How To Navigate The Disease Infested Waters

With so much of our collective attention directed at health-care and it's skyrocketing costs, it might prove useful to take a step back and reflect on what we know about health-care and it's progress over the last century

While many will cite all the progress medicine has made, and there has been progress, people are living longer, more diseases have been identified and in general we know much more today than we did 100 years age.

What is equally interesting is how much we seem to have forgotten about treatments for various ailments (mostly natural). In my mind that fact is no coincidence. We have almost abandoned remedies that our great grandparents and great great grandparents handed down in favor of modern day pharmaceuticals.

We have lost sight of the fact that until the birth of the chemical industry, we used foods and natural plants to cure all diseases that we knew about. Also if we look back at ancient cultures around the world, we find cures for almost any disease.

You don't even hear the word cure used much anymore. Why? There has been an insidious shift. The last cure that I heard of was the vaccine for Polio back in the 1940s. Today the replacement for the word cure is the word treatment. What's the difference? Billions of dollars and a Health-care system that is unsustainable. Oh and along with treatment, let's include the phrase Chronic Disease Management

You see if you get cured, then you don't have to spend anymore money. Treatment and Chronic Disease Management on the other hand is a ongoing expense for the rest of your life. So the doctor, the hospital, the pharmacy and everyone in that loop continue to get paid.

Then they treat you with drugs which have inherent side effects that cause other problems, most often in the liver, kidneys, and other degenerative diseases. Now they can treat you for that, but the cycle continues. It's kind of like watching NASCAR, you know another left turn is coming.

Quality of life is an issue close to anyone with a loved one confronted with failing health, mounting bills, and the medical maze they have unwittingly found themselves in. When you're prescribed drugs to solve problems that other drugs have created, You have to begin to be honest with yourself about your possible fate. That's an unfortunate reality, but look who's getting paid and look who is becoming bankrupt! You.

Lets be real, an elderly person on a fixed income, with chronic disease, even if they do have health care, the chances are very real that they have little or no quality of life, although those peddling hope and drugs wind up a lot wealthier. That's the treatment business.

I've long wondered why seemingly intelligent people can't figure out some basic things. We stake out political positions as if we believe that a Democrat or a Republican can fix this mess we find ourselves in. The truth is, there has always been a third party that has been at work corrupting both parties. Of course they refer to this as influencing or lobbying rather than outright bribery.

Interesting though, as long as it was just affecting the lower class and the working poor, it was OK. Now that it is affecting the so called middle class, all of a sudden we have a major problem.
The newsflash here is that this problem did not start ten or twenty years ago, It actually started in earnest at the beginning of the nineteenth century and has steadily chipped away at the foundation of American society.

In case you don't know who this third party is, consider this, these are the major international conglomerates that have an agenda for world domination through control of money, food, and everything else that would suppress your independence. We irresponsibly stood by while it happened to others (What do you think all those demonstrations at the G-7, G-20 and other world financial gatherings are about) . The results of globalization have absolutely nothing to do with the well-being of people in any country, but rather feeds the inherent greed of those who have everything, and still covet more. These groups have no allegiance to anyone except their own interests.

It turns out we have been setup for control for a long time, since the 1920s, but the question is how are they doing it?. Well it's pretty easy if you prey on emotion and divide groups along lines of tribalism, race, economics, religion, and our own egos.

This stuff is not rocket science, and yet we fail to connect the dots. For Instance, on voting and politics, people vote for politicians every two, four, or six years. The problem is, voters have not figured out that even though there are issues common to all sides of the electorate, still for whatever reason they can't act resolutely to hold their representatives accountable.

Secondly, electing a politician is only half the battle. If as a group you are not relentless in your efforts, things are not likely to go your way. Remember there are always forces at work that are not aligned with those of either political party and certainly not you..

You would think that it is obviously a problem with all the money influencing elections, and by extension public policy. Public policy may seem to favor one side or the other, but it has become increasingly clear that it only favors the agenda of the International Conglomerates. Those who would allow themselves to be used by these mega interests will come to realize that they are being sold out as well, they just don't know it yet.

Let's Consider Outsourcing. It will stop not only when we stop subsidizing it , but also when labor cost in the US is at or near the level it is in China and India. Then of course America will have sank to a third world economy, but lots of jobs will be available.

Just look at the trends. Notice how politicians won't even approach the subject. There is not even a credible argument for why they can't get together and end those tax breaks that erode the financial well being of this country. How can outsourcing benefit you if it will kill your job or your neighbor's job?

If so called patriots can't even rally around an issue that affects all Americans and the economy as a whole, what can they work together on? That is why so many feel disconnected, but if you want to blame someone, look in the mirror. There you will find the culprit.
Also look at what I view as the third party:

Big Pharma
Big Chemi
Big Agri
Big Oil
Big Medi
Big Insurance

It's clear to me that you have not figured it out, so let me spell it out.
(1) Clean up political financing of campaigns and eliminate private money
(2) Free up the world's food by repudiating those who would hold us hostage with food
(3) Get off fossil fuels
(4) Get the profit motive out of Health-care
(5) Hold those who fail to do their jobs accountable with jail time

If we fail to address these issues, the next crash test might be our last. Trust me when I say they have a plan, the question is - DO YOU?

With all of the challenges to a healthy body out there today, it is impossible to avoid every negative health consequence. Previously we only had to be concerned about the big four namely:

Viruses
Bacteria
Germs
Pathagens

Because of what we now know, we can add many more things to worry about:

Volatile Organic Compounds - are chemicals found in household products such as cleaners, detergents, deoderizers, bug sprays, etc. They are released into the air when used and also when stored

Organophosphates - Organophosphate poisoning is not what you would expect to see as you are choosing fruits and vegetables from your grocer. That is, in fact what some recent studies show. The studies report that because of the insecticides used on some fruits and vegetables, a recent rash of neurological problems have increased.

Genetically Modified Foods - corn, canola, cotton, and soy were among the first, but certainly not the last foods to be genetically modified. Everything you see in supermarkets, except raw fruits and vegetables, are affected because they most likely contain Genetically Eengineered food product.

Aspartame - This dangerous chemical is a sugar substitute that is used throughout the food supply in diet beverages, candy, cakes, and other processed foods.

Monosodium Glutamate(MSG). This chemical if a flavor enhancer and has infiltrated almost our entire food supply. So avoiding it is next to impossible. Knowing that it exist however is a very important first step.

Processed Foods - Over 90 percent of what is in your favorite grocery is processed food. With all that attractive packaging there is plenty to catch your eye. What should catch your eye however is the ingredients. These foods are filled with High Fructose Corn Syrup and flavor enhancers (msg).

Preservatives - Food preservatives and food additives are widely used around the world to increase the shelf life of processed food. There are some very serious cautions about preservatives and additives that should not be ignored.

Pesticides - on our food, even after washing it as thoroughly as possible, Once in our bodies, it can be there for years. It's all over our environment and travels on wind, water and dust.

Prescription and over the counter Drugs - I have but one thing to say - Watch some drug commercials, pay particular attention to the disclaimers. That should tell you everything you need to know. If that's not enough - watch some commercials run by lawyers suing for product liability.

Synthetic vitamins - have a very low bio-availability. Studies have shown that nearly 80 to 90 percent of some of the top mass produced multi-vitamins are unabsorbed by the body, and personally I question the effectiveness of the small portion that gets absorbed.

Overuse of Antibiotics in cattle, pigs and chickens - leads to drug-resistant Infections in Humans. The World Health Organization has urged farmers to stop using antibiotics in farm animals meant for slaughter, but remember that milk and eggs pose the problem.

Fluoride in water and toothpaste - Today, toothpaste carries a warning - If accidentally swallowed, contact a physician or poison control center immediately. So how safe can this chemical be? Now, if it is unsafe to swallow, why is it in our drinking water?

Food grown in mineral depleted soil - Because of soil runoff, the discontinued practice of crop rotation, and the practice of fertilizing the soil with only 3 elements (NPK), and also picking fruits and vegetables prematurely for transportation around the world, we end up with fruits and vegetables that are severely difficient of nutrients that properly promotes health.

contamination of oceans, lakes and ground water - The dumping of chemical waste into water is beginning to catch up with us. We have not looked for an answer so we have none. The lastest water catastrophe the BP Oil spill demonstrates the point. We don't even know the impact of the nuclear issue in Japan.

I could dedicate an article on each item on the list, but that's for future topics. For now, let's just concede that what is needed is a strategy for dealing realistically with the problem. Individuals by and large, will not change substantially from what is relatively comfortable and routine. That said, what is required is often something rather simple that does not disrupt lifestyle and not be cost prohibitive. What we're describing here is mitigation.

We know that some action is needed but there is a limit to how far an individual will go. The only reasonable compromise is mitigation.

The official definition of mitigation is:
to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.
to make (a person, one's state of mind, disposition, etc.) milder or more gentle; mollify; appease.

So we want to mitigate the effects of all or as much of the aforementioned list as possible to minimize the impact on our health. That can only be done with natural plant based substances. To note some of the plant based compounds that do well at this is:

Xanthones - are a newly discovered, class of biologically active polyphenolic compounds structurally similar to bioflavonoids. More recent research has revealed that, while the xanthones appear to be the most nutritionally important elements in the mangosteen fruit, catechins, polysaccharides, proanthocyanidins and sterols also play major roles in providing the fruit with its unmatched medicinal qualities.

Betalains - are a class of antioxidants that rescue cells by helping diminish free radicals

Bioflavonoids - Flavonoids (both flavonols and flavanols) are most commonly known for their antioxidant activity

Ganoderma - A mushroom that acts as an Adaptogen consisting of triterpenoids, polysaccharides, proteins and amino acids, that harmonize with body functions to supply what the body needs. It's synergistic, aids in the detoxification process and balance throughout the body.

The list is of course, much longer but the main point here is, none of these things came out of a chemistry lab, but rather from plants.

These are all great examples of tools that can be incorporated in a mitigation strategy.

I remember back in 1995 when I started my research on health and wellness. It was scary because I had no ailments or pain, therefore nothing to measure all this new information against. I was simply about to turn 50 and wanted an edge because my mother was diagnosed with diabetes in her early 50s.

So finding some success stories that I could believe in was crucial. One of the first stories that I ran across was that of Dr. Lorraine Day. I remember seeing pictures of that ugly thing sticking out of her chest. and the measures she took to regain her health. Now you have people trying to discredit her (I'm sure for monetary reasons), but one thing they can't explain away is her obvious health and longevity after the ordeal. She is now in her seventies and still going strong.

That is no accident or coincidence, and people reviewing her story would be well served pay close attention to what she has to say. The fact is she has been there and done that, and lives to tell about it.

Unlike my mother-in-law, who was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 61. She never recovered from the Chemo and Radiation, but they did manage to exhaust every bit of health coverage she had, and in the end she still died.

My mother-in-law and many others suffer from two problems:
1) Complete trust in the doctors dispensing these poisons and
2) Ignorance about the role of nutrition and alternative treatments.

It's great that Dr. Day, once an insider, is now on the outside adding some truth about cancer and other degenerative diseases. So thanks to Dr. Day and others, rather than worrying about diabetes, cancer, or heart problems, I'm taking steps on a daily basis to keep my body equipped to defend itself against whatever comes along.

Also, if I should contract something, I have literally thousands of natural sources to look at before considering drugs. I will gladly donate my bag of pills to whoever reads and then ignores this information. It is so easy and a cop-out to let others do our thinking for us on these potentially weighty matters.

One of the biggest fallacies concerning health coverage is the myth that because you're covered, everything is OK. Nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing about health care will fix a problem when drugs and surgery fail. What will happen is they will get paid and you will die.

Let's consider cancer survival statistics. Did you know that cancer survivors are only tracked for 5 years. So that means that if you survive 5 years and a day, and then die, you're counted as a survivor. How's that for skewing the facts. They do it that way to convince you how successful they are at treating cancer.

There is so much evidence going back more than 50 years about natural treatments from around the world that they have hidden, obscured and trashed, all to keep you focused on their narrow choices based on chemicals. In fact, many natural treatments preceded the chemical era, that is to say what were people using before chemistry? That is a question everyone should ask themselves.

Much has been written about health and how to remain healthy. A quick look at our health pyramid reflects the basic requirements espoused by most nutritionists, physicians, health clubs, health maintenance programs, and of course, those who write about health and wellness.

A closer look at the pyramid will reveal a section with a question mark. That question mark forms the basis of this article. Just about everyone tells us that we need nutrition to feed our cells and thus promote good health. This is true, for the very energy that our cells produce powers us through the day.

The issue I'm raising has to do with just how healthy and efficient our cells are, and what might be deficient and therefore preventing our cells from operating at their optimum. We know that cells receive whatever they get from our blood.

Now blood basically delivers nutrition and oxygen to the cells, then transports toxins and dead cells to be disposed of through excretion processes. Oxygen at the proper level is critical if a cell is to remain healthy.

In 1931 Otto Warburg received the Nobel Peace Prize for his discovery that many diseases cannot survive in an oxygen rich environment. It's important to realize that at the turn of the twentieth century oxygen in the air was said to be about 35%. Today, it's estimated to be below 20%. Also note that within that 20% is more toxins than has ever been before.

What that means is we have to breath a lot deeper at the risk of being exposed to the thousands of toxins floating around. These toxins are literally unavoidable and our systems were never designed to deal with this level of toxicity.

Thus we are besieged by a plethora of diseases and unable to accurately determine the cause. The full import of what Otto Warburg said seems to have been poorly understood or ignored entirely by those who did understand.

Until recently, I too heard the statement that cancer could not survive in an oxygen rich environment. While that is correct, it's incomplete. The truth I've learned is that hardly any disease can survive in an oxygen rich environment. This is great news for many more diseases than cancer. It also points to a central theme about health that has not been sufficiently communicated.

Simply Stated, a reduction in oxygen in the blood corresponds to in an increase in disease and sickness. So the question mark in the pyramid is Oxygen. So how does it work?

Nutrient absorption occurs in the digestive track where there exist good and bad bacteria, along with possibly toxins, parasites, viruses, and other microorganisms. Interestingly, most of the bad stuff is anaerobic in nature meaning that the presence of oxygen at sufficient levels tends to send these evil invaders packing. The result is more energy, better elimination, healthier cells, and ultimately better overall health.

Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of ozonated water daily provides a highly oxygenated environment within the body that facilitates detoxification and accelorates the healing process.