Normally, with any health condition, Veterans are required to provide proof of  how the condition is directly related to their military service.  With presumptive conditions, this is not necessary because it is already presumed these particular conditions are connected to the time of military service.   The only thing that has to be verified is where you served and the dates.  More information on Agent orange and presumptive issues can be found at:

http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20090126/NEWS01/901260316

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/Herbicide/

Why am I telling you this and why is it important to you today?  Those same companies that made billions of dollars from agent orange, those same companies who are responsible for killing or destroying thousands of lives, are the same companies that are now killing the American public through our food supply.  Let’s just take a look at one company and what is happening with the milk our children and grandchildren drink.

This video is a little long, but the information it contains needs to be in every household in America.  For you and your family, take the time to watch this video.

How much money do you spend on milk in a month?   Maybe it is time for you to take a little of your milk money and consider this: http://tinyurl.com/c6wlhq

Alas, he never knew that Fountain of Youth can be found in the antioxidant properties of fruits!  He would have needed stamina to keep up his search and if he did not have the juice of an impressive array of the likes of mangosteen, pomegranate, wolfberry, blueberries, grapes, peaches, pears…and the all important Acai berries, he must have aged rapidly!  Not to mention Green Tea!

Bless Ponce de Leon’s heart; he never even heard of the all important ORAC rating.  It was bad enough he did not find the Fountain of Youth; he never got the opportunity to learn about the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.  The ORAC is the measurement of antioxidant capacity in foods.  The ORAC rating of SuperFruitsgt is off the charts:  With a rating of 59,199 SuperFruit GT’s numbers tower over the amount of antioxidants in many other fruit drinks, and the lower numbers would be reflected in the ORAC rating of the other guys’ products.

What does a high ORAC ranking, the Fountain of Youth, and berry juice has to do with YOU?

That would depend on what you want from your life.  Are you satisfied with the image you see in your mirror or do you think you might be aging prematurely?  Are you happy with your energy level?  Do you “run down” before you finish a task?  Do you wake refreshed after a night’s sleep?  Are you always ‘coming down’ with the sniffles or flu-like symptoms?  Do you have family members who suffer from any number of maladies that could be passed along through the gene pool?

Hardly anything “cures” illness.  Medical attention is always indicated where necessary.  But the body seems to work better when it is well nourished, the same way our autos perform better when we take proper care to meet their needs.

Doesn’t it make good sense to take into our bodies the finest, most nutritious elements in order to increase the likelihood we may look and feel younger, more energetic, and think with greater clarity?

SuperFruitsgt are really easy to incorporate into your routine.  There are no powders to mix, no capsules to count and nothing difficult to swallow.  Just drink the delicious fruity juice-up to 4 oz per day-and take note of the wonderful improvements you experience.

You might like to make a notation on your calendar or keep a journal about the improvements you begin to enjoy.  Looking over your healthy journey might prove to be valuable to you later on!

http://tinyurl.com/c6wlhq

Are your children in sports? Do you ever go in the locker room before or after an event? Do you know what goes on during practice? Are these athletes healthy? With their defined muscles, trim bodies and nice tans they may very well look healthy, but are they really healthy? Are they developing good health habits?

I love to go to the high school sports events, but one night after my son’s football game, I got quite a shock. Our local high school had not had a winning football team for many, many years. The year the community had been waiting for had finally come. In the grocery store, in the restaurants, and every place our family went, people were talking about this outstanding group of young men.

Obviously, people were talking about the fact this team wasn’t allowing any other team to score against them, but the big topic of conversation was the camaraderie of this group, the respect they had for each other and their coaches. They were friends, they were a team and they just had fun. They celebrated team victories, but they also celebrated individual victories. They supported each other, on the field and off, and they came together if someone needed help. Not only were they good kids, many were scholar athletes.

The parking lot was full on game nights and the community came out in force when a game was at another school. This football team was bringing the best out in everybody, or so it seemed.

One cold October night, after the football game, our family was waiting in the car for my son to come out of the locker room. Finally, here he came with no shirt on and it was cold enough to do ice sculptures. He got in the car and then said he forgot something and had to go back to the locker room. Within minutes he was back in the car and I asked him what he had forgotten. He showed me a bottle of an over the counter form of ibuprofen. I am sure you are probably thinking…big deal; the boy probably had a few aches and pains from all the tackles.

Unfortunately, this was a big deal and it could have had disastrous consequences. Much to our surprise, many of the boys on the team were taking 5 or 6 of these pills before each game they played. Sadly, they thought it was fine because it was an over the counter item and people use it everyday. Apparently, this had been going on for a few years and come to find out, it is not unusual for college players. Please do not assume by using my son’s football team as an example I am implying that this is only a male problem or it is isolated to football.

Quite the contrary, this type of behavior occurs within the female and male population in all sports from tennis to volleyball. From the scholar athletes to young men and women who sing in the church choir. It is everywhere. We are not talking street drugs or alcohol, but if abused can be just as lethal.

Parents, talk to your coaches. Make sure your children are on teams that stress the importance of nutrition. Get the team and the parents together before the season and have a night to talk about natural liquid supplements and the positive effect this type of nutrition has on the body. The football coaches will love you and the boys will have even more stamina. My son or any of the young men on his team could have died on the field or in practice due to the effects of ibuprofen on the body. According to Wikipedia, Ibuprofen was made available under prescription in the United Kingdom in 1969, and in the United States in 1974. Now, Ibuprofen overdose has become common since it was licensed for over-the-counter use. Along with several other NSAIDs, ibuprofen has been implicated in elevating the risk of myocardial infarction, particularly among those chronically using high doses. Thankfully that didn’t happen.

For my Sports Info Pak on healthy nutrition; please send me an email and your contact information and I will send you out a pack for each team member. Let’s work together to keep our athletes healthy. For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/c6wlhq

I am writing this with the blessing of my 19 year old daughter and it is something I have not talked about, except to people very close to our family. This is being written for two reasons. Obviously, I hope it helps others and the second is purely self-serving; it helps me to vent after letting this build for the past two months.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not something new to our family. My husband is a Marine and a Vietnam Veteran and our 19 year old daughter has also suffered from PTSD due to childhood trauma before we adopted her at the age of seven.

In the 12 years I have been blessed to be Jackie’s Mom, I have learned so much about a world I thought I knew, but the reality is; I was clueless. Jackie is mentally handicapped and has special needs. I really don’t like either of those terms, but I will use them now so you can have a better understanding of what I am about to tell you.

A few years ago, Jackie became very violent due to her PTSD and my husband and I had no choice but to send her to a residential facility where she could attend school and get the help she needed emotionally. This was one of the hardest decisions we had to make as parents, but because we had other children and grandchildren, it was a decision that had to be made. We still visited Jackie quite often, took her on trips and talked to her everyday on the phone. After a couple of years, Jackie was doing great, living in a transitional home near our house and was finally going to get to come back home to live on January 31, 2009. She had, much to her delight, graduated from high school and was now attending a young adult program and working a couple of different jobs in the community. A few weeks away from moving home, the whole family was getting very excited and Jackie had already made plans for the next year.

On a cold dark night, right before Christmas (2008), Jackie was at the transition home, in her bedroom and Santa Claus came to visit. He knocked on the door and told the staff, who answered the door, he was Jackie’s uncle and he came to surprise her. The rest of the details I am not going to go into other than to tell you this was not Jackie’s uncle. Santa Claus was the assistant bus driver on the bus which everyday took Jackie to her Young Adult Education Program. He molested my beautiful daughter who had worked so hard to recover from childhood trauma. She has been in the hospital 3 times in the past two months.

With PTSD being such a part of my family, not to mention the daily stress of our lives, and because I refuse to let this horrible man ruin my daughter’s life, I have been doing a lot of research in the area of stress, free radicals, and antioxidants. My research has provided me with some amazing information and I hope it can help you also.

I am a SeaAloe Distributor and the amazing part of this story is what I needed for, not only my daughter, but my husband, myself and my whole family was about to be delivered to my front door. SeaAloe (Nature’s Liquids) had just come out with a new product called Superfruits GT. Everything I had been researching regarding stress, free radicals and antioxidants; and now I was about to be representing a product being described as “The Ultimate Antioxidant.” I am not going to tell you this product has solved all the health issues regarding stress for our family. The stress didn’t happen overnight, and results of the stress are not going to disappear overnight. What I will say is that I am proud to be a part of distributing a product that is going to have a great impact on the lives of many people and for our family; it will be a daily part of our lives. My sincere gratitude goes to Dr. Chris Cormier, D.C., a Liquid Nutritional Expert, Jim Shriner, America’s Leading Health & Fitness Expert and the whole Nature’s Liquids Family.  http://www.juicingcombinations.com

Grapes help the body maintain higher levels of collagen and elastin which is one of the most effective ways to prevent wrinkling skin.  Who knew that a fresh snack could help ward off the signs of aging?

White grapes (actually green in color)  and Concord grapes are the two most popular grapes in the United States. While there are literally thousands of different types of grapes in the world, these two remain the leaders for their sweetness and their ability to be stored and safely transported without rot or developing decay.

Can’t sleep?  Chronic sufferers of insomnia have found that a handful of grapes about one to two hours before bed can help break the cycle of the nightly hallway pace.  Of course, grapes contain a natural sugar, so be sure to brush your teeth thoroughly before bed.

The same ritual (although at a different time frame) applies to those who suffer from chronic constipation.  While you might not want to add in some grapes to your daily diet just a couple hours before bedtime, grapes can help break up a regimented constipation routine.

Bronchitis sufferers can make good use of the grape’s natural healing properties and help clear the lungs.  Fighting high blood pressure?  Top off a daily salad with a handful of grapes and help ward off the blood pressure incline when you watch other areas of your diet.  Gout sufferers should stock up the refrigerator drawer with both delicious kinds.

There are numerous chronic disorders which can be eased with the daily grape munching. Metabolic disorders can be leveled out, disorders of the lung, the kidney, and the liver can all be cleansed and treated with the added health benefits of daily grape indulgence.

Patients with hypertension who added pure and natural grape juice (not the sugary stuff that has grape flavoring) over a period of two to three months noticed a significant ability to maintain a healthy blood pressure.  In fact, a natural grape juice can be as effective if not more effective at lowering blood pressure as medications that are prescribed on a wide scale basis in this country.

The grape is a mild laxative. It also helps to induce perspiration, which can be beneficial for a wide variety of situations including withdrawal from narcotic pain relievers.  They have anti-inflammatory properties for aching joints and can boost metabolism to assist with weight loss.  The grape is the food of choice when the body is in a state of recovery from just about any ailment or surgery.  Even if the body is simply getting over the common cold, the grape is powerful enough to help shorten down time and tasty enough to make it easy medicine to swallow.

Let’s not forget that a dried grape has ample properties to help the body as well.  Raisins are effective for relieving coughs, angina, mouth ulcers, or even hemorrhoids.  The grape leaf can be used as a body wash to assist the healing of the skin and to care for skin disorders and diseases.  This is pretty potent stuff considering the vast amount of money consumers spend on remedies and products for even mild skin conditions.

The grape is by far one of the most versatile fruits on the market.  With easy accessibility, adding grapes to the diet can be one of the simplest and most economical additions to any grocery list. Over time, as overall health begins to improve, the grape is capable of saving consumers hundreds, even possibly thousands of dollars in pharmaceutical products every year.  And nothing beats a cool bowl of grapes on a hot summer day.

One of the easiest ways to get your daily amount of grapes is through whole foods liquid supplementation.  For further information, I have included 2 links.  Educate yourself on good nutrition and start taking the steps you need to maintain a healthy body.  You owe it to yourself and your family.
http://tinyurl.com/ajtuyj
http://tinyurl.com/c92yxq

Fungal infections are rather difficult to rid the body of and are prone to spreading more rapidly, in many cases, than their bacteria and viral counterparts. Fungal infections can be picked up anywhere, but are often received when using public showers, public swimming facilities, public restrooms, physicians’ offices, and when engaging in a small percentage of outdoor activities. Of course, person to person infection is by far the most common form of transmitting a fungus. .

Fungal infections can be topical; on top of the skin, or they can be internal. Topical fungal infections are usually the source of embarrassment, but not a serious health risk. Fungal infections that are contracted and spread through the internal organs can be life threatening. Fungi, which most of us either identify as mushrooms or as the black mold on the grout in the corner of the shower, comes in countless forms and can be transmitted from person to person even when the infected individual shows no signs or symptoms.

Fortunately, there are healthy alternatives to help protect the body from fungal infections. These healthy alternatives can be ingested to help with fungal infections of the skin or fungal infections of the body. Of course, there are anti-fungal medications on the market, but for those who either want to supplement their current treatment, replace their treatment with a natural whole food method, or who might be one who is in close contact with someone who is suffering from a fungal infection, there are a few good alternatives.

White grapes and Concord grapes are in the running for their anti-fungal properties. The fungus that infects the body can be warded off with grapes before the infection ever starts. Just a few healthy handfuls with your next meal can find your immune system on the fungus patrol, preventing you from picking up that nasty fungal infection that has been on your significant other’s foot for the last few months. Alternatively, the same fungus fighting protection is yours if you are the one trying to defeat a fungal infection.

Grapes are not the sole provider of anti-fungal properties in a natural whole food. The ingestible form of Aloe Vera is also a prime all-natural fungus killer. Whether you are looking to spread the juice of the plant all over a fungus infection on your skin or you would prefer to simply drink it down in order to fight the infection that is building internally, the Aloe Vera plant is one of the most potent fungus fighting whole food sources known. I know, it doesn’t seem like the Aloe Vera plant should qualify under “whole foods,” but the plant can be naturally processed to be very edible and safe while concentrating on bringing its healing powers into the limelight.

For those who suffer from chronic fungal infections, or even those who are experiencing their first one, fungus does not have to slow you down or create stress as you wonder what other people think of your topical infection. With a blend of grapes and aloe Vera, along with other natural whole foods, these two fungal fighting powerhouses are able to keep you and yours fungus free.

http://tinyurl.com/c92yxq

http://tinyurl.com/ajtuyj

But we are not sharks and we aren’t going to drown if we stop swimming for too long.  In fact, we are capable of walking right out of our own tanks, should we choose, and watch all the others trying to swim long enough and hard enough to prevent sinking.

All of this perpetual running can take a toll on our  sleep and our mental level of energy, not to mention our physical energy.   Let’s not forget that we are grabbing “meals” on the fly, eating in our car between important meetings, and snacking late at night while we drift in and out of sleep trying to finish up the last of the projects on our laptop.

We push our bodies so hard that we do not have enough time to recuperate from the constant push forward.  We wind ourselves down only to find that five hours later we have to wind ourselves up without much reward for our efforts.

Fatigue runs rampant throughout most families with kids and  between one third and one half of all singles.  That’s a lot of very tired people trying to get the world to run on a breakneck schedule.  That’s a lot of tired people driving home on the road, at the end of the day, drifting in and out of a highway hypnosis doze.

Fatigue is a chronic problem.  In most cases of chronic fatigue syndrome, the problem is actually in the lifestyle rather than the body.  Only about 5% of currently diagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome patients actually have the disorder.  For the other 95%,  lifestyle changes and dietary changes are in order.

How do you get your energy back?  The answer is quite simple;  whole foods that are naturally grown.  Green Tea and Resveratrol are two plant derived ingredients that are highly acclaimed for boosting energy levels.  Known as “free radical bounty hunters,” these two powerhouses contribute to an increase in stamina as well as supporting low levels of cholesterol and reinforcing a strong immune system.

With proper nutrients the body can function at a much higher level of energy without fizzling out after just a few hours.  In fact, proper nutrients can keep a tired body from getting ill, make an ill body well, and give the individual who is taking in the right amount of nutrients a huge energy advantage.

There is more to life than running  full steam ahead.   In order to get out of life what it wants to offer us, we need to be fully charged ourselves.  This is where supplements with high nutrient content and a natural whole foods base can really help give those suffering from chronic fatigue a huge boost.  However, this is not like a power drink that leaves you crashed at your desk after a few hours.

If you want your body to respond well to your demands, then you have to jam pack it full with the highest, most natural, quality ingredients that give your body all of the nutrients it needs to function at its absolute peak ability. Proper nutrition is often all it takes to wipe out those afternoon cat naps at your desk and leave you with enough energy at the end of the day to play with your children, walk the dog, get the laundry done, and of course, spend some quality time with your partner.

As an American, I could easily ignore the above statement because, of course, this “forgotten generation” is only in Britain. Not so, and all any American has to do is go to any High School in the country and look around. It is not only scary, it is sad. Kirkup also reports,” In 2006-07, a third of children turning 13 were obese or overweight. The data suggest that some social and health problems are growing fastest among younger teenagers.” These numbers are alarming and to date have only continued to rise.

With all the fast and frozen foods available, we are actually helping many of our young men and women kill themselves. Take a trip to your community high school. How many vending machines do you see? What products are in those machines? I know many school officials will tell you the vending machines help to support band programs, sports programs and other activities. Let’s take a look at this picture for a moment; we now push junk food on our teenagers so we can make money the easy way to support school programs, rather than through creative thinking and a little work.

Who really is responsible for this new generation of obese teens? What is going to happen to our health systems and insurance premiums when these teens become adults? Most of all; what health issues are these teens going to have as young adults?

At an amazing rate, illnesses, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol and cancer are striking our young people. Obesity is also a factor in emotional and physiological problems, as well as infertility. In many schools, children line up at the nurse’s office for their medications for illnesses that in previous generations were almost non-existent.

Regarding the health of many generations to come; continuing in the direction we are now going can only result in many illnesses occurring at earlier ages, therefore resulting in shortened life spans.

Where do we go from here? I believe it has to start at home. Educating ourselves and our family on proper nutrition and exercise is the key to reversing what could be the early death of our children and grandchildren. We owe it to ourselves and our families to start making changes to reverse this deadly trend that will swallow up our teenagers.

For far too long, because of the non-stop, over-stressed world of today, parents have relied on schools to provide the education needed in some of the most important areas of children’s lives. Unfortunately, one of these areas is the importance of proper nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle. We now have many parents who need educated, with their children, in many important health and life issues. As teenagers, parents and grandparents we can work hard to change this cycle, rescuing teens of today and changing this downward spiral for generations to come?

We need to start today to make changes in our lives and the lives of our families. Try starting with a few small changes at a time. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has excellent resources, including a body mass index calculator. Referred to as BMI, body mass index is an indicator of body fatness for most people. This is a great tool to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems. The following are two great resources:

• http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmi-m.htm
• http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm

Sit down with your family and talk about what our bodies need to be healthy and what changes you can implement as a family. Use the BMI tool to calculate body fatness and determine each person’s risks. Involve everyone in exercise and the preparation of food. Learn about the advantages of whole foods and liquid supplementation.

Most of all make it fun. If any one in your family is obese or suffers an illness, such as diabetes; make it a family project to help that individual obtain all the goals needed to keep them healthy and active. What better way to bring a family closer than to unite to help another family member obtain their health goals. What a win-win situation! Small steps can make a huge difference.

There are many health conscious people today. If you fall into that group; open your heart and reach out to an individual, a group or a family to help them attain their health goals. One thing to always remember, no matter who we are or where we live, there are teenagers around us who are obese. This is an epidemic. With love and compassion, knowledge and awareness, one person or one family at a time, we can make a major impact on the lives of today’s teens and the many generations of teens to come. What are we waiting for?

I not only welcome, but would appreciate your comments and any steps you have taken to combat obesity through proper nutrition and education.

Isn’t it amazing how many of us go through life acting as if we are always going to have good health? How much health knowledge or ramifications from the lack of knowledge has been passed on to the current generation of teenagers?

Looking back over many generations of teens, there has always been a false sense of immunity and even more prevalent, the feeling we will live forever. Even as adults, how many go through life as if their bodies will withstand anything?

One day you wake up and realize that wonderful body of yours is starting to betray you. What seems to be “all of a sudden”, your body starts talking back with illness, pain and fatigue. The reality is the process has been slow. The question is; has our body betrayed us or have we betrayed our body? Have we taken far too much for granted regarding what our body needs to be healthy? How much of this type of behavior and betrayal are we passing on to future generations?

In an age where we have knowledge at our fingertips, many have been quoted as saying that the teenagers of today will be the first generation whose life expectancy will be shorter than their parents.

An eye-opening article dated 23 Aug 2008 by James Kirkup, Political Correspondent for a British newspaper says, “A “forgotten generation” of teenagers is suffering the catastrophic health effects of obesity, drugs, drink and casual sex, according to research released today.” Kirkup, referring to teenagers in Britain, goes on to say, “this is a “timebomb” of health problems that will do lasting harm to a generation and place mounting pressure on the health system.”

As an American, I could easily ignore the above statement because, of course, this “forgotten generation” is only in Britain. Not so, and all any American has to do is go to any High School in the country and look around. Kirkup also reports,” In 2006-07, a third of children turning 13 were obese or overweight. The data suggest that some social and health problems are growing fastest among younger teenagers.”