Protect Your Brain From Cognitive Decline

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Category : Diseases , News , Sleep

The brain is made of 60% fat. It actually is the fattiest organ of the body. The foods you eat DO affect how your brain will function ans well as repair itself from the body’s daily abuses and detoxing of it’s wastes.

Blood sugar does not have a good effect on the brain. (One does not have to be diabetic to have high blood sugar.)  Thus, high blood sugar triggers a reaction called “glycation”. Simply put, glycation is a biological process whereby the glucose, proteins, and certian fats bind together and causing the body’s tissues and cells including those in the brain to become stiff and hardened.  This process called AGEs or Advanced-Glycation-End-Products; which is a contributing factor to the aging process.

This protein stiffness has been linked to inflammation and chronic diseases; such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and cardiovascular disese. More importantly, these sugar molecules and brain proteins combine to create deadly new structures contributing more than any other factor to the degeneration of the brain and its functioning. The brain is extremely sensitive to the glycating devastating effects of glucose, because it is this glucose that can accelerate the damage. In other words, glycation can contribute to the shrinking of critical brain tissue.

If one is insulin resistant, this person’s body may not be able to break down a protein (amyloid) that forms plaques associated with brain disease. Also high blood sugar induces threatening biological reactions which injure the body by producing certian oxygen containg molecules; damaging cells and causing inflammation, thus, resulting in hardening and narrowing of the arteries in the brain as well as other areas in the body.  This condition (Atherosclerosis), leading to vascular dementia, which happens when blockages and strokes kill the brain tissue.

A most disturbing finding was made by Japanese researchers in 2011, when they looked at 1,000 men and women over 60 years of age, and found that “people with diabetes were twice as likely as the other study participants to develop Alzheimers’ disease within 15 years”.
Excerpt from Grain Brain, by  Dr. David Perlmutter…  Resources

Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup

Category : Entrees , Recipes , Soups

Roasted Tomato Soup

Roasted Tomato Soup

Servings: Approx: 8 cups
Seving Size: 2 cups
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 45 minutes

*I use all organic ingredients for flavor as well as for health!

INGREDIENTS:
4 large tomatoes, cut into large pieces
3 medium red bell peppers, cut into large pieces
1 medium onion, cut into large wedges
3 cloves of garlic
4 ounces uncooked penna pasta, (2 cups cooked)
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup (2 medium) carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup frozen green peas
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped.
1 teaspoon Redmond’s Sea Salt
dash freshly ground black pepper
1 can unsweetened, unflavored coconut milk or
other plant milk.*
*(Optional: use 1 cup milk and 1 cup water.)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Prep:
1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with
parchement paper.
2. Chop veggies and place tomatoes, bell peppers, onion,
and garlic on the baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta,
green beans, peas and carrots. Cook according to pasta’s
package instruction. Drain pasta and vegetables. Set aside.

Making It:
4. When the roasted vegetables are cooked, transfer them to
a blender. Add vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, and parsley.
Blend into a smooth soup.
5. Transfer the blended soup to a pot and bring to a boil.
Add the milk, pasta, and veggies. Cook 3-4 minutes, until
soup is thoroughly heated.
6. Serve soup immediately.

**This recipe was revamped from the Forks Over Knoves. recipe.
I urge you to experiment to your own tastes and likings.
I sometimes just use tomatoes only, and I have mixed half milk
and half water instead of all milk. Subtitution and variety
are the beauty and wonder in a kitchen!!  It enhaunces the palate.

Enjoy!!
Marie

Tapping Into Our Brain’s Hidden Resources

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Category : Diseases , News , References , Sleep

Hidden in the center of our brain just behind the thalamus, sits our pineal gland. The pineal gland regulates our body’s sleep-wake cycle and circadian regulation (our cycles of day and night) or hormone balance in each 24-hour period. It is triggered by darkness. Pineal activity is inhibited by light, which is detected by the eye’s retina and sent along a series of nerve connections to the gland.
This gland contains photoreceptors, just like your eyes, and is activated by the light that passes through your eyes. I found it quite interesting that the pineal cells in composition as well as in the presence of proteins, are not found anywhere else in the body! It is our light sensitive gland tucked deep within our brains. Darkness removes this inhibition, and the pineal then releases its sleep hormone, melatonin. Melatonin is produced by the gland in the first three hours of sleep. As the light decreases, the pineal secretes more melatonin, which carries out the responses of the cycles of sleep and wakefulness. The amount of circulating melatonin rises at night, in dark conditions, creating a daily rhythm of rising and falling hormone levels. This is why sleeping in a very dark room is best for your health. Our natural melatonin reservoirs decrease through the aging process! As there are other factors inhibiting the natural production of melatonin; NSAIDS, large doses of vitamin B-12 especially the shots, caffeine, steroid drugs and alcohol consumption and of course stress. All the hormones in the body work together to keep our body unified in health. Supplementation of melatonin? Sometimes people can initially have vivid and weird dreams or morning drowsiness so start low, go slow. The one I like is a video called the Pineal Gland Activator;
link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h2mJnvRbZ8&feature=related
Light and motion! Play with it, what works best: on the length of time watching it, time of day, (I find later in the day is best for me). But I figure if the production may be decreasing then I will help it to increase, and it helps.

How Fast Do Your Wounds Heal?

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Category : Allergies , Diseases , News

Those pesky little cuts, whether paper cuts or knife cuts can be an interference in our daily lives because of nagging pain. Let us for a moment look into your body’s self-healing abilities. The stages of wound healing are: bleeding, swelling tissue, regrowth and scarring. Though each stage occurs at different rates for each person, there should still be a consistency in the body’s self-healing process. If the wound takes longer than five days to develop the regrowing of new tissues around the affected area you may be suffering from slow healing.
Some reasons for slow healing include
*poor nutrition; diet does have a lot to do with your immune system support and function.
*Diabetes and high blood sugar;  when there is an elevated presence of sugar in the blood, this sugar then prevents the nutrients from getting absorbed into the body’s receptor sites.
*Poor circulation; plagues seniors, those with limited mobility and smokers. The body’s circulation maintains adequate oxygen levels to flow throughout the body to promote the right nutrients to be delivered to the affected wound for proper healing.
*Poor wound care; steps include, always stop bleeding, then, clean the wound, applying antibiotic agent if necessary, cover wound properly, (and get stitches, if necessary).
*Other health issues may include vascular or arterial disease, rheumatoid arthritis, lack of sleep, stress, obesity, autoimmune deficiency conditions and some prescription drugs slow wound healing.
It is best to support your body’s immune system with the fuel it needs to heal. The right amount of nutrients, vitamins, minerals and proteins and zinc; will give your body the proper momentum in its healing process of your cuts.
Summary: When you have a wound, ensure that you have a clean diet, plenty of oxygen and use natures healing. You will be amazed how miraculously your self-healing body really is.

Comments are always appreciated,
jmdimercurio@webtv.net
Marie

How Are Choices Can Really Affect Us

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Category : Diseases , News

Our choices affect us: physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and relationally…through our thoughts, actions, words and with others around us. In other words, these choices of ours affect every avenue of our lives. Some people do not want to take any responsibility for their behavior and actions, thus discounting anything they say and do, and putting the blame onto others. This alters the depth of their accountability and level of maturity.

No one can blame anyone for the consequences that overcome us or our regrets for our immature and irrational behavior.  If people knew what they would become in their future, do you think that one would make better choices in life? You can’t say “whoops”, wishing it would go away, just because they are suffering from their consequences. God forgave David  from his sin with Bathsheba, but God didn’t take away the conseguecnes of that sin.

Our choices are born from the deepness within us, our ability to respond to our soul. We learn to live in ways that do no harm to ourself or others. Many people are easily influenced by the decisions of others and respond that way, not of their own accord but they want to blame the person who influenced them when everything goes awry. We can’t blame our past and say “I never learned” Grow up, it’s time now! Let truth wash over you.

A good example comes to mind. In the Bible, Jesus stands with His tortured body in front of the crowds of sneering, screaming people who are yelling, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him”.  This crowd was influenced in their decision, but in eternity they are all held responsible for their choices, words and actions. They all did wrong, even though it was to fulfill prophecy.

People today do the same; the way they feed their bodies, souls, and minds; all affecting their choices, but are still held responsible, in this life as well as in the eternal life afterward.

Choose Wisely,
Marie

Should We Be Seeking Cures Or Healing

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Category : Allergies , Arthritis , Diseases , News , Sleep

Lissa Rankin, the author of The Mind over Medicine describes the difference between curing and healing:
“While I believe you can cure yourself, one gigantic lesson I learned in the past few years is that healing is not the same as curing. You can cure without healing and heal without curing. In medical school and residency most of our training focused on curing. Very little attention was focused on healing. But curing and healing are inherently different. Curing means ‘eliminating all evidence of disease’, while healing means becoming whole”.
Spoken wisely. Most people feel that they have to take or do something to get well. They feel that the symptoms that are making them miserable are there because someone or something made them sick. Therefore, cures are sought by external aid. Only healthful living produces health.
People suffer ill heath because  of unhealthy eating habits and destructive lifestyles. For example, stress may be called the number one disease producer. Stress will confront all of us at one time or another, but many people live in the constant state of stress, thus disease.
Our body is amazing and intricate in its design by our Creator. Each of the body’s systems do not work separately, but function as a whole-body system, that is where curing fails us! It fails to balance the body’s wholeness. This imbalance adds to the stress overload. We need to start with digestion, what do we put into our body will reflect back on how our body is to respond. All the chemicals that are in processed foods will do harm to the human body and create disease; causing the intricate, delicate body systems to fail. And I do want to repeat that: ALL CHEMICALS THAT ARE IN PROCESSED FOODS will cause the body to respond poorly. In our attempt to keep our body whole and healthy let’s be obedient the organic chemistry of our body. We will gain a wholeness instead of seeking cures that will not work.

For our health,
Marie

How Vitamin D Might Save Your Life

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Category : Allergies , Diseases , News

COVID-19 is one our worst nightmares of this decade. Vitamin D might have a positive impact on your body as well as your brain. Dr. Michael J. Stephen, a critical care pulmonologist, cared and treated many COVID-19 patients while carefully protecting himself as best as he could. Well, he developed COVID-19. Out of wonderment, because of his excellent health, he was stunned. How could this be? But the worse part of it all was that he felt he was losing his mind. He felt like his brain was on fire, doing and saying things that he was unaware of. Reports are showing that four-fifths of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 have developed neurological symptoms and studies have found that at least half of those recovering from COVID-19 continue to suffer from neurological symptoms sometimes for months afterward. Brain scans show structural and functional changes to the brain. Right now, there aren’t any answers why, but the medical community is trying to figure it out. The researchers were surprised to find that neurologic manifestations as a whole were more likely to occur in younger people, although encephalopathy were more often found in the elderly. It’s a complicated matter on how the virus attacks and inflicts damage to the brain cells by sucking up precious oxygen from surrounding brain cells, therefore starving them. Read this article from
AARP December 2020/January 2021 Magazine…COVID and the Brain.

How can we defeat the severity of COVID-19? Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the pioneer of the aerobic health movement has done studies on vitamin D levels and immunity. It’s effect on the regulation of the immune system, acts as an anti-inflammatory lowering heart disease, cancer rates, lowering rates of Alzheimer’s, dementia, as well as Parkinson’s and cancer. Dr. Cooper states “that most everyone can safely and inexpensively take vitamin D supplements as a preventive health measure”. He consistently monitors some 4,500 Cooper Clinic patients since last spring for coronavirus antibodies and antigens. Those with higher vitamin D levels seem to have much lower rates of coronavirus antibodies. (He recommends at least 2,000 IU daily…I personally take 5,000 IU daily) It is recommended to get blood labs done to check your levels. Functional ranges should be between 55-80ng/ml. The research shows that those with lower vitamin D levels are at a 77% increased risk for COVID-19. Cooper states “85% of people with color have vitamin D levels in low teens and single digits unless they are taking supplements”.
Dr. Cooper’s article in Decision Magazine January 2021.

Two forms of Vitamin D and how they effect the body are:
Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) is synthesized by plants and is typically found in mushrooms, fortified foods, and vegan dietary supplements. This form is not produced in people and breaks down into metabolites foreign to the human body.
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form naturally found in people and animals, formed by exposure of the skin to sunshine containing sufficient intensity of UV-B rays.

I welcome any comments.
jmdimercurio@webtv.net
Marie

Pumpkin Chocolate Cups

Tags :

Category : Desserts , Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Cups

Pumpkin Chocolate Cups

Prep: 10 minutes
Serving Size: varies
Servings: 12 cups
Cooking Time: (inactive) 30 minutes

*It is recommended to use al organic ingredients
for health as well as flavor.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup shelled roasted unsalted pumpkin seeds
1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp Stevia extract (I use NOW brand liquid)
1 tsp. vanilla (I use non-alcoholic)
1/2 cup coconut oil and 1/4 cup cacao powder
(I use Navitas Organics Brand)

Prep Ahead: 
Assemble all ingredients. Line a 12-cup muffin
pan with muffin liner cups.

Making It:
!.  Place the pumpkin seeds into a food processor and blend
about 10 seconds. Then add the shredded coconut, coconut
butter, coconut oil, vanilla, and stevia to the food processor
and blend until well mixed.
2. Using a spoon to equally divide the mixture into the 12 muffin
cups, mixture will be quite thick.
3.  Once all of the muffin liners are filled, melt the coconut
oil and the cacao powder together.
4. Using a spoon to scoop out about 1 tablespoon of chocolate
liquid and pour onto your coconut cups until the coconut is
completely covered. Repeat on all the coconut cups.
5. Place in freezer for about 20 minutes or until the chocolate
is frozen. Store in a covered container in the fridge.

*This recipe was revamped from Drjockers.com, but even tastier.
I use these as a bedtime ‘sleepy pill’. I cut each in half and
take one-half an hour before bedtime.
**With the healthy fats and proteins, these can help to regulate
night time blood sugar imbalances that can interfer with sleep;
and because of the tryptophan that is found in the unsweetened
cacao powder can makes you sleepy.

Apartame: The Sweetener That Decieves

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Category : Allergies , Arthritis , Diseases , MSG , News

There are many artificial sweeteners on the market to keep people out of the sugar bowl. These are designed to feed the sweet tooth but not gain weight in the process. All of these have their dangers as they are digested and metabolized by the human body as chemicals; and these toxic chemicals have disastrous effects. In this article we will focus on Aspartame, and its dangers to the human body. Aspartame is the world’s most widely used artificial sweetener and is marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, Sugar Twin, and Amino Sweet. What is it? It is a synthetic chemical composed of the amino acid phenylalanine and aspartic acid, with a methyl ester. When consumed the methyl ester breaks down into methanol, (another name for wood alcohol) which may then be converted into formaldehyde. Formaldehyde then accumulates in the brain and damages the central nervous system as well as the immune system, thus creating neurological damage to the body. The world’s most popular artificial sweetener must be banned say experts, and according to one expert, the sales of aspartame should be banned because of all the damage it does to the human body. Artificial sweeteners do not help with weight loss, but instead leads to weight gain because this product increases the appetite, thus creating obesity related disorders. Aspartame has been linked to many serious health conditions and diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, cancers, cardiovascular disease, brain tumors, seizures, strokes, blindness, headaches, migraines, and mood disorders. Also links to serious liver damage and glutathione depletion along with kidney function decline, diabetes and metabolic derangement. Aspartame should not be used by pregnant women as it can be harmful to the developing fetus. Aspartame is now in over 6,000 products on the market (please read labels), including Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi, Kool-Aid, Crystal Light, and other sugar-free sweetened drinks, Jell-O, candies, condiments, dressings, chewing gums including the ones that have sugar in them, children’s medicines, vitamins and cough syrups. We have to be alert and diligent about our own heath, after all we only have one body to get us through life; let’s take good care of it.
Truthfully yours,
Marie

The Real Nature Of Fluoride

Category : Allergies , Arthritis , Diseases , News , Sleep

The organic mineral fluorine is part of our body’s chemistry.
Uses in the Body:
Fluorine is found in the bones, teeth, blood, skin, nails, and hair.
It is essential to the body’s healing process.
Effect of Deficiency:
A lack of fluorine in the diet can result in tooth decay, weakened
eyesight, and spinal curvature.
Recommended Allowances:
There are not any recommendations at this time.
Food Sources:
almonds, carrots, green leafy vegetables,
exists in some quantities in all plants.
*A synthetic compound (fluoride) works against the human body;
but an organic ingrain compound (fluorine) is easily assimilated.

At this time, there is nothing more controversial than the additives being incorporated into the tap water, toothpastes and mouthwashes than fluoride. We have been told that fluoride, this synthetic chemical compound is safe, and must be used on a daily basis in order to have healthy teeth and bones. Well, with all the fluoride additions, one would assume that the population would have outstanding dental health, but the truth is just the opposite. In fact, it has been found that this synthetic chemical can be very harmful to one’s overall health. Look on the back of a fluoride toothpaste tube, and you will see a warning about the dangers of ingesting fluoride. It is suggested to call poison control if a child swallows more than the recommended amount. Well, in my opinion, that is absurd to put a likely poison in something a child needs (toothpaste) to have to keep healthy teeth. It would be better to eliminate the poison, instead of putting on a warning label on the product. For children, it is best to use a fluoride-free dental product. How does fluoride increase health risks? Several research studies have suggested that fluoride is poisonous to the human body, and have showed clear evidence that cities with fluoridated water had higher cancer death rates. Another point, as with all additives, many people can and do have sensitivities and allergies to fluoride, and some leading to severe autoimmune diseases. Risks of brain damage, the pineal gland of the brain and thyroid gland holds fluoride, decreased IQ in children especially in prenatal infants, arthritis symptoms, decreased bone health, in fact, millions of people in India and China had their health compromised by fluoride.
People may not be aware of what their body’s health problem really is, so just a little insight of what can be eliminated to help our bodies become less challenged and move forward to good health.
Comments or questions: jmdimercurio@webtv.net

Truthfully,
Marie

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