Death By Fork!

It wasn’t that long ago that global hunger was one of the biggest health crises affecting our planet. In fact, it was just 30 years ago that nations across the globe banded together to help relieve hunger, marked by the iconic song “We Are the World.”  Needless to say, times have certainly changed.  While hunger is still very much an issue in many parts of the world, according to a large report published last month in The Lancet, obesity has overtaken hunger as the biggest health crisis facing the planet. This report, called the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010, was a collaboration of 486 researchers from 302 institutions in 50 different countries who worked together to evaluate overall global health, trends in disease and causes of death.¹

Where We Stand Today
In addition to this disturbing news about the worldwide obesity epidemic, researchers noticed a rising number of deaths from non-communicable diseases, which rose by about eight million cases between 1990 and 2010. Additionally, cancer deaths increased by 38 percent in that time, and heart disease and stroke caused one in four deaths worldwide, compared to one in five in 1990.
Diabetes caused 1.3 million deaths—twice as many as in 1990. Not surprisingly, the dramatic rise in non-communicable diseases like heart problems and diabetes can be directly attributed to the higher number of obese people in the world.  Yet, despite this rise in non-communicable diseases, life expectancy among men and women has risen. From 1970 to 2010, the life expectancy of men increased from 56.4 years to 67.5 years. In women, life expectancy went up from 61.2 years to 73.3 years.²  However, this isn’t as great as it sounds. Even though life expectancies in both men and women have gone up, many of these people have a poor quality of life due to their poor lifestyle choices and obesity. In fact, researchers also learned that the average person now spends the last 14 years of their life living with a terminal illness or in pain.

What Do These Findings Mean?
In terms of risk factors for disease, researchers found that in most of Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and central Europe, the top risk factor was high blood pressure, while tobacco smoking (including secondhand smoke) was the leading risk factor in high-income North America and Western Europe. High body mass index/obesity is the leading risk factor in Australasia and southern Latin America, but also ranks high in North Africa, the Middle East and Oceania.³
What this research shows is that much of the world has adopted the “western” lifestyle, which consists of an unhealthy diet filled with processed, sugar- and trans-fat laden foods, topped with lack of exercise and a general “couch potato” existence. This has translated to a larger-than-ever number of people dealing with obesity and the resulting effects—cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, to name a few.  All this translates to skyrocketing health care costs over the next 20 years. By some estimates, non-communicable diseases will cost more than $30 trillion to treat, representing 48 percent of the gross domestic product in 2010.⁴  Enough already! How many more studies and reports do we have to do and read to understand that the focus of medicine MUST switch from treating symptoms and diseases to preventing them from developing in the first place. And the easiest—and cheapest—ways of preventing most non-communicable diseases is to cut out all junk food, eat a clean healthy diet, and exercise regularly.  Even in those already suffering from many non-communicable diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes, lifestyle modifications can make a world of difference in treating—and even eliminating—the disease. If these changes in mindset and lifestyle don’t happen soon, this research unequivocally shows that we are facing not only a global health catastrophe, but financial catastrophe as well.

References:

1. Horton R. Lancet. 2012 Dec 15;380(9859):2053-4.
2. Wang H, et al. Lancet. 2012 Dec 15;380(9859):2071-94.
3. Lim S, et al. Lancet. 2012 Dec 15;380(9859):2224-60.
4. The Global Economic Burden of Non-communicable Diseases. www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Harvard_HE_GlobalEconomicBurdenNonCommunicableDiseases

Article re-post from the Whole Health Insider

Superfoods For Fighting the Flu

Flu season is here and if you want to stay healthy the natural way, I have some good news. Nature's medicine cabinet provides a delicious and potent cornucopia of immune-boosting, flu-fighting foods.

And unlike the flu vaccine, which can cause a wide range of side effects (from narcolepsy and permanent neurological damage to the flu itself), the potent flu fighters found in nature don't require a jab and are side-effect free!

Here are seven superfoods that will help you sail through flu season sniffle-free.

#1 - Garlic (and Onions Too!)

Potent members of the Allium family, garlic and onions have long been regarded as healing foods and recent research shows they can help fight the flu.

Garlic helps "stink out" the sickness with the help of allicin - a natural antimicrobial and antiviral compound. One study published in Advances in Therapy found that people taking a high potency allicin supplement daily had 64% fewer colds and recovered 70% faster than people not taking allicin.

Onions are also potent flu-fighters. In a recent study, a phytonutrient in onions called quercetin was found to negate the dip in immunity that comes with physical fatigue. And that "dip" is the window of opportunity for viruses and bacteria to take root and hold you hostage until they have run their course.

When it comes to garlic and onions, fresh is best. Add alliums to soups and stews at the end of cooking, or mix in to salads, dressings and sauces.

#2 - Mushrooms

You many not think of mushrooms as a flu-fighting superfood, but they are. In fact mushrooms possess two critical immune boosters you need this flu season: selenium and beta-glucan.

Selenium helps white blood cells produce cytokines - molecules that modulate the immune system and help clear sickness. What's more, a selenium deficiency has been found to reduce the body's immune response and also cause the influenza virus to mutate into stronger strains.

Beta glucan, an type of fiber with antimicrobial properties, helps activate "superhero" T-cells that seek and destroy invaders.

While most mushrooms provide immune-boosting benefits, maitake (hen of the woods), shiitake and crimini are the most powerful flu-fighting fungi in the culinary world. Reishi and cordyceps are also potent flu-fighters, but are typically consumed in supplement form.

Toss mushrooms into stir fries and soups or sauté and serve with grass-fed steaks to get a dose of the flu-fighting duo.

#3 - Ginger

Ginger has long been valued in traditional Chinese medicine to treat respiratory infections such as the cold and flu. New research shows how this powerful root works its magic.

The flu virus enters the body through the upper respiratory tract, where it encounters immune cells called macrophages. These cells engulf and destroy invaders and release TNF-α - an anti-influenza compound that serves as the first line of defense against the flu virus in the body.

Ginger not only activates macrophages and boosts the production of TNF-α, but it was also found to reduce the viral load of influenza by 25% within eight hours.

Add ginger to fresh-pressed green juices, toss slices into soups or steep with tea for a delicious flu-fighting immune infusion.

#4 - Hot Peppers

Hot peppers act as a natural expectorant, opening clogged breathing passages, clearing sinuses and stimulating secretions - all of which help the body eliminate pathogens.

But that's not all. Hot peppers are also a great source of vitamin C - an antioxidant nutrient with antiviral properties that has been shown to reduce the incidence of pneumonia that comes with flu.

Keep cayenne pepper and organic hot sauce in your spice cabinet and use liberally on eggs, meats, poultry and fish or in soups, stews and sauces. Dice fresh hot peppers and fold into omelets or toss into veggie medleys.

#5 - Chicken Soup

Do you believe that eating soup to ward off cold and flu is just an old wives tale?

Well, think again. While hot liquids are known to improve the ability of cilia -- the tiny hair-like parts of the nasal passages -- to protect the body from bacteria and viruses, studies show that sipping chicken soup is even more effective than quaffing hot water alone.

To make a flu-fighting stew, add pasture-raised chicken backs and bones to a slow cooker and cover with filtered water. Cook on low for up to 24 hours to make to a nourishing bone broth (longer cooking yields a more mineral-rich broth). Strain. Return stock to pot, adding garlic, onions, ginger, mushrooms and cayenne for a high-potency flu-fighter.#6 - Green Tea
Sipping a cup of hot tea when you're under the weather is quite soothing. And if you choose green tea, you may speed up your recovery or, better yet, evade illness altogether.

That's because green tea is rich in nutrients called catechins that have powerful anti-viral activity against influenza. In fact, a recent clinical trial found that catechin supplements reduced the risk of flu by a whopping 75%!

What's more, studies conducted at the University of Shizuoka studied found that green tea had powerful flu-fighting effects - even in immune-weakened nursing home residents at high risk. In the study, the residents gargled with green tea three times a day. At the end of the study, those gargling with green tea had a significantly lower risk of flu and cold.

By gargling the tea (and not just drinking it), the subjects exposed the catechins longer to the viruses which can linger in the throat.

Enjoy green tea and boost its flu-fighting action by steeping with fresh ginger slices or adding a dash of cayenne to your cup. And don't forget to gargle!

#7 - Probiotic Foods: Raw Sauerkraut, Grass-Fed Kefir & More

While the benefits of probiotics for digestive health have been long-touted, recent evidence shows that these "good bacteria" may help fend off colds and flu too.

Surprised? Consider this fact: Up to 80% of our immune cells reside in our gut! By bolstering our friendly flora, we naturally enhance our immune defenses at the most fundamental level.

Leave the processed (and often chemical and sugar-laden) dairy products on the shelf and instead reach for raw lacto-fermented foods such as kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, and miso.

And stay tuned for the next Healing Gourmet newsletter, where I'll share the flu-fighting nutrients, supplements and herbs to stock in your pantry to help ward off illness.

To Your Health,

Franz Williams

Re-posted article from:

Healing Gourmet

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15. Jefferson T, Rivetti D, Rivetti A, Rudin M, Di Pietrantonj C, Demicheli V. Efficacy and effectiveness of influenza vaccines in elderly people: a systematic review. Lancet. 2005 Oct 1;366(9492):1165-74. Epub 2005 Sep 22