The Synthetics Belief System

The synthetics revolution is a by-product of activities within three sectors of the U.S. economy; the processed foods industry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the chemical industry. These economic interests influence our diet and health from the womb to the grave. The control we give them over our lives springs directly from our acceptance of this belief system's primary conceit — that their lab-created synthetics are as benign and more effective than naturally occurring foods and medicines.

Our indoctrination into the synthetics mythology has deep roots in an awestruck fealty to science and technology, whose powers have simultaneously blessed us and blinded us. We live in a prosperous system where the economic principles of supply and demand, competitive markets, and profit motives, relentlessly drive the industrialization of our food and medicine and health care. This system has created cheaper and more plentiful food and produced a host of medical technologies (if we can afford them) that may save lives and extend lives in almost miraculous ways. But what have we overlooked, what have we sacrificed, in return?

At least 70 percent of the processed foods in your local grocery store contain at least one genetically engineered ingredient that has never been tested for its potential harm. More than 3,000 synthetic chemicals are regularly added to U.S. food products and hardly any have been tested for their synergistic (interactive) toxin producing effects in the human body.

Most vitamins and supplements sold in the U.S. that are advertised as natural are actually synthetic chemical concoctions that contain coal tars, preservatives, artificial colorings and a vast range of other potentially harmful additives. More than 25,000 chemicals are in the cosmetics sold in the U.S., yet less than 4 percent of these ingredients have ever been tested for toxicity and safety. Within the nine or so vaccines given your children before entering school are additives and preservatives that can include mercury, aluminum, MSG, formaldehyde and others linked to disorders ranging from brain and nerve damage to autism and attention deficit disorder.

Over the past one hundred years our species has been engaged in a vast and complicated chemistry experiment. Each and every one of us, along with our children, our parents and our grandparents, have been a guinea pig in this experiment that uses our bodies, our health, our wealth and our good will to test the proposition that modern science can improve upon the foods and medicines of Nature.

Despite our culture's remarkable sophistication in medical technology that keeps the seriously ill alive and extends lifespans, our overall health condition has degenerated alarmingly and rapidly. Over the past 100 years our cancer mortality has gone from 3 percent of all deaths to 20 percent of all deaths. Our incidence of diabetes went from one-tenth of one percent of the population to almost 20 percent. Heart disease went from being almost non-existent to killing more than 700,000 people a year. At the same time, health care costs have risen until the U.S. now spends twice as much on medicine and care per person per year than any other industrialized nation in the world.

It's no coincidence that simultaneous with this health decline the perils we face from our food, our medicine and our health choices have become a drumbeat of alarming news reports. Here are a few representative examples. A study from the science journal, Public Health, described in 2004 how the incidence of death from brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and motor neuron disorders, was found to have tripled in nine Western countries, including the U.S., during the period 1974 to 1997. The most likely causes researchers identified were exposure to pesticides sprayed on crops, synthetic chemicals from the processed foods that we consume, and industrial chemicals used in almost every aspect of our modern lives.

Food seemed to be a major culprit for this toxicity because Japan, alone among the ten countries studied, experienced no increase in brain disease mortality, apparently a result of the Japanese diet being healthier than Western diets. Only when Japanese citizens relocate to Western countries and consume those processed foods do their disease rates exceed that of Japan as a whole.In California, state environmental officials discovered that 60 percent of the rivers and streams contained high levels of prozac, ritalin, and antibiotics.

How could such contamination possibly have happened? Because people had dumped their excess prescription drugs into those bodies of water, or had flushed them directly, or through bodily waste, into sewer and septic systems where the chemicals then leached into ground water.

Blood testing of thousands of Americans has widened the scope of concern. Medical researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York found an average of 91 industrial compounds, pollutants, and other synthetic chemicals in the blood and urine of nine volunteers who had no occupational or geographical connection to these chemicals or where they are manufactured. More than half of these chemicals are known to be responsible for birth defects, or cancer, or brain and nervous system disorders in humans.An even more extensive round of testing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, involving 2,400 adults and children, documented more than 200 synthetic chemical toxins in their bodies, with hundreds more chemicals suspected to be present. How did we become so toxic? What thrust us as a culture and as individuals onto this slippery slope? How can we navigate our way back to a healthier and less toxic future?

These are some of the questions raised and answered in The Hundred Year Lie.
Above is from The Hundred Year Lie website. Grab the book..it's a fascinating read!

New Study! Change Lifestyle, Cut Cancer Risk

A new study was reported on CBS News today which of course sparked my interest as a Nutrition Educator. As I share with others, my journey did not begin as a healthy lifestlye rather a transitional journey of self discovery. During my journey as well, studies, I see the correlation between an unhealthy lifestyle and degenerative disease. When we take a look at our bodies on a biochemical level, it gives us better insight and understanding of nourishing our cells. Cancer cells are mutated cells and when one is not properly nourishing their cells, they are prone to oxidative stress and the result, cancer. This was my Aha! moment as an ex-smoker, with excess weight. I have and had always been active as an outdoor enthusiast, hiker but my food and other lifestlyle choices were not aligned. I live every day as if though I might be fighting cancer and in this toxic world, I highly recommend others do the same to reduce their risk of cancer.

The story below makes some recommendations including government involvement. While many would like personal responsibility to be key, it is imperative that the general public is properly educated in order to make sound decisions. However, with current subsidies of corn and soy, our nutrition information is skewed in the interest of monetary gain and not health in the public interest.

Change Lifestyle, Cut Cancer Risk

Authors of a joint American-British study say about a third of the cancer cases reported every year in the United States could be prevented, "through lifestyle."

The researchers claim to have crafted the most systematic policy report ever on cancer prevention, using data already available from existing research on cancer risk and prevention. Aside from avoiding smoking, which is still the best way to statistically reduce your chances of a cancer diagnosis, CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports that, according to the study, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the most important thing you can do.

The research, based on data collected in Brazil, China, Britain and the U.S., suggests that about a third (34 percent) of all cancer cases in America could be prevented simply by people eating better, exercising more and maintaining healthier weights. Researchers from the American Institute for Cancer Research and the U.K.-based World Cancer Research Fund compiled the report, published Thursday, to urge almost everyone at every level of society to live healthier and encourage others to do the same.

According to the report, relatively simple lifestyle changes could prevent as many as 38 percent of breast cancer cases and 45 percent of bowel cancers in the U.S. Dr. Tim Byers, a member of the research panel from the University of Colorado at Denver, cautioned that "estimating cancer preventability is a very complex prospect that involves making a number of assumptions." But he added, in a news release announcing the study, that "the figures in this report are as good an estimate as it is possible to achieve about the proportion of cancer cases that could be prevented through healthy diet, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.

" The AICR/WCRF report came a day after the results of another study, which collected data on nearly 1.3 million British women, offered yet more evidence that moderate alcohol consumption increases the risk of a handful of cancers. The report recommends laws and policy changes by government, industry and schools: from adding bicycle lanes to public roads, to banning junk food from vending machines. Dr. Zeke Emanuel, an oncologist and director of bioethics at the National Institutes of Health, said the U.S. is already "going in the right direction" - and he would, his brother is Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff. Emanuel told CBS Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen that Mr. Obama and his brother are "nuts" about improving Americans' health overall. He said the administration has put an unprecedented one billion dollars into the economic stimulus package toward expanding community prevention programs.

The cancer expert says the new policy report by the AICR and the WCRF has really changed the medical industry's tune very little: eat right and exercise and you'll probably live longer. Emanuel emphasized the need for people to keep tabs on their Body-Mass Index (BMI). It's a mathematical calculation based on your height and weight. Weight (in pounds) x 700 divided by Height (in inches) squared = BMI. (Or you can just follow this link and enter your data.) Anything higher than 30 is deemed obese. If your result is between 25 and 30, you're overweight, and if it's below 25, your BMI is in the normal range. Emanuel also stresses the need for people to work at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise into their days, at least four days every week. In conjunction with the release of the AICR/WCRF report, 23 cancer experts made 48 recommendations, aimed at nine different but overlapping sectors of society that they called "actor groups" in the report.

"When people think of policy reports, they often think they only speak to governments," said Professor Sir Michael Marmot, Chair of the AICR/WCRF Panel. "But the evidence shows that when it comes to cancer prevention, all groups in society have a vital role to play." The groups targeted for policy improvements are: multinational bodies; civil society organizations; government; industry; media; schools; workplaces and institutions; health and other professionals; and people, according to a news release. Here are some of the recommendations, taken directly from the news release:
*Governments should build walking and cycling routes.
*The food and drinks industry should make public health an "explicit priority."
*Schools should encourage exercise and provide healthy food.
*Schools, workplaces and institutions should remove junk food from vending machines.
*Health professionals should provide more information about healthy living and cancer prevention.
*People should use nutrition guides and food labels to buy healthier food for their families.

Alcohol: Good for the Heart, Bad for the Breast?

Even a drink or two a day of alcohol may raise the risk of the most common type of breast tumors-those fueled by the hormones estrogen and progesterone, according to one of the largest studies if its kind.A second study shows that specific variations within two genes involved in metabolizing alcohol are associated with an increased risk for breast cancer in postmenopausal women.While the studies do not prove cause and effect, they lend plausibility to growing evidence implicating drinking as a risk factor for breast cancer, says Elizabeth Platz, ScD, a specialist in cancer prevention at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

"The beauty of the research is that it tells us something about the mechanisms" by which alcohol may raise breast cancer risks , she tells WebMD.Platz moderated a news conference to discuss the findings at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research.Alcohol and Breast Cancer RiskSome breast tumors are fueled by hormones, while others are not. In the first study, National Cancer Institute (NCI) researchers wanted to determine if the hormone status of a tumor influences the relationship between alcohol use and breast cancer risk.

The researchers reviewed data on 184,418 postmenopausal women, who answered questions about how much alcohol and what type of alcohol they drank each day. They were followed for an average of seven years.Overall, moderate drinking raised the risk of developing breast cancer, regardless of whether a woman's preference was for beer, wine, or hard liquor. And the more she drank, the greater the risk. But most of the increased risk was seen in women whose tumors were fueled by both estrogen and progesterone, says Jasmine Q. Lew, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Chicago who led the research.

These tumors, referred to by doctors as being estrogen-receptor and progesterone-receptor positive, or ER+/PR+, account for many breast cancers.Compared with teetotalers, women who drank one to two drinks a day were 32 percent more likely to develop ER+/PR+ breast cancer. Having three or more drinks daily raised the risk of ER+/PR+ tumors by 51 percent.Lew says that drinking alcohol also appeared to raise the risk of a more aggressive type of tumor known as estrogen-receptor positive, progesterone receptor negative, or ER+/PR-. But so few women fell into this category that the finding could have been due to chance.In women with estrogen-receptor negative, progesterone-receptor negative (ER/PR-) tumors, there did not appear to be a link between drinking and breast cancer.Why would drinking raise the risk of hormone-fueled tumors? "Our hypothesis is that alcohol interferes with estrogen metabolism , which in turn increases the risk of hormone-sensitive breast cancer,"

Lew tells WebMD.Genes and the Breast Cancer-Alcohol LinkThe second study looked at whether our genes may help explain the apparent link between alcohol and breast cancer.The researchers studied DNA samples from 991 women with breast cancer and 1,698 women without cancer. They found that variants in two genes involved in metabolizing alcohol- ADH1B and ADH1C-raised a postmenopausal woman drinker's risk for breast cancer by up to twofold."The higher their alcohol consumption, the higher their risk," says Catalin Marian, MD, PhD, a research instructor of cancer genetics and epidemiology at Georgetown University.Marian cautions that the work is preliminary and further study is needed.

Alcohol: Good for the Heart, Bad for the Breast? In the meantime, how should a woman weigh the new findings against reports that a few glasses of wine may be good for the heart? Platz says that's where individual risk factors come in. If breast cancer runs in your family, you may want to think twice about drinking regardless of heart risks, she says. That's because many risk factors for breast cancer, such as genetics or family history, cannot be modified, Platz explains. With heart disease , on the other hand, there are lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercise that can lower risk-without adding drinking to your routine, she says.

The bottom line: "Step back and look at all the different risk factors and talk to your doctor about lifestyle changes," Lew says.

Misty Notes: It's interesting how all of these risk factors are put together, yet folks still hang on the 30 second sound bites that alcohol carries some benefit. In my humble opinion, the risk factors for alcohol to the liver, the breast, and the immune system far outweigh that of the benefits. Want benefecial antioxidants? Choose healthful foods like black cherries, blueberries, raspberries, goji, etc. Not only will you receive powerful anti-oxidants from these colorful foods, you are also maintaining clear brain function. We are a society of people who cope with substance. This will surely pay us back negatively in the end.
Remember, Eat Well, Feel Well!
Source: WebMD

How to Grow a Cancer Cell

How to Grow a Cancer Cell (by Changing Your Body’s pH)

Oh, don’t worry, it’s not that hard to do. However, you’ll not be able to grow a cancer without first establishing the right chemical climate so it can flourish in your body. Back in 1900, only one person out of twenty-five did it. But today, like I said, growing a cancer cell is easy. So easy, in fact, that every other male in this country and every third female will do it during their lifetime.The chemical climate of the average American is perfect for growing cancer because our bodies have become acid, and cancer loves low pH readings that indicate high acidity.

Consider, the national soft drink consumption per person is in excess of 38 gallons per year! It has been estimated that it would take 30 glasses of water with a pH of 10 to neutralize one can of soda. See why it’s so easy? And we’re not even taking into account all the acid-producing foods served by fast food restaurants, all the packaged, canned, and processed foods found in your local grocery store, or the air pollution caused by too many cars, trucks, and buses. And I’m not even including the harmful positive ions found in the average home. Let alone the acid rock music that seems to be blaring away everywhere you go! I’m simply talking about the stored acid wastes that you’ve accumulated in your organs, your glands, and even in the layers of your skin. And as they accumulate, your pH continues to change. When you understand pH, you’ll have a powerful tool that you can use to prevent a cancer climate.

The term pH stands for the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution. An ion is an atom or group of atoms that carries a positive or negative electrical charge. pH is simply the electrochemical effect we get when negative ions (alkaline-forming) and positive ions (acid-forming) interact with each other. Basically, this determines your life force energy.

When you experience an alkaline reaction, your body has more energy and you’ll discover an alkaline residue in your urine if you test for it. Remember, any substances you put into your body will leave an alkaline or acid ash residue in the urine. If your urine is consistently giving you an acid reading, you’ll find it easy to grow cancer. Additionally, if at times you find yourself hyperventilating, it’s because of acidosis. Your body is attempting to remove carbon dioxide and carbonic acid. That’s what’s left from metabolizing food. As the amount of carbonic acid decreases, the pH increases. That means more energy and an alkaline pH reading from your urine. If your urine reads 7.0 or higher on the pH scale, you’re alkaline.

Below that indicates an acid condition in which viruses thrive and cancer grows. People who are heavy meat eaters show higher acid readings. However, this doesn’t mean that vegetarians fare much better by filling themselves with cooked foods. A healthy inclusion of plenty of organic, raw veggies and fruits will help shift your body over to alkaline. However, bear in mind that your emotional swings also determine your pH balance. How do you test your pH? Simply by using litmus paper or nitrazine paper, found at your local drugstore. Take samples of your urine in a jar for a 24-hour period, then dip the strip of paper and compare the color against the chart. The reason for all the samples over a 24-hour period is to get an average reading rather than a random reading that may or may not be accurate.

You can also record a series of random tests and average out the readings. Bear in mind, if you’re on an intense cleansing regime, the reactivated stores of acid will recirculate and be picked up by the kidneys to be excreted into the urine. So, you’ll get acid readings while the body is laboring to make itself more alkaline. Remember, what you eat and drink, as well as your lifestyle, plays a critical role in the pH balance of your body. The bottom line is, if you know how to avoid creating a climate for cancer, you’ll never grow a tumor.
From Natural Cures, by Peter Ragnar