Two powerful dairy organizations, The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), are petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to allow aspartame and other artificial sweeteners to be added to milk and other dairy products without a label.
The FDA currently allows the dairy industry to use “nutritive sweeteners” including sugar and high fructose corn syrup in many of their products. Nutritive sweeteners are defined as sweeteners with calories.
This petition officially seeks to amend the standard of identification for milk, cream, and 17 other dairy products like yogurt, sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and others to provide for the use of any “safe and suitable sweetener” on the market.
They claim that aspartame and other artificial sweeteners would promote healthy eating and is good for school children.
IDFA and NMPF state that the proposed amendments would promote more healthful eating practices and reduce childhood obesity by providing for lower-calorie flavored milk products. They state that lower-calorie flavored milk would particularly benefit school children who, according to IDFA and NMPF, are more inclined to drink flavored milk than unflavored milk at school.
This article is about the benefits of sauerkraut for a healthy gut flora, which in turn means a strengthened immune system. Most folks do not have healthy gut flora because of the foods we eat, medications, bad water, pollution etc. Most foods we eat now are either GMO, full of pesticides, grown in poor soil, cooked to death etc.
Even fresh or “organic” fruits/veggies from grocery stores are NOT the same as even 10 years ago. Food is grown all over the world and shipped to the stores so it was either picked at the wrong time or preserved in some way to arrive “fresh”. Unless you planted and grew the food yourself you really don’t know what your eating.
Most food nowadays should be labeled “frankenfood”. You cannot eat enough store-bought yogurt to get the beneficial bacteria. Besides it has high fructose corn syrup and is pasteurized, in other words dead food!
There is something you can do about it. Learn the art of preserving food by fermentation. Fermentation by lactobacilli is introduced naturally, as these air-borne bacteria culture on raw cabbage leaves where they grow. Start by making sauerkraut. (Keep in mind that sauerkraut on the store shelf is dead food and doesn’t “count” to boost good gut flora). Along the same lines as grapes to wine, or making sourdough, both great subjects for another time!
To begin with it is much easier to start with the “right” “tools”! Purchase a fermenting crock either on Amazon or at Lehmans. (The German crocks come with the weights). This style crock is designed well because as your cabbage (or other veggies) is fermenting it allows the gas to escape yet air cannot get in and spoil the food your preserving. You can do it in a straight sided crock it’s just not as easy!
Dr. Robert Lustig illustrates the overabundance of sugar in today’s processed convenience foods and explains how our bodies metabolize these sugars in the same way as alcohol or other toxins, causing damage to the liver and other organs. Series: “UCTV Prime: The Skinny on Obesity” [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23591]
You may already be aware that fructose – the sugar found in everything from high fructose corn syrup and fruit juice to agave syrup and honey – is harmful when consumed in excess – which is exactly what many (if not most) Americans do.
However, you may be surprised to learn that fructose is, in many ways, very similar to alcohol in the damage that it can do to your body.
So while you may already be exercising caution by not overconsuming alcoholic beverages, it may be time to take a closer look at the equally potentially damaging effects associated with your intake of sodas, fruit juice and other fructose-sweetened foods and drinks as well.
Fructose’s Three Major Similarities to Alcohol
Unlike glucose, which can be used by virtually every cell in your body, fructose can only be metabolized by your liver, because your liver is the only organ that has the transporter for it.
Since all fructose gets shuttled to your liver, and, if you eat a typical Western-style diet, you consume high amounts of it, fructose ends up taxing and damaging your liver in the same way alcohol and other toxins do. In fact, fructose is virtually identical to alcohol with regard to the metabolic havoc it wreaks.
According to Dr. Lustig, Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology at the University of California, fructose is a “chronic, dose-dependent liver toxin.” And just like alcohol, fructose is metabolized directly into fat – not cellular energy, like glucose.
He discussed this topic in the video above, but after the video was produced his paper on the topic was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,1 Dr. Lustig explains the three similarities between fructose and its fermentation byproduct, ethanol (alcohol):
Your liver’s metabolism of fructose is similar to alcohol, as they both serve as substrates for converting dietary carbohydrate into fat, which promotes insulin resistance, dyslipidemia (abnormal fat levels in the bloodstream), and fatty liver
Fructose undergoes the Maillard reaction with proteins, leading to the formation of superoxide free radicals that can result in liver inflammation similar to acetaldehyde, an intermediary metabolite of ethanol
By “stimulating the ‘hedonic pathway’ of the brain both directly and indirectly,” Dr. Lustig noted, “fructose creates habituation, and possibly dependence; also paralleling ethanol.”
Dr. Lustig concluded:
“Thus, fructose induces alterations in both hepatic [liver] metabolism and central nervous system energy signaling, leading to a ‘vicious cycle’ of excessive consumption and disease consistent with metabolic syndrome. On a societal level, the treatment of fructose as a commodity exhibits market similarities to ethanol. Analogous to ethanol, societal efforts to reduce fructose consumption will likely be necessary to combat the obesity epidemic.”
Fructose Versus Alcohol: The Dangerous Metabolic Cascade
After consuming an alcoholic beverage, 10 percent of the ethanol gets broken down by the stomach and intestine as a “first pass” effect, and another 10 percent is metabolized by your brain and other organs. The fact that ethanol is partially metabolized in your brain is the reason you experience that familiar “buzz.”
The remaining 80 percent hits your liver, where it must be broken down. This metabolic cascade can be summarized as follows:
Ethanol Metabolism
Your liver converts ethanol to aldehydes, which produce free radicals that damage proteins in your liver.
Some of these aldehydes are converted to glucose, but a large amount of excess citrate is formed in the process, stimulating “junk chemicals” that result in free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (smaller, denser LDL (bad cholesterol) particles that stimulate arterial plaque formation) and triglycerides. A 120-calorie intake of ethanol produces VLDL that are transported to your fat cells and contribute to obesity or plaque formation. This is what leads to the dyslipidemia of alcoholism.
The resulting lipids, together with the ethanol, upregulate enzymes that induce an inflammatory cascade, which in turn causes hepatic insulin resistance, liver inflammation and cirrhosis.
Fat globules accumulate in your liver as well, which can lead to fatty liver disease.
Free fatty acids (FFAs) leave your liver and cause your skeletal muscles to become insulin resistant. This is a worse form of insulin resistance than hepatic insulin resistance and can lead to type 2 diabetes.
After a 120-calorie bolus dose of ethanol, a large fraction (about 40 calories) can contribute to disease.
In nearly every way, fructose is metabolized the same way as ethanol, creating the same cascade of damaging effects in your body. When you consume fructose, 100 percent of it goes directly to your liver to be metabolized. This is why it is a hepatotoxin when consumed excessively – it overloads your liver. Fructose metabolism creates the following adverse effects:
Fructose Metabolism
Fructose is immediately converted by your liver to fructose-1-phosphate (F1P), depleting your liver cells of phosphates.
The above process produces waste products in the form of uric acid. Uric acid blocks an enzyme that makes nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is your body’s natural blood pressure regulator, especially important for the full dilation of the lining of the arteries known as the endothelium. So when it is blocked, your arteries don’t fully dilate, creating a greater burden on your heart and raising your blood pressure – leading to chronic hypertension. Elevated uric acid levels can deposit into soft tissues causing painful inflammation, especially gout.
Almost all of the F1P is turned into pyruvate, ending up as citrate, which results in de novo lipogenesis, the end products of which are FFAs, VLDLs, and triglycerides. The result – hyperlipidemia.
Fructose stimulates g-3-p (activated glycerol), which is the crucial molecule for turning FFAs into triglycerides within your fat cells. The rate of deposition of fat into fat cells is dependent on the presence of g-3-p. The more g-3-p that is available, the more fat that is deposited. Fructose is the carbohydrate most efficiently converted into g-3-p. In other words, fructose is the most lipophilic (fat-producing) carbohydrate.
FFAs are exported from your liver and taken up in skeletal muscle, causing skeletal muscle insulin resistance.
Some of the FFAs stay in your liver, leading to fat droplet accumulation, hepatic insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Insulin resistance stresses your pancreas, which pumps out more insulin in response to rising blood sugar as your cells are unable to get the sugar out of your bloodstream, and this can progress to type 2 diabetes.
As with a bolus dose of ethanol, a 120-calorie bolus of fructose results in a large fraction (again, about 40 calories) that directly contributes to disease.
You can see by comparing the metabolism of fructose with the metabolism of ethanol that they are very similar. In fact, when you compare the metabolism of 150 calories of soda with 150 calories of beer (a 12-ounce can of each), about 90 calories reach the liver in either case. Fructose causes most of the same toxic effects as ethanol because both come from sugar fermentation. Both ethanol metabolism and fructose metabolism lead to visceral adiposity (belly fat), insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
Health Effects of Too Much Fructose Mirror Those of Too Much Alcohol
Dr. Lustig uses the term “liver toxin” to describe fructose, but he’s also careful to note that it’s not fructose per se that is toxic. There are instances when your body can use it, e.g. post-workout or fasting-induced glycogen depletion. The problem is that most people consume so much of it that it turns toxic by virtue of the fact that your body cannot use the excess. It simply gets shuttled into your cells and stored as fat. So it’s the massive doses you’re exposed to that make it dangerous.
In reality the scientific literature shows that fructose may be far worse than ethanol in its wide-ranging negative impact on human health. There are at least 70 adverse health conditions that have been linked to fructose consumption beyond those eight listed above.2
Fructose “Buzzes” The Brain Like Other Narcotics
Fructose and ethanol both have immediate, narcotic effects associated with their dopaminergic properties. In the same way that alcohol can lead to the downward spiral of compulsive overconsumption, fructose tends to generate an insatiable and intense sensation of pleasurable sweetness, often driving us to consume far more than our body can handle; even while it damages multiple organ systems, some Americans consume over a pound of the substance a day, seemingly incapable of recognizing how in exchange for its narcotic-like effects it dramatically reduces both the quality and length of the human lifespan.
Perhaps there is a deeper biological reason behind this devastating fructose fixation? Indeed, in addition to fructose’s dopamine modulating activity there appears to be a fructose-opiate connection embedded deeply within mammalian biology, and which has been the subject of scientific investigation since the late 80′s.
A study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 1988 found that both glucose and fructose were capable of antagonizing morphine-induced pain killing effects, likely due to the direct opioid effects of these sugars or their metabolic byproducts on the central nervous system.3 In fact, the researchers found that fructose was more potent than glucose in accomplishing these effects. Could fructose addiction therefore be even stronger than alcohol? For those who are on the fence about this issue, and still consume large amounts daily, perhaps the best way to find out is trying to remove it entirely and seeing if you go through withdrawal symptoms.
Cancer Group Asks U.S. to Study Sugary Drinks, Obesity
The American Cancer Society’s advocacy affiliate has asked the U.S. Surgeon General to complete an “unbiased and comprehensive report on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages…”
Soda, which is loaded with sugar primarily in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Around 100 years ago, the average American consumed a mere 15 grams of fructose a day, primarily in the form of fruit. One hundred years later, one-fourth of Americans are consuming more than 135 grams per day, largely in the form of soda.
Fructose consumed at this dose our ancestors did, about 15 grams a day, appears to be harmless (unless you suffer from high uric acid levels). However, at nearly fives times that amount, which is what the average American consumes, it becomes a major contributor to obesity and nearly all chronic degenerative diseases. Instead of consisting of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose, many soda brands, including Coke, Pepsi and Sprite, contain as much as 65 percent fructose, nearly 20 percent higher than originally believed.
According to one study, the mean fructose content of all 23 sodas tested was 59 percent – higher than claimed by the industry.4 And several major brands contained HFCS that is 65% fructose. When you consider that Americans drink up to 57 gallons of soda per year,5 this difference in actual fructose content could make a huge difference in your health.
Either way, the call for an unbiased look into what these drinks are really doing to public health is long overdue, especially considering the research that’s already been conducted:
Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children’s Hospital did a study of the effects of sugar-sweetened drinks on obesity in children. He found that for each additional serving of a sugar-sweetened drink, both body mass index and odds of obesity increased.6
The Fizzy Drink Study in Christchurch, England explored the effects on obesity when soda machines were removed from schools for one year. In the schools where the machines were removed, obesity stayed constant. In the schools where soda machines remained, obesity rates continued to rise.7
In a 2009 study, 16 volunteers were fed a controlled diet including high levels of fructose. Ten weeks later, the volunteers had produced new fat cells around their hearts, livers and other digestive organs.8 In addition, their insulin levels increased and insulin sensitivity decreased, which suggests a link to diabetes. A second group of volunteers who were fed a similar diet, but with glucose replacing fructose, did not have these problems.
When it comes to alcohol, I generally define “moderate” alcohol intake (which is allowed in the beginner phase of my nutrition plan) as a 5-ounce glass of wine, a 12-ounce beer or 1 ounce of hard liquor with a meal, per day. As you progress further, I do recommend eliminating all forms of alcohol.
As for fructose, if you want to shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight long-term, and radically reduce (and in many cases virtually eliminate) your risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer, then start getting serious about restricting your consumption of fructose to no more than 25 grams per day. If you’re already overweight, or have any of these diseases or are at high risk of any of them, then you’re probably better off cutting that down to 10-15 grams per day.
Fructose is a staple ingredient in the vast majority of sweetened beverages and processed foods of all kinds, from pre-packaged meals to baked goods and condiments. So the easiest way to keep tabs on your fructose consumption is to ditch processed foods from your diet whenever possible. In the event you want an occasional sweetener, do not resort to artificial sweeteners.
Instead, I recommend using:
The herb stevia (my favorites are the liquid forms that come in flavors like French Vanilla and English Toffee)
Dextrose (pure glucose) (glucose can be used directly by every cell in your body and as such is far safer than the metabolic poison fructose)
And remember, switching to the following “natural” sweeteners will NOT eliminate any of the risks of fructose consumption, as they all contain HIGH amounts of fructose:
Corn, a crop most likely to be genetically modified – with 70 percent of corn engineered simply to drown in Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup – is casting off its GMO contaminants into surrounding waterways, and likely making it into your drinking water.
According to researchers, the insecticides modified into the corn are being detected in streams up to 500 meters away from corn farms, and quite possibly further.
The research was conducted in the states of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, where corn fields are abundant. Scientists found the bacterial protein washed off the corn and directly into the streams. While they won’t say for certain what this means for human health, the consensus is that it can’t be good.
According to U.K.’s Independent, U.S. corn has a gene from the Bacillus thuriengensis (BT) bacterium inserted into it to repel bugs. This gene produced the Cry1Ab protein, which “has insecticidal properties.”
It’s this protein that is being found in the water system.
It’s believed the protein is making its way to the water because of the practice of leaving plant material on the field until the next season. This “no till” method is used because it prevents erosion, but it also provides an opportunity for the potentially dangerous protein to be washed away.
And while the GM corn is a culprit in polluting our waters, research has pointed to GMO farming in general and chemicals like glyphosate for being significant causes of water pollution. One explosive study confirmed that glyphosate, the active ingredient residing in the ever-so-popular Roundup product from Monsanto, is making its way into groundwater across the nation through widespread contamination of aquifers, wells, and springs
Needless to say, this isn’t the first time Bt has been in the news. This spring we reported on a study linking Bt insecticide to the death of human kidney cells.
Despite this and other troubling news about GMO crops, the United States remains steadfast in its protection against agri-giants like Monsanto, preferring to please them rather than protect the people.
In 2009, more than 85% of American corn crops were genetically modified, but that number has likely increased since that time. All the while, other countries in Europe don’t even allow the GMO corn or at the very minimum label food sources that contain GMO ingredients. No similar protections are provided in the United States.
Calorie-free sweetness may confuse the brain into craving more sugar, research suggests.
Want one reason for your beer belly? How about 100 quintillion? That’s about how many bacteria live in your gut. And scientists now believe these bacteria can have a significant impact on your weight.
Consuming high amounts of fructose (a type of sugar), artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols (another type of low-calorie sweetener) cause your gut bacteria to adapt in a way that interferes with your satiety signals and metabolism, according to a new paper in Obesity Reviews. (If you’ve noticed you’ve been feeling tired all the time and gaining weight, your metabolism may be slowing.)
“An evolution of the gut flora to this new sweetener-rich environment has a potential to negatively impact our health,” says Amanda Payne, Ph.D., lead author of the review.
How does that happen? As bacteria in the gut process food, they give off byproducts called short-chain fatty acids. These can be beneficial and serve as energy in the body. But as the sweetener-adapted bacteria thrive and become more efficient at processing large amounts of high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and sugar alcohols, they also produce more and more short-chain fatty acids. (Not to imply that sugar is any better than artificial sweeteners.
In those high amounts, Payne says, short-chain fatty acids decrease satiety signals. “This signaling may cause disruptions in our feeling full and hence prevent us from stopping to eat when we should,” Payne says.
As if overeating isn’t enough, the short-chain fatty acids also promote inflammation in the lining of the gut. Just how? Scientists aren’t yet sure. But they do know that inflammation damages gut tissue and results in leaky gut syndrome. Pleasant as it sounds, it means bacteria leak through that damaged gut tissue into the blood stream and cause further inflammation there. That’s a serious problem that can lead to insulin resistance and an increased risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
This could partly explain the link researchers have found between drinking diet soda and being overweight. In one study, people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had five times the increase in waist circumference over a 10-year period compared to people who didn’t drink any diet soda. There are a few explanations for the findings. Maybe people drink more diet soda because they’re trying to lose weight. Calorie-free sweetness may also confuse the brain into craving more sugar.
As for your gut, at this point it’s not clear if one diet soda a day is less damaging to the gut flora than ten. “I will say from a personal perspective that I don’t drink sodas–diet or regular–and I rarely eat processed foods, especially if they have high-fructose corn syrup listed on their label,” Payne says. Your best bet is to consume products containing these sweeteners in moderation, and drink mostly water. For gut flora to thrive, eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Anthony Gucciardi NaturalSociety High-fructose corn syrup, a ubiquitous ingredient present in processed foods and sugary beverages across the globe, is a well-known health destroyer with ties to conditions like metabolic damage and cancer. Now, scientists have revealed that the substance — oftentimes genetically modified — may also be damaging the brain functions of consumers worldwide.
In fact, the official release goes as far to say that high-fructose corn syrup can make you ‘stupid’. Conducted by the UCLA and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Physiology, the study is the first to demonstrate how a diet heavily concentrated with high-fructose corn syrup can hamper brain functions — particularly those associated with memory and learning.
Andre Evans NaturalSociety Fluoride still has its place in many municipal water supplies and dental products throughout this country – at least that’s what the CDC thinks. The CDC calls public fluoridation one of the foremost health achievements of the 20th century, and yet fluoride is a deadly substance that has been pushed using propaganda.
The main ingredient in rat poison and many pesticides, fluoride is a known toxic substance. It is documented as being used by Nazis as sarin nerve gas, as well as having the ability to mitigate aggression and dissent in prisoners. Interestingly, fluoride is also the main ingredient in Prozac, producing a similar lobotomizing effect on those who use it.
Doctors make ‘too many errors’ when prescribing drugs, GMC review says
By Jonathan Benson,
(NaturalNews) A new review compiled by the U.K.’s General Medical Council (GMC) expresses concern over the alarming number of medication errors caused by general practitioners (GPs) in the U.K. According to the data, as many as 20 percent of patients taking prescription drugs have been victims of at least one medication error per year, and nearly one-quarter of these cases have been severe or fatal. Based on a sampling of 1,200 patients of all ages, a panel found that doctors make more prescription…
By Craig Stellpflug,
(NaturalNews) There is only one kind of immunity and that is natural immunity which is achieved by battling the infectious diseases itself. Vaccination is merely the artificial triggering of temporary responses to manmade pathogens. Vaccines are both harmful and dangerous and are leading to generations of humans with no natural defenses to disease. Vaccines do not provide long-term immunity; only temporary at best. In vaccines, an antigen is injected into the body to produce a reaction and the…
Anthony Gucciardi NaturalSociety Synthetic household cleaners are oftentimes full of hazardous and toxic chemicals that could be endangering the health of you and your family — particularly if you live in a ‘green’ home with very little airflow to the outside world. While some less threatening options do exist at grocery stores, especially organic cleaners, there are ways that you can utilize natural substances around your home to replace your toxic cleaners at very little or no cost.
Here are 5 innovative ways that will help you throw out your old synthetic cleaners and replace them with health-promoting substances:
Anthony Gucciardi NaturalSociety Weight loss surgery is often considered by obese individuals and mainstream doctors despite the serious risk and invasive nature, but researchers have revealed that a natural alternative can be utilized that may be just as effective without the surgery. The substance responsible for the extreme reduction in abdominal fat (described as ‘beer belly fat’) is known as capsaicin, which is actually the ingredient in chili peppers and other spicy food that causes the familiar ‘burning spice’ sensation.
When scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) examined caspaicin, they were amazed to find that the ingredient can naturally lead to fat loss and fight obesity – related diseases with fewer side effects than invasive bariatric surgery options. Published in the journal Digestive Diseases and Sciences, the authors revealed that caspaicin could be a natural method of combating obesity that is nearly as effective as intensive surgeries — and with far less complications and risks.
By PF Louis,
(NaturalNews) During the 1950s and ’60s, there was almost no way to get through puberty acne-free. Then the magnitude of acne-faced teens dissipated. Now acne, also known as pimples or zits, seems to be making comeback. As acne becomes more prevalent so are the pharmaceutical solutions dispensed by dermatologists. You know, the folks who say sunshine will cause skin cancer and recommend you lather up with those carcinogenic sunscreens. If you or someone you know is concerned about the presence…
Five-step emotional cleanse for stress reduction and disease prevention
By Mike Bundrant
(NaturalNews) Every bit as important as physical detoxification, an emotional cleanse will free your mind and body in ways you can’t imagine prior to doing it. It isn’t always easy, but I have never met anyone who followed the protocol and regretted doing it. Beyond the immediate personal benefits, emotional cleansing may prevent the onset of disease, as there are scientific links between chronic emotional angst or stress and the major diseases of today. One Harvard study of 1,305 men with an…
The spring and summer months bring thunderstorms, and if you have a storm-phobic dog, I’m sure you’re not looking forward to them.
Depending on your pet’s experience with storms, as well as the force of any given storm, your dog might simply find a place to hide.
Or he might have a more dramatic reaction (for example, running away or trying to chew his way out of his crate or through a door).
Some reactions are more unsettling than others, but regardless of your dog’s response to a storm, it’s difficult to know your pet is feeling terrified and you don’t know what to do to calm him.
How Some Pet Food Companies Are Responding to Consumer Demands
By Dr. Becker
According to industry experts, pea fiber is increasingly used in place of beet pulp and wheat, corn and soy fibers in pet foods – apparently to answer consumer demand for dog and cat food formulas with fewer cheap fillers.
Let’s take a closer look at this latest peculiar entry in the pet food ingredient follies.
One of the newest odd ingredients showing up in commercial pet foods lately is pea fiber. It’s apparently replacing other fillers like beet pulp and wheat/corn/soy fiber to answer consumer discontent with low quality pet food ingredients.
There are two types of pea fiber available on the market. Both contain a very high amount of insoluble fiber. Both are very low in fat, high in crude fiber, and low in protein.
Pea fiber is used in pet food as a “functional” fiber. Functional fibers are non-digestible carbohydrates that have been isolated from foods. They aren’t the same as the dietary fiber found naturally in foods like vegetables.
Pea fiber is a filler added to inexpensive mass-marketed pet foods for a variety of reasons, none of them having to do with appropriate nutrition for dogs and cats.
Gorgeous little Cosmo moved from the garden right into his new family’s heart.
Using the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) to Heal Pets
By Dr. Becker
The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, was originally developed for people.
It’s a healing method that operates on the body’s energy system rather than on the body itself.
Unlike massage or acupressure therapy which involves applying a certain amount of force to certain areas of the body, EFT uses a light tapping or touching technique.
The goal of tapping is to send healing energy pulses from the fingers and hands to the body’s energy system.
EFT also involves using intention and focus to direct healing energy to the problem being worked on.
The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, was developed for people as a healing method that uses the body’s energy system to achieve positive results.
EFT for animals uses precisely the same technique, but it doesn’t involve tapping on your pet. It involves ‘proxy tapping’ after you’ve connected your energy system with your pet’s.
The wonderful thing about proxy tapping is you can do it from anywhere – you don’t even have to be in the same room with the animal you’re working on. You can use it with wildlife and other people’s pets.
EFT for animals is essentially a 3-step process: tuning in, the set up, and tapping. Tapping involves starting and ending with the heart center, and tapping 14 specific points in between.
EFT is a harmless, natural, non-invasive therapy to help animals heal, but it should be used in conjunction with – not in place of – routine veterinary wellness exams.
Barbara Frederickson speaks on the power of positivity as part of the Religious and Psychological Well-Being Templeton Lecture Series at Boston University’s Danielsen Institute. In her three-part lecture, How Positivity Seeds Character Development, Spiritual Transformation, and Lifestyle Change, Frederickson details how positive thoughts and emotions can broaden a person’s perspective and transform his or her life for the better.
Hosted by Danielsen Institute on February 20, 2010.
The Cornucopia Institute is challenging what it calls a “conspiracy” between corporate agribusiness interests and the USDA that has increasingly facilitated the use of questionable synthetic additives and even dangerous chemicals in organic foods. In its new white paper, The Organic Watergate, Cornucopia details violations of federal law, ignoring congressional intent, that has created a climate of regulatory abuse and corporate exploitation.
When Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 it set up an independent advisory panel, the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) that, uniquely, has statutory power. Any synthetic input or ingredient used in organic farming or food production must be reviewed by the NOSB to assure that it is not a threat to human health or the environment.
At the NOSB meeting in Savannah, Georgia last year, a giant Dutch-based multi-national conglomerate, Royal DSM N.V./Martek Biosciences, partnered with the nation’s largest dairy processor, Dean Foods, to muscle through approval of DHA/ARA synthetic nutrient oils. The additives, derived from genetically mutated algae and soil fungus, are processed with petrochemical solvents, grown in genetically engineered corn, and formulated for use in infant formula, dairy and other products with a myriad of other unreviewed synthetic ingredients.
“All these elements of the Martek Biosciences products, along with outstanding safety and efficacy concerns, made them inappropriate and illegal in organics,” said Charlotte Vallaeys, Director of Food and Farm Policy for Cornucopia. “So after witnessing this travesty, we decided to take a closer look at how other synthetic additives have been approved for use in organic foods in the past.”
What The Cornucopia Institute investigation found is disturbing to many organic industry stakeholders. The Cornucopia report charges the USDA with “stacking” the NOSB with agribusiness executives that all too often have “sold out” the interests of organic farmers and consumers.
“The organic community came together and actually asked the government, in order to maintain a level playing field and organic integrity, to regulate our industry,” said Mark A. Kastel, Codirector of The Cornucopia Institute. “How many other industries have ever asked the federal government for tough regulations and enforcement?”
In order to placate concerns of federal involvement in the nascent organic industry, Congress specifically earmarked the majority of the 15 seats on the NOSB for farmers, consumers, scientists and environmentalists as a way to balance the power of commercial interests involved in organic food manufacturing, marketing and retail sales.
“Many in the industry generally thought this system of shared power, with regard to synthetics in organics, was working until we received a wake-up call at the NOSB’s meeting late last year in Savannah, Georgia,” Kastel noted.
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Are Synthetic Chemicals Distorting The Hormonal Balance Of Human Gender And Sexual Identity?
Cases of accelerated puberty in young girls and the “transgender” phenomenon are occurring with increasing frequency.
We are seeing accelerated puberty in young girls , alarming increase in men with extremely low sperm counts, recently. As well as a transgender phenomenon growing at an unprecedented pace. Endocrinologist have found out that endocrine disruptor found in man made common chemicals like DES, dioxin, PCBs, DDT , plasticizers. As well as on many other chemicals we use daily could very well be responsible for this unusual phenomenon. Endocrine disruptors become lodged in the fatty tissues. Becoming impossible for our bodies to eliminate them as they are insoluble in water. They also have a cumulative effect over the course of a lifetime.
Endocrine disruptor interfere with the endocrine glands responsible for releasing hormones into the bloodstream. They control various organs of the body and maintain a harmonious balance for optimal health. The endocrine glands are the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and testicles. Developing fetuses and infants are are more vulnerable to endocrine disruptors.
In the 50s and 60s physicians prescribed a synthetic estrogen called diethylstilbestrol (DES)to pregnant women to prevent miscarriages. It was later found to contain endocrine disruptors. Over five million women were affected by this drug. Miscarriages,spontaneous abortions, premature births ,birth defects of the the uterus,ovaries, compromised immune systems,undescended testicles , malformed sperm in boys,chronic depression and other psychiatric disorders were reported. Use of estrogen has be found to caused breast cancer in some women.
A study done in the Potomac River in 2000 found 80 percent of the male fish collected had become feminized and their sex organs were not producing sperm. Scientists concluded that pollution in the river must have had something to do with it. Scientist have proven that large pesticide spills in lake Apopka, Florida was responsible for declining alligator populations. Investigations revealed endocrine disruptor in the bodies and eggs of the alligators. A similar type of spill occured in the Great Lakes area but this time the chemical being a polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) spill. Birds feeding on fish in this area have shown similar dysfunctions as the alligators. People who consumed fish from this lake developed thyroid problems. The offspring of women who consumed fish from this area suffered from lower birth weight with smaller craniums and were found to scored lower on IQ tests.
Plastic bottles commonly used to store water and beverages contained substances known as phthalates which are considered to be potent endocrine disruptors. These chemicals can leach into the beverage it contains. Particularly when the bottle is subjected to heat or the beverage is acidic. Viinclozolin,a fungicide used on fruit, blocked testosterone signals in males. Animals exposed to bisphenol-A and other phthalates have been found to become hyper and agitated. This endocrine disruptor could cause irreversible damage and stunted brain development.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on new research showing that beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, worsening conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer.
(CBS News) If you are what you eat, then what does it mean that the average American consumes 130 pounds of sugar a year? Sanjay Gupta reports on new research showing that beyond weight gain, sugar can take a serious toll on your health, worsening conditions ranging from heart disease to cancer. Some physicians go so far as to call sugar a toxin.
The following script is from “Sugar” which aired on April 1, 2012. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the correspondent. Denise Schrier Cetta and Sumi Aggarwal, producers.
The chances are good that sugar is a bigger part of your daily diet than you may realize which is why our story tonight is so important. New research coming out of some of America’s most respected institutions is starting to find that sugar, the way many people are eating it today, is a toxin and could be a driving force behind some of this country’s leading killers, including heart disease.
As a result of these findings, an anti-sugar campaign has sprung up, led by Dr. Robert Lustig, a California endocrinologist, who believes the consumption of added sugars has plunged America into a public health crisis.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Is sugar toxic?
Dr. Robert Lustig: I believe it is.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Do you ever worry that that’s– it just sounds a little bit over the top?
Dr. Robert Lustig: Sure. All the time. But it’s the truth.
Dr. Robert Lustig is a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California, San Francisco and a pioneer in what is becoming a war against sugar.
Motivated by his own patients — too many sick and obese children – Dr. Lustig has concluded that sugar, more than any other substance, is to blame.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: What are all these various diseases that you say are linked to sugar?
Dr. Robert Lustig: Obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease itself.
Lustig says the American lifestyle is killing us.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: And most of it you say is preventable?
Dr. Robert Lustig: Seventy-five percent of it is preventable.
While Dr. Lustig has published a dozen scientific articles on the evils of sugar, it was his lecture on YouTube, called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” that brought his message to the masses.
[YouTube Video: I'm standing here today to recruit you in the war against bad food.]
By “bad food” Dr. Lustig means the obvious things such as table sugar, honey, syrup, sugary drinks and desserts, but also just about every processed food you can imagine, where sugar is often hidden: yogurts and sauces, bread, and even peanut butter. And what about the man-made, often vilified sweetener, high fructose corn syrup?
Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Is it worse than just table sugar?
Dr. Robert Lustig: No. ‘Cause it’s the exact same. They are basically equivalent. The problem is they’re both bad. They’re both equally toxic.
Since the 1970s, sugar consumption has gone down nearly 40 percent, but high fructose corn syrup has more than made up the difference. Dr. Lustig says they are both toxic because they both contain fructose — that’s what makes them sweet and irresistible.
Sugar Is Not Poison, But We’re Getting Too Much of It
by Dan Flynn
Sugar is the toxin responsible for most of today’s health problems, a California endocrinologist who conducts research for the American Heart Association, told the television magazine program 60 Minutes Sunday.
The University of California’s Dr. Robert Lustig said obesity, type II diabetes, hypertension and heart disease can all be blamed on Americans consuming too much sugar.
The 60 Minutes segment, with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta playing the part of the on-air reporter, said new research is “starting to find that sugar, the way many people are eating it today, is toxic and could be a driving force behind some of this country’s leading killers, including heart disease.”
An ongoing, five-year research project at the University of California – Davis, by nutritional biologist Kimber Stanhope, also got mention because it appears to be showing that high fructose corn syrup intake is linked to heart disease and stroke. Midway through, the research also suggests calories from added sugars differ from other calories.
Gupta said the belief that a calorie is a calorie is a “mantra” of nutritionists. He also said the scientists involved in the research are personally eliminating all added sugar from their diets. Added sugars are sweeteners added to processed and prepared foods and beverages.
Examples of added sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maple syrup, pancake syrup, fructose sweetener, liquid fructose, honey, molasses, anhydrous dextrose, crystal dextrose and dextrin…..
Five easy ways to detox lymph nodes and boost your immune system
By Paul Fassa,
(NaturalNews) Everyone knows a sedentary life style, whether as a couch potato, office worker or vehicle operator, is not conducive to good health. If one is ambitious, with enough time he or she will exercise andfocus on the heart, lungs, and/or muscles. The lymph system needs to be worked also. It is the sewage system for cellular metabolic toxins. Lymph nodes provide antigens for purifying fluids containing anything from allergens to cancer cells. That fluid is called lymph. There is more lymph…
Funny how memories of hurtful occasions from our childhoods have a way of resurfacing. Actually they are not funny at all, but they might be a gift. Whenever you recall a time when you were sick as a child or if a less than pleasant childhood memory pops into your head you have the opportunity to mentally or emotionally go back in time and offer that child some healing. Use those precious moments to reach out to that inner child of yours and offer a smile, a pat on the head, a big ‘ol bear hug, or whatever feels right–how about reading a story to your inner child?
Vitamin B5 is a vitamin often referred to as pantothenic acid. Found naturally in many foods, vitamin B5 is also available in supplement form. Proponents claim that taking vitamin B5 supplements offers a variety of health benefits.
Uses for Vitamin B5
Vitamin B5 is touted a natural remedy for a number of health conditions, including:
Health Basics: The 11 most toxic vaccine ingredients and their side effects
By S. D. Wells,
(NaturalNews) It’s been only 70 years since World War II, and the mad scientists from companies like I.G. Farben, BASF, Hoechst, Dow and Bayer, who created the gas chambers and tested dangerous vaccines on innocent Jews, didn’t just go away. In fact, they went to work for U.S. corporations and pharmaceutical companies that run the vaccine industry today. At least a dozen of these cold blooded killers were hired fresh out of prison, just 4 to 7 years after the Nuremberg trials found them guilty of…
FDA admits in court case that vaccines still contain mercury
By Ethan A. Huff,
(NaturalNews) It is a common myth today that the vaccines administered to children no longer contain the toxic additive thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative linked to causing permanent neurological damage. But a recent federal case involving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has revealed that, contrary to this widely-held belief, thimerosal is actually still present in many batch vaccines, including in the annual influenza vaccine that is now administered to children as young as six…
Pfizer execs to stand trial for cover-up of drug trial results
By Ethan A. Huff,
(NaturalNews) Four former executives at Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest drug company. — Henry McKinnell, John LaMattina, Karen Katen, Joseph Feczko — as well as Gail Cawkwell, Pfizer’s current Vice President of Medical Affairs, will all face trial for allegedly concealing the unfavorable results of drug trials involving Celebrex and Bextra. Courthouse News Service (CNS) reports that U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain has denied requests made by defendants to dismiss the case, which means all…
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Fluoride still has its place in many municipal water supplies and dental products throughout this country – at least that’s what the CDC thinks. The 
Synthetic household cleaners are oftentimes full of hazardous and toxic chemicals that could be endangering the health of you and your family — particularly if you live in a ‘green’ home with very little airflow to the outside world. While some less threatening options do exist at grocery stores, especially organic cleaners, there are ways that you can utilize natural substances around your home to replace your toxic cleaners at very little or no cost.
