Author: Health Freedom Idaho

  • How to Grow Your Own Turmeric

    How to Grow Your Own Turmeric

    If you saw a list of all the ways herbalists use turmeric to help improve people’s health, it would be so extensive you might think it unbelievable. Learning Herbs shares insight on turmeric.
    How to Grow your own turmeric. It is FAR better than buying it

    To grow turmeric indoors, just follow these simple steps:

    1. Break a larger rhizome into a small rhizome piece that has two or three buds.

    2. Fill the pots with rich organic soil, which is lightly moist but well drained. The ideal pH ranges from 6.0 to 7.8.

    3. Place it about two inches below the surface of the soil, with the buds facing up.

    3. Water the container.

    That’s all there is to it!

    Turmeric likes water. So try watering it once every two days. In order to stimulate new root growth you want the soil to become slightly dry between watering without letting it become bone dry at any point. Plants naturally send out roots to search for water when conditions become too dry. If you space out watering to once every two days you can encourage new growth by stimulating this “sense” while keeping your soil adequately moist.

    How to Harvest Turmeric

    Turmeric takes between 6 to 10 months for the edible rhizomes to mature. Harvesting is easy, just dig up the entire plant including the roots.

    Cut the needed amount off a finger at the edge of the pot and then return the soil.

    Turmeric is a perennial herb plant that re-shoots every spring; it will continue to produce roots.

    How to Use Turmeric

    More about the Health Benefits of Turmeric

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  • May 15, 2018 Elections

    May 15, 2018 Elections

    Our state primary elections are May 15, 2018. I want to take this opportunity to remind our members of a few things. HFI does not endorse any candidate. HFI WILL post about candidates when they do, say, or write something that pertains to health freedom or parental rights. We invite you to do the same. HFI will share events with you, such as town hall meetings, that may provide insight regarding the candidates. HFI wants to help educate voters as you head to the voting both. We want you to have the information that you need in order to make the best decision for you and your family.

  • H 546 Children can choose to be organ donors

    H 546 Children can choose to be organ donors

    Did you all know that there is a bill in Idaho that, if passed, will allow children to decide to become organ donors at age 15? The teen must have parental consent under the age of 18. To further understand what you are agreeing to as an organ donor please watch the attached video.

    This bill passed with FULL support on the house floor and now it is on to the senate Health and Welfare Committee. Please educate our senators and ask them to vote NO when they hear H 546 in the H&W Committee.

    Chair – Lee Heider- (208) 332-1347
    Vice Chair – Mary Souza – (208) 332-1322
    Fred S Martin – (208) 332-1407
    Abby Lee – (208) 332-1325
    Mark Harris – (208) 332-1429
    Jeff Agenbroad – (208) 332-1329
    Dan Foreman – (208) 332-1405
    Maryanne Jordan – (208) 332-1352
    Tony Potts (208) 332-1313

    Email Blasts for H&W
    lheider@senate.idaho.gov, msouza@senate.idaho.gov, fmartin@senate.idaho.gov, alee@senate.idaho.gov, mharris@senate.idaho.gov, kanthon@senate.idaho.gov, jagenbroad@senate.idaho.gov, dforeman@senate.idaho.gov, mjordan@senate.idaho.gov,
    tpotts@senate.idaho.gov

  • Always plants flowers in your vegetable garden

    Always plants flowers in your vegetable garden

    Growing your own food is the best way to insure you know what’s ON your food. As the snow continues to fall, our thoughts turn to garden planning and seed starting. If you’re still growing flowers and vegetables on opposite sides of your yard, it’s time rethink your garden plan. Companion planting flowers and vegetables in the same beds is a strategy professional growers use to boost yields and keep crops healthy, and it’s easy and beneficial for beginners to do, too. (Whether you’re starting your first garden or switching to organic, Rodale’s Basic Organic Gardening has all the answers and advice you need—get your copy today!)

    Maggie Saska, plant production specialist at the Rodale Institute organic farm, says the most important reason to grow flowers in your vegetable bed is to attract native bees and other beneficial insects. Without bees stopping by your garden to snack on nectar and swap pollen around, you’re going to have a pretty disappointing crop. Plus, planting bee-friendly flowers near your vegetables also supports struggling pollinator populations and biodiversity. You can also plant flowers specifically to attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and other desirable species.

    (You may have also heard that some flowers help vegetables out by repelling pests—a popular example is that growing marigolds next to melons controls nematodes in the soil that destroy the melons’ roots. If you’re interested, you can learn more about this practice in Great Garden Companions.)

    Our local seed providers can seeds and advice to help you get started. Here’s information about Boise and the Treasure Valley. Share your favorite resources in your part of the state!

    Get locally grown NON GMO seeds:

  • What is Kefir?

    What is Kefir?

    Kefir’s tart and refreshing flavor is similar to a drinking-style yogurt, but it contains beneficial yeast as well as friendly ‘probiotic’ bacteria found in yogurt. The naturally occurring bacteria and yeast in kefir combine symbiotically to give superior health benefits when consumed regularly. It is loaded with valuable vitamins and minerals and contains easily digestible complete proteins.

    For the lactose intolerant, kefir’s abundance of beneficial yeast and bacteria provide lactase, an enzyme which consumes most of the lactose left after the culturing process.

    How is Kefir Made?

    Kefir can be made from any type of milk, cow, goat or sheep, coconut, rice or soy. Although it is slightly mucous forming, the mucous has a “clean” quality to it that creates ideal conditions in the digestive tract for the colonization of friendly bacteria.

    Kefir is made from gelatinous white or yellow particles called “grains.” This makes kefir unique, as no other milk culture forms grains. These grains contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein (milk proteins) and complex sugars. They look like pieces of coral or small clumps of cauliflower and range from the size of a grain of wheat to that of a hazelnut. Some of the grains have been known to grow in large flat sheets that can be big enough to cover your hand!. The grains ferment the milk, incorporating their friendly organisms to create the cultured product. The grains are then removed with a strainer before consumption of the kefir and added to a new batch of milk.

    This article originally appeared at: http://www.kefir.net/what-is-kefir/.
  • Gems In the Gem State: McIntyre Pastures’ Focus On The Soil

    Gems In the Gem State: McIntyre Pastures’ Focus On The Soil

    In this new series, Gems In the Gem State, we focus on our local food, health and environment heroes. We recently interviewed Maria McIntyre of McIntyre Pastures and loved what she had to share about the foundation of their meat and egg production: the soil. Their family farm saw its start 109 years ago. The farm is currently being run by the third and fourth generation family members who are loving this way of life and the nourishing products they produce.

    By Maria McIntyre

    Everything hinges on the health of our soil. The difference between nutrient-dense food – and food that is not – all stems back to the soil it was raised in or consumed from. In a healthy teaspoon of soil, there can be anywhere from 100 million to 1 billion microbes.

    Most people in agriculture don’t take time to try and understand what it takes to make these microbes happy. We don’t want to profess to know it all, because we feel like we might know 1/10 of a percent of how the soil functions, but…one thing we do know is that they need food and a safe habitat just like any other animal to be successful.

    We have just as big of a responsibility to tend to the “livestock” that is under the ground as we do to what is grazing and living on top of the soil.

    On our farm we do not till the soil, so we don’t disturb the habitat for the microbes. We constantly keep living roots in the soil via perennials and cover crops so they are giving off life-supporting food sources to the microbes. We also employ ruminants (cattle) to graze the plants and convert the plant material into another food source (manure and urine). All of this turns into nutrient dense grass and then, finally, nutrient dense meat and eggs. Behind our cattle, then come our chickens to do their valuable work.

    What does this mean for you, the consumer?

    A quote we found intriguing and alarming is this: “You would need to eat twice as much meat, 3 times as much fruit, and 4-5 times as many vegetables to get the same amount of minerals as available in the same foods in 1940” (Dr. Christine Jones, Amazing Carbon founder).

    You can get overwhelmed with labels or even claims made on how your food is produced. If you do value the kind of nutrients that are being transferred to the foods you eat, you need to know the source of your food. Know your farmer. Know his or her practices. Know that what is being claimed is actually what is happening.

    These photos below help illustrate what we are doing here at McIntyre Pastures.

    The picture of the soil is from just last week! We seeded a cover crop (polyculture) early last fall for our mother cows and their calves to winter on. As spring has come, the plant matter (which included turnips, black oats, chickory, radish, collards, italian rye, and much more) has all been eaten, broken down, and re-deposited in the form of manure and urine. Look how happy the soil looks! Worms, worm casts, aeration and more, in abundance.

    The pictures of the cattle grazing in paddocks shows how soil health is built by rotating (very often) the ruminants across a large area by sectioning it off. This spreads the urine and manure instead of letting them stay in an area for a long amount of time, thus building up the nutrients and minerals in the soil.

    The chickens follow behind the cattle in such a great circle. They clean up what the cattle have left behind and deposit more manure and urine in the soil. They also glean from the manure the cattle have left and help naturally ‘sanitize’ the pasture by eating fly larva and insects.

    The picture of the eggs compares our pastured eggs (the darkest orange yolked one) to a ‘free range’ and confined, ‘organic’. Although color is not a complete test, it is a great indicator of nutrient content.

    By pasturing our chickens behind the cattle and rotating them on healthy pasture and cover crop, scratching manure behind the cattle for flies and larva, coupled with non-GMO / soy free feed and minerals free choice, those benefits they are drawing from the soil are passed onto the consumer in the egg. Again, make sure you know what you are getting.

    We love what we do here on the farm and especially appreciate providing nourishing food to people, while fostering a highly sustainable ecosystem for our animals and soil.

    You can read more about McIntyre’s farming practices on their website.

    If you’re interested in purchasing their meat and eggs, you can buy at select markets or order online and pick up at a number of locations in the Treasure Valley. McIntyre also provides products to local restaurants.

  • 12 Brands Of Bottled Water Full Of TOXIC Fluoride

    12 Brands Of Bottled Water Full Of TOXIC Fluoride

    Just how badly is fluoride really affecting our health? Is it really as bad as everyone thinks? Recent studies have shown that fluoride is terrible for our health, high levels of fluoride have been shown to cause neurotoxicity in adults which causes negative impacts on the brain when it comes to learning and memory. It has also been found by the Harvard School of Public Health and China Medical University in Shenyang that fluoride negatively affects the cognitive development in children.At least seventy percent of the United States water supplies are fluoridated meaning this could be happening on a widespread scale.
    All water treatment chemicals, with the exception of fluoride, are added to make drinking water safe and pleasant to consume. Fluoride is the only chemical added to treat people who consume the water, rather than the water itself. Fluoridating water supplies can thus fairly be described as a form of mass medication, which is why most European countries have rejected the practice.

    For many years people thought fluoride was able to prevent tooth decay, but there is no significant evidence that can link the two. Fluoride can actually be detrimental to oral health. Recent large-scale studies from the United States have found little practical or statistical difference in tooth decay rates among children living in fluoridated versus non-fluoridated areas. In addition, data complied by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that tooth decay rates have declined just as rapidly in non-fluoridated western countries as they have in fluoridated western countries. Read more.

    Fluoride is added to 37% of Idaho’s public water supply. SIGN THE PETITION TO ELIMINATE TOXIC FLUORIDE FROM PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS IN IDAHO

    Many people have bought the marketing that bottled water is healthier. Unfortunately, they are paying higher prices for a bottle of water filled with health damaging fluoride. The main chemicals used to fluoridate drinking water are known as “silicofluorides” (i.e., hydrofluorosilicic acid and sodium fluorosilicate). Silicofluorides are not pharmaceutical-grade fluoride products; they are unprocessed industrial by-products of the phosphate fertilizer industry.

    REDUCE YOUR FLUORIDE EXPOSURE
    AVOID THESE FLUORIDE TAINTED BOTTLED WATER:

    • Arrowhead
    • Crystal Rock
    • Crystal Springs
    • Belmont Springs
    • Deer Park
    • Diamond Springs
    • Ice Mountain
    • Mount Olympus
    • Zephyrhills
    • Ozarka
    • Poland Springs
    • Sierra Springs

    For a full list click here, yes there are many more.

    Still feel a need to grab a bottle of water?
    Here is a list of fluoride-safe bottled water brands:

    • Black Berry Farms
    • Cascade
    • Arbor Springs
    • Aqua Pure
    • Blue Ice Natural Mineral Water
    • Century Springs
    • Deja Blue
    • Dannon
    • Clear Mountain Spring Water
    • Crystal Spring Natural Spring Water
    • Eureka
    • Evian
    • Flowing Springs
    • Fresh Market
    • Glacier Bay
    • Hidden Valley Natural Mineral Water
    • Mountain Valley Spring Water
    • Oasis Pure Drinking Water
    • Polaris Water
    • Smart Water

    Learn more about the health dangers of fluoride:

    SIGN THE PETITION TO ELIMINATE TOXIC FLUORIDE FROM PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS IN IDAHO

  • Debunked: Faith Healing Religious Exemption Hysteria

    Debunked: Faith Healing Religious Exemption Hysteria

    A political organization walked public graveyards, and then recorded the children’s names listed there. They then claimed that these children would have lived, had they been to a doctor. They fail to mention that they have little documentation to the cause of death. Nor do they reveal the fact that their numbers span the course of three decades.

    Their political campaign “Let Them Live” is supported by Merck-funded vaccine advocate Paul Offit. Their intent is to change public opinion using nuggets of truth surrounded by a web of half-truths and lies, innuendos and assumptions. They are well-funded and skilled in using media-manipulation to create drama in order to elicit emotion and move legislative policy towards a preconceived goal.

    That goal? The forced compliance of government mandated treatments by CPS and the State Health and Welfare Department.

    It’s very sad, right? 182 childhood deaths in Idaho since 1971.

    The deaths are true, but this campaign isn’t. It’s fake news.


    What do the actual numbers reveal?

    • We only have statistics for 5 YEARS! (not three decades!)
      The Child Fatality Review Team noted the following statistics based on their through analysis of public records, medical records and complete access to death records for Idaho: more children die under a doctor’s care than those who have never received treatment. The top causes of death in Idaho for infants is birth defects and SIDS, for children; accidents and suicide. These are the ONLY years available, since the Idaho Child Death Review Team was established in 2013 following an executive order from Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter (No. 2012-03). Any other numbers given are purely conjecture!
    2011: 195 children died after receiving medical care. *3 deaths identified as families who refused medical intervention.
    2012: 168 children died after receiving medical care. *2 deaths identified as families who refused doctor’s intervention
    2013: 182 children died after receiving medical care. *5 deaths to newborn infants who were not born under direct medical intervention

    2014: 187 children died after receiving medical care. *NO DEATHS reported to families who refused medical intervention.

    2015: 163 children died after receiving medical care. *2 infants

    Infant Deaths

    The statistics clearly reveal that even our best medical care doesn’t guarantee saving our precious children’s lives. Annually more than 160 children die each year after receiving medical treatment. More than 2/3’rd of annual deaths for Idaho children are infants under the age of one. Here’s some aggregate figures that are documented by the State of Idaho in their annual report.
    The Idaho Child Death Review Team published this chart: Ten Leading Causes of Death to Idaho Child Residents, Ten-year aggregate, 2002-2011

    The figures used by the Idaho Let Them Live campaign are purely conjecture.

    Without any medical history, this political campaign wishes to manipulate the public into thinking that 118 infants lives would have been saved “if only they have been under a doctor’s care.” The names listed were pulled from gravestones in a public cemetery. Those gravestones do not list a ’cause of death’. Families who laid their children to rest in the cemetery may have sought medical treatment. While the public and media doesn’t have access the personal history behind each headstone, the cause of death is investigated and recorded by the coroner.

    Canyon County Coroner Vicki DeGeus-Morris, coroner since 1991, says that her office are called to every child death in the church. She doesn’t see signs of neglect or abuse. Current Idaho statutes protect children from abuse and neglect. “If we saw signs of child abuse we have a duty to report, and we would do so,” she said.

    So whose behind the manipulation of truth?

    Recently the director of the organization Protect Idaho Kids stated on his website that due to the fact they were unsuccessful in the Legislature to pass laws, they should manipulate public opinion. They mixed together a recipe for fake news, using a false narrative and unsubstantiated statistics. They are then funding advertisements designed to look like news reports in the media outlets to sway public opinion.

    • In 2016 – 2017, the “Let Them Live” media campaign was driven by a false narrative of an Idaho woman who claims her rare heart condition was not treated by her parent’s involvement in a religious sect that refuses all medical treatment for their children. Mariah Walton’s mother has refuted the claim that she was trying to treat her daughter’s health condition with prayer. Mariah’s parents were UNAWARE of the rare heart defect. They used holistic care, chiropractic care as well as prayer to provide for their daughter’s asthmatic childhood symptoms. Bruce Wingate, April Hoy and other leaders of the campaign were been made aware that Mariah’s condition should not be construed as ‘faith healing’, yet they continued to promote the false narrative for political gain. See Sara Walton Brady’s testimony at Child At Risk:Faith Healing Exemption Workgroup
    • 2017, the group wrote and supported a bill 1182 that would change Idaho child neglect statute to target CPS involvement for all parents who didn’t follow a standard treatment of care for their children. (See our article and analysis of S 1182)
    • In 2018, they hatched this newest campaign with little documentation, numbers stretching a course of three decades and a heart wrenching march with caskets from a the park to the Capitol.

    What is their final goal?

    There is a very real move on the part of our Child Protective community to remove parental right to the choice of health care treatment options for their children. This organization seeks to create statute to increase governmental authority to remove children based on personal opinion that courts should mandate a specific method of care. Watch Jean fischer’s statements to the Legislative Workgroup August 2016.

    Year after year, legislation has been brought up by this organization to force parental compliance to state standards of medical care. Each year, legislators have responded saying the protection of religious freedom and parental authority must be upheld in Idaho.

    Every life is precious. Our hearts go out to each of these families. But this isn’t just about life, is it?

    Those coffins are a stark reminder of how precious life is, but this campaign also reminds us how precious truth is, applied truthfully.

    So, let’s mourn the loss of life and stand up for the truth that keeps us free.

    Upset by the subversive tactics of those who rather mandate our health and family welfare rather than support our right to choose? Sign up to get notified about breaking news on this and other hot-button topics.

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    Statistics from the State of Idaho:

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    Paul Offit | SB 1182

  • How psychiatric drug use & lack of dietary support play a prominent role in school shootings VIDEO INTERVIEW

    How psychiatric drug use & lack of dietary support play a prominent role in school shootings VIDEO INTERVIEW

    If you are concerned about reports of violent, depressive and anti-social behavior and the use of psychotropic and pharmaceutical drugs to treat it, I’d like to share my conversation with Dr. Karen Lee from Wholistic Vitality on Wellness Wednesday. Our discussion focuses on using dietary support to recover from panic, anxiety, insomnia, depression and related symptoms, Leaky Gut, GMOs, psychiatric drugs and how to support brain and nervous system function naturally.

    This webinar is germane to current conversations on school shootings and unstable behavior, and how to consider getting out from underneath dependence on psychiatric drugs that have documented side-effects.

    What is the connection between psychiatric drug use and the expression of anti-social and violent behavior? I thought psychiatric drugs were supposed to be effective in treating these types of symptoms?

    Documentation on psychiatric drugs used to treat mental illness shows a list of side-effects that match what we are seeing in individuals who are perpetrators of the very crimes we are reading about in media reports. There is a growing list of events where the perpetrators of violent crimes were on some type of psychotropic medication.

    A study published in Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology in June 2014 shows psychotropic drugs could make people nearly six times more likely to kill themselves. In August 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported: “Antidepressant medications have been shown to increase the risk of suicidal thinking and behavior. In a pooled-analysis of short-term, placebo-controlled trials of nine antidepressant medications, patients taking an antidepressant had twice the risk of suicidality in the first few months of treatment than those taking placebo. The long-term risk is unknown.”

    I healed from digestive issues that were causing insomnia, panic, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts with the GAPS Diet from Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, M.D., author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome. Dr. McBride has many years of research, clinical experience and success in healing patients and with her own son who was diagnosed with autism at a young age. She provides educational presentations, and has a web site with more information here.

    If you have experienced insomnia or panic and anxiety symptoms, learn more about how I recovered from these chronic issues which affected me for over 20 years: The GAPS Diet for insomnia, panic, and anxiety. I did this without drugs and using real, healing, traditional foods.

    What if I experience other symptoms such as violent/angry outbursts, anti-social, disassociative and disaffective behavior. Could GAPS or similar protocol help?

    Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride specifically addresses symptoms associated with ASD (autism spectrum disorder), ADD/ADHD, hyperactivity, dyspraxia, learning disorders, depression, and even schizophrenia in her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome. She explains how chronic nutrient-deficiencies and imbalance of gut flora in the digestive tract and immune system contributes to and/or causes these syndromes. Our brains and nervous systems cannot function optimally without real nutrients and digestive tract support which promotes optimal flora balance.

    Processed foods and synthetic nutrients in these products and supplements exacerbate symptoms because:

    1) Our bodies cannot absorb artificially-created nutrients from food laboratories; they need natural, living nutrients from real, organic foods with corresponding cofactors that allow for maximum absorption and dietary support.

    2) Products with harmful ingredients such as preservatives, flavor enhancers, dough conditioners, modified food starch, MSG and others represent a majority of what’s available on the consumer market. These products add to the insult of nutritional deficiency and cause the body to become overloaded with toxins that contribute to a large number of chronic health issues including auto-immune disease such as diabetes, asthma, autism, ADHD/ADD, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory issues such as liver congestion, heart disease, stroke, obesity and cancer.

    Our environments and diets affect our gut lining, the blood-brain barrier and mechanisms by which our brains and nervous systems function. Based on the research and my own observations, experience, it is definitely no stretch so say that those with ANY mental and psychological disorders could realize a reduction in psychiatric symptoms and benefit from the GAPS protocol.

    Statistics on mental illness and insomnia

    From Mental Health America’s web site: anxiety disorders are among the most common mental illnesses in America; over 21% of adults (42.5 million) are affected by these debilitating illnesses each year. (2012)

    According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America:

    “…anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older (18% of U.S. population). Anxiety disorders cost the U.S. more than $42 billion a year, almost one-third of the country’s $148 billion total mental health bill, according to ‘The Economic Burden of Anxiety Disorders’, a study commissioned by ADAA (The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry,60 (7), July 1999).”

    Clearly we have decades of these reports showing that mental illness has a significant impact on our well-being!

    A report from Medco shows the use of medications used to treat psychological and behavioral disorders increased 22 percent between 2001 and 2010:

    “…more than one‐in‐five adults was on at least one of these medications in 2010. Women are far more likely to take a drug to treat a mental health condition than men, with more than a quarter of the adult female population on these drugs in 2010 as compared to 15 percent of men.”

    From Sleep Education:

    Among adults in the U.S.:
    • 30 to 35% have brief symptoms of insomnia.
    • 15 to 20% have a short-term insomnia disorder, which lasts less than three months.
    • 10% have a chronic insomnia disorder, which occurs at least three times per week for at least three months.

    I would guess those numbers are probably higher due to the fact that not all incidences are reported. I never wanted to be someone who relied on medication for anxiety, but at least a few times before I resolved my issues with food, I became desperate and took drugs.

    What I learned is that those drugs didn’t solve the actual cause of the problem. In fact, things only became worse while taking those medications.

    Data on psychiatric drug use and violence-inducing effects of these medications on behavior and mood

    36 school shooters/school related violence committed by those under the influence of psychiatric drugs

    Here is a list of the total number of people taking psychiatric drugs for mental illness in the U.S.

    Kelly Brogan M.D. on the violence-inducing effects of psychiatric medication.

    James Corbett report on SSRI usage (psychotropic medications) and school shootings, including prescription medications Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, and Celexa:

    The FDA claims that “antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children, teenagers and young adults within the first few months of treatment.” The Ministry of Health in Japan has stated, “There are cases where we cannot rule out a causal relationship of [hostility, anxiety, and sudden acts of violence] with the medication.”

    Can I stop taking drugs and recover from sleep issues, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, and unstable behavior naturally?

    I am not a doctor and I cannot guarantee a change or improvement in anyone’s unique situation. As I stated in my discussion with Dr. Karen Lee, individual results on the GAPS or similar protocol will vary with the individual’s unique health profile and situation. The truth is, results are largely dependent on your own commitment to healing and wellness. Ask yourself this question: do you believe adapting dietary and lifestyle changes would be worth eliminating dependence on prescription drugs that may only be managing symptoms, rather than getting at the root cause of your problem?

    If the answer is yes, you have nothing to lose but fear and chronic health issues. I highly recommend listening to my conversation with Dr. Karen Lee about how GAPS allowed me to overcome issues that crippled my life for over two decades. I am so grateful for the gift of restored sleep and improved health and wellness given to me by a healing diet that includes real, traditional foods.

    When you consider that patients who are prescribed these psychotropic drugs are not accurately informed by doctors about the documented risks which carry 286 drug regulatory warnings, 278 studies, and over 400,000 adverse reaction reports filed with the U.S. FDA, it starts to become apparent that anyone would have much to lose by becoming dependent upon these substances; drugs that are scientifically observed to cause chemically-alterting effects on the body, and with dangerous side effects.

    You could say that you have everything to gain by changing your diet and using real, nutrient-dense foods to help overcome nutritional deficiencies and gut dysbiosis that could very easily be connected to debilitating psychiatric symptoms.

    More information:

    Alternatives to psychiatric drugs

  • EMF Radiation Exposure. Its More Than Just Wireless Phones.

    EMF Radiation Exposure. Its More Than Just Wireless Phones.

    Health Freedom Idaho and Eric Brandt of “Be EMF Safe” screened the movie Generation Zapped last week. Many still do not realize that they’re chronically exposed to something that can deteriorate their health, and, unless it’s identified and re mediated, can lead to premature death—an exposure that is completely invisible, tasteless, and odorless. The exposure that’s being referred to is electromagnetic fields, or EMF. Within the last fifteen years, wireless technology has become ubiquitous, increasing the EMFs and radiation beyond what would be considered “natural.” The radiation that transmits data is very different than “natural” EMFs. The data transmission wavelengths are of random forms and transmit at rapid, varied frequencies. It appears as if these forms and frequencies may be harmful to human and animal health. HFI thanks Eric Brandt for sharing this great resource about technologies that emit radiation and the levels of risk they pose to the health of our family members.

    There are many different types of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) that are harmful to our health, but the kind that poses the biggest danger to us is microwave radiation (MR). Most electronic devices that communicate wirelessly do so by emitting MR. As more and more technology develops, the amount of MR we are being exposed to is increasing dramatically. The wireless industry gets away with this because the power emitted by these technologies is non-ionizing, meaning it does not cause direct DNA damage. However, MR exposure can cause many different health problems not related to direct DNA damage, including:

    • Mitochondria dysfunction1
    • Decreased testosterone levels2
    • Lower bone-density in the pelvis on the side of the pocket where people keep their cell phone3
    • An increase in antibiotic resistance of bacteria (the bacteria feel threatened)4
    • An increase in mercury vapor output from amalgam dental fillings5
    • Dysfunction of the vitamin D receptor6
    • An increase in intracellular calcium levels and resulting oxidative stress7
    • Cellular dehydration
    • Interference with alpha brain waves from the pulse rate of WIFI (10 hertz)


    There are a few important factors to consider when trying to reduce exposure to MR. The most important factor is distance: exposure levels decrease logarithmically over distance, which means that even moving a few feet away can reduce exposure by 90%. This is why reducing exposures in your home can make a big difference, even if your neighbors are blasting signals all around you. Thankfully, many exposures in the home can be eliminated and replaced with safer options. Reducing MR levels in your home can sound like an overwhelming task, but many of the solutions are easy and free or inexpensive. Let’s look at some of the most important exposures in the home:

    Microwave Ovens:

    No surprise here, microwave ovens are the most powerful source of microwave radiation in your home. The metal mesh on the oven door is supposed to be a faraday cage (a shield used to block or enclose EMFs) that contains the microwaves, but it is unbelievable how much they leak. While the amount that leaks is not enough to cook your skin, it is still close to 40 times more than a cell phone. There is typically a separate switch for the microwave in your home’s breaker that can be turned off. Microwave ovens can easily be swapped for a steam convection oven. Countertop versions generally cost a few hundred dollars.

    Cordless Phones:

    Aside from microwaves, these are one of the largest exposures to MR in the home. The main port transmits a signal to the other ports constantly, 24 hours a day. Cordless phones can be easily swapped for older corded phones.

    Smart Meters:

    Cities across the country are switching from analog electricity meters to wireless meters. The electricity companies claim that smart meters only emit for a total of a few minutes a day, which is true, but these few minutes are pulsed every few seconds over 24 hours. Some smart meters can be better or worse depending on the manufacturer. There are options to opt out of smart meters, but this is not always easy, so if you are forced to have a smart meter, you can shield it. The smart meter guards that can be purchased online are not recommended because they shield radiation going away from the house, which can actually reflect it back inside. To stop EMFs from being reflected into your house, you want the shielding to be between the meter and your home. An inexpensive way to do this is to put multiple layers of aluminum foil on the wall, but there are also shielded paints and cloths that can be used. Older analog meters can also be purchased online, and some people swap out their smart meter themselves, though this can be dangerous and the legality of it is questionable.

    WIFI Routers:

    Wireless internet has two problems: they are way overpowered, which is why you can pick up your neighbor’s signals, and they have a pulse rate of 10 times per second, which can interfere with alpha brain waves. The best option is to turn off the wireless signal and use hardwired internet only. Some routers have a manual switch to turn off the wireless signal, but most of the time you have to turn it off through the website of your internet provider (make sure to turn off WIFI on your computer as well, as it emits MR even if not connected to a signal). The main issue with hardwired internet is that you are limited to the length of your Ethernet cable as to where you can use it, and installing Ethernet ports in your home can be expensive. Powerline adapters can transmit the signal through the wiring in your home through standard electrical outlets. These create dirty electricity which is another kind of EMF that is a concern, but is still the lesser evil compared to WIFI.

    If you are unable to use hardwired internet, there are still other ways to reduce your exposure. One way is to turn it off at night when you are not using it. Some routers can also be programmed to a schedule, but the most common way to turn it off is to use a Christmas light timer. During the day, there are shielded bags that you can put around the router that can reduce the power of the signal by up to 90%. Because routers are so overpowered, there will still be enough signal to function with the bag on. Newer eco-WIFI routers are now available, and they allow you to adjust the power and pulse rate.

    Cell phones:

    In today’s world, it is almost impossible to avoid using a cell phone, however, there are ways to consciously use a cellphone that limits your exposure. Again, distance is important: holding your phone away from your body, using speaker phone or an air tube headset will greatly reduce exposure in comparison to holding it to your ear. Duration of exposure is also important. Limiting the duration of phone calls, and using texting instead when you can will reduce exposures. When not in use, turn your phone off or in airplane mode. Never have your phone on in your pocket, especially if you ever plan to have children. Sperm counts are rapidly dropping, and research has shown that it is at least in part due to MR8. Beyond just the EMF exposure, more and more research is showing how smartphone addiction can seriously harm your brain.

    Smart Home Technology:

    Newer homes are shifting towards having everything controlled by your smartphone or voice control. This wireless technology is completely unnecessary. It takes seconds to get up and turn of a light switch, close blinds, or adjust a thermostat. People don’t move enough as it is, and smart technology is making us lazier. Smart home devices like the Amazon Echo not only generate MR, but are also surveillance devices that monitor conversations to send personalized advertisments. Security systems also operate wirelessly, though there are probably ways to hardwire them.

    Other Sources:

    Baby monitors create wireless radiation, and children are more susceptible to MR in general. There are corded baby monitors available, so this solution is simple. Many other devices like video game consoles and video streaming boxes also connect to the internet wirelessly. These can be hardwired to Ethernet, but even when hardwired, they still sometimes emit a signal searching for WIFI that cannot be turned off. The shielded bags for WIFI routers can also be used on these devices. Sometimes you can take them apart and physically remove the wireless transmitter, but the easiest option is to unplug them when not in use.

    There are other sources of MR that are out of your control. Depending on where you live, shielding may be needed. For example, living near a cell tower or other source of MR can be mitigated with shielding. The most important time of day to be protected is during sleep. Fully enclosed MR shielding sleep canopies that go around your bed are a popular option, and they can greatly reduce MR levels. Many people notice improved sleep from using a canopy.

    It is impossible to avoid all exposures to MR, but another way to protect against exposures out of your control is through antioxidants. The main mechanism of how MR creates health problems is through oxidative damage, so consuming antioxidants can counteract some of this damage. There is research showing that propolis and rosemary can protect against radiation damage. Olive leaf extract has been shown to protect rats.9 It is likely that many other antioxidants can also offer protection. Molecular hydrogen has been shown to be one of the most powerful antioxidants, and is available in tablets that can be added to water.

    There are also a number of pendants, cell phone stickers, crystals, and other items that are said to protect from MR. Watch out for these items, as none of them actually reduce levels of MR, and this can be confirmed with an EMR meter. Wireless devices use MR to communicate, and if a cellphone sticker actually lowered MR levels, the phone wouldn’t work. The theory behind these items is that they “harmonize” the signal to neutralize it. It is possible that this could work, but as of right now there is no substantial evidence that it does. There is really no risk from using these items, so buy them if you wish. However, don’t let them give you a false sense of security. Don’t think it is OK to constantly use wireless technology because you have a magic sticker or pendant, because in reality, these are probably doing absolutely nothing to protect you. Focusing on reducing and eliminating exposures should be first and foremost, with harmonizers as an afterthought.

    Written By:
    By Bryant Rubright

    References:

    1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4440565/

    2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23676079

    3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21415640

    4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28203122

    5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4944481/

    6 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12026-016-8825-7

    7 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3780531/

    8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27601711

    9 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=olive+leaf+extract+wireless+radiation