Trident chewing gum can cut your risk of heart disease

Certain sugarless gums kill mouth bacteria. Plaque caused by excess bacteria in your mouth causes gum disease, and more than 17% of people older than 65 have gum disease. Worse, people with gum disease are three times more likely to have a heart attack than those without it.

Chewing sugarless gum with xylitol is a simple way to cut your risk. Xylitol is a sweetener that suppresses mouth bacteria. One of the most popular sugarless gum brands with xylitol is Trident (another is the European gum brand Stimorol).

But keep the gum away from Fido. Xylitol is toxic to dogs and can cause acute liver failure.

Source : Dr. David Eifrig in Retirement Millionaire:

Posted in Contrarian Health, Dental Health | No Comments »

Carbs that burn fat

carbs that burn fat

plus fruits and vegetables

fruits-vegetables

The best starchy foods are whole beans or lentils, which contain starch that is mostly either slowly-digested starch or resistant starch.

When choosing grains, eat ones which are whole and intact when cooked, such as brown rice, barley, amaranth, or quinoa.

Avoid most baked goods or anything made with flour. Best choices are specialty low carb breads which have less starch and more fiber.

Avoid processed cereals with little fiber. Best choices are cold cereals which contain high levels of fiber, such as All-Bran with Extra Fiber.

Going against the grain (pun intended) : One processed food that seems to be digested more slowly than would be expected is pasta. Apparently the starch molecules are so tightly packed that only about half is rapidly digested when the pasta is cooked “al dente” (slightly firm). Cooking time and thickness of the pasta greatly affects how the glycemic it is. Overcooked pasta tends to be higher glycemic and and worse for blood sugar levels.

Source : Understanding carbohydrates and starches at about.com

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Fats that help you lose fat

fats you must eat to lose fat

fats you must eat to lose fat

Posted in Contrarian Health, Food Regimens | No Comments »

Politics and environmental protection — ’til wealth us do part

” The link between health issues and pollution is irrefutable. Mercury is a neurotoxin that affects brain development in unborn children and young people. Lead has similar effects in our bodies. Soot, composed of particles smaller across than a human hair, is formed when fuels are burned and is a direct cause of premature death. Nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds contribute to the ozone alert days when seniors, asthmatics and others with respiratory problems are at serious risk if they do nothing more dangerous than step outside and breathe the air. “


EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

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“Youth In A Bottle” on Grocery Store Shelves !

In Italy olive oil always has been an integral part of the culture. But Italians also have long known of its health benefits and healing properties. Whether the problem is a case of sunburn, persistent earaches, or dry hair, Italians traditionally have turned to olive oil.

Now, new research highlighting the healing qualities of extra virgin olive oil not only confirms these uses but also reveals even more beneficial effects from its use.

Whether a malady is heart disease, diabetes, digestion, or age-related deterioration, olive oil has been shown to be beneficial in its prevention and treatment :

  • Lower your risk of heart disease and cancer
  • Enhance your immune system
  • Lower cholestrol and blood pressure
  • Lose weight
  • Prevent cancer
  • Stave off diabetes
  • Fight fat
  • Help turn back the clock on aging
  • Add years to your life
  • Fight infections
  • Soothe inflammation
  • Ward off arthritis
  • Stop pain
  • Deter memory loss
  • Help beat osteoporosis

One tablespoon of olive oil has the power to wipe out the cholesterol-raising effects of two eggs. You can take years off your biological age by changing your diet and lifestyle — and olive oil can play a vital role.

Olive oil also is considered one of the most popular folk remedies, playing a key role and including :

  • Beating bladder infections
  • Helping heal skin burns naturally
  • Curing coughs
  • Easing constipation
  • Curing dandruff
  • Relieving diaper rash

Olive oil has been praised by leading health experts as one of Mother Nature’s most healthful fats. And now, olive oil is making news worldwide and is here to stay in homes, restaurants, and even fast-food chains!

People from all walks of life, including some olive oil pioneers and contemporary medical experts, believe olive oil helps fight body fat, keeps blood pressure down, and combats heart disease. It’s also known to help relieve colds and maintain healthy skin.

Research finds olive oil contains antioxidants similar to those found in tea and red wine that fight heart disease, including LDL cholesterol’s ability to clog arteries.

Olive oil is like “virtual youth in a bottle.”

Posted in Contrarian Health | 1 Comment »

Yoga benefits

yoga-butt-benefits

Inner Peace and a Great Butt

Click here for the full exercise routine at lifescript.com

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Keeping abreast of the mammogram industry

“More death by medicine….. for the past 20 years (closer to 30), nearly everything we have come to accept as beneficial to our health or possibly “life saving” or as “preventive” has turned out to be nothing short of witchcraft. Then we find out 20 years later that the FDA and/or the medical books were wrong. Yet, nothing is ever done about it. It just gets swept under the rug. …. Seriously, I don’t know anyone who sees a doctor that actually improves their health. They get put on meds and you see an immediate decline in their health. When you point this out to them they get mad at you.” (from the comments section to the article at the link below)

New analysis finds mammograms only occasionally save lives

Posted in Commentary, Consumer Awareness, Contra-FDA, Contrarian Health, Dr. Mercola | No Comments »

Natural Home Remedies

Listed in no particular order. Suggest you use the search function to zero in on what you’re looking for.

For an almost any infection, e.g. a cut, tooth infection, flu etc — use raw apple cider vinegar to get you on your feet the next day or two. Braggs is one brand sold at natural foods stores. Mix one ounce with equal honey and two parts water (or 1 part brandy). Take three times and see what happens.

If you have a tooth ache get raw vinegar alone and swish it on aching tooth for around 30 seconds to a minute and the pain will be gone in around 5 minutes. Putting Stevia brand sweetener on your tooth is another way to remove pain and should work in under 5 minutes. Stevia actually builds up tooth enamel, your immune system, and is safe for diabetics.

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The Yolks On Us : 500 Million eggs recalled for salmonella contamination

There are dozens of carton labels that manufacturers can use. Some are meaningful, but others are just ways to confuse consumers into thinking they’re buying eggs from wholesome and happy chickens. :

cage-free, organic, free-range, free-roaming, natural, pastured, omega-3 enriched, certified humane, United Egg Producers certified

Link to glossary of different egg marketing terms and what they mean … and more importantly don’t.

Link to egg brands affected by the August 2010 recall

(Just goes to show the egg industry is not all it’s cracked up to be).

Posted in Consumer Awareness, Public Health | No Comments »

Of All The Gall — Stone Prevention

The exact cause of many gallstones is not known, but we know that there are several things that contribute. These include a high fat diet and being overweight, heritage and having given birth to children. Another surprising thing that seems to cause them is rapid weight loss and a very low fat diet. The rapid weight loss contributes to gallstones because the liver pumps out cholesterol in the bile and it becomes so concentrated that it can form stones.

The gallbladder’s normal function is to collect and concentrate the bile. The bile is used to help digest fatty and oily foods. When you eat something containing fat or oil – like something fried – the gallbladder squeezes out bile. So, those that never eat anything with fat or oil do not ever have the gallbladder emptied. The bile then becomes more and more concentrated until crystals start to form.

Unfortunately, there may be no way to completely avoid gallstones if your ancestors had them. But, you may be able to decrease the chance of getting them by several methods.

First, try to maintain a reasonable weight. Being overweight or underweight increases your chances of getting gallstones.

Second, drink enough fluids. Any time you are dehydrated, you can make the bile become more concentrated and gallstones can result.

Third, keep up with your good balanced diet. Don’t eat a lot of fats. But, don’t avoid them altogether. As always, the best fats are those you get in their natural state. The best place to get corn oil is by eating corn. The best place to get olive oil is by eating olives. If you want to avoid anything it is highly refined food.

Fourth, a good exercise program will keep the blood flow through your liver and gallbladder at good levels and will help with any problems that may occur.

Finally, if you do develop pain that sounds like it may be a problem with your gallbladder, see your doctor. If you do have pain from gallstones, the best and final treatment may still be surgery.

Source : Dr. Ron McCluskey

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