Prevention & Better Health

Essentials to know... a common sense approach to better health.
By Christian M. Domergue

Dear Friends of Four Winds Nutrition,
The document below represents the very basic of Natural Health in its simplicity, common sense and balance.

a. Let's remember that Life Creates Life.
We are part of nature and we need to obey the rules of nature. Our bodies are made of trillions of cells and we are alive because these live cells build and cleanse constantly. They grow and multiply in the interstitial fluid. These fluids need to stay in a balanced pH (potential of hydrogen). If we do not have a balanced pH in our body fluids, our cells go into a state of irritation, inflammation and degeneration. This causes the general situation of diagnosis in our country as follows: We die prematurely of heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung disease, pneumonia, diabetes, hepatitis etc.

b. Disease symptoms are simply the body’s efforts to remove waste. For this it is using our channels of elimination: The Respiratory system (lungs) - The Intestinal system (bowels) - The Urinary system (kidneys) - The Skin - The Menses for women.

When the body is fed junk food, excess waste material accumulates and clogs the system, obstructing body functions and giving rise to various manifestations of disease (which means literally "a lack of ease").

skin

respiratory tract

kidneys

menses

c. Pain

we strongly recommend to visit this page

Christian Domergue

Essential to know - Essential to act
Let's concentrate on what really matters when it comes to our body, our life.

1. Learning the facts... what are our chances?
2. Understanding the Biological Terrain
      Cell Membrane
      Cells and oxygen
      Acidity and consequences
3. Digestion-Assimilation
4. Elimination
5. Heart disease and Cholesterol
6. Prevention and Immune Enhancing Antioxidants
7. Liver strengthening (helps with detoxifying and much more)
8. Weight & Acidity
9. Stress: Consequences & Management

1. Facts: Health Of The Nation

7 out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases. Heart disease, cancer and stroke account for more than 50% of all deaths each year. 1
In 2005, 133 million Americans – almost 1 out of every 2 adults – had at least one chronic illness. 2
Obesity has become a major health concern. 1 in every 3 adults is obese3 and almost 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 6 and 19 is obese (BMI ≥ 95th percentile of the CDC growth chart). 4
About one-fourth of people with chronic conditions have one or more daily activity limitations. 5
Arthritis is the most common cause of disability, with nearly 19 million Americans reporting activity limitations. 6
Diabetes continues to be the leading cause of kidney failure, non traumatic lower-extremity amputations, and blindness among adults, aged 20-74. 7
Alzheimer's disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States
Excessive alcohol consumption is the third leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., behind diet and physical activity and tobacco. 8

Conclusion: I don't know about you, but as far as I am concerned I would prefer to die peacefully in my bed rather than in a hospital bed like this poor man below!

Essentials

Allow me to share with you what I consider "essential." Essential knowledge and tools to live a long and healthy life.

1a) Cost To The Nation

In 2011, national health care expenditures in the United States totaled $2.7 trillion or 17.9% of its gross domestic product, a 14% increase from 2000. (Us News) This represents an average of more than $7,900 per person.
Each year in the United States, chronic disease such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes cause 7 in 10 deaths and account for about 75% of the $2 trillion spent on medical care. 9
In 2009, the economic costs of cardiovascular diseases and stroke were estimated at $475.3 billion, including $313.8 billion in direct medical expenses and $161.5 billion in indirect costs ($39.1 in lost productivity due to sickness or disability and $122.4 lost productivity due to premature death). 10
In 2007, medical costs attributed to diabetes included $27 billion for care to directly treat diabetes, $58 billion to treat diabetes-related chronic complications attributable to diabetes, and $31 billion in excess general medical costs. 11
In 2008, the estimated health care costs related to obesity were $147 billion. 12

1b) Prescription Drugs: 4gthe Leading Cause Od Death In The US

According to Dr. Mercola M.D.

Every year, more than 2 million Americans suffer from serious adverse drug reactions. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these reactions cause about 100,000 deaths per year, making prescription drugs the fourth-leading cause of death in the country.

Compare this to the death toll from illegal drugs -- which is about 10,000 per year -- and you begin to see the magnitude of the problem.

However, if you dig a little deeper you find that these reported reactions only skim the surface of what’s really going on. You see, drug side effects are not always recognized as such. Doctors often attribute them to other causes, people downplay them or do not report them altogether. And when you add in other medical errors, unnecessary procedures, and surgery-related mishaps, well the modern health care system actually becomes the LEADING cause of death in the United States. Consider, for instance, that:

The recorded medical errors and deaths equate to six jumbo jets falling out of the sky each day, 365 days a year.

1c) Workplace: Leading Cause Of Absenteism

According to research from the National Institute of Mental Health is depression.
This mood disorder is the leading cause of nonfatal disability among people 15 to 44, and nothing else is even close. It costs the United States $53 billion, that’s billions of dollars annually in direct treatment costs, mortality and lost productivity.
As far as the other leading causes: they are carpal tunnel syndrome, injured backs and neck strain.
Auto accidents as well as slips and falls contribute greatly to problems.

Drug companies have turned mood disorders into diseases to be treated with drugs. Tranquilizers, sleeping pills, anti-depressants and other drugs that affect the brain and nervous system account for an estimated $76 billion of the $300 billion in drug sales (www.addictionbyprescription.com). Time Magazine reported in January 2010 that antidepressants are so popular that one in ten Americans take them. Consumer Reports said that although seven sessions of counseling were just as effective in treating depression as drugs, 80% of Americans preferred taking drugs.
Visit this page: Feeling Great!

Remarks
a. Our health is our responsibility not that of our children, grandchildren or the government!
b. Let us lead by example, starting with the business community, teaching employees the very basic of heath. Suggesting "healthy" incentives for employees to follow. This will surely have a beneficial impact on our health and consequently on our economy and the environment!
c. Let's not forget that children are subjected to the rewards and penalties of the diet and lifestyles of their parents. Dr. Ted Morter Jr. M.D.

d. We must earn, daily, the right to age and die gracefully.

Facts & Tools for Prevention & Better Health

2. Our Biological Terrain

Fact #1.
Internal "Terrain" source of perfect health or diseases.
The great French scientist Pasteur thought that "germs" were the source of all diseases. Really?
Not according to Claude Bernard, another French scientist who made a major contribution to the medical understanding. He believed that the internal terrain or the host's susceptibility to infection was more important than the germ. He developed the concept of the “milieu interne” (the internal environment of the extra cellular fluids of the body), where its consistency determines the cell’s function and integrity. This ultimately determines the body’s tendency towards health or illness.

Physicians, he also believed, should focus more on making this internal terrain a very inhospitable place for disease.

The "lymph" forms a type of internal "ocean" in which all of the cells of our body live. In order for cells to be healthy, this ocean of lymph must be free of toxic waste, comfortably warm and loaded with a proper balance of oxygen and nutrients. This lymphatic ocean is the internal environment or biological terrain of the body. It is the "soil" in which all our cells grow.

As many chronic symptoms are due to toxic accumulation within the cells, reduction of your toxic load is paramount to achieving health and longevity.

As long as the biological terrain is conducive to cell growth, we will be healthy. When the biological terrain is out of balance, we become ill.

Think of it this way... compare a clean swimming pool to a dirty one. If left unattended our pool water provides a stagnant and increasingly dirty environment that bacteria, viruses, parasites love. Our inside "terrain" is subjected to the same kind of unhealthy inhabitants IF left "unattended."

More info about "The Terrain" can be found here.
More info about the pH (how to etc.)
The body pH: What do the numbers mean?
Acid conditons & Consequences

Support
Lymphomax or Lymphatic Drainage
Cellular Detox
Water Ionizers (pH 8.5 - 9.0 or 9.5... start with a pH of 8.5)

Fact #2.
a. Cell membranes can be "clogged up," leading to a lack of energy and poor health.

For the exchange of information and orders between cells to take place, their membranes have to be permeable. Cell membranes are not merely envelopes, they are dynamic structures that play critical roles in the health and detoxification of cells.

Cells membranes are made of healthy fat but are damaged by a poor diet and processed fats such as in most bread, crackers, cookies, margarine, cooking oils and more. This causes their function to deteriorate. Excessive intake of sugars, refined carbohydrates and other processed foods will have the same negative effect. Environmental toxins like mercury and so many chemicals present in our everyday lives can also harm cell membranes, and thus have far-reaching negative consequences on our health.

How do I insure that my cell membranes stay healthy?
The fat in cell membranes is very vulnerable to oxidation, so a lack of antioxidants in the diet is also a primary cause of damage to cell membranes. Antioxidants prevent fats from becoming rancid, which is very dangerous to the body. Oxidation can be described as rusting (cut an apple in half and very soon you will see how fast it oxidizes).

Lecithin is the basis for a fluid that helps the brain and nerve cells to talk to each other. LECITHIN is needed by every tiny living cell in the body as part of the covering around the cell. It keeps the cell coverings (membranes) soft and able to use fats and (good) cholesterol.

Support
Water Ionizers (antioxidants and alkaline water)
Super Antioxidants.
Lecithin (Cell membrane health)

b. Oxygen at the cellular level

Deep Breathing Cells require oxygen and proper hydration to absorb nutrients. Nutrients from (healthy) food allow the cells to generate the energy we need to perform all our day to day "routine." This "Cellular Energy" also allows for the elimination of toxins and waste. (Cellular waste products are formed as a by-product of cellular respiration, a series of processes and reactions that generate energy for the cell, in the form of Adenosine-triphosphate" or ATP.

Learning how to breathe (with our belly) will send oxygen deep into the cells/tissues. Oxygen plays a vital role, not only in our breathing processes but in every metabolic process in the body. aerobicrequiring the presence of air or life.

When cells are deprived of oxygen for any reason (anaerobic), decay sets in and cells can mutate or die (aging). Many health related problems can be reversed through increasing the oxygen level in the cells. So, reversing the shortage of oxygen in the body is a good starting point to rebuilding and strengthening our immune system.

Oxygen and diseases do not get along... remember the "terrain." What matters is the quality of the terrain not the germ.

Support
Liquid Chlorophyll ES (Rejuvenate the blood)
Cellular Energy
CellFood

Fact #3
Acidity: Another cause for many diseases

a). Drinking acidic liquid oxidizes the cells. Consequences: aging - chronic diseases.
b). Acidity at the cellular level has several consequences: arthritis and all the diseases ending up in "itis" (inflammation).

Blood (plasma) and Cellular Fluid.
1. The pH of your blood is tightly regulated by a complex system of buffers that are continuously at work to maintain a range of 7.35 to 7.45, which is slightly more alkaline than pure water.

2. The "Cellular fluid" found in and outside your cells makes up about two-thirds of the total amount of fluid in your body.

When you ingest foods and liquids, the end products of digestion and assimilation of nutrients often results in an acid or alkaline-forming effect - the end products are sometimes called acid ash or alkaline ash.

Also, as your cells produce energy on a continual basis, a number of different acids are formed and released into your body fluids. These acids - generated by your everyday metabolic activities - are unavoidable; as long as your body has to generate energy to survive, it will produce a continuous supply of acids.

So there are two main forces at work on a daily basis that can disrupt the pH of your body fluids - these forces are the acid or alkaline-forming effects of foods and liquids that you ingest, and the acids that you generate through regular metabolic activities.

The body is largely made up of water. This liquid allows nutrients, oxygen and bio-chemicals to be transported throughout the body. If this liquid is not "balanced", that is to say with a pH between 6.4 and 7.2 one cannot assimilate vitamins and minerals!

If the pH deviates too far on the right or left of the pH scale, cells become poisoned by their own toxic waste and die. When the body goes into extreme acidosis, the kidneys start producing ammonia, which may cause the pH to test too alkaline. This condition is frequently found in older people and is the cause of the unpleasant odor in old folks homes.

What if one of the side effects of medicinal drugs was to acidify the body? Could that explain the numerous "other" side effects of most drugs? Could it be true that if the body pH drops below 6.4, enzymes are deactivated, digestion does not work properly; vitamins, minerals and food supplements cannot effectively assimilate.

What if too much acicity in the body was responsible for lower cell energy, inability to repair damage cells or to elmiminate waste residues from cells? I remember talking to Dr. Jack Richason N.D. who told me that he had never seen a cancer patient who was not acidic!

When we encourage you to "alkalize" it simply means that you should eat plenty of foods that have an alkaline-forming effect on your system. The reason for making this suggestion is that the vast majority of highly processed foods - like white flour products and white sugar - have an acid-forming effect on your system, and if you spend years eating a poor diet that is mainly acid-forming, you will overwork some of the buffering systems to the point where you will create undesirable changes in your health.
Some of the worst offenders in term of acidity are ALL soft drinks and most bottled water!

Support
Water Ionizers (pH 8.5 - 9.0 or 9.5... your choice)
Chlorophyll ES Liquid
Ultimate GreenZone (for those of do not eat enough vegetables)

3. Digestion-Assimilation & Probiotics

For your cellular system to receive "healthy" nutrients, you want to make sure that the food you eat is digested properly. Selected enzymes are necessary for proper digestion to happen. Digestive enzymes help the body break down fiber, protein, carbohydrates and fats. They do all their work in the gastrointestinal tract and can help combat common issues such as indigestion, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and gas.

If all goes well these digestive enzymes are coming into your small intestine from your liver, pancreas, and gall bladder.

Unfortunately, we are losing approximately 10% of our "digestive" enzymes for every 10 years of age. So, adding enzymes to one's diet is highly recommended for a majority of us.

Furthermore, nutrients have to be assimilated at the cellular level. In other words, diet is what we eat, but nutrition is what our cells and tissues actually receive. Assimilation is the delicate process by which nutrients are passed through the membranes which surround each living cell. That is where our modern "diet" and "stress" become major issues. (Read about cell membranes above).

For the body’s cells to grow, repair, and rebuild themselves, proper assimilation is essential. For this process to take place, cells - especially their membranes - must be healthy and permeable. Many scientists believe that the aging of organs and tissues occurs when cells deteriorate faster than the body can repair them. Proper assimilation of nutrients is essential for cellular repair.

We are submerged with ingredients that are superfluous (rapid sugars, saturated fats) and poor in essential minerals. The physiological and psychological imbalances provoke dysfunctions and induce a poor state of health: chronic physical and mental fatigue set in thus causing a lack of energy and vitality. For this we must maintain a cellular equilibrium and nourish the organism with nutrients capable of regenerating and revitalizing ourselves.

Why do most of us need probiotics on a daily basis?
They offer a double protection. First by the role they play in our digestive tract. Second they definitely have an impact on our immune system. Although the specific functions listed for probiotics are many, perhaps the most awe-inspiring is that of allowing us to adapt to diversity in our environments. Because the predominant species of probiotic bacteria changes with circumstance, one can digest and extract nutrients from beef in the US, grains in the Middle East, and lichens (yes, those papely growths on logs!) in Lapland. The intestinal flora adapts to your dietary intake.

Other functions are less spectacular but no less necessary for our health: keeping the pathogenic bacteria under control by producing lactic acid, which attacks harmful bacteria enhancing digestion and absorption of both protein and fats, and possibly enhancing the absorption and retention of minerals such as phosphorus, calcium and iron.

Support
Probiotics
Food Enzymes or Proactazymes or Digestive Bitters (digestion - assimilation)

4. Elimination
One must "eliminate" at least once a day.
Toxic material in the colon can inflame its lining. If you have any doubt that this material is injurious to the body, consider a little baby and how you have to keep its diaper changed. If its bowel movement sits too long against its tender skin, the skin becomes red, irritated and inflamed. The body is pushing it out because it is toxic and irritating. That is why it is important for bowel elimination to be quick and efficient.

Colon cleansing not only helps bowel problems, it often relieves respiratory congestion, liver problems, body odor, arthritis, lowered immune response, kidney problems, fatigue, depression, frequent colds and infections, chronic ear problems and a whole host of other conditions.

Essentially, you should have one bowel movement for each (major) meal you eat.

Support
Tiao He Cleanse (general cleansing, a 15 day program - 3 times a year)
Dieter's Cleanse (if you also want to loose weight, as well)
Gentle Move or LBS II (regularity)

5. HEART DISEASES & CHOLESTEROL

Fact #1. Cholesterol is not the “villain,” oxidized cholesterol is.
Fact #2. The real causes of heart diseases: Inflammation, Oxidation, Sugar & Stress

Common sense question: If cholesterol is that bad why is it manufactured “naturally” by the liver – 75% of it? (25% by the food we eat).

What is the role of cholesterol?
1. Produces bile and bile is used to emulsify fat. (Approx. 60% of the body’s cholesterol is used for that purpose! 25% is used in the brain)
2. Produces Adrenal & Reproductive Hormones such as DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) that balances the body's control systems. Also produces Pregnenolone, Progesterone, Testosterone, Estrogen etc.
If cholesterol level is too low one will experience fatigue, depression, loss of sex drive, infertility to name a few.
3. When our skin is exposed to sunlight cholesterol converts to Vitamin D3 (calcium absorption, heart health and Immune function).
Low level of vitamin D3: Osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, cancer.

The Vilain: Oxydised Cholesterol
For cholesterol to create “plaques” in the arteries it has to be oxidized (free radicals).
Oxidized by what? Only by processed food, environmental toxins and the lack of antioxidants nutrients.

Modern Medicine Remedy: Statin drugs.
Approximately $20 billion of statins drugs are sold annually to people who want to reduce their risk of heart disease.
Side effects: Memory loss, peripheral neuropathy, liver damage (decrease in sex drive and infertility issues as well as upset stomach, headache, fatigue, skin rash, sleeping issues and nightmares).

Statin drugs other issue: If it blocks the production of cholesterol in the liver it also blocks the pathway that produces CO Enzyme Q10 a powerful antioxidant that prevent cardiovascular inflammation!

More info on this subject can be found here.

Support
1. If you have to take Statin drugs make sure to also take CoQ-10
2. If you absolutely need to reduce your cholesterol you might consider Loclo a fiber supplement or CardioxLDL .
Another excellent formula to reduce cholesterol is Red Yeast Rice

6. Prevention (antioxidants)... be smart!

Knowing what we have read in paragraph 1 about our chances of getting a chronic disease, it would be foolish on our part not to take some "preventative" measures.
Due to many environmental, lifestyle, and pathological situations, excess radicals can accumulate, resulting in oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been related to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases that account for a major portion of deaths today.

"Antioxidants are compounds that prevent oxidation from causing healthy tissues to decay. They are like the radiator or cooling system in your car. Your car engine burns or oxidizes gasoline in a controlled way, but this generates excess heat. The cooling system of your car removes this heat to keep it from damaging the engine. Antioxidants have the same function in living tissues—they keep the metabolic engine from “overheating” and causing damage to the body.

An antioxidant is a substance that can donate an electron without becoming immediately unstable. The antioxidant donates an electron to the free radical, making it stable. This is why putting slices of apple into some water containing vitamin C, an antioxidant will keep them from turning brown as quickly.

"What causes the initial free radical to develop?
A variety of things induce free radical formation. Sunlight, radiation, chemicals, pollution and fumes can all induce free radicals in the environment. Within your body: stress, exercise, and the very act of metabolism and cellular respiration can all cause free radicals to be created." Dr. Scott Levine M.D.

Without the aid of antioxidants, oxidation can damage DNA, causing cells to mutate and become cancerous. Oxidative damage will also give rise to arterial plaque, causing heart disease and increasing the risk of strokes. Without antioxidants, free radicals can damage brain tissue, leading to Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer's disease or senility.
In short, antioxidants are Nature's anti-aging compounds, protecting us from diseases associated with aging.” Steven Horne

"A good case can be made for the notion that health depends on a balance between oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses. Aging and age-related diseases reflect the inability of our antioxidant defenses to cope with oxidative stress over time. The good news is that with strong antioxidant defenses, long life without disease should be possible."
Andrew Weil, M.D.

One of the most interesting studies that was conducted by a Russian scientist, Elie Metchnikoff, was the discovery of the white blood cells. He and his research associates consumed cultures containing millions of cholera bacteria. Yet none of them developed cholera. The reason: their immune systems were not compromised. Metchnikoff believed, like Claude Bernard mentioned above, that the correct way to deal with infectious disease was to focus on enhancing the body's own defenses.

Support
Super Antioxidants or Super ORAC
Water Ionizers (Oxidation Reduction Potential ORP=values between -80 or more based on your water source and your water's pH reading)

Heredity is a factor to consider
Is (or was) an immediate family member affected by Diabetes, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Arthritis?
If such is the case, then one should pay attention to the first symptoms indicating a possible connection with such diseases.
Talking to your health professional is the first important step towards discovery, prevention and healing.

7. Liver support and why
The liver is the second largest organ in the human body. It performs a large number of functions which are essential to the health of all body systems. It helps digest food, absorb nutrients, neutralize and remove toxic compounds from the body. Its overall health is indicative of your overall level of health - which means it's definitely worth taking care of.

Our liver is assaulted daily due to our lifestyle, the food we eat, the extra salt and sugar hidden in foods, the excessive drinking AND the toxic compounds in food and water!

When the liver is stressed, anger, depression and irritability are more likely to arise. When a person’s liver is functioning harmoniously, the person usually stays calm and relaxed.

Choices That Support the Liver

Start your morning with fresh lemon juice in warm water; this helps flush and decongest the liver.

Eat beets or drink beet and vegetable juice regularly. Beets are an excellent liver cleanser.
Chlorophyll drinks and other green drinks can be used regularly to aid in liver cleansing
High quality protein foods are necessary to restore and sustain the liver. Free-range eggs, fish, raw nuts and seeds and whole grains are beneficial.
Nutritional antioxidants are essential for protecting the liver from free radical damage.
Liver restoration also requires lots of fresh air, exercise, adequate rest, natural foods and a minimum of 2L (approx. 2 quarts) of pure water daily. Other liquids do not count toward the required water intake.

Obesity... Diabetes.... Liver damage
One in three people in the U.S. are officially obese (According to the CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Obesity is the leading cause of a) inflammation and b) diabetes.
People with diabetes are usually afflicted with some form of Fatty Liver Disease.

Thank God, our liver is a very tough organ which can be easily (in most cases) repaired and strengthened. All it takes is the right supplementation AND some key changes in our day to day life such as eating habits and stress control.

Let's remember that the liver aids in metabolism and digestion, and is a major detoxifying organ, breaking down and neutralizing harmful toxic substances.

Support
Liver Balance or Milk Thistle combination
L-Carnitine a must for people with a Fatty Liver.

Food for the liver >

8. Weight & Acidity
Research by Dr. Robert O. Young, author of The pH Miracle for Weight Loss, shows that the epidemic of obesity in the industrialized world might also be the result of too much acidity in the body.

We already ascertained that the body produces acidity through its own metabolic processes, and that the standard western diet adds to this load tremendously. The result is that the body creates fat cells to trap and neutralize these excess acids in the system. Some fat molecules can be excreted from the body, while others are stored, resulting in weight gain.
Traditional methods of weight loss are often not successful – reducing portion size only minimally decreases acid intake.

Reducing calories will actually increase the acidity of the body if sugar substitutes and “fake foods” are used as substitutes, as they increase the overall acidity of the body. Similarly, reducing fat intake does not change the acidity of the body.
Drinking alkaline water and maintaining a healthy body pH can, on the other hand, reduce fat storage by releasing the acidic waste build up. Without excess acid in the system, the body has no need to hold on to the fatty layer it has created to protect itself.

Overweight - Health Consequences (Sources CDC)

Research has shown that as weight increases to reach the levels referred to as "overweight" and "obesity," the risks for the following conditions also increases:

Coronary heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)
Stroke
Liver and Gallbladder disease
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)
Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

*Overweight is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher; obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or higher.

Support
Water Ionizers
L-Carnitine (If obese - Fatty Liver)

Stress Understanding & Management
By Steven Horne, RH (AHG)

Worry. Tension. Stress. In modern society, it's difficult to avoid stress. From debts and unpaid bills to traffic jams and deadlines at work, everyday we are faced with situations that can cause us to "tense up" or start worrying.

It has been estimated that 75-90% of all visits to primary care physicians are for stress-related health problems. So, learning how to manage the stress in our lives is a major key to maintaining good health. To understand how to manage stress, we first need to understand what stress is.

The image below shows the importance of the Pituitary Gland located in the brain and here is why...
When the brain perceives stress, it sends a chemical message to the pituitary gland via the hypothalamus, which triggers the release of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
ACTH causes the adrenals to start producing hormones like epinephrine (adrenaline) and cortisol.

Epinephrine is both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. It tenses our muscles, increases our heart rate and blood pressure, dilates the bronchial and speeds up our breathing, shuts down digestion and other functions not essential to immediate survival, and otherwise prepares the body for action.

Cortisol reduces inflammation, enabling us to cope with injury and pain. Although its role in reducing inflammation is important, too much cortisol causes premature aging, depresses immune function and causes us to lose muscle and gain weight. These stress hormones also cause a rise in blood sugar levels and an increase in blood clotting factors.

With this understanding, it's easy to see how chronic, long term stress can become a factor in numerous health problems, including poor digestive function, constipation, tension headaches, neck and shoulder pain, low back pain, ulcers, high blood pressure, blood clotting, increased risk of infections, asthma, diabetes, excess weight, and even cancer and autoimmune disorders. In fact, it is probable that a large percentage of all the illnesses we experience have a stress component.

If stress can cause so many health problems, it's obvious that we need to learn how to reduce stress in our lives. We may not be able to eliminate the stressful situations in our life, but we can reduce the stressful effects these problems cause in our body.

Learn how to reduce the effects of stress on the body.

Support
Nervous Fatigue Formula or Stress Relief
Nutri-Calm

Also: MasterGland Formula
Adrenal Support