@jazzyhealth, 1/21/12 11:43 AM

Linda (@jazzyhealth) 1/21/12 11:43 AM Dirty mouth? Gargle with coconut oil! It's a natural anti fungal remedy. While you're at it, swallow a spoonful for good health skin&hair!

Sent from my iphone w/ love! 

Fwd: The Problems with Antibiotics: Possible Alternatives and Damage Control | Mark's Daily Apple - Your Daily Dose

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The Problems with Antibiotics: Possible Alternatives and Damage Control Posted: 23 Nov 2011 09:36 AM PST Are there any viable alternatives to antibiotics? I just spent the last few posts talking about all the bad things that stem from taking too many antibiotics, and you're likely wondering if there's anything you can do when an infection comes around. Although I wouldn't suggest ignoring your doctor's antibiotic prescriptions for some herb you found on some site online, there are potential alternatives. Not every alternative I list is going to work for you. To be honest, we have yet to confirm many viable alternatives that pack the punch of modern antibiotics. And in many cases, the wallop of conventional pharmaceuticals is exactly what the doctor ordered (in, um, every way). Sure, it could be said that every dose of antibiotics given out is exerting a selection pressure on billions of microbes that will ultimately lead to greater resistance, but when it comes down to it, you don't want to be sick in the here and now. So, once again, are there any viable alternatives to antibiotics, and if we have to take one, what can we do to mitigate the potential fallout? First, the alternatives. Fecal Transplants Feces is mostly made up of living bacteria. That's why poop-covered greens are often at the heart of these E. coli outbreaks you hear about – the bacteria lives on. Bad for those who like unwashed commercial spinach, but good for fecal transplants. Yes, fecal bacteriotherapy – the transplantation of fecal matter from a healthy human with healthy gut flora into an unhealthy human with unhealthy gut flora via enema or nasogastric tubing (through the nose directly to the gut) – is a promising new procedure. It's particularly effective against recurring C. diff infections, showing "complete resolution" in 92% of 317 patients across 27 studies. C. diff is notoriously antibiotic-resistant (many C. diff infections happen because of antibiotics, in fact); only three antibiotics are currently even remotely effective at combating the nasty infection, but the fecal transplants displace the C. diff and replace the missing good stuff. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, fecal transplants are a bit of a hard sell. It clearly works, but since it smells of the dreaded "alternative medicine" and there is as yet no randomized controlled trial testing it, few physicians are even aware of or prepared to handle the procedure. Furthermore, most insurance won't cover it. That they often blend the "fecal probiotics" with milk to form a "lactofecal slurry" (my choice of words) probably doesn't help, either. Everyone loves a chocolate milkshake, but c'mon. All hope is not lost. At-home fecal transplantation using a basic drug store enema kit has been shown to work just as well. (Of course, consult your doctor before proceeding.) And although most fecal transplant research centers on C. diff, it's been shown to resolve antibiotic-related changes in short chain fatty acid production and increased diarrhea. I imagine we'll see a lot more in coming years. Overall, I think fecal transplantation is the most promising antibiotic alternative. "Natural" Antibacterials To deal with pathogenic or competing microbes without pharmaceutical intervention, organisms have developed natural antibiotics. So it should come as no surprise that certain naturally-occurring substances have antibacterial properties. Modern and ancient medicine have identified many of these and isolated them, purified them, extracted them, and as I said in the first post, modern antibiotics like penicillin originally stem from naturally-occurring antibiotics that bacteria have been using against each other for millions of years. The problem with recommending natural antibiotics as a replacement is that there exists very little evidence in the literature supporting their efficacy. Plenty of antibacterial compounds exist, often in herbs and spices with long histories of medicinal uses, but that doesn't mean that taking a pill of an extract of that herb or spice will kill whatever's infected you. It might, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did – heck, go through all my Smart Spice posts and you'll see that just about every one has some sort of antimicrobial function – but I can't recommend it because I simply don't know. One argument (to which I'm somewhat partial) in favor of natural, whole food/herb antibiotics is that they have a long track record of dealing with real-world infections and microbial attacks. That even though modern pharmaceuticals have isolated the compounds with the most powerful effects, whole foods contain a wider range of compounds working in concert and "attacking" the problem from different angles. Anyway, here's the list of some (but not all) foods/herbs with natural antibacterial action, along with some relevant links. I tried to limit the list to only those substances showing efficacy in vivo: Garlic Using doses between 1-3 mg/ml, garlic extract was effective against antibiotic-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In another study, garlic extract reduced the viability of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in mice, and lowered inflammation associated with the infection. It's worth noting, however, that a 2003 review (submitted before the other two studies were run) found garlic and other herbs/foods to be mostly ineffective as an in vivo antibiotic. It also concluded that while solid evidence for using herbal replacements is scarce, there's enough in vitro evidence to demand further investigation. Honey As a topical antibacterial agent, honey has been used for thousands of years, a role which plenty of clinical studies have confirmed (PDF). Some studies have even found that topical honey works better than systemic/oral antibiotics in treating infected wounds. So, next time you're infected with E. coli, do I recommend taking a tablespoon of raw honey? No, not quite. But you can certainly benefit from applying a dollop to a cut or open wound instead of reaching for the antibiotic ointment. That last link has guidance on how to apply honey to wounds. Forsythia Suspensa Forsythia suspensa is one of the 50 "traditional herbs" used in Chinese medicine, and a few studies indicate that it has antibiotic capabilities. In the only in vivo one I could find, oral extracts taken from the dried forsythia fruit proved effective in killing antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus suis, both alone and when combined with amoxicillin in a 4:1 forsythia:amoxicillin ratio. Of course, seeing as how most Chinese medicine sources I could find refer to forsythia suspensa as a broad spectrum antibiotic compound, it's possible that it has systemic effects as well. Coconut Oil Coconut fat contains lots of lauric acid, a medium chain triglyceride. In the body, lauric acid turns into monolaurin, a monoglyceride with antibacterial properties also found in human breastmilk. Makes sense, huh? A baby's immune system is pretty undeveloped, especially early on, and some delicious milky antibiotics from Mom are just the ticket. Hmm, I wonder if it works in adults… Oregano Speaking of monolaurin, an in vivo study showed that a combination of monolaurin and oil of oregano was effective against staph infections in mice (60% survival rate), even slightly more so than vancomycin (50% survival rate), a type of antibiotic. An in vitro study showed that oregano oil makes conventional antibiotics more effective against E. coli, perhaps lowering the effective dose and subsequent side effects. Cranberry Juice It has proven effective at preventing urinary tract infections, but whether or not it can be an effective treatment remains to be shown. Just be wary. Natural does not mean safe, nor does it mean "less powerful." Think of red yeast rice, which is an over-the-counter statin analog (statin drugs came from it, actually), with all the potentially negative effects of Lipitor and Crestor. Go ahead and eat your garlic, add oregano to soups and stews, use coconut oil like normal – basically, treat food like food – but be careful when treating them like medicines (not that garlic is going to hurt you, of course). I've given you a list of foods with antibiotic properties, so now do your research or find someone who's done theirs to decide if these are right for you. Don't mess around with serious infections; instead, try these alternatives out when it's a minor one, at least at first. Vitamin D A thought provoking article by the Vitamin D Council hints at the antibiotic potential of vitamin D megadoses. We already know that vitamin D is crucial for immune support, and numerous testimonials (in this forum and others) of folks taking large doses of vitamin D at the onset of a cold or infection and beating it abound, but the D Council article discusses a little-known role for vitamin D: the expression of the gene involved in producing endogenous antimicrobial peptides, or our body's own antibiotics. In the short term, megadoses of around 30-40,000 IUs are perfectly safe. Just don't maintain that dosage for longer than a week. Waiting It Out For relatively minor conditions, like a middle ear infection, some doctors are recommending that patients simply "watch and wait." A 2005 study put this to the test. Two groups of kids, each with ear infections. One group gets amoxicillin, the other goes home empty handed. The antibiotic group's symptoms resolve quicker than the "watch and wait" group, but not by much. Both groups' infections resolved. Plus, as time goes on, more members of the antibiotic group get sick again, this time with antibiotic-resistant bugs. After 30 days, both groups had essentially identical cure rates. Both were equally effective, but the "watch and wait" group got to keep their gut flora intact. If it's not life-threatening and it's not impeding your ability to enjoy life, wait a little while. See how your body sorts it out. Check with your health provider first, though. Maintaining Good Gut Health Sometimes, antibiotics are necessary. Sometimes, alternatives simply won't suffice and you (or someone you care about) just gotta take the stuff. When that happens (and even when it hasn't happened yet), maintaining good gut health is paramount. You should already be eating a variety of fermented foods, but the need for dietary probiotics grows more pressing when antibiotics enter the picture. And yes, take probiotics and eat fermented food during your course of antibiotics. Sure, some of them won't make it out, but some will, and most studies show that concurrent probiotic/antibiotic schedules are helpful in avoiding antibiotics-related complications: Probiotic supplementation reduces the incidence and severity of antibiotic-related diarrhea. A meta-analysis suggests that probiotics can be used to prevent diarrhea caused by antibiotics, especially S. boulardii (which I mentioned in yesterday's post as being resistant to antibiotics) and Lactobacilli bacteria, without side effects. Kefir taken concurrently with antibiotics was able to resolve a C. diff infection. In a more recent study, however, commercial kefir did not prevent antibiotics-related diarrhea. Every kefir has a unique microbial profile, so it may be that one brand doesn't work in a certain situation, while another brand will. In patients receiving treatment for H. pylori, kefir with antibiotics was both more tolerable and more effective than antibiotics alone. Yogurt did not perform so well. 227 daily grams of commercial yogurt helped prevent antibiotic-related diarrhea. Both yogurt and S. boulardii supplementation performed well against diarrhea. So, eat yogurt, kefir (real kefir, make your own, make coconut kefir (combo of monolaurin and probiotics?), search for "kefir grains" on Craigslist), sauerkraut, kimchi, and real pickles when you take antibiotics. Focus on variety. Continue to eat them after the antibiotics are done. Don't stop. Don't always wash your produce (if it's from a farm you trust, like your backyard) and eat some of it raw, because there's a lot of interesting bacteria out there, and most of it – contrary to popular belief – will not kill you. This is a good way to introduce gut flora to your system. Eat foods that contain soluble prebiotic fiber. You gotta feed the flora, keep it happy. Go outside. Roll in the mud. Play in the dirt. Pet your pets. Don't stress over washing your hands so much. Speaking of stress, try to work on that. Chronic stress, whether it's physical, emotional, financial, professional, or traffic-related, can negatively impact your gut flora. Don't despair. I know I spent this post series talking about the negative ramifications of antibiotics on one's gut flora. I know there have been some scary articles claiming that your gut flora may never return to normalcy. But really? It's not always so bad. If you've taken antibiotics and are asymptomatic – that is, your digestion is normal, you're not falling ill out of the blue – you probably have nothing to worry about. Continue to eat and live well. But what if you're one of those who took heaps of antibiotics? What if you've tried the probiotics, the prebiotics, you spend time outdoors, you get dirty from time to time, but you can't shake the poor gut health? Honestly, I would look into fecal transplants. Here's a link on how to do it at home. Of course, it goes without saying that you should take caution here. As the author says: "My intent is to facilitate information, not to encourage the realization of this protocol without medical supervision. Interested persons should consult with their doctors before doing any procedure of this nature. Donors and recipients should be examined carefully before the intervention." It's a novel therapy. I suggest attempting to find a physician that's willing to monitor and oversee the procedure and your progress. Other than that, we could all wait around for small interfering RNA-wielding nanomachines, crafted by DARPA, and cold plasma jets to supplant antibiotics entirely, but I wouldn't hold my breath. Now I want to hear from you. What's worked for you? What hasn't? Would you consider a fecal transplant? If you do try it out, let me know how that goes. Grab a copy of Primal Blueprint Quick & Easy Meals for over 100 Primal Recipes You Can Prepare in 30 Minutes or Less Related posts: The Problems with Antibiotics: They Kill the Good Guys and Make You Fat The Problems with Antibiotics: Antibiotic Resistance The Problems with Antibiotics: More Fallout from Killing Your Flora

Fwd: Food Fight Escalates

Great info this week as always from OCA - Espcaially the little bites with the chip of one of my favs Dr. Mercola!!!

SUBSCRIBE & Read Past Issues | OCA Homepage | Donate Can You Imagine a World Without Antibiotics? Last week the New York Times published an article applauding the FDA for regulating antibiotic use on livestock in an attempt to curb the increasing bacterial resistance to common antimicrobial drugs used to treat a host of human illnesses including pneumonia, strep, bronchial and urinary tract infections. This left us scratching our heads, as just the week before, the Guardian in the UK published an article reporting that during the holiday season, while no one was paying attention, the FDA quietly scaled back its regulations on antibiotics in animal feed. So which is it? Well, if you know anything about the FDA, you would probably guess that the Guardian article was correct, and, you'd be right. The FDA's decision was to continue to regulate one class of antibiotics called cephalosporins (which constitute a mere .3% of antibiotics used in animal feed), but to scale back its controlled use of all other drugs in hopes that industry would do the right thing and chaperone itself. Sound familiar? How often, in recent years, have government agencies such as the FDA, USDA, and EPA deferred to corporations to police themselves? (See OCA alert: Stop USDA's Plans for Monsanto to Police Itself! as just one example.) Tell the FDA to do their job and regulate the reckless and irresponsible use of antibiotics on factory farms. Otherwise we might find ourselves in a time warp back to the 1920s, when simple things like cuts and minor infections could be deadly. Take action! Urgent Action Needed on the State Level Are you among the nine out of ten people in the U.S. who believe we have the right to know whether our food has been genetically engineered or not? Your state legislature needs you! Urgent action is needed now to pass state laws to label genetically modified foods. Several states have bills pending that need your support and the remainder need constituents like you to demand legislation to label GMOs. Click through to OCA's map, then click on your state to take action Make Monsanto Pay! January 24: Protest at Monsanto's Annual Shareholders Meeting Following up on two actions at Monsanto's headquarters in 2011, we return to St. Louis for the 2012 Monsanto shareholders meeting on January 24! Please RSVP if you plan to attend the OCA picket line at Monsanto's headquarters! [please email mikedvegan AT gmail.com] Monsanto is consistently ranked among the most evil of all corporations on Earth, wreaking havoc on public health and the environment with its deadly chemicals, but under U.S. law, people and living things don't matter to a corporation, only profits for its shareholders. So, we've teamed up with a group of ethical shareholders led by Harrington Investments, a socially responsible investment advisory firm, that wants to change how Monsanto operates. What if Monsanto had to pay for its corporate crimes? If it were to be held liable for costs associated with its products, shareholders would see their accounts dramatically reduced. We intend to inform them of this. Please join us in St. Louis to support a shareholder resolution to study the financial risks associated with genetically engineered crops. While an OCA representative is speaking inside the shareholders meeting, another group of us will be outside, peacefully picketing. Come to St. Louis to Make Monsanto Pay! Contact OCA Organizer Mike Durschmid [mikedvegan AT gmail.com] to join in. Learn more Support the OCA and the OCF The nationwide food fight for safe food and sustainability is escalating. In 2012, whether we're talking about getting antibiotics out of animal feed or labeling GMOs, we're fighting harder than ever. With the 2012 California ballot initiative, and GMO labeling legislation gaining momentum in Vermont, Washington, Connecticut and other states, we have a real chance to hit Monsanto with the skull and crossbones they fear so much - mandatory labels on genetically engineered food. We also plan to step up our efforts to strengthen organic standards and significantly expand the market for organic food and products, especially those produced locally and regionally. Please be as generous as you can this post-holiday season. Donate to the Organic Consumers Association (tax-deductible) Donate to the Organic Consumers Fund (non-tax-deductible, but necessary for our efforts in California) Featured Essay of the Week "Corporate Personhood Worse, Ending It Easier than You Think" by David Swanson The root of all of our current problems, whether we're talking about health, justice, sustainability, or the alarming state of our food and farming system, is corporate control, the dictatorship of Monsanto and other billion dollar corporations over our government and economy. It's time to get to the root of the problem and overthrow the Corporatocracy. Here's how we can do it Little Bytes: Top Stories of the Week Time to Stop Being Cynical About Corporate Money in Politics and Start Being Angry Dr. Joe Mercola's Health Recommendations, Pt 1 Wall Street Versus Human Survival: The "Profound Contradiction" Between Science and Markets on the Road to 10F Warming U.S. Judge OKs Alfalfa Strain Made by Monsanto Co. Homeopathic Alternatives to Antidepressant Drugs Sponsored Message Eden Foods Offers OCA Customers 15% Discount Eden Foods is one of the few national organic food producers who goes beyond the USDA Organic Standards. Although Eden Foods is USDA certified, their products do not bear the USDA seal, because they say the USDA standard really represents a "minimum standard" that Eden Foods goes far beyond. As a subscriber to Organic Bytes, you can enjoy a 15% discount rate on any Eden Foods products by going here. Learn More Connect With OCA! Facebook Pages: organicconsumers millionsagainst comingclean Twitter Feeds: @organicconsumer @againstmonsanto @OCA_comingclean More: rss feed youtube channel Please forward this publication to family and friends, place it on web sites, print it, duplicate it and post it freely. Knowledge is power! Organic Bytes is a publication of Organic Consumers Association 6771 South Silver Hill Drive - Finland, MN 55603 - Phone: 218-226-4164 - Fax: 218-353-7652 You are subscribed as: linda sierra lcyerra1@gmail.com new york, NY Subscribe & Read past issues and print- friendly PDF versions of Organic Bytes Unsubscribe | Donate

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Take good care,

Linda

@jazzyhealth, 1/15/12 9:11 AM

All organic - chicken bones, onions, garlic, filtered water, carrots, celery & bay leaves - simmering away warming my home - chicken stock!

Save your chicken bones, veggie scraps and glass bottles. Then  make this stock, let it cool & fill your glasses with it! 

Most store bought stocks have high salt & MSG content - no bueno! 

This is fresh & you can control the ingredients! I love looking in my fridge & seeing all the bottles of stock I've made. Home made stock should inspire you to make home made chicken soup too. Use the stock & then add whatever fixings you want to it. Did you know that bone broth is great for a cold & tummy issues?

Trust me, you'll be proud to say, I made this stock, I made this soup. It's an all around win, good for your body & soul. Isn't there a book about that? 

Sent from my iphone w/ love!