Thursday, April 26, 2007

Killing Germs

Did you see the TV programme last night (Wed 25th April) about Giant Hornets and bees in a Japanese mountain valley? I couldn't take my eyes away from the TV! As well as being a fascinating programme in its own right, it also emphasised very strongly one of the benefits of the far infrared saunas that we sell at www.theultimatesauna.co.uk

I have been well aware that using the far infrared sauna has been good for killing bacteria and germs in the body, but it has always been difficult to know exactly how effective this process is. This TV programme, although in a totally unrelated way, very graphically showed its power.
The theme of the programme was that the giant hornets are a threat to all bees in the area (as well as other creatures), but there was a fascinating twist to the tale.

2 beekeepers and their hives were shown, each based in a different area. One had imported European bees and one had local Japanese bees. The Giant Hornets were large enough and powerful enough to regard these honey bees are a favourite delicacy, but their challenge was finding them. Late in the summer a hornet scout discovered the European bees and stopped for a meal. The bees put up a strong challenge but could do nothing and a number were killed before the hornet flew off. He later returned with about 300 mates and staged a mass attack with a view to getting into the hive. The bees valiantly fought to protect it but within about 3 hours about 30,000 had been killed. The remaining bees had to admit defeat before abandoning the hive to the hornets, who then went inside and plundered the larvae.

Sometime later a hornet scout discovered the Japanese bee hive. However these bees acted differently to the Europeans. They didn't attack the hornet. They simply watched. They even allowed it into the hive and carried on watching. The hornet decided to grab one of the bees with a view to eating it but as soon as it did it was the signal for the honey bees to strike with a mass attack. We literally couldn't see the hornet for bees, and being inside the hive it couldn't easily escape. Soon the hornet was dead. However, it didn't die because the bees were able to do anything to it, because its shell was too tough for them. It died simply because the bees' core temperature was 2 degrees higher than the hornet's and according to the programme makers "the hornet was literally roasted alive". From just 2 degrees!

From our point of view not only do we obviously have more tolerance to varying degrees of temperature, perhaps because of our size, but also when we are in the far infrared sauna we control the temperature at a level which makes us feel wonderful. That small rise in temperature however, obviously gives any germs living too near the surface of our bodies "a lot more than a headache".

This brings it home to me very strongly why in the 3 years I have been using my far infared sauna I have never had a cold or flu. So once again we say, "At the first sign of the cold or flu jump into the far infrared sauna". For more details see www.theultimatesauna.co.uk Enjoy it and may you keep improving your health!

Saturday, February 03, 2007


Are you a "Canary in a Cage"?
(re-published from September Blog)

In the early days of undergound mining, miners took canaries down with them to provide an early warning system of dangerous gas leaks. Canaries are very sensitive to these poisons and would readily die when exposed to them, so giving the miners a warning of the danger before they would otherwise be aware of it.We have a similar system operating today, but it is people rather than canaries, who are being sacrificed in the early warning system for the rest of us.
As most of us know, we live in a poisoned world. Over the last 50 or so years chemicals have been used in such quantities and used with such diversity that there is now no place on earth free from a chemical presence. From the Antarctic to the most remote deserts, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, everywhere is contaminated! Polar bears are so contaminated that their reproductive systems are being affected and there is fear that this may cause them to become extinct. The level of contamination in the breast milk of Innuit women is so high that if duplicated in milk on supermarket shelves it would be illegal to sell it! If scientists want an unpolluted sample they have to drill down through hundreds of feet of ice until they reach deposits laid down before chemicals started to be used!
It is easy to appreciate therefore that all the plants that we eat are contaminated by chemical toxicity, whether they are traditionally farmed using pesticides and chemical fertilisers or organically grown. Organic farming is evidence that chemicals have not been used in the farming process, but no regulations can control the movement of air or the toxins in it, when it travels across the country. The pollution from Chernobyl landed, amongst other places, in Wales. Where did the toxins from the Hemel Hempstead oil depot fire land? They certainly didn't skirt around the farms growing organic produce! Whilst these are horrifying extremes, the more serious problem for most people is the pollution caused simply by modern style living because it is taking place on a daily basis. And there is a force at work which is magnifying this problem exponentially.
Theo Colburn and others showed in their revealing book "Our Stolen Future" how Biomagnification of toxins rises exponentially to incredibly alarming levels when they took Lake Ontario as their test laboratory. Tests were made for PCB's, which along with Dioxins, Phthalates and others accumulate in the body and have been shown to have no natural way out again.
They tested microscopic organisms known as phytoplankton and discovered a level of toxicity, after a set period of growth, which they described as 250 units.These were eaten by tiny animals called zooplankton and mysids which absorbed those 250 units as a single meal. With one meal a day, after 180 days the Mysid contained 45,000 units and might in turn be eaten by a small fish. This fish ate these 45,000 units again as a single meal and in just 19 days, if eating one such meal a day, would themselves contain 835,000 units. Eating just 3 of those small fish the larger fish such as trout would then contain 2,800,000 units. With just 12 meals of trout we can absorb over 25,000,000 units of toxins. This is the exponetial effect of the food chain in action.
Obviously there is a limit to how much toxicity we can absorb before we become ill, and there is both massive and increasing amounts of evidence that shows that most of todays diseases are the result of a toxic build up. Eating food at the high end of the food chain (i.e. meat, fish, eggs and dairy) multiplies this toxic intake massively when compared against eating lower in the food chain. On a personal basis, if we wish to maintain our health, we each need to do what we can to minimise the amount of toxins that we take in. However, even with the utmost diligence we will still absorb toxins and we also need to do what we can to remove those that we do absorb.
Regular detoxification, in a variety of different ways is an essential for good health in the 21st century. For a free report on the various detoxification methods see http://www.theultimatesauna.co.uk/contact.htm . For details on how to detoxify what Dr. Sherry Rogers calls the worst of these toxins (i.e. the chemicals) see http://www.theultimatesauna.co.uk/
Despite the known harm of toxicity to life on earth, man's activities continue to increase the levels in our environment. In addition many of the products in use today will gradually break down over a number of years continually giving off toxins as they do so. Even if every pollution causing activity were ceased today, the toxicity in the environment would continue to increase for some time because of all the chemically produced products in our society. Obviously pollution causing activity will not completely cease today, and we will almost certainly continue to actively increase toxicity levels for many years to come.
On a society wide basis there is a limit to how much toxicity we can absorb before our food sources are killed off, (as they are affected by the toxins just as we are) and before it overwhelms us and kills us as well. Experience tells us that those in political power, because so often their major concern is simply to be re-elelected, will only take action on such matters when the majority make it clear that that is what they want. This is only going to happen when enough people fall seriously ill or die, and the connection is made between these deaths and the pollution, for the general public to call "enough". Those who die from these toxins are collectively "The canaries in the cage" for the rest of us. What about you? Do you accept responsibility for your own health? Are you mining the wealth of information relating to health improvement which is increasingly available? Or are you happy to be a "canary"for the rest of us?

Sunday, November 05, 2006

The value of measuring pH levels

pH is the measurement of the acidity or alkalinity in a substance.

Measuring this in ourselves is a useful indicator of future health levels. Whilst we maintain pH at the optimum level our health is likely to be good. Let it vere away from that optimum and we are likely to have health challenges.

The pH level of 7.0 is neutral. Any figure lower than 7.0 is acidic and anything higher than 7.0 is alkaline. We operate most efficiently in a slightly alkaline environment and the body maintains our blood at around 7.3. If that varies by more than about 0.2 either way we will die.

A few thousand years ago when we lived in harmony with nature we did not need to concern ourselves about pH levels as our lifestyles and environment in most cases naturally created the conditions that led to the appropriate pH levels within the body.

Unfortunately over time we have adopted habits that have taken us away from this harmony with nature and for many of us it has resulted in an acidic internal environment which the body is constantly attempting to neutralise. This movement away from nature has increased over time exponentially and in the 21st Century it has for many people become a really serious issue which is undermining our health.

Whilst the pH level of the blood is maintained at around 7.3, the pH levels of the other systems of the body vary considerably. For optimum health our saliva needs to be slightly acidic (around 6.5 - 6.75) in order to start the digestion process and the urine is likely to be around 6.5 to 6.8, as it carries away the excess acidic waste products. The more we move away from those figures the more we are putting stress on our systems and making it difficult for the body to mainatain the appropriate level of 7.3 for the blood. People with serious illnesses such as cancer often show pH levels as low as 4.0 in their saliva or urine.

The 3 things which are perhaps the most significant in their influence on our pH levels are Toxins, Stress and correct Diet. Using the Ultimate Far infrared sauna www.theultimatesauna.co.uk on a regular basis will dramatically reduce the first of these three as well as help reduce the second, which helps make it so much easier for the body to maintain optimum levels.

Knowing what our levels are is like knowing how well or ill we are likely to be in the near future.
If we maintain our bodies at the optimum pH level it is hard to get ill!

Monday, October 09, 2006

Wrinkles Gone With The Ultimate Skin Care

Wrinkles gone for ever? Is this a wrinkle in time to help those
whose lifestyle has accelerated their skin ageing? It certainly
seems so. Read on...

A recently reported study conducted by Ju Hee Lee, Mi Ryung Roh, and Kwang Hoon Lee in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Research Institute at the Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea reported

"IR (infrared radiation) may result in beneficial effects on skin texture and wrinkles by increasing collagen and elastin in the dermis".

They also suggest that Infrared may have use in treating photo-
aged skin. So it's possible that wrinkles and skin blemishes
caused by bad skin care, sunbathing or maybe even sunburn can be reduced with an infrared sauna.

The study report called "Effect of Infrared Radiation on Skin Photo-Aging and Pigmentation" is available online and contains a
pair of before and after photos showing one of the subjects with
plentiful eye wrinkles before treatment and an obvious reduction in eye wrinkles afterwards.

A summary of the study and a link to the full PDF report (with
the before and after photos) can is available.

All the study subjects reported good improvements in their skin
texture and roughness. The objective clinical assessment of the
subjects skin found

"that the content of collagen and elastin produced by the fibroblasts increased after infrared radiation".

The study doesn't categorise wrinkles as forehead wrinkles, neck
wrinkles, eye wrinkles or other skin wrinkles but given its
success with eye wrinkles shown in the photos and the fact that
collagen is increased by the infrared it seems likely that other
wrinkles are equally improved.

The amount of collagen and elastin increased was related to the
length of time the subject was given infrared over the six months
of the study.

Of course plastic surgeons use collagen (derived from animals) to
inject under areas of a patients skin to reduce or eliminate
wrinkles.

How Does Infrared Compare
To Collagen Injections?

Injecting collagen requires a physician and has the following
issues:

  • tends to make the area injected red and swollen for about half an hour
  • Not completely pain free 
  • It only lasts between 3 to 6 months so you have to go back to freshen up the treatment site 
  • you need to be tested to see if you're sensitive to the collagens by injecting some under the skin on your forearm
    and then monitoring it for 4 weeks

These disadvantages simply don't happen if you use an infrared
sauna for your skin care and to improve skin condition. Using the infrared sauna regularly gives your body the chance to naturally increase your skin's collagen.

Infrared Sauna Skin Care
And Wrinkle Reducer

Whilst reading this report I remembered a lot of the stories my
customers have been telling me about how their infrared sauna is
improving their skin.

In fact I put a few of them up as testimonials on the Ultimate Sauna Infrared Sauna web site.

To save you from going on the Ultimate Sauna site here are two of
the skin-related testimonials:

"Within just 2 weeks I noticed an improvement in both my Eczema and my Asthma"

(Jim Hayes, Aylesbury Buckinghamshire)

"Since buying it I have used it a couple of times a week, which is the only difference in my lifestyle. I haven’t had any eczema in the last 18 months"

(Darrel Stone, Arlesy, Bedfordshire)

Do You Want to Spend Money
on Wrinkle Creams Forever?

Just think of the amount of money we've all spent on skin care, on wrinkle creams, anti wrinkle creams and simply experimenting to find the best wrinkle cream.

This study tells us in no uncertain terms that,

"Following 6 months of treatment, all patients reported good (51-75%) improvements in skin texture and roughness."

And further says,

"patients noted fair (25-50%) improvement in color tone of the skin".

Yes I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But personally
I'd like to have fewer wrinkles so the beholder doesn't have to
search for the beauty!

Check out the Ultimate Sauna Infrared Sauna web site for more
information on infrared saunas.


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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Are Artifical Sweetners Killing You?

Since I posted about the dangers of Aspartame I've come across a site that gives you much more scientific information and real world case studies of the problems it creates.

In fact the site claims Aspartame, and I suspect other artifically created sweetners can apparently cause the following:

  • seizures and convulsions
  • dizziness
  • tremors
  • migraines and severe headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
  • memory loss (common toxicity effects)
  • slurring of speech
  • confusion
  • numbness or tingling of extremities
  • chronic fatigue
  • depression
  • insomnia
  • irritability
  • panic attacks (common aspartame toxicity reaction)
  • marked personality changes
  • phobias
  • rapid heart beat, tachycardia (another frequent reaction)
  • asthma
  • chest pains
  • hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • nausea or vomitting
  • diarrhea
  • abdominal pain
  • swallowing pain
  • itching
  • hives / urticaria
  • other allergic reactions
  • blood sugar control problems (e.g., hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia)
  • menstrual cramps and other menstraul problems or changes
  • impotency and sexual problems
  • food cravings
  • weight gain
  • hair loss / baldness or thinning of hair
  • burning urination & other urination problems
  • excessive thirst or excessive hunger
  • bloating, edema (fluid retention)
  • infection susceptibility joint pain
  • brain cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
  • death

In addition to those complaints it's thought Aspartame can produce the symptoms or worsen the following:

  • fibromyalgia
  • arthritis
  • multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • parkinson's disease
  • lupus
  • multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS)
  • diabetes and diabetic Complications
  • epilepsy
  • alzheimer's disease
  • birth defects
  • chronic fatigue syndrome
  • lymphoma
  • lyme disease
  • attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD)
  • panic disorder
  • depression and other psychological disorders

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Are you a "Canary in a Cage"?

In the early days of undergound mining, miners took canaries down into the mines with them to provide an early warning sytem of dangerous gases leaking into the mine. Canaries are very sensitive to these poisons and would readily die when exposed to them, so giving the miners a warning of the danger before they would otherwise be aware of it.

We have a similar sytem operating today, but it is people rather than canaries, who are being sacrificed in the early warning system for the rest of us.

As most of us know, we live in a poisoned world. Over the last 50 or so years chemicals have been used in such quantities and used with such diversity that there is now no place on earth free from a chemical presence. From the Antarctic to the most remote deserts, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains, everywhere is contaminated! Polar bears are so contaminated that their reproductive systems are being affected and there is fear that this may cause them to become extinct. The level of contamination in the breast milk of Innuit women is so high that if duplicated in milk on supermarket shelves it would be illegal to sell it! If scientists want an unpolluted sample they have to drill down through hundreds of feet of ice until they reach deposits laid down before chemicals started to be used!

It is easy to appreciate therefore that all the plants that we eat are contaminated by chemical toxicity, whether they are traditionally farmed using pesticides and chemical fertilisers or organically grown. Organic farming is evidence that chemicals have not been used in the farming process, but no regulations can control the movement of air or the toxins in it, when it travels across the country.

The pollution from Chernobyl landed, amongst other places, in Wales. Where did the toxins from the Hemel Hempstead oil depot fire land? They certainly didn't skirt around the farms growing organic produce! Whilst these are horrifying extremes, the more serious problem is the pollution caused simply by modern style living because it is taking place on a daily basis.

And there is a force at work which is magnifying this problem exponentially.

Theo Colburn and others showed in their revealing book "Our Stole Future" how Biomagnification of toxins rises exponentially to incredibly alarming levels when they took Lake Ontario as their test laboratory. Tests were made for PCB's, which along with Dioxins, Phthalates and others accumulate in the body and have been shown to have no natural way out of the body.

They tested microscpic organisms known as phytoplankton and discovered a level of toxicity, after a set period of growth, which they described as 250 units.

These were eaten by tiny animals called zooplankton and mysids which absorbed those 250 units as a single meal. With one meal a day, after 180 days the Mysid contained 45,000 units and might in turn be eaten by a small fish.

This fish ate these 45,000 units again as a single meal and in just 19 days, if eating one such meal a day, would themselves contain 835,000 units.

Eating just 3 of those small fish the larger fish such as trout would then contain 2,800,000 units.
With just 12 meals of trout we can absorb over 25,000,000 units of toxins. This is the exponetial effect of the food chain in action.

Obviously there is a limit to how much toxicity we can absorb before we become ill, and there is both massive and increasing amounts of evidence that shows that most of todays diseases are the result of a toxic build up. Eating food at the high end of the food chain (i.e. meat, fish, eggs and dairy) multiplies this toxic intake massively when compared against eating lower in the food chain.

On a personal basis, if we wish to maintain our health, we each need to do what we can to minimise the amount of toxins that we take in. However, even with the utmost diligence we will still absorb toxins and we also need to do what we can to remove those that we do absorb. Regular detoxification, in a variety of different ways is an essential for good health in the 21st century. For a free report on the various detoxification methods see http://www.theultimatesauna.co.uk/contact.htm . For details on how to detoxify what Dr. Sherry Rogers calls the worst of these toxins (i.e. the chemicals) see http://www.theultimatesauna.co.uk

Despite the known harm of toxicity to life on earth, man's activities continue to increase the levels in our environment. In addition many of the products in use today will gradually break down over a number of years continually giving off toxins as they do so. Even if every pollution causing activity were ceased today, the toxicity in the environment would continue to increase for some time because of all the chemically produced products in our society. Obviously pollution causing activity will not completely cease today, and we will almost certainly continue to actively increase toxicity levels for many years to come.

On a society wide basis there is a limit to how much toxicity we can absorb before our food sources are killed off, (as they are affected by the toxins just as we are) and before it overwhelms us and kills us as well.

Experience tells us that those in political power, because so often their major concern is simply to be re-elelected, will only take action on such matters when the majority make it clear that that is what they want. This is only going to happen when enough people fall seriously ill or die, and the connection is made between these deaths and the pollution, for the general public to call "enough".

Those who die from these toxins are collectively "The canaries in the cage" for the rest of us. What about you? Are you going to be one?

Thursday, September 07, 2006

How Seriously Are you Taking the Evidence of Health Issues?
In response to the publication of studies showing that eating meat is a cause of colon cancer, John Morgan, president of Riverside Meat Packers, California, announced on May 7th 1976:

“We shouldn’t jump to conclusions and do something foolish just because some study seems to say something that we know from common sense isn’t true. Beef is the backbone of the American Diet and it always has been. To think that meat of all things causes cancer is ridiculous.” (1)

On March 13th 1982 John Morgan died of cancer of the colon. (2)



(1) Reported in Riverside Herald, Riverside, California in Article entitled “Meat-packer defends beef”. May 8th 1976


(2) Obituary column page C-11 in Riverside Herald, Riverside, California March 14th 1982