“I believe the natural health community will achieve yet more significant victories in several important areas of public health.”  Mike Adams

So don’t get tired of doing what is good. Don’t get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. (Gal. 6:9; NLT)

In yesterday’s Daily Gram, Jerry wrote about the victories we’re having in the natural health arena.  The link with Mike Adams article brings hope and encouragement.  If you weren’t able to read the article for whatever reason, I decided to highlight some of the victories since they’re so noteworthy.

Trans Fats known as the “fat that kills” receives a great deal of negative press.  Most everyone has heard from someone that these health destroying fats are not “good for the heart.”  If you see “partially hydrogenated vegetable oil” in an ingredients list, avoid it…like the plague that it is.

Mike Adams writes that these dangerous fats “have absolutely no place in a healthy food supply.  In time, they will probably be banned altogether.”  Hooray!

High-Fructose Corn Syrup has been exposed for the evil sweetener that it truly is.  People are finally realizing the dangers of this refined sweetener.  Food manufacturers are now switching away from HFCS and using more natural refined ingredients such as evaporated cane juice.

BPA, known as the “plastics chemical” receives more bad press every day.  I wrote about it recently being a hormone disruptor, meaning it interferes with the normal healthy functioning of the hormonal system of the body.  (see my Early Puberty article and my Why Should I Care article.)

Mike writes, “The outcry against BPA has even gone mainstream now, with mainstream news organizations covering the issue with greater frequency. Momentum is clearly building in favor of legislation that would outlaw BPA in all plastic food containers.”

MSG, otherwise known as monosodium glutamate or the “taste that kills” is a man-made, destructive food enhancer. Mike says, “We’ve also been victorious in a very big way against MSG (monosodium glutamate), the chemical taste enhancer that’s used in sausage, beef jerky, salad dressings, gravy mixes, and all sorts of fast food. (It’s found in practically everything served at KFC, for example.)

“While we haven’t yet succeeded in banning MSG, we have raised awareness to such an extent that even soup companies are now competing with claims of having “No MSG” on their labels. As the public learns even more about MSG, we can expect to see more food companies removing it from their products.”

On a personal note, I can still remember the first time I unknowingly consumed MSG…and one of the worst headaches that followed.  I’ve also witnessed my mother having seizures after she unknowingly consumed MSG.

Mike goes on to talk about several other arenas on the horizon in which more significant victories will occur in the future.

Aspartame he feels will be fully exposed and banned.  (One of my personal crusades is to inform people of this harmful substance.)

Water fluoridation…Mike says to “expect to see an end to the criminal act of dripping a toxic, pharmacologically active chemical into the water supply without the consent of those who consume it.”

Mercury fillings, vaccines and GMO’s top off the list.

Wow. So for those of us walking in the path of natural health, let’s be encouraged.  We’re making progress even though at times it seems as if we’re moving at a snail’s pace.

Prayer Power
Father, thank You for encouraging our readers this day with hope and health.

Link of the Day
Ten Worst and Best Foods

Photo by The Gifted Photographer

“The natural health movement has gone mainstream! More and more mainstream consumers now understand the dangers of toxic chemicals and the promise of nutrition and natural remedies. Modern medicine as we know it today is on the way out, and the age of “better living through chemistry” is thankfully coming to an end.”  Mike Adams

Truth stands the test of time; lies are soon exposed.  (Prov. 12:19; NLT)

Over the past year, I have repeatedly written in our Daily Grams that in spite of the much ballyhooed victories in the courts and legislatures by the traditional health care (aka sickness care) establishment, we are ever so slowly winning this war.  (See for example, the Earthsave article, the Hot Kitchen article, and the But Mom article.)

Yes, the public loses an occasional skirmish or battle, but the bottom line is that the “sleeping giant” is awakening and declaring that “Enough is enough!”  The consumer is increasingly ignoring the main-stream media and seeking out the truth for themselves.  Increasingly, the food manufacturers are having to bow to the economic realities brought about by consumer demand, or lack thereof.

Mike Adams of Natural News just posted a fantastic article which I have made today’s Link of the Day.  The title, “Natural health movement achieving key victories over HFCS, MSG, GMOs and more,” says it all.  The article is fun to read because it is filled with good news (almost an oxymoron these days).

While I encourage you to read (or at least scan the entire article, I especially encourage you to pause long enough in the section that addresses Vitamin D and watch the video that is part of that section.  It is mind-blowing!  Or at least it was to me.

So, sit back, enjoy some “good news” and keep on asking the good questions.  I’ll say it again, “We are winning!”  Hallelujah!!!

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You that the truth about the superiority of the Original Manufacturer’s Design is finally emerging in this greed-driven society.

Link of the Day
Natural health movement achieving key victories over HFCS, MSG, GMOs and more

Photo by Ariston Collander Photography

“There is no incurable disease.”  Dr. Jordan Rubin

For whatever is in your heart determines what you say.  (Matt. 12:34c; NLT)

I’m doing something in this Daily Gram that we’ve never done before and have resisted doing for almost three years now.  Today’s link is going to be to an audio file (mp3) that is close to an hour in length.

Way too long for most, and because of that many, if not most will make the choice to skip it.  “I just don’t have time.  I’m too busy!.”  I know, because I’ve been there many times and those quotes are from my own lips.  All I can say is, that’s a bad choice.  I’m breaking all the rules of blogging by including that audio link because I truly believe it can save your life one day, or maybe the life of someone close to you.

BTW, you can simply right click on the link and click on “Save Link As” or “Save Target As” depending on your browser, and download the mp3 file to put on your iPod, other mp3 player, or desktop to listen at your convenience.  I strongly encourage you to do so.

The audio file is an interview between two of my mentors, Alex Loyd, N.M.D. (whom I know personally and have worked with for years) and  Jordan Rubin, Ph.D., N.M.D.  Dr. Loyd has recently written the best-selling book The Healing Code, and Dr. Rubin has written several books, probably the most notable being The Maker’s Diet.

During the course of the 55-minute interview, Dr. Loyd asks Dr. Rubin a series of four questions:

1. What is the primary reason that modern Americans suffer from illness and disease?
2. What is your personal story of health and restoration?  [The photo above is a before and after photo of Dr. Rubin.]
3. What are the keys to extraordinary health?
4. What is the #1 key to recovering one’s health?

As a hint to the answer Dr. Rubin give to the last question, he relates the following belief — “If a clinical study were done where 100 healthy people were brought into a physician’s office for a routine checkup and they were told that they have cancer with six months to live, I believe that 30-50 would die in six months.”

Please find the time to listen to this interview.  I am totally convinced that if you do, you will thank me for posting it, and Drs. Loyd and Rubin for the life-changing information they provide.  Blessings on you all.

Prayer Power
Father, I thank You for the miracle of the Internet that makes information like that shared by Drs. Loyd and Rubin so accessible to virtually everybody.

Link of the Day
Secrets of Dynamic Living audio series — Dr. Jordan Rubin

“Real cacao chocolate is a superfood that is full of powerful antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals and the effects of aging.”  Ani Phyo

The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good. (Gen 1:12; NLT)

I recently received a “sweet” gift of two, raw food dessert cookbooks.  (Is that an oxymoron?)  With tantalizing photography and delectable sounding recipes, the food almost jumps off the page.  Raspberry Ganache Fudge Cake, Peach and Pistachio Cobbler, Lemon Pudding Filled Coconut Cupcakes are the types of recipes found between these mouthwatering pages.

The author doesn’t shy away from chocolate.  However, she doesn’t use your “Hershey’s” kind of cocoa powder.  If you’re new to cacao powder, she does a great job of telling us about it.  I’ll quote mostly from her book.

All chocolate comes from a huge berry called the cacao pod, the fruit of the cacao tree.  A pod contains 30 to 40 seeds or beans and each bean is made up of small cacao nibs.  Cacao powder is ground nibs with the fat removed, and is usually raw.  Cocoa powder, on the other hand is “Dutch processed” using alkaline salts to help it dissolve more easily in liquid, and has lowered antioxidant values.

Real cacao chocolate is a superfood that is full of powerful antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals and the effects of aging.  Cacao also supplies us with micronutrients like potassium, zinc, magnesium, and iron for radiant skin, healthy hair, and strong nails.

The flavonoids in cacao have been demonstrated in laboratory studies to have a greater antioxidant effect than blueberries, red wine, and green tea. A 1.5 ounce serving of cacao has as much antioxidant power as a glass of red wine.

The author does go on to say that the only downfall is the caffeine that’s naturally in all chocolate.  Caffeine does trigger a stress response and a surge of adrenal hormones.  So, moderation is a key.  I was given some cacao nibs and they are quite bitter.  However, I’ve used them in some recipes and they add flavor and crunch.  I currently have organic cocoa powder on hand.  However, I’ll buy raw cacao powder when that is finished.  Feel free to let us know if you’re using raw cacao powder, won’t you?

BTW, the name of the cookbook I’ve referred to is Ani’s Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo.  Today’s link offers more scientific information on cacao by Heidi Fagley.

Prayer Power
Father, we’re amazed by Your mighty Hand that guides and directs us each day.

Link of the Day
Raw Cacao: Turn Chocolate Cravings into Super Nutrition

Photo by coconut wireless

“If human beings could cultivate only one plant, hemp would be a smart choice.”  Vera Tweed

The land was filled with seed-bearing plants and trees, and their seeds produced plants and trees of like kind. And God saw that it was good.  (Gen. 1:12; NLT)

Have you ever heard of hemp seeds?  They’ve been on the health scene for a number of years now.  I’ve known about them, but until recently I didn’t really dig into the benefits of these unusual looking seeds.

Let me dispel any myths…you can’t get a high on the hemp we’re talking about, but after you read about how good it is for you, you may be as high on hemp as I am.  Industrial hemp, the plant used to make fabric, food, and other commodities, comes from the same botanical family as marijuana…but it’s a different plant and it does not contain THC which is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

Hemp has many uses besides being a nutrient dense food.  It is used in making furniture, homes, clothing, paper, and various textile applications, to name just a few. The seeds (or “nuts”) of the hemp plant are the source of various hemp foods and hemp milk.  Hemp seeds are a rich source of highly-digestible, essential fatty acids (EFAs), or omega-3s. Hemp oil contains the most essential fatty acids (EFAs) of any nut or seed oil, with the omega-3 and omega-6 EFAs occurring in the nutritionally optimal 1:3 ratio.

Hemp protein is easily digested and contains well-balanced amounts of all essential amino acids for older children and adults.  (Ms. Tweed does say that it isn’t a complete protein for children under 5.)

I’ve been buying hemp seeds and putting them in smoothies and on salads.  They’re very tasty.  I’ve seen hemp protein powder and wondered what the difference is between the various hemp products.

I found an answer on the vegacommunity.com site.  “The main difference between hemp seeds, hemp flour, and hemp protein powder is in the amount of protein and fibre.  Hemp seeds can be ground up to change their consistency but are essentially the first stage of processing. Hemp seeds are squeezed to extract the oil. The remaining material is called hemp seed cake. This seed cake is milled and turned into powder. The powder is then sifted to produce hemp flour. The product of this initial sift is hemp flour, a high fibre but lower protein material. To make hemp protein, the powder is sifted to a finer degree. This removes more of the fibre leaving a higher concentrate of protein.”

Incidentally, today’s hemp in our food supply is grown in Canada.  It seems there is a ban in the US on hemp cultivation.  One of today’s links offers more on this subject.

Prayer Power
Father, thank You for providing so many wonderful plants that our bodies can use to bring nourishment and enjoyment.

Links of the Day
The Best Ideas Start With A Seed
Hemp Seed Protein

Photo by Sharon

“The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength.”  Organicfacts.net

Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin.  (Ezek. 16:9; NLT)

If you’ve followed even a few of our Daily Grams, you know that I’m a user and advocate of coconut oil.  It is the best oil to use for cooking.  On today’s video I demonstrate what the oil looks like when it turns to a liquid due to being in a warm environment.  You can also see the oil when it becomes soft and spreadable.  It will turn white and congeal.  When it’s refrigerated, it will become white and rock-solid.

During the summer months, I keep a small jar in the cupboard for cooking use that usually turns to a clear liquid due to the warm temperatures in the kitchen.  As the warm summer weather gives way to the cool breath of autumn, the oil will become white but still remains soft.  It’s only when refrigerated that it turns into a solid mass that’s difficult to use.

There are many links providing research on the numerous health benefits of coconut oil.  Dr. Mercola, Mike Adams and Jordan Rubin have been espousing the benefits of this tropical oil for a number of years now.

Here are two former Daily Grams that I wrote on the benefits of coconut oil:

More Good News About Coconut Oil

Need an Oil Change?

Prayer Power
Father we are so grateful to You for providing the nutrient rich coconut and all it’s splendor.

Link of the Day
Coconutoil.com

“Coca-Cola isn’t really in the business of selling beverages, you see. It’s in the business of selling the illusion of happiness in a bottle or a can. Buy their products, say the advertisements, and you too can feel happiness (or freedom, or sexiness, or whatever).”  Mike Adams

You will destroy those who tell lies. The LORD detests murderers and deceivers. (Psa. 5:6; NLT)

A few years before my father died, he was diagnosed with diabetes as a direct result of taking high dosages of Prednisone.  Dad was in his 80’s and never had to think about his blood sugar levels in his life.  When trying to find something to drink other than water, he discovered Vitaminwater in a health food store. Oh, he was happy!  It tasted great, contained vitamins and minerals and was something other than “plain water.”  It had to be good for him since it contained vitamins, right?

I was attempting to help him monitor his blood sugar levels from 500 miles away.  I had coached him on what to eat and what not to eat.  I didn’t know anything about  Vitaminwater.  However, as he’d report about his elevated blood sugar, I’d probe about what he was eating and drinking.  It didn’t take long to realize that the Vitaminwater was elevating his blood sugar.  I finally was able to visit him and read the label.  These things were junk!  No more Vitaminwater for him.

Since then, I cringe when I see people drinking them thinking they’re drinking something healthy!  Mike Adams has just written an amazingly concise article on this “liquid candy” beverage.  Boy, does he hit it hard.  “If Vitaminwater were accurately named, it would actually be called Sugarwater. Its first two ingredients are, not surprisingly, sugar and water (the sugar coming in the form of crystalline fructose, a processed sweetener that has been linked to health problems.)”

You’ll want to read today’s link to learn the full story.  Apparently the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) filed a lawsuit against the makers of Vitaminwater — the Coca-Cola Company!  Coke’s attorney’s actually stated in a court briefing that “no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking Vitaminwater was a healthy beverage.”

Did you get that?  The manufacturers of the beverage actually admit that their product could not be healthy!  Mike goes on to talk about how deceptive advertising and misleading labels by the food giants of today has caused such disease and destruction to consumers.  It’s not a pleasant read but one well worth it.

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You for giving our readers the ability to discern truth from deception.  Thank You for providing real food for us to eat.

Link of the Day
Vitaminwater revealed as non-healthy beverage

Photo by JForth

“I highly recommend this procedure.  I am feeling years younger and my chest pains are gone.”  James Buck

I am sick at heart. How long, O LORD, until you restore me? (Psalm 6:3; NLT)

In yesterday’s Daily Gram, Jerry wrote about a Christian Health Care system called Samaritan Ministries. I’ve recently begun reading the newsletters from this ministry…with great interest, I might add.  Not only is it heartwarming to learn about other believers sharing one another’s medical burdens, but the newsletter itself is quite informative on several fronts.

In the current newsletter a man wrote about his experience with a procedure called EECP.  I had never heard of it.  I read the article, had my interest peaked, and did some further research to better understand what I learned.

EECP or Enhanced External Counterpulsation is a nonsurgical therapy for angina, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other conditions involving poor circulation.  James Buck gave his account of the procedure and shared some benefits he received as a result.  The newsletter then published an article from Whitaker Wellness Institute describing the procedure along with providing other valuable information.

I’ve quoted most of the article directly.  “If you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetic neuropathy, or another circulatory disorder, you could benefit from a nonsurgical therapy called EECP. This therapy is sometimes referred to as a ‘natural bypass’ because it enhances the body’s ability to create new pathways for blood flow around clogged arteries. EECP greatly accelerates the formation of tiny blood vessels called collaterals, helping restore healthy circulation to organs and tissues that have been deprived of blood and oxygen.

“During an EECP treatment, you lie on a bed wearing a series of adjustable cuffs around your calves, lower thighs, and upper thighs. The cuffs are inflated in sequence, placing pressure on the legs which pushes blood flow from the lower limbs up towards the heart. The inflation of the cuffs is timed to occur so that increased blood flow is delivered to the heart at the precise moment it is relaxing. Then, just before the heart pumps, the cuffs deflate, reducing resistance and decreasing the heart’s workload. A treatment session lasts about one hour, during which you can read, listen to music, or relax comfortably. Most patients undergo 35 one-hour sessions, once or twice a day, over the course of a few weeks.

“EECP was developed at Harvard University almost 50 years ago as a therapy for angina, the squeezing chest pain that occurs when the heart is not getting enough oxygen. This most common symptom of coronary artery disease can be extremely disabling, interfering with the ability to work, exercise, or enjoy social activities.

“By encouraging the formation of collaterals around blockages in the coronary arteries, EECP enhances the heart’s supply of oxygen and reduces chest pain. Several studies conducted at leading university medical centers have shown that patients who undergo a course of EECP experience significant benefits:

• They have fewer episodes of angina
• They experience less intense episodes of angina
• They need less anti-angina medication
• They can walk farther without experiencing angina
• They can resume work and enjoy more social activities

“Unlike drugs that are prescribed for angina, EECP is completely safe and without side effects. And unlike angioplasty and bypass surgery-highly invasive surgical interventions that are used to clear or circumvent blockages in the arteries — EECP can be done on an outpatient basis and requires no post-treatment recovery period.

“Many patients undergo EECP after suffering a heart attack or enduring one or even several surgeries for coronary artery disease. In some cases, EECP is their only option. Yet this noninvasive therapy is so safe and effective that it should be considered as a first-line treatment for angina, not just a last resort after surgery has been ruled out.”

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You for the heart…the seat of our emotions and the pump that keeps us alive.  Thank You for giving our readers healthy hearts, both spiritually and physically.

Link of the Day
Enhanced External Counterpulsation

Photo by brick red

“There’s not only a better way — there’s a biblical way.”  Chris McCoy

But I don’t need to write to you about the Christian love that should be shown among God’s people. For God himself has taught you to love one another.  (1 Thess. 4:9; NLT)

Health care (a deceptive euphemism for sickness care) and health insurance (aka sickness insurance) have been very much in the news over the last year or so.  Health insurance itself has almost reached the status of an entitlement to many Americans, yet due to the out-of-control cost escalation it has been made virtually unavailable to en ever-growing segment of the population.

New laws have been passed that will ostensibly make that insurance more available to those who don’t have it, but as is often the case, there is always another side to the story.  While many of those who want that insurance will soon be able to get it, there are those who don’t want it for one reason or another or who are happy with the arrangements they currently have but who will lose that freedom to choose or be penalized for non-compliance.

Today’s Daily Gram and Link of the Day are all about an alternative to sickness insurance that has been specifically exempted from the health care reform that has recently become law.  Let me emphasize, this is not about insurance — it is all about an alternative to insurance that is based on the biblical principles of caring for one another especially during times of need.

Sharon and I have been participating in Samaritan Ministries for several years now and are delighted to be a part of it.  A very well-written newspaper article in the Peoria JournalStar published just last June was recently brought to our attention and was significant enough that we felt compelled to share it with you.  That article is today’s link.

If any of this perks your interest to know more, feel free to call one of us and/or to visit the web site of Samaritan Ministries at http://www.samaritanministries.org/ to learn more.  On that site they have a very well-done promo video that is worth the few minutes it takes to watch.

Blessings to you as you step out into another week.  May it be one of your best ever!

Prayer Power
Father, we thank You for showing us a better way.  We ask that You bless our readers this coming week in all that they say and do.

Link of the Day
Christians find alternatives to health insurance

“If you really want to get rid of your stomach pains, gas, bloating, heartburn, cramps, constipation, or any other digestive problem, here’s what you have to do: Take all your antacids, acid controllers, and other prescription drugs and throw them in the trash!”  Dr. Frank shallenberger, M.D.

My stomach aches and burns with pain…(Is. 21:3a; NLT)

Today’s quote comes from an article I read recently, entitled “Stop the Stomach Torture and Get Off Antacids and Other Drugs Forever.” Written by Dr. Frank Shallenberger, the article offers compelling reasons for taking responsibility for your own digestion and getting off of the many common drugs used by millions each day. [Shallenberger's article is rather technical so I’ve chosen another article for the link of the day which is equally as compelling.]

These “common drugs” known as PPI or Proton Pump Inhibitors merely attack the symptoms of digestive upset…they never cure any cause.  Thirty years ago, it was rare to hear of someone struggling with the digestive issues that are so rampant today.  Nowadays, who doesn’t know of someone popping antacids or acid controllers?

I’ve worked with many clients in making changes to their diet for overall health purposes.  Drinking more water, eating more whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and lean clean protein and reducing and eliminating empty-calorie and highly-processed carbohydrate foods greatly diminishes the signs and symptoms of stomach and digestive issues.

My 86-year young mother lives in a personal care home four states and 450 miles away from where I live.  Even though we visit her often, I have little jurisdiction over her care or the medications she takes.  During our last visit, my mother complained of pain in her abdomen after eating.  I learned that this was a common, everyday occurrence and that she had been “eating” various OTC antacids like candy.

I was able to speak with the owner of the facility who is also an RN.  I was shocked to learn of the long list of drugs my mother is taking!  However, I gently asked if I provided food enzymes and a probiotic, could they be given to my mother, in hopes that they would help to abate the stomach pain?

Enzymes with meals and a probiotic at bedtime have been given to Mom for nearly two weeks.  When I recently asked her about the stomach pain, she said, “Yes, that’s gone away.”  What?  I don’t know how long she’s suffered with this stomach issue.  And again, I have no control over what she’s eating but two simple products have helped to relieve this frail, elderly woman of some daily pain.

So, for those who do suffer with stomach and digestive issues, let me offer you hope!  There is relief…and it isn’t made by a pharmaceutical company.

Prayer Power
Father, thank You for providing whole foods for us that nourish and nurture our bodies.

Link of the Day
Warning: Common acid-suppressing PPI drugs are over-used and have serious health risks

Photo by Sharon