New research reveals that vitamin D may play a more significant role in overall health than previously understood. A comprehensive review of 99 randomized, controlled trials involving over 17,000 participants worldwide offers new insights into the potential benefits of vitamin D supplementation.
Key findings suggest that taking an average of 3,320 IU of vitamin D daily may lead to improvements in several health markers:
reduced blood pressure
lower overall cholesterol
decreased Hemoglobin A1C
improved fasting blood glucose and insulin levels
Many of you only take 2000 IU’s, and this suggests that may not be enough. Remember that D3/K2 is critical to help get the vitamin D out of the blood (which can lead to calcifications) and to the bones where it is needed!
Did you know that olives are a fruit? And just like fruit juice, olive oil tastes best and is the most nutritious when it’s fresh.
Fresh-pressed olive oil has the highest levels of antioxidants, polyphenols, and a unique anti-cancer compound called Oleocanthol.
But there’s a problem: According to Forbes, “It’s been reliably reported that 80% of the Italian olive oil on the market is fraudulent. A study last year by the National Consumer League found that six of 11 bottles of Extra Virgin olive oil from three major retailers—Whole Foods, Safeway, and Giant—failed to meet Extra Virgin requirements.” Yes, many olive oil companies produce low quality olive oil diluted with other oils, and some companies sell “olive oil” that isn’t even made from olives!
In his book, Extra Virginity, olive oil expert, Tom Mueller, warns of contaminants and cancer-causing agents in these fake olive oils: “Italian investigators have found hydrocarbon residues, pesticides, and other contaminants in fake oils, and pomace oil, a common adulterant, sometimes contains mineral oil as well as PAHs, proven carcinogens that can also damage DNA and the immune system.”
So how do you know if it’s authentic?
The Label: The label should indicate the harvest date and whether the oil has been blended with other oils. Look for a quality seal from the International Olive Council (IOC) for European oils or the California Olive Oil Council for American oils, which indicate that the oil has been tested and meets certain standards.
The Bottle: The bottle should be dark colored glass to protect against UV Ray exposure
The Taste: Authentic EVOO has a bright flavor with hints of fruit, grass, and almond, and a slightly bitter, peppery aftertaste. Low-quality or “fake” EVOO may taste dull, greasy, waxy, or crayon-like, or have no flavor.
We all know that high saturated fat and high cholesterol foods are bad for our hearts, right?
The French consume more of these foods than we do, yet they enjoy significantly better heart health. This finding seemed to contradict other research that clearly linked fat-laden diets with increased risk for heart disease.
Many researchers attribute this paradox to the heart-healthy components of grapes. While the French may eat more fatty foods, they also drink more wine with their meals. The grapes used to make the wine are an extremely potent source of natural antioxidants including flavonoids.
Of all the potential vegetables, fruits, herbs, exotic berries, nuts, and roots that lead to a healthier heart, none compares to the purple grape. Purple grapes are filled with polyphenols that positively impact the interior of blood vessels unlike anything else.
That said, drinking wine every night is not a wise move for many for obvious reasons.
That’s supplement my diet with two of my very favorite ingredients daily!
Grape Seed/Skin Extract: A super-concentrated, natural extract associated with maintaining healthy blood pressure and supports healthy endothelial function. Grape skin includes many critical natural compounds that are extremely useful for a healthy cardiovascular system, called Anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are powerful polyphenolic compounds that are especially helpful in maintaining a healthy endothelial function.
Resveratrol: A polyphonic compound found in grapes and some berries. Resveratrol has been shown in lab tests to neutralize free radicals and is associated with a wide variety of beneficial physiological effects, including cardiovascular health. It is also associated with helping maintain healthy endothelial function. It’s suggested in several studies that resveratrol has a positive impact on diseases such as cancer.
Question: Do you look at the ingredients in your supplements?
Someone one once asked me “What do carrots do?” I absolutely couldn’t answer, other than providing vitamins for the eyes and vitamin A I had no idea of what carrots do!
Since then I’ve learned that there are three compounds found in carrots: falcarinol, luteolin, and beta-carotene, can all cause apoptosis (cell death) in cancer cells. Luteolin and beta-carotene are very anti-angiogenic, which means they help stop blood vessels supply to tumors.
Luteolin upregulates the tumor supressor gene p53 that is normally downregulated in cancer. It also down regulates the WNT-beta catenin, which is normally over-expressed in many cancers. Luteolin downregulates P13k pathway. P13k regulates cell survival, proliferation and increased expression is associated with tumor progression. When over expressed it reduces apoptosis (cell death) and allows proliferation. Luteolin downregulates MUC1; a sticky protein that coats cancer cells in a protective layer, making it difficult for anti-cancer substances and medicines to permeate the cancer cell. Luteolin activates AMPK . AMPK inhibits MTOR another pathway related to cancer progression.
Luteolin and Beta-carotene downregulate VEGF pathways that are over expressed in many cancers. VEGF pathway stimulates cancer cell growth. Luteolin and Beta-carotene enhance insulin sensitivity!
Beta Carotene, luteolin, and falcarinol help repair normal function to the PPAR pathway, which regulates how certain genes are expressed and how fats and glucose are used in the body. It plays an important role in regulating cell proliferation and tumor growth. Beta-carotene and luteolin down regulate MMP. MMP (matrix metalloproteinases) contributes to angiogenesis or blood supply to the tumor.
Falcarinol, betacarotene and lycopene lower inflammatory pathways by effecting TNF-A, IL-1, IL 6, and Cox-2. Falcarinol suppresses the Notch pathway and shows the potent antiproliferative activity by selectively killing colorectal cancer cells and repressing tumor growth, without affecting normal colon epithelial cells! The study can be found here! Falcarinol is a POTENTimmune stimulator. Beta carotene and luteolin also stimulate the immune system. Falcarinol, Luteolin activates PTEN, a major tumor suppressor gene. Falcarinol induced a gut bacteria change in rats that led to a decrease in chemically induced neoplasms. Study here! Falcarinol is antifungal and antibacterial!
Here’s a great article on retinoids in carrots potently repairing common dysregulated pathways in colorectal cancer, even the APC “genetic” polyp disorder associated with some colorectal cancers!
Endocannabinoid system- THC binds with CB1, so does carrots! Study here!
Carrots and terpenes. Carrots have 31 terpenoids! Terpenoids have been shown to potently inhibit cancer!
Carrots are high in pectin surprisingly! Pectins make it hard for cancer cells to adhere therefore, carrots help prevent metastasis. Pectins can also cause direct cancer cell death for some types of cancer. If you want more pectin, Modified Citrus Pectin is a supplement some people take.
If you’ve made it all the way through this article to ask “What about all that sugar?” A friend’s fasting blood sugar was pre-diabetic at 110 prior to diet change. Averaging about five pounds of carrots a day plus a fruit smoothie, it’s now around 70 NON-FASTING! Natural sugar is processed differently and each molecule of fruit/veggie sugar contains a plethera of anti-cancer substances!
If you’re interested in learning more about carrots and cancer, I highly recommend the bookKilling Cancer with Carrots!
Picture an olive branch. It’s a symbol of both health and longevity.
And rightfully so. Olives contain components that benefit the brain and heart, reduce cancer risk, aid in weight loss and increase longevity. Olives are high in monounsaturated fat. Studies show that a diet high in monounsaturated fatty acids are great for heart health because they
Reduce LDL cholesterol
Decrease Blood Pressure
Decrease A1c numbers
Improve Insulin sensitivity
Eating olives also increase our glutathione levels, which support our immune function. Plus, olives are fermented and fermented foods boost our microbiome and digestive health!
I add them to my salads or as a snack with my favorite cheese!
I buy American-made products wherever and whenever I can. I am thankful that I found an American brand manufactured right here in the good ol’ U S of A! Every family I can switch to this online American manufacturer. Think about it — switching to American-made is a victory for our economy, workers and their families.
Plus you know that there ia no child labor, no harmful toxins, and most of all no supporting countries that don’t like us.
that over 600 processes in your body revolve around magnesium?
Processes like creating energy, protein formulation, gene repair and maintenance, muscular movement and the nervous system.
Magnesium helps with exercise performance.—One study involving athletes showed that a magnesium supplement boosted their physical performance by creating energy when it is need immediately.
Magnesium helps Type II Diabetes. —Studies have shown that blood sugars and A1c levels improve with consistent use of magnesium.
Magnesium helps Inflammation.— Supplementing with magnesium helps to control or reverse inflammation, which if left untreated leads to early aging, chronic diseases and obesity.
As with any supplement, not all magnesium supplements are created equal. I use a powdered formulation—which makes it easy to add to lemonade, water, protein shakes, and more. It also has Vitamin B6, which is essential for delivering the magnesium directly to the cells.
Magnesium ranks high in order of importance when it comes to your health, so if you aren’t taking magnesium, maybe now is the time to start!
One of the meds I take has a side effect: it can lead to blindness. My mother had macular degeneration and had to take painful injections monthly for that. So given that history, I take a specific supplement to strengthen my eyes.
Now I plan to add in an exercise regimen — for my eyes. Just like many other muscles in the body, the muscles of the eye, including those responsible for changing the focal length of your vision—can atrophy without exercise.
Here are nice exercises that will help you keep your eyes in the best shape they can be:
Strengthen near and far focusing. Focus on your thumb 10 inches away for 10–15 seconds, then switch focus to an object 10–20 feet away. Repeat five times to improve focus adjustment ability.
Blink for a minute. Blink rapidly for 30–60 seconds to regulate blood circulation, lubricate your eyes, and prevent dryness.
Rotate your head while staring ahead. Turn your head in a circular motion while keeping your gaze straight ahead. This improves blood circulation to your eyes.
Look to your right and left. Slowly move your gaze from right to left while breathing. This one relaxes and stretches the eye muscles.
Close your eyes and relax. Close your eyes for at least 30 seconds to relax and strengthen your photoreceptor cells.
Move your gaze in different directions. Shift your gaze right-left, up-down, in circular motions, and trace a figure eight with your eyes. This improves visual perception for both near- and far-sightedness.
Close and open your eyes. Tighten your eyes shut for 3–5 seconds, then open them. Repeat seven times to improve blood circulation and relax your eye muscles.
Push against your temples with your fingers. Gently press your temples with your fingers for two seconds, then release. Repeat 4–5 times to improve fluid circulation in your eyes.
Draw geometric figures with your gaze. Use your eyes to trace shapes such as triangles, squares, and circles to enhance your eye coordination and muscle strength.
I love having the Access Bar for a pre-workout “snack” because of the fat burning technology the bar offers. They help me with my workouts too. If I et one 15 – 20 minutes before a workout, my performance is improved and I am using a good source of energy as I am not exercising on an empty stomach.
Because they taste so good, I love cutting the Access bars into slivers when I’m having a sweet-tooth craving. A few slivers of the Access Bar always seems to do the trick and it help prevent binging on not-so-great snacks. These two flavors pictured are ling-time favorites!
We are not talking Tylenol; that’s Acetaminophen. Aspirin has shown effectiveness in diabetes, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer, the list goes on. In fact, research shows that it has multiple anti-cancer mechanisms. Aspirin has been shown to:
Reduce inflammation
Reduce blood clotting
Reduce lipolysis (the breakdown of fats that drive cancer progression)
Reduce the formation of new blood vessels to tumors (angiogenesis)
Act as an antioxidant
Counter the effects of estrogen
Counter the harmful effects of seed oils
Help to restore mitochondrial function (the brain of a cell)
Help to restore glucose metabolism
But before you run to the store to start taking aspirin, read on to get the full picture.
Aspirin has a lot of great benefits, the most common being for cardiovascular health. It helps to thin the blood and therefore prevent blood clots that can lead to stroke. Many individuals have been advised by their doctors to take a low dose aspirin (81 mg or baby aspirin) every day because of high homocysteine levels indicating a higher propensity for blood clotting. This “thick sticky blood” can also be a great environment for cancer cells, which is another reason some individuals take it..
Research warns against aspirin due to its harmful effects on the digestive system. However, other studies show that it may actually be protective. One found that low‐dose aspirin is associated with a 54% reduced risk of gastric cancer. Other research suggests that it may mitigate the effects of gluten sensitivity. But before you reach for the Bayer, know this:
Many aspirin brands contain heavy metals, something you don’t want in your body. You may want to try an aspirin powder such as Health Natura which is 99% pure—meaning it has no starches, binders, preservatives, etc. It’s a powder that you mix with water or even add to smoothies.
You need to know WHY you are taking a medication (or in this case, an over the counter option) and continue to monitor results, because you may not always need that aspirin.
Hayseeds Creative 