Increased Vitamin D in Blood Adds Years to Life and Helps Prevent Colon Cancer
Just in case you needed more proof that low blood levels of vitamin D represent a significant health concern, researchers publishing in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition demonstrate that small increases in the sunshine vitamin can add precious years to your life. For nearly a decade scientific evidence has been mounting to show that the vast majorities of adults (and many children) are grossly deficient in circulating blood levels of vitamin D. Further proof is documented in the PLoS One journal to show the precise cellular mechanism that helps vitamin D dramatically lower the risk of colon cancer. The bottom line is simple: check your vitamin D blood saturation with an inexpensive test and make the necessary adjustments to live a healthier and longer life.
Using epidemiologic studies, Dr. W.B. Grant of the Sunlight, Nutrition and Health Research Center in San Francisco found that doubling the serum blood concentration of vitamin D could increase average life expectancy by two years. Dr. Grant and his team identified the major diseases that responded to increased levels of vitamin D. They then compared mortality rates to six identified regions around the country, and contrasted serum blood levels of the sunshine vitamin with disease occurrence.
After compiling all the data, the researchers found that conditions and diseases responsive to vitamin D that account for over half of the world's mortality include cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, tuberculosis and respiratory diseases and infections. It was determined that doubling the circulating level of vitamin D would lower the mortality rates of diseases that are sensitive to vitamin D by approximately 20 percent. Dr. Grant concluded: "several ways to raise serum vitamin D include food fortification, supplementation and increased ultraviolet B exposure."
Researchers have known for some time that low vitamin D levels are associated with a significant increase in colon cancer cases, but they have not understood the specific mechanism responsible. Now, scientists have discovered how a lack of vitamin D promotes DNA damage and colon cancer risk. Specifically, low vitamin D status instigates the development and progression of this devastating form of cancer.
Researchers have focused on a protein in intestinal epithelial cells called beta-catechin that normally helps epithelial cells bond together with other cells to form a protective barrier between the contents in your gut and the physical structure of your digestive tract. They found that when vitamin D is lacking, DNA synthesis is disrupted and beta-catechin builds up in cells, dramatically increasing the risk of colon cancer initiation.
There should be no doubt remaining that one of the most critical foundations to vibrant health is maintaining proper vitamin D blood saturation levels. Prevention is worth a pound of cure. So have your family physician run the simple and inexpensive 25 (OH)D blood test (alternatively, mail-in home testing is now a viable option), and be certain your level runs between 50 and 70 ng/mL to add years to your life and dramatically lower colon cancer and chronic disease risk.
John Phillip is a Health Researcher and Author who writes regularly on the cutting edge use of diet, lifestyle modifications and targeted supplementation to enhance and improve the quality and length of life. John is the author of 'Your Healthy Weight Loss Plan', a comprehensive EBook explaining how to use Diet, Exercise, Mind and Targeted Supplementation to achieve your weight loss goal.
How to Homor the Christian Perspective on Dating
- Choose to date someone that you are interested in because of who she is and how you believe she will treat you. You should genuinely be interested in her. Don't choose someone because of how good looking she is, how popular she is, or how much money she makes. Proverbs 4:23 says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Dating someone for the prestige she has or she can give you doesn't guard your heart or hers.
- Date other Christians. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says not to be yoked together with unbelievers. While you may think that dating is casual and won't necessarily lead to marriage, you never know. You may find out that the person you are dating is fabulous and fall in love but, if she is not a Christian, your relationship will be uneven spiritually.
- Keep your dates God honoring. Don't go on dates to places or events that you do not think God would want you to attend. This, of course, will be based on your understanding of what God says is okay to do. Some Christians don't see a problem with having drinks at a bar while others don't believe it is God honoring to drink alcohol at all. Some Christians don't have a problem with going to a secular rock concert while others think it is only right to listen to Christian music. To be God honoring, you need to honor your individual beliefs and not compromise them to impress a date.
- Keep yourself sexually pure. This is always a difficult one. What exactly does it mean to be sexually pure? Most Christians agree that God has designed sex to be something beautiful to be shared only by a husband and wife. But what about all the stuff that leads up to sex? Where do you draw the line?The Bible says to flee from sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:18). Fleeing means to run from, not run towards and see how close you can get without actually touching the goal. To keep yourself sexually pure, many Christians believe that you should not begin engaging in physical activities that will lead you toward the temptation to have sex. For some that even includes kissing. If you know that an act of physical intimacy is going to lead you toward sexual activity, it is probably an act to flee.
- Respect your date's wishes. Your ideas of what is God honoring, what is an acceptable activity, or what is permitted physically may different from your date's. Do not try to talk your date into doing something she doesn't think it is right.
- Pray. Pray to God to help you meet the right person to date. Pray before you go on a date. Some Christians even choose to start off their date with a prayer together asking that God bless their time together and that they honor God with their actions. It is always good to be in conversation with God about the person you are dating and the dates that you go on.
Chapter 12 He Still Waits
I left my father's house, which was a place of refuge with an abundance of peace. This was a place where I didn't have a care in the world. I chose to leave and chase a dream that would never become my reality. Can you imagine flying all the way from Germany leaving all you have ever known to start a new life? It was scary but I was ready. I thought life was going to be a bed of roses, I soon realized that roses have thorns; and, life has it's high and low moments.
I would cry out to God why is this happening to me? I'm a good person why God why. In my frustration I began to shut down. I went to church; but, the one thing I found to be fun was no longer, it had now become a chore. I stayed depressed and I was angry with God. I merely existed... I still prayed, paid my tithes; and, served but I was numb. I soon realized God was looking at my heart not my actions. After my pity party was over I decided I needed God so much more than I had needed him before. I asked God to forgive me for being angry and distancing myself from his presence. I begin to chase God with a vengeance. I began to rebuild my prayer life and my worship unto Him. I fell in love with God again and one night while praying, the fog lifted and I realized I had left home too soon.
Chapter 11 Are You Truly Sold Out?
God's grace imparted into my life has caused me to be completely sold out to Jesus Christ. It was God's mercy, His forgiveness, compassion, longsuffering, tenderness and His closeness that has brought me from ashes, dust, hurts, pains, and love that had dried up like a dusty water brook. I wanted a man, my own husband, to so desperately love me.
One night (December 7, 1970) at 12 midnight a knock came at my door, it was Brother and Sister Arthur Conward, they heard that I wanted prayer. I was in desperate need of help. I had tried to commit suicide by swallowing 26 pills all of different kinds. But the attempt was not successful. My friends, Napoleon and Ruth Rhodes, saw my desperate need for help and sent these two wonderful, saved saints. They were truly sent by God to rescue me and my five girls. God and His divine providence were looking out for me.
Chapter 10 Unconditional Love
Earlier this year, I was obsessively zealous with working for the kingdom of God after discovering who I am in Christ. I sought out to write, intercede, teach and begin developing in the spiritual gifts God endowed me with as well as dedicating to learning how to walk in the gifting stronger than ever before. However, day-to-day issues began to arise in my life and I found that I wasn't able to dedicate as much time to ministry and study as much as I wanted too. My children needed extra attention at home as they began to embrace their teenage years and my job was in its busiest season and in a major transition. My obligations to the church as a leader required more time and accountability and although my husband was very understanding and supportive, I knew I was slacking in my household responsibilities as other issues began to take priority.
As a result of being overwhelmed and burnt out, suddenly my zeal and passion for pursuing what I believed as the mission that God had set for my life was beginning to diminish and became more of a burden than a life fulfilling journey.
Chapter 9 Awaiting Your Arrival
According to the Free Dictionary by Farlex (2011), await means to wait, especially with expectation. Synonyms for this term include expect and anticipate. The title of this chapter signifies an anticipated arrival. The question is who is waiting and whose arrival is expected? Instinctively, I thought “Oh awaiting the arrival of God!” Upon further consideration I recognize the human expectation or anticipation of God indicates belief in the departure or nonexistence of God. However, the Bible tells us that God is, always was, and always will be. He is Jehovah-Shamah, He is There; He is present (Ezekiel 48:55 ). He is Alpha and Omega; the beginning and the end; the first and the last (Revelations 22:13). Therefore, who is awaiting the arrival of whom? My friends, God is eagerly expecting you. Chapter 7 Brought With a Price
My desire was to give up before I had the chance to win. I figured since I've lost it ALL, I must be good at it. My professional status was losing. Even in your losing moments God certainly hasn't forgotten about you. It amazes me when the price to pay is at an all time high, we as human beings tend to give up the most. However, when the cost is less or none at all, people will stand in line for days. We will take on some extreme weather conditions just to get what we want. Let's take on that same approach and apply it to paying the price for being a child of the Most High God. For me at first I didn't understand the logic of going through for Christ. If God is God then why should I have to struggle? Chapter 6 Be Free
Christ paid for our liberty, our freedom from sin and death. "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Corinthians 6:20 KJV). The price that God paid was the blood of His own Son. We read in Romans 6:18 (KJV)"Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." Now we need to take bold steps in keeping our freedom and not going back to our former slave master, SIN. We are no longer bound to the yokes of sin that had us chained to an eternal destiny of doom and loss of contact with the Creator, Jehovah. Our new Master and Savior, only wants good for us. Now we must serve God through righteous living in His kingdom. This heavenly and spiritual kingdom is already established with its rules, regulations and policies. Where can they be found? They can be found in the holy word of God, the Bible. Are you willing to do the research and take the journey in the word to search out the principles of this kingdom? In the natural sense each kingdom has a king. The king has set up a kingdom with certain rules. The United States has a president. I reside in the United States and have pledged my allegiance to the flag for which it stands. My natural freedom is based upon the rules, regulations of the land I reside. Chapter 5 The Anointing - It is He
Your purpose, your calling, your assignments, your gifting are all within destiny. In your destiny is the anointing. One can go through life not knowing who they are and what they are called to do. But you are an anointed vessel of God, called to fulfill His purposes and plans in the earth.
What is the Anointing?
Simply put it is the manifested presence of God. The anointing is God Himself manifested. He can be seen, and felt. The anointing is the tangible evidence of God. However the anointing is not based on feeling. You must trust God for the results whether you feel the anointing, or not.
Chapter 4 Disciple vs. Fan
As this chapter begins, it is important to understand yourself, who and what you are serving. In the times that we are living in it is easy to follow the wrong person or thing. When the only one we are to serve or pattern ourselves to model is Jesus Christ, our Savior. Once we have evaluated ourselves then we are able to determine what and why we do the things, we do. This brings into account our motives and the actions that we take in a day-to-day walk. I realize that all who read this will not be on the same level in their lives, therefore I pray that we all can gain understanding from the word of God regarding being a disciple versus a fan.
Dictionary.com defines disciple as 1) one of the 12 followers of Jesus Christ; 2) one of the 70 followers sent forth by Jesus Christ Luke 10:1 and as any other professed followers of Jesus Christ in their lifetime.
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