Well, well, well. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just let the deep state cat out of the bag for all the world to see. The premature disclosure and honest preview of what’s in store for the people of the world is perhaps the silver lining in all of this. By invoking the Canadian Emergencies Act1 of 1988 to allow for the blanket revocation of protesters’ driver’s licenses and seizure of their bank accounts — and anyone who made even a nominal donation to their cause — Trudeau is showing the world what Klaus Schwab’s Great Reset is really all about for the average person. If we go along with their financial reset to a centralized global digital currency, the central bankers can and will financially cripple anyone, anywhere, anytime, for any reason. That’s more than sufficient leverage to keep most people in line. The World Economic Forum didn’t declare that by 2030 “you will own nothing and have no privacy”2 for nothing. They mean it. You won’t even own your own body, if they get their way. Their aim is complete control over every minutia of your life. Only they will be free to live and rule as they please. Trudeau Gives Himself Dictatorial PowersAs reported by The Defender:3
In addition to giving the Canadian government the authority to seize bank accounts of citizens without court order, the Emergencies Act also gives Trudeau the power to:4,5
To understand just how ridiculous the invocation of this Act is under current circumstances, consider that it was designed for use only in times of extreme crises,6,7 such as a wartime emergency where there’s an express threat to the security and sovereignty of the nation. The situation must be “urgent and critical” and “seriously endanger the lives, health or safety of Canadians.” Moreover, the Act may only be invoked if the emergency cannot be addressed by any other federal law in existence, and/or if it exceeds provinces’ ability to effectively address the situation. Trudeau Accused of Untruthful and Hateful RhetoricOpposing the prime minister’s unprecedented power grab are the premiers of Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Quebec. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney pointed out that the nation already has “all the legal tools and operational resources required to maintain order,” and that “no relevant additional powers of resources” can be granted by the Act.8 Kenney also stated the obvious when he told the prime minister to “end the cross border trucker vaccine mandate, as it serves no useful public health purpose.” That would be the peaceful solution to the blockade. The Canadian Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms has also denounced Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act, calling “the use of emergency powers unjustified by Ottawa facts and reality.” Despite that, the Canadian Parliament voted to approve Trudeau’s motion to invoke the Act, with 185 votes for and 151 against, Monday February 21, 2022.9 According to Trudeau, the trucker protest is impeding commerce and preventing people from going to work and making a living. With that, he’s basically condemning his own actions, as Trudeau himself has shut down businesses and prevented people from making a living, on and off, for the last two years. The hypocrisy is grotesque beyond words. Yet he’s gone even further than that. ‘Trudeau Has Gone Too Far’In a February 15, 2022, editorial, the Toronto Sun denounced the prime minister’s hateful rhetoric against Canadian citizens and accused him of fanning flames of hate of his own making:10
Indeed, Trudeau’s rhetoric has been anything but unifying. First, he called the Freedom Convoy a “small minority fringe” that are expressing “unacceptable views.” He must’ve changed his mind, albeit privately, seeing how a sane leader is unlikely to invoke radical emergency powers for a small group honking horns. Then, he insisted that the protesters were a bunch of “racists” and “misogynists” waving Nazi flags and stealing food from the homeless. Several have now publicly demanded he retract such statements and issue apologies. Parliament Members Demand ApologiesAmong them is conservative parliament member Candice Bergen, who demanded Trudeau apologize for his “hateful rhetoric” against “peace loving, patriotic Canadians.”11 In an impassioned speech, Bergen also reminded House members that Trudeau himself “wore blackface more times than he can remember.” Another is Melissa Lantsman, a Jewish conservative MP, whom Trudeau accused of “standing with people who wave swastikas.” Lantsman called Trudeau’s words “dangerous and disgraceful.” According to the Toronto Sun:12
Michael Mostyn, CEO of B’nai Brith Canada, a Jewish service organization, also condemned Trudeau’s comment to Lantsman, saying “This misperception should not be permitted to stand. We would hope the prime minister promptly addresses this matter.” So far, Trudeau has done nothing of the sort. Long-Term ConsequencesIn a video (above), free speech advocate and trucker convoy organizer Tamara Lich predicted her arrest and made a tearful plea to protesters to remain peaceful. The next day, Lich was picked up and put in handcuffs by Ottawa police. Legal experts are now warning that Trudeau’s invocation of the Emergencies Act could have consequences for generations to come. According to Marco Mendicino, “public reports” indicate that people with “extremist ideological positions” may be participating in the blockade, hence the government’s need for emergency powers. However, as noted by law professor and executive director of Rights Probe, Bruce Pardy, that’s hearsay at best, and acting on rhetoric alone sets a dangerous precedent.13
Cecil Lyon, a dispute resolution legal expert from Ontario, also vehemently opposed Trudeau’s actions, calling it a “sledgehammer approach” that shows the government is “losing its way and not looking at how you should resolve a dispute.”15 Trudeau Is Profiting From COVID Jab MonopolyClearly, Trudeau is wedded to vaccine mandates, and willing to do just about anything to keep them in place. One wonders whether the Trudeau Foundation’s ownership stake in Acuitas Therapeutics — rumored to be around 40%, per Dr. Robert Malone16 — might be influencing his behavior? Acuitas makes the lipid nanoparticle delivery system that Pfizer/BioNTech uses in its COVID shot.17 In a February 12, 2022, video (above), David Martin, Ph.D., discussed Trudeau’s conflicts of interest at depth, saying:18
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/25/trudeau-invokes-emergencies-act.aspx
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A study published by Yale University demonstrated a simple, efficient and cost-effective method of weight loss was calorie restriction.1,2 In addition to helping control an ever-expanding waistline, calorie restriction may also help promote overall health and wellness. The global business of weight loss is estimated to grow from $254.9 billion in 2021 to $377.3 billion by 2026.3 The product and services industry has continued to grow in the last several years, driven by an aging population and rising health concerns. In a press release published in August 2021,4 Research and Markets announced the release of the Global Weight Loss Products and Services Market 2021-2026 publication.5 The study was conducted to detail information on the industry, evaluating consumer preferences and a growing trend to purchase products containing natural ingredients. Global growth was estimated at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.2% during the forecast period. Just two years previously, it was estimated the total U.S. weight loss market had grown 4.1% and forecasted to grow 2.6% annually through 2023.6 The growth in the weight-loss industry matches the epidemic of obesity that faces the world. According to World Obesity,7 the challenge is now more common worldwide than undernutrition. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2017-2018, showed 30.7% of U.S. adults were overweight and 42.4% were obese.8 When moderate calorie restriction extends health, reduces weight and costs less than weight loss products, it pays to learn a few simple hacks I discuss below to make the process run smoothly. Moderate Calorie Restriction May Extend HealthDecades of animal research have demonstrated that caloric restriction without malnutrition can help delay aging and slow the onset of diseases in multiple species.9 The February 2022 research used data from the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) clinical trial.10 There were 200 study participants who established a baseline caloric intake. A portion of the group was then asked to reduce those calories by 14%. The researchers followed the participants for two years with the overall aim to analyze if caloric restriction could benefit humans. The researchers noted that animal studies had shown caloric restriction could increase infections, and so they also watched inflammatory markers and the immune response. Senior study writer Vishwa Deep Dixit commented in a press release:11
One of the ways the immune response was monitored was by analyzing the thymus. The gland is located behind the sternum and in front of the heart. It produces T cells, a type of white blood cell essential to the immune system. Dixit says that by the time a person is 40 years old, 70% of the gland is nonfunctional, which is one reason the elderly have a higher risk for infection. Using MRI, the researchers found that the thymus gland in participants who had limited their caloric intake had lower fat and greater functional volume after two years. This meant the thymus gland was producing more T cells at the end of the two years than it was at the beginning of the study.12 After further study, the team found that the changes were in the tissue microenvironment of the thymus gland and not the T cells. The team also studied the adipose tissue at the start of the study, after one year and after two years. The data revealed “remarkable changes” in gene expression of fat tissue that was maintained through the end of the study. They also looked at the gene controlling PLA2G7, a protein produced by macrophages. Positive changes were observed in those who limited their calories, which was reproduced in an animal model. The researchers wrote, “Specifically, the thymus glands of these mice were functional for a longer time, the mice were protected from diet-induced weight gain, and they were protected from age-related inflammation.”13 Fasting Stimulates Metabolism and Supports AntiagingOne study published in the journal Nature14 evaluated the effect of a 58-hour fast on metabolic markers such as butyrate, carnitine and branched chain amino acids. The team analyzed the blood of participants beginning at 10, 34 and 58 hours. Some of the compounds peaked at 34 hours, while others had not yet plateaued at the end of the hour 58. The researchers identified 46 substances that changed during the fasting period. In past studies, researchers had only identified 14.15 The researchers noted that none of the participants was obese, which is known to change markers during fasting. The researchers identified two butyrates that were "nearly invisible" at the 10-hour mark, but had reached "major peaks after 34 and 58 hours of fasting."16 Butyrate helps maintain intestinal homeostasis by protecting the intestinal barrier and mucosal immunity.17 Three metabolites that decline with age include leucine, isoleucine and ophthalmic acid. However, testing reveals that fasting individuals have higher levels of these metabolites which may help increase longevity.18 The scientists believe the data suggest that antioxidant production may be a marker of fasting that can "boost production of several age-related metabolites, abundant in young people, but depleted in old."19 One of the scientists, Takayuki Teruya, commented:
Time-restricted eating appears to replicate many of the metabolic benefits of calorie restriction without restricting calories. Additionally, because it is such a restricted eating window and a person’s appetite is reduced, they typically wind up eating fewer calories, anyway, without feeling deprived. Human studies suggest people with a low-calorie intake overall have a reduced risk for Alzheimer’s compared to those eating a high-calorie diet.20,21 A high glycemic diet is also associated with increased amyloid deposition in cognitively normal older adults.22 Fasting May Lower Blood Pressure and Prevent DiabetesResearch data show that fasting may improve insulin sensitivity,23 reverse diabetes24 and support your weight management efforts when it's combined with exercise.25 Data presented at the Digestive Disease Week 201926 was gathered from 14 healthy individuals who routinely fasted 15 hours a day from dawn to dusk over 30 days during Ramadan. Researchers collected blood samples at the beginning, end and one week after the fasting period ended. The samples gathered at the end of the fast showed that the individuals had higher levels of tropomyosin (TPM) proteins, known to improve insulin resistance and reduce the adverse effects of sugar. An editorial written in Open Heart27 by noted research scientist James DiNicolantonio, PharmD., discussed the results of several studies that have found repeated episodes of fasting could induce cellular growth of pancreatic beta cells in an animal model. The increased number of islet beta cells induced through intermittent fasting was accompanied by a marked improvement in blood sugar control in these studies. DiNicolantonio believes these findings could be replicated clinically, which would open the path to reversing Type 2 diabetes in those with “enough discipline and commitment to adopt a lifestyle that would have prevented diabetes in the first place.”28 Another study29 evaluated the effectiveness of omitting a meal before an early workout. The researchers discovered those who fasted and then exercised had a negative 400-calorie intake during the day when compared to those who ate and rested or who ate breakfast before exercising. High blood pressure is also associated with the diagnosis of diabetes, or it can occur independently. High blood pressure is called the “silent killer,”30 since the only way to know if you have it is to have it measured. In 2001, a paper published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics31 evaluated 174 patients with blood pressure of more than 140/ 90, which was the upper limit at the time. They were treated in an inpatient setting with a medically supervised, water-only fast for an average of 10 days. At the conclusion of the fasting period, there was a refeeding period of an average of six to seven days that included a low-sodium, low-fat, vegan diet. Data showed 90% of the participants' blood pressure dropped below 140/90 with an average reduction in pressure of 37/13. The greatest decrease was observed in the participants who had the highest blood pressure. Simple Hacks Make Fasting EasierIn this interview, Dave Asprey and I talked about some of the fasting hacks he revealed in his book "Fast This Way: Burn Fat, Heal Inflammation, and Eat Like the High-Performing Human You Were Meant to Be." Asprey is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Bulletproof.com. As the name implies, the book is about fasting and all the health benefits it provides. Is it for everyone? No, and he will be the first to admit that. But it can benefit most of us — certainly, those of us who are either overweight or obese. Another key benefit of fasting is that it makes your body better at producing energy. This improves sugar regulation and helps you stave off metabolic dysfunction and the diseases of aging that are associated with it. Asprey notes that if you can avoid cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, you're probably going to live longer since these are the primary killers.32 Fasting also has antiaging benefits because it improves autophagy in your mitochondria and cells, a natural process that detoxifies your body. Asprey explains that some of the key dietary principles for losing excess weight and keeping it off include:
These principles tie directly into the fasting hacks that he recommends. The hacks include increasing your ketone level, which shifts your hunger hormones. He explains:33
The Importance of Prebiotic Fiber and Meal TimingThe last fasting hack is to make sure you're getting enough prebiotic fiber.34 According to Asprey, long-term fasting and/or eating a carnivore-like, zero-carb diet for extended periods of time without cycling healthy carbs back in can alter your gut microbiota, which in turn can cause sleep disruptions. When you feed your gut bacteria with prebiotics, they convert the prebiotics into propionic acid and butyric acid (butyrate), and butyrate is very pro-ketogenic. One of the common questions asked when a person is developing their intermittent fasting schedule is whether they should include breakfast or a late-night snack. Research from Vanderbilt University35,36 looked at timing meals and the bearing it has on burning energy. They found that the time of a meal influences lipid oxidation and those who ate a late evening snack had lower fat burning during the night as opposed to those who ate breakfast without a late-night snack. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/25/fasting-hacks-to-help-lower-calorie-intake.aspx This article was previously published April 1, 2018, and has been updated with new information. We have an epidemic of diabetes in the United States. An estimated 37 million Americans, or 11% of the population, have Type 2 diabetes.1 The numbers have become so grave that diabetes deaths topped 100,000 in both 2020 and 2021— up from 87,000 in 2019, before the pandemic. Another 1 in 3 American adults are prediabetic, and most are unaware of this fact. Prediabetes2 is defined as an elevation in blood glucose over 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) but lower than 125 mg/dl, at which point it formally becomes Type 2 diabetes. However, any fasting blood sugar regularly over 90 mg/dl really suggests insulin resistance, and seminal work by the late Dr. Joseph Kraft, author of “Diabetes Epidemic and You: Should Everyone Be Tested?” suggests that 80% — 8 out of 10 — Americans are in fact insulin resistant,3 which means they’re already on their way toward developing diabetes. That's the bad news. The good news is Type 2 diabetes is curable, and the cure is less than free. It actually saves you loads of time and money. In his book, “The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally,” Dr. Jason Fung details how to address this exceptionally common problem. Fung is a nephrologist (kidney specialist) with a practice in Toronto. A few years ago, I interviewed him about fasting, which is one of the most powerful interventions for Type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Fung was also one of the experts who peer reviewed my book, “Fat for Fuel,” which integrates some of his work. Why Identifying Insulin Resistance Is so ImportantThere are two types of diabetes, Type 1, or insulin dependent diabetes, and Type 2 diabetes, which is lifestyle related. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases and is the topic of this particular discussion. Prevalence of Type 2 diabetes started to rise in the 1980s, at a time when obesity had yet to become a significant trend. However, as obesity became more prevalent, so did Type 2 diabetes.
Ultimately, diabetes is just one symptom. Insulin resistance, which results in mitochondrial dysfunction, is also at the heart of cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's and other degenerative diseases, and it all starts because your body is unable to burn fat as a primary fuel. When your body relies primarily on sugar instead, more reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated, which damage the mitochondria in your cells. Fasting Resolves Insulin Resistance, the Cause of DiabetesFasting has been used for thousands of years to keep us well. Once you understand what insulin resistance actually is and what Type 2 diabetes is, then you'll understand why something so simple as abstaining from food for a period of time can be such a powerful intervention. Contrary to infectious diseases, you cannot treat metabolic disease with a pill, because metabolic diseases such as diabetes are predicated on lifestyle, primarily diet. As explained by Fung:
Why Exercise Cannot Replace FastingTo avoid adding sugar into your body it is important to adopt a cyclical low-carb, high-fat diet, which I detail in “Fat for Fuel.” Then, to burn off the sugar already in your system, intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating is a powerful tool. Exercise is not the solution for diabetes, and cannot replace fasting. Remember, you can’t out-exercise your mouth. The reason for this is because you not only have insulin resistance in your muscles, but in all your tissues and organs, and to eliminate the excess glucose in your organs you need to temporarily “starve” the cells. Clearly, you should exercise, but that will only burn the glycogen in your muscles. It’s not going to address your fatty liver. As noted by Fung, fasting “gets rid of all the sort of excess nutrients. That's why, historically, people called it a cleanse or a detox, because that's really what it is.” In his practice, Fung has used fasting for many years and can attest to the dramatic turnarounds possible. “We have people coming in with the most severe diabetes; they’re taking hundreds of units of insulin a day, and within three to four weeks we have them off everything.” Oftentimes, a severe diabetic can revert back to being nondiabetic within as little as two months. Taking Insulin Worsens Type 2 DiabetesThis is not to say it’s easy. Fasting can be difficult when you’re used to eating multiple times a day. But it’s a natural way that will allow your body to heal itself. Meanwhile, taking insulin for Type 2 diabetes is about the worst thing you can do. As explained by Fung:
How Fasting Benefits Your MitochondriaFasting is the most profoundly effective metabolic intervention I’m aware of. It's like getting a free stem cell transplant, and it massively upregulates autophagy and mitophagy. It also stimulates mitochondrial biosynthesis during the refeeding phase, which allows your body to naturally regenerate. For these reasons, fasting is not only beneficial for Type 2 diabetes and obesity but also for health in general, and likely even longevity. There’s even evidence to suggest fasting can help prevent or even reverse dementia, as it helps your body clean out toxic debris. As noted by Fung, “It's fundamentally one of the keys of wellness.” By lowering insulin, you also increase other important hormones, including growth hormone (aka the fitness hormone), which is important for muscle development and general vitality. Other ailments that can benefit from fasting include polycystic ovaries, polycystic kidneys and fast growing cancer cells. The reason for this is because when autophagy increases, your body starts breaking down old protein, including fast growing cells. Then, during the refeeding phase, growth hormone increases, boosting the rebuilding of new proteins and cells. In other words, it reactivates and speeds up your body’s natural renewal cycle. Getting StartedMost people fear being hungry and avoid it like the plague. Here, intermittent fasting can make the process a lot easier. Before I tried my first five-day water fast, I increased my intermittent daily fasting to the point that I was fasting for 20 hours a day for a few months, but one month is likely sufficient. At that point, going several days without food was easy, since my body had had gained metabolic flexibility and was able to burn fat as my primary fuel. Most people get really hungry by Day 3 on a water fast, yet I had no hunger at all. Fung agrees, saying:
How to Minimize Side EffectsGradually easing into longer fasts will naturally minimize most side effects associated with fasting, as will transitioning over to a high-fat, low-carb diet, to help your body to adjust to using fat as a primary fuel. The so-called “keto flu” is often related to sodium deficiency, so it’s recommended to take a high-quality unprocessed salt each day. I typically pour salt in my hand and lick it throughout the day when fasting, as I obviously can’t put it on food. This will also help reduce the likelihood of intractable muscle cramps at night. Headaches are also common when you first start water fasting. These too can often be minimized by taking salt. An alternative to eating salt straight, or putting it in water, is to add it to a bit of bone broth. Another important mineral is magnesium. It’s particularly important if you are diabetic, as magnesium deficiency is very common among Type 2 diabetics. This is another possible culprit if you’re getting muscle cramps. There are several types of magnesium, some of which are more poorly absorbed than others. During water fasting, your best bet is to use Epsom salt baths, as this allows your body to absorb the magnesium through your skin rather than your digestive tract. Magnesium has a laxative effect in high doses, and when you’re not eating anything, oral magnesium can easily result in “disaster pants.” Multivitamins can also be useful during extended fasts, especially if you’re doing them regularly. It is also important to understand that if you are on a multiday water fast you will liberate many toxins from your fat stores, so using an infrared sauna and taking effective binders, like chlorella, modified citrus pectin, cilantro or even activated charcoal can help eliminate these liberated toxins from your body and prevent their reabsorption. Work With a Knowledgeable Physician if You’re on MedicationsWhile fasting is a profoundly effective intervention for Type 2 diabetes, you do need to use caution if you’re diabetic. If you are taking medication, especially for your blood sugar, you have to make sure you talk to your doctor, because there's a risk your blood sugar may end up dipping too low. If you're taking insulin, and keep taking insulin while fasting, you could get into trouble.
Why You Need Not Fear StarvationLast but not least, one of the greatest fears people have about fasting is the concept of starvation and the loss of lean muscle mass. In his book, Fung explains why such fears are overblown. Your metabolic rate is the energy your body uses to generate body heat and keep your organs working. Your body basically needs a certain number of calories a day. People have a tendency to think that skipping a meal means your metabolic rate will decrease. In reality, the exact opposite occurs. In studies looking at basal metabolic rate, people’s metabolic rate is actually 10% higher at the end of a four-day fast than at the beginning. So, your body is not shutting down, it's actually ramping itself up. The reason for this has to do with counterregulatory hormones. As insulin drops, counter-regulatory hormones go up. Some of these activate your sympathetic nervous system (the so-called fight or flight response). “So, as you fast, all these hormones are going up, your sympathetic nervous system is going up, your adrenaline is going up, your growth hormone's going up,” Fung says.
More InformationIf you’re among the 80% of people who are insulin resistant, get yourself a copy of Fung’s book, “The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally.” Another of Fung’s books, “The Complete Guide to Fasting,” is another excellent resource. As Fung says, we’ve known that fasting is beneficial for thousands of years. We just strayed away from it, and we need to re-embrace this foundational aspect of health.
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/25/fasting-for-diabetes.aspx Scientists the world over have done a deep dive into the unprecedented lockdowns and injection mandates that characterized the COVID-19 pandemic response. Over and over again, the results confirm what many instinctively knew all along — that these totalitarian schemes didn’t work and may have caused more harm than good. Despite the writing on the wall, health officials and academics continue to defend the Draconian measures. It’s difficult to admit wrongdoing, especially of this magnitude, but sooner or later it will become widely known that, as Jeffrey Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, put it, “these interventions turned a manageable pandemic into a catastrophe.”1 Hundreds of Studies Show Lockdowns Didn’t WorkPublic health policies that restrict movement, ban international travel and close schools and businesses, commonly known as lockdowns, were implemented in virtually every country around the globe during the pandemic, beginning in China, then Italy and spreading like wildfire from there. Simulated computer models conducted by Imperial College London researchers in 2020 suggested that lockdowns would reduce COVID-19 mortality by up to 98%2 — an estimate that had many scholars raising eyebrows, and which did not come to fruition, not even close. In a literature review and meta-analysis of the effects of lockdowns on COVID-19 mortality, researchers from Johns Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise, Lund University and the Center for Political Studies in Copenhagen, Denmark, revealed lockdowns had little to no effect on COVID-19 mortality. The meta-analysis included 24 studies separated into three groups: lockdown stringency index studies, shelter-in-place order (SIPO) studies and specific non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) studies. They found:3
The Brownstone Institute actually compiled more than 400 studies showing that lockdowns, restrictions and closures failed to do what was promised.4 Among them is a study by Dr. Gilbert Berdine, an associate professor of medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. It used data on daily mortality rates for COVID-19 to track the course of the pandemic in Sweden, New York, Illinois and Texas, which each used different pandemic responses, and has suggested that lockdowns may turn out to be “the greatest policy error of this generation.”5 This isn’t to say that lockdowns had no noticeable effects, however. While they failed to meaningfully reduce COVID-19 deaths, they took a massive toll on other measures of public health:6
‘Fact Checkers’ Try to Defend LockdownsWhen the Johns Hopkins meta-analysis received some media attention, bringing the dismal results of lockdowns mainstream, “fact checkers” sprung to action to rebut the study. Among them was the Science Media Centre (SMC),7 variations of which exist in a number of countries, including the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with a reported mission to provide “high-quality scientific information” to journalists. Their mission, as stated on their website, is:8
But SMC is not an independent news agency as it claims to be, as it counts among its biggest funders a number of high-level industry players with worldwide agendas, including the Wellcome Trust, GlaxoSmithKline, CropLife International, Sanofi and AstraZeneca.9 Tucker teased out a particularly arrogant commentary in the SMC piece — a comment by Seth Flaxman, an associate professor in the department of computer science at the University of Oxford, who said:10
But categorizing lockdowns as completely without controversy, like the fact that smoking causes cancer, is wrong. Yet, Flaxman’s work is continually cited in defense of lockdowns, even though he has no background in medicine. Tucker wrote:11
Injection Mandates Counterproductive and HarmfulThe rapid emergence of widespread COVID-19 injection mandates, vaccine passports and restrictions based on injection status is also unprecedented and led to controversy on ethical, scientific and political grounds. A team of 12 researchers from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Harvard Medical School, the University of Oxford and other institutions outlined key reasons why these mandates have been counterproductive and harmful.12 “While vaccine policies have largely been framed as offering ‘benefits’ with freedoms for those who take up a full COVID-19 vaccination series, they include elements that are punitive, discriminatory and coercive, including conditioning access to health, work, travel and social life on vaccination status in many settings,” the preprint paper reads.13 Four domains are explored, with potential unintended consequences of injection mandates outlined as follows:
The authors maintain that segregating society into those who have gotten the shots and those who have not, while restricting access to work and education based on injection status, is a violation of human rights that’s promoting social polarization and adversely affecting health and well-being. In light of this, they note:14
2006 Study: Lockdowns Don’t WorkIn 2006, public health officials went through a list of mitigation actions that could be used in the event of pandemic influenza, along with their potential repercussions.15 Lockdowns, including quarantine and extended school closures, were not recommended, as this overriding principle was explained: “Experience has shown that communities faced with epidemics or other adverse events respond best and with the least anxiety when the normal social functioning of the community is least disrupted.” In the case of quarantines, the researchers explained there is “no basis” for quarantining either groups or individuals, as it raises “formidable” problems. “Secondary effects of absenteeism and community disruption as well as possible adverse consequences, such as loss of public trust in government and stigmatization of quarantined people and groups, are likely to be considerable,” they noted.16 Closure of schools beyond 10 to 14 days was also not recommended, unless all other points of contact, such as restaurants and churches, were also closed. But, they noted, “Such widespread closures, sustained throughout the pandemic, would almost certainly have serious adverse social and economic effects.”17 They also advised against cancelling or postponing meetings or events involving large numbers of people, explaining that “cancelling or postponing large meetings would not be likely to have any significant effect on the development of the epidemic” and “… communitywide closure of public events seems inadvisable.”18 Still, Tucker wrote, “a decade and a half later, governments all over the world tried lockdowns anyway.”19 With increasing recognition that lockdowns were useless and COVID-19 injections don’t work as advertised, people are rebelling. COVID-19 shots were supposed to set you free and bring life back to what it looked like in 2019 — no masks, no lockdowns and freedom for everyone, regardless of vaccination status. Lockdowns, too, were supposed to be a means to an end — an end to the pandemic that, two years later, is still going strong. If you don’t agree with COVID-19 restrictions and mandates in your area, now is the time to speak out in peaceful protest in order to compel positive changes in support of health and overall freedom. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/24/covid-vaccine-mandates-and-lockdowns.aspx Food addiction, defined as an “eating behavior involving the overconsumption of specific foods in an addiction-like manner,”1 is a common problem. Using a clinical scale called the Yale Food Addiction Severity Scale (YFAS), which was constructed to match the DSM IV criteria for substance addiction, a January 2022 study found up to 20% of the general population could be diagnosed with food addiction.2 Interestingly, research has repeatedly demonstrated that food addiction is virtually indistinguishable from the addiction to drugs. One substance long suspected of addictive potential is sugar. As noted in a November 2019 study,3,4,5 “Excessive sucrose consumption elicits addiction-like craving that may underpin the obesity epidemic.” Using PET imaging along with beta-opioid and dopamine receptor agonists, the researchers were able to show how sucrose affects the brain chemistry in miniature pigs. Even a single exposure to sucrose produced as much as a 14% drop in carfentanil binding (a beta-opioid receptor agonist) in certain parts of the brain, consistent with opioid release. In layman terms, sugar consumption triggered the release of natural opioids and dopamine in the animals’ brains, thus lowering the availability of those receptors. Reduced receptor availability is a sign of overstimulation, because when the brain gets overstimulated, it downregulates these receptors to prevent damage. The drawback of this protective mechanism is that you now need a higher dose of the substance to get the same pleasure response, and this is a key mechanism by which addiction develops. Medical Review Throws Doubt on Sugar AddictionConsidering what we know about the addictive nature of sugar, it’s somewhat surprising then to find a Romanian paper in the Frontiers of Psychiatry, published January 10, 2022, which claims there’s not enough evidence to support a medical diagnosis of sugar addiction in humans:6
Hyperpalatable Processed FoodsAccording to that Frontiers of Psychiatry paper, hyperpalatable foods, which typically contain a carefully orchestrated combination of flavors such as salt, sugar, artificial flavors and fat, are more likely to be problematic:7
According to the authors, “fat-rich food addiction” is a diagnosable condition. However, they specify that what they’re referring to is not simply any high-fat food, but rather hyperpalatable processed foods that are high in both fat and sugar. This is an important distinction, as eating a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet is likely to be the answer for many who struggle with food addiction and sweet cravings. Sugar Versus Fat in Food AddictionContradicting some of the claims in the Frontiers of Psychiatry paper is a 2012 study,8 which found that bingeing on sweet-fat foods did not cause the opiate-like withdrawal symptoms seen when bingeing on sugar alone. This suggests the presence of fat may actually ameliorate some of the addictive effects. As explained by the authors:9
Fat Doesn’t Affect Your Brain Opioid Systems Like Sugar DoesWhile some studies have found high-fat and/or sweet-fat food bingeing can produce opiate-like withdrawal symptoms in response to naloxone, an opiate antagonist, they did not find that here. Naloxone-precipitated anxiety was not observed in rats given chow rich in both sugar and fat. The researchers hypothesized that the inclusion of fat “may have interfered with the expression of withdrawal signs” seen in rats fed a high-sugar diet.
A 2012 paper commented on this research, noting:10
The animals that gorged on sweet-fat food did, however, consume far more calories and gained significantly more weight than controls given standard chow. Not surprisingly, COVID-19 self-quarantine and lockdowns has resulted in many gaining unwanted pounds. On average, those who reported weight gain gained between 1.1 pounds (0.5 kilo) and 4 pounds (2.8 kg) — and that was just the first two months of the 2020 lockdowns!11 Becoming Metabolically Flexible Is a Huge Part of the AnswerIf you know or suspect you have a food addiction, my recommendation is to clean up your diet. The key to getting rid of sugar and junk food cravings, in my experience, is eating a diet high-enough in healthy fats and low in refined carbs, also known as a ketogenic diet. I’m a big advocate for a CYCLICAL ketogenic diet. What this means is that once you’re able to burn fat as your primary fuel — which is evidenced by your ability to generate ketones above 0.3 mmol/l in your blood — you can then start cycling in and out of ketosis. To do this, simply increase your net carb and protein intake very gradually until you fall out of ketosis and then reduce it again. After a day or two of “feasting,” you then cycle back into nutritional ketosis (high-fat, low net carb, moderate protein) for the remainder of the week. By periodically pulsing higher carb intakes, consuming 100 or 150 grams of carbs opposed to 20 to 50 grams per day, your ketone levels will dramatically increase and your blood sugar will remain consistently suppressed. Needless to say, processed foods are not recommended and need to be assiduously avoided as most are loaded with dangerous levels of linoleic acid, which will increase metabolic oxidative stress. Eating real food is key no matter what your ratios of fat, carbs and protein are. Another key is to select the right fats. Which Fats to Eat and Which to AvoidFats to avoid as much as possible include: • Industrial vegetable oils or seed oils such as canola, soybean, grapeseed, rapeseed and safflower oil — These oils are primarily omega-6 linoleic acid (LA), which gets integrated into and cause dysfunction in your cell membranes, including the mitochondrial membrane. If you buy processed foods or frequent restaurants on a regular basis, you’re virtually guaranteed to be eating a high-omega-6 diet, as most restaurants use these oils in their cooking and baking and most processed foods are made with them • Margarine • Shortening • Any fake butter and spreads Fats to eat more of include:
How to Implement a Cyclical Ketogenic DietTo implement a high-fat, low-carb ketogenic diet, begin by eliminating packaged, processed foods. It’s important to eat real (whole) foods, plenty of healthy fats and, initially, as few net (nonfiber) carbs as possible. Foods to reduce or eliminate in this phase include all grains and any food high in sugar, particularly fructose, but also galactose (found in milk) and other sugars. As a general rule, you’ll want to reduce your net carbs to 20 to 50 grams a day or less, and restrict protein to 1 gram per kilogram of lean body mass. To make sure you’re actually meeting your nutritional requirements and maintaining the ideal nutrient ratios, use an online nutrient tracker such as www.cronometer.com/mercola, which is one of the most accurate nutrient trackers available. My tracker is preset for nutritional ketosis, so based on the base parameters you enter, it will automatically calculate the ideal ratios of net carbs, protein and healthy fats required to put you into nutritional ketosis. This is what will allow your body to start burning fat as its primary fuel rather than sugar, which in turn will help optimize your mitochondrial function, metabolism and overall health and fitness. Remember, once you are able to generate ketones over 0.3 mmol/l in your blood, that is the time to start reintroducing carbs cyclically back into your diet. Typically, two to three times a week will work fine. The best time to increase your carbs is on days that you’re doing strength training and increasing your protein intake as well. Emotional AssistanceLastly, a helpful technique that addresses the emotional component of food cravings is the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT). If you feel that your emotions, or your own self-image, may be your own worst enemy when it comes to altering your relationship with food, I highly recommend trying it out. You can find instructions in my free EFT manual. (All the YouTube videos on that page have been banned and deleted, but you can still find a series of photographs demonstrating the technique if you scroll further down the page.) from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/24/how-to-resolve-food-addiction.aspx This article was previously published January 22, 2018, and has been updated with new information. Despite the fact that more than 2,000 studies1 have been performed on coconut oil, demonstrating a wide range of benefits, it continues to be wrongfully vilified to this day, mainly because 90% of its fat content is saturated fat. However, saturated fats, and most particularly coconut oil, are an important part of the human diet. If you have bought into the media hype that saturated fats are unhealthy and will raise your risk of heart disease, it may be time to reconsider your position. Coconut products, particularly coconut oil, have been used by certain populations around the world for millennia, and in places where coconut oil is consumed as part of the standard diet, people seem to thrive. Take the Polynesian populations of Pukapuka and Tokelau, for example, whose diets tend to be high in coconut and other saturated fats and low in cholesterol and sugar. Here, researchers found that "vascular disease is uncommon in both populations and there is no evidence of the high saturated fat intake having a harmful effect."2 Another study3 focused on the Kitava in Papua New Guinea. Besides eating a lot of fish, fruit and tubers, coconut is also a prominent staple. None of the indigenous people in this study reported stroke, sudden death, chest pain or discomfort due to coronary heart disease (CHD). In fact, the researchers concluded that stroke and CHD appeared to be absent in this population. Aside from its internal health benefits, coconut oil also has countless other uses. You can rely on it for topical beauty applications, for example, thereby avoiding any number of hazardous chemicals. How Coconut Oil Can Benefit Your Health and Well-BeingNutritionally speaking, the healthy fats found in coconut oil can have significant effects on your well-being. Research has shown it can:
Use Coconut Oil for CookingCoconut oil is an excellent choice for cooking, as it can resist heat-induced damage. This way, you're not consuming damaged, oxidized oils. Processed vegetable oils, on the other hand, such as soybean, corn, cottonseed and canola oil, produce oxidized cholesterol when heated, which increases thromboxane formation — a factor that clots your blood, as well as two toxins: cyclic aldehydes and acrylamide. It's beyond unfortunate that the American Heart Association (AHA) decided to slow down much-needed progress by sending out its international presidential advisory15 warning against the use of coconut oil and butter, reiterating its old recommendation to use polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as margarine and vegetable oil instead. Overall, the AHA still recommends limiting your daily saturated fat intake to 5 to 6% of your daily calories, based on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet.16 In my opinion, this is far below what your body needs for optimal health. This advisory was sharply criticized by many health experts, and for good reason. For starters, the studies on which the advisory was based all date from the 1960s and early 1970s — the eras when the low-fat myth was born and grew to take hold. Many studies since then have demolished and refuted the science the AHA still clings to, but none of them were included. According to Dr. Cate Shanahan,17 a family physician and author of "Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food," the AHA's message "is not only false, it is dangerous," noting that the AHA is actually making false claims since none of the studies included in their analysis involved coconut oil specifically. It's also worth noting that most of the early studies on coconut oil that found less than favorable results used partially hydrogenated coconut oil, not unrefined virgin coconut oil.18 Hydrogenated oil is not the same as unrefined oil, even when you're talking about something as healthy as coconut. This little detail is what led to the undeserved vilification of coconut oil in the first place. >>>>> Click Here <<<<< Why Vegetable Oils Are a Hazardous ChoiceModern research is just now starting to reveal what actually happens at the molecular level when you consume vegetable oil and margarine, and it's clear that these fats are not doing your heart any favors. For example, Sanjoy Ghosh,19 a biologist at the University of British Columbia, has shown your mitochondria cannot easily use PUFAs for fuel due to the fats' unique molecular structure. Other researchers have shown the PUFA linoleic acid can cause cell death in addition to hindering mitochondrial function.20 PUFAs are also not readily stored in subcutaneous fat. Instead, they tend to get deposited in your liver, where they contribute to fatty liver disease, and in your arteries, where they contribute to atherosclerosis. According to Frances Sladek,21 Ph.D., a toxicologist and professor of cell biology at UC Riverside, PUFAs behave like a toxin that builds up in tissues because your body cannot easily rid itself of them. When vegetable oils like sunflower oil and corn oil are heated, cancer-causing chemicals like aldehydes are also produced.22 So, in summary, if your aim is better heart health, ignore the AHA's ignorant and prejudiced advice on dietary fats and cooking oils. It'll lead you in the complete opposite direction. While the AHA claims replacing saturated fats with PUFAs will cut your risk of heart disease, CHD rates have not improved in the decades that people have followed its recommendations on fat intake. Common sense tells us if the AHA's advice hasn't worked in the last 65 years, it's not likely to start working now. Medium-Chain Triglycerides and Their Health BenefitsNinety percent of the fat in coconut oil is saturated and about two-thirds of the fats are medium-chain fats, also referred to as MCTs. MCTs get their name from their chemical structure, and can be divided into four groups based on their carbon length:
Clinical uses of MCT oil (typically a combination of C8 and C10, which increase ketone levels far more effectively than the others) include:
As a general rule, the shorter the carbon chain, the more efficiently the MCT is converted into ketones, which are an excellent mitochondrial fuel. Ketones can even pass the blood-brain barrier to supply your brain with energy. They're a far preferable fuel than glucose, as they produce fewer reactive oxygen species and secondary free radicals when burned. Ketones also help suppress the hunger hormone ghrelin, and as your ketone level rises, CCK, a satiety hormone, is activated. As a result, food cravings and hunger pangs vanish, which will go a long way toward avoiding unnecessary snacking. MCTs also:
MCT Oil — Another Healthy AlternativeCoconut oil provides a mix of all of these MCTs, but the longer-chained C12 (lauric acid) makes up over 40% of it. (The exception is fractionated coconut oil, which contains primarily C8 and C10.27) Lauric acid is most well-known for its antibacterial, antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Since it's a longer-chained molecule, it does not increase ketone levels to any significant degree. While coconut oil provides a range of MCTs, for clinical uses such as those listed above, a more concentrated and potent MCT oil is recommended. Most commercial brands of MCT oil contain a 50/50 combination of C8 and C10. My personal preference is straight C8 (caprylic acid), as it converts to ketones the fastest. It also tends to be easier on your digestion. Concentrated MCT oil and/or coconut oil can both be consumed daily, but start with a small amount. Taking high doses of MCT oil before you develop tolerance can cause loose stools and gastrointestinal side effects. I recommend taking no more than 1 teaspoon of MCT oil to start. Have it at the same time as another fat, such as a handful of nuts, with ghee in your coffee, or as one of the oils in your salad dressing. Once your tolerance increases, you can slowly increase to as much as 4 tablespoons of MCT oil or coconut oil per day. If you stop taking it for a while and then restart, begin with a small amount again to allow your digestive system to readjust. That said, MCT oil is often more easily digested by those struggling to digest other types of fat, such as those with malabsorption, leaky gut, Crohn's disease or gallbladder impairment (such as an infection or if you had your gallbladder removed). Upgrade Your Coffee CreamerMany people who drink coffee do so with all kinds of additives, often referred to just as "cream and sugar". Nondairy creamer can scarcely be called "cream" at all and is more aptly described as a synthetic combination of chemicals, trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors. Give your coffee an upgrade by adding some grass fed butter, MCT oil or C8 to it. You can also make this brain-boosting high-performance beverage found on the Bulletproof blog:28 Procedure
Explore the Many Uses for Coconut OilKeeping a jar of organic coconut oil on hand could save you a lot of money since it replaces a wide variety of other products, both in the kitchen and elsewhere. As mentioned, coconut oil is not only a beneficial food. It can also replace a number of pricy and potentially hazardous personal care products, including moisturizers, hair masks, shaving lotion, cleansers and makeup removers, body scrub, toothpaste and much more. If you've been fooled into going on a low-fat diet, or follow advice that recommends vegetable oils over coconut oil or butter, please look at the evidence and reconsider your options. Saturated fats will not make you pack on pounds; nor will it raise your risk for heart disease. On the contrary, saturated fat, such as that found in coconut oil, offers many health benefits, including improved heart health. If you don't believe it, try it out for yourself. Swap all of those margarine spreads and processed vegetable oils you're using for coconut oil. After about three months or so, recheck your blood levels and compare your results. Chances are, you'll find yourself in a lower risk category for heart disease than you were before, even if your total cholesterol (which says nothing about your heart disease risk) happens to go up. A simple way to get more coconut oil into your diet is to add it to your coffee or smoothie in the morning. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/24/how-coconut-oil-can-benefit-your-health.aspx By Dr. Mercola One of the simplest and most enjoyable ways to up the health ante of your meals is by adding herbs and spices, and in the realm of spices, turmeric and its active ingredient curcumin may be king. If you're a fan of curry, you're probably also a fan of turmeric, as this is the yellow-orange spice that makes the foundation of many curry dishes. It's a great addition to your diet, but to get the full benefits curcumin has to offer, look for a turmeric extract that contains 100 percent certified organic ingredients and at least 95 percent curcuminoids. Research is emerging showing that this potent spice may play a beneficial role in preventing and treating numerous chronic diseases, and may offer promise in helping people deal with obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases. Does Curcumin Boost Weight Loss?Research in the European Journal of Nutrition suggests that curcumin may be useful for the treatment and prevention of obesity-related chronic diseases, as the interactions of curcumin with several signal transduction pathways -- the process by which biological functions are recognized -- also reverse insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and other inflammatory symptoms associated with obesity and metabolic disorders. Curcumin is known for its potent anti-inflammatory properties, and chronic inflammation is the hallmark of most chronic disease, including diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease. But many people are not aware that obesity contributes to a state of low-grade, chronic inflammation in your body that can trigger metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Curcumin appears to modulate several cellular transduction pathways that contribute to this damaging process. As a result, researchers concluded:
Past research has revealed similar findings, including that curcumin reduces the formation of fat tissue by suppressing the blood vessels needed to form it. As the researchers stated:
Weight Loss is Just the Icing on the CakeThe benefits of curcumin go way beyond weight loss. The compound has been shown to influence more than 700 genes, and it can inhibit both the activity and the synthesis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and 5-lipooxygenase (5-LOX), as well as other enzymes that have been implicated in inflammation. But that's not all. Curcumin currently has the most evidence-based literature supporting its use against cancer than any other nutrient. Interestingly this also includes the metabolite of curcumin and its derivatives, which are also anti-cancerous. Best of all, curcumin appears to be safe in the treatment of all cancers. Researchers have found that curcumin can affect more than 100 different pathways, once it gets into the cell. More specifically, curcumin has been found to:
However, much of curcumin's power seems to lie in its ability to modulate genetic activity and expression -- both by destroying cancer cells and by promoting healthy cell function. As such, evidence suggests curcumin may play a beneficial role in the following conditions:
Tips for Using Curcumin TherapeuticallyYou can use turmeric in your cooking (choose a pure turmeric powder, rather than a curry powder, as at least one study has found that curry powders tend to contain very little curcumin), but you may also want to consider taking it in supplement form. For many this is a more convenient method to obtain the potential health benefits, especially if it is from a high-quality organic source, and also if you don't particularly enjoy the taste of curry. Unfortunately, at the present time there really are no formulations available for the use against cancer, as relatively high doses are required and curcumin is not absorbed that well. According to Dr. William LaValley, one of the leading medicine cancer physicians I personally know, typical anticancer doses are up to three grams of good bioavailable curcumin extract, three to four times daily. One work-around is to use the curcumin powder and make a microemulsion of it by combining a tablespoon of the powder and mixing it into 1-2 egg yolks and a teaspoon or two of melted coconut oil. Then use a high-speed hand blender to emulsify the powder. Another strategy that can help increase absorption is to put one tablespoon of the curcumin powder into a quart of boiling water. It must be boiling when you add the powder as it will not work as well if you put it in room temperature water and heat the water and curcumin. After boiling it for ten minutes you will have created a 12 percent solution that you can drink once it has cooled down. It will have a woody taste. The curcumin will gradually fall out of solution however. In about six hours it will be a 6 percent solution, so it's best to drink the water within four hours. Be aware that curcumin is a very potent yellow pigment and can permanently discolor surfaces if you aren't careful. Be Sure Your Weight Loss Strategy is ComprehensiveIt can't hurt to add curcumin to your comprehensive weight loss program, but it should not be your only strategy for weight loss if you're currently overweight or obese. You can read an in-depth explanation of the common factors that contribute to weight loss here, but the key is the quality of your calories and exercise. Typically you will need to replace grains and sugars, including fructose, with high-quality protein and fats AND add in high-intensity exercise training like Peak Fitness. I realize that this might conflict with your previous understanding of a healthy diet, but that is clearly what the bulk of the science and anecdotal evidence supports. For more comprehensive details, please see my nutrition plan, which is divided into beginner, intermediary and advanced, so that you can slowly work your way toward achieving your weight loss goals. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/09/22/could-this-spice-actually-help-weight-loss.aspx If you’re wondering how we’ll ever put an end to these draconian COVID-19 mandates that are destroying lives and sanity across the world, take heart. History can serve us in this regard. The parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and its countermeasures that of previous smallpox pandemics are fascinating to behold, and therein we can also find the answer to our current predicament. Smallpox, a highly infectious and disfiguring illness with a fatality rate around 30%,1 has been with us for many centuries, probably thousands of years. During the last four centuries, forced mass vaccination has been a recurring countermeasure relied on by government during these kinds of outbreaks, often with devastating results, and there have always been large portions of society that opposed it. In the 1700s, Boston, Massachusetts, was hit by a series of outbreaks, and the introduction of a vaccine led to violent rebellion by those who believed it was dangerous and a violation of God’s will. Local newspapers were rife with disputes for and against the vaccine.2 The hypodermic needle had not yet been invented at this time, so the vaccination consisted of rubbing some cowpox pus into an open wound on the arm. Dr. Zabdiel Boylston, who introduced the inoculation at the urgings of Rev. Cotton Mather, was forced into hiding and was eventually arrested. Mather’s home was firebombed. In 1862, it was Los Angeles, California’s turn. Compulsory vaccination was again rolled out, and anyone who refused was subject to arrest. Infected people were terrified of being forcibly quarantined in a “pest house,” miles outside the city limits, and for good reason. It was a place where you were dumped to die, with not so much as a bedsheet for comfort.3 The Anti-Vaccination Rebellion of 1885In the decades to come, smallpox outbreaks were occurring all over the world, and forced inoculation was typically the answer, even though it had its own risks. In 1885, England became the host to a massive anti-vaccination movement that ultimately resulted in people overturning the government’s compulsory vaccination rule. As reported by the BBC, December 28, 2019, mere weeks before COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic:4
A Substack user going by the moniker “A Midwestern Doctor”5,6 details this part of history, explaining why it matters to us today. He writes:7
The alternative countermeasure implemented in Leicester involved quarantining infected people and notifying anyone who’d been in close contact with the patient. They also used “ring vaccination” in which hospital workers who took care of infected patients had been inoculated.8 As a result, when smallpox broke out again between 1892 and 1894, Leicester got off lightly, with a case rate of 20.5 cases per 10,000. In all, the town had 370 cases and 21 deaths — far lower than the towns of Warrington and Sheffield, where vaccination rates were high. On the other hand, there were well-vaccinated areas that had lower case rates and fewer deaths, and areas with low vaccination rates that also fared worse in this regard, so vaccination was probably not the determining factor either way. In 1898, the U.K. implemented a new law that allowed people to opt out of vaccination for moral reasons. As reported by the BBC, this was “the first time ‘conscientious objection’ was recognized in U.K. law.”9 Now, we have to fight to regain that right yet again, all around the world. Dissolving Illusions“A Midwestern Doctor”10 goes on to discuss Dr. Suzanne Humphries’ 2009 book, “Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and the Forgotten History,” in which she shatters the notion that vaccines (and certain other medical interventions) have been single-handedly responsible for improved health and increased life spans. As a nephrologist (kidney specialist), Humphries noticed a pattern among her patients. Many who experienced kidney injury or kidney failure had recently received a flu vaccine. It was a singular common denominator. So, she began to challenge the hospital’s routine practice of vaccinating patients. Humphries was roundly ignored and was ultimately forced to leave. The book grew out of her frustration with people who insisted that vaccines had eliminated scourges like polio and smallpox. Once she delved into the research, what she found was something else entirely. With regard to smallpox and smallpox vaccination, living conditions during the industrial revolution were horrid. Plagues and infectious outbreaks were commonplace, not because of insufficient vaccination, but because sanitation was near-nonexistent and people, including children, were overworked and underfed. Early progressives believed deadly plagues could be prevented by improving living and working conditions, and they were correct. We know this because other plagues for which there were no vaccines disappeared right along with smallpox and polio. While the medical industry eventually embraced vaccination, and increasingly over time treated it as something that could not be contested or questioned, Humphries’ book details the opposition. Smallpox OppositionAs it turns out, many doctors have spoken out against smallpox vaccination and published data demonstrating its dangers. For example:11
The Moving Goal PostOnce it became clear that the smallpox vaccine was incapable of providing long-lasting immunity as initially promised, the medical profession moved the goal post and started justifying vaccination on the basis that it could protect against more severe illness, even if it couldn’t provide lifelong “perfect” immunity the way recovering from the infection could. This has been a basic mantra ever since, and we’ve gotten a double-dose of it during this COVID pandemic. Within months, the goal post was switched from “two doses are near-100% effective,” to “two doses wear off in six months and leave you more vulnerable to severe illness thereafter.” Some bargain! Corruption of Vital Statistics Protect Vaccination NarrativeWhat’s worse, the trend of not reporting vaccine injuries due to “allegiance to the practice,” as noted by Henry May in the Birmingham Medical Review in January 1874, has continued unabated. According to May, vaccinated people who died were typically recorded as having died from some other condition, or were erroneously listed as “unvaccinated.”12 As noted by “A Midwestern Doctor”:13
The Effects of Forced Smallpox Vaccinations“A Midwestern Doctor” continues describing the effects of the government’s insistence of forced smallpox vaccination:14
Other countries reported the same smallpox trends, including Italy and Japan, where smallpox death rates after successful vaccination campaigns were unprecedented. Vaccine injuries, including deaths, were also common. It is shocking how closely the miserable failures of the smallpox vaccines mirror the COVID jabs. One of the most common causes of death after smallpox vaccination was erysipelas, a painful bacterial skin disease. An 1890 Encyclopedia Britannica article reported that smallpox vaccination had triggered a disastrous epidemic of erysipelas. Other side effects included jaundice, syphilis, tuberculosis, eczema vaccinatum (a rare and lethal skin condition). Massive Historic Public Protests Over 135 Years AgoAs skepticism of and opposition against smallpox vaccination grew, enforcement increased. Vaccine refusers were fined, jailed and sometimes vaccinated by force. Parents were even forced to vaccinate their second child even if the first one died from the inoculation. Intermittently, riots would break out. A Midwestern Doctor details what happened next:15
Keep in mind that these protests occurred when the population was much lower, so as a percentage of the population it was much higher. In 1885, the U.K. population was only 36,015,500,16 so a protest with 100,000 was just under 0.3% of the entire population. As of February 16, 2022, today’s U.K. population is 68,471,390,17 so to match that protest, percentage-wise, about 205,400 would have to hit the streets. History Repeats ItselfThose who don’t know their history are bound to repeat it, and it seems that’s precisely what we’ve allowed to occur in the past two years. Many doctors predicted and warned that the pandemic would be prolonged and worsened by rolling out non-sterilizing vaccines (i.e., vaccines that do not prevent infection and transmission). And that’s precisely what we’ve witnessed. Predictions of devastating side effects have also come true. And, as resistance to the shots grew, draconian mandates followed. History tells us forced vaccination is not the answer. History also tells us how to get out from underneath a tyrannical government’s insistence on forced vaccination. The answer is peaceful noncompliance. The answer is standing together, en masse, and saying “No more. Enough.” The truckers in Canada, the U.S., Belgium and elsewhere have the right idea, and the rest of us need to join and support them, in any way we can.
If you want to learn more about the fraud of all vaccines, I would encourage you to carefully review Suzanne Humphries’ excellent book, “Dissolving Illusions.” In my view it is the best book out there on the subject. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/23/covid-smallpox.aspx Drinking water may be treated with a variety of chemicals, which create intermediaries and disinfection byproducts. One study1 did a side-by-side comparison of epidemiological studies and cancer risk assessment after exposure to two disinfection byproducts — haloacetic acids and trihalomethanes. Yet, disinfection byproducts are not the only toxic chemicals found in tap water. One glass of water may contain a cocktail of forever chemicals known as PFAS,2 lead, arsenic3 and a list of other chemicals found in your local area that you were never meant to consume.4 You can check your local supply by using the Environmental Working Group’s (EWGs) Tap Water Database.5 One of the issues with the water supply is that we have an aging infrastructure that may be nearing the end of its useful life.6 Another is the water pollution that results from firefighting chemicals,7 agrichemicals,8 drugs, nerve toxins that are produced by freshwater cyanobacteria9 and toxins that are intentionally added to the water supply.10 Since more than 50% of your body is water,11 you require a constant supply of pure water to fuel your filtration system and ensure your body is free of toxins. Your blood, kidneys and liver require a good source of clean water to detoxify from the other toxic exposures you meet every day. Yet, it is the water supply that is also in desperate need of detoxification. Disinfectant Byproducts in Tap Water Raise Risk of CancerThe EWG opened the Tap Water Database in 2017.12 It was the most complete source of information about U.S. drinking water that compiled data from nearly 50,000 systems across the country. The data mining project was aimed at increasing information and awareness about tap water pollution. Users can enter their zip code13 and find a list of contaminants that had been detected and reported to the authorities. The guide relies on current science to report levels of pollutants instead of legal limits set by regulatory agencies. Ken Cook, president of EWG, said in a press release:14
In November 2021, the EWG called15 for a new framework to analyze drinking water that would account for multiple contaminants present simultaneously and the cumulative effect that has over a lifetime. It was the same month the organization updated their tap water database, which:16
The EWG notes that the federal drinking water standards evaluate and regulate one chemical at a time.17 The process is slow and cannot keep up with the rate at which pollution is added to the water supply, often at levels many scientists believe are unsafe for the public. This was highlighted in a study18 published in 2020 by the EWG in which the scientists compared two disinfection byproducts in the tap water. The researchers concluded that the results offered a compelling argument for a cumulative risk assessment, as opposed to the current state of evaluating chemicals one at a time. They note that the two disinfection byproducts evaluated in the study are a small portion of those that form when drinking water is disinfected. Additionally, “The inclusion of unregulated haloacetic acids in a toxicologically-based framework increases the likelihood that a cancer risk assessment for disinfection byproducts accurately reflects risk.”19 The researchers also highlighted that the analysis demonstrated the value of using human data to capture real-world risks which “cannot be fully assessed by toxicological studies.” This was not the first study to demonstrate the levels of toxic chemicals in drinking water, and likely will not be the last. A team from Consumer Reports and The Guardian20 took samples of drinking water from a cross-section of each of the EPA's 10 jurisdictional regions and found that 118 of the 120 samples had high levels of PFAS or arsenic, as well as detectable levels of lead. In the short 2-minute video below, EWG scientist Sydney Evans explains the concerns many scientists have of drinking a “toxic cocktail” of contaminants in drinking water. The cumulative effect of drinking chemical pollutants over a lifetime could result in over 100,000 cancer cases in the U.S. Your Clothing Is a Significant Contributor to Water PollutionAs Evans points out in this video, the most effective way to control pollutants in the water supply is to prevent it. She notes that reducing farm runoff and discharge from manufacturing can help protect the water supply. She calls for investment in tap water infrastructure, especially in small communities, and fixing the tap water standards. Researchers have also found that nearly 20% of the pollutants found in drinking water are from your clothing.21 You may not think about the clothing industry being one of the biggest polluters on the planet, but it's nearing the top of the list. The textile industry contributes to water pollution through dying and treatment of the material with dangerous chemicals. Rita Kant of the University Institute of Fashion Technology at Panjab University in India says color is a major reason people choose to buy certain articles of clothing.22 Although there are ways to dye clothing that don't harm the environment, most textile dyes are toxic for nearly all forms of life. Problems exist with the dye itself, 20% of which goes down the drain, and with the fixative agents used to set the colors in the fabric. In addition to the chemicals being toxic, they are often discharged from textile mills at high temperatures and pH, which is also damaging to the environment.23 Some of the dyes also use heavy metals which are known to cause cancer24 and can accumulate in crops and fish from contaminated water and soil.25 Unfortunately, many of the textile dyeing facilities are in developing countries where regulations are lax and labor costs are low. Untreated or minimally treated wastewater is discharged into nearby rivers to lower the cost of production26 and from there it travels across the globe. An estimated 40% of textile chemicals are discharged by China.27 In addition to polluting the water, the industry uses massive quantities of it. A textile mill that produces about 8,000 kilograms (17,637 pounds) of fabric in one day uses approximately 1.6 million liters (422,675 gallons) of water.28 The fast fashion industry is a large contributor to chemical pollution and the destruction of our drinking water supply. The average person purchased more than 65 articles of clothing in 2016, according to the toxic textiles report by Green America.29 Added to which, many throw away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles each year. Even when clothing is recycled, Green America notes that “less than 1% of the resources required to make clothing is recaptured and reused to create new clothing.”30 When you donate clothes, it’s also not a sustainable solution, as the majority end up getting sold to textile “recyclers” and exported to other countries. EPA Waffles on Lead and Arsenic in Your Drinking WaterThe greatest threat arsenic poses is when it's found in drinking water, food preparation and irrigating food crops. Long-term exposure can lead to several forms of cancer,31 and other research suggests there's an association with neurological effects, diabetes and high blood pressure.32 The health impact of low exposure happens over a long period and has been shown to reduce children's IQ33 and increase the risk of skin discoloration and lesions.34 The acceptable level for arsenic in drinking water was originally set in 1942 at 50 parts per billion (ppb).35 This was reduced to 10 parts per billion in 2001, which was an amount the EPA felt would help water system operators balance the cost of filtering water against health challenges resulting from exposure.36 Yet this is still more than triple the 3-ppb level at which experts have long insisted it should be limited and which the EPA first considered. A 2017 NRDC study37 noted that the EPA had set a maximum contaminant level for arsenic at zero since no level is safe. However, it set the enforceable level at 10 ppb, which continues to present a “substantial cancer risk.” Lead is another heavy metal contaminant that the EPA recognizes has no safe exposure limit, yet they do not require utility services to lower lead levels until 10% of the homes sampled in the area exceed 15 ppb.38 In the same NRDC report,39 the researchers found 5,367 water systems were allowing high levels of lead and copper into the water system affecting over 18 million consumers. There is an overwhelming cost to the community and individuals from exposure to lead, including kidney and brain damage, anemia, weakness, neurological damage to a developing baby, lower IQ in children, and infertility in men and women.40 Yet, the EPA has not made any significant changes to the maximum acceptable exposure levels. Toxin Intentionally Added to Tap Water Lowers IQIn addition to pollutants that make it into the water supply from contamination to groundwater, regulatory agencies add fluoride to the drinking water supply. According to a commentary in the journal Nature,41 it is nearly impossible to get both sides of the fluoride issue to meet in the middle. Supporters say it prevents cavities and strengthens teeth, but opponents say the risks present to children's overall health far outweigh any dental benefits.42 To date fluoride is hailed by the CDC as "one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th century,"43 with roughly 73% of the U.S. population drinking from a fluoridated public water supply in 2018.44 A landmark study45 published in 2021 confirmed that very low levels of fluoride exposure during pregnancy impacted brain development in a child and at a level that may be causing more damage than lead, mercury or arsenic. What you hear most often from proponents of fluoride at council meetings and from policymakers, is that government agencies can vouch for fluoridation “safety and effectiveness,” and regulate the practice responsibly. The thinking therefore, is because they say that, it must be true. However, instead of verifying the claims, policymakers have put their unquestioning trust in government agencies and media outlets have suspended their professionalism by not only blindly trusting the agencies, but also discrediting those who oppose fluoridation.46 However, under oath, representatives have proved that this mantra of “safe and effective” is only a baseless claim used to promote a failed policy. Casey Hannan, director of the CDC's oral health division,47 testified that the CDC has no data establishing the safety of fluoride's effect on the brain,48 despite decades of touting the safety for all citizens, including children. Hannan also admits there is no prenatal or early life benefit.49 We can’t count on the mainstream media or the public health authorities to tell the public or decision-makers about what is happening. It’s up to individuals to pass this information to family and friends and encourage them to pass it along as well. Please help us get to the finish line in a world without fluoridation. If you’re concerned about the health effects of fluoride, please support the Fluoride Action Network50 with your tax-deductible donation today. from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/23/is-your-tap-water-making-you-sick.aspx This article was previously published January 10, 2018, and has been updated with new information. One of the most straightforward steps you can take to improve your health is to give up soda, and with that I'm talking about both regular and diet varieties. The problem with soda stems from its high sugar content — particularly the liquid high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) variety — and, in the case of diet, its artificial sweetener content, among other issues. Research suggests sugary beverages are to blame for about 184,000 deaths worldwide each year, including 133,000 Type 2 diabetes deaths, 45,000 heart disease deaths and 6,450 cancer deaths.1 Even drinking one or more 250 ml (about 8 ounces) servings of soda per day raises your risk of Type 2 diabetes by 18%.2 Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a leading source of added sugar in the U.S. diet, with 6 in 10 youths and 5 in 10 adults drinking at least one such beverage on any given day.3 In 2022, it's estimated that the average American adult's daily diet includes 341.1 calories from sugary drinks alone, while children consume 312.6 beverage calories every day.4 Even the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, "Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain/obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, nonalcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis."5 However, the CDC only suggests that "limiting the amount of SSB intake can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and have a healthy diet," stopping far short of advising Americans to ditch these unhealthy drinks to avoid chronic disease. This isn't entirely surprising, considering CDC director Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald received $1 million in funding from Coca-Cola6 to combat childhood obesity during her six-year stint as commissioner of Georgia's public health department and has a history of promoting the soda industry's "alternative facts." Her Coke-funded anti-obesity campaign focused on exercise. None of the recommendations involved cutting down on soda and junk food, yet research shows exercise cannot counteract the ill effects of a high-sugar (i.e., high soda) diet. Health Risks of Drinking SodaDowning cans of sugary soda isn't only a matter of consuming "empty" calories that may lead to weight gain, as some public health organizations would have you believe. You can't simply undo the effects of soda consumption by cutting back on calories elsewhere in your diet, as the sugar itself wreaks havoc on your body and your gut flora. Researchers have known since the 1960s that your body metabolizes different types of carbohydrates, like glucose and fructose, in different ways, causing very different hormonal and physiological responses that absolutely may influence fat accumulation and metabolism.7 One 12-ounce can of regular soda has about 33 grams of sugar (8 1/4 teaspoons) and 36 grams of net carbohydrates, which is more than your body can safely handle, especially at one sitting. The World Health Organization recommended that sugar should make up less than 10% of your total daily energy intake, with additional benefits to be had if you reduce it to below 5% (which amounts to about 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons of sugar a day).8 For optimal health, I recommend limiting your intake of net carbs to under 40 to 50 grams per day, which is virtually impossible to do if you drink soda. Gary Taubes, cofounder of the Nutrition Science Initiative and author of "The Case Against Sugar," expertly documents sugar's link to chronic diseases and much more, including whether sugar should more aptly be described as a drug instead of a food. It doesn't cause the immediate symptoms of intoxication, like dizziness, staggering, slurring of speech or euphoria, associated with other "drugs," yet perhaps this only allowed its long-term medical consequences to go "unasked and unanswered." In 2019, an intriguing study9 showed that "Excessive sucrose consumption elicits addiction-like craving that may underpin the obesity epidemic." In this animal study, researchers found that sugar consumption triggered the release of natural opioids and dopamine in the animals' brains, thus lowering the availability of those receptors. Reduced receptor availability is a sign of overstimulation, because when the brain gets overstimulated, it downregulates these receptors to prevent damage. The drawback of this protective mechanism is that you now need a higher dose of the substance to get the same pleasure response, and this is a key mechanism by which addiction develops. While other researchers question whether sugar "addiction" is a true addiction,10 most of us today will never know if we suffer even subtle withdrawal symptoms from sugar like you would from a drug, because we'll never go long enough without it to find out, Taubes wrote. He added that sugar has likely killed more people than tobacco and that tobacco wouldn't have killed as many people as it did without sugar.11 Harvard School of Public Health further compiled a list of additional studies demonstrating the link between soda and chronic disease:12
Why Diet Soda Is Not a 'Healthier' AlternativeThe idea that diet soda is a healthier option than regular soda is one of the biggest prevailing myths in the nutrition realm today. If you're one of the nearly half of U.S. adults who consume artificial sweeteners, mostly in the form of diet soda, daily (even one-quarter of kids do so as well),16 it's important you're let in on the truth: Drinking diet soda puts your health at risk of the following conditions: • Stroke and Dementia -- Drinking one artificially sweetened beverage a day may increase your risk of stroke and dementia by threefold compared to drinking less than one a week.17 Even drinking one to six artificially sweetened beverages a week was linked to 2.6 greater risk of stroke compared to not drinking any. A 2012 study similarly found that people who drank diet soft drinks daily were 43% more likely to have suffered a vascular event, including a stroke.18 This significant association persisted even after controlling for other factors that could increase the risk, such as smoking, physical activity levels, alcohol consumption, diabetes, heart disease, dietary factors and more. As for the dementia link, this one is new and no one knows for sure how diet drinks may affect your brain. Forbes compiled some plausible theories, however, including perhaps via the disruption artificial sweeteners pose to your gut health via the corresponding gut-brain axis. Alternatively:19
• Heart Attack -- Research that included nearly 60,000 postmenopausal women who were followed for about 10 years found that drinking just two diet drinks a day can dramatically increase your risk of an early death from heart disease.20 • Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes -- People with Type 2 diabetes are often advised to consume artificial sweeteners in lieu of sugar, but research shows consumption of diet soda at least daily is associated with a 36% greater relative risk of metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater relative risk of Type 2 diabetes compared with not consuming any.21 • Depression -- According to a study done in 2013 that included nearly 264,000 U.S. adults over the age of 50, those who drank more than four cans or glasses of diet soda or other artificially sweetened beverages daily had a nearly 30% higher risk of depression compared to those who did not consume diet drinks.22 • Weight Gain -- In April 2017, research presented at ENDO 2017, the Endocrine Society's 99th annual meeting in Orlando, Florida, once again found that artificial sweeteners promote metabolic dysfunction that may promote the accumulation of fat.23 A study on mice also revealed that animals fed aspartame-laced drinking water gained weight and developed symptoms of metabolic syndrome while mice not fed the artificial sweetener did not. Further, the researchers revealed that phenylalanine, an aspartame breakdown product, blocks the activity of a gut enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (IAP). In a previous study, IAP was found to prevent the development of metabolic syndrome (and reduce symptoms in those with the condition) when fed to mice.24 Aspartame likely promotes obesity by interfering with IAP activity. Industry Ties Perpetuate Flawed 'Energy Balance' TheoryDespite soda's strong links to disease, public health officials have been slow to place blame on the industry and instead continue to perpetuate the "energy balance theory," which suggests weight gain is simply a matter of consuming more calories than you burn off, and increasing exercise is therefore the solution to lowering rates of obesity (in lieu of eliminating soda). The soda industry has been instrumental in shifting the blame away from soda and toward virtually any other scapegoat. In 2015, for instance, Coca-Cola Co. was outed for secretly funding and supporting the Global Energy Balance Network, a nonprofit front group that promoted exercise as the solution to obesity while significantly downplaying the role of diet and sugary beverages in the weight loss equation.25 Public health authorities accused the group of using tobacco industry tactics to raise doubts about the health hazards of soda, and a letter signed by more than three dozen scientists said the group was spreading "scientific nonsense."26 Yet, the soda industry maintains many close ties with organizations that continue to promote the energy balance myth (and directly funds such organizations).27 Among them:
Try Hibiscus Tea InsteadIf the idea of swapping your daily soda with water sounds less than enticing, consider swapping it with tea instead. This gives you the best of both worlds: flavor and a healthy boost to your diet, as high-quality tea can have quite a few health benefits. Hibiscus tea is one such option. It has a pleasingly sharp flavor, similar to the tartness of cranberry, and you can find it in liquid extract form that allows you to add a few pumps to your glass of water. Unlike soda that will overload you with sugar and/or artificial sweeteners, hibiscus tea is high in vitamin C, minerals and antioxidants, and studies suggest it may improve blood pressure, help prevent metabolic syndrome, protect your liver and even provide anticancer effects.31 It's the opposite of drinking soda in terms of what it does to your health! It's not only hibiscus tea that offers benefits, of course. If you prefer green or white tea, these are healthy choices as well. Studies show green tea consumption improves brain function, as well as staves off cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's, helps prevent dental cavities, fights inflammatory disease such as arthritis and even combats several cancers, much like hibiscus tea. The idea is that by making this one healthy switch — swapping your daily soda for a daily cup of tea instead — you can significantly lower your risk of chronic disease and obesity. In addition, if a soda craving strikes, fit in a quick workout, drink a cup of organic black coffee or consume something sour (like fermented vegetables or lemon water). All can help you to kick your sugar cravings to the curb. The Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is another great option, which has been shown to significantly reduce cravings while increasing peoples' ability to show restraint — even after six months.32 A video demonstration is below, but here is the basic approach, which you can start using right now:
from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2022/02/23/drinking-soda-health-risks.aspx |
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