The Chestnut

 These delicious nuts provide many health and beauty benefits due to the abundance of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and dietary fibers, etc.

Bharat Sharma ~ GoodHealthAll.com

Chestnuts are the nuts belonging to Genus Castanea, and are closely related to the beech family or Fagaceae family.  They are scientifically known as Castanea Sativa and are available in four varieties such as European chestnuts, Chinese chestnuts, American chestnuts, and Japanese chestnuts.  These delicious nuts provide many health and beauty benefits due to the abundance of essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and dietary fibers, etc.

Health Benefits of Chestnuts

Some major health benefits of chestnuts are as follows.

(1) Strengthen Bones and Teeth

Chestnut strengthens our bones and teeth due to the abundance of bone-strengthening minerals like calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium, etc. 

Calcium is an essential mineral for bone health as it promotes the growth and development of the bones and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

Potassium improves bone density by neutralizing acid load and reducing the loss of calcium from the bones.

Potassium in chestnuts is an essential mineral for bone health as it works with calcium for the formation of bones. 

Magnesium in chestnuts also plays an important role in improving bone density. 

(2) Provide Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Anti-inflammatory compounds such as vitamin C and dietary fibers in chestnut reduces pain and inflammation caused by inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, rheumatism, rheumatoid, gouts, asthma, and bronchial asthma, etc. 

(3) Improves Digestive Health

Chestnut is good for the stomach and improves our digestive health. 

Antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin A, and other antioxidant compounds like phytonutrients, etc in chestnut protects our digestive system from free radical damage. This reduces the risk of various cancers like colon cancer, abdominal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and intestinal cancer, etc.

The laxative properties of dietary fibers in chestnuts improve bowel movement and provide relief from constipation and other digestive problems like abdominal pain, gas, bloating, and flatulence, etc.    A1Q

Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it reduces the risk of diverticulosis, a condition that causes inflammation in the small areas of the inner lining of the intestinal walls. 

Other nutrients like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and B vitamins, etc in chestnuts also play a significant role in improving digestive health.

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Radiation levels in New York spike as mysterious drones terrorize the Northeast

 By MATTHEW PHELAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Radiation levels have spiked in New York City, fueling conspiracy theories that the drones terrorizing the Northeast are searching for a missing nuclear warhead.

The emissions, clocked by GQ Electronics' Geiger Counter World Map, were detected near the Bronx and Upper West Side Wednesday.

The application shows a radiation reading of 1048 counts-per-minute (CPM), i.e. how many particles were detected, in the Bronx: higher than normal background radiation.

The average person is typically exposed to background radiation that measures around five to 60 CPM, though CPM varies with sensor devices, according to NASA.

And, on the the Upper West Side, the app's reading measured a still high 175 CPM. 

Now, an attorney and long-time critic of China claims that the spikes are a clue that the northeast's mystery drones might be a secret US government effort to identify 'an implanted nuclear weapon' hidden somewhere in the city by America's enemies.

'This is not something which is just wild speculation,' that lawyer and author, Gordon G. Chang, told reporters Monday.

'For more than a decade,' Chang explained, 'US officials have been worried about the North Koreans taking apart a [nuclear] device, smuggling the parts into the United States and reassembling it in the location of their choice.'

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Forest Bathing Benefits

 By Jennifer Rae Vliet ~ Just recently, a deputy sheriff showed up at our house with plans to arrest me for trespassing on a wooded path that I had been walking on for the last 15 years. True story. I merely avoided the pokie because said deputy felt I truly did not know that I had been trespassing. Aside from the creeper that took pictures of me and followed me home without me knowing that happened to report me to the police about my recent walks, I shared with family what a bummer this is for me because being in the woods has been such a place of solace and somehow has felt healing to my being. Apparently, my phone had been listening because I had multiple reels in social media within hours sharing about the healing that can take place from being in a wooded area. Fast forward to the birth of this column for Your Health Today! A lot of this I did not know and had really never thought much about...

This is about submerging oneself in nature, getting away from technology and stress as well and about taking time to soak in all of the benefits the woods happen to have for our health! God has created a thriving eco system of life within the woodlands and there are many scientific studies to show that talking to our house plants can help THEM thrive...it makes sense that spending time with foliage and earth in this manner can give to us, too. In the woods, we are exposed to cleaner air, essential oils and other compounds that boost our immune system and fight cancer!

",,,and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" - Revelations 22:2

While this scripture is symbolic as God uses the metaphor of a tree in many respects to relay His important messages and truths, it is beautiful in its own right for this forward.

So, what is "Forest Bathing"? Forest bathing, or “Shinrin-yoku” as it's called in Japan where the practice was founded, is a way of immersing your senses in nature that has proven benefits for our physical and mental wellbeing. Time in nature can boost our immune systems and creativity, settle our minds, and lower our stress levels. But how do you forest bathe? While an actual bath in the forest is not required, here’s an introduction to get started improving your connection with nature and your health.

And of course one of my favorite humans has something to say about it too. Here is Dr. Eric Berg on the topic of Forest Bathing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oukG5O3IvNE&t=48s

From Sempervirens.com: A walk in the woods gazing at trees, flowers and, if you’re lucky, wildlife, can leave you feeling restored and rejuvenated. Although we inherently feel that spending time in nature is good for us, we may not realize just how good it can be for our health. Forests not only play a major role in cleaning our air and water, but also provide beneficial changes to the minds and bodies of those who spend time among the trees.

Exposure to forests strengthens our immune system, reduces blood pressure, increases energy, boosts our mood and helps us regain and maintain our focus in ways that treeless environments just don’t.
These benefits don’t necessarily come from intense physical activities many people do in the forest such as hiking or mountain biking. Almost anyone can reap the rewards of a short sojourn to the woods. The Japanese call it "shinrin-yoku" or "forest bathing." Even 20 minutes in a forested space is enough to produce positive changes in the body.

Why is this?

The secrets lie in the plants themselves. For one reason, forests contain a higher concentration of oxygen than urban spaces do. The next and perhaps most surprising reason comes from the chemicals plants produce called phytoncides. These chemicals are natural oils that plants use to defend themselves against unwanted pests such as insects, bacteria or fungi.

Phytoncides improve the human immune system by increasing natural killer cell activity. These cells respond rapidly to virus-infected cells and tumor formation. Studies show that increased natural cell activity can last for more than 30 days after a trip to a forest, suggesting that a trip once a month would enable individuals to maintain a higher level of natural killer cell activity. Other benefits from phytoncides include an increase in anti-cancer proteins; a reduction in blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones; reduced test scores for anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and confusion; and increased scores for vigor

So, if you live near an evergreen forest – a forest that contains trees such as pine, cedar, spruce or fir – you live near some of the best phytoncide producers around.

In closing, I want to share a link, here to find trails and wooded paths near you so you can benefit from the blessings of being drenched in God's healing creations! Protect yourself accordingly of course, know your surroundings and get informed about any potentially threatening wildlife. If anyone has any experiences or comments on the topic, please sound off below. We always welcome comments on The Plain Truth!

FDA may outlaw food dyes ‘within weeks’: Bombshell move would affect candy, soda and cakes, revolutionize American diets

 By  Brooke Kato

The Food and Drug Administration will decide on a ban of certain food dyes in the coming weeks after receiving a petition to review the safety of Red 3, NBC News reports.

“With Red 3, we have a petition in front of us to revoke the authorization board, and we’re hopeful that in the next few weeks we’ll be acting on that petition,” Jim Jones, the deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, said during a Senate meeting this week, per NBC.

According to the FDA, the agency has reviewed the safety of Red 3 —which is derived from petroleum and found snacks, beverages, candy and more — in food and drugs “multiple times” since it was first approved in 1969, but the petition has requested for the additive to be reviewed once more.

Red 3, found in fan-favorite sweets and other foods, could be banned in the US, NBC News reports.Africa Studio – stock.adobe.com

The FDA will decide on the fate of the food dye Red 3, an additive found in cereals, candies and more that yields a vibrant cherry red hue, in the “next few weeks.”

“With the holiday season in full swing where sweet treats are abundant, it is frightening that this chemical remains hidden in these foods that we and our children are eating,” US Representative Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), a ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, wrote in a letter to the FDA.

“While food companies must ensure that the food they market is safe, they are also only required to ensure that their products meet FDA’s standards. This means that thousands of products that contain this chemical can remain on the market.”

He argued that there is “no reason” for the additive to be in food “except to entice and mislead customers” to make products appear “more appealing.”

Thomas Galligan, who works at the Center for Science in the Public Interest as a principal scientist for food additives and supplements, echoed a similar sentiment.

“These food dyes only serve one function in food, to make them look pretty so you and I want to buy it, it’s a marketing tool,” he told NBC.

While the FDA has stated that food dyes are safe and do not pose health risks, the dye was banned from topical drugs and cosmetics in 1990.

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US Life Expectancy Ranking Will Drop to 66th by 2050, Study Says

 More than 260 million people in the country could be overweight or obese by 2050, leading to diseases, it said.

EpochTimesHealth

The United States is set to fall in worldwide life expectancy ranking by mid-century, with widespread obesity adversely impacting people’s health, according to a recent study.

The peer-reviewed study, published in The Lancet on Dec. 7, forecasted the life expectancy for Americans between 2022 and 2050 after taking into account the impact of more than 350 diseases and injuries.

Study authors said overall life expectancy is projected to increase from 78.3 years in 2022 to 79.9 years in 2035, and to 80.4 years in 2050. The study said the increase “is forecasted to be modest compared with that in other countries around the world.”

As a result, America’s global rank in terms of life expectancy is projected to decline from 49 in 2022 to 66 in 2050 among 204 nations and territories. In addition, ranking in terms of health-adjusted life expectancy, which estimates the average number of years an individual lives in good health, is projected to fall from 80 to 108.

Despite the slight increase in life expectancy, health improvements are expected to slow down in the nation as a result of obesity issues, said Professor Christopher J.L. Murray, co-senior author of the study and director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), said a Dec. 5 statement from the institute.

Rising obesity rates are a “serious risk factor to many chronic diseases and forecasted to leap to levels never before seen,” he said. “The rise in obesity and overweight rates in the U.S., with IHME forecasting over 260 million people affected by 2050, signals a public health crisis of unimaginable scale.”

Gender-wise, life expectancy ranking of American females is forecast to drop from 51 in 2022 to 74 in 2050. For men, the ranking is expected to fall from 51 to 65.

“These lower rankings put the U.S. below nearly all high-income and some middle-income countries,” the institute said.

Researchers pointed out that the findings “highlight the alarming trajectory of health challenges in the USA, which, if left unaddressed, could lead to a reversal of the health progress made over the past three decades for some US states and a decline in global health standing for all states.”

Between 1990 and 2021, mortality rates for several leading causes of death, like stroke, cancer, and ischemic heart disease, declined nationwide, which contributed to life expectancy improving during this three-decade term.

Chronic Obesity

The study’s categorization of excess weight as a key risk factor to good health comes as the United States is facing an obesity crisis.

More than two in five American adults are obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which estimates more than 100 million Americans are obese and more than 22 million have severe obesity.

Obesity rates have skyrocketed over the past decades, jumping from 30.5 percent in 1999–2000 to nearly 42 percent during 2017–2020, with rates of severe obesity almost doubling.

“Many adults with obesity have other serious chronic diseases. For example, 58 percent of U.S. adults with obesity have high blood pressure, a risk factor for heart disease. Also, approximately 23 percent of U.S. adults with obesity have diabetes,” the agency says.

During a hearing in December 2023, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) highlighted the issue of obesity among children, pointing out the link between having excess weight and getting diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

The senator called for banning the advertising of junk food targeting children, saying that such a move could aid in reducing obesity rates among kids.

“For decades, we have allowed large corporations in the food and beverage industry to entice children to eat foods loaded with sugar, salt, and saturated fat. This situation has led to an addiction crisis, with ultra-processed foods being as addictive as alcohol and cigarettes,” he said.

In August, president-elect Donald Trump said that he plans on setting up a panel of experts to investigate the reasons behind surging childhood health issues, including obesity.

In a video from September, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services, said chemicals in the soil and ultra-processed foods as contributing factors to the country’s obesity situation.

The United States’ food supply is “loaded with high fructose corn syrup and seed oils and hundreds of artificial additives and flavors and processed carbohydrates that don’t exist in nature and that are banned in other countries,” Kennedy said.

SOURCE>>>>>

What Did Your Great-Great-Great-Grandparents Eat?

 Analysis by Ashley Armstrong from Mercola.com

Story at-a-glance

• Life expectancy in the United States is currently declining, making it the only developed nation with this concerning trend. Since the 1930s, there has been a dramatic 700% increase in chronic disease development, rising from 7.5% prevalence to 60% of the population having one or more chronic conditions today
• In the 1800s, people ate three structured meals daily (breakfast, dinner, supper) without snacking or fasting, maintaining a simpler relationship with food than we have today
• Our ancestors consumed a high-carb diet rich in saturated fats, with minimal polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), as they didn’t use vegetable oils or eat many nuts and seeds
• The 1950s marked a significant shift in dietary recommendations, particularly regarding saturated fats and animal products, leading to major changes in the American diet
• To optimize your health, return to simpler food principles: cook at home, source quality ingredients within your means, stay active, and prioritize happiness over strict dietary rules

There is profound value in looking to the past, drawing from the wisdom of our ancestors to uncover how they cultivated healthy, balanced lives and sustained their communities across generations.
While their life expectancy may not have been as long, this data is skewed by low birth survival rates, which modern Medicine has drastically improved. And did you know that the U.S. actually has a decline in life expectancy in modern times?
America is the only developed nation with a *declining* healthy life expectancy and total life expectancy!1 We aren’t doing something right!


Since the food we eat every single day plays the biggest lever in improving our health, let’s investigate the diets of our ancestors.
The 1800s offer us a unique window into a different relationship with food — one where abundance was celebrated, meals were a source of joy, and the dinner table was the heart of family life. In an era before processed foods and modern food fears/orthorexic behavior, people maintained a simpler, more intuitive connection with their meals.
What I find most intriguing is how their approach to food differs from our modern perspective. While we often grapple with complex dietary rules and restrictions, our ancestors focused on nourishment, celebration, and making the most of available ingredients.
So, let’s step back in time and explore what graced our great-great-great-grandma’s dinner table for the month of November. The meals might inspire your own culinary adventures! I’ll share some photos from a few different vintage cookbooks, then discuss some of the consistent trends at the end!

Truthfully, they ate a very metabolically supportive diet. They ate a lot of food (calories), didn’t fast, ate high carb, consumed primarily saturated-rich fat sources and ate low PUFA, and they consumed B vitamin rich animal protein sources.
I am slightly fascinated by the farming and culinary traditions of our ancestors, so I hope you enjoy these vintage meal plans as much as I do! So, first, let’s check out meals from “What shall we eat?” published in 1868. Meals our great-great-great-grandparents could have consumed.

I am slightly fascinated by the farming and culinary traditions of our ancestors, so I hope you enjoy these vintage meal plans as much as I do! So, first, let’s check out meals from “What shall we eat?” published in 1868. Meals our great-great-great-grandparents could have consumed.

Next, let’s check out a meal plan from “What shall we have to eat?” published in 1893. Meals our great-great-great-grandparents, or great-great-grandparents might have consumed.

Isn’t it eye-opening to take a look at 1800s meal plans? No crazy diet rules, no food fear, and plenty of calories. While we don’t need to go this extreme with food prep, it’s a reminder to ditch the diet stress. Notable trends:

Ate 3 meals/day, no intentional fasting, but also did not frequently graze/snack (instead of “breakfast, lunch, dinner” they called the meals “breakfast, dinner, supper”)	No dietary extremes
Did not fear carbs (ate high carb)	Consumed mostly saturated fats, and ate relatively lower polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) (no vegetable oils, and didn’t eat much nuts and seeds)
Consumed food that is demonized across a variety of diet camps: meat, dairy, flour, sugar, fruit, potatoes, and grains	No processed food/food in a package

One of the biggest changes has been the TYPES of fat consumed.

The saturated fat, animal product and cholesterol fear-mongering propaganda starting in the 1950s led to a huge shift in our dietary fat. Since the 1930s, there has been a 700% increase in chronic disease development. In the 1930s, the chronic disease prevalence was 7.5%.2 Today, 60% of the population has one or more chronic disease.3,4

I’m not sharing these meal plans to suggest that you should eat exactly as they did. Instead, my goal is to help you reduce food fear and stress as you navigate the overwhelming and often confusing health space. The last thing any of us need is more stress in our lives!

Gaining perspective from the diets of our great-great-great-grandparents can be both liberating and grounding. In today’s world, where so many foods are scrutinized, this perspective can help alleviate unnecessary fear around eating.

Letting go of food fears can significantly enhance your well-being. Feel empowered to explore traditional food preparations and discover what nourishes your body best, rather than letting someone else’s anxieties dictate your choices. And to address the elephant in the room — yes, they did not have to deal with the crappy food system we all face today. OF COURSE food sourcing is important!

Our modern food system is undeniably complex and imperfect, and it does contribute to various health issues. But better options do exist, such as organic sugar or non-GMO, organic flour. Embrace the idea that there’s always a step forward you can take.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, consider focusing on just one area of your sourcing to improve for the rest of the year — whether it’s meat, dairy, eggs, produce, or grains. Small, sustainable changes help avoid overwhelm and empower you to make a difference. Do the best you can and avoid what you personally can’t tolerate.

But instead of stressing about eating “good” and avoiding “bad” foods on a list made from some random health influencer (which will differ depending on who you follow) … Keep it simple: cook at home, source as high of quality ingredients that you can, stay active, and prioritize happiness.