(NaturalNews) With all of the marvelous inner-workings of the herbal TCM system (traditional Chinese medicine system) and its powerful and complex systematic energy formulas for healing practically anything, it is still the longevity factors of a few single tonic herbs that amaze me the most.



Of about 9,000 TCM herbs (officially used in TCM and fully understood in their energy factors) there are about 100 that can truly contribute to a long healthy life. (These are in the "Superior Tonic Herb" classification.) About 40 of these herbs are quite remarkable in there abilities to prolong life with very little signs of ageing.



If I were to narrow it down a bit further, at least on a personal level, I would say the most important herbs for longevity would come down to about fifteen with He Shou Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) being the most important. Followed by Jiao Gu Lan (Gynostemma pentaphyllum), Go Qi Zi (Lycium), Ci Wu Jai (Siberian Ginseng Root), Ren Shen (Panax Ginseng root), Peng Da Wan (Gota Kola), Wu Wei Zi (Schizandrae), San Zhu yu (Cornus Fruit), Tien Men Dong, Yin Yang Hou and others. However many people will have different balances of yin and yang in their bodies so there is not one set group of herbs that would truly be the absolute best for everybody.



There is simply not enough room here to go into all these but below are links with photos and an in-depth look at each of these herbs.



* He Shou Wu: A blood, kidney, and liver tonic - (http://plantcures.com/foti.html)



* Jiao Gu Lan: Tonifies Qi, and blood - (http://plantcures.com/jiaogulan.html)



* Go Qi Zi: A kidney and liver yin tonic - (http://plantcures.com/berries.html)



* Siberian Ginseng: A powerful Adaptogenic Root - (http://plantcures.com/sibgin.html)



* Ren Shen: Tonic to digestive Qi and all Qi - (http://plantcures.com/Ginseng.html)



* Ping Da Wan: Brain and CNS Tonic - (http://plantcures.com/gotukola.html)



* Wu Wei Zi: An Adaptogenic herb - (http://plantcures.com//wuweizi.html)



* Shan Zho Yu: Yin and Yang Tonic - (http://plantcures.com/herbsforbladder.html)



* Tien Men Dong: Lungs, Jing, and Shen - (http://plantcures.com/asparagus.html)



* Yin Yang Huo: Yang/Jing Tonic - (http://plantcures.com/Epimedium.html)



Many of the conclusions that I have come to about these herbs as used for longevity are based on the findings and personal applications of Master Li Ching Yuen who lived to the incredible age of at least 197! (Some sources say the records show he lived to be 256 as you will read, however I personally think this is the Chinese government "pushing it" a bit but who knows!)



In 1933, newspapers all over the world reported Li Ching Yuen's death. You can read the New York Times article exactly as it appeared by going to this link: - (http://plantcures.com/Lichingyun.html) .



Modern Science has a very hard time admitting anyone ever lived past 122. This is due in part to lack of legal birth records but also, I believe, because they really do not want to admit that some very natural nutritional energy factors derived from nothing more than carefully planned eating and exercise could far surpass anything all of Science has to offer when it comes to the longevity factor.



According to all the data I could find (I have been fascinated with this and have researched this over the last 20 years or so) It seems that Li Ching Yuen consumed mostly a diet of plants and fruit. There is evidence that he ate fish sometimes and wild meat only about twice a year.



The herbs that he consumed regularly were He Shou Wu, Ginseng, and Gou Qi Zi (Wolfberries). He ate the Wolfberries raw and cooked the He Shou Wu with the Ginseng.



There is evidence that he also consumed Ping Da Wan (Gotu Kola leaves) regularly both fresh as a salad and brewed as a tea. There is even some evidence that he may have also put these four herbs (along with Dang Gui and Gan Cao (Chinese Licorice Root) in strong liquor as a tincture and drank one swallow every day.



According to Chinese records, Li Ching Yuen was born in Chyi Jiang Hsie, Szechuan province in 1677. He spent most of his life in the mountain ranges gathering herbs and learning the knowledge of longevity methods.



In 1748, when he was 71 years old, he moved to Kai Hsien to join the Chinese army as a teacher of the martial arts and as a tactical advisor.



In 1927, Li Ching Yuen was invited by General Yang Sen to visit him in Wann Hsien, Szechuan. The general was fascinated by his youthfulness, strength and prowess in spite of his extremely advanced age. His famous portrait, seen in the New York Times article, was photographed there.



Returning home, he died a year later of natural causes. Many claim that he told friends, "I have done all I have to do in this world. I will now go home," before he died and then sat back with a smile and simply died without one sign of stress.



After Li's death, General Yang Sen investigated the truth about his claimed background and age. He wrote a report that was later published. In 1933, people interviewed from his home province remembered seeing him when they were children, and that he hadn't aged much during their lifetime. Others reported that he had been friends with their grandfathers



One of his disciples, the Taiji Quan Master Da Liu told of Master Li's story: At 130 years old Master Li encountered an older hermit in the mountains who taught him Baguazhang and a set of Qigong exercises with breathing instructions, movements training coordinated with specific sounds, and dietary recommendations. (This is where he was told of the importance of eating the Go Qi Zi berry.) Da Liu reports that his master said that his longevity "is mostly due to the fact that I performed the exercises every day -- regularly, correctly, and with sincerity -- for 120 years."



While we can all greatly benefit from the herbal knowledge that Master Li has given us which can perhaps help most anyone to live a longer healthier life, I still believe the greatest wisdom that can be gained for our health's sake from this remarkable man is something he often said about living a long happy life: "Sit like a tortoise, sleep like a dog, Walk up right and sprightly like a pigeon and most importantly, always keep a quiet heart"



Rest in peace Master Li and thanks for all you taught us.







About the author

Christopher Gussa, Is a TCM practitioner and Certified Master / Clinical Herbalist for 25 years. He is certified in both Western Herbal Therapy and Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine with over 25 years experience. Chris founded Plant Cures Inc. which handcrafts over 150 Serious Herbal Medicine Products for Specific Disorders all created through clinical application. Their products are for Serious Disease and also Powerful Tonic Health. Please visit Plant Cures at WWW.PLANTCURES.COM or call them at 1-800 979 2027.



Chinese Herbal Medicine: The Longevity Factor and on Living to 197 ...

Part 1

by Tony M. IsaacsTurning the Odds for a Long, Healthy Life to Your Favor

Life is a gamble, and right now, chances are that the odds are very much stacked against you. The contamination in the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the highly processed and additive-filled foods you eat all combine to work against you. Add to that the likelihood of years of lack of proper diet and exercise, lack of proper sleep, the side-effects from taking too many medications, the failure of modern medicine to properly treat and cure disease, and perhaps even your heredity, and the odds can appear to be very long indeed. The good news is that you can turn those odds back in your favor no matter how old you are, no matter what your physical condition is, no matter what your heredity is and no matter how many years you have neglected to live a healthy life.



As anybody knows, nothing is 100%, and life is no exception. However, it is pretty easy to see that the odds are pretty strong that you will ultimately face ill health and live a shorter life than otherwise might be the case if you continue to let an unhealthy lifestyle keep stacking the deck against you. On the other hand, if you follow the advice in this simple series of articles, you can turn the odds very much in favor of living a much longer, healthier and happier life.



Before we look at how you can give yourself the best chances for good health and a long life, it would be a good idea to understand just what we have done, and what has been done to us, to cheat us out of the healthy and happy years we could have. My own education was an eye-opener and hopefully will also be one for you.



In the beginning – an eye-opening journey



Somewhere around the time I reached my mid-forties I finally began to come face to face with the reality of my own mortality. All of my friends were getting older, many of them were bothered by various health problems and several were beginning to carry around quite a little satchel filled with bottles of medications that they took daily. As for myself, I know that I seemed to look the same every day in the mirror (except for certain Mondays after I had spent the weekend acting like I still was young and immortal), but when I looked at pictures taken a decade or so ago, the difference was pretty obvious. And I knew that I wasn't quite as fast and lively as I was in my 20's and 30's. So, I reluctantly had to admit that chances were pretty good that I wasn't going to stay young and live forever, and, when I thought about all the bad habits in such areas as lifestyle, diet, exercise and sleep, I really began to be concerned about what I might be able to do to live as long and as healthy of a life as I could. I began to research health and aging, looking for ways to have more energy and vitality, live longer, and avoid or conquer the diseases and physical conditions that are common in our later years.



When I began my journey and started looking into subjects like anti-aging and disease prevention, I expected to find most of the answers I sought in modern Science and medicine. Although I had a certain amount of respect for folk medicine and the tradition of natural cures, I was pretty much one of those "real drugs for real cures" kind of people who thought that the answer to any health problem was best found in modern medical facilities and on the shelves of modern pharmacies. I thought that for the most part, folk cures and natural remedies were pretty much superstition and unsupported myth. If I became ill enough to seek help, my first and only thought was to go see a licensed modern medical doctor and get the latest wonder drug for my illness. As for so-called alternative medicines, whether it was called naturopathic, homeopathic, folk or chinese medicine, well, I gave that about as much consideration as I would snake oil or the eye of a newt, or tongue of a toad - no witches brew or old wives tales medicine for me! I found out that I was terribly mistaken!



First the bad news: our medicine has fooled us & our government has failed us



The more I checked into modern medicine, the world pharmaceutical giants and regulatory agencies like the FDA, the more worried and disillusioned I became. I wondered why the death rate of cancer and heart disease was virtually unchanged for several decades, why so many drugs were being recalled because of serious, even fatal, side effects. And I kept reading about natural remedies that seemed to be much more effective without serious side effects for many forms of cancers and other diseases when all modern medicine had to offer was long term treatments with little odds of success and horrible, debilitating side effects. Then one day I came upon the following statement from former FDA Commissioner Dr Herbert Ley:



"The thing that bugs me is that people think the FDA is protecting them. It isn't. What the FDA is doing and what the public thinks it’s doing are as different as night and day."



As if that wasn’t disturbing enough, I then read the results from one of the FDA's own studies released in December 2004 (only after a freedom of information request resulted in the study finally being released two years after it was completed). According to the study, fully two-thirds of the very scientists that the FDA used to determine if drugs were safe stated that they lacked faith in the FDA's ability to determine drug safety. And one out of five of them admitted that they had been pressured to approve drugs that they felt were unsafe. What was going on here?



The more I read and researched, the less willing I became with unquestionably trusting modern medicine and modern drugs. At the same time, I became more and more impressed with what I discovered about natural healing, herbs and supplements. In hundreds of articles, testimonials, and medical studies, I found that there are thousands of people all over the world avoiding diseases, living longer and successfully beating diseases through natural healing and alternative medicines with far fewer side effects than conventional medicine. Why, I wondered, had modern medicine not embraced this fact? Why did more people not know about this? It seemed like to me that someone should be shouting from the rooftops: “CANCER! AIDS! HEPATITIS-C! HEART DISEASE! HIGH CHOLESTEROL! STRESS! STROKE! PROSTRATE DISEASE! KIDNEY DISEASE! YOU DON’T HAVE TO DIE! YOU DON’T HAVE TO SUFFER! AND YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPEND AN ARM AND A LEG!”



Soon, the answer became all too apparent: The largest single source of funding for medical schools is the trillion dollar world pharmaceutical industry. Does anyone think that it is a coincidence that since early in the twentieth century, modern medicine has taught our physicians to treat disease by prescribing synthetic drugs – drugs made by the same people who funded their medical schools? For years modern medicine has been taught to ignore natural cures and treatments, or else taught that they such things don’t work. The FDA has been co-opted into an agency that serves primarily to protect the marketplace of the pharmaceutical industry and suppress natural competition. Diet and natural herbs and supplements were not only ignored, they were suppressed, for the very simple reason that THERE WAS NO PROFIT IN IT!



Perhaps the most striking proof is the fact that it has taken modern medicine and doctors fully 40 years to finally admit that vitamins are beneficial! Yes, for four decades, they denied the obvious and dismissed the idea of adding vitamins to our diets as worthless! Today, as nutrition and natural healing are finally gaining wider acceptance among the medical profession, the big international pharmaceutical companies are fighting back by resisting alternate cures on one hand while on the other hand spending hundreds of millions of dollars on efforts to limit public access to vitamins and supplements. Their tactics are obvious, limit the competition from natural medicine for as long as possible, and then co-opt natural alternative by restricting public access and bringing the herbs and vitamins under their control so that they can drive up the price and keep their profits growing!



As it is, no herb or natural treatment or remedy can be labeled or even advertised legally as a cure or treatment. Think in terms of cancer, for example. If someone had a herbal supplement where 90% of the patients who took it became disease free, it still cannot be labeled or advertised as a cure or even as a treatment, while a synthetic lab-created chemical that kills more people than it cures can take out full page advertisements in national magazines. And that is how the public interest is protected from all of those dangerous herbs, which result in maybe 50 deaths a year compared to 106,000 deaths per year for properly prescribed medications that can be advertised as cures and treatments. Not to mention the 2,000,000 serious drug reactions from properly prescribed medications.



We would like to think otherwise, but the almighty dollar, pound, frank, deutschemark and ruble have dictated otherwise. To the big drug companies and the doctors that prescribe their medicines, our body is their marketplace. And the only way for an industry to grow is to increase the market. That simply cannot happen if too many diseases are cured; in fact, it means just the opposite – diseases must increase! And that is just what has happened: few cures and more side effects. Cure rates for major diseases are virtually unchanged over the past 30 or more years. Depending on the source, anywhere from 50-95% of modern drugs have not only side effects, but serious side-effects.



Death from prescription drug side effects is now the fourth leading cause of death in the United States according to the medical industry itself (the AMA Journal) – and that doesn’t include deaths that are reported to be caused by the original disease that really were the result of drug side-effects, or of miss-prescribed medications that are not reported by doctors leery of malpractice suits and malpractice insurance premium increases (one survey found that only 1 in 24 doctors would voluntarily report themselves in the event of a patient dying of miss-prescribed medications). When all factors are taken into consideration, improper medical treatment and prescription drugs are considered by some authorities as actually being the second leading cause of death in our country!



Sadly, my friends, if the following applies to a treatment or medication,



1. It works.

2. It's inexpensive.

3. Few, if any, negative side effects.

4. It's not patentable



—odds are it will stay on the black list because no one is going to spend a dime to prove its effectiveness or to prescribe it. Medicine is a business. Cancer and other diseases are part of that business. The FDA serves and protects the drug companies and the AMA from anyone with an inexpensive and effective treatment for money making diseases.



At this point I should probably add that I am not one of the Conspiracy nuts who believes that all of our doctors and our governments and big medicine have joined together in a grand scheme to keep us from being healthy. In fact, I think that the big majority of doctors are dedicated, well meaning and hard working individuals. The failure of modern medicine lies in the ways that modern medicine has been taught and practiced, the way that alternative treatments and supplements have been regulated, and the way that an unhealthy amount of greed on the part of the drug companies have combined to rob us of the good health that we might otherwise have.



Then there is the environment. Ever since the industrial revolution began, we have been pouring an increasing number and amount of toxic chemicals and waste into our air, our water and our food. In the beginning, much of the fault was due to lack of knowledge of the chemicals we used as solvents, pesticides, paints, fuels and any number of other products and industrial processes. Today, that is no longer an excuse.



Despite the advances in modern Science that have identified the damage that the toxic chemicals industry and fuel burning have wreaked on our environment, the process to clean up the environment is woefully slow and industry resists costly expenses to clean up at every step of the way, while the government is often all too willing to drag it’s feet and backtrack in enforcing or passing regulations to protect us. The well-heeled propaganda machine that serves industry and the politicians their money contributes generously to may paint environmentalist as “tree huggers” and radicals, but the scientific evidence is indisputable: the progress of industry has come at a huge cost to the public.



Today, the National Toxicology Program (NTP), part of the National Institutes of Health, lists 246 agents in our environment which are either known to cause cancer or reasonably expected to cause cancer, and many feel that the number is tremendously overstated. For example, the Health Science Institute tells us that the average glass of water contains 2000 carcinogens. And no matter which side of the environmental fence you may be on, no one who hasn’t lived with their head in the sand, is not aware of the lead, arsenic and mercury that that has been pouring into our environment for over a century now.



Next, we have to factor in the fact that over-farming and widespread use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers have made the food we eat today much less healthy than it was only a couple of generations ago. The same is true for the foods we buy off the shelf in our local grocers. Over-processing has removed much of the nutrients while harmful ingredients have been added to increase shelf life and enhance flavor and texture. Combined with America’s love for fast food, our diet can no longer be counted on to come anywhere close to giving us all the vitamins and nutrients that we evolved to require, much less the ones needed to offset the damages caused by pollution, additives and the sheer stress of modern life.



With so much bad news, is there hope? Fortunately, that answer is a resounding YES!



And then the good news - It’s never too late!



When you look at someone and say “Doesn’t he or she look young for their age”, or you remark that someone “sure has a lot of energy for their age”, what you are really seeing is someone who looks, acts and feels a lot closer to what they should for their age than you do. Whether they were blessed with good genetics, or more likely, have taken better care of themselves, the real question is: how do you acquire the kind of health and vitality and become the kind of person that people say the same things about. And, most importantly, is it too late?



The good news is that it is NOT too late - no matter what your age may be. Recent studies have shown conclusively that people in their 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s can change their diet and lifestyle and undo most of the damage that a lifetime of neglect has caused. That’s right, a person who is obese, sedentary, has high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoker’s lungs, and other health problems can essentially reverse those problems if they take action NOW and virtually catch up to the same health and vitality of a person who has spent their entire life eating right, exercising and living a healthy lifestyle! Even people in their 70’s, 80’s and beyond can add quality years to their lives by changing their diets and exercise. The key is, no matter what your age, you should take action NOW, because a neglected body in poor shape is a ticking time bomb that you want to defuse before it really is too late. So, with everything to gain and nothing to lose, let’s get started!

Boiling, Baking (low temperature), poaching, steaming & roasting (low temperature keeps more of the good vitamins, nutrients, phytochemicals and so forth; heat destroys the nutrients in food and can cause the formation of harmful substances

Keep and use fruit and vegetable broth left over from cooking (that’s where a lot of the vitamins and good stuff goes)

Get a juicer! Use it for fruits & vegetables (fruit and vegetable juice in big quantities are some of the healthiest things you can consume)

Eat smaller meals with healthy snacks such as nuts, vegetable and fruits between meals (helps you maintain a constant energy level and avoid overeating)

Drink filtered or reverse-osmosis distilled water only, and drink plenty of it, but avoid tap water! (the average municipal water supply has trace amounts of over 2,000 bad chemicals, including pesticide, solvents and carcinogens)

Garlic—preferably 3 cloves of raw garlic every day! (Garlic, long recognized as a natural broad spectrum antibiotic, is also a potent and proven natural cancer preventative and it is the natural enemy of cholesterol as well because it prevents cholesterol from sticking to the sides of our arteries)

Turmeric (or curcumin) (This is one of the really important ones! A highly potent cancer fighter that recent tests have indicated protects cigarette smokers from developing cancer, it has also been reported recently to not only prevent Alzheimer’s but even reverse it! Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, contains a variety of bioactive substances called curcuminoids. The curry spice turmeric is also found in yellow mustard. The most active component is curcumin, an orange-yellow volatile oil that includes three curcuminoids–turmerone, atlantone, and zingiberone. Research shows that turmeric and its curcuminoids have a number of beneficial properties: (1) good antioxidant activity, comparing well with vitamin C, vitamin E, and superoxide dismutase; (2) anti-inflammatory activity that is comparable to steroidal and nonsteroidal drugs; (3) anticancer properties influencing all the steps of cancer formation: initiation, promotion, and progression; (4) protects the cardiovascular system by lowering serum cholesterol and inhibiting platelet aggregation; (5) protects the liver by several mechanisms; (6) in vitro and in vivo studies show curcuminoids can help with HIV in a number of ways, including acting as biological response modifiers, resulting in significant increases in CD-4 and CD-8 counts. Supplementation may prevent, or be helpful with, the following conditions: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS, HIV), Aging, Asthma, Atherosclerosis (heart disease), Cancer, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Cataracts, Immuno- Depression (immune function), Inflammation (including bursitis), Peptic Ulcers and Rheumatoid Arthritis .)

Cayenne Pepper, Ginger & Sage (all potent cancer fighters. Cayenne pepper also promotes cardiovascular health, helps cure stomach ulcers, and a tincture of cayenne pepper can stop a heart attack in three minutes or less. Ginger also enhances circulation and acts as a catalyst for other herbs, to increase their effectiveness and it helps the body relieve congestion.)

Broccoli and other Cruciferous Vegetables (cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, cauliflower, horseradish, turnips, radishes, wassabi, and kale, etc. One prominent researcher said “If broccoli were a drug, it would be worth billions!” Broccoli boosts your immune system, reduces the incidence of cataracts, builds bones, and fights birth defects and heart disease, and, like other cruciferous vegetables, helps ward off various cancers such as stomach, colon, breast, etc.)

Apple Cider Vinegar (Truly one of nature’s miracle substances, use of apple cider vinegar for medicinal purposes has been traced back as far as 3000 BC, and was used by Hippocrates, the Babylonians, Julius Caesar’s armies, Christopher Columbus’s crewmen, and ancient Samurai Soldiers to ward off disease and keep strong and fit. Be sure to use only natural non-distilled apple cider vinegar available at most health food stores – the kind you find on grocer’s shelves has been distilled to remove the natural cloudy appearance and has had most of the healthy live-giving enzymes, acids and trace minerals removed. If you do not have cancer, mix a teaspoon of organic locally produced honey with two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar three times a day. After a few months of regular use, you should notice improved health and vigor and the elimination of stiffness and joint pain.

Tomatoes (Excellent source of lycopene. Tomatoes and tomato products lower cancer risk, increase your skin's sun-protection factor, and play a role in preventing cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Eat one tomato a day. tomato sauce is great, the more the better, just avoid ones with added sugar. Tomatoes combined with broccoli enhance the effect of both vegetables! Don't like tomatoes? Try watermelon, persimmons, or pink grapefruit instead.)

Green Tea (or black) (enhances health – especially cardiovascular health, boosts the immune system, prevents cancer, restricts bad cholesterol, controls high blood pressure, suppresses aging and more. Drink at least one cup a day.)

Shitake Mushrooms (lowers cholesterol and improves immune system function, good for preventing high blood pressure and heart disease, for controlling cholesterol level, building resistance against viruses, and fighting diseases such as AIDS/HIV and cancers. Often available fresh, Shitake mushrooms are very flavorful when used in cooking! If you cannot find fresh, available as a supplement also.)

Maitaike Mushrooms (high in nutrients including Vitamins B-2, C, D, niacin, magnesium, potassium, fiber, and amino acids, contains the polysaccharide compound beta-1.6-glucan which naturally stimulates the immune system and lowers blood pressure. Beneficial for obesity and diabetic patients, the Maitake mushroom may be best known for its cancer fighting ability. Tests in mice prove that it blocks tumor formation and boosts the immune system. Available fresh or as supplement))

Reishi Mushrooms (The Reishi mushroom can increase the production of interleukin1 and 2, resulting in inhibition of tumor growth. Studies show that Reishi can have a number of other positive effects on the body such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-viral (through its interferon production), lowers blood pressure. It also acts as a cardiotonic by lowering serum and increasing the production of interleukin 1 and 2, which results in inhibition of tumor cholesterol, expectorant, anti-tissue, liver protecting and detoxifying, protection against ionizing radiation, antibacterial, and anti-HIV activity. Available fresh or as supplement)

Grapefruit (Be careful on this one if you take any prescription medications!) Grapefruit helps keep weight down and is a good source of vitamin c and lycopene; however unique among fruits, grapefruit (and possibly grapefruit hybrids like the tangelo) interfere with stomach enzymes that break down certain drugs and may result in higher blood levels of the drugs than desired.

Grapefruit Cautions:



Drugs that are known to have potentially serious interactions with grapefruit products include: Anti-seizure drugs such as carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol) Antidepressants such as buspirone (BuSpar), clomipramine (Anafranil) and sertraline (Zoloft) Benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) and triazolam (Halcion) Calcium channel blockers such as felodipine (Plendil), nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia, nimodipine (Nimotop), nisoldipine (Sular) and possibly verapamil (Isoptin, Verelan) Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease inhibitors such as saquinavir (Fortovase, Invirase) and indinavir (Crixivan) HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors such as simvastatin (Zocor), lovastatin (Mevacor) and atorvastatin (Lipitor) Immunosuppressant drugs such as cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), tacrolimus (Prograf) and sirolimus (Rapamune) Antiarrhythmic drugs such as amiodarone (Cordarone)



Note: Even waiting to take these medications up to 24 hours after you drink grapefruit juice doesn't prevent an interaction. The best advice is to avoid grapefruit products if you take any of those drugs, unless your doctor or pharmacist approves.)



Omega-3 fats (found in fish oil, particularly cod liver oil, Omega 3 fats are not produced by the body, but are essential for good health. Lowers cholesterol, helps control blood pressure, and has strong anti-cancer properties)

Dark Green Vegetables (especially spinach, and other dark greens such as mustard greens, collard greens and turnip greens. Good source of calcium, lowers the risk of cardiovascular diseases, a variety of cancers, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts)

Healthy Oils - Olive oil, hemp oil, pumpkin oil, sesame oil, coconut oil and palm oil - preferably first press cold-pressed organic versions in dark bottles. Other cooking oils are unhealthy. Mediterranean men are 10 times less likely to die of heart disease and that is attributable to the fact that they use mostly olive oil instead of other cooking oils, and they use other oils in salad dressings and instead of butter or margarine. Olive oil reduces cholesterol levels, protects against cancer, is full of vitamin E, and beautifies skin, hair, nails. Coconut oil is one of the most healthy oils on the planet and Palm Oil is loaded with anti-oxidants and carotinoids.)

Almonds (Eat 6 or more every day! Anti-cancer, a leading source of vitamin E and magnesium and offers protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorus and iron in 246 calories. As an added bonus, almonds and other nuts contain phytochemicals, which are plant chemicals that may provide powerful protection against heart disease, stroke, and other chronic disease. In addition, almonds contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties..)

Walnuts (an excellent source of omega-3 essential fatty acids, walnuts' concentration of omega-3s - a quarter-cup provides 90.8% of the daily value for these essential fats - has many potential health benefits ranging from cardiovascular protection, to the promotion of better cognitive function, to anti-inflammatory benefits helpful in asthma, Rheumatoid Arthritis , and inflammatory skin diseases such as eczema and Psoriasis Also a good source of ellagic acid.)

Flaxseeds (Best when ground, flaxseeds are even more beneficial than flaxseed oil, because flaxseeds contain the lignans and fiber that is removed in making the oil. Good source of omega-3s,lowers cholesterol, helps keep the colon clean, regulates blood Sugar and anti-cancer, especially breast and prostrate cancer)

Flaxseed Oil Mixed with Cottage Cheese (flaxseed oil mixed together with cottage cheese has been successfully used to prevent, treat and cure cancers, even inoperable “hopeless” ones, for many years by multiple Nobel prize nominee, German biochemist and research scientist, Dr. Johanna Budwig, whose work followed up on the work of two previous Nobel laureates)

Blueberries (They lower the risk of heart disease and cancer and help maintain youthful, healthy skin. Eat 1 to 2 cups a day. When they aren't in season, eat cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, currants, and purple grapes.)

Other vegetables (such as asparagus, escarole, avocado - actually a fruit, fennel. beet greens, green and red cabbage, bok choy, kohlrabi, brussel's sprouts, romaine, red leaf, & green leaf lettuce, mustard greens, celery. onions , chicory, parsley, chinese cabbage, red, green, yellow and hot peppers, chives, collard greens, turnips, turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, zucchini and summer squash)

Beans, Lentils & Chickpeas (as long as you don’t have an insulin problem – the signs of which are excess weight, obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Beans lower cholesterol, fight heart disease, stabilize blood sugar, reduce obesity, lessen cancer risk, and relieve hypertension. One California study showed that those who ate beans weekly were 40 percent less likely to die those who ate them less than once a weak.--Eat four 1/2-cup servings a week.)

Pomegranate Juice (Higher in anti-oxidants than any other common fruit juice. Contains a very high concentration of the potent cancer-fighter ellagic acid. According to research presented in May 2005 to the American Urological Association, eight ounces of pomegranate juice had significant anti-cancer effects on prostrate cancer patients. Other recent studies suggest that pomegranate juice helps prevent hardening of the arteries and even reverses heart disease.)

Oranges and Tangerines (They support heart health while preventing cancer, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic ailments. Eat one a day. Want more variety? Try lemons, grapefruit, kumquats, or limes.)

Dark Grapes (Contains resveratrol, the potent anti-cancer and anti-aging ingredient found in red wine, effective with leukemia, melanoma, pancreatic, esophageal, breast, lung, colon, prostate, squamous cell, liver cancer and others. Grape leaves are supposed to contain 100 times the resveratol as grapes.)

Black Cherries & tart cherries (contain the antioxidant anthocyanins which is responsible for the red color and which is higher in antioxidant properties than vitamins C and E. Tart cherries added to ground beef reduce mutagens in ground beef by 90% when cooking, and the flavor is equal or better than plain ground beef.)

Apples/Apple Juice (It turns out that grandma was right – an apple a day keeps the doctor away! Apples are an excellent source of fiber, phenolic compounds (phytochemicals) and phytonutrients, such as the flavonoid quercetin, apples help reduce cholesterol, protect against cancer, especially prostrate cancer, reduce heart attack risk and promotes cardiovascular health. Note: If you have cancer, or have had cancer, apples are much preferred over apple juice due to the much higher Sugar content of apple juice. Plus, whole apples include the added benefits of fiber and the phyto-nutrients contained in the apple skin.)

Apricots, muskmelons and other fruits high in beta-carotene (In test-tube studies at Harvard University, beta-carotene had a direct toxic effect on cells, taken from malignant tumors. It also reduced the growth of lung cancer cells and altered the proteins needed for tumors to grow. Research also shows that beta-carotene can change in the body to retinoic acid, a substance used in clinical trials to treat certain cancers.)

Berries (Cranberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, and other Berries are all excellent sources of vitamin C, phytochemicals and phytonutrients and area good source of ellagic acid.)

Pecans, Brazil Nuts Pumpkin (Pumpkin lowers the risk of various cancers, while it promotes youthful, healthy skin. Want an alternative? Try carrots, carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and orange bell peppers.)

Pumpkin seeds, Pistachios, Sesame Seeds (UNSALTED—and the pumpkin seeds are great!)

Yogurt with beneficial fruit such as blueberries (avoid artificially sweetened yogurt, yogurt with soy, or high carb yogurt with added sweeteners. Yogurt helps the body’s ability to build bones, helps prevent and heal arthritis, and protects against ulcers. Yogurt that contains live bacterial cultures may help you to live longer, and may fortify your immune system. Research studies have shown that increased yogurt consumption, particularly in immuno-compromised populations such as the elderly, may enhance the immune response, which would in turn increase resistance to immune-related diseases. Some yogurt manufacturers pasteurize their yogurt products, while others do not. Although the aim of pasteurization is to kill any harmful bacteria, it also kills the beneficial lactic acid bacteria in the yogurt, substantially reducing its health benefits. Therefore, to fully enjoy the benefits of yogurt, look for those that feature “live active cultures” or “living yogurt cultures” on the label.)

Wash all vegetables and fruits – especially those that aren’t organically grown (if you don’t wash your vegetables from the grocer’s, you very well may be doing more harm than good from the pesticides and preservatives they have been sprayed and treated with).

NOTE: Eat raw, organically grown fruits and vegetables whenever possible and don’t peel except when necessary – you are often peeling away the best vitamins and nutrients! A good rule of thumb is that raw fruits and vegetables are better than steamed, frozen or dried ones, which are better than boiled, baked or grilled ones, which are better than home canned ones, which are better store-bought canned ones, which are better than no vegetables at all! Juices may substitute for raw fruit/vegetables, but avoid added Sugar or other sweeteners.



Note: Lifestyle, exercise, cleansing/de-tox, fasting and diet are covered separately.

Sugar and just about all sweeteners including corn syrup, fructose, honey, sucrose, maltodextrin, dextrose, molasses, rice milk, white grape juice, sweetened fruit juice, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, date sugar, cane sugar, corn sugar, beet sugar, succanat and lactose. (OK, this one may be hard to do, but if you have cancer, or have ever had cancer, you MUST cut all the sugar you can out of your diet because, quite simply, sugar feeds cancer! If you don’t have cancer, go very easy on the sugar, or, better still, substitute Stevia or Lo Han whenever possible.)

Smoking and other tobacco products (You do want to live a long time, right?)

Grilling, Frying, or cooking with high heat (Grilling can produce carcinogens, which are always present in charred meats and other foods. At high temperatures, certain natural constituents of the meat—the simple sugar glucose, the amino acid creatinine, and additional free amino acids—can chemically react to form carcinogenic heterocyclic amines (HCAs). Typically, the longer meat cooks at a high temperature, the greater the production of HCAs. Indeed, low-temperature cooking or a quick searing may generate none of the carcinogens. On January 31, 2005 the National Toxicology Program (NTP), part of the National Institutes of Health, published its latest update of materials known to cause cancer in people and others that are "reasonably anticipated" to do so and among the 246 agents on the lists are the heterocyclic amines that develop in meats when they're cooked too long at high temperature. Frying, especially in animal fats or processed vegetable oil is supremely unhealthy.)

Microwaving – (The evils of microwaving are so bad and so dangerous that it gets it’s own chapter in my book titled “Nuke Your Microwave Oven!”. Put simply, microwaving in plastic may create cancer causing dioxins and microwaving in ANY kind of container alters foods unnaturally so that nutrients are destroyed and cancer and disease causing compounds are created. Man has evolved to eat food cooked by heat from the outside in, not food cooked from the inside out by being bombarded with microwaves.)

Aluminum cookware (Aluminum has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease, although there is a likelihood that the disease itself is responsible for most of the greater concentrations of aluminum found in the brains of Alzheimer’s sufferers. If you must use aluminum Anodized aluminum is the best bet, because the anodizing process seals the surface of the cookware.)

Teflon coated cookware (Teflon, or polytetraflouethylene, when cooked at any temperature causes fumes that are toxic to birds. Cooked at the easily obtainable stovetop level of 680°F, Teflon pans release at least six toxic gases, including two carcinogens, two global pollutants, and MFA, a chemical lethal to humans at low doses. At temperatures that are reached on stovetop drip pans (1000°F), non-stick coatings break down to a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB, and a chemical analog of the WWII nerve gas phosgene. Some products that use Polytetraflouethylene: Heat lamps, Portable heaters, Sole plates on irons, Ironing board covers, Burners on stove tops, Drip pans for burners, Broiler pans, Griddles, Many cooking utensils, Woks, Waffle makers, Electric skillets, Deep fryers, crock pots, Hot air popcorn poppers, Coffee makers, Bread makers, Non-stick rolling pins, Lollipop molds, Corkscrews, Never-Stick-Stainless Steel, Stockpots, Roasters, Non-stick gingerbread molds, Pizza pans, Tortilla presses.)

Animal Fats (Especially animal fats from animals subject to feed lot practices and non-organic meat. Animal fats are generally not so good for your waistline, but the worst thing about most animal fats is likely the pesticides, hormones, and Antibiotics they contain.)

Trans Fats and Refined Oils(Trans Fats, or Hydrogenated Vegetable Fats, are the very worst fats of all, often found in fried foods and processed foods such as cookies, crackers and pastries. Refined oils lose most of their nutritional value in the refining process.)

Potatoes (Good grief, no non organic meats and now my taters too? Yes, sorry! Except for yams that is)

Sunburn and prolonged exposure to the sun

Salt (Except for Sea Salt . Due primarily to chemical processing in the manufacture of commercial food salt, excess salt is linked to high blood pressure and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and life-threatening heart attacks each year. Most of us eat an average of 10 times more salt than we should, and no wonder, as it is found in abundance in most foods in a normal diet, processed and natural. The average fast food hamburger, for example, contains over twice the amount of salt one should eat in a day. Avoid foods high in salt, and avoid any added salt except Sea Salt and except when large amounts are lost from the body through sweating.)

Soda pops (eight teaspoons of sugar per can for naturally sweetened ones, dangerous artificial sweeteners in diet ones!)

Tap Water (tap water has been shown to have traces of over 2100 toxic chemicals, including pesticides, and many of these have been shown to cause cancer, cell mutation, nervous disorders and possibly Alzheimer’s. Most of the tap water in the U.S. is chlorinated – we essentially put bleach into our drinking water because it is cheap. Besides the resveratrol in the red wines they drink, the French likely have much lower cancer rates because they drink oxygenated water instead of chlorinated. According to the U.S. Council Of Environmental Quality, "Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine." It should also be pointed out that the body absorbs chemicals in tap water from baths, showers, dish washing, etc. Only a whole house filtration system is safe.)

Processed Foods (including Breads, Pasta, Non Whole Grain Cereals , Bagels, French fries, Chips , Pretzels, Waffles, Pancakes, & commercial Baked goods)

Fast Foods (Do I really have to explain?)



Peanut Butter (Most peanut butters are hydrogenated to keep from separating. If you must have peanut butter on rare occasions, natural peanut butter would be better, but even natural peanut butter often contains aflatoxins, near ubiquitous fungal poisons that naturally lace a range of foods in tiny traces—especially peanut butter. This known human carcinogen was among chemicals on the National Institute of Health’s National Toxicology Program’s first national compilation of cancer-causing agents, in 1980.)

White bread and bleached flour (Just empty calories that provide little nutrition and contribute more to obesity than any other food substances in our diet. In the process of making flour white by bleaching it with dangerous chemicals like the ones that make linens white, half of the good unsaturated fatty acids that are high in food value are lost in the milling process alone, and virtually all the vitamin E is lost with the removal of wheat germ and bran. As a result, the remaining flour in the white bread you buy, contains only poor quality proteins and fattening starch. Also, about 50% of all calcium, 70% of phosphorus, 80% iron, 98% magnesium, 75% manganese, 50% potassium, and 65% of copper is destroyed. About 80% thiamin, 60% of riboflavin, 75% of niacin, 50% of pantothenic acid, and about 50% of Pyridoxine is also lost. .)

Alcohol (OK maybe a beer or two on occasion if you just have to, but no more! Much better would be an occasional glass of red wine during the evening)

Soy or soy-based foods - except for fermented soy products such as miso, natto or tempeh (Sorry, tofu lovers, but, regardless of the hype of the well-heeled soy industry, non-fermented soy products can cause bad, bad things – and weakening your immune system is just one of them! For more information, reach the chapter in my book’s Hall of Shame section titled “Concerns Regarding Soy”.)

Canola Oil (Surprised? Well, of all the cooking alls, only olive oil, hemp, sunflower, palm and coconut oil are healthy. Read your food contents labels carefully to avoid canola and soy – especially Peanut Butter labels. Most major peanut butter brands take out all the peanut oil and replace it with canola.)

Margarines and cooking oils (See “Trans Fats, above, and the information about soy.)

Foods of all kinds with high glycemic index and/or glycemic load values (Refer to the section of my book “Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load” for more information.)

Aspartame (Nutrasweet), Sucralose (Splenda), Saccharine and other artificial sweeteners (All have demonstrated carcinogenic qualities and other health problems. Use Stevia or Lo Han, sold as supplements at health food stores and widely available on the web for less than $5 for a fifty packet box)

MSG (Avoid at all costs! Another villain of the highest order that gets its own chapter later in the “Hall of Shame” section of my book. MSG, or Monosodium glutamate, is described as a mutagen and reproductive effector by the Center for Disease Control in their Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances. It is used in a huge variety of foods and other products, and is disguised under at least 40 different names. It can cause cell mutations, brain damage, neuroendocrine disorders, seizures, headaches, asthma, obesity, diabetes, bladder pain and other ailments.)

Commercial Non-Organic Household Chemical Products (including cleaners, solvents, toiletries, insecticides and more. More on that later. The good news is that there are safe substitutes for everything from soap and cosmetics to cleaners, sunscreen and more.)

Fish (the best fish are oily fish such as wild salmon and cold-water fish. Eat baked, roasted or poached – no frying or charring. Sadly, fish would be recommended as a “Do” and recommended in abundance if it weren’t for the fact that just about all fish is now showing signs of toxins, especially mercury.)

Turkey (baked or roasted, small portions, no frying, charring or smoking)

Other lean meats (choose organic, grass fed meats. Ostrich and bison are both better choices than beef)

Eggs (Actually, eggs are pretty healthy for you, despite years of misinformation – so long as you sellect organic eggs from free ranging field hens or the Omega 3 eggs. Whole eggs do have a good dose of calories though, so an even better plan would be to mix your eggs 50/50 with an egg substitute that is made from 98%+ real eggs, provided it’s not one of the brands that contains ingredients you can’t readily pronounce!)

Oat Bran, Rice Bran, Whole Wheat & Other Whole Grains (Oat and Rice Bran are best, but maintain a modest overall intake of grains regardless of your choice).

Dairy Products (use no fat or low fat organic milk or substitute rice milk or almond milk – but use sparingly due to sugar content)

Dark Chocolate (Dark Chocolate made with 60% or more cocoa has been shown to have health benefits for the heart and to enhance mood; however, if you have cancer, the added sugar is probably not worth the benefits of the chocolate)

Beets, Jicima, Carrots, Winter Squashes, Yams, & Eggplant (use in moderation due to high carbs, although yams have some very good anti-cancer properties)

Fermented soy products (Soy protein is good for helping to lower “bad” cholesterol; however, only fermented soy products are safe. Traditional fermented soy products such as miso, natto and tempeh, which are usually made with organically grown soybeans, have a long history of use that is generally beneficial when combined with other elements of the Oriental diet including rice, sea foods, fish broth, organ meats and fermented vegetables. While fermented soy products contain protein, vitamins, anti-carcinogenic substances and important fatty acids, they can under no circumstances be called nutritionally complete. The soybean lacks vital sulfur-containing amino acids cystine and methionine. These are usually supplied by rice and other grains in areas where the soybean is traditionally consumed. Soy should never be considered as a substitute for animal products like meat or milk. Claims that fermented soy products like tempeh can be relied on as a source of vitamin B12, necessary for healthy blood and nervous system, have not been supported by scientific research. Finally, soybeans do not supply all-important fat soluble vitamins D and preformed A (retinol) which act as catalysts for the proper absorption and utilization of all minerals and water soluble vitamins in the diet. Soy products actually increase requirements for vitamins B12 and D.)

Lifestyle Advice

Avoid Stress at all costs! - a great way to reduce stress is EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique

Get Plenty of sunshine – (a half hour each day. The sun is the great energizer and source of life. It also converts cholesterol to vitamin D)

Wear Sun block whenever you are in the sun for any length of time

Get Lots of Fresh Air (open those windows! Eat your lunches outside. Go for walks daily. Sleep with the windows open at night whenever possible – get burglar bars if you are worried.)

Get Air Purifiers

Invest in a Good Water Filtration System (The average glass of tap water in the U.S. contains traces of over 2000 chemicals, many of which are pesticides, carcinogens, solvents and poisons. Drinking filtered water is not enough – your body absorbs more chlorine and fluorine from a bath or shower than it does in 8 glasses of tap water.)

Take time to relax and meditate.

Have fun and be happy! Laughter is good medicine for the body and soul!

Get plenty or sleep – 8 hours each night

Exercise every day in moderation (There are just too many benefits to list – just realize this: it doesn’t have to be overly hard or painful, but it really should be done if you want to live longer, healthier and happier.)

Eat a healthy breakfast every day (just be sure to include fruits, juices and other healthy foods, such as omega 3 eggs, yogurt with blueberries, and oatmeal, and don’t overly rely on grains, cereals and bread. Avoid sugar and coffee – try hot green tea instead.)

Drink lots of filtered water or reverse osmosis distilled water and green tea.

Liver Cleanse (Perform once a year at least. The liver is the body’s main detoxification site and it is essential to have a liver in good condition to maintain overall good health.)

Colon Cleanse (Also perform once a year. Bowel movements are the basis of your health. If you don't have at least 1 bowel movement per day, you are already walking your way toward disease. It is said that death begins in the colon, and indeed, colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.)



About the author

Tony Isaacs, is a natural health advocate and researcher and the author of books and articles about natural health including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and "Collected Remedies"as well as song lyrics and humorous anecdotal stories. Mr. Isaacs also has The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. He is currently residing in the scenic Texas hill country near Utopia, Texas where he serves as a consultant to the Utopia-Silver Colloidal Silver and supplement company and where he is working on a major book project due for publication later this year. Mr. Isaacs also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup"