Some Good News Re Health and Hospitals

If you’re dreading to read the paper (in print or online) because of the tsunami of bad news; here is a great respite:

http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/in-one-of-the-nations-unhealthiest-places-this-hospital-prescribes-fresh-food-from-its-own-farm-20161215

Many herbalists and alternative nutritionists have said for years that sugar is not good for us, especially if you have cancer. Here is a study that shows that sugar consumption makes cancer cells multiply faster:

https://www.salon.com/2017/10/18/study-sugar-consumption-makes-cancer-cells-multiply-faster/

Part 2 of the Microbiome, Subset Virome

This article, written more in lay person’s language, is just as fascinating and mind-opening. This is science as it is being worked with on the ground, so to speak, and is challenging to most of our preconceptions of disease theory. What I love is the sense that we are so much more complex, and the world is so much more magnificent and mysterious than we were taught in high school biology….

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/why-only-thing-influenza-may-kill-germ-theory

Fascinating New Research: We Have a Virome

The human biome is in the news quite a bit lately, and deservedly so. But here is some new information: we also have a virome, and it is just as quirky, complex, fascinating, and necessary to human health. Here is an excellent technical description that is well worth reading even if it challenges our ability to fully understand the science:

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/profound-implications-virome-human-health-and-autoimmunity

What Do the Healthiest People Eat?

I have studied diet and nutrition for decades; have personally tried at least a dozen different diets; and have watched documentaries and experts battle with one another for the “truth” about what diet is best. Here is a great article about a multi-year, multi-country study that is remarkably free of hype:

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/09/moderate-intake-of-things-linked-to-health/538428/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-090117&silverid=MzY1MjgwODgyOTU5S0

A Pretty Definitive Read on Coconut OIl

The “fat is bad for you” and “saturated fat is worse” memes are still going strong. So here is a great article by Dr. Mark Hyman that is straightforward, only a little technical, and clear:

https://www.ecowatch.com/is-coconut-oil-healthy-2460958093.html?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=6d76ed8b5b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-6d76ed8b5b-86116394

Cornucopia: One of My Favorite Info Sites

 

Feb 21 at 6:31 AM

News from the Cornucopia Institute

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Promoting Economic Justice for Family-Scale Farming News From the Cornucopia Institute FEBRUARY 20, 2016 40 Years of Research: Organic Farming Can Feed the World Source: Suzie’s Farm Washington State University researchers looked at 40 years of scientific research comparing organic and conventional agriculture and concluded that organic agriculture can produce sufficient yields, be profitable for farmers, protect and improve the environment, and be safer for farm workers. The review study, “Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century,” reports that organic farms can out-produce their conventional counterparts in the increasingly common severe drought conditions. Consumers are willing to pay higher prices to organic farmers for their efforts to avoid externalized costs like pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Co-authors Reganold and Wachter recommend policy changes to encourage organic agriculture. READ MORE Good Fats are Better in Organic Meat and Dairy Source: USDA A new meta-analysis of 196 studies on milk and 67 studies on meat reports that organic milk and meat contain 50 percent higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than conventional meat and milk. Omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fat, lower the risk of heart disease, improve cholesterol, and more. The higher levels of omega-3 in organic meat and milk are due to the cows grazing on pasture, per federal regulations. Most conventional dairy and meat cows spend their lives indoors, eating grain. Charles Benbrook, one of the study’s authors, notes, “It’s not something magical about organic. It’s about what the animals are being fed.” READ MORE TPP: Bad News for Farmers, Consumers, and the Environment Source: US Embassy Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the largest trade deal in history, was signed in New Zealand this month, among concerns continuing to mount in the U.S. and elsewhere. Under provisions in the existing North American Free Trade Agreement, TransCanada is seeking $15 billion in damages over the Obama Administration’s rejection of the Keystone Pipeline. TPP would open the door for further corporate lawsuits against governments. The Institute for Agriculture & Trade Policy criticizes further negative implications for farmers and ranchers, consumer labeling, food safety, and other state and local policies supporting local food and energy systems. You can contact your Congress members to share your concerns here. READ MORE Glyphosate Most Heavily Used Herbicide in History Source: Mike Mozart Although biotech proponents insist that planting genetically engineered crops decreases the need for herbicides, the introduction of Roundup Ready crops in 1996 resulted in farmers spraying 20 times more glyphosate on U.S. fields, and 15 times more glyphosate worldwide. Between 1974 and 2014, over 3.5 billion pounds of glyphosate was applied in the U.S., two-thirds of it between 2004 and 2014. These statistics from a study by Charles Benbrook, published in Environmental Sciences Europe, are especially poignant in light of the World Health Organization’s 2015 finding that glyphosate is a probable carcinogen. Benbrook hopes his work will stimulate more research and assist with early detection of problems from glyphosate exposure. READ MORE Join Cornucopia’s Board and Staff in Illinois: March 19 Bushel & Peck’s Local Market Meet at Bushel & Peck’s Local Market in Beloit, Wisconsin from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. for an evening of networking and advocacy with Cornucopia’s board of directors and staff. Attendees will enjoy farmer-sourced appetizers and libation. Cornucopia’s cofounder, Mark Kastel, will discuss how, together, we can defend the authenticity of our food supply. Come at 3:00 p.m. to tour a biodynamic vegetable farm with Angelic Organics Learning Center in nearby Caledonia, Illinois. Bring the whole family, and spend time with friendly livestock, including new goat kids! Please RSVP. READ MORE & RSVP CORRECTION: Source: Lotus Johnson In our last issue, a story that we did not author erroneously referred to alfalfa as a perennial grass. Alfalfa is, in fact, a perennial legume. Having trouble viewing this? Click here for a web version. Click here to unsubscribe. Read recent Enews newsletters from The Cornucopia Institute. The Cornucopia Institute is a nonprofit organization engaged in research and educational activities supporting the ecological principles and economic wisdom underlying sustainable and organic agriculture. Through research and investigations on agricultural and food issues, The Cornucopia Institute provides needed information to family farmers, consumers, stakeholders involved in the good food movement, and the media. P.O. Box 126 Cornucopia, Wisconsin 54827 TEL: 608-625-2000 | FAX: 866-861-2214 | www.cornucopia.org

A Doctor’s Insight Into Immunity

After getting sick for the first time in years (a sinus infection that I helped “manage” with large amounts of herbs, vitamin C and rest), I am reminded of how complex our immune system is, and how much more we are learning about it. This link to Kelly Brogan, MD is a good intro to this doctor and her world view, with an emphasis on the intricacies  of immunity. The comments were also interesting.

http://kellybroganmd.com/immunity-emerging-truth/?utm_source=Kelly+Brogan+MD+Newsletter&utm_campaign=172406576b-Immunity+The+Emerging+Truth&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d0f977a8c5-172406576b-121829793

For the 3 weeks I was fighting the infection I refrained from eating any added sugars (I was about 98% compliant). Just before I got sick I ate more sugar than I usually do (which is very little since it seems that genetically I am prone to blood sugar imbalances) because it was the holidays. Just a reminder to self that sugar reduces the body’s immune response. An excellent explanation of this is found in this link:

http://alternativehealthatlanta.com/immune-system/sugar-and-your-immune-system/

Even though I cannot remember where I read this research, it seems that the body does not do as well with single large amounts of oral Vitamin C as smaller amounts spread out evenly throughout the day. To get your blood titer up and constant seems to be the best strategy, and to do that, you want to take about 200 mg. of Vitamin C per hour. When I was sick I used a powdered vitamin C (with bioflavonoids, which help potentiate the C) and lemon juice.

May the rest of this winter be a healthy one for you and your loved ones.

New Organic Egg Scorecard

Once the Farmers’ Market closes down for the season, and the local chickens take their (well-earned) winter  rest, one has to buy eggs at the grocery store. How do you tell which organic eggs to buy when most of them advertise free-range, and humanely raised? How can we get beyond the hype? Cornucopia’s Scorecard to the rescue! http://www.cornucopia.org/organic-egg-scorecard/

 

Free access to cancer info

Dear Friends,

Ever since the first free webinar series (which one could also purchase) about gluten sensitivity there have been multiple series about many pressing health problems. Much of the information has been pretty decent, and often collated from a good variety of alternative practitioners and sources. This one regarding cancer seems like another good bet to watch, with an interesting line up. I’ve earmarked 5 of the 9 episodes as having possibly new information for me, and I study this stuff as part of my business. It’s still tricky trying to process new information as I heal from my accident, but that’s what note taking is for!

So if you’d like free access (which lasts for approx. the time of the episode’s showing and then 23 hours afterwards) please sign up using this linkhttp://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/?pid=293c9a6c-4cdc-4abf-8132-0e16676dc47b:

Too many of my friends and relatives have battled cancer, not always successfully. Let’s support one another in finding ways to prevent cancer, not just naively buying big medical’s hype about early detection. And not all alternative cancer treatments are wishful thinking and quackery: some really work well, even though they are demonized by big pharma.