Liver Cleansing

I have gotten a lot of questions lately about liver and gallbladder problems so I am posting a cleanse that is designed to flush out toxins from the liver and gallstones from the gallbladder. It is a relatively inexpensive cleanse and can be done with things from your grocery store. I do recommend doing some kind of bowel cleanse first, as this will ensure the liver/gallbladder flush is effective. This is a good bowel cleanse. Make sure to follow all instructions carefully. For more information on this cleanse, visit this link.

To start a simple liver cleanse, this is what you will need:



- Apple juice or malic acid supplements
- 4 tblspoons of Epsom Salts.
- 1/2 Cup of Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 big grapefruit, or 3 lemons.
Directions
1. For 4-5 days before your liver flush, eat as many apples, or drink as many apple juice as you can. You can take malic acid supplements if you wish if you can't drink the juice. In the last 2 days, drink 8 oz of apple juice every 2-3 hours. Doing this will help ensure the liver flush is successful.



2. On day 6, eat a light breakfast with no fat. This enables the bile in your liver to accumulate, putting pressure in your liver. This pressure will eliminate more stones in your liver.



3. At 2:00 PM, the same day, mix 4 tblspoons of Epsom Salts in 3 cups of water, pouring all this into some jar. Do NOT drink or consume any foods after 2 PM. This is extremely important! Put this jar in the cooler/refrigerator to make it cold



4. At 6:00 PM, drink 3/4 cup of this mixture. It will taste very bad... but you can add 1/8 tablespoons of powdered Vitamin C to make it taste better.



5. At 8 PM, drink another 3/4 cup of thix mixture. Get all your errands done, and prepare for the liver flush. You shouldn't be doing ANYTHING after doing a liver flush, just lying down and sleeping.



6. At 9:45 PM, pour 1/2 cup of virgin olive oil into a jar. Squeeze the entire grapefruit into the mix, removing the pulp with a fork, or chopsticks. You should have 1/2 to 3/4 cups of grapefruit juice mixed with the virgin olive oil the jar. Close the jar, and shake it very hard until it is all liquid.



7. At 10 PM, drink this mixture. You may drink it through some large straw if that makes it easier for you. Try to get it all down by 5 mins or so.



8. Lay down in your bed as soon as you are down. This is crucial, and most people do this wrong. Don't do any work, don't even bother brushing your teeth! Just lay down immediately! Lay on your right side, with your right knee up towards your chin for 20 or so mins. Stay still, and try not to move at all. Try to sleep.



9. The next morning, when you wake up, drink a 3rd dose of your 3/4 cup Epsom salts. You can go back to sleep afterwards.



10. Two hours later, drink the last dose of Epsom salts.



11. Only after 2 more hours can you eat anything, but do not eat solid fruits just yet. Start with liquids, and move slowly to fruit.

Red Clover for Relief from Hormonal and Stress Related Problems

In today's world of pharmaceutical remedies for every ailment, there are still very effective natural options for every health problem, which also offer a much lower risk. Red Clover Blossom is one such remedy as it has been used for hundreds of years on everything from hormonal problems, to infertility, to acne, to allergies. See the information below taken from here. Red Clover is available at all health food stores and many places online.

Red clover is a legume rich in isoflavonoid phytoestrogens including: genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin-A, compounds that are now recognized for supporting critical hormone levels within the body in both men and women, without having any negative side effects. Controlled clinical trials show that phytoestrogens from red clover help to maintain proper bone density in menopausal women, as well as relieving hot flushes and night sweats. Red clover has been a valued medicine since ancient times and was particularly valued for treating respiratory problems, colds, flues and infections in the 19th century. Red clover is recognized as a detoxification herb or "blood cleanser". The tea, like that of licorice root, is also said to be effective for treating gastrointestinal problems and can be used externally as a hydrocortisone cream replacement for alleviating skin inflammations and psoriasis. Historically, the blossom tea was also used as an antispasmodic and mild sedative. Research is showing that phytoestrogens, including and especially those from red clover, are beneficial for preventing and treating many of the major degenerative diseases plaguing our society today. Phytoestrogens support good health in many ways such as: 1) they bind at estrogen receptors and prevent the body from over-producing estradiol; 2) they dilute xenoestrogen-type toxins by binding at receptor sites and function as anti-estrogens; 3) they boost progesterone expression and help to normalize the body's important estrogen to progesterone ratio; 4) they reduce cholesterol and support the liver in its critical role of detoxifying the blood and converting excess estradiol into the more benign form of estriol; 6) they are powerful antioxidants; 7) they prevent the formation of new blood vessels that feed abnormal cells; 8) they inhibit abnormal cell growth, and 9) they boost several beneficial enzymes within the body that prevent DNA adducts and reduce cellular damage and aging.

Traditional Usage:

- Acne
- Addiction (alleviates cravings)
- Allergies
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant
- Bone and Joint Health
- Breathing Disorders
- Canker Sores
- Celiac's Disease
- Cellular Regeneration
- Cleansing
- Crohn's Disease
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Colitis
- Detoxifying
- Digestive Disorders
- Diuretic
- Diverticulitis
- Eczema
- Endometriosis
- Endotoxic Shock (infection-related toxemia)
- Fibroids
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Headaches
- Hepatitis
- Hormone Imbalances
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Joint Pain
- Menopausal Problems
- Migraines
- Osteoporosis
- Poultice
- PMS
- Psoriasis
- Senility/Aging Conditions
- Skin Disorders
- Vascular Disorders

For more information, read the full article here.

Thyroid Problems and Coconut Oil

There has been a drastic increase in thyroid problems in the US recently, and it seems that thyroid problems might still be one of the most undiagnosed conditions. Many homeopathic doctors feel that the ranges that most doctors use to test for problems are too wide and that many problems go undiagnosed as a result. This article explains some ways to test yourself if you feel that you might have a thyroid problem.

How To Know If Your Thyroid Is Working Properly With Blood Tests


A recent study showed that nearly 13 million Americans may be unaware of and undiagnosed for their thyroid conditions. Are you one of them? Another study showed that if you are a pregnant woman and you have a low thyroid your child's IQ will be affected. Yet another recent study showed that if you an elderly woman with thyroid problems you will have an increased risk of heart disease

The big myth that persists regarding thyroid diagnosis is that an elevated TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) level is always required before a diagnosis of hypothyroidism can be made. Normally, the pituitary gland will secrete TSH in response to a low thyroid hormone level. Thus an elevated TSH level would typically suggest an underactive thyroid.

If you find this information helpful click here to subscribe to the FREE weekly newsletter so you will get all the updates.

Click here to read my interview with Mary Shomon, the Thyroid guide from About.com.

Your Doctor Does Not Likely Understand How To Interpret Your Tests Properly

Thyroid function tests have always presented doctors with difficulties in their interpretation. Laboratory testing is often misleading due to the complexity and inherent shortcomings of the tests themselves. Many doctors not having an adequate understanding of what the test results mean, will often make incorrect assumptions based on them or interpret them too strictly. A narrow interpretation of thyroid function testing leads to many people not being treated for subclinical hypothyroidism.

Old Laboratory Tests Unreliable

Most all older thyroid function panels include the following:

* Total T4
* T3 Uptake and
* Free Thyroxine Index (FTI).

These tests should be abandoned because they are unreliable as gauges of thyroid function. The most common traditional way to diagnose hypothyroidism is with a TSH that is elevated beyond the normal reference range. For most labs, this is about 4.0 to 4.5. This is thought to reflect the pituitary's sensing of inadequate thyroid hormone levels in the blood which would be consistent with hypothyroidism. There is no question that this will diagnose hypothyroidism, but it is far too insensitive a measure, and the vast majority of patients who have hypothyroidism will be missed.

Basal Body Temperature

Basal body temperature popularized by the late Broda Barnes, M.D. He found the clinical symptoms and the body temperature to be more reliable than the standard laboratory tests was provided. This is clearly better than using the standard tests. However there are problems with using body temperature.

* Sleeping under electric blankets or water beds falsely raise temperature
* Sensitive and accurate thermometer required
* Inconvenient and many people will not do (poor compliance)

New and More Accurate Way To Check for Hypothyroidism

This revised method of diagnosing and treating hypothyroidism seems superior to the temperature regulation method promoted by Broda Barnes and many natural medicine physicians. Most patients continue to have classic hypothyroid symptoms because excessive reliance is placed on the TSH. This test is a highly-accurate measure of TSH but not of the height of thyroid hormone levels.

New Range for TSH to Diagnose Hypothyroidism

The basic problem that traditional medicine has with diagnosing hypothyroidism is the so-called "normal range" of TSH is far too high: Many patients with TSH's of greater than 2.0 (not 4.5) have classic symptoms and signs of hypothyroidism (see below).

* So, if your TSH is above 2.0 there is a strong chance your thyroid gland is not working properly.

Free Thyroid Hormone Levels

One can also use the Free T3 and Free T4 and TSH levels to help one identify how well the thyroid gland is working. Free T3 and Free T4 levels are the only accurate measure of the actual active thyroid hormone levels in the blood.

When one uses free hormone levels one will find that it is relatively common to find the Free T4 and Free T3 hormone levels below normal when TSH is in its normal range, even in the low end of its normal range. When patients with these lab values are treated, one typically finds tremendous improvement in the patient, and a reduction of the classic hypothyroid symptoms.

Secondary or Tertiary Hypothyroidism

There are a significant number of individuals who have a TSH even below the new 1.5 reference range mentioned above, but their Free T3 (and possibly the Free T4 as well) will be below normal. These are cases of secondary or tertiary hypothyroidism, so, TSH alone is not an accurate test of all forms of hypothyroidism, only primary hypothyroidism.

Symptoms of Low Thyroid

* The most common is fatigue.
* Skin can become dry, cold, rough and scaly.
* Hair becomes coarse, brittle and grows slowly or may fall out excessively.
* Sensitivity to cold with feelings of being chilly in rooms of normal temperature.
* Difficult for a person to sweat and their perspiration may be decreased or even absent even during heavy exercise and hot weather.
* Constipation that is resistant to magnesium supplementation and other mild laxatives is also another common symptom.
* Difficulty in losing weight despite rigid adherence to a low grain diet seems to be a common finding especially in women.
* Depression and muscle weakness are other common symptoms.

Treatment of Hypothyroidism

You can click here for an article on how you can treat your thyroid problem with natural hormone therapy.

If you find this information helpful click here to subscribe to the FREE weekly newsletter so you will get all the updates.

If you are interested in a more comprehensive articles directed towards health care professionals click here. Also available is an excellent text book article on thyroid testing for those with more technical interests.
Living Well With Hypothyroidism

Mary Shomon is the www.about.com thyroid expert. Her $11 352 page book published in March of 2000 is one of the most cost effective and valuable resources that you could own on this subject. If you have thyroid disease this book should be in your library.

Click here to Purchase: Living Well With Hypothyroidism

The Los Angeles Times wrote: March 27, 2000
"Hypothyroidism is a common, very treatable disorder that is also poorly managed by doctors. In this first-rate book by Mary Shomon...the disorder, its myths, and medicine's successes and failures at dealing with it are thoroughly examined. This is not a book that rehashes old facts on thyroid disease. Shomon instead challenges patients and their doctors to look deeper and try harder to resolve the complicated symptoms of hypothyroidism...In a fascinating chapter, Shomon, who also has a Web site and an online newsletter about the disease, explores recent evidence that the addition of the thyroid hormone T3 to the standard T4 (levothyroxine) may help some people feel better. In addition, the section on babies born with hypothyroidism, although brief, has the best advice on how to give medication to an infant that I've seen. As Shomon writes: 'or years, thyroid problems have been downplayed, misunderstood and portrayed as unimportant.' With her advocacy, perhaps no more." -- Shari Roan

Dr. John Lowe, author of "Speeding Up to Normal" wrote:

Mary Shomon is the harbinger of the latest scientifically-sound information on hypothyroidism. With keen intellect, loyalty to truth, and plain language, she sweeps away the medical dogma that bars millions of patients from rational thyroid hormone therapies. In this book, she describes practical thyroid therapies that can improve patients' health and extend their lives. The book is vital for hypothyroid patients who want to get well, and for physicians who want to help them do so.

Bill Passes Senate

I am sure you have heard some stuff in the news lately about the bill that just passed the Senate that deals with pharmaceuticals.

The facts found in the report are almost as astonishing as the source of the report itself: USA Today, a mainstream media giant in the United States, has revealed the apparent financial conflict of interest by U.S. Senators who voted against the infamous S.1082 reimportation amendment. That amendment would have ended Big Pharma's monopoly over U.S. consumers and ultimately saved American citizens, businesses and governments tens of millions of dollars by allowing them to import medicines from other nations with approved safety records (such as Canada or Japan).

But 49 Senators voted against the amendment, defending the Big Pharma monopoly that continues to force Americans to pay the highest prices in the world, by far, for medicines. As I've documented in my book, Natural Health Solutions and the Conspiracy to Keep You From Knowing About Them, some pharmaceuticals are marked up 500,000% or more over the cost of their ingredients!

What could have prompted these 49 Senators to vote to protect the profits of drug companies? Follow the money and you'll find your answer. As it turns out, nearly every one of the 49 Senators who voted against drug reimportation has accepted money from drug companies. USA Today reported the top offenders who voted against the bill, along with the dollars they've accepted from drug companies since 2001:

U.S. Senators' Drug Money
Richard Burr, R-N.C.
$520,694

John Kerry, D-Mass.
$304,888

Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.
$281,040

Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
$259,699

Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
$241,850

Max Baucus, D-Mont.
$199,000

Tom Carper, D-Del.
$183,794

Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.
$174,338

Notice that these Senators represent both major political parties, and there's even one independent in the mix. Consumers should remember that no political party will defend the people against powerful corporations. Ultimately, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will sell out in order to protect their own power and reelection funds.

As Rima Laibow (www.HealthFreedomUSA.org) observed in a recent e-mail update to her readers, it's amazing just how cheaply the U.S. Senators have been bought off! For a few hundred thousand dollars -- the profits from only a couple hundred prescription drug users -- these Senators appear to have been either strongly influenced or outright bribed to kill a measure that would have saved Americans tens of billions of dollars and finally freed the American people from the financial stranglehold of Big Pharma.

These Senators, of course, all insist they were voting to protect the "safety" of Americans, claiming that medicines imported from other countries are dangerous. But medicines bought right here in the United States are killing 100,000+ Americans each year! Do these Senators somehow imagine drugs bought in the U.S. are safer than the same medicines purchased somewhere else? Do they suffer under the illusion that paying more for prescription drugs somehow makes them safer?

When it comes down to it, none of the arguments against drug reimportation hold water. The killing of the amendment was done for one simple, uncomplicated reason: to protect the safety of Big Pharma profits by forcing Americans to pay monopoly prices for their medicines.

Modern-day Indentured Servants
The whole price fixing scam brings to mind a relevant term from American history: Indentured servants. These indentured servants were people who agreed to work a farm or plantation for a period of 4-7 years in exchange for passage to America. But dishonest plantation owners played a cruel trick on the indentured servants: They had to buy their farm tools and supplies from the plantation owner. But they couldn't pay cash since they didn't have any money, so they were forced to extend their work commitment in exchange for tools and supplies.

A shovel, for example, might cost you another month on the farm. A set of work clothes might cost you two months more. Little by little, the plantation owner enslaved the indentured servants in a never-ending cycle of debt that could only be repaid by a lifetime of work ending in death and bankruptcy.

Sound familiar? Americans are trapped in a lifetime of medical debt being paid to wealthy drug corporations. If you live in America and need medicine, the FDA and Big Pharma are doing everything in their power to make sure you have no choice but to buy it from "the company store" -- the monopoly-controlled U.S. pharmaceutical market that's basically in the business of ripping people off by selling them dangerous synthetic chemicals.

Need to control your blood sugar? That's a few thousand dollars a year. Have high cholesterol? Another few thousand. Got cancer? Fork over several thousand dollars each month for yet more chemicals sold at monopoly prices to a nation of health consumers who have been financially enslaved as Indentured Servants. I once talked to a cancer patient who was about to fork over $14,000 per injection for an experimental cancer drug! That person's life savings would have been wiped out in just one month while enriching the richest corporations in the world: drug companies.

Modern medicine is the new indentured servant plantation. Same scam, different crop. The American people are once again being worked to death by greedy businessmen who only wish to increase the size of their own profits, regardless of how many people have to be exploited or destroyed along the way. And 49 U.S. Senators seem to whole-heartedly approve of this financial enslavement of the American people. They voted, on the record, to propel a profiteering price scheme operated by a criminal conspiracy masterminded by the FDA and Big Pharma.

Republican Senators who voted for the financial enslavement of the American people
Lamar Alexander
Robert Bennett
Kit Bond
Jim Bunning
Richard Burr
Saxby Chambliss
Tom Coburn
Thad Cochran
Norm Coleman
Bob Corker
John Cornyn
Michael Crapo
Elizabeth Dole
Pete Domenici
Michael Enzi
Lindsey Graham
Judd Gregg
Chuck Hagel
Orrin Hatch
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Johnny Isakson
Jon Kyl
Richard Lugar
Mel Martinez
Mitch McConnell
Lisa Murkowski
Pat Roberts
Arlen Specter
Ted Stevens
John Sununu
Craig Thomas
George Voinovich
John Warner

Democratic Senators who voted for the financial enslavement of the American people
Max Baucus
Evan Bayh
Maria Cantwell
Thomas Carper
Edward Kennedy
John Kerry
Mary Landrieu
Frank Lautenberg
Blanche Lincoln
Robert Menéndez
Barbara Mikulski
Patty Murray
Ben Nelson
Jay Rockefeller
Kenneth Salazar

Corporate imperialism at work
One thing that these Senators have demonstrated quite convincingly is that the rich get richer in America, especially when rich Senators protect the rich drug companies at the expense of the increasingly impoverished American people.

In my opinion every one of the Senators listed here should be voted out of power at the next available opportunity. But of course, Big Pharma can buy off the replacements just as easily. There's no end to the cash being generated by this illegal price fixing scheme that, by any sane standard, would have long ago been classified as an organized crime racket and prosecuted under the RICO Act.

The real problem, then, is not necessarily dishonest Senators who would sell out their countrymen (and women) for a few dollars from Big Pharma. The real problem is that corporations are allowed to financially influence lawmakers in the first place! The problem is the lobbying and campaign finance structure that allows virtually all lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to be so easily and cheaply bought off (or at least strongly influenced) by corporate interests. Lobbyists are far too influential in Washington, and in fact, the Corporation itself has become dangerous to the health, safety and future of the American people. (View the documentary: The Corporation at http://www.TheCorporation.com )

Even if these 49 Senators actually sold out the American people, and even if they resigned tomorrow (which they would never think of doing, of course), their replacements would be just as easily corrupted by a system of corporate control over U.S. lawmakers that has turned the United States into a Plutocracy -- government by the wealthy elite, where the corporations and the government become one entity that exploits the productivity of the population to enrich the few.

As I pointed out in a previous article about this betrayal by U.S. Senators, many of our lawmakers have become adversaries of the people and are now openly fighting for the expansion of profits and power for mega-corporations while steamrolling the interests and freedoms of the American people. In a very real sense, they have openly betrayed the American people they claim to represent. They have devolved into corporate imperialists who aim to shore up their own power by sacrificing the interests of those they have sworn to protect -- the voters who gullibly put them into power in the first place.

A Little True Humor

Autism and Vaccine Link is Stronger Than Previously Though

The link between Autism and vaccinations might be stronger than the CDC previously thought. Read the article here.

Baking Soda as A Natural Antacid

Antacids and Laxatives are two of the most purchased over-the-counter drugs in society today. Neither would be necessary if we didn't have impacted colons and acidic bodies, but in the mean time, there is a natural alternative to antacids that can actually alkalize the body. Here is the article.

(NewsTarget) Many components of the modern western diet – meats, fish, dairy products, most grains, sugars, alcohol and caffeinated drinks (in fact, almost everything except vegetables, millet, most fruits and, as we have just seen, apple cider vinegar) – contribute to one's body becoming too acidic. This in turn can open the door to a variety of problems, some of them (including arthritic complaints) potentially serious if this acidic condition persists for many years.

This is because your body will attempt to compensate by retaining alkaline salts in the bloodstream to offset the increase of tissue acidity. Since your body can only tolerate a small imbalance in blood pH (the acid-alkali balance), it will rob alkaline components from other places – including your body's precious alkaline reserves – in an effort to restore proper pH equilibrium. This can result in heartburn, digestive distress, stomach upset, fatigue and a multitude of other symptoms. Simple, inexpensive kitchen baking soda can fix this.

Very useful in keeping the body healthily alkalized is half to one teaspoon a day of baking soda in water. Don't take it with or within an hour of meals, though, as the stomach needs to retain its acidity in order to perform its digestive functions effectively. A great deal of tap water (or even store-bought spring water) is surprisingly acidic; filtration will remove toxins but will not affect the pH balance of the water. (Baking soda can be used to reduce the corrosion of acidic drinking water in municipal water supplies, therefore reducing the toxicity of the lead and copper, which are dissolved from the pipes.) You can purchase a pH testing kit for home use very cheaply, and if the water you usually drink is acidic (i.e. with a pH of less than 7.0) you could remedy this cheaply and easily by adding a pinch of baking soda to all the water you consume.

Baking soda is also effective for polishing teeth (without scratching the tooth surface) and fighting bad breath (sprinkle a little on the toothbrush bristles). It can even be tried for exfoliating skin when acne is a problem (add a little to a facial cleanser in place of using a commercial facial scrub).

When baking soda is added to bath water, sunburn sufferers often experience a notable reduction in pain. Place a cup (8 ounces) of baking soda under the running bath tap so it dissolves completely, and soak in a lukewarm tub for about half an hour. Such a bath will soothe the pain – and you won't have to endure the stinging sensation of a shower. Adding baking soda to a hot bath at any time also helps wash acid wastes out of the body.

In addition, baking soda can be used in cool (but not cold) bath water to soothe other skin irritations and alleviate itching from prickly heat, bee stings, insect bites, and other minor skin ailments. A paste (made with just enough water to get the desired sticky consistency) placed on an insect bite or sting and allowed to dry is a time-tested approach for drawing out and neutralizing poisons.

People with skin allergies who tend to react to commercial laundry detergents might find that washing their clothing and bedding in baking soda is less irritating.

Simple baking soda may also weaken the desire for a cigarette as well as reduce the desire for sugar and sweets. It's used in kidney dialysis to reduce the level of acids in the bloodstream, and acts to prevent bacterial growth in food products. For general purposes of alkalinizing the body, quarter to half a teaspoon twice a day in water is usually enough.

The medicinal and self-care uses of baking soda were recognized by the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) more than 150 years ago. For years, baking soda has been recommended because of its antacid effects, mainly to neutralize stomach acids that can cause heartburn, acid indigestion and related discomforts.

As it mixes with the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, baking soda triggers a chemical reaction, and its end products are salt (NaCl, or sodium chloride), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. The water is harmless, and the carbon dioxide gets released as a gas, producing a familiar burp once the acid is neutralized.

However, commercial antacid products only lessen symptoms of over-acidity by blocking the production of acid and can often produce unwanted side effects. They alter your body's ability to absorb protein and calcium, which can then create the need for a calcium supplements to compensate.

If it were not for the presence of sodium – which makes the tissue in the stomach highly alkaline – the lining would be destroyed by the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The stomach, intestines, joints and ligaments are in constant need of natural food-source sodium. Naturally occurring sodium is not to be confused with the sodium from common commercial table salt, which is processed with extreme heat using many chemical and bleaching agents.

Potassium neutralizes acid wastes, and in combination with sodium, maintains a healthy acid/alkaline balance. Potassium and sodium are nearly always found together in the body and perform many of the same functions. Second only to breathing and maintaining a heartbeat the most important metabolic function our body performs is to maintain a balanced pH. Baking soda, in small amounts, performs this function.

Read the full article here.