Gluten is the common protein molecule found in wheat, barley, rye, kamut, and spelt. Gluten is a sticky, storage protein that binds to the small intestinal wall where it often causes digestive and immune system disorders. The most common condition associated with a gluten sensitivity is celiac disease where the small intestinal villi are flattened. However, the immune reaction that takes place with gluten sensitivity can affect many different tissues, and when it does, it is termed non-celiac, gluten sensitivity (NCGS).

NCGS is an epidemic that is a major factor in inflammatory disorders of the brain and nervous system.  Studies have found associations between gluten sensitivity and disorders in every part of the neurological system including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. ¹

Gluten and Major Neuropathic Disorders

Gluten is a significant trigger in psychiatric disorders, movement disorders, sensory ganglionapathy, ataxia, neuromyelitis, multiple sclerosis, cerebellar disease, cognitive impairment, dementia, restless leg syndrome, migraines, apraxia, neuropathy, myoclonus, hearing loss, and virtually every other neurological disorder. ^2,3,4,5,6

For many individuals, their immune system gets so overworked from gluten sensitivity and other environmental challenges such as toxins, parasites, vitamin D3 deficiencies, and trauma they can have severe immune reactions that last months after one provoked exposure. This means that consuming gluten on one day can cause an inflammatory assault that could last for 2-3 months. ⁵ This is why it is so critical to be as strict as possible when avoiding gluten and other inflammatory irritants.

The Complexity of Gluten Sensitivity

Gluten is made up of a sticky portion called glutenin and a protein portion called gliadin. Gliadin can be broken down into alpha, omega, and gamma gliadins. Most lab tests only look at alpha gliadin antibodies but this is only a very small component of the total molecule. Often times this lab comes back negative, but the individual is reacting to some of the other components of the gluten molecule.

Glutenin gives wheat dough strength and elasticity and is very commonly used in the baking process due to these desirable characteristics. Many people have severe reactions to this molecule, but it never shows up on the basic gliadin antibody testing.⁶

The food processing industry very often deamidates the gladin molecule to make it water soluble. Deamidated gliadin has been shown to trigger severe immune responses in many individuals. This never tests out for gliadin antibodies.⁷

Gluten Based Opioids

When the body metabolizes gluten, it creates opoids in the form of gluteomorphin. One can have a blood test to see if the body produces antibodies to gluteomorphin and the building block prodynorphin.⁸

When someone has an opioid sensitivity, going gluten free can cause severe withdrawal symptoms that are similar to coming off of opioid drugs such as heroin. These symptoms include depression, crazy mood swings, nausea, and vomiting, as well as abnormal bowel activity. This can last anywhere from several days to weeks.

Cross-Reactivity Immunology & Nervous System Dysfunction

Immune cross-reactivity happens when the immune system mistakes one protein for another. The gluten protein is similar to protein structures in the nervous system and the thyroid tissue. When the body creates antibodies for gluten, it may also produce antibodies to the body’s own nervous tissue or thyroid.⁹ This cross-reactive effect leads to damage to the brain, thyroid, and other neurological tissue when the individual consumes anything with even the slightest bit of gluten.

The most common area of cross-reactivity is through a family of proteins located on neurons called synapsin. These proteins help to regulate neurotransmitter release. This is most common in the cerebellum, which can cause problems with vertigo, motor control, balance, and anxiety.¹⁰

Further Reading:

• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• No More Gluten – How I Found Health After MS
• Understand Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies
• Is Wheat Poison? What’s Behind the Rise of Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

Sources:

1. Functional and metabolic disorders in celiac disease: new implications for nutritional treatment. – Pub Med
2. Gluten sensitivity presenting as a neuropsychiatric disorder. – Pub Med
3. Non-Celiac Gluten sensitivity: the new frontier of gluten related disorders. – Pub Med
4. Gluten-related neurologic dysfunction. – Pub Med
5. [Gluten-related disorders and demyelinating diseases]. – Pub Med
6. [Neurological disorders associated with gluten sensitivity]. – Pub Med
7. Dispersion in the presence of acetic acid or ammonia confers gliadin-like characteristics to the glutenin in wheat gluten. – Pub Med
8. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity: literature review. – Pub Med
9. Salivary antigliadin and antiendomysium antibodies in coeliac disease. – Pub Med
10. Sporadic cerebellar ataxia associated with gluten sensitivity. – Pub Med

For most of the history of mankind, we lived in close contact with the Earth. The majority of our diet consisted of foods and water that had soil clinging to it.  This soil was not an inert substance; it was a dynamic mineral rich, probiotic infused source of electrochemical energy.  The unique, soil-based probiotic, bacillus subtilis, was one of the key components that gave the soil its powerful nutritional benefits.

Humans are the only species on the planet that does not intentionally consume soil.  Our ancestors always had soil in their diet through picking produce out of the ground and drinking from lakes, rivers, and streams.  Many original doctors and medicine men used dirt in their various healing concoctions. Today, we intentionally attempt to sterilize our food and avoid the consumption of soil.

Bacillus Subtilis and Our Immune System

Bacillus subtilis is an ubiquitous bacterium that is commonly found in water, soil, air, and decomposing plant residue.  This bacterium is called a human soil organism (HSO) and has an extraordinary ability to survive harsh environments.  It produces an endospore that allows it to endure extreme conditions of heat, dryness, humidity, and acidity in the environment.

B subtilis is fully resistant to bile salts and can handle the harsh stomach acid environment, which allows it to get into the digestive system and colonize.  It has beneficial effects in the digestive system. ^1,2,3  Research has revealed that supplemental B subtilis improves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. ⁴

B subtilis is able to suppress the growth of harmful pathogens, strengthen the mucosal biofilm, and enhance the growth of other good probiotic strains such as lactobacillus species in the gut microflora. ^5,6

Soil Based Organisms and Our Innate Immunity

As our ancestors were exposed to trillions of organisms every day through their dirt consumption, they were strengthening their microbiome and their immune system.  They were exposed to many different pathogenic organisms to which their immune system learned how to adapt and destroy.

If the pathogenic load was too strong, the individual would get sick and sometimes they would die.  This was obviously tragic and was a leading cause of death.  However, those who didn’t die often had robust immune systems that were well-adapted to the harsh pathogens around them.

Modern Technology and Improving Immunity

With modern technology, we are not exposed to these natural microbes.  The use of our technology can reduce the pathogenic load we are exposed to in order to prevent sickness and infectious fatalities, meanwhile, providing the proper stimulation to our immune system.

One such way to gain these benefits is the inclusion of human soil organisms in our natural diet.  This would include growing much of our own food in gardens and consuming it right out of the ground with little cleaning.  We could also drink water from clean rivers, lakes, springs, and streams. (Editor’s note: If we could find clean sources. Most are contaminated with giardia and other parasites as well as pollutants.)

Finally, one can use naturally fermented foods and supplement with probiotics containing HSO’s such as bacillus subtilis.  Most probiotics on the market only contain the lactobacillus and bifido bacterium species.  These are fantastic for the health of the small and large intestine, but some individuals struggle with a sensitivity to these microorganisms.

It is wise to find a probiotic supplement with HSO’s such as bacillus subtilis, which is hyposensitive and easy for most individuals to tolerate.

Sources:

1. Improved growth and viability of lactobacilli in the presence of Bacillus subtilis (natto), catalase, or subtilisin – Pub Med
2. Improved growth and viability of lactobacilli in the presence of Bacillus subtilis (natto), catalase, or subtilisin – Pub Med
3. Evaluation of Bacillus subtilis strains as probiotics and their potential as a food ingredient. – Pub Med
4. Effect of Bacillus subtilis PB6, a natural probiotic on colon mucosal inflammation and plasma cytokines levels in inflammatory bowel disease. – Pub Med
5. Sticking together: building a biofilm the Bacillus subtilis way – Pub Med
6. Soil Organisms: Bacillus Subtilis – Organic Fitness

California lawmakers have proposed another bill regarding vaccines, a bill (SB 792) that requires every adult employed by a daycare center, preschool, or home daycare center to be immunized.

In its first form, the SB 792 specified immunizations for influenza, measles, and pertussis (whooping cough). The current version mandates every scheduled shot on the CDC Adult vaccination schedule, with the exception of the HPV vaccine and the flu shot. The HPV vaccine is not required, the flu vaccine is optional.

The 2015 recommended immunization schedule for adults is as follows:

1. Flu (Influenza)
   1. Annual
2. Td/Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
   1. One dose as an adult with booster TD (tetanus) shots every 10 years.
   2. It specifically states that you should schedule this shot during your 3^rd trimester of pregnancy to protect your baby from whooping cough.
3. Shingles (Zoster)
   60. At age 60.
4. Pneumococcal – one or both – ask your healthcare professional
   65. PCV13 – one dose between 19 and 65, one dose at 65.
   66. PPSV23 – one or two doses between 19 and 65, one dose at 65.
5. Meningococcal
   1. One or more doses – ask your healthcare professional
6. HiB (Haemophilus influenza type b)
   1. One or 3 doses- ask your healthcare professional

If you did not receive the MMR, HPV, and Chicken Pox vaccinations as a child, the following recommendations apply unless your health records show you contracted the diseases. Due to the fact the MMR is a combined vaccine, you would have to prove you contracted all three: measles, mumps, and rubella. A blood test can also confirm immunity, though this is not mentioned in the CDCs adult vaccination schedule.

7. MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
   1. One or two doses between 19 and mid 50s
   2. The MMR is not to be given during pregnancy.
8. HPV (Human papillomavirus)
   1. Women – 3 doses between the age of 19-26
   2. Men – 3 doses between 19-21 and 3 doses between 22-26
9. Chicken Pox
   1. Two doses

The number of doses, as shown, for many of these vaccines is to be determined by the health care professional. Other than the flu shot, adults who work in day care will be forced to follow the adult immunization schedule or be fired from their jobs.

Possible Results of forced vaccination

Vaccination shedding from the MMR and the chicken pox vaccine will expose others (including the children in their care) to measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox. In addition, vaccines may result in illness, neurological damage (which may be lifelong), or death, yet childcare workers will not be given the choice to take that risk if they want to retain their jobs. Childcare workers will lose their personal freedom as well as their religious freedom while being forced to take a health risk for vaccines that are not 100% effective.

Mainstream media, which is for all intents and purposes a mouthpiece for Big Pharma (their biggest client for advertising sales) continues to report the party line, “Vaccines are safe and effective.” But the United States Government has paid out more than 3 billion dollars to vaccine victims.

According to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System more than 30,000 vaccine related injuries are reported each year, and 707 American citizens have died due to vaccines (not counting an untold number of SIDS deaths that be connected) since 2000.

And finally, we are told to place our trust in the pharmaceutical companies who make these vaccinations – these same companies who have paid $19.2 billion dollars in fines for criminal and civil cases of fraud in the last 5 years. Merck is currently facing new charges of fraud for falsifying data in order to meet the efficacy rate for a vaccine.

Other than drafting citizens into the military, there is no other situation in which our government forces its citizens to risk their life or their health. We can only hope these bills do not pass. Vaccination should remain a choice, both for adults and for their children.

Sources:

• BILL NUMBER: SB 792 – Ca.gov
• California Chiropractic Association’s Talking Points – arguments against SB 277
• California Wants to be First State to Classify Unvaccinated Adults who Work with Children as Criminals – Health Impact News
• SB-792 Day care facilities: immunizations: exemptions – California Legislative Information
• No on SB 792 – California Coalition for Vaccine Choice

Almost all diseases or ailments stem from inflammation. This is why inflammation is thought to be the root of disease, but it’s not. This distinction makes sense when you consider the causes of inflammation.

Inflammation is a natural, healthy response to cellular damage or a natural, healthy immune response to a perceived threat. The idea that inflammation can persist without serving a purpose is a misnomer that allows the cause of disease to go unchecked and ignored. A symptom cannot be the root of disease. Chronic inflammation is a symptom.

When any part of the body is inflamed, it is either damaged and healing or damaged and deteriorating. Forget the idea that inflammation is “wrong” or “unnecessary” or that it can even get out of control. It’s not inflammation that is “out of control.” Inflammation is what brings the disease-fighting cells and the extra nutrition needed to heal damage to the site. Without inflammation, we wouldn’t heal.

What causes damage? Damage, in this case, is cell trauma. Cells malfunction due to trauma caused by an external force or from internal trauma caused by toxicity of some kind and (or) a lack of nutrition.

It’s important to note that while nutritional deficiencies are one of the main causes of cell malfunction, diet is not always to blame. Sometimes the problem is a lack of ability to absorb and assimilate nutrition due to damage from toxic foods. For example, many people consume plenty of nutrition while they also ingest way too much sugar.

Contents

• Candida Causes Inflammation

• Foods That Cause Inflammation

• Inflammation and Free Radicals

• Specific Nutrient Deficiencies Known To Cause Inflammation

• How Excess Weight Causes Chronic Inflammation

Candida Causes Inflammation

Inflammation is not the root of disease; Candida is typically the root of disease.

An overgrowth of Candida causes an imbalanced gut that cannot digest and assimilate nutrition well, and Candida burrows into the gut lining, penetrating the gut wall to allow proteins, sugars, infectious microbes, and other particles into the bloodstream.

Candida Albicans is a very opportunistic parasite. It can normally live in our intestinal tract in harmony with bacteria. “Normally,” in this case, indicates the natural way, but in today’s society, a balanced gut is far from the norm. An imbalance in the gut almost always leads to a massive overgrowth of Candida, which is very good at tearing through the intestinal walls to flood the whole body, opening the door to other infectious agents that should not escape the gut, causing infection and inflammation everywhere.

Candida and other infectious microbes cause inflammation by being properly perceived in the body as an infectious agent (when an immune response is activated) and also due to the toxins they release throughout their lifecycle.

Fungal infections and other parasitical infections cause massive amounts of toxic substances to overwhelm the body, causing cellular damage everywhere. Infection also feeds off of dead and decaying cells, and infection leads to more dead and decaying cells. It’s the epitome of a vicious cycle.

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

Foods That Cause Inflammation

Candida flourishes when there is not enough beneficial bacteria in the gut. Candida can survive toxic substances more easily than bacteria. Candida spores are almost indestructible. When alcohol is consumed, beneficial bacteria are killed as soon as alcohol enters the gut. Candida bounces back to take over the intestinal tract, and soon invades the whole body when the gut becomes “leaky”. Toxic foods either kill beneficial bacteria due to their toxicity, or they feed Candida and other infectious microbes, which then outnumber the beneficial bacteria.

Foods that feed Candida cause inflammation by feeding Candida, but these and many other foods cause inflammation in other ways, too. Some foods have natural, and naturally beneficial inflammatory properties, like many omega 6 fats. But these fats are not “bad,” they promote the healing process.

Refined Carbohydrates

Sugars feed Candida and almost all other well-known infectious microbes as well. Almost everyone has too much sugar in their diet. In nature, sugar is harder to get. Fruit is seasonal, and in areas where people eat lots of fruits all day, their diets also included strong anti-microbial foods to keep the gut flora in check. Take papaya, for instance, which is high enough in sugar that it could lead to a gut imbalance (especially for those who don’t have the healthiest gut to begin with) if it is eaten too often. In areas of the world were people eat a lot of papaya, they also eat a lot of papaya leaves and seeds, which, among other benefits, have anti-fungal properties that offset the sugars of the fruit.

When healing the gut, it’s important to cut out sweets, including fruit juices (even fresh, slow pressed), honey (even raw), agave, brown rice syrup, and all other sweeteners with the exception of stevia.

Acid Forming Foods (Generally Refined Foods)

When fiber is removed from foods, many of the minerals that alkalinize the body and the beneficial fats are also removed.

It’s imperative to cut out all other refined carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, other refined flours, and any processed starches. They feed Candida as well, but they also are inflammatory and acidic by nature, having lost their anti-inflammatory fatty profile and alkalinity due to the processing that removed fiber. For instance, the brown part of the rice contains the fiber and anti-inflammatory properties.

GMOs and Pesticide Laden Conventional Foods

Pesticides and herbicides are designed to kill pests and microbes, and they do this in our gut as well. GMO foods that are designed to kill the “pest” or the microbe that would otherwise infect the crop will kill the good microbes in the gut, too. Candida will bounce back, along with other infectious microbes, because the gut becomes inhospitable to our naturally beneficial flora as the toxic food keeps coming in.

Factory Farmed Animal Products

Factory farmed animals are raised on genetically modified grains that are already on the inflammatory side of the spectrum, even without being genetically modified. For instance corn, wheat, oats, hay, and certain grasses are inflammatory, especially when they are not balanced with a wider variety of natural foods within the diet.

A cow, for instance, would normally eat many different kinds of grasses and other plants growing from the ground. Now, beef comes from cows that are typically feed toxic grains that they would not normally eat and lots of antibiotics. Even grass fed cows (especially from larger scale farms) are typically only given access to a very limited diet with only one or a few kinds of grasses. This lack of diversity does not meet their nutritional needs for optimum health.

Dairy has the same issues, plus pasteurization and homogenization destroy many nutrients in milk and makes proper digestion more difficult. Homogenization also changes the protein molecules.

Wheat, Bread, Gluten

If we were making bread the way we did a very long time ago, we would be using probiotic and yeast cultures to fully break down the gluten proteins before they are ingested. The flours would be processed by hand and not refined (no nutrition removed). The sugars added to make the bread would be much less refined, and the bacteria would go to work on the sugars like it does with yogurt, leaving an end product many beneficial properties.

Today, due to hybridization, there is a new kind of gluten molecule that we ingest. This gluten molecule in our wheat is more inflammatory than previous varieties. It’s not the only gluten molecule in bread, but it’s prominent, and it’s not found in ancient wheat strands.

Today’s bread is made from wheat sprayed with Round-Up and other chemicals that is then refined and processed with most of the nutrients stripped before being fortified with toxic manufactured vitamins and minerals that the body cannot properly assimilate. Then sugar is added along with other chemical ingredients like preservatives and colorings. The end result is a bread far removed from the kind of food the Bible mentions.

“Bad” Fats

Omega 6s are not all inflammatory fats or “bad” fats. Omega 6s are just as important as omega 3s. Healthy, naturally occurring “inflammatory” omega 6s, in balance with omega 3s, and 9s, help the body properly respond to injury, and consequently, to heal. An imbalance of fats causes an inflammatory response for many different reasons, including but not limited to, the natural inflammatory properties found in some fats.

On the other hand, there are “bad” fats. No, they’re not saturated fats. Most informed people know by now that coconut and avocado and plenty of other fats have tremendous healing properties and do not naturally contribute to obesity. The bad fats are commercial, highly processed fats, rancid fats, trans fats, and otherwise unnatural fats. These fats cause inflammation and contribute to every autoimmune disease.

Other Toxic Ingredients

Soy lecithin, casein, and protein isolates generally have heavy omega 6 profiles and are also very acidifying.

Excitotoxins like MSG, aspartate, and glutamates, excite nerves, damaging the nervous system.

In cells, glutamate and aspartate can be synthesized from each other. The two main food additives that are sources for excitotoxins are MSG (monosodium glutamate) and aspartame (NutraSweet). High levels of glutamate and aspartate are found naturally in protein rich foods, including very high levels in wheat gluten, and milk casein. While these amino acids are necessary for normal brain function, excess amounts of them create a wide range of bodily damage.” – Dr. Amy A. Yasko

We could go on and on about artificial sweeteners, artificial colors, artificial flavors, preservatives, and other food additives, but the body needs whole foods to heal, not processed foods with ingredient labels.

Inflammation and Free Radicals

Inflammation causes free radicals, which damage cells and cause more inflammation.

You can picture free radicals as red-hot particles bouncing around inside a cell burning anything they come into contact with such as your DNA, cell membranes and proteins in the cytoplasm. – Evergreen Nutrition

Free radicals are created by our natural everyday functions, and they play many important roles, including the elimination of the weakest cells in the adjacent area (like infectious microbes). But too much inflammation means way too many free radicals that are overwhelming the body, impeding healing.

Specific Nutrient Deficiencies Known To Cause Inflammation

Any nutrient deficiency can cause inflammation one way or another. Two common nutrition deficiencies well known to directly cause inflammation include:

Vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to depression, pain, increased overall inflammation, an ineffective immune system, inflammatory bowel disease, many different autoimmune diseases, many forms of cancer, and so much more.

Vitamin B deficiencies (especially B6 and B12)

Vitamin B deficiencies can cause, exacerbate, and also be the result of inflammation. When the body’s digestive system isn’t healthy, B vitamin assimilation becomes more difficult, and extra B vitamins often give some almost immediate relief to those suffering from inflammation. This is especially important for anyone dealing with an abundance of stress.

How Excess Weight Causes Inflammation

Most studies that point to obesity as a cause of inflammation rely on the problems associated with obesity to show correlation to inflammation. This is problematic because the cause of the inflammation is not obesity. Inflammation is due to causal factors that leads to obesity. While a fatty liver can lead to inflammation, it’s not obesity that makes a liver fat; it’s a poor diet that makes the entire body overweight.

That said, carrying a lot of fat on the body is stressful to the body, which leads to damage, which requires repair and causes inflammation. But there are some interesting studies showing a direct cause.

We did not know fat cells could instigate the inflammatory response. That’s because for a very long time we thought these cells did little else besides store and release energy. But what we have learned is that adipocytes don’t just rely on local resident immune cells for protection… – A Mechanism by Which Fat Causes Chronic Inflammation

Chronic Anxiety

This is another chicken and egg scenario. Inflammation of the body causes a tremendous amount of stress, both physical and emotional. Chronic pain is stressful! On the other hand, chronic anxiety will leave the body in an inflammatory state as well. The two feed off of each other.

When intense anxiety has been a part of someone’s life for more than a few days, anxiety causes depleted levels of certain nutrients, like B vitamins, which are needed to get over anxiety. A deficiency in B vitamins also leads to anxiety.

Chronic anxiety eventually causes numerous nutritional imbalances, and the whole endocrine system begins to function poorly. Anyone who has been dealing with any kind of chronic stress needs to nourish and heal the thyroid, the adrenals, and the gut before inflammation will subside.

Conclusion

Whole foods, foods that have no need for an ingredients list, heal the body. There are lots of conditions that cause allergic reactions, sensitivities, or other inflammatory responses from otherwise healthy foods. For instance, someone with severe hypothyroidism may worsen with the consumption of cruciferous vegetables. The problem with eliminating whole, healthy foods in the diet is that the nutrient deficiencies that are at the cause of the problem get worse. Remove all unhealthy foods from the diet. Temporarily remove some healthier foods if you must, but add them back in as soon as you are able.

For those who are forced to breathe toxic air regularly, or live under power lines, or have other environmental issues that cause inflammation, it takes much longer to heal the body if the environmental toxins are not removed. For most people, it is doable. The body can handle a very heavy toxic load if the gut is balanced and the diet is good. Also, be sure to read How To Heal Your Gut if you’re suffering from chronic inflammation.

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Intestinal Cleanse Formula
• FloraMend Prime Probiotic – Thorne Research
• Formula SF722 – Thorne Research (kills Candida and other fungi)
• Boswellia – Pure Encapsulations (reduces inflammation and relieves pain)
• Curcumin 500 with Bioperine® – Pure Encapsulations (A powerful formula for inflammation and many other ailments)
• Arctic Cod Liver Oil with Vitamin D – Nordic Naturals
• Organic Vegan EFA Liquid (vegan-friendly fats, but not necessary if doing cod liver oil)
• Fibrenza Systemic Enzymes – (systemic enzymes eliminate fibrous, damaged tissue and foreign proteins)
• AR-Encap – Thorne Research (joint support formula)
• American Ginseng – Gaia Herbs (for inflammation, but juicing your own organic ginger is better)

Further Reading:

• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Understand Hypothyroidism – Prevention and Natural Remedies
• 80% Raw Food Diet

Sources:

• Overview of Inflammation – Oregon State University
• Could This Be the Root Cause of Inflammation and Many Modern Diseases? – Socio-Economics
• Three Hidden Ways Wheat Makes You Fat – Mark Hyman

Serious gum disease works a bit like a leaky gut. As you chew your food, very small particles that should go through your digestive system can enter into your blood stream. This can wreck all kinds of havoc on the immune system, causing an inflammatory response that perpetuates the gingivitis.

An infection in the tooth can lead to serious disease, especially if an infection is left in the tooth and the tooth is filled. Cavities, cavitations, and root canals can be little tiny bacteria incubators that store and develop incredibly powerful bacteria. This infection, at some point, will ooze out into the body, entering the bloodstream, and causing all kinds of issues and diseases.

Bacteria has a knack for surviving in difficult conditions and becoming much more powerful, as you see in the news with all the superbugs. They epitomize the phrase, “Whatever doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”

Fix the Diet

The American diet is highly acidic, high in inflammatory fats, high in sugar, and all-around toxic for many other reasons. Acidity in the body has to be corrected. The blood has to stay a certain pH no matter what, which is slightly alkaline. When we eat raw produce, even if it’s acidic like lemons, they have an overall balancing effect on our pH levels. Nearly all refined, processed, commercialized foods are acid forming.

When the blood is acidic, the body pulls minerals from any sources it can find to correct the pH. This leaves fewer minerals for bones and teeth. Fats are either inflammatory by nature or they have the opposite effect. Both are totally necessary, but the American diet is full of inflammatory fats, and to make matters worse, many are fats that do not occur in nature and are very toxic to us. So the average American is significantly inflamed throughout the body in many different ways.

Foods to Avoid For Good Oral Health

• Refined Foods
• Sugar
• Acidic Foods
• Processed, prepackaged foods

Gingivitis is an infection, and sugar feeds infection. Sugar feeds us too, but we benefit from sugar when it’s in a whole food complex form. Refined sugars are for parasites. When food is processed in a way that strips it of its minerals, no amount of fortification will bring the food back to whole. That food, be it bread, pasta, white rice, or chips will acidify the body, which damages teeth and opens them up to infection that leaks into the gums. Refined foods will feed the infection in the mouth too.

What To Eat For Healthy Mouth and Gums

To promote oral health eat produce, more vegetables than fruit, but whole raw produce. That is what heals. Brown rice, quinoa, sprouted legumes, vegetable stir frys, and other whole foods have benefit, but raw, fresh, organic produce is what heals the body.

Balance the Gut

It is extremely difficult to have good oral health and poor gut health.

Anyone with serious mouth problems should consider a detoxification protocol that repairs the gut, kills Candida and other parasites, and balances the gut microbes. Good health starts in the gut, and so does bad health.

Chew On This…

Chew on garlic, with an open mouth; breathe in and out. Get the juices all around any infected areas, and spit it out when it gets too intense. Try this with cinnamon bark, turmeric, and ginger as well. Do this a few times a day or more.

Stop Smoking

Smoking anything – tobacco, marijuana – anything, is very harmful to the mouth. So is vaporizing, but not as much so. If you want to have a healthy mouth, but you continue to smoke regularly, the best you can hope for with this regimen is for things to stay the same and not get worse. In my experience, those who do this and continue to smoke do notice that their mouth is not getting any worse, and generally symptoms will improve, but their mouths do not completely heal.

Lose the Toxic Toothpaste and Mouthwash

There are some decent toothpastes out there, but even if they are in the health-food section, make sure they do not contain any of the following ingredients.

Toothpaste Ingredients to Avoid

Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS): A toxic foaming agent that has been shown to increase frequency and intensity of canker sore outbreaks. There are plenty of other reasons to avoid this ingredient, too.

Triclosan: A toxic hormone disrupting, environmentally damaging chemical used to kill bacteria.

Artificial Colors, Flavors, or Anything Artificial: No man made chemicals! All of these ingredients have been shown to be problematic to health, and you don’t need toxins in an infected mouth.

Hydrated Silica: This is the stain remover of the ingredients, but this chemical has been shown to build up in the teeth over time and damage the enamel. It works at first, and someone using a tooth-whitening toothpaste for the first time will generally be very pleased with the results, but over time the teeth will begin to dull.

Alcohol: It dries the gums, damages soft tissue, and leads to more inflammation. There are better ways to kill bad mouth germs.

Floss Every Day, and Floss Correctly

This is how you floss:

Most people do not floss correctly, if at all. Flossing is imperative for anyone with gingivitis because the sides of the teeth need to be cleaned so the food debris doesn’t feed the bacteria. If you hate flossing, then the good news is you can quit flossing once you get your gums back to optimal health. But you will need to eat a nearly perfect diet, with tons of nutrient dense, raw, organic vegetables, chew on anti-microbials regularly like garlic, and keep your whole body very healthy. If you do this, and you have a healthy mouth, you will not need to floss, or even brush the teeth to have much healthier gums and teeth than the most other people. But your teeth would be all nasty looking, so it’s not a plan I recommend. But the point that I can’t stress enough is that oral health begins in the gut. Heal the gut, health the whole body.

Brush Your Teeth With Your Own Toothpaste

Brush your teeth three times a day with the following recipe

Simple Natural Toothpaste Recipe:

• Equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda
• Add essential oil to taste
• Add stevia (if desired) to taste

For 6 tablespoons of oil to 6 tablespoons of baking soda, add 10-15 drops of essential oil. Try peppermint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, clove, lemon, orange, rosemary or any others or any combination that sound good to you. Each essential oil provides more than taste; each adds its own benefits.  Add drops of one, or experiment with combinations. Be sure to buy your essential oils from a reputable source and be sure you are getting the right genus species. Many oils come from different species and contain different properties.

Your dry ingredients can also be altered. Try adding trace minerals, calcium magnesium powder, bentonite clay, and/or diatomaceous earth to the mix, removing an equal amount of baking soda and adjusting for consistency. Trace minerals, calcium magnesium powder, and diatomaceous earth will all aid in re-mineralization, while bentonite clay will aid in drawing out impurities as it, like the aforementioned dry ingredients, adds grit.

Hydrogen peroxide is added to many home toothpastes, especially those formulated for whitening. But hydrogen peroxide can irritate the gums, so it is best to avoid it.

There is a third step in dental care for anyone who is struggling with gingivitis or wants to use a preventative treatment : Dr. Shillington’s Tooth and Gum Formula, which can be used as a mouthwash (one dropperful to a cup of water), on your toothbrush as or with your “toothpaste” (8-12 drops on your toothbrush after brushing your teeth), or with a water pick (2-4 dropperfuls, but rinse out after use so the tee tree oil does not shorten the life of the rubber seals). After each of these methods, do not rinse; allow the ingredients to continue working.

You can make your own Tooth and Gum Formula with Dr. Shillington’s recipe or purchase the Tooth and Gum Formula through Green Lifestyle Market.

Dr. Shillington’s Tooth and Gum Formula Recipe

(Use Organic ingredients where ever possible).

• 10 oz Echinacea Tincture
• 1/4 cup of Tea Tree Oil
• 4 oz. Bayberry Tincture
• 2 oz. Oak Gall (or 3X Oak Bark) Tincture
• 2 TBS. Cayenne Tincture
• 2 1/2 Dropperfuls of Peppermint Oil
• 2 1/2 Dropperfuls of Clove Oil

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 dropper-full is considered to be about 1/2 way up the dropper from a two-ounce bottle.

Be sure to shake well before each use.

Oil Pulling

Oil pulling is a traditional Ayurvedic method of oral care that involves swishing oil around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Traditionally, sesame oil was used, but these days coconut oil is more often recommended, and it’s my preference as well. To increase the potency of this protocol, use essential oils, such as peppermint, cinnamon, or clove. Tea tree oil and oil of oregano are two good options, but they can get really intense. Start off with just a small amount.

Here are some suggestions with the essential oils for oil pulling. Add these to a tablespoon of coconut oil.

• For bad breath: 2 drops of cinnamon, spearmint, or peppermint essential oil
• Toothache: 2 drops of clove or tea tree essential oil, or one of each
• Canker sores: 2 drops of holy basil essential oil.
• Gum disease: 2 drops of cinnamon, clove, or tea tree essential oil.
• Receding gums: Add 2 drops of Myrrh essential oil.
• Cavities: 2 drops of clove or tea tree essential oil, or one of each
• Any infection in the mouth: 2 drops of clove or tea tree essential oil, or one of each

How to Oil Pull

Swish the oil around in your mouth (like you would with mouthwash) and pull through the teeth, for 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t swish hard, or your cheeks will get sore very quickly.

The longer you do it, the more benefit you’ll get. 15 to 20 minutes is ideal, and I like to do it while I write articles, but even just doing it for a few minutes is very beneficial. You may need to take your time and build up your mouth strength. (I did.)

Spit it out! Do not sallow it. That oil gets nasty, and it’s better to dispose of it than swallow it. Follow with tooth brushing, or at least thoroughly rinsing the mouth. And don’t spit it out in the sink. The oil could stop it up.

Conclusion

The protocol above is a complete and truly holistic approach to gum disease and cavities, and most other mouth ailments, too. Holistic is the key; for the mouth to heal, the body has to be in good overall health. For the body to heal, the gut has to be balanced and healthy, too. If oral health issues are not your only issue, check out Kill Candida and Balance the Gut Quickly.

Take pictures! Before you start, take a pic of your teeth and gums, and see how it compares after about a week. You’ll likely be amazed.

Recommended Products:

• Shillington’s Tooth and Gum Formula
• Earthpaste Spearmint Toothpaste
• Peppermint Oil
• Cayenne Tincture
• Shillington’s Herbal Snuff
• Shillington’s Echinacea Plus
• Diatomaceous Earth

Further Reading:

• Periodontal Disease, Gum Disease – What you need to know
• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Mercury Fillings, Root Canals, Cavitations – What You Need to Know
• How to Kill Candida and Balance Your Inner Ecosystem
• Still Have Candida? How Mercury Fillings Cause Candida Overgrowth
• Fight Cavities and Gingivitis Naturally With Homemade DIY Oral Health

We all know that exercise is good for our bodies. We’ve known it from our earliest school days when we were encouraged to take up sports and stay active. However, what many of us don’t know is just how deep this positive impact can go.

New research suggests exercise could have an effect that’s as far-reaching as our DNA. Rather than just honing our muscles and reducing our risk of illness, exercise could actually be changing the shape and functioning of our genes in a complex and dynamic manner.

The Study of Epigenetics

The human genome is fascinating. Far from being static, it experiences a continuous cycle of change, with genes constantly turning themselves on and off in response to biochemical signals from the body. The easiest way to understand this is to imagine these genes as traffic lights. When the green light is on, proteins are released, catalysing physiological responses throughout the body.

It has long been understood that exercise can cause these “traffic lights” to switch on or off, becoming more or less active as it impacts the body. However, the exact cause of these fluctuations had always remained a mystery until the study of epigenetics. Epigenetics refers to a process whereby the DNA remains unaltered, yet the operation of the gene is changed. These modifications occur on the outside of the gene, via an event called methylation. This is where methyl groups – essentially clusters of atoms – attach to the exterior of the structure much like molluscs on a rock. As a result, the gene is rendered more or less able to receive and respond to the biochemical signals it receives.

The Effect of Exercise on Methylation Patterns

One of the main catalysts for changing methylation patterns is lifestyle. This means that environmental factors, from certain food types to chemicals that we’re exposed to, can cause these ‘traffic lights’ to become more or less likely to show green or red in response to stimuli, thus affecting the likelihood of certain proteins being expressed. Depending on the exact changes that take place, this can affect our health or our chances of developing some diseases.

The exact impact of exercise had not been fully explored until recently. Interestingly, the first tentative research suggested that a single bout of exercise was capable of causing immediate changes to methylation patterns of some of the genes in our muscle cells. It’s thanks to these findings that scientists from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm were inspired to carry out a more in-depth study into the effect of long-term physical training on gene structures.¹

The Karolinska Study

The scientists in Stockholm decided to answer their questions with a specially formulated study. They recruited 23 young men and women and asked them to undergo a series of physical performance and medical tests in a laboratory environment. They were then asked to go away and exercise their lower bodies for a period of three months.

In order to rule out other environmental causes for altered methylation patterns, it was requested that they only exercise one leg so that the two limbs could be compared.  Each participant became both a test subject and a member of the control group.

The changes discovered within the cell structures were intriguing. Genomic analysis revealed more than 5,000 altered methylation patterns in the genomes of the muscle cells they biopsied.

A large number of these changes were on parts of the genome known as enhancers, which are responsible for exaggerating the expression of proteins by genes. Most were identified as influencing energy metabolism, insulin response, and muscle inflammation i.e. the level of health for the muscle.

What Does This Mean?

Although further research will be required to fully understand the impact of exercise on our genes, the message should be enough to encourage all of us to review our lifestyles. As Malene Lindholm, one of the progenitors of the study so succinctly puts it, “Through endurance training  – a lifestyle change that is easily available for most people and doesn’t cost much money – we can induce changes that affect how we use our genes and, through that, get healthier and more functional muscles, which ultimately improve our quality of life.”

Could it be time to break out your exercise gear and step your fitness regime up a notch?

Contributor’s Recommended Products:

• Keeping hydrated for exercise

OLM Recommended Supplements:

• Fitness Nutrition

Further Reading:

• Four Things Gym Goers Usually Do Wrong
• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Yoga – A Beginner’s Guide
• What to Expect When You Hire a Personal Trainer
• Total Nutrition – Make your own Homemade Multivitamin and Mineral Formula

Sources:

1. An integrative analysis reveals coordinated reprogramming of the epigenome and the transcriptome in human skeletal muscle after training – NCBI
2. Long-term endurance training impacts muscle epigenetics – Karolinska Institutet

Many of us use spices in our homes. But not everybody knows that they can be as healthful and nutritious as they are delicious, curing everyday ailments naturally and even warding off chronic disease. Sure, a sprinkle of ginger isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice, but science is beginning to confirm what traditional medicine has known for centuries: that nature has its own medicine cabinet! Reap the benefits by adding the following five wonder spices to your spice rack.

Cinnamon

Commonly used in both sweet and savory foods, this fragrant, great-tasting spice has proven to cure a number of everyday health ailments. Its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties make it a good remedy for stomach bugs and IBS-related bloating, cramps, and discomfort, and the large quantities of antioxidants contained in cinnamon protect the body from oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Cinnamaldehyde, which gives this spice its aroma and flavor, is the organic compound responsible for most of the positive effects on our health. Cinnamon has also shown to lower blood sugar, stave off heart disease, fight HIV, and protect against cancer and Alzheimer’s. Look for “Ceylon (true) cinnamon.”

Saffron

Saffron is an exotic spice used to liven up dishes with its strong essence and distinctive yellow-orange coloring. It is associated with Indian, Greek, and Spanish cuisines, among others, being used as an ingredient in England, France, the United States, and a number of other countries. Cooking aside, saffron has many valuable uses, including use as a natural medicine. The spice – which is rich in manganese, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, potassium, and vitamin B6 – has been used for treating cramps, indigestion, asthma, high blood pressure, fever, and more. It has also demonstrated efficacy in relieving premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms and treating mild depression. Moreover, it shows potential for treating cancer.

Turmeric

Turmeric adds color and flavor to curry powders, mustards, and cheeses. It has been used as a dye and condiment for thousands of years. The spice’s main active ingredient, curcumin (this is what gives it its yellow color, peppery taste, and mustardy aroma), is a powerful anti-inflammatory and strong antioxidant capable of neutralizing free radicals, making turmeric useful in medicine. Packed with iron, vitamin B-6, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, and zinc, the spice has proven effective in treating numerous ailments and diseases, including headaches, heartburn, arthritis, stomach pain, flatulence, fever, depression, and lung infections. It can also help control diabetes and prevent (or even treat) cancer.

Cumin

Cumin is a staple spice in Latin American, North African, and Middle Eastern cuisines. The whole or grounded seeds add a warm, earthy flavor and distinct spicy aroma to foods, making it ideal for soups, stews, gravies, and many other dishes. Cumin also serves medicinal purposes. A good source of iron, magnesium, and vitamins and minerals, it is widely used as a remedy for colds, anemia, and indigestion, stimulating the production of pancreatic enzymes within the body. The spice is also used to treat insomnia, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, piles, and asthma, and it is thought to enhance vision and mental function. Furthermore, some studies suggest that it can prevent cancer (particularly colon cancer) and diabetes.

Chili

Chili is loved by many for its zesty hotness and endorphin-releasing effects, but this wonder spice offers more than just culinary thrills. It is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and it contains an alkaloid compound known as capsaicin, which is known to effectively clear headaches and sinus congestion, fight inflammation, and relieve muscle, joint, and nerve pain. In fact, topical capsaicin is now a recognized treatment for osteoarthritis pain. Studies also show that capsaicin alleviates symptoms associated with diabetic neuropathy and psoriasis. Other possible chili benefits include better digestion, weight loss, and improved cardiovascular function, and (bowel and prostate) cancer prevention.

Further Reading:

• How to Optimize Curcumin Absorption – With Golden Milk Tea Recipe
• The Health Benefits Of the Curry Spice Blend
• Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts
• How To Use Turmeric To Kill Cancer
• Garlic – The Most Amazing Herb On the Planet
• Cayenne and Capsaicin, Natures Miracle Medicine