The Free Health Advice Center

EXERCISE AND YOUR HEALTH -
BREATHING YOUR WAY TO HEALTH

Man breathes throughout his life. One cycle of digestion of food takes about twenty-four hours. One cycle of respiration, or digestion of air, takes about three seconds. During the course of a day one breathes about 24,000 times. Breath is vital and basic to life.

Unfortunately, we are a very oxygen deficient society. We don't breathe!! Most people suffer from what Doctors call "futile breathing". They breathe high in their chest and only get one-quarter to one-fifth of the amount of oxygen the lungs were designed to hold. That's a major deficit for cells trying desperately to process food, release toxins and provide energy for the body's needs.

Oxygen is one of the things our nervous system needs most to survive and function properly. Oxygen fights cancer, bacteria and viruses and few of us get enough of it. The average pair of lungs can hold two gallons of air. Most people inhale 2 to 3 pints.

Did you know that the key difference between a diseased cell and a strong healthy cell is a self-protective antioxidant coating? Healthy cells naturally protect themselves from oxygen potentially burning or oxidizing them (AKA free radical damage). Diseased cells can't. Diseased cells are using all of their vitality, their life force, and their chemicals, proteins, and electrical energies to manufacture more viruses, bacteria, fungi or whatever has invaded them. Diseased cells are used up feeding the pathogens and the mycoplasmas. No protective coat surrounds them. Only the weak cells are burned up and washed away.

A man weighing 150 pounds has 90 pounds of O2 in his body. A resting man consumes 575 liters in a 24-hour period. During activity consumption rises to 700 liters per 24-hour period. When we are not fully oxygenated our bodies have to make ATP under low oxygen conditions anaerobic ATP has a much lower energy potential and leaves lactic acid and harmful free radicals behind and causes a painful burning sensation in the muscles. We then have reduced efficiency and we are sore. Lactic acid causes muscles to fatigue and depletes our strength and endurance rapidly. Shallow breathing signals our nervous system that we are in a constant state of fight or flight. This asks our adrenals to pump out adrenaline. Our adrenals become burned out and we can't digest our food anymore, there are fewer enzymes in our body. We are under constant stress because we don't breathe.

Do you know that oxygen also burns fat? Just increasing your oxygen intake and respiration can assist your body in its fat burning efforts.

I have included several exercises that can be done anywhere to assist you in restoring your ability to breathe more fully.

1.) This method takes the exhalation of the full chest and abdominal breath to a radical extreme that dramatically shifts the pressure in the pelvic, abdominal and chest cavities. The exhalation continues, until it feels as if the body and organs are compressing toward the center. ABSOLUTELY every bit of air is expelled, the abdomen presses inward and the anus is pulled upward. It should feel as if the whole body is purposefully collapsing or contracting around the organs and the central core of the body. Momentarily, a deep desire to inhale will be felt. In a relaxed manner allow the diaphragm to drop and the air to rush in to fill the lungs, allow the lungs to fill all the way as the lung fill, breathe into the stomach. Put your hands on your stomach, to feel the stomach rise (not the chest). As children, we were belly breathers. When we breathe high in our chest, or when we breathe through our mouth, we stimulate the fight or flight response. As we breathe into our stomach area, we allow the body to relax. I usually suggest the people start with this lying down to practice before they "take it on the road." This exercise can be practiced in a concentrated way for 6 to 20 breaths and it can be practiced throughout the day. It will increase your energy while it unleashes a powerful healing potential that is always with you but rarely utilized.

2.) Once you get the hang of this, this exercise can be done sitting, standing, or lying down. In the beginning, it should be done at least once every hour to get into the habit and the swing of it. Let out all of your air. Breathe in slowly through your nose over a 20-count period, very slowly and deeply, keep going, Remember to breathe in and out with the rise of your stomach using your stomach muscles to pull the air into your lungs. And remember-you are under control of this activity. At the end of inspiration exhale through your mouth twice as long as your inspiratory phase. That means you've got to slowly, slowly, slowly exhale over a period of 40 counts. Try to aim for a one-minute cycle. This is not nearly as easy as it sounds, but practice makes perfect. If you cannot do the 20:40 count try a 15:30 count to start. The 1:2 ratio is very important.

Breathing exercises are very cortically demanding. For that reason breathing exercises are excellent for your brain. These exercises allow you to control your own respiration. When you do this, you become more efficient at reflexogenic breathing and naturally supply your body (and your brain) with higher levels of oxygen.

HERE ARE TWO MORE EASY, NO EXCUSE EXERCISES

Humans and animals were all designed basically to do one prime movement. This prime movement is their "ultimate exercise". Fish were designed to swim, reptiles to crawl, birds to fly and most other animals were designed to walk or run on all fours. Humans were basically designed to get up and walk or run on two legs.

Before humans can walk, before they can do anything of any consequence physically, they must execute a movement that is more or less unique to them. They must use all the muscles in their body to get up on their two feet - they must rise from the earth. Thus, THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE for people is to get up from the earth, the floor, the bed, the chair, or a kneeling or crouched position. The push up, the sit up, and the deep knee bend are all included and executed to a greater or lesser degree in this one movement, "THE GET UP". This basic movement works directly and indirectly most of the basic muscles in the human body if it is extended for 12 minutes or more.

The large anti-gravity muscles, the prime movers; the legs, the hips, the back, the stomach, the heart and the lungs are the most benefited. Even the muscles of the fingers toes, face, skin and scalp become involved in this exercise when the effort is sustained continuously for 12 minutes or more. There are also benefits to the internal organs. They are thoroughly massaged by the ninety-degree change of the body's position, from vertical to horizontal and back again to vertical, in repetition. The greatest benefit of all concerns the circulation to the brain and to every other part of the body no matter how remote. The blood is vigorously, yet gently pushed into areas that receive only minimal circulation under normal conditions. When you wash out a bottle, you shake it up and down when you want it really clean. This is what one does with the blood and the lymph in one's body when moving from a lying to a standing position in a continuous motion for twelve minutes or more. This exercise does everything in one simple motion that ever needs to be done by anyone to become and remain moderately physically fit, regardless of sex or age.

"THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE" is simple and needs no special equipment. It can be done by just about anyone. Stand erect on a carpet, grassy area or mat, lie down in any way you like, as soon as your head and your feet touch the floor or earth, get back up and stand erect. Lie down again immediately in another or the same position. You can lie down on your back, your side, or your stomach, it makes no difference, and you can change from one position to another each time. Do this exercise for 30 seconds once a day for 3 days, add 30 seconds every 3 days. In 36 days you will be working out for 6 minutes, in 72 days-12 minutes, in 120 days-20 minutes. A 12 minute exercise is all that is required however, if you want to take it up to 20 minutes, you can do it every other day as "THE ULTIMATE EXERCISE" and take a brisk 18 to 20 minute walk on alternate days. If you are handicapped or lying on the floor is not comfortable, lie on a bed or a couch, turn on your side, get up, stand on the floor and lie down again. (If you use the bed or couch, add one minute every 3 days instead of 30 seconds.)

SPEED IS NOT IMPORTANT - ENDURANCE IS!

My other favorite is what I call the Ubangi Bounce. It is really easy and it is a wonderful lymphatic mover.

Stand with your feet about 10 inches apart keep your knees slightly bent and lightly bounce. Don't even take your feet off the ground. Just bounce up and down for a few minutes by bending your knees. As you bounce, with your elbows slightly bent, shake your hands loosely in front of you as if you are doing a Karate Chop. Do this for about 10 minutes to get the chi (and your lymph) moving throughout your body.

 

The Free Health Advice Center

YEAST QUESTIONNAIRE

(Please fill out this questionnaire carefully. The information and grand total score will help us determine if your health problems are yeast related)

GRAND TOTAL SCORE_____ (from next page)

This questionnaire is designed for adults. It lists factors in your past medical history that promote the growth of yeast and molds and symptoms commonly found when yeast is present in excessive amounts in the body.

Fill out and score this questionnaire to help you and your doctor evaluate how yeast and mold may be contributing to your health problems. For each "yes" in Section A, circle the point score in that section. Total your score and add it to the other scores at the end of the questionnaire.

Section A: History Point score

1.) Have you ever taken tetracycline or any other antibiotics for one month or longer? 25

2.) Have you taken other broad spectrum antibiotics for urinary, respiratory, or other infections for more than two months at a time? 20

3.) Have you taken several short courses of antibiotics within any one year period? 20

4.) Have you taken even a single course of broad-spectrum antibiotics? 6

5.) Have you been bothered by persistent prostatitis, vaginitis, or other problems affecting your reproductive system? 25

6.) Have you been pregnant two or more times? 5 one time? 3

7.) Have you taken birth control pills for more than 2 years? 15 for 6 months to 2 years? 8

8.) Have you taken prednisone or any other cortisone type of drug for more than 2 weeks? 15 ....For less than 2 weeks? 6

9.) Does exposure to perfumes, insecticides, fabric, shop odors, or other chemicals provoke moderate to severe symptoms? 20 Mild symptoms? 5

10.) Are any of your symptoms worse on damp, muggy days, or in moldy places? 20

11.) Have you had athlete's foot, ring worm, jock itch, or other chronic fungus infections of the skin or nails? Have these symptoms been severe or persistent? 20 .... Have these infections been only mild or moderate? 10

12.) Do you crave sugar? 10

13.) Do you crave bread or pasta? 10

14.) Do you crave alcoholic beverages? 10

15.) Does tobacco smoke bother you? 10

Total Score - Section A: _________

Section B: Major Symptoms

For each of your symptoms, enter the appropriate number in the Point Score column. If a symptom is occasional or mild score 3 points. If a symptom is frequent &/or moderately severe score 6 points. If a symptom is severe &/or disabling score 9 points.

1.) Fatigue or lethargy ____

2.) Feeling of being drained ____

3.) Poor memory ____

4.) Feeling spacy or unreal ____

5.) Depression ____

6.) Numbness, burning, tingling ____

7.) Muscle aches ____

8.) Muscle weakness/paralysis ____

9.) Pain or swelling of joints ____

10.) Abdominal pain ____

11.) Constipation ____

12.) Diarrhea ____

13.) Bloating ____

14.) Troublesome vaginal discharge ____

15.) Persistent vaginal burning/itching ____

16.) Prostatitis ____

17.) Impotence ____

18.) Loss of sexual desire ____

19.) Endometriosis ____

20.) Cramps or other menstrual irregularities____

21.) PMS ____

22.) Visual problems ____

Total Score - Section B: ________

Section C: Other Symptoms

If a symptom is occasional or mild score 1 point If a symptom is frequent &/or moderately severe, score 2 points If a symptom is severe &/or disabling, score 3 points

1.) Drowsiness ____

2.) Irritability ____

3.) Lack of coordination ____

4.) Inability to concentrate ____

5.) Frequent mood swings ____

6.) Headache ____

7.) Dizziness/loss of balance ____

8.) Pressure feeling above ears___

9.) Head swelling & tingling ____

10.) Itching ____

11.) Other rashes ____

12.) Heartburn ____

13.) Indigestion ____

14.) Belching & intestinal gas____

15.) Mucous in the stools ____

16.) Hemorrhoids ____

17.) Dry mouth ____

18.) Rash or blisters in mouth ____

19.) Bad breath ____

20.) Joint swelling or arthritis ____

21.) Postnasal drip ____

22.) Sore or dry throat ____

23.) Cough ____

24.) Pain or tightness in chest ____

25.) Wheezing/shortness of breath____

26.) Urgency/Urinary frequency ____

27.) Burning on urination ____

28.) Failing vision ____

29.) Eyes burning or tearing ____

30.) Recurrent infections ____

31.) Ear pain or deafness ____

Total Score - Section C: ____________

Total Score - Section B: ____________

Total Score - Section A: ____________

Grand Total Score: _____________

 

WOMEN's score: over 180 = yeast almost certainly present over 120 = yeast probably present less than 60 = the risk of yeast is low

MEN's score: over 140 = yeast almost certainly present over 120 = yeast probably present less than 60 = the risk of yeast is low

Click here for information on cellular detoxification

 

The Free Health Advice Center

HEAVY METAL TOXICITY

First take the "AM I METAL TOXIC?" questionnaire to see if heavy metal exposure could be a contributing factor to your feelings of ill health. If you score high, read the information below and perhaps give a call to set up an appointment for a free consultation.

You might also want to do a little fishing in your dentist's office - is he still putting mercury in your teeth?

I am not saying you should have your fillings removed, but I have seen many cases where metal fillings have been the underlying problem creating a low grade persistent immune challenge. You might want to see me or a doctor well versed in AK and NRT to check to see if your metal fillings are in fact stressing your autonomic nervous system.

Dr. Hal Huggins, a dentist who has been studying mercury toxicity for years, estimates that over 70% of all dental patients show some symptoms of mercury toxicity and more than 20% of the general population is sufficiently affected to hinder their lives. These metals can be passed from the mother to the fetus through the placental barrier. It is especially important for pregnant mothers to use specific products that can bind with mercury vapor while they are chewing to protect their unborn child. Dose requirements are dependent on symptoms and number of fillings. And remember, even if you have had your fillings removed, you still have metals lurking in your tissues from all those years of chewing and through life in general. They can be creating havoc in your body on the cellular level.
(Contact me for information)

Nickel, another widely used dental metal, also appears to affect the auto immune system. Skin sensitivities to nickel are common. Nickel is commonly used in alloys in dental prosthetic devices with the new alloys having 60-80% nickel and up to 1.8% beryllium. Other sources of exposure to theses heavy metals are tobacco smoke, orthodontic appliances, auto and truck exhaust, super phosphate fertilizers, air contaminated by industrial nickel, coal and oil burning, nickel, cadmium batteries, hydrogenated fats and oils and acid foods cooked in stainless steel cookware.

VACCINATIONS AND THIMEROSAL
(Merck, Vaccines and the Vioxx Link)
(This article covers: the growing distrust of drug companies; thimerosal; Merck press release - 1999 re thimersol in vaccines; Merck memo of 1991; Merck and Vioxx; more on mercury and toxicity.)

There has been an encouraging trend among many responsible parents - a reluctance to have their kids needlessly immunized. The reasons for this shift are twofold: First, a logical and informed evaluation of fact (like disease infection and mortality rates); and second, a growing distrust of drug companies.

According to a CBSNews.com story, many anti-vaccine parents feel the way they do because they think the major drug companies (and the government) are hiding the risks of childhood vaccines from the public.

Apparently, they don't want to be blindsided by the next Vioxx-type drug mortality scandal. Adding fuel to this fire is the fact that right now, the whole mainstream media seems abuzz with concerns about a popular vaccine preservative called Thimerosol - which contains almost 50% ethyl mercury, a known neurotoxin - that's thought by many to contribute to childhood autism.

Thimerosal is a water-soluble, cream-colored crystalline powder. It is 49.6% mercury by weight. In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. The literature on thimerosal metabolism and excretion is limited and old. Case reports have demonstrated toxicity after massive overdoses. Toxicological information on the chief metabolite of thimerosal, ethylmercury, is extremely limited.

During the recent controversy over the safety of thimerosal in vaccines, toxicologists have assumed that the toxicity of ethylmercury is equivalent to the toxicity of methylmercury. The toxicity of methylmercury is complex and depends on the type, level, and duration of exposure. The primary environmental exposure is through consumption of predatory fish. A 6-ounce can of tuna fish contains an average of 17 micrograms of mercury.

A pediatric dose of hepatitis B vaccine contains 12.5 micrograms. The major toxicity of mercury is manifested in the central nervous system. Many of us still remember forty years ago, when women at Minamata Bay, Japan, ate fish contaminated with methylmercury from pollutants. Their children were exposed to high levels in utero and were born with severe developmental and neurological disorders. Methylmercury poisoning also occurred in Iraq following consumption of seed grain that had been treated with a fungicide containing methylmercury.

Thimerosal is added to vaccines during manufacturing as a guarantee against production-related contamination. Its greatest value, is in the field, where it acts as a fail-safe against poor aseptic handling. It is valuable for multidose vaccine vials, in which the re-entry of needles greatly increases the risk of bacterial introduction.

Whether factually right or wrong, in response to rising public concern about childhood exposure to mercury (along with pressure from the U.S. Public Health Service in the late 90s), drug companies began to curb their use of Thimerosol. Or at least, they SAID they did.

According to an L.A. Times report, at least one major drug company, Merck, issued a press release in September of 1999 claiming to have eliminated mercury-based compounds from its entire vaccine line. But recently, evidence has surfaced indicating that they continued to dole out Thimerosol-preserved versions of vaccine until as late as October of 2001 - more than 2 years after they claimed to be mercury-free! Merck confirmed this in their response to an FDA inquiry generated by a recent Congressional investigation.

The drug giant admits no wrongdoing, however, insisting that they were indeed PRODUCING mercury-free vaccines at the time of the press release. They attribute the continued supplies of the old vaccine to the need to keep up with demand during a "transition period" between the two medicines. (I guess they didn't want to waste any inventory.)

It is easy to see why parents and people in the know have good reason to distrust the drug giants! If Thimerosol did indeed cause autism (or even if proof surfaces later that it does), vaccine-skeptical parents who believed Merck's slippery verbiage between 1999 and 2001 would have unwittingly exposed their children to risk. The fact that it may not contribute to the condition is irrelevant to my point. Why? Because Merck itself was worried about Thimerosol's effects, and they did nothing about it for a DECADE!

According to the Times expose, a "leaked" corporate memo from Merck shows that the drug giant was aware - and even concerned about - the levels of mercury in some of its vaccines for kids. The date of that memo: 1991. A full ten years before their vaccines were made mercury-free.

The memo came from a leading vaccinologist and former Senior VP of Merck and clearly highlights Thimerosol as a potential safety hazard. The bottom line is that Merck believed its vaccines contained unsafe levels of mercury years ago, yet continued to make and distribute them anyway.

The real problem is that this cover-up by Merck isn't an isolated incident - along with the recent Vioxx scandal, it's evidence of a continuing pattern of deception that could be KILLING PEOPLE.

Remember: Merck & Co. is presently facing massive legal actions because they also knew about the extreme risks of their Vioxx arthritis medicine years before the recent scandal - but they never made a move to change the medication or pull it from shelves until people started DYING in large numbers. And they most surely wouldn't have stopped selling the medicine if it hadn't been for increasing awareness among doctors and public health entities that something was amiss with the drug. The same goes for these vaccines, I'm sure.

The real question is: How many other drugs in their line does Merck believe (or know) are hazardous, that they are continuing to sell anyway? And if every other drug company's doing this same kind of covering-up, we're in a lot of trouble.

Many educated parents nowadays are having second thoughts about inoculating their children because of concerns about an increased risk of autism from the Mercury-based preservatives in many childhood vaccines. Whether these Mercury-preserved vaccines are safe or not, you're doing the right thing by your kids by erring on the side of distrust of drug makers.

And therein lies the silver lining: If this perception - right or wrong - prevents some parents from having their children needlessly jabbed with needles and injected with variations of a dozen or more deadly diseases, I say: BRAVO!

There are proven connections between mercury and autism. I've been talking about quicksilver's dangers for years - not just with regard to vaccine preservatives. I've been sounding the alarm about the deadly mercury we're surrounded with daily, and even INGESTING. It all stands repeating again.

Mercury is toxic to cellular membranes. It inactivates a number of enzymes and also suppresses the immune response.

Mercury is found in substances ranging from eye makeup to industrial waste to contaminated seafood. Nearly 3,700 pounds of mercury from industrial sites are known to have contaminated air, land, and water in Washington last year, and untold additional pounds went unreported.

A recent Reuters online article cited a University of Texas study of coal-fired power plant emissions in the area which uncovered once and for all a link between environmentally-absorbed mercury and autism. The study pinpointed a 17% increase in impairment per thousand pounds of atmospheric mercury released into Texas counties in close proximity to coal-burning plants.

How many pounds of mercury are belched into the air we breathe every year by the hundreds of coal-burning plants in the nation? About 96,000 pounds.

This may be a partial explanation why the rates of autism amongst children in the U.S. have increased dramatically over the recent years. This is the first time I've really heard atmospheric mercury pollution put into numbers, and it's pretty scary. But what's just as scary is the mercury we may be putting into our own mouths.

Distressingly Fishy Matters!

As you know, I've been a huge fan in the past of fish in the diet - for years, I've talked about the relative health of those from fish-eating cultures (like the Finns and the Japanese). For heart-vital Omega-3s, there's simply no better source than cold-water fishes like trout, salmon, cod, halibut, and tuna.

In the last few years, however, I've become more concerned about levels of mercury in fish. Much I've read from credible sources has lead me to believe that the mercury in our environment is finding its way more and more into fish-flesh. I've cautioned my patients against farm-reared trout and salmon because they have been shown to contain unsafe levels of mercury and other toxins.

Although I hate to give up Sushi, I am beginning to fear that there may be some degree of risk in ALL fish caught anywhere, if the trend in recent reporting is anywhere near accurate.

EPA mercury advisories have more than doubled just since the mid-90s - and as of 2002, 43 states had mercury advisories of one type or another pertaining to their lakes, rivers, streams, or coastal waters. Another EPA factoid states that because long-lived fish at the top of the food chain (swordfish, pike, etc.) subsist entirely on a diet of other fish, through "bio-magnification" they can accumulate as much as 10 million times the mercury concentration as the water they swim in! That can't be safe to eat.

Recently I read a Finnish study in the American Heart Association's journal that directly correlates a high-fish diet - more specifically, the high levels of mercury in the body (measured by hair analysis) associated with a high-fish diet - to a 60-70% increase in the risk of coronary events.

NOT good news: This means that we're beginning to transform, via mercury pollution, the very source of nutrition that's best for our hearts into a potential risk factor for heart disease!

For fish-lovers, I'm not sure what to tell you. I haven't yet tracked down any sources that can provide mercury-free fish (believe me, I'm looking). Of course, you can still get all the Omega-3s you need from other dietary sources like raw nuts and grass-fed, grass-dressed beef and buffalo, or through supplementation (if fish-oil based, make sure your supplements are pre-treated for mercury contamination).

A Little Background on Mercury

There are several forms of mercury, of which Methylmercury is the most toxic form. Mercury is a toxin that among other things affects the immune system, alters genetic code and enzyme systems, it settles in the heart contributing to arrhythmias, it settles in the thyroid and depresses thyroid function, it gets into the sinuses and causes irritation and congestion, it settles in the nervous system and causes damage, including loss of coordination, memory and the senses of touch, taste, and sight. It interferes with digestion as well as the assimulation of food.

Methylmercury is particularly damaging to developing embryos, which are five to ten times more sensitive than adults. It is passed to the embryo through the placenta where it lodges into the nervous system and other developing tissues.

Exposure to methylmercury is usually by ingestion, and it is absorbed more readily and excreted more slowly than other forms of mercury. Elemental mercury on the other hand, is absorbed relatively slowly and may pass through the digestive system without causing damage.

People are exposed to methylmercury almost entirely by eating contaminated fish and wildlife that are at the top of aquatic foodchains.

The National Research Council, in its 2000 report on the toxicological effects of methylmercury, pointed out that the population at highest risk is the offspring of women who consume large amounts of fish and seafood. The report went on to estimate that more than 60,000 children are born each year at risk for adverse neurodevelopmental effects due to in utero exposure to methylmercury.

In its 1997 Mercury Study Report to Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded that mercury also may pose a risk to some adults and wildlife populations that consume large amounts of fish that is contaminated by mercury. Fish-eating birds in certain parts of the United States may also ingest large amounts of methylmercury in their diet.

Sources of Mercury

Alkali and metal processing, incineration of coal, and medical and other waste, and mining of gold and mercury contribute greatly to mercury concentrations in some areas, but atmospheric deposition is the dominant source of mercury over most of the landscape. Once in the atmosphere, mercury is widely disseminated and can circulate for years, accounting for its wide-spread distribution.

Natural sources of atmospheric mercury include volcanoes, geologic deposits of mercury, and volatilization from the ocean. Although all rocks, sediments, water, and soils naturally contain small but varying amounts of mercury, scientists have found some local mineral occurrences and thermal springs that are naturally high in mercury.

Methylation is a product of complex processes that move and transform mercury. Atmospheric deposition contains the three principal forms of mercury, although inorganic divalent mercury (HgII) is the dominant form. Once in surface water, mercury enters a complex cycle in which one form can be converted to another. Mercury attached to particles can settle onto the sediments where it can diffuse into the water column, be resuspended, be buried by other sediments, or be methylated. Methylmercury can enter the food chain, or it can be released back to the atmosphere by volatilization.

The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and pH have a strong effect on the ultimate fate of mercury in an ecosystem. Studies have shown that for the same species of fish taken from the same region, increasing the acidity of the water (decreasing pH) and/or the DOC content generally results in higher mercury levels in fish, an indicator of greater net methylation. Higher acidity and DOC levels enhance the mobility of mercury in the environment, thus making it more likely to enter the food chain.

Mercury and methylmercury exposure to sunlight (specifically ultra-violet light) has an overall detoxifying effect. Sunlight can break down methylmercury to Hg(II) or Hg(0), which can leave the aquatic environment and reenter the atmosphere as a gas.

Although mercury is a globally dispersed contaminant, it is not a problem everywhere. Aside from grossly polluted environments, mercury is normally a problem only where the rate of natural formation of methylmercury from inorganic mercury is greater than the reverse reaction.

Methylmercury is the only form of mercury that accumulates appreciably in fish. Plants exposed to natural UV-light during the growth process release any methylmercury. Birds and fish are unable to do that.

If you're worried about mercury in your body (which you should be, especially if you have silver fillings), I recently read in an issue of NeuroToxicology recently that daily supplementation with N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) can help protect your body against further mercury damage. I regularly use several supplements for all my patients with fillings. I use a special supplement to help assist with digestion (because it is often compromised from our diet and the constant assault of the metals vaporizing from chewing and eating heated foods.) A supplement that assists in salivary manufacture of enzymes necessary for the body to remove the vaporized metals, and a volcanic ash that can pick up many times its weight in toxic waste and carry it out.

Medical literature says that you can not undo cellular damage from mercury already in your body, but NAC can reduce further damage by more than 83%. NAC is something we should probably all be taking. In my practice I combine NAC with the three above mentioned products. When the insulted organ systems are supported, in my experience, they can eventually be rebuilt and healed.

Reference: http://www.usgs.gov/themes/factsheet/146-00/

 

Cadmium Poisoning, Which Can Harm Your Kidneys and Reduce Your Bone Density, Surprisingly High
by SixWise.com

There was both good and bad news in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) monumental "Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals." Good news first. The study, which CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding says is the "largest and most comprehensive report of its kind ever released anywhere by anyone," found that secondhand smoke exposure among Americans has gone down significantly, as have lead blood levels in children.

Smoking is a major source of cadmium exposure.

Specifically, from 1999 to 2002, exposure to secondhand smoke, as measured by median levels of cotinine, a metabolite of nicotine, decreased (compared to levels from 1988-1991):

* 68 percent in children
* 69 percent in adolescents
* 75 percent in adults

And, only 1.6 percent of children between the ages of 1 and 5 had elevated blood lead levels, compared to 4.4 percent in the early 1990s.

Cadmium Levels Raise Concern

Now for the bad news. About 5 percent of people aged 20 and over had urinary cadmium levels at or near levels that may cause health problems. Studies have found that urine levels of cadmium as low as 1 microgram per gram of creatinine may be linked to kidney injury and an increased risk for low bone mineral density.

What is Cadmium?

Cadmium is a metal found naturally in the earth's crust, but because it reacts readily with other elements like oxygen, chlorine and sulfur, it's rarely found in pure form. Certain forms of cadmium, cadmium sulfates and cadmium chlorides also dissolve extremely easily in water, so much so that they're rarely found in solid form.

Is Cadmium Dangerous?

Cadmium is rarely found in this pure form--it's usually combined with other elements. Cadmium accumulates in the body and can stay there for many years. The metal accumulates most often in the bones, liver and kidneys and can cause damage to these areas.

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) also says that cadmium and cadmium compounds may "reasonably be anticipated to be carcinogens."

Other potential health effects include, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR):

* Breathing high levels can cause severe lung damage and death
* Eating food or drinking water that contains high levels can irritate the stomach and lead to vomiting and diarrhea
* Lower long-term exposure from air, food or water leads to a buildup of cadmium in the kidneys and may cause kidney disease
* Long-term exposure can cause lung damage and fragile bones
* Animals given cadmium in food or water had high blood pressure, iron-poor blood, liver disease, and nerve or brain damage

Cadmium has been linked to other health risks as well, including:

* Weakening the immune system
* Lung cancer
* Prostate enlargement
* Reproductive risks including premature birth, low birth weight, stillbirth and spontaneous abortion
* Behavioral problems and learning disabilities

How are People Exposed to Cadmium?

More than 90 percent of people's exposure to cadmium comes from food, according to ATSDR. Low levels are found in all foods, with shellfish, liver and kidney meats having the highest levels. Cigarette smoke is another major source of the metal, and is absorbed by the body more readily than that from food and water.

Whereas only 5 percent to 10 percent of cadmium from food is absorbed into the bloodstream, 40 percent to 60 percent of cadmium inhaled from cigarette smoke is absorbed. Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day can increase cadmium levels by tenfold, and the ATSDR says smoking doubles the average daily intake of cadmium.

Cadmium is also used in manufacturing batteries, pigments, metal coatings and plastics, so living near or working in one of these facilities could increase your exposure through air or water (it's estimated that 4,000 to 13,000 tons of cadmium are released into the environment every year due to such processes). Drinking contaminated water is also a source. Nickel-cadmium batteries should be kept out of children's reach.

How to Reduce Your Exposure

There are ways to reduce your exposure to cadmium, particularly if you work in a related industry (metal processing, electroplating, battery manufacture, ore refineries). If this applies to you, be sure to carefully follow all workplace safety procedures. Also take special care not to bring cadmium dust into your home via shoes, clothing and tools. You may also want to shower when you get home to remove any dust on your body and hair. For everyone, to reduce cadmium exposure to yourself and your family:

* Store products containing cadmium (nickel-cadmium batteries, fertilizers) safely out of children's reach
* Use cadmium products only as instructed
* Limit consumption of shellfish and liver
* Eat a balanced, healthy diet - your main weapon to strengthen your immune system
* Start taking NCD on a daily basis to help rid the storage of heavy metals in the cells of your body

Click here to:

• Order your NAC and other supplements
• Read about heavy metal detoxification
• Read about foods used for detoxification
• Click here for information on cellular detoxification

The Free Health Advice Center

PERSONAL STRESS ANALYSIS QUESTIONNAIRE

My practice is devoted to treating and preventing disease using a holistic approach. The more I know about you genetically, structurally, psychologically, biochemically, and ecologically, the more complete is the care I can give you. The purpose of this stress analysis is to acquaint you with the major types of stress that our body must adjust to. Please answer the following questions honestly and without a second guess.

Circle the number in front of the sentence if you answer YES to the question. If your answer is NO, circle nothing. At the end of each section add up the circled numbers and total your score for that section. The areas with the highest scores will show areas of stress with which you and I will work on to improve your health.

This is no substitute for a THOROUGH history, this is only a method that may point to areas of stress that may have been overlooked in a regular history intake.

GENETIC:

10 A.) Do you suffer from any major genetic or congenital illnesses?

10 B.) Do you or does anyone in your family have diabetes?

. 5 C.) Does anyone in your family have skin problems, sinus roblems, asthma or allergies?

10 D.) Have any family members under 55 had a heart attack?

. 5 E.) Do you or your family members have thyroid disease?

10 F.) Have you or any close family member had cancer?

10 G.) Have you had heart disease or chest pain that was unexplained?

. 5 H.) Have you had frequent colds or infections?

. 5 I.) Are you getting more short-winded in recent months?

. 5 J.) Were either of your parents overweight?

. 5 K.) Is there a family tendency for mental or nervous illness?

. 5 L.) Do you or does anyone in your family have arthritis?

10 M.) Do you or your parents have high blood pressure

. 5 N.) Do you get more tired as the day progresses?

TOTAL GENETIC: __________________

STRUCTURAL

. 5 A.) Do you wake up with pain?

10 B.) Do you have a crooked spine?

10 C.) Have you had back surgery?

. 5 D.) Have you had a major injury from an accident?

10 E.) Have you ever had headaches after a fall or injury?

. 5 F.) Have you hurt your tail bone in the past?

. 5 G.) Do you have tingling or numbness in your arms or hands?

10 H.) Do you get back pain or stiffness often?

. 5 I.) Do you have weakness of one arm or leg compared to the other?

10 J.) Are you suffering from nearly constant pain from any cause?

10 K.) Do you have any buttock or leg pain?

10 L.) Do you pass out for no apparent reason?

10 M.) Do you have chronic neck pain, stiffness or headaches?

. 5 N.) Were you ever paralyzed?

TOTAL STRUCTURAL: __________________

PSYCHOLOGICAL:

10 A.) Are you usually abnormally tense or nervous?

. 5 B.) Do you have trouble falling asleep at night?

10 C.) Do you often feel blue or depressed?

. 5 D.) Do you feel that you hold too much inside?

. 5 E.) Have you been under the care of a psychologist?

. 5 F.) Are you unusually moody or do you have mood swings?

. 5 G.) Do you feel that people are turning against you?

10 H.) Have you ever considered suicide?

15 I.) Do you hear or see things that are not there?

10 J.) Do you need to take nerve or sleeping medicine?

. 5 K.) Are you having sexual problems that concern you?

. 5 L.) Do you feel especially bored with your life?

. 5 M.) Are you lonely and trying to cover it up?

. 5 N.) Are you just as tired in the morning as during the day?

. 5 O.) Do you wake up in the middle of the nite and have a difficult time going back to sleep?

. 5 P.) Do you anger easily?

TOTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL: __________________

BIOCHEMICAL:

10 A.) Do you crave or eat a lot of fruit, sweets, soft drinks, cakes, candy, chocolate or pastry?

10 B.) Do you eat a lot of pasta or other food made with white flour?

. 5 C.) Are you a big meat eater?

10 D.) Do you drink more than two cups of coffee or caffeinated tea per day?

10 E.) Do you drink soft drinks or diet soda on a daily basis?