Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Why Isn't It Called Breast Cancer PREVENTION Month?


Normally, I would prefer to gather my own information and write my own posts. However, Mike Adams wrote a powerful article today about the breast cancer industry and literally took every thought and word out of my mouth.

Please educate yourself today, read the article and take a look behind the heavy pink curtain of the breast cancer industry. It is a lot of information, but a very easy read. As a breast cancer survivor, um, I mean, CHEMOTHERAPY survivor, I am interested in your thoughts after reading this.

Every woman should know this information. Click here for the article.

HAPPY BREAST CANCER PREVENTION MONTH!

Saturday, October 9, 2010

10.10.10 - Non-GMO Day!


I am proud and excited to share my birthday with this very special and much needed day. 10.10.10 marks the FIRST ever Non-GMO Day, which is part of the FIRST ever Non-GMO Month. Thanks to the folks at nongmoproject.org we have this wonderful tradition to look forward to each year.

You asked, and the good folks making and selling your natural and organic food listened. In response to demand for clearly labeled and independently verified non-GMO choices, retailers and food producers have been working together for several years to implement North America’s first non-GMO verification program. Now that the first “Non-GMO Project Verified” labels now hitting store shelves, it’s time to celebrate!

During Non-GMO Month, retailers will post shelf tags by products that are enrolled in or verified by the Non-GMO Project. They’ll hand out Non-GMO Project Shopping Guides, product samples, buttons, and tote bags. They’ll also be ready to answer shoppers’ questions about GMOs, thanks to a retailer training video co-produced by the Independent Natural Food Retailers Association and the Non-GMO Project. In addition, many will host special educational events and fundraisers, featuring film screenings and speakers, on 10.10.10, which is designated as “Non-GMO Day.” For a list of participating retailers, please click here.

With the recent announcement of GMO salmon (Frankenfish) that will soon be entering our food supply UNLABELED as a GMO product, this movement could not come at a better time. I encourage all of you to explore the Non-GMO Project website and start to familiarize yourself with GMO's and their risks to you and your family's health.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Vitamin D3 vs. D2 - What You Need to Know

Many natural doctors, along with nutritionists and experts in the health field have long known the importance of vitamin D. In the past 2 years however, Vitamin D has finally come into the spotlight. Research has found that not only does Vitamin D play a critical role in your overall health and well being, but optimal levels are necessary in order to prevent many cancers, osteoporosis, Rickets, Seasonal Effective Disorder and depression.  Vitamin D also plays a huge role in preventing many other illnesses including the common cold and flu.

In the past 2 weeks, I have run into 2 people who had their Vitamin D levels tested and were placed on (or prescribed) Vitamin D2. I felt it necessary to write this post because people need to understand the difference between the different forms of Vitamin D in order to achieve optimal levels from supplementation.

Many people do not realize that there are several forms of Vitamin D. There is Vitamin D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5. The two major forms of vitamin D are vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and vitamin D3 ( cholecalciferol). Pharmacopoeias have officially regarded these 2 forms as equivalent and interchangeable, yet this presumption of equivalence is based on studies of Rickets Disease prevention in infants conducted 70 years ago.

Now that we have the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test as a measure of vitamin D, not only can we see what level of Vitamin D we have in our bodies, we can see a quantitative measure of the biological response to vitamin D through administration/supplementation. Because of this, we have learned that Vitamin D3 is far superior when it comes to absorption. You see, D2 is a synthetic product made by exposing certain plants to ultraviolet radiation. D2 is not what the body naturally uses. D2 was produced in the 1920's. The process was patented and licenced to pharmaceutical companies which then led to a medicinal preparation called vitamin D2 or Viosterol. Unfortuneatly, to this day, the major preparations of vitamin D for presctiption use in North American are in the form of vitamin D2. Although D2 can be used to prevent the vitamin D deficiency disease, rickets, in humans (when given in massive amounts), clinicians have reported disappointing results when using vitamin D2 to treat vitamin D deficiency.

Please -- if you supplement with vitamin D3, have your vitamin D levels tested routinely to ensure you do not overdose with it. You and your physician need to be aware of your vitamin D levels so you can adjust your supplementation accordingly. This is a customized approach -- not a one-size-fits-all.

Having said that, studies suggest that most people are deficient in vitamin D -- not overdosing with it. Also, just in case you did not know, the milk you drink is fortified with D2, not D3.

As the cold and flu season approach us, I strongly encourage everyone to get their Vitamin D levels checked (moms and dads, this includes your children too). If your kids are not pill takers, there are wonderful droplet forms of vitamin D3 available to give to your children. I use them in my own home.

When it comes to health and medicine these days, you must be your own advocate. Althougth time consuming, extensive reasearch has become absolutely necessary.


I like to use this chart from Dr. Mercola to compare my family's vitamin D test results with. As a cancer survivor, I strive for levels between 70-100 ng/ml.



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