Defense against the MRSA virus

Here's something interesting - can tea tree oil body wash kill and prevent MRSA? There's a study underway to test whether tea tree oil body wash can prevent the MRSA virus. MRSA is a drug-resistant super bug that is on the rise. Most antibiotics cannot kill MRSA and it can cause deadly complications. As you can guess, hospitals and nursing homes are the prime breeding grounds for the disease, but a friend and fellow blogger picked up this horrible disease when she had to remove her sandals during an airport screening process, so we all are at risk of exposure.

Previous studies have shown that washing your skin with tea tree oil is effective in removing MRSA. Therefore, more studies are being done to evaluate the effect of daily washing with a 5 percent tea tree oil solution on new MRSA infections among ICU patients. They should be completed in 2010.

Sources:

• Reuters January 2, 2009

• BMC Infectious Diseases November 28, 2008; 8:161

I was surprised to read that according to Dr. Joseph Mercola, MRSA has a higher death toll than diseases like AIDS; in 2005 in the US there were approximately 100,000 cases of invasive MRSA infections, causing more than 18,600 deaths, compared to HIV/AIDS which killed 17,000 people that same year.

This super bug is man-made, due to the overuse of antibiotics which in general are useless against the disease. It isn't caused by a lack of cleanliness or proper disinfecting practices. Because of this, much research is being conducted into effective natural solutions. For example, the Irish wildflower (inula helenium) has been found to kill MRSA. Again according to Dr. Mercola, researchers at Cork Institute of Technology tested extract from the plant against a group of 300 staphylococci, including MRSA, and it was 100% effective against the super bug. The herb pulsatilla vulgaris was also found to be effective. And in some studies, tea tree oil has been found effective in removing MRSA from your skin, while other studies found it to have minimal effect. So we'll await the results of this pending study in 2010 as far as tea tree oil is concerned. Meanwhile, there are some things we can do now, known to be effective to protect ourselves from MRSA.

First, avoid taking antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. Many people go to the doctor for colds and sinus infections, expecting to be prescribed antibiotics when they do little to no good for viruses and many types of sinus infections. Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections. Taking antibiotics needlessly can prevent them from doing any good when you do need them. Instead try treating your virus symptoms with natural products such as nasal washes and colloidal silver sprays.

Second, wash your hands with soap and water. According to a Johns Hopkins study, the best way for patients to avoid these infections is for doctors and nurses to wash their hands before touching a patient, and is one of the key reasons it spreads so easily in hospitals and nursing homes. Avoid using antibacterial soaps, as they don't work any better than soap and water and can do more harm than good. The antibacterial compounds found in these soaps may also be helping these antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Third, invest in copper door handles, taps, and light switches. Research has found that copper kills MRSA as well as flu virus and E coli in hospital wards and has worked when other infection control measures failed. Tests have shown these bugs died when placed on copper, whereas they actually increased on steel or aluminum surfaces.

Fourth, use natural disinfectants and avoid the antibacterial house cleaners for the same reason as the soap. Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide are good replacements for many of your cleaning and disinfecting needs.

Fifth, eat garlic. Allicin, the active compound in fresh garlic, is a natural antibiotic effective at killing bugs like MRSA. And it appears the bacteria cannot become resistant to garlic over time. The garlic must be fresh though, as allicin is destroyed within 1 hour of smashing the garlic. Therefore garlic pills wouldn't be a good substitute. And swallowing the garlic whole will not release the allicin. Instead, do what the professional chefs do, smash the clove with the side of a knife to release the allicin. Below are some helpful links from Dr. Mercola:

12 Top Places You Risk Getting Infected

What Door Handles Actually Kill Bacteria?

How to Avoid Infections at the Gym

Grapeseed extract kills cancer cells

According to an article by Natural News, research has shown that grapeseed extract is very effective at killing cancer cells by causing the cells to destroy themselves. The following links are for three stories on grapeseed extract covering anti-cancer research along with preliminary findings showing it's benefits of for exercise and endurance.

Grapeseed Extract Kills 76% of Leukemia Cancer Cells in 24 Hours

(reported by Mike Adams)

Grape Seed Extract Kills Leukemia Cells

(reported by Sherry Baker)

Preliminary Clinical Trial Shows Grapeseed Extract in Moxor Reduces Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress

(reported by Mike Adams, about the GSE used in Moxor)

Please note that the author uses the acronym GSE for "grape seed extract," which can be confusing as GSE usually refers to grapefruit seed extract, quite different chemically from grape seed extract. Grape seed extract comes from grapes, and grapefuit seed extract comes from grapefruit and is quite useful in killing virus and bacterial infections, including the common cold.

I hope you find the information on grape seed extract and cancer helpful.

Herb - Peppermint

The peppermint plant is a hybrid between watermint and spearmint, originally native to Europe, but is now growing all over the world. The plant has pretty purple flowers that bloom from mid to late summer, prefers moist growing conditions and is found growing along streams and drainage ditches.

Peppermint has been called the world's oldest medicine, going back at least ten thousand years. It has a high menthol content and often is used as flavoring in tea, ice cream, chewing gum and tooth paste, while the scent is used in shampoos and soaps. In 2007, peppermint oil capsules were found to be useful in treating irritable bowel syndrome. Peppermint oil is also used as a natural commercial pesticide.

Another use I have recently discovered is to stop cats from fighting with each other. I've had a problem in this area recently after adding a 10 year old female to our household with 2 other cats. Supposedly it works just as well as the pheromone plug-ins like Feliway's Comfort Zone. The peppermint oil is applied to each cat, making them smell the same to each other, and therefore keeps them calm. I plan to purchase some peppermint extract and give this a try.

A gardener's New Years resolution

Are you as tired of the dark dreary days of winter as I am? I can't even see my gardens under all the layers of snow and ice right now. But I know they're there, getting a much needed rest in preparation for this spring's new growth. I received the first garden seed catalog the other day, so now I can start plotting and planning out my vegetable garden - that always cheers me up in January to be able to look forward to getting my hands dirty in a few months.

It's also a good time of year to make your garden resolution if you do that sort of thing. Here's a cute article I ran across that is just that -

A Gardener makes her New Year's resolution by Kelly Heidbreder:

"OK, put your right hand up and your left hand on the newspaper. Let's get those New Year Resolutions on the record. Now, repeat after me:

I (state your name) resolve to prune the bushes this year.

I will not be afraid of my loppers and will get the dogwood tree in my backyard into shape by getting rid of broken and crossing branches first.

I resolve to rake all winter debris off my lawn instead of just trying to mow over it.

I will create a discrete compost pile in my yard this spring after I clean up the leaves from winter and show my children that the right mix of garden garbage doesn't stink.

I will plant an extra flat of (insert your favorite color here ) annuals this year just because they will make me smile.

I will find my local extension office and have my soil tested this spring.

I resolve not to roll my lawn in the spring and finally realize that it flattens on its own.

I will figure out the real meaning of the numbers on those bags of fertilizer.

My lawn will not be scalped this year because I will raise my mower deck up to three inches even if I have to get the W-D40 or oil out to adjust its rusty risers.

I will actually sit down and draw a landscape plan instead of digging holes and filling them, then moving those plants to a better spot.

I promise not to bag all of my grass clippings and will compost a few bags or get a mulching mower instead so the clippings will feed my lawn.

If I can't live with my mole neighbors any longer, I will call in a professional to give me a hand.

I will grow (insert your favorite tomato variety here) with gusto, pride, and a little extra fertilizer so my tomatoes are bigger than my neighbor's.

I will linger in my roses as I clip off the faded blossoms.

I will remember to plant pumpkins in late June so I will actually have a few jack-o-lanterns to carve.

I promise to read more about emerald ash borers and understand that they are here to stay and in honor of their memory, will plant an oak tree somewhere at the edge of my property.

Tulip bulbs are my friends and I will plant at least three dozen around the edge of my flower bed next year so my spouse will beam with pride and have bragging rights to the prettiest garden next spring."

Vicks VapoRub on your feet for colds/flu?

You may have seen an email that's circulating which says you can stop a nagging cough by applying Vicks VapoRub to the bottom of your feet at bedtime. This email seems to circulate during cold and flu season. It states that this works 100% of the time and was discovered by the Canada Research Council.

According to The Health Sciences Institute, all this will accomplish is messing up your bed sheets. First of all the product is mislabeled as Vicks Vapor Rub. Secondly there is no organization called the Canada Research Counsil. In fact in 2007 officials at the National Research Council of Canada issued a press release stating they have never conducted any research with Vicks VapoRub.

Vicks VapoRub is very effective at relieving coughs and congestion when applied to the upper chest, but applying it to the bottoms of your feet - all this does is make your feet smell like camphor, eucalyptus oil and menthol, and mess up your bed sheets.

Fighting hunger while dieting

One of my readers asked how to overcome the urge to eat large portions at lunch and supper, and be content to eat a salad as a meal.

First of all, if I'm eating a salad as a meal, I always include some protein in the salad, either in the form of some meat or cheese. Protein will help maintain your blood sugar level, which in turn helps ward off cravings.

While it's best to limit the amount of salad dressing, dressings that contain oil and vinegar or mayonnaise also help stave off cravings. Personally I make my own dressing to be sure there's no sugar in it. Dressings can be sweetened if necessary using a Stevia product, which will not spike your blood sugar level.

Here's some other tips to keep you from feeling hungry while dieting:

Sugar will spike your insulin levels soon after ingesting it, increasing your cravings so avoid it if at all possible. Stay away from soda pop, and read labels of everything you're eating, as sugar and high fructose corn syrup is hiding in most prepared foods. I've read of recent studies that found drinking diet soda pop does nothing to help you lose weight, and can make you hungry much the same as regular soda pop. Plus most of it is sweetened with Aspartame (NutriSweet) or Splenda, and as I've written previously these artificial sweeteners seem to be even worse for our health than regular sugar. Personally, I make my own version of pop using seltzer (carbonated water) and Vanilla Stevia to sweeten it, and sometimes I add unsweetened cranberry juice or another unsweetened flavoring. This gives me a feeling of having a treat with virtually no calories. Here's a link to my post on Stevia and the soda pop replacement: CLICK HERE.

I've experimented with food combining and it has helped me lose weight. It's a topic in itself, but a couple of rules of thumb are: when it comes to eating fruit, don't combine it with any other food. It's also best not to combine meat and high glycemic carbohydrates like potatoes or rice. And try tricking your body to burn more calories by alternating what you eat during the day: 1 meal have protein, another meal have vegetables, another meal protein and vegetables, another meal fruit, another meal nuts and cheese, and so on. Each day start off with a different category (in other words don't always have eggs and sausage or oatmeal for your first meal).

Another good rule of thumb is to eat small portions 5 or 6 times a day rather than 3 larger meals. Not only does it keep your metabolism burning more calories, it also keeps you from getting hungry between meals because you're eating more often. You'll soon find that you'll automatically eat smaller portions at each meal because you're eating so often.

My last suggestion is don't eat after 6:00 at night. This is easy to follow if you're eating every 3 or so hours throughout the day.

Idea for a healthy salad

Since head lettuce doesn't contain many nutrients, and there's been e-coli problems with spinach, I started looking for a better idea for a salad.

So I came up with an alternative, and my husband and I like it even better than a spinach salad. There are no right or wrong vegetables for this salad. I use mainly broccoli and cauliflower for the bulk of the salad, and there is no measuring. Just do what you like. Here are my choices:

*broccoli and cauliflower - cut into thin slices.
*onion and peppers - chopped (the red and yellow peppers are higher in vitamin C)
*grated Parmesan cheese - sprinkle on top of vegetables
*chunks of meat (warm) - I use whatever I have left over (turkey, chicken, spam, bacon) It only takes a little bit of meat to add flavor -heated just slightly, it has a softening affect on the vegetables.
*season with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper
*Drizzle oil and vinegar dressing over top and toss (just a little goes a long way)

Variations:
I usually include meat if eating the salad as my meal for lunch, and leave the meat out if we're having a meat entre for supper. You can also add tomatoes, or crumbled egg; this salad has a lot of flavor regardless.

I make my own oil and vinegar dressing, using olive oil and apple cider vinegar, lime juice, garlic, sea salt, hot pepper flakes or a few drops of hot pepper sauce, parsley and oregano. A good rule of thumb is half oil, 1/4 vinegar, and 1/4 lime juice. For convenience, I make up a batch ahead of time - this lets the flavors mingle and you'll always have the dressing on hand.

I hope you enjoy the salad as much as we do.

Safe and Low Calorie Soda Pop substitute

I've known for years how bad soda pop is for the body, but I just didn't think I could do without it. Regular soda pop contains high fructose corn syrup (not a good thing), and diet pop has been found to not only not help you lose weight, but is also dangerous because of the artificially sweeteners Aspartame (Nutri Sweet) or Splenda. I have posted previously about both of these sweeteners, and if you'd like to read more, check out Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners, and Safe Alternatives to Sugar.

So I have experimented with ways to make something healthy, yet give me the taste of soda pop. I mix seltzer water (carbonated water) with a cap full of cranberry juice (unsweetened) and Stevia to sweeten it. I'm sure you could make different variations as long as the flavoring doesn't have sugar or artificial sweetener in it.

I recently was contacted by NuNaturals to try their line of Stevia products, and if I liked them they asked that I write a review. First I'd like to make it clear they are not paying me to write about their products. I am doing so because every one of the NuNaturals' products I have tested has no after-taste or bitter taste like some Stevia products I've tried. I particularly like their Vanilla Stevia Liquid, which I have started using in my Soda Pop substitute drink - it makes it taste like cream soda which is one of my favorite soda pops. And I can drink as much of it as I want without any guilt. It's also a good way to sweeten oat meal. Their Stevia products come in a variety of consistency, including stevia liquid, stevia powder, cocoa extract and stevia nocarb blends. They even have a "MoreFiber baking blend which sounds very promising, although I didn't receive it to test. The Cocoa extract contains 15% of the polyphenols and 10% theobromines that make dark chocolate so beneficial, and sweetened with NuStevia for a non-bitter taste. All of their products are 100% natural and contain no aspartame, sugar, saccharin, sucralose or any other artificial sweeteners or colors, and have "0" calories.

Wordless Wednesday #44

Are celebrities smarter than Scientists?

On the surface, I'm sure you would think there's no way a celebrity could give better health advice than scientists, right?

However, when you stop and think about the fact that their livelihood depends on their staying healthy, retarding the aging process, and looking their very best, perhaps they're closer to the truth.

For instance, the scientists want us to believe that there's no link between vaccines and the recent rise in autism that has followed the vaccination process. I've seen it first hand in my family, a sudden onset of autism symptoms directly linked to the vaccinations, and my niece was diagnosed with autism between her 2nd and 3rd birthday. Prior to the vaccinations, she made normal eye contact, laughed and smiled in response, but afterward no eye contact, and she became closed off and in her own little world. She is now 22 years old, does not speak, and rarely makes eye contact with anyone, along with numerous other traits of autism. Many celebrities have spoken out against the vaccine craze we are now in the middle of and refused the mega-vaccination shots for their children.

Most celebrities also take supplements and follow special cleansing diets, whereas scientists say supplements and cleansing diets dont' work. Another example: the scientists don't think there's anything wrong with the chemicals that are in our cosmetics and skin care products. Celebrities on the other hand advocate using all natural products on the skin.

For more examples of celebrities versus scientists, read Natural News.

The Lemonade Award

I have been given this cute award by Lovely Purses. What a great way to start off the New Year; thank you so much.

I'm not going to pass it on to anyone in particular, but offer it to all of my wonderful readers to take with my gratitude for helping me make my blog a success this past year.

Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all health, happiness and success in 2009.
Chris