Avoid Sugar: The Deadly Sweet Aging Treat

The substance we know as “sugar” is an unnatural, man-made chemical produced by a series of industrial processes. The sugar cane (or beet) is pressed to extract the juice that is then refined into molasses. The molasses is then refined into brown sugar, and finally into the pure sucrose crystals that we refer to as white sugar. This chemical that we refer to as “sugar” is devoid of any vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes or any other beneficial nutrients and it is alien to the human system.

Refined Sugar: Sweet and Deadly

The average American consumes a staggering 115 pounds of sugar per year. It would seem that most Americans are addicted to this chemical and it should come as no surprise - we are exposed to sugar from the time we are born. Infant formula contains sugar and how often do you see parents stuffing candy into the mouths of their toddlers or allowing them to sip soda?

Our foods and beverages are loaded with sugar (or chemical alternatives that are just as bad and worse) – from breakfast cereals, soups, ketchup and other condiments, to hotdogs and some tobaccos. Most Americans get about 22% of their daily calories from sugar – an “empty calorie” source of no nutritional value! It’s no wonder we are malnourished.

If you examine your food labels carefully, you will notice that most packaged foods contain some form of sweetener. Have you noticed how people always gravitate to sweet foods? It’s a craving just like any other chemical addiction. Most people cannot get enough sugar. The companies that make our foods know this and sweeten their offerings in the hope of addicting and gaining a customer for life.

One of the most common results of excessive sugar consumption is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). About 35% of Americans suffer from some form of hypoglycemia, a craving for sugar that is followed by a quick “high” once the craving is satisfied, followed by a crash after the sweet foods have been eaten.

Hypoglycemia causes symptoms such as fatigue, hunger, trembling, nervousness, sweating, dizziness or light-headedness, sleepiness, confusion, difficulty speaking and anxiety.

The damage that sugar causes is insidious. Over time sugar ruins your pancreas, your adrenal glands, and disrupts your entire endocrine system.

Sugar also accelerates the aging process. It does this in two ways:

• Sugar attaches itself to proteins in the body forming a new sugar-protein substances called advanced glycation end-products (referred to as AGEs). The higher your AGE levels, the faster you are aging.
• Sugar increases free radicals in your body and this will also accelerate the aging process.

Here are some problems associated with excessive sugar consumption:

• Sugar is the leading cause of dental deterioration
• Sugar can cause premature aging
• Sugar contributes to obesity
• Sugar can suppress your immune system and impair your defenses against infectious disease
• Excess sugar in the bloodstream stimulates the generation of free radicals
• It is the main cause of diabetes, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia
• Sugar can make your skin age by changing the structure of collagen
• Sugar is a significant or contributory cause of heart disease, arteriosclerosis, mental illness, depression, senility, hypertension
• Sugar feeds cancer cells and has been connected with the development of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate, rectum, pancreas, lung, gallbladder and stomach
• Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis
• Sugar disrupts the endocrine system, causing damage to the adrenal glands, pancreas and liver
• It is the reason why blood sugar levels fluctuate widely
• Sugar can lower your Vitamin E levels
• It promotes overgrowth of the candida yeast organism
• Sugar causes food allergies
• Sugar increases chronic fatigue, hyperactivity in about 50% of children and also increases anxiety and irritability

There are natural alternatives to sugar, such as Stevia, Lo Han and Xylitol.

If the above list of problems associated with excessive sugar consumption does not motivate you to stop or at least cut down on sugar, nothing will. Sugar is your enemy. You can live without it and, once you have kicked the habit, you’ll find that you feel so much healthier.

The Number of People with Diabetes Set to Double

The number of Americans with diabetes will nearly double in the next 25 years, and the costs of treating them will triple, according to a new report.

The figures, in a University of Chicago report released today, will undoubtedly add fuel to the congressional debate regarding reining in the cost of health care.

By the year 2034, 44.1 million Americans will be living with diabetes - nearly twice the current number of 23.7 million (the report was published in the December issue of the journal Diabetes Care).

Genome Multiplex may be able to help if you have diabetes

About 90 percent of those with diabetes have type 2 (adult onset diabetes), a version of the condition that develops over time.

You can read the full report here: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/11/26/diabetes.projections/

These predictions are probably very conservative since they don't take account of the growing proportion of overweight children and teenagers, who are at higher risk for developing diabetes.

These predictions are alarming to say the least. The sooner people realize that their diet is to blame, the better. Obesity is a major factor in diabetes, as is high-fructose corn syrup – the likely cause of this obesity.

High-fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener and preservative that extends the shelf life of processed foods and is cheaper than sugar. It is an ingredient contained in many sodas, fruit-flavored drinks and other processed foods. HFCS is NOT a natural product – the chemical bonds of HFCS are broken and rearranged during the manufacturing process.

On average, Americans consume about 12 teaspoons per day of HFCS, but teens and other high consumers can take in 80 percent more HFCS than average.

To make matters worse, earlier this year it was reported that two new US studies found that almost half of tested samples of commercial HFCS contained mercury. Mercury was also found in nearly a third of 55 popular brand-name food and beverage products where HFCS is the first- or second-highest labeled ingredient. As you probably know, any amount of mercury is toxic.

The possibility of diabetes can be reduced by following a healthy diet, exercising regularly and avoiding the likes of HFCS.

If you do have diabetes, a natural product such as Genome Multiplex can also help.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Retain Antioxidants Long After Their “sell by” Date

The next time you think about throwing out those aging strawberries or very ripe grapes, consider this: Belgian scientists report that fruits and vegetables do not lose any antioxidant content in the days after purchase, even as tell-tale signs of spoilage appear. In some cases, antioxidant levels actually rise.

Click here to read the full story: http://bit.ly/4BeLgd

The Secret to Optimal Baby Boomer Health and Wellness: A Healthy Endocrine System

The Secret to Optimal Baby Boomer Health and Wellness: A Healthy Endocrine System

Shared via AddThis

The Importance of Cellular Health

Cells are the microscopic, fundamental units of all living things. Each cell has basic requirements to sustain it, and the human body's organ systems are largely built around providing the many trillions of cells with those basic needs (such as oxygen, food, and waste removal). Although cells are the smallest living units within our body, they play a big role in making our body function properly.

There are about 200 different kinds of specialized cells in the human body. When many identical cells are organized together it is called a tissue (such as muscle tissue, nerve tissue, etc). Various tissues organized together for a common purpose are called organs (e.g. the stomach, the skin, the brain, and the uterus - they are all organs).

All physiological processes, proliferation, differentiation and development, and disease, can be described at the cellular level.

If your body is out of homeostasis, your hormones will probably be out of balance. This hormonal imbalance will undoubtedly lead to miscommunication between the cells and your body’s organ systems will start to deteriorate. If your cells are healthy, then YOU will be healthy.

To find out how you can improve your cellular health, please visit http://www.genomemultiplex.com/

Antiaging: The Key is a Balanced HPA Axis

Ninety percent of all adult illness is due to the degenerative processes of aging. This includes heart disease, most cancers, adult-onset diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, autoimmune disease, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's.

"Aging is characterized by a general decline in most physiologic functions, and in particular, by a decreased capacity to maintain homeostasis during episodes of stress. These changes are believed to reflect the accumulation of damage to cells and tissues resulting from a variety of toxic factors, either produced endogenously during normal growth and metabolism, or derived from the environment. Normal function and survival are dependent on the cell's ability to resist or adapt to such stress and to repair or replace damaged molecules. The need to enhance adaptation is critical." says Donald Yance, an expert of the subject.

One of the ways we can help our bodies cope with such stress is to supplement with a powerful adaptogen. An adaptogen is a natural herb product that increases the body's resistance to stresses such as trauma, anxiety and bodily fatigue. They normalize the HPA axis. Adaptogenic herbs are unique from other substances in their ability to improve balance of endocrine hormones and the immune system, and they help the body to maintain optimal homeostasis.

“If we can improve cellular signaling as we age, we will be able to better support our cells, tissues and organs. If our cells are healthy, we will be healthy. Restoring balance to the HPA axis and supplementing with a powerful antioxidant and bio-energetic nutrients is the key to cellular rejuvenation and restoration” says Dr. Tim Chapman of Murrieta, CA.

The key to optimal health is balancing the HPA axis and by doing so we are effectively harmonizing the entire endocrine system. When this occurs, our bodies begin to balance and produce hormones at more youthful levels. This leads to improved cellular signaling, homeostatic balance is reinstated and cell receptor site sensitivity is improved.

The combination of improved cellular signaling and a powerful antioxidant will result in improved cellular rejuvenation and our bodies will be able to operate with improved efficiency. In this manner we are able to support the age-reversing process at a cellular level that ultimately translates to an improvement in longevity, vitality, health and wellness.

“Once the human body is in a state of homeostasis it has the potential to heal just about anything, especially those age-related diseases and illnesses that are confronting the Baby Boomers,” says Dr. Chapman.

To learn more about antiaging and your HPA axis, please visit http://www.genomemultiplex.com/

The HPA Axis: What is it?

The most important part of our endocrine system is the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, or the HPA axis as it is commonly referred to.

The health of our HPA axis is the root of our entire body. The HPA axis is truly the key to the strength of our "Life-Force" and is often central to most health problems, syndromes, diseases, and even aging itself.

The HPA axis is the conduit for our emotions and psychological stress is primarily mediated through this axis. It also interacts with other hormonal systems as well as with the rest of the auto-regulation systems.

View a related video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fhrKAGXwheo

The hypothalamus is located in the brain and is the main link between the endocrine and nervous systems. If the endocrinal glands were a football team, then the hypothalamus would be the Quarterback – it is the main regulatory center in the body.

The hypothalamus receives information directly from other parts of the brain and from sense organs in other parts of the body. The hypothalamus uses the information it receives to help control certain body functions e.g. body temperature, hunger, thirst, heart rate, sleep, as well as emotions such as anger and fear.

The pituitary gland, located at the base of the brain just beneath the hypothalamus, secretes hormones (such as growth hormones) and controls several other endocrine glands.

We have two adrenal glands, one on top of each kidney. The adrenals regulate salt and water balance in our bodies, the body's response to stress, metabolism, the immune system, and sexual development and function.

The key to optimal well-being and longevity is enhancing both our hormone balance and cellular health, and this can be achieved by balancing our Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis.

To learn more about the HPA axis, please visit http://www.genomemultiplex.com/

What is the Endocrine System?

Our bodies have two ways of controlling our body tissues. One way is through the nervous system with its neural pathways, the other way of controlling body tissues is through the endocrine system.

Our endocrine system is an information signal system much like the nervous system. Whilst our nervous system uses nerves to conduct information, our endocrine system uses our vascular system to carry sex hormone and non-sex hormone agents to the 50 trillion cells in our body.

Our endocrine systems comprise a network of glands that produce more than fifty different known hormones to maintain and regulate basic bodily functions. Hormones are chemical messengers - this is the way our bodies communicate at a cellular level.

The major glands that make up the human endocrine system include the: hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, parathyroids, adrenal glands, pineal and the reproductive glands (the ovaries and testes).

The main function of our endocrine system and its hormone messengers is to maintain homeostasis (a stable internal environment in the body) and to promote permanent structural changes.

The most important part of our endocrine system is the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, or the HPA axis as it is referred to commonly. And the HPA axis is the KEY to optimal health and wellness.

To find out more about the HPA axis, please visit http://www.genomemultiplex.com/

Baby Boomer Health: It Makes Me Sick Just Thinking About It!

The first “Boomers” will turn 65 in 2011, and according to a report published by the American Hospital Association, more than 37 million Boomers - six out of 10 - will be managing more than one chronic condition by 2030. In addition, by the year 2030:

• 14 million Boomers will be living with diabetes - that's one out of every four Boomers.

• Almost half of the Boomers will live with arthritis and that number escalates to just over 26 million in 2020.

• More than one out of three Boomers - over 21 million - will be considered obese.

These statistics are alarming, but is there anything that can be done to avert this medical crisis?

Many experts believe that there is a solution and that the answer lies in the improved health of our endocrine system.

Do YOU have any suggestions?

To find out more about maximum endocrine support, please visit http://www.genomemultiplex.com/

Getting Older: Ten Tips on How to Stay Healthy

Getting old is bad enough, but being old and sickly is not a comforting thought. As we get older and navigate our way through life, we constantly look for ways to improve our health.

So, how do we grow old gracefully and remain healthy enough to enjoy our golden years? Here are ten tips that will help you live a long and healthy life.

1. Develop a wellness mindset (thoughts, attitude and beliefs). Be proactive – take appropriate steps to remain healthy and prevent illness and disease.
   
   
2. Eat healthy. Proper nutrition is an imperative. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Follow the 80/20 rule when it comes to what you eat: 80% alkaline foods, 20% acidic foods. An acidic diet will expose you to all kinds of diseases and illnesses.
   
   
3. Work on your posture. Too few people realize that posture plays an important role in their health and quality of live. Bad and forward head posture can be the cause of all sorts of problems including back ache, headaches, muscle fatigue and strain. The position and function of major organs can also be affected by bad posture.
   
   
4. Exercise regularly. Exercise will improve your general metabolism as well as help detoxify your body through sweating. It is not necessary to overwork while you exercise, but you do need to exercise on a regular basis for at least forty minutes per day.
   
   
5. Drink plenty of water. Water truly is the substance of life. Water plays a vital role in nearly every bodily function. It is essential for proper digestion, nutrient absorption and chemical reactions, proper circulation in the body and flexibility of the blood vessels. Water helps remove acidic waste (toxins) from the body, particularly from the digestive tract. You cannot exist without water. Coffee and sodas cannot substitute as water.
   
   
6. Be positive. Happiness is a choice – choose to be happy and positive. Negativity can seriously affect your wellbeing.
   
   
7. Balance your HPA axis. Getting your body back to a state of homeostasis is essential to maintaining good health as you get older.
   
   
8. Supplement where necessary. Our bodies do not produce certain nutrients (such as omega-3 fatty acids and iodine) and it may be necessary to supplement if your diet does not deliver these much-needed nutrients.
   
   
9. Eliminate stress from your life. It is not stress that kills us, but rather our inability to adapt to it. Find ways to cope with and relieve stress.
   
   
10. Get enough sleep. Sleep heals and restores the body. Sleep deprivation can lead to deficiencies of the immune system and loss of hormone production.

You are never too old to start living healthy. Whilst these tips may apply to anyone (irrespective of age) that may want to live a long and healthy life, they will become more relevant the older you get.

To learn more about how to balance your hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, please visit http://www.genomemultiplex.com/