9 Strategies to Improve Memory

Like many other bodily functions, memory declines as we age. Those first signs of slipping memory can be a little alarming, especially if you know the dreariness of that route. You may first see it in your 40s, sometimes even younger, with declining memory symptoms like slower facial recall, where you left your keys or what was the number you were supposed to call. How many times did you go to a supermarket and wondered what groceries were you supposed to buy? Wait! You forgot your grocery list at home.

These episodes are often dismissed as harmless and may simply be the result of increased stress, but while it’s normal to forget things on occasion, it’s a pattern to watch. 

Gerontologists, psychologists, longevity researchers, and the makers of natural memory supplements like the Brain Pill, believe it’s important to keep your brain active. Use it or lose it. This is how simple it actually is.

To stay mentally agile into old age you have to challenge your memory daily! Although not a muscle, your brain needs a workout just like the muscles of your body. And just like any other body organ, it also needs specific nutrition to support and retain its function. So, what can you do right now?

Here are nine strategies that can help boost your memory:

1. Use Your Memory Daily – Your brain needs a workout just like the rest of your body. Try crosswords, for example, or read a section of the newspaper you’d normally skip. You might also take a different route to work, for example, or learn another language, or how to play a musical instrument.
2. Socialize – You’re not an island, darling. Depression and stress can both lead to dramatic decline of memory, which is why you’ll want to socialize often – especially if you live alone. Be with others and take them up on their invitations. Join a club, take dancing lessons, start a poetry circle. Anything. Just get social. Life gets better when you do.
3. Organize Your Life – You lose points with a cluttered home because you’re more likely to misplace stuff and forget where you put it. Make lists and notes of appointments and things to do in a special notebook or your calendar, or create a large board where you write down or pin important appointments and things you need to do. Or, if you are more comfortable with the technology, download an app on your iPod and write down what needs to get done. Speak it out loud too, to reinforce it in your memory, and check-off your tasks when completed.
4. Stay Focused - This is very important! Try to stay focused on the task at hand and limit distractions. Multi-tasking is great, but when your memory is in trouble, one thing at a time is better. You’re more likely to recall information if you concentrate specifically on that one thing rather than all the many things you were trying to accomplish at the same time. In other words, focus on what you want to remember later and you will recall it faster when needed.
5. Get Enough Sleep  – Shut-eye helps your memory!  Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep each night so make time for adequate rest. Go to bed earlier if you have to and work on your sleep hygiene. You will be surprised.  Your recall will improve with time and you will remember more stuff the next day.
6. Eat Healthy Food – Do you see any pattern here? Your brain likes healthy living. That extends to your diet, with plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Opt for high quality protein, like fish and poultry. Drink plenty of water too, refrain from drugs and watch the alcohol intake. Consult a certified nutritionist for an optimal brain supporting nutrition plan and learn what foods support the memory function.
7. Exercise Daily – Exercise boosts blood flow throughout your body and to the brain. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, you need at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like walking) each week, or 75 minutes of something with greater intensity, like jogging, although even a few 10 minute brisk walks per day will make a difference.
8. Watch Your Health – Chronic conditions can affect your memory, to say nothing about the rest of your health and well-being. Follow your doctor’s recommendations, be it for depression, your heart, kidneys, or anything else in your medical history. Review your medications often with your doctor as well since some medications can reduce your memory. As your fitness level improves you may need less and less medication. Lose weight if needed and have your blood tested for nutrient deficiencies. Take nutritional supplements to support healthy diet. 
9. Add Nutritional Supplements - Even people whose nutrition and diet are normally healthy, need to take nutritional supplements as they age. To function properly the brain needs Omega-3 fatty acids; B vitamins, especially folic acid, B6 and B12; antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, and the coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10); magnesium; herbal supplements such as Huperzine A, vinpocetine, ginseng, and ginko biloba; and nutraceuticals such as the virgin coconut oil and turmeric.  

If your memory is getting worse, get the Brain Pill!

We can’t end an article on how to improve your memory without mentioning natural memory supporting supplements like the Brain Pill. No matter how good and healthy your diet is, you need specific nutrients to support your aging brain. Nutritional supplements are like rocket fuel for your brain. The Brain Pill is a cognitive booster with clinically proven nootropics like cognizine, vinpocetine and ginkgo biloba, that are known to increase alertness and the blood flow in your brain.

Studies suggest that the ingredients in Brain Pill enhance memory and may even prevent memory loss. Better memory is linked to higher cognitive function. Your brain is more efficient with a sharp memory. Your intelligence improves and you retain the ability to stay independent well into old age. 

The Brain Pill will help you

• Boost Memory
• Increase Cognitive Skills
• Have Faster Recall of Facts
• Focus Better
• Enhance Brain Power
• Perform Under Pressure
• Have Better Problem-Solving Skills
• Eliminate Brain Fog and More

Try the Brain Pill (Affiliate link) to improve your memory and follow the memory-boosting tips we’ve discussed in this article. Your memory will love it and people will be surprised to see the new, sharp you.

Article based on information provided by the Brain Pill website (Affiliate link)



*This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Health Benefits of Lithium Orotate

The first time I heard about lithium orotate was five or six years ago in South Africa. I had a friend who suffered from severe mood swings and depression and suggested that she should try this nutritional supplement that was already popular in South Africa. She declined and delivered herself into a psychiatric care. I have never heard from her again.

It is not my intention to judge anyone, but to this day I do not understand why would my friend opt for heavy psychotropic drugs instead of trying to balance brain chemistry naturally.

There are many natural supplements that can help improve mood and prevent depression. One such versatile supplement is lithium orothate that was first formulated by the famous German orthomolecular scientist and physician, Dr. Hans Nieper. 

What Is Lithium Orotate?

An alkali metal related to sodium and potassium, lithium has been traditionally used within allopathic medicine to treat mental imbalances such as anxiety and depression. However, there are many side effects to taking this strong mineral, as the body poorly absorbs the standard forms of lithium carbonate. That is, until lithium orotate was discovered.

Lithium orotate offers superior bio-utilization for the human body, allowing the mineral to penetrate the mitochondria, glia and lysosomes that exist within the intracellular structures of our cells. The mineral stabilizes these lysosomal membranes, slowing the enzymatic reaction that leads to many of the negative side effects of other forms of lithium salts. 

Most people are unaware that lithium is not a drug, but is a naturally occurring mineral from the earth. Just like calcium and potassium, lithium is something that every human body requires for mental and physical health.

Many people are familiar with the pharmaceutical forms of lithium (lithium carbonate and lithium citrate), these aforementioned chemical extracts used to treat mania and depression. 

Lithium orotate is very different than the other forms of the mineral. Whereas pharmaceutical drug forms of lithium require high doses to penetrate our cells, lithium orotate is only needed in extremely small serving size, considering the fact that a massive amount of the mineral penetrates the cell (approximately 97%). The other great news is that unlike its pharmaceutical counterparts, lithium orotate is non-toxic, safe, has little to no side effects, and works on 70% to 80% of people who use it.

Health Benefits of Lithium Orotate

• Brain Protection - Studies show that the mineral lithium can actually rejuvenate and build the grey matter nerve cells in the brain by up to three percent.
• Anti-Aging Effects - Small amounts of lithium orotate have been shown to offer anti-aging effects to the brain
• Neuroprotection From Environmental Toxins - Lithium has been shown to protect the system from numerous toxins, particularly in the grey matter of the brain.

Other lithium benefits include:

• Lyme Disease
• Low white blood cell counts
• Juvenile convulsive disease
• Alcoholism and liver disorders
• Pain associated with migraine and cluster headaches
• Hyperthyroidism and other thyroid diseases: Studies show that lithium may aid in the even distribution of iodine.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), as well as a general stress reducer.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and aggression: Studies show that individuals taking Lithium experienced lowered levels of rage and anger, as well as improved memory.
• Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
• In the reduction of myopia (nearsightedness) and glaucoma: Dr. Hans Nieper found that glaucoma patients could benefit from the dehydrating effect of lithium on the eye, offering patients vision improvement and a lowering of intraocular pressure.
• Bipolar disorder: Orotates may lessen effects of manic or depressive episodes. Lithium has been shown to serve as an effective mood balancer in 70-80 percent of bipolar patients.
• Depression: the therapeutic serving of lithium orotate is 150 mg/day. This is compared to 900-1800 mg of the prescription forms. In this range of lithium orotate, there are no adverse side effects and no need for monitoring blood serum measurements.

Precaution

Do not attempt to self-medicate a mental imbalance with lithium orotate. Speak with your health care provider for more information. Pregnant and nursing women should not take any type of lithium supplement. 

Also, lithium should not be taken by those with renal or cardiovascular diseases, severe dehydration or exhaustion, sodium depletion, or in individuals using any form of diuretics or ACE inhibitors.

By Dr. Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM

Information about lithium orotate courtesy of the Global Healing Center

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

How to Break Sugar Addiction

Sugar consumption is on the rise all over the world. This fact has horrendous implications since the metabolic syndrome, obesity, Type 2 diabetes in adults, and alarmingly early onset of Type 2 diabetes in children, are only few consequences of sugar consumption.

Scientists have demonstrated that refined sugar is a highly addictive substance. One study found that the extremely sweet taste can surpass the cocaine reward even in people who are addicted to heavy drugs. In another study scientists demonstrated that quitting sugar can be as difficult for some people as quitting nicotine or alcohol.

Are you addicted to sugar?

Addicts seldom admit that they have a problem and often find justification for their behavior.

• Do you always eat dessert? 
• Do you always have to have something sweet in your house?
• Do you make excuses to take just one more piece of that delicious cake?
• Do you struggle to say no when you are offered something sweet? 
• Do you have sugar "attacks" where you feel you must have something sweet or you will not make it? 

If you eat sweets on regular basis try to give them up for a day or two and see what happens. If you develop headaches and mood swings the chances are that you are addicted.

A few years ago one of my favorite nutritionists, Patrick Holford, devised clever nutritional strategies for people who wished to quit their addictions. 

Quitting any kind of addiction is not an easy process. The withdrawal symptoms are often unbearable and can make it difficult for anyone to give up the stuff he or she is addicted to - be it nicotine, alcohol, caffeine, heavy drugs or even sugar. While drugs or alcohol are considered harmful to our health, sugar addiction is often trivialized, neglected or not even recognized as such. Worse, many people do not even know that sugar is harmful to health. Many do not know that they are addicted.

What is sugar?

Sugar is the generalized term used for sweet, short-chain, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food to sweeten and improve the taste. They are composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. Together with starches and fiber, sugars belong to the class of carbohydrates that are necessary to provide energy and regulate protein and fat metabolism, among others.

All sugars are either monosaccharides (simple sugars) or disaccharides. Simple sugars are easily and quickly digested and utilized by the human body, but there is a difference in the way liver processes glucose and fructose. (This is a vast subject that requires another article.) Disaccharides such as sucrose or the common white table sugar, on the other hand, require enzymes in order to be converted into simple sugars that are then utilized by the body.

Sucrose, which is composed of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, is found in sugar beets, sugar cane, sorghum, maple syrup, molasses, and pineapple. It is composed of one molecule of fructose and one molecule of glucose and can be metabolized in a healthy body.

Sucrose is used extensively to sweeten food and beverages, but even people who do not add sugar to their diet may be consuming large amounts of so called "hidden" sugar that is added by the food industry into ever growing amount of foods. Salad dressings, mayonnaise, ketchup, peanut butter, baby formula, bread, sausage, luncheon meat, etc. all have sugar added to them.

Addiction to sugar begins very early in life and is constantly reinforced by millions of dollars spent on advertising all over the world by the food industry. Average person living in America consumes more than one hundred fifty pound of sugar per year! It is estimated that only thirty pounds come from sugar that people are consciously adding to their food. The remaining amount comes from industrially produced foods and drinks.

Why should you quit sugar:

• Sugar can make you fat! Sweets and foods with added sugar deliver incredible amount of empty calories and no fiber or nutrients to keep you nourished and satiated. As soon as you had your sweet fix you normally crave for more. You not only eat more calories than you can burn, but sugar promotes belly fat that once there is probably the most difficult to lose.
• Excess sugar consumption has the same toxic effect on liver as does alcohol. In fact, increased sugar consumption had the same detrimental effect on health as the consumption of alcohol and could be responsible for hypertension, myocardial infarction, insulin resistance, obesity, malnutrition, liver disease, and pancreatitis.
• Sugar suppresses the release of  the human growth hormone or HGH. Consumption of sugar, especially within two hours after workout, causes hypothalamus to release the inhibitory hormone somatostatin. Somatostatin from the hypothalamus inhibits the pituitary gland’s secretion of the HGH and the thyroid stimulating hormone. 
• Sugar disrupts the immune system. In the 1970s the Noble Prize winner Dr. Linus Pauling discovered that the vitamin C increases the body's ability to fight infections. He also found that sugar inhibits this ability. In order to be able to fight bacteria and viruses, our white blood cells must accumulate vitamin C at the 50-fold concentration all the time. Vitamin C is constantly being moved through the cell membranes into the white blood cells all over your body. Dr. Pauling discovered that glucose, which has similar chemical structure as the vitamin C, can replace vitamin C concentration in the white cells. In fact, when blood sugar rises to 120 after a consumption of cakes, candies or sodas, the ability of white cells to fight infections decreases by about 75%! Moreover, it can take up to six hours to restore optimal levels of vitamin C in the white blood after consumption of sugar.
• Sugar can increase risk of cancer. Researchers have found that sugar in the intestine triggers the formation of a hormone called GIP. GIP is controlled by a protein called β-catenin that depends entirely on sugar levels in the body. This in turn, increases insulin released by the pancreas. Researchers found that there is a strong correlation between β-catenin and the cell's susceptibility to cancer formation. Moreover, research also shows that high sugar consumption lowers the survival chance of breast cancer and colon cancer patients.
• Sugar can damage your heart and shorten your life. In 2013 the Journal of American Heart Association has published a study confirming that sugar affects pumping mechanism of the heart and can potentially increase the risk of heart failure. Researchers found that a glucose metabolite called glucose 6-phosphate (G6P) that is derived from sugar and from starch was responsible for the changes in the muscle protein of the heart. These changes could eventually lead to heart failure. 
• Sugar contributes to premature aging. When sugar enters your system it has the tendency to bind to fats and protein molecules in your body. This process is know as glycation. It results in the production of advanced glycation end products known as AGEs. These molecules cause damage to connective tissues and are responsible for chronic inflammation. But AGEs are not only responsible for processes that are "hidden" deep inside our bodies. They also are the cause or visible aging. Collagen and elastin are the proteins in skin that are responsible for the health and youthful appearance. These proteins are also most susceptible to the glycation process. 

It is probably much easier to enumerate reasons for quitting sugar than to quit this sweet addiction. Like many people I have a very sweet tooth and cannot imagine a festive dinner menu without dessert, but I also know too well that sugar is not good for me. It is enough for me to look into a mirror the next day after I satisfied my sugar cravings the night before. The skin looks inflamed and the joints feel stiff. I know that if I continued eating sweets for another day or two things would get even worse. So I quit for a week or two only to get tempted again.

Young people can recover from the sugar binge much faster and may not even gain weight, but with age the damage done by sugar becomes more obvious and almost irreversible. So, how do we quit sugar cravings?

Sugar craving exist on two levels:

• physiological, where it manifests itself as an addiction to sugar, the chemical substance that affect entire body chemistry
• emotional, where it manifests itself either as craving for comfort and happiness, or as a reward for a particular type of behavior.

To successfully quit sugar we must understand and address both, the physiological and the emotional  dependence on sugar.

If you are addicted to sugar you must understand that there is no one-fits-all solution to addiction. Every human being is unique and will power and self-motivation are not always enough. However, everyone can implement a few simple steps that would gradually re-set the addicted brain and re-program body chemistry.

The Break-Sugar-Addiction Program

The plan involves two aspects of our physiology: brain chemistry and blood sugar balance. Deficiency in certain neurotransmitters, especially serotonin, often leads to sugar craving. Fluctuation in blood sugar leads to cravings and energy crashes.

• The very first step to recovery from sugar addiction is a gradual change of diet. Begin your personal program by conscious reduction of sweets and desserts you consume. Sweets and desserts are the obvious, identifiable sugar sources. This would mean that you have to remove sugar and sweet foods from your pantry and change your shopping habits. Stay clear of cookies, candy, cakes and ice cream, and less sugar to your coffee and tea. Going a cold turkey does not work for everybody so you may need to replace your desserts with sweet fruit that at least has vitamins and minerals, and has a form of sugar that can be digested by the body. Try to replace fast food with high quality protein and add fresh vegetable to your menu. At the same time you should supplement your diet with high quality multivitamin and mineral formula. Vitamins and minerals will help you nourish your body and may help reduce  cravings. In addition you should take a high quality Omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics to restore flora in the intestines.
• Removal of sugar from the diet may cause mood swings, low energy, or headaches. To balance the brain chemistry supplement with L-Tryptophan and 5-HTP. These two supplements will help the brain to produce the mood enhancing serotonin. To support blood sugar balance take a chromium supplement. Also, add sugar-balancing cinnamon to your diet.
• To control sugar cravings supplement with the amino acid L-glutamine. The suggested dose is 500mg 3-4 times a day, best taken on empty stomach about 30 minutes before a meal or when you feel your blood sugar is very low and you feel like having something sweet. The sugar craving vanishes within minutes and you do not even feel jittery or stressed. 

Many nutritionist suggest that we should consume foods that have low glycemic load, or the GL. The GL tells us how a particular food will affect the blood sugar balance. Foods with high GL will cause sugar spikes and cravings. Foods with low GL convert slowly into glucose and encourage body to burn fat. A low glycemic diet will keep you nourished and satiated and will not only help you break your sugar addiction, but also lose weight.

Depending on your current situation you may need to consult a certified health practitioner who will help you break the sugar addiction. A certified nutritionist will help you create a healthy nutrition plan. He or she will also help you clear candida that may also be the cause of your sugar cravings.

If your craving for sugar is mostly emotional you will need to address the underlying emotional issues. Yoga, relaxation and meditation in combination with supplemental magnesium, L-tryptophan and 5-HTP may help a lot, but you may have to see a therapist to understand why your emotional problems are causing addiction. And if you reward yourself with a large piece of cake, you should probably change your strategy. Try a large bowl of fresh strawberries the next time you feel that you need a reward.

By Dominique Allmon

Dominique Allmon©2014

P.S. Many people who wish to break the sugar addiction resort to artificial sweeteners to satisfy their love and craving for the sweet taste. The only artificial sweetener that I would take is stevia. Stevia is made from the leaves of South American plant Stevia rebaudiana. Studies demonstrated that stevia may actually lower blood sugar levels and improve the function of insulin.



*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure a disease.


How to Break Sugar Addiction by Dominiqe Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Why Do We Age?

The fountain of youth - such metaphorical piece of myth that alludes to immortality has been used over and over again on different forms of literature both in the past and in the present. Oftentimes, the fountain of youth's classification as myth is challenged from time to time with some expeditions or travels that claim to have finally found the fountain's location. Nonetheless, this recurring symbol of eternal youth in most forms of literature and art, verifies man's innate affinity with immortality. In our contemporary setting, this longing for immortality is almost within mankind's grasp with the promise of better technologies and sciences in the near future. However, to completely grasp and understand the means of acquiring eternal life or a very long life span in the very least, one must first see the process behind our aging. This question kept many brilliant scientists hell-bent on searching for clues and theories that may answer such relentless query.

Through the course of these scientific explorations on the realm of human aging, scientists were able to come up with a term that refers to the human aging process - senescence. This term refers to a degeneration implication that manifests itself as people get old. Senescence is believed to be the result of a biochemical deregulation that is a natural component of life.

However, the effects of senescence vary among different species. Take for example a bat and a rodent, both of them are classified as mammals and both are of the same size, but a bat generally lives longer than a rodent for the former can live up to 30 years while the latter usually have a life span of only two to three years. However, some animal species such as rockfish, turtles, and lobsters display a certain trait known as the negligible senescence. This trait enables these specific animal species to live through a longer period of time compared to other species. Some of these species can even live for an unbelievable span of 200 years.

Findings through extensive studies that were carried out by various scientists imply that this peculiar trait is a result of evolutionary and genetic factors that rule over these animals' life longevity. However, scientists still find it hard to assimilate this kind of trait to humans and the reason behind it is fairly simple: we humans live under a completely different environment compared to those animals that possess the negligible senescence trait.

The best that we humans can do for now is to first determine the various factors that fuel the process of aging and to address these factors accordingly. One of the most obvious reasons or factors behind aging is stress. In a nutshell, the dynamics of stress simply say that constant beatings and punishments that our bodies take from everyday tasks lead to hormone disturbance which can ultimately lead to cell damage.

Furthermore, the degeneration of the hypothalamus, a gland that resides in your head, is also one of the determining factors of aging. The hypothalamus is solely responsible for setting the "traffic" of various hormones to other glands. Through the course of time, the hypothalamus becomes weary and tends to be inaccurate in releasing proper amounts of hormone to other glands in the human body. This leads to imbalanced hormone levels which cause damage to tissues.

External factors brought about by the environment are also some of the very viable reasons behind the aging process. Environmental harms such as pollution, radiation, contaminants coupled with self induced stress, and poor nutrition inflict damage on human cells. Significant damage is instantly inflicted upon these cells once they are exposed to such harmful external factors. Cells play a very substantial role on the process of aging because they contain valuable information for the human body's development. Whenever a cell reproduces or divides itself, it makes sure that the new cell is of the same level with the previous cell that it originated from. If that previous cell received any slightest form of damaged from the previously mentioned factors, it will then spawn new cells that possess slightly deformed information sets. This will then start a trend of degenerated cells which leads to what is commonly known as the aging process.

Among these scientific theories that deal with the process of aging the Free Radical Theory tends to be the most popular among contemporary American health buffs. This theory suggests that extremely reactive chemicals, which the term free radicals refer to, are responsible for inflicting damage to the human body's tissues. In general, however, these free radicals are not completely bad for the human body for they also serve numerous purposes for the body's development. But what is damaging to the human body, especially to the tissues, is the free radicals' ability to reproduce itself in excessive amounts. Free radicals are endowed with an extra electron which makes them more capable of stealing electrons from other molecules which they tend to do frequently. This act subsequently leads to a very dangerous cycle that can burnout the cells from constantly repairing damaged molecules.

With these various theories that try to decipher the process of aging, certain medical solutions are also devised to combat the inevitable aging ritual. The most common among these medical solutions are taking vitamin C and vitamin E supplements to combat stress and to balance out the damage induced by free radicals in the body. Another effective method is to lessen your average intake of junk foods and substituting it with healthier food choices such as fruits and vegetables.

One means to combat the toll of aging today is through the consumption of high quality HGH or Human Growth Hormone precursors. HGH supplements can help increase energy levels that can make you a lot more productive by enabling you to perform more tasks efficiently. 

HGH supplements can also help to lower cholesterol plus help to improve brain, vision, and immune function. The GenF20™ supplement is, by far, the most advanced dietary supplement that can help with the process of aging. These advances that were made in the light of combating factors that leads to premature aging, can truly give reaffirmation in believing that the fountain of youth that every man longs for is truly within reach.

Article courtesy of GenF20Plus website

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

Image source here

Can Graviola Cure Cancer?

Graviola (Annona muricata)

I would like to start the New Year with an article that may open your eyes to natural cures as a real alternative to conventional medicine.

About six months ago my Spanish neighbor Miranda told me that she was diagnosed with cancer. Her kidneys were infested with tumors and she had six to nine months to live if she underwent the classical anti-cancer therapy that included chemotherapy, surgery and radiation. Her younger brother had the same disease and did not make it.

Miranda is a diminutive, good-natured  lady in her mid-fifties. The diagnosis did not change much of her outlook on life. A Spanish Catholic she decided to put her life into God's hands and was playing with the idea of dying without allowing the horrible chemotherapy to destroy her.

Miranda is a lucky lady. She has at least three natural health "obsessed" neighbors: a therapeutic masseur, and at least two herbal medicine aficionados, one of those using graviola on regular bases as an "insurance" against cancer.

I see Miranda from time to time, but do not have the courage to ask about her disease. She still has her wonderfully thick hair and does not look incredibly sick. In fact, it seems to me that she is somewhat improving. And always smiling!

Another neighbor told me that Miranda decided to change her lifestyle. She decided to detoxify her body and change her nutrition just a bit to begin with. She also works with the masseur next door. She undergoes a massage therapy to calm her nerves and reduce the stress. And, after the herbs-loving neighbor made a suggestion, she is now on graviola for almost five months. The best thing is, her tumors disappeared completely and she is in no need of any conventional anti-cancer treatment!

Each cancer case is individual, each immune system reacts differently to stimulation, but Miranda is the first person I have ever met who recovered from cancer with natural means. 

Graviola fruit also known as soursop or guanabana

For years I kept graviola and few other nature wonders in the back of my mind for the horrible eventuality. If I were ever to be diagnosed with cancer this would be what I would opt for. Knowledge may save your life, I told myself years ago. It can save the lives of others if you share it with them. This is what the other neighbor did and saved Miranda a lot of pain.

I checked the Internet and found that graviola is surrounded by controversy and I advise caution when you decide to use it a s a cure. But one thing must be said, graviola was used by native people of South America to cure many ailments and can be still used to improve one's immune response. Like with any product on the market you must consider the purity of the product and the real content of the herb before you buy a supplement.

~ Health Benefits of Graviola ~ 

Graviola (Annona muricata), also known as soursop, is an evergreen plant native to Central and South America. It grows in Mexico, Cuba, the Caribbean, Colombia, Brazil, and Venezuela, among others. Graviola is also cultivated in parts of Africa and in Southeast Asia.

Graviola plant produces fruits with edible white pulp and indigestible black seeds. The fruit pulp is used to make smoothies, juices and desserts.

The fruit is rich in Vitamin C; B vitamins including B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and folate; minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc; and choline.

A cup of freshly made graviola (soursop) juice in Singapore

Indigenous natural medicine uses all parts of the graviola plant: fruit, bark, leaves, roots, and seeds, and attributes different healing properties to each.

The fruit, for instance, is used to rid the body of the intestinal parasites and worms. It is also used to bring dawn the fever, increase mother's milk after childbirth, cure diarrhea and dysentery. The bark, leaves and roots are used as infusion that is considered to be anti-spasmodic, hypotensive and sedative. Crushed seeds of the fruit are used against internal and external parasites, including worms and head lice. A tea made of leaves is used to control diabetes, strengthen the liver, and calm the inflammation of the mucosa.

Graviola contains many active compounds that have been studied by scientists since the 1940s. Of great interest to scientists is the group of chemicals called Annonaceous acetogenins. Graviola produces these compounds in its leaves, stem, barks and seeds. Three independently conducted studies demonstrated that these compounds have significant anti-tumor properties and selective toxicity against various cancer cells without harming the healthy cells in the body. Many of these acetogenins were selectively toxic to cancer cells at a very law doses. Studies published in 1998 describe active compounds in graviola as having strong anti-tumor, anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-parasitic properties.

While ongoing studies produce even more promising results, there are some who dismiss graviola claiming that there is no successful research proving graviola's efficacy against cancer. Moreover, inferior graviola products are being sold all over the Internet and spectacular claims are being made without much justification by people who take advantage of those who suffer from cancer. 

Like any herb, graviola does not come without side effects and contra-indications. Graviola should not be taken by pregnant women, people with law blood pressure. Since graviola is a potent anti-microbial agent, it can kill off the friendly bacteria in the gut. Supplementation with probiotics may be necessary with prolonged use of graviola products. 

No interaction with pharmaceutical drugs has been reported so far, but since graviola is a cardio-depressant and vasodilator, it may potentiate anti-hypertensive and cardiac depressant drugs. 

Supplementation with CoQ10 during the graviola therapy may render graviola supplements less effective. CoQ10 increases levels of ATP. Graviola, on the other hand, blocks transfer of ATP to cancer cells. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a primary source of intracellular energy. In order to survive, reproduce and grow, a cancer cell needs large amounts of energy. When acetogenins in graviola block the energy flow to a cancer cell, it can no longer grow and is destined to die.

Some alkaloids extracted from the seeds and roots of graviola are neurotoxic and may cause neuronal dysfunction and degeneration leading to symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Their use is not recommended.

Many cancer patients and health practitioners using extracts from leaves and stem of graviola as a complimentary therapy in their cancer protocols. The suggested therapeutic use is 2000-3000 mg to be taken three times a day.

Contact certified health care provider, certified herbalist or certified nutritionist before you choose self medication with graviola supplements.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose, treat or cure a disease.

Selected graviola studies:

• Schultes, R. E. And Raffauf "The Healing Forest: Medicinal and Toxic plants of the Northwest Amazonia." Portand: R. F. Dioscorides Press.1990.
• Branch, L.C. and DaSilva I.M.F. “Folk Medicine of Alter Do Chao, Para, Brazil.” Acta Amazonica 1983; 13 (5/6): 737-797
• Mors, W. B., et. al. "Medicinal plants of Brazil." Algonac, Michigan, Reference Publications, Inc., 2000.
• Morton, J.F. “Caribbean and Latin American Folk Medicine and its Influence in the United States.” Q. J. Crude Drug Res. 1980; 18(2): 57-75.

Health Benefits of Graviola by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Successfully Lose Weight and Keep it Off

 How to make your New Year's resolution to lose weight work for you

As the year comes to its end, many people promise themselves to lose weight in the New Year, especially after they managed to gain some during the Holiday Season. This is a time of New Year Resolutions and we all are in a festive mood. The beginning of a New Year seems to be a perfect time to make a new start and introduce some important changes to one's life. Weight loss is an issue that is becoming acute for many people. According to the latest statistics

• 58 million people in the USA are overweight
• 40 million are obese
• 3 million morbidly obese
• 400,000 people (mostly males) weight more than 400 pounds
  
• the average weight of adult female in the USA is 163 pounds
• 80 per cent of people over 25 are overweight
• obesity among children and adolescents is on the rise
• there is 76 per cent increase in Type 2 diabetes in adults 30-40 years old

Obesity is a major risk factor for many diseases including cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, and Type 2 diabetes.

As we age, our metabolism often slows dawn and it is more difficult to lose weight now than it was when we were in our twenties or thirties. It is important to understand these physiological changes and to adjust our nutrition accordingly. We need to supplement with digestive enzymes to help our system digest the foods we eat. We may have to add herbs and spices that will enhance our digestion and increase metabolism. We need to exercise more and eat less than we used to if we want to keep the weight off and stay fit. We may have to evaluate our emotional relationship with food and take an honest look at our own behavioral patterns. And we need to educate ourselves not only to understand our nutritional needs, but to understand what wrong foods can do to our bodies.

There are many reasons why people become overweight. Here are some:

• unhealthy diet
• overeating
• lack of exercise
• extreme stress
• emotional overeating
• genetic predisposition to obesity
• pre-diabetic state or Type 2 diabetes
• under active thyroid gland
• intestinal parasites
• candida infection
• food intolerance and allergies

Going on a radical diet may be necessary in some cases, however, I do not advocate any long term food deprivation or meal replacements. Initially you may be able to loose some weight with diet pills and drinks, but very often you will gain it back as soon as you revert to your regular daily food. Diet pills may be very appealing as they promise rapid weight loss with very little effort. They may, however, have serious side effects. One may become dependent on pills and lose the ability to properly absorb the nutrients.

If you want to lose weight permanently, you need to change your lifestyle, your relationship with food, and the way you perceive yourself. Changing behaviors that were formed over many years is not very easy and you may need support. Any drastic change is ineffective as it creates stress and resistance to change. Sooner or later you will sabotage your own resolution and return to your comfort zone where you can safely and comfortably indulge in foods that may be making you sick or overweight. The changes you need to implement must be gradual. And you will have to take them one step at the time. You should celebrate your progress and be careful not to add more stress to your life.

 Things to consider if you want to lose weight permanently

• Make a sincere decision to lose weight and commit yourself: explain why it is important for you to lose weight. Write down your reasons for weight loss and keep them in a visible place. This will help you to stay determined.
• Set a realistic goal: it is considered that a healthy way to lose weight is to lose about 2 pounds of fat a week. Taking this into consideration, calculate the weight you want to lose and the period of time you allot yourself to reach your goal. Be as precise as you can. It is not enough to tell yourself that you want to be slim by the time the winter is over. This is too vague. Instead, tell yourself that you want to lose 20 pounds by the 1st April. This is not only a realistic goal, but a way to devise a schedule. You can easily manage weight loss in small "chunks" and watch your progress.
• Create a journal: this is the best way to watch your progress and write down your emotions and observations. Make a food diary and write down what you eat and how you feel about it. As you try to stay on track, you may realize that it is not always easy to lose weight or to stick to the regimen that you designed for yourself. You may experience emotions that are difficult to handle and you may want to write about them. As your appearance changes, you may want to write about your experience.
• Make your decision public: tell your relatives and friends that you intend to lose weight and ask them for support. They will help you watch your progress. This in turn will help you stay committed and motivated on days when you feel like giving up.
• Join a support group: many people tried to lose weight more than once. Meeting and talking to people who have the same goal will help you stay resolved. People who try to lose extra pounds will understand your "struggle". Learning about their success stories will inspire you to succeed.
• Sign up for a gym or a yoga class. Commit yourself to some form of exercise: signing up for a gym or a yoga class will help you not only to lose some calories, but also to increase your overall fitness and cardiovascular health. If you did not exercise for a long time, you may want to start very slowly and you will need a coach who will see to it that you do not injure yourself.
• Learn about food: it is important to reduce your daily caloric intake. Learn what foods deliver empty calories and little nutrients. Learn what the body needs in order to function properly. Learn what are the best foods to deliver these nutrients. Understanding your nutritional needs will help you to chose foods that will support weight loss and a healthy weight in the future.
• Reward yourself: As you follow your regimen and lose weight gradually, you should celebrate your progress and reward yourself. Your rewards should not be related to food. You do not "deserve" a chocolate cake because you lost 5 pounds in two weeks. You must learn to break the pattern of emotional eating. Food is there to nourish your body and not to comfort you, even if some foods are perfect to make feel better in times of distress, for instance. Instead, give yourself an hour in a beauty salon, or an hour of a shiatsu massage. Celebrate with a weekend in a spa or give yourself a new gym outfit. Go for a walk or take another yoga class.

You are only one meal away from being a healthy eater

It takes some time to modify behavior. Your goal is to develop healthy eating habits and to move and exercise more. It is believed that it may take about 21-28 days to recondition and form a new habit. You have to reinforce your new behavior constantly and support it with a new set of beliefs about food and about yourself. Counting calories alone will not help you very much. Remember that you eat to nourish yourself. Choose your food accordingly. Your food must deliver energy, proteins, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, enzymes, and other nutrients that will help your body function properly and stay healthy. Add fruit and vegetable to your diet and eat them raw as often as you can. Choose fish and poultry over red meat and pork, olive oil over butter, whole grain over white bread, an apple over potato chips, frozen yogurt over ice cream. Reduce sugar and fat consumption. Learn about food to understand your dietary needs. Increase your physical activity. Chose to walk more often and spend some active time outdoors. Exercise does not only help you burn excess fat calories. It also works on cellular level. Increased physical activity improves insulin sensitivity. This in turn helps you lose weight gradually as the body is regaining its capability to utilize energy.

Healthy, balanced nutrition and sufficient physical activity are essential if you want to reduce your weight. However, if you objectively feel that even after implementing all these lifestyle changes you are not loosing any weight at all, you may be suffering from an under active thyroid or hormonal imbalance. Women with estrogen dominance have sluggish metabolism, suffer from bloating, and water retention. Another cause of weight gain are intestinal parasites, including candida. You may also have undetected intolerance to some foods that causes systemic inflammation in your body and consequently, weight gain. You may suffer from undetected Type 2 diabetes. Since you cannot determine the cause by yourself, you may have to consult your health care provider who will conduct some tests. It is very important to find out the reason for your weight gain and understand why it is difficult for you to lose weight. Unless you do, you will struggle unnecessarily from one diet to another without much success, but with a serious damage to your health.

You may also want to consult a certified health care provider before you set out on an exercise or a diet plan. Regular monitoring of your health may be necessary if you are very obese or have some health issues. A certified dietitian will help you to determine your metabolic type and your nutritional needs. He or she will devise a nutritional plan for you and help you with your shopping lists. This will take the uncertainty and the stress out of your daily routine. In short time you will be able to develop your own intuition and make your own judgments about the foods you should avoid. A gym or a yoga instructor will devise an exercise program and make sure that you do not injure yourself.

Nutritional supplements for effective weight loss

While you are gradually losing weight and your body is learning to utilize nutrients, you may want to support your weight loss program with natural supplements that will help you enhance your metabolism. Here some supplements you may want to consider:

• Digestive enzymes, especially Lipase, Amylase, and Protease to help digestion of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins
• Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) to help convert food into energy
  
• L-tyrosine to support the thyroid gland and enhance metabolism
• 5-HTP to restore serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin deficiency is associated with carbohydrate cravings.
• Chromium polynicotinate to improve the sugar and fat metabolism
  
• Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) to help decrease body fat
• L-carnitine to assist in energy conversion and speed up metabolism
• CoQ 10 to assist in energy production
• 7-keto DHEA to increase metabolism
• Omega-3 hexane-free fish oil to maintain the production of hormones that are responsible for regulating major body functions, such as digestion, insulin production and the storage of fat in the body.
• Medium Chain Triglycerides (MTCS) to increase metabolism
• Thermogenic herbs such as Garcinia cambogia or green tea to boost metabolism
• Hoodia gordonii to suppress appetite
• Dietary fiber to help digestion and elimination
• L-glutamine to prevent muscle deterioration while on diet
• DMAE to enhance firmness of skin during weight loss

Two very important aspects of a successful weight loss are your determination and motivation to lose weight. If you think you will not be able to do it all by yourself or if you live in an unsupportive environment, you may have to look for a health coach, sign up for a supervised weight loss program, and join a support group. Having the certainty that there is someone who can help you in the moments of self-doubt will help you enormously to stay motivated. You may want to join an exercise group or a healthy-cooking class to get all the support you need. It may also be necessary to seek help from a certified psychotherapist who could help you understand your emotions and your relationship with food. You may even want to consider a hypnotherapy. But whatever you decide to do, promise yourself to make the next year the healthiest year of your life.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease. Remember to consult a certified health care practitioner before embarking on a weight loss program.


How to Successfully Lose Weight and Keep it Off by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

What to Do If You Contract Influenza

Most articles about the flu tell us how to prevent or avoid an infection, but there is very little information on what to do when we actually get infected. Common sense tells us that we ought to see a doctor and most of us heard about Tamiflu®. This article describes the flu symptoms and suggests a few simple steps to ease the discomfort of infection.

Every year tens of thousands of people die from the influenza infection. Most victims are either very young, or very old. People with compromised immune system also succumb to the disease. Currently two strains of influenza are circulating in the United States - the seasonal flu and the H1N1 also called the swine flu. A third, highly lethal H5N1 influenza, also known as the bird flu, is being closely monitored in Asia.

Flu symptoms

Influenza, commonly called the flu, is a highly contagious viral infection affecting the respiratory tract - the nose, throat, and the bronchial tubes. The symptoms can range from mild to deadly and include:

• fever
• cough
• sore throat
• nasal congestion or running nose
• headache
• overall body ache
• chills
• fatigue
• in some cases diarrhea and vomiting - symptoms that may be severe if it is a swine flu virus infection

These symptoms may also occur with the common cold which, although as uncomfortable as the flu, is much less threatening. A person infected with the flu virus may experience a combination of these symptoms. Not everyone who has the flu will develop fever. The flu symptoms may get worse at night and disrupt the normal sleep pattern. The symptoms usually persist for about two weeks and most people recover without complications.Some people, however, may develop very serious and life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia.

The incubation period takes two to five days. It spreads very fast in the body of an infected person until the person starts to experience the symptoms. An infected person can pass the flu to others as early as one day before he or she developed the symptoms and up to seven days after the outbreak of disease. Children and people with suppressed immune function remain contagious for a much longer period of time. Because influenza is highly contagious, an infected person has to take special measures to prevent infection of others.

When you start experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, stay home and do not get tempted to go to work. On the one hand, your coworkers will be very grateful for not infecting them as well, on the other, you will have time to rest and recuperate. Your immune system has been weakened by the infection and needs all your support right now. Rest as much as you possibly can and cut all the sugar from your diet.

  

Antivirals

• To eradicate the virus from your body you have to act immediately as soon as you experience your symptoms. This is the time when it is still possible to stop the virus from spreading in your body. Antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu® and Relenza® are usually very effective within 24-48 hours from contracting the infection and must be taken in high doses. Tamiflu® helps reduce the severity and the duration of your infection. The advised dose of Tamiflu® is 75 mg twice a day for five consecutive days. In cases of the swine flu infection, the dose should be doubled. In many cases these medications may remain ineffective. 

Natural remedies

• Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) a popular herb, sometimes underestimated, can bring a great relief to an infected person.The blossoms contain high amounts of healing essential oils and have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic properties. Chamomile can be drunk as an infusion or used for inhalations to ease respiratory problems during the infection. The chamomile infusion may also help with the gastrointestinal problems during the infection.
• Olive leaf extract (Olea europaea) or Oleuropein, contains a compound called calcium elenolate which is a natural antibiotic. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that this compound is lethal to all viruses, including the influenza virus, as well as other microbes it was tested against. Olive leaf extract inhibits the replication of viruses and helps to shorten the duration of flu. It also enhances the activity of the immune system. The suggested dose is 500 mg twice daily at the onset of flu symptoms.
• Andrographis (Andrographis pinaculata), a herb native to Asia, helps to reduce the severity of flu symptoms and the duration of illness. Studies have shown that this herb has antiviral, antipyretic, and analgesic properties. Moreover, it is a powerful immune system stimulator. The suggested dosage is 400-500 mg of dried extract containing 6-10 percent andrographolides, three times a day to be taken within 48 hours after the first sign of the flu symptoms. Andrographis can be taken alone or in combination with Eleuthero root (Siberian ginseng).
• Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has a long tradition as a remedy for cough and the common cold. Recent research demonstrated that an active compound called Antivirin has the capacity to prevent the flu virus from invading the membranes of healthy cells. The elderberry extract was clinically proven to reduce the flu symptoms and to speed recovery. It also stimulates the immune system. Suggested dose is 500 mg a day. Elderberry can be also drunk as a syrup.
• Linden flower tea also known as Lime flower tea (Tilia americana) is an effective herbal remedy. The blossoms are used as infusion to reduce fever and induce sweating. Pour a cup of boiling water over a table spoon of dried blossoms. Cover your cup and steep it for 10 minutes. You may want to use raw manuka honey to sweeten your tea. Because the tea induces sweating, it is suggested to dress warmly and stay in bed.
• Oscillococcinum is a time-tested homeopathic remedy that helps reduce the severity of the flu symptoms and the duration of disease. It works very fast and does not cause any side effects. For best efficacy, Oscillococcinum should be taken as soon as symptoms of infection are experienced. It comes in prepared doses. The suggested dose is to take the entire dose every six hours between the meals.
• Zinc is a mineral that assists the body in the formation of a strong immune system. When taken right at the onset of symptoms it can shorten the duration of infection and minimize the severity of the symptoms. Zinc should be taken in a form of Zinc gluconate or glycinate together with its co-factors Vitamin C and amino acid Histidine. The suggested dose is 15 mg twice a day with up to 1000 mg Vitamin C and 500 mg Histidin.
• Acerola berry extract is a natural source of vitamin C that your body needs to fight off the infection. Acerola berry contains whole spectrum vitamin C with its co-factors the bioflavonoids.

Depending on the severity of your symptoms you will have to take a break from your daily routine. Get enough rest, drink plenty of water, and change your diet to a lighter, easily digestible fare. Nutritious chicken soup works miracles. It has been used as comfort food for colds and flu all over the world for centuries. 

As mentioned before, the flu symptoms may disturb your sleep pattern. Sleep is essential as during the night our immune system restores itself. A calming infusion made with chamomile, passion flower, and valerian root, drunk about 30 minutes before bed may help you unwind to a restful night sleep. Liquid, sublingual melatonin will help you sleep as well. Moreover, it also provides support for your immune system. 

Use nasal spray and sore throat lozenges made of Icelandic moss, propolis, or manuka honey, to ease your symptoms before you retire for the day. You may want to use a humidifier in your bedroom. 

Contact your health care provider when:

• your fever lasts longer than three days
• your symptoms persist for more than ten days in spite of all the medication and rest your are taking
• when you develop new symptoms such as pain in your chest, disorientation, high fever, difficult breathing

Your physician will have to conduct tests to determine the virus that is causing the symptoms and make sure that you did not develop a pneumonia.

A strong immune system is the best way to avoid infections. There are some very effective immune system boosting strategies you may want to apply in the future. A healthy diet, moderate exercise, stress control, and adequate sleep are necessary if you want to stay infection free during the next flu season. Right now, I can only wish you a quick recovery.

By Dominique Allmon

This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.


What to Do if You Contract Influenza by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

How to Prepare Your Immune System for the Winter

Foods and supplements to boost immune system

For those of us living in the northern latitudes winter may be a very challenging season. With lower outside temperatures we may experience colds and flu as well as other unpleasant illnesses and symptoms.

There is, however, a way to protect yourself from infections. You simply have to boost your immune system and implement a few simple strategies that will help you stay fit and healthy during the winter months.

By preparing your immune system for winter and strengthening your immune response, you will be able to pass through the cold season without an infection and if you catch a cold, your symptoms will be less severe and you will recover much faster.

Our immune system acts like a protective shield that thwarts harmful pathogens from attacking your organism. In contact with pathogens a series of reactions are taking place within your body. Cells, organs and tissues of your immune system are mobilized to disable the pathogens. The symptoms you may experience (fever, for instance), although very unpleasant, are the signs of a well functioning immune system. Using medication to suppress these symptoms will only weaken your immune system. Instead, you should support your immune system with herbs and natural remedies, get enough rest, and let your body recover from infection all by yourself. You may want to take natural supplements to ease your symptoms, but as the common wisdom goes, it takes a week to cure the cold with drugs, but only seven days to recover without them.

In order for your immune system to function properly, you need to support it with proper nutrition, nutritional supplements and herbs. It is important that you eat more fresh fruit and vegetables (preferably organic) that are rich in vitamins, esp. vitamin C, and minerals, esp. zinc. Zinc may be the most important micro nutrient for your immune system. It is needed for the stimulation of the white blood cells that are important elements of your defense system. People who are deficient in zinc are more susceptible to infections. Zinc works in synergy with vitamin C and in order to be effective in your body it must be taken with its co-factor amino acid Histidine. Taken alone, zinc may be ineffective as the foods you eat interfere with its absorption, especially when you are a vegetarian. The recommended dose is 15 mg per day with up to 1000 mg vitamin C and 100-500 mg Histidine. The other important vitamin for the immune system is the vitamin D3 which works in the body as a potent antibiotic. Vitamin D3 helps the body to increase the production of body's own antimicrobial peptides. The body uses these peptides to destroy pathogenic organisms, including the influenza virus. The suggested dose is 2,000 IU. Another very effective supplement is the polysaccharide beta glucan. The insoluble beta glucans 1,3 and 1,6 derived from medicinal mushrooms and from yeast are very effective immune system modulators and do not overstimulate the immune system. There is no established daily dose of beta glucan, but manufacturers suggest 500-1,000 mg as an effective dose for the enhancement of the immune system.

The Nature supplied us with very effective herbs and power foods that have the ability to boost the immune system and help us stay healthy during winter. They have unique immune enhancing properties and can be used in many different situations to support our overall immune response. They are time tested in many cultures and can be purchased in form of capsules, teas or tinctures in any health food store or pharmacy. Some can simply be used as foods and may be used to enhance your winter cooking.

Here is a list of my favorite winter remedies. You may already know most of them. Or maybe you wish to try something new this winter:

• andrographis
• astragalus
• chamomile
• colostrum
• eleutherococus
• elderberry
• echinacea purpura
• garlic
• onions
• ginger
• hot peppers
• honey
• propolis
• royal jelly
• rose hips
• lime flowers
• medicinal mushrooms, such as reishi, maitake and shiitake
• essential oils of cinnamon, thyme, mint and lavender

The list does not end here. These are, however, the best known and most widely used and time tested winter remedies. Some of them are to be taken as tinctures or infusions, as pills or capsules, others are simply added to your daily meals, or used in aromatherapy and for inhalations to clear the sinus congestion. They all have strong anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and are known to activate and support the immune system. Chose the ones you feel comfortable with and take them systematically to build up your immune system.

If you catch your first cold, remember to never ever take antibiotics. Antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria not viruses, but common cold and flu are caused by viruses that are unresponsive to antibiotic treatment. There are about 200 different viruses that cause the flu symptoms!

Antibiotics will only weaken your immune system as they destroy the flora in the small intestine which is the seat of the immune system in the body. You will only end up in a vicious cycle. Instead, take a concentrated action to boost the activity of your immune system. Do not wait for the symptoms to fully develop to a flu. Take time to heal your infection, rest and relax as much as you can. Sleep is vital as our immune system recovers during the night.

In addition you may want to implement some lifestyle changes during the winter:

• Wash your hands as often as you can, especially when you come home from work.
• Avoid sick people.
• Dress up for winter - keep you body warm, especially your hands and feet.
• Keep your blood circulating! The idea of taking alternate warm and cold showers in the morning may sound outrageous, but you will soon notice that your body feels warm even in the coldest weather. Use ginger and hot peppers to spice your meals and drink spiced chai instead of ice tea.
• Reduce the consumption of mucus producing foods such as diary and white bread.
• Exercise moderately and spend some time outside.
• Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Supplement with best possible immune supporting products.
• Take high quality multivitamin and bio-available minerals formula.
• Rest, relax and pamper yourself.
• Get enough sleep. Remember that your immune system recovers during the night.
• Reduce your caffeine and alcohol consumption, and if you smoke, stop smoking as this habit deprives your body of the vitamin C which is so important to your immune system.
• Take precautions not to pass your infection on to others.

Preparing your immune system for winter and implementing a few simple strategies will help you enjoy the beauty of this season and pass through it without infection.

Take time to relax and contemplate the changes in nature. And no matter how cold and dark it may be outside, always let the sun shine from the inside out.

By Dominique Allmon

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

How to Prepare Your Immune System for the Winter by Dominique Allmon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Aminocare - Dr. Burzynski's Genetic Solution To Aging

I met Dr. Burzynski on the plane to Houston, TX around Thanksgivings in 2007 and I knew right away that he was a quite remarkable human being. He was traveling back from Thailand together with his wife Barbara.

I must admit that I never heard his name before and I was quite amazed when Mrs. Burzynski, who is also a physician, told me about her husband's research field.

When I finally was able to look at his website and try his products, I was more than amazed. And although I am neither a doctor nor a scientist, I share Dr. Burzynski's passion for progress in the cancer research and the anti-aging technology. And I admire his personal "crusade" against the system.

Dr. Burzynski is a world famous oncologist and biochemist who was born and educated in Poland. He is widely recognized for both, his work as a physician and a scientist with more than 250 publications publications in his field which he authored or co-authored. He received numerous awards from many prestigious institutions. In 1977 he established the Burzynski Clinic in Houston, TX, where more than 8,000 patients with terminal cancer have been treated with remarkable success. 

Dr. Burzynski devotes great part of his time to the research of causes and treatments for cancer. In 1967 he pioneered the development and application of biologically active peptides in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer. This was the time when he identified naturally occurring peptides in the human body which seemed to control the growth of cancer. He realized that cancer patients were deficient in these very peptides. Later in his life, he named these peptides Antineoplastons for their ability to correct and normalize neoplastic, or cancerous cells. His research was based on the discovery of natural bio-active peptides in the late 1800s by the Polish scientist, Stanislaus Bondzynski who at that time did not realize that the bio-active peptides could stop the growth of tumors.

Using his knowledge and experience in the field of oncology and biochemistry, Dr. Burzynski and his team of researchers conceived Aminocare® - the genetic solution to aging. The goal of this latest work is the prevention of the detrimental effects of aging and extension of longevity. His new approach focuses on genetics.

There are approximately 30,000 genes that are active in the human body. A large number of these genes are responsible for the human growth and development at birth. As we age, the amount of active genes diminishes and we observe the slackening of many bodily functions and processes: our metabolism slows dawn, immune system weakens, we lose energy and observe the evident signs of aging. What happens is the gene silencing process due to methylation, in which the good genes that normally promote growth and regeneration are being "switched off" while at the same time genes that are responsible for degeneration and disease are being "switched on". Aging and finally, death are the results of this natural process.

Dr. Burzynski's research shows that the aging process may be reversed and slowed dawn. He developed formulations containing peptides and amino acid derivatives called antineoplastons. Antineoplastons are believed to function as switches that turn on the inactive tumor suppressor genes as well as other genes that are being switched off due to the aging process. Aminocare® products contain components similar to the antineoplastons. They are the active ingredients that work genetically on a molecular level to reverse the signs of aging.

The Aminocare® line includes three different supplements and two formulations for the skin:

• Aminocare® A10 formulated to support body's own defense mechanisms, regulate normal cell division and protect the body from toxin. Aminocare® contains seven amino acids, a derivative of L-glutamin, and Vitamin B2.
• Aminocare® Brain is a unique formulation of amino acids which are key precursors to proteins, including important enzymes, that work in synergy to regulate cellular pathways in the body. The product also includes unique Curcumin C3 Complex® and BioPerine®. Curcumin is known for its anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties. BioPerine® is an active ingredient derived from black pepper berries. In clinical studies BioPerine®  increased bioavailability of nutrients. 
• Aminocare® Skin Cream formulated to restore proper balance in gene expression which is characteristic to young skin and to stimulate natural cell rejuvenation. The cream contains two main active ingredients: the Tahitian tamanu oil known for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and two derivatives of L-glutamine discovered by Dr. Burzynski. The anti-aging effect is more profound as these ingredients work on the genetic level. They work as genetic switches by turning on the genes that have been silenced due to the aging process and turning off the genes that have increased activity during the aging process.
• Aminocare® Skin Lotion with identical content to the cream, but different in its consistency.

Regular supplementation with Aminocare® A10 helps to restore and maintain optimal levels of amino acids and riboflavin. The product delivers energy to the muscles, the brain, and to the central nervous system. It helps to regulate blood sugar and facilitates the detoxification process in the body. It helps to improve metabolism and digestion, activates the immune system and stimulates the release of the human growth hormone.

The Aminocare® products are unique in their composition and action in the body. They represent the result of more than thirty years of research by a devoted scientist, a promising breakthrough in the research of disease prevention, aging and longevity.

By Dominique Allmon ©2009

*This information is for educational purpose only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.

For more information please visit The Burzynski Clinic

To learn more about the Antineoplastons Therapy please click here