Sitting is Believing

Sitting up straight in your chair isn't just good posture; it also gives you more confidence in your own thoughts. Researchers found that people who were told to sit up straight were more likely, in that posture, to believe thoughts they wrote down concerning whether they were qualified for a job. Those who slumped over their desks were less likely to accept these written-down feelings about their own qualifications. The results show that your body posture can affect not only what others think about you, but also how you think about yourself. It is another example of how the body and mind are in a continuous loop and how your mind often takes its cues from what is going on in your body. So sit up straight and be careful what you think, because you will believe it.
Source: European Journal of Social Psychology

Mobile Bones!

Mobile phones are often carried in pants pocket or on the belt. Using dual X-ray absorptiometry, researchers compared bone density on the side where men wore their phones vs the opposite side. The men carried their phones for an average of 15 hours a day & used cell phones for an average of 6 yrs. The results showed a slight reduction in bone density of the pelvis on the side where the men carried their phones. The researchers point out the men were relatively young (average 32 yrs) & that further bone weakening may occur with longer follow-up.
Source: Journal of Craniofacial Surgery

REIKI Review

Biofield therapies such as Reiki and therapeutic touch use subtle energy to stimulate the body's healing process. These techniques have been used over millennia in various cultures but have only recently been under the scrutiny of Western scientific methods. In a review of 66 clinical studies looking at biofield therapies, researchers found strong evidence that biofield therapies reduce pain intensity, moderate evidence that they ease agitated behaviours in dementia and moderate evidence that they reduce anxiety in hospitalised patients. More research is needed, but the fact that Western analysis is finding that these therapies do work in some areas suggests that maybe thousands of years of usage can be trusted.
Source: International Journal of Behavioural Medicine

Painkillers and Vaccination

Putting aside for one moment any issues surrounding the safety or need for vaccination, many parents do vaccinate their children. Many people choose, and are advised, to take a painkiller before a vaccination to minimise after-effects. New research shows this may be the wrong thing to do. When immune cells were exposed to over-the-counter painkillers paracetamol, aspirin and ibuprofen, their ability to produce antibodies was diluted. This is probably because the pain-killing action of these drugs is due in part to reducing the action of an enzyme called cox-2. This is not a good idea in the context of vaccination, however, because the cox-2 enzyme is necessary for the optimal production of B-lymphocytes, the immune cells that produce antibodies.
Source: Cellular Immunology

Flaxseeds Fight Cholesterol

Flaxseeds contain essential fats, fibre, protein and lignans, and a new piece of research suggests they lower cholesterol. Researchers analysed data from 28 clinical trials on flaxseed and found that:
* Adding flaxseeds to the diet decreased blood levels of Total and LDL (bad) cholesterol by an average of 0.21 mmol/l and 0.16 mmol/l respectively.
* Taking a lignan dietary supplement decreased blood levels of Total and LDL cholesterol by an average of 0.28 and 0.16 mmol/l resepectively.
* Flaxseeds and lignan supplements worked best in people with higher initial cholesterol levels and in postmenopausal women.
* Flaxseed oil did not have a significant effect on blood cholesterol levels in any of the groups studied, probably because the lignans are concentrated in the fibre portion of flaxseeds, not in the oil.
Source: Am J Clin Nutr

Plastic Not So Sexy

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is causing health concerns. It's an ingredient in many plastics and is found in polycarbonated plastics in baby bottles, plastic containers, the lining of tin cans used for food and beverages, spectacle lenses, CDs, DVDs and a range of household electronic goods. In the body, it acts like a hormone and is being linked to a range of illnesses. A study of male workers from factories where BPA was made or used, sought to see if they suffered any sexual problems compared with workers from factories where there was no BPA used. BPA- exposed workers were 4x more likely to experience reduced sexual desire, >4x more likely to experience erection difficulty & >7x more likely to experience ejaculation problems. It seems that plastic is not so sexy after all...
Source: Human Reproduction

Cervical Cancer Vaccine Adverse Reactions: Gardasil

More serious adverse reactions are coming to light in young women vaccinated against cervical cancer with Gardasil, including multiple sclerosis conditions, nerve conduction problems, blood clotting conditions, limb tingling, numbness & loss of sensation, collapse, paralysis. tinnitus, cold sweats, etc. The vaccine protects against only 2 strains of the wart virus, HPV , although there are >100 strains of which at least 13 cause cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, "In 90% of cases, your body's immune system clears the HPV infection naturally within 2 years." This is true whether the infection is the type thta can cause cancer or warts. In the Journal of the American Medical Association, editorial said:"It is important to emphasise that the vaccine is supported by limited efficacy and safety data." With the rush to inject Australian girls with a drug of uncertain efficacy & safety, it is important to keep the risk of cervical cancer in perspective. A recent US study concluded that <0.25% of American women were at risk. There are other risk factors as well for cervical cancer: smoking, malnutrition, weak immune system, the Pill, multiple sex partners, sex without a condom. Perhaps it would be better to address these lifestyle changes than injecting with a vaccine of serious health risks. The only ones benefiting from this rush for a mass immunisation are the CSL shareholders.
See source...
http://www.twitvid.com/5213A
http://judicialwatch.org/6299.shtml
Who is HPV good for? Dr Renate Klein & Melinda Tankard Reist.

Antibiotics during Pregnancy can Increase the Risk of Birth Defects

Taking antibiotics during pregnancy can increase the risk of birth defects, according to a study conducted by researchers from the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities and published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Penicillin was associated with a higher risk of a kind of limb malformation, while erythromycin, cephalosporins and quinolones were all associated with a higher risk of one or two specific abnormalities each.
The researchers suggested that women avoid taking nitrofurantoins or sulfonamides when possible.
Source: David Gutierrez, NaturalNews.com

Beware Agave Nectar Health Food Hype

Many people interested in staying healthy have switched to Agave as a safer "natural" sweetener. They want to avoid well documented dangerous sweeteners like HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) but are unaware that agave is actually WORSE than HFCS.
So just what is agave? Blue agave is an exotic plant growing in the rich volcanic soil of Mexico. In spite of manufacturer's claims, agave "nectar" is not made from the sap of the yucca or agave plant. The agave starch is converted into fructose-rich syrup using genetically modified enzymes and a chemically intensive process involving caustic acids, clarifiers and filtration chemicals. Agave syrup is neither healthy nor natural. Agave syrup is not low calorie - it has about 16 calories per teaspoon, the same as sucrose (table sugar).
Other Reasons You Should Steer Clear of Agave
Poor quality control: There are very few quality controls in place with most products coming from Mexico.
Pesticides: There are also concerns that some distributors are cutting agave syrup with corn syrup & have unacceptably high pesticide residues
Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF): HMF has potential toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects.
Nutrient Void: Agave syrup is not a whole food.
Addictiveness: Agave is highly concentrated sugar and highly addictive.
Source www.mercola.com.au