I’ll be updating this post daily (more or less), so check back often for new tips.

#203–Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of that candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared - Buddha

#202–This one’s for everyone I know, especially my female or metrosexual friends:

http://organicconsumers.org/bodycare/index.cfm

#201–a group called ReCORK is encouraging U.S. restaurants to recycle used corks so they can be used to replace petroleum based materials in shoes, flooring, sports equipment, and more. Recycling also keeps these items out of landfills (to the tune of 8.6 million so far), protects more than 6 million acres of cork forests in the Mediterranean Basin, and continues to raise awareness of sustainable business and environmental issues. I encourage you to ask your favorite restaurant to get involved–it’s easy. And if they’re not doing so already (there are none in GA currently), it’s probably because they just don’t know. A drop off location for my local readers can be found below. But you can find a location near you by visiting http://recork.org/

Oakhurst Community Garden Project
435 Oakview Road
Decatur, GA, 30030
404-371-1920

#200–Overuse of antibiotics in humans for common maladies (i.e. ear infections, bronchitis, sore throat, etc–all of which are typically VIRAL and do not respond to antibiotics) fosters an overgrowth of Candida albicans along with other pathogens in the intestines. The small intestine, which under normal circumstances maintains tight junctions between epithelial cells to act as a physical barrier to outside invaders while allowing for the absorption of nutrients, is damaged by the secretion of aldehyde by the candida. This substance causes the epithelial cells of the intestine to shrink which allows toxins and undigested food particles to enter the blood stream. There they can set off allergic reactions, autoimmune dysfunctions like arthritis, and even affect the function of the body’s essential organs. So think twice before you go to the doc and ask for something for your cold. Maybe the only thing you really need is good, clean water, adequate sleep, and time.

#199–Another one from my friends at www.localplanet.com, specifically Lewis Perkins:

Top Ten Question To Ask When Determining a GREEN Restaurant

1. Do they source organic and local food? This includes farmed produce as well as organic dairy and socially & environmentally responsible meat, poultry and fish.
2. Do they compost? Do they donate food to food banks or shelter?
3. Is oil or grease recycled for bio-fuel or other sustainable purposes?
4. Do they grow their own herbs or vegetables? Has space been designated in our outside the restaurant for kitchen scraps/ and reuse spent grease for biofuel?
5. Do they Recycle paper, metal, glass, plastics?
6. Are they mindful of selecting products which do not use plastics, Styrofoam, excess paper waste?
7. Are they Green Cleaning with natural cleaners or less toxic, low VOC emitting cleaners?
8. Do they have water efficiency policies and water conservation measures?
9. Are they located near Public Transportation or are you required to drive a car?
10. Are the buildings green? Do they maintain green facilities, such as LEED certified buildings? Or have they even implemented any energy efficiency methods - lighting, HVAC, energy star rated appliances, use of natural gas?

#198–Truth goes Viral: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8WA5wcaHp4

#197–The ph of saliva needs to be between 7.0 and 7.4 for enzymes like alpha amylase (an enzyme which helps break down carbohydrate) which require an alkaline environment to function properly. And since digestion is a top to bottom process, unresolved problems at the top (i.e. the mouth, the salivary glands, the esophagus, etc.) can and will lead to problems at the bottom (small intestine, large intestine, anus, etc.). So if the ph of your saliva isn’t in the ideal range, you can bet your next bagel something downstream is going to pay the price.

#196–One of the most common excuses I get from people who say they cannot eat as healthy as they should is lack of time. Let’s see…the average amount of time Americans spend on cooking, consuming, and cleaning up a meal is 31 minutes. The average daily personal (i.e. non work related) use of a computer is 2 hours. And the average daily time spent in front of the television is 3 hours. I’m calling bullshit! And if you don’t like the vulgar language, I apologize–my environmental concern won’t allow me to call it synthetic fertilizer!

#195–Inspired by my friends at LocalPlanet.com:

Idling your engine for more than 30s costs more in gas (and environmental harm) than restarting the engine. And the component wear added each year due to restarting the car is only $10. Skip the Starbucks two mornings a year and you’ve paid for this minimal wear and tear. Additionally, the common myth that you need to warm up your car on cold days before driving it is exactly that–a myth. The best way to warm up a car is to drive it. Idling actually causes more engine wear due to the fuel being only partially combusted leading to build up of fuel residues on the cylinder walls. So keep this world running by turning your car off.

#194–Fractal Geometry (or a fractal) is a complex shape which, when examined more closely, reveals a self repeating pattern. Examples in nature include clouds, coastlines, mountains, snowflakes, and human intestines. This last example I bring up to make a point. The beauty of this self repeating pattern is that it effectively increases the surface area of the intestine without taking up more space. More surface area = a greater ability to absorb nutrients. Unfortunately, many foods common in the Standard American Diet (SAD) create inflammation in the gut and literally destroy parts of the intestinal wall (like the microvilli) so that enzyme production goes down with a proportionate decrease in the potential for nutrient absorption. The end result is a person who cannot effectively digest fats or sugars (like lactase) or assimilate the nutrition in a given food. Inevitably this person ends up with a host of health complaints and an appetite which is never satiated since many nutrient requirements are not being met. Health begins in the gut, people!

#193–I’m on a one man mission to put a dent in the wheat industry by convincing my clients to go gluten free. In every case, the person who takes on this challenge is rewarded by an increase in health. Of course, I have plenty who are too addicted to their grains to really give it a shot. The excuses are usually attempts to justify excessive consumption of breads/pastas (which displaces nutrition), and I will typically hear something like “but I love my ____!” What they really mean is they love being sick. And even though any adverse immune reaction will often become less because they eat it frequently–maybe to the point where it’s easily ignored–I have a question for you: which fire does the most damage? The one which burns hard and fast and gets your attention immediately; or the one which smolders for years and slowly destroys your vitality as you fuel it with anti-nutrients that most of us aren’t designed to eat?

#192–Electro Magnetic Fields (EMF’s) are unavoidable in the modern world, even if you don’t have cable t.v. like me and one other person in Atlanta. But you can decrease the negative effect of this type of stressor by keeping your distance from electronic equipment when possible. The strength of the field goes down with the square of the distance, so use hands free technology with your cell phones, keep alarm clocks and other electronics as far away from your bed as possible, turn off your computer (and other items) when not in use, and if you have to sit so close to your t.v. that you can feel it, I suggest you get your eyes checked. Better yet, turn off Entertainment Tonight and go read a book.

#191–Melatonin (produced by the pineal gland) is an important cancer fighter due to its role in unwanted cell division. Thus, waking up a lot during the night has more serious health consequences than making you tired the next day. And one of the most easily avoided reasons why sleep is disturbed is a drop in blood sugar levels. When this happens, cortisol is released to mobilize sugar from the liver into the bloodstream. Unfortunately, cortisol is also an awakening hormone, stirring you from sleep so that blood glycogen can be replenished. And while you think you woke up to go to the bathroom, the truth is something about your diet that day was out of balance. Look at the macronutrient profile of the meals you ate, paying particular attention to dinner. Commonly, too little protein and fat is the issue. But the half gallon of fat free ice cream you had for dessert may be suspect, too…

#190–You shouldn’t really be eating packaged foods that have labels. But if you are, you should know that the FDA allows for a 20 percent margin of error between the amount of calories (and nutrition) the label says and what the food really contains. Ultimately, as I often tell my clients, calorie counting is an impractical method for weight control unless you’re trying to win the Tour de France.

#189–90% of people suffer from parasite and/or fungal infections. The primary reasons are due to lifestyle which bring levels of vitality down to a threshold where Nature decides it would be better to start over than to let you procreate–She doesn’t want to perpetuate weakness. So along come her garbage collectors to give you a warning and now you have a parasite or fungal infection. If you ignore this warning and continue living contrary to the Six Foundational Principles of Health (see my article with the same title to learn more), the next progression is an illness which will then progress to disease and eventually to death. So if Mother Nature is trying to tell you something, don’t just shoot the messengers. If you keep treating the symptom via Vagisil or Tinactin, she’ll find a way to get you to pay attention sooner or later!

#188–The average American spends more than 7hrs/day with computers/phones/t.v./etc. Seated and inside for so much of our waking hours is creating health havoc in the form of obesity related diseases. In fact, we are the first generation with lifespans longer than the ones predicted for our children. Even sadder is that the more connected we are with work, media, and electronics in general, the less connected we become with ourselves.

#187–”No other method to prevent cancer has been identified that has such a
powerful impact.”
–Dr. Cedric Garland, vitamin D expert, speaking about vitamin D

#186–I hate heavy metal. And apparently so do 19 Democrats and Republicans from 12 different states. These enlightened congress members have sent a letter to the FDA urging them to:

–require the industry to correctly label “silver” fillings to reflect their predominate component, mercury;
–require all parents of children under the age of 18 to sign a written consent form indicating that they are fully aware of the potential negative effects of mercury;
–require a verbal warning given by dentists to patients over 18 years noting the high toxicity of mercury and the potential of neurological problems.

Specifically, the letter says that “vapors from mercury can traverse the placenta of pregnant women and threaten the development of the fetus. . . . Mercury is a known neurotoxin, the third most toxic element as listed by the CERLA Priority List of Hazardous Substances. . . . Dental amalgam is the predominant source of human exposure to mercury.”

Now, I’m not a big fan of government. But someone has obviously been doing some research. And even if this ends up being a rare example of intelligent bureaucracy which culminates with inaction, you can take responsibility for yourself and get those mercury fillings out of your mouth with the help of a biological dentist. And if you need more convincing, you should google “smoking teeth” so you can be “filled in” on the truth.

#185–All sugar is not created equal (and no sugar is created Equal). When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than 1 calorie is stored as fat. When you eat 120 calories of fructose, 40 calories are stored as fat. That’s one of the methods by which fructose consumption leads to metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, and excess fat around the belly. And in case you thought Agave was natural (which is the same reasoning the corn lobby will use to say fructose [derived from corn] is harmless), it typically has more fructose content than high fructose corn syrup!

#184–the thinnest bone in the body is in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Breast feeding exercises this joint in the infant and makes it stronger, more stable, and more durable. Bottle feeding doesn’t accomplish this goal as the rotational movement of the jaw which occurs when breast feeding is unnecessary. Thus, the typical bottle fed kid has significant TMJ degeneration by the age of 35.

#183–getting tired after a meal is telling you something:
–you had too much fat/protein in the meal for your metabolic type or
–you’re eating dead/processed food that is void of any enzymes (and your body is already enzyme deficient) or
–you’re intolerant of something in the meal or
–it’s past 10 p.m. and you should be in the bed and not in the kitchen.

#182–You can only know something if you have the experience of doing it. Everything you learn is theory until you practice it. So that doctor who smokes or that overweight nutritionist or that trainer who is hungover from partying the night before your scheduled session–what can they truly teach you?

#181–I’m going to get some panties in a wad for this, but the truth is that Pilates is good for people who are stuck in infant development (0-3 months of age). For those of us who have evolved into VERTICAL development, we would be better served by movements which take place on two feet (and involve less flexion/more extension). But if you make your living on your back, then the occasional pilates class is probably a good idea. And so is staying on good terms with your pimp.

#180–Have an errand to run? Is it a mile or less from your house? Is it dry outside? Do you have time? Do you have two legs? Then run it! Or walk it. Or bike it. Or pogo stick it! But don’t drive it!

#179–Ten species of Roundup-resistant weeds have been documented in 22 states.
So now conventional farmers are adding more chemicals to their toxic weed-control protocols. Some are supplementing Roundup with a second or even third herbicide as if the “bigger hammer” theory works in agriculture. Thus the amount of toxic runoff leaching from fields into our waterways in increasing while the health of our planet (WHICH MEANS OUR HEALTH, TOO) is quickly failing. Send Monsanto a message by NOT buying their products:

–NutraSweet or Equal
–Roundup
–rBGH dairy
–genetically modified Soy and products with Canola
–Ambien

Instead use

–REAL freakin’ sugar or Stevia
–resources from the Invisible Gardner web page: http://www.invisiblegardener.com/
–Organic Dairy, preferably raw
–Organic Foods which currently cannot be genetically modified, but Monsanto is working on that…
–any number of sleep aids including tryptophan, magnesium, and turning the damn t.v. off!

#178–Three natural ways to get 1 MILLION dollars worth of laxatives out of the American Diet:
Fiber from fruits and vegetables increase fecal weight and moisture. The larger stool volume stimulates enteric nerves and accelerates intestinal transit time. Fruit juice doesn’t qualify and french fries are not vegetables.
Probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut as well as quality supplements helps bulk the stool, reduce stool hardness, and increase stool frequency.
Exercise increases transit time by stimulating peristalsis (ask any runner) through rhythmic movements and compression of the intestines by working muscles. Movements like leg extensions or leg curls will not help movements in the bathroom as their impact is limited to one working joint. But if you do these “exercises” long enough to completely turn off your core through sensory motor amnesia, the pelvic floor dysfunction which results will help your dependency on laxatives; they just won’t help with your dependency on Depends.

#177–The doctor of the future will give us no drugs but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame in the diet and in the cause and the prevention of disease.
–Thomas Edison

#176–In my assessment of a client, it’s common for me to find altered head carriage. Most of these cases have an etiology in ocular dysfunction. It’s an attempt to regain binocular vision and to balance tension in the muscles of the eyes. Though many opthamologists overlook (no pun intended) this possibility, the muscles of the eyes affect the function of the eyes just like the muscles of the pelvis affect the function of the pelvis. And it’s a two way street–when posture changes, your vision may change; when your vision changes, your posture may change. Maybe you don’t need a new prescription for glasses. Maybe you just need to stand up straight.

#175–When shortened, the Quadratus Lumborum (QL) can overload the muscles of inspiration, leading to tension in the neck and head aches. A common reason the QL’s are often overworked is a strength deficiency in gluteus medius. If this muscle is weak and cannot stabilize the pelvis during gait, the hip will drop. The only way enough clearance can be made for the leg to come through during the swing phase of walking or running is for the QL to hike the hip. Forced to compensate thousands of times/day for weeks or even years, the QL’s become hypertonic and your neck or head pays the price. So instead of reaching for some Advil for that headache, get off your ass and make it work for once.

#174–The practice of monocropping is destroying our top soil, making land unsuitable for future growth. Additionally, healthy top soil holds on to water rather than letting it run off which futher contributes to the problem of erosion. It’s also chemical intensive, killing the micro organisms necessary for the fertility of the surrounding environment. In fact, statistics show that every 100 years the average conventional farmer makes his land unsuitable for cultivation. What can you do? Minimize or eliminate, even if only for a few days/weeks/months, your consumption of the worse offenders: corn, wheat, and soy. Not only will you affect the bottom line of Big Agri Business; but by decreasing the role these nutritionally deficient foods have in your diet, the lines marking your bottom will benefit, too.

#173–cut back on the 58 BILLION paper cups Americans toss away each year by taking your own mug to Starbucks. Tell the person taking your take out order that you’ll take your food home in your own tupper ware. Don’t patron restaurants which don’t offer recyclable/compostable options for leftovers.

#172–After the age of 40, the average person loses 1lb of muscle mass each year. The abdominals and the glutes are the first to go, making us fat and slow. But a properly designed strength training routine can minimize, eliminate, or even reverse this process. The fallacy that we get weaker as we age was started by an overweight “expert” sitting behind a desk.

#171–The Earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the Earth.
–Chief Seattle

#170–Both the protein in cow’s milk (casein) and the protein found in the majority of grain products (gluten) stimulate the production of chemicals very similar to endorphins–this helps explain why these two foods are so addicting. But if you’re intolerant of either (dark skinned people will often have trouble with casein while caucasians typically will have issues with gluten), your gut wall would prefer you get your “runner’s high” through running instead of the runs.

#169–Having trouble losing weight after a pregnancy or after menopause? Both of these problems could be related to your progresterone levels which tend to drop post pregnancy and post menopause. Since this vital hormone enhances thyroid function, losing fat becomes more difficult than before when levels of progesterone were adequate.

#168–An EPA-registered pollutant, Hexane is a suspected neurotoxin which is commonly used to remove soybean oil from veggie burgers to keep them low in fat. Boca, Gardenburger, and Morningstar Farms were a few of the companies mentioned from the 2009 study.

#167–According to the National Academy of Sciences, cropland in the United States is being eroded 10 times faster than the rate at which lost soil can be replaced by natural processes, thanks to conventionally raised cattle (not grass fed), corn, soy, and wheat. We are eating our planet away.

#166–One of the top selling drugs is a product used to “treat” ulcers, with over 4 billion in annual sales. Of course, many of these ulcers have their etiology in the use of OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID’s) which Americans buy more than 30 billion each year. This has led to more annual deaths each year related to NSAID use than to AIDS. And the government took spinach off the shelves after two people died from eating some (and the offending product was conventionally grown, of course).

#165–Sometimes, knowing you gave everything means everything.

#164–The total number of daily calories produced for each American is approximately 3900. Yet the average intake for each person is a REPORTED 2000 calories a day. Waste accounts for some of the difference. But the majority of this discrepancy lies in the fact that we are eating a lot more than we realize.

#163–In a study of premature infants in neonatology wards, children who were handled for 15mins three times a day grew 50% faster, showed better behavioral development, and were released from the hospital earlier than infants who didn’t receive the same physical attention. This experiment has been repeated numerous times with other species of animals and the outcome is always the same. It turns out that the absence of touch is one of the most severe developmental stressors we can face in our lives. Which reminds me–have you hugged someone today?

#162–The maximum recommended level of sugar in the diet as proposed by the USDA is an enormous 25% of daily calories. In contrast, the World Health Organization (WHO), puts their limit at only 10% of daily calories. Why the difference? Can you say Sugar Lobby? The World Health Organization can now–they were at risk of having their funding cut off by Congress who was being pressured by the Sugar Lobby to get WHO to change their recommendations. The lesson you should take away from this post is that if you listen to government more than you listen to your body, your health will pay for it.

#161–In the first few minutes after the onset of a stressor (including exercise), immunity is actually enhanced. This lasts for about 30minutes as your circulation is flooded with cells related to immune function. But as the stress continues, a funny thing happens at about the one hour mark. The stressor begins to have an opposite effect on the immune system as major exposure to glucocorticoids drives immunity back not only to baseline but as much as 40-70 percent below where your immune level was before you were exposed to a specific stressor. I design my clients’ workouts so they can be completed in 45min blocks for exactly this reason. How long is your workout?

#160–When do you stop eating a meal? When you’re full or when the plate is empty? When you’re satisfied or when the show you’re watching is over? Listen to your body. Slow down and give yourself a chance to recognize and respond to the signals it’s giving you all the time.

#159–The July 2010 issue of Consumer Reports did an analysis of some popular protein drinks–the ones commonly sold at gyms and in supposed health food stores. ALL of them had levels of lead, mercury, arsenic, or cadmium that were in alarmingly detectable quantities. A few of them were well over the safe limits as dictated by the USP. These findings got me thinking:
1–you’re not working out hard enough to warrant a protein drink.
2–eat REAL food.
Nuf said.

#158–A study in The Lancet: Total mortality curve by cholesterol percentiles reveals that the greatest risk occurs in the top 10-15% of cholesterol levels. Below the 85th percentile (253mg/dl) the total mortality curve shows a gradual decline until the 10th percentile (166mg/dl) is reached. There, mortality goes back up due to an increase in cancer and suicide.

#157–If you haven’t been metabolically typed, it’s still easy to balance the ratio of carbohydrates to protein in your diet. At every meal or snack, all of the macronutrients should be represented. A good rule of thumb: use a one to one ratio of carbs to protein if the carbohydrates are high glycemic. If you’re eating low glycemic carbohydrates (above the ground veggies, some fruit, etc), you can use a two to one ratio of carbs to protein. Remember that fiber, fat content, solids vs. liquids, your activity level, and even age can affect your insulin response to a particular food.

#156–Each tooth in your mouth is connected to a specific meridian. Pain or even something less obvious like two different kinds of metal in your mouth (which results in electrolysis) can over stimulate the meridian and can cause issues with anything on that particular meridian. As an example, the right rear molar correlates to the heart, the duodenum, the anterior pituitary lobe, several spinal segments including S1-S3, the shoulder, the elbow, the inner ear, and the trapezius muscle. So pain or dysfunction with any of these areas could have its etiology in your mouth.

#155–As a human being, pain is mandatory. Suffering is optional.

#154–Keep the lid down when flushing the toilet. Fecal matter can travel as much as 20 feet in the form of an aerosol each time the toilet is flushed. How far is your toothbrush from you toilet?

#153–Did you know you can compost cardboard? You ARE composting, aren’t you? If not, start. It will save on the amount you’re putting in a landfill. And it actually gives back to the earth for the bounty it provides us, too. But if you add cardboard or newspaper to your compost pile, you’re adding some much needed carbon to the nitrogen based kitchen waste. Without this stuff in the mix, your compost pile produces methane due to a lack of oxygen. But with a bit of your newspaper or cardboard, the ratio of carbon to nitrogen is kept in a range that allows the microorganisms which breakdown the compost to breathe. And their breath is critical to our planet’s life.

#152–The body can eliminate toxins directly via the skin (the biggest organ of detoxification), the lungs, the kidneys, and the colon; OR by converting these toxins into substances which can be safely excreted or, if necessary, stored in adipose tissue until nutritional resources make elimination possible. These resources (i.e. antioxidants, minerals, etc) are only provided by a high quality diet. Thus, eating the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) foods most of us eat leave our detoxification systems unable to work properly. The result is weight gain and decreased vitality/health.

Some people’s solution for a crappy diet is the occasional fast. Unfortunately, the breakdown of fats through lipolysis causes a surge of toxins to pour into circulation. Since detoxification is both energy and nutrient dependent, these toxins cannot be eliminated. The resulting damage to your health make further detoxification less likely than before. So not just your colon but all your organs of detoxification get constipated. Think about that next time you’re going to do something stupid like the Master Cleanse. I’ve got your Master Cleanse for you–it’s called REAL FOOD and copious amounts of CLEAN WATER!

#151–Did you know that soluble fiber in the diet is fermented by bacteria in the intestines and made into short chain fatty acids which have a healing effect on the intestinal walls and inhibit yeast and pathogenic bacteria growth? That’s assuming you have enough good bacteria (which antibiotics and chlorinated water kill) in your gut and enough fruits, vegetables, and nuts in your diet.

#150–Women often exhibit forward head posture due to several factors:
–a faulty motor engram of rounded shoulders often adopted during puberty to hide developing breasts.
–women have less neck extensor mass than men.
–females typically have more hair which effectively increases the weight of the head.
The head weighs 8% of the body’s weight. Yet for every inch it moves forward out of ideal alignment, it doubles in weight as the lever arm gets longer and the load gets farther away from the fulcrum. Soon compensatory activation of muscles further down the kinetic chain cause excessive fatigue, faulty breathing mechanics, hormonal changes, as well as early degradation of the entire musculoskeletal system–and that’s just to name a few….

#149–Postural Correction Exercises should be included in an athlete’s program in the late competitive season. Executed properly, this training phase will prevent loss of performance secondary to altered structural alignment, changes in length/tension relationships, and abnormal joint forces.

#148–”Be less of a judge and you will be surprised that when you become a witness and you don’t judge yourself, you stop judging others too. And that makes you more human, more compassionate, more understanding.”
–Osho

#147–The body always gravitates toward a position of strength. So if you fail to stretch short/tight muscles prior to exercise, all you are doing is strengthening yourself in a position of poor posture. And a person with faulty posture is not able to dissipate extrinsic loads throughout the musculoskeletal system–this results in premature wear/tear of the body and a nicer car being driven by your orthopedic doctor.

#146–fat cells around the abdomen are different than other areas where fat collects on the body. They are more sensitive to glucocorticoids (stress hormones) which is why stress (from all sources) generally promotes an apple shape in overweight people. Additionally, fat around the abdomen more readily finds its way to the liver when released where it’s converted to glucose and putting you at greater risk for elevated blood sugar and the insulin resistance which follows. If you want to look like a fruit, aim for a pear with fat on your hips instead of your belly. Better yet, look like a vegetable–HEALTHY!

#145–Your brain is very sensitive to dehydration. Made up of 85% water, as little as 1% loss in hydration levels can cause signs of malfunctioning. Headaches, fatigue, mental fog, depression–any physical or emotional or mental dysfunction with no clear etiology should first be addressed with adequate water intake. You’re not sick, you’re thirsty!

#144–Would you put diesel in your car if it called for unleaded? Then why are you eating food that doesn’t help you run your system efficiently? William Wolcott, author of The Metabolic Typing Diet explains how people fall into one of three metabolic types (and actually details several subtypes of each): Fast Oxidizers (protein types), slow oxidizers (carbo types) or mixed oxidizers (a combination of both). Each type needs a specific proportion of macronutrients (carbs, protein, and fat) to facilitate optimal functioning of their cellular machinery. Dark skinned people whose ancestors come from near the equator often fall into the slow oxidizer category while white skinned people whose ancestors were from colder climates near the poles are often fast oxidizers. Of course, with so much of our heritage now intermingled with others, many people will fall into the mixed category. The best way to determine is to listen to your body. It may not ping and run rough like an engine with the wrong kind of gas, but it’s talking to you all the time. Are you listening?

#143–Fiber lowers blood fats, assists in digestion, elimination, and detoxification, balances blood sugar, and lowers the risk of colon cancer. Your best sources are vegetables. And we don’t eat enough. No wonder we sell over $1,000,000 of laxatives each day in this country!

#142–your fat is talking to you.
Fat around your hips says you’re eating too many carbs.
Fat calves indicates you’re not sleeping well/enough/at the right times.
Fat around your pecs or tris could be a testosterone imbalance.
Fat thighs is a sign of too much estrogen relative to progesterone in females.
Fat knees are often caused by a toxic liver.
Fat around your belly is often indicative of too much cortisol–which can be attributed to any stressor which occurs in excess.

#141–The right hemisphere of the brain develops three years before the left, and its growth is stimulated by play when we are children. As adults, the creative side is often stifled by the left/logical brain. The average toddler laughs more than 100 times/day. The average adult? 4 chuckles. Keep the right side engaged with games, play, poetry, music, sport, and countless other activities we used to do when we were young. Be a kid.

#140–The human body can go weeks without food and days without water, but it can only survive for about three minutes without oxygen. The body will do anything it has to in order to breathe, often sacrificing bite mechanics or posture despite any orthopedic cost. A prime example is the person who does 3 sets of 100 crunches daily. The abdominals are fast-twitch muscles and respond to this type of faulty loading by shortening. This depresses the manubrium of the sternum resulting in a “dropped front panel”–essentially a position of exhalation. To compensate, the body juts the head forward and little muscles of the neck end up paying the price first. Then the eyes (which must remain level with the horizon) become strained, the mouth drops open, and the entire kinetic chain collapses into dysfunction.

#139–whenever there occurs a contraction on one side of a joint, there must also occur a (relatively) equal and opposing contraction by the antagonist(s) on the other side of the joint to create stability. Thus, crunches from the floor which millions of people do each day to help stabilize their back (or in a vain attempt at a 6-pack) actually contribute to dysfunction since the opposing muscle group doesn’t need to fire. The floor is doing the stabilizing! A much better alternative would be to do crunches across a physio-ball.

#138–Cracks in your lips or on the corners of your mouth are signs of a Vitamin B deficiency. Found in whole, unprocessed foods, the eight B vitamins are all water soluble and the are all depleted by the consumption of too much sugar. Meat is your best source, but they are also found in beans, potatoes, and bananas, to name a few. B12, however, is only found in animal products–making vegans particularly susceptible to a deficiency which results in cognitive defects (spaciness) and even megaloblastic anemia.

#137–Over 70% of the food consumed in the Western diet didn’t exist 10,000 years ago which probably means you weren’t designed to eat it.

#136–Are you losing your hair? With hair loss, my first thought would be your intake of fatty acids. Are you getting enough? Evening Primrose Oil is especially good for hair loss.

It could also be a sign of hypothyroidism. A tincture of iodine would be a good investment. Place a 2 inch by 2inch square on your forearm and see how long it takes to disappear. It should stay there for 24hrs. If it disappears sooner than that, you may be deficient in iodine (easy to do with the typical American diet).

Lysine is an amino acid that you could be deficient in as well. Good sources are meat, eggs, and fish. With any history of vegetarianism, this could easily be the cause, even if you’ve been eating animal products for a while.

Iron, too, should be checked, especially if you’re a woman who is still menstruating.

Lastly, if you’re approaching menopause, even prematurely (which would be a result of excessive stress from various sources–not just mental), then the hormonal changes could be the culprit. In addition to reducing stress levels so you don’t suffer as much from what’s termed pregnenolone steal, I’d stay away from cans (BPA) and plastics as well as non-organic food.

Of course, any hair loss could be just a part of a cycle, too–not every hair follicle is active at the same time. But I’d look at the above just to be sure.

#135–fat doesn’t turn into fat, because it doesn’t stimulate insulin release which is a prerequisite of storing fat. Carbohydrates do stimulate the release of insulin. Insulin’s job is to open the cells of the body so that the glucose in your blood can enter. Yet, whenever the quantity of carbohydrates consumed is greater than the body can immediately use or store in the form of glycogen, the excess is converted into triglycerides and stored as fat. Bagel with jelly and some orange juice for breakfast=carbs with carbs and some carbs for breakfast=a workout for your pancreas as it tries to produce enough insulin to keep up with your food choices. Add some protein which will stimulate the production of glucagen. Glucagen’s job is to counter insulin and help maintain a steady blood sugar level. So make sure that all the macronutrients, carbohydrate, protein, and fat, are present at each meal or snack. Your abs, thighs, and butt will thank you.

#134–”There are no flaws in nature, only man’s management of nature.”
–Dr. Arden Anderson

#133–A 2008-2009 report from the President’s Cancer Panel says that the “risk of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated,” that “nearly 80,000 chemicals [are] on the market in the United States, many of which are … understudied and largely unregulated,” and that “the public remains unaware … that children are far more vulnerable to environmental toxins and radiation than adults.”

Some of the recommendations are:

• Parents and child care providers should choose foods, house and garden products, play spaces, toys, medicines, and medical tests that will minimize children’s exposure to toxics. Ideally, both mothers and fathers should avoid exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

• It is preferable to use filtered tap water instead of commercially bottled water.

• Exposure to pesticides can be decreased by choosing … food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers [i.e. organics] and washing conventionally grown produce to remove residues.

• Exposure to antibiotics, growth hormones, and toxic run-off from livestock feedlots can be minimized by eating free-range meat [i.e. don’t eat conventionally raised meat].

#132–Want another reason you should be filtering your water? Chlorine has been linked to cancer. Combined with natural organic matter, chlorine creates cancer-causing trihalomethanes (THMs). These THM’s are formed as a by-product of using chlorine to disinfect the water. Many governments impose limits for acceptable levels in the water supply, but I think none would be a good goal.

Studies from Louisiana, Maryland, New York, and Ohio reveal where there are higher levels of THMs there are higher levels of cancer. Get the chlorine out with a quality filter like the one from Aquasana.

#131–eat local: http://www.nrdc.org/health/foodmiles/results.asp?state=11&season=9

#130–are your hamstrings tight? It could be because you have too much pelvic tilt which are lengthening your hamstrings and making them taught, not tight. Perhaps you need to stretch your hip flexors. Likely you need to strengthen the lower abdominals. Or maybe your body senses a lack of stability and is trying to splint the muscle so that the joint(s) over which the hamstring crosses will not incur more wear/tear from excessive movement. Or it could be that your suboccipitals, which are connected to the hamstrings via fascia, are tight and the tension is reflected in your hammies. The etiology could be anything as it’s all connected!

#129–The multifidus, a key member of the Inner Unit which usually protects a spinal joint, doesn’t activate properly when injured and quickly atrophies—as much as 25% in 24 hours—with the dysfunction continuing even after the symptoms of pain have disappeared. This occurs because, unlike many other muscles with polysegmental innervation, the multifidus has unisegmental innervation. It has no back up nerve to feed it in case of injury. If it shuts down, the part of the spine which it stabilizes is at the mercy of every impact force transmitted through the body.

#128–A person can reduce their pesticide exposure by 80% if they avoid the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables:
*Celery
*Peaches
*Strawberries
*Apples
*Blueberries (domestic)
*Nectarines
*Sweet Bell Peppers
*Spinach
*Kale/Collard Greens
*Cherries
*Potatoes
*Grapes (imported)

Eating these dirty dozen exposes you to 10 different pesticides each day. Of course, you could avoid all of these harmful pesticides if you buy organic and support your local farmer.

#127–According to Harvard Medical School researchers, 11 major life, disability, and health insurance companies own BILLIONS in stock in the five largest fast-food companies, including McDonalds and Burger King. It’s a good financial strategy, too, since the majority of all money spent on food in this country (some estimates put this figure as high as 90%) is spent on fast food. So now these companies make money if you’re sick or you’re healthy. What could be better? Maybe what I teach my clients: that an investment in yourself is the best investment of all.

#126–1 out of every 5 adults is exposed EVERYDAY to ALL of the Top 7 carcinogenic impurities/chemicals common to personal care products:

–Hydroquinone
–Ethylene Dioxide
–1.4 Dioxane
–Nitrosamines
–PAH’s
–Acrylamide
–Formaldehyde

STOP the madness: http://www.safecosmetics.org/

#125–There’s a whole lot more right with you than what’s wrong with you. So focus on the good in your life.

#124–The rectus abdominus (i.e. the much sought after six-pack) is predominately a fast twitch muscle. Thus it responds best to high intensity, low rep sets. So why are you doing 50 crunches a day? Many of you reading this would be better served by focusing on the lower abdominals, anyway. But if you’re going to work the “upper abs” appropriately, load them so that you reach form fatigue in at least 12 reps.

#123–Vitamin D3 is important for people at risk for diabetes or metabolic syndrome (syndrome X) as a deficiency in this valuable nutrient is a risk factor for the aforementioned illnesses, especially in those who are overweight. The current RDA is being reevaluated with most experts saying these recommendations are too low.

#122–applying some iodine to the forearm to see how quickly it fades can tell you if you are iodine deficient. It should stay there for 24hrs–the more quickly it fades, the more deficient in iodine you are. That’s a problem for your thyroid. And that’s a problem for you. Consider seaweed, kelp, or other sea vegetables as well as sea salt in your diet.

#121–Luise Light, the creator of the Food Pyramid which was introduced to Americans in 1992, says that her original pyramid was corrupted. “Instead of fruits and vegetables making up the base of the diet,” she wrote, “the cereals and wheat products were made the base of the pyramid, and the recommendation [for starchy foods] was no longer 2 to 4 as we had determined but switched 6 to 11 servings! We couldn’t believe it!”

She goes on to say that “…the health consequences of encouraging the public to eat so much refined grain, which the body processes like sugar, was frightening! But our exhortations to the political heads of the agency fell on deaf ears. The new food guide, replacing the ‘Basic Four,’ would be a promotional tool to get the public to buy and consume more calories, sugar and starch.”

Let’s call it what it is: the American Feedlot Pyramid.

#120–Coconut oil increases energy levels and endurance. A medium chain triglyceride (MCT), it doesn’t easily convert to body fat. Instead, it’s quickly broken down within the liver and used like a carbohydrate. That’s one of the premises behind its use in fluid replacement drinks for endurance athletes. It also contains high levels of anti-oxidants and is known to possess anti-fungal and anti-viral properties. A good way to boost metabolism, it should be a staple oil for daily cooking and a staple food for good health.

#119–didn’t know I was paraphrasing Osho when I used my tagline that the only limitations we have are the ones we set for ourselves…

“Mind can accept any boundary anywhere. But the reality is that, by its very nature, existence cannot have any boundary, because what will be beyond the boundary - again another sky. That’s why I’m saying skies upon skies are available for your flight. Don’t be content easily. Those who remain content easily remain small: small are their joys, small are their ecstasies, small are their silences, small is their being. But there is no need! This smallness is your own imposition upon your freedom, upon your unlimited possibilities, upon your unlimited potential.”

#118–Exercise can be good for stress ONLY if it’s something you enjoy doing. Rats which run voluntarily on a running wheel exhibit decreased glucocorticoid production and better health. When forced to run, the health of these same rats begins to deteriorate. So in the famous words of rap icon Humpty, “Do what cha like!”

#117–One of the most common errors I see in my clients’ training when they first begin to work with me is they don’t rest enough. Whether it be rest during the week or rest during the workout, this lack of recovery is a critical mistake. Training doesn’t make you stronger (and leaner and healthier, etc); recovery from training does!

If you’re never recovering, you’re never rested enough to workout at high enough intensities to trigger the release of growth hormone and other anabolic stimulators. So your workouts all become mediocre, and so you your results. Additionally, this lack of recovery coupled with sub-optimal nutrition and lifestyle choices puts your body in a perpetual state of catabolism.

Like writing checks on an empty bank account, you end up spending resources you just don’t have. And the bill usually comes due in the form of a fungal infection or a cold. Ignore those warning signs, and the body will often begin to actually put on weight as your metabolism slows in an effort to keep your flame from going out completely. Working out then can actually make you fat! And it can sure as hell make you sick, too. Because if you stress a body which is already in the red, the whole system will break down.

#116–An article by Dr. Mark Hyman in the Huffington Post shows that anti-depressants DON’T work and that 80% of people got better results with a placebo. After looking at 74 studies involving 12 anti-depressant drugs and over 12,000 people, researchers discovered that 37 of 38 trials with positive results were published, while only 14 of 36 negative studies were published. Those that showed negative results were, in the words of the researchers, “published in a way that conveyed a positive outcome.” Try eating real food, drinking enough water, sleep at the right times, exercising appropriately, and avoiding toxic chemicals that do nothing but stress all of the body’s systems.

#115–Specific compounds found in broccoli sprouts were found in experimental mice to decrease the damage caused by UV radiation to skin thus decreasing the likely hood of developing skin cancer. Skin tumors that did develop on some of the mice were up to 70% smaller than those that developed on the mice that were not fed the broccoli compounds.

Cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, contain high levels of the active plant chemicals known as glucosinolates. These are metabolized by the body into isothiocyanates, which are known to be powerful anti-carcinogens. The main isothiocyanate from broccoli is sulphoraphane.

#114–Willpower can be trained just like any other muscle. Every time you do something you should do but don’t want to, it becomes stronger. And the reverse is true as well. Every time you do something you shouldn’t do but want to, your willpower weakens. So what kind of training plan is your willpower following?

#113–I often get asked questions like “if _____ drug is so bad for you, why is their so much research supporting its efficacy/safety?” It’s a valid question. But often the answer can be found by simply looking at the details of the study. First, most studies are short term. Thus, the long term results may be completely different. Second, one cannot study health using diseased subjects. Yet studies often involve those with medical conditions. Third, and perhaps most importantly, most research is sponsored by entities with a vested interest in the outcome. In Tainted Truth, Cynthia Crossen points out the suspicious correlation between the results of the research and the financial interests of its sponsors. Dr. Richard Davidson reviewed 107 published studies and could not find a single case where a drug/treatment manufactured by the sponsoring company was found to be inferior to another protocol. Without resorting to outright fraud, the researchers can obtain these miraculous results by
adjusting the length of the study, manipulating dosage levels, etc.

Money is the motivation. In the book, Trust Us, We’re Experts, D. Rennie states that “Universities and scientists are seduced by industry funding and are frightened that if they don’t go along with gag orders, the money will go to less rigorous institutions.” And The Ecologist reports that only 75 out of more than 15,000 drug and food chemical researchers could be considered independent. The others? Their pockets are being lined with industry dollars at the cost of your health.

#112–an Earth Day appropriate post from my friends at Take Back The Tap (takebackthetap.org):

“Last year was the first time that the bottled water industry experienced a sales decline. People all over the country have stopped believing the myth that bottled water is better, and have decided to take back the tap. In the last year alone, over 10,000 people have signed our pledge to choose tap water over bottled water. These individual actions, combined with our work to stop new bottled water facilities in communities from Maine to Oregon, and our congressional work to create jobs to repair our local water infrastructure, are creating a strong nationwide movement that has the bottled water industry on the run.”

If you haven’t joined the movement, visit the website above and become a part of the solution.

#111–90% of people on anti-acid medications do not have enough Hydrochloric Acid (HCL).

#110–This should have been post #2.

Your stool says a lot about what’s going on in your insides. Take Color for example:

Very dark brown–lack of vegetables, too much salt, red wine
Grey–minimal or no bile, gallbladder or liver issue
Green–lots of leafy vegetables
Light Green–lots of fruit, too much sugar, lack of salt
Red–lower GI bleeding, hemorrhoids, beets
Black–upper GI bleeding, iron, charcoal

Or Quanity:

Less than one bowel movement–constipation, low fiber and water, altered flora, protein powder
3-3+, especially following meals & w/ urgency–allergy, gastric dumping, infection, inflammation

Or Form/Consistency:

Normal–well formed and soft
Dark, compact, and sinks–prescription meds, food additives, or other toxins
Hard and dry (pellets)–constipation, low fiber and water, altered flora, protein powder
Undigested food particles–food intolerance, malabsorption/maldigestion
Poorly formed stool/loose–lack of enzymes/HCL or caffeine
Alternating diarrhea and constipation–IBS, stress, autonomic imbalance
Foul smelling–dysbiosis, protein putrefaction, rancid fats, carbohydrate fermentation

#109–”Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” If Hippocrates was so smart, why aren’t more medical professionals pushing food rather than pharmacology? Maybe because 1994 sales of nutritional supplements were $4 billion while sales of pharmaceutical drugs were $112 billion. You can’t copyright a carrot. But I’m sure Monsanto is working on that….

#108–The leading causes of death for our grandparents were from infection diseases. In the year 2000, 8 of the top 10 causes of death were related to NUTRITION. And it’s even worse now. Take the Pima Indians as an example. On their native diet, they were strong and healthy. Yet on the Standard American Diet (SAD) their health deteriorated until the third generation when most were obese and diabetic. Jeffrey Bland, author of Genetic Nutritioneering, writes that “75% of an individual’s health after the age of 40 is dependent upon what the person has done to his or her genes, not to the genes themselves.” We are eating ourselves into disease.

#107–Top 10 Biomarkers of Aging

1. Muscle Mass
2. Strength
3. Basal Metabolic Rate
4. Fat Percentage
5. Aerobic Capacity
6. Blood Sugar Tolerance
7. Cholesterol/HDL Ratio
8. Blood Pressure
9. Bone Density
10. Temperature Regulation

Almost all of the above factors can be directly enhanced by resistance training. Get off the damn elliptical and lift some weights!

#106–”Aspirin and related drugs kill almost as many people every year as AIDS. If those deaths were given their own category, they would constitute the 15th most common cause of death in the United States.” –Wolfe, et al (Boston University of Medicine) as reported by Reuters News Agency. Most people don’t realize there’s a potential downside to any medication. They’ve been convinced by the all the ads on t.v. or even their own doctors that the prescription is the only way to health. And with drug companies spending more on marketing and promotion than is spent on research and development, it shouldn’t be a surprise.

#105–if you have female children, you might want to read the following article:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Time-for-the-truth-about-Gardasil-89466882.html

Just a snippet: “Cervical cancer accounts for less than 1 percent of all cancer deaths, so it was somewhat surprising when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fast-tracked approval of Gardasil, a Merck vaccine targeting the human papilloma virus that causes the disease, in 2006.

“As of Jan. 31, 2010, 49 unexplained deaths following Gardasil injections have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (http://vaers.hhs.gov/index). By contrast, 52 deaths are attributed to unintended acceleration in Toyotas, which triggered a $2 billion recall.

You can sign a petition to get the U.S. to further investigate this fast tracked vaccine at:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/14/investigate-gardasil-%20vaccine-risks-now

#104–Time Magazine’s April 12th issues lists the Top 10 Toxins Lurking at Home. Fluoride, which I’ve written about extensively and still had to defend my position because it conflicted with the indoctrinated beliefs of some people, is one of them. Of course, people who first said the earth was round or orbited the sun were burnt at the stake. So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised when folks get their panties in a wad. Now that this info is making the mainstream media and not just published in scientific publications, perhaps the naysayers will actually be convinced. That is IF they can put their People Magazine down long enough to read it.

#103–(thanks to one of colleagues JP Sears for this one):

Confusion is wonderment about the past.
Curiosity is wonderment about the future.
Contemplation is wonderment about the present.

#102–The production of corn ethanol is not environmentally friendly. Like any product commonly monocropped, it uses large quantities of water, and lots of pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers. It leads to deforestation and loss of topsoil. Biofuel production doesn’t reduce global warming pollution — it actually contributes to it.

#101–For my local blog readers:

The Decatur Green Fest will kick off the 2010 Decatur Business Association’s Concert on the Square series on Saturday, May 1, from 3 to 10 p.m.

The seven-hour, free event includes:

* Live Music from 3 to 10 p.m.
*Green tasting of local organic produce and food by Five Seasons, Leon’s Full Service, and many more
*Beer provided by Athens’ microbrewery Terrapin Beer
*Exciting new organic beverages provided by Bionade
*Showcase of Equal Exchange and other fair traded products
*Green organizations and vendors presenting information and products.
*Showing of artists who work with recycled materials
*KidZone - Children’s activity area

#100 (April 10)–Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent damage to cells that can lead to cancer. Darkness contributes to its production while light inhibits it. Thus, the natural production of this hormone is tied to the circadian rhythms to which our bodies have evolved over thousands of years. Unfortunately, in this era of t.v.’s, computers and, of course, artificial light, many of us suffer from decreased melatonin levels. Additionally, overproduction of cortisol, an awakening hormone which prepares the body for fight or flight, further contributes to a dysfunctional 24hr rhythm.

Whereas our ancestors went to bed shortly after nightfall and rose at dawn, the majority of my clients complained when I first told them they needed to be asleep by 10:30. Their bodies had been entrained by stress and an excess of “light poisoning”, and their health and vitality were beginning to pay the price. The increased cancer rates of the modern world can be attributed to many sources, but dysfunctional sleep patters should be high on that list. For example, since melatonin lowers estrogen production in the ovaries, inhibited melatonin production can lead to increased estrogen levels and an increase in the risk of breast cancer. And that’s just one of many scenarios to explain why our health is quickly beginning to be something found only in our dreams.

#99–Chemicals commonly found in cosmetics, shampoos and lotions, have been found to adversely affect the delicate hormonal balance of adolescent girls. Three classes of chemicals, phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens can cause early puberty in young girls, potentially setting them up for more serious hormonally related diseases in the future.

Want to know which products and which chemicals are the worst for you? Check out Skin Deep: the cosmetic safety database at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/.

#98–90% of sinus infections are fungal in origin and will not respond to antibiotic intervention.

#97–the body makes 2500mg of cholesterol each day. That’s the equivalent of approximately 12 eggs. If cholesterol is so bad for us, why do our bodies produce it? Not enough people ask themselves common sense questions like that one. But one of my clients who works for the CDC certainly does. From an e-mail she sent me this morning on the subject of cholesterol and saturated fat:

“I thought I would pass along these nutrition abstracts to you (see links below). Well done studies by a research group that I’m familiar with. The first one is a meta-analysis looking at the available literature on saturated fat and CV disease and concludes that there is NOT a good relationship between these two things. The second study looks at cholesterol and CV disease and concludes that it’s actually refined carbohydrates that is the problem. While both abstracts are not new news to us, it is VERY encouraging to see very good evidence in a peer-reviewed journal that is influential in the medical field.

Check out the “to” and “from” lines below. Yes, instead of jokes and spam, my family sends each other articles about health and well-being. I guess every family has their idiosyncrasies. :)”

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/3/502

#96–anything you do to yourself which doesn’t support life (live) is evil.

#95–Some hidden sources of Gluten include:
–MSG
–hydrolyzed or textured protein
–beef or dairy from cows fed grains along with chickens on a grain fed diet
–most soy sauces
–mayonnaise
–vinegar (unless it specifically states wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar, etc)
–battered or fried anything

#94–An overlooked reason why exercise is good for depression: L-tryptophan raises serotonin (the happy hormone) levels in the body. Muscles which are exercising draw all the amino acids which compete with L-tryptohphan out of the bloodstream which allows more of this amino acid to pass to the brain where it can raise your happiness quotient.

#93–the avg American eats only 10-12 foods in his/her lifetime! Not only does this bore your palate to death; it also contributes to a host of health problems. First of all, it takes a variety of nutrients to run your metabolic machinery. A limited dietary intake cannot provide all of them. And, no–synthetic vitamins are no substitute for real, whole food inclusive of all the macronutrients and micronutrition. Secondly, while you have many kinds of enzymes in your digestive tract, they are each only capable of digesting one particular kind of cabohydrate, fat, or protein. Thus, when you eat the same food over and over again, you can literally exhaust your body’s ability to produce that specific enzyme. Finally, repeatedly exposing yourself to the same food increases the chances that your body will develop an immune response to that food. In other words, you become intolerant of that food and can no longer enjoy it without suffering obvious or subtle health repercussions. So if you enjoy a certain food, my advice is to rotate it. Eat it no more often than once every 4 days to give your digestive system a chance to pass it from mouth to anus before being charged with the task of assimilating it again. By doing this you’ll be forced to eat a variety of foods and can get out of that dietary rut. After all, the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth.

#92–appropriate for Easter: http://clementineart.com/

Red cabbage, beets, yellow onions, turmeric powder, and grape juice. Yum. A weird salad? No, they’re natural dyes for your free-range Easter eggs, as described on the Clementine Art blog. A chart describes how to stain them golden, peach, magenta, and celadon green naturally. Also, from Clementine Art are these cute little crayon rocks, certified non-toxic, without chemical dyes or additives. Your tyke may not care now but they’ll love the stones and sticks to draw with, along with the rest of the colorful “green” art collection to decorate the eggs for Sunday’s hunt:

As with all Clementine Art supplies, the eco-crayons are healthy for your child, safe for the earth, responsibly sourced, and innovatively designed. The ingredients contain: kosher soy wax, mineral pigments, beeswax, carnauba wax, vegetable stearic acid, calcium carbonate (chalk), natural Brazilian rosin, and titanium dioxide. An excellent alternative to conventional crayons with paraffin wax and marks wash off with soap and water.

#91–”All the Buddhas of all the ages have been telling you a very simple fact: Be — don’t try to become. Within these two words, be and becoming, your whole life is contained. Being is enlightenment, becoming is ignorance.”
–Osho

#90–Farm Pesticides Linked to Deadly Skin Cancer

* Farm pesticides linked to deadly skin cancer
By Gordon Shetler
Environmental Health News, March 31, 2010
Straight to the Source

Workers who apply certain pesticides to farm fields are twice as likely to contract melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, according to a new scientific study.

The researchers identified six pesticides that, with repeated exposure, doubled the risk of skin cancer among farmers and other workers who applied them to crops.

The findings add to evidence suggesting that frequent use of pesticides could raise the risk of melanoma. Rates of the disease have tripled in the United States in the last 30 years, with sun exposure identified as the major cause.

Four of the chemicals - maneb, mancozeb, methyl-parathion and carbaryl - are used in the United States on a variety of crops, including nuts, vegetables and fruits. Two others, benomyl and ethyl-parathion, were voluntarily cancelled by their manufacturers in 2008.

“Most previous melanoma literature has focused on host factors and sun exposure. Our research shows an association between several pesticides and melanoma, providing support for the hypothesis that agricultural chemicals may be another important source of melanoma risk,” according to the report by epidemiologists from University of Iowa, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Cancer Institute.

The findings also may have implications for consumers who use pesticides in their homes or yards. Carbaryl, one of the pesticides linked to skin cancer, is the active ingredient in the insecticide Sevin, which is widely used by consumers to kill pests in gardens and lawns.

The study, published last month in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, examined cancer rates in 56,285 pesticide applicators in Iowa and North Carolina as part of the federal government’s Agricultural Health Study, a large, long-term study of pesticide applicators and their spouses.

#89–Education begins at home. So does nutrition. But the fact is our kids often spend a large portion of their formative years in the school system. So the impact that schools have on how our children develop both academically and physically cannot be discounted. As parents we should get involved. Indeed, even if we don’t have any kids of our own, the development of children who will grow up to become professionals and parents and affect change in the world should be important to all of us. If you agree, I urge you to sign Jamie Oliver’s petition to get real food into the schools (http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition). After all, food controls our hormones. And our hormones control our thoughts, emotions, and even our actions. If we can feed our kids the way nature intended, they have a greater chance of living in accordance with nature–seeing the environment and the whole world as symbiotic with their own health and happiness.

#88–Your appliances can draw 2-10 watts of power EVEN WHEN THEY’RE TURNED OFF! So cut down on your monthly electrical bill as well as your carbon footprint by unplugging your electrical appliances when you’re not using them.

#87–When milk is pasteurized, as opposed to RAW milk like we’ve enjoyed for thousands of years, it is heated to a minimum of 145-150F for 30mins in an effort to kill off any pathogenic bacteria. This also retards spoilage and extends the shelf life of the milk so you are more likely to buy it. Unfortunately, the bacteria responsible for souring milk is actually the good stuff which protects us from the bad guys–the only ones which typically survive the heating process and who then multiply as the milk decomposes. Additionally, lactase–the enzyme necessary for the assimilation of lactose–is completely destroyed by pasteurization. So is phosphatase, the enzyme which helps the body absorb calcium. A further injustice is the transformation of lactose into beta-lactose. This sugar gets into the digestive system more quickly than lactose so, coupled with the low fat or fat free levels found in 2% or skim milk like most Americans drink, blood sugar levels rise. So now you have a product where pathogenic bacteria can proliferate, which causes allergies, delivers no calcium to the body, wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels, and gives your poor little pancreas a brutal workout every time you drink it. It does a body good???

#86–Loading the dishwasher right, and not overloading it, will get your dishes cleaner.

Load large items at the sides and back of the dishwasher so that they don’t block water and detergent from reaching other dishes.
Place the dirtier side of the dishes toward the center of the machine for more exposure to spray.
Load silverware in the individual silverware slots most dishwashers now include. If you have an open basket, mix forks, spoons and knives to prevent them from sticking together.
Also, remove baked on food and large chunks, but for the most part, everyone I spoke to said prerinsing dishes before putting them in the dishwasher was not only unnecessary, it wasted thousands of gallons of water and could actually result in dirtier dishes.
“The soap needs something to work against to get the dishes clean,” said Lou Manganiello, who owns Household Appliance Service in Hawthorne, N.Y., and has been doing repairs for 23 years.

#85–A heads up from my friend and colleague, Josh Rubin. It’s a youtube video featuring Lierre Keith, a FORMER vegan and auther of the book, The Vegetarian Myth. All environmentally conscious vegetarians should watch this video and read her book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oOsLOotrRw&feature=player_embedded#

#84–When a child is born, he has zero thoughts. What he learns about fear and hatred or love and compassion, he learns first from his parents.

#83–If you take the responsibility for your life you can start changing it. Slow will be the change, only in the course of time will you start; moving into the world of light and crystallization, but once you are crystallized you will know what real revolution is. Then share your revolution with others; it has to go that way, from heart to heart.
–Osho

#82–A Harvard University study from 2003 found people on a low carbohydrate diet could eat 25,000 more calories than those on a high carbohydrate diet over a 12-week period without gaining any additional weight. It ain’t just calories folks!

#81–If you can think, breathe, drink, eat, move, and sleep correctly 80% of the time, your body can probably handle the 20% of the time you either can’t or don’t want to follow these foundational principles. So you can have your chocolate chip mint ice cream. You can stay up late one night at a party. You can do just about anything you want or need to do if you’ve made your body resilient enough to handle these injustices. The problem is, most people have it back-asswards! They live 20% of the time correctly and then wonder why they feel like crap when they wake up, why they can’t lose weight, and why they’re depressed. Pick one day to think positively, breathe deeply and diaphragmatically, drink 1/2 your body weight in lbs in oz of water each day, eat real, live-giving food, exercise with weights and activities appropriate for your health status, and sleep from 10-6. Do these things for 1 day and that’s a 14% improvement. Now do it 6 days/week. Then put that together for the rest of your life. And you may actually enjoy that life.

#80–An American Heart Association Science Advisory on Soy (in case you weren’t aware):

Soy protein and isoflavones (phytoestrogens) have gained considerable attention for their potential role in improving risk factors for cardiovascular disease. This scientific advisory assesses the more recent work published on soy protein and its component isoflavones. In the majority of 22 randomized trials, isolated soy protein with isoflavones, as compared with milk or other proteins, decreased LDL cholesterol concentrations; the average effect was 3%. This reduction is very small relative to the large amount of soy protein tested in these studies, averaging 50 g, about half the usual total daily protein intake. No significant effects on HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein(a), or blood pressure were evident. Among 19 studies of soy isoflavones, the average effect on LDL cholesterol and other lipid risk factors was nil. Soy protein and isoflavones have not been shown to lessen vasomotor symptoms of menopause, and results are mixed with regard to soy’s ability to slow postmenopausal bone loss. The efficacy and safety of soy isoflavones for preventing or treating cancer of the breast, endometrium, and prostate are not established; evidence from clinical trials is meager and cautionary with regard to a possible adverse effect. For this reason, use of isoflavone supplements in food or pills is not recommended. Thus, earlier research indicating that soy protein has clinically important favorable effects as compared with other proteins has not been confirmed.

#79–any pain in your body of unknown etiology (for example: your knee hurts but you didn’t hit your knee or exercise excessively) can often be traced to a local dehydration. So before reaching for some Advil because your back is bothering or some other place on your body aches, you should first try drinking some water. After all, a headache is not a sign that you have an ibuprofen deficiency in the body.

#78–if high cholesterol contributes to heart disease and someone takes Lipitor to lower cholesterol to prevent heart disease, then why does it clearly state in the fine print that “Lipitor has not been show to prevent heart disease or heart attack”???

#77–Since Take Back the Tap started in 2005, they’ve been urging consumers to take back the tap. And just this week there have been some encouraging signs that the bottled water industry is on the decline. Dannon, the owner of the Evian bottled water brand, just reported a 10 percent decline in its 2009 sales, and Nestle Waters of North America recently reported its bottled water sales fell by 5.5 percent last year. Consumers are realizing that tap water is an environmentally responsible choice that costs much less.

We have an important opportunity to stand up for tap water on World Water Day, which is Monday, March 22nd. World Water Day was established by the United Nations to bring international attention to global water problems. In celebration of this day, we are asking you to take the pledge to stop drinking bottled water. This environmentally damaging product actually contributes to the world’s water problems.

Sign the pledge to Take Back the Tap:

http://action.foodandwaterwatch.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2619

#76–The difference between happiness and unhappiness is an idea.

#75–It used to take 4 to 5 years to take a cow from birth to slaughter. Conventionally raised cattle have a shorter life span now, because they get fatter a lot quicker. How? They’re fed stuff that they’re not designed to eat. And I’m not talking just about grains. No, in the U.S. it is legal and common for farmers to give their cattle feed with up to 15-20% cement dust. That packs the weight on! Additionally, it has been approved for cattle feed to contain left over food from vending machines, saw dust, and even animal waste and remains. Not only does all this stuff make a cow sick (thus the antibiotics); it also makes them FAT. See, fat stores toxins. And anything a cow eats that it’s not designed to eat–basically anything other than grass–is considered by the cow’s immune system as a toxin. So the cow, just like when we eat food we’re not designed to eat, gets fat and it gets sick. Luckily, it only has to be fat and sick for 11 months before ending up on our dinner table. Making us sick and fat–after all, we are what we eat.

#74–The average injury takes 14 days to heal. With GOOD NUTRITION that time is shortened to 3 days.

#73–Life is movement and balls move. Just sitting on a Physio Ball wakes up the many muscles which comprise your core. From the pelvic floor to the multifidi to the transversus abdominus, the core is responsible for your orthopedic integrity. When you sit down, whether it be in a chair or on a piece of DYSfunctional equipment at the gym, each one of these muscles ends up doing its best impression of Rip Van Winkel. And if you snooze, you lose. Since all movements emanate from the core, too, so it would behoove you to keep this essential musculature engaged. Physio Balls are like caffeine for your core—but this is one time where that particular vice is a good thing!

#72–I hope you’re not drinking bottled water since you’re aware of it’s expense on both the world environment and on the environment of your body. I recommend filtered tap water. But there are some filters which I wouldn’t recommend based on how they work. A system which utilizes distillation (removing substances based on their relative boiling point) is not sufficient. Almost all synthetic chemicals boil at a lower temperature than water and are, therefore, vaporized and condensed along with the water you’re going to drink. Filters which work by reverse osmosis remove contaminants based on molecular size. Unfortunately, many toxic chemicals (like fungicides and herbicides) are molecularly smaller than water, so they aren’t removed during the filtration process. Your best bet is to find a quality filter which employs a multi-stage process to clean your water effectively. The one I recommend is found on the Andrew Recommends page of my website.

#71–What’s your ideology? Do you have a set of beliefs that you are so attached to that you get defensive when someone questions them? Is it your belief in god? Your belief in GOD? Is it your political views? For some people, it’s their idea of health. I’ve had several clients who get their panties in a wad when discussing a politically incorrect subject like the health benefits of saturated fat or something. Tied down by years of indoctrination, they cannot entertain the possibility of another view point. Others are invested in THEIR “disease.” They have high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Their family has a history of heart disease or cancer. They live, if you can call it that, with constant worry about the destiny their ancestry doomed them to when they passed on a particular gene. If I try to take that fear away with common sense and sound science, their sense of self is threatened. Their identity is literally wrapped up in being the victim. They are afraid to take responsibility for themselves, because to do so would mean admitting that they, ultimately, are the conductors of their own lives. So don’t let your ideology become your idiot-ology. The piece you play may not be your choice. But how the music is performed is entirely up to you.

#70–use rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle instead of toxic products like Raid to kill roaches and other pests. The pests may not appreciate the change, but your health will.

#69–Learning is like rowing upstream: not to advance is to drop back.
–Chinese proverb

#68–Several clients have jumped on my suggestion to cut gluten out of their diets. Every one of them has noticed an improvement in health. From one client who avoided exploratory surgery by her gastro-intestinal specialist to a guy whose painfully cracked heels finally cleared up after years of creams and dermatology appointments, the positive change is always noticeable. The ones who have avoid making this commitment to themselves usually say something like “but I like my bread/cereal/pasta/cookies/crackers/etc.” No different than smokers, these people are addicts.

The damage and inflammation done to the intestines (and the rest of the body) of the gluten intolerant person when he/she eats something containing gliadin causes the release of painkillers in the form of opiates in the body. In fact, strong cravings for a food can be because you’re addicted to the “drug” your body produces when damaged by that particular food. But like the former smoker who can’t stand the thought of another cigarette, the person who gives up gluten often loses the desire for these breads and pastas and these other forms of comfort foods.

The problem is, most people don’t know they have a problem with gluten. The symptoms could be literally anything. And since the transit time of food through our digestive system is around 54-58 hours, the symptom may not appear until 3 days after a meal containing the offending agent. So it can be hard to connect the complaint with the cause. The easiest thing for people to do is to remove all grains except rice, buckwheat, millet, and corn for at least 14 days (2 months would be even better) to see if they notice an increased level of vitality and a decrease in chronic symptoms. It’s not hard, especially with all the gluten free products available now, and it gets easier with each passing day. But most people are reluctant to let go of their addiction. Conservative estimates hold that 60% of white skinned people are gluten intolerant. My mentor believes that number to be as high as 95%. So I ask you–do you control your food or is your food controlling you?

#67–the opposite of Love is not hate; it’s indifference.

#66–When you are not balanced in your relationship to one of the Six Foundational Principles (i.e. Thinking, Breathing, Hydration, Nutrition, Movement, and Sleep), you are not balanced in your relationship with yourself. To be in a healthy relationship with another, you must first have a healthy relationship with yourself–you cannot give what you do not have. So if you want to attract a mate or you want to truly honor and nurture a relationship that you are already in, invest in yourself by devoting the time and attention necessary to make yourself vibrant, vital, and true.

#65–Arthur Koestler, in his book The Ghost in the Machine, coined the term “holon” which is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part. A cell, for example, is an entity unto itself. Yet, combined with other cells, the one cell becomes part of an organ, or a system, or a whole body. Humans, too, are holons. We are each individuals. But we are part of something greater. Even though it may not be seen or felt, what we do to one we do to all. We are all connected.

#64–”Disease does not occur unexpectedly. It is the result of constant violation of Nature’s laws. Spreading and accumulation of such violations transpire suddenly in the form of a disease–but it only seems sudden.”
–Hippocrates

#63–Breathe tight muscles away. EMG studies demonstrate that tension in muscles is slightly elevated with every inhalation (not surprising since breathing in is correlated with axial extension) and decreases with every exhalation. So breathe in before you stretch and gently exhale as you ease into the stretch position.

#62–Milk from cows treated with the GENETICALLY ENGINEERED hormone rbGBH contains higher levels of a hormone linked to higher risks of several cancers including breast, colon, and prostate cancer.

#61–the best exercise program in the world cannot compete with a sound nutrition and lifestyle program as you MUST get the biochemistry right! This means being aware of your thoughts and making sure you focus on what you want rather than what you don’t want. This means controlling your breathing rather than your breathing controlling you. This means drinking enough pure, clean water to run the millions of biological processes happening in your body every second rather than dehydrating and polluting your body with chemical or sugary concoctions not meant for human consumption. This means eating REAL food raised humanely, sustainably, and organically rather than typical American C.R.A.P. which literally takes more from the body to assimilate than it gives. This means honoring the circadian rhythms that have been a part of our biology since the dawn of man rather than honoring the television or computer by sacrificing your health watching late night t.v. or checking your Facebook account when you should be asleep. You spend a lot less time exercising than doing all of the above. Thus the impact of these foundational principles have much more affect on how you look, feel, and function than any exercise program ever could–even one designed by me.

#60–you cannot give what you do not have.

#59–Your liver is most active between the hours of 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. So if you find you consistently awaken during this two hour window, it may be because your liver is overloaded. Things to consider as possible causes:

–alcohol
–OTC or prescription drugs
–pesticides in/on your food
–chemicals leached into your food (through plastic or cans)
–eating non-food filled with ingredients which you cannot pronounce
–not enough water

#58–You can stretch until the cows come home, but until the fascial system is released, your flexibility will be limited. Your fascial system is like an intricate webbing which encompasses your whole body. Working in conjunction with tendons, ligaments, and muscles as well as your nervous and articular systems, fascia works as one part of the kinetic chain to literally connect your pinky toes (5th metatarsals for you docs reading this) to your eye lashes. Trauma in the form of impact, overuse, or even emotional injury can bind the fascia, not allowing it to move freely. With these restrictions come compensations. And with these compensations come injury or pain. Self-myofascial release on a foam roller is like having a massage therapist that you can take anywhere—not as skilled, perhaps, but you also don’t have to tip her.

#57–Med Balls make good medicine. Including them in your workout is a prescription for fun. And results. More versatile than dumb bells, med balls are best used for explosive movements which help train the neuromuscular system. The fallacy that weight training makes you slower was built by body builders who wouldn’t even know how to spell med ball, much less how to implement one into a sound training program. Being stronger doesn’t necessarily translate to being faster. But you can be both. You just have to transfer the strength you’ve built in the gym to the real world. And that takes balls—med balls!

#56–The human intestinal track is home to over 4lbs of bacteria. In fact, humans have approximately 100 TRILLION cells but ten times that amount in bacteria. And when these creatures in your gut are healthy, you’re healthy since as much as 70% of your immune system is in your digestive system. Problem is, most people are in a state of dysbiosis where the number of healthy bacteria vs. harmful bacteria is reversed. You should have 85% good to 15% bad. But many lifestyle factors can cause the unhealthy bacteria to take over. Sugar/grain consumption is one. Antibiotic abuse is another. Even birth control pills can cause the bad bacteria to flourish. The most common offender, however, is the chlorine in our water supply. Used to kill dangerous pathogens in our drinking water, the chlorine does a good job of wiping out our beneficial bacteria any time we drink unfiltered tap water. The problem is, the only bacteria which typically survive this onslaught is the UNHEALTHY bacteria. So every time you think you’re doing your body good by hydrating with tap water that has not been filtered by a quality filter designed to eliminate chlorine, you’re killing the good guys in your gut and having a virtual open house for the bad ones. And you’re not gonna like the house warming gift they get for you….

#54–”When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”
–George Bernard Shaw

#53–What color is your food?

Is it the suspected carcinogen RED #40 (Gatorade, M&M’s, Fruit Loops, Flinstone Vitamins, Tylenol Plus Cold Infant Drops, and many others)?

Is it YELLOW #5 or YELLOW #6 which has been banned in Norway and Sweden (Kraft Mac n Cheese, Eggo Waffles, cereals, candies, and even spaghetti)?

An article in The Lancet confirmed a link between artificial coloring and ADHD. For more info, read Dr. Ben Feingold’s Why Your Child is Hyperactive.

#52–Top 5 foods to buy Organic:

–MEATS (fat stores toxins, so conventionally raised meats have chemicals concentrated in their fatty tissues)
–DAIRY (again, fat stores toxins)
–FISH (wild not farmed since organic doesn’t apply to fish)
–BERRIES (heavily sprayed with absorbent skins which we eat)
–LEAFY GREENS/LETTUCES (as berries above)
–APPLES (like berries and greens above, often found with a waxy coating which traps in more of the pesticides)

#51–32,000,000 pounds of toxic household chemicals are poured down the drain every year in the U.S. Switch to natural and green alternatives like the ones from:

*www.bi-o-kleen.com
*www.earth911.org
*www.tkoornage.com
*www.seventhgeneration.com

#50–Stand still and learn to be astonished.
–an idea for all of us from “Messenger” by Mary Oliver

#49–I just had a meeting with some friends to discuss ways to make the Wilson 100 Bike Ride a big benefit event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We met at a great restaurant in the Oakhurst Village in Decatur called Nectar (http://www.nectarfoods.net/HOME.html). I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place, so I’m going to make sure that you do. Check out the website or, better yet, drop in and you’ll understand why I’m giving this joint some mad props. Organic and Raw and damn tasty–I’m looking forward to going again. But the main reason I’m writing this post is to make this point. When you patron a business for environmental or health reasons, let the proprietor know why you’re there. Doing the right thing and selling healthy products is not always easy. And it’s typically more expensive for the business as well. Over 90% of the money spent on food in this country is spent on fast food–crap that does nothing for our vitality–just look at the health of our country. We rate 37th in the world in terms of health yet spend more $ than any other country in the world on health care. So the demand for real, life sustaining food and services is somewhat rare. Only when we make businesses like Nectar the norm rather than the exception will we really be able to make ourselves and thus the world a healthier, happier place.

#48–Some breakfast and lunch ideas that are outside the box…

Breakfasts:
Omelet with veggies
Plain Yogurt with apples and nut butter
Smoothie with frozen fruit, rice milk, nut butter, and maybe protein powder
Egg salad with carrots/tomatoes
Tuna salad (made with Tuna, raisins or apples, and mayo) with raw spinach
Salmon and cream cheese on rice cakes (skip the cream cheese if necessary)
A turkey sandwich on RICE bread.
Guacamole and hamburger with carrots and tomatoes (that’s what I had Tues a.m.)
BLT on Millet Bread
Corn Tortilla with beans and salsa (I add ground bison or lamb for more protein) and roasted veggies.

Lunches:
Ham Sandwich with Spinach and Cucumber on Rice Bread
Spaghetti sauce over broccoli (or Spaghetti Squash)
Salmon with sauteed spinach and a fruit salad.
Chicken Salad (i.e. a salad with rotisserie chicken)–your imagination is your only limitation with a salad like this–use EVERYTHING: carrots, spinach, cucumber, tomato, peppers, raisins, beets, etc).
Pulled BBQ Pork and greens from Whole Foods–love this combo.
Chicken Salad with grilled asparagus
Crab cakes with corn on the cob and coleslaw
Vegetable soup with ground beef.
Crock Pot Chili with a salad and fruit.
Turkey Meatloaf and grilled zucchini

#47–Reducing, reusing, and recycling are essential in curbing our negative impact on the environment. It may be simple, but how many of us automatically reach for paper towels to clean up a spill when we could use a dish towel? Why do we get a fresh sheet of paper to write ourselves a note when we could use the back of some junk mail lying on the table? These seemingly trivial decisions create our habits which, ultimately, have large-scale impacts.

#46–Life is about balance. Unfortunately, most of us aren’t. As part of my initial 3-4 hour assessment, I use two scales to determine how a client loads one side over the other, often to the detriment of either performance or orthopedic health or both. This could be a sign of an Atlas subluxation, an undiagnosed disc bulge, or any number of specific pathologies which contribute to pain and dysfunction. And since one cannot truly separate the physical from the mental from the emotional from the spiritual, being in physical balance will manifest as harmony in these other areas as well.

#45–You don’t know squat! But you should. One of the 7 primal patterns, squatting was essential for survival when we were cavemen and women. And while evolution has developed our Blackberry pattern such that many of us have a thenar eminence the size of our bicep, our squatting skills have suffered in kind. Because of this, over 80% of people will endure an episode of back pain in his or her lifetime. So Squat! It’s good for your back. It’s good for your knees. The only thing it’s not good for is your orthopedic surgeon’s bank account.

#44–spend time with the ones you love. My son and I played out in rare Atlanta snow today, making new tracks with his dump truck and firetruck and throwing snowballs at each other. Later, I spent time with good friends as they shared Declan’s first movie with me and Diana. 3 years have passed in the space between heartbeats. Yet the one constant is always love.

#43–Pathogenic bacteria are more likely to be found on plastic cutting boards compared to wooden cutting boards. Actually, that may be a legitimate use for the microwave–sterilizing your plastic cutting board…

#42–Very little research was done on the effects of eating food cooked in microwave ovens before they were marketed to the public. The small amount which was carried out showed that cooking in the microwave makes fats and proteins more difficult to assimilate. Ever cook an egg in one of these things? It comes out tasting like a hockey puck! More recent studies show changes in vitamin content as well as abnormal blood profiles in those consuming microwaved foods similar to the blood profiles of people in the early stages of cancer. I’d suggest getting rid of it or using it only on the 4th of July to make your own fireworks by putting some metal in it and turning it on.

#41–Knowing others is intelligence;
knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength;
mastering yourself is true power.
–Lao-tzu

#40–Do you need to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day to stay optimally hydrated? Well, that depends. How much do you weigh? The average person needs to drink approximately half their body weight in pounds in ounces of water each day to maintain an ideal state of hydration. So if you’re 128lbs, then the 8 x 8oz rule is more/less right on–assuming you’re not also drinking coffee, soda, tea, alcohol, or even juices. Doing so necessitates additional levels of hydration to process and assimilate these liquids in the body. If consumption doesn’t meet demand, you have a shortage in the body. This localized thirst often manifests as pain or dysfunctions such as high blood pressure or allergies. 75% of the body (like the earth, interestingly enough) is water. And every physiological process in the body requires adequate levels of water to be performed efficiently. So who came up with the 8 x 8 rule most of us believe is gospel? Someone who weighed 128lbs, or, since the brain is 85% water, someone who was severely dehydrated.

#39–the brain stem or Reptilian Brain is the oldest part of the human brain. It’s main concerns are security, sustenance, and sex. Meet these three requirements, and you can move on to the Mammalian Brain and then the newest version of the mammalian brain called the Neocortex. Found only in primates, especially humans, this part of the brain has evolved beyond the basic needs of survival and has the ability of “higher” level thinking necessary (or at least a necessary evil) of complex social interactions. Empathy and compassion would be hallmarks of this newer brain. Yet, with the state of our food supply, we are eating but are we nourishing? Gorging on new-fangled, man made non-foods, we’re literally starving to death on full stomachs. We are too often unable to meet our Reptilian Brain’s need for sustenance which makes us unable to evolve into the Mammalian and Neocortex brains. We cannot act kindly toward our fellow man or practice brotherly love if this most basic need isn’t being satisfied. We cannot tend our our neighbor’s garden if our own won’t bear fruit. We are eating our way back into the Stone Age, devolving with every bite of fast food or non organic food. Think about it. Oh–you can’t. You just ate a twinkie.

#38–www.georgiaorganics.org.

#37–a father shows he loves his children by how he treats their mother.

#36–No time to exercise? Then do the following workout:

Stand with good posture with your feet a bit wider than shoulder width.
Bend your knees and descend as deeply as you can for your flexibility/orthopedic level as if you were trying to sit in a chair behind you.
Stand back up by pushing through your heels until you’ve returned to your starting position.
Repeat for 10 reps. If your form begins to suffer before you reach 10, that’s the end of your current set.
Rest 10 seconds.
Repeat the work/rest cycle again for a total of 10 sets.

Depending on your fitness level, you will have done as many as 100 squats in as little as 4-5mins. Don’t have 4-5mins? May I suggest you start making time for yourself. Otherwise, time will start taking you.

#35–Harvard’s Department of Nutrition gets the majority of its funding from the food industry. Where has your nutritionist been indoctrinated (and what does he/she look like naked)? You should ask yourself that before you eat another fat free rice cake at her suggestion.

#34–The fatty acids found in artery clogs are mostly UNSATURATED. Only 26% is saturated. The rest, 74%, is unsaturated with 41% coming from what the “experts” say is good for us–polyunsaturated fat. These are oils which remain liquid even in the refrigerator (corn, canola, safflower, and soy). They are highly reactive due to the unpaired electrons at their bonds (where as saturated fats have all available carbon bonds filled with an atom of hydrogen). Thus, they go rancid quite easily and should NEVER be used for cooking. Unfortunately, misinformation as well as a strong lobby has seen consumption of these oils increase by over 400% in the past 90 years while traditional dietary fats from animal sources has declined by more than 20%. And today 40% of Americans die from heart disease….

#33–The average person chews their food 4 times before they swallow. Digestion begins in the mouth (and really it begins, like everything, in the mind, with thought). So if we don’t completely chew our food, we set ourselves up for incomplete digestion. This can manifest in many different ways, but it typically results in digestive disorders, nutritional deficiencies, and other health problems including obesity. So the next time you sit down to eat:

–sit down–don’t stand
–see your food
–think about where it came from (if you don’t know, perhaps you shouldn’t eat it)
–smell your food as much of taste is driven by smell (one reason why food is often unappealing when you get congested with a cold)
–be present with your food and actually taking time for yourself–don’t watch the news or anything dramatic which could trigger the sympathetic nervous system and interfere with digestion
–stop when you’re satisfied and not stuffed

And one more, of course–eat REAL food that your body might actually enjoy and benefit from chewing.

#32 (FEB 1st)–Candace Pert, author of Molecules of Emotion, says that the emotions you’re feeling today will affect how you look next year. Mind is everywhere in the body. So if you’re happy, every cell in your body is happy. And if you’re sad, that sadness is felt by each one of your more than 100 TRILLION cells. While we may not believe we have control over what happens in our lives, we do have control over how we react to what happens in our life. So how are you feeling now? How do you want to look in one year’s time? Think about it–positively.

#31–”My own mind is my own church”
–Thomas Paine

#30–1 teaspoon of sugar can suppress the immune system for approximately 4-6hrs. The avg American consumes over 150lbs of sugar a year. It takes +/- 109 teaspoons to equal 1 pound of sugar. So 150 x 109 = 16350. That’s the amount of sugar in teaspoons Americans consume each year. 16350 x 4 to 6 = 65,400 to 98,100. That’s the number of hours the typical American’s immune system is inhibited. There are only 8760 hours in a year! So is it any wonder that each one of us spends $5600 year on medical expenses or that U.S. doctors wrote more than 4 BILLION prescriptions last year? We literally are the walking dead.

#29–the average life span of doctors is 10 years LESS than for the rest of us!

Let me tell you a quick story about my former G.P. I went into his office one day. He was behind his desk as always–bent over and pale, way over weight and breathing hard just sitting there. He knew what I did for a living, so he goes on to tell me that he started walking for exercise. I tell him “that’s great, but I think you should also do some weight training.” Then this man, who spent umpteen years in medical school so he could teach ME about health, tells me that he doesn’t want to lift weights because he doesn’t want his muscles to turn to fat when he stops.

I immediately came home and told my wife, “Baby, we gotta find a new doc!”

And my new doc’s awesome, so I’m not saying that all doctors are bad. I’m just saying that if your doctor smokes…or is fat…or can’t walk a mile without stopping…or if he doesn’t know the difference between a muscle cell and a fat cell, turn around and get the hell out of his office. At the very least, question what he’s prescribing and why.

Either way, we’ve got to start taking responsibility for ourselves. We’ve got to stop taking health advice from those who study the sick That’s like having a financial advisor who’s broke. And then there’s the millions of people who listen when Oprah Winfrey tell us to re-think Kentucky Fried Chicken. What we should re-think is taking advice from those who aren’t healthy!

#28–It takes as little as one gram of pressure, applied consistently, to move a tooth. So think about this: your head weighs approximately 8% of your body weight. Thus a 150lb person has a head which weighs +/- 12lbs. Ideally, a person should present with between 0-3cm of forward head carriage. Yet, in my postural assessments, I typically find measurements well in excess of twice this acceptable limit.

For every inch the head travels out of ideal alignment, it effectively doubles in weight (as the wt gets farther away from the fulcrum). There are 2.54cm in an inch. So a 150lb person with 5.5cm of FHP has neck muscles which are forced to support a head that effectively weighs 24lbs. An inch more and my poor neck muscles hurt just looking at this guy. Of course, where the head goes, the rest of the kinetic chain will follow. And these compensations are often coupled with pain and dysfunction that can be mirrored as far down as the person’s feet.

How do you fix it? Well, you stretch certain muscles and strengthen others. But you also must address work and home place ergonomics as well as improper or imbalanced training. You may even have to look at nutrition, respiration, and/or hormonal issues. So the solution is more complex than can be written in a short post on a blog. But one place to start for many of you would be simply putting your head on the headrest next time you’re in your car. Try it on your commute tomorrow, and you’ll see how often your noggin isn’t where it’s supposed to be.

#27–If it’s on your body, it’s in your body (and in our water supply sooner or later). Make sure you know what’s in your personal care products:

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/wordsearch.php?query=dr.%20bronner%27s

You might be surprised.

#26–Cardio manufacturers have popularized the idea that working out at a specific level will allow the body to burn more fat. And in our fat-phobic society, this belief has led to a gym industry which caters to cardio. Walk into any fitness facility in the U.S. and you’ll see thousands of dollars worth of treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters, and bikes. Attached to each will be a sign up list to keep the waiting masses in order until they can enter “the fat burning zone”.

And while it may be true that exercising in this zone utilizes a greater percentage of calories from fat, the numbers can be misleading. Let’s take a 150lb male who, when running at 6mph, is comfortably in the famous fat burning zone. Burning approximately 600 calories during the course of his workout, his contribution from fat will be around half or 300 calories. Now take this same guy and have him run 8mph. He burns approximately 800 calories, but only 40% came from fat. Yet, 40% of 800 is 320. The total contribution from his fat stores is actually higher despite working above the so-called fat burning zone.

Additionally, the calories expended after cessation of exercise, referred to as “excess post-exercise oxygen consumption” or EPOC will keep his metabolism well above its normal resting rate for minutes or even hours once his run is finished. After all, it requires energy to remove lactate, replenish oxygen stores, resynthesize the ATP-PC system, and to bring the body’s systems back to pre-exercise levels in general. And while all of these factors can be affected not only by the duration and intensity of the exercise but also by gender, training status, and even timing of the exercise session, one truth is without debate: when measured strictly by percentage of contribution, the best fat burning activity is simply going to sleep. And that’s one thing the cardio manufacturers can’t sell you. No, the drug companies have exclusive rights to that…

#25–The average American produces 4.5lbs of trash EACH DAY! What’s worse is 75% of this trash is recyclable! Most people are aware that plastic can be recycled (but, sadly, the majority isn’t). But so can anything from paper and glass and metal to plastic bags, paint cans, CFL light bulbs, t.v.’s, cell phones, and other electronics. To find out what is accepted in your area, check out www.earth911.com.

#24–Zinc is the 2nd most abundant trace element in the body. Found primarily in foods which aren’t politically correct (at least according to the Diet Dictocrats) like red meat and egg yolks, this mineral is often lacking in a person’s diet. Yet, without enough zinc, the body can only register extreme sweetness or saltiness as having any taste. Thus, real food not bastardized by food scientists or found in a can/package/box becomes unappealing. When sufficient amounts of zinc are present in the diet, an individual will typically not have uncontrollable cravings; and sweet desserts and treats are often too sweet for the person to eat.

#23–there’s nothing in nature that is a macronutrient (carbohydrate, fat, protein) in isolation. All naturally occurring foods have a combination of the 3 (and really 4 if you count water–the most important nutrient) macronutrients. Even something like a banana, which most people would think of as pure carbohydrate, has trace amounts of protein and fat in it. The reason is simple: the macronutrients work together as co-factors to make the nutrition in a food available to the body. Without fat, for example, your body cannot effectively assimilate the protein in a food. So skim milk drinkers and egg white eaters, you need to realize that there is no consipiracy among those cunning cows or those tricky chicken to make us fat or give us heart disease–we’re doing a fine job with that ourselves…

#22–Never fall in Love. Rise in Love.
–Osho

#21–Intermittent glucocorticoid production (like exercising appropriately) is good for the immune system. 20mins of activity a day is a good goal for people to shoot for if appropriate for their current level of vitality. But CONTINUOUS glucocorticoid productiion is detrimental to health. So if you’re stressed at work, stressed because you’re not eating right (too much/too little/not right for your metabolic type), stressed because you’re not hydrated properly, stressed because you’re not sleeping enough or obeying your natural circadian rhythms, stressed because you’re in pain or on medical drugs or you’re in a financial or relationship crisis; if this is you, then adding exercise (a stress) to the system can often be the straw that broke the camel’s back. You’d be better served by working IN rather than working out. You need to invest in yourself and build up your chi. Slow walks, tai chi, yoga, any movement that you can do while breathing through your nose would be a good choice. And doing it on a full stomach right after a meal is usually a good way to keep the intensity in check since going to fast/hard will interfere with digestion and make you uncomfortable. Doing the activity at the right pace will actually enhance digestion. That’s one reason why walks after the Thanksgiving meal feel so good. Try it next time you need an energy lift.

#20–In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don’t try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.
–words to live by from the tao te ching

#19–I was driving to work this a.m. when I heard an ad on the radio about nail fungus. The commercial was selling some concoction which would get rid of the nail fungus, and I started thinking. Same allopathic, symptom management treatment which does nothing for the underlying problem. Why’s the nail fungus there in the first place? Maybe the person never washed between his toes Maybe he wore the same pair of socks 3 weeks in a row. But more than likely the person was eating too much sugar, probably on several other meds for various ailments, staying up too late, not drinking enough water, guzzling soda and coffee, exercising too little or too much, and stressed from a job he hates in order to pay for a lifestyle he can’t afford. The poor little fungus on his foot gets blamed for just doing his job. All parasites, fungi, and bacteria are doing is the job mother nature gave them: to act as mother nature’s sanitation department. When your personal environment is so filled with trash that your vitality level falls below a certain, individual threshold, these critters come out to give you a warning. First it’s a fungal infection or a cold. But if you don’t pay this ticket by adhering to the Six Foundational Principles of Health, you’ll eventually find yourself with chronic fatigue syndrome or cancer or something. And the decline in vitality won’t stop until you’ve been brought back to the soil–in other words, you’re DEAD! Nature doesn’t want to perpetuate weakness. So if you’re not honoring your temple with good thoughts, deep breathing, sufficient hydration, quality food, proper movement, and appropriate sleep, these critters are going to break you down so that nature can try again.

#18–I was asked by one of my clients to post my shopping list. This is from last week, and I thought it might give people an idea of the variety of foods they can buy. Please know that everything is organic and/or local and grassfed/wild. This also doesn’t include the 75lbs of beef we bought with a few other families–grassfed and incredibly inexpensive for the quality. Also, this list, while typical, will often be supplemented with a CSA as well as one night out (at an organic restaurant). And, yes, my food bill is expensive. I eat a lot and I eat well. It’s where people should spend their money, driving an older car or living in a smaller house if necessary. After all, you are what you eat.

Broccoli
Carrots
Zucchini
Lettuce
Spinach
Cucumbers
Peppers
Spaghetti Squash
Onions
Asparagus
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Kale

Apples
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Pears
Bananas
Grapes
Blueberries
Blackberries
Avocados
Cabbage

Almonds
Pumpkin Seeds
Brazil Nuts
Walnuts
Cashews
Peanut Butter
Sunflower Butter
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Frozen Fruit (for smoothies!)

Gluten Free Bread (mostly for my son)
Gluten Free Pancake Mix (for my son)
Fruit Roll Up Bars (for my son)
Canned Tomato Sauce and Stewed Tomatoes (for Spaghetti sauce over the spaghetti squash)
I wish WF carried stewed tomatoes in glass since I know the cans leach BPA
Corn Tortillas (for Fish Tacos tonight)
Goat’s Milk Yogurt
Goat’s Milk Kefir

Tuna
Salmon
Talapia
Chicken
Lamb
Bacon
Eggs
Turkey
Ham
Pulled Pork
Sausage
Manchego (sp?) Cheese

Coconut Milk Ice Cream (yeah, boy!)
Organic M and M type candy (for treats for my son)

#17–Some personal/global environment documentaries worth watching (and I’ll come back to this one and add titles as I think of them):

Trashed (about trash and the over 4.5lbs the avg American makes a day)
The Future of Food
Blue Gold (about the upcoming/current water wars)
F.L.O.W. For Love of Water
Supersize Me
Sweet Misery (about aspartame)
Cane Toads: An Unnatural History
Manufactured Landscapes
Who Killed the Electric Car?
11th Hour
What the Bleep Do We Know?
King Corn

#16–”As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it.”–Lao Tzu

#15–The physical body is the artwork of the mind and the soul.

#14–the World Health Organization defines starvation as beginning at less than 2100 calories/day. Half of US women eat fewer than 1500 calories a day. Maybe part of the reason 2/3 of America is overweight or obese is because they don’t eat enough. Without enough calories and protein to run the system, the body will catabolize muscle to fuel the body. This loss of metabolically active tissue lowers the “flame” of your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and you burn fewer calories just to live. Levels of T3, the thyroid hormone in charge of your BMR, begin to drop within hours of any calorie deprivation (including skipping a meal) in an effort at self-preservation in what is perceived as a life threatening famine. So even though you’re fully aware that you’ve got some food in your cupboard or the Wendy’s dive thru is still open, your genetic code thinks another ice age is coming. Better pack on the insulation now….

#13–Save some green by going green and Take Back the Tap! Buy a quality filter like the one from Aquasana on my website and vow not to drink bottled water anymore. You should also voice your opinion at restaurants, asking them not to sell bottled water. More and more restaurants are joining this cause including the Iberian Pig in Decatur (www.iberianpigatl.com). Besides the drain on your wallet, the environmental burden of bottled water is staggering.
Supplying Americans with plastic water bottles for one year consumes more than 47 million gallons of oil, enough to take 100,000 cars off the road and 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, according to the Container Recycling Institute. Additionally, billions of plastic water bottles end up in the trash each year, adding to our landfills and leaching toxins into the groundwater. This injustice continues practically forever since plastic never biodegrades. It’s difficult to live in the Now when we’re harming our future water supply. So go to http://takebackthetap.org/ for more information on what you can do to Take Back the Tap.

#12–The less awareness you have that the body is a temple, the more likely you are to burn the temple down.

#11–Speaking of respiration, we should also breathe primarily through our nose. The mouth cannot effectively clean and moisten the air as it is does not come equipped with turbinates like those which are found in the nose. Additionally, the nose has parasympathetic nerve endings which are stimulated when we breathe the way nature intended. Mouth breathing, on the other hand, triggers a sympathetic response (i.e. fight or flight) which inhibits the parasympathetic nervous system and interferes with ideal digestion and repair. From an orthopedic perspective, breathing though the mouth overworks the sub occipitals which must stabilize the cranium when the mouth opens. This can lead to forward head posture and further exacerbate altered breathing mechanics as well as excessively load fragile musculature that must support the head (8% of the body’s weight) against gravity. Basically, the only time you should be breathing through your mouth is if you’re fighting for your life, or trying to keep up with me on the bike.

#10–Practice makes permanent. The avg person breathes 25,900 times/day. Chest breathing only fills 2/3 of the lungs. Like stagnant water, the last 1/3 of the lungs becomes full of stale air. This lack of movement (i.e. old air for new air) creates a prime breeding ground for bacteria and other pathogens. The diaphragm is the chief pump of the body, aiding the heart and assisting in lymphatic flow to remove dead protein and other toxins out of the body. Breathing diaphragmatically is how we were meant to breath. Watch a young child breathe–you can learn something from him.

#9–The Universe moves a goal towards you in direct relation to the extent you move towards it. Or, as the Quakers put it, pray and move your feet.

#8 might scare the crap out of you. But if you’re drinking sodas (or eating the food) from fast food restaurants, you’ve got enough to spare. Check out http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/fecal-bacteria-found-in-n_n_413733.html

#7–Where’s Loganville? If you don’t know where it is, you can’t get there. Now with that thought in mind, tell me this: what makes you happy? If you don’t know the answer to that question, you’re not alone. Many of us have no idea about what makes us truly happy. There’s no googlemaps for happiness. And if you don’t know what makes you happy, it’s kind of hard to feel that way.

Being healthy makes me happy. I’m braving TSA and flying to Houston with my wife to go to M.D. Anderson for my annual bone marrow biopsy next week. I get to leave my son, take time off work, spend lots of money on plane fare and a hotel, and hang out in what could be considered a depressing place full of sick people as I wait to get a needle drilled into my backside sans anesthesia. I say “get to” rather than “have to” because it’s my choice–I’m motivated by health. Being healthy is what makes me happy and the care I receive there helps keep me healthy.

So does eating organically. And going to bed on time. And drinking enough pure, clean water. And exercising. And breathing deeply; And thinking of all the good I’ve yet to do, to share, to teach. Happiness is easy to find. Your life is the compass. Live it.

#6— It takes life to give life. So if you’re eating dead, non-foods which are void of nutrition, your body’s got to metabolize it somehow. It takes vitamins and minerals and protein and other micro nutrients to get your food from mouth to anus (though some of us can’t get it there as evidenced by the $1,000,000/day spend on laxatives in the U.S.). And if the food doesn’t provide that nutrition, your body has to get it from somewhere. So it takes it from your muscles. It takes it from your bones, your ligaments, your hair!

Beating the Food Giants is a book by Paul Stitt. He was a food scientist for a major food manufacturer who writes about an experiment done with rats where they fed a group of rats puffed wheat cereal. Another group they fed nothing. And the last group they fed the box of puffed wheat cereal. Can you guess who died first? The rats which ate the cereal. So if you’re eating out of boxes or cans or consuming food that can sit on the shelf without spoiling; if the only time you eat something green is if you leave some pasteurized cheese in your fridge too long, your body’s being forced to use your own precious tissue just to process the nutritionally void crap you’re putting in your mouth. You are a walking corpse. I pity the micro-organisms charged with the task of putting you back in the earth. They’re not going to be satisfied…

#5—Can we at least agree that Lead is not healthy and shouldn’t be in our water supply? The Environmental Protection Agency has set the MCL (Maximum Content Level) for Lead in drinking water at .015 ppm (.015mg/liter). That’s pretty low. Their goal is 0 ppm. But nobody is perfect, so let’s just assume .015ppm is low enough to be safe. After all, the most recent edition of the Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products only lists Lead as somewhere between moderately toxic and very toxic. There are many other substances which, if consumed, would be far worse. Interestingly enough, one of these is Fluoride; it’s clearly ranked by the CTCP as very toxic. Yet, the artificial fluoridation of our water supply is, on average, 1 ppm. That’s 67 times higher than the acceptable level for lead—in 4 cups! Boy, I need a drink!

But all that Fluoride must somehow be good for my teeth—that’s why it’s in our water in the first place. I mean, cavities are a sure sign we have a fluoride deficiency in our bodies, right? Well, one of the largest studies on the effectiveness of fluoride is one from New Zealand where, examining the teeth of every child in key age groups, it was concluded that the teeth of children in non-fluoridated cities were slightly better than those in the fluoridated cities. (Colquhoun, J. “Child Dental Health Differences in New Zealand”, Community Healthy Services, XI 85-90, 1987). A dentist named H.T. Dean did “research” back in 1939 that set the current level of fluoride in the U.S. water supply saying that this “optimal dose” would give everyone perfect teeth free of dental cavities. Sounds good to me. Only it didn’t sound good to some scientists who investigated Dean’s data and forced him, under oath, to admit his data was invalid. In fact, in 1957, Dean admitted at AMA hearings that as little as .1ppm could cause dental fluorosis—an early sign of fluoride poisoning.

See, fluoride is a cumulative toxin. Its MCL level (4ppm) is set to prevent the third and most severe stage of Crippling Skeletal Fluorisis. But a 1991 report by the U.S. Public Health Service showed that total fluoride intake from water, toothpastes/rinses, air, supplements, and food (non-organic foods carry high levels of fluoride due to the application of pesticides) was in excess of 6.5 ppm. Some estimates set this number as high as 8ppm. One of the worst offenders in the food supply is tea. They drink a lot of that stuff over in England. Wonder what their teeth look like? It’s also in Prozac—but who knows anyone on that med? I do know a lot of people taking Synthroid. It was the top selling drug in 1999. And hasn’t fluoride been used for decades as an effective treatment for hyperthyroidism, and at levels well below the current “optimal” intake? Wonder if ingesting all this fluoride jacked up their thyroid glands so much they needed medical intervention….

Look, I know a lot of people may find this information hard to believe. When a person has beliefs or values that are called into question, it’s easy for that person to consider it a personal attack. That’s not my intention. I just want people to open their eyes. Don’t just believe something is true because a person with some impressive initials after his name told you it is. I don’t care if it’s your teacher, your doctor, or (god forbid) Oprah Winfrey. Do your own research. See if it makes sense—common sense. Mark Twain once said “don’t your education get in the way of your learning.” That’s harder to do for some than for others. After all, wasn’t it Mark Twain who also said that whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over?

#4—You’re on drugs if you’re drinking tap water.
“Fluoride, the most consumed drug in the USA, is deliberately added to 2/3 of public water supplies theoretically to reduce tooth decay, but with no scientifically-valid evidence proving safety or effectiveness,” says lawyer Paul Beeber, president of the New York State Coalition Opposed to Fluoridation. Indeed, excess fluoride consumption has been linked to fluorisis as well as altered endocrine function—that’s your thyroid gland we’re talking about. But none of you have weight issues involving your thyroid, do you?
Get the book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price. In it you’ll see pictures of people from isolated, non-industrialized cultures who never brushed their teeth yet suffered no cavities and had perfect smiles (their breath may have been kicking like Bruce Lee, but that’s a different matter). They’re didn’t use fluoride anything—they just ate REAL food.

#3–Skip the snooze button. To get your day jump started, expose yourself to light, to food, and to movement as soon as you wake up. Not only will you normalize circadian rhythms, you’ll optimize your metabolic rate.
Light=Sunshine to your body, resulting in an increase in Cortisol, (an awakening hormone and not the evil hormone the infomercials would have you believe).
Mom was right: breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be at least 25% of our daily caloric intake.
Movement could be anything from walking the dog to yoga to a session at the gym. And doing it in the a.m. will ensure that it gets done.
If the above suggestions are a change from your normal morning routine, give it a couple of weeks to become a habit and watch as your mind, body, and spirit evolve to the next level.

#2– Plastics Are Forever
When the plastics we throw away escape from garbage trucks or landfills, they get blown into trees and waterways where they’re eaten by animals that mistake them for food. In the North Pacific, a floating island of plastic waste the size of Texas has accumulated, doubling in size over the past six years. Some estimates place the load of plastic floating in that area, killing both birds and aquatic life, at 3 million tons.
The matter is further complicated by the fact that nothing in nature, not even sunlight and oxygen, can break apart the bonds that hold plastic together, so they linger on our planet indefinitely. Rather than biodegrading, plastic photodegrades into dust, winding up in soil and in the air. In bodies of water, the plastic particles become a kind of toxic sponge, absorbing other harmful chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the pesticide DDT. Those particles then get eaten by fish, which wind up back on our dinner plates.
So filter your water instead of buying bottled water (http://triumphtraining.com/andrew_recommends.html), use reusable bags (www.reusablebags.com), and RECYCLE!

#1–when faced with a decision between multiple courses of action, focusing on the long term consequence rather than the immediate result will always guide you in the right direction. Whether it be waking up early so you can workout (or work IN) before getting to your job vs. sleeping in an extra half hour OR turning the car around to get the reusable bags you forgot at home vs. having your groceries put in plastic bags again, the choice which benefits you and the world in the long term is always the one to make. And if the choice is a bit more ambiguous, just ask yourself “What would Love do now?”

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