Killing Light

Turn Off the Lights
Several large population studies, have shown a clear link between a woman's exposure to light at night and breast cancer. A similar link has been shown with prostate cancer in men. The risk is greatly increased for:

1. Those who frequently do not go to sleep until after 1:30 a.m.

2. Those who have the brightest bedrooms.

3. Late-night shift workers (and the longer they work nights, the greater the risk).

The study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute concludes that this is the result of a chronic suppression of melatonin - an anti-cancer hormone that is produced by the body only in the dark.

- Journal of the National Cancer Institute

Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec's comments on turn off the lights.

Research published by the National Cancer Institute conclude that when people do not get enough sleep, or they are exposed to light when they sleep, it results in a chronic suppression of melatonin, an anti cancer hormone that is produced by the body only in dark. What they found was the risk is greatest for those who don't go to sleep until very late, especially after 1:30 a.m. in the morning, those who have any light in their bedrooms, and late night shift workers, the longer they work nights, the greater the risks. So the important thing is, how do we counter act this? We counter act this by number one following the sleep guidelines. Sleep studies have shown the number of hours of sleep ideal for health and healing in a human being is 9.5 hours, with at least 3.5 before midnight. What does that mean? It means you are in bed by between 8:00 and 9:00 and you wake up at 6:00. Now for many you will say this is unrealistic, so what I say to you is get to bed as early as you can and wake up as early as you can and start making changes even if it just thirty minutes or fifteen minutes earlier each night or when you can. The other thing is critical make sure your bedroom is dark. Do not have any lights on, any night lights, any lights at all that are perceivable and also if light comes in from the outside from the streetlights, purchase shades that have light blocking, which means they do not permit any light to come through the shade. Another important thing to affect health and healing are the7 Basic Steps to Total Health^(TM):

1. Air--deep diaphragm breathing to oxygenate your body.

2. Water--drink 32 ounces of distilled water per 50/lbs per body weight per day.

3. Food--consume a diet of living/raw plant food which has the highest energy, bioelectricity, enzymes and bioavailable nutrient content to either maintain or restore your health.

4. Sleep--sleep 9.5 hours with 3.5 of them before midnight.

5. Exercise--exercise 30 minutes every day.

6. Fasting--fast from the normal Standard American Diet (SAD).

7. Prayer--take the time throughout your day to regularly still your mind so you can hear the voice of God spoken into your heart.

Now, if a person was on a night shift and they could not switch their job, they can still balance their health at a higher level if they do the other 6 of the 7 Basic Steps. The average American breaks most all of them, so in all these studies, we are taking typical Americans that are breaking all the steps. If you can live 6 of those 7 steps at a high level, the body will absorb that 7 steps not being ideal, so that recommendation is when you cannot sleep 9.5 hours or when you have to work a late night shift, make sure you are living the other 6 of the 7 Basic Steps to Total Health at the highest level you possibly can.

Pesticides and Parkinson's Desease

Pesticides Could Raise Parkinson's Risk

Exposure to pesticides, may boost the long-term risk for developing Parkinson's disease by 70 percent, a new study suggests.

These findings do back up earlier animal studies linking pesticide exposure to motor function abnormalities and lower levels of the brain neurotransmitter dopamine. Declines in dopamine have long been associated with Parkinson's.

"This is the first large human study that shows that exposure to pesticide is associated with a higher incidence of Parkinson's," said study lead author Dr. Alberto Ascherio, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

The researchers studied 413 participants who were diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

Exposed patients were twice as likely to be blue-collar workers and 14 times more likely to work as either a farmer, rancher, or fisherman.

However, the same risk of disease was found between patients who experienced exposure because of their work, such as farmers, and those who came into contact with the chemicals because of home or garden use.

The Harvard team found that, regardless of occupation, pesticide exposure boosted long-term Parkinson's risk by 70 percent over the long-term.

-Annals of Neurology.

Dr. Keith and Laurie Nemec's comments on pesticides could raise Parkinson's risk.

This study which was published in the Annals of Neurology was the first to show that exposure to pesticides may increase long term risk for developing Parkinson's Disease by 70%, and was the first large human study that showed exposure to pesticides is associated with higher incidences of Parkinson's according to lead author, Dr. Ascherio, Associate Professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. Another interesting note in the study was exposure was 14 times more likely to be found in workers that either were farmers, ranchers or fishermen. But they stated, however, no differences were found in terms of risk increased between patients who been experienced exposure because of their work, again being farmers, or those who came in contact with chemicals because of home or garden use. That's the key, the home and garden pesticides that we are putting on our lawns and in our gardens, are weakening our immune systems and increasing the risk of all types of diseases and weakening of the immune systems in this study confirming Parkinson's Disease, but also knowing that these chemicals will increase our susceptibility to all disease, including immune suppressive diseases like cancer. What's the answer? Very simply, go natural. You can find by planting certain herbs in your garden they repel insects. By not needing to have a green, green lawn but tolerating some dandelions you might just save your life. Also chemicals enter your body by the food you eat so buy organic food whenever possible, eat a plant based diet instead of an animal based diet, animal concentrate chemicals, toxins and hormones in their fat tissue. You don't have a risk of this when you are eating plant material. And you especially have no risk at all when you eat plant material that is organic. So organic plant material as opposed to eating animal products, there's up to a thousand times difference in these toxins, chemicals, in the food sources. So the more chemicals that go into the body, the more toxins that go into the body, the higher the risks of all diseases. So if one adopts the 7 Basics Steps, Total Health Lifestyle, one becomes more disease protective in all areas. The7 Basic Steps to Total Health^(TM) which are:

1. Air--deep diaphragm breathing to oxygenate your body.

2. Water--drink 32 ounces of distilled water per 50/lbs per body weight per day.

3. Food--consume a diet of living/raw plant food which has the highest energy, bioelectricity, enzymes and bioavailable nutrient content to either maintain or restore your health.

4. Sleep--sleep 9.5 hours with 3.5 of them before midnight.

5. Exercise--exercise 30 minutes every day.

6. Fasting--fast from the normal Standard American Diet (SAD).

7. Prayer--take the time throughout your day to regularly still your mind so you can hear the voice of God spoken into your heart.

Eat Less and Live Longer

The Ultimate Longevity Secrets Discovered at Last?

According to this fascinating video segment aired recently on Nova, only one in 10,000 of us will live to see 100. But scientists are working on finding ways to increase that number. Researchers found cutting the food intake of just about any organism by up to 30-40 percent extended its life by as much as 60 percent. Calorie restriction reduces insulin levels and triggers the production of sirtuins, which are produced as part of an intricate stress response that kicks an organism into survival mode (which beefs up DNA repair and prevents cells from dying). Another variable that triggered the production of sirtuins and the longer lives of flies, worms and likely mice was increasing their intake of the antioxidant resveratrol.

Nova Science Now January 9, 2007

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

When I first read of one of the primary active ingredients in grape seeds and skins, resveratrol, I was very excited. However, the research on it can be a bit confusing, which is why I was so delighted to find this excellent video that breaks the research down into simple language. If you have any interest in extending your lifespan you will want to watch this video that reviews one of the major Harvard researchers performing much of the pioneering work in the field. Calorie restriction, if you limit your foods to those that will not raise your insulin levels, will also tend to increase your lifespan. That means lowering grains and sugars, the foundation of my Total Health Program. However, while effective, this is not at all a very satisfying way to live your life, in constant deprivation. Most would never tolerate this. However, resveratrol can provide nearly identical benefits without the pain by activating the same genes as calorie restriction. You can obtain reservatrol from natural sources such as whole grape skins and seeds. Resveratrol is also found in raspberries, mulberries and peanuts, and is known to have a number of beneficial health effects, including fighting cancer. It belongs to a family of compounds known as polyphenols, which are known to combat damaging free radicals in the body. Although reservatrol is in grapes you wlll still want to stay away from red wine as your primary source for resveratrol. Not only does the alcohol contained in red wine have the potential to disrupt your delicate hormonal balance, it is a neurotoxin that can poison your brain. On Vital Votes, Russ from Soquel, California offers up some anecdotal evidence: "I have a grandmother who is 97, soon to be 98, and very likely to reach 100 (or well beyond) and in perfect mental health, with her only complaint physically being a sore knee. "Curiously, but not surprisingly, in relation to this article's suggestions, her entire life has indeed been one of no consumption of tobacco products, no alcoholic beverages, and a restricted calorie intake, of 1,500 calories or less per day, of simple and unprocessed food sources, low, or void, in any refined or processed sweeteners. "She also has a remarkable ability to adjust to any stress, with a very positive outlook, as she has clearly out lived all her contemporary relatives and friends, and adjusted well to everyone being much younger that her." Other responses to this article can be viewed at Vital Votes, and you can add your own thoughts or vote on comments by first registering at Vital Votes.

Related Articles:

Scientists Boost Fruit Fly Lifespan: Humans Next? You Should Live to be at Least 100 -- Find Out How Longevity Runs in Families