Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Chew On This

If you think you are eating well on a regular basis, and yet you still have nagging health problems, perhaps you're not getting the nutrition you need from the food you are eating.

You have done your research, so you know the nutrition is in the food. You just don't seem to be getting the benefit into your body. What could the problem be?

The answer, of course, would be that your digestion may be having some problems. If the food you eat doesn't get digested, then your body can't use the nutrition from it.

Today let's talk about where good digestion starts. Good digestion starts when you put food into your mouth.

Raise your hand if you have ever heard your mom say something like, "Chew your food before you swallow."

Why did she say that? Because her mom said it? What is the big deal about chewing your food?

Well... oh yes, you can put your hand down now. Let's talk about mastication.

Chewing actually starts the whole digestion process, and it is a very important part of it. If you don't chew your food well, you may not be getting a lot of the nutrition out of your food that you could be getting if you took the time to chew better.

Chewing breaks the food up into smaller pieces, giving it more surface area to be worked on by the other digestive fluids. Not to mention that it makes swallowing easier and safer.

It also causes enzymes to start flowing. They flow into the mouth and start some of the digestion right then and there. Chewing also causes the digestive juices to start flowing in the stomach, in preparation for what is coming down the pipe.

One of the fascinating things that I have learned about chewing is that it can even help, after you have already swallowed. So, if you have an upset stomach after eating a large meal, or a difficult to digest meal, you can pretend to chew and it will help to settle the tummy. It is actually better and safer than taking antacids.

Chewing even helps to prepare the muscles in the lower abdomen to release and allow everything to flow throught the intestines and the bowel.

Bottom line : Take time to chew. You will be healthier for it. Because your body will get more of the available nutrition from your food, and your food will be less gunking (is that a word?) to your digestive system.

Rule of thumb : Chew until the food is now longer identifiable by feel. Then swallow.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Apply This Quote To Your Lifestyle

"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu

It is surprising, but many people don't seem to understand this simple truth.

If you want to have a strong and healthy body, you can't keep putting junk into it. No matter how good it may taste, or how hard it may be to change the habit. Even if everyone else is doing it too.

If you want to have an athletic body, then stop treating your body like a couch potato.

If you don't want to ever get cancer, then stop feeding your body carcinogens.

If you don't want to get diabetes, then stop eating all the processed sugar and processed grains.

If you don't want high blood pressure, stop living a dehydrated lifestyle.

If you want a real life, stop eating fake food.

Choose to live today, in a manner that will allow you to enjoy life all the rest of your days.

HERE are the basics to understand and follow to garner a health lifestyle.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Balance Is Everything

As one studies health and fitness, it becomes very evident that all things must be in balance. You can have too much or too little of any nutrient.

You can have too many free radicals, but you can also have too few. You can have too little iron, but you can also have too much. You can even have too little or too much arsenic.

So then the big question becomes, how do you find that balance?

Many would have you believe that taking drugs can help you reach that balance. It can not.

All man made drugs are anti-balance by their very nature. When you take something from nature that has been shown to be beneficial for health, and then you dissect it and decide that a certain part of it is the active part that you want to use, you have just destroyed the balance that existed in nature. By concentrating a particular part of a plant (which you have to do, if you are going to be able to patent the drug), you are creating something that will stimulate the body in an unnatural and imbalanced way. That is why all drugs have side effects.

It would be so much nicer to just create a list of the beneficial plants that we have discovered to help us be healthy. But you can't patent a natural plant, so you can't make an insane mark up of the price.

So if drugs aren't the answer, what about supplements?

Unfortunately most supplements are not much different than drugs. Yes, they will often have a lot fewer dangerous side effects than drugs, but sometimes not. You still have the same problem of taking a large dose of a particular thing. If supplements were really to work, you would have to constantly monitor your levels of the nutrient you are supplementing to see when you have enough, but not too much.

The problem with that is that we can't even agree on what the correct level of most nutrients is, not to mention the problem of constant testing to see when your levels are up or down. The other thing is that all the nutrients work together, synergisticly, to keep us functioning correctly. We don't even know what all the nutrients to the human body are, let alone how they all work together. We have some basic ideas, but it is nowhere near the point of being able to micromanage the nutrients in the body.

Another interesting observation is that the symptoms of having too much of something, are quite often pretty much identical to having too little of the same thing. So we don't really even know for sure.

Even blood tests can fool us, because somethings that we have too much of can be very low in the blood, because the body is storing it away elsewhere so that it doesn't have to deal with the overload. Other times, things that we are deficient in can show good levels in the blood while the body tries to rush them around to share in all the places they are needed. For example, when we are deficient, the body can be pulling certain nutrients from the bones to use in other body processes. So a blood test might show that those nutrients are plentiful in the blood.

The beautiful thing is that we don't have to try to micromanage everything. If we eat the things that the creator has made for us, they have a special ability, that we haven't even begun to understand yet, to balance all the systems of the body.

If you think you need a particular nutrient, (and again we really don't know if you do) just make sure that you are eating a variety of good nutritious food made by God. Of course, make sure that it is not processed by man to the point of destroying a lot of its balance. Fresh and raw are usually the best. Try to get something from all the major food groups each day.

The major food groups are : Whole unprocessed grains, vegetables, fruit, legumes and nuts, and carefully chosen animal products (think raw milk and eggs).

The other major keys to making everything balance are water, exercise and sleep. Without those three, the other nutrients can't even be used by the body.

Again, water is of paramount importance. Without adequate water the body cannot move nutrients around the body. Without water it cannot flush out the toxins and waste and keep the body clean. Also remember that your water needs to be mineralized. Use real mineral water fresh from the earth if possible, or put a dash of real sea salt (complete with all the trace-minerals) in the water you drink. If you are drinking sufficient quantities of water (one tenth of your body weight in pounds, cups of water a day) your body will be able to use what it needs and flush out what it doesn't need.

Balance is a natural thing for the body to do. We just have to give it the resources it needs, and not burden it to much with the toxins or overeating.

Ryan's book on "The Dependables" is a great way to gain a lot of understanding along these lines. Get it HERE.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Chia Seeds

I was asked to comment on chia seeds.

Chia seeds are from an annual herb called Salvia Hispanica. It is a member of the mint family. The name chia comes from an Aztec word, chian, meaning oily.

They are high in oil content, (about 30%) and the predominant oil is polyunsaturated. Since most Americans have way too much polyunsaturated oils in there diet, I would suggest limiting your intake of chia seeds.

Chia is promoted as an excellent source of nutrition, that will help to curb pain, and will help to extend endurance. It is also high in fiber and protein. It contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. So do most cereal grains, which is what chia seeds are usually compared to.

In spite of the claims made by people trying to sell health promoting products made with chia seeds, it isn't really any more remarkable than other cereal grains. However, it is much more expensive. They call it a superfood, and sell it (even in bulk) for about four and a half dollars a pound.

I can get wheat for seven or eight dollars for 25 pounds. Since I know that wheat contains pretty much all the nutrition I can need, why would I want to spend nine or ten times as much for something that isn't really that much different. Besides, nobody needs the extra polyunsaturated oils.

Even the Aztecs, who are supposed to have revered this as a superfood, listed chia behind several other important grains. The descendants of the ancient Aztecs still grow and harvest chia seeds, but only on a minor scale. It evidently wasn't all that important of a crop to them.

Chia seed sprouts are fine to use like alfalfa sprouts in a salad if you like. Just don't over do them, because they are very high in polyunsaturated oils.

Chickens fed chia had higher deposits of polyunsaturated oils in their legs and breasts. They also laid fewer eggs and lighter eggs.

Contrary to popular myth, polyunsaturated oils are not healthy for your heart or your body. In fact it has now been discovered that polyunsaturated oils contribute to the formation of cancer.

Stress Managment

Stress is one of the things that can cause all kinds of trouble for you. It builds on itself and can spiral downwardly into a real mess.

For health and well being we generally want to eliminate as much stress as possible.

However, it should be noted that there are some good things about stress as well. Stressing the body can stimulate it and cause growth. This is an important type of stress to put on the body.

The biggest problem with stress, is when it becomes chronic or constant. Constant stress that never lets up, doesn't allow the body to rebuild and strengthen. This could be from a dental problem that we are ignoring, or are unaware of. It could be long term unbalanced use of muscles or skeletal systems. It can also be constant worry about things in our lives.

Stress can cause the body to not function correctly. If you are having a health issue that doesn't seem to get better no matter what you do, then you probably need to analyze your stress levels.

Amazingly, getting into a healthy lifestyle can help with all forms of stress. Once you are giving the body the good resources it needs to repair and rejuvenate, many stresses will be relieved.

For some chronic stresses you may need to see a specialist. For instance if you have chronic tooth sensitivity or pain, you probably need to see a dentist.

Another important thing to do, is to learn how to deal with stress. Stress will always be a part of life. But if you learn to pray, meditate, ponder, and relax, you can relieve many stresses.

Take a little time each day to just relax and count your blessings. Ponder on the good things that have happened to you. Look forward with a positive attitude to things that may happen in your future. Don't fear the future, but look for good things to happen. Expect good things and they will usually come.

Imagination is a very powerful force. Use your imagination to imagine a positive future for your self. Dwell on those positive images often, and before you know it, you may very well receive that positive future.

If you would would like some help in dealing with stress in your life, take a look at THIS PROGRAM. It might be what you need.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Genetic Determinism Is Dead (or at least is should be)

Genetic Determinism has failed completely and totally to stay afloat in the science of the day.

The Human Genome Project was going to be the crowning achievement for all those who believed in Genetic Determinism. But the project has proven to be the sledge hammer that has destroyed it completely.

You see, the project caused more and more people to join in the research of discovering how genes work and what they do. As a result we have learned a lot!

Genetic Determinism said that a gene determines what proteins are formed, which determines what happens in the body. (I know that is very simplistic, but I'm trying to keep this understandable.) It was supposed to be kind of a one-way-street. The gene directs the body what to do.

Well, thanks to all the new research, we now know that it just isn't so. The communication channels in the body between DNA, RNA, proteins, etc, are more like the phone lines criss-crossing our country. Communication goes all over the place and in both directions at the same time. In fact, we now know that genes do not initiate communication. They are simply waiting for someone to contact them, so that they can share what they have to offer. I guess they got cell phones with no way to dial out.

The proteins make contact with the genes when they need something from them. Only certain proteins can make contact with certain genes. The proteins are formed by the needs of the body, determined by the environment.

The whole process can be just the opposite of the way Genetic Determinism pictured it to be. The environment can cause proteins to reconfigure RNA and DNA. The body can adapt very quickly to changes in it's environment.

However, there is an innate intelligence in every organism, from bacteria to human, which will always bring the organism back to equilibrium as soon as it can get the resources to do so.

In other words, Evolution of Species is also doomed. There are no changes which gradually little by little get passed along until something has evolved into something else.

I'm trying to keep this simple, but for those interested HERE is a link to a more in depth analysis by a biologist.

Also, be sure to read my book about "Understanding Science". It will help you to make sense of all the different "scientific" stuff thats gets thrown around these days.

So... what does all this mean to you and your life?

As your body comes in contact with toxins and pollutants it tries to adapt quickly to help you survive. If you have long term exposures to toxins, it gets harder and harder for your body to deal with it. This will eventually lead to chronic pain and or disease.

The good news is that your body still has the innate intelligence to heal itself, if it is given a break from all the stress, and also given the good resources (think whole, raw, natural foods) that it needs to repair and rebuild.

Perhaps the most difficult part of that, is to stop the stress. Let's talk more about stress tomorrow.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Sprouting Grains : How To

Sprouting grains is a fantastic and simple way to get superb nutrition in your diet.

When you know how to sprout grains you can live off of a years supply of wheat. As long as you also have water, of course.

Sprouting your grains is kind of like getting your fruits and vegetables from your grains. Sprouted grains have even more nutrients than the un-sprouted grains. For instance whole wheat kernels have lots of nutrients, but they lack Vitamin C. If you sprout them, they suddenly have Vitamin C. Also sprouts are easier to eat, and to digest, than the whole grains.

Here are the simple steps to sprouting grain.

Soak the grain in water over night. (8 to 12 hours at room temperature).

Then rinse and drain the water off of them approximately every 6 to 8 hours. (Keep them moist, but not sitting in water, at room temperature.)

I do this in a glass jar with netting over the opening, held in place by a rubber band. I invert the jar at an angle and let it set in a small bowl. The jar (on it's side) is longer than the bowl is wide, so that keeps the jar tipped so that all the water can drain out of it. The netting, of course, keeps the grains in the jar, but allows the water to drain.

You can eat the sprouts at any time throughout this process. Taste them at different times and see how you like them. Some like them best just right after the initial soaking. I usually like mine about a day later. You can continue this process as long as you like, but eventually you will have grass.

When the sprouts reach the point that you like them best, move them to the refrigerator. This doesn't stop the sprouting process completely, but it does slow it down drastically.

One more note about sprouting. You can also sprout beans.

My mother taught us that if you sprout the beans before making chili, it takes the gas out of them. Now that's useful information!

Thanks Mom!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Toquerville Trails Turkey Trot 2009

Announcing the 5th Annual Toquerville Trails Turkey Trot.

This Thanksgiving morning, on November 26th, 2009, anyone in the vicinity of Southern Utah is invited to come to Toquerville. We have a 'Turkey Trot' that is just so much fun, you might not believe it.

This is not a wimpy road race. It is a trail run, on rocky and sandy southern Utah desert trails.
It has been called 'the hardest 3 mile run ever'.

Even so, it continues to grow in popularity. I decided to put the entry form into pdf form and make it available on the internet. You can get it HERE.

You can also get it from Classic Sports, located in Hurricane Utah, at 1141 W. State Street.

You need to register by November 13th to be guaranteed a T-shirt. You can also register the morning of the race, from 8:45 to 9:15AM. The race starts at 10:00AM.

There are two races. A short one (1.7 miles) and a long one (3.0 miles). They run at the same time.

Come and have a great Thanksgiving Day morning. We will help you work up an appetite for later in the day.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Health Basic Missed By Many Nutritionists

There is a basic fundamental of health that is missed by many nutritionists.

I understand why they make the mistake, but it is most unfortunate.

It is natural to start from where you are, and it's a good idea to do so. Where else would you start from? But when you are looking at what is optimal nutrition, you need to start from an optimal position. The optimal position to start from in regards to human nutrition, is whole grains fresh from the fields.

You see, because grains in our modern world have mostly been processed and destroyed before being put into our food products, they have been made very unhealthy for us. That is why many nutritionists will tell people to avoid grains in their diet. Unfortunately that is a very big mistake.

Whole grains, that have not be processed to death, should be the base of your food supply. Grains do wonderful things for the body that have often been overlooked. They contain lots of fiber, which we now know is key to good health. They contain the essential amino acids for building healthy bodies. Grains contain the best kinds of carbohydrates for fueling the body. They contain many vitamins and minerals.

Whole grains are digested slowly, thereby giving you long term energy. This slower digestion also has several other advantages that have only more recently began to be understood. Besides being good for helping to keep blood sugar levels balanced, it helps to balance the pH of the body.
Wheat in particular is very balancing for the body. It even contains a combination of proteins, carbs, and fats, that help to balance and maintain healthy intestinal flora. Thereby helping your digestion to be more efficient, and allowing you to get more of the nutrients from the foods you eat.

One of the more recent discoveries that you may find interesting is that whole grains contain just as many antioxidants as most fruits and vegetables. These antioxidants had not be recognized previously because of the method used to measure antioxidants in food. It turns out that the whole grains kind of act like time-release capsules for antioxidants. As the grains digest, they gradually release the antioxidants into your system. Thus you have a sustained antioxidant effect over a longer period of time. That is definitely good for your body.

Grains are the ideal base for a healthy diet. They also store very well, so that you can stock a supply for years without worrying about them going bad.

I strongly suggest that you base your diet on whole grains. Buy whole grains. They are very inexpensive and are easily used at home for healthy meals. They are delicious, and even more nutritious when they are sprouted. Sprouting grains is very easy! Or you can just soak whole grains overnight for a delicious breakfast cereal in the morning.

I perhaps should mention one other mistake that many people make in regard to grains. There is a saying, that has been repeated many times, to the effect that farmers feed their livestock grains to fatten them up. This simply is not true. Grains are used to promote health and vigor. Yes, grains give animals what they need to grow and mature and produce. But if a farmer really wants to fatten animals just before going to market, he feeds them polyunsaturated fats.

Grains are natures time-release capsules to give health promoting nutrition to the body. They are fairly low in fat. But our ancestors ate them with raw milk and eggs, thereby enhancing the effects with good and healthy fats.

So just remember that when a nutritionist speaks negatively about grains, they are only speaking of processed, denatured grain by-products. Whole grains are some of the best nutrition you can get.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

8 Rules of Healthy Living (With Elimination List)

I recently updated and improved this, so I wanted to share it again. You can get a nicer copy for printing (PDF) from HERE.

I just know you all want to print it out and live by it! :-)

8 Rules of Healthy Living
(With Elimination List)

1. Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. (Aim for 90% of your diet, with 80% raw) Try to make wheat your foundation. Dark leafy greens are particularly important.
2. Work up to exercising at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
3. Stop as many toxins as you can from entering your body. (See elimination list below)
4. Forgive.
5. Give thanks.
6. Give service to others with a cheerful smile.

7. Drink plenty of good clean water. (Your weight in pounds divided by 10 is the minimum number of cups of water you should get each day.) Be sure to get minerals, including trace-minerals with water.
8. Try to get to sleep 2 to 3 hours before midnight each night.

They say variety is the spice of life. Variety is also the foundation of good health.
If you eat a variety of whole natural foods you will get all the nutrients you need.
If you do a variety of exercises you can get all the muscles and joints of your body active and strong in all the different directions of motion.
If you eliminate all variety of toxins your body can rebuild cleanly.
If you forgive for all variety of offenses, you can let go of all sorts of pain.
If you show gratitude in all things, and serve others in many ways, you can always be happy.
However, you should hardly ever vary from your daily minimum consumption of water(body weight in pounds/10 cups each day) or from getting a good nights rest.
These are simple rules, that if truly followed will bring great blessings into your life.

Coach G. (For more details see http://garnerhealth.blogspot.com ) Email : CoachG@ghl.zzn.com


Elimination List: (Eliminate as many of these from your lifestyle as possible. No particular order.) Suggested alternatives are in italics.

1. White Flour (Dead food, like glue to the system, drains the body of nutrients) Grind your own.
2. Processed Sugar (Destroys immune function, and the body's ability to rebuild) Use Raw Honey.
3. Table Salt (even if the label says "Sea Salt") Redmond's RealSalt is good to use.
4. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS is toxic to the human body in any amount)
5. Hydrogenated Oils (any hydrogenated oil, even partially hydrogenated oils)(Toxic in any amount)
6. Artificial colors, flavors and sugars (especially Aspartame and Splenda)(Toxic in any amount)
7. MSG (MonoSodiumGlutamate)
8. Anti-inflammatory drugs (over the counter pain medicines) Use eggs, wheat, Vitamin C, coconut oil, and water to control inflammation.
9. Drugs of all kinds. (This includes most supplements.) Instead use whole tonic herbs, or Vitamin C.
10. Soy products (toxic, deters protein digestion, depresses thyroid[growth], slows mineral absorption)
11. Microwaving Food (microwaved food is molecularly changed, and contributes to cancer)
12. Meats loaded with Hormones and Antibiotics (Most meat that you didn't grow or hunt yourself)
13. Pasturized & Homogenized Milk (Store bought milk) Raw milk is very good for your health.
14. Alcohol and Tobacco (of course)(toxins)
15. Most Processed Vegetable Oils, including Canola (toxins) Use Olive Oil or Coconut Oil instead.
16. GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms)(Nearly all corn or soy is GMO these days)


Saturday, September 05, 2009

"Sunning" Your Eyes

As a follow up to my post the other day on the Sun, I decided to explain a bit more about "Sunning" your eyes.

One of the problems with many vision troubles is that the eyes become extra sensitive to light. Wearing dark glasses to accommodate for this, results in even more light sensitivity.

One of the best things that you can do daily, to help to heal and improve your vision, is to "Sun" your eyes. This will help the eyes to become accustomed to light, and believe it or not, can actually lead to the correction of some vision problems.

Sunning your eyes is done by going outside without glasses on. I suggest doing this in the morning, shortly after the Sun comes up. Find a relaxed position with your body facing directly toward the Sun. With your eyes closed, tilt your head so that IF your eyes were open, you could look straight ahead, and see the sun directly in front of you. Keeping your eye lids closed, slowly rotate your head back and forth from side to side. Try to achieve full range of motion, but without stress. Try to keep your head, face and eyes relaxed.

Try to do this for 5 minutes. Depending on how sensitive your eyes are, you may not be able to do it for that long initially. Just work up to it gradually. If you do a slow head turn that takes about 3 seconds to go from one side to the other, then count 100 of those turns. That will be about 5 minutes.

You will most likely 'see' red, orange, and yellow. The goal is to do this long enough to actually 'see' white'. When you see white, your eyes are relaxed and adjusted to the light. Of course, it isn't a pure white, it's an off white, because you are 'looking' through your eye lids.

This is just one exercise that can help to improve eye-sight. There are others that, when combined with this one, can help unhealthy eyes return to health and good vision.

There are also more advanced versions of 'Sunning'.

Other important eye skills are 'blinking', 'pumping', 'pin point focus', 'palming', 'blurring', and 'swinging'.

Go HERE to learn more.

Or you could try to find the original book by Dr. Bates.

Friday, September 04, 2009

Basic Rules For Health And Wellness

The basic rules for health and wellness are actually quite simple.

There is no need for a big book with a step by step program and recipes. You just need some common sense and to be able to recognize the true weight behind the different ideas and studies you will see reported in the media.

One reason that it has been easier for me than it is for some others is because I accept the premise that there is a God that created this earth specifically for the use and benefit of mankind. I could go into all the reasons why I accept that, but suffice it to say that the evidence is overwhelming for that conclusion. No matter how many people may try to persuade you otherwise, the evidence in science, philosophy, mathematics, religion, history, or spiritualism is much more dependable and logical for the existence of a creator than against it.

The simple fact is that the earth was made for mankind, and mankind was made for the earth. Once you understand that, it is so simple to see that the natural foods placed for us here on the earth are the best ways for us to remain healthy. That is not to say that anything found naturally on the earth is necessarily beneficial to all mankind. But we are to use our intelligence to learn and to grow and to have both negative and positive experiences.

The foods that mankind has learned are good to eat are always more life- and health-giving if we eat them in their whole, natural state. Modern mankind has made the sad mistake of deciding to cook and/or otherwise process most -if not all- of what we eat. In so doing, we have destroyed much of the health-sustaining properties of our food. On top of that, the foods that we do tend to eat without cooking, we have contaminated with pesticides and other man-made chemicals that are also detrimental to health.

One of the interesting things that you see as you review study after study after study is that the more we try to break food down into its separate elements to find out which parts we can use to cause health, the more we discover that the raw, natural food as a whole is much better at balancing the systems of the body and avoiding an over-stimulus in any one area.

Looking at study after study, it can become mind-blowing just how ignorant we are of the natural goodness that is built into the grains, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that the earth provides for us.

Another amazing thing that you see is that every time raw, natural, pesticide-free food is used as the major or sole source of food for people, they become much healthier and stronger than when they ate man-made, processed foods.

The basic rules for health and wellness all come down to doing what is right for mankind.

1. Eat a variety of good, wholesome foods (raw whenever possible).

2. Drink good clean water.

3. Exercise regularly (ideally six days a week).

4. Rest regularly. One day a week lay off the hard physical labors, and get a good nights sleep every night.

5. Breathe (deeply) plenty of good, clean air. The best way to breathe deeply is to make sure that you blow out as much air as possible when you exhale.

6. Get good doses of sunshine regularly.

7. Think positive, happy thoughts as often as possible. That often comes from helping your fellowman.

8. Give thanks sincerely and regularly.

That's it! Those are the basics that have been proven time and time again in test after test as well as in common sense. Of course we could fill in much more detail as to what things are better for given times and situations, but the basics are still simple. If we all just followed the basics there would be much less disease and sorrow in this world.

Follow the basics and have a great life!

Just eat a high quality natural foods diet, exercise, drink plenty of good clean water, make sure you get fiber (whole raw foods), get plenty of sleep, breathe deeply and have a gratitude attitude.

Your body will take care of you, if you take care of it.

Coach G.

Thursday, September 03, 2009

The Sun : The True Story

The Sun is the source of our heat and energy.

It also has many other health benefits.

Sleeping is better regulated when you get regular sun exposure.

Vision improves with exposure to sunshine.

Your body's best source of Vitamin D is from sunshine.

So why do so many people hide from the sun? Well, we've been told, by people who are supposed to know, that the sun is dangerous.

We hide behind hats, glasses, sunscreens, long-sleeve shirts, etc.

On a major news source the other day, they interviewed a mother who was a skin cancer survivor. She also happened to be a dermatologist. It was so sad to see how phobic this lady has become of the Sun. She uses all kinds of sunscreen and sunblock sprays and lotions, both on herself and her children. Then even after that, they must wear hats and long sleeves.

She testified as to how dangerous the Sun is. She knows, because she treats people regularly who have skin problems caused by the Sun. How does she know they were caused by the Sun? Well, we know that the Sun is radiation, and that some forms of radiation on the skin cause free-radicals. Free-radicals cause destruction. The Sun is always around, doing it's thing. So it must be the cause. Simple logic.

But if the Sun causes skin cancer, then why are there so many people who spend lots of time in the Sun, but don't get cancer? We are supposed to believe that they have 'lucky genes'.

If you have followed my writing for very long, you know that genetics is one of the very weakest links for health problems. For more on genetics, go HERE.

If bright sunlight is bad for your eyes, then why do people "Sun" their eyes to improve their vision?

The truth is that the Sun is very good for your health. Sun exposure helps you to sleep better at night. Sun exposure helps the eyes to be healthier. Sun exposure causes the body to make the very best kind of vitamin D, which is proving to be an important nutrient to avoid many diseases.

What are we missing? As always, the key to healthy living is a healthy lifestyle.

As with anything else, Sunshine can be dangerous if overdone or done badly. For instance staring directly into the midday Sun with your eyes opened can burn your eyes. But if you "Sun" your eyes regularly with your eyes closed most of the time, it can be a great boon to your vision.

If you spend lots of time in the sun, but your diet and skin care practices aren't adjusted for it, then you can get bad sun burns, which can contribute to the eventual development of cancer. But if you eat well (including lots of healthy fats), and use coconut oil on your skin regularly, you can spend much of each day in the Sun and not have any problems.

Coconut oil, used both internally and externally, helps the body to use the goodness of the Sun without negative side effects. Note that coconut oil should be applied on the skin about 20 minutes before going out into direct sunlight, so that it has a chance to soak into the skin. You don't want fresh oil sitting on top of the skin with a hot summer Sun beating down on it. I'm sure you have heard of boiling in oil. But once the skin has absorbed most of the oil, it is protected, and the oil in the skin actually helps the sun to create vitamin D in the body.

Lack of sunshine is just as dangerous as too much.

So many people with depression would be helped immensely just by getting more sunshine.

The sun helps to boost the immune system to fight off colds or infections.

Wearing dark glasses all the time, desensitizes your eyes to light. Thus leading to poorer vision.

Constantly wearing sunscreens or sunblocks keeps you from forming that very important vitamin D. It also keeps you from forming as many free-radicals, which actually are an important part of the immune system. Not to mention the damage that can be done to your body by many of the chemicals that are used in those sprays and lotions. The chemicals are actually much more likely to contribute to cancer than the Sun.

Even if you are "Sun-phobic", try to get at least 10 minutes of Sun each day on bare skin.

The Sun is not a curse, but a blessing! Use it wisely.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Anemia And Iron

When you hear of someone being anemic, or having anemia, you probably think they need more iron.

That is what we have all been led to believe. That is what the doctors have learned, and passed on to us.

But anemia means to be low on blood, generally a reduction of red blood cells. This can be caused by three things. Excessive bleeding, excessive death of red blood cells, or a decrease in the bodies ability to make red blood cells.

Note that any of those three conditions can exist at the same time that you can have an over abundance of iron in the body.

In fact it turns out that most of us, even those who are anemic, have an abundance of iron in our systems. It is simply a matter of getting the systems in balance so that they will use the available iron, along with other resources, to keep our red blood cells functioning the way they should.

Balanced systems will also help to rid us of the excess iron that so many of us get from today's environment. Excess iron can be very dangerous to your bodies health.

I suggest that you read these questions and answers from a biologist and physiologist about the dangers of too much iron in your system (a very common condition in today's world).

Remember that balance in the human body is achieved through healthy lifestyle choices. Whole, natural, unprocessed foods help the body to balance. Of particular importance is whole grain wheat, lots of water, and moderate exercise.

I also suggest virgin coconut oil be used to replace all vegetable oils in your diet. This will help to correct hormonal imbalances that contribute to anemia, as well as many other diseases.

If you don't know where to get coconut oil, click HERE.
NaturalGrocers.com - Organic Coconut Oil by Trace Minerals Research, 16 Ounces