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We don’t have to wait until we feel lousy or until an obvious health crisis hits to determine if we are on a path to better health. While traditional doctors can only offer us expensive tests that only tell us if we are about to enter into a health crisis, our bodies offer us free daily indicators of internal health and cleanliness. Keeping an eye on these external indicators each day can help us to become familiar with how our bodies respond to different foods and diets.

• Skin – When we are clean and healthy on the inside, it shows on the outside. When we fill our bodies with toxins, through the foods we eat or the air we breathe, and if we don’t eat enough fiber to expel them through normal excretion, our bodies may try to push them out through our skin. Common food culprits of bad skin are cooked fats including meat, dairy products, sugar, excessive healthy fats, and processed foods. Other factors include dehydration, insufficient fiber, smoking, and commercial skin products.
• Tongue coating – Is your tongue coated with white goo, particularly when you wake up in the morning? Not only does this cause bad breath, but it also indicates that your body is processing a lot of mucus and toxins, mostly during sleep when your body is fasting and detoxing. Brush your tongue thoroughly each morning and night so that you can have a clear indication of how much is being expelled, and to keep your breath fresh in the meantime. Avoid mucus-forming foods, such as gluten, dairy, cooked fats, sugar, and processed foods.
• Body odor – Much like skin conditions, body odor is most often the result of a toxic body. It is the job of our sweat glands to help expel waste. If that waste is excessive or if our bodies are overridden with unhealthy bacteria rather than healthy bacteria, our sweat will lead to body odor. Meat, dairy, and cooked fats are common causes of body odor. A zinc deficiency can also cause body odor. Do not use antiperspirants to treat odors, as they prevent the body from expelling waste altogether, thereby making the underlying toxicity even worse. Antiperspirants are different from deodorants in that they intentionally clog the sweat glands.
• Poop – Our poop isn’t just a waste product. It is a view into our internal health. Poop should be a uniform consistency, light brown in color, and a solid banana shape. If you can see pieces of undigested food, or if your poop turns colors with the food you eat, that can indicate insufficient hydrochloric acid in your stomach or an otherwise weakened digestive system. Fiber is vitally important for a healthy colon and digestive tract. Healthy bacteria, which can be taken directly as probiotics, keeps the colon clean and efficient, allowing nutrients to be absorbed and waste to be expelled. You should have a bowel movement at least once per day, and as many as 3 times per day. Many people can benefit from colon hydrotherapy after years of eating toxic, mucus-forming foods.

If you are trying a new, healthier diet, and you feel good on it, don’t be immediately discouraged if you see some signs of poor health. It may be that your body is going through a detox period. To help alleviate these symptoms, try increasing fiber intake, or slowing down the transition to your new diet. But do keep an eye on these outward signs on a daily basis, to ensure that you are on the right path. All bodies will respond differently to different diets, so it’s important to get to know your own body and to be able to adjust according to what it is telling you.

If you are worried about your internal health make sure to look into some internal medicine. There are all sorts of health factors to keep track of and it can be overwhelming to learn about different medical research. So the next time you feel swamped try using simple medical advice from a source you trust.

Journalists and political pundits have been pulling groundless election predictions out of their butts left and right. I want in on the game. Bear with me while I give some background up to my prediction. If you are impatient, you can skip right to the point, bolded for your convenience, at the end of this article.

Ron Paul’s November 5th money bomb made big headlines, and started a wave of positive reporting as well as some incredibly negative smears stemming from recognition that he is now a serious contender with a lot of enthusiastic support. Judging from the numbers reported on teaparty07.com, it looks like Ron Paul’s December 16th fundraiser will be significantly bigger, possibly breaking all one-day fundraising records.

If the current trend continues, I have no doubt that many media outlets will become even more respectful of Ron Paul’s candidacy, and the conversations will evolve from whether or not Ron Paul will effect the race for the “first tier” candidates to whether or not he can win primaries. It’s already starting to shift in that direction, and it will have to continue if Ron Paul brings in another $5 million or more in one day.

But the important point of my prediction is about how the mainstream media will handle the “money bomb” attempts by supporters of other presidential candidates. In case you missed it, supporters of several other candidates have tried to outdo Ron Paul’s $4.38 million fundraising day, believing that if Ron Paul’s tiny band of lunatics can raise that kind of cash, then certainly their candidates, with such high percentages in the polls, can do even better.

Obama’s supporters had Barack’s Friday. 132 people pledged to contribute $100 on November 16th. When the day came, 72 people contributed a total of $4650. November 20th is Mike Huckabee’s big fundraising day. He has done significantly better with over 200 pledges and has raised over $110,000 as of this posting. Not bad. Perhaps the most embarrassing “money bomb” is Fred’s Giving Day, organized for Fred Thompson. So far, he has the smallest number of pledges, just 76, and the big day is tomorrow.

Dennis Kucinich supporters are also trying to raise some cash for the Democratic candidate, who has been continuously marginalized by the mainstream media. With more than 3 weeks to go, nearly 350 pledges have already come through. That far exceeds the levels of support shown for every other candidate, with the exception of Ron Paul. It would be unfair to dismiss Kucinich’s candidacy on the basis of low fundraiser numbers without also dismissing Obama’s or Thompson’s candidacy for their even lower numbers, right?

My prediction is this: On December 16th, when the mainstream media is in a frenzy over Ron Paul’s second record-breaking fundraiser, they will take the opportunity to ridicule Kucinich for falling far short of Ron Paul’s success, while making absolutely no mention of the other candidates who fared much worse and who truly have little or no serious grassroots support. This not only gives them the opportunity to belittle Kucinich, which they love to do, but it also allows them to keep Ron Paul in the “fringe candidate” category, rather than compare him, favorably, to the “first tier” candidates. Honest candidates, such as Kucinich and Paul, are always labeled “unelectable” by the mainstream media.

I am obviously a supporter of Ron Paul. But I am also a supporter of honest reporting and fair elections, which I think go hand-in-hand. The media’s manipulation of the news and the presidential debates, would be comical in its predictability, if it were not such an important part of our democracy. If I am right on December 16th, then I can pat myself on the back and tell all my friends how smart I am. If I am wrong, I can do what all of these other political wonks do – take comfort in knowing that in this internet age, where political opinions are a dime a dozen, no one will remember or care that I ever made this prediction in the first place.

Growing up, I was proud to be an American. We were the land of the free and the home of the brave. We helped when others were in need. We were always the good guys and we protected the underdog. I don’t know if it was true, but that’s how I felt.

By the time I graduated college, I was sufficiently cynical that I no longer took particular pride in our country and certainly had little faith in our government to do anything right, but I wasn’t exactly ashamed of being an American either. It’s just that the shine had worn off for me.

When 9-11 happened, and the world came together in sorrow and prayer for our country, I was reminded of the country I loved as a child.

The Bush administration, with the continued help of the Congress, squandered all that good will by starting a war under false pretenses with a country that had nothing to do with 9-11. Traveling around the world has become dangerous or at least uncomfortable for Americans because of the arrogance of our government. After Bush’s re-election in 2004, I can honestly say I felt genuine shame about this country. I’ve thought many times about moving over seas and giving up on The United States entirely.

Today, for the first time in well over a decade, I feel genuine American pride after watching the video, The Strasbourg Tea Party – Europe for Ron Paul, embedded below. It shows nations across the Atlantic looking upon Americans as an inspiration and as an example worthy of being followed. I am not a weepy person, but my eyes actually teared up watching it. I feel so proud to be an American today because of what these freedom-loving Europeans have seen in us. I’ve got my Constitution and Declaration of Independence up on my mantle so I won’t again forget what my country stands for.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil, also known as coconut butter, has been used for centuries, by various cultures, as a health and beauty product, both cosmetically as well as in food. These benefits are no doubt a result of its proven antibiotic and antiviral properties as well as its resistance to heat and light, which make it superior to other oils. Over the past several months, I’ve tested just a few of its proclaimed uses personally, all with remarkable success.

• Moisturizer: I was having problems with dry, red patches on my face. Commercial moisturizers seemed only to offer temporary relief while the problem became worse and worse. A small amount of coconut oil rubbed into the skin, offered immediate relief and after using it exclusively for several days, the dry patches disappeared entirely. Coconut oil nourishes the skin from the outside in the same way nutritious food nourishes the skin from the inside, and doesn’t put any toxic substances into the skin like moisturizers do. It has even started to heal my dry, cracked feet after 2 weeks of daily use.
• Deodorant: This is embarrassing, but the truth is, I’ve had a bit of a body odor problem. Deodorants never helped much, and some of them even made it much worse. I tried many brands, as well as crystal rock salt, tea tree oil, and rubbing alcohol, without lasting success. Coconut oil fights bacteria that causes body odor and doesn’t contribute to the toxins that can make odors worse. It smells great going on and it works all day long.
• Cooking oil: Most oils are light and heat sensitive, meaning that they easily turn rancid if not kept in a cool, dark place. Many actually become carcinogenic when cooked at high temperatures. Coconut oil is highly stable and is much more resistant to heat than other oils, even olive oil. The coconut flavor doesn’t overwhelm the food as you might expect. Raw oil is always best, but if you are moving toward a healthier lifestyle and enjoy cooking, coconut oil is a great choice.
• Virus buster: Coconut oil is a proven virus fighter. On two separate occasions, when I was starting to feel ill with a flu or cold, I had cravings to eat coconut oil. It tasted so good, I ate it by the spoonful, like it was ice cream. I felt better by the next day and tried to eat some more, only to find that it tasted gross to eat it straight, in large quantities. Only when I’m sick is coconut oil edible that way. My body must be telling me something.

If you’ve got a problem that commercial products can’t seem to fix, give coconut oil a try. Coconut oil is a great example of how less is more. Rather than loading up on complex formulas for health and beauty, see if nature doesn’t have a simple answer. Organic, cold-pressed coconut oil, or coconut butter, can be purchased in the refrigerated section of most health food stores for around $10 and it will last for months.

Visit the Coconut Oil page on foodscout.org for tons of great info on the healing and nutritional benefits of this amazing oil.

Most of us didn’t have to think much about our weight when we were young. No matter what we ate, we looked and felt great. At a certain point, the pounds suddenly started to accumulate – sometimes gradually enough that we didn’t at first notice, other times it was much more obvious. This change may have been a simple result of a slowing metabolism or a consequence of another lifestyle change, such as having a baby, taking birth control, or a career change that no longer leaves room for exercise. We tend to face these body shifts multiple times throughout our lives, and it may seem harder and harder to keep the weight off.

I have personally faced these metabolism slow-downs three times so far, at ages 26, 29, and 31. My favorite pair of jeans alerted me to the changes right away, and I’ve managed to bring my weight back down and maintain it each time. Limiting what I eat or making drastic diet changes never worked, and usually had the opposite effect because everything seemed like a forbidden temptation that I could not resist. A totally new eating paradigm is simply not realistic for most of us because our hectic lives don’t allow the necessary time to entirely relearn how to shop and eat.

What has been remarkably successful for me is making small mental shifts about eating. Sometimes new knowledge about a particular type of food is great inspiration to make a small but meaningful change in eating habits that can make a dramatic improvement in health and fitness. To offer some ideas, I will list out a few of these mental shifts that have worked well for me.

• Avoiding partially hydrogenated oils – Once described by a health professor as “like eating cancer,” partially hydrogenated oils are found in the worst kinds of processed foods. A similar alternative might be to avoid ingredients that you don’t recognize as food.
• Green smoothies – Adding a green smoothie to my morning routine, not only gave me abundant vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from fresh greens and fruits, but also left less room for less healthy breakfast choices, like frozen waffles and processed cereals.
• Going gluten-free – You may be allergic and not even realize it. Regardless, avoiding gluten will still allow for plenty of healthy and tasty alternative treats while eliminating the cheap, wheat-based junk foods.
• Kicking the sugar habit – Sugar, particularly refined sugar, is one of the most damaging, and addictive food substances around. A bad sugar habit will cause not only weight-gain, but also mood swings, tooth and gum disease, a weak immune system, and severe PMS symptoms, just to name a few. There are plenty of treats that use maple syrup, fruit juice, or other sweeteners.
• No more processed foods – This basically boils down to avoiding anything in a can or a box. Your refrigerator will look like the produce aisle of a natural food store, and you will find you are producing almost no trash anymore.
• Only raw desserts – For those of you still struggling to find a 100% raw food diet that suits you, you may consider at least committing to only eating raw desserts. With an ever increasing selection of gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free sweets out there, it’s getting easier to gain weight and feel unhealthy even on a relatively disciplined diet.

Realistically assess your current eating habits and what kinds of diet changes you can stick to. What works well for me may not work at all for you. Think in baby steps. Give up just one thing but give it up 100%, without exception. Do some research first. Doing a Google search about the health consequences of partially hydrogenated oils or refined sugar will further discourage you from eating those foods. Bookmark helpful sites and reread them when you feel tempted to cheat on your diet commitment. In the beginning, have some healthy treats on hand that you turn to so that you don’t fall back on your old habits. Do everything you can to stick to your plan for the first 30 days. It will get much easier after you’ve had that time to adjust.

If you fail in your first attempt, there is no shame in that. It just wasn’t the right plan for you. Find an even smaller change that you can succeed at. Life is too short to feel bad physically or emotionally, so make a positive change right now.

I’m not too proud to admit it – In the 2000 election, I supported Nader. In 2004, at least for the primary, I voted for Kucinich. Obviously, most others did not. Interestingly, very few people argued with me about their political platforms. The largest obstacle to getting these long shots elected was that people didn’t want to waste their vote on a candidate who couldn’t win. Even in Texas, where I lived during the 2000 election, and where Bush was guaranteed a victory, liberals would not support Nader because they didn’t want to “steal votes” from Gore. The Ron Paul presidential campaign is very different in that literally no one who supports him worries about taking votes from another candidate.

When people hear Ron Paul speak and are inspired to support him, they do so emphatically. They tend to come to the immediate conclusion that all the other candidates are entirely unacceptable because they don’t defend the most sacred of American documents, the Constitution.

It is difficult to accuse Ron Paul of stealing votes because he pulls from all political groups. Liberal hippies, gun enthusiasts, registered libertarians, brand new voters, “old guard” republicans, and the previously apathetic, are all flocking to Ron Paul. So which campaign could possibly argue that he is stealing their votes and guaranteeing the other side a victory?

Some Ron Paul supporters are sure he will win. Some are sure he has no chance. And many others believe it’s possible with a lot of hard work. But the key is that his chances of winning are completely irrelevant to the supporters’ enthusiasm and dedication to getting him elected. No one is concerned about wasting votes because Ron Paul isn’t just the best candidate in their eyes – he is the only candidate.

Whoever the powers are who “anoint” the front-runner candidates, they have made a serious miscalculation in attempting to undermine Ron Paul’s campaign and relegate him to fringe status. It has not discouraged people from supporting his candidacy. On the contrary, it has inspired tens of thousands of people to work harder than they ever have to get the word out about Ron Paul. People who have never given more than a vote to a political campaign are now giving as much time and money as they can spare, toward both official and unofficial activities. You can be that not a single one will be staying home on election day.

This weekend, I had the great pleasure of riding down to South Carolina with Linda, one of the Granny Warriors, in the “Freedom Wagon”. Upon first meeting Linda, or “Granny”, I found her to be a little intimidating. She’s a fierce lady in her 70’s, smokes like a chimney, and always speaks her mind. She also laughed at me when I asked if I needed to book a motel room. But it didn’t take long to realize that Linda is an incredibly kind and generous person, motivated only by a sincere desire to help people and to help spread the word about Ron Paul.

The Granny Warriors have taken their RV all over the country. Linda says she’s spent maybe a total of a month at home this year and only for a few days at a time. She’s also spent thousands of dollars of her own money for the road trips, materials, and even airplane fly-overs at NASCAR races. To help fund these efforts, the Grannies trade Ron Paul t-shirts, yard signs, pocket Constitutions, and other items, for donations, “whatever you think it’s worth to you.” In exchange, the people of South Carolina seemed to donate generously.

When other volunteers needed a supply of buttons or handouts, Linda was happy to share with them without a second thought. She knows everybody and everybody knows, loves, and respects her. Ron Paul even gave a shout up to the Granny Warriors during the Friday evening Rally. She has an endless supply of great ideas and boundless energy to carry them out. Throughout the trip from Asheville to Columbia and back again, she was discussing new ideas and plans for upcoming road trips.

The Granny Warrior’s RV gets a tremendous response, both driving on the highway and parked in town. The Grannies have the ability to spread Ron Paul’s freedom message to people that Ron Paul may not yet have reached. They really push the RV to its limits to support Ron Paul.

If you have already given your maximum $2300 donation to the official Ron Paul campaign, or if you are inspired by their activities, consider donating to the Granny Warriors on their website or on chipin.com.

And if anyone has any detox suggestions for 30 hours of second-hand smoke inhalation, please let me know.

I just returned from South Carolina, where hundreds of Ron Paul supporters gathered to hear Ron Paul speak at his new headquarters in Greenville and again at the Spartanburg County Courthouse.

In many ways, it was just like any Ron Paul rally you’d find on YouTube. It was great to be there in person, but it wasn’t anything especially new. What I found most interesting, and what I never noticed on YouTube, is Ron Paul’s shoes. He wears black sneakers on the campaign trail. He’s been wearing the same pair for months, and they sure are getting to look a little beat up. I don’t mind. That just means he’s spending my donations wisely. And if I had a schedule as demanding as Ron Paul’s, I’d be wearing comfortable shoes too.

Coordinators estimated that over 400 people were in attendance at the Greenville rally. The parking lot, as well as the overflow parking lot, were entirely filled up. Most of the attendees were from South Carolina, but a few came in from Georgia, and about 20 of us came in from Asheville to hear Ron Paul speak.

Later that evening, at the Spartanburg County Courthouse, Ron Paul spoke to a full house. Many people had to settle for listening to Ron Paul through the speakers in the hallway.

Tomorrow morning, I head out again to help out the Granny Warriors at the Ron Paul events in Columbia, SC.

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