Articles

Why the U.S. Has Gone Broke

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Going into 2008, the United States finds itself in the position of being unable to pay for its own elevated living standards or its wasteful, overly large military establishment. The government no longer even attempts to reduce the ruinous expense of maintaining huge standing armies.

Instead, the Bush administration has put off these costs for future generations to pay or repudiate. This fiscal irresponsibility has been disguised through manipulative financial schemes, but the time of reckoning is fast approaching.

There are three aspects to the U.S. debt crisis.

First, the U.S. is spending insane amounts of money on "defense" projects that bear no relation to the national security of the U.S. At the same time, the income tax burdens on the richest segment of the population are at strikingly low levels.

Second, there is a mistaken belief that public policies focused on frequent wars, huge expenditures on weapons and munitions, and large standing armies can indefinitely sustain a wealthy capitalist economy. The opposite is actually true.

Third, this devotion to militarism despite limited resources results in a failure to invest in social infrastructure and other requirements for the long-term health of the U.S. These are what economists call opportunity costs, things not done because the money was spent on something else. The public education system has deteriorated alarmingly and health care is not available to all citizens. Most important, the U.S. has lost its competitiveness as a manufacturer for civilian needs, an infinitely more efficient use of scarce resources than arms manufacturing.

In the video above, Ron Paul discusses some of the dangers of current U.S. foreign policies.

Sources:

AlterNet April 26, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Interventionism -- The policy or doctrine of intervening, esp. government interference in the affairs of another state or in domestic economic affairs. Characterized by the use or threat of force or coercion to alter a political or cultural situation nominally outside the intervenor's moral or political jurisdiction.

The United States is closing military bases in the U.S. while building them overseas. We ignore our own borders, while policing the borders of other nations.

The U.S. government borrows from other countries, and when no one is willing to hand us a dollar for our song and dance, the Federal Reserve simply prints more money.

When Presidential candidate Ron Paul says, "We'll either wake up or go broke," he's not blowing smoke or crying wolf to garner votes. And, he's also correct when stating that personal liberties are undermined by the current policy of intervention.

That's you and me, folks. Our liberties, not the liberties of terrorists, whether real or imagined.

Loss of Freedom - For Sale to the Highest Bidder

I was shocked to discover that the planned defense-related spending for the fiscal year of 2008 now stands at over $1 trillion.

$1 TRILLION!

It's even more viscerally obscene when you see it in a chart, like this one provided by Chalmers Johnson, the author of the article above.

The military budget of the U.S. exceeds the combined military budgets of NINE other major nations!

And, to top it all off, the supplementary budget to pay for the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- which is not part of this $1 trillion defense budget -- is itself larger than the combined military budgets of Russia and China.

Got a Problem? Spend More Money - It'll Go Away

The more I think about it, the more this is starting to remind me of the U.S. health care system, where expensive drugs are thrown willy-nilly at symptoms; the treatments and "cures" causing more harm to the patient in the long run while making the pharmaceutical companies rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams.

According to the Congressional Reference Service (CRS) report to Congress titled, The Cost of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Other Global War on Terror Since 9/11, dated February 8, 2008, the U.S. war-on-terror-machine has spent $700 billion -- purportedly making the world a safer place -- since 2001. However, as Mr. Johnson states in his article, this number is by no means an all-inclusive account of the real dollar amounts spent.

But even at that, are we really to believe that despite spending $700 billion we've been unable to capture the man allegedly capable of launching coordinated world-wide terror attacks from a cave?

And are we really supposed to believe that if we just spend $1 trillion more in the next foreseeable future, we'll be able to finally get the upper hand; we'll be able to stamp out the disease of terror that plagues us?

Seriously?

Clearly, eradicating either disease or "terror" by throwing money at it doesn't work. The U.S. health care spending, which topped out at $2.1 trillion in 2006, should be ample proof of that.

And yet, it's the same principle at work, both within the conventional health care paradigm and the interventionist foreign relations agenda: Take a pill; drop a bomb -- you'll feel better and you'll be safer for it. Keep taking those foreign chemicals for the rest of your life; set up a permanent presence in foreign lands and tell them how to run things - why are you complaining? We're fixing you!

Folks, both of these systems are set up in such a way that nothing really gets better, nothing is really resolved; the "disease" is never conquered, only complicated.

Why?

Because otherwise the well would dry up, now wouldn't it?

When Did Gluttony Cease to Be a Deadly Sin?

The problem is, the well is drying up anyway. Not because people have discovered the truth about these schemes and decided to reject them, but because they've gotten too greedy too fast, and both systems have become unsustainable by their sheer gluttony.

America has, under the solid misguidance of the Bush administration, managed a near impossible feat: increasing the national debt by 45 percent since 2001, to a sobering $9 trillion.

And when I suggest that a gluttonous "too much, too fast" attitude is at work, I'm basing it in part on this fact: from the moment of the U.S. constitutional birth in 1789, the debt accumulated by the federal government did not hit $1 trillion until 1981. It took 183 years to incur the first trillion dollars. It only took 20 years to grow that debt to $5.7 trillion, and a mere seven years to reach $9 trillion.

I'd call that fiscal suicide by exponential gluttony.

Perhaps if we'd spent a couple of bucks on education, we'd have at least a handful of elected officials who could do the math, and a couple of others to supply the critical thinking. I don't know. Just a thought.

Maybe someone should have considered the fact that being a 'world super power' is in large part dependent on having proper leverage. As it stands today, the U.S. can boast about being the 163^rd country on the list of nations' accounts of trade surplus' and deficits.

That puts the U.S. dead LAST of all nations on the planet, with the highest trade deficit in the world.

If international banking and trade were a casino, the U.S. would be that guy who sucked down a few too many "free" drinks, gambled a little too long, invited a few too many inappropriate ladies, and lost big; now sweating bullets, frantically trying to figure out how to avoid getting his bones crushed and fingernails ripped out by the professionals who lent him the money for his spree.

Maybe he'll pop a pill and buy a bazooka, thinking that'll take care of the problem for the time being.

Sound familiar?

Related Articles:

The U.S. Dollar is Dying

Wake Up America -- Open Your Eyes

When Will You Have Had Enough?

Comments (31)

Is Tyson's Antibiotic-Free Chicken Really Antibiotic-Free?

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

A federal judge has ordered Tyson Foods to withdraw advertisements claiming its chickens are "raised without antibiotics that impact antibiotic resistance in humans."

Two competitors said the ads were untrue because Tyson injects it eggs with antibiotics and used antibiotic molecules in its feed.

Tyson maintained that its claim was truthful, and intends to appeal the decision.

"The claim we're making is 'raised without.' And our consumer research would say that 'raised without' in the consumer's mind, is from hatchery to when they buy the chicken in the store," said Dave Hogberg, senior vice president for consumer products at Tyson.

Sources:

The New York Times April 23, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Tyson's claim may be technically true -- which makes it just about the worst kind of deceptive advertising there can be without simply lying.

When they say that their eggs come from chickens that are "raised without antibiotics", they are clearly trying to give the impression that the eggs are antibiotics-free. In fact, this is not the case at all; even if their chickens are "raised" without antibiotics (although that also may be a deceptive claim anyway, since there seems to be some evidence that there are antibiotics in their feed), the eggs still have antibiotics injected into them before they reach the stores.

Tyson's attempt to weasel around that fact is nothing more than semantics.

Sad to say, this is nothing but typical behavior when it comes to big business. Whenever a packaged food or a large retailer makes a health claim, your first reaction should be suspicion.

The Truth About Splenda Isn't Sweet

Another example of this kind of deception is the marketing campaign of the artificial sweetener Splenda. They would dearly like you to believe that their product is natural because it is "made from sugar". Well this simply is another "half truth" meant to convince you of a falsehood, and the Sugar Association has sued them for this marketing strategy.

Although the process for developing Splenda starts with a sugar molecule, chlorine molecules are added to it. Splenda shares many similar characteristics to pesticides like DDT that can accumulate in your body fat and tissues. It is impossible to predict the long-term consequences of ingesting this substance over many years.

Splenda is in fact not natural at all, and it has been linked to a number of toxic side effects including shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage), enlarged liver and kidneys, reduced growth rate, aborted pregnancy and diarrhea.

I encourage you to review my extensive Splenda testimonials pages, which are filled with heartbreaking stories about the toxic effects this artificial sweetener may inflict. Nearly every month, we receive a report from someone who has had an adverse reaction to Splenda, and after reading just a few of the submitted testimonials it's likely you won't ever want to look at it again!

7-Up Isn't Picked Fresh Off a Tree

Meanwhile, 7-Up manufacturer Cadbury Schwepps has begun an ad campaign that promotes the soda as "100 percent natural" and pictures cans of 7-Up being picked from fruit trees. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has threatened to sue Cadbury Schwepps if the all-natural claim is not dropped, calling it a misleading untruth.

One thing many people don't know is that for many foods, there isn't any strict legal definition of what counts as "natural." Foods including potato chips, ice cream and cookies can be labeled as natural without it meaning anything at all.

When it comes to 7-up, CSPI has argued high fructose corn syrup is not natural. You couldn't make it in your own kitchen unless you happen to own centrifuges, hydroclones, ion-exchange columns, and buckets of enzymes. And as far as the cans being picked off the tree goes, there isn't even any fruit juice in 7-Up.

Make Sure Your Food Really is Natural

Folks, I could go on and on without end, giving examples of this sort of behavior by big business. Farm-raised fish put into overcrowded pens where disease and parasites like sea lice flourish, fed synthetic diets that wild fish would never eat, are called "organic". Pepsi, like 7-Up, is also making ridiculous health claims for its unhealthy products.

If you really want to be sure your food is healthy, organic, and safe, you might want to try avoiding grocery stores altogether. More and more people are buying food fresh off the farm from producers they personally know and trust, through CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture), farmers' markets, or other local food movements. When you can actually go visit the farm itself, you can see that it's natural, fresh, and exactly as advertised. If you want to get started on this, there are plenty of organizations around to help you out.

Related Articles:

Beware of More Deceptive Splenda Propaganda

More Confusing, Deceptive Milk Marketing

Egg Producers Deceive You With Bogus Omega-3 Claims

Comments (13)

Boost Your IQ by Choosing Your Exercise Wisely

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Studies have shown that some forms of exercise may actually help you think better, while others have little or no impact on your brain matter.

Here's a sampling of what works and what doesn't.

Aerobic Training
In 2006, Arthur Kramer of the University of Illinois used MRIs to prove that aerobic exercise builds gray and white matter in the brains of older adults. Later studies found that more aerobically fit grade-schoolers also perform better on cognitive tests.
Impact on intelligence: Strong

Lifting Weights
When weight lifters talk about getting huge, they aren't referring to their hippocampus. Researchers have found only the most tenuous link between heavy resistance training and improved cognitive function.
Impact on intelligence: Negligible

Yoga
When facing a stressful situation or even a scary email, people often hold their breath. Yoga can break that habit.

Under pressure, "most people breathe incorrectly," says Frank Lawlis, a fellow of the American Psychological Association and author of The IQ Answer. The result: more stress and less oxygen to your brain. "So the first thing that goes is your memory."
Impact on intelligence: Possibly strong

Studying on the StairMaster
A spinning class may rev up your mental muscle, but that doesn't mean you should study while huffing and puffing on the StairMaster.

Research shows you'll just confuse yourself. "It's like doing something while you're driving," says Charles Hillman, a kinesiology professor at the University of Illinois. In other words, you won't do either task well.
Impact on intelligence: Negligible

Other research not mentioned in this Wired article also confirms that aerobic exercise is indeed one of the best things you can do to stay mentally agile into old age.

For example, older people who exercise three or more times a week were found to have a significantly reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's and other types of dementia. Healthy people who reported exercising regularly had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of dementia, but even those who devoted as little as 15 minutes to exercise, three days a week, cut their risk significantly. Even a short, brisk walk every day, the researchers said, can make a difference.

The trick about exercise is treating it like a drug that needs to be prescribed precisely so you can achieve the maximum benefit. There are a number of excellent resources out there for exercise; you can review mine, or search online or in your book store for further resources.

Sources:

Wired Magazine April 21, 2008

Related Articles:

Keep Your Brain Young With Exercise

The Secret Behind How Exercise Fights Alzheimer's

Keep Walking To Fight Dementia

Comments (10)

Why is Life Expectancy Falling in the United States?

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Life expectancy has declined for many U.S. women, according to a joint study by the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Washington.

Nearly one in five women had decline of life expectancy hold steady, starting in the 1980s.

About half of the 2,000 county units studied were poor, rural areas, and the decline was blamed on chronic diseases related to smoking, overweight and obesity, and high blood pressure.

Those worst affected by the downturn live in the south, the Appalachians, southern parts of the Midwest and areas of Texas.

"The fact that this is happening to a large number of Americans should be a sign that the US health system needs serious rethinking," said the study's co-author Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Sources:

Yahoo News April 22, 2008

PloS Medicine April 22, 2008; 5(4):e66 (Free Full Text Article)

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Considering the fact that life expectancy in the United States as a whole has actually risen by more than six years for women, and seven years for men in the same period of time (from 1961 to 1999), this study highlights the problem of poverty combined with unhealthy lifestyles, lack of preventive care and the exorbitant cost for mediocre health care.

An Unsustainable "Health" Paradigm

"There is now evidence that there are large parts of the population in the United States whose health has been getting worse for about two decades," said Majid Ezzati, lead author of the study. Well, let's take a look at some of the financial reasons for this discrepancy.

According to the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) -- which tracks health care spending -- the U.S. national health expenditure (NHE) grew 6.7 percent in 2006 to $2.1 trillion ($7,026 per person), and accounted for a whopping 16 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Private spending, i.e. people paying out of pocket, accounted for 54 percent of the total NHE, or $1.1 trillion. Prescription drug spending increased by 5.8 percent that same year.

If we look back, based on SMS' historical data, the national health expenditure in 1980 was $253.4 billion, or $1,100 per person, accounting for 9.1 percent of the GDP at the time.

And, looking at the historical picture in its entirety, U.S. health care costs have leapfrogged: DOUBLING about every seven years ever since 1960.

The study's findings suggest that beginning in the early 1980s and continuing through 1999 those who were already disadvantaged did not benefit from any of the life expectancy gains experienced by those who were better off financially. The authors state that their results are troubling because the stated aim of the US health system is to improve the health of "all people, and especially those at greater risk of health disparities."

So, on the one hand, Americans have been spending more and more money on health care over the past decades, yet the life expectancy of certain groups is going down. Clearly, the system is not designed to care for anyone except those who can afford to pay an arm and a leg for what little it does offer (because as I'll show you later, wealthy Americans are still worse off than many in less affluent countries).

The researchers explain the decline in life expectancy in these worst-off areas as being primarily caused by a rise in a number of diseases, such as lung cancer, chronic lung disease, and diabetes.

Need I mention the sadly ironic fact that these are also some of the diseases that are completely preventable?

Diabetes, for example, is both preventable and treatable through simple, inexpensive lifestyle changes. But no, instead these people are led to believe they need drugs - which they can't afford - and so nothing is done and they die prematurely.

What Does Health Care Spending Have to do With Longevity?

Amazingly, other countries manage to achieve longer life expectancies than the United States while paying a mere fraction of the U.S. healthcare cost per capita.

U.S. life expectancy is just under 78 years - one of the lowest life expectancies among developed nations. Lower than Cuba's, and just marginally higher than the super power of Slovenia, according to figures from the United Nations.

So what impact does the U.S. health care spending have on Americans' life expectancy?

Apparently, not much!

And, quite frankly, it is this way by design, not by some bizarre fluke or mere stupidity.

High Time to Identify the Driving Force Behind U.S. Abysmal Health Statistics

Please understand that the drug companies are THE primary force behind the terrible health statistics of the U.S. This is not an accident at all, or some terrible oversight. This is by design.

If you haven't been reading this newsletter that statement may come as a surprise, but from my perspective this is the unfortunate truth.

They have been able to control the U.S. Congress and manipulate it to pass just about any and every law they want. Once you understand how they control the government, you realize how they are diverting hundreds of billions of dollars for their hyperinflated drug prices. This goes into their own coffers; for their own good -- NOT for the good of the public. Not for the good of those in need.

It is this diversion of funding that is the primary reason why American health is so poor. If these funds were spent wisely and not stolen, there is no doubt in my mind the United States would lead the world in health stats.

This year the US will spend $2.5 trillion dollars on health care, but by 2017, health care spending is projected to exceed $4 TRILLION. This is largely due to the costs of drugs and surgery and a reliance on a medical system that treats only symptoms and never the cause of disease.

How To Survive in a Diseased Health Paradigm

So what can you do?

Simple.

Take Control of Your Health. You don't have to stand for this nonsense anymore, ever. Learn what you need to stop being deceived by drug company lies and deceptions. Tell your family, friends and neighbors, and be a beacon of light.

I am confident that with tools like the Internet, the days are numbered for the drug companies, and collectively we will defeat them. It is a massive David vs. Goliath battle, but there is no doubt in my mind that the victory will be ours.

There are a number of basic strategies you can use to avoid getting sucked into the current disease-care paradigm. Following these guidelines will be a powerful way to avoid premature aging, and improve your health in your old age so you can far exceed the U.S. national average life expectancy.

Eat a healthy diet that's right for your nutritional type (paying very careful attention to keeping your insulin levels down)
Drink plenty of clean water
Manage your stress
Exercise
Sunlight
Limit toxin exposure
Consume healthy fat
Eat plenty of raw food
Optimize insulin and leptin levels
Get plenty of sleep
Maintain a Healthy Weight - If you are having problems with sticking to your diet then use the hypnosis program I recommend.

Related Articles:

Rising Obesity Rates Annihilate Previous Life Span Forecasts

Long Life: How to Beat Nature At Its Own Game

America Spends More For Mediocre Health Care Than All Other Nations

Comments (15)

Thousands Have Been Harmed by Lasik Eye Surgery

Dr. Mercola — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Patients harmed by Lasik eye surgery recently told federal health advisers stories of severe eye pain, blurred vision and even a son's suicide. The advisers recommended that the government warn more clearly about the risks of the popular operations.

About 700,000 Americans a year undergo the elective laser surgery. Of those, several thousand suffer serious, life-changing side effects, such as worse vision, severe dry eye, glare, and inability to drive at night.

Colin Dorrian, a law school student from suburban Philadelphia, endured six years of eye pain and impaired vision before he finally killed himself in 2007. Matt Kotsovolos' operation was classified as successful even though he has suffered from debilitating and unremitting eye pain for two years.

The FDA advisers recommended that warnings for would-be Lasik patients:

Add photographs that illustrate what people suffering certain side effects actually see
Clarify how often patients suffer different side effects
Make more understandable the conditions that should disqualify someone from Lasik
Spell out that anyone whose nearsightedness is fixed by Lasik is guaranteed to need reading glasses in middle age, which could be avoided if they skip Lasik.

Sources:

MSNBC April 25, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Lasers can do some pretty amazing things, but you should never let anybody use them on your eyes.

Lasik surgery is a procedure that permanently changes the shape of your cornea, the clear covering of the front of the eye. With a knife known as a microkeratome, a flap is cut in the cornea; a hinge is spared at one end of the flap. The hinged flap is then folded back, revealing the stroma (the middlesection of the cornea). Finally, pulses from a computer-controlled laser vaporize a portion of the stroma and the flap is replaced.

Many people think that Lasik surgery will simply and quickly result in perfect vision. That simply is not the case at all.

Even when successful, the procedure leads to at least six months of impaired vision and significant discomfort, at the end of which only one eye may have normal sight. If the first eye does not heal to expectation, the second operation on the other eye will never even be done, and the imbalance will be permanent.

Lasik surgery does absolutely nothing to treat the underlying causes of your vision loss. In fact, it is 100-percent guaranteed to make your vision worse over time. The same actually holds true for glasses of any kind -- they're guaranteed to worsen your vision in the long run.

Fortunately, there are effective alternatives. In my late 40's, I noticed a progressive decline in my near vision (presbyopia). But when I underwent private mentoring in a vision restoration process that has been around for nearly 100 years, it turned out to be one of the most exciting personal health benefits I have ever experienced. To regain lost vision without the use of glasses is absolutely amazing.

What I used was a technique called the Bates Method. This highly suppressed natural vision program was developed by the pioneering medical doctor and ophthalmologist Dr. William Bates, who died back in 1931. Dr. Bates, a maverick physician who dedicated his life to learning why people develop problems with their eyesight, was far ahead of his time. His combination of simple yet powerful methods of vision re-training can allow you to see better naturally -- with just a few minutes a day of easy practice.

According to Dr. Bates' teachings, the most common vision problems are not irreversible; they are the result of chronic tension in some or all of your six extrinsic eye muscles. These muscles can be retrained to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and presbyopia. His program does NOT involve eye exercises, but rather focuses on relaxation, mental reframing and perspective shifting.

It worked so well for me that I now offer the Secrets of Regaining Vision Naturally Program, so you can access these same powerful vision improvement tools yourself. After you first begin to notice improvement in your eyesight, you'll realize that you have discovered the best way to take control of your own vision for the rest of your life. You have nothing to lose and dramatically improved eyesight to gain.

Related Articles:

The Dangers of LASIK Surgery: Why You Want to Avoid This Like the Plague

More Dangers of LASIK Surgery

Laser Eye Surgery Has 10 Percent Failure Rate

Comments (20)

Mom's Diet May Influence Baby's Gender

Dr. Mercola — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

What a woman eats before pregnancy may play a role in whether the baby is a boy or a girl, according to surprising new research.

Women who have a hearty appetite, eat a lot of potassium-rich foods like bananas, and don't skip breakfast appear more likely to have a boy. Previous studies have also shown that male embryos do best with longer exposure to nutrient-rich lab cultures.

It could be that more nutrients are needed to build boys than girls. Women who ate at least one bowl of breakfast cereal daily were 87 percent more likely to have boys than those who ate no more than one bowlful per week, a possible sign that they were skipping breakfast.

Among women with the highest calorie intake before pregnancy (but still within a normal, healthy range), 56 percent had boys, versus 45 percent of the women with the lowest calorie intake. Women who had boys also ate an additional 300 mg of potassium daily on average, and about 400 calories more daily, compared to women who had girls.

The research involved about 700 first-time pregnant women, and has been billed as the first to show a link between a woman's diet and the gender of her offspring. The women were asked about their eating habits in the year before getting pregnant.

Sources:

Proc Biol Sci April 22, 2008

CBS News April 23, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The findings of the British study described above strike me as at best tentative, and at worst dubious. The leap to the conclusion that women who ate less breakfast cereal were skipping breakfast and therefore getting less nutrients, for example, seems unsupported by any real evidence. In fact, breakfast cereals are not a good breakfast at all for most people, especially the typical highly processed breakfast cereals available to most, including those in this study. Although breakfast is important, there are many better options than cereal, and at least some of the women who were avoiding a grain and sugar-filled morning might very well have been opting for a healthier choice like fresh vegetable juice, especially if you are a carb or mixed nutritional type.

That doesn't mean there isn't any connection between a woman's diet and her child's gender, of course; I just don't believe that this study is anything close to the final word on the subject. What is indisputable, however, is that your choice of foods when you are pregnant can indeed have repercussions that could affect the course of your child's entire life.

The Dangers of Soy

As just one example, when mothers who eat an entirely vegetarian diet during pregnancy have boys, those children have a fivefold greater risk of developing hypospadias, a birth defect of the penis. In hypospadias, the opening of the penis is found on the underside of the penis rather than at the tip, requiring corrective surgery -- untreated, it can interfere with urination and sexual function.

The birth defect is most likely due to the greater exposure vegetarians have to phytoestrogens, the hormone-like compounds found in soy. For the exact same reason, vegetarians with a soy-rich diet during pregnancy expose their female offspring to a higher risk of breast cancer later in life.

No matter what you may have heard, soy is not a health food. There is a 70 billion dollar industry that funds many studies attempting to show that soy has benefits so that you will consume it. Their goal is to sell more domestic soy. Their goal is NOT your health. Pregnant women in particular should avoid soy completely, with the exception of fermented soy products which have a greatly lowered phytoestrogen content.

Don't Overeat

"Eating for two" used to be the recommended way of doing things, but it's not the best idea for your health or the health of your child. Women at a healthy weight should gain no more than 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. However, many women actually gain 40 pounds or more.

Being overweight or obese while pregnant increases the risk for a variety of problems, including:

Preeclampsia
Gestational diabetes
Premature birth
Birth defects
Have a stillborn child
Having children who may be obese

One study showed that one in three UK women who die during pregnancy or childbirth are grossly overweight, and the death is usually associated with obesity. And if you put on too much weight during pregnancy, you very well might keep it on for years, increasing your risk of many health problems.

Babies born to overweight mothers have twice the risk of congenital heart defects and three times the chance of being born with omphalocele, a defect in which intestines or other abdominal organs protrude through the navel. They also have a greater risk of spinal cord and brain defects, and a variety of cancers.

The Benefits of Omega-3's

Not all news is bad news, however. There are some steps you can take during pregnancy which will greatly benefit your child's future health. One of the best is increasing your intake of omega-3 fats.

A study published in the British Medical Journal clearly showed that omega-3's are associated with lessening the risk for premature delivery. They dramatically reduce pregnancy complications, and do wonders to improve the health of all children.

A high intake of omega-3's during the later stages of pregnancy can increase fetus growth (without extending the duration of the pregnancy!)

In fact, it can even increase your child's intelligence.

To sum up, an awareness of which foods are good for your baby -- and which are harmful -- can reduce the risks of birth defects, protect your child from obesity, and even increase their intelligence.

Someday, it might be possible to influence the gender of a baby by knowledgeable food choices. But even if that time comes, your food choices can result in a healthy baby, which is far more important in the long run.

Related Articles:

Vegetarian Diets and Birth Defects

"Eating for Two" During Pregnancy No Longer Recommended

Fish Oil During Pregnancy Improves Hand-Eye Coordination in Toddlers

Comments (64)

How to Use Soft Drinks To Kill Mice and Rats

Dr. Mercola — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

If you have a problem with mice or rats, one way to get rid of them is with soda pop.

Mice and rats lack the ability to burp. You can use this to your advantage. Simply pour Pepsi or Coke into a shallow dish, and place the dish near where the mice or rats are entering your home. The rodents will drink the sweet soft drink and later, when they can't burp, they will die.

Right next to walls usually works best for any type of bait or traps, as does under sinks, where they may like to hide out, or underneath your stove.

As the carbonation only lasts just so long, you will need to keep that in mind and refill your dish accordingly. Try putting a new dish down each night before bed.

Sources:

eHow.com April 28, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Let's get one thing PERFECTLY clear. I am no fan of ANY artificial sweetener. I wrote an entire book about them called Sweet Deception. Unfortunately that book is currently out of print. I am getting the copyright back and will be reprinting it soon as it is the best book I have ever written and clearly documents the challenges with ALL artificial sweeteners, especially Splenda.

I am absolutely convinced that if you HAVE to drink soda, soda with sugar, even high fructose corn syrup, is safer for you than diet soda, but if you have been reading this newsletter for awhile you know that I don't believe anyone should be drinking soda. There is simply no excuse, none at all. It is one of the easiest and most important diet changes anyone can make.

However, soda provides some benefits. In fact, they have dozens of useful purposes, such as:

Cleaning your dirty toilet bowl
Removing rust spots from chrome
Getting gum out of your hair
Getting rid of skunk odor
Cleaning grout

According to some, you can even use it to shell hard-boiled eggs; if you soak hard boiled eggs in Coke, the shells will supposedly dissolve, eliminating the need to actually have to peel them.

If you are actually drinking soda as a beverage, you are putting your health at risk every time you do so. Drinking just one soda a day can increase your risk of being obese by an amazing 60 percent. And it will increase your risk of diabetes by 85 percent! Soda drinkers even have a higher throat cancer risk.

From a nutritional standpoint, soda has pretty much nothing to offer except bad news -- including the ridiculous new "healthy" sodas that have hit the stores recently. Some of the major components of a can of soda include:

Phosphoric Acid: This can interfere with your body's ability to use calcium, which can lead to osteoporosis or softening of your teeth and bones.

Sugar: It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, premature aging and many more negative side effects. Most sodas include over 100 percent of the RDA of sugar, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup, the number one source of calories in the U.S.

Caffeine: Caffeinated drinks cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and possibly some forms of cancer.

If you thought diet sodas might be a better option, think again. They are filled with unnatural, artificial chemicals, and are actually even worse the regular soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame (Equal) alone, including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures. On top of all that, they won't even help you lose weight; in fact, they will double your risk of obesity by stimulating your appetite, increasing your carbohydrate cravings, and activating your body's fat storage mechanisms.

Nutritionally speaking, soda is one of the main reasons why many people suffer health problems. Aside from the negative effects of the soda itself, drinking a lot of soda is likely to leave you with little appetite for vegetables, protein and other food that your body needs.

If you struggle with an addiction to soda (sugar is actually more addictive than cocaine), I strongly recommend you consider Turbo Tapping, a simple yet highly effective tool that will help you stop this health-harming habit.

And remember that a glass of fresh clean water with a squeeze of lemon or lime makes a great soda alternative any day. It won't, however, kill the rats in your kitchen. Soda is much better suited for that particular purpose.

Related Articles:

Finally Something You Can Do With Soda

One Soda a Day Increases Diabetes Risk 85 Percent

The Real Dangers of Soda to You and Your Children

Comments (50)

Media Caught Lying About Presidential Candidates' Popularity

Dr. Mercola — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

In this video, Jerry Day, a TV producer in Burbank, CA exposes the stunning disconnect between the major media version of the U.S. Presidential election coverage and candidate popularity trends on the internet.

See for yourself who the real frontrunner is when you ask the American people.

Yes. Surprising as it may seem, Ron Paul is actually still in the race! Although you wouldn't know it based on major media coverage, which has gone so far as to exclude him completely, making it appear as though McCain is the sole Republican in the running.

Aside from his dedication to principle, good old fashioned American freedom, and the American constitution, there are many other reasons why I support Ron Paul, and a major one has to do with his devotion to your health freedom. He believes in:

Expanding the ability of Americans to use alternative medicine and new treatments.
Opposing legislation that increases the FDA's legal powers.
The notion that the government should never have the power to require immunizations or vaccinations.

More so than any other presidential candidate, Ron Paul is trying to improve the fatally flawed health paradigm in time to benefit you and your children.

If you agree with Ron Paul's message of freedom and liberty then JOIN THE CAUSE and SPREAD the word! Search my site for previous Ron Paul videos and send them to ALL your friends and relatives, and remind them that Ron Paul is still in the running.

There are 1.3 million people that receive this newsletter. We CAN make a HUGE difference. If only a small fraction of you can spread this message in YOUR networks, your communities, and at work, just imagine what we can do.

Related Articles:

Ron Paul Explains the Facts to a Foolish Reporter

John Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Ron Paul

Ron Paul on the Tonight Show

Comments (108)

50 Great Things you Never Knew you Could do with Tennis Balls

Dr. Mercola — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Most tennis balls simply end up in the garbage when they stop being useful on the court. But they actually have many other useful purposes. You can:

1) Cut an X in the top of each ball and put them on the bottoms of chair legs to cut down on noise and floor scuffs. If you don't have scuffable floors, many schools take donations for just this purpose.

2) Donate them to a local nursing home for use on residents' walkers. They make the walkers easier to push around for people who aren't strong enough to lift them.

3) Hang one on string from the garage roof to help you park without running into things. When it touches the windshield or rear window, you know it's time to stop.

4) Keep certain types of gnats or flies away from you when you are outdoors. Just cover a tennis ball in Vaseline and hang it from a tree or bush.

5) Tennis balls with holes drilled in them have been used in the UK as protective homes for field mice.

6) When packing something for shipping in a box that's too large, use tennis balls as shock-absorbing cushions that will hold the item steady in the box.

7) Use them to remove scuffs on floors. Many janitors use this trick by placing a tennis ball on the end of a broom.

8 ) Protect your surfboard when it goes on an airplane journey.

9) Play a creative catch game that will amuse kids to no end.

10) Throw a few tennis balls into the dryer when you are drying comforters, fluffy coats, pillows, or anything else that could use a good fluffing.

11) Tennis balls can also help any laundry load dry faster; throw two or three in the dryer and your clothes will be done quicker.

12) Speaking of laundry, put a tennis ball into your washing machine along with your shower curtain and 1/2 cup of vinegar, then wash with hot water. The vinegar will kill the mildew and the tennis ball will help to scrub the mildew off.

13) If you or your partner snore, attach a pocket to the back of the snorer's pajamas and secure a tennis ball inside. This will ensure that the snorer sleeps on his/her side -- most people snore only when sleeping on their backs.

14) Make your own juggling clubs.

15) Make a very cute pencil/mail/phone holder.

16) Cut a slit in one and use it to cover the trailer hitch on your truck.

17) Hide stuff in them. Make a slit in a tennis ball, then squeeze either side of the slit to open it up. Place money or other objects inside, and release to close the opening.

18 ) Use the same concept as above to pass notes or other items over long distances. This idea has been used at auctions to pass receipts to winning bidders.

19) Cut a portion of the ball off so that it will fit over the sharp corner of your coffee table. Repeat for the other corners to baby-proof a room.

20) Make a beautiful flower for your sweetheart. You can even fill it with candy.

21) Slit a tennis ball open, insert some beans or jingle bells, and seal closed with glue or rubber cement. Give it to a toddler as a musical instrument.

22) When you are seated, put a tennis ball under each foot and roll your feet around on them. They make wonderful massagers.

23) Put two tennis balls into a large sock. Tie the sock securely, then use the contraption as a back massager. This is a great tool to have in your hospital bag when you have a baby, since concentrated back pressure can help to relieve a great deal of labor pain.

24) Make bizarre furniture.

25) Use tennis balls to anchor clusters of helium balloons at parties. Knot together a group of ribbons attached to balloons. Cut a small X in the top of a ball and insert the knot. Fill the ball with sand if you want extra security.

26) Learning to juggle tennis balls can improve your hand-eye coordination and visual reaction time. It can also help to keep your brain sharp.

27) Put tennis balls on the tops of poles to mark the edges of your driveway or drainage ditch. The bright yellow balls will be visible in the dark and help you avoid driving into the ditch or over the grass in the dark.

28 ) Put a tennis ball on the end of a broomstick and use it to clean cobwebs from the ceiling.

29) Wrap a piece of sandpaper around a tennis ball. It's easy on your hands and can be used to sand curves on furniture or woodworking projects.

30) Make a unique ornament for your home or to give as a gift.

31) Make an incognito squirt gun.

32) Prevent your bike's kick stand from sinking into soft dirt by cutting a small slit in a tennis ball and sliding it over the kick stand.

33) If you find that the legs of your lawn chairs get stuck between the slats of your deck, put tennis balls on the bottoms to keep them where you want them.

34) Keep the yuckiness out of your pool by floating some tennis balls in the water. Supposedly, the balls will absorb body oils from people who swim in the water. You need to replace them every few weeks to keep them fresh.

35) Cut a tennis ball in half and use it to get a better grip when opening jars. Just place the ball half over the lid, and the rubber on the inside grips the lid to help you rotate it easier.

36) You can apply the same concept to screwdrivers to give you a better grip. Simply cut a slit in the tennis ball and slide it over the screwdriver handle to give you a better grip.

37) Make a tiny stereo.

38 ) Ham radio enthusiasts with gigantic antennae on their cars can use a strategically placed tennis ball to keep the antennae from ruining the paint on the cars.

39) To keep a door knob from smashing into and damaging an interior wall, cut a large slit in a tennis ball and slide it over the knob. This trick also works great to keep curious toddlers out of off-limits rooms ... until they figure out how to squeeze as they turn.

40) Use a tennis ball to explain internet security (see video in source link below).

41) Squeeze a tennis ball in your hand whenever you have an extra few minutes to increase your hand strength.

42) If you want to leave your car door open but don't want the interior lights to run down the battery, just wedge a tennis ball into the door frame to keep the light switch depressed.

43) When fueling up your car, use a tennis ball to keep the handle of the gas nozzle pushed in to avoid painful hand cramping.

44) Make a snowman ornament for your holiday tree.

45) Explain and illustrate molecular structure.

46) Make an awesome pocket tripod for your small camera.

47) Build a model trebuchet and hurl tennis balls into your annoying neighbor's yard.

48) Make talking apple puppets. These will amuse kids to no end.

49) Put tennis balls under the windshield wipers of vehicles that will be stored for long periods. This will help the blades last longer.

50) Use the time-tested method for finding your car in a crowded parking lot: put a tennis ball on the end of the antenna.

A words of caution: tennis balls should not be used as dog toys. The felt that covers them can wear down a dog's teeth. Larger dogs can choke on tennis balls. Ask your veterinarian for advice on alternative toys.

Sources:

The Life Hackery March 22, 2208

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

I have been a runner since 1968, but in the last year I have become passionate about tennis and now take lessons twice a week. I just LOVE the sport and for me, it is so much more fun than running. Not only does it provide a great cardio workout but it really works your brain too; there are so many more things to balance out.

It is one of the most enjoyable elements of my life now. I am working my way up to a 3.5 player, and hope to be a 4.0 someday.

But needless to say, I have hundreds of tennis balls, and I thought there might be others that are passionate about tennis and would enjoy this article on how to recycle them productively.

Tennis balls are made from pure rubber mixed with somewhere between 11 to 17 chemicals to get the desired consistency. About 300 million balls are produced each year, contributing more than 32 million pounds of solid waste that is not easily biodegradable.

Since tennis balls are not being recycled, finding ways to reuse them is at least the next best option, and as you can see, with a bit of ingenuity you can give your old tennis balls a second lease on life and keep them out of the landfills for a while longer.

Here's one more idea, for those of you who are especially crafty: an interwoven seat made entirely out of tennis balls over a cushion of foam. The "Pouffe" was created by Tony F. A. Michiels, one of the participating designers in the 2005 MACEF sustainable design competition.

For both practical and creative ideas on how to recycle and reuse everything from plastic bags - one of the worst offenders of all when it comes to non-biodegradable solid waste pollution - to fluorescent light bulbs, appliances, sneakers and more, please see the links in Related Articles.

Related Articles:

25 Resources to Help You Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse Plastic Bags

Get Rid of Your Trash and Save the Earth

What to Do With Your Old PC

Comments (22)

Food Prices Are a Global Crisis

Dr. Mercola — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

According to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a sharp rise in food prices has developed into a global crisis.

Ban Ki-moon called for immediate action by the U.N and all members of the international community.

An increase in food prices by as much as 40 percent since last year has sparked violent protests in the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia. Josette Sheeran, the World Food Program's executive director, has likened the price increases to a "silent tsunami."

Sources:

Yahoo News April 25, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

According to The World Bank's estimates, food prices, overall, have increased 83 percent in the last three years. Since January of this year, the price of rice has risen more than 140 percent.

Although we haven't experienced any violent outbursts in the United States yet, countries in the Caribbean, Africa and South Asia have already seen deadly riots due to rapidly rising food prices.

Last week I discussed this issue in the article Beware -- Food Crisis Getting Worse, explaining my growing fears of what this may be leading toward: the final death knell by genetically modified foods, all in the name of rescuing us all through "higher yield crops well-suited for the small farmer."

Everyone is talking about the need for higher yields. Not one mention of increasing sustainable agriculture, even though the unsustainable use of land and water is one of the contributing factors to this global crisis. Other factors, which were pointed out in my last commentary, included:

Biofuel mandates directing more crops to the manufacturing of ethanol
Improved financial situation of people in China and India has increased demand for western-style diets rich in grains, meat and dairy
Export quotas by large grain producers, coupled with panic-buying by grain importers
Trade imbalances among nations
Population growth, adding 78 million people per year
Global warming. Unfavorable climatic conditions in 2007 devastated crops in Australia and reduced harvest in other European countries. Southern Africa and the western U.S. have been plagued with severe drought.
Rising oil prices, as fossil fuels are needed throughout the agricultural process, from running tractors, to fertilizer production, to shipping
Artificially induced price hikes for the purpose of population control

What I did not discuss was the issue of government payments to farmers who don't farm.

Why are We PAYING Farmers Who Don't Farm?

An article in The New York Times, published April 24, 2008, highlights the disastrous politics of the farm bill, and the ostrich-like behavior of our U.S. government officials in light of the current food crisis.

Between 2000 and 2006, the U.S. federal government paid at least $1.3 billion in "direct payment" subsidies for rice and other crops to people who did no farming, according to The Washington Post, in July 2006.

This was a result of a misguided 1996 farm law, meant to phase out farm subsidies that began during the Depression. Though the regular subsidies helped farmers who were facing low prices, they also imposed strict controls on which crops could be grown.

The farm bill, dubbed "Freedom to Farm," was meant to remove these government limits and phase out the subsidies by offering farmers an annual fixed cash payment based on the farm's number of acres. The payments came without restrictions, meaning the farmers received the money as long as they did not develop the land, even if they didn't grow anything.

As a result, non-farmers moving into residential areas that once were farmland are receiving government checks just for living on the land! And farmers are also still receiving annual payments, regardless of whether or not they grow the subsidized crop.

These annual payments were supposed to decline over a seven-year period to transition farmers away from the subsidies, but instead the program expanded.

This year, as Congress works toward the final passage of the farm bill, the bill still includes the disbursement of $5.2 BILLION in "direct payment" subsidies, whether food is grown or not!

The farm bill, as it stands, does little or nothing to address the current concerns. It doesn't change any of the biofuel mandates that direct more corn to ethanol, for example - another factor contributing to the global rise in food prices.

Said Representative Ron Kind (D-Wis), who has advocated broad changes in farm subsidy programs, "It really is astounding. It's as if this farm bill is being negotiated in a vacuum."

And Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, stated, "There really doesn't seem to be any intervention that reflects these broader crises. They are sound asleep at the leadership level."

Industrial agriculture lobbyists wield incredible power in Congress. However, they cannot dictate where you choose to buy food for your family. So please do your health a favor and support the small family farms in your area. You'll receive nutritious food from a source that you can trust, and you'll be supporting the honest work of a real family farm.

Maintaining Your Health as Food Prices Rise

There are no easy answers to the issues of rampant price hikes on food. Many deal with the current situation by cutting down on their medical care. Others start looking at the 99 cent burger deals at the local drive-through, or the processed meals in the frozen section of their supermarket, thinking they'll save a few bucks.

Don't go that route, folks.

You might save a few dollars today, but I can virtually guarantee you, you'll pay for it later when ill health sets in. If you want to maintain optimal health, keep these simple - and in many cases free - guidelines in mind:

Eat as much raw, locally grown organic food as you can afford, paying attention to your nutritional type
Exercise regularly
Get plenty of appropriate sunshine, which has been proven to help prevent numerous cancers and other diseases
Manage your stress
Limit toxin exposure as much as possible
Get plenty of sleep

Related Articles:

Beware -- Food Crisis Getting Worse

The New American Food System

Knowing Where Your Food Comes From is Vital to Your Health

Comments (46)

The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure?

Dr. Mercola — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

John Kanzius, a man with no background in science or medicine, has come up with what may be one of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer research in years. What's more, he did it with his wife's pie pans.

Kanzius is a former businessman and radio technician who built a radio wave machine that has cancer researchers so enthusiastic about its potential that they're pouring money and effort into testing it out.

If clinical trials pan out -- and admittedly, there's still a long way to go -- the Kanzius machine will destroy cancer cells all through your body without the need for drugs or surgery ... and without any side effects.

Six years ago, Kanzius was diagnosed with terminal leukemia, and since then has undergone 36 rounds of toxic chemotherapy. He decided there had to be a better way. One night, Kanzius got out of bed, went to the kitchen, and started to build a radio wave machine out of modified pie pans. He eventually spent $200,000 building a more advanced version.

The machine sends radio waves from one box to another, creating enough energy to activate gas in a fluorescent light. Since metal heats up when it's exposed to high-powered radio waves, if a tumor was injected with some kind of metal, it can be destroyed with a focused radio wave beam.

Doctors can inject nanoparticles made of metal directly into a tumor, and then cook the tumor to death using Kanzius' device without harming surrounding tissue. It is hoped that, by using special molecules that are programmed to target cancer cells and attach nanoparticles to them, the machine will eventually be able to target even microscopic cells throughout the body.

Sources:

CBS News April 13, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

At first glance, this article might make you think we've entered some brand new era where conventional medicine has joined hands with an open-minded media and decided it's time to embrace non-lethal cancer treatments with zero dangerous side effects.

Not so fast. I wouldn't pop open the expensive bubbly just yet.

What's So "Great" About the Kanzius Machine?

It's a well-established fact that conventional medicine shuns inexpensive, non-invasive, all-natural, side-effect-free cancer treatments, no matter how much they protest such claims. Actions speak louder than words in this case.

So what is it about the Kanzius machine that has scientists so excited? After all, it's not exactly the first of its kind. Similar devices have been created - in some cases decades ago -- by the likes of Raymond Rife, Dr. Hulda Clark, Dr. Carpenter, and Dr. John Holt.

The main difference is that the Kanzius machine requires nanoparticles to achieve its goal, and what self-respecting scientist of the 21^st Century could resist a device that would finally put the nanoparticle into every modern treatment facility? And, at a wholesale price of $250 per 20 ml of nanoparticles, this treatment, if it works - side effects be damned - will be a guaranteed money generator.

How much money are we talking about?

I honestly don't know. Markups on medical supplies and drugs can vary wildly from hospital to hospital, as many use "proprietary formulas" to arrive at their prices, but after a quick review of an expose' article from 2004 on medical billing, it's probably safe to say that the price you'd pay for nanoparticles would be anywhere between 7 to 15 times the wholesale cost, at minimum, putting 20 ml in the neighborhood of $1,750 to $3,750.

Call me jaded, but the fact that a retired radio technician, without a shred of medical background, is given credit for finding "a possible cure to cancer," when esteemed doctors and scientists have been shunned, imprisoned, and driven out of business for finding alternative cancer cures that actually work, is so preposterous you'd have to be born yesterday to believe there's no hidden agenda.

The Kanzius machine can create a new, very EXPENSIVE cancer treatment. That's why scientists are high-fiving Mr. Kanzius and each other.

Whether or not it will be without dangerous side effects is an entirely different story. However, I sincerely doubt it, considering how this technique is supposed to work.

Please note, that the ONLY person claiming this technique to be completely safe and without side effects is Mr. Kanzius himself -- based on the "test" of putting his hand into the radio signal field and not suffering any apparent damage. Please. Somebody explain to me why reporters are not required to master independent, critical thinking anymore.

Cancer Cures - A History of Persecution

There are numerous examples of well-educated, innovative doctors and scientists who have created alternative cancer treatments, and whose results can blow conventional treatments out of the water any day of the week.

However, none of them have been able to reap any major rewards for their work. Instead, they've been persecuted, prosecuted or simply ridiculed into a corner of medicine commonly referred to as "quackery."

Here's a sampling of innovators with slightly more credentials than radio technology:

Gaston Naessens - Dr. Naessens treatment is based on the theory that cancer is caused by a friendly microorganism called somatids ("little bodies") -- which are present in all cells -- that becomes unfriendly. His formula, 714X, provides nitrogen to the cancer cells, thus causing this microorganism to cease excreting their toxic compounds, and mobilize your immune system to kill the cancer cells. He was subsequently put on trial for his cancer discoveries.
Raymond Rife - Rife used resonance to kill viruses and cancer cells. By increasing the intensity of a frequency that resonates naturally with each microbe, the Rife machine increases their natural oscillations until they distort and disintegrate from structural stress. Rife called this frequency 'the mortal oscillatory rate,' or 'MOR', and it was found to do no harm to surrounding healthy tissues.
Stanislaw Burzynski -- Dr. Burzynski, founder of the Houston-based Burzynski Institute, treats cancer patients with substances called antineoplastons. He was indicted by a grand jury in 1995 for his use of antineoplastons- his second trial that year. He was acquitted.
Hulda Clark - Dr. Clark has invented several devices, such as the Syncrometer and the Zapper, that scans and eliminates parasites, bacteria, viruses and toxins through positive offset frequencies.
Antonella Carpenter -- Dr. Carpenter at LaseMed Inc. has an FDA approved cancer treatment called LIESH therapy (Light Induced Enhanced Selective Hyperthermia), using a proprietary photo-dynamic form of laser. Her technology is not embraced by the AMA, however.
John Holt - Operating out of The Radiowave Clinic in Australia for the past 30 years, Dr. Holt's treatment consists of an intravenious dose of "glycolytic metabolic inhibitors" (GMI) -- agents that disrupt the metabolism of cancer cells -- immediately prior to exposure to radiowaves of 434 MHz in the ultra-high frequence (UHF) band.
Ryke Geerd Hamer - Dr. Hamer's "German New Medicine" (GNM), operates under the premise that every disease, including cancer, originates from an unexpected shock experience, and that all disease can be cured by resolving these underlying emotional traumas. Despite a 95 percent success rate, Dr. Hamer has spent time in prison for refusing to disavow his medical findings and stop treating his patients with his unorthodox techniques, and is currently living in exile, seeking asylum from persecution.

Might the Kanzius Machine be a Safe Alternative?

I believe there are a variety of factors involved that would need to be answered before anyone can really make a determination about its safety.

What radio wave frequencies are used? Are they similar to the frequencies of healthy cells? (Considering the premise of the machine is to heat metal particles, not to oscillate the cancer cells to death like the Rife machine, for example.)

How are the nanoparticles removed or excreted from your body after treatment?

Will your immune system accept billions of foreign nanoparticles floating around in your blood stream, or will it go into overdrive, rendering you more open to other infections and illnesses?

And, contrary to Mr. Kanzius hand-in-the-radio field-test, is it really possible to submit the human body to radio waves strong enough to heat metal particles within, without doing damage to healthy cells? This is one of my biggest question marks, as there is an ever growing body of research showing just how dangerous exposure to radio waves can be, even from non-thermal exposure sources such as wi-fi and cell phones. If you need a refresher, please see How Cellphone Radiation Affects Your Cells.

Personally, I'm skeptical.

And I firmly believe that even if it does turn out to be a viable treatment that is safer than chemotherapy, it will not be a more inexpensive option.

How to Virtually Eliminate Your Risk of Cancer, Naturally

I believe these relatively simple risk reduction strategies can help you to VIRTUALLY ELIMINATE your cancer risk, and radically improve your chances of recovering from cancer if you currently have it.

You won't read or hear much about these elsewhere because they have not been formally "proven" by conservative researchers. However, were you aware that 85 percent of therapies currently recommended by conventional medicine have never been formally proven either? That's something to think about.

Reduce your processed food, sugar and grain carbohydrate intake
Control your fasting insulin and leptin levels
Normalize your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats
Get regular exercise
Normalize your vitamin D levels and vitamin A levels by getting plenty of sunlight exposure and consider careful supplementation when this is not possible. If you take oral vitamin D and have a cancer, it would be very prudent to monitor your vitamin D blood levels regularly.
Get a good night's sleep
Eat according to your nutritional type. The potent anti-cancer effects of this principle are very much underappreciated. When we treat cancer patients in our clinic this is one of the most powerful anti-cancer strategies we have
Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, household chemical cleaners, synthetic air fresheners and air pollution
Limit your exposure and provide protection for yourself from information carrying radio waves produced by cell phone towers, base stations, phones and WiFi stations
Avoid frying or charbroiling your food. Boil, poach or steam your foods instead
Have a tool to permanently reprogram the neurological short-circuiting that can activate cancer genes. Even the CDC states that 85 percent of disease is caused by emotions. It is likely that this factor may be more important than all the other physical ones listed here, so make sure this is addressed. Energy psychology seems to be one of the best approaches and my particular favorite tool, as you may know, is the Emotional Freedom Technique
Make sure you get to and remain at a healthy weight. If you are having problems with eating the right foods and exercising regularly, try the hypnosis program for weight that I recommend.

Related Articles:

Treating Cancer -- With Herbs

Shocking Revelation -- This Cancer Drug CAUSES Cancer

Twelve Changes That Will Cut Your Cancer Risk in Half

Comments (133)

The HPV Vaccine: Preventive Care or Human Sacrifice?

Dr. Mercola — Sat, 10 May 2008 05:00:00 GMT

Reports of adverse reactions to the new HPV vaccine Gardasil are escalating. One particularly heart-wrenching example is the story of 12-year-old Brittany who lost all feeling in her leg and collapsed two weeks after receiving the Gardasil vaccine.

Adding insult to injury, people who are injured by the vaccine cannot even sue Merck, the maker of the Gardasil vaccine, because it is part of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Fund.

While the FDA claims adverse reactions to Gardasil are rare, a review of the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) data shows that several thousands of adverse reactions have been reported in the United States alone. And hundreds of Australian girls have experienced side effects like paralysis, dizzy spells and seizures, but Australia's Department of Health and Ageing refuses to release any details.

Further, The European Medicines Agency reported that two women died not long after they received the vaccine, one in Austria and one in Germany. The Financial Times also reported that there have been 11 deaths and a wide array of other adverse reactions, including:

Bells Palsy
Guillan-Barre syndrome
Seizures
Blood clotting and heart problems
Miscarriages and fetal abnormalities amongst pregnant women who received the vaccine

Sources:

Natural News April 22, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Thanks to Merck's aggressive advertising campaign for Gardasil -- the one that features young girls chanting "I want to be one less" -- mothers and daughters across the United States are lining up to be vaccinated.

Yet, once you know the facts about this vaccine and HPV, the virus it supposedly prevents, it becomes very clear just how useless -- and dangerous -- this vaccine really is.

Getting the Facts About HPV

There are more than 100 types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs). Of them, only 10-30 can cause cervical cancer. The rest can lead to skin infections that cause genital warts or common warts on your hands and feet.

These are very common viruses, and an estimated 25 million Americans have HPV infections. However, this is NOT cause for alarm because, as even the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: "In 90% of cases, your body's immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within two years."

This is true whether the infection is the type that can cause warts or cancer.

Meanwhile, Merck's Gardasil vaccine contains just four types of HPV. If you contract one of the 96+ types that aren't included, you're out of luck. And, if you've already been exposed to one of the four types of virus in the vaccine, it doesn't work against those either.

Some Scary Facts About Gardasil

The long-term effects of using this vaccine on young girls is unknown, and in the short-term, many girls have already begun to suffer. Common side effects include:

Pain, swelling, itching and redness at the injection site
Fever
Nausea
Dizziness
Vomiting
Fainting

Severe allergic reactions, including difficulty breathing, have also been reported, as has:

Swollen glands
Guillain-Barre syndrome
Headaches
Joint pain
Aching muscles
Unusual tiredness and weakness

As of last October, 3,461 complaints about Gardasil had been filed with the FDA's Vaccine Adverse Event Report System, and 11 women died after exposure to the vaccine.

Meanwhile, aside from being injected with four types of HPV proteins, girls and women who receive this vaccine should know what else is in the shot:

1. Aluminum adjuvants, which have been linked to neurological damage including multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.

2. Polysorbate 80, which has been linked to infertility in mice.

3. Sodium borate, a main ingredient in roach killer.

Be "One Less" To Get Gardasil

I think this would be a more appropriate message to send out to young women. There is absolutely no reason to risk the serious side effects of this vaccine to prevent an infection that goes away on its own 90 percent of the time. And there's no guarantee that you'll be protected anyway, since you can still get HPV once you've had the vaccine. It's really a no-win situation for those who receive it.

Of course, you can radically reduce your risk of getting HPV in the first place if you follow safe-sex practices, or wait to have sex until you're in a committed relationship. Then, keep your immune system in tip-top shape, and it will be more than able to shake any HPV virus that comes its way.

Related Articles:

Thousands Have Gotten Sick from Gardasil HPV Vaccine

Vaccine Companies Investigated for Manslaughter

Gardasil -- New Video Reveals Hidden Dangers

Comments (90)