Your body runs on the food(fuel) you give it. It will run on junk for just so long until it starts to show signs of breaking down. The signs of breaking down are chronic diseases such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue,  joint pain(arthritis), IBS, acid reflux and the like. Medical answers to these diseases are drugs to hide the symptoms of the body’s breakdown and you can then go about your daily life and continue doing and eating the things that got you where you are today.  Not only do these foods deplete your vitamin reserves but they are usually high calorie leading to weight gain.

Most chronic diseases are contributed to the standard american diet or SAD according to Dr. Weston Price. He studied the link between diet and disease. Dr. Price published a book detailing his global travels studying the diets and nutrition of various cultures, coming to the conclusion that so-called Western diet was the cause of many diseases and held that dental health – and consequently physical health – were heavily influenced by nutritional factors.

A Live strong website article explains it well… Eating a diet high in refined foods can lead to undernourishment, fatigue and weight gain. This is because refined foods are processed so much that they are virtually devoid of vitamins or minerals. Refined foods are typically high in fat and calories, and eating them as the bulk of the diet causes the overall calorie count to rise. It is important to know what constitutes refined foods in order to avoid them. Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/27460-list-refined-foods/#ixzz1QEh5EwiU

Changing your diet to a healthy whole food plant-based diet can prevent, and in many cases, reverse degenerative diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, chronic joint pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and many more  claims www.Forksoverknives…see the trailer of their movie below…

Another great video of how changing your diet can eradicate diseases such as diabetes is Raw For 30 days. It follows a group of people with diabetes for 30 days as they change their diet. At the end of the 30 days, most were off all medications and pronounced free of diabetes.

These are just a few examples of power of changing your diet. But we have actual clinical experience with our patients.The patients that actually follow the diet guidelines we give them have seen …their joint pain disappear, anxiety and depression vanishes, their skin clears up, they have an abundance of energy, can get to sleep and they sleep though the night. They also are off their medications, as their chronic conditions have disappeared. These are just a few examples of what our patients experience.

Vitamins and herbal supplements alone will have limited success in helping you achieve health and relieve symptoms of chronic disease if you are continuing to put garbage in the body.  Once you have symptoms of chronic disease, especially those of the inflammatory nature like heart disease, fibromyalgia, diabetes etc, an anti-inflammatory diet is an essential part of the process of getting rid of that disease.

What is an anti-inflammatory diet you ask..it is a diet devoid of sugar(and sugar containing foods), milk/dairy, and  refined foods(cookies, cakes, breads, white flour food-pasta, white rice.) We recommend this diet to anyone with an inflammatory process. Many times, when we recommend this diet, we will hear..what does that leave me to eat?..How about fresh vegetables, fruits, eggs, lean proteins like fish and chicken.  The fact that you don’t know what else to eat is a clue of how unhealthy you presently eat and how you got in a health crisis.

In future blogs, we will discuss the mechanism of what these “foods” do to your body…for example; by consuming a small amount of sugar you decrease your immune response by 70% for 4-6 hours.    For a great article about the dangers of sugar consumption see…   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/04/20/sugar-dangers.aspx

We see miracles happen everyday at our clinic when our patients follow the guidelines of their individualized supplement program and make the necessary dietary changes. What most people don’t realize is it is not really miraculous for the body to heal itself when given the proper tools and not covering up the symptoms with drugs.

Are Microwave Ovens Safe?

Microwave ovens are now present in over 90% of American homes. They offer a fast way to prepare and reheat food, which is perfect for today’s fast paced world. In fact, microwaves have become commonplace in American homes and have even replaced the conventional oven and stove-top for preparing meals.

However, there has long been concern about the safety of microwave ovens. The results of some of these studies may alarm you. As you read about some of the radiation dangers associated with microwaves, you may wonder whether microwave ovens may not be safe after all, and why they are not discouraged more by the government.

What Indications Can We Take from Medical Practices

Consider this: Pediatricians tell parents specifically not to microwave their babies’ formula. It kills whatever is good in them, in effect leaving you garbage to feed your babies. You can’t precisely control the heat and can burn the babies too. Do you think that other foods are safe from this? They aren’t. And in another example: In hospitals, patients are given warmed blood in their transfusions. Hospitals never heat the blood in microwaves. What’s the reason? The reason microwaves are disallowed is because, in both of these examples, the microwave destroys what it heats.

Microwaves don’t work different ways on different substances. Whatever you put into the microwave suffers the same destructive process. Microwaves agitate the molecules to move faster and faster. This movement causes friction which denatures the original make-up of the substance. It results in destroyed vitamins, minerals, proteins and generates the new stuff called radiolytic compounds, things that are not found in nature.

Did You Know? Russians have banned the use of microwaves due to the negative impact it had on people’s health. A few of the effects that the Russian scientists observed included: the creation of cancer-causing agents, increased chance of cancer development, and decreased nutritional value of the food.¹

The Dangers of Microwave Radiation

Obviously, the dangers of microwave radiation are very real. These devices can cause a variety of health problems in humans. Here are just a few of the possible health effects² related to microwave ovens:

• Microwave ovens turn some minerals into cancerous agents.
• Foods from a microwave can cause tumors in the stomach or intestine. This may be an explanation for the increased rate of colon cancer in America.
• Regularly eating microwaved foods can cause an increase in cancerous cells in human blood.
• The radiation dangers involved with microwaved food can cause decreased immune system function in humans.
• There is even a mental danger to eating foods from a microwave. Regularly doing so can cause memory loss, emotional problems, and a decrease in intelligence.
• A steady diet of microwave-cooked food can cause your body to shut down its hormones production.

Microwave Radiation is a very serious concern that many people will overlook in order to maintain their toxic paces. Many people have not even heard of the threat of microwave cooking and heating. That doesn’t make it any less harmful. In fact, that makes it all the more insidious because there are people in key positions who could bring these dangers to the forefront. As it happens, they don’t. So, once again, we must look to ourselves to seek out the answers to make the best decisions that we can. We have the indicators that we need when you consider these: if it’s not safe for infants and hospitals, the rest of us should steer clear of it too.

This headline was featured on Mercola.com today. He cited a study that found that 13% of the people polled received the wrong diagnosis and 12.5 % received the wrong treatment so as a result, one in seven patients had opted to change physicians. There have been many studies showing that more people die from receiving the wrong prescription drug than from one of the leading causes of death-heart attacks.  Johns Hopkins Medical School refined this research and discovered that medical errors and prescription drugs together may actually be the Leading cause of death.    

That is to say you never should go to the doctor or a hospital. However, take control of your health. Dr. Mercola suggests that you make sure your doctor listens to you. Unless you find a holistically-minded physician who can teach you how to achieve and maintain good health,  you are throwing one band-aid after the other your way.

You need to control what drugs you take. Look them up on the internet to see side effects.  Prescription drugs DO NOT cure disease. They merely hide the symptoms-what doctors call managing the symptoms. Drugs bypass the body’s natural systems to block body processes. You get well by increasing the body’s natural systems so IT can take care of the blockages to health.

Mercola writes “Please know that you CAN take control of your health. In fact, it’s not only your right, but your responsibility.” I agree! I have seen patients regain their health and banish symptoms of disease naturally without the risks involve in taking prescription drugs.

Our personalized programs are a great way to get your health back on track.

To read the entire article from Dr. Mercola: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/09/29/wrong-diagnosis-is-the-leading-cause-of-death-in-us.aspx

We are so excited to have Thermography added as part of our services at BBWC!  For those unfamiliar with this life saving technology, please read this forward it to any women you feel may benefit. Early Detection SAVES Lives! Please call 770.425.6068 for your appointment.

Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging

— “Visualizes” Your Pain & Injuries
— Early Detection for Breast Disease

We would like to introduce Thermographic Imaging. Thermography is the EARLIEST detection for breast disease because the technology monitors the function of the breast tissue to detect abnormal changes even BEFORE a tumor can develop. This scanning is done without any pain or compression! We also scan other areas of the body to document and visualize your automobile injuries, sports injuries, fibromyalgia, arthritis, nerve damage, cardiovascular issues , etc... The image is sent to a medical doctor on staff to read and you will receive a report concerning your scan.

Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging offers:

• No Pain
• No Radiation
• Non Invasive
• FDA Registered
• No Compression
• Earliest Possible Detection

With breast disease on the rise and more health experts questioning the safety and effectiveness of traditional methods of breast testing, more women are seeking safer less invasive ways of monitoring their breast health. Thermography is the answer!

We encourage you to do your research. You may also call the technicians for more information at 678.852.8548 / 678.773.6563. For further information on thermography, please visit www.meditherm.com / www.thermologyonline.org / www.mercola.com/thermography .

The following is a video from Dr. Mercola explaining this revolutionary technique.

9 Foods Not to Give Your Kids
By Joe Wilkes

If you’ve followed the news on childhood obesity lately, you know the state of affairs is pretty grim. Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past two decades, and most signs point to the next generation being the first whose life expectancy will be shorter than their parents’. Much of the blame for this trend has deservedly been laid at the feet of the producers and marketers of unhealthy food aimed at our youngest consumers, whose parents face an uphill battle: trying to pit fresh, healthy foods devoid of mascots or sidekicks against superheroes and cartoon animals in a struggle to tempt their children’s palates and stomachs.

Since most kids have hummingbird metabolisms that adults can only envy, it’s often easy to give them a free pass and let them eat whatever they want. But eventually those metabolisms slow down and the pounds settle in. Also, as physical activity decreases and processed food intake increases annually, kids aren’t burning calories the way their parents might have when they were their age. And even if the kids aren’t getting fat, they are establishing eating habits they’ll take into adulthood. As parents, you can help foster a love for healthy eating and exercise that will last your kids a lifetime—hopefully a long one!

Eating can so often be a classic power struggle where kids try to finally locate their mom and dad’s last nerve. (I can remember family dinners with my brother and parents that could teach Hezbollah a thing or two about standoffs.) There are a number of strategies you can use to mitigate this type of deadlock. One is to let your kids help with the selection and preparation of the food. If they picked out the veggies at the farmers’ market and helped cook them, they might be less inclined to feed them to the family pet. Another is to frame eating vegetables and healthy food as being its own reward. Otherwise, by offering dessert as a reward for finishing vegetables, you create a system where unhealthy food is a treat and healthy food sucks. With these thoughts in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most unhealthy foods being marketed to your kids today, and some healthier alternatives you can offer to replace each of them.

Note: The following recommendations are for school-aged children. Infants and toddlers have different specific nutritional needs, not addressed in this article.

1. Chicken nuggets/tenders. These popular kids’ menu items are little nuggets of compressed fat, sodium, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and in some form chicken. Depending on the restaurant, chicken might not even be the first ingredient. Oftentimes, the nuggets or tenders are made of ground pieces of chicken meat and skin, pressed into a shape, Grilled Chicken and a Salad flavored with HFCS and salt, and batter-fried in hydrogenated oil (the bad, trans-fatty stuff). Then, as if that weren’t unhealthy enough, you dunk it in a HFCS- or mayonnaise-based sauce. With all the fat, salt, and sugar, it’s easy to understand why they’re tasty, but the nutritive value weighed against the huge amount of calories and fat consumed is incredibly lacking. Even healthier-sounding menu items can be deceiving, like McDonald’s® Premium Breast Strips (5 pieces), which pack 665 calories and 40 grams of fat—and that’s before you factor in the dipping sauce. (By comparison, a Big Mac® with sauce has 540 calories and 29 grams of fat.)

Instead: If you’re cooking at home, grill a chicken breast and cut it into dipping-size pieces either with a knife or, for extra fun, cookie cutters. Make a healthy dipping sauce from HFCS-free ketchup, marinara sauce, mustard, or yogurt. Let your kids help make the shapes or mix up the sauce. Try and go without breading, but if you must, try dipping the chicken breast in a beaten egg, and then rolling it in cornflake crumbs before you bake it. It’ll be crunchy and delicious, but not as fatty.

2. Sugary cereal. I can remember as a child, after going to friends’ houses for overnights and being treated to breakfast cereals with marshmallows that turned the milk fluorescent pink or blue, feeling horribly deprived when faced with the less colorful and sugary options served up in my home kitchen. But now I can appreciate my mom and her unpopular brans and granolas. True, they didn’t have any cartoon characters on the box or any toy surprises, but they also didn’t have the cups of sugar, grams of fat, and hundreds of empty calories that these Saturday-morning staples are loaded with.

Instead: Read the labels and try to find cereal that’s low in sugar and high in fiber and whole grains. Remember, “wheat” is not the same as “whole wheat.” Also, avoid cereals (including some granolas) that have hydrogenated oils, artificial colors, or chemical preservatives. Add raisins, sliced bananas, berries, or other seasonal fruit to the cereal for extra flavor and nutrition. Again, letting your child help design a healthy bowl of cereal from choices you provide will get you a little more buy-in at the breakfast table.

3. Lunch meat and hot dogs. Kids love hot dogs, bologna, and other processed meats, but these are all full of potentially carcinogenic nitrates and nitrites, sodium, saturated fat, and artificial colors and fillers. A study in Los Angeles found that kids who ate 12 hot dogs a month had nine times the risk of developing leukemia.1 And more health risks are being discovered all the time. Leaf through any research about Hot Dogskids’ nutrition, and you’re bound to read about the bane of the cafeteria—Oscar Mayer’s Lunchables®. These and similar prepackaged lunches are loaded with processed meats and crackers made with hydrogenated oils. These innocent-looking meals can boast fat counts of up to 38 grams. That’s as much fat as a Burger King® Whopper® and more than half the recommended daily allowance of fat for an adult.

Instead: Get unprocessed meats, like lean turkey breast, chicken, tuna, or roast beef. Use whole wheat bread for sandwiches; or if your kid’s dying for Lunchables, fill a small plastic container with whole-grain, low-fat crackers, lean, unprocessed meat, and low-fat cheese. This can be another great time to get out the cookie cutters to make healthy sandwiches more fun. For hot dogs, read labels carefully. Turkey dogs are usually a good bet, but some are pumped up with a fair amount of chemicals and extra fat to disguise their fowl origins. Look for low levels of fat, low sodium, and a list of ingredients you recognize. There are some tasty veggie dogs on the market, although a good deal of trial and error may be involved for the choosy child.

4. Juice and juice-flavored drinks. Juice—what could be wrong with juice? While 100 percent juice is a good source of vitamin C, it doesn’t have the fiber of whole fruit, and provides calories mostly from sugar and carbohydrates. Too much juice can lead to obesity and tooth decay, among other problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests 4 to 6 ounces of juice per day for kids under six, and 8 to 12 ounces for older kids. Juice drinks that aren’t 100 percent juice are usually laced with artificial colors and that old standby, high fructose corn syrup, and should be avoided. Your best bet is to make your own juice from fresh, seasonal fruit. You won’t have to worry about all the additives, and it’s another way you can involve your kids in the cooking process. Let them design their own juice “cocktail.” (And if you were even considering soda, see “Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda” in the Related Articles section below.)

Instead: Water is still the best thirst quencher. Explain the importance of good hydration to your kids, and try to set a good example yourself by carrying around a healthy reusable hard plastic or stainless steel water bottle. Get your kids used to carrying a small bottle of water in their backpack or attached to their bike. If they’re very water averse, try water with a splash of fruit juice in it. But just a splash. The idea is to get your kids used to not having things be overly sweet, overly salty, or overly fatty. Another great beverage is milk. Growing kids need plenty of milk (or fortified nondairy milks, like soy or almond)—which is filled with nutrients, calcium, and (in the case of dairy and soy) protein—but they don’t need too much fat, so choosing low-fat or nonfat options will help ensure that they get their milk without actually beginning to resemble a cow.

5. Vegetables/French fries. High in calories, high in fat, and high in sodium—and unsurprisingly the most popular “vegetable” among kids. Fries offer virtually none of the nutrients found in broccoli, carrots, spinach, or other veggies not cooked up in a deep fryer, and the fat they’re fried in is often trans fat, the unhealthiest kind for the heart. To top it all off, studies are beginning to show cancer-causing properties from acrylamide, a toxic substance that is created when starchy foods like potatoes are heated to extreme temperatures. In some tests, the amount of acrylamide in French fries was 300 to 600 times higher than the amount the EPA allows in a glass of water.2

Instead: Vegetables like baby carrots, celery sticks, and other crudités are great options, but if potatoes must be had, there are some options that don’t involve melting a brick of fat. A scooped-out potato skin with low-fat chili and a little cheese can provide lots of fiber and vitamins, with even higher amounts if the chili has beans. You can also try making baked fries, using slices of potato with a light brushing of olive oil. Or the classic baked potato could be a hit, with plain yogurt or cottage cheese instead of sour cream and butter.

6. Potato chips, Cheetos®, Doritos®, etc. These are full of fat, oftentimes saturated, and way more sodium than any child or adult should eat. Some chips also have the acrylamide problem discussed in #5, French fries, above. Also, watch out for innocent-seeming baked and low-fat chips that contain olestra or other fake fats and chemicals that could present health issues for kids.

Instead: Kids gotta snack, and in fact, since their stomachs are smaller, they aren’t usually able to go as long between meals as adults. Cut-up vegetables are the best thing if your kids want to get their crunch on, but air-popped popcorn and some baked chips are okay, too. You can control how much salt goes on the popcorn, or involve your child in experimenting with other toppings like red pepper, Parmesan cheese, or dried herbs. Try making your own trail mix with your kids. They might be more excited to eat their own personal blend, and that way you can avoid certain store-bought trail mixes, which sometimes contain ingredients like chocolate chips and marshmallows that aren’t exactly on the healthy snack trail.

7. Fruit leather. Many of these gelatinous snacks like roll-ups or fruit bites contain just a trace amount of fruit, but lots of sugar or HFCS and bright artificial colors. Don’t be misled by all the products that include the word “fruit” on their box. Real fruit is in the produce section, not the candy aisle.

Instead: If your child doesn’t show interest in fruit in its natural state, there are some ways you can make it more interesting without losing its nutritional value. For a healthy frozen treat, try filling ice-cube or frozen-pop trays with fruit juice or freezing grapes. Or buy unflavored gelatin and mix it with fruit juice and/or pieces of fruit to make gelatin treats without the added sugar and color (let it solidify in big flat casserole dishes or roasting pans—another good time for the cookie cutters!) Try serving some raisins, dried apricots, apples, peaches, or other dried fruits that might give you that chewy, leathery texture without the sugar.

8. Doughnuts. These little deep-fried gobs of joy are favorites for kids and adults alike, but they are full of fat and trans-fatty acids, and of course, sugar. Toaster pastries, muffins, and cinnamon buns aren’t much better. The worst thing about doughnuts and these other pastries, aside from their nutritional content, is that they’re often presented to children as acceptable breakfast choices. These delicious deadlies need to be categorized properly—as desserts, to be eaten very sparingly. And you can’t have dessert for breakfast.

Instead: Honestly, a slice of whole wheat toast spread with sugar-free fruit spread or peanut butter isn’t going to get as many fans as a chocolate-filled Krispy Kreme® doughnut, but at some point, you have to stand firm. Be the cop who doesn’t like doughnuts. Doughnuts—not for breakfast. Period.

9. Pizza. In moderation, pizza can be a fairly decent choice. If you order the right toppings, you can get in most of your food groups. The problem comes with processed meats like pepperoni and sausage, which add fat and nitrates/nitrites (see #3, Lunch meat and hot dogs, above); and the overabundance of cheese, which will also provide more calories and fat than a child needs.

Instead: Try making your own pizza with your kids. Use premade whole wheat crusts, or whole wheat tortillas, English muffins, or bread as a base. Then brush on HFCS-free sauce, and set up a workstation with healthy ingredients like diced chicken breast, sliced turkey dogs, and vegetables that each child can use to build his or her own pizza. Then sprinkle on a little cheese, bake, and serve. If your child gets used to eating pizza like this, delivery pizzas may seem unbearably greasy after awhile.

Someday your children will come to realize that caped men in tights and sponges who live under the sea might not have their best interests at heart when it comes to food. Until then, however, why not involve them in the process of selecting and preparing healthier alternatives? Some of these cleverly disguised wholesome foods might become their favorites. Who knows, they may even tempt some of the overgrown children among us!

Dr. Leaf explains the brain and emotions from a scientific view point.

We have seen many, many “miracles” with this technique!! Patients that have reached the end of their (medical) rope and have no where else to turn have found this technique to finally give them answers and hope. Please pass along this article to as many people as you can to let them know there is another way to handle and treat their health problems and it is based on scientific principles.

The reason medical doctors have such a hard time with this is that the treatments are not the same for each patient even though they may have the same disease. What works for one person with fibromyalgia may not be the same answer for the next. Thus clinic trails don’t work. But guess what-we are all different with different histories and lifestlyes and stresses, so to expect one thing to work for everyone is just wrong.

Hope you find this article helpful in explaining to your friends and family that there is another way other than the one size fits all.

The article can be read at:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/09/The-Absolute-Best-Muscle-Testing-System-I-Know-of.aspx  Print it and pass it on! 

He also has a article on the mechanics of muscle testing called  Next To Prayer the Most Powerful Healing Technique I Am Aware of  which you can read at :http://www.mercola.com/article/mind_body/applied_psycho_neurobiology/muscle_testing.htm 

Yours in health.

   Next is to eliminate those empty calories-sodas, junk foods, refined grains(cookies, cakes, white flour and white sugar) A good resource to start with is at http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/index.htm. Basically Dr. Mercola breaks it down into manageable steps for the beginner like:

Step 1: Eliminate All Gluten, and Highly Allergenic Foods From Your Diet.

Step 2: At least one third of your food should be uncooked.

Step 3: Eat more vegetables.

Step 4 : Keep your vegetables fresh.

Step 5: Limiting sugar is critical.

Step 6: Avoid Artificial Sweeteners.

Step 7: Avoid hypoglycemia. Eat low glycemic!

Step 8: Learn to distinguish physical food cravings from emotional food cravings.

A great site for good, clean, organic foods is www.cleaneatingmag.com

Just eliminating sodas from your diet will result in a weight loss. Watch the video on sodas:

Lastly, by adding a few simple exercises a week  you will be a stronger, healthier you in no time. You don’t need to join a pricey gym. Just get out and walk 30 mins a day, buy a few dumbbells for weight bearing exercises (this prevents osteoporosis ladies) and buy a yoga tape for flexability. It doesn’t need to be complicated. A good site for simple dumbbell exercises that you can do at home with little other equipment is :  http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/dumbbellexercises.html . 

 Yoga not only stretches you out but improves posture, flexibility, and gives you a long, lean look. There are many dvds out there-your library may have some you can try out to see which type of yoga you like best. 

A good PM yoga stretching routine (Goes a little fast):

A couple of other video that are great are: The biggest loser yoga tape and yoga by sara ivanhoe. You an watch a variety of sample yoga videos on you tube. Another great resource is: www.exercisetv.tv here you can watch many exercise videos for free!

Hope this helps you start your new year and new you!!