We all know we should “drink plenty of water” but how much is enough and why? What happens if we don’t drink enough water?
The ingestion of water nourishes our cells. Without an ample ongoing intake of water our cells become dehydrated, malfunction, and eventually die resulting initially in bodily discomfort and eventually in pain or disease. New cells are created when an existing cell divides itself into two cells. Each new cell requires that 75% or more of its volume be of water. If there isn’t enough water available cells can’t make new cells which at a minimum, causes premature aging. The cell membrane is a complex mechanism (involving a “moat-like” layer of water within it) that is responsible for allowing nutrients into the cell and excreting wastes out from it. The functioning of a cell’s membrane is completely dependent on the presence of water so if you’re not drinking enough water your cells can become malnourished and toxic.
Proteins (peptides strung together) and enzymes (a type of protein) regulate all functions within the body. In order to do so they require a minimum level of hydration. The transport system which delivers neurotransmitters to nerve endings can’t function without adequate water resulting in symptoms ranging from lack of articulate speech to not appropriately recognizing the warning of pain signals. Our lumbar discs are de-prioritized early in the water-rationing process therefore an ongoing lack of adequate water intake can exacerbate back pain. In prolonged dehydration our brain cells shrink and die.
Vasopressin is a hormone synthesized from peptides in the hypothalamus and stored in the pituitary which is released into both the bloodstream and the brain in order to regulate the flow of water according to a rationing and distribution system which prioritizes the most important bodily functions. Dehydration releases additional vasopressin however alcohol, even amidst dehydration, suppresses vasopressin’s release from the pituitary gland. This prevents the body from being as strategic as it otherwise could be in how it regulates and retains its water such that crucial cells, like those of the brain, heart, and lungs, receive less water amidst dehydration than they would if the dehydration were not alcohol induced. For each glass of alcohol that you drink chase it with a glass of water.
Retaining excess sodium is one of the last resorts the body uses to hang on to its water. Hypertension may follow.
Histamine is a neurotransmitter which assists in the regulation and distribution of water within the body. It also is involved in the body’s defense systems against bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and other foreign agents, however when too much histamine is released these defense systems can become hyper-vigilant and asthma and allergies result. Lack of water concentrates the blood and when concentrated blood reaches the lungs local histamine is produced (asthmatics have an increased level of histamine within their lung tissue).The result can be bronchial constriction. When dehydrated the body releases an exaggerated amount of histamine however animal studies have shown that histamine production can normalize after just four weeks of increased daily water intake.
The pancreas is responsible for the production of an alkalizing bicarbonate-containing watery liquid which is emptied into the duodenum to neutralize acid coming from the stomach. The pancreas prioritizes this bicarbonate over making and secreting insulin if there is a lack of available water to make and secrete enough of both. When insulin secretion is inhibited many bodily functions are disrupted since most cells are dependent upon insulin. Chronic dehydration can result in both indigestion and a propensity for diabetes.
Water is required for genomic processes involving D.N.A. and R.N.A., and when there is dehydration our genetic materials can become damaged. The result is the “coding” done by these nucleic acids can be incorrect resulting in mutations that are inferior. To compound matters, dehydration causes a severe depletion of the amino acid tryptophan which is what the body uses to correct any detectible errors in the D.N.A. replication process making tryptophan essential in the prevention of cancer.
Our thirst sensation decreases as we age and/or if we have an ongoing history of not being fully and consistently hydrated. Some confuse their feeling of thirst for hunger, resulting in weight gain since the body can’t effectively process or utilize food when in a dehydrated state. Over time, as we drink an appropriate amount of water, our thirst sensation will restore itself.
If any of the above has motivated you to ensure you ingest enough water, you can do so by drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces each day. Since water neutralizes your digestive juices, be sure to space your water consumption apart from food. I recommend not ingesting more than 6 ounces of liquid up to 15 minutes prior to and up to an hour after, a meal.
Make it easy to drink enough water by filling up a few water containers and have them with you during your day. Over time you may find that you feel better, that your thinking is clearer, and that you have more energy than you used to.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Genetically Modified Foods
“Frankenstein food”, as G.M.F.’s are sometimes referred to, are foods made with genetically modified organisms. They are most commonly soy, corn, cottonseed, and canola, although other agricultural foods, ranging from alfalfa to zucchini, now also contain a genetically modified organism. The Institute For Responsible Technology estimates that as of 2009, 60-70% of food on American grocery store shelves have some amount of a G.M.O. within them. Should you care?
A genetically modified organism is the result of taking a gene from one species and inserting it into another species. Genes are short sequences of D.N.A. (D.N.A. contain the genetic instructions that control how a living system functions.) When these G.M. organisms are inserted into a food they alter the D.N.A. of the food. The crucial question of “Does ingesting a food which has had its D.N.A. tampered with affect the functioning of human D.N.A., and if so are the effects harmful?” is one which remains unanswered.
Because living organisms have natural barriers to protect themselves against the introduction of D.N.A. from a different species, genetic engineers force the D.N.A. from one organism into another. Different G.M. foods have different genes inserted in different ways. Some of the methods for insertion include:
• Using viruses or bacteria to "infect" cells with the new DNA.
• Coating DNA onto tiny metal pellets, and firing it with a special gun into the cells.
G.M. corn and cotton are engineered to produce a toxin (the Bt bacterium) inside every cell which acts like a pesticide such that when a bug bites into the plant the poison kills the bug. Unfortunately, unlike when a pesticide is sprayed on a crop, this form of pesticide remains within the cells of the corn and cotton, and according to a 2004 report, is a much stronger dose of the toxin than the spray form is. Bt cotton (produced by St. Louis-based Monsanto) was the only genetically modified item that India has allowed to be grown and sold (introduced in 2002). Eighteen-hundred sheep and an uncounted number of goats in four villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh (southeastern India) died after grazing on these G.M. cotton bushes. Without a proven cause and effect a small follow up study was done in 2005 by the Deccan Development Society (Hyderabad, India) and they reported that all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days yet the sheep in the control group who grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy. (Incidentally, Indian farmers report growing Bt cotton to be at least 10% less profitable than natural cotton, and this does not factor in the root rot problem- which was 2% in the first year of growing Bt cotton and an average of 40% the fifth year, nor the cost of livestock death. The only components of the equation were the price of the seeds and pesticides, and the resulting cotton yield. Bt cotton requires 20% more water than non-G.M. cotton.)
Monsanto, most known for the production of “Agent Orange”, has the most to gain from G.M. foods as they are the world’s largest provider of both seeds (90% of soy, 70% of cotton, and 65% of corn seeds) and pesticides. Biotech seeds are much more expensive and unlike standard seeds, must be purchased anew every year. Monsanto has not always acted ethically in developing nations and an example includes its 2005 agreement to pay $1.5M in penalties for the admitted violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when it bribed Indonesian government officials and concealed the payments as consulting fees.
Hope Shand of the Erosion, Technology & Concentration Group (grains and seeds) stated in 2008 “We have yet to see genetically modified food that is cheaper, more nutritious or tastes better" and "Biotech seeds have not been shown to be scientifically or socially useful". In light of this, why eat G.M.F.’s when (in this country) we have choices?
The increase in food allergies, asthma, diabetes, reproductive limitations, and autism in the U.S.A. over the last decade have caused some to wonder if there is an association of some sort with the increase in the production and sale of G.M. foods (which were introduced on a large scale in the U.S.A. in 1996). As of July 2009 there has only been one human study published. It was with a group of only seven volunteers and the results showed three of the seven had a genetic transfer of the D.N.A. of the G.M. soy they ingested.
An example of a possible correlation between human health and ingested G.M.F.’s is when G.M.O. soy was introduced in the U.K., reported allergic reactions to soy went up by 50% (this 1998 study was done by the York Nutritional Laboratory). (G.M. soy has up to seven times more tripsin inhibitor which is a known allergen.) According to the 2004 Netherwood study, the gene inserted into G.M. soy transfers into the D.N.A. of the bacteria living inside of the human intestinal tract where it continues to affect the terrain- in other words the ongoing presence of the G.M.O. produces proteins inside of us and we don’t yet know the consequences of their presence.
On May 19th of 2009 the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a moratorium on G.M. foods, for education of the public of their risks, for long-term independent studies of their effects on humans, and for required labeling. (Labeling of G.M. crops, although not currently required in the U.S.A., has been required in the European Union countries since 2003, as well as other nations such as Japan and Australia, and now the E.U. is in the process of requiring that meat, eggs, and dairy products coming from G.M. crop-fed livestock be labeled as such). The A.A.E.M.’s paper states “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food.” and “Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation associated with asthma, allergy, and Inflammation”. (The A.A.E.M., founded in 1965, is an international organization of physicians and medical professionals. It states its mission is to expand the knowledge of interactions between humans and their environment as relevant to total health.)
It’s very difficult to isolate G.M. crops due to outcrossing (seeds from G.M. crops mixing with neighboring conventional or organic crops, carried there by the wind). The contamination of non-G.M.O. crops has brought the need for inspection which has contributed to rising food costs.
The biggest issue with G.M.O. containing foods is not what we know, but what we don’t yet know. Why risk your genes?
In 1990 P.L.U. (price look-up) codes were introduced on produce labels. They indicate the type of produce as well as other relevant information from which grocery store check-out systems match a price. If you don’t know if what you’re about to buy is genetically modified or not, examine the P.L.U. code:
• A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's G.M..
You can also download a comprehensive consumer buying guide from the Institute For Responsible Technology in this link: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/DocumentFiles/144.pdf
Copyright Amy Mosher 2009
http://www.LifeLifeWellInfo.com
A genetically modified organism is the result of taking a gene from one species and inserting it into another species. Genes are short sequences of D.N.A. (D.N.A. contain the genetic instructions that control how a living system functions.) When these G.M. organisms are inserted into a food they alter the D.N.A. of the food. The crucial question of “Does ingesting a food which has had its D.N.A. tampered with affect the functioning of human D.N.A., and if so are the effects harmful?” is one which remains unanswered.
Because living organisms have natural barriers to protect themselves against the introduction of D.N.A. from a different species, genetic engineers force the D.N.A. from one organism into another. Different G.M. foods have different genes inserted in different ways. Some of the methods for insertion include:
• Using viruses or bacteria to "infect" cells with the new DNA.
• Coating DNA onto tiny metal pellets, and firing it with a special gun into the cells.
G.M. corn and cotton are engineered to produce a toxin (the Bt bacterium) inside every cell which acts like a pesticide such that when a bug bites into the plant the poison kills the bug. Unfortunately, unlike when a pesticide is sprayed on a crop, this form of pesticide remains within the cells of the corn and cotton, and according to a 2004 report, is a much stronger dose of the toxin than the spray form is. Bt cotton (produced by St. Louis-based Monsanto) was the only genetically modified item that India has allowed to be grown and sold (introduced in 2002). Eighteen-hundred sheep and an uncounted number of goats in four villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh (southeastern India) died after grazing on these G.M. cotton bushes. Without a proven cause and effect a small follow up study was done in 2005 by the Deccan Development Society (Hyderabad, India) and they reported that all sheep fed Bt cotton plants died within 30 days yet the sheep in the control group who grazed on natural cotton plants remained healthy. (Incidentally, Indian farmers report growing Bt cotton to be at least 10% less profitable than natural cotton, and this does not factor in the root rot problem- which was 2% in the first year of growing Bt cotton and an average of 40% the fifth year, nor the cost of livestock death. The only components of the equation were the price of the seeds and pesticides, and the resulting cotton yield. Bt cotton requires 20% more water than non-G.M. cotton.)
Monsanto, most known for the production of “Agent Orange”, has the most to gain from G.M. foods as they are the world’s largest provider of both seeds (90% of soy, 70% of cotton, and 65% of corn seeds) and pesticides. Biotech seeds are much more expensive and unlike standard seeds, must be purchased anew every year. Monsanto has not always acted ethically in developing nations and an example includes its 2005 agreement to pay $1.5M in penalties for the admitted violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act when it bribed Indonesian government officials and concealed the payments as consulting fees.
Hope Shand of the Erosion, Technology & Concentration Group (grains and seeds) stated in 2008 “We have yet to see genetically modified food that is cheaper, more nutritious or tastes better" and "Biotech seeds have not been shown to be scientifically or socially useful". In light of this, why eat G.M.F.’s when (in this country) we have choices?
The increase in food allergies, asthma, diabetes, reproductive limitations, and autism in the U.S.A. over the last decade have caused some to wonder if there is an association of some sort with the increase in the production and sale of G.M. foods (which were introduced on a large scale in the U.S.A. in 1996). As of July 2009 there has only been one human study published. It was with a group of only seven volunteers and the results showed three of the seven had a genetic transfer of the D.N.A. of the G.M. soy they ingested.
An example of a possible correlation between human health and ingested G.M.F.’s is when G.M.O. soy was introduced in the U.K., reported allergic reactions to soy went up by 50% (this 1998 study was done by the York Nutritional Laboratory). (G.M. soy has up to seven times more tripsin inhibitor which is a known allergen.) According to the 2004 Netherwood study, the gene inserted into G.M. soy transfers into the D.N.A. of the bacteria living inside of the human intestinal tract where it continues to affect the terrain- in other words the ongoing presence of the G.M.O. produces proteins inside of us and we don’t yet know the consequences of their presence.
On May 19th of 2009 the American Academy of Environmental Medicine called for a moratorium on G.M. foods, for education of the public of their risks, for long-term independent studies of their effects on humans, and for required labeling. (Labeling of G.M. crops, although not currently required in the U.S.A., has been required in the European Union countries since 2003, as well as other nations such as Japan and Australia, and now the E.U. is in the process of requiring that meat, eggs, and dairy products coming from G.M. crop-fed livestock be labeled as such). The A.A.E.M.’s paper states “Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food.” and “Multiple animal studies show significant immune dysregulation associated with asthma, allergy, and Inflammation”. (The A.A.E.M., founded in 1965, is an international organization of physicians and medical professionals. It states its mission is to expand the knowledge of interactions between humans and their environment as relevant to total health.)
It’s very difficult to isolate G.M. crops due to outcrossing (seeds from G.M. crops mixing with neighboring conventional or organic crops, carried there by the wind). The contamination of non-G.M.O. crops has brought the need for inspection which has contributed to rising food costs.
The biggest issue with G.M.O. containing foods is not what we know, but what we don’t yet know. Why risk your genes?
In 1990 P.L.U. (price look-up) codes were introduced on produce labels. They indicate the type of produce as well as other relevant information from which grocery store check-out systems match a price. If you don’t know if what you’re about to buy is genetically modified or not, examine the P.L.U. code:
• A four-digit number means it's conventionally grown.
• A five-digit number beginning with 9 means it's organic.
• A five-digit number beginning with 8 means it's G.M..
You can also download a comprehensive consumer buying guide from the Institute For Responsible Technology in this link: http://www.seedsofdeception.com/DocumentFiles/144.pdf
Copyright Amy Mosher 2009
http://www.LifeLifeWellInfo.com
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tea, Coffee, or Minerals?: It's All In The Timing
Drinking tea or coffee with your meals can limit how much iron (needed for red blood cells) and zinc (needed for immunity) you absorb from the food you’re eating and from the supplements you take with your meals. This is because tea and coffee contain caffeine and tannins.
Coffee has more caffeine than tea and (true) teas have more tannins than coffee. Aside from water, tea is the world’s most popular beverage (green being the most common).
What differentiates the categories of tea is their degree of oxidation (this is the process in which the tea leaf interacts with oxygen and turns dark). Black tea is oxidized, oolong tea is semi-oxidized, and green tea is not oxidized. All true teas come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis (“tea bush”) and since it’s the process, not the leaves, which determine the category of tea, the same plant can produce all 3 categories of tea. Rooibus, nicknamed “red tea”, is a tisane rather than a tea, and comes from the leaves of an African legume bush. Red tea contains no tannins or caffeine. Herbal tea isn’t technically a tea either, rather it is made by steeping flowers, roots, leaves, or bark from any plant other than the tea bush.
Tannins are polyphenols (plant-derived antioxidants). Tannins have positive contributions, such as inhibiting the growth of dental plaque, but they inhibit absorption of iron, calcium, and zinc and due to binding with proteins, they decrease one’s ability to digest and assimilate protein. Note that tannins only inhibit the non-heme (plant-derived) form of iron, not the heme form (most iron supplements are plant-derived). Since vitamin C helps to neutralize tannins’ effect on iron absorption adding lemon juice to tea will reduce the negative effect of tannins upon iron absorption (or you could add orange juice to your morning meal). Although rooibos contains a small amount of tannin, the amount is so low that it does not affect the absorption of iron
Caffeine may reduce the absorption of manganese, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins. According to the 2002 study by Tufts University coffee can inhibit iron absorption by as much as 87% if consumed with or up to an hour after a meal.
The estimated caffeine content of coffees and teas are:
Double espresso (2 oz) = 45-100 mg
Brewed coffee (8 oz) = 60-120 mg
Instant coffee (8 oz) = 70 mg
Decaf coffee (8 oz) = 1-5 mg
Black tea (8 oz) = 45 mg
Oolong tea (8 oz) = 30 mg
Green tea (8 oz) = 20 mg
White tea (8 oz) = 15 mg
Rooibus (8 oz) = 0 mg
Herbal infusions (8 oz) = 0 mg
In no way does this mean that you should forgo your coffee or tea (unless you choose to for other reasons). What you should do is avoid drinking anything with caffeine or tannins for at least 30 minutes after eating or taking mineral supplements (and waiting for a full hour will make sure you get the most nutrition from your meals). Use organic coffees and teas to avoid ingesting pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
Coffee has more caffeine than tea and (true) teas have more tannins than coffee. Aside from water, tea is the world’s most popular beverage (green being the most common).
What differentiates the categories of tea is their degree of oxidation (this is the process in which the tea leaf interacts with oxygen and turns dark). Black tea is oxidized, oolong tea is semi-oxidized, and green tea is not oxidized. All true teas come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis (“tea bush”) and since it’s the process, not the leaves, which determine the category of tea, the same plant can produce all 3 categories of tea. Rooibus, nicknamed “red tea”, is a tisane rather than a tea, and comes from the leaves of an African legume bush. Red tea contains no tannins or caffeine. Herbal tea isn’t technically a tea either, rather it is made by steeping flowers, roots, leaves, or bark from any plant other than the tea bush.
Tannins are polyphenols (plant-derived antioxidants). Tannins have positive contributions, such as inhibiting the growth of dental plaque, but they inhibit absorption of iron, calcium, and zinc and due to binding with proteins, they decrease one’s ability to digest and assimilate protein. Note that tannins only inhibit the non-heme (plant-derived) form of iron, not the heme form (most iron supplements are plant-derived). Since vitamin C helps to neutralize tannins’ effect on iron absorption adding lemon juice to tea will reduce the negative effect of tannins upon iron absorption (or you could add orange juice to your morning meal). Although rooibos contains a small amount of tannin, the amount is so low that it does not affect the absorption of iron
Caffeine may reduce the absorption of manganese, zinc, copper, iron, magnesium, vitamin A and many of the B vitamins. According to the 2002 study by Tufts University coffee can inhibit iron absorption by as much as 87% if consumed with or up to an hour after a meal.
The estimated caffeine content of coffees and teas are:
Double espresso (2 oz) = 45-100 mg
Brewed coffee (8 oz) = 60-120 mg
Instant coffee (8 oz) = 70 mg
Decaf coffee (8 oz) = 1-5 mg
Black tea (8 oz) = 45 mg
Oolong tea (8 oz) = 30 mg
Green tea (8 oz) = 20 mg
White tea (8 oz) = 15 mg
Rooibus (8 oz) = 0 mg
Herbal infusions (8 oz) = 0 mg
In no way does this mean that you should forgo your coffee or tea (unless you choose to for other reasons). What you should do is avoid drinking anything with caffeine or tannins for at least 30 minutes after eating or taking mineral supplements (and waiting for a full hour will make sure you get the most nutrition from your meals). Use organic coffees and teas to avoid ingesting pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Women And The Right To Vote
Amidst the 2008 election activity I was having a conversation with my next door neighbor (who moved here from Sweden). He was asking me questions to try to understand how our country’s campaign and election process came to be the way it is today. This got me thinking about when women gained the right to vote in various countries.
Below is when our ancestors and counterparts around the world gained this right- a right which our generation can’t imagine not having.
1893 New Zealand
1902 Australia
1906 Finland (was a duchy of Russia at the time)
1913 Norway
1915 Denmark, Iceland
1917 Canada (province of Ontario in 1884, by 1917 the rest of Canadian women except for Quebec who followed in 1940 and “First Canadians”, Native Indians, in 1960)
1918 Austria, Russia, Germany, Poland (first woman elected to Parliament in 1919)
1919 Netherlands (yet first woman elected to a political office was in 1917)
1920 U.S.A.
1921 Sweden
1924 Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan
1926 Turkey
1928 England, Ireland
1931 Spain
1944 France (first extended to Parisian women in 1871, later revoked)
1945 Italy
1946 Algeria
1947 Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Argentina
1949 China
1950 India, Haiti
1963 Morocco, Iran
1971 Switzerland
1976 Portugal
1994 South Africa (for black women, was 1930 for white women)
2005 Kuwait
2008 Bhutan
Source = Grolier Encyclopedia
In the U.S.A. the petitioning and demonstrating formalized in 1756 and it took 164 years of insistence and protests (some enduring imprisonment and torture) to gain this right.
In Lebanon today only women with proof of an elementary school education are allowed to vote (yet voting is mandatory for men of any educational level). In the United Arab Emirates and Brunei (a sultanate) neither gender is allowed to vote, although the E.A.E. has announced this may change in 2010.
Only 2 countries today allow men to vote but not women: Saudi Arabia and the Vatican City (where the only election is that of the Papal Conclave, wherein only male candidates can run for the position of Cardinal).
I was touched by the CBS interview of a 106 year old American Catholic nun living in Rome. Sister Cecilia Gaudette was 18 years old and living in New Hampshire when American women gained the right to vote.
Although the online absentee ballot form’s date of birth field only went back to 1905, she persisted by sending in her identification, determined to contribute her vote in this presidential election.
My own aunt is a Dominican nun in New York. At age 88, she is 1 of the youngest of the Queen of Rosary Convent residents. Remembering their childhood years when women were not allowed what the United Nations has categorized as a “basic human right”, these 100 or so nuns, equipped in walkers, wheelchairs, and whatever it took, waited in the rain to board several city buses to go experience the gratification of putting their ballots in the box at the poll.
Thank you to the women who came before us who made our voting right possible!
Copyright 2008 Amy Mosher
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Your Health As Your Most Important Investment
Did you know that the word “wealth” comes from the Old English words “weal” (well-being) and “th” (condition) which taken together means “the condition of well-being”? Many of us associate good health (mental, emotional, and physical) with the term “well being” and perhaps the early English considered health to be one of their most valued assets.
Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School, and Ohio University teamed up to conduct research on the correlation between illness and bankruptcy. When their 2001 report showed that half filed due to illness rather than financial profligacy, and that 68% of those who filed had health insurance, I wondered how many of us cultivate good health as a key component of our strategy for future decades and accordingly pay as much attention to building long term optimization of our bodies as we do our 401K’s? Recently the study reported 62.1% of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical. Think you’re immune? The study additionally reported the mean age was 44.9 years, 60.3% had attended college, and 66.4% were home owners. More than 75% had health insurance yet were overwhelmed by medical debt.
While we all want to be healthy because we’ll feel better being so, when viewed in an economic light it is compelling to prioritize our health. Just as you wouldn’t pour inferior fuel into the gas tank of a car and think it will serve you well for years to come, what you put into our body can directly impact how much you’ll enjoy (or not) being in it later and what percentage of your finances you’ll need to spend on it.
As professionals we often go to great lengths to excel in our fields, sometimes working late (dinner being whatever is in the vending machine) and gulping down caffeine to keep going. We prioritize our job performance- yet how can we also prioritize our health, given that we’ll still be living in our bodies long after we have left the jobs we are in?
Nourishing food and beverage choices are one way of showing yourself respect. If you purchased an expensive race horse you wouldn’t give him/her a bucket of fries and a diet cola. Of course you wouldn’t, because you revere the horse and desire good performance from your investment. Don’t you deserve this same level of regard for your “lap through life”? You approach the projects of your career strategically- with a comprehensive and long term vision in mind you develop a methodical plan to purposefully deliver your intended results. Isn’t your biggest and most important project really yourself?
In your eating choices consistency counts more than occasional volume because your cells are continually replacing themselves and they build with what nutrients are available at the time each new cell is constructed. If you’d like some health tips, such as suggestions for easy substitutions to increase your nutrition, click here. By being strategic in how you care for your body over several decades you set yourself up for the best chance of enjoying good physical, mental, emotional, and financial health in your later years.
copyright 2009 Amy Mosher http://www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com
Harvard Medical School, Harvard Law School, and Ohio University teamed up to conduct research on the correlation between illness and bankruptcy. When their 2001 report showed that half filed due to illness rather than financial profligacy, and that 68% of those who filed had health insurance, I wondered how many of us cultivate good health as a key component of our strategy for future decades and accordingly pay as much attention to building long term optimization of our bodies as we do our 401K’s? Recently the study reported 62.1% of all bankruptcies in 2007 were medical. Think you’re immune? The study additionally reported the mean age was 44.9 years, 60.3% had attended college, and 66.4% were home owners. More than 75% had health insurance yet were overwhelmed by medical debt.
While we all want to be healthy because we’ll feel better being so, when viewed in an economic light it is compelling to prioritize our health. Just as you wouldn’t pour inferior fuel into the gas tank of a car and think it will serve you well for years to come, what you put into our body can directly impact how much you’ll enjoy (or not) being in it later and what percentage of your finances you’ll need to spend on it.
As professionals we often go to great lengths to excel in our fields, sometimes working late (dinner being whatever is in the vending machine) and gulping down caffeine to keep going. We prioritize our job performance- yet how can we also prioritize our health, given that we’ll still be living in our bodies long after we have left the jobs we are in?
Nourishing food and beverage choices are one way of showing yourself respect. If you purchased an expensive race horse you wouldn’t give him/her a bucket of fries and a diet cola. Of course you wouldn’t, because you revere the horse and desire good performance from your investment. Don’t you deserve this same level of regard for your “lap through life”? You approach the projects of your career strategically- with a comprehensive and long term vision in mind you develop a methodical plan to purposefully deliver your intended results. Isn’t your biggest and most important project really yourself?
In your eating choices consistency counts more than occasional volume because your cells are continually replacing themselves and they build with what nutrients are available at the time each new cell is constructed. If you’d like some health tips, such as suggestions for easy substitutions to increase your nutrition, click here. By being strategic in how you care for your body over several decades you set yourself up for the best chance of enjoying good physical, mental, emotional, and financial health in your later years.
copyright 2009 Amy Mosher http://www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Stomach Acid: Most People Have Too Little, Not Too Much
Often what is mistakenly interpreted as too much stomach acid is actually a lack of it. Hydrochloric acid tends to decrease with age. On average, a 40 year old will have 15% less HCL than they had at age 25, and by 65 they have 85% less. Hydrochloric acid can be supplemented. In capsule form it is generally paired with either betaine or with the amino acid glutamic acid. If you supplement take H.C.L. only with meals or you will feel an intense burning in your stomach.
When there is not enough hydrochloric acid to activate pepsin protein can’t be broken down into amino acids. (Proteins are chains of amino acids). Of the 20 standard amino acids, 8 are categorized as “essential” meaning the body cannot make these on its own. When protein isn’t digested properly due to lack of H.C.L., a person can become deficient in any of these eight amino acids. Our body uses amino acids to make digestive enzymes and the mineral carriers that transport alkalizing materials to the rest of the body. It becomes a vicious circle: less digestion results in less assimilation of the needed raw materials to keep the body pH balanced, which results in even less digestion.
In chemical terms, minerals need an electrical charge to be absorbed and H.C.L. provides this electrical charge. Magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, several other trace minerals, as well as vitamins B6 and B12, are not well absorbed when there is not enough H.C.L. production by the stomach. Malnutrition then results.
When the stomach makes hydrochloric acid it also makes the off-setting base which is sodium bicarbonate. The body splits salt into hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate so that the production of each molecule is evenly in proportion. The H.C.L. is used by the stomach and the sodium bicarbonate goes into the bloodstream to bind to acids. Any sodium bicarbonate that is leftover is routed to the adrenal glands, the liver, and the pancreas to be in reserve should the body take in a sudden dose of an acid. Therefore a lack of H.C.L. production causes a lack of bicarbonate production which results in a lack of alkalizing reserves to prevent acids from piling up in the tissues.
The mast cells of the stomach secrete histamine, which is made from the amino acid histidine. A lack of hydrochloric acid prevents the conversion of histidine into histamine. Histamine is involved in immune response and acts like a neurotransmitter. Without an appropriate level of histamine, our body’s immune signals can become confused, mistaking proteins for allergens, developing auto-immunity against its own cells, and failing to tackle invading microbes.
A reduction in gastric acid secretion negatively affects subsequent enzymatic reactions, which occur in later stages of digestion. Bile, which has had its alkalinizing properties robbed and is instead acidic, will hamper enzyme activity. Even worse, bile can switch these enzymes into harmful agents, as well as interfere with the function of the ileo-cecal valve (which connects the small and the large intestine).
The Heidelberg test is the method used to measure the ability of one’s stomach to produce H.C.L. Getting a stomach to return to full H.C.L. production is much more difficult and lengthy than avoiding what ceased the production in the first place.
Compromised digestion, due to a lack of H.C.L. and enzymes, results in a fermentation of carbohydrates, putrefaction of proteins, and rancidity of fats and oils, all of which adds to internal acidity. Dealing with these substances requires effort by other bodily processes and places a burden on your entire system.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
The above is an excerpt from my book "Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality". You can view the 1st 2 chapters (for free) on line at http://www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com and download the book (comes with free audio version).
When there is not enough hydrochloric acid to activate pepsin protein can’t be broken down into amino acids. (Proteins are chains of amino acids). Of the 20 standard amino acids, 8 are categorized as “essential” meaning the body cannot make these on its own. When protein isn’t digested properly due to lack of H.C.L., a person can become deficient in any of these eight amino acids. Our body uses amino acids to make digestive enzymes and the mineral carriers that transport alkalizing materials to the rest of the body. It becomes a vicious circle: less digestion results in less assimilation of the needed raw materials to keep the body pH balanced, which results in even less digestion.
In chemical terms, minerals need an electrical charge to be absorbed and H.C.L. provides this electrical charge. Magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, chromium, selenium, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, cobalt, several other trace minerals, as well as vitamins B6 and B12, are not well absorbed when there is not enough H.C.L. production by the stomach. Malnutrition then results.
When the stomach makes hydrochloric acid it also makes the off-setting base which is sodium bicarbonate. The body splits salt into hydrochloric acid and sodium bicarbonate so that the production of each molecule is evenly in proportion. The H.C.L. is used by the stomach and the sodium bicarbonate goes into the bloodstream to bind to acids. Any sodium bicarbonate that is leftover is routed to the adrenal glands, the liver, and the pancreas to be in reserve should the body take in a sudden dose of an acid. Therefore a lack of H.C.L. production causes a lack of bicarbonate production which results in a lack of alkalizing reserves to prevent acids from piling up in the tissues.
The mast cells of the stomach secrete histamine, which is made from the amino acid histidine. A lack of hydrochloric acid prevents the conversion of histidine into histamine. Histamine is involved in immune response and acts like a neurotransmitter. Without an appropriate level of histamine, our body’s immune signals can become confused, mistaking proteins for allergens, developing auto-immunity against its own cells, and failing to tackle invading microbes.
A reduction in gastric acid secretion negatively affects subsequent enzymatic reactions, which occur in later stages of digestion. Bile, which has had its alkalinizing properties robbed and is instead acidic, will hamper enzyme activity. Even worse, bile can switch these enzymes into harmful agents, as well as interfere with the function of the ileo-cecal valve (which connects the small and the large intestine).
The Heidelberg test is the method used to measure the ability of one’s stomach to produce H.C.L. Getting a stomach to return to full H.C.L. production is much more difficult and lengthy than avoiding what ceased the production in the first place.
Compromised digestion, due to a lack of H.C.L. and enzymes, results in a fermentation of carbohydrates, putrefaction of proteins, and rancidity of fats and oils, all of which adds to internal acidity. Dealing with these substances requires effort by other bodily processes and places a burden on your entire system.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
The above is an excerpt from my book "Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality". You can view the 1st 2 chapters (for free) on line at http://www.LiveLifeWellInfo.com and download the book (comes with free audio version).
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Why Traveling Can Feed Your Inner Spirit
At a time of rising oil prices, economic downturn, and international unrest, what might be the value proposition to exporting yourself overseas for a vacation? The following are just a few of the reasons you might consider rewarding yourself with a cross-cultural trip:
• Expand your experiences: You’ll undergo endeavors that are quite different from your everyday life.
• Gain awareness: You’ll observe how our counterparts in other nations live.
• You will be forever changed: You’ll see new things and when you return, you’ll see the familiar things in your life in a new way.
Last year, 75% of those who went on nature, adventure or cultural trips were women. Women are seeking meaningful experiences with their vacation hours and there are a multitude of options available.
Before traveling internationally, it’s important to consider what you’d like to get out of the vacation:
• Relaxation?
• To be active?
• Cultural education?
• Site seeing?
All of the above and more can often be combined in one trip, so establish an itinerary (or verify the one a tour offers) to provide you the right mix of what you’re after. You may be interested in folding in some volunteerism (for which you may be able to write off a portion of your trip on your taxes). Conferences, theme trips, and learning expeditions provide the safety of groups and often allow for time on your own to explore the sites that most interest you.
Having traveled through 40 countries on 6 continents in the last 16 years, I encourage you to experience the unique confidence gained from navigating through lands in which the best thing you brought with you was your ingenuity. Some recommendations include:
• Get a good guide book in advance (don’t rely on a tour guide to let you know the interesting points of what you’ll be seeing, he or she might not cover the aspects that are of intrigue to you).
• Dress conservatively if in non-Western countries. In addition to avoiding sending a wrong message, your clothing will depict respect for the culture and people whom you’ll be visiting.
• Learn at least 3 words in the host language, they will go a long way:
o Hello (or good day)
o Please (or excuse me)
o Thank you
Your new perspective will be the best souvenir you brought home. Bon voyage!
Copyright 2008 Amy Mosher written for http://www.careerwomaninc.com/blog/?p=96
• Expand your experiences: You’ll undergo endeavors that are quite different from your everyday life.
• Gain awareness: You’ll observe how our counterparts in other nations live.
• You will be forever changed: You’ll see new things and when you return, you’ll see the familiar things in your life in a new way.
Last year, 75% of those who went on nature, adventure or cultural trips were women. Women are seeking meaningful experiences with their vacation hours and there are a multitude of options available.
Before traveling internationally, it’s important to consider what you’d like to get out of the vacation:
• Relaxation?
• To be active?
• Cultural education?
• Site seeing?
All of the above and more can often be combined in one trip, so establish an itinerary (or verify the one a tour offers) to provide you the right mix of what you’re after. You may be interested in folding in some volunteerism (for which you may be able to write off a portion of your trip on your taxes). Conferences, theme trips, and learning expeditions provide the safety of groups and often allow for time on your own to explore the sites that most interest you.
Having traveled through 40 countries on 6 continents in the last 16 years, I encourage you to experience the unique confidence gained from navigating through lands in which the best thing you brought with you was your ingenuity. Some recommendations include:
• Get a good guide book in advance (don’t rely on a tour guide to let you know the interesting points of what you’ll be seeing, he or she might not cover the aspects that are of intrigue to you).
• Dress conservatively if in non-Western countries. In addition to avoiding sending a wrong message, your clothing will depict respect for the culture and people whom you’ll be visiting.
• Learn at least 3 words in the host language, they will go a long way:
o Hello (or good day)
o Please (or excuse me)
o Thank you
Your new perspective will be the best souvenir you brought home. Bon voyage!
Copyright 2008 Amy Mosher written for http://www.careerwomaninc.com/blog/?p=96
Friday, May 8, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009
pH, Health, & Minerals: How They Affect Each Other
Minerals are co-enzymes which help vitamins and other nutrients to function, and are responsible for most actions within and around our cells. There are 90+ known minerals (thus far) for human health. The minerals you ingest affect your pH and your pH affects your ability to assimilate minerals.
Minerals have different pH levels at which they can be assimilated into the body. Minerals on the lower end of the atomic scale, such as sodium and magnesium, can be assimilated in a wider pH range. Minerals higher up on the scale, such as zinc and copper, require a narrower pH range in order to be assimilated by the body. Iodine, which is a major factor in thyroid health, is high up on the atomic scale and requires near perfect pH for its assimilation into the body.
What this means is that without an adequate supply of minerals you can't balance your pH, and without a balanced pH you won't be able to assimilate some key minerals. The answer? Test your salivary pH regularly and start with a good blood test to analyze the status of your various mineral levels.
To read more on how pH affects health and what minerals have to do with this check out my book "Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality" downloadable at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/
Minerals have different pH levels at which they can be assimilated into the body. Minerals on the lower end of the atomic scale, such as sodium and magnesium, can be assimilated in a wider pH range. Minerals higher up on the scale, such as zinc and copper, require a narrower pH range in order to be assimilated by the body. Iodine, which is a major factor in thyroid health, is high up on the atomic scale and requires near perfect pH for its assimilation into the body.
What this means is that without an adequate supply of minerals you can't balance your pH, and without a balanced pH you won't be able to assimilate some key minerals. The answer? Test your salivary pH regularly and start with a good blood test to analyze the status of your various mineral levels.
To read more on how pH affects health and what minerals have to do with this check out my book "Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality" downloadable at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/
Body Mind Spirit: What Leading M.D.'s Have To Say
I have been fascinated with the connection between mind and body for most of my life. Below are quotes by leading medical authorities in the U.S.A. For more info please see my book at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/
“The brain and body communicate using a flood of chemical messengers that hook up to receptors on the surface membranes of our cells, and our very thoughts, moods, and attitudes have a significant impact on which chemical messengers are sent and how they are received.” “These neurotransmitters translate our every fleeting thought, reaction, and emotion- conscious or unconscious- into physiological changes.” “By causing the release of neuropeptides, which communicate directly with every cell in our bodies, our moods and attitudes become incarnate.” “Feelings and thoughts seem intangible but produce a cascade of cellular action, telling each of our cells when to divide, which genes to turn on and when, to make more of this protein or less of that one.” “We are not only what we eat, but what we think.”
Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. (founding president of Bastyr University)
“You can’t afford prejudice, dislike, hatred, resentment, greed, or ignorance (the failure to accept truth or facts). Fear, anger, guilt, anxiety, depression, pessimism, prejudice, hatred, resentment and greed sap or zap our health. What are the antidotes? Joy, laughter, happiness, serenity, peacefulness, optimism, forgiveness, patience, tolerance, compassion, and love- a desire to do good and help others. These attributes of the spirit enhance health and well-being. They build beta endorphins, the feel-good natural narcotics, D.H.E.A. and immune competency. The key to good health is attitude, that is, one’s belief in the ultimate goodness of the universe.”
Norman Sheally, M.D., Ph.D. (neurosurgeon)
“Your body has a remarkable capacity to begin healing itself if you give it a chance to do so. Loneliness, depression, and isolation increase mortality by 3 – 7 times. Anything that creates a sense of connection, community, and love is healing. Meditation, compassion, and service are in a sense the most selfish things we can do because they create intimacy and create healing.”
Dean Ornish, M.D. (clinical professor of medicine at University of California, private practice is with coronary artery disease)
“Research supports that guided imagery can help people cope with allergies, and reduce allergy symptoms, office visits, and medication usage in many cases.”
American Academy of Allergies, Asthma, & Immunology
“Deep healing involves awakening and nurturing yourself at your most essential levels, that is, at those levels we sometimes describe as ‘unconscious’….Our self-talk is a powerful inner mechanism through which we can make dramatic changes in our lives. It can affect every part of our being—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. As such, I consider this kind of inner talk to be one of the key tools we need to develop for deep healing.”
Emmett Miller, M.D. (founder and medical director of the Cancer Support and Education Center)
“It's paying attention to heart wisdom, feelings, not living a role, but having a unique, authentic life, having something to contribute, finding time to love and laugh. All these things are qualities of survivors.”
Bernie Siegel, M.D. (surgeon and oncologist)
“By getting very clear about whether they really want to live and why they want to live, patients often find previously unknown reserves of energy and strength which can be extremely valuable on their journey through cancer.” “Fully honor and embrace your spiritual essence. It is not only the source of the love, joy, and fulfillment that we all seek, but of physical healing as well. Seek this through meditation, prayer, reflection, time in nature, and sharing with loved ones. Remember that just as your body, mind, and heart need attention, so does your spirit.”
Jeremy Geffen, M.D. (director of integrative oncology at Caring4Cancer, and 1999 and 2000 advisor to United States Congress on cancer care)
“Regardless of what supplements you take and what kind of exercise you do, when all is said and done it is your attitude, your beliefs, and your daily thought patterns that have the most profound effect on your health.”
Christiane Northrup, M.D. (obgyn)
Makes you think, doesn't it? http://www.livelifewellinfo.com
“The brain and body communicate using a flood of chemical messengers that hook up to receptors on the surface membranes of our cells, and our very thoughts, moods, and attitudes have a significant impact on which chemical messengers are sent and how they are received.” “These neurotransmitters translate our every fleeting thought, reaction, and emotion- conscious or unconscious- into physiological changes.” “By causing the release of neuropeptides, which communicate directly with every cell in our bodies, our moods and attitudes become incarnate.” “Feelings and thoughts seem intangible but produce a cascade of cellular action, telling each of our cells when to divide, which genes to turn on and when, to make more of this protein or less of that one.” “We are not only what we eat, but what we think.”
Joseph Pizzorno, N.D. (founding president of Bastyr University)
“You can’t afford prejudice, dislike, hatred, resentment, greed, or ignorance (the failure to accept truth or facts). Fear, anger, guilt, anxiety, depression, pessimism, prejudice, hatred, resentment and greed sap or zap our health. What are the antidotes? Joy, laughter, happiness, serenity, peacefulness, optimism, forgiveness, patience, tolerance, compassion, and love- a desire to do good and help others. These attributes of the spirit enhance health and well-being. They build beta endorphins, the feel-good natural narcotics, D.H.E.A. and immune competency. The key to good health is attitude, that is, one’s belief in the ultimate goodness of the universe.”
Norman Sheally, M.D., Ph.D. (neurosurgeon)
“Your body has a remarkable capacity to begin healing itself if you give it a chance to do so. Loneliness, depression, and isolation increase mortality by 3 – 7 times. Anything that creates a sense of connection, community, and love is healing. Meditation, compassion, and service are in a sense the most selfish things we can do because they create intimacy and create healing.”
Dean Ornish, M.D. (clinical professor of medicine at University of California, private practice is with coronary artery disease)
“Research supports that guided imagery can help people cope with allergies, and reduce allergy symptoms, office visits, and medication usage in many cases.”
American Academy of Allergies, Asthma, & Immunology
“Deep healing involves awakening and nurturing yourself at your most essential levels, that is, at those levels we sometimes describe as ‘unconscious’….Our self-talk is a powerful inner mechanism through which we can make dramatic changes in our lives. It can affect every part of our being—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. As such, I consider this kind of inner talk to be one of the key tools we need to develop for deep healing.”
Emmett Miller, M.D. (founder and medical director of the Cancer Support and Education Center)
“It's paying attention to heart wisdom, feelings, not living a role, but having a unique, authentic life, having something to contribute, finding time to love and laugh. All these things are qualities of survivors.”
Bernie Siegel, M.D. (surgeon and oncologist)
“By getting very clear about whether they really want to live and why they want to live, patients often find previously unknown reserves of energy and strength which can be extremely valuable on their journey through cancer.” “Fully honor and embrace your spiritual essence. It is not only the source of the love, joy, and fulfillment that we all seek, but of physical healing as well. Seek this through meditation, prayer, reflection, time in nature, and sharing with loved ones. Remember that just as your body, mind, and heart need attention, so does your spirit.”
Jeremy Geffen, M.D. (director of integrative oncology at Caring4Cancer, and 1999 and 2000 advisor to United States Congress on cancer care)
“Regardless of what supplements you take and what kind of exercise you do, when all is said and done it is your attitude, your beliefs, and your daily thought patterns that have the most profound effect on your health.”
Christiane Northrup, M.D. (obgyn)
Makes you think, doesn't it? http://www.livelifewellinfo.com
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Why pH Is So Important
"Your Health = Your pH: How To Reveres Illness & Gain Vitality"
What if you could, without a doctor and for no more than the cost of a few pennies, learn the state of your health? You can: easily and in less than a minute’s time. If the result is not a healthy one but you’re not suffering from malfunction (yet), knowing your pH now affords you time to make changes before your body breaks down. If you do already have symptoms you can use the information in this book to assist you in trying to undo the damage. If your result is healthy, then you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing your body has adequate reserves.
We’re all walking chemical equations living in the equivalent of an aquarium (with skin on instead of glass). Just as fish in a tank will die if the pH of the water isn’t appropriate, we will experience disease if our fluids (and eventually tissues) are not at a life-supporting pH level. A low pH is the first sign that something is amiss, prior to an organ malfunctioning, prior to cancer, or just about any other disease being diagnosed. Think of your salivary pH as nature’s way of giving you a non-painful warning so that you can do something about it while you still have time.
All of our bodily metabolic processes depend upon having a proper pH. While each disease may have its own name, most diseases have the same underlying conditions— acidity of the fluids and tissues. The good news is that acidity is preventable and may often be reversible. I’ll show you how this is possible with a combination of diet and lifestyle and you’ll be able to gauge (by both how you feel and by your pH reading) your progress and what works best for you.
Do you ever wonder why it is that when groups of people are exposed to the same germ, virus, or other pathogen, some of them get sick and others don’t? The difference is due to the state of their immune systems at the time of exposure, and this depends upon their pH level. Pathogens simply can’t survive in a pH balanced body. Inversely, pathogens not only thrive in an acidic environment but they create and cast off wastes which are acidic. This process adds to the acidity of the cells they reside in and ensures their ongoing presence.
Often, the first sign of a pH imbalance is feeling tired. The lower your salivary pH is the greater your exhaustion and fatigue. If our extra cellular fluids become acidic (this is the first place in the body that acids get stored), we’ll be more tired, prone to catching colds, and more likely to develop allergies/sensitivities. If these extra-cellular fluids continue in their acidic trend, our bodies develop aches, pains, weight gain or loss, headaches, chest pains, stomach aches, premature aging, and fungal infections. If the presence of acids continues in an elevated ratio to bases (alkaline nutrients), then cancer and other serious conditions take hold.
Degenerative diseases and most maladies, including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney and gall stones, excess weight, insufficient immunity, and atherosclerosis, correlate with excess acidity in the body. Below are some common diseases and explanations of how pH created the condition for these diseases. In the chapters that follow you’ll learn what you can do to prevent or reverse them.
Fatigue
When your cells don’t have enough oxygen, you feel tired. As you’ll learn in the chapter on minerals, some minerals carry oxygen with them into your body and across your cell membranes. When your cells don’t have enough energy-providing nutrients, and they are polluted with substances that require energy to be dealt with, your body has to work harder just to get through each day. It’s a double hindrance: you don’t have what you need to go full gusto and what you do have is being used up by energy-robbing acids. The average chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia sufferer has anywhere from 1 to 7 pathogens that need to be eradicated before they can return to their previous energy level.
These pathogens produce toxins that are acidic and reduce the absorption of the vitamins, minerals, and protein you ingest. Pathogens also inhibit the carrying of oxygen into the cells. It gets worse from there: your enzymes become disabled so they can’t do what they’re there to do (assist every metabolic process in the body) and your cells can’t produce the A.T.P. (energy packets) that they need to function (so you can feel vibrant), therefore your cells erode and die. The outcome (unless you turn it around with the information we’ll cover in this book) is that you become even more acidic.
Heart Attack and Stroke from “Thick Blood”
When there is hyper-coagulation (red blood cells clumped together), the blood doesn’t flow well and tends to form clots which can flow to the heart (resulting in a heart attack) or the brain (resulting in a stroke). The cause of thickened blood is often fibrin deposited in blood vessels and capillaries. When our bodies detect pathogens in the blood they lay down fibrin, which acts like a mesh to prevent these detrimental organisms from circulating. Viruses, harmful bacteria, and parasites are pathogens which activate the production of thrombin (a coagulation protein). Thrombin produces fibrin and the resulting hyper-coagulation of the blood makes it nearly impossible to get enough oxygen and nutrients into the bodily tissues. The presence of this fibrin manifests as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, in addition to putting one at risk for a stroke or a heart attack. To compound the condition, thicker blood is more difficult to pump causing the body to work harder (expending energy). Fibrin reduces oxygen presence. This reduction in oxygen is self-serving for the pathogens because oxygen is a threat to their existence and, hidden in the fibrin, they can often go undetected by the immune system. Pathogens often lead to secondary infections, triggering even more hyper-coagulation of the blood. Pathogens - Fibrin - Secondary Infections - More Fibrin - Decreased Oxygen - Lowered pH
Often heavy metal toxicity, which we’ll cover in the Causes of Imbalance section, is an underlying cause. The presence of these metals damages the immune system and allows infections to get a foothold. The infections induce hyper-coagulability of the blood, and this causes a lack of oxygenation. The result is that you have less energy and are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. ArthritisAlthough there are over 100 forms of arthritis, they all share the common symptom of joint pain. Lower (more acidic) pH promotes the formation of crystals within joints. A by-product of normal bodily processes is uric acid. When the body is not able to effectively eliminate this uric acid, or is taking in more acids than it can eliminate, the body will solidify the uric acid into a salt that builds up in the joints, resulting in gout and other forms of arthritis.
Weight Gain
One way that the body attempts to protect its vital organs is to keep toxins from floating freely and it does this by “walling them off” with fat cells. When our bodies are too acidic they will hold on to fat. To compound matters, acidity slows metabolism because your cells can’t make enough A.T.P. from the food eaten to burn off the intake. As the body becomes pH neutral, it gradually releases these acids and toxins from storage. The toxins are released at a pace that the body can handle and your weight loss efforts become more successful.
Cancer
Cancer is not able to proliferate in a pH neutral body. Otto Warburg, a German M.D., was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1931 for his hypothesis that cancer cells generate their own energy (A.T.P.) through a non-oxidative breakdown of glucose, which is in contrast to how healthy cells generate their A.T.P. "If our internal environment was changed from an acidic oxygen-deprived environment to an alkaline environment full of oxygen, viruses, bacteria and fungus cannot live” (excerpt from his 1931 study).
In his speech at the Meeting of Nobel Laureates, June 30, 1966, Warburg said, “cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar.” He espoused that cancer could be caused or cured by changing the oxygen carrying ability of the fluid. Oxford University awarded Warburg an honorary doctorate in 1952 for his research into the relationship between cancer cells, malignant tumors, oxygen, and the correlations with one’s internal pH. His research posited that the pH of one’s internal environment directly correlates to the formation and multiplication of or eradication of cancer cells. He insisted that a lack of internal oxygen is what allows cancer to flourish. He found that the presence of increased amounts of oxygen inhibits the spread of cancer cells and will eventually cause them to die off. Inversely, each time he lowered the oxygen content of a cell by 35% the cell became cancerous. This explains why the salivary pH of cancer patients usually measures 4.5 when the cancer is terminal and the patient is in the end stages.
The aforementioned conditions are just a sampling of health conditions provided here as examples of the importance of your internal pH. Since the majority of all diseases correlate to a lowered pH, reduced oxygen, and a shortage of minerals (these 3 are tightly intertwined), it’s important to know how your body becomes acidic and what you can do about it. Your pH level is an indication of your general health, not a diagnostic tool for a specific ailment. Whatever health concern you are faced with, you can monitor your progress toward a proper acid/alkaline balance by testing your salivary pH in addition to working with talented practitioners and undergoing diagnostic testing for further insight.
You can read or download more info at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/
What if you could, without a doctor and for no more than the cost of a few pennies, learn the state of your health? You can: easily and in less than a minute’s time. If the result is not a healthy one but you’re not suffering from malfunction (yet), knowing your pH now affords you time to make changes before your body breaks down. If you do already have symptoms you can use the information in this book to assist you in trying to undo the damage. If your result is healthy, then you can enjoy the peace of mind of knowing your body has adequate reserves.
We’re all walking chemical equations living in the equivalent of an aquarium (with skin on instead of glass). Just as fish in a tank will die if the pH of the water isn’t appropriate, we will experience disease if our fluids (and eventually tissues) are not at a life-supporting pH level. A low pH is the first sign that something is amiss, prior to an organ malfunctioning, prior to cancer, or just about any other disease being diagnosed. Think of your salivary pH as nature’s way of giving you a non-painful warning so that you can do something about it while you still have time.
All of our bodily metabolic processes depend upon having a proper pH. While each disease may have its own name, most diseases have the same underlying conditions— acidity of the fluids and tissues. The good news is that acidity is preventable and may often be reversible. I’ll show you how this is possible with a combination of diet and lifestyle and you’ll be able to gauge (by both how you feel and by your pH reading) your progress and what works best for you.
Do you ever wonder why it is that when groups of people are exposed to the same germ, virus, or other pathogen, some of them get sick and others don’t? The difference is due to the state of their immune systems at the time of exposure, and this depends upon their pH level. Pathogens simply can’t survive in a pH balanced body. Inversely, pathogens not only thrive in an acidic environment but they create and cast off wastes which are acidic. This process adds to the acidity of the cells they reside in and ensures their ongoing presence.
Often, the first sign of a pH imbalance is feeling tired. The lower your salivary pH is the greater your exhaustion and fatigue. If our extra cellular fluids become acidic (this is the first place in the body that acids get stored), we’ll be more tired, prone to catching colds, and more likely to develop allergies/sensitivities. If these extra-cellular fluids continue in their acidic trend, our bodies develop aches, pains, weight gain or loss, headaches, chest pains, stomach aches, premature aging, and fungal infections. If the presence of acids continues in an elevated ratio to bases (alkaline nutrients), then cancer and other serious conditions take hold.
Degenerative diseases and most maladies, including cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, arthritis, kidney and gall stones, excess weight, insufficient immunity, and atherosclerosis, correlate with excess acidity in the body. Below are some common diseases and explanations of how pH created the condition for these diseases. In the chapters that follow you’ll learn what you can do to prevent or reverse them.
Fatigue
When your cells don’t have enough oxygen, you feel tired. As you’ll learn in the chapter on minerals, some minerals carry oxygen with them into your body and across your cell membranes. When your cells don’t have enough energy-providing nutrients, and they are polluted with substances that require energy to be dealt with, your body has to work harder just to get through each day. It’s a double hindrance: you don’t have what you need to go full gusto and what you do have is being used up by energy-robbing acids. The average chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia sufferer has anywhere from 1 to 7 pathogens that need to be eradicated before they can return to their previous energy level.
These pathogens produce toxins that are acidic and reduce the absorption of the vitamins, minerals, and protein you ingest. Pathogens also inhibit the carrying of oxygen into the cells. It gets worse from there: your enzymes become disabled so they can’t do what they’re there to do (assist every metabolic process in the body) and your cells can’t produce the A.T.P. (energy packets) that they need to function (so you can feel vibrant), therefore your cells erode and die. The outcome (unless you turn it around with the information we’ll cover in this book) is that you become even more acidic.
Heart Attack and Stroke from “Thick Blood”
When there is hyper-coagulation (red blood cells clumped together), the blood doesn’t flow well and tends to form clots which can flow to the heart (resulting in a heart attack) or the brain (resulting in a stroke). The cause of thickened blood is often fibrin deposited in blood vessels and capillaries. When our bodies detect pathogens in the blood they lay down fibrin, which acts like a mesh to prevent these detrimental organisms from circulating. Viruses, harmful bacteria, and parasites are pathogens which activate the production of thrombin (a coagulation protein). Thrombin produces fibrin and the resulting hyper-coagulation of the blood makes it nearly impossible to get enough oxygen and nutrients into the bodily tissues. The presence of this fibrin manifests as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, in addition to putting one at risk for a stroke or a heart attack. To compound the condition, thicker blood is more difficult to pump causing the body to work harder (expending energy). Fibrin reduces oxygen presence. This reduction in oxygen is self-serving for the pathogens because oxygen is a threat to their existence and, hidden in the fibrin, they can often go undetected by the immune system. Pathogens often lead to secondary infections, triggering even more hyper-coagulation of the blood. Pathogens - Fibrin - Secondary Infections - More Fibrin - Decreased Oxygen - Lowered pH
Often heavy metal toxicity, which we’ll cover in the Causes of Imbalance section, is an underlying cause. The presence of these metals damages the immune system and allows infections to get a foothold. The infections induce hyper-coagulability of the blood, and this causes a lack of oxygenation. The result is that you have less energy and are more likely to have a heart attack or stroke. ArthritisAlthough there are over 100 forms of arthritis, they all share the common symptom of joint pain. Lower (more acidic) pH promotes the formation of crystals within joints. A by-product of normal bodily processes is uric acid. When the body is not able to effectively eliminate this uric acid, or is taking in more acids than it can eliminate, the body will solidify the uric acid into a salt that builds up in the joints, resulting in gout and other forms of arthritis.
Weight Gain
One way that the body attempts to protect its vital organs is to keep toxins from floating freely and it does this by “walling them off” with fat cells. When our bodies are too acidic they will hold on to fat. To compound matters, acidity slows metabolism because your cells can’t make enough A.T.P. from the food eaten to burn off the intake. As the body becomes pH neutral, it gradually releases these acids and toxins from storage. The toxins are released at a pace that the body can handle and your weight loss efforts become more successful.
Cancer
Cancer is not able to proliferate in a pH neutral body. Otto Warburg, a German M.D., was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1931 for his hypothesis that cancer cells generate their own energy (A.T.P.) through a non-oxidative breakdown of glucose, which is in contrast to how healthy cells generate their A.T.P. "If our internal environment was changed from an acidic oxygen-deprived environment to an alkaline environment full of oxygen, viruses, bacteria and fungus cannot live” (excerpt from his 1931 study).
In his speech at the Meeting of Nobel Laureates, June 30, 1966, Warburg said, “cancer, above all other diseases, has countless secondary causes. But, even for cancer, there is only one prime cause. Summarized in a few words, the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen in normal body cells by a fermentation of sugar.” He espoused that cancer could be caused or cured by changing the oxygen carrying ability of the fluid. Oxford University awarded Warburg an honorary doctorate in 1952 for his research into the relationship between cancer cells, malignant tumors, oxygen, and the correlations with one’s internal pH. His research posited that the pH of one’s internal environment directly correlates to the formation and multiplication of or eradication of cancer cells. He insisted that a lack of internal oxygen is what allows cancer to flourish. He found that the presence of increased amounts of oxygen inhibits the spread of cancer cells and will eventually cause them to die off. Inversely, each time he lowered the oxygen content of a cell by 35% the cell became cancerous. This explains why the salivary pH of cancer patients usually measures 4.5 when the cancer is terminal and the patient is in the end stages.
The aforementioned conditions are just a sampling of health conditions provided here as examples of the importance of your internal pH. Since the majority of all diseases correlate to a lowered pH, reduced oxygen, and a shortage of minerals (these 3 are tightly intertwined), it’s important to know how your body becomes acidic and what you can do about it. Your pH level is an indication of your general health, not a diagnostic tool for a specific ailment. Whatever health concern you are faced with, you can monitor your progress toward a proper acid/alkaline balance by testing your salivary pH in addition to working with talented practitioners and undergoing diagnostic testing for further insight.
You can read or download more info at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/
Up Your Nutrition With Easy Substitutions
Are you wondering how to get maximum nourishment from your diet? Do you view your body as the temple and vehicle for your soul to experience 3D life in yet could use some pointers for how to feed it? Below are 6 paragraphs on optimizing your diet from “Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality” available for download only at http://www.livelifewellinfo/.
“When buying produce opt for organic whenever possible. (Although organic is more expensive, in comparison to the cost of cancer it’s a small but wise investment.) Organic produce has a 75% higher mineral content than non-organic counterparts. Be sure to avoid genetically-modified produce. (Genetically-modified fruits and vegetables have been altered through genetic engineering - such as tomato seed genes spliced with fish genes and pesticides inserted into their genetic material). Note that this is not the case with hybrid produce (blending breeds) or heirloom (defined as the seed of a vegetable having been saved and grown over a period of years to attain a superior crop).”
“For times when juicing isn’t practical, keep green powder drinks on hand. Most of them are loaded with concentrated vegetables and grasses and you prepare them by mixing a spoonful of powder with water. Drinking them is an easy way to get a strong alkalinizing infusion of nutrients. There are an abundance of brands available (look for organic). For those who travel frequently, many brands are available in individual serving packets. Several brands are gluten-free for those who are sensitive to gluten.”
“Seaweeds help push heavy metals out of the body tissues. Seaweeds are highly nutritious. For example, wakame has more vitamin B12 than beef and kombu has twice as much B12 as eggs. Unlike fish, few toxins are absorbed by sea vegetables. You can use seaweeds in flake form as a salt substitute or crumple them onto soups or salads so that you gain their benefits from just a small amount.”
“Seafood is unfortunately becoming less of a healthy choice due to the contamination of our oceans with chemical pollutants. The F.D.A. warns against eating large fish specified as swordfish, shark, mackerel, and tuna due to their elevated levels of mercury and P.C.B.’s. (Large predatory fish get a greater dose of toxins because of their ingestion of smaller fish.) Absolutely avoid farmed fish—because they are raised in densely-populated, confined areas they are prone to disease and injury. Despite all the antibiotics and chemicals they are fed, they often are plagued by lice, parasites, and gill infections. (Most seafood served in restaurants were farm raised.) Shellfish, such as shrimp and crab, are scavenging bottom-feeders which are more vulnerable to pollutants. Opt for cod, halibut, salmon, tilapia, or pollock.”
“Substitute healthy fats and oils for trans fats. The taste is better (for example ghee is quite rich), and your mineral absorption from the foods you’re eating them with will be enhanced. In 2001, Harvard released its 14 year study on 84,000 women in which it concluded that substituting butter for trans fats cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40%. Oils containing omega 3s, such as flax and cod liver, are necessary for joint lubrication, healthy brain function, and skin protection. The New England Journal of Medicine published a 17 year study on men in which it found that those with the highest blood levels of omega 3 fats were more than 80% less likely than their counterparts to die suddenly from heart disease. Be aware that if an omega 3 oil is ingested over long periods of time without being in proper ratio to other oils (our bodies need twice as much omega 6 to omega 3), the result can be a deficiency of omega 6 oils (found in seeds and nuts). Omega 3, 6, and 9 oils are often referred to as “essential” because our bodies can’t manufacture them.”
“Heating most oils through cooking renders them unstable and rancid, however coconut oil remains healthful. The medium-chain fatty acids contained within coconut oil are anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and speed up metabolism. (Most partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain soybean oil which depresses the thyroid- contributing to exhaustion and weight gain). Throw out all hydrogenated trans fats (margarine, shortening, etc…) and replace them with healthy alternatives such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.”
These excerpts are from my book “Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality” available only at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/ If you go to the web site you can read the first 2 chapters, free of charge.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
“When buying produce opt for organic whenever possible. (Although organic is more expensive, in comparison to the cost of cancer it’s a small but wise investment.) Organic produce has a 75% higher mineral content than non-organic counterparts. Be sure to avoid genetically-modified produce. (Genetically-modified fruits and vegetables have been altered through genetic engineering - such as tomato seed genes spliced with fish genes and pesticides inserted into their genetic material). Note that this is not the case with hybrid produce (blending breeds) or heirloom (defined as the seed of a vegetable having been saved and grown over a period of years to attain a superior crop).”
“For times when juicing isn’t practical, keep green powder drinks on hand. Most of them are loaded with concentrated vegetables and grasses and you prepare them by mixing a spoonful of powder with water. Drinking them is an easy way to get a strong alkalinizing infusion of nutrients. There are an abundance of brands available (look for organic). For those who travel frequently, many brands are available in individual serving packets. Several brands are gluten-free for those who are sensitive to gluten.”
“Seaweeds help push heavy metals out of the body tissues. Seaweeds are highly nutritious. For example, wakame has more vitamin B12 than beef and kombu has twice as much B12 as eggs. Unlike fish, few toxins are absorbed by sea vegetables. You can use seaweeds in flake form as a salt substitute or crumple them onto soups or salads so that you gain their benefits from just a small amount.”
“Seafood is unfortunately becoming less of a healthy choice due to the contamination of our oceans with chemical pollutants. The F.D.A. warns against eating large fish specified as swordfish, shark, mackerel, and tuna due to their elevated levels of mercury and P.C.B.’s. (Large predatory fish get a greater dose of toxins because of their ingestion of smaller fish.) Absolutely avoid farmed fish—because they are raised in densely-populated, confined areas they are prone to disease and injury. Despite all the antibiotics and chemicals they are fed, they often are plagued by lice, parasites, and gill infections. (Most seafood served in restaurants were farm raised.) Shellfish, such as shrimp and crab, are scavenging bottom-feeders which are more vulnerable to pollutants. Opt for cod, halibut, salmon, tilapia, or pollock.”
“Substitute healthy fats and oils for trans fats. The taste is better (for example ghee is quite rich), and your mineral absorption from the foods you’re eating them with will be enhanced. In 2001, Harvard released its 14 year study on 84,000 women in which it concluded that substituting butter for trans fats cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 40%. Oils containing omega 3s, such as flax and cod liver, are necessary for joint lubrication, healthy brain function, and skin protection. The New England Journal of Medicine published a 17 year study on men in which it found that those with the highest blood levels of omega 3 fats were more than 80% less likely than their counterparts to die suddenly from heart disease. Be aware that if an omega 3 oil is ingested over long periods of time without being in proper ratio to other oils (our bodies need twice as much omega 6 to omega 3), the result can be a deficiency of omega 6 oils (found in seeds and nuts). Omega 3, 6, and 9 oils are often referred to as “essential” because our bodies can’t manufacture them.”
“Heating most oils through cooking renders them unstable and rancid, however coconut oil remains healthful. The medium-chain fatty acids contained within coconut oil are anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and speed up metabolism. (Most partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain soybean oil which depresses the thyroid- contributing to exhaustion and weight gain). Throw out all hydrogenated trans fats (margarine, shortening, etc…) and replace them with healthy alternatives such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil.”
These excerpts are from my book “Your Health = Your pH: How To Reverse Illness & Gain Vitality” available only at http://www.livelifewellinfo.com/ If you go to the web site you can read the first 2 chapters, free of charge.
Copyright 2009 Amy Mosher
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