If you have been diagnosed with depression, you’ve probably been told you have a chemical imbalance and the only way to manage your condition is through pharmaceuticals. Has anyone thought to tell you about other things that might be causing your depression or contributing to it?

Aspartame

Aspartame is nasty stuff. There is much anecdotal evidence that shows aspartame is toxic. As usual, industry trials do not confirm these reports; however, independent double-blind studies tell a different story.

A decade-long study of 264,000 American adults by the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, showed an association between soda, diet soda, sugar-free fruit drinks, and clinical depression.

• 4 or more cans of regular soda per day = 22% increase in depression
• 4 or more cans of diet soda per day = 31% increase in depression
• 4 or more cans of diet fruit drinks = 51% increase in depression

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

If brain damage, behavioral disorders, endocrine disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases are not enough reason to avoid MSG, it is also linked to depression. The most likely reason is due to the fact that MSG blocks serotonin receptors. B6 deficiency appears to enhance adverse reactions.

Sugar and HFCS

Excessive sugar intake, whether from refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup, also causes a host of medical conditions in addition to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. There are more than 100 diseases caused or exacerbated by sugar. Depression is one.

Candidiasis

Gut health is essential to physical health and well-being. So is our mental health. A full 80% of our serotonin – an essential neurotransmitter – is produced in the gut by our beneficial bacteria. An overgrowth of Candida in the gut will result in a depletion of serotonin and an increase in depression along with anxiety, irritability, cognitive difficulties, headaches, autoimmune diseases, and more.

Conclusion

Our health, both physical and mental, relies on our bodies’ ability to attain nutrition to repair cells and maintain functionality while it eliminates wastes and toxic substances. To attain and maintain health, we need to actively increase nutrition while avoiding toxins and detoxifying.

To improve nutrition and gut health, eat a diet that consists of at least 80% fresh, raw, organic produce (more vegetables than fruits), healthy fats, and detoxifying foods such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, cilantro, and onions. Eliminate artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives; MSG; GMOs; trans fats; sugar, HFCS, gluten, and any other chemicals. Eat real whole foods, not processed foods. Avoid foods you know cause an allergic reaction. Always choose organic when possible, and never eat meat that is not organically raised. Eliminate or restrict alcohol and caffeine intake.

The 80% Raw Food Diet along with exercise, vitamin D, and multi B vitamins will give your body what it needs for optimal performance.

Recommended Reading:

• Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders
• Natural Remedies for Depression

Sources:

• The Diet Soda Depression Debacle – Healthwire
• How much MSG does it take to cause an adverse reaction? – Truth in Labeling

Depression and anxiety can cause your life to feel like it’s caving in on you and you have nowhere to run. While these conditions often exist together and can create deep rivers of stress that flow throughout various areas of your life, there are natural remedies that can help reduce and even eliminate the negativity. Consider the following methods for reducing anxiety and depression.

Create Routines and Goals

When you’re depressed, everything feels like a struggle. It is for precisely this reason that structured routines and clearly-defined goals can help you wade through the muck. In addition, structure gives you something to fall back on when motivation lags. Finally, setting goals can help you keep your eye on something you look forward to in the future, something to work toward. Anticipation promotes optimism.

Exercise

While rigorous exercise produces endorphins, even something as simple as a short walk can calm your mood and provide a heart-healthy boost. The body craves movement, so everything from dance to weight training to yoga increases your health and well-being. Depressed individuals are less likely to feel motivated to exercise, and this is precisely why they should. Getting out and moving can often help shake off a dark mood, and the satisfaction of accomplishing something mentally and physically challenging can be a boost unto itself. Getting out and moving in nature is even better! Nature has been proven to alleviate depression simply by being in the midst of it.

Reboot Your Diet

We are what we eat, and for those with chronic depression, food becomes particularly important. Depression and anxiety can originate from poor nutrition, so making sure you are getting enough B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D are essential to balancing your mood and evening out your emotional responses. For individuals living in the Pacific Northwest, Vitamin D is particularly important, as we do not activate our natural stores as often due to reduced sun exposure during the long, rainy winter months. A naturopathic physician can help you develop self-care routines and examine your diet in more detail, aiding you in determining what best to eliminate from your diet and what to keep.

Increase Sleep

There’s a reason that cults use sleep deprivation to emotionally manipulate their members. Missed sleep can produce highly detrimental states of mind, particularly in those who are prone to depression. When you are exhausted, you’re much less likely to ignore the lure of negative thinking. In addition, you’ll have less energy to seek productive, mood-enhancing behaviors like exercise and natural healing. Aim for 8 hours per night for positive results.

Stay Involved in Your Life

Depressed individuals often fall off the wagon in terms of keeping up with friends, participating in activities they love, etc. However, these are the very uplifting exchanges that are vital for feeling supported and loved. Do your best to engage in conversation or activity with one person you care about every single day, and do your best to continue to attend to your job and your various responsibilities. The more you invest in your life, the more it will give back.

Eliminate Negative Thinking

Negative thoughts cause negative feelings. Vow to identify and reduce all negative thinking by keeping a thought journal. Each time you experience a negative feeling, identify the thought behind it. Then, create a positive, believable thought with which to replace it. By running through your mental patterns, you’ll be more likely to maintain a positive outlook and move forward with enthusiasm.

Depression and anxiety can be strong adversaries, but you are always stronger. Consider the above strategies your guide to natural health and wellbeing!

Recommended Reading:

• How Candida Leads to Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Other Mental Disorders
• Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies
• Understanding Stress, Chronic Stress, and Adrenal Fatigue

Are you beginning to feel eyestrain from staring at your laptop screen for hours on end? Are you having headaches, too? You’ve been putting off that visit to your ophthalmologist, haven’t you? The visit to the doctor can probably wait if you make some necessary changes to your diet. Here are some salads you could include in your diet that will benefit your eye health:

Chicken Chopped Salad

The chicken chopped salad is both appealing and appetizing. The brightly colored vegetables, along with the lean meat, prove to be an extremely healthy meal option. They are loaded with lutein, zeaxanthin, vitamins E and C, as well as the mineral zinc that prevents retinal damage and consequent loss of vision. 

Ingredients:

• one cup of romaine lettuce chopped up into bite-sized bits
• 1-2 cups of cooked chicken
• one cup of baby spinach
• ½ cup of frozen peas
• ½ an orange pepper – diced
• ¼ cup of slivered almonds
• ½ an orange, peeled and chopped

Dressing:

• ¼ cup of nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 garlic clove – minced
• 1 tablespoon of curry powder
• Juice from the remaining 1/2 orange.

Prepare the dressing in a separate container by mixing all the ingredients and whisking till you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Next, throw all the other ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle the vinaigrette over it. Mix well and season with salt and pepper.

Springtime Green Salad

Green salad is the perfect option for a summer afternoon. It also provides several nutrients that are beneficial  for your eyes. 

Ingredients:

• one English cucumber
• 2 granny smith apples
• one lime – peeled
• 4 cups of baby spinach leaves
• 4 cups of baby kale
• 2 cups of thawed frozen peas or fresh peas
• 2-3 cups of loosely packed mint leaves

Dressing:

• 1 ½ cups of plain, non-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon of honey

Rinse the cucumber, spinach, kale, peas, mint leaves, and the lime. Next, peel the cucumber and finely chop it. Also, chop the spinach, kale and mint leaves haphazardly. Put all these ingredients in a bowl and add  yogurt honey to it. Mix well. Squeeze the lime and add slivered almonds to garnish. The cucumber in the salad will leave you refreshed while spinach and kale will aid digestion and skin health.

Deli- Styled Kale Salad 

Kale is a rich source of lutein and zeaxanthin that help keep your eyes healthy and prevent ocular damage or cataracts. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of kale cut into 2 in strips
• an onion – cut in half and then thinly sliced
• one cup of roasted and sliced almonds
• 3 peaches sliced
• ¾ cup of gold raisins

Vinagrette:

• ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 and ½ tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• 1 and ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey

First, prepare the greens by cleaning and chopping the kale. Next, slice the peaches and the onion, and toast the almonds and slice them. Prepare the vinaigrette. Keep whisking so that the ingredients mix properly. Season with salt and pepper. Lastly, combine all the ingredients together by adding the vinaigrette to the kale, peaches, onions, and almonds. Toss well and allow the salad for sit for some time before serving. Kale can take a little time to break down and become soft. You can garnish the salad with some crumbled cottage cheese.

Editor’s Note: If you are in a hurry, pour a little of your olive oil onto the kale and massage it into the leaves with your fingers. This takes a minute or so to soften the leaves.

Romaine Salad

Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, and folate and it is a good source of other nutrients as well. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of Romaine lettuce chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup of radicchio that has been chopped into bite-sized bits
• 1 cup of thinly sliced fennel bulb
• some freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley or cilantro
• 2 tablespoons of thyme
• 2 tablespoons of fennel leaves

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon
• 1 tablespoonDijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Add all the ingredients in a large bowl and drizzle the salad dressing. Keep mixing and season with sea salt and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for some time before serving. This will ensure that the vegetables absorb the flavor from the dressing. It will also ensure that the nutrients of the romaine lettuce and other vegetables are more easily absorbed by your body.

Conclusion

Salads are an extremely healthy addition to your diet. All colorful vegetables and fruits are rich sources of antioxidants and vitamins that ensure good eye health. They also contain adequate amounts of dietary fiber that facilitate weight management. With these salads, you would be protecting your vision as well as ensuring weight loss. That’s killing two birds with one stone!

Recommended Reading:

• 80% Raw Food Diet
• Six Foods That Naturally Improve the Health of Your Eyes
• Shillington’s Eyebright Formula Product Review
• Natural Cures for Cataracts

Sources:

• Effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on aspects of eye health – Pub Med
• 20 Effective Home Remedies For Sore Eyes – Stylecraze
• 10 Reasons You Should Be Eating Romaine Lettuce Above All Others – Prevent Disease

If you’re starting a detoxification protocol, there’s a lot you can do to improve the results. Many of these tips can also be used indefinitely to help your body detoxify all day, every day, without being on a detox protocol.

Lots of Water

If you’re not consuming enough water, you’re increasing the strain on your body and accelerating the aging process. Our bodies use water to remove toxins and other waste. You can even do better than just water with this recipe:

Cranberry Lemonade Recipe

For those who can tolerate stevia, this cranberry lemonade recipe can aid a detox by helping to flush toxins out of the kidneys, the liver, and the entire body while helping to balance the pH.

• Glass gallon jar
• Safe, clean, spring water or distilled water
• 1 cup of unsweetened, organic cranberry juice, not from concentrate
• 3 fresh, organic lemons
• A citrus juicer
• Liquid stevia
• Liquid cayenne

Fill the jar to about 85% capacity with spring water (or distilled water). Squeeze the lemons and pour the juice into the water. Add cranberry juice. Add stevia to taste and then add cayenne to taste. The amount of cayenne used is up to you, but the more, the better.

If you don’t have access to a good source for spring water, use other clean, drinking water that does not contain fluoride. If you don’t have access to organic lemons, use conventional. Fresh is best. If there are no fresh lemons, use organic bottled lemon juice. If you can’t get cranberry juice that is not from concentrate, get the reconstituted kind (just don’t get any kind of cranberry juice that has any other ingredients like sweeteners or other juices). If you can’t stand cayenne, don’t use it. No glass jar? Use plastic.

Since it’s cranberry season again, if you have a blender, try whole cranberries instead of juicing them. You can also throw in some of the organic lemon peels, as much as you can stand to taste. (Only organic. Don’t use peels from conventional lemons.) It’s pretty sour, but it has lots of benefits.

If you have powdered cayenne and/or powdered stevia, I recommend using a blender to mix some of the liquid with the powders so they don’t settle later.

The lemon juice will help flush the liver. The cranberry juice will help flush the kidneys. If you drink a lot of it, every day, you will feel an amazing difference in your health and vitality. This recipe is a far better choice for most people than the Master Cleanse.

Juice Tonics

Sweet juices including most fruits, carrots, and beets may not be ideal when Candida or another fungus is an issue. On the other hand, herbs like turmeric and ginger can be juiced for amazing benefits.

Enhanced Golden Milk Tea Recipe

This is a new twist on an ancient way of experiencing the benefits of turmeric. Ideally, use all fresh, unadulterated herbs whenever available.

• 1 cup of warm coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon of freshly grated turmeric with skin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger with skin
• 1 pinch of black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Mix it all up and drink. For the drink to be warm, warm only the coconut milk, and be careful not to cook the other ingredients. Add them in when the coconut milk is not too hot to drink so as to preserve the enzymes and other fragile micronutrients.

Simmer in the Sauna

Our skin is our body’s largest detoxification organ. When most people think about detoxing they tend to focus on the liver and kidneys. But this is far from a complete protocol; there is a lot more we can do. We live in air-conditioned homes and drive air-conditioned cars. Although this is more comfortable than constant exposure to high temperatures, living like this robs us of opportunities to sweat out toxins as we normally have for millennia. When thinking about what is best for our health, air-conditioning may in fact be overrated. What’s even better than AC is getting a good blast of heat from time to time.

It’s better not to be in a sauna alone, especially if you aren’t used to them. It’s possible to pass out from the heat. If this happens when you’re alone, it could prove fatal if you aren’t discovered quickly enough.

Dry Heat Sauna

This is a great way to give our bodies the needed opportunity to sweat out harmful substances. This is the most popular sauna and the one most likely available to you at your gym. Sweat will evaporate off your body quickly and efficiently in a dry sauna. Many of these saunas are kept very hot, some as hot as 180 degrees Fahrenheit.

Steam Room

Unfortunately steam rooms are breeding grounds for pathogens. Although someone can sweat a great deal in a steam room, they may not be worth the effort. Along with the steam other unwanted problems arise from chlorinated water, fungus and bacteria. Finding a clean steam room may be more trouble than it is worth.

Infrared Sauna

This is the best kind of sauna available. We sweat out more toxins in an infrared sauna than in other saunas. This is also a dry heat, so there aren’t problems associated with this kind of sauna like you would find in a steam room.

Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy

Many alternative health care practitioners believe one of the most effective treatments for a wide array of diseases and ailments is hot and cold hydrotherapy, but very few are willing to say it can help cure cancer and many other diseases.

Hot water increases blood flow to the surface of the body. Cold water drives the blood from the surface to the core of the body. Alternating hot and cold water increases blood flow and speeds up circulation. It brings fresh blood with oxygen and nutrients to the organs and glands and carries away toxins and pathogens. Dr. Shillington suggests starting with water as hot as you can stand for a minimum of two minutes. Then turn off the hot water for two minutes of cold—the colder the better. Alternate back and forth for a total of 20 minutes, ending with cold.

Exercise

Exercise that’s not too intense, depending on the detoxification protocol, can help flush the body by getting the blood pumping and the lymph moving. Lungs expel toxins as well.

Breathe Heavily and Properly

Most of us are rapid, shallow breathers. We raise our shoulders, pull in our diaphragm, and take a breath that fills only the top portion of our lungs.

When you breathe properly, your diaphragm, your stomach, and your ribcage expand, not the pectoral area. Fully exhaling is important, too. Remember, you are breathing in oxygen rich air and releasing carbon dioxide and toxins.

When you expand your ribcage and breath deeply, you increase the body’s natural detoxification through the lungs. This is not insignificant; 80% of our toxins are eliminated through our breath.

Sweat

Another 20% of our toxins are released through the skin. If you are working out hard enough to break a sweat, you’re also helping to drain the lymphatic system. This system detoxifies under a bouncing or up and down jarring of the body, like running, martial arts, rebounding, dancing, and…

Squats

In addition to helping clear the lymphatic system (especially when done quickly, or with jumping variations), squats add and release pressure onto the elimination organs such as the liver, kidneys, and the intestinal tract. Don’t underestimate the power of squats. We used to squat all the time in nature. In fact, once you couldn’t squat back in the paleo days you didn’t have long to live. We squatted while we were outside tending to the garden, while we were hunting and tracking, while we were just relaxing but trying to stay out of sight from other predators, and every time we defecated.

Get Enough Quality Sleep

Most adults in our modern society do not get enough quality sleep, even if they do sleep a full eight hours. If you find yourself waking up regularly, having trouble getting to sleep, or just feeling tired and drained in the morning, it could be caused by a lack of deep, restorative REM sleep.

Could Your Mattress and Bedding be a Problem?

What do you know about your mattress? If it isn’t organic, it includes chemicals. If it isn’t relatively new, it contains flame retardants – nasty endocrine disrupting chemicals. If this is the case, your mattress and your bedding could be adding to your toxic load, effectively undoing much of your efforts at detoxifying during the day.

Coffee & Stimulants

Coffee is almost a spiritual experience for many people, a daily ritual that may help you be more awake and alert during the day, but you pay the price in less restful sleep at night. Once a tolerance to coffee is built up, it doesn’t even help you be more alert during the day, and it still interferes with the quality of your sleep.

Most people will not give up their coffee habits until their cup is pried from their cold dead hands, but as much as we try to find health benefits with coffee it causes us more harm than good. Caffeine wears out our thyroid and adrenal gland, which disrupts our whole endocrine system (our hormone system) which effects our energy levels throughout the day and our ability to sleep.

The same is true for other drugs and not just stimulants. For instance, marijuana helps people fall sleep, but it does reduce REM sleep, disrupting the quality of sleep.

Other Causes of Poor Sleep

Lighting and Wi-Fi can disrupt REM sleep, too. Make sure all lights are off or covered, including tiny blinking lights on phones and other electronics, and turn off signal producing electronics, too. You may also benefit from moving your bed a foot away from the wall to reduce the amount of EMFs your body encounters throughout the night.

Manage Your Stress

Yoga, meditation, and deep breathing are great stress relievers, and so are other forms of fitness, but stress can be very difficult to handle if the endocrine system is not optimally functioning. Getting beneficial bacteria in the gut, and flushing the body with lots of cranberry lemonade can help.

Detox Tea

Detoxifying the blood and boosting the liver’s ability to do its job are of paramount importance. Here are some well-known formulas that you can make yourself at home. Make sure all of the ingredients are organic and/or wildcrafted and of the highest quality.

Doc Shillington’s Blood Detox Formula (or purchase here)

Mix the following by volume, and make a standard tincture using 100 proof vodka as your menstruum:

• 2 – parts Red Clover Blossoms
• 2 – parts Chaparral
• 1 – part Lobelia
• 1 – part Cayenne
• 1 – part freshly chopped Garlic Bulb
• 1 – part Burdock Seed & Root
• 1 – part Poke Root
• 1 – part Yellow Dock Root
• 1 – part Goldenseal Root
• 1 – part Oregon Grape Root
• 1 – part Blood Root Sap
• 1 – part European Mistletoe
• 1 – part Periwinkle Flowers

Doc Shillington’s Blood Detox Tea (or purchase here)

Use the exact same herbs as above in exactly the same proportions and make as a decoction only. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes, then drink.

Salads

You can detoxify without fasting. A large, diverse salad can help you do that. I have a huge salad every day without at least 15 different vegetables and herbs in it. Here’s a list of my salad ingredients:

• Spinach
• Arugula
• Collard Greens
• Spring mix
• Leeks
• Red onions
• Red cabbage
• Red bell pepper
• Rainbow chard
• Beet greens
• Grated beetroot
• Grated carrots
• Grated zucchini
• Cucumbers
• Cilantro
• Pomegranate (seed)
• Raisins
• Sesame seeds
• Ground papaya seeds
• Avocado

Fresh, organic, raw produce helps draw out toxins in the body. Beets detoxify the blood, cilantro and garlic draw out heavy metals, raw vegetables feed the healthiest bacteria in our gut, and I could go on and on. I don’t recommend fasting to get well unless digesting food is too difficult. Most people are better off eating salads while they detoxify.

Grounding

Our bodies are a living matrix of energetically charged biochemical circuits that are charged and coordinated through the activity of the central nervous system.  The Earth itself is regulated by subtle but dynamic electrical circuits. The electrical crosstalk between the Earth and our central nervous system helps to program trillions of biochemical reactions.

The Earth’s electrical rhythms play a significant role in the natural circadian rhythms that govern our sleep/wake cycle, hormones, mood, and energy production.  Studies of people fully disconnected from this natural electrical rhythm have shown abnormal circulating cortisol levels indicating abnormal stress responses.  Additionally, disconnected people often struggle with issues such as insomnia, hormone disruption, chronic pain, headaches, and fatigue among other things.

Niacin

Niacin (B3) is an inexpensive way to boost the efficacy of a detox. Most doctors recommend starting with 100 mg. I weigh 220 pounds and I took 1,500 mg for three days. Don’t take it for more than a few days. Drink lots of fluid (like the cranberry lemonade) and sweat out the toxins. Niacin won’t do you much good if you aren’t flushing out the junk while you do it. It’s powerful. You’ll be itchy, hot, and flush red all over. The effects last about an hour. Most people without damaged seriously livers can easily handle 500 mg for a few days, but some suggest to start with as little as 25mg and build your way up. Don’t take any one B vitamin for long without taking the whole complex.

Conclusion

A cleanse or detox is a wonderful way to aid your immune system in eliminating waste, debris, pathogens, and parasites from the body. A healthy body is always eliminating these toxins as fast as needed to stay healthy, but in our modern chemically laden lifestyle the body’s natural detoxification pathways can get overwhelmed. Many of the aforementioned protocols can be utilized to support a healthy lifestyle at any time, regardless of whether or not you’re “on a detox.” The most important aspect of a good detox for most people is eliminating excess candida and balancing gut flora. Also check out this Shillington’s Protocol if you need a thorough, full body detox.

Recommended Reading:

• How To Detoxify and Heal From Vaccinations – For Adults and Children
• Heal Cavities, Gum Disease, Naturally with Organic Oral Care – Toothpaste recipes included
• How to Detoxify From Chemotherapy and Repair the Body

Lyme disease is a shockingly common condition that infects more than 200,000 people in the U.S. each year. Out of all the people who suffer from Lyme disease symptoms, only 20% are correctly diagnosed, according to research. More and more people are mistakenly identified with other health conditions and do not receive the proper treatment.

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria carried by ticks. It is an inflammatory illness that has symptoms like headaches, rashes, chills, and fever. When left untreated, the condition may worsen to develop cardiac symptoms, neurological conditions, and arthritis. Lyme disease can be a life-changing illness.

At present, there is still no medical treatment available for the full treatment of Lyme disease. Antibiotics are prescribed to treat Lyme disease during its early stages. Treatment for chronic Lyme disease (when symptoms last for more than six months) is yet to be discovered. In many parts of the world, essential oils are being used to cure this illness naturally.

Essential Oils To Help Fight Lyme Disease

Essential oils are pure extracts from natural substances and materials like plants, roots, and other liquids. Since they do not contain artificial ingredients that usually carry toxins and harmful substances, essential oils have been used to treat various chronic and sensitive illnesses. These wonders of nature have been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Their use would not have continued if they were not so effective.

• Clove Oil – One of the strongest and most potent antimicrobial substance that is extracted primarily for dentistry purposes, clove oil is both an analgesic and an antiseptic. It also has a very high capacity in terms of oxygen radical absorbance and is capable of fighting borrelia and bartonella infections.

• Thyme, Marjoram, Oregano – All of which are antibacterial and also used for different infections, thyme, marjoram, and oregano are effective against Lyme disease.

• Frankincense – A muscle relaxant, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and immune-stimulant in one, Frankincense is one of the most popular essential oils used for curing Lyme disease. Basically, it reduces the inflammation of the affected parts and contributes to the control and regulation of immune-system reactions. Mixing it with 2 drops of oregano and coconut oil for topical application on the feet during the day is an innovative way to continue your treatment without bothering others with the smell. Internally, take 2 drops of this essential oil each day, which you can combine with clove, lemongrass, and helichrysum for better results.

• Cinnamon – This aromatic oil is not only good for relaxing the mood, it is also a powerful antimicrobial substance that cures Lyme disease.

• Tea Tree Oil – This essential oil is known to be very effective in liquefying and removing biofilms, the thin film of bacteria that settles on a surface. It is a very good antibacterial that works hand-in-hand with clove to deliver the best treatment outcomes.

• Rosemary, Lavender, Rose, Geranium – These lovely and aromatic plants, when extracted as essential oils, are known for their ability to stop the infectious borrelia from communicating with each other. Therefore, they are helpful in preventing relapse or reactivity in the long run.

Endless Possibilities With Natural Essential Oils

Essential oils can either be ingested (one to 3 drops every day) or applied on the surface of the skin generously. Since they are known to be concentrated substances essential oils should be carefully handled. A few drops can be very strong. Improper use can cause serious health problems.

As a side note, please make sure you are using an essential oil brand that is truly 100% pure and organic, free of any kind of synthetics.

Nevertheless, since essential oils are purely natural, they do not bear side effects that, as a whole, worsen the situation instead of helping the patient recover. To learn more about essential oils, subscribe to our email updates to get 2 free audiobooks on essential oils and a 9-day free essential oil eCourse.

Further Reading:

• How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
• How I Replaced Medications With Essential Oils

Recommended Products:

• Essential Oils

Sources:

• Overcoming Lyme Disease with Essential Oils– Raindrop Training
• Essential Oils Used For Lyme Disease – Healing Well 
• Lyme Disease Natural Remedies – Dr. Axe
• What Is Lyme Disease – Lyme Symptoms.com
• Working With Essential Oils – My Lyme Treatment

It’s not a topic of polite conversation. It is wildly unpopular to criticize circumcision, and even more unpopular to call it what it is – genital mutilation. Whether the procedure is called genital mutilation or circumcision depends upon one’s country of origin and cultural influences.

Despite the innocuous and innocent sounding word for it, circumcision is a violation of our human rights regardless of whether the victim is a boy or a girl. The argument that circumcision is a matter of personal choice is semantically erroneous and illogical, infants do not consent to medical procedures, the parents do. Almost no one would consent to having so much of their genitals removed unless it were absolutely necessary. So of course, that is the lie told by medical professionals, that it is a necessary and beneficial medical procedure.

When discussing circumcision, many celebrities use profanity, because they have strong feelings about the subject. This is understandable; circumcision is a torturous, irreversible procedure. Doctors and nurses routinely lie to parents, telling them their baby slept through the procedure. In routine infant circumcision, anesthesia is rarely used (for fear of complications arising from the anesthesia), and more often than not, the infant goes into shock from the pain. Pro circumcision advocates want to push circumcision on infants, because babies cannot say no.

Alicia Silverstone

I was raised Jewish, so the second my parents found out they had a male grandchild, they wanted to know when we’d be having a bris (the circumcision ceremony traditionally performed 8 days after a baby boy is born). When I said we weren’t having one, my dad got a bit worked up. He couldn’t understand why not – I mean, it’s what our people have been doing for a really long time. Then he started listing reasons for doing it, like uncircumcised penises were hard to keep clean and can get infected, and that it doesn’t hurt the baby – although I’m pretty sure most babies scream and cry at their bris. But my thinking was: If little boys were supposed to have their penises ‘fixed,’ did that mean we were saying that God made the body imperfect? He made all this incredible stuff, and then he just happened to make the penis wrong?

… All those old ideas about why not to do it are totally outdated. A recent review by the American Academy of Pediatrics looked at the data from the past decades to see if there were really, truly any medical benefits to circumcision. Their conclusion? Nope! (2) And according to baby doctor genius and father of eight, Dr. William Sears, not only are there no medical benefits to circumcision, there are actually some pretty weighty drawbacks. The foreskin is packed with nerves (more than any other organ, actually), and removing it can diminish sexual pleasure. It helps protect the head of the penis, which, while also super-sensitive, was meant to be an internal organ. When it is exposed and is constantly rubbing up against clothing, it can become desensitized, which is also bad news when your son starts getting frisky.

Then there are the risks associated with what it is, in truth, a minor surgery: hemorrhage, infection, septicemia, gangrene, disfigurement, or, if too much foreskin is removed, the need for skin grafting later in life.

In case you’re still not convinced that you wouldn’t be committing your child to a life of bad Hebraic karma, consider that in Israel more and more parents are opting to celebrate the first week in their baby’s life with a brit shalom (the “covenant of peace”), a ritual alternative to circumcision.

Mario Lopez

Mario Lopez and his wife Courtney Mazza didn’t see eye to eye on circumcision.

In their reality television show, Saved by the Baby, they aired their dirty laundry while putting away clean laundry.

Mazza: ‘Cause I feel like some of the decisions you’re making, regarding the baby are your choice.

Mario Lopez: What are you talking about?

Mazza: Well ‘sighs’ the main thing that has been bothering me is the circumcision.

Mario: What’s bothering you about it?

Mazza: I don’t know how I feel about that, and every time we talk about it you shoot me down.

Mario: Well hold on, that’s not, I’m sorry babe but that’s not up for discussion. That-

Mazza: How is that not up for discussion?

Mario: Because-

Mazza: Did you make the baby yourself? Aren’t you worried about what people are going to think?

Mario: What do you mean what people are going to think?! What do you think of me? It didn’t hurt me.

Mazza: Well to be completely honest it was awkward for me.

Mario: What do you mean it was awkward?!

Mazza: Yeah it looks like a turtleneck.

Mario: I didn’t hear you complain! Oh really? Now it’s awkward?

Mazza: Well what am I going to say! I was thinking to myself, “What the hell is that?!”

Mario: Hey news flash by the way, this the way all men are born. I can’t believe you are even debating me on this. This is not debatable.

In an interview with Wendy Williams, Mario Lopez explained why it was so important to him to leave his son intact.

… So I said if we were having a boy that I didn’t want him to be circumcised. Because I don’t think that God makes mistakes and it’s not an optional part. And I know some of the women are probably like “Oh!” but believe it or not that’s the way a man is naturally born.

Craig Ferguson

While interviewing a physician on his show, Craig brought a succinct argument in favor of leaving boys intact.

Craig: Did you read in the news last week that the city of San Francisco is considering, banning circumcision?

Dr. Masterson: Yeah and again but you know that’s a personal choice. And I talk to my patients, as an obstetrician I talk to my patients a lot about this. And really there’s a lot of health benefits, and some risk benefits but it’s really a social procedure. So you really have to decide do you want your son to look like you? Do you, you know is it a cultural thing? Is it a social thing?

(Obviously, she has a skewed perception of personal choice. When an infant is circumcised, parental choice has taken away personal choice).

And later in the conversation…

Craig Ferguson: But couldn’t you achieve the same effect (the health benefits of circumcision) by washing your pee pee on a regular basis?

Dr. Masterson: You absolutely could.

Craig: So we’re talking, you could have this chopped off or you can wash it. Your call.

Dr. Masterson: Exactly.

Craig: [sarcastically] That’s a tough choice there doctor I don’t know!

Howard Stern

I am so against circumcision. You know that’s a man-made fucking thing. It’s got to cut down on your sensitivity, on your penis. I’m circumcised because you know I grew up in America, that’s what they do. They cut you, but it’s got to be wrong.

…I am circumcised, and I tell you something, I despise it. I despise it. I despise it.

… I rue the day my parents mutilated me.

…You know, my mother is so into ‘natural’ everything. “The body is beautiful.” You should hear the rap. The body is beautiful; we should leave things natural. So, she wouldn’t get me braces. My teeth were as crooked as a four-way intersection in Washington DC, and green, and bu-bu-bu- wouldn’t get me braces. My teeth were so wrecked because “naturally the body will heal itself.” She’s like a Christian Scientist. But the penis? Right out the window! I am completely pissed off that I’m circumcised.

…I know my penis was mutilated and I called my mother … I said to my mother the other night, I’m really freaked out by this circumcision thing. I think that I was mutilated. I think my penis would have a lot more sensitivity. … I’m talkin’ to my mother and I said, Why did you have me circumcised, exactly?

She goes, “You know, at the time I didn’t even know why. They took my baby from me and they said you know,” ‘This is something you gotta do.’… caught up in the whole tradition, cause my, you know, my father was was like, ‘Hey, he’s gotta be circumcised, he’s gotta look like me.’

 And my mother goes, “I just remember being so out of it that, I knew it was the wrong thing, I knew it shouldn’t be done, somewhere in the back of my mind, but how dare I buck the system?”

 I go, “Well Gee! You’re such a loudmouth on everything else, why weren’t you a loudmouth on this?”

Gerard Butler

In an interview with Howard Stern he was asked if he was circumcised. His response was:

No! We don’t do that!

…Never having been circumcised I can’t say but all I know is for me it’s very sensitive, and when I’m having sex that’s the amazing thing.

Cameron Diaz

Apparently it’s very uncomfortable for people to hear how it works when you have to clamp on the foreskin, pull it over, and then slice it off. Yeah, that apparently is really uncomfortable for people to hear. Yeah, but I think it’s important to know. It’s sort of like, it’s the same way, America is the same way about their beef. They just want it delivered in a Styrofoam package with saran wrap over it. They don’t want to know how it got to you. [It’s] the same thing with circumcision.

Joe Rogan

It’s a weird fucking tradition that we need to end. People get really bad infections. It’s not, it’s not completely innocuous. Kids have lost their penises because, because of circumcision. It’s not common. Yeah man for what? To dress up his dick with a knife? It’s a dick; it’s not a Jack O’ Lantern. You don’t have to chop parts off of it to make it look better. That’s stupid.

…It’s a gross thing isn’t it man? It’s a weird thing that people still cut babies dicks. There’s no logic to it at all. No science. All that nonsense about stopping AIDS. Go Fuck yourself. You’re not stopping AIDS by cutting dicks. By the way you’re not getting AIDS from not washing your dick. That’s nonsense. You’ve got no statistics to back that up. It’s one of those things where it was done to us, and women say, “It looks gross, so cut it”. It’s a really fucked up situation that we still have to deal with this.

…We’re weird about visuals man. People mutilate their kids’ dicks because of visuals. That’s what circumcision is about. A lot of people… Look, I’m circumcised. I didn’t ask to be. I’m sure a lot of you are circumcised, and I’m sure a lot of you circumcise your kids. But when you really stop and think about it, its kind of fucking crazy. I only have daughters but me and my wife got in an argument about this shit and she goes if we have a kid and it was a boy, I would want him to be circumcised. I go, “Why?!” she goes cause uncut dicks are disgusting. I’m like how many have you seen?! It was so confident. It wasn’t like she’d seen two that weren’t that pretty and she was holding out, hoping for a cute one. It was like, ‘No, I’ve fucking seen them, Noooo. No, no.’ I’m just picturing a river of sleepy uncut dicks in her past, just. I’m like what are you saying? That’s ridiculous, what it looks. No, no, no, no, no, it looks gross. It’s all this extra skin. I’m like do you even know what a vagina looks like? Are you serious here? Have you ever been sober and squatted down in front of a mirror and taken a good assessment of what the fuck you’re packing? Because let me tell you something, the extra skin might be the best-looking part of that contraption. Because if you pull that apart, you’ve got the predator’s mouth! All right, and you’re really giving me a hard time about some extra dick skin?

John Leguizamo

[My wife and I] talked about it, and I said there’s no way they’re going to be circumcised, and she was totally cool with it. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s not medically necessary at all. Actually, from what I’ve read, guys lose feeling by doing that. I want my son to have all the feeling he can have. Growing up in New York City, a lot of my friends weren’t circumcised, and my dad’s not circumcised and none of my family members are circumcised, so to me that was normal. When I saw some white kids circumcised, it looked like a mutilated monster. It was weird to me…it was really bizarre.

Colin Farrell

[Women] They are kind of fucking fascinated with a foreskin, aren’t they? In Ireland, at birth we don’t get the tip of our fucking knobs chopped off. I fucking completely disagree with that. People say, “It’s much cleaner to have no foreskin.” What, have you never heard of a fucking shower? Of Q-Tips? Whatever you want to do, just clean the fucking thing. I was at the party with 20 people, one of them an agent from CAA, when somehow the subject of foreskins came up. She said, “I just don’t understand a foreskin. I’ve never seen one.” So I whipped out my dick and said, “Here, that’s all it is. A bit of skin.” I did a little Puppetry of the Penis thing and showed her what it was about. You would have thought she was at a circus the way she was looking at me.

Dustin Hoffman

Sometimes they say someone shouldn’t be circumcised because it’s more natural and they should be circumcised because of hygiene. But the argument against that is if you wanna clean under your nails, you don’t cut your nails off.

Ben Affleck

“I hate circumcisions! Get enough in me, and I’ll tell you how much I hate them!” 

Roseanne Barr

Jews must cease circumcising their male infants! It is a barbaric and backward cult mind control technique that produces ill effects in adults.

Sara Gilbert

Only 32.5 percent of babies are being cut these days, so [an intact baby] will be in the majority if you don’t do it.

Russell Brand

We don’t do it in England. It’s just more like, people don’t worry about it. They just, they just let it go, that sort of thing. … It’s a bit unfair, isn’t it, to do that to babies? I mean, you’re alive a little while, start chopping bits of his dick off. I don’t think God cares about that. He’s got a lot [going] on.

Daniel Tosh

Just for the record…I always wish I wasn’t circumcised.

Billy Joel

I got the, ah, ‘snip’, and I had nothing to say about that. And I’m still a little pissed off about that, actually. They should have asked first.

In the lyrics his song, So Long, Reverend Ike, he sang, “My circumcision grieves me.”

Russell Crowe

Russell Crowe is from New Zealand, though he’s lived most of his life in Australia. Circumcision is uncommon in both countries. Russell Crowe is a father of two intact boys. On Twitter he let his views on circumcision be known.

Proud to have my foreskin. It’s cold in Ireland. It’s like a turtleneck – but for my penis.

[I have] Many Jewish friends. I love my Jewish friends. I love the apples and the honey and the funny little hats, but stop cutting your babies.

Circumcision is barbaric and stupid. Who are you to correct nature? Is it real that GOD requires a donation of foreskin? Babies are perfect.

I will always stand for the perfection of babies. I will always believe in God, not man’s interpretation of what God requires.

Same as tattoos, plastic surgery. He is an adult and he “wants” it then off you go. Mothers were right to keep their babies intact.

Last of it, if you feel it is your right to cut things off your babies please unfollow and f**k off. I’ll take attentive parenting over barbarism.

When one of his fans tweeted him asking him if she should get her son circumcised he had a firm reply as to why she shouldn’t mutilate her son.

Twitter follower ‘Picknic11’ asked him: Do you think I should get him circumstanced?’

He replied, Here’s a life rule, if you can’t spell it, don’t do it.

Conclusion

Circumcision cannot be undone. Most of us have heard the casual dismissal, “Almost everyone is circumcised so it doesn’t matter.” Our contention is that it does matter. It is blatantly sexist to refer to female circumcision as genital mutilation and then to pretend that male circumcision is not mutilation as well. There are more erotogenic nerve endings in the foreskin than in any other part of the body, the clitoris included. The latest statistics we have seen places American circumcised newborns at 55%. But that means that 55% of America’s youngest generation will never know what sex with their entire penis would feel like. What’s worse is that the removal of foreskin robs both partners of sensation, though much more so for the man.

Far too often we also hear the argument that circumcision prevents disease.

Sadly, there aren’t any parts of the body that come with a lifetime guarantee against disease. Breasts can become cancerous, fingers can become arthritic, toenails can become ingrown, earlobes can develop malignant melanomas. Males are far more likely to have serious problems with their appendix than with an intact penis. If disease prevention is insufficient justification for the amputation of fingers, breasts, or the removal of toenails or the appendix, then we should take a moment to ask why routine infant circumcision is really done. If it doesn’t make sense to amputate or remove other body parts upon birth, then there is also insufficient justification for the amputation of foreskins. Male foreskin serves many purposes beyond heightened sensation. It also protect the glans, and this helps to maintain sensation later in life.

If we are to continue the practice of circumcision, then we must continue on our own terms as consenting adults. Parents cannot remove other body parts or tattoo their children upon birth. Why is this human rights violation still tolerated?

Recommended Reading:

• Circumcision, the Primal Cut – A Human Rights Violation
• Celebrities Who Have Spoken Out Against Vaccines

Sources:

• The Kind Mama: Alicia Silverstone on Circumcision – Peaceful Parenting
• Saved by the Baby – The Circumcision Discussion
• Mario Lopez: Circumcised or Not? Wendy Asks. Mario Answers. – You Tube
• Mario Lopez Condemns Circumcision – Howard Stern Show
• Craig Ferguson on Circumcision – You Tube
• The Tip of the Iceberg Famous Men Who Resent/ed Being Circumcised
• Actor Gerard Butler and Howard Stern penis talk – why circumcision is wrong ! – You Tube
• Cameron Diaz Talks Circumcision While Matthew Morrison Squirms – Exclusive! – You Tube
• Joe Rogan and Greg Fitzsimmons discuss circumcision – You Tube
• Joe Rogan talks circumcision- “I think it’s stupid…” – You Tube
• Joe Rogan Live From The Tabernacle – Circumcision Bit
• Say No! to Circumcision – Intact America
• 10 Celebrities Who Are Anti-Circumcision – The Stir Café Mom  

If you have MS, it is long past time for you to choose to eat the healthiest possible diet. Let’s face it, your immune system is in free fall. It is so confused, it is attacking the myelin sheath that coats your nerves and possibly your nerves as well. You know how serious this is. You know the devastation this disease can do to your body. Are you willing to do all you can do to heal your immune system? If the answer is yes, your diet is key.

The healthiest diet is a plant-based diet consisting of 80% fresh, raw, organic produce – more vegetables than fruits.

Avoid These Foods If You Have MS

• Any “food” that contains the following:
• Artificial flavoring
• Artificial color
• Preservatives
• MSG
• Trans Fats
• Sugar
• High fructose corn syrup
• Gluten (Which means no wheat including kamut, faro, spelt, durum, bulgur, or semolina and no barley, rye, or triticale. Oats may be a problem, too.)
• Dairy
• Caffeine
• Canola
• Soy
• GMOs
• Any foods you have had an allergic reaction to

In other words, cut out all processed foods. Choose whole foods, organic foods filled with nutrients.

Be Sure To Eat The Following Foods

• A wide variety of healthy fats (be sure you get enough omega3 fatty acids)
• A wide variety of produce (make salads with 15 or more veggies!)
• Foods that continually detox the body like garlic, onions, cilantro, ginger, and turmeric
• Lots of pure water

Consider the Following Supplements

• B Complex vitamins high in B-12
• Vitamin D
• Coenzyme Q10
• Multi-vitamins and minerals

If you are willing to do the work, you can get healthy. It all starts with giving the body the nutrients it needs to heal itself. If you have MS, you have a sick gut. This diet will help you heal the gut. You can’t do it part way. You need to learn all you can about true health and you need to practice what you learn. Yes, this means you will overhaul your diet, but you will feel so much better, so fast.

Further Reading:

•  Naturally Treat Multiple Sclerosis – Therapies, Diet, Pain Management, Alternative Medicine
• Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases
• Being Diagnosed With Multiple Sclerosis and Refusing To Live With It