Can Juicing Really Lead to Happiness?

Do you want more energy? Maybe drop a couple of sizes? Do you want to improve your health? Look years younger? Give your immune system a boost? If so, then it’s time to consider juicing.
I have previously written an extensive guide to juicing but Cherie Calbom, the original Juice Lady, released the third edition of her best-selling book The Juice Lady's Guide To Juicing for Health: Unleashing the Healing Power of Whole Fruits and Vegetables in October 2008.
I recently spoke with her about what she learned in preparation for her new book. The most remarkable news from the juicing world is in the area of clinical research, offering mounting scientific evidence for juicing’s health benefits.
One notable study explored the effects of beetroot juice on blood pressure. Those who consumed 20 ounces of beetroot juice started to show reductions in blood pressure after just one hour. After about 2.5 hours, all participants who had the juice began to show significant reductions in both their systolic and diastolic readings.
Another significant study called the Kame Project concluded that fruits and vegetables might play an important role in delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. People who drank juices (fruit and vegetable) more than three times per week, compared to less than once a week, were 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.
Many more studies have yielded positive findings, which are nicely outlined in Cherie’s book. The research is just confirming what you already know—that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can greatly improve your fitness and vitality.
Why Should You Juice?
You might think that you can get the same benefits by eating your veggies whole, why go through the trouble of juicing them?
According to Cherie, juice is therapeutic. It is a nutrient-dense “living” broth that is absorbed almost instantly, requiring little effort by your body. It is almost like receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that goes right into your system without having to be broken down. Since it can be utilized by your body immediately, those who juice report feeling the “kick” of energy almost instantly.
This is not to suggest replacing all your veggies and fruits with juice. Juicing is a supplement to your diet, and you need the insoluble fiber from whole foods as well. But juicing is a fantastic way to pack in more vegetables than you would ordinarily eat.
Speaking of fiber, you might be surprised to know that juice actually contains some fiber—of the soluble variety. Soluble fiber is present in juice in the form of pectin, gums, and mucilage. This soluble fiber helps lower your cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, and encourages good bowel bacteria.
Juicing concentrates the most nutrient-dense parts of the plants in the juice. In the past, some have claimed that a significant amount of nutrients remained in the fiber after juicing, but that theory has been disproved. The Department of Agriculture analyzed twelve fruits and found that 90 percent of the antioxidant activity was in the juice, rather than the fiber.
Making your own juice allows you to use a wider variety of vegetables, leaves, and stems that you might not otherwise eat, expanding your range of nutrients.
Raw juice also contains something very special—biophotonic light energy—which revitalizes your body. Fresh, raw juice is a “live food” with a full complement of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and enzymes. Commercially processed, canned, bottled, frozen or otherwise packaged juices have been pasteurized, meaning the juice has been exposed to high temperatures, and many of the vitamins and enzymes have been killed or removed.
The light of “living juice” has actually been seen with Kirlian photography. Kirlian photos of cooked vegetables and pasteurized juice reveal very little “light” emanating from them.
One very important benefit of juicing has to do with alkalizing your body. Most people’s bodies are too acidic. Nearly all who suffer from chronic illness have this acidity problem. Vegetables are alkaline, so when you juice, it will raise the pH of your body to a more beneficial level.
Remember, as good as juicing is, you still need to pay attention to your nutritional type, in terms of how much juice to consume daily, and what kind. You might want to review my guidelines about juicing for each nutritional type before employing juicing into your food plan. For tips on choosing a juicer, my juicer page might helpful.
The Top Three Benefits of Juicing
Cherie shared her thoughts about what she considers to be the top three benefits of juicing:
1. Weight management
2. Increased energy
3. Boosted immune system

by Dr. Mercola

Asthma Risk in Children Raised by Traffic Pollution Exposure of Pregnant Mothers

Asthma rates in developed nations are soaring, and it is extremely clear that environmental pollution has a big part to play in the increase. A study recently published in the journal PLoS ONE has revealed that traffic pollution could cause genetic changes in a pregnant woman's womb, raising her child's likelihood of getting asthma later.Asthma StatisticsAs at 2005, it was estimated that 20 million Americans had asthma, while 2002 figures indicated that some 9 million American children under the age of 18 had an asthma diagnosis. Asthma rates soared 75% from 1980 to 1994, while, more alarmingly, asthma rates in children aged under 5 ballooned more than 160% in the same period. In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that one in ten children has asthma.Details and Findings of StudyThe study team had looked at the umbilical cord blood of 56 children, specifically looking at a gene called ACSL3. Using backpack air monitors, they also tracked the pregnant mothers' exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), which is a by-product of the combustion process; PAHs are present in high amounts in areas with dense traffic.And the research team discovered a strong link between the degree of PAH exposure and chemical changes which control the activation of the said gene. This is an example of an "epigenetic change", whereby environmental factors influence gene activity but do not directly modify their structure or cause the genes to mutate."Our data support the concept that environmental exposures can interact with genes during key developmental periods to trigger disease onset later in life, and that tissues are being reprogrammed to become abnormal later," said Dr Shuk-mei Ho, the director of the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati and also the leader of the study.Findings Could Help With Early Diagnosis of AsthmaResearch conducted in the past had suggested that the ACSL3 gene has a role to play in cell membrane structures. And while more detailed study into its role in asthma may be needed, the findings of this study could help with diagnosing pollution-related asthma."We know that children living in polluted areas have a higher incidence of asthma but what we didn't know was it was affecting a gene. If you look at cord blood and you find the gene has been modified you know the child is more likely to get asthma so you can treat them early," said Dr Keith Prowse, the vice-president of the British Lung Foundation.The Pollution-Asthma LinkPrevious studies have shown up a link between exposure to environmental pollution during one's younger years and higher asthma risk; asthma rates are also higher in areas with heavier vehicular traffic. A recent University of Southern California study, for example, had found that traffic pollution could heighten a child's risk of getting asthma, if he or she has certain genes which could make him or her susceptible. That study, which was published in Thorax, had analyzed the health and genetic information of about 3,000 children.The truth is, not all experts are convinced of why the pollution-asthma link exists, or if it even exists in the first place. While they are still making up their minds, what is clear is that polluted air triggers symptoms in asthmatics; on the flip side, cleaner air has helped many of them feel much better. If someone has asthma troubles or is at risk, the quality of air he or she breathes should definitely be one of the first things looked into.

SourcesPollution link to asthma in womb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7888735.stm)Pollution 'may boost asthma risk' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6957139.stm)Statistics from the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology website at Aaaai.org

Obese teens as likely as smokers to die early…

Likening obesity’s risks to those of smoking, a large European study spanning decades (published in the March, 2009 edition of the British Medical Journal) has found that young men who were overweight at age 18 were as likely to die by 60 as light smokers, while obese teens, like heavy smokers, were at double the risk of dying early.

Children Eat Their Veggies When Parents Do

Parents can increase the amount of fruits and vegetables that their children eat simply by eating more plant foods themselves, according to a study conducted by researchers from the St. Louis University School of Public Health and published in the journal Preventive Medicine."When parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children," lead researcher Dr. Debra Haire-Joshu said. "When parents eat and give their children high fat snacks or soft drinks, children learn these eating patterns instead."Researchers studied 1,306 parents enrolled in the national Parents As Teachers program. In addition to the regular parenting skills taught by the program, just under half of the parents also took part in the High 5 for Kids program. This program involved four home visits in which parents received education on nutrition and on ways to get their young children to eat more fruits and vegetables. Methods taught included eating fruits and vegetables in front of children and letting kids select their own food from among several fruit and vegetable options.They found that parents who participated in the High 5 for Kids program increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables relative to those who did not. Furthermore, the amount by which parents increased their fruit and vegetable intake correlated directly with how much their children's intake increased. For every extra fruit or vegetable serving per day that a parent ate, their child ate an extra half serving."This research shows that it's important to communicate with parents in real world settings," Haire-Joshu said. "They control the food environment for their young child. This environment is key to not only what children eat today but how they will eat in the future."Increased vegetable intake among parents of obese children, however, did not have any same effect."Overweight children have already been exposed to salty, sweet foods and learned to like them," Haire-Joshu said. "To keep a child from becoming overweight, parents need to expose them early to a variety of health foods and offer the foods many times."Sources for this story include: http://www.sciencedaily.com;/ http://www.reuters.com/.

Sleepless Nights Equals More Colds

Mon Jan 12, 2009 4:13pm EST


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who sleep less than seven hours a night are three times as likely to catch a cold as their more well-rested friends and neighbors, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.
The study supports the theory that sleep is important to immune function, said Sheldon Cohen and colleagues at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
Volunteers who spent less time in bed, or who spent their time in bed tossing and turning instead of snoozing, were much more likely to catch a cold when viruses were dripped into their noses, they found.
People who slept longer and more soundly resisted infection better, they reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
"Although sleep's relationship with the immune system is well-documented, this is the first evidence that even relatively minor sleep disturbances can influence the body's reaction to cold viruses," Cohen said in a statement.
"It provides yet another reason why people should make time in their schedules to get a complete night of rest."
Cohen's team tested 153 healthy volunteers, locking them in a hotel for five days after infecting them with a cold virus.
They had been interviewed daily for the previous two weeks to get details on their sleep patterns. They were tested for cold symptoms after the five-day lockup and had blood tests for antibodies to the virus.
The men and women who reported fewer than seven hours of sleep on average were 2.94 times more likely to develop sneezing, sore throat and other cold symptoms than those who reported getting eight or more hours of sleep each night.
Volunteers who spent less than 92 percent of their time in bed asleep were 5 1/2 times more likely to become ill than better sleepers, they found.
Sleep disturbance may affect immune system signaling chemicals called cytokines or histamines, the researchers said.
"Experiments that explore the relationship between sleep and immune function often involve sleep deprivation or study subjects with sleep disorders, which are often rooted in psychiatric conditions that influence other aspects of health," Cohen added. "This research points to the role played by ordinary, real-life sleep habits in healthy persons."

Study Offers Hope to Those with Traumatic Brain Injuries

Crash Victim Responds to Chiropractic Care

(January 9, 2009, Canton, GA). A Canadian doctor has authored a study detailing the positive impact that chiropractic care has had on those suffering from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). The article – published in The Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research – highlights the incredible recovery of a 55-year old woman with a severe brain injury caused in a horrific car accident. What makes the case even more remarkable is the fact that the noticeable strides in the healing process began nine years after a half-ton truck had plowed into her parked car – and only after chiropractic care was initiated.

A TBI occurs when an external force causes damage to the head by inducing motion of the brain within the skull. TBI’s are divided into two sub-categories: primary and secondary. The primary injury occurs at the point of the trauma while secondary injuries occur after trauma and produce effects that continue for long periods of time.

“There are physical, biochemical and emotional stresses associated with Traumatic Brain Injuries,” noted researcher Dr. Andrea Ryan from her Barrie, Ontario practice. “Since one of the aims of chiropractic care is to reduce those stresses and find a balance in a person’s life, it has proven to be a vital component to the healing process of anyone afflicted with a TBI,” she added.

“In 1910, D.D. Palmer – the Founder of chiropractic – stated that if the spinal column is free of interference that compromises neural integrity, then the human body is able to adapt to its inner and outer environment to the best of its ability,” said Dr. Mike Headlee, a Canton-based chiropractor. “Dr. Ryan’s work really illustrates this long held chiropractic principle,” continued Headlee.

And, there is no greater example than Dr. Ryan’s star patient.

Nine years after her dehabilitating accident, the aforementioned 55-year old woman came to Dr. Ryan still suffering from significant neurological and neuromuscular symptoms including disturbed vision, dizziness when bending over or standing too quickly, and pain throughout much of her body.




She was forced to walk with a cane or walker. Her quality of life deteriorated to the point where depression set in and she attempted suicide.

“Dr. Ryan was able to identify and monitor nerve interference through the use of chiropractic technologies called surface electromyography and thermal scanning. These technologies have proven invaluable to the likes of NASA and professional sports teams who seek to maximize the physical capabilities of their employees. Today, they are benefiting those in the general public,” explained Headlee, whose practice features such state-of-the-art equipment.

Dr. Ryan’s course of care included chiropractic adjustments twice a week. Within a month, the woman’s dizziness had decreased dramatically. After seven months, the patient reported spectacular health improvements including no dizziness and increased muscle strength in her shoulders, arms and legs – all while living virtually pain free. She became more stable and comfortable while walking (although she still used a cane). Her quality of life improved to the point where she could accomplish numerous daily activities – and depression was a thing of the past.

“Dr. Ryan’s work offers hope to those afflicted with Traumatic Brain Injuries. And, the case of the accident victim is a vivid account that underscores the value of her research. But, it is important to note that chiropractic care did not cure anything that ailed the woman involved. The adjustments she received decreased or eliminated nerve interference which in turn allowed her body to adapt and function as it was intended – which is exactly the premise that D.D. Palmer defined nearly a century ago,” summarized Headlee.

“And, as impressive as today’s technology that allows chiropractors to effectively evaluate the nervous system may be, there is nothing more impressive than the human body itself,” he concluded.

A low dose of caffeine when pregnant may damage the heart of offspring for a lifetime

New article in the FASEB Journal shows that caffeine during pregnancy affects heart development and function
A new study published online in The FASEB Journal shows that the equivalent of one dose of caffeine (just two cups of coffee) ingested during pregnancy may be enough to affect fetal heart development and then reduce heart function over the entire lifespan of the child. In addition, the researchers also found that this relatively minimal amount of exposure may lead to higher body fat among males, when compared to those who were not exposed to caffeine. Although the study was in mice, the biological cause and effect described in the research paper is plausible in humans.
According to Scott Rivkees, Yale's Associate Chair of Pediatric Research and a senior researcher on the study, "Our studies raise potential concerns about caffeine exposure during very early pregnancy, but further studies are necessary to evaluate caffeine's safety during pregnancy."
To reach their conclusion researchers studied four groups of pregnant mice under two sets of conditions for 48 hours. The first two groups were studied in "room air," with one group having been injected with caffeine and another injected with saline solution. The second two groups were studied under conditions where ambient oxygen levels were halved, with one group receiving caffeine and the other receiving saline solution. They found that under both circumstances, mice given caffeine produced embryos with a thinner layer of tissue separating some of the heart's chambers than the group that was not given caffeine.
The researchers then examined the mice born from these groups to determine what long-term effects, if any, caffeine had on the offspring. They found that all of the adult males exposed to caffeine as fetuses had an increase in body fat of about 20 percent, and decreased cardiac function of 35󈞒 percent when compared to mice not exposed to caffeine.
"Caffeine is everywhere: in what we drink, in what we eat, in pills that we use to relieve pain, and even in candy," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. "This report shows that despite popular notions of safety, there's one place it probably shouldn't be: in the diet of an expectant mother."

The FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org/) is published by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)