KRILL OIL

"Can This ‘Miracle Oil’ Trigger Razor Sharp Thinking andEnergized Joints?*" One of nature’s most potent free radical fighters also battles for your brainand joints.* A boon you’ll love for freer exercise and movement.*

Two of the best and yet simple ways to improve your overall health with supplements include*:
Increasing your intake of antioxidants ...
Increasing your intake of omega-3 oils ...

If you recall, antioxidants are your body's #1 way to neutralize free radicals, those harmful metabolic byproducts that damage cells and tissues throughout your body.

Scientific evidence has repeatedly demonstrated that antioxidants are a cornerstone in the promotion of heart health, immune system support, and memory support.* Antioxidants also appear to play a role in helping to slow your signs of aging.*

Although many foods contain antioxidants, today's poor-quality diets are nearly always insufficient in the full range of these beneficial free radical scavengers.* That's why I strongly recommend increasing your antioxidant intake as a valuable way to optimize your health.*

The Two Vital Fats That Are KEY to Your Health
I'm sure you've heard by now about two fats in omega-3 oils that are crucial to your health -- DHA and EPA*. These compounds are not only essential to maintaining your health -- scientific research indicates that they may also promote heart health and provide immune system and mood support.*

Now in a perfect world, you would be able to get all the omega-3s you need by eating fish. Unfortunately, studies show that eating fish can potentially expose you to a high degree of contamination with industrial pollutants and toxins like mercury, PCBs, heavy metals and radioactive poisons.

In fact, the FDA and EPA have put out health advisories warning against certain fish and shellfish consumption for young children, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, and nursing mothers.

I formerly recommended that you take fish oil to enhance your intake of omega-3 fats. And high-quality fish oils are certainly great products, with many important health benefits.
But there are drawbacks.

Such as...fish oil is weak in antioxidant content. As you increase your intake of omega-3 essential fatty acids by consuming fish oil, you actually increase your need for even more antioxidant protection.

Why? Well, fish oil is very perishable. Antioxidants are necessary to ensure that the fish oil doesn't oxidize and become rancid inside your body. As we just noted, oxidation leads to the formation of those unhealthy free radicals.

So, you need to consume additional antioxidants for your health in general, and for your increased need for antioxidants when using fish oil.

This was a vexing problem for a long time...

Until the introduction of Antarctic Pure Krill Oil (now known as New and Improved Krill Oil) -- amarine oil of krill solved the dilemma by uniquely and synergistically combining antioxidants and omega-3s.

It proved itself far superior to previously-recommended fish oils. Here's how...
Powerful Antioxidants + Essential Omega-3 Oils =Startling Health*

When I first learned about this pure marine oil, I was extremely impressed with its many benefits and the solid research behind its unique combination of antioxidants, omega-3 oils and other ingredients*.

The list of how krill oil supports you will likely impress you too:
Many Ways Krill Oil Supports You*
A healthy heart*
Support for concentration, memory & learning*
Blood sugar health*
Healthy joints, with an increase in joint comfort*
Fighting your signs of aging*
Healthy brain and nervous system function and development*
Protection for cell membranes*
Cholesterol and other blood lipid health*
Healthy liver function*
Relief of normal PMS symptoms*
Bolstering your immune system*
Healthy mood support*
Optimal skin health*
Improved quality of life when compared with fish oil*

So, if you're looking for a way to enhance your health with a product that really delivers the goods, then please take a minute to discover how New and Improved Krill Oil can help you.*

Giant Whales Tell Their Tiny Health-Boosting Secret*

Just what are krill anyway?

Krill are small shrimp or prawn-like creatures that feed the world's most mammoth animals -- the great whales. Toothless great whales gulp down huge quantities of krill to provide the energy they need to fuel their massive bulk. A blue whale eats up to 8,000 pounds of krill each day during feeding season.

Tiny krill fuel giant whales...what can they do for you?
These highly intelligent great whales aren't the only animals that depend on krill for their nutritional needs. So do seals, penguins, sea birds, squid and fish.

The hardy krill harvested from harsh Antarctic waters -- the ones that comprise our New and Improved Krill Oil -- are so important they are considered a "keystone species", an organism upon which many Antarctic predators depend.

These semi-translucent crustaceans congregate in dense masses or swarms that can turn the ocean's surface pink or red.

Together with plankton, krill make up the largest biomass on earth...one of the most easily renewable food resources available, an excellent nutritional source from an environmental perspective.

Krill aren't a new source of nutrition either. They've been harvested as a food source for both humans and domesticated animals since the 1800s. Possibly even earlier in Japan where they're considered a delicacy.

However, you need to know ...
Why EFA Balance is Critical to Your Health*

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) include both omega-3 fats (high in the vital compounds EPA and DHA) and omega-6 fats. EFAs cannot be manufactured in your body but are beneficial to normal health and metabolism.* Therefore, EFAs must be obtained through your diet.

Although some omega-6 fats are good for your health, the balance of omega-6s to omega-3s is crucial.* Unfortunately, most people consume an overabundance of omega-6 fats.

Your ancestors embraced a diet with a healthy balance of approximately equal omega-6 and omega-3 fats. But the current Western diet is far too high in omega-6 fats. The average omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is now closer to 20:1, and in some cases even 50:1. This can keep you from optimal health.

Due to this imbalanced ratio, and because you could likely benefit from more omega-3 fats*...
I strongly recommend adding New and Improved Krill Oil to your health arsenal.*
Besides DHA and EPA, this unique marine oil has another "secret weapon" not found in fish oils which explains why it has proven superior...

Another Krill Secret Weapon

Unlike fish oils, pure krill oil carries omega-3s in the form of phospholipids -- liposomes or little packages that deliver the fatty acids directly to your body's cells.

Scientific evidence to date has shown that the safest and most effective carriers of EPA and DHA are these phospholipids.

Unfortunately, standard fish oils (and inferior krill oil brands) lack this phospholipid complex. Instead they contain omega-3 fatty acids in the less-beneficial form of free triglycerides.

Why are phospholipids important?
They are the building blocks for your cell membranes, regulating cellular transport by functioning as 'gate-keepers.'* In this role, they protect cell membranes from free radical attack.*

This unique relationship between the phospholipids and omega-3 fatty acids greatly facilitates the passage of the fatty acid molecules through your intestinal wall.* This helps you in two ways...

Makes the omega-3 fats in New and Improved Krill Oil significantly more bioavailable than those in fish oil by allowing EPA and DHA to directly enter your cells.

Improves your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

Another important fact: The most predominant phospholipid in pure krill oil is phosphatidyl choline, which is partially composed of choline.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of choline in brain development, learning and memory.* In fact, choline is particularly important for fetal and infant brain development in pregnant and nursing women.*

Choline is the precursor for the vital neurotransmitter acetylcholine (which sends nerve signals to the brain) and for trimethylglycine, a recognized liver protector.*
Further, it also boasts a full complement of necessary antioxidants not seen in fish or cod liver oil...

Why New and Improved Krill Oil Is aSlam-Dunk Winner Over Fish Oil
There is no question that you can benefit from taking a high-quality fish oil. However, New and Improved Krill Oil offers clear advantages to fish oil in a number of important ways.

You get all the same multi-system health benefits of omega-3-rich fish oil,* including crucial EPA and DHA ...

But New and Improved Krill Oil also offers:
Your brain is a huge "consumer" of DHA. Antarctic Pure Krill Oil is made from krill with health-promoting DHA and choline, which are absolutely essential not only for adults, butalso for normal fetal and infant brain development!*

MUCH Better Absorption Than Fish Oil
This means you can take 1/5 the dose -- two small capsules rather than 10 large ones. The phospholipid binding increases the bioavailability of the omega-3s, improves the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio and supports healthy cell membrane functioning.*

Superb Antioxidant Protection
Unique antioxidants -- including astaxanthin and a novel marine flavonoid -- may protect you from damaging free radicals.*

Pollution-Free

Krill are at the bottom of the food chain and collected far from pollution in the pristine seas surrounding Antarctica. So you don't have to worry about unsafe accumulations of mercury, PCBs, heavy metals or other toxins.

Ongoing Supply
Krill are a highly renewable source. They are the largest biomass in the ocean and there is simply no risk of causing them to perish from over-harvesting.
Stability

Antarctic Pure Krill Oil is more stable and more resistant to rancidity than conventional fish oils. This means it will last longer and won't oxidize in your body due to rancidity. It will last for TWO years at room temperature. (Please do not refrigerate.)

No Fishy Aftertaste, Reflux Or Other Side Effects
Although fish oil consumption commonly leads to side effects of fishy aftertaste, reflux or belching of fish flavors, this has not occurred with Antarctic Pure Krill Oil. No adverse effects have been noted even at high dosages.

Renewable Food Source
Krill represent a renewable, sustainable and environmentally positive nutrition source.

Score Big for More Antioxidants
New and Improved Krill Oil is jam-packed with antioxidant power, including the antioxidant vitamins A and E, plus astaxanthin and canthaxanthin.

Astaxanthin is a natural carotenoid-type of antioxidant that is even more powerful than beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, lycopene and lutein.

New and Improved Krill Oil also contains a newly-discovered flavonoid with a novel molecular structure. You've probably heard that flavonoids are powerful antioxidants. Surprisingly, before now, they had not been found in anything except plants -- vegetables, fruits and algae.

Astaxanthin and this unique marine-source flavonoid in New and Improved Krill Oil create a special bond with the EPA and DHA, allowing direct metabolism of the antioxidants.

Take Your Wellbeing to New Levels

So here's what's in store for you:
A rich source of omega-3s with DHA and EPA -- along with protective antioxidants and phospholipids -- that promote your health*

Caplique style packaging that improves bioavailability and avoids potential allergenic ingredients*

High quality standards that give you total peace of mind
Take your health and quality of lifeto new levels...New and ImprovedKrill Oil can help you get there.

Ready to see for yourself how your health and quality of life can prosper to new levels?

You may be wondering how much Antarctic Pure Krill Oil you need ... and what kind of investment is involved.

Actually, the amount you need depends largely on your personal health needs. But just two Capliques of this natural supplement with your first meal every day supports you with a bountiful assortment of health-boosting ingredients ...and absolutely NO TRANS-FAT!

Humble, Pesky Herb Rescues Blood Sugar At Lightning Speed

In India, they call it madhumeha, or "sugar urine."

In the U.S., we call it diabetes.

Either way, it's a blood sugar nightmare that can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, nerve damage, blindness, and more.

Everyone knows someone with diabetes because it is epidemic in the United States. Over 20 million people suffer from it. And the cost of this disease? A whopping $132 billion per year - with $92 billion of that going for prescription drugs.

It's a different story in rural India. There, in areas where natural medicine is still practiced, they serve up a special type of gourd when blood sugar problems arise.

Could that be why only 2-3% of India's vast rural population - 750 million people - has diabetes? In contrast, in the big cities of India, where modern diet and modern medicine are more common, 12% of adults are diabetic - the largest diabetic population in the world.1

Coccinia Cordifolia

That's the scientific name for the gourd plant that grows like a weed in India, Thailand, and Hawaii. It's also known by many other names, including kundru, ivy gourd, and tindora. In addition to the fruit, the leaves can also be cooked and eaten or dried and brewed into a tea.

This tropical plant is in the same family as bitter melon. It tends to spread wildly, vining in all directions and producing a small green fruit that turns red as it ripens. In the southern United States and parts of Hawaii, it is considered an invasive pest.

Traditional herbal medicine uses coccinia when blood sugar becomes a problem. It not only relieves the symptoms of excess blood sugar, but it is also safe to consume and has no known side effects.

Researchers have been studying the herb to see just how it works to control blood sugar.
Speedy results...

Studies on coccinia were quick to confirm the its benefits. Dr. Rebecca Kuriyan, a researcher at the Institute of Population Health and Clinical Research in Bangladore, led an experiment on 60 adults with newly detected type 2 diabetes. All were between the ages of 35 and 60.

Half the participants were given one gram of coccinia extract each day and half were given a placebo. No drugs were used in the double-blind study.

After 90 days, those who had taken the herbal extract had a 16% drop in fasting blood glucose levels, while those who got the placebo saw their levels rise. After-meal blood glucose levels in the herb group fell by almost 20%.2

Other studies have recorded similar results, prompting one researcher to comment: "The magnitude of change seen with the herb was similar to that with a conventional drug."3 Coccinia works as well as insulin to remove sugar from the blood.

It's also important to note that all of these studies took place over a very short period of time - just 6 to 12 weeks. Still, the results were almost immediate! That means coccinia works very quickly in the body to get blood sugar under control.

Better Heart Health With Vitamin "C"

A little bit of prevention today, in the form of supplemental C, can potentially save you a great deal of heart ache tomorrow.

Ask any of my patients and they’ll tell you that I’m a big fan of vitamin C. It’s one of the most important nutrients you can take for optimal health and it’s been linked to preventing everything from cancer to the common cold. But here’s something I’ll bet you didn’t know:

Vitamin C can also boost the health of your heart.

In fact, if you don’t get enough of this crucial nutrient, you could likely be damaging the lining of your arteries—and this can lead to atherosclerosis. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that has been shown to prevent the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol that contributes to the buildup of artery-clogging plaque.

There is also evidence that taking at least 1,000 mg. of vitamin C increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood. HDL cholesterol takes up excess cholesterol from cells and returns it to the liver so that it can be shuttled out of the body.

Vitamin C also lowers C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker of inflammation that has been shown to be a powerful predictor of heart disease. A study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley recently found that for healthy, non-smoking adults with high CRP levels, taking a daily dose of 1,000 mg. of vitamin C lowered CRP levels by 34 percent after two months compared to a placebo.

But, as good as vitamin C is on its own, it’s even better when you combine it with garlic. There’s new evidence that taking garlic and vitamin C supplements together may reduce blood pressure.
Scientists from New York’s Pharmaceutical Research Institute at Albany College of Pharmacy recruited six people with marginally high blood pressure (140/90 mmHg). With one-week breaks between each course, subjects completed ten-day doses of vitamin C alone (2,000 mg. per day), then garlic capsules alone (2,500 mg. per day of freeze-dried bulb powder), and finally, a combination of the two.

Taking vitamin C by itself didn’t affect the subjects’ blood pressure. Garlic alone reduced systolic blood pressure (the top number), but not diastolic pressure (the bottom number). But taken together, vitamin C and garlic reduced systolic levels to between 110 and 120 and diastolic to 75 to 80.

Blood pressure dropped because the cells lining the walls of the blood vessels were producing more nitric oxide, a compound that helps to regulate blood pressure and immunity, as well as many other bodily functions. Taking garlic supplements alone caused a twofold increase in cellular nitric oxide production. But combining garlic and vitamin C resulted in a threefold increase.

Although it’s important to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables high in this nutrient, I recommended adding between 1,000 and 3,000 mg. of vitamin C daily with meals. While extremely high amounts of vitamin C may cause diarrhea, this is a very safe vitamin for most people. Just be aware that large doses of vitamin C should be avoided by anyone suffering from kidney stones. And people taking warfarin (Coumadin) shouldn’t supplement with this antioxidant at all. If you fall into either of these two groups, check with your doctor before starting a vitamin C regimen.

Be well,

David Blyweiss, MD

Advanced Natural Medicine

Bill Gates to Waste $10 Billion on Vaccine Research?

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation plans to donate $10 billion over the next decade to research new vaccines, according to the Microsoft co-founder and his wife. The commitment more than doubles the $4.5 billion the foundation has given to vaccine research over the years.

They called upon governments and business to also contribute.
"We must make this the decade of vaccines," Bill Gates said in a statement.
"Vaccines are a miracle," said Melinda Gates. "With just a few doses, they can prevent deadly diseases for a lifetime."

Sources:
Washington Post January 29, 2010

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The Gates Foundation has now made what might very well be the largest charitable donation in history, and sadly, it’s a disaster waiting to happen due to the misconception that more drugs are the answer to world health problems.

What really mystifies me is how this $10 billion donation can not be considered a direct subsidy of the drug companies as they will be the ones that benefit.

The author of Politicol News said it best:
“The 10 billion dollar announcement to pump more profits into pharmas world wide is the biggest mistake Gates has made since Microsoft’s Vista.”

As one of the world's most respected voices, Gates has a unique opportunity to call attention to important social issues and make a huge impact worldwide. Yet he is allowing himself to be seduced by special interests and is wasting his resources, along with his opportunity to make a real difference.

It’s a pity all that money isn’t going to the solutions that actually address the underlying problems, such as nutrition, clean water, sanitation and vitamin D.

How many water purification systems would that build in Haiti, or India? How many sanitation facilities? How many rations of fresh produce?

In Bed with Big Pharma

Donating money to help the children of the world is certainly commendable, and I would never fault anyone for that. But partnering with drug companies and expecting altruism is at best naïve.

I have great respect for Gates' intellectual prowess and really find it hard to believe that he does not know the truth about vaccines.

The problem is that Gates has no interest in natural healing and is relying on advisors that are rooted in the fatally flawed conventional medical paradigm that holds vaccines as the cure for all infectious diseases.

In fact, the Gates Foundation is deeply associated with Big Pharma and even Monsanto, as you can see from their recent associations:

Gates hired the vice president of Monsanto Robert Horsch[i] to join the Foundation in 2006
Gates added Merck CEO Raymond Gilmartin to his Board of Directors in 2001

Gates invested $205 million in nine of the large pharmaceutical companies in 2002
Gates Foundation has given more than $4.5 billion to vaccine research over the past several years

Vaccinating the Immune-Compromised is a Recipe for Disaster

In order to eradicate infectious disease from a nation, you have to first address compromised immune systems. If you hit immune suppressed children with a potent vaccine, you’re going to create disease, not eradicate it.

If you carefully evaluate this issue you will clearly appreciate that vaccines actually
Death and disease in developing countries is often a result of malnutrition, which is associated with the following types of problems[ii]:

Children with inadequate protein in their diets (kwashiorkor) are unable to produce antibodies after being given various vaccines, because their ability to produce white blood cells is compromised. White blood cells are essential in fighting infection.

Infectious organisms are more likely to penetrate the bodies of malnourished children due to inadequate vitamin C, which causes their skin to break down more easily and facilitates the entry of bacteria and other organisms.

The living conditions of third world children are often so poor that they are exposed to inordinately large numbers of pathogens, from which they have little defense.

The most common cause of death among children of developing nations is diarrhea.

Children in third world countries are often battling some sort of infection 200 days of the year.
Even healthy children have immature immune systems, but giving vaccines to children in generally weakened states of health is a sure recipe for disaster.suppress your body’s immune functions.

More Money than Sense

In a Seattle Times article[iii] , Kristi Helm makes the point that high-tech solutions don’t always work to solve health problems in developing countries and can actually make things worse if applied in the wrong way.

For example, initiatives fail when solutions miss the root cause of a problem.
As an example, Helm mentions the Gates Foundation’s Avahan Initiative[iv], a $258 million program designed to curtail the spread of HIV/AIDS in India, which has not lived up to its goals.

The program is reportedly run by highly paid business consultants, rather than people with experience in public health.

Gates’ solution was to pour even more money into it this year—another $80 million—instead of really looking at why the program is missing the mark.

Margarita Quintanilla, a community health coordinator who worked in Nicaragua and a Gates Foundation grantee, expressed concern over how corporations want to jump in with technical solutions without giving any thought to the community’s basic social infrastructure needs, like education.

She experienced more success with teaching basic concepts like hand washing as a means of reducing infections.

Quintanilla stated:
"We have to be wise and intelligent in our solutions. We have the responsibility of promoting change in the right way."

Technology does not always hold the key to solving problems of health, education and poverty—social structures must be implemented along with it.

LA Times Found Gates' African Aid Program Put Children at Risk

Gates’ shortsightedness is evident from another philanthropic misstep.

The Los Angeles Times reported in 2007 that the Gates Foundation’s generous gifts to combat HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria in Africa inadvertently put many children at risk.[v]

At the time, efforts to fight these specific diseases required highly specialized medical training, which resulted in a shortage of basic-care physicians.

Ironically, more children died of common ailments like sepsis and diarrhea.

This tragic phenomenon illustrates one of the problems when there is a disproportionate focus on certain illnesses—resources are diverted away from basic needs, like clean water and food, which are basic requirements for strong immunity in the first place.

And while there's no doubt that money is fundamentally important in saving the lives of vulnerable children, progress won't be made until the money is directed at the underlying problems, which are primarily lifestyle-based.

[i] “Monsanto vice president joins the Gates Foundation” (October 19, 2006) Organic Consumers Association
[ii] Urvina S. “Malnutrition in Third World Countries” (1984)
[iii] Helm K. “Two words missing from Gates Foundation vocabulary” (July 30, 2009) Seattle Times
[iv] Avahan: India AIDS Initiative,
[v] Piller C and Smith D. “Unintended victims” (December 16, 2007) Los Angeles Times

Related Links:
All the Money in the World Can’t Solve Health Problems if Used Unwi... Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Explains the Autism Cover-up Vitamin A Is Saving Children’s Lives

Saturated Fat Is Not The Cause Of Heart Desease

Posted by: Dr. Mercola

The saturated fat found mainly in meat and dairy products has been regularly vilified by physicians and the media, but a new analysis of published studies finds no clear link between people's intake of saturated fat and their risk of developing heart disease.

In the new analysis, which combined the results of 21 previous studies, researchers found no clear evidence that higher saturated fat intakes led to higher risks of heart disease or stroke.
A number of studies have linked the so-called Western diet to greater heart disease risks; that diet pattern is defined as one high in red meats and saturated fats -- but it is also high in sweets and other refined carbohydrates like white bread.
Sources:
Reuters February 4, 2010 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition January 13, 2010 [Epub ahead... American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 91: 502-509; January 20, 2010

DR. MERCOLA'S COMMENTS:

The demonization of saturated fat began in 1953 with Dr. Ancel Keys’ publication of a paper comparing fat intake and heart disease mortality, and the misguided ousting of saturated fat has continued ever since.

The idea that saturated fat is bad for your heart became so ingrained in the medical and health community, anyone daring enough to question this dogma was automatically viewed as a quack, regardless of the evidence presented.

Instead, trans fats became all the rage and have since saturated the market.

But times are a-changing, and in many ways for the better.

Along with a new interest in reviewing the sanity of vaccinating against every microscopic foe under the sun, medical scientists have finally begun to take a hard look at the link between saturated fats and heart disease – only to find that there is none.

Additionally, by now many have realized that it’s the trans fat found in margarine, vegetable shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils that is the true villain, causing far more significant health problems than saturated fat ever could.

Yet Another Study Finds No Link Between Saturated Fat and Heart Disease

Over the years, researchers have repeatedly failed to find the link between saturated fat and heart disease that Dr. Keys initially thought he had discovered, and this latest study is no exception.

When they pooled data from 21 studies that included nearly 348,000 adults, and surveyed their dietary habits and health events for anywhere from five to 23 years, they found no no difference in the risks of heart disease and stroke between people with the lowest and highest intakes of saturated fat.

Most likely, the studies that have linked the so-called “Western diet” to an increased heart disease risk simply confirm that sugar and refined carbohydrates are harmful to your heart health. Because although the Western diet is high in red and processed meats and saturated fats, it’s also alarmingly high in sugar and refined carbs like bread and pasta.Another recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that a reduction in saturated fat intake must be evaluated in the context of replacement by other macronutrients, such as carbohydrates. Replacement of saturated fat with a higher carbohydrate intake, particularly refined carbohydrate, can exacerbate insulin resistance and obesity, increase triglycerides and small LDL particles, and reduce beneficial HDL cholesterol. The authors state that dietary efforts to improve your cardivascular disease risk should primarily emphasize:

the limitation of refined carbohydrate intakes, and
a reduction in excess weight

What I found most encouraging in the Reuters article above was Dr. Eckel’s statement that “the thinking on diet and heart health is moving away from a focus on single nutrients and toward ‘dietary patterns’."

This is precisely the message that needs to get out. You simply cannot optimize your health while staring at individual ingredients or nutrients in your diet.

Whole foods – real food that has been minimally processed and manipulated – contain so many symbiotic micronutrients that work together to produce the end result. The moment you start taking these ingredients apart, you lose the overall nutritional value, and you change how the nutrients operate inside your body.

Take the Mediterranean diet, for example. It consists mainly of whole, fresh foods like fruits and vegetables, along with fish, whole grains and unsaturated fats like virgin olive oil.

This type of diet has repeatedly been found to help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. And although it’s low in saturated fats, perhaps the most significant thing about the

Mediterranean style diet is the absence of processed foods, which are loaded with sugars and dangerous trans fats.

So, essentially, a healthy diet is quite simply a natural diet of REAL foods. And that’s the type of “eating pattern” you’ll want to strive for, if you want to be optimally healthy.

Confusing the Facts About Saturated Fats

Part of the scientific confusion about saturated fats relates to the fact that your body is capable of synthesizing the saturated fats it needs from carbohydrates, and these saturated fats are principally the same ones present in dietary fats of animal origin.

However, and this is the key, not all saturated fatty acids are created equal.

There are subtle differences that have profound health implications, and if you avoid eating all saturated fats you will suffer serious health consequences. There are in fact more than a dozen different types of saturated fat, but you predominantly consume only three: stearic acid, palmitic acid and lauric acid.

It’s already been well established that stearic acid (found in cocoa and animal fat) has no effect on your cholesterol levels at all, and actually gets converted in your liver into the monounsaturated fat called oleic acid.

The other two, palmitic and lauric acid, do raise total cholesterol. However, since they raise “good” cholesterol as much or more than “bad” cholesterol, you’re still actually lowering your risk of heart disease.

Yes, You DO Need Saturated Fat!

Foods containing saturated fats include:
Meat
Dairy products
Some oils
Tropical plants such as coconut and palm trees

These (saturated) fats from animal and vegetable sources provide a concentrated source of energy in your diet, and they provide the building blocks for cell membranes and a variety of hormones and hormone-like substances.

When you eat fats as part of your meal, they slow down absorption so that you can go longer without feeling hungry. In addition, they act as carriers for important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

Dietary fats are also needed for the conversion of carotene to vitamin A, for mineral absorption, and for a host of other biological processes.

Saturated fats are also:

The preferred fuel for your heart, and also used as a source of fuel during energy expenditure

Useful antiviral agents (caprylic acid)

Effective as an anticaries, antiplaque and anti fungal agents (lauric acid)

Useful to actually lower cholesterol levels (palmitic and stearic acids)

Modulators of genetic regulation and prevent cancer (butyric acid)

The Link Between TRANS FAT and Heart Disease

Now, it is still clear that there is some association between fat and heart disease. The problem lies in the fact that most studies make no effort to differentiate between saturated fat and trans fat. Additionally, the other primary processed food that typically is associated with trans fat is sugar, specifically fructose.

What Ancel Keys, and other researchers have failed to do in their multivariate analysis is control for each of these two variables. If researchers were to more carefully evaluate the risks of heart disease by measuring the levels of fructose, trans and saturated fat, they would most likely find the true answer.

You see,fructose and trans fat known to increase your LDL levels, or "bad" cholesterol, while lowering your levels of HDL, known as "good" cholesterol, which, of course is the complete opposite of what you need in order to maintain good heart health. It can also cause major clogging of arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems.

Your body needs some amount of saturated fat to stay healthy. It is virtually impossible to achieve a nutritionally adequate diet that has no saturated fat. What you don’t need, however, are trans fats and fructose in excess of 15 grams per day. Since the average adolescent is now consuming 75 grams of fructose per day, one can begin to understand why we have an obesity and heart disease epidemic.

Contradictory Results SUPPORT Nutritional Typing

Studies also clearly show that despite great compliance to low saturated fat diets, there is a wide difference in biological responses. The question is, what does this mean? Does it mean the studies are flawed? And if so, which ones?

Interestingly enough, perhaps they’re all “right,” because these contradictory results actually support nutritional typing, which predicts that one-third of people will do very well on low saturated fat diets (which supports the studies showing that they work), but another one-third of people need high saturated fat diets to stay healthy.

Healthy Fat Tips to Live By

Remember, you do need a certain amount of healthy fat, while at the same time you’ll want to avoid the unhealthy varieties.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to simply eliminate processed foods, which are high in all things detrimental to your health: sugar, carbs, and dangerous types of fats.

After that, these tips can help ensure you’re eating the right fats for your health:

Use organic butter (preferably made from raw milk) instead of margarines and vegetable oil spreads. Butter is a healthy whole food that has received an unwarranted bad rap.

Use coconut oil for cooking. It is far superior to any other cooking oil and is loaded with health benefits. (Remember that olive oil should be used COLD, drizzled over salad or fish, for example, not to cook with.)

Following my nutrition plan will automatically reduce your modified fat intake, as it will teach you to focus on healthy whole foods instead of processed junk food.

To round out your healthy fat intake, be sure to eat raw fats, such as those from avocados, raw dairy products, and olive oil, and also take a high-quality source of animal-based omega-3 fat, such as krill oil.

Related Links:
The Truth About Saturated Fat
7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat
Diet and Fat: A Severe Case of Mistaken Consensus

Crazy Cures For Hangovers

By Flora McCraith, MSN, Updated: 3/2/2010
Crazy cures for hangovers

Strange concoctions from around the World to relieve the symptoms from last night's revelry.

One of the oldest and most common miseries known to man is the hangover, or not knowing how to get rid of one. Obviously, the best way to ensure that you don’t get a hangover is not drinking yourself into oblivion or by making sure that you drink sensibly; but sometimes this doesn’t even work. Those who do drink alcohol will search for anything to help them feel better the following day. However, while hangover cures come in the form of mythical and medicinal, doctors will admit that they aren’t entirely sure what a hangover is, let alone whether there can be an actual cure for them.

While the amount of alcohol affects different people, as it varies in person by size, gender and genetics, the following morning, they are all praying for the same thing. We look at various strange hangover cures from around the World.

Japan - umeboshi
Japanese fruits called ume, which look like apricots, are collected and then treated or cured in sea salt and perilla leaves for a few months. The resulting product is a pickled, wrinkly, sour and salty and about the size of gum balls. The combination of these elements allows for natural bacteria, enzymes, organic acids and powerful alkaline qualities which is an important factor of health. This is bcause we want our blood to be slightly alkaline as our blood can become too acidic from consuming an excessive amount of sugar, refined flour products, alcohol and toxins.

Umeboshi has been a Japanese remedy, used as a cure-all for centuries. The acids apparently improve liver function, aid digestion, and chase away fatigue. The pickled fruit is also rich in key electrolytes like sodium and potassium. In the past 40 years, scientific evidence for the health benefits of Umeboshi has been uncovered and it has been found to be beneficial for liver function and general detoxification.

Mexico and Korea– cactus/prickly pear
You won't find water in the desert, but you will find another hangover cure. There is more to the cactus plant than just a prickly house ornament to collect and admire, but it also contains most nutrients that strengthen the immune system. A recent study by researchers at Tulane University found that extract from prickly pears, which are a species of cacti, alleviates a few hangover symptoms such as nausea, dry mouth and loss of appetite.

Prickly pear extract doesn't work on headaches, so you might still need to reach for the aspirin.

Bucharest – tripe soup
If you are able to stomach this delicacy, then why not take a tip from the people in Bucharest (and Mexico for that matter), who swear by soup made from the lining of cow’s stomach, which is then spiced with chilli and garlic.

It's essentially a low-cost form of low-fat protein, salts and liquid in the ideal concentration to speed up the process of rehydrating the body after a big night out. We are entirely sure about the science behind this, and we think the sting of the spices provides a welcome distraction.

If this isn’t really what you had in mind to alleviate the pain from the night before, then a bowl of chicken noodle soup should do the same trick.

Greece – cabbage juice
Researchers at Stanford University have proved that cabbage juice heals stomach ulcers. Juicing cabbage has a number of health benefits that have been documented over many years. Green cabbage contains a number of minerals and vitamins including potassium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and 'vitamin U' which plays a certain role in maintaining your health, vitality and wellbeing.

This is because it is high in soluble fibre, which absorbs the toxic by-product of alcohol acetaldehyde, as well as vitamins C and E, which are depleted after drinking. Cabbages are also known to relieve headaches due to the lactic acid that it contains.

Boil a cabbage and keep the juices for drinking. All the vitamins in a cabbage are water-soluble so they'll leak into the liquid and you'll get the same benefits.

England – full English breakfast
The full English breakfast is a pretty important component of the English diet and whether you have a hangover or not, for some it is a mandatory breakfast.

It is believed that the meals vast protein and fat content provides a steadying weight and that digesting the whopping meal can soften a hangover’s blow by sidetracking the body from other inner turmoil. Plus, the eggs contribute an amino acid, N-acetylcysteine that helps eliminate toxins.

The grease and oil on the other hand may make you feel a tad sick.

Germany – sour herring or roll mops
Roll mops are small fillets of pickled herrings, which are then wrapped around slices of pickles or onion. The salty brine is believed to replenish electrolytes which we lose during a night in town. It is thought that it not only drives away the headache, but it also neutralises the effect of alcoholic intoxication on the stomach and intestinal-mucosa, and cleans the liver.

The saltiness encourages to you to drink more water, which helps with re-hydrating and the sugar content in the delicacy is thought to alleviate hypoglycaemic, which is what gives us the shakes or the wobbles the next day.

Russia - banya
Banyas, in a nut shell, are public sauna like bathhouses and is something that originated from the 17th Century. A person suffering from the aftermath of a night's drinking are to alternate time in the sauna rooms where the stone-filled stoves heat the air to around 194F. After that, you are required to plunge into an icy pool. Sweating in the extreme heat is meant to cleanse your body of toxins and we assume the stints in the cold water are to revive and awaken you.

Ancient Rome – um... deep fried canaries
The Romans gave some parts of the World many glorious creations and for everyone else, some interesting history and disturbing tales.

However, one truly strange thing that the Romans did is to eat fried canaries as staple food for the morning after drinking. We wonder if it tastes like pigeon meat...

The right solution – water

Our body becomes more and more dehydrated when we down more alcohol, so drinking water before going to bed is an effective way of preventing or lessening the symptoms that we experience the next morning, especially a headache. Water before bed will also help wash out your system from the alcohol.

It is also advised to alternate one glass of water for every drink consumed, providing the body with extra fluid to compensate for what's been lost.

Malaysia
We asked out on the streets of Kuala Lumpur what it was that they did to cured the throbbing pain from the night before, and below are the responses we got:

Molly*, Senior Writer: "I will always look for food that's laced with bird's eye chilli (cili padi) and ice cold water as soon as I wake up so I don't feel the throbbing sensation in my head."

Michael Cheang, Reporter: "I lie in bed all day and drink 100 Plus." Chris Aaron, Writer: "I drink milk to soothe tummy aches and sleep." Cris Chen, Freelance photographer: "With a can of beer."

Kim*, lawyer: “Drink, drink, drink! Haha... actually eating a spoonful of butter/olive oil before drinking really helps and so does two panadols, a redoxon, plenty of water and sleeeeep!”

Joanne*, P.R: What I usually do is AVOID COFFEE no matter how groggy I feel because I know it's going to dehydrate me even more. Drink heaps of water and those Vit C effervescent tablets... EAT whatever's available even if it's oily... then just lie in bed feeling sorry for myself *sniff sniff*

Lydia*, doctor: I drink lots of water, two tablets of panadol or ponstan and one table of maxalon (for nausea and vomiting) before I sleep! Then repeat it all the next day when I wake up.

*names have been changed to protect identity

Women's Natural Scent More Seductive Than Perfume

by Dr. Mercola

Women might want to think twice before spritzing Chanel No. 5. A new study suggests that a woman's natural scent may be all she needs.

Recent research shows that a man's testosterone levels, which are linked with sexual interest, are significantly higher when they smell the shirt of a woman who is ovulating.

Other studies have linked higher levels of testosterone with an increase in sexual arousal as well.
In surveys, men have reported being more attracted to ovulating women. The new study builds on this research by measuring the response of men to a specific chemical cue.

Sources:
Discovery News February 10, 2010
Psychological Science December 22, 2009

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

In the latest research showing that sexual attraction and desire are driven, at least partially, by subconscious cues, researchers found that simply sniffing the t-shirt of an ovulating woman is enough to significantly raise a man’s testosterone levels.

Testosterone levels in men are linked with increased sexual arousal, and the research suggests men may be able to sense the time a woman is most fertile based on her natural scent.

This “scent,” however, may be one that is working on your senses at an unconscious level via pheromones.

Are Secret Chemical Signals Determining Your Mr. or Mrs. Right?

Pheromones are small organic molecules known as the “secret seducers” that influence biological processes to stimulate your sex drive.

Animals secrete these pheromone-based chemical signals to communicate their gender or reproductive status to other animals -- and humans are no exception.

Even though you don’t consciously recognize the smell of pheromones, these chemicals likely play a role in helping you find a suitable partner.

For example, if you’ve ever found yourself inexplicably attracted to a stranger you’ve just met, it could very well be their chemical signals that you find irresistible. Humans tend to be attracted to those with a dissimilar genetic make-up to themselves, which is signaled by subtle odors. This ensures genetic diversity for the species.

Researchers have actually confirmed the presence of a “secret sex nerve” (Nerve “O”), which has endings in your nasal cavity. Nerve O’s fibers go directly to the sexual regions of your brain, and because Nerve O bypasses the olfactory cortex, it does not register a conscious smell, but rather identifies chemical sexual cues.

As you might suspect, researchers are very interested in developing pheromone-based fragrances that promise to make you more sexually attractive.

Some studies have actually found that people wearing such scents are more interesting to the opposite sex, but this could simply be a placebo effect, where the person believes they will be more attractive, and therefore are.

Chemical signals like pheromones are not only about sexuality, however. They influence a complex array of biological processes and human relationships. For instance:

Women who sniffed fear-induced sweat became more mentally alert and intelligent, according to a study in Chemical Senses.

Studies have shown that women can pick a T-shirt worn by their infant from a pile of T-shirts. Babies also respond to the breast pads worn by their own mothers, but not to those worn by other women.

The smell of other women’s perspiration causes women’s menstrual cycles to speed up or slow down. This helps explain why women who live together often menstruate at the same time each month.

Why You May Want to Think Twice Before Covering Up Your Natural Scent

I would caution against wearing any synthetic perfume or cologne, as they’re almost always loaded with synthetic chemicals that have been linked to cancer, reproductive toxicity, allergies and more.

The fragrance industry actually regulates itself, through a trade association known as the International Fragrance Association. This association is responsible for conducting safety tests to determine the ingredients safe for use for their own industry.

And determining what’s actually in your “fragrance” can be virtually impossible, as there are thousands of different fragrance chemicals used to produce different aromas, and they are often not listed on the label.

Among them are the endocrine-disrupting chemicals called phthalates. The effects of these chemicals on your endocrine system, particularly during pregnancy, breastfeeding and childhood, are very disturbing. For instance, animal studies on certain phthalates have shown the chemicals may cause reproductive and developmental harm, organ damage, immune suppression, endocrine disruption and cancer.

When used during pregnancy, the chemicals in perfume and scented lotions may even lead unborn boys to suffer from infertility or cancer later in life.

Many are Chemically Sensitive

Well you may think that wearing these fragrances may make you more attractive to the opposite sex, many are unaware that there are a significant percentage of the population that are chemical canaries and these synthetic fragrances will actually make them sick.

Have you ever gotten a headache because someone sitting next to you is doused in perfume? Or felt dizzy, nauseous, irritable, confused or fatigued due to fragrances worn by other people in your office?

These are signs that you likely have a chemical sensitivity to fragrance, and many people do.
Even low-level exposure to fragrance, such as getting a whiff while out shopping, can lead to symptoms, and if you’re stuck in a closed environment (such as in an office with poor ventilation) the symptoms can be debilitating.

I know, as I used to be married to a physician who was debilitated with this illness, so I have had some first-hand experience.

We have a no-scent policy at my Natural Health Center and require patients to be scent-free during their office visits.

For a complete list of symptoms that may be caused by a chemical sensitivity to fragrance (there are easily 40+), see this past article.

Artificial fragrances are also among the top five known allergens, and can cause asthma and trigger asthma attacks. For the many afflicted with allergies or chemical sensitivities, avoidance is the only real solution.

Unfortunately as with second-hand smoke, if you’re chemically sensitive you can be harmed by the fragrance someone else is wearing. You do have to breathe, after all.

So I advise everyone to avoid artificial fragrances at all cost, not only for your own health, but also for the health of those around you. If you simply cannot give up your fragrances, then at least consider switching to natural scents made from essential oils.

Related Links:
New Evidence Emphasizing Sense of Smell in Sexual AttractionMind Control -- Through Your NosePerfumes Find Their Way Into Human Breast Milk

New York City Takes On Salt

The Real Issue… and Why You Need to Know About It

Did you see the January 10th New York Times report about salt?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently named it his next “Public Enemy #1.”
His health department already banned trans-fats in restaurants. And forced calorie counts to be listed on menus. Now they’re taking on salt.2The real question they should be asking is not “Should you eat salt or not?” It’s “What kind of salt should you eat?”

Good News for Salt Lovers

You need salt to live, and to continue living. No doubt about it…
A human embryo develops in salty amniotic fluid.

Your body consists of three distinct fluid systems, all salty – blood plasma, lymphatic fluid, and extracellular fluid.

Salt carries nutrients across cell membranes into your cells.
Salt keeps calcium and other minerals soluble in your blood.
Salt helps regulate muscle contractions.

The mainstay of fluid replacement therapy for treatment of dehydration – or as an IV therapy to prevent hypovolemic shock due to blood loss – is a saline solution of 0.9% sodium chloride.
Salt helps regulate blood pressure and fluid volume.

In hot temperatures, salt regulates your fluid balance.

It helps stimulate your nerves by increasing conductivity in nerve cells… for communication and information processing.

You can’t live without salt in your body.
You’re unable to digest food without it. Your heart needs it to function. So do your adrenals. Your liver and kidneys cannot work without salt.
You sweat salt. Your tears are salty. Your blood is salty.

So I trust you’ll look past conventional medicine’s blindness in pressing for low-salt diets.
Is Low-Salt Really Better?

The idea that salt consumption causes high blood pressure in the first place is a relatively recent belief… based, in fact, on questionable conclusions from a handful of studies.

Repeated studies failed to show a major causal link between salt intake and high blood pressure. In fact, some research points in the opposite direction.3

A huge government study on thousands of people concluded that minerals – especially potassium and magnesium – are better at lowering blood pressure than salt.4

Even the CDC’s own data over the space of 30 years showed that adequate mineral intake acts to keep your blood pressure low.5

A low-salt diet supposedly reduces your risk of heart attacks and strokes. But where’s the evidence? I’ve seen compelling evidence that shows you increase your risk of a heart attack on a low-salt diet.6

Why an increase?

Because low-salt diets can create or worsen nutritional deficiencies. And you know you need vitamins and minerals for good heart health.

So I take conventional medicine’s low-salt advice with a grain of salt… and suggest you do, too. This should come as good news if you enjoy salty foods.

But yet, it’s worth considering what type of salt is best for your health.

Choose “Living” Salt for Life

Regular table salt is a highly processed product that’s devoid of nutrients and minerals – like most other processed foods.

Due to extensive processing, which either destroys nutrients with high temperatures or strips them out, it lacks the nutrients found naturally in unrefined salts such as sea salt.

I advise switching to natural sea salt as your replacement for “traditional” table salt.
Think of unrefined salt as a whole, living food, because it is. It provides up to 82 vital trace minerals that promote your best possible life function and cellular health.

Even in tiny amounts, these minerals rally to regulate your body’s systems. They restock your electrolytes and balance your acid/alkaline levels.

Say Good-Bye to Traditional Table Salt

Your best way to replace processed table salt with unrefined sea salt is to eat whole organic vegetables, fruits, and meats you cook yourself… then add your own sea salt to taste.

Here’s a list of high-sodium prepared foods, with lower sodium alternatives to substitute. Choose these options… and add your own healthy replacement for processed table salt.

Sources of Added Salt Substitute Instead
Canned and frozen vegetables- Fresh vegetables
Soups- Homemade soup
Ready to eat cereals- Shredded wheat, puffed rice,
oatmeal, low sodium cereals
Celery salt, garlic salt - Caraway seeds, pepper, garlic, parsley,
thyme, lemon, other Spices
Salad dressings - Homemade dressings
Steak sauces, prepared sauces, catsup- Lemon, Spices
Crackers, potato chips, corn chips - Salt-free matzah, crackers
Club soda - Seltzer water, juices
Bacon, Ham, salami - Nitrite-free sandwich meat
Fast foods, - Salad, sandwiches

You can purchase sea salt in health-food stores and many mainstream grocery stores.
Still Worried About High Blood Pressure?

Since studies show poor outcomes for people low in minerals, here are some ways to increase your dietary intake of the most critical ones.

Magnesium – Helpful for healthy heart function and normal blood pressure. Dark green leafy veggies like spinach are rich in magnesium because chlorophyll molecules contain magnesium. Beans, peas, nuts, seeds, and seafood also provide magnesium. You should strive to eat enough magnesium-rich foods to get 500-1,000 mg of magnesium daily.

Potassium – Maintains normal fluid and electrolyte balance, and promotes normal muscle function. Helps optimize blood pressure levels.7

Foods rich in potassium include orange-colored fruits and veggies like apricots, cantaloupe, oranges, nectarines, peaches, sweet potatoes, and butternut and acorn squash. Other foods rich in potassium are black and kidney beans, spinach, Swiss chard, artichokes, bananas, kiwi, fish, meat, poultry, and milk. You should strive to get your potassium from a healthy diet.

Calcium – Populations with low calcium intake have higher blood pressure. But it’s not been proven that popping extra calcium supplements will automatically lower your blood pressure.

1 “Citing Hazard, New York Says Hold the Salt,” The New York Times, 01/10/10.

2 http://www.ukessays.com/essays/chemistry/saline-fluids.php

3 “Salt Your Way to Health,” Brownstein, David, M.D., www.celticseasalt.com (Reprinted from the Winter 2006 issue of A Grain of Salt.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid.

7 “Lower Your Blood Pressure with Potassium-Rich Foods,” The Vancouver Sun, 02/11/10.