Can Anyone Ever Remember When It Felt

Like You Could Trust The News?

I may be dating myself but when Walter Cronkite died it caused me to wonder what ever happened to the news and when did it just start to become a blend of marketing and brainwashing?

The latest news report on organic foods is a great example of filling space without checking any facts but the ones you like.

A new study that promises it’s “the most extensive systematic review of the available published literature on nutrient content of organic food ever conducted” has turned out to be less information than what you could easily Google on your own, and not as factual.

Called “Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review” it was prepared by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Britain’s national school of public health) and examined thirteen different nutrients.  They reported no difference between organic produce and conventional produce despite finding higher levels of three nutrients in organic and none higher in conventional.

The London School based most of its findings on studies from the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s and ignored fifteen studies to the contrary published after 2008.

I’m providing a link at the end of this article for all the facts on the study and a review by The Organic Center or TOC.  Please read it and get the facts.

Now that I’ve said that I want to get down to what really tees me off about this whole thing and that’s the fact that it is really meant to divert your attention from what’s really important about the food you eat and our food supply—the fact that it’s poisoned with pesticides, irradiated and genetically modified.

More Important Than Quality?

I’m not saying that the nutritional quality of food isn’t extremely important but the fact is that it’s not as important as whether your being poisoned when you eat, or that the food is altered beyond use by your body, or that eating it may shut off 400 or so genes you have that affect your health.

I’m not exaggerating folks because that’s exactly what’s happening when you regularly consume the stuff. By stuff, I mean about 70% of all the food that’s sold in America.

The kicker—eating the stuff actually raises your requirements for nutrients!

Pesticides

I first started eating organic food back in the 80’s after chewing on some celery and having my mouth go numb for about an hour.  It didn’t take a study for me to realize that wasn’t right and I made the switch.

Since that time I have probably kept my organic intake at about 90% of all my food and with kids and traveling that’s doing quite well.

Avoiding pesticides was my main concern at first but as time goes by things have really gotten weird.  But first the pesticides…..

It doesn’t take a scientific paper to convince me that if something kills bugs and weeds it probably isn’t something I want to eat.  Numerous pesticides have been declared “carcinogenic” (cause cancer) and most would fit the description but of course testing isn’t required!

Yes, I know that’s hard to believe, but you only have to test after numerous things happen like animal deformity and infertility, or maybe death.

Let’s keep it simple.

Pesticides are toxic chemicals that cause cellular damage.

Here is a link of some of the foods most loaded with pesticides.

Make sure you buy organic.

In humans it’s another word for inflammation, which has been associated with diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, ALS, heart disease and every other chronic debilitating disease.

Pesticides often kill bugs by disrupting their ability to utilize acetycholine.   Hmmm….isn’t that a problem with Alzheimer’s?  ah….let’s not go there.

Twenty years ago I would read articles about eliminating pesticides from your diet.  Now the articles all say how to limit your intake to 2 per day.

It’s everywhere!

You think that doesn’t include you?

The EPA recently conducted random studies checking people for 150 known environmental toxins and found an average of 108 in each person.  They admitted they could easily check for another 200 that everyone probably has.  Blood samples taken from umbilical cords immediately after birth in 8 different countries showed an average of 200 toxic chemicals present.

Ever wonder why so many people are sick?

He, She, It?

If that’s not enough to convince you then maybe this will.

Pesticides are notorious for being endocrine disruptors, meaning they mimic hormones used by the body and disrupt the natural balance of hormones.  Since most pesticides mimic estrogen this means the body carries an extra burden of it and has trouble clearing it out.

Normally the job of your liver, it becomes compromised with age, diet, alcohol and drug use, to the point where both men and women have an estrogen imbalance.

It doesn’t take a lot to figure out how this could be influencing the soaring rates of breast and cervical cancer, but men aren’t getting off easy either.

As men age they have a tendency to lose testosterone and gain estrogen.  It’s not that they lose it so much but the lose access to it.

Seems the body produces an enzyme that interferes with your ability to get access to your free testosterone, the stuff you can feel, and with estrogen going up you might feel, um, different.

Eating more veggies can help, so can lowering your alcohol consumption and avoiding pesticides is a plus.

If your over fifty and NASCAR is looking like less fun than knitting you might want to get a blood panel done.  Please—pass on the pesticides!

Irradiated Food

This is a biggie. How do you take something that is lacking in nutrients and overall quality and make it even worse?

Easy, irradiate it.

This is a great example of how to not fix a problem and instead cover it up. Irradiation has been hailed as this great innovation for preserving food when actually it’s just a way to cover up poor sanitation and make bigger profits.

Why make sure you practice good, clean manufacturing when you can just zap it and kill the mold and bacteria? Studies show that Vitamins B, C, E and Niacin are all reduced by 5-95% by irradiation.

Irradiation is just another practice that has been dumped on the general public without adequate safety studies. In fact a 1982 FDA Internal Task Force memo concluded that only 5 of 409 studies on irradiating food showed it to be safe for human consumption. 

Well, I’m a human and I find this rather appalling.

Irradiation has been shown to increase the amount of carcinogenic substances in food—like we need more to begin with.  Estimates run at about 75% of all packaged food contain irradiated ingredients.

Organic food has 0%—none! Please—pass on irradiation.

Say NO to GMO’s    (Genetically Modified Organisms)

Organism’s—what a weird name for food.  Maybe it’s appropriate for GMO’s because nothing is weirder than that.

Say you buy some nuts and they have a fish gene spliced into them. The chips you bought have corn that has pesticides spliced right into the makeup of the plant so it saves on spraying.

Come on folks, it’s supposed to be food.  You know, grown by Mother Nature, builds strong bones and bodies.

I think I hate this one more than anything. That you can’t be sure of what’s in your food even when there is only one ingredient. 

We’re not fooling with Mother Nature here, we have her by the throat with both hands!

Recent studies cited by the Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM), an international association of physicians and health professionals dedicated to the clinical aspect of environmental health, showed that GMO’s posed a threat to the health of various internal organs.  Seems like it can change the liver, kidneys, spleen, and digestive system—just about every organ that plays a part in filtering toxins.

A recent study showed that GMO food fed to rats caused over 400 genes to go haywire—express themselves in a way that is detrimental to the host.  I wouldn’t wish that rat let alone a fellow human.

The studies showed a serious risk in areas of infertility, immune function, accelerated aging, insulin regulation and protein formation. In a nutshell this basically means that if you have a chronic condition now it can make it much worse and if you don’t it could play a role in helping you get one.

How prevalent is it?

Up to 45% of all U.S. corn, 85% of all soybeans, and about 75% of all packaged food on the grocery shelf.

Guess what?

If animals eat it then your eating it in your meat too! Organic food doesn’t have it.

Please —pass on GMO’s.

Now that I got that off my chest I feel better.

Please join me in boycotting pesticides, irradiated food and GMO’s.

There are plenty of other ways to become sick or injured without voluntarily doing it to ourself. It’s not that hard once you get used to it you’ll probably drop a few pounds since most snack food has all three!

Eat well and enjoy life!

Here is the link that I referred to earlier.

http://www.organic-center.org/science.nutri.php?action=view&report_id=157

Let me know what you think by posting your comments below.

Blessings,

Roger

Spring is winding down, summer is nearly here, and it’s time a radical shift in the way we look at food.

So much talk about nutrition focuses on specific nutrients and products that we often forget that the basis of any good health program is simply the how, what, why and where of the food we eat.

Seasonally it’s a time of transition and a great time to become more conscious about the source of our calories.

Fresh-Real Food

Spring always excites me because it signals the start of fresher greens showing up at the market. Warmer weather in Ohio is way behind the same in California and things just start looking better this time of year.

I do have access to organic food here but it’s in limited supply and the cost is always higher during the winter months. Now I’m into the advantages of locally grown food, but not to the point of starving waiting for it to show up.

I’m referring to real food here folks. The stuff that comes out of the ground and not a box or can. The stuff that will actually keep you alive and not just takes up some intestinal space. The problem with the Standard American Diet (SAD-don’t you love it) is not one of calories, but content.

There is so much talk in the news about obesity and exercise but the reality is that most obesity is related to the type and amount of calories consumed.

Soda Pop is Not a Food!

The fact is that most of the calories people consume is not really food. A large portion of our calories come from foodstuffs—things made out of some food like ingredients mix with a lot of chemicals that are highly addictive and over time—highly poisonous.

It’s the truth.  The number one source of calories in America is soda pop  (it replaced white bread).  Soda pop is not a food.

If you’re eating a lot of prepackaged food then it’s easy to over consume a lot of empty, fattening calories. The problem with most diets is that people just consume less of the food they normally eat.

That works, and you can lose weight that way, but you aren’t that much healthier because you’re still not eating well. Then when you get tired of the calorie restriction it’s easy to just put all the weight back on.

The key to good health is eating well and it’s the perfect time of the year to start.

Eating with the season—Spring

Chinese medicine breaks the year up into 5 seasons: Spring/Liver-Gallbladder, Summer/Heart-Small Intestine, Late Summer/Spleen-Stomach, Autumn/Lungs-Pericardium, and Winter/Kidney-Bladder. By paying attention to eating seasonal food you can easily have a diet that is best suited for the organ system associated with that time of the year. Let’s look at spring.

Spring is the time of regeneration and fresh greens are the first foods to come back. Transitioning to lighter foods is especially important in the spring because springtime is Liver time.

Liver energy is all about processing food and emotions, and it’s hard to do after a winter of heavy condensed food and very little exercise.  Both lead to liver stagnation, which is your liver’s worst enemy.

Feeling frustrated, sluggish or unmotivated are all signs that your liver is suffering.

• (Large L ‘Liver’ denotes system, small l ‘liver’ denotes organ. In Chinese med.  Liver is part of a system that includes your nervous system, tendons, ligaments and eyes.)

The best way to change your Liver energy is through movement. Not just exercise though, but the movement of easy to digest food that gently detoxes the liver.

This is where all the fresh green food comes into play.  All green leafy foods cleanse the liver gently over time, are easy to digest and move through the colon at a much faster pace than the normal winter foods.

Sprouts are a great addition as are radishes.  The red ones we are used to seeing here in North America are just a milder version of daikon radish used in the macrobiotic diet to cleanse the body of excessive animal foods. Buy the spicy ones – they are best for liver cleansing and are a good lung food also.  Better yet, plant some.

Don’t stress out trying to find the perfect combination of foods. The most important thing is think fresh, raw and variety. All fresh foods are cleansing.

Simple Guidlines

Herbs are an added bonus for helping the liver do it’s job and now is a good time to focus on the liver. All liver formulas work better in the spring so you’ll maximize the effect at this time of the year, especially if you eat appropriately.

Spring Foods and Spices

Green onions, mustard greens, turmeric, bay leaf, basil, cumin, fennel, dill, ginger, rosemary, cardamom, lemon, lime, grapefruit, lettuce, radish, sprouts, apples, beets, cabbage, broccoli, turnips, cauliflower, asparagus, rhubarb, olive oil, barely grass, wheat grass, and brussels sprouts.

Avoid: cooked oils, greasy food, pork, excessive alcohol-liquor, ice cream, artificial ingredients, fast food

Western Herbs

Artichoke, milk thistle, dandelion root, Oregon grape root, and chamomile.

Chinese Herb

All Chinese herbs are best in formulas and not as single herbs. Any formula with bupleurum is a liver formula. It’s often used with peony root and angelica root, blood tonic, to move and nourish the liver.

Unless you’re familiar with Chinese herbs it’s best to see an herbalist as there are numerous bupleurum formulas depending on the specific health problem you may have.

The French Paradox

I mentioned in the video my recent working vacation to Switzerland and France.  Although I found a few things at the conference that I’ll share with you later, the best part of my trip was just rethinking my relationship with food.

When I travel I always eat as the locals do. I feel it’s important to understanding a different country and nothing will teach you more about an area than food. France has a special relationship to food, and eating there is quite an experience.

The restaurant meal I talked about took over 4 hours to complete.  It was just as much about the experience, the company, and the flavors as it was about the eating.  Most of my meals were simple fares of fresh veggies, goat chevre, olives, a few herbs and olive oil with crusty bread.

Total relaxation.

I think the key to the French paradox—the fact that they consume much more fat than Americans yet experience much less heart disease—is due as much to the relaxed way in which they eat as it is to wine consumption.

Meals are an experience.  Everything else stops and you enjoy what you have with the people you’re having it with.  Try your next meal without TV, computers or reading.  It’s very relaxing and much easier to digest your food.

This brings us back to Liver energy

Stressing out, rushing, not being present in the moment, all affects your nervous system and makes your liver tense.  A tense liver doesn’t digest food properly and leads to countless health problems.

Relax and enjoy.

History Lesson?

Hundreds of years ago—approx. 400— a European King was interested in medicine and wanted to know the relationship between digestion and relaxation. In one of the very first medical experiments in modern times, the King had two of his servants join him for a huge feast.

Afterward, he had one go off on a foxhunt, riding and running through the woods. The other servant sat in the palace and enjoyed a few hours of music and watched the Kings private dancers perform.

Bringing them both together in front of the King, he had them killed and cut open their stomachs and sure enough, the one who watched the dancing had digested more of his food.  Thus the theory of relaxation helping digestion was born.

True story.

The most amazing part of this story is not that a King would do that out of personal curiosity or that relaxation leads to good digestion.

It’s that 400 years later we are still being cut open mainly because of food and stress related issues.

Eat well and enjoy the moment; the world needs you.

Roger

The gods of panic are amongst us again whipping up our anxiety levels with the threat of the next great pandemic:

Swine Flu – It Is Real

The swine flu is here.  I’m just not jumping on the pandemic band wagon and probably never will.

Pandemic seems to be a favorite word the media throws out there to get attention and part of me feels that pharmaceutical companies are in love with it also.

Drugs and vaccinations are big business and what better way to advertise than through the news media.  Yes, there is cause for concern.

Yes, people have died. I just don’t believe our reaction to this flu should be any different from our reaction to other flu viruses.

The best way to prevent or survive it is through diet and boosting your immune system.

Pandemic?

It means an infectious disease that spreads across continents and affects a very large portion of the population.  Pandemic is always used in reference to the great flu pandemic of 1918 that killed millions of people worldwide.  It was a nasty one indeed, but the conditions, which helped spread it, are not as prevalent today.

Poor sanitation, limited hygiene, and a world war helped fan the flames of that flu.

To keep this one in perspective, 140 people have died in Mexico City, an area of 22 million people.  The US government tells us to get an annual flu shot because 36,000 Americans die of the flu every year.

Sanitation

My heart goes out to the people of Mexico City who have suffered so much already from this one.  The high rate of death and the rapid spread of it points out how quickly something like this can develop in areas of poverty and compromised sanitation.

Mexico City has some of the dirtiest air in the world and living there is the equivalent of smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day.  Over 25% of the homes don’t have adequate sewage and the city water supply is very polluted. It’s sad but true that the poor always seem to bear the brunt of infectious diseases and natural catastrophes.

I bring up sanitation not just to point out how this all usually gets started but as a good example of our first level of protection.

Wash your hands.

Most people still think they catch the flu or a cold because someone sneezes near them. Actually it’s almost always because you touched something covered with germs and viruses and then scratched your nose or touched your mouth.

It’s common knowledge that 100% of gas-pump handles, grocery cart handles, bowling balls and shoes, contain traces of human fecal matter. Why?  Only about half the population in the US washes their hands after going to the bathroom.

Do you know why grocery stores have signs near the carts that say, “These wipes are provided to help sanitize your shopping carts”? Because if the sign said “Please wipe the poop off the cart” you probably wouldn’t shop there. Yuk!! Oh well, someone had to tell you.

So wash your hands. It’s the best first line of defense against catching a cold or flu. Carry a little germ killing gel in the car for when you refuel the car.

Have your kids wash their hands when they come home from school. Limit your time out in public if this thing seems to hit close to home.

These little things are always the best place to start.

General Immunity

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty as they say.  Now is a particularly good time to focus on building your immune system.

Immunity is a huge topic and I’m just going to focus on some quick ways to work on it.

We’ve already covered hand washing so let’s focus on our immediate environment.

Food, Air and Water—Quality Control

• You can begin by changing your diet to one that emphasizes fresh, organic fruits and vegetables.  Low quality food bogs down the entire digestive and elimination system and slows down the immune system from doing its job.

• Research shows that high levels of sugar decrease the ability of white blood cells to gobble up bacteria.  In fact, drinking a 12 oz soda depressed the activity of white blood cells for 5 hours. With artificial sweeteners you get the added bonus of brain cell death.

• Drinking green tea had the opposite effect.  One week of consuming 2 cups of green tea a day doubled the amount of bacteria eating immune cells.  Obviously a little green tea is an easy way to raise your protection. Cut your coffee in half and have some tea.

• I’m going to assume you don’t smoke. It’s obvious that smoking is not part of an immune boosting program.

• Alcohol abuse lowers immunity and increases your chance of getting an infectious disease.  Limit yourself to a couple at a time.

• Avoid heavily processed packaged food that is usually loaded with pesticides, insecticides, genetically modified foods, and irradiated foods, food additives, coloring agents, flavors, corn syrup and preservatives. These all contribute to inflammation and overwork the immune system.

• Making sure you drink clean water and breath clean air should be part of any health program.  It’s especially important when trying to maximize your immune function. Every home should have a water filter to clean the chemicals out of tap water. Since 40% of tap water has already been through another human being it needs chemicals to clean it. It’s now your job to make it fit to drink.

• The same goes for air.  It’s free but dangerous levels of household chemicals wreck havoc on the immune system. Again it’s up to you to filter the air in your home

• Consuming Omega 3 oils helps the immune system make prostaglandins, needed to kill germs and other invaders. Eliminating fried oils drastically reduces inflammation.

Herbs—Immune Fuel

Now that we’ve laid the groundwork it’s time to load up on some real ammo for the immune system and I’m going to focus on specific items that I know work and work right away.

In the 19 years I’ve been an herbalist and 28 years in the health industry I’ve seen hundreds of herbs and supplements designed to boost immunity and ward of illness.

The following seem to work well for everyone and are relatively easy to find.

Echinacea—Immune Medicine

Most of you who have heard me talk are probably surprised to hear me mention this one because I usually seem to put it down during my lectures. Actually I always use it as an example of an herb that is overused but in this case a great herb to have on hand.

Echinacea rapidly boosts immune activity and can be used a couple of different ways.

1. Begin taking it immediately to boost a lagging immune system and take it for one week. It loses its effectiveness after that and it’s best to take a break from it. Liquid whole plant extracts work best. This is a good one for children also.
2. Have a bottle on hand and use it at the first sign of illness. It works best with colds and flu’s that cause heat symptoms—fevers, thirst etc…exactly what the swine flu produces. As soon as it appears start taking it every 2 hours up to 6 times a day. If you don’t feel better after 4 days discontinue it as it probably won’t be very effective after that. If using it this way as a medicine, which it is, it works even better with another herb goldenseal, another very powerful antiviral herb. The 2 herbs are usually combined and easy to find in a liquid extract.

My only objection to Echinacea is that it’s marketed as an everyday herb but it’s actually an herbal medicine that works best when it’s not overused.

Mushrooms—Immune Food

I’m calling it food because most mushrooms that boost immunity have a history of traditional use as a food.

In times of health crisis the dose just goes up. Shrooms like Shiitake and Maitake are a staple in Oriental cooking, while Cordyceps and Reishi are traditionally taken as tea. All have been consumed for centuries to promote vibrant health and modern research confirms their potent immune building properties.

Although medical doctors will chastise patients who even suggest that a natural food can boost immunity and preach to the contrary, the US Governments own website—PubMed—lists over 400 medical studies showing the immune building effects of mushrooms.

In fact the #1 and #2 leading cancer drugs worldwide for 20 years were actually mushroom extracts.  Since the discovery of Taxol they have fallen to #2 and #3 but one of them, Krestin from Trametes, is still #1 in Japan. These drugs are not part of cancer protocol in the US because our FDA doesn’t approve drugs that boost immunity, preferring instead to use poisons.

I’ll summarize a few of the best mushrooms that are easiest to find.

Maitake—primarily used to rapidly boost T cell production, it’s one of the best for dramatically boosting your immune system’s rapid response to immediate threats. It is currently being studied by the FDA as a future treatment for breast and prostate cancer.

Shiitake—helps increase overall immunity and is used to make a potent antiviral, anti cancer drug (#2) called Lentinan. It’s great for nutritional deficiencies and detoxing the liver. This one is often used in Chinese and Japanese cooking. Dried and powdered it makes excellent gravy as a replacement for meat.

Reishi—One of my favorite herbs and also one that played a major role in helping me get over Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It boost immunity, improves circulation, improves liver function, maintains healthy respiratory function, and lifts your spirits. Reishi is often used as part of a cholesterol-lowering program and is a potent adaptogen and stress reliever.

Trametes—Often called Turkey Tail, it can restore a weak immune system and is most often used as a cancer treatment. Clinical trials in Japan show it can triple survival rates for certain cancers and that’s why it’s still the #1 drug of choice for cancer there.

Cordyceps—keeps your lung, kidneys and immune system functioning properly and is often used to fight fatigue, improve stamina and endurance. This amazing tonic is a favorite for world-class athletes and those suffering from exercise induced asthma.

Tremella—a shroom used in Israel to make a potent antiviral drug called Tremellan, it is used in Chinese medicine to treat lung infection and to restore proper moisture in the lungs after illness.

Agaricus Blazei—a potent immune booster originally from the forests of Brazil, Agaricus is used to fight stress, reduce cholesterol, increase circulation and fight cancer. Clinics all over South America use this mushroom as a sole remedy for cancer.

These are some of the most potent and most commonly found mushrooms that can have a pronounced effect on building immunity. Since this seems to be an immediate crisis for many it would be irresponsible of me to not tell you of a place to purchase them as quickly as possible.

Immunity*

I speak on a number of different topics for nutritional companies and one of the products I lecture on is a multiple mushroom formula called “Immunity*” by Nikken.  It contains all of the mushrooms listed above and more.  I’m not getting a kickback on this product although I am ask to speak by the company and compensated to do so. I want to be up front about that and let you know it’s not why I’m recommending you try it if you’re at all concerned about the flu.The reality is that immune building should be on every health conscious person list and the current flu scare just makes it a priority.   Immunity is a great product to do that with.   A daily dose is usually 2-3 caps but I’m taking 4 caps 2x a day right now and will take more if I feel something coming on.

I have worked in a high volume herb shop for many years and have literally sold thousands of bottles of various mushroom supplements.  In fact the shop where I learned and practiced Chinese herbology is often credited with starting the Reishi mushroom craze in America. Whether that is true or not, we certainly were the first to sell very high quality Reishi and helped raise the consciousness about using high quality mushroom products to boost overall health and immunity.

I tell you this only to let you know I have experience with mushroom products and have received a ton of feedback on them from customers.  Without a doubt I have received the most positive feedback on the Immunity by Nikken, and it happens everywhere I speak.  So I can easily say with great confidence that this is a high quality product that works and I know you’ll benefit from taking it.  I also have known the people who grow it for about 19 years and so I’m very familiar with the care and quality control involved in bring it to market.  To find it just Google the word “Nikken” go to the site and find a distributor near you.  If you want to explore individual shrooms then a health food store will probably carry a few of them but all herbs work better in formulas so don’t just stock up on any one substance.  Also, make sure it’s organic!

Lactoferrin

This one isn’t a mushroom but a natural form of cytokine that’s produced in the body and can be taken in supplement form. It is found in the eyes, ears, nose, gut, throat, urinary tract and just about everywhere we have an opening susceptible to attack. It inhibits viruses, and is toxic to bacteria and yeast. Lactoferrin can boost immunity and speed recovery from an existing infection.

Before I wrap this up there are a couple of simple ways to boost immunity right away that are cheap and very easy.

Get Out In The Sun!

Vitamin D is one of the most important things needed to have great immunity and you can get it from the sun. Living here in Ohio I usually Google “sun” every April so that I’m familiar with what it looks like but in most of the country that isn’t a problem.

Supplement form (D3) is also fine and most Doctors are recommending 5000 units per day as a preventative and 50,000 units for 3 days if you catch the flu. That may seem high compared to the old standards we’ve been taught about Vit D but the body makes 20,000 units by lying in the sun for 40 minutes.

It’s estimated that 85% of Americans are deficient in Vit D.

Eat fresh garlic. It’s a very potent medicine when eaten raw and often referred to as natures own antibiotic. Smash a clove up raw and mix it with a little olive oil and eat it on a salad or bread. It’s not often the same substance protects against the flu and vampires so eat it up.

Be well.

Roger

p.s. A number of you have commented lately on my lack of writing skills. I wish I could defend myself but it’s hard when I don’t have the writing skills to do it properly. I knew it was only a matter of time before I got busted. Thanks for reminding me. I am going to hire a real editor when I get this thing off the ground. At least I know you’re paying attention. I do however defend my right to use colloquial English, farm slang, and make up words (shroom for mushrooms) as I go along. People have always said I write like I talk and now you know why I need an editor.

Why- oh -why did I pick this topic?

• It’s not only the most hotly debated topic in health, but also the most confusing.

Maybe by applying some common sense to the issue we can all make conscious decisions about consuming a little soy.

I Like Soy

Let’s get this fact out front right away, in case you want to accuse me of a conflict of interest. This is important because I think conflict of interest is a  part of all the research done on soy lately, and why everything you hear has to be taken with a grain of salt.

Now I do like soy, but if I had to give it up I wouldn’t miss it for more than a couple of days. I only eat tofu once every couple of weeks and I only use soy milk occasionally (to cover up the taste of concentrated green food powders).

I probably use less soythan the average vegetarian, and I eat a wide variety of foods and don’t like to depend on one source of protein. There are a couple of dishes my kids love with tofu, so I’m not going to give it up.

Conflict of Interest?

It ‘s common knowledge that nobody paid much attention to soy until someone figured out that if it was packaged in a milk carton it would fit on the shelf next to regular milk.

The added exposure of “soy milk” caused a huge surge in sales, and a huge surge in anger toward the health industry. Lawsuits were even filed to prevent the use of the word “milk” along with soy. (How much coffee does it take to keep a judge awake for that one?)

A rumor was even started that soy foods were only made available because so much waste poduct was leftover from the production of soy oil that they came up with a way to dispose of it.

I hate to break the news to you, but I think it had more to do with someone noticing that a lot of people liked it, and wanted more. It’s called Free Market Enterprise—supply and demand. There was a demand and someone supplied it!

Some Facts!!?

Lets take a look at some of the hottest topics of debate and see if some common sense can shed some light on the best use of soy.

• Thyroid Function

Tofu and other soy foods fall into a category of foods that are considered goitrogens—food that can lower thyroid function.

This happens because certain phytoestrogens in soy inhibit the absorbtion of iodine. Since a huge portion of the USA is deficient in iodine, this can pose a problem. In case you’re wondering if that pertains to you– let’s say if you depend on table salt as your source of iodine -then you’re probably deficient. So if you’ve been diagnosed with Hypothyroid (low or sluggish) then soy is probably not your best bet.

The opposite is also true. If it’s hyperactive (Hyperthyroid) adding tofu to you’re diet may help you. If you’re just normal—in terms of thyroid I mean, no problems— then soy can easily be part of your diet. There is absolutely no research that shows eating tofu a few times a week will bring on thyroid problems.

The original research that blasted soy and provided the ammo to the meat and dairy contingents was a study that showed lowered thyroid production in rats that were fed tofu.

Of course ,they didn’t mention that the rats already had thyroid problems. That was only revealed later.

So the rats became more sluggish and slow. This wasn’t a study showing healthy rats eating soy then developed thyroid issues.  Maybe tofu could replace rat poison! Rats become slow and lazy, cats catch them easily for food, we no longer have to buy cat food and we remove rat poison from the environment.

I think I’ve just created a “Green Company”.

• Thryoid and Veggies

There are lots of other foods that fall into the category of being goitrogens ,and those are the cruciferous vegetables.

Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, mustard, rutabagas, kohlrabi and turnips. The goitrogen effect is mostly eliminated by cooking/lightly steaming, so they don’t really pose a problem. Just like with soy, these vegetables have never been shown to cause thyroid problems , but it’s a good idea to limit them if you have an existing imbalance.

Cruciferous veggies are also some of the most potent anti-cancer foods available.

The best way to release the nutrients that prevent cancer is to slightly steam them (sorry raw foodies—all raw food isn’t better).  This also removes the negative effect on your thyroid. It’s been suggested that 2-3 servings of cruciferous veggies and 2 -4oz servings of tofu per week can easily be tolerated by people with Hypothyroidism.

• Phytates

Soy contains phytic acid which binds to minerals and prevents you from absorbing them. You’ve heard of phytic acid before. It’s in uncooked grains and legumes. Turns out soaking gets it out of legumes ,and cooking does the same for grains, but neither works with soy.

Again, this only matters if you eat it daily and you’re not consuming other nutritious foods. The fact is, almost every food has something in it that isn’t great for you, but is balanced out by eating a varied diet. That’s why we don’t eat the same thing at every meal.

• Phytoestrogens

Phytoestrogens are estrogen- like compounds that occur in plants. Lets be clear about one thing; there isn’t a plant that contains hormones.  Soy doesn’t contain estrogen.

Scientists don’t know what to make of this, but that doesn’t stop them from throwing around theories. The reality is that you can find books praising or condemning soy for this one.

No one knows. My guess is that it isn’t a problem depending on the amount you eat. One study suggests that it prevents breast cancer and the next suggests it causes it. All these studies really show are correlations, meaning it might be related.

It’s like saying shoes cause cancer because most people with cancer have worn shoes before. That might be an extreme analogy but most studies that make the news are simply correlations that suggest maybe a study should be done.

Reality?

Should we be concerned about soy? Sure. It should be eaten in moderation as part of a well balanced diet.

If you have a thyroid problem stay away from it. If you feel tired when you eat it, then don’t eat it again. I wouldn’t feed it daily to babies or young children. If your kids are allergic to milk and you can’t avoid it ,buy a fermented soy powder and use that. Fermentation cancels out all of the negative aspects of soy.

Fermented soy foods include tempeh and miso. Fermenting soy is supposed to make it easier to digest, but I have a problem digesting it. I don’t with tofu. This just points out that you have to pay attention to how you feel from eating any food. I have had clients who balanced their hormones eating soy and others who claim it threw theirs off.  Everyone is different.

Companies who promote dairy and meat will always be doing studies showing the evil of soy. Of course, everyone knows meat causes cancer ,but don’t let that stop you from pushing it. Ever wonder why you never actually see studies done on how milk makes your bones stronger? There’s never been one. They can’t prove it. It’s all correlation.

Still confused?

I hope this was beneficial to you. It does point out the general confusion that most people find in the field of health and nutrition.

It’s all about marketing and market share and sadly this casts a dark shadow ( 3^rd cliché of this article—I’m on a roll) on most of the information you’ll read about health.

One recent study I read showed that soy turns on 113 different genes in the prostate that cause cancers cells to die. That was done at the UCLA School of Medicine and printed in Newsweek.

I want to leave you with one other correlation:

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and drink very little red wine, and they suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The French eat lots of fatty cheese and rich food and drink lots of wine, and they suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and eat lots of carbohydrate -rich pasta and they suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats, and they suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.

Conclusion: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

 

Be well.

Roger

Dieting is a huge market year round but we’re now moving into the time when the market is flooded with new diet products.  Summer is right around the corner and people are concerned about looking good with less clothing.

It’s also a time when the scams are in full bloom (scam is not a flower) and I want to let you in on one of the new ones.

Tapping Into Your Feelings

Dieting is such an emotional issue, that when it can be linked to a popular buzzword it makes it so easy to market.

Right now Acai is that word and the market is being flooded with expensive ineffective products using Acai as the launching pad.

This is how marketing works.  You take a word that has high recognition and tie it into a product and people feel comfortable with it.

It’s kind of like using a celebrity you don’t have to pay.

Ginseng is used that way.  It’s in numerous energy drinks because it’s an herb that people have heard of.  The formula may stink and there probably isn’t any active ingredient in it but it sells.

It’s Called Advertising

Now we have Acai, a new fruit from the rainforest. Acai is the new kid on the block for antioxidants and it does have a lot of them.

Its ORAC value, the system by which antioxidants are judged, is really high and I’m sure it’s good for you.  High ORAC is a good thing but not necessarily always the way to judge a product.  For instance Acai may have a much higher ORAC value than Vitamin E per dose.

The difference is that if you never have Vitamin E in your system you’ll die and if you never have Acai you’ll probably live a normal life.

See the difference?

I’m not saying Acai isn’t a great food but it belongs to a class of antioxidants that come from fruit and can be replaced by numerous other things in your diet.

In fact there’s nothing in it that can’t be found elsewhere.  It’s a good thing though and if you like it then continue using it.  The problem comes from companies who promise you amazing benefits from consuming one single nutrient.  There is no reason to spend your whole nutritional budget on one nutrient when you should be looking for something that supplies you with a whole variety of nutrients.  Acai  is an amazing product, but you shouldn’t have to spend you whole budget on it.

There are just better ways to spend that money on a nutritional program that includes Acai. But it’s a real stretch to use it as a diet supplement.

Taking the Plunge

I decided to try one of those products to see what it actually is.

This is the first problem.  You can’t actually see what your buying until you receive it in the mail.  I don’t need a diet product but I had to order it to investigate.

Never buy a nutritional product unless you can read the label or you’re going to write about it on your website.

I bought the ACAI NONI Slimming Blend.  I chose that one because it used Dr. Perricone as part of the marketing.  He is a Yale medical doctor and author so I thought maybe it was slightly legit.  This doesn’t mean he actually endorsed it because it could have been written in a way to feed off his name.

If he is involved then he should be ashamed.

So Here’s How It Works

The offer is for a free bottle for $1.95 to cover shipping.  The regular price is $79.95 per bottle, a 1-month supply.  If you read the fine print it says you have 12 days to call and cancel the product or you will be billed $79.95 each month until you cancel.

That’s not 12 days after you get it but 12 days from the moment you order it. This is really the brilliant part of the scheme.

It took me 5 days to get the product.  So let’s say on the morning of the sixth day I would be trying it.  That means I really only have 5 days to see if it works before I’m billed for another one. That really isn’t enough time to judge a diet program and so you’ll probably let them ship you another bottle.

Now you’ve spent another $79.95 and you still don’t know if it’s going to work.

Now if you cancel after buying 1 bottle at full price your only in for $79.95 +shipping.  This is probably the average expenditure of people who buy this product.  It doesn’t matter if you missed the cancellation date or decided to try it for a month.  This is really the basis for the whole plan.

You see if 100,000 people do this sales are $7,995,000. These sale numbers for a company using known medical doctors and famous authors are not a fantasy but are probably low estimates.

It gets better though because I haven’t told you about the actual ingredients.

What’s Really In It?

You see I wanted to read the label.  That’s how I understand things.  This product has only 300mg of Acai, 20mg or Resveratrol, 200mg of Noni, 200mg of Green Tea Extract (EGCG).

Nice ingredients if it sold for $19.95 or $29.95 and it worked. I know the only thing that makes it work is the Green Tea caffeine.

Being a product formulator I know the Acai in this product cost less than 40 cents for the whole bottle.  If this product cost more than $1.75 for the whole bottle I’d be shocked.  I’m talking about ingredients, bottle and label.

So the cost of goods for almost 8 million dollars in sales is around $175,000. Wow!!!!!!Wow!!! (It really deserves 2 wows)

This isn’t a product designed to help people, it’s just designed to make money.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they sell a million bottles of this stuff.  Internet marketing is huge and the turnover of customers is an awesome thing to behold.  Plus they are dealing with customers who are buying more with their emotions than needs.

I’m sure they know the life of this product is probably 1 year before it fizzles and they hand it off to someone else or it ends up in WalMart for $19.95. It’s all in the business plan.

We All Suffer

I’m not opposed to this product being on the market because it’s all free enterprise. Even at $79.95 it wouldn’t be so bad if it worked. I just don’t think it will and even if a few do lose weight it’s probably related to other factors—this is not a great weight loss product.

In fact the Green Tea does actually help you lose weight but the Acai is the name that pulls you in.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this product sells close to 80 million dollars before it disappears.

What I really hate is that thousands of people will think that herbs and nutrients don’t work,  they’ll think that the nutrition industry is all fake and it gives the FDA ammunition to blast away at the Natural Products Industry.

Just so you know I canceled mine around day 9 so hopefully I won’t be charged the full price. Of course there’s no guarantee that I won’t end up in a battle to get it off my card.

This is another good lesson in buying from companies you know and trust. The products are usually good and if you need help there’s always someone available.

If you want some good Acai to add to your shakes or to make juice check this out.  It might not shrink your waistline but your wallet won’t lose much weight either.

Certified Organic Acai Powder

Make sure you use my personal Coupon Code:  ZAC041 – If you are a first time customer you will get $5.00 off your order. Feel free to use my personal coupon code with anything you order from iHerb.

Blessings,

Roger

 

Next Up: TO SOY OR NOT TO SOY—IS THAT THE QUESTION?

The news is bleak and offers little to boost the confidence of the average American.  Seems like a dark cloud has descended on us all.

Double Whammy

Stress has a negative impact on health, particularly when it involves emotional stress.  In a country like ours where heart disease claims the #2 spot for illness related mortality, anything that increases emotional stress will increase the severity of the physical illness of heart disease.

Yet, a little awareness of all the factors involved can often help to prevent it from accelerating us down that path and even stop it from happening in the first place.

When we encounter a stressful situation fight or flight kicks in.  The body reacts by releasing stress hormone and adrenalin to prepare us for a life-threatening situation.  Our mind is peaked, blood rushes to our muscles, and glucose is released for the extra energy need for fight or flight and we are ready to do battle.  The only problem is that we are probably sitting at our desk or watching the evening news.

Instead of engaging in a physical activity to protect ourselves and burn up the surge of glucose, we’re just sitting around worrying.  This is where all the trouble begins.

What’s Happening?

The release of cortisol (stress hormone) raises blood glucose to prepare the body for stress.  Constant stress causes prolonged   increases in glucose levels, which leads to glucose intolerance or the inability to utilize sugar.  The body now cranks up insulin levels to compensate and remove the glucose.

Excess insulin promotes insulin resistance or the inability of cells to respond to insulin.  Now your glucose levels remain elevated and you’re on your way to type 2 diabetes.  Stay there for very long and you can add obesity to the list.

Excessive glucose also damages kidney function and leads to HBP—high blood pressure—and now you know why it often follows diabetes and heart disease.

It gets worse.

When you have excessive stress hormone release it makes the heart beat more forcefully.  Each time it pumps blood out into the body it moves it with more pressure and this puts tremendous strain on the arteries at every juncture throughout the circulatory system.

Muscle builds up around the vessels to support the extra pressure and sends blood back more forcefully to the heart and it all begins again.  This added force causes the heart muscle to enlarge and could lead to irregular heartbeat.  This also adds to possibility of HBP and on and on and on…….

I know it sounds a lot like doom and gloom.  What’s going on in our bodies in response to stress sounds a lot like what’s happening to the economy.  The stress is breaking it down on every level and it seems like there is no hope in sight.

But just like the economy it’s the little things that will keep it from falling apart completely and allow it to regroup and move forward despite seemingly overwhelming odds.
Stress has an effect on the body very much like having a car that’s idling too fast.  It burns up an inappropriate amount of fuel doing nothing.  In your body that means your nutritional requirements go way up so you have to eat better not worse.

But that is exactly the opposite of what we usually do!

Stress always leads to excessive consumption of sugar, alcohol, drugs and caffeine.

Why?

Because all of those things change the way you feel instantly and when your afraid and depressed that seems like a good thing but it accelerates the internal damage going on that wrecks your physical body.

By being aware and cleaning up your diet you can actually negate most of the damage, feel better and not need to reach for something that immediately changes the way you feel.

It all starts with food.

When you’re stressed and the body already cranks up the release of glucose and insulin the worst thing you can do is eat a meal containing a lot of sugar and fat.  Your body is having a hard time dealing with the stuff it just released and is overwhelm by the extra you just put in it.

That just accelerates you chances of getting heart disease and diabetes.

The opposite occurs if you had a healthy meal of vegetables and balance good fats and protein.  Not only does the body regulate the release of sugar into the system, the added nutrients in the meal stop the production if inflammatory chemicals the body produces under stress.

In fact if you make a point of eating mostly plant food you can actually negate almost all of the negative effects of stress.

All of the added stress you put on the circulatory system when your under stress cause excess wear and tear and the body maintains that system using antioxidants from plant food—fruits and berries, vegetables —basic maintenance food.

Just remember you have to eat better to offset the added requirements from stress.  That’s why supplements are so important.

It’s almost impossible to get it all entirely from food.  We have this amazing programming we’re born with called homeostasis.  This internal “ wisdom of the body” regulates everything that goes on.

Through a system of checks and balances it keeps everything in working order at every moment to ensure survival.  The whole thing is dependant on nutrients to run this incredible balancing act and if we don’t supply them it wears out.  Then we wear out.

So…..

Eat a lot of plants.  You don’t need the extra worry about getting it exactly right either.  Salads, onions, radishes, garlic, kale, broccoli, chard, carrots, beets, blueberries, raspberries, etc…if it fresh and preferably organic, just eat lots of it.

Filling up on plant food will crowd out the rest of the stuff you don’t need anyway.  Soon you’ll feel better and won’t be craving the rest anyway.

Entertainment?

One more thing about stress.  We already have enough of it without piling on extra activities that peak adrenal function.  Watching the evening news will just about depress anybody.  They latch onto you with the latest tragedies to hook you in and then dump the latest gloom and doom on us about the economy.  It’s all designed to trigger adrenal response because that’s what draws you in.

When your body is already locked into stress response the news can be like a drug—we need just a little more.

• Avoid the news and you’ll feel better in a week.
• Avoid movies and programs centered on violence.  They are all based on adrenal stimulation—the last thing you need when stressed.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Engage in activities that make you happy.  The main chemical the body produces in response to inflammation is C-reative protein.  It’s a primary indicator of heart disease.  Research shows that feelings of hopelessness and anger have a direct effect on it.

Negative people have the highest amounts of it in their system.  Avoid them—it’s more contagious than the flu and worse for you.

Reread my article “The Heart is a Many Splendored Thing”

It’s all up to you.

Be Well –

Roger

p.s.  Please share this with everyone you care about.  I know that all of you truly appreciate what I do.  The best way you can thank me is to spread the word.

Our journey in life is short – let the truth be known.

The one in question here contains aspartame.  Commonly know as NutraSweet, it’s one of the worst things you could ever put in your body.  Most of the other ingredients are rather bland, not bad, but it’s a weak formulation.  It doesn’t matter if it’s mixed with good stuff though because consuming poison alone or together with nutrients doesn’t hide the fact that it’s a poison.

Aspartame has three main components—aspartic acid, methanol and phenylalanine.  All three of them are associated with over stimulated brain cell death, chaotic hormonal shifts and can  be a nerve poison. Stick around—it gets even better.

Step Right Up and Get Your Poison

It been proven that aspartame diet drinks that have been stored at 85 degrees or more for a week actually break down into other components.  After a week it breaks down into formaldehyde, formic acid, and diketopiperazine,  a chemical that can cause brain tumors.  All three have been proven toxic to humans.  Now that’s a mouthful!

It took sixteen years for aspartame to be approved for human consumption due to the high number of brain tumors in the lab animals they tested it on.  Seems the only consistent thing aspartame had going for it was the brain tumors.  You would think that would be enough to just keep it off the market.  But, oh no, it gets better believe me.

If At First You Don’t Succeed—Offer Them A Job

The FDA is not entirely at fault, sort of.  Turns out the FDA Board of Inquiry voted unanimously against approving aspartame for human consumption but the Commissioner of the FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. approved it anyway.  Soon after he approved it for beverage use he quit and went to work for the company that made it—G.D. Searle & Company.  Sometimes these things are purely coincidental.  Sometimes.

A report in The New England Journal of Medicine shows a rise in brain cancer similar to the brain cancer in the studies of aspartame on lab animals.  The national average rose 10%;  in persons over 65 it was 60%.  60 Minutes,  the CBS News program ran a story on a famous cancer clinic in New York City that made the same claim—there has been a 10% yearly increase in brain cancer since it hit the market.

The Truth Is Always Stranger Than Fiction

The very agency who overlooks the FDA, the National Institutes of Health,  issued a warning in 1991 about aspartame toxicity that listed 167 adverse effects.  The U.S. Air Force warns it’s pilots not to drink and fly—we’re talking aspartame, not alcohol.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services lists 88 documented symptoms of aspartame toxicity.  Aspartame has been associated with birth defects, brain tumors, depression, mental retardation, CF syndrome, MS, Parkinsons, Alzheimer’s, dementia and epilepsy.  Whoa!!!!!  And it’s been approved as a sweetener.  I’d love to see the ones they turn down.

You Can’t Fool Mother Nature—Homeostasis

We all have this wonderful regulatory system built in to keep us alive in the presence of immediate danger—homeostasis.  As soon as something toxic enter our body it kicks in to neutralize it.  It was working in the young gentleman who drank the aspartame sweetened Red Bull I mentioned in the video.  If it wasn’t they probably would have been killed instead of just showing signs of advanced cardiovascular disease or stroke.

This amazing “Wisdom of the Body” kicks in with  thousands of bio-chemical reactions to neutralize the toxins of that one drink and keep you alive. This system and it’s many reaction are dependent on nutrients and water to perform it’s functions and after a long period of poor eating habits it starts to break down and we all experience disease.  If the young man ate something nutritious afterward the body would be mobilizing to return to health.  The problem is the average person follows one poison with another and homeostasis is overwhelmed.

The key is avoiding known poisons in our diet and eating extremely well so this amazing system can handle the toxins we don’t know about that make their way into our body.  All it takes is being conscious about what we consume and not falling prey to the mass marketing of synthetic food and goods that have taken hold of this country and ruined our health.

(Wisdom of the Body was written by Walter B. Cannon)

Be Well,

Roger

One of the biggest lessons I ever learned about the media is that it’s not all news.

Numerous articles appear solely based on the need to fill space and preference is given to the “sacred cows” of authority.  In this country that means anything with a doctor or medical organization sounding off about something.

The US media loves medical information and if you can create an official sounding name that implies medicine you’ll get pick up by all of the outlets.  Pharmaceutical companies play the system best and use it to undermine confidence in natural alternative health modalities.

The big companies are scared.

Imagine what would happen if everyone realized most of the chronic health problem in this country could be eliminated by eating better and using a few inexpensive supplements.

Imagine if half the people on heart medication suddenly got well and didn’t need it.

The stockholders would panic and the media would be flooded with warnings about something new that would require more medication.  It’s all about sales.

Medically you’re bombarded with information about statin drugs as if they hold the answer to all of your heart issues.

Nutritionally, you can be confused about all the miracles being offered by alternative sources, many of which are truly wonderful.  But on a day like today it’s a good time to relax and see things in a slightly different focus.

Ancient Wisdom

In Chinese medicine the Heart not only controls the functioning of the entire vascular system and circulation, but is considered the abode of Shen, the spiritual aspect of a human being.

The classics state:

“The Heart is the Supreme Master of the organs and is the home of Shen, the Spirit.  If the Master is brilliant, his subjects are peaceful.  If the Master is disturbed, his twelve officials are endangered.”

Modern Consequences

In other words, if you’re stressed out everyone suffers!  Not only the people around you but your internal organs (twelve officials) as well.  This is an established fact.  Medical researchers have concluded that stress plays a part in 90% of all doctors’ visits and is a contributing factor in the six majors causes of death.

Stress affects the absorption and processing of basic nutrients from food, plays havoc with endocrine function, opens the brain to more destruction from environmental toxins, disrupts the rhythm of the physical heart, etc….the list goes on and on.

When I was working full time as an herbalist in Los Angeles I never talked to a single person who wasn’t stressed out.  In fact if they said they weren’t stressed then you knew they were really stressed.  It’s a fact of life and a little bit of stress is good for you.

What determines the amount of damage on a physical level is your outlook on life and now we’re back to the heart or Shen aspect of a human being.  After working with thousands of people I came to realize that true healing could never occur without a lessening of stress and an opening of the heart.

Many Words Cannot Fathom It…

But Look, It Is In your Heart!

Shen is hard to define and has many attributes, which fit it well but fail to describe it in its totality.  It’s really just a name for the spiritual land of the Heart.  Since it all has to do with the aspects of the Heart organ system I’m going to refer to it mostly as Heart capitalized to differentiate it from the organ heart.

Heart is the seat of the emotions and controls consciousness.  It anchors the inner spirit and determines your passion for life.  If you are feeling really alive and in the moment you can bet something has happened to activate your Heart.  The opposite is also true.  Feelings of insecurity and lack of self-confidence often reflect an unopened Heart.

If you live life with an open Heart things seem to come easy to you and life’s little setbacks are merely a chance to grow.  A Heart centered person often appears humble yet aware and experiences clarity of mind that few possess.

The Classics And Beyond

Chaung Tzu, the great Chinese Sage, once wrote:

“When the shoe fits the foot is forgotten,
When the belt fits the belly is forgotten,
And when the Heart/Shen is right,
For and against is forgotten”.

Remember that time when you first fell in love?  Or you held your newborn child in your arms for the first time?  Time stood still as you marveled at the presence of your future mate or gazed down at beauty of a new life cradled in your hands. You personally experienced Einstein’s theory of relativity.

Time is relevant to your present circumstances.  It seems rare when it happens only because we seldom approach life as a mystery and something to enjoy and not control.

I once read a book by Deepak Chopra describing a medical intern who had been assigned to the cardiac ward with 40 new heart attack patients.  He decided one night to ask them why they had a heart attack.  He braced for the worst thinking he’d probably be cursed at or punched; yet every single one of them answered and attributed it to something they failed to do in their personal life.

Not a single person talked about food choices or lifestyle but that they avoided an emotional situation that required speaking truthfully from the heart or might have caused them to look deep within themselves.

Radiant Health

Dr. David Hawkins MD., PhD. Of the Institute for Advanced Spiritual Research, states that the difference in power between a loving thought and a fearful thought is so enormous as to be beyond the capacity of the human imagination to easily comprehend. (Power vs. Force)  One individual with a completely open Heart counterbalances 750,000 unconscious people.

Wow! Don’t ever think you can’t influence people.

Modern research at the Institute of Heart Math shows that the heart has a magnetic field 5,000 times stronger than the brain and can be measured several feet away from the body. The hearts rhythmic energy has an influence on every cell in the body.  Sustained feelings of love can harmonize the entire body and brain.  I guess the classics were right: the Heart is the Master of the organs.

One of the great lessons of life is taking in all experiences, however hurtful they may be, processing it and moving on.  Only when we learn this lesson can we truly understand the depthless wonder of the Heart.

One of my favorite Rumi poems sums it up well:

The way of love is not a subtle argument.
The door there is devastation.
Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom.
How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling, they’re given wings.

My Hidden Agenda

The reason I’ve wrote this today is not just because it’s Valentines Day.  That was just my excuse for making you read this.

I know the Heart is about more than supplements and cholesterol and that it holds the power of transformation.  I know because I experienced it myself and became an herbalist because of it.  I only know a lot about herbs because I learned it to be able to pursue my own heart opening.

When I walked into that store with chronic fatigue I didn’t stay because I thought something there could cure me.  I stayed because I heard someone describe an herb as “putting wings on your heart” and something stirred in my chest that I had never felt before.

So today I hope for you the company of friends, family and much shared love.  Hug more than usual, smiled contagiously and savor the moment.

I leave you with one last poem, which runs through my head every single time I consult with someone in person, on the phone or at a speaking engagement.  It’s from the book “I Heard God Laughing—Renderings of Hafiz” by Daniel Ladinsky.  It’s my wish for you.

My Brilliant Image

One day the sun admitted,

I am just a shadow.
I wish I could show you
The Infinite Incandescence

That has cast my brilliant image!

I wish that I could show you
When you are lonely or in darkness,

The Astonishing light
Of your own Being!

Blessings,

Roger

Who knew that consuming something made out of corn could be so toxic?  New information has come to light about the toxic effect of consuming High Fructose Corn Syrup or HFCS.

Over 50% of the food products containing HFCS that were tested contained mercury, one of the most poisonous natural substances in the world.

Watch my video below.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly

The Good….

This is a real stretch but I guess it’s a good product for the makers of soda pop, fruit juice and a variety of other cheap food products because it allows the seller to make huge servings for very little money.

It literally launched the infamous “Big Gulp” type of drinks.  The main attraction is that it’s as sweet as sugar and much cheaper.  Most everything it’s in are low quality and should be avoided.

The Bad….

Everyone knows HFCS is a terrible product to begin with.  It’s been implicated in the rising obesity and diabetic rates in this country.  It’s absorbed differently and provides the liver with an unregulated source of fuel which easily turns to fat and cholesterol. It’s also raises triglycerides better than anything.

Most of it is consumed as a liquid which pumps large amounts into the body quite rapidly and overwhelms the ability to deal with it. This separates it from the effect of natural fructose which is bound up in whole food and rarely enters the body in large amounts.

And The Ugly…

Wow! Where do I start?  Ok, moving beyond obesity, diabetes and mercury, you have to consider everything you’re getting with HFCS.

Most corn used to make it is GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) and is treated with various pesticides.  The real beauty of GMO food though is that pesticides are actually part of the genetic makeup of the plant and so you can’t avoid eating getting some.

So now besides just getting obese and maybe developing diabetes you get the added bonus of constant exposure to pesticides and mercury, two things associated with every nervous system disorder known.

Back in 2003 the EPA issued a statement that 1 out of every 8 women in the US of child bearing years had enough mercury in their system to cause slow brain development and low IQ should they decide to conceive.  Fish was thought to be the source.  Now we know the danger lurks in thousands of food products we never before suspected.

Oh, and by the way, most of those scientists got the pink slip for making it public and the government relaxed the standards for mercury in the environment to protect the economy.

Look HFCS in just about anything that requires sweetener.  Some of the common names are HFCS, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, corn sweetener or the most deceptive one — fruit sugar.

Please tell a friend.

Roger