Portion sizes in restaurants quadruple since 1950's

It seems that while obesity rates have risen over the decades, so have portion sizes – not a particularly surprising connection. In fact, an incredibly alarming infographic helps to show that not only have meal sizes increased in size over the decades, but restaurant portion sizes have quadrupled since the 1950′s.

Could this be the reason for the ballooning obesity epidemic? The infographic created by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention shows that hamburgers and french fry meals have tripled in size over the decades, while a cup of fountain soda is a whopping 6 times larger today than it used to be. A 2.4oz portion of french fries has grown to 6.7oz; hamburgers from 3.9oz to 12oz; and soda from 7oz to 42oz

http://worldtruth.tv/portion-sizes-in-restaurants-quadruple-since-1950s/

Prescription Painkillers Now the Leading Cause of Accidental Deaths

Car accidents are no longer the leading cause of accidental deaths in the United States. According to a recent report published by theCDC's National Center for Health Statistics, this dubious distinction now belongs to drug poisoning. What's at the root of this trend? A river of prescription painkillers.

Indeed, the report suggests that the United States is in the midst of a painkiller epidemic. Every year, more people now die from analgesic pain relievers, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, than cocaine and heroin combined. Abuse is so bad these days that doctors are having difficulty keeping up with the demand.

Celebrity watchers don't have to be reminded that there's a problem going on. Recent deaths in which painkillers were implicated (in whole or in part) include Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, Jay Bennett (ex-Wilco), Dana Plato, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Anna Nicole Smith.

And if the latest statistics are to be believed, it's a problem that's likely to get worse before it's fully acknowledged as a widespread problem.

http://io9.com/5919434/prescription-painkillers-now-the-leading-cause-of-accidental-deaths

Proper Digestion, Proper Development

5th July 2012
By Victoria LaFont
Guest Writer for Wake Up World

I am a digestion junkie.  Most of my research and education focuses on how to improve digestive function and correct the many ways that our digestive processes can go awry.  For children with special needs, we must focus on creating the most optimal digestive system possible.

Why am I so focused on digestion?

Digestion is how we obtain nutrients from our food.  When even one step in the digestive process is compromised, nutrients are not correctly assimilated into the body, and other parts of our physiology such as our nervous and immune systems suffer.  We are losing out on valuable building blocks that are especially needed by children with autism, aspergers, schizophrenia, ADD, ADHD, and bipolar disorder.  Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD states in her book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” that she has “yet to meet a child with autism, ADHD/ADD, asthma, eczema, allergies, dyspraxia or dyslexia, who has not got digestive abnormalities.  In many cases, they are severe enough for the parents to start talking about them first.”  She renames all of the above conditions “Gut And Psychology Syndrome,” or “GAP Syndrome.”  

Dr. Campbell-McBride finds that children suffering from GAP Syndrome tend to have a very limited diet, craving only starchy or sweet foods.

Through testing she finds compromised gut flora (a lack or imbalance of beneficial intestinal bacteria), damage to the small and large intestine, and compromised immunity.  Ultimately, she creates the most telling link between developmental issues and digestion by explaining the ‘gut-brain connection.’  She states:

“…a GAPS person’s digestive system becomes a major source of toxicity in the body.  An unknown number of various neurotoxins are produced by abnormal flora in the gut of these children and adults, these are absorbed through the damaged gut wall into the blood and taken to the brain.”

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/07/05/proper-digestion-proper-development/ 

Is US government setting stage to outlaw Vitamin D like raw milk? Mainstream media attacks nutrition

Insanity! The government just jumped the shark. I highly recommend taken Vit D3, you don't really need the calcium since you get plenty of it in your food. Actually I recommend that my patients do not supplement calcium but rather eat more fruits, veggies (especially green leafy veggies).

(NaturalNews) The United States government has just crossed the threshold of nutritional insanity with an announcement that postmenopausal women should avoid taking vitamin D. This announcement, made by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, is tantamount to declaring war on nutrition. In a nation where 90+ percent of the population is chronically deficient in vitamin D, any government edict that encourages people to avoid this lifesaving vitamin will only result in more cancer, more Alzheimer's disease, more bone fractures, more diabetes and more kidney disease.

... which is, of course, exactly what the medical establishment wants. After all, how are the drug companies supposed to make money treating patients with cancer if they prevent cancer themselves by using dirt-cheap vitamin D?

The mainstream media, predictably, has dutifully followed the government's anti-nutrition advice by distorting the conclusions of the study and running headlines like this one in USA Today, the corporate-run disinfo outlet:

Panel to postmenopausal women: Don't take vitamin D, calcium
(http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-06-07/panel-vitamin-d-...)

The authors of this article, Janice Lloyd, Liz Szabo and Nanci Hellmich, should be renamed the Three Stooges of Mainstream Journalism for their absurdly inaccurate headline. For starters, the study covered in the article only mentions that postmenopausal women shouldn't take low-doses of vitamin D combined with calcium. According to the U.S. government a "low dose" is something around 200 IUs daily -- a virtually useless quantity of vitamin D. Most nutritionists recommend 4,000 IUs daily or even more.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036303_vitamin_D_outlawed_nutrition.html#ixzz1zkq38nGt

Ancestral Secrets to Beautiful, Healthy Babies

Great article with great information. Sort of on the long side so I'm just going to post a little bit of it. Link at the bottom for the whole thing. 

By Raluca Schachter

Guest writer for Wake Up World

If in ancient times a woman gave birth to a baby with health problems, people used their common sense, careful observation and wisdom to understand and make the connection that certain foods were missing from the mother’s diet. They were actually “designing” babies using special feeding before conception, aiming for healthy, bright, happy babies, all necessary traits to the community long-term survival. Mothers were also advised to have children 3 to 4 years apart, in order to let their body replenish all the necessary nutrients before the next conception. Babies were breastfed for about two years.

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/07/02/ancestral-secrets-to-beautiful-healthy-babies/

Why We Have Allergies & How to Relieve Them Naturally

27th June 2012
By Jordan & Kyla Miller
Contributing Writers for Wake Up World

We have all suffered from allergies at one time or another; the persistent water eyes, sneezing, and runny nose always seem to take hold. ‘Why me?’ you may ask; well, I can’t directly answer that question for you, but I believe that I can help clear up some of the confusion as to why you may be experiencing some of the symptoms related to these so called “allergies”.

Many of us have tried different things (i.e. dietary changes and natural remedies) to alleviate those darn allergies, however, in most cases these things never really work for us. Most of us will even pop a pill to mask the symptoms as the symptoms are usually unbearable, and thus taking medication is the simplest solution. The problem is really with the many things that we do or do not do which contribute to the overall root cause of the allergy rather than the symptoms we exhibit as a result of the allergy. In light of this, we must determine from a rather fundamental standpoint why we are experiencing allergies in the first place.

The primary reason behind allergy symptoms is dehydration. Sure proper diet and lifestyle play an important part in well-being, however, the lack a water seems to be the very reason why so many of suffer from allergies. In fact, studies estimate that 75% of our population suffers many ill health effects as a result of chronic dehydration.

The Connection of Dehydration and Histamines

When trying to relieve the nagging symptoms of allergies, most people will typically reach for the over-the-counter antihistamine to alleviate the pain and suffering, but what they don’t realize is that they are only masking the symptoms, which will only make matters worse by not addressing the cause.

In Water: for Health, for Healing, for Life, author Dr. Batmanghelidj writes:

Histamine is an important neurotransmitter that primarily regulates thirst mechanism for increased water intake. It also establishes a system of water rationing for the available water in the drought-stricken body.

You see, when the body is lacking water, histamine production rapidly increases. The primary function of histamines is to make certain that the available water inside the body is preserved for vital functions. As a result, histamine production is not the absolute problem, rather it is the body’s response to the lack of water and thus, the body goes into survival mode.

Rest of the article here 

Syngenta corporation faces criminal charges for covering up livestock deaths from GM corn

(NaturalNews) Biotechnology giant Syngenta has officially been outed for deliberately hiding data that proves the company's genetically-modified (GM) Bt 176 corn is directly responsible for killing livestock. Dr. Eva Sirinathsinghji writing for QW Magazine explains that Syngenta is now facing criminal charges for willfully concealing the results of an internal, company-run study on Bt 176 corn from 1996 that was abruptly ended when four cows died after just two days of consuming the "Frankencorn."

Gottfried Gloeckner, a German farmer from Woelfersheim, originally filed the suit roughly a decade after dozens of his own dairy cows died from exposure to Syngenta's Bt 176 corn. Gloeckner first began feeding his cattle Bt 176 corn as part of their diet back in 1997 when Syngenta gained government approval to run field trials of the crop on Gloeckner's property. And by 2000, Bt 176 corn was the only thing Gloeckner was feeding his cows.

As this transition from natural feed to GM feed was taking place, however, Gloeckner noticed that his cows were increasingly developing serious illnesses, many of which resulted in the animals' rapid death. By 2001, five of Gloeckner's cows had died, and another seven died by 2002, upon which Gloeckner decided to remove all GMOs from his livestock feed. But most of Gloeckner's remaining cows ended up suffering intestinal damage, decreased milk production, and other ailments that resulted in their having to be put down as well.
Rest of the article here

Scientists Sue Merck: allege fraud, mislabeling, and false certification of MMR vaccine. Suzanne Humphries, MD

This is the story of the MMR vaccine and two Merck scientists who filed a lawsuit in 2010 over Merck’s efforts to allegedly “defraud the United States through Merck’s ongoing scheme to sell the government a mumps vaccine that is mislabeled, misbranded, adulterated and falsely certified as having an efficacy rate that is significantly higher than it actually is.” Merck allegedly did this from 2000 onwards in order to maintain its exclusive license to sell the MMR vaccine and keep its monopoly of the US market.

Folks, if you haven’t already heard this elsewhere, this is HUGE news. HERE is Hilary Butler’s excellent account of the ordeal as well as both the 2010 and 2012official legal complaints.

In the complaint, the scientists outline in great detail exactly how Merck manipulated the efficacy results in order to be able to say they had a 95% effective vaccine so that they could meet the fairytale goal of vaccine-induced “herd immunity by 2010.” Well, it turns out that the vaccine could not meet the goal that CDC projected to eradicate mumps by 2010, BECAUSE the vaccine, in its current state cannot reliably confer immunity, and is in fact a dilute version of what it once was when Maurice Hilleman invented it using the virus of his five year old daughter. The same viral mumps strain has been in use in every mumps or MMR vaccine Merck has made since 1967.

In order to mass-produce live but non-infective vaccine virus, the “wild” virus from 1967 has had to be “passaged” through different cells or animals over and over and over. In that passaging, mutations take place that render the virus non-infective or “attenuated” but also, those many years of passaging the same original viral strain has lowered the antigenicity, or the antibody-stimulating capacity of the virus.

When testing was performed to show the efficacy (neutralizing antibody provoking potential) of the forty-year-old virus strain, for use in the newer combination mumps vaccines, Merck’s scientists could not produce a 95% efficacy rate.

Merck got the old virus to pass its new tests by doing three things. First they tested efficacy on the vaccine strain virus and not the wild virus as had previously been done. The testing is done by vaccinating children and testing the ability of their blood to neutralize the virus before and after the vaccine. There should be a marked difference between the two tests. For the new testing method, the children’s blood was tested for its ability to neutralize the virus, using the vaccine strain virus, instead of the wild type strain that is much more infective, and the one that your children would most likely catch. By using a weaker virus, the old vaccine strain virus allowed the neutralization to occur much more easily. But still it was not 95% effective.

Here is the rest

Flu Vaccination Giving Children Seizures FluVax!

Jogging in forest twice as good as trip to gym for mental health

A jog through a forest can cut the risk of suffering from mental health problems and is twice as good for you as working out in the gym, according to a survey.

Researchers found that anything from a stroll in the park to a run through woodland can have a positive effect on people suffering from depression and anxiety.

The study also showed that the positive effect on people's mental health was 50 per cent more than they might expect from going to the gym.

The researchers at Glasgow University looked at natural and non-natural environments for physical activity, including walking, running and cycling, and found that being around trees and grass lowered brain stress levels.

The study, led by Prof Richard Mitchell, polled nearly 2000 physically active people in the 2008 Scottish Health Survey.

Only activities carried out in a natural environment outdoors were found to be associated with a lower risk of poor mental health.

Article here

Vaccinated children have up to 500% more disease than unvaccinated children

(NaturalNews) Suspicions have been confirmed for those wary of vaccinating their children. A recent large study corroborates other independent study surveys comparing unvaccinated children to vaccinated children.

They all show that vaccinated children have two to five times more childhood diseases, illnesses, and allergies than unvaccinated children.

Originally, the recent still ongoing study compared unvaccinated children against a German national health survey conducted by KiGGS involving over 17,000 children up to age 19. This currently ongoing survey study was initiated by classical homoeopathist Andreas Bachmair.

However, the American connection for Bachmair's study can be found at VaccineInjury.info website that has added a link for parents of vaccinated children to participate in the study. So far this ongoing survey has well over 11,000 respondents, mostly from the U.S.A. Other studies have surveyed smaller groups of families.

Nevertheless, the results were similar. Of course, none of these studies were picked up by the MSM (mainstream media). None were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) or any national or international health agency or medical profession group (http://healthimpactnews.com).

They don't dare compare the health of unvaccinated children to vaccinated children objectively and risk disrupting their vaxmania (vaccination mania). The focus for all the studies was mostly on childhood illnesses occurring as the children matured.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036220_vaccinated_children_disease_allergies.html#ixzz1yFJGgZHk

Be a Sticker Stickler

The cost-effectiveness of chiropractic care vs. medical care

(NaturalNews) With a shaky economy and the unknown future of healthcare in the US, consumers need better options in relieving pain and promoting health. A visit to a medical office for neck or low back pain can quickly progress to medication dependence and thousands of dollars in medical expenses. Chiropractic care is growing in popularity due to its approach to wellness and prevention healthcare, not reaction medicine. As more research reveals the cost-effectiveness of chiropractic care for treating neuromusculoskeletal complaints such as neck and low back pain, more insurances are including it as a covered benefit, and more medical doctors are referring their patients to chiropractors for relief.

Medical care is expensive!

An average visit to a medical office ranges from $60 to $300+ depending on the doctor and nature of the visit. Even with insurance coverage, a deductible or large co-pay can quickly add up to a deep hole in your wallet. You leave the office only to go to a pharmacy to purchase prescription medications that may be harmful and/or addictive. By the end of it all, you owe about $1000 to the medical office because you hurt your back gardening last weekend. The pain medication eases the pain, but does not address the underlying injury by masking it. Once the medication is gone, the pain comes back, and long story short you become addicted to medication. This may sound all too familiar to you or someone you know. For many people this is their current situation,the insurance companies continue to pay pharmaceutical companies to keep producing chemicals to keep up the addiction rates, a vicious cycle.

The opposite view of healthcare

Same situation, but instead of seeing your family doctor for the pain, you decide to see a chiropractor. A typical visit at a chiropractic office costs between $30 and $60. Many chiropractors offer a free or discounted examination and x-rays, something you will never see at a medical office. The chiropractor's goal is to get you out of pain AND fix the underlying issue so the pain doesn't return. Since chiropractors do not use harmful medications, the pain relief may not be instantaneous, and can be discouraging to those looking for a "quick-fix." Initial treatment periods may last a few weeks but the overall cost of care still remains much less than going to see a medical doctor.

Learn more:  http://www.naturalnews.com/036129_chiropractic_medical_care_cost_effectiveness.html#ixzz1xaSqAcgY

'Vitamin D Guide' infographic explains importance of vitamin D for optimal health

(NaturalNews) The vital importance of getting plenty of vitamin D as part of a healthy lifestyle cannot be overstated, and a newly released NaturalNews infographic explains some of the many reasons why vitamin D is crucial to health, as well as how much of it you should be getting.

You can view the infographic here:
http://www.naturalnews.com/Infographic-The-Vitamin-D-Guide.html

Vitamin D can prevent practically every disease known to man

A prohormone, vitamin D is a crucial component of proper development, growth and maintenance of the human body. Without it, the body is prone to develop practically every disease in existence, as vitamin D's metabolic product, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (calcitriol), is responsible for unlocking more than 2,700 binding sites on the human genome (http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/).

Vitamin D deficiency, in other words, can lead to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, rickets, depression, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, influenza, obesity, hair loss, and cancer.NaturalNewshas covered many of the studies over the years that show this to be true, but now this information is available all in one place on the infographic.

Learn more:http://www.naturalnews.com/036132_vitamin_D_reference_guide_health.html#ixzz1xaRGrc1L

Six Bodily Tissues That Can Be Regenerated Through Nutrition

8th June 2012

By Sayer Ji - Wake Up World

It may come as a surprise to some, especially those with conventional medical training, but the default state of the body is one of ceaseless regeneration.  Without the flame-like process of continual cell turnover within the body – life and death ceaselessly intertwined – the miracle of the human body would not exist.

In times of illness, however, regenerative processes are overcome by degenerative ones. This is where medicine may perform its most noble feat, nudging the body back into balance with foods, herbs, nutrients, healing energies, i.e. healing intention. Today, however, drug-based medicine invariably uses chemicals that have not one iota of regenerative potential; to the contrary, they almost always interfere with bodily self-renewal in order to suppress the symptoms against which they are applied.

Article here

Exercising Stops the Mitochondrial Aging Process in Its Tracks

6th June 2012

By Sayer Ji - Wake Up World

New research published in the American Journal of Physiology indicates that exercise may minimize, and even reverse, age-associated declines in mitochondrial function. [1]  This has wide-ranging implications, as the health of the mitochondriaintimately affect every cell, tissue and organ within the human body.

Mitochondria are known as the “powerhouse” of the cell because they are responsible for producing the body’s primary source of chemical energy: adenosine triphosphate (ATP), but they are also intimately involved in a wide range of other indispensable cellular functions, e.g. neurotransmitter, hormone and RNA/DNA production, which is all the more fascinating considering that they have their own bacteria-like DNA ring completely foreign to our own.

Article here

The Healing Properties of Coconut Water

31st May 2012

By Sayer Ji - Wake Up World

Few beverages on this planet are as bio compatible to the human body and its hydration needs as coconut water.  Indeed, coconut water has been reported to have been used for intravenous hydration and resuscitation of critically ill patients in remote regions of the world for over half a century. [1]  It is also an excellent preserving medium for avulsed teeth (and semen!), besting even Hank’s balanced salt solution, a commonly used medical solution. [2]

While some are concerned about the sugar content of this slightly sweet beverage,  recent research shows it actually exhibits blood sugar lowering properties in an experimental model of diabetes. [3]  Additional animal research shows coconut water prevents and reverses high blood pressureassociated with fructose feeding-induced hypertension, as well being able to reduce oxidative stress and insulin resistance. [4]

Perhaps one of the most amazing properties of coconut water is its superior lipid modulating activity in the animal model vis-à-vis the cholesterol-lowering statin drug known as lovastatin. [5] Which means we can, in clear conscience, modify Hippocrates’ famous saying to: “Let What You Drink Be Your Medicine.”

Other medicinal properties of coconut water include

• Anti-Ulcer Properties:  Both coconut milk and coconut water exhibit potent anti-ulcer activity against chemicals such as indomethacin, a Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID).

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/06/04/the-healing-properties-of-coconut-water/

Mass Media Continues Skin Cancer Scare by Vilifying Natural Sunlight, Vitamin D

3rd June 2012

By Anthony Gucciardi

Contributing Writer for Wake Up World

What is one of the biggest threats to health today according to the mainstream media? It’s not the fact that mercury is present in a wide majority of the processed food supply, or even the fact that excessive amounts of radioactive waste is now admitted to have heavily contaminated the Pacific Ocean. No, the number one villain according to the mainstream media is natural sunlight — the very same sunlight that generates vitamin D upon coming into contact with your skin.

Vitamin D has been found to slash your risk of cancer, aid in fat loss, beat fluoride in cavity prevention, and much more. Nonetheless, it appears that the substance is quite threatening as far as the media is concerned.

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/06/03/mass-media-continues-skin-cancer-scare-by-vilifying-natural-sunlight-vitamin-d/

Naturally All-Processed: What Your Energy Bar is Really Packing

31th May 2012

By Andy Burnett

Guest writer for Wake Up World

If eating whole foods such as avocados, walnuts, and black beans sounds relatively normal to you then how do ingredients like fractionated palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, and high fructose corn syrup fit into the same discussion?

The second group of ingredients can be found in a variety of meal replacement bars, otherwise referred to as “nutritious snacks”, “energy bars”, and “protein bars” by the companies who create and distribute these products for profit.

Unfortunately, many of the ingredients found in popular meal replacement bars developed by trusted nutrition companies may disrupt normal bodily functions and are the remnants of an overly processed food supply. Ironic when you consider that many of these bars are purchased, endorsed, or consumed by health conscious athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and food purists – the same group of people who pride themselves on eating a diet rich in those whole foods I mentioned earlier.

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/05/31/naturally-all-processed-what-your-energy-bar-is-really-packing/

The Marvelous Health of Unvaccinated Children

Some of the basis of my ability to speak on the marvellous health of unvaccinated children comes from my personal experience as a medical doctor, having collected years of feedback.

“My child began coughing immediately after the vaccination.” 
“He has had constant ear aches since he was vaccinated.”
“My 16 years old daughter is completely unvaccinated. She is almost never sick. If she does get sick, it’s two days at the most.”
“The neighbour’s kids followed normal vaccination guidelines. They are constantly sick and on antibiotics.”
That was not enough upon which to write a book; however. As it would turn out, I found these observations were paralleled over and over again all over the world. Follow me around the planet.
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/marvelous-health-of-unvaccinated/