The longevity factor: happiness from self-satisfaction!

Rich people do not always live longer than  un-rich people.
Eating nutrients-rich food does not always end up longevity.
Living in clean environment does not always guarantee the longevity.
Well-educated people do not always live longer than the illiterate people.
Excising well doe not always results in longevity.
So what can lead to the longevity?
I would say: happiness from self-satisfaction.


If you are never satisfied with what you have, you are often under pressure or stress, causing irreversible changes in your physical body and psychological minds.


So, be simple, be natural, be real, and be happy, then likely live longer!

Health from food: Cholesterol level in food

Name	Cholesterol	Name	Cholesterol
pork	126mg	Tripe	150mg
Lard	110mg	Butter	110mg
pork ribs	105mg	cheese	140mg
Cream	300mg	Fish liver oil	500mg
goat	61mg	Shrimp	154mg
lamb	70mg	Crab	164mg
Rabbit meat	61mg	Jelly fish	24mg
Veal	140mg	Flat fish	87mg
Milk	24mg	Carp fish	90mg
Egg-yolk	2000mg	Crucian	90mg
Yellow Croaker	98mg	Pigeon	110mg
Quail egg	3640mg	Eel	186mg
Sepia	348mg	Shrimp	154mg

Note: Cholesterol level: mg per 100 g or 3.5 oz food.

Generally,no more than 300 mg of cholesterol is taken from food each day.

New Study: Pycnogenol® Reduces ADHD in Children

A new study reveals that Pycnogenol,an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree can balance stress hormones, which lowers adrenaline and dopamine,resulting in a decrease of ADHD in children.

Important ingredients that support neurological, metabolic, and digestive health

Various ingredients that have shown a role in helping those with neurological and digestive health issues. To date, there have been countless studies documenting these effects from some of ingredients like

· Folic Acid

• Vitamin B6 (P5P)
• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin B3
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin A
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Magnesium

No doubt that many people have heard of folic acid, an important B vitamin for many processes in the body, specifically for the nervous system. Folinic acid is the metabolically active form of folic acid and one less step is required for its conversion in the body. Usually folic acid has to be activated but it’s more readily available by using folinic acid. Folinic acid aids in the conversion of sulfur-containing compounds to glutathione, an antioxidant found in the body. Studies on folinic acid have shown improvements in sleep, communication, social interaction in those with neurological, metabolic and digestive needs. The Better-Worse ratio is 11 :1, meaning supplementation with folic acid caused 11 children to get better for every one that got worse.

Another extremely important vitamin is vitamin B6. Food sources include beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables. Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (P5P) is the active form of vitamin B6 and it has been shown that the conversion to P5P is problematic in some children. Some studies have shown a low activity of pyridoxal kinase, which is the enzyme required for the conversion to P5P. For this reason, it is best to only supplement with the P5P form. B6 is also involved in the synthesis of neurotransmitters in the brain and peripheral nerve cells, which are critical for the development of language, attention, alertness etc.

Vitamin B12 is naturally found in foods that come from animals, including fish, meat, and poultry. It’s a vitamin needed for many processes, including nerve cell activity, DNA replication. It’s best to use methylcobalamin, rather than cobalamin, as evidences indicate this form is utilized much more efficiently, especially in children with methylation defects. Every cell in the body expresses the folate/methionine cycle, defects in transmethylation can affect vital biochemical reactions at many places in metabolism. This is important, as some children do have methylation defects. So it makes sense to consume B12 in a form in which it's already metabolically active and maximally reduced, and thereby put less of a strain on our bodies' antioxidative capacity.

Zinc is a mineral that can be found in the following food sources: oysters, red meat, beans, nuts and grains etc. It is an essential mineral that is a component of more than 300 enzymes needed to repair wounds, synthesize proteins, aid in the development and maintenance of the brain, help cells reproduce, preserve vision, boost immunity, and protect against free radicals, among many other functions. It is a known fact that when zinc levels are down, copper levels are often increased. 90% of children with neurological and digestive needs have this abnormal zinc to copper ratio. Excess copper can lead to copper imbalance in the body and organs and copper imbalance in children is associated with delayed development, anti-social and hyperactive behavior, and learning difficulties. Because zinc helps facilitate the excretion of excess copper, it is important to make sure a multivitamin has an adequate amount of zinc. You should avoid copper-containing supplements for these children. Also, the B:W ratio for zinc is 22:1, even higher than that of vitamin C!

In support of the use of these ingredients for certain children, Adams and co-workers (Adams J et al. Pilot study of a moderate dose multivitamin/mineral supplement for children with autistic spectrum disorder. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. 10(6):1033-1039, 2004) conducted a small pilot study using a strong, balanced multivitamin/multimineral formulation. 20 children ages 3-8 years old with neurological and digestive issues. This formulation included the P5P form of vitamin B6, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin B12, calcium, among others. The results clearly indicated statistically significant improvements in sleep and GI health. They also determined a functional need for more B6 and vitamin C in these individuals.

Free radicals: the hidden killers of your health

Free radicals are unstable, unbalanced, and unpaired molecules. They can react quickly with nearby molecules to capture needed electron to gain stability. As they find needed electrons, it leaves behind another unstable radical and a chemically unstable chain reaction of similar events occurs. In this process, delicate biological tissues vital to life encounter a radical, the reactive radical may cause destruction in the tissue/cell, resulting in human diseases. They are very destructive and non-selective.

The typical FREE RADICALS impacting our human body are: Superoxide anion ( O^-₂ and O^-₂ rich salts), Hydroxyl radical ( OH^- ), Hypochlorous acid (ClO^- ),Nitric oxide ( NO^- ),Singlet oxygen ( O^- ), hydrogen peroxide ( H₂O₂),Fatty acid hydroperoxides , and oxidized Protein, etc.

Free Radicals can be generated from metabolism, ionizing radiation, smoke, inflammation, UV, air pollution etc.

Free Radical Attack Related Diseases:

• Cardiovascular Diseases

• Cancer

• Stroke

• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

• Alzheimer's Diseases

• Parkinson's disease

• Emphysema

• Autoimmune diseases (Asthma, Diabetes • • •)

• Arthritis

• Cataracts

Antioxidants have been proven to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. They can neutralize free radicals by donating one of their own electrons, ending the electron-"stealing" reaction. They typical antioxidants and their electron donating capacities are:
( - vitamin E [1e^-]

- vitamin C [2e^-]

- flavonoids [>2e^-]

- OPC [>50e^-]

Effects of Antioxidants:

• Protect us from free radical damage: a leading causes of tissue injury
• Prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol
• Helps cells produce energy (CoQ10)
• Enhance synthesis & protection of collagen (Vit C)
• Protect skin from radiation damage (Vit E, Beta Glucan)
• Improve circulation and oxygen delivery (Ginko, OPC)
• Reduce inflammation (OPC, Ginko, Vit E)

The best way to ensure adequate intake of the antioxidant nutrients is through a balanced diet and/or taking supplements per day.

Detoxification: start from food

There is no doubt that there exists toxin accumulation in our body, which is often overlooked. However, such a silent accumulation may surprise us (cause diseases) someday. Here is a list of food that will help our body detoxification based on experts:

1. Colon detoxification
· apple
· black wood ears
· blueberry
· Grains
· red bean
· soy bean

2. Liver detoxification
· carrot
· garlic
· grape
· aloe juice
· Chrysanthemum tea

3. Kidney detoxification
· cucumber
· cherry
· lotus seed
· CommonYam Rhizome


Certainly it is more effective by taking some natural supplements.

Reversing the process: different approaches for cancer prevention

New directions toward cancer prevention from science studies:

1. Cramping tumors: An old observation about cancer cells may lead to a new treatment
2. Breast cancer: reversing the process. “Although this research does not offer a cure for breast cancer, it does point to the possibility that the disease may be treated or perhaps even prevented through means other than conventional genetic therapy.”
3. Reversing Cancer Cells To Normal Cells. A Northwestern University scientist describes new research to provide unique insights into how scientists can change human metastatic melanoma cells back to normal-like skin cells
4. How vitamin C stops the big 'C'. A team of Johns Hopkins scientists have shown that in mice at least, vitamin C can indeed inhibit the growth of some tumors.
5. Substitute Protein in Energy Pathway Stalls Cancer Growth“We have yet to see the exception of a cancer cell that does not have the M2 version of pyruvate kinase. That’s telling—they all seem to have PKM2,”
6. Too Much Oxygen Not A Good Thing For Tumors.
7. Another Anti-cancer Effect Of The 'Longevity' Protein SIRT1 Identified. From this study,another anti-cancer effect of the "longevity" protein SIRT1 was identified.
8. Resveratrol inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells.
9. Omega-3 Fatty Acids Reduce Risk Of Advanced Prostate Cancer
10. Omega-3 Kills Cancer Cells.
11. Colon Cancer Shuts Down Receptor That Could Shut It Down

Natural way to prevent cancers

· Cancer cells hunger on glucose: Avoid food with sugar and starch to starve cancer cells; fasting, low calorie diet
· Cancer cells like acid environment: Eat alkaline and green food with calcium
· HIF depends on free radicals: Take antioxidants as supplements
· HIF supplement by oxygen: Improve circulation system by taking rich Omega III food and supplement
· Support normal cells: Multivatamins, Vb, Vc
· Support mitochondria function: Resveratrol
· Apoptosis: Resveratrol
· Detoxification

The cause of cancers: findings from scientific studies

1. DNA damage from micronutrient deficiencies is likely to be a major cause of cancer. This study reveals that the deficiency of any of the micronutrients, rather than macronutrients may be the main cause of cancers.

2. Fundamental Process Of Tumor Growth Explained. As reported in ScienceDaily (Mar. 13, 2008), two papers appearing in the March 13 issue of the journal Nature help explaine the observation by Otto Warburg nearly 80 years ago that cancer cells perform energy metabolism in a way different from normal adult cells. The metabolic process known as the Warburg effect is essential for tumors' rapid growth; and they identify the M2 form of pyruvate kinase (PKM2), an enzyme involved in sugar metabolism, as an important mechanism behind this process.

3.The M2 splice isoform of pyruvate kinase is important for cancer metabolism and tumour growth. This study shows that a single switch in a splice isoform of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase is necessary for the shift in cellular metabolism to aerobic glycolysis and that this promotes tumorigenesis. Tumour cells have been shown to express exclusively the embryonic M2 isoform of pyruvate kinase.

4. The Prime Cause and Prevention of Disease. It is found that the prime cause of cancer is the replacement of the respiration of oxygen ... in normal body cells by fermentation of sugar.

5. New Protein That Triggers Breast Cancer Identified. As reported by ScienceDaily (Jan. 14, 2009), Canadian researchers have identified a new protein in the progression of breast cancer. The protein ARF1 plays a critical role in cancer cell growth and the spread of tumours.

Other side of cancer treatments

Let’s see what scientific studies tell us:

1. Chemo has long-term impact on brain function
The researchers from the University of California found that chemotherapy caused changes in the brain's metabolism and blood flow that can last as long as 10 years.

2. Approach to treat bone loss might increase bone cancer risk. As reported by ScienceDaily (Apr. 1, 2009) , the approach developed to treat osteoporosis involves blocking the action of proteins that inhibit the Wnt signaling pathway, which is associated with several cancers.

3. Drug might be more harmful than the disease it is meant to treat.

4. Does chemo for breast cancer cause more harm than good? Currently, chemotherapy is recommended for women with breast cancer that has spread to lymph nodes. However, the chemo does not help most of the patients treated. and many women could actually safely skip chemo.

5. Numerous CT scans over lifetime may increase cancer risk (ScienceDaily,Apr. 1, 2009)

And more.......

If a treatment does not highly selectively target the cancer, side effects are inevitable. If side effects cause more known or unkown problems, we may not use the treatments because some side effects may speed up cancer cell proliferation.

If we understand what cancer cells love and live on, can we try something to cut off the supply?

A check list for cancer / disease prevention

1. Modifiable ("lifestyle") risk factors:
   · Life habit: smoking, and heavy alcohol consumption
   · Environmental factors: Harmful radiation, Carcinogens (Asbestos, benzene, …)
   
2. Diet
   · Reduce intake of foods and drinks that promote weight gain, namely energy-dense foods and sugary drinks
   · Eat mostly foods of plant origin
   · Limit intake of red meat and avoiding processed meat
   · Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, and
   · Reduce intake of salt and avoiding moldy cereals (grains) or pulses (legumes)
   · Restrictive calorie intake
   . Eat more alkaline food than acidic food because cancer cell love acidic environment ( Cancer cell pH: 4~6.5 VS normal blood serum pH = 7.4)
   · Take vitamins/Supplements to help maintain general health and thus prevent disease progression because vitamin A, B12, C, D have linked to reduced risk of various cancers
   
3. Chemoprevention
   · Daily use of tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), typically for 5 years, has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer in high-risk women by about 50%.
   · selective estrogen receptor modulator raloxifene has similar benefits to tamoxifen
   · Recently, Resevertrol is the focus of study
   
   
4. Genetic testing to provide personalized medicine based on Gene SNP
   
   
5. Vaccination
   Gardasil and Cervarix
   Hepatitis B vaccine, which prevents infection with the hepatitis B virus, an infectious agent that can cause liver cancer

Smoking: burn health, burn wealth

Nowadays smoking is no longer a fashion as used to be. Many people start smoking when they have pressure and stress, or feel sad and lonely. It is understandable for this; unfortunately, when it becomes a habit or addicted, it will become a problem.

First, a habit of smoking is to burn wealth. As estimated, the money people would have spent on cigarettes from age 40 to 65 may net $100,000, not counting what you save by avoiding disease.
Second, a habit of smoking is to burn health. Smoking is known to be an important risk factor for respiratory illnesses and can cause the lung cancer, coronary heart disease, mouth cancer and severe problems regarding throat, kidney, bladder and pancreas. Around 1000 Americans are dying each day because of smoking.

When the health is brunt, the wealth is meaningless and gradual shrinking because of the endless medical expenses. Therefore, burning health means burning wealth.

Therefore, for people who are non-smokers, never take a chance to start smoking. When tempted, try something else: talking, singing, dancing, hiking, even yelling or crying …. Thinking about drug!

For people who are smokers, think about quitting now although it is hard. There are always some excuses to give up. But health and wealth are two factors for not giving up. There are so many online resources, recommendations, and tips available for quit smoking. Among them, there is always ONE or more suitable and working for you. Here is one who got the effect accidently.

“I started with nutrition supplements. About 20 days later I realized the differences: I have much better complexion, more energetic, then my stomach pain was gone. About 2 months later, one day I realized that I was out of cigarette for at least 5-6 days, and I never had the desire to buy a pack (I was not a heavy smoker, about 5 or 6 a day, the heaviest day about half a pack), I was very excited and told my friend about it to share the great news”.

This experience can't guarantee it will work for everybody. But it tells us that it never hurts to have try and try something different. One thing is sure that nothing will change better if no action.

New finding on Resveratrol for cancer chemoprevention

It has been known that resveratrol prevented age-related and obesity-related cardiovascular functional decline. A new published study on "antioxidant-Based Lead Discovery for Cancer Chemoprevention: The Case of Resveratrol" provides an idea for designing antioxidant-based cancer chemoprevention agents.

Be aware of the alkalinity and acidity of our diets

The pH of our normal blood serum is near alkali and around 7.4, which is a right environment to keep our body healthy. Cancer cell love acidic environment and cancer cell pH in the range of 4.0-6.5.

Generally, alkaline food is better than acidic food. Here is a list of diets we may need to know:

Alkaline foods:

Vegetables
· Asparagus
· Artichokes
· Cabbage
· Lettuce
· Onion
· Cauliflower
· Radish
· Swede
· Lambs Lettuce
· Peas
· Courgette
· Red Cabbage
· Leeks
· Watercress
· Spanish
· Turnip
· Chives
· Carrot
· Green beans
· Beetroot
· Garlic
· Celery
· Grasses (wheat, straw, barley, dog, kamut)
· Cucumber
· Broccoli
· Kale
· Brussels

Fruits
· Lemon
· Lime
· Avocado
· Tomato
· Grapefruits
· Watermelon (neutral)

Fats & Oils
· Flax
· Hemp
· Avocado
· Olive
· Evening primrose
· Borage
· Coconut oil
· Oil Blends

Drinks
· “green drinks”
· Fresh vegetable juice
· Pure water (distilled or ionized)
· Lemon water
· Herbal tea
· Vegetable broth
· Non-sweetened soy milk
· Almond milk

Seeds, nuts & grains
· Almonds
· Pumpkin
· Sunflower
· Sesame
· Flax
· Buckwheat groats
· Spelt
· Lentils
· Cumin seeds
· Any sprouted seed

Others
· Sprouts (soy, alfalfa, mung been, wheat, little radish, chickpea, broccoli
· Bragg liquid aminos (soy sauce alternative)
· Hummus
· Tahini

Acid foods

Meats
· Pork
· Lamb
· Beef
· Chicken
· Turkey
· Crustaceans
· Other Seafood (apart from occasional oily such as salmon)

Dairy products
· Milk
· Eggs
· Cheese
· Cream
· Yogurt
· Ice cream

Conventional foods
· Sweets
· Chocolate
· Microwave meals
· Thinned foods
· Powdered soups
· Instant meals
· Fast food

Fruits
· All fruits aside from those listed in the alkaline column

Drinks
· Fizzy drinks
· Coffee
· Tea
· Beers
· Spirits
· Fruit juice
· Dairy smoothies
· Milk
· Traditional tea

Fats and oils
· Saturated fats
· Hydrogenated oils
· Margarine (worse than butter)
· Corn oil
· Vegetable oil
· Sunflower oil

Seeds & Nuts
· Peanuts
· Cashew nuts
· Pistachio nuts

The easy and affordable way to supplement antioxidants:eating red grapes and apples

Proanthocyanidin also known as procyanidin oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC), is a class of flavanols, which are natural polyphenols and antioxidants. OPCs can can be found in many plants, most notably apples, pine bark, cinnamon, grape seed, cocoa, grape skin, and red wines of Vitis vinifera (the common grape). Other plants such as bilberry, cranberry, black currant, green tea, and black tea also contain these flavonoids.

Antioxidants replace half of water with electronic rich aromatic rings, a good energy acceptor.

It has been found that grapes are particularly rich in bioactive flavonoids and the highest quantities are present in the seeds and skin; These flavonoids are predominantly OPCs, oligomers of catechin, epicatechin, and epicatechin-3-gallate, as well as the individual monomers; In the skin of red grapes, large amounts of anthocyanins and resveratrol are found.

So, please eat red grapes and apples if possible to intake more antioxidants!

Epidemiologic data showed an inverse correlation between wine consumption and cardiovascular disease (the “French Paradox”) and significant evidence has emerged on the health benefits of grape flavonoids such as reduced oxidative stress; decreased low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and platelet activation inhibition; lowered plasma tumor necrosis factor-a (J Med Food. 2003; 6:291-299. FASEB J. 2003; 17:1975-1985. Eur Heart J. 2007; 28:1683-1693. J Nutr. 2005; 135:1911-1917).

A recent clinic study by Cesaronea et al (Angiology, Vol. 59, No. 4, 408-414 (2008)) about the Isotonic Bioflavonoid Formula OPC-3 demonstrated:

• 
  
  Plasma oxidative stress status was significantly lowered by 10.1% with OPC-3.


• 
  
  All major cardiovascular risk factors were improved with blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose lowered.


• 
  
  OPC-3 significantly improved endothelial function as evaluated by increased vasorelaxation in reactive hyperemia and enhanced diastolic carotid artery flow.


• 
  
  Skin microcirculation was enhanced, and better tissue perfusion led to significantly increased transcutaneous oxygen partial pressure and decreased pCO2.


• 
  
  A dramatic and significant plasma C-reactive protein decrease by 52.1% occurred.
  

Something about Omega-3 fish oil on rheumatoid arthritis

There are many clinical studies to support that Omega-3 have significantly relieved the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Here is some information published:

• “Omega-3 fatty acids also are used to treat hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis. There are no significant drug interactions with omega-3 fatty acids.”…” Higher dosages of omega-3 fatty acids are required to reduce elevated triglyceride levels (2 to 4 g per day) and to reduce morning stiffness and the number of tender joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (at least 3 g per day).”---------- “Omega-3 fatty acids”, Covington MB. Am Fam Physician. 2004 Jul 1; 70(1):133-40.

• “In the last years a variety of epidemiological and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of fish oil supplementation in the rheumatic diseases, in particular in rheumatoid arthritis.”------ “Fish oil supplementation in rheumatoid arthritis”, Sales C, Oliviero F, Spinella P. Reumatismo. 2008 Jul-Sep; 60(3):174-9.

• “A number of double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of gamma-linolenic acid and fish oil in rheumatoid arthritis have shown significant improvements in a variety of clinical outcomes. These fatty acids should be included as part of the normal therapeutic approach to rheumatoid arthritis.”----- "Polyunsaturated fatty acids and rheumatoid arthritis”, Calder PC, Zurier RB., Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2001 Mar; 4(2):115-21.

Note: This information is not intended to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of any specific medical condition.

Public health recommendations from the study of "Diet, Nutrition, and the prevention of cancer"

A paper titled "Diet, nutrition and the prevention of cancer"(Key TJ et al. Public Health Nutr. 2004 Feb; 7(1A):187-200) provides a good view of the current state of knowledge on diet and cancer. Here are the summarized analysis and recommendations from this study:

1. Try to maintain body mass index (BMI) in the range of 18.5–25.0 kg/m2, and avoid weight gain in adulthood, which can avoid the risk for cancers of the esophagus, colorectum, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, and kidney due to the obesity.

2. It is necessary to engage in regular physical activity to reduce the risk for colorectal cancer and probably the risk for breast cancer.

3. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is not recommended: if consumed, do not exceed 2 units/d (1 unit is equivalent to approximately 10 g of alcohol and is provided by one glass of beer, wine or spirits). Alcohol causes cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus and liver, and a small increase in the risk for breast cancer.

4. Aflatoxin in foods will cause liver cancer, to which the exposure should be minimized.

5. Chinese-style salted fish increases the risk for nasopharyngeal cancer and should only be eaten in moderation, especially during childhood. Overall consumption of salt-preserved foods and salted fish should be moderate.

6. It is necessary to have a diet which includes at least 400 g/d of total fruit and vegetables, which probably reduce the risk for cancers of the oral cavity, esophagus, stomach and colorectum.

7. Those who are not vegetarian are advised to moderate consumption of preserved meat (e.g. sausages, salami, bacon, ham etc.) and red meat (e.g. beef, pork, lamb). Preserved meat and red meat probably increase the risk for colorectal cancer. Salt preserved foods and high salt intake probably increase the risk for stomach cancer. Poultry and fish (except Chinese-style salted fish, see 5. above) have been studied and found not to be associated with increased cancer risk.

8. Do not consume foods or drinks when they are at a very hot (scalding hot) temperature, which probably increase the risk for cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx and esophagus.

We are lost in the technology advancement

We have more experts but more problems; we have better medicines but less health.

We are living in a so-called modernized society with rapid advancement in science and technology, which change the way of our life styles: We do not need work hard in the farm and still have enough food to fill the refrigerators; We do not need cook very often because of the abundance of fast, processed, and canned food everywhere; We do not need walk a lot but can still reach every corner of the earth; we can learn any happenings without leaving home because of all kinds of electronics equipped at home; We do not need worry much about the risk of flu to kill us anymore because of the availability of high-tech antibiotics to kill bacteria or virus; we do not need worry about the difficulty of cleaning our home because of all kinds of available effective chemical cleaning agents to make the work much easier.

Admittedly, technology extends our ability and creates convenience for our daily life. However, are we happier or healthier?

Look at America, a nation with the most advanced science and technology but also a country with the highest percentage of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritics, and obesity. The advancement of science & technology also bring the side effect for your health.

Agriculture modernization can produce more food that can feed more people but also causes health problems. The fast production of crop/vegetable/fruit in a large scare is realized with the help of fertilizer. Gradually, our land contains only carbon, phosphor, and potassium and is lack of most minerals that human body need. Accordingly the food and fruit produced from these lands cannot meet the need of our body to the necessary minerals that causes many chronic diseases. In addition, farmers often use insecticides to protect plant/crops from the insects but reduce the amount of antioxidants in the food and fruits. The worst thing is that the vegetables and fruits are usually harvested before they really get ripe for convenient storage and transportation, which cause the lack of super-antioxidants produced when they are fully grown. The remaining antioxidants are partially often damaged during cooking. As a result, our body is lack of radical species scavenger. It have been confirmed that free radical species are the root of theses common diseases such as aging, diabetes, cancer, and heart attack etc.

Fast/canned/processed food save our time and provide us with convenience but also cause the health problems. Nowadays, people are getting busier and busier and have no time cook at home. It looks fortunate that the market is filled with low cost tempting fast food and convenient canned/processed food and many people consider these foods as primary menu and gradually form a habit to eat these foods. Unfortunately, fast food contains high calories and saturated fats that are found to contribute to obesity, high blood pressure, cholesterols, strokes, heart attacks and few types of cancers. For canned food, the heating process during canning destroys ~1/3-1/2 of vitamins A and C, riboflavin, and thiamin. For every year the food is stored, canned food loses an additional 5 to 20% of these vitamins. As a result, canned food contains less nutrients but more artificial flavors and preservatives that may cause cell mutation and even cancers. Processed meats such as sausages, hot dogs, bacon, jerky and lunch meats are full of sodium nitrate which is added as preservatives that are considered as precursor to cancer.

Modern transportation speeds up our commuting and travels but also accelerate environment pollution as well as generate a large amount of noise, which causes pollution (for our air, water, and food) and stress; and accordingly threatens our health.

Nowadays most families are equipped with high-tech electronic products such as TV, Home Theatre, computer, cell phone, and telephone, which help us kill most of our spare time and know the events in the world at home. On the other hand, it also keeps us at home, no longer going out for exercise and enjoying the freshness and serenity of nature, and no time to visit friends. More seriously, these electronics also produce silent noise--radio waves to pollute our space and harm our health.

The advancement of medical science makes us become more dependence on medicine (especially antibiotics) to maintain our wellness and pay less attention to our food and the exercise, which cause the imbalance of nutritious and fat accumulation. Sooner or later, our immune system was gradually weakened and loses the ability to defend the invasion of bacteria. The side effects of these medicines with a long-term and over dosage taking will trigger cancer and various chronic diseases as well as the ineffectiness of our body to those medicines.

We get used of using synthesized chemicals to clean or “fresh” our home. However these chemicals just de-color or “hide” the odor rather than really remove the dirty/harmful contaminants. These chemical will cause diseases associated with our breath system, especially for children. For example, the antibacterial ingredients in detergents do not really kill bacteria in our kitchen utensils but may cultivate super bacteria.

These days life is not as easy as what we imagine. For some reasons, we have to work hard, sacrifice the time with our family, and stand for more pressure and stress from our work, which will eat our wellness and is the top reason for people to smoke, addiction to alcohol and drug, and even suicide.

Obviously we cannot be back to old days with traditional life styles.

What can we do for a change? Can we be back to nature?

• Eat what you know: Try to shop food at farmer’s market and cook more at home with those raw and fresh materials; Be away from fried meats
• Supplement some nutrition extracted from natural plants
• No electronic devices at bedrooms
• More outdoor activities
• Listen to more peaceful music

What else?

Physical beauty starts from the inside

Everybody has the desire to have beautiful appearance and looks with healthy skin. However, it is not enough to seek only cosmetics.

These days, we are not living in a very clean and healthy environment. We breathe polluted air; we eat and drink food containing artificial hormone, flavors, and colorants; we take too much antibiotics; we have too much pressure in a fast pace and competitive society. All of these factors weaken our inner organs to function well and cause too much toxin accumulation, which result in some healthy problems, and accordingly beauty issues. Most people know the four basic steps improving and defending the quality of our skin: cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing and protecting. Experts agree that there's also a lesser-known but critical fifth step: nourishing from the inside out, which is a new beauty concept: to cleanse from the inside and maintain from the outside. The real physical beauty starts with great nutrition from the inside of body with an example as follows:

1. Cleanse our body of unwanted toxins, colon build-up and parasites, which is an essential element in obtaining and maintaining health. No health, no beauty.
2. Supplement enzymes and good bacteria that promote the absorption of nutrients, support a healthy digestive tract, and immune functions to achieve a general wellness.
3. Take a vegetable-rich diet to aid in adjusting pH of digestive tract to near alkali and remove heavy metals.
4. Take any food or drink to provide necessary amino acids and minerals such as Aloe juice.
5. Take nutrition to maintain healthy collagen and elastin levels to help preserve the elasticity of skin.

With good health inside accompanied by Do-It-Yourself maintenance from the outside, you will be beautiful from the inside to the outside.

Have you tried this before? What is your opinion?

What should we drink: milk or soybean milk?

1. About milk!

Believe or not? Please read the following reports:

“Drinking any type of cow’s milk noticeably raises body levels of insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), a naturally occurring hormone in both cows and humans. Elevated levels of IGF-1 have been associated with increased risk of breast cancer.”

"Another food additive of concern is zeranol, a growth promoter used in the beef industry that mimics the effects of natural estradiol in the body. "

For many years, I have been advised not to eat “RED” meat, which has more toxin accumulation. For the sake of health, I prefer believe it and avoid eating more red meat like beef and pork. My whole family seldom drinks milk although it is advised to do to get calcium. We do not like the taste and prefer eating more natural food and some supplemental.

2. Soybean

From the recommendation and testimonial from our parents (they are over 80 and still healthy) and my friends, we eat a lot of soy bean products (tofu, soybean milk, and fried beans).

So, if you want to ask me what we should drink rather than milk. I would say: Soy bean milk: the best one is what you make from your blend and your own cheese cloth. Today I got the news and would like to share: Early soy diet may protect against breast cancer.

As always, you know your health; you care about your health; your health is at your hand!

What sould we drink: milk or soybean milk?

Believe or not?

Vitamin D and Prevention of Chronic Diseases

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq1t9WqOD-0&feature=channel