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The Focus for Powerful Prayer

Can changing our focus while praying make a difference in God's response? YES! Scripture illustrates it.

Can changing our focus while praying make a difference in God’s response? YES! Scripture illustrates this truth.

The Focus for Powerful Prayer

What is the focus within our prayer that brings the power? Is it our own faith, worthiness, or God’s grace? These questions must be considered as we want our prayer to be effective This post is the first of a several part series on prayer focus.

First let’s look at two common focuses illustrated in the same person having an encounter with Jesus. Then we will think about why one was not effective and the other was powerfully effective just minutes later. I’ve used Amplified Translation to draw out the inherent original language and added emphasis to key points.

Matthew 15:21-28 (AMP)
21 And going away from there, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a woman who was a Canaanite from that district came out and, with a [loud, troublesomely urgent] cry, begged, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is miserably and distressingly and cruelly possessed by a demon!
23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, Send her away, for she is crying out after us.

24 He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 But she came and, kneeling, worshiped Him and kept praying, Lord, help me!
26 And He answered, It is not right (proper, becoming, or fair) to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs. (puppies)
27 She said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little pups (little whelps) eat the crumbs that fall from their [young] masters’ table.
28 Then Jesus answered her, O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you wish. And her daughter was cured from that moment.

In verse 22, this non-Jew or gentile woman attempts to approach Jesus in a way a Jew would have denoting Jesus as “Son of David”. We see this phrase commonly used by Jews approaching Jesus as they are seeking healing or deliverance. Scripture makes it clear that Jesus came first to God’s Covenant People so there is an element of “worthy by covenant”–the “Old Covenant”. We will later look at our “worthiness under the covenant of grace or New Covenant” but, in either, the focus during prayer is key.

Jesus clearly made no response to the Canaanite woman’s feigning a covenant position, and, therefore, positionally deserving of Jesus’s attention and action. The “card” she was attempting to play was “worthiness” and it did not work. The disciples were quite irritated with the woman. Jesus, in His kindness, explained the covenant position.

In verse 25, however, the woman realizes she’s been “busted” for her charade and “came and, kneeling, worshiped Him and kept praying.” She is humbly persistent and asks for the smallest token of His mercy and compassion—the crumbs of His divine “bread”. Later, at the last supper, we learn that the use of “bread” in this story was prophetic regarding healing. Nevertheless, this gentile woman realizes even the “crumbs” of Jesus’s great compassion are enough to bring wholeness to her afflicted daughter.

This woman changed her focus from her own “worthiness” to Jesus’s love, compassion, mercy, and grace (unmerited favor). She knelt and worshiped Jesus throwing herself on His mercy. She knew that even the “crumbs” would be powerful enough. She had no thought of the level of her own faith.

When we are praying for healing or favor or protection, often we feel guilt or concern that we are unworthy because of something we have done. Or we worry that our faith may not be strong enough to have God’s own promises come true in our lives. Or worse, we may believe that God may not want to answer “Yes and amen” in our particular case because He’s punishing us. ALL of these focuses are lies from the enemy of our souls and they divert our attention from what we must focus on for powerful prayer.

If we are not spending time in God’s Word, we may not be aware of God’s own promises for our lives under the New Covenant of God’s grace (unmerited favor). We may wonder, like the disciples following Jesus, how to strengthen our faith.

Luke 17:5-6 (NIV)
5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
6 He replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.

(NOTE: Telling a big tree to move is not a natural event. Faith opens the supernatural realm. Worship also does this because God inhabits our worship as Scripture teaches.)

Mark 4:31 (NIV)
31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.

Jesus said we only need a tiny amount of faith to have what we SAY (not what we wish or hope for or beg for IF it’s God’s will). NO!

However, every indication in Scripture is that the power to see our prayers answered “Yes and Amen” as God promises—that

Persistence is important in prayer but the focus must still be on God’s Grace (unmerited favor).

amazing power we saw in Jesus’s resurrection—that power is NOT within focusing on our own faith but within focusing on God’s compassion, love, and grace. When we SEE His grace, then He sees our faith even though we have not been thinking about our faith when we pray.

In my next post, I will share Scripture that helps us understand where our faith comes from and also look at examples from Jesus’s ministry illustrating the power of focusing on God’s grace rather than one’s own faith as we pray.

We will also look at some Bible translation errors (examining original language) that will help us better understand the subject of faith and powerful prayer. God wants to say “Yes and Amen”. . . Our prayers are powerful when they line up with God’s own Word.

Water Heals!

By Jacquie Woodward

“Bathe Daily INSIDE as well as OUTSIDE with pure water.

In this post I share an excerpt from my book, Slam the Door on Cancer and Lock It Out of Your Life. The subject is thirst and health and applies to ALL health aspects. Even if you have read the book, I urge you to “refresh yourself” by again visiting this critical subject.

Thirst No More

Remember when I talked about the amazing impact words have upon water referring to the book, The Hidden Messages in Water by Masaru Emoto? Water we take in has an amazing impact on us as well. Our bodies are largely water. The “healthy state” implies that we must keep the water content of our bodies properly distributed. Hydration is the single most important element of good health because it facilitates all normal body functions.

In all my research, one of the most fascinating resources was Dr. F. Batmanghelidg, M.D.’s, Water for Health, for Healing, for Life. The tag line in the title is “You’re Not Sick, You’re THIRSTY!” Dr. “Batman” (his chosen nickname) spent his incarceration as an Iranian prisoner of war treating fellow inmates for stress related diseases. He kept careful records of his work so he could share his conclusions. The “take away” points of this book in our context include:

1. “Dry mouth is not the only sign of dehydration.” Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water. “It is now crystal clear that the human body has many different ways of showing its water needs.” I list other signs of thirst later.

2. Water is not only “life sustaining” but also “life giving” in its nature. 3 Water is not inert as Dr. Emoto’s crystals reveal; rather it holds within it far more cosmic truth than we have realized even though Scripture is rich with lessons regarding “living water”– lessons often interpreted too figuratively. Water constantly transports life-giving elements to every cell and transports life threatening toxins from every cell. We have seen in Emoto’s crystals, that it is somehow part of our soul as well as body.

3. People are deceived “thinking that tea, coffee, alcohol, and manufactured beverages can substitute for the pure natural water needs of the body.” “Dr. Batman” says this assumption is “an elementary mistake, particularly in a body that is stressed. It is true that these beverages contain water, but most also contain dehydrating substances such as caffeine . . . ”when you drink coffee, tea, or even a beer, your body gets rid of more water than is contained in the drink.” We know that only pure water contains oxygen and hydrogen, which is the only material in a beverage our blood and lymph fluid can use.

We must keep water “flowing” through our bodies constantly to avoid “stagnation”. Doctors Guyton and Hall, in The Textbook of Medical Physiology, 11th Ed., explain, “The kidneys must continually excrete at least some fluid, even in a dehydrated person, to rid the body of excess solutes that are ingested or produced by metabolism. Water is also lost by evaporation from the lungs and the gastrointestinal tract and by evaporation and sweating from the skin. Therefore, there is always a tendency for dehydration, with the resultant increased extracellular fluid sodium concentration.” Additionally there is a threshold for drinking at a certain sodium concentration in the extracellular fluid. “Water intake restores extracellular fluid osmolality (movement through membranes) and volume toward normal.” Earlier, when we were discussing the various receptors on cell membranes, I mentioned that one of them was a pump requiring oxygen to generate energy. That pump relies on proper sodium concentration in the fluid between cells. “Dr. Batman” adds, “All living and growing species, humans included, survive as a result of energy generation from water.”

Hydration is important to “putting the inflammation fire out” in our bodies and drugged up beverages have the opposite effect

All Drinks are NOT Used by Our Bodies as Water

Media is packed with energy booster drinks hyped to overcome that “afternoon slump” capitalizing on the everyone-does-it lifestyle. Even the pink ribbon disease marketing campaign now participates in this health counterfeit. “Dr. Batman”, however, can save us some grief and money as he teaches regarding feeling tired without a plausible reason. He says, “Water is the main source of energy formation in the body. Even the food that is supposed to be a good source of energy has no value to the body until it is hydrolyzed by water and energized in the process.” Until recently, car batteries required monitoring of their water level to keep the current flowing. Now they are “closed cell” so water is not lost. We saw in previous chapters that electrical energy generation at the cellular level is an essential life process. Guess what, we still have to monitor and maintain our body’s “battery” water level. Pure water or liquid “Foo Foo Dust” for energy boost? No contest!

“Dr. Batman” also gives other body thirst signs such as unreasonable irritability, dejection, feelings of inadequacy, autoimmune maladies and depression. He also discusses short attention span, quick temper, flushing, shortness of breath, cravings for manufactured beverages and alcohol, feeling “heavy headed” and disturbed sleep as “body thirst” signals. Many of these things are linked to acid/alkaline imbalance from dehydration triggered situations in the body such as loss of amino acids (proteins) and insufficient absorption or loss of certain minerals and the absolute need for essential vitamins and fatty acids.” Nearly every book or study I’ve read points out that cancer thrives in an acidic body environment and even perpetuates that condition as it progresses. Drs. Batman and Budwig compliment each other well.

The several references in this post are endnotes in the book, Slam the Door on Cancer and available by request through the “information tab” on this blog.

Race for the Cure–Recent Headlines

By Jacquie Woodward

Hello readers! I am a bit late with this post because we were traveling for our 50th anniversary. It was a wonderful milestone we planned nearly a decade ago when doctors pretty much patted me on the head and said, “Sorry about your luck” as they diagnosed a large cancer in my pancreas and surrounding areas. They were wrong about “luck”. God was right about our “wonderfully created bodies”.

What is the “race” really for?

When we returned home, I was wading through the accumulated mail and saw the front page of the August 24 issue of Barron’s Magazine/Newspaper with colorful depiction of “cancer cells” and the headline “CANCER: THE NEW CURE”. Barron’s is a financial investment publication , of course, so it covers all the stocks of the pharmaceutical industry within its broader scope.

I knew what perspective to expect in this article, but I continued and read the sub-headline, “By tapping the body’s immune system, drugmakers are making big gains in the war on cancer. Winners in this potential $30 Billion market could be . (several large pharmaceutical companies were named). . .”. The mention of the body’s immune system tweaked my “irony antennae” compelling me to check out the claims and focus in the article. The article said, “While creating a huge market for drug makers, immune-oncology’s success (the ‘new drugs that tapped the immune system’) could also add $30 billion to our nation’s medical bills . . .” Higher health care premiums anyone? Higher taxes anyone?

Why would I think it ironic for an article about oncological pharmaceuticals to mention “tapping the body’s immune

Good intentions . . . . . but what is the real “Finish Line”?

system”? First, this concept is a 180 degree turn from all the oncological drug development that blatantly destroyed “the body’s immune system” which, of course, is the innate cancer fighting system in our “wonderfully created bodies”.

In researching to overcome cancer’s attack on my own body and, later, in preparing to write my book, Slam the Door on Cancer and Lock it out of Your Life, I literally consulted hundreds of resources–books, studies, articles, etc. I was searching for a consensus in ways I could activate the built in anti-cancer (indeed anti-disease) mechanisms in my body. Allopathic medicine, I knew, had nothing to offer me other than an excruciating end of life experience. Pancreatic tumors have well known negative prognoses.

I also knew that my physician husband, because of his orthodox medical training, would have difficulty supporting any “alternative treatment” choice. Even after my scans reported “no evidence of recurrent or residual disease” he struggled with my nutritional and spiritual pursuits–but not for long because it’s a lot more pleasant living with someone who becomes healthier (and more joyful) daily. My healing became contagious and my husband soon participated fully in my anti-cancer lifestyle. How did it happen? Are you ready? I tapped my body’s immune system. Fortunately, however, I did not need pharmaceuticals like the “immune-oncology contrivances” described in the Barron’s article I mentioned above.

By the way, the article works through “drug trial” and “clinical studies” lingo and most readers would probably think, “Wow, finally some progress in the (tired and well hyped) “war on cancer” ignoring the truth that very little life changing progress has been made in this “war” over the many decades it’s been “waged” although “statistics” have become evermore craftily maneuvered. Most people are not aware that the term, “cure”, is hardly the goal, but “5 years of survival” is the standard for success–regardless of quality of life in that interim. I’ve never understood “remission” as a health goal nor have I found others who can explain it plausibly–including doctors. I was careful to avoid the word as I pursued restoration of health.

Nevertheless, this article flows along on a plane of standard drug development jargon from a profit making perspective. Profit, in itself, is not a dirty word; however, greed is just that even if it can be draped in pretty words like “exciting times in the history of oncology”. Who could argue against such a statement published in an investment publication with projected costs per patient of $100,00 to $150,000 per year. With these “trials” and “studies” designed and paid for by the pharmaceutical companies who are producing the drugs and with the competition between behemoth drug companies generally hyped as participating in an exciting “Race for a Cure”, folks diagnosed with all “types of cancer” can find their way into the profit ballooning giddiness at least for a while.

As I read the article, I gasped at the statement, “Doctors have long suspected that our immune system had a role in controlling cancer.” The article implies this has been known 100 years het my research gives it much longer recognition than that. This statement led me to the truths and facts I’d learned that took me from the low point of doctors scurrying to get me discharged from the hospital to be home for what the seemed to fear was “my last Christmas” to the high point of spending my 50th anniversary wading pristine creeks high in the Great Smokey Mountains. I had “immuno-oncological” help but it wasn’t of the $100,000/year variety. It was of the God-made variety which, of course, perfectly matches the needs of our God-made bodies and souls. Why do I mention souls? Because, even though standard western medicine largely ignores it, we have absolute biochemical and Biblical proof that the body and soul cannot be separated, period. I discuss this point further in “Obtain Your Healing and Keep It” offered as a free download on this blog.

What did I do? I changed my life–eating, drinking, sleeping, working, praying, meditating on God’s Word, FORGIVING, etc. I got rid of the “make you sick stuff” like bitterness, anger, etc. which stopped the chronic and continual churning of “emergency response chemicals” through my body. I quit taking in toxins like sugar, MSG and other excitotoxins, fluoride, etc. I made darn sure I only put clean pure God made food and water in my body. All this is discussed in my book and other blog posts. Basically, I freed my immune mechanisms to do what they were designed to do and keeping cancer at bay is an important part of that.

In the Barron’s article, there is an interesting graphic of the “Multiple targets in immune-oncology”. It has 7 “segments” in a sequential cycle with drug company names listed under each one I suppose indicating their “I-O territory”. There are 3 segments mentioning the T-cells of the immune system which quickly got my attention. Yes, T-cells are great wonderfully created anti-cancer immune system “workers”. Interestingly, I found Beta 1c3 Glucan years ago which has a plethora of research on its function (Dr. Vaclav Vetvicka, Ph.D (U of Louisville) has a book, Beta Glucan: Nature’s Secret, quite informative on this fungal derivative). Transfer Point Beta Glucan has been boosting my T-cell function quite satisfactorily all this time. I have no business link with this manufacturer and I’ve learned recently that NSC BetaGlucan is also good.

In Slam the Door on Cancer, I share other specific foods (including spices like curcumin from turmeric), green tea, fresh, frozen or extracted organic berries, organic vegetable juicing, essential fatty acids (in a balance of omega 6 and omega 3), certain herbs and food based minerals) all of which have specific immune system boosting mechanisms including stimulation of apoptosis (suicide of rogue cells) and preventing angiogenesis (blood vessel growth to tumors). Hippocrates did say, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” The body is complex and so is good clean food–they harmonize perfectly.

I am not of the cure for cancer mentality whether allopathic or alternative–there are no “silver bullets” and certainly our bodies have absolutely efficient innate means for humming along at the peak of health IF AND ONLY IF we avoid poisoning them (including toxic words and thoughts) and IF AND ONLY IF we provide them the essential materials to constantly build brand new healthy cells as we constantly replace “spent” ones. Because I didn’t jump into a “cure strategy”, I found that moving into good nutrition and an “anti-cancer lifestyle” physically, mentally, and spiritually caused my body to detox naturally. It WILL heal if we don’t bully it with drugs and “cure strategies”. Supplements can be drugs too if they are man-made.

Cancer is not a pandemic because we are all “sitting ducks” and a growing percentage of us are gunned down as the “cancer nazis” fly over. It’s not even really a disease. It is the body screaming, “stop killing me by undermining your own immune system”. Why does it occur in a particular place? Well, what’s your poison of choice? Where will your toxin-loaded wheelbarrow tip over on its way to an over worked excretory mechanism in your body? Cancer is a symptom of extreme ill health of the body/soul. It is not a shortage of a man-made chemical in our bodies.

Do you have to wait for Big Pharma to ride in on a white horse? It’s not been my personal experience. You can go to the God Made source while the drug developers try to make man-made versions they can patent. For example, curcumin in the ancient spice turmeric was shown to have a “staggering effect on killing cancer cells” in several well known medical institution laboratories. How did the “cancer industry” react? Apparently there has been a scurrying around to develop a synthetic version of turmeric because ancient spices can’t be patented. Check it out in the former pharmaceutical chemist Shane Ellison’s book, Over the Counter Natural Cures.

Check out the new post at www.slamthedooroncancer.com.

Faith as a Mustard Seed is Plenty

By Jacquie Woodward

Jesus said mustard seeds were the smallest seeds and a measure of the faith we need for God’s promises to come true in our lives.

We’ve all prayed for people who did not get well. This is a topic I talk about in my book looking at some specific issues that arise; however today I want to focus on the one that really encompasses all the others. IT IS OUR FOCUS WHEN PRAYING.

Most of the time we are timid about the promises of God for healing and have little concept of HOW TO MAKE THE PROMISES OF GOD SURE IN OUR LIVES.

Scriptures repeatedly tells us that our “salvation” must be of FAITH by GRACE.
Romans 4:16
Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…

We MUST realize that the original language for “salvation” is the Greek “SOZO” which means WHOLENESS OF BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT.

What is GRACE? (Unmerited, undeserved favor)

What is Faith and how much do we need to make the promises of God sure in our lives?

Jesus clearly explained “faith”, “Truly I tell you, IF you have faith as small as a mustard seed, (THEN) you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Mt 17: 20-21)

And, again, Jesus Mk 4:31 “mustard seed, which is the smallest of seed”

Luke 17:6 — The disciples asked Jesus to “increase our faith”. (v5) Jesus replied, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

The above tree and mountain scenarios are not “natural happenings” but faith does not take natural facts into account. Facts change. Truth does not change. Faith ALWAYS brings God on the scene and He is the same now as when He made the promises we have just observed in Scripture.

Romans 4:16 is cited above but deserves another look: “Therefore, the promise (of salvation/SOZO) comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring—not only to those who are of the law (Jews) but also to those who have the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.
Romans 5:1-2 says it yet again, “There, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom we have gained access (SOZO) by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God)

Ephesians 2:8 also assures this promise: “For it is by grace you have been saved (SOZO) through faith through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not works

The promise of salvation is not just “fire insurance” but a promise of wholeness (sozo) and it is given because of God’s GRACE (undeserved favor and not our works). We tend to struggle with this concept and want to earn the outcome of the promise.

SOZO is not just being saved from hell but from sickness, disease, poverty, evil spirits, curses, etc. We jump to conclusions because of words used by translators “saved” and we don’t meditate fully on these verses like Ephesians 2:8. It means having ALL Jesus secured through His body, soul and spirit through His blood spilled from the cross and His too often ignored resurrection.

AND

When we misunderstand modern translations, we think we have to DO SOMETHING to conjure up the faith mentioned. Faith IS the currency of heaven but Jesus said we only need faith as small as the smallest seed…the mustard seed. We all surely have that much faith and we get it as a gift from God. [NOTE: Mark 11:22-23A, in the original language although, sadly, not in many modern translations, says: “And Jesus answering saith to them, ‘Have faith OF God; for verily I say to you that whoever may say to this mount . . .” (Young’s Literal Translation) He is saying, “use the faith you received by God’s grace when you first believed”. We needn’t be proud of our level of faith because we haven’t created it. God has.

My point is this. When praying for healing (or any other need) to manifest, the focus MUST NOT be on our own faith. Our focus must be totally, completely, earnestly on God’s amazing grace NEVER asking ourselves, “Do I deserve this from God?” The answer is always NO! I don’t deserve it and never could do anything to deserve it. The enemy of our souls wants us to ask such questions. Jesus has stood in for us and made His righteousness our own so that this question is moot. God wants us to have it or He would not have given His only son to establish it for us.

This point is illustrated in Scripture: the woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:42b-48), the Roman centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1-10), the Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon possessed (Mt 15:21-28), and others including the paralytic lowered through the roof. (Mark 2:1-5) I urge you to look these stories up and read them with new perspective of the principle focus with which each person approached the Lord.

In every case, the person seeking healing focused ONLY on the compassion and power of Jesus and NEVER on their own level of faith. Jesus saw their faith but they were not anxious about their level of faith. They were persistent because they believed in His grace.

We EACH must say, “I have a mustard seed and I’m not afraid to use it because God promised and Jesus is my righteousness. Jesus got what I deserved and I get what He deserves. It’s bold but it’s THE basis of prayer that moves the mountains (troubles) out of our lives.

Practicing Medicine — Two Perspectives

By Jacquie Woodward

This “sign” caught my eye as both a graphic and a troublesome metaphor for attitudes toward “modern medicine”.

I hope you will bear with me in this post because it is not like any other I’ve written.

I’ve been reading a series of historical novels, The Poldark Series, by Winston Graham. They are set in Cornwall, England from 1783 to 1820. The main character is Ross Poldark, a British soldier from an ancient but not wealthy “landed gentry” family, just returning from America’s “Revolutionary War”.

Poldark’s service in the war began more as an adventure than a patriotic commitment and his life, upon return, yields historically correct insights to every aspect of life in that era —then and, in some mysterious way, now. Masterpiece Theatre on “Public Educational Television” has just aired amazing renditions of the first 2 of 11 ‘nearly impossible to put down’ books. That’s a bold statement for someone who reads hardly any fiction.

Why would I mention my reading in this blog? The subject of health either directly or indirectly pervades every page and I’ve been fascinated with the accurately disclosed details of the “practice of medicine” at that time in history as well as public attitudes toward it and toward “doctors”. Braided into the exceptional writing is an ongoing comparison of two “medical practitioners” with glimpses into contrasting (indeed conflicting) approaches–approaches still reflected in todays practice of medicine.

One of the doctors is glibly barbaric with detachedly “bleeding patients” the main approach as he “treats” those of “higher station” only.

ONLY poisons, potents, and painful procedures and “food is considered inert’.

He treats each case pretty much the same way regardless of circumstances. The other doctor is a younger well trained but more sensitive man who treats the many destitute mostly mining families and a few discerning upper class. He really focuses on individualizing his treatment.

Woven into the multiple story lines are vignettes of epidemics, scourges due to malnourishment, etc. Home care and what passes as “hospital care” are eye opening. For example, the “orthodox treatment” of an eye disease (possibly glaucoma) is this: “Tie a silk scarf around the “patient’s” neck as tightly as possible without asphyxiating them, then bleed them behind both ears.”

The younger doctor character, who does not condone “blood letting treatment”,

Many of nature’s gifts have been treating disease without painful side effects for centuries all over the world. They need not be “trashed”.

does a great deal of personal research with herbs etc. He actually tries to determine and deal with the cause of the disease and does some elementary work with epidemiology. He has the “novel idea” that the body is created to heal and that creative innate design should and can be worked with rather than around or against.

Of course the old “elite” doctor calls the younger one “a quack upstart” being quite territorial. He is quite brash and threatened when the younger’s patients seem to do better than his. Folks begin to notice that trend.

What’s really interesting is the younger doctor’s recognition of the role played by nutrition, hygiene, and even mental/emotional stresses in disease. There are specific references to specific diseases.

This story line is not major in the novels but it is subtly woven through as an integral part of the era portrayed in time, setting, and pathos. Health is an unavoidable topic in life then as now. Has there ever been a time in history that health was an avoidable “story line”?

Hardly, I think as, even in Biblical times, it is more than a side track. In Exodus, God tells the Israelites being freed that “He is their health.” and we see He kept His Word. Jesus’s ministry was deeply and broadly rooted in healing of both body and soul and that reality should be more than a hint to us of how disease always has one foot in each. Of course, recently, this link was irrefutably proven by the brilliant research of Dr. Candace Pert even though “medical science” still resists applying the findings.

Some agreements seem “set in stone” even though the good intentions they are based on are proven wrong.

Winston Graham’s exquisitely crafted Poldark novels are set about 1800 years after Christ’s ministry. And they are set about 200 years after scientist philosopher Rene DesCartes , who was in trouble with “the church” sought papal permission to dissect cadavers. DesCartes made a deal with the Pope giving “science” jurisdiction over the body and “religion” dominion over the soul. We are, in these novels, privy to a ground level look at the misery wrought from forgetting the Biblical truth and doggedly holding to the humanly contrived religious/political “fact”. Practicing medicine is still influenced by this unfortunate dividing up of our personal human geography.

In 2016, we see the same conflicts as in Poldark’s “era”. The well-established highly profitable traditional sick care viewpoint versus the more holistic and individualized but less profitable health care perspective. In one, food is pronounced inert and not to be taken seriously. Orthdox “cures” , largely, must be man-made materials (and profitable). Generally, as with the elder doctor in Graham’s novels, treatments are ‘one size fits all and often performed regardless of actual effectiveness or “unseemly additional effects”. Any alternative to these procedures is scoffed at by the established medical industry as “heretical quackery”—particularly if individualized nutrition, lifestyle, and emotional/mental (soul) healing aspects are considered. Patent profits are impossible on fresh food of course.

Certainly “modern medicine” has brought mankind phenomenal trauma care and emergency care. This is the area in which the practice of medicine shines forth. I’ve certainly been blessed by the advances in this area of medicine. It is the “management of health” I wonder about. Certainly there are doctors who practice such care with as much art as science–and there are others so susceptible to the “pharma push” that they let the art slip away and the prescribed routine always rule. In surgery, I believe that artistic skill still eclipses science in overriding importance. I’ve benefitted from that truth.

As I “see” the characters on Graham’s pages struggle to live in a beautiful but unrelenting seacoast section of England, they laugh, cry, dance, slog through the mud, deal with taxation and feudal but familiar politics, give birth, bury children, love, hate, give, take, win and lose. The descriptions are vivid and the relationships empathetically disclosed. Two questions pervade all. Who is trustworthy? and Who is courageous?

These are overwhelming questions in every “moment” of these novels, as I see it. And do they not remain “the” questions we focus on whether regarding our health, politics, business, or any other facet of life? They are to me and I’m eternally grateful to have ONE I know I can trust—Creator of my body, my soul, the food I need, the water I need, the air I breath, and the absolutely essential love that is the stick that stirs all that matters. He’s always been the ONLY trustworthy . . . and accessible ONE and healing is His passion. We saw that when He took on human flesh to do for us what we could never do for ourselves . . . . and He changed all prospects. He’s the reason we can be courageous and sure as we contend for our health.

Don’t forget to visit my online “television page” at www.gve-tv.com/Jacquie_Woodward and my Youtube page. Just put “Slam the Door on Cancer Youtubes” or “Jacquie Woodward Youtubes” in your search engine. My book and exercise video are still available at www.slamthedooroncancer.com where I post articles regularly also.

Healing Energy–Touch is More than a “Warm Fuzzy”

By Jacquie Woodward

Touching with healing intent transfers electrons to a person fighting dis-ease.

Healing Energy–Touch is More than a “Warm Fuzzy”

Although it’s been years now, I still vividly recall lying in the post surgery ICU of a top level oncology hospital and craving the loving touch of my family members who kept a “waiting room vigil” only to be allowed to “see me” briefly and infrequently. I was in and out of a coma but I knew one thing for certain. I needed the touch of my loved ones. I know now that my life depended on the electrons their touch could transfer to my body that was nearly depleted of energy due to pharmaceutical intake and isolation from life-giving resources.

Recently I shared a short excerpt from my book, “Slam the Door on Cancer”, on by blog at www.slamthedooroncancer.com . In that post, I mentioned several Scriptural and secular references regarding the importance of our healing touch. I hope you will check out that short post if you have not yet. The science is profound but the Word of God gives it credence not obtainable elsewhere. And, of course, the “science” is God’s own design.

In this post I want to look at the basis of that power in human touch from a “science perspective” because it is literally a “high voltage” healing mechanism. We are biochemical beings in our body/souls and “modern medicine” is honed in on this chemistry much to the exclusion of our equally important bioelectrical state of being. We should not wonder that chemical therapy makes us deathly ill . . . and, oddly, most people don’t even stop to think about this issue when they “sign on” for it. I will also share ways to “recharge the power in our touch” by boosting our own electron balance.

Recently, a friend whose adult child has entered the “chemo-therapy/radiation” protocol doctors recommended for post surgery cancer treatment, expressed how disturbed she was at the orders to not hug her daughter because the treatment so weakened her immune system that human contact was being denied this beloved child. I began to pray even more fervently for insight and discernment for these treasured folks using Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1 and 3.

I reflected upon the many hours I’d spent in oncology waiting rooms awaiting lab tests and scans during the months directly following my own cancer surgery. So much fear and anxiety and evidence of treatment “side effects” and just so much dull gray fatigue in the atmosphere! Conversation amongst many of God’s stricken beloved, sharing a kindred burden, compared what “the doctors had told them”. This “mantra” always included: “stay out of the sunshine”; “eat only cooked foods”; “always wear the surgical mask and avoid human contact”, etc. Faith was stifled by fear and isolation.

If you’ve read “Slam the Door on Cancer” or followed either of my blogs for very long, you know my compelling interest

Michelangelo’s painting of God’s hand reaching near man’s is quite prophetic of the electron transfer we can experience.

in all the insights we are getting from quantum science opening up to us in just the past century and largely ignored by “conventional modern medicine” perhaps due to its financial alignment with the chemical industry.

Quantum science is all about energy and matter. Einstein proved that relationship. Our bodies are “matter” and life is fueled by “energy” at the cellular level. Insights for healthy living abound as we learn the role of our bioelectric aspects—especially electrons. I see many links to Jesus’s ministry in quantum science—the things we “saw darkly” are now being clarified.(1 Cor 13:12)

It’s undeniable that our brain and nerves function electrically and our hearts beat because of an electrical impulse. Every cell of our bodies, if healthy, generates electrical energy fueling the work the cells do and the work (and play) that we do. We were created with a “healthy voltage” that we can maintain or replenish (or not). Lifestyle (and chemical intake) can rob us of this power forcing us into the chronic “dis-ease state”. Electrons (atomic particles in all molecules) are our “ground zero” energy “instruments”. Incidentally, electrons are particularly sabotaged by every single part of the “fear based waiting room mantra” I cited earlier.

I intend to write more about this subject in the future; however, I wanted to introduce a few practical points here.

“Chronic disease is always defined by having low (body) voltage. One cannot cure chronic disease without inserting enough electrons to achieve -50mV. One must have the raw materials necessary to make new cells and to eliminate the toxins or infections present that will damage the new cells. You can take all of the medications you like and do as much surgery as you like, but you will not heal unless you have -50mV (millivolts), raw materials (nutrients) and lack of toxins.” (source: Dr. Jerry L. Tennant, M.D. in “Healing is Voltage: The Handbook”).

The human body, of course, is mostly water and most of us know water is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Turns out that low body voltage causes the oxygen “part” to leave our cells. How long can you hold your breath? Cells can’t do without oxygen either—except cancer cells that ferment rather than oxidize nutrients.

What can we do to maintain healthy body voltage level? Electrons, the “stuff” of voltage, naturally flow from areas of high voltage to areas of low voltage. So is health maintenance a matter of bringing more electrons flowing into our bodies and hindering electrons leaving us? It is and doing so involves lifestyle!

1. Touching (like hugs) transfers electrons from one person to another—from the person with higher voltage to the person with lower voltage. Of course this can be part of a “healing touch” and the “healthy person” can replenish electrons through lifestyle.

BUT THERE IS MORE!

2. Since our bodies are 70+% water, of course water intake is critical (Quantity and Quality). Drinking acidic water—“tap water”, chlorinated water, fluoridated water, most commercially packaged water etc. robs us of electrons rather than providing them. Alcoholic, caffeinated, carbonated, and otherwise processed beverages are “anti-electron” in our metabolism. We get electrons from ionized water (obtained from clean wells or through specialized (and often expensive filters) or well-filtered water (I use an inexpensive countertop Zero Water Filter) that comes with a digital meter.

3. Raw organic foods are essential and potent electron suppliers. I recently posted about labeling to look for on my www.slamthedooroncancer.com blog. Cooked and processed foods not only do not provide electrons but those that contain chemical additives cause additional electron loss.

4. Exposure to wind and air conditioning stimulates loss of electrons . Thus, fatigue (low energy due to low voltage) is intensified by exposure to wind. Knowing this, we can purposely replenish our electrons with intermittent breaks to exercise and pray, which has been proven to recharge our physical/mental battery.

5. At least minimal exposure to natural sunlight daily replenishes electrons in ways we absolutely need and can store (if our cell membranes are healthy). Organic plant based diets (photosynthesis produces photons that attract electron); diets rich in balanced Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids; avoidance of hydrogenated fats (processed oleo and some nut butters); and partaking of the “Budwig flax oil/high sulfur protein protocol” all work because of their electron enriching properties. Cell membranes (brain of the cell) are largely constructed of fatty acids.

6. Exercise! Our muscles actually create electrons when we exercise. Muscles also act like a storage

Exercise and play in the sunshine and fresh air re-charges our electrons.

battery of electrons and exercise recharges them. Here is the link for my own series of exercises that include purposeful deep breathing both the move lymphatic fluid (move toxins from body fluids) and energize body tissue: https://youtu.be/lIWoEaiHEV8 . I offer a DVD with the routine with the simple movements explained and then repeated several times. It can be ordered for $5 including shipping (in US) from www.slamthedooroncancer.com . The routine can be adapted to various healing levels.

Barefoot in the sand and soil draws on the earth’s powerful electromagnetism.

7. Moving water generates absorbable electrons. Thus taking showers rather than baths is a way of replenishing electrons. Filtered showerheads, of course, can help remove the damaging chemicals in tap water. We know our skins absorb such chemicals so we do well to protect it from exposure to them in water and skin care products.

8. The earth is a powerful electromagnet. Walk on it barefooted, lean against trees and soak in blessed electrons. Let your pets spend time on the ground (that’s not sprayed with electron killing chemicals) so they can carry electrons back to you when you pet them. God’s given us an abundant “battery charger”. Get your hands dirty in a garden.

9. Fulvic Acid dietary supplementation can supply our bodies with a wealth of energy generating electrons. Recently on www.realhealthhope.com , I provided several links to information about Fulvic Acid (extracted from deposits of plant based Humic Shale in various areas of the world).

There are deposits of material from ancient forests now yielding humid shale with "lost minerals and nutrients" now available again.

There are deposits of material from ancient forests now yielding humid shale with “once lost minerals and nutrients” now available again.

Fulvic acid is the absolute smallest particle of this “ancient forest compost” so to speak. “It has all the genetic information, all of the nutrition, all of the antioxidant capacity. The molecule of fulvic acid has 14 tetra trillion (14 with 21 zeros behind it) electrons it can donate (and neutralize free damaging free radicals which are cellular debris left over from cellular metabolism and work). Thus the body can return to carrying a healthy electrical voltage and body cells and tissue work as they are created to do. They have the electricity to operate.

High electrical activity kills cancer cells. It balances acidity, delivers oxygen to cells, and balances the chemistry of well over 70% of our bodies.

Fulvic acid acts as a delivery system for nutrients as well as “picking up the cellular garbage including heavy metals. It is high in carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. (source: Dr. Daniel Nuzum, MS., ND. in an interview with Ty Bollinger, author of “The Truth About Cancer” in transcript of “The Quest for the Cures Continues” 2015. Paraphrased.)
https://vimeo.com/111337999 links to a video with Dr. Nuzum explaining Fulvic Acid further.
https://youtu.be/X_k1BNenl_c is a link to one of Dr. Tennant’s videos on Youtube and this particularly one discusses Fulvic Acid.

I will be posting about bioelectrical healing topics again soon. I want to help my readers understand even more powerful ways to “Slam the Door on Disease” once and for all. I hope you will take time to read Psalms 91 soon and be encouraged that, although the world deals out a lot of harm, God offers protection for those who realize the great gift of His grace through faith. If we focus on His Grace . . . then our faith expands just like the “woman with the issue of blood”. (Matthew 9, Mark 5, Luke 2). Focused prayer is focused energy—“The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us and quickens our mortal bodies . “ (Romans 8:11) It’s REAL power.

Fulvic Acids–Worth Investigating Now!

By Jacquie Woodward

Fulvic acid molecules are so small and transportable that they “service” our body cells like no other molecules can.

Fulvic Acids (and Humid Acids) are definitely worth taking a little time to investigate for your health.
I Believe You Will Want to Learn About Humic and Fulvic Minerals and their integral part of health and healing. Personally, I have been digging in the research for months since learning about these critical and ever more important nutrients (increasing in importance as our food sources are grown in steadily depleting soils).

The subject of fulvic/humic acids is somewhat complex; therefore, I will give you several links for you to glean further information. I encourage you to take the time to become informed about these nutrients as well as to pray for insight as you seek the information.

These nutrients are NOT some man-made substitute for God’s own nutritional plan. They are, in fact, part of Creation itself and are entering our awareness now much as though God knew we would mess up our “perfect world” and need “stockpiles” of these God-made nutrients for such a time as this.

We have access but it comes with some responsibility. Let me explain. I am going to provide you with a few links so that you can check out the rich information on these wonderful nano molecule nutrients obtained fully from deposits around the world. Instead of trying to explain the science, I’m listing below several resources and each of them have resources also so that you can delve as deeply as you wish into this important subject.

I will likely write about these again soon as I am personally taking Fulvic Acid (5 drops daily in my fresh made organic vegetable juice). The word of caution is that chlorinated water must be avoided with the intake of these powerful nutrients as is explained in some of the articles I link you to. I trust my home-made organic juice to be filtered by nature.

These minute (nano) nutrient molecules basically deliver tremendously powerful fully natural plant based and concentrated nutrients throughout our bodies ultimately making certain our bio-electric mechanisms are functioning fully—our energy for living functions if you will. We are, after all, electrical beings as well as chemical beings and, of course, spiritual beings.

Besides delivering the nutrient molecules to the most “remote corners” of our bodies and cellular make up, these molecules “carry out the trash” hidden there by chelating heavy toxins we’ve taken in through exposure to them in our food, water, and air. As I said in the opening paragraph of this post, I think you will want to learn more about humic and fulvic acids. Do Not Be Alarmed at the word acid just as you shouldn’t be alarmed at the words “fatty acids”. These are scientific terms and not “scare words” for those who realize we must maintain an alkaline body chemistry to be healthy.

The links:
http://wellnessmama.com/25300/what-is-fulvic-acid

http://doctorsacrossborders.mu/fulvic-acid-benefits-and-research

http://thetruthaboutcancer.com/fulvic-acid/

http://www.supremefulvic.com

Again, it is extremely important to realize that this “Godsend” is not something magic to throw on top of a poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle. Doing so would be like dumping ever more trash into a room as “good guys” are diligently working to clean that same room up even removing the tiniest bits of garbage.

Fulvic acid nutrients are tremendous health booster and restorer “good guys” or “workers” and they do the double duty of delivering needed molecules that have grown nearly impossible to obtain elsewhere AND, once the delivery is made to a cell, these “good guys” pick up and carry out the trash. That’s the way I’m beginning to “see the picture”.

I strongly encourage you to check it out for yourself and, again, prayerfully consider your choices regarding this relatively new information. Also, please visit my other blog, www.slamthedooroncancer.com for my latest post on the medicinal impact of our “healing touch” which is another aspect of our bio-electrical nature and health.

2 Major Dairy Food Issues in the Anti-Cancer Lifestyle

By Jacquie Woodward

2 Major Dairy Food Issues in the Anti-Cancer Lifestyle

Cows make their “products” out of more “stuff” than we realize and our bodies don’t want it so our immune systems react with persistent inflammation, the hotbed for all disease.

In my writing office I have many bookshelves filled with anti-cancer diet information. My Kindle is loaded with literally hundreds. I don’t adopt or share information (and didn’t do so in my book) unless I have found a reliable consensus of information and actually applied it to my own healing from cancer.

There is an undeniable consensus that animal based (and soy based) “dairy foods” enhance the bodily environment cancer likes. That particularly refers to cow’s milk products. Soy is an issue because literally ALL soy products have genetically modified organisms in them. Soy research also shows it contains a molecule that may stimulate breast cancer growth.

The main two issues that remove dairy foods from the Anti-Cancer lifestyle/diet include:
• Animal based dairy products (indeed ALL animal based foods) contribute to acidity in total body chemistry. Cancer requires an acidic biochemistry to initiate and grow. It also augments inflammation, which, by a very strong consensus in scientific literature, is the hotbed for most serious diseases including but not limited to cancer.
• Animal based dairy (and meat) products usually include Genetically Modified Organisms or GMO’s through the feeds the producing animals ate.**

There are other issues with eating dairy such as digestive difficulties; pasteurization that changes organic minerals into toxic elemental minerals; nearly universal addition of generally harmful man-made ‘vitamins’; a large portion of cow’s milk contains carcinogenic viruses even if pasteurized. However, acidity and GMO’s would be enough on their own to make removing dairy products from one’s diet a true “anti-cancer strategy”. *

In his extremely useful booklet, “Dr. Blaylock’s Guide to Avoiding GMO Foods (available at www.BlaylockGMO.com ), There is a succinct section entitled, “Dairy Aisle GMO Land Mines” warning the reader against hidden sources of GMOs in the supermarket dairy section. I highly recommend you subscribe to Dr. Blaylock’s blog to access a wealth of information from an M.D. who actually became educated on alternative medicine including nutrition.

He briefly discusses Nondairy milks pointing out the issues of GMO soy but saying that almond, rice, or coconut milks are generally GMO free unless they contain emulsifiers and added flavorings that are GMO. He advises to look for the organic or Non-GMO labels I described in my last blog post (July 13, 2013) on www.slamthedooroncancer.com .

Other product warnings include “Nondairy creamers which often contain GMO soybean or cottonseed oil, corn syrup or corn solids, and sugar from GMO beets. Again look for the organic products.

GMO whey is very common as a dairy based food additive for binding or improving texture. Check labels on processed cheeses, spreads, meats, chili, soups, gravies, beverages, candy, salad dressings, snack foods, candy, baked goods, mixes, and frozen desserts.

Protein powders and shakes, popular with athletes or others focused on healthy weight control, often have GMO whey and or soy protein. These are usually GMO.

I happen to know that the Whey product offered by www.thepeopleschemist.com is GMO free. Elsewhere, look for organic or non-GMO versions usually made with proteins from rice, peas, or non-narcotic hemp.

** Animal feeds and artificial hormones such as (rBGH or rBST) routinely given to cows that produce milk are GMO. I encourage you to visit www.nongmoproject.org to see the verification seals you should find on dairy products to assure they don’t contain these hormones and other GMOs. You want to see a well placed note on the label stating “Dairy not treated with rBGH”. The FDA says there is no significant difference between milk from cows treated with rBGH and untreated cows. However, no test can distinguish between the milk of treated and untreated cows. These hormones are produced through genetic modification (literally creating “Frankinfoods” that aren’t “read as food” by our bodies that are way too complex and wonderful to be tricked by counterfeit material sold as food.)

If we embrace God;s wisdom as expressed in His Word, we never forget that the enemy of our souls is not powerful but crafty as a counterfeiter and his first move to trick man, well woman first, was a “slick food commercial”. He still tries the same tactic.

*NOTE: I substitute unsweetened organic coconut milk in cereal and recipes and sometimes I drop in a bit of Stevia herb (powdered or liquid). I do use organic cottage cheese with my organic flax oil for my Budwig protocol knowing that this great omega 3 oil literally mixes with the high sulfur protein of the cottage cheese (or organic kefir or organic yogurt I make myself) removing the “dairy characteristics” of these proteins. The amazing chemical change in both the protein and the oil make it ideal for transporting oxygen into cells and building healthy cell membranes. Search “Budwig protocol” in my blogs for more information about this important topic. I regularly use the coconut milk as “cream” along with stevia drops as sweetener in my Teeccino alternative to coffee. I also purchase a very dark chocolate made with Stevia and treat myself to a small piece several times a week. It is a great antioxidant.

Laughter is Powerful Medicine

By Jacquie Woodward

LAUGHTER IS POWERFUL MEDICINE

Occasionally, I’m compelled to remind my readers that their sense of humor actually stimulates their body’s “good health and healing mechanisms”. In my book, “Slam the Door on Cancer”, I share the well-known author Norman Mailer’s story of recovering from a “terminal disease” by getting out of the hospital and into a hotel room where he was monitored by his physicians while he “laughed himself well” through watching good old wholesome comedy videos.

I, too, was aggressive in making laughter and humor (only wholesome and not dark humor) a huge part of my daily healing protocol. I still keep resources handy and I’m often reminded in prayer to “lighten up and laugh more”.

The “science of laughter” is well founded in God’s Word, “A merry heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” We know that laughter physically stimulates the lymphatic system and circulatory system.” In fact, as Norman Mailer put it, “laughing is ‘internal jogging’ “.

Here are some video links I have found tremendously helpful in healing and you can network out from these to even more. They are free on Youtube although I also purchased some of the DVD’s and MP3 audios from these and others to keep handy. They can change your day. Chonda Pierce lost her beloved husband a year or so ago and I wondered if she would or could go on. She has done so. I find her honest humor hilarious.

Tim Hawkins Comedy Videos

Taylor Mason Youtube Videos

Chonda Pierce Youtube Videos

Jeannie Robertson Youtube videos

Anita Renfroe Youtube Videos

Michael Jr. Youtube Videos

I also highly recommend the “Bananas Comedy Series” and “Thou Shalt Laugh” comedy series. Enjoy them with your entire family. You can purchase the DVD’s or you can watch many segments on Youtube.

I also recommend a book by Charles Hunter (the great healing minister along with his wife, Frances) entitled “Laugh Yourself Healthy: Keep the Doctor Away With a Giggle a Day!” Some jokes are precious and some a bit corny. Laugh at all of them.

Finally, if you can, spend some time with a child and exchange some “Knock Knock” and other silly humor…..make up some outrageous stories. GIGGLE “as a child” and be refreshed.

Additionally, please visit www.slamthedooroncancer.com for my recent post on arming yourself to shop without buying GMO products that surely threaten your health. My current post is succinct and describes the labels to look for the the ones that have no legal definition but do imply information shoppers too often assume is true.

Dangers of Hydrogenated Oils

By Jacquie Woodward

I want to share an article with you by Dr. Jana Fortner, N.D. who is the author of a book I highly recommend entitled 7 Keys to Awesome Health. The book is available from www.amazon.com Early in my recovery, I consulted with Dr. Fortner personally. Fortunately, her office was a short drive from my home at the time.

She confirmed what I was already doing, but adjusted several things, tested me for certain deficiencies (like zinc) and added two or three important supplements to my regimen including a supplement to help me digest fats since I had my gall bladder removed as part of my cancer surgery. She fine tuned my nutritional program. She monitored my progress until I was satisfactorily balanced in a program designed just for me.

The information in this article is meant to clear up confusion regarding fats in our diet. We MUST balance our fat intake, and avoid lethal fat products; yet, we need fats because our cell membranes are actually constructed largely from fats. I hope you enjoy the article and that you will visit Dr. Fortner’s website.

” Information we need in a concise although thorough format.

Nutritional Health Education Center
What’s Wrong with Hydrogenated Oil or Chemically Altered Oil?© www.awesomehealthmakeover.com
Hydrogenated oils are essentially refined and processed vegetable oils. They are the product of a lengthy process which culminates in the bubbling of hydrogen through refined and deodorized oil at temperatures exceeding 200 C. The extreme heat causes the structure of the fat molecules to be altered such that oil which was originally liquid at room temperature is now solid or semi-solid. These altered, unnatural fatty acids are then called trans-fatty acids but they are more commonly known as shortening or margarine. Now, there are also “trans-fat free” margarines which are chemically altered, nutritionally void, and just as unhealthy as the trans-fat variety they are meant to replace.
It is not at all safe to eat hydrogenated, partially hydrogenated, or chemically altered oils even though they are found in all kinds of pre-packaged foods. Food manufacturers add hydrogenated oils to foods in order to preserve shelf life and produce a pleasing texture. They use these unhealthy fats because their healthier counterparts are a lot more expensive and have a much shorter shelf life.
Because the human body was created long before altered fats were, it was not designed to process them. While we have very efficient mechanisms for handling normal fats, abnormal ones throw the body into a state of confusion and disorder.
Healthy, unaltered fats normally serve a number of vital functions in the body. They are burned for long-term energy, and they are necessary components of the membrane surrounding every cell in the body. You make thousands of new cells every minute. [My note: Several of my blog posts here and at www.slamthedooroncancer.com discuss the need to balance Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty ESSENTIAL (must ingest in foods) acids. All of the posts discussing the “Budwig Protocol” include this information. My book, Slam the Door on Cancer and Lock It Out of Your Life, also discusses the importance of our taking in proper fatty acids. Dr. Fortner’s book is a great source of information on all these subjects as well and both of our books are quite readable.]

Trans-fats, however, don’t burn properly for fuel and don’t function properly in cell membranes. When fats don’t function correctly, the cell membrane’s ability to control what comes into and goes out of the cell may be severely impaired, resulting in lowered immunity, impaired hormonal function, and early cell death.
Because trans-fats are not recognized by the body as useful substances, the liver classifies them as toxic wastes and attempts to detoxify and eliminate them. This creates an unusual burden on the liver and gall bladder, which can lead to degeneration in those organs. The liver performs at least 500 distinct and critical functions in the body, so it pays large dividends to make sure it is not stressed.
Body chemistry requires many vitamins and minerals in order to digest and process foods to make energy or produce new body cells. These specific nutrients are normally contained in the foods we eat to keep a balance in the body between what we are using up and what we are taking in. Like all refined foods, however, hydrogenated oils have had all of their nutrients removed during processing. This lack of nutrients is the reason they keep so well on the shelf – nutrients spoil, motor oil doesn’t. When you eat refined food, your body has to use up vitamins and minerals from your own reserve supplies – leaving you with a deficiency that will negatively affect energy production and organ function.
According to a study reported by Mary Enig, Ph.D., “when monkeys were fed trans-fat containing margarine in their diets…their red blood cells did not bind insulin as well as when they were not fed trans-fats. This suggests a link with diabetes. Trans-fatty acids have been linked with a variety of adverse health effects which include: cancer, ischemic heart disease, multiple sclerosis, diverticulitis, diabetes, and other degenerative conditions.”
Where might you find hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils? Here is a partial list of possibilities:
some cold cereals, chips and crackers, some peanut butter,microwaveable popcorn, roasted / salted nuts, pre-packaged cookies, many candies, margarines and shortenings, pre-packaged snack cakes.
ALL deep frying or high-heat baking hydrogenates the oils in foods such as french fries, chicken nuggets, onion rings, etc.
Virtually all baking mixes and many batters including cake, muffin, and pancake may contain hydrogenated oils.
Are there any good oils? Some fats are necessary for proper function and rebuilding of the body. Good sources include flax oil, extra virgin coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil. For maximum benefit these oils should be consumed raw. Flax oil in particular should never be heated. Here are some substitution suggestions to help you on your way to health:
Instead of: Use:
Instead of margarine use organic butter, extra-virgin coconut oil
Instead of shortening, use organic butter, extra-virgin coconut oil
Instead of canola or soybean oils, use extra-virgin olive oil, flax oil
What can you safely do with a hydrogenated or chemically altered oil? Save it for the next time you have a squeaky hinge.”