One research study proved that fish oil taken daily will reduce your chance of heart attack by 50%!  What else do you know of that will do that?  Did you know that if you lay your blood vessels end to end they would extend for 60,000 miles, enough to circle the earth more than two times.  Some blood vessels are no thicker than a hair.  When they become inflamed or congested your heart has to work much harder.

            Omega three oils will reduce inflammation, decrease heart arrhythmias, lower triglycerides, decrease growth of plaque, and slightly lowers blood pressure, NATURALLY.  You should eat fish at least three times a week, but now we have the scare of mercury in our larger fish.  An alternative is to take fish oil or fish oil capsules from a reliable source.  For heart disease you should be taking 2,000-3,000 mg/day, depending on what your practitioner recommends.

            The second study that is being conducted right now at OU is proving that DHA, which is one of the natural healers in fish oil, is killing cancer cells.  Their study is not yet complete, but they are very excited about this totally non-toxic remedy for cancer patients.

            DHA is also highly recommended for the developing fetus and the newborn to one year old.  DHA from either plant or fish source is so vital to the developing brain and eyes they believe it increases the I.Q. of the baby, as well as improve eyesight.

            What amazing foods fish and flax seeds are to help you achieve Better Health, Naturally.

            Did you know that you drink through your skin?  Anything you put on your skin will end up inside your body!  I am a big proponent of reading labels before you eat or drink anything.  It does matter what we put into our bodies.  But, most people do not realize that that includes ALL cosmetics.

            Unfortunately, drug companies do not have to do safety studies for all of the chemicals they put in “products” for the skin and hair.  They somehow get a pass on this entire category of chemicals.  There are chemicals that are banned by the EPA in water and air and if a manufacturing plant is polluting the water or air with them they are fined and possibly shut down, but horrifyingly, these same chemicals are found in cosmetic products.

            As with everything you consume, the more natural the better.  Shop for products that use plant products vs. chemical products.  Take vitamin A and vitamin C supplements to build up the skin so that you do not burn easily in the sun.  Gradually expose your skin to the sun in the spring, staying out a little longer each time, to build up the pigment in the skin for a protection.  NEVER allow yourself to burn.  A burn is always harmful.  If you must be out all day only expose your skin for a limited, but increasing time each day and then put on more clothes and wear a hat.  In other words use some common sense.

            Remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and consider using olive oil for a suntan lotion instead of petroleum products.  And. Of course, HAVE A BLAST THIS SUMMER! 

            Just like the law of gravity that was put in place at creation to keep us from flying off of the earth into space.  It has the same pull on every living creature.  The laws of diet and health are also for everyone.  If we break these laws and do not cooperate with the way God made us, we begin to develop health mal-functions.  Then if we do not change our ways, we develop disease and pass that down to our children by writing it on their DNA.  The Bible calls this passing our sin down to the third and fourth generations.

            The amazing answer to this problem, however, is that God has created us to be energized, spiritual, bio-mechanical, self-healing machines created IN HIS IMAGE!  What a legacy!  So, how does that affect my individual life?

            Better health begins with a decision.  You must choose to begin your journey to better health, naturally.  No one else can do it for you.  Once you have made that decision to stop smoking, taking drugs, eating frankenfood, thinking toxic thoughts or whatever challenge you face, much help is available for you.  But there is no therapy or pill that makes you choose a better life. 

            Ethiopians chew the leaves to relieve colic and stomachaches.  The Lebanese use coriander as a spice and for gas and as a stimulant.  The Unani consider coriander seed as an aphrodisiac and a tonic to the brain, heart, and liver.  Ayurvedics recommend coriander for dysentery.  Iranians smoke coriander fruits for toothaches and chew the leaf for headaches.  Be careful with coriander seeds though, because, eaten in excess they may have a narcotic affect.

            I think the most valuable health use is one that modern research has discovered for us.  Cilantro has proven effective in chelating (removing) minerals and heavy metals from the body, especially mercury and iodine. Also, like many carrot-related spices, coriander contains coumarins that have blood-thinning properties.  I use cilantro capsules for this purpose frequently.  But, most of all, I like to just stroll through my garden in the evening and pick a few leaves and chew them.

Did you know that digestion begins in the mouth?  Your saliva contains enzymes that digest carbohydrates, turning them to sugar in your mouth.  That is, it will if you chew.  You should chew your food until it is liquid and easy to swallow.   In our society we take a bite, chew twice then wash it down with a big gulp.  There is no food grinder in your stomach, only in your mouth.

          Did you know that your mouth is the strongest part of your body?  The amount of pressure exerted by your jaws and teeth is tremendous.  That is why it is not a good idea to grind your teeth at night.  That is very hard on your teeth and gums.  Also, the pressure and function of chewing causes the release of certain chemicals in your brain and stimulates brain function.  If you only eat mush, not only will your body not be fed, but your brain is not being properly stimulated.  Eat whole, healthy foods that require plenty of chewing to break down the fibers of the plants. Your mouth is very important for your overall health.  So, what is the best way to take care of it?  I brush my teeth with a mild, perfume and chemical free soap.  Cavities are caused by bacteria being caught between your teeth and a film that will develop over your teeth from foods.  Tooth paste really does not remove that film and most toothpaste contains toxic chemicals.  

          If you have strong odors of a bad taste in your mouth, chances are there is infection somewhere.  Self-check by applying pressure on your gumline top and bottom on both sides.  If there is swelling and soreness, there is infection trapped below the tooth.  You can use essential oils applied topically over the swelling several times a day to kill out the infection.             

         A medical university did a study using the young medical doctors as their participants.  They hooked the med students up to sensors as they watched hours of video.  Some videos were of the doctors taking care of their patients in a medical setting.  Many of the videos were of the doctors caring for their own loved ones.  What they discovered was very interesting. When doing their job, caring for the sick, they were energized and enthused. When, however, they saw themselves caring for their own family, they became tired, drained and emotional.  Because of their emotional and spiritual connection to their loved ones, the task of care taking took a great toll on their own health, rest and energy. I challenge you to find that one hero you know who takes care of a loved one a daily basis and offer your services on a regular basis to give them a break from the routine that is so hard on them.  Many of these care takers never complain, but perhaps all they need is someone who “sees” what they are doing and gives them encouragement.  By giving this way you are not only improving your own health naturally, but also that of the caretaker. 

            First, remember that I believe that food is your first medicine.  The master chemist that developed these medicines was the Lord himself.  He is the perfect chemist.  When you eat an apple it contains the precise amount of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes, fiber, and water to make it a perfect food.  And who knows what is in an apple that hasn’t even been discovered yet?  We think we know everything now, but the more we learn, the more obvious it becomes, we certainly do not know everything. 

           Second, food processing removes many of these nutrients, making them empty calories.  The food processing industry’s answer to this problem is to add synthetic or manufactured nutrients back in and call the food enriched or enhanced.  These synthetic nutrients are not easily used by the body and at the very least leave us mal-nourished.  Then, we over cook most food destroying the enzymes God put there to aid our digestion.  

          One thing I know for sure is that there is no single product that is “the” miracle for every single person.  Recently most of the questions I am getting are about the many fruit juices that are bottled and sold through network marketing.  All fruits contain antioxidants that are anti-aging and anti inflammatory.  If you hurt, chances are if you make one of your meals every day a big bowl of a variety of raw fruits, some, if not all of your pain will go away.  But, remember, there is no one miracle that works for every single person.  If what you need is an anti inflammatory, then the fruit will help.  However, if you suffer from some sort of yeast/fungus infection that much concentrated sugar (from juice) might actually make you worse. 

           Remember, raw food is one of the best ways to have Better Health, Naturally.

Essential Oils are a gift from God for our healing, body, mind and soul.  The oils of plants are the “essence” of the plants and contain all of the active chemicals.  There is no nutrition in essential oils, just natural, active chemicals.  These are the naturally occurring chemicals that the drug companies try to make synthetic copies of so that they can patent them and sell them for enough money to pay for the research to develop these synthetic drugs as well as make a tremendous profit.

           With essential oils, like drugs, you must be careful of side effects, because the rest of the plant has the buffers needed to make them totally safe.  Some oils are totally without dangerous side effects and some are not.  

          This time of year would be a good time to begin your use of essential oils.  The insect repellent that the drug companies want you to use contains DEET.  This is a very harmful chemical and should be avoided.  But, what about the problem of mosquitoes that carry potentially life threatening diseases? 

           Essential oils could be your answer.  There is a relatively new product on the market called TKO Orange.  It is totally non-toxic.  It is made from the bitter white peel of the orange.  It will repel any insects.  You can spray yourr animals to repel fleas and ticks. You can spray across a doorway and ants will not cross it, but even if swallowed it is non-poisonous.  It is available in health food stores and some hardware stores.  

          If you would like to make your own repellent buy a copy of “Aromatherapy for Dummies” by Kathi Keville.  It has many good recipes for essential oils for many household uses and it gives the warnings for the ones that have potential side effects.  

          Essential oils are awesome medicine!  Add them to your medicine cabinet for Better Health, Naturally.