How to extend your life with Vitamin D

(NaturalHealth365) In the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, W.B. Grant of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco concluded that doubling one’s serum level of vitamin D may increase life expectancy by an average of two years.

Research shows that current vitamin D recommendations may be inadequate. Using epidemiological studies, Dr. Grant calculated that increasing serum vitamin D could lower the mortality rate of diseases, which are sensitive to vitamin D by approximately 20%. Positive outcomes were seen by increasing serum vitamin D levels from 22 to 44 ng/mL, however levels higher than 50 ng/mL are where the real promise of longevity can occur.

Obese Americans don’t understand the danger

Getting full spectrum sunlight isn’t a guarantee of adequate vitamin D levels. There is a way Americans may be wiping out their level of vitamin D, and shortening their life expectancy. Vitamin D is stored in fat, when you increase fat you are retaining more vitamin D. To liberate vitamin D and raise the levels you have to burn fat.

Physical activity stimulates fat burning and will liberate vitamin D from your fat stores. Routine physical activity, which works up a sweat, has been shown to significantly raise vitamin D levels. When your “body mass index” (BMI) goes up, the level of activity falls along with the vitamin D level.

Winter can have grave consequences to your health

Nature intended for us to burn most of our fat stores over the winter months – due to less food being available. But, since there is such an abundance of food availability all year round, this biologically-natural process isn’t being utilized within modern living condition.

This is one (major) reason why the “battle of the bulge” can be considered a threat to our national security. Our western lifestyles have us eating more food in the cold months, and through the holidays. (not good) So rather than liberating stored vitamin D for our body to use – we store more by gaining weight when it is time to trim down.

People who are obese and have a body mass index greater than 30 or who have had gastric bypass surgery usually have lower vitamin D serum levels than non-obese individuals. Obesity doesn’t affect the skin’s capacity to synthesize vitamin D, but greater amounts of subcutaneous fat holds the vitamin D hostage. The problem with gastric bypass surgery is that it diverts food from the upper part of the small intestine – where vitamin D is absorbed – along with other nutrients.

There is some new research, which shows that a vitamin D deficiency can interfere with the hormone leptin, which is the hormone that lets you know when you are full. This may be why modern man eats more and gains weight in the winter.

Since vitamin D deficiency is increasingly associated with many common cancers, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases, it would seem prudent to find effective ways to liberate our stored vitamin D during the colder months.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Help for Pinched Nerves

(NaturalHealth365) The term pinched nerve is reserved for an injury that results from compression, constriction, or stretching.

Pinched nerve describes a type of damage or injury to a nerve or set of nerves. This is a catch all phrase which covers a host of conditions.
Also, a pinched nerve can occur at several places in the body. The extent of the nerve injury can vary. Sometimes it is manifested in a minor way, and will be a temporary cause of distress. Other times it can lead to a chronic condition.

When a nerve is pinched, it is like a blocked hose, the flow of nutrients are blocked as well as the ability to send small electrical charges. A peripheral nerve is like a cable, with fibers running though it. The nerve fibers can permanently stop functioning. When a muscle losses its ability to contract it may produce a numb feeling.

Depending where the nerve is pinched the name applied to the syndrome changes. Since a pinched nerve can occur in a few places the symptoms will reflect the location. A herniated disk in your lower spine can put pressure on a nerve that causes pain that radiates down your leg. This is a sciatica pain. A pinched nerve in your wrist can cause pain and numbness in you hand and fingers. This is well known as carpal tunnel syndrome. Tennis elbow is another term for a pinched nerve.

Basically, the cause of a pinched nerve is when there is too much pressure applied to a nerve. This pressure can come from anything that disrupts the nerves function. The likely culprits are cartilage, muscles, disks, or tendons.

Symptoms

The symptoms can occur regularly or sporadically. Also, the location influences the symptoms. The overall symptoms are: numbness, decreased sensation in the area supplied by the nerve, sharp or burning pain which can radiate outward, tingling, pins and needles, muscle weakness, or twitching, and feet or hands than fall asleep.

Sometimes it is hard to locate the pinched nerve, because nerves travel throughout the body. A pinched nerve in the lower part of the back can cause pain in the calf. As the nerve becomes damaged from the pressure weakness may increase. Atrophy or withering of the affected muscle can appear.

Treatment

There are a few treatments that are frequently recommended. The first recommendation is to rest the affected area. That means to stop activities that may have caused or aggravate the condition.

The location dictates the treatment. It can be a splint or brace so the area can be immobilized. For carpal tunnel syndrome it is wearing a splint both during the day and while sleeping to stop any movements.

Exercises, which strengthen and stretch the affected muscles to relieve the pressure on the nerve, can be taught by a physical therapist. Also, you will be shown how to modify your activities not to aggravate the nerve.

The medication can consist of analgesics, which are nonsterodial anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofens. These include Advil, Motrin and others. Aleve is another type of medication, which can relieve pain and inflammation. The long term use of any of these drugs isn’t recommended.

Corticosteroid injections are used for the affected area to relieve pain and inflammation. Surgery is last resort when these more conservative treatments aren’t enough.

None of these treatments address the cause, which is why these conditions are so frustrating to treat. Upper Cervical Chiropractic care addresses the cause.

The video below explains how the treatments can alleviate the pressure on the nerves.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Sciatica Causes and Treatments

(NaturalHealth365) Sciatica is a common occurrence, and the truth is anyone is fair game.

The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve in the body. It runs from the lower back region through the buttock and keeps going all the way down the back of the leg. For people who suffer from this it is a harsh reality. This is because the sciatic nerve controls the movement of many of the muscles in the thigh and leg. When this nerve becomes irritated and inflamed the resulting sciatica pain can be a source of misery.

Sciatica is a common cause of low back pain and leg pain. It is usually caused by pressure on the sciatic nerve from a herniated disc. Sciatica occurs most frequently in people 30 to 50 years of age and can be a debilitating disorder in some people

Symptoms

The pain is felt in the lower back, buttock, and various parts of the leg and foot. Along with the pain, which can be severe, there could be numbness, muscle weakness, pins and needles or tingling, and difficulty in moving or controlling leg movements. Usually the symptoms are relegated to one side of the body.

Individuals are willing to try many things to get relief. Depending on the causes, the pain can be quite uncomfortable. The reason this condition is hard on the individual is there is a cascade of symptoms that affect mobility.

The typical symptom is a shooting pain that feels like electricity, with the possible addition of numbness and tingling on the involved leg. Depending on where the sciatic nerve is affected, the pain may also radiate to the foot or toes.

Treatment Options

Most people want rapid relief, and there are things that can quell the pain. However, once you have this condition it can return. There usually is an underlying cause. The way to block the return of sciatica pain is to eliminate the factors that brought about the condition.

There are some stop gap things that can help in the mean time. For most sciatica pain there are recommended exercises. Exercise is usually better for relieving the pain than taking it easy. Movement helps take the pressure off the nerve when done right. Stretching exercises for sciatica target the muscles that are tight and inflexible. This usually helps with recovery, and perhaps with stopping future episodes.

Ice and heat may offer some relief for the pain, and may help with the mobility in some individuals. This at most offers temporary relief. There may be a long term answer for people that are prone to sciatica problems. The video down below is something which may explain how to get real relief.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Multiple Sclerosis Can Be Helped Naturally

(NaturalHealth365) What is MS and how to treat it are intriguing questions. If you trust the medical model, the treatments will make sense to you. However, just like any of the other so called chronic conditions get ready for one drug after another. So the treatments of choice will be pharmaceuticals. For Multiple Sclerosis this means a healthy pharmaceutical industry, and a disabled patient.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and often disabling condition, which attacks the central nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild or severe, and come or go. The current thinking is that MS is a chronic and disabling condition.

According to Web MD, multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases are those whereby the body’s immune systems which normally targets and attacks substances foreign to the body such as bacteria, mistakenly attacks normal tissue. In MS, the immune system is attacking components of the central nervous system such as the brain and spinal cord along with the optic nerves.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a medical mystery with a few theories on how it originates. It isn’t always easy to diagnose since symptoms can be very mild and transient. When it is diagnosed the medical options are symptom relief. This condition like many others is a puzzle to the medical community.

Medical Treatment

Treating MS follows the trend in allopathic medicine, which is using a wide variety of medications to reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms. When one medication stops working they go on to the next one.

The strategy is to modify the course of the disease (slow it down) by treating exacerbations, (flare-ups) manage symptoms and improve function. These treatments are symptom control in an effort to enhance the quality of life for MS patients.

The drugs such as Avonex®, Betaseron®, Copaxone®, Extavia®, Gilenya®, Rebif®, and Novatron® come with the hopes that they can reduce disease activity and progression.

The list of possible side effects: depression, anemia, liver abnormalities, allergic reaction, flu like symptoms, anxiety, palpitations, and even chest pains. Some are short lived side effects, and some aren’t common ones. The real problem is the longer you are on them and the more combinations you take the bigger the danger. The documented effectiveness of each of these drugs can vary.

Real Help

Research shows that living closer to the equator reduces MS risk. This fits in with research that suggests vitamin D from sun exposure may be protective against MS. This suggests that vitamin deficiencies may play a part in this condition.

The one non-existent treatment in the medical and pharmaceutical models is diet. This has the most proof as a way to both relieve and reverse most of the symptoms. There has been a lack of monitoring diet by the medical community, not just because of ignorance and arrogance, but because this condition can abate and relapse on its own.

Diet Connection

However, autoimmune conditions on the whole are responsive to diet. Multiple sclerosis responds to both diet and an exercise programs. The relief from diet and different exercise programs has been chronicled.
In 1948, Dr. Roy Swank created the first known MS diet. This diet is high in vegetables, fruits and nuts while eliminating saturated fats.

There are thousands of patients that went into remission, and had lesions that decreased in size. The type of exercise is usually light: incorporating yoga and stretching exercises. This helps muscles flexibility and will lessen the chance of becoming stiff or developing atrophy.

At the very least this will help keep the condition in check. There are other diets that include gluten and casein free ones. Flavonoids seem to offer some help and so does food allergy testing.

The burning question: can you afford to outsource your care. The notion that drug safety is a safe bet is fading. For quality care you have to be part of the team.

about the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Good Digestion is Key to Health

(NaturalHealth365) The digestive process is literally what your body depends on. Most of the modern ailments can be attributed to a damaged digestive system.

The organs that make-up the digestive tract includes the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. The other organs that are part of the digestive process are the liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.

Liver

Your liver is your first line of defense from modern living. It is a filter that traps, neutralizes and eliminates toxic chemicals that you breathe, absorb, ingest. This list includes food, drink, additives, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals. Most knowledgeable health care providers know that when a person develops either heart disease or cancer their liver isn’t in good shape.

Your liver has many functions such as: balancing your cholesterol, filtering poisons, and working with your gall bladder. The stomach, liver, gallbladder and pancreas all play a part in digestive health.

Gastro-Intestinal complaints

Today one of the biggest complaints is a digestive tract that isn’t functioning like it should. The gastro-intestinal complaints range from constipation, to acid reflux. Since the leading over the counter remedies sold are for these conditions, it is safe to say most Americans have compromised intestinal function.

For anyone with irritable bowel, spastic colon, colitis, diverticulousis, or Crohn’s disease, which in fact is millions of Americans, digestion is key to health. It is a fact that most Americans have some type of bowel problem. These problems have come about because an American diet is high in sugar and simple carbohydrates.

This is a serious situation since we absorb nutrients though our intestines. The foods we eat aren’t in a form the body can use as nourishment. Digestion is where food is broken down to smaller parts so it can be used to both build and nourish cells. What makes the digestive system a powerful arbitrator of health is the fact that every system depends on its function to provide what it needs.

Symptoms of a poor digestive system include: abdominal discomfort, constipation, fatigue, food cravings, headaches, bloating, gas, hemorrhoids, indigestion, nausea, poor appetite, and weight gain.

Everything and anything can wreak havoc on your digestive system. This ranges from the food you eat, to the Stress your under, and the exercise you get. In other words digestion is dependent on your lifestyle. When you go to your family physician, one of the first questions isn’t how is your digestion system working. So basically it is your job to detoxify and protect this system.

Taking Care

The way you take care of your digestion system is to see that you provide your body with proper nutrition and fiber. The best fiber is in fruits and vegetable. What the top source of animal or plant protein provides is the fatty acids that are intrinsic part of intestinal health.

Most people need to look to ways to protect, stimulate and cleanse the digestive tract along with the liver and gall bladder. The herbs that are known for this ability are Milk Thistle, Artichoke Leaf, and Dandelion Root. The bitter liver tonic herbs help stimulate digestion and stimulate the liver to produce more bile, which is what gets things moving. Other strong cleansing plants that eliminate harmful pathogens are Black Walnut Hulls, Wormwood and Garlic.

Disease doesn’t just happen; it is created by a person’s lifestyle. A sluggish constipated digestive system comes from stress, lack of exercise and poor dietary choices.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Diabetes Myths

(NaturalHealth365) Type 2 diabetes myths are a nice way to say lies and misconceptions, which are either medical deception or stupidity. As, I see it this is probably a little of each. With an estimated 366 million of people worldwide who have this condition you would think there would be a better understanding of what causes it. The pharmaceutical companies have tried different medications to halt the disease. Notice how well that is working.

Diabetes Epidemic

The International Diabetes Federation described the number of cases as “staggering,” every seven seconds one person succumbs to this condition. The federation is asking for concrete measures to stop the epidemic, urging officials focusing on chronic disease at the United Nations to target ways to prevent cases and to invest in more research. Yes, what we need is more research we don’t have enough already. We can spend the next decade looking for the magic bullet.

It is estimated that health systems spend $465 billion annually fighting the disease. That includes both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. If that isn’t enough money to find the cause, which is right in front of their faces then lets go for broke.

The abnormalities that they are looking for is in our food supply, the diagnosis and current treatment are not the answer. The key words are obesity, and addiction. Our flagging health is due to the deterioration of our food supply. Food orchestrates a complex balance of hormonal, neurochemical, and electrical signals. What makes us think we can face our deteriorating health with pharmaceuticals? As long as we ignore the warning signs that all point to lifestyle, it will be increasingly difficult to stem the tide.

Type 2 Diabetes Causes

Warped thinking is what perpetuates the myth that the rise in diabetes is due to an aging population. Diabetes is thought to be a disease of middle age, with obesity playing a part in the development of this condition. Yet, younger people are now in this group.

What is wrong with this picture? The global number of diabetics more than doubled in the last three decades according to a study published in the medical journal Lancer. We try to manage the disease with diet, exercise and medication. With all that diabetes still results in kidney disease, blindness, heart disease, more cases of cancer, and amputations.

The problem with the picture is: in the last three decades our lifestyle has been altered. This trend started earlier with the advent of pre-packaged foods, larger portions, lack of sunshine, technology advances that translate to less activity. There are multiple causes and none of them are a drug shortage. Insulin resistance is part of the culture. There are very few people who aren’t affected by this way of life. This is becoming a world wide occurrence because we export our way of eating and farming methods.

To say it is because people are living longer is an insult to our intelligence. Healthy adults who are concerned about what they put into their bodies are much less likely to develop diabetes. We are putting the cheapest “foods” on everyone’s table. Look at your parents and grandparents way of eating and you will notice a glaring difference. Virtually everything in most people’s diet was never eaten 40 to 50 years ago. We can document that insulin resistance is a product of our diet, no amount of research will change that fact.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease through non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Cancer and Hormones

(NaturalHealth365) Cancer doesn’t come out of thin air. It is initiated and progresses when it has the right environment. A healthy diet is essential no matter what form of treatment you pursue.

One Way Cancer Begins

There is a radically different approach to intervene in the process. Cellular support for a health body is often overlooked in modern medicine. Metabolic dysfunction causes are widely overlooked; the cellular conditions that lead to cancer are an accumulation of assaults on the body. These assaults result from pollution, oxidative stress, toxins, excessive inflammation, hormonal instability, radiation exposure, and stress.

Our modern foods in themselves lead to serious illnesses by promoting hormonal imbalances. This is seen in the metabolic syndrome. Through multiple pathways the cancer initiating hormones insulin and leptin become the underlying pro-inflammatory agents.

Cancer Initiating Hormones

It is known that insulin and leptin are co-conspirators in the development and spread of cancer cells. These are the environmental influences along with diet and exercise that strongly influence the development and spread of cancer. In laboratory animals this has been demonstrated. Many research scientists have shown that insulin and leptin feed cancer cells.

Insulin is also a growth hormone; your body produces insulin and insulin growth hormone IGF-1, which reacts in response to insulin production. When we consume sugar or any foods that are called high glycemic foods the pancreas responds by releasing insulin which then binds to the cells and sends the sugars, and nutrients into the cell. If the insulin levels are high enough, the liver then releases IGF-1. This tells the cells they have food to grow with.

As cancers grow they get more receptors. If you continue to eat high glycemic foods, the cancers grow faster and begin to spread. This is the same as pouring gas on a fire. Some recent studies have shown that a high glycemic diets help cancers grow up to 8 times the normal rate.

Adiponectin Protects Us

Adiponectin is another hormone that our body produces. It reduces inflammation, increases insulin sensitivity, prevents high blood pressure, and helps burn fat for energy. Unlike leptin as the body fat increases the amount of adiponectin is decreased.

Ways to Increase Adiponectin

The levels of adiponectin are increased by eating dark pigmented plant foods such as dark cherries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and pomegranates. The deep red, blue and purple foods are protective.

People with diabetes tend to have lower levels of adiponectin, and sweet potato extracts have been shown to significantly increase adiponectin levels in persons with type 2 diabetes.

Exercise such as walking, swimming, working out, aerobics, and some sports at least 20 minutes a day help raise adiponectin levels.

How You Make a Difference

The first step is is to discover what it really means to be healthy and happy. To have a sound grip on your health means to watch what you eat. The question is your food making you sick or keeping you healthy. Balancing your hormones may mean looking at your dinner plate.

About the author Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease thru non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Weight Loss Help

(NaturalHealth365) Is metabolic typing the answer to obesity? Yes, it seems there is a scientific foundation for this conclusion. It seems that for a vast amount of people their metabolism is heavily weighted toward using certain foods better than others. Genetics seem to play a significant role.

This may be a diet that is designed for those people that not only have trouble losing weight but keeping it off. That may sound like the majority of dieters. This is a way of eating that can’t be dismissed as another fad. This type of eating is a walk down memory lane. It was most likely the diet of your parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

Learning from previous generations isn’t a bad idea on this issue. The explosive growth, market domination and demand for convenience foods, has led to both the obesity epidemic and health care crises. If one follows the time line of both the manufacturing and manipulating of the food supply you will see parallel trends in consumer health. So what has this to do with metabolic typing? Everything, these are the risks when you don’t follow a correct diet for your genetics.

Research Studies

A study by researchers at McMaster University has found that some ethnic groups are more likely to be adding dangerous fat onto their internal organs like their liver when they gain weight, while others just add it to their waistline.
Dr. Sonia Anand who led the study published in the medical journal PLoS One, said South Asians are particularly more likely to add the type of fat that hugs the organs, and this type of fat can lead to diabetes and coronary artery disease.

Dr. Arya Sharma, director of the Canadian Obesity Network and a co-author of the study said: “This study helps explain why South Asians experience weight-related health problems at lower BMI levels than Caucasians. For the clinician, this also means that individuals of South Asian heritage need to be screened for the presence of heart disease and diabetes at lower BMIs.”

Previously the researchers at McMaster and the Population Health Research Institute had found that, even with the exact same body mass index populations that originated from the Indian subcontinent have more risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, low “good” HDL cholesterol, and more abdominal obesity.

It was also found in studies that many canadians of South Asian descent as well as those of African and Chinese descent are experiencing high levels of heart disease and stroke.

The Importance of Metabolic Typing

With today’s epidemic of obesity and health related problems, knowing your metabolic type is important. Understanding what fuels make your body run well, and what are the risks of filling up on the wrong foods will help you reach your optimal weight along with vibrant health.

About the author- Blanche has been a student of natural healing modalities for the last 25 years. She had the privilege of working with some of the greatest minds in Natural Healing including Naturopaths, Scientist, and Energy Healers. Having seen people miraculously heal from all kinds of dis-ease thru non-invasive methods, her passion now is to help people become aware of what it takes to be healthy.

Decrease your risk of breast cancer

(NaturalHealth365) For years breast cancer was thought of as a throw of the dice. Even today medical professionals still harbor that view.

Limited Vision

The medical community at large have a limited vision of what causes any number of conditions. The challenge today is to broaden the concept of what makes the human body run. It has been found that weight has the strongest effect on the sex hormones that increase breast cancer in post menopausal women. This research was published in the British Journal of Cancer. Alcohol, followed by cigarettes are the next two factors that have a strong effect on hormone levels. This comes from co-author Dr. Gillan Reeves from the University of Oxford in the UK, and colleagues. All are members of the Endogenous Hormones and Breast Cancer Collaborative Group.

Believe it or not these are limited visions of the causes of both breast cancer and other chronic conditions.

Think Nourishment

Is your food making you sick? If you eat the standard American diet it is. Food is not just thought of as nourishment, but as entertainment and simple indulgence. When you look at breast cancer as the problem you may be missing the answers you need. What makes the whole body work well will protect the breasts.

When you think prevention it has to occur to you that this is dependent on your lifestyle. Hormone levels are influenced by many factors. It is both what you eat and what eats you. In today’s world it means nourishing foods, emotional and spiritual wellness. It means feeding yourself on every level, body, mind and spririt.

Smart Moves

Doctors tell you what you have and what you have to do. What they are good at is taking insurance and what they are poor at is keeping you healthy. We hopefully are at a crossroad, where the individual designs their own destiny.

Women who exercise 3-5 times a week have a lower risk of breast cancer. This is because exercise lowers the amount of estrogen and dangerous estrogen metabolites.

Chronic stress is a real risk factor for many conditions including breast cancer. Your reacton to stress is critical in the prevention of this and other conditions.

A low carbohydrate diet is very important. Elevated insulin levels from a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates increase estrogen dominanence by upping the amount of free estrogen and it also stimulates the estrogen receptor. Tumor cells over express insulin receptors inviting more glucose to feed the tumor.

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who have high insulin levels, have an increased risk of a repeat performance.

Partially Hydrogenated Oils and Trans fats found in processed foods also increase the dangerous estrogen metabolites that stimulate breast cancer cells.

Individually you shape your destiny, by your thoughts and actions. If the medical profession doesn’t ask the right questions you have to. In life there are unexpected moments, however breast cancer is years in the making.

The Health Benefits of Core Fitness

(NaturalHealth365) Core fitness involves exercise of our hips, torso and shoulder blade muscles. It’s the foundation of our physical strength, power and balance. A strong mid-section enables us to effectively transfer energy to our legs and upper body. The more effectively we transfer this energy, the greater our endurance.

Advantages to Core Fitness

• Increased Back Strength
• Reduced Risk for Physical Injuries
• Increased Control of Your Body Movements
• Improved Overall Balance
• Better Coordination and Athletic Ability
• A Strong Core Reduces Stress

Under “average” circumstances, a long day at work or home can generate sore neck, arm or leg muscles. The assumption may be that there is a weakness in the neck, arms or legs. But, experience tells me that stronger core muscles can remove the physical strain of a long day. In fact, a stronger core can help you experience greater energy and vitality throughout your entire body.

Make the Intelligent Choice

When designing the “perfect” core fitness routine – always be sure to include exercises that promote stabilization, lateral flexion, rotation and extension. Depending on your fitness level, core conditioning can be done 1 – 4 times per week. And always allow a few minutes to warm up prior to any exercise routine.

I suggest that you integrate core exercises, at the beginning of your exercise session, when you have lots of energy. This will improve the quality of your entire workout routine. Strong core muscles support good posture and technique in all forms of exercise.

Bruce Lee once said: “My strength comes from my abdomen. It’s the center of gravity and the source of real power.” I couldn’t agree with that statement any stronger. If you’re ready to get started – I’ve included a few (simple) exercises for energy and strength.

Beginners: only need to exercise ONCE per week; Intermediate: TWICE per Week and Experienced: THREE to FOUR times per week.

Note: Experienced means that you have done these core fitness exercises for at least one month.

3 (Simple) Core Exercises

1. Low Back Press Down – Lie on your back with your head on top of a folded towel. Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Place a towel between your knees and squeeze your knees together as you press your low back to the floor. Hold each repetition for 5 seconds, relax for 2 to 3 seconds and repeat. Do 5 repetitions for one set. Complete 1-3 sets, depending on your fitness level.

2. The Hip Raise – Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor – hips width apart. Place a folded towel, under your head, for comfort. Keep your arms away from your body, relaxed on the floor, palms down.

Push your hips, as high as you can, up into the air. In other words, lift your belly button up. As soon as your hips reach the top, squeeze your glutes as hard as you can.

Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on your ability, then place your hips back down on the floor. Do 1 – 3 sets, depending on your fitness level.

3. Lateral Bridge – Lie on your right side, perfectly straight with your feet together – left foot on top of the right foot. Place your right elbow directly under your right shoulder. Place your left hand on top of your left hip.

In one move, pop your left hip up into the air and hold for 10 to 30 seconds – depending on your strength. Reverse the process and hold your right hip into the air for 10 to 30 seconds. Do 1 to 3 sets on each side, depending on your fitness level.

4. Torso Rotations – Lie on your back with your arms away from your side, palms up. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and press your low back to the floor. Put a rolled up towel between your knees.

Flex your hips and knees into 90 degree angles. Support your head with a towel if that makes you more comfortable. Rotate your knees to the right, come up to center then rotate your knees to the left. Repeat this 8 times to each side.

During rotations, stay relaxed and focus on the rotation of your torso. Do not allow your arms or low back to lift up while rotating your knees side to side.

Always consult your trusted, healthcare professional – before starting an exercise routine. Now you know – exercise today and have fun!

About the author: Jonathan Landsman is the managing director of NaturalHealth365.com and host of the NaturalNews Talk Hour – a free, weekly health show sponsored by NaturalHealth365.com and NaturalNews.com. Jonathan is helping millions of people worldwide create health and physical fitness through a variety of educational and entertaining articles, teleconference calls, live shows and special events. Click Here for immediate access to The Inner Circle – a monthly (Online) subscription to exclusive audio interviews, video events plus much more!

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