High Fi---ber

This is definately not the most pleasant topic to talk about but may be one of the most important. There's a general saying that goes, "What goes in must come out," so make sure its high fiber foods with plenty of nutrients. Bowel movements tell a person a lot about their health. There are specific signs to look for in a bowel movement to know if it is healthy.

Frequency of bowel movements is number one. There are discrepancies in how often a person should have a bowel movement among healthcare professionals, but at least know that once a day would be healthier than once a week. It's all about the elimination of waste. The sooner the waste is eliminated from the body the better.

Color of the stool is important. A medium brown is the proper color. If the stool is dark, this means it has been in the intestines for longer than necessary and some of the byproduct gets absorbed into the system. Pale stool could be due to a decrease in bile output, affected by an infection, gallstones, or other illness, or from too much undigested fat in the diet.

Size and consistency of stool reveals much about an individuals diet. Large, hard stools, or constipation, means lack of fiber and water to help loosen waste. Constipation increases anxiety if stool is large and hard in consistency because it can be painful. It is fairly common for people with infrequent bowel movements to develop hemorrhoids and fissures that can add to the pain. A consistent, long term high fiber diet is the best solution to ease constipation and its effects.

And the last sign pertains to the olfactory organ - smell. All stool will have an odor, however, on occasion a foul smell may emit from the stool. The foul smell tends to be from different foods in the diet, but could also be from an overabundance of bacteria, a parasite, or fungi in the intestinal tract.

Even though this topic is an uncomfortable one, it should be of high importance in a person's health regimen. Pay particular attention to frequency, color, consistency and smell of the stool and adjust your diet accordingly. You'll be much healthier for it.

Super Bowel Highlights

Okay, just thank my boss for the play on words in the heading. The idea obviously came to him since last night was the annual football game of football games - the Super Bowl. I have to admit it was a pretty good game.

Well, what do a lot of people do if they are at a Super Bowl Party? Eat junk food, maybe have a few beers or sodas, possibly put a few dollars down for potential four quarter winnings. The first two have more effect on the health of an individual than the last, unless of course, you easily become obsessive-compulsive, you become addicted to gambling and then your mental health goes downhill.

If your diet is consistently good, then your digestive system probably retaliated after the junk food frenzy. Many of the Super Bowl foods don't contain fiber, are high in sodium, and don't contain many positive nutrients to keep your system functioning properly. There are a few answers for keeping the internal organs functioning properly on a regular basis.

One is to take Green Sweep. This is a powder with organic kamut grass leaf powder, slippery elm, and FOS combined. Mix this with either water, juice or V8, drink it down and you're on your way. Take the Green Sweep consistently as directed for a few days to see how the bowels react to it, then reanalyze the effects to determine if you need more to produce a bowel movement. Remember, this also contains vitamins, minerals and a prebiotic to increase the health of the bowels by increasing the amount of positive bacteria and nutrients in your system.

The second thing to do is drink plenty of water. It has been stated, by doctors and nutritionists, that a person needs to drink at least half their body weight in ounces, of water a day. Water is a purifier and will replenish any lost hydration from overly salted foods and alcoholic beverages.

Those are the day-after Super Bowel highlights. Hope they work well for you.

Don't Feed It!

Fungus. Most fungus will proliferate if the body continues to function on a diet high in carbohydrates and simple sugars. Any body will retaliate if subjected year after year to this kind of diet. This is not natural and not meant to be the food of choice for humans. And the general public and medical practitioners wonder why there are so many health problems in this world today, specifically in the United States?

Its bad enough when a person eats poorly, but then add environmental exposure to chemicals, molds, and airborne microorganisms, and the use of medications, and the perfect haven for fungus in the body is created. Its no wonder people acquire fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, migraines, skin conditions and stomach disorders.

Address the real issue, the real cause of these conditions and start the recovery process. Start a diet with little or no carbohydrates, eliminate peanuts and grains, and fruits high in sugar and the biggest step has been taken. Within the first week there will be a positive difference in sleep patterns, weight, digestion and mood. Continue with this diet and also follow an antifungal regimen to eliminate the toxins in the body and your body will definately thank you.

Stop feeding the fungus inside you today and start feeling better than ever before!

Mold Exposure

Suddenly, everything falls into place. The reason family members, friends or coworkers have been experiencing ill health is due to mold. This person has been persistently sick for an extended period of time with the most common causes being ruled out. Some day the question of exposure to mold at the doctor's office will be in the top ten list for diagnosis. Until then there are many people suffering without knowing the cause.

The following article excerpts are from "Doctor's Prescription for Healthy Living" magazine.

...Harlem, Georgia - something in the home of Iris Harden was making her sick. "I wasn't educated," she says. "I didn't know it was mold. All I knew was that something in that house was doing it to me."

Her headaches and burning in her eyes were so painful she had to move out of her home.

Eventually an environmental testing firm found elevated levels of mold spores in her kitchen and bedroom. Confirming the diagnosis of fungal infection, Immunosciences Lab, of Beverly Hills, California, found extremely high levels of two toxic molds, aspergillus and stachybotrys, in her bloodstream. Her levels were in the top one percent that the laboratory had seen out of the more than 20,000 tests they had performed.She probably took in the molds by breathing them and they diffused into her bloodstream, according to Dr. Aristo Vojdani, an expert in immune-related illnesses....read more.

AND

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated many homes in 2005. What was also traumatic were the homes left standing, saturated with water for days, that developed black mold on the interior. Many of the people affected were relieved to have their homes but found an unknown nightmare lingering.

FEMA followed evacuation protocol. It didn't occur to a particular family of four that a few weeks in a mold infested home created the onset of illness. They were relocated yet were still ill over time. Doctor after doctor told the husband "he must have gotten into something horrible in Louisiana," and gave him antibiotics to treat the so-called bacteria. He got worse. It took one year and a coincidence to learn his family was sick due to exposure to mold, and the antibiotics prescribed to help were actually making the illness worse.

Mold exposure is not uncommon. It occurs wherever there is toxic mold present, which can grow in any moist, damp areas, and so easily become airborne if disturbed.

So, the next time you are sick, take a look and smell around the home and office. If there is any question about the presence of toxic mold - check it out. You'll be much healthier because of it.

Serious Molds

There are so many species of molds in the world. Some we know as common mushrooms or the type you find on foods in your refrigerator on occasion. Some molds have such extravagant names we dismiss them from our minds, or just throw them into the general category of molds. Here is a little bit of background about specific molds.

Molds are actually fungi, and according to Wikipedia, there are approximately a thousand different species. They get their energy from residing in organic matter, and are typically unseen by the naked eye. It is when molds multiply into colonies that we witness their existence, and is a time when they are harder to eliminate and have become hazardous.

Each species rely on different levels of temperature and moisture. The most common found on foods is Aspergillis, which tends to grow where there is oxygen. One species of Aspergillis multiplies readily on nuts, and produces aflatoxin - a toxin and carcinogen. Other species can be found on grain products and are just as harmful to humans and animals if ingested.

Cladosporium is a common household mold that turns green or black in the presence of moisture, however, is not as detrimental to health as Stachybotrys. This mold is also known as 'black mold' or 'toxic mold'. It rapidly multiplies in moist areas of the home exposing the inhabitants to mycotoxins that affects the lungs, skin, eyes, and mucous membranes of the mouth.

These are just a few species of mold that can cause minor to serious health concerns. The more serious symptoms are chronic fatigue, severe headaches, vomiting, disorientation, depression, rapid heart rate, upper respiratory problems, neurological problems, and even death.

To find out more information on molds and health hazards, go to the following websites:
http://www.bioactivenutrients.com/news/learn-more-fungus/117
http://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldguide.html

Moist Living

In general, moisture in the home, office or public building should be balanced like many other areas in life. There are living and working environments that should be checked for oversaturation - bathrooms, basements, dark corners, laundry rooms, kitchens. These are the most obvious. Moisture can also accumulate where a structure is weakest or creates an unusual juncture, such as where two sections of the roof meet, creating leaf or ice buildup, harboring moisture. A crack in the external or internal part of the home may also be a magnet for water to settle without notice until someone becomes sick or the discoloration of mold develops.

Environmental conditions play a huge role in whether a building ranks high for moisture. Questions to ask yourself are: Do I live or work in a humid climate? Has there been a flood, hurricane or other storm that has affected the building? Has there been a plumbing leak anywhere in the building? Does the building receive adequate ventilation? Is the measured humidity between 30 and 60 percent?

These are all concerns. Look in susceptible areas for moisture and mold. If there is mold, a percentage of it has affected the air quality and has been inhaled. Wear a face mask if mold is significant before cleaning these areas thoroughly with detergent and water, then dry completely. Extreme moisture and mold may require expert removal so concentration of airborne particulates don't increase and cause health problems.

Some of the health problems from mold are from mycotoxins produced, and appear as lack of energy and appetite, changes in sleep patterns, and changes in the senses. These minor health problems may lead to larger conditions if the mold is not taken care of properly. The immune system becomes weaker as more mold and mycotoxins build in the body.

There will never be an answer to how much mold contributes to our health, but there has been enough evidence to say mold attacks healthy human beings according to the amount of mold present in a building. A number of episodes of 'House', a medical television show, ended with a patient's diagnosis of ill health due to exposure to moldy conditions. Even mainstream t.v. can see that 'moist living' is detrimental to human health.

Food for Thought!

Food can be the enemy to someone who may have a stomach or intestinal disorder, but it doesn't have to be that way.

The time may come when adjustments have to be made to the diet otherwise a person suffers. The effects from food may be gas, constipation, cramping, diarrhea, or a diverse number of other problems. Once the balance in the intestinal tract and stomach are disrupted, it could take months to reverse the damage, or determine what specific food may be the cause. The damage in the intestines affects proper absorption of nutrients to supply all cells in the body.

Some people are able to improve the health of the intestinal tract by eating the proper foods for their condition, however, there are people who have a different understanding of 'proper foods'. There are packaged foods available in a grocery store that promote good health but still need to be scrutinized for nutritional content. Over time some of these foods may help with an intestinal problem yet hurt other functions in the body.

The best action is to eat fresh. Buy fresh foods available at the local grocery store. Some stores carry organic produce and meats which are always best, yet may take a toll on a person's budget.

Try not to think of food as the enemy. There are plenty of foods that will make you feel good and will taste good. Just conquer that enemy - use willpower - the next time you step into the grocery store.