How do you get rid of bugs without harming your family?

Bugs… just the thought of it creeps my wife out.

Every summer these little critters would awake from their slumber and “attack” my house. I’m sure you experience this too. How do you get rid of them?

Pesticides?

Well, I used to use a lot of pesticides before I know of its effect on the human body. Pesticides are one of the most toxic household items ever invented by man kind.

Instead of going into the details of how pesticides causes all kinds of disease, I thought I would just point you to a wonderful post by Dr. Mercola on the subject. Yes it’s quite long but I promise it’ll open your mind.

Ever since my discovery of its side effect, I have never again used a single bottle of pesticides. So what do I with the bugs?

That’s easy. I make my own natural pesticide and it’s called “white oil“. It’s harmless for humans yet effective for bugs.

Basically, it’s a soap-water solution. If you would like something more powerful, then you may want to add a few drops of tea tree and lemon essential oil. Try it out and leave a comment as to its effectiveness. I’m always listening!

If you would like to discover more about natural pesticides, the best resource I would recommend is no doubt Beyond Pesticides.

Image by Thomas Shahan

Can your brain physically change?

For about a century (since the birth of modern neuroscience) scientists debated whether or not a human’s brain can change. Of course, back then, no one could confirm their theories. There were no way they could see the human brain change over time.

Now they do. They call the human brain’s ability to change “neuroplasticity”. In fact, modern brain scans showed the human brain also has the ability to generate new neurons (brain cells). They call this process, neurogenesis.

What has this got to do with you?

This means no longer are you stuck with the brain you’re born with.

Here are some examples to consider.

1. IQ was once considered fixed but new findings now concludes there are ways you can improve it.
2. PBS’s documentary, Brain Fitness, told of how a handful of centenarians (people who are more than 100 years old) appears to have a brain about 30 years younger than they are. While they do experience some “senior moments”, they generally have no problem recalling names and perform other common tasks.
3. In his book, The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge documents the story of Michelle Mack, a girl who was born with only half a brain. According to conventional neuro-theory, she should’ve died… or at best, hooked up to a machine for her whole life. But she didn’t. She lived a relatively normal life because her brain adapted – her right hemisphere performed the tasks of both hemispheres.

How to improve your brain functions?

There are many things you can do to improve your brain functions.

One of the centenarians in the documentary, whose name is Saburo Shochi, started learning Mandarin at a ripe old age of 97. Everytime I recounted his story to my friends, they retorted that he was learning a new language at that age because he has such a good brain. But the science disagreed.

He enjoyed a youthful brain because he continuously learn.

As a general rule, your brain is just like your muscles: It grows only when it is challenged. There are many ways you can challenge your brain.

Puzzles. Learning a new language. Learning a new skill. These are just some of the most effective way to improve your brain functions.

But if you were to ask me choose one, it would have to be brain exercises. Brain exercises are designed to holistically challenge your cognitive skills. That means you’re not improving one part of your brain and ignoring the others.

If you’re looking to improve your cognitive skills, I highly recommend you check out The Brain Fitness Program now.

Note: For brain exercises to work, however, you have to have social interaction. Without any human contact, brain exercises could have the opposite effect!

The truth is conventional milk and soy are one of the unhealthiest drink you could ever consume. If I were to rank it, it would rank down there with McDonald’s and KFC. Here’s why:

1. Did you know that cows injected with bovine growth hormones (BGH), the hormones used to force cows to produce more milk, produces milk with elevated natural growth factor, IGF-1 that could be a cause of breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
2. Using BGH on cows also increases incidence of udder infection called Mastitis. If you don’t care about the suffering suffering animals, then consider the antibiotic residue that ends up in the milk that’s used the treat the infection. Sure there are reports that studies have been done that showed no antibiotics residue in milk but did you know that only 4 out of 8 commercially used antibiotics are commonly tested for?
3. Consumption of milk in children has been shown the increase the risk of Type 1 diabetes by threefold.
4. Numerous studies have found milk to contribute to obesity.
5. While vitamin D is crucial for optimum health, orally consuming comes with a risk of overdosing. A study showed that vitamin D in milk are often far more than what it says on the label and can thus cause vitamin D toxicity.
6. Pasteurization kills don’t just kill the dangerous germs that normally infects cows treated with hormones and antibiotics, the process also kills good germs and destroys the milk’s vitamins and minerals.

I could go on and on about why you shouldn’t drink conventional milk. But you get my point. But does that means you shouldn’t drink milk AT ALL? Not necessarily.

Raw organic milk are not treated with BGH, antibiotics and are not fortified with any synthetic vitamins. But make sure they are RAW – meaning they are not pasteurized. To read more about the benefits of raw milk, check out the last link in the “more resources” section of this post.

Last but not least, watch this short clip about how Monsanto tried to cover up the health risks of BGH. It just shows you can’t trust the media about the safety of your food.

As for soy, unfermented soy to be specific, did you know that:

1. It contains goitrogens, a substance that depressed thyroid function – causing you to feel tired all day long, among many other symptoms?
2. There’s a link between soy consumption and brain damage?
3. Soy has also been linked with reduced male fertility?
4. Soy isoflavone genistein may inhibit intestinal cell growth in babies?
5. The Chinese did not consume soy until they found a way to ferment it? Fermenting soy destroys the substances that makes soy unhealthy. Some examples of fermented soy include miso and tempeh.

Check out these great resources if you want to read more about the issue of milk and soy.

1. “Got Milk?” By Jon Barron
2. “Worrying About Milk” – Mercola
3. Pasteurized Milk VS Raw Milk
4. The Harmful Effects of Consuming Soy
5. The Whole Soy Story

Photo by David Oliva

But is it really that bad? Should you stay indoors, cover yourself up, use sunglasses and always always apply sun screen? Let’s take a look at the facts.

Here are some statistics of vitamin D (produced by your body through exposure to sunlight). Did you know that…

1. By maintaining optimum levels of vitamin D, 85,000 deaths due to breast cancer could be prevented annually? And that women who are deficient in vitamin D are 222% more likely to have breast cancer?
2. If everyone were to avoid the sun, for ever 1 death that would be avoided due to melanoma and other diseases caused by the sun, 2000 deaths would occur as a result of a lack of vitamin D?
3. Men with low vitamin D levels is 2.42 times more likely to suffer from a heart attack? That’s 242%!
4. Women with vitamin D deficiency are 253% more likely to get colon cancer?
5. Men with optimum vitamin D level is 52% less likely to get prostate cancer?
6. Vitamin D prevents more than just cancer. It also prevents you from developing stroke. A study conducted over 7 years found that for decrease in vitamin D indication level, there’s a 86% increase in the incidence of fatal strokes.
7. Optimizing acne is also a very effective acne treatment?

Bottomline?

Vitamin D seems to reduce the risk of almost every killer disease of aging. In fact, a recent study shows that humans with low vitamin D status are twice as likely to die over a seven-year time period! ~ William Faloon

So how much sunlight is enough to produce optimum vitamin D level?

Well, that depends on a variety of factors such as skin color, the strength of the sun in your hometown and so on.

Even the mermaid resurface to get some sunlight!

As a general rule, I spend about 15 minutes exposing my skin – at least the whole arm and 3 quarters of my leg -  to the gentle sunlight in the morning. During winter here in Sydney (no snow), I might need to go out twice, once in the morning and another in the afternoon because I’ll probably be wearing a jacket ( short pants).

If your skin is dark colored, then you’ll need more sunlight exposure – about 20 to 30 times according to a study.

But what if you don’t have the chance to expose yourself to sunlight? For example, during winter?

Well, there are two alternatives that I know of.

1. You might want to consume vitamin D orally. But be careful, unlike exposing yourself to sunlight, you CAN overdose if you take vitamin D orally so if you opt to supplement orally, make sure to get your blood checked once in a while. Consuming vitamin D orally has also been shown to be inferior to the one generated by your own body.
2. Use a tanning bed. This is a great way to do it, especially if you’re looking for a tan too! But needless to say, it is quite costly for some people.

So there you go. Another reason for you to hit the beach!

Here are a list of readings if you want to know more about the subject:

1. Vitamin D and Cancer
2. Can the swine flu epidemic be linked to the lack of vitamin D?
3. Did lack of vitamin D causes countless deaths ?
4. Sunlight actually prevents skin cancer (melanoma)
5. Interesting facts about vitamin D you may not know
6. Optimizing vitamin D level

Last but not least, watch this short video.

Photo by Chantrybee

Photo by Frank K

There’s the people who never had them. There’s the people who have some of them during the puberty years. Then there’s the people who suffered from them throughout their teen years.

I happen to fall into the fourth group. Acne grew on my face when I hit puberty and continued to flourish right into my late 20s. They were huge (to say the least), often contain cysts and grow not only on my face, but also on my chest and back (it actually made me quit swimming). To top it off, they leave scars whether I squeezed them or not!

Needless to say, I did everything I could and followed every so called “rules” you can find in popular magazines, books and blogs. I even consulted 7 independent dermatologists about my condition.

Nothing worked. I’ve used all the popular “anti-acne” face wash, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, Proactiv and even oral medication that requires prescription (because it came with potential fatal side effects), such as Roaccutane and anti-biotics. I’ve stopped touching my face, I’ve washed my face at least twice a day, I’ve had facials done on me in 5 different spas over the course of 2 years, I used one of those excess oil absorber and I even bought the very expensive Zeno acne clearing device.

You name it, I probably tried it. To illustrate how desperate I was, let’s just say I wouldn’t have done some of those things as a man if I weren’t cornered.

It wasn’t until I was fed up with all the false advice that I started doing my own research. What I found changed my life.

My Acne Treatment Paradigm Shift (Why You Should Give Up Traditional “Solutions”)

To treat acne, you have to know what causes acne. The traditional view as to the cause of acne is a species of bacteria called “Propionobacterium acnes“. They feed on sebum and releases chemicals, that will in turn attracts your anti-body to attack it, thus causing an inflammation.

But the acne bacteria is a regular resident of your face (they keep harmful bacterias from invading your face) and for them to release enough chemicals to cause acne, your oil gland would first have to enlarge and produce too much sebum – thus blocking your skin pores and allowing them to settle there.

If you see that way, then you’ll realize some of the most popular treatments is not only utterly useless, they might even be harmful.

Let’s take benzoyl peroxide, one of the most popular ingredients in anti-acne products. Just like antibiotics, the purpose of the peroxide is simple: To kill the acne bacteria (most solutions focus on killing the bacteria). But remember, the bacteria is a resident of your face! They protect your face from other harmful bacterias. Killing them is not only doing a dis-service to your face, just as most traditional solution to common problems, it also fail to address the underlying cause: the enlarged oil gland.

Salicylic acid, another extremely popular ingredient of anti-acne products, works by peeling the skin and unplugging the clogged pores. It has to be continually applied, even after your acne has recovered or you’ll revert to your original condition. Another mindless solution, don’t you think? That’s like disassembling road just because it’s always jammed with cars!

Roaccutane may cause depression and even suicidal thoughts

In fact, most people who apply salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide also experience dry skin and require moisturizer.

Now let’s take a look at the big guns. Roaccutane. The so-called “only cure” for acne. It works by reducing the amount of sebum your oil glands produce. Sounds like a good idea? According to Tiscali, here’s a short list of its side effects:

- Dry skin (causing inflammation, scaling, itching, increased skin fragility)
- Dryness of the mucous membranes, eg lips, eyes (causing irritation, conjunctivitis), nose (causing nosebleeds) and throat (causing hoarseness)
- Headache
- Increased liver enzymes
- Disturbances in the composition of the blood (eg increased cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar; decreased red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets)
- Pain in the muscles and joints
- Mood changes, strange or abnormal thoughts
- Hair loss (alopecia)
- Visual disturbances (eg blurred vision, cataracts, colour blindness, decreased night vision)
- Inflammation of the surface of the eye (keratitis)
- Breathing difficulties due to a narrowing of the airways (bronchospasm)
- Nausea
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
- Abnormal reaction of the skin to light, usually a rash (photosensitivity)
- Bone disorders

There’s even a link between consumption of Roaccutane to depression and even suicide. Yikes! Acne sounds like good news compared to the side effects! So can a guy do to be acne-free? I’m glad you asked.

Here’s What You Need To Do To Treat Your Acne – Once and For All

The enlarged oil gland and the failure to regulate the excess sebum has been attributed to a number of causes. Some say it’s genetics. Some say hormones. Some others – stress.

I think all play a part. Yet some people who are under a great deal stress never saw an acne problem – such as the various celebrities. Some whose parents are plagued with acne never had one themselves. Other, as I mentioned before, never had acne even during puberty, when hormone is supposedly in constant state of change.

Why is that? Why some people never had to deal with acne despite breaking all the “rules”?

I began interviewing people I know who are acne-free for their whole life (everyone knows one of these lucky bastards) and I noticed on constant: That is a healthy lifestyle (Caution: “Healthy” may not be what you think it is). So I dug deeper into the acne puzzle. Here’s what I discovered.

Failure to regulate sebum production is also the result of accumulated toxins in your body and the fact that your body is out of balance. So I looked into Holistic Healing as a solution to acne and gave it a try. What have I got to lose right? Here are the things I did.

1. I bought a water filter for both bathing and drinking purposes to get rid of chlorine and fluoride. In addition to being a potential carcinogen (cancer causing), chlorine has also been linked to heart disease and stroke.
2. I also bought several house plants to filter harmful pollutions out of the air. Did you know that there are more pollution indoor than outdoor? Check out this video on growing fresh air.
3. I began eating fresh organic food only to avoid ingesting pesticides associated with traditional food. Organic food has also been shown to contain more more vitamins and nutrients than its traditional counterparts.
4. Even as I consume organic, I also minimize the consumption of sugar, including rice, fruits and candy bars. Sugar has not only been linked to acne development, it also causes a variety of health problems.
5. I quintupled the amount of vegetables I consume by blending. Blending your vegetables also help to increase its absorbility. I detail more about my vegetable blend in my eczema treatment post.
6. Believe it or not, I stopped washing my face with cleansers – even organic ones. Here’s why. According to Dina Falconi, best selling author of “Earthly Bodies and Heavenly Hair“, there’s a reason why your oil gland produces sebum – to create a protective mantle against harmful bacterias and keep in moisture. By cleansing you not only remove dead skin cells and dirt, you also remove sebum and that could stimulate over production of sebum. Instead, I wash my face with filtered water only and then apply a combination of moisturizer and pure aloe vera.
7. If you’re experiencing a bad break-out, you might want to use tea tree oil, a natural essential oil extracted from the tea tree in Australia. It has strong antibacterial properties and it works like benzoyl peroxide, only with less side effects. Remember, just like benzoyl peroxide, it’s not a permanent fix.
8. Last but not least, I expose myself to gentle sunlight at least 20 minutes a day to get optimum vitamin D. Optimizing your vitamin D levels is not only crucial for optimum health, it might also be the answer to your acne woes, according to a study done by Dr Maynard.

So what’s the result? I was acne free in 4 months later. Coincidence? No cure for acne? You be the judge.

Photo lady smiling by Valentin Ottone

Photo of depressed lady by Nicole Thomas

Late last year, one of those desperate sufferers, yours truly, was plagued with a full-body eczema for the first time in my life. I locked myself in my apartment for a full 3 months before I eventually dare to step out of my front door – but at least I succeeded in recovering, which is more than most people can say.

Before I go into how I did it, let me just clarify that I did not consult any dermatologists. The reason is because I believe in holistic healing… not to mention the fact that I saw 6 dermatologists during the span on my childhood and they couldn’t even get rid of the small patches of eczema I used to have.

You want to start by stop eating anything non-organic and sugary. Drastically reduce the amount of sugar you consume, that includes rice, potatoes and even fruits and milk. This is because sugar supresses your natural defense system that is fighting the disease.

Next, cleanse your body. Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy anything special kit here. In fact, I think most “cleansing kit” are inferior to what you’re going to do here. All you have to do is consume as much raw vegetables as possible. To achieve the amount that will be restore balance in your body without stuffing them into your mouth every waking hour, blend (not juice) them. The reason I recommend blending is because vegetables consists of fibre, that in itself is a great detoxifying agent – but they are thrown away if juice your vegetables. And the reason I recommend raw is because cooking will destroy the naturally occurring enzymes that help digestion and absorbtion on the vitamins and nutrients in the vegetables.

Green vegetables are an abundant source of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is the thing that makes plants green and it’s a great detoxifying agent as it binds itself to the toxins in your body and gets expelled out.

If you have never done this, just looking at the blend would make your stomach turn. But don’t worry, it does not taste as bad it looks. To help cope with the taste, add a little fruit. Here’s the recipe I used:

1. A whole bunch of cos lettuce
2. 3 apples
3. 400g of spinach
4. 3 long stalks of celery
5. To add a little variety, I regularly add 2 or 3 strawberries or kiwi, sometimes 5 – 10 beads of grapes, maybe half an orange and rarely pineapples.

I also regularly add brocolli, raw eggs, zuchinni and cauliflower. However, if you’re new, I’d highly recommend you start with the list above. You might want to experiment a little with these “advanced” items or you’ll find yourself “turned off”.

That highly nutritious blend of vegetables and furits is my 2 out of 4 meals everyday – breakfast and dinner. For lunch, I consume a high protein diet, such as a steak, half-boiled eggs and such. For late lunch, I consume a range of “vegetable snacks” such as cherry tomatoes and a small bowl of salad. Here’s the recipe for the salad:

1. An onion
2. A small amount sliced carrots
3. Capsicum
4. Lemon drips and a little apple cider vinegar
5. One table spoon of flax seed oil
6. A bunch of rockets and spring and cos lettuce

As for supplements, I consumed 4 of them.

1. Krill oil. I got mine from www.mercola.com.
2. Spirulina – this is a highly nutritious algae that contains 10 times the nutrition of its size
3. Chlorella – similar to spirulina but with a more detoxifying focus
4. Marine Phytoplanktons – the grand daddy of all algae though they are quite costly. I can’t comment on other brands because I’ve never tried them (I could recommend another brand and actually get paid). All I can say is to beware that some brands are NOT pure marine phytoplanktons – and that’s why they are a lot cheaper.

Last but not least, I always apply manuka honey on affected areas (my whole body) and sleep with it. Manuka honey is a special honey extracted only from bees that pollinate the tea tree flower. Tea tree, in itself has natural anti-bacterial properties commonly used to treat acne (I use them). Manuka honey, as a result, also contain extraordinarily high anti-bacterial properties that is measured through their UMF (Unique Manuka Factor). UMF goes from 5+ all the way to over 30+ but it gets exponentially more expensive as you go up the ladder. I personally only can afford 20+.

That’s it! Those are the things I did to naturally treat my full-body eczema in 3 months. What’s even better is the little patches of eczema I used to suffer from my whole life no longer plagues me! If you’re desperate like me, I urge you to try it.