REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Cataracts and macular degeneration are the two major causes of visual impairment in the elderly. Neither of these should ever happen. So how do they happen and how can they be prevented? The cause of these conditions appears to be oxidative damage by free radicals. The solution appears to be an adequate supply of antioxidants through diet and supplementation. The eye is actually very rich in lipids (fats) and the lens of the eye is very susceptible to what we chemists call light-induced lipid peroxidation. This happens when light entering the eye generates free radicals. The eye’s fatty molecules will be damaged unless something is done to prevent it, such as quenching the free radicals with antioxidants. In other words, light will damage your eyes unless they are properly protected. Excess UV radiation resulting from damage to the ozone layer, x-rays from TV sets and computer monitors, and depletion of our antioxidants…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Unknown to most people, a leading cause of disease is common table salt. In my book, Never Be Sick Again, I outlined cellular malfunctions that contribute to the epidemic of disease in our society. One of these was upsetting the ratio of sodium to potassium inside our cells. Eating too much salt results in an excess of sodium and a deficiency of potassium, causing cellular malfunction and disease. Sodium and potassium are minerals critical to cell function, but they must be in balance. Modern dietary practices create serious imbalances. Our ancestors consumed lowsodium/ high-potassium diets. Their sodium/potassium ratio was a healthy 1:4, the result of eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Our current ratio is reversed to an unhealthy 4:1, the result of too much salt and too few fresh fruits and vegetables. Cells function as little batteries. They have an electrical charge created by the difference in the amount…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Hypertension (high blood pressure) is an insidious condition affecting almost half the American population to at least some degree. Tens of millions are taking medication to lower their pressure. Occurring almost exclusively in developed countries that consume processed foods, this silent killer has no symptoms, but can kill you by bursting a blood vessel and causing a stroke, or by gradually destroying your heart, blood vessels, and kidneys. What causes high blood pressure? Simple: Our bad diets, toxic overloads, lack of exercise, and stress—all of which are under our control. Because the causes are under our control, so is the prevention and the cure. Unfortunately, most hypertensive patients are told by their doctors that they have to take a drug for the rest of their lives and are handed a prescription. These toxic drugs lower blood pressure, but they don’t solve the underlying metabolic problems. Rather, like most pres…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Health is a choice. If you choose health, sugar is not an option. Sugar is a dangerous metabolic poison and a leading contributor to our epidemic of chronic disease. If we want to vastly improve health, one single choice we can make is to stop, or at least minimize, sugar consumption. The less you eat and the less frequently you eat it, the better off you will be. History Our biologic ancestors did not have access to sugars in the refined forms that exist today. Sugar was a rare commodity, found primarily in fresh fruits, or perhaps a batch of honey. Advents in technology brought forth the first sugar refineries during the Napoleonic period. At that time sugar was expensive, and average consumption was about 7 pounds per year. By the end of the 19th century, sugar was affordable, and available to almost everyone. Since 1909, sugar consumption has increased by 70%. Americans now eat an average of about 150 pounds of sugar…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Acetyl-L-carnitine is an amazing nutrient that is helpful in preventing a wide range of problems. Anyone who is concerned about protecting cells from age-related degeneration, or maintaining and improving brain function or energy levels, should be supplementing with carnitine. Acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is a natural molecule that is found in most cells in the body, especially in the brain, heart, muscles, and nerve tissue. Research shows a steady decline in blood levels of carnitine after age 40. It also shows that supplementing with ALC delays the progression of age-related decline in cognition and energy. This vitamin-like compound is obtained from our diet, mostly from animal protein sources, very little being found in plants. Whenever dietary intake from animal sources is inadequate, the body makes its own, providing that sufficient essential raw materials (lysine, methionine, B vitamins, and vitamin C) are available for…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis The health of the American children is in a catastrophic, long-term decline. In 1995, the American Health Foundation downgraded the health of our children from a C- to a D. I would now rate it a D-. What is happening here? I can tell you one thing. Parents are systematically poisoning their children by feeding them a dangerous toxin that destroys health, lowers quality of life, shortens life-span, and even damages the health of the next generation. Parents do this unwittingly, but every parent who allows a child to eat products containing sugar falls into this deadly trap. It is time to put a stop to it. Sugar is a deadly metabolic poison. Regular consumption of sugar is guaranteed to damage health, cause disease, and result in premature death. Sugar is the most deadly product the average person is exposed to on a daily basis. Few things stress the body as much. Consuming sugar on a regular basis is nothing less than death…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis To choose among supplements by comparing labels can be of little value. Two identical labels can be two completely different products. The difference in quality can depend on the following: Type, quality, and age of raw materials used Method used to ship the raw materials Handling of the raw materials Storage of the raw materials Manufacturing process Packaging Manufacturers can play many games with how they list ingredients on labels. Without talking to the manufacturer and getting first-hand knowledge of what is being purchased, it is not possible to know what is really in the pill. However, the following is a quick and easy test for assessing the overall quality of a vitamin or mineral supplement. Products that do not meet this test are of low quality. Products that do meet this test may or may not be of high quality, but the probability of good quality is increased. A further investigation into the six ite…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis In a number of BHN issues beginning in July/August of '96, we have told our readers that, contrary to popular belief, sunlight does not cause cancer. In fact cancer rates are much lower where there is more sunlight. I have recently come across an excellent book by Zane Kime, MD titled Sunlight. Dr. Kime looks at the relationship of sunlight and human health. He takes studies from the scientific literature and demonstrates sunlight's beneficial effects in lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar. He cites how sunlight increases endurance, sex hormone levels, and immunity. The book also contains dietary suggestions on how to protect your skin from sun damage the way nature intended. It's easy to forget, in the midst of our cancer epidemic, that cancer was traditionally a rare disease affecting less than 1% of the population. The healthy, long-lived populations like the Hunzas and the Vilcabambas lived at high ele…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis There is a scandal in the olive oil industry, and if you use olive oil, you need to know about it. It's always advisable to substitute healthy olive oil in place of the toxic refined oils typically available in the supermarket. Here is the problem: not all olive oils are created equal. Only real olive oil will provide all the health-promoting benefits of olive oil, and trying to find real olive oil is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Olive oil has been part of the human diet for more than 5,000 years. Millennia of human experience as well as modern research indicate that olive oil is beneficial to health, and can safely be included in our diet. In fact, olive oil has been singled out as a key contributor to the health of the Greek centenarians. To preserve the same health benefits that these Greeks received, modern oil must be produced in a manner that does not damage the oil's nutrients. Unfortunately, most commercial o…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Pools and Spas are wonderful for exercise, relaxation and recreation, but they are also health hazards, especially to children. The major challenge with pools and spas is to keep the water clean and safe. The traditional answer to this challenge is to use chlorine. Chlorine is universally used to chemically disinfect water because it is a powerful oxidizing agent that kills germs, bacteria and other living organisms. Most people never give it a thought. Elected public officials assure us that chlorinated tap water is completely safe for human consumption. The truth is chlorine kills microorganisms because it is a very toxic chemical. Chlorine is also toxic to you, and you should not be drinking, bathing, swimming or soaking in it. Fortunately, Beyond Health has solutions for each of these problems. Chlorine is harmful to you when you drink it. The U.S. Council of Environmental Quality reports that cancer risks for people wh…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Russell L. Blaylock, MD In 1983, children received 10 vaccines before attending school. Today they will receive 23 or more vaccines prior to the age of two years, and over 36 injections by the time of school entry. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control have assured parents that it is safe to not only administer these vaccines, but that multiple vaccines can be given at one time with complete safety. Is this true? Or are we being lied to on a grand scale? The incidence of postnatal autism has increased dramatically since the mid‐1980s, when the U.S. autism rate was on the order of 1 in 10,000. Today it is greater than 1 in 150. A number of studies have related this rise in incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnoses to increases in the number of vaccines added to the childhood immunization schedule at this same time. A compelling amount of research has shown that repeated stimulation of the sys…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis In recent years, new findings on vitamin E have been so extensive; it might be mistaken for a miracle drug. Vitamin E has been proven to be one of our most powerful biological antioxidants. At the same time, a growing body of scientific evidence is proving the lifetime need for protecting our cells from damage by free-radical oxidation. Vitamin E provides such protection and thereby slows down the aging process. Simply put, vitamin E protects us from aging and the chronic diseases, such as heart disease, which result from oxidative damage. Unwittingly, we have created and live in an oxidizing environment. This is putting unprecedented demands on our antioxidant defense systems. With the demand up, it is difficult to obtain sufficient vitamin E from our nutritionally-deficient modern diet. That is why supplementing is a must for most people. However, supplementing is problematical because there is little real vitamin E on th…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Vitamin C is perhaps the most miraculous molecule you can put into your body. Yet almost all Americans are deficient in vitamin C, and this is contributing significantly to our epidemic of chronic disease. This amazing vitamin is very special because it has the ability to donate or accept electrons easily, thereby facilitating the flow of electricity (electron flow) in the body. Electron flow controls and regulates the body’s functions by promoting cell-to-cell communications. Disease happens when electron flow is impaired; life ends when electron flow stops. Insufficient vitamin C will impair flow, and this is why vitamin C deficiency is a significant contributor to disease. It is also why adequate C will both prevent and reverse disease. When electron flow is optimized, health and vitality are optimized; adequate vitamin C is vital to health. The problem is this: most of us do not get enough C on a daily basis. To make matte…

. . . study from a major medical center favors good diet over pills and surgery Will wonders never cease! Kaiser Permanente is the largest managed care company and hospital system in the US, and it looks like they may be getting serious about helping their patients get well! A report in their Spring 2013 journal advocates using a plant-based diet to treat disease. This report was written to educate physicians. Doctors receive very little education in and, as the authors point out, “too often . . . quickly prescribe medications instead of giving patients a chance to correct their disease through healthy eating and active living.” The authors advise physicians to “consider recommending a plant-based diet to all their patients.” To help make their case, they present a case study of a 63-year-old man who was able to normalize his high blood pressure and cholesterol, significantly improve type II diabetes, and discontinue or decrease five drugs he had been taking within 16 weeks of…

. . . hidden hazards of your barbecue Summer’s the time for firing up the outdoor barbecue. But while it may feel healthy to do your cooking out in the fresh air, grilling, like all high-temperature cooking, poses some health risks. When muscle meats, including beef, pork, fish and poultry, are cooked at high temperatures, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HACs) are formed. HACs are the most powerful carcinogens ever discovered! The more protein content, the longer it's cooked, and the higher the temperature, the more HACs develop. If that's not bad enough, the fat dripping from the protein into the heat results in more carcinogenic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Smoke dense with PAHs gets into your lungs and also coats the meat being cooked. In a 2012 study, Polish researchers found that PAHs were especially bad for pregnant women. The more exposures the women had to both airborne PAHs (cigarette smoke is another source of PAH exposure) and PAHs in grilled me…

by Raymond Francis Completely abstaining from a food causing hidden allergies for 3-6 months often leads to recovering the ability to eat the food again (usually in moderation) without generating an allergic reaction. However since these allergies are “hidden” how do you identify them? It can be challenging, but there are some tried-and-true approaches to take, each with its virtues and limitations. Lymphocyte Assay Testing (ELISA) This is the easiest approach. You send a sample of your blood to a lab, and technicians there expose it to various foods and chemicals. They will send you a report showing not only which foods and chemicals elicited a reaction, but the strength of that reaction. This kind of report can be extremely helpful; however, there is a chance of getting false negatives and false positives. Also it isn’t cheap and isn’t covered by Medicare. You can find out more about this test at www.elisaact.com. Elimination/Challenge Diet Here, you follow a very rest…

. . . high quality ingredients are the key to making these recipes stand-outs GRILLED FIG, GRAPE AND ARUGULA SALAD Ingredients: 8 fresh figs, sliced in half 1-1/2 cups organic seedless grapes, slice in half 4-5 cups arugula 2 tablespoons Beyond Health Olive Oil Selina Celtic Sea Salt Beyond Health Balsamic Vinegar (optional) Makes 2 servings Place the figs cut side down on a preheated grill for 5-6 minutes, or on a pan in your broiler for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the grapes, arugula and olive oil with a pinch or two of salt. Make a mound of the salad in the middle of a plate and surround by warm figs. This salad is very good as is, but for a completely different experience, drizzle it with balsamic vinegar. WATERMELON WITH LIME AND BALSAMIC Ingredients: Seedless or seeded watermelon A fresh lime Beyond Health Balsamic Vinegar For a fancy presentation, cut the watermelon into 1-inch cubes. With a melon baller or small measuring spoon, make…

Question:  I have been told that avocados are not good for you because they contain too much fat. I would like to know what you think. E. W. — Sacramento, CA Answer:  There is this obsession with avoiding fats. Fats are good for you. The body needs them. What is bad for you is the processed fats and oils sold in our supermarkets and used as ingredients in all kinds of make-believe foods including breakfast cereals. These processed fats and oils are toxins, while real fats and oils are nutrients. Avocados are an excellent and healthy fruit and are perfectly safe to eat, especially if you purchase the organic ones. Avocados are also high in vitamin E and contain generous amounts of lutein, which prevents against cataracts and macular degeneration.…