Health News
The Dangers of Chlorine and Chloramine in Your Drinking Water
Is the chlorine in our drinking water more harmful than helpful? It seems like every day there’s a new report of toxic drinking water somewhere in the US. Whether it’s the brain-eating amoeba in a Louisiana water system, lead in a Michigan water system, Chromium 6 in a California water system, or the slew of chemicals found in the water of America’s farming communities, it’s become glaringly obvious we have a clean water crisis. To make matters worse, the chemicals being used to clean up our drinking water – chlorine and chloramine – are considered culprits in the rise of bladder and gastric cancer, increased rates of asthma and other respiratory problems, stillbirth in humans and animals, and so much more. In fact, people with kidney or liver disease or those who are immunocompromised are warned not to drink chemically treated water. If you think bottled water is your saving grace for clean water, think again. Xenoestrogens from the plastic bottles leaching into the water cause their own set of health issues, not to mention the fact that many popular brands of bottled water are actually just municipal tap water, so you’re not escaping chlorine in your drinking water at all, unfortunately. The Chlorine Conundrum Using chlorine to treat drinking water was considered a modern miracle when first added to contaminated water 100 years ago. Its disinfectant ability virtually eradicated diseases like cholera, typhoid, and dysentery, which had previously run rampant in our communities. It was hailed as the major public health achievement of the 20th century. But chlorine treatment of drinking water causes disinfection byproducts (DBPs). When sodium hypochlorite (also known as “bleach” or simply referred to as “chlorine”) is added to the water, it forms trihalomethanes (THMs) with organic material present in the water. One of these THMs is chloroform, which was used to sedate surgery patients before modern anesthesia practices were founded. So it comes as no surprise that higher levels of chloroform in drinking water lead to nervous system issues. Safe levels of chloroform in water were determined by feeding dogs chloroform-laced toothpaste for 7 years and measuring the toxicity to their livers. Regardless of what the safe level has been determined to be, when there’s an infection threat to the water supply, the World Health Organization states that levels can exceed these limits because disinfection takes priority over long-term health effects of THMs. These THMs have been found to be responsible for as much as 17% of the bladder cancers diagnosed in the US each year. And according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who take hot showers or baths inhale and absorb more THMs through their skin than people who drink it. This means bathing in chlorinated water puts you at a higher risk for cancer than drinking it does. Rather than prefilter the water that’s chlorinated to remove the organic material that forms these DBPs, they’ve instead chosen to use chloramine to disinfect drinking water, which comes with its own set of problems. The Case Against Chloramine Chloramine is created by adding ammonia to chlorine-treated water. It creates much lower levels of DBPs and is more stable than chlorine, which means it’s more effective in water distribution pipelines for a longer period of time. For these reasons, most water utilities are switching to it, or alternating its use with chlorine. It’s become so common that according to the EPA, more than 1 in 5 Americans have it in their tap water. So what’s not to love? Chloramine comes with its own set of problems. Because it can sit longer in the pipes, it releases lead, corrosion, biofilms, and nitrates into the water. Those nitrates are dangerous even to healthy infants. Because it’s a weaker disinfectant, people who are immunocompromised are warned against drinking chloramine-treated water. It also cannot be used in dialysis or by people with kidney or liver disease. It both causes and aggravates respiratory problems – especially asthma, skin conditions and rashes, digestive disorders, kidney and blood disorders, anyone susceptible to ammonia buildup and toxicity, and has been implicated as a cause for gastric cancers in recent research. Chloramine can also damage plumbing, beyond the corrosion and lead leaching. It can cause pinhole pitting in copper pipes, which causes mold to grow from the leaks, damaging homes and compromising health. It also causes corrosion of rubber plumbing parts, which affects the ice machines and coffee makers in your favorite restaurants. Chloramine is toxic to fish, amphibians and reptiles, and because of this, has been ruled toxic by the Canadian EPA. Despite its effects on these animals, it’s less effective against microorganisms and parasites, which is how Louisiana’s small town drinking water became contaminated with the brain-eating amoeba. How to Protect Yourself from Chlorine and Chloramines in Your Water While water treatment alternatives like pre-filtration, ozone, and UV light do exist, they are sadly not being used on a large scale, so chlorine and chloramines are unavoidable in our municipal water supplies. The good news is, you can filter the water coming into your home, even if you’re renting. A high quality ceramic filter can remove more than 99 percent of the chlorine, and 95 percent of chloramines, chloroform and THMs. It will also protect your family from heavy metals like lead, agricultural chemicals, and parasites like amoebas. While a whole house filtration system is ideal, it’s not always realistic, especially when renting. If you do nothing else, invest in good quality shower and bathtub filters, since breathing and absorbing through the skin are your biggest risks for exposure. This is the most affordable way to start providing clean water to your family. Next, ensure pure drinking and cooking water from the tap with an under the counter or countertop filter. If you own your home, consider investing in whole house water filtration. Do you have any questions about the dangers of chlorine and chloramine in your drinking water? Contact us here at UNI KEY. We’re happy to help you find the water filtration customized to your needs.
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Is SIBO the Reason You Can’t Lose Weight?
If you wake up in the morning with a flat belly, but bloat so much you look six months pregnant by the end of the day, then SIBO may be the reason you can’t lose weight. With obesity rates on the rise and over half the US population overweight, it seems like it’s becoming increasingly difficult for people to lose weight. And contrary to popular belief, it isn’t your lack of willpower causing it. Despite the wide range of diets, workout videos, gym routines, and weight loss prescriptions, our country is having a hard time putting all the pieces together and solving the weight loss puzzle. What’s missing? The big picture. We need to go beyond the weight itself and look at the overall health of each person and the factors in our environment that make us fat, sick, and tired. We need to consider the impact of stress, toxins, hormone imbalances, contaminated water and air, radiation and EMFs, poor diet, lack of exercise, and inflammation. But, most importantly, good health – and weight loss – starts in the gut. Your Gut Rules Your Weight Anyone who has exercised and eaten healthy and still hasn’t lost weight can tell you there’s more to the picture than calories. If you don’t have the right balance of bacteria in your gut, your weight won’t budge despite your best efforts. Recent research has uncovered the importance of intestinal flora, known as the microbiome, to the state of our overall health and our ability to lose or gain weight. Bacteria that help us break down bile salts and waste products are essential to the health of the colon, but when they move up into the small intestine, they can cause gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, and even weight gain as a result of nutrient deficiencies and fat malabsorption. This is called SIBO. Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) has practically become a household word in recent years. Researchers believe it’s due to having more understanding of the importance of healthy intestinal flora, known as probiotics, along with better diagnostic tests. Up to 85 percent of people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), 50 percent of liver cirrhosis patients, and up to 50 percent of those with Celiac Disease all have tested positive for SIBO in studies. But, SIBO doesn’t stop at weight gain and digestive symptoms; there are also systemic illnesses like Diabetes associated with it, and 15 percent of healthy people with no symptoms also tested positive. 10 Signs You May Have SIBO There’s a wide range of symptoms associated with SIBO, including: Gas and Bloating Diarrhea and/or Constipation Abdominal pain and cramping Food allergies and intolerances, including lactose fructose, and Histamine Intolerance Hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid), Leaky Gut, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Celiac Disease, or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Liver Cirrhosis, Bile issues and Fat Malabsorption (greasy or pale smelly stools and short transit times) Vitamin and Mineral deficiencies, especially Vitamin B12, Calcium and Zinc Osteoporosis Unintended weight loss or weight gain Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, and Autoimmune Diseases How SIBO Makes You Fat Whether it affects the breakdown, burning, or storage of it, anything that disrupts your fat metabolism is known as an obesogen. SIBO is an obesogen, which means it can make you fat. In fact, a 2013 study showed that the presence of even a small amount of one SIBO-causing bacteria resulted in significant weight gain. This bacteria is extremely efficient at extracting calories from food, which is great if you’re in a famine, but not so great when you’re trying to lose weight. SIBO also causes weight gain by causing intestinal inflammation. Anytime your intestines are inflamed, they don’t break down or absorb nutrients well. Inflammation also slows down transit times, allowing unhealthy microbes to overgrow as the undigested food sits, waiting to be broken down. During that sitting it also ferments and even rots, causing the digestive symptoms SIBO is so famous for, and inviting unwanted guests like Candida to show up and help with the fermentation process. Once Candida overgrows, a whole new set of symptoms shows up, and weight loss becomes an uphill battle you are just too tired to fight. What You Can Do About SIBO The diagnosis of SIBO comes after a gastroenterologist performs a breath hydrogen test, breath methane test, or small intestine biopsy. Their prescriptive cure is antibiotics targeted to the common bacteria that cause SIBO. Some may also suggest a low FODMAPs diet while on the therapy, to help relieve symptoms. While all of this can provide some relief, none of it gets to the root cause of SIBO, and their short-term fix leads to a long-term problem. The primary cause of SIBO is actually hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid. Healthy stomach acid levels regulate the bacterial counts in the upper small intestine. When there is a lack of stomach acid, which is especially common with the use of H2 blockers and PPI acid reducers (think Zantac and Prilosec, among others), bacteria are allowed to overgrow in the small intestine, causing SIBO. Studies have been done that show over half of all patients using PPIs like omeprazole (Prilosec) develop SIBO as a result. Your natural plan of attack for overcoming SIBO should include restoring healthy stomach acid levels, reducing the bacterial count in the small intestine, and restoring balance to the microbiome. UNI KEY’s HCL+2 is natural support for restoring healthy stomach acid levels and reducing the amount of bacteria going into the small intestine. Next, you need to go after the bacteria wreaking havoc in the small intestines. This is where Para-Key comes in. It contains botanicals that “prune” the population of unhealthy bacteria in the small intestine, without the harshness of antibiotics. A nutrient dense, low sugar diet is essential to overcoming SIBO. Summertime fare is full of fruits, sugars, simple carbs, starches, and cocktails – the favorite foods of all types of intestinal flora – good and bad. As tempting as it is to indulge in all the fresh fruits and fruit smoothies this time of year, if you’re fighting SIBO, you need to abstain from all sugars, including fruits, fruit juices, processed sugars, corn syrup, starchy foods, and alcohol. Eradicating SIBO is more of a marathon than a sprint. It can take 3 months on a low sugar diet and supplements, or even longer if Candida is in the picture. If sugar cravings are intense, it’s likely you have Candida overgrowth as well. It’s helpful to add Y-C Cleanse to your regimen to restore the balance to your microbiome. Oil of oregano capsules (not oregano essential oil) taken twice daily can be helpful as well. When you have SIBO, it’s important to hold off on taking probiotics. With SIBO, probiotics actually add fuel to the fire. The lactobacillus and bifidobacteria that are so famous for restoring healthy intestinal flora can actually contribute to the overgrowth in the small intestine and should be avoided until healthy stomach acid levels are restored and the small intestine flora is back in balance. Try adding them back in after 30 days of diet and supplements. If you notice bloating or other unwelcome symptoms coming back, take a break from probiotics and probiotics foods for another 60 days or until you no longer need bacteria-fighting botanicals.
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What to Do When You’ve Been Bitten by a Tick
Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. It’s no wonder people are concerned when they find a tick embedded in their skin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of tick-borne illnesses being reported has more than doubled since 2004, with Lyme disease being the most prevalent. The number of cases of Lyme reported in 2016 totaled 36,429, but their experts estimate actual numbers were closer to 300,000. There have also been new diseases reported that ticks carry, from bacteria that cause life-threatening allergic reactions to beef, to a virus that cause deadly inflammation in the brain. When you find a tick attached to yourself or a loved one, take the natural approach to remove the tick safely and head those diseases off at the pass. Continue reading to find out how to safely remove a tick. The Right Way to Remove a Tick There are several urban myths about how to remove a tick. These actually do more harm than good: Covering with Vaseline to suffocate it Soaking the tick in rubbing alcohol to get it to back out Burning it with a match or cigarette Scratching it off with your fingernail Attaching cotton to the tick and pulling Twisting the tick to remove Applying essential oils to remove All of these techniques stress the tick or put pressure on its body, which results in it regurgitating its contents into you, putting you at high risk for any diseases it’s carrying. The goal of safe tick removal is to keep the entire tick intact without causing stress. The only safe tools to use are a pair of fine-toothed tweezers or a tick-removing hook. If the tick is in a hair-covered area, you can wet the surrounding hair to make it easier to see and grasp the tick. In the case of the tick removal tool, follow the directions included for effective removal. If using tweezers, put gentle downward pressure on the surrounding skin and grasp the tick where it meets the skin. Do not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick or you run the risk of squeezing the tick’s toxins right into your bloodstream. Once the head is grasped, pull backwards gently but firmly, using even, steady pressure. If you are higher than skin level, you might break off the mouthparts, leaving them in the skin. These usually cause irritation and a tick granuloma can develop, which is a lump of tissue that can become infected or require surgery to remove. It’s a good idea to save the tick in case you want to have it tested for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Place in a plastic ziplock bag with a square of moist paper towel. After removing the tick, wash your hands and the affected area well. There have been no studies done on what to apply to the skin afterward to reduce the possibility of infection. I prefer painting the area with an iodine solution because this is what’s used to sterilize skin prior to surgery and there is a volume of research that supports its use in that setting. Any oil-based preparation like ointments or essential oils may trap infection inside and not allow the wound to cleanse itself. Should You Get the Tick Tested? It’s no secret there are Lyme-endemic areas of the country where your risk of the disease being present in the tick that bit you is much higher than it is in other areas of the country. But, Lyme has been documented all across the country now, and other tick diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, and even the rare Powassan virus are on the rise, too. It can take 6 weeks for Lyme antibodies to be present in high enough amounts for a blood test to be positive, and by then, the damage is already being done. It makes sense to test the tick to see what you may have been exposed to and start the right treatment as early as possible if symptoms appear. The risk of disease transmission increases the longer a tick has been attached. The saliva of the tick contains numbing anesthetic, anticoagulants to make the blood flow more easily, immune suppressors so the site doesn’t swell while it’s attached, and microorganisms like Lyme that can be transmitted right when it attaches. Though 24 hours of attachment is often cited as the time when transmission is most likely, studies have been done showing transmission of Lyme bacteria in less than this interval. A study that was done in 2001 recommended a single 200 mg dose of doxycycline within 72 hours of the tick bite as a prophylaxis. They found it was over 90 percent effective in preventing Lyme. There were serious flaws with this study. First, all they looked for was the presence of the telltale erythema migrans rash that does not universally occur in people with Lyme disease. Also important is that antibody levels are lower in people who receive early treatment even when they are undertreated, so a negative blood test result could be considered a false negative. This point doesn’t relate as much to this study, however, because the testing wasn’t performed. Since running out and getting antibiotics after every tick bite isn’t practical or good for your intestinal flora, having the tick tested may be your best option. Tick testing involves looking at the tick under a microscope to identify it, then doing a DNA probe to identify the microorganisms it’s carrying. If the tick tests positive for a disease, it doesn’t mean it has been transmitted to you, but you are at risk. If the tick tests negative, you can be confident you haven’t been exposed to those diseases. The two tried and true labs in the US for tick testing are the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the University of Connecticut. Both have quick turnaround times and have good track records for accuracy, and are the labs that most of the tick testing sites actually use when you order through them. Tick Bite Herbal Rx Once you’ve removed the tick, it’s time to take some preventative measures to minimize or avoid infection of any kind. You’ve already generously swabbed the area with iodine solution, and may be anxiously awaiting your tick testing results. I recommend starting with a homeopathic remedy known as Ledum. Dissolve 1 pellet of Ledum 30c under the tongue daily for 2 days after removing the tick. If you’ve had a tick-borne illness before, have a strong suspicion you’re infected, or are in an endemic area, I recommend sage herbalist Stephen Buhner’s advice of 3000mg Astragalus for 30 days, then 1000 mg daily thereafter. If at any point after a tick bite you develop fever, body aches, or rash, I strongly recommend seeking medical help and considering an antibiotic. Remember, antibodies may not be present until 6 weeks after the bite, but symptoms of infection can start within days. It’s important to go in educated and patiently explain your concerns to the health care provider you see. When these infections aren’t treated properly at the start and are allowed to progress and become more chronic, they can be debilitating and affect the quality of the rest of your life.
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Have This Breakfast For Summer Weight Loss
It’s not too late to lose weight for swimsuit season. Here’s how… It’s that time of year when we’re all thinking about shedding a few pounds. Looking in the mirror has us wondering what it’s going to be – tank tops and shorts or long and loose to cover up again? Wouldn’t it be amazing to feel confident and even sexy again, by slimming 5 to 10 pounds of belly fat? Even with the busiest schedule, losing a few pounds isn’t out of your reach. The secret to summer weight loss is easier than you think, and research shows it starts first thing in the morning. The Skinny on Skipping Breakfast When it comes to shedding unwanted pounds, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whether you run out the door with just a cup of coffee or whatever you can grab on-the-go, you’re missing out on a golden opportunity to kick-start your daily weight loss. Skipping breakfast (or skimping on breakfast) may make you feel good at first, and that may even last until lunchtime. But your sleeping metabolism wakes up with gusto when those afternoon cravings for cookies, candy, and chips hit, leaving you feeling almost powerless to fight them. What’s happening behind the scenes? That morning jolt of caffeine from your must-have cup of java wakes your adrenal glands, which are responsible for your stress response. This puts you in a state of “high alert” and spikes your cortisol level. Now you feel like you’re energized and ready to tackle the day, but your blood sugar drops in response to the rush of cortisol your adrenals sent. This starts the blood sugar rollercoaster, which thwarts even your best weight loss efforts and has you eyeing the vending machine by three o’clock. Fluctuating cortisol and blood sugar levels not only cause mood swings and sugar cravings, but also lead to weight gain. It’s true – limiting your calories by skipping breakfast actually increases that spare tire around your middle and encourages your body to hold on to excess fat. Lose those stubborn pounds by waking your metabolism up with what it craves the most. Start Your Day Off Right The best-kept secret for summer weight loss isn’t found in some exotic herb that magically melts away pounds. And while getting up an hour early to go sweat off extra pounds at boot camp is admirable, over-exercise can trigger cortisol-based weight gain the same way skipping breakfast can. If you want your supplements and exercise to work together and help you shed those unwanted pounds, you need protein first thing in the morning. When it comes to protein intake, timing is everything, according to a recent study. Eating a protein-rich breakfast caused women to lose more weight – and lose it faster – than women who ate a smaller breakfast or skipped it altogether. Women who ate their protein at breakfast also experienced more energy and lost not just weight but inches off their waist and hips. And there’s more good news about a protein-rich and healthy breakfast for weight loss. According to a study just published this week, your biological clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, is in control of your energy balance and metabolism. Researchers found waking up your metabolism in the morning with protein gives you more energy and sets you up to burn fat all day long, while giving your adrenals what they need to maintain healthy cortisol and blood sugar levels all day, keeping cravings at bay and reducing belly fat. No Time? No Problem! Now that the secret is out – protein for breakfast slims you down and boosts your energy while eliminating cravings – how do you fit it into your busy schedule? With 20 grams of pure plant protein, our Fat Flush Body Protein is a quick and easy way to start your weight loss day off right. Our vegan rice and pea blend has one of the highest Protein Efficiency Ratios on the market and is free of common allergens, which is important for preventing belly bloat and “false fat.” It’s also GMO-free and undergoes stringent purity and heavy metal testing. Add your favorite fruit and greens to Fat Flush Body Protein and start your day with a smoothie that jumpstarts your metabolism, satisfies your hunger, and leaves you feeling energized throughout the day. Just last month, Michelle S. dropped us a note to tell us: “I love love love this protein powder. I have used it for a little over 2 months and have lost 11 pounds and a couple of inches from my hips and waist.” Kymm H. had this to say… “I look forward to having a protein shake. Tastes delicious and keeps you feeling full for hours! I’ve tried many other protein powders and always go back to Fat Flush Body Protein, there is nothing else like it!” One way to make your morning prep even faster is to prepare all your smoothie ingredients the night before or even on a “prep day”, into individual serving sizes so in the morning you can just add Fat Flush Body Protein, blend it and go. To lose weight even faster, try our 2-Week Smoothie Shakedown program. In just 2 weeks you can lose up to 20 pounds! Get FREE shipping on your order of a 2-Week Smoothie Shakedown Bundle or Fat Flush Body Protein with coupon code FREESHIP, now through 6/30/2018. SHOP NOW>>
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Father’s Day Health Alert: The PSA Scam
Is this test accurate for cancer prevention? The man who discovered the PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) claims it’s inaccurate for cancer prevention and is being misused, and despite losing his own father to prostate cancer, refuses to have the test done himself. Dr. Richard J. Ablin was among a group of 3 doctors who were the first to discover the PSA protein in 1970. They were looking for an immunological marker they could use to test for the recurrence of metastatic prostate cancer that had been treated with surgical removal of the prostate. What they found was the PSA, a protein present in both healthy and diseased prostate glands. Once the prostate had been removed, if this protein was present when tested, then they knew the cancer was recurring. The Problem with the PSA These pioneering scientists supported the use of the PSA test for the recurrence of metastatic prostate cancer, but opposed its use as a screening or detection tool for early prostate cancer, because it simply isn’t accurate for this. In both 1985 and 1993 meetings with the FDA, even doctors who supported the use of the PSA for prevention and screening of prostate cancer admitted it doesn’t detect cancer, and it has been shown in multiple studies to have a 78% false positive rate. Despite these facts, the FDA approved its use as a screening tool in 1994. The approval of this test as a screening tool was a financial boom to urologists, who saw huge increases in their practice volume for evaluation of men with elevated PSA levels. The results, however, have been disappointing, as these original scientists predicted. Results are so erratic that, despite the cut-off level for normal being 4.0, a man with a PSA of 0.5 can have cancer, while a man with a PSA of 11.0 can be cancer-free. The statistics show PSA is so unreliable, as an example, if you had an elevated PSA test in 2010 that lead to biopsy, cancer diagnosis and subsequent cancer treatment, there is a 1 in 50 chance that by 2020 or later, you will have been saved of dying from prostate cancer. But the dark side is you have a 49 in 50 chance that you were treated unnecessarily. As another example, if you PSA test 1000 men as a prostate cancer screening, and take another 1000 men and do nothing, 8 men out of each group will die of prostate cancer – the risk of dying from prostate cancer is the same, whether they chose PSA screening or not. Unnecessary Harm A man’s quality of life is dramatically affected by unnecessary prostate cancer treatments. Prostate cancer treatment leaves over 60 percent of men with long-term impotence and unable to have sexual intercourse, and over 40 percent of men with long-term urinary incontinence and having to wear a diaper at all times. All men are sterile and infertile after prostate cancer treatment, and if they choose to bank sperm, only 50% of those sperm will live, making fatherhood difficult, if not impossible. Despite extensive PSA screening, prostate cancer is still the second leading cause of cancer death in men, with number one being lung cancer. Finally, after 20 years of its overuse, in 2013, The American Urological Association (AUA) came forward with the statement that the PSA should no longer be used routinely. The US Preventative Task Force (USPTF) also came forward with the same recommendation, yet these recommendations are largely being ignored. The motivations behind the continued use of the PSA are no doubt fear and greed. In addition to being a killer, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer found in men, with number one being melanoma. To date, there is no screening test available that differentiates the aggressive form of prostate cancer from the more common, slow-growing, age-related form. Because of this, doctors feel justified in exposing their patients to the unnecessary risks associated with false positives and subsequent cancer treatment. PSA testing is also a moneymaker. Looking at statistics only from Medicare and the VA, over 3 billion dollars are spent yearly on PSA testing asymptomatic men. Compare this to the $300 million allotted to the National Cancer Institute for urological research, it seems financially we have our priorities backwards. Choose Your Treatment Wisely First things first – if your doctor insists on preventative prostate testing, ask for the Prostate Health Index (PHI), instead of the PSA. The PHI is a more sensitive version of the PSA, with 2 additional proteins included that seem to be cancer-specific. A 2015 study showed nearly 40 percent of the negative biopsies that had been done could have been avoided if the PHI had been done first. Second, if your PSA or PHI is elevated, consider transrectal ultrasound imaging before a biopsy or other surgical intervention. This ultrasound does not carry the risk for infection that biopsy does, and creates an image of the gland that shows even small tumors or irregularities. Last but not least, as they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Be proactive and protect the health of your prostate. Protect Your Prostate Naturally Here are 5 ways you can protect your prostate naturally: The Prostate Obeys the Law of Gravity. Heavy metals are called “heavy” for a reason. These dense metals and the chemicals associated with them settle in the lowest places of the body first, typically in the groin and the feet. These heavy metals accumulate from common sources like lead in drinking water and mercury in fish and high fructose corn syrup, or less common sources like our veterans have encountered with Agent Blue, which was used along with Agent Orange in Vietnam, and contained high levels of arsenic. Hair loss, insomnia, fatigue, memory loss, or headaches can be additional clues you have high levels of heavy metals. Here at UNI KEY, we offer the Hair and Tissue Mineral Analysis Test Kit (TMA), which is a test done on your hair sample that shows not only toxic heavy metal levels but essential mineral levels as well. The detailed report you receive along with your test results will give you recommendations for diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes to achieve healthy metal and mineral levels. Dark, Moist Areas of the Body Attract Fungal Infections. The groin is prone to fungal infections like Candida yeast, and the prostate is not immune. Sexual partners can pass Candida yeast back and forth to each other, and these infections can penetrate into deeper tissues like the prostate, even causing prostatitis. A diet low in sugar (known to feed both yeast and cancer), along with keeping the groin clean and dry, and safe sex practices, will go a long way toward preventing fungal issues. Our Y-C Cleanse is a safe and effective cleanse for Candida yeast and other fungi if you are prone to infection, have been binging on sugar, or are on antibiotics. A good probiotic can also help keep the yeast at bay. Boost Your Cancer-Fighting Vitamin D Levels. Studies done in 2015 and 2016 showed men with low levels of Vitamin D were more likely to have aggressive forms of prostate cancer that metastasize, and men who supplemented with Vitamin D for 60 days prior to prostate removal surgery showed improvement and even tumor shrinkage when the prostates were studied upon removal. Just 15 minutes of sun exposure on bare skin each day is all that’s needed for your body to make Vitamin D, and 5,000 IU of Vitamin D3 in supplement form can be used when sun exposure isn’t possible. Shake Things Up with Aerobic Exercise. Harvard University studied over 7000 men who chose active surveillance of their prostate cancer over treatment. The men who participated regularly in vigorous exercise like running, biking, tennis, or swimming had an over 60 percent lower risk of prostate cancer death and experienced better cardiovascular health, not to mention the endorphins all that activity created to lift their moods. For a better quality of life and better prostate health, become more physically active and make aerobic exercise part of your daily life. Supplement with Prostate-Specific Inflammation Fighters. Ours is not the only culture to deal with prostate issues, and by studying natural remedies around the world, we’ve discovered turmeric, IP-6, zinc, fiber, fish oil, tree nuts, coconut oil, avocadoes, pygeum, and saw palmetto to be among the most popular and effective food-based and herbal alternatives out there for better prostate health. Our Prostate Formula and Super-EPA, along with a diet incorporating these anti-inflammatory foods, is the perfect prescription for a healthy prostate.
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Are You at Risk for Cancer?
By James Templeton Just because you don’t feel sick, doesn’t mean you’re healthy. This couldn’t have been more true in my case. I thought I was doing everything right for my health by eating a low fat, almost vegetarian diet and doing long distance running. I thought I was in the best shape of my life! Then I started feeling tired and generally unwell and suddenly I was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma. This means the first 3 stages went by without me even knowing cancer was growing inside my body. You’d be surprised how many people share a story similar to mine. According to the National Cancer Institute, 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women in the US will get cancer in their lifetime, and the warning signs can be subtle. In my case, it was fatigue that wasn’t relieved by rest that prompted me to go to the doctor, because I was worried about the heart disease that runs in my family – cancer never crossed my mind. In others, it’s a nagging cough, a sore that won’t heal, a lump that appears, bloating, or changes in digestion. Your Body Kills Cancer Cells Every Day Every day, your immune system kills 1 million cancer cells. This may sound like a big number, but it’s small considering your body makes over 200 billion new cellseach day. So we all have cancer in our bodies, but a diagnosis of cancer comes when your immune system can’t kill all the cancer cells being made and they start to accumulate. Every healing system out there, including mainstream medicine, relies on this innate power of the immune system to rise up and kill the cancer. Doctors focus on killing the cancer they find by cutting (surgery), burning (radiation), or poisoning (chemotherapy) it, but once they’re done, they’re looking for your immune system to step up to keep it gone. Recurrence rates come from not dealing with the underlying issues that caused the cancer to accumulate in the first place. This makes about as much sense as finding out you have a plumbing leak and just constantly mopping up the water without finding out what caused the water to flood your house and fixing that. What Really Causes Cancer? When I was diagnosed with terminal cancer over 30 years ago, I started with the mainstream medical approach of multiple surgeries and experimental chemotherapy, which almost killed me. I walked away from all of that and found a better, more natural way to heal. (If you haven’t read my story, you can find it here.) In doing the research, I came to an understanding of cancer far different from what I’d been told. An overabundance of toxins bogs the immune system down and keeps it from being able to kill the cancer cells that are made each day. But most toxins aren’t seen, tasted, or noticed as we are exposed to them. There are over 80,000 chemicals in our environment and most haven’t been adequately tested for their effects on our health. Did you know when the artificial sweetener aspartame (Nutrasweet) was approved, the only criteria the FDA required it to meet was that it didn’t cause tooth decay? Once it’s broken down in the body, aspartame converts to formaldehyde, the same substance used to preserve corpses for burial, and is a known carcinogen. This dangerous chemical is now added to even the milk served to children with their school lunches. People commonly think carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides can be washed off their genetically modified food, but when these chemicals are applied during its growth, it becomes part of the structure of the food and cannot be removed. And some grains are sprayed with glyphosate (Round-Up) right before harvest, then ground into the flour used to make the bread, cereal, and pasta you serve to your family. Erin Brockovich gained notoriety when she discovered Chromium-6 in the water supply causing cancers in those drinking and bathing in it. That chemical, which started in a small town in California, is now showing up in municipal water across the country. Flint, Michigan made headlines for dangerously high lead levels in their water, but this is also a common occurrence throughout the country. People receive letters every month notifying them their drinking water has chemicals and heavy metals in levels known to cause cancer, birth defects, and more, yet they throw these notices in the garbage without even researching what they mean. Radiation comes from multiple sources now, from the nuclear facilities in your close proximity to the cell phone you always carry with you. I even saw one children’s playground that had been built right underneath high voltage power lines! Epidemiological data shows brain cancer rates are on the rise, most notably since cell phones have been in use. All of these invisible toxins we are getting through our food, water, and air add up over time and become more than our bodies can process. As a result, the lymphatic system, which is your body’s sewer system, can’t filter it all and becomes bogged down. The liver gets congested trying to do its part to shuttle these toxins out, and instead they’re stored in fat cells, and water is sent to swell those fat cells to dilute the toxins, resulting in us becoming overweight. All of this congestion and backup stresses the immune system, because even if it can do its job, the cells it’s killed have nowhere to go. Overwhelmed and overloaded, your body then grows cancer cells, unchecked. How to Clean House and Clear Out Cancer Risks Learn from my experience – don’t wait until you feel bad to do something about your health. And it’s not too late to turn things around if you are already facing a health scare or were just declared cancer-free by your doctor. I’ve found the Keys to making your body a fortress that can fend off cancer are to Detoxify and Rebuild. Continue reading to find out how to clear out risk factors for cancer. 1. Detoxify Your Body and Take Out the Trash. Anything that stresses your immune system can be a risk factor for developing cancer. Detoxification is the place to start. Not sure you need to detox? The 5 most common signs you are toxic include: Having Low Energy Feeling Cold easily Being Constipated – defined as not having a bowel movement after every meal Getting Sick easily and often Being Overweight Start by cleaning up your diet. Cut out the sugar, which depresses the immune system and feeds all the things you don’t want, from bacteria to parasites to cancer cells. Cancer loves sugar. Eat organic foods, you can even grow your own without chemicals. Choose grass-fed and organic meats and eggs. Don’t eat raw foods, like sushi and salad bars, which are known sources of parasite and bacterial contamination. Mind your mouth. Have your dental amalgams safely removed and replaced with white composite fillings by a good biologic dentist. The mercury and other toxic metals in these fillings could be stressing your immune system and leading to lower energy and neurologic symptoms in your body. Removing root canals and finding hidden dental infections and cavitations will go a long way toward boosting your immune system health. Choose the right toothpaste as well, free of toxic fluoride and unnecessary chemicals. Filter your water, both to drink and bathe in. I don’t mean buying an inexpensive carbon filter that makes your water look clear. Get your water tested then invest in a good filtration system that takes out the contaminants specific to your water supply. Call us here at UNI KEY, we can help. Breathe clean air. Indoor air quality has become a big issue. Get your ductwork cleaned, remove old carpeting, use furnishings and mattresses free of harmful chemicals, have your home tested for hidden mold, and invest in a good quality air cleaning system that works for your specific issues. Big cities with toxic fumes have different issues from suburban areas with high mold and pollen counts, or agricultural areas where crops are sprayed with toxic chemicals. Protect yourself from EMFs and other harmful radiation. Everything from grounding plugs for your home to shungite jewelry is available to protect your home and your body. 2. Rebuild Your Body, Restore Lost Nutrients, and Maintain Your Health. Everything you put into your body should support your health. With so many toxins bombarding us, your detoxification organs and immune system need support. Your gut and your immune system are very closely linked, with 80 percent of your immune system tissue in your intestines, so it makes sense to start with your digestive health. In addition to clean, nourishing foods, probiotic, lacto-fermented vegetables that haven’t been pasteurized should be a staple in your anti-cancer diet. My favorite is Bubbe’s Sauerkraut. These foods feed and seed healthy gut flora, and help your body make and break down essential nutrients. They also help with digestion, immunity, and keeping out foreign invaders. Rebuilding yourself at the cellular level is the key to preventing “bad genes” from expressing themselves. A lot of people think when they get cancer that it was destined to happen because of their genetics. The truth is, while genes may load the gun, it’s environment that pulls the trigger. The most important environment is your cellular environment. When your cells are fed what they need to thrive and toxins are kept to a minimum and ushered out of the body quickly, those “bad genes” don’t have a chance to express themselves. Exercise is an excellent step to a cancer-proof body. It moves your lymph, cleanses your muscles and lungs, and releases endorphins, the body’s own “feel good” hormones, in addition to many other benefits. It’s the extremes that get us, though, when we either don’t exercise at all or over-exercise. Over-exercise, like I did when I was long distance running, leads to lactic acid buildup and free radicals in the body, while stressing the adrenal glands and weakening immunity and stress response. At the other extreme, living a sedentary lifestyle is a risk factor for many chronic diseases. As they teach in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), practice “the middle way” with moderate exercise. Rest, relax, and do things you enjoy. Try to see the joy in taking good care of yourself, rather than seeing it as a chore or burden. Find your purpose, work at a job you like, and learn to manage stress. All of these things will go a long way toward maintaining health and keeping cancer away. Cancer statistics show a third of all cancers are preventable, but I honestly believe that number is much higher. When you take into account all you’re being bombarded with in your food, water, and air, it’s easy to see how your immune system can get bogged down and let cancer cells grow unchecked. But when you remove as much of that burden as you can and nourish your body, it’s like fixing the plumbing leak that’s flooding the house and it goes a long way toward a healthy, cancer-proof body.
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29 Signs of Parasites and What to Do About It
Believe it or not, it’s estimated over half of all Americans will have parasites in their lifetime. And if you take into consideration mosquito and tick-borne diseases, then that number is climbing dramatically right before our eyes. Practically every type of parasite has been documented in the US, ranging from microscopic organisms like toxoplasmosis and giardia to foot-long tapeworms. What You Don’t Know About Parasites Can Hurt You Times have changed and parasites are much more widespread that previously thought. We hold this belief that you have to live in an area associated with malnutrition and poor hygiene practices to contract a parasite, but this simply isn’t true. We worm our dogs and cats on a regular basis but never consider they could pass their parasites on to us just by licking our faces or being in such close proximity. We briefly wash then eat raw fruits and vegetables imported from countries where the hygiene of the workers who picked and transported them is unknown to us. Clinicians are rarely educated on parasitology and are, therefore, inexperienced in recognizing common symptoms of parasites. Even common water-borne infections like giardia and cryptosporidium, which are picked up camping and swimming in lakes and rivers, are still somewhat unrecognizable to the average family physician. Toxoplasmosis that passes from cats is a known concern to pregnant women, but what about the average person who gets a scratch that gets red and inflamed, followed by a fever and dismisses it as a cold or flu and doesn’t get proper treatment? Could You Have Parasites? Take This Quiz to Find Out Answering “yes” to any of these questions is a risk factor for parasite exposure. Do you have pets in your home? Do you live on a farm and take care of animals? Do you go hiking, camping, or fishing? Do you swim in lakes, ponds or rivers? Have you travelled internationally? Do you drink untested well water or unfiltered tap water? Do you eat raw fruits, vegetables, and salads (especially in restaurants)? Do you eat sushi or other rare-cooked or raw fish or meat? Do you eat exotic foods? Do you eat organ meats? Do you eat pork, beef, bear, fish or shellfish? Have you had a variety of sexual partners or practice oral sex? Do you take immunosuppressive drugs? Have you had frequent courses of antibiotics? Do you work in health care? Do work with or around animals? Do you garden? Do you work in sanitation or as a plumber? Have you been bitten by ticks, mosquitoes, flies, or other biting insects? Have you been bitten or scratched deeply by an animal? Common Symptoms of Parasites The warning signs for parasites are also symptoms of other common diseases. If you have any of the following symptoms, and common causes have been ruled out or treatments haven’t been successful, then parasites should be considered as a possible cause. Diarrhea Constipation Gas and Bloating Abdominal Pain Loss of Appetite or Excessive Appetite Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) “Leaky Gut” Syndrome “Fluttery” Feeling of Movement in the Abdomen Rectal Itching Interstitial Cystitis Joint and Muscle Aches and Pains Anemia Allergy Dark Circles Under the Eyes Skin Conditions Granulomas Nervousness Hyperactivity Sleep Issues Headaches Teeth Grinding Chronic Fatigue Autoimmunity Immune Dysfunction Unexplained Fevers Hair Loss Weight Loss or Gain Tooth Loss How Parasites Damage Your Body Once these hidden hitchhikers find their way into your body, there are 6 basic ways they create damage: Cell Destruction. Destroying cells faster than your body can rebuild, repair, or create new cells. This can result in ulceration, perforation, or anemia. Production of Toxic Substances. Producing toxic substances that harm the body. Your body will pump out eosinophils in large numbers once the infection becomes chronic, and while these specialized white blood cells are excellent fighters against microscopic invaders, once their numbers get too high, they themselves can cause tissue damage that results in pain and inflammation. Irritation and Inflammation. Just their mere presence is irritating to your body and causes inflammation. Skin Reactions and Intestinal Damage. Parasites typically come in through the skin or the mouth. In the case of skin invaders, they penetrate the protective layers of the skin and cause dermatitis, local inflammatory reactions, and rashes. Internal hitchhikers can penetrate the lining of the intestines, causing damage and even perforation. Organ Damage. Once parasites get into your organs, specifically the brain, spinal cord, heart, eyes, or bones, the sheer size and/or weight of the parasitic cysts produces damage just from the pressure. If these cysts travel into the intestines, bile ducts, or pancreatic ducts, they can become large enough to cause obstruction. Immune System Suppression. Parasites suppress the immune system and are thought to be a cause of autoimmune responses. They depress immune system function while simultaneously activating the immune system response. Pitfalls of Diagnostic Testing for Parasites Parasitic diseases have been reported in US medical journals as far back as 1963, so why don’t we hear more about them? First of all, your clinician needs a basic understanding of the geographic distribution, methods of transmission, symptoms, and the life cycles of the over 130 parasites that have been found in Americans. You may have already had blood tests show indicators of parasites. For instance, elevated eosinophils on a Complete Blood Count (CBC), or abnormal levels of vitamins, minerals, or liver enzymes are all clues to parasitic infections. But, unless your clinician has a suspicion or you’ve raised the concern for exposure, then it’s likely these tests have not been looked at for their connection to parasites. The tests you can order for yourself that are specific to finding parasites are a comprehensive stool test and saliva analysis. Available stool testing uses cultures and DNA probes, where they look for the DNA of common parasites. The limitation of these tests is that the parasites have to be present in your digestive system and come out in your stool. You can get a false-negative test when the parasites are in your organs, like the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, and aren’t actively being flushed out. This is why we recommend taking Verma-Plus for 2 weeks before doing a test, because it targets parasite elimination and starts pulling them down into the colon. It’s much less likely you’ll get a false-negative test once the parasites have been provoked for elimination. Here at UNI KEY Health, we offer both a Parasite Flexi-Test and an Expanded GI Panel. The Parasite Flexi-Test is focused on identification of 10 of the most common parasites, while the Expanded GI Panel is more comprehensive and also looks for other indicators of inflammation and compromised digestive system function. If you have autoimmunity or bowel issues, we recommend starting with the more comprehensive Expanded GI Panel. Effective Parasite Cleansing – the Best Defense Is a Good Offense Just like poor soil grows fungus, parasites grow when your gut health is poor. Stomach acid, bile, and digestive enzymes are your body’s natural parasite killers. Over time, your body’s natural defenses can wear down and need to be built back up again. Acid reflux and food intolerances or allergies are clues that your stomach acid isn’t up to par. Constipation, diarrhea, gallbladder issues, or difficult elimination are all signs your bile is congested. Undigested food in your stool and bloating are signs you aren’t breaking down your food well and digestive enzymes are lacking. Start by strengthening your gut health – supplement with hydrochloric acid with meals, cleanse and build better bile, take proteolytic enzymes between meals to break down toxins and parasites, and completely cut sugar out of your diet. Sugar is the number one food parasites love to consume. Once all you have all of this taken care of, it’s time for a Parasite Cleanse. Our parasite cleanse kit is a 30-day cleanse targeting microscopic parasites and worms, while repopulating you with healthy bacteria that boost your immune system. Because parasite exposure is practically unavoidable, it’s a good idea to cleanse every Spring and Fall to keep your digestion and immune system healthy. If you walk into any health food store, you’ll find a vast array of products claiming to rid you of intestinal parasites. Did you know UNI KEY Health was started because our Founder, James Templeton, couldn’t find effective parasite cleansing products that didn’t cause painful cramping and fatigue, and decided to create his own? Our parasite formulas are gentle, effective, and time-tested, with positive testimonials from countless happy customers. Regardless of which parasite cleanse you choose, it’s essential you complete it. Parasites may not be entirely gone when you feel better; they could be down to a level your body can tolerate or you may be between life cycles and there are eggs waiting to hatch. Everyone in your household (including pets) should cleanse together at the same time. It’s disturbing, but parasites can easily pass from person-to-person through food prep, kissing, or even from toilet seats. Wash hands and use bleach wipes on counters and other food prep areas, as well as on the toilet seat before you sit down each time. For more information about parasites and cleansing, read Ann Louise Gittleman’s “Guess What Came to Dinner?“, a comprehensive reference guide and the primary resource for this article. If the idea of a cleanse seems overwhelming to do alone, it’s not too late to join Ann Louise Gittleman and the Fat Flush Nation on Facebook for their group cleanse beginning Monday, June 4. They’ll take you through the 30-Day cleanse, step-by-step, with daily support and encouragement!
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The Importance of Intestinal Flora – The Unsung Heroes
There are trillions of microorganisms inside your body right now calling the shots on your health. From moods to metabolism, the 100 trillion or so intestinal gut flora you have are behind the scenes orchestrating a wide variety of your body’s crucial functions. Over time, you’ve collected an assortment of microorganisms from your environment that live primarily in your gut. These “gut bugs” have created their own ecosystem inside you called your microbiome, and the balance between the over 10,000 different beneficial and disease-causing bacteria is so sensitive that if it changes by even one strain, it can change your brain chemistry and lead to anxiety. And if Candida yeast is added into the mix, it can upset the microbiome enough to cause weight gain, bloating, and fatigue – at a minimum. What Your Gut Bacteria Can Do For You Your microbiome health is essential to your overall health; it’s a key player in your immune response, digestion and absorption of nutrients, blood sugar regulation, hormone balance, ability to get a good night’s sleep, stress-handling capacity, moods, how quickly you lose weight, when you’re hungry, and the production of enzymes, vitamins, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Because of it’s role in the removal of toxins and waste, some experts have called it the “second liver.” Understanding what your microbiome does for you is key in everything from losing weight to fighting the flu. Let’s face it – we’re outnumbered. Our bodies are made up of billions of cells, while we house trillions of single-celled organisms, mostly bacteria. The microbiome makes up roughly 90 percent of the total number of cells in our bodies! It’s so important to create an environment inside your digestive system that encourages the growth of the good probiotic bacteria while discouraging foreign invaders like harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Microbiome, Mitochondria, and Metabolism The microbiome is such a hot topic that new research emerges almost daily on a different aspect of health that it impacts. Did you know the mitochondria of your cells – the “power plants” that make energy – are actually ancient bacteria that have adapted to become so beneficial that they are now an essential component in your cellular health and energy production? Their bacterial ancestry is why you inherit your mitochondria only from your mother and not your father. Your microbiome has a symbiotic relationship with your mitochondria and feeds them the fuel they need to give you (and every single one of your cells) the energy needed to stay alive. This partnership is so powerful that your microbiome is able to communicate back and forth with the mitochondria of every cell in your body; each cell can tell the microbiome what it needs for fuel and the microbiome responds back with how much energy it needs for your body to function optimally. This relationship is key to your metabolism. Probiotics like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria produce the exact fuel (butyrate) your mitochondria need to make ATP, the energy molecule. This means when you eat something, the probiotics go to work helping your digestive system break the food down to extract the nutrients, then through their own digestive processes they make additional nutrients for your body to use. Say Bye-Bye to Belly Bloat and Shed Unwanted Pounds Digestive issues like bloating, fluid retention, cramping, gas, and IBS-type symptoms are a thing of the past when you have enough probiotics in your system. These healthy intestinal flora even break down foods you normally have difficulty digesting, like dairy, and turn them into superfuel that fires up your muscles and metabolism the same way exercise does. And if that isn’t enough, these “skinny bacteria” help you lose weight and keep the belly fat off. Build Muscle and Fight Fungi with Lactobacillus Plantarum Probiotic strains like Lactobacillus plantarum also help your muscles perform better during exercise by increasing the oxygen delivered to them, while decreasing your body’s overall inflammation and cleansing your lungs during the process. This specific variety also stimulates the growth of new mitochondria, boosts your fat metabolism, and fights off unwanted Candida yeast and other fungi. Stress Less and Improve Your Moods If you’ve ever felt butterflies in your stomach just thinking of a new love, then you understand the power of the gut-brain connection. Your intestinal gut flora produces and responds to the hundreds of neurochemicals that your brain uses to regulate your moods, mental processes, and physiology. Brain chemicals like GABA, serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, acetylcholine and melatonin are names familiar to many people who struggle with anxiety, depression, insomnia and chronic fatigue, and all are made by your microbiome. In fact, 95% of the body’s serotonin, the most famous “feel good” hormone, is produced by your probiotic intestinal flora, and is primarily used for digestion. Probiotics have a direct effect on your moods, memory, emotions, ability to learn, how you respond to stress, and your pain tolerance. And this communication goes both ways. Even mild stress can change your brain chemistry and subsequently the balance of the microbiome, affecting the immune system and leading to infectious disease. Boost Your Immune System and Fight Flus with Friendly Bacteria The health of your immune system depends on healthy intestinal flora. Roughly 80 percent of your immune system tissue is located in your digestive tract, and for good reason. The air you breathe and what you put in your mouth are the main routes for tiny hitchhikers to try to get inside your body and wreak havoc. Because your intestines are doing an inside job, it’s easy to forget that they are the barrier between your bloodstream and the outside world. The immune system inside your intestines is in charge of fighting the harmful bacteria and foreign invaders, and your intestinal gut flora are the soldiers in this battle. These probiotics not only come to your defense by attacking pathogens like the flu directly, but also make “antibiotic” chemicals that guard against dangerous microbes, while building and maintaining the integrity of the intestinal walls and their mucosal lining. This ecological balance is also essential for protecting the colon from cancer and inflammatory bowel conditions. Build Up Your Probiotic Population Whether you are looking to beat belly bloat, fight fatigue, lose weight, boost your immune system, lift your moods, or prevent disease, minding your microbiome and building up your population of “good guys” is an essential first step. Overuse of antibiotics, sugar, stress, medications, and “bad bugs” can all kill off the healthy bacteria and upset the delicate balance of your microbiome. While fermented foods are gaining popularity as a good source of probiotics, it’s easy to overheat them and kill off the beneficial bacteria or under-eat them and simply not get enough good gut bugs to repopulate. A good probiotic supplement, either on its own or in addition to eating fermented foods, is really the best option when you are looking to increase your numbers. What makes a probiotic supplement good is the amount and types of strains it contains, the form it comes in, and whether it contains the right prebiotics to help the population grow. The three probiotics that have been in use the longest and have the most research behind them are Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium longum. These are beneficial bacteria that should colonize us from birth and are the go-to strains to repopulate after antibiotic use. Lactobacillus plantarum has impressive research behind it, increasing oxygenation of muscles and stimulating growth of new mitochondria to fight fatigue, while at the same time fighting fungi like Candida. And Lactobacillus reuteri shows promise with intestinal discomforts and diseases, from infant colic to Irritable Bowel Syndrome and IBD. Our Flora-Key contains these “fighting five” strains along with inulin, the prebiotic food they need to grow and thrive. It comes as a powder and tastes so good many people use it as a sweetener. Flora-Key is well-absorbed and gets into your digestive system quickly. The loading dose is 3 scoops per day for adults. We recommend this dose because your microbiome numbers in the trillions, while even the most potent probiotics available number in the billions. It takes consistent supplementation throughout the day in high enough amounts to make a difference in such a large and diverse population of intestinal flora. As your microbiome changes and the probiotics begin to increase in numbers, sometimes this reorganization can cause your symptoms to feel worse before they feel better as the good guys “clean house.” This is called a Herxheimer or “die-off” reaction and should only last a day or two at the most. If you have had repeated courses of antibiotics without taking probiotics, or know you have a Candida yeast overgrowth, then Y-C Cleanse can be taken in combination with Flora-Key Probiotic Powder for the best fungus-fighting results. Save 20% OFF Flora-Key and Y-C Cleanse through 6/8/2018 with code CLEANSE20.
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Hidden Toxins in Our Everyday Lives
By James Templeton How conscious are you of the toxins you’re being exposed to? Because our country isn’t paying attention. Most people aren’t aware of the harmful toxins in their food, water and air that are bombarding them every moment of every day. What you eat, drink, and breathe directly impact the status of your health and honestly, most people don’t even seem to care what they’re putting in their mouths. In the words of Joel Salatin, a pioneer in chemical-free farming, ‘Amazingly, we’ve become a culture that considers Twinkies, Cocoa Puffs, and Mountain Dew safe, but raw milk and compost-grown tomatoes unsafe.’ He also had this to say about the current state of pesticide and herbicide use on our food supply, ‘If you have to put on a hazardous waste suit and a gas mask to go visit your food, you might not want to eat it.’ In addition to preservatives, GMOs, pesticides, and glyphosate in our foods, we’re dealing with invisible toxins in our air and water. Radiation is in the atmosphere on the west coast from Fukushima, and whether you’re close to a nuclear facility or not, radiation is in the atmosphere in most places in the country. If your body feels stiff and sore most of the time without a reasonable explanation, you may want to check this map and see if radiation exposure could be the cause. Drinking water contamination is making the news all over the country now, from Chromium-6 (the Erin Brockovich “cancer chemical”) to lead and more. It’s become such a common occurrence to get a monthly notice in the mail warning about the poor quality of the municipal drinking water, that most people are growing numb to the warnings and going ahead and drinking the toxic water anyway. Check the quality of your municipality’s water on the Environment Working Group’s Tap Water Database to see what you and your family are drinking and showering in on a daily basis. It’s not good news. Toxin Overload and the Bucket Theory Because we aren’t paying attention, most of us are overloaded with toxins. It starts early – there’s rocket fuel in virtually all breast milk and cow’s milk. Specialists in Environmental Medicine often talk about the Bucket Theory. Think of yourself like a bucket, and imagine every toxin you come in contact with goes into your bucket. Eventually, your bucket is full and starts to spill over. This is when disease happens, when your body just can’t handle any more toxic exposures. Ann Louise Gittleman says, ‘We spend our first 60 years using up our health to gain wealth, after which we spend our wealth in order to regain our lost health.’ Preventable “Bucket Theory” diseases are epidemic. One third of US adults are obese, with another third overweight. At least 30 million people in the US have diabetes. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women. Almost 40 percent of us will be diagnosed with cancer in our lifetime, and one third of it is proven to be preventable through lifestyle. Just about everyone you talk to has a virus or chronic infection these days, too. People don’t think twice about their immunity, they don’t look at ingredient labels. Some will focus on sugars and carbs now to lose weight, but very few look for cancer-causing chemicals in their food. Just like medications have side effects, so do foods with chemicals. True Health is an Investment Doctors aren’t going to bring all this to your attention and I think that’s because it takes a big chunk of money out of the pockets of the pharmaceutical industry, cancer industry, and illness industry. Sick care is big business. More than $3.3 trillion is spent yearly in the US on sick care and medical equipment. People put their lives in the hands of doctors for a “magic pill” to fix their ills, but they don’t change what made them susceptible to the illness in the first place – they don’t even think about it. It’s time to take charge of your health. Fight for your family and yourself – whether your insurance pays for it or not. I promise you the type of care your insurance is willing to cover is only able to manage the symptoms of an illness; it does a poor job of preventing or finding the root cause of any disease. Taking good care of yourself and investing in your health is a worthwhile, lifelong investment. Tackle Disease by Emptying Your Bucket It only makes sense that if filling your bucket causes disease, then emptying it is the first step to getting your health back. This takes detective work and research; you have to look back in your history to find the toxins you’ve been exposed to. Maybe you lived close to a nuclear facility and were exposed to radiation, or the house you grew up in backed up to hundreds of acres that were sprayed with insecticides and herbicides that got into your air, water and food. Did you work at a full-service gas station and pump leaded gas? Or live in a household of people who smoked? If nothing comes to mind, then start by talking to your family and neighbors. Many diseases that run in families relate more to the lifestyle choices made and foods eaten than to actual genetics. You may have several neighbors in a small radius who all have similar cancers and that can give you clues as to what’s in your environment you need to focus on. Clean Up Your Act Once you become aware of how many harmful toxins you are exposed to, the next step is to eliminate as many as possible from your environment. A good place to start is with the air inside your home. You can’t control the air quality outside, but you can filter the air inside your home and make it as clean as possible. A good quality air filter can be fitted onto your existing air handler or can be a freestanding unit. I trust Dr. Roy Speiser and his air filtration products at cwrenviro.com. Filter both the water you drink and the water you bathe in. Even though it looks impressive when inexpensive carbon filters turn dark water crystal clear, this doesn’t mean the contaminants are all filtered out. Most contaminants that cause substantial harm aren’t actually visible unless they’re present in very large amounts. It’s important to invest in good quality water filters tailored to your specific needs. Call us here at UNI KEY if you have any questions, we can help. Invest in organic food. A lot of people think farmers markets are the way to get healthier food, but if you’re not asking questions before you buy, you’re likely getting the same chemicals you would buying produce in the grocery store. It may sound expensive when you’re told to eat organic, but I can tell you firsthand that cancer is a lot more expensive. Learn to read labels and even get to know your grower. If you avoid drugs and medications, then don’t buy meat from animals that have been raised on them, either. Don’t kid yourself; the pharmaceutical industry is alive and well in the meat and dairy business, too. Free range, grass-fed, organic meat, eggs and dairy are worth the cost. If you are suffering with unexplained symptoms or a chronic disease, I recommend ordering a TMA (Tissue Mineral Analysis) test. Just a small sample of hair is enough to show you which toxic metals you’ve been exposed to and what minerals are deficient. This important test also finds patterns to these excesses and deficiencies and can give you great insight into the root causes of your symptoms and diseases.
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