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What’s in your wardrobe? Studies are showing that the most popular style of bras hinder lymph node function, increasing breast cancer risk.

Ill-fitting bras, as well as the most popular style of bra, the metal underwire, increase your potential health risks. Lymph nodes, which purpose are to daily excrete toxins from your body, are unable to drain properly when tight-fitting bras or underwire bras consistently press on their reflex points.

Dr. Joseph Mercola recently sent out a newsletter with data from various doctors and researchers studying the effects of impaired lymph node drainage due to constrictive clothing. We are exposed to many dangerous toxins everyday that the body needs to eliminate. Dr. Mercola says that even the aluminum in antiperspirants is a dangerous toxin which the body needs to eliminate.

I’m categorizing below a few excerpts from this essential information related to breast cancer. Please use the newsletter link here or the one at the end of this post to read Dr. Mercola’s full article.

How do ill-fitting bras, underwire bras, and other constrictive clothing increase cancer risk as well as fibrocystic breasts?

Read the important medical findings from these 3 excerpts:

Over 85 percent of the lymph fluid flowing from the breast drains to the armpit lymph nodes. Most of the rest drains to the nodes along the breast bone. Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow…as a result of cutting off lymphatic drainage, so that toxic chemicals are trapped in the breast. Dr. Michael Schacter, M.D, The Prevention and Complementary Treatment of Breast Cancer Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

You can significantly improve your overall health and nutrition for only a few dollars a day by incorporating super foods into your diet.

Superfoods (or super foods) are foods that are so rich in nutrients that they can treat or prevent disease. One can incorporate the natural forms into your daily meal plans or obtain the benefits of a wide variety that would be virtually impossible to eat by using one of the many new superfood supplements available. The following data and suggestions are excerpts from an article by Dr. David J.Foreman, Herbal Pharmacist, author of the monthly newsletter for the Vitamin Shoppe chain of stores. See the footnote below for a link to the complete article.(1)

According to Dr. Foreman’s research, most experts are now recommending 9 servings per day of fruits and vegetables.(1)

Few of us ever achieve that level on a daily basis. In addition, there are certain “superfoods” which have vastly higher amounts of beneficial phytonutrients and phytochemicals than the average fruit or vegetables one typcially eats. You should try to incorporate natural forms of these foods into your diet as much as possible, but also seriously consider a superfood supplement, as some superfoods are either not easy to fix or not tasty to the average person.

You can enjoy common health benefits from superfoods such as:

-Increased Energy
-Balancing of Your pH
-Strengthening Your Immune System
-Detoxifying Your Body
-Good Source of Fiber
-Nutrients More Easily Digested and Absorbed

Dr. Foreman personally saw major changes in his overall health after using a superfood supplement, including increased energy, better sleep, more effective digestion, clearer skin, and improved vision.

Here are some ways superfoods treat or prevent disease: Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Impassioned

The desire for effective treatment of arthritis pain is a worldwide one.

Studies suggest about 40 million people suffer from arthritis in the USA alone. In Part 2 of this post on arthritis, I’ve compiled several lists and links for effective, natural arthritis treatment by various organizations. It is a lot of information. However, there are such a vast number of people whose quality of life is greatly diminished by the pain of arthritis that I wanted to provide you with as many options as possible. If one is not presently working for you, I trust you find here another method to receive healing in your body and restoration to your quality of life.

First, let’s take a look at this highly informative quote from Dr. Weil about arthritis. Dr. Weil is a well-known MD who encourages natural remedies when possible. He has a line of supplements available at health food stores and on the web.

Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common autoimmune disorders, diseases caused by the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues. Autoimmune reactions may be triggered by infection, tissue injury, or emotional trauma in people with a genetic predisposition to them. Conventional medicine treats rheumatoid arthritis with steroids and other immunosuppressive medications, most of which are toxic when used long-term. Try to avoid these strong drugs if you can. Patients who are dependent on them are less likely to respond to natural treatments. (1)

I think 2 points from the quote are particularly of great significance.

• First, notice that autoimmune diseases such as arthritis can be triggered by trauma. I’ve referred to research in previous posts of our need to deal effectively with stress and traumatic experiences so that they will not create disease in our bodies. (Click here to read my posts on stress, Stress: How to Cope and  Stress; How to Cope Part 2 )

• Second, steroids and similar treatments hinder the effectiveness of natural remedies. This is significant even in my own family, as I have a relative who was on steroids for ITP and was taking natural supplements for various ailments. He is finally off the steroids, but this means that the supplements will have greater results now that he is off the steroids.

Here are excerpts from Dr. Weil’s natural arthritis treatments.  Please click here to read his article in full.

For General Arthritis:

• Follow a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet; minimize consumption of foods of animal origin.
• Eliminate milk and milk products including commercial foods made with milk.
• Avoid all polyunsaturated vegetable oils, partially hydrogenated oils, margarine, vegetable shortening.
• Increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids by eating more cold water fish, walnuts or freshly ground flaxseeds.
• Get regular aerobic exercise (swimming is best for those with rheumatoid arthritis).
• Practice relaxation techniques.
• Avoid health care practitioners who make you feel pessimistic about your condition.
• Eliminate or reduce intake of coffee and tobacco as both have been liked to an increased risk for rheumatoid arthritis. (1)

For Rheumatoid Arthritis:

• One at a time, eliminate the following categories of food for two months: (1) all sugar except natural fruits; (2) all citrus fruits; (3) wheat, corn and soy. At the end of each trial period, restore the eliminated items to your diet. You may find that one or more has an influence on your arthritis symptoms.
• For symptomatic treatment use aspirin and other over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs.
• Take feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) for its anti-inflammatory effect; one to two capsules twice a day.
• Use anti-inflammatory herbs. Ginger and turmeric are particularly effective. I recommend Zyflamend, made by New Chapter Inc., which includes both. You can continue to take these herbs indefinitely. (1) Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Arthritis is a common concern in our society. A simple program of prevention is just as important as arthritis treatment after the symptoms have appeared.

There is a truthful old saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Simple, beneficial lifestyle changes, most of which we all realize we should be living anyway, are an easy, pleasant way to prevent years of unnecessary pain and suffering. This Prevention List contains excerpts of practical tips from Symptoms of Arthritis.com. Please use the link below to read their article in its entirety.

Lose Weight

Being overweight puts a strain on your knees, hips and the ball of your feet…You can continue to loss weight gradually in order to reduce your risk even further, but ten pounds is a good, attainable goal to start with. You can lose pounds by exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet.

Exercise

Exercise will help you maintain healthy muscle tone and keep weight at a proper level. Light exercise, like leisurely swimming, combats joint swelling and stiffness. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Allergies can be lessened by any of a wide choice of natural remedies.

I researched through some sites to find reputable info on natural remedies for allergy treatment. I’m posting excerpts from 2 sites below. The first excerpts are from a health site called Mother Earth News. The second set of excerpts is from an interview with Dr. Cliff Bassett which took place on Good Morning America. It is significant to note the agreement between the 2 sources for natural allergy relief. Please follow the links to read these articles in their entirety.

These excerpts are from Mother Earth News suggested natural remedies. Please click the above link for their full article.

Neti Pots have been used in India for thousands of years to flush the sinuses…It’s a bit like using nasal spray. [Studies show it is also an] effective way to treat seasonal allergies in children, and markedly reduced their use of antihistamines. Netis are inexpensive and widely available online and at natural food stores. Use about twice a day during allergy season..You also can use a neti pot before bed to prevent snoring caused by allergies and promote optimal overnight breathing. [Find full description for use on the Mother Earth News site.]

Quercetin A natural plant-derived compound helps stabilize mast cells and prevents them from releasing histamine. Quercetin also is a natural antioxidant. The recommended dosage is about 1,000 milligrams a day, taken between meals. It’s best to start treatment six weeks before allergy season. Those with liver disease shouldn’t use quercetin, so please consult your doctor. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Impassioned

Readers often ask why they themselves or family members have not received their healing.

Before getting into the main part of today’s post, I want to express some basic points regarding the many questions I receive about a lack of healing. Understand that no one could possibly answer all the questions concerning why a person’s healing did not take place. However, I do not take lightly the fear and discouragement that comes to many people over a lack of healing. It is my desire that no one becomes discouraged or loses heart while seeking God for healing; neither should anyone’s faith be destroyed due to a family member who was not healed.

I’ve posted previous articles on what God says in scripture about His desire for us to be healed. It is not possible for anyone to know all the factors involved in why someone did not receiving healing, especially someone other than the person who is suffering. Rather than trying to explain reasons that no one other than God Himself knows, these articles, instead, are to get our focus on what truth is available to us to know and understand about healing based on what God has expressed in scripture. It is of absolute necessity to both your emotional health and spiritual well-being not to base your understanding, belief, or doctrine of healing on what you or someone else experienced. You cannot know all that has taken place to cause sickness or prevent healing in both the natural and spiritual realms. It is essential that your understanding of healing is based on what God says about His desires and involvement in healing as seen in scripture. Second, one also does not want to be harmed and prevented from receiving healing due to holding on to erroneous religious traditions. This post today is to remove from our minds some of the common misconceptions about healing that have been spread through religious traditions for centuries.

The first common misconception in need of attention is that sickness is a necessity for a believer, that since Jesus suffered on earth, we must suffer with sicknesses.

The quote religious tradition uses to support this idea is 2 Timothy 2:12, “If we suffer with Him [Jesus], we will reign with Him.” Two points are important in removing the misconception from this verse. First, yes, Jesus did suffer on this earth but the suffering was from religious persecution, not from illness or disease. Second, the apostle Paul is the person writing this quote in 2 Timothy and he is also referring to religious persecution, not sickness. Here is the context: Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Build your immunity with these easy-to-implement helps.

Any time is a great time to build your immune system, but such focus is especially helpful when there are extra viruses circulating at the job and at school.

Here are a couple of tips we use:

1. Add lemon to your drinking water. If you are drinking the proper amount of water for your weight each day (weight x 50% = ounces per day), then you have plenty of opportunity to use lemon to build your immune system. Of course, do not just drop it into your water as they do at restaurants; squeeze the juice of a slice into each glass of water you drink.

2. Stimulate your immune system reflex points. You can follow this link to see a chart of reflex point that you can press on to stimulate your immune system. This site recommends using this technique 3 times a week. Our chiropractor has us do a different immune system stimulator, rubbing on the outside of the left knee, rubbing about 6 inches up the thigh towards the hip, for about 30 seconds.

3. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. Experts used to recommend 5+ ½ cup servings a day; though most of us do not eat that much of fresh or lightly steamed vegetables and fruit daily, I found a link that will give you the amounts to eat based on your age, gender, and daily physical activity levels. Click here to find your amounts of daily fruits and vegetables. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

You can elevate the rate at which your body burns calories and better manage your weight by minor adjustments to how and what you eat.

These are some excerpts from the footnoted Metabolism article below:

1. Don’t skip breakfast - Your metabolism slows down overnight and will continue to lag if you have too few calories for breakfast.

2. Eat small meals and snacks several times a day – Eating less food at a time but more frequently (instead of more food a few times a day) increases your metabolism.

3. Choose wise food types - Pick foods which are healthy proteins and take more energy to digest, high fiber foods which make you feel full and take longer to digest, soups, beans, fresh vegetables and fruits.

4. Eat spicy foods - Spicy foods such as chili speed up metabolism as much as 25% for a short time after eating them.

5. Eat cleansing foods - Do a good dietary cleansing. Include many high fiber, antioxidant-packed raw vegetables and fruits to remove toxins and unwanted fat.

6. Exercise - Exercising for more than 30 minutes can elevate your metabolism during exercise and for several hours afterward. The muscle you build from exercising also burns more calories.

Excerpts from “Raise Your Metabolism,” p.26, Extraordinary Health, Vol. 5

Reading Level: Leisurely

Giving some guidance to your children or grandchildren about your diabetes can bring mutual benefit to your family.

I recently came across an article by Martha Funnell about the importance of informing your children or grandchildren about diabetes. Not only does it help to dispel their fears, but it develops a healthy support system within your family.

Here are the main points from Ms. Funnell’s article:

1. Answer their questions honestly. Not knowing answers usually causes more fear. They also may have heard misinformation from friends.

2. Explain diabetes in simple terms, such as your body has trouble handling sugar so you are taking medicine and eating healthy to take care of yourself.

3. Children sometimes fear they will get diabetes. Encourage them to stay physically active and maintain a healthy weight to prevent diabetes.

4. Reassure them that you are doing everything possible to stay healthy.

5. Explain that you may have mood changes due to changes in your glucose levels. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

The winter months bring added desire for skin care help with dry skin problems.

Those already with dry skin do not look forward to the added irritation that winter weather brings, as severe dry skin can be quite painful, even leading to bleeding, and definitely an unwanted distraction during daily responsibilities.

I recently read a helpful article with good, easy skin care help for dry skin by Dr. David J. Foreman, Herbal Pharmacist, who writes a monthly newsletter for the Vitamin Shoppe chain of stores. (We buy most of our supplements there.) The information below contains excerpts from his article on “Winter Dry Skin Tips.” You can find more of Dr. Foreman’s articles at www.VitaminShoppe.com, click on Articles and More at the top, then on Advice from Experts/Herbal Pharmacist; you will then see the archives on the right.

The first step for skin care is using an EFA, essential fatty acid, such as fish oil or a vegetarian source containing flax, borage, or Evening Primrose oil.

Though either type works well for dry skin, Dr. Foreman prefers the fish oil as it provides many additional health benefits not derived from the vegetarian oils. He, his friends, and family have found that the EFAs work better than anything else previously tried Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

The results of a new study showed that people in their 30′s and 40′s with a lack of sleep were more likely to develop early buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries.

This study is the first of its kind, linking the duration of a person’s sleep to the risk of coronary artery disease. CT scans were done to measure the calcification levels in the arteries. Other known risk factors for heart disease were also taken into consideration, such as sleep apnea, cholesterol, blood pressure, body weight, and depression.

The study was done at the University of Chicago’ Department of Health Studies for 5 years on 495 healthy people between 35 and 47 who did not have artery disease.

Various sleep levels less than 7 hours a night all showed corresponding increased risk.

Of those who slept at least 7 hours, only 6% developed calcification in the heart’s arteries. Those who slept between 5 and 7 hours increased in calcification to 11%. People who consistently slept less than 5 hours a night showed an alarming 27% increase in calcification and the risk levels of coronary artery disease.

Increasing your sleep is as important in lowering your risk as lowering your blood pressure.

Only 1 extra hour of sleep a night had an amazing effect of lowering one’s risk of coronary artery disease the same amount as when one lowers his blood pressure by 16.5 points. (1)

Read more on healing from a good night’s sleep and how to sleep well:

Achieving Deep Sleep

Healing as Near as Your Pillow

Sleep Disruption and Re-Setting Your Biological Clock

Weight Loss Through A Good Night’s Sleep

(1) Study published in Dec. 24, 2008 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association.

Below is only an abbreviated list of the 11 Simple Steps to Do Now to virtually eliminate your cancer risk.

Please use this link to read Dr. Mercola’s full article. This is Part 2 of some excerpts from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter on cancer prevention.

1. Normalize your vitamin D levels with safe amounts of sun exposure…It would be best to monitor your vitamin D levels.

2. Control your insulin levels … limit your intake of processed foods and sugars as much as possible.

3. Get appropriate amounts of animal-based omega-3 fats.

4. Get appropriate exercise... it drives your insulin levels down.

5. Eat according to your nutritional type. [For an explanation, follow the link off of number 5 on Dr. Mercola's full newsletter.]

6. Have a tool to [resolve emotional hurts] permanently erase the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. My particular favorite tool … is the Emotional Freedom Technique. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

With about 12.4 million people being diagnosed with some form of cancer in 2008 and 7.6 million actually dying from the disease last year, cancer prevention is an important topic for all of us.

There are 4 Preventative Measures for Cancer that have come more into the spotlight in the medical field.

Dr. Mercola recently sent out a couple of newsletters with good articles on cancer prevention. The first is on the 4 new focuses for prevention. The second contains his list of 11 simple steps to cancer prevention. I want to share the excerpts with you from those articles in these 2 posts with links to the full articles so that you can read in more detail.

Here are 4 Cancer Preventions that Dr. Mercola believes to be of major focus in the medical realm. Please use this link to read his full article.

Vitamin D

If people around the world optimized their vitamin D levels, about 30 percent of cancer deaths — which amounts to 2 million worldwide and 200,000 in the United States — could be prevented each year.

On a personal level, you can decrease your risk of cancer by more than half simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure.

The risk of skin cancer from the sun comes only from excessive exposure. Meanwhile, countless people around the world have an increased risk of cancer because their vitamin D levels are low or deficient. In the U.S., the late winter average vitamin D is only about 15-18 ng/ml, which is considered a very serious deficiency state. Meanwhile, it’s thought that over 95 percent of U.S. senior citizens may be deficient, along with 85 percent of the American public. If you are treating cancer it is likely that higher blood levels would be even more beneficial, probably on the order of 80-90 ng/ml. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Those of us dealing with our own aging or that of aging parents often wonder which symptoms are normal memory loss and which signal Alzheimer’s.

The Alzheimer’s Association has developed a practical chart comparing which symptoms of memory loss are normal and which should cause concern of a serious illness. People used to believe that memory loss was a normal part of aging, even the severe symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s. Experts have since discovered that severe memory loss is a sign of serious illness.

Dementia is a general term for loss of memory while Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50 to 70 percent of cases. The national website for the Alzheimer’s Association has a great deal of helpful information for those who want to study more details than listed below.

Here are excerpts of the 10 comparative symptoms of memory loss.

For the full article, see the Alzheimer’s Associations Warning Signs page. It should be noted that not everyone will experience the same symptoms or progress at the same rate. If you are worried about memory changes in yourself or a loved one, you can call Alz.org with your questions 1.866.ALZ.4199.

1. Memory Loss

Normal – Forgetting names or appointments occasionally.
Warning Sign – Forgetting recently learned information is one of the most common early signs.

2. Difficulty performing familiar tasks

Normal – Occasionally forgetting why you entered a room or what you were going to say.
Warning Sign – Hard to plan or complete everyday tasks. Lose track of the steps involved in preparing a meal, placing a telephone call or playing a game. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

For anyone who is wanting to increase his nutrition intake and improve his health, raw food needs to be a major focus.

It is surprising the times one can walk into a health store and see the shelves stocked with a majority of what is marketed as health food. A quick look at the label shows overly processed foods, chemical additives, binders, fillers, and numerous other items or processes that make the food anything but healthy. If you truly want to increase your nutrition intake, improve your health and boost the quality of your life, seriously consider raw foods.

I recently read an article about Paul Nison, author of Raw Food Formula for Health. He is a former Wall Street Trader whose poor health caused him to relocate, change careers, and focus on improving his health. After working on his health with the Hippocrates Health Institute’s plan of an 80% raw food diet, Paul’s health was transformed, convincing him of the benefit of eating raw, unprocessed, and uncooked foods. The health benefits of a raw food diet were so compelling that Paul switched to a career as a raw food chef and author/lecturer about the benefits of raw food.

Why does cooked food put a strain on the body and its digestive system?

As Paul explains in his book, essential enzymes are destroyed in cooked food. A diet of mainly cooked food strains the body by causing it to work at producing enzymes that ought to be in one’s food intake. While a person who eats raw and fermented foods high in enzymes jump starts that body’s digestive process by reducing the body’s need to produce enzymes, Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »