Lower Stress and Fight Cancer with Lemons

Elevated stress levels increase inflammation in the body by as much as 55%, and consistent stress slows the production of natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells are immune cells that specialize in seeking out and destroying tumors. According to Shawn Talbott, PhD and author of The Metabolic Method, there's a simple fix. According to Dr. Talbott, inhaling the scent of lemon essential oil will soothe stress thereby lowering the body's inflammatory response. As the stress is lowered, an increase in the production of NK cells occurs. All of the positive results can occur within one week of daily practice.

Powerfull Foods for Health

Flax, almonds and wheatgerm have all demonstrated the ability to lower cholesterol by up to 17%, but evidence also suggests that the phytosterols (molecules found in these items)inhibit stomach, lung, ovarian and breast cancers. According to Peter Jones, PhD at the University of Manitoba, Canada, the phystosterols fight the cancers by activating an enzyme that destroys the cancer cells.

Sinus Remedies

Research shows that bromelain, an anti-inflammatory agent found in pineapple, reduces swelling in nasal passages and therefore, eases the pressure and pain in the sinuses. Hot salsa, chili sauce and horseradish have also been found to be effective in unplugging clogged sinuses. A couple tsp. a few times per day of the salsa was found to be effective. 70% of Sinus sufferers also report relief within a few days when rinsing their nasal passages with a saline solution. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about how to proceed with the saline rinse.

Can You Live Longer by Cutting Out Sugar?

That's what the research at the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of San Francisco suggests. They found that by adding a small amount of glucose (2%) to the diet of nematodes, it shortened their lifespan. It did this by inhibiting the life span-extending transcription factors. Well that's just short for not a very good thing to you and me. Their findings suggest that by substituting simple sugars with complex ones or with stevia (natural sugar alternative) it might have beneficial effects on life span in higher organisms (ie. you and me). The study was published in Cell Metabolism, Nov. 2009.

Why Farmer's Markets?

The pictures are from the Monterey Farmer's Market, Morro
Bay and Big Sur in northern California, one of my favorites due to the size and variety of produce and the beauty of the surrounding area. I always bring my vita-mix along for vacation as they have several farmer's markets a day out there. I love to hit up farmer's markets on vactation or at home for several reasons.
In most cases, the market's make sure that the produce is at least pesticide free or in many cases only organic produce is allowed, if you're not sure ask. By shopping at these market's you are supporting local growers and business people which obviously supports the local community, but also ultimately has a smaller environmental impact from farm to fork. Whereas produce that is found at most grocery stores may come from 1,500-14,000 miles away thereby creating a much larger carbon footprint. Produce from local growers are normally in season and richer in nutrients, especially when grown with organic methods. In my humble opinion, organic produce tastes much better too!

Fermented Foods

The above picture (click on it to enlarge) is of fermented foods prepared after going to the Scottsdale Farmer's Market and Save Your Dairy dairy farm in Queen Creek on Saturday. The fermentation process helps to be able to store food for longer periods and also helps by making the foods somewhat predigested, easier to assimilate, and using whey to ferment adds protein and vitamin B12 (not found in plants). It took roughly 4 hours to prepare everything in the picture, although the fermentation process can take a few days.
The 2 bottles that are red are beet kvass (kvass is a fermented beet drink), one with garlic in it and one without. The kvass is a energy and cleansing tonic that is drank daily.
The largest glass container (purple and white) and the one with orange (carrots and cabbage) are fermented sauerkraut, however, they are made with whey rather than vinegar (whey being healthier for you).
The milk-like bottles are just that, although one is kefir (a liquid yogurt-like drink) made from raw organic milk and the other is raw kefir cream cheese which was made from the kefir. Raw cream was used to make the raw butter and the whey. The butter is pictured below the dairy products.
The brown/purple bottle is a fermented black bean paste, which is similar to refried beans but the fermentation process denatures the phytates found in the beans. Phytates are hard to digest and rob the body of key minerals. Lastly are the red and green jars which are fermented salsa. Whey was used to ferment the salsa and help give it some bite rather than using vinegar.
Recipes used for the above were found in "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon,PhD, a must have for the kitchen.

Artificial Sweeteners and Increased Weight Gain?

Sugar substitutes apparently may be doing more harm than good to the people they are purported to help. In fact, a study out of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio found that people who drank the artificially sweetened beverages actually gained 47% more weight than people who avoided artificial sweeteners. The study involved 3,600 participants. The study found that those using the sweeteners had nearly a doubled risk of becoming overweight or obese. These same people started the study at a normal weight when the study began some several years earlier.