Lifestyle therapies prove highly effective in the fight against chronic disease

by John Phillip
Lifestyle therapies that include proper nutrition, stress management, regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy body weight are key elements in the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases. Heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke and dementia are all strongly influenced by fine tuning diet with plenty of raw organic foods and taking advantage of regular moderate physical activity. Once referred to as alternative medicine, health conscious individuals now embrace a natural lifestyle approach to health maintenance. Important research confirms that following four simple behavior patterns can help prevent chronic disease development and progression by more than 90%.

Lifestyle Therapy Proven Effective in Chronic Disease Prevention
Health minded individuals are opting for lifestyle interventions to control chronic disease. Big Pharma alternatives promote existing disease, and they all have side effects that can be more severe than the symptoms they are supposed to mask. The results of the EPIC study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine show that adherence to four simple lifestyle pillars can dramatically lower the risk from virtually every major chronic illness.

This significant study followed 23,000 people for nearly 8 years and examined smoking behavior, food consumption, exercise and maintenance of a healthy weight. The researchers found that those participants who didn`t smoke, consumed a diet high in fresh vegetables and low in meat, exercised at least 3.5 hours per week and maintained a normal weight (BMI less than 30) reduced their risk of developing diabetes by 93%. Heart attack risk was reduced by 81%; stroke risk was cut in half and 36% of all cancers were prevented. Allopathic interventions only perpetuate chronic disease and are ineffective at reducing disease risk.

Traditional Allopathic Statin Therapy Increases Diabetes Risk
Many traditional physicians hand out statins as if they were candy and some even joke that this Big Pharma sanctioned form of poisoning should be added to our public water supply. Statins are known to cause a wide variety of side effects. Muscle deterioration and cognitive decline are two of the most commonly reported detrimental effects that result from the unnatural suppression of cholesterol from long term statin therapy.

The results of research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association show how using a dietary approach including fiber, almonds and natural plant sterols can lower cholesterol as much as dangerous statins. Another side effect of statin therapy is increased levels of insulin. Following a natural diet protocol does not raise insulin and has been shown to lower blood pressure, increase HDL cholesterol, lower triglycerides and alter the ratio of atherogenic dense LDL particles toward the harmless large buoyant variety.

American Life Expectancy Drops, Lifestyle Therapies Needed
Americans have enjoyed a steady increase in life expectancy over the past century. A report from the CDC now indicates that this trend may have finally come to an end as more people suffer the effects of poor diet, decreased physical fitness and obesity. Despite a never ending supply of pharmaceuticals prescribed by medical professionals, lifestyle disease such as Alzheimer`s, kidney disease and hypertension experienced a marked increase. Following a natural lifestyle approach as detailed in the EPIC study would dramatically increase life expectancy.

The importance of following a natural lifestyle cannot be underestimated and is a powerful tool to prevent chronic disease. Pharmaceuticals such as statins are ineffective and are known to affect insulin levels that can lead to the development of diabetes. Lifestyle therapies have been repeatedly shown to cut disease risk and extend healthy lifespan.

Article References:
http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/29...
http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/co...
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/n...

About the author
John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal.

Parsley, Celery Carry Crucial Component for Fight Against Breast Cancer

Parsley, Celery Carry Crucial Component for Fight Against Breast Cancer, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (May 9, 2011) — Parsley is usually used as a decorative accent to a scrumptious meal, but don't set it aside just yet. In a new study, a University of Missouri researcher has found that a compound in parsley and other plant products, including fruits and nuts, can stop certain breast cancer tumor cells from multiplying and growing. The study was published recently in Cancer Prevention Research.

In his study, Salman Hyder, the Zalk Endowed Professor in Tumor Angiogenesis and professor of biomedical sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center, exposed rats with a certain type of breast cancer to apigenin, a common compound found in parsley and other plant products. The rats that were exposed to the apigenin developed fewer tumors and experienced significant delays in tumor formation compared to those rats that were not exposed to apigenin. Hyder believes this finding could impact women who are taking certain hormone replacement therapies.

"Six to 10 million women in the United States receive hormone replacement therapy (HRT)," Hyder said. "We know that certain synthetic hormones used in HRT accelerate breast tumor development. In our study, we exposed the rats to one of the chemicals used in the most common HRTs received in the United States -- a progestin called medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) -- which also happens to be the same synthetic hormone that accelerates breast tumor development."

When tumor cells develop in the breast in response to MPA, they encourage new blood vessels to form within tumors. The blood vessels then supply needed nutrients for the tumors to grow and multiply. Hyder found that apigenin blocked new blood vessel formation, thereby delaying, and sometimes stopping, the development of the tumors. Hyder also found that the compound reduced the overall number of tumors. However, while apigenin did delay tumor growth, it did not stop the initial formation of cancer cells within the breast.

Apigenin is most prevalent in parsley and celery, but can also be found in apples, oranges, nuts and other plant products. However, apigenin is not absorbed efficiently into the bloodstream, so scientists are unsure of how much can or should be ingested.

"We don't have specific dosage for humans yet," Hyder said. "However, it appears that keeping a minimal level of apigenin in the bloodstream is important to delay the onset of breast cancer that progresses in response to progestins such as MPA. It's probably a good idea to eat a little parsley and some fruit every day to ensure the minimal amount. However, you can also find this compound in pill supplements in the health food section of many stores. Of course, you should always check with your doctor before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle."

The next phrase of studies should include human clinical trials to determine the appropriate dosage amount, Hyder said. He believes further study on humans is necessary to address any health and safety issues that might exist.

The research team included Benford Mafuvadze, doctoral student in biomedical sciences, Indira Benakanakere, research scientist Dalton Cardiovascular Research Center; Franklin Lopez, research fellow in the Department of Veterinary Pathobiology; Cynthia Besch-Williford, associate professor of veterinary pathobiology, and Mark Ellersieck, research professor of statistics in the College of Arts and Science.

Story Source:
The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia.
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Journal Reference:
1. B. Mafuvadze, I. Benakanakere, F. Lopez, C. L. Besch-Williford, M. Ellersieck, S. M. Hyder. Apigenin prevents development of medroxyprogesterone acetate-accelerated 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced mammary tumors in Sprague-Dawley rats. Cancer Prevention Research, 2011; DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.CAPR-10-0382

All Jacked Up Food Documentary

This documentary follows five teenagers who are struggling with health, obesity and mental focus, then it lays out the underlying cause of their problems: THE FOOD SUPPLY! This is an absolute must-see documentary for parents and teens.

Beat Depression Naturally

Friday, April 01, 2011 by: Dr. David Jockers

NaturalNews) People with chronic depression often times have significant biochemical imbalances in their neurological tissue. New research has indicated that this imbalance is not a genetic flaw as was once thought. Instead it is due to a heavy onslaught of toxicity or severe nutritional and lifestyle based deficiencies that cause massive brain inflammation; this in effect disrupts normal neurological processing. Fortunately, when these causative factors are addressed, one can overcome the chemical imbalances and beat depression naturally.

Depression and neuro-emotional diseases such as bipolar, schizophrenia, etc. are at an all-time high. The pharmaceutical industry has brought out dozens of blockbuster drugs to treat all of these conditions with billions of $ of revenue every year. Unfortunately, none of these drugs treat the cause of the chemical imbalance, but they merely treat the symptoms and come with a whole host of frightening side effects. In fact, years back the FDA mandated labeling requiring anti-depressant manufactures to include a warning that these drugs increase suicide risk (which is one of the things they are supposed to prevent).

The true cause of depression from a biochemical and lifestyle perspective is due to toxicity or deficiency at the cellular level. Common toxicity problems associated with depression include heavy metals like mercury, lead, aluminum, etc. that accumulate in the fatty tissue of the brain and create massive free radical damage and inflammation that alters neurological function. Viruses and environmental toxins are common inflammatory agents in the brain as well.

Another common toxin that causes massive inflammatory conditions in the brain is certain food intolerances. The most common food allergens to avoid include gluten containing grains such as wheat, barley, rye, oats, kamut, & spelt. Soy products, different nuts, eggs, and heavy proteins are often not tolerated well. Obviously all processed and man-made foods need to be avoided at all costs. Other common allergens include those of the nightshade family such as eggplant, tomatoes, & onions.

An anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle are critical for full recovery from these conditions. Anti-inflammatory foods help to modulate the immune system and give it a more accurate pair of eyes so as to not over-inflame when stimulated. To effectively de-inflame it is key to completely avoid man-made foods, sugars, and food allergens as listed above. The long chain omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA not only are critical for healthy brain function, but also powerfully de-inflame the body by restoring natural balance to the lipid wall of the cell membrane.

Healthy movement patterns produce proprioception (movement information) which is a critical essential for healthy brain enhancing and mood regulating patterns. Boosting proprioceptive input through maintaining healthy spinal function and exercise training has been shown to prevent and reverse depression. Regular chiropractic care and customized physical therapy exercises are critical lifestyle factors for maintaining healthy spinal function. A daily exercise regimen of a high-intensity burst and resistance training program that incorporates core stability and functional balance training enhances proprioceptive input into the brain and balances key hormones that play a role in weight regulation and muscle tone which are factors involved in mental health as well.

Other critical nutrients that are key for mood stabilization include Vitamin D, Folic acid, Pyridoxine (B6), Vitamin B12, Zinc, CoQ10, and trace minerals. Vitamin D levels should be between 60-100 ng/ml. Boost Vitamin D naturally with 20-60 minutes of healthy sunlight every day or 10,000-50,000 IU of emulsified vitamin D3 daily to get the levels where they should be. A raw, whole-food multi-vitamin that supplies ample amounts of folic acid (400 mcg), B6 (4mg), B12(100 mcg), Zinc (15 mg), trace minerals, & CoQ10 (500 mcg) should be consumed daily.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/031916_depression_remedies.html#ixzz1MuPXNaVu