Recently I was scammed and taken by a tradesman… a plumber. He completed a job for me and requested payment of more than double the average cost for the work. In our negotiations he agreed to a lower (but still excessive) price in exchange for paying him in cash. He called me several times that day and finally I agreed to meet him at a parking lot to deliver him the money. I asked him to sign a receipt that he recieved the cash in exchange for paying him in cash. He refused saying that he did not want a tax record of the event. I trusted his word that the payment would be suffecient for the work. Once he had the cash in hand, he demanded another 50% more. If I didn’t give that to him, he said he would put a lein on my house and fight in small claims court for the “entire” amount. In fact, with the money in his hand, he indicated he would not acknowledge that I had just actually given him $1000! I think that is called extortion. So, in the end I just gave him the rest of the money he demanded and walked away. But before I walked away, I gave him a hug and told him I knew he had a good heart and wished him well. Are you asking yourself, why would you do that? Why wouldn’t you call the police and fight the whole thing?

This is where my headline, “compassion” comes into play. He is a guy that is well practiced at this game. And I am not. He is a guy that is desperate. A man that might have 3 kids living in a trailer in the bad part of town. A man who may be struggling. Yes, he stole from me. But I can afford to loose that money. Consider it charity. Consider that by leaving him in love, instead of hatred, I can avoid the toxicity of fighting him in court, of allowing hatred to build up in my body. That is more toxic than chemo. That leads to disease and ultimately costs more than the financial loss I just suffered. And I do beleive that he is a good man, actually. I can feel that he, too, has compassion for some people in his life. Maybe not me, but that is okay. He is a human being and I don’t like what he did, but that does not make him any less human. Just dishonest. Somewhere along the line, possibly he will learn from his mistakes. And as for me…he has taught me compassion.

Fasts and diets stress the body.

The concept that a one time event or temporary eating habit is suspended and has a any long term effect on the body, has always troubled me.

During a fast, most of the pounds that will be lost will be from the water weight in your body. Some will come from muscle and fat. If you break down fat to rapidly however, you tax the kidneys and change the chemistry, which is termed ketosis. And once you return back to your old eating habits, there you are again.

Cleanses are safer because you are giving your body some nutrients. I still believe that these shock the body and are not necessarily for everyone. If one day you go from having a normal long term consumption pattern of carbs, fats and proteins to just a juice drink for 5 days…well, that is abrupt and stressful. On the other hand, if you slowly integrate a new regiment while maintaining some level of your old pattern, your body has time to adjust.

Why not just follow the basics of long term health:
Fresh organic veggies, salads, low carb, low fat, medium protein diet.
Add regular exercise, avoid sugars, white flour, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, and tobacco.
Live in a healthy physical atmosphere with clean air, good friends and self reflection.
Whala, you are healthy.
dr.andrew-naturopath.com

(NaturalNews) Baking soda has been used throughout history for a variety of purposes such as removing odors from the fridge, freshening up carpets and whitening teeth. But what few people know is that is it also a successful alternative cure for cancer. The treatment primarily benefits cancers of the throat, colon, intestines and rectal area, and when compared with the exorbitant costs of chemo and radiation, the baking soda cure weighs in at around $3. In addition, it is humane and non-invasive, something one cannot say for traditional cancer treatments. With baking soda, the worst that can happen is nothing, no change. This is a far cry from the decimation caused by cancer drugs and surgeries, which damage the immune system and leave the body in a severe state of shock.

“I was healthy and happy that I didn`t have to go through the torture that other people were being subjected to by doing the chemo or radiation. I never lost my hair or anything,” remarks 60-year-old cancer survivor Sondra Braun.

Cancer cells thrive in a low-oxygen environment. The body cannot retain oxygen cells if the blood pH is highly acidic, and this is the standard condition of those with tumors who eat a diet of refined sugars, flours, caffeine and other acidic foods. Baking soda, or Sodium Bicarbonate, is a substance that neutralizes acids. One teaspoon a week will reverse an acidic blood pH, as will switching to a diet high in alkaline-producing foods.

Because cancer cells are so hungry for sugars, when the baking soda is mixed with maple syrup, the mixture will go straight to the site of the tumor, like a Trojan Horse, where the bicarbonate will quickly work as a weapon against disease. A good recipe for this is to mix 3 parts organic maple syrup with 1 part baking soda, stir over very low heat for 5-10 minutes and take 3 tsp per day for 1 to 2 months.

“I found the article about Dr. Simoncini in Italy who injected baking soda directly into the tumors to kill them.” Braun continues. “For some reason this idea struck a chord with me. Three weeks after taking a baking soda and maple syrup mixture, my tumor began to shrink and become softer. This was documented by my oncologist and the surgeon by physical exams and also measurements by ultrasound. The tumor shrank down to 1.7 centimeters then only to 1.4 centimeters 2 months later after the ultrasound. It stopped shrinking because it had died. “

Italian physician and researcher Dr. Tullio Simoncini determined that high levels of Candida were present in those individuals with cancerous tumors. His conclusions led him to declare cancer a type of fungus. The body does not quickly develop immunity to baking soda as an anti-fungal, so he was able to apply it directly to tumors and neutralize their acidity. He also found it is important to replenish the body with good bacteria, or probiotics, and to avoid exposure to chemicals and environmental toxins as much as possible.

North Carolina farmer Ian Roadhouse also experienced the healing power of this baking soda mixture when healer Jim Kelmun put him on the protocol.

“Those other doctors told me that I was a goner and had less then six months to live,” says Roadhouse. “But the doc put me on his mixture and in a couple of months the cancer was gone. It did not even show up on the x-rays.”

For maximum results, combine the baking soda treatment with other alternative cancer-healing protocols as recommended by your holistic health practitioner.

Sircus, Mark Allan Ac. OMD. Sodium Bicarbonate - Rich Man`s Poor Man`s Cancer Treatment. IMVA Publications, 2008

Here are five reasons to have sex (did you really need any reason at all, actually?)

1. Sex boosts your immune system.  Sex has been shown to increase immunoglobulin A (IgA) production, an immune boosting protein that helps keep pathogens at bay. “We know that people who enjoy a regular, satisfying sex life (i.e. regular orgasms are less stressed, less depressed and generally more well physically, mentally and emotionally,” according to Wendy Strgar, loveologist and CEO of Good Health and author of Good Clean Love. Dr. Paul Pearsall, director of Behavioral Medicine at Detroit’s Beaumont Hospital, concludes that many of his patients had experienced sexual dissatisfaction prior to a heart attack. He also claims that sexual contentment leads to less severe headaches and reduced discomfort from arthritis in both genders. 

2. Sex burns calories.  A mere 30-minutes of sex burns 90 calories and while that may not sound impressive, at an average of three times a week, you’re burning 5 pounds in a year! Or, according to Forbes magazine, having sex just twice a week for a year will burn off the equivalent of seven huge spaghetti dinners. Seconds, anyone?
3. Sex relieves pain.  Orgasm is one serious narcotic! Oxytocin, a naturally occurring chemical in the body surges during and after climax while working in conjunction with a few other endorphins to make sure you feel no pain. In his book, How to Treat Arthritis, rheumatologist Carter V. Multz asserts that sex can reduce pain, swelling, and inflammation associated with arthritis, headaches and menstrual cramps.
4. Sex decreases aging. Regular sex releases a plethora of “happy” chemicals into your bloodstream, including testosterone. As we age, our testosterone levels decrease. Sex is a wonderful way to build your reserves back up, helping build new bones and muscles while putting a youthful glow on your face. According to Dr. David Weeks, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland and co-author of Superyoung, men and women who reported having sex an average of four times per week looked approximately 10 years younger than they really were.
5. Sex is great for depression. “The release from orgasm does much to calm people. It helps with sleep,” says Jennifer Bass, the head of information services at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in Bloomington, Ind., in a recent MSNBC article. Researchers believe that sex helps the brain produce serotonin which, in turn, prompts new neurons to grow. Most chemical, antidepressant medications, like Zoloft, work to increase serotonin levels. These drugs take three to four weeks to begin working–about the same amount of time required for new neurons to form. One reason these drugs could be an effective treatment is because they increase cell growth–just as sex does.
Disclaimer: Please always consider practicing safe sex…frequently!
dr.andrew-naturopath.com
(Some of this article is quoted from Veronica Peterson, Editor, Healthy & Green Living)

I have had several patients ask me for potassium iodide in reaction to the nuclear events in Japan. Some of this occurs because of fear based marketing scams on the web that are pushing products and self perpetuating a perceived panic. The tests that have been performed in the United States by several trustworthy organization indicate that there are extremely low levels of radiation present in the US. Despite this, there are folks that are exceeding the therapeutic dose of potassium iodide of 13mg per day by ten times that, or 130 mg. If an individual lives near Three Mile Island or in Japan, then this 130 mg as a one time dose, and other treatments, might be appropriate. But as a daily regimen individuals need to be aware that they can actually create some significant health issues if this high dose is continued long term.  According to Jean-Yves Dionne, RPh, the side effects of excessive potassium iodide include rashes, metabolism issues, bone disease, irritable stomach, allergic reaction including anaphylactic shock, and inflammation in other glands. In terms of bio accumulation, that is over time, there has to be a ratio between the toxic iodide form and the food grade normal amount of iodide of the RDA 75 mcg to create a hazard. If, for instance, you eat seafood, seaweed or have a multivitamin that contains iodide then, under normal circumstances, the amount that you take in of regular iodide will block the way for the toxic form getting into your thyroid. Saturating the thyroid gland with potassium iodide only makes sense if you are living in disaster conditions with high doses of radioactive material present. Hopefully this sheds some light on the benefits and contraindications of potassium iodide.

dr.andrew-naturopath.com

This article from Elissa Meininger regarding the increased risk of stroke from ingestion of certain sugars:

……The stroke culprit is likely aspartame, an artificial sweetener that has been linked to dozens of other health conditions.   According to Lynne Melcombe, author of Health Hazards of White Sugar, research links aspartame to the following health conditions: anxiety attacks; appetite problems such as binge-eating and sugar cravings; birth defects; blindness and vision problems such as blurred vision, bright flashes, and tunnel vision; brain tumors; chest pain; depression and emotional problems; dizziness and vertigo; edema; epilepsy and seizures; fatigue; headaches and migraines; hearing loss and tinnitus; heart palpitations and arrhythmia; hyperactivity; insomnia; joint pain; learning disabilities; memory loss; menstrual irregularities and PMS (premenstrual syndrome); muscle cramps; nausea; numbness of extremities; psychiatric disorders; reproductive problems; skin lesions; slurred speech; and uterine tumors. Research even links aspartame to death.  Aspartame’s effects can be mistaken for Alzheimer’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, epilepsy, Epstein-Barr virus, Huntington’s chorea, hypothyroidism, Lou Gehrig’s disease; Lyme disease, Ménière’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and postpolio syndrome.

Toothpaste

Ever look at the ingredients of the toothpaste you are brushing your teeth with? Most contain fluoride, saccharine, and a host of other unhealthy ingredients. Particularly since fluoride was first used in the making of the atomic bomb in the 1950‘s, there has been a huge debate on this subject, which continues today. All of the following should be qualified with the disclaimer that dosage, delivery and particularly who is funding the research, has an effect on the numerous fluoride studies. The available data on the subject is so exhausting, it would be hard to do justice on the topic without writing volumes of information.

Fluoride is a toxin almost as toxic as arsenic and more toxic than lead. Fluoride leads to breakdown in the bone, tendon, skin, cartilage, lungs, trachea, and kidney. It inhibits the formation of antibodies in the blood, confusing the immune system and causing an auto-immune response, of sorts. Fluoride has been linked to cancer, as well. It is a chemical byproduct of aluminum, steel, cement, phosphate, and nuclear weapons manufacturing, as well as one ingredient in rat poison.

The leading anti fluoride activist for many years until his death was Dr. Yiamouyiannis who was the science director of the National Health Federation and also was head of the Safe Water Foundation. Almost any informed discussion for or against fluoride, will include comment on his work. Other studies include the Taylor Study, University of Austin, which correlated fluoride concentration with increase tumor growth rates of 25% . It confirmed that fluoride is more poisonous than lead, and just a little less poisonous than arsenic. In the Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, 1984 report, “A seven ounce tube of toothpaste, theoretically at least, contains enough fluoride to kill a small child.” Procter&Gamble was quoted in Fluoride the Aging Factor that fluoride supplements should not be given to children under three years old.

Another source of fluoride is most municipal drinking water in the U.S. (and some in Canada, but not most of Europe), where it is injected into water supplies in small doses. This fluoride often comes from phosphate fertilizer plants in Florida, where it is stripped from smokestacks to reduce air pollution. It contains not only fluoride, but heavy metals and other contaminants. If it were not put in drinking water, it would have to be treated as hazardous waste.

Deodorant/Antiperspirant

There are two types of glands in our underarms, apocrine and eccrine. The eccrine glands are the most numerous sweat glands and are responsible for producing most of the sweat in our underarms, as well as in our entire body. When the sweat gland is stimulated, the cells secrete a fluid that travels from the coiled portion of the gland up through the straight duct and out onto the surface of our skin.

Many deodorant and antiperspirants used to control this sweat and odor contain aluminum salts. Research has shown a possible link between both breast cancer and Alzheimer’s disease due to the use of products that contain aluminum salts. As a powerful neurotoxicant (toxic to the nervous system), “the use of such antiperspirants has been linked with the systemic accumulation of aluminum,” according to Dr. C. Exley in Molecular Medicine Today. Even regular use of aluminum laden products like cookware and Teflon coated cookware, as well as antacids should be of some concern, as well.

Skincare and Hair Products

What you put on your skin or in your hair, is just another way of consuming a product. Instead of putting it in your mouth and ingesting it, application on the skin or in the hair, gets into your body through absorption. So, if you ever read the labels of some of the toxic skin and hair products available, just imagine pouring all of that into you mouth!

Here is a typical list of ingredients in a jar of common hand cream: Water, – Stearic Acid, – Sorbitol, – Glycerin, – C-12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, – Sodium Borate – TEA, – Cetyl Alcohol, – Dimethicone, – Aloe Vera, – Phenoxyethanol, – Propylene Glycol, – Quince Extract, – Tocopheryl Acetate, – Potassium Sorbate, – EDTA, – Allantoin, – Methyl Paraben, – Propyl Paraben, – Butyl Paraben, – Menthol.

Some of these and other skincare product ingredients are central nervous system depressants, mucous membrane irritants, nephrotoxins, hepatotoxin, and carcinogens. These products can cause liver and kidney damage, headaches, dizziness, skin and hair dryness, etc. Many are restricted in Europe due to their known carcinogenic effects. One common ingredient in product packaging, Dioxin, is a potentially carcinogenic by-product that results from the process used to bleach paper at paper mills. Dioxin treated containers sometimes transfer dioxins to the product itself. There is an exhausting amount of data on this topic, and in the link section of this website, you will find companies that provide toxic free skincare products, as well websites that detail what toxins exist in this area, and what they do to your body, when applied.

Read the label before you put something in or on your body.

Daily vigorous exercise really creates a positive attitude in your life! When you elevate your heart rate and get a good cardiovascular workout on a regular basis, not only are you optimizing your heart muscle, but you are also releasing endorphins and adrenaline into your body, and you feel great. Exercising enhances your blood circulation throughout your body, delivering nutrients, through red blood cells, and immune boosting properties, through white blood cells, to the vital organs in your body. Low impact exercises, such as running on a treadmill, bicycling, swimming, weight training or a variety of other workouts, will strengthen your muscles and assist with the strength needed for everyday life. Many studies indicate, however, that high impact exercises, like long distance running on hard surfaces, create long term bone, joint and cartilage damage. Naturally, any new exercise routine needs to be professionally managed, so that you gradually train your body to accept the (healthy) stress. For instance, stretching before and after a workout is very important. In addition, nutrition supplementation related to your body’s increased needs, may be beneficial. Check with your naturopath for guidance in this area.

Sudden exercise and overworking your body can lead to many difficulties and problems, so don‘t over do it! If you do not exercise regularly and you suspect that you may have certain heart related health issues, an exercise stress test is a tool that a professional may use to assess your heart health. It indicates if there is reduced blood flow in the arteries supplying the heart, a potential sign of blockage. During exercise, your healthy coronary arteries will dilate more than those with a blockage. Narrowed arteries will provide less blood (and less oxygen) to certain areas of the heart. This lack of oxygen can cause chest pain or shortness of breath. An EKG done during the stress test may show abnormalities that help the professional determine if there is a problem. Approximately two thirds of those with coronary artery disease can be alerted to an issue through this stress test.

It is important to work with a professional trainer to design an exercise routine to insure that you do not injure yourself; to help as a motivational tool; to efficiently work only the muscles you want to build for a particular purpose; to balance the production of lactate acid in your body (which naturally occur through anaerobic metabolism), making the difference between really aching after a workout and not!

Get high on life, exercise today.

There is a world of difference between eating organic and non-organic processed foods. When you buy certified organic labeled products, you are getting food that is 70% organic. This means it is relatively free from antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, etc. It also means that you are supporting a natural ecosystem, protecting wildlife as well as our water resources. It means that you are increasing the productivity of the land, as well.

Eating organic positively effects your health, as well as your children, and the health of farm workers. Even if you are not a vegetarian, it is important to eat organic red meat. eggs and poultry. These foods, along with non-organic strawberries, apples and some grains, are heavily concentrated with hormones, pesticides and a host of other harmful toxins to your body. In regards to poultry, did you know that 78% of poultry inspectors do not eat poultry? This is because of the non-sanitary and inhumane conditions that poultry are raised in, effecting the flesh and eggs of the animal, dramatically. Organic foods may be purchased from locations listed in the links section of this website. However, the organic labeling laws are changing. Organic processing is more costly for the producer, and many unscrupulous companies are lobbying to allow a higher percentage of non-organic ingredients into the contents of an “organic” product, and still legally be allowed to label it, “certified organic.” There are several industry groups that are lobbying Congress to change the law so that artificial ingredients can be included in foods labeled “organic.” Producers such as the Organic Trade Association, Kraft Foods and others are trying to change the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, so that synthetic substances can be used in food products labeled as “organic.”

Eat organic.

I regularly pick up a homeless hitchhiker. He usually needs a ride that takes about 20 minutes. He is delusional and talks about invisible men from the 1800’s. Along the way, he says he is hungry and needs money for food. Sometimes I give him money before we reach our destination. Recently, he has not been saying thank you for either the money or the ride. This bothers me. He also asks me to make U-turns etc. to get 20 feet closer to his destination. And, to top it off, he leaves an inch of dirt in my passenger seat. Since he sleeps on the ground, this might be expected. Now even if he is delusional, but in the business of asking for things from people, shouldn’t he learn how to say thank you? Wait, this guy’s biggest concern is that he get through the night without getting killed. That he find some food that day. That somebody picks him up so he doesn’t have to walk 2 hours. Thank you is way down on his list, right?  To be honest, I am not sure what I should think. Isn’t thank you easy to say?  But yet, aren’t there people who have everything in life but never say thank you? What is it about thank you that is so important. It is a acknowledgment that you appreciate something someone did for you. That you don’t expect it, have a sense of entitlement, that it is significant to give just a little bit back to the world. A gesture, a smile, an act of kindness. So, I thank you for reading this. For getting to the end of this and not going on to something instantly more gratifying. Thank you for being human, for giving love, for being selfless. Thank you for being you.  dr.andrew-naturopath.com