The Benefits of Fasting and Detoxing!

Today we live in a convenience age. You can save time by eating fast food and you can get better by taking a quick acting pill. But chronic diseases are on the upsurge and there appears to be a veritable epidemic of cancer. It seems in this age of McDonald’s health is degenerating. Could there be a connection I wonder? If we were to take a minute to look back at history we would see that something altogether not convenient has been around for several thousand years, and that is fasting. Fasting, or forgoing food is the world’s most ancient and natural healing procedure. When animals feel unwell they stop eating and rest. They know something that humans appear to have forgotten; they know that, by ceasing eating, the body triggers a very powerful cleansing process. This ‘cleanse’ reaches down into every cell and produces truly remarkable therapeutic results.

What happens when you fast? After 24 hours of zero food intake the digestive system no longer has anything to do. Digestive enzymes that usually drain a lot of the body’s energy to accomplish their task ,travel not to the stomach but to the intestines and into the bloodstream, where they gobble up waste matter which comprises decaying and moribund cells, metabolic refuse and other pollutants. At the same time as this cleanse is taking place organs and glands get an unaccustomed holiday; this break gives them an opportunity to purify and rejuvenate. Altogether this operation results in enhanced immune system function which at the end of the day means that health is restored and illness killed off. Benjamin Franklin said long ago “the best form of all medicines is rest and fasting.”

Main stream opinion today tends to dismiss this health-promoting trend as a “faddy and New Age” movement which has scant health benefit. As we have already said there is nothing new age about it at all as it has been around for a very long time. Hippocrates according to some, claims to be the father of modern medicine. His sensible motto provides the backbone to the ‘The Hippocratic Oath’ to which all doctors swear. This is “do no harm”. He prescribed abstinence from food while a disease was on the increase and particularly so as it approached the healing crisis. Moreover, another piece of wisdom from the same source was ‘eat sparsely at all times”. Unlike some pharmaceuticals, none of these practices do harm. Essentially it is a good idea to leave the table with room for a little more, and follow the very sound advice recommended by our grandmothers “feed a cold and starve a fever.”

More recently both Dr. Kelly and Dr. Roderigo suggested that all diseases begin in the intestinal tract. By cleaning the intestines you get rid of the toxins which are the main components of this form of unwellness. Fasting and cleansing with the help of enemas and colonics have become increasingly more popular with those truly anxious to bring their health up to speed. Such treatments have been heartily embraced by people like the Swedes and more and more clinics are popping up in both Europe and  the United States.

Back in the early 1990s, centres specialising in this form of cleansing took root on Koh Samui which was at the time, a much favoured destination of back-packers.  The first Resort to appear was “Spa Samui” in Lamai. The brainchild of American Guy Hopkins and his Thai wife, Toy. It offered a de-tox programme at a reasonable price and immediately became popular with the young people who were coming to the island. It still is popular and d has been featured in major newspaper articles as well as television documentaries. Others under the influence of the model of Spa Samui, followed. For instance Health Oasis Resort situated in picturesque Bang Por arrived on the scene in 1997. As time unfolded it seems the original backpackers joined the corporate workforce, becoming more affluent themselves; they were able to spread their health message to wealthier friends and colleagues who thirsted after a more comfortable detoxing experience. Thus the luxurious Kamalaya came into being, whilst others were to follow a similar model.  Not to be outdone the brand name resorts that began to spring up in more recent times, all offered spa facilities and some even embarked on the detox route. Some are located in very beautiful and peaceful settings.  It goes without saying that some are a lot better than others. Health Ambit Consultancy has great experience in this industry and would be more than happy to recommend a resort that suits your own particular needs.

Alister Bredee

“The Gift In Me!”

"As the New Year dawned an astonishing article in the Australian press proclaimed that cancer had outstripped heart disease as the number one killer in the country. This is quite astounding. What has been going on to cause such a turnaround? “Why”, is a very important question, yet it is seldom asked!
Many believe the diagnosis of cancer is an automatic death sentence. This is simply not true. In its estimations for 2012, the American Cancer Society named prostate cancer as the most common type and projects that there will be 241, 740 cases during the year. Of all of these 28,170 men are expected to die as a result. That means 213,570 will survive. That gives a survivability rate of approximately 80%. This is a far cry from an automatic death sentence! True, the chances of death from some other types of the disease such a pancreatic cancer are considerably greater.
Martin Silverman was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was seventeen. His gonads swelled to the size of an orange, overnight. His mother acted promptly, so he was seen by a specialist within two days. An aggressive terratoma was diagnosed resulting in surgery two days after that. This was followed by a course of radiation and he was then fine!
Two years ago, or 37 years after the original event Martin went for a blood test to screen for diabetes that ran in his family. In Britain, the Health Service also performs a battery of additional tests from the blood sample. He did not have diabetes but instead had a PSA reading of 63. PSA stands for “prostate specific antigen”; a level in excess of four suggests the possibility of prostate cancer. Martin was almost 16 times over that limit. When faced with the side effects resulting from the conventional medical treatment for prostate cancer, he was hesitant about entering allopathic care. However, at the outset his oncologist talked him into taking hormone pills but he alarmingly found himself developing breasts. He stopped treatment and embraced a holistic route instead.
He realized his diseases both developed within two years of a break-up of an intimate relationship. This he saw was no coincidence on realizing that it was the reproductive system that was affected. This coincides with the findings of Dr. Gert Hamer, the founder of “Germanic New Medicine”. Dr. Hamer developed testicular cancer two years after his son was murdered. After years of investigation and many CT scans to back his thesis, he stated that “all illness” was the result of a stressful event that caused a lesion to develop in the brain. The area of the brain affected, impacted directly on a specific place in the body. In this case, the relevant area involves the testicles in men and the ovaries in women. The stressful event itself involves a profound loss conflict.
Martin worked to quell the resulting emotional issues, but the first major change on his route to holism was a radical alteration in diet. He fully grasped that the average western nutrition and lifestyle pattern were a means of committing slow suicide. Out went the staples of bread and meat and in came living raw foods. His journey was much influenced by the Hippocrates Health Institute located in Florida. This was co-founded by the late Anne Wigmore who cured herself of cancer by taking what grass juice and enzyme rich raw foods. Martin feels wheatgrass juice tastes awful but all pet owners will have noticed that their dog or cat goes off and eats grass when feeling unwell. Nobody taught the animal to do this, it’s instinctual. The same impulse applies to humans but we have all been educated away from natural cures.
Aside from the juices, Martin includes sprouted seeds and good quality nutritional supplements into his eating program. He adds coconut water to this, saying it is like drinking hemoglobin. He eradicates fruit as it is too sugary. Sugar is believed to be the main food for cancer cells. Such a diet provides him with all his nutritional requirements and he is now a picture of glowing good health.
Martin is in the process of writing a book called “The Gift in Me”. He is doing this because most men are hugely out of touch when it comes to health issues. This is particularly true in the realm of the emotions. Women are much better at dealing with these issues and so he decided to produce a book written by a man that reaches out to other men confronted by similar challenges. If you feel that this will help, you can contact him via his website…www.thegiftinme.com. The book with the same title is scheduled to launch this summer."
This article first appeared in the Samui Gazette of 25th January 2012

"What a Friend we have in H2O2".

You might know it under other names, namely hydrogen peroxide or simply bleach. At 75% potency it serves as rocket fuel but the overall more common 6% dilution is available in brown bottles from the pharmacy.
H202 should be known as hydrogen dioxide because it contains one more atom of oxygen than water whose chemical formula is H202. Many environmentalists talk about the destruction of the delicate ozone layer which protects the earth’s atmosphere from the dangers of radiation that comes in from outer space. Ozone contains three atoms of oxygen (O3). The ozone layer is formed when the sun’s ultraviolet light splits oxygen atoms in two. The result is a couple of very unstable oxygen atoms. They then combine with another oxygen atom to produce ozone. The weak bonding means the compound is more than happy to get rid of the extra oxygen atom to falling rainwater. The rain produces hydrogen peroxide. You can smell this phenomenon during a rain shower. It gives the rainwater a special quality that makes it very helpful to plants. You might have noticed that rain makes your garden bloom much more luxuriantly than the water from the garden hose pipe. Farmers have been quick to grasp this and now spray their crops using a dilute H202 solution in order to increase their yields. You can do the same thing by purchasing a 6% bottle from the chemist for approximately THB 35. Use the metal cap as your measure. Add a capful to 5 liters and give the plants a treat on watering. You can also use the product as a safe toxic free insecticide. Add five capfuls of H202 to 5 liters of water plus two tablespoons of white sugar stir and decant into a spray bottle. Spray where you see aphids and other parasites. You might have to continue the process a little longer than when using chemicals but the results are much friendlier especially on vegetables.
As far as humans are concerned there is quite a lot of controversy about its usage. The compound is relatively stable and quickly dismutates when exposed to other compounds because it changes to harmless water. In nature oxygen atoms are found in pairs. A single oxygen atom is like a mad dog. It must find another oxygen atom in order to mate. It smashes through cell walls and causes untold damage in this search. These lone atoms are known as free radicals. Some schools of thought think of them as a good thing because they destroy viruses, bacteria and fungi which some think are the main cause of infection. Others like myself believe these play an important role in the healing process. There has been a tendency since the 60s to kick these microbes into oblivion by bleaching and disinfecting everything in sight. We are surrounded by antiseptic sprays and hand sanitizers and yet the rise in chronic illness rises unabated. Conventional medicine evolved from the battle field and has a tendency of talking about illness in warfare terms. White blood cells are responsible for “fighting” bacteria, when they perceive “invaders” they make hydrogen peroxide to oxidize bacteria, watch it froth and bubble as it “puts paid” to the” attacker”. Many feel this reaction is too severe and favor washing the wound with plain soap and water.
It is however, a good idea to keep a bottle of hydrogen peroxide to hand. It is a cheap way of getting rid of household molds and fungus and is an invaluable aid to counteracting insect stings. Pour a capful onto as wad of cotton wool and then dab the sting. You will notice the inflammation swiftly decreases as the swelling subsides in a space of a few minutes. It is a useful remedy for mosquito bites which sometimes form scar tissue if left to their own devices. Try some of these tips for yourself, you may be pleasantly surprised.

“Infinite Horizons”, top notch Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Centre to Open on Samui on May 1st.

“Infinite Horizons” is a luxury “rehab” center slated to open on Samui on May 1st. The property itself sits perched on the side of a hill in the south west corner of the island. The sunset coast is a far cry from the rowdy bustle of Chaweng or even Lamai. In this corner, off the ring road, life becomes much more tranquil and takes on the tone of rural mainland Thailand. Quiet villages nestle beside the sea and acres of coconut trees sprawl upwards to hills that give way to small mountains.
Infinite Horizons perches at the top of a steep road on one of those hill sides. The property itself is decidedly five star. It comprises 9,600 square meters of tasteful luxury nestling beside an infinity swimming pool that affords unbroken views out to sea and the five islands beyond. On a clear day it is easy to see the mainland shimmering in the distance. There are six accommodation types and clients stay in suites that vary from 51 to 161 square meters in size. All rooms face west, affording breathtaking sunset views which can be enjoyed from the privacy of their very own private terraces. Coming to Samui to kick the habit of drugs or alcohol will certainly be a comfortable experience. The program’s creators have decided to limit the number of “guests’ to a maximum of eight at any one time. This makes for an intimate, family sizes community where the client to staff ratio is 2:1. This ideally small number gives rise to caring and personalized treatment programs.
These programs have been carefully designed according to clinical research. They are at the cutting edge of modern clinical practice. As a result the “Center” is able to offer more intensive individual and group psychotherapy than is the usual case. Infinite Horizons is also offering complementary therapies which include luxury spa treatments, yoga, nutritional counseling and natural medicine as well as innovative holistic treatments that have never been seen in a ‘rehab facility’ anywhere in the world. However luxurious the surroundings which are probably unsurpassed anywhere else, it is necessary in order for the project to succeed, to have a professional staff who which is both skilled and dedicated . The creator of this project is the marketing brains behind the venture. He was fortunate to recruit clinical social worker Ian Lyons who has a lot of experience in running “rehab” programs in the United States and elsewhere, including Thailand. The “falang” group are ably assisted by Thai Doctors and nurses, a management team, a yoga teacher and Spa therapists who have all come together to provide one of the most outstanding rehabilitation programs available not only in Thailand but elsewhere, too! When you consider the price of a rehab program in the UK’s “Priory Clinic” franchise, you will find that coming to Samui works out a fraction of the cost. The treatment s are arranged in three programs starting with a 28 day “Detox”. For those in need of a little more assistance there are also 45 and 90 day programs. All programs, besides offering individual and group sessions also have the invaluable component of A.A meetings several times per week.
Admissions to the facility are handled through the Bangkok Office, where all e-mails are seen and then answered by an experienced addiction’s counselor. The reply is confidential and leads to a telephone interview. Once clarity is established secure booking with confirmed dates can be made and treatment can thus begin easily.
On the website there is a short self-assessment questionnaire. This will help the individual determine what his or her needs are and give some indication of the most desirable program length. However, you will still need to undertake the telephone interview before a secure booking can be made. To find out more about Infinite Horizons see their website click here
This article by Alister Bredee appeared in the Samui Gazette of April 29th 2011

“Retreat Yourself”, a new health concept for Koh Samui!” by Alister Bredee

A new health concept launched on Thursday March 3rd. The island is world renowned for its “Detox Resorts”, a concept involving fasting and colonics that blossomed into being in the 1990s. We are now almost twenty years on and little has changed in the make-up of the programs that are based on a concept developed by Dr Richard Anderson and others. Don’t get me wrong, Anderson’s ideas are first rate and his thoughts on mineral deficiency need to be brought to the attention of all. Sadly, few existing Detox programs address the problem because they have followed the same format since inception whilst thinking has changed in this time. This paradigm changed with the dual launch of “Health Republic’ and “Retreat Yourself on Samui” on March 3rd.
This launch is the brain-child of Elicia Woodford who has been on Samui since 2009. When she first arrived she set out to study the ‘Natural Health Facilities’ on the island. She visited the “Detox Resorts” and saw exactly what was going on. Her initial concept was to publish a guide to acquaint visitors and practitioners alike with information on what was available. It has taken time but at last she is ready to offer her extensive knowledge to the public.
“Beach Republic “is the Resort known for its “hip” atmosphere and party lifestyle which now provides the setting designed to lure visitors into adopting a healthy mind set without embracing the boot camp ambiance of most of the island’s Detox resorts. The trend has been for “detoxers’ to go to the resorts for a week or so. They starve themselves and experience an inner cleanse and then move as quickly as possible to another hotel where “they eat, drink and become merry”!
People are not machines and in many cases poor health assessment procedures mean they are embracing programs that are quite wrong for their individual health requirements. Somebody with a low blood sugar condition really should not be fasting. There is this misconception that you have to fast to Detox. You don’t, and a light raw foods and juice program is likely to be more effective and a lot less painful. Secondly, the majority of participants join these programs to lose weight. A week without food appears to be a short cut to rapid weight loss, but it doesn’t always work. It is the underlying problem that requires addressing not just the symptoms.
“Health Republic” is not a Detox Center but a Resort where people come to learn new ways to a healthy lifestyle which is a fun experience truly in keeping with its cool image. Participants learn about the power of juicing and the delights of smoothies as well as gentle exercise techniques that motivate them to continue their feel good quest rather than giving up at the first available opportunity. Oh, and they don’t need to run away to another hotel in order to pamper themselves!
Those who came along to Beach Republic for the launch party were invited to sample the healthy fare. Look out for the coconut kefir; it sparkled like vintage champagne! There were demonstrations that included tai-chi, reiki, a chiropractic evaluation and talks on health assessment, Hawaiian healing and a juicing class. There was an all day steam room and shopping facilities were available where there was access to products including herbal supplements, delicious raw cacao and much more. The launch gave everybody the opportunity to sample some of the benefits that can be derived from this leading edge opportunity found at “Health Republic.”
The second launch of the day was the website “Retreat Yourself on Koh Samui.” This offers information about the island’s healthy services. It provides visitors with information of where to go and what to do to find the answers to their health concerns. Secondly, it lists practitioners, so at last there is a practitioner directory available and thirdly it connects Resorts to practitioners. Many establishments are on the lookout for competent therapists to best serve their guests but they don’t know where to go to find them. This website provides such information. To find out more about these services go to Retreat Yourself on Koh Samui
Alister Bredee is a freelance author living on Koh Samui. He is a health care practitioner (working with the amazing CoRe system to find out more ask about a free introductory session), trainer and a partner in The Health Ambit Consultancy. He also works as a Detox Consultant and Locum with extensive experience. He can be contacted via his website: Health Ambit Consultancy He publishes a regular blog at: www.healthambitblogspot.com. You can find him and the Health Ambit Consultancy on Facebook.

“From Hawaii with Love”

His daughter calls him “Aya Kiwawe” which, means “father” in the Indonesian language. He was born in Texas, went to school in Colorado, and then flitted to California before moving across the Pacific to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Scott is his first name and 12 years ago he decided to “go around the world”. The trip took him to Vietnam and then to Thailand. He came south to attend a “Full Moon Party” on Koh Phangan. He didn’t like the experience and gleefully came to Koh Samui where he intended to spend the night. He has been here ever since.

Shortly after coming to Samui he started to experience poor health. He has a background in organic farming, being passionate about growing food that is chemically free and it was then he met another organic farmer. This time one from Chaing Rai in northern Thailand. She is Ms. Ta and she helped him regain his health when everyone was saying he should go to the Dr and take allopathic medication. Instead she nursed him using Thai herbs and raw foods. The healing was slow but successful avoiding the ingestion of the powerful chemicals that serve as western medicine. She fervently believes that “most all diseases and complications in life are coming from unnaturally produced disturbances.”

They rented a peaceful property on the southern tip of the island where they established an organic garden and Scott was able to practice his chosen sport of free diving. In this manner he is able to bring fresh caught fish back to the table for dinner. This he feels is a “natural way to live… and the better it is for our own bodies and the planet.” Sadly, their natural Garden of Eden is about to be destroyed. The landlady has given Scott until the end of January to quit the property because she wants to profit from Samui’s ever expanding housing boom .He is bewildered by this blow and wonders where to go next!

However, before all this tragedy evolved, Ms Ta had long ago decided to go into business for herself. A few years back there used to be a small Sunday Market at the Spa Beach Resort in Lamai. She had a stall there where she sold local produce, especially good quality cold pressed coconut oil. Coconut oil had experienced a bad press for several years because the Soya Growers of America saw tropical oils as competition to soya. Their PR company contended that coconut oil is a saturated fat and therefore potentially dangerous to health. This claim has subsequently been debunked and coconut oil has recently been hailed as a super food with an assortment of health giving properties. Thanks to Ms Ta’s untiring efforts; coconut oil has gained an important place in the economy of the island.

The Spa decided the stall holders were becoming competitors and decided to get rid of the market. Ms Ta soon found a small development of shops that were opening up across the road from the Lamai resort and thus moved her stall to a more permanent home. Scott was able to advise her on the product line, with coconut oil taking pride of place. Ms Ta’s shop opened three and a half years ago and has expanded hugely; now includes high quality slow juicers like the Oscar and many other items including books. The acquisition of a fridge has led to the introduction of organic products and delicious cacao delights.

Their latest venture has been the introduction of low cost take home Detox kits. The packs include all you need to undertake a home Detox program. There is an enema and psyllium and bentonite come in packets so it is easy to make up the Detox drinks. There are also herbal pills to make the process complete. Visitors can easily take them home in their luggage and some people have eschewed the cost of paying for a program at a resort, having completed a Detox on their own. Check out this fascinating Aladdin’s cave of goodies where you’re next in Lamai. You’ll find it right across the road from Spa Samui or see their website www.thaiorganiclife.com.

This article by Alister Bredee appeared in "Life" section of The Samui Gazette, vol 2 #1 Jan 21st-February 3rd 2011

Hot Yoga Oils the Joints.

Hot Yoga Oils the Joints.

Bikram yoga emerged out of Calcutta in the 1970s. This was shortly after Bikram Choudhury went to Japan to teach and found that too many of his yoga students hurt themselves during practice. This had not happened in his hometown, so he decided he would re-create the conditions of Calcutta and see if that made a difference. So he heated the yoga room to 37 C or body temperature and upped the humidity factor to 65%. The injury rate decreased and he fashioned what is known as Bikram or Hot Yoga.

Traditionally the classes are 90 minutes in duration and consist of 26 postures or asanas plus two breathing exercises. According to Polish born Tomasz Goetel who runs the “Hot Yoga Studio” in Phuket, “the sweat is cleansing because it removes toxins from the body.” “The joints are nicely oiled up to encourage stretching!”

Choudhury himself claims that his system considerably enhances blood circulation by two processes referred to as extension and compression. He says this transports oxygen to every system in the body. We know that oxygen both energizes and detoxifies, so his claim sounds to be of immense benefit to health.

“You must also have mirrors, so that you can see yourself.” What sort of voyeuristic activity is this? It looks to be a long way from early morning asanas in a wooden sala, situated meters away from the gently lapping swell of the sea.

“No mirrors are important. You can admire yourself! They make you look good,” says Tomasz. That’s fine if you have a sylph like figure shining with the polish of youth, but as age takes its inevitable toll this initial bloom gives way to bulging stomachs and flabby muscles, not at all a pretty sight!

“No you don’t understand. Mirrors help you align the body. You can see what you are doing and this simplifies the instructions”, asserts Tomasz who is the founder of “Hot Yoga Evolution”. This is really his take on the teachings of Jimmy Barkan one of the world’s most respected hot yogainstructors.

Tomasz’s classes are for everybody. “This is fun and I practice a sweet and friendly approach. This is a gentle way and all are welcome.” This take was very far from my own views on the subject. Yoga means union of mind, body and spirit, and it was developed as a spiritual form of exercising. It always seemed that this new fad was simply a trendy way of getting fit. A gym workout dressed up in yogic clothes seemed a very far cry from getting in touch with a power greater than ourselves.

Tomasz smiled at this cynicism. “No. it is a supportive endeavor. I work on a multi-level basis by offering individual tuition to the beginners until they can catch up with the rest of the class. Beginners are encouraged to join the classes. True this makes the teacher’s job more challenging but it also lets the advanced students inspire the less able.”

I had met some of his students during “Hot Yoga Evolution” trainings at Absolute Sanctuary in Cheong Mon. Some were stunners, radiating youth and fitness but others I could relate to. Here were men who had passed their forty mark, they carried a bit of weight and did not appear to be super fit.

“It is these people who feel they are in the right place. Once that starts happening they begin swimming with the rest of the class.” That’s one of Tomasz’s claims that seemed to hold water.

Apparently it “takes five classes to get used to the heat and then participants begin to realize that hot yoga is a perfect environment for the non-yoga person. Men begin to relate to the cardio-fitness and ladies understand calorie burn for weight loss.”

Was I convinced? Yes, the exercise related benefits were plainly evident and the talks and lectures that comprised the practical side of the Hot Yoga Evolution training brought out the more philosophical and spiritual elements and so this removed some of my remaining prejudices.

Hot Yoga is available on Koh Samui at Absolute Sanctuary and at Bikram Yoga in Chaweng. Tomasz Goetel holds twice yearly retreats on the island usually at Absolute Sanctuary, so perhaps there is an opportunity to learn from the horse’s mouth. It’s usually the best way. Oh, to track him down, you could try Mr.Google!

Alister Bredee is a freelance author living on Koh Samui. He is a health care practitioner, trainer and a partner in The Health Ambit Consultancy. He also works as a Detox Consultant and Locum. You can find him and the Health Ambit Consultancy on Facebook.

This article first appeared in "The Samui Gazette" of 3rd December 2010

This Will Change the World as We Know It" by Dr. Al Sears

This had such an impact on me, I still remember it: I was sitting at my desk almost 20 years ago. I like to stay abreast of non-medical scientific literature. So I picked up my issue of Scientific American and something jumped off the page at me.
Elizabeth Blackburn had made a truly revolutionary discovery. I'll never forget it.
When I read that she'd found a solution to aging already in our genes, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down something that I still have today. It says, "This will change the world as we know it."
Now, finally, it seems other people think so, too. Elizabeth Blackburn won the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Why all the fuss? Let me explain why this discovery is so powerful…
She and her colleagues had discovered the enzyme telomerase that allows you to rebuild the end part of your chromosomes called the telomere.
Telomeres are like the plastic caps on your shoelaces … only at the ends of your DNA. They keep your chromosomes from unraveling.
But here's the rub…
Each time your cells divide, your DNA copies itself exactly. And every time that happens, the telomeres get a tiny bit shorter. When telomeres get too short, the cell stops dividing. This is because there's not enough of the "cap" left to stop the DNA from unraveling.
In other words, it's the length of your telomeres that let your chromosomes know they can't make good copies any more. It's like an auto-shut-off mechanism so you don't make damaged DNA.
What this means is that telomere shortening serves as your genetic clock. This in itself is a huge discovery, but there's even more to it. After years of research and testing, scientists have found a way to stop your telomeres from shortening.
How? The enzyme that can turn back your biological clock: telomerase.
Telomerase is in all your cells, but it's usually turned off. The key to slowing or even reversing the aging process is activating it.
Telomerase's job is to make a blueprint so your telomeres can rebuild themselves when your DNA makes copies. This way, your telomeres don't get shorter. Sometimes they even get longer.
In fact, Blackburn discovered that telomerase is so important, even healthy, growing cells can have "catastrophic telomere shortening" without the enzyme. And when it's active, telomerase rebuilds telomeres that have suffered shortening.
Eventually, this discovery could lead to immortality. But activating your telomerase has benefits for you, right now.
Old Cells Can Be Young Again. When you get sick, your immune system makes copies of its disease-fighting white blood cells called T-cells. These cells divide over and over again to fight off the bacteria or virus that's invading your body.
The more often these cells reproduce, the shorter their telomeres become until they stop copying. The older you get, the fewer active T-cells you have because they've fought off as much sickness as they can. The bottom line is that when your telomeres are short, your immune system looks and acts old.
This makes your risk for infection and disease much higher. One study looked at about 150 people from 60-75 years old. The ones who had shorter telomeres were three times more likely to die from heart disease. And they were eight times more likely to die from an infectious disease.
Shortened telomeres also appear to be the mechanism for many chronic diseases like:
• Diabetes. When you eat too many carbohydrates, your pancreas is asked to create more insulin than it's supposed to. And to get the job done, the pancreas has to create more of a factory to create the insulin it needs by making more cells. If the pancreas is continually challenged to produce more and more insulin, the cells have to continue to divide. When their telomeres are too short, they can't reproduce anymore. And your body can't make the insulin you need. This is what causes diabetes.
• Atherosclerosis. One study I read looked at men with high blood pressure. Those with shorter telomeres in their white blood cells were more likely to get heart disease.
• Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's patients' glial cells, the maintenance cells to the brain, have short telomeres. Some kind of toxic environmental hazard caused those cells to replicate to defend themselves.
But you don't have to let your immune system grow old. When telomerase is activated, you strengthen your cells by keeping the telomeres long, strong and young. And the younger your cells are, the more powerful they are at fighting sickness and disease.
In fact, for most of the people in a brand new study, telomerase activation therapy reduced the percentage of immune cells with short telomeres by 10-50 percent. And the amount of older immune cells decreased by 10-20 percent.7 This represents an "apparent age reversal of 5-20 years!"
Grow Younger Naturally
Tons of research is going on every day and you'll be reading more and more about telomerase in the coming months. But in the meantime, you can help slow the aging of your cells with nutrients.
One of the best nutrients for activating your telomerase is trusty omega-3. A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association followed about 600 people over a full five years. They found that daily supplements of omega-3 significantly increased telomerase activity.
Luckily for you, there are lots of foods you can eat to bulk up on omega-3 right now. Cold-water, high-fat fish like mackerel, wild salmon, lake trout and herring are good sources. Also, you can eat plenty of raw nuts and seeds. Walnuts, brazil nuts, almonds and pumpkin seeds are some of my favorites.
The good news doesn't stop there, though. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition recently looked at telomere length in about 600 women. Those who used vitamins had telomeres that were on average 5 percent longer than those who didn't supplement.
Three vitamins your telomeres need are B12, C and E. You can get these in a variety of foods.
Unfortunately, in most circumstances, you might not be able to get enough of these vitamins from what you eat. If you can't, supplementing is a good option.
• Vitamin B12 – I recommend taking at least 100 mcg per day. But, you can take as much as 500 mcg per day to help improve your brain function and boost your energy levels.
• Vitamin C – Based on my own experience, taking up to 3,000 mg per day is a good amount if you're currently in good health. And in times of stress or sickness, you can take up to 20,000 mg.
It's very important to make sure you're getting a natural form of vitamin C, not a synthetic form. Natural vitamin C is over 100 percent more effective than the synthetic form. And it can stay in your system longer.
• Vitamin E – There are eight different types of vitamin E. And they get divided into two different groups: tocopherols and tocotrienols. Most multivitamins you find have only synthetic alpha tocopherol. Make sure you get a vitamin with a natural E complex. That way, you get all four tocopherols. Plus, natural E has twice the bioavailability of the synthetic form, so your body can absorb it better.
Vitamin D is called the "sunshine vitamin" for good reason. But it might soon be renamed the "telomere vitamin." That's because a separate study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at more than 2,000 women of all ages. The more vitamin D they had in their bodies, the longer their telomeres were. On top of that, people who supplemented with vitamin D had longer telomeres than those who didn't.
To get some vitamin D in your system, go out in the sun for 20 minutes each day. Your body will use sunlight to make tons of the stuff. If you don't live in the Sunshine State, like I do, you might need to eat some of those same cold-water fish that give you omega-3s. There's also vitamin D in egg yolks and orange juice.
If you need to take a vitamin D supplement, I recommend 2,000 IU a day.
___________________________________________
1 Cong, Yusheng, Shay, Jerry W., "Actions of human telomerase beyond telomeres," Cell Research June 2008; 18:725-732
2 Simon, R., Chan, W. L., Blackburn, Elizabeth H., "Telomeres and telomerase," Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B 2004; 359, 109-121
3 Cawthon, R.M., Smith, K.R., O'Brien, E., et al, "Association between telomere length in food and mortality in people aged 60 years or older," Lancet 2003; 361(9355): 393-395
4 Sampson, M., Winterbone, M., et al, "Monocyte Telomere Shortening and Oxidative DNA Damage in Type 2 Diabetes," Diabetes Care 2006
5 Benetos, A., Gardner, J., et al, "Short Telomeres are Associated with Increased Carotid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive Subjects," Hypertension 2004
6 Farfara, D., Lifshitz, V., et al, "Neuroprotective and neurotoxic properties of glial cells in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease," Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine 2008
7 Harley, C., Weimin, L., et al, "A Natural Product Telomerase Activator as Part of a Health Maintenance Program," Rejuvenation Research 2010
8 Ibid.
9 Ramin Farzaneh-Far, M.D., "Association of Marine Omega-3 Fatty Acid Levels with Telomeric Aging in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease," JAMA 2010; 303(3):250-257
10 Xu, Qun, Parks, Christine G., DeRoo, Lisa A., et al, "Multivitamin use and telomere length in women," Am J Clin Nutr March 2009; 89: 1857-1863, 2009
11 Richards, J Brent, et al, "Higher serum vitamin D concentrations are associated with longer leukocyte telomere length in women," Journal of Clinical Nutrition Nov. 2007; Vol. 86, No. 5, 1420-1425
Dr. Al Sears

Red Alert: Insider Study on Cell Phone Safety Seriously Flawed

Today's blog comes thanks to Dr. Joe Mercola.I feel that this is a very important and yet ignored topic. Daily I see people with cell phones plugged to their ears, who are totally oblivious of the dangers involved. Yes, these phones are wonderful devices but they ned to be used wisely and with a great deal of caution.
"The Interphone Study Group did finally acknowledge the increased risk of brain cancer among long-term, heavy users of cell phones. However, the International EMF Collaborative argues that the study still seriously underestimated the brain cancer risk".

"They found 11 key design flaws -- for example, individuals using cordless phones but not cell phones were considered 'unexposed' for purposes of the Interphone analysis, though exposed to the same radiation."

According to Electromagnetic Health, other issues with the Interphone study include:

* Results were only provided for brain cancers (gliomas) and meningiomas, but not tumors within the 20 percent of the brain's volume irradiated by cell phones
* Risk was not broken down by gender, which may have obfuscated even higher risk of meningiomas in women
* The 5-year old results are woefully inadequate as a gauge of risk today, as adults and children now speak on cell phones many hours a day compared to only 2 to 2 ½ hours a month at that time

Eileen O'Connor, Director of the Radiation Research Trust and member of the International EMF Collaborative, says:

"Four billion people own mobile phones worldwide, many of those users are children. Responsible governments must advocate for public transparency of risks so that an informed public may have more options to exercise precaution".

."YOGA & DETOX” A Good Way to Go says Health Ambit Consultancy.

Koh Samui is well known for being a haven for wellness with its plethora of resorts focusing on detox & rejuvenating program to cleanse and revitalize oneself. Many people think that to cleanse their bodies they need to go through fasting programs, a period of colon cleansing or taking supplements or detox shakes. However, our bodies actually have an in-built natural cleaning process and to aid that process a simple regular yoga practice can be done.

Yoga presents one of the best ways to detoxify your body as the key principle of yoga is working with your breath, and one of the ways to detoxify your body is to simply breathe. Yoga postures aid in detoxification by stretching & loosening muscles and joints which flush out “bad” blood and toxins whilst bringing a fresh supply of oxygenated blood enriched with nutrients. The practice of yoga also helps people feel better emotionally, physically and mentally thus promoting a positive flow of energy within that helps detox the body. Yoga breathing exercises known as Pranayama also help to release stored up toxins from the respiratory system. Styles of yoga such as Hot and Hot Flow Yoga involving Hatha Yoga postures done in a room heated to a temperature of 35 – 37 degrees are especially beneficial for detox. The heat-loss process at work during a hot yoga practice is stimulating and cleansing on many levels. The increase blood flow during a class speeds up the metabolic process of vital organs, and glands, mobilizing toxins for elimination. Many toxins are encapsulated in fat and stored in the body. Heat stimulates fat receptors, activating fat stores and facilitating fat loss and releasing these fat-soluble toxins. Naturally in a hot yoga class, one would sweat buckets and the skin being the largest organ in the body plays an important role in detoxifying through the process of sweating. In many traditions, inducing sweat for detoxification purposes is an ancient practice. Besides aiding in detox the heat has healing properties as it stimulates white blood cell production boosting one’s immune system and speeds up the healing of injuries. A regular hot or hot flow yoga class can certainly contribute in helping the body detox.

For those unable to stand long hours in the heat or can’t get access to a hot yoga class, some simple postures can help. Postures such as Bharadvajasana (Seated Side Twist), Lying Spinal Twist or Garudasana (eagle pose) that involve twists help squeeze out stale blood & when released help fresh blood flow in. Restorative poses such as Supta Baddha Konasana (Lying hero’s Pose), Viparita Karani
(Legs up the wall pose) & Child’s Pose that open up the chest, abdomen & back, help to massage the organs that detox the body such as the kidneys, liver & intestine. Breathing exercises such Kapalbhati breathing involving quick bursts of breath burns up toxins and stimulates the metabolic rate due to the rapid exchange of air in the lungs.


Yoga is not just limited to postures or breathing exercises, hand gestures or mudras are also part of a yoga practice and can also help in detoxifying the body. A simple mudra that can be done after a meal wherever you are is the “pushan mudra” which influences the energy currents that are responsible for absorbing and utilizing food as well as energies of elimination and detoxification. Sit comfortably with thumbs & index fingers touching, other fingers extended. Place back of palms on knees, close eyes, focus on your natural breath and relax for 1-2 minutes.

Wherever you are there is always a simple yoga posture, breathing exercise or hand gesture you can do to help in eliminating toxins from the body. However to reap the full benefits, a regular class will go a long way in helping your body detox itself.

World War II is Long Over — You Can Have Your Coconut Oil Again!

During World War II, the Japanese military occupied the Philippines, Thailand, Malaya and many South Pacific islands, where bloody battles were fought.
The once-plentiful supply of coconut oil was effectively cut off from the United States.
Although coconut oil had been popular both as a cooking oil and ingredient in numerous food products, the occupation continued to interrupt the supply for several long years as the war slowly dragged on.
Enter good old American ingenuity (in this case, not so good for your health).
Manufacturers began to develop alternative sources of cooking oils, and the polyunsaturated oils phase was born. By the time the war was over, there was a lot of money at stake in the promotion of these polyunsaturated vegetable oils.
By the end of the 1950’s, public opinion had turned totally against saturated fats like butter (and coconut oil). Saturated fats were blamed for raising cholesterol, and cholesterol was now viewed as the evil enemy, the culprit responsible for the steep rise in heart disease.
Butter, eggs and coconut oil were out.
The new vegetable oils were in... and erroneously touted as "heart-healthy."
Coconut oil continued to be demonized by the vegetable oil industry throughout the ensuing decades. Adding insult to injury, the soybean industry began to condemn the use of tropical oils, particularly coconut oil.
And I'm sure you realize the reason why — competition... and millions and millions of dollars.
Unfortunately, the tropical oil industry, centered in poorer nations like the Philippines and Indonesia, could not afford to counter the negative propaganda spread by rich American industrial conglomerates.
Science and good health took a back seat to profits, as they have on more than one occasion...
The Hidden Truth About Coconut Oil
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.
Back in the 1930’s, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet.
Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health. There was no evidence that the high saturated fat intake had a harmful effect in these populations.

Coconut Oil – Your Smart Alternative to Those Other Oils

So, now that you have heard the history behind coconut oil's unfortunate "fall from grace", you should also know today's good news: coconut oil is finally beginning to get the respect it deserves as a smart alternative to other oils.
The many benefits of coconut oil are finally reaching the mainstream.
Benefits like:
* Promoting your heart health
* Promoting weight loss when and if you need it
* Supporting your immune system health
* Supporting a healthy metabolism
* Providing you with an immediate energy source
* Helping to keep your skin healthy and youthful looking
* Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland

"Coconut oil is transforming my health! Not only am I losing weight, but my skin, hair (damaged with spit ends), and nails (soft and brittle) are healthier. And it didn't take that long. I just put the coconut oil in fruit smoothies in the morning. Imagine what health improvements my body would have if I (and I will) increase my coconut oil intake to cooking with it!
"Also, my biggest health success with coconut oil has been the support it gives to my immune system. I feel less fatigued, I'm sleeping less, and feeling great! Thank you, Dr. Mercola! Bravo!"
-- J Newman from Monterey, CA
Dr Joe Mercola says:
"If you could peek inside my pantry, you would find two oils that I use in food preparation.
The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat. It works great as a salad dressing.
However, it is not the best oil to cook with. Due to its chemical structure, cooking makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.
And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of all the double bonds they have.
I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets. Why?
Reason #1: Most people believe that frying creates trans fats. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils than trans fats.
Frying destroys the antioxidants in oils and as such oxidizes the oils. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans fats.
Reason #2: They contribute to the overabundance of omega-6 fats in your diet, and the imbalance of the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.
There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health, maintain normal cholesterol levels and even supports weight loss — coconut oil."
Thank you Dr. Mercola for that sound advice!