10 Toxic People You Shouldn’t Bring With You Into The New Year

Can you believe that it’s already December? This year has flown by in the blink of an eye and we’re on the verge of yet another year — a year full of possibility.

What you will accomplish next year greatly depends on the people you surround yourself with. Or, in other words, it greatly depends on which people you decide not to surround yourself with.

When bringing in the new year, be sure not to bring all your garbage with you. Leave these toxic individuals in last year; you’ll feel much lighter, allowing you to get a great running start on the year to come.

1. The people who make your life more stressful.

Stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing — in fact, it’s what you make it out to be. If you believe stress is bad for you, then it will be bad for you. If you use stress as the motivator it is, to motivate you to act, then stress can actually be rather healthy.

However, you should aim to only be stressed by situations and not by people. If you have people in your life who are constantly managing to stress you out, that’s your mind telling you — and trying to motivate you — to remove them from your life.

Life is stressful as it is. You don’t need someone making it more so.

2. The people who use you.

To be fair, everyone uses everyone — and usually it’s OK. We interact with others because we find that it will benefit us in some way. If we didn’t believe it would, then we wouldn’t find sufficient reason to interact with them.

Sometimes we find people in our lives who use us in ways that end up hurting us. Most people will use us and by doing so, either maintain or improve our wellbeing.

Then you have those toxic individuals who use you and leave you worse off, sucking you dry and feeding off you like a parasite.

These sorts of people have no place in your life; don’t bring them into 2015.

3. The people who don’t respect you.

Every respectful person deserves to be respected in return; that’s how respect works. If you find that you have a person or people in your life who have difficulty giving you the respect you give them, tell them to buzz off.

Have enough respect for yourself to never allow others to disrespect you and remain a part of your life.

4. The people who always manage to hurt you.

People can be silly sometimes. The people we keep a part of our lives are the people we careabout — or at least, that ought to be the case. Some of these individuals, sadly, end up hurting us and causing us pain.

The problem is that when others cause us pain, we’re reminded of how much those people mean to us. If they could hurt us emotionally, we must care for them and what they think of us a great deal — so we allow them to remain a part of our lives.

Often, we’ll even allow these individuals to take up more room. People hurt other people — it’s just the way the world works. But if you have someone in your life who can’t manage to stop hurting you, do yourself a favor and cut that person off.

Pain is only good if it teaches you a lesson. In this case, the lesson is to stop allowing others to use you as a punching bag.

5. The people who can’t seem to stop lying to you.

Everyone lies. In fact, within the first few minutes of meeting a new person, that person is likely to lie to you a handful of times. Most lies are harmless, but that all changes when the people who are lying to you are the people you trust.

Fill your life with trustworthy people and you’ll be far better off. You can find lies just about anywhere. Finding the truth, on the other hand, is much more rare.

6. The people who smile to your face and then insult you behind your back.

These are the scum of the scum, cowards that don’t have the guts to speak their minds. These individuals enjoy pretending to be your friend while telling the rest of the world that you’re a piece of sh*t.

These people will ruin your reputation and, as most of us now know, reputation matters a whole lot in the world we live in. Only idiots would start a new year with these sorts of individuals in their life.

7. The people who don’t care about you, but love to pretend they do.

We’ve all had people in our lives who act like our friends only when it’s convenient for them.

These toxic individuals are “pseudo friends” — a lot of fun to hang out with, and more than willing to accept help, but when you need their help they’re miraculously nowhere to be found.

These individuals are especially toxic because they give you the illusion of a safety net. You think you can lean on them for support, but when you reach for their shoulder, you fall over and hit the ground.

8. The people who drag you back into your old lifestyle.

Life is only interesting and exciting if it’s constantly progressing. Only when we’re constantly moving forward, constantly improving ourselves and our surroundings, are we able to find contentment and happiness.

Most people always manage to keep people in their lives who are holding on to the life you once had.

You have worked hard to progress and make changes, but these individuals prefer life the way it used to be, and do their best to bring you back to the cave you just crawled out of.

Be wary of these folks, they’re often difficult to pinpoint and always manage to revert the progress you worked so hard to make.

9. The people who hold you back.

There’s a fact to life that I’ve grown to accept over the past few years — a fact that isn’t especially pleasant, but nonetheless necessary to accept as truth: Many people in your life, the people you call friends, shouldn’t be a part of your life.

As time passes, we change as individuals. Our hopes and goals change, often leaving the relationships we have in place outdated.

Many of the people in your life likely don’t want to live the life you’re building for yourself. Because they’re egocentric, they’ll do their best to create their version of their ideal life and drag you into it.

Most times, people fail to create the life of their dreams because they surround themselves with people aiming for something entirely different.

If your goals aren’t aligned, your lives aren’t either.

10. The people just taking up space.

Everything in life is limited. Resources are limited. Time is limited. Space is limited. What you can accomplish within a lifetime is limited. We can’t, and never will be able to, have it all.

This is why you have to be very careful with not only what you choose to do, but with whom you choose to do it with.

You can only maintain a handful of strong relationships at any given time — you just don’t have the time, energy or mental focus to handle more.

If you’re filling your life with half-assed individuals, you’re bound to create a half-assed life. If someone isn’t adding to your life, then, by default, they’re taking away from it.

Leave them in 2014 and build a better inner circle.

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7 Signs You’re Underestimating Yourself

I was taught to be modest and humble. Even though my family was well-off, my parents hid their success and often seemed to feel shame around buying expensive things.

I remember when my dad got his first Corvette. It was like a dirty, little secret — even though he worked hard from when he was a teenager to build his own business and was diligent with how he spent his money. In my eyes, he worked for it and he deserved it.

But I was told it wasn’t nice to flaunt what you had because those who were less fortunate would be offended. In general, guilt and shame were common themes in my upbringing.

Looking back, I see that we were valuing guilt and shame! This overall habit was for all the wrong reasons. It kept me playing small for most of my life. It kept me hiding.

My gifts and talents were never to be celebrated. Proud moments were rare. I held onto this for so long, and still catch myself in moments of victimhood. But I remind myself daily of my intentions and can easily step back into the role of being my best self.

I discovered that not having a plan made it easy to slip back into old ways, old habits and old beliefs — all of which allowed me to keep sabotaging my ability to flaunt my talents.

So be on the look out! Here are seven daily habits that are probably keeping you underestimating yourself and playing small …

1. You don’t have a daily practice of any kind.

Having a daily practice, a routine that gets you in sync with yourself — your mind and/or your body — and aligns you with your intentions, is key for tapping into your power and strength. It reminds you why you are here and sets the stage for calm in the midst of daily chaos.

My daily practice consists of guided meditation and gratitude. Yours can include things such as yoga, reading, EFT or prayer. Whatever works to get you feeling good and centered can be made into a habit. Why not start your day with a positive outlook?

2. You constantly compare yourself to others.

With social media, we now basically have instant access into everyone else’s lives. As a result, it’s hard not to compare yourself to others — constantly. But the important thing to remember is that you are never seeing the whole story: no one is on Facebook flaunting their problems, their bad days and their fears. All you see is the good.

So what to do? Focus on your story and your journey. Never ever compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. We all have something to offer. No matter how many people do what you do, only you can do it like you.

3. You over-prioritize the opinions of your parents (and your need to please).

So many colleagues, friends and clients struggle with this need to please their parents. I came from a loving home. I had everything I wanted, except freedom of expression. My thoughts and beliefs were not my own. And I felt immense guilt every time I didn’t agree with my parents. I put so much weight on their opinions and expectations that I abandoned my own.

Yes, your parents gave you life and raised you, and did the best they could, but you are an adult now. It’s time to start thinking for yourself. It’s time to start putting your needs first. The only person that has to live your life is you. You ought to be happy with it.

4. You stick around with the wrong crowd.

It is crucial to surround yourself with people of value, who lift you up and support you. No one can to spend all their time with negative people and have a positive life. Find people who get you, create a tribe, and immerse yourself in their love and excitement.

Not sure where to start? Check out your local meetup groups or Facebook groups, join a club or a church. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to keep certain people in your life because of your history or out of guilt. You have the right to choose who is taking up your time and energy.

5. You don’t properly fuel your body.

When everything else in my life began to align, this was a major thing that kept me stuck. I made every excuse for why I couldn’t eat right or take an hour to exercise. I ended up feeling like crap most days and hating the way I looked.

This was self-sabotaging. I was growing and so was my business. If I didn’t like the way I looked or felt uncomfortable in my skin, then I wouldn’t put myself out there. It was all one big, fat lie. Getting healthy and feeling good from the inside out are the keys to expansion and growth. Stop making excuses. Get out there and move.

6. You forget about all sorts of self-care.

We often forget to care for ourselves. We’re taught to treat others nicely and with respect, but we don’t do it for ourselves. How can we ever expect anyone to treat us well if we can’t? Self-care can include a range of things, including exercise and health, a digital detox, scheduling “you” time to do absolutely nothing, bubble baths and grooming. Putting yourself first is not a crime. It’s a necessity. Take care of yourself so you can take care of those around you. (P.S. Don’t forget to schedule it.)

7. You don’t believe in yourself.

There are few people who will love you unconditionally. You should always strive to be one of them. You heard that right: love yourself unconditionally. You are the compass for how everyone around you views you and treats you.

If you don’t think you are worthy, why would anyone else? Set the standard for how you want to show up, how you want to feel and how you want to live. Know it. Believe it with every fiber of your being. Believe in you and the amazing gifts you have to share with the world. Let your light shine and don’t ever be ashamed of it.

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Detox Your Liver With This Liver Detox Juice

Ah, the liver. One of our most impressive organs. Our livers never rest. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, our livers are trying to detoxify and neutralize all the harmful crap we put into our bodies. While it may be restless, that doesn’t mean it is invincible. The liver is extremely susceptible to being damaged and once damage has taken place it can quickly start working improperly.

The juice recipe below will help your body cleanse your liver, repair any past damage, and keep it in healthy, working condition. Remember, us

Ingredients:

• 500 ml of cool, pre-boiled water
• 6 fresh lemons
• 1 thumb of ginger root
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 mint leaves
• 3 tablespoons of flaxseed oil
• 3 grapefruits
• A little cumin powder

e organic, locally grown ingredients if you can!

Firstly, juice the lemons and the grapefruits. Second, chop the ginger and garlic into small pieces and place them in a bowl with the water. Let them sit in the water to saturate for 15 minutes. Next, place the lemon and grapefruit juices in a blender, add mint, flaxseed oil, and cumin. Lastly, dump the bowl of ginger, garlic, and water into the blender. Blend and enjoy!

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I Feel Awesome At 75. Here’s How I Do It

BY MARGARET PAUL

When I was younger, I made the decision to think about how I wanted to live in my older years. Today, at 75, I’m living the way I hoped I would: a high-energy life free of illness and arthritis. This didn’t happen by accident or because of good genes. It happened on purpose, because I made a conscious choice.

When I meet people my age who suffer from degenerative diseases, I’m deeply saddened because I know it doesn’t have to be this way. Excellent health is three-pronged: diet, exercise and state of mind. If you’re young and want to get serious about how you’ll live in your older years, I suggest seriously thinking about all three of these prongs right now.

Diet

I eat fresh, all organic and local whenever possible, completely avoiding processed and packaged foods. Sugar and wheat aren’t part of my diet, and I make sure to include fermented and/or prebiotic foods with every meal. I get plenty of good fats, use Himalayan salt, eat organic nuts and grains that are soaked and/or sprouted. I stay away from both prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Whether you’re paleo, modified paleo, vegetarian or vegan, these same guidelines can apply. Try your best to eat only grass-fed, pastured, organic meats and raw, organic dairy from grass-fed cows. Stay away from any factory-farmed meats and pasteurized dairy.

Exercise

Find a form of exercise that you love and you can do daily. If you love the gym, great. If you don’t, find something else. Walking, yoga, sports, dancing, cycling, anything that will get you up and moving is perfect. Pick an activity you look forward to doing so you don’t procrastinate. Remember, the best exercise is the one you will do consistently.

State of Mind

You can eat well and exercise, but if you’re frequently stressed, your health will suffer. I use the following six steps to stay happy and be peaceful.

• Stay present in your body throughout the day so you know the moment you feel some anxiety, stress or any other feeling other than peace. Move toward the feeling rather than trying to avoid it: no judgments, no escaping into your head, no turning to substance or process addictions, no making someone else responsible for your feelings.
• Open up to learning about what you’re telling yourself, treating yourself or what’s happening with a person or situation that’s distressing.
• Be aware of whether you’re ruminating about the past or future rather than staying present, and of any lies/false beliefs you might be telling yourself. Tune into the energy that may be going on between you and another person.
• When you’re clear on what you’re doing or what’s happening externally, open up to learning with your higher self, asking for the truth about any false beliefs and for the loving action toward yourself.
• Once you receive this information, take the loving action.
• Then tune in to how you feel as a result of the loving action.

Four Great Homemade Coconut Oil Products and How to Make Them

Coconut oil is amazing because of its high (healthy) saturated fat content, and its ability to last about two years without ever going rancid. It’s also known to carry a variety of other benefits as well, such as boosting your metabolism for weight loss and building up a strong immune system.

Did you know that countries with high coconut consumption also tend to have reduced risk for cardiovascular illnesses?

It’s important to find ways to incorporate coconut oil into your life, and it doesn’t have to only be done in the kitchen! Coconut oil can provide a base for many of the products that you use every day, with the added benefit of keeping things homemade.

Here are 4 “Do It Yourself” ways to make great coconut oil products:

1. Homemade Hair Mask

When your hair becomes dry, oils are a great way of adding moisture to get an amazing look. Applying oil to the roots is also known to boost the growth of longer, healthier hair, especially when applied with castor oil. This mixture of castor oil and coconut oil will give your hair the boost it needs:

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup Castor Oil

-1/2 cup Coconut Oil

*The equal ratio makes it really easy to add or remove quantities depending on how much hair you have.

Add the two ingredients into a microwave-safe bowl, then melt them in the microwave for thirty seconds to make mixing easy or even better set it in the sun. From there, apply to the roots to allow the omega-6 fatty acids to help grow stronger, healthier hair.

You can also use it on the ends of your hair to keep the tips moist and full. The coconut oil keeps the castor oil from sticking to your hair, while still allowing the castor oil to do its job moisturizing and boosting growth in your roots and ends.

2. Homemade Toothpaste

Coconut oil is often used for a technique called oil pulling. It involves swishing the oil around in your mouth to remove toxins from your teeth and gums. It also whitens the teeth and strengthens the gums for an all-around polish! This makes it the perfect ingredient for our homemade toothpaste recipe:ways to make great coconut oil products:

Ingredients:

-½ cup Baking Soda

-5 tbsp. Sweetener (Xylitol or Stevia, avoid Splenda)

*You can adjust measurements based on concentration by adding more after you try the mixture

-¼ cup Coconut Oil

-2 or 2.5 tsp Peppermint Extract

The recipe is pretty simple. Just combine the baking soda and sweetener before mixing in thecoconut oil and peppermint extract. Scoop it into an airtight container and you’re all set! It may taste a bit salty at first, so you can add more sweetener to counter that afterwards.

3. Homemade Sun block

There are a number of commercial sun block brands that add dangerous chemicals to their products. Make sure you check to see if your sun screens and lotions are using harmful parabens as chemical preservatives. If they are, toss them. The last thing you need is the threat of breast cancer. This mixture will give you all of the benefits a healthy sun block without any added worry:

Ingredients:

-2 tbsp. Coconut Oil

-4oz. Organic All-Natural Hand Lotion

-2tbsp. Zinc Oxide

Mix the ingredients into a bowl, then simply stir and apply!

4. Homemade Vitamin E Eye Cream

The skin around the eyes is very fragile compared to the rest of your face. It’s important to pay attention to what is being used on the eyes, and to make sure that it is being applied very gently to avoid damage. This homemade cream will do the job in a healthy way:

Ingredients:

-3 capsules of Vitamin E

-1 tbsp. Coconut Oil (Chill so that it isn’t completely liquid)

*Follow ratios to make more cream, depending on need.

Pop the capsules with a knife, and squeeze them into a container with your coconut oil. Stir and allow to sit overnight, away from any heat source.

These 4 homemade products will keep you free from any harmful chemicals that you may be introducing to your body with commercial brands. In the long run, they will also save you money and give you all of the healthy benefits of coconut oil that you would otherwise be missing.

Source:

www.healthy-holistic-living.com

This Is What Your Acne Reveals About Your Health

In Chinese Medicine, it’s believed that acne that flares up on different parts of your face represents health problems on different parts of your body. For example acne on your upper cheeks is a response to stress in your lungs or respiratory system. Smoking is but one of these causes (read on for more). Therefore a good indication of which organs need attention and care is to simply look where your acne is

UPPER FOREHEAD:

Digestive System and Bladder

Drink plenty of water to flush, keep an eye on your diet, eliminate greasy foods and refined sugars. If you’re craving deep fried fatty foods, eat avocado or add a tablespoon of coconut oil to your dish. Make sure you consume plenty of fresh organic fruits and vegetables. Some of the best antioxidant rich foods or drinks include green tea, warm lemon water, and fresh berries. If your diet is not rich in naturally fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, or kefir, consider supplementing with a probiotic capsule daily. Most health food stores carry probiotic capsules.

LOWER FOREHEAD:

Heart

Your heart is a massive organ that pumps blood through your entire body. It has a tough job and can become easily stressed due to poor diet, inactivity, and various mental and physical stresses. If you have pimples on your lower forehead make it a point to do regular cardiovascular exercises.Eating pomegranate and coconut oil will also keep your heart healthy and help clear this up.

EARS:

Kidneys

When kidneys are not taken care of, you may find large, painful pimples on your ears that just won’t go away. Kidney troubles are often caused by not drinking enough water and eating too much sodium.


Some other kidney destroying habits include:

• -frequently delaying the call of nature
• -drinking too much coffee or alcohol
• -mineral deficiencies such as magnesium
• -eating too much animal protein
• -sleep deprivation
• -excessive refined sugar

This is as good of a time as any to point out that vendors such as Subway, who tout their products as being “healthy” have an excessive amount of sodium added to almost everything on the menu. The next time that you take a look at their nutrition claims with highlighted low-fat content, take a minute to focus on the sodium column. In addition Subway adds genetically modified soy to nearly all of their foods. If you want healthy kidneys it’s best to avoid fast food in general, even the “healthy” restaurants, drink more water, and eat more parsley which is an excellent detoxifier.

EYES, ORBITAL AREA AND BETWEEN THE EYEBROWS:

Liver

Oiliness, redness, flakiness and pimples between the eyebrows can indicate that your liver may have been overworked and in dire need of a cleansing. Cut back on greasy foods loaded with vegetable, soy, and canola oil, alcohol and pasteurized dairy (or dairy altogether). Avoid eating late at night as well. If you’re craving a late snack take a spoonful of raw honey. This will let your liver rest while you’re sleeping. Eat more of these during the daytime to cleanse the liver (always choose organic root vegetables):

• -garlic
• -grapefruit
• -green tea
• -carrots
• -beets
• -leafy green vegetables
• -lemons and limes.

UPPER CHEEKS:

Lungs and Respiratory System

Stresses to the lungs are likely to cause flare ups in the upper cheeks and even break yourcapillaries. Even if you’re not a smoker you may have noticed an upper cheek breakout due to:

• -asthma
• -allergies
• -lung infections
• -living in a polluted area.

The best thing to do is to avoid smoking and second hand smoke. Follow this link for 15 plants that can cleanse the lungs and boost respiratory health.



LOWER CHEEKS:

Gum or Teeth Problems

Gum or teeth problems may contribute to acne in the lower cheek area. Be sure to avoid eating refined sugar and soft drinks. Oil pulling is a great habit to take up if you’re experiencing any type of gum or teeth problems. It’s also a good idea to eat plenty of fresh fiber rich fruits and vegetables to strengthen your teeth and gums from chewing honest natural foods.



SIDES OF THE CHIN:

Hormones and Genitals

This especially affects women. Flare ups on the sides of the chin are a good indication of hormonal imbalance. This can be due to menstruation, birth control, or a diet high in soy. Sometimes, even emotional or physical stress can cause hormonal imbalances. Get plenty of sleep and make a habit of meditating or doing yoga to keep the mind focused and stress-free. Be sure to take lots of essential fatty acids such as Omega 3s. Follow this link for a list of foods rich in Omega-3s.

Some herbs that can help balance hormones include:

• -licorice
• -schisandra
• -holy basil
• -maca
• -burdock
• -red raspberry leaves
• -rhodiola
• -milk thisle.
• -Green tea is also a brilliant anti-androgen.

CENTER OF THE CHIN:

Small intestine and stomach

This is typically caused by a poor diet and food allergies. If your diet is adequate you simply may not be digesting the nutrients you put into it. We were always told that we are what we eat, which is true to an extent. More accurately however, we are what we can digest. If your gut is lacking probiotics and completely out of balance from not eating naturally fermented foods or taking probiotic capsules, it won’t matter how much good wholesome food you’re eating. The nutrients will simply pass right through you. Refer to the upper forehead section to learn more about what to eat to get your gut working properly.

Additionally stress, lack of sleep, and dehydration can wreak havoc on your stomach and small intestine. Getting a good nights sleep, drinking plenty of water, and addressing your stress by making lifestyle changes and practicing yoga/meditation are great non-dietary ways to address your chin acne.



Source:

www.divineglowinghealth.com

Only Five Senses Are Famous, But Did You Know You Have 12 More Incredible Senses?

You use more than five senses in a day. If you are sharp at things, then you are able to use up to 12 senses. Human senses are more than just hear, sight, touch, smell and taste. Nobody has taught you that at school; let me teach you now.

                                                           1. Ovulation Sense

Man knows when a woman is ovulating and he just senses that and becomes more attracted towards her.

2. Thermoception

We can tell if something is hot or cold without touching it.

3. Lying Perception

We can tell when a smile is real or fake, and we can also sometimes tell when someone is lying.

4. Blindsight

Blind people adapt to their blindness and able to know their surroundings. This is known as blindsight.

5. Sense of Danger in Ovulation

Women can sense the danger more when they are ovulating. It is a very powerful period.

6. Tetrachromats

Only few people have this sense and they have very good sense of sight. Humans, in majority, have three cones in eyes while tetrachromats have four. Cones help the person to see and differentiate color shades. Tetrachromats can see the color that normal people can’t.

7. Equilibrioception

This is the sense of balance and we can maintain our position easily anytime and anywhere.

8. Sense of Fats

By using a sense of smell we can detect which food can make us fat and which cannot.

9. Nociception

This is the painful sense as it makes us sense pain in organs and bones along with the skin.

10. Proprioception

This sense makes us feel our body part even without looking at them. We can tell where our feet are!

11. Magnetoception

Same as birds, we can also detect direction but with less intensity. We can sense magnetic field.

12. Sense of Time

We can tell how much a time a thing can consume and we can also speed up our brain speed in panic condition and it feels everything is moving in slow motion.

Source:

viralands.com

Research: Plants Cure Cancer, Not Chemicals

Unbeknownst to most, a Copernican revolution has already taken place in cancer theory. Today, the weight of evidence indicates that plants and not chemicals are the solution for reversing the global cancer epidemic.

Our understanding of what causes cancer has undergone something akin to a Copernican revolution in the past decade. Biological fatalism has been the predominant force in medicine over the past half century, where most conditions including cancer were believed predestined ‘in the genes,’ and therefore impossible to reverse. Instead of looking for root cause resolution of disease (RCRD), we resigned ourselves to ‘finding it early’ and in the case of cancer, when doing so (even when it was benign), we waged war against it, quite literally using weapons grade materials (mustard gas- and nuclear materials-derived agents). Now, however, in this post-Genomic era, factors above (epi-) the control of the genes – epigenetic factors – are taking center stage; these include environmental exposures, stress, nutritional factors, and various lifestyle-based variables that are within the ambit of our control and volition, and which are often reversible.

In other words, cancer is now being understood as epigenetic dysfunction, a direct and even adaptive response to the post-industrial, carcinogen-saturated environment, in addition to a diet of faux, mostly chemically-produced ‘food,’ combining to produce an environment – ‘inner terrain– within the body ideal for cancer promotion.

Indeed, in a new study published in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology titled, “The use of plant-derived bioactive compounds to target cancer stem cells and modulate tumor microenvironment,” the authors note the powerful implications of this new epigenetic view of cancer:

“A fundamental aspect to be taken into account is that epigenetic changes can possibly be reversed by modifying epigenetic factors, such as diet and lifestyle. Nowadays, identification of these factors is crucial to develop epigenetically-based preventions and more effective anti-cancer intervention strategies.”

Moreover, they note that natural interventions are once again (after countless millennia of worldwide use), at the cutting edge of medical intervention:

“Virtually, all dietary compounds have the ability to act at the epigenetic level in cancer cells thus influencing the epigenome in a positive or negative way. Particularly, plant derived compounds, such as polyphenols, have the capacity to reverse adverse epigenetic mutations in cancer cells, to inhibit tumorigenesis progression, to prevent the metastatic process or to sensitize cancer cells to chemo and radiotherapy (Vanden Berghe, 2012).”

The new study highlighted the following points, the implications for the future of cancer treatmentare truly revolutionary:

• Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are chemo-radiotherapy resistant, causing tumor relapse.
• CSCs are known to reside within specific hypoxic and acidic tumor niches.
• Phytocompounds affect CSC self-renewal, metabolism and microenvironment.
• Phytocompounds might be exploited for cancer prevention and Treatment.

As we have covered extensively in previous posts, the discovery of a subpopulation within tumors of cells known as cancer stem cells, reveals that our half-century old war on cancer, officially inaugurated in 1971 with Nixon’s signing of the National Cancer Act, was extremely misguided. The notion that cancer is simply a byproduct of cells within the body going rogue due to DNA damage and replicating clonally through fundamentally chaotic – stochastic – processes, has been called into question by the discovery that tumors are actually sophisticated, hierarchically organized communities that express highly intelligent, survival-based behaviors, albeit evolutionary ancient in origin. The establishment views cancer as something ‘you have or don’t have,’ and the equivalent of being infected by ‘terrorist-like’ cancer cells that must be treated as an enemy and obliterated by any means necessary. This treatment ensues regardless of the collateral damage to the patient. The emerging and far more nuanced cancer stem-cell based perspective, precipitated primarily by epigenetic factors – e.g. chemical exposure, dietary incompatibilities, metabolic acidosis and low oxygen (hypoxia) – offers a far more promising and empowering view of prevention and treatment.

If cancer is not something that fatalistically ‘happens to the body,’ due to ‘bad’ inherited genes passed down from distant ancestors, but is something the body does adaptively to survive anthropogenic exposures that diverge from millions, if not billions of years, of bodily prehistory, suddenly the solution to overcoming the burgeoning, global cancer epidemic is in regaining and/or reproducing the ideal bodily and psychospiritual conditions within the body that is no longer conducive to carcinogenesis. As proposed in the book I co-authored, Cancer Killers, we don’t get sick because we have cancer; we get cancer because we are already sick.

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ISIS CLOSING IN ON ISRAEL FROM THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH

THE WAR AGAINST ISIS IS TAKING A DANGEROUS, PERHAPS INEVITABLE TURN TOWARDS ISRAEL

“They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.” Psalm 83:4

The terror organization has been keen to expand to southern Syria and the Syrian capital of Damascus. Now it says it has recruited three Syrian rebel groups operating in the south of the country in an area bordering the Israeli occupied Golan Heights — that have switched their loyalties to ISIS.

This switch means that Israel, the U.S.’s closest ally in the Middle East, could be threatenedfrom the southwest by the Egyptian ISIS group of Ansar Bait al-Maqdis in Sinai and by ISIS in southern Syria.

The ISIS war is not going well at all for the US-led alliance in Syria. ISIS and al-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria, are still the dominant rebel groups in the country. The U.S.-backed Free Syrian Army is still not a reliable fighting force.

The three rebel groups that just joined ISIS could make that situation even worse. Two of the groups are small in number, but the Yarmouk Martyrs Brigade has hundreds of fighters. The Yarmouk Brigades has been at odds with al-Nusra Front and switched now to join what leaders of all thrwee groups believe is the future of Islam.

“If Israel was attacked by ISIS, America would expect a proportionate response by Israel, which is militarily capable of defending itself,” said Geoffrey Levin, a professor at New York University. “America would counsel against sustained Israeli involvement because it could threaten the tacit alliance between America, Iran, Turkey, and several Arab states against ISIS.”

“More recent reports indicated a closer alliance with [the Islamic State] due to tensions with JN [al-Nusra Front],” said Jasmine Opperman, a researcher at Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium (TRAC). She said al-Nusra attacked the headquarters of the Yarmouk Brigade in southern Syria in early December 2014 following clashes between the two groups.

Al-Yarmuk Martyrs Brigade controlled an area near the Jordan-Israel border in March 2013. That same month, the brigade took as hostages some of the United Nations peacekeeping mission soldiers. Even so, Israel reportedly allowed the brigade to have its wounded fighters treated in Israeli hospitals.

ISIS has been known for launching surprise attacks and opening new battlefronts when it seems to be losing. ISIS also has been criticized by many Arabs and Muslims for not taking its fight to Israel and instead fighting fellow Arabs and Muslims. An attack aimed at Israel may boost ISIS’s popularity in the Arab world and refresh its recruitment and funding efforts.

On the other hand, some of ISIS’s top military commanders were former officers in Saddam Hussein’s army, and they may resort to what Saddam did in the 1991 Gulf War when he attacked Israel with mid-range rockets, hoping to drag the Israelis into a conflict that he was losing.

An Israeli retaliation in 1991 could have jeopardized the U.S-led coalition that then included Arab countries like Egypt, Syria and Saudi Arabia. The same is true now.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Despite some recent tensions between the countries, Israel remains America’s closest ally in the Middle East. Attacks on Israel by ISIS or affiliated groups could further escalate war in the region, or they could further strain ties between the Obama administration and the Israeli government.

“It would be more likely a sign of desperation, as were Saddam’s attempts to lure Israel into the 1991 war as a way of breaking the Arab coalition against him,” said NYU’s Levin. At that time, continuous pressure from the first Bush administration and the installation of the Patriot anti-rocket system convinced the Israelis to refrain from reacting to Saddam’s attack.

Israel could launch a preemptive attack to destroy or significantly damage these ISIS-affiliated units whether by air or by ground forces. Israel used its advanced air force to launch attacks in Syria several times since the beginning of Syrian civil war in 2011.

Meanwhile, Israel has recently boosted its defenses in the Golan Heights, saying its main concern was to prevent any major weapon transfer from Syria to Hezbollah, the Lebanese guerrilla organization that has engaged in several rounds of war with the Israelis since the 1980s.

source

The Worst Nutrition Advice in History? Here’s the Top 5 Contenders

Nutrition history is riddled with nonsense.

People have been advised to do all sorts of strange things that challenge common sense.

Some of these things are not only useless, but potentially harmful.

The worst part… a lot of this misguided advice is still being pushed.

Here are the top 5 contenders for the worst diet advice in history:

1. Throw Away The Egg Yolks, The Most Nutritious Part of The Egg

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.

Just think about it… the nutrients in a whole egg contain all the building blocks needed to turn asingle fertilized cell into an entire baby chicken.

There’s only one problem… the yolks also happen to be high in cholesterol.

Because egg yolks are high in cholesterol, people believed that they would raise cholesterol in the blood. For this reason, mainstream nutrition professionals often recommend that we limit our egg consumption to 2-6 whole eggs per week.

However, most of them say we can eat more eggs than that… as long as we make sure to throw away the yolks.

This is pretty much the worst thing you could do, because the yolks contain almost all thenutrients. The whites are mostly just protein.

Many studies have looked at whole egg consumption and blood cholesterol… in 70% of people, eggs have no effect on cholesterol levels (1).

In the other 30% (termed hyper-responders), egg yolks raise HDL (the good) cholesterol and turn the LDL particles into the large, fluffy kind… which is not harmful (2, 3, 4).

I fact, many studies, some of which included hundreds of thousands of people, have looked at whole egg consumption and the risk of heart disease in healthy people and found no association between the two (5, 6, 7).

Additionally, let’s not forget that eggs have many amazing benefits:

• They’re loaded with high quality protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants… almost every nutrient your body needs (8).
• They’re very high in choline, a Brain Nutrient that 90% of people don’t get enough of (9).
• They contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that are highly protective for the eyes, lowering the risk of various eye diseases (10, 11, 12).

Eggs are also among the most weight loss friendly foods you can eat. Replacing a grain-based breakfast with eggs can increase fullness and make you eat less, helping you lose weight (13, 14).

To top it all off, eggs are cheap, easily prepared and taste amazing.

Really… whole eggs are pretty much nature’s perfect food. Throwing away the yolk is the absolute worst thing you could do.


Bottom Line: Egg yolks are among the most nutritious foods on the planet. The cholesterol in them doesn’t raise the bad cholesterol in the blood, or increase therisk of heart disease.

2. Everyone Should Eat a Low-Fat, High-Carb Diet… Even Diabetics

It was originally based on a few poorly conducted observational studies, animal experiments and misguided political decisions.

Even though there was no evidence that saturated fat caused heart disease at the time (and still isn’t), some scientists were convinced that it was harmful and that a low-fat diet would prevent heart disease.

This has been the official position of the governments and mainstream health organizations around the world for decades. At the same time, rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes have skyrocketed.

Since then… many massive studies have been conducted on the low-fat diet.

The biggest and most expensive diet study in history, The Women’s Health Initiative, randomized 48,835 women into groups… one ate a low-fat diet, the other group continued eating the standard Western diet.

After 7.5-8 years, there was only a 0.4 kg (1 pound!) difference in weight and there was no reduction in heart disease or cancer (15, 16, 17, 18).

Many other studies have led to the same conclusion… the diet that is still being recommended by the mainstream simply does not work (19, 20).

The truth is, the low-fat diet is a miserable failure. Almost every time it is pitted against another type of diet in a study, it loses (21, 22).

Even diabetics have been advised to follow this type of diet… the “carb up and shoot up” strategy that benefits no one but the drug companies.

It is a simple biochemical fact that carbs raise blood sugar. This keeps the diabetic patients dependant on blood sugar lowering drugs (23).

Although low-fat diets may be okay for healthy people, they are a complete disaster for people with obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

In fact, several studies show that low-fat diets can adversely affect some of the key risk factors for metabolic syndrome and heart disease. They can raise triglycerides, lower HDL and increase small, dense LDL particles (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29).

It is time for the mainstream to retire the ridiculous low-fat fad and apologize for all the terrible damage it has done over the decades.


Bottom Line: The low-fat diet is a miserable failure. It has failed in every major study, yet is still being recommended by governments and nutrition organizations all over the world.

3. A Calorie is a Calorie… Food Quality is Less Important

The excessive focus on calories is one of the biggest mistakes in the history of nutrition.

It is the myth that it is the caloric value of foods that matters most, not the foods that the calories are coming from.

The truth is… calories are important, but that doesn’t mean we need to count them or even be consciously aware of them. Humans were the healthiest and leanest way before they knew that calories existed.

It’s important to realize that different foods have different effects on the hormones and brain centers that control what, when and how much we eat… as well as the number of calories we burn (30, 31).

Here are two examples of why a calorie is NOT a calorie:

• Protein: Eating a High Protein Diet can boost metabolism by 80-100 calories per day and significantly reduce appetite and cravings. Protein calories have a different effect than carb or fat calories (32, 33, 34).
• Satiety: Many studies show that different foods have Varying Effects on feelings of fullness. You need much fewer calories to feel full from eggs or boiled potatoes, compared to donuts or ice cream (35).

There are many more examples of foods and macronutrients having vastly different effects on hunger and hormones.

The myth that calories are all that matters for weight (and health) is completely wrong.


Bottom Line: The idea that calories are more important than food quality is a huge mistake. Different foods directly affect the hormones and brain centers that control our eating habits.

4. Use Polyunsaturated Vegetable Oils For Cooking

We are commonly advised to consume seed- and vegetable oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats.

These oils, including soybean, corn, canola and cottonseed oils, have been shown in some studies to lower cholesterol levels.

However… if something lowers cholesterol, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will prevent heart disease itself.

Cholesterol is a risk factor, but it’s the hard end points (like heart attacks and death) that really matter.

There are actually a number of studies showing that despite lowering cholesterol, these oils can increase the risk of heart disease (36, 37).

Additionally, these oils are harmful for a number of other reasons.

They’re loaded with polyunsaturated fats… but most of them are Omega-6s.

Humans need to eat Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids in a certain balance, which is currently way off because people are eating so much of these oils (38).

Eating a diet high Omega-6s and low in Omega-3s can contribute to inflammation in the body, but inflammation is one of the key drivers of almost every chronic, Western disease (39, 40).

These fatty acids also get incorporated into cell membranes, but polyunsaturated fats can react with oxygen and start free radical chain reactions in the cell membranes, which can damage important molecules like proteins or DNA (41, 42).

Additionally… what most people don’t realize is that due to the way these oils are processed (which involves high heat and the toxic solvent hexane), they are loaded with trans fats.

In fact, a study on canola and soybean oils sold in the U.S. found that 0.56 to 4.2% of the fatty acids in them were trans fats (43)!

Many so-called “experts” are actually telling people to cook with these oils… which is a terrible idea because polyunsaturated fats are sensitive to heat and damage very easily (44).

Bottom Line: People have been advised to consume oils that are loaded with Omega-6 fatty acids and trans fats. These oils are very harmful, yet still being recommended by many mainstream nutrition professionals.

5. Replace Natural Butter With Processed, Trans Fat Laden Margarine

Mainstream nutrition has gotten many things wrong.

However… the horrible advice to replace natural butter with processed margarine may be the worst.

Seriously… just look at the ingredients list for margarine.

This stuff isn’t food, it’s a combination of chemicals that looks and tastes like food.

Margarine, not surprisingly, increases heart disease risk compared to butter (45).

The same can be said about vegetable oils… multiple studies show that they contribute to heart disease and kill people (46, 47).

The studies say that these processed fats and oils increase heart disease risk, so it makes sense that we should avoid them if we don’t want to get heart disease.

It’s a no-brainer, right?

Well, apparently not… the mainstream nutrition organizations are still telling us to eat them, even though these studies have been out for many years.

They just don’t get it. When we replace traditional foods like butter and meat with processed pseudo-foods, we become fat and sick.

How many doctors, nutritionists, PhDs and decades of work does it take to figure that out?

Source:

eatlocalgrown.com.

This Is What Happens to Your Body When You Exercise

One of the key health benefits of exercise is that it helps normalize your glucose, insulin, and leptin levels by optimizing insulin/leptin receptor sensitivity. This is perhaps the most important factor for optimizing your overall health and preventing chronic disease.

But exercise affects your body in countless other ways as well—both directly and indirectly. Here, however, even the most unexpected side effects are almost universally beneficial. For example, as illustrated in the featured article,1 side effects of exercise include but are not limited to:
Improved sexual function

• Changes in gene expression
• Clearer skin
• Improved mood
• Improved sleep

   What Happens in Your Body When You Exercise?

The featured article in Huffington Post2 highlights a number of biological effects that occur, from head to toe, when you exercise. This includes changes in your:

• Muscles. which use glucose and ATP for contraction and movement. To create more ATP, your body needs extra oxygen, so breathing increases and your heart starts pumping more blood to your muscles.Without sufficient oxygen, lactic acid will form instead. Tiny tears in your muscles make them grow bigger and stronger as they heal.
• Lungs. As your muscles call for more oxygen (as much as 15 times more oxygen than when you’re at rest), your breathing rate increases. Once the muscles surrounding your lungs cannot move any faster, you’ve reached what’s called your VO2 max—your maximum capacity of oxygen use. The higher your VO2 max, the fitter you are.
• Heart. As mentioned, your heart rate increases with physical activity to supply more oxygenated blood to your muscles. The fitter you are, the more efficiently your heart can do this, allowing you to work out longer and harder. As a side effect, this increased efficiency will also reduce your resting heart rate. Your blood pressure will also decrease as a result of new blood vessels forming.
• Brain. The increased blood flow also benefits your brain, allowing it to almost immediately function better. As a result, you tend to feel more focused after a workout. Furthermore, exercising regularly will promote the growth of new brain cells. In your hippocampus, these new brain cells help boost memory and learning. As stated in the featured article“When you work out regularly, your brain gets used to this frequent surge of blood and adapts by turning certain genes on or off. Many of these changes boost brain cell function and protect from diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or even stroke, and ward off age-related decline.”Anumber of neurotransmitters are also triggered, such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and GABA. Some of these are well-known for their role in mood control. Exercise, in fact, is one of the most effective prevention and treatment strategies for depression.
• Joints and bones. As exercise can place as much as five or six times more than your body weight on them. Peak bone mass is achieved in adulthood and then begins a slow decline, but exercise can help you to maintain healthy bone mass as you get older.Weight-bearing exercise is actually one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis, as your bones are very porous and soft, and as you get older your bones can easily become less dense and hence, more brittle — especially if you are inactive.

   Your Brain Health Is Directly Related to Exercise…

A related article published by Lifehacker.com focuses exclusively on brain-related changes that occur when you exercise. While I just mentioned that neurotransmitters, chemical messengers in your brain, such as mood-boosting serotonin, are released during a bout of exercise, that doesn’t account for all the benefits your brain reaps.

“If you start exercising, your brain recognizes this as a moment of stress. As your heart pressure increases, the brain thinks you are either fighting the enemy or fleeing from it. To protect yourself and your brain from stress, you release a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This BDNF has a protective and also reparative element to your memory neurons and acts as a reset switch. That’s why we often feel so at ease and like things are clear after exercising,” Leo Widrich writes.

Simultaneously, your brain releases endorphins, another stress-related chemical. According to researcher MK McGovern, the endorphins minimize the physical pain and discomfort associated with exercise. They’re also responsible for the feeling of euphoria that many people report when exercising regularly.

Scientists have been linking the benefits of physical exercise to brain health for many years, but recent research4, 5 has made it clear that the two aren’t just simply related; rather, it is THE relationship. The evidence shows that physical exercise helps you build a brain that not only resists shrinkage, but increases cognitive abilities. Exercise encourages your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing your nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections, and protecting them from damage. There are multiple mechanisms at play here, but some are becoming more well-understood than others.
The rejuvenating role of BDNF is one of them. BDNF activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons. It also triggers numerous other chemicals that promote neural health. Further, exercise provides protective effects to your brain through:

• The production of nerve-protecting compounds
• Improved development and survival of neurons
• Decreased risk of heart and blood vessel diseases
• Altering the way damaging proteins reside inside your brain, which appears to slow the development of Alzheimer’s disease

Both Fasting and Exercise Trigger Brain Rejuvenation…

Growing evidence indicates that both fasting and exercise trigger genes and growth factors that recycle and rejuvenate your brain and muscle tissues. These growth factors include BDNF, as just mentioned, and muscle regulatory factors, or MRFs.

These growth factors signal brain stem cells and muscle satellite cells to convert into new neurons and new muscle cells respectively. Interestingly enough, BDNF also expresses itself in the neuro-muscular system where it protects neuro-motors from degradation. (The neuromotor is the most critical element in your muscle. Without the neuromotor, your muscle is like an engine without ignition. Neuro-motor degradation is part of the process that explains age-related muscle atrophy.)

So BDNF is actively involved in both your muscles and your brain, and this cross-connection, if you will, appears to be a major part of the explanation for why a physical workout can have such a beneficial impact on your brain tissue. It, quite literally, helps prevent, and even reverse, brain decay as much as it prevents and reverses age-related muscle decay.

This also helps explain why exercise while fasting can help keep your brain, neuro-motors, and muscle fibers biologically young. For more information on how to incorporate intermittent fasting into your exercise routine for maximum benefits, please see this previous article. Sugar suppresses BDNF, which also helps explain why a low-sugar diet in combination with regular exercise is so effective for protecting memory and staving off depression.

   This Is Your Brain on Exercise

BDNF and endorphins are two of the factors triggered by exercise that help boost your mood, make you feel good, and sharpen your cognition. As mentioned by Lifehacker, they’re similar to morphine and heroin in their action and addictiveness—but without any of the harmful side effects. Quite the contrary! So, how much do you have to exercise in order to maintain a sunnier disposition and better memory long-term?

According to a 2012 study published in the journal Neuroscience, the “secret” to increased productivity and happiness on any given day is a long-term investment in regular exercise. And a little each day appears to go further than a lot once or twice a week.
“Those who had exercised during the preceding month but not on the day of testing generally did better on the memory test than those who had been sedentary, but did not perform nearly as well as those who had worked out that morning,” the authors note.

The reasons for this can perhaps be best perceived visually. Take a look at these images, showing the dramatic increase in brain activity after a 20 minute walk, compared to sitting quietly for the same amount of time.

There is a minor caveat, however. The researchers also discovered that exercise does not affect the brains of all people in exactly the same way. Some people, about 30 percent of people of European Caucasian descent, have a BDNF gene variant that hinders post-exercise BDNF production. The people with this BDNF variant did not improve their memory scores, even when exercising regularly, as significantly as those without this variant. Still, the research clearly suggests that—with individual variations as to the degree—regular exercise will cumulatively enhance your memory and other brain functions.

   You Don’t Need to Train Like an Athlete to Reap the Benefits of Exercise

If you are sedentary there is hope for you. In her book, The First 20 Minutes: Surprising Science Reveals How We Can Exercise Better, Train Smarter, Live Longer, New York Times bestselling author Gretchen Reynolds addresses the issue of exercise as a way to improve longevity and happiness as well.
“The first 20 minutes of moving around, if someone has been really sedentary, provide most of the health benefits. You get prolonged life, reduced disease risk – all of those things come in in the first 20 minutes of being active,” she said in a 2012 interview.
“Two-thirds of Americans get no exercise at all. If one of those people gets up and moves around for 20 minutes, they are going to get a huge number of health benefits, and everything beyond that 20 minutes is, to some degree, gravy. That doesn’t mean I’m suggesting people should not exercise more if they want to. You can always do more. But the science shows that if you just do anything, even stand in place 20 minutes, you will be healthier.”

Similarly, research9 published in 2008 found that those who exercised on work days experienced significantly improved mood on days that they exercised. Interestingly, while their mood remained fairly constant even on non-exercise work days, their sense of inner calm deteriorated on those days. According to the authors:
“Critically, workers performed significantly better on exercise days and across all three areas we measured, known as mental-interpersonal, output and time demands.”

Key findings included:

• 72 percent had improved time management on exercise days compared to non-exercise days
• 79 percent reported improved mental and interpersonal performance in exercise days
• 74 percent said they managed their workload better
• Those who exercised regularly also reported feeling more than 40 percent more “motivated to work” and scored more than 20 percent higher for concentration and finishing work on time

But remember, it is FAR better to exercise regularly. I believe it is also vital to engage in regular movement if you have a sitting job like most of us do, including me. I typically sit in front of a computer for more than 12 hours a day. What I have recently appreciated is that standing up every 10 minutes (with the help of a timer) and engaging in some type of brief exercise, is an enormously powerful habit to minimize the damage of long term sitting.

   Aim for a Well-Rounded Fitness Program

Ideally, to truly optimize your health, you’ll want to strive for a varied and well-rounded fitness program that incorporates a wide variety of exercises. As a general rule, as soon as an exercise becomes easy to complete, you need to increase the intensity and/or try another exercise to keep challenging your body.

Additionally, more recent research has really opened my eyes to the importance of non-exercise movement. Truly, the key to health is to remain as active as you can, all day long, but that doesn’t mean you train like an athlete for hours a day. It simply means, whenever you have a chance to move and stretch your body in the course of going about your day—do it!

And the more frequently, the better. Everything from standing up, to reaching for an item on a tall shelf, to weeding in your garden and walking from one room to another, and even doing dishes count. In short, it’s physical movement, period, that promotes health benefits by the interaction your body gets with gravity. To learn more about this important aspect of health, please see this previous article. That said, I recommend incorporating the following types of exercise into your program:

• Interval (Anaerobic) Training: This is when you alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with gentle recovery periods.

• Strength Training: Rounding out your exercise program with a 1-set strength training routine will ensure that you’re really optimizing the possible health benefits of a regular exercise program. You can also “up” the intensity by slowing it down. For more information about using super slow weight training as a form of high intensity interval exercise, please see my interview with Dr. Doug McGuff.

• Stand Up Every 10 Minutes: This is not intuitively obvious, but emerging evidence clearly shows that even highly fit people who exceed the expert exercise recommendations are headed for premature death if they sit for long periods of time. My interview with NASA scientist Dr. Joan Vernikos goes into great detail why this is so, and what you can do about it. Personally, I usually set my timer for 10 minutes while sitting, and then stand up and do one legged squats, jump squats or lunges when the timer goes off. The key is that you need to be moving all day long, even in non-exercise activities.

• Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.

• Foundation Training, created by Dr. Eric Goodman, is an integral first step of a larger program he calls “Modern Moveology,” which consists of a catalog of exercises. Postural exercises such as those taught in Foundation Training are critical not just for properly supporting your frame during daily activities, they also retrain your body so you can safely perform high-intensity exercises without risking injury.

• Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are also great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you can learn from a personal trainer.

• Stretching: My favorite type of stretching is active isolated stretches developed by Aaron Mattes. With Active Isolated Stretching, you hold each stretch for only two seconds, which works with your body’s natural physiological makeup to improve circulation and increase the elasticity of muscle joints. This technique also allows your body to repair itself and prepare for daily activity. You can also use devices like the Power Plate to help you stretch.

Source:
eatlocalgrown.com