Five Ways to Naturally Raise Your Testosterone Levels

Testosterone, the principal male hormone, can decline for many reasons.  One of the most common is age.  Levels tend to peak in early adulthood, then slowly decline after age 40, until ultimately hitting a range of 350-700 ng/dl.  However, there are many lifestyle habits that men engage in that lessen them more than their body's natural decline.  Referencing some of the most common lifestyle deficiencies, changing them can boost your overall health, as well as your testosterone levels.

   Embarking on a weightlifting program is one of the most effective ways to raise your testosterone levels.
 Author: embhoo, under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Eat More Protein and Fat, and Less Carbohydrates

The current Standard American Diet (SAD), along with many diets in the western world, are very high in carbohydrates with a high glycemic index.  When the bulk of your calories are simple carbohydrates:  refined sugars, flour, or foods easily converted into sugars when absorbed, it results in a spike in insulin.  Higher insulin has been shown to reduce testosterone levels.  Many people eat  cereals, potatoes, bread, pasta and rice as staples of their diet.  Eating this at every meal, virtually every day, will result in almost constant testosterone suppression.  Not to mention the added problem of insulin resistance.

Find an Adequate Outlet For Your Stress

Prolonged emotional stress, untreated, can also place stress on the body.  When a person is filled with anguish, the hormone cortisol is produced in excess.  This, like insulin, has the ability to inhibit the production of testosterone.  If you are working excessively, take a reduction if at all possible.  Make sure you do at least one favorite leisure activity every day.  Another effective stress reducer is to learn meditation techniques.

Vitamin D

Over three quarters of the population is deficient in Vitamin D.  Due to fears of melanoma, many attempt to completely shield themselves from the sun when they go out.  However, while excess exposure to the sun may be harmful, no exposure can be even more harmful.  Vitamin D is one of the most critical to your overall health, and the ideal way to get it is through sun exposure.  Fifteen to thirty minutes of as much skin exposure as possible in the sun is ideal.  If you live in a season climate, this is not always an option.  Make sure you take adequate supplements of Vitamin D, as not enough is found in the diet.  Adequate Vitamin D levels can boost your testosterone by as much as twenty percent.

Lift Weights

A heavy weight training program, comprised mainly of basic, compound exercises is ideal.  Men should train in sets of between 6-8 repetitions for optimal results.  An exception to this rule is if you have joint problems.  In that case, lift with lighter weights and higher reps, in the 10-15 range.  This rep range is also ideal for women who do not want to build excess muscle.  Lifting weights only a few times per week can boost your testosterone by up to twenty percent.

Zinc

In addition to Vitamin D deficiency, another common cause of low testosterone is that you are not getting adequate zinc in your diet.  The medical community has yet to understand why, but there is a strong correlation between low zinc levels in the blood and suppressed testosterone.  Zinc must be taken every day, due to the fact that your body is not capable of storing it.  Any unused zinc is excreted.  You can opt for zinc supplements, or start to include different foods in your diet.  Foods high in zinc are seafood, especially oysters, beef, spinach, squash seeds, nuts, especially cashews, and mushrooms.

Why You May Be Waking Up With Pains

Yes, age is partially a mindset.  For some, after the age of forty, maybe for others, after the age of fifty, a new mentality introduces itself into their psyche.  We come to terms with the fact that we are no longer twenty.  Hence, we both expect and accept certain shortcomings our bodies have.  Starting from the time we were kids, we would see some elderly people move about.  they would move slow, some with canes or walkers, and they appeared to be in varying degrees of pain.  It gets burned into our minds that the aging process is necessarily painful.  However, this is not true for all elderly.  We forgot the ones that are spry, youthful in stride, muscle tone, and spirit when we picture ourselves in old age.

After we hit middle age, getting a pain whose point of origin can't be explained, we tend to chalk it up to "getting older."  This is especially true when we wake up to pain.  We didn't fall out of bed, we didn't have any sort of blunt trauma after we laid down and went to sleep, yet we're in pain.  A normal part of the aging process?  Not so fast.  Have you checked the condition of your mattress lately?  You usually don't give this subject a lot of thought, because you don't buy one very often.  Especially if you are experiencing pain in the lower back, or shoulder, you may want to look into getting a new mattress.

A Kingsdown mattress without its bed clothes.

When is the Last Time You Bought a Mattress?

When asked, most people believe that a mattress is a once per decade purchase.  While this may be a very general rule of thumb, other factors can end up shortening the life of your mattress, especially in middle age.

1.  You've gained a significant amount of weight.  When you bought your current mattress, you consulted with your salesperson, who assisted you in picking one out.  One of the factors he based this on was your current bodysize.  Mattresses vary in firmness and strength, and what is good for a person who weighs 175 will not hold as long for someone forty or fifty pounds heavier.

2.  You have a bad boxspring.  There are brands of boxsprings that have little to no flexibility.  People assume the boxspring will extend the life of their mattress, and some may tend to slack on the maintenance of the mattress, such as either flipping it or rotating it 180 degrees every few months for the non-flip variety.  Many boxsprings are misnomers, having no springs at all.  If it has no springs, it is not a true boxspring, but merely a foundation, and will do nothing to extend the functional life of your mattress.

3.  You sleep in the same spot every night, without ever flipping or turning the mattress.  Doing this will result in premature sagging, which will wreak havoc on your lower back.  If you are a single person with a larger bed, and you don't want to take the trouble to flip or rotate it, alternate sleeping on the sides and the middle.  This will enable slower and more even wear and tear.  Improper use of the bed will result in your mattress wearing out faster.

4.  The mattress was poor quality.  The unfortunate thing is that this often not apparent right away.  Mattresses that should last ten years start sagging after three or four, despite you not gaining weight or misusing it.  It could be the brand, it could have just been a bad individual mattress where something went wrong during the process of its construction.

In Conclusion

One problem with mattresses is because they are used night after night for years, their wear is not readily apparent to the user.  Often, we don't notice the decrease in our mattress' functionality until it has almost nothing left.  However, the pain in our bodies when we wake up should not be immediately chalked up to aging, or sleeping wrong, especially if the pain is habitual.  Some mattresses do not last as long as they are advertised.  If you continually wake up in pain, especially in the lower back, and it has been longer than seven years since the purchase of your mattress, that is something you may want to consider.

Propolis: What Bees Use for Shelter, Humans May Begin Use for Cancer Treatment

What is Propolis?

Propolis is a mixture of resins that is located in the sap and buds of trees.  The color of it most often is brown, but it can vary by region, depending on the type of plant it is harvested from.  It has been found to be red, green, and in some instances even black or white.  So the exact composition can have variance.  It is contained in both deciduous and conifer trees.

Since before man, bees have used it mostly for purposes of reinforcing their shelter.  They utilize it in sealing applications for unwanted holes and breached barriers.  It is also used as a vibration dampener, and to cover a small animal that may have invaded and died within the hive that is too heavy for them to carry out.  Propolis seals and mummifies them so they do not putrefy within the hive.  Lastly, they use it as an inhibitor of fungal or bacterial growth.  This last use is perhaps what first gave man the idea that it could fight disease.

A jar of harvested propolis. 
Author Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

How Long Has Man Been Using Propolis?

The original use of propolis dates back to the Egyptians.  They, and later the ancient Greeks and Romans, used it as an antiseptic and antibacterial for both wound treatment, ulcers, and abscesses.  It is also possible that the ancient Arabs may have utilized it as well.  Medicinal manuscripts refer to a dark or black wax that is described as a drug against eczema and rheumatism.

In medieval times, propolis use was rare in mainstream medicine.  Only a few references in manuscripts refer to its use as a remedy for various dental abscesses and some oral infections.

Medicine reintroduced its interest in propolis in the early 19th century.  French pharmacists experimented with the curious compound, which has now been linked to the advancement of the understanding of chemical processes even outside of health.

Propolis, depending on the health issue, is either ingested, or is introduced as a component of a topical ointment.

Anticancer Properties

In recent years, it is now thought that this wondrous substance that bees discovered could yield a new frontier in the fight against cancer.  It is not only holisitic and alternative medicine that is touting it, it is also being investigated in the allopathic medicinal community.

There have been over 180 beneficial compounds discovered in propolis, but one in particular is being studied.  It is known as CAPE, or caffeic acid phenethyl ester.

In laboratory experiments almost a decade ago, CAPE prevented colon cancer cells from multiplying and caused cell death of the malignant cells.  Even more importantly, it did this without destroying, or even affecting the normal, healthy cells.  That ability was confirmed by Banskota et al 2001, and by Suzuki et al, the next year.  After those results, it was experimented on in other types of cancer, such as stomach, brain, pancreatic, and breast. The trials again showed that it has the ability to selectively stop the malignant cell replication, destroy cancer cells,,and block the growth of new tumors.

An even more recent, and more exciting discovery is that propolis can not only stop and attack cancer cells, but it has the ability to change gene expression, whose mutations are the root cause of cancer.  Propolis has also demonstrated the ability to enhance the effects of typical chemotherapies in these various cancers. 

The anti-inflammatory properties of many of the compounds in propolis have also led to the belief that it might be even more effective as prevention, eaten as a whole food, and not just taken as a medicine to combat a disease like cancer.

Why Modern Wheat is Even Worse For Your Body

Bread has long been a staple in the human diet.  In a technical sense, the first breads were developed approximately 30,000 years ago.  They were far different than the bread you know of today; the cooked versions were more of a pasty grain.  The fact that 30,000 years ago was during the Upper Paleolithic Era is sometimes a criticism by opponents of the Paleo diet, claiming the anti-bread and grain campaign is based on a false premise.  Even though bread and grains were technically around during that time, the premise does hold true.  Here's why: cereals and grains were just two of a vast, vast number of food sources that were available to hunters and gatherers, and they were not a daily food.  Evidence shows that the staples of the Paleolithic man's diet were fruits, vegetables, and animal protein.  The bread and cereal food group did not become a staple until the Neolithic period, a little less than 10,000 years ago.  This was the birth of agriculture, and grains, particularly wheat and barley, were the first to be farmed.

  Common wheat.
Author Copyright © 2007 David Monniaux, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

On one hand, food became more readily available and plentiful, enabling man to form more complex societies and cities.  The abundance of food made larger populations possible.  On the other hand, what was being farmed was nutritionally inferior to what was being hunted and gathered.  This is evidenced by early Neolithic man's decline in height with respect to the Paleolithic people, and in addition, a shorter lifespan.

So What is Worse About Modern Wheat?

What is modern wheat is a recent hybridization, first cultivated in the 1960's.  This recent cultivation is called dwarf wheat.  It owes its name to the fact that the stocks are shorter.  In analysis, dwarf wheat has far less minerals and nutrients than its predecessors.  This is harmful not only because of the obvious, but also due to the fact that the phytic acid content of the wheat is the same as its predecessor.  The dangers of excess phytic acid are magnified when your intake of minerals and nutrients are lessened.

In addition, this modern breed of dwarf wheat contains more gluten, and a higher concentration of the more harmful gluten proteins.  One consequence of this is that over the past several decades, the incidence of celiac disease has greatly increased.

The Sphere of Health does not recommend consuming wheat of any kind as a staple of your diet.  Wheat should be consumed sparsely, if at all.  However, if you cannot resist, at least stay away from the modern dwarf wheat and opt for the wheat of the old variety.

Paleo Diet - Why Nuts Are Permitted Despite the Phytic Acid

Crack open any book that advocates and explains the Paleo diet, and you will inevitably come across the words "phytic acid."  You will also hear it in proximity with another term - antinutrient.  So, what is phytic acid, and why is it bad?

Phytic acid, scientifically known as inositol hexakisphosphate, or IP6, is a cyclic acid.  It is the main form of storage of phosphorus in plants.  It is, indeed, an antinutrient.  And what is that?  Antinutrients are molecules that interfere with the absorption of nutrients.

The molecular diagram of phytic acid.

How does phytic acid interfere with the body's ability to absorb nutrients?

Its chemical makeup makes it strongly attracted to certain essential elements, most of all calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc.  When it binds to them in the intestine and reacts, it results in the molecules precipitating out in the intestine.  Once this process happens, the gut cannot absorb them, and they pass through the remainder of the alimentary canal and are excreted with the waste products. 

It is easy to understand why it is found in the hulls of nuts, and seeds as well.  Plants cannot move, so they invented their own defense mechanisms, which is to render them as nutritionally deficient as possible.  There are some animal species that were able to successfully counter this by making copious amounts of phytase in their system, which effectively neutralizes the phytic acid, enabling them to absorb the nutrients.  Humans, however, are not one of those species, therefore, we have to watch our intake of phytic acid.

Grains and legumes are off the Paleo diet for this very reason.  They contain an abundance of phytic acid.  Since the modern food pyramid was developed, mineral deficiencies, as well as obesity and diabetes, have skyrocketed.

So Why Are Nuts Allowed?

This is a valid question to any follower of the Paleo or Primal diet.  Nuts, by weight, in fact do contain more phytic acid than grains or legumes.  So what's so right with nuts, and so wrong with the other two?

One of the main reasons is volume.  When people eat bread, rice, grains, or beans, it tends to be the main or one of the main aspects of the meal.  Nuts tend to be eaten in much, much lower volume.  People do not fill half, or over half their plate with a mound of nuts, as they would with rice, or beans.  Nuts, more often than not, are a snack, eaten between meals.  Even when eaten with meals, they are usually a garnish.  Because they are known to be quite high in calories, they are not usually consumed in large mass.

The second reason is nutrition.  Nuts contain very heart and brain healthy fats, high in Omega-3.  They are also rich in other nutrients, such as Vitamin E and B12.  Brazil nuts contain the highest concentration of selenium, while walnuts are high in manganese. 

If you happen to be a person that eats considerably more nuts than average, one technique to eliminate most of the phytic acid content is to soak them in salty water for approximately one day.  If you eat only a few a day, you don't have to bother with the soaking, provided you are eating a diet that avoids most phytic acid.  In very moderate amounts, phytic acid has benefits.  One example is the inhibition of the crystallization of calcium.  This has the effect of lowering one's risk of kidney stones.  The main problem with phytic acid is that the standard American diet, and probably the standard diets in most parts of the world, contains too large of a quantity.

To reiterate, the best time to have nuts is in between meals, at least a couple hours after.  That way, most of the food from the previous meal will have passed the stomach, and will not be interfered with by the phytic acid from the nuts.   Make fruits, vegetables, and meat the bulk of your diet, and you can snack on a few nuts in between meals without any worry.

The FDA Continues Its Fight Against Your Health and Rights In Their Crusade Against Raw Milk

Raw milk is currently the only food that is banned under a quite disingenuous reconstruction of the Interstate Commerce Clause.  There has never been a law passed by Congress banning raw milk, however, the FDA has taken it upon themselves to determine that it is hazardous, and refuses to regulate it.  Because they refuse to regulate it, that means it cannot be sold across state lines.  The performance of most state governments on this issue have not been much better.  Retail sales of raw milk are currently legal in only twelve states: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington.  Utah allows for retail sales of raw milk under the special condition that the store has to be owned by the producer of the milk.  An additional seventeen states have not completely banned the sales of raw milk, however they do not allow it to be sold in grocery stores.  This makes it difficult for a substantial portion of the urban and suburban population to obtain it readily.  In those states, the milk must be purchased directly from a farm.  Four more states, while also not completely banning it, make it most difficult by prohibiting direct sales, but the milk may be "given" as a result of purchasing a share of a cow.

  A bottle of raw, unadulterated, unpasteurized milk.
Author: Jgharston, under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.

This year, there were two bills introduced in Congress that are raw milk friendly.  HR4307 and HR4308.  The first bill would prohibit the FDA and other federal enforcement agents from interfering in the interstate traffic of any raw milk product.  The second, 4308, would only restrain them from interfering in the trade in states where it is already legal.  While these bills could be considered beneficial in the sense that it would in practice increase the freedom of choice for consumers, it should also be noted that since there is no law passed by Congress banning the sale of raw milk, these laws should not be necessary.  The FDA should simply need to be given cease and desist orders by Congress.  Since they are not a law making body, they have no authority to ban any type of food to begin with.  Even Congress has no lawful constitutional authority to ban raw milk.

These bills continue to be fought by the FDA, and they currently are still only in the introduction phase, both having been referred to the subcommittee on health, even though they were both introduced back at the end of March, 2014.

Large, commercial corporations who produce milk from cows raised in factory farms, are a primary backer of the FDA's push against raw milk.  These cows are injected with hormones, namely rBST, raised in substandard conditions, and are fed a diet of primarily corn and soy.  As a result, their milk, obtained from less than healthy cows, is dangerous to drink unless it is pasteurized.  They aid the FDA in railing against raw milk, using the contents of their own product in its unpasteurized state as "proof" that it is unsafe, dishonestly hiding the fact that it is the conditions and diet they use for their cows that makes it unsafe.  They effectively use the FDA to eliminate their competition of small, raw milk farms that produce their milk from grass fed, pasture raised cows that produces a whole, natural food.  Raw milk has been enjoyed by humans safely for thousands of years, and continues to be in many parts of the world today, including many countries in Europe, who have raw milk vending machines.

The time has come to end this senseless persecution of this healthy, probiotic food, and the brave people that produce it.

The Dont's of Squatting

We outlined and elaborated on the main points to a squat here, that will make you stronger without the consequences of injury.  This post will cover the common mistakes, the potential consequences, and how to avoid making these errors.

A woman performing squats in a squat rack.  The bars should be set low enough to go to full depth, but high enough to prevent injury should you not be able to get out of the bottom.

Author: Em Bhoo: under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Don't #1:  Don't Stand With Your Feet Too Close Together

This is a mistake that is usually made by beginners.  When the feet are placed too close together, you will not be able to descend to full depth without compensating by bending the back for balance, or shifting too much of your weight to the ball of your foot.  The movement will almost resemble a stoop more than a squat.

Don't #2:  Don't Stand With Your Feet Too Wide Apart

Standing too wide will also disallow you from descending to full depth, and cut your range of motion.  It will also place too much stress on the adductor muscles.  The ideal stance is with your feet either shoulder width apart, or slightly wider.

Don't #3:  Don't Round Your Back

This can not only crash the lift by throwing your balance forward, it can also crash your spine or the erector muscles.  Maintain a slight arch in your back.  This is greatly helped by moving your hand position on the barbell to as close as you can get while maintaining a balanced, solid grip on the bar.  A closer grip will pinch your shoulder blades together, making rounding more difficult.  The close grip serves another important purpose; it brings the muscles of the shoulder blades together that serve as a stable platform on which to place the bar on your back.

Don't #4:  Don't Short Cut and Half Squat

As champion bodybuilder Tom Platz used to say, "Half squat, half leg."  The benefits of doing a full squat and the hazards of half squatting have been discussed in the previous article, but it is such a common mistake based on such a popular myth that it is worth noting again.  One other addition not talked about last time was strength in range of motion.  Your strength development in a particular muscle group is greatly reduced within the range of motion you do not use.  For instance, if you are able to squat 400 pounds in a hamstrings - parallel squat, and have never squatted to full depth, your muscle development functionally will be greatly reduced in the lower half range of motion.

Don't #5:  Don't Squat Without Proper Equipment

Though there are many competitive weightlifters that know how to "miss" a lift, should they not be able to successfully squat their attempted weight, the average person is not so adept, not having trained to fail the right way.  For the average, non-competitive weightlifter, it is wise to squat in a power rack, and not out in the open where there are no safety bars to catch the weight should a mistake happen.  

The Do's of Squatting

The squat is commonly known among lifters, both competitive and amateur, as "the king of all exercises".  The basic barbell squat is singularly the most advocated, and the most feared of all movements in the gym.  Long maligned by some lifters and doctors as inherently dangerous to both back and knee, the squat is actually the most beneficial movement for the entire body.  It is not only a strengthening exercise, it also improves balance, mobility, and despite the propaganda, provides protection for the knee.

The single biggest reason for the maligning of the squats, is the fact that so many people do them incorrectly.  In this regard, the squat carries a higher risk of injury than many other exercises when done with improper form.  Many, including doctors, make the mistake of dismissing the movement, rather than the form of the lifter.  Today's article details how to execute a perfect squat, in order to provide you with multiple benefits without the pain and injuries.

  A competitor performs a front squat, a variation of the basic back squat, in a strongman competition.

Author: Artur Andrzej, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Point #1:  Squat Deep

For decades, one of the most important debates of the squat was, "How deep should you go?"  Stemming from a report from a doctor in 1962, the idea was introduced that squatting to full depth was bad for the knee, and that squatting past parallel was not only unnecessary, but harmful to the knee joint.  Not only was there no controlled experimentation or hard evidence to back this report, there is ample evidence disproving it.  

The full squatting position is used as a basic sitting position for many parts of the world, and it has been since humans have been around.  Stress around both the anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments decrease when the knee is bent to a larger degree.  The parallel point is where the torque is highest.  Using your energy to stop there puts a lot of strain on the knee.  Another reason it endangers the knee is that the quadriceps primarily move the lifter upwards in the top half of the movement, while the hamstrings are most active at below parallel.  The lower you squat, the more hip and hamstring activation you will obtain.  Parallel squatting will provide a muscular imbalance between the quadriceps and the hamstrings/gluteal area.

Point #2:  Do Not Bounce at the Bottom

Squats should be performed in a rapid, explosive movement, however, it needs to be controlled rapidity.  Partially relaxing your hamstrings when coming near the bottom of the movement, and attempting to drop, using momentum to come out of the hole is perhaps one reason deep squatting has been misunderstood.  The temporary relaxation and downward momentum caused by bouncing puts undue strain on the ligaments of the knee.  Don't pause at the bottom, rather, use a gradual stretch to provide the boost out of the hole of the lift.

Point #3:  Maintain a Rigid Torso

This is highly important for the safety of your spine.  Your back should act as a stabilizer, not a prime mover.  When you first start squatting, it is wise to do so with an empty barbell to get this particular technique down.  Put the bulk of your weight on your heels, and focus on maintaining the straight back.  Dipping at the shoulders and rounding the spine places tremendous torque on the lower back.  It can cause both acute injuries to the spinal erector muscles and a permanent injury to the spine itself.

Point #4:  Angle Your Toes Outward

Do not squat with your toes pointed straight.  Look down while walking.  Your feet do not land with your feet and toes pointed straight outward, they land at a natural angle, about 25 degrees.  An angle anywhere from 20-40 degrees is ideal for squatting; it follows the natural position of the bend.

Point #5:  Look Straight Ahead

Your body will follow your eyes.  Looking down places a high probability that your shoulders and upper back will bend, causing you to make the error of not maintaining a rigid torso.  Looking upwards, towards the ceiling will increase the likelihood that you will sit back too far, toppling you and the weight backward.  To maintain a straight back, look straight ahead.

Potential New Therapy for Breast Cancer

At the Univeristy of Guelph and McMasters University in Canada, thirty cats over the next two years will be treated with virus immunotherapy in addition to receiving surgery for their breast cancer.

As in humans, breast cancer occurs in felines, and it is usually a particularly aggressive cancer.  An additional hazard in cats is that it is typically not discovered until it has already spread to other parts of the body, particularly to the bone.  The current standard treatment for cats is surgery, as their breast cancer responds poorly to chemotherapy.  Even with removal of the tumor, it most often relapses within 6-8 months.

A cell showing two plaques caused by infection with an oncolytic virus.
Author: Viraltonic,  under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

The cats undergoing this trial will receive an injection of an oncolytic virus, which is a virus that specifically attacks cancer cells.  Most often, these viruses are genetically engineered, however there are some that occur naturally.  Two examples of naturally occurring oncolytic viruses are the SVV-001, and the reovirus.  More naturally occurring viruses are now being tested for potential oncolytic properties.  The feline patients will receive one injection prior to the surgery, and a second one a month after the surgery is completed.  If the results are positive, they intend to move this to human trials.

Oncolytic viruses destroy cancer cells via a process called lysis.  This process involves the killing of a cell by compromising its wall or membrane.  When these cancer cells are ruptured and killed, they release the newly made infectious material to target other cells in the tumor.  So the benefit is two pronged.  The virus will both directly kill cancer cells, while also triggering a boosted immune response from the patient.

The vaccine given to the cats prior to the surgery will attempt to do the latter; it is a non-replicaing adenovirus.  The second one given a month later will be a Maraba virus.  This second one will not be a simple injection, but an infusion into the bloodstream to target cells wherever they may be remaining in the body.  This virus has been engineered to only have the capacity to replicate in cancer cells.  This property renders the virus harmless to the patient.

It should be noted that oncolytic viruses have been tried in other cancers, one in particular, named talimogene laherparepvec, has been proven effective in advanced clinical trials for the deadly skin cancer melanoma.  Currently in Phase III, it stands a remarkable chance to be the first oncolytic virus approved for cancer treatment.

How to Eliminate Fluoride From Your Body

In the previous post, readers were alerted to the dangers of consuming fluoride over a long period of time, and those said reasons are why it should no longer be added to the water supply.  Today's article discusses some methods to detoxify your body of ingested fluoride.

Nutrition and Supplementation

Three elemental supplements that are extremely effective in the removal of fluoride are iodine, magnesium, and selenium.  Water supplies have been treated with fluoride in the form of the compound sodium fluoride (NaF).  Iodine reacts with fluoride in the bones and the body excretes it as calcium fluoride.  It should also be noted that the effects of toxicity of fluoride are greatly enhanced when there is iodine deficiency in the body.  Getting enough iodine also promotes an optimally functioning thyroid, so there are multiple reasons to take iodine supplements if it is not present enough in your diet.  Some iodine rich foods are seaweed, cod, shrimp, turkey breast, eggs, tuna, and prunes.  Depending on the source of your animal seafood, mercury intake can be a concern if too much is consumed.  Dried seaweed is very convenient; it is highly concentrated with iodine, and it is low in calories.  Sheets can be found in your local grocery store.

One negative consequence of the iodine removing fluoride from the bones is it also depletes them of some calcium, note it was stated above that it is excreted as calcium fluoride.  So during the detoxification process, it is also important to make sure you take in extra calcium to compensate.

Consuming enough selenium can serve as a two pronged attack on fluoride; it not only detoxifies, but taken regularly, can partially inhibit its absorption.  The highest concentration of selenium can be found in Brazil nuts, which have 544 micrograms per serving.  Compare that with tuna, the second highest, with 94 micrograms.  Some other foods that rank high in selenium are other seafoods, beefsteak, turkey, chicken, eggs, and spinach.

Magnesium also inhibits the absorption of fluoride in your body.  A very relaxing, enjoyable way of taking in magnesium is to, as the ancient Greeks would say, "take the waters".  A warm bath with Epsom salt will readily get magnesium through the pores of your skin.  Some foods high in magnesium are dark leafy greens, especially spinach, nuts and seeds, fish, avocado, bananas, and dark chocolate.

Tamarind

Tamarind has been widely used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine, even though the tree originates from Africa.  It is taken in the form of a tea, made from the pulp and bark of the tree.

Be prepared for a perhaps slightly inconvenient side effect, tamarind also can potentially have a laxative effect on the body.  However, it is a small price to pay for a short period of time to remove fluoride.

Dry Sauna

The sweating from the external stimulus of intense heat can remove sodium fluoride from muscle and many of the fatty tissues of the body through the pores.  Just remember to take caution to not spend an excess amount of time in the sauna and overheat.


Liver Cleanse

When detoxifying the body from any harmful substance or element, be it fluoride, or any other undesirable salt or heavy metal, it is important not to ignore the organ that is most responsible for detoxifying the body.  Over time, toxins that the liver helps filter out of the rest of the body can build up inside it, as it usually does not get rid of 100% of what is ingested.  Therefore, even when not concentrating on fluoride, it is helpful to do periodic liver cleanses.

Sphere of Health Advocates for Water Deflouridation

In recent years, fluoride in the water supply has come under increased scrutiny, and for many good reasons.  There has been no shown benefit to the ingestion of fluoride.  In fact, it has been proven to have numerous dangers.

Fluoride is applied to the teeth in its most concentrated amounts when brushing with toothpaste, using a fluoride mouth rinse, or when receiving a gel application at the dentist.  In all cases, the product is not swallowed.  In fact, the user is specifically told to not swallow the product on the directions of use.  If there was indeed any benefit from fluoride, it is topical, not by ingestion.

A major reason to cease adding fluoride to the water supply is that it has no proven benefit.  Dental decay has been more a product of poverty than of fluoride.  In metropolitan areas where rich and poor communities both share the same water supply, decay was much more prominent in the low income areas.  In fact, the highest rates of decay have been in low income communities with a decades-long history of water fluoridation.

Fluoride has been proven to accumulate in the body, with only around 60% of ingested fluoride excreted by the kidneys in adults.  The percentage is much worse in children, who only excrete about 20%.  Almost all of the accumulation occurs in the bones.  Over time, these leads to conditions such as skeletal fluorosis that not only mimic the painful symptoms of arthritis, but weaken bone, leaving many, especially the elderly, more prone to fractures to major bones such as the hips.

In addition to the bone, the main other target of accumulation is the pineal gland.  This gland is responsible for the production of melatonin.  A build up of fluoride early in life has been shown to reduce the ability of the gland to synthesize and secrete melatonin, which will affect sleep, sleep cycle, and leads to an earlier onset of puberty.  (Schlesinger, 1956, Luke, 2001).

A study done in the Ukraine in 1985 showed that fluoride also affected the function of the thyroid gland.  This would concur with the observation of increasing cases of hypothyroidism and other functional problems related to the gland. 

In conclusion, the fluoridation of water supplies in the United States was done on a baseless and unproven premise of helping people to maintain healthy teeth.  However, the evidence is very strong that the ingestion of fluoride puts people at risk for a multitude of diseases and degeneration, while no proof exists that even topical application has any benefit.  The Sphere of Health writes in hope that you will join the multiplying voices in the call to end water fluoridation.

http://www.fluorideout.org/petitions

 
"I would advise against fluoridation.  Side-effects cannot be excluded...In
Sweden, the emphasis nowadays is to keep the environment as clean as possible with regard to pharmacologically active and, thus, potentially toxic substances."
- Dr. Arvid Carlsson, co-winner of the Nobel Prize for Medicine 

"Water contains a number of substances that are undesirable, and fluorides are just one of them" - Dr. F. A. Bull, State Dental Director of Wisconsin.

The Buffaloberry - The New, Yet Not So New Superfood

Once very popular among Native Americans, the buffaloberry is little known in modern American culture.  However, that may change in the near future.  After analysis of its nutritional content, it is now being considered as the world's newest superfruit.

The buffaloberry grows on a genus of shrubs known as Shepherdia.  Their natural habitat is in Canada and the northern plain states.  They can be also planted and grown in warmer climates, as the plants are hardy and very adaptable to weather.  Ideally the climate should have a period of the year where frost occurs.  This is because the fruit is usually sour and slightly bitter when it first grows.  It is unclear why, but they sweeten when the weather cools and they are hit with a bit of frost.  That is why they are usually harvested in the later part of the year.  The berries are often a favorite of bears who share the same habitat.

Author: Matt Lavin from Bozeman, Montana, USA, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

Of all the antioxidants found in the buffaloberry, researchers found that it was most rich in lycopene.  This molecule is also found in tomatoes, though in a lower concentration than the buffaloberry.  Lycopene has long been known to reduce the risk of certain cancers, macular degeneration, and cardiovascular disease.

Other powerhouse molecules found in lower concentrations in this fruit are carotenoids, which are evidenced by its color, and phenolic antioxidants.  These play a role in cellular health and have anti-aging effects.

While fresh buffaloberries are best enjoyed in the cooler season, they contain enough sugar to have a pleasant taste when dried, so a sweet buffaloberry can be had at any time of year.  They are also acidic enough to yield a pleasant tasting wine.

A Flaw in CrossFit - The Kipping Pullup

Pullups should be made one of the core exercises of any strength program.  It is a closed chain, compound movement that utilizes a multitude of muscle groups.  However, like many exercises, you can be doing as much, or more, harm as good to your body if they are done incorrectly.

The Proper Form of a Strict Pullup

Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width apart, and start with arms fully extended.  This is known as a "dead hang".  Pull until your entire head clears the bar, keeping your legs in a stationary position.  Descend quickly, but in a controlled fashion; do not just relax and let yourself drop on the eccentric, or negative part of the movement.  Repeat for as many repetitions as you are able.

What is Kipping?

Kipping is the common method of cheating when doing pullups.  It is the throwing up of the legs, thereby using the momentum of your body to assist in clearing your head above the bar.

Why is Kipping Harmful?

 A compound exercise involves more recruitment than just the targeted muscle groups.  In the case of pullups, those prime movers, or agonists, are the upper back - the latissimus dorsi, and the rhomboids.  The secondary movers are the biceps.  The antagonistic muscles in the pullup movement serve as stabilizers, keeping the movement of the body under control.  For pullups, these are the shoulders and triceps.  Frequent kipping leaves the shoulders significantly vulnerable to injury.

The rotator cuff consists of four different intersecting muscles and a circular piece of cartilage called the labrum.  This is where the problem occurs.  Whenever you are using a cheating method for any exercise, you are doing so because your agonist muscle group is either:
a.  not strong enough to handle the weight you are using to do the repetition(s) in correct form if the cheating is used through the entire set, or,
b.  in cases of cheating to execute a few more repetitions at the end of a set where you have started out with proper form, the muscles are too fatigued to continue.  In other words, you have experienced momentary muscular failure.

The shoulders are what is known as a small muscle group.  They are, indeed, much smaller than the muscles that make up the upper back.  The exertion of force and momentum upwards that the back cannot handle causes a rapid, uncontrolled descent on the negative.  If the muscle and the cartilage cannot handle the weight, the extra stress will transfer to the bones and ligaments.

The Correct Alternative

This is, of course, correct form.  A question many will address is, "What if I'm not able to do even one correct pullup?"  Many gyms have a pullup assist machine.  It has a weight stack attached to a platform that you either kneel or stand on.  This serves to counterbalance your own weight.  The more weight you put on the stack, the less weight your back is actually pulling. 

Other alternatives to the pullup assist machine are incline body weight rows.  This is like a pullup, only your feet remain on the floor and you pull your weight at an angle.  Other paths to developing your way to the first pullup are lat pulldowns, seated rows, and dumbell rows.

An Increase in Colon Cancer in Younger Adults

Colon cancer previously was almost universally an upper middle age - elderly person disease.  One of the reasons being is that it usually takes between 20-25 years for cells to go from dysplasia to polyp to a tumor.  That is why colon cancer screenings are generally only every five or ten years.  In recent years, the medical profession has witnessed an increase in the diagnosis of colon cancer between younger adults that are aged 20-34.

What are some risk factors for colon cancer?

Below are some of the main risk factors for developing colon cancer, in no particular order of importance:

1.  Smoking
2.  Age
3.  Inflammatory bowel disease
4.  Improper diet
5.  Diabetes
6.  A sedentary, inactive lifestyle
7.  Excessive alcohol intake
8.  Family history

What has changed in recent times?

Due to increased knowledge about the risks of tobacco use, a significantly lower percentage of the population smokes than before 1970.    Age is not a factor in this context, since we are looking specifically at the increase in the younger age group.

The answer is most likely found in a combination of factors 4-6.  Today's children are generally more sedentary than previous generations, as they have more electronic and automated entertainment available to them.  While such recreation stimulates the brain, and should definitely not be eliminated nor discouraged, time should also be made for plenty of physical activity.

In recent decades, there has also been an exponential increase in the consumption of processed foods.  Frozen dinners, packaged foods that are laden with additives, preservatives have become a much larger part of the standard diet.  Chemical processing destroys the majority of the nutrients contained in food.  Since the government pushed food pyramid in the 1970's, the bread/cereal group has been put at the base of many modern diets.  This food group contains mostly simple carbohydrates, which produce a vicious cycle of insulin spikes and valleys, along with an increase in appetite; simple carbs are easily and more readily digested than complex carbs, proteins, and fats, which will result in the emptying of the stomach much earlier, increasing appetite and resulting in excessive food intake.  Insulin spikes, combined with obesity, result in a much higher risk of diabetes.  The increase in type 2 diabetes has also been noted in younger adults of the same age group, as well as children.  The nutritional and exercise habits developed as children can play a significant role in your health as an adult.  Children who develop type 2 diabetes are at a much greater risk for a whole plethora of diseases by the time they reach their thirties, colon cancer being one of them.

Related articles:

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/19578/20141106/young-adults-in-u-s-face-increasing-risk-of-colon-cancer.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/colon-cancers-may-increasing-among-young-adults-230932386.html

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt - A Newcomer to the World of Anti-Aging

Pyrroloquinoline Quinone Disodium Salt, more simply known as PQQ, has come to the attention of the world of health.  With the industry of anti-aging ever expanding, this compound has now emerged as one of the more highly touted.

What is PQQ?

PQQ has the molecular formula of C₁₄H₆N₂O₈, with three closed rings, three alcohol groups, and one ammonia group.  It's scientific name is 4,5-dioxo-4,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-f]quinoline-2,7,9-tricarboxylic acid, and is also known as methoxatin.

In the strictest sense of the definition, PQQ is not currently considered to be a vitamin.  Rather, it is called a vitamin-like compound.

Where is PQQ Found?

PQQ is found in every plant food that has so far been analyzed.  However, its abundance varies greatly in different types.  It is most concentrated in papaya, green peppers, parsley, and green tea.  PQQ is available as a supplement for those whose diet may not contain enough fruits and vegetables.

The Benefits

The mechanism by which this molecule boosts health and slows aging is multifaceted.  The most important, and also probably least known way is by way of the mitochondria.  As we age, we are more prone to mitochondrial destruction through oxidative damage.  The damage to mitochondria is a precursor to many diseases of age, most notably Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.  PQQ has been shown to not only protect mitochondria from that damage, but actually stimulates an increase in its virility and capacity, as well as the production of new mitochondria.

It has also been observed that it optimizes the function of the central nervous system, by neutralizing free radicals.  One of the reasons it is so effective is because of its extremely resilient molecular stability.  It can carry out the neutralization of an abundant amount of radicals without breaking down.  The neutralization of free radicals reduces the body's overall inflammation.

How much do you need?

The recommended amount can depend on your age.  An elderly person will need more than a younger person, since they are more susceptible to oxidative damage.  For an elderly person, 10-20 mg per day is recommended.  You should aim near the higher end of that range if you are experiencing memory loss, a significant decrease in mobility, or heart problems.  A younger person would benefit from significantly less, near the low end of the range.

Hello!

Good evening!  The goal of writing usually is to do one of three things: persuade, inform, or entertain.  I sincerely hope this blog will do all three!  The subject matter is exactly what the title says, it is a sphere of health.  It will cover all pillars - diet, exercise, disease prevention, treatments and remedies, and current affairs related to health.  While many blogs are more narrowly focused, this one will seek to broaden your horizons.  To maintain good health, you must be informed in all its aspects.  I hope you will join me on this wonderful quest to not only live long, but live with good health!