Toxic food is making millions of people sick - Listen in on this Free event to learn about what to avoid and what to eat

An invitation from Ocean Robbins, son of John Robbins (Diet for a New America):

Toxic food is making millions of people sick, and the costs of treating an epidemic of illness are driving families and even nations towards bankruptcy. Increasingly industrialized agriculture is polluting our air and water, treating animals with cruelty, and even driving climate change.  Our food is contaminated with hormones, antibiotics, GMOs, chemical cocktails, and neurotoxic pesticides.  

  The Food Revolution Summit will reveal breakthrough insights and the most current information about:

  Foods that can prevent (and even help you fight off) cancer, heart disease and diabetes. 

• How genetically engineered foods are affecting the gene pool of life on Earth (you’ll be shocked!) 
• The real data on controversial foods such as gluten, soy, sugar, carbs and fat. 
• The connection between industrial agriculture and climate change, and what you can do today to make a difference. 

Again, you can register for this free event HERE: http://goo.gl/3T3txq
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John Robbins is the author of The New Good Life: Living Better Than Ever in an Age of Less.
He is also author of the international bestseller DIET FOR A NEW AMERICA: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth, THE FOOD REVOLUTION: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World, HEALTHY AT 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples, THE AWAKENED HEART: Meditations on Finding Harmony in a Changing World, and RECLAIMING OUR HEALTH: Exploding the Medical Myth and Embracing the Source of True Healing.

Studies Show Diet Soda Increases Stroke, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Death Rate

A study published in March 2014 revealed that the consumption of diet sodas is linked with an 30% increase in heart disease and death related to cardiovascular events. 

This is yet another study showing clear evidence of the dangers of aspartame and splenda, which the FDA continues to allow in diet sodas, candy, gum, yogurt, cookies and more. Did you know the top level CEO's of the sweetener companies  (e.g., Monsanto) and the FDA are old buddies and have switched places holding position within both organizations?

See the links below for alarming evidence of artificial sweeteners and their link to depression, weight gain, endocrine disorders, migraine headaches.... even gulf war syndrome.

But first the good news!...if you want to enjoy a soda with no worries....A tasty and safe soda alternative, Zevia soda, is available in health foods stores, Amazon.com and more retailers are being added all the time. It is sweetened with stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol. It has zero calories, and does not contain phosphoric acid, which erodes your teeth. For more info, see www.zevia.com. 

 
Aspartame is, by Far, the Most Dangerous Substance on the Market that is Added To Foods
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx
 
Drinking soda greatly increases your risk of stroke: Study
http://www.naturalnews.com/040647_soda_consumption_stroke_risk_diet.html#ixzz2yVT7EZnI

Artificial Sweetener Disease; a new breed of sickness
http://www.naturalnews.com/034378_artificial_sweetener_disease_ASD_aspartame.html#ixzz2yVS9omyJ
 
Artificial Sweeteners Cause Greater Weight Gain than Sugar, Yet Another Study Reveals
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx
 
Diet soda dramatically increases depression risk
http://www.naturalnews.com/038686_diet_soda_depression_aspartame.html

Artificial sweeteners alter how body handles real sugar
http://www.naturalnews.com/028592_artificial_sweeteners_sugar.html#ixzz2yVST2cQK

Fatigued and Forgetful? 13 Tests to Ask Your Doctor for...

Fatigued and Forgetful? 13 Tests to Ask Your Doctor for

According to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), 27 million Americans have thyroid disease, but more than half remain undiagnosed. Why? Because doctors are not running the proper tests. Many of them hear the common complaints of weight gain, depression, hair loss, abnormal periods, etc. and they often mistake those symptoms for other problems. Some of them presume people are overeating or not exercising enough. Some of them think acne, PMS, and abnormal periods should be managed with birth control pills, even though those pills might cause a stroke or blood clot. Without even testing for hormones, several of my former doctors suggested I take birth control and zoloft. The answer was NO. I knew that was not getting to the root cause of the problem.

Warning
If you have a sluggish thyroid, it can progress into hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and eventually can progress into autoimmune disease and even cancer. That is why it's important to get your lab work done early on before it becomes a bigger problem. If you suspect your thyroid is not functioning well, insist on tests 1-5 in the following list.
Also if your thyroid is not functioning well, it's very possible you may have related nutritional deficiencies such as Vitamin D, Magnesium, Zinc, Iron, B12 (Tests 6-8 plus Iron, which is usually included in basic bloodwork.
Tests 9-10 are far better indicators of health disease risk than your cholesterol number. Tests 11-13 may help you get to the root cause of what is causing your symptoms. Finding the root cause is the correct way to address any health problem. As opposed to putting a drug/bandaid into your system that may mask your symptoms but will never help you heal the problem.


Lab Tests

1. TSH
2. Free T3 and T4
3. Reverse T3
4. Thyroid Antibodies - Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO) or antithyroglobulin antibodies
5. Vitamin D
6. Serum B12
7. Zinc
8. Magnesium
9. Homocysteine
10. C-Reactive Protein
11. Metals (mercury, lead, aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, etc.)
12. Lyme disease, Epstein Barr and other infectious organisms (if symptoms are present)
13. Adrenal function (saliva test - usually only offered by alternative practitioners)

Fire your Doctor if he doesn't Test Your Levels of This...

Test your Vitamin D level !

It is estimated that 85% of Americans, including adults and children, are deficient in Vitamin D, and possibly 95% of seniors.  Most of them are completely unaware, which leaves them very vulnerable to a number of serious diseases and health problems (see below). 

Any doctor that is not routinely testing his patient's vitamin D levels, has his head in the sand. 

What makes matters worse, is that mainstream medical 'experts' have way over-promoted sun avoidance, and toxic sunscreen products. The sun is actually very good for us, as long as we don't burn. How did our ancestors every survive if the sun was so deadly?

Getting your vitamin D from the sun is the best way to get it. It is very difficult to get through food unless you are downing a ton of salmon and sardines everyday. Even so, we still need natural sunlight.  Just 20-30 minutes of sun exposure, with your arms and legs exposed (not just your face & hands) can provide you with a healthy dose of vitamin D for that day. Keep in mind that you cannot absorb vitamin D through a window or through sunscreen and you cannot absorb it during the cold months. Additionally, many sunscreens have cancer-causing ingredients, so instead of protecting you from cancer, they are contributing to your risk! Rest easy though in knowing that there are safe and natural sunscreen options, for when you are going to be in the sun for extended periods of time, that will help you not to burn or age. Mercola's sunscreen is my favorite.

My mother is 78 years old and has osteoporosis, and her doctor had not EVER bothered to check her vitamin D level. When he finally did (after I insisted my mom ask for it), they apparently coded it wrong, and she was billed $200! She has medicare, but that shouldn't matter. I asked my own doctor and he said they needed to code it differently and it would have been covered. So, make sure that you insist on your test being covered under your insurance! Her level was low but he didn't advise her in any helpful way. I took care of it as her personal health coach!

This chart provides the levels you want to aim for.

 

 The following illnesses are strongly linked to vitamin D deficiency:

• The Flu
• Cancer 
• Autoimmune disease (MS, Hashimoto's, Psoriasis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn's disease, Celiac disease, and over a dozen more)
• Muscle weakness 
• Psoriasis  
• Chronic kidney disease  
• Diabetes 
• Asthma  
• Periodontal disease 
• Cardiovascular disease, including Congestive heart failure  
• Schizophrenia and Depression 

Vitamin D can Improve the following:

• Pregnancy outcomes (reduced risk of Autism, Autoimmune disease, Cesarean section and pre-eclampsia)
• Type 1 and 2 diabetes
• Heart disease and stroke
• Autism, Alzheimer’s, and other brain dysfunction
• Bacterial and viral infections 
• Depression and mood imbalances
• Immunity 
• Pain in bones, muscles or joints

Supplementing with Vitamin D

The best and only type of Vitamin D supplement you should take is Vitamin D3. If taking gelcaps, make sure it is not made with soybean oil. Purchase one made with olive oil, or take the liquid form.

3 Keys to Reduce Inflammation from AutoImmune Disease

I have Hashimoto's thyroid disease. Sounds weird to say because I always considered myself healthy ...until i started to feel like crap in my late 30's... Didn't know what it was at first...like many other women, i went undiagnosed for YEARS because doctors (at least all the ones I chose) are so pathetic. I have some 'inept doctor' stories....let me tell you! and I fired most of them! Of course I was always polite, and I didn't tell them they were fired. I just didn't return. 

Guess how many followed up and gave me a call to ask where I went or how I was doing???

Yup. ZERO. Sad.

My mom actually feels bad about changing doctors. Do you really think you will hurt their feelings? They obviously don't care. More patients come in all the time. So please, if your doctor isn't helping you, or makes you feel stupid or uncomfortable, fire them! Just find someone new and don't go back. It's not like they are gonna send you flowers and try to get you back. lol

This disease (along with other autoimmune diseases) is reaching epidemic proportions because of all the contamination in our environment, and the crap in our food...and even though the thyroid medication synthroid is the #1 selling drug in our nation, most doctors that I have visited didn't even THINK to test my thyroid and when I figured out that was the problem, I had to tell THEM what tests I wanted to run.

Hello???? Duh!!! 

It took me several years before I learned about the antibodies to the thyroid. I would never had imagined I had autoimmune disease. Many people suffer for years without being diagnosed. It's wasted time and misery...I could have been feeling great a long time ago!!
At first, I just thought my thyroid was sluggish and that's why I was gaining weight and losing the outer third of my eyebrows, among other things... 

I would seriously love to teach doctors a course. All general practitioners and endocrinologists (at the least) should be trained on thyroid disease and made aware of all the specific tests that need to be run, including antibody tests, food allergy tests, Vitamin and mineral tests, gene mutation tests, and more.

Maybe if they knew how to do their job, I would have never gotten so damn sick. I'm not going to go into how bad I got right now. Let's just say I started to wonder if I was going to make it. That was a first...and disturbing to say the least. I have 2 beautiful boys to live for!

Suffice it to say, It really took me down for a while, but I'm feeling pretty great most of the time now. I really want to help other women (and men) with autoimmune problems because it's complicated...and I am a very thorough researcher. It's been my passion for over 20 years to read all about health, healing foods, cancer cures, herbs, metals toxicity, all kinds of things. So, once I finally got the correct diagnosis, I started researching and I never stopped. I am still learning and there is so much to learn. Unfortunately, many doctors out there just prescribe you some synthroid type of drug and send you on your way. It's NOT a cure, and in many people, it can make your disease worse in the long run. It's best to know the facts. And that's what I'm here to share. 

Now. Inflammation - Here's how to bring it down!

For people like me, with autoimmune disease inflammation is caused by a number of things, diet being the main one. Inflammation can be silent or it may show up in the form of bloating, or pain in your joints or muscles, a headache, constipation and all the things listed in the diagram to the left, and more....

SHOCKING NUMBERS 

 The following is an excerpt from an article that was written by Dr.David M. Marquis, DC, DACBN and published on www.Mercola.com:

1 in 12 women and 1 in 24 men are dealing with full blown autoimmune mediated inflammation. The number of undiagnosed people is going to be much higher. People with inflammation in the early phases of autoimmunity will often claim no dietary involvement. This is an inaccurate assumption however because the autoimmunity is often triggered by factors not strictly related to diet and the diet can become a secondary trigger later in the development of the condition. If you are dealing with inflammation then get a comprehensive evaluation to look at what is perpetuating your personal fire. 

1. Lifestyle: Remove adverse mechanisms (Stress, Over-exercising, Poor Sleep, Blood Sugar Dysregulation, Poor Social Behaviors.) Lifestyle factors are huge, the stress response triggers immune marker IL6 which turns on the immune pathway TH17 which is the fast track to Autoimmunity.
2. Lifestyle: Restore beneficial mechanisms: Create conditions of love & appreciation, keep positive attitudes, maintain proper exercise (training to a maximum heart range; i.e. Peak Fitness exercises), have adequate sleep, restore blood sugar balance, and facilitate healthy social interactions. All these things promote natural systemic opioids which pushes the immune pathway TH3 which reduces Autoimmunity.
3. Dietary Support: Stabilize blood sugar, remove food Autoimmune triggers, and promote intestinal integrity with proper flora and nitric oxide and glutathione pathways. Include fermented foods and supplement appropriately as may be needed.

All of these items are very beneficial and this was a great reminder for me! I need to step up the fermented foods and exercise (which Spring is going to greatly help with !!). All of the other things I have been working on steadily. I will be publishing blog entries here as well as publishing my newsletter to teach about this and much more

If you would like to receive my newsletter, please sign up for my mailing list at www.yourwellnesschampion.com 

Welcome - Let's do this!!

Hi! Welcome to my Conquer Hashimoto's (and other wellness topics) blog!  If you choose to follow me, I promise that you will learn a LOT and I will try to to make it fun at the same time. I'm a little nutty and I say it like I mean it! So, there are sure to be some laughs along the way! This blog will have something for everyone...but will definitely offer lots of detailed info on thyroid issues.

My name is Julie. Born in Guam, grew up in Connecticut, and moved to Jersey 25 years ago. No, I don't have a Jersey accent, but I've been told I have a bit of a New England accent.

I was quite a partier when I was younger, coming up in the sex, drugs and rock and roll era of the 70's and 80's. But I still graduated from college ( a couple of times) and had a successful technical career for 25 years now.  In my 20's, my mother became ill and I began studying her conditions and learning all about alternative medicine. I discovered that was my passion in life . I've turned into quite the health geek! I wouldn't say health 'nut' because I'm not perfect. I love to eat and still indulge in things I love, but I have had to give up a few things since I got sick with Hashimoto's disease. I say 'geek' because I'm REALLY into it. I'm like a walking encyclopedia of knowledge. I tend to find out about things that other people haven't heard about. Things 'they' don't tell you on the 5 o'clock (bought and paid for by big pharma and giant companies) news.

How about some TRUTH!?? Yeah and some great news...and no it's not your car insurance savings. How about the cure for cancer? There are several of them! and they don't make you bald or puke your guts out. How about the most amazing foods ever that will make your energy soar!

I have a blog on my Health Coaching website, but I don't like the tool very much, so I thought I'd start a new more focused blog. So here goes!! I hoe you like it. Feel free to drop me a line in the comments! :)   and keep it positive...:)  my immune system doesn't like negative!!

 Namaste

"I honor the place in you where Spirit lives
I honor the place in you which is
of Love, of Truth, of Light, of Peace,
when you are in that place in you,
and I am in that place in me,
then we are One."