by: Gary M. Miller
How do you know if you have sleep apnea? Thanks to the wonderful technology of online resources, millions of sleep apnea patients are now aware of their current health condition and sleep apnea symptoms. Sleep apnea is a very common sleeping disorder affecting more than twelve million people. Studies show that the male-to-female ratio of sleep apnea patient is 2:1 or higher. Men snore at least twice as much as women do that it actually becomes a diagnosable condition! To be more specific, sleep apnea also affects people over forty and the young African American population the most. It is also promoted by being overweight, high blood pressure, having problems in the nose and throat, and smoking. These are all significant factors that can contribute to experiencing sleep apnea. But what about the symptoms? How do we know if we have sleep apnea or just a bad case of snoring?
Sleep apnea comes in three forms and all of them have different symptoms. The first is Obstructive sleep apnea. It is the most common form and is caused by an airway blockage that results in the collapsing and closing of the tissue at the back of the throat during sleep. To put it simpler, a person who suffers from this form of sleep apnea unconsciously experiences a sudden cessation on snoring followed by a silence because of the stoppage in breathing. This alternating pattern of snoring and silence can repeat over a hundred times a night causing poor sleep quality. This is one of the first symptoms to be detected for sleep apnea sufferers. Central sleep apnea is the second form of this disorder and it is brain related. What happens is the nerve signals are not sent to the muscles intended for breathing which causes the breathing problems to get irregular even when there is no blockage in the airways. This irregular breathing is a second symptom to look for. Finally, Mixed sleep apnea is a mixture of the central and obstructive sleep apneas. Despite the different names, you may now conclude that those three forms have the same effect, that the patient stops breathing while sleeping. Think about the life-threatening possibilities and the danger of this experience while you are in an unconscious state of mind! Sleep apnea is a very serious disorder that should be treated with extreme caution.
It is very difficult for anyone to determine if they are suffering from any type of sleep apnea simply because the condition is a sleep disorder and it is impossible to monitor yourself while sleeping. Seek out assistance! A member of your family, for example, can be the most credible in helping you evaluate these matters.
The main symptoms of sleep apnea happen while sleeping. The individual suffering may be unaware of the symptoms such as loud snoring due to breath recovery. They might also be unaware of the silence that comes immediately after, which is due to the inability to breathe caused by the blockage of the airway. Another symptom is the lack of rapid eye movement or REM sleep. Most normal people experience REM whenever they enter a deeper stage of sleeping. This is characterized by the fluttering of the eyelids while sleeping. You may have observed this natural movement of the eye from a normal person who is sleeping. This is easy to observe in children who are healthier and more capable of having a deep sound sleep. REM is impossible for sleep apnea patients because of the blockage in the airways and the lack of breath. The brain of the patient sends signals to the muscles for their breathing to continue again but they never enter a deep state of sleep. This causes constant tossing and turning in bed and a very poor sleep quality.
Aside from the symptoms experienced while sleeping, there are also obvious changes in behavior which can be considered as symptoms related to sleep apnea. They include irritability and excessive sleepiness that can even cause sleeping while driving. They also include less interest in sexual activities and memory problems. If one of your family members is complaining about your loud snoring and, at the same time, you are experiencing some changes that are affecting your daily normal activities, seek medical advice immediately! Untreated sleep apnea can be life-threatening and can develop into high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, weight gain, impotence, and headaches.
Becoming aware of and treating your sleep apnea symptoms will help you and others in your family to continue with a normal lifestyle. Sleep apnea can be life-threatening so don’t let this hinder you in experiencing a happier life with your loved ones.
Senin, 11 Agustus 2008
Boost Your Metabolism to Lose Weight
by: Steven Muller
There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of exertion. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.
There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, the digestive system, stress levels, personal diet, and activity levels. Metabolism slows down due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.
Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:
1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:
For strength training
-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible
For cardiovascular training
-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed
2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.
3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.
4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.
5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.
6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.
7. Detoxify the digestive system. A clean and healthy digestive system not only helps the body to run more efficiently, it also gives you energy and helps you to crave healthier foods. This makes a cleansing program, such as Isagenix 9-Day Cleansing and Fat Burning System, a great way to jump-start a weight loss regimen.
8. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.
9. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.
10. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.
11. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.
12. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.
13. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life. Fighting cravings is hard for most of us. A great help in the quest to eat healthier --and fight those unhealthy cravings-- is a body cleansing program. Visit www.loseweightandcleanse.com for details on Isagenix's 9-Day System.
There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of exertion. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.
There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, the digestive system, stress levels, personal diet, and activity levels. Metabolism slows down due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.
Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:
1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:
For strength training
-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible
For cardiovascular training
-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed
2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.
3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive exercise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.
4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.
5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.
6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.
7. Detoxify the digestive system. A clean and healthy digestive system not only helps the body to run more efficiently, it also gives you energy and helps you to crave healthier foods. This makes a cleansing program, such as Isagenix 9-Day Cleansing and Fat Burning System, a great way to jump-start a weight loss regimen.
8. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.
9. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.
10. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.
11. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.
12. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.
13. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life. Fighting cravings is hard for most of us. A great help in the quest to eat healthier --and fight those unhealthy cravings-- is a body cleansing program. Visit www.loseweightandcleanse.com for details on Isagenix's 9-Day System.
The Number 1 Muscle Gain Myth Busted!
by: Ben Kong
Seriously, there's virtually no point in bulking up by consuming excess calories in an attempt to 'pack on mass' or 'get huge' If you are training naturally and want a lean, muscular physique. All you are doing is being indulgent and unfortunately getting fat!
The fact is, muscle grows very slowly, so slowly on a daily basis that you don't need a great excess of calories to help it along; a couple of hundred calories is plenty.
Furthermore, when trying to lean down from a fairly high fat level with any speed you will lose some muscle and probably all that you gained during the bulking phase. You may have a small net gain but if that's the case then why bother putting on all the fat and having to lose it instead of just building steadily?
Then why does this bulking and cutting theory still have validity? The answer if you haven't already caught on is that the above statement is qualified with "if you are training naturally." Bulking and cutting (to a certain point in any case) can be valid if you have the pharmaceuticals to dramatically reduce the catabolism (muscle breakdown) whilst getting ripped. The resulting net gain is thus much larger and can make the practice worthwhile.
There is no need to force feed or stuff yourself with a heap of extra calories as quality mass gains take time. The reality is that new muscle grows slowly, even when you are training and eating optimally. Remember, muscle tissue is 80% water, and very little muscle protein is actually synthesized each day -just a few grams, so there is no need for a whole lot of extra protein or other calories.
In fact most of your extra calories will probably be carbs since the calorie deficit you create when losing body fat comes from a degree of carb restriction. Adding some extra carbohydrates at this stage will ensure you have maximum energy to train and recover and you should remember that whilst protein is muscle building, it is carbohydrates that are muscle sparing. Since you are now not actively trying to lose body fat, the extra carbs aren't a problem. In fact you may even find that although you are taking in more calories after a period of restriction, this kicks your metabolism into a higher gear and combined with higher energy workouts, you may continue to get leaner still while adding quality muscle mass.
Seriously, there's virtually no point in bulking up by consuming excess calories in an attempt to 'pack on mass' or 'get huge' If you are training naturally and want a lean, muscular physique. All you are doing is being indulgent and unfortunately getting fat!
The fact is, muscle grows very slowly, so slowly on a daily basis that you don't need a great excess of calories to help it along; a couple of hundred calories is plenty.
Furthermore, when trying to lean down from a fairly high fat level with any speed you will lose some muscle and probably all that you gained during the bulking phase. You may have a small net gain but if that's the case then why bother putting on all the fat and having to lose it instead of just building steadily?
Then why does this bulking and cutting theory still have validity? The answer if you haven't already caught on is that the above statement is qualified with "if you are training naturally." Bulking and cutting (to a certain point in any case) can be valid if you have the pharmaceuticals to dramatically reduce the catabolism (muscle breakdown) whilst getting ripped. The resulting net gain is thus much larger and can make the practice worthwhile.
There is no need to force feed or stuff yourself with a heap of extra calories as quality mass gains take time. The reality is that new muscle grows slowly, even when you are training and eating optimally. Remember, muscle tissue is 80% water, and very little muscle protein is actually synthesized each day -just a few grams, so there is no need for a whole lot of extra protein or other calories.
In fact most of your extra calories will probably be carbs since the calorie deficit you create when losing body fat comes from a degree of carb restriction. Adding some extra carbohydrates at this stage will ensure you have maximum energy to train and recover and you should remember that whilst protein is muscle building, it is carbohydrates that are muscle sparing. Since you are now not actively trying to lose body fat, the extra carbs aren't a problem. In fact you may even find that although you are taking in more calories after a period of restriction, this kicks your metabolism into a higher gear and combined with higher energy workouts, you may continue to get leaner still while adding quality muscle mass.
The Scientific Truth About Muscle Growth Once And For All - Part 1
by: Ben Kong
What if you finally had the scientific TRUTH about muscle growth once and for all? What if you knew how to train to stimulate ALL of your body's own natural growth mechanisms? It would mean that you'd be packing on lean muscle mass as fast as humanly possible.
Without understanding that there are two key mechanisms for muscle growth the vast majority of guys training in the gym, even those who may have trained for years are missing out on up to fifty percent of their potential gains. This is basically like wasting HALF your precious training time.
Why does this occur? Well there are two basic 'schools of thought' when it comes to weight training and over the years they have been often at odds at to which is the best way to train with heated debate, science and real-world examples to illustrate the superiority of their own viewpoints. In one corner we have the classic bodybuilding crowd who have always focused on the pump and isolating each individual muscle and feeling the tension throughout the entire range of motion. This culture has also permeated into most formal 'gym instructor' doctrine as it is generally a safe way to train the masses.
The other way of thinking has much of its roots in powerlifting and strength training and has a much greater emphasis on progressively hitting the muscles with heavier weights in order to make them adapt and grow stronger and bigger. The focus is much more on overloading the muscles by using looser form and momentum to be able to hit the target muscles with more weight than would otherwise be possible. They believe that whilst the muscle wouldn't be under as much direct tension, the sheer stimulus it receives from the heavier weights more than compensates for this and is a better way to pack on lean muscle.
Most people in the gym tend to be one or the other, often depending on whom they listened to when they first started out or whom they currently take their training influence from. However is this a logical position to take?
NO.
Stay Tuned For Part 2!
What if you finally had the scientific TRUTH about muscle growth once and for all? What if you knew how to train to stimulate ALL of your body's own natural growth mechanisms? It would mean that you'd be packing on lean muscle mass as fast as humanly possible.
Without understanding that there are two key mechanisms for muscle growth the vast majority of guys training in the gym, even those who may have trained for years are missing out on up to fifty percent of their potential gains. This is basically like wasting HALF your precious training time.
Why does this occur? Well there are two basic 'schools of thought' when it comes to weight training and over the years they have been often at odds at to which is the best way to train with heated debate, science and real-world examples to illustrate the superiority of their own viewpoints. In one corner we have the classic bodybuilding crowd who have always focused on the pump and isolating each individual muscle and feeling the tension throughout the entire range of motion. This culture has also permeated into most formal 'gym instructor' doctrine as it is generally a safe way to train the masses.
The other way of thinking has much of its roots in powerlifting and strength training and has a much greater emphasis on progressively hitting the muscles with heavier weights in order to make them adapt and grow stronger and bigger. The focus is much more on overloading the muscles by using looser form and momentum to be able to hit the target muscles with more weight than would otherwise be possible. They believe that whilst the muscle wouldn't be under as much direct tension, the sheer stimulus it receives from the heavier weights more than compensates for this and is a better way to pack on lean muscle.
Most people in the gym tend to be one or the other, often depending on whom they listened to when they first started out or whom they currently take their training influence from. However is this a logical position to take?
NO.
Stay Tuned For Part 2!
The Scientific Truth About Muscle Growth Once And For All - Part 2
by: Ben Kong
This is essentially why the average person is missing out on half their potential gains by only performing their exercises in one way.
In short, the science of muscle growth and the current practice of world class trainers indicates that the FASTEST way to humanly pack on as much lean muscle as possible requires your resistance training program to blend both heavy strength based movements with looser form that still overloads the target muscles correctly together with lighter movements that create maximise the 'pump' or what is known as 'occlusion' of blood flow.
Why?
For many years science has known that overloading muscles with progressively heavier weights leads to lean muscle growth. However, many people including elite bodybuilders adamantly trained for the pump and yet still grew and often phenomenally at that. It is only recently that science has been able to discover why training for the pump or occlusion creates muscle growth.
The most CRITICAL point is this though: Whilst the two styles of training stimulate muscle growth, they do so through DIFFERENT pathways meaning that if you only train in one style, you are missing out on the muscle stimulating benefits of the other.
So essentially the secret for maximum muscle growth is out: learn how to create YOUR perfect blend of heavy power training that still hits its target muscles dead on and tight controlled movements to maximize occlusion.
Using this ground-breaking science, the Ultimate Body Success Program will once and for all help you to create a weight training program that isn't some confused collection of hype fuelled madness that had no basis in reality and the actual physiological science of muscle growth. Using the concepts of Specific Targeted Overload (STO) and Maximum Occlusion (MO) you will be able to know EXACTLY what you are trying to achieve with each and every rep of each and every set. Body part by body part you will be able to maximize the potential of each and every exercise to precisely stimulate one of the two scientifically proven mechanisms for muscle growth instead of just doing a set and having absolutely no idea if it helped stimulate new growth.
No matter how often you are able to train you will be able to design training programs for yourself like an expert because you will have a crystal clear idea of what each and every exercise, set and rep is designed to do. You will finally be able to train with an unprecedented degree of certainty and precision that will ignite new growth like never before training totally in synch with how your body builds lean muscle mass.
This is essentially why the average person is missing out on half their potential gains by only performing their exercises in one way.
In short, the science of muscle growth and the current practice of world class trainers indicates that the FASTEST way to humanly pack on as much lean muscle as possible requires your resistance training program to blend both heavy strength based movements with looser form that still overloads the target muscles correctly together with lighter movements that create maximise the 'pump' or what is known as 'occlusion' of blood flow.
Why?
For many years science has known that overloading muscles with progressively heavier weights leads to lean muscle growth. However, many people including elite bodybuilders adamantly trained for the pump and yet still grew and often phenomenally at that. It is only recently that science has been able to discover why training for the pump or occlusion creates muscle growth.
The most CRITICAL point is this though: Whilst the two styles of training stimulate muscle growth, they do so through DIFFERENT pathways meaning that if you only train in one style, you are missing out on the muscle stimulating benefits of the other.
So essentially the secret for maximum muscle growth is out: learn how to create YOUR perfect blend of heavy power training that still hits its target muscles dead on and tight controlled movements to maximize occlusion.
Using this ground-breaking science, the Ultimate Body Success Program will once and for all help you to create a weight training program that isn't some confused collection of hype fuelled madness that had no basis in reality and the actual physiological science of muscle growth. Using the concepts of Specific Targeted Overload (STO) and Maximum Occlusion (MO) you will be able to know EXACTLY what you are trying to achieve with each and every rep of each and every set. Body part by body part you will be able to maximize the potential of each and every exercise to precisely stimulate one of the two scientifically proven mechanisms for muscle growth instead of just doing a set and having absolutely no idea if it helped stimulate new growth.
No matter how often you are able to train you will be able to design training programs for yourself like an expert because you will have a crystal clear idea of what each and every exercise, set and rep is designed to do. You will finally be able to train with an unprecedented degree of certainty and precision that will ignite new growth like never before training totally in synch with how your body builds lean muscle mass.
Processed Food Is Making You Fat And Sick
by: Ben Kong
The dirty little secret of the processed food companies that they hope we never find out is that: THE CHEMICALS FROM THEIR FOOD ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING EXCESS BODY FAT.
But if it's low calorie or low fat how can this be?
This is how it happens.
Your liver is basically your toxin filter but it is also the number one organ responsible for metabolism and fat burning. The thing is that it can't do both at once. Even the average person who eats what they consider to be 'pretty good' is often ingesting a lot of chemicals from their food (let alone from personal care products and their environment and that's another story that we also cover). Now, if your liver is constantly trying to detoxify your body, what is it NOT doing? Yep, that's right - it's NOT burning fat and regulating your metabolism.
Now the problem is that we have to eat every day and several times a day at that. If your food is not 'clean' then chances are you will be ingesting a cocktail of chemicals several times per day. Your liver can only do so much toxin filtering so what happens when it gets over run by so many nasty chemicals that it can't process them all? It has to store them somewhere. Where? Well, inside the body you have all these important vital organs that are critical to survival and maintaining life so let's not put the chemicals there. Instead, let's put them on the outside and since many of them are acidic and harmful, we're going to have to insulate them in something. Hmm, let's put a nice thick layer of fat around them and store the excess chemicals from processed food that way.
The chemicals from processed food will make you fat, period. Learning how to follow a simple plan to avoid them is critical to your success. Once you also discover for yourself the gory details of what toxins will do to your body and how they will cripple your best efforts in the gym, you will move to a whole new level of understanding. Having this in depth knowledge makes the day-to-day decisions that create a lean muscular body easier because you will know how much making the wrong choices will sabotage all you from getting the body you desire.
The dirty little secret of the processed food companies that they hope we never find out is that: THE CHEMICALS FROM THEIR FOOD ARE DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING EXCESS BODY FAT.
But if it's low calorie or low fat how can this be?
This is how it happens.
Your liver is basically your toxin filter but it is also the number one organ responsible for metabolism and fat burning. The thing is that it can't do both at once. Even the average person who eats what they consider to be 'pretty good' is often ingesting a lot of chemicals from their food (let alone from personal care products and their environment and that's another story that we also cover). Now, if your liver is constantly trying to detoxify your body, what is it NOT doing? Yep, that's right - it's NOT burning fat and regulating your metabolism.
Now the problem is that we have to eat every day and several times a day at that. If your food is not 'clean' then chances are you will be ingesting a cocktail of chemicals several times per day. Your liver can only do so much toxin filtering so what happens when it gets over run by so many nasty chemicals that it can't process them all? It has to store them somewhere. Where? Well, inside the body you have all these important vital organs that are critical to survival and maintaining life so let's not put the chemicals there. Instead, let's put them on the outside and since many of them are acidic and harmful, we're going to have to insulate them in something. Hmm, let's put a nice thick layer of fat around them and store the excess chemicals from processed food that way.
The chemicals from processed food will make you fat, period. Learning how to follow a simple plan to avoid them is critical to your success. Once you also discover for yourself the gory details of what toxins will do to your body and how they will cripple your best efforts in the gym, you will move to a whole new level of understanding. Having this in depth knowledge makes the day-to-day decisions that create a lean muscular body easier because you will know how much making the wrong choices will sabotage all you from getting the body you desire.
The Curse Of Processed Foods - White Sugar Equals White Death
by: Ben Kong
that almost all of them contain refined white sugar. This can be in several forms such as sugar, sucrose, corn syrup etc but the bottom line is that all are highly detrimental to your health and achieving the body you deserve. This section is quite detailed but it's important that you know the TRUTH about how white sugar just totally destroys your ability to get lean and muscular and with this knowledge 'eating clean' becomes a powerfully sane choice.
The following information comes from 'Sugar Blues' by William Duffy.
Why is sugar toxic to the body?
In 1957 Dr William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of "poison" was: "Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Dr Martin classified refined sugar as a POISON because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals.
"Sugar consumption forms 'toxic metabolites' such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing five carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells. These toxic metabolites interfere with the respiration of the cells. They cannot get sufficient oxygen to survive and function normally. In time, some of the cells die. This interferes with the function of a part of the body and is the beginning of degenerative disease."
Refined sugar is lethal when ingested by humans because it provides only that which nutritionists describe as "empty" calories. In addition, sugar is worse than nothing because it drains and leaches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demand its digestion, detoxification and elimination make upon one's entire system.
Sugar taken every day produces a continuously over acid condition, and more and more minerals are required from deep in the body in the attempt to rectify the imbalance. Finally, in order to protect the blood, so much calcium is taken from the bones and teeth that decay and general weakening begin.
Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body. Initially, it is stored in the liver but the liver's capacity is limited, a daily intake of refined sugar soon makes the liver expand like a balloon. When the liver is filled to its maximum capacity, the excess glycogen is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These are taken to every part of the body and stored in the most inactive areas: the belly, the buttocks, the breasts (man boobs anyone?) and thighs.
When these comparatively harmless places are completely filled, fatty acids are then distributed among active organs, such as the heart and kidneys. These begin to slow down; finally their tissues degenerate and turn to fat. The whole body is affected and abnormal blood pressure is created. The parasympathetic nervous system is affected; and organs governed by it, such as the small brain, become inactive or paralyzed. The circulatory and lymphatic systems are invaded, and the quality of the red corpuscles starts to change. An overabundance of white cells occurs, and the creation of tissue becomes slower. Our body's tolerance and immunizing power becomes increasingly limited, so we cannot respond properly to extreme attacks, whether they be cold, heat, mosquitoes or microbes.
Excessive sugar has a strong mal-effect on the functioning of the brain. The key to orderly brain function is glutamic acid, a vital compound found in many vegetables. The B vitamins play a major role in dividing glutamic acid into antagonistic-complementary compounds, which produce a "proceed" or "control" response in the brain. B vitamins are also manufactured by symbiotic bacteria that live in our intestines. When refined sugar is taken daily, these bacteria wither and die, and our stock of B vitamins gets very low. Too much sugar makes one sleepy; our ability to calculate and remember is lost.
Thus it should be clear that in order to get your body as lean and muscular as possible, you have to stop kneecapping yourself and your progress every time you have something to eat.
that almost all of them contain refined white sugar. This can be in several forms such as sugar, sucrose, corn syrup etc but the bottom line is that all are highly detrimental to your health and achieving the body you deserve. This section is quite detailed but it's important that you know the TRUTH about how white sugar just totally destroys your ability to get lean and muscular and with this knowledge 'eating clean' becomes a powerfully sane choice.
The following information comes from 'Sugar Blues' by William Duffy.
Why is sugar toxic to the body?
In 1957 Dr William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of "poison" was: "Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Dr Martin classified refined sugar as a POISON because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals.
"Sugar consumption forms 'toxic metabolites' such as pyruvic acid and abnormal sugars containing five carbon atoms. Pyruvic acid accumulates in the brain and nervous system and the abnormal sugars in the red blood cells. These toxic metabolites interfere with the respiration of the cells. They cannot get sufficient oxygen to survive and function normally. In time, some of the cells die. This interferes with the function of a part of the body and is the beginning of degenerative disease."
Refined sugar is lethal when ingested by humans because it provides only that which nutritionists describe as "empty" calories. In addition, sugar is worse than nothing because it drains and leaches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demand its digestion, detoxification and elimination make upon one's entire system.
Sugar taken every day produces a continuously over acid condition, and more and more minerals are required from deep in the body in the attempt to rectify the imbalance. Finally, in order to protect the blood, so much calcium is taken from the bones and teeth that decay and general weakening begin.
Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body. Initially, it is stored in the liver but the liver's capacity is limited, a daily intake of refined sugar soon makes the liver expand like a balloon. When the liver is filled to its maximum capacity, the excess glycogen is returned to the blood in the form of fatty acids. These are taken to every part of the body and stored in the most inactive areas: the belly, the buttocks, the breasts (man boobs anyone?) and thighs.
When these comparatively harmless places are completely filled, fatty acids are then distributed among active organs, such as the heart and kidneys. These begin to slow down; finally their tissues degenerate and turn to fat. The whole body is affected and abnormal blood pressure is created. The parasympathetic nervous system is affected; and organs governed by it, such as the small brain, become inactive or paralyzed. The circulatory and lymphatic systems are invaded, and the quality of the red corpuscles starts to change. An overabundance of white cells occurs, and the creation of tissue becomes slower. Our body's tolerance and immunizing power becomes increasingly limited, so we cannot respond properly to extreme attacks, whether they be cold, heat, mosquitoes or microbes.
Excessive sugar has a strong mal-effect on the functioning of the brain. The key to orderly brain function is glutamic acid, a vital compound found in many vegetables. The B vitamins play a major role in dividing glutamic acid into antagonistic-complementary compounds, which produce a "proceed" or "control" response in the brain. B vitamins are also manufactured by symbiotic bacteria that live in our intestines. When refined sugar is taken daily, these bacteria wither and die, and our stock of B vitamins gets very low. Too much sugar makes one sleepy; our ability to calculate and remember is lost.
Thus it should be clear that in order to get your body as lean and muscular as possible, you have to stop kneecapping yourself and your progress every time you have something to eat.
The Critical Reason You Must Manage Your Calorie Deficit Carefully
by: Ben Kong
Another reason why you need to manage your calorie deficit carefully is the 'starvation response'. Losing a kilo of body fat per week for several weeks may be impossible even if you could sustain the lack of food and training with very little fuel. This is because when the body is pushed too hard with any diet, it will rebel and begin to hold on to every calorie it gets as a primitive survival response. It doesn't care about you getting a six pack, it just thinks that you are in the middle of the desert starving, so it tries to keep itself alive. The result is that fat burning is stopped in its tracks and your body cannibalizes its muscle tissue to feed itself until you decide to be more sensible with your food intake.
An incredible example of this is recounted by Clarence Bass, the legendary bodybuilder who has reduced his body fat to a staggering 2.4% on numerous occasions and has kept himself in the 4-6% range for about 30 years. On one occasion he had to lose a certain amount of fat, which he calculated to be a deficit of 750 calories per day for one week. He was at 3.1% but by the end of the week this highly trained and experienced bodybuilder ended up at 3.7% gaining a almost one pound of fat despite (just) a 750 calorie per day deficit.
This happened again two years later when he again started a week at 2.4% and dieted too hard and over the course of a week ended up losing 5.6 pounds in seven days but having his body fat go UP to 3.1%. This meant that Bass lost 6.12 pounds of muscle and gained 1.06 pounds of fat.
If Clarence Bass, who is one of the most experienced bodybuilders and consistently ripped men on earth can be overdoing it and provoking his starvation response on a 750 calorie per day deficit, then it pays for you to be careful.
Another reason why you need to manage your calorie deficit carefully is the 'starvation response'. Losing a kilo of body fat per week for several weeks may be impossible even if you could sustain the lack of food and training with very little fuel. This is because when the body is pushed too hard with any diet, it will rebel and begin to hold on to every calorie it gets as a primitive survival response. It doesn't care about you getting a six pack, it just thinks that you are in the middle of the desert starving, so it tries to keep itself alive. The result is that fat burning is stopped in its tracks and your body cannibalizes its muscle tissue to feed itself until you decide to be more sensible with your food intake.
An incredible example of this is recounted by Clarence Bass, the legendary bodybuilder who has reduced his body fat to a staggering 2.4% on numerous occasions and has kept himself in the 4-6% range for about 30 years. On one occasion he had to lose a certain amount of fat, which he calculated to be a deficit of 750 calories per day for one week. He was at 3.1% but by the end of the week this highly trained and experienced bodybuilder ended up at 3.7% gaining a almost one pound of fat despite (just) a 750 calorie per day deficit.
This happened again two years later when he again started a week at 2.4% and dieted too hard and over the course of a week ended up losing 5.6 pounds in seven days but having his body fat go UP to 3.1%. This meant that Bass lost 6.12 pounds of muscle and gained 1.06 pounds of fat.
If Clarence Bass, who is one of the most experienced bodybuilders and consistently ripped men on earth can be overdoing it and provoking his starvation response on a 750 calorie per day deficit, then it pays for you to be careful.
The Dairy Calcium Myth
by: Ben Kong
The Dairy Calcium Myth Milk is not as high in calcium as the dairy industry would have you believe. In Healthy Vitamins and Minerals by Jane Turner, under the section on Calcium, milk doesn't even make the first page and sits 35th on the list with 120mg of calcium per 100g.
Some of the foods that beat it by far are sesame seeds (670mg/100g, more than 5 times!), sardines (540), Nori seaweed (470), both more than triple, almonds (240, double!), figs (230) parsley, spinach, watercress, kale (200-170, and these are green vegetables!) even hazelnuts and oysters (140).
More importantly though what little calcium milk actually has is offset by the fact that it is barely absorbable by humans since cows milk is meant for baby cows. Dr William Ellis has conducted thousands of blood tests in people who drank 4 glasses of milk a day and found that they had lower levels of calcium than the rest of the population.
This is because milk interferes with the digestion of nutrients by clogging the stomach and intestines with mucous. On top of all this, cows these days are extremely unhealthy as they have been pumped full of drugs, hormones and antibiotics (to prop them up from the diseases they contract) in a bid to produce more milk faster. Milk has been found to have 59 active hormones, 52 antibiotic residues, scores of allergens and contaminants such as pus from diseased udders.
The bottom line through all of this is that, on whose authority are you trusting when it comes deciding what goes into your mouth? Yours or the supposed 'experts' in the health and food industry with highly toxic hidden agendas? On whose authority are you trusting when it comes to deciding what food best fuels your body for the intensity of your workouts and post recovery? Yours or the supposed 'experts' in the health and food industry with highly toxic hidden agendas? On whose authority are you trusting when it comes to deciding what you should ingest to keep you not only healthy but alive? Yours or the supposed 'experts' in the health and food industry with highly toxic hidden agendas?
Get the picture?
Nutrition forms the absolute cornerstone for unleashing the ultimate physique that lies within you - clean functional nutrition based on what your body requires, not what someone would like you to eat so they can line their pockets are totally two different things. Before you eat anything that you believe should form part of your training regime, don't just take some 'expert's' word for gold, question everything. Seriously, don't even take my word for gospel - check it out and test out how accurate the above data is compared to what you hear day in day out from the health and food industry. If you're serious about making changes to your body and life, even if you do this just once, as soon as you see for yourself that what you're being told by those you've always believed you can trust is not always the truth, you will never go back. The truth will empower you to seek the truth out yourself and ensure your authority becomes rooted in what's accurate because your authority will be none other than your own.
The Dairy Calcium Myth Milk is not as high in calcium as the dairy industry would have you believe. In Healthy Vitamins and Minerals by Jane Turner, under the section on Calcium, milk doesn't even make the first page and sits 35th on the list with 120mg of calcium per 100g.
Some of the foods that beat it by far are sesame seeds (670mg/100g, more than 5 times!), sardines (540), Nori seaweed (470), both more than triple, almonds (240, double!), figs (230) parsley, spinach, watercress, kale (200-170, and these are green vegetables!) even hazelnuts and oysters (140).
More importantly though what little calcium milk actually has is offset by the fact that it is barely absorbable by humans since cows milk is meant for baby cows. Dr William Ellis has conducted thousands of blood tests in people who drank 4 glasses of milk a day and found that they had lower levels of calcium than the rest of the population.
This is because milk interferes with the digestion of nutrients by clogging the stomach and intestines with mucous. On top of all this, cows these days are extremely unhealthy as they have been pumped full of drugs, hormones and antibiotics (to prop them up from the diseases they contract) in a bid to produce more milk faster. Milk has been found to have 59 active hormones, 52 antibiotic residues, scores of allergens and contaminants such as pus from diseased udders.
The bottom line through all of this is that, on whose authority are you trusting when it comes deciding what goes into your mouth? Yours or the supposed 'experts' in the health and food industry with highly toxic hidden agendas? On whose authority are you trusting when it comes to deciding what food best fuels your body for the intensity of your workouts and post recovery? Yours or the supposed 'experts' in the health and food industry with highly toxic hidden agendas? On whose authority are you trusting when it comes to deciding what you should ingest to keep you not only healthy but alive? Yours or the supposed 'experts' in the health and food industry with highly toxic hidden agendas?
Get the picture?
Nutrition forms the absolute cornerstone for unleashing the ultimate physique that lies within you - clean functional nutrition based on what your body requires, not what someone would like you to eat so they can line their pockets are totally two different things. Before you eat anything that you believe should form part of your training regime, don't just take some 'expert's' word for gold, question everything. Seriously, don't even take my word for gospel - check it out and test out how accurate the above data is compared to what you hear day in day out from the health and food industry. If you're serious about making changes to your body and life, even if you do this just once, as soon as you see for yourself that what you're being told by those you've always believed you can trust is not always the truth, you will never go back. The truth will empower you to seek the truth out yourself and ensure your authority becomes rooted in what's accurate because your authority will be none other than your own.
The Most Compelling Reasons To Eat Organic Meat
by: Ben Kong
Of the three macronutrients, protein is the most important for health and achieving the body you want. The bottom line is that protein is the ONLY nutrient out of the three that restores and repairs every single cell in your body. Now, every day your body with its trillions of cells is constantly being broken down and being rebuilt. In fact every 7 years you are literally a completely new person - there is not one cell in your body that was there 7 years ago. To stay alive we need enough protein to grow new cells to replace the old ones. It's that simple. With our hectic modern lives, the breakdown is even greater and so to stay healthy we need to make sure we are getting enough each and every day. Individual requirements will vary however a good minimum is anywhere from 1.5-3 grams per kilo of bodyweight when you are exercising depending on your specific goals and needs. This amount is necessary because as you exercise you breakdown a great deal of protein in the body to train it to adapt and grow new muscle that will fire up your metabolism and help you burn more body fat.
Now when we talk about quality protein sources you can always look to red meat...but not just any red meat, more to the point, quality organic red meat.
One of the most compelling reasons to eat only organic meat is the massive use of anti-biotics in the stock feed of mass commercially produced meats. In the United Sates Almost 17.9 million pounds of anti-biotics was added to stock feed of farm animals in an attempt to prevent the diseases caused by mass farming as well as a growth promoter to fatten the stock more quickly.
Considering most dosages of anti-biotics if you are unlucky enough to need them once or twice a year are measured in milligrams (1/1000th of a gram), anti-biotics in livestock feed create a massive overdose of 27g of anti-biotics per year for every man woman and child. This means that as a population, our natural resistance to disease is being steadily eroded. The situation in Australia is little better with approximately 20g of anti-biotics from stock feed ingested per person each year.
Once you have converted to organic meat there is no going back as it is far more carefully produced in smaller batches and the superior quality and taste is self-evident.
Eating meat can make you feel heavy at times but after eating organic meats you will probably find yourself feeling energized, as you should after having a good quality dose of protein. Game meats such as buffalo, bison, venison, kangaroo and ostrich are an excellent source of clean chemical free protein. They is also very low in fat, taste great and can be very good value for money. In larger pieces game meats with their lower fat content need to be cooked fairly rare, but if you prefer well done, slice thinly and use in stirfrys.
Your protein intake may be supplemented by good quality protein powders, which are particularly good before and after training due to their quick absorption, and convenience.
Of the three macronutrients, protein is the most important for health and achieving the body you want. The bottom line is that protein is the ONLY nutrient out of the three that restores and repairs every single cell in your body. Now, every day your body with its trillions of cells is constantly being broken down and being rebuilt. In fact every 7 years you are literally a completely new person - there is not one cell in your body that was there 7 years ago. To stay alive we need enough protein to grow new cells to replace the old ones. It's that simple. With our hectic modern lives, the breakdown is even greater and so to stay healthy we need to make sure we are getting enough each and every day. Individual requirements will vary however a good minimum is anywhere from 1.5-3 grams per kilo of bodyweight when you are exercising depending on your specific goals and needs. This amount is necessary because as you exercise you breakdown a great deal of protein in the body to train it to adapt and grow new muscle that will fire up your metabolism and help you burn more body fat.
Now when we talk about quality protein sources you can always look to red meat...but not just any red meat, more to the point, quality organic red meat.
One of the most compelling reasons to eat only organic meat is the massive use of anti-biotics in the stock feed of mass commercially produced meats. In the United Sates Almost 17.9 million pounds of anti-biotics was added to stock feed of farm animals in an attempt to prevent the diseases caused by mass farming as well as a growth promoter to fatten the stock more quickly.
Considering most dosages of anti-biotics if you are unlucky enough to need them once or twice a year are measured in milligrams (1/1000th of a gram), anti-biotics in livestock feed create a massive overdose of 27g of anti-biotics per year for every man woman and child. This means that as a population, our natural resistance to disease is being steadily eroded. The situation in Australia is little better with approximately 20g of anti-biotics from stock feed ingested per person each year.
Once you have converted to organic meat there is no going back as it is far more carefully produced in smaller batches and the superior quality and taste is self-evident.
Eating meat can make you feel heavy at times but after eating organic meats you will probably find yourself feeling energized, as you should after having a good quality dose of protein. Game meats such as buffalo, bison, venison, kangaroo and ostrich are an excellent source of clean chemical free protein. They is also very low in fat, taste great and can be very good value for money. In larger pieces game meats with their lower fat content need to be cooked fairly rare, but if you prefer well done, slice thinly and use in stirfrys.
Your protein intake may be supplemented by good quality protein powders, which are particularly good before and after training due to their quick absorption, and convenience.
Toxic Chemicals In Food: Your Number 1 Weight Loss Enemy
by: Ben Kong
Although most people logically acknowledge that chemicals in food are bad for them they do not really understand the full implications especially its direct connections to the metabolism and storage of excess body fat.
Firstly, the more chemicals that a person consumes from their food, the harder the liver must work to metabolize and flush out all of the toxins from the body. What does this have to do with fat loss? The liver is the body's number one fat burning organ and its health and function is closely related to how lean your physique will be. The more time it spends processing chemicals (including alcohol), the less it has to properly regulate your metabolism, burn fat and keep you looking lean and toned.
Here's some statistics to clearly put you in the picture:
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently lists about 2800 international food additives and about 3000 chemicals added deliberately to the food supply. Including chemicals used in food production from ground to stomach, the number rises to between 10,000 and 15,000. William Kellas and Andrea Dworkin -Surviving in a toxic world There are currently over 100,000 chemicals approved for use in Europe alone with over 8000 more added each year. The Danish Environmental Authority entered all that was known about 40,000 chemicals into a database and concluded: " 20,624 to be dangerous, of this number 9,538 acutely dangerous when consumed. " A further 9,668 incur allergic reactions. " 1678 are mutagenic. " 642 incur cancer.
Another massive problem with processed foods is that almost all of them contain refined white sugar. This can be in several forms such as sugar, sucrose, corn syrup etc but the bottom line is that all are highly detrimental to your health and achieving the body you deserve. This section is quite detailed but it's important that you know the TRUTH about how white sugar just totally destroys your ability to get lean and muscular and with this knowledge 'eating clean' becomes a powerfully sane choice. The following information comes from 'Sugar Blues' by William Duffy. Why is sugar toxic to the body? In 1957 Dr William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of "poison" was: "Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Dr Martin classified refined sugar as a POISON because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals.
This is why the KEY principle above all else in your eating plan will be to eat only natural, unprocessed (and organic whenever possible) foods. Reducing the chemical build-up and intake will get your liver burning fat and speed up your metabolism so you are a better fat burning machine 24/7.
Obviously with the amounts of chemicals most people typically consume from the foods they generally eat, the liver cannot process them all so they become stored in the body until they can be processed. If the chemical barrage would stop these 'chemical stockpiles' would get around to being processed but unfortunately since there are more chemicals taken in every day, the stockpiles get larger and larger. Also many of these chemicals cause an acidity in the body that needs to be neutralized lest it literally burn and damage cells and tissue including your hard earned muscle that you spend hours in the gym developing.
Although most people logically acknowledge that chemicals in food are bad for them they do not really understand the full implications especially its direct connections to the metabolism and storage of excess body fat.
Firstly, the more chemicals that a person consumes from their food, the harder the liver must work to metabolize and flush out all of the toxins from the body. What does this have to do with fat loss? The liver is the body's number one fat burning organ and its health and function is closely related to how lean your physique will be. The more time it spends processing chemicals (including alcohol), the less it has to properly regulate your metabolism, burn fat and keep you looking lean and toned.
Here's some statistics to clearly put you in the picture:
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently lists about 2800 international food additives and about 3000 chemicals added deliberately to the food supply. Including chemicals used in food production from ground to stomach, the number rises to between 10,000 and 15,000. William Kellas and Andrea Dworkin -Surviving in a toxic world There are currently over 100,000 chemicals approved for use in Europe alone with over 8000 more added each year. The Danish Environmental Authority entered all that was known about 40,000 chemicals into a database and concluded: " 20,624 to be dangerous, of this number 9,538 acutely dangerous when consumed. " A further 9,668 incur allergic reactions. " 1678 are mutagenic. " 642 incur cancer.
Another massive problem with processed foods is that almost all of them contain refined white sugar. This can be in several forms such as sugar, sucrose, corn syrup etc but the bottom line is that all are highly detrimental to your health and achieving the body you deserve. This section is quite detailed but it's important that you know the TRUTH about how white sugar just totally destroys your ability to get lean and muscular and with this knowledge 'eating clean' becomes a powerfully sane choice. The following information comes from 'Sugar Blues' by William Duffy. Why is sugar toxic to the body? In 1957 Dr William Coda Martin tried to answer the question: When is a food a food and when is it a poison? His working definition of "poison" was: "Medically: Any substance applied to the body, ingested or developed within the body, which causes or may cause disease. Dr Martin classified refined sugar as a POISON because it has been depleted of its life forces, vitamins and minerals.
This is why the KEY principle above all else in your eating plan will be to eat only natural, unprocessed (and organic whenever possible) foods. Reducing the chemical build-up and intake will get your liver burning fat and speed up your metabolism so you are a better fat burning machine 24/7.
Obviously with the amounts of chemicals most people typically consume from the foods they generally eat, the liver cannot process them all so they become stored in the body until they can be processed. If the chemical barrage would stop these 'chemical stockpiles' would get around to being processed but unfortunately since there are more chemicals taken in every day, the stockpiles get larger and larger. Also many of these chemicals cause an acidity in the body that needs to be neutralized lest it literally burn and damage cells and tissue including your hard earned muscle that you spend hours in the gym developing.
How To Make Weight Loss And Muscle Gain The Powerful Lifestyle Choice
by: Ben Kong
Busy people live their lives according to their diaries which is effective and efficient. Yet for some reason, often when starting an exercise program they won't book themselves in. Rather they will simply decide to exercise and sure enough because that's what they want to do, they will set out and begin. The problem is though that they are busy people and as such 'life' gets in the way of their exercise very quickly. Booking themselves for exercise is a key practice that serves to minimize the various disruptions to the kind of consistency required to achieve significant muscle gain and fat loss for a better body.
It is important in a couple of ways. First of all it creates a tangible and subconscious importance for the exercise session and as such, it is given due consideration when arranging all other affairs as opposed to always being the first thing to be sacrificed for other priorities. This small step can make an amazing difference to a person's consistency. Simply by giving the time required to create a better body at bare minimum an equal footing, people get smarter and think laterally and design their lives to be able to meet this new commitment. Of course there will still be scheduling conflicts (though far less). In these cases though, diarizing exercise alongside everything else again makes people solution focused and sharpens their organization in order to be able to make it possible to meet both objectives should a conflict arise. Exercise becomes part of the priority hierarchy and over time, may even move up the list. This means that the busy person willingly increases their commitment to exercise and will muscle gain and fat loss results faster but most importantly, they will do so in a stress free manner because exercise is balanced against all their other life priorities.
The second key once time has been 'created' for exercise is to maximize it. Does any high achiever settle for second best? Do they haphazardly attack challenges without a sound strategic understanding of various cause and effect relationships so that they can navigate a course of action that will allow them to achieve success in the most effective and efficient way possible? For busy people who want to maximize lean muscle gain and fat loss, knowing the exact specifics of the entire process is critical. By understanding how the body responds to food and training will keep you on the most productive path possible. Yet so many simply seek training methods and adopt them without any idea if they are sound because they have no objective framework with which to evaluate them. The exact same goes for various crazy diets people try. If you don't understand how food works in the body of course any option, especially if it is hyped up my slick advertising, sounds plausible.
In terms of acquiring this knowledge, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that the actual truth of this information can be a little hard to find. There are countless sources of misinformation and agenda based pseudo science to push certain viewpoints and products. At best even when you find solid information, there are some conflicting arguments that are equally valid, where only trial and error can determine the best approach. The good news is that once you find a good source of information - the truth about what the people who live with the lean muscular bodies that they desire really do it is actually reasonably easy to understand and achieve an excellent working understanding of it all. With someone who really knows what they are doing and sources of honest truth in your corner, it is no exaggeration to say that your comprehension of nutrition and training will outstrip many people in the fitness industry in about a month or even less.
In very simple terms, the second foundation is: Find out and understand the nutrition and training strategies that work best (for your individual makeup) and why. Once you know what you need to do for maximized muscle gain and fat loss, do it.
The third key is on the surface the most simple (though perhaps most esoteric) yet it completely underpins the success of the first two foundations. Once you have the first two foundations in place the third key is to just relax and enjoy the process. Don't stress about anything related to nutrition and exercise.
Busy people generally have some degree of stress in their lives already. The secret to ultimate body success is to make the process required to achieve a lean and muscular body and keep it for life become truly effortless. Get it out of your head that it's all hard work. When people think of nutrition and exercise it generally conjures up feelings of panic, pain, sacrifice and effort. Whilst some of us have a certain masochistic streak, why bother with all that when the alternative is a peace of mind and living in an effortless natural state that achieves far superior results?
Of course with any Zen-like sounding state, it will take some time to achieve and the exact process is complex topic that you could write a whole book on (maybe I might one day). The key take home message though is to make you aware and question the overwhelming societal norm to view nutrition and exercise in a certain negative light. Beyond a powerful (though unattached) desire for a successful result, I believe that the initial determination and work ethic must evolve into a peace of mind that has a calm core of absolute, unshakable certainty for long term results.
Getting the body you want in the fastest time possible for someone with a busy schedule is not about what exercises they need to do and what food they need eat. It certainly is not about exercising 'a bit' and eating a little better. It is about creating the lifestyle foundations and following systems to make it all work for you. The reward is that you will be able to take your place among the fitness elite - those who live their lives in such a way discover the body they desire, is an effortless by-product of their lifestyle.
Busy people live their lives according to their diaries which is effective and efficient. Yet for some reason, often when starting an exercise program they won't book themselves in. Rather they will simply decide to exercise and sure enough because that's what they want to do, they will set out and begin. The problem is though that they are busy people and as such 'life' gets in the way of their exercise very quickly. Booking themselves for exercise is a key practice that serves to minimize the various disruptions to the kind of consistency required to achieve significant muscle gain and fat loss for a better body.
It is important in a couple of ways. First of all it creates a tangible and subconscious importance for the exercise session and as such, it is given due consideration when arranging all other affairs as opposed to always being the first thing to be sacrificed for other priorities. This small step can make an amazing difference to a person's consistency. Simply by giving the time required to create a better body at bare minimum an equal footing, people get smarter and think laterally and design their lives to be able to meet this new commitment. Of course there will still be scheduling conflicts (though far less). In these cases though, diarizing exercise alongside everything else again makes people solution focused and sharpens their organization in order to be able to make it possible to meet both objectives should a conflict arise. Exercise becomes part of the priority hierarchy and over time, may even move up the list. This means that the busy person willingly increases their commitment to exercise and will muscle gain and fat loss results faster but most importantly, they will do so in a stress free manner because exercise is balanced against all their other life priorities.
The second key once time has been 'created' for exercise is to maximize it. Does any high achiever settle for second best? Do they haphazardly attack challenges without a sound strategic understanding of various cause and effect relationships so that they can navigate a course of action that will allow them to achieve success in the most effective and efficient way possible? For busy people who want to maximize lean muscle gain and fat loss, knowing the exact specifics of the entire process is critical. By understanding how the body responds to food and training will keep you on the most productive path possible. Yet so many simply seek training methods and adopt them without any idea if they are sound because they have no objective framework with which to evaluate them. The exact same goes for various crazy diets people try. If you don't understand how food works in the body of course any option, especially if it is hyped up my slick advertising, sounds plausible.
In terms of acquiring this knowledge, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that the actual truth of this information can be a little hard to find. There are countless sources of misinformation and agenda based pseudo science to push certain viewpoints and products. At best even when you find solid information, there are some conflicting arguments that are equally valid, where only trial and error can determine the best approach. The good news is that once you find a good source of information - the truth about what the people who live with the lean muscular bodies that they desire really do it is actually reasonably easy to understand and achieve an excellent working understanding of it all. With someone who really knows what they are doing and sources of honest truth in your corner, it is no exaggeration to say that your comprehension of nutrition and training will outstrip many people in the fitness industry in about a month or even less.
In very simple terms, the second foundation is: Find out and understand the nutrition and training strategies that work best (for your individual makeup) and why. Once you know what you need to do for maximized muscle gain and fat loss, do it.
The third key is on the surface the most simple (though perhaps most esoteric) yet it completely underpins the success of the first two foundations. Once you have the first two foundations in place the third key is to just relax and enjoy the process. Don't stress about anything related to nutrition and exercise.
Busy people generally have some degree of stress in their lives already. The secret to ultimate body success is to make the process required to achieve a lean and muscular body and keep it for life become truly effortless. Get it out of your head that it's all hard work. When people think of nutrition and exercise it generally conjures up feelings of panic, pain, sacrifice and effort. Whilst some of us have a certain masochistic streak, why bother with all that when the alternative is a peace of mind and living in an effortless natural state that achieves far superior results?
Of course with any Zen-like sounding state, it will take some time to achieve and the exact process is complex topic that you could write a whole book on (maybe I might one day). The key take home message though is to make you aware and question the overwhelming societal norm to view nutrition and exercise in a certain negative light. Beyond a powerful (though unattached) desire for a successful result, I believe that the initial determination and work ethic must evolve into a peace of mind that has a calm core of absolute, unshakable certainty for long term results.
Getting the body you want in the fastest time possible for someone with a busy schedule is not about what exercises they need to do and what food they need eat. It certainly is not about exercising 'a bit' and eating a little better. It is about creating the lifestyle foundations and following systems to make it all work for you. The reward is that you will be able to take your place among the fitness elite - those who live their lives in such a way discover the body they desire, is an effortless by-product of their lifestyle.
Maximizing Muscle Gain And Fat Loss Just Like The Professionals
by: Ben Kong
A colleague of mine recently earned his 'Pro Card' (A designation to be able to compete in the professional ranks for cash. Generally you have to win your weight class at a national championship) in the premier natural bodybuilding federation the WNBF. This federation attracts the best natural athletes on the planet as it has by far the toughest drug testing policy in natural bodybuilding plus prize money that is significant by bodybuilding standards.
Whilst surfing various forums and sites for contest results and pictures I also read various posts by detailing the diet and training secrets of some of the best professional natural bodybuilders on the planet for maximizing muscle gain and fat loss.
Guess what the best of the best, world-class physiques do to build muscle and lose fat?
1. They learn as much as they can and continuously research how the human body works and over time refine their understanding of their own unique muscle growth and fat loss physiology.
2. They eat clean and they are specific. Sweet potato, beef, chicken, vegetables, good fats and plenty of water. All day, every day in the right amounts and at the right times for their body to keep their body fuelled and burning fat constantly.
3. They train smart. Once they know how their body works they create a training program that stacks up with the science of muscle grow adapted to how their body responds best.
4. They get their final edge with intelligent and rational supplementation. The pros of the WNBF know the handful of supplements that works and stick to them. They have everything else in line as well and know that supplements are not a miracle answer for deficient training and diet.
That's it! A simple four step process for developing the body of your dreams. Yes, there's effort and discipline involved but what everyone needs to understand is, once you get your body to the level where you've treated it to clean, functional eating for a period of time, you can relax a little, say over any festival periods it's not a problem to get get your body back into pristine condition again because there's not much work your body's got to do to eliminate any excess toxicity that's built up over a short space of time.
You don't have to become a world champion body builder to join the fitness elite - the term 'fitness elite' means knowing exactly how to work with your body in an intelligent, holistic way, so you can sculpt your body to your own specifications at will, naturally. It's not rocket science, it's biology! How you can transform your body and enjoy all the wonderful fruit that comes with it, if you don't take the time first to understand the very basics of what it requires to enable it to transform most efficiently? Impossible and downright insane.
To get your best body ever, it doesn't get any better than following in the footsteps of those with world class physiques. Ultimate Body Success was created from the very same foundations that built and continues to build the best bodies on the planet but most importantly allows YOU to do the same.
A colleague of mine recently earned his 'Pro Card' (A designation to be able to compete in the professional ranks for cash. Generally you have to win your weight class at a national championship) in the premier natural bodybuilding federation the WNBF. This federation attracts the best natural athletes on the planet as it has by far the toughest drug testing policy in natural bodybuilding plus prize money that is significant by bodybuilding standards.
Whilst surfing various forums and sites for contest results and pictures I also read various posts by detailing the diet and training secrets of some of the best professional natural bodybuilders on the planet for maximizing muscle gain and fat loss.
Guess what the best of the best, world-class physiques do to build muscle and lose fat?
1. They learn as much as they can and continuously research how the human body works and over time refine their understanding of their own unique muscle growth and fat loss physiology.
2. They eat clean and they are specific. Sweet potato, beef, chicken, vegetables, good fats and plenty of water. All day, every day in the right amounts and at the right times for their body to keep their body fuelled and burning fat constantly.
3. They train smart. Once they know how their body works they create a training program that stacks up with the science of muscle grow adapted to how their body responds best.
4. They get their final edge with intelligent and rational supplementation. The pros of the WNBF know the handful of supplements that works and stick to them. They have everything else in line as well and know that supplements are not a miracle answer for deficient training and diet.
That's it! A simple four step process for developing the body of your dreams. Yes, there's effort and discipline involved but what everyone needs to understand is, once you get your body to the level where you've treated it to clean, functional eating for a period of time, you can relax a little, say over any festival periods it's not a problem to get get your body back into pristine condition again because there's not much work your body's got to do to eliminate any excess toxicity that's built up over a short space of time.
You don't have to become a world champion body builder to join the fitness elite - the term 'fitness elite' means knowing exactly how to work with your body in an intelligent, holistic way, so you can sculpt your body to your own specifications at will, naturally. It's not rocket science, it's biology! How you can transform your body and enjoy all the wonderful fruit that comes with it, if you don't take the time first to understand the very basics of what it requires to enable it to transform most efficiently? Impossible and downright insane.
To get your best body ever, it doesn't get any better than following in the footsteps of those with world class physiques. Ultimate Body Success was created from the very same foundations that built and continues to build the best bodies on the planet but most importantly allows YOU to do the same.
Squats: The Ultimate Leg And All Body Exercise
by: Ben Kong
Your legs are your foundations and hard heavy leg training will transform your physique making it more powerful and stronger than you ever imagined. However, hard heavy leg training is brutal and that's why the majority of the masses run for the hills and don't achieve Ultimate Body Success. Leg training is simple in many ways but at the same time has many subtle technical and psychological nuances that make it very challenging and often very frustrating when people get stuck but can't quite figure out why or how to get past their plateau.
The Squat is the king of all exercises and failing to pay close attention to the technical aspects of this core exercise will mean that you will crash and burn with what I call the 80-90kg squat phenomenon. Very few guys squat, but still fewer squat well. If you don't perfect your technique, eventually around the 80-90lg mark, your progress will come to a grinding halt. You won't be able to get proper depth, the movement will feel awkward and at worst you may even injure yourself. I have seen it countless times,guys that weigh 80-90kg or more getting stuck at around the 80-90kg mark who end up 3/4 squatting that weight for years on end. Don't let this happen to you - technique is everything, otherwise you're just wasting your time and energy needlessly. It is absolutely imperative to practice until the bar sits well, you feel your groove and you can hit your depth consistently, staying tight and strong throughout the whole movement.
Like the deadlift, the squat is a hard and heavy simple movement yet has many subtle nuances that you will discover as you progress in your training journey.
As with any progressive overload, over time you will come up against sticking points or even from the start you may find that you may not be able to hit proper depth with any appreciable amount of weight. The most common technique flaw is not going to at least parallel. Even if you are never going to enter a powerlifting competition, going to parallel is so crucial for long term squatting power, effective leg training and balanced development of the quads, glutes and hamstrings that you always have to be fastidious about your depth.
Whenever you increase the weights, make sure that you still keep your depth. If you lose some depth, get it back before you increase the weight again. Simple. On the subject of proper squat depth as well, once you get beyond the basics, it should be a never ending constant refinement to improve your feel or awareness of where your proper depth is so you can work on hitting it precisely EVERY time and not spend any more time 'in the hole' than necessary before powering the weight back up. There is a saying that I think relates beautifully to the squat: "amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they never get it wrong."
Your legs are your foundations and hard heavy leg training will transform your physique making it more powerful and stronger than you ever imagined. However, hard heavy leg training is brutal and that's why the majority of the masses run for the hills and don't achieve Ultimate Body Success. Leg training is simple in many ways but at the same time has many subtle technical and psychological nuances that make it very challenging and often very frustrating when people get stuck but can't quite figure out why or how to get past their plateau.
The Squat is the king of all exercises and failing to pay close attention to the technical aspects of this core exercise will mean that you will crash and burn with what I call the 80-90kg squat phenomenon. Very few guys squat, but still fewer squat well. If you don't perfect your technique, eventually around the 80-90lg mark, your progress will come to a grinding halt. You won't be able to get proper depth, the movement will feel awkward and at worst you may even injure yourself. I have seen it countless times,guys that weigh 80-90kg or more getting stuck at around the 80-90kg mark who end up 3/4 squatting that weight for years on end. Don't let this happen to you - technique is everything, otherwise you're just wasting your time and energy needlessly. It is absolutely imperative to practice until the bar sits well, you feel your groove and you can hit your depth consistently, staying tight and strong throughout the whole movement.
Like the deadlift, the squat is a hard and heavy simple movement yet has many subtle nuances that you will discover as you progress in your training journey.
As with any progressive overload, over time you will come up against sticking points or even from the start you may find that you may not be able to hit proper depth with any appreciable amount of weight. The most common technique flaw is not going to at least parallel. Even if you are never going to enter a powerlifting competition, going to parallel is so crucial for long term squatting power, effective leg training and balanced development of the quads, glutes and hamstrings that you always have to be fastidious about your depth.
Whenever you increase the weights, make sure that you still keep your depth. If you lose some depth, get it back before you increase the weight again. Simple. On the subject of proper squat depth as well, once you get beyond the basics, it should be a never ending constant refinement to improve your feel or awareness of where your proper depth is so you can work on hitting it precisely EVERY time and not spend any more time 'in the hole' than necessary before powering the weight back up. There is a saying that I think relates beautifully to the squat: "amateurs practice until they get it right, professionals practice until they never get it wrong."
Biomimetics: Drawing Inspiration From the Design in Living Things
by: Harun Yahya
There is instruction for you in cattle. From the contents of their bellies, from between the dung and blood, We give you pure milk to drink, easy for drinkers to swallow. (Qur’an, 16:66)
And there is certainly a lesson for you in your livestock. We give you to drink from what is in their bellies and there are many ways in which you benefit from them, and some of them you eat; and you are conveyed on them and on ships as well. (Qur’an, 23:21-22)
Before scientists and research and development experts embark on new projects, they usually look for models in living things and imitate their systems and designs. In other words, they see and study the designs created in nature by Allah and, inspired by these, go on to develop their own new technologies.
This approach has given birth to biometrics, a new branch of science that seeks to imitate living things. In recent times, this branch of science has come to be widely applied in the world of technology. The use of the word “ibratan,” (to learn from, advice, importance, important thing, or model) in the above verses is most wise in this regard.
Biomimetics refers to all of the substances, equipment, mechanisms, and systems that people produce in order to imitate the systems present in nature. The scientific community currently feels a great need for the use of such equipment, particularly in the fields of nanotechnology, robot technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, and the military.
Biomimicry was first put forward by Janine M. Benyus, a writer and scientific observer from Montana. This concept was later analysed by many other people and began to find applications. Some of the comments made regarding biomimicry are as follows:
The theme of "biomimicry" is that we have much to learn from the natural world, as model, measure, and mentor. What these researchers have in common is a reverence for natural designs, and the inspiration to use them to solve human problems. 1
David Oakey, product strategist for Interface Inc., a company that uses nature to increasing product quality and productivity, says:
Nature is my mentor for business and design, a model for the way of life. Nature's system has worked for millions of years … Biomimicry is a way of learning from nature. 2
Scientists who began to favour this rapidly spreading idea accelerated their studies by using nature’s incomparable and flawless designs as models. These designs represent models for technological research, for they provide the maximum productivity for the least amount of materials and energy, and are self-maintaining, environmentally friendly, silent, aesthetically attractive, resistant, and long-lasting. The High Country News newspaper described biomimetics as “a scientific movement” and made the following comment:
By using natural systems as models, we can create technologies that are more sustainable than those in use today. 3
Janine M. Benyus, who believed that models in nature should be imitated, gave the following examples in her book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (Perennial: 2002):
• Hummingbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico on less than 3 grams (one tenth of an ounce) of fuel,
• Dragonflies outmanoeuvre our best helicopters,
• Heating and air-conditioning systems in termite mounds are superior in terms of equipment and energy consumption to those made by human beings,
• A bat’s high-frequency transmitter is more efficient and sensitive than our own radar systems,
• Light-emitting algae combine various chemicals to illuminate their bodies,
• Arctic fish and frogs freeze solid and then spring to life, having protected their organs from ice damage,
• Chameleons and cuttlefish change the pattern of their skin to blend instantly with their surroundings,
• Bees, turtles, and birds navigate without maps, and
• Whales and penguins dive without scuba gear.
These astonishing mechanisms and designs in nature, of which we have cited only a few, have the potential to enrich technology in a wide range of fields. This potential is becoming ever more obvious as our accumulated knowledge and technological means increase.
All animals possess many features that amaze human beings. Some have the ideal hydrodynamic shape that allows them to move through water, and others employ senses that appear very foreign to us. Most of these are features that researchers have encountered for the first time, or, rather, that they have only recently discovered. On occasion, it is necessary to bring together prominent scientists from such fields as computer technology, mechanical engineering, electronics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology in order to imitate just one feature of a living thing.
Scientists are amazed when confronted with the incomparable structures and systems they are discovering with every passing day, and use that amazement to inspire themselves to produce new technologies for humanity’s benefit. Realising that the existing perfect systems and extraordinary techniques applied in nature are far superior to their own knowledge and intellect, they became aware of these matchless solutions to existing problems and are now resorting to the designs in nature to resolve problems that have eluded them for years. As a result, they will perhaps achieve success in a very short time. Moreover, by imitating nature, scientists are making very important gains with regard to time and labour and also to the targeted use of material resources.
Today we see the developing technology gradually discovering the miracles of creation and using the extraordinary designs in living things, as in the case of biomimetics, in the service of humanity. Benyus has stated that “‘Doing it nature's way’ has the potential to change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves, store information, and conduct business.” 4 The following are just a few of the many scientific papers to have considered such subjects:
“Science is Imitating Nature,” 5
“Life's Lessons in Design,” 6
“Biomimicry: Secrets Hiding in Plain Sight,” 7
“Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature,” 8
“Biomimicry: Genius That Surrounds Us,” 9
“Biomimetics: Creating Materials from Nature's Blueprints,” 10 and
“Engineers Ask Nature for Design Advice.” 11
In the nineteenth century, nature was imitated only in aesthetic terms. Artists and architects of that time were influenced by nature and used examples of the structures’ external appearances in their works. Yet the realisation of nature’s extraordinary designs and that these could be used to benefit human beings only began in the twentieth century with the study of natural mechanisms at the molecular level. Scientists today are learning from living things, as revealed in the Qur’an 1,400 years ago.
1- Frederick Pratter, “Stories from the Field Offer Clues on Physics and Nature,” Christian Science Monitor, www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
2- “Biomimicry,” www.bfi.org/Trimtab/spring01/biomimicry.htm.
3- Michelle Nijhuis, High Country News, 6 July 1998, vol. 30, no. 13, www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
4- “Biomimicry Explained: A Conversation with Janine Benyus,” www.biomimicry.org/faq.html.
5- Bilim ve Teknik Dergisi (Journal of Science and Technology) (August 1994): 43.
6- Philip Ball, “Life's lessons in design,” Nature 409 (2001): 413-16, www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v409/n6818/full/409413a0_fs.html&filetype=&_UserReference=C0A804EF465069D8A41132467E093F0EDE99.
7- “Biomimicry: Secrets Hiding in Plain Sight,” NBL (New Bottom Line) 6, no. 22, 17 November 1997, www.natlogic.com/resources/nbl/v06/n22.html.
8- Janine M. Benyus, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.: 1998), www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
9- Ed Hunt, “Biomimicry: Genius that Surrounds Us,” Tidepool editor, www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
10- Robin Eisner, “Biomimetics: Creating Materials from Nature's Blueprints,” The Scientist, 8 July 1991, www.the-scientist.com/yr1991/july/research_910708.html.
11- Jim Robbins, “Engineers Ask Nature for Design Advice,” New York Times, 11 December 2001.
There is instruction for you in cattle. From the contents of their bellies, from between the dung and blood, We give you pure milk to drink, easy for drinkers to swallow. (Qur’an, 16:66)
And there is certainly a lesson for you in your livestock. We give you to drink from what is in their bellies and there are many ways in which you benefit from them, and some of them you eat; and you are conveyed on them and on ships as well. (Qur’an, 23:21-22)
Before scientists and research and development experts embark on new projects, they usually look for models in living things and imitate their systems and designs. In other words, they see and study the designs created in nature by Allah and, inspired by these, go on to develop their own new technologies.
This approach has given birth to biometrics, a new branch of science that seeks to imitate living things. In recent times, this branch of science has come to be widely applied in the world of technology. The use of the word “ibratan,” (to learn from, advice, importance, important thing, or model) in the above verses is most wise in this regard.
Biomimetics refers to all of the substances, equipment, mechanisms, and systems that people produce in order to imitate the systems present in nature. The scientific community currently feels a great need for the use of such equipment, particularly in the fields of nanotechnology, robot technology, artificial intelligence, medicine, and the military.
Biomimicry was first put forward by Janine M. Benyus, a writer and scientific observer from Montana. This concept was later analysed by many other people and began to find applications. Some of the comments made regarding biomimicry are as follows:
The theme of "biomimicry" is that we have much to learn from the natural world, as model, measure, and mentor. What these researchers have in common is a reverence for natural designs, and the inspiration to use them to solve human problems. 1
David Oakey, product strategist for Interface Inc., a company that uses nature to increasing product quality and productivity, says:
Nature is my mentor for business and design, a model for the way of life. Nature's system has worked for millions of years … Biomimicry is a way of learning from nature. 2
Scientists who began to favour this rapidly spreading idea accelerated their studies by using nature’s incomparable and flawless designs as models. These designs represent models for technological research, for they provide the maximum productivity for the least amount of materials and energy, and are self-maintaining, environmentally friendly, silent, aesthetically attractive, resistant, and long-lasting. The High Country News newspaper described biomimetics as “a scientific movement” and made the following comment:
By using natural systems as models, we can create technologies that are more sustainable than those in use today. 3
Janine M. Benyus, who believed that models in nature should be imitated, gave the following examples in her book, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (Perennial: 2002):
• Hummingbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico on less than 3 grams (one tenth of an ounce) of fuel,
• Dragonflies outmanoeuvre our best helicopters,
• Heating and air-conditioning systems in termite mounds are superior in terms of equipment and energy consumption to those made by human beings,
• A bat’s high-frequency transmitter is more efficient and sensitive than our own radar systems,
• Light-emitting algae combine various chemicals to illuminate their bodies,
• Arctic fish and frogs freeze solid and then spring to life, having protected their organs from ice damage,
• Chameleons and cuttlefish change the pattern of their skin to blend instantly with their surroundings,
• Bees, turtles, and birds navigate without maps, and
• Whales and penguins dive without scuba gear.
These astonishing mechanisms and designs in nature, of which we have cited only a few, have the potential to enrich technology in a wide range of fields. This potential is becoming ever more obvious as our accumulated knowledge and technological means increase.
All animals possess many features that amaze human beings. Some have the ideal hydrodynamic shape that allows them to move through water, and others employ senses that appear very foreign to us. Most of these are features that researchers have encountered for the first time, or, rather, that they have only recently discovered. On occasion, it is necessary to bring together prominent scientists from such fields as computer technology, mechanical engineering, electronics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology in order to imitate just one feature of a living thing.
Scientists are amazed when confronted with the incomparable structures and systems they are discovering with every passing day, and use that amazement to inspire themselves to produce new technologies for humanity’s benefit. Realising that the existing perfect systems and extraordinary techniques applied in nature are far superior to their own knowledge and intellect, they became aware of these matchless solutions to existing problems and are now resorting to the designs in nature to resolve problems that have eluded them for years. As a result, they will perhaps achieve success in a very short time. Moreover, by imitating nature, scientists are making very important gains with regard to time and labour and also to the targeted use of material resources.
Today we see the developing technology gradually discovering the miracles of creation and using the extraordinary designs in living things, as in the case of biomimetics, in the service of humanity. Benyus has stated that “‘Doing it nature's way’ has the potential to change the way we grow food, make materials, harness energy, heal ourselves, store information, and conduct business.” 4 The following are just a few of the many scientific papers to have considered such subjects:
“Science is Imitating Nature,” 5
“Life's Lessons in Design,” 6
“Biomimicry: Secrets Hiding in Plain Sight,” 7
“Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature,” 8
“Biomimicry: Genius That Surrounds Us,” 9
“Biomimetics: Creating Materials from Nature's Blueprints,” 10 and
“Engineers Ask Nature for Design Advice.” 11
In the nineteenth century, nature was imitated only in aesthetic terms. Artists and architects of that time were influenced by nature and used examples of the structures’ external appearances in their works. Yet the realisation of nature’s extraordinary designs and that these could be used to benefit human beings only began in the twentieth century with the study of natural mechanisms at the molecular level. Scientists today are learning from living things, as revealed in the Qur’an 1,400 years ago.
1- Frederick Pratter, “Stories from the Field Offer Clues on Physics and Nature,” Christian Science Monitor, www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
2- “Biomimicry,” www.bfi.org/Trimtab/spring01/biomimicry.htm.
3- Michelle Nijhuis, High Country News, 6 July 1998, vol. 30, no. 13, www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
4- “Biomimicry Explained: A Conversation with Janine Benyus,” www.biomimicry.org/faq.html.
5- Bilim ve Teknik Dergisi (Journal of Science and Technology) (August 1994): 43.
6- Philip Ball, “Life's lessons in design,” Nature 409 (2001): 413-16, www.nature.com/cgi-taf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v409/n6818/full/409413a0_fs.html&filetype=&_UserReference=C0A804EF465069D8A41132467E093F0EDE99.
7- “Biomimicry: Secrets Hiding in Plain Sight,” NBL (New Bottom Line) 6, no. 22, 17 November 1997, www.natlogic.com/resources/nbl/v06/n22.html.
8- Janine M. Benyus, Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.: 1998), www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
9- Ed Hunt, “Biomimicry: Genius that Surrounds Us,” Tidepool editor, www.biomimicry.org/reviews_text.html.
10- Robin Eisner, “Biomimetics: Creating Materials from Nature's Blueprints,” The Scientist, 8 July 1991, www.the-scientist.com/yr1991/july/research_910708.html.
11- Jim Robbins, “Engineers Ask Nature for Design Advice,” New York Times, 11 December 2001.
The Miracle in the Defence System
by: Harun Yahya
Defence is an issue that has to be given top priority by a country for the continuance of its existence. Nations have always to watch out for all kinds of internal and external threats, assaults, risks of wars and terrorist actions. This is why they allocate a great part of their official budgets to defence. Armies are provided with the most advanced aircraft, ships, and arms, and the forces of defence are always kept at the highest level of preparedness.
The human body is surrounded by a great number of enemies and threats. These enemies are bacteria, viruses, and similar microscopic organisms. They exist everywhere; in the air we inhale, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the environment in which we live.
What most people are not aware of is that the human body has an excellent army, the immune system, which fights against enemies. This is a real army made up of many "soldiers" and "officials" with different assignments, who are specially trained, employ high technology and fight with conventional and chemical weapons.
Every day, even every minute, a permanent war is fought between this army and the enemy forces, but away from our knowledge. This war can also be in the form of minor, local skirmishes as well as battles in which the whole body is involved and alarmed. We call these battles "diseases".
The general conduct of this war almost never changes. The enemy attempts to fool the other side by camouflaging itself when intruding into the body. The trained investigative forces are assigned by the defence to identify the enemies. The enemies are identified and appropriate weapons are produced to exterminate them. Then there is close contact, the defeat of the enemy, cease-fire, and clearance of the battleground. Last, there is storage of every type of information about the enemy as a precaution against the possibility of a later attack....
Now let us examine this interesting war closer.
THE BESIEGED CASTLE: THE HUMAN BODY
We can liken the human body to a castle besieged by enemies. The enemies look for various ways to invade this castle. The human skin is the wall of this castle.
The substance of keratin in the cells of the skin is an impassable barrier for bacteria and fungi. Foreign substances that reach the skin cannot pass through this wall. Moreover, although the outer layer of skin that contains keratin is continuously rubbed off, it is renewed by skin growing from beneath. Thus, all unwanted guests that have squeezed between the skin are ejected from the body together with dead skin, during renewal of the skin from inwards to outwards. The enemy can only make its way in through a wound that is inflicted on the skin.
THE FRONT LINE
One of the ways through which viruses enter the body is air. The enemy pushes its way to the body through the air inhaled. However, a special secretion in the nasal mucous membrane and cell-swallowing defence elements in the lungs (phagocytes) meet these enemies and take control of the situation before the danger grows. Digestive enzymes in the stomach acid and small intestine eliminate a great number of the microbes that seek to enter the body through food.
THE CLASH OF THE ENEMIES
There are some microbes that have settled in various parts of the human body (such as skin, skin folds, mouth, nose, eye, upper respiratory canals, digestive canal, the genitals) yet do not cause illness.
When a foreign microbe enters the body, these domestic microbes - thinking that their habitation would be invaded- and not wishing to give way to the foreigners who invade their habitation - fight strenuously. We can define them as professional soldiers. They try to protect their territory for their own ends. Thus, the complex army in our body is reinforced by these micro supports.
STEP BY STEP TO HOT WAR
If a microscopic intruder entering the body can overcome defence elements on guard and bacteria serving as soldiers, it causes war to begin with. After that, the body, with its ordered army, fights a perfect offence-defence war against this foreign army.
The war fought by the defence system is comprised of four parts:
1. Identification of the enemy.
2. The fortification of defences and the preparation of offensive weapons.
3. Attack and battle.
4. Retreat to normal state.
The cells that first meet the enemy units are macrophage cells that make "phagocytosis", i.e., that engulf the enemy. These cells are involved in close contact with the enemy, and fight a hand-to-hand war. They are just like infantrymen who fight a bayonet war against enemy units and struggle at the distant front line of the army.
Moreover, macrophages function as intelligence units, or as the secret service of an army. They hold one portion of the enemy they destroy. This portion is used to identify the enemy’s identity and to determine its features. Macrophages pass this portion to another intelligence unit, messenger-T cells.
GENERAL ALARM
When a country is involved in war, a general mobilisation is declared. Most of the natural resources and the budget are spent on war expenses. The economy is re-arranged according to this extraordinary situation and the country is involved in total action. In a war, which the defensive army of the body will fight as a whole, mobilisation is also declared. Do you wonder how?
If the enemy is more than they can handle, the cavalcades (macrophages) that launch an attack secrete a special substance. The name of this substance is "pyrogen" and it is a kind of alarm call. After travelling a long way, "pyrogen" reaches the brain and stimulates the fever-increasing centre of the brain. Following this stimulation, the brain sets off alarms in the body and the person develops a high fever. The patient with a high fever naturally feels a need to rest. Thus, the energy needed by the defence army is not spent elsewhere. As seen, there exists an extremely complex plan and design at work.
THE ORDERED ARMY SWINGS INTO ACTION
The war between the microscopic intruder and the immune system becomes more complicated after mobilisation, that is, your falling ill in bed. At this stage, infantrymen (phagocytes) and cavalrymen (macrophages) have proved insufficient, the whole body is alarmed, and the war becomes heated. At this stage, lymphocytes - (T and B cells) - intervene.
Cavalrymen (macrophages) pass the information they have on the enemy to T helper cells. These cells summon T cytotoxic and B cells to the battleground. These are the most effective fighters of the immune system.
WEAPONRY PRODUCTION
As soon as B cells receive information about the enemy, they start producing weapons. These weapons, just like ballistic missiles, are only produced to hit the enemy on whom information is available. This production is so perfect that the three dimensional structure of the microscopic intruder and the three dimensional structure of the weapon fully match each other. This accord is like that between a key and its lock.
Antibodies advance towards the enemy and clamp tightly on it. After this stage, the enemy is neutralised like a tank that has its treads, cannon and gun destroyed. Afterwards, other members of the immune system come and eliminate the neutralised enemy.
Here, there is a very important point to consider: there are millions of types of enemy that the immune system will confront. B cells can produce an appropriate weapon for all types of enemy no matter what they are. This means that the immune system innately has the knowledge and capability to produce the keys appropriate to millions of different types of locks. These unconscious cells have the ability to make millions of types of antibodies, and their using it in the best way proves the existence of a creation by the Owner of an exalted power.
Furthermore, the system is more sophisticated. As B cells destroy the enemy with ballistic weapons, T cytotoxic cells also fight a tough war against the enemy. When some viruses enter a cell, they can hide from the weapons produced by the B cells. The T cytotoxic cells find the diseased cells in which this camouflaged enemy hides and destroy them.
AFTER THE VICTORY
After the enemy is defeated, the T suppressor cells swing into action. These cells give the army of defence the command to cease fire, and cause the T cytotoxic and B cells to stop their activities. Thus, the body does not carry on in a state of mobilisation in vain. After the war is over, most of the T and B cells produced specifically for the war complete their lifecycle and die. This tough war, however, is not to be forgotten. Before the war, a short time passed while the enemy was identified and the necessary preparations made. If the enemy ever comes back, the body will be much better prepared. A group of memory cells, which have come to know the features of the enemy, will constantly serve in the immune system in future. In a possible second attack, the immune system, with the information in the memory cells, will have the means to react before the enemy gains force. The reason why we do not catch mumps or measles again, after we have once caught them, is because of the memory of our immune system.
WHO IS HE WHO CREATES THE SYSTEM?
After all the information we have examined, we have to take our time and think about how this perfect immune system to which we owe our lives has come to exist. There is a flawless plan at work. Everything needed for the operation of this plan is intact: macrophages, the pyrogen substance, the fever raising centre of the brain, the body’s fever raising mechanisms, B cells, T cells, weapons... How, then, has this perfect system come into being?
Not surprisingly, the theory of evolution, which proposes that living beings have come into being by coincidence, cannot explain how this complex system came about. The claim of the theory of evolution is that living beings and living systems have originated step-by-step by the accumulation of little coincidences. However, the immune system cannot by any means have originated "step-by-step". The reason is that in the case of the absence or malfunction of even one of the factors that make up the system, the system cannot work and the person could not survive. The system must have come into being completely and flawlessly with all its components intact. This reality renders the notion of "coincidence" meaningless.
Who, then, makes this plan? Who knows that the body’s fever must rise, and that only that way the energy needed by the army of defence will not be spent elsewhere? Is it the macrophages? Macrophages are merely tiny cells. They do not have the capacity to think. They are living organisms that obey an established superior order and that fulfil their duties.
Is it man? Certainly not. People are not even aware that such a perfect system is at work in their own bodies. However, this system, of which we are unaware, protects us from certain death.
It is obvious that the one who created the immune system, and who created the whole human body, should be a Creator Who has exalted knowledge and might. This Creator is Allah, Who has created the human body from a "drop of fluid".
Defence is an issue that has to be given top priority by a country for the continuance of its existence. Nations have always to watch out for all kinds of internal and external threats, assaults, risks of wars and terrorist actions. This is why they allocate a great part of their official budgets to defence. Armies are provided with the most advanced aircraft, ships, and arms, and the forces of defence are always kept at the highest level of preparedness.
The human body is surrounded by a great number of enemies and threats. These enemies are bacteria, viruses, and similar microscopic organisms. They exist everywhere; in the air we inhale, the water we drink, the food we eat, and the environment in which we live.
What most people are not aware of is that the human body has an excellent army, the immune system, which fights against enemies. This is a real army made up of many "soldiers" and "officials" with different assignments, who are specially trained, employ high technology and fight with conventional and chemical weapons.
Every day, even every minute, a permanent war is fought between this army and the enemy forces, but away from our knowledge. This war can also be in the form of minor, local skirmishes as well as battles in which the whole body is involved and alarmed. We call these battles "diseases".
The general conduct of this war almost never changes. The enemy attempts to fool the other side by camouflaging itself when intruding into the body. The trained investigative forces are assigned by the defence to identify the enemies. The enemies are identified and appropriate weapons are produced to exterminate them. Then there is close contact, the defeat of the enemy, cease-fire, and clearance of the battleground. Last, there is storage of every type of information about the enemy as a precaution against the possibility of a later attack....
Now let us examine this interesting war closer.
THE BESIEGED CASTLE: THE HUMAN BODY
We can liken the human body to a castle besieged by enemies. The enemies look for various ways to invade this castle. The human skin is the wall of this castle.
The substance of keratin in the cells of the skin is an impassable barrier for bacteria and fungi. Foreign substances that reach the skin cannot pass through this wall. Moreover, although the outer layer of skin that contains keratin is continuously rubbed off, it is renewed by skin growing from beneath. Thus, all unwanted guests that have squeezed between the skin are ejected from the body together with dead skin, during renewal of the skin from inwards to outwards. The enemy can only make its way in through a wound that is inflicted on the skin.
THE FRONT LINE
One of the ways through which viruses enter the body is air. The enemy pushes its way to the body through the air inhaled. However, a special secretion in the nasal mucous membrane and cell-swallowing defence elements in the lungs (phagocytes) meet these enemies and take control of the situation before the danger grows. Digestive enzymes in the stomach acid and small intestine eliminate a great number of the microbes that seek to enter the body through food.
THE CLASH OF THE ENEMIES
There are some microbes that have settled in various parts of the human body (such as skin, skin folds, mouth, nose, eye, upper respiratory canals, digestive canal, the genitals) yet do not cause illness.
When a foreign microbe enters the body, these domestic microbes - thinking that their habitation would be invaded- and not wishing to give way to the foreigners who invade their habitation - fight strenuously. We can define them as professional soldiers. They try to protect their territory for their own ends. Thus, the complex army in our body is reinforced by these micro supports.
STEP BY STEP TO HOT WAR
If a microscopic intruder entering the body can overcome defence elements on guard and bacteria serving as soldiers, it causes war to begin with. After that, the body, with its ordered army, fights a perfect offence-defence war against this foreign army.
The war fought by the defence system is comprised of four parts:
1. Identification of the enemy.
2. The fortification of defences and the preparation of offensive weapons.
3. Attack and battle.
4. Retreat to normal state.
The cells that first meet the enemy units are macrophage cells that make "phagocytosis", i.e., that engulf the enemy. These cells are involved in close contact with the enemy, and fight a hand-to-hand war. They are just like infantrymen who fight a bayonet war against enemy units and struggle at the distant front line of the army.
Moreover, macrophages function as intelligence units, or as the secret service of an army. They hold one portion of the enemy they destroy. This portion is used to identify the enemy’s identity and to determine its features. Macrophages pass this portion to another intelligence unit, messenger-T cells.
GENERAL ALARM
When a country is involved in war, a general mobilisation is declared. Most of the natural resources and the budget are spent on war expenses. The economy is re-arranged according to this extraordinary situation and the country is involved in total action. In a war, which the defensive army of the body will fight as a whole, mobilisation is also declared. Do you wonder how?
If the enemy is more than they can handle, the cavalcades (macrophages) that launch an attack secrete a special substance. The name of this substance is "pyrogen" and it is a kind of alarm call. After travelling a long way, "pyrogen" reaches the brain and stimulates the fever-increasing centre of the brain. Following this stimulation, the brain sets off alarms in the body and the person develops a high fever. The patient with a high fever naturally feels a need to rest. Thus, the energy needed by the defence army is not spent elsewhere. As seen, there exists an extremely complex plan and design at work.
THE ORDERED ARMY SWINGS INTO ACTION
The war between the microscopic intruder and the immune system becomes more complicated after mobilisation, that is, your falling ill in bed. At this stage, infantrymen (phagocytes) and cavalrymen (macrophages) have proved insufficient, the whole body is alarmed, and the war becomes heated. At this stage, lymphocytes - (T and B cells) - intervene.
Cavalrymen (macrophages) pass the information they have on the enemy to T helper cells. These cells summon T cytotoxic and B cells to the battleground. These are the most effective fighters of the immune system.
WEAPONRY PRODUCTION
As soon as B cells receive information about the enemy, they start producing weapons. These weapons, just like ballistic missiles, are only produced to hit the enemy on whom information is available. This production is so perfect that the three dimensional structure of the microscopic intruder and the three dimensional structure of the weapon fully match each other. This accord is like that between a key and its lock.
Antibodies advance towards the enemy and clamp tightly on it. After this stage, the enemy is neutralised like a tank that has its treads, cannon and gun destroyed. Afterwards, other members of the immune system come and eliminate the neutralised enemy.
Here, there is a very important point to consider: there are millions of types of enemy that the immune system will confront. B cells can produce an appropriate weapon for all types of enemy no matter what they are. This means that the immune system innately has the knowledge and capability to produce the keys appropriate to millions of different types of locks. These unconscious cells have the ability to make millions of types of antibodies, and their using it in the best way proves the existence of a creation by the Owner of an exalted power.
Furthermore, the system is more sophisticated. As B cells destroy the enemy with ballistic weapons, T cytotoxic cells also fight a tough war against the enemy. When some viruses enter a cell, they can hide from the weapons produced by the B cells. The T cytotoxic cells find the diseased cells in which this camouflaged enemy hides and destroy them.
AFTER THE VICTORY
After the enemy is defeated, the T suppressor cells swing into action. These cells give the army of defence the command to cease fire, and cause the T cytotoxic and B cells to stop their activities. Thus, the body does not carry on in a state of mobilisation in vain. After the war is over, most of the T and B cells produced specifically for the war complete their lifecycle and die. This tough war, however, is not to be forgotten. Before the war, a short time passed while the enemy was identified and the necessary preparations made. If the enemy ever comes back, the body will be much better prepared. A group of memory cells, which have come to know the features of the enemy, will constantly serve in the immune system in future. In a possible second attack, the immune system, with the information in the memory cells, will have the means to react before the enemy gains force. The reason why we do not catch mumps or measles again, after we have once caught them, is because of the memory of our immune system.
WHO IS HE WHO CREATES THE SYSTEM?
After all the information we have examined, we have to take our time and think about how this perfect immune system to which we owe our lives has come to exist. There is a flawless plan at work. Everything needed for the operation of this plan is intact: macrophages, the pyrogen substance, the fever raising centre of the brain, the body’s fever raising mechanisms, B cells, T cells, weapons... How, then, has this perfect system come into being?
Not surprisingly, the theory of evolution, which proposes that living beings have come into being by coincidence, cannot explain how this complex system came about. The claim of the theory of evolution is that living beings and living systems have originated step-by-step by the accumulation of little coincidences. However, the immune system cannot by any means have originated "step-by-step". The reason is that in the case of the absence or malfunction of even one of the factors that make up the system, the system cannot work and the person could not survive. The system must have come into being completely and flawlessly with all its components intact. This reality renders the notion of "coincidence" meaningless.
Who, then, makes this plan? Who knows that the body’s fever must rise, and that only that way the energy needed by the army of defence will not be spent elsewhere? Is it the macrophages? Macrophages are merely tiny cells. They do not have the capacity to think. They are living organisms that obey an established superior order and that fulfil their duties.
Is it man? Certainly not. People are not even aware that such a perfect system is at work in their own bodies. However, this system, of which we are unaware, protects us from certain death.
It is obvious that the one who created the immune system, and who created the whole human body, should be a Creator Who has exalted knowledge and might. This Creator is Allah, Who has created the human body from a "drop of fluid".
The Human Body: A Carefully Protected Fortress
by: Harun Yahya
No matter how clean our environment may be, we share our living space with many microorganisms. If you could examine with a microscope the room you are now sitting in, you would clearly see the millions of creatures you are living with.
So, in this sense, a human being is a besieged fortress. It goes without saying that to protect this fortress under assault a failsafe plan is necessary. Human beings were created with the perfect protection that they need; they are not defenseless against these enemies. God Almighty has created micro defense systems in the human body, protecting it from all sorts of dangerous organisms and fighting to defend it on multiple fronts.
Invasion forces have to cross the first lines of defense. Even thought the first line of defense may suffer setbacks, it will give the enemy a hard time and reduce its invasion ability.
Deterrents Waiting for Micro-enemies
The first front that the enemy must pass in the human body is our skin. The skin covers the whole body like a sheath and has many special features. One of the vital features of this miraculous packaging is its ability to protect the body from the micro-enemies that make the body sick. If we accept that the body is like a besieged fortress, we can say that the skin, with its outer layers of dead cells and the creatures that live on it, is the strong ramparts of this fortress.
One of the ways in which microorganisms reach us is through our breathing. Every moment there are hundreds of different kinds of germs in the air we breathe waiting to enter our bodies. But they are unaware of the nasal guards to repel them. A special secretion in the mucosa of the nose traps and expels between 80% and 90% of the microorganisms that that enter the respiratory system either directly or through dust, vapor or other carriers.
Germs can also enter the body through the food we eat. But our body’s defense
We can compare the human body to a fortress under attack. Just as the defense of a fortress besieged by enemies is very well planned, so the human body has a perfect defense system.
system is aware of this route and waits for the intruders in the stomach where the food goes. Stomach acid destroys most if not all of the germs that manage to overcome all the other obstacles and reach the stomach. The germs that make it through the stomach are destroyed by digestive enzymes produced in the small intestine.
The Truth Revealed by our Defense System
There are some important questions that have to be asked in the light of all these facts.
Who drives these external microbes to entering our bodies through our food? Who decides the route the food follows, what kind of a system must destroy the microbes, what will the microbes’ next target if they escape this deterrent, and what alternatives they take if they encounter a more powerful substance? Body cells have never been outside the body and so have not had the opportunity to examine the chemical structure of these external microbes, nor have they ever studied chemistry. So how do they know what substances will kill the microbes? Indeed, Allah, the Lord of the heavens and Earth, created such a non-sleeping defense system protecting the human body surrounded by microbes like a besieged castle. In a verse, Allah describes His wisdom of perfect creation as follows:
He is Allah – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur’an, 59:24)
We must remember that the human body is helplessly exposed to microbes 24 hours a day. The fact that you are able at this moment to read this text without being adversely affected by the microbes around you, is due to the operation of the defense system inside your body inspired by our Almighty Lord. It must also be remembered that Allah has specially created germs and viruses to remind us of our helplessness against these minute structures entering a human body and making it sick and even cause its death.
No matter how clean our environment may be, we share our living space with many microorganisms. If you could examine with a microscope the room you are now sitting in, you would clearly see the millions of creatures you are living with.
So, in this sense, a human being is a besieged fortress. It goes without saying that to protect this fortress under assault a failsafe plan is necessary. Human beings were created with the perfect protection that they need; they are not defenseless against these enemies. God Almighty has created micro defense systems in the human body, protecting it from all sorts of dangerous organisms and fighting to defend it on multiple fronts.
Invasion forces have to cross the first lines of defense. Even thought the first line of defense may suffer setbacks, it will give the enemy a hard time and reduce its invasion ability.
Deterrents Waiting for Micro-enemies
The first front that the enemy must pass in the human body is our skin. The skin covers the whole body like a sheath and has many special features. One of the vital features of this miraculous packaging is its ability to protect the body from the micro-enemies that make the body sick. If we accept that the body is like a besieged fortress, we can say that the skin, with its outer layers of dead cells and the creatures that live on it, is the strong ramparts of this fortress.
One of the ways in which microorganisms reach us is through our breathing. Every moment there are hundreds of different kinds of germs in the air we breathe waiting to enter our bodies. But they are unaware of the nasal guards to repel them. A special secretion in the mucosa of the nose traps and expels between 80% and 90% of the microorganisms that that enter the respiratory system either directly or through dust, vapor or other carriers.
Germs can also enter the body through the food we eat. But our body’s defense
We can compare the human body to a fortress under attack. Just as the defense of a fortress besieged by enemies is very well planned, so the human body has a perfect defense system.
system is aware of this route and waits for the intruders in the stomach where the food goes. Stomach acid destroys most if not all of the germs that manage to overcome all the other obstacles and reach the stomach. The germs that make it through the stomach are destroyed by digestive enzymes produced in the small intestine.
The Truth Revealed by our Defense System
There are some important questions that have to be asked in the light of all these facts.
Who drives these external microbes to entering our bodies through our food? Who decides the route the food follows, what kind of a system must destroy the microbes, what will the microbes’ next target if they escape this deterrent, and what alternatives they take if they encounter a more powerful substance? Body cells have never been outside the body and so have not had the opportunity to examine the chemical structure of these external microbes, nor have they ever studied chemistry. So how do they know what substances will kill the microbes? Indeed, Allah, the Lord of the heavens and Earth, created such a non-sleeping defense system protecting the human body surrounded by microbes like a besieged castle. In a verse, Allah describes His wisdom of perfect creation as follows:
He is Allah – the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Qur’an, 59:24)
We must remember that the human body is helplessly exposed to microbes 24 hours a day. The fact that you are able at this moment to read this text without being adversely affected by the microbes around you, is due to the operation of the defense system inside your body inspired by our Almighty Lord. It must also be remembered that Allah has specially created germs and viruses to remind us of our helplessness against these minute structures entering a human body and making it sick and even cause its death.
Enzymes That Perform 36 Million Processes A Minute
by: Harun Yahya
Every second, more processes than can be counted are carried out in the bodies of all living things. So complex and detailed are these processes that at every stage, the intervention of “super-regulators” is essential to control the whole system that maintain order and accelerate events. These super-regulating chemicals in the human body are enzymes.
Every living cell contains thousands of enzymes, each of which performs its own tasks, such as assisting with the copying of DNA, breaking down foodstuffs and producing energy from them, and constructing chains of compounds from simple molecules.
Enzymes are produced by mitochondria inside each cell. Large parts of enzymes consist of proteins, the rest of are vitamins and vitamin-like substances. Were it not for these enzymes, none of our functions, from the simplest to the most complex, could take place, or else would occur so slowly as to stop altogether. In either case, the result would be the same—death. We could not speak, eat, digest, see or even breathe– in short, we could not live.
Enzymes’ most important tasks are to initiate, halt and accelerate various chemical reactions in the body. As the cells perform their functions, the chemicals inside them must react accordingly. Higher temperatures are needed to initiate most chemical reactions. Yet such high temperature could pose a danger to living cells, causing them injury or death. The solution to this dilemma lies in enzymes.
An obvious miracle of creation, enzymes manage to initiate or accelerate chemical reactions even in the absence of high temperature, yet as catalysts, they do not enter into—or are themselves changed—by these reactions. Take one example from your daily life of how enzymes accelerate the processes taking place within your body: Thanks to an enzyme involved in the removal of carbon dioxide from the blood as you inhale, you do not suffocate. An enzyme known as anhydrase accelerates the process of cleansing carbon dioxide by a factor of 10 million times! At this speed, the anhydrase can transform 36 million molecules every minute.
The Body’s Rapid and Economical Production Vehicles
Enzymes permit vital reactions to take place as quickly as possible, and also to exploit the body’s energy in the most efficient way. If you compare the human body to a factory, with the many enzymes working within its cells as various means of production, no source of energy would be able to run with that factory. Because the level of electricity needed to power trillions of machines, of 2,000 different types, all working perfectly at such high speeds would be enormous. In a laboratory environment, therefore, an exceedingly high level of heat and energy are needed in order to carry out even a simple reaction in the cell.
However, the cell’s working enzymes carry out their tasks silently and faultlessly in the relatively low heat from the body and with the energy they obtain from nutrients. Just one of these characteristics is sufficient to show how enzymes have been specially designed to make every reaction occurring place in the body perfect yet completely efficient.
Even as you read these lines, a large number of enzymes are controlling reactions taking place throughout your body and providing the nourishment and energy your cells need to stay healthy and functioning. Even though a person has no knowledge of everything that is happening inside his body, enzymes are not only aware of it, but also intervene in all processes in a most vital and accurate manner. Moreover, every enzyme accelerates specific chemical reactions in the body. No enzyme does the tasks of another, nor makes a mistake in performing its own, because each enzyme is specially formulated for performing its own task.
For example, while a large number of enzymes can be effective in fluids with a neutral pH, those enzymes charged with digesting foodstuffs in the stomach can work effectively only under a highly acidic environment. Again, saliva contains the enzyme amylase, which breaks starch down into maltose and accompanies food along the esophagus, but it is neutralized when it reaches the acidic environment in the stomach. But once it arrives there, in any case, its work is done. 1
Enzymes’ Lock-and-Key Compatibility
The molecular shapes of enzymes are completely in conformity with whatever substance they are designed to act upon. Each enzyme—and the substance it will affect by combining with it—fit together precisely in a three-dimensional complex geometry. The way enzymes detect the substance they match, then head towards and combine with it is exceedingly deliberate behavior. Moreover, enzymes resemble conscious hunters, in that they lie in wait, making a shelter for themselves to hide in, where they remain ready to join with their appropriate substance. Each one is in the right place that matches its design and characteristics. They avoid environments in which they might be harmed or become ineffective.
The way they assume the responsibility of initiating or accelerating reactions is a matter worth reflecting on. Unless some agent is present to prevent them, various enzymes will constantly initiate and accelerate all of the various chemical reactions in the body. This could eventually lead to over-production of particular proteins or certain damaging imbalances within the cell. And so, it is the cell itself that regulates the enzymes’ activity. When the cell decides an enzyme to halt in its actions, it distracts it with an extraordinary act of conscious planning. To do so, it sends to the enzyme a substance similar to the one it normally combines with, and the enzyme attaches to this substitute instead. Therefore, this “imitative” substance keeps the enzyme occupied and for a while, forestalls it from unwanted activity.
In order to snare the enzyme, however, this imitation substance must also compete with its genuine counterpart. This inhibition of the enzyme is therefore known as a competitive inhibitor. By means of this method, enzyme activities are thus halted until such time as whatever substance is produced as a result of the reaction triggered by the enzyme falls below a specific level.
This information is not to be read once and then forgotten. First of all, it will be useful to realize that proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins composed of unconscious atoms are making the calculations, taking the decisions and implementing the plans just described, and not trained human beings with consciousness and a sense of responsibility. The cell determines the amount of substance produced, as if were doing a control of inventory. And when it decides that production needs to be halted for a while, it implements an exceedingly sophisticated procedure in order to do so.
How the cell produces the imitation substance to occupy the enzyme and releases it at just the proper time is highly planned behavior.
Because if these imitation substances always existed in the cell at all times, they would then also halt production by distracting enzymes when they’re most urgently required. But the cells’ timing is always perfectly accurate. Such an organized, intelligent form of behavior that is performed in sequence, one after the other, by molecules too small to be seen with the naked eye, is just one of the countless signs of the superior nature of God’s creation. Obviously, these apparently conscious substances behave under our Lord’s command.
Scientists Reject Evolutionist Claims of Chance
As more and more details emerge about the structure of enzymes, proteins and other similar structures, the invalidity of the theory of evolution becomes even more apparent. These structures in the micro-world lead scientists, willingly or otherwise, to accept the fact that there is a flawless design in life.
One such scientist is the microbiologist Malcolm Dixon:
Every minute the enzyme system does what chemists working a full shift cannot. Could anyone believe that naturally occurring enzymes became aware of themselves and hundreds of their counterparts as the result of chance? Enzymes and enzyme systems are touchstones of the same genetic mechanism. The more advanced research is carried out, the more detailed a design emerges. 2
Enzymes’ structure is too complex to have emerged by chance—a fact that is expressed in the famous biochemist Michael Pitman’s probability calculations:
As we know, there are some 1080 atoms in the universe and 1017 seconds have gone by since the Big Bang. Two thousand basic enzymes are essential if life is to survive. The chances of a single enzyme coming into being by chance are greater than 1020. The chances of them all emerging as the result of chance is 10 40000. Even if we think of the whole universe as an organic soup it is still impossible for such a minute probability to come about. 3
As these scientists have said, it is impossible for even a single enzyme to form spontaneously by chance. Yet 50 “pre-enzymes” work together to produce a single enzyme. Yet another enzyme requires nine different other enzymes before it can synthesize a single amino acid. This raises a very difficult question for any reasonable scientist: How did the first enzyme come into existence in the absence of the others? This is a question for which evolutionists can never provide an answer.
In addition to the problems posed by enzymes’ chemical production, they have another extraordinary feature: Once enzymes form, they can easily dissipate again or become passive unless just the right conditions are maintained. In other words, they cease to function until and unless they are needed.
In short, to enable any single enzyme to function, all the other requisite enzymes, cells, systems and structures have to be already in place, in full working order. So how did the first enzyme come into being? The answer is obvious. Almighty God, the flawless Creator, created every living thing and its cells in one single moment, together with all their necessary enzymes and proteins. This fact is revealed in a verse from the Qur’an as follows:
O man! What has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you and formed you and proportioned you and assembled you in whatever way He willed. (Qur’an, 82:6-8)
(1) Harun Yahya, The Miracle of Protein, Istanbul, Vural Publishing, March 2001.
(2) Michael Pitman, Adam and Evolution, London, River Publishing, 1984, p.144.
(3) Pitman, Ibid., p. 148.
Every second, more processes than can be counted are carried out in the bodies of all living things. So complex and detailed are these processes that at every stage, the intervention of “super-regulators” is essential to control the whole system that maintain order and accelerate events. These super-regulating chemicals in the human body are enzymes.
Every living cell contains thousands of enzymes, each of which performs its own tasks, such as assisting with the copying of DNA, breaking down foodstuffs and producing energy from them, and constructing chains of compounds from simple molecules.
Enzymes are produced by mitochondria inside each cell. Large parts of enzymes consist of proteins, the rest of are vitamins and vitamin-like substances. Were it not for these enzymes, none of our functions, from the simplest to the most complex, could take place, or else would occur so slowly as to stop altogether. In either case, the result would be the same—death. We could not speak, eat, digest, see or even breathe– in short, we could not live.
Enzymes’ most important tasks are to initiate, halt and accelerate various chemical reactions in the body. As the cells perform their functions, the chemicals inside them must react accordingly. Higher temperatures are needed to initiate most chemical reactions. Yet such high temperature could pose a danger to living cells, causing them injury or death. The solution to this dilemma lies in enzymes.
An obvious miracle of creation, enzymes manage to initiate or accelerate chemical reactions even in the absence of high temperature, yet as catalysts, they do not enter into—or are themselves changed—by these reactions. Take one example from your daily life of how enzymes accelerate the processes taking place within your body: Thanks to an enzyme involved in the removal of carbon dioxide from the blood as you inhale, you do not suffocate. An enzyme known as anhydrase accelerates the process of cleansing carbon dioxide by a factor of 10 million times! At this speed, the anhydrase can transform 36 million molecules every minute.
The Body’s Rapid and Economical Production Vehicles
Enzymes permit vital reactions to take place as quickly as possible, and also to exploit the body’s energy in the most efficient way. If you compare the human body to a factory, with the many enzymes working within its cells as various means of production, no source of energy would be able to run with that factory. Because the level of electricity needed to power trillions of machines, of 2,000 different types, all working perfectly at such high speeds would be enormous. In a laboratory environment, therefore, an exceedingly high level of heat and energy are needed in order to carry out even a simple reaction in the cell.
However, the cell’s working enzymes carry out their tasks silently and faultlessly in the relatively low heat from the body and with the energy they obtain from nutrients. Just one of these characteristics is sufficient to show how enzymes have been specially designed to make every reaction occurring place in the body perfect yet completely efficient.
Even as you read these lines, a large number of enzymes are controlling reactions taking place throughout your body and providing the nourishment and energy your cells need to stay healthy and functioning. Even though a person has no knowledge of everything that is happening inside his body, enzymes are not only aware of it, but also intervene in all processes in a most vital and accurate manner. Moreover, every enzyme accelerates specific chemical reactions in the body. No enzyme does the tasks of another, nor makes a mistake in performing its own, because each enzyme is specially formulated for performing its own task.
For example, while a large number of enzymes can be effective in fluids with a neutral pH, those enzymes charged with digesting foodstuffs in the stomach can work effectively only under a highly acidic environment. Again, saliva contains the enzyme amylase, which breaks starch down into maltose and accompanies food along the esophagus, but it is neutralized when it reaches the acidic environment in the stomach. But once it arrives there, in any case, its work is done. 1
Enzymes’ Lock-and-Key Compatibility
The molecular shapes of enzymes are completely in conformity with whatever substance they are designed to act upon. Each enzyme—and the substance it will affect by combining with it—fit together precisely in a three-dimensional complex geometry. The way enzymes detect the substance they match, then head towards and combine with it is exceedingly deliberate behavior. Moreover, enzymes resemble conscious hunters, in that they lie in wait, making a shelter for themselves to hide in, where they remain ready to join with their appropriate substance. Each one is in the right place that matches its design and characteristics. They avoid environments in which they might be harmed or become ineffective.
The way they assume the responsibility of initiating or accelerating reactions is a matter worth reflecting on. Unless some agent is present to prevent them, various enzymes will constantly initiate and accelerate all of the various chemical reactions in the body. This could eventually lead to over-production of particular proteins or certain damaging imbalances within the cell. And so, it is the cell itself that regulates the enzymes’ activity. When the cell decides an enzyme to halt in its actions, it distracts it with an extraordinary act of conscious planning. To do so, it sends to the enzyme a substance similar to the one it normally combines with, and the enzyme attaches to this substitute instead. Therefore, this “imitative” substance keeps the enzyme occupied and for a while, forestalls it from unwanted activity.
In order to snare the enzyme, however, this imitation substance must also compete with its genuine counterpart. This inhibition of the enzyme is therefore known as a competitive inhibitor. By means of this method, enzyme activities are thus halted until such time as whatever substance is produced as a result of the reaction triggered by the enzyme falls below a specific level.
This information is not to be read once and then forgotten. First of all, it will be useful to realize that proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins composed of unconscious atoms are making the calculations, taking the decisions and implementing the plans just described, and not trained human beings with consciousness and a sense of responsibility. The cell determines the amount of substance produced, as if were doing a control of inventory. And when it decides that production needs to be halted for a while, it implements an exceedingly sophisticated procedure in order to do so.
How the cell produces the imitation substance to occupy the enzyme and releases it at just the proper time is highly planned behavior.
Because if these imitation substances always existed in the cell at all times, they would then also halt production by distracting enzymes when they’re most urgently required. But the cells’ timing is always perfectly accurate. Such an organized, intelligent form of behavior that is performed in sequence, one after the other, by molecules too small to be seen with the naked eye, is just one of the countless signs of the superior nature of God’s creation. Obviously, these apparently conscious substances behave under our Lord’s command.
Scientists Reject Evolutionist Claims of Chance
As more and more details emerge about the structure of enzymes, proteins and other similar structures, the invalidity of the theory of evolution becomes even more apparent. These structures in the micro-world lead scientists, willingly or otherwise, to accept the fact that there is a flawless design in life.
One such scientist is the microbiologist Malcolm Dixon:
Every minute the enzyme system does what chemists working a full shift cannot. Could anyone believe that naturally occurring enzymes became aware of themselves and hundreds of their counterparts as the result of chance? Enzymes and enzyme systems are touchstones of the same genetic mechanism. The more advanced research is carried out, the more detailed a design emerges. 2
Enzymes’ structure is too complex to have emerged by chance—a fact that is expressed in the famous biochemist Michael Pitman’s probability calculations:
As we know, there are some 1080 atoms in the universe and 1017 seconds have gone by since the Big Bang. Two thousand basic enzymes are essential if life is to survive. The chances of a single enzyme coming into being by chance are greater than 1020. The chances of them all emerging as the result of chance is 10 40000. Even if we think of the whole universe as an organic soup it is still impossible for such a minute probability to come about. 3
As these scientists have said, it is impossible for even a single enzyme to form spontaneously by chance. Yet 50 “pre-enzymes” work together to produce a single enzyme. Yet another enzyme requires nine different other enzymes before it can synthesize a single amino acid. This raises a very difficult question for any reasonable scientist: How did the first enzyme come into existence in the absence of the others? This is a question for which evolutionists can never provide an answer.
In addition to the problems posed by enzymes’ chemical production, they have another extraordinary feature: Once enzymes form, they can easily dissipate again or become passive unless just the right conditions are maintained. In other words, they cease to function until and unless they are needed.
In short, to enable any single enzyme to function, all the other requisite enzymes, cells, systems and structures have to be already in place, in full working order. So how did the first enzyme come into being? The answer is obvious. Almighty God, the flawless Creator, created every living thing and its cells in one single moment, together with all their necessary enzymes and proteins. This fact is revealed in a verse from the Qur’an as follows:
O man! What has deluded you in respect of your Noble Lord? He Who created you and formed you and proportioned you and assembled you in whatever way He willed. (Qur’an, 82:6-8)
(1) Harun Yahya, The Miracle of Protein, Istanbul, Vural Publishing, March 2001.
(2) Michael Pitman, Adam and Evolution, London, River Publishing, 1984, p.144.
(3) Pitman, Ibid., p. 148.
Therapy And Medication For Various Illnesses Today
by: Jon Caldwell
The pharmaceutical drugs for rheumatoid arthritis often have severe side effects from stomach discomfort and diarrhea to kidney malfunction. People who take the pharmaceuticals for this condition often find themselves in the lab frequently having their blood work monitored carefully. However, this is why there are rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies. Especially with the high levels of side effects that drugs have and even the discontinuation of several drugs by different companies, the use of rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies has increased. Rheumatoid arthritis can greatly affect someone’s life. It can result in the inability to use your hands, walk, or do simple daily tasks. Therefore any rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies that can help are greatly appreciated by the sufferers of this illness.
The most common therapy is hot cold therapy. This means that heat is used on the affected area for about fifteen minutes to reduce the inflammation and then cold is used for fifteen minutes to help control the pain. The most common herbal supplement used for rheumatoid arthritis is Glucosamine. Glucosamine is known to aid in the repair and health of the joints. The second most common herb that does the same is Chondroitin. There is also something called MSM. This is a sulfur based anti-inflammatory that is said to work just as well as the typical medications. TO try and slow the progression of the disease and not just symptom relief is Niacinamide.
This is supposed to maintain the health of cells and therefore slows the progression of the illness. It is otherwise known as Vitamin B3. Rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies are available at most health food stores and pharmacies. Although they each have their own benefits and are proven to be helpful, it is mentioned that when taken together in a combined supplement they are the most beneficial. Acupressure is a common physical treatment that can help with the pain or arthritis. It works by placing pressure on specific places on the body. This can be done by a trained therapist, or techniques can be taught and done at home. Rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies are readily available and most are not very reasonable priced. They are definitely gaining in popularity every day.
Hip complaints are generally felt as pain in the groin, hip, or in the buttock, although it may spread into the thigh and knee. Pain is usually worse when walking, rising from a chair, and lying on the affected side and can be exacerbated by warmth.
The causes of hip complaints and associated pain are manifold and include arthritis and previous joint distortion. Mechanical dysfunction of the pelvis, lower back, or knees can also cause hip problems, and occasionally infection may be at the root.
Reflexology may be described as a specialized form of massage of the feet and - less commonly - of the hands. Performed to detect and correct "imbalances" in the body that may be causing ill-health, it is, however, much more than simply massage.
Alternative names for reflexology include reflex zone therapy and zone therapy. There are several variant forms or extensions of the therapy, including Morrel reflexology. Perhaps the most widely divergent among them, however, are the Vacuflex system and the metamorphie technique.
The pharmaceutical drugs for rheumatoid arthritis often have severe side effects from stomach discomfort and diarrhea to kidney malfunction. People who take the pharmaceuticals for this condition often find themselves in the lab frequently having their blood work monitored carefully. However, this is why there are rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies. Especially with the high levels of side effects that drugs have and even the discontinuation of several drugs by different companies, the use of rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies has increased. Rheumatoid arthritis can greatly affect someone’s life. It can result in the inability to use your hands, walk, or do simple daily tasks. Therefore any rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies that can help are greatly appreciated by the sufferers of this illness.
The most common therapy is hot cold therapy. This means that heat is used on the affected area for about fifteen minutes to reduce the inflammation and then cold is used for fifteen minutes to help control the pain. The most common herbal supplement used for rheumatoid arthritis is Glucosamine. Glucosamine is known to aid in the repair and health of the joints. The second most common herb that does the same is Chondroitin. There is also something called MSM. This is a sulfur based anti-inflammatory that is said to work just as well as the typical medications. TO try and slow the progression of the disease and not just symptom relief is Niacinamide.
This is supposed to maintain the health of cells and therefore slows the progression of the illness. It is otherwise known as Vitamin B3. Rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies are available at most health food stores and pharmacies. Although they each have their own benefits and are proven to be helpful, it is mentioned that when taken together in a combined supplement they are the most beneficial. Acupressure is a common physical treatment that can help with the pain or arthritis. It works by placing pressure on specific places on the body. This can be done by a trained therapist, or techniques can be taught and done at home. Rheumatoid arthritis alternative therapies are readily available and most are not very reasonable priced. They are definitely gaining in popularity every day.
Hip complaints are generally felt as pain in the groin, hip, or in the buttock, although it may spread into the thigh and knee. Pain is usually worse when walking, rising from a chair, and lying on the affected side and can be exacerbated by warmth.
The causes of hip complaints and associated pain are manifold and include arthritis and previous joint distortion. Mechanical dysfunction of the pelvis, lower back, or knees can also cause hip problems, and occasionally infection may be at the root.
Reflexology may be described as a specialized form of massage of the feet and - less commonly - of the hands. Performed to detect and correct "imbalances" in the body that may be causing ill-health, it is, however, much more than simply massage.
Alternative names for reflexology include reflex zone therapy and zone therapy. There are several variant forms or extensions of the therapy, including Morrel reflexology. Perhaps the most widely divergent among them, however, are the Vacuflex system and the metamorphie technique.
Do You Believe In The Herbal Hype?
by: Jon Caldwell
In China, herbal method has been treated for along time. Nowadays, it's not strange if American use that treatment. There is a fast-growing interest among people today regarding alternative medicines and therapies. This interest includes the herbal remedies and dietary supplements market. In fact, it's a safe bet that many large supermarkets in your local area feature an aisle or two specifically for natural medicines alone. A quick browse through the World Wide Web about health problems and topics will reveal advertisements and articles about natural health products that claim to help consumers with everything from migraines to sexual deficiencies.
When they are used properly in combination with a patient's overall health regimen, these natural health products can be effective and safe. More and more people are observed to be taking an active part in taking care of their health, and this is a good thing. What makes it a problem, though, is the lack of information that patients sometimes have, especially when it comes to self-presciption medicines. With that in mind, it is valuable to know the following rules-of-thumb regarding botanicals and herbal remedies:
Don't immediately think that taking a natural medicine is safe for you. Alternative medicines from plants or herbs can also be dangerous when taken improperly. These natural medicines are usually needed to be taken in strong dosages, or at least strong enough to be effective. It's good to remember that they also have contra-indications, just like other medicines. Usually these contra-indications happen when abnormally large dosages are taken, or if the herb is taken over a prolonged amount of time.
Goji Berries are getting much acclaim lately for being health food products, usually marketed as either Himalayan goji or Tibetan goji. One source indicates that Goji Berries have been a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine for around 1,900 years already. According to Chinese legend, Goji Berries were also used by Shen Nung who is believed to have been the First Emperor of China. Goji Berries are now considered a health food because research has shown that it has antioxidants and nutrients aplenty, which may explain why Goji Berries are also now classified as one of the superfruits. Demand for superfruits like Goji Berries is expected to reach the billion-dollar mark by year 2011.
The Goji Berries you may be familiar with are usually of an ellipsoidal shape and bright red, with each of the Goji Berries filled with up to sixty seeds. Goji Berries that are planted in countries in the Northern Hemisphere may ripen in the months of July, August, September and October.
Nowadays, Goji Berries are planted in commercial quantities in north central China (in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) and in western China (in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.) The size of a typical plantation of Goji Berries can start at 100 acres and extend to up to 1000 acres in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ningxia has been found to produce some of the top Goji Berries variety which are sometimes called the red diamonds commercial variety.
In China, herbal method has been treated for along time. Nowadays, it's not strange if American use that treatment. There is a fast-growing interest among people today regarding alternative medicines and therapies. This interest includes the herbal remedies and dietary supplements market. In fact, it's a safe bet that many large supermarkets in your local area feature an aisle or two specifically for natural medicines alone. A quick browse through the World Wide Web about health problems and topics will reveal advertisements and articles about natural health products that claim to help consumers with everything from migraines to sexual deficiencies.
When they are used properly in combination with a patient's overall health regimen, these natural health products can be effective and safe. More and more people are observed to be taking an active part in taking care of their health, and this is a good thing. What makes it a problem, though, is the lack of information that patients sometimes have, especially when it comes to self-presciption medicines. With that in mind, it is valuable to know the following rules-of-thumb regarding botanicals and herbal remedies:
Don't immediately think that taking a natural medicine is safe for you. Alternative medicines from plants or herbs can also be dangerous when taken improperly. These natural medicines are usually needed to be taken in strong dosages, or at least strong enough to be effective. It's good to remember that they also have contra-indications, just like other medicines. Usually these contra-indications happen when abnormally large dosages are taken, or if the herb is taken over a prolonged amount of time.
Goji Berries are getting much acclaim lately for being health food products, usually marketed as either Himalayan goji or Tibetan goji. One source indicates that Goji Berries have been a mainstay of Traditional Chinese Medicine for around 1,900 years already. According to Chinese legend, Goji Berries were also used by Shen Nung who is believed to have been the First Emperor of China. Goji Berries are now considered a health food because research has shown that it has antioxidants and nutrients aplenty, which may explain why Goji Berries are also now classified as one of the superfruits. Demand for superfruits like Goji Berries is expected to reach the billion-dollar mark by year 2011.
The Goji Berries you may be familiar with are usually of an ellipsoidal shape and bright red, with each of the Goji Berries filled with up to sixty seeds. Goji Berries that are planted in countries in the Northern Hemisphere may ripen in the months of July, August, September and October.
Nowadays, Goji Berries are planted in commercial quantities in north central China (in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region) and in western China (in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.) The size of a typical plantation of Goji Berries can start at 100 acres and extend to up to 1000 acres in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ningxia has been found to produce some of the top Goji Berries variety which are sometimes called the red diamonds commercial variety.
Keeping An Eye Out For Diseases And Illnesses
by: Jon Caldwell
Pleurisy, also called pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura. Pleurisy can be generated by a variety of infectious and non-infectious causes. Pleurisy is caused by swelling and irritation of the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Certain autoimmune diseases (such as systemic lupus erythematosus) can irritate the pleura. It is usually a symptom of another illness. It is also called Pleuritic Chest Pain. Pleurisy can develop from many things, including bacterial or viral infections of the lungs (such as pneumonia), TB, lupus, chest injury or trauma, a blood clot in the lung, or cancer. Sometimes a cause cannot be found. The effects of pleurisy can often be felt long after the condition has gone away.The hallmark of pleurisy is severe chest pain that starts suddenly.
The pain is often strong or stabbing when you take a deep breath. It usually subsides or disappears between breaths. It's usually felt on one side of the stomach area or lower chest. Deep breathing and coughing often make it worse. Pleurisy causes fluid to collect inside the lung area. Breathing may be rapid and shallow because deep breathing induces pain; the muscles on the painful side move less than those on the other side. When an accumulation of fluids (pleural effusion) is associated with pleurisy, the pain usually disappears because the fluid serves as a lubricant. Treatment depends on what is causing the pleurisy. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes joint pain and damage. It affecting more than two million people in the United States. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of your joints (synovium) causing swelling that can result in aching and throbbing and eventually deformity. Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis symptoms make even the simplest activities — such as opening a jar or taking a walk — difficult to manage. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and older adults. It is commonly polyarticular; that is, it affects many joints.
About seventy-five percent of those affected are women, and 1–3% of women may develop rheumatoid arthritis is their lifetime. The disease most often begins between the fourth and sixth decades of life; however, RA can develop at any age. RA usually affects joints on both sides of the body equally. Wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles are the most commonly affected.Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and older adults. Inflammation, soft tissue swelling, and the involvement of multiple joints are common signs and symptoms that distinguish rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis from non-inflammatory arthritis such as osteoarthritis.
Treatments include medicine, lifestyle changes and surgery. These can slow or stop joint damage and reduce pain and swelling. To quickly reduce joint inflammation and symptoms, first-line treatment usually consists of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin and others), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex) and many others.
Pleurisy, also called pleuritis, is an inflammation of the pleura. Pleurisy can be generated by a variety of infectious and non-infectious causes. Pleurisy is caused by swelling and irritation of the membrane that surrounds the lungs. Certain autoimmune diseases (such as systemic lupus erythematosus) can irritate the pleura. It is usually a symptom of another illness. It is also called Pleuritic Chest Pain. Pleurisy can develop from many things, including bacterial or viral infections of the lungs (such as pneumonia), TB, lupus, chest injury or trauma, a blood clot in the lung, or cancer. Sometimes a cause cannot be found. The effects of pleurisy can often be felt long after the condition has gone away.The hallmark of pleurisy is severe chest pain that starts suddenly.
The pain is often strong or stabbing when you take a deep breath. It usually subsides or disappears between breaths. It's usually felt on one side of the stomach area or lower chest. Deep breathing and coughing often make it worse. Pleurisy causes fluid to collect inside the lung area. Breathing may be rapid and shallow because deep breathing induces pain; the muscles on the painful side move less than those on the other side. When an accumulation of fluids (pleural effusion) is associated with pleurisy, the pain usually disappears because the fluid serves as a lubricant. Treatment depends on what is causing the pleurisy. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory form of arthritis that causes joint pain and damage. It affecting more than two million people in the United States. Rheumatoid arthritis attacks the lining of your joints (synovium) causing swelling that can result in aching and throbbing and eventually deformity. Sometimes rheumatoid arthritis symptoms make even the simplest activities — such as opening a jar or taking a walk — difficult to manage. Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and older adults. It is commonly polyarticular; that is, it affects many joints.
About seventy-five percent of those affected are women, and 1–3% of women may develop rheumatoid arthritis is their lifetime. The disease most often begins between the fourth and sixth decades of life; however, RA can develop at any age. RA usually affects joints on both sides of the body equally. Wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles are the most commonly affected.Rheumatoid arthritis is two to three times more common in women than in men and generally occurs between the ages of 40 and 60. But rheumatoid arthritis can also affect young children and older adults. Inflammation, soft tissue swelling, and the involvement of multiple joints are common signs and symptoms that distinguish rheumatoid and other inflammatory arthritis from non-inflammatory arthritis such as osteoarthritis.
Treatments include medicine, lifestyle changes and surgery. These can slow or stop joint damage and reduce pain and swelling. To quickly reduce joint inflammation and symptoms, first-line treatment usually consists of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin and others), naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve), celecoxib (Celebrex) and many others.
Enjoy a “Long, Healthy, Happy Life”
by: Richard Penfounde
(Excerpts from the e-Book “ Enjoy a “Long, Healthy, Happy Life” )
"Those who fail to take the time to be healthy will ultimately have to take the time to be sick." ~ Dr. James Chappell
So you want to enjoy a long, healthy, happy life or should I say, you want to be the “exception to the rule.”
You should know from the start that the “odds” are stacked against you, but by accepting and tackling the challenge you will find it very worthwhile and rewarding, not to mention adding many years of happiness onto your lifespan.
Talking of “lifespan”, lets pause for a moment and think about that.
Its key to differentiate between living a “long life” (lifespan) and living a “long HEALTHY life” (healthspan), which then can translate into the ideal situation where you can enjoy a “LONG, HEALTHY, HAPPY LIFE”.
I know of many people, young and old who just exist from day to day with aches and pains, disease and suffering and with many bedridden for a number of years before they die prematurely from one of the modern lifestyle diseases like cancer or heart disease. One can hardly call that “living” or having had a great life.
Most people look forward to retiring after a long period of working and bringing up a family, with a vision of being able to relax, travel and enjoy a long, happy, healthy life with one’s family. The reality, unfortunately is very different for most people.
This dream unfortunately, invariably has a perverse ending in this day and age. Virtually every one of us living a modern lifestyle will be diagnosed with a fatal chronic disease in our lifetime. Most of us will land up having long term expensive drug treatment, causing misery, pain and suffering and eventually death without dignity. At least half of us will be diagnosed with cancer and will be treated by conventional medicine, resulting in a slow painful death after undergoing expensive poisonous chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Those of us lucky enough to escape cancer will most probably succumb to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s or some other chronic degenerative lifestyle disease.
Supercentenarians
However there are people, who in their early years, were never exposed to the current modern lifestyles, toxic pollution, fast foods, processed foods and pharmaceutical drugs, who have proved that you can “LIVE” a long, healthy and happy life.
The Gerontology Research web site (http://www.grg.org) have a validated worldwide list of living “Supercentenarians”. ( people who are 110 years old or older). There are currently 69 women and 8 men on this list with 25 in the US, 24 in Japan, 26 from other countries and only 2 living in the UK.
So from this you can get a true understanding of “longevity”, but the million dollar question is why do these people live so long ?
Its all about “how we live” and “what we eat” which all boils down to “LIFESTYLE”.
Take Control of Your Lifestyle and Your Healthcare
The key challenge is to want to do this for yourself and your family. The starting point is to take control of your lifestyle and your healthcare by becoming aware and informed and then to take the appropriate actions.
Its hard to accept, but actually NOBODY out there is interested in you and your families healthcare or whether you live a “long, healthy and happy life” or not.
As a matter of fact you will be very surprised to know that there is a whole industry that want just the opposite.
I hear you say “But what about my GP, Gynie, Paede, Oncologist, Cardiologist, etc?, surely they are interested ?”
They should be, but remember each of these people make a living from the “Disease Business” astutely managed and controlled by the Pharmaceutical Industry.
This article, with additional information on the website
http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com
and in the e-Book, sets out to enlighten and inform you about what you have to do and what you have to avoid, to escape the “Disease Business” and enjoy a “long, healthy and happy life”. We also want to expose what the true obstacles are that you will encounter on this amazing, rewarding “lifestyle” journey, which will enable you to make the necessary decisions and actions to avoid them.
Modern Lifestyles
Its an undeniable fact that in this modern era of toxic air and water pollution, fast fried fatty foods, processed foods, carcinogenic groceries, sugar filled foods and drinks, pesticide poisoned soil, fruit and vegetables, alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, prescription and recreational drugs; just to name the main culprits; nine out of every ten adults will die prematurely from a serious chronic lifestyle degenerative disease. Very few of these diseases were common just a hundred years ago and are unquestionably caused by our modern lifestyles.
The variety of aches, pains, disease and suffering are as plentiful and as diverse as humankind. Sickness and disease abound and as we all know most of these diseases cause us and our families misery, pain, financial hardships and suffering and in many cases “death”, but sadly most of these deaths could have been prevented.
The Germ Theory
Modern medicine is based on Louis Pasteur’ s (1822-1895) “Germ Theory” where every disease is caused by a specific external germ and is seen to be different. The solution being, specific drugs to address and mask each of these symptoms, of which there are currently hundreds. This was the fatal birth of the “Disease Business” and the most lucrative and protected industry on earth today – the pharmaceutical industry. Although Pasteur was recognized at the time as the father of bacteriology and microbiology based on his “Germ Theory of Medicine”, he was not a medical man and was in direct conflict with other research doctors of the day.
The Cellular Theory
Alternative medicine on the other hand has a holistic, preventative approach and is based on Dr Antoine Bechamp’s (1816-1908) and Claude Bernard’s (1813-1878) “Cellular Theory” which is based on the “healthy terrain” concept. (a healthy inner body).
So what is the healthy terrain? Béchamp began to describe it nearly two hundred years ago, but Claude Bernard finally stated that to maintain a “healthy terrain” (disease free body) there were two factors, which when violated were responsible for every known disease.
1. The necessary Nutrition to feed the bodies numerous cells
2. Toxin free blood, cells and body tissues
One must have proper nutrition and be free of toxins to maintain a “healthy terrain”. He also established that germs were attracted to diseased tissues and cells and were not the cause of the disease, dispelling Pasteur’s “Germ Theory”.
The following paragraph is taken from the Antoine Bechamp website.
“Bechamp was one of France's most prominent and active researchers and biologists. He taught in universities and medical schools, and published widely on cell biology, disease, botany and related subjects. His would probably be a household name today if it wasn't for the activities of Louis Pasteur, who history has treated very kindly indeed, considering his fake science, his tendency to steal ideas (mainly from Bechamp), falsify experimental data, and in general make claims which had no basis in fact. “
It is unfortunate that the profit driven “Disease Business” continues to endorse the “Germ Theory” for obvious reasons, despite vast scientific research proving the “Cellular Theory”. Notable work has been done for numerous years by many credible researchers worldwide, with a huge contribution from the Dr Rath Foundation in the USA who have been very active since 1993 when Dr Rath made the first of many new scientifically proven discoveries leading to his Cellular Medicine theory.
Miracles
Modern medicine has made incredible advances over the last decade, specifically in surgical techniques, identification of viruses, burn treatment, trauma and emergency room care. So if you are involved in an accident, these services are essential and often life saving, with these specialist doctors performing lifesaving miracles. Unfortunately not all modern medicine, especially in the area of disease prevention and treatment fits into this category.
The “Modern Medicine” Paradigm
There is however a very different face to modern medicine that affects us all a lot more seriously and frequently. The “modern medicine” paradigm, which promises good health for all and the prevention and cure of disease, has not only failed completely to meet these objectives but has delivered pain, suffering and misery and cost trillions of dollars.
No amount of modern medicine or medical advancement can help you if the drugs are filled with poisonous toxins and have such serious side effects. Similarly no amount of processed or fast foods can provide you the nutrition your body needs to be healthy. Ultimately, if you want optimum health and want to prevent or reverse disease, you have no choice, you must take control of your own healthcare and change your lifestyle.
The Way Forward
So how do you get the awareness and the necessary information to enable you and your family to live a long, healthy, happy life.
Firstly, you must take control of your lifestyle and your healthcare.
Secondly, unless you understand the true nature of what CAUSES disease and death, and how degenerative diseases develop in the body, you will not be able to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family. The earlier you start the quicker you can start living and have peace of mind and not become a “Wasted Life” statistic.
“Wasted Lives”
Did you know that in the UK somebody dies unnecessarily from heart disease every three minutes? Are you or anyone you know a potential candidate for heart disease or any of the other modern scourges, like cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s ?
To get a real perspective on the scale of these “wasted lives”, lets look at just a few of the statistics for the UK and the USA. The following are just for the three main killers, heart disease, cancer and modern medicine. Yes ”modern medicine” !
Cancer deaths in the UK – in 2005 there were 153,491 deaths from cancer, according to figures published on the www. cancerresearchuk.org web site.
Cancer deaths in the USA – in 2003 there were 556,902 deaths from cancer according to figures published by the National Centre for Health Statistics.
Heart disease deaths in the UK – 70,000 deaths occur each year with one death every three minutes according to a BBC news article.
Heart disease deaths and statistics in the USA – according to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease is the number 1 killer responsible for 1 million deaths in 2002 with the statistics for various heart conditions showing 1 adult person in 4 suffer from some form of heart disease.
50 million suffer from high blood pressure
12 million suffer from coronary heart disease
6.2 million suffer from angina pectoris
7 million suffer from heart attack
4.4 million suffer from stroke
1.8 million suffer from rheumatic heart disease/fever
1 million suffer from congenital cardiovascular defects
4.6 million suffer from congestive heart failure
That’s SCARY ! If that’s not got you feeling a little worried, lets look at the most incredible statistic of all, which is the deaths caused by “modern medicine” in the USA. This is the very medicine prescribed by our friendly trusted GP to “supposedly” make us better- makes you think?
In October 2003 the Nutrition Institute of America (NIH) released a report stating that between 1993 and 2003 – Medical mistakes took 7.8 million lives, more deaths than all the wars America fought combined.
A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled “Death by Medicine” that presents compelling evidence that today’s system frequently causes more harm than good.
This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
The following is an excerpt from Death by Medicine
By Gary Null, PhD; Carolyn Dean MD, ND; Martin Feldman, MD; Debora Rasio, MD; and Dorothy Smith, PhD
“The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.) “
The Naturally Healthy Lifestyle Journey
“Optimum nutrition is the medicine of the future”
Dr Linus Pauling – twice Nobel Prize winner.
We all want to live a long, healthy, happy life with an abundance of energy and vitality, the ability to perform mentally and physically with emotional balance and the lack of disease and disorders. To achieve this we need to embark on a naturally healthy lifestyle journey.
The Miracle Healer
The body is a “miracle healer” made up entirely of molecules from the food we eat and drink, which is what “enables” the body to heal itself and to exist in perfect health. The problem is most of us eat and drink the wrong things which poison the body with toxins that make us ill and expose ourselves to the killer diseases, causing us extreme pain and reducing our life span significantly.
You are a unique individual in a specific phase of your life with specific needs to cater for your current lifestyle, whether it be starting a family, being a busy corporate employee, manager or executive, self employed, a sportsman / woman, highly stressed, sickly or suffering from a chronic disease, a government employee, a busy housewife, a teenager, over 40 or 50, a senior citizen or any other phase of life.
During this journey you will want to look at the following areas of your life and decide which of these you want to change to achieve your specific goals.
The “Toxin” Generators
The key to your “naturally healthy lifestyle” journey is to be aware of the following factors and find ways to positively adapt your lifestyles accordingly to combat the toxic effects and set the foundation for optimal health and quality of life.
Here are some of the key things you need to think about to achieve this:
Nutrition – fresh fruit, seeds and vegetables and natural supplements
Your individual diet – enjoy low-glycemic load eating habits
Stress – avoid physical, traumatic and mental
Pollution – water, air, work and home environment
Fresh produce pollution – pesticides, fertilisers – eat organic
Processed food- additives, preservatives, colourants, other carcinogens, MSG
Fast foods – fatty, fried foods, trans fats, hydrolysed fats, hydrogenated oils
Refined carbohydrates – cakes, cookies, biscuits, breads
Sugar and sweeteners – sucrose, fructose, corn syrup,
Soft / cold drinks - A 12-ounce can of soda has the equivalent of about 13 teaspoons of sugar
Smoking – cell damage
Alcohol- excessive drinking
Prescription and recreation drugs (including street drugs)
Groceries – salt, carcinogens, monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Cosmetics - carcinogens
Sunscreen and tanning lotions – carcinogens
Lack of exercise, sunshine and relaxation
Shallow breathing – slows lymphatic system – slows waste extraction
Meaningful work or hobby to challenge the mind
As you can see there are many things that can affect our health and in many cases we have been abusing our bodies for a long time. So getting our body, mind and spirit back into shape is a journey that will enable us to live a natural healthy lifestyle.
That means, once you understand the effects each of these topics have on your health, you can take the necessary actions to address these either through small changes over time or more aggressively if necessary, which will contribute to you being able to enjoy a long, healthy, happy life.
More detailed information on these topics can be found in the e-Book and on the website.
The Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com
Our Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site is dedicated to providing all of the information required for you to fully understand the natural holistic healing powers of the body and soul and the critical role “Optimum Nutrition” plays. In addition the Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site has all of the information and professional advice and guidance, with proven independent recommendations and solutions from Richard Penfounde, our Naturally Healthy Lifestyle “GURU”, to enable you to take charge of your own health and wellbeing by becoming ...
“Your own first-choice Natural Practitioner”.
Regardless of our age we all desire to be physically fit with an abundance of energy, an alert and active mind, a resilience to infectious diseases and viruses, protection against the killer diseases like cancer, heart attacks and strokes, while living to a ripe old age, pain free, happy, healthy, full of vitality and actively enjoying life to its fullest. It seems like a dream – BUT its not.
It CAN become a reality through a “Naturally Healthy Lifestyle”.
If you would like to achieve this, then the Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site has the information you need and we would like to accompany you on this journey to assist you to achieve your health goals. For regular news updates on leading edge announcements, you can register for our Naturally Healthy Lifestyle Newsletter, which will keep you up to date with the latest news and trends.
We have made this a “one-stop” web site with all of the information you will need to enable you to “take charge of your own health” and to start living a “Naturally Healthy Lifestyle” with all of the wonderful benefits that come with that.
My team and I look forward to welcoming you to our Naturally Healthy Lifestyles community,
In health and wellness, join us at:
http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com
Richard Penfounde - Natural Health Advisor and “GURU” - Head of the Naturally Healthy Lifestyles Research Team.
(Excerpts from the e-Book “ Enjoy a “Long, Healthy, Happy Life” )
"Those who fail to take the time to be healthy will ultimately have to take the time to be sick." ~ Dr. James Chappell
So you want to enjoy a long, healthy, happy life or should I say, you want to be the “exception to the rule.”
You should know from the start that the “odds” are stacked against you, but by accepting and tackling the challenge you will find it very worthwhile and rewarding, not to mention adding many years of happiness onto your lifespan.
Talking of “lifespan”, lets pause for a moment and think about that.
Its key to differentiate between living a “long life” (lifespan) and living a “long HEALTHY life” (healthspan), which then can translate into the ideal situation where you can enjoy a “LONG, HEALTHY, HAPPY LIFE”.
I know of many people, young and old who just exist from day to day with aches and pains, disease and suffering and with many bedridden for a number of years before they die prematurely from one of the modern lifestyle diseases like cancer or heart disease. One can hardly call that “living” or having had a great life.
Most people look forward to retiring after a long period of working and bringing up a family, with a vision of being able to relax, travel and enjoy a long, happy, healthy life with one’s family. The reality, unfortunately is very different for most people.
This dream unfortunately, invariably has a perverse ending in this day and age. Virtually every one of us living a modern lifestyle will be diagnosed with a fatal chronic disease in our lifetime. Most of us will land up having long term expensive drug treatment, causing misery, pain and suffering and eventually death without dignity. At least half of us will be diagnosed with cancer and will be treated by conventional medicine, resulting in a slow painful death after undergoing expensive poisonous chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. Those of us lucky enough to escape cancer will most probably succumb to heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s or some other chronic degenerative lifestyle disease.
Supercentenarians
However there are people, who in their early years, were never exposed to the current modern lifestyles, toxic pollution, fast foods, processed foods and pharmaceutical drugs, who have proved that you can “LIVE” a long, healthy and happy life.
The Gerontology Research web site (http://www.grg.org) have a validated worldwide list of living “Supercentenarians”. ( people who are 110 years old or older). There are currently 69 women and 8 men on this list with 25 in the US, 24 in Japan, 26 from other countries and only 2 living in the UK.
So from this you can get a true understanding of “longevity”, but the million dollar question is why do these people live so long ?
Its all about “how we live” and “what we eat” which all boils down to “LIFESTYLE”.
Take Control of Your Lifestyle and Your Healthcare
The key challenge is to want to do this for yourself and your family. The starting point is to take control of your lifestyle and your healthcare by becoming aware and informed and then to take the appropriate actions.
Its hard to accept, but actually NOBODY out there is interested in you and your families healthcare or whether you live a “long, healthy and happy life” or not.
As a matter of fact you will be very surprised to know that there is a whole industry that want just the opposite.
I hear you say “But what about my GP, Gynie, Paede, Oncologist, Cardiologist, etc?, surely they are interested ?”
They should be, but remember each of these people make a living from the “Disease Business” astutely managed and controlled by the Pharmaceutical Industry.
This article, with additional information on the website
http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com
and in the e-Book, sets out to enlighten and inform you about what you have to do and what you have to avoid, to escape the “Disease Business” and enjoy a “long, healthy and happy life”. We also want to expose what the true obstacles are that you will encounter on this amazing, rewarding “lifestyle” journey, which will enable you to make the necessary decisions and actions to avoid them.
Modern Lifestyles
Its an undeniable fact that in this modern era of toxic air and water pollution, fast fried fatty foods, processed foods, carcinogenic groceries, sugar filled foods and drinks, pesticide poisoned soil, fruit and vegetables, alcohol, smoking, lack of exercise, prescription and recreational drugs; just to name the main culprits; nine out of every ten adults will die prematurely from a serious chronic lifestyle degenerative disease. Very few of these diseases were common just a hundred years ago and are unquestionably caused by our modern lifestyles.
The variety of aches, pains, disease and suffering are as plentiful and as diverse as humankind. Sickness and disease abound and as we all know most of these diseases cause us and our families misery, pain, financial hardships and suffering and in many cases “death”, but sadly most of these deaths could have been prevented.
The Germ Theory
Modern medicine is based on Louis Pasteur’ s (1822-1895) “Germ Theory” where every disease is caused by a specific external germ and is seen to be different. The solution being, specific drugs to address and mask each of these symptoms, of which there are currently hundreds. This was the fatal birth of the “Disease Business” and the most lucrative and protected industry on earth today – the pharmaceutical industry. Although Pasteur was recognized at the time as the father of bacteriology and microbiology based on his “Germ Theory of Medicine”, he was not a medical man and was in direct conflict with other research doctors of the day.
The Cellular Theory
Alternative medicine on the other hand has a holistic, preventative approach and is based on Dr Antoine Bechamp’s (1816-1908) and Claude Bernard’s (1813-1878) “Cellular Theory” which is based on the “healthy terrain” concept. (a healthy inner body).
So what is the healthy terrain? Béchamp began to describe it nearly two hundred years ago, but Claude Bernard finally stated that to maintain a “healthy terrain” (disease free body) there were two factors, which when violated were responsible for every known disease.
1. The necessary Nutrition to feed the bodies numerous cells
2. Toxin free blood, cells and body tissues
One must have proper nutrition and be free of toxins to maintain a “healthy terrain”. He also established that germs were attracted to diseased tissues and cells and were not the cause of the disease, dispelling Pasteur’s “Germ Theory”.
The following paragraph is taken from the Antoine Bechamp website.
“Bechamp was one of France's most prominent and active researchers and biologists. He taught in universities and medical schools, and published widely on cell biology, disease, botany and related subjects. His would probably be a household name today if it wasn't for the activities of Louis Pasteur, who history has treated very kindly indeed, considering his fake science, his tendency to steal ideas (mainly from Bechamp), falsify experimental data, and in general make claims which had no basis in fact. “
It is unfortunate that the profit driven “Disease Business” continues to endorse the “Germ Theory” for obvious reasons, despite vast scientific research proving the “Cellular Theory”. Notable work has been done for numerous years by many credible researchers worldwide, with a huge contribution from the Dr Rath Foundation in the USA who have been very active since 1993 when Dr Rath made the first of many new scientifically proven discoveries leading to his Cellular Medicine theory.
Miracles
Modern medicine has made incredible advances over the last decade, specifically in surgical techniques, identification of viruses, burn treatment, trauma and emergency room care. So if you are involved in an accident, these services are essential and often life saving, with these specialist doctors performing lifesaving miracles. Unfortunately not all modern medicine, especially in the area of disease prevention and treatment fits into this category.
The “Modern Medicine” Paradigm
There is however a very different face to modern medicine that affects us all a lot more seriously and frequently. The “modern medicine” paradigm, which promises good health for all and the prevention and cure of disease, has not only failed completely to meet these objectives but has delivered pain, suffering and misery and cost trillions of dollars.
No amount of modern medicine or medical advancement can help you if the drugs are filled with poisonous toxins and have such serious side effects. Similarly no amount of processed or fast foods can provide you the nutrition your body needs to be healthy. Ultimately, if you want optimum health and want to prevent or reverse disease, you have no choice, you must take control of your own healthcare and change your lifestyle.
The Way Forward
So how do you get the awareness and the necessary information to enable you and your family to live a long, healthy, happy life.
Firstly, you must take control of your lifestyle and your healthcare.
Secondly, unless you understand the true nature of what CAUSES disease and death, and how degenerative diseases develop in the body, you will not be able to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and your family. The earlier you start the quicker you can start living and have peace of mind and not become a “Wasted Life” statistic.
“Wasted Lives”
Did you know that in the UK somebody dies unnecessarily from heart disease every three minutes? Are you or anyone you know a potential candidate for heart disease or any of the other modern scourges, like cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s ?
To get a real perspective on the scale of these “wasted lives”, lets look at just a few of the statistics for the UK and the USA. The following are just for the three main killers, heart disease, cancer and modern medicine. Yes ”modern medicine” !
Cancer deaths in the UK – in 2005 there were 153,491 deaths from cancer, according to figures published on the www. cancerresearchuk.org web site.
Cancer deaths in the USA – in 2003 there were 556,902 deaths from cancer according to figures published by the National Centre for Health Statistics.
Heart disease deaths in the UK – 70,000 deaths occur each year with one death every three minutes according to a BBC news article.
Heart disease deaths and statistics in the USA – according to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease is the number 1 killer responsible for 1 million deaths in 2002 with the statistics for various heart conditions showing 1 adult person in 4 suffer from some form of heart disease.
50 million suffer from high blood pressure
12 million suffer from coronary heart disease
6.2 million suffer from angina pectoris
7 million suffer from heart attack
4.4 million suffer from stroke
1.8 million suffer from rheumatic heart disease/fever
1 million suffer from congenital cardiovascular defects
4.6 million suffer from congestive heart failure
That’s SCARY ! If that’s not got you feeling a little worried, lets look at the most incredible statistic of all, which is the deaths caused by “modern medicine” in the USA. This is the very medicine prescribed by our friendly trusted GP to “supposedly” make us better- makes you think?
In October 2003 the Nutrition Institute of America (NIH) released a report stating that between 1993 and 2003 – Medical mistakes took 7.8 million lives, more deaths than all the wars America fought combined.
A group of researchers meticulously reviewed the statistical evidence and their findings are absolutely shocking. These researchers have authored a paper titled “Death by Medicine” that presents compelling evidence that today’s system frequently causes more harm than good.
This fully referenced report shows the number of people having in-hospital, adverse reactions to prescribed drugs to be 2.2 million per year. The number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections is 20 million per year. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million per year. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million per year.
The following is an excerpt from Death by Medicine
By Gary Null, PhD; Carolyn Dean MD, ND; Martin Feldman, MD; Debora Rasio, MD; and Dorothy Smith, PhD
“The most stunning statistic, however, is that the total number of deaths caused by conventional medicine is an astounding 783,936 per year. It is now evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the US. (By contrast, the number of deaths attributable to heart disease in 2001 was 699,697, while the number of deaths attributable to cancer was 553,251.) “
The Naturally Healthy Lifestyle Journey
“Optimum nutrition is the medicine of the future”
Dr Linus Pauling – twice Nobel Prize winner.
We all want to live a long, healthy, happy life with an abundance of energy and vitality, the ability to perform mentally and physically with emotional balance and the lack of disease and disorders. To achieve this we need to embark on a naturally healthy lifestyle journey.
The Miracle Healer
The body is a “miracle healer” made up entirely of molecules from the food we eat and drink, which is what “enables” the body to heal itself and to exist in perfect health. The problem is most of us eat and drink the wrong things which poison the body with toxins that make us ill and expose ourselves to the killer diseases, causing us extreme pain and reducing our life span significantly.
You are a unique individual in a specific phase of your life with specific needs to cater for your current lifestyle, whether it be starting a family, being a busy corporate employee, manager or executive, self employed, a sportsman / woman, highly stressed, sickly or suffering from a chronic disease, a government employee, a busy housewife, a teenager, over 40 or 50, a senior citizen or any other phase of life.
During this journey you will want to look at the following areas of your life and decide which of these you want to change to achieve your specific goals.
The “Toxin” Generators
The key to your “naturally healthy lifestyle” journey is to be aware of the following factors and find ways to positively adapt your lifestyles accordingly to combat the toxic effects and set the foundation for optimal health and quality of life.
Here are some of the key things you need to think about to achieve this:
Nutrition – fresh fruit, seeds and vegetables and natural supplements
Your individual diet – enjoy low-glycemic load eating habits
Stress – avoid physical, traumatic and mental
Pollution – water, air, work and home environment
Fresh produce pollution – pesticides, fertilisers – eat organic
Processed food- additives, preservatives, colourants, other carcinogens, MSG
Fast foods – fatty, fried foods, trans fats, hydrolysed fats, hydrogenated oils
Refined carbohydrates – cakes, cookies, biscuits, breads
Sugar and sweeteners – sucrose, fructose, corn syrup,
Soft / cold drinks - A 12-ounce can of soda has the equivalent of about 13 teaspoons of sugar
Smoking – cell damage
Alcohol- excessive drinking
Prescription and recreation drugs (including street drugs)
Groceries – salt, carcinogens, monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Cosmetics - carcinogens
Sunscreen and tanning lotions – carcinogens
Lack of exercise, sunshine and relaxation
Shallow breathing – slows lymphatic system – slows waste extraction
Meaningful work or hobby to challenge the mind
As you can see there are many things that can affect our health and in many cases we have been abusing our bodies for a long time. So getting our body, mind and spirit back into shape is a journey that will enable us to live a natural healthy lifestyle.
That means, once you understand the effects each of these topics have on your health, you can take the necessary actions to address these either through small changes over time or more aggressively if necessary, which will contribute to you being able to enjoy a long, healthy, happy life.
More detailed information on these topics can be found in the e-Book and on the website.
The Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com
Our Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site is dedicated to providing all of the information required for you to fully understand the natural holistic healing powers of the body and soul and the critical role “Optimum Nutrition” plays. In addition the Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site has all of the information and professional advice and guidance, with proven independent recommendations and solutions from Richard Penfounde, our Naturally Healthy Lifestyle “GURU”, to enable you to take charge of your own health and wellbeing by becoming ...
“Your own first-choice Natural Practitioner”.
Regardless of our age we all desire to be physically fit with an abundance of energy, an alert and active mind, a resilience to infectious diseases and viruses, protection against the killer diseases like cancer, heart attacks and strokes, while living to a ripe old age, pain free, happy, healthy, full of vitality and actively enjoying life to its fullest. It seems like a dream – BUT its not.
It CAN become a reality through a “Naturally Healthy Lifestyle”.
If you would like to achieve this, then the Naturally Healthy Lifestyles web site has the information you need and we would like to accompany you on this journey to assist you to achieve your health goals. For regular news updates on leading edge announcements, you can register for our Naturally Healthy Lifestyle Newsletter, which will keep you up to date with the latest news and trends.
We have made this a “one-stop” web site with all of the information you will need to enable you to “take charge of your own health” and to start living a “Naturally Healthy Lifestyle” with all of the wonderful benefits that come with that.
My team and I look forward to welcoming you to our Naturally Healthy Lifestyles community,
In health and wellness, join us at:
http://www.naturallyhealthylifestyles.com
Richard Penfounde - Natural Health Advisor and “GURU” - Head of the Naturally Healthy Lifestyles Research Team.
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