Are creatine side effects worth the risk? I remember when creatine first hit the streets, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! After taking it for the first time and visiting the gym I felt superhuman.It made me feel like Popeye and it was my spinach. I’m not sure if it was a mind thing or if the creatine was actually working but I continued to use it…I needed that extra edge! Research studies have proven that creatine does indeed work and its generally regarded as safe but how safe is it?

“Bigger Stronger Faster”

Something changed my perspective on performance supplements and the supplement industry in general after watching a documentary called, “Bigger Stronger Faster”. The documentary was mainly about steroids but it shed some light on bodybuilding supplements. In one scene, the producer decides to pick up some mexican workers from the local Home Depot store and takes them home. He then pays them to help him make supplements with some chemicals he bought from the store. After the workers are done, he prints up a nice cover for the new pills and he’s ready to sell the supplement…this is completely legal and happens all the time. Makes you go hmmmm.

Creatine is regarded as safe but…. is their any safety in an unregulated industry?

Creatine is considered to be one of the safer bodybuilding supplements out there but it does have side effects. Some of the creatine side effects are:

• Dehydration – Creatine pulls water into the muscle so you get the “pump” so often admired in bodybuilding and fitness circles. It can often result in dehydration if the user isn’t drinking enough water. Most people walk around dehydrated all day without ever using creatine, so by using it you’re only adding fuel to the fire. The body’s cells all need water to carry out metabolic functions…very important to remember especially since when this supplement takes water out of the blood and puts it into the muscle!

• Formaldehyde – One of creatine’s byproducts is the substance formaldehyde and it can accumulate in the body after excessive use. It is also classified as a carcinogen. There are a lot of bodybuilders that get cancer but its just not reported.

• Asthmatic Symptoms – Creatine supplements can aggravate epithelial cells which are located in the lungs. This can cause the user to experience asthma like symptoms. It may be especially dangerous for someone to use if they already have asthma since it does aggravate cells in the lungs.

• Gastrointestinal disorders – People have reported having cramping and diarrhea after using creatine supplements. This may be a result of artificial sugars like Sucralose and Aspartame some creatine supplements contain. My creatine supplement contained Sucralose and was one of the reasons I quit taking it.

• Weight Gain - This isn’t a big one for men since most men want to gain weight and get the huge bodybuilder look but might not be so for women. You can gain up to six pounds easily by dosing on creatine. Women beware if you’re concerned about shedding pounds.

• Kidney or Liver Failure – In a study, a 27 year old man who had no previous history of liver problems was diagnosed with them and it was found he had been avidly using creatine for 9 months.

Here’s  a  quote from Dr. Michael Smith after hearing Nick Cannon aka Mr. Mariah Carey was diagnosed with “mild kidney failure” earlier this year :

One possible cause that struck me when I considered acute kidney failure in a young guy who just happens to have six-pack abs is the possible use of supplements. Kidney damage from supplements is not all that uncommon, and I’m speaking from personal experience.

I’m a bit of a fitness nut and decided to try creatine and some other performance-enhancing supplements from my local supplement store. I knew that I needed to drink a lot of water to help prevent kidney problems from creatine. And I did. But when I went to my doctor for a check-up, my kidneys were not functioning up to par. I stopped the creatine but continued the other supplements, and my kidneys got even worse. When I stopped supplements completely, my kidneys recovered.

Yes…creatine is regarded as a safe supplement but how can something  be considered safe in an unregulated industry? There is really no way to know if you’re getting a quality product when anyone is allowed to make it and the sole motive is profit. Most industries cut corners so they can make a maximum return on their dollar…why would the bodybuilding supplement industry be any different? Few people know of the risk to their health when taking subpar suplements. You should really weigh the benefits versus the risk when it comes to creatine side effects.

PS. – Maybe you’re not a body builder but you want the lean muscular physique of Brad Pitt in FightClub? Take a look at Visual Impact….its dedicated to getting a lean muscular physique.

 At first glance, it doesn’t seem like anyone could do much beyond pushups or pull ups to to add strength with body weight but this isn’t true. There are many exercises you can do if you become a bit more crafty with your approach using your own body weight. For instance, you can transform a regular pushup by placing your feet on a chair which allows you to work different muscles in the chest or you could tuck your arms in while doing a pushup which works the triceps muscles. The possibilities are endless especially if you have some ingenuity and imagination. Here are a couple of ways I think body weight strength training excels in transforming a person’s physique:

Weight Loss – For most people their goal is to reduce body weight. You can accomplish this by varying your sets and repetitions to help you build muscle. If you didn’t know, muscle burns fat so in essence you assist the body in helping it get into fat burning mode. The amount of muscle you have is directly tied to your metabolism. The more muscle you build the higher your metabolism will be so you can continue to burn fat and achieve your goal of weight loss.

Toning – Body weight training can assist in what is called toning the muscle or building muscle definition. I noticed by just doing different push up variations, my chest and arms became more defined in only a couple of weeks. You can also do squats and lunges with your own body weight to get toned legs, thighs, and a shapely butt which seems to be desirable for most women. It makes a big difference in the way the body looks especially during the summer months when you’re putting on a swimsuit or bikini to hit the beach.

Core Development – Everyone wants a flat stomach or sexy abs, right? Well you can use your body to perform variations of planks which are known to work the midsection and leave it looking flat and toned. Also the core is a stabilizer in many body weight exercise so you get the added benefit of it working indirectly so you can achieve the flat stomach/ ripped ab look everyone desires.

Cardio – Ever heard of body weight cardio? Well, if you haven’t you can do things like mountain climbers or speed skaters which work muscles and raise heart rate. These exercises have an added benefit of working the heart for a great cardio workout which in turn helps to burn fat and change your physique from flabby to fantastic! If you’re looking to transform your physique, you don’t have to spend money on a gym membership or equipment. You can use your body as your own gym any where, any place, and any time to get results. It’s just that simple. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can get results and transform your physique by using body weight strength training with a great eating plan!

> By the way I don’t usually sell off my blog but I want to tell you about an awesome program I’m using called ShapeShifter. Kirstie Alley lost 60 pounds and 38 inches off her body using the exact same plan. I was very impressed by all the added value I got from the program including videos, meal plans, and other bonuses. Check out Shape Shifter! It is a steal for what it offers.

Are you presently fasting for health benefits? I know from experience when people think of fasting they usually think about starving. Fasting isn’t something we voluntarily do because food is so plentiful and who would want to give up all the delicious goodies that are available to us? It takes a lot for someone to just simply say “I want to give up food” today because we have been taught we need 4 things in life to live. Those four things are air, water, shelter, and of course food! So, it makes it very hard to change our mindset to abstain from food in order to realize the amazing health benefits it provides. But…was it always like this?

But, if you mention abstaining from food outside of those frames of reference it immediately gives people visions of starving, their bodies shutting down, and speeding towards an impending death. How is that so? How have we been “tricked” into believing we constantly need food? I can give you several reasons why but I’ll refrain from doing it here so I won’t get the anti-conspiracy theorists in an uproar.

Years ago, our ancestors frequently fasted just because they had to as they didn’t have supermarkets to go to where they could pick food off shelves and place it in their shopping carts. It just wasn’t like that so whatever they ate in most cases had to be caught or picked and they could go for long periods of time without catching or picking anything. See, if you have to catch or pick your food you may fall into periods of dry spells where you just can’t trap or find things to eat. It’s just the nature of the beast. I’ve experienced this myself where I’ve had the best intentions of going out to catch fish and after spending 4 or 5 hours on the boat, all I’m left with are cans of empty bait and a suntan. You just come up empty sometimes but unlike my ancestors, I have the luxury of being able to walk into a supermarket and buy the fish I didn’t catch a couple of hours ago. It just wasn’t like that for our ancestors so if they didn’t catch or pick anything to eat they would have to “fast” until they were able to finally find food. I bet if you could take a snap shot of what they looked like back then, not one of them would be overweight…you can’t say that today, now can you?

There is some amazing evidence as to why you may want to start fasting for health benefits and I thought I would share a few with you today. Some of these are scientific but some of them are things I’ve noticed from my own experiences with abstaining from food on a regular basis.

1. Decreased Insulin levels and decreased insulin sensitivity – Most people today have high insulin levels as result of the increased amounts of sugar they’re consuming. White sugar and high fructose corn syrup are in most products today which was unheard of in past years. This is one of the biggest reasons why there is a diabetes epidemic in America because with the increase of sugar the pancreas has to secrete more and more insulin to drive blood sugar levels down. This usually results in insulin sensitivity which manifests into diabetes and obesity. Fasting helps promote the normalizing of insulin levels in the body.

2. Increase in Growth Hormone Levels – Fasting helps to increase growth hormone levels. This is important if you want to build muscle, feel better and look younger. It’s the natural way to do it without using synthetic hormones.

3. Digestive System – Abstaining from food for brief periods of time gives your digestive system a break and can also cut down on gas and bloating in the body. It can also help with constipation.

4. Detoxification – By fasting, you can clear the lymphatic system which will give you renewed mental alertness and focus. This is one of the main reasons why fasting has been connected to consciousness.

5. Hypertension – Fasting is a great way to lower blood pressure.

6. Food Addiction – Many people are addicted to food in our culture. We are bombarded with food at social events, work, etc. Fasting is a great way help control the impulse to eat for no reason. This has been a big help for me personally to avoid unnecessary eating when I’m not hungry.

7. Decreased Body Fat Levels and Weight – You can strategically use fasting to lose body fat and get to the weight you desire. If you don’t believe me check out Leangains.

8. Energy – Abstaining from food can give you more energy! It may sound weird but I’ve experienced this myself wheen I’ve felt like I caught my second wind after fasting for an extended period of time.

9. Longevity – In recent studies, people who fast on a periodic basis live longer.

Bonus – Reduction in Weight Gain – You can use fasting as a way to splurge on your eating. I just recently used this during the Thanksgiving holiday as I fasted part of the day and when it was time to eat, I ate what I wanted without worrying about adding any pounds!

Abstaining from food for brief periods used to be considered a crazy thing to do but judging by the way our society looks today, it can be instead considered the right thing to do to increase good health. Fasting has been sitting right under our noses for years but no one ever looked at it as a way to increase health and vitality. Most of the time the answers are simple but society complicates them as a means to increase profit and keep people chasing their tails. Always keep it simple and one way to do this is to start fasting for health benefits.

PS.  I don’t usually overly promote anything on this blog but I was convinced fasting was the right choice for me after reading Eat Stop Eat and since I bought it 3 years ago, It has been constantly updated with more information on the benefit of fasting. I highly recommend it if you might be considering fasting for health benefits.

Don’t forget to tweet, like, and stumble this post by looking in the left hand corner!
Yours in Health,

Darren “Health With a Heart” McDuffie
PhatBody FitShop Instructor
Http://PhatBodyFitshop.com

Upon her telling me that, I immediately asked her if she ate soy and she said “yes”, I began to connect the dots about some recent health issues she had been experiencing and sure enough I was right! Now… I am not a vegan basher and I don’t like to tell people how to eat or what to eat, but I am a big advocate of eating to live versus screeching recklessly into the pit stop of death. As a matter of fact, I tried being a vegetarian myself but I was living on a recent college graduate’s budget which almost always narrows your choices to Taco Bell, Mickey D’s, or Wendy’s. Back then, my food choices were always dictated by my finances and I didn’t know sh** about eating to prevent physical degeneration. I’m glad I finally woke up and now my mission is to wipe the morning crust out of other people’s eyes.

My first venture into vegetarianism was very simple. I went to Subway for about a week and instead of getting meat on my sub, I elected to get vegetables and vinegar and oil. I told myself I was vegetarian but what i really was, was an idiot for thinking I could become vegan by just electing to “hold the meat on my sub”. I’ll admit I didn’t know “jack” about being vegan and within a week and several hunger pangs later, I went back to meat with a vengeance. I decided to give it another try when I moved to Atlanta and started seeing a girl who was beginning to explore a religion called the Black Hebrew Israelites. They believed in eating no animal products and so she would frequently cook vegan meals. The stuff she cooked was delicious and a far cry from the sub sandwiches with vegetables I ate years ago when I called myself a vegan. I was amazed at how she cooked things without using animal products but they tasted just like she used meat. Although they were some tasty dishes, I was never really convinced that I should give up meat. My rationale was this,” my grandfather ate meat, my grandmother ate meat, and my mother ate meat” guess what I’m gonna do? Yep…eat meat and that is exactly what I did every chance I got. My decision to continue eating meat was a good one because if I had stuck with being vegan, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy my organic free range turkey I’m having for Thanksgiving. I just love a big juicy turkey leg, how ’bout you?

I’ve never been one to push my beliefs on anyone so I won’t do that here. If you’ve been reading my blog by now you know I like to deal in factual information. Its easier to make a decision when you deal with facts versus hearsay, wouldn’t you agree? By the way, even though I never really made it completely vegan I leaned heavily towards it because I thought it was a better way to eat. I also thought it was more “spiritual” to not eat meat. In order to be as unbiased as I possibly can about this topic of is vegetarianism healthy, lets talk about some of the reasons why vegans actually become vegans and then state the real facts.

•  Cancer – I recently saw a documentary called,”Fork over Knives” which was Pro -Vegan and one of the main points was it lowered cancer risk. This isn’t necessarily true as a study was done in 1994 which showed vegetarians had a lower risk for breast and lung cancers but there risks for the following cancers were considerably higher: brain, skin, cervical, ovarian, prostate, and uterine. Research indicates carbohydrate based diets are prime instigators of cancer. Yes..vegetables are considered carbohydrates. On a side note meat consumption was never associated with higher cancer risk.

•  Heart Disease – India has one of the biggest populations of vegetarians and one of the highest occurrences of heart disease. On another note, female vegans have a higher incidence of heart disease than female non-vegans.

•  Arteriosclerosis – Vegetarians think plaque won’t occur in the arteries as a result of eating plant based foods…not so. Vegetarians have just as much incidences of plaque in their arteries as meat eaters.

•  Life Span – Some vegetarians say eating only plant based foods will extend your life. Hindus who are mostly vegetarian have the shortest life spans in the world.

•  Osteoporosis – Eating meat was considered to make the body acidic but consuming plants makes it alkaline therefore meat was considered a contributor to Osteoporosis.The rationale is if the body is acidic through meat eating calcium in the bones is used as a buffer to make the body alkaline. The studies used to prove this were done with protein powders and not real meat. How can you make a generalization like this if you don’t use real meat?

•  Energy and Growth – Vegetarians will usually claim they have more energy when following a plant based diet but in reality most vegans will complain of lack of energy because meat provides some nutrients plants can’t provide. On the flip side, children who follow a vegetarian diet can have growth and development problems. I’ve myself heard more than one story where women have problems conceiving as a result of following a strict vegetarian diet. Not to mention problems with the teeth and emotional issues.

•  Saturated Fat – Vegetarians believe eating a plant based diet will help them lower cholesterol by reducing saturated fat. Well…our bodies need saturated fat and cholesterol isn’t necessary the evil its made out to be. It has been proven that cholesterol is needed for brain and hormone function thus the body needs the saturated fat meats provide to function properly.

•  Moral Issues - We shouldn’t eat animals is what some vegetarians list as a reason for not eating meat. Well, if we didn’t eat them they would overpopulate the earth, right? Think about it this way if you were tossed in the jungle or forest and a lion or bear was hungry would they have a problem eating you? We are all part of one big food chain and its just by luck that humans are on top of it.

*** Just make sure if you are going to continue to eat meat that its organic. Its the antibiotics and the hormones in commercially raised animals that is making people sick.****

Now…as I stated earlier I don’t push my beliefs on anyone and I’ll stick to that. I believe we get into problems when we try to take things to the extreme. Like it or not, vegetarianism is an extreme way of eating which doesn’t have any significant health benefits over those who choose to eat meat. So what’s the conclusion? All things in moderation. Too much meat can be bad, just as too many plants can be bad but if there is balance which is what the body wants you can get the best of both worlds and there will be no need to ask the question, “is vegetarianism healthy”.

PSS. – Although I am not vegan, there are some days I choose to eat very little meat or just abstain from eating meat for a meal or two. I didn’t know much about preparing meals so I picked up the Easy Veggie Meal Plans. It has a ton of bonuses and was very simple to use.

 Please like, google + stumble and tweet this by looking in the upper left hand corner of the post. Let’s get the word out! Have an awesome Thanksgiving!

Have you ever experienced any flu shot side effects? I’ve had the flu twice in my life and I can’t say they were pleasant experiences. The first time I had the flu was during basketball season in college during a conference tournament. I was not fully recovered from it but seeing as though I was a starter, I was determined to play in the game. I ended up having one of the best games of my life scoring 20+ points and grabbing about 14 rebounds!

I like to call that my good flu experience. The second time I got the flu was absolutely terrible and it happened when I went to the pet store with my significant other to get some supplies for the dog. I could have sworn I got some kind of animal virus. I started to feel nauseated immediately after leaving the store. When I arrived home, it felt like someone hooked me up to an IV and ran ice water through it because I had the most intense chills I have ever felt in my life. Those intense chills were followed by lack of sleep. I’ve never been so sick that I couldn’t sleep, have you? I finally got over those symptoms and then muscle soreness set in on me. My legs felt as if I had gone to the gym and squatted 500 pounds. It took me a good month to finally get back to normal. So…have you ever experienced the flu, like I’ve experienced the flu?

The flu is no joke and even though I’ve had it two times in my life, I can honestly say I don’t want a flu shot. I’d rather get the flu than to deal with all the side effects from the shot. I know Walgreens and CVS advertise the shots all the time on television and even when you go into the stores but I will never ever get one! And… why would I when I live in the warmest place in the United States? If you don’t know where that is, its called South Florida. I’ve never understood why people here get flu shots when the flu is generally a cold weather disease, right? I guess the flu travels and maybe its those northerners who bring it down here, who knows? Most vaccinations( which are what flu shots are) carry hidden dangers which you may not know about. Here are a few flu shot side effects:

Don't get scared into getting a flu shot!

1. Increased Alzheimer’s Risk – Dr. Hugh Fundenburg, who is an renowned immunogeneticist, says their is a ten fold increase in developing alzheimer’s after five flu shots. Wow! Flu vaccines can contain mercury and aluminum. These compounds have been found in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. Isn’t it bizarre that CVS and Walgreens target seniors for flu shots when Alzheimer’s is steadily on the rise in the older population?This disease is effecting more and more people every day. I’ve personally witnessed it effect my grandmother, aunt, and presently my uncle.

2.  Dystonia – These are uncontrollable muscle spasms. A few years ago a Washington Redskin Cheerleader name Desiree Jennings received a seasonal flu vaccine and lost her ability to walk, talk, and focus. It was confirmed this was caused by vaccine toxicity. She was eventually cured of this by using massive supplementation and chelation therapy.

3. Narcolepsy – In Finland, the government agreed to pay medical bills for kids who had taken the H1N1 (Swine Flu) vaccine. The children were developing narcolepsy as a result of the vaccine.

4. Virulence – Even though a weakened virus is given at the time of the vaccination, the virus can remain in the body for long periods of time. The virus can mutate and then become fatal. Viruses are much harder to kill than bacteria.

5. Infusion of Hazardous Compounds  – Vaccinations can contain the following compounds Thirmerosal ( Neurotoxic Mercury), MonoSodium Glutamate ( MSG – neurotoxin), Formaldehyde ( carcinogenic) and Aluminum ( brain toxin). Do you really want these things in your body knowing they can affect the brain or even give you cancer?

Flu shots are serious business and I mean that both figuratively and literally. It’s a great way to lure people in to their neighborhood drug stores so the pharmacy can start developing a lasting relationship with its customers. Its an even better way for pharmaceutical companies to gain trust for drugs that do more harm than good. The public generally looks at vaccinations as a good thing because they are seen as a preventative measure. But, why would we need a vaccine if our immune systems are healthy? Yes, people do get sick from time to time but are there any pharmaceutical companies providing information on natural ways to strengthen the immune system? Until the right questions are asked, people will continue to fall prey to toxic flu shot vaccinations and will inevitably succumb to flu shot side effects.

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Is saturated fat bad? We have been told it is, but is it? For most of us we’ve either seen or heard something that goes like this,” Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.” This has been drilled into us so much and so often that we really don’t know what to believe, including me. A few years ago, I was like every other person out there who thought eating fat made you fat so I cut it out of my diet. It seems logical to think fat would make us fat, right?

It did for me and as a result I cut fat out of my diet and headed toward anything I could find which was low fat or non fat. It wasn’t until I found out about coconut oil that my mind was totally changed about fats and the role they play in being healthy.

History of Saturated Fats

In the 1950′s, a scientist named Ancel Keys wanted to prove the relationship between saturated fats and heart disease. He set out to do this by using data from a limited amount of countries which kept information on fat consumption. Based upon his research from these countries, Keys was able to come to a conclusion: saturated fats were connected to heart disease. The study was published and eventually accepted as fact. Few people questioned the study although it was fundamentally flawed because it didn’t take into account other lifestyle factors such as smoking, exercise frequency, or stress.Because Keys’ hypothesis was eventually accepted as fact, many people adopted the conclusion that saturated fats cause heart disease. Most researchers and doctors accepted this for years but a few continued to question the conclusion.

In 1970, a senate committee headed by George McGovern decided to finally put the debate to rest. McGovern at the time, was following a diet low in fat and cholesterol and believed everyone should be doing the same. As a result of this, the committee was a bit biased and was in a rush to prove the fat/heart disease connection and eventually they did. But the committee ignored numerous studies which proved diet didn’t have anything to do with heart attacks. So why did accept such a false conclusion?  Many of the researchers and doctors readily accepted the saturated fat and heart disease link because they were afraid of being cut off from government funding. This practice tends to happen in the medical community especially if the outcome goes against the mainstream’s think tank. Is saturated fat bad? In truth, there is no evidence linking saturated fat to heart disease…it’s just been accepted  that it does.

Is Saturated Fat Bad For Your Heart?

If you’re still in doubt about saturated fats here is further evidence to investigate. Pacific and African people consume five times the amount of saturated fats as most westerners do and have lower incidences of cardiovascular disease. Most of the saturated fats are in the form of oils such as coconut, palm, and animal fats. How can this be? Have we been falsely led to believe in the myth of fat causing fat and ultimately leading to heart disease? The consensus is saturated fats increase cholesterol and thereby increase heart disease. This has never been proven but what comes up in numerous studies is that it’s better to have higher cholesterol than lower cholesterol! This is contrary to what has been taught and goes directly against what pharmaceutical companies would like for their consumers to hear. Why is this so? The biggest sellers for most pharmaceutical companies are statin drugs which help lower cholesterol. Hmmm… it makes sense now to tell people to lower cholesterol especially when you can make money off of it, doesn’t it? So it should make sense when those who go against popular thought are considered quacks or cut off all together when seeking to secure grants for research to find out the real health truths. As side note, the American Heart Association funds many studies linking heart disease to saturated fats and charges food companies a fee to place their logo on their product, signifying it’s a heart healthy food. Ask yourself why? Its all about $$$$!

Is Saturated Fat Bad? The Research (Or Lack Of) Speaks

There has never been any adequate research to prove saturated fats are bad and lead to heart disease but there is plenty of evidence that suggest saturated fats help more than harm. For instance:

• Oils such as coconut increase our HDL (Good Cholesterol)
• Saturated fats are needed to produce healthy hair and nails
• Fats boost the immune system
• Fats help to prevent depression
• Saturated fats help with hormone production

Ask yourself, how can something that does so much good be so bad?

Coconut Oil is a "good" saturated fat

The Real Cause of Heart Disease

Heart disease has risen because we have actually gotten away from using saturated fats in foods and cooking. Research has shown a dramatic increase in cardiovascular disease when oils such as vegetable, corn, and soybean were introduced to the market along with trans fat (hydrogenated oils). These types of oils are not natural and result in inflammation in the body which is the real cause of heart disease! If you want to reduce your chances for heart disease you should be consuming oils/saturated fats such as:

• Butter/Ghee (Real Butter not Margarine)
• Coconut Oil (My favorite!)
• Palm Oil (Great for Frying)
• Olive Oil
• Beef Tallow (McDonalds used to fry their french fries in this until pressured to stop)
• Fish Oil

All of these healthy fats contain different types of acids which are helpful to the body and don’t cause inflammation. Remember… it is the inflammation that causes heart disease which result from using hydrogenated oils. Saturated fats occur in nature and nature is no dummy. We get into trouble when we go against what nature intended and follow an agenda based on promoting misinformation for profit. Nature always knows best. How many times will we go against nature and experience unhealthy consequences as we continue to do? If we always accept what the “others” tell us, when asked the question, “Is saturated fat bad?” their answer would be “yes.” But knowing what you know now, ask yourself again, “Is saturated fat bad?”

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Your trainer in Truth,

Darren

I lost my mother on Nov. 25, 2005 to breast cancer. Her breast cancer went into remission after it was discovered the first time through the use of chemotherapy. It came back with a vengeance and metastasized into her liver and spread throughout her body until she passed away. If you analyze my story, you’d probably think I would be one of the biggest supporters of all the walks, runs, and other fundraisers, right? I was at one time until I discovered the truth about the cancer industry and the so called organizations attached to it. I want to share it with you. I hope it will make a difference in how you look at the medical establishment and how they have used your trust against you!

Pink Stinks especially when your food and products cause cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2011- Understanding thePharmaceutical Industry

In order to understand what you’re dealing with, you have to look at it from the inside. I got a chance to do just that as I worked for a well known pharmaceutical company as a sales representative for a couple of years. I was able to get a bird’s eye view of what really went on and saw first hand how ignorant doctors play with people’s health. For instance, I was a salesmen for a well known antibiotic and one of our leading antibiotic competitors had been shown to cause liver failure. There were documented cases where this happened but upon showing and speaking to a doctor about it he said, “I haven’t seen any of this with my patients so I’ll continue to prescribe it.” I thought to myself, “Wow, I can’t believe he said that.” I repeatedly heard this type of response from lots of doctors I called on and that is when things started clicking for me. I knew I had to start controlling my own health. Actually, there was one other thing that tipped me off as well.

As a pharmaceutical rep, you’re constantly cornering doctors outside their office or in the Emergency Room to show them the latest greatest study on how your drug is better than the competition’s drug. I was always eager to show how much less side effects my drug had then the other drug companies and how my drug was tolerated better. In order to do this, I would show studies to the doctors so they could see the proof in writing from research companies. What I didn’t know was the studies were funded by my company. This was the same for all the other drug companies…they funded their own studies so while I was shouting my drug was the best so were they. How unbiased can a research company be when you hire them and fund their study?

Breast Cancer Awareness Month 2011 — Women and Trickery

Most women are misinformed and rightfully so. The cancer industry is dominated by men. Surprise! It would make sense that a male dominated industry would exploit women for profit. That’s been happening for a long time; nothing has changed. Women are not only being exploited for profit but alternative cures are deliberately being withheld from them. When most women are diagnosed with breast cancer the only course of therapy is chemotherapy. Why? Chemo is extremely expensive and keeps the profits rolling in for the drug companies. Here are some other trick tactics used by the cancer industry:

• Alternative Cures are usually dismissed as quack remedies or squashed altogether
• The Cancer Industry ignores what works like changing diet and nutrition
• The Cancer Industry is only interested in cures that can bring them a profit

The industry is very exploitative to African American and darker skinned women in general. African American women are less likely to develop breast cancer but are more likely to die from it. This is the same for Hispanic women as well who are now starting to develop more aggressive cases of breast cancer. I’ll tell you why in a moment.

 Breast Awareness Month 2011 – Chemo is a joke

The only treatment we have for cancer is chemotherapy at this point. Ask yourself why do we continually rely on a treatment that has been shown to cause heart failure and brain damage? I saw this first hand with my mother as she started to have heart problems after she underwent chemo. Chemo ultimately kills good cells in the body and leaves the body weak and susceptible to more diseases. It also encourages the cancer cells to become stronger when they return. Why does the medical establishment keep using a treatment that doesn’t work? It’s because of money! African American and Hispanic Women are usually the ones who suffer as chemo is always the first option given to them.

Susan B. Komen Race for the Cure

While Susan B. Komen seems to be a great organization with great intentions, its not what it seems. It has investments in the pharmaceutical industry and is in the business of marketing breast cancer and not curing it. It’s nice for everyone to wear pink ribbons and pink in general but it’s useless. In addition to them being a pawn for the pharma industry and pushing its agenda, they repeatedly partner with other corporations whose products are cancer causing, such as

• Pink Ribbon Lipstick – the cosmetic industry continues to use cancer causing ingredients in their products.
• Pink Perfumes – Most perfumes are cancer causing and disrupt the hormonal systems of women.

In 1987 a movie named HellRaiser hit the theaters and became an instant cult classic! This might have been because of its main character named Pinhead. I know I had an odd fascination with Pinhead because he was devious and smart at the same time. Hmmm…do you think those pins might have stimulated his acupuncture points and provide him with some evil, supreme intelligence? Maybe, but even after seeing Hellraiser I still didn’t know people stuck needles into themselves to heal back pain, migraines, and countless other ailments. Acupuncture can even be used to quit smoking! I am open to natural cures but the thought of needles going into my skin makes me a bit queasy. It is something I haven’t tried yet but I can’t say I won’t ever do it. Would you ever try it or have you?

I went through a phase a couple of years ago when it seemed like no matter how many energy drinks or cups of coffee I drank, I just felt tired all the time. I remember walking into a vitamin store and talking to the clerk and asking him if there was something I could get for fatigue. He thought for a minute and told me to get some Vitamin C and I bought a bottle and began popping those things like Valium! The Vitamin C didn’t help one bit and I went back to slurping down energy drinks and coffee just to make it through my day. I had an epiphany one day and thought if I go to bed a little earlier and sleep longer on the weekends then that might help me with my unending tiredness. Guess what? That didn’t help either…I thought it was going to be something I just had to deal with and life went on. Luckily, every cloud has a silver lining and mine came in the form of a book called “Natural Cures They Don’t Want You to Know About.” I can’t say enough about the book and I still go back and reference it from time to time.

Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points or Meridian Points as they might be called are points within the body which correspond to certain organs or systems. Most of the time you will see needles being used to stimulate these points in an effort to release energy or stimulate healing when it comes to conditions like backaches, migraines, or other types of pain within the body. Acupuncture originated in far east cultures and has been used for years. It is primarily used an alternative therapy in the states. There are 361 Acupuncture points which are located along meridians. Most people’s acupuncture points and meridian points are interchangeable but I am going to talk specifically about meridian points because I’ve have experience with them particularly with a technique called a Biomeridian Assessment which measures the energy in the meridians. By measuring the energy of the meridians, the assessment is able to locate deficiencies in organs and processes of the body.

Acupuncture Points – BioMeridian

As I said before, I read “Natural Cures, They Don’t Want You To Know About” and in the book Kevin Trudeau mentions getting a Biomeridian assessment. Now… I had no idea what this was and to put it plainly it sounded a bit futuristic to me so I wanted to check it out. I tried to google it, yahoo it, and at the time aol it and I couldn’t find anything. I happened to be at a local grocery store and picked up a magazine called Natural Awakenings and voila…there it was! Someone was offering it at a vitamin store. I called the number immediately and set up an appointment. I didn’t know what to expect. On the day of my testing, I walked in to find two women sitting at a table around a laptop computer with some vitamins on a cart behind them. My first instinct was to walk out because obviously I had been tricked and my next instinct was to go home, start a fire, and throw Kevin Trudeau’s book in it. My curiosity got the best of me and that is the only thing that made me stay.

Acupuncture Points – The Hook Up

I sat down in the chair and the two women started talking to me. I felt as about as green as a blade of grass not to mention vulnerable. I thought I was getting ready to be poked and prodded like they were aliens and I was the first human being they saw since leaving their galaxy. Nope… it didn’t happen that way. One of the women sprayed some water on a bar and asked me to hold it. While I held the bar, she began to press points on my fingers using a pen like device which was connected to a computer and I heard a weird noise. Vrrrrrr…. this went on for several minutes as she touched different points on my fingers. As she touched the points on my fingers, she would tell the other woman to write down the number it produced. After she finished with my fingers, she asked me to take off my shoe and sock and place it on her leg. Ewww.. I don’t like anyone seeing my foot much less putting it on their lap. As she did before, she pressed on points on my toes and the other woman wrote the figures down on the paper. I though to myself, ” What next?” I was surely hoping to get a shot of something.

Acupunture points — Diagnosis

I was done getting my fingers and toes pressed and I was still skeptical until she started asking me questions such as:

•  When you eat protein, do you find yourself getting bloated or gassy?

• Are you tired all the time?

• Have you detoxed your liver before?

Wow… she hit it spot on about me being tired all the time and the protein thing was an added bonus.

After that, she began placing vitamins and supplements on a little tray and the computer would tell her if they worked with my body. She explained to me that not all supplements work with everyone and we would find the exact one to work with my body. It suddenly made sense that cheap vitamins from my local drug and discount store just wouldn’t do the job. I watched her put vitamins and supplements on the scale and by the time she was done I had the perfect regime designed for my body. I left the store with my supplements and went home and started taking them. Guess what ya”ll? About two days later, I was in the garage working out and I felt like a new person… I wasn’t tired anymore as she had addressed my adrenal fatigue issue. Thank goodness for acupuncture points and the biomeridian assessment.

If you are in the South Florida area and don’t know why you’re feeling bad and want to feel better contact Andrea Mandel of Alternative Healing Concepts at (954) 474-4829 or drop her an email: althealconcepts@aol.com

Disclaimer: The preceding post is for informational purposes only. Consult a doctor before taking any medical advice.

Wake Up

What is the definition of consciousness? Hmmm? I know I normally wait to post about once every two weeks and that’s if everything goes smoothly and there ain’t any things tugging on my time strings. I was inspired to post today because I just finished a book named “Conversations With God Book 1″. I can’t say enough good things about the book and if you haven’t read it do so, especially if you are searching for answers to spiritual questions. As I’ve gotten older, I question things a lot more and draw my own conclusions instead of just taken what is handed to me and believing its law.

I ‘m not the most religious person you’ll meet but I like to think of myself as “spiritual”. I think that is what drew me to the book and I am so thankful it did. Now, let’s change gears so you won’t think I ‘m going to give you a lesson in religion because its not my place nor am i versed to do so. I did want to pull some “aha” moments for me from the book and relate those to health and fitness… because those are the tools of my trade.

BC - Before Consciousness

Definition of Consciousness – BC and AC

Nope, no religion dates here! BC means Before consciousness and AC means After Consciousness. I followed the BC path just like everyone else until November 26, 2005 when my mom passed away from breast cancer. It was my wake up call! As I said, it was BC for me because I followed the path we all do where after college or what we consider our youth, we give exercise the finger and continue eating things like Taco Bell, Mickey D’s, and Honey Buns. Those were my poisons and nothing could break me from them…so I thought. Those things lead me to be several pounds over weight after spending years as a fit, trim athlete. When my mother died, I started searching and that searching slowly woke me up and started me into the AC phase of my life. It was in this phase where I learned a couple of things:

•  Just because they call it food, doesn’t mean its really food

• Most food companies care about profits and little about wholesome real ingredients

• It takes a shorter time for the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration) to approve a new food, than it does for a cure for disease

• Pharmaceutical Companies fund most of the FDA’s studies and pay their salaries

• Most drugs put on the market are not as safe as they are led to believe

Therein lies the problem, we want to believe someone or something is looking out for us instead of looking out for ourselves. We trust too much and question too little. It is why companies are allowed to keep making the same “fake” food products leading to disease and obesity. For years, I walked around sleeping… how many of you are still doing the same? It seems as though everyone is under the impression its natural to be medicated or shoving food constantly into their mouth. If you haven’t made the food- obesity- disease- drugs connection, then why not?

Consciousness Definition – How to Wake Up

If you remember the movie Poltergeist ( it scared the beejeezus outta me when I was young), there was a scene where the actress said “don’t go into the light” well in this case,”go into the light” and be conscious! You may not realize this but:

• There are tons of GMO (genetically modified foods) and GMO ingredients out there. What you’re eating isn’t want you think you’re eating… its a science project

• Natural Cures exist for diseases including cancer – cancer is curable

•  The FDA wants to ban dietary supplements. This means things like Vitamin D, Multivitamins, and Iodine will no longer exist or require a prescription. What happens when someone else controls your health?

•  The medical establishment depends on people who do little preventative maintenance on their bodies but who “trust” that the establishment will fix them

I can go on and on but these are the biggest reasons for you to practice the definition of consciousness!

I said i wasn’t going to preach but maybe I did…its because I am passionate about helping people get healthy. I no longer believe it is a rite of passage to get old, fat, and live life out of a pill case. I am refusing to accept that for myself and for you! Educate yourself. It’s so easy to do with the internet. Refuse to allow someone to keep thinking and dictating your definition of consciousness. Wake Up!!! By all means, please leave me a comment and share this with someone you love.

PSS.. I’ll be back next week talking about meridian points and how they can save your health.

That powdery white substance could very well be Diatomaceous Earth. Diatomaceous what? I know it’s a mouthful especially if you’ve never heard of it before and most people haven’t including me up until a few months ago. I give full credit to my better half for discovering DE. We were at a local farmer’s market and since we don’t always like to browse together (I like to get what I came for and get out of the store), we parted ways and I began looking at food because I was hungry. I decided to gaze at the authentic mexican taco stand and started thinking of a plan to get her to eat them because they weren’t all organic ingredients. Ok…sometimes you gotta live a little and let me tell you the tacos were gooooood! Somewhere between me coming up with the grand scheme to get her to eat Mexican cuisine and my stomach rumbling , she came up behind me. She told me some guy at one of the health food stands she visited had told her he was on the brink of death and the white powder saved him and ultimately helped him regain his health. I thought to myself, ” It’s another one of those too good to be true things.” I was wrong and I am glad I was. After speaking to the guy, it made me want to know how to use diatomaceous earth. Before I tell you more about DE and how to use diatomaceous earth, I want to give you a body 101 lesson. Your body can become toxic and diseased in five ways:

• Bacteria

• Fungi

• Viruses

• Parasites

• Chemicals (environmental or drugs)

 

This is very important to know and keep this in mind as you read on!

How to use Diamotaceous Earth – Origin

DE is a very hard substance. How hard? On a hardness scale, a diamond is a 9 while DE comes in at a modest 7! This is a very important quality as it allows the many cylinders DE is composed of to pass through the small and large intestines and scrub them clean. Yes… Diatomaceous Earth is the ultimate detoxification agent. It is made up of one celled plants called Diatoms which live in oceans and lakes. Diatoms are also called phytoplankton. Wait a minute… isn’t that what whales eat? Maybe that is why they are so healthy, who knows? DE has a strong negative charge and when entering the body it attracts virus, fungi, and heavy metals (which have a positive charge) to it and draws them out of the body. Because it is so hard, it has the ability to cut up parasites and kill them. Remember what I said about the body and how it become diseased and toxic? But these are only small benefits compared to what I am about to tell you.

How to Use Diatomaceous Earth – Silica

Silica is a very important mineral to human life. Our daily needs are at least 20-30 mg per day. We would normally get this from our diet but since foods are now nutritionally depleted through processing and overuse of the soil this isn’t the case. One of the direct benefits of using DE is once it passes through the dietary tract a small amount gets absorbed into the blood stream as silica. Silica is amazing and has so many benefits I can’t list them all here but I’ll tell you a few:

• Gets rid of bad fats (helps lower cholesterol)

• Fades age spots

• Works with antioxidants to prevent aging

• Improves the elasticity of joints

• Prevents side effects of menopause

• Stimulates metabolism for higher energy levels

 

And this is just silica itself!

Click on the picture and type in Diatomaceous Earth in the search bar or find it listed under bulk foods

How to use Diatomaceous Earth- What it Can Do and How to Take it

DE has one major benefit … it causes bowel movements by cleansing the intestines and the colon. This is very important as many diseases start as a result of an unhealthy immune system, which by the way, is located in your intestines! If your intestines and colon are not clean, how can your immune system work at optimal levels? On the flip side, when your intestines and colon are clean your body can absorb more nutrients from your food. We all need this as many of us are walking around nutrient deficient even though we’re eating tons of food. In order to use DE, just put 1 or 2 tablespoons daily in your favorite beverage. It doesn’t mix well so you may have to continue to stir it so it won’t settle. You can also add it to applesauce, protein shakes, or yogurt. Now… here is the clincher. It’s really cheap! You can’t afford not to use this as a detoxifying agent. If you’re sick, have low energy, or skin problems DE just might be your hero. If you just want to make sure you’re healthy DE is the maintenance plan you’ll want to make sure you’re on. Hope you enjoyed the post… remember to “like” it, “tweet” it or Google + it and leave me a comment on the post especially if you’ve had prior experience with DE. I hope you now know how to use diatomaceous earth and can reap the health benefits this white powdery substance provides.