[spacer height=”20px”] YAHSHUA/Jesus is YAHWEH is what the original clearly says. The original Aramaic agrees, the Greek proves it, and the interlinears back it up. [spacer height=”8px”] This brings new meaning to the method we are supposed to “discern spirits”. We are to “try the spirits, to see whether they be of God” as “not […]
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By Dr. Mercola
Another Thanksgiving has come and gone, which means today you may have a refrigerator that’s overflowing with leftovers. Ironically, the holiday season from Thanksgiving to New Year – a time centered on gratitude and giving – is actually one of the most wasteful times of year.
Household waste, including trash from packages and wrapping paper along with food waste, increases by more than 25 percent during the holidays, adding an additional 1 million tons a week to US landfills.1
As for turkey, Americans buy about 581 million pounds for Thanksgiving, and throw away 200 million of them – that’s more than one-third of it, wasted. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council:2
“Along with trashing uneaten turkeys… [Americans will] be wasting the resources necessary for its production…
…meaning 105 billion gallons of water (enough to supply New York City for over 100 days) and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 800,000 car trips from New York to San Francisco. That’s enough turkey to provide each American household that is food insecure with more than 11 additional servings.”
If you’ve got turkey leftover, don’t throw it in the trash. Repurpose it into another meal. Even the bones and carcass can be used to make an incredibly delicious and healthy roast turkey vegetable soup.
Roast Turkey Vegetable Soup
This recipe for Roast Turkey Vegetable Soup, from Earthbound Farm Organic,3 is perfect after Thanksgiving, but you can make it year-round (and substitute organic pastured chicken, if you like).
It makes use of your leftover turkey meat and, even better, the bones and carcass. The latter, which many people throw away as “waste,” are actually what make this soup so good for you – it creates nourishing bone broth.
Roast Turkey Vegetable Soup4
Ingredients
1 organic turkey carcass (with most meat removed)
2 yellow onions (cut into 8 pieces each)
2 large carrots (cut into 1-inch lengths)
2 stalks celery (cut into 1-inch lengths)
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
12 fresh parsley stems
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
1 large carrot (cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/4-inch slices)
2 stalks celery (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
1 small fennel bulb (cored, cut in half, and sliced 1/4 inch thick)
1 leek (cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/4-inch slices)
1 cup green beans (cut into 1-inch lengths)
2 small zucchini (cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1/4-inch slices)
3 cups cubed cooked turkey meat (optional)
Salt (to taste)
Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the turkey carcass and bones in a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast for 45 minutes, then add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan. Cook until the vegetables and bones begin to brown, 30 to 45 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the roasting pan to a large stock pot. Add cold water to completely cover the bones and bring to a simmer over high heat.
Add the bay leaf, thyme sprigs, parsley, and peppercorns; reduce the heat to a setting that will maintain a slow simmer.
Cook the stock for 4 hours, adding more water if the level drops below the bones and vegetables.
Let cool for 30 minutes, then strain the stock through a colander or sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid. Discard the contents of the colander. At this point, you can continue with the soup recipe, or cool the stock and refrigerate it, covered, for up to 5 days, or freeze it.
Return the stock to a large Dutch oven or 4-quart pot. Add the carrots and cook the soup over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add the celery, fennel, and leeks, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the green beans and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the cubed turkey and the zucchini. Continue cooking until the zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve hot.
Bone Broth Is Healing to Your Gut
Bone broth is a staple of the GAPS Diet, which is based on the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) principles developed by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride. It is an excellent food to improve your gut, bone, and joint health.
The GAPS diet is often used to treat children with autism and other disorders rooted in gut dysfunction, but just about anyone with allergies or less than optimal gut health can benefit from it, as it is designed to heal leaky gut.
If your gut is leaky or permeable, partially undigested proteins have the opportunity to pass through your intestine and access your bloodstream and contribute to allergic reactions. This is known as leaky gut syndrome, or LGS.
When your intestinal lining is repeatedly damaged due to reoccurring leaky gut syndrome, damaged cells called microvilli become unable to do their job properly. They become unable to process and utilize the nutrients and enzymes that are vital to proper digestion.
Eventually, digestion is impaired and absorption of nutrients is negatively affected. As more exposure occurs, your body initiates an attack on these foreign invaders. It responds with inflammation, allergic reactions, and other symptoms we relate to a variety of diseases.
The primary food that you focus on eating if you start out on the GAPS diet is bone broth, because not only is it very easily digested, it also contains profound immune-optimizing components. This is why, even if you don’t have gut issues, bone broth is still a wonderful staple food to include in your diet.
6 Top Benefits of Bone Broth
There are many reasons for incorporating good-old-fashioned bone broth into your diet. The following health benefits attest to its status as “good medicine.”
Helps heal and seal your gut, and promotes healthy digestion: The gelatin found in bone broth is a hydrophilic colloid. It attracts and holds liquids, including digestive juices, thereby supporting proper digestion Inhibits infection caused by cold and flu viruses, etc.: A study published over a decade ago found that chicken soup indeed has medicinal qualities, significantly mitigating infection5
Reduces joint pain and inflammation, courtesy of chondroitin sulphates, glucosamine, and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage Fights inflammation: Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and arginine all have anti-inflammatory effects.
Arginine, for example, has been found to be particularly beneficial for the treatment of sepsis6 (whole-body inflammation). Glycine also has calming effects, which may help you sleep better
Promotes strong, healthy bones: Bone broth contains high amounts of calcium, magnesium, and other nutrients that play an important role in healthy bone formation Promotes healthy hair and nail growth, thanks to the gelatin in the broth
You Can Make Bone Broth from Beef, Pork, or Fish, Too
If you’re not a fan of turkey, don’t worry. You can also make bone broth using whole organic chicken, whole fish (including the head) or fish bones, beef marrow bones, or pork. Each will render a different flavor, with chicken being the mildest. Perhaps the most important caveat when making broth, whether you’re using turkey, chicken, or beef, is to make sure the bones are from organically raised, pastured or grass-fed animals. As noted by Sally Fallon, chickens raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) tend to produce stock that doesn’t gel, and this gelatin has long been valued for its therapeutic properties.7 As noted by Hilary Boynton, co-author of The Heal Your Gut Cookbook: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Intestinal Health Using the GAPS Diet:
“You definitely want to get the best bones you can get—bones from pastured animals. If you can’t find a farmer in your area, reach out to your local Weston A. Price chapter leader… There are also resources to get homemade bone broth if you can’t make it yourself. …If you can only get CAFO bones, I guess you go with that. You can still get some healing benefits. But it would be better to go with bones from pastured animals.”
If you’re wondering when you’ll have time to simmer bone broth for hours on the stove, try preparing homemade bone broth by using a slow cooker or crockpot. A slow cooker is actually an excellent way to go, as it is safer than leaving a burner on for extended periods. To use a slow cooker, you will need to first bring the broth to a boil in a pot on your stove (since a slow cooker won’t boil), then skim the scum off the top. Pay careful attention to this stage, as once the broth begins to boil the scum is rolled right back into the broth. The scum are the impurities that you want to remove. You can then transfer the broth to your slow cooker and turn it on to low heat for 24 to 72 hours.
What Else Can You Do to Reduce Food Waste During the Holidays?
You’ve now got a way to use up all that leftover turkey, including the bones and carcass. But what about your other leftovers? First, reduce the amount of excess at future holiday meals by cooking only as much as you need. There are many free calculators online to help you make an accurate estimate. One to try is the Perfect Portion Tool from Love Food Hate Waste.8 While shopping, look for locally produced foods, which are fresher and keep longer, as well as have a smaller ecological footprint.
You can also make a point to buy the “ugly ducklings” in the produce section, which makes use of food that might otherwise be thrown away. When you store your food, such as produce, create a “vacuum pack” to help protect it from oxygen and airborne microbes that will accelerate its decay. Leave the produce in the bag it came in from the grocery store, place it against your chest, and use your arm to squeeze the excess air out of the bag. Then seal it with a twist tie (or use an automatic vacuum sealer like the FoodSaver).
Next, turn your food scraps into valuable fertilizer by composting. This benefits soil, plants, and the greater environment, while keeping more food waste out of landfills. Finally, donate excess food and garden produce to food banks, soup kitchens, pantries, shelters—and your friends and neighbors. If you’re adventurous, there are even apps available, such as LeftoverSwap, that allow you to swap leftovers with others in your community.
[DELETE PREVIOUS ARTICLES ABOUT BROCCOLI SPROUT BENEFITS] – Requested by DOC
By Dr. Mercola
Science has proven time after time that food is potent medicine. Broccoli, for example, has a solid scientific foundation showing it’s one of the most valuable health-promoting foods around.
For example, a compound in broccoli, glucosinolateglucoraphanin, produces a metabolite called sulforaphane that can significantly improve your blood pressure and kidney function1 by normalizing a process called DNA methylation.
Interestingly, preliminary research suggests sulforaphane may also be of particular benefit for those with autism—improving verbal communication and decreasing repetitive behaviors.
Broccoli Compound May Improve Symptoms of Autism
While limited in scope, the study still shows that food is an important part of the treatment plan for autism, and can have a significant impact on behavior. A total of 44 boys and men diagnosed with autism were enrolled in the study.
Some received sulforaphane in capsule form, while the controls received a placebo. As reported by Time Magazine:2
“The compound was chosen because it can help trigger a heat-shock response, a series of biological events that protect cells from stress during fevers; some people with autism have been known to see improvement in regard to repetitive behaviors, for example, during fevers.
Around 80 percent of the participants had a history of experiencing the ‘fever effect.’”
Positive results were observed within as little as four weeks. Communication improved, as did symptoms of hyperactivity and irritability. By the end of the 18-week study, about 50 percent of those receiving sulforaphane experienced improved ability to interact socially.
About one-third of those treated did not have any noticeable results however, so more research needs to be done to ascertain how and why the compound works in certain cases. Still, considering the many health benefits of broccoli, there’s certainly no reason to avoid it.
On the contrary, I believe part of the reason for its beneficial effect on autistic symptoms may be related to its ability to affect gene expression, inhibit certain detrimental gut bacteria, and promote detoxification of harmful environmental pollutants.
All of these factors play a role in autism, and pretty much anything that will have a beneficial effect on them is likely to be useful to some degree.
Sulforaphane Benefits Gene Expression and Gut Health
Sulforaphane is an organic sulfur compound found in cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish, and arugula—but broccoli sprouts is the richest source.
Sulforaphane has been shown to have antimicrobial properties. It also kills cancer stem cells, which slows tumor growth. As noted earlier, it also normalizes DNA methylation, which plays a role in a number of diseases, including hypertension, kidney function,3 gut health,4 and cancer.
In simple terms, DNA methylation5 is the process by which a methyl group (one carbon atom attached to three hydrogen atoms) is added to part of a DNA molecule.
This is a crucial part of normal cell function as it allows cells to “remember who they are and where they have been.” DNA methylation also suppresses viral- and other disease-related gene expression.
Sulforaphane influences bacteria as well. For example, broccoli sprouts have been shown to inhibit Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria thought to cause gastric ulcers. Interestingly, H. pylori may also play a role in autism.
It is widely known that autistic children tend to suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) problems, with those experiencing the worst GI problems often having the most severe cases of autism.
In one study,6 researchers analyzed the gut microflora of 20 healthy and 20 autistic children using fecal samples, and found distinct differences between the two groups.
Specifically, those with autism had reduced levels of Prevotella, Coprococcus, and Veillonellaceae, compared to healthy children. These belong to groups of carbohydrate-degrading and/or fermenting microbes, and may be critical for healthy interactions between microbes in the gut.
The presentation below discusses the links between H. pylori and autism and language delays, noting that H. pylori can instigate leaky gut and influences genes associated with the speech disorder apraxia7 that affects many autistic children.
Other Health Benefits of Broccoli
Other research has shown that broccoli can be helpful in the prevention of:
Heart disease
UV radiation damage to your skin when applied topically8
Osteoarthritis9, 10, 11, 12
Allergies13
Diabetes14
The sulforaphane from broccoli plays a role in activating more than 200 different genes, which accounts for its varied effects. Fortunately, you don’t have to consume vast volumes of broccoli to reap its benefits. In one study,15 just four servings of broccoli—about 10 broccoli spears—per week was found to protect men from prostate cancer.
Broccoli Sprouts Combat Exposure to Environmental Pollutants
Another major benefit of broccoli sprouts relates to its ability to detox pollutants, as demonstrated in recent research.16, 17, 18 This is important for virtually everyone these days, but especially women planning a pregnancy. Autistic children are known to have higher levels of environmental toxins in their system, and this underlying toxic burden plays a significant role.
For example, one recent study19, 20, 21, 22 found that every one percent increase in genital malformations in newborn males within a particular US county was associated with a 283 percent increased rate in autism. According to the researchers, genital malformations are signs of exposure to harmful toxins.
The correlation between genital malformation and autism in turn offer strong support for the notion that autism is the result of parental overexposure to environmental toxins. Another study23 published last year also found that autistic children have markedly higher levels of toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs). They also had fewer healthy bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium. With regards to the detoxifying powers of broccoli sprouts, Time Magazine noted that:24
“Broccoli sprouts specifically are a source of glucoraphanin, which creates sulforaphane when chewed or swallowed. That compound accelerates the body’s ability to detoxify from various pollutants…”
The three-month long study included about 300 Chinese men and women living one of the most polluted areas of China, a rural community in the Jiangsu Province. The test group drank half a cup a day of a beverage consisting of sterilized water, pineapple and lime juice, with dissolved freeze-dried broccoli sprout powder. The control group drank the same mixture without the addition of the sprouts.
After urine and blood tests were collected and analyzed, the researchers found that the test group, who received the broccoli sprout powder, excreted far greater levels of two carcinogens. Excretion of benzene increased 61 percent, and the rate of excretion of acrolein increased by 23 percent. Benzene is usually found in car exhaust fumes, but can also be ingested via soda, where it can form from benzoate salt—used as a preservative. Acrolein forms from the breakdown of certain indoor air pollutants, from the burning of organic matter such as tobacco, and the burning of fuels like gasoline.
Factors That Likely Contribute to Autism
With autism spectrum disorder now affecting as many as one in 50 children,25 it seems reasonable to assume that there are MANY factors contributing to this problem. Evidence suggests it’s rooted in a combination of toxic overload and other aggravating factors, including but not limited to the following:
Gut dysbiosis, especially in combination with vaccines and their additives like mercury (thimerosal), aluminum, and others, which are known to damage your mitochondria—the powerhouses in your body’s cells that produce energy. Your gastrointestinal system is often referred to as your “second brain,” containing some 100 million neurons—more than in either your spinal cord or your peripheral nervous system.
Vitamin D deficiency. The link between vitamin D deficiency in pregnant women and the proportionate jump in autism has been highlighted by Dr. John Cannell. Vitamin D receptors appear in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain. I believe vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is a MAJOR contributing factor to autism, especially when you consider that vitamin D also helps in the detoxification of mercury. Without sufficient amounts of vitamin D, any subsequent toxic assaults—regardless of the source—will be further magnified.
Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cell towers, and Wi-Fi devices, which can trap heavy metals inside of nerve cells, accelerate heavy metal toxicity, and hinder natural detoxification processes.
Microbial toxins, such as mold. Children with autism not only have overwhelmed detoxification pathways and often heavy metal toxicity, but, according to Dr. Klinghardt, their bodies are also frequently beset by toxic microbes, including neuro-borreliosis, and possibly other Lyme co-infections.
Mercury toxicity. Pregnant mothers may inadvertently contribute to their child’s toxic load via dental amalgams, 50 percent of which are mercury, a known neurotoxin.
Healing the Gut May Be Key for the Treatment of Autism
Getting back to the issue of food, while broccoli sprouts may certainly be useful, parents of autistic children would do well to consider implementing the GAPS diet. Women planning a pregnancy can also reduce their chances of having an autistic child by paying careful attention to their gut health, along with avoiding toxic exposures of all kinds.
GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, pioneered by neurologist Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, who successfully reversed her son’s autism. In her research, she discovered that nearly all mothers of autistic children have abnormal gut flora, which is significant because babies inherit their gut flora from their mothers at the time of birth. Establishing normal gut flora in the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in the maturation of your baby’s immune system.
Babies who develop abnormal gut flora have compromised immune systems, which put them at higher risk for suffering vaccine reactions. If your baby has suboptimal gut flora, vaccines can become the proverbial “last straw” — the trigger that “primes” his/her immune system to develop chronic health problems. This helps explain why not every child is damaged by vaccines, and why autism rates keep rising. More children are now born with elevated toxicity levels and damaged gut flora right from the start… Such is the legacy of our increasingly toxic world. Tack on a few exacerbating factors, and the child’s body simply cannot handle the onslaught.
The best way to prevent GAPS is for the mother to avoid all processed foods, sugar, antibiotics (including CAFO meats and antibacterial soaps) and birth control pills prior to conception as these cause yeast and fungi to grow and also cause leaky gut. This can then be followed by breastfeeding and avoiding the use of antibiotics during (intrapartum) and after delivering. It’s also a good idea to make sure your baby’s microbiome is healthy before getting any vaccinations. Fortunately, it’s possible to rather inexpensively identify GAPS within the first weeks of your baby’s life, which can help you make better-informed decisions about vaccinations, and about how to proceed to set your child on the path to a healthy life.
The entire process for identifying children who would be at risk for developing autism from a vaccine is described in her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, but to sum it up, in her practice she starts out by collecting a complete health history of the parents, and their gut health is assessed. Then, within the first few days of life, the stool of the child can be analyzed to determine the state of her gut flora, followed by a urine test to check for metabolites, which can give you a picture of the state of your child’s immune system. These tests are available in most laboratories around the world and cost a very reasonable amount, about $80 to $100 per test.
In my view, it is absolutely VITAL to perform this analysis BEFORE you consider vaccinating your child. If the test results are normal, the likelihood of autism after vaccines is dramatically reduced. If you find that your baby has abnormal gut microflora, or begins to develop symptoms of autism a year or two later, the GAPS program should be started immediately, as the younger the child is when you start the treatment, the better the results.
Bernadette, widow of murdered farmer David Hall, testifying to the South African Human Rights Commission: “police negligence in farm murders adds to the problem” Caption above: two of the five farm-attackers went on trial: they were acquitted and can never be tried again, because somehow, the SA Police Service (SAPS) ‘had lost the forensic evidence’. […]
ANC regime ignores trauma suffered by Somali captives Debbie Maritz and Bruno Pelizzari – Their Somali captors ‘abused the captured Afrikaner Christian woman while the couple were held captive from Oct 26 2010 to June 21 2012 Nothing illustrates the ANC-regime’s lack of compassion towards its 3,4-million Afrikaner citizens better than the uncaring way in […]
Video: Cruel court order forcibly removes 300 homeless Afrikaners to a rubbish-tip without clean water or schools – in high-crime Muncieville Afrikaans story on http://krugersdorpnews.co.za/239694/video-hof-beslis-wit-plakkers-moet-uit/ What the court-order entails is that 122 very poor white families with an average monthly income of R300 from private donors, and without transport, will have to move […]
Murdered South African children are shot, stabbed, torched, hacked with machetes, bludgeoned with knobkieries, girl-babies are abandoned and toddlers die from sexual-abuse… — In 2013, South Africa was rated as having more than double the world average for child homicides by the World Health Organization. Above: Yet South Africa has signed and ratified the African […]
Die Sirkel – South Africa’s top-secret, derelict nuclear-bomb facility in Pretoria: PELINDABA, South Africa. During the early 90’s South African President F W de Klerk abandoned his predecessor P W Botha’s top-secret nuclear-bomb production programme. The 100 Afrikaner scientists and plutonium-enrichment experts who were building nuclear warheads for the country’s Air Force missiles left […]
An educational discourse on the military industrial complex. Dear Friends, Commander Bob sent this interesting forward to which I have added a response. There is much more to observe but I will lose most of you even with this limited discourse. Carefully review all the photos (at the link) and contemplate the reality of […]
By Dr. Mercola
“Stress is not a state of mind… it’s measurable and dangerous, and humans can’t seem to find their off-switch.” These words of warning come from renowned author and award-winning neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky in the documentary Stress: Portrait of a Killer.1
The film, jointly produced by National Geographic and Stanford University where Dr. Sapolsky is a professor and scholar, shows just how dangerous prolonged stress can be.
As we evolved, the stress response saved our lives by enabling us to run from predators or take down prey. But today, we are turning on the same “life-saving” reaction to cope with $4 per gallon gasoline, fear of public speaking, difficult bosses, and traffic jams—and have a hard time turning it off.
Constantly being in a stress response may have you marinating in corrosive hormones around the clock.
This film shows the impact stress has on your body, how it can shrink your brain, add fat to your belly, and even unravel your chromosomes. Understanding how stress works can help you figure out ways to combat it and reduce its negative impacts on your health.
Monkey See, Monkey Do
Dr. Sapolsky has learned a great deal about the human stress response and its effects on your body by studying primates in Africa. Every year, he spends a few weeks in the Kenyan wilderness studying baboon societies that have intraspecies social and psychological tumult that mimics the stress of modern man.
He monitors their adrenal hormone levels, namely adrenalin (epinephrine) and glucocorticoids (such as cortisol). The fact that baboons live in communities with hierarchical structures led Dr. Sapolsky to one of his most profound discoveries: baboon stress is related to hierarchy, or social rank.
The higher a baboon’s rank, the less stress it experiences. The lower its rank, the higher its stress. More importantly, Dr. Sapolsky discovered that the low ranking “have-nots” of the baboon world experienced higher heart rates and blood pressure than the “haves.”
Arteries in the “have-not” monkeys filled up with plaque, restricting their blood flow and increasing their heart attack risk. This was the first time stress was scientifically linked to deteriorating health in wild primates. As it turns out, the same is true for other primates—for example, us!
Mortality Rates Follow a Social Gradient
Professor Sir Michael Marmot performed a 40-year long stress study in which he followed 18,000 men occupying various positions with the British Civil Service. His findings paralleled what Sapolsky found for the baboons: the higher your status, the lower your risk for stress-related diseases.2
Marmot found that men in the lowest employment grades were much more likely to die prematurely than men in the higher grades—there is in fact a “social gradient” for mortality. Subsequent studies involving women had similar findings. But why would this be—what does your status have to do with your stress?
It’s All About Your Locus of Control
Dr. Sapolsky explains how psychological distress may turn on your stress response in this short video clip. If the link does not work for you, you can access it on the Stanford University website (click on “Related to this Story” in right column, then the tab “More on Stress”). Sapolsky explains how you are more vulnerable to stress if the following factors are true:
You feel like you have no control
You’re not getting any predictive information (how bad the challenge is going to be, how long it will go on, etc.)
You feel you have no way out
You interpret things as getting worse
You have no “shoulder to cry on” (e.g., lack of social affiliation or support)
Like baboons, people at the top of the social pyramid feel a greater sense of control because they are the ones who call the shots, as well as typically having more social connections and resources at their disposal. This results in less stress, which over the long run translates to lower rates of disease. Stress is also closely related to the experience of pleasure, related to the binding of dopamine to pleasure receptors in your brain. The brains of “primate CEOs” light up brightly in PET scans, whereas the brains of subordinate monkeys do not, indicating that life is less pleasurable for the subordinates.
Like primates, people of lower socioeconomic status appear to derive less pleasure from their lives. Perhaps this is why laughter therapy is so effective!3, 4 Overall, men and women suffer from the same stress-related illnesses, but they differ in the types of situations they experience as most stressful. The genders also experience stress differently. For example, women suffer more stress-induced anxiety and depression than men.5 One thing is known to be true for both genders: higher stress equates to a shorter life expectancy.
Are You a Stress Junkie?
The paradox here is that humans have essentially become addicted to stress. There is “good stress” (eustress) and “bad stress” (distress)—meaning, you experience certain stressful experiences as unpleasant and seek to avoid them, but others you may actually seek out because they’re fun. For example, snowboarding, skydiving, rollercoasters, and scary movies are experiences that may flip your thrill-switch—and your body responds to those stresses in the same way as if a tiger were chasing you. Your muscles tense, your heart pounds, your respirations increase, and your body stops all of its non-essential processes.This can be pleasantly exhilarating, and for some rather addictive… you might know someone whom you could describe as an “adrenalin junkie.” A thrill is simply the relinquishing of a bit of control in a setting that feels safe. But when you’re in that heightened state of arousal 24/7, stress takes its toll on your body—whether you perceive the stress as “good” or “bad.”
Stress Takes a Toll on Your Brain and Adds Inches to Your Waistline
Science has established that stress can lead to cardiovascular disease, but did you know that it can also lead to weight gain—of the worst kind? Stress-induced weight gain typically involves an increase in belly fat, which is the most dangerous fat for your body to accumulate, and increases your cardiovascular risk. Stress alters the way fat is deposited because of the specific hormones and other chemicals your body produces when you’re stressed.
Prolonged stress can also damage your brain cells and make you lose the capacity to remember things. The brain cells of stressed rats are dramatically smaller, especially in the area of their hippocampus, which is the seat of learning and memory. Stress disrupts your neuroendocrine and immune systems and appears to trigger a degenerative process in your brain that can result in Alzheimer’s disease. Stress can also accelerate aging by shortening your telomeres, the protective genetic structures that regulate how your cells age. In the words of Dr. Lissa Rankin, author of Mind Over Medicine:6
“Our bodies know how to fix broken proteins, kill cancer cells, retard aging, and fight infection. They even know how to heal ulcers, make skin lesions disappear and knit together broken bones! But here’s the kicker—those natural self-repair mechanisms don’t work if you’re stressed!”
According to Dr. Sapolsky, the following are the most common health conditions that are caused by or worsened by stress:
Cardiovascular disease
Hypertension
Depression
Anxiety
Sexual dysfunction
Infertility and irregular cycles
Frequent colds
Insomnia and fatigue
Trouble concentrating
Memory loss
Appetite changes
Digestive problems and dysbiosis
The Dutch Famine Study
The Dutch Famine Birth Cohort Study (Hungerwinter Study) shows that stress in utero might be followed by a lifetime of poor health. Survivors of the Dutch famine are now in their 60s, and those conceived during the famine have higher rates of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and are in poorer overall health than those conceived after the famine ended. Researchers postulate that stress hormones in the blood of those pregnant women triggered changes in their babies’ developing nervous systems as they battled against starvation. Decades later, their bodies still “remember” this prenatal stress.7
The Dutch Famine Study is not the only scientific research to show that your mental and physical health can be permanently affected by childhood stress and trauma. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study is an ongoing research project that analyzes the relationship between stressful childhood experiences and health outcomes later in life. There is a very strong correlation between childhood stress and many diseases, including cancer, depression, and heart disease.8
Cortisol Can Be an Important Health Challenge
The stress hormone cortisol, released by your adrenal glands as part of the “fight-or-flight” response, is the master hormone that regulates many aspects of your body’s stress response. However, cortisol levels are typically elevated across the board in today’s culture, to the detriment of mental and physical health. The impact stress is having on society as a whole is so profound that Psychology Today calls cortisol “Public Enemy Number One:”9
“The ripple effect of a fearful, isolated and stressed out society increases cortisol levels across the board for Americans of all ages. This creates a public health crisis and a huge drain on our economy.”
For example, elevated cortisol levels are a potential trigger for mental illness and reduced resilience, especially among adolescents. Evidence of the societal affects of unmanaged stress is disturbingly evident on the evening news, with seemingly ever-increasing episodes of bullying, suicides, and mass shootings, which are unfortunate, albeit extreme examples of what happens when people cannot cope. When you have effective stress reduction tools, you and your children are mentally and physically healthier, more resilient and less likely to be depressed, sick, or violent.
Is It Time to Send Yourself to Cortisol Rehab?
Sapolsky’s baboons prove that stress is not inevitable. You can change your environment and your responses. And as you learn how to effectively decrease your stress level, your cortisol will stabilize, your blood pressure will drop, and your health will improve in just about every way. It’s important to realize that stress management isn’t something you save up to do on the weekend—it needs to be done on a daily basis, because that’s how often stress rears its ugly head. There are many different stress reduction techniques, and what works for you may not work for another.
One may enjoy meditating, but another may feel calmer by cleaning house! Stress management is a highly individual thing, and the last thing you want to do is be stressed by your supposedly stress-busting activity. You’ll have to find what works best for you. Of course, making good food choices will support your overall health and increase your resiliency. Be sure to get adequate sleep as sleep deprivation dramatically impairs your body’s ability to handle stress. Several more stress management approaches are suggested in the following table.
Regular physical activity
Meditation: Taking even 10 minutes to sit quietly, such as during work breaks, can help decrease your feelings of stress and anxiety
Mindfulness training and breath work
Yoga: Health benefits from regular yoga practice have been shown to decrease stress, improve sleep and immune function, and reduce food cravings, among other things
Social connectedness
Laughter and levity
Spend time in nature
Music
Have more fun
EFT: Emotional Freedom Techniques
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): Some of the Most Powerful Tools for Managing Stress
When it comes to managing stress, the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) deserves special mention. EFT is a group of energy psychology techniques that involve tapping on several of your body’s acupressure points while focusing on and making specific verbalizations about the issue at hand—in this case, stress. Like acupuncture, EFT is based on the fact that your body is an electrical system, and vital energy flows along invisible channels known as meridians. When you’re stressed, anxious, traumatized, or sick, your energy flow can become blocked, which EFT can help reverse—without the needles used in acupuncture!
EFT has been scientifically shown to calm your central nervous system and significantly reduce cortisol levels. In 2012, a triple blind study conducted by Dr. Dawson Church (who can be credited for the majority of current research on Clinical EFT), found EFT reduced cortisol levels and symptoms of psychological distress by 24 percent—more than any other intervention tested.10, 11
Tapping can help your body repair emotional “scarring” and reprogram the way it responds to stressors. Since these stressors are often connected to physical complaints, many people find that pain and other physical symptoms will improve or completely disappear. There are many styles of EFT, but Clinical EFT12 is the one I have the most experience with and is the best established and best supported by scientific research. If you are interested in experiencing EFT for yourself, please refer to the video demonstration of EFT for stress relief above.
Although the basics of EFT can be learned quite easily, for serious issues I recommend your seeking the help of a qualified EFT practitioner.13 There is an art to these techniques and having an expert guide you—someone who has spent years training in these skills—will accelerate your progress. Working with an expert will also prevent you from falsely concluding that EFT doesn’t work, when you simply need a little coaching and support, especially if you are working on deeper issues such as trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The beauty of EFT is that it can actually reprogram your body’s reactions to the unavoidable stressors of everyday life, providing a lasting effect.
As Sapolsky’s baboons have shown you, stress is an extremely significant player in your overall health. The better you get at managing stress on a daily basis, the better your health will be.
Hatecrime-murders of whites by blacks in SA in 2014 and 2013: Civil War developing in South Africa: Roodepoort security expert Louis Groblerhttp://www.censorbugbear.org/farmitracker/reports/view/2420 Anti-white hiring laws by ANC are killing babies and must be scrapped warns SA Institute for race-relations:http://www.censorbugbear.org/farmitracker/reports/view/2419 Monthly summaries: whites murdered in first six months of 2014: January 2014 murders of whites by […]
Hatecrime-murders of whites by blacks in SA in 2014 and 2013: Civil War developing in South Africa: Roodepoort security expert Louis Grobler http://www.censorbugbear.org/farmitracker/reports/view/2420 Anti-white hiring laws by ANC are killing babies and must be scrapped warns SA Institute for race-relations: http://www.censorbugbear.org/farmitracker/reports/view/2419 Monthly summaries: whites murdered in first six months of 2014: January 2014 murders of […]
“Stand up to the tyranny of political correctness and tell the truth: “ June 23 2014: Frans Cronjé of the Institute of Race Relations in South Africa links babies dying of cholera due to filthy drinking water, to the ANC-regime’s racist hiring laws — Frans Cronjé writes: “On 15 June 1973 the Financial Mail published […]
Murderer Robert McBride’s killer-bomb exploded 28 years ago June 14 2014 – South Africa. Yet murderer Robert McBride, responsible for killing 3 innocent women and maiming 71 other people, now is the head of South Africa’s police-watchdog agency, the ‘Independent Police Investigative Directorate’. Pretoria. On June 14 1986, 28 years ago, Robert McBride – now […]
Afrikaans poet laments: “Our children just go missing; blonde girls, blue-eyed boys… Missing Afrikaans girl Abigayle Schoonraad, 17 found: June 4 2014: Sinoville found back on June 4 2014 Circumstances: Abigayle was last seen at approx 07.15 am when she left Overkruin High School in Pretoria.Thanks SAPS Sinoville/Garsfontein. Thanks Lyttelton Sector 4 for spotting […]
Afrikaans poet laments: “Our children just go missing; blonde girls, blue-eyed boys… Missing Afrikaans girl Abigayle Schoonraad, 17 found: June 4 2014: Sinoville found back on June 4 2014 Circumstances: Abigayle was last seen at approx 07.15 am when she left Overkruin High School in Pretoria.Thanks SAPS Sinoville/Garsfontein. Thanks Lyttelton Sector 4 for spotting […]
Another good and honest Christian Peace Ambassador of Heaven has issued the following “PUBLIC NOTICE FROM OUTSIDE THE PENTAGON” Pray for this brother and all other saints who humbly pray that His Kingdom law governance and His will is done on earth as in heaven. Soon it will come back like the time of King […]
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Ethnic and Cultural Separatism is tolerance for the continued existance of others. In order to love diversity you must tolerate it to exist. Pushing over people’s differences and forcing them all to be one is not tolerating diversity! Now-a-days the races aren’t being tolerated and they’re being forced to mix out their good uniqueness that […]
This one Bible verse can save Theologians 20 years of Bible school: 1John 3:4 “Sin is the transgression of the law.” Listen in on Pastor Crouch teach on the Sin Relationship and transgression of the law. One page handout: Definition of True Biblical Love Cannot Be Lawlessness 1John 2:4 “He that saith, I know […]
Hebrews 12:28 & 29 “Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and Godly fear, for our God is a consuming fire.” The spiritual truth of our God being a consuming fire is mentioned throughout the Bible. Several places in the Bible say […]
DEFEATING LAND TYRANNY in North American and European Republics TRUE American Government is a Perpetual Divine Theocracy, under Jesus Christ and for advancement of His Government on earth, our daily prayer There are many levels of tyrannical government land grabbing (contrary to the human rights laid out in our numerous charters), but there is one that […]
None of the land has ever been ceded to the United States, so there is no need to secceed. The Federal Government owns the land for the other 49 states. But for Texas they can only lease portions of land they want to occupy within Texas. Leases are conditional and don’t have to be renewed. […]
I by no means advocate being a busy body in other men’s affairs. However there are well funded cultural warfare groups who strategically work in many ways around the clock to circumvent every basic principle in Christianity. In every case which the enemies of Christ have attempted to attack His church, those blasphemers have horribly […]