Fasting activates your body's 'survival' mode, boosting your immune system

by PF Louis 

(NaturalNews) Scientific research is finally validating the ancient health and healing practice of fasting. The Telegraph recently reported that scientists at the University of Southern California (USC) have discovered that fasting "for as little as three days can regenerate the entire immune system,
even in the elderly, scientists have found in a breakthrough described as 'remarkable.'"

Researchers suggest that the mechanism behind this phenomenon is that "starving the body kick-starts stem cells into producing new white blood cells, which fight off infection." And fasting "'flips a regenerative switch' which prompts stem cells to create brand new white blood cells, essentially regenerating the entire immune system."

Tech Times recently quoted key findings from the same USC study. Valter Longo, corresponding author of the study and a professor at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, stated: "When you starve, the system tries to save energy, and one of the things it can do to save energy is to recycle a lot of the immune cells that are not needed, especially those that may be damaged."

Longo added, "With a system heavily damaged by chemotherapy or aging, fasting cycles can generate, literally, a new immune system."

Tech Times reported, "The fasting, whether for two or four days, drives the human body into a 'survival' mode in which it begins using up stores of sugar and fat and also breaks down old cells."

The Times of India came out with an article titled "Fast 8 days a year to boost immunity." It also reported from the same California study that fasting forced the body to initiate stem cells to "regenerate and rebuild the entire system."

The researchers were quick to warn that, although fasting has proven benefits, it should be used judiciously and that more clinical research is needed, as prior research results were mixed.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are generic, undifferentiated source cells, which are the basis of all specific cell types such as muscle cells, blood cells and so on. They come in two varieties: unlimited and limited.

Unlimited stem cells, also called embryonic cells, can develop into any type of cell or tissue. Potentially, these cells have the ability to reverse and restore any type of injured or diseased cells or tissues.

Research into unlimited stem cells has been focused on the development of profitable synthetic drugs that can mimic these cells. A major advantage to unlimited stem cells is that they can be replicated outside the body in a lab.

Currently amidst controversy, unlimited stem cells have been developed from fertility clinics' discarded three-day-old embryos. Unlike limited stem cells, these cells exist outside the body and can be developed into any kind of needed cell or tissue type.

Limited stem cells, also known as adult stem cells, have for some time been successfully used to repair specific organs and tissues based on where these cells originated.

A major disadvantage is that not all organs or tissues have these limited stem cells, which can be difficult to secure. Another disadvantage is that limited stem cells cannot be grown in a lab and must be taken directly from the body, immediately frozen and then directly transplanted into the patient.

Fasting - an ancient medical practice

Medical fasting is the practice of abstaining from solid food for a specific and predetermined period of time in order to obtain a variety of therapeutic benefits, both preventive and curative.

In fact, fasting has been used therapeutically for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine, advocated its use and taught his disciples that fasting activated the body's ability to heal itself.

Around 500 years ago, Paracelsus, an illustrious Swiss German Renaissance physician who founded the Western discipline of toxicology, proclaimed that "fasting is the greatest remedy, the physician within." Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old healing system from India, has long advocated fasting and its therapeutic benefits.

In Europe, medically supervised fasting has been traditionally used to heal and restore patients' health. It continues to this day in special healing spas, especially in Germany. Some experts estimate that the majority of Americans store between five and ten pounds of toxic substances in their bodies.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

http://www.techtimes.com

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com

http://www.tellmeaboutstemcells.org

http://science.naturalnews.com

The Best Exercise For Your Immune System: Rebounding!

Ok so I may have gotten a little carried away during the rebounding photo shoot…

Here’s the video I made about rebounding and below it is my blog post with more details.

Let’s be honest about the immune system, most of us really have no idea what it is, or exactly how it works, we’re just glad we have one.

The immune system is incredibly complex because your body has many lines of defense to rid itself of foreign invaders. In this post I’m going to address one critical component of your immune system. That is your lymphatic system.

Here’s a quick anatomy lesson (I’m going to try to keep this really simple)

Your lymphatic system is composed of your tonsils, thymus, bone marrow, spleen, lymphatic fluid, vessels, and lymph nodes.

The thymus and bone marrow produce white blood cells called lymphocytes.

Your blood vessels deliver oxygen and nutrients to your cells.

Your lymph vessels are like blood vessels except they are full of clear lymphatic fluid that carries white blood cells (B cell and T cell lymphocytes) throughout your body so they can attack invaders and infected cells.

Your lymphatic fluid also carries dead cells, metabolic waste, and toxins away from healthy tissue to be eliminated through sweat, mucus, urine, and liver bile which is carried out in your poop.

Lymph nodes are like holding stations that filter the lymph fluid and capture microbes for B and T cells to deal with. They are located in your armpits, groin, neck and around the blood vessels of your chest and abdomen.

(End of anatomy lesson)

Every day we are bombarded with toxins in our environment and in our food which is why detoxification is such a critical process in your body. If the detox process is hindered, toxins will build up in your body eventually causing acidity and toxemia. These are the root causes of nearly all disease.

You have about three times more lymphatic fluid than blood, but here’s the catch, there’s no pump!  Muscle contractions in your body encourage the lymphatic fluid to circulate through a series of one-way valves in your body. So the more you move your body, the more you move your lymphatic fluid.

One of the lesser talked about benefits of exercise is that it moves your lymphatic fluid, which promotes detoxification in your body.

Your skin is the largest detoxification organ and if you exercise vigorously enough to raise your body temperature  you will sweat, expelling toxins out through your skin.

The Best Exercise for the Lymph System

Back in 2004 when I first started to research natural therapies I read every natural cancer survival testimony I could find. I found many common threads, and one of them was jumping on a mini trampoline, aka Rebounding. I figured since so many natural survivors and health practitioners were doing it there must be something to it…

Rebounding creates an increased G-force resistance (gravitational load) and positively stresses every cell in your body. As a result, it strengthens your entire musculoskeletal system: your bones, muscles, connective tissue, and even organs.  And it promotes lymphatic circulation by stimulating the millions of one-way valves in your lymphatic system.
Sounds pretty good right?

In addition, rebounding is very low impact and allows you to do jumping and aerobic exercises for much longer intervals than you could on solid ground without tiring out or creating harmful oxidative and adrenal stress.

NASA produced an interesting report about the benefits of rebounding you can read Here.

Here are the three basic Rebounding Exercises:

The Health Bounce is gently bouncing up and down on a rebounder without your feet leaving the mat.  It is very low impact and very effective at moving your lymphatic system. Most folks can easily do this for an hour or more while watching tv.

The Strength Bounce is jumping as high as you can. It strengthens primary and stabilizer muscles throughout your body, improves your balance, and moves your lymphatic system like nothing else.  That’s what you want to work up to.

Aerobic Bouncing is jumping jacks, twisting, running in place, bouncing on one leg at a time, dancing, and any other crazy maneuvers you can think of. Doing these high intensity aerobic exercises will get your blood pumping and your sweat on.

If you are too weak to jump you can sit on the rebounder and bounce gently in a seated position. I bought my rebounder in 2004 a few months after abdominal surgery, and found it too painful to really jump on at first, so I just did the health bounce. As my body healed, the pain went away and I started doing the Strength and Aerobic Bouncing.

When fighting cancer I did this 2-3 times per day.
My typical routine is to warm up for a couple minutes with the health bounce, 5-10 minutes of strength and aerobic bounce variations, and finish up with another couple minutes of the health bounce. I put on headphones and listened to worship music or healing scriptures while bouncing. This is an amazing way to start the day.

To maximize the benefit of your rebound workout:

-Drink 12-16 oz of clean filtered water beforehand.

-Do it outside and connect with God and nature. (If nature permits)

-Take at least 10 deep breaths of fresh air. In through your nose, hold it for a few seconds, then push it out through your mouth.

-Get sunlight on as much of your body as you can.

-If possible do it with enough intensity to break a sweat. Give yourself 7-20 minutes.

Sweating is important but it also means you’ll need a shower afterward. The nice thing about rebounding is you can still get a benefit from it even if you don’t break a sweat. Try to get at least one sweaty rebounder workout per day. I do it first thing in the morning before I shower for the day. If you can’t do it outside, do it inside. Just do it!

My wife Micah even used rebounding workout dvd to lose her baby weight after Marin was born.

Not all rebounders are created equal.

The quality of the frame, springs and mat are extremely important. Cheap rebounders are harder on your joints and can cause injury, also they wear out quickly, and have no warranty.

I’ve used the ReboundAir Quarter-Fold Model (pictured above) since 2004 and I highly recommend it.
ReboundAir was founded by Al Carter, THE pioneer of rebound exercise.
In fact my mom even has his original book The Miracle of Rebound Exercise from 1979!

The ReboundAir is the only rebounder with a Lifetime All Parts Warranty.
They use them on The Biggest Loser campus and ReboundAir has been featured on CBS “The Doctors” television show twice. Cool right?

They make three models: the Standard rebounder, the Half-Fold, and the Quarter-Fold.
The Quarter-Fold model is really cool because it folds in half twice so I can store it under my bed and it’s easy to travel with. (I demonstrate how to fold and unfold it in the video)

Find out more about the ReboundAir models and prices here!

If you order one over the phone please mention that you heard about it here. Thanks!

(((c)))

Seven ways to supercharge your immune system fast

by PF Louis 

(NaturalNews) In a 2002 Jon Rapoport interview of a retired vaccine industry researcher turned whistleblower, the whistleblower, whose identity is protected, dismisses the false premise of vaccinations creating immunity by stimulating antibodies.

Here is part of what he told Jon, ... "the immune system is much larger and more involved than antibodies and their related killer cells." Jon responded with, "The immune system is?"

The scientist/whistleblower responded with, "The entire body, really. Plus the mind. It's all immune system, you might say. That is why you can have, in the middle of an epidemic, those individuals who remain healthy." (http://educate-yourself.org)

Supercharging your actual immune system

A foundation of a happy mind and heart is necessary to support the seven ways listed in this article. Don't allow anger and despair with all that's wrong in our upside down world keep your spirits down.

Steady, spiritual pursuits, meditation, yoga, and chi-gong go a long way toward helping you be positive. Strive for the quality of equanimity or non-attachment. That's not the same as indifference. It's a state of mind that allows you to perform well without anxiety or excessive expectation, which can lead to major disappointment.

Levity helps. A woman diagnosed with cancer decided to let the doctors focus on the disease, while she simply watched ridiculous comedies day after day and laughed her way to healing. A little mirth goes a long way.

(1) A good basic diet is vital. Consuming unprocessed, vegetarian and organic foods while shunning the sugar and artificial sweeteners frees your immune system from fending off processed and junk food toxicity.

(2) Juicing veggies or making green smoothies allows you to consume more nutrients and complete enzymes in one sitting than you would in a few meals. Either one should be consumed immediately after juicing or blending.

(3) Supplement magnesium, enzymes, and vitamins C and D3. Most of us are magnesium deficient, yet magnesium is involved with over 300 metabolic functions in our body, including absorption of vitamin D3.

(4) Probiotics: Although many good probiotic supplements are available, some health experts advise not to rely on them permanently. They should be used during or after a period of antibiotic use.

But for normal, daily consumption, homemade fermented foods and beverages provide enough good bacteria to balance your intestinal flora. A properly balanced intestinal flora (bacteria) helps promote good digestion and more.

It's estimated that probiotic bacteria are involved with 60 to 80 percent of our total immune system.

(5) Garlic: Bad for vampires; but good for humans. It should be eaten raw on food or with honey. If you're tough enough, raw alone works well too. Garlic has been around as a natural antibiotic for ages.

Even modern clinical testing reveals garlic's potency, sometimes superior to pharmaceuticals while not destroying probiotic bacteria.

(6) Your liver is a large and major organ for detoxifying your body. Avoid acetaminophen pain killers such as Tylenol and minimize alcohol consumption and corn syrup (fructose) sweeteners.

Herbs such as dandelion and milk thistle are tonics that help detoxify and strengthen the liver. Coffee enemas are used by the Gerson Institute and Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez in their safe and highly effective cancer curing protocols to detoxify the liver.

Glutathione is the master antioxidant manufactured by the liver. It actually rejuvenates and recycles spent antioxidants to be used again. There are supplement precursors such as NAC to help the liver manufacture more glutathione.

(7) Draining toxins from lymph nodes with body weight bearing exercising such as walking, running, or rebounding on a mini-trampoline is necessary because lymph nodes don't have pumps. Rebounding works best.

PS: You can enter most bold lettered items individually into the Natural News search box at the top right for more on each.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/035439_lymph_nodes_detox_immune_system.html

http://www.naturalnews.com/028395_colostrum_superfoods.html

http://educate-yourself.org

10 reasons to take a probiotic daily

(NaturalNews) Probiotic intake for overall good health has been underestimated by even the alternative health community. The fact is that gut bacteria greatly affects both overall physical and mental health.

There are 400 to 500 species of bacteria residing in your gut or gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which if opened up and laid out flat would cover a tennis court. If placed on a scale, your GI tract bacteria would weigh in at three pounds.

Probiotic bacteria have many more functions than digestion. They trigger immune system reactions throughout the body, including activating T-cells.

Good bacteria need to comprise 85 percent of the intestinal flora while allowing the remaining 15 percent to be pathogenic. Two-thirds or more of the immune system relies on this. (Source 1 below)

You can supplement probiotics with the best supplement online or from a health food store. This is critical if you've gone a round or two with antibiotics for whatever reason. But you have to know what to look for and how to avoid being deceived. (Source 2 below)

Another method of taking in probiotics is through fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, miso, kimchi, or any other fermented food you can purchase or make yourself. Milk kefir and water kefir are excellent sources of probiotics that can be consumed daily.

Making your own milk or water kefir is not difficult once you get the "starter grains," which can be ordered online or procured from someone in a local Weston A Price Foundation chapter.

A list of YouTube video demos for milk kefirs is in source 3 below, while you can watch water kefir videos from source 4 below.

Ten reasons to consume probiotics

(1) Enhance immunity - a double-blind clinical test involving patients in intensive care proved that viable (alive) probiotics prevented multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS), the number one cause of mortality among intensive care patients. (Source 5 below)

If probiotics can do this, what can they do to prevent chronic flues and colds and allergies?

(2) The immune protection of mother's milk is enhanced if the mother takes probiotics during or before pregnancy. If breast feeding is impossible, then adding probiotics and prebiotics (what probiotic bacteria feed on) to a baby formula free from fluoridated water and sweeteners can be tried.

(3) Probiotics can reverse ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and other gut inflammations that occur from a lack of sufficient probiotics.

(4) Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity (GS) symptoms are handled by adding probiotics.

(5) Processed foods and low fiber diets allow the pathogenic bacteria to overwhelm the good guys and diminish colon function. It's important to add probiotics even if you drop the standard American diet (SAD).

(6) When pathogenic bacteria upset the 85/15 balance of probiotic to bad bacteria, yeast infections such as Candida flourish.

(7) A healthy gut flora balance helps prevent cancer by nourishing enzymes that inhibit tumor production throughout the body.

(8) Sufficient probiotic intestinal flora prevents radiation damage from X-rays and CT scans to the large and small intestines.

(9) GMOs are used in many processed foods and antibiotics are in lots of our non-organic meat and dairy products. They both destroy probiotic bacteria, making it necessary to add probiotic materials back if you've had any of those foods.

(10) Dr. Natasha Campbell-Mcbride discovered how to cure her son of autism through a diet that restored his probiotic levels and heal his inflammatory conditions. She developed GAPS, gut and psychology syndrome, confirming the connection with gut health and mental health. (Source 6 below)

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036419_probiotics_immunity_bacteria.html#ixzz23dSW9GzY