A few days ago we saw a tweet that just seemed too good to be true:

The gang at #CNN has to retract and revise photo it claimed was child with #measles when it is discovered child was actually suffering adverse reaction to measles #vaccine. #FakeNews #YouCantMakeThisStuffUp https://t.co/tqxTIJdpyL

— The HighWire (@HighWireTalk) February 1, 2019

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

Did CNN really post an image of a vaccine reaction instead of an image of the measles?

We saw the original article and remembered that image but we didn’t think much of it at the time. Of course, we trust Del Bigtree’s vaccine reporting, but we still had to verify it for ourselves.

And it’s true.

Scroll down to the bottom of the Washington is under a state of emergency as measles cases rise article and see where it says,

Correction: This article and an accompanying video previously included a photograph of a child with a rash linked to a vaccination. The image has been removed.

And check the Wayback Machine internet archives here to see the original article with the image.

Related: How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

According to Monsanto’s press release, the company (recently bought by Bayer) is investing $125 million in gene editing technology with Pairwise Plants, a California agricultural startup that aims to develop gene edited corn, soybeans, cotton, canola crops, wheat, and potentially “strawberries or some other fruit.”

My co-founders and I believe the technologies we have each been developing can have a profound impact in plant agriculture and will speed innovation that is badly needed to feed a growing population amid challenging conditions created by a changing climate.” – Pairwise founder J. Keith Joung

Developing foods that will “last longer” on store shelves is said to be the primary goal of this partnership.

People who are increasingly consuming more fresher fruits and vegetables would likely eat even more if they could get items that meet some or all of these criteria — benefiting retailers through increased sales. And with about 40% of the food produced every year in the U.S. thrown away, totaling an estimated $200 billion, CRISPR could potentially cut down on waste — an area of focus for socially minded consumers, manufacturers and supermarkets.” – Food Dive

Because they will be using gene editing technology, under the new GMO labeling guidelines, the products will not need to be labeled.

Specifically, we are deeply disappointed that the final rule does not clearly require the disclosure of all genetically engineered ingredients, including highly refined sugars and oils, and new GMO techniques like CRISPR and RNAi.” – GMO Labeling Explained – What You Need to Know About These Confounding, Loophole-Laden Rules

With traditional GMOs, a gene is inserted from another organism. Gene-editing is different because it finds a gene and then makes changes by amending or deleting the gene.

Already one Columbia University study has shown that this type of gene editing can create “hundreds of unintended mutations” within the target organism. It’s not known whether this extends to gene edited foods, but now the question is, “Do you want to be the guinea pig?” – March Against Monsanto

Sodas are worse for your health than eating sugary junk foods and may even be worse for you than smoking. Soda is proven to be addictive and consumption has been clinically linked to increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, weight gain, kidney disease, heart disease, diabetes, depression, asthma, headaches, ear infections, joint and muscle problems, developmental delays, ADHD, heavy metal toxicity, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, candidiasis, other increased pathogenic activity, increased PMS symptoms, brain damage, liver toxicity, tooth decay, acne, mood swings, decreased fertility in men and women, and so much more!

In other words, drinking soda feeds infections, disrupts the gut microbiome and the metabolic processes, degrades cells, causes chronic illness, exacerbates virtually all chronic illness symptoms, and rapidly ages the body.

This is true for sugary sodas, diet sodas, and most energy drinks.

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

The Sugar in Soda

A 20-ounce bottle of Coke contains approximately 65 grams sugar which equates to about or 16 teaspoons of sugar. There are 39 grams of sugar in a 12 oz can of Coke, which is equivalent to about 10 teaspoons of sugar. Most sodas that aren’t artificially sweetened are made with high fructose corn syrup, so the teaspoons of sugar are just equivalents.

The American Heart Association recommends that Americans consume no more than five to nine teaspoons of sugar per day.¹ We contend that nine teaspoons of processed sugar are too much. Even one is too much. We don’t recommend any refined sugar.

A 20 oz soda has 2.5 servings. A standard serving size is eight ounces. There are 100 calories in one eight ounce serving of soda. These calories are void of nutrition. There’s an easy trick to figure out how many teaspoons of sugar a food has: divide the total sugar grams by four.

A 20-ounce bottle has 65 grams of sugar; 65÷4 = 16.25 teaspoons of sugar.

A can of coke has 35 grams of sugar; 35÷4=8.75 teaspoons of sugar.

If you’re trying to stick with the American Heart Association’s recommendations of no more than nine teaspoons of sugar per day you’re pretty much done after a can of soda.

Beverages are the most significant source of added sugars in the American diet.  The average American drinks almost 42 gallons of sweetened beverages a year. That’s about 39 pounds of sugar.²

Our genes are arranged within double-stranded molecules of DNA called chromosomes. At the ends of the chromosomes are stretches of DNA called telomeres. Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes from deterioration and from fusion with other chromosomes. When chromosomes replicate, the enzymes that duplicate DNA cannot continue their duplication all the way to the end of a chromosome. Consequently, when a chromosome is duplicated it is also shortened. The telomeres act as disposable buffers at the ends of chromosomes, protecting the genes from being shortened. Over time, with cell replication, the telomere ends become progressively shorter.

Telomere length is positively correlated with lifespan, and shorter telomeres are associated with aging and an increased risk of age-related diseases. Sugar-sweetened soda consumption is associated with shorter telomeres. “Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened sodas might influence metabolic disease development through accelerated cell aging.” ³ The good news is that telomere length has been shown to increase with positive dietary and lifestyle changes.

Recommended: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones

It’s Not Just the Sugar

Plain sparkling water is slightly acidic. We don’t believe these weak acids acidify the body significantly but the carbonation may cause some damage to the teeth’s enamel even without the sugar (diet sodas have been shown to cause tooth decay). There is also a theory that the phosphate used in some carbonated beverages inhibits calcium absorption. But neither of these issues compares to the damage sugar and artificial sweeteners do to the body.

Artificial colors and flavors in many soft drinks have been shown to cause hyperactivity in children.  Yellow 5 has been associated with irritability, depression, and insomnia. Caramel coloring produces a chemical called 4-methylimidazole (4-MEI). The chemical may increase the risks of developing cancer. But, again, these risks are nearly negligible when compared to the health impacts of the sweeteners.

Soda has also shown in studies to have mercury, lead, cadmium, chromium, and aluminum.^4,5,6

Diet Soda

Artificial sweeteners increase hunger and make it harder to enjoy healthier foods.

When we consume artificial sweeteners our brain thinks real sugar is coming into the body. We produce insulin to deal with the sugar that’s not there. When the sugar doesn’t arrive the insulin has nothing to store. Elevated insulin causes inflammation and depresses the immune system.⁷ Blood sugar temporarily drops but long-term use of artificial sweeteners raises blood sugar levels overall.⁸ They also alter gut bacteria, disrupt normal serotonin levels, slow metabolism, and they alter how the body responds to insulin and glucose, which can lead to glucose intolerance.^9,10

Studies suggest that drinking diet soda is associated with metabolic syndrome,¹¹ a mix of conditions that includes: high blood sugar, increased blood pressure, and ironically enough, obesity. This can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Artificial sweeteners have been tied to Type 2 diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiovascular Disease, and cancer.^11,13

Soda Addiction

You can definitely compare the intense pleasure I get from a cold can [of soda] to having a cigarette.” – Wouter, People Explain How Soda Addiction Is Ruining Their Life

Recommended: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Soda Facts

Soda May Cause Headaches and Migraines

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are listed as top migraine triggers by numerous medical authorities and migraine sufferers.” – Migraine Triggers: Artificial Sweeteners, (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).

Caffeine and high fructose corn syrup are also common triggers for migraines.

Soda Messes Up Our Microbiome

Sugar (including dextrose, table sugar, and high fructose corn syrup) and artificial sweeteners have all been shown to disrupt gut bacteria, promote pathogenic activity, and increase the occurrence of yeast infections and urinary tract infections problems.

Soda and Diet Soda Are Making Us Fat

“The rise in soft drink consumption mirrors the national march toward obesity.” – Soda making Americans drink themselves fat

Obviously, sugar causes weight gain, but so does diet soda:

Several studies have proved conclusively that drinking diet soda is associated with weight gain.”

[…]

“Those who drank more than 3 of these drinks per day were more than twice as likely to become obese in the next 7 to 8 years.” – Here’s the Science That Explains Why Drinking Diet Soda Makes You Gain Weight

“And for another 8-year-long study between 1979-1988, participants who started out at a normal weight and drank an average of 21 diet beverages a week faced DOUBLE the risk of becoming overweight or obese by the end of the study, compared to people who avoided diet beverages completely.” – What drinking diet soda does to your body and brain

Soda Causes Diabetes

We all know sugar leads to diabetes and high-fructose corn syrup may even be worse (countries that use HFCS in their food supply had a 20 percent higher prevalence of diabetes than countries that did not use it ¹⁴). And artificial sweeteners fair no better.

A report published by the Washington Post stated that long-term use of foods and drinks containing artificial sweeteners are associated with a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Diet Soda and Sugary Drinks May Lead To Stroke and Dementia

High-fructose corn syrup causes cholesterol and triglycerides levels to rise. High-sugar diets lead to diabetes. High cholesterol, high triglycerides, and diabetes increase the likelihood of strokes and dementia.

But diet soda drinkers have a higher risk of stroke and dementia compared with those who consumed conventionally sweetened soda, according to research published in the American Heart Association’s journal.¹⁵

Soda Vs. Smoking

According to this study, drinking a 20-ounce soda every day ages your cells as much as habitual smoking, an astonishing 4.6 years of aging at the cellular level.

The study, published in the Journal of Public Health, analyzed data from 5,300 Americans, ages 20 to 65: those who reported daily soda slurping were found to have significantly stunted telomeres. Telomeres, the little caps at the end of your chromosomes, are essential in regulating the lifespan of your cells, and shorter telomeres have been linked to shorter life spans, diabetes, and cancer.” – Is Soda Worse Than Cigarettes?

“Research indicates daily consumption of a 20-ounce soda (though the study didn’t say over how long a time period) correlated to nearly five years of increased aging. This is comparable to the effects smoking cigarettes have on aging.” – If You Would Never Smoke a Cigarette but Still Drink Soda, Read This

Soda Makes Us Older

Soda makes us age faster. It influences metabolic disease development through accelerated cell aging. If you’re not off soda yet, hopefully now you’re ready to kick the habit. Once you remove soda from your life your body will begin to feel much better, provided you don’t replace it with another bad habit. Waking up will feel better, going to sleep will be easier, moving will feel better, thinking will be clearer, joints will hurt less, wounds will heal faster, healthy food will taste better, allergies will lessen or disappear, and everything in your body will work better.

Recommended:

• Healthy Sugar Alternatives & More
• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Stop Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes

Americans are most likely to die of heart disease. It’s listed as the number one cause of death in America said to kill 635,260 people a year. Car accidents kill about 40,000 people a year. Car accident deaths are on the decline but opioid deaths are increasing. In fact, opioid deaths just passed car accidents. This should put opioid deaths at the bottom of this list of 12 Leading Causes of Deaths in the U.S.

This is a first.  Americans are now more likely to die from an opioid overdose than from a car wreck, according to the National Safety Council.

Vox did some statistics:

Based on 2017 data, people in the US have a 1 in 103 chance of dying in a motor vehicle crash over their lifetime, but a 1 in 96 chance of dying of an opioid overdose.

In comparison, a person has a 1 in 6 chance of dying of heart disease, a 1 in 7 chance of dying of cancer, a 1 in 285 chance of dying of a gun assault, a 1 in 1,117 chance of dying by drowning, a 1 in 188,364 chance of dying in a plane crash, and a 1 in 218,106 chance of getting killed by lightning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age-adjusted motor vehicle death rate hit 11.5 per 100,000 people in 2017, down from a recent peak of 15.2 in 2002.

By contrast, opioid overdose deaths — now largely driven by illicit fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that’s spread in black markets for drugs — hit an age-adjusted rate of 14.9 per 100,000 in 2017, up from 2.9 in 1999.

Click to read more on Vox

Related: Colbert Calls Out Big Pharma For New Plans To Profit On Opioid Addiction

Recommended: Best Supplements To Kill Lyme and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Lyme Disease

Most of the food safety inspections have been stopped during the federal government shutdown. FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb says he is trying to figure out what the most essential inspections are and continue those inspections. To achieve this the FDA is said to have to force furloughed workers to work without being paid.

There are important things we are not doing.” – FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb

FDA inspectors are not testing products for salmonella, E. coli, listeria, etc. If companies find contamination issues the FDA will still publically announce the recalls. The FDA is still checking foreign food, but there is virtually no inspections of domestic food production.

We’re doing everything we can to try to maintain our basic consumer protection role. That’s our focus.” – Gottlieb said in interview to NBC

https://twitter.com/SGottliebFDA/status/1083055700593516545

Some of FDA’s work, such as drug approvals, inspections of drug-producing facilities, and regulating tobacco products, are paid for by user fees. They’re not greatly affected by the shutdown. But much of the budget is specifically appropriated by Congress, and it’s on hold. About 7,000 of the agency’s 17,000 employees, or 41 percent of staff, are furloughed.” – NBC

Gottlieb plans to call in about 10% of the FDA’s inspection workforce to re-start the inspections of the “high-risk domestic facilities.” Gottlieb estimates that the FDA employs about 5,000 inspectors and normally does about 160 inspections a month.

It’s something we currently aren’t doing. I think it’s the right thing to do for public safety.”

A gut filled with Candida leads to chronic illness. It inhibits beneficial bacteria and proper digestion, which increases toxicity and nutrient deficiencies. Candida also increases zonulin levels, the substance that controls the tight junctions between enterocytes in the gut, which leads to weaker junctions and the development of leaky gut. Candida filaments also penetrate directly through the wall of the gut lining and contribute to leaky gut in this manner as well. Undigested proteins and pathogens seep through the gut lining causing inflammation and infection throughout the body. Candida and other fungal pathogens open up pathways for infection with filaments that damage organs and glands. This leads to the immune system becoming overwhelmed.

Candida also disrupts the endocrine system causing hormonal imbalances that also cause chronic illness. Lyme disease, celiac disease, Morgellons, and most other chronic infections and chronic ailments are an indication of an abundance of Candida in the gut and throughout the body.

Related: How To Heal Your Gut

Tiredness, Physical Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue is a common symptom of Candida overgrowth. Being exhausted or fatigued regardless of how many hours you sleep along with other symptoms including headaches, joint pain, difficulties with memory and concentration is a sign of chronic fatigue syndrome. One of the main symptoms of candida overgrowth is chronic fatigue.

Mental Fatigue, Depression, Anxiety, Mood Swings, and Mental Illness

Our brains are inextricably tied to our gastrointestinal tract. Your gut health affects your brain health. Candida overgrowth leads to an inability to concentrate, brain fog, headaches, depression, anxiety, and worse. With a leaky gut, the 180+ toxins produced by Candida travel to the rest of your body through your bloodstream, affecting your different tissues and organs, including your brain. In addition to that, Candida, its toxic byproducts, and other pathogens in the gut can reach the brain through the millions of nerves and neurons that run between your gut and brain.

Ethanol and acetaldehyde are toxic byproducts of Candida which are known to interfere with cognitive function, the respiratory system, the endocrine system, and the immune system.

Candida also affects serotonin production, the key neurotransmitter responsible for regulating mood, with 90 to 95% of the chemical produced in our gut. A deficiency in serotonin causes depression and anxiety.

Related: Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)

Intestinal Distress, Digestive Issues

Diarrhea, constipation, flatulence, bloating, cramps, IBS, stomach ulcers, and most digestive issues are an indication of Candida overgrowth. We need a healthy microbiome for our immune system to properly breakdown food to assimilate nutrients.

Allergies and Allergic Reactions

Rash and hives are typically a sign of increased fungal activity. Seasonal allergies and food allergies almost always vanish when Candida is brought under control. It sounds radical, but it’s true. Celiac disease, wheat allergies, and gluten sensitivity also subside when the gut is healed.

Joint Pain

Uric acid is one of the many byproducts of Candida albicans, which leads to joint pain in various parts of the body, and can lead to gout. High levels of uric acid can eventually do damage to the tendons and joints.

Candida can also enter the bloodstream and infect joints like the knees and hips.

Related: Running Without Knee pain

Skin, Athlete’s Foot, and Nail Fungal Infections

Candidiasis on the skin causes red, itchy rashes to form, typically in the folds of the skin and then spreading to other areas of the body.  an abundance of Candida in the gut also degrades the immune system and depletes the body’s beneficial bacteria which can lead to other skin infections as well. Liver toxicity, hormonal imbalances, and autoimmune reactions from Candida also lead to other skin issues.

Floaters

The longer thread-like floaters (not the small round ones) are a sign of an abundance of yeast in the body. Candida can also negatively impact vision.

Body Odor

Candida converts sugar into alcohols that can contribute to body odor. An abundance of Candida also reduces the beneficial bacteria on the skin that would otherwise keep odor-causing bacteria in check.

White Tounge, Oral Thrush

White tongue is a typical sign of an overgrowth of candida.

Genital or Urinary Tract Infections

An unhealthy gut microbiome leads to most UTIs and yeast infections. An abundance of Candida can reduce the variety of beneficial bacteria which can then allow a select few to become pathogenic.

While some UTIs are directly caused by yeast, many UTIs are caused by E. coli. The body relies on a variety of beneficial bacteria, including lactobacillus, to keep bacteria like E. coli in check. If the E. coli, normally found in a healthy gut, are able to proliferate, it can infect the urinary tract.

Kidney infections are often caused by slow kidney function due to swollen reproductive systems putting pressure on the kidneys (swollen prostates and PMS can cause this).

Related: How To Stop a UTIs & Yeast Infections Naturally, and How To Prevent Them From Reoccurring

Sinus Infections

Like the rest of your body, your sinuses rely on a healthy microbiome to ward off infection. Doctors used to believe that almost all chronic sinus infections were caused by bacteria. Recent research shows that many of the long-term, chronic sinus infections are often fungal. A Mayo Clinic study looked at 210 patients with chronic sinusitis and found fungal infections in 96% of the patients’ sinuses.

More Candida Overgrowth Symptoms

Due to the fact that Candida can affect all of the body’s major systems and infect every part of the body, virtually any health issue could be a sign of Candida overgrowth. While any one symptom on this page doesn’t mean Candida has taken over, it’s a safe bet that if the body hasn’t been working properly for long periods of time, Candida is one of the main underlying causes.

Related: Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections

• Acne
• Alcohol cravings
• Allergic reaction to certain medications including antibiotics or steroids
• Asthma
• Bad breath
• Bad PMS and erratic periods
• Body odor
• Chronic aches and pains
• Chronic nasal congestion
• Congenital heart disease
• Constant colds and other infections
• Constant feeling of dehydration
• Constantly craving sugar or carbs
• Cracked tongue
• Feeling slightly drunk without drinking alcohol
• Hayfever
• Insomnia
• Itching
• Itchy anus
• Itchy ears
• Itchy eyes
• Mood swings
• Night sweats
• Panic attacks
• Post-nasal drip
• Psoriasis
• Recurring cystitis
• Recurring vaginal discharge
• Regular fevers
• Restless leg syndrome
• Sensitivity to smells such as chemicals and perfumes
• Stuffy nose or itchy ears after eating
• Thrush infections
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Vertigo, Dizziness
• Weight gain

Fungal Supplement Stack – Knock Out Yeast, Candida, Mold, Fungus

The first three should be plenty for most people, but for really prominent fungal issues or for impatient people with a bigger budget I’d recommend all of these:

• Formula SF722 – Thorne Research
• Syntol AMD – Arthur Andrew Medical
• Berberine 500mg – Thorne Research
• MycoCeutics MycoPhyto Complex – EcoNugenics
• MicroDefense – Pure Encapsulations
• Abzorb Vitamin & Nutrient Optimizer (500mg) HCP Formulas

I recommend taking the SF722, Berberine, MycoCeutics, and Microdefense with meals, and the Abzorb and Syntol separately, on an empty stomach (like in the morning and before bed). The Abzorb and the Syntol are a bit redundant, but I find good results using both if the budget can afford it. If money is really tight, just get the SF722 and put your money into your diet. And be sure to check out How To Heal Your Gut for more on this.