Miracle Cure Through Calcium

Although calcium compounds have been used since ancient times, and metallic compound was isolated by Sir Humphrey Davy way back in 1808, it was only very recently that calcium was used as a dietary supplement to compensate for dietary losses. The Hippocratic adage that all food is medicine is followed with reluctance only. Various myths and misconceptions hinder proper dietary intake that, in turn, exacerbate the diseased condition. One such myth is the ridiculously low RDA, or Recommended Death Allowance, for many minerals and vitamins, including Calcium. In a series of highly documented treatment, Dr. Carl Reich found that extremely high dosage (much above the RDA) of Calcium and Vitamin D were surprisingly successful in treating allergies, Attention Deficit Disorder and even cancer or diabetes. In a famous experiment, some experimenters cut a cancer tumor in half, and put it in two containers of body fluids at 98 degrees F, one of which contained a pinch of calcium salts. After four days the normal beaker had a four times larger tumor, and the calcium beaker had a four times smaller beaker. Miracle? Yes, but it is perfectly rational. The calcium is an alkaline metal, and makes a compound called calcium monoorthophosphate in the blood, something that raises the Ph balance of the blood.

Blood with a higher Ph can absorb more oxygen, at times upto twenty times more. Insufficient oxygen results in the blood squeezing calcium out of bones, saliva and body fluids, something that results in calcium deficit disorders, like weak bones and osteoporosis. The bones contain 99% of the calcium in the body, and it is this supply that slowly gets depleted, resulting in some calcium deposits around bone joints (which fool some doctors ignorant of nutrition to advise stopping of calcium ingestion). It was found that many of the traditional cultures took a diet that in popular perception should be very unhealthy, but those cultures did not have any medical history of disease. For example, the Eskimos and the Inuits of northern North America, until very recently, took an exclusively meat diet of which about 80% was blubber fat.

Yet, the Eskimos did not have any heart diseases, cancer or diabetes. Most of the indigenous populations in the mountainous regions of South America, Central Asia and Afghanistan, and many places in China and India have a primarily animal diet. Their main water source is glacier water that is saturated with undissolved calcium. In most places their daily calcium intake was dozens of times above the RDA, and yet these people are perfectly healthy. In Okinawa, Japan, the diet includes loads of coral calcium that has a great absorption rate.

There too people were completely free of many of the lifestyle diseases that afflict Caucasians. All this goes on to prove that plentiful supplies of minerals and vitamins are always helpful. In fact, Dr. Robert Barefoot, partner of Dr. Reich, mentions that everything god created it good and one may take it without compunction. Such plentiful supplies of natural calcium are not available everywhere, nor individual dietary habits permit such natural calcium intake. In such cases one may take alternative natural dietary supplements like milk, cheese or butter. And if one is averse to such supplements as well, there are many calcium mineral supplements available. Remember, so far is calcium is concerned, there is never too much of it.

The Watermelon Story told by a Watermelon Lover

"Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus, Family Cucurbitaceae) is both a fruit and a vegetable and plant of a vine-like (climber and trailer) herb originally from southern Africa and one of the most common type of melon. This flowering plant produces a special type of fruit known by botanists as a pepo, which has a thick rind (exocarp) and fleshy center (mesocarp and endocarp); pepos are derived from an inferior ovary and are characteristic of the Cucurbitaceae. The watermelon fruit, loosely considered a type of melon (although not in the genus Cucumis), has a smooth exterior rind (green and yellow) and a juicy, sweet, usually red or yellow, but sometimes orange, interior flesh. The flesh consists of highly developed placental tissue within the fruit. The former name Citrullus vulgaris (vulgaris meaning "common" - Shosteck, 1974), is now a synonym of the accepted scientific name for watermelon, Citrullus lanatus." -Wikipedia

No other fruit says summer like the subtly crunchy, thirst quenching watermelon. Although watermelons can now be found in the markets throughout the year, the season for watermelon is in the summer when they are sweet and of the best quality.

When I was around 14 years old, Daddy planted five acres of crimson sweet watermelons, if memory serves me correct on the acreage. Crimson sweet are the dark green round ones with lighter green stripes. This variety, in my opinion, is the sweetest of watermelons although I've had others that were sweet. Crimson sweet are guaranteed to be sweet when ripe.

My younger sister, Shena (who was 11) and I would make a stack in the front yard using hay for the underbelly and sell watermelons for extra summer allowance. She and I ate a great deal of the profits. I recall slicing several open for display and the two of us eating the display. We would have seed spitting contests. Our cousins and next-door neighbours; Brenda, Glenda and Vaughn would join us in these contests. We'd also keep some chilled for those wanting to eat it straightway.

As a member of the Cucurbitaceous family, the watermelon is related to the cantaloupe, squash and pumpkin, other plants that also grow on vines on the ground. Watermelons can be round, oblong or spherical in shape and feature thick green rinds that are often spotted or striped. They range in size from a few pounds to upward of ninety pounds.

Health Benefits

Watermelon is not only great on a hot summer day; this delectable thirst-quencher may also help quench the inflammation that contributes to conditions like asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and arthritis.

Concentrated in Powerful Antioxidants

Sweet, juicy watermelon is actually packed with some of the most important antioxidants in nature. Watermelon is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin A, notably through its concentration of beta-carotene. Pink watermelon is also a source of the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. These powerful antioxidants travel through the body neutralizing free radicals. Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause a great deal of damage. They are able to oxidize cholesterol, making it stick to blood vessel walls, where it can lead to heart attack or stroke. They can add to the severity of asthma attacks by causing airways to clamp down and close. They can increase the inflammation that occurs in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and cause most of the joint damage that occurs in these conditions, and they can damage cells lining the colon, turning them into cancer cells.

Fortunately, vitamin C and beta-carotene are very good at getting rid of these harmful molecules and can therefore prevent the damage they would otherwise cause. As a matter of fact, high intakes of vitamin C and beta-carotene have been shown in a number of scientific studies to reduce the risk of heart disease, reduce the airway spasm that occurs in asthma, reduce the risk of colon cancer, and alleviate some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. A cup of watermelon provides 24.3% of the daily value for vitamin C, and, through its beta-carotene, 11.1% of the DV for vitamin A.

More on Watermelon's Lycopene

Watermelon is also a very concentrated source of the carotenoid, lycopene. Well known for being abundant in tomatoes and particularly well absorbed from cooked tomato products containing a little fat such as olive oil, lycopene is also present in high amounts in watermelon and mangoes. Lycopene has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. In contrast to many other food phytonutrients, whose effects have only been studied in animals, lycopene has been repeatedly studied in humans and found to be protective against a growing list of cancers. These cancers now include prostate cancer, breast cancer, endometrial cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancers.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that in patients with colorectal adenomas, a type of polyp that is the precursor for most colorectal cancers, blood levels of lycopene were 35% lower compared to study subjects with no polyps. Blood levels of beta-carotene also tended to be 25.5% lower, although according to researchers, this difference was not significant. In their final (multiple logistic regressions) analysis, only low levels of plasma lycopene (less than 70 microgram per liter) and smoking increased the likelihood of colorectal adenomas, but the increase in risk was quite substantial: low levels of lycopene increased risk by 230% and smoking by 302%.

The antioxidant function of lycopene-its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage-has been linked in human research to prevention of heart disease. Protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells has also been shown to be an antioxidant role of lycopene.

Energy Production

Watermelon is rich in the B vitamins necessary for energy production. Our food ranking system also qualified watermelon as a very good source of vitamin B6 and a good source of vitamin B1, magnesium, and potassium. Part of this high ranking was due to the higher nutrient richness of watermelon. Because this food has higher water content and lower calorie content than many other fruits (a whole cup of watermelon contains only 48 calories), it delivers more nutrients per calorie-an outstanding health benefit!

Protection against Macular Degeneration

Your mother may have told you carrots would keep your eyes bright as a child, but as an adult, it looks like fruit is even more important for keeping your sight. Data reported in a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology indicates that eating 3 or more servings of fruit per day may lower your risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), the primary cause of vision loss in older adults, by 36%, compared to persons who consume less than 1.5 servings of fruit daily.

In this study, which involved over 110,000 women and men, researchers evaluated the effect of study participants' consumption of fruits; vegetables; the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E; and carotenoids on the development of early ARMD or neovascular ARMD, a more severe form of the illness associated with vision loss. While, surprisingly, intakes of vegetables, antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids were not strongly related to incidence of either form of ARMD, fruit intake was definitely protective against the severe form of this vision-destroying disease. Three servings of fruit may sound like a lot to eat each day, but watermelon can help you reach this goal.

How to Select and Store

The best way to choose a flavorful melon is to look at the color and quality of the flesh, which should be a deep color and absent from white streaks. If it features seeds, they should be deep in color. Oftentimes, however, we do not have this liberty when purchasing watermelon since it is more common to buy a whole, uncut fruit. When choosing a whole watermelon, look for one that is heavy for its size with a rind that is relatively smooth and that is neither overly shiny nor overly dull. In addition, one side of the melon should have an area that is distinct in color from the rest of the rind, displaying a yellowish or creamy tone. This is the underbelly, the place that was resting on the ground during ripening, and if the fruit does not have this marking, it may have been harvested prematurely, which will negatively affect its taste, texture and juiciness.

The quantity of carotenoids from watermelon, particularly lycopene and beta-carotene, increases if this melon is stored at a room temperature, indicates a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. So, increase the lycopene and beta-carotene your watermelon delivers by storing it at room temperature.

Yet, once cut, watermelons should be refrigerated in order to best preserve their freshness, taste and juiciness. If the whole watermelon does not fit in your refrigerator, cut it into pieces (as few as possible), and cover them with plastic wrap to prevent them from becoming dried out and from absorbing the odors of other foods.

Safety

Watermelon is not a commonly allergenic food, is not known to contain measurable amounts of goitrogens, oxalates, or purines, and is also not included in the Environmental Working Group's 2006 report "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce" as one of the 12 foods most frequently containing pesticide residues.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas

• Purée watermelon, cantaloupe and kiwi together. Swirl in a little plain yogurt and serve as refreshing cold soup.

• In Asian countries, roasted watermelon seeds are either seasoned and eaten as a snack food or ground up into cereal and used to make bread.

• A featured item of Southern American cooking, the rind of watermelon can be marinated, pickled or candied.

• Watermelon mixed with thinly sliced red onion, salt and black pepper makes a great summer salad.

• Watermelon is a wonderful addition to fruit salad. And fruit salad can be made days ahead since cut fruit, if chilled, retains its nutrients for at least six days.

So I ask you, what could be more delicious on a hot summer's day than a slice of sweet, refreshing watermelon? For a great summer spritzer, blend watermelon with a spoonful of honey and a splash of lemon or lime, then stir in seltzer water and decorate with a sprig of mint. If you didn't experience the fun of a seed spitting contest as a child, it's not too late to introduce this summer ritual to your children or the child in you! Of course, if you buy the seedless variety, you'll miss out on this playtime.

References

Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and risk of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 June

Edwards AJ, Vinyard BT, Wiley ER et al. Consumption of watermelon juice increases plasma concentrations of lycopene and beta-carotene in humans. J Nutr 2003 April

Ensminger AH, Ensminger, ME, Kondale JE, Robson JRK. Foods & Nutrition Encyclopedia. Pegus Press, Clovis, California 1983.

© 2007 Avis Ward of AWard Consulting, LLC

Don't Let The Heat Zap Your Work From Home Zippity Do Da!

Your Work From Home business can be very stressful. It is a wonderful business, however there are pluses and minus to everything. It's great to be able to work F/T or P/T from home, but many people do not get as much exercise as they should and most do not eat properly.

The heat and humidity are on its way. For some it is merely an inconvenience and for others it can be extremely debilitating causing dizziness, nausea, fatigue, "rubber" legs, leg cramps, heart palpitations and even death. When we feel like this from the heat we know that our electrolytes are low and need replenishing. I would like to share with you a product available called Emer'gen-C that is by far the best I have ever found in replenishing electrolytes. It is nutrient rich with 1000 mg's of Vitamin C, vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, folic acid, B12, potassium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, chromium and a touch of sodium. The vitamin C is buffered with the minerals so it prevents stomach distress. Emer'gen-C is a powerful antioxidant and immune enhancer as well. Some use it daily for it also is a natural energy booster.

Those with chronic fatigue syndrome greatly benefit from taking this product on a dally basis. Many complain of a craving for sweets and a drop in energy between 2 and 4 in the afternoon. This is a perfect time for an Emer'gen-C fizzy drink. Emer'gen-C is a powder that comes in little packets. Just add 1 packet to some water and you have a delicious effervescing drink… it doesn't even need stirring and it totally dissolves in seconds. It is 100% bio-available and works fast, delivering the nutrients to our trillions of cells in seconds. Natural flavors available are; lemon-lime, tropical, cranberry, orange, tangerine and strawberry. The lemon-lime is the most popular. It is sweetened with fructose containing only 5 gram's of sugar. For diabetics not able to handle fructose a "lite" version is available without any sweetener. On average, 1 packet 2 times a day sufficient. Each person is different, some may need more and some less.

Oh, I almost forgot, Emer'gen-C is also the best we have found for Charlie-horses that occur at night while in bed. (If muscle cramps occur throughout the day, the cause may not be electrolyte related but more of a circulatory one). We have seen a 100% success rate in eliminating these painful nighttime muscle cramps by taking 2-3 packets's a day at first, then reducing to 1-2 packets a day.

For those on diuretics, a prescription of potassium is usually given, but what about all the other electrolytes? 1 or 2 packets of Emer'gen-C a day replenishes potassium and other important electrolytes lost with diuretic use.

The elderly with heart problems are extremely vulnerable to the heat and humidity. A friend of mine's mother, Elizabeth, has never tolerated the heat and humidity well, and it is even worse now with her age and heart condition. There were days where Elizabeth took as many as 4 Emer'gen-C packets on one day. They said they carry packets with them at all times.

So, before reaching for the poplar sport drink that it is mostly sugar (14gram's) and salt with a touch of artificial color and flavor, consider a drink that is truly nutritious and delicious to.

Less Is More

Nutrition - A Paramount To Athletic Success

Nutrition is, no doubt, a paramount to athletic success. It is nutrition that provides the required energy for sporting events and vigorous physical activities involved.

Proper nutrients are required for muscle growth and for overall performance as well. Also, a planned nutritional diet allows for optimal body fat required for our sport.

Now-a-days, there are several misconceptions about the right nutritional plan. The aim of an ideal nutritional plan is to instill basic guidelines that can be followed throughout one's athletic and lifelong career.

Following an eight week diet that merely consists of some sort of tasteless cabbage soup will fetch you nothing!

In this article and also in a few related upcoming articles, I have attempted to throw light on the basic principles of a good nutrition and supplementation program that is needed to achieve optimal performance.

To start with, here are some basic components that are of prime importance for athletes.

• Protein:

Proteins constitute the most important macronutrients that all the athletes should be concerned with. They not only help in building muscles but are also needed by the body to replenish the protein pool inside the body.

Proteins that are ingested are an important source of essential amino acids in the body. The most important sources of protein are meats and dairy products.

• Carbohydrate:

Carbohydrate is the main source of energy for the body. To remain healthy, you need to choose the right types of carbohydrates. Fiber is a kind of carbohydrate that is a must for athletes.

Fiber not only helps with digestion but will also help to keep your bowels clean. Grains are the best source of carbohydrates.

• Fats:

If you think that any kind of fat can be detrimental to the health of an athlete, let me tell you that you are highly mistaken. On the contrary, fats have proven to be extremely helpful in nutritional plans.

Certain oils have preferable benefits to other junk fats, usually found in fried food. Oils, dairy products, and nuts are common sources of fats.

Discover the Benefits of Nutritional Supplements

In modern times, there is a growing and important need to incorporate nutritional supplements in one's diet for many reasons. While the average person may believe that he or she is eating a balanced diet, in fact he or she may be missing out on vital nutrients that cannot be easy gained on a daily basis. There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration when one is weighing the reasons for taking supplements.

Why Take Nutritional Supplements?

Modern farming methods utilize frequent crop rotations in order to maximize productivity. As a result, however, vital nutrients and especially minerals in the soil are rapidly depleted. This is so extreme that you may notice that a tomato from the store today just doesn't taste like the tomato of your childhood - and it probably has nowhere near the nutrient level either. As a result, those eating mass-produced vegetables and fruits are missing out on key phytonutrients, including bioflavanoids and minerals, which are generally no longer present in the amounts they were in the past.

In addition, today we are constantly exposed to overly processed food products. If you walk into any standard supermarket, you would likely eliminate 90 percent of the store if you were to ignore the processed foods that are offered. It's certainly hard to avoid, since these are the products advertised on television, available at grocery stores, and served in the multitudes of fast-food restaurants. Even if you are conscientious and try to eat well, you still likely are filling your stomach much of the time with processed grains (stripped of bran and fiber), fatty foods (loaded with saturated and trans-fats) and overly sweetened foods with few vital nutrients.

Plus, it can be almost impossible to achieve the diverse and vital nutrients that your body requires just in what you eat day to day. For example, different fruits contain different nutrients - but you are not likely to eat every type of fruit every single day, or even once a month. How often have you eaten blueberries, bananas, pears, cherries and raspberries in a single day? Because there is such a variety out there, and because these nutrients are all important, it can be simply impossible to consistently get them all from diet alone.

Another challenge is that Americans are eating the wrong types of fats - we eat too many products containing high levels of trans fats, saturated fats, and vegetable poly unsaturated fats, instead of healthy monounsaturated fats and fish oils. Fish oils, in particular, are a valuable source of essential fatty acids, which are critical for maintaining normal mental and cardiovascular function. But unless one is eating wild Alaskan salmon three to four times a week, every week, one is not likely achieving the optimal level of these essential fatty acids and vital nutrients from diet alone.

For all of these reasons and more, high-quality nutritional supplements can help fill in the gaps and provide the vital nutrients missing from foods. They can give you the variety that you need on a day-to-day basis. Nutritional supplements are also important as it becomes evident that many vitamins and minerals can optimize your genetic potential - and taking nutritional supplements with the right blend of vital nutrients can also achieve this.

How Can You Choose the Right Nutritional Supplements?

Therefore, if taking nutritional supplements is so important to your health, your next step is to figure out how to navigate the sea of options that currently exist. Walk into any grocery store or pharmacy, or do an online search, and you'll find thousands of nutritional supplements. How do you choose a product or a brand?

Generally speaking, you should start by making sure that any supplement you buy is from a manufacturer and/or supplier working under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). These practices include documentation of the manufacturing process to eliminate the risks of i) contamination or adulteration of the vital nutrients the supplements contain, or ii) product mislabeling. Most well-known brands use GMP, so you may want to stick with a better-known product to ensure quality.

You can also investigate the manufacturer of a supplement to ensure that it has good quality control processes in place. The manufacturer should make this information available for consumers on its website or in product literature, including whether it has in-house testing of its products and whether it works with independent labs to confirm the potency and purity of its nutritional supplements and the vital nutrients that are included. In addition, you should be able to see up front if the manufacturer is promoting clinical research or simply featuring pseudo-science with little back up of its claims.

Take a look at the entire product line offered by the company as well. Many producers of nutritional supplements simply provide stand alone vitamins or single-ingredient herbs, such as a vitamin D supplement or an Echinacea pill. These companies are often simply of the "me too" variety - offering basic products just to make money. Other companies may offer blends or balanced formulations with the right combinations of vital nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, or herbs that work together to produce optimal results. Such companies are likely to provide balanced nutritional supplements that more closely mimic those found in nature and that are better for maintaining your health. Companies that provide such products are more likely to be interested in the overall well-being of their customers rather than in just selling a single type of ingredient.

Finally, look carefully at the delivery method of the vital nutrients in any supplement you are investigating. While many nutritional supplements are offered in a compressed tablet format, this is not necessarily the best way to get the nutrients into your system. If this type of tablet isn't formulated properly, or if it is compressed with too much pressure when it is created, it will not dissolve readily in the stomach. If you decide to try tablets, make sure the label notes that they meet USP dissolution requirements, which means that the product has been tested and will properly dissolve in the stomach.

A better choice for delivery is to find nutritional supplements that are isotonic - provided in powder form that can be mixed with water to create an isotonic solution. This enables vital nutrients to be absorbed more readily in the small bowel without need for digestion in the stomach, thus a very efficient delivery method.

Conclusion

Nutritional supplements can be extremely beneficial to your overall health and well being and can compensate for the lack of vital nutrients in modern processed foods and inadequate diets. However, it is important to choose very carefully the nutritional supplements that you purchase. Look into the background of the manufacturer or supplier of the supplements and make sure they are meeting quality control standards as well as providing these vital nutrients in a delivery form that has the greatest benefit.

What is the Best Ab Workout for Belly Fat Loss?

The answer to the age-old question of "What is the best ab workout for losing stomach fat?" is...

None! Ab workouts alone don't create enough of a metabolic response in your body to create fat loss.

As a trainer, nutrition specialist, and fitness professional, I often get asked what the best types of exercises and workouts are for losing stubborn stomach fat in order to bring out visible six pack abs. The problem is that most people with excess stomach fat looking to try to uncover their abs are searching for some "miracle abdominal workout" that is going to slash the fat off their abs in no time.

The thing is... they are going about the problem entirely the wrong way! The truth is that you don't lose stomach fat by doing ab workouts.

The problem is that focusing most of your time and effort on abdominal exercises and abs workouts to try to flatten your stomach and bring out 6-pack abs is simply wasting your time from doing the correct workout programs that will acutally reduce your body fat for good.

If I were to choose an answer as to what the best exercises are for losing belly fat, my answer would include full body exercises such as the following:

various forms of squats, lunges, deadlifts, clean & presses, snatches, swings, presses and pulls, mountain climbers, sprinting, etc.

These types of full body exercises would encompass a much higher percentage of the workouts I would design instead of abs exercises directly targeting the midsection. The way you combine those full body exercises into a strategic workout that maximizes your metabolism is also very important.

Don't get me wrong... I do recommend a certain amount of exercises that directly target the abs and core, but these are only a small fraction of the programs I design for my clients as your time is better spent focusing on the full body exercises that stimulate the greatest hormonal and metabolic changes within the body. In addition, a side-effect of working out using mostly full body multi-joint combo exercises are that you indirectly work your entire midsection even though you are not specifically targeting the abs.

Keep in mind that the most important factor for losing belly fat to see your abs is actually in the nutrition arena. No matter how hard you workout, if your diet is full of junk, then your abdominals will be covered with ugly fat. Nutrition is without a doubt the "king of getting a six pack".

So let's clear this up for good...

Stop wasting so much of your time focusing on situps, crunches, leg raises, and all those silly worthless "ab contraptions" in your efforts to try to develop 6-pack abs. Instead focus on high intensity full body lifts using combination multi-joint exercises all strategically combined into highly effective fat loss workouts. Couple that with a healthy diet full of natural unprocessed whole foods as close to their natural state as possible, and those elusive six-pack abdominals will yours in no time!

Check out below for more of my key strategies for getting flat sexy 6-pack abs for life.