Michel Van Mellaerts

Author Archives: Michel Van Mellaerts

Swollen Ankles can be avoided

Swollen left ankle from sitting down at your desk all day

Swollen ankles is a common occurrence, especially if you are sitting down all day at a desk or even coming off a long airplane or train trip.

Here are 4 easy ways to get rid of your swollen ankles without using drugs or requiring a Doctor's visit.

Some people (mainly my kids) call Swollen Ankles cankles because there is no definition between the calf and the ankle.

If you suffer from this and every time you mention it to your Doctor,they tell you have water retention and prescribe diuretics, then try these 4 easy steps.

Sleep with your feet raised. I use a pillow or a bolster. Just this by itself will reduce the swollen ankles quickly.
Walk around at least every hour. You don't need to walk a marathon but try and do 100 steps.
Drink Green tea at least once a day first thing in the morning
Eat some (or all) of the foods mentioned below.

How I found out what worked to stop my Swollen Ankles.

I suffered from swollen ankles for a long time and the only thing that the Doctors offered was to take a diuretic. A diuretic flushes water from the body and you are always going to the toilet to empty your bladder. This is not a bad thing except that the swollen ankle keeps reappearing.

Since I decided that I didn't want to be on drugs all my life, I went out to find out what the cause was.

What I found was really interesting and simple when it was explained to me.

The problem as it was described to me was that the fluid that drained to the bottom of the lower extremities (legs and feet) wasn't been pumped back to be recirculated through the heart. This pump is a lymphatic pump in the leg muscles and it wasn't working properly.

What is a lymphatic pump?

The lymph fluid is moved through the body in its own vessels. This fluid makes a one-way journey from the feet to the veins at the base of the neck. Since the lymphatic system does not have a heart to pump it, its upward movement depends on the motions of the muscle and joint pumps.

So if you stop moving those muscles and joints they don't pump the fluids back to the neck veins. This fluid tends to collect at the lowest point in the body. That is the main cause of swollen ankles.

What happens when a lymphatic pump doesn't work?

The lymphatic system clears away infection and keeps your body fluids in balance. If it's not working properly, fluid builds in your tissues and causes swelling, called lymphedema. Other lymphatic system problems can include infections, blockage, and cancer.

Not moving can cause Cancer. That is really scary, especially if you are stuck behind a desk all day.

Why is the Lymphatic system important to reduce Swollen Ankles?

Your lymphatic system is one of the many important cleansing parts of your body, along with your liver. Both of these systems keep your blood healthy, your digestive system humming. It also helps the body detox from harmful substances the natural way that nature intended it to do. However, sometimes bad lifestyle choices or harmful foods can all cause a slow down of lymph. The lymph is a fluid that goes through your body and is part of your cardiovascular system. The lymph affects all parts of the body and is affected by others, such as the digestive system, as well.

View your blood and digestive system as something that needs your help daily. You help by eating beneficial foods and consuming water-rich drinks. This keeps it moving well, as does regular activity. While exercise and even hot showers and massage can all stimulate lymph flow, food choices shouldn’t be ignored. [See below].

Can a person live without lymph nodes?

Lymph nodes that have been removed during cancer or other surgery can leave part of the body without a way to drain off the lymph fluid in the affected area. Many of the lymph vessels now run into a dead end where the node used to be, and fluid can back up. This is called lymphedema, and it can become a life-long problem.

What are the first signs of lymphedema?

Signs your lymphatic system may need some assistance include headaches, sluggishness, inflammation, poor digestion, mucus build-up, and general stiffness.

Lymphedema signs and symptoms, which occur in your affected arm or leg, include:

Swelling of part or all of your arm or leg, including fingers or toes.
A feeling of heaviness or tightness.
Aching or discomfort.
Recurring infections.
Hardening and thickening of the skin (fibrosis)

Foods that can reduce your Swollen Ankles.

Be sure to avoid dairy foods that slow lymph down, along with processed foods, sugary foods, and foods high in oils. These can all be clogging to the body, while the foods below all possess natural cleansing properties that also energize you. They also keep you moving. Since movement acts like a pump for the lymphatic system, you just can’t go wrong with these foods!

1. Citrus

Citrus is one of the most detoxifying foods you can eat, specifically lemons, limes, navel oranges, tangerines, blood oranges, and grapefruit. These foods all possess powerful enzymes, along with Vitamin C. These support the body and keep digestion flowing. Enjoy one - three servings of these daily, whether that’s the whole fruit as a part of a meal or snack. Also use the juice squeezed into water or onto salads or entrees, or wedges of the fruit used in smoothies. Be sure to buy organic since toxic chemicals can be in the peels. Citrus fruits are also good for your liver, so they’re just overall great when trying to keep your body healthy.

2. Berries

Berries are rich in detoxifying benefits that cleanse the system and also add hydration for healthy lymph flow. Since lymph helps the body filter toxins, it’s important to eat foods with anti-bacterial benefits such as cranberries. Of course other berries are also great, so choose whichever ones you enjoy and eat them daily. The dark red and purple berries appear to have the most anti-oxidants.

3. Greens

All types of greens remove harmful chemicals and toxins from our body that you encounter daily. They nourish your cells to detoxify the way your body wants to. They also provide nutritional support with Vitamins A, C, and K, along with iron, magnesium, B vitamins, and protein.

4. Sunflower and Pumpkin Seeds

These seeds provide magnesium to support the nervous system and healthy fats to lubricate the body and promote lymph flow. They also help scrape the digestive tract from toxins through healthy fibers. This keeps your body from toxic-build up that can block lymph flow due to slow digestion. Toss a few into your next bowl of porridge, use them to bake with, or add them to smoothies and raw trail mix. I use all types of seeds when I bake bread.

5. Chia, Hemp and Flax

Like pumpkin and sunflower seeds, these seeds are full of omega 3 rich fatty acids, which are excellent for lymph flow. Hemp seeds are also a good source of chlorophyll, nature’s best cleanser, so be sure to include some into your daily diet. Their fibre also keeps the body’s processes moving and flowing naturally, and will help your heart stay healthy. Enjoy them in oatmeal or sprinkle them onto a smoothie or entree. Healthy fats like these also help your body absorb nutrients from other foods that the lymphatic system needs to work well.

6. Herbs and Spices

All herbs and spices are amazing for cleansing the body. Turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, wasabi and black pepper being some of the best. These foods also contain antioxidants that benefit the brain and can help the digestive system. This benefits the lymph flow. Garlic is another powerful food that also comes with the same benefits.

7. Seaweed and Algae

Spirulina, kelp, nori, wakame, chlorella, and dulse are types of seaweed and algae your body love. They are not just cleansing for the body. Because they are also incredibly nutrient- dense, they provide high amounts of iron, omega 3’s, Vitamin A, protein, magnesium, B vitamins, iodine, and chlorophyll. Try to add a teaspoon of these to your diet if you can.

Spirulina can be used in smoothies, along with chlorella, and dulse, wakame, kelp and nori. They all make great salad and wrap ingredients.

Don’t forget to drink plenty of water and even vegetable juices if you have access to a juicer. These hydrate the body and keep things moving along the way your body prefers.

Don’t let your health suffer from poor lifestyle and diet choices. You deserve the chance to feel well as much as absolutely possible, so get up and move daily, try some yoga, get some fresh air, enjoy that hot shower, and fill up on these foods!

Eat Fat to Stay Slim – Seems Weird but true

Eating Fat - Seems a bit counter intuitive, doesn't it?

That is why most dieters are afraid of fat. The common fear is that eating too much fat will eventually make you fat.

There is some truth in this, but as usual some diet promoters has taken this to extremes.

The American Heart Association says that dietary fats are essential for the health and well-being of your body. Fat is a nutrient that promotes cell growth, hormone production and protects your vital organs while supplying energy.

But not all fats are good for you. It’s important to know that fat comes in several forms: Saturated and Unsaturated.

The bad fats like saturated fats are solid during room temperature (think butter) while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated comes in liquid form like oil.

Saturated and trans fats are your bad fats as it raises your cholesterol (LDL) levels in your blood. Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated on other hand, is beneficial to consume as it lowers bad cholesterol levels.

More importantly, how does Fat help you lose weight?

The body requires three macronutrients for energy – carbohydrates, protein and fats. When you deplete fats from your body, you are directly affecting your metabolism as your body doesn’t receive the nutrients that it needs. Metabolism is necessary for your body to burn fat when you’re resting. You can easily measure this through the use of an electronic scales.

(P.S We highly recommend getting your own so that you can track your progress easily!) - Use a notebook to keep track.

Healthy unsaturated fats like almonds and avocados help keep you full. This prevents you from overeating. Other examples include fish, seeds, leafy vegetables, olive oil or even avocado oil.

It defeats the purpose of weight loss and reducing your cholesterol levels if you’re eating the bad fats.

Fats should be part of your diet but make sure that you eat the good ones!

Remember, you don’t have to compromise your diet in order to achieve your goals. You can still enjoy the food you eat – just do it where you know what you are putting in your mouth. (Not what is shown in the above picture).

Eat more Wasabi

Six Reasons Why You Should Eat More Wasabi

Whether you've been out for sushi or browsing the international aisles at your grocery store, you might have noticed a green paste or powder called wasabi.

Wasabia is a spicy green Japanese condiment that was originally made from the herb Wasabia japonica. Wasabia japonica rhizome is a rich source of unique long-chain methyl isothiocyanates that have been shown to help maintain healthy liver enzymes and DNA, as well as support a healthy anti inflammatory process.

Why else should you be eating more wasabi?

Listen in as the Wasabi Maestro (Michel Van Mellaerts) shares the powerful benefits of wasabi and why you should be eating more of this food.

In the following article I shall call the authentic plant product Wasabia, and the fake product wasabi.

Let's talk about why we all should be eating more Wasabia. You know, that green paste you get with sushi. Although that paste you get with sushi in restaurants and sushi bars is probably not Actual Wasabia and I will get into that in a moment. That small amount of green paste that clears your sinuses, gives you that real kick and wake up call, your eyes water and then it's gone and you just feel awesome. I love it. We should be eating more Wasabia. Let me just tell you about Wasabia. Let's discuss the Wasabia japonica story because that's the plant name. Wasabia japonica has been grown and eaten in Japan for centuries. It is believed that the daily consumption of this plant Wasabia japonica improves the health and fights off a large number of illnesses.

This has now been borne out in a large and increasing number of scientific studies on the actions of these naturally occurring compounds in Wasabia. For centuries, there have been a lot of traditional uses of Wasabia, a lot of anecdotal evidence, historical evidence, even folklore, surrounding Wasabia and its medicinal properties.

More and more scientists are starting to back up what traditional users of Wasabia have always known: it's good for you.

More and more people are seeing Wasabia as a functional food for human health--consuming it on a daily basis. Let me just tell you the problem, though. At least in the United States, when you think you are eating the wasabi plant, we are probably not. Wasabia is hard to grow and cultivate mainly because it has to be done at higher elevations.

Of course, in higher elevations the temperature can change so much and if it gets too warm the wasabi plant doesn't do too well and if it gets too cold it doesn't do well. So, there's this right elevation, this perfect elevation, where it's not too cold and not too warm in the mountains of Japan. Yet people don't want to go up there and cultivate the plant anymore. Then you add to the fact that there's so much pollution in Japan and the bottom line is the actual plant Wasabia japonica is not really grown that much anymore because it's just too hard and no one wants to do it.

Here's what the Japanese did, knowing that there was going to be a massive demand in Western countries for the unique flavour of Wasabi.

The Japanese have a great business eye for this kind of thing. In order to make up for the reduction in Actual Wasabia, the Japanese food industry provided a solution. They took powder or paste that contains European horseradish mixed with mustard seed and FDA approved coloring. So, that green stuff that you thought was wasabi that you are getting with your Westernised sushi is horseradish with food coloring in it and maybe a little mustard seed. And it's really not providing that much benefit.

Horseradish does have some benefits but not to the level of Wasabia. So, when you think you are eating wasabi in all countries in the world, you probably aren't. You can get it but you have to ask for it. It's going to cost a little bit more but it's worth it. When you look at the Wasabia plant, the most important part of it is the swollen stem (rhizome). There's a specific type of compound in the rhizome called an isothiocyanate. That's the key compound that we want from the Wasabia.

I did some research after learning about Wasabia and learning about how hard it is to grow the plant and cultivate it and then learning about how the Japanese have a kind of work-around with horseradish, I decided I'm going to do some straight forward, good, old-fashioned research on PubMed to find out what the true benefits of Wasabia that contain these unique isothiocyanate [Iso-thio-cy-an-ates] compounds are.

Wasabi rhizome after hair root removal before cleaning

Here's what I found.

Number one

Actual Wasabia with isothiocyanates inhibits the development of lung tumors, at least in mice. There are a lot of cancer researchers who are now are pushing the NIH to do some human clinical trials with Wasabia standardized to a fixed level of isothiocyanate.

This was published in Cancer Letters 2000. There hasn't been much follow up with this, I don't think. If you go to clinicaltrials.gov, you can search "wasabi" and/or "isothiocyanate" and "lung cancer" and see what kind of trials are out there. I don't think there are too many. The use of Wasabia to cure Lung Cancer has been shown to work, at least in mouse models.

The latest studies (2019) are showing that the active ingredients in Wasabia japonica kill nearly all types of Cancer cells. I shall be addressing these cancers in future articles.

Number two

Actual Wasabia has potent antibacterial activity. Now, this has been known for a long time and this has probably been one of the big reasons that traditional cultures have used actual Wasabia in wounds and when people are sick with cold, flu, whatever.

Historically speaking, they made the claims it works wonders but now there is some research evidence that it truly does have at least antibacterial activity and is also anti-viral. The International Journal of Food and Medicine, 2004 did a really good study on this. The Biological Sciences and Biotechnology Biochemistry journal, published in 1998 some research looking at the antibacterial activity and it does seem to have some.

Some hospitals are now using Wasabia based cleaning products to overcome Golden Staph infections are appear to be endemic in most hospitals.

Number three

Actual Wasabia suppresses glandular stomach cancer.

This is a good one. We don't have a lot of good treatments for stomach cancer. This study was published in Nutrition and Cancer, 1991.

Looking at actual Wasabia with isothiocyanates and the effect on cancer was positive and the results published in a peer review journal a long time ago. Again, go to clinicaltrials.gov and there's not a lot of follow up with these things and that's a shame.

Number four

Wasabia has some antiplatelet properties so it can help work in kind of the same way aspirin does. A study has shown that Wasabia works almost immediately compared to the 10 minutes that aspirin normally takes to reduce pain.

Wasabia japonica rhizomes after cleaning and ready for processing or eating

In a post-stroke type situation or maybe even used in combination with other anti-platelets with people with A-fib to prevent blood clot formations Wasabia would be useful. This was shown to be true in a study that was published in the Biofactors journal in 2000.

There's a number of traditional benefits of Wasabia, a lot of historical, anecdotal claims about Wasabia and those claims are now being backed up with solid, peer reviewed publications, sometimes in animals, sometimes in a petri dish, sometimes in humans.

Number five

Wasabia increases the abundance of protective detox enzymes. Those are your liver enzymes. Detox is a big issue.

We know that we have a built in, really awesome detox system called the liver. But the liver is being overwhelmed in today's environment, so it needs help. Wasabia can be that help.

The Journal of Biology and Chemistry, in 2002 showed that Wasabia can enhance the activity of phase I and phase II detoxification paths in the liver. Other things that can do that are milk thistle, melon extracts, B Vitamins and now you can add Wasabia to that list.

Number six

Wasabia has a protective effect against colon cancer risk.

This study was published in Nutrition and Cancer in 2004. Just a lot of really good benefits of Wasabia but you have to make sure you're using Actual Wasabia japonica if you are going to eat and consume it.

The latest studies show that Wasabia japonica is actually capable of killing almost every type of cancer.

If you are going to buy a product make sure it is only Actual Wasabia and not the generally available horseradish blend.

Here are some products that do contain 100% Pure Wasabia japonica rhizome with no additives of any type. These products contain a very high level of the active ingredients that studies have shown kill cancers and maintain a healthy body.

100% Pure Wasabia japonica products that have the health benefits mentioned above can be found at https://organicremedies.com/products

Sleep more – live longer

Sleep is your life-support system and Mother Nature’s best effort yet at immortality, says sleep scientist Matt Walker.

In this deep dive into the science of slumber, Walker shares the wonderfully good things that happen when you get sleep — and the alarmingly bad things that happen when you don’t, for both your brain and body. Learn more about sleep’s impact on your learning, memory, immune system and even your genetic code — as well as some helpful tips for getting some shut-eye.

Sleep keeps you alive

This is well worthwhile watching. Getting your 8 hours sleep a night is what you need to live a longer healthier life. Highly recommended

Eating your Veggies reduces the chance of Heart Failure!

Today the results of a Clinical Study carried out in Norway were revealed at the Cardiac 2019 conference. The Clinical Trial was suggested and approved back in 2017 and wanted to find out if there was a relationship between Gut Health and Heart Failure (HF).

The results showed that there was a correlation between Gut Health and Heart Failure.

What was shown as well was that the more fibre (fiber) that the patient ate the less chance of a Heart Failure occurred.

When they did a dietary analysis they found that Heart Failure is connected to a low fibre intake.

Their advice is to choose foods high in fibre such as cereals, fruits and vegetables to reduce the possibilities of HF. To quote the leading author, "It would be prudent for patients with Heart problems to limit their meat intake to 2 or 3 times a week.”

This latest result adds to the significant number of studies carried out over the last century or so that shows that eating large amounts of meat protein shortens your life expectancy. When compared to those who eat more fruit and vegetables this is a significant number of years (6+).

So Mum was always right when she told you to eat your veggies. You will live longer.

Journal Reference

Mark Luedde, Thorben Winkler, Femke-Anouska Heinsen, Malte C. Rühlemann, Martina E. Spehlmann, Amer Bajrovic, Wolfgang Lieb, Andre Franke, Stephan J. Ott, Norbert Frey. Heart failure is associated with depletion of core intestinal microbiota. ESC Heart Failure, 2017; DOI: 10.1002/ehf2.12155
C Mayerhofer 1 , M Kummen 2 , K Holm 2 , K Broch1 , A Awoyemi 3 , B Vestad 2 , C Storm-Larsen 2 , I Seljeflot 3 , T Ueland 2 , P Bohov 4 , RK Berge 4 , A Svardal 4 , L Gullestad 1 , JR Hov 2 , M Troseid 5 , 1 Oslo University Hospital, Department of Cardiology Rikshospitalet - Oslo - Norway , 2 Oslo University Hospital, Research Institute of Internal Medicine - Oslo - Norway , 3 Oslo University Hospital, Department of Cardiology Ullevål - Oslo - Norway , 4 University of Bergen - Bergen - Norway , 5 Oslo University Hospital, Section of Clinical Immunology and Infectious diseases - Oslo - Norway. Gut microbiota composition and interactions with diet: dysbiosis in heart failure is partly related to lower fiber intake. Heart Failure 2019

Fat is Your Friend – Why you don’t need Weight Loss Diets

White Fat cells - Electron Microscope image

Be grateful for the fat.

The moment you realize your fat has been your greatest asset, and you are thankful for it, you will finally be able to lose it. Body fat is a number of things that many people do not consider. The main thing we have been taught is that it is a bad thing and needs to be removed by any and all methods.

Here are some facts about your body fat you may have never considered:

Fat is essential for life. It surrounds every nerve, encircles every cell, is the structure of every hormone, and makes up roughly 65-70% of your brain matter.

Fat is the cleanest and most efficient energy/fuel source for all your cells but most significantly your brain.

Fat is an insulator and keeps you warm and protected.

Fat is a great storehouse of dangerous toxins. Fat stores toxic poisons away from your vital organs such as your brain and liver. Your fat cells are loaded with these toxins to protect you from allowing them to create massive damage by circulating in your bloodstream. Your fat cells keep your brain from being exposed to more DDT, mercury, aluminum, zinc, glyphosate, lead, antibiotics, sulphur drugs, plastic estrogens, etc. Think about that for a moment.

Your fat could very well have saved your life.

This is so important, I will say it again: your fat cells are protecting you from all the dangerous poisons you couldn’t safely process out of your body. It saved your life.

Fat is an endocrine gland that releases leptin. Leptin is the “master” hormone and regulates body weight by communicating directly with your brain via the hypothalamus. Did you know your fat is the largest endocrine gland in your body? No, you probably didn’t, because you have been trained to hate it, not to love and appreciate it. Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain you are full and satiated and to stop eating. A big problem with our current weight epidemic is the poor hormonal regulation of leptin.

Fat is the product of and therefore a sign and symptom of chronic inflammation and chronic high blood sugar; fat is a great biofeedback device to allow you to make changes in your behavior to increase your overall health and vitality.

If that is the case then why does every weight loss program you see tell you that in order to lose weight, you need to lose fat.

The fact is that the weight loss industry is built on the premise that a thin or slight body shape is what we all should aspire to. That belief is promoted by all the marketing and advertising materials that constantly surround us.

Is this thin or slight shape the right shaper for all of us? We are all individuals with slightly different DNA sequences that makes each of us unique even with 6 billion plus people on this planet. One size does not fit us all.

So why does the bulk of Western Society look huge when compared to the people who live in Asia?

Is it solely because of their genetic background or is it because of their diet?

Let’s have a look at why that is the case.

The weight loss industry

The weight loss industry is rife with gimmicks and scams, and you may have tried everything under the sun and you are STILL dangerously high in body fat. Why?

Seemingly healthy lasagna loaded with fat

It wouldn't have anything to do with the food we eat. Would it?

2/3 of all Americans have an unhealthy body fat percentage and are classified as overweight. 1/3 of all Americans are obese, which is defined as a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 30. This includes 1 in 6 children being clinically obese. This is a serious health crisis, and looks likely to get significantly worse before it gets better. The current estimate is that by 2020 (that is only next year), over 50% of all Americans (and most of Europe as well) will be classified as obese and likely to be diabetic.

What is going on? Why has it become so hard for people to stay lean and healthy, and how has it got this bad?

Stop blaming yourself.

The cards are stacked against you. Farmers and food have been replaced by a “food industry.” Food has been replaced with laboratory designed “food by-products” engineered to make you addicted to their products and increase your appetite. This scenario sets you up to consume more manufactured chemical-laden artificial foodstuff products and to increase profits for the industrial food complex.

We, the people, have been brainwashed into believing "marketing and profits" are the same thing as "science" and the basic truths of life. When most Americans eat what they think is a “healthy choice” for a meal, it is often the very type of meal that causes obesity and other inflammatory diseases that accompany obesity. You are left “trying so hard” and yet get terrible results, and you think that you are “weak” or lack willpower.

Farmland to housing reduces real food and makes profits for fat manufacturers

We have allowed Greed to become an epidemic in our society. Productive farms have been purchased and turned into suburbs by greedy developers. As we lose more and more of productive farmland to these developers the “food industry” replaces the farmers with accountants and shareholders, and the quality of our food supply slips down another rung on the ladder. This is compounded by the refusal of our Governments to look beyond the next election to safeguard our precious productive farmland before it vanishes forever.

In order to improve your health you must forgive yourself.

The first step to making any progress is letting yourself off the hook. You have been lied to and deceived by multiple industries. We (scientists) understand physiology and how the body is built to thrive. You haven’t been taught to eat based upon these principles. But you can learn. You are not weak. I have never met a single repeat dieter whom I would ever describe as not having tremendous willpower. You are strong. You just need to learn the truth. If you need permission, let me give it to you: this is not your fault, and you can learn how to get the results you desire in a safe and comfortable way.

You can find the real science, not marketing or advertising claims, by becoming part of DestroyDisease.org when the Fact Checkers make sure the information they share is the truth. Most scientific studies that demonstrate that disease can be eliminated from your body without using drugs and surgery are ignored by the “Medical Industry”.

You can Start Over by coming on one or more of our Health Journeys.

Yes, you can start over and achieve success in your body fat and body weight maintenance goals. Losing weight is a difficult long term goal, but being your healthiest self is a great one. Teaching you how to maintain your best self for a lifetime of pleasure is my goal.

We offer multiple ways for you to learn how your body fat is your friend and how to maintain it at healthy levels.

Courses: 7 day, 30 day, 120 day True Cellular Detox programs, and a year long life changing program.

Send me more information on your Health Journeys

Bowel Cancer Symptoms

Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK – here are the symptoms

Bowel cancer. It may sound scary but the truth is the earlier it’s diagnosed, the better the chances of survival – but only two in five bowel cancer patients are diagnosed at stage one or two. Highlighted Colon

With the recent news that a well-known BBC journalist has bowel cancer, there’s been a rise in people getting tested for the disease.

As the second biggest cancer killer in the UK, it’s vital that people get tested if they have any symptoms, but so many of us are just too embarrassed to talk about our trips to the toilet.

The testing will detect hidden blood in the stool, an early symptom of colon cancer. It’s the first step to finding out if you may have bowel cancer so rather than determine if you definitely have colon cancer, it indicates that you may require further testing in the form of a colonoscopy.

Bowel cancer can be fatal if left undiagnosed.

Symptoms can include:

• Persistent bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your stool
• A persistent change in bowel habit – needing to go more often, with looser stools
• Unexplained weight loss
• Extreme tiredness
• Persistent pain in your stomach
• A lump in your stomach

Get yourself tested today if you have any of the above systems. It might just save your life.

1st Day at Medical School

Are Modern Quality Systems useful?

Modern Quality Systems are useless.

Bureaucracy and paperwork have replaced what QA systems were designed to do.

Namely, ensure the product being produced meet the manufacturers’ specifications, and the end users expectations.

If the prospective purchaser does not like those specifications then they have 2 options.

Don’t make the purchase
2. Suck it up.

Now though, all published Quality standards (ISO, BRC, etc) require that the supplier meets the Customers requirements.

That in my view is the tail wagging the dog.

Also QA departments of the purchaser add extra requirements, such as;

Having the supplier add the purchaser to their liability insurance
Having personal guarantees from the suppliers directors (especially if they are small operations),
Requiring all testing that THEY require be carried out, guaranteed and paid for by the supplier even if those required tests are outside the scope of the suppliers specification.
Demanding copious quantities of paperwork that does not have anything to do with the products being produced or purchased,

Companies are now more concerned about getting the paperwork right, than worrying about what they actually receive.

When I first started as a QA consultant and registered auditor back in the 1980’s there were 3 ISO Quality Standards;

ISO 9001 covered design and research, testing and the initial work done for the production of a new product.

ISO9002 covered the process to produce the final product of the item produced to the manufacturers specification; and

ISO 9003 which covered the final tests and checks to show the product met the manufacturers specification.

The producer could select what standard they wanted to use, and a number of manufacturers used ISO9003 where the final test results were checked against the manufacturers’ specifications only.

Over the years all these standards have been rolled into ISO9001 which to my mind makes for a bloated set of requirements that are completely over the top and not necessary for at least 90% of all current companies and businesses.

Why has this happened?

I think it comes down to the normal explanation of bureaucracy making things complicated so that people are forced to employ expensive “consultants” to help them make sense of the paperwork.

What do the consultants produce?

A number of manuals that get nicely bound and shoved in a bookcase that are very rarely looked at until an audit is required, and then only by the auditor (maybe).
An invoice from the consultant that has provided the boilerplate paperwork for the bookcase. When you read the number of QA manual I have, you see that the majority are all the same with minor changes namely with the company name. The SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures) are supposed to be unique to the company, but that isn’t always the case either.
An ongoing bill from the consultant for updates, visits, audits and anything else they can add to the bill, including excessive travel charges.
An introduction to a Certification Organisation that has paid their fees to the national ISO accreditation organisation which gives them the ability to give you another larger invoice for checking the paperwork. Most times this is done using the “desk audit” method which means nobody does a physical audit, and so long as the supplied paperwork meets their interpretation of the standard then you receive a certification certificate.

What do you end up with?

Well, first of all you receive a certificate that says that you meet the requirements of the appropriate standard. Most times this happens even though no one from the Certifier Agency has ever set foot on your premises.

So now you have a piece of paper which says you meet the requirements of the standard, but no one has determined if the final product is actually suitable for the purpose it was produced for.

Let us look at an example for a product produced by a company that claims ISO9001:2008 certification from an internationally recognised Certification Organisation.

The company in question makes plastic clothes pegs. Not very high tech but it demonstrates the inadequacy of the various modern certification systems.

The initial ISO9001 back in 1980’s said that the product being designed and produced should be fit for purpose.

The current ISO9001 says that the product must be produced to the customers’ requirements.

Now this does not seem to be a change at all until you look at the underlying reason for the change.

Originally it was aimed at making sure that the end user received a product that did the job it was designed for in a reliable and consistent manner. Namely that the housewife had pegs she could use to use to hang up her washing on the wash line in the sun, with the expectation that the pegs would last a long time (like they used to with wooden pegs).

Now, the customer is the person, organisation or business that is buying the pegs to on-sell to the housewife. This removes the ultimate end use from consideration because the end user is not the customer. Most businesses want pegs that enable clothing to be attached to the wash line at the best possible price. The fact that the manufacturer is forced by the Customer (company who placed the order) to use plastic that degrades very fast in sunlight instead of the fibre reinforced nylon plastic that is UV tolerant is irrelevant to the standard.

So the housewife gets an inferior product that is not fit for purpose (in her mind), but does meet the requirements of the standard.

By changing the wording from end use to customer requirements it has allowed most standard certifications to not be worth the paper they are written on.

There is nothing stopping the customer requiring that the product breaks or destroys itself after one use, when the end user expects it to last a lot longer than one use. Under the new standards, failure for the manufacturer to meet these requirements set by the business purchasing their product means that they cannot claim that they are ISO 9001:2008 certified. They are therefore forced to supply an inferior product in order to get the business, and retain their certification.

In my view, this is not an ethical or acceptable business practice, and yet it is the current methodology of nearly every business I have worked with since the 1980’s.

Who is at fault?

All parties to this charade are at fault.

The QA Managers at the manufacturer and purchaser who are more concerned with getting the paperwork right and filed correctly so that their backside is covered.

The sales and purchasing people who are more concerned about saving a few pennies, with absolutely no care or interest about the ultimate end user of the product.

The engineering group who do not point out that the inferior product will eventually back fire on the producer and the buyer.

The consultants who are full of BS who do not understand the industry or processes they are supposed to certify or audit.

The Certification companies who take money under false pretenses.

The customer whose only method of making a difference is voting with their money, but as everyone is on this roundabout they are forced to choose between many bad choices.

Is it any better with Food Product and Safety Certification?

The short answer to that is a resounding NO!

My experience is that calling something Organic, Natural or using similar words does not make the food true to label, or any better for you than the similar product next door.

When certification started becoming fashionable (1980’s) then the people who were involved then were committed to the cause. Much the same as everything else, shysters and others who were only interested in making money moved in.

Why did growers want certification?

Because such a certification enabled the seller to get 50 – 100% price premium over similar products without the certification sticker.

Is that the day today?

Sadly no. The price premiums are still there, but lower than previous. What has happened is that the certification sticker is so widespread that it has become meaningless. In theory all “Organic” farms and processing premises are supposed to be inspected on a yearly basis. This used to be done by dedicated inspectors who physically went and got dirty. They moved stuff to see what was underneath, and rummaged through rubbish, took soil and air samples and spoke to the works in the field or processing plant. They did this to make sure that banned substances were not on site, and had not been used on site and hidden away from prying eyes.

Do the inspectors still do that?

The answer to that important question is a resounding NO in most cases!

Most “inspectors” these days do a desk audit only, never going outside the office and certainly not going somewhere where they might get their polished shoes and expensive suits dirty.

You see, what has happened is that consulting companies and other large organisations have taken over. They are only concerned about making money, and have no real passion for what they are doing. So long as the paperwork says that no banned substances or methods were used then the approval is given and a certificate is issued.

In some cases, too many to be comfortable with, a little koha (gift) will make the paper pusher inspector forgetful about something not quite right in the paperwork.

Current situation

The current situation is that any certification for any product, not just food, can be purchased for cash after a few days asking around.

This is a shameful situation that I can only see getting worse in the coming years.

Trust a food Quality Certification at your own peril. Do your own tests to make sure the product you are using meets YOUR requirements.

Kosher, Organic, Vegan, Halal, Gluten Free, etc, etc, certificates are all available no questions asked for the right amount of money.

Should it be like this? No.

This is just how life is these days. Sadly!

Your comments are welcome below.

Antidepressants that cause Obesity

Weight gain is a possible side effect of many antidepressant drugs. While each person responds to antidepressant treatment differently, the following antidepressants may be more likely to cause weight gain during your treatment.

It can be a sad state of affairs that you go along to the Doctor because you are depressed about your weight and the Doctor, (who probably isn't really listening) prescribes an antidepressant that causes you to gain even more weight.

This might seem a bit far fetched but this occurs too many times to be regarded as unusual.

The next time you take your antidepressant tablets check against this list to see if you need to get the prescription changed to something that doesn't cause weight gain. [Download the PDF file below - no email required].

Download the PDF file Here

« Previous 1 2 3 Next »