Honey bees seem to be attracted to the chemicals that are killing them. based on experiments showing the bees preferred sugar water laced with chemicals known to cause problems for bees over sugar water alone. These findings published in the journal Scientific Reports suggest that herbicides and fungicides pose a greater risk to pollinators than previously assumed.

Scientists found that forager bees were drawn to the fungicide chlorothalonil and the herbicide ingredient glyphosate, found in Monsanto’s Roundup, at certain concentrations.” – Honey bees Love Chemicles That Are Killing Them

The nectar that a bee brings back to the hive will effect on the health of the entire colony. Insecticides have been shown to shorten the lifespans of exposed bees and disrupt organization of the hive. Past research shows that chlorothalonil can inhibit a fungal parasite called Nosema bombi that affects bumblebees. Glyphosate has been shown to potentially affect the ability of bees to navigate.

Recommended: Fungal Infections – How to Eliminate Yeast, Candida, and Mold Infections For Good

The bees are not only not avoiding this fungicide [chlorothalonil], they’re consuming more of it at certain concentrations. People assume that fungicides affect only fungi, but fungi are much more closely related to animals than they are to plants. And toxins that disrupt physiological processes in fungi can also potentially affect them in animals, including insects.” – May Berenbau

The bees in the study were given the choice between a plain sugar syrup and a sweet mixture blended with several fungicides and herbicides at different concentrations. There were also feeders with the sugar water mixed with naturally occurring chemicals.

Recommended: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQkIeN56dt0

A healthy wildlife population is likely to slow the spread of diseases carried by ticks, according to a new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Conducted by researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Kenya, this study found that tick populations rose by 130 percent to 225 percent in areas where large wildlife was excluded. Drier areas were more likely to experience an increased tick population. Ticks are responsible for the spread of several different types of pathogens like babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, though the most reported and well-known of these is Lyme disease.

This study showed that large mammal conservation can reduce the abundance of some ticks, including in this case the abundance of ticks infected with pathogens that negatively impact the health of both humans and wildlife in the region…Finding this ‘win-win-win’ scenario in which conservation benefits both human health and wildlife health can, we hope, really motivate further conservation and ultimately help protect landscapes and wildlife health.” – Dr. Hillary Young, Assistant Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Must Read: Lyme Disease – Holistic Protocol to Completely Rebuild the Immune System

Increased Chances of Lyme Disease and Others

This study also tested captured ticks for disease-causing bacteria. The increase in tick population didn’t lead to a higher prevalence of diseases, but a larger tick population offers opportunistic pathogens a larger number of hosts. That could be one explanation for the rise in tick-borne diagnoses. Lyme disease cases have doubled over the last 30 years, and the Center for Disease Control reports that those numbers are underreported.

Must Read: Do I have Lyme Disease? Symptoms and Latest News

It Continues

All signs point to the increase in tick populations and the diagnosis of tick-borne diseases continuing for the foreseeable future. Ticks are more prevalent in drier areas and can survive all year in warmer weather. Researchers found that they are also more populous in areas with decreased wildlife. Which means our current state of affairs will likely lead to optimal conditions for ticks. Higher temperatures, less wildlife…more Lyme for us?

Recommended:

• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• Sugar Leads to Depression – World’s First Trial Proves Gut and Brain are Linked (Protocol Included)
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

Sources:

• Study shows importance of wildlife in controlling ticks – Phys.org
• Lyme disease is vastly under-reported, CDC says – CBS News
• Climate Change Indicators: Lyme Disease – EPA

Small servings of nuts throughout your week can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Marta Guasch, a research fellow at the Harvard Department of Nutrition, reports findings that people who ate a handful of nuts equivalent to 28 grams five or more times a week were 14% percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and had a 20% lower risk of coronary disease. Properly sprouted nuts are a fantastic addition to a healthy diet and provide protein, fiber, b vitamins, and micronutrients like calcium, zinc, potassium, and magnesium in addition to their positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

The research from Harvard had three large studies with over 32 years of follow up to examine. The type of nut didn’t really matter, as almost every type examined positively influenced the cardiovascular system with one exemption: peanut butter. As Guasch says,

We have observed benefits for total nuts, peanuts, tree nuts, and walnuts. They were all associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease. And the intake of peanuts and walnuts was additionally associated with lower risk of stroke. However, what we observed was that peanut butter was not significantly associated with cardiovascular disease.”

But There’s a Catch

All of those fantastic nutrients are not readily available in your average store-bought nut. Nuts have enzyme inhibitors, of which phytic acid is the most well-known. Phytic acid binds to essential nutrients. All of the lovely calcium, iron, zinc, and other nutrients in the beans are not available for the body to use. Phytic acid also inhibits enzymes like pepsin, amylase, and trypsin, causing the body to experience difficulties when digesting nuts.

The Steps

This does not mean you can’t eat nuts and experience all that heart-healthy goodness. All you need is a little prep and a 12-24 hour waiting period.

1. First, purchase raw nuts whenever possible. The high protein content in nuts requires digestive enzymes, and roasted or processed nuts have had their enzymes destroyed by heat.
2. Take your raw nuts and soak them in warm, filtered water and a pinch of salt. The soaking time depends on the type of nuts, but it’s a good idea to change the water halfway through the soaking process.
3. If you would like, you can soak the nuts for a longer period, then leave them out to sprout while they’re still damp. Not all nuts sprout, so check to see the best amount of time to watch your particular nut. At this point, you have neutralized as many enzyme inhibitors as you likely will.
4. You are now free to dehydrate your nuts. The best way is with a dehydrator. Opinion is mixed as to the temperature you should choose for truly raw nuts, and most experts say 118 degrees Fahrenheit is the hottest possible setting.  Wet foods are more susceptible to heat destruction though, so low and slow is your friend here. If you do not have a dehydrator, I suggest sun-drying (not much sun at the moment, but your mileage may vary). You can also use an oven on its lowest setting, though that will likely lead to loss of enzymes.

Check outStop Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet for evereything you need to know about soaking and sprouting.

Embrace the Cliche

Now more than ever is the time to get your nut game tight. New year’s resolutions (and society in general) are attempting to mold you into the kind of person who eats a handful of almonds for a snack. The kind of person who feels vindicated and righteous consuming their tiny, heart-healthy, protein-packed treat. And you can be that person who gets all of those nutrients without the crappy digestive issues. All you need is a little planning and a pitcher of salted water. Enjoy!

Sources:

• Nuts and Heart Health – Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
• Stop Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet – Organic Lifestyle Magazine
• Another reason you shouldn’t go nuts on nuts – chriskesser.com
• At What Temperature Are Enzymes in Raw Food Destroyed? – Calorie Bee

In a Collective Evolution article Robert F. Kennedy Jr reported that that out of the 16 HPV vaccine randomized trials only two used an inert saline placebo. Ten of the trials for the HPV vaccine were done against a neurotoxic aluminum adjuvant, and four of the trials used another aluminum-containing vaccine as the comparison.

Recommended: How Plumbing (Not Vaccines) Eradicated Disease

Researchers from Mexico’s National Institute of Cardiology pored over 28 studies published through January 2017—16 randomized trials and 12 post-marketing case series—pertaining to the three human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines currently on the market globally. In their July 2017 peer-reviewed report, the authors, Manuel Martínez-Lavin and Luis Amezcua-Guerra, uncovered evidence of numerous adverse events, including life-threatening injuries, permanent disabilities, hospitalizations and deaths, reported after vaccination with GlaxoSmithKline’s bivalent Cervarix vaccine and Merck’s quadrivalent or nine-valent HPV vaccines (Gardasil and Gardasil 9). Pharmaceutical company scientists routinely dismissed, minimized or concealed those injuries using statistical gimmicks and invalid comparisons designed to diminish their relative significance.

Of the 16 HPV vaccine randomized trials, only two used an inert saline placebo. Ten of the sixteen compared the HPV vaccine against a neurotoxic aluminum adjuvant, and four trials used an already-approved aluminum-containing vaccine as the comparison.

Scientific researchers view double-blind placebo trials as the gold standard for testing new drugs. To minimize bias, investigators randomly assign patients to either a “treatment” group or a “control” (placebo) group and then compare health outcomes. The standard practice is to compare a new drug against a “pharmacologically inert” placebo. To minimize opportunities for bias, neither patients nor researchers know which individuals received the drug and which the placebo. However, in clinical trials of the various HPV vaccines, pharmaceutical researchers avoided this kind of rigor and instead employed sleight-of-hand flimflams to mask the seriousness of vaccine injuries.

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

Using aluminum-containing placebos will obviously obscure comparison of the control groups. Those concerned with the HPV vaccine have argued that aluminum adjuvants are one of the most likely causes of adverse reactions. The placebos with aluminum caused adverse reactions among the “presumably unwitting patients who received them,” allowing the pharmaceutical companies to hide similar adverse reactions among people who received the vaccines. Although both placebo and study groups suffered numerous adverse events in these studies, there were minimal differences between the two groups. The similar adverse health reactions indicated to industry researchers and government regulators that the vaccines were not causing damage.

Recommended: The MMR Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuJAqtQRhMs

Drug deaths for 2016 were tallied at 63,600, up from 52,000 in 2015. This year is likely to continue the trend. Fentanyl is being blamed. In other words, drug manufacturers, the companies supposedly in the business of saving lives, have been so negligent with our health that they are responsible for a drop in the life expectancy of the entire United States. Let that sink in. These are the companies that produce cough medicine, baby shampoo, and vaccines for us and our children.

I think we should take it very seriously. If you look at the other developed countries in the world, they’re not seeing this kind of thing. Life expectancy is going up.” – Bob Anderson, chief of the Mortality Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the CDC

Since 1962 and 1963 influenza caused an inordinate number of deaths. Since then, the U.S. has only had a one-year drop in our life expectancy, which was during the worst of the AIDS epidemic. The number of people who fatally overdosed on fentanyl and other synthetic opiates rose from 9,580 in 2015 to 19,413 the following year. Deaths due to heroin increased almost 20 percent, and deaths from other opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone went up to 14 percent. At least 42,000 Americans died of opioid overdoses in 2016, which is reported to be a 28 percent increase from the previous year.

Keith Humphreys, an addiction specialist at Stanford University, says it’s even worse than it looks. Keith says that the research has shown official figures could be undercounting the true number of opioid deaths by 20 percent or more,

…we could easily be at 50,000 opioid deaths last year,” he said. “This means that even if you ignored deaths from all other drugs, the opioid epidemic alone is deadlier than the AIDS epidemic at its peak.”

The opioid addiction in the U.S. is affecting other countries too.

The biggest challenge China faces in cracking down on the smuggling of opioids is the huge demand from the US. The United States should strengthen its educational and publicity campaigns to reduce domestic demand, intensify its crackdown on internet-based drug crimes, and share more lab data with China to improve our detection and verification capabilities.” – Yu Haibin, a senior official with the Narcotics Control Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, the country’s top law enforcement agency.

Recommended Reading:

• Besieged by Guilt: Ex-Pharmaceutical Employees Speak Out Against the Industry
• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Why I Stopped Taking Prescription Drugs

Sources:

• Fueled by drug crisis, U.S. life expectancy declines for a second straight year – The Washington Post
• China says US not doing enough to cut demand for opioids – CNN

The Trump administration announced in late December plans to reject humane-treatment regulations of cage-free chickens that were proposed during the previous administration. This reversal doesn’t come as a huge surprise since the USDA repeatedly delayed the enforcement of those regulations.

In April 2016, the National Organic Program, under Obama’s administration, proposed a new rule called the “Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices” (OLPP) rule. The rule would require basic animal welfare for a food producer to receive the organic label. The OLPP rules state that animals need to have the ability to sit, walk, stretch out, and stand up without having to be in contact with another animal or the walls of the enclosure. The animals require year-round access to the outdoors, which has to include space with nature like plants and soil.

For more on what this means for organic eggs, check out “Why the hell am I paying more for this?” Major egg operation houses “USDA Organic” hens at three per square foot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZRKBtRy4p8

The agribusiness industry is generally opposed to OLPP because the proposed rules would have forced chicken factories to make expensive changes. Not surprisingly, animal welfare groups are furious,

The Obama administration’s rules for animal welfare under the National Organic Program set basic, common sense standards that not only alleviated the most egregious suffering of animals, but also aligned the actual standards in the $30 billion organics industry with consumer expectations of how cows, pigs, and chickens are treated.” – Vandhana Bala, general counsel for Mercy for Animals

Recommended Reading:

• Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included
• Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet
• How to Make the Healthiest Smoothies – 4 Recipes
• Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones
• How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

Sources:

• Trump Administration Cuts Law Designed to Ensure Organic Animal Welfare – Modern Farmer
• Trump Administration Runs Afoul on the Organic Animal Welfare Rule – Huffington Post
• Trump administration moves to kill regulations on animal welfare – NY Times

In an ironic twist, the president of the Amercian Heart Association, Dr. John Warner, suffered a heart attack in the middle of a health conference at the age of 52.

Dr. Warner’s speech at the conference focused on how his family’s history of heart disease has impacted his family, citing his father and his father’s father heart bypass surgery while in their 60s, While Dr. Warner is recovering after doctors cleared a clogged artery, the fact remains that the head of an organization dedicated to living lives free of cardiovascular disease or stroke had a heart attack more than a decade earlier than the age of the average man’s first heart attack. It’s like finding out the vegan restaurant you love is run by a guy who competes in whole hog barbeque contests on the weekends. Does the AHA treat cardiovascular disease or simply manage it?

Recommended: 35 Things You Could Do With Coconut Oil – From Body Care to Health to Household

Treating Symptoms

One in four deaths in the U.S. is from cardiovascular disease. The CDC identifies high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking as key factors in developing it. But simply addressing these misses the bigger picture – high blood pressure and high cholesterol are symptoms. They don’t exist in a vacuum. In fact, many of the causes of crucial heart disease risk factors are the same: diet and exercise.

AHA diet recommendations are perfectly pleasant, but they don’t address critical factors in an actual healthy diet. They vilify salt without explicitly acknowledging that the problem is actually the processed food. The association’s first-ever guidelines for added sugars were introduced in 2016, years behind emerging dietary research. let’s not get into their complicated an incredibly damaging relationship with fats, including the AHA’s recent denouncement of coconut oil. The AHA doesn’t actually fix the diet, much like it only fixes symptoms.

Recommended: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K04vCy73oM

Recommended: Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System

A Non-Profit, Emphasis on the Profit

The AHA has a laundry list of powerful friends in industries that would are very interested in controlling the heart disease narrative – especially pharmaceutical companies. Many well known pharmaceutical companies have contributed millions to the AHA. Some of the best-selling drugs in the country, statins and medications to lower blood pressure, are the AHA’s solution of choice for treating heart disease. The AHA provides a steady stream of customers, and one could argue that the recent drop in healthy blood pressure guidelines that added 30 million Americans to the potential sales…patient pool.

Sources:

• Heart attack strikes American Heart Association president – CNN
• AHA president doing well after minor heart attack – American Heart Association News
• Heart Disease Facts – CDC.gov
• Nearly half of U.S. adults have high blood pressure under new guidelines – CBS
• The American Heart Association — Protecting Industry Not Patients – Huffington Post