A friendly messenger

"Disease is the opposite of an enemy - it is a friendly messenger, letting us know that we have disturbed our integrity."

Ralph Alan Dale, taken from a letter

Caffeine and Exercise: They don't mix

According to Swiss researchers, caffeine taken in prior to exercise lessens the blood flow through the heart.

This is not handy as during exercise, muscles need increased blood flow to provide oxygenation, nutrients and removal of metabolites.

There was not a noticeable difference in coronary blood flow in caffeine drinkers who just sat around - only during exercise.

The Swiss researchers said however that their research could also “raise safety questions in patients with reduced coronary flow reserve, as seen in coronary artery disease, particularly before physical exercise and at high-altitude exposure".

Read the full article here on NutraIngredients | Europe

Avian Flu Treatments? Elderberry extract? What? Not a drug!?

I must say I love the latest study that came out on how to battle Avian Flu. While it was only an in vitro study [in lab - not in human], it still showed some very statistically valid results.

The avian flu virus was sitting there happy in its petri dish until Sambucol Elderberry extract came in and sat on it. And boy did it. It suffocated it. Elderberry extract by Sambucol was 99% effective in neutralizing the avian flu virus.

"A team at Retroscreen Virology, an institute associated with the University of London, said that the extract was at least 99 per cent effective against the H5N1 virus and significantly neutralized the infectivity of the virus in cell cultures."

However, one must clearly know that this was done in a laboratory setting and not in a human trial. There is a big difference. There are human studies which have proven Sambucol effective in shortening the duration of cold and flu symptoms in general.

To read the full report, visit yet another fabulous website that I recently discovered:
Nutra Ingredients | Europe

It cracks me up when people state there is no research done on natural products. They simply are not looking. It is everywhere and I cannot keep up with the speed in which it publishes.

Get your elderberry extract. Damn I wish I sold Sambucol! Maybe I will....soon!

Be healthy,

Ben

Drug Industry Parody: Funny ...but also valid points

This article is incredible. I subscribe to Mike Adam's newsletter and it is a worthy newsletter to get. This is taken from the newsletter I received today. A direct link is provided below. Enjoy the read and refer your friends to it.

15 Ways the Auto Industry Would Change if it Operated Like Drug Companies

What would happen if you had to buy your car from a company that
operated in the same way as the pharmaceutical industries? Mike Adams,
the Health Ranger, came up with 15 unsettling changes that would occur.

Cost
------
Your car would cost $4.5 million, a 30,000 percent markup over cost.

The same car would be available in Canada or Mexico for less than $5,
000.


Dealing with Competition
--------------------------------
Meanwhile, automakers would be lobbying Congress to outlaw bicycles
and airplanes, just as the drug companies try to do with herbs and
nutritional supplements.

All auto imports would be banned. If you drove a Toyota down from
Canada, you would be arrested.

Car dealers would be bribed with money, free vacations, free food,
and free cars by automobile sales representatives to push certain cars.


Safety
------------
Cars with no seatbelts, airbags, crumple zones, or other safety
systems would be declared perfectly safe by the FDA, which would
instead focus on the dangers of bicycles.

Driver's Ed programs would be cancelled nationwide, and people would
be encouraged to buy new cars rather than repair damaged ones or avoid
accidents in the first place.

Safety tests showing that cars were dangerous would be buried, and
scientists who produced such results would be prevented from ever
conducting car safety tests ever again.

After being sued by customers injured in the cars with no safety
systems, automakers would further lobby Congress to pass laws
protecting car companies against class-action lawsuits.

Any federally mandated warnings about car safety problems would be
printed in small type on a tiny label hidden under the driver's seat.

Driving certain cars would cause side effects like loss of sex drive
or full-body muscle pain.


Advertising
------------------
Car companies would heavily promote new models each year, which would
be no different from the ones they were selling 30 years ago.

Car companies would invent reasons for you to buy a dozen or more
cars.

Automobile advertising would be filled with pictures of happy,
healthy, energetic drivers, but the cars would break down constantly,
fail to perform as promised, and quickly stop working.

Cars would be sold to you with extra features like a sunroof, air
conditioning, or a navigational system, but when the car arrived none
of these features would be included, just as drug companies exaggerate
the "multiple health benefits" of their products.

[you may see the entire article here on Mike Adam's website, NewsTarget.
Dr. Mercola's Comment:
--------------------------------

This article is spot on. If you enjoyed it half as much as I did,
then please forward this page to a friend or relative by using the
blue "E-mail to a Friend" link in the very top upper right section of
this page (right below the search box). You can also include a short
note with something specific for them as to why they might want to
consider subscribing to the newsletter to improve their health.

Unfortunately, this parody does not only apply to the pharmaceutical
industry. The obscene business practices of companies that sell
dangerous chemicals in the form of drugs, processed foods, and toxic
products, coupled with the industry-friendly laws of a
bought-and-paid-for Congress, have slowly evolved into a deadly system
that would be clearly insane if applied to any other aspect of life.

When it comes to protecting your health from deadly chemicals,
neither the government nor the industries that sell the dangerous
products have your best interests foremost in their minds. Here are a
few more analogies showing how deranged the system currently is:

If the movie industry were run like the food industry, any film
critic who wrote a negative review would be sued under the terms of
"movie disparagement laws" passed by a heavily lobbied Congress. The
movie producers might not win the case, but the critics would be
bankrupted by legal fees.

If restaurants were regulated like the chemical industry, then
restaurant owners would perform their own health inspections on a
voluntary basis. Only the very largest chain restaurants would even do
that.

If the police operated like the EPA, they would only arrest people
for five very specific types of crime, like murder with a blunt
instrument committed on a Tuesday. They would ignore all of the others.
Usually, they wouldn't even bother to investigate.

If the school system were run like the FDA, students would test
themselves at home and then simply tell the teachers how they did. The
school system would depend on fees paid by the students' parents, so
they would pass nearly everyone. Of course, only wealthy families
could afford the fees -- poorer students would be unable to get a high
school diploma at all, and would be barred from most jobs.

Your safety from dangerous chemicals is clearly largely in your own
hands. Play it safe and minimize your exposure to them:

Rather than becoming dependent on drugs, maintain your health with
proper nutrition and exercise.

Buy organic, prepare your own food as much as possible, and avoid
fast food at all costs.

http://www.Mercola.com

World's Healthiest Foods?

There is a foundation dedicated to providing useful information, tasty recipes and bulletins all about food and nutrition.

From their site: "The George Mateljan Foundation is a non-profit organization with no commercial interests. Our purpose is to show you a healthier way of eating that's enjoyable, affordable, quick and easy to fit your personal needs and lifestyle."

Check it out here:
The World's Healthiest Foods

Interview with Dr Pizzorno, ND: Founder of Bastyr Universtity

Mike Adams recently created the Natural Health Library where he houses his interviews and publications.

One interview stood out for me, the interview with my university's founder, Dr Joe Pizzorno, ND. Joe is well-known in the nation as an extinguised author of many natural health texts.

If you'd like to know more about naturopathic medicine and what we ND's really do, then I recommend you read Mike's interview with Dr. Joe Pizzorno.

On a side note, Joe is one tough basketball player.

Breastfeeding Tips, Tricks and Thoughts from the Pros

We have partnered with MilkFresh.

Stephanie, a mother of 14 month twins, has somehow managed to find time to create a beautiful idea into an excellent service. She and her team of advisors, send out a weekly email educating and serving moms with useful information.

From MilkFresh:

" Hey Mamacitas! Want the inside scoop on what's fun, new, and cool for you and your babes?

Milkfresh is an authentic, editorial weekly email that will launch this January. It is the essential, must-have lifestyle guide for every expecting, new and seasoned mom. So sign up now and don't worry, we won't share your info with anyone.

Milkfresh... delivered straight to your inbox."

I encourage you all to sign up for her newsletter. If you appreciate the information, pass it on to a momma and baby!

Stop by MilkFresh!

Exploring the World and Desire to Conquer

This is an incredible site - not related really to natural health -but certainly to nature. We have this innate desire to want to conquer nature but time after time she reminds us forcefully - or gently if we're lucky - that she is boss and not to be manipulated.

Check out ExplorersWeb - I could scan this site for hours on end.

I've summitted Mt Rainier [14,400 feet] and Mt Baker [10,100 ft] both in Washington state. I would not mind attempting another climb. Yet with 2 young kids and a wife, I must be careful. Each year these mountains take lives.

Bottom Photo is me on right, with Steve Norris, on summit of Mt Baker.
Top Photo taken by me looking back at Deanne and Chad Norris on our way to Baker's summit.

Human Body: Shown inside and out in Philly

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to see a human body intact but without skin, now is your chance.

Of course, the 200 subjects donated their bodies for this amazing event in Pennsylvania.

From athletic poses to diseased organs, one can visualize the human machine.

I believe all people should be required to take a course in Anatomy so they understand the workings of their body. This would help prevent injury, aide doctor's diagnosis, and teach us to respect and maintain ourselves.

I highly recommend that all go who can. The year I spent in Anatomy Gross Lab is one that I will always cherish and hold with the deepest respect.

Visit Body Worlds if you can. I wish I could.

In health,
Ben

Immune Support Breakfast Cereal

If you're in a hurry - and who isn't - this breakfast muesli mix may help you out.

It is designed by a naturopathic physician, Dr Bruce Milliman, ND.

All ingredients are quite easy to find in bulk bins. You may want to try without the milk thistle seeds first as they are not exactly tasty. However, they are very supportive of your liver and quite an essential part of the recipe. I recommend sprinkling them on the top of each bowl of muesli before you actually dump them into the mix. You may hate it with them - and it would be a shame to dump out the whole batch.

Preferably organic ingredients...of course but if you cannot afford it, then don't worry about it. Just get the cereal in ya.

If you are allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients, simply do not add them.

Here is the recipe:

Breakfast Muesli
4 lbs. Rolled oats
2 lbs. Oat bran
1 lb. Fresh ground flax
1 lb. Granulated lecithin
1 lb. Fresh ground milk thistle seed
1/2 lb. Whole raw almonds
1/2 lb. Whole raw sunflower seeds
1 lb. Wheat germ

Instructions: grind the flax and milk thistle seeds. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate the mixture until ready to use. Eat 4 oz. every morning served with dilute fruit juice and live yogurt as breakfast. Recipe makes 40 day supply.

"Quackery" - Are ND's Quacks? Am I a Quack?!

I have to breathe deeply when I approach sites that condemn naturopathic medicine and alternative medicine.


What gets me the most is many of the folks running these sites state:

• no research behind our methods
• herbs are dangerous
  
• ND's are dangerous
  
• no basis behind our methods
• and many others...too tired to list!

Research behind alternative methods is enormous. I wish the word alternative would go south but for now it is here. In about 10 years I believe naturopathic medicine and the word alternative will no longer co-exist.

To find complementary and alternative medicine research, go to PubMed. This site houses research from all over world related to medicine. I have selected to limit the results only to "alternative medicine." So whatever you type in the search bar will be alternative medical research done on your searched topic.

For example: I typed in 'migraine'. I received 852 results showing alternative medical research done on migraines. Another - 'cancer'. I received 66233 results for cancer! No research? They're not looking.

Yes herbs are dangerous - they are drugs. Many pharmaceutical drugs come from plants. They must be prescribed carefully and monitored. MD's should not prescribe herbs unless they are highly trained in herbal medicine; ND's and herbalist should prescribe herbs as we have proper training. Over the counter herbs hopefully are safe but from what I've seen that is not always the case. There are many potent herbs sold everywhere. But so are many OTC drugs and chemical laden foods.

ND's are dangerous? Well those ND's that claim to be ND's. There are certificate programs such as Clayton College that are breeding problems for us true ND's that have received a doctorate in naturopathic medicine. ND graduates from Clayton College are dangerous. They do not study a medical program.

To see what it takes for me to receive my doctorate in naturopathic medicine, visit page 11 on the Bastyr Universtiy Naturopathic Degree Information sheet.

No basis behind our methods is a frequent statement as well. There are 1000's of years of basis in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. 100's of years in 'alternative medicine' which began in Europe using herbs, water, air and food. Type in 'hydrotherapy' or 'balneotherapy' in PubMed link offered above and you'll see 100's of studies here.

What is the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States?

• Properly prescribed medications by doctors knowing what they are for
• Nosocomial infections - hospital borne
• Medical mistakes basically
• Don't trust me though - visit Wrong Diagnosis - a trusted resource.

Being anti-'quacks' is a good thing if it is targeting the right population. People who pretend to know what they are doing and are harming people is one major category. People who are performing dangerous techniques that puts patients at risk must be stopped.

However, I must state that graduates from accredited naturopathic medical schools are equivalent to medical doctors. We study the same sciences, order the same labs, follow the same physical evaluation, use the same instruments, and prescribe pharmaceutical drugs if necessary.

I look forward to the day when naturopathic medicine will be nationally accepted by all. In Washington state, we are very strong and working with MD's in battling cancer, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, minor surgery, sports medicine and numerous other medical conditions.

The president of Bastyr University, Dr Daniel Church, is helping form alliances. He has already accepted Former Children's Hospital CEO Treuman Katz to our Board of Trustees.

Graduation day is about a year or so away for me. I will walk into a medical profession that is not widely accepted. I welcome all to inqure why.

In health,

Ben
___________________
If you're interested in some sites that promote anti-quackery, Ive selected two for you to see. It is always good to know what others consider quackery.

• Quackwatch [he's an MD that is not too open towards ND's - yet! :)]
  
• Anne's Anti-Quackery Blog [she's an accountant - no medical knowledge]
  

Cystic Acne: A personal inquiry

QUESTION:

OK, I suffered with cystic acne for years. It had finally subsided, after much change in diet and my getting a little older (32). I had been over two years with virtually NO acne--a life-long dream come true.

A few months ago, my hubby and I became friends with a couple whom we love dearly. The wife has severe cystic acne (or are these cold sores) all over her face??).

She and I use the same brand of face powder, and one day got them confused in the car. Call it coincidence, but ever since THAT DAY, my acne is BACK. Terrible cystic acne, and I am so disheartened... I have it in facial areas where I never had it before.We have teased that it must have been contagious...but now I really do wonder.

So, my question: IS there ANY way this could have been some transmission of fungus, bacteria, or virus which caused this? How do I treat it if I don't know what is causing it??

I have tried ProActiv (not all-natural, but always worked so well before), white vinegar (in case it was fungal), apple cider vinegar, colliodal Silver...NOTHING is helping at all.

Please, please help!!

Disgruntled Eternal Teenager,
H. Strouse

-----------------

ANSWER:

Disgruntled -

Many texts state that acne is not contagious.

However, inside the cysts are staph bacteria and they may have set up shop in the face powder. So when you applied the powder, the staph found a weak spot in your pores. But it doesnt make that much sense as you have broken out everywhere and cystic acne is deep. It may have spread once you began scratching and touching the heads.

We all have staph and strep on our skin. It is a question of how much of them we are carrying and if we have vulnerabilities to them due to open wounds, imbalanced gut flora and others.

Have you recently taken antibiotics for anything?

What else changed on the days preceeding the break out?

A natural acne product is Torf Krasno Astringent Face Mask. It has a proven track record for the face. Naturopathic physicians use this product with success on their patients.

If else where on your body, the Peloid Face Mask by Torf is effective.

I will credit your money back in full for one of the products if you take and send me before and after pictures! :) You will be happy with the result. I need proof that it works and I dont have it in photos - only from doctors telling me and my fellow classmates - I am a med student.

Nice being an eternal teenager - without the acne - you'll get better!

Any further information or questions, I'm here.

In health,
Ben

To My Readers: Thank you!

It is comforting to know there are people out there seeking useful and relevant natural health information.

As a thank you for stopping by, I am offering you a 5% discount on any order from my natural health store, HealthE Goods.

Simply enter Voucher Code: 405080075

You may email this coupon to your friends. Do recommend them to subscribe to the Natural Health Information Center blog. It will benefit them! :)

I encourage you to take advantage of two other services I offer:

• Free Health Information Service
• Refer a Friend for Great Savings

Should you have any health questions or product questions, I am here. I receive all types of questions so do not think your question is embarrassing or odd. What may seem odd to some is only an imbalance to health in my eyes.

I wish you well.

In health,

Ben

Very Common Cause of Ankle Injury?

My wife has had ankle issues for a number of years and lately ankle surgery. Now I am getting some issues in my right one.

The podiatrist that we see told us a very common cause of ankle injury:

Tight Achilles Tendon [calf muscles]

If the calf muscles are tight, then they put stress on the talus. Stress on the talus pushes it forward on the calcaneus thereby causing improper gliding motion between the talus and tibia. Improper gliding motion causes wear in the joint.

Then today in my sports medicine class, my medical professor stated that people with very high arches have tight achilles tendons. He also said that those same people have a helluva time stretching out their calf muscles.

Bottom Line:

• To reduce ankle injury, stretch your calf muscles. Keep them limber.
• Avoid high heels if you can - they shorten calf muscles
• Visit a podiatrist if you have ankle issues - avoid a chronic problem

If you have weak ankles, consider prolotherapy.

If your ankle is absolutely trashed due to arthritis and you're young, you may consider ankle allograft. I know nothing about this but your doc may.

Hope this helps ya.

In health,
Ben

What Chemicals Are in Your Body? Take a test.

An excellent quick test to show what you may be inside you.

Check it out. It's fast. Simple and informative.

Take the test:
What's In My Body?

Born with Toxicity. Not a question if we're toxic. Rather it's how much.

From generation to generation we go.

We've seen the photos of our grandparents, our folks when they were young [hard to visualize my dad in 2nd grade], and we've heard the great flood of 19whatever.

What we didn't hear is silently bioaccumulating in all of us....from the dawn of our first generation to the present one.

How?

From maternal blood.

What?

The latest analysis of newborn babies shows they are born with an average of 200+ chemicals found in their umbilical cord blood.

Not a great start.

The good news is that many, if not all, can be removed by trained environmental medicine docs.

An informative report by the Environmental Working Group is entitled, Body Burden: The Pollution in Newborns.

I highly recommend you at least scan it.

Take a moment. Learn and understand where we are currently in the world.

One step further is the report on adults: Body Burden: The Pollution in People.

This report was the initator to get the Center for Disease Control [CDC] to do "the most extensive assessment ever made of the exposure of the U.S. population to chemicals in our environment."

The CDC didn't test for as many chemical compounds as the EWG but they tested a larger population. Money is an issue folks. It's expensive to run these tests.

Take a test. What chemicals are in your body?

If you can donate to the EWG. I do.

I dont intend to scare you or make you paranoid. My intention is to inform you of what is out there that is pretty much hush hush.

It is possible to limit your toxic burden. And it is possible to remove these harmful chemicals from your body. Truely it is. It has been done over and over and....yep...over again by many docs I know.

I plan to specialize in environmental medicine as I am thrilled by the results patients experience after treatment. Improving lifestyle and health is my goal. Removing the cause of illness is a major component of that goal.

Pollution is a major cause of illness.

The first step in removing pollution is understanding where it comes from.

Read, at least scan, the reports.

Oh - and uh - don't eat farmed fish.

Pollution: Who's Polluting Your Town and ....with what??

Last Sunday was an incredible day. Nope not spent skiing, backpacking, playing with my kids or raking leaves. My butt was parked in the Bastyr auditorium listening to my professor, Dr Walter Crinnion, ND, talk about environmental medicine.

Damn it was intense.

An incredibly informative website that shows which companies are polluting your town and with what is Scorecard.

This is an excellent and interesting resource.

There is something kinda weird though.

The government does not demand agriculture or anyone using pesticides or herbicides to report. That is not a good deal. The amount of agribusiness going on today in unreal - and not to mention the amount of pesticide spraying.

At least we have Scorecard. For now it is something.

Enjoy - not really the right word - checking your zip code and seeing how your town is doing and what some companies are doing to it.

Check out Scorecard to checkout your environment.

How Do Food Allergies Occur? A personal inquiry

QUESTION:

Hello Ben:

In your studies have you come across any information as to why a person may start to become allergic to the food they eat? Or even hypersensitive to a particular food they have stopped eating?

Thanks for your help,

Allergic

__________________

ANSWER:

Allergic -

Huge question. No way I can answer this completely - it is an entire book.

A few main reasons with the leading reason being anything that causes inflammation in the gut will likely cause food allergies down the road.

Some things which cause inflammation in the gut:

• pathogenic bacterial overgrowth due to antibiotic use in last 5-10 years. locate a quality probiotic to restore healthy bacteria
• weak digestion due to stress causing little release of HCl from the stomach or enzymes from pancreas or bile from liver. [weak digestion typically means constipation - or diarrhea. both of which cause inflammation if chronic.]
  
• weak digestion due to antibodies against your parietal cells - those which secrete HCl
• genetics - a gene turned on due to environmental stimulus - celiac disease is a big one - avoid wheat and see how you do - all wheat products. not easy to do but try it for a week. if you're allergic to wheat, youll feel incredibly better quickly.
• constipation, pathogenic bacteria, candida, celiac, crohns, IBD, IBS - causes increased absorption of toxins back into the bloodstream and irritation to the intestinal lining. Irritation to the gut lining causes inflammation. inflammation causes the gut lining to open. open gut lining combined with weak digestion causes protein complexes to enter the body's tissue space. larger protein complexes are not supposed to be in the tissue space. macrophages come and eat them and then send out signals which tell the body's immune system to make antibodies against this potential invader - the leaked out specific protein complex which came from a specific food. that protein complex is then is a target and when seen by the immune system, gets acted upon - causing further inflammation and further intestinal inflammation. protein complexes are not supposed to enter the body's tissue space. All proteins, fats and carbs are supposed to be absorbed into the blood via the intestinal aborptive layer. if they escape into the tissue space instead - bam. potential for allergies. remember food is proteins, sugars and fats. the allergic foods are proteins as the body can make antibodies against them.
• example - say you ate some cheese. the inflammation in your gut and weak digestive enzymes and acids did not properly break down all the long chain amino acids - peptides - into single amino acids. so some longer protein escaped through the intestinal lining into your tissue space. the macrophage saw this as an invader and ate it. it then sent out a signal to the other immune cells and they created an antibody against...cheese. so next time you eat cheese and your gut lining is not healed, the protein complex that the macrophage saw before is recognized by the immune system. the immune system reacts - allergy.

Hypersensitive even after not eating that food much is caused by the immune system having memory. The IgG part of the immune system will recognize 'bad protein complexes' for months and months. The only way to get the immune system to stop recognizing it is to stop eating the culprit food, heal the gut, and decrease inflammation. With those 3 combined, say after 6 months to a year, one will be able to slowly begin to reintroduce that food.

One may not be able to introduce an allergic food back into their diet if they are genetically prone to a specific family of foods such as gluten or the poison oak family - which includes mango and cashews.

However, if one is overburdened with solvents, heavy metals and others and they are properly removed, one may be able to balance their system back and regain the ability to eat anything. A naturopathic physician trained in environmental medicine can help here.

bottom line:

• eat fiber such as oatmeal for breakfast.
  
• limit dairy as its constipating.
  
• dont drink with meals as it dilutes stomach acids, bile and pancreatic enzymes.
  
• exercise - which helps absoprtion, mind/body so one is relaxed. that's important as relaxation allows the sphincters to open and when they are open, the enzymes, bile acids and stomach acids are released. when stressed, they are closed. also exercise helps one have a bowel movement. it's important to have a bowel movement every day.
  
• drink plenty of water throughout the day - before and after meals - not during. there is way more to the story but this is something.
  

if you have inflammation and allergies, it is important to quench that inflammation and restore health to the gut.

poor gut health led to the allergies - or environmental chemicals and toxins did - that's another whole ball of wax.

an outstanding supplement combination which quenches inflammation is bioinflammatory medical food powder by biogenesis. it is best taken with intestinal repair complex as this product heals the gut while bioinflammatory powder quenches inflammation. taken together, healing is faster. if one has a weak digestion for some reason - and that reason should be determined by a good doc - then perhaps digestive enzymes and stomach acids will help. panzyme by biogenesis contains both of them in one bottle.

to help you on your road to recovery, here is a $10 voucher to any product in our store. its valid on purchases over $50.00. Voucher code: xxxx [edited] Simply enter it in the shopping cart.

hope you found this useful and not confusing....! :)

if any more questions - im here to help - not all answers will be this long - i had some time this evening - you caught me in the right moment!

in health,

Ben

Disclaimer: This is for educational and informational use only. In no way is this intended to treat, diagnose or prescribe. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician.

Benzophenone causing my migraines? A personal inquiry

QUESTION:

Great website! I will certainly forward it along. I have a question for you. Benzophenone-4 is in alot of the perfumed products, including almost all commercial perfumes. Could this be the ingredient that sets of my migraine? I dont' have problems with other strong scents. I regularly use lavender and other essential oils. However, chemical commercial perfumes make me feel nausea and headaches are frequently the result of concentrated exposure. My mother in law has chronic migraines and I noticed that every sink in her house has a bottle of benzophenone laden perfumed soap.

Benzo'd Out

_________

ANSWER:

Benzo'd Out:

If you are sensitive to it - then you should avoid it. Repeat exposures only make it worse. Chemical sensitivies are typically a sign of toxic burden. We all carry pesticides, solvents, herbicides, heavy metals - mainly in our fat - but re-exposures place that chemical into your blood stream making one react. Then it gets absorbed into your fat and you dont feel as bad - then your re-expose and feel bad...nice cycle yes?

My bet is that you have surpassed your threshhold of toxic burden and need to get rid of them. This is best done by one who knows exactly what they are talking about as one can get very sick and very ill as the toxins are pulled from fat and bile. One feels ill as the toxins are once again put into the bloodstream so they can be released and flushed out. So if properly done and working slowly up in intensity, the toxins, metals, solvents, etc will disappear.

We are all born with toxins in us from the get go. Momma's blood delivered her own personal solvents and chemicals right into us as we were developing. On average, a baby is born already with 200 chemicals. And we wonder why ADHD, cancers, asthma are on the rise...

So long story short - avoid the chemical completely so you do not re-expose and try to limit your exposure to other chemicals. Not easy to do on our planet - but do your best. Drink filtered water, eat organic produce [ read my post on the most toxic dirty dozen ], do not eat farmed fish [ read my post on that ] and limit your toxic load [ another post on that as well.]

information on lovely benzophenone can be found on the EWG site.

i highly highly recommend that you read this website, The Environmental Working Group - from head to toe. They are the leading organization in environmental studies and research.

Tell your mom-in-law to chuck those soaps. There are tons of healthy natural soaps on the market. Invest in your health.

Also locate an environmental medicine specialist. Where are you located? A qualified naturopathic physician is a great place to start - one who knows how to properly detox patients with environmental toxicities. I wrote a post on how to choose a good ND and locate one in your area.

You may use this voucher on any product you like in my store - $10 off any purchases over $50. Voucher code: xxxx [edited]

simply enter it in the shopping cart.

hope you find the info useful!

In health,

Ben

Natural Skin Care: A few reasons why its important

This is a guest article from Eve Stahl. She is a member of the organic consumers co-op email list and that is how she found my blog. Having seen her website and read her article, I thought it may be useful to my fellow readers. She is absolutely right in saying that what you put on your skin should be what you would put in your mouth. Your skin absorbs some ingredients right into your bloodstream so it is important that you are reading labels. Aluminum?? Titanium?? Avoid those.

I recently posted about the hazards of anti-perspirant and its relation to breast cancer.

Enjoy Eva's article:

THE WISDOM OF NATURAL SKIN CARE

BY EVE STAHL

Each evening when you use your regular facial product, you may be applying toxins to your skin that actually age you much faster than normal. Even though consumer awareness of beauty product chemicals has been growing as scientific scrutiny reveals the harmful effects of toxic ingredients, cosmetic and body care products containing “suspect” and known toxic ingredients continue to flood the natural product industry at an astounding rate. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health reported that nearly 900 toxic chemicals are used in cosmetic products. [1] According to a June 2000 Cancer Coalition press release “Cancer and health risk experts recently concluded reviews that indicate mainstream cosmetics and personal hygiene products pose the highest cancer risk exposures to the general public, even higher than smoking.” [2] Additionally the overwhelming amount of misinformation and contradictory information only heightens consumers’ confusion and inability to get to the “bare facts” which can guide them to make the healthiest choices.

Whatever we put on our skin enters the body through our pores, then travels through the entire body via the circulatory system. Therefore it is especially important to scrutinize ingredients when selecting body care products just as we do when choosing our food.

While many companies claim their products are “all natural” and of the “finest quality,” a close look at the ingredients reveals they contain toxic synthetic preservatives, ‘suspected’ carcinogens, drying alcohols, and perhaps synthetic fragrances and dyes. All of which potentially contribute to allergies, headaches, rashes, asthma, hormonal imbalances, cancer, reproductive complications and a myriad other physical and emotional concerns.

Plants are living substances. They contain a vital life energy. It is what differentiates living matter from synthetically derived matter. Plants are composed of the same vitamins, minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, enzymes and hormones that we are. Our body recognizes plants as nutrition. We can safely eat most of them, use them in body care products and diffuse their oils for their therapeutic benefits. By using natural ingredients you will benefit your health. On the contrary, synthetic ingredients are “man made” chemicals devoid of life. The body recognizes that they are different from nature’s plants and one’s own chemistry. The immune system registers this as foreign, possibly toxic matter and may respond with an allergic reaction.

Everything we ingest orally, absorb through our skin, or breathe into our lungs, the body will either metabolize in support of building healthy cells or attempt to eliminate as non-food. What the body does not perceive as nutrition it must eliminate. What is not eliminated efficiently may cause disease. “…when toxins are being assimilated or created in the body faster than they can be gotten rid of…the toxic accumulations in the body create the necessary preconditions for disease.” [3]

When synthetic ingredients are ingested, the body spends a great deal of its vital energy to eliminate them from the body. This can be very stressful to the immune system and depletes our vital energy. The liver takes most of the brunt of processing and eliminating the foreign toxic ingredients. “…the liver serves as a blood filter and cleanser…(it) helps to reduce the work of the immune system, and when it becomes overloaded and unable to function as it should, your health probably will suffer. A poorly performing liver will have a ripple effect on the immune system, increasing the likelihood of allergies, sinus problems, asthma, auto-immune diseases and recurrent infections.”[4]

That is why it is critical to scrutinize every ingredient in the foods you eat, the products you put on your skin and hair, the household cleaning products and air fresheners you use. If you want natural products you need to be willing to search them out…read labels and not settle for half-natural skin and hair care products. Ideally natural skin care products are made with whole plant ingredients. Anything you put on your skin you should be able to eat…you actually are eating it! This is why many of the ingredients in natural skin care products are the same wholesome foods included in a holistic health plan e.g. vegetable oils, pure water, honey, oats, herbs, seaweed. The best way to read a label on a skin care product is to read each ingredient as if it were something you might eat or cook with. They should all preferably be certified organic. The following are a few key ingredients to look for on skin care labels:

• Natural vegetable oils have many beneficial properties for the skin. Coconut oil, sweet almond oil, apricot kernel oil, sesame oil, and wheat germ oil are a few.
• Water is a major contributor to the moisturizing process.
• Distilled and Deionized water are protected from the hundreds of chemicals in public water.
• Botanicals should comprise the therapeutic value of the product. There are numerous botanicals that have been proven throughout the ages to be beneficial to the skin e.g. chamomile, comfrey, lavender, frankincense, rose, myrrh, melissa, geranium, seaweeds and many more. They may be incorporated into products in several different forms – herbal extracts and infusions, essential oils and hydrosols. Since these are used in concentrated forms it is particularly important that they are derived from organically grown plants.

The essential oils of plants have been known throughout the ages as the most potent beautifying agents for the skin. They have a unique lipid structure that allows them to penetrate cell membranes and transport oxygen and nutrients to each cell of the body. Essential oils are some of the highest known sources of antioxidants that can prevent free radical damage and thus have an anti-aging effect on the skin.

“The beauty in using essential oils as medicines is that they don’t have negative side effects like the synthetic drugs and chemicals of modern pharmacology.” [5] Each essential oil has specific properties. Some oils are particularly hydrating while others have properties that tone the skin, seeming to work magic with wrinkles. Still others have antimicrobial and astringent properties that address the bacteria associated with acne. They all deliver nutrients and oxygen that improve circulation to give the skin a healthy glow. The oils can be carefully chosen for their nourishing properties and ability to balance chemistry in a manner that supports the required skin care. “Applied to the skin these essences regulate the activity to the capillaries and restore vitality to the tissues. We might almost say that they make the flesh more succulent.” [6]

It is critical that the essential oils used are a pure steam distillation of organically grown plants. Commercial products are often made with poorly distilled or solvent extracted oils. Perfume oils should be avoided. They are not essential oils and are a frequent cause of toxic reactions.

The following are the names of a few common toxic ingredients used in body care products that should be avoided: parabens (methyl, poly, butyl), propylene glycol, petrolatum, mineral oil, alcohols (cetyl, stearyl, cetearyl), perfumes, fragrance dyes & color, pthalates, TEA, and lauryl sulfates.

For more detailed information about these ingredients you may email me your request for a FREE report “11 Ingredients Found in Everyday Products that Can Endanger Your Health.” When I use the purest ingredients in nature in my products, I feel that I am supporting the health of our skin, our general health and the health of the planet.

Eve Stahl is an integrative health consultant-herbalist, educator, researcher and author committed to quality, purity and above all sharing her knowledge of what nature has to offer and what products to be aware of, or beware of in the market place. To meet this need she has developed the Garden of Eve natural beauty and skin care system. www.garden-of-eve.com 540-932-8585.

Copyright © 2004. Garden of Eve, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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[1] Amelia Hill, Observer April 7, 2002

[2] Linda Leibl, AZNETNEWS

[3] Bernard Jensen DC, PhD, Tissue Cleansing p.10

[4] Gary Null, Gary Null’s Ultimate Lifetime Diet p.131

[5] David Stewart PhD, Healing Oils of The Bible p.19

[6] Mme. Maury, The Secret of Life and Youth

Most Toxic Food: What is it??

Farmed Salmon.

AVOID IT like you would crawling through a sewage tunnel.


Read the full report from the Environmental Working Group.

This website kicks incredible butt in terms of providing the latest research on food safety. I highly recommend visiting their site often.

Eat wild alaskan salmon.

The Red Salmon and Pink Salmon are the best options as they are not as big of fish. The bigger the fish the more they eat other fish. More a fish eats other fish, the more PCB's and heavy metals they bioaccumulate. The more big fish and farmed fish you eat, the more PCB's and heavy metals you bioaccumulate. The more you bioaccumulate, especially as a woman, the more your future child is born with.

Proven. Fact. No BS.

If you see Atlantic Salmon - do not buy it. It is farmed fish.

Hopefully some day we will convince the FDA that farmed fish is extremely deadly. I do not see what their hangup is.

Perhaps $$$?? Who knows. Im fed up with them though. They are here to protect us from crap like that and they are far from doing so.

Let's avoid buying it and then the farmed fishing companies will drown.

Stay healthy. Stay informed.

Best
Ben