Alnatural Health Blog

ARE YOU AN UNRECOGNIZED ADDICT?

What is the most common addition in the western world alcohol, tobacco? No, there is growing scientific evidence that sugar affects the brain in the same way as heroin and morphine. It stimulates the beta endorphins receptors of the brain producing a “high”. When rats were given sugar laden water over time they increased there water intake and lessened their food. Perhaps they just have a sweet tooth? When they were given a drug that blocked that the opoid receptors in the brain they exhibited the same withdrawal symptoms as heroin addicts. Check out Wikipedia for an interesting article on the subject. William Duffy, in the Sugar Blues outlines his experience with sugar addition. He was a true addict consuming massive amounts of sugar in everything he ate or drank. When William decided to kick cold turkey within 48 hrs he was overcome by nausea, migraine with exhaustion, sweating, and tremors.

Do an experiment, go to your pantry and fridge and check the label of everything you eat for sugar, or some form of sweetener. Go the supermarket and browse the shelves checking labels. Try and find something without sugar (sucrose), fructose or similar. Why is it in bread, tined vegetables, and other savory things? Macdonald’s have used the sugar addition for some time now very successfully. They will offer a meal below cost knowing that you will buy the sugar laden drink. They also put sugar put in everything they sell knowing that, like the rats in the experiment, you will come back for more. Why do people keep coming back, their addicted?
The history of sugar is interesting. The English colonist made a packet from sugar in the colonies and pushed its consumption heavily. All through history sugar has been a major source of income and has been pushed on the consuming public.

According to the official Proceedings of the Fiji/FAO 1997 Asia Pacific Sugar Conference, “At an average of 50 kg per person per year, Australian sugar consumption exceeds that of European countries at around 40 kg per year, the United States of America at 33 kg and Japan at 20 kg.” That’s a bit less than the body weight of slim, slightly build person. The report states that “The Australian industry is constantly monitoring domestic sugar consumption and attitudes to sugar, and adapts its marketing strategies and educational material as needed.” That relates to “we are continually monitoring the public to see what propaganda we need to put out there to keep the public addicted.”

Kick the habit.
What do we do about it? Become a label reader and only buy sugar free products. Processed food is the second major problem. Kick the habit. Eat only unprocessed, fresh as much as possible. Make a priority to grow what you can yourself. You know what is in it. The soil holds the key. It is impossible to have good health without mineral rich soil. We do not have the minerals in our food anymore because it is not in the soil. This makes nutrient robbing sugar a greater villain, stealing the little nutrition we have left. One way to get the minerals back is to use Celtic Sea Salt freely and sprinkle a little on your soil and water in. Yes, salt on the soil. Sodium Chloride will provide only 2 elements and can kill the soil; Celtic Sea Salt will provide all 84 minerals. Water it down 200:1 and water in. Perhaps I will talk about the mineral deficiency in food and the drastic drop of measured mineral levels seen recently in another post.

Is life killing you?

Health is definitely a lifestyle; unfortunately modern western lifestyle is directly the opposite of a healthy lifestyle. Most people I have worked with experience the most trouble with the fact that healthy living takes more time. Time to exercise, a generation ago most people exercised as part of their normal life. It takes time to cook meals instead of getting a take away or heating up a packaged processed bit of junk food. It takes time to relax and spend time with family. Many people find themselves in an unhealthy life in order to pay the bills and meet the high demands of modern life. There has to a simplifying of life. If we can get off the treadmill, perhaps living on a lower income it needed with fewer conveniences (have you noticed the amount of time and money it takes to keep and purchase all these “labour saving conveniences”?).

Junk and processed food is cheap. Junk is cheap, quality cost money. We are told to eat more fruit and vegetables. We have seen the price of fruit and vegetables go through the roof this year and when we test them we find their mineral levels, even organic, are disgusting low. The only solution at present is grow their own, even if it is few green in a polystyrene box on the balcony of their unit. Better still look at moving to the country. Learn to grow sustainably, finding ways to get the nutrient levels in your food closer to what it used to be. The health of the nation depends on the health of the soil. I believe we are headed for a crisis and we need be ready now. I will try to explain sustainable gardening in another blog.

In short, the underlying problem is that our modern system of living is flawed at the foundation. I hope I am not sounding too negative, but I, like many others see our materialist focus on self-gratification and accumulation of wealth and status will be our downfall. I believe there is hope, but it is not in the present world as it is, but higher things. We have to stop, just long enough to see where we are headed?

Do the Studies reported in the Media really show negative effects of vitamins?

Posted on February 13, 2012 by

Have heard about the ill effects of vitamins in the press lately? Here is a concise review of a couple of them sent to me by BioCeutials, I reproduce it in entirety:

“Recent Negative Research on Vitamins
– Our Conclusions

A handful of research studies have hit the media over the last two weeks, warning of the health risks of vitamin supplements. Unfortunately, main-stream media has a tendency to neglect reporting all of the facts around any issue – especially, it seems, where vitamins are concerned.Fortunately, you can educate your clients about these research studies, and the pitfalls of blindly following the media hype and neglecting to ensure adequate nutrient intake

Two of the main research studies reported recently include a study on vitamin E in men, as well as a study on the use of vitamin and mineral supplements in older women. Difficulties arise, however, when one simply takes the reported results of the research at face value.
For example, the vitamin E study found a statistically non-significant increase in prostate cancer risk in men taking 400IU of vitamin E daily. One problem is that this particular study used a low level of vitamin E in the alpha-tocopherol form only. Other research shows greater benefits from a combination of all eight tocopherol and tocotrienol forms of vitamin E. Numerous other research studies clearly show a benefit of vitamin E in supporting the health of the prostate. To further complicate matters, those in this particular study that took vitamin E combined with selenium showed no increase in cancer risk. Finally, in this study, researchers examined those with a PSA of <4.0mg/mL. This is a relatively high PSA level, with many practitioners now looking towards a ‘healthier’ PSA level of <2.5ng/mL. A PSA of
3.9ng/mL would be considered in the upper end of the typical reference range, and may indicate issues that should be followed up with a more extensive examination of prostate health. Unfortunately, such higher PSA values would have been deemed appropriate for inclusion of the individual in this research study, thereby potentially skewing the final results towards a more negative conclusion.
The research examining the effects of different vitamin and mineral supplements in older women found several supplements (including multivitamins, B6, folic acid, and
several minerals) were associated with an increased risk of mortality. This study too, had multiple flaws. Forms of nutrients were not examined, nor were quantities of nutrients taken. Results of the study were based on self-administered questionnaires, with minimal (at best) information provided as to why women were taking supplements or even around their individual health status before, during, and after the study. For many, supplements are taken once an individual is diagnosed with a specific health condition. If a condition is already present before supplementation, then is the supplement to blame? Another potential issue with this particular research involved the use of supplements prior to commencement of the study. Those who already used vitamins and minerals before the study began, tended towards better health. This relates back to many people beginning to take supplements only after being diagnosed with a health issue, and the effects on negatively skewing the research results.

The main points to consider around research studies such as these, and the unfortunate media hype surrounding them, are the quantities and forms of nutrients examined, the health and age of the population group being studied, lifestyle and dietary factors of participants, what exactly is being reviewed, and associated factors that may contribute to negative study results. The bottom line is that an association does not mean causation.

It is important to discuss the true meaning of studies such as these with your patients, using them to educate patients on the numerous factors that contribute to health and disease, as well as looking at each person as an individual with different needs based on their genetics, diet, lifestyle, and physiology.”

Lingering coughs and Anti Histamines

Persistent coughs

Spring is almost on us and after the horrors of a server winter in many areas we can expect the usual bouts of colds flu. I particularly persistent cough has been common and we may see more of it as we transition into the joys of spring. Anti histamine are commonly used as means of relief when faced with such a nasty that just will not let go.

Allergies

Hay fever suffers watch the approach of this otherwise welcome change in temperature as a multitude of plants pour forth their pollen mist.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines such as Solone a prednisone are commonly prescribed to give relief. Prednisone is synthetic cortisone, an adrenal hormone. See the fact sheet from http://www.medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datasheet/datasheet.htm#P and read about it yourself. Doctors should inform patients, of the side effects but usually don’t bother as it take too much time to try to convince the patient that it is OK. You will notice one of the properties listed is immunosuppressant, not the action you want if it is an infection (or at anytime). They suppress the immunes system in allergy situations, even some herbalists use herbs to do the same thing, instead of giving it the things to nourish and balance it.

Some people have a weakness in the chest making you more susceptible to infection, allergies etc. What is interesting is that it is now found that it is what is in or on the food that people are “reacting” to not the food etc, together with the low food nutrients.

What natural remedies can we use?

Vit C in high doses (1tsp of Dean’s Vitamin C every ½ to 1 hr) anti histamine and can work wonders. May herbs are ant-histamine, but you have to give sufficient doses. Fennel esp. essential oil, basal, ginger is excellent fresh ginger juice or pulp. To give you and idea here is a list of anti-histamine herbs:

Celery, parsley plant, soy bean seed, wheat berries, fennel fruit & root, grapefruit fruit, tomato fruit, potato tubers, parsnip plant, lemon fruit, barley sprouted seedling, fenugreek stem, basil plant, rosemary plant, common thyme plant, all legume leaves, tarragon, carrot leaf, flaxseed leaves, corn stigma, celery seed, cayenne fruit. Yarrow, roman chamomile, Echinacea leaves (any sp), Licorice root, golden seal root, barberry root, Oregon grape root, peppermint leaves, spearmint leaves, Prickly ash; buchu leaves; hyssop plant; Shepard’s purse; catnip plant; common garden sorrel leaves; fig leaves; yarrow plant; mint all plant; white willow bark; common plantain leaf; ginkgo leaves.

Histamine draws water and blood to the area. One lady up north QLD was at a school sports day and a child had an allergic reaction and the lady just gave water and celtic sea salt and the reaction stopped. Seems too simple! If there is not enough water and salt (minerals esp sodium) in an area histamine will be produced to bring water.

As soon as you feel something coming on cut out all sweeteners, natural and other wise (inc fruit), Experiment with removing grains and all yeast (we have found mold organisms are on wheat and sour dough cultures are going bad, we ozonate our wheat.) I do this as a general rule for all infections. Candida has been well recognized as causing allergies for years, now we have far worse organisms. There is a persistent cough reported that people cannot throw off. Some live blood analysis practitioners are reporting that they are finding mycoplasma in the nucleus of the immune cells, something not seen before. That means it is altering the DNA making it hard to get rid of. Mycoplasma is a cell wall deficient organism meaning it is hard to see. Licorice root is excellent to sooth the mucus membranes and anti-inflammatory, Garlic, don’t be afraid to hit it hard. Most of the culinary herbs are good for infections, especially thyme (very powerful), coriander. Peppermint oil is excellent too, reduces spasms, and calms irritated membranes. But please be sure you only use it in something such as a little soy milk or coconut cream.