Health

Health – Natural vs. Organic, Is There a Difference?

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Two words, natural and organic, are very confusing and many health conscious persons may be fooled by failing to understand the difference between the two. The following excerpts are very informative.

Natural vs. Organic Cereals

Federal law requires that organic food products be produced promoting ecological sustainability, without the toxic inputs and genetically engineered ingredients common in the conventional food system. Increasingly, organic products are forced to compete with products that claim to be “natural.”

There are no restrictions for foods labeled “natural.” … Unlike the organic label, no government agency, certification group or other independent entity fully defines the term “natural” on processed food packages or ensures that the claim has merit. … Our analysis reveals that “natural” products—using conventional ingredients—often are priced higher than equivalent organic products. This suggests that some companies are taking advantage of consumer confusion. http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/10/natural-vs-organic-cereal/

Company Definitions of “Natural”

[One company] fails to mention that “all natural” does not mean the absence of toxic pesticides and other synthetic inputs in the farms and processing plants that produce the “high-quality ingredients.” … definition of “natural” also does not mean the absence of genetically engineered ingredients.

Corporate “natural” definitions vary widely. Generally, “natural” means the absence of artificial ingredients, commonly referencing preservatives, but does not signify that the ingredients are grown and processed in ways that avoid such “unnatural” inputs as synthetic pesticides and genetically engineered organisms. Various companies’ definitions of “natural” highlight its inferiority to the organic label.

“Some manufacturers continue to use artificial and synthetic ingredients in their granola, and instead of putting the word “natural” on the box, recently have changed the packaging to give the impression of being “natural.” …

[…] granola’s ingredients are anything but wholesome and natural: whole oats, brown sugar, whole grain wheat, corn syrup, rice, almonds, modified corn starch, partially hydrogenated cottonseed and/or soybean oil, high-fructose corn syrup, cinnamon, salt, nonfat dry milk, natural and artificial flavors, poly-glycerol esters of mono- and di-glycerides, malt flavor, niacinamide, zinc oxide, guar gum, sodium ascorbate and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), reduced iron, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin A palmitate, folic acid, thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), BHT (preservative), vitamin B12 and vitamin D.”

Rapid Growth of “Natural” Foods Industry

The organic market has been growing rapidly for years, reflecting increased consumer awareness of the importance of pure and sustainably produced food. The strategy of multinational corporations to profit from this consumer interest with their “natural” marketing appears to be successful, according to a report by the research firm SPINS.

… companies shifted toward cheaper “natural” options during the recession, allowing them to market their products to the same concerned consumer target audience, while using cheaper conventional ingredients that they could source at conventional prices.

http://cornucopia.org/cereal-scorecard/docs/Cornucopia_Cereal_Report.pdf

The word natural may not have the same meaning to you and me as it would to a corporation. We need to be on our guard at all times; so do a little research before you buy and also read carefully the ingredients on packages.

God has provided us with one body to watch over and to care for so that the Holy Spirit may work in and through us to reach others. Satan would love to destroy this temple and looks for opportunities to do so when we are least observant.

Health – Nutrition – One of the Eight Health Laws

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Nutrition may well be the most important of the eight laws of health, for without adequate nutrition, it would be difficult, if not impossible, to keep the other seven, due to the ill-health that inadequate nutrition brings on.

Many tend to take health for granted or fail to appreciate it as they should. What about you? Are you looking to preserve the health you have or are you failing to appreciate it and therefore allowing it to slip by little-by-little? Consider the health law of nutrition and how it affects you.

The immune system, which is a gift from God, is a sure defense against disease. When this system is compromised, infections and disease walk right in and take over, making you sick and at times causing death. It is the responsibility of each person to see that their immune system is working to its best ability. One way is by carefully choosing the best nutrition for his or her body’s needs.

“Our bodies are built up from the food we eat. There is a constant breaking down of the tissues of the body; every movement of every organ involves waste, and this waste is repaired from our food. Each organ of the body requires its share of nutrition. The brain must be supplied with its portion; the bones, muscles, and nerves demand theirs. It is a wonderful process that transforms the food into blood and uses this blood to build up the varied parts of the body; but this process is going on continually, supplying with life and strength each nerve, muscle, and tissue.

“Those foods should be chosen that best supply the elements needed for building up the body. In this choice, appetite is not a safe guide. Through wrong habits of eating, the appetite has become perverted. … The disease and suffering that everywhere prevail are largely due to popular errors in regard to diet.” The Ministry of Healing, 295.

“If you want to prevent cancer and reduce the risk of other chronic health problems, then you need to consider the types of foods that you are eating. People don’t often realize the impact that their diet has on their overall health, and they make poor food choices every day because they are following the Standard American Diet. It is possible to change your health through diet and lifestyle adjustments, and one of the first things that you need to do is stay away from ‘dead’ foods.

“What are ‘Dead’ Foods? When you bite into a fresh apple, a slice of cucumber, or any other kinds of fruits and vegetables, you are providing your body with a number of enzymes that support digestion and overall health. These foods are ‘living’ and you should eat an abundance of them each day. But, there are many types of food that are ‘dead’ because they don’t contain the important enzymes that are needed for good health.

“Most of the time, foods that come in a box, can, jar, or any other type of package have been so processed that the enzymes have been destroyed. These packaged foods are known as dead foods, and they often contain a host of other unhealthy ingredients such as preservatives, fats, sugars, and chemicals.

“Eating these dead foods not only prevents your body from getting the nutrition and enzymes that are needed for good health, but you are also loading the body with toxins and garbage that need to be removed. Each time you take a bite of dead food, it puts a burden on your body and causes damage to your major organs.

“ ‘Living’ Foods Support Health. In comparison, living foods are very good for your health and they support overall wellness. If you want to reduce your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, then you need to increase your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with the beneficial enzymes that your body needs. These foods are very beneficial for building and repairing, and they provide your body with important compounds instead of placing a greater burden on the organs.

“When you cut out the dead foods and increase the living foods, you will notice a change in your energy levels and overall health. It is amazing to see how much of a difference it can make!” www.myhdiet.com/healthnews/why-dead-foods-are-damaging-your-health/

It is better for your health to increase the “living” foods and decrease the “dead” foods. We were created in the image of God—living and vibrant—full of life. Why would we want to refuse the proper nourishment and lose the gift of health which is so valuable?

We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).

“The knowledge that man is to be a temple for God, a habitation for the revealing of His glory, should be the highest incentive to the care and development of our physical powers. Fearfully and wonderfully has the Creator wrought in the human frame, and He bids us make it our study, understand its needs, and act our part in preserving it from harm and defilement.” The Ministry of Healing, 271.

Health – Temperance-A Remedy for Disease

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“Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.” I Corinthians 9:25

Our problems and our sicknesses are often the result of our own intemperate habits. A man does not die; he kills himself. A healthy, happy person is one who is well balanced physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Temperance means self control or moderation in the enjoyment of those things which are good, and the avoidance of that which is harmful. …

Part I – Moderation in that which is Good

Sunshine is very healing to the body, but too much sunshine will result in sunburn; too much exercise will cause exhaustion; too much sleep causes one to become lazy; too much money causes one to become selfish; too much entertainment causes one to become irresponsible; too much reading can ruin one’s eyes; too much hurrying can cause a nervous breakdown, and too much food can cause obesity. We can plainly see that we all need some sunshine, some exercise and some food, but too much is harmful. If a little is good, that does not mean that a lot is better. This is especially true when it comes to food. We need moderation in all good things, and this article will cover just three of them, moderation in food, cleanliness, and entertainment.

Moderation in Food

Most obese people can improve their situation by simply reducing their intake of food and increasing physical activity. Overeating can be the root cause of any number of illnesses, from gastric indigestion, obesity, heart disease, and similar afflictions. The less active an individual is, the less food is required. Overeating not only puts undue stress on the digestive organs, but it weakens the entire body system making it more prone to disease. A person who can control his appetite is a self-disciplined individual.

Moderation in Cleanliness

Personal cleanliness—cleanliness of body and clothes—is actually another type of moderation. No one wants to be around someone who doesn’t regularly bathe or wash his or her clothes. Cleanliness of one’s home and belongings is also important. Have you ever had the unfortunate experience of visiting someone whose house was so dirty and cluttered that you could hardly get in the front door? Many diseases are the result of poor sanitation. Closely related to cleanliness is neatness and tidiness. Keeping things neat and in order is encouraging to our mental attitude.

Moderation in Entertainment

The major entertainment in America is the television set. The average child watches over 40 hours of T.V. a week. That adds up to almost 6 hours a day. This is not moderation at all and that is why we are having so many problems with our youth today, like violence, sexual permissiveness, disrespect, lying, stealing, and similar inappropriate behaviors. What can we expect when they watch this on T.V. over 40 hours every week?

Television is a very poor substitute for entertainment. What happened to the days when families did things together, like biking, camping, hiking, father and son building something together, mother teaching her daughter how to bake bread or make a dress? Today, most families simply watch T.V. together, where there is no communication between them; it is all one way. The T.V. communicates its negative system of beliefs to its audience. Why do we have a generation gap? Why do we have poor reading skills? Why do we have such negative outlooks on life? Why are we overweight and physically unfit? Why do we have such short attention spans? Why does actual life seem boring? The answer to all these and more is the television. We, as a nation, have not been selective in the programs we see nor in the amount of T.V. we watch. The Bible tells us that what we sow, we shall reap; and we here in American are now reaping the results of improper television viewing. May God help us to see our errors.

Part II – Avoiding that which is Harmful

The second part of the definition of temperance is “avoidance of that which is harmful.” There are literally thousands of things that are harmful, but we will be looking at just a few of these. We all know we should avoid such things as alcohol, tobacco and harmful drugs. Most people know that they are a poison to the body and that we should stay away from them. However, there are other things that are harmful to your body of which you may unaware – coffee, tea, colas, chocolate, baking powder and soda.

Harmful Effects of Coffee, Tea, Colas and Chocolate

These all contain methylxanthines which can cause physical and physiological damage. All of the methylxanthines have been associated with chromosome damage and deformities in the offspring of the user; and cancer is more common in those who use methylxanthines, especially chocolate, which may begin developing cysts and fibrous tumors especially in the breast, the so-called fibrocystic disease. Methylxanthines have the ability to alter the very protoplasm of cells, and to attach or concentrate in cells for an unknown period of time. The effects begin shortly after taking the drink containing them, and last for about four hours. Some of the symptoms can be imperfect balance, rapid heartbeat, insomnia, fatigue, finger tremor, headache, restlessness, irritability, depression and gastrointestinal disturbances. (See Psychopharmacology in the Practice of Medicine by Murray E. Janik. Reviewed in Journal of Family Practice 4 (6): 1180–1888, 1977.)

If one is accustomed to the regular use of coffee, tea, colas or chocolate, one may feel less alert, less contented, more sleepy and irritable when there is a delay in having these products. The shocking thing is that over 90% of the American population uses caffeine, which is found in coffee, tea and colas. Decaffeinated coffee and tea have more harmful substances than the caffeinated. …

Harmful Effects of Baking Powder and Soda

The use of soda and baking powder is harmful. Soda causes inflammation of the stomach by eating away the lining of the stomach. Soda also decreases the pancreatic juices, which are used for digestion; and all baking powders leave a residue of soda and bicarbonate of soda which destroys vitamins. The alum baking powder leaves a residue consisting of Glauber’s salts (sulfate of soda) and aluminum hydrate (which itself is poisonous to the body). The cream of tartar baking powders leave a residue of tartar of soda and potash – Rochelle salts. The phosphoric baking powders leave a residue of phosphate of lime and soda. (Hoffman, Jay Ph.D., The Missing Link, pg. 83, 1984.) Some health food stores carry a baking powder which they are told is healthy baking powder and is not harmful. This is not true; there has never come on the market a baking powder that does not leave a residue of soda.

Closing

Our bodies are not our own, to treat as we please, to cripple by habits that lead to decay. The wonderful mechanism of the human body does not receive half the care that is often given to a mere lifeless machine. Our bodies belong to God, He has arranged every fiber and nerve and sinew and muscle and will keep our bodies in perfect health, if we will cooperate with Him by being temperate and obeying His natural laws of health.

Excerpts from Natural Medicine, pages 99–105, Jerry Hoover, N.D. KNI Printers, Inc., Anaheim, California, 1993.

Health – Dangers in Processed Meats

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Many have been following all updated studies on the danger of meat eating. There have been many little warnings along the way. These warnings are getting stronger for God’s people to awake to the dangers of eating flesh meats. In the following report the experts concluded that each 50 gram [2 oz.] portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. Consumption of processed meat is also linked with pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer. This should be of interest to all. This information comes from the International Agency for Research on Cancer – World Health Organization, Press Release – October 26, 2015.

Lyon, France, 26 October 2015 – The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization, has evaluated the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat.

Red meat

After thoroughly reviewing the accumulated scientific literature, a Working Group of 22 experts from 10 countries convened by the IARC Monographs Programme classified the consumption of red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A), based on limited evidence that the consumption of red meat causes cancer in humans and strong mechanistic evidence supporting a carcinogenic effect.

This association was observed mainly for colorectal cancer, but associations were also seen for pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer.

Processed meat

Processed meat was classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), based on sufficient evidence in humans that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer.

Meat consumption and its effects

The consumption of meat varies greatly between countries, with from a few percent up to 100% of people eating red meat, depending on the country, and somewhat lower proportions eating processed meat.

The experts concluded that each 50 gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.

“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” says Dr Kurt Straif, Head of the IARC Monographs Programme. “In view of the large number of people who consume processed meat, the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”

The IARC Working Group considered more than 800 studies that investigated associations of more than a dozen types of cancer with the consumption of red meat or processed meat in many countries and populations with diverse diets. The most influential evidence came from large prospective cohort studies conducted over the past 20 years.

Public health

“These findings further support current public health recommendations to limit intake of meat,” says Dr Christopher Wild, Director of IARC. “At the same time, red meat has nutritional value. Therefore, these results are important in enabling governments and international regulatory agencies to conduct risk assessments, in order to balance the risks and benefits of eating red meat and processed meat and to provide the best possible dietary recommendations.”

IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat …

Red meat refers to all types of mammalian muscle meat, such as beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse, and goat.

Processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation. Most processed meats contain pork or beef, but processed meats may also contain other red meats, poultry, offal, or meat by-products such as blood.

Examples of processed meat include hot dogs (frankfurters), ham, sausages, corned beef, and biltong or beef jerky as well as canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces.

A summary of the final evaluations is available online in The Lancet Oncology, and the detailed assessments will be published as Volume 114 of the IARC Monographs. [All emphasis added.]

http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2015/pdfs/pr240_E.pdf

“Health reform is to do among our people a work which it has not yet done. There are those who ought to be awake to the danger of meat eating, who are still eating the flesh of animals, thus endangering the physical, mental, and spiritual health.” Counsels on Health, 575.

Health – Thoughts on Nuts

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The following is an excerpt from the book, Proof Positive, by Neil Nedley, M.D.
He shares some very interesting insight into nut consumption and your health.

“… Nuts in general have been studied extensively and have been found not only to lower blood cholesterol levels, but also to provide a corresponding decrease in the risk of heart disease. …

“This study on nut consumption was conducted at Loma Linda University and has received international attention. [Fraser GE, Sabate J, et al. A possible protective effect of nut consumption on risk of coronary heart disease. The Adventist Health Study. Arch Intern Med 1992 Jul;152(7):1416-1424.] The initial study focused on the amount of nuts eaten by the participants in the Adventist Health Study. They found that those consuming nuts less than once per week had the highest risk of heart attack. Those who consumed nuts one to four times per week lowered their risk about 25 percent … Those who consumed nuts more than five times a week cut their risk in half. The study was controlled for other lifestyle variables so that the researchers could be more certain that the nuts were the only factor involved. Many health professionals were surprised by the findings of this study. Previously, health professionals commonly encouraged patients to avoid nuts because of their high fat content. Now we know that nuts in small to moderate amounts are part of a healthful diet because they supply some fat nutrients that are beneficial for preventing heart disease.

“Regarding peanuts, the fat in peanuts has a specific chemistry and triglyceride structure (apart from the saturated and polyunsaturated content) that makes them surprisingly harder on your arteries than other vegetable fats. [Kritchevsky D. Dietary fat and experimental atherosclerosis. Int J Tissue React 1991;13(2):59-65.] Thus, a person who wants to protect his arteries would be wise to choose other nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans in place of peanuts. Almonds have another advantage. They are unique among the nut food group in that they contain far more vitamin E than other nuts; in fact, they exceed just about all other foods in this regard. … The realization of some of the peanut fat’s negative aspects leaves me impressed with a statement I read about nuts that was written nearly 100 years ago in the classic book on the principles of health, The Ministry of Healing, [298], written by Ellen White: ‘With nuts may be combined grains, fruits, and some roots, to make foods that are healthful and nourishing. Care should be taken, however, not to use too large a proportion of nuts. … some nuts are not so wholesome as others. Almonds are preferable to peanuts, but peanuts in limited quantities, used in connection with grains, are nourishing and digestible.’

“Why did she warn against excessive nut consumption? One likely reason is that a high fat diet (even if from ‘good’ fats) tends to promote weight gain. For many people, a large proportion of nuts in their diet may contribute to obesity. The overweight condition itself can raise cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems.’ ” Proof Positive, 68, 69.

Dr. Nedley then goes on to share about a study done by Dr. Sabate [Sabate J, Fraser GE, et al. Effects of walnuts on serum lipid levels and blood pressure in normal men. N Engl J Med 1993 Mar 4;328(9):603-607].

“Dr. Sabate took the nut research a step further. Instead of using Seventh-day Adventists again, who are already on a better overall diet than most Americans, he now studied individuals on an average American diet. One half of the total group was placed on an average diet. The other half were fed an identical-looking diet with one major difference. Walnuts were blended up and added to various food items. Other sources of fat were decreased to keep the calorie and total fat levels the same in the two groups. … Walnuts reduce cholesterol: The study group ate 1 ½ cups – 84 grams of walnuts daily for 4 weeks. Average LDL – bad cholesterol was reduced by 18 mg/dl.

“Eating walnuts daily had some amazing results. LDL cholesterol, the ‘bad cholesterol,’ dropped by 18 points. This represents a remarkable lowering of heart attack risk. For each percentage point drop in the bad cholesterol, there is a two to three percent drop in the heart attack rate. [Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. The Expert Panel. Arch Intern Med 1988 Jan;148(1):36-69.]

“An 18 point drop in LDL translates into a 36 to 54 percent drop in heart disease risk. The benefits of walnuts may not simply be due to their excellent P/S ratio. These nuts are also high in so-called omega-3 fatty acids, which have some special benefits.” Ibid., 69.

The foregoing excerpts give us a deeper understanding of how certain nuts work on our bodies. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and God has provided for each of our needs. We are blessed to have such information to guide us along the nutrition pathway.

Health – Harmful Food Dyes

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Artificial dyes are found in most processed foods and may be causing health issues because they are synthetic and dangerous. Food dyes add no benefits whatsoever to foods, other than adding eye appeal. You will find artificial dyes in colored drinks and candies, brown cereal, whole wheat pizza crust and white frosting, pickles, children’s vitamins and Motrin, nacho chips and flavored instant oatmeal, and the list goes on. Many packaged foods contain coloring. Read the ingredients!

“What was once reserved for colorful, celebratory cake frosting is now lurking on almost every shelf in the grocery store. In fact, consumption of food dyes has increased 5-fold since 1955 (up from 3 million to 15 million pounds per year) – 90% of which is from Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Red 40. This is one of the many reasons why the argument that we grew up eating this stuff and turned out ‘just fine’ doesn’t hold up – processed food has changed (and continues to change) since we were kids. …” www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/04/04/artificial-dyes-how-to-find-and-avoid/

“These are some of the food dyes that are currently on the market. If you see these ingredients added to a product, exercise caution before buying:

  • Blue #1 & #2: These ingredients are often added to pet food, baked goods, candy, and beverages. They have been linked to cancer and tumor formation in mice and hamsters. …
  • Red #3: Most commonly used to color baked goods, candy, fruit cocktail, and cherries. Researchers found that this food dye caused thyroid tumors in rats.
  • Red #40: This ingredient is usually contaminated with carcinogens such as benzidine, and researchers found that it increased tumor incidence and death rate in hamsters who were exposed to it.
  • Yellow #5: Another food dye that is usually contaminated with carcinogens such as benzidine. Researchers found that it mimics the function of estrogen in the body.
  • Yellow #6: Often added to candy, baked goods, gelatin, sausage, and beverages, this ingredient has been associated with tumor formation in the kidneys and adrenal gland. …” www.myhdiet.com/healthnews/cancer-news/avoiding-food-dyes/

“Back in 1985, the acting commissioner of the FDA said that Red 3, one of the lesser-used dyes, ‘has clearly been shown to induce cancer’ and was ‘of greatest public health concern.’ However, Secretary of Agriculture John R. Block pressed the Department of Health and Human Services not to ban the dye, and he apparently prevailed—notwithstanding the Delaney Amendment that forbids the use of in foods of cancer-causing color additives. Each year about 200,000 pounds of Red 3 are poured into such foods as Betty Crocker’s Fruit Roll-Ups and ConAgra’s Kid Cuisine frozen meals. Since 1985 more than five million pounds of the dye have been used.” http://cspinet.org/new/201006291.html

Interesting history:

“Food colorings have been used since ancient times. When color was needed, spices, flowers, and juices from fruits and vegetables were employed to do the job. Minerals and ores were also used but were found to be dangerous. If the concentration was off even a little bit, the result was a poisonous food that could not be eaten.

“Artificial food colorings began as additives that enhanced the way that food looked in shop windows. … If the color is bright then you think that the food is fresher somehow. It is a trick of the eye and the brain that has worked for manufacturers for ages.

“In early history, food colorings were derived from natural sources. This went for medications and/or cosmetics too. If you wanted red coloring for a cake, you added red beet root juice to the mixture. This not only provided a deep color but also a certain flavor. For other colors, different spices could be used with water to bring out the desired look. …

“After World War II, scientists discovered that they could manufacture coloring additives artificially and cheaper than using food sources. The colorings that went into food were created in labs or extracted from dyes. People didn’t notice the difference. …

“Many of these artificial colorings were derived from petroleum-based products. It extended shelf life and that was important at the time. According to the government, as long as the chemical used in the food wasn’t at a level that would kill half of the test animals in the group, it was deemed safe for human consumption. There were no tests that measured toxicity as it related to behavior in humans or animals.

“In the 1930s an act was put in place that called for regulation of color additives to foods, drugs and cosmetic products. When artificial colorings were added to the line-up, they also had to be regulated and included in this act (in 1960). …

“Artificial colorings added no additional nutritional value to the food. …

“… the use of coloring additives has increased. You don’t just see the coloring in candy or jelly beans. It can be found in soft drinks, popsicles, ice cream and even fish. …

“Dyes are added to some salmon to keep it looking bright in the package. It apparently works. If you saw a lighter-colored salmon and a brighter piece of fish, which would you buy? …”

www.natural-holistic-health.com/dangers-artificial-food-coloring/

A healthier alternative would be to limit processed foods and prepare your own meals with healthy ingredients which include fresh fruit and vegetables in which God’s natural coloring shines forth and nourishes your body.

Health – Conquering Stress

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Riots and trouble, depression and guilt, hatred and violence, anxiety and anger. We live in a world turbulent with stress. How significant is this to our health, happiness, and success? It is a recognized cause of high blood pressure and of dysfunction in the immune system. Difficulties in any part of the body can be caused or aggravated by stress.

What is Stress?

Stress in the sum total of pressure converging on a person.

How Does Stress Work?

Stress works through the nervous system. There is an intricate electrical and chemical network providing communication within the different parts of the brain, between the brain and the rest of the nervous system, and between these and all parts of the body. For this reason, a great deal of good or harm can be produced by stress signals going around and around in circuits inside of the brain, the capital of the body. Because nerves go to each of the organs and all major blood vessels, stress can derange the circulation of any part of the body, producing a spectrum of problems from headaches to spasms.

As nerves communicate with the tiny endocrine glands, they can increase or decrease the production of hormones that circulate in the blood to reach and affect specific targets or all parts of the body. This “mass communication system” can affect all tissues of the body, with their 120 trillion cells!

Control Systems

There are three major ways to control stress. One of the finest ways of controlling stress is to reduce the input of stressful stimuli, pressures, and forces impinging on you. Many people could markedly reduce the effects of internal violence in the nervous system by not seeing, hearing, feeling, or vicariously experiencing the violence via the mass media, particularly by television, DVDs, movies, radio, magazines, and stress-producing books.

Another way to reduce stress is to focus the imagination and mind on today’s opportunities and duties, instead of worrying about tomorrow’s synthetic potential problems. Stress input can be markedly reduced by solving the problems of the past. From people we have injured we can seek forgiveness for violating principles of human behavior. After we have asked forgiveness we can go to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to forgive us. When this is done, the stress of the past can be buried in the deepest ocean of history. This will make it very much easier for us to have poise and concentration on the day-to-day living, for the Great Physician has counselled us, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” (Matthew 6:34).

Another way to reduce stressful input is by developing sensible mental and emotional hygiene. Instead of dwelling on the negatives of life and experience in our families, in our communities, or in our world, thinking and focusing on the positive developments in our lives will greatly reduce our internal stress.

A very potent method for stress control is to increase the coping power that we have available. This can be done in many ways. The finest, most economical, most available, and most powerful way to increase coping power is complete cooperation with Divine Power. United States president George Washington, president Abraham Lincoln, and many other great people of history have found prayer to be indispensable in increasing their power to cope with the pressures, problems, burdens, worries, and anxieties of life.

Reading biographies of great people who have dealt with similar problems and succeeded in life in spite of them is very helpful. Some of the finest of these practical experiences and case records of successful stress control are found in the Bible itself. There are such famous cases as Daniel, surrounded in a foreign culture in Babylon, David, chased from one cave to another by an insane king, and Paul, in and out of prisons for sharing the truth with a secular society. Mention could be made of many others. As we identify our situations with those of other people, and as we see how they made it in spite of everything, this will give us more faith, more courage, more toughness of spirit and mind, more resiliency of soul to stand up and go forward in spite of appearances. We too can learn to live by faith instead of by sight.

Many stress control methods that have some utility neglect the highest region of the brain, namely, the frontal lobe. The major portion of the brain, this is where such great forces as faith, hope, and love are centered. By building up this highest region of the brain, we become men and women of grit, gumption, and tenacity. These approaches transcend shallow quick fixes, and tend to produce more character than depression.

Support Groups

Support groups are very useful and valuable in coping with stress, particularly if the support group socially reinforces the truth. Placebos or shallow pseudo-solutions that do not deal with the root causes of our problems will fail in the end.

Often neglected in stress control is another major portion of the brain, the regions on the right side, dealing with the big picture, with music, and with art. Although singing does not seem to be very potent, in reality it is. When Martin Luther sang with lusty courage, “A mighty fortress is our God” (Martin Luther, 1529), he marched—with his whole brain engaged—with the Leader of the universe and the needs of humanity. Every step he took toward Worms echoed for centuries thereafter. This is stress control at its finest.

One time there was a dear friend of the Great Physician named Martha. She came under considerable stress because of her natural tendency to collect and try to assume more and more duties. A noble person of considerable talent, she neglected the finer dimensions of life and found herself in intolerable stress. Her sister Mary chose rather to spend more time listening to Jesus. This better way relieved her of unnecessary stress and sweetened her life with heavenly music—it will for you too.

Delegation of responsibility, appropriate time management, and other divide-and-conquer methods have their place in stress control.

From one point of view, the main difference between carbon—black, dingy, dirty carbon—and the pristine elegance of a diamond, is stress. The convergence of heat and pressure on carbon can produce the glories of diamonds. This is the finest outcome of stress. When we understand and grasp that the crucible of stress can produce the very finest of personality and character development, instead of fighting the process, we will cooperate with the great Designer, relax in trustful submission, and go forward in spite of feelings.

In this way, common people of common talents can become excellent masters of stress control. To participate in this process will require some real study, faith, and maturity. If we feel like orphans, slaves, or ciphers in the universe, the circumstances of life may appear unfair, unjust, and fatalistic, whereas if we discover by careful study of the Bible that we are sons and daughters of the King of the universe and that He loves us steadily, tenderly, eternally, then our outlook on the universe and on the world—on all of life—will be entirely transformed. The spiritual dimension of stress control is indeed ultimate.

In this, the age of computers, we know that the excellence of modern software is essential for the efficiency of good computer operation. The human brain is the greatest computer in the world, and its excellence, too, depends on its software. The software in our living computers will be the best if, in our life experience and in our study of the Bible, when we come across a promise that rings a golden bell in our lives, we will write it down, keep it, and refresh it in our minds and experience. We can become stronger, more flexible, more resilient, tougher if you please, to the buffeting stresses of life’s turbulence. For instance, the Great Physician promised, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). A very good, and useful promise.

And again, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace” (John 16:33). These great promises are great pillars of stress control, and when we take hold of them, and understand them, believe them, and trust the Author of all good, beauty, and strength, our lives can reflect more and more that quality and serenity of peace that passeth all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

“Peace I leave with you.”

Bernell E. Baldwin, The Journal of Health and Healing, vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 4, 5.

Health – Save that Garlic Sprout

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What do you do with that garlic bulb that has begun to sprout and looks like it has passed its prime? You may be surprised to find out that that little sprout has more nutritional value than the original bulb, even though it was loaded with nutrition and healing powers.

“ ‘Sprouted’ garlic – old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves – is considered to be past its prime and usually ends up in the garbage can. But scientists are reporting in ACS’s (American Chemical Society) Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that this type of garlic has even more heart-healthy antioxidant activity than its fresher counterparts.

“Jong-Sang Kim and colleagues note that people have used garlic for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Today, people still celebrate its healthful benefits. Eating garlic or taking garlic supplements is touted as a natural way to reduce cholesterol levels, blood pressure and heart disease risk. It even may boost the immune system and help fight cancer. But those benefits are for fresh, raw garlic. Sprouted garlic has received much less attention. When seedlings grow into green plants, they make many new compounds, including those that protect the young plant against pathogens. Kim’s group reasoned that the same thing might be happening when green shoots grow from old heads of garlic. Other studies have shown that sprouted beans and grains have increased antioxidant activity, so the team set out to see if the same is true for garlic.

“They found that garlic sprouted for five days had higher antioxidant activity than fresher, younger bulbs, and it had different metabolites, suggesting that it also makes different substances. Extracts from this garlic even protected cells in a laboratory dish from certain types of damage. ‘Therefore, sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic,’ they conclude.” www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/273314.php

The study’s author Jong-Sang Kim PhD, says, “Plants are very susceptible to attack from bacteria, viruses, and insects during sprouting. This causes them to produce a variety of chemicals called phytoalexins to defend themselves. Most of these are toxic to microorganisms and insects, but beneficial to human health.” www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/why-old-sprouted-garlic-actually-good-you

Here is another interesting tidbit on garlic sprouts.

“Although garlic (Allium sativum) has been extensively studied for its health benefits, sprouted garlic has received little attention. We hypothesized that sprouting garlic would stimulate the production of various phytochemicals that improve health. Ethanolic extracts from garlic sprouted for different periods had variable antioxidant activities when assessed with in vitro assays, including the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity assay and the oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay. Extracts from garlic sprouted for 5 days had the highest antioxidant activity, whereas extracts from raw garlic had relatively low antioxidant activity. Furthermore, sprouting changed the metabolite profile of garlic: the metabolite profile of garlic sprouted for 5–6 days was distinct from the metabolite profile of garlic sprouted for 0–4 days, which is consistent with the finding that garlic sprouted for 5 days had the highest antioxidant activity. Therefore, sprouting may be a useful way to improve the antioxidant potential of garlic.” http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf500603v

We now understand that garlic sprouted for five days has been found to have higher antioxidant activity than fresher, younger bulbs. Sprouting your garlic might be a useful way to improve its antioxidant potential. This really makes sense when you consider the nutritional changes that occur in plants when they sprout. Don’t throw out those sprouts—eat them!

Health – The Immune System

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We can hinder our immune system by having a bad lifestyle, or we can help our immune system by having a good lifestyle.

The special work of our immune system is to keep our bodies healthy. If two individuals visit in the home of a mutual friend suffering from a cold, and the following day one individual comes down with a cold, but the other does not, it is because the healthy individual’s immune system was high and was able to fight off the cold, whereas the other person’s immune system was low and could not fight off the cold.

Here are a few of the many, many things that can lower our immune system: eating the wrong foods; not drinking enough water; not getting enough sleep; not getting enough exercise; not getting enough sunshine; breathing poor quality air; being intemperate in any area; living with guilt, fear, hatred, or other negative emotions, and not taking your problems to God; using drugs; eating between meals; not keeping warm; living in unsanitary conditions; working in a very noisy atmosphere. As you can readily see, the list could go on and on … .

To keep our immune system up, we have to have a clean, free flowing blood stream. There are many different types of blood cells in our body. Red blood cells comprise a third of all the cells in the human body, about 20 trillion in the average adult. White blood cells are larger but less numerous than red cells, and there are approximately 20 million in the adult body. The white blood cells are the ones that play a major role in our body’s immune system, and are sometimes referred to as our warrior cells; they are responsible for apprehending and eliminating foreign substances.

While red cells are buoyed along like cargo rafts as the heart pumps the serum, white cells function more like patrol boats. Under their own locomotion, they can change direction to go after an invading molecule or cell. Whenever the body has an infection or any problem, internally or externally, the white blood cells will multiply rapidly. You may have three to five times as many of them in the blood stream during infection as you would have under normal conditions. If you had an infected cut, they accumulate at the point of infection like an army to fight the invaders.

At the sight of the infection, where the battle is raging, there is heat, redness, swelling, and pain. This is called inflammation and may result in the formation of yellow pus. This pus is made up mainly of dead white cells, living and dead germs, and broken down tissue. When the pus is cleared away, healing takes place. Poor health habits can hinder our white blood cells from doing their job. Let me share a few of these with you.

Watch out! Eating sugar lowers the immune system!

Eating sugar will paralyze and hinder your white blood cells from fighting off an infection. … One who eats sugar is lowering his immune system by paralyzing his white blood cells so that the body cannot properly fight off the cold.

Not drinking enough water lowers the immune system.

A normal sized adult needs two quarts of pure soft water daily. Those who do not drink enough water will have problems with constipation, which causes a backing up of waste materials in the body. Not drinking enough water causes the blood to become thicker and this slows down the circulation throughout the whole body, thus raising the blood pressure. Insufficient water causes many health problems such as kidney and bladder problems, skin eruption, eye problems, and similar troubles. These problems will put an overload on the body, indirectly weakening it and lowering the immune system.

Lack of sunshine will lower the immune system.

Sunlight increases the production and stimulates the activity of the white blood cells. These cells in turn produce more antibodies and interferons to circulate throughout the body. The net effect is that the individual’s defenses against disease are greatly strengthened with exposure to sunshine.

Eating meat lowers the immune system.

Eating meat lowers the immune system because the meat has a large amount of waste materials in it that the animal was unable to eliminate when it was slaughtered. This waste material eventually enters the blood stream, causing extra work for the white blood cells since they have to destroy all the harmful bacteria and other toxic substances introduced by eating meat.

Consuming the flesh of dead animals also puts an overload on the kidneys, liver, colon, and many other organs in the body. It is a well known fact that vegetarians have a lower red blood cell count than do meat eaters. They also have a lower white blood cell count because of their stronger immune system. The vegetarian doesn’t need as many white blood cells because he is not consuming meat which contains large amounts of waste materials which would require additional white blood cells. …

Ways to build the immune system:

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Exercise in the sunshine and fresh air
  • Get the proper amount of rest
  • Be temperate and trust in God

Conclusion

If you faithfully follow these few guidelines I have just covered I can promise you that you will be helping your body to have a strong immune system which will, in turn, add time and joy to your life.

Adapted from Natural Medicine, Jerry Hoover, N.D., pp 219–225.

Health – Then and Now Processed Foods

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We take many things for granted in this day and age, including our breakfast cereal and other processed foods. The following is a little history that you might find interesting:

“Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals were invented because of religious beliefs. The first step in this direction was taken by the American clergyman Sylvester Graham, who advocated a vegetarian diet. He used unsifted, coarsely ground flour to invent the Graham cracker in 1829. Influenced by Graham, Seventh-day Adventists, who also believed in vegetarianism, founded the Western Health Reform Institute in Battle Creek, Michigan, in the 1860s. At this institute, later known as the Battle Creek Sanitarium, physician John Harvey Kellogg invented several grain-based meat substitutes.

“In 1876 or 1877, Kellogg invented a food he called granola from wheat, oats, and corn that had been mixed, baked, and coarsely ground. In 1894, Kellogg and his brother W. K. Kellogg invented the first precooked flaked cereal. They cooked ground wheat into a dough, then flattened it between metal rollers and scraped it off with a knife. The resulting flakes were then cooked again and allowed to stand for several hours. This product was sold by mail order as Granose for 15 cents per 10-ounce (284 g) package.

“Both W. K. Kellogg and C. W. Post, a patient at the sanitarium, founded businesses to sell such products as health foods. Their success led dozens of imitators to open factories in Battle Creek between 1900 and 1905. These businesses quickly failed, while Kellogg and Post still survive as thriving manufacturers of breakfast cereals.

“Their success can be partially attributed to advertising campaigns, which transformed the image of their products from health foods to quick, convenient, and tasty breakfast foods. Another factor was the fact that Kellogg and Post both manufactured corn flakes, which turned out to be much more popular than wheat flakes. Breakfast cereals have continued to increase in popularity in the twentieth century. Ready-to-eat breakfast cereals are served in nine out of 10 American households. …” www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Cereal.html

What about Now?

Many of the grains used in cereals are now finely ground, refined and stripped of fiber and other nutrients. They are then cooked at extremely high temperatures which basically destroys any nutrition that may be left. The essential nutrients have been lost.

Beyond just breakfast cereals, the standard diet followed by most people will damage the body and mind. Please read the following excerpt from the book, Health is a Choice—Learn How to Choose it, by Raymond Francis, M.Sc., 2002; published by Health Communications, Inc.

“Carl Pfeiffer, Ph.D., M.D., related in Mental and Elemental Nutrients an experiment at the University of California, Irvine. Healthy rats were fed foods that an average American would purchase in a supermarket: white bread, sugar, eggs, milk, ground beef, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, oranges, apples, bananas and coffee. The rats developed a variety of diseases. Dr. Pfeiffer concluded that if the average human diet could not support the health of rats, then it probably would not do much better for humans.

“In Diet for a Poisoned Plant, David Steinman describes an experiment in which four sets of rats were fed different diets. The first set ate natural foods and drank clean water. Throughout the three-month experiment, these rats remained alert, calm and social. The second set was fed the same food as the first, with the addition of hot dogs. These rats became violent and fought each other aggressively. The third set ate sugar-coated breakfast cereal and drank fruit punch. These rats became nervous, hyperactive and aimless. The fourth set was fed only sugar donuts and cola. These rats had trouble sleeping, became extremely fearful and were unable to function as a social unit. The poor nutrition of these foods (not to mention the toxic food additives) had a profound effect on the behavior of these animals. Many children today struggle with hyperactive, antisocial and even violent behaviors. The time has come to consider how their diet may be causing this behavior.” Pages 106, 107.

Certainly we are not rats, but it is good to notice how foods affected their actions. If we were observant, we could see many of those same characteristics in people around us.

“A study by Professor Suzanne Murphy at the University of California, Berkeley, published in the November 1992 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, measured the diets of 5,884 people for fifteen essential nutrients. The average person consistently measured below two-thirds of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for three to six essential nutrients. A separate study, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, examined ten essential nutrients in the diets of 21,500 people. In that study, not a single person was obtaining 100 percent of the RDA for all ten nutrients on a daily basis—not one person out of 21,500! …

“The most common deficiencies are calcium; zinc; magnesium; chromium; vitamins A, E, C and B6; and folic acid. What you must recognize is that you cannot miss even one member of the nutrition package and hope to be healthy. The way to assure you are getting what you need is to eat a wide range of real foods that are rich in nutrition …” Pages 110, 111.

We know there are many people whose diets consist mainly of processed foods. Because of this there is an increase in medical needs. The immune system is not being fed with nourishing foods. It would be a good idea to increase the amount of real, unprocessed foods into our diets and remove much of the over-processed foods which are not nourishing to our bodies.

Remember, our bodies are made up of what we put into them. Choose the good!