I’ve been involved in the wellness business for over 16 years. Granted, I’m no ‘herbal gerbil’ or a ‘mega doser’, but I know that there are a lot of vitamins and minerals that are just impossible to get from a regular diet. I tend to agree that we’re not farming in the same fashion that we once were and the soil that we are farming on is not of the same quality…hence, a different quality crop.

I try and keep up with new news about vitamins. Since the big drug companies aren’t making scads of money in that industry, they aren’t funding much research. I was surprised to see in my recent issue of the American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC), a publication for critical care nurses, and article entitled, “The Importance of Vitamin C in the Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation” (Keller/Lemberg). I just had to jump right in!

The article speaks of the high instance of a particular heart condition, an odd and potentially deadly rhythm and the circumstances that can lead to it. The research cited shows an exciting (and I say exciting because I’M EXCITED about it) correlation between adding larger than average doses of vitamin C to the diets of heart patients when they are at greatest risk and the significant decrease in the instance of this rhythm, atrial fibrillation.

I’m reminded of several things here. First, eons ago when I was learning about nutrition I recall the name Linus Pauling and his work with vitamin C. Branded as a quack at first, these guys always seem to come around years later and are the unsung genius’ of their time.

Dr. Pauling proposed that there were great benefits to larger doses of vitamin C and was actively working to get the minimum requirements raised. I think currently its 60MG/day. Research from him directly and subsequently from his institute showed benefits with upwards of 6000-10000MG/day. Now that would be some big stinkin’ pills…and lots of them!

We’re not so much worried about scurvy like we once were but the degree that vitamin C affects other conditions is tremendous. The healing process, collagen production, improvement in the health of diabetics, and this information about AFib and atrial remodeling (believe me, you don’t want that!) is pretty exciting.

You don’t have to go far to find detractors though. Right here in my hospital, physicians turning up their noses at the idea that vitamins really play a role in better health. Don’t these guys ever read?

Then there’s that red herring they try and throw up there…overdosing. “You know you can get too much and well, people have died from that” Oh really? I always wondered about that.

A buddy of mine was joking that he had read that we are more likely to die from swallowing a ball point pen than we are from too many vitamins. I laughed but looked deeper. I thought what he said at first was just an exaggeration but guess what? He’s right.

I gathered information on causes of death recorded through the Center for Disease Control. I went back 4-5 years just to see if I could see a pattern. The numbers were ridiculous…ridiculously LOW! Over the last several years you can count on two hands the numbers of deaths in some way related to nutritional supplementation.

Ball point pens outstripped them by a long shot! Realizing that the numbers could have been even lower made it even more odd. If a guy commits suicide with a gun and he’s got a lot of vitamin E in his system…that goes in the vitamin column. So the actual numbers could be even lower.

All that to say this. It’s great to see empirical evidence showing the effects of nutritional therapy on a major serious medical condition highlighted in a reputable medical journal. I knew it. Many of you knew it. It’s like a big, “See, I told you so!”

I’ll continue watching what I eat and taking my supplements because it’s the right thing to do. I’ll continue encouraging others to do the same and not turning their noses up when something new is uncovered in the nutritional arena. I’ll also continue finding every opportunity to rub that docs nose in it every chance I get too! Ha Ha!

Ah, he’s a great friend and we have a great time working together. Hey buddy, you gonna eat that orange?

 

 The latest on Vitamin C...your heart will love this! [6:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2350)

Technorati Tags: afib, atrial fibrillation, atrial remodelling, linus pauling, nutritional supplements, vitamin c

I was asked a question this weekend by a lady who lives by soda, Diet Coke more specifically.  "Is Diet Coke really that bad, it is Diet".  I simply started out my reply with "Yes" then followed it with "It is actually worse than regular soda."  She could not believe me and could not come to terms with how DIET soda is worse than regular soda.  So I drove down to the store, bought a regular Coke and Diet Coke 20oz bottle.  The reaction you get with coral calcium and soda is a very good demonstration.  I took 1 packet of a product I buy called Xooma and went outside in the cold with my 2 20oz bottles.  Made her come along and simply explained the whole thing in easy terms. 

I was going to take HALF of this packet (or sachet as the company calls them) and dump it in the soda.  This product is coral calcium you usually stick in water to alkalize your water for consumption (and how I found out about the dangers of soda).  Now before I dumped this coral calcium into the soda I gave her a small lesson about Co2.  Your body is meant to EXPUNGE CO2, not drink it.  Carbonization is just that.  CO2.  When you breath out air, you are breathing out CO2.  Your body does not like CO2.  It is BAD for you and you should stay away from it.  Just as your lungs cannot breathe in Carbon Dioxide, your stomach does not want it either.  Just bad bad bad.

For her second lesson, I showed her the ingredients and the difference between the two.  Now I do not know if you have been following the aspartame true/false craze that has been striking the internet but I can tell you that is BAD.  I know you are sitting there thinking, yeah you are just jumping into the hype.  If you believe that, that is your prerogitave, but let me tell you this.  Do you not think the companies that are making millions on the product are putting conflicting information out on the Internet so you continue to fund there business?  Aspartame is the BIGGEST reason diet ANYTHING is worse than regular.  Aspartame uses the same chemical compound they use in embalming fluid.  It is really not good for your mental state.  That is a whole topic on its own.

For her third and final lesson, show her the chemical reaction calcium has with soda.  Its an extremely violent one.  My first bottle to demonstrate on was the regular bottle.  I tore open my Xooma and dumped half of the coral calcium into the Coke a Cola.  The reaction was immediate.  The Coke erupted in a fury.  The coral calcium was trying to neutralize all of CO2 in the soda.  This is the same reaction you get in your stomach when your body has to digest Soda.  You do not feel the eruption because it is a much slower process.  After a repeated "wow" from her, I opened her drink of choice, Diet Coke.  I then poured the remaining amount of coral calcium that I had into the Diet Coke and the reaction was almost the same, except a bit more violent.  Now she, of course, asked me what the best thing to drink was and I naturally said water.  Her immediate response was "but its so plain" and I simply said "not to your body."

Now I know drinking water is not the best solution for most, they just like sweet drinks way too much.  What I suggest is to start out with dropping CO2 or Carbonated drinks out first.  A life change does not happen over night.  Your body will start to thank you in time.  You will start to feel less drained, no more energy shots, no more upset stomachs, no more GURD, no more lactose intolerance.  There are bound to be some exceptions because we are gloriously so unique and identical at the same time.

I tried not make this post sound as preachy (my uncles word) but I can not stress the detrimental effects of CO2 hard enough.  It is almost like having the secret of life, screaming it from the mountain top and nobody is listening.  Here is to your natural being and health.  Remember to take a few minutes and INVEST in  YOURself.

Joseph Geyer

 

 Standard Podcast [5:16m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2021)

Technorati Tags: calcium, coral calcium, GURD, pH balance, soda

Your body needs sleep to rejuvenate itself, it is why everyone sleeps every night.  To rejuvenate there body.  In today’s world, many people do not get the rest there body needs in order to rejuvenate.  People are too busy trying to do things to care about sleep.  Our hectic society has bred this into our minds and daily lifestyles have catered to this.  I am not going to bore you with facts about having to get so many hours of sleep per night and what the recommended "dosage" is for sleep.  A recommended number is just that.  Recommended.  Your body needs as much sleep as it needs.  Everyone is different.  Your body may only require 4 hours sleep while your partner may require 9 hours of sleep.  Its what your body requires to rejuvenate itself.  Getting a theme here?  Its about rejuvenation. 

Many philosphers of old would take naps in the afternoon to give there body a boost of energy.  In the 9-5 lifestyle of America and many countries worldwide, it does not allow for such a thing.  Taking a nap is probably one of the best ideas I can give you.  If you get an hour break, its almost perfect.  If you pack your healthy lunch, you can get about 45 minutes of nap time in.  Just take your bag lunch to your car, roll the windows up, lock the doors and nap.  Forget about everything you have done and need to do.  Just relax.  If you work for yourself, you have it made.  You can set your own hours so you can take a 1 hour chunk out of the afternoon and get a nap.  It really does help clear the mind.  A power bar or energy drink is NOT the answer.

Why have energy drinks and products become so popular?  The constant need for more more more has taken over as the driving force of our daily activities.  Sit back and think, is that really worth hurting my body?  Is that report being done by 1pm really worth that energy drink or coffee?  We need to slow down our lives because all we are doing is running towards the grave.  Lack of sleep can cause illness and make you more prone to getting sick.  The body just does not have enough time to repair itself from your daily life if you skip on sleep.  Sleep is JUST AS IMPORTANT as food and water, if not more.

I know its hard to change your sleep and clear your mind to sleep.  I am also not suggesting you take sleeping pills to help you sleep.  I am suggesting you take up some form of relaxation technique before bedtime.  Whether that is meditation, yoga, excercise, anything to clear your mind.  Actually you should use this technique twice a day for optimum results.  Once before your nap and once before your sleeping cycle.  I would suggest meditation as that is the most relaxing for me and helps take the brain a few notches down and ready for sleep.  If you have trouble meditating you can get a "helper".  There are plenty of programs out there to help you meditate.  I do not want to get off on a tangent about meditation, I want to save that for another post but the one program I use and is extremely effective is Holosync.  It is literally worth its weight in gold.

If you start relaxation techniques before you sleep, you will find that you have a much better sleep cycle and feel much more refreshed in the morning.  I personally have been meditating before bed for about a year and most of my mornings are awesome.  I am clear minded and ready for the day.  There are some days that are exceptions but the majority are now excellent compared to before.  I can get up and get right to work instead of feeling groggy or tired.  Hopefully you will see the benefits of this as well as sleep is the most wonderful thing your body can do.

Joseph Geyer

 

 Sleep is a Wonderful Thing [4:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2256)

Alot of people do not realize that soda is almost as bad for your body as cigarettes. I am not going to sit here and preach about your body being your temple. You should of realized that by now or you would not be reading my blog. Soda - Coka Cola, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper, Sprite - is poison to your body. It puts the natural chemical balance of your body in disarray. You may as well pour straight acid down your mouth. The biggest problem with soda is that in order for your body to digest it, it has to neutralize all of that acid. Now soda is a very acidic “food”. In order for your body to process it, you have to add more alkalinity to it. Your body has a natural source of alkaline reserves.. in your bones. Yes, the calcium in your bones is used to neutralize the acid in soda. So if you are an avid soda drinker, you are constantly taking precious calcium from your bones. This can cause osteoporosis (mineral imbalance) in women and in some cases men.

Your body likes to keep your pH value at around 7. Soda has a pH value of 2 (0.14 being pure acid). By the way, pH stands for potential Hydrogen, in case you were wondering. That may not seem like a big difference but every number between 2 and 7 is 10 times the previous number. So a difference between 2 and 7 is 100,000 times, not just 5. A body pH value is suppose to be between the 7.34 and 7.45 range. Why is maintaining this pH balance so important? For starters, bacteria THRIVE in an acidic environment. The more acidic your system, the more prone you become to sickness and illness. You having a low pH balance can cause modern day ailments like migraines, insomnia, constipation, stomach ulers, the cold, the flu, arthritis, and in extreme cases cancer. I know you are sitting there saying “Woah, I have a lot of those symptoms” and I will say “Do you drink alot of soda or eat spicy foods?”. If you answer yes, that is your problem.

It takes 32 glasses of ALKALINE water (not just regular water but distilled) to help neutralize the alkalinity in just ONE 12oz soda? You are sitting there thinking, so what, I like soda. Well your body does not and this whole blog is about investing in YOURself. Drinking soda is like spending your daily health on credit. One day you are going to have to start paying that bill. One way to help keep your body alkaline is to first of all, stop drinking soda. Another is to take calcium supplements, I actually take coral calcium pills and it has actually help cure me of my GURD or acid reflux. Any coral calcium supplement will work as long as its natural and not over processed. Some companies will over process the calcium trying to clean it and stretch it out further into more doses. You need to stay away from those companies.

Now you may have heard the the negative reviews of coral calcium. I actually suggested coral calcium because its naturally ionized for easy absorption into the body. Actually you can supplement directly with calcium. You can drink more milk, eat yogurt, cheese, etc. Pretty much any dairy product and with yogurt, you get the benefit of “good” bacteria digestion. If you are lactose intolerant (and part of this problem is caused by an out of whack balance of your natural chemicals), obtain pre-treated milk. It has almost no lactose at all. A lot of people out there that have lactose intolerance can start drinking milk again once they get there chemical balance back on track. This will not cure everyone with lactose problems as some bodies just refuse to process it but for you heavy soda drinkers out there, this may be the answer.

If you are still looking for calcium in a pill, make sure you get the ones heavy in “elemental calcium”. Elemental Calcium is the amount of calcium in a supplement that the body will actually absorb. If the calcium supplement you have found interest in does not have this listed, you can figure this out on your own by reading the label. Every 10% of Daily Value listed is 100mg of elemental calcium. You also need to take note of the serving size. Some supplements will try and trick you by placing a high percentage of Daily Value but make you take 4 pills to achieve that dosage. Stay away from this type of marketing gimmick to try and make you buy more pills to fill the supplement companies pockets. Stay away from pills that have unrefined substances like bone meal or oyster shell. It is possible these type of calcium pills will have toxic properties and you and YOUR body does not want that.

As with all supplements, make sure the product you pick has a USP (U.S. Pharmacopia) label. If you are out of the USA reading this, try to get one that is approved in your country (some countries do not even worry with supplements).

Joseph Geyer

 

 Get Sick by Drinking Soda [6:05m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2003)

Technorati Tags: calcium, coral calcium, GURD, osteoporosis, pH balance, soda

Why another self help site? One reason. Its free. I am tired of going into all of these sites looking for information only to find they either make you sign up or pay them. I believe in the human condition as to where everyone should help one another. We are all part of the same cosmos and are brothers/sisters whether we like it or not. Illness does not know rich from poor, black from white, boy from girl. Sickness hits everyone with equal pain. I am here to help you get thru that pain by learning to love yourself. I may link to a product that I think is nice (and may cost money) but I will not recommend it unless I believe it is worth your money and time. I do not want to waste time watching or listening or reading something when you could be taking that time to heal yourself. Yes, I believe in self healing. Our brains and bodies are very powerful healers once we get over the “I can’t” complex.

I have been searching for personal enlightenment for some time and I believe I am on the correct track. I am changing my whole outlook on life and life is getting easier. Life is not suppose to be hard. Life is a gift and a blessing that we should use to our absolute fullest. If you believe in a God (which many do not), why would they give you a breathe of life only to be in pain? Whether I believe in God or not is another discussion. I have theories.

The first tidbit I am going to share with you is relaxing. I am not talking about sitting in front of the TV droning out relaxing. I am talking about a form of meditation but at its most vaguest term. Just sitting in a quite room with no distractions listening to yourself and calming yourself. Learning who you are. Everytime you say “I can’t” in your mind, immediately follow it with “I will”. Do not think about all of your stresses in the day. Think about things like taking walks, a warm bath, sitting in the park or just plain nothing. Your goal here is to make peace with yourself, not your bill collectors, kids, siblings, companions, etc. You are the primary goal here. Make this time about you. You will be using this time for further expanding your Daily Investment in yourself.

The first couple of days, postings may be erratic as I finalize the layout of this blog but my goal is to post something at the minimum of 1 a week and ramp up to 5 a week.

Here is to yourself

Joseph Geyer

Technorati Tags: God, healing, inner peace, learning yourself, meditation, self help, sickness, you are beautiful