Although we can find many foods in the supermarket that have been fortified with a synthetic form of Vitamin D, there are only a select number of foods containing vitamin D in them naturally.

Normally, our body takes in Vitamin D in the form of sun-synthesis through the skin. But in our modern times, where many of us spend countless hours inside houses, cars and shopping malls, our actual exposure to the sun is limited. This fact may be a principle cause of many ailments, including depression. For this reason, it is extremely important to have a diet high in Vitamin D or take a vitamin D supplement.

This is my ‘List of Foods Containing Vitamin D’, as well as some of the great potential benefits of the vitamin. (In no particular order)

Continue reading: “10 Foods Containing Vitamin D”

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Since the early 1930’s our government has been “protecting” us from the “dangers” of whole, raw milk. How do they do this? By actually killing the whole, raw milk by pasteurizing it! Interestingly, pasteurization also increases the shelf life of milk, making it much easier to mass-market, maximizing profits for the dairy industry.

Real milk comes from real goats or cows that are allowed to graze in toxin free pastures. Besides tasting great, raw organic milk is a precious, life-giving food. But extreme temperatures used to pasteurize (”cook”) the milk can actually render it life-depleting.

Pasteurization destroys almost all of the nutritive value of cow’s milk. The milk everybody drinks today is far from a whole food, and in my research is not fit for human consumption.

Pasteurization also destroys beneficial bacteria found in raw milk. It kills the natural enzymes and destroys the chemical make-up of calcium in raw milk. Calcium is vital to the growth and health of children. Pasteurization has been implicated in everything from allergies to heart disease to cancer. Truly, the resulting product after pasteurization is not raw and living, but rather “killed and dead.”

Raw Milk: Why the Fuss?

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The fuss about raw milk has to do with pathogens – organisms that can cause diseases such as Salmonella. But whether or not raw milk carries pathogens depends totally on the way the milk is produced, how the animals are fed, and the care that’s taken to keep the milk clean during production.

Today’s pasteurized milk comes from cows crammed in cages loaded with synthetic hormones and antibiotics. Homogenizing purposely destroys raw milk’s natural butterfat in an effort to separate and hide the cream from the consumer. European studies show that this is dangerous and may cause heart disease. Of course our FDA disputes this. Homogenized milk is quite unnatural!

Back in the 20’s Americans could buy raw, clean, grass-fed milk and cheese – and at that time milk-borne diseases were rare. Can you believe that suppliers of organic, raw milk today are required to display the words “Not fit for human consumption”? It’s true!

I firmly believe that true health starts in the colon. Raw milk contains the milk sugar “lactose” in its purest form, and lactose aids in digestion and elimination. And organic, raw milk is the only food that has it in a usable form! I personally am not a animal milk drinker, but if I was I would only consume raw organic goats milk.

Continue reading: “Pasteurized vs. Raw Milk: Which One Is Healthier for You & Your Family?”

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Remember what a drag it was when Mom used to nag at you to eat your veggies at dinner? She may have been saving your life.

A study conducted in part by scientists at Oxford University’s Cancer Epidemiology Unit indicates that vegetarians develop some cancers, including bladder and stomach cancers and leukemia, up to 45% less than persons who eat red meat, that’s nearly half the risk! The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer earlier this year.

According to the National Cancer Institute, limiting your fruit and vegetable intake actually puts you at risk of developing cancer. Consider fruits and vegetables to your body like income to your bank account. The more you eat, and fill up your body’s bank account, the more “stuff” you can do, like fight off diseases, maintain healthy vision and organ function, be athletic, travel, focus, learn.

When your body is low on funds, you run into problems paying the bills and meeting the demands of life. Keeping your body’s bank account full is like keeping a nest egg or an emergency fund. As long as you’ve continued feeding your body good live things, you’re better equipped to handle whatever comes your way, mentally, emotionally and physically.

Continue reading: “Study: Vegetarians Are 45% Less Likely to Develop Cancer”

Lifestyle choices play a major role in our physical, mental and emotional health. Poor lifestyle choices will lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and a suite of other health issues.

Decision processing becomes sluggish as poor health leads to a more sedentary lifestyle. Which will then lead to reduced blood flow to the brain, thus affecting your entire body.

Performance at work, school and in the home becomes mediocre as health issues begin to consume time and finances. Self-esteem and confidence suffer, and affect even otherwise healthy relationships.

Despite the consequences of not living healthy, the number of middle aged adults in America who are obese has risen from 28% to 36% over the last 18 years, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Medicine. The study compared five lifestyle factors of a group of 7,340 middle-aged (40-74 year old) adults from 1988-1994 to a group of 7,811 middle-aged adults from 2001-2006.

5 Healthy Lifestyle Habits

• Physical activity at least 12 times per month
• Consumption of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
• Maintenance of a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 29.9)
• Moderate alcohol use, if any at all
• Not smoking

What the researchers from Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston found was that there was a 10% drop from the 1998-1994 to the 2001-2006 group in the number of middle-aged persons who undertook physical activity 12 or more times per month, and an 8% increase in obesity for the same group.

Despite the fact that tobacco use increases cancer risk, the percent of the population that smokes did not change in the seven year interval between the groups. Even while “health kicks” are on the rise, the number of people consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day has dropped from 42% to 26%.

Continue reading: “New Study: Following a Healthy Lifestyle is on the Decline in the US”

Recently, I found a study that I thought was really interesting.

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In a society which is literally getting fatter and fatter on a daily basis, it becomes increasingly difficult to find ways to keep people from eating unhealthy junk food.

But in that same society of obesity, there is a growing need to be “green” & “environmentally friendly”. As such, natural health practitioners preaching weight loss through a more nutritious diet may have finally found their biggest ally.

According to David Pimentel and his colleagues at Cornell University in New York, a healthier diet and a return to traditional farming could possibly help reduce the energy consumption of the US food industry by as much as 50%.

To put this all into perspective, 19% of total energy consumption here in the United States, is created by the production and supply of food.

Fossil Fuels & Our Food System

In an article entitled ‘Reducing Energy Inputs in the US Food System‘ recently published in the Human Ecology journal, Pimentel set out a variety of strategies that could reduce the food industries use of fossil energy fuel use.

Continue reading: “How Eating Less Junk Food Could Help Cut Fossil Fuels”

When it comes to detoxing your body, there are many techniques you can follow and supplements you can take. But, the best way, is to eat lots of foods that detox the body. Below is a list of detox foods that I thought would be an great addition to everybody’s diet.

1. Fruits

Fruits are extremely high in liquid-content, helping the body wash out toxins. They are also very easy to digest and are high in antioxidants, nutrients, fiber and many important vitamins like vitamin C.

2. Green Foods

When you are ready to detox your body, fill your refrigerator with blue green algae, barley, wheatgrass, kale, spinach, spirulina, alfalfa, chard, arugula or other organic leafy greens. These plants will help give a chlorophyll-boost to your digestive tract.

Chlorophyll rids the body of harmful environmental toxins from smog, heavy metals, herbicides, cleaning products and pesticides. They also aid the liver in detoxification.

Continue reading: “10 Foods That Detox The Body”

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Which of these two scenarios sounds more vibrant for overall quality of life and health?

The wind on your face, the sun on your skin, you talk with a local farmer about the size and taste of this year’s harvest of peaches, as you pop a slice in your mouth. After tasting several different varieties, you choose your favorite one, walking away with a great memory of the farmer in your mind.

Or… You stand shivering in the freezer section at your local mega-mart, your eyes begin to glaze over from the halogen lights and the neon-colored cardboard boxes containing substances claimed to be food products? You decide on the one with the least amount of additives and make your way to the self-check-out line, excited to get in your car and out of the supermarket.

Clearly, most of us would agree that the first scenario, at the local farmer’s market, is much more appealing than a trip to a big chain grocery store. But what, besides the aesthetic factor, are some of the other benefits of supporting your local farmers market? Here are ten reasons why I believe you should shop at your local farmers market.

Continue reading: “10 Reasons to Buy Your Fruits & Veggies at Your Local Farmer’s Market”

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Our readers have expressed a new-found and growing interest in creating their own organic garden from the comforts of their backyard. Especially after I published my article about Michelle Obama’s organic garden.

So, as a result, I wanted to share a few of my favorite tips for starting a garden that is organic, sustainable and earth-friendly in the convenience of your backyard.

There are numerous benefits to planting your own organic garden at home: First and foremost, you are able to eat the freshest, local, organic fruits, herbs and vegetables around, while at the same time, you act to help reduce the amount of pesticides and toxic chemicals in the environment. And, as organic fruits, herbs and vegetables can tend to be more costly in the supermarket, now is a great time to explore creating your own delicious organic produce at home.

Continue reading: “7 Tips for Starting Your Own Organic Garden”

Berries have been shown to be some of the healthiest foods on the planet. Every month or so it seems new research is being published and new berries are being discovered and analyzed for their health giving properties. As well as multi level marketing companies jumping on the bandwagon to make a fast buck.

Extremely high in antioxidants, berries rank among my favorite foods. So here is my list of different kinds of berries that are extremely high health benefits.. (in no specific order).

1. Goji Berries

Traditional societies link this potent berry to sexual vitality, happiness, longevity, and overall physical strength. Grown in Tibet and Nepal, goji berries have been scientifically linked to possessing the ability to fight negative health conditions and protect the liver from contaminates.

Deep red in color, goji berries are composed of 18 essential amino acids, 21 trace minerals, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E, linoleic acid, selenium, germanium, and more amounts of beta carotene than the common orange carrot.

A study from the Chinese Journal of Oncology found that patients with cancer responded better to treatment when goji berries were added to their daily diet.

Continue reading: “7 Berries You Should Eat Everyday”

To enrich something means to make it richer by adding good things to it. If you add some organic apple cider vinegar to your water, you’ve enriched it. Enriched white flour, then, has had lots and lots of good things added into it, so it’s good for you. Right? WRONG!

The truth is, so many of the good things that were originally in it have been stripped out through refinement that they HAD to add a little something back in. Now here’s the really scary part. What they are adding back into your flour is actually toxic!

Iron is one of the “nutrients” added back into enriched flour, except that the type of iron that is added in is not really a nutrient at all, but is considered a metallic iron. Metallic iron is obviously not available for use by the body, and was never meant to be consumed in the first place.

Enriched flour is absorbed by the body not as wheat or a grain, in which case your body could use the energy slowly and effectively, but as a starch. That is because the wheat germ has been stripped from the flour; the FDA specifically states that enriched flour cannot have greater than 5 percent wheat germ.

Continue reading: “The Hidden Truth About Enriched White Flour”