Influenza Vaccine – A Comprehensive Overview of the Potential Dangers and Effectiveness of the Flu Shot

Influenza is the most common infectious disease. According to the World Health Organization, 20-30% of children and 5-10% of adults come down with the flu every year. Usually, the flu is a manageable illness, but serious complications can occur. We are told that ¼ million to a ½ million people die every year due to serious complications from the flu, usually pneumonia. 1

These numbers are subject to a great deal of interpretation since they are based on projections and best guesses, not lab tests confirming the patient who died from pneumonia ever suffered from actual influenza. In addition, 70% of deaths are patients over 75 years of age with a combination of health issues. If influenza is such a major health concern, why aren’t doctors and hospitals testing for confirmation? Chances are, we would find the numbers highly over inflated.

Spanish Influenza

No discussion of influenza would be complete without mention of the Spanish Flu pandemic. In 1918, up to 5% of the global population died due to the Spanish flu, with more fatalities in one year than four years of the bubonic plague. Estimates, of the dead in that one-year, range from 20 million to 100 million.

Most influenza strains target children, the elderly, and the infirmed. This strain was just as deadly for healthy young adults, many of whom died within hours of exhibiting their first symptoms. The dead were tagged for name and race as hemorrhaging under the skin made later identification impossible.

This horrific pandemic has become the scare tactic to promote vaccine programs such as ours, even though the vaccines are dirty, dangerous, and largely ineffective.

History of The Flu Shot

It was previously believed that a bacterium, Haemophilus, caused the flu. In 1933, researchers learned that viruses cause influenza. Five years later, Thomas Francis and Jonas Salk developed the first flu vaccine. Initially, the vaccine was used on U.S. soldiers during WWII. 2

The influenza vaccine, or flu shot, is a commonly utilized vaccine with over 40% of Americans regularly receiving the inoculation. The CDC recommends that anyone over 6 months old receive the annual vaccine, stating that vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the flu and to avoid potentially serious flu-related complications. 3

How Influenza Spreads

People infected with influenza can spread the disease to others a full day before their first symptoms develop and for a week after developing symptoms. Children are likely to spread the virus for longer than a week.

The flu is spread by contact with infected people. When sick individuals cough, sneeze, or talk they produce tiny saliva droplets that carry the virus. When others breathe in these droplets, they can become ill. In addition, infected people spread the virus by touching solid surfaces, such as doorknobs. The virus can survive on solid surfaces for days and on porous surfaces or hands for many hours. When other people touch those items or surfaces and then their mouth or nose, the virus can spread.

It is also possible to get the flu from recently vaccinated individuals. Some flu vaccines are made from live attenuated viruses. For instance, those receiving live vaccine strain nasal viruses can spread the virus for a week or more.

How Flu Shots Are Made

There are 16 different flu shots approved by the FDA, made by several pharmaceutical companies. Some of these vaccines are designed solely to protect against the H1N1 influenza virus A strain. But most flu vaccines distributed in the U.S. are designed to provide protection from three strains of influenza viruses; two strains of type A influenza viruses, and one strain of type B influenza virus. The strains are chosen every year by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control, based on a best guess as to the greatest threat in any given year.

There are three main methods employed in the manufacture of flu vaccines.

  • Egg based vaccines
  • Cell based vaccines
  • Recombinant flu vaccine

At present, many influenza vaccines are manufactured by inoculating the virus into eggs where the viruses multiply. Afterwards, the viral components are harvested. An effort is made to remove egg particles but some egg ingredients remain. Alternately, animal cells can be used instead of fertilized chicken eggs as the culture medium.

Influenza

The authentic flu virus causes a respiratory illness, specifically referred to as type A or type B influenza virus. This virus can be found in secretions of the nose, throat and lungs.

Every year we have a flu season when it appears the flu sweeps over the population. However, it is estimated that as many as 80% of the flu-like illnesses that occur during flu season are not actually the flu. Curiosity is expensive. A lab test is the only reliable confirmation of whether a patient’s flu-like symptoms are caused by influenza or another viral or bacterial cause.

Symptoms of the FLU

The flu has similar symptoms to a cold virus, though flu symptoms are more severe. Different strains of the flu have similar symptoms. Common symptoms include a fever over 100°F, feeling feverish, chills, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Sometimes symptoms can be more severe and require medical attention. These include difficulty breathing, cyanosis (purplish or blue lips), pain or pressure in the abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, persistent or severe vomiting, seizures, or symptoms that are flu-like then dissipate before returning with a worse cough or fever.

Ingredients in the flu shot

With all of the different flu vaccines on the market, the ingredient list varies a little from shot to shot. Common troublesome ingredients include polymyxin, beta-propiolactone, formaldehyde, aluminum, thimerosal, polysorbate 80 and neomycin.

All of the Ingredients are Toxic but Many Are Known Carcinogens

Thimerosal, which is present in most flu vaccines, is highly toxic and synergistically toxic, meaning it becomes significantly more toxic when in the presence of other chemical compounds such as aluminum and many antibiotics. Thimerosal is made of thiosalicyclic acid and ethyl mercury. Mercury is 500-1,000 times more toxic than lead. Paradoxically, pregnant women are told by their doctors to limit their seafood intake due to mercury concerns, but now, pregnant women are also told to get their mercury-containing flu shots.

If you’ve ever heard the saying “mad as a hatter,” it refers to the fact that mercury was once used in the making of fur hats. Hatters, those unfortunates souls who made fur hats, would often go insane due to mercury poisoning. Studies have linked high levels of mercury to Alzheimer’s disease. High levels of mercury has also been linked to autism, ADHD, and other learning disabilities and neurological impairments.

Polysorbate 80 is often contaminated with 1-4-dioxane, a carcinogen that has been shown to cause reproductive disturbances in rats. Even though people are not rats, how could polysorbate 80 be good for human health?

Beta-propiolactone is a powerful and toxic disinfectant with multiple uses. It is used to sterilize blood plasma, shots, tissue grafts, surgical instruments, and enzymes. It is also “reasonably expected to be a human carcinogen”, especially when injected into the bloodstream (International Agency for Research on Cancer, 1999).4

Many Flu Vaccines Also Contain GMOS

Many flu vaccines contain human genetic material that has been genetically modified. With ingredients this questionable and this toxic in the vaccines you would want to be confident that the vaccines are highly safe and effective, but there is limited evidence to support this notion. Dangers of the flu vaccine, on the other hand, are not hard to find.

Dangers of the Flu shot

Adverse reactions to the flu shot do happen. Most commonly, these reactions begin within 12 hours of vaccination and can last several days. These common symptoms include: fever, fatigue, painful joints, and headache.

Serious reported complications to the flu shot include brain inflammation, convulsions, Bell’s palsy, paralysis of limbs, neuropathy, shock, asthma, wheezing, and other problems breathing.

There are other serious reactions to the influenza vaccine such as Guillain-Barre Syndrome or GBS, which occurs 2-4 weeks following vaccination. GBS is an autoimmune disease and nerve disorder characterized by muscle weakness, unsteady gait, numbness, tingling, persistent pain, and paralysis of the face, and/or limbs. About 5% of GBS cases prove fatal. Full recovery or permanent disability can result.

Brain and nerve disorders including encephalopathy, optic neuritis, partial facial paralysis, brachial plexus neuropathy and vasculitis have also been reported following the flu vaccine.

Adult influenza vaccine injury claims are the number one claim submitted to the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program or VICP. It is very difficult to get a fair hearing in the VICP. Most of the cases are simply dismissed. Vaccine manufacturers enjoy special protection from liability; they cannot be sued. All claims must be handled through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

“As of November 2013, there have been more than 93,000 reports of reactions, hospitalizations, injuries and deaths following influenza vaccinations made to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS), including 1,080 related deaths, 8,888 hospitalizations, 1,801 related disabilities and over 1,700 cases of GBS. In 2013, the Federal Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines (ACCV) voted to add GBS to the Vaccine Injury Table within the federal Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP).” 5

The CDC posts all kinds of statistics, but there are not clear statistics regarding the risks of the influenza vaccines. Hard numbers like the number of vaccine injuries, vaccine deaths, or proof of vaccine efficacy are unavailable. For instance, it would be helpful to know how many of the influenza related deaths were people who had been vaccinated. The CDC’s claim that the flu shots are highly safe and effective would be more believable if they publicized the number of vaccine injuries or the percentage of risk. At a minimum, these numbers should match the number of claims settled in the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, if not exceeding them.

How To Avoid Getting The Flu

The basic bottom line to avoiding any serious illness, including influenza, is a healthy diet. We must feed the body the nutrients it needs while constantly aiding it in detoxifying from our polluted environment (air, water, and constant exposure to chemicals).

A truly healthy diet consists of 80% raw produce, more vegetables than fruit. All food ingested should be whole and organic, free of artificial flavorings, colorings, preservatives, MSG, GMOs, trans fats, and artificial sweeteners. To learn more about a healthy diet, read 80% Raw Food Diet.

Make Your Immune System Bulletproof with These Natural Remedies can help you prevent of treat the flu.

Other flu prevention strategies you’ve heard in the past may help. Yes, wash your hands frequently, but do not use antibacterial soaps, wipes, or solutions. These are toxic; they do more harm than good and they are creating super bugs. Plain old soap and water with a bit of scrubbing has been proven just as effective, if not more effective.

One very effective strategy is intensive gargling at the first sign of illness. Gargle with apple cider vinegar every hour or more to significantly cut the viral load. You will be aiding your immune system in killing off rapidly multiplying virus cells. If the infection takes hold, it will not be as severe.

Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D, vitamin A, vitamin E, and vitamin C (if not, supplement). One way to help ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals is to add Total Nutrition Powder to your daily diet. The link will take you to an article with a recipe to make your own. Also, stay hydrated, get plenty of sleep and exercise, and reduce stress.

If you do catch the flu, rest, hydrate, eat well, and avoid all sugar. Sugar feeds both bacteria and viruses, making the current infection worse and secondary infections more possible. Lemon water or cranberry lemonade sweetened with stevia are great alternatives to water. Just add pure, unsweetened cranberry juice and lemon juice to water and sweeten with stevia to taste.

And finally, if you do choose to vaccinate yourself or your child with the flu vaccine, do not forget the fact that it includes mercury, among other toxic ingredients. Please read How to Detoxify from Vaccinations and Heavy Metals.

Further Reading:
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Can Exercise Change Our DNA?

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.

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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.

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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:

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Further Reading:
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


The Role of Supplements in Bodybuilding

In a nutshell, dietary supplements help us get all the necessary nutrients needed for building lean muscle mass. When combined with a good diet, they can improve your training performance and results. However, there are some big truths and even bigger lies about supplements. While experts agree that vitamin or mineral supplementation is beneficial in our diets, they also point out that they are supplements, not replacements, and that they should fill in the nutrient gaps, not take over our diet.

Secondly, supplements are of little use if you don’t push hard in the gym. The same goes if you are feasting and overeating three times a day. In other words, you should make everything else right before supplements enter the scene. This includes regular training, proper diet, and enough recovery period and sleep.

Dietary Supplements, Supplement Food

Dietary supplements are not designed as a substitute for food. They simply cannot replace all the nutrients that whole foods contain. They can patch nutrient holes here and there, but the true power lies on the plate, not in the powder. There’s no doubt that whole foods are the best source of nutrients, as they contain phytochemicals, fibers, and other elements that contribute to good health. They simply cannot be simulated with a pill or a supplement powder.

Supplements and Health

Supplementation is a great way of boosting nutrients like calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, which modern lifestyle and popular foods often fail to contain. In this case, vitamin and mineral supplements are helping the body alleviate nutrient deficiency and reduce the risk of chronic medical conditions. And while it’s true that you can build a good body based on proper diet like guys did back in the 50, it’s much more time consuming, and it requires regular tours to the supermarket. For bodybuilders, supplements are the more convenient way of ingesting enough muscle-building nutrients.

Fibers

Fiber has many advantages in maintaining normal cholesterol levels. It regulates the amount of cholesterol our body absorbs from food. Fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes are natural sources of fiber. And while, as always, it’s better to ingest fibers directly from food, you can enhance fiber intake by 25 to 30g of fibers from supplements. Psyllium husk, which is a common ingredient in fiber supplements, is known to reduce the level of bad LDL cholesterol while raising good HDL cholesterol.

Creatine

The role of creatine monohydrate supplements is to boost the creatine level in you muscle tissue. The level of creatine phosphate in muscles is directly related to the amount of weight you can lift and your ability to perform short-term maximum strength reps. High-intensity anaerobic workout performance can be increased by creatine supplementation.

Glutamine

This amino acid makes up over 61% of your skeletal muscle. Its benefits include improving immune function, which is crucial for athletes in high-intensity training. It was also shown that glutamine may prevent muscle catabolism. Glutamine supplements are believed to boost the amount of growth hormone levels.

BCAA

The group of branch chained amino acids consists of valine, leucine, and iso-leucine. These amino acids are compounds that your body cannot generate, so their level must be increased through diet and supplements like casein protein. Not only has BCAA supplementation shown better results in gaining strength and muscle mass, but it is also essential for energy production during workouts, while reducing post-exercise muscle soreness.

Editor’s Note:

Creatine is hard on the kidneys. There’s much debate about this, but it’s a fact. This is why creatine is known to cause flatulence. Do not take creatine if you have any kidney related health issues. Other supplements commonly taken by body builders are typically acidic and toxic to the body, but the supplements mentioned above can be purchased from qaulity companies. I recommend you avoid bodybuilding supplements from body building companies.

Also, when body building, be sure to eat an alkaline diet. No matter how much protein you feel you need, if you’re eating an acidic diet full of refined foods and factory farmed meats, your body will stay sore longer. Speed up recovery time by eating a diet that is balanced with lots of produce and healthy fats. When the body is healthy, bodybuilding is easier and much more beneficial for overall health.

Recommended Supplements:

 

Further Reading:
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Four Things Gym Goers Usually Do Wrong

For a newbie, going to the gym can be a daunting experience. All those machines, muscular, toned regulars cranking the weights, the fitness and nutrition advice and exercise routines you’ve seen in magazines whirling around in your head. However, even the most seasoned gym veterans get it wrong. In fact, sometimes those who have been hammering the gym the longest are the ones with the worst habits. Take a look at our hit list below to see how you can tune up your workout and eliminate the bad habits that may be holding you back from getting the best results.

Not Asking for Help

If you’re unsure of something – ask! So many people feel intimidated at the gym. They never ask for assistance or find out how to use the equipment for optimum results. At best, people simply use the same machines over and over again or they use them wrong. At worst, they can be put off so much that they never return. If you don’t feel able to ask someone in the gym or a member of staff, then turn to the Internet. There are so many sites and resources online brimming with information. So think about your goal and get Googling.

Not Eating Properly

Nutrition is actually more important than what you do at the gym. If you don’t get that right, your workout could be null and void. People still skip meals or eat convenience or junk food believing that it won’t affect their workout. Sadly, this isn’t true. Make sure you’re getting a good mix of healthy carbs, protein, and fresh vegetables throughout the day. Snack when you are hungry and never starve yourself. Hydration is also key. Feed your body properly and it will thank you, but most importantly, the benefits will come back to you tenfold.

Not Compensating for Dietary Gaps

Eating right and ensuring your body is getting the essential nutrients it needs is easier said than done. It is important to be aware of the gaps in your diet so that you can take measures to resolve them. While food should be your primary source of nutrients, vitamins and other dietary supplements can compensate for the minor gaps in your diet. It is important to understand that they do not by any means replace all of the nutrients and benefits of whole foods. They are purely a supplement to your diet that can help prevent deficiencies. Supplements have been scientifically formulated according to goal, gender, and age so you can choose a supplement that matches these attributes.

Not Changing It Up

Lots of people get stuck in the same routine – a routine they feel comfortable in, one that they like – the same time, the same machines, the same classes. However your body soon gets used to one type of exercise, so you have to keep it guessing in order to stay fit and toned. Sure, you might know what works for you, and that’s fine, but make sure you’re switching it up now and again and adding new things that will shock your body and produce some surprising new results. Identifying the mistakes you are making is the first step to self-improvement. Nobody is perfect, we are all guilty of a few bad habits. But, if they are hindering your personal goals and objectives, isn’t it time to make a change?

Further Reading:


Five DIY Organic Shampoo Recipes for Beautiful Hair

Shampoo is the most common hair care product we buy, but the harsh chemical compounds present in commercial shampoos cause too much harm to our tresses and make them dull, dry, and unhealthy. Going organic can save your hair from this turmoil and DIY recipes can be easy on your wallet. So, here are 5 simple DIY organic shampoo recipes that can give you beautiful, attractive hair:

Organic Coconut and Lemon Shampoo Recipe

This simple, easy and inexpensive shampoo can nourish both your hair and scalp to give you gorgeous locks.

Ingredients:

  • Liquid castile soap – 1 cup
  • Organic coconut oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Lemongrass essential oil – 20 drops

Directions:

  1. Pour liquid castile soap into a mixing bowl.
  2. Add organic coconut oil and stir well.
  3. Add lemongrass essential oil to the opaque mixture.
  4. Mix everything once again.

Organic Shea Butter Shampoo Recipe

If your hair is extremely dry and severely damaged, this shampoo can restore its natural moisture and put it into good health.

Ingredients:

  • Liquid castile soap – 200 ml.
  • Organic shea butter – 15 ml.
  • Lavender essential oil – 8 to 10 drops
  • Sodium bicarbonate – 1(1/2) teaspoons
  • Distilled water – 50 ml.

Directions:

  1. Melt solid shea butter by placing it over boiling water. Let it cool to room temperature.
  2. Mix water with sodium bicarbonate to make a solution.
  3. Pour this solution into liquid castile soap. Stir for a few seconds. Avoid forming too much foam.
  4. Add melted shea butter.
  5. Add lavender essential oil to the bowl.
  6. Blend everything together.

Organic Chamomile Shampoo Recipe

You can opt for this organic chamomile shampoo to turn your curly, frizzy and dry locks into soft, smooth and manageable ones.

Ingredients:

  • Solid castile soap – 2 tablespoons
  • Organic chamomile tea – 1 cup
  • Chamomile essential oil – 4 to 5 drops
  • Pure glycerin – 1 tablespoon

Directions:

  1. Grate a solid bar of castile soap from one side.
  2. Brew a cup of strong chamomile tea and pour it into the grated castile soap.
  3. Add glycerin.
  4. Add chamomile essential oil.
  5. Blend everything well.

Organic Vegetable Oil and ACV Shampoo Recipe

Say ‘bye bye’ to dandruff and improve the overall appearance of your hair significantly with this super effective organic shampoo.

Ingredients:

  • Liquid castile soap – 4 tablespoons
  • Organic vegetable oil – 2 teaspoons
  • Organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) – 4 tablespoons
  • Coconut flakes – 4 tablespoons
  • Fresh thyme – 4 tablespoons
  • Fresh rosemary – 4 tablespoons
  • Distilled water – 2 cups

Directions:

  1. Bring distilled water to a boil.
  2. Add coconut flakes, fresh thyme and fresh rosemary to it. Stir well and boil for 30 more minutes.
  3. Strain the mixture and add liquid castile soap to it.
  4. Pour vegetable oil and ACV into it.
  5. Mix everything well.

Organic Green Tea Shampoo Recipe

The antioxidant properties of green tea can make your tresses look healthy and beautiful by preventing grey hair and reducing hair fall.

Ingredients:

  • Liquid castile soap – 1 cup
  • Organic green tea leaves – a handful
  • Organic olive oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Organic raw honey – 1 teaspoon
  • Distilled water – 1 cup

Directions:

  1. Boil fresh green tea leaves in distilled water and brew for 30 minutes.
  2. Add liquid castile soap.
  3. Add olive oil and honey.
  4. Combine everything well.
Further Reading:

References:



Understanding and Detoxifying Genetically Modified Foods

GMO foods are very common in American and Canadian diets. Not because people choose to eat GMOs, but because they are unaware of how pervasive GMO ingredients have become in processed foods. Biotech companies have been very successful in lobbying to prevent labeling. There are no requirements to label GMO foods, despite concerted efforts by consumer groups.

Unnatural Isn’t Always Bad

As a general rule, the more natural and unadulterated a food, the better it is for you. Selective breeding is an exception to this rule. Selective breeding, or artificial selection, is the process of interbreeding plants to enhance positive qualities and eliminate or diminish negative qualities. Some cultivars are much better for our health than the original. For example, wild almonds contain amygdalin, a substance that is converted to cyanide in the body. Sweet almonds are the domesticated cultivar. Though they are less “natural,” they are better for you than their wild counterparts. Selective breeding is the good kind of unnatural.

But It Usually Is

The bad kind of unnatural is almost everything else that is being done to our food, including the majority of practices adopted by modern agriculture. Chemical fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, concentrated animal feed operations, grain fed meats (vs grass fed), pasteurized foods, irradiated foods…the list goes on and on. Genetically modifying our foods is the latest insult to our food supply, and it is as unnatural as it gets.

One of the most common types of genetic modifications is to modify a crop so that it can withstand unlimited Roundup applications. This enables farmers to spray their whole fields with Roundup, killing the weeds while sparing their crops. Of course by this process, we end up with foods that have been soaked in herbicide. But this is not the only way that your food could be doused with Roundup.

Round Up Sprayed Just Prior to Harvest

Wheat, sugar cane, and other crops are often routinely treated with Roundup just prior to harvest. Of course some of this pesticide is making its way into our food. The Non-GMO project allows this practice. Non-GMO only means a food is not genetically modified. It could still be treated with all kinds of pesticides.

Recently, the World Health Organization released a report stating that the world’s most widely used herbicide, Monsanto’s Roundup, probably causes cancer.

What is a Genetically Engineered Food?

GMOs are made from combing genes from two or more unrelated species into one organism. The two most common types of genetic modifications are modifying crops to produce pesticides or modifying them to be immune to herbicides (making them Roundup ready). Sugar beets have been modified to be Roundup ready. Both kinds of genetic modifications have been done to corn and soy in the same seed.

What’s so bad about them?

GMOs have not undergone long-term studies. When biotech claims GMOs have been tested thousands of times, they’re referring to 90-day studies or studies done for less than two years that have been funded by the industry.

There have been several studies linking GMOs to numerous health problems. The most common problems associated with long-term GMO consumption are kidney and liver damage, faulty insulin regulation, accelerated aging, cancer, and infertility. To look at the results of these studies, please see the link below.

How to avoid GM Food

When asked, more than half of all consumers say they avoid eating GMOs. Sadly this isn’t the case at all. Consumers probably would if they were labeled. Over 90% of Americans and Canadians eat GMOs on a regular basis. If more of us knew what was genetically modified, we wouldn’t eat these foods, and Monsanto and other businesses would be forced to find another way to make money.

Buying organic is the easiest way to avoid GMOs, and when you buy organic you also avoid pesticides and other chemical additives. Non-GMO project verified is a safe bet that the food is free of GMOs, but other toxins from conventional methods of agriculture are a given if the food is not organic.

The eight most common GMO crops are corn, soybeans, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, papaya, zucchini, and squash. Unfortunately, hundreds of other genetically modified foods are in development. It is only a matter of time before GMOs become much harder to avoid.

GMOs are almost always in processed foods. Soy, high fructose corn syrup (now also called fructose) or sugar from sugar beets are found in almost every processed food. Over 90% of soy, corn and sugar beets grown in the U.S. have been genetically modified. If you see these ingredients in your food, you can bet it has been genetically modified.

You have to Avoid GMOs to Detox from GMOs

Of course you can’t keep eating GMOs if you wish to fully detox from them. This means no restaurants (unless you eat at organic restaurants, which are very hard to find), and no processed foods, unless they are organic, or Non-GMO project verified.

Why Detox Genetically Modified Organisms?

Detoxification is defined as the removal of toxic substances from the body. This is often an emphasis of alternative medicine. The benefits of removing toxins from the body are numerous, too many to list in their entirety. Some of the better-known benefits are increased energy, improved sleep, weight loss, and lowered risk of diseases, such as colds, flu, and cancer.

How to Detoxify GMOs

In order to detox from GMOs, you’ll need to eat a diet rich in produce with lots of raw foods and sulfuric vegetables. A high fiber diet is essential. Drinking lots of clean water, and getting lots of exercise aids our bodies in detoxification. Salads and smoothies are staples of a detox diet. Detoxifying genetically modified organisms takes time, a clean diet, lots of clean water, and a healthy digestive tract with a strong and healthy ecosystem of beneficial flora. Speed up the process by eating large salads (recipe), killing candida and healing the gut, drinking lots of cranberry lemonade (recipe), and using a clean and pure nutrition formula with spirulina and chlorella (recipe).

Recommended Supplements:
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How to Detox Your Easter Candy Candida

If you’ve eaten sweets over the holidays and you are ready to detox, your goal will be to kill Candida and re-balance your gut flora. First and foremost, it’s time for salads. Unless you want to spend considerable money on probiotics for the rest of your life, if you want to be free of Candida, you need to feed the right ecosystem. That means sticking to a diet consisting of lots of raw fresh organic vegetables, void of processed, refined foods. Your intestinal flora affects your life in many different ways. The more raw vegetables you ingest, the more beneficial your gut microbes are to your body. Avoid gluten as well.

If you went way overboard with junk food (and/or had conventional junk food as opposed to organic, healthier varieties), you’re looking at artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, and GMO’s. The good news is, the best way to detox these ingredients is to fix the gut.

Probiotics

The probiotics we take as supplements are not the same probiotics that we keep in our gut, but they are friendly bacteria. Before they decide to check out, they will fight on the side of our beneficial microbes, kill the bad guys, eat the bad stuff, and help digest everything so that the long-term bacteria that prefer to live in our gut will thrive.

The bacteria count is not what’s important when looking for probiotics. You want to make sure the bacteria are designed to pass through the stomach acid. Most are not. Stomach acid is designed to kill bacteria, so it takes a strong beneficial bacteria to make it through.

Other herbal medicines that kill Candida internally include (but are not limited to) wormwood extract, oil of oregano, garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and undecenoic acid. But don’t take probiotics with antibacterial herbs. Oil of oregano, for example, can weaken probiotics when they are taken together.

I like fermented vegetables, but I don’t eat them for probiotic properties. I believe the beneficial bacteria from fermented foods is killed in stomach acid. Fermented foods have tons of benefits, and they’re great to take with more powerful probiotics. When the foods hit the gut, the healthy bacteria that made it through has lots of healthy food on which to feed.

Yogurts bought in grocery stores make poor probiotics and typically feed Candida rather than kill it. On the other hand, high quality probiotics can be added to yogurts. Choose yogurt that is organic and free of sugar. Sweetened with fruit if desired.

Eat Salads

Salads are the best way to feed the body a variety of the healthiest foods for balancing the intestinal flora. We’re not talking about iceberg lettuce, some carrot shreds, and ranch dressing. We’re talking about real salads made with kale, collards, cabbage, spinach, chard, and lots of other leafy vegetables to make up the foundation of your daily salad. Add herbs and garlic to them as well.

Conclusion

Those who eat reasonably well on non-holidays and were not suffering from Candida symptoms previously should be able to fix the gut after an Easter candy binge in just a few days by sticking to salads, lots of water, and a high quality probiotic. Be sure to check out Kill Candida and Balance the Body, and see Cheap and Easy Detox for more on detoxifying. For detox recipes including my salad recipe and cranberry lemonade, check out the first few sources below.

Further Reading: