Nutrition
Rex Russell's Three Principles Inspired Improved Health and Life Changes
February 4, 2009 -- Rex Russell was not your ordinary kidney transplant candidate. A board-certified invasive radiologist, Dr. Russell was the author of What the Bible Says about Healthy Living, a landmark book that many credit as the genesis of the mainstream biblical eating movement. Russell died last Thursday at the age of 68.
"God used Dr. Russell to deliver a message that transformed the health and lives of thousands of people," said Jordan Rubin, the New York Times best-selling author of The Maker's Diet, and himself a longtime admirer of Dr. Russell's.
Russell's Three Principles are (1) eat only those things that God designed to be eaten, (2) eat those foods in a form as close as possible to the form in which God provided them, and (3) do not let any food or drink become an idol. While some people might interpret these guidelines to mean a raw, vegetarian diet, Russell was a strong proponent of eating beef, chicken and certain fish, since the Bible permits eating these foods in Leviticus 11.
When Hope Egan rushed to release her cookbook based on Russell's three principles by January, she had one goal: get it to him before his kidney transplant. However, a stroke two days before his scheduled surgery left him in a coma. Russell died just moments before Egan received her first case of books.
"He was amazing," said Egan. "He always had a story about God's design for eating. Sometimes it was about a new scientific study he'd read. Sometimes it was about a friend whose health had improved with a change in diet. Most of the time it was about the miracles he'd experienced in his own life; for example, he reduced his blood pressure by going off his four blood pressure meds and eating Real Salt, and lowered his cholesterol by going off statin drugs and eating nuts. He was a hard-core adherent of the Three Principles."
"Rex is a hero of mine," agreed Doug Hudson, speaker for Song of Solomon Resources and longtime friend of Russell's. "He never understood the magnitude of what God did through his life. To me, that is the mark of a true hero: to be given ‘genius' but to never take credit for it. Russell's life and influence will be better known 20 years from now than when he was alive."
Russell is survived by his wife, Judy, and their sons, Randy and Rodney.
Nutrition
Foods That Boost Immunity
Our immune system needs to be strong enough to fight off germs and viruses now that the Winter season approaches. Eating nutrient-rich foods is a great way to keep your family healthy. We are all running on tight schedules these days, many of us eating on the run and sacrificing good nutrition, but this can sabotage our health.
Reduction of Pain and Inflammation
According to the American Pain Foundation (APF), the presence of pain is a national health care crisis. More than 50 million Americans are suffering from chronic headaches, back pain, muscle strain, and arthritis, as well as pain from chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, lupus, fibromyalgia, and multiple sclerosis. Another 25 million are dealing with acute pain as a result of injury or surgery. And although most pain can be relieved or greatly eased with proper care, the tragedy is that most pain goes untreated, under-treated, or is improperly treated. 1
What's so frustrating about this suffering, is that since 1987 we have been conducting an incredible amount of research into how pain affects our bodies. The results have proven that pain should never be ignored. We've learned we need to assess it thoroughly and treat it aggressively, and in some cases manage it as a chronic condition. We've learned that when pain is managed, stress is reduced, and the body heals faster. And we also know that when people with pain take an active role in their pain management, they get the best results possible: less pain and a better quality of life. 2
Part of this research has shown that inflammation is frequently a component of pain. While we have long associated acute pain - pain that happens suddenly - such as a sprained ankle or a tension headache - with inflammation, we now know that inflammation is present in chronic pain, too. Inflammation is actually the cause of the pain in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and fibromyalgia. Furthermore, we have learned that inflammation is associated with heart disease and other chronic health conditions. 3, 4
But without a doubt, the most crucial and maybe the most unexpected information we've discovered is that inflammation can also be triggered by the foods we eat. In fact, if our digestive systems are not functioning up to par or if our bodies are not properly absorbing protein or other nutrients, inflammation will often result. 5
While there are powerful prescription medications available to treat chronic pain and inflammation, they only provide temporary relief. They often have unpleasant and potentially harmful side effects. And they don't get to the root of the problem. To do that - to eliminate the beginnings of inflammation and the pain it causes - requires safe, highly effective, natural interventions. In this issue, we're going to show how supplemental pancreatic enzymes improve digestion and nutrient absorption, prevent inflammation triggers - and reduce chronic pain.
Q. What exactly is inflammation?
A. Most of us have experienced the redness, warmth, swelling, and pain that signals inflammation - maybe as a sore throat, or a sprained wrist or ankle. It begins when white blood cells release chemicals in response to a virus or bacteria (the germs infecting your throat) or to provide protection immediately after an injury (that ankle you sprained). Some of the chemicals cause a leak of fluid into the affected tissues, which results in swelling. An increased blood flow to the area, an automatic response to injury or infection, causes the redness and warmth. These protective actions stimulate nearby nerves, which in turn causes the pain. Once the sore throat resolves or the sprained ankle heals, the inflammation goes away and so does the pain. 6
However, when chronic inflammation occurs, the warmth, redness, swelling, and pain never fully resolve. Not only does the inflammation continue, it actually causes destruction of surrounding tissues.6 This is what happens in autoimmune diseases - a varied group of illnesses where the body's immune response is directed against its own tissues. For some unknown and unnecessary reason, white blood cells continually release their chemicals in targeted areas of the body resulting in inflammation and tissue destruction. In the case of rheumatoid arthritis, the body's immune response mistakenly targets the linings of the joints. White blood cells release their chemicals and the joints become red, warm, swollen, and painful. This continued inflammation can slowly destroy the lining of the joint and eventually, the joint itself. 7
Q. What about chronic pain that's not caused by autoimmune disease? Is inflammation a part of this kind of pain?
A. Yes, it is. Chronic back pain, an inflammatory pain condition, is the number one reason adults seek help from their healthcare practitioners. It affects millions of Americans every day. While it can originate from an injury or trauma to the back, chronic back pain can also occur from poor posture or the presence of abdominal fat. Once back muscles become strained, inflammation results and pain persists. 8
Osteoarthritis is another type of arthritis and is most often seen in middle-aged and older people. Defects that develop in certain joints over time can lead to cartilage breakdown in the joints. Inflammation begins as the cartilage breakdown causes bones to rub against each other. This continual bone-on-bone rubbing creates significant pain and can lead to deformities and loss of movement. 9
Q. OK, I understand about the connection between inflammation and pain. But how can the foods I eat trigger inflammation?
A. Research into nutrition has resulted in a much better understanding of how certain fats and oils react in our bodies. When we consume arachidonic acid from animal fats or trans fats from hydrogenated oils (unhealthy fats and oils) our bodies make "pro-inflammatory compounds." These compounds can initiate unnecessary inflammation - the kind of inflammation that's seen in autoimmune disease, chronic back pain, and osteoarthritis. If our diet is high in these fats, we could be promoting pain and inflammation every time we eat a meal. 10,11
Q. How can poorly digested protein trigger inflammation?
A. The structure of proteins is very complex. Proteins are our only source of amino acids - compounds that form every aspect of the human body. The proteins we eat in foods (such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, and soy) must be broken down by a number of protein enzymes, or proteases, that are made in the stomach and pancreas. The proteases break down proteins into smaller and smaller molecules, and finally into individual amino acids that are ready for absorption.12
However, if we are stressed, using antacids for heartburn, eating unhealthy food, or are deficient in the pancreatic enzyme, protease, the proteins we consume will be poorly digested and not broken down into small enough units for proper absorption. Oversized protein molecules may result. Oversized protein molecules in the intestines can trigger the release of histamine and other inflammatory compounds. This can result in gas, bloating, belching, feeling full for a long time after eating, constipation, diarrhea, nausea, AND inflammation. More problems arise if these oversized proteins are accidentally absorbed into the body - often called "leaky gut syndrome." If poor protein digestion happens with every meal, inflammation can be triggered throughout the day, never allowing the inflammatory process to die down.13
Judge Andrew Naplitano Shares How We Can Re-establish Freedom in America Again. He is a freedom fighter, a liberty-seeker, and a straight shooter. He’s the youngest life-tenured Superior Court judge in the history of the State of New Jersey, the host of Fox’s Freedom Watch show, and the author of four books, including “Constitutional Chaos,” “The Constitution in Exile,” “A Nation of Sheep” and his latest effort “Dred Scott’s Revenge.”