Water in Europe doesn't hydrate.. and that's official.

The European Food Safety Authority, that demigod of all that may or may not be said about food and health in Europe has ruled that you can't claim water is hydrating... Check this.

"The two professors - Dr Moritz Hagenmeyer and Dr Andreas Hahn – proposed the claim: “Regular consumption of significant amounts of water can reduce the risk of development of dehydration and of concomitant decrease of performance”.

After dialogue with the NDA to clarify the disease risk reduction factors, the professors proposed, “water loss in tissues” or “reduced water content in tissues” as risk factors, the development of dehydration.

But the Panel found these were “measures of water depletion and thus are measures of the disease (dehydration).”

It therefore concluded: “…the proposed claim does not comply with the requirements for a disease risk reduction claim pursuant to [the NHCR]."

Sooo. Just be aware that if you visit Europe and drink water you'll probably end up dehydrated.. and that's official!
Source here

Thank you Jeesuss for having me born today!

Cop this. Stanford researchers have created working heart cells from skin cells. Here's the video. And I'm reading this only 5 minutes after talking to my neighbour Nick, who wants me to look after Mister Bilson, his new kitten while he gets a procedure that maps a collapsed disc. After that he'll get a plastic disc inserted from the stomach, and grafted bone from his femur to get the body to accept the plastic disc as his.

At 64 I can actually expect a new heart from skin cells when my ticker runs out of steam. All I'll need is a cool million or so....

Reintroducing Phil Burton

You know how it is.. familiarity breeds contempt, they say, but I'm certainly not contemptuous of Phil Burton, one of only 3 Dr Young-trained blood microscopists in Australia. I only thought about familiarity because it's true that we do tend to forget just how good people around you are. And Phil is one of those treasured frinds. He's been with us for a long time, and has helped thousands.

Phil is dedicated to the alkaline  lifestyle. I recommend a visit to his clinic or to his website.

Why all this? because I was just reading an excellent article by Phil that somehow popped up on my monitor all about the effect of acid in the blood. It's a darn good read, but more important, it comes from Phil's direct experience.

Just to stir up a few dominant paradigms about exercise and weight loss...

I'm going to copy and paste this letter I found here. It really got to me about how we stigmatise people who don't fit in with our own ideas of health and beauty.

The video he refers to is here

"Village(s) on a Diet
Posted on February 8th, 2011 by Jay Wortman

I want to talk about two villages on a diet. I have had a hard time watching the CBC series, “Village on a Diet”, as it seems to be mainly focused on exercise as a weight loss strategy for the people of Taylor, BC. It is becoming increasingly clear that the approach being used is not science-based but designed for maximum emotion and drama. Watching overweight and unfit people being pushed to exercise beyond their capacity to the point where they are often in tears gives me no pleasure. This is especially true since I know from reading the science in this area that it is not helping and may even be counterproductive.

My wife and I watched a recorded episode last night where the fitness guys are personally affronted by the fact that the townspeople are ungrateful for their efforts to whip them into shape. The number of people willing to subject themselves to their abuse was rapidly dwindling. It looked like only a couple of dozen were still trying. I thought the townspeople were reacting normally to an unreasonable intrusion into their lives, but I suspect I am in the minority with that opinion.

The part of the show that was really offensive, however, was the interaction between the “professional chef” and the lady who runs the local pizza parlour. After showing the school kids how to make “healthy” granola bars that were over 50% dried fruit (!) he goes to the pizza shop to demand that “healthy” thin crust pesto pizzas be put on the menu. The owner, rightfully, points out that he doesn’t know her business. She had already tested the recipe he provided and it tasted like cardboard. This doesn’t stop him from berating her until she has an emotional meltdown (great TV!) and ends up closing up shop and leaving town. He effectively drives her out of business! This is a single mom with kids to support! WTF!

Now, I could understand how this would be defensible if she was the local crack dealer . And I am not a big fan of pizza because there is too much carbohydrate in the crust for me. But, I will feed it to my son who has a higher carbohydrate tolerance. And, when he has some, I sometimes will eat just the topping of cheese, tomato sauce and pepperoni. My son gets virtually no sugar and his pizza would be accompanied by a glass of water, not a soft drink and it won’t be followed by an ice-cream sundae. If you eat only the pizza and you don’t have a carbohydrate intolerance, like I do, it’s not going to hurt you.

Try telling that to the team in Taylor, though. It’s as though the pizza lady was personally responsible for the weight problems of the whole town. They even have pizza lunches at the school! The horror! Good enough reason to ruin her livelihood and drive her out of town. I can’t believe the CBC is party to this travesty.

Okay, that’s my rant on Village on a Diet … for now. Let’s talk about another village. This is where CBC redeems themselves by reporting on the amazing work of a young South African doctor, Stefan Du Toit, who has been getting people to lose weight in Valemount, BC. Stefan lost about 40 lbs using a very low calorie, low-fat, low-carb diet before moving to Valemount from South Africa a couple of years ago. When staff in his clinic learned of this they asked him to put them on the same diet. It worked so well that patients began asking for it, too. Stefan now has treated over 100 people with this diet approach and has had amazing results. Their total weight loss is over 3000 lbs! The really interesting thing about this, when compared to the approach used in Taylor, is that Stefan expressly forbids his patients to exercise until they have reached their goal weight. He says, accurately in my opinion, that exercising makes dieting more difficult because it stimulates your appetite. He has many people who have lost over 90 lbs using this approach and they are encouraged to exercise once they have lost the weight but not before.

I have visited his practice and talked to some of his patients. Their stories are remarkable. They get off virtually all their medications and stick to a diet that even I find somewhat extreme for months on end. Stefan doesn’t swear or bully them and there is no drama and emotion so it would make for boring TV, but the joy these people exhibit is a wonderful testament to their amazing accomplishments.

Here is where you can see the news clip on the REAL Village on a Diet:"

So what do you think? What button did this press your you? Love to hear your comments!.. Ian

Dan Ross, our surfing ambassador

Dan contemplates the surf accompanied by his Fill2Pure BPA free AlkaWay filter bottle

I spoke about Dan Ross a few posts ago when discussing one of Dan's proteges. Dan came to visit last week with Stu, his manager. He's a very interesting man with amazingly single focused dedication to his craft.

He spends more time in the ocean than most ocean mammals and as a result has a true appreciation of water and its importance in personal and environmental health.

Pioneering the transition from Pro Surfer into the Modern Surfing Professional Athlete, incorporating an exclusively organic diet, along with a Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual approach, Dan has developed a self awareness that ito me, shines light a light from his face and etes..

Excellence in and Out
As one of the first to specifically train for competitive surfing with CHEK Training (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology), which he’s also a qualified trainer, Breath Enhancement Training, Chi Kung and much more, understanding and experiencing optimal health where the equation is: excellent in = excellent out, Dan is seriuous about only putting the very best in his body.

So.. I'm very, very, very happy to have Dan on board.

“ALKAWAY is the perfect partnership for my demanding optimum health requirement. It’s a daily detox for my system, helps me recover from injury and lactic acid loading a lot faster, which is such an advantage recovering for the next heat or final  and because I’m always feeling so much healthier, I make much better decisions and as a surfer that’s absolutely critical for survival in competition and in big waves...  I see that looking after my health, is also looking after my immediate environment and the Planet.” 

Stu, Dan's friend and manager is a online SurfMeister. Check his blog here

Acidity and Alzheimers'.

I know I bang on about acidity. Forgive me. But you know how when you are 'into' something, even a new car, you see them everywhere? It's the same with me. I see cause and effect everywhere relating to acidity, just because I'm 'into' acid/alkaline balance.

As you all know, I've had a quite miraculous effect from a 'good' acid in the form of coconut oil for my incipient Alzheimers', which seems to go against acid/alkaline balance theory in a purist form.

Many people still call me up asking whether caperberries, or veal parmigiana is too acid. The actuality is that we need acids. Acids carry energy. They feed the internal fire. So I am always trying to talk about balance rather than exclusion.

When I saw this article on the effect of sugar on the brain, I remembered Cassie telling me that she felt far sharper now she was off sugar and on her low carb diet. Me too; no doubt about it.

Now I know that some people are still chewing over the concept that fat can be good for you and that carbs including sugar are the cause of most problems, but try looking at it another way. Your car needs water, oil and petrol. Too much, or bad quality oil glugs up the motor, too little petrol or the wrong octane rating has its own consequence, and no water ruins it immediately. But what I'm trying to say is that the three components NEED each other, they are symbiotic in function but danger lies in upset of the correct ratios. It's my belief that sugar and excess carbs has profoundly upset our internal balance - not just in acid/alkaline terms, but in blood glucose ratios, excess insulin levels, suppression of the ketone system (this is what kicks in and gave me my blessed relief from my memory loss) and God knows what else. The post I put up here a couple of days ago from a lady who went on the Low carb candida diet is spectacular to say the least, with effects claimed that are seemingly impossible.

By the way, the article sells supplements. That's not where I'm coming from on this question. I'm identifying the factors - life factors - that keep us out of balance. Certainly, over the last decade I have seen the positive effects of mending people's excessive acidity, but as you'll see, there is so much more to this philosophy.

There are good alkaline foods.. and I'm sure that there are bad alkaline foods. There are bad acid foods, and there are good acid foods. Only by remaining clear about our knowledge quest can we begin to benefit. The quest isn't for a quick fix. It's for whole health, and some of the things that will come up through my raves will challenge your personal health paradigms.

Another wonderful story I came across.

This lady contacted me from the US. I checked her site and wow, what a story about her experience of alkaline ionized water!

Here it is.

Cancer Quotes from people who know.

“But nobody today can say that one does not know what cancer and its prime cause be. On the contrary, there is no disease whose prime cause is better known, so that today ignorance is no longer an excuse that one cannot do more about prevention. That prevention of cancer will come there is no doubt, for man wishes to survive. But how long prevention will be avoided depends on how long the prophets of agnosticism will succeed in inhibiting the application of scientific knowledge in the cancer field. In the meantime, millions of men must die of cancer unnecessarily.”
Nobel Prize Winner Otto Warburg in a meeting of Nobel Laureates,

June 30, 1966 
Dr. James Watson won a Nobel Prize for determining the shape of DNA. During the 1970′s, he served two years on the National Cancer Advisory Board. In 1975, he was asked about the National Cancer Program. He declared, “It’s a bunch of shit.”
Nobel Prize Winner James Watson

“Everyone should know that the ‘war on cancer’ is largely a fraud.”

Two Time Nobel Prize Winner Linus Pauling,
Author of several books on Vitamin C and cancer.
“To the cancer establishment, a cancer patient is a profit center. The actual clinical and scientific evidence does not support the claims of the cancer industry. Conventional cancer treatments are in place as the law of the land because they pay, not heal, the best. Decades of the politics-of-cancer-as-usual have kept you from knowing this, and will continue to do so unless you wake up to their reality.”

John Diamond, M.D. & Lee Cowden, M.D.
“Remember there are worse things than death.  One of them is chemotherapy.”

Charles Huggins, MD
“Chemotherapy is an incredibly lucrative business for doctors, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. The medical establishment wants everyone to follow the same exact protocol. They don’t want to see the chemotherapy industry go under, and that’s the number one obstacle to any progress in oncology.”

Dr. Warner, M.D.
“I will use treatments to help the sick.  I will never use it to injure them or wrong them.  I will not give poison to anyone.” The Hippocratic Oath

My Diet: what a story!

Those of you following this blog will know that Cassie and I have been on a low carb diet for some time. You'll also have heard that our immediate relatives, impressed by what they see, have also embarked on the same diet. Now Leon, one of our alkaline specialists has begun his low carb lifestyle.

But wow! For those who asked me to keep updating our experience for you, just take a look at this story. This lady wrote it on the bulletin board of Bee's site. Bee is a 69-year old lady who shares her knowledge freely on the net regarding her diet, and her bulletin board buzzes like a hive with people learning and sharing. So take a look at this lady's shared exprerience.

"Dear Bee,

I have been on your program for over 28 months, and I have seen tremendous changes I wanted to share with you and the group.

Before this program I was just surviving life. My poor diet, posture and aggressive sports-based lifestyle caught up to me in my mid-20s and at age 27 I was experiencing symptoms of degeneration that are not typical of someone that age. The most debilitating symptoms were muscle and joint pain, pain due to damaged spinal discs and poor quality sleep. I was also obsessed with food, it literally drove my life, affecting my relationships and quality of life. I had seen doctors but no one had any answers or any solutions. Then my best friend discovered your website and I have been on your program ever since.

SYMPTOMS BEFORE DIET

Fibromyalgia

Arthritis, joint pain and stiffness

Herniated and bulging cervical spinal discs

Food/carb addiction

Hypoglycemia (headaches, irritability, reduced vision)

Teeth grinding and clenching (leading to gum recession and sensitive teeth)

Migraines

Acne, at times severe

Irritability and low tolerance for people

Poor quality sleep

Poor thermoregulation (easily cold, night sweats)

PMS

Sinus infections

Anxiety

Co-dependency

Low vitality, lost my zest for life

I am happy to share that all of those symptoms have pretty much disappeared. Some symptoms I still experience but at reduced frequency or intensity. There are a couple of minor issues I am still waiting to heal (mostly for vanity, like whiter teeth and whiter eyes) but the progress has been amazing. Through your program I have transformed myself physically, emotionally and mentally. I feel stronger and smarter than ever before, independent, liberated and more peaceful. My relationships with friends and family have improved. Life is full of possibility now.

I used to think, "I can't wait until I'm healed so I can go back to ___ again." But that was a sick person talking. Even though I am much healthier now, I have no desire to go back to my old ways of eating or living.

I am so grateful to you, Bee, for your courage to go against the grain and your generosity, to the group for its energy and to my friend for sharing it all with me. Thank you everyone.

Keely"

And while you're here, if you want to learn more, we just watched a very good doco on Dr Robert Atkins' struggle to get his Low Carb 'Atkins Diet' recognised.
Here's Episode one:

Nice...

 

Many colleges and universities have joined the green movement. New offices of sustainability, new majors and minors in renewable energy, sustainability studies, and environmental studies, and new clubs focused on green initiatives have sprung up across campuses nationwide. In fact, some students may be looking at specific places of study because of their very commitment to going green.

One group of colleges and universities stands apart in their commitment: those that have decided to ban plastic water bottles. New York Times describes the addition of Seattle University and the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point to the list of campuses that have banned plastic bottled water.

With Washington University in St. Louis leading the movement in 2009, the following colleges and universities in the US and Canada have now banned the sale of bottled water, according to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education:

• Belmont University
• Oberlin College
• Seattle University
• University Ottawa
• University Portland
• University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point
• Upstate Medical University
• Washington University in St. Louis

Other universities have banned plastic bottled water from their dining halls, including Gonzaga University, New York University, Stanford University, Stony Brook University, and University of Maryland (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education). While bans may not yet be officiated at other institutions, there are student campaigns to ban bottled water at universities and colleges like Brown University, Cornell University, Evergreen State College, Pennsylvania State University, and Vancouver Island University.

These students, colleges, and universities have taken a great leap forward in bringing back the tap. Highlighting stats like 86% of plastic water bottles end up in landfills and demonstrating that bottled water bans can be effective, these institutions call us to act in our own communities. Let’s stop wasting plastic, money, and resources, and start following their lead.

 

Cancer Pain

A study by the University of Michigan Health System demonstrated that after at least two years post diagnosis, one in five of cancer survivors have current cancer-related chronic pain.

The study, published online ahead of print in the American Cancer Society’s journal Cancer, gives new insight on issues in cancer survivorship among the growing number of US cancer survivors.

More than 40% of patients surveyed had experienced pain since their diagnosis, and the pain experience was worse for African Americans and women.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation, an organization that examines experiences of the cancer community, sponsored the U-M survey study of nearly 200 patients.

Other findings:

-The most significant source of pain was cancer surgery (53.8%) for whites and cancer treatment (46.2%) for African Americans. Women had increased pain, more pain flares, more disability due to pain, and were more depressed than men because of pain.

-African Americans with pain reported higher pain severity, expressed more concern about harmful pain treatment side effects, and had greater pain-related disability.

-According to the National Cancer Institute, more than 60% of people diagnosed with cancer will be alive in five years. As society ages, study authors say, pain complaints and cancer issues will grow as significant health concerns and health policy issues.

“All in all, the high prevalence of cancer and pain and now chronic cancer pain among these survivors, especially blacks and women, shows there’s more work to be done in improving the quality of care and research,” lead study author and pain medicine specialist Carmen R. Green, MD, professor of anesthesiology, obstetrics and gynecology and health management and policy at the University of Michigan, said in a press release.

Patient and physician knowledge and attitudes may lead to poor pain management, authors say. For instance, worries about side effects such as addiction or fears that pain is a sign that the cancer had gotten worse may lead patients and their doctors to minimize pain complaints.

“When necessary and appropriate there are a variety of therapies available to address pain and improve their well-being,” Green said.

Green co-authored the study with U-M colleagues Tamera Hart-Johnson, MS, and Deena R. Loeffler, MA.

The study included adults, ages 18-90, who experienced breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancer, or multiple myeloma at least two years prior were part of the study data. Participants were recruited from the Michigan State Cancer Cancer Registry. Participants were defined as survivors from the moment of diagnosis, in accordance with the NCI and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.


Source: University of Michigan Health System, Shantell M. Kirkendoll

Rosacea?

This net news article recommends 10-12 glasses of ICED alkaline water as a dietary aid for rosacea. I'm just wondering what you then have to take to stop peeing.

Reflections on Jaws.

It's seriously hot here in Byron Bay at the moment, which makes our daily Cape Byron walk all the more enjoyable when we incorporate a swim at Wategoes' Beach afterwards. 

This morning as we approached the surf, Cassie asked me a question.

"What causes fish to leap out of the water?"

"Something chasing them usually.." I replied. "a shark perhaps."

Cassie contemplated the answer for a minute and continued walking into the surf. She halted with the water about two foot deep.
"Are you calculating the risk of going deeper?' I asked.

"Well he might not be able to attack so easily if it's shallower..: she replied. "And the water is luscious!'

Which got me thinking about how we assess danger. She saw immediate danger. And she began calculating the odds of getting torn from limb to limb.. and decided that by remaining in shallower water, the perceived benefits of a dip in the ocean was worth the fear of a serious shredding.

How do we work out our risks of a painful old age? Or do we even bother?
It's obvious that a painful old age will happen if we continually swim in the deep water of bad diet and minimal exercise, and the pain could be far worse and old longer duration than a quick leg off from a Noah's Ark.

As above so below

Hate to scare you with news like this but I can't help feeling that the world reflects my own internal state. Call that 'new age' if you like, but the clearer I become as a result of alkalizing, meditating, diet and all that stuff, the clearer some things previously not understandable become. Here is the latest scientific report on the increasing acidification of the oceans. Fundamentally it's saying that the oceans are becoming more acidic due to the increase of CO2 in the air.

Just like how we become too acidic when we try to survive on stress and hot air.

Amoema and bacteria in our water; Trojan Horses

A new analysis finds evidence of widespread contamination of water supplies with amoebas, such as the three Acanthamoeba cells shown here. Each contains many bacteria (some shown, red arrows), which can be toxic to humans. The light circle is a cyst, an amoeba resting inside a heavily protective shell.

Amoeba, as we all know (of course we do, don't we!), are single celled eukaryotic organisms. In terms of water health, they haven't been given much importance because they have been perceived as relatively safe.. or at least non-threatening or non-toxic.

Well, that's about to change. Evidence just in from an Australian study tells us that amoeba carry bacteria, and that bacteria can be very nasty.


The study finds that amoebas are appearing often enough in water supplies and even in treated tap water to be considered a potential health risk.

Trojan Horses

A number of these microorganisms can directly trigger disease, from a blinding corneal infection to a rapidly lethal brain inflammation. But many amoebas possess an equally sinister if less well-recognized alter ego: As Trojan horses, they can carry around harmful bacteria, allowing many types to not only multiply inside amoeba cells but also evade disinfection agents at water-treatment facilities.

Even though recent data indicate that amoebas can harbor many serious waterborne human pathogens, U.S. water systems don’t have to screen for the parasites, according to study coauthor Nicholas Ashbolt of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Exposure Research Laboratory in Cincinnati. He coauthored a study of amoebas’ “yet unquantified emerging health risk” in the February 1 Environmental Science & Technology.

Parasites

He and Jacqueline Thomas of the University of New South Wales in Sydney analyze data from 26 studies conducted in 18 countries. All had identified amoebas in drinking-water systems. Some reports had focused on measurements at treatment plants, others in exiting water; some even extracted the parasites from tap water. Indeed, among 16 studies that looked for tap-water contamination, 45 percent reported finding amoebas.

So what can you do? The good news is that there are plenty of solutions in a good water filter because the size of amoeba means they can be excluded.

Go here to learn more about our best choice of parasite-free system.