An spf 30 sunscreen rating sounds good but it may not be as good for your health as it sounds.  I compiled some lists of safe options for sun protection, whether you wear sunscreen or prefer other alternatives.

First is the easiest option for you. Use the Environmental Working Group’s sunscreen database.

 According to several sites I searched through, the FDA is not updating its sunscreen standards until sometime in 2012.  The EWG tested over 700 sunscreens and gave them a score of 0 to 10, 0 to 2 being the safest ones recommended by the EWG.  The EWG’s study found that 60% contain oxybenzone a potentially harmful hormone-disrupting compound that penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream and 41 % contained retinyl palmitate which accelerates skin damage and increases skin cancer risk when applied to skin exposed to sunlight. (1) .

Check out the safety of your favorite sunscreens using this database link below and find new, safer options here.  Remember a 0-2 score are recommended ones:

Click here for EWG’s Safe Sunscreen Database

Green Living Ideas.com  offers these simple, safe sunscreen choices:

1. Use common sense and stay out of the sun during peak sun hours, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when sunburn is most likely to occur.

2. If you cannot avoid being out during peak hours, try to find a shaded area, an umbrella, wear a wide-brimmed hat, or wear sun-protective clothing.

3. Use natural ingredients found at health food stores to create your own sunblock lotion.  Purchase plain zinc oxide ointment at a drugstore and mix it into your favorite skin lotion to make your own sunscreen. [Think safe when choosing your lotion, too, such as an organic type that is paraben free.]

4. Consume plenty of deep green and red produce; the antioxidants provider sun-protective benefits and add extra defense against skin cancer.

5. If your budget allows, consider clothing made of sun-protective fabric. In Australia, where two out of three people will be treated for skin cancers during their lifetime, a common choice is sun-protective clothing made with a tighter weave to block the harmful rays of the sun and offers the equivalent of approximately SPF 30.

     -Australia-based Coolibar is a company that offers sun-protective clothing, swimwear, and hats.

     -Other companies offering clothing with sun-protective fabrics include: Solar Eclipse & Solartex. (2)

Dr. Joseph Mercola likes to clear up sunscreen myths.

I myself have heard some health advocates promote just being out in the sun in early morning or late evening as a safe alternative from commercial sunscreens and a way to still absorb vitamin D from the sun.  According to Dr. Mercola, here’s the problem with that idea:

1. UVB helps your skin produce vitamin D.
2.  UVB waves are low in morning and evening and high at midday.
3.  UVA waves are the harmful ones.
4.  If you’re out early in the morning or late in the day, you get lots of UVA (bad guy) and not much UVB (good guy). Not a good way to produce vitamin D.  Plus you increase your risk of cancer, and you fail to protect your skin.

Dr. Mercola does promote safe sun alternatives such as:

-wearing a hat that shields your face
-wear other protective clothing
-decreasing your sunburn risk by increasing raw vegetables loaded with skin protecting antioxidants
-decreasing your sunburn risk by avoiding processed foods and sugars
-using a safe sunscreen made of zinc oxide in the following situations

A safe, natural sunscreen is recommended by Dr. Mercola if you cannot avoid the following three scenarios:

• You’re forced to be in the direct rays of the sun for a longer time than is safe…
• You must go into intense sunlight without having the opportunity to gradually build up to it…
• You’re in a situation where blocking the sun with strategic clothing or sunshades is impractical…

Here is the list of commercial sunscreen chemicals to avoid as provided by Dr. Mercola:

• OMC is present in 90 percent of sunscreen brands!  Throw it out. It has been found to kill cells in mice at low doses and becomes more toxic in sunlight.
• Para amino benzoic acid…
• Octyl salicyclate…
• Avobenzone…
• Oxybenzone…
• Cinoxate…
• Padimate O…
• Dioxybenzone…
• Phenylbenzimidazole…
• Homosalate…
• Sulisobenzone…
• Menthyl anthranilate…
• Trolamine salicyclate…
• Octocrylene (3)

Related Post: 6 Steps to Sunburn Relief

(1) The Daily Green “21 of the Best Natural Sunscreens”
(2) GreenLivingIdeas.com “Natural Sunscreen- Not Always From a Bottle.” 
(3) Mercola.com “Summer Survival Kit”

I came across a study by Dr. Harry K. Wong that has beneficial insights on how food allergies can cause intestinal diseases due to the intestinal track damage they create over time.  The article made a great deal of sense considering the people I know with these ailments have not found relief from conventional medical treatments.  If one’s intestinal disease is food allergy triggered, then the problem would continue without relief until the food allergies are dealt with.

Be aware that many people are unaware of any allergic reaction to food allergies.

In my own experience, I discovered that a person can have food allergy reactions and not notice a reaction.  Over time, especially when there has been has been an overload of stimulus from an allergen, the body stops reacting to it in a noticeable way.  My doctor explained it to me this way.  The first time you put a ring on, your mind is consciously aware of the feeling.  Eventually, because of the constant stimulation of those nerves, the body tunes it out.  Those nerves are still working, still being affected by the pressure of the ring, but you are mentally unaware of it.  Dr. Wong also discusses that your immune system can be so overwhelmed by the allergen that it’s literally giving up and not producing many antibodies.

How do food allergies cause intestinal diseases?

Dr. Wong describes:

Food allergies can be acquired because the gut becomes “leaky” and undigested foods enter the blood stream causing an antibiotic reaction.  Thus you have acquired food allergies. This is why rotation of foods (eating different types of foods consecutively) minimizes these acquired sensitivities. This is the most dangerous and insidious sensitivity because if you are allergic to Gliadin [a protein in the gluten of several bread flours], it slowly erodes and damages the intestinal tract. This process can take decades to occur leading to: Celiac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Crohn’s Disease, liver toxicity, adrenal stress, and even other food allergies.(1)

According to Dr. Wong, food allergies can create a variety of symptoms such as:

-fatigue
-muscle pain
-fibromyalgia
-lack of vitality
-stomach pains
-bloating
-bowel pains
-diarrhea
-constipation (1)

Discovering Food Allergies

Though there are a variety of blood and saliva tests for allergies, Dr. Wong specifically recommends a salivary IgA, IgM test for Gliadin, Milk Proteins, Soy, Rice and Corn.  This type of test shows the quantity of antibodies in your intestinal tract.  You will show antibodies to those foods if you are allergic to them.(1)

My doctor uses a type of testing done through acupressure (not acupuncture—no needles, just hand pressure) developed by a doctor from India, Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad, who herself suffered from severe allergies.  It is quick, painless, involves no lab work, and can be done in about 15 minutes.  Once the food allergy is identified, the food must be avoided for 25 hours.  A short series of pressure points in the body are adjusted and that is it.  My aunt had immediate, severe allergic reaction to wheat products her whole life.  She was about 70 when she had this test and treatment in one doctor’s appointment and is now allergy free.  Several friends and family members have also experienced great success from this technique called NAET.  You can click here to go to the Doctor Search page on Dr. Nambudripad’s site.  It opens to the search for North America, but if you hover over the link in the left column of her site that says, “Find a Practitioner,” you will see the links for the Doctor Searches for South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. 

You may also just want to Google your city name and NAET, as there are many doctors trained in it who are not listed on Dr. Nambudripad’s site.  We know 2 doctors locally who have took the training but developed and now use a modification of her technique so they are not listed on her site.  If these searches do not help you, you could also try calling kinesiologists or chiropractors in your area and ask if they do the NAET testing.

What is the hope for recovery from allergy triggered intestinal diseases?

Obviously, recovery time will vary with the individual depending one’s overall health and the extent of the damage.  However, Dr. Wong says that even in people with Gliadin sensitivity, a person removing the trigger foods from his or her diet will feel better within a couple of weeks and typically sees healing in the gut in 3 to 6 months.(1)  I would assume that it would be a similar recovery time for those cured of allergies through the NAET treatment, though the people I know personally who have been cured through it were experiencing other chronic symptoms, not chronic intestinal trouble.

For those of you interested in following up on possible recovery through these non-invasive methods, I want to direct you to one last part of Dr. Wong’s article.  He has a paragraph discussing treatment for those who become ill after experiencing a great recovery from Gliadin removal in their diets due to parasites in the damaged intestinal parts.  Take a look at that so you will be aware of the symptoms and treatment if you experience it after recovery.

1. Click here to read Dr. Harry K. Wong’s full article on Food Allergies Triggering Crohn’s Disease, Celiac, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), and other Intestinal Diseases.

In one of his newsletter articles, Dr. Joseph Mercola explained the results of these different studies. Use this link here or the footnote at the end of the post to read his full article.

The key factor resulting from the studies that Dr. Mercola brings out is that it is the lowering of insulin levels as a result of calorie restriction which helps to extend one’s life.

Calorie restriction equals lower insulin levels. On the reverse side, high insulin levels speed up the aging process. Though eating fewer calories overall does affect most people’s longevity, even more important is that the foods you are eliminating are ones that raise your insulin levels, such as sugar and grains. Dr. Mercola says that beverages with high fructose corn syrup are devastating to your insulin resistance; sodas with high fructose corn syrup are the number one source of calories in the US.

One research on people who lived to be over 100 focused on the type of food which lowered insulin levels as centenarians have lower blood glucose than those who die younger.

Fats: The diet surprisingly included unlimited amounts of these fats and oils:

•  Raw nuts and seeds
•  Avocados
•  Olives
•  Olive oil

Proteins: Centenarians participating in the research who did not exercise were limited to protein intake of 1 gram per kilo of body mass per day; those who exercised were allowed 1.25 grams/kg of body weight per day, approximately 50 to 80 grams of protein per day for most participants. Proteins allowed were:

•  Fish, sardines, and other seafood
•  Eggs
•  Tofu
•  Chicken and turkey
•  Wild game
•  More in link below

Carbs: Only non-starchy, fibrous vegetables were allowed:

•  Lettuce and other greens
•  Broccoli and cauliflower
•  Cucumbers
•  Mushrooms
•  Onions
•  Peppers
•  Sprouts
•  Asparagus
•  Seaweed

Sugars: Participants limited their beverages to six to eight 8oz glass of water and/or herbal tea daily. No sugary sodas or even fruit juices.

Dr. Mercola cautions that we’re all different in our nutritional needs. For discovering your nutritional type, he has a free optimized nutrition plan.  He also believes that some protein sources used in the study are unhealthy. However, Dr. Mercola believes the key result of the research to be that the elimination of starch carbs created major health benefits for all participants in the study.

Specific notable health results were 40% lower insulin levels and 50% reduced triglyceride/HDL ratio.

For more details on health benefits, food lists, and nutritional supplements used in the study, see Dr. Mercola’s full article here.

 Most of us have probably used acidophilus supplements, or more specifically, lactobacillus acidophilus.  However, now there are more choices of probiotics on the market than ever, in a wide variety of price ranges, and in an even greater variation of bacteria amounts.  Does it really matter which you take?

 You will want to make an informed decision based on your personal need, such as are you wanting to just supplement a basically healthy digestive tract, or are you wanting a supplement to relieve and heal digestive issues.  I have used plain L acidophilus as well as some inexpensive probiotic combinations from Walmart.  If you have tried them, you, too, probably noticed an overall good experience of just feeling that your stomach is more settled, digesting easier, and less bloated after eating.  These simple inexpensive types are fine for those who feel that their digestion is healthy.

 Why would someone with good digestion want to take any probiotics at all? 

 As the digestive enzymes that occur naturally in foods are mostly destroyed by cooking, and many cultures eat too high a percentage of cooked food to maintain a good level of natural probiotic intake solely from food, a simple supplement is helpful.  However, if you or a family member have consistent bloating, constipation, inconsistently formed bowel movements, yeast buildup, ulcers, or consistent gut pain after eating, you will want to implement the information I recently came across.

 Though 1 million bacteria per pill sounds like a huge amount, these typical doses are not sufficient if you are having digestive issues.

Experts in probiotics say that you need a 10 billion bacteria per day probiotic intake to achieve any health benefits in a fairly healthy person.  On the other hand, those with yeast infections or candida, ulcers, or other more troublesome digestive issues actually need 50 billion bacteria per day or more. (1)

 Here’s the history on how the necessity of these amounts came to be discovered.

Harry Bronozian was a chemist and a chemical engineer who suffered from ulcers for about a year and candida for 10 years.  Both health issues were under control within five months of regular use of his ultra-high potency probiotics.  After taking 500 billion probiotic bacteria per day, a biopsy showed the ulcer-causing were completely eliminated from his stomach and intestine.(1) 

Why is such a large amount necessary?  Look at this quote from a web article on custom probiotics:

Think about this for a minute. If you have roughly 100 trillion bacteria in your intestines, and different acidophilus species make up about 30 to 35% of that, you have lost 30 to 35 trillion good bacteria. If your test comes back showing no bifidobacteria then you have lost 65 to 70 trillion bacteria. That is 35,000 and 65,000 billion. Now do you think taking a probiotic with 1 billion live bacteria is going to do you any good? Do you think 10 billion will work? (1)

According to the same article, some patients with chronic yeast issues had stool tests reveal that there were no acidophilus or bifidobacteria in their digestive systems at all!  So you can see that if you are trying to restore a level of 100 trillion bacteria, the typical 1 million bacteria hardly makes an impact.

Let’s look at suggest instructions for those trying to restore a healthy digestive system.  These instructions are from the footnoted site below:

-Take 1 custom probiotic 2 times a day for 2 days with clean water, morning and night on an empty stomach.

-After the 2 days, take 2 capsules 2 times a day.

-After 4 days, take 4 capsules 2 times a day.

-There may be slight cramping due to cleaning out the digestive system.

-Raise the doses until you have 2 bowel movements a day, showing you’ve reached the optimum level for you. This usually occurs between 2 to 10 capsules.

-Continue this dose until the yeast infections no longer occur. Or, you can slowly back down to where you maintain one or more healthy bowel movement a day.

A probiotic blend is preferable as you want to use probiotics that fit the digestive needs of your stomach.

Though many people are only familiar with L. acidophilus, here is a list of probiotics to look for in a good blend.

Lactobacillus acidophilus makes up 20% of the intestinal bacteria.

Lactobacillus Rhamnosus is found primarily in the small intestine and stomach with smaller amounts in the large intestine.

Bifidobacteria is the most prevalant species of bacteria in the large intestine with sub-strains such as Bifidobacteria and Bifidobacteria Bifidum.

Lactobacillus Plantarum  is in human saliva and has been found to clear up to 95% of the symptoms associated with IBS in high doses.

I recommend using the link below on Custom Probiotics to read in more detail.

Click Here to go to Custom Probiotics

Table of contents for Aging Gracefully

1. Easy Choices for a Longer, Happier Life Pt.1
2. Easy Choices for a Longer, Happier Life Pt.2

There is no need to succumb to the typical ailments of aging and, especially, feel its affects early on as you can make easy lifestyle changes to creat an extended, healthier life!

(This is Part 2 of a two-part post.  In Part 1, we covered an example of how simple lifestyle changes affect your quality of life, as well as 8 tips on anti-aging.  To read Part 1, use the series link on Aging Gracefully above. Today we will continue with more simple lifstyle tips to increase longevity and quality of life.)

The online organization, Anti Aging Guide 2009, has a graph showing which lifestyle changes add the most years to your life! Here’s a sampling. Use the link in the footnotes to see the full chart.

Note: If you make all the types of changes shown in their chart (not all listed here) and begin in your 20’s, you can add 60-80 years to your life. If you start at 45-50, you can still gain 30-40 years. (A)

1. Periodic fasting and calorie restriction can add 40-50 years.

2. Good nutrition can add 15-25 years.

3. Quality of life – prosperity, relaxation, regular vocations – can add 15-25 years.

4. Regular exercise can add 10-20 years. (A)

The organization, My Health Span, has a list of over 80 Lifestyle Anti Aging Factors, some of which are often unheard of. It is well worth using the link to read the whole list. Here are 13:

1. Calm, but alert temperament

2. Short commute to work

3. Walk 2 miles a day

4. Eat red meat once a week or less

5. Use sunscreen

6. Have a pet

7. Have a regular daily routine

8. Work no more than 40 hours a week

9. Take a yearly vacation of at least 6 days

10. Set new goals and look for new challenges

11. Expect good things to happen

12. Not constantly critical of yourself or others

13. Avoid regretting sacrifices made in life (B)

(A) Online Anti Aging Guide 2009 graph of Proven Methods for Life Extension Full List
(B) My Health Span’s list of over 80 Lifestyle Anti Aging Factors

Table of contents for Aging Gracefully

1. Easy Choices for a Longer, Happier Life Pt.1
2. Easy Choices for a Longer, Happier Life Pt.2

Anti aging is a hot topic as more people realize that you do have the option not to succumb to all the typical ailments of aging and, especially, not to feel the affects of aging as early.

My grandfather decided to make major changes to his health when he turned the age of 39. I am not sure what all food related changes he made, but I know he stopped drinking alcohol, cut back to one cup of coffee a day, and began taking supplements and power walking a mile a day. He enjoyed incredibly good health throughout his senior years. He had a brief bout of severe arthritis in his early 70’s but through research on supplements and faithful prayer it soon disappeared completely. He still had none of the typical old age illnesses, rarely even a cold, when he passed away at the age of 89. On the other hand, I have known people who eat the typical American diet of almost no fruits, vegetables, or water and never exercise. They have already had diseases common to old age in their late 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s.

Many of the lifestyle changes to create a extended, healthier life are easy to make!

I wanted to include abbreviated lists from a couple of different organizations on anti aging. Each website has vast amounts of information to surf through, so please make use of their links to click through and read more ways to have a long, satisfying life.

These 8 tips are from Simply Anti Aging’s pages on health and nutrition. Many more tips on their site.

1. Laugh More. Recent research has shown that laughter really does help us in managing stress. Adopting a humorous view of life’s difficulties can take the edge off everyday stressful situations. Laughter stops the release of damaging stress hormones into the body. (A)

2. Improve Cardio Fitness with Dance. Combining cardio exercise fitness with dancing is a great way to keep fit over 40. (A)

3. Swim Your Way to Core Strength. You need to improve core strength through exercise as you get older to firm up abdominal flab, build flexibility, and prevent back problems. Swimming offers you both aerobic exercise — flooding your brain with oxygen and raising your pulse rate – and greatly improves core strength. (A)

4. Get Antioxidants by Eating Raw. Raw foods are one of the keys to a great anti aging diet. Its shown great benefits on some of the worst modern diseases like cardiovascular disease and cancer. (B)

5. Eat Ketchup, Tomato paste, Tomato sauce. Tomatoes contain more lycopene than any other food and protects against many cancers including: digestive tract, colon, prostate, and lungs. (B)

6. Transfat Triples Your Risk of Heart Disease. Monunsaturated and polyunsaturated are the “good” fats. We also need to keep our saturated fat as low as possible. Trans fat is simply hydrogenated fat – a man made fat for longer shelf life. Even tiny amounts of hydrogenated fat clog up your arteries, putting you at much greater risk of heart disease or stroke. (B)

7. Juicing Delays Brain Aging. One of the worst aspects of aging for many people is the possibility of dementia, memory loss or even Alzheimer’s ruining the quality of life. Studies have focused on diet protecting our brain cells from oxidative stress. 2006 study on mice showed the group of senior mice given apple juice were fully protected from oxidative stress. Not only that but the “seniors” who consumed the human equivalent of 2-3 cups of apple juice – around 2-4 apples per day – had significantly higher levels of “mental acuity”. A 10 year study using 1,800 Seattle seniors (humans) showed those who drank fresh fruit or vegetable juice three or more times per week were 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those who only drank the juice once a week. (B)

8. Have You Inherited Your Stress Response? Children of stressed parents learn the tendency to get stressed out to life’s challenges…Since stress accelerates the aging process, so learn to manage stress more positively. (A)

(This is Part 1 of a 2 part post. In Part 2 we will cover excerpts from “Proven Methods for Life Extention” and “Lifestyle Anti-aging Factors.”

A) Find many more great tips at Simply Anti Aging’s Health page
(B) Find many more great tips at Simply Anti Aging’s Nutrition page

Dr. Holtorf  of the Holtorf Medical Group posted a question and answer session online from his interview with an international news network.  Here is a quote from his suggestions to prevent viruses and infections. Use the link in the footnote to read the full article.

Natural ways to prevent an infection include vitamin D 5000-15,000 per day (best to check levels), zinc 50 mg/day, vitamin C 3000 mg/day, licorice root extract and miataki mushroom D-fraction. There are good combination products available (Virunex, Immunostim). Nasal colloidal silver can be very effective. It is very safe, and no virus has ever been shown to develop resistance to silver. (1)

Dr. Joseph Mercola is also a strong advocate of optimizing your vitamin D levels, not just for flu prevention but daily health. It is also one of the least expensive ways to be proactive.

He makes 2 strong statements advocating vitamin D:

-Optimizing your vitamin D levels is the absolute best strategy for avoiding infections of all kinds.
-Vitamin D deficiency is the most likely true culprit behind seasonal flu, not the flu virus itself. (2)

Here are his 2 suggested standards for vitamin D supplements:

1. He strongly suggests that you have your vitamin D levels monitored to confirm that they are at a therapeutic level, which is between 50-65 ng/ml.
2. If you are coming down with flu-like symptoms and have not been on vitamin D, take doses of 50,000 units a day for three days to treat acute infection. (2) [Notice this amount is for acute infection. Dr. Cannell says 5,000 units per day is an appropriate amount to maintain good health.]

Here are 8 Other Daily Health Practices to Build a Strong Immune System and Prevent the Flu. These are excerpts from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter. See the footnote for the full article.

Avoid sugar and processed foods-  Sugar decreases the function of your immune system almost immediately.
Get sufficient rest.
Effectively address stress.
Exercise-  Exercise increases your circulation and blood flow throughout your body. When the parts of your immune system have better circulated, your immune system has a better chance of stopping an illness before it spreads
Take a good source of animal-based omega-3 essential fats-  Dr. Mercola prefers krill oil. It is also vitally important to avoid damaged omega-6 oils like the trans fats found in most processed foods.
Wash your hands-  Use a simple chemical-free soap.
Eat garlic regularly-  Garlic works like a broad-spectrum antibiotic against bacteria, virus, and protozoa in the body.
Avoid hospitals and vaccines-  Dr. Mercola recommends staying away from hospitals unless you’re having an emergency during this flu season. (2)

Here are a couple of video clipe by other notable doctors on the benefits of increasing your vitamin D for flu prevention.

Use this link to hear Dr. Joe Prendergast explain why vitamin D is better than any vaccine and increases the immune system by 3-5 times as well as share testimonials of its amazing effect in reducing cancer.

Use this link to hear Dr. John Cannell on how 5000 units of vitamin D a day improves health, fight flu viruses, and destroy even encapsulated virus cells, bacteria, and fungus.

You may also want to check these prior posts on Building Your Immune System and Flu Prevention.

Immune System Boosters – 7 ways to boost your immune system

Flu Prevention – Virus blocker we use and other site’s suggestions.

Superfoods Boost Overall Health – Improve your health for a few dollars a day be adding superfoods into your diet.

1. Dr. Kent Holtorf’s questions and answer on swine flu. 
2. Dr. Mercola’s flu prevention methods. 

Natural virus blockers are an effective way to prevent the flu from taking hold.

Last winter, when the some severe flu strains were taking over large regions of the US, we had stayed pretty flu free all season. Toward the end of the season, I evidently caught the strain from a coughing cashier and stopped by the health food store to buy extra vitamin C and see what else they had available. They had a huge display of a product called, Blockade. The store reps said that they had been selling a good deal of the product and people were bringing back good reports, so I decided to give it a try. If you recall, last winter’s strain of flu was holding on for 2-3 weeks at a time. I was significantly better in 24 hrs. and completely over it within 48 hrs.

Blockade is an all herbal virus blocker.

According to the write-up, viruses reproduce in the human body after entering human cells, as opposed to infections in the blood stream which can be treated with antibiotics. Since viruses reproduce within the cells, antibiotics do not work on them. The bioactives in Blockade coat the viruses and prevent them from attaching to and entering human cells. Since the viruses cannot reproduce, the illness does not progress. Laboratory studies have shown a 100% success rate in keeping the flu virus from entering cells. Blockade is sold as lozenges. I believe that I paid about $6 for a pack of 7 lozenges. A pack of 14 is also available. It is very important to follow the directions; the lozenges are not to be chewed or dissolved like a cough drop. You are to hold the lozenge under your tongue and let it dissolve all the way so it is absorbed immediately into your bloodstream, rather than going through your digestive system. If you have taken many health food supplements, you will be familiar with doing the same thing with liquid vitamins.

We found Blockade at our local Vitamin Shoppe (chain store); my relatives bought it at their local health food store. You can also find it at many places online by searching Blockade with Virabloc.   GNC has also started carrying their own version of a virus blocker, which we have found to be very effective.

Echinacea is often used as an immune system booster.

Studies show it can lessen the duration and severity of a cold, especially if taken as soon as the cold begins to develop. In capsule form, they recommend 900 mg to 4.5 grams per day. In liquid extract, 3-9 milliliters is recommended. People allergic to ragweed may be allergic to Echinacea. (GreenWise, Dec 04, p. 11)

Elderberry has been used as a cold and flu remedy for centuries.

One study found that people taking elderberry recovered from the flu in 3 days as opposed to 6 without it. They recommend 3 t. per day of extract or 500 mg capsule 3 times a day. Prevention.com

WebMD has a list of 12 simple lifestyle changes to avoid flu and/or speed recovery.

Ginger Tea is said to bring relief from fever and chills.

Fever and head congestion can be relieved by making a tea of 1/3 t. of powdered ginger into a cup of hot water. (GreenWise, Dec 04, p. 11) I, personally, would mix honey into that to make it more flavorful.

Other Sites of Interest for Natural Flu Prevention-

You can find many sites for natural flu prevention. Two others I came across were Body and Fitness and
Organic Nutrition, both of which list herbs for various cold and flu prevention or symptoms.

Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Your body has a group of organs designed to effectively detox cleanse your body, flush out toxins, and heal itself. From this post, you can use these six body detox ideas to work with your body’s system for good health!

This is Part 3 of a 3 post series, “The Easy Path to Body Detox.” If you missed Parts 1 and 2, please click on the above links in the table of contents for this series. The post contains excerpts paraphrased from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, The Seven Pillars of Health. See the footnotes below for details on his book. (A)

I. Begin with These Tips to Detox Your Body by Drinking Healthier.

1. Drink the proper amount of water. Your weight x ½ = ounces water. For example, if you weight 200 lbs, 200 x ½ = 100 ounces of water per day to flush toxins out of your kidneys and liver.
2. Drink quality water. If you missed it, read this post for filtering your drinking water, Water Filter for Drinking Water,  (Also to reduce water toxins absorbed through the skin, read the post, Shower Filter for Pure Water )
3. Drink alkaline water. “Cells thrive in an alkaline environment but get constipated with toxins in an acidic environment.” (B) You can buy alkaline bottled water, but it is rather expensive, with brands such as Evamor, Avita, and Penta Water (The last is hexagonal water which is the best possible.) However, the most cost effective way to have alkaline drinking water is to use a product by pH Ion called pH Booster.  Use your own filtered water with this additive to make about 25 gallons of ionized water for less than $30.
4. Avoid soft drinks. They are low in pesticides, but contain too much sugar, or have aspartame which breaks down into wood alcohol (methynol).
5. Drink organic. Coffees, teas, and wines contain pesticides, wine and coffee being the highest. Drink organic brands and in moderation. (C)

II. Body Cleanse by Choosing Quality Food.

There are many reasons that toxins have found their way into our food, but here are a few that you may not have known. In 2004, rocket fuel spilled into the water supply of 20 states, including irrigation water. Pesticides used in animal feed gets stored in their body fat; when we eat meat, the toxins stored in the fat goes into our body fat, including the brain. Though some extremely toxic pesticides such as DDT and PCBs were banned in the US, main countries we import our food from still use these toxins on their crops.

In addition to those toxin sources, choosing processed food unwisely brings a host of chemical additives into your body, chemicals which are usually made from petroleum or tar products. Common toxic additives in processed foods are:

Synthetic dyes, flavoring agents, texturizers, humectants, ripening gases, chemical preservatives, emulsifiers, bleaching agents, and sugar substitutes.

To choose quality food, Dr. Colbert suggests:

1. Choose lean organic meats.
2. Choose low-fat organic dairy products.
3. Avoid sport-caught fish and shellfish.
4. Broil or bake your fish to drain off as much fat as possible.
5. Have a diet rich in organic fruits and vegetables.
6. Eat alkaline foods. (Click here to read a helpful list of alkaline foods, Balance pH with Alkaline Foods.
7. Avoid parasitic infections by learning to relax. You need to deal well with life’s stresses for your stomach to produce enough hydrochloric acid to combat parasites. (Click here to read a 3 part post on the effects of stress and how to deal effectively with it.  ) Those of us over 50 also should use digestive enzyme supplements. (D)

III. Improve Body Cleanse with Liver Health and Detox

The liver is your most important organ for body detox, cleansing both environmental toxins and those resulting from the body breaking down foods. Your liver needs to be fed to perform efficient detox.

These foods increase your liver’s ability to detox:

broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and wasabi (green paste served with sushi). Green foods such as cereal grasses, micro algae, plant greens, green vegetables, seaweed, and aqua greens are also beneficial.

These supplements are important for liver detox:

comprehensive multivitamin, milk thistle extract, grape seed extract, green tea, NAC, R-form DHLA, and curcumin. (E)

IV. A Healthy Colon Disposes of Your Body Toxins.

Many adults are constipated and do not even realize it. Bowel movements should take place 3 times a day, yet some adults only have 1 a week! Like a backed up septic system, toxins get absorbed back into the body without a healthy colon.

Follow these tips for your colon to eliminate the toxins sent to it by the liver:

1. Eat 25-30 grams of fiber per day.
2. High fiber fruits are apples, pears, and citrus.
3. High fiber vegetables are carrots, beans, lentils, legumes, and peas.
4. Whole grains are a good high fiber source. (F)

V. Your Skin is Your Largest Organ and Another Way to Body Cleanse from Toxins.

Clogged skin can lock toxins inside your body, stressing your liver and kidneys. Dr. Colbert recommends a simple process of dry brushing, using a loofah sponge or natural soft bristle brush. Make a routine of drying brushing before showering.

Dry Brush Process: Begin with the soles of your feet, working up your legs, torso, and arms, avoiding the face. Take about 5 minutes, brushing toward your heart to increase blood flow. Your skin will feel warmer due to increased circulation. (G)

VI. A Detox through Fasting Allows the Liver and Colon to Catch Up on Body Detox.

Fasting cleanses your body from built up chemicals, solvents, heavy metals, and pesticides, reviving you physically, mentally, and spiritually. Even the blood and lymphatic systems are detoxed through fasting.

Here are Dr. Colbert’s fasting tips:

1. Use fresh juiced organic fruits and vegetables instead of a water fast so that your body has an alkaline environment to detox.
2. Realize you may feel light-headed or foggy due to lower blood sugar and fat cell shrinkage.
3. Fast one day a month, or a few days per month at the most.
4. Do not overdo fasting, or you will lose muscle mass, slow down your metabolism, and compromise your immune system. (H)

A. Research is paraphrased from excerpts of The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert. For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1
B. Quote is from “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 155
C. “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 155
D. “Where Toxins Come From,” p. 153-154
E. “It’s Time to Get Rid of Toxic Trash,” p. 166.
F. “It’s Time to Get Rid of Toxic Trash,” p. 167-168
G. “Dry brushing skin,” p.175
H. “Other Important Detoxifiers,” p.177

Table of contents for The Easy Path to Body Detox

1. Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body
2. Removing Unsuspected Toxins from Your Household Part 2
3. Six Body Detox Ideas for a Safe, Easy Body Cleanse

Reading Level: Gratifying

The air, household products, cosmetics, and even one’s teeth can be unsuspected sources of toxins, creating the need for body detox. The key to health is to be well informed and follow these easy steps.

In this post, we’ll cover how to detox cleanse your household by removing health risks in your household air, cleaning products, cosmetics, and teeth. The post contains excerpts paraphrased from Dr. Don Colbert’s book, The Seven Pillars of Health. See the footnotes below.

This is Part 2 of a 3 post series.   If you missed Part 1, “Beginning Steps to Detox Your Body,” please click here or use the above series link.  The third post will cover six ideas for an easy body cleanse.

Take These Simple Steps to Reduce Unsuspected Indoor Air Toxins

I do not think anyone would question the toxicity of the outdoor air we breathe. However, indoor air also has a negative effect due to chemical compounds used in construction, such as formaldehyde in carpets and pressed wood, cleaning products, second hand smoke, and paints. The chemicals are circulated throughout the house via the heating and air units.

Here are some quick tips from Dr. Colbert to help detox your indoor air:

1. Replace your air filter every month.
2. Clean your air ducts every 5 years.
3. Keep pets out of the bedroom.
4. Avoid air fresheners that are petroleum based or contain pesticides. Replace them with fragrance jars of dried botanicals or use an air freshener substitute of lemon spray or lavender essential oil. (A)
5. Unless you live near a busy road or seasonal pollen counts are high, daily open a door or window to let in fresher air.
6. Buy an air purifier for your bedroom, either a hepa filter or an ionizer. Consumer Reports recommends purifiers made by Friedrich, Kenmore, and Whirlpool.
7. Indoor plants help neutralize toxins. The best plants to fight pollution are peace lily, weeping fig, Boston fern, spider plant, mother-in-law tongue, and dracaena.
8. To lessen dust mites, consider replacing carpet with wood or tile. Also, buy hypoallergenic protective covers for your mattress and pillows and wash sheets weekly in hot water.
9. Reduce mold growth by repairing leaks and keeping outdoor plants at least 1-2 feet away from the house foundation. (B)

Cleaning Products can be Another Unsuspected Source of Toxins.

The chemicals in cleaning products which dissolve non-water soluble materials contain toxins which are absorbed into the body through contact with your skin.

Some common toxic household items are:

ammonia, bleach, glass cleaners, disinfectants, carpet cleaners, metal polish, furniture polish, stain removers, paint thinners, varnishes

Switching to natural cleaning products is another step to lessen the toxins in your environment and allow your body to detox:

Lemon Juice contains citric acid and can be used as a deodorizer, glass cleaner, and stain remover.

Vinegar contains acetic acid and will remove mineral deposits, grease, soap residue, mildew, and wax buildup. It can also be used as a glass cleaner. You can dilute it with water or use it straight. You can make an all-purpose cleaner using vinegar and salt mixture. (C)

Baking soda can also be used as straight as a non-abrasive cleanser, carpet deodorizer, and fabric softener. an all purpose cleaner by mixing 4 tablespoons to a quart of water.

Borax is a water soluble cleaner that inhibits mold and mildew.

Isopropyl alcohol is a safe disinfectant.

Seed-based mineral oil (not petroleum-based) is safe as a furniture polish or floor wax. (D)

If you must use a toxic cleaner, wear rubber gloves and work in a well ventilated area.

Heavy Metals are a Known Major Health Risk, But the Risk of Mercury Toxicity Can be Taking Place in Your Mouth.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry lists mercury as the third most toxic substance known to man. Amalgam or “silver” fillings are actually about 50% mercury. Before 1974, amalgam fillings slowly released mercury over a 30 year period. After 1974, the fillings release about 10mcg of mercury per day into the body, enough to cause health issues in 3-5 years. Hot food and drinks can increase the leaching of mercury. As the harm to the immune system occurs slowly, symptoms also increase slowly; people suffering with mercury poisoning usually say they feel poorly and weak all the time.

Consider these 2 steps to detox from mercury and other heavy metal poisonings.

1. Chlorophyll food supplements should be taken daily, such as wheat grass, barley grass, oat grass, and healthy algae. For more information on this, see Dr. Colbert’s other books, “What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You” and “Get Healthy Through Detox and Fasting.”
2. Consider having your amalgam fillings removed over time. Improper removal is dangerous. You need to have amalgam fillings removed in a proper, safe way by a biological dentist that is aware of the risks of mercury removal. Visit the website of the International College of Integrative Medicine to find a biological dentist at www.icimed.com (E)

Cosmetics are Also an Unsuspected Source of Toxins.

The wide variety of products we apply to our faces, hair, and skin can contain many harmful toxins. Even antiperspirants can contain toxins such as ammonia, formaldehyde, triclosan, and aluminum chorohydrate. The cosmetic industry is widely unregulated, with only 11% of the 10,500 ingredients assessed for safety. (F)

You have a choice for safer cosmetics.

The Environmental Working Group partnered with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics to develop a free website with lists of safe cosmetics as well as a 0-10 rating for toxicity, 0 being the safest. Go to:
http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

If you click a category in the light blue banner across the top, such as makeup, skin care, hair care, etc., it will pull up a cosmetic listing for that topic starting with the safest products available.

Or, if you want to check on the safety of a product you are already using, go down about 3 inches below the eyeball graphic at the top of the page and you will see a search box labeled, “Search for a product, company, or ingredient.” Enter your product here. The closer to 0, the lower the hazardous rating for the product. (G)

Research is from excerpts of The Seven Pillars of Health, Dr. Don Colbert. For more detailed reading, see his book, ISBN#1-59185-815-1
(A) Where Toxins Come From, p. 152
(B) Other Important Detoxifiers, pp.176-177
(C) Unexpected Sources of Toxins pp. 159-161
(D) Other Important Detoxifiers, pp. 178-179
(E) Unexpected Sources of Toxins pp. 158-159
(F) http://www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=308
(G) Unexpected Source of Toxins, p. 161