Vitamin D – The #1 Vitamin You Need: From Treating Depression to Preventing Cancer

Vitamin D is one of the most important vitamins for general health and well-being. It is essential for bone health and a healthy immune system. It helps prevent and fight cancer and is a key factor in preventing depression.

In Europe, papers on diseases linked to vitamin D deficiency were written as early as the 1600s. It took the medical establishment in the U.S. a little longer, but since the 1900s, everyone knew of this vitamin’s importance. Contributions to the original research came from different doctors; many of them were looking for a way to cure rickets, a childhood bone disease. But the word spread far after Adolf Windaus, who won a Noble Price for Chemistry in 1928, spoke of vitamin D in his acceptance speech.

And yet, here we are, almost a full century later, with the media starting to publish about vitamin D’s benefits as if they were just discovered. Moreover, there have a been a lot of lies about vitamin D spread for a few decades, some accidental due to misunderstanding of what vitamin D is, some are very much purposeful to prevent us from using a truly natural way to heal, instead having to rely of pharmaceuticals that in no way can ever produce the same effect.

Sifting through all of the medical chatter, this is what you need to know about vitamin D.

What is Vitamin D, Really?

What confused earlier doctors the most, is that vitamin D is not really a vitamin. Generally speaking, true vitamins, such as vitamins A, and C, are found in food. The human body is not able produce these vitamins. Vitamin D is different; it’s a hormone that’s not common in the foods we eat. Vitamin D naturally occurs in fish and egg yolks and it is produced by the body when our skin comes in contact with the sun, The ultraviolet B energy is converted to vitamin D3, which is transferred to the liver, and later made into vitamin D by the kidneys.

Because vitamin D is mostly acquired from the sunlight, vitamin D deficiency has plagued humanity at different stages. In the case of rickets, the disease was a huge problem for children who lived during the Industrial Revolution, when smog filled the cities preventing sunlight from coming through. Today most people are vitamin D deficient due to our modern lifestyles and because we have been taught to fear of the sun (and sometimes vitamin D in general).

Vitamin D from the Sun is Vital (and Sunscreens Blocks It)

Researchers have noticed that when there is a lack of sunlight, such as during the winter months, there are more illnesses – from a simple cold to cancer. It is extremely important to soak up the sun. But many ask, “Doesn’t the sun lead to skin cancer?”

The sun’s electromagnetic light spectrum is divided into different wavelengths: UVA, UVB, and UVC. Only the first two reach the Earth’s surface. UVC gets blocked by the ozone layer. It is the UVB rays the body uses to create vitamin D. And unfortunately, it is these rays that the sunscreen blocks. The ones that may contribute to cancer are the UVA rays, and they sunscreen does not protect against them (instead most sunscreens contains chemicals such as oxybenzone that actually lead to skin cancer and other cancers). And let’s not forget that even though more people use sunscreen, and with higher SPF value, the rates of skin cancers did not

The ones that may contribute to cancer are the UVA rays, and sunscreen does not protect against them. Instead, most sunscreens contain chemicals such as oxybenzone, that actually lead to skin cancer and other cancers. And let’s not forget that even though more people have been using sunscreen, and with higher SPF value, the rates of skin cancers did not decrease. They actually increased.

It is not the UVB rays that increases your chances of skin cancer, but being sunburned does. There is no such thing as getting too much vitamin D from the sun. As long as you do not get burned, you can get as much sun as you want.

To prevent sunburn, eat a lot of antioxidant-rich foods, especially dark greens, as they help protect the skin from cell damage. If you are planning to stay outside for a long time, wear a hat and clothes that cover your body or  stay in the shade. And if you are sure  you may get too much sun, choose sunscreens that are made with more natural ingredients.

When you soak up the sun, you receive the most vitamin D, and the benefits of it are numerous.

A Long List of Benefits

  • Healthy bones: allows body to assimilate calcium and prevents fractures and osteoporosis
  • Healthy teeth
  • Muscle strength
  • Heart health: prevents heart disease: heart attacks, heart failure, stroke, artery damage, cardiovascular issues, and cardiovascular death and controls blood pressures.
  • Immune system: prevents autoimmune disorders, type 1 diabetes; helps fight the flu, tuberculosis, and the common cold.
  • Nervous system: prevents multiple sclerosis
  • Kidney health
  • Proper calcium absorption
  • Reduces inflammation
  • Prevents obesity
  • Prevents premature death

And perhaps one of the most important benefits of vitamin D in today’s world is cancer prevention.

Vitamin D and Cancer Prevention

What many don’t realize, is that vitamin D is a strong cancer-fighter, and by being exposed to the sun, you are actually lowering your chances of cancer.

Vitamin D helps destroy damaged cells and reduces cancer cell growth. Studies have shown that at least 16 types of cancers can be prevented by a higher vitamin D intake, including breast, lung, and skin cancers.

In the winter months and in places where the natural sunlight is not easily accessible, it is possible to receive some vitamin D from the food, but most often it is important to add a good vitamin D supplement to your daily wellness routine.

Foods With Naturally Occurring Vitamin D

  • Cod liver oil
  • Swordfish
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Sardines
  • Other fish
  • Seafood (clams, crab)
  • Liver (beef, pork, chicken, lamb)
  • Egg yolk

It is also possible to take vitamin D in supplement form. Naturopathic doctors recommend up to 10,000 IU’s per day.

The FDA recommends between 400-600 IU a day, but that number is flawed. When the medical establishment studied vitamin dosage, they used synthetic versions of the vitamin, which can indeed be toxic at higher levels, leading to birth defects, cancers, breathing problems, and mental problems. It is impossible to overdose on Vitamin D acquired from the sun, its few food sources, or naturally derived supplements.

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Turmeric Honey Mask For Healthy and Glowing Skin

Known as the golden spice of life, turmeric, or haldi, contains a plethora of healthy nutrients beneficial for the skin. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties have been known for centuries in the East. The spice is widely incorporated in the Indian cuisine and has been used in the Ayurvedic skin care for centuries. Indian women have traditionally used it in their beauty routines for radiant and healthy skin. It is a common practice for the Indian bride to brighten their faces for the wedding with a turmeric paste made of the spice and olive oil.

The main ingredient in turmeric powder is curcumin, which represses an excess of melanin production. Curcuminoids work great for treating skin irritations, sun damage, and chronic inflammation that can all cause premature skin aging.  Turmeric contains a handful of essential nutrients including:

  • Vitamin C encourages the build up of collagen, preserving the skin elasticity and tautness.
  • Vitamin B is vital for the new skin cell formation and for keeping the skin moisturized.
  • Calcium helps heal dry and withered skin.
  • Magnesium slows down the aging processes and maintains the youthful and glowing look of the skin.
  • Potassium has outstanding hydrating properties.

Want To Grow Your Own Turmeric Plant?

You may want to try growing your own turmeric, especially if you are one of those hard-core gardeners. The hardy ginger relative will do best in humid and warm conditions. Although turmeric is better suited for planting in open fields, it can survive in a domestic environment, too. Gardening experts advise growing your plant from a small piece of rhizome bought from a nursery or gifted to you by another gardener. Pick a partly shaded place with morning sun exposure. The best time for planting is in spring. Dig the roots up in the late fall or the early winter, while the greenery is dormant.

Turmeric +Milk+ Honey Face Mask

Although turmeric has unquestionable benefits, the spice can stain fair skin with its natural yellow colouring and make it look sallow. Luckily, the colour does fade away after a couple of hours. With this in mind, here is an easy idea on how to use turmeric in your everyday skin care routine.

Why Is It Good for You?

Honey is known for its anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and moisturizing properties. It also helps even out the skin tone and removes any discoloration marks, acne scars, and dark spots on the skin. Milk smoothes the rough skin and nourishes it with vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Directions:

  • Mix the above ingredients in a bowl.
  • Use a gentle cleanser to remove any trace of dirt or makeup.
  • Apply a thin layer of the turmeric face mask on your face and let it sit for five to ten minutes.
  • Rinse off with a mild facial cleanser and water.

Bonus Tip:

With this mask, you don’t need to worry that the yellow powder will stain your skin. If it does stain your face, use a sugar face scrub.  To avoid staining your nails, wear gloves. To get rid of the turmeric nail stains, rub them with lemon juice using a brush.

For more interesting tips and ideas on how to grow an organic garden and make your own natural remedies, visit the London Gardeners blog.

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Vaccine Propaganda Vs Vaccine Truth

Vaccines do not need much in the way of advertising; they have a way of selling themselves. After all, the majority of people believe that they are absolutely necessary. How did these beliefs come to be so entrenched in the minds of the public?

Most Americans don’t realize they have a choice. Day care centers and schools ask for proof of vaccination before registration and pediatricians and general physicians treat vaccines as a fundamental and necessary part of basic health care. The pharmaceutical industry heavily funds medical schools and medical research, influencing the perceptions of the medical profession, convincing them that vaccines are safe and effective. They, in turn, influence public perception. This kind of propaganda is highly effective when neither doctors nor parents take the time to do the research.

Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps them to deceive themselves.”- Eric Hoffer

Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism

If vaccines do not cause autism then why is autism listed as one of the possible side effects on vaccine warning inserts? If we read the warning inserts, we can begin to see vaccines for what they really are -dangerous pharmaceuticals. For instance, encephalitis is an adverse reaction listed for many different vaccines. When severe swelling of the brain occurs, it can cause autism.

There have been dozens of studies by independent scientists that show vaccines increase the risk of autism. To the layperson, yes, vaccines do cause autism. To a scientist, the word “cause” is a word that is not used in the same manner as lay people would use it. As Judy Mikovitz, an experienced vaccine researcher explains:

Ah, no. Vaccines definitely don’t cause autism. And we’ve talked, and we should talk, about this word “cause.” Because in my forty years or so working with cancer and HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases there are two words that we don’t use. We don’t use cause and we don’t use cure. Because in order for something to be causative by the scientific definition that we use, every single case of the disease must have a vaccine origin.

And of course, you yourself just said 7 of 10 moms feel that the change in their child’s behavior and health occurred following a vaccination, but that’s still not every case. So what we usually say is associated.

So if you change that question and you ask me are vaccines associated, do they play a role in the brain damage and the immune damage that results in autism, I would say absolutely. And there is a ton of data to back that up.

Though there have been many studies demonstrating no link between vaccines and autism, these studies were funded by the pharmaceutical industry or the U.S. government. Both the U.S. government and the pharmaceutical industry have a vested interest in manipulating the outcomes of these studies to show the results that they want. This may sound a little conspiratorial, but they have been caught doing exactly that, manipulating data to make vaccines appear to be safer than they actually are. One such example of this is the study identified by William Thompson, the CDC whistleblower, but his involvement in vaccine cover-ups is just the tip of the iceberg. U.S. regulatory agencies are staffed by industry insiders who are constantly seeking to push vaccines on the public under the guise of the “greater good”.

In order to find reliable guidance, many people look to independent scientists for guidance. However, genuinely independent research is very hard to find. When universities are heavily funded by the pharmaceutical industry, they are not conducting truly independent research either. They do often conduct pro vaccine studies claiming that vaccines do not cause autism, but this is what they are paid to do. We don’t need to be fooled by vaccine propaganda. All we need to do is read a vaccine warning insert or take a look at the FDA’s website. They readily admit that the vaccine can cause all manner of adverse reactions:

Adverse events reported during post-approval use of Tripedia vaccine include idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, SIDS, anaphylactic reaction, cellulitis, autism, convulsion/grand mal convulsion, encephalopathy, hypotonia, neuropathy, somnolence and apnea.” [1]

The FDA directly contradicts the talking heads on CNN and other mainstream media outlets. The reason why is simple: over 70% of mainstream media’s advertising revenue comes from the pharmaceutical industry. Media reports what they are told to report, even when it’s not true. They know most of their viewers will not take the time to do the research.

Vaccines Have Played a Role in the Historical Decline of Infectious Disease

Malnutrition, food poisoning, high parasite exposure, abysmal hygiene, unreliable or non-existent trash removal, unclean drinking water, plumbing infrastructure that ranged from insufficient to nonexistent, these are the factors that contribute to unsanitary living conditions. As these crippling living conditions were slowly addressed, the decline of infectious diseases began.

The connection between living in abject filth and rampant disease is so obvious that it shouldn’t need to be explained, but it has been explained comprehensively. The scientific explanation is known as the filth theory of disease. Most doctors have never even heard of it. They are too busy being taught pharmaceutically influenced curriculum to learn the historical facts.

We used to be plagued with epidemics on a regular basis. When it comes to understanding how people lived, died, and what challenges they faced, the experts are not the physicians. The experts are the historians, the archeologists, and the anthropologists. Asking doctors what eradicated smallpox is like asking them detailed questions about black holes, inflation and deflation, or what events led to the American Revolutionary War. Most doctors are well read, and though they may be familiar with these topics, they are unlikely to be experts on them. These kinds of questions are best left to those who actually study these phenomena – the astronomers, economists, and historians respectively. To learn about history, consult the historians.

You Get More Mercury From Consuming Fish Than You Do From Getting Vaccines

Despite claims to the contrary, no one gets more mercury from consuming fish than from receiving a vaccine that contains thimerosal. There is a profound physiological difference between ingesting mercury and injecting mercury. When we are healthy, our digestive tract does a remarkable job of keeping toxic substances from entering our bloodstream. In either case, the mercury in seafood or vaccines is from an unnatural origin. Even though mercury naturally occurs in the environment, the sheer amount of mercury that we are exposed to is problematic, and the majority of it is a direct consequence of vaccination and industrial pollution. No amount of mercury is good for us, for the environment, or for wildlife. The mercury in seafood is no doubt a serious health concern, but injecting mercury directly into our bloodstream is far worse than eating small amounts of it and is totally avoidable.

Vaccine Manufacturers Do Not Make Much Money on Vaccines

The pharmaceutical industry doesn’t produce anything out of a sense of altruism or for the greater good. For instance, even though we are in need of new antibiotics (many antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria have emerged as a real threat to our safety) all of the major pharmaceutical companies have publicly stated that they have no interest in developing new antibiotics. Their reasoning is simple: antibiotics are not profitable enough for them. It is far more profitable to develop drugs that are used over and over again, like vaccines, psychiatric medications, steroids, and statins. Disease and symptom management is far more profitable than developing drugs that actually cure or prevent illness. The first antibiotics were not developed by the industry but rather by independent scientists. Although antibiotics are no doubt egregiously overused, when used appropriately, they can save lives and cure infection. Big Pharma has the means to develop drugs that save lives and cure disease. In reality, this almost never happens because there is a lot more money to be made through symptom management. It is a comforting thought to believe that vaccines are made for the common good, but sadly they are made for money. The bottom line is the pharmaceutical industry only cares about the bottom line.

Each vaccine is worth billions of dollars, and that is why there are hundreds of them in development. There is no liability on vaccines, and if a vaccine causes permanent injury (such as autism, ADHD, asthma, or immune disorders) most parents hold to the belief that medications are needed indefinitely to manage these syndromes. Obviously, this makes the pharmaceutical companies even more money.

Our children are sicker now than many generations past. As before, there are many reasons for this: diets heavy in processed foods, GMOs, sedentary lifestyles, and chemical pollutants. However, the primary reason that our young are in worse health than previous generations is vaccination. It is the profit motive that drives vaccine mandates. If vaccines were held to the same standards of liability as everything else that is bought and sold in America, vaccine research and production would halt faster than you could say “accountability”.

Adverse Reactions to Vaccines are Rare

If you don’t believe that vaccines are safe and effective, then industry hopes that you will believe that they are usually safe, and usually effective. Despite the fact that vaccines are filled with neurotoxins, Big Pharma has worked very hard to spread the belief that vaccine reactions are rare. This is, after all, what parents are told by their doctors. In truth, rare is the new normal.

At present, we are experiencing an epidemic of autism, ADHD, neurological disorders, asthma, SIDS, and several chronic illnesses. We are told by vaccine manufacturers that these rising rates of chronic illnesses are a mystery – that vaccines have nothing to do with it. If it is all coincidence, it is the biggest coincidence the world has ever seen.

Neurological disorders are on the rise and as more vaccines are added to the CDC’s vaccine schedule the rates of autism rise along with increased vaccinations. Before vaccines were invented, SIDS was so rare as to have gone unnamed. In fact, SIDS happened so rarely that it almost didn’t exist. Unfortunately, this is the case with countless other syndromes. The same goes for autism. Before vaccines, no one, not even the experts, knew that such a neurological disorder even existed. Other chronic conditions such as autoimmune diseases and ADHD have also been on the rise, increasing alongside the ever-growing vaccine schedule.

A vaccine is designed to agitate the immune system into developing a lasting immune response. Sometimes this backfires in the worst and most noticeable way. What often goes unnoticed are problems that don’t tightly correspond with recent vaccines. A lasting immune response could leave us with what we see today, an epidemic of chronic illnesses. A genetic epidemic is a biological impossibility. However, environmental toxins injected into the body can account for this sudden rise in chronic illnesses. It is vaccines that are causing these rising rates of chronic illness, but proving it is very difficult when the truth is overshadowed by propaganda.

Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s Research was Fraudulent

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. Ironically, he is not anti-vaccine. But he dares to criticize them, and for that he’s been vilified. Wakefield has done expert research that fully supports his argument. The Japanese only administer the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines separately, and yet no one claims all of the Japanese are fathers of anti-vaccine movements or frauds. The Japanese are also, on average, far healthier than most Westerners.

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 responsible. In a radio interview, 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 was 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, despite all evidence to the contrary, 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. The reason why he was successful in getting vindicated while Wakefield was not is simple. Unlike Wakefield’s insurance, Smith’s insurance covered his expensive appeal. There was a clear ruling that the published paper and study met academic standards and that the GMC was at fault in their earlier ruling. The GMC has not taken the opportunity since then to restate Andrew Wakefield’s license or to clear his name. In order to fuel the vaccine propaganda machine, Wakefield’s work is to be unceasingly attacked, regardless of how scientifically valid it is. The same thing has been done to Judy Mikovitz , and the movie Vaxxed. In the battle for the hearts and minds of the public, open scientific discourse is widely discouraged and crushed whenever possible.

The Toxic Ingredients in Vaccines are Needed in Order to Make them Work

Since the 1800s, homeoprophylaxis, a non-toxic, safe, and effective alternative to vaccination has been in use.  Homeoprophylaxis or HP is the use of diluted and potentized disease products, called “nosodes” to elicit an immune response. Our bodies response to HP serves to educate our immune system in such a way as to make us highly resistant to the real pathogen. Homeoprophylaxis has been clinically shown to reduce the incidence of both infectious as well as chronic disease.

The goal of HP is the same as the stated goal of conventional vaccination – disease protection and improved health, but the differences are so profound as to make them a world apart. The most obvious difference is that the purity of nosodes as compared to the purity of conventional vaccines. HP nosodes contain no additives whatsoever – no antibiotics, no preservatives, no detergents, no foreign DNA, no unknown viruses, and no foreign DNA are present.

HP nosodes are administered on small sugar pellets. They dissolve on the tongue and enter the system by way of the natural route past mucous membrane. Here the natural process of disease recognition can begin in the way that Mother Nature intended. Bypassing this route by injecting a substance directly into the bloodstream is like an ambush attack to the immune system. There is no opportunity to mount a preliminary response in a biologically appropriate way. This proves that toxic ingredients are not needed to make a vaccine work.

High Vaccination Rates are Needed for “Herd Immunity”

Herd immunity does not have the narrow definition generally used today. Herd immunity as generated by vaccines has never been proven to exist, and there is no evidence that supports it. The kind of herd immunity that is evidence based is something else entirely. Real herd immunity is something that survivors of epidemics retain and pass on to their children. The survivors of plagues, both Europeans and those they encounter, all end up with some measure of herd immunity or they perish.

When the Desoto expedition first came through North America, infectious diseases came with them. Indigenous peoples of North America had no natural resistance to these diseases; they had no herd immunity. Long after the Desoto expedition was fought off, pathogenic microbes lingered, devastating the Native Americans. One disease after another spread through native cities, diseases like smallpox, cholera, typhoid fever, and so on. Europeans had centuries to develop resistance to these diseases. The Native Americans were not granted the same luxury of time. Over 90% of the North American continent’s original inhabitants were wiped out by these epidemics. Indigenous peoples of South America suffered these same ravages of disease. Thankfully, the survivors developed an increased resistance to these epidemics. The survivors had herd immunity, and this was passed on to their children. This is why their children showed resistance to European diseases and didn’t die from infectious disease 90% of the time like other natives.

No vaccines were developed that bolstered this immunity. It was and always has been an inherited resistance. Obviously, the children of those who survived diseases were more resistant to disease despite having not been previously exposed. The survival of the fittest, leaves us with herd immunity, not vaccination.

The Tetanus Vaccine Saves Lives, and is Needed Immediately Following an Injury

The cure for tetanus, a painful and potentially fatal disease, has long been pursued by medical researchers. A cure for tetanus has proven elusive, so in the absence of a cure, the medical community has latched on to the idea of prevention. So far, these efforts have proven ineffective. It is blind faith that motivates the tetanus vaccine, faith in a vaccination that has never been proven to work. Harvard trained immunologist Tetyana Obukhanych, PhD explains:

The tetanus toxin, called tetanospasmin, is produced by numerous C. tetani bacterial strains. C. tetani normally live in animal intestines, notably in horses, without causing tetanus to their intestinal carriers. These bacteria require anaerobic (no oxygen) conditions to be active, whereas in the presence of oxygen they turn into resilient but inactive spores, which do not produce the toxin. It has been recognized that inactive tetanus spores are ubiquitous in the soil. Tetanus can result from the exposure to C. tetani via poorly managed tetanus-prone wounds or cuts, but not from oral ingestion of tetanus spores. Quite to the contrary, oral exposure to C. tetani has been found to build resistance to tetanus without carrying the risk of disease[2]

Doctors typically give someone a DTaP vaccine as a treatment for tetanus infections. This is actually contraindicated. This is one of the most persistent falsehoods about vaccines, but one that can be quickly dispelled by simply reading the vaccine’s instructions. It reads:

“Tripedia vaccine is not to be used for treatment of B pertussis, C diphtheriae, or C tetani infections.” [3]

It is used in this manner anyway, despite instructions to the contrary.

You Need The DTaP Vaccine If You Are Pregnant

Whooping cough or pertussis can kill people, especially infants, but so can the DTaP vaccine, and the vaccine often does. What is an expectant mother to do? We recommend taking the time to do the research and read the vaccine warning label. It reads:

Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with Tripedia vaccine. It is not known whether Tripedia vaccine can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproductive capacity. Tripedia vaccine is NOT indicated for women of child-bearing age. [4]

Doctors recommend it anyway, even though it’s never been tested on pregnant women. The only thing that we know for sure about vaccines is that they tend to generate antibodies, but this does not equate to immunity or even resistance to infectious disease.

Conclusion

Vaccinations are an effort to eradicate infectious diseases, but sadly this effort has backfired. Diseases have become more prevalent in the young than in previous generations, and chronic illnesses are now commonplace. Measles, whooping cough, and other vaccine-preventable illnesses can and often do strike the well vaccinated.

Though governments claim it would be unethical to do a study that compared vaccinated to unvaccinated children, the reality is they would not want the public to see just how much healthier unvaccinated children truly are. Despite the supposed ethical controversy, some independent scientists are studying this. Studies have begun to emerge that show that the unvaccinated are healthier than their vaccinated peers. A study from 1992 examined the health of children in New Zealand and found that, typically, unvaccinated children had fewer chronic illnesses than vaccinated children. A similar longitudinal study out of Germany showed the same results.

Truth will win out over propaganda eventually, but it will take some time. When the news boldly proclaims that vaccines do not cause autism, they are spreading propaganda, the kind of lies that are not supported by independent science. Ironically, when parents take the time to do the research or even read a vaccine warning insert, they are often labeled conspiracy theorists. According to Merriam-Webster, the definition of a conspiracy is “a secret plan made by two or more people to do something that is harmful or illegal”. Conspiracies can and do happen. They are aided and abetted by propaganda and by the willingness of those trusting enough to deceive themselves.

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Healing Allergy Inflammation With Stinging Nettle

Many of us look forward to Spring. The weather warms up.  We start spending more time outdoors. Plants are growing, and flowers are blooming everywhere. When spring is in the air, so is pollen. For those of us with seasonal allergies, spring is not as lovely. Fortunately, nature has a way with timing and can really help us out if we pay attention.

In the spring, just as all those flowers, grasses and trees are blooming and releasing clouds of pollen, stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) are popping up in full force, ready to come to the rescue.  Not only are they an amazing superfood and an all around useful medicinal plant, nettles work wonders for reducing inflammation.

This is an important thing to know because inflammation doesn’t stop with our sinuses and seasonal respiratory allergies. Food allergies and associated digestive inflammation are a huge problem for many people, and most of the over-the-counter treatments only make the situation worse.

Nettles are a safe, soothing treatment for inflammation, offering the added benefits of vitamins, minerals, and immune-boosting properties.  It’s time to make friends with the stinging nettle, folks. You won’t regret it.

Nettles and Seasonal Allergies

Stinging nettles have been used for centuries as a natural treatment for seasonal allergies,  hay fever, asthma, and hives. Research has shown that consuming nettles in freeze dried capsules effectively reduces histamine levels in the body, thus reducing inflammation of affected tissues. Even a simple nettle tea consumed daily throughout the pollen and allergy season will alleviate allergy symptoms.

Common symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, runny noses, and stuffed up sinuses  are treated as effectively, if not more so, by stinging nettle than over the counter allergy medications. It has been suggested that nettles actually desensitize the body to allergens and decrease our reaction to the allergens over time. Nettles will also spare you the side effects that come with allergy medications, like drowsiness or irritation and ulcers of the digestive tract, which leads to a whole other set of inflammation issues you don’t want.

With high levels of iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, sulphur, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, silicon, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K,  iron, and chlorophyll,  they will leave you feeling energized while assisting your immune system in overcoming the allergy response.

Nettles and Digestive Inflammation

Inflammation of the digestive tract has become a common reality that many of us deal with, and this isn’t really surprising when you look at the variety of culprits  and how common they are in our modern lives.  Food allergies, Candida imbalance, NSAID medications (ibuprofin, aspirin, etc.), chronic stress, sugars, highly processed foods, and environmental toxins are all potential sources of digestive inflammation and daily struggles for a lot of folks out there.

The most common go-to treatment tends to be over-the-counter NSAID medications that target pain and swelling, but they, in fact, contribute to the irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. Here is where the anti-inflammatory benefits of nettles come into play.

When the leaves and stems of stinging nettle are digested, either in the form of a tea, tincture, capsule, or culinary green, the chemical constituents interfere with the body’s production of prostaglandins, resulting in an anti-inflammatory response. Nettles also interfere with pain signals in the body, clean out the intestinal tract, and boost the immune system, providing relief and healing for issues of the digestive system.

Given these healing properties, nettles are beneficial in healing leaky gut syndrome and are listed as a therapeutic ingredient in the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet. Nettle tea has been noted as a successful treatment for individuals dealing with gluten intolerance and Celiac disease to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation and discomfort.

Ulcerative colitis and ulcers in other areas of the digestive tract can also benefit from nettles, as they stop internal bleeding  and re-build  the blood with their high iron content and aided absorption.

Nettles for Pet Allergy Care

Allergies are not only an issue for people; their canine companions suffer from them as well. Dog owners may associate the springtime with treating “itchy dog syndrome” along with their pet’s eye discharge, ear infections, and overall discomfort. Stinging nettle is a natural anti-inflammatory for dogs to reduce levels of histamines, detox their system, and help desensitize their body to allergens. By giving dogs regular nettle supplements during allergy season, their allergies have been shown to actually go away over time. Nettles can be administered to dogs by adding it in freeze dried form to their food or through supplementation.

Where to Find Nettles

If you are interested in wildcrafting your own nettles, you can find them growing in moist soils at the edge of forests, streams, marshy areas, and pastures. You may even find them growing in your own backyard. They are one of the first plants to come up in the spring. They are very distinct with square shaped stems and opposite, serrated leaves tapered to a point, so they are fairly easy to find. With a good plant ID guide and advice from local foragers, you can venture out and gather your own nettles all through the spring months.

You can also establish a nettle patch at home in your garden either with nettle seeds from an heirloom seed company or by transplanting rhizomes from wild nettle patches. If you are working with fresh nettles, be sure to wear gloves while picking and handling them in the kitchen. The prickly hairs on the skin contain formic acid and can cause an irritation to the skin, which is a nuisance but not harmful. Cooking, drying, and grinding will break down the hairs so they are no longer an issue.

Nettles are very easy to dry and use throughout the rest of the year when they aren’t found growing outside. For those of us who may not have access to foraging areas or garden space, you can always purchase dried nettle leaf and a variety of nettle supplements. Sometimes grocery stores will even carry fresh wildcrafted nettles in the spring.

Anti-Inflammatory Nettle Tea Recipe

  • 3 fresh nettle tops (three leaf nodes down the plant) or 3 Tbsp dried nettle leaf
  • 1 Tbsp dried marshmallow root
  • 2 slices fresh ginger root

Boil 4 cups water, and pour over herbs. Steep for 7 minutes, covered. I prefer using a quart mason jar with a lid.

Hay Fever Relief Nettle Tea Recipe

  • 3 fresh nettle tops (three leaf nodes down the plant) or 3 Tbsp dried nettle leaf
  • 1 Tbsp dried elder flower
  • 1 Tbsp dried chamomile

Boil 4 cups water, and pour over herbs. Steep for 7 minutes covered. I prefer using a quart mason jar with a lid.

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Vaccination Mindset – Terrified of Germs, Trusting of Toxins

“A people without knowledge of their past, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”-Marcus Garvey

All over the world, parents are reacting out of fear. They are terrified of germs, yet they trust toxic injections. Why does the Western world adopt a culture of vaccination? Because we fear microbes. We have been trained to believe that communicable diseases are life threatening and that we are powerless to fight them without vaccinations. After all, it is reasoned, people used to die from diseases like the measles, didn’t they?

Although this is true, we don’t look at the evidence in perspective. In the past, we didn’t have access to clean water and nutritious food. Under conditions like these, many mild illnesses posed a serious threat and were more likely to prove fatal.

Research is Time Consuming; Besides, Isn’t That What Regulators Are For?

In America, and much of the Western world, we are busy and overworked. Understandably, we want to be able to trust the expert opinions of public servants in their respective fields. Some would call this the height of naiveté, but it’s understandable. No one has the time to be an expert on everything. But when we outsource responsibility for our health, the outcome is uncertain at best. Many Americans look to the CDC for guidance, but are they really the best source of unbiased information?

Four scathing federal studies, including two by Congress, one by the US Senate, and one by the HHS Inspector General, paint CDC as a cesspool of corruption, mismanagement, and dysfunction with alarming conflicts of interest suborning its research, regulatory, and policymaking functions. CDC rules allow vaccine industry profiteers like Dr. Offit to serve on advisory boards that add new vaccines to the schedule. In a typical example, Offit in 1999 sat on the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee and voted to add the rotavirus vaccine to CDC’s schedule, paving the way for him to make a fortune on his own rotavirus vaccine. Offit and his business partners sold the royalties to his rotavirus vaccine patent to Merck in 2006 for $182 million.-Robert Kennedy 

Big business is driving vaccine mandates, and they are using regulatory agencies as the vehicle.

Those Who Do Not Know The Past Will Believe Anything

It suits pharmaceutical industry interests to give credit where none is due and to revise history, giving credit to vaccines for eradicating disease. In medical school, doctors are taught that vaccines eradicated all manner of diseases when, in fact, improved sanitation is responsible. When doctors tell you vaccines eradicated disease, this shows a profound ignorance of history and the pharmaceutically biased indoctrination that they have mistaken for a medical education.

Any college freshman can tell you that correlation does not equal causation. Just because something correlates, that doesn’t mean that the cause is easy to determine. Vaccines were introduced well after diseases were already on the decline. Vaccine manufacturers and government regulators tell us that vaccines made the difference. While they try so hard to turn this correlation into causation, they paradoxically try to ignore the rapid rise of autism, asthma, allergies, ADHD and other neurological disorders that tightly correlate with today’s dirty vaccines and the overblown vaccine schedule. A few graphs are worth a thousand words. Here are some visuals of our forgotten history (click on the image below for more charts):

England and Wales whooping cough mortality rate from 1838 to 1978.

Pro-industry propaganda has permeated so deeply into Western consciousness, vaccines are seen as a panacea for diseases everywhere, both here and abroad. Foreign aid often comes in the form of a syringe, even when people don’t have access to the most basic of necessities, such as healthy food, or clean water.

We May Not Like To Admit It, but All Cultures Do This

When faced with an unknown, people often resort to rituals and other superstitions. Germs are intimidating because they can bring down the young and the old. They are invisible and are usually untraceable. Communicable diseases are frightening, powerful forces of nature. When people feel powerless, they often resort to magical thinking.

You can see this kind of behavior in sports fanatics. As fans, they have little influence over the outcome of sporting events. To grant team supporters an illusion of control, they often wear their lucky jersey in order to “help their team win.” The belief that their actions can have a direct effect on their teams’ outcome is widespread. According to one ESPN poll which showed no statistically significant differences between race, education, or gender, as many as 1 in 5 fans try to improve the luck of their favorite team in a variety of different ways. Some fans never purchase or own things that are the colors of their rival teams. Other fans believe that they are the bad luck, so they refuse to watch their favorite teams play. Some of the most die-hard fans don’t watch the seasons’ most crucial games due to the belief that watching those games will “jinx” their team. This behavior is very ironic, as it is actually the opposite of supporting one’s team.

Westerners are just as superstitious as everyone else. We just show it in different ways. We make connections where none exist. We see correlations where none exist.

Ritualistic behavior is common to all cultures. When people die (death is another aspect of life with which we have little to no control) a series of rituals, such as a wake, a viewing, burial/cremation, and so on take place as a means of mitigating the loss and showing respect for the deceased. These rituals help to give a sense of control over death. Even though we can not stop death, we can organize our activities around it.

When faced with microbes and the threat of disease, something we believe to be out of our control, many of us subject ourselves or our children to the ritual of vaccination. We are attempting to control the invisible.

The Ritual of Vaccination

Even though they seldom work in a lab, doctors wear lab coats, which lends an air of authority, and an illusory scientific presence. They tell their patients vaccines are safe and effective without discussing the risks. Unfortunately, most doctors are not fully aware of the risks. They cannot tell you what the shots contain or why many of the ingredients are included. They are however, usually aware that they and the pharmaceutical companies are safe from harm should your child die or become disabled due to the vaccinations they recommend.

Vaccination is a form of ritualistic practice that is filled with make-believe. Why are vaccines injected? Infants and children often cry when injected, and this pain engenders a renewed commitment from the parents. The injury of injection, however small, doubles their commitment. After a brief surge of guilt, parents become more entrenched in the idea that vaccines must be necessary, because of the belief that no one, even pharmaceutical industry employees, would put a child through pain if it wasn’t necessary.

Despite the fact that there has never been a study proving all of the vaccines in the schedule are cumulatively safe, and the growing concern among scientists and doctors about their synergistic toxicity, parents all over the world are sacrificing their children to the superstition of vaccination. With reassuring voices, they tell their children the shots are necessary, even when they know nothing about them.

The information age has begun to change this entrenched belief. It is difficult, if not impossible, to silence tens of thousands of parents, holistic health care practitioners, and vaccine injured people connected to the Internet. The truth is being disseminated all over the web. Vaccines can and often do cause the exact diseases they are intended to prevent. Also, death is a known risk of immunization, as is paralysis, brain damage, neurological disorders, and auto-immune disease.

If We Are To Believe the CDC, Formaldehyde is Unsafe in Construction, Yet Perfectly Safe When Injected

Ever since the CDC released a report on the dangers of formaldehyde found in laminate flooring, people have been in an uproar over the health risks. News stories abound warning people to avoid laminate flooring or advising them to limit their exposure. The CDC even recently revised their report, showing that the dangers are in fact worse than they originally stated.

Formaldehyde in laminate flooring can contribute to respiratory problems and irritation in the general population, not just to those in at-risk groups. The lifetime cancer risk was raised from a range of 2 to 9 per 100,000 extra cases of cancer to 6 to 30 extra cases per 100,000 due to exposure from the fumes of formaldehyde additives in flooring. With all this concern over the risks to people’s health from breathing in minute particles of formaldehyde dust from flooring, it stands to reason that more people should be concerned with the fact that formaldehyde is commonly found in vaccines.

Formaldehyde is injected directly into the bloodstream via vaccination. But under the auspices of vaccination, anything goes due to enculturation. People of a culture believe that their way is the correct way to do things, and other cultural practices are backward or flat out wrong.

Health Doesn’t Come From a Bottle, and It Doesn’t Come From a Syringe

With clean hands and dirty injections, doctors spread disease to all those who heed their advice. Using a syringe heightens the sense of urgency because injections are commonly used with trauma victims and those who are unconscious. If more vaccines came in another form, they would be less popular. They would seem less urgently needed, and the connection between failed pharmaceuticals (like the countless medications taken off the market because they weren’t safe) and vaccines would be better formed in the minds of the public. Vaccines are, in fact, pharmaceuticals. They are made by the same corrupt companies that are regularly caught breaking laws and fined for putting profits before public safety. Health doesn’t come from pharmaceuticals. It comes from good sanitation, proper nutrition, and low exposure to toxins.

Conclusion

For a culture to be functioning, people must believe that their way is the right and proper way to do things. Most Westerners, especially Americans, believe that culture is something other far away people have and that we live by the scientific method. When it comes to the health of our children, we live by the untested method.

When Andrew Wakefield first recommended that the MMR vaccine be split up into separate vaccinations, he was vilified, labeled a quack, and stripped of his medical license. He dared to research the dangers of vaccination. He challenged the Western cultural paradigm. He was seen as a traitor to our way of life. Yet, when an entire country, Japan, refused the MMR vaccine and chose to use 3 separate vaccines, they were not vilified because they belong to a different culture.

The Japanese do not begin vaccines until two years of age, and their schedule has less than half of the immunizations than the U.S. schedule. As a result, their SIDS rate has plummeted to nearly nothing, and their autism rates are a tiny fraction of America’s. As vaccinations have been added to the CDC schedule, autism rates have been rising. The vaccine injured are all around us, so many now that they have become the new normal.

We are told that vaccines are keeping diseases from making a comeback and that herd immunity is propping up our health like the Greek Titan Atlas holding up the world. These are myths. Vaccine mythologies run deep, and many people are beholden to these beliefs. Improved sanitation eradicated disease. If we are fortunate enough to open our eyes to this basic historic fact, then we must open the eyes of others as well. Many of us are under the cultural delusion that to vaccinate is to do something, and not to vaccinate is to do nothing. In truth, there is much that we can do to build up our immune systems. Only the truth can set us free and pull back our cultural blinders.

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Trends Point to Declining U.S. GMO Sales

For the first time since their introduction in 1996, the number of acres with planted GMO crops and the value of GMO seeds has declined. Down to 444 million acres in 2015 from 448.5 million in 2014, the overall acreage declined by a rate of about 1%. That’s not a huge percentage change, but the reasons behind the decline bode well for the current push to label, minimize, and ideally eliminate genetically modified crops. It’s good news for those opposed to GMOs and here’s why.

There are three nations growing about 75% of GMOs. The U.S. grows the largest portion of GMOs in the world with over 175 million acres dedicated to modified corn, soybeans, canola, sugar beets, and other crops. But they’re also responsible for the biggest decline –  5.4 million acres.  In contrast, Argentina and Brazil, the other nations responsible for the bulk of GMOs, actually experienced a growth in the number of acres planted, more than five million acres between them.

For those looking to keep the U.S. decline going, the big question is why. Organizations monitoring these numbers cite a saturated market and a decrease in the value and price for commodity crops like corn and soybeans. While that’s a stock answer, digging a little deeper reveals a landscape changing for the better in the U.S. Vermont has passed a labeling law. Massive food companies like Campbell’s and General Mills have committed to labeling to their products in stores, and newly developed GM apples and potatoes have been unable to gain traction with large corporate customers like McDonald’s and Wendy’s. In addition, sales of processed foods are down overall, indicating a population that wants to be healthier.

For everyone who claims that labeling GMOs won’t be an issue for sales as consumers know they’re safe thanks to science (spoiler alert: no, not on your life), it doesn’t matter. Whether or not people purposefully reject GM foods, choosing fewer processed foods accomplishes the same thing as rejecting genetically modified crops, as an estimated 70% of processed foods contain GMOs.

When You Can No Longer Stuff 5 Pounds of Poop in a 10 Pound Bag

Another reason for the decline of GMO acreage? The lack of acreage left to expand to. The notion that acreage expansion is becoming less feasible for bio-tech crops due to them already being everywhere is a bittersweet one. No more GMOs? Great! No more room for anything? Alarming. There is only so much usable farmland over the world, and the nearly two decades of growth has taken much of that.

Unfortunately, that land can never be returned to its previous condition due in large part to wholesale pesticide use that has drastically reduced beneficial microbes in the soil and the degraded quality of topsoil. Still, there is a silver lining. More countries are banning or limiting the amount of GMOs grown within their borders. While it might still be too late, these measures can do something to preserve the resources we have left in the face of an increasingly uncertain future.

Keep the Momentum Going

Bio-tech companies are introducing more strains of GM plants as a way to diversify and expand their market, including new strains of cowpeas aimed at reducing hunger in Africa. But is this diversification a good thing? In reality, the decline in GMO acreage has more benefits than detriments, as the agricultural business itself is the one that needs to diversify (and not just offer a non-bruising apple). Supporting a system that spends a massive amount of money on commodity crops that produce little actual nutrition is causing damage that we’re not sure we can fix. There isn’t enough evidence to support the claim that GMOs can or will end world hunger, certainly not enough to counteract the environmental devastation and probable health risks.

The effects of saying no to GMO food are both charitable and selfish. Fewer GMOs means less processed food, which makes you feel better. Fewer GMOs also means room for  greater crop diversity, less power in the pockets of big agriculture, and fewer small farmers stuck in a cycle of paying for seeds prior to each planting and increasing their use of increasingly ineffective herbicides and pesticides. The win is there. Let’s keep spreading the love around.

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Eating Edible Flowers

The culinary use of edible flowers is not a recent trend; it can be traced back thousands of years to the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese. Flowers were traditionally incorporated into many various cuisines –from Asian and East Indian to European, Victorian English, and Middle Eastern. Think of the lush rose petals in Indian food and the bright squash blossoms in the Italian meals.

Edible flowers fell out of grace, but they are making a huge come-back, not only as a fancy garnish, but also as an effective seasoning. Of course, flowers are not everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to cooking. The secret is to learn to pick the right ones and to combine them properly with other ingredients.

The buds and blooms of different plants offer a wide range of flavour, colour, and a tinge of whimsy. Some are irresistibly fragrant and tasty, others are spicy and sharp. Some are lemony or weedy while others are floral or herbaceous. The rich palette of taste and colour make edible flowers a perfect addition to almost every dish. Spruce up the regular meal with these surprisingly delicious blooms.

Not All Flowers Are Edible

Not every flower that you have in your garden is edible. Even though the buds may not be poisonous, they don’t all taste good! Luckily, most of the blooms of fruits, veggies, and herbs work just as great as their fully-grown counterparts.  It’s advisable to consume only plants that have been grown without pesticides or with such that are suitable for edible crops. If you buy flowers from expert gardeners, a nursery or garden centres, check to see if they are labelled as edible. Make sure you are not allergic to a certain type of plant before you use it. That said, here are a couple of tips on how to harvest and store your edible flowers.

  • Pick the blooms and buds just before you use them for the best flavour
  • Harvest during the cool of the day, after the dew evaporates
  • Brush off any soil and remove any insects hiding within
  • Wash the flowers gently and let them air-dry over a paper towel
  • If not used right away, keep them in the fridge for no longer than 10 days
  • They can be dried, frozen or preserved in vinegar or oil

Some Flowers You Can Grow and Eat

You can choose from a variety of annuals, biennials, and perennials that will look gorgeous in your garden and will add unique taste to your meals. Planting some of these flowers can introduce benefits both to your garden and your cooking routine. If you are looking for your next gardening projects, here are a couple of ideas you might want to consider:

Nasturtium

nasturtium flowerThere are many reasons to consider planting nasturtium in your garden. These vibrant and versatile annuals serve a double duty – as an exquisite culinary delight and as a natural pest control. The sun-loving greenery will bloom from midsummer until the first frost. Its peppery tasting flowers can be added to fresh salads or used in your favourite pesto recipe. You can also skip the mustard, and stuff the spicy petals into your sandwiches with creamy cheese and sliced tomatoes.

Squash Blossoms

male squash blossom flowerThese are probably some of the most widely used edible flowers, especially in the Italian cuisine. Squash blossoms are the flowers of the late-season pumpkins, zucchini, summer squash, and winter squash. The orange and yellow buds can be used raw in a salad or stuffed with cheese. They taste like a more delicate version of squash and can be fried or cooked with creamy rice.

Dill

Dill FlowerDill offers remarkable benefits for both your health and your garden. It contains enzymes that help reduce the free radicals and carcinogens in the human body. Plus it prevents bone loss and has anti-bacterial properties. According to the gardening experts, the blossoms can attract pollinators and beneficial insects into your backyard. The flowers have light dill flavour and are usually added to jars with cucumber pickles.

Chives Blossoms

Chive flowerChives don’t require any garden maintenance or efforts. Your site is probably filled with these lavender-pink flowers, so why not try them out? Toss them in a fresh salad, add them in a casserole, or cook them with fresh vegetables. Their taste resembles onions so don’t use too many of these pungent flowers.

Violet

african violet flowerViola odorata or sweet violet is an all time classic when it comes to cooking with edible flowers. It was a favourite treat of English royalty and a popular ingredient during the Victorian era. The taste of this flower pairs well with lemon and chocolate. You can use it in different recipes – from crèmes and desserts to tarts and salads.  Violets can be quite challenging when it comes to cooking, because you will need a lot of them to extract enough flavour.

For more unusual gardening ideas, be sure to read the Home Garden blog.

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