Jail-house conversion

"They got religion" is an often coined phrase when someone turns to God out of desperation. It's a good thing but is it sustainable? What we do with what happens past our darkest hour determines the depth of our long term relationship with God. Once we realize we've become incarcerated to our sin (unable to break free on our own) we reach a turning point where we turn to God out of shear desperation. For some, it literally happens in jail/prison through mandatory incarceration, limiting their freedom to continue in their self-destruction. The question most of us ask when we witness a "jail-house" conversion is simple: Is the person turning to God because they have no other choice or because it's an authentic decision?

"Set me free from my prison, so that I may praise your name." (Psalm 142:7, NIV)

The better question to ask is this: If I could see the bars, chains and locks that sin has put upon my life, incarcerating me to it (whatever "it" is) wouldn't I choose God, as well? To some degree, each of us has experienced a "jail-house" conversion with God (we all sin and fall short of God's standard, every single day). However, there's hope. God isn't requiring us to be perfect (flawless, sinless) but to be humble (placing our lives in His hands and living each day with God's purpose/plan and desire for our lives, first). There's nothing more powerful than what God can do through our lives when we realize we hold the key that unlocks the door to change in our lives. And nothing is better than walking with Him every day as we see our lives change.

Thought to live by: God isn't concerned how you came but that you came to Him.

Who's your daddy; knowing God as Abba Father © Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved

 

 

Is “curcumin” a cancer and dementia treatment wonder drug?

A member of the ginger family, curcumin is a naturally occurring chemical found in turmeric, derived from the root of the "Curcuma longa" plant native to South Asia. Often, these two words become interchangeable with one another but the distinction between the two is simple: Turmeric is a yellowish brown powder used as an additive, seasoning in food, often used to treat inflammation, digestion, infection, liver and gallbladder problems, cleanser/detoxifier, cuts, bruises, bleeding, chest congestion and menstrual discomfort. Curcumin is the active ingredient found in turmeric and is the key to providing turmeric's benefits. An antioxidant, curcumin is a chemical extracted from turmeric and mostly used for medicinal purposes. The overall benefits of curcumin's natural properties have been contributed for thousands of years in the treatment of the aforementioned. However, medical studies over the past several years have began focusing on the life changing benefits of both turmeric and curcumin, taking this plants popularity to a new height of awareness.

Anti-carcinogenic

Advance scientific studies have proven the natural medicinal benefits found in this plant include its effectiveness for the treatment of colorectal cancer (the third leading cause of cancer death in the USA). A study performed by the "World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology" (http://www.wjgnet.com/1948-5204/full/v2/i4/169.htm) provided support for the usage/consumption of curcumin for colorectal cancer. Below, is a statement from this report:

"Carcinogenesis is a complex process but may be largely considered to be comprised of three phases: initiation, promotion, and progression [²²]. These closely related steps: going from a normal cell to a transformed initiated cell (initiation); from initiated to pre-neoplastic cell (promotion); and from pre-neoplastic to neoplastic (progression); may lend themselves to curcumin intervention."

Curcumin versus Curcuminoids for dementia treatment

A 2009 "Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior" found curcuminoids ("a mixture of curcumin, bisdemethoxycurcumin and demethoxycurcumin") contributed to memory improvement in laboratory rats. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18930076). Curcumin alone wasn't found to provide the same benefits for dementia as found in the curcuminoids mixture.

"These data indicate that curcuminoids and all individual components except curcumin possess pronounced AChE inhibitory activity. Curcumin was relatively weak in the in-vitro assay and without effect in the ex-vivo AChE model, while equally effective in memory enhancing effect, suggestive of additional mechanism(s) involved. Thus curcuminoids mixture might possess better therapeutic profile than curcumin for its medicinal use in AD."

Turmeric and Curcumin supplements

The balancing act of how much and when to consume anything for the benefit of treatment is always in question. The above studies focused mostly on the interaction of "curcuminoids" versus the single consumption of curcumin. Consumer Labs (an independent laboratory providing the public with an unbiased report on supplements, vitamins and minerals products) reviewed curcuminoids products in the marketplace (https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/turmeric-curcumin-supplements-review/turmeric/) citing that 20% of Turmeric and Curcumin products "failed the test" for effectiveness. You can review Consumer Labs report BEFORE you invest in a turmeric and/or curcumin/curcuminoids supplement to determine their effectiveness. While I am not promoting membership to Consumer Labs, it is required for you to review their report. An easier way to determine if the supplement you're purchasing is verifiable and tested is to look for their "seal of approval" or rating on the product, ask your doctor and/or pharmacist or seek out a pharmaceutical grade product (which can only be issued through a doctor's prescription). Doctors are not pharmacists, so seek out your pharmacist's advice when it comes to drug interaction and possible side effects.

Quick Tips for Wellness: "Seek medical expert advice before you consider consumption."

Quick Tips for Wellness ™ Copyright © 2011, All Rights Reserved