By. Dr. Ben Lerner

“Almost no one knows what the definition of health really is. Therefore that which they believe about health cannot be true.”
- Dr. Ian Grassam

To have a true wellness revolution, you must first answer the question: What is wellness? The term has been badly abused. Clinics offering abortion often call themselves Women’s Wellness Centers, and doctors and hospitals offer “wellness visits” through which they provide expensive exams and tests in an effort to create “early detection” of disease. Unfortunately, “early” is still after the fact, and the treatments involve more prescriptions and surgery. Injectable drugs and prescriptions are given even to children and the elderly in the name of “wellness.”

To know what real wellness is, you have to first define what health really is. Most people would say they’re healthy when they have no pain, no runny nose, no headache. In other words: I’m healthy when I feel good. In today’s fad-diet-and-home-exercise-infomercial world, health has also come to mean losing weight or looking good.

There are three problems with this. First, when you think health is feeling good, what do you usually do when you feel bad? You take a drug to feel good and then assume you’re healthy. Yet, as you now know, you do not automatically become healthy when a drug eliminates your symptoms, and in fact, you may be even sicker.

Second, when my father died of a heart attack at the age of fifty-two, he died without prior symptoms of heart disease and had passed previous medical evaluation. His doctor told us that in more than two-thirds of people who have a heart problem, the first sign is a heart attack. Then, in two-thirds of those, the people die.  Or, for the majority of people, the first sign that you have a heart problem is that you are dead. As my family discovered, that’s a little late to begin looking into it.

I could go on with story after story of people I’ve seen in my clinics who chose to not follow through with care based on the fact that they felt fine, only later to discover disease that was so far along by the time they discovered it, it was too late. By the time you actually know you have cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and other physical problems, these conditions have typically been ravaging your body for years. The same is true even for spine and extremity pain. By the time it hurts, MRIs and x-rays often show massive arthritic degeneration and/or disc damage that’s been developing for years.

Third, there’s the “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” myth. Thinking If I have no symptoms of a disease, then I don’t have to worry about disease is one of the most colossal errors in judgment you could ever make concerning your health. You might not have a diagnosed disease, but dis-ease can go on for years without warning before being discovered as disease. This type of thinking will, without argument, eventually shorten your life.

The following is a list from the Merck Manual of Medical Diagnosis. These are some of the most common diseases we face today and are all present in the body without any signs or symptoms noticeable to the victim:

 

• Heart arrhythmia     
• Glomerulonephritis (Kidney disease)
• Atherosclerosis (Plaque in arteries)    
• Hypertension (High blood pressure)
• Osteoarthritis    
• Ovarian cancer
• Benign prostatic hypertrophy    
• Ovarian cyst
• Breast cancer     
• Paget’s (bone) disease
• Cardiomyopathy     
• Spinal degeneration
• Polyps of large bowel    
• Cervical cancer     
• Prostate cancer     
• Cholelithiasis*(Gall stones)
• Pulmonary valve stenosis*    
• Renal calculi*(Kidney stones)
• Coronary artery disease    
• Renal (kidney) failure (chronic)
• Diabetes mellitus    
• Retinoblastoma* (cancer of the eye)
• Diverticular (colon) disease    
• Scoliosis (Curvature of the spine)
• Emphysema (lung disease)    
• Tooth decay
• Fibroid tumors of the uterus    
• Valvular heart disease

 

Seeking freedom from symptoms is easy to do and may even guarantee those results. The only thing it can never bring you, however, is health. In fact, as the Merck Manual shows us, being free from symptoms may just cover up signs of dis-ease and keep you ignorant of your perilous predicament.

 

Come see us a local Maximized Living Doctor to find out more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Also ask  about the stress talk taking place on April 4th in their office.

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) A recent chemical spill at a water treatment facility in Rock Island, Ill., required the assistance of an emergency relief crew decked in the very same type of hazmat suits being worn by workers at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant in Japan. Except instead of radiation, the leaked chemical at the water plant was actually hydrofluorosilicic acid, a chemical fluoride component commonly added to drinking supplies for the stated purpose of preventing cavities. This fluoride chemical is so hazardous that it actually began to burn through parking lot cement in Rock Island before emergency crews arrived on the scene.

According to reports from WQAD News 8 in Moline, a tanker truck delivering the fluoride began to overflow, leaking the chemical directly onto the parking lot where it spilled down towards the street. And before emergency crews arrived on the scene in full hazmat suits and gas masks, the fluoride had actually begun to burn a hole right through the concrete.

“It’s a corrosive agent that the water treatment plant uses,” said Rock Island assistant fire chief Jeff Yerkey, concerning the spilled fluoride. He explained that the crews had to use earthen berms, dirt, sand, and commercial broom equipment to stop the leak. Yerkey also added that there was no “inhalation hazard” from the incident, and no evacuation of local residents was required.

To see the full WQAD News 8 video report of the incident, which includes footage of hazmat workers being hosed off after the incident to ensure that no fluoride residues remained, visit:
http://www.wqad.com/news/rock-islan…

What is truly amazing about the incident is that this very same fluoride, which fire chief Yerkey specifically called a “corrosive agent,” is deliberately added to drinking water supplies across the nation. This highly-toxic chemical that, when spilled, requires similar protective equipment as does a radioactive fallout situation, is being added to millions of Americans drinking water supplies every single day in the name of promoting health.

In reality, the events surrounding this fluoride spill are more than enough proof for any rationally-minded person that adding this poison to water supplies is a bad idea. Anything that requires the use of a protective suit and gas mask in order to handle — and that burns a hole directly through concrete — simply cannot be good for the body when ingested.

To learn more about where the chemical fluoride additives pumped into water supplies actually come from, check out the NaturalNews.TV video The Fluoride Deception:
http://www.naturalnews.tv/v.asp?v=4…

Sources for this story include:

http://www.wqad.com/news/rock-islan…

In the last twenty years, the average American’s sugar intake has gone up from 26 pounds per person, per year to 135 pounds of sugar per person, per year.  With this massive increase of sugar into the bloodstreams of Americans, diseases like diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cardiovascular, and cancer are rapidly growing out of control. Furthermore, research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that the amount of sugar consumed in two sweetened drinks lowers the immune system by 50 percent for up to five hours after drinking or eating.¹  In other words, sugar is the number one factor that limits the ability of white blood cells to fight viral and bacterial invaders and suppresses the immune system’s ability to fight off infections, sickness and disease.

The classic paradigm for dealing with infection is vaccination and other perscription drugs using the theory that this will prepare the body for invasion.  Yet clearly, the best way to deal with infection is to build immunity.  You were born with a defense system already designed to stave off viruses, bacteria, and other bugs.  It’s called your immune system and you should do all things that boost it to eliminate not only infectious disease, but other illnesses like cancer that are kept at bay by maintaining internal, healthy defenses.    
   
The number one source of sugar in the American diet comes from sweet drinks including soda and juices.  Desserts are also sugar filled, disease-inducing foods.

The below chart outlines the top sources of sugars. Some may surprise you.²  

 Many other factors impact immunity as well and by addressing these factors, you take your best leap forward towards longevity, quality of life, and avoiding sickness and disease.  Obviously, drugs cannot replace this fact.  Percription drugs may seem easier in the short run, but in the long run, the benefits just aren’t there.

Managing stress and cortisol levels, the right nutritional choices and avoiding the wrong ones, a healthy spine and nervous system, the right kinds of physical activity, and minimizing toxins are all key factors in optimizing immunity.  These are the 5 Essential elements of good health and are just that: Essential.  You can’t replace them with the one arm bandit that is the world of medical intervention after the fact or using drugs to attempt to avoid disease.
 

---

¹American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 26, 1180-1184, Copyright © 1973 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.
²http://abcnews.go.com/WN/diabetes-rise-america-slow-growth-world-news-question/story?id=11945648

Study: 700,000 people, mostly children, end up in ER every year for pharmaceutical drug poisoning

by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Besides motor vehicle accidents, the second leading cause of injury death in the US is drug-related poisoning, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. The study indicates that nearly 700,000 people end up in emergency rooms (ER) every year from pharmaceutical drug poisoning — and most of these visits involve young children.

Roughly 28,000 people die every year due to drug-related poisoning, and the highest poisoning rates are among children under five years of age. Forty-three percent of all these poisonings are caused by antidepressant drugs and common painkillers, many of which are available without a prescription. And all this death occurs under the watch of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) are together participating in Poison Prevention Week, an awareness campaign designed to warn the public about the poisons that lurk in their homes — which apparently is dominated primarily by pharmaceutical drugs.

According to a recent press release, the groups are asking the US Congress to continue funding the 57 poison control centers across the US that assist the public with poison emergencies. The cost of funding these centers is more then $29 million a year, which of course comes from taxpayers.

“People are abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, and it’s a serious and growing problem,” said Dr. Sandra Schneider, president of ACEP. “Very young children had the highest rate of unintentional drug poisoning, which is a wake-up call for parents to make sure their medicines are out of reach.”

Besides the millions spent every year operating the poison control centers, the costs associated with the hundreds of thousands of drug-related ER visits is even more astronomical, topping $1.4 billion in 2007. Such a figure makes sense to anyone who has ever been to the ER and actually seen the final bill — a single visit can literally cost thousands of dollars.

To sum things up, the actually yearly cost of FDA-approved drugs to society is almost 700,000 ER visits, 28,000 deaths, and roughly $1.5 billion. And the FDA really could not care less, as the agency seems to spend most of its time censoring the truth about medicinal foods and herbs, raiding family farms, and targeting dietary supplements for elimination (http://www.naturalnews.com/the_FDA.html).

Sources for this story include:

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele…

‘Dying to Have Known’ documentary features Gerson Therapy natural cancer cure by Ethan A. Huff, staff writer (NaturalNews) The small California town of Oakhurst recently had several screenings of the 2006 film Dying to Have Known, a well-done and highly-informative documentary by esteemed filmmaker Steve Kroschel that explores the evidence and effectiveness of the infamous Gerson Therapy in treating and curing cancer naturally. Dr. Carl Bosco, a practicing naturopathic doctor for 35 years, organized the viewings of the film, which highlights numerous individual cases of cancers cured using Gerson Therapy, as well as interviews with various doctors and medical experts who share their honest assessment of its viability. The Gerson Therapy is named after Dr. Max Gerson who developed the protocol in the 1920s as a way to naturally activate the body’s own healing capacity and help it to overcome serious and allegedly incurable diseases like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. The therapy involves the use of natural foods and fresh juices to treat and cure such diseases, as well as restore health to people who suffer from them. In the film, Kroschel speaks with many folks who cured their cancers using Gerson therapy, including a man named Ned Wright who successfully overcame testicular cancer. After unsuccessfully trying chemotherapy and radiation to treat the cancer, Wright’s doctor suggested a bone marrow transplant and higher doses of chemotherapy. But Wright decided instead to try Gerson Therapy instead, and experienced incredible success. “The diet was tough and time consuming, but I followed it just as the Gerson doctor had prescribed,” Wright is quoted as saying in the Sierra Star. “As you can see by my testimony … I am alive by God’s grace and the Gerson Therapy. I am now a Gerson person, because of a little-known man’s passion for healing.” Because the Gerson Therapy is based on a whole-body holistic healing approach, it can treat a variety of chronic illnesses in addition to cancer. Unlike pharmaceutical drugs and other conventional treatments that target just one specific disease for treatment while inflicting serious side effects, the Gerson Therapy heals systemically through strong nutrition and dietary supplementation, while improving the body’s own natural ability to heal itself. Last year, NaturalNews featured an exclusive interview between Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, and Charlotte Gerson, daughter of Dr. Max Gerson (http://www.naturalnews.com/028382_G…). In the interview, Gerson explains the history of the cancer industry, as well as some details about the natural healing protocols her father discovered. You can listen to that interview title Health Ranger Report #87 here: http://www.naturalnews.com/Index-Po… You can also find the Dying to Have Known documentary and several other great movies about natural cancer cures here: http://www.gersonmedia.com/DVDs.html Sources for this story include: http://www.sierrastar.com/2011/03/1…

by Hope Egan
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(NaturalNews) Cooks seeking alternatives to toxic non-stick cookware often find themselves in a bind. Stainless steel, which seems to be the healthiest alternative, is expensive, and it does not lend itself well to cooking eggs, pancakes and other dishes that non-stick cookware typically excels at. If you have not yet discovered the benefits of cast iron cooking, here are 10 reasons to buy and use a cast iron skillet.

1. Replacing a non-stick skillet with a cast iron one allows you to avoid the toxic fumes that accompany most non-stick cookware. Cast iron can also replace aluminum cookware, which may also pose health hazards.

2. Besides the stove, you can use a cast iron skillet in the oven, at any temperature. This comes in handy for making corn bread, frittatas, and flat bread.

3. It is nonstick. Surprisingly, a preheated cast iron skillet rivals the qualities of non-stick cookware, as long as it is properly seasoned and cared for. You can quickly move up this short learning curve by talking with employees at your local cookware store or by reading a book or Internet article about cast iron care.

4. Cast iron is easy to clean up. Not only does food easily lift off from cast iron cookware, soap is not needed or recommended, since it erodes the seasoning.

5. There are health benefits. You can actually boost your iron intake from eating food cooked in cast iron cookware. This vital mineral is crucial for maintaining energy levels, and it helps strengthen immune systems.

6. It is inexpensive. Cooks looking to replace non-stick cookware often investigate stainless steel. However, a high-end, 12-inch stainless skillet runs well over $100, while a similar-sized cast iron one costs less than $30.

7. Food cooks beautifully. Using a cast iron skillet you can create restaurant-quality, homemade fish sticks, potato pancakes and French toast, complete with golden brown, crispy exteriors. Contrast this with non-stick cookware, which makes browning nearly impossible.

8. Cast iron is sturdy and wears well. Since it does not scratch, there is no need to use plastic utensils, and there is no fear of using your silverware to stir or scoop. It lasts for so long that many people still use cast iron cookware inherited from their parents and grandparents.

9. In an emergency, cast iron cookware can be used over any heat source. As such, many disaster planning lists include cast iron as the survival cookware of choice.

10. It has been used for thousands of years. Natural News readers already understand how new technologies are often the least healthy, while those used by earlier generations are often more beneficial and more in line with how we are designed. Our cookware choice is no exception.

Although there are many benefits to cast iron cooking, make sure to understand the drawbacks before you start: cast iron pans are very heavy; they require intentional maintenance in order to keep them rust-free and non-stick; and care is needed if you have a glass-top stove. But once you take the plunge, you will wonder why it took you so long to start!

Sources

Toxic fumes that come from cooking with Teflon and other non-stick surfaces: http://www.naturalnews.com/026678_T…

Possible aluminum cookware dangers: http://www.ehow.com/about_5426262_d…

Benefits of cast iron: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/07/d…

Health benefits of cast iron: http://www.holidaycook.com/cast-iro… and http://www.naturalnews.com/031306_d…

Benefits of iron: http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tnam…

Overview article with how-to information: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Info…

Fritatta recipe: http://www.spinachtiger.com/Spinach…

Disaster/Survival choice of cast iron: http://dlsoucy.wordpress.com/2010/0… or http://homecooking.about.com/od/dis…

 by Anthony Gucciardi

(NaturalNews) Pomegranate reduces body fat; resveratrol prevents overeating; and quercetin helps reduce body stressors that lead to fat gain. Together, they give the body a powerful boost that results in reduced body fat and improved energy levels. Unlike countless weight loss drugs that have been pulled off the market for links with serious conditions including death, these nutrients work synergistically with the body to strengthen and improve it. A study from the University of Edinburgh found that pomegranate consumption over a period of 30 days repelled fat cell formation around the abdomen. This type of fat is known as visceral fat, and is the most dangerous kind of fat. Visceral fat oftentimes prompts the release of stress hormones, which wreak havoc on the immune system. These hormones can also lead to inflammation, heart disease, and less energy. Pomegranates were also found to reduce excess triglycerides, which form as a result of a diet high in processed foods and hydrogenated oils. Removing these excess triglycerides will not only ward off heart attacks and subsequent heart problems, but will actually also reduce the chance the a heart attack will result in death. Resveratrol, like pomegranates, exhibits equally miraculous characteristics. A type of phytochemical known as a polyphenol, resveratrol can be found in peanuts, grape juice (be sure to avoid pasteurized grape juice found in stores, as it is pure fructose), berries, and grape skin. While it is also very effective against free radical formation, it also boosts the metabolism. A study led by Dr. Fabienne Aujard from the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France found that resveratrol increased the metabolic rate of lemurs by 29 percent. “We’ve found that lemurs eating a diet supplemented with the compound (resveratrol) decreased their energy intake by 13 percent and increased their resting metabolic rate by 29 percent,” Said Dr. Fabienne Aujard in regards to the findings of the study. Quercetin is also a multipurpose nutrient with ties to improved immune system and increased bone health. Quercetin also immensely benefits overweight individuals in a number of ways. Cytokines are released through the fat cells, which circulate throughout the entire body and lead to chronically elevated levels of inflammation. This makes weight loss much more difficult, as the body is challenged with reducing the inflammation and reducing cytokines. Quercetin has displayed the ability to lower inflammatory cytokines by directly influencing the gene that produces them. These super nutrients synergistically work together with the body to improve total health and expel excess fat. Adding them to your dietary regimen can improve physique as well as overall mood, and it can lead one step closer to optimum health. [Editor`s Note: NaturalNews is strongly against the use of all forms of animal testing. We fully support implementation of humane medical experimentation that promotes the health and wellbeing of all living creatures.] Sources: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6… http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/… http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008… http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/… About the author Anthony Gucciardi is a health activist and wellness researcher, whose goal is centered around educating the general public as to how they may obtain optimum health. He has authored countless articles highlighting the benefits of natural health, as well as exposing the pharmaceutical industry. Anthony is the creator of Shatter Limits (http://www.ShatterLimits.com), a natural health website. Anthony has been accurately interpreting national and international events for years within his numerous political articles. Anthony’s articles have been seen by millions around the world, and hosted on multiple top news websites.

Probiotics help children with constipation, colds and belly aches

by James Schreiber
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(NaturalNews) Literally meaning “for life“, probiotics are supplements that contain selected strains of friendly bacteria that assist our health. Recent research shows that these live microorganisms provide a natural and simple way to ward off digestive disorders and colds in kids.

A last year study conducted by Italian scientists suggests that probiotic supplements containing Lactobacillus reuteri may help treat chronic constipation in babies. The researchers led by Dr. Paola Coccorullo divided 44 infants that suffered from chronic constipation into two groups.

The first one was fed an inactive placebo, while the babies in the second group were assigned to take a dose of Lactobacillus reuteri mixed with drops of fish oil.

After eight weeks, the infants taking probiotics experienced a significant improvement in their constipation. As a result, the frequency of their bowel movements increased from less than three to almost five per week. “Because of their safety profile, probiotics may be an attractive option in the treatment of functional constipation,” concludes the study.

Constipation isn’t the only ailment that can be relieved by probiotics. Another Italian study has shown that Lactobacillus rhamnosus may ease kids’ belly aches. Dr. Ruggiero Francavilla and his team studied 141 children who were assigned either to Lactobacillus rhamnosus or a placebo. During the treatment period, the scientists noticed that, on average, the frequencies of stomach aches fell from four to one per week. Plus, the kids experienced a significantly lower level of pain.

If that wasn’t enough, one study performed in China suggests that probiotics may also prevent colds in children. The researchers found that children, who drank a mixture of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis in milk twice a day, required less antibiotics to treat colds and the flu and recovered more quickly from illness. The reduction in symptom rates was impressive - the children in test groups experienced fewer fevers (up to 72 percent), coughs (62%) and runny noses (59%). Kids who took probiotics also missed less school than those who didn’t.

Given recent research hinting at the therapeutic value of probiotics for the pediatric population, it becomes clear that gut health is as important for small children as it is for adults. You can learn more about probiotics and how they affect our health by reading the articles below.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/…
http://www.reuters.com/article/2009…
http://www.naturalnews.com/030677_p…
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/…

by David Gutierrez, staff writer

(NaturalNews) The majority of sunscreens are toxic, environmental groups have warned.

“You want to look out for sunscreens with oxybenzone,” said Jane Houlihan of the Environmental Working Group.

Research has implicated oxybenzone as a likely carcinogen, as well as a chemical that is probably absorbed into the body.

Another concern is spray-on or powdered sunscreen.

“When you spray a sunscreen, or you’re using a powder sunscreen, you’re very likely inhaling small particles and that may or may not be safe,” Houlihan said.

And while you can hold your breath while applying such sunscreens, it may be safer to forego them entirely.

A seal from the Skin Cancer Foundation does not mean that a sunscreen is safe either, EWG warns, as the foundation will place its seal on any sunscreen that has an SPF rating higher than 15, or on the product of any company that donates $10,000.

EWG recommends using sunscreens made with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which are believed to be less dangerous than newer chemicals.

Unfortunately, warns Friends of the Earth, the majority of such sunscreens are made with nanoparticles — particles 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Because particles of this size behave in fundamentally different ways than they do on the more familiar, macro-scale, even a safe metal may be unsafe on the nanoscale.

Evidence suggests that nano-sunscreens are in fact dangerous. Friends of the Earth cites studies showing that nanoscale zinc oxide can kill colon cells and brain stem cells, as well as penetrate the skin and travel throughout the blood and urine. The group also cites studies linking nanoscale titanium dioxide to genetic changes, Alzheimer’s disease, autism and epilepsy. Nanoparticles have even been observed to cross the placental barrier in pregnant mammals.

“These nanomaterials are being added without appropriate labeling or reliable safety information, so the public has no way of making informed purchasing choices,” Ian Illuminato of Friends of the Earth said.

Sources for this story include: http://www.kypost.com/dpps/shared/c… http://www.aolnews.com/nanotech/art… http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.org.