Have you seen Medicine Man with Sean Connery? It was a predictable but engaging tale about how a scientist found a cure for cancer in the jungles of the Amazon Rain Forest, and how the cure was being destroyed by deforestation.

There are examples everywhere as to how a miracle pill started out as a plant…most notably with Digitalis. This plant-based drug is used to treat heart failure.

However, it is also known to be horrendously toxic, especially to children, pets, pregnant women, and animals.

So careful control over its use is required. But not all plant-based formulations are as readily obvious in their toxicity and contra-indications as foxglove.

Take Emulin, for example.

Including extra virgin olive oil into your diet is enough to significantly reduce high blood pressure, reports a study published in this week’s “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.” The study which investigated the effects of olive oil intake on high blood pressure in 27 thousand women, found a strong protective effect of olive oil on high blood pressure.

Those that consumed the highest levels of olive oil were 50 percent less likely to suffer from high blood pressure over the 7 and a half year follow up period. The researchers explain that olive oil’s high levels of antioxidants and good fats may reduce inflammation –thus turning down the dial on blood pressure. Opt for extra virgin olive oil over standard olive oil as it contains more healthy fats and antioxidants.

More simple ways to bring down stubborn blood pressure here…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

Type 2 diabetes is often considered an incurable disease that one has to manage throughout their life. However, a new research study out of Newcastle University found that cutting back on calories is enough to help insulin producing cells in the pancreas reproduce.

In this research study, 11 people with type 2 diabetes were asked to cut their calories to approximately 600 calories per day for 8-weeks. They found that just one week of this low-calorie diet brought blood sugar levels back to normal. By the end of the study their pancreas were able to produce insulin relatively normally –nearly to that of non-diabetics.

More natural ways to reverse type 2 diabetes…

To the Best of Health,

Jodi Knapp

Last week one of my staff members was laughing about an experience she had at her best friend’s house. She was talking about how she had gone over to help her pal get some furniture rearranged and one of the pieces was an old drawer designed to hold vinyl LP record albums.

Her children and her friend’s children were there to “help” and they wanted to relocate the record albums to a new piece of furniture her friend had just bought. The kids were looking at the albums and asked if they could play one of the Kiss ones.

It was a live album, and the moms agreed that yes, this was good chore music. Once the album started to play, though, one of the kids asked, “How do we skip to ‘Beth’?” He was holding the remote to the whole-house stereo, to which they had hooked the record player.

It may not be the sexiest study result, but researchers from Northern Illinois University found definitively that eating healthy and exercising are guaranteed ways to dramatically lower high cholesterol levels.

The researchers found that the one-two punch of exercise and a “prudent” diet defined by eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats outperformed cholesterol-lowering medications like Lipitor.

They found that exercising at least four times per week, limiting trans and saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of total calories and consuming at least 25 g of fiber per day reduced total cholesterol by an average of 15 points. They also found that these healthy lifestyle changes reduced triglycerides and “bad” LDL cholesterol significantly.

Have high cholesterol and are sick of taking dangerous meds? Here’s a natural method that works even better…

To Your Health,

Scott Davis

Hypertensive folks on the fence about which diet to choose should opt for the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, according to a review published in US News and World Report.

After pitting many popular diets head-to-head, the medical team that conducted the poll concluded that the DASH diet was the best diet for those with or without high blood pressure.

The DASH diet has been shown in dozens of research studies to be effective at dramatically reducing blood pressure in hypertensive people. In recent years, however, the benefits of the DASH diet have expanded to long-term weight loss, diabetes control and even cancer risk. The basic tenets of the DASH diet include eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables, limiting salt intake and eating at least three servings of low-fat dairy per day.

Here’s however a simple blood pressure program that works even better than the DASH diet…

And for weight loss, check this out…
Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

Arthritis sufferers looking for a way to combat their joint pain should get moving, according to a new study published in “Arthritis Care & Research.” In this research study, scientists pooled together research results from dozens of smaller studies published over the last 25 years. This type of study –known as a meta analysis –gives researchers more confidence that the results they find are legitimate and less likely to be due to chance.

After analyzing the data, the researchers concluded that, “…exercise improves pain and physical function in adults with the types of arthritis and other rheumatic disorders.” They found that group exercises classes such as Tai-Chi and water aerobics were particularly effective at reducing pain in those with arthritis.

Want more natural and healthy arthritis remedies? Look here…

To Your Heath,

Shelly Manning

We have been spending a good deal of time lately on sleep issues and the key reason is this: summer is in full swing and for a lot of us, especially in the US, that means late nights at the ball park or watching fireworks.

It means days spent exerting muscles with yard chores and swimming, along with the added lactic acid buildup that comes from water skiing and hiking, among other sports and summer fun activities.

Add to that the other muscle issues that might be keeping you up at night as well and you’ve got a perfect storm brewing for sleep-wrecking muscle pain, twitching, and other nuisances.

Halting, or at least reducing, the ache that comes with exercise or general nighttime leg cramps doesn’t have to mean eating 5 bananas before bed. You can still absolutely do that if you want, but you might want to also consider one other little fruit.

One of the most common side effects from blood pressure medications is poor sleep. In many people, poor sleep can contribute to increased appetite and weight gain –creating a vicious cycle. Taking melatonin, a natural sleep aid, can counteract the insomnia caused from ß-Blocker anti-hypertension medications, notes a study presented this week in the 25th annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

In this research, men with high blood pressure taking daily ß-blocker medications were given a small dose of 5mg of melatonin before bedtime. They found that melatonin significantly boosted sleep time and sleep quality in nearly all research subjects.

More natural supplements to help you fight high blood pressure…

Natural method to sleep better…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

While limiting salt intake, exercising and losing weight are often considered the three pillars of natural high blood pressure management, a new study has found that adequate sleep and relaxation are just as important. In this study of 20 young adults, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh’s Sleep Medicine Institute found that a poor night’s sleep and/or stress can dramatically impact blood pressure.

As part of the investigation, study participants were put in stressful situations after a good night’s sleep or after staying up all night. Those that were well rested were able to handle the stressful task without a significantly impact on their blood pressure. However, the group that didn’t sleep found their blood pressure creep up by 10 points under the same stressful circumstances. The researchers concluded that adequate sleep and stress management are musts for effective blood pressure treatment.

Want more natural ways to reduce blood pressure? Then check this out…
More info on fighting insomnia…

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman