Superfood Expert, David Wolfe, Shares Latest Insights on How to Stay Healthy

David "Avocado" Wolfe has been an advocate of raw food for 16 years. He is a world authority on raw foods and superfoods and coaches Hollywood celebrities and business people on nutrition and wellness.

A field researcher in the most literal sense, David studies and conducts his research while traveling all over the world.

"I have been into the Amazon, into the jungles of Costa Rica, into the jungles of Mexico, into the jungles of Indonesia, all through Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, all over…" David says.

A good portion of the information on nutrition, some of which we will discuss in this interview, is actively being suppressed by multibillion dollar industries that do not want you to know the truth. They seek to discredit much of it because they want you to opt for their expensive drug solutions instead, which nearly always come with potentially toxic side effects.

But David and I are here to tell you that there are natural options to almost every health problem or condition you'll ever face.

One of the primary components of many disease processes is chronic inflammation.

The conventional approach to treat inflammation typically involves taking some type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, like Vioxx -- which was taken off the market years ago, but only after it had killed more than 60,000 people.

These drugs do absolutely nothing to treat the cause of the inflammation in your body, AND may deteriorate your health even further as most of them have side effects and cause additional health problems, some of which are potentially lethal.

The Self-Healing Revolution

David was originally deeply embedded in the traditional medical system, growing up as the son of two medical doctors.

"When I was very, very young, my Mom always told me, "If you lose your health, you've lost everything you've got. You've got to maintain your health no matter what," David says.

"I began to see that eating oranges straight off a tree and walking around barefoot when I was a kid, really made me feel good."

That self-discovery activated his search for knowledge.

"I literally spent the last 22 year of my life on the cutting edge of what is possible via supplements, herbalism, food, superfoods, right positive thinking, etcetera," David says.

Many people still do not realize that one of the leading causes of death in the US is the conventional medical system.

This fact is in large part invisible, because when a person dies from a heart attack caused by a drug, such as Vioxx, that death is not attributed to that drug. It's simply listed as "a heart attack."

Those who are paying closer attention are beginning to see this truth however, and are also beginning to realize that the answer to their health problems is not drugs, but lifestyle. If you're reading this newsletter, chances are you are in this category.

I can't stress enough how important it is to realize that most of the health problems and diseases you may encounter in your life can be treated and overcome without resorting to synthetic drugs.

In this interview, David tells the story of how he healed himself from chronic pain using yoga – despite the fact that all of his doctors, chiropractors, and osteopaths told him he had a mechanical problem in his spine that was causing chronic inflammation and pain.

"I completely healed myself using natural approaches," David says.

"I can do everything today. So, in spite of the sincere opinions of very qualified health professionals, I still was able to go beyond the information I was getting, and actually heal myself. And I want to put that out there for everybody.

You may get sincere advice. But, it may be sincerely wrong advice.

Be open. Be aware that solutions are out there."

Most physicians are well-intentioned and truly believe that they're doing what's appropriate, and it's what they use for themselves and their family. The sad reality is that most of them have not done independent, objective research to find alternatives that work based on natural principles.

When was the Last Time You Walked Barefoot?

"I want to start off by talking about the barefoot revolution," David says.

"If there is a local park or a beach nearby where you can easily get your shoes off and take a walk, this is really powerful in terms of helping you deal with inflammation of your ankles, knees, hips, and, I would say, even lower back.

A lot of back problems, a lot of postural problems, are caused by wearing shoes that throw out our posture in different directions, and they also make your toes limp. Your toes lose their ability to grip. They lose their strength by the wearing of shoes."

Most shoes emulate a cast in that they do not allow your foot to articulate properly.

In terms of inflammation, shoes also block the beneficial electromagnetic radiation of the earth, which actually has an anti-inflammatory effect. According to David, about 30 studies performed by Clint Ober over the past 12 years reveal this.

"The studies indicate we can just touch the earth with our bare feet or our bare skin; sit down on the grass, and the earth actually releases anti-inflammatory electromagnetic radiation," David says. "This helps to draw out inflammation, in particular of your lower extremities: your feet, our ankles, knees, and hips."

My own understanding of this phenomenon is that it's not caused so much by the electromagnetic radiation but rather from the transfer of free electrons from the earth; a grounding effect that is, in my understanding, one of the most potent antioxidants we know of.

Unfortunately, few people ever walk barefoot anymore to experience it.

According to David, it takes about 80 minutes for the free electrons from the earth to reach your blood stream and transform your blood.

"This is what Clint's research has been showing," David says.

"We actually did this at the Longevity Conference. We showed, within an hour and 20 minutes, how people's blood profiles changed and improved just based on being grounded for an hour and 20 minutes."

Walking barefoot can also help ameliorate the constant irritation caused by EMFs and other types of radiation on your system from cell phones, computers and Wi-Fi on your system. By getting outside, barefoot, touching the earth, and allowing the excess charge in your body to discharge into the earth, you can alleviate some of the stress put on your system.

That is the grounding effect.

Walking barefoot outside and breathing fresh air are grossly neglected foundational health principles, as is having large amounts of your skin exposed to natural sunlight so you can optimize your vitamin D, which is another crucial component for treating inflammation.

Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Supplements

There are also several powerful anti-inflammatory supplements that can have immediate use. Here are a few of David's favorites:

MSM (methylsulfonylmethane) – Its ability to neutralize inflammation is one of the greatest, and one of the most inexpensive, discoveries in this field.

MSM has been shown to break down the calcification that is frequently associated with chronic inflammation. In your arteries, it's called plaque, which leads to heart disease. These plaques are the root cause of inflammation.

"MSM helps dissolve these calcified deposits, turning it into calcium sulfate and making it soluble so your body can excrete it," David explains.

"The dosage of MSM has to be, in the beginning, maybe 2,500 mg per day. But really, you need to get up to 5,000 mg or 7,500 mg, and allow it to work over a period of months.

But don't ever want to start anything at a very high dosage. Move into it gently.

I have a good friend of mine who is now taking 30,000 mg of MSM for his rheumatoid arthritis, and that is the dosage he needs in order to feel complete relief of his pain."

Keep in mind that there may be side effects because MSM can detoxify you, and that may initially aggravate any condition you have. So increase dosage slowly to allow your body to adjust.

It's also important to note that if you're allergic to sulfa drugs, you may also have trouble with MSM because it is a type of sulfur.

MSM is not a drug however. It is a natural compound that exists in all trees and many plants. MSM is highly concentrated in aloe vera, for example, so you can also use natural aloe vera products that contain MSM in its natural form.

As with most supplements, quality is a concern when it comes to MSM as well. David recommends using wood pulp or tree-derived MSM.

Vitamin C -- A tremendous antioxidant, vitamin C is also anti-inflammatory, and is vital for rebuilding collagen and connective tissue. David recommends taking your MSM and vitamin C together if possible. Your best bet is to use a natural plant-based or botanical vitamin C supplement, such as acerola cherry, rosehip, or camu berry.

Keep in mind that high doses of vitamin C can cause diarrhea, so again, you'll want to start slowly and work your way up to about 3,000 mg per day. Certain newer supplements also use liposomal delivery systems that can increase their bioavailability.

Medicinal mushrooms – These include reishi mushrooms, cordyceps, Agaricus blazei and chaga mushrooms. According to David, medicinal mushrooms can help boost your immune system to break up longstanding infections.

There are also mushroom products available as powders that you can add to smoothies, protein shakes, tea and other beverages.

Mangosteen – Organic mangosteen rind is another superior antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties. The rind of mangosteen has been used in traditional medicinal systems in Southeast Asia, all the way into Indonesia, since the beginning of recorded history.

Interestingly, it specifically treats the pain and inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

I have personally treated thousands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, so this is an area I have a lot of experience with. Nearly all patients with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis are deficient in vitamin D, so optimizing your vitamin D levels is also an essential part of treating this condition.

In addition, rheumatoid arthritis nearly always has an emotional component. Addressing and resolving these emotional wounds is therefore another vital part of the process.

In my experience, energy psychology tools such as the Emotional Freedom Technique is one of the most effective strategies to address this underlying emotional component, and will work synergistically with herbal- or supplemental therapies.

Sometimes, unless you address the basics, such as your emotions, the herbs and vitamins won't do much good. But once you include such simple basics as getting regular sun exposure and addressing your emotions, in addition to whatever supplements you choose, you can at times end up with what appears to be a miracle.

Astaxanthin – A seafood component extracted from algae, astaxanthin provides three unusual health benefits:

1. Preventing sunburn (4mg dose)
2. Eliminating cataracts and age-related macular degeneration
3. Protection against radiation damage when flying in an airplane

It's a bit pricey, but can be extremely effective. A less expensive alternative is krill oil, which also contains astaxanthin, in addition to essential omega-3 fatssuch as eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA).

Cooling Inflammatory Conditions with Raw Foods 

"Inflammation, of course, is "in flame" or "on fire,"" David explains, and there are also a large number of raw foods that can help "cool" the inflammatory response.

"One of my favorite tools to do that is vegetable juicing, particularly celery and cucumber juices. 

Celery is very rich in electrolytes. It has a cooling effect on your body, which is really an anti-inflammatory effect. Cucumber does as well.

A simple juice is celery and cucumber. There is no sugar and it's an instant 'turn-on' for energy. It also has an instant drawing effect of toxins out of your system due to the chlorophyll present in the celery."

Fennel is another cooling plant suitable for juicing. Fennel juice is specifically implicated for headaches and migraines.

Dill is related to fennel, and both are very beneficial for producing breast milk in nursing women.

More Must-Hear Information!

For even more information, I highly recommend you listen to this interview in its entirety, or read through the accompanying transcript as David is an absolute treasure trove of information.

Other in-depth discussions in this interview include:

• The difference between prostaglandin 2 versus prostaglandin 1 and 3 – these biochemical modulators can either aggravate or ameliorate inflammation, which is why it's so important to choose the right oils when cooking
• The dangers of food irradiation
• The concept of "raw water," the nature of hydrogen and how it dissolves bad calcium, and why alkalizers and water ionizers may do more harm than good
• The benefits of gammalinolenic acid products (GLA), such as hempseed and spirulina

I am convinced, as is David, that nearly every health problem you face can be addressed using safe, natural, non-toxic strategies. So keep educating yourself to take control of your, and your family's, health!

Learn More NOW!

If you want to purchase the DVDs of the Longevity Conference that I spoke at earlier this year with David Wolfe you can watch the free Longevity Conference presentation here.

If you want to join me live Friday, September 24, 2010 - Sunday, September 26th, 2010 at The Orange County Hilton in Costa Mesa, CA, then you can go to David's page in which he fully describes the fall Longevity Now Conference and you can see all the speakers that will be attending. I am very excited about attending this event as the energy and conversations that occur there are extraordinary. 

I feel like this group are the graduate students of how to maximize healthy living to the fullest and one of the reasons I attend is because I learn so much.

Not to worry if you can't attend that weekend as you can always get the Longevity Conference DVDs now.