webmaster

Iodine deficiency has reached epidemic proportions worldwide over the last 10 to 20 years. How did this happen? More importantly, how does a deficiency in iodine affect your health and the health of your family?

Table Salt: Not a Viable Option for Iodine

There are specific reasons why iodine levels in the United States and other parts of the world have declined so much since the 1970s. An increasing toxic load, as well as damaging policies from government and manufacturers, are largely to blame.

Two things happened beginning in the 1970s that led to a decline in commercial salt uptake, however.

First of all, consumers en masse began responding to allopathic health warnings about sodium’s connection to high blood pressure by significantly cutting their salt intake.

Secondly, health-conscious individuals began avoiding commercial sources of salt because of the toxins used to produce it.

Indeed, unlike in the 1920s, today’s table salt is actually bleached sodium chloride that has other harmful halides such as fluoride sodium bicarbonate added to it. Most holistic health experts recommend skipping commercial salt altogether and reaching for sea salt or Himalayan pink salt instead.

Toxins Cause Problems with Iodine Absorption

The 1970s also saw an increase in toxic chemicals, which block iodine uptake. This unfortunately has dealt a “one-two punch” to iodine levels overall.

Fluoride, chlorine, and bromide are health-damaging chemicals that happen to share the halide chemical category with iodine. As such, they are able to mimic iodine in the body, even replacing it within iodine receptor sites. During the 1970s, American bread manufacturers also replaced iodine with bromide as a dough softener for their products.

Bromide is particularly dangerous since it has the ability to replace iodine in the thyroid. Studies have shown that when iodine levels are low, bromide can induce hypothyroidism. This includes impaired ability to synthesize thyroid hormones.

Other studies indicate that excessive amounts of bromide can lead directly to goiters, as well as decreased iodine in the mammary glands and increased iodine excretion through the kidneys. In addition to commercial bread products, bromide can also be found in paint, new car interiors, and pool-cleaning products.

Fluoride found in tap water and dental products is another chemical that blocks iodine in the body. In addition, a chlorine-containing chemical called perchlorate, an ingredient in jet fuel, can also lead to dangerously low iodine levels.

A 2005 study done at Texas Tech University found that the average breast-feeding infant consumes twice the recommended maximum daily level of perchlorate, as established by the National Academy of Sciences.

Common Iodine Deficiency Symptoms

• Persistent swelling or soreness in the neck and throat
• Unexplained weight gain
• Fatigue
• Muscle soreness
• “Brain fog”
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders, such as anxiety or depression
• Cyst formations in the ovaries
• Uterine fibroids
• Complications in the prostate
• Hair loss
• Dry skin
• Fluctuations in heart rate
• Feeling colder than usual
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Gastric issues, such as colitis
• Autoimmune conditions
• Thyroid, breast, prostate, and other reproductive system-related cancers

Some of these symptoms may seem familiar to you, since they are also indicative of low thyroid function, otherwise known as hypothyroidism. This is because iodine is literally the “food” for the thyroid. Key hormones created in the thyroid, such as thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), cannot be created without it.

Other symptoms may come as a surprise. For example, did you know that in addition to being utilized in the thyroid, iodine is also housed and used in the salivary glands, breast tissue, gastric mucosa, ovaries, and the choroid plexus, the grouping of cells in the brain responsible for creating cerebrospinal fluid?

Iodine plays a part in every function in the body, and when you are deficient it affects every organ. According to National Cancer Institute statistics, thyroid cancer rates have risen 3.8% every year for the last 10 years. Rates of breast, uterine, prostate, and digestive system-related cancers have also been on the rise.

Finally, other ailments possibly related to iodine deficiency, such as autoimmune diseases and gastric system conditions, continue to affect almost everyone. Their rise began around the same time as iodine levels began to decrease in the United States as a whole.

How to Increase Your Iodine Levels: 4 Ways

Knowledge is power. Now that you know the facts about iodine deficiency and what causes it, you should also know that there are many things you can do to make sure you have adequate amounts in your body.

Here are 4 quick tips you can start today to ensure you’re not iodine deficient:

#1. Increase Intake of Lugol’s Solution

You can start with your plate. Some foods high in iodine include quality fish and seafood, seaweed and kelp, cranberries, strawberries, and green, leafy vegetables.

Because of poor soil and increased toxic load, obtaining your iodine strictly from what you eat is often not enough. In this case, a high-quality, super-absorbable, and organically-sourced iodine supplement is the way to go.

#2. Test Your Iodine Levels

You can do this on your own through a skin test or through an iodine loading test. While you are at it, get your levels of fluoride and bromide tested as well!

#3. Flush Out Toxins

This involves boosting your liver and kidney function as well as taking measures to get rid of bromide, fluoride, and chlorine in the body. Milk Thistle is a gentle yet powerful detoxifying herb that strengthens both the liver and the immune system.

#4. Reduce Exposure to Harmful Halides

Choose filtered water free from fluoride. Opt out of the use of fluoride toothpastes and dental products. Limit your exposure to chlorine and bromide in swimming pools. Choose organic sources for bread the next time you shop. There are dozens of actions you can take to limit your exposure to harmful halides. Choose one each week and stick with it!

Calcifications In The Breast And Uterus Safe Natural Cures 

Calcifications of the uterus sometimes accompanied by uterine fibroids or uterine myomas, microcalcifications in  the breast, or bone spurs is caused by a magnesium deficiency. Again, any time there are calcifications the body you  must consider a magnesium deficiency as the most common cause. A magnesium deficiency is caused by an  excessive amount of strange estrogen known as xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens are chemicals or herbs that mimic  estrogen strangely or weirdly. It is well-known that oral contraceptives cause a magnesium deficiency as  documented by the physicians desk reference. Oral contraceptives contain one type of xenoestrogen. 

The solution is simple. 

1） Magnesium Aspartate / Citrate
2） Progesterone
3） Lugol’s solution

1) Magnesium Aspartate / Citrate 

Take Magnesium Aspartate / Citrate daily until you almost get diarrhea, and then back off. Magnesium Aspartate /  Citrate is superior to other types of magnesium supplements to dissolve calcifications. The aspartate / citrate will  form a soluble complex with calcium to dissolve the calcification. 

Calcifications of the uterus can most easily be seen by ultrasound, an x-ray, MRI or CAT scan. It is considered to be  an incidental finding by mainstream medicine.  

Many times when you do a mammogram you will see small radio opaque shadows that look like sand in the breast,  this may or may not be associated with breast cancer. They are usually so small that they cannot be detected by  palpation. They are common especially after the age of menopause. For most patients, breast calcifications are  benign. However, some tight clusters with the irregular shapes indicate breast cancer. Macrocalcifications in the  breast look like large white dashes or dots. Universally, macro calcifications are benign.  

Bone spurs, osteophytes, are bony little horns that form on the edges of the bone. Bone spurs can form on the spine  or on the tendon that attaches to your foot bone. Bone spurs are considered by mainstream medicine to be the  product of osteoarthritis. Bone spurs can cause pain and even rub on other bones, soft tissue such as ligaments, or  tendons. Mainstream medicine believes that they form in response to rubbing pressure that continues over a long  period of time. Mainstream medicine believes that it is a product of inflammation. However, I believe that not only  is there inflammation occurring, but there is also a magnesium deficiency causing the bone spur calcifications. 

People with low citrate in their urine usually have kidney stones. Citrate combines with the calcium in the calcium  oxalate stones to form a soluble complex. This means there is less free calcium to form calcium oxalate. 

Symptoms Of A Magnesium Deficiency 

A magnesium deficiency causes muscles to tighten and tense. Muscle tightening can be caused by organophosphate  pesticide poisoning.

Organophosphate pesticide is a toned down nerve gas. Yes, organophosphate pesticide is in the same category of  chemicals as VX or Sarin nerve gas, the poor man’s weapon of mass destruction. Pesticide solvents and the  pesticide itself is frequently hormone disruptive in addition to being a carcinogen as an additional penalty. 

The intestine is just a smooth muscle tube. The magnesium deficiency will also cause constipation. The uterus is just  a muscular upside down sac. A magnesium deficiency will cause uterine cramping. Arteries are tubes that are  surrounded by smooth muscle. A magnesium deficiency will cause a constriction of arteries and arterioles causing  hands and feet to be cold. Tight neck and shoulders is caused by a magnesium deficiency too. 

Chocolate is very high magnesium. Therefore, people with a magnesium deficiency usually have a chocolate craving.  This chocolate craving for women occurs just before their period. A chocolate craving just before your period. Chocolate increases a woman’s estradiol. Chocolate also contains theobromine, an estrogen. This excess estrogen  caused by chocolate will make the magnesium deficiency worse. So on one hand, chocolate contains very high  magnesium and satisfies the chocolate craving. On the other hand, chocolate contains chemicals that elevate  estradiol and also act like estrogen which makes your magnesium deficiency worse. When you take magnesium  supplements, your magnesium deficiency will go away. As your magnesium deficiency becomes satisfied and you  become magnesium sufficient your chocolate craving will go away. 

Xenoestrogens Cause A Magnesium Deficiency 

The cause of your magnesium deficiency is xenoestrogens. “Xeno” simply means foreign. So, xenoestrogen simply  means foreign estrogen. Xenoestrogens are chemicals or herbs that mimic estrogen. These xenoestrogens fit into the  estrogen receptor and masquerade as estrogen. They fit into the estrogen receptor and provoke a reaction from the  receptor that is kind of estrogen like, but not really estrogen. Xenoestrogens are strange estrogens. They have  estrogen like effects, but may be seriously different. For instance, birth control pills contain an estrogen that is  similar to natural estrogen, but have several molecular modifications. The estrogen inside birth control pills will  cause breast cancer according to the physicians desk reference. The strange estrogen in birth control pills also cause  a magnesium deficiency according to the Physician’s Desk Reference. 

In another example of unintended consequences, synthetic pyrethroid insecticides can also act as a hormone and  their ability to disrupt session signaling experiments.  

Pyrethroids is a hormone disruptors. This is an example of a chemical designed to be an insecticide, but also acts as  an estrogen mimic. Estrogen mimics can cause breast cancer. 

Xenoestrogens Can Be Natural And Organic 

Similarly, some herbs that are natural and organic can be hormone disruptive. This is the most common  misconception I hear about over the phone. “But the herbs can’t be hurting me, the herbs are natural and organic.”  

The herbs that tend to be hormone disruptive are the ones that are fragrant. This is because benzene rings fit into the  estrogen receptor in organic chemistry. 

Clifford Bloch M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist in Denver, Colorado, had several young boys with gynecomastia  known commonly as “man boobs.” He found that their parents are giving them tea tree oil and lavender oil as a  topical. He advised the parents to stop giving these oils to their boys. After 3 to 4 months, the man boobs  disappeared. He tested the boys own hormones and found them to be normal. He then took the tea tree oil and  lavender oil separately and put them in breast cancer cells to tests for their estrogen stimulating behavior. He found  that both tea tree oil and lavender oil stimulated the breast cancer cells sensitive to estrogen to proliferate. He also  found that the tea tree oil and lavender oil blocked testosterone. Thus the boy’s estrogen receptors were stimulated  and the boy’s testosterone receptors were blocked. Effectively, the parents were turning their boys into girls using  tea tree oil and lavender oil as a topical.

At the University of Rochester medical Center published in the international Journal of andrology they examined  phthalates levels in mothers’ urine in the playground behaviors of their preschool boys. Two phthalates DEHP and  DBP are found in PDC containing products, soaps and lotions, vinyl and plastic tubing. Phthalates are increasingly  implicated with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities, and reduce testosterone in babies and adults. 

In the new study, higher concentrations of metabolites of DEHP and DPB were associated with less male type  behavior in boys on a standard play questionnaire. Mothers provide urine samples at the 28th week of pregnancy.  The speculation is that the phthalates may lower fetus testosterone during the critical window of 8-24 weeks of  gestation when the testes begin to function. If testosterone production is inhibited, it could alter brain sexual  preferences. Higher concentrations of DEHP and DPB metabolites in the pregnant mother’s urine corresponded with  less masculine play behavior scores. 

I had one patient that had about seven children. She gave her son lavender oil on the palms of his hands every night  to help them go to sleep. After a while, he started hanging out with the girls and wanted to grow his hair long just  like a girl. He became feminized in his behavior. After reading about lavender, she stopped the lavender.  Immediately, he began to throw rocks and make arrows and hang out with the boys. He did not want to be with the  girls any more. His parents did not guide him into specific behaviors. He did this all on his own. 

Get Rid Of Xenoestrogens 

Xenoestrogens are ubiquitous. However, we cannot live in a plastic bubble. So, it is important to do the 20% effort  to get the 80% effect. Anything on the skin goes straight into the body. Just as nicotine patches released nicotine in  the body, anything you put into the skin is released into the body. Not only that, but anything put on the skin goes  directly into the body bypassing the liver. In contrast, anything you eat is first pass metabolized by the liver. Thus,  anything you put on the skin is 10 times the oral dose in potency. Thus, don’t worry so much about what you eat.  Worry about what you are putting on the skin. Change your laundry detergent, soap, conditioner, shampoo,  deodorant, toothpaste, and lotion. 

2) Take Progesterone To Balance Xenoestrogens 

Taking progesterone can balance out the effect of weak xenoestrogens. If you take progesterone with the weak  xenoestrogens you will get better. Taking progesterone with strong xenoestrogens will make you worse temporarily  until you stop the progesterone because of the paradoxical effect. If you take progesterone with xenoestrogens,  sometimes the progesterone will work for a couple of months and then it will stop working. If you take progesterone  with herbs that block progesterone at the receptor level, then when you take progesterone it will be as if there was  nothing in the bottle. 

Progesterone is not the same as synthetic brand-name progestins. Progesterone is the same molecule your body  produces. Synthetic brand-name progestins take natural progesterone and chemically modify it. It is chemically  modified to be patented. Once patented, large profits can be made. The large profits may be used to hire drug reps at  hundred thousand dollars per year. The drug reps then convince unsuspecting doctors to use it. Large TV advertising  and magazine advertising budgets can be had. Large research efforts that cost upwards of $100 million for the drug  can be paid for. In contrast natural progesterone is cheap because it is not patented. There are many suppliers. There  is no profit. There is no money for research. There is no money for advertising. There is no money to hire drug reps. 

Progesterone is routinely used by fertility test tube doctors to prevent miscarriage. Progesterone does not cause birth  defects. Synthetic brand-name progestins cause birth defects according to the physicians desk reference. If you use a  brand-name synthetic progestin to stop miscarriage this will cause birth defects, and it is considered to be  malpractice.  

What would you rather use?

Side Effects Of Progesterone 

The reason why you can have bad side effects with progesterone is because of estrogen receptor down regulation. If  you have chronic xenoestrogens in your life, then your body protects itself by shutting down its sensitivity to  estrogen. This is known as down regulation. It is sort of like going to a very noisy rock concert. After half an hour  it’s not so noisy. This is because your ears down regulate to a loud noise. Your ears become less sensitive to the  noise. When you take progesterone your “ears” wake-up. All of a sudden, the rock concert seems loud again. All of  a sudden, the estrogen seems loud again. You regain your original sensitivity to estrogen. This is why when you take  progesterone with strong xenoestrogens you will get worse temporarily until you stop progesterone. This is why  when you take progesterone with xenoestrogens, the progesterone stops working after two months. Mercola labels  this as “dermal fatigue”. It is not “dermal fatigue.” It is simply that you are taking progesterone with xenoestrogens  and estrogen receptors have woken up. 

The solution is to eliminate xenoestrogens for one to three months and then take progesterone. The reason why you  wait for one to three months is that you have to wait for the topicals that you have been using before that contain  xenoestrogens to wash out of your body. Many topicals are fat loving and go into the fat. It may take one to three  months for these xenoestrogens to wash out of the body. Furthermore, if you start to lose fat (lose weight), the fat  will releasing lotions and you may get sick from them. 

3) Take Iodine To Reduce Xenoestrogen Sensitivity 

Iodine seems to reduce xenoestrogens sensitivity because iodine converts strong estradiol to weak estriol. I have  had several patients that avoided xenoestrogens and improved greatly. One patient had endometriosis pain 10 out of  10. After five months of being on our program of avoiding xenoestrogens, she had pain of 3 out of 10. Then, she  took iodine in three weeks or pain decreased to 0 out of 10. It is extremely important to take Lugol’s iodine. This is  because Lugol’s iodine contains iodide ion (I-) and atomic iodine (I2). Your tissues need both iodide ion and atomic  iodine. Some tissues take up iodide ion (I-). Some tissues take up atomic iodine (I2). You must have both types of  iodine for optimal health. 

I recommend starting at 3 mg of iodine per day. This is one drop of 2% Lugol’s iodine. Then ramp up and increase by 10 mg per day every two weeks until you reach 50 mg per day. Maintain 50 mg per day for 3 to 4 months. This  fills your body up with iodine. Then cut back to 10 mg per day for maintenance. 

Most important thing to watch out for is bromine toxicity. Iodine forces out bromine. People get sick from bromine.  Bromine will displace iodine on of the thyroid hormone possibly, and then, the thyroid hormone becomes useless,  and the thyroid hormone will not work. Bromine is found in sports drinks, soft drinks, commercial bakery products,  brominated swimming pools instead of chlorinated summing pools, sleep aids, and asthma inhalers. As of 2014,  PepsiCo quietly took out bromine out of some of its soft drinks. Coca-Cola is thinking of following suit. Bromine in  soft drinks is banned in the European Union. 

When taking iodine, bromine will be forced out and you could have some of the following symptoms: eyelid  twitching, foot tingling, tingling in the hands and feet, depression, anxiety, emotionality, acne name was a rash (zinc  helps), lethargy, odd swallowing sensations, body odor, diarrhea, constipation, loss of hair, runny nose, kidney pain,  and headache. It is important to remember that the side effects are not from iodine but the bromine that is pushed out  of the tissues by iodine. The most common side effect is heart palpitations and vivid dreams with difficulty sleeping.  For this reason, I recommend taking iodine in the morning.

As a general rule if you are cooking meat out on the grill, whether it’s grass fed or grain fed beef, or whatever  it is… if you’re burning it then you’re producing those HCAs, heterocyclic amines. 

So if you’re char grilling it, those blackened areas tasted great. Those are carcinogens. We want to stay away  from that. If you’re smoking it the smoke that’s coming up, that’s polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. We want  to stay away from that too. 

The preferred way of cooking meat is just on a good stainless steel pan, lots of virgin coconut oil. Load up  generously on the coconut oil in there and it will protect the meat. We want a lot of these good fats and then  cook the meat in that, and cook it till it just lightly browned and that’s good. 

Now if you are going to do an outside grill, you’re going to do charcoal, you would certainly want to make  sure you marinate it with extra virgin olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon and it will provide an antioxidant defense  to help protect the meat from producing a lot of free radicals when you cook it. Just don’t let it smoke, don’t let  it burn. Try to pull it off there a little quicker and you’re going to do a lot better with that.  

You can actually eat a fried food that is healthy for you which is odd because we’re under the impression that  all fried foods are bad and the reason is really a combination of things. Typically when you go and you get  some sort of fried food − French fries, fried chicken − it’s going to be fried in a high omega-6 vegetable oil.  Basically it’s going to create a trans fat. Trans fatty acids which are extremely toxic and destructive in the  body because they take these polyunsaturated fats and they cook them at a high temperature. And these poly  unsaturated fats can’t handle that. So they’re taking things like corn oil and soybean oil which are typically  genetically modified as well. So you’ve got problems there. 

Usually using the wrong type of batter and they’ve got a lot of gluten in there and genetically modified  ingredients in whatever their batter is that they’re using with the chicken and the French fries. And of course, typically a chicken’s commercially raised and—so you got a whole bunch of problems right from the start. 

Some organic flour on the chicken or whatever, dip it in the coconut oil and it tastes great. Pasture raised  chicken that was raised properly, it’s going to, again, concentrate omega-3 fats. It’s going to have a lot more  antioxidants in all of its cells, in all of its tissue. Now you use something like coconut flour, which is gluten free, low carb, good fibers, and you put that in there and then you deep fry it in coconut oil. You’re going to  have a lot less problems with that. It’s going to be a lot better for the body. So that’s the way to do it.

Breast Cancer Awareness month happens every October, which means the “Great Pink Push”  is unleashed. The cancer industry will shift into overdrive, urging women everywhere to get their  mammogram screenings as they beg for cash donations for breast cancer research. All the while  providing little in the way of practical preventative tips and tools that women can use to avoid this common form of cancer. 

As an informed, health-savvy individual, you probably want to know what signs that you have  breast cancer you need to be on the lookout for, in order to nip breast cancer in the bud. Instead of having to deal with the weight of a breast cancer diagnosis after it’s progressed – which  hopefully will never happen! We’ve compiled a list of five early warning breast cancer signs,  most of which are rarely talked about in the media. Learn these breast cancer symptoms and  signs as part of your preventative arsenal to stay ahead of the game.  

Early Signs of Breast Cancer in Women: Don’t Just Look for Breast Lumps 

The most common way that conventional doctors look for the first signs of breast cancer in  women is to identify lumps in the breast. They most often do this with mammogram x-rays. This  offer physicians a basic roadmap for navigating the terrain of breast tissue, which they believe  allows them to pinpoint any lumps, masses, or other warning signs of breast cancer that might  point to a malignancy. 

But mammograms can be a potential cause of cancer due to the ionizing radiation they send into  breast tissue. They also aren’t accurate 100 percent of the time, despite what you may have been  told. Lumps and masses in breast tissue can be either benign (harmless) or malignant (cancerous),  and mammograms don’t differentiate between the two. This often leads to false diagnoses and  unnecessary treatments with chemotherapy and radiation. 

A better option, if you choose to undergo routine cancer screenings, is thermography. This  unique screening method allows doctors to not only look for unusual lumps or growths, but look  for other breast cancer symptoms in women. This can include identifying whether or not  angiogenesis is taking place within the breast tissue, which is a much stronger and more accurate  indicator that breast cancer may be present. 

Angiogenesis is a fancy way of saying new blood vessel growth, which may reveal that a  woman’s body is trying to build a new supply system for blood to be delivered to developing  breast tumors. Doctors who specialize in examining thermography images will be able to identify  whether or not angiogenesis is taking place, and suggest a proper course of action. 

Other possible symptoms of breast cancer include: 

• Swelling of all or part of a breast (even if no distinct lump is felt) 
• Skin irritation or dimpling 
• Breast or nipple pain
• Nipple retraction (turning inward) 
• Redness, scaliness, or thickening of the nipple or breast skin 
• Nipple discharge (other than breast milk) 

Your Hormones and Cellular Health 

A lot of health experts like to talk about breast cancer as something that results from “bad  genetics,” being passed down from mothers to their daughters. This implies that breast cancer  can’t be avoided and occurs as an unfortunate “luck of the draw” type scenario. And depending  on the type of breast cancer they’re talking about, there may be some merit to this popular theory. 

But most types of breast cancer are a result of environment, diet, and lifestyle, all of which  dictate how a woman’s endocrine system produces and balances hormones. In other words,  hormone imbalance plays a much greater role in determining breast cancer risk than many people  think. Thermography can help qualified physicians determine whether or not a woman has an  elevated breast cancer risk due to this often overlooked early indicator. 

Know the Breast Cancer Signs 

Every woman’s body has a unique ebb and flow, and getting in tune with your own personal  rhythm is invaluable for becoming aware of signs you have cancer. Paying close attention to any  unusual changes that might be occurring, especially within breast tissue, is critical to avoiding  breast cancer. 

If you feel any unusual aches or pains in your breast, including occasional throbbing, pain, or  even fluctuating discomfort, talk to your healthcare provider. Many women assume that only an  isolated lump with localized pain suggests the presence of breast cancer. The truth is that breast  cancer can manifest as “scattered, seed-like” tumors that, in some cases, spread like small  tentacles throughout breast tissue. 

Experts from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston warn that breast cancer often shows up  without the classic breast cancer warning signs of lumps or redness. As mentioned above, other  breast cancer symptoms in females can include swelling and irritation, dimpling, nipple  discharge beyond normal lactation, nipple inversion, and/or a thickening and reddening of skin  around the nipple. These are all potential early breast cancer signs you need to pay attention to in  your body. 

“There are breast cancers that present as half a lump or there may be no lump at all,” says Dr.  Naoto Ueno, chief of Translational Breast Cancer Research at the Center, as quoted by CBS  News. “It could just be a strange-looking skin appearance or skin being red or dimpled.” 

Just be sure to look for patterns of change or any new and unusual symptoms that occur outside  the norm. Occasional aches and pains may not be early symptoms of breast cancer, but persistent  itching, for instance, could point to fluid buildup, poor lymph function, or your body trying to  create new blood vessels for breast tumors.

Can Back Pain Indicate Breast Tumor Development? 

Upper back pain that feels as though it’s coming from deep within the bones may be an early  sign of breast cancer. But don’t assume that every occasional bout of soreness or back pain you  notice means you’re becoming the next statistic! Chronic back pain that doesn’t relent with  stretching, chiropractic, or other means may be a sign that breast cancer tumors are forming. 

Sometimes when tumors are developing in a woman’s breast, they put pressure on the ribs and  spine causing new found and persistent pain. You need to be aware of any changes that occur in  your spinal column, upper back, and even neck. Talk to your doctor if you feel as though the  pain you’re experiencing is unusually pronounced and marked by pressure from a possible  internal growth. 

Nutrient Deficiency and Breast Cancer 

If you’re not getting enough of the right nutrients in your diet, including vitamin D and iodine,  your risk of developing breast cancer is already elevated. Nutrient deficiency is endemic in the  West. Many people don’t realize that what they’re not eating is increasingly their likelihood of  developing chronic health conditions such as breast cancer. 

Nearly 75% of the adult “healthy” population is deficient in iodine, which has been shown to  help ward off cancer cells in the breast and elsewhere throughout the body. Vitamin D deficiency  is another one of the risk factors in breast cancer. A 2012 study published in the Indian Journal  of Endocrinology and Metabolism revealed that low vitamin D levels are a hallmark in women  with breast cancer. Other studies show similar findings. 

A good rule of thumb in today’s nutrient-depleted world is to supplement with these and other  cancer-fighting nutrients such as selenium and zinc. You may also wish to consult with a trained  naturopath or integrative doctor. They can help you identify any specific nutrient deficiencies  you might have and help you optimize your unique biological “terrain” for the very best breast  cancer prevention.

An adenoma is the general name for a tumor which develops primarily from glandular tissue (adeno cells).  Adenomas can develop in many body organs, including the thyroid, the colon, and adrenal glands,  (anywhere there are glands). But when it occurs in the breast it is generally called a “fibroadenoma”.  Though benign, there is some concern that over time adenomas could progress and become malignant, so  they are taken quite seriously and followed closely.  

A fibroadenoma is a noncancerous tumor in the breast that’s commonly found in women under the age of  30. The tumor consists of breast tissue and stromal, or connective, tissue. Fibroadenomas can occur in one  or both breasts.  

Some fibroadenomas are so small they can’t be felt. When you’re able to feel one, it’s very distinct from  the surrounding tissue. The edges are clearly defined and the tumors have a detectable shape. They’re  moveable under the skin and typically not tender. These tumors often feel like marbles, but may have a  rubbery feel to them. 

2 types of fibroadenomas 

There are two types of fibroadenomas: simple fibroadenomas and complex fibroadenomas.  

The simple tumors don’t increase breast cancer risk and look the same all over when viewed under a  microscope.  

The complex tumors contain other components such as macrocysts, fluid-filled sacs large enough to feel  and to see without a microscope. They also contain calcifications, or calcium deposits. Complex  fibroadenomas can increase your risk of breast cancer. The American Cancer Society states that women  with complex fibroadenomas have approximately one and a half times greater risk of developing breast  cancer than women with no breast lumps. 

How are fibroadenomas diagnosed? 

A physical examination will be conducted and your breasts will be palpated (examined manually). A  breast ultrasound or mammogram imaging test may also be ordered.  

Foods to avoid: 

• Reduce meat intake 
• No refined sugars 
• Avoid estrogen like compounds i.e. soy, dairy 
• Drink fresh organic vegetables juices daily. 
• Alkalize body with fresh fruits and vegetables. 
• Stress and lack of sleep affect fibroadenoma in a negative way. 
• Avoid fried fatty & processed foods. 
• Get off with control pills (OCP). 
• Eliminate all caffeine (coffee green, white, oolong, black tea) coca-cola and chocolate.

Supplements to be taken: 

• Vitamin E 
• Evening primrose oil (EPO) 
• Lugol’s Solution 
• Castor Oil 
• Krill oil 
• Herbs for benign growth: Thuja, Echinacea & Phytolacca 
• Milk thistle & Dandelion 
• Natural progesterone + testosterone + Vit E + EPO cream (BIHRT)  
• Eternal natural cream for fibroadenoma consisting of Castor oil, Echinacea, Aloe gel, Thuja and  Lugol. 
• Coffee enema – liver detox 
• Vitamin D3 
• I3C + DIM (Indole-3-Carbinol + Di-indolyl-methane) 
• Glutathione

Stop and consider for a moment what differentiates a man from a woman. I’m not talking about the  obvious variances in physical attributes, but rather the internal physiological terrain and how it varies  between the two sexes. Hormonally speaking, you might say that a man is more dominant in testosterone,  while a woman’s body favors estrogen: and you’d technically be right. But is it really that simple, and is  there a point at which high estrogen levels can become a problem for women? 

It’s pretty much common knowledge that men generally want to avoid estrogen like the plague – we get  plenty of it as it is, and more often than not need more testosterone. But women who have very high  estrogen levels (known as estrogen dominance), or who may be at risk of developing estrogen-related  health conditions, are oftentimes in the exact same boat as men. For a woman suffering from estrogen  dominance, even a little extra estrogen from, say, an endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) in her favorite  shampoo, could be enough to completely send her health over the edge. 

You might be thinking to yourself: but isn’t estrogen good for women? It is, but only in proper balance  with testosterone. If you think of the human body as a see-saw, testosterone and estrogen hormones  represent the weight and counterweight that keep the platform from plunging one way or the other into  the ground. There are going to be ups and downs, sure – back and forth, ebb and flow – this is completely  normal and in line with normal human physiology. But there’s a general balance that keeps the body  anchored to the pivot point, so to speak, and this balance is missing in women with estrogen dominance. 

Common Causes of Estrogen Dominance 

So what causes dangerously high levels of estrogen in women? There are many potential factors, not the  least of which include EDCs, as I mentioned earlier. These chemical toxins hide in everything from water  and air to food and even furniture. Escaping them in our heavily industrialized world is definitely a  challenge – especially when you can’t necessarily see, smell, or taste them. They’re basically invisible  poisons that quietly wreak havoc on the body, and this is true for both women and men. 

Industrial pollutants of nearly all kinds almost always have estrogen-mimicking properties which add to a  woman’s estrogen load. These include plastics chemicals like bisphenol-A (BPA), flame-retardant  chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, and parabens. Many foods also contain phytoestrogenic compounds  like isoflavones that, while they serve a purpose, can overwhelm the body’s hormone stores. Such foods  include soy and other legumes, alcohol (especially beer that contains hops), refined sugars, simple  carbohydrates (especially those derived from processed grains), and conventional meat and dairy products  that contain growth hormones and antibiotics. 

Stress is another factor linked to estrogen dominance, and one that many people, both men and women,  tend to overlook. It’s a common misconception that our bodies are only limited in their potential by our  reluctance to push them to the max. While there’s something to be said for training hard – and I should  know, being a former bodybuilder – there’s even more to be said about making time for rest and  relaxation, something that too many people in today’s busy world fail to incorporate into their daily  routines. 

When a woman’s body is constantly wound up in go, go, go mode, her adrenal glands can get overworked  to the point that they no longer produce enough progesterone in relation to estrogen. Usually this is  because her adrenals are instead having to produce cortisol (a “fight or flight” hormone) to offset all the 

stress she’s enduring. This throws off her progesterone-estrogen balance, typically swaying it in favor of  estrogen. 

Do You Have Adrenal Fatigue and Don’t Even Know It? 

We call this condition adrenal fatigue, or adrenal burnout. Because symptoms start out small and  progress over time, many women don’t even know that their stressful lifestyles are harming them in this  manner. This is one of the biggest reasons why stress is arguably the most toxic “substance” in our  modern lives. 

In the same vein, not getting enough rest can also contribute to estrogen dominance. Irregular sleeping  patterns and lack of sleep directly inhibit a woman’s body from recharging its hormone stores. Inadequate  sleep also negatively affects production of nighttime hormones like melatonin, a sleep hormone that  actually helps to protect a woman’s body against estrogen dominance. 

Symptoms of High Estrogen Levels 

So how do you know if you suffer from estrogen dominance? Generally speaking, it’s kind of hard to  miss. A healthy woman with balanced hormones will typically feel energetic, happy, and have a healthy  sex drive. A woman with estrogen dominance, on the other hand, will feel the exact opposite: tired,  moody, and sexually dormant. 

This is obviously a blanket categorization that will vary from woman to woman, and from day to day for  each woman. But the essence of what it means to be estrogen dominant is that a woman no longer feels  like herself (and the same is true for women who don’t have enough estrogen, by the way. Remember, it’s  all about balance.) 

A woman may have increased troubles digesting her food, for instance, or notice that she’s suddenly  having a harder time sleeping (or perhaps staying awake), or maybe she no longer feels like exercising or  even associating with her friends like she used to. 

Interestingly enough, the symptoms of overly high estrogen levels in women tend to be many of the same  signs that men experience when their bodies have too much estrogen as well. Things like loss of drive,  both sexually and in daily life; difficulty concentrating; irritability; and chronic fatigue are just a few of  the many personality changes that come to mind when a person’s hormones are out of whack. 

And then, there are the bodily changes. Estrogen dominance tends to manifest physically as increased  body fat – especially around a woman’s middle section – along with a corresponding loss of muscle mass.  As it turns out, that extra flab that seems to pop up out of nowhere is often a direct cause, as well as a  symptom, of estrogen dominance. Irregular periods, headaches, hair loss, and colder-than-normal  extremities are further indicators that a woman’s hormones are imbalanced. 

Perhaps the most concerning symptoms of estrogen dominance are breast abnormalities. Women who  develop sensitivity, swelling, or mysterious lumps in their breasts should not only take notice of a  potential hormone imbalance, but also seek help in addressing it. If left unchecked, such symptoms have  the potential to progress into full-blown breast cancer of the estrogen-positive type – a diagnosis that no  woman wants to receive.

7 Helpful Tips to Avoid Estrogen Dominance 

So what’s a woman to do? Firstly, don’t fret. I’m not trying to scare, worry, or add any more stress to  your life. I simply want to inform you about this important subject of high estrogen level so that you can  take the proper steps to hopefully avoid ever becoming estrogen dominant. 

I’ve outlined some helpful tips for you below to get you started in limiting your estrogenic load. Tips  which I hope will lead you to take other steps in supporting your body’s innate ability to balance your  hormones for health and longevity: 

#1. Clean green – Take an inventory of everything you use around the house to tidy up and make sure  that all of it is free of synthetic chemicals, fragrances, and other toxins. Many of these are easily  identifiable because you often can’t pronounce them. Think all-purpose cleaning sprays, hand soaps,  laundry detergents, shampoos and conditioners, body washes, air fresheners – really anything that you  apply to surfaces or to your body. 

#2. Keep calm and carry on – If there’s one thing I can’t stress enough, it’s that you shouldn’t: stress, I  mean. Chronic stress puts the body into emergency overdrive, zapping the hormones you need for life and  health and replacing them with the hormones you need for survival (remember: fight-or-flight is the  enemy of balanced hormones). Take time to rest, relax, and remember that anxiety and worry will never  change anything except your metabolic state –and not for the better. 

#3. Look out for your liver – It’s important to recognize stress as an endocrine-disrupting toxin, and that  your liver is the primary organ responsible for eradicating the damage it causes (as well as the damage  caused by other EDCs). But it can’t do this if you drink lots of alcohol or otherwise fail to keep your liver  in tip-top shape. Detoxifying your liver from time to time and consuming a diet that helps support its  optimal function will go a long way in helping you to balance your hormones and avoid estrogen  dominance. 

#4. Eat right – This means consuming plenty of fiber, especially the insoluble kind that binds to excess  estrogen in the digestive tract so it can be expelled from the body. Consuming only organic or certified  pesticide- and herbicide-free produce is further advisable, as is sticking with grass-fed, pastured meats  and dairy products, and avoiding excess carbs and sugar. 

#5. Skip the soy – There’s a lot of confusion about this one because soy was marketed for so long as a  “health food.” But the truth is that soy, especially in its unfermented state, is a highly estrogenic food that  can severely disrupt one’s hormone balance. This is amplified when the soy being consumed is  genetically-modified – which is the case for most soy on the market today – as this transgenic food is  typically doused in xenoestrogenic chemicals like Roundup (glyphosate) prior to harvest. Traditional  fermented soy products made with non-GMO soy are generally considered okay in small quantities. 

#6. Movement. Keeping your body moving will help to boost human growth hormone (HGH) while  neutralizing and expelling excess estrogen and other toxins from the body. Especially when combined  with a healthy diet, exercise can help to shed excess fat, which is where estrogen tends to lodge itself and  wreak havoc. 

#7. Keep your belly bugs happy – Part of eating healthy means taking care of your gut microbiota. I’m  talking about the vibrant probiotic colonies that live inside your small intestine, and that help digest your 

food, absorb nutrients, protect against pathogenic invaders, and regulate hormone production and  expression. Processed food, chemical toxins, and other factors can damage healthy bacteria and  compromise digestion, leading to a buildup of estrogen. This is why I often recommend probiotic foods  and supplements to help support a healthy rebalancing of the gut.

Testosterone is vital for building and maintaining muscle mass. But this vital sex hormone is necessary  for so much more than just bulking up. Testosterone is a critical biological element that all men (and to a  lesser degree, women) need in order to stay healthy and vibrant. 

To put it simply, testosterone is the essence of maleness. It’s the fundamental life force that makes a man  a man, and the driving energy that keeps us guys fit, strong, and virile. Without it, we simply wouldn’t  exist (at least not as men, anyway). 

While our bodies are designed to produce testosterone and maintain it at optimal levels, there are many  factors that can interfere with this natural testosterone production process. Exposure to toxins, poor diet,  stress, and aging are among the most common. 

These factors directly inhibit the body’s production of testosterone and various other male hormones,  which we collectively refer to as androgens. If left unchecked, this androgenic decline can lead to all sorts  of health problems for men. This is why it’s so important to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that counteract  the decline of natural testosterone and other hormones. 

Where Does Natural Testosterone Come From, and What Does It Do for a Man’s Health? 

Before I address how to go about doing this, I’d like to explain a little more about how testosterone is  manufactured inside the body and what it does besides create muscle tissue. Like with many other steroid  hormones, testosterone production begins in the hypothalamus, a tiny region of the forebrain that  stimulates many important processes throughout the body. 

In addition to regulating hormone production via the endocrine system, the hypothalamus governs many  different homeostatic systems, including those that regulate sleep, emotions, and the central nervous  system. 

Whenever it detects that the body needs more testosterone to perform a given job, the hypothalamus  ramps up production by secreting what’s known as gonadotropin-releasing hormone, or GnRH. This  GnRH travels to the back of the brain where it encounters the pituitary gland, which uses it to produce  two additional hormones: 

• Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) 
• Luteinizing hormone (LH) 

Both FSH and LH then make their way down to the testes via the bloodstream where they are used to  manufacture both sperm and free testosterone. 

One particularly interesting fact about testosterone is that the primary substance our bodies use to make  testosterone is one that often gets a bad rap in mainstream medical circles: cholesterol. The primary  building block of testosterone – cholesterol – is what the Leydig cells in a man’s testicles rely on (along  with LH) to synthesize testosterone production. 

Once generated, this testosterone re-enters the bloodstream in free form where the body is able to use it  for many important tasks including to:

• Build strong bones 
• Create lean muscle mass 
• Strengthen the heart 
• Generate new blood cells 

Testosterone is also where manly characteristics like boldness, assertiveness, and competitiveness  originate – not to mention the ever-present sexual drive that characterizes healthy manhood. 

Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Men 

In a perfect world, optimal natural testosterone production in men would happen all on its own. Every  man would eat a healthy diet at all times, get adequate rest, drink plenty of clean water, exercise regularly,  and never be stressed, encounter toxins, or grow older. In this ideal scenario a man would never have to  think twice about his hormones because they’d be virtually flawless. Unfortunately, the world is far from  perfect. And the reality, truth be told, is that natural testosterone production is under massive assault on  many fronts. 

Low testosterone in men is more common today than it’s probably ever been. Many men’s bodies simply  can’t keep up with their testosterone needs. Or when they can, too much of this testosterone ends up being  converted to non-usable forms of testosterone, or worse: it’s converted to estrogen. 

The result is that many men end up suffering from various degrees and symptoms of low testosterone. Signs of low testosterone include: 

• Lack of energy 
• Moodiness and irritability 
• Depression 
• Brain “fog” 
• Muscle atrophy 
• Obesity 
• Loss of libido 

As disastrous as these health consequences are, if left unchecked they can eventually give way to even  worse symptoms that develop into serious chronic illness. We’re talking things that a typical “man’s man”  absolutely dreads such as: 

• Cardiovascular events 
• Dementia 
• Infertility 
• Gynecomastia (aka “man boobs”) 

These and other advanced-stage symptoms of low natural testosterone are becoming all too common in  our modern world, and yet viable options for men who suffer from these symptoms are few and far  between.

What Are the Options to Boost Testosterone in Men? 

Aside from hormone replacement therapy (HRT), there really isn’t much else being offered  conventionally to testosterone-deficient men that will actually help them recover. While HRT may be  appropriate in certain cases, it’s often used as a band-aid to simply cover up the symptoms of low  testosterone without actually getting to the root of the problem. It also typically involves the use of  synthetic testosterone compounds, which can be questionable in terms of their safety. 

Another problem is the way that symptoms of low testosterone (especially those that affect a man’s  behavior and personality) are sometimes misjudged as character flaws that men need to just “man up” and  face. Testosterone functions as the energy force to give a man the confidence and wherewithal to face  tough situations in the first place. As a result, being deficient in natural testosterone means that a man  isn’t necessarily capable of performing what society demands of him, and thus needs help. 

It’s a devastating situation in both regards that only serves to reinforce a negative feedback loop for  testosterone-deficient men, which can actually worsen their symptoms. What men with low testosterone  really need is solid guidance and instruction in identifying where the problem lies and what they can do  about it. In most cases this requires that they make some serious dietary and lifestyle changes. 

Getting Your Life Back: 4 Ways to Boost Natural Testosterone Levels 

So what’s a man to do? If you’re seriously deficient in testosterone, bioidentical HRT under the strict  guidance of a properly trained physician may be a good starting point. Otherwise it mostly boils down to  these three things: diet, exercise, and sleep. If you can purpose to discipline yourself to address each of  these things with clarity and resolve, you’ll already be well on your way to achieving more energy, less  body fat, more muscle, and perhaps the biggest motivating factor: a robust sex drive. 

I must stress that even if you don’t currently have low natural testosterone levels, it’s still critically  important to eat right, stay active, and get plenty of rest in order to avoid developing it at some point  down the road. Even if you don’t think you have low testosterone, it’s still a good idea to follow the steps  below (and to have your levels checked just for good measure). 

Natural Testosterone Booster #1: Eat more saturated fat, cholesterol, veggies, and nuts Contrary to what you may have heard in the news or from your doctor, saturated fat and cholesterol aren’t  your enemies. In fact, many foods rich in these two substances that popular culture has deemed as  unhealthy – eggs, red meat, and butter, for instance – are some of the most nutritious and androgen friendly foods you can feed your body. (The caveat here is that these animal products need to be from  pastured animals that are free from hormones, antibiotics, and that themselves are consuming a quality  diet.) 

Studies suggest that avoiding saturated fat and cholesterol can actually damage testosterone production  and lead to deficiency. Vegetarians are likely candidates for this, as the standard vegetarian diet is  typically lacking in both of these vital dietary elements. This doesn’t mean you should avoid vegetarian  (plant) #foods. Nuts, cruciferous vegetables, and leafy greens are all extremely beneficial in helping to  boost testosterone levels.

Natural Testosterone Booster #2: Combine plenty of clean protein with resistance exercise If testosterone is the engine that gets muscle production going, protein is the fuel. The two definitely go  hand in hand when it comes to building anabolic strength, and studies suggest that consuming clean  protein bearing the full spectrum of essential amino acids – whey protein isolate is a great example of this  – may help to boost testosterone levels when combined with resistance exercise. 

Science shows that testosterone levels in men tend to reach their peak about 30 minutes after they  exercise. A solid training approach that can help to maximize these peak levels includes working large  muscle groups using compound movements rather than isolation exercises. For example, lifting heavy  weights in sets of six with between 6-8 repetitions each; and resting for no longer than about one minute  between each set of exercises. 

Natural Testosterone Booster #3: Get at least 5 hours of restful sleep per night A lot of guys overlook the importance of sleep. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” many of them would say. But  letting your body rest is critical both for muscle building and testosterone production. Not only does  restful sleep help your body to manage and overcome stress – including by minimizing stress hormones  like cortisol that wreak havoc on testosterone – but it also helps your body to produce more testosterone.  Researchers from the University of Chicago found that young men who get less than five hours of restful  sleep per night have up to 15 percent less testosterone in their bodies than their well-rested counterparts. 

Natural Testosterone Booster#4: Avoid xenoestrogens and take natural vitamins and supplements Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDC) are everywhere these days. Plastics, pesticides, and personal care  products are loaded with them, which is why I suggest avoiding them and sticking with natural  alternatives. Furthermore, supplementing with testosterone-supportive trace minerals like zinc, selenium,  and B vitamins, as well as herbs like tribulus terristris and stinging nettle, can help to counteract these  effects and give your body that little extra androgen boost.

It’s a cancer-like condition that will afflict as many as three out of four women at some point throughout  their lives. I’m talking about uterine leiomyoma or myoma, commonly referred to as uterine fibroids or  fibroid tumors. These are tiny, non-cancerous (benign) tumors that often develop within the uterus of a  women, typically during their childbearing years. 

Uterine fibroids can range in size from just a few millimeters to sometimes as large as eight inches in  diameter (roughly the size of a melon!) though they usually tend towards the smaller end of the spectrum. 

Symptoms & Signs of Uterine Fibroids 

Not to be confused with cysts, uterine leiomyomas are solid, abnormal growths in smooth muscle and  fibrous connective tissue that can cause symptoms including: 

• Bleeding 
• Chronic pain 
• Repeated urinary tract infections 
• Backaches 
• Constipation 
• Anemia 

A surprising number of women who have them, however, experience no symptoms at all. The medical  industry claims that it doesn’t know why uterine fibroids develop. Because these pesky little masses are  typically harmless, many medical professionals say not to worry unless these or other similar fibroid  symptoms start to develop. 

Fibroids Treatment Options 

The standard medical approach to treating troublesome uterine leiomyomas ranges from having women  take hormone-altering pharmaceuticals to encouraging them to undergo major fibroid surgery in the form  of a hysterectomy. There are also newer, supposedly “non-invasive” procedures like MRI-guided focused  ultrasound surgery (FUS), for instance, which involves using heat and sound in the form of high-energy  ultrasound technology to break up and destroy fibroid tissue. 

In certain cases, these aggressive approaches are fitting. But unfortunately none of them address the  biggest elephant in the room: prevention. Avoiding them altogether should be every woman’s first  priority when it comes to myomas. 

While there do exist natural alternatives to drugs and surgery that science suggests could be helpful in  keeping existing fibroids in the uterus from growing larger, or possibly even eliminating them  altogether… wouldn’t it be better to prevent them from forming at all if possible? 

What Causes Fibroids in Uterus? 

Despite what many in the medical community claim, uterine leiomyomas do have a cause even if we  don’t fully understand what it is. One thing we know for sure is that fibroids tend to grow in response to 

high levels of estrogen, and conversely stabilize or even shrink after menopause when estrogen levels  decrease. We also know that both estrogen and progesterone control the growth of the endometrium, or  uterine lining, preparing a woman’s uterus for pregnancy. 

Evidence suggests that uterine fibroids have a special affinity for both progesterone and estrogen, as they  contain more receptors for these two hormones than surrounding normal tissue. Estradiol specifically,  which is a type of estrogen, is known to promote fibroid cell replication, while progesterone prevents  fibroid cell death. Together, these two mechanisms of action can lead to the uncontrolled formation of  damaging fibroid tissue. This uterine fibroid tissue also contains high levels of the enzyme aromatase,  which converts testosterone into estrogen, further contributing to even more fibroid development and  spread. 

Knowing this critical information – mainly that a hormonal imbalance plays a direct role in causing  fibroids in uterus to grow – can offer clues as to what interventions might help to keep leiomyomas at bay. 

It’s clear just from these few details I’ve laid out that a woman’s hormone levels are powerfully  influential in either allowing or preventing the proliferation of fibroids. And a woman’s hormones are  directly affected by the things she eats, how she lives her life, and what types of things she’s exposed to in  the environment on a daily basis. 

Bad Diets Make Estrogen Levels Spiral Out of Control 

Junk food is the first thing that women need to take into account and remove from their diets if they hope  to decrease their chances of developing myomas. This includes things like processed meat derived from  conventional feedlot cattle. These are known to increase inflammatory markers due to their heavy content  of chemical additives and “bad” fats. Grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, and wild-caught fish are much  better alternatives, as they contain fewer chemicals and more “good” fats that support hormone balance. 

The same is true for conventional dairy products, which often contain steroids and other chemicals that  are known to alter hormone levels. You’ll want to avoid refined sugar and grains as well. Both can lead to  weight gain and hormone disruption, not to mention the fact that they spike blood sugar levels and are just all-around damaging to the immune system. And don’t forget about alcohol and caffeine (beyond perhaps  1-2 cups of coffee or black tea per day), both of which are major no-nos when it comes to keeping  hormone levels in check. 

In addition to eating organic produce and grass-fed meats, women trying to steer clear of uterine  leiomyomas will want to consume plenty of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. Leafy greens are rich  in vitamin K, which is known to help prevent clotting and control menstrual bleeding. Cruciferous  vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts likewise possess anti-fibroid properties.  This was demonstrated in a case-control study out of China which found that these foods directly  counteract the formation of uterine fibroids at the systemic level. 

We also recommend eating foods that are rich in beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A that’s been shown to  help the body along in repairing and creating new tissue. This includes carrots, sweet potatoes and yams,  kale, and spinach, grass-fed butter and ghee, as well as other naturally-orange foods like cantaloupe and  apricots, which may help to break up aberrant tissue growth like the kind that contributes to fibroid  formation.

Really, any food with hormone-balancing properties is beneficial when it comes to steering clear of  leiomyomas. Adaptogenic herbs such as holy basil and ashwagandha, for instance, are widely known to  help support hormonal homeostasis (balance) throughout the body while minimizing stress and boosting  immune function. Omega-3 fatty acids like the kind found in fatty fish and other foods like chia and flax  are similarly beneficial in helping to keep hormones balanced. 

Xenoestrogenic Toxins: What to Avoid 

Our modern world is loaded with chemicals, many of which have xenoestrogenic properties. This means  they can interfere with hormone production and conversion, leading to a hormone imbalance. Chemicals  to actively steer clear of include pesticide and herbicide chemicals that are routinely sprayed on non organic produce to deter critters and weeds. Synthetic fertilizers, food preservatives, conventional  cleaning and personal care products, air fresheners, solvents, paints, and even plastic bottles and  containers are also all common sources of xenoestrogens that should be avoided. 

In place of these things, you’ll want to purchase only organic and certified chemical-free foods as much  as possible, as well as switch to glass and stainless steel for food storage. To keep the air smelling fresh  and clean around your home, you can’t go wrong with all-natural essential oils. These are much safer, and  quite frankly better smelling, alternative to conventional aerosol cans, candles, and plug-ins. Most of  these products are made with petroleum-based “fragrance” chemicals that are known to interfere with  proper hormone expression. 

Exercise Is a Nightmare for Leiomyomas 

Last but not least, staying active is a critical element for women seeking to naturally protect themselves  against fibroids. Peer-reviewed research has determined that exercise is directly correlated with incidence  of fibroids – meaning the more a woman moves, the less likely she is to develop leiomyomas and the  many associated symptoms. 

There are some fibroid risk factors that women don’t necessarily have control over, of course, including  family history, age, and race. But there are plenty of contributing factors that women can change with  awareness and taking action. Moving your body regularly in ways you enjoy, eating a healthy diet, and  avoiding toxic chemicals in food and personal care products are among the most important lifestyle habits  that a woman can (and should) adopt for prolonged wellness support.  

See Your Doctor If You Have Fibroid Symptoms 

I need to emphasize that it’s still vitally important that you see a doctor if you’re already experiencing  fibroid symptoms that suggest the presence of myomas inside your body. Severe pelvic pain or vaginal  bleeding, for instance, are pretty strong indicators that you probably need a proper physical examination  and possible surgical treatment to get things under control. 

The fibroids diagnosis process may include getting an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI to determine the  severity of the fibroid condition in order to pinpoint the most appropriate remedy, and you’ll need to  consult with your doctor to identify the best course of action for you.

According to the CDC, about 66 percent of the world’s human population is infected with Helicobacter  pylori, commonly shortened to H. pylori. In developing countries, the numbers are even worse, with up  to 80 percent of adults and 10 percent of children likely having a H. pylori infection. If you have this  infection, you’re actually most likely not to have any H. pylori symptoms. But, having this bacteria living  in your body can make your risk of developing gastric cancer up to six times higher. Plus, H. pylori bacteria is often at the root of other major digestive problems, like peptic ulcers and gastritis. So, not only  can H. pylori cause stomach ulcers, it can also cause ulcers in your esophagus or small intestine. 

You’re probably wondering how do you get H. pylori if it’s such a common infection? Unfortunately, it  can be as simple as sharing drinks or utensils with someone who is already infected with H. pylori bacteria. There are conventional treatments for this infection, but they’re not without their negative side effects. Antibiotics, for example, may or may not kill the bad bacteria causing a H. pylori infection, but  they will also annihilate your good bacteria as well. Thankfully, there are natural ways to treat, as well as  prevent, a Helicobacter pylori infection. 

What is H. pylori? 

So, exactly what is H. pylori? Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a spiral shaped bacteria. It causes chronic  inflammation and infection in the stomach and duodenum (the first part of the small intestine immediately  beyond the stomach). This type of bacteria is often called “ulcer bacteria” because it creates a cytotoxin  (vacuolating cytotoxin A or Vac-A) that can precipitate an ulcer forming somewhere in the digestive  system.  

Where exactly can H. pylori be found in the body? Helicobacter pylori bacteria typically makes its home  in the mucosal layer, which covers and guards the tissues lining your stomach and small intestine. When  this bacteria successfully inflames the inner layer of the stomach, an ulcer can form. H. pylori is said to  cause more than 90 percent of duodenal (upper small intestine) ulcers and up to 80 percent of gastric  (stomach) ulcers.  

Is H. pylori contagious? Yes, an infection with H. pylori appears to be contagious according to experts.  It’s still a little fuzzy as to how exactly it gets passed from person to person. Because H. pylori seems to  run in families, and also seems to be more common in crowded living situations and unsanitary conditions,  all point towards H. pylori’s contagious nature.  

Signs & Symptoms 

Majority of people with an H. pylori infection won’t even have a clue that they have it because they have  zero symptoms. 

Other times, the infection will show itself in occasional H. pylori symptoms like: 

• Bloating 
• Belching 
• Nausea 
• Abdominal discomfort 
• Vomiting 
• More serious infections can cause symptoms of H. pylori include: 
• Abdominal pain 
• Fatigue 
• Heartburn 
• Nausea and vomiting that can include vomiting blood 
• Dark or tarry stools 
• Diarrhea 
• Bad breath 
• Anemia (low red blood cell count) 
• Decreased or loss of appetite 
• Peptic ulcers 

Causes & Risk Factors 

H. pylori causes are not many. Mainly, you can get H. pylori from person-to-person transmission by way  of direct contact with the saliva, vomit or fecal matter of an infected individual. So, kissing and sharing  utensils are two common ways the bacteria spreads. You can also contract H. pylori from consumption of  contaminated water or food.  

Childhood is actually when you’re most at risk for getting H. pylori, especially under circumstances like  these: 

• Living with someone, like a parent, who already has H. pylori. 
• A crowded living situation with many people. 
• A lack of clean and reliable water. 
• Your home is in a developing country where unsanitary and crowded living situations are more  prevalent. 

Conventional Treatment 

In order to diagnose a Helicobacter pylori infection, your doctor will have you take an H. pylori breath  test, stool test or blood test. 

Treatment for H. pylori usually includes several medications with at least two of them being antibiotics to  hopefully kill the bacteria. The other medication are usually acid reducers. Why multiple antibiotics?  Conventional wisdom says a single antibiotic may not kill the bacteria, so they typically use at least two  at the same time.

Conventional H. pylori treatment also typically includes acid reducers like esomeprazole, lansoprazole,  omeprazole or pantoprazole, especially if the patient has symptoms of an ulcer or heartburn. Bismuth  subsalicylate is also commonly recommended. In addition, your doctor may also recommend histamine  blocking medications to reduce stomach acid. 

So, all together, we’re talking about possibly consuming 14 or more medications every day for  weeks. Around a week or two after finishing your treatment regimen, your doctor will likely retest you to  see if the treatment successfully eradicated the H. pylori bacteria. 

Sometimes, the bacteria is still there and patients are instructed to take another two weeks of medications.  It’s approximated that as much as 20 percent of H. pylori sufferers will have a reoccurring infection. 

Natural H. pylori Treatments 

If you’re not interested in conventional treatment, you have some options to treat H. pylori naturally. In  general, it’s really important that we (the world population) find dependable natural treatments of this  bacteria since antibiotic resistance against H. pylori is on the rise and does not seem to be slowing down  anytime soon.  

These are the some of the best, scientifically-backed treatments to naturally fight this bacterial infection:

1. Probiotics 

Since H. pylori is an unwanted or “bad bacteria” in the gut, it makes total sense that probiotics (the “good  bacteria”) can help to naturally fight this type of infection. A 2012 placebo-controlled pilot study  published in the journal Inflammation and Allergy Drug Targets looked at the effects of probiotics on  people with dyspepsia who tested positive for pylori bacteria. They found that following treatment with  an eight-strain probiotic supplement, 13 of the 40 patients had a complete eradication of their H. pylori.  

Another more recent study in 2017 makes an excellent point — the common antibiotics used to get rid of  H. pylori (including amoxicillin, clarithromycin and metronidazole) often do not successfully eradicate H.  pylori in sufferers due to antibiotic resistance, which is becoming more prevalent as overuse of antibiotics  continues. 

So, sometimes people are taking antibiotics for H. pylori and not only are they killing off all their vital  and health-promoting good bacteria, but they’re not even killing off the bad H. pylori bacteria! This 2017  study concludes that if people do take antibiotics for an H. pylori infection, if they also take probiotics  then the likelihood of eradication is more likely and negative GI effects of antibiotics are less likely.  

Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus brevis are three specifics strains of  probiotics that have been highlighted in scientific research for their ability to fight H. pylori bacteria.

2. Black Seed (Nigella Sativa) 

Black seed has many proven benefits including successfully fighting H. pylori infections. Research from  2010 found that giving H. pylori patients two grams of ground black seeds daily along with omeprazole  (an acid blocker) was more effective at treating H. pylori than the standard conventional “triple therapy”  of an acid blocker plus two different antibiotics. Doses of black seed at one or three grams daily were less  effective. The study concludes that “N. sativa seeds possess clinically useful anti-H. pylori activity,  comparable to triple therapy.” Black seeds also have acid reducing and gastro-protective abilities.  

3. Broccoli Sprouts 

Broccoli sprouts are broccoli plants that are only a few days old. They contain extremely high levels of a  sulfur-containing chemical called sulforaphane. Sulforaphane is known for its antioxidant and detoxifying  benefits. Broccoli sprouts are used to make broccoli seed oil for external use as well as supplements for  internal use. Research published in Digestive Diseases and Sciences found that 78 percent (seven out of  nine) of the subjects who consumed broccoli sprouts (either 14, 28, or 56 grams) two times per day for a  week tested negative for H. pylori at the end of the seven days and six of the subjects still tested negative  at day 35 of the study. 

Most recently, 2017 research published in the journal Current Pharmaceutical Design demonstrates that  not only can the sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts fight against H. pylori and the gastritis it can cause, but  it can also help to protect against gastrointestinal damage commonly caused by dangerous NSAIDs.  

4. Green Tea 

Green tea isn’t just a popular beverage whether hot or cold. It’s also been shown to inhibit the  growth of Helicobacter pylori bacteria. In vitro studies have shown “profound growth effects of  green tea against Helicobacter and importantly, demonstrate that green tea consumption can  prevent gastric mucosal inflammation if ingested prior to exposure to Helicobacter infection.”  The study concludes that green tea is natural substance that can be used to prevent as well as  treat gastritis caused by Helicobacter pylori bacteria.  

Other studies reveal that the catechins, especially epigallocatechin gallate, in green tea  hold powerful antibacterial powers when it comes to fighting off H. pylori bacteria. Green tea is  an excellent source of catechins. Catechins have also been associated with antioxidant, antiviral,  antiplaque-forming and anti-cancer health effects. 

5. Garlic 

Garlic is a natural anti-inflammatory and even has natural antibiotic properties. Consuming both  cooked and raw garlic may help to kill off Helicobacter pylori bacteria. A 2016 study found that  people with H. pylori who consumed two medium-sized cloves of garlic (about 3 grams) with  their lunch at noon and dinner in the evening had a significant reduction in Helicobacter 

pylori bacteria. This demonstrates that garlic has anti-bacterial effects specifically towards  H. pylori.  

6. General H. pylori Diet 

What to consume more of:  

• Probiotic-rich foods like kefir，yoghurt. 
• Wild-caught fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids 
• Flax and chia seeds also rich in omega-3s 
• Raw honey, especially manuka honey, in moderation used in green/black tea ∙ Berries, specifically raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, blueberry and bilberry ∙ Cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli and broccoli sprouts 

What not to consume, or at least reduce, to fight off Helicobacter pylori and H. pylori symptoms:  

• Caffeine 
• Carbonated beverages 
• Pickled foods 
• Spicy foods 
• Low-fiber grains 

7. Herbs 

Extracts of the following herbs have been shown in scientific research to inhibit the growth  of Helicobacter pylori bacteria:  

• Agrimonia eupatoria 
• Hydrastis canadensis (Goldenseal) 
• Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet) 
• Salvia officinalis (Sage) 

8. Reduce Stress 

If you have H. pylori, stress only makes symptoms worse. Plus, people with anxiety and high  amounts of stress have shown poorer immune functioning, higher than normal rates of H. pylori infections and stomach inflammation/stomach ulcers. Make sure to incorporate more stress  relievers into your life on a daily basis. Some great ideas include deep breathing, yoga, tai chi,  acupuncture and meditation. 

H. pylori Prevention 

These are some of the main ways to prevent Helicobacter pylori in the first place:

• Safe Drinking Water: It may sound too simple or silly for someone living in a  developed country where we, thankfully, don’t have a hard time finding clean drinking  water, but it’s very important for everyone, old and young, to only drink water from a  clean, safe source. Drinking contaminated water is one of the main ways that you can  contract H. pylori. So, even if you live in a developed country, remember this when  you’re traveling abroad. 
• Practice Good Hygiene: Always wash your hands before you eat and, of course, after  going to the bathroom. I also highly recommend not sharing utensils, glasses, etc. with  strangers, friends or even family members since direct contact with infected saliva is one  of the main causes of an H. pylori infection. 
• Eat Properly Prepared Food: Because food can also become contaminated with H.  pylori bacteria, make sure that you eat food items that are cooked thoroughly and safely  under clean conditions. 

Precautions 

If you suspect that you may have a Helicobacter pylori infection, then it is definitely worth  getting a H. pylori test as soon as you can. 

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should definitely seek urgent medical  care: 

• Trouble swallowing 
• Persistent or severe abdominal pain 
• Bloody or black vomit 
• Vomit that looks like coffee grounds 
• Black tarry or bloody stools 
• Persistent gnawing or burning pain in the area below the ribs that improves after eating,  drinking milk, or taking antacids

Doctors are always very eager to offer all kinds of advice as to how you can go about treating it.  But when it comes to defining what actually causes prostate cancer in men, the experts often  draw a blank. They just don’t know, which isn’t all that reassuring when they’re the same folks  recommending that a guy go under the knife or subject his reproductive area to radiation for  treatment. 

How can conventional medicine claim to know how best to treat prostate cancer using these  types of invasive procedures if they don’t even know why it develops in the first place? It’s a  nagging question that I’ve found myself asking over the years as I continue my quest for answers  to the growing problem of cancer across our country and around the world. 

According to the American Cancer Society, roughly one out of every seven men will develop  prostate cancer at some point throughout his life. One in 39 men will end up dying from it.  Prostate cancer is the third leading cause of cancer death among men overall, right behind  lung cancer and colorectal cancer. 

These are sobering statistics, and perhaps even more so the fact that things weren’t always like  this. Prostate cancer was virtually unheard of prior to 1853 when its first known incidence  was described in The Lancet as “a very rare disease.” A surgeon named J. Adams from The  London Hospital inadvertently discovered it during a histological examination of one of his  patients. It was something that he and his colleagues had never before seen, and likely never  could have imagined would become such a widespread problem. 

Fast-forward more than a century-and-a-half and we’re now at a place where more than 161,000  men will develop prostate cancer and more than 26,000 will die from it this year – just in the  USA alone. To say that this doesn’t sit well with me would be an understatement – and I’m  guessing you probably feel the same. But I’m determined to get to the bottom of this issue  because the trends suggest that things are only going to get worse, not better. I don’t want  myself or the men in my life – or the men in yours – to suffer this dismal fate. 

The Problem With PSA Screening 

Like with most other forms of the disease, the standard medical approach to dealing with prostate  cancer isn’t necessarily prevention, but rather to screen for it on a routine basis. Doctors will do  this for prostate cancer using a PSA test, which measures the level of prostate-specific  antigen in a man’s blood as an indicator of potential prostate issues. 

The idea is that the higher the level of PSA, the greater the chance that a man has a prostate  condition like benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or prostatitis. Or, in a worst-case scenario,  full-blown prostate cancer.

Since it was first introduced back in the 1980s, the PSA test has been praised as one of the most  useful tools for identifying prostate cancer in its earliest stages, which is when it’s easiest to treat.  But there are problems with PSA testing that suggest it isn’t always beneficial for men’s health. 

One of these is over-detection, as not all cancers that show up during PSA screening will ever  become detrimental during a man’s lifetime (some are benign, in other words). This results in  men being unnecessarily treated for a non-disease using aggressive approaches that can  actually cause significant harm in the long-term. 

Another problem is that PSA screenings may not even be accurate in the first place. At least not  in the way they’re used as proof to suggest that high PSA levels directly contribute to prostate  cancer, as is widely believed. Just as a high PSA level doesn’t necessarily indicate the presence  of prostate cancer, a low PSA level doesn’t necessarily mean that a man is in the clear. It simply  means that there could be a problem that requires further investigation. 

What about men over the age of 65, which represent the group most likely to develop prostate  cancer (and to experience elevated PSA levels)? These men often suffer from declining  testosterone levels that require major dietary and lifestyle changes, and possible treatment  with testosterone replacement therapy (TRT). 

Men who undergo TRT often experience a rise in their PSA levels, a correlation that some  experts believe points directly to testosterone as a contributing factor to prostate cancer. But is  there actually proof to back this? 

Are Androgens Such as Testosterone Really a Cause of Prostate Cancer? 

It depends, especially when you consider the fact that the least likely group to develop prostate  cancer – younger men – have naturally high levels of testosterone. If testosterone really did  contribute to prostate cancer, then every young man in his prime would have it, which simply  isn’t the case. (It is important to note that an increasing number of testosterone-deficient men,  both young and old, are now developing prostate cancer. This actually suggests the opposite  about the nature of testosterone and prostate cancer.) 

It could be that exogenous testosterone (meaning from an external source outside the body) in  the form of TRT is to blame, and that endogenous, or natural testosterone, acts differently on the  prostate. But even this hypothesis has its drawbacks. Consider that an extensive meta-analysis – the widest of its kind ever conducted – that was published in the journal BJU International back  in 2016 found that neither endogenous nor exogenous testosterone has any real impact on a  man’s PSA levels, or on his risk of developing prostate cancer. In fact, testosterone and other  related androgen hormones in men seem to have a beneficial effect, as they’re absolutely  vital for male health and development. 

An evidence-based review published one year prior in the journal Therapeutic Advances in  Urology came to similar conclusions about the role of androgens (male sex hormones) – mainly  that they help offset prostate problems rather than contribute to them. Having low testosterone 

is actually much more problematic for men’s health in general, it turns out – a fact that  completely turns the “androgen hypothesis” of prostate cancer onto its head. What this all  suggests is that mainline thinking on the subject is severely flawed, if not completely misguided  and false. 

Too Much Estrogen Is Another Major Risk for Prostate Cancer 

So if testosterone really isn’t the culprit in prostate cancer formation, what is? The latest  evidence suggests that estrogen – and way too much of it – is a major contributing factor to  prostate issues, including prostate cancer. While men and women require both testosterone  and estrogen to stay healthy, there must be a proper balance of the two respective to  individual sex. Women generally need more estrogen than testosterone, in other words, and men  generally need more testosterone than estrogen. This is a rather simplistic way of putting it, but I  believe it gets to the heart of the issue, and it seems to highlight the biggest area of men’s health  where conventional medicine just can’t seem to get it right. 

It seems like men everywhere these days are suffering from various symptoms of estrogen  dominance. Yet their doctors aren’t properly identifying this abnormality in order to help men  come up with a workable solution. These same doctors are also failing to pinpoint the many  factors that contribute to estrogen dominance in the first place – things like poor diet, lack of  exercise, and too much stress. 

Men who consume too much sugar and too many simple carbohydrates, for instance, are doing  prolific damage to their bodies. Excess sugar consumption promotes insulin resistance, which  drives down testosterone levels and generates a buildup of body fat – particularly around a man’s  midsection and even in his chest. If you’ve ever heard the term “man boobs,” this is exactly the  type of thing I’m talking about here. Excess abdominal fat is one very clear sign that a man  has too much estrogen and not enough testosterone inside his body. 

Alcohol is another substance that many men don’t realize contributes to estrogen dominance.  The craft beer craze has driven perhaps more men than ever before to take up a drinking hobby,  but it most certainly isn’t doing their hormones any favors. Men who consume excess amounts of  alcohol tend to develop “beer bellies” that indicate decreased levels of testosterone and elevated  levels of estrogen. By cutting alcohol from one’s leisurely routine, a man can help jumpstart the  journey towards improving his blood sugar profile, and thus help to optimize his testosterone  levels while keeping estrogen in check. 

From the perspective of eating, sticking to a “Paleolithic” or ketogenic diet can have a  tremendous impact on helping a man to achieve optimal hormone balance. Exercising  regularly, getting an adequate amount of rest every night, staying hydrated, and avoiding stress  (as stress elevates cortisol levels, which lead to further declines in testosterone) are further  beneficial in helping to minimize a man’s risk of developing prostate abnormalities. 

With all that said, it’s clear that hormones inside the body are, indeed, a primary – if not the primary – factor in whether or not a man develops issues with his prostate. But it’s not 

testosterone that’s the problem: it’s too much estrogen. In many cases this can be effectively  addressed by making simple dietary and lifestyle changes (that obviously require discipline,  which is probably the hardest part). But as I always say: prevention is the best medicine. 

My advice for men is this: don’t wait until a problem develops before you make a change; do  what you can today to avoid the problem entirely so you can live a healthy, lively, and energetic  life.