tart cherry juice into their diet who also exercised vigorously reported a reduction in muscle pain. This indicates a decreasing amount of muscle damage normally found after a hard workout.

Additionally tart cherries hold much promise in reducing the risk of colon and breast cancers. Scientists have suggested through studies that anthocyanins found in tart cherries and other fruits and vegetable rich in flavonids actually stop the growth of cancer cells by depriving them of proteins needed for their development. Studies indicate that tart cherries diminish the growth of 2 human cancer cells lines.

Remarkably tart cherries are also rich in melatonin which is a chemical released in the body by the pineal gland and helps regulate the sleep-wake cycle.

Also, cherries offer protection against gout a painful condition when sharp urate crystals accumulate in the joints. Studies show that women who ate Bing cherries had a significant reduction in their serum urate levels.

Tart cherries are delicious and can be eaten as is or added to a salad. Cherries can be canned, dried, or juiced. Cherries make great pies, tarts or crushed as an ingredient in cakes. Also cherries can made into smoothies with ice and a blender. Personally I like eating them right off the tree.

As with all fruits and vegetables organic is always best and be very sure to thoroughly wash with clean cold water before eating.

Tart cherries are a wonderful way to help your immune system stay strong and at the same time enjoy God’s bounty by eating this wonderful tasting fruit. Enjoy!

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