Health Risks of Melamine Contamination

News quickly spread across the globe about the hazardous effects of melamine especially those contents that were discovered in Chinese milk products. Dairy products and especially infant milks were the major goods that are said to have contained this unhealthy substance.

This wide-spreading catastrophe that hits the world particularly on 54,000 children in China was now considered as one big threat to ones health. The root of this issue is the unlawful use of melamine in milk products. Melamine is actually a kind of chemical used as a component in plastic. Therefore, it should only be used in manufacturing plastic goods and the likes. No amount of melamine is safe to be added in infant formula.

According to the FDA research, for us to determine the risk of melamine contamination, a certain standard procedure has to be followed. Melamine content will only be safe when the level of this chemical is less than 2.5 parts per million. This stated fact is even supported by Dr. Stephen Sundlof who is the director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. He added, "If you had 1 million grains of sand, and they're all white sand, and you had two grains that were black -- that's what that means"

So if there is an ample amount of melamine added to a milk formula, worst scenario may happen. The small crystals present in the melamine powder can block the small tubes in the kidney. Once blocked, tendency is to stop the production of urine which causes kidney failure and worst, death. And though melamine has also been shown to have carcinogenic effects in animals, there is still insufficient evidence for the carcinogenic risk in humans. But the mere fact that it’s dangerous, production of such must be prevented.

This is the major reason why the outbreaks of milk products from China which are known to have melamine contents have spread vastly to several nations especially in Asia. The terrible situation of several children in China alarmed the public especially for those parents who have kids and for newly-born babies who depends most on milk supplements.

And the best way for these nations to stop this adverse incident to happen again is by destroying and prohibiting contaminated milk products from China that were included on the list. Also, a lot of standard procedures were now implemented to prevent such unpleasant incident to occur once more.

Good Effects of Natural Health Products

These days, many people are using natural health products. They say that these products are much effective and safe for some certain diseases. Natural health products are said to be good for heart disease, cancers, and other kinds of diseases even on your skin. They can be a supplementary for the nutrition you lack or was lost in you.

Now, why this natural health product is getting more popular? It is because they are all-natural and were known to have no side effects that can harm your body and health. With this reason and while doing some activities that are good for you, it is probably the best way to become healthy. Using these products as a supplementary, eating healthy foods and proper exercise will make you fit, healthy and have a longer life.

Now, everyone can have a chance to live healthy. Don’t be afraid to test these products ‘coz I know, these natural health products are safe and effective. Just make sure to buy products that are all-natural. Well, you just need some research, doctor’s advice and the people around you to help you choose and think the most safe, proper and effective products.

Just to add a little info, you may refer to the links on this post. Don’t be afraid to try these all-natural products. If it is not effective on you, then try something else and who knows, it may be the one you are looking for.

Symptoms Checker Tool

I am an internet savvy. I’m interested in several topics especially about anime, sports, entertainment, gadgets, PC accessories, health and more. I was surfing the net and do the usual things that I do, look and read articles.

I suddenly came across the MSN site and check the link about health. Then I found an interesting link which is the “Symptom Checker”. I click and tried it because this looks helpful for me.

I want to share it with you because I know, not everyone is using MSN. Mostly, people are using Google, Yahoo or any other widely used search engines. Me, I often use Google. For others, I’m sure some of them are using Yahoo while some uses other search engines. There are several search engines on the internet and most of us didn’t actually know what these search engines can actually provide for us.

You can find the tool here - http://health.msn.com/symptoms/. What you will find in this link is the list of body parts where you can choose any of it. If you click one part of the human body, a menu will appear. And inside that menu is the list of symptoms you might have or sometimes feel. Click any symptoms and you will see the description about it and a question that is answerable by yes or no. If the answer is “no”, just continue reading. If you choose yes, you will find a red, yellow and green square marks on the left. These marks will serve as levels on how serious your illness is.

For me, this tool is like a first aid kit which can prevent any illness or diseases to get you from any serious situation. There are other tools listed here http://health.msn.com/tools-and-resources/. You can check and use the tools that you think you will need. Who knows, these tools might be the one you are exactly looking for to help you have a healthy living?!

Another Cell Phone Health Issue

Here comes another issue about cell phone. The last time I wrote about cell phone is my post entitled as "Is it true that Cell Phones are the next Cigarettes? "

Now, two scientists made a thorough study and discussed that cell phones double the risk of brain cancer and other diseases like acoustic neuromas. Acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that particularly damages the hearing nerve. In their study, they also said that people who uses cell phone before the age of 20 has more than 5 times chances to develop brain cancer rather than those who didn’t. Indeed, those who use cell phone before the age of 20 are 50% higher of getting brain cancer rather than those who didn’t, said Lennart Hardell who reanalyzed this study.

Dr. Herberman sent warning to his colleagues and advises by providing a public statement. He told everyone not to let their children use cell phone if it is not an emergency.

On Dr. Joseph Mercola’s comment regarding this issue, he stated list of effects we can get from the radio waves transmitted by cell phones and maybe some other wireless device. They can cause brain tumors, harm blood cells and cause cellular changes, damage your DNA, cause nerve-cell damage, accelerate and contribute to onset of autism, trigger Alzheimer’s disease, damage your eyes, can cause sleep disruptions, fatigue and headaches. If ever you didn’t get brain cancer, possible risk like headaches, dizziness and impotence are some other things that you might get using these devices.

It’s been a long time since I first hear the effects of this radiation. My parents keep on telling me to move away from television when I was a kid. They don’t want me to be exposed on too much radiation. Now, this issue has never been stopped because of some device that also releases radiation. For some of us, we really don’t know if it is bad or not. But, it’s not bad to listen to others saying it is bad for our health. We better be aware and consider preventing some things that is bad for our health in order to keep ourselves healthy and strong. There’s always a choice, if you want to listen to them and want to leave longer, why not do what they say. It’s not that you will no longer have to use your cell phone anymore but you have to limit yourself in using those devices.

Dr. Mercola Examines the Renaissance of Texting

The fourth quarter of 2007 marks the first time ever that American cell phone subscribers sent text messages more than they phoned! The volume of text messages has increased by 64 % since then, while the average number of calls has dropped slightly.

Phone companies have enticed users to text more by offering unlimited text messaging bundles. And teenagers are biting the offer the most, evolving into the most prolific texters. The most prolific being teenagers ages 13 to 17 sending or receiving 1,742 messages a month, with 18 to 24 year olds averaging a mere 790 messages.

Text messaging has become such an ingrained means of communication that Harris Interactive reported that 42 % of teenagers declare that they can text even with their eyes closed. Dr. Mercola observes that teenagers’ preference for texting has more to do with convenience than safety. And those without 24/7 access to the internet, text more than those who do.

According to Dr. Mercola texting may lessen the health risks associated with cell phone use by keeping your cell phone away from your head. However you may just be moving the health risks from your head to your waist if you keep your cell phone close to that area.

Texting however allows you get straight to the point by bypassing common pleasantries that govern human relations and allows the use of an abbreviated language that doesn’t bother with spelling, punctuation and grammar.

And this is where the debate starts.

There is rising concern among linguists that the short cuts used in text messaging and email will result in sloppy writing habits among young people, and consequently impact their ability to spell and write. Email has already had a big influence on our writing and consequently increased our tolerance for misspelled words and less than perfect punctuation.

As texting continues to grow in popularity, the impact on society could be detrimental. For instance, a report by Ireland’s Education Department that reviewed high school students’ English test results showed that "Text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing"

A report in American Speech however concluded that texting embodies "an expansive new linguistic renaissance,” and exhibits “the same dynamic, ongoing processes of linguistic change that are currently under way in contemporary varieties of English.”

Dr. Mercola concludes however that “This will undoubtedly remain a hot research topic in the years to come, but I suspect that an over-reliance on texting will have disastrous consequences for future generations”

Dr. Mercola Weighs the Pros and Cons of Texting

We live in a fast-changing world. And in this fast world, Americans are the frontrunners. Fast food and high tech gadgets are not just part of daily life; they have become a way of life. And when we talk about gadgets, one of the must haves is the cellular phone.

Cellular or mobile phones have changed the way people communicate. The advent of text messaging further emphasizes that shift. The popularity of texting has soared because it is cheap, fast and convenient. In the last quarter of 2007, American cell phone subscribers sent more text messages than used their phones for calls for the first time in history. Since then, the average subscriber’s volume of text messages has increased by 64 percent, while the average number of calls has decreased.

Texting has caught the fancy of teenagers, with those aged 13 to 17 sending or receiving 1,742 messages per month while 18-to-24-year-olds average 790 messages. A study conducted by Harris Interactive found that 42 percent of teenagers claim they can write text messages even while blindfolded.

Dr. Joseph Mercola has been educating people on the dangers of cell phones for nearly a decade now. For Dr. Mercola, the one major health benefit that you can get from texting is that it keeps your cell phone away from your head and may lower some of the health risks associated with cell phone use.

However, holding your phone near your waist instead of near your head will just move the risks to a different area of your body.

Text messaging has already been proven to cause harm on the road. According to a Nationwide Insurance study, almost 20 percent of drivers send and receive text messages while driving, including 66 percent of teenagers between ages 18 to 24. Because texting-related traffic accidents are on the rise, the states of Washington, California and New Jersey have already banned texting while driving and 16 others are expected to follow suit.

Is Texting “Dumbing Down” America?

Aside from the practical dangers, too much texting may destroy the next generation's ability to communicate effectively due to poor spelling and “text-speak.” Because texting is so convenient, communication may become more impersonal, leading to fewer face-to-face meetings and less time spent actually talking.

Linguists warn that text messages will cause sloppy writing habits among young people because of all the shortcuts they use, which may affect their ability to spell and write.

Ireland’s Education Department reviewed high school students’ English test results and reported that “text messaging, with its use of phonetic spelling and little or no punctuation, seems to pose a threat to traditional conventions in writing."

But also, a report in American Speech concluded that texting will not ruin the English language because it represents "an expansive new linguistic renaissance,” and reflects “the same dynamic, ongoing processes of linguistic change that are currently under way in contemporary varieties of English.”

Dr. Mercola believes that texting and the dangers of cell phone use will undoubtedly remain hot research topics in the years to come. Stay up to date with what’s happening in the world of medicine. Subscribing to the Mercola.com Natural Health Newsletter for free now!

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Beware Apple with Becox Wax

I got this from an email sent to me by one of my friends. It tells us that we should be careful when eating apples. The letter indicates that the apple is more than one year old and to make it look fresh, they coated it with becox wax. Is this true or not?

Well, I try to search for becox wax but I didn’t obtain any information about becox wax. What I got is just the same story that I shared with you today. That’s why I’m confused if I have to believe this email. Well, if you know something or you find something that will serve as a proof with this story you might share it with me so we can share it to everyone else. I just want our buddies to live healthy and safe.

This is the message and images I got with that email. Read it and share your thoughts to me. Do you believe it or not?

Be Careful when eating apples

Please don't eat the skin of the apple because it's coated with wax.

Check before you eat many of the fruits.

WAX is being used for preservation purposes and cold storage.

You might be surprised especially apples from USA and other parts are more than one year old, though it would look fresh. Becox wax is coated, preventing bacteria to enter. So it does not get dry.

Please Eat Apples after removing the wax as demonstrated below. Please follow this and let know others..........

With this information that is fast spreading all over the internet, I suggest that you must also be careful in buying and eating apples. Who knows this message might be real. If you want to make sure, bring a cutter and do the same thing like in the image, if they will allow you when buying at the supermarket. LOL. Just kidding!

Coconut Oil, the Smartest Cooking Oil

Not all kinds of oil give you fat and unhealthy effects. Just like any other kinds of oil that were extracted from your favorite veggies and other fruits, coconut oil also has this healthy content which gives simple magical effects to your overall good health.

Coconut can be seen as a very common type of fruit especially in tropical countries. But did you know how functional it is, knowing that a lot of things can be done just with the use of a coconut oil?

In fact, studies show that coconut oil has become the smart alternative to those other oils that we’re using. It’s simply because a lot of benefits can be obtained from using a coconut oil. This includes the following:

* Promoting your heart health

* Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland

* Supporting your immune system health

* Promoting weight loss when and if you need it

* Providing you with an immediate energy source

* Supporting a healthy metabolism

* Helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking

Aside from this, the latest survey as done by mercola.com denotes that fresh shores extra virgin coconut oil can provide several other health benefits like:

* Gained peace of mind knowing they were making the smartest oil choice

* Loved the taste and the enhanced flavor added to their food

* Embraced the improvement made to their skin when used as a lotion

For your skin…

* Smoothing and moisturizing effects

* Promoted skin elasticity

* Convenient eye make-up remover

* Use in shaving applications

And for the most important effects above all, coconut oil is known to be the dieter’s best friend. The reason behind this is that coconut oil help stimulate your metabolism.

And when it comes to the content that we pertain to as the “miracle” ingredient, coconut oil also contains lauric acid which is also found in mother’s milk. As we all know, breast milk enhances the immunity of a baby because it is packed with nutrients and other disease-fighting ingredients. And since coconut oil also has lauric acid, it gives similar effects especially when it comes to strengthening your immune system.

So if you’re a choosy one when it comes to your brand of coconut oil, then you just have to look for the following requirements:

* Certified organic by USDA standards

* No refining

* No chemicals added (including hexane)

* No bleaching

* No deodorization

* No hydrogenation

* Made from traditional coconut palms only, no hybrid or genetically modified (GMO) varieties

* Made from fresh coconuts, not the dried "copra" used in cheap oils

* Made without heat processing

And even Dr. Joseph Mercola says that Fresh Shores Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has all of these standards. You may want to give it a try.

Get the Lowdown on the Toxic Plastic Issue with Dr. Mercola

Two of the most successful industries in the world are the pharmaceutical industry and the chemical industry. The global market for pharmaceuticals was worth more than $693 billion in 2007. But despite all of its massive earnings from global drug and vaccine sales, “Big Pharma” was easily dwarfed by the global chemical industry, which earns almost $3 trillion a year.

Aside from having big money, these two industry giants have something else in common – they both produce health hazards!

The global chemical industry produces about 6 billion pounds of bisphenol A (BPA), a vital component of a wide variety of plastic products, generating at least $6 billion in annual sales.

Studies done by the Environmental Working Group found that BPA is present in more than half of the canned foods and beverages sampled from supermarkets across the U.S. BPA is also present in hard, clear plastics for baby bottles and food storage containers.

Scientists Frederick Vom Saal and Wade Welshons were the first to report the first hard evidence of BPA’s adverse effects on health. The two discovered that miniscule amounts of BPA caused irreversible changes in the prostates of fetal mice.

How BPA harms your health

BPA can contaminate food when the chemical bonds that it forms in plastic are unraveled when heated, washed, or exposed to acidic foods. The chemical imitates the sex hormone estradiol and because your body is extremely sensitive to sex hormones, small amounts of BPA can induce profound changes.

Other researchers followed Vom Saal and Welsons’ lead and conducted their own investigation. Of the 115 published studies on the low-dose effects of BPA, 94 of them reported harmful effects on mice and rats, linking the chemical to serious human disorders, including:

• Prostate cancer
• Breast cancer
• Diabetes
• Early puberty
• Obesity,
• Abnormal sexual behavior and disrupted reproductive cycles
• Structural damage to the brain, and
• Learning and behavioral problems

Chemical Cover-up

Chemical companies funded 11 studies to investigate the BPA controversy, ALL of which cleared the chemical from any harmful side effects. An advisory panel from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) upheld the agency’s decision that BPA is safe and can remain in food packaging, including infant formula containers and baby bottles.

Once again, the FDA had the chance to truly safeguard your health and instead, chose to side with the big chemical companies, allowing BPA to roam free.

The Scientists & Engineers For America Action Fund blasted the FDA verdict, saying that the agency based the decision on two large multigenerational studies funded by the American Plastics Council and the Society of the Plastics Industry, and “reaffirmed the trade associations’ ability to control what is considered to be reliable, credible science.”

How to Make Your Home BPA-free

The good news is, despite the FDA verdict, some companies have yielded to consumer demand and pressure and are now offering products that don‘t contain BPA.

Dr. Joseph Mercola, founder and editor of Mercola.com, the world’s leading natural health website, has long criticized the chemical industry for allowing dangerous substances to find their way in your home, and the FDA for protecting the interests of business, rather than your health.

Dr. Mercola recommends the use of glass, instead of plastic to store your water and avoid BPA. For Dr. Mercola, glass is the safest and most inert way to store your water and is far better than any plastic.

Amazon.com now has a BPA-free section, including water bottles, baby bottles, and sippy cups. Rubbermaid is now offering BPA-free food storage containers and water bottles, and Brita is also selling BPA-free pitchers and water filtration products

The Children‘s Health Environmental Coalition offers tips on how to spot plastic household products with and without BPA. Consumer Reports describes its BPA test results and also provides advice on choosing safe plastics. The Z Recommends blog posted an updated guide in February that lists children‘s feeding products that don‘t contain BPA. Other BPA-free products have even appeared on eBay.

None of these websites or groups are affiliated with Mercola.com. Dr. Mercola just makes it a point that any piece of information vital to your good health would be made available to you!

You don’t have to wait for the FDA to get it right and issue a warning. You can stay informed and become aware of the things to avoid and the things to do in order to stay healthy through Dr. Mercola.

Visit Mercola.com now and learn more about how to safeguard your health!

Dr. Mercola : Moving From Plain and Simple Vanity to a Vision of Total Health as We Age

Dr. Mercola knows that the onset of age is scary. But there’s no denying that there’s nothing we can really do to stop aging. Well, we can try turning back the hands of time. But all that will get you is a clock that you can’t depend on for the exact time. Kidding aside, as we get older our physical appearance and state of health changes as well.

Consumers are flocking to doctors’ offices in hopes of erasing the little signs of age:

• The receding hairline

• The expanding waistline

• The skin that has lost its radiant glow

• The sagging skin… the list goes on

Many baby boomers are noticing these tell-tale signs of aging in front of their mirrors, on their weighing scales, and in the job market. While many people concerned with aging do so for reasons of vanity at first, how these patients look is a reflection of how their body’s systems, organs, tissues and cells are functioning.

We’ve yet to hear of someone who welcomes aging. But whether we like it or not “grey days” will come. But we can choose to age gracefully and flaunt a more youthful look.

Dr. Mercola Introduces Effective Anti-Aging Tips That Bring Back Youth Glow and Exuberance

The Anti Aging Tele Clinic helps us to discover effective ways to slow down the aging process. Who likes graying hair, a receding hairline, a sagging face, protruding belly and most of all a flawed memory?

Dr. Mercola understands that we all want youthful looks and an energetic constitution all the time. Aging cannot be avoided but it can be slowed down by following a healthy lifestyle.

There are ancient therapies and modern treatments that dramatically reduce the effects of aging. But before learning anti aging tips for healthy skin and body; and a strong memory, we need to understand and accept the fact that:

• Aging is a natural process

• It is a continuous process

• It increases with time

• It cannot be stopped but can be slowed down

These are fundamental truths – yes, but there are ways to make aging a pleasant process. And that’s by being on top of your health as you age.

Improve Your Body and Brain with Proper Exercise

Exercise is one thing we need to have a good health, especially if we are getting older. Exercise helps us:

• to have a better sleep
• lose, gain or maintain weight (depends on what we need)
• Improve our resistance to fight infections
• Lower the risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease and diabetes
• Makes us smarter, it helps our brain to work better

To be successful with this exercise you should look for a proper program that you think will suit you and stick to it. It is always useful to have plans or guide on how you will implement your exercise. Below is the list of recommendation by Dr. Joseph Mercola you should remember when exercising.

• Listen to your body
• Be consistent
• Start with walking if you are overweight
• Increase your intensity regularly
• Do anaerobic training!
• Try running
• Try an elliptical machine
• Incorporate strength training to optimize your health benefits
• Exercise correctly to optimize weight loss
• Swim, but avoid chlorinated pools
• Try bicycling, but be aware of safety measures
• Stick with it!

I’m sharing this article especially to those people who are always working and are always stressed. At work you need energy for your brain and body. You need both of this in order to perform well. You need time to unwind or save some time to give your body and brain some exercise and rest. I wish there are companies that give special kind of benefits like giving their employees an exercise program. This will make their employee physically fit and make their brain perform well. This article is on Dr. Joseph Mercola’s website with the full explanation. You can read it here - http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/exercise.htm

Dr. Mercola Tells Us Not to Condemn Fat Just Yet

The concept of the perfect body has changed over the centuries. When only the wealthy could afford food with “sugar” and “fat”, the ideal body was shown in paintings by Reuben. They were nudes of substantial noble women, lolling in idleness, their meaty flesh – a delight to the eyes. Now, we have eschewed “fat” and are in fact enamored of the toned, muscular physique that signals health and outdoorsy activity. But is “fat” as “evil” is we think it is?

“Fat” has held a negative view in dieters’ eyes since the idea of “low fat” first saw light. But studies show that a “low carb diet” is the way to go. And when talking of total health – some people may actually reap the rewards of a low-fat diet.

This is topic may look complicated but it becomes easier to understand when viewed from a Metabolic Typing angle. According to Dr. Mercola at the core of nutritional typing “is the principle that we each have unique systems that are designed to thrive on unique combinations of protein, fat and carbohydrates”

Some people may benefit from a high protein diet. Others find that a vegetarian type diet with less protein and complex carbohydrates from vegetables is ideal.

Pushing nutritional types aside, there are additional factors that can help most people manage their weight. According to Dr. Mercola these factors are “eliminating grains and sugar from your diet and making sure you exercise” Grains and sugar will awaken an insulin response that will cause your body to gain weight. Exercise on the other hand will not only help you stabilize your insulin levels, but will also help you reach your weight loss goals and fight infections.

The No-Grain Diet by Dr. Mercola helps you reach your weight loss goals by optimizing your diet. This book also includes a section on the emotional aspects of dieting that often negates our weight loss efforts; and how a psychological acupressure technique called EFT helps you overcome them.

Another road you can take for losing weight is Living Fuel. Living Fuel Rx is a meal replacement, nutritiously full of concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, proteins, essential fats, enzymes, co-enzymes, herbs, botanical extracts, and soluble and insoluble plant fibers. Whole foods are of course still the best - but if you simply don’t have time to pack your own healthy lunch and are surrounded by fast food and vending machines, take Living Fuel Rx instead.

Dr. Mercola Says “Be In and Thin with BioTHIN!”

Is it hard for you to drop those unwanted pounds? Feel like you should be losing weight because you’ve been working out – but the weighing scale won’t budge? Are your clothes beginning to feel tighter even if you feel you’re watching what you eat?

You surely don’t want the unpleasant shock of finding that you’d have to buy a whole new wardrobe. Or be dismayed that you can’t pour yourself into your little black dress!

It may be time to examine what you should be doing right. But Dr. Mercola advices that before you do that, you have to take stock of a few facts.

When a product is termed low-calorie or low-fat it may not be necessarily good for you. Or even directly address weight management issues. Plus it may not be ultimately healthy for you, because in addition to being highly processed and sorely lacking in vital nutrients – it may also contain ingredients that may not be healthy for you!

You can’t have your cake and eat it too when it comes to diet soda. If you think it’s a healthier alternative to regular soda – it’s not. Both types of soda are simply not going to do you any good. Simply going without soda is better for a healthier and fitter “you”.

Artificially sweetened beverages contain many synthetic therefore harmful ingredients. Latest research shows that they can actually cause weight GAIN – and you surely don’t want that. There’s detailed info on the hazards of artificial sweeteners in Dr. Mercola’s book Sweet Deception, as well as in various articles of his website.

Going to commercial weight loss centers demands a large chunk of your time. What’s more their food products cost a lot – and offer little flexibility in terms of meeting the needs of your Nutritional Type. If there are any positive effects gained from visiting these “fat farms”, these may be lost when you return to the real world.

If you’re at the end of your rope and want to wear that flattering get-up to the next high school reunion, BioTHIN is a product that will help you lose weight and keep you healthy too.

Dr. Mercola says:

BioTHIN™is an all-new and all-natural supplement that I formulated to help better address your weight loss concerns. And I can assure you that this help harmonizes with the way you were designed to lose weight -- and with overall healthy living.

BioTHIN™ is formulated to give you the edge you seek, to make a long-term difference in your weight loss and overall health.

What's more, it will put you back in the driver's seat of your health.

Teach Your Kids Healthy Habits with Dr. Joseph Mercola

You are what you eat. And what you eat, your children are bound to eat too.

A survey conducted two years ago by the America On The Move Foundation showed that 71 percent of children get information about how to be healthy from their mothers and 43 percent from their fathers.

Even without this survey and other related studies, it’s a no-brainer that good health for children starts with the parents. For osteopathic physician and natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola, getting yourself healthy and adopting healthy attitudes about food are two of the best things you can do for your children.

As a parent, you will need to explain proper nutrition to your children and why they need to eat the right kinds of food. Take the time to cook and prepare nutritious meals and snacks and more importantly, be a good role model for them. After all, it is completely unfair to ask them not to eat things they later see you eating.

Here are some simple tips from Dr. Mercola to help your children get started on a healthy lifestyle:

• Exercise as a family – Make exercise part of your daily schedule. Take walks, play tag in the backyard, enroll in some martial arts class and simply set aside time each day as a family to sweat it out and get your bodies moving!

• Stop being a couch potato – Turn off the TV, computer and video games. Not only is watching too much TV associated with obesity, but limiting these things will also give you more time to do physical activities with your family instead.

• Prepare healthy meals and set family mealtimes – Staying fit is next to impossible if your diet is mostly fast food or processed foods. Let your kids help in meal preparation as this makes them more likely to eat the healthy foods you’re serving. Studies show that families who eat together have better overall nutrition. Kids with family mealtimes are less likely to smoke, drink, do drugs, get depressed, develop eating disorders and consider suicide. They are also more likely to do well in school and delay having sex.

• Don’t limit healthy fats – There is no such thing as a fat-free diet, for you or for your child. Your child needs healthy fats from animal sources, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado and others for his/her development. Introduce some healthy fats into your child’s diet by adding butter, raw cheese, or olive oil to lightly steamed veggies.
• Don’t use food as a reward – Don’t get your child thinking that eating unhealthy foods is necessary for their emotional fulfillment.
  

• Don’t force your child to finish everything on his/her plate – No matter how healthy and well-balanced the food, there’s no need to make your child eat every last bite. Most kids will naturally stop eating when they’re full. If your child starts overeating early, there’s a good chance he/she will overeat later in life too. Just serve them small portions or save what they don’t finish for later.

• Stay away from junkfood – “Kid’s foods” like pizza, French fries and macaroni and cheese are bad from a health perspective – don’t give in to their cravings. You are not “depriving” your child by not giving them soda and fries; you are doing them a huge favor.

• Nutritional Typing – Nutritional typing is an essential tool for you to find out which types of foods are best for your unique biochemistry, and it also works for kids of all ages too.

Raising healthy children in a country with a fast food culture and where junk food is available in every corner is easier said than done. But it is possible. You just have to make a firm decision, stick by it and take control of your own health!

Mercola.com, the world’s most popular natural health website, provides free health information for people of all ages. Visit Mercola.com now and find out what’s in store for you!

8 Natural Ways to Avoid Physical Pain

Are back pain, knee and shoulder pain, joint pain or other kinds of chronic pain typically give you problems that affects you not only physically but emotionally as well?

According to the phone survey being held all over the US country, these are basically the most common physical pains being recorded to severely affect the daily routine of a person. Also, according to a separate phone research by the Americans Living with Pain Survey (ALPS), 45% out of 800 adult Americans said that pain negatively impacted their personal relationships while 51% believed that the pain they felt affected their work productivity and 61% of them said that it affected their daily routine.

Now here’s the big deal. How can we ever avoid experiencing such a disturbing pain every now and then in a manner that we no longer have to take some medications? Are there things that we can do to simply eradicate this stressful situation without the need to buy and take in drugs that were prescribed by our doctors? Well, the answer is yes. There are several ways to stop the pain in a natural way.

For most of our folks who are frequently disturbed by the devastating back pain or other chronic pains, try to read along these helpful methods. Take note of these eight natural ways to reduce and eliminate pain, without relying on over-the-counter drugs or other medicines being recommended by your physician.

1. Deep and Proper Sleeping/Relaxation

2. Prayer/Meditation

3. Stretching

4. Reduce/Prevent Inflammation

5. Regular Exercise

6. Chiropractic

7. Massage Therapy

8. Hot or Cold Packs

Here's the link where you can read more about this 8 natural ways to avoid physical pain.
Article Source: Sixwise.com

Dr. Mercola Poses the Question: Are You Thinking Yourself into Gaining Weight?

Does mental activity, especially those that require analysis and creative thinking cause you to gain weight? Dr. Mercola says that “thinking” may have something to do with weight gain!

A taxing day of mental work can be as physically exhausting as actual physical work! So you can say that “thinking hard” can also increase appetite. Research has shown that mental work actually “destabilizes” your insulin and glucose levels, and that’s what may be causing the increase in appetite and subsequently - eating.

For now, it’s safe to say that there are many factors we can look at, that leads to increased appetite, and many are connected to your mind.

Dr. Mercola Explains What Your Mind Has to Do With It

One of the states of mind that leads to more eating is stress (remember, mental challenges also induce stress). Everyone can relate to this truth, and to a certain extent this response is hard-wired into you.

Researchers found that when rats are chronically stressed, they release glucocorticoid steroid hormone (cortisol in humans) which leads them to engage in pleasure-seeking behaviors - which includes eating high-energy foods. When they eat these foods, they develop abdominal obesity - but the negative aspects of chronic stress were not as sharp!

It is normal to want to relieve stress but not at the expense of physical health! Abdominal obesity or “belly fat”, may naturally result from increased food intake, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks, diabetes, strokes and more. Nipping stress in the bud at its core is a much better solution than calming your nerves with a big, greasy slice of pizza!

In addition, stress is not the only culprit that leads you to eat more. A 2004 study by British researchers found that about half of adults turn to food in times of boredom and loneliness!

Does This Mean Mental Work Leads to Weight Gain?

Dr. Mercola answers “no.” But being aware that your appetite may be awakened after a long, arduous meeting or hours at the computer is something to bear in mind. If you feel hungry, then you should eat something. Just see to it that it is something that will actually provide your body with nutrition! Determining your nutritional type, and eating accordingly, is the only way to feel satisfied, give your body the nutrients it needs -- without having to worry about gaining weight.

Dr. Mercola Says Snacking Can Be Healthy!

Everyone likes to munch on something. It’s hard to control our appetite for snacking. And we try to look for healthy alternatives so we can indulge! That’s why supposedly healthy snacks like sugar-free pastries and candy have a growing market made up of people who want to enjoy guilt-free snacking!

But Dr. Mercola warns that you must not be hoodwinked into believing that these options are “healthy”. These snacks are usually processed foods and artificial sweeteners which are just as harmful if not worse than the real deal! Instead of opting for snacks or food that mammoth food corporations spend billions of marketing dollars on, just to convince you that these are the healthier alternatives, seek all-natural snacks that offer you a broad range of nutrients!

Of course everyone hopes for a great tasting snack that satisfies cravings but doesn’t compromise health!

There’s a One Trail Mix that’s Better for Your Snacking and Nutritional Needs

Dr. Mercola has worked with some producers to develop a Trail Mix that uses only premium quality, organic dried fruits, nuts, seeds and authentic cocoa. Way Healthier Trail Mix doesn’t only have widespread appeal in terms of flavor (young and old alike would love the infusion of flavor in a handful of this healthy mix); it has a double dose of nutrients you can enjoy at any time of the day without feeling guilt ridden!

Still don’t believe your lucky stars - a snack that’s a nutritious handful of everything yummy?! You’ll want to rush and get yourself some when you learn what else Way Healthier Trail Mix has for you!

• Only Certified Organic nuts and seeds

• A trail mix providing antioxidants and smarter oils!

• A high energy snack with no added sugar or harmful preservatives

• No partially hydrogenated oils or fats!

Dr. Mercola states that you have every right to enjoy “healthy” snacking that’s genuinely good for you! Grab a Way Healthier Trail Mix now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Blows The Whistle On Monsanto

Would you trust a company responsible for producing some of the most dangerous chemicals in the world to have a hand in securing global food supply?

Monsanto is the world’s largest conventional seed company and is also the leading producer of genetically-modified seeds. But before “reinventing” itself as an agricultural company, Monsanto produced chemicals, including highly toxic PCBs (banned in the 1970s) and the infamous Agent Orange, a defoliant (chemical sprayed or dusted on a plant to cause its leaves to fall off) used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to deny cover for the enemy.

According to the Vietnamese foreign ministry, around 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to Agent Orange, resulting in 400,000 deaths and disabilities, with some 500,000 children born with birth defects.

Studies show that genetically-modified food genes can contaminate humans, contribute to food allergies and create viruses. Genetically-modifed food has also been linked to a terrifying new disease called Morgellons disease or syndrome. Morgellons disease is characterized by symptoms including crawling, biting, and stinging sensations beneath the affected person’s skin, with persistent skin lesions (including rashes or sores) that heal slowly and ooze small blue, black or white fibers.

Aside from the genetic modification of food, Monsanto is also responsible for introducing other health hazards, including:

• Aspartame – the controversial artificial sweetener allegedly increasing the risks of brain tumors, brain lesions and lymphoma

• rGBH – an artificial growth hormone for cattle suspected of increasing the levels of cancer-causing chemicals and other dangerous material in milk

• RoundUp – the popular herbicide used for weeding farms and lawns linked to numerous environmental and health problems like increased risks of cancer, miscarriages, attention deficit disorder, reduced production of sex hormones and genetic and immune system damage in fish

This is not a vendetta against Monsanto. Neither is it a plot for a new horror novel. You are reading this important piece of information because it is absolutely crucial to maintain your good health.

Find out more about Monsanto and become aware of other threats to your health when you log on to Mercola.com, the world’s # 1 natural health website. Founded by osteopathic physician and natural health guru Dr. Joseph Mercola, Mercola.com is the trusted health resource of more than 1.3 million subscribers, including 100,000 health professionals.

Be informed and stay healthy! Visit Mercola.com now!

Dr. Joseph Mercola Warns Against Increasing “Pharmacracy”

Do you immediately reach towards your medicine cabinet every time your temperature rises or you feel a slight pain or an ache in your body?

If you do, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that the global pharmaceutical industry was estimated to be worth more than $693 billion in 2007 and is projected to top $1.0 trillion by 2013.

But it’s not just the overdependence on over-the-counter (OTC) drugs that’s feeding “Big Pharma.” Back in 1929, the average American only got less than two prescriptions per year. By 2006, the average annual prescription rate per capita in the United States soared to:

• Over 4 prescriptions per child (age 0-18)

• Almost 11 prescriptions for adults (age 19-64), and

• Almost 28 prescriptions per senior (65 and over)

Dr. Joseph Mercola, an osteopathic physician and natural health practitioner, has voiced his concern on this alarming trend, as the pharmaceutical industry continues to turn American society into a “pharmacracy,” where drugs are the first resort for treating even the most minor ailments.

According to Dr. Mercola, a vicious circle is clearly evident because the statistics of prescriptions per capita has increased dramatically in the past 75 years. Treating disease symptoms with drugs will create other health problems, which lead to yet another prescription to counteract the side effects from the first one, followed by another one, and yet another one.

If all these prescription and OTC drugs did treat and cure diseases, the healthiest country in the planet would be the U.S. But instead, more Americans are suffering from completely preventable diseases like diabetes and prescription drugs are the fourth leading cause of death, killing almost 106,000 per year.

But all is not lost. You can stop this looming pharmacracy by taking control of your own health!

For Dr. Mercola, drugs should be your last option, not your first choice. The decision to take drugs and medication is yours alone. Many fail to realize that it is possible to stay healthy by simply making the necessary lifestyle changes, understanding the fundamentals of good nutrition and exercise and avoiding unnecessary drugs.

If you cannot avoid taking drugs, do some research before you take them. Your doctor will not have all the answers and all the latest research findings about the drug. Make sure you are aware of the potential side effects by reading the package insert. Even if it states that a side effect is rare, it can still happen to you. The potential benefits should always outweigh the potential risks.

Dr. Mercola is the founder and editor of the world’s top natural health website, Mercola.com, where he offers simple but sound and hype-free advice to help you achieve optimal health. To find out more about Dr. Mercola and his practice, visit Mercola.com now!