I encourage each of you to start, right now, to move toward better health in a purposeful and powerful way. Take one more step toward the pathway of greater health. Choose to:

- Upgrade your exercise
- Improve your nutrition by adding Greens First, RedAlert, or Krill Oil
- Be more prayerful
- Start a journal
- Meditate
- Commit to get a good chiropractic adjustment on a regular basis to remove damaging nerve interference
- Have your energy balanced with regular acupuncture
- Have a series of detoxifying food baths
- Use the Wholefood Farmacy pure and organic foods to replace food of a lesser quality
- Invest in yourself instead of your circumstances
- Determine your purpose in life
- Find out who you are and what you are here for.

By: Martin Hickman, Consumer Affairs Correspondent
Published: 27 May 2007

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks last night amid evidence they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi-Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.

The problem-more usually associated with ageing and alcohol abuse-can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's.

The findings could have serious consequences for the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who consume fizzy drinks. They will also intensify the controversy about food additives, which have been linked to hyperactivity in children.

Concerns center on the safety of E211, known as sodium benzoate, a preservative used for decades by the $74 billion global carbonated drinks industry. Sodium benzoate derives from benzoic acid. It occurs naturally in berries, but is used in large quantities to prevent mold in soft drinks such as Sprite, Oasis, and Dr. Pepper. It is also added to pickles and sauces.

Sodium benzoate has already been the subject of concern about cancer because when mixed with the additive vitamin C in soft drinks, it causes benzene, a carcinogenic substance. A Food Standards Agency survey of benzene in drinks last year found high levels in four brands which were removed from sale.

Now, an expert in ageing at Sheffield University, who has been working on sodium benzoate since publishing a research paper in 1999, has decided to speak about another danger. Professor Peter Piper, a professor of molecular biology and biotechnology, tested the impact of sodium benzoate on living yeast cells in his laboratory. What he found alarmed him: the benzoate was damaging an important area of DNA in the "power station" of cells known as the mitochondria.

He told the Independent on Sunday: "These chemicals have the ability to cause severe damage to DNA in the mitochondria to the point that they totally inactivate it: they knock it out altogether.

"The mitochondria consumes the oxygen to give you energy and if you damage it-as happens in a number of diseased states-then the cell starts to malfunction very seriously. And there is a whole array of diseases that are now being tied to damage to this DNA-Parkinson's and quite a lot of neuro- degenerative diseases, but above all, the whole process of ageing."

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) backs the use of sodium benzoate in the UK and it has been approved by the European Union, but last night, MPs called for it to investigate urgently.

Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat chair of Parliament's all-party environment group said: "Many additives are relatively new and their long-term impact cannot be certain. This preservative clearly needs to be investigated further by the FSA."

A review of sodium benzoate by the World Health Organization in 2000 concluded that it was safe, but it noted that the available science supporting its safety was "limited."

Professor Piper, whose work has been funded by a government research council, said tests conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration were out of date.

"The food industry will say these compounds have been tested and they are completely safe," he said. "By the criteria of modern safety testing, the safety tests were inadequate. Like all things, safety testing moves forward and you can conduct a much more rigorous safety test than you could 50 years ago."

He advised parents to think carefully about buying drinks with preservatives until the quantities in products were proved safe by new tests. "My concern is for children who are drinking large amounts," he said.

In a review of seven major studies, the researchers found that higher whole grain intake was consistently linked to a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. On average, adults who ate 2.5 servings of whole grains per day were nearly one-quarter less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than their peers who rarely consumed whole grains.

Whole grains are believed to benefit the heart in a number of ways. The fiber and other nutrients in whole grains may help lower cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin levels, as well as improve blood vessel functioning and reduce inflammation in the circulatory system.

Yet surveys show that few Americans get the recommended three servings of whole grains per day, according to the authors of the new study. More than 40 percent of U.S. adults say they eat no whole grains.

"Many consumers and health professionals are unaware of the health benefits of whole grains," lead study author Dr. Philip B. Mellen, of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, said in a statement.

Some may also be confused about what exactly constitutes a whole grain. Whole grains contain three components: bran and germ, which are rich in fiber and nutrients, and an endosperm, which contains starch and protein. Highly processed grains, like white bread or snack foods, make from white flour, are stripped of the bran and germ. In contrast, whole grains-such as oats, barley, whole wheat, brown rice and quinoa-retain more of the nutrient-dense bran and germ.

Based on these latest findings, Mellen and his colleagues think health professionals should "redouble" their efforts to get people to eat more whole grains.

They report the results in the online edition of the journal "Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases."

For the study, the researchers pooled data from seven major studies involving more than 285,000 men and women who were followed for 6 to 15 years. Overall, those who ate the most whole grains were less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke, or die of cardiovascular causes.

This was true when other health factors, like overall diet, exercise, weight, and smoking habits, were taken into account.

"Years ago, scientists hypothesized that the higher rates of chronic diseases we have in the West, including heart disease, are due, in part, to a diet full of processed foods," Mellen said.

This idea has been born out, he added, in the lower rates of obesity, high cholesterol, and heart problems seen in people who opt for whole grains.

1. Coix Seed--Barley-like grain that can help the body clear up discoloration of facial complexion. An effective strengthener of the digestive system. Cook it in soup or boil it into sea.

2. Mulberry Fruit--Helps overcome weakness and brightens complexion. Beneficial for clearing dark spots from face. Eat as you would other berries, or buy fresh mulberry juice to drink or cook with.

3. White Turnip--Detoxifies the skin. Cook in soups, shred in salads, or juice them in the morning for facial discoloration.

4. Luffa--Rejuvenates the skin and is used for facial discoloration and wrinkle conditions. Prepare as you would any squash. The juice can also be used as a topical mask for wrinkles, dark spots, and uneven facial discoloration.

5. Persimmon--Cools the body, nourishes the lungs, and moistens the skin. Eat them as raw fruit or apply peel directly to the face.

6. Gingko Nut--Benefits blood flow, nourishes lungs, and calms wheezing. Best use would be to crush fresh nuts into a paste and use as a topical application.

-The FDA said that any product's total fat content has 80 percent or more of unsaturated fats may now state on the label that this product may "curb the risk of heart disease." Frito-Lay will use this label on their vegetable oils, salad dressings, crackers and other oil-containing foods.

-A SLU research team conducted a study on mice that mimicked a sedentary American diet and lifestyle. The mice consumed diets that were 40 percent fat and were replete with high fructose corn syrup. They "were surprised to find how severe the damage was and how quickly it occurred. It took only four weeks for liver enzymes to increase and for glucose intolerance-the beginning of type II diabetes- to begin."

-Flicking your eyes from side to side could improve your memory, research suggests. Regularly exercising your eyes for half a minute can boost your ability to remember by 10 percent, a study found.

When: Either Saturday, June 9th at 10AM ~or~ Wednesday, June 13th at 7PM.
Where: At the office. Olson Chiropractic, 1360 Big Bend Square, Manchester, MO 63021
Cost: $20 per person, but if you bring a guest, you're cost is $10. If you bring 2 guests, your cost is $5, and if you bring 3 or more guests, you are FREE. Even better, all of your guests are FREE!
Call 636-225-2121 to reserve your spot TODAY

ADHD: Are Drugs the Answer??
Have a child or know someone who has symptoms of ADHD? Then this is the class for you! Instead of popping prescription drugs with debilitating side effects, learn the basics of ADHD as well as natural, practical remedies. Get to the root of the problem and solve it for good!
When: Either Wednesday, June 20th at 7PM ~or~ Saturday, June 23 at 10AM
Where: At the office. Olson Chiropractic, 1360 Big Bend Square, Manchester, MO 63021
Cost: $20 per person, but if you bring a guest, you're cost is $10. If you bring 2 guests, your cost is $5, and if you bring 3 or more guests, you are FREE. Even better, all of your guests are FREE!
Call 636-225-2121 to reserve your spot TODAY