. . . the mind is far more powerful than most of us appreciateCan thoughts prolong life? Absolutely! In a 2002 study that followed more than 600 people for 23 years, researchers at Yale University found that having a positive attitude toward aging extended average lifespan for more than 7 years. This makes thoughts and expectations more powerful in extending life than other factors such as low blood pressure, low cholesterol, maintaining a healthy weight and regular exercise!It’s not that other factors aren’t important, but the mind is far more powerful than most of us appreciate. Every thought and every feeling has biochemical repercussions, some good and some bad. Not surprisingly, positive thoughts and emotions like joy, compassion, optimism, love, gratitude and a sense of purpose bolster both immunity and general health, while negative thoughts and feelings, like anger, envy, apathy, gloom and resentment do the opposite.But how can you maintain a positive and hopeful expectati…

Like everyone else, children need water.  For one thing, the immune system functions best when well-hydrated. Mild dehydration in children can also cause constipation and behavior changes, for example acting tired, dizzy or slow to respond.Most kids do get enough; the problem is they’re getting it in the form of fruit juice, soft drinks, energy drinks and sports drinks – all high in sugar, and most containing additional toxins as well.Sweetened drink consumption is on the rise. Soft drinks are the single largest contributor of calorie intake in the US today. About 50% of the added sugars in our diets come from sodas, sports and energy drinks, coffee beverages and fruit juice. A recent article in Pediatrics noted that energy and sports drinks are being heavily marketed to children; that energy drinks are inappropriate because they contain stimulants; and that sugary sports drinks should be avoided because they contribute to obesity.Acknowledging that many kids today are hooked on f…

. . . correcting a vitamin D deficiency may lift your winter depressionNewsclips readers already know that vitamin D is crucial to immunity and helps to prevent winter colds and the flu. You may also know that vitamin D deficiencies contribute to cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, diabetes, neurological disease and many other health problems.But can vitamin D ward off winter blues?Also called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), the winter blues can make you feel lethargic, fatigued, unmotivated and depressed. You can crave carbohydrates and want to sleep all day.Clinical experience and preliminary scientific investigation have found that low levels of vitamin D correlate with a higher incidence of SAD, and that when patients with SAD and low blood levels supplement with vitamin D, their depressive symptoms improve.Since SAD is associated with lack of sunlight, our main source of vitamin D, and since vitamin D levels decline in the winter months, it is reasonable to hypothesize that vi…

The world was still dealing with radioactive waste from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster on March 11, 2011, when a 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Japan along with a massive tsunami decimated Japan's Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant. Both Chernobyl and now Fukushima have littered the earth's air and water with radioactive isotopes, increasing disease and death on a global scale. Health problems associated with radioactive fallout include cancer, heart attack, respiratory damage, bone and joint pain, immune suppression, reproductive and urogenital disorders, and chromosomal aberrations. Based on Center for Disease Control mortality data for 122 US cities, toxicologist Janette D. Sherman, MD, and Joseph J. Mangano, MPH, MBA, projected 13,983 extra deaths (including 822 infant deaths) in the US during the 14 weeks after the arrival of Japanese fallout. But unlike Chernobyl, which was brought under control within several months, more than a year later, damaged reactors at Fukushima ar…

. . . especially in the absence of omega-3 fatsDo you sometimes wonder how "people can be so stupid?" We now have a clue as to why. Some unfortunate California rats were taught to negotiate a complicated maze. They were then deprived of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet and given water laced with high fructose corn syrup to duplicate two prominent features of the standard American diet. After six weeks on this regime, when placed back into the maze, they had become bumbling idiots, unable to recall what they had previously learned.The UCLA researchers who devised this torture did it to prove a point -- that the standard American diet, which now includes 40 pounds a year of high fructose corn syrup (found in sodas and in almost all processed foods) -- causes brain dysfunction, and possibly permanent brain damage. Such a high-sugar diet produces "diabetes of the brain" -- too much insulin and consequent insulin resistance in the brain. This leads to "synaptic decline," or difficulti…

. . .  Upping our need for antioxidantsWe now know that Fukushima is by far the worst nuclear accident in history. After Chernobyl, there was a related worldwide decline in health. How are we being affected by Fukushima? Although there have been no government warnings of excessive radiation levels, there is credible scientific evidence that there is no safe level of radiation.Suffice it to say that our health is under additional assault, and that it has never been more important to (1) make sure you are not deficient in iodine (most Americans are! call our office to find out how to test your iodine status) and (2) take antioxidant supplements. The more toxic our environment becomes, and this includes radiation, the more antioxidants we need to render the toxins harmless. For example, if you ingest more of the antioxidant vitamin C than your body needs, you get diarrhea. Someone who can normally take 6 grams a day may catch a cold and need 30, 40, even 50 grams a day before ge…

A friend of ours recently took an over-the-counter medication for intestinal gas. The results were amazing, and not in a good way. Although she got minor relief, it was followed by a splitting headache, and that night she had horrible, violent nightmares. While we were still musing about the power of what we ingest to affect the body-mind, we noticed the cover of the new issue of The Intelligent Optimist. It announcedan article within on “Why taking supplements leads to enlightenment.” While we’ve noticed being happier and more clear-minded since cleaning up our diet and adopting a program of high-quality supplements, we were especially intrigued that this article’s author is a modern-day shaman. While he has academic credentials, Alberto Villoldo, PhD, reports spending thirty years in the high Andes and the Amazon, training with master shamans. Yet, as we read his article, we found him recommending a similar diet and many of the same supplements Beyond Health recommends. Alth…

Phytosterols, also called plant sterols, are plant fats that are the counterpart of sterols found in animals, including humans. The most important animal sterol is cholesterol. Due to a similar, but slightly different, chemical structure, plant sterols compete with cholesterol for absorption in the intestine. Thus, they reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed from the diet. They also appear to reduce cholesterol levels in other ways.Phytosterols do a lot more than lower cholesterol levels. They reduce inflammation, improve immunity, and control blood sugar in diabetes, among other things. So it's highly beneficial to include a lot of them in your diet.However, if you're eating a healthy diet -- 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, mostly raw, along with plenty of nuts, seeds, legumes, and healthy oils from avocados, flax oil, olive oil, coconut oil and Udo's Choice -- you will be getting plenty of phytosterols. In fact, each one of these foods is known as an excellent sou…

. . . do what smart people have done for millenniaThere is a natural way to protect your skin from the sun, one that has been used effectively for millennia. While it’s true that some things have changed – depletion of the ozone layer has made the sun’s rays more intense; also, in times past people stayed in one place for generations, and pigments in their skin adapted to the intensity of the sun where they lived – the same principles still apply.1.  Maximize Antioxidant Intake. Antioxidants protect skin from potential sun damage, making diet the single most important factor in skin protection. Getting your 10-12 servings of fruits and vegetables daily will go a long way towards supplying the antioxidants you need. Most culinary herbs as well as green and white tea, garlic and olive oil are also high in antioxidants. However, because environmental pollutants nowadays chew up antioxidants faster than you can say “free radical damage,” we need more antioxidants than ever, making sup…

Every year at about this time I start warning people about flu shots. From all I’ve read in scientific journals about flu and flu vaccines, I’m convinced flu shots are both ineffective and dangerous, and that they increase your chances of getting the flu or other infections. You can read more in my previous articles “Vaccinations” and “Flu Shots – Ineffective and Dangerous.” Now a new study from a Canadian influenza expert indicates that flu shots actually do improve your chances of getting the flu!Dr. Danuta Skowronski and her research team at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control observed that Canadians who got flu shots during the winter of 2008-2009 seemed to be more likely to become infected with the pandemic H1N1 virus than those who didn’t. This observation was followed up by five studies in different locations which came to the same conclusion. However, it was thought at the time that it might have been caused by a bad batch of flu vaccine.But this past year, Dr. Skow…

Imagine if there were a magic potion that was: nontoxic, inexpensive, had no side effects, and worked to prevent aging, colds, depression, diabetes, flu, multiple sclerosis, obesity, and osteoporosis and was proven to prevent four out of five cases of cancer.  Most of us would take such a potion daily if it existed. Vitamin D is that amazing magical potion.  -- Raymond Francis, Never Fear Cancer Again, pp. 311-312.Around this time of year, Newsclips is usually talking about vitamin D and immunity. Keeping you cold and flu-free throughout the winter months has been shown to be one of vitamin D’s most useful and remarkable abilities. But did you know that this antioxidant vitamin can also prevent cancer?According to scientific studies, vitamin D deficiency plays a role in causing at least 17 varieties of cancer as well as in causing many, many other diseases, while levels of vitamin D up to around 60-80 ng/ml have been shown to virtually eliminate breast cancer.Unfortunat…

. . . ageless good looks comes from nurturing your skinOf course beautiful skin starts from within, but we can all benefit from helping nature along with a luxurious facial. It’s time once again to take advantage of our yearly Valentine's Day special on L’huile de Grace: an all-natural essential oil-based facial serum for both men and women that nourishes and protects skin like nothing else. Get some for the ones you love, and of course that includes yourself!L’huile de Grace (“the oil of grace”) is pure, raw nutrition for your skin, devoid of any harmful chemicals – a truly unique skin care product unlike anything you’ve ever used, designed to make you feel and look your radiant best.This rich facial oil uses herbs and essential oils renowned for healing and nourishing the skin while uplifting the spirit. Frankincense, for example, considered the holy anointing oil in the Middle East, was valued more than gold in ancient times for all-purpose healing and for stimulating and elevating…

. . . cancer preventers or giotrogens?Kale is one of a class of vegetables called “crucifers” or “cruciferous vegetables,” and they’re among the most nutritious vegetables around. They possess unique compounds that appear capable of preventing cancer through various mechanisms, helping to eliminate excess and harmful forms of estrogen from the body, supporting detoxification, and even killing H. pylori (the bacteria that cause ulcers and may lead to stomach cancer).But these very same compounds may also interfere with thyroid function and are known as goitrogens (meaning that they can interfere with the function of the thyroid gland, which, in an extreme case, will produce a goiter). Are cruciferous vegetables safe to eat?First, what vegetables are we talking about? Besides kale, the cruciferous vegetables include arugula, beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, cress, horseradish, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radishes, r…

Prevention is always best, but if you should become injured, you don't need to resort to toxic drugs like NSAIDS that reduce pain short-term but lead to long-term damage and retard healing. To alleviate pain, repair damaged tissue and speed recovery, get on an anti-inflammatory, alkaline diet if you're not already, and a strong supplement program including vitamin C to bowel tolerance along with Cell Repair Formula. Supplements that help to reduce pain and inflammation and repair damaged tissue include Curcumin, MSM, Joint Support Formula and Endura Guard. Extra magnesium can help with muscle tightness, stiffness or spasm, as will an Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) bath. Call the Beyond Health office at 1-800-250-3063 for more information. Proteolytic enzymes are also helpful. Nothing brings a healthy exercise program to a halt like an injury that can incapacitate you for weeks, months, or even, if not treated properly, lead to a chronic problem. Be proactive about injuries in…

You know that fresh fruits and vegetables are good for you, but when you feed yourself you’re also feeding trillions of guests. These “guests” are the bacteria (aka microbiota, or tummy bugs) that inhabit your intestines. And according to Justin Sonnenburg, PhD, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Stanford School of Medicine, diet is one of the most powerful impacts on gut microbiota, who feed on fiber-rich carbohydrates found in whole plant foods. Why would you want to treat your tummy bugs as honored guests? Because we have an age-old deal with these guys. We provide them with food and a warm place to live; they help us to digest and absorb food, to synthesize vitamins, to produce amino acids, to secrete mucus, to prevent constipation by increasing motility, to create food for intestinal cells, and, perhaps most importantly, to partner with our immune system (more than 2/3 of which is located in the intestines) by degrading toxins and competing with and killi…

In fact, you may recall how we discredited their latest nonsense declaring multivitamins useless for preventing disease and confirmed the integrity of quality supplements for restoring health. Now, two researchers—collaborating with the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)—set out to determine if supplement users are any healthier than non-users. Study shows supplement users make better health decisions This latest research published earlier this year in Nutrition Journal comes to us courtesy of Annette Dickinson, food science and nutrition consultant and professor at the University of Minnesota, and Douglas MacKay, VP of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs at the CRN. Citing recent studies and media accounts claiming supplements provide no preventative benefits against disease, these researchers wanted to see how consumer health choices related to their use of supplements. So, they conducted a large-scale analysis of previous research published in 20 separate peer-re…

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® Newsby Raymond FrancisOverviewCholesterol does not cause heart disease. The French have the highest average cholesterol in Europe, around 250, but the lowest incidence of heart disease and half the heart attacks we have here in the U.S. In Crete, the home of the healthy Mediterranean diet, a 10-year study failed to find a single heart attack despite average cholesterol levels well over 200. There are as many heart attacks in people with cholesterol levels over 300 as those whose levels are under 200. Half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal cholesterol levels.Lowering cholesterol does not improve health outcomes. In those cases where cholesterol lowering drugs called statins appear to have had a beneficial effect, it is because they act as weak anti-inflammatories, and inflammation does cause heart disease. But there are much safer and more effective ways of addressing inflammation than using dangerous statin drugs.  Why then are more tha…

. . . healthy blood levels of vitamin D are important to both young and old. Vitamin D is one of many nutrients needed to keep muscles, joints and bones healthy. In fact a D deficiency can be a factor in a vast array of health problems ranging from diabetes to depression, to allergies and other immune system problems, to kidney or lung disease and neurological issues, to name but a few. Therefore it's not surprising that a recent study in The Journal of Gerontology found a 30% increased risk of mobility limitation and almost double the risk for mobility disability in older adults with low vitamin D levels. This study followed 2,000 men and women aged 70-79 for 6 years. At the beginning none had difficulty walking a quarter of a mile or climbing 10 stairs. But that changed considerably for many of the 36% with vitamin D levels measured at <30 ng/ml. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant, and both old and young (including children) are suffering the consequences. Experts believ…