Arthritis – How To Relieve the Pain and Heal Naturally

Arthritis is painful inflammation of one or more joints in the body. There are more than 100 types of arthritis, though the best-known types are osteoarthritis (which breaks down cartilage), rheumatoid arthritis (which is an autoimmune disorder affecting the lining of the joints), and gout (caused by deposits of urate crystals in the joints).

Any form of arthritis can both emotionally taxing and physically limiting due to pain and stiffness. Over time, damage to the joints can be extensive.

As with any disease, the first essential step is to change your diet. Every cell in the body requires two things: nutrition and detoxification. The proper diet achieves both; it gives the body dense nutrition and aids the body in daily detoxification.

What to eat:

  • Eat a wide variety of nutrient dense, organic whole foods, not processed foods.
  • Eat lots of produce – more vegetables than fruits; 80% of your food should be fresh, raw, organic produce!
  • If you eat meat, always eat organic
  • Omega 3 fatty acids – oily fish, fish oil, blended Omega 3 oil, flax seed oil, flax seeds
  • Soak nuts and seeds before eating them
  • Eat raw garlic, cilantro, and turmeric regularly to help detoxify
  • Add nutrition powder to your daily diet

What not to eat:

  • Artificial flavorings, colors, or preservatives
  • MSG
  • GMOs
  • High fructose corn syrup
  • Sugar (in its many forms)
  • Gluten

Stop all dairy for two weeks then challenge yourself with it (eat a lot of it). See what happens. If you feel ill, see dark circles under your eyes, or experience diarrhea, stop eating dairy.

Doc Shillington recommends the following vitamins and supplements for anyone suffering from arthritis:

See the first link below for the rest of Doc Shillington’s protocol.

When we are ill, especially with anything autoimmune, it is very likely that we are suffering from leaky gut syndrome and Candida. It is vital to stop eating gluten and to get Candida under control so the gut can heal. The goal is to heal your gut followed by every other cell in your body.

Again, this is primarily accomplished by diet and aided by supplements. If you suffer from vaginal yeast infections, itchy skin, raw skin, athlete’s foot, nail fungus etc. these are definite signs that Candida is a problem. [See the second link below.

How to relieve the pain of arthritis

Step one is filling the body with dense nutrients. Step two is getting those nutrients into each and every cell of the body while cleansing each cell of waste and toxins. To accomplish this both blood and lymph need to work in harmony to bathe each cell.

Hot and cold hydrotherapy

Hot and cold hydrotherapy not only relieves pain, it aids the body in healing. It is simple and easy to do but it takes some fortitude. Alternate hot and cold water on the afflicted area for 20 minutes. Start with hot water for a minimum of two minutes then switch to cold for two minutes, back and forth. End with cold.

Hot water drives the blood to the surface of the skin. Cold water drives it deep into tissues. This agitation of the blood helps to cleanse the tissues, much like the agitation of a washing machine. See Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy.

Exercise

Exercise is important. You need to move. The afflicted joints need to move. Exercise is also necessary to move your lymph. Lymph aids the blood in removing toxins and waste from the cells and their surrounding fluids.

Massage

A good masseuse can also help with both pain and healing. Massage aids with circulation of both blood and lymph.

Epsom Salts Bath

If done correctly, Epsom salts baths can be very beneficial. The first thing is to use enough salts. The second issue is to soak for 40 minutes. The first 20 minutes draws out toxins. During the second 20 minutes, you soak up magnesium and sulfates.

The amount to use is determined by weight to a standard size bath:

  • 60-100 lbs: 1 cup
  • 100-150 lbs: 1½ cups
  • 150-200 lbs:  2 cups
  • For each addition 50lbs, add another ½ cup

Herbs That Ease Arthritis Pain

All disease begins and ends on a cellular level. Nutrition, circulation, and detoxification are the core elements to end the pain and damage caused by arthritis. The first step to eliminating almost any disease is here: How To Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem. Many other ailments, including arthritis in the elbows, wrists, knees, hips and shoulders are caused by, and/or exacerbated by thyroid problems as well. Check out Understand Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies.

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Avoid Tonsillectomies and Save Your Immune System

The tonsils are part of our immune system, the visible part of our lymphatic system. They provide the first line of defense for pathogens swallowed or inhaled. Specialized cells in the surface of the tonsils capture pathogens allowing B cells and T cells to attack.

Tonsil tissue is similar to other lymphatic tissue, what we call lymph nodes found under the arms and near the groin. The purpose of tonsils is clear and immediate – they are a vigorous element of our immunological defense. So why do we perform 200,000 to 250,000 tonsillectomies a year in The United States?

Your child has frequent bouts of strep throat? Yank those tonsils! Your child’s tonsils are big? Put that kid under general anesthesia, and cut them out! Once again conventional medicine treats a symptom not a cause. If your child’s tonsils are enlarged or your child presents with frequent strep infections, the question is not whether or not to rip out the tonsils, the question is what is causing the infection?

Back in the days when my family and I still embraced conventional medicine, I believe the first time I questioned a doctor’s recommendation when he wanted to remove my eldest son’s overly large tonsils. Rather than comply, I put my son on an allergy elimination diet and discovered that he reacted to dairy products. Removing dairy from his diet solved the tonsil problem along with his frequent bronchitis and ear infections.

Years later I faced off with another doctor who insisted on a tonsillectomy for my youngest son after his third case of strep throat that year. I called a friend, my former pediatrician who lived in another state, hoping for her support. She suggested a strep test for my other child, saying he was probably carrying colonized strep with no symptoms and repeatedly re-infecting his brother. She was right. After treatment there was no more strep and no need to remove a vital part of my son’s immune system.

Rachel faced the same decision. Her research told her that her son’s most likely outcome after a tonsillectomy was one fewer sore throat or throat infection a year. She didn’t think such a small improvement warranted the risk of surgery. She took her son to a naturopath. Vitamin D (which is essential for proper immune system function) and vitamin C resolved the problem.

In the 1950s when the United States was still dealing with epidemic outbreaks of polio, researchers discovered that children who had had their tonsils removed were three times more likely to contract bulbar polio (infecting the bulbar portion of the brain stem), than children who retained their tonsils.

Aside from our medical approach that bases solutions on symptoms rather than causation, ignorance of another kind has driven the lucrative practice of removing tonsils – doctors didn’t really understand their function.

In 2012, researchers discovered the tonsil “…is a ‘factory’ for immune cells” – specifically, for T-cells. T-cells are vital for fighting viruses and cancers caused by viruses (like lymphoma or sarcoma) and T-cells play a role in auto-immune diseases.

Excellent nutrition feeds the immune system and will help anyone avoid the pain of tonsils overwhelmed with infection.Check out Bullet Proof Your Immune System, and be sure to balance your gut flora. A strong immune system is impossible with an excess of Candida. The strength of our immune system starts in the gut. And don’t forget, sinus infections are the number one cause of sore throats, so check out How To Use a Neti Pot For Sinus Infections.

Recommended Products:
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Johnson & Johnson Subsidiary Fined Paltry Amount for Contaminated Infant Medicine

In May of 2009, a consumer noticed black specks in the bottom of a bottle of Infants’ Tylenol, which were found to be nickel and chromium particles.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, pled guilty to charges of selling contaminated medicines and was fined 25 million dollars. The medicine contained metal particles (nickel, iron, and aluminum) smelled like mold, and included errors on labels.

Prosecutors said McNeil failed to take immediate steps to fix the problem. A search through the FDA website for product recalls certainly backs up this assertion and shows that there were multiple problems with many drugs. The first recall was in January of 2010 and does not address metal particles or Infants’ Tylenol. [Bulleted copy is taken directly from the FDA website on product recalls.]

  • 01/15/2010 – Motrin, Tylenol, Benedryl, more Drug Products. Off-odor. McNeil Consumer Healthcare
  • In April of 2010, the company initiated a voluntary recall.
  • 04/30/2010 – McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. McNeil Consumer Healthcare.

Along with this statement:

    • McNeil Consumer Healthcare is initiating this voluntary recall because some of these products may not meet required quality standards. This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children. Some of the products included in the recall may contain a higher concentration of active ingredient than is specified; others may contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements; and others may contain tiny particles. While the potential for serious medical events is remote, the company advises consumers who have purchased these recalled products to discontinue use.
    • The company is conducting a comprehensive quality assessment across its manufacturing operations and has identified corrective actions that will be implemented before new manufacturing is initiated at the plant where the recalled products were made.

And yet, two months later they are forced to make another recall. A month later another recall for the same problem, and 3 months later another recall for the same problem. Recalls do not address metal contamination until 12/09/2010 and with this particular recall, children’s liquid medicines are not mentioned.

  • 06/15/2010 -Benadryl; Tylenol. Over the counter (OTC) products. Uncharacteristic smell caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) McNeil Consumer Healthcare
  • 07/08/2010 – Benadryl; Tylenol; Motrin, Over the counter (OTC) products, Uncharacteristic smell caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA) McNeil Consumer Healthcare
  • 10/18/2010 – Tylenol, Over the counter (OTC) products, 8 Hour Caplets, Uncharacteristic smell caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole (TBA), McNeil Consumer Healthcare
  • 11/15/2010 – Benadryl, Motrin, Children’s Benadryl, Children’s Motrin, Insufficiencies in the development of the manufacturing process, McNeil Consumer Healthcare
  • December 18, 2009 – Mcneil Consumer Healthcare Announces A Voluntary Nationwide Recall Of All Lots Of Tylenol Arthritis Pain 100 Count With Ez-Open Cap
  • 12/09/2010 – Rolaids, Rolaids Soft Chews, Foreign materials, including metal and wood particles. McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.
  • 11/24/2010 – Tylenol, Tylenol Cold Liquid Products, Labeling update, McNeil Consumer Healthcare
  • 11/15/2010 – Rolaids, Uncharacteristic consistency or texture. McNeil Consumer Healthcare

Drug recalls hit an all time high in 2009 with 1,742 recalls, a 309% increase over the previous year. One thousand were from one company, Advantage Dose, which is now out of business.

Twenty-five million is a lot of money, but for Johnson & Johnson, a company with a net worth estimated at 65 billion, this fine is small. Previous judgments include the following:

  • April 2012 – Arkansas – 1.2 billion judgment for concealing or minimizing the dangers of Risperdal, an antipsychotic drug.
  • January 2010 – Texas – subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, for $158 million.
  • 2011 – South Carolina – subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals – $327 million.
  • 2010 – Louisiana – subsidiary, Janssen Pharmaceuticals – nearly $258 million.

At a time when we are being pushed to believe that pharmaceutical companies who make vaccines have our best interest at heart, that they would never do anything to hurt a child, Johnson & Johnson stands as a reminder that these corporate giants are all about the bottom line. When a trusted company like Johnson & Johnson continues to sell tainted products for a year or more for babies and toddlers, how can any of us keep believing in their safety or efficacy?

If you’ve been bamboozled into believing vaccines and other drugs are good for you, it’s time to rebuild your gut flora and detox from pharmaceutical contaminants.

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Foods That Promote Candida Overgrowth and Lead To Leaky Gut Syndrome

Sugars

Any and all sugars feed yeast. On the other hand, all whole foods contain sugars, and every creature needs sugar to survive, including us. The trick is to eat the unrefined sugars in whole foods that have other nutrients bound to them, like fruit instead of fruit juices.

Most everyone is looking for a healthy sweetener. If you’re suffering from an overgrowth of Candida, no sugar is good sugar. Stevia can be used as a sweetener if the pancreas is working well, but stevia can cause problems to those who have blood sugar issues.

Believe it or not, these “healthy” sugars are not so healthy:

  • Agave nectar
  • Coconut sugar
  • Maple syrup
  • Brown rice syrup
  • Sugar cane juice
  • Sugar in the raw

That’s the short list. In order to heal the gut, sugars need to go.

Refined Foods

Breads, pastas, chips, flours, and other refined foods are out. Whole foods are in.

Juices

Sweet juices are just another form of refined sugar. Fresh pressed juice has lots of nutrition, but they don’t have fiber. All sweet juices feed yeast including beet and carrot juice. Vegetables that are not sweet, lemons, limes, and herbs like ginger and turmeric, make juices that do not feed yeast. Instead, they kill yeast.

Grains and Glutinous Foods

Gluten cannot be properly digested if you have an overabundance of Candida. Gluten sets up perfect conditions for parasites to thrive in the gut. Even worse, when the gut is permeated by Candida, gluten protein molecules can enter the bloodstream and cause an antihistamine, inflammation response.

When the gut is not healthy, any and all grains are more difficult to digest. This is why the Paleo diet that’s been so popular lately is known for healing the gut.

Fruits

Grapes, dates, figs, pineapple, and other very sweet fruits have lots of terrific health benefits, but they are so high in sugars they need to be avoided until the gut heals. With very bad Candida overgrowth, all sweet fruits should be avoided or severely limited for a week or two.

Processed Meats and Pork

Processed meats contain nitrates and other preservatives and artificial colors that kill beneficial flora, which allows Candida to flourish. They also typically contain dextrose or other sugars.

Pork contains retroviruses that survive cooking and may be harmful to those with a weakened digestive system. In addition, conventionally raised animals (non-organic) are typically feed genetically modified foods that should be avoided as well.

GMOs

GMOs kill beneficial flora, just like many of them destroy the gut in insects. But Candida doesn’t mind, and neither do other parasites or very opportunistic and dangerous viruses and bacteria. GMOs slowly destroy the whole digestive system.

Dairy products

Dairy is high in sugar and, therefore, should be avoided for Candida sufferers unless it has powerful probiotics that pass through stomach acid. Incidentally, when a baby has diaper rash, it is almost always Candida, due to formula or because the mother has Candida overgrowth, and the baby is drinking her milk. With healthy mother’s milk, the probiotics in the milk easily pass the baby’s weaker stomach acid and reach the intestinal tract. With adults, while raw milk from healthy animals or humans is better for us, is easier to digest, and does not feed infection to the same degree as pasteurized milk, it still feeds Candida in adults due to the fact that our stomach acid kills the weaker probiotics found in milk.

Alcohol

Alcohol destroys healthy gut flora and damages gut tissue, leaving behind the perfect home for Candida.

Chemicals

Chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives all at least hinder, if not destroy, healthy gut bacteria.

Peanuts, Pistachios, Cashews

Peanuts, pistachios, and cashews are often contaminated with fungi. It is best to avoid them while ridding your body of Candida.

Conclusion

Basically, your diet needs to be as healthy as possible while omitting sweet fruits and vegetables until your Candida overgrowth is gone. The healthiest diet is the 80% Raw Food Diet. Just withhold the foods listed above until your gut is healed.

And to learn more about natural means to kill Candida and heal your gut, readBest Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections  and Gluten Intolerance, Wheat Allergies, and Celiac Disease – It’s More Complicated Than You Think

Recommended Supplements:
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Triclosan – Avoid This Antibacterial Chemical in Soaps and Hand Sanitizers

Triclosan is an antibacterial and antifungal chemical that first came to market decades ago (some sources say the 1960s, others 1970s) as an ingredient in surgical scrubs and antibacterial soaps used exclusively in hospitals and other health care facilities. In time, triclosan was added to many products for the home including liquid body soaps and bar soaps, toothpaste, mouthwashes, deodorants, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, clothing, toys, yoga mats, kitchen utensils, cutting boards, plastic food packaging, lunch bags, countertops, bedding, trash bags, and more.

While initially considered safe, later animal studies revealed several concerns including endocrine disruption, poor liver function and tumors, and disrupted thyroid function. Possibly the greatest concern is the belief that these products and their use are contributing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains.

Triclosan Is Polluting Our Bodies and Our Environment

UC San Diego Health System reports that 97% of breast milk samples tested contain triclosan and nearly 75% of urine tests from people tested contained triclosan. As for the environment, it is one of the seven most frequently detected compounds found in streams.

The National Resources Defense Council sued the FDA, forcing them to review triclosan. In December 2013, the FDA removed triclosan’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status, admitting the need for more studies.

The FDA says they are working in collaboration with the EPA to evaluate triclosan.

Minnesota and Triclosan

Minnesota has stepped out ahead of the crowd by passing legislation to ban triclosan from most personal hygiene products in their state. The ban is slated to begin on January 1, 2017.

Conclusion

Though they dragged their feet and refused to properly do their job protecting the public from a harmful chemical, there is one thing we do have to give the FDA credit for: they blew the lid on the whole “antibacterial soaps kill so many germs” propaganda. They clearly state that the difference between washing with an antibacterial soap and regular soap is nominal.

Though we now know antibacterial soaps aren’t that great at killing all the germs on our skin, they are very effective in creating super bugs. So please, stop using antibacterial soaps and other products for your safety and for the safety of others. Read labels. Shop wisely. Start your own ban and vote with your dollars.

Remember, immunity from germs happens on the inside of the body. Studies have shown that people who use antibacterial chemical products get sick more often. Here’s how to bullet proof your immune system.

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Wakefield and His Study Linking MMR Vaccine To Autism Has Been Vindicated

Wakefield is a fraud! Wakefield is personally responsible for the resurgence of measles and whooping cough! Wakefield is to blame for the Disneyland measles outbreak!

Read any pro-vaccine article that disputes the link between vaccinations and autism and chances are Andrew Wakefield and his “fraudulent study” will be mentioned. Dubbed the “father of the anti-vaccine movement”, Wakefield has been both revered and vilified, depending on which side of the argument uses his name. The funny thing is, he is not anti-vaccine. He is, however, a critic of the MMR vaccine and has publicly stated that the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines should be given separately.

In 1998, Wakefield, Prof. John Walker Smith, Dr. Simon Burch, and 10 other co-authors published a paper in the Lancet, a British Medical Journal, which showed a possible correlation between the MMR vaccine and resultant gastrointestinal dysfunction along with developmental delays and autism. Though the paper itself did not state a conclusive causal effect, it did state the need for further study into the possibility that the MMR shot was to blame. Wakefield went on to publicly bring attention to the possibility, criticizing the MMR shot and calling for separation of the three vaccines.

The publication, the publicity, and the controversy caused an uproar, which is credited with a sharp decline in vaccine compliance in the UK and to some extent in the U.S. The United Kingdom General Medical Council regulatory board (GMC) investigated and came to the conclusion that the study and the published paper were fraudulent. The paper was retracted by the Lancet. Ten of the authors signed a letter retracting the claim that the MMR vaccine caused autism (even though the paper did not state that conclusion.) Wakefield, Smith, and Burch did not sign the paper. They were brought up before the GMC on misconduct charges. Wakefield and Smith both lost their medical licenses.

In 2012, Prof. Smith won an appeal against the GMC. Although he was already retired, his license to practice medicine was restored. Unlike Wakefield’s insurance, Smith’s insurance covered his expensive appeal. There was a clear ruling that the published paper and study met standards and that the GMC was at fault for the earlier ruling. The GMC has not taken the opportunity since then to restate Andrew Wakefield’s license or to clear his name.

Andrew Wakefield recently came back into the news with the CDC whistleblower case in which Dr. William Thompson reached out to Wakefield with the news of a CDC cover-up in a study, which linked the MMR to autism.

Wakefield continues to defend the paper he and his co-authors published and he continues to state the need for the MMR vaccine to be discontinued and individual shots to be manufactured and distributed instead.

If you’ve been vaccinated, check out How to Detoxify from Vaccinations, and Top 5 Foods that Detox Heavy Metals and Toxins.

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Women – How to Age Gracefully

You’re getting older. You’ve earned those wrinkles along with every gray hair on your head. You’ve done a lot of living, but you’ve decided you’d like to stick around for many more years. The thing is, you’d like the coming years to be quality years – happy, healthy years.

Vibrant health is within your reach, regardless of your age. It’s time to take stock and decide what changes you need to make in your life in order to create the future you desire.

Make yourself the priority

First and foremost, it’s time to put yourself first. Chances are you may have been the last on the list for most of your adult life. While this is not true for all women, we have certainly been socialized to take care of our boyfriends, husbands, and children long before we take care of ourselves.

The children are grown. It’s your turn.

Sleep well and often

Sleep is essential for the body and the mind. Sleep experts say we need less sleep as we age – an average of seven hours rather than eight. But they also say everyone is different. You may need nine hours or ten. Find out how much sleep you need by catching up on your sleep and then allowing yourself to wake naturally. And if you can, allow yourself the luxury of napping.

Find an exercise (or two or three) that you like and do them often

If you do not exercise now, it’s time to start. Yes, you can take up running. But why not start with walking? Or turn up the stereo and dance. Swimming is great and so is yoga. But regardless of the exercise or exercises you choose to incorporate into your daily life, do a few get-ups every day.

Get-ups are aptly named. Basically, you lie down on the floor, flat on your back, then you roll over to one side and get up. Each time you get up, roll to the alternate side and use the alternate leg. This deceptively simple exercise uses lots of different muscles and keeps you limber. Too many older Americans couldn’t get up off the floor if they fell. Don’t be one of them.

Eat a truly healthy diet and get the nutrients you need

In order to achieve vibrant health, you must eat a truly healthy diet. A truly healthy diet is a whole foods diet, a plant-based diet, more vegetables than fruit. A full 80% of you diet should be fresh, raw, organic produce. This is how you get the most nutrition out of your food. Focus on a wide variety of nutrient dense foods. Also, make sure your diet includes omega 3 fatty acids. Flax seed oil, combination omega 3 oils, fish oil…choose one or several and make an omega 3 oil a daily part of your diet. Drink lots of pure, clean water.

Eliminate all artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, MSG, trans fats, and GMOs. In other words, toss the processed foods. You don’t need to eat from cans or boxes. It’s not real food. Get off processed sugar – completely. It destroys your immune system. Avoid caffeine. And if you’re willing to go all the way, get off dairy and gluten, too. You will be amazed at the difference in the way you feel.

Learn about alternative medicine and healthy supplements

Conventional medicine does not treat the cause of disease, it treats the symptoms while creating more disease. Learn about alternative medicine but begin with the knowledge that your diet is the basis of your health. There are supplements and vitamins that may help you, but do not assume that all are created equal. There is a huge difference between synthetic vitamins and whole food vitamins. Purchase your vitamins and supplements from trusted sources.

If you are suffering from any disease, heal your gut. If You Are Sick Chances Are Candida Is the Foundation of Your Illness is a must read.

To make your own nutrition powder bursting with vitamins and minerals, check out Total Nutrition – How to Make Your Own…. Add this powder to a smoothie once a day and you will definitely give your nutrition a boost.

To learn more about healthy eating read the 80% Raw Food Diet. Though you don’t need to drink a gallon a day, check out Inexpensive Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge. Between cranberry lemonade, lots of raw produce, and elimination of toxic foods from your diet, your body will naturally detox and you will find renewed health and vigor.