The results were pretty clear and consistent with other studies and what I’ve been commenting on for many years… red and processed meat kills. The diseases most identified with read and processed meat consumption were cardiovascular disease and cancer.

By comparison, those eating a plant based diet had the least incidents of disease, consistent with previous studies that reported a vegetable based diet was the most heart healthy.

Out of the more than 500,000 followed over a 10 year period, 71,252 died prematurely as a result of excess processed and red meat consumption that resulted in disease and then death.

While the statistics are important, there were other revealing parts of the study most have not reported.

The report also indicated that red meat eaters tended to be married, more likely white, more likely smokers, have higher body mass index, have a higher daily intake of total and saturated fat, had lower activity levels, lower intake of fruits, vegetables and fiber as well as vitamins.

Another interesting aspect of the report was that there was an increased risk associated with death from injuries and sudden death with higher consumption of red meat which I found interesting.

Red meat is red animal meat, and processed meats include sausages, hams, bacon, deli meats, hot dogs, cold cuts, hamburger and many other meats that could also be classified as red meats.

Bottom line is as I’ve always suggested, if you’d like to live longer, have more energy, reduce the risk of most every disease… avoid red and processed meats. Now the statistics confirm the recommendations.

Unfortunately, the study recommends eating a variety of other animal foods which will still kill you, just a little slower. The best diet is a mostly plant based diet that will give you the most energy, prolong your life, reduce risk of most every disease and allow you to attain your optimal weight and health. If you’re wondering what plant based meals you can add to your diet get specific meal plans and exclusive recipe videos at Learn Healthy Meals.

To read the study abstract visit the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Related:

> Learn how to Make Healthy Meals
> Delicious Raw Food Meals
> The Protein Myth
> Raw Food Videos
> Raw Vegan Diet

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Tomorrow, Friday February 1st, is National Wear Red Day, a campaign to educate and bring awareness to the rising incidence of heart disease in women. Organized by the American Heart Association with celebrity Marie Osmond as the spokeswoman, their goal is to reduce by at least 25% heart disease and stroke by the year 2010.

The web site is filled with stories from women that have made changes along with advice to talk to your doctor about how to reduce or avoid heart disease.

First, your doctor may not be the best person to speak with regarding making changes in your diet and lifestyle. Doctors are primarily trained to ‘heal’ or fix something once it’s broken, and their primary focus is not on prevention.  A nutritionist or better yet, doing some research on your own may be one of the best solutions to reducing your risk.

I was also surprised to find most the recipes on the site were not heart healthy. They featured Canadian bacon, buttermilk, dairy, processed complex carbs and other meats throughout.

Research has confirmed that your eating habits and specifically animal foods, are the primary cause of heart disease, cancer and other diseases. A recent study from the University of Massachusetts even named a primarily vegetarian diet the best diet for heart health. A diet primarily of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and natural grains can also lead to weight loss, lowering cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, eliminating depression, reducing the risk of cancer and making you feel better overall.

And just recently, another study published in the journal ‘Circulation’ found that people who eat two or more servings of red meat a day are much more likely to develop conditions leading to heart disease and diabetes. There are many studies that support this and more come available regularly. But why do campaigns like this not make stronger recommendations to avoid meat and continue to include recipes with Canadian Bacon and other meats?

Although the National Wear Red Day is more focused on telling others how widespread heart disease is in women, a campaign focused solely on making lifestyle changes would be much more effective. Here are some suggestions you can use to significantly reduce your risks of heart disease or any other affliction starting today:

• concentrate on a diet of mostly fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seed and natural, living grains
• reduce or eliminate the effects of stress in your life
• drink lots of water
• stay active every day
• eliminate processed, convenient and junk foods from your diet
• choose organic foods as much as possible

Get ideas on how to easily and conveniently add more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds into your diet.

To your best health!

> Healthy Living Tips

> 37 Free Weight Loss Tips

> The Best Diet For Life

> Lose 47 pounds in just 28 days

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In an effort to increase customers and do a seemingly good thing, NetSpend has extended their pink All-Access PrePaid Debit Card campaign through this year after launching in fall of 2006.

You can purchase the debit card online from MyNetSpendCard.com or at ACE Cash Express locations nationwide and each time you use it a portion of the purchase goes to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF).

(If you use referral code: 5663980848 you also get $5 automatically credited to your account)

This sounds like a good deed and a worthy cause, but does it help women with breast cancer?

According to the NBCF web site, their mission is to educate women, primarily about breast self examinations, getting mammograms and early detection strategies.

Early detection is good, as well as self examinations, but this will not stop women from getting breast cancer, only find out as soon as they have it. The only real way to eliminate and reduce cancer of any type, including breast cancer, is to eliminate the source of the problem. Most often that’s your lifestyle and diet.

Can breast cancer be prevented?

Yes it can, and here are the best ways to do it:

• Stay active and get plenty of exercise. Strenuous exercise and activity that makes you sweat helps move toxins out of your body, helps keep your insulin levels down and makes you feel good, physically and mentally.
• Get at least 30 minutes of exposure to the sun daily, preferably earlier or later in the day. The sun provides the best source of Vitamin D, proven by new research from Creighton University to reduce by up to 77% your risk of getting any cancer, including breast cancer.
• Avoid processed and modified foods and concentrate on fresh or dried, preferably organic, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and natural grains.
• Sprouts, dark green vegetables and have great anti-cancer benefits
• If you have to cook some foods, steam them instead of any other method.
• Maintain a positive outlook, release negative emotions and enjoy your life.
• Avoid environmental and personal care product toxins including synthetic air fresheners, pesticides, bug sprays, household cleaners, heavy perfumes and pollution.
• Avoid deodorants that contain aluminum, preferably opting for natural personal care products, or changing your diet so you don’t need deodorant at all (deodorant just covers your body odor, and body odor comes from what you put into your body).
• Reduce or eliminate the effects of stress in your life.
• Drink lots of spring or distilled water.
• Get plenty of sleep.

And that’s not just my opinion, even the American Cancer Society, most often tied to the medical establishment, has reported that upwards of 62% of all cancers can be avoided by making simple lifestyle changes.

Here’s the press release from NetSpend that goes more in detail about the extension of the pink Pre-Paid Debit Card to benefit breast cancer awareness:

In response to underbanked customers’ demonstrated desire to adopt and contribute to a cause, NetSpend Corp., one of the premier providers of prepaid solutions in the United States, and ACE Cash Express, a leading retailer of financial services, have announced continuation of the successful pink All-Access(R) Visa(R) Prepaid Card to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), an organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness, education and early detection.

NetSpend and Ace launched the first reloadable prepaid debit card to offer consumers a way to support breast cancer awareness. The pink All-Access Visa Prepaid Card program was projected to raise $100,000 in its first year and already has far exceeded that amount, the sponsors report.

“We are so thankful for everyone who has purchased a NetSpend prepaid Visa card and continues to spend with it,” said Janelle Hail, founder and president of NBCF who is also a 27-year breast cancer survivor. “Each time a cardholder makes a purchase, a portion of it is donated to the Foundation and these funds will help educate women that early detection is the most important element in the fight against breast cancer.”

NetSpend and ACE representatives presented the program’s first donation to the Foundation at White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles last year. The funds directly aid in providing educational materials and free mammograms to women who could not otherwise afford the procedure.

“Our research indicated that under-banked consumers have an authentic appetite to support important causes so we are not surprised the industry’s first prepaid cause-related card has been so successful,” said Rick Savard, CEO of NetSpend. “We look forward to presenting another check to the National Breast Cancer Foundation in the future that will directly benefit breast cancer awareness and education.”

The reloadable prepaid debit card is available to new and existing cardholders at ACE Cash Express locations nationwide. Donations are based on funds collected from a portion of every purchase made with the pink All-Access Visa Prepaid Card.

“The response to this cause has been very gratifying,” said Jay B. Shipowitz, president and CEO of ACE Cash Express. “ACE Cash Express and NetSpend customers continue to purchase and use this card in year-round support of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.”

The pink All-Access Visa Prepaid Card can be used to make purchases or gain access to cash everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted worldwide. Cardholders can load funds onto their pink All-Access Prepaid Cards at NetSpend authorized reload locations across the country and maintain up to a $10,000 balance. Funds are deposited into a federally insured account at MetaBank (Member FDIC), one of NetSpend’s issuing banks.

About ACE Cash Express

ACE Cash Express, Inc. is a leading retailer of financial services, including check cashing, short-term consumer loans, bill payment and prepaid debit card services, and the largest owner, operator and franchisor of check cashing stores in the United States. As of June 30, 2007, ACE had a network of 1,712 stores in 38 states and the District of Columbia, consisting of 1,528 company-owned stores and 184 franchised stores. ACE focuses on serving consumers, many of whom seek alternatives to traditional banking relationships in order to gain convenient and immediate access to financial services.

The ACE Community Fund

ACE Cash Express, Inc. implemented a corporate giving program in 2003, the ACE Community Fund, as a way to give back to communities where ACE has stores. The ACE Community Fund supports charities that help children, support education and promote financial literacy. Each year, ACE sets aside one percent of the previous year’s net income to support these worthwhile causes through the ACE Community Fund. Since its inception, the ACE Community Fund has donated over $1,143,000 to 41 charities.

About National Breast Cancer Foundation

The National Breast Cancer Foundation extends women’s lives through education about breast cancer and early detection. The organization provides hope to women and families affected by breast cancer through a community of caring support and encouragement that enables those diagnosed with breast cancer to have fulfilling lives during their treatment and afterward. Learn more at http://www.nbcf.com

About MetaBank

MetaBank is a federally-chartered savings bank headquartered in Storm Lake, Iowa. Meta Financial Group, Inc.(R) is the bank holding company for MetaBank, MetaBank West Central, Meta Payment Systems(R), and Meta Trust Company(R). The Meta Payment Systems division of MetaBank based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, serves banks, processors, and third party marketers by providing prepaid cards, credit cards, ACH origination, merchant acquiring, ATM sponsorship, and money transfer. Meta Financial Group is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market: CASH. For more information call 605.275.8052 or visit http://www.metacash.com.

About NetSpend Corporation

NetSpend Corporation is one of the premier providers of innovative, accessible prepaid debit cards that enable financial freedom for under-banked consumers. Grounded by a mission of financial empowerment, NetSpend is committed to meeting its customers’ financial services needs on their terms while offering the convenience, security and acceptance of conventional financial services. NetSpend’s proprietary processing platform allows it to support prepaid card programs end-to-end from customer acquisition and card fulfillment to customer service and risk management. The NetSpend(R) Prepaid Card Network includes leading consumer brands and companies serving the un-banked and under-banked markets, and its strategic relationships include card issuers, EFT networks and payment card associations. For more information, visit http://www.netspend.com.

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What contributes most to metabolic syndrome?

Diet.

What you eat is the primary influence in your risk of having metabolic syndrome. Studies have shown that the most significant factor is today’s Western Diet of mainly processed foods, soda, meats, fried foods and fast foods. In fact, those eating two or more servings of meat a day (equivalent of 2 burger patties) increase their risk of metabolic syndrome by 25%.

Lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, water and natural grains in our diet contributes significantly.

The research has shown that after 9 years of following up with study participants, 40% had three or more of the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Also, 60.5% of the study participants had metabolic syndrome when they began or developed it during the research period.

The only way to reduce or eliminate your risk of metabolic syndrome is to make simple lifestyle and eating habit changes:

• getting plenty of sunshine daily
• removing animal products from your diet
• removing processed foods from your diet
• staying active daily for at least 30-60 minutes
• maintain a diet rich in fresh, organic fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, especially fresh, organic leafy green vegetables, broccoli and tomatoes
• keep a positive outlook on life
• maintain an attitude of gratitude
• reduce or eliminate the effects of stress in your life

To your best health!

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The best way to avoid e. coli food poisoning is to eliminate animal foods from your diet and concentrate on as many fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and natural grains. Not only will you eliminate the chances of food poisoning, but you will also reduce your risks significantly for most preventable cancers and disease, increase your energy levels, lose weight and hundreds of additional benefits. Removing animal foods from your diet is also the single best thing you can do for the environment.

Wash your greens thoroughly since animal waste fertilizers are sometimes used in growing them. E. coli growns inside the warm intestines of animals and is often spread during meat processing to other foods.

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Nobody enjoys hearing bad news, especially when that bad news is a cancer diagnosis.

For Christina Danyluk, that bad news came twice; once in the form of lymphoma 22 years ago, the second as thyroid cancer six-and-a-half years ago.

Listening to Danyluk speak, one would never be able to tell that she is a cancer survivor. Her voice rings with enthusiasm and positivity, never revealing the devastation that cancer has brought to her life in the past. She is candid about her ordeal and how it changed her life.

“During my second cancer I was getting massages as part of my overall wellness and decided to go into massage school soon after that,” Danyluk said.

Once her cancer was in remission, Danyluk completed the massage therapy program at The Holistic Learning Center in Evergreen; she was a certified massage therapist with a mission. She wanted to help others with cancer by using massage treatments as a way to improve their overall health since it had worked so well for her.

Danyluk, 40, started her own practice, Restorative Bodyworks in Edwards, in 2004. Her primary focus is oncology massage, although she still takes clients who don’t have cancer as well.

She also volunteers at the Shaw Regional Cancer Center in Edwards, where she offers complimentary massages to cancer patients.

Non-invasive treatment

Anyone who’s had a massage — whether personal or professional — can espouse the benefits of getting their muscles rubbed and squeezed after a day on the slopes, but what are the benefits to those suffering from cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society’s website, www.cancer.org, “Studies of massages for cancer patients suggest massage can decrease stress, anxiety, depression, pain, and fatigue in some. Many health care professionals recognize massage as a useful, non-invasive addition to standard medical treatment.”

In other words, massage won’t cure cancer, but it can greatly help alleviate the symptoms.

Oncology massage differs from standard massage techniques in several ways, most notably the amount of pressure that can be used and the areas of the body that can be massaged.

“For most people it’s generally no problem, but every so often their would be a person that it would not be recommended for,” said Christine Hasselbach, a physical therapist at Howard Head Sports Medicine Center who works closely with patients at the Shaw Regional Cancer Center.

Hasselbach stresses the importance of cancer patients getting approval from their doctor before having any massage work done to avoid any further complications or pain.

She specializes in lymphedema massage, a very gentle massage technique that helps lower the swelling of lymphatic fluid after surgery or if the lymph nodes (a key component of the immune system) are not functioning properly. Often, after having cancer-infected lymph nodes removed to avoid further spread of the disease, Hasselbach’s patients will receive this treatment.

Oftentimes, the swelling recedes in the affected areas, and people’s mobility increases.

Not only does this give Hasselbach’s patients hope, it lets her know she’s making a difference.

Under pressure

Danyluk also notes some of the most common differences between regular and oncology massage.

“The pressure is probably the single most important difference in my opinion,” Danyluk said of oncology massage techniques. “Their bodies are dealing with healing on a whole bunch of other levels.”

For this reason Danyluk — who specializes in full-body oncology massage — won’t give her clients with cancer deep-tissue massage simply because she doesn’t want to aggravate or worsen their pain.

“When in doubt, a really, really light and gentle loving touch is generally never a problem,” Danyluk said.

It’s also important for massage therapists to take such things as tumor location, chemotherapy ports and radiation therapy points into consideration when treating a patient, Danyluk said. If something doesn’t feel good during a session, Danyluk said that all a patient must do is tell her, and she will fix it.

“They’re basically the boss during the session. It’s not according to my plan, it’s according to what’s working for them at the time,” Danyluk said.

A little massage goes a long way
There seems to be a thin fog of mystery and myth surrounding oncology massage, one which scientific research is quickly beginning to dispel.

“They used to think, years ago, that giving massage to people that have cancer — that the cancer can metastasize throughout the body, and there really is no evidence of that,” said Larisa Ulrich, a massage therapist at Allegria Spa in Beaver Creek who just got certified for lymphedema therapy in November.

Allegria Spa offers lymphatic drainage therapy as one of their services, and periodically they offer patients at the Shaw Regional Cancer Center free spa treatments.

Considered a very safe and valuable compliment to standard medical cancer treatments by many physicians today, oncology massage offers rewards to both the recipient and the therapist.

“I started doing massage because I want to help people, bottom line. I really love what I do. People that have cancer or have lymphedema may need some massage, and I think it’s a great tool, not just to make people feel physically better, but it’s really nice to … get massaged when you’re not feeling well no matter what,” Ulrich said.

Source: Vail Daily

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Acidophilus milk is a sour product that has been allowed to ferment under conditions that favour the growth and development of a large number of Lactobacillus acidophilus organisms. This acidophilus milk is considered as a probiotic since it aids in the well being of the consumer. Acidophilus milk differs from Indian dahi or curd in that the milk used in the preparation and the types of microorganisms involved are different. The final products differ from curd in body, texture, consistency, flavour, chemical composition and in antibacterial activities.

Utility of acidophilus milk

Products of mixed fermentation such as acidophilus yeast milk, being rich in alcohol and carbon dioxide, excites the respiratory and central nervous system. This improves the process of oxidation and reduction in the organism and hence there is an increase in the oxygen flow to the lungs. In the erstwhile Soviet Union, acidophilus yeast milk is widely used in treating tuberculosis.

The recent emphasis on feeding lactobacilli is attributed to the side effects of antibiotics. Antibiotics damage all the viable intestinal microorganisms (desirable or pathogenic) and cause intestinal discomforts manifested by flatulence and diarrhoea. Colonization of L.acidophilus in the intestines accelerates the return to normalcy of intestinal microflora.

A Romanian strain of L.acidophilus is claimed to have been developed for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders but it also helps in the improvement of general vigour and health.

It is reported that acidophilus milk product combined with chemotherapeutic preparations can also be used effectively for several diseases such as typhoid, paratyphoid, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, migraine and urological infections. Experiments have revealed that the body weight of a child or animal increases when fed with milk containing acidophilus organisms.

Source: DairyForAll

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State health officials warned consumers not to drink milk produced by a Massachusetts dairy, saying it was the likely source of a bacterial illness that killed two men and sickened two others.

Whittier Farms suspended operations and distribution, said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, the state director of communicable disease control. Most of its customers live in Worcester County.

The Department of Public Health issued the warning Thursday after identifying four cases of listeriosis. Two of the victims, a 78-year-old man and a 75-year-old man, died in June and October.

Investigators have not identified the exact source of the contamination in the production process, DeMaria said. But milk samples gathered last week at one of the dairy’s two retail stores tested positive for listeria.

Testing showed that the bacteria causing the infections in the four victims likely came from the same source.

Listeriosis is a kind of food poisoning that can be dangerous to the elderly, newborns, pregnant women and people with chronic medical conditions. Symptoms include fever, headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

Officials at Whittier Farms did not immediately return calls Thursday seeking comment.

The dairy has a processing plant in Shrewsbury and operates two retail stores. A message left on an answering machine at the Sutton store said it was closed and that information to date was “inconclusive.” The message said the owners would be addressing the issue as soon as possible.

Whittier Farms’ milk products are sold under several brand names, including Whittier, Schultz, Balance Rock, Spring Brook, and Maple, state health officials said.

Source: FoxNews

Related Posts: Milk; Does A Body No Good?

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