CLICK ABOVE to flood the FDA with comments so they know that the public wants labeling of GE (GMO)  foods!

THIS TAKES ABOUT 20 SECONDS! EVERY EMAIL COUNTS! FORWARD THE LINK TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS. IT’S TIME TO TAKE A STAND WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE POISONING US THROUGH GMO FOOD!

A legal petition (Docket # FDA-2011-P-0723-0001/CP) has been filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the FDA to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. Now is our opportunity to be heard.

HERE IS WHAT YOUR EMAIL WILL SAY:

I am writing to urge the FDA to require the mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. I have a right to know about the food I eat and what I feed my family.

In America, we pride ourselves on having choices and making informed decisions. Under current FDA regulations, we don’t have that choice when it comes to GE ingredients in the foods we purchase and feed our families. Labeling is essential for me to choose whether or not I want to consume or feed my family genetically engineered foods.

Genetically engineered foods are required to be labeled in 15 European Union nations, Russia, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, and many other countries around the world. As an American, I firmly believe I should also have the right to know if my foods have been genetically engineered.

A recent poll released by ABC News found that 93 percent of the American public wants the federal government to require mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods. As ABC News stated, “Such near-unanimity in public opinion is rare.”

I hope you will listen to me and the other 93 percent of the American public who want mandatory labeling. Please show your support for the interests of the American people by labeling genetically engineered foods.

Click on the above link to send this message to President Obama

MAKE A DIFFERENCE! PEOPLE HAVE POWER ONLY IF THEY USE IT!

THIS ONLY TAKES ONE MINUTE AT THE MOST. EVERY PERSON COUNTS!

Tell Obama to Cease FDA Ties to Monsanto

To be delivered to: President Barack Obama

It’s not a physical thing as I have been trying to tell you over the last two years. It’s mind-body connection—being aware of and very in touch with your mind. You think and then you do. It is a matter of training your mind to control your thoughts and emotions and yourbody, rather than just a random sequence of events determining what you do each day. Most people are reactive, not proactive.

See if this hits home—you have a bunch of errands to do, have to work in a few hours, bills to pay, a meeting, etc. What do you almost always blow off and tell yourself, I’ll do it tomorrow? Ahhhhhhhhhh..………the gym! You just gave your health a low priority in your life. Most of us put making money at the top of our list. I’ll suggest that you could have put off something other than the gym that you could have done tomorrow without any major disruption or catastrophe in your life. Why did you choose to pick the gym to abandon? Because you pick the easy, non painless way out—not that the gym is painful. Until you condition your mind that going to the gym is your sanctuary where you can get away from the troubles of your day and get into your zone and get some great feeling endorphins flowing, you’ll always prioritize all other trivial things in your life above it. If you never change anything in your life, you will always be the same.

 “Unless you try something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”

                        …    Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you stop growing you become old. You can be 30 and be old. If you don’t seek knowledge and have a passion for life you are missing out on living an extraordinary life.

So what is the thing you need to do?

MAKE YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY!!!

Realize that you have nothing without your health. A sick millionaire is just as unhealthy as a sick low income person. What good are your millions if you have a chronic disease fueled by a sedentary lifestyle and poor eating habits? You are not bulletproof. Don’t wait until your health goes bad before you prioritize it. Take action today. Don’t procrastinate for even a day or you are reinforcing your negative habits and kidding yourself. Live in the now—the past is over and the future you don’t know. Be healthy now and be happy now!

_______________________________________________________

This is part of a message a friend of mine sent me: Just for Today

Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse or neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.

Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true…… that most folks are as happy as they make their minds up to be. Happiness comes from within—it is not a matter of externals.

Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

Vaccines are Safe and Effective and Prevent Disease

One of the primary problems with vaccines in general is their detrimental impact on your body’s primary, natural defense against ALL disease. Vaccines can over-stimulate your child’s immune system, sometimes causing the very disease it’s designed to protect against, or worse. And, when several vaccines are administered together, or in close succession, their interaction may completely overwhelm your child’s developing immune system.

Fluoride in Your Water Lowers Your Risk of Cavities

There is practically no difference in tooth decay between fluoridated and non-fluoridated countries, and no difference between states that have a high- or low percentage of their water fluoridated. Meanwhile, fluoride can cause significant harm, from dental fluorosis to thyroid damage to reduced IQ… and much more.

GMOs Crops are Safe, Well Tested and Economically Beneficial

GMOs may be the greatest health disaster in the American diet. Millions may already be suffering health problems caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their diet. Many studies that show GMOs cause disorders such as vital organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system problems, accelerated aging, infertility, and dysfunctional regulation of insulin and cholesterol.

Sun Causes Skin Cancer

Appropriate sun exposure actually helps prevent skin cancer. Melanoma occurrence has been found to decrease with greater sun exposure, and can be increased by sunscreens. Vitamin D formed in your skin from exposure to sunlight provides built in cancer protection. Instead, sun avoidance and the excessive use of sun screen are actually the two primary reasons for the rise in melanoma.

Artificial Sweeteners are Safe, Well Tested and Help Promote Weight Loss

Studies that have carefully analyzed their effectiveness show that those who use artificial sweeteners actually gain more weight than those who consume caloric sweeteners. There are also a large number of health dangers associated with artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame, known as Splenda, Sweet & Low and Equal, served on the tables of almost every restaurant in the country.

Soy is a Health Food

Unfermented soy products are NOT healthful additions to your diet. On the contrary, thousands of studies have linked unfermented soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders and infertility—even cancer and heart disease. Not only that, but more than 90 percent of American soy crops are genetically modified, which carries its own set of health risks.

Whole Grains are Good for Everyone

ALL grains, including whole-grain and organic varieties, can elevate your insulin levels, which can increase your risk of disease, such as Obesity, Diabetes, High blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Many people face gluten intolerance also. You should eliminate grains and sugars from your diet, especially if you have any of the above conditions. Eat as your ancestors ate: toxin free meat, poultry, fish, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables.

Milk Does Your Body Good.

Don’t drink pasteurized milk of any kind, including organic, because once milk has been pasteurized its physical structure is changed in a way that can actually cause allergies and immune problems. Milk contains pituitary hormones, steroid hormones, thyroid and parathyroid hormones, gastrointestinal peptides, growth factors, growth inhibitors, fat, cholesterol, allergenic proteins, blood, pus, antibiotics, bacteria and viruses. It doesn’t even build strong bones!

From www.mercola.com

RICO’S COMMENTS: Everyone of these myths are spread by propaganda from agencies, corporations and medical associations to do two things…….. make money on the misinformation they are spreading around the country, and to make us sicker so they can make money off of us.  Most people I talk to are ignorant of many of the above myths and think they are being healthy by following this false information. You always have to get your information from unbiased sources that will not make any money from what they tell you. Do your homework. If you correct all of the above myths you will be well on your way to optimal health.

Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes—are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. Chronic diseases account for 70% of all deaths in the U.S., which is 1.7 million each year.

Think about this—7 out of every 10 deaths!!!!!

These diseases also cause major limitations in daily living for almost 1 out of 10 Americans or about 25 million people. Although chronic diseases are among the most common and costly health problems, they are also among the most preventable. Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being physically active, and avoiding alcohol and tobacco use can prevent or control the devastating effects of these diseases.

If everyone exercised regularly, ate a balanced diet and didn’t smoke and drank alcohol in moderation we could virtually wipe out most of these deaths resulting from chronic disease!

Somehow we feel bullet proof or we just don’t give a damn or don’t until we experience a stroke, heart attack or get diabetes. I still, for the life of me, can’t figure out our ignorance and “blind eye” attitude about our health and our everyday practices that will eventually lead us to bad health and a miserable life. Just what don’t you get people??? This is what will happen to each one of you if you live a sedentary lifestyle and eat like crap—tons of sugar, salt, and saturated fat.

Tim Russert, national TV journalist dropped dead of cardiovascular disease a few weeks ago. He was 58 and had no prior history of bad health. That is the exact way it happens….you just drop dead, JUST LIKE THAT! Chances are you won’t even get a warning. You will be here one day and gone the next. This article is meant to scare you! To make you sit up and realize the path you’re headed down.

If you ever decide to take responsibility for your health and take action, go to amazon.com and get my book:

                            TOTAL HEALTH FOR LIFE

                                   MIND AND BODY

               THE BABY BOOMER’S BIBLE OF HEALTH

Following this program will lessen the risk of a host of ills, such as diabetes, osteoporosis, some types of cancer, and cardiovascular problems. It will also lower bad cholesterol, raise good cholesterol, and boost your metabolism. Along with these physical benefits, an improvement in self-image, self-esteem, and confidence will accrue.

Most of your life centers around the relationships you have with your loved ones, family, friends, and associates. If you plan on being around to enjoy these relationships, you need a good relationship with yourself, your mind, heart and body.

Don’t you have the desire to live the best quality of life possible? If you don’t then you are cheating yourself. Make TODAY the day you make the commitment to finally take action.

Please have your friends sign up for my FREE bi-weekly newsletter at www.totalhealth4life.net to keep up on current health issues and how to stay on track with the many changes in our society that effect your health in very important ways.

Rico Connor

The Push-Pull routine is a standard in the bodybuilding community. Put simply, you are either pushing the weight one day or pulling it the next, in the exercises that you do.

Day 1 is Chest and Triceps. (push)

Day 2 is Back and Biceps  (pull)

Day 3 is Shoulders, Forearms, and Abdominals

Day 4 is Legs and Calves

I use a combination of free weights and machines for my workouts. I work out every one of my muscle groups just one time per week, which is all you need if you are working out correctly and are following proper nutrition, along with rest and recuperation.  For large muscle groups such as thighs, chest, and back, I recommend twelve total sets (four exercises x three sets). For small muscle groups, such as biceps and triceps, I recommend nine total sets (three exercises x three sets). I work the shoulders twelve sets because they frame the upper body and are an important part of posture. Always work larger muscle groups—chest, back, legs—before smaller ones—calves, shoulders, arms. For example, if you are planning to work your back and your biceps, work your back first.

I use the Pyramid Routine a lot of the time. For the first set of each exercise for each body part, use a light weight for fifteen reps. For the next set, add enough weight so you can only do about ten to twelve reps. For the third set, continue to add weight, so that for your next set you will only be able to do eight to ten reps. Most people I see in the gym never grow in all the years they train. Why? Because they never train with INTENSITY. Muscle growth only occurs in the last few reps when lactic acid buildup (that burning feeling) is so bad that you finally cannot do another rep……..this is training to FAILURE.  At this time you have actually torn your micro fibers of your muscle. If you are in an anabolic state your muscles repair and grow bigger and stronger. If you just go through the motions, there is no muscle damage and hence no rebuilding.

If the same stress—exercise—is put on the muscle continuously, the body adapts to it and eventually stops producing results. After you have learned the proper form and technique and have built a solid foundation, you will want to start trying new things to shock your muscles into continued growth. There are many ways to “shock” your muscles and keep them off balance so they don’t get used to your routine. All of my specific workouts and shocking techniques are in my book.

Remember train with 1) proper form, 2) smooth, steady motion 3) full range of motion, and 4) intensity.

Total Health For Life, the paperback, at www.totalhealth4life.net

How we age and die and how we can slow down aging

A telomere is a repeating sequence of DNA at the end of a chromosome. Each time a cell replicates and divides the telomere loses some of its length. Eventually the telomere runs out and the cell can no longer divide and rejuvenate, triggering a poor state of cell health that contributes to disease risk and eventual cell death. Depending on what we do we can speed up the process ( as most do!) or slow it down (anti aging). Another intriguing possibility is that you may be able to lengthen your telomeres while maintaining their quality, actually turning back your biological clock. The new science is showing that this is also possible, although we are far from any instant Fountain of Youth remedy.

The 21st Century is ushering in a new era of nutritional science, demonstrating the unbelievable power of nutrition to benefit human health. In this new understanding the search for the Fountain of Youth is no longer a fairy tale story. Scientific findings now suggest nutrition may be able to turn back the clock, at least a little bit. And the science clearly shows that nutrition can slow your rate of biological aging. Many nutrients can help protect and enhance repair capacity of your DNA, including your telomeres. A lack of antioxidants leads to increased free radical damage and more risk for damage to telomeres. Free radicals pr0duce inflammation which we want to avoid at all costs. The most basic supplements to address the inflammatory issue are vitamin D and DHA (the omega 3 fatty acid). Researchers have now demonstrated in 2100 female twin pairs, ages 19-79, that the highest levels of vitamin D were associated with the longest telomeres and the lowest vitamin D levels were associated with the shortest telomeres, a difference equating to five years of lifespan potential.  In a group of 608 cardiovascular patients followed over a five year period those with the highest intake of DHA/EPA had the longest telomeres and those with the lowest levels had the shortest telomeres.

The important point to understand is that you need an adequate supply of methyl donors in order for your telomeres to work properly, just like your car needs gasoline. The primary methyl donor for this purpose is called SAMe, which uses nutrients like methionine, MSM sulfur, choline, and trimethylglycine as building blocks.  Forming SAMe from these building blocks requires vitamin B12, folic acid, and vitamin B6.  

The most important basic supplement to help your telomeres is a good quality multiple vitamin along with adequate dietary protein, especially sulfur-containing proteins. Examples include whey protein, eggs, cottage cheese, dairy, red meat, chicken, legumes, duck, nuts, and seeds. Eggs are the highest source of choline in the diet, with other sources containing moderate amounts such as meat, chicken, dairy, nuts, and seeds.

Your brain also has a high need for methyl donors in order for your mood to feel good. If you are stressed out or depressed you are typically lacking methyl donors, meaning your telomeres are also running low of nourishment and prone to accelerated aging. This is a major reason why stress ages a person. Also, better quality skin as you age is directly related to the health of your telomeres.

On top of your antioxidant foundation there are specific antioxidant nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, carnosine, and especially tocotrienol E and resveratrol, are likely to have direct benefits for your telomeres. Nutrients such as quercetin, green tea catechins, grape seed extract, curcumin, and resveratrol all show specific ability to help preserve telomeres, with grape seed extract and curcumin showing the ability to generate longer telomeres.

RICO’S COMMENTS:

Of course any chronic health problem has increased inflammation and free radical damage as features and is likely to be associated with shorter telomeres. It all ties together: good nutrition, specific supplementation, exercise and mind-body connection (the 4 aspects of what I call Total Health). As telomeres shorten and/or or become functionally impaired, your body struggles to keep up. In this situation damaged molecules accumulate in your body and repair processes are hampered, aging is accelerated. The older you get the more the need for supplementation. You get out what you put in, just like any endeavor.

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START MAKING THE CHANGES IN NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION THAT WILL SLOW DOWN THE SHORTENING OF YOUR TELOMERES. GROW YOUNG PEOPLE!

The blood brings nutrition and oxygen to the cells and the lymph removes the waste, debris, and disease components such as viruses. The cells are bathed in lymphatic fluid. Fluid retention in the tissues suffocates the cells so that the nutrients can’t get in and garbage accumulates. Here are two excellent and simple methods to get the lymphatic fluid moving and each one will help to get the nutrients in and the waste products out.

Deep breathing

Deep diaphragmatic breathing is possibly the best way of circulating the lymph. Breath in slowly and deeply pushing the belly out and then let the breath go slowly and completely. The dramatic pressure variance with the lung expansion and contraction moves the lymph and also helps to open the ducts to allow the lymph to reenter the bloodstream at the subclavian veins at the base of the neck. Deep, slow diaphragmatic breathing for 10 minutes a day will oxygenate the blood and also circulate the lymph.

Rebounding

A Rebounder, also known as a mini-trampoline, is a great way to exercise. A simple, gentle walk in place without even lifting the feet off of the trampoline will suffice to circulate the lymph. At the top of the bounce the body experiences a moment free of gravity and at that time all of the one-way valves in the lymphatic vessels open to allow the fluid to move upward. This can even be done without a rebounder just by bouncing on the toes.

RICO’S COMMENTS: The lymphatic system is the forgotten system of the body. Unknown to most, the lymphatic system functions as the first line of defense against all the possible infectious diseases. We would  fall prey to various diseases and disorders, if not for the lymphatic system. Lymphatic system assists the immune system in various ways. It maintains fluid and protein balance, helps in the absorption of fats from the food that we eat, assists in excretion of waste materials from the body, and transports various essential nutrients, like oxygen and hormones,  in the body. This is why it’s so important to keep our lymphatic system moving!

from www.mercola.com

According to Dr. Horner, the research clearly shows that the one food that is the most important for optimal health is plant foods.

“Plants are packed full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are crucial for our health. They also have hundreds of phytochemicals in them. These don’t have any nutritional or caloric value, but they are like natural medicines, and some of them behave exactly like chemotherapy,” she says.

“Every plant has some anti-cancer properties to them. There are some that are standouts. Cruciferous vegetables are something that I really recommend. They’re a family of vegetables that include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collards, and Brussels sprouts…

All of them have several different chemicals in common. They’ve got indole-3-carbinol, Calcium D-glucarate, and sulforaphane. They have big anti-cancer properties to them, and they inhibit the growth of breast, prostate, colon cancer and a variety of other ones. Of all the families of vegetables to consume, [cruciferous vegetables] are the ones to be aware of, so you can make sure you’re including that in your diet frequently.”

Naturally, you’ll want to make sure the vegetables are fresh, and ideally locally grown and organic.  Besides cruciferous veggies, another standout plant for cancer-prevention is flax seed. The lignans in flax seed inhibit the growth of cancer in about a dozen different ways, including the exact same mechanism as the anti-cancer drug Tamoxifen and Arimidex, which shut down an enzyme in fat cells called aromatase that converts androgens into estrogens.

RICO’S COMMENTS: I use food as medicine in anti-aging, disease prevention and overall health. You are what you eat, assimilate and absorb. The typical American diet is full of grains, processed sugar and food, toxins, food dyes, toxic sugar, gluten, GMOs, pesticides, BPA, and many other disease-causing items. If you don’t eat organic, non GMO food you are putting your health at risk for chronic disease: cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. You also need to have a yearly system of detoxing to get rid of all the toxins your body obtains through the air we breath, the water we drink and the food we eat and the technologies that we use. Toxin overload creates free radicals (inflammation) which attack us at the cellular level, eventually wearing us down, leading to premature aging, disease and death.

EAT TO LIVE, ……. DON’T LIVE TO EAT!

by Dr. Doug McGuff

Essentially, by aggressively working your muscle to fatigue, you’re stimulating the muscular adaptation that will improve the metabolic capability of the muscle and cause it to grow. McGuff recommends using four or five basic compound movements for your exercise set. These exercises can be done using either free weights or machines. The benefit of using a quality machine is that it will allow you to focus your mind on the effort, as opposed on the movement.

Dr. McGuff recommends the following five movements:

1. Pull-down (or alternatively chin-up)
2. Chest press
3. Compound row (A pulling motion in the horizontal plane)
4. Overhead press
5. Leg press

Here’s a summary of how to perform each exercise:

1. Begin by lifting the weight as slowly and gradually as you can. The first inch should take about two seconds. Since you’re depriving yourself of all the momentum of snatching the weight upward, it will be very difficult to complete the full movement in less than 7-10 seconds. (When pushing, stop about 10 to 15 degrees before your limb is fully straightened; smoothly reverse direction)
2. Slowly lower the weight back down
3. Repeat until exhaustion
4. Immediately switch to the next exercise for the next target muscle group and repeat the first three steps

This super-slow movement allows your muscle, at the microscopic level, to access the maximum number of cross-bridges between the protein filaments that produce movement in the muscle.

Once you reach exhaustion, don’t try to heave or jerk the weight to get one last repetition in. Instead, just keep trying to produce the movement, even if it’s not ‘going’ anywhere, for another five seconds or so. If you’re using the appropriate amount of weight or resistance, you’ll be able to perform four to eight repetitions. As mentioned earlier, when done in this fashion, your workout will take no more than 12 or 15 minutes. And you really cannot get any more efficient than that!

RICO’S COMMENTS:

I have used a variation of this technique for a year now and found it excellent for muscle growth. You will never PULL OF TEAR  a muscle this way and if you actually go to failure (most important … most people I see in the gym NEVER go to failure) you will see muscle growth like never before. Bottom line: it’s all about intensity. This is a great body workout that stimulates growth all over the body. Do this just 3 times a week with 3 sessions of HIIT and you will have a very efficient, muscle, heart and lung power building regimen.