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

When you look at your life, is your lifestyle one of true enjoyment, solely maintenance, or survivable chaos?

I recently mentioned about the need to “plan for life,” especially when life’s responsibilities appear to be squeezing your dreams out of the picture and life becomes solely a process of maintenance.  However, I have been reminded how easy it is for people to believe their lifestyles are intended to be chaotic to be fulfilling.

My spouse has done business in the past with a couple whose lives are in a constant state of chaos — by choice. The one person’s personality lends to feeling that this state of chaos is necessary for a fulfilling life. Both of them, being in a religious environment, either consciously or subconsciously believe that this state of “chaos” is a matter of religious sacrifice or higher calling. Working in religious fields, I’ve seen this concept too often in religious people, and unknowingly lived by that philosophy myself in my 20’s and 30’s. The effects of this barely tolerable lifestyle are already becoming visible in their kids and in poor business decisions, as time for restful meditation is lacking.

If your lifestyle is not one of true enjoyment, the mental perspective needs to be engrained that a healthy, restful way of life is intended by design and necessary for fulfillment.

Jesus expressed God’s design for your life in Matthew 11:28-30, Message translation.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

Several points are interesting in this translation. First, the religious concept of living in a chaotic state of overwork as being somehow spiritual is a false religious concept that will burn you out. Second, living the way God intends for you, a healthy lifestyle with rest and freedom, will enable you to “recover your life,” true life.

Similar thoughts are expressed effectively in the Amplified translation.

Come to Me all you who are…overburdened and I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls…Learn of Me…and you will find rest, relief, ease, refreshment, recreation and blessed quiet…For My yoke is wholesome, useful, good — not harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing, but comfortable, gracious, and pleasant.

Notice God’s plan of lifestyle is not one that is overburdened. We must remove such religious misconceptions from our minds. His way of healthy lifestyles includes refreshment, recreation, and is not pressing, but wholesome, comfortable, and pleasant.

If your life is one of solely maintenance or what you believed to be “constructive chaos,” it is time to restructure and reorganize. Go back and re-read the Planning for Life post if you have not and make a healthy lifestyle plan. Or, if you made a life plan and you now realize that you created one that is chaotic, take some time this week to re-evaluate and restructure it with refreshment, recreation, wholesomeness, comfort so that you can “recover your life.”

The study by the University of Minnesota was done on 60,000 people in Singapore and published this month in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. As Singapore is a wealthy country with excellent health care, doctors believe that the results readily apply to other industrialized nations. It appears that as insulin is made in the pancreas, soda interferes with insulin levels, then contributing to cancerous cell growth in the pancreas. Similarly, diabetes, a disease in which the body’s insulin production is compromised, is also known to increase pancreatic cancer risk.

Natural sugar in fruit juice did not create the same cancer risk.

Dr. Mark Pereira, the study’s lead researcher, believes a possible explanation is that soda drinkers usually have other poor health habits which also increase their risk level, such as smoking and eating red meat, two lifestyle factors already linked to cancer.

230,000 people are diagnosed each year with pancreatic cancer.

The American Cancer Society estimates that only 5% survive for 5 years. Identifying risk factors such as the soft drink correlation could save thousands of lives. Other known causes of pancreatic cancer (in addition to diabetes, smoking, and eating red meat) include:

• genetics
• ethnicity
• old age
• obesity
• excessive alcohol consumption

Where should you draw the line with sugar consumption?

A single can of soda contains 13 teaspoons of sugar. The American Heart Association says women should have less than 6 ½ teaspoons of sugar a day and men 9 1/2 teaspoons.

Excerpts from:
Soft Drink and Juice Consumption and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: The Singapore Chinese Health Study
Sugar Fuels Tumor Growth, Says Major New Study

Table of contents for Lupus

1. Lupus Symptoms & Causes Part 1
2. Natural Lupus Treatment and Lifestyle Changes Part 2

Natural supplements and lifestyle changes can bring significant improvement to lupus by strengthening the immune system and lessoning the risk of other disease with overall better health.

Due to the lack of progress in a cure for lupus and the frequent side effects from the long-term usage of prescribed corticosteroid, implementing a healthy diet, body cleansing, exercise, and natural supplements offer promising options toward a better life for those diagnosed with lupus.

Long-term use of corticosteroids, such as used in the treatment of SLE, can result in adrenal atrophy and suppression of the body’s natural defenses in the immune system. In addition, the treatment often results in side effects such as:

• mood swings
• depression
• generalized edema of body and face
• redistribution of body fat to the abdomen
• weight gain
• lethargy (1)

We are going to briefly cover lupus research results from 4 various health sites, and then take a detailed look at the research and lifestyle changes suggested by Dr. Ray Sahelian, which will be extremely helpful for lupus sufferer determined to improve his or her health.

**It should be noted that there are some slight variations in suggested supplements between the sites. I want to emphasize 2 main points in this regard:

1. I would suggest avoiding any supplement that is questioned as safe by even 1 of the following doctors unless you first discuss it with your physician and have a plan for discerning possible side effects.

2. Before taking any new supplement, research it for any possible side effects relevant to your health, such as allergies, interaction with prescriptions, affect on blood pressure, etc.  The first site is one I have used personally; the second is one I just came across.

Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia              Personal Health Zone

Prevention.com focuses on Omega 3 Fish Oils and Antioxidants for lupus improvement.

The omega 3 fatty acids in fish oil — EPA and DHA — has prevented autoimmune lupus in animals. Studies on humans have been shown to decrease inflammation. 20 grams of fish oil per day combined with a low-fat diet led to significant improvement in 14 out of 17 SLE patients in only 12 weeks. Lower amounts of fish oil did not help.(2)

Truehealth.org also incredible results from fish oil! You can use the footnote to read the studies if you wish but they are very technical. Their summary of the studies says, “Oral supplementation of EPA and DHA [from fish oil] induced a prolonged remission of SLE in 10 consecutive patients without any side effects.(3)

Antioxidant levels are typically low in SLE patients. Supplements of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium improved the health of animals with SLE. Between 800-2,000 IU of vitamin E per day showed good to excellent improvement in people with DLE. Lower amounts of E did not appear beneficial. In another trial, 10 to 15 grams of pantothenic acid per day with 1,500 to 3,000 IU of E proved helpful to DLE patients.(2)

Prevention.com expresses concern over the use of DHEA in treatment of lupus as there is no long-term safety study on humans. There were minimal side effects in high doses of 50 mg per day or more but high doses of DHEA long-term in animals have produced cancer.

Chiro.org provides specific doses for lupus improvement with Omega 3 oils, more specifically flax seed oil.

In mice studies, fish oil slowed renal damage in lupus mice. Age related decline was greatly reduced by combining fish oil and a low calorie diet.

30 grams a day of flax seed oil reduced kidney inflammation in lupus patients as well as lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Chiro.org says it is important to note that flax seed oil had a direct effect on reducing the antibody profile which did not take place with safflower, Juniperus virginiana, fish, corn, soybean oils, or fish oil.

Vitamin A at 100,000 IU daily for two weeks showed beneficial immune system improvement with no side effects in 10 women. However, long-term studies have not been conducted for this.

SLE patients are consistently Vitamin D deficient. As it is important to the regulation of the immune system, Chiro.org suggests that it is likely to be helpful.

Chiro.org also suggests the same antioxidant treatment as Prevention.com to slow the tissue damage common to SLE.

Dr. Ray Sahelian had the most extensive program for natural lupus treatment that I could find on the web.

We’ve referred to research by Dr. Sahelian for other health matters in the past and found his research sound and helpful.

As health problems never actually have a “single cause,” the most effective treatment must involve lifestyle changes for overall health. Dr. Sahelian offers a list of helpful supplements as well as detailed plan for lifestyle change to improve one’s immune system and overall health.

The first link to his site is for suggested supplements. He says that many herbs have not been researched for effectiveness, but he posts a list of supplements that have been tested as well as descriptions of the studies. We will refer to the supplements here, but, as the studies are quite tedious reading, those of you who want to read the details can use the link (footnote 5) below.

Dr. Sahelian’s Suggested Supplements for Lupus (5)

Fish Oils and Omega-3 Fatty Acids- Fish oil supplements with both DHA and EPA improve symptoms of SLE. Take 1-3 capsules daily if not eating fish. Consider eating more fish such as salmon, halibut, and sardines packed in mustard or tomato sauce.

Green tea with EGCG- EGCG is a powerful antioxidant found in green tea, but you do not want to overdo it. Take a glass a day in the morning so it will not interfere with your sleep.

Cordyceps mushroom extract- Take a 450 mg tablet a couple of times a week in the morning. Skip 1 week a month. This anti oxidant is specifically helpful to the liver, kidneys, heart, and immune system.

Lipoic Acid- Limit usage to 50 mg two or three times a week.

Multivitamin- Take a quality one with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals with 1 day off a week. Dr. Sahelian has his own version available.

Psyllium- Use half to one teaspoon in a glass of water twice daily with food for fiber and the prevention of constipation.

Calcium- Postmenopausal women should take a supplement from a natural source such as oyster shell or bone in calcium citrate, calcium gluconate, or calcium carbonate form, no more than 800 mg a day. Calcium citrate is the easiest to absorb.

Barley Grass powder- Use for a green food supplement. [Most people’s diets are greatly lacking in green food sources.]

Echinacea and Spirulina- Dr. Sahelian cautions use of these herbs on lupus until more research is available.(5)

Dr. Sahelian’s Basic Lifestyle Habits for Health (6)

Again, those this list below appears extensive, there is an even more vast amount of info in his article that those serious about lifestyle changes should read using the link below (footenote 6).

1. Avoid the Basic Lupus Aggravators- excess calories, excess protein, high fat (especially saturated and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids), sugar, sweets, and iron. Some people also saw improvement by eliminating common allergy-causing foods (wheat, soy, milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish).

• Some good fruit choices are apple, banana, berries (blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, strawberry) cantaloupe, cherry, coconut, fig, guava, grape, grapefruit, kiwi, lemon, lychee, lime, mango, orange, papaya, peach, pear, pineapple, plum, pomegranate, prickly pear fruit, quince, and watermelon.

2. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, rather than the same ones all the time. Eat actual fruits instead of juices. [Another doctor suggested 8 colors of fresh food per day]. If you are diabetic, reduce your fruit intake. Wash well or buy organic.

• Some good vegetable choices are artichoke, asparagus, avocado, beet, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, endive, garlic, ginger, kale, lettuce, mushroom, okra, olive, onion, parsley, pepper, radish, scallion, spinach, sprouts, squash, tomato, yam, yucca, zucchini. Avoid white potatoes.

3. Drink a glass or two of cold water first thing in the morning to clean out bowels. Add more fiber to your diet, such as psyllium as keeping the colon moving reduces toxins.

4. Drink 8 glasses of water per day, more in hot weather. [Remember the formula for your weight—body weight divided by 2 equals ounces of water per day for your body weight.] Water removes toxins, cushions joints, in addition to affecting almost all body processes.

5. Get a good night’s sleep.  Sleep greatly affects health.  If you are having trouble sleeping, eat more protein and fat at breakfast and lunch, and switch to more complex carbs at night such as vegetable soup, whole grain pasta, or whole grains.

6. Eat more small meals.  It is healthier to eat more small meals then 2-3 large meals.

7. Alcohol should be in moderation.

8. Dental Hygiene- Brush and floss before bed.

9. Limit excessive exposure to sun.

10. Limit caffeine intake- No more than 2 cups of coffee per day. Decaf is more beneficial.

11. Aerobic Walking- At least 20 to 30 minutes four to five times per week can improve cardiovascular fitness, energy, mood, sleep, reduce anxiety, and chronic pain. Avoid exercising within 3 hours of bedtime.

12. Toning Exercise- Weights, pushups, or situps at least 5 to 15 minutes per day improves muscle tone. Try to do 10 to 30 situps twice a day and 5 to 20 pushups twice a day.

13. Stretching or Yoga- At least once a week improves joint, tendon, and ligament flexibility, helps you relax, improves mood, and increases energy.

14. Carbohydrate choices should be complex carbs, with low glycemic index, and eaten in the evening. Use 100% whole wheat bread or, even better, sprouted grain bread [usually in freezer section]. Whole grain choices are barley, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, and rye.

15. Choose healthy protein.  Protein choices are chicken, turkey, eggs, lean beef, lamb, tofu, low fat milk, yogurt, kefir, fish, legume-type beans, and cheese. Occasionally have goat’s milk instead of cow’s milk. Use a small grill such as a Foreman grill to cook fish in just a few minutes. [We use one almost every day.]

16. Beneficial Nuts and Seeds- A variety of raw nuts in small portions are beneficial, such as almond, brazil, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut, pecan, walnut. Health seeds include chia, pumpkin, sesame, and sunflower.

17. Healthy Oil Types- Use extra virgin olive oil or flax seed oil. Reduce the use of safflower, sunflower, and corn oils as they fight against your omega 3 intake. Eliminate saturated fats such as in high fat meats, lard, whole milk dairy, palm oil, coconut oil, and cocoa butter. Also eliminate trans fats which are in processed foods and used to increase shelf life.

18. Sweetener Options- Use stevia or unprocessed honey.

19. Drinks Options- Eliminate soft drinks and any drink with sugar, fructose, or corn syrup. Have a large variety of herbal teas, decaf coffee, and vegetable juices, such as tomato or V8.

20. Snack Options- Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, edamame (soybeans in pods), grapes, nuts (raw cashews, almonds, filberts, walnuts), dried fruit in small amounts (raisins, dates, papaya, pineapple, prunes), Cheese with slices of apple or tomatoes (queso fresco-a Mexican cheese-goes great with apples), cooked kashi at night with milk, raisins, or a small amount of 100% maple syrup. You can also make your own chocolate with unsweetened chocolate, add stevia, vanilla extract, milk, and water. (6)

1. Lupus Article on Healthy.net
2. Natural Lupus Remedies by Prevention.com
3. A Natural Lupus Remedy by TrueHealth.org
4. Natural Medicine and Lupus by Chiro.org
5. Lupus by Dr. Ray Sahelian
6. Diet for Better Health by Dr. Ray Sahelian

Table of contents for Lupus

1. Lupus Symptoms & Causes Part 1
2. Natural Lupus Treatment and Lifestyle Changes Part 2

What is Lupus?

Lupus is a condition that affects about 5 million people worldwide, 1.5 million of those being in the USA alone. 70% of those cases are systemic lupus; in half of the SLE cases, major organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, or brain are affected.(1) As Lupus is an autoimmune disease of unknown origin with no effective treatment, we are going to first take a look at the basics: its effect on the body, lupus symptoms, possible causes, and “why” natural remedies. This is Part 1 of a 2 part post. In Part 2, we will cover suggested lifestyle changes to improve and possibly overcome the symptoms of Lupus.

What Does Lupus do in the Body?

Lupus an autoimmune disease; it compromises the immune system, causing the body to attack healthy cells and tissues from within. There are many different types of Lupus, with no two people experiencing the same combination of symptoms.(2)

Symptoms of Lupus

The symptoms of Lupus vary greatly, depending on the type. Discoid lupus erythematosus is usually limited to effects on the skin while systemic lupus erythematosus attacks internal tissues. Hence the abbreviations DLE or SLE. SLE is then also divided into subgroups based on the severity of the disease. (5)

The symptoms of DLE are:

Chronic inflammation, sores, and scarring on the skin, including the face, scalp, ears, and body.

The non-organ-threatening type of SLE often has symptoms of:

severe fatigue, dyspnea, fever, swollen glands and joints, muscle and joint pain, and rashes or other skin conditions

The organ-threatening type has the same symptoms listed above, as well as negative affects on:

heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys.(5)

According to information by Dr. Ray Sahelian, the most common initial lupus symptom is fatigue. Other main symptoms include fever, muscle and joint pain with or without joint swelling.(3)

Possible Causes or Triggers of Lupus

Though doctors are unsure of the causes of lupus, there are various theories that environment, hormones, and heredity are possible causes. (There is also a drug-induced form of lupus.) For instance, the condition is more common among women and within the African American, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American communities.(2)

However, it does appear that the following environmental factors trigger lupus:

• viral or bacterial infections
• certain prescription medications
• excessive exposure to sunlight
• estrogen
• stress
• various food items
• aspartame (artificial sweetener)
• silicone breast implants
• mercury dental fillings
• hair dye
• toxic chemicals[3]

Oral contraceptives also appear to be a concern, due to the increased estrogen. Dr. Samy Suissa found out that the increased risk of developing lupus in connection with starting on the pill appears to be greatest in the first 3 months of use, and with first and second generation contraceptives which contain higher doses of estrogen.(3)

Diagnosing Lupus

Diagnosis is difficult as many of the symptoms are very similar to those in other diseases; this fact also hinders correct treatment as no one test can definitely diagnose lupus. For example, SLE can affect the lungs, developing inflammation in the lining, leading to pneumonia. Doctors often only treat the symptoms without finding the real cause. Another example is when lupus affects the kidneys; in this case, the only symptoms may be swollen ankles and an abnormal blood or urine reading.(4)

According to information by Dr. Ray Sahelian, before a patient can be classified with SLE, the severest form of the disease, at least 4 of these 11 disorders must be present:

Malar rash, discoid rash, photosensitivity, oral ulcers, arthritis, serositis, renal disorder, neurologic disorder, hematologic disorder, immunologic disorder, antinuclear antibodies.(3)

Why Natural Treatments?

After it is diagnosed, lupus is treated with corticosteroids.(4) Due to the desire of lowering the risk of adverse side effects and the lack of an actual cure, the consideration of natural treatments are a rational option. This is a well worded explanation from Chiro.org:

With conventional medicine failing to make any significant breakthroughs, it is both appropriate and rational to determine if alternative medicine can make contributions to fill the void. At the present time, the use of vitamins, minerals, dietary fatty acids, and the elimination of symptom-inducing foods show great promise as possible treatment options for SLE. Alternatives to conventional therapy treatments are becoming more popular due to the inability to find a cure for SLE and a growing desire for a treatment plan carrying a lower risk of adverse side effects.(5)

In Part 2 of this post, we will cover research results for benefical natural supplements and lifestyle change. Implementing healthy diet, body cleansing, exercise and natural supplements are promising options for the improvement of lupus by strengthening the immune system and lessoning the risk of other disease by better overall health.

1. Statistics from Lupus.org
2. Lupus Remedies by Natural Cures For.com
3. Lupus Alternative Treatment by RaySahelian.com
4. Natural Treatment of Lupus by Webraydian.com
5. Natural Medicine and Lupus by Chiro.org

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