by Russ Mason, M.S.

For the better part of a decade I wrote for Alternative & Complementary Therapies, a medical journal. My principal task was to interview doctors and other health care practitioners who had something new to offer to the discussion about wellness, and preventing disease. I learned a lot.  Previous to this, I studied health and nutrition on my own, since I wanted to know the bottom line: what should I do to maintain my health, to keep my hair, and to forestall the aging process?  This article will hit some of the highlights of little-known facts and ideas. I hope you will find them useful.

 Diet

Most people know that processed foods are bad; and that whole, organic foods are the best.  It is desirable to avoid sugar in any form (except honey), any white food (pasta, white rice, white bread) and to take a good daily regiment of dietary supplements. The one-per-day vitamin doesn’t have the nutritional punch to be of value. A good multivitamin will provide a nutritional base; but adding such nutrients as vitamin C (with bioflavenoids), vitamin E (with selenium), Coenzyme Q-10, and zinc (for men) or iron (for women) will go a long way toward optimizing health. If you drink alcohol, taking a B-100 complex, along with an extra 500mg of vitamin B-1, and 1000mg vitamin C, will help the body recover more quickly. If you eat fatty fish (tuna, swordfish, salmon) then adding fresh parsley will be of benefit. There is mercury in all of these fishes and the chlorophyll in the parsley will act like a magnet, attract the mercury, and carry it out of the system.

Edgar Cayce had much to say about food combining, and this is often overlooked. The rule of thumb is: if you are having meat, then do not eat starches (bread, potatoes, pasta, corn). Meat with vegetables is fine, as are starches and vegetables. 

Cayce also spoke of the acid/alkaline balance, and this has recently been affirmed in many research studies. Most of the foods we eat, especially meat, sweets, cakes, etc., are acid-forming foods.  Vegetables such as lettuce, parsley and celery are alkaline forming foods. Disease cannot thrive in an alkaline environment, and a handy tonic to ensure your body is alkaline, is mixing a teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda in a glass of water and drinking it, at least once a day. This simple remedy has been shown to help prevent cancer.

Another cancer-prevention tip is to eat 8 fresh apricot seeds every day.  The seeds (also called kernels) contain amigdalyn, one of the most powerful cancer-fighting substances known to science.  In studies at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, amigdalyn was shown to prevent metastases 80% of the time.   They are available inexpensively online at RainrockNutritionals.com.

Anti-Aging

When we are young and growing, our pituitary glands produce growth hormone (gH).  This gives young people a special glow, energy and stamina.  However, as one ages, the pituitary releases less of it.  However, by stimulating the pituitary with amino acids, such as l-Arginine, l-Ornithine, plus other nutrients, it will release growth hormone into the bloodstream.  There are many effective amino acid formulas on the market, and the best are available from Beyond-A-Century.com.  They work wonderfully well; they promote vibrant skin tone, increased muscle mass and fat loss. 

A site worth visiting is Life Extension; or LEF.org  The doctors who contribute to this site are on the cutting edge of how to live longer, younger, and healthier.  They also sell products on their site, but many can also be found inexpensively on eBay.  One of their products is the best skin cream in the world:  Rejuvenex.  It’s the best formula for nourishing and firming the skin. 

Skin Care

Despite the vast quantities of products on the market, very few actually help the skin.  That is because vibrant, healthy skin requires good nutrition; and this means supplements that are not very well known.  Hyaluronic acid (170mg per day) will add firmness, smoothness and a youthful glow; Collagen (500mg per day) will help reduce wrinkles, and is best taken with vitamin C.  Taking these supplements and using Rejuvenex, will give you younger and healthier skin.

Odds and Ends

If you have trouble falling asleep, taking 500mg of L-Tryptophan before bedtime is helpful.  L-Tryptophan also has anti-aging benefits, particularly when taken in combination with vitamin B6 (25mg).  Melatonin (3-5mg) is not only helpful to fall asleep, it is also a powerful anti-oxidant. 

If you suffer from occasional arthritis pain, taking 500mg of Devil’s Claw (an herb) works wonderfully well.   Other nutrients, such as Glucosamine, Chondroitin, and MSM are helpful for repairing cartilage but do little for pain relief. 

Of all the factors that can impact a person’s health, nothing is more powerful than a positive disposition.  Happy people tend to thrive, even if they smoke, drink and do not eat wholesome food.  Interestingly, those people who meditate tend to be happier than those who do not:  they have achieved a level of awareness about themselves, their life, and are likely to be more stress free.   As you know, there are dozens of Hemi-Sync^®  recordings that can be a significant aid to meditation.  Part of the fun is trying them out and finding which works best for you.

Russ Mason, M.S., is an award-winning writer and journalist.  Since 2000, he was a regular contributor to ALTERNATIVE & COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES, a medical journal. Over the years, Mason interviewed top doctors and health care practitioners: Jeremy Geffen, M.D., Ralph Moss, Ph.D., Tiereona Low Dog, M.D., Brian Dailey, M.D. and dozens more. Prior to his work with the medical profession, he worked at NBC in New York, on TODAY, WEEKEND TODAY, DATELINE, and other programs. His first novel, JILL MESSENGER: OUT OF BODY, was published last fall. 

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