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Natural Health News
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Vol. 1, No. 47 * * * July 2010
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Weaving Through the Health Mine Field
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Message from Bernadette Wulf
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Greetings!
Wow! I was wondering if I would get this newsletter out in time. I
was banned from my house for a few days due to a termite infestation
that had to be addressed with the aid of a big tent full of deadly gas.
That in itself was quite an education, but apparently the stuff they
use now doesn't leave any residue. I hate to think of where all that
gas goes when they take the tent off, though! Fortunately, I have my
trusty laptop, and I can get online through the neighbor's wireless
connection where I'm staying. Yay!
I hope I'm not getting paranoid, but I read so many health articles
that I'm starting to feel like finding healthy options is like walking
through a mine field. The air is full of microwaves (even the
neighbor's wireless that I'm now enjoying) and thousands of chemicals.
Likewise the water and food we consume. Even if we eat all organic food
from our own gardens, we will be exposed to hundreds of toxins from
other sources. They are even finding toxic chemicals in newborn babies!
This is where I have to keep remembering that my mind is the single
most powerful factor in health. While it is good to know about the bad
stuff out there so we can avoid it, we also have to keep our focus on
feeling good and enjoying life. It really is mostly good!
And while we are at it, good health in the modern world also
requires that we give our bodies the opportunity to detox at frequent
intervals. A few days of fresh raw juices or green smoothies. Lots of
antioxidant-containing vegetables and fruits. Fresh air, sunshine,
exercise, and the occasional colon cleanse, milk thistle liver cleanse,
and any other sort of cleanse you feel drawn to try. Walking barefoot
on wet grass or sand. All these things will help balance the down side
of all our modern conveniences and technologies.
And while you're at it, sit up straight! It's good for your brain.
To Your Health!
Bernadette Wulf
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Visit My Website HealItAll.com
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Why did the Russians Ban Microwaves?
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The Russians have banned an appliance found in 90% of American
homes? Do they know something we don't know? Are we being mislead by
our own government and microwave manufacturers?
Dr. Mercola has this to say, "So now, more than ever, you must be
careful to maximize the “bang for your buck” when it comes to the foods
you eat.
Research shows that your microwave oven will NOT help you in these
efforts—and in fact will threaten your health by violently ripping the
molecules in your food apart, rendering some nutrients inert, at best,
and carcinogenic at its worst."
From destroying cell structure and nutritional value of foods, to
leaking radiation that affects the heart, the microwave oven is a
pretty destructive appliance. Not a good trade off for the questionable
convenience of having fast food in your own kitchen - as if it isn't
bad enough to have fast food joints popping up all around us.
Here's a thought. Maybe food was never meant to be fast. Maybe we
enjoy it more and get more value from it when we take the time to relax
and appreciate all the aspects of food preparation. And if we really
want it fast, why not eat an apple or a handful of raw nuts. That is
the kind of fast food nature created to keep us happy and healthy!
Read Dr. Mercola's excellent and informative article to find out
why you should think twice before zapping your food in a microwave.
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Read Microwave Article
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Lemon Grass Fights Headaches & Blood Clots
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What's better and far safer than an aspirin a day to prevent
strokes from blood clots? What can relieve headaches without damaging
stomach lining or liver function? You guessed it - lemon grass. Okay,
you probably didn't guess that. I had never heard about it before and
I'm constantly reading this sort of stuff.
From sciencealert.com - "Headaches and migraines cause abnormal
activities in our bodies, such as altering our serotonin levels and
interfering with the normal function of our blood platelets," Dr Grice
said.
"Platelets clump together for wound repair, but they can also form
life-threatening internal clots starving the brain of oxygen and
causing strokes.
"'We tested extracts of the plant on human blood platelets and one fraction showed strong biological activity.
"'It was caused by the compound eugenol in the native lemon grass
plant, which is a significant find as the compound showed similar
activity to aspirin.'"
Unfortunately, the article doesn't say how much lemon grass should
be used to get an effective amount of eugenol, so you'll have to
experiment next time you have a headache. I would start with a cup of
strong lemongrass tea. If that didn't work, I would try a few cups. If
it still didn't work, I'd try making a tincture out of it by blending
it with a strong alcohol like vodka and then straining off the fiber,
just like you would make any herbal tincture. A dropper full or two
might just do the trick.
I like to experiment, so I'll give it a try one of these days. Let me know if you try it.
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Read Lemongrass Article
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Misconceptions about Omega 6 Fatty Acids
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If you read much health-related information these days, you may
have noticed that Omega 3 fatty acids are recommended many times more
often than Omega 6 fatty acids. It's always the same push for fish oil,
salmon, cold water fish, and flax oil to give you enough Omega 3 fatty
acids, but in fact, we actually need three times more of the Omega 6
fatty acids!
Though most people eat lots of fat and oil (often too much), it is
usually poor quality, cooked oil in which the necessary nutrients have
been destroyed. Ideally, fats and oils should never be cooked, because
heating oils creates free radicals. If you eat out a lot, or eat
packaged foods, there is not much you can do to avoid these damaged
oils, so make sure you are also getting plenty of antioxidants to help
clear out the free radicals.
When you prepare your own food, make sure you get plenty of fresh,
high quality fats from raw seeds like pumpkin, hemp, flax, chia,
sunflower, and walnuts. Soak them overnight and toss them into
breakfast cereal, salads, sandwiches, or other dishes. They taste good
and provide a nice texture - though flax and chia get quite slimy if
you soak them.
Both hemp seeds and chia seeds are said to have the perfect balance
of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. You can actually make a pretty good
healthy "milkshake" by combining them in a blender with some water and
flavorings like fruit, raw cacao powder, vanilla, raw honey, maple
syrup, raw carob powder, coffee, or whatever suits your fancy. Again, I
like to experiment, so I try all sorts of concoctions!
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Read Omega 6 Article
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What Everybody Ought to Know About Bad Cholesterol
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Guest Article by Alana D. Richardson-
One great way to lower one’s cholesterol is through a reliable
exercise routine. If you want to get really good results, you need to
engage in daily exercise. Daily exercise, however, can be difficult for
people who juggle a lot of roles in life. Then again, regular exercise
is still possible if you have tried and tested tips to get you to fit
it in your life.
a. Starting the Routine - If it has been a while since you have
exercised, start slow. Don't leap into an intense schedule all at once.
You will want to work yourself up to a five times a week. If you start
an exercise program too quickly, you can end up burnt out and even in
pain. The best thing to do is talk to your doctor about any health
problems that you have, and what type of exercise program will be right
for your personal condition. Think about working out like another
appointment you would have. Schedule times like you would a doctor's
appointment or a trip to the dentist. Also, schedule different
activities and exercises for yourself during the week, so that you
don't get bored with repetition.
b. What Else Counts? - You can even include your daily chores as a
form of exercise – provided they pump up your heart rate and get you on
your toes. You can pep up your exercise routine with household chores
such as car washing, garden raking and floor vacuuming. Always be aware
of performing exercises in different and unique ways that count. As an
exercise opportunity, you could try taking the stairs rather than the
elevator because it is a great form of exercise. Climbing the stairs
does a lot to strengthen one’s heart and to build up those leg muscles.
Another great exercise is to take the longest routes to take as you go
about your activities. Rather than taking the car, you should wear your
running shoes to simply walk your errands. Lowering cholesterol and
losing weight are two results you get from walking. Also, it helps to
park your car further from the store as well as other destinations.
c. Having Time - Busy people, on the other hand, have a hard time
fitting 30-60 minutes worth of exercise into their schedules. What
works better is to break up your routine into ten to fifteen minute
intervals and still get the same results. A lot of studies show that
this is a very good way for you to exercise. As you can see, exercise
can be fun while it lowers cholesterol and strengthens your heart at
the same time. For amazing results, combine weight loss, emotional
well-being and strengthening.
About the Author - Alana D. Richardson is the author of the
MediterraneanBook blog focused on the preservation of the Italian
healthy eating traditions to inform people on heart diseases and
unhealthy eating habits.
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Visit Alana's Blog
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The Cell Phone Story - Behind the Headlines
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I don't know about you, but I've been reading a lot of negative
information about cell phones for the past few years. Then all of a
sudden it seems to get whitewashed and everyone forgets about it. What
is really going on?
Ann Louise Gittleman sheds some light on the issue in her recent
blog - "Part of the problem with this study is that some of the
scientists have been funded by the cell phone industry—with a vested
interest in finding no risk factors. Interphone also omitted those who
are most highly exposed—like rural mobile phone users who get more
radiation as their phones try to reach distant antennas."
The moral of this story is: Don't believe everything you DON'T
hear! Just because we are not getting all the information about how
dangerous cell phones are, doesn't mean it is safe to walk around with
your phone plastered to your ear all day. I personally don't want to be
a guinea pig in the cell phone experiment. I use my speaker phone 99%
of the time, and I never carry my phone close to my body.
I know this is rough for you guys out there who are too macho to
carry a purse, but maybe it's about time to invent a macho version of
the hand bag. Either that or turn the phones off when you have to carry
them in your pockets.
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Read Cell Phone Article
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BPA in Canned Foods Linked to Leaky Gut
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Geesh! If it's not one thing it is another. Seems like the modern
world is becoming a health-seeker's mine field. I've never really
thought canned foods were all that good for anyone in the first place,
but most people resort to them for the sake of convenience at least
once in awhile. After all, who wants to spend all day making tomato
sauce from scratch, just so they can have spaghetti for dinner? (And
who knew it had an "h" in it?)
But now it turns out that most canned foods have the dreaded BPA in
them! One more thing to chalk off the list of things we can eat and
stay healthy. On the good side, we can still trust Eden brand organic
canned beans, and by the way, beans are one of the few foods that are
nutritionally similar whether canned or cooked fresh. For spaghetti
sauce and other canned foods, stick with glass jars!
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Read BPA Article
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Herbal Tinctures for Natural Hemorrhoid Relief
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Nobody really likes to talk about hemorrhoids... or at least nobody
I like to hang out with. They are not a pleasant subject, but sometimes
we just have to tackle the unpleasant issues. Hemorrhoids - they even
have a weird spelling. Bottom line (no pun intended), if you got 'em,
you probably want to know how to get rid of them.
According to this Natural News article - "After many years in
practice and making preparations of hemorrhoid home treatments for
clients, the author would like to share her formula which is guaranteed
to reduce pain and itching from thrombosed external hemorrhoids as well
as other less painful hemorrhoids." Sounds promising.
But before you go to the article, I was also reading recently that
hemorrhoids and varicose veins are caused by liver congestion. Of
course the usual explanations of constipation and childbirth also
apply, but I thought the liver congestion information was very
interesting on a deeper level, i.e. why the constipation in the first
place?
I didn't put that image of the thistle up there to make your
hemorrhoids retract out of sheer fear at the idea of sitting on it. The
connection is with milk thistle, which is probably the best known liver
cleanser and rebuilder. So, in addition to the remedies offered in the
Natural News article, do take milk thistle tincture or capsules
according to package directions. That way you will be treating the
cause as well as the symptoms.
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Read Hemorrhoid Article
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Common Brain Poisons and How to Avoid Them!
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Here's a paragraph that made me sit up straight!
(NaturalNews) "The brain and neurological tissue are extremely
sensitive regions of the body that are highly susceptible to
environmental damage. To make matters worse, our culture is loaded with
brain poison. Some of the most damaging brain poisons include protein
gluten, unfermented soy, blood sugar imbalances, poor posture, & a
sedentary lifestyle."
I have to admit that my posture was extremely poor before I read
that. I was hunched over my laptop and my shoulders were getting pretty
stiff. Little did I know I was also poisoning my brain by depriving it
of oxygen!!
Then there's the whole issue of gluten. I don't seem to be terribly
allergic to it like some people are, but I can tell it isn't really
good for me. I always feel better when I stay away from it, but it is
so hard to avoid, since it is hidden in so many sauces and packaged
foods. That is another good reason to make your own food from scratch.
Then you know exactly what is in it.
But back to gluten sensitivity. According to this article, up to
81% of the population has a gluten allergy. What the heck is going on?
Gluten is in bread, which has been called the staff of life up until
recently. Is it possible that millions of people have been poisoning
their brains for thousands of years with WHEAT? Somehow that just
doesn't make sense. So what is it that is causing these allergic
reactions?
I was reading recently that the reason so many people now have
gluten sensitivity is due to parasites and leaky gut syndrome (back to
the canned food issue). Maybe we are getting somewhere, because what do
parasites love most of all? Sugar! Could it be that the insane amount
of sugar people are now eating is contributing to the growth of
parasites which cause leaky gut and therefore a gluten intolerance
problem?
Or, what about the hybridization and genetic modification of wheat?
Have we messed with the original grain to the point where it now
destroys health instead of supporting it? And then there is the rising
consumption of meat and animal products and the falling consumption of
fiber, which is another recipe for increased parasite infestation.
I've expounded on the dangers of unfermented soy often enough that
I hope you will be avoiding that already. And we all know how important
regular exercise is for all our body functions. So we come back, as
usual, to the same old advice your mother probably gave you - "eat your
vegetables and sit up straight!!"
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Read About Brain Poisons
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To read past issues of HealItAll.com Newsletter go to
http://healitall.com/newsletterarchives.html
Bernadette Wulf is a Naturopath, EFT therapist, Health and
Nutrition Coach, and Reiki Master with a world-wide practice via phone
and Internet.
Visit http://healitall.com for more information.
For Health & Wellness Coaching contact Bernadette Wulf at wulfartist@yahoo.com
707-824-0675
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