Healing Foods and Therapy Dogs: Restoring Health

      3 John 1:2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

For anyone first reading the Health and Nutrition Update, please read this first: Your Health.

Also, please go to God’s Health System and subscribe to receive the updates.

Always remember that you are in charge of your health and not the doctors. Do not put your life in their hands without first seeking God and His health system.

Commentary

The goal of this blog now is to build up your health and especially the immune system to withstand the coming pestilences that are now rampant in America and the world. God gave the knowledge to prepare for pestilences, so take advantage of this information. The focus is posting articles with great information that can immediately help your health and quality of life. God bless you.

Articles

Health and Nutrition

Many raw vegetables and fruits can easily be fermented

5 Reasons You Need To Eat More Fermented Foods  This is a great article, and worth reading to give you an idea of the incredible benefits of eating fermented foods that you can make yourself. Check our past posts for other information, such as the benefits of sauerkraut, and easy ways to ferment all types of foods, like berries.

“Slowly but surely more traditional methods of “health care” are making a comeback, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. People are plugging back into the idea that food is the way to remedy a variety of health conditions, not pharmaceuticals, and this has resulted in the introduction of old fashioned food preparation methods like fermenting. This has been a boon to many looking to revitalize their health, and primarily for these 5 reasons.

Supplement companies have been on the probiotic bandwagon, mainly in the form of capsules, and while there are some decent sources on the market most absolutely pale in comparison to fermented foods.

When you eat RAW, unpasteurized fermented foods, you ingest a multitude of living enzymes that are ready to go to work to break down carbohydrates, fats, and protein. This eases the load on the pancreas and other digestive organs, and provides much needed “material” for the hundreds of enzymatic processes in all parts of the body that keeps us alive and well.

Fermented foods are essentially pre-digested, which really means the food has already started to break down which leaves less strain on your digestive process to unlock the nutrients therein, and avoid toxins left behind due to poor digestive process that can’t complete this necessary process effectively. In the case of sauerkraut, these unlocked nutrients ready for easy absorption include (but are not limited to) vitamins B1, B6, B9, C, K, and manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron.

With all this probiotic and enzymatic power as well as synergistic nutrients, digestion typically improves with a consistent dosage of at least a few ounces a day.

Since approximately 80% of your immune system is in your gut, it makes sense that your improved digestion will directly and positively affect your immune system.”

Flavonoids in Fruits and Veggies Fight Age-Related Weight Gain  

“Eating lots of fruits and vegetables rich in flavonoid molecules might help adults minimize weight gain as they age, a recent study suggests.

Most plants contain different flavonoids in varying concentrations. Some scientists believe these naturally occurring compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that could help explain some of the health benefits associated with diets rich in fruits and vegetables.

“We found that increased intake of fruits like apples, berries and grapes was associated with less weight gain and these are high sources of some types of flavonoids,” said lead study author Monica Bertoia of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.”

Barley has many health benefits and is inexpensive

Want to Lose Weight and Be Healthier? Choose Barley 

“Eating barley helps people feel fuller longer, as well as help prevent diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to a new study. According to Swedish researchers, the cereal grain barley can rapidly improve people’s health because of a special mixture of dietary fibers the grain contains.

The study was conducted with healthy middle-aged people who were asked to eat bread largely made out of barley kernels (up to 85 percent) for three days — at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Approximately 11-14 hours after their final meal of the day participants were examined for risk indicators of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

When the special mixture of fibers contained in the barley kernel reached the gut it stimulated an increase of good bacteria and the release of important hormones. As a result, the barley eater’s metabolism improved for up to 14 hours, with additional benefits such as decreases in blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as improved appetite control, they found.”

Why You Should Start Your Day With This Healthy Tonic 

“A combination of garlic, apple cider vinegar and honey is a tonic whose health benefits have been proven through research. Each of the individual ingredients possesses curative properties. Taken together, these three ingredients comprise a powerful treatment for many ills.

To make the remedy, combine:

– 1 cup apple cider vinegar
– 1 cup honey, organic and unpasteurized
– 10 garlic cloves

Preparation:

Swirl all the ingredients together in a blender for 60-90 seconds, until they are well combined. Store the recipe in a jar in the refrigerator. Use it within five days.

To derive the maximum benefit from the remedy, take two tablespoons in the morning prior to eating or drinking anything else. If it helps to make the taste tolerable, mix the remedy into a cup of juice or water, but be sure it is the first thing you consume.”

Dates are natural, healthy candies

Eating dates can reduce cancer, diabetes and heart disease risk, without toxic drug side effects 

“Though dates might be fairly new to our culture, it’s worth becoming familiar with them because just a handful of dates a day provides the human body with immense health benefits, as they help calm down inflammation, digest cholesterol and glucose, all while detoxifying the entire system.

Dates contain a high amount of magnesium, a mineral which is quite rare in the average diet, but which is crucial to our immune system.

When you include dates in your diet, you effectively reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, arthritis and even Alzheimer’s. If this isn’t enough, this Middle-Eastern miracle also contains potassium, another vital mineral that has been proven beyond doubt to reduce stroke risk and promote brain function.

If you eat just 100 grams, or roughly 3 and a half ounces of dates, you’re offering your body one third of its necessary daily intake of fiber. Why is fiber important? Well, for a healthy organism, fiber is indispensable. Especially in a diet that is rich in cholesterol, fat and sugar, fiber is a veritable life-saver, because it slows the absorption of sugar and cholesterol in the bloodstream.

Last, but certainly not least, this invaluable component of a Middle-Eastern diet works wonders when it comes to detoxification. The colon is one of the most important parts of our body, since its function pertains to waste management, yet its health is underestimated and neglected by many. In order to prevent colon cancer and the host of diseases that start in the colon, an adequate intake of fiber is required for detoxification purposes.”

Are Egg Yolks Good or Bad? 

“Egg white omelets and other yolk-free recipes have become synonymous with “healthy” to many. But if you toss out your egg yolks, you’re also tossing out some of the most nutritious parts of the egg.

For instance, egg yolks (but not whites) contain vitamins A, D, E and K along with omega-3 fats. Compared to the whites, egg yolks also contain more beneficial folate and vitamin B12. The yolks also contain far more of the nutrient choline than the whites, and all of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin.

Egg yolks have been unfairly vilified for decades because they contain cholesterol and saturated fat. But contrary to the prevailing nutritional dogma that such dietary components need to be avoided, the cholesterol and saturated fat in animal foods like egg yolks are quite beneficial for your health.”

Why do 38 million Americans have chronic sinus infections?  This article also lists natural treatments such as hydrotherapy (drinking lots of water to liquefy mucus and inhaling steam or using ice) and aromatherapy. It doesn’t mention other useful aids such as larger doses of vitamin C or the fact that some infections can be caused by fungus rather than bacteria. For those cases, antibiotics can cause the condition to become chronic. If you constantly find yourself on one round of antibiotics after another, check to make certain that you don’t have a fungal rather than a bacterial infection.

“According to authors Debra Fulghum Bruce and Murray Grossan, M.D., chronic sinus infections aren’t exactly natural, but they sure are common. An estimated 38 million Americans suffer from sinusitis or chronic inflammation of the facial cavities, including around the nose, cheeks and eyes.

The Sinus Cure: 7 Simple Steps to Relieve Sinusitis and Other Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions, explores alternative and complementary methods for healing and alleviating sinus pain. These include exercises…as well as nutritional supplements. The book also identifies foods that trigger and reduce sinus problems.

Besides suffering from headache pain and pressure, postnasal drip, and congestion, people experience other problems with sinus disease. You may have achiness and fatigue, fever, ear pain, or a throat so swollen that eating or breathing is difficult. Or your teeth may hurt, making you think you have dental problems.

Not only can your sinuses affect tissue in your teeth, face, and jaw, causing excruciating pain, but they can also trigger an all-out asthma attack. Did you know that more than 50 percent of all asthmatics also suffer from chronic sinusitis at some point, which can make asthma symptoms flare up and worsen?”

Cancer News

Ginger reduces inflammation and is effective for over 100 other ailments

Ginger over chemo: This powerful root can eliminate 10,000x the number of cancer cells 

“Inflammation was proven time and time again to be one of the fundamental processes that accelerate illnesses or even cause them to begin with. In basic mechanical interactions, when our body perceives a threat inside of it, it triggers inflammation as a defense mechanism. Together with free radicals, inflammation kills cells in our body. But it doesn’t stop at the bad guys. In fact, inflammation is also responsible for extensive friendly-fire at a cellular level.

Our immune system doesn’t always discern between actual threats and false-positives. What’s worse, long-term inflammation is especially harmful for our bodies, exposing us to a host of diseases and shortening our life-span. Therefore, it’s only natural to assume that antioxidant rich foods are an essential-part of our long term health and well-being. If you weren’t convinced that the right food can cure you, then you probably didn’t know that ginger is one of the most effective anti-cancer cures. How effective? 10,000 times more effective than chemo.”

Pet Health

My previous golden retriever, Zoe, wearing her official vest while visiting at a nursing home

How to Turn Your Pet Into a Therapy Dog  For anyone who loves dogs and wants to help others in their community, training your dog as a therapy dog is a rewarding endeavor. While there are classes available, I was able to train my Zoe enough to pass the necessary tests to be licensed without any classes, because she was naturally obedient. We then joined a local group with dogs which made regular visits together.

The main qualification is a friendly, loving and well-trained, obedient animal. Zoe visited nursing homes where residents often gathered in anticipation an hour or more before her scheduled visit. She also sat listening while reading-impaired children at the library read stories to her for practice. She loved the visits as much or more than the residents and kids did, and worked until shortly before her death.

“Want to turn your dog into a therapy dog? If you think your pet has what it takes to be a service dog for people with chronic diseases, a variety of therapy pet training programs can help get you started.

Training typically involves dogs and their owners, in groups of four to eight pairs, who learn to give and receive basic commands (stay, sit, lie down). Therapeutic dogs can be any size or breed, but must be housebroken, nonaggressive, and not fearful of strangers, loud noises, wheelchairs, or elevators. A good temperament is also critical. Trainers explain that a dog that barks incessantly, bites, or jumps on people do not have what it takes to be therapeutic animals.

• Research has shown that after just 20 minutes with a therapy dog, patients’ levels of stress hormones drop and pain-reducing endorphins rise.
• In elderly patients with dementia, depression declines after they interact with a therapy animal.
• Researchers at the University of Southern Maine found that therapy dog visits can calm agitation in patients with severe dementia.
• A University of California-Los Angeles study of therapy dog visits among heart disease patients found a significant reduction in anxiety and blood pressure of those who spent just 12 minutes with a visiting animal.

In these and other initiatives, specialists say therapy dogs are often better than any medicine.

“The presence of therapy dogs makes such a difference,” says Valerie Abel, a psychologist who runs the pet therapy program at the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs hospital. “Many ask when they’ll next be back. A big dog can put its head on patients’ beds and you can actually see them relax.”

Babylonian Health System

Government guidelines recommend pneumonia vaccines for everyone over 50, despite the fact they don’t work!

Govt Pushes Pneumonia Vaccine Despite 1 Percent Effectiveness Rate 

“Once again the government is pushing worthless vaccines on unsuspecting Americans,” says… [a] holistic doctor and author of the newsletter “Dr. Brownstein’s Natural Way to Health.”

A recent article…reported on new guidelines which encourage doctors to give adults 65 years and older two vaccines — PCV13 and PPSV23 — to prevent pneumonia. “After reading the article, you would assume that the two vaccines have been shown to be effective at preventing pneumococcal-associated illnesses and death from pneumonia…But you would be wrong: These vaccines fail over 99 percent of the people who take them!”

“In addition, a 2013 meta-analysis found there is no consistent evidence that the PPSV23 vaccine is associated with reduced rates of all-cause pneumonia or all-cause mortality.” In 2011, the FDA approved the PCV13 vaccine for adults aged 50 and older. “These recommendations were based, somewhat, on a yet-to-be published trial — CAPITA,” says Dr. Brownstein. “CAPITA was funded by Pfizer, the maker of PCV13.

“The JAMA article states that the benefit of PCV13 can only be ‘inferred,'” says Dr. Brownstein. “Only inferred, yet the new guidelines already recommend every adult over the age of 50 should receive it? That’s disgraceful. The article went on to state that, in effect, that you would need to vaccinate 27,800 subjects to prevent one case of invasive pneumococcal disease. In other words, the vaccine failed 99.99 percent of those who received it,” says Dr. Brownstein.”

GMO and Contaminated Food

Young salmon aren’t given the choice to “Just say no!” Neither are you if you eat them.

Salmon caught near Seattle proven to be inundated with antidepressants, cocaine and more  

“Disturbing new research has indicated that young salmon found in Puget Sound tested positive for more than 80 different drugs, including cocaine, antidepressants and dozens of other medications used by humans.

When researchers tested the water at and near sewage treatment plants in the estuaries of Puget Sound near Seattle, Washington, they discovered high levels of drugs and personal care products – at some of the highest concentrations found anywhere in the nation.

The tissues of migratory chinook salmon and local staghorn sculpin also contained these compounds – even in the fish found in estuaries far from the sewage treatment plants where the water was previously considered “pristine.”

Even Low Pesticide Levels Damage Brain: Study 

“Even low levels of certain types of chemical pesticides can cause brain damage linked to cognitive impairments, new research shows.

The findings, published in the journal Environmental International, indicate individuals subjected to even low doses of organochlorine pesticides over time are more likely to be diagnosed with cognitive impairment than those who are not exposed to the chemicals.

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) — including DDT — were banned in developed countries decades ago, but still remain in the human body because they accumulate through the food chain. High levels of the chemicals still be found in a majority of the population of Sweden, as well as in most other industrial countries.

In past studies, researchers at Uppsala University have linked OCPs to diabetes, atherosclerosis, and stroke. The latest findings have also now shown that OCPs are related to future cognitive impairment, based on an analysis of 1,000 70-year-olds in Uppsala.”