Diabetes: A 21st Century Scourge - The Ravages of Diabetes Continued

Uncontrolled blood sugar levels is the calling card of Type II diabetes that eventually leads to circulatory issues that are life changing. Foot ulcers, peripheral nerve damage and the accompanying pain, and blindness can result when blood vessels are weakened by the inflammatory action of unregulated blood sugar. Nightmarish as those conditions may be the complications of diabetes can worsen overtime leading to renal failure, heart attacks and stroke.

Diabetic Nephropathy

Silently and slowly high blood glucose levels damages the kidneys of diabetics and pre-diabetics which takes its toll. The kidneys help filter the blood and flush the body of unwanted toxins. Overtime high sugar levels cause the thickening and scarring of nephrons. The process eventually leads to renal (kidney) failure. To make matters worse it can take anywhere from 5 – 10 years before the symptoms of acute kidney damage are experienced. Some of the symptoms include nausea with vomiting, swelling of the legs, headaches, chronic fatigue, and poor appetite. Kidney damage is a leading cause of death in diabetics. As it is kidney function can be a direct correlation to the quality of a person’s life.

Strokes

High blood glucose levels create all sorts of negative domino effects in the body. One part of the domino effect is the scarring and deterioration of blood vessels that occur. The body attempts to repair these blood vessels that are constantly under attack. In doing so the material used to make the repairs “builds up” in the blood vessels creating blockages. Sometimes these blockages occur in arteries and blood vessels that supply blood to brain. When the blockages are severe enough a stroke soon follows. The result of the stroke could lead to paralysis, speech loss, inability to coordinate movement or even death. Smaller strokes could lead to dementia or senility.

Heart Attacks

Diabetes and cardiovascular diseases seem to go hand in hand. Primarily because of the circulatory issues created by having diabetes in the first place. From there it becomes much easier for cardiovascular disease to gain a foothold especially if poor lifestyle habits and predisposition to these diseases exist. Diabetics experience heart attacks more frequently than non-diabetics. Diabetics are also twice as likely to die following a heart attack as non-diabetics.

Constipation and Your Health: The Beginning of the End Part I

It is estimated that 80% of Americans suffer from constipation at some point in their lives. Among those a great number of people suffer from the condition chronically going several days a week without a bowel movement. Upwards of $700 million annually is spent on laxatives whether they be over-the-counter or prescribed. Despite the vast amounts of money spent constipation is often overlooked as the significant detriment to our health that it is.

There are two components to constipation that makes it so damaging: malnourishment and toxin elimination. Believe it or not America is one of the most malnourished countries on the face of the earth for several reasons which we will cover shortly. Sure we have plenty to eat but often what we eat leads to constipation. Once we are constipated the intestines can no longer efficiently absorb the nutrients from the foods we eat. We end up satisfying our appetites but failing to benefit from it. Not only do the intestines have a difficult time with absorption of nutrients but the ability to eliminate toxins from the body also becomes negatively impacted. Without proper elimination toxins remain in the body wreaking havoc on our systems by disrupting vital processes or distracting and exhausting the immune system. Chronic sufferers begin a slow descent into other poor health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc., etc. because the list goes on. The truth of the matter is that our health literally begins where our foods journey through the body ends: the colon and intestines.

This post series will cover the causes of constipation, treatments, and recommendations for overcoming constipation.

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One Tiny Gland, One Big Problem - Prostate Health Part 3

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When it comes to maintaining proper prostate health our dietary habits are extremely important. Care must be taken to avoid harmful contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides for example. Since the prostate is a gland that is considered “fatty” these contaminants tend to migrate and store themselves in this vital organ robbing it of nutrients and preventing proper glandular functions. The following are a few keys for the proper maintenance of the prostate gland and could prove beneficial for the reversal of adverse prostate conditions.

• Reduce fat consumption to no more than 15% of total calories. Fats derived from animals or hydrogenated oils often contain the contaminants listed above in addition to fungicides, herbicides and antibiotics none of which could be considered healthy for the prostate at all.
• Increase the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables either raw or lightly cooked. These incorporated fruits and veggies should be about 50-85% of your total diet daily. Eating this way will decrease inflammation in the body and keep the prostate from being overburdened with the contaminants that conventionally grown produce are saddled with.
• Drink plenty of water. Water not only hydrates the body but is also a powerful solvent that flushes our organs and tissues helping to remove toxins from our body.
• Reduce meat consumption especially red meat. Western cultures tend to eat red meat excessively which leads to highly acidic bodies (also known as acidosis). Acidosis is a key contributor to inflammation and opens the door to disease conditions throughout the body including the prostate. In addition, non-organic red meat contains many of the toxins aforementioned in this article.
• Decrease alcohol consumption and refined sugar consumption. Cancer feeds on sugar and prostate cancer is no exception. Sugar that has been refined and alcohol, which metabolizes into sugar, is acidifying and is a pure fuel source for cancers. A lower incidence of cancer has been associated with cultures that have a limited intake of refined sugars.

Keep your dietary habits fresh and non-toxic to optimize your health and the health of your loved ones. In the next installment of this series dietary supplements to foster great prostate health will be discussed.

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Formaldehyde is not for the Living: Part 2

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Formaldehyde is an extremely nasty substance. At just 0.1 parts per million, which is not very much, it can cause eye irritation and significant breathing problems. If a person is asthmatic formaldehyde can be a nightmare triggering an asthma response without ever being fingered as the culprit. Continued exposure has caused cancer in animals and has long been regarded to cause cancer in humans. Studies of mortuary workers have revealed an increase in rare nasal cancers after being exposed to high levels of formaldehyde.
Does anyone remember the FEMA trailers used after Hurricane Katrina? After many complaints and hospitalizations of the occupants the trailers were all but abandoned with some choosing to live on the street instead of the trailers. Why? Formaldehyde was making the people sick causing a plethora of medical conditions. If the hurricane didn’t get them then the formaldehyde did.

The Chemical Industry
As you can imagine the chemical industry is incensed. There is nothing wrong with formaldehyde they say. This will cost American jobs they say. The science does not bear out the findings they say. Interestingly in 1999 the Canadian government, using science, labeled formaldehyde a toxic substance. And to this date many European nations have completely banned the use of formaldehyde based on scientific studies. It seems the only science the chemical industry likes is their own manipulated version (which is not science) with all other science being wrong. As far as jobs are concerned the job market in the European nations did not collapse do to the banning of this toxin.

Reducing exposure
There isn’t much a person can do about their work environment or the home that is already built. However, what follows are some things you can do now and in the future to avoid formaldehyde:
1. Avoid all personal care products that contain formaldehyde. Look at nail polish and any other nail care product. Also pay attention to all hair treatments and conditioners.
2. If you are having a new home built be sure the material used are labeled as U.L.E.F. (ultra-low-emitting formaldehyde), N.A.F. (no added formaldehyde) or C.A.R.B. (California Air Resources Board) Phase 1 or Phase 2 compliant.
3. Ventilate new cars as much as possible. This will assist in ridding the car of excessive formaldehyde accumulation do to off-gassing. New car smell is hazardous to one’s health.

We should be encouraged by our government finally stepping up on behalf of ‘we the people’. I would not be surprised one bit, though, if the government bends to the will of the chemical industry in the name of profit and recants its position. Regardless, we now know what most of the world as known for some time. Go in good health and prosperity.

Interested in a complete line of non-toxic personal care products and beauty aids including nail polish and make up? Visit mysisel.com/thoughtfulhealth.

Sources:
http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/11/why-the-federal-government-finally-acted-on-chemical-safety/

http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/roc12.

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/08/28/the-awful-odyssey-of-femas-hurricane-katrina-trailers/

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