ALL 4 NATURAL HEALTH – Attaining Good Health Naturally

Hi,

How has your 2009 been so far? Already, 1 week has just flashed by.

Today, my health reflections are on our food supplies presently in the developed world. The other day, I was taking a walk in a regular supermarket with my partner. Randomly, I was taking a look at food labels. To me, it’s quite frightening what is used to produce most foods.

On top of the basic “evils” – refined salt and refined sugar, there is a whole host of other chemical preservatives, additives, colorings and flavorings which are added. These include MSG, and many chemicals which I cannot even pronounce. Not to mention the chemical pesticides and fertilizers which are used to grow fruits and vegetables – those are not named.

Are they food at all? They may be edible, but are they nutritious? Are they safe? I think the only sections in the whole supermarket which sold truly healthy, nutritious food were the areas which stocked organic produce and pure water.

Most of the man-made chemicals in our food products have never been tested for human safety. And the truth is, most food corporations do not care about bringing value, nutrition or even safety to their customers. They just want our money, and seem perfectly comfortable with producing substandard food products, putting large amounts of harmful chemicals in them, or making false claims on food packaging, as long as their production costs are lowered, they get the purchases and make the money.

Case in point?

A recent study found that the vast majority of food products made for children were found to be unhealthy, with many of the manufacturers making inaccurate claims on the packaging. We are not talking optimal nutrition here – almost 90% of the food products failed to meet even basic health guidelines!

Speaking of food packaging, how often are we hoodwinked by misleading claims? It seems that when the packaging claims that chickens had been “raised without antibiotics”, it may not be true at all, as this story would reveal.

And, in another disturbing revelation, melamine was uncovered in infant formulas in the US. But it seems the FDA covered it up, and only released the info when it was forced to. Who is protecting the people?

Why should we avoid chemicals in our food? Quite simply, because they damage our health and the health of our children. A recent study, for example, has linked MSG in food to human obesity.

Cancer

Here is some news on cancer (there always seem to be some). High blood insulin levels have been linked to elevated breast cancer risk, while obesity has been linked to increased risk of ovarian cancer.

High insulin levels have, in fact, been linked to obesity too, so the reasons keep mounting for us to maintain a healthy weight.

Smoking

I am inclined to believe that most of you do not smoke. But I’m sure you know someone who does. It’s not just smoking which kills, but second-hand and now even third-hand smoke, too.

In a study, it was found that the heart attack rates in a community fell significantly 3 years after a public smoking ban - could second-hand smoke be the crucial factor?

Most of us think that, if someone smokes alone in a room, and then airs it later, it should be fine for others to use the room later with no adverse effects. But it seems third-hand smoke can be harmful too, especially for children. What is third-hand smoke? The smoke which remains on surfaces of items, such as clothing and furniture, which can linger long after a smoker is done with his cigarette.

Better News

Okay, let me round off with more positive news and information. Here are some tips for better health in 2009, which I had gotten from an article by a medical doctor. Mostly sound and basic advice. My favorite? Get more vitamin D!

Read, too, about the health benefits and nutritional value of eating beans, as well as about how plants can improve the recovery of patients. In fact, I am planning on getting a couple soon to place right here on my work desk.

Finally, a study in Israel has suggested that attaching patient photographs can make radiologists read CT scans more meticulously. What is the important takeaway here? That we need to retain or restore the personal touch in health and healing. Conventional medicine has become far too impersonal and even dehumanizing, failing to treat a patient as a person but rather just seeing him or her as a set of symptoms to be killed or removed.

Treat the disease, and we might fail. Treat the person, and we will always succeed.

Have a happy and healthy day ahead, folks. The weekend is coming, hang on in there.


Yours in Good Health,
Reuben


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ALL 4 NATURAL HEALTH NEWS

This is a relatively new section whereby I will report on some of the latest interesting news and findings on health from around the world. This section will be regularly updated, and it can be accessed here:

http://news.all4naturalhealth.com


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