I previously posted my list of different types of nuts that are healthy and nutritious. Like nuts, seeds are a vital part of our diet. Seeds are high in fiber, vitamin E and monounsaturated fats that can help keep our heart healthy and our body disease free.

Healthy seeds are also great sources of protein, minerals, zinc and other life-enhancing nutrients. Numerous studies have shown that different types of seeds and nuts can actually prevent weight gain, the development of heart disease and the accumulation of LDL cholesterol.

If you are going to add seeds to your diet, I would recommend that you eat only organic seeds, in their raw state. I personally try to avoid irradiated or roasted seeds, and stick with raw seeds. Here is my list of the five healthiest seeds you should add to your diet. (In no particular order)

Continue reading: “The Top 5 Healthiest Seeds”

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Are the new reforms on healthcare really reforming the way we respond to health and imbalance? Are these reforms truly making anyone healthier?

No one can deny that the healthcare issue is a serious debate, and yet what many are failing to mention is the fact that any form of healthcare reform is destined to fail, due to the inherent lack of focus on prevention and the root cause of disease. The current model in Washington takes a narrow approach, focusing mainly on one problem: the current cost and exclusivity of healthcare.

What is more, Obama’s health team is still jumping on the bandwagon of chemically-based drugs, as well as harmful antibiotics and vaccines, encouraging drug companies to reduce their prices so that more and more Americans can consume these drugs. These drugs are the cause of disease and only cover up the symptoms and never address the root cause!

Moreover, the current healthcare bill is painfully focused on appeasing the interests of the big business model of healthcare, including special interest groups and the very pharmaceutical companies that are doing more harm than good to the average American.

Some may even consider the fact that since the current chemical-based model of medicine does not treat the root-causes of disease (for example, improper digestion and elimination, leading to chronic toxicity), this so-called healthcare system is actually designed to keep people lined up at the doctor’s office.

Without a clear understanding of the root causes of disease, unfortunately, any new healthcare reform is missing the main point. On a whole, there are some 48 million Americans who lack healthcare coverage. Simply offering these individuals access to medical care is not enough. Oftentimes, the same individuals who lack decent healthcare coverage are the very individuals most prone to chronic, lifestyle-based disease issues.

Continue reading: “Why Healthcare Reform Will Inevitably Fail”

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While we should always try to avoid getting a sunburn, at times the power of the sun can sneak up unexpectedly on our skin. From redness, irritation, peeling, pain, swelling, to unsightly blisters, sunburns can last from three to seven days, and can be highly uncomfortable. When we get a sunburn, what we are actually suffering from is an acute inflammation of the skin cells, caused by the powerful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Many people are unaware that the chemicals they put on their skin can cause sun exposure to produce inflammation of the skin as well. This is particularly true in the case of products which are full of chemicals, such as perfumes, facial creams, chemical deodorants, etc. When sunburn does occur, nature offers us many cooling, soothing remedies to take the sting and bite out of a red sunburn.

Natural Remedies for Sunburn:

The following are my favorite natural remedies for providing relief for mild sunburn.

Continue reading: “13 Natural Remedies for Sunburn”

For many years, nuts have gotten a bad rap for being high in fat. But in reality, nuts are a vital part of our diet, as they are high in monounsaturated fats that actually keep us heart-healthy and disease-free.

Healthy nuts are also great sources of protein, minerals and other life-enhancing nutrients. Scientific studies now show that different types of nuts and seeds can actually prevent heart disease, weight gain and the accumulation of LDL cholesterol.

All nuts should be organic, eaten in their raw state, and not irradiated or roasted. Here is my list of the five healthiest nuts you should add to your diet. (In no particular order)

Continue reading: “The Top 5 Healthiest Nuts”

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”

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When the cells lining the colon and/or rectum begin to grow out of control, they can form a polyp that may or may not become cancerous.

The most common types of polyp that occur in the colon are hyperplastic polyps, adenomas, and inflammatory polyps. Adenomas and inflammatory polyps have the potential to form cancer and are typically removed during screenings.

Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer can remain asymptomatic during the early stages. As the cancer progresses, changes in the consistency or timing of bowel movements may occur, along with seeing blood in the stool.

Other symptoms of colorectal cancer include the feeling that evacuation is incomplete after using the bathroom, abdominal pain, gas and cramps. As with most cancers, weight loss, muscle weakness and fatigue can also take place.

Continue reading: “Are You At Risk For Colorectal Cancer?”

So we’ve seen what we can do inside the house to make a difference on the environment, see my previous blog post “Going Green inside your home“. Now let’s see what we can do on the outside. And let me tell you, if you have kids or a green thumb, some of these are going to be a lot of fun.

1) Composting

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Composting is one of the easiest and greenest ways to help out the environment. A compost bin doesn’t cost too much, or you could even build your own, but even then they’re not necessary, when a nice heap will do fine.

Pretty much anything will go into a compost pile, from your lawn clippings to raked up leaves to last night’s dinner. If you like to drink coffee, add in your used coffee grounds to increase the overall nitrogen balance.

Not only does composting keep your garbage scraps out of the everyday waste, but it also creates a great food for your garden. Wait for your compost to really degrade, and then you have some seriously healthy dirt to start planting your new veggie garden.

2) Start a Vegetable Garden

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A lot of the stuff you can do outside is going to have a green thumb about it. If you have your own compost pile, as well as having your own veggie garden, the circle of nature is just beautiful.

Imagine growing your own food, right outside your kitchen window, and never forgetting those last minute herbs or vegetables you need for dinner. And when all is said and done, all of your scraps go out into the compost bin, to one day help grow more vegetables.

Starting a garden isn’t just something for those with a huge backyard either. Anyone can grow their own vegetables, whether you have a backyard or not. Container gardening is a great way to grow your own vegetables, if you don’t have enough yard space. Everything from tomatoes to lettuce to peppers and herbs, all right out in the small courtyard in front of the kitchen.

Continue reading: “6 Tips for “Going Green” Outside Your House”

A recent article from the Idaho Observer revealed some very disturbing news in regard to a possible intentional contamination of flu vaccines by an Illinois-based pharmaceutical company called Baxter International.

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Reports stated this company actually released “contaminated flu virus material” from one of its facilities in Europe. The flu vaccine was said to hold a mixture of different versions of the dangerous avian flu strain viruses.

After many of the test animals vaccinated with the “contaminated” flu shot began to die off, scientists began questioning why these animals were dying from a usually harmless flu shot. From there they discovered the intoxicating flu virus within the vaccinations.

Before scientists discovered this potentially-deadly error, these vaccinations were scheduled to be sent to 18 European countries. Experts believe that if these scientists not discovered the infected flu vaccines ahead of time, the vaccines would have most-likely caused an avian flu pandemic, as well as thousands of estimated human deaths.

When confronted, Baxter International stated that these contaminates were accidental, and that the avian flu virus accidentally appeared in a mass amount of their product. What Baxter did not mention was that they also sell a drug to combat avian flu called Celvapan, an emerging remedy created from cell culture technology.

Continue reading: “Were Flu Vaccines Intentionally Contaminated With Avian Flu?”

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”