Turmeric, the Spice of Life for Agent Orange Victims: By Chris Crawford Herbalist 4 Vets

I know that there has been many things on the web and even a few articles posted here on Agent Orange Legacy about Turmeric. This is an amazing spice / herb that has a long history as a healing herb.

Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory herb used to treat diseases of the liver and to relieve inflammation. Laboratory tests have found that turmeric can potentially helps prevent new cancers that are caused by chemotherapy or radiation used to treat existing cancers.

Turmeric in the diet may help prevent the pain of arthritis, bursitis, and tendonitis. The oil in the spice is as effective in relieving pain, under laboratory conditions, as equal amounts of steroids. The antioxidants in turmeric fight atherosclerosis by deactivating platelet-activating factor (PAF). This protein seals leaks in blood vessels by stimulating the growth of a protein "net" on which a cholesterol plaque can form.

Curcumin in turmeric helps prevent hardening of the arteries in people who have diabetes, and also helps stop the loss of protein through the kidneys. In the laboratory, the antioxidants in turmeric kill cultures of cancer cells from the skin, bloodstream, and ovaries. Curcumin may stop the action of a liver enzyme that activates environmental toxins into carcinogenic forms, and may be especially useful in deactivating the carcinogens in cigarette smoke and chewing tobacco (though the best thing for your health is to quit smoking or using smokeless tobacco). Turmeric in the diet increases your bodies ability to produce enzymes that digest fats and sugars, and stop cholesterol from forming
gallstones.

Turmeric prevents the release of histamine in the stomach and helps in counteracting food allergies and also fights gum inflammation by halting the action of a gene that creates irritant chemicals. As is the case with so many herbs, turmeric should be used in moderation. Too much turmeric used for extended periods of time may cause stomach distress. Women trying to become pregnant should limit their consumption of the herb, and it should be avoided entirely while pregnant.

Excessive use of turmeric should also be avoided in people with congestive heart failure. The curcumin in turmeric activates genes that deactivates cancer cells, but it also deactivates damaged cells in the heart.

As Agent Orange victims Turmeric should be in your daily diet and can be bought at practically every store that sells spices.

The things in this post are to inform and should not be used to diagnose or replace the care from your doctor. If you chose to use these herbs do so only after discussing it with your doctor. Abruptly stopping some medications can cause serious problems not excluding death.

Chris Crawford
Veteran / Herbalist

Supplements and foods that needs to be in AO victims Personal Regiment : By Chris Crawford Herbalist 4 Vets

I am going to touch on a few supplements that should be used by everyone not just AO victims. The first is Super B complex Vitamins and can be bought at most all stores.

B-vitamins are required for the adult nervous system to function properly. Vitamin B6 helps prevent Parkinson's disease, seizures, depression, headaches and other neurological problems. . Other neurological problems can be prevented with vitamin B12 such as aiding the recovery of Bell's palsy. A dietary deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to marked neurological impairment such as walking disability, spasticity in the legs and arms and problems with the bowels and bladder. Vitamin B1 is necessary for normal cognitive function in the brain. so finding a Super B complex with these three are a key I could go on and on about the other B vitamins but I do not want to sound to clinical and am trying to keep this so everyone can understand.Remember one thing when doing the B complex Take only as recommended on the label because taking to much can cause more damage than good.

The next supplement can be bought at most places including Wal-Mart is called Selenium. The mineral selenium is vitally important to the body for proper functioning of the immune system and thyroid gland. Low selenium levels will contribute to pain, infection, and disease. Selenium deficiency is a known trigger for several different autoimmune diseases including thyroid disorders and psoriasis. Selenium deficiency also causes susceptibility to heart disease and to viral infections.

In the body selenium combines with protein molecules to form selenoproteins which is an important antioxidant enzyme that is essential for proper immune system function. Selenium's role for Thyroid health is also well known. In addition, selenoproteins help prevent cellular damage caused by free radical molecules. Free radicals are produced as natural byproducts of oxygen metabolism that are suspected of contributing to many chronic inflammatory diseases.

Not everyone likes to take pills and supplements so I am going to mention some of the foods you need to eat to get the B vitamins as well as Selenium.

Here is a list of some of the foods very rich in Vitamin B12 that you need to eat regularly. The primary function of this vitamin is to form red blood cells, but it's one of the major influences in the maintenance of an individual's health nervous system. It also aids in the normal function of the brain.

1. Clams, Oysters, Crab, and Salmon

2. Beef, Liver

3. Turkey and chicken

4. Cereals such as Kellogg's Special K or General Mills' Total Raisin Bran

Here is a list of foods rich in Vitamin B6. This vitamin helps to lower stress, decrease symptoms of PMS, treat depression, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of dental cavities. It also aids in the maintenance of nerve health and brain function.

1.Meats such as Chicken, turkey, beef, and pork

2. Fish such as Cod, salmon, halibut, trout, tuna and snapper

3. Vegetables such as Bell peppers, spinach, baked potatoes (skin included), green peas, yams, broccoli, asparagus and turnip greens.

4. Nuts and seeds such as Peanuts, sunflower seeds, cashews and hazelnuts

5. Beans such as Chickpeas, lentils, soybean, and Kidney beans

Here is a list of foods rich in Vitamin B2. Vitamin B2 is concentrated in major organs: the liver, kidneys and heart. It helps process nutrients in the cardiovascular system and helps keep cells in good health.

1. Milk

2. Spinich

3. Eggs

Here is a list of foods rich in Vitamin B5. Vitamin B5 is what helps turn carbohydrates into energy, processing food into fuel. It supports the adrenal glands, helping humans to respond to high stress situations as well as the overall continual stress factors that most of us deal with every single day.

1. Sunflower seeds

2. Corn, Broccoli, and squash

3. Mushrooms

Many of the foods listed in the B vitamins contain multiple B vitamins so I listed them where they had the most of any given to keep from being repetitive.

Now lets get to the foods rich in Selenium. Selenium is required by the body for proper functioning of the thyroid gland, and helps protect against free radical damage and cancer.

1. Brazil nuts

2. Shell fish such as Mussels, Lobster, Shrimp, and Crab

3. Sunflower seeds

4. Liver

5. Bacon and pork chops.

By eating these foods and or taking the supplements on a regular basis you will find you are able to function better. These things will not cure you but they will help your over all health and ability to function. I would also advise you to try and purchase from and eat things grown locally when it comes to meats and vegetables.

The things In this post are meant to inform and should never be used to replace the care from your doctor. If you chose to use these herbs do so only after discussing it with your doctor. Abruptly stopping some medications can cause serious problems not excluding death.

Chris Crawford

Veteran / Herbalist

Some simple foods to help your body Fight cancer: By Chris Crawford Herbalist 4 Vets

There is many food you can eat that will help your body fight cancer. I will list a few here and go into detail about one of them that has had amazing results with fighting and in some cases actually curing some forms of cancer.
So first off I am going to talk about eggplant as it is being deemed a miracle cure for many forms of cancer. there is 2 ways to get the healing properties from the eggplant one is to eat it the second it to make an extract tincture. Since everyone knows you can eat eggplant and you can find 1000s of recipes online I am not gonna waste your time on telling you how to cook it and just deal here with how to make an extract. The purple dye in the skin of the eggplant is what you want so the next few paragraphs will be on how to make the extract .
There is 2 common forms of making an extract one is with grain alcohol (I personally use 100proof vodka) or glycerin. You will need 4 items to make your extract.
1. an eggplant 1lb or larger
2. one pint grain alcohol or glycerin
3. a quart jar with lid
4. a potato peeler or knife to peel the eggplant with
First thing you want ot do is peel the eggplant try to get as close to the skin as you can with minimal white inner left on it. Once you have the eggplant peeled place the skin into the quart jar and pour the vodka / glycerin over it and put in a cool dark place for 3 to 4 days or till the liquid is purple. Now that you have made the extract leave the skin in the bottle and strain off as needed. You will want to take 1tbsp 2 to 3 times a day.
The purple dye in the eggplant has been proven to cure many forms of cancer and slow the growth of many more. This may not cure the forms some of the readers here may have but it will still help slow things down.
Now lets talk about some of the other cancer fighting foods there in 27 of them that are commonly used to fight cancer but I am only gonna talk about a few of the more common in this post.
Broccoli sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage all contain properties that fight free radical cells and help aid preventing cancers such as colon and rectal. The best of these three is broccoli spouts usually the more bitter they are the better they are for you, though mature broccoli has the same properties it is about 20 times less than what is found in the sprouts.
The next food you want to add to your diet is carrots. Carrots contain beta carotene and helps prevent lung, stomach, mouth, throat, intestinal and breast cancer. It is important to eat the carrots raw as cooking them will destroy the healing properties. Studies have shown that eating carrots will slow the growth of cancer cells.
The last thing I want to touch on here is mushroom such as shiitaki, miitaki and reishi. these mushrooms help the body fight cancer cells and build the immune system. These mushrooms produce a protein called lectin that attacks cancerous cells and prevents them from multiplying.

I could go on and on about foods and things you should eat but for now I think this is plenty for you to chew on. Happy eating and may your health and quality of life improve.

The things in this post are to inform and should not be used to diagnose or replace the care from your doctor. If you chose to use these herbs do so only after discussing it with your doctor. Abruptly stopping some medications can cause serious problems not excluding death.

Chris Crawford
Veteran/ herbalist

My name is Chris Crawford I am a herbalist and a new author for Agent Orange Legacy

I am writing this to introduce myself to the Agent Orange community. I am a Gulf War and OIF veteran. I served just over 7 years split from 1989 to 1991 then again from 2004 to 2008 with two trips to Iraq. As a combat veteran I have been diagnosed with TBI, PTSD, Gulf War Syndrome and a long list of other medical issues. While I was still in the Army and for almost a year after I got out I was on 18 pills mostly narcotics for pain that took me almost a year to wean myself off of. The purpose of me writing on this Blog will be to help those who want a safer more natural way to treat them self and to help people learn ways to use herbs in place of medications.. I am not a doctor and anything I suggest and talk about should be discussed with your doctor before starting so not to cause drug interactions. Many of the things I will talk about on here will be to help general heath and to boost the body naturally and safely and if there is any concern about taking with medications I will make sure and note (should be discussed with your doctor before taking).

My father served in the Navy during the end of Vietnam so Working with those with Agent Orange and to be asked to write for this Blog is something I consider a privilege . As a veteran I find myself feeling obligated to share my herbal knowledge to my fellow vets so that they can also enjoy a better drug free quality of life. I currently do not have a blog or a web page, baby steps is where I am at and working here for you is a good start for me. In time I hope to have my own web page and blog but till then you can find me on Facebook and Google+. Links to my profiles are below.

https://plus.google.com/100982395811024555599/

https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001496887729

I look forward to getting to know all of you and helping you gain a better quality of life through herbs.

Chris Crawford

Veteran / Herbalist