If you want to maintain your health and wellness, the best thing to do is to move. Exercising can help prevent heart disease and other high-risk health conditions as it relieves back pain and stress. Lifestyle fitness shouldn’t be a big challenge. Exercising should be fun, and it shouldn’t be exhausting, even for the elderly.
Swimming Has Incredible Cardiovascular Benefits
Swimming is a wonderful workout for people of any age. It’s low-impact nature makes it suitable for adults. It is not a very heavy workout, but it can bring great benefits to your cardiovascular health. It builds up your body’s flexibility and strength and can relieve back pain.
Walking Is Simple but Very Beneficial
Walking can bring you many health benefits. It can improve your flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, and strength, and it helps you maintain mobility. If walking is easy and very beneficial, why don’t people do it? Because it’s easy not to. Neglect will make you older. Walk around the block for 30 minutes and you will be healthier. Lifestyle fitness is truly a matter of choice.
Weight Lifting Maintains Bone Density and Muscle Strength
You do not have to carry heavy dumbbells or barbells to do these exercises. You can simply carry light weights. As long as you do it on a regular basis, you will maintain or develop your bone and muscle health.
Tai Chi Is Very Beneficial To Your Health
Another gentle form of exercise is Tai Chi. Even though it has a gentle nature into it, it can give you a lot of health benefits. This is a wonderful workout for people. Known as “meditation in motion,” Tai Chi is as beneficial to your mental health as it is to your physical health. If you are used to fast-paced exercises, you must be a little bit more patient when performing Tai Chi routines. Its slow movement will improve your balance, strength, and flexibility. This can greatly benefit your spine, relieving back pain.
Stretching will Increase Overall Flexibility
Stretching is very important before you start any workout routine. It will develop your flexibility, which is very important to your overall physical health. Stretching is important to lifestyle fitness as it improves your mobility and motion as you grow older. Make sure you warm up before you stretch. Stretch on a regular basis at least every two to three days. You should hit all of your major muscle groups when you stretch.
Aerobic Exercises Are Great for Your Cardiovascular Health
You can do simple aerobic exercises at home. You can do them alone or with a friend. You can also choose to join an aerobics classes at the gym. There are a lot of variations on aerobic exercises that make workout routines extra fun and exciting. You may already be doing aerobic exercises in your daily activities, such as climbing the stairs or playing with children. This form of exercise is great for your cardiovascular health.
Stay Flexible with Yoga
Staying flexible is very important to ageing, and yoga can give you that. Yoga can help you improve your flexibility and develop your muscles throughout your body. Yoga can also help prevent osteoarthritis, a disease of your joints. It will improves your posture, which means it will combat back pain. This ancient therapy can also promote confidence and reduce anxiety. People of all age can benefit from adding yoga to their workout routine.
Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies
I must have counted millions of sheep back when I regularly suffered from insomnia. I would lie in bed staring at the ceiling, or worse, staring at the clock. Minutes passed. Hours passed. I’d count the hours until I had to get up. Six hours. Five hours. Four. Regardless of how tired–how utterly exhausted my body and mind felt– I could not sleep.
Insomnia can be both debilitating and dangerous. According to The National Highway Safety Administration, 100,000 or more auto crashes each year are due to fatigue, with a resultant 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries. Some studies have shown that driving while exhausted can be even more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol.
When you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep… and you’re never really awake. – Fight Club
A chronic lack of sleep not only affects your work, your relationships, and your enjoyment of life, it also wreaks havoc with your hormonal system, your immune system, and your body’s ability to heal in every way (we regenerate while we sleep).
You don’t need to resort to pharmaceuticals with dangerous side effects and residual fatigue upon waking. Use these natural remedies to reset your sleep cycle and end insomnia.
Let’s cut to the chase before we get into everything else.For most people, camping is simply the best cure for insomnia. If you can get away for a few days, bring lots of organic produce and other healthy foods, forage if you know how, and go sleep outside! Leave your electronic devices at home. Leave your phone in the car. Take some time to meditate. Write. Do some yoga. Most importantly, sleep on the ground – not in a camper, your car, or a cabin. Get grounded. Reset. Your goal is to de-stress, to take a break from distractions and the EFTs, to avoid artificial light, and to use natural light and magnetic fields to re-set your circadian rhythms. By the third day, almost anyone will be falling asleep shortly after nightfall, as nature intended.
Camping and proper diet will work for most people’s insomnia, but for many people, camping is not an option right now. And for some, the need for significant dietary and lifestyle changes may need to happen before the benefits of camping.
The Different Kinds of Insomnia
There is onset insomnia, which is trouble falling asleep, and there is maintenance insomnia, which is waking from sleep prematurely and not being able to go back to sleep (marijuana and alcohol).
Onset insomnia is often caused by anxiety, depression, pain, sleep-shift disorder, and an active mind. Some studies have shown that very intelligent people often have a very hard time going to sleep, not so much because they can’t, but because they choose not to. After time, this can disturb the body’s sleep rhythm causing insomnia. When they try to get to sleep earlier, regardless of how tired they are, their bodies don’t cooperate. Imagine how much easier it was to go to sleep at the most opportune time before technology, before artificial light, even before candlelight. Camping is an obvious choice for those who just need to reset their biological rhythms and find some peace.
Depression, anxiety, and other altered mental states can cause insomnia by working the overactive mind that doesn’t want to go to sleep, but these conditions can be connected to health issues. When someone regularly gets depressed their brain is not working right, and this can typically be traced back to vitamin and mineral deficiencies and toxicity in the body.
Short-term Insomnia and Chronic Insomnia
Short term maintenance insomnia could be a result of drug use, chemical exposure, allergies, and sleep shift disorder. Short term onset insomnia is typically due to stress. Chronic onset insomnia can be caused by a wide variety of factors from poor health to an overactive imagination to high intelligence. Chronic maintenance insomnia is a sign that one’s health is seriously flawed.
Causes for Insomnia
Marijuana – While marijuana can cure insomnia, chronic use of marijuana can lead to chronic maintenance sleep insomnia, and it can lead to onset insomnia when the person quits using it.
Allergies – A runny nose; itchy, watering eyes; painful sinuses; and itchy rashes are not conducive to sleep.
Diet – Poor diet equals poor health, and anything can go wrong.
Toxicity – Chemical toxicity and heavy metal toxicity interferes with the neurological system, the endocrine system, the immune system and every function of the body.
Medications – Pharmaceuticals are toxic, which is why all of them have side effects.
Gastrointestinal problems – Candida overgrowth, leaky gut, bacterial and parasitic infections, and autoimmune disease lead to insomnia and originate with poor diet.
Asthma – It is very difficult to sleep when breathing is impaired by bronchiospasms and mucous.
Neurological conditions – Multiple Sclerosis, Restless Leg Syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, etc.
Chronic pain – Lower back pain, headaches, arthritis, migraines, injuries, etc.
Coffee – Other stimulants including nicotine, teas, energy drinks, and drugs.
Hormones – Thyroid, adrenal system, endocrine system (see gut health).
Brain Health – If the endocrine system (see above) is unwell, or blood is toxic, so is the brain.
Vitamin B deficiency – Almost anyone with any mental or emotional issues from schizophrenia to depression has a vitamin B deficiency.
Depression – See brain health.
Sleep Shift Disorder – When the circadian rhythm is disrupted, hormones that aid in sleep are not released at the appropriate time.
Natural Remedies for Insomnia
There are many more well-known causes of insomnia than we can go over here, and the same is true for solutions. From meditation to warm milk, everyone has their solution to prevent a sleepless night. Most will also admit, if probed, that their solution doesn’t always work that well.
If camping is impossible, prolonged exposure to early morning light and regular contact with the earth (try grounding for 15 minutes a day) will reset your biological clock. Spend two hours in the early morning sun for one or two days. Set your alarm if necessary, and go back to sleep outside (on the deck or in the yard).
Eliminate stimulants from your diet. Coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks… If you won’t give these up, be sure to limit them to the early hours of the day.
For those who are too stressed out to sleep due to anxiety, consider stress management. Chronic anxiety should also be addressed as a physical health issue and addressed with nutrition. Don’t underestimate exercise, which has been proven in multiple studies to beat many prescription drugs in studies involving anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Studies also support the importance of getting out into nature. Take a walk in the woods, breathe the cleaner air, and just feel connected with nature. It’s also a good time to get grounded. Earthing, absorbing the energy, the electrical fields that we have been connected to for most of our existence, can improve health in a multitude of ways.
The aforementioned we should all be doing regularly regardless of how well we sleep. But, the best way to put an end to insomnia is to address the cause, or in most cases, the causes. While typically one of most common multiple causes of insomnia is a result of EMF exposure and not coming into contact with earth regularly, but there are many other common factors at play as well. Thyroid and adrenal fatigue can lead to insomnia and poor quality sleep, so address those glands, and the whole endocrine system, if needed. B vitamins are essential to the nervous system and deficiencies can result in disruption of sleep cycles. Take a high-quality B complex vitamin each day. If you do not get daily exposure to sunlight or you live north of Atlanta, Georgia or Los Angeles, California, supplement with vitamin D. A lack of healthy fats can also impair hormone production and proper vitamin B and D assimilation.
The only problem with getting healthier to get better sleep is that health doesn’t happen overnight, especially when said night is not restful, and it’s pretty hard to make good choices and take care of yourself when you’re chronically exhausted. Fortunately, there are plenty of herbal approaches that have been shown to put most to sleep without the side effects of pharmaceuticals.
Herbal Remedies and Supplements for Insomnia
To fix the biological clock long term, diet is key. B vitamins, thyroid health, and exercise are paramount, but the right combination of the following herbal remedies will knock almost anyone out at least for the first few nights they’re used, without the pharmaceutical side effects.
Tryptophan
Our bodies require tryptophan, an amino acid, to make serotonin and melatonin. It can help you fall asleep and improve your quality of sleep by lengthening the time you spend in deep sleep. In addition, studies have shown an increase in alertness upon waking. Tryptophan is plentiful in many different foods including tart cherries, spirulina, soy, many different kinds of meat, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, eggs, oats, lentils, and much more. The problem is that eating foods with tryptophan has been shown to not increase the tryptophan levels in the blood. Supplementation works better, but the need for tryptophan shows a need to address the endocrine system and balance the body’s hormones.
5 HTP (hydroxytryptophan)
5 HTP is produced in the body from tryptophan. You won’t get 5 HTP directly from your diet. The 5 HTP used in supplements is obtained from the seeds of Griffonia simplicifolia, a plant native to Africa. 5 HTP is a direct precursor of serotonin and it’s an intermediate for synthesis of melatonin.
Valerian Root
Valerian root aids in sleep onset as well as the quality of sleep. The best results are found when combining valerian root with melatonin or hops. Take 400-500 mg at bedtime.
Melatonin
Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland and may be also synthesized in the gastrointestinal tract from L-tryptophan. There are those who cannot convert tryptophan into melatonin as well, which is likely the reason why many find melatonin works better than tryptophan. For some, melatonin can help with the length of sleep or the quality of sleep, but many say it helps with sleep onset, but they find themselves waking after four or five hours. Side effects may include strange dreams, nightmares, and daytime drowsiness. Dosage ranges from 1-10 mg.
Hops extract is another sleep aid that helps one get to sleep and improves sleep quality. It works well with valerian extract and the combination may help increase alpha brain waves.
Black Cohosh
Black cohosh minimizes sleep disturbances which is great for relief from maintenance insomnia, and it also reduces irritability and mood swings.
Passionflower
Passionflower clears anxiety and restores the body to a more peaceful state.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen that blocks stress messages in the body, promoting relaxation and peacefulness.
Chamomile flower
Chamomile flower and leaf soothes anxiety and has sedative properties. Check out Organic Solutions Cal-Calm Tea, with chamomile, red clover, and raspberry leaf.
Skullcap
Skullcap promotes calmness and increases the body’s ability to adapt to stress. It also acts as a sedative for aches and pain.
Marijuana for Insomnia
Cannabis works so well to put people to sleep that is truly a miracle drug/plant for many. Unfortunately, it’s not without its problems. Smoking anything is toxic to the body. Vaporizing is too, but with the right equipment, “vaping” can be much less toxic (the industry is new, and there are lots of toxic vaporizing products out there, so be careful). THC has both positive and negative side effects on the body.
Using marijuana is very hard on the thyroid, the pineal gland, the prostate, and probably the entire endocrine system (the endocrine system regulates our hormones and much more). Marijuana acts a lot like alcohol and other drugs to the body with sleep quality. The sleep isn’t deep enough and sleep is often interrupted. Many also find that marijuana use makes them more tired, groggy, and sometimes irritable during the day.
On the other hand, it really does work amazingly well to put someone to sleep. Used sparingly, combined with the right diet, exercise, and a few supplements will result in fewer side effects than simply smoking oneself to sleep. This is a very smart approach for anyone who is suffering from chronic pain, and need the powerful effects of marijuana to sleep while trying to repair the body and get well.
Having a family with a small child and having a business I love makes insomnia much less common. I don’t get nearly enough sleep, but it’s typically by choice. It’s hard for me to stop working at night when everyone else is finally quiet and letting me work undisturbed. Growing up, I suffered from severe insomnia and depression. It was more of a health issue. Today, if insomnia does grip me, it’s usually because I’ve been staying up working too late for too long and I need to push back my sleep schedule. When I was younger, I used this protocol to reset my sleep rhythms and improve my sleep quality, and to ensure that I slept for as long as I needed for optimum health and woke up feeling alert and refreshed.
Anytime I need to get to sleep on time, no matter what, I make sure I exercised that day. I also stay active throughout the day, too.
I like naps, but of course, I skip them if I am having trouble sleeping at night.
When I am adjusting my internal sleep clock from weeks or months of going to bed too late, I always make sure to wake up at the same time every morning, and I stay up, regardless of when I went to bed. Make sure your bedtime allows for enough sleep, regardless of when you fall asleep, and get up at the same time every morning no matter what.
I also get grounded and take that time to do some peaceful meditation in the mornings and before bed.
I make sure I get sunlight during the day, and I take vitamin D and B vitamins.
Before going to sleep, all the lights should be turned off or covered (those little blue, red, flashing lights on electronics inhibit proper sleep rhythms). Absolute darkness aids in melatonin production. If thoughts are swirling in my mind, I write them down. A bedside journal can be a great sleep aid.
L-Tryptophan or melatonin, Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula, and some B vitamins will knock me out within a half an hour every time. I like L-Tryptophan better than a melatonin supplement because it increases production of melatonin and serotonin, and I know my gut is healthy enough to convert it as it should. I have also had very good results with using both.
30 mins Before Bed
I take 1,000 to 3,000 mgs (some need 3k but many people only need 1k) of L-Tryptophan
When I lay down to go to sleep, I make sure I am breathing properly (see How to Breathe) and I do math in my head. If the math problems are big or complex (or both), it’s something I can focus on without drifting into thoughts that are more likely to keep me up, and it will eventually put me to sleep. I also like to make up a dream for myself, roleplay it out in my head, and imagine it is a dream. I try to feel it like a dream, which is not easy to explain, but it also works well for me.
A “part” is a measurement by volume. Blend all ingredients together and make into a tincture using a 50 – 50 blend of alcohol and distilled water. For more, see How to Make a Tincture.
A dropperfull is considered to be about 1/2 way up the dropper from a two-ounce bottle.
Be sure to shake well before each use.
Other Steps You Can Take
Eliminating EMFs can help keep your sleep schedule consistent and rejuvenating. Try pulling mattresses away from outlets and keep electronic devices at a distance, or better yet, out of the bedroom.
A humidifier can help some people with dry sinuses, allergies, and those who snore.
Sleep on nontoxic bedding with nontoxic pillows, sheets, and blankets. This is a big deal! As previously mentioned, there are multiple causes for any one case of insomnia. One of those causes, and in fact, one of the causes for overall poor health and diseases is toxicity. Conventional mattresses are very toxic. Laying on them and breathing in the offgasses all night makes for a very toxic toll on the body. Fortunately, our bodies can take a very high toxic load without much complaint if the diet is healthy. Unfortunately, for those who suffer from autoimmune diseases and other health issues, a toxic mattress may inhibit them from restoring their body to optimum health and getting enough sleep even when their diet is improved for a consistent period of time.
Conclusion
For those who just need to reset their sleep rhythms, once you get your biological clock reset, your new sleep habits will require discipline, but you will reap the benefits of healthy, restful sleep. The trick to having a set sleep schedule (besides health) is all in the wakeup time. If 7 a.m. is when you want to wake up, then that’s when you wake up, no matter what, for the next 6 weeks. This includes your days off work and the morning after staying up late on purpose.
If you suffer from chronic insomnia, be it onset, maintenance, or both, your hormones are off, your health is not well, and your gut flora is unbalanced. The thyroid, the adrenal glands, and the entire endocrine system will need to be healed, and to do that, you’ll need to fix the digestive system. The following articles will help you address these conditions.
Let us know the tricks and tips you have to get to sleep easily. If none of these tips work for you, the least you can do is spend your time wisely. You can always develop a case of multiple personality disorder and spend your nights setting up a band of violent misfits to topple our banking system via high-powered cheap explosives. (Yes, I saw Fight Club too many times.)
Sometimes trusting your instincts is better than trusting the experts. Too often as parents we ignore our gut instincts, and we are duped into following bad advice, the kind of expert advice that has been backed up with faulty research.
Research is often flawed. In years past, the main problem was bias. In modern times, bias it still a problem, but more often problems arise from conflicts of interest. Instead of pursuing objective results, research is commonly twisted to support corporate agendas. Ultimately the scientific method is self-correcting, but this can take a long time. Life is too short to trust the experts and take harmful advice to heart. There is no substitute for doing your own research.
Cry It Out Method
Culture influences science in many ways and so do changes in family structure. In most parts of the world, parents share caretaking with other adult relatives. In America during the late 1800s, extended families were often broken up and the typical American family became a smaller unit. During this transition, new parents had to cope with raising children on their own, a highly independent but unnatural approach to child rearing. This is the cultural backdrop that gave birth to the crying it out method.
It was falsely believed that parents would spoil their children if they were too attentive to their needs. This belief wasn’t based on real evidence, but it was later supported by several poorly conducted studies. This behaviorist view became ubiquitous, and even the government echoed the same advice.
An old U.S. government pamphlet told mothers that babies should never inconvenience adults and that catering to the needs of a baby was a serious waste of time. The goal was to teach a baby as young as 6 months to quietly sit in its crib.
Letting your infant “cry it out” can cause brain damage, actual neurological harm as well as psychological harm. It is not a way to make a child more independent; it makes a child more dependent. By meeting babies’ needs early on, they become much more independent later in life. And interacting with infants is not a waste of time; it is a highly educational and productive activity. Entertaining your baby stimulates their neural development.
Infant Nutritional Advice
From the late 1800s through the 1960s, many pediatricians’ recommendations were either abusive or negligent, depending upon your point of view. As a matter of fact, following their advice today would most likely result in very sick infants, the loss of parental rights, or both.
Sir Frederick Truby King, and Walter W. Sackett were two widely followed “expert” doctors who were champions of bad advice. Sackett’s books are still being sold.
King believed in enforcement parenting. He advocated feeding babies every four hours during the day and never feeding them at night. He recommended placing infants in their own room and leaving them alone in the garden for long hours in order to “toughen them up”. He also firmly believed that cuddling should never be done to excess. Ten minutes a day was his recommended maximum allowance for physical affection. To him, parenting was about routine and discipline, not affection or bonding. Sadly, his advice was widely taken to heart.
Walter Sackett also advocated a four-hour daytime only feeding schedule. By his own admission, this schedule was enacted for the convenience of the hospital. He recommended the introduction of solid foods for infants who are 2-3 days old beginning with cereal and introducing meat at 14 days. He argued that, “Research has shown that baby’s digestive tract will not be harmed by any food he can swallow.” Of course, modern research refutes this harmful advice. He believed you could give a hungry infant water instead of food. He even recommended giving coffee to six-month-old infants!
Many doctors also recommended formula over breast milk. This recommendation, like so many others, was inspired more by corporate payoffs than by scientific findings.
Obviously, these days we know better. Breast milk is the best food for our babies, and other foods should be introduced one at a time. We recommend starting at the earliest with fruit at six months of age. Foods that are common allergens, such as strawberries, should be delayed. Infant formula should be avoided if at all possible. Many formulas contain GMOs, MSG, and other harmful substances. Even the healthiest infant formula pales in comparison to nature’s super-food, breast milk.
The reason that foods should be delayed at least this long is a baby’s gut is highly permeable. This is known as a virgin gut (in an adult a highly permeable gut is known as leaky gut syndrome). When breast milk seeps through the gut, this is not harmful. Permeability with other foods can result in allergies and other health issues.
Separate Sleeping
It is an American notion that children should be left to sleep in their own room, and if they don’t like it (none of them do), they can just cry themselves to sleep. Throughout most of our history as human beings, and throughout most of the world, infants have always slept with their parents.
WEB MD, American Academy of Pediatrics, and many other medical authorities warn against co-sleeping. Web Med states the following:
Sharing the bed with your baby multiplies the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) fivefold, according to a 2013 study. The American Academy of Pediatrics cites the dangers of SIDS and suffocation, and recommends that parents keep their baby out of their bed, especially during the first 3 months of life.
Colson encourages room sharing. To lower SIDS risk, follow two rules when you do put your baby down in his crib or bassinet. “The most important thing is that the baby is always put to sleep on his back, and that there isn’t anything around the baby like pillows, heavy blankets, or bumpers.”
Many Americans are convinced by their recommendations. In reality, co-sleeping predates SIDS. Before it was known as SIDS it was called crib death, and for good reason. Babies forced to sleep alone (made to sleep in cribs) are more likely to die from the stress, and babies need their mothers in order to take cues for breathing. A breast-fed baby almost never dies of SIDS, and when they do, they are usually well vaccinated and left to sleep alone.
SIDS was so rare prior to 1950 that it isn’t even mentioned in the statistics. Mass vaccinations began after the 1950s. . Forcing a baby to sleep alone is an unnatural arrangement for the baby and the mother. Infants who are fed formula, who are forced to sleep alone, and who are well vaccinated run the greatest risk of SIDS. The SIDS rate in America has fallen with the rising popularity of breast feeding, but there is so much more we can do to protect our children.
Dr. James J. Mckenna shares his research on co-sleeping.
…Touching infants changes their breathing, body temperature, growth rate, blood pressure, body temperature, stress levels and growth itself. In other words, the mother’s body is the only environment to which the human infant is adapted. As Dr. Winnecott, the famous child psychologist put it, “There is no such thing as a baby, there is a baby and someone.
… sleeping alone in a room by itself and not breastfeeding are now recognized as independent risk factors for SIDS, a fact that explains why most of the world never heard of SIDS.
…the breathing of the mother and infant are regulated by the presence of each other — the sounds of inhalation and exhalation, the rising and falling of their chests, and the carbon dioxide being exhaled by one and inhaled by the other expediting the next breath! I have argued in scientific articles that this is one more signal to remind babies to breathe, a fail-safe system should the baby’s internal breathing transitions falter.
…Holding, carrying and sleeping with a baby is not just a nice social idea, but also an important contribution to their well-being.”
Many new parents are worried that they will forget their baby is in the bed with them and roll over on them. This is a remote possibility. New parents are ablaze with hormones (both mom and dad) and it is highly unlikely they will forget the presence of their child, even when sleeping. But a poor diet and environmental toxins can disrupt hormones; making this nightmarish scenario more likely. Co-sleeping is not without risk, but leaving the infant to cry it out and just “get over it and self soothe,” abandoned and alone in its room, is a more dangerous option. Forcing a baby to sleep alone guarantees some harm to the infant, while co-sleeping carries no guarantee of harm.
Child Protective Services and other similar but differently named state agencies do not look kindly on co-sleeping. Many parents who co-sleep still have baby rooms set up, with cribs and all, even if they never intend to use them, just in case overzealous social workers show up on an anonymous tip.
A co-sleeping crib or a co-sleeping basinet is a possible middle ground, as long as the baby can maintain physical contact with his/her mother.
Precautions should be taken to ensure the safety of a co-sleeping infant. Falling off the bed onto the floor can be fatal. To prevent this, many co-sleeping parents simply put their mattress on the floor with no frame and no box springs. Other parents pile up pillows around the bed as a way of breaking a baby’s fall should they roll off the bed.
Circumcision
Since the 1800s, experts have promoted circumcision as prevention for a laughable list of medical conditions from excessive masturbation to crossed eyes, nervousness, and epilepsy. Dr. John Hutchinson, a dedicated advocate of circumcision in the 1890s, states the following in making his case for genital mutilation.
It is surely not needful to seek any recondite motive for the origin of the practice of circumcision. No one who has seen the superior cleanliness of a Hebrew penis can have avoided a very strong impression in favour of removal of the foreskin. It constitutes a harbour for filth, and is a constant source of irritation. It conduces to masturbation, and adds to the difficulties of sexual continence. It increases the risk of syphilis in early life, and of cancer in the aged. I have never seen cancer of the penis in a Jew, and chances are rare”.
Circumcision is an unnecessary, painful, traumatizing operation performed on newborn infants that can lead to infection and death.
Doctors are highly motivated to conceal the true cause of circumcision death. Neonatal circumcision has no medical indication and is now considered to be an unnecessary non-therapeutic operation. It is unethical to carry out such operations on minors who cannot consent for themselves. Consequently, most doctors who have a baby die after a circumcision would prefer to attribute the results of his unethical operation to secondary causes, such as infection or bleeding, while ignoring the primary cause, which is the circumcision that resulted in the infection or bleeding. It is, therefore, very hard to identify the total number of deaths that occur from circumcision. One senses that one may be seeing only the “tip of the iceberg,” with the vast majority of deaths from circumcision being concealed. The deaths undoubtedly cause an increase in infant mortality. Male infant mortality is higher than female infant mortality. It is not known how much of this increased mortality is due to the practice of male circumcision. CIRP
Conclusion
Bad parental advice from the experts is undoubtedly still ubiquitous. On many issues such as co-sleeping, experts are divided on what is best for our children. In times past, there often was more of a consensus on what should be done, but this was still no guarantee that the experts were right, not when the prevailing views of experts were to toughen up our children by abandoning them for extended periods of time and not holding them for more than ten minutes a day.
Other controversies concerning parenting still abound, such as whether or not to vaccinate. If you’re researching what is best for your child, your research should be thorough. Include a look at what other countries practice to gain a more complete understanding. For example, American children are the most heavily vaccinated in the world, and they are also the most chronically ill.
If an expert says something you agree with or disagree with, investigate further and learn all sides of the argument. All children are unique and each family is unique. Ultimately, we decide what is best for our children. Knowledge is our best defense.
My first gray hairs appeared when I was 24-years-old. I was standing in a checkout line with a good friend, buying my baby boy a gift for his first birthday. My friend shrieked when she saw my first two gray hairs, and she automatically reached to pluck them out. I grabbed her hand and emphatically declared that I had earned them with my first year of motherhood. They were staying on my head! Now I know my early shift to gray was not a badge of honor or achievement, it was a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
Your hair will naturally turn gray or white with age, but if premature graying occurs, your diet may be lacking in nutrients or other health issues may indicate.
Health Issues That May be Indicated by Prematurely Gray Hair
Celiac disease. (Within weeks, a gluten-free diet may result in hair darkening years after going gray.)
Endocrine imbalance. (Balancing hormones may result in hair darkening within months.)
Pernicious anemia.
Supplements That May Help Halt or Reverse Graying Hair
B-12
Para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) (from folic acid)
Copper
How to Correct a Vitamin or Mineral Deficiency
When addressing nutritional deficiencies, there are 3 things to consider:
Diet
Toxic load
Ability to assimilate nutrients (gut health)
A Healthy Diet – A Healthy Body
The foundation of all health is a truly healthy diet – a whole food diet that consists of 80% or more fresh, organic produce, more vegetables than fruits. One large salad per day filled with a variety of vegetables can change your health. You will be giving your body the nutrients it needs to fuel and repair itself and the prebiotic foods to ensure gut health and on-going detoxification if you include the right foods. To learn more, check out the 80% Raw Food Diet.
A truly healthy diet eliminates processed foods along with all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and refined sugar. It limits caffeine. It includes healthy fats rich in omega 3s and plenty of pure water.
Detox for Health
Best of intentions and a great diet can only go so far when the body is filled with toxic sludge. We live in the most toxic environment humans have ever endured. Plastics, heavy metals, vaccines, dental fillings, pesticides, herbicides, pharmaceuticals – the list goes on and on. Once or twice a year, we need to detox, but it helps if we incorporate foods like raw garlic and cilantro into our daily diet with lots of pure, clean water. When we do, we are detoxing a little each day. To learn how to detox safely, check out Cheap and Easy Detox Diet Plan.
Gut Health
If your gut is sick and inflamed, you are suffering from what is called leaky gut syndrome. Gluten and Candida usually go hand in hand in breaking down the biofilm that lines the gut. Candida actually can drill holes right through the healthy tissue. The result? Proteins and other substances leak into the bloodstream without going through the proper digestive processes. This infiltration leads to allergies, autoimmune diseases, and other disease. And as the gut breaks down, our ability to absorb nutrients is lost.
Onion Juice Reverses Gray Hair
Onion juice has been used for centuries treat thin graying hair and alopecia. Onion juice has many benefits to the hair follicles:
Onions are rich in sulphur and other compounds that are great for killing infections. Onion juice kills germs, parasites, some fungal infections; all can cause hair loss. Onions remove hydrogen peroxide buildup and reduce inflammation while providing enzymes, vitamins, minerals, and other nourishment to regenerate the hair floccules.
Studies have shown that daily onion juice applied topically can reduce and reverse greying and regrow hair. You can juice or crush the onion. Apply the onion juice daily to your scalp and lightly massage or brush it in. Leave the onion Juice on the scalp for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Start with a small amount, it’s tricky and it’s messy.
Conclusion
A healthy diet, a thorough detox and the right supplements may not result in darkened hair, but there is no doubt these changes will result in greater health. If you choose to supplement B-12 or folic acid, it is best to take a vitamin B complex. B vitamins work together. Be sure to choose a high-quality vitamin/mineral supplement (or make your own).
Our bodies go through a whole lot of wear and tear as we go about our daily lives, which leads to some challenging conditions during our golden years. We’re already predisposed to ailments thanks to genetics and our environment, but poor nutrition takes those risks even higher. The common diseases that come with age have some debilitating symptoms that nobody wants to encounter, so nutrition isn’t something we can afford to put off. Start reducing your risks for common aging problems today.
Arthritis
Our joints have a soft cushion of fluid and cartilage that keeps them moving smoothly and painlessly, but this cushion can be compromised by injuries, infections, and extra weight. As time adds to the wear and tear of our joints, the damage can grow and lead to the painful inflammation we call arthritis. There’s no known cure for the pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduction in strength and motion, so prevention is the way to go.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids:These critical fats offer your joints important lubrication that will keep them moving smoothly. Fry up your omega’s with some fatty cold water fish like mackerel, wild salmon, and sardines.
Antioxidants:Vitamins A, C, and E and phytochemicals like ellagic acid, lutein and anthocyanin all serve as antioxidants. Meet your needs with colorful foods like berries, grapes, greens, sweet potatoes, and wash it down with some green tea.
Sulforaphane:This compound acts as an anti-inflammatory, and it’s showing big potential in the prevention and slowing of osteoarthritis. You can work the benefits of sulforaphane into your diet by eating cruciferous greens like broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.
Oleocanthal:This compound has shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory that can actually help treat arthritic conditions. Get a spoonful from a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.
Osteoporosis
Our blood requires a constant level of calcium to keep clotting, pH, and muscle function where they need to be. The good news is that we have a supply of calcium our body can always rely on. The bad news? Those calcium withdrawals are coming straight from our bones. The worst news? Millions of people don’t even have a clue they’re at risk of osteoporosis until they’re suffering a broken bone. Rebuilding weak and porous bones is too little too late, so learn the basics of bone health.
Vitamin D:Calcium has gotten all the credit for bone health, but it’s thanks to Vitamin D that our bodies can absorb it. This is one vitamin you can’t source from food, so get yourself a supplement or a dose of sunlight.
Vitamin K: Studies are showing that Vitamin K can help regulate calcium and form bones, and research in Japan suggests that it can increase bone mass and reverse bone loss. Get your Vitamin K from dark leafy greens like kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli.
Omega-3’s:On top of fighting the inflammation of arthritis, omega-3’s show promise in maintaining bone mass and helping us absorb calcium. Get a fish-free serving from walnuts, or hemp, flax, and chia seeds.
Dementia
When brain cells are damaged, the communication of neural networks are impaired. As this degradation spreads, regions of the brain responsible for things like memory, speech, and visual perception are no longer able to function properly. This degeneration of the brain produces the challenges of memory loss, hallucinations, and communication faced by dementia sufferers everywhere. The brain is the control center of our entire body, so there’s two dietary needs that shouldn’t be skimped on.
Omega-3’s:If there’s anything we’ve learned today, it’s that omega-3 fatty acids are a critical part of a healthy diet. Studies and stats show 3’s playing an important role in healthy, functioning, and developing brains, so grab a handful of walnuts (their shape says it all) for a quick fix of brain benefits.
B-Vitamins:Science shows a strong connection between high levels of homocysteine and Alzheimer’s. B12 deficiency is another common factor in Alzheimer’s risk, making this a worthy dietary addition, but B-vitamins are also showing they can drop the levels of this concerning neurotoxin. B’s are mostly found in meat and fish, but nutritional yeast offers an astounding (and quick) B-fix.
Eat Well and Live Long!
There are a lot of important factors contributing to disease, but now you have some easy and simple aids for prevention. Do you have your own tricks and tips for longevity and vitality? Share in the comments below!
Depression. You’d think we all have the same definition for this word, but we don’t. Misery, the blues… Many people think a sad emotional state is equivalent to clinical depression. It is not.
To meet the diagnosis of a depressive episode the following criteria listed in the DSM-V must be met:
Five (or more) of the following symptoms have been present during the same 2-week period and represent a change from previous functioning; at least one of the symptoms is either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure. Note: Do not include symptoms that are clearly due to a general medical condition, or mood-incongruent delusions or hallucinations.
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report (e.g., feels sad or empty) or observation made by others (e.g., appears tearful). Note: In children and adolescents, can be irritable mood.
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or almost all, activities most of the day, nearly every day (as indicated by either subjective account or observation made by others).
Significant weight loss when not dieting or weight gain (e.g., a change of more than 5 percent of body weight in a month), or decrease or increase in appetite nearly every day. Note: In children, consider failure to make expected weight gains.
Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.
Psychomotor agitation or retardation nearly every day (observable by others, not merely subjective feelings of restlessness or being slowed down).
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day.
Feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt (which may be delusional) nearly every day (not merely self-reproach or guilt about being sick).
Diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (either by subjective account or as observed by others).
Recurrent thoughts of death (not just fear of dying), recurrent suicidal ideation without a specific plan, or a suicide attempt or a specific plan for committing suicide.
The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.
The symptoms are not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition (e.g., hypothyroidism).
All, or nearly all, of the symptoms people experience during depression or any other mental disorder, are symptoms every person experiences at one time or another. The difference between normal experience and a disorder is the constancy, severity, and combination of symptoms.
Normal experience does not include two straight weeks of sadness so intense it results in an inability to function at work while it is impossible to sleep (or to get out of bed). In addition there is a sudden dramatic loss of weight, movements become slow and deliberate, and thoughts of death or suicide crowd out every thought not associated with self-loathing. (This is an example of five symptoms from the list).
Depression is associated with low serotonin levels and high cortisol levels. Serotonin is known as the feel-good neurotransmitter while cortisol is a hormone known as the stress hormone.
Conventional Treatment for Depression
Since depressed feeling and depression are not always one in the same, what we call depression can be viewed on a continuum. Severe symptoms meeting the criteria for clinical depression would be on one end of that scale while sadness or the blues while general dissatisfaction with life would be at the other. And yet, regardless of where a person is on that scale, there is a high probability that a doctor will prescribe anti-depressants if the patient requests them. Hopefully, psychiatrists would not be as quick to prescribe them.
Generally, any good doctor will at least mention eating a healthy diet, getting exercise, and sleeping 8 hours a night. But too often that prescription pad is pulled out to “help.” Anti-depressants, taken to decrease suicidal thoughts and feelings, can increase suicidal and homicidal thinking and have been linked to both suicides and to most of the mass murder incidents that have occurred in the last few decades.
Alternative Treatment for Depression
As with all aspects of physical and mental health, healing begins with a truly healthy, nutrition-packed diet and exercise.
Diet
A truly healthy diet consists of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce, more vegetables than fruit, a wide variety of foods, healthy fats, and pure water. (Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet for more information).
When any body system is not working properly, increase nutrition and detox. A great way to increase nutrition is to add nutritional powder to your daily routine in juice or a smoothie. To learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder, check out Total Nutrition, Make Your Own Multivitamin and Mineral Formula.
More of Shillington’s Recipes:
[ubermenu config_id=”main” menu=”813″]
When you are eating an organic 80% raw diet that includes plenty of clean water, and foods like onions, garlic, turmeric, and cilantro, you are detoxing on an ongoing basis. But a thorough bi-annual detox is extremely beneficial.
Eating right is more than adding the right foods to your diet. It is just as important, if not more important, to remove the food from your diet that you shouldnoteat. Avoid all artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives, MSG, trans fats, and GMOs. Do not eat corn syrup. Unless it is organic, it’s genetically modified. Avoid or seriously restrict caffeine. Avoid sugar. Conventional sugar has no nutritive value. It harms the body and the immune system in a number of ways and chances are it is genetically modified, as most of the conventional sugar made nowadays comes from sugar beets, a crop that is generally GMO. The easiest way to deal with all of the issues of what not to eat is to eat real food, whole food, and avoid processed packaged foods.
By eating a truly healthy diet, you will be well on your way toward healing your gut. If you have an overgrowth of Candida you will benefit from supplementation and some additional dietary additions and restrictions until you have that overgrowth in check.
Gut health is vital in alleviating depression because the beneficial bacteria in the gut manufacture 80% of our serotonin. When the gut is out of balance due to Candida, parasites, and bad bacteria, serotonin levels suffer, as does the body’s entire hormonal system.
Exercise is essential for several reasons. First, exercise produces endorphins that elevate your mood. Studies comparing exercise to pharmaceuticals have proven that exercise is more beneficial than drugs.
Exercise improves overall health by moving blood and lymph throughout the tissues. This process helps bring nutrients into individual cells while removing waste from the body. The immune system is strengthened and the body and its organs, including the brain, receive the cleansing and the nourishment needed to attain peak performance.
The link between vitamin D deficiency and depression is well documented and even carries its own diagnosis- Seasonal Affective Disorder. Unless you live in the lower portion of the U.S. (draw a line from Los Angeles, CA to Atlanta, GA to mark the line), chances are you do not get enough sun to make adequate amounts of vitamin D. Vitamin D supplementation should always be considered as a first line of defense when symptoms of depression are present. To learn more about Vitamin D, read Sunlight and Vitamin D.
B vitamins are best taken together in the form of B complex vitamins. Never take just one B vitamin alone for any length of time.
B vitamins are essential for many functions in the body. Deficiencies in B5, B6, B7, or B12 cause depression. Daily supplementation will elevate mood, decrease irritability, and improve sleep. To learn more about B vitamins read Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium.
Conclusion
With the right diet, exercise, detoxification, and supplementation, the body is given the resources to heal itself. If loss, abuse, or other life events are contributing to sadness, low self-esteem, or other symptoms, therapy can be an invaluable aid in healing.
The gluten free household faces unique challenges. Even though gluten-free products have become more mainstream, they still cost between 2 to 10 times more than conventional alternatives. And even at those hefty prices, gluten free products like pancake mixes are rarely organic.
Until recently, cooking was all but a lost art. For those who wish to take back our health and save money on eating out, cooking from scratch is becoming more popular than ever.
A truly healthy diet consists of 80% or more fresh, raw, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits. (Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet for more information.) But for those of us who are foodies, this still leaves a little wiggle room for variety. Although anything made with sugar should not be a staple in our diet, no one should be forced to live life without pancakes. Even if gluten doesn’t bother you, this recipe should prove far superior to any other pancake recipe, and it even forms a complete protein!
Whenever possible, buy organic. In the case of cornstarch, always buy organic to avoid GMO corn products.
You Will Need
Organic Rice Flour (brown or white)
Organic Corn Starch
Tapioca Flour
Garbanzo Bean Flour (aka Chickpea Flour)
Aluminum Free Baking Soda
Aluminum Free Baking Powder
Gelatin or Organic Xanthan Gum
Sea Salt
Organic Maple Sugar
Fruit (optional)
Eggs or Egg Replacer
Butter or Spread (Cow, Goat, or Earth Balance)
Buttermilk, Kefir or Yogurt (Cow, Goat, or Coconut)
Honey or Maple Syrup
Organic Vanilla Extract
Optional toppings include up to 2 Cups Fresh Fruit (Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas and Cherries are all popular choices, but any fruit you like will do) and Whipped Cream.
Dry Pancake Mix (Makes 3 Batches)
First mix up a batch of dry pancake mix. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. Keep what is left over in a closed jar in your pantry for later use. The mix tastes best when used within 3-6 months.
3 ½ Cups of Rice Flour
½ Cup of Corn Starch
1 Cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
1 Cup Tapioca Flour
1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Xanthun Gum or Gelatin
3 Tablespoons Maple Sugar
Pancakes (Yields about 12 pancakes)
2 Cups of Dry Pancake Mix (see above)
2 Eggs or Egg Replacer
2 Cups Milk
4 Tablespoons Melted Butter (or Spread)
1Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a whisk, or you can put the dry ingredients in a closed container and shake a few times.
Preheat your pan or griddle (we prefer cast-iron, and we advise against Teflon).
Whisk the eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. (It can still have some lumps).
Add a small amount of butter, or cooking oil to the pan. If it sizzles, it’s ready. We like avocado oil, rice bran oil, peanut oil, or coconut oil. (For this purpose olive oil is a poor choice due to its low smoke point; it burns too easily)
Using a ladle, pour the pancake batter onto the griddle or large pan. Within 2-3 minutes, bubbles will form around the edges of the pancake. Gently slide a spatula beneath the pancake and carefully flip. (The cooked side should be golden brown.) After another minute or two your pancakes will be ready. If not served immediately, pancakes can be kept warm for up to 30 minutes when covered and held in a 200-degree, preheated oven.
