How Plumbing (Not Vaccines) Eradicated Disease

Vaccines get all the glory, but most plumbers will tell you that it was water infrastructure – sewage systems and clean water – that eradicated disease, and they’re right.

Disease Before Plumbing

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Europeans despised all things Roman, including bathing. There was a widespread belief that getting wet caused illness. This contempt and fear of bathing persisted through the Dark Ages.

Some Europeans defied local customs by bathing, but this was usually done over great protest. When Queen Elizabeth bathed, her servants panicked, fearing she would become ill and die.

This resistance to bathing was brought across the Atlantic to America, influencing habits all the way into the 1800s. In 1835, Philadelphia almost passed an ordinance forbidding wintertime bathing. Ten years later, Boston did outlaw bathing, except by medical directive. (Though this law was not widely enforced, it does illustrate the American resistance to bathing as late as the mid 1800s.)

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

How Plumbing Eradicated Disease

Before plumbing was widely used, indoor facilities consisted of a washstand and a washbowl, a pitcher, and a chamber pot or commode. Human waste was thrown into the street or anywhere convenient.

This total lack of sanitation in urban areas filled with rats and other vermin provided the perfect environment to spread disease. The Black Plague alone killed 75 million – 200 million people – including 1/3 of Europe’s population. Though this disease is not entirely eradicated, human infection has become a rare occurrence. The last plague epidemic in America was in the early 1900’s.

Polio and Plumbing

Polio thrives in fecal matter and is easily transmitted through human waste. Plumbing and water sanitation in India is way behind the rest of the industrialized world. In areas where sanitation and hygiene are good, polio is rare. In areas where sanitation and hygiene are poor, the disease can spread rapidly.

Immunization efforts have received a lot of publicity and have garnered most of the credit for India being declared “polio free” by the World Health Organization. As recently as 2009, India reported 762 cases of polio, and at that time, these numbers made India the polio capital of the world. In 2014, there are currently no “official” documented cases of polio, but without proper sanitation there is no way this can last.

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

A Polio Breeding Ground

India is the second most populous nation in the world, with an estimated population of 1.2 billion. Currently, 780 million Indians do not have a toilet; 96 million Indians do not have access to clean drinking water. In rural areas, open defecation is still more common than attempting to dispose of human waste in a more sanitary fashion, such as burying it.

There have been some efforts to improve sanitation, but they pale in comparison to the extensive efforts to vaccinate Indians. Over 9 billion has been spent in this vaccination public health campaign. In some parts of India, children have received as many as 30 doses of the oral polio vaccine before their fifth birthday. Bill Gates, the World Health Organization, and GAVI have ardently been pushing vaccines on people who still don’t have access to clean drinking water or the sanitary means to dispose of human waste.

They Say Tomato, I say Tomatoe

The current polio vaccine campaign in India is highly controversial due to the high rate of vaccine injury and death. There were 53,000 cases of NPAFP, a non-polio acute flaccid paralysis, among those vaccinated. NPAFP is a disease that is clinically indistinguishable from polio and twice as deadly that is caused by the live, weakened, polio viruses in the vaccine. Incidences of the disease rose and fell with the number of doses of the vaccine administered. To call this disease anything other than polio is semantic subterfuge, a whitewash for Big Pharma’s image.

In the past 13 months, India has reported 53,563 cases of NPAFP at a national rate of 12 per 100,000 children—way above the global benchmark set by WHO of 2 per 100,000.” – Jan, 13 2014 quote from LiveMint Newpaper, the second largest business newspaper in India.

It would be less expensive in human cost and far more effective to improve India’s water infrastructure, improving India’s sanitation and hygiene.

London England and Cholera

In the 1800’s the European infant mortality rate was very high, from 25% to 70%. In the early-to-mid 1800s, London had little in the way of water infrastructure. The majority of people used town pumps and communal wells to get their drinking water. Waste disposal was far from adequate. Most Londoners dumped raw sewage and animal wastes into open pits known as “cesspools” or directly into the Thames River. Unfortunately, the Thames River was also the source of drinking water for many Londoners.

Cholera spreads easily through contaminated water and food and kills very quickly; it often proves fatal within hours of the first symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea.

In 1854, yet another outbreak struck London, claiming the lives of tens of thousands of Europeans. In Soho, a suburb of London, there were more than 500 fatal cases of cholera in ten days.

Dr. John Snow, who lived near Soho, was able to directly investigate what was causing the outbreak. Five years earlier, Dr. Snow had written an article about what he believed caused cholera. It was in the water, he argued. This idea flew in the face of the “wisdom” of his time. In the 1850s, doctors believed that bad vapors, or a “miasma in the atmosphere” caused disease. Dr. Snow dared to believe something different, to try something different, believing he might see different results.

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

Dr. John Snow Traced Cholera To Its Source

Dr. Snow traced the cholera outbreak to the Broad Street pump. He persuaded the town officials to remove the pump handle, and the cholera outbreak abruptly ended. Some time later, the outbreak was traced back to a woman cleaning a dirty diaper in the well.

Correction 3/1/17: 

According to Wayne W. LaMorte, MD, PhD, MPH of Boston University School of Public Health, the mother had emptied the baby’s diarrhea into the cesspool next to the well, and the cesspool’s wall was decayed, so the sewage was seeping into the well.” – Thanks Heather!

Though it took some time, Dr. Snow convinced the authorities that fecal matter was contaminating the water supply. Today Dr. John Snow is widely regarded as the father of epidemiology.

Refugee Camps, Dysentery Epidemic, and Poor Sanitation

The Rwandan refugee camps set up in Zaire in 1994 struggled with outbreaks of dysentery. Sanitation was poor; the refugees defecated openly in common areas. Human waste built up in the same areas where the refugees drew water that was used for cooking and drinking. Heavy rain flooded the area and dysentery became epidemic, at its peak it was killing 2,000 people a day.

Refugee camps have always been a haven for diseases related to poor sanitation. Once U.S. and UN officials brought in purified water and encouraged people to use outhouses and latrines for defecation, the incidences of dysentery fell.

Chicago’s Population Grew from 350 in 1835 to More than 60,000 by 1850

The industrial revolution drove rapid population growth. Chicago’s water infrastructure wasn’t designed to handle such a rapid rise in population. Chicago was dealing with many different diseases, but it had especially high rates of typhoid fever. The source of the rapid increase in disease was traced to the city’s water and sanitation.

The majority of the city’s sewage was directed to the Chicago River, which flowed right back into Lake Michigan, which provided the city’s drinking water. This, of course, contaminated Chicago’s drinking water and created a cycle of disease.

It took many years to solve the problem, but in the early 1900s Chicago modernized their water infrastructure. They reversed the flow of several rivers and streams, and as a result, typhoid fever and all other infectious diseases plummeted.

Conclusion

Sanitation prevents disease by removing the cause of disease transmission, but this is not new information. Moses taught sanitation. He made many rules for encampments. The Greeks and the Romans created elaborate systems of aqueducts, baths, and drainage. When the Roman Empire crumbled, sanitation became a lost art. Civilization paid the price: plague after plague struck areas of dense population.

Smallpox continued to infect Europe’s population until plumbing infrastructure became commonplace. Although, sanitation ended this disease, the smallpox vaccine takes the credit.

When most of us think of a conscientious objector, we think of someone who refused military service for moral or religious reasons. In the 1800s, the term came into use for someone who refused vaccinations for their children. There was a great deal of resistance to the smallpox vaccine. Some statistics placed fatalities from the vaccine as high as 1 in 200

In modern times, objections to vaccines are mounting. Refusing to vaccinate is as controversial today as it was when the first vaccines were forced on British citizens almost 200 years ago.

Vaccines often contain toxins like aluminum and mercury, and many vaccines contain aborted fetal tissues. The reality of vaccine injury and death is making the news, though the propaganda and out and out lies from pharmaceutical companies cause a polarized division between those who are pro vaccine and those who are against.

If you are reading this, you probably have access to running water and a working toilet. If you choose to forego vaccines for yourself or your children, bear in mind that you will need additional protection to avoid contracting illnesses. Exercise, sleep, stress management, and a truly healthy diet are all essential for an immune system to work at optimal efficiency.

While the medical professionals and the pharmaceutical companies are quick to take credit for our increased life expectancy, in truth, they are not the heroes. Have you thanked a plumber lately?

If you’re looking to increase your body’s ability to protect itself against disease, check out Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections. Also, see  How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children

Further Reading:
Sources:


How To Build Your Own Polytunnel to Grow Food All Year

Polytunnels seem to be popping up all over the place – and with good reason! They’re a fantastic gardening tool that can increase crop size, extend the growing season, and protect your plants from the elements. And, you get all of these benefits without the hassle that comes with erecting a permanent structure such as a greenhouse. Around 90% of people who purchase pre-made polytunnels choose to erect them themselves, because it’s incredibly simple to do, and can save a significant chunk of cash compared to hiring a handyman or builder to do it for you. So here’s an easy guide to walk you through the process of building your very own polytunnel.

What Is a Polytunnel?

Basically speaking a polytunnel is constructed from a metal-framed semi-circular tunnel covered in hardwearing polythene with UV inhibitors to maximize its lifetime. A large amount of air is enclosed by a polytunnel, so it stays warm much longer than a greenhouse – and also does not suffer from such dramatic temperature fluctuations in summer. During the winter you can regulate temperature and maintain heat very simply by lining the inside of the tunnel with bubble wrap and then removing it in spring. The polythene film has a lifespan of between five and ten years, but the cost to replace it will be only 15%-20% of the cost of the original tunnel.

Lay the Foundations

As with building any structure, you need to start by laying the foundations. Correctly placed foundation tubes are absolutely vital to the safety and longevity of your tunnel, so it’s crucial to get this step right. Start by marking the base positions around the site of the polytunnel – these will form the outline of the tunnel and will provide the base structure for you to build your aluminum frame. You should make sure the positions are evenly spaced and that the corners are at right angles, otherwise your tunnel might not be stable. You should then simply drive the foundation tubes into the ground at those marked positions. You can do this with a large hammer – but make sure to place a wooden block between the hammer and the tops of the tubes to avoid damaging or distorting them. You can either use tubes provided in a pre-fabricated polytunnel kit, or if building your own tunnel from scratch, offcuts of scaffolding poles or mains water pipe provide the perfect inexpensive substitute.  These should be cut to about six feet in length and driven into the ground to a depth of about three feet, depending on your desired polytunnel size. The bigger the tunnel the deeper the poles should go. Once they’re securely in the ground, check to be sure the tubes are level with a spirit level.
Building a Polytunnel - foundations

Build the Frame

Whether you’re constructing a pre-fabricated polytunnel or building one from scratch, you’ll need a series of aluminum hoops to make up the frame of your tunnel. To build the frame, simply connect the hoops together (they generally come in multiple sections) and simply slide them over the foundation tubes, bolting each in place. Finally, fit the ridge pole down the centre top of the tunnel, corner bracing and doorframes. Check that the hoops are all straight and in line, then tighten all the joints carefully.

Building a Polytunnel - structureAdd the Cover

Now your framework is securely in place, it’s time to attach the cover and add the ‘poly’ to your tunnel. Most pre-fabricated polytunnels will come with some sort of cushioning to put over the hoops, to ensure the polythene sheet doesn’t snag or tear – but if you’re building one from scratch you can use foam coverings or anti hot-spot tape (which can be sourced from larger garden stores). This isn’t absolutely vital, but will increase the lifespan of the sheet by around a year – so it’s a good investment. Clear any stones from the ground around your frame and unroll the cover, sliding it over the hoops so it sits evenly over the frame. To secure it you can either attach it to the base rail if you have one (as most pre-made kits will), or  simply bury a skirt of polythene in a trench approximately 30cm deep. If your model is supplied without a base rail, but you don’t have space to dig a trench, you can make one using lengths of 70 x 45mm timber, cut to length, then bolted on to the foundation tubes. Whichever you choose it’s important to keep the plastic sheet as taut as possible during fitting. Now simply either cut a V shape in the sheet where you’d like the entrance to be, or use whichever door system is provided in your kit. There you have it, your very own polytunnel!

Be sure to check out our website, premierpolytunnels.co.uk
Building a Polytunnel



Natural Remedies and Prevention For Skin Tags

As we age, many of us will develop skin tags. Yes, they are more prevalent in people who are overweight or obese, in those who are pre-diabetic or diabetic, and in the elderly. But the truth is, nearly half of us will have one or more by middle age. Pregnancy, steroid use, genetics, and the HPV virus also increase the incidence of skin tags.

What Are Skin Tags?

Skin tags are small flaps of skin that usually appear in places where skin rubs against skin, such as the eyelids, underarms, groin, neck, under breasts, or in skin folds.. Although they can reach up to one half an inch in width, they are usually no bigger than an apple seed. They are often attached to the body by a “stalk” of skin, smaller than the body of the tag. They may be a little darker than normal skin color or may be the same color as the skin.

Skin tags are known by many names:

  • acrochordon
  • cutaneous papilloma
  • cutaneous tag
  • fibroepithelial polyp
  • fibroma molluscum
  • fibroma pendulum
  • papilloma colli
  • soft fibroma
  • Templeton skin tag

Skin tags are benign skin tumors that do not pose a problem unless their appearance is disturbing or if they are in a place where friction causes discomfort or shaving is problematic. They can, however, rarely be associated with Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome and Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Conventional Treatment for Skin Tags

General treatment is removal via surgery (just cutting or clipping), freezing, or burning.

Alternative Treatment for Skin Tags

When it comes to natural treatments, all are not created equal. A number of natural treatments cause skin tags to dry up and fall off, but many of them are slow, taking weeks to months to produce results. In addition, some require application many times a day.

Natural remedies include:

  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Banana peel
  • Castor oil
  • Dandelion juice
  • Garlic
  • Lemon juice
  • Oil of oregano
  • Tea tree oil

Of the choices, castor oil seems the easiest to use, and it has the added benefit of not irritating surrounding tissues. Just wash and dry the area; apply castor oil five or more times a day.

Apple cider vinegar, dandelion juice, and lemon juice are used the same way, simply apply several times a day.

To use oil of oregano, mix with a carrier oil (like coconut oil) with a 1 to 2 ratio (2 drops of oil of oregano to 4 drops of oil).

To use tea tree oil, mix with a few drops of water.

Garlic can be applied as a sliver with a bandage or as a paste of crushed garlic, though be aware that many complain of a burning sensation and skin irritation.

A piece banana peel can be taped to the site at night, the inside of the peel against the skin.

Most of these natural remedies take weeks of diligent application before you see results.

Conclusion

According to the odds, if you have skin tags you may be pre-diabetic or have been diagnosed with type II diabetes, and you are struggling with your weight. If you are looking for a diet that will make you feel wonderful and bring your blood sugar back in line quickly and effortlessly, check out the 80% Raw Food Diet and read 8 Easy Steps to Health.

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Cure Psoriasis By Killing Candida

According to the National Psoriasis Foundation, psoriasis is a disease that begins with a genetic predisposition that is set of by one or a combination of triggers: stress, skin injury, specific medications, or infection (in particular, strep).

In December of 2014, a new study was published that concluded superantigens and toxins from Candida “…may play various roles in the exacerbation and the persistence of psoriasis.” A full 60% of the psoriasis patients tested positive for Candida versus 20% of the control group in oral tests and 15% of the psoriasis patients tested positive verses 4% of the control group in skin tests.

The more we learn about Candida, the more we find it is a common factor in many if not all autoimmune diseases.

What Is an Autoimmune Disease?

The simple definition of autoimmune disease is that the immune system became confused, stopped working correctly, and began attacking healthy body tissue. Why would this happen? Persistent, chronic infection is sometimes thought to be the cause, and chronic Candida certainly fits in this scenario. But looking at the body holistically, we know that Candida filaments actually drill into tissue as Candida wreaks havoc in the gut, spewing toxins into the system, destroying the balance of healthy to unhealthy bacteria, and ultimately deteriorating the gut itself, resulting in leaky gut syndrome.

Leaky gut syndrome allows proteins and other particles to be dispersed directly into the bloodstream, setting up the immune system for a disastrous onslaught on foreign particles it is unequipped to handle. This is believed to be part of the process that triggers celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, as gluten proteins are also released into the bloodstream.

How To Heal The Body

In order to heal the body, regardless of the disease, the body needs an abundance of nutrition, to be cleansed of toxins, and to be rid of Candida overgrowth along with other parasites. And the gut needs to be healed.

What should you eat? A truly healthy diet includes a wide variety of whole, organic foods with lots and lots of raw produce – 80% of more of the diet – more vegetables, than fruits. Seeds and nuts should be soaked before they are eaten. Omega 3 fatty acids should be added to the diet. When dealing with any autoimmune situation, gluten and dairy should be removed from the diet until the gut is healed and only eaten thereafter if completely tolerated with no sign of autoimmune symptoms.

Of course, a healthy diet has no room for processed foods or their chemicals. No BHA, BHT, or MSG. No artificial flavors, colorings, or preservatives of any kind. No GMOs. No high fructose corn syrup. No wheat. Limit caffeine, and eliminate processed sugar. Yes, that’s right- no sugar. Sugar is the sworn enemy of the immune system and it feeds Candida as well. If you want it to heal, get rid of the sugar.

To learn more about how to eat healthy, read the 80% Raw Food Diet and check out Kill Candida and Balance The Gut Quickly.

Recommended Supplements:

Further Reading:


Cinnamon – Ceylon Vs Cassia, Health Benefits, and Other Interesting Facts

Cinnamon comes from the bark of evergreen trees of the genus cinnamomum. When cinnamon is harvested, the bark is stripped and sun dried. As it dries, cinnamon curls into a well-known shape, called quills. If not ground, it is then sold as whole cinnamon or cinnamon sticks.

Contents

Cinnamon was once one of the most highly sought after commodities on the planet. This spice has been in use for thousands of years as a medicine, as an embalming agent, as a means of preserving food, and as a flavoring enhancing spice. The earliest reports of cinnamon date back to ancient Egypt in 2000 B.C. The Egyptians used both cinnamon and the related spice, cassia, as embalming agents. Cinnamon was also used in the Old Testament as an ingredient in anointing oil.

Tales of Cinnamon’s Origin

Europeans were aware that cinnamon was shipped from the Red Sea through the trading ports of Egypt, but where exactly it came from was a mystery. In an effort to maintain their trade monopoly, Arab traders wove elaborate stories about the origins of cinnamon. These stories further helped to justify cinnamon’s scarcity and exorbitant prices.

Sier de Joinville believed the fanciful stories he was given of cinnamon’s origin. Joinville told his king in 1248 that cinnamon was pulled up in nets at the source of the Nile, all the way out at the edge of the world.

An Arab, Herodotus, came to believe that the mythical cinnamologus birds gathered cinnamon sticks from a distant unknown land. The cinnamologus birds made their nests so high in the mountains that no one could climb them. According to this myth, the method of collection was to leave large chunks of ox meat below these nests and wait for the birds to collect them. When the birds gathered the meat into the nest, the increased weight would cause them to collapse, enabling people to gather the cinnamon sticks at the base of the mountain.

Another wild cinnamon origin story claimed that cinnamon was harvested within deep canyons, relentlessly guarded by monstrous snakes.

The 1st century Roman philosopher, Pliny the Elder, reasoned that cinnamon hails from Ethiopia. Cinnamon, he reasoned, was carried on rafts bereft of oars or sails and propelled by “man alone and his courage.”

Wars and Exploration for Cinnamon

Exploration of the new world was primarily motivated by a desire to expand the spice trade. At the time of Columbus’ expedition, cinnamon was at the height of its demand. Expanding the spice trade was one of the primary reasons for Columbus’ expedition. Columbus sent back what he thought was cinnamon from the New World. It was not cinnamon, however. Cinnamon country had yet to be found.

European efforts to find the source of cinnamon fell short until 1518 when the Portuguese located cinnamon at Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka). With ruthless precision, the Portuguese conquered the island kingdom of Kotto and enslaved the population in order to monopolize the cinnamon trade.

The Portuguese maintained control of the region for a century, until the occupied people allied with the Dutch in 1638 to wrestle control of the region away from the Portuguese. Their combined efforts were successful, and they eliminated Portuguese control of the region. The Dutch made the island kingdom beholden to them for their military aide. The island people traded one European oppressor for another. The Dutch held the cinnamon monopoly for the next 150 years.

The British later conquered Ceylon in 1784. However cinnamon had begun to be cultivated in other parts of the world, and by the year 1800 it was no longer the rare precious commodity it once was.

Cinnamon Varieties

cinnamon comparisonThere are hundreds of types of Cinnamon, but there are only four varieties used for commercial purposes. The cinnamon known as “true cinnamon” is Ceylon cinnamon. This is the only variety that many other countries refer to as cinnamon. Other varieties are known as cassia.

Other cinnamon varieties, which are much more common in North America, are easier to produce and less expensive than Ceylon cinnamon. Cassia (Chinese) cinnamon, Saigon cinnamon, and Korintje are typically all lumped in together and referred to as cassia cinnamon, though they are each distinctively different. Each of these three closely related spices are much stronger and more pungent than Ceylon cinnamon.

In North America, when cinnamon is used as an ingredient or sold on the shelves as simply “cinnamon”, it is typically Korintje or cassia (Tung Hing).

Ceylon Cassia Korintje Saigon
Other Names Cinnamomum Verum, Sweet Cinnamon, True Cinnamon, Mexican Cinnamon, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Chinese Cinnamon, Tung Hing Padang Cassia, Indonesian Cinnamon Vietnamese Cassia, Vietnamese Cinnamon
Scientific Name Cinnamomum Verum Cinnamomum Aromaticum Cinnamomum Burmanni Cinnamomum Loureiroi
Country of Origin Sri Lanka (90%), India, Madagascar, Brazil, and the Caribbean China Indonesia Vietnam
Taste Mild, sweet Spicy, bitter Spicy, pungent Spicy, slightly sweet
Color Light to medium reddish brown Dark reddish brown Dark reddish brown Dark reddish brown
Aroma sweet, complex Intense, pungent Intense, spicy, pungent Spicy
Price Expensive Cheap Cheap Medium
Coumarin  0.017 g/kg 0.31 g/kg 2.15 g/kg 6.97 g/kg

Ceylon Cinnamon

Ceylon cinnamon is grown in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Brazil, India, and the Caribbean. This variety is more popular in much of Europe, Latin America, Mexico, the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia. Indian curries and desert recipes of the lighter variety that call for cinnamon are typically referring to Ceylon cinnamon. Ceylon is the sweetest and mildest tasting and the lightest in color. It’s also three to four times more expensive than the other varieties.

Ceylon has less coumarin than the other varieties, and is often recommended above others by the alternative health community and many conventional doctors as well, since coumarin can cause liver damage in high dosages (more on that below).

Cassia Cinnamon (Chinese Cinnamon)

It can get a little confusing here since all three non-Ceylon varieties are often referred to as cassia cinnamon, while the Chinese Cinnamon is often referred to as cassia cinnamon. In other words, Cassia cinnamon may refer to Chinese cinnamon or it may refer to one of the other non-Ceylon cinnamons: Saigon cinnamon or Korintjr cinnamon.

Today, Tung Hing, the Chinese cinnamon is mostly grown in China, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. This variety is spicy, bitter and very intense.

Saigon Cinnamon

Known as Vietnamese cinnamon or Vietnamese cassia, Saigon cinnamon’s scientific name is Cinnamomum Loureiroi. It comes from an evergreen tree indigenous to Southeast Asia. Saigon cinnamon is closely related to Chinese cinnamon. Saigon cinnamon has around 1-5% essential oil content and 25% cinnamaldehyde in the essential oil, which is the highest of all the cinnamon species.

Saigon cinnamon’s bark is similar to that of Tung Hing, but with a more pronounced and complex aroma. In Vietnamese cuisine, Saigon cinnamon bark is an important ingredient in many dishes including pho, the well-known noodle soup.

Saigon cinnamon has a volatile oil content of around 7%, which gives it a very bold and robust flavor that is ideal for cooking and for use in sauces.

Korintje Cinnamon

Fragrant Korintje cinnamon is as intense and spicy as Chinese cinnamon, but it is also a bit smoother. Korintje cinnamon from Indonesia accounts for most of the cinnamon imported into the U.S. Although lacking the depth of Chinese cinnamon, the flavor is smoother. Korintje cinnamon is a common choice for commercial bakeries in North America because of its good flavor and lower cost.

Coumarin in Cinnamon and Liver Damage

Ceylon cinnamon benefits are marketed as superior to the less expensive Cassia spices primarily due to Ceylon cinnamon’s ultra low levels of a chemical called coumarin, a blood thinner that is toxic to the liver and prevalent in much higher levels in the three cassia spices. It’s not anything most people need to worry about; the risk for any damage with normal or even much higher than normal consumption of cassia cinnamon is negligible.

For flavoring food, go with any and all varieties and discover what works best for each food. As a medicinal supplement though, if you want to take regular, relatively large doses, it may make sense to stick with Ceylon cinnamon for this purpose.

It should also be known that any cinnamon in very large doses will make one sick. Check out the cinnamon challenge; the objective is to film oneself swallowing a spoonful of ground cinnamon in under 60 seconds without drinking anything:

We don’t recommend trying it. The cinnamon challenge is a little risky. If you are taking cinnamon as a supplement in capsule form, it’s typically a good idea to take it with food, and don’t overdo it.

Health Benefits of Cinnamon

While there are definitely color, taste, and texture variations between Ceylon, Cassia, Korintje, and Saigon cinnamon, the differences in respect to health benefits are minor.

Nutrients – One teaspoon of Cinnamon Powder has up to 16% of the U.S. recommended daily allowance for Manganese, 5% for fiber 3% for iron, and 3% for calcium.

Cinnamon, Blood, and Inflammation Reduction

Cinnamon helps reduce unwanted blood platelet clotting, which can result in inadequate blood flow, and is a common symptom of various diseases and overall poor health. Cinnamon inhibits the release of arachidonic acid (an inflammatory fatty acid) and reduces its formation. Cinnamon also removes blood impurities and helps to improve blood circulation due to the presence of a blood-thinning compound.

Cinnamon Is a Powerful Antimicrobial Spice

Cinnamon is antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antiparasitic.

Cinnamon can be used as a food preservative. Just a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to approximately 3 ounces of carrot broth inhibited the growth of the food-borne pathogenic Bacillus cereus for at least 60 days in the refrigerator. When the broth was refrigerated without the addition of cinnamon oil, the bacteria flourished.

Multiple studies have shown cinnamon’s effectiveness with a multitude of viruses including but not limited to HIV, herpes, and the adenovirus. Cinnamon even shows promise with cancer.

Cancer Preventer

Studies have shown that cinnamon and cinnamon oil shows promise with treating tumors, gastric cancers, melanomas, leukemia, colon cancer, and lymphoma cancer.

Antioxidant

Cinnamon a powerful antioxidant. In a study that compared the antioxidant activity of 26 spices, cinnamon wound up as the clear winner, even outranking “superfoods” like garlic and oregano. In another study, cinnamon, anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg, vanilla, and artificial preservatives were looked at to see which compounds prevented oxidation most effectively. Mint came in first; cinnamon came in second.

Blood Sugar, Diabetes, and Cinnamon

Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar levels, which can help with weight loss, and can also prevent, and even help reverse, diabetes and hypoglycemia. Cinnamon actually slows the rate at which the stomach empties after meals, reducing the rise in blood sugar after eating. Cinnamon also stimulates insulin receptors and inhibits an enzyme that inactivates insulin receptors while it enhances muscle cells’ insulin-signaling pathways, which increases the body’s ability to properly utilize glucose.

One study found Cassia cinnamon was almost twice as effective as the same amount of Ceylon cinnamon for controlling blood sugar. On the other hand, if you are concerned about coumarin consumption, you could double your Ceylon cinnamon dosage and not even come close to the high Coumarin levels found in Cassia Cinnamon. The general consensus is that approximately 1/2 of a teaspoon a day of cinnamon is effective for normalizing blood sugar.

Lowering LDL Cholesterol and Triglycerides

Studies have found that regular consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and an increase in HDL cholesterol (known as the good cholesterol).

A controlled study was done with 60 people with type 2 diabetes. One group received cinnamon daily while the other group was giving a placebo. Forty days later, all of the cinnamon group showed reduced blood sugar levels down by 18-29%; reduced triglycerides, down by 23-30%; reduced LDL cholesterol, down by 7-27%; and reduced total cholesterol, down by 12-26%. The placebo group saw no significant changes.

Cinnamon and the Brain

Folklore says the smell of cinnamon can cure the winter blues. No studies support this except for an interesting study that found the scent of cinnamon reduced driver irritability.

Cinnamon boosts the activity of the brain and removes nervous tension and memory loss. Researchers have proven that cinnamon improves cognitive abilities such as attention span, virtual recognition memory, working memory, and visual-motor response. Just the aroma or just the taste of cinnamon, can stimulate cognitive function.

Cinnamon consumption may delay the effects of, slow the effects of, and even reverse some of the effects of Alzheimer’s. In addition, some parents are using cinnamon to treat their children with ADHD.

Ways to Use Cinnamon

There are various essential oils extracted from various parts of the tree (not just the bark), and various species (as mentioned above) to choose from.

Cinnamon Stick Tea

      1. 5 cups water in a metal pot or glass kettle
      2. Add one cinnamon stick (3 inch length)
      3. Cinnamon sticks should be boiled slowly. Set the heat setting to as low as possible to sustain a low, slow boil and cook 15 to 25 minutes.
      4. Let it steep/rest for 15 minutes.
      5. You may reheat before serving. It yields just over a cup.

Enhanced Golden Milk Tea Recipe

This is a new twist on an ancient way of experiencing the benefits of turmeric. Ideally, use all fresh, unadulterated herbs whenever available.

      • 1 cup of warm Coconut Milk
      • 1 tablespoon of freshly grated turmeric with skin
      • 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
      • 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger with skin
      • 1 pinch of black pepper
      • Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix it all up and drink. I you prefer to drink it warm, only heat the coconut milk; be careful not to cook the other ingredients. Add the other ingredients when the coconut milk is cool enough to drink to preserve enzymes and other fragile micronutrients.

Household Disinfectant and Odor Neutralizer

Cinnamon has been proven to be good at killing bacteria including, e-coli and salmonella. Cinnamon oil kills bacteria that create odors as well.

Mix 10 drops of cinnamon essential oil in 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and use to disinfect counter tops, sinks, cabinets, doorknobs, toys etc.

Place three drops of cinnamon essential oil mixed with water on a diffuser to neutralize odors in a large room within minutes.

Tooth and Gum Health

Antibacterial properties of cinnamon remove harmful bacteria without damaging teeth or gums. Try using cinnamon with homemade mouthwash and toothpaste recipes. Also, try oil pulling with coconut oil and a few drops of cinnamon oil. See Homemade DIY Oral Health.

Insect Repellant

Cinnamon essential oil can be used for head lice treatment and to repel (or kill) ants, bed bugs, dust mites, roaches, and mosquitoes.

Skin Infections Like Athlete’s Foot

Try cinnamon oil on any topical skin infection, including athlete’s foot. It’s antimicrobial properties make quick work out of fungus.

Digestion

Cinnamon is very effective for treating indigestion, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, diarrhea and flatulence. Cinnamon eliminates excess gas from the stomach and intestines, removes acidity, kills pathogens and acts as a diuretic to stop diarrhea. It relieves irritable bowel syndrome, reduces morning sickness, and is often referred to as a digestive tonic.

Menstruation

Cinnamon has been shown to provide relief from menstrual discomfort and cramping.

Breastfeeding

Regular consumption of cinnamon after childbirth delays menstruation, especially when combined with breastfeeding. Many believe that cinnamon promotes healthier breast milk as well.

Massage

Cinnamon is also an anti-inflammatory substance that combined with carrier oil for massage, and when consumed, can help soothe and remove stiffness in muscles and joints.

Wound Healing

Cinnamon oil acts as a coagulant to stop excess bleeding and kills infectious pathogens, facilitating the healing process.

Conclusion

The cinnamon in your pantry is most likely many years old, stale, and of little potency. Stale cinnamon has reduced flavor and health benefits. It may be time to go cinnamon shopping. Be sure to check out garlic, turmeric, ginger, and more below.

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All About Fleas – Natural Remedies – Inside and Out

Spring is here and here come the fleas.

When your cat or your dog starts scratching and little red bumps appear on your ankles and itch like crazy, a flea infestation is already underway. Although there are more than 2,500 types of fleas (with about 325 species in the U.S.), you are probably dealing with the cat flea, one of the peskiest creatures known to cats, dogs, or people.

Fleas can consume up to 15 times their weight in blood. They are so tiny, this doesn’t seem like much, but a serious infestation can cause your pet to suffer from anemia (which could be life-threatening, especially for puppies or kittens) or to suffer from a mild to severe allergic response. Fur loss, chewed skin, scabs, and hot spots may result. Some animals exhibit a severe reaction to a single fleabite. Animals also swallow fleas, which can result in tapeworms.

Fleas are interesting little critters. These wingless, 6-legged monsters can jump 100 times their height and 10,000 times in a row, the entire length of a football field.

Cat fleas are not the type associated with plague or murine typhus; but rat fleas associated with these diseases can be found in the southwestern United States, so eradication of rodent infestation and their fleas is also important.

Life Cycle of a Flea

Adult females lay 25-40 eggs a day, up to 2,000 eggs in their lifetime. Though the eggs are laid on the host, they are not glued to the pet’s hair. They fall off easily when the animal shakes, moves, or scratches. They hatch in two to five days and enter stage one of three larval stages, which together last a total of seven-fourteen days. Pupae usually develop into adults within one or two weeks, but they can lie dormant in this stage until the vibration of an animal or human stimulates them. The typical warm weather life cycle for a flea is three to four weeks.

Cat fleas are also a problem for the farm, as they feed on livestock (especially cows and pigs) and chickens. Adult fleas survive the winter and begin their reproductive cycle as weather warms up in the spring and summer.

Conventional Treatment

Conventional treatment involves toxic ingredients – toxic to both animals and humans. Pest control companies spray their noxious sprays in and around our homes, we set off indoor bombs to fumigate, and we put toxic collars, sprays, powders, and treatments on our pets. Then we wonder why our animals develop cancer.

We may spend hundreds of dollars on treatments and see no discernable progress in eradicating an infestation before resorting to alternative, healthy ways to control fleas.

Alternative Treatments For Our Pets

Raw Food Diet

All health, for all animals, begins with diet. Just as a healthy diet is the basis for human health, a truly healthy diet is the basis for your pet’s health. If you want your pet to achieve optimum health and vitality, begin with an organic, raw diet. This one choice will eliminate most of your parasite problems. Parasites prefer unhealthy, malnourished animals. (To learn how to make your own cat or dog food, see the third link below.)

The addition of small amounts of garlic to raw food helps to repel fleas (but do not overdo garlic in animal food. Some say it will interfere with their red cell production). Diatomaceous earth will help eliminate parasites from the gut (remember ingested fleas can cause tapeworms to grow in the gut), omega 3 oils aid in skin health and sleek shiny fur, and total nutrition powder will boost nutrition.

Make sure to add a little oil-coconut oil is and omega 3 oil.

Essential Oils and Other Repellents

Peta suggests the following spray to repel fleas on dogs: “…add five drops each of tea tree oil, citronella oil, rosemary oil, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus oil to one cup of water, shake it, and put it in a spray bottle.”

Another dog spray recipe follows:

Put 3 cloves of garlic, the peels from 1 orange and 1 grapefruit, 1 tablespoon of rosemary and 1 pint of water into a blender. Blend until liquefied, and then heat the concoction at a simmer for 20 minutes. Allow it to cool and strain. Put the liquid in a spray bottle and spray your pets before they go outside.

Cats don’t do as well with essential oils. Lemon water or vinegar water sprayed on the skin or food grade diatomaceous earth used as a powder on the skin will do the trick.

To make lemon water, use one sliced up lemon to a pint of water. Bring it to a boil and let it sit in the pan overnight. To make vinegar water, just mix one part vinegar to three parts water.

Alternative treatment for the indoors

Boric Acid is a long time standard, a powder that can be beaten into the carpets and sprinkled on the floor and other furnishings. Though it has been touted as a natural way to combat fleas and kill other insects, including roaches, it is not entirely non-toxic. It is best to use it in cracks and crevices where children and animals are not exposed.

The first line of defense indoors, is vacuuming and washing bedding. Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum. Place the used bag in a zip-locked plastic bag and freeze it. Re-use and refreeze until you seal it and throw it away.

Wash your pet’s bedding, daily if possible. If your pet sleeps with you, wash your bedding daily or as often as possible. Remember, up to 40 eggs from each adult female flea are falling off your pet each day.

You can sprinkle Diatomaceous earth on the carpets. Do take care not to inhale it and remove your animals from the area. Leave it on carpets for a few hours before vacuuming and use a mask. Do not use the variety that has been chemically treated for swimming pools. Peta suggests salt or borax can also be used. Just leave it on carpets for a day before vacuuming. These three substances help dry out larvae, thus killing them.

Outdoor Treatment

Diatomaceous earth can also be sprinkled around the perimeter of the house and any areas where you suspect or have seen fleas.   You can also spray beneficial nematodes on lawns and around shrubs. They are safe for beneficial garden dwellers like ladybugs and earthworms, and they are non-toxic to children, and pets. They eat the fleas. Problem solved.

Conclusion

The best way to defeat fleas is to be proactive. Wash your animal’s bedding regularly and spray or powder your pet. If you had an infestation last year, treat the yard.

Learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder (great for you or your pet!).

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Is the Paleo Diet a Fraudulent Fad or the Healthiest Diet to Hit Mainstream? Could It Be Both?

Paleo Diet’s Origins

The paleo diet has been around for more than forty years, but recently, it has enjoyed resurgence in popularity. At present, it is one of the most popular diet trends in America.

This comeback in popularity is due in part to its new supporters, including the Crossfit movement and Hollywood celebrities like Megan Fox, Jessica Biel, Miley Cyrus, and Matthew McConaughey.

Dr. Loren Cordain is one of the original researchers and authors backing the Paleo diet. His work in evolutionary medicine led him to believe that our early ancestors, homo sapiens, ate diets consisting mostly of meat (55% or more) though this claim has little to no grounding in archaeological research.

The first book modeled after this concept was written in the1970s. These books popularized the movement.

  • The Stone Age Diet
  • The Paelo Diet “Lose weight…eating the food you were designed to eat”
  • The Primal Blueprint “Reprogram your genes…maximum longevity”
  • The New Evolution Diet “Evolution Diet”
  • NeaderThin “Eat like a caveman”

Paleo Diet Recommendations – Eating Like a Caveman

The Paleo diet argues that modern diets make us very ill, and in order to improve our health, we need to eat a diet that more closely resembles the diet that our Paleolithic ancestors ate from 2 ½ million years ago to 10,000 years ago.

Paleo diets vary somewhat from book to book. The overall concept is the same, though there is some variation in what foods are to be avoided. Recommendations regarding meat consumption differ as well.

In many ways, the paleo diet is the exact opposite of the USDA’s food pyramid; the original government guidelines for a healthy diet. Paleo diets say fats are okay, but grains are not. In a paleo pyramid, meat makes up the base. Starchy vegetables and grains that make up the top of the pyramid are the foods to be avoided or minimized.

Many paleo followers hold to the belief that through the majority of human history we were primarily meat eaters. In truth, we ate more plants than meat.

Paleo Diets Recommendations

  • Meats & eggs,
  • Seafood & fish
  • Seeds & nuts
  • Leafy greens
  • Regional produce
  • Tubers such as sweet potatoes and yams (In moderation)

Only grass-fed or free-range meat and wild caught seafood are recommended due to the fact that grain-fed animals and farmed fish are less healthy than animals fed their natural diet.

Other Prohibited Foods

  • All processed foods
  • Dairy
  • Grains (no wheat, no pasta, no cereals)
  • No sugars, no fructose, or grain sweeteners
  • No beans

Most of the paleo diets exclude oils that are extracted through the use of chemicals or other unnatural means.

Since grains and processed foods are forbidden, the diet is naturally gluten free. Paleo dieters strongly recommend that everyone avoid gluten. They argue that nearly everyone is gluten intolerant.

Paleo diets avoid calorie counting. Proponents claim that Paleo foods are more nutritious and filling, so people are less likely to overeat, thus there is no need to count calories.

Paleo proponents claim the paleo diet reduces inflammation, lowers blood pressure, reduces oxidative stress, and provides increased protection against neurodegenerative diseases. Paleo proponents also stand behind the Paleo diet as a treatment for diabetes. The diet is said to reduce glucose and insulin levels.

Paleo Diet’s Lack Of Authenticity

Although it is a great idea to emulate the diet of our ancestors to improve our health, it is not possible to eat exactly like our ancestors did even 20,000 years ago, much less 2 million years ago. The majority of plants and animals that made up early man’s diet are either long extinct or are so different as to be unrecognizable.

In many cases, harmful or undesirable characteristics have been bred out of our domesticated plants. Wild foods are often full of substances to deter predation. Some plants produce natural pesticides, others have thorns, and many produce toxic substances of all kinds. The process of domestication of plants minimizes or eliminates negative or undesirable traits. It also increases desirable traits. Domestication has increased nutrient levels, calories, and digestibility. It has also improved the efficiency of cultivating these plants both through increased practicality and productivity.

Though most of the changes in our food crops are beneficial, there are also plants and animals that have been declining in quality. GMO fruits, vegetables, and dairy; mercury laden, polluted, and radiated seafood; and factory raised livestock are far more toxic and less nutritious than their organic counterparts. All conventionally raised produce is less nutritious than organic produce.

The Real Paleo Diet

Human beings have been able to survive in a variety of climates. There are some indigenous populations, such as people living in arctic areas, who ate a lot of meat because they had limited access to plant resources. In areas where more plants were available, comparatively more plants were eaten. And many plants are unique to a region. People used the resources available to them to survive. These factors alone make it clear that there was not one paleo diet, but many. What they ate in common was a diet filled with whole, fresh, organic foods.

Also, a fact rarely emphasized in the paleo diet is that our ancestors ate organ meats and bone marrow. Bone marrow was a good source of easily assimilated calcium. Bone stock and bone marrow are not commonly eaten in modern day cuisine, though many health advocates have recently recommended them.

Foraging For Produce

In order to eat a true paleo diet, we would have to return to foraging for food. Unfortunately, time is not the only negative factor involved.

Some edible plants have poisonous look-alikes. One mistake with mushrooms, or berries, or some other type of wild plant could prove fatal. Some plants are only to be eaten in small amounts, because when consumed in large amounts, they can be harmful. Another serious obstacle to everyone adopting a foraging lifestyle is that the world’s ecosystems could not withstand 7 billion people abruptly switching over to hunting and gathering. There are simply too many of us for that to work. Our species still must utilize a more intensive guided approach to producing our food, such as gardening, farming, and aquaculture.

There are many truisms to the Paleo approach. We should attempt to emulate the diet of our ancestors, at least in regards to the big picture. A paleo diet had lower grain and carbohydrate consumption, more protein, and more fiber, than modern diets. Paleo diets were made up of fresh foods, many of them raw. On the downside, real paleo diets were actually less diverse, and less healthy than the best diet available to us today.

A diverse, fresh, organic, 80% raw, plant-based diet is the healthiest diet. A full 80% of your diet should consist of fresh, raw, organic produce – more vegetables than fruit. Your diet should also include omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil, flax seed oil, or an oil blend) as well as other healthy fats such as olive oil and coconut oil. Seeds and nuts should be soaked to release enzymes. All meat should be organic and beef should be grass fed. Remember, when you are eating at the top of the food chain, you are essentially eating whatever that animal ate. If you eat a diseased malnourish animal that was fed GMO grains and shot full of antibiotics and growth hormones, will it benefit you and your health?

To truly be healthy, avoid all processed foods. Do not eat artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. No BHA, BHT, MSG, or GMOs. No trans fats. No processed sugar. Limit caffeine.

There is a benefit to the paleo diet mindset. We do need to return to eating natural unadulterated foods. Just keep that 80% raw fresh produce in mind if your ultimate goal is true health and vitality. Check out the 80% Raw Food Diet and learn how to make your own Total Nutrition Powder for a nutritional boost of vitamins and minerals.

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