Covenant Natural Health Care

Health News Roundup

• Prostate cancer screening has zero benefit, concludes 20-year study: The test is completely bogus and offers zero improvement in your lifespan. That's the conclusion from a 20-year study that followed over 9,000 men. After 20 years of follow-up, guess what the results were? No significant difference in the rate of death between those screened for prostate cancer versus those who weren't.

•  The 3 Mistakes Nearly Everyone Makes in Their Fitness Warm-up ... : Traditional warm-ups are seriously flawed. Quite frankly, most people shoot themselves in the foot before they even begin. Let's examine three common mistakes that people make preparing for their workout.

• NC bill threatens to criminalize naturopaths, homeopaths, herbalists, midwives, aromatherapists as felons: Alternative health practitioners in North Carolina (NC) and their patients need your help to defeat a stealth bill that flew under the radar of most everyone in the natural health community. Senate Bill 31, which clarifies the penalties for the "unauthorized practice of medicine," essentially criminalizes the practice of unlicensed forms of medicine, which includes the work of many naturopaths, homeopaths, herbalists, aromatherapists, and even some midwives in the state. The bill was adopted by a judiciary committee in early March, and it recently passed the NC Senate. Now, the NC House is set to vote on the bill tonight, and unless NC governor Bev Perdue vetoes it, the practice of natural medicine for many in NC may soon become a more severe criminal offense.

• Boost Your Metabolism, Curb Cancer, and Slash Blood Sugar with this Easy Culinary Trick: Herbs are not only great in meals for spice and added flavor but are key to the nutritional density in the foods you eat. Herbs can protect you against diseases, clear toxins from your body, and provide you with vitamins and minerals.

• Tests reveal that some 'green' products still contain petrochemicals: The burgeoning natural and organic household product sectors are solid evidence that the public is becoming increasingly conscious of the importance of avoiding synthetic chemicals. But a new study presented at the 241st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) has revealed that some "green" cleaning products still contain ingredients derived from petroleum.

• Foods with Scary Surprises: The FDA has established guidelines  for a number of contaminants that it will allow in our food supply. Mainstreet.com has assembled a list of some of the most common products for which the FDA has set contamination thresholds. Here's just a taste of what they found ...

• Foul odors caused by chemical contaminants prompt sixth J&J drug recall: Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is back in the news again, this time for yet another drug recall. According to the McNeil Consumer Healthcare product recall website, J&J is recalling 34,000 bottles of Tylenol 8 Hour Extended Release because the medicines reportedly have a "musty or moldy odor" that the company believes was caused by chemical contamination.

• Grocery-Shopping Mistakes to Steer Clear of: USA Today highlights some common mistakes consumers make.

• FDA says you have no right to real food unless they give you permission first: In a response to a lawsuit filed by the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF), the FDA has articulated its belief that there is no such thing as a right to health or to purchase or consume any given food.

• Skip the Doctor - Use 'Grandma's Home Remedies' for These 7 Ailments: In fact, many of the ailments you experience can be addressed using very simple, natural means. Yahoo Health offers up seven different folklore remedies for common problems.

Lemons: Reasons to include them in your diet + tips for buying and using them

A couple years ago, I bought a 2-year old organic, dwarf Meyer Lemon tree from Four Winds Growers to grow indoors. Indoor plants are great for removing toxins in the air, so getting plants into our new home was really important to me. So, when I came across the idea of getting a dwarf lemon tree in a magazine, it was kind of a no-brainer for me—I mean, why not get something that bears fruit?!

My tree has been low maintenance (and fun to watch grow), but it does take a little while to bloom and bear fruit—a year and a half to be exact. But, it's been well worth the wait, because the lemons are delicious and while it's not in bloom, the tree is just a nice addition to our home. Growing lemons in your home is nice, but even if you're not interested in that, you can still buy quality lemons at the store. They are a delicious addition to drinks and food.

Health benefits of lemons:
1. Antioxidant and anti-cancer properties
2. High in vitamin C
3. Aid in detoxification

Tips:
1. Choose lemons that are thin-skinned as they will have more juice than the thick-skinned ones
2. Lemons always give more juice when they are at room temperature
3. Store lemons on the counter for 1 week or in the fridge for about 4 weeks
4. If you don't think you'll use the lemons before they go bad, juice the lemons into ice cube trays and freeze for later use. You can also dry the lemon zest (yellow part of the skin) and store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place. If you plan on using the zest, organically grown lemons are best because they will not have the wax coating that conventionally grown fruits may have.

Ways to use lemons:
1. Enjoy a few slices of lemon in a glass of water or warm tea
2. Make homemade lemonade
3. Sprinkle some fresh lemon zest on top of fish or chicken
4. Use them for natural cleaning
5. Enjoy a cup of warm lemon water to soothe a sore throat or cough
6. Mix 1 tablespoon of lemon juice with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for a quick and simple salad dressing

This is only one example of food you can grow indoors—herbs also make excellent indoor plants. CNHC has a one-hour workshop coming up on outdoor gardening, but will also address some edibles you can grow indoors. Stay tuned!

Health News Roundup

Our 101^st post is this week's Health News Roundup. Kudos to you, for taking time to educate yourself on what's going on in the health world and for being proactive on your health journey!

Nicotine feeds growth of breast cancer tumors: Tobacco products are known to contain at least 60 chemicals that cause cancer, but up until now nicotine had not been classified as one of them. Nicotine, the chemical that makes tobacco products addictive, is produced by plants as a natural insecticide. "Every time a person smokes, he or she inhales more than 4,000 different chemicals, including nicotine," writes Phyllis A. Balch in the book Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 4th Edition.

Pig farms contributing to antibiotic resistance: For decades, health experts have been warning that widespread use of antibiotics in animal agriculture selects for the evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Antibiotic-resistant intestinal bacteria may then be excreted in animal manure and enter the environment. Active traces of the drugs may also be excreted in animal waste, thereby entering the environment  and producing more drug-resistant  "superbugs" there. When animal manure is deliberately spread on agricultural fields, the problem is even worse.

Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid: A typical American household spends about 90 percent of their food budget on processed foods, and are in doing so exposed to a plethora of artificial food additives, many of which can cause dire consequences to your health. Some food additives are worse than others. Here’s a list of the top food additives to avoid ...

World ‘Dangerously Close’ to Food Crisis, U.N. Says: The fall in production [of grain] puts the world “dangerously close” to a new food crisis, Abdolreza Abbassian, an economist with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, said at a news conference last week.

The Best and Worst Vegetables to Eat: Is there really such a thing as a bad vegetable?

Did You Know that Splenda is in Your Drinking Water?: The human body can't break it down, or use it in any way. And as it turns out, modern wastewater treatment methods don't break down Splenda either.

Natural Cough Control Tea Recipe: Sizing up 25 studies on over-the-counter cough medicine, a recent research review published in "The Cochrane Library" determined that there's no good evidence for or against the effectiveness of formulas such as Robitussin and Mucinex. For natural, reliable cough relief, try a tea recipe recommended by Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., director of education at the University of Arizona's Program in Integrative Medicine. It features thyme, which alleviates chest congestion and supports respiratory function, along with throat-soothing honey, sage, and vitamin-C-rich lemon.

The Label All Milk Drinkers Should Look Out For (Unless You Like Cancer): With a federal court overturning Ohio's ban on 'rBGH-free' labels on dairy products, raw dairy producers and consumers can again bask in new hope. This ruling means that companies that want to clearly state that their products are "rBGH free," "rBST free," or "artificial hormone free" are now allowed to do so. The fight for labeling of rBGH-laced milk has been ongoing since its introduction to the US market in 1994. Part of the concern is the fact that rBGH is an artificial hormone. The additional concern is that it's a genetically modified artificial hormone. Disallowing the labeling of rBGH-treated dairy essentially set the precedent for not labeling other genetically modified foods.

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5 natural solutions for clearing up acne

I love when my skin is soft and acne free. It's a good sign that everything on the inside is functioning properly. When it flairs up with those little, red, sometimes painful bumps we call acne, it may be a symptom of something wrong on the inside.

Here are 5 things you can do naturally to clear up acne:

1. Eat a well-balanced diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. The anti-inflammatory properties, antioxidants, and vitamins found in healthy, unprocessed foods will help clear up your skin. Avoid junk food, sugar (especially), and sugary drinks.

2. Do not use harsh chemicals on your skin. Chemicals found in toners, moisturizers, and makeup will more than likely increase inflammation and contribute to the problem. Rule of thumb: if you can't pronounce or recognize the ingredients on the label, it probably isn't good for you. Wash your face in the morning and right before bed with tepid water and an all-natural soap.

• Use aluminum-free baking soda mixed with a little water (to form a paste) as a gentle exfoliator.
• Tea tree oil is a great at fighting acne. Apply with a Q-tip directly to problem area
• A homemade apple-cider vinegar facial toner is wonderful at absorbing oil and kills bacteria that may cause acne.

3. Get adequate sleep and de-stress. If your body is tired and/or stressed, it may show signs of distress through your skin.

4. Keep your hands away from your face. I have a habit of resting my cheeks in my hands or rubbing my face mid-day. Dirt and bacteria that gets onto hands will transfer to your face if you touch it. Keeping hands washed and away from your face will prevent dirt and bacteria from getting trapped in your pores. Also, keep hair clean and free of product with chemicals that can get into your pores.

5. Wash pillows and pillowcases often in a chemical-free detergent to avoid irritation and dirt transferring to your skin overnight.

Benefits of Peppermint

 

Health Benefits:
• Soothes the digestive tract
• Good source of calcium, dietary fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, and vitamin B2, A and C
• The smell of peppermint may invigorate the senses
• Can help relieve respiratory conditions

Use for:
• Food—Add fresh peppermint leaves to a salad
• Tea—Steep leaves in hot water after a meal to help aid digestion
• Bath—Add peppermint oil to a warm bath for a calming soak
• Headache/Migraine Reliever—Put a drop or two of peppermint oil on your finger and rub across your forehead for headache or migraine relief

Recipes:
• Make Your Own Safe, Natural and Healthy Toothpastes and Cleansers
• Peppermint foot scrub
• Iced peppermint tea
• Make your own natural air freshners with essential oils

Peppermint/mint is easy to grow at home. You can buy an organic plant from a local nursery that carries herbs or you can start a plant from seeds. If you're interested in growing your own, you can get more information by clicking here.