Carlos Monteiro, a professor at the University of São Paulo, believes that "the big issue is ultra-processing." The most important factor when considering food and nutrition is neither nutrients nor foods -- it's what is done to foods and the nutrients contained in them before they are purchased and consumed. Monteiro makes it clear that most foods and drinks are currently processed to some extent -- even fresh apples are washed and sometimes waxed, and drinking water is filtered. But ultra-processed foods are too common, they are depleted of nutrients and they provide little more than calories.
According to the Atlantic:
"The purpose of ... ultra-processing is to create: durable, accessible, convenient, attractive, ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat products ... Monteiro argues: 'the rapid rise in consumption of ultra-processed food and drink products, especially since the 1980s, is the main dietary cause of the concurrent rapid rise in obesity and related diseases throughout the world.'"
Comments:
I wholeheartedly agree with Carlos Monteiro. Americans currently spend upwards of 90 percent of their food budgets purchasing processed foods, which offer very little in terms of nutritional value and instead typically contain ingredients that will actually cause you harm. Monteiro maintains that "consumption of ultra-processed food and drink products, especially since the 1980s, is the main dietary cause of the concurrent rapid rise in obesity and related diseases throughout the world.” What makes processed foods, or as Monteiro calls them "ultra-processed foods," so devastating to your health?
Lots of Calories for Little Nutrition
If you eat a fast-food burger, you can easily take in close to half of your daily caloric requirements. Add in fries and a soda and you may be nearing an entire day's worth of required calories. But in that one meal, which is designed to be eaten quickly, you have not received the vitamins, minerals, live enzymes, micronutrients, healthy fats or high-quality protein that your body needs to thrive. When these types of foods are consumed day in and day out, for months and years on end, what you end up with is a calorie-dense diet that is not giving you the nutrients you need to stay healthy. On a diet like this, you will likely gain excess weight while your body is literally starving for healthy nutrients. With nearly 7 out of 10 Americans being overweight, and 1 in 4 being affected with diabetes or pre-diabetes, the heavily processed standard American diet, SAD, is clearly in dire need of a radical overhaul.
Processed Foods are Addictive
Fast food is available just about everywhere, including in hospitals and schools, and processed foods make up the majority of foods at your supermarket. They are marketed aggressively to kids and adults alike, and are manufactured using specific synthetic ingredients and other tricks to get you to eat more, crave more, and keep coming back for more.
I find it interesting that most people know that fast food and processed foods are "not good for you," yet most still choose to eat it. This is in large part due to the intensive advertising campaigns coupled with the habit-forming nature of these foods. On average, just one serving of a typical children's breakfast cereal equates to more than 90 percent of the daily sugar intake for girls aged 9 to 13. Even infant formulas and jarred baby food contains excessive amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup -- hooking babies on the unnatural taste of processed foods as soon as they're out of the womb! In one study of rats fed a diet containing 25 percent sugar, they became anxious when the sugar was removed -- displaying symptoms similar to people going through drug withdrawals, such as chattering teeth and the shakes. The researchers conducting the study found a link between opioids, your brain's 'pleasure chemicals,' and a craving for sweet, salty and fatty foods. It is thought that high-fat foods stimulate the opioids, as when researchers stimulated rats' brains with a synthetic version of the natural opioid, the rats ate up to six times their normal intake of fat. Further, long lasting changes in rats' brain chemistry, similar to those caused by morphine or heroin use, were also noted. According to researchers, this means that even simple exposure to pleasurable foods is enough to change gene expression, which suggests an addiction to the food. It's easy to forget that the processed, packaged foods and fast food restaurants of today are actually a radical change in terms of the history of food production. Many people have no idea that the frozen food business didn't begin until the mid-1920s and fast food restaurants didn't get a foot hold until after World War II.
Dangerous Food Additives
Eating processed foods is in no way the same as eating pure, unprocessed foods, in taste, nutritional value or the way they interact with your cells on a biological level. Processed foods often have little nutritional value and are chemically altered to increase the appeal to your taste buds, so they can override your body's signals that would otherwise tell you it's time to stop eating and try something else. They are also loaded with additives that are harmful in their own right, such as:
1.Fructose - Now the number one source of calories in the US, fructose diminishes your feelings of fullness because it does not stimulate a rise in leptin, one of the most powerful hunger- and fat storage regulators in your body. Fructose also reduces the amount of leptin crossing your blood-brain barrier by raising triglycerides. Leptin resistance, in turn, is perhaps one of the most significant factors underlying human disease. For example, it plays a significant if not primary role in the development of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases, reproductive disorders, and perhaps the rate of aging itself. Additionally, whereas glucose suppresses ghrelin (also known as “the hunger hormone,” which makes you want more food), fructose, again, does not. Fructose also increases your insulin levels, interfering with the communication between leptin and your hypothalamus, so your pleasure signals aren’t extinguished. Your brain keeps sensing that you’re starving, and prompts you to eat more. For the sake of your health, I strongly advise keeping your fructose consumption below 25 grams per day, but this is virtually impossible if you eat a lot of processed foods.
2.Genetically Modified (GM) Ingredients - Some 75 percent of processed foods contain GM ingredients, which are being increasingly linked to serious health problems. Just last year the American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) reviewed the available research and issued a memorandum recommending that all doctors prescribe non-GMO diets to all patients because they are causally linked in animal feeding studies to: Infertility, Immune system problems, Gastrointestinal problems, Organ damage, Dysfunctional regulation of cholesterol and insulin, Accelerated aging. One of the first steps to avoiding GM ingredients is to cut back on processed foods in your diet.
3.MSG - Monosodium glutamate, a flavor enhancer, is added to thousands of processed (canned soups, crackers, meats, salad dressings, frozen dinners, chips and much more) and restaurant foods. MSG is so popular because it actually enhances the flavor of foods, making processed meats and frozen dinners taste fresher and smell better, salad dressings more tasty, and canned foods less tinny. However, it is also an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and more.
4.Food Additives - More than 3,000 food additives -- preservatives, flavorings, colors and other ingredients -- are added to foods in the United States. While each of these substances are legal to use, whether or not they are entirely safe for long-term consumption -- by themselves or in combination -- is a different story altogether. Many of them, such as sodium nitrate, BHA, BHT, aspartame, Blue 1, 2, and potassium bromate, have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Others are estrogen-mimicking xenoestrogens that have been linked to a range of human health effects, including reduced sperm counts in men and increased risk of breast cancer in women. Studies have also shown that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate -- found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings -- cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible. Meanwhile, E-numbered food dyes (such as tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129) do as much damage to children's brains as lead in gasoline, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ. Fortunately, when you avoid processed foods you’ll also automatically avoid virtually every one of these toxic food additives.
If You Only Eat Processed Foods, You're also Missing Raw food!
I believe it's wise to get as much raw food in your diet as possible. For starters, processing foods at high temperatures destroys naturally occurring enzymes. Enzymes are proteins -- catalysts to speed up and facilitate reactions in your body. In fact, some biochemical reactions will not even occur without these enzymes (you have about 1,300 of them). Processed foods are also devoid of biophotons, the smallest physical units of light, which are stored in, and used by all biological organisms -- including your body. Vital sun energy finds its way into your cells via the food you eat, in the form of these biophotons. They contain important information that controls complex vital processes in your body. The biophotons have the power to order and regulate, and, in doing so, to elevate the organism – in this case, your physical body -- to a higher oscillation or order. This is manifested as a feeling of vitality and well-being. The more light a food is able to store, the more nutritious it is. Naturally grown fresh vegetables, for example, and sun-ripened fruits, are rich in light energy. The capacity to store biophotons is therefore a measure of the quality of your food -- and processed foods contain zero light energy.
Ditching Processed Foods Can be Easy
Eating fresh, whole foods is the "secret" to getting healthier, losing weight and really enjoying your food, but many believe it's next to impossible to eat nowadays without processed foods. Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough have tackled this issue head-on in their book Real Food Has Curves, which is a great starting point to "relearn" the basics of how to enjoy and prepare real, healthy food. Many people are under the mistaken impression that cooking from scratch is an extremely complicated affair that takes lots of time and costs more than they could possibly afford. More often than not, this is simply not true. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find you can whip up a healthful meal from scratch in the same amount of time it would have taken you to drive down the street to pick up fast food. Of course, you'll be far more satisfied when you eat your home-cooked meal, both physically and mentally. Finding the time, and the financial resources, to make healthy meals for your family can be challenging, but please don't use these as excuses to exist on processed food. Your health, your energy levels, your appearance, your mood and so many other factors -- will improve when you eat the foods your body was designed for. Returning to a diet of locally grown, fresh whole foods is really the only way to reach optimal health. A major leap forward would be to strive for a diet of 90 percent non-processed food and only 10 percent from other sources.
Final Words of Wisdom:
Please remember that someone has to spend some time in the kitchen to prepare your meals, whether it is you, your spouse, a relative, friend, or a chef. If you ignore this basic principle you can be strongly assured your health will suffer. It is no mystery that when noon comes around you will likely want lunch. So why not figure out what that will be the night before you go to sleep. Seek to make a habit of knowing what you will eat the next day so you can be prepared and won't have to rely on fast food or junk food.
Source: www.mercola.com, 11/22/10
Please contact me at DrDan1221@yahoo.com or 920-954-1002 with questions or comments.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Want a Good Night's Sleep?
Sleep is one of the great mysteries of life. We still don’t understand exactly why we sleep—although we are learning more about it every day. We do know, however, that good sleep is one of the cornerstones of health. Six to eight hours per night seems to be the optimal amount of sleep for most adults, and too much or too little can have adverse effects on your health. Sleep deprivation is such a chronic condition these days that you might not even realize you suffer from it. Science has now established that a sleep deficit can have serious, far reaching effects on your health.
For example, interrupted or impaired sleep can:
• Dramatically weaken your immune system
• Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions
• Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight
• Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day
• Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability
When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, your body produces less melatonin and has less ability to fight cancer, since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer. This is why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly.
Impaired sleep can also increase stress-related disorders, including: heart disease, stomach ulcers, constipation and mood disorders like depression.
Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep. Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger. One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause. Lost sleep is lost forever, and persistent lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes to disrupting your health. Poor sleep can make your life miserable, as most of you probably know. The good news is, there are many natural techniques you can learn to restore your “sleep health.” Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning—or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep—you are bound to find some relief from the tips and tricks below.
Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary
1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. You may want to refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes. All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep. When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.
3. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend shutting off your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
4. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary. You may want to try a sun light alarm clock, it combines the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity that simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time, which is ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.
Preparing for Bed
8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.
11. Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night waking. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly.
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep!
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.
Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep
24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely affect sleep. Check with your doctor.
25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine (for example, diet pills).
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
27. Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep.
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.
30. Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.
31. If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.
32. Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime and absolute complete darkness at night. If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue. Melatonin is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep.
***In Conclusion: Ask one of the doctors at Beck-Thibodeau Chiropractic about getting your adrenal glands or hormones checked. We can also advise you on supplements to aid in sleeping. We have helped many patients with these types of problems.
Source: www.mercola.com – October 10, 2010
For example, interrupted or impaired sleep can:
• Dramatically weaken your immune system
• Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions
• Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight
• Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day
• Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability
When your circadian rhythms are disrupted, your body produces less melatonin and has less ability to fight cancer, since melatonin helps suppress free radicals that can lead to cancer. This is why tumors grow faster when you sleep poorly.
Impaired sleep can also increase stress-related disorders, including: heart disease, stomach ulcers, constipation and mood disorders like depression.
Sleep deprivation prematurely ages you by interfering with your growth hormone production, normally released by your pituitary gland during deep sleep. Growth hormone helps you look and feel younger. One study has even shown that people with chronic insomnia have a three times greater risk of dying from any cause. Lost sleep is lost forever, and persistent lack of sleep has a cumulative effect when it comes to disrupting your health. Poor sleep can make your life miserable, as most of you probably know. The good news is, there are many natural techniques you can learn to restore your “sleep health.” Whether you have difficulty falling asleep, waking up too often, or feeling inadequately rested when you wake up in the morning—or maybe you simply want to improve the quality of your sleep—you are bound to find some relief from the tips and tricks below.
Optimizing Your Sleep Sanctuary
1. Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. You may want to refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes. All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Light signals your brain that it’s time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION.
2. Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep. When you sleep, your body’s internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body’s natural temperature drop.
3. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend shutting off your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.
4. Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.
5. Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary. You may want to try a sun light alarm clock, it combines the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity that simulates a natural sunrise. It also includes a sunset feature where the light fades to darkness over time, which is ideal for anyone who has trouble falling asleep.
6. Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.
7. Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom.
Preparing for Bed
8. Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.
9. Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.
10. Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.
11. Don't drink any fluids within 2 hours of going to bed. This will reduce the likelihood of needing to get up and go to the bathroom, or at least minimize the frequency.
12. Go to the bathroom right before bed. This will reduce the chances that you'll wake up to go in the middle of the night.
13. Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the L-tryptophan needed for your melatonin and serotonin production.
14. Also eat a small piece of fruit. This can help the tryptophan cross your blood-brain barrier.
15. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. These will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep. Later, when blood sugar drops too low (hypoglycemia), you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
16. Take a hot bath, shower or sauna before bed. When your body temperature is raised in the late evening, it will fall at bedtime, facilitating slumber. The temperature drop from getting out of the bath signals your body it’s time for bed.
17. Wear socks to bed. Feet often feel cold before the rest of the body because they have the poorest circulation. A study has shown that wearing socks reduces night waking. As an alternative, you could place a hot water bottle near your feet at night.
18. Wear an eye mask to block out light. As discussed earlier, it is very important to sleep in as close to complete darkness as possible. That said, it's not always easy to block out every stream of light using curtains, blinds or drapes, particularly if you live in an urban area (or if your spouse has a different schedule than you do). In these cases, an eye mask can be helpful.
19. Put your work away at least one hour before bed (preferably two hours or more). This will give your mind a chance to unwind so you can go to sleep feeling calm, not hyped up or anxious about tomorrow's deadlines.
20. No TV right before bed. Even better, get the TV out of the bedroom or even completely out of the house. It’s too stimulating to the brain, preventing you from falling asleep quickly.
21. Listen to relaxation CDs. Some people find the sound of white noise or nature sounds, such as the ocean or forest, to be soothing for sleep.
22. Read something spiritual or uplifting. This may help you relax. Don't read anything stimulating, such as a mystery or suspense novel, which has the opposite effect. In addition, if you are really enjoying a suspenseful book, you might be tempted to go on reading for hours, instead of going to sleep!
23. Journaling. If you often lay in bed with your mind racing, it might be helpful keep a journal and write down your thoughts before bed.
Lifestyle Suggestions That Enhance Sleep
24. Reduce or avoid as many drugs as possible. Many drugs, both prescription and over-the-counter, may adversely affect sleep. Check with your doctor.
25. Avoid caffeine. At least one study has shown that, in some people, caffeine is not metabolized efficiently, leaving you feeling its effects long after consumption. So, an afternoon cup of coffee or tea will keep some people from falling asleep at night. Be aware that some medications contain caffeine (for example, diet pills).
26. Avoid alcohol. Although alcohol will make you drowsy, the effect is short lived and you will often wake up several hours later, unable to fall back asleep. Alcohol will also keep you from entering the deeper stages of sleep, where your body does most of its healing.
27. Make certain you are exercising regularly. Exercising for at least 30 minutes per day can improve your sleep. However, don't exercise too close to bedtime or it may keep you awake. Studies show exercising in the morning is the best if you can manage it.
28. Lose excess weight. Being overweight can increase your risk of sleep apnea, which can seriously impair your sleep.
29. Avoid foods you may be sensitive to. This is particularly true for sugar, grains, and pasteurized dairy. Sensitivity reactions can cause excess congestion, gastrointestinal upset, bloating and gas, and other problems.
30. Have your adrenals checked by a good natural medicine clinician. Scientists have found that insomnia may be caused by adrenal stress.
31. If you are menopausal or perimenopausal, get checked out by a good natural medicine physician. The hormonal changes at this time may cause sleep problems if not properly addressed.
32. Increase your melatonin. Ideally it is best to increase levels naturally with exposure to bright sunlight in the daytime and absolute complete darkness at night. If that isn’t possible, you may want to consider a melatonin supplement. In scientific studies, melatonin has been shown to increase sleepiness, help you fall asleep more quickly and stay asleep, decrease restlessness, and reverse daytime fatigue. Melatonin is a completely natural substance, made by your body, and has many health benefits in addition to sleep.
***In Conclusion: Ask one of the doctors at Beck-Thibodeau Chiropractic about getting your adrenal glands or hormones checked. We can also advise you on supplements to aid in sleeping. We have helped many patients with these types of problems.
Source: www.mercola.com – October 10, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
H1N1 Swine Flu Pandemic Was a Farce?
The H1N1 flu was actually no more serious than most seasonal strains, according to a new study. H1N1 virus disproportionately affected children and young adults, but the symptoms and risk of complications were similar to those of seasonal influenza viruses. For the study, researchers compared the H1N1 pandemic flu with the seasonal H1N1 flu, as well as the H3N2 seasonal flu. H1N1 pandemic flu was not linked to substantially more hospitalization or pneumonia compared with either H1N1 seasonal flu or H3N2 seasonal flu.
Reuters reports:
“This year, it is doubtful H1N1 pandemic flu will be noticed ... most people are now immune to this strain, because it spread so far and wide.”
What a difference a year makes. It was around this time last year that swine flu hysteria was sweeping across the United States and much of the world, and one of the largest, most inappropriate and unnecessary vaccine campaigns was launched. We were told by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the president of the United States that H1N1 swine flu was deadly and millions might die worldwide. The terrifying, deadly pandemic that health officials had been expecting for over half a century was knocking at our doorstep … only it never materialized. It didn’t take long for the truth to come out -- that the swine flu was not only no more dangerous than regular flu but it was FAR less dangerous. Nevertheless, government agencies remained steadfast in their urgings to get vaccinated.
Swine Flu is a Mild Virus, and the Pandemic was a Fake
Now we have even more evidence of swine flu’s mild nature, as a new report in JAMA found that serious complications were no more likely in adults and kids with swine flu than they were in those with regular seasonal flu. This is an important finding to further solidify that the 2009 swine flu pandemic will likely go down as one of the most massive cover-ups in American history … but it is really not new information. Within a week of Australia reporting that the swine flu virus appeared to be 40 times less lethal than originally feared, the World Health Organization (WHO) instructed countries to simply stop lab confirming suspected H1N1 cases, which meant that any and all flu-like symptoms were reported as pandemic influenza, padding the statistics. It was only June 11, 2009 when WHO raised its swine flu pandemic alert from a 5 to a 6. By this time the swine flu virus was already showing itself to have mild symptoms, quick recovery time, and low incidence of death among the vast majority of H1N1 patients throughout the world.
Yet all the drug companies needed to begin shipping out their profitable new H1N1 vaccine across the world was for the swine flu to be kicked up one notch, from a phase 5 to a phase 6 pandemic … and that is exactly what they got.
Suspicious?
That’s putting it mildly considering the very same scientists, who advised the WHO on their decisions were paid consultants with the drug industry. Even before this revelation, the Council of Europe, European Parliament, and even the WHO itself had launched investigations to determine exactly what role the drug companies played in the swine flu debacle, and how deeply Big Pharma's tentacles reach into the World Health Organization. In a motion asking the council to investigate the declaration of H1N1 as a pandemic, these members accused pharmaceutical companies of faking the pandemic and farming it out to the world, so they could fill their pockets with the proceeds. This so-called pandemic was never a pandemic in the true sense. Despite rampant misrepresentation of the facts, last year's flu season turned out to be one of the mildest in recent years!
The Swine Flu May be a Memory … but the Vaccine is Still Here
The flu vaccine that’s being widely promoted in the United States this year is a combination vaccine that contains a type A and type B seasonal flu strain as well as the pandemic H1N1 type A swine flu strain of influenza. This is despite the fact that many Americans have now been exposed to H1N1 swine flu and have some natural immunity to it. But while the swine flu is mild for most people, the vaccine has been causing a host of reactions in both children and adults. According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center, a special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent H1N1 swine flu vaccine for signs that it may be associated with a higher rate of certain kinds of reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is that there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.
In a recent NVIC video update, Fisher explained:
"One was Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which we know has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976 when the first swine flu vaccine was used.
There is [also] a sign of a blood disorder called thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is when your blood cannot produce enough platelets. It's an autoimmune type reaction.
The other is Bell's palsy. That's a facial paralysis. It's a neuroimmune reaction.
The government is saying they don't know if these are true signals or not, but there were some red flags that were raised."
Sweden and Finland also recently sounded the alarm because young patients suddenly developed narcolepsy after being vaccinated with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. France, Germany and Norway have also started counting cases, and the EU has launched an investigation. Earlier this year, Australia suspended use of its seasonal flu vaccine for children under the age of 5 back in April after detecting an abnormal number of side effects within 12 hours of vaccination, compared to previous years. The vaccine contained three strains of influenza, including the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Side effects included high fevers and seizures. Despite outstanding questions about the safety of this year’s seasonal influenza vaccine containing the reactive H1N1 swine flu component, including warning signs from Australia and Europe about seizures and other neurological complications, the United States is now moving into the 2010-2011 flu season using a flu vaccine that may be very reactive.
"I am concerned," Fisher says. "We have over 300 million people [in the US] who… are supposed to get this influenza vaccine. And we have a very aggressive push by the media and others who are following the lead of the government, so we could have a bad situation."
Source: Business Week 9/7/10; JAMA 9/8/10; FoodConsumer.org 9/8/10
Reuters reports:
“This year, it is doubtful H1N1 pandemic flu will be noticed ... most people are now immune to this strain, because it spread so far and wide.”
What a difference a year makes. It was around this time last year that swine flu hysteria was sweeping across the United States and much of the world, and one of the largest, most inappropriate and unnecessary vaccine campaigns was launched. We were told by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the president of the United States that H1N1 swine flu was deadly and millions might die worldwide. The terrifying, deadly pandemic that health officials had been expecting for over half a century was knocking at our doorstep … only it never materialized. It didn’t take long for the truth to come out -- that the swine flu was not only no more dangerous than regular flu but it was FAR less dangerous. Nevertheless, government agencies remained steadfast in their urgings to get vaccinated.
Swine Flu is a Mild Virus, and the Pandemic was a Fake
Now we have even more evidence of swine flu’s mild nature, as a new report in JAMA found that serious complications were no more likely in adults and kids with swine flu than they were in those with regular seasonal flu. This is an important finding to further solidify that the 2009 swine flu pandemic will likely go down as one of the most massive cover-ups in American history … but it is really not new information. Within a week of Australia reporting that the swine flu virus appeared to be 40 times less lethal than originally feared, the World Health Organization (WHO) instructed countries to simply stop lab confirming suspected H1N1 cases, which meant that any and all flu-like symptoms were reported as pandemic influenza, padding the statistics. It was only June 11, 2009 when WHO raised its swine flu pandemic alert from a 5 to a 6. By this time the swine flu virus was already showing itself to have mild symptoms, quick recovery time, and low incidence of death among the vast majority of H1N1 patients throughout the world.
Yet all the drug companies needed to begin shipping out their profitable new H1N1 vaccine across the world was for the swine flu to be kicked up one notch, from a phase 5 to a phase 6 pandemic … and that is exactly what they got.
Suspicious?
That’s putting it mildly considering the very same scientists, who advised the WHO on their decisions were paid consultants with the drug industry. Even before this revelation, the Council of Europe, European Parliament, and even the WHO itself had launched investigations to determine exactly what role the drug companies played in the swine flu debacle, and how deeply Big Pharma's tentacles reach into the World Health Organization. In a motion asking the council to investigate the declaration of H1N1 as a pandemic, these members accused pharmaceutical companies of faking the pandemic and farming it out to the world, so they could fill their pockets with the proceeds. This so-called pandemic was never a pandemic in the true sense. Despite rampant misrepresentation of the facts, last year's flu season turned out to be one of the mildest in recent years!
The Swine Flu May be a Memory … but the Vaccine is Still Here
The flu vaccine that’s being widely promoted in the United States this year is a combination vaccine that contains a type A and type B seasonal flu strain as well as the pandemic H1N1 type A swine flu strain of influenza. This is despite the fact that many Americans have now been exposed to H1N1 swine flu and have some natural immunity to it. But while the swine flu is mild for most people, the vaccine has been causing a host of reactions in both children and adults. According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center, a special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent H1N1 swine flu vaccine for signs that it may be associated with a higher rate of certain kinds of reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is that there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.
In a recent NVIC video update, Fisher explained:
"One was Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which we know has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976 when the first swine flu vaccine was used.
There is [also] a sign of a blood disorder called thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is when your blood cannot produce enough platelets. It's an autoimmune type reaction.
The other is Bell's palsy. That's a facial paralysis. It's a neuroimmune reaction.
The government is saying they don't know if these are true signals or not, but there were some red flags that were raised."
Sweden and Finland also recently sounded the alarm because young patients suddenly developed narcolepsy after being vaccinated with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. France, Germany and Norway have also started counting cases, and the EU has launched an investigation. Earlier this year, Australia suspended use of its seasonal flu vaccine for children under the age of 5 back in April after detecting an abnormal number of side effects within 12 hours of vaccination, compared to previous years. The vaccine contained three strains of influenza, including the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. Side effects included high fevers and seizures. Despite outstanding questions about the safety of this year’s seasonal influenza vaccine containing the reactive H1N1 swine flu component, including warning signs from Australia and Europe about seizures and other neurological complications, the United States is now moving into the 2010-2011 flu season using a flu vaccine that may be very reactive.
"I am concerned," Fisher says. "We have over 300 million people [in the US] who… are supposed to get this influenza vaccine. And we have a very aggressive push by the media and others who are following the lead of the government, so we could have a bad situation."
Source: Business Week 9/7/10; JAMA 9/8/10; FoodConsumer.org 9/8/10
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
The Key Factor In The Rise of ADHD?
Close to 1 million children in the United States have potentially been misdiagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- simply because they are the youngest, and therefore the most immature, in their kindergarten class. These children are significantly more likely to be prescribed behavior-modifying drugs such as Ritalin. Such inappropriate treatment is particularly troubling because of the unknown impacts of long-term stimulant use on children's health.
According to Science Daily:
“It also wastes an estimated $320 million-$500 million a year on unnecessary medication -- some $80 million-$90 million of it paid by Medicaid”.
Comments: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) seem to have become the catch-all designations for children who do not “behave well,” and as this study shows, this personal observation may have some merit. As of 2006, at least 4.5 million American children under the age of 18 were diagnosed with ADHD, according to CDC statistics. The study above, published in the Journal of Health Economics in June, determined that about 20 percent of these children have likely been misdiagnosed. That’s nearly one million children in the US alone. The study found that many of the youngest children in any given grade level are perceived as exhibiting “symptoms” of ADHD, such as fidgeting and inability to concentrate, simply because they’re compared to more mature classmates.
How Do You Diagnose ADHD? ADHD involves a cluster of symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors. There is no definitive diagnostic tool, such as a brain scan, to determine if you have ADHD. There’s only subjective evaluation, and, for better or worse, teachers can play a significant role in this evaluation. The term ADD has largely been replaced with ADHD, as it describes two of the most common symptoms of the condition, inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.
Most children display a combination of these two traits, and may also show the following symptoms:
• Frequent fidgeting or squirming
• Feels restless or often runs and climbs excessively, or leaves his or her seat in the classroom when not appropriate
• Has difficulty playing quietly
• Talks excessively, interrupts often, and may blurt out answers to questions at inappropriate times
• Always seems on the go
• Has difficulty waiting his or her turn
As you can see, many of these “symptoms” could describe most children at one time or another! Therefore, only those who struggle with inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock are candidates for the ADHD label. Children who display these symptoms at school but not at home or with friends are not considered to have ADHD. Likewise, with children who display symptoms at home but not at school.
Is it ADHD, or Just Immaturity? Since this behavioral disorder is so easily misdiagnosed, and the ramifications of a diagnosis so severe, it’s essential that you become actively involved and pay close attention to your child’s developmental progress. The drugs prescribed for this condition are quite dangerous, and can lead to addiction and long-term health complications, including death. Drugs really should be a last resort, and not a knee-jerk consequence of immature or “poor” behavior. The study found that the youngest students were 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest in the same grade. And when you take into account the maturity level, and in large part normal behavior of a 6 versus a 7-year old, you can easily see why.
Science Daily writes:
“… the "smoking gun" of the study is that ADHD diagnoses depend on a child's age relative to classmates and the teacher's perceptions of whether the child has symptoms.
"If a child is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still, it may simply be because he's 5 and the other kids are 6," said Elder, assistant professor of economics. "There's a big difference between a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old, and teachers and medical practitioners need to take that into account when evaluating whether children have ADHD."
In addition, it’s important for parents to remain in charge and make their own assessments known, as the study also concluded that,
“ A child’s birth date relative to the eligibility cutoff also strongly influences teachers’ assessments of whether the child exhibits ADHD symptoms but is only weakly associated with similarly measured parental assessments, suggesting that many diagnoses may be driven by teachers’ perceptions of poor behavior among the youngest children in a classroom.
These perceptions have long-lasting consequences: the youngest children in fifth and eighth grades are nearly twice as likely as their older classmates to regularly use stimulants prescribed to treat ADHD.”
What Causes ADHD? There are a number of theories to explain the rise in ADHD diagnoses, including:
• Sugars and Grains. Children who consume highly processed foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices tend to have a higher rate and severity of these symptoms. While organic whole grains are superior to processed ones, many children with ADHD do not respond well to most grains, especially wheat.
• Genetic factors -- Some scientists are now aiming their research at finding genes that may make a person more susceptible to this disorder
• Environmental toxins -- A 2006 study found that a mother's use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. Exposure to lead and mercury may also cause ADHD symptoms, and pesticides and the industrial chemicals polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have also been named as potential culprits.
• Allergic reactions -- Chemically-sensitive people may exhibit ADHD symptoms when exposed to something as simple as clothing washed with perfumed and chemical-laden soap. Permanent press or stain-resistant products also contain chemicals that can initiate ADHD-like reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Processed food additives – Certain food dyes and other additives may cause ADHD-like symptoms. These chemicals have a particularly pernicious synergy if they are combined with sugars such as fructose.
• Increased number of childhood vaccinations – One 2007 survey found a strong correlation between rates of neurological disorders, such as ADHD, and childhood vaccinations. Vaccine adjuvants have also been associated with ADHD-type neurological problems.
• Fluoridated water
• Emotionally unstable home environments Stress is the frequently unappreciated and overlooked variable that can easily worsen ADHD. If the parents are having trouble in their relationship this can easily influence the child’s behavior.
• Increased rates of birth interventions. This can result in birth trauma and lack of oxygen in the newborn, which significantly increases the risk of developmental delay.
But the key factor, I believe, is nutrition, or rather lack thereof.
We know the food choices of most children and adults are incredibly poor. How can you possibly expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, processed foods loaded with chemicals and genetically engineered ingredients, and juices and sodas instead of pure water? Add to that the substandard amount of vegetables in most people’s diets -- up to 90 percent fewer than what is required for health -- an overabundance of highly processed, damaged omega-6 fats and a deficiency of omega-3 fats, and behavioral issues are not far behind. You simply cannot have a healthy functioning brain when the proper ingredients to develop or maintain a healthy brain are not being given!
The ADHD “Epidemic” is Creating a Generation of Drug Addicts Once a diagnosis has been made, the conventional approach typically involves drug therapy. Commonly prescribed drugs include: Ritalin®, Concerta®, Adderall® or Strattera®
These products, with the exception of Strattera®, all contain different formulations of methylphenidate, a powerful psychostimulant drug that is in the same class as cocaine. Please understand that just because these drugs are by prescription does NOT make them safer than their illegal “street drug” counterparts.
Methylphenidate behaves similarly to highly addictive drugs. Ritalin, for example, has the same pharmacological profile as cocaine, yet its effects are even more potent. Using brain imaging, scientists have found that, in pill form, Ritalin occupies more of the neural transporters responsible for the “high” experienced by addicts than smoked or injected cocaine. In essence, we have created a large body of new drug addicts, priming them for addiction from an extremely young age. This is a particularly painful thought when you consider that, in all likelihood, nearly one million children are being drugged simply because they act their age! And even more children are likely receiving addictive drugs when what they really need is proper nutrition. It’s also worth mentioning that, like antidepressants, some ADHD drugs have been linked to an increased probability of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Strattera®, which contains atomoxetine hydrochloride, carries this warning. Hallucinations, increased aggressive behavior, heart attack and stroke are also possible side effects of ADHD drugs.
Ritalin Use in America is Out of Control U.S. pharmacists distribute five times more Ritalin than the rest of the world combined, according to Dr. Samuel Epstein’s Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC). In all, 60 percent to 90 percent of U.S. kids with attention deficit disorders are prescribed this powerful drug, which amounts to 3 percent to 5 percent of U.S. children and teens on Ritalin.
By definition, Ritalin stimulates your central nervous system, leading to side effects such as:
Increased blood pressure, Increased heart rate, Increased body temperature, Increased alertness and Suppressed appetite
Research has also linked Ritalin with more severe health problems such as cancer.
Natural Ways to Relieve ADHD Symptoms It is my sincere hope that people will begin to realize that drug therapy should be a very last resort, after all other options have been exhausted – especially when it comes to behavioral problems such as ADHD. Before you consider drugs, please consider implementing the following strategies first, in addition to making sure that your child is assessed in an age-appropriate manner:
• Eliminate most grains and sugars from your child’s diet. Grains and sugars both tend to cause allergies in sensitive individuals. Even organic, whole grain can cause problems in many children so it would be wise to give them a grain holiday and see if their behavior improves.
• Replace soft drinks (whether diet and regular), fruit juices, and pasteurized milk with pure, clean non-fluoridated water.
• Increase omega-3 fats by taking a high quality animal-based omega-3 oil. Research has confirmed that something as simple as animal-based omega-3 fat can improve the symptoms of ADHD more effectively than drugs like Ritalin® and Concerta®. In my view, krill oil is the best option for this. It contains essential EPA and DHA in a double chain phospholipid structure that makes it far more absorbable than the omega-3s in fish oil.
• Minimize your use of processed fats, especially trans fats as they disrupt nerve cell intercommunication.
• Avoid processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, which may trigger or worsen symptoms.
• Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals. Pesticide exposure has been linked with ADHD.
• Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products with no added perfumes, softeners, etc.
• Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.
***In Conclusion: Ask one of the doctors at Beck-Thibodeau Chiropractic about getting your child under chiropractic care, relieving their possible allergies with Allergy Elimination or checking for any nutritional problems. We have helped many kids in the past with ADD and ADHD symptoms.
Source: Science Daily; Journal of Health Economics; mercola.com - September 1, 2010
According to Science Daily:
“It also wastes an estimated $320 million-$500 million a year on unnecessary medication -- some $80 million-$90 million of it paid by Medicaid”.
Comments: Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) seem to have become the catch-all designations for children who do not “behave well,” and as this study shows, this personal observation may have some merit. As of 2006, at least 4.5 million American children under the age of 18 were diagnosed with ADHD, according to CDC statistics. The study above, published in the Journal of Health Economics in June, determined that about 20 percent of these children have likely been misdiagnosed. That’s nearly one million children in the US alone. The study found that many of the youngest children in any given grade level are perceived as exhibiting “symptoms” of ADHD, such as fidgeting and inability to concentrate, simply because they’re compared to more mature classmates.
How Do You Diagnose ADHD? ADHD involves a cluster of symptoms that include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsive behaviors. There is no definitive diagnostic tool, such as a brain scan, to determine if you have ADHD. There’s only subjective evaluation, and, for better or worse, teachers can play a significant role in this evaluation. The term ADD has largely been replaced with ADHD, as it describes two of the most common symptoms of the condition, inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior.
Most children display a combination of these two traits, and may also show the following symptoms:
• Frequent fidgeting or squirming
• Feels restless or often runs and climbs excessively, or leaves his or her seat in the classroom when not appropriate
• Has difficulty playing quietly
• Talks excessively, interrupts often, and may blurt out answers to questions at inappropriate times
• Always seems on the go
• Has difficulty waiting his or her turn
As you can see, many of these “symptoms” could describe most children at one time or another! Therefore, only those who struggle with inattention and hyperactive or impulsive behaviors around the clock are candidates for the ADHD label. Children who display these symptoms at school but not at home or with friends are not considered to have ADHD. Likewise, with children who display symptoms at home but not at school.
Is it ADHD, or Just Immaturity? Since this behavioral disorder is so easily misdiagnosed, and the ramifications of a diagnosis so severe, it’s essential that you become actively involved and pay close attention to your child’s developmental progress. The drugs prescribed for this condition are quite dangerous, and can lead to addiction and long-term health complications, including death. Drugs really should be a last resort, and not a knee-jerk consequence of immature or “poor” behavior. The study found that the youngest students were 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than the oldest in the same grade. And when you take into account the maturity level, and in large part normal behavior of a 6 versus a 7-year old, you can easily see why.
Science Daily writes:
“… the "smoking gun" of the study is that ADHD diagnoses depend on a child's age relative to classmates and the teacher's perceptions of whether the child has symptoms.
"If a child is behaving poorly, if he's inattentive, if he can't sit still, it may simply be because he's 5 and the other kids are 6," said Elder, assistant professor of economics. "There's a big difference between a 5-year-old and a 6-year-old, and teachers and medical practitioners need to take that into account when evaluating whether children have ADHD."
In addition, it’s important for parents to remain in charge and make their own assessments known, as the study also concluded that,
“ A child’s birth date relative to the eligibility cutoff also strongly influences teachers’ assessments of whether the child exhibits ADHD symptoms but is only weakly associated with similarly measured parental assessments, suggesting that many diagnoses may be driven by teachers’ perceptions of poor behavior among the youngest children in a classroom.
These perceptions have long-lasting consequences: the youngest children in fifth and eighth grades are nearly twice as likely as their older classmates to regularly use stimulants prescribed to treat ADHD.”
What Causes ADHD? There are a number of theories to explain the rise in ADHD diagnoses, including:
• Sugars and Grains. Children who consume highly processed foods loaded with high fructose corn syrup and fruit juices tend to have a higher rate and severity of these symptoms. While organic whole grains are superior to processed ones, many children with ADHD do not respond well to most grains, especially wheat.
• Genetic factors -- Some scientists are now aiming their research at finding genes that may make a person more susceptible to this disorder
• Environmental toxins -- A 2006 study found that a mother's use of cigarettes, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy could increase the risk for ADHD. Exposure to lead and mercury may also cause ADHD symptoms, and pesticides and the industrial chemicals polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have also been named as potential culprits.
• Allergic reactions -- Chemically-sensitive people may exhibit ADHD symptoms when exposed to something as simple as clothing washed with perfumed and chemical-laden soap. Permanent press or stain-resistant products also contain chemicals that can initiate ADHD-like reactions in sensitive individuals.
• Processed food additives – Certain food dyes and other additives may cause ADHD-like symptoms. These chemicals have a particularly pernicious synergy if they are combined with sugars such as fructose.
• Increased number of childhood vaccinations – One 2007 survey found a strong correlation between rates of neurological disorders, such as ADHD, and childhood vaccinations. Vaccine adjuvants have also been associated with ADHD-type neurological problems.
• Fluoridated water
• Emotionally unstable home environments Stress is the frequently unappreciated and overlooked variable that can easily worsen ADHD. If the parents are having trouble in their relationship this can easily influence the child’s behavior.
• Increased rates of birth interventions. This can result in birth trauma and lack of oxygen in the newborn, which significantly increases the risk of developmental delay.
But the key factor, I believe, is nutrition, or rather lack thereof.
We know the food choices of most children and adults are incredibly poor. How can you possibly expect a child to have normal behavior if he is fed refined grains, sugars, processed foods loaded with chemicals and genetically engineered ingredients, and juices and sodas instead of pure water? Add to that the substandard amount of vegetables in most people’s diets -- up to 90 percent fewer than what is required for health -- an overabundance of highly processed, damaged omega-6 fats and a deficiency of omega-3 fats, and behavioral issues are not far behind. You simply cannot have a healthy functioning brain when the proper ingredients to develop or maintain a healthy brain are not being given!
The ADHD “Epidemic” is Creating a Generation of Drug Addicts Once a diagnosis has been made, the conventional approach typically involves drug therapy. Commonly prescribed drugs include: Ritalin®, Concerta®, Adderall® or Strattera®
These products, with the exception of Strattera®, all contain different formulations of methylphenidate, a powerful psychostimulant drug that is in the same class as cocaine. Please understand that just because these drugs are by prescription does NOT make them safer than their illegal “street drug” counterparts.
Methylphenidate behaves similarly to highly addictive drugs. Ritalin, for example, has the same pharmacological profile as cocaine, yet its effects are even more potent. Using brain imaging, scientists have found that, in pill form, Ritalin occupies more of the neural transporters responsible for the “high” experienced by addicts than smoked or injected cocaine. In essence, we have created a large body of new drug addicts, priming them for addiction from an extremely young age. This is a particularly painful thought when you consider that, in all likelihood, nearly one million children are being drugged simply because they act their age! And even more children are likely receiving addictive drugs when what they really need is proper nutrition. It’s also worth mentioning that, like antidepressants, some ADHD drugs have been linked to an increased probability of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Strattera®, which contains atomoxetine hydrochloride, carries this warning. Hallucinations, increased aggressive behavior, heart attack and stroke are also possible side effects of ADHD drugs.
Ritalin Use in America is Out of Control U.S. pharmacists distribute five times more Ritalin than the rest of the world combined, according to Dr. Samuel Epstein’s Cancer Prevention Coalition (CPC). In all, 60 percent to 90 percent of U.S. kids with attention deficit disorders are prescribed this powerful drug, which amounts to 3 percent to 5 percent of U.S. children and teens on Ritalin.
By definition, Ritalin stimulates your central nervous system, leading to side effects such as:
Increased blood pressure, Increased heart rate, Increased body temperature, Increased alertness and Suppressed appetite
Research has also linked Ritalin with more severe health problems such as cancer.
Natural Ways to Relieve ADHD Symptoms It is my sincere hope that people will begin to realize that drug therapy should be a very last resort, after all other options have been exhausted – especially when it comes to behavioral problems such as ADHD. Before you consider drugs, please consider implementing the following strategies first, in addition to making sure that your child is assessed in an age-appropriate manner:
• Eliminate most grains and sugars from your child’s diet. Grains and sugars both tend to cause allergies in sensitive individuals. Even organic, whole grain can cause problems in many children so it would be wise to give them a grain holiday and see if their behavior improves.
• Replace soft drinks (whether diet and regular), fruit juices, and pasteurized milk with pure, clean non-fluoridated water.
• Increase omega-3 fats by taking a high quality animal-based omega-3 oil. Research has confirmed that something as simple as animal-based omega-3 fat can improve the symptoms of ADHD more effectively than drugs like Ritalin® and Concerta®. In my view, krill oil is the best option for this. It contains essential EPA and DHA in a double chain phospholipid structure that makes it far more absorbable than the omega-3s in fish oil.
• Minimize your use of processed fats, especially trans fats as they disrupt nerve cell intercommunication.
• Avoid processed foods, especially those containing artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, which may trigger or worsen symptoms.
• Clear your house of dangerous pesticides and other commercial chemicals. Pesticide exposure has been linked with ADHD.
• Avoid commercial washing detergents and cleaning products used on clothes, and replace them with naturally derived cleaning products with no added perfumes, softeners, etc.
• Spend more time in nature. Researchers have found that exposing ADHD children to nature is an affordable, healthy way of controlling symptoms.
***In Conclusion: Ask one of the doctors at Beck-Thibodeau Chiropractic about getting your child under chiropractic care, relieving their possible allergies with Allergy Elimination or checking for any nutritional problems. We have helped many kids in the past with ADD and ADHD symptoms.
Source: Science Daily; Journal of Health Economics; mercola.com - September 1, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
What if you had a Mastectomy by mistake!
In 2006, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, an influential breast cancer survivors' organization, released a study, which estimated that in 90,000 cases, women who received a diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (D.C.I.S.) or invasive breast cancer either did not have the disease or received incorrect treatment. Advances in imaging technology over the past 30 years have meant that pathologists must render opinions on ever smaller breast lesions. Discerning the difference between benign lesions and early stage breast cancer is a particularly challenging area of pathology. Diagnoses of D.C.I.S. have a history of confusion, differences of opinion, undertreatment, and overtreatment.
According to the New York Times:
"There is an increasing recognition of the problems, and the federal government is now financing a nationwide study of variations in breast pathology, based on concerns that 17 percent of D.C.I.S. cases identified by a commonly used needle biopsy may be misdiagnosed.
Despite this, there are no mandated diagnostic standards or requirements that pathologists performing the work have any specialized expertise, meaning that the chances of getting an accurate diagnosis vary from hospital to hospital."
Comments:
Upon receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, most women are afraid and even frantic to do whatever it takes to fight and remove the cancer. In the conventional medical arena, typically this means full or partial mastectomy, drugs and radiation. Imagine going through a surgery, having one or both of your breasts removed along with receiving debilitating radiation treatments and toxic drugs, only to be told that you never had cancer. The diagnosis was a mistake.
Mammograms Often Lead to Unnecessary Biopsies and False Positives
In the conventional medical community the long-held advice was for women to get a mammogram every year or two after age 40. This was recently updated by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to starting at age 50, which caused an uproar among many women who feared a decrease in mammograms would put their lives at risk from breast cancer, or that insurance companies would stop covering the procedure until a woman reaches age 50. What was overlooked, however, was the reason WHY the Task Force decided to trim their mammogram recommendation. The prior advice was given in 2002, before a host of new research came out showing the problems of overdiagnosis and false positives. If a mammogram detects an abnormal spot in a woman's breast, the next step is typically a biopsy. This involves taking a small amount of tissue from the breast, which is then looked at by a pathologist under a microscope to determine if cancer is present. The problem is that early stage cancer can be very hard to diagnose, and pathologists have a wide range of experience and expertise. There are no diagnostic standards and there are no requirements that the pathologists doing the readings have specialized expertise.
Dr. Shahla Masood, the head of pathology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, told the New York Times:
"There are studies that show that diagnosing these borderline breast lesions occasionally comes down to the flip of a coin."
Just How Often are Early Breast Cancer Diagnoses Wrong?
A federal government study is now trying to determine just that, but estimates suggest that 17 percent of D.C.I.S. cases found through needle biopsy are misdiagnosed. The New York Times also reported on several other concerning findings about the frequency of misdiagnosis:
• A 2006 study by Susan G. Komen for the Cure estimated that in 90,000 cases when women were diagnosed with D.C.I.S. or invasive breast cancer, they either did not have the disease or they got incorrect treatment due to a pathologist error.
• A 2002 study at Northwestern University Medical Center found that nearly 8 percent of 340 breast cancer cases "had errors serious enough to change plans for surgery."
• Dr. Lagios, a pathologist at St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco, reviewed nearly 600 breast cases in 2007 and 2008 and found discrepancies in 141 of them.
The Times states, "Dr. Lagios says that based on his experience, microscopic core needle biopsies of low-grade D.C.I.S. and benign lesions, called atypical ductal hyperplasia, or A.D.H., may be misread 20 percent of the time." So many women have unnecessarily undergone mastectomies, radiation and chemotherapy after receiving false positives on a mammogram or biopsy is a sad testimony to the state of cancer diagnosis and treatment in conventional medicine today.
More Reasons Why You Might Think Twice About Mammography and Biopsies
False positives aside, a mammogram uses ionizing radiation at a relatively high dose, which can contribute to the development of breast cancer. Mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray, which we know poses a cancer risk. Mammography also compresses your breasts tightly, which could lead to a dangerous spread of cancerous cells, should they exist. Should you end up getting a breast biopsy, that too can have detrimental consequences. Needle biopsies, which are widely used, may accidentally cause malignant cells to break away from a tumor, allowing it to spread to other areas of your body. And according to a study from the John Wayne Cancer Institute, it appears that a needle biopsy may increase the spread of cancer by 50 percent compared to patients who received excisional biopsies, also known as lumpectomies. Mammograms also carry a first-time false positive rate of up to 6 percent. False positives can lead to expensive repeat screenings, exposing you to even more radiation, and, as discussed earlier, can sometimes result in unnecessary invasive procedures including biopsies, unnecessary surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and more. Just thinking you may have breast cancer, when you really do not, focuses your mind on fear and disease, and the extreme stress can be damaging.
A Safer, More Reliable Option
Most physicians continue to recommend mammograms for fear of being sued by a woman who develops breast cancer after he did not advise her to get one. But I encourage you to think for yourself and consider safer, more effective alternatives to mammograms. The option for breast screening that I firmly believe makes the most sense and should not only radically reduce misdiagnosis but find cancers earlier is called thermographic breast screening. Thermographic screening measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images. Your normal blood circulation is under the control of your autonomic nervous system, which governs your body functions.
Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer as much as 10 years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam. Whereas mammography cannot detect a tumor until after it has been growing for years and reaches a certain size, thermography is able to detect the possibility of breast cancer much earlier. It can even detect the potential for cancer before any tumors have formed because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis -- the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size. Rather than subjecting yourself to mammograms for unreliable, and dangerous breast screening, thermography offers you the opportunity of earlier detection of breast disease than has been possible through breast self-examination, doctor examination, or mammography alone. Annual thermograms allow you to map changes in your body's heat patterns over time. They can alert you to any deviations from your norm. Mapping your health annually helps you detect changes, often before disease develops. Thermograms benefit all women. They may be particularly useful for young women who want to monitor their breast health before the recommended age of 40 or 50. Actually, your breast cancer prevention should start as early as possible, which is why I recommend making thermography part of your annual health prevention regimen.
If You're Diagnosed With Early Stage Breast Cancer …
In the event you do receive a mammogram and/or a biopsy and are diagnosed with D.C.I.S. or another form of early stage breast cancer, always get a second, and possibly third and fourth, opinion. I cannot stress this enough, as the false positive rates are just too high and the diagnostic criteria too subjective.
Before you make any decision on treatment, and definitely before you decide to have surgery or chemotherapy, make sure your biopsy results have been reviewed by a breast specialist who is knowledgeable and experienced in the field.
Breast Cancer Prevention Musts
A healthy diet, regular physical exercise, appropriate sun exposure and an effective way to manage your emotional health are the cornerstones of just about any cancer prevention program, including breast cancer.
But for breast cancer, specifically, you can take it a step further by also watching out for excessive iron levels. This is actually very common once women stop menstruating. The extra iron actually works as a powerful oxidant, increasing free radicals and raising your risk of cancer.
So if you are a post menopausal woman or have breast cancer you will certainly want to have your Ferritin level drawn. Ferritin is the iron transport protein and should not be above 80. So if it is elevated you can simply donate your blood to reduce it.
Further, the following lifestyle strategies will help to further lower your risk:
• Improve Your Insulin Receptor Sensitivity. The best way to do this is make sure you have an optimized exercise program. Most of us need about five to eight hours of exercise every week to optimize our insulin receptors. Make sure you just don't do cardio, but include some type of resistance exercises like free weights, cords or stretchy bands.
Although I did not mention stretching and flexibility work, such as yoga, it is a very important part of your exercise program. It will not affect insulin receptors but it will help prevent you from getting injured and stopping your other exercise.
• Maintain a healthy body weight. This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It's important to lose excess weight because estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue, may trigger breast cancer.
• Get plenty of high quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as those from krill oil or fish oil. Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
• Avoid drinking alcohol, or limit your drinks to one a day for women.
• Breastfeed exclusively for up to six months after having a baby. Research shows this will reduce your breast cancer risk.
Source: New York Times, Mercola.com - July 19, 2010
Contact me at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
According to the New York Times:
"There is an increasing recognition of the problems, and the federal government is now financing a nationwide study of variations in breast pathology, based on concerns that 17 percent of D.C.I.S. cases identified by a commonly used needle biopsy may be misdiagnosed.
Despite this, there are no mandated diagnostic standards or requirements that pathologists performing the work have any specialized expertise, meaning that the chances of getting an accurate diagnosis vary from hospital to hospital."
Comments:
Upon receiving a breast cancer diagnosis, most women are afraid and even frantic to do whatever it takes to fight and remove the cancer. In the conventional medical arena, typically this means full or partial mastectomy, drugs and radiation. Imagine going through a surgery, having one or both of your breasts removed along with receiving debilitating radiation treatments and toxic drugs, only to be told that you never had cancer. The diagnosis was a mistake.
Mammograms Often Lead to Unnecessary Biopsies and False Positives
In the conventional medical community the long-held advice was for women to get a mammogram every year or two after age 40. This was recently updated by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to starting at age 50, which caused an uproar among many women who feared a decrease in mammograms would put their lives at risk from breast cancer, or that insurance companies would stop covering the procedure until a woman reaches age 50. What was overlooked, however, was the reason WHY the Task Force decided to trim their mammogram recommendation. The prior advice was given in 2002, before a host of new research came out showing the problems of overdiagnosis and false positives. If a mammogram detects an abnormal spot in a woman's breast, the next step is typically a biopsy. This involves taking a small amount of tissue from the breast, which is then looked at by a pathologist under a microscope to determine if cancer is present. The problem is that early stage cancer can be very hard to diagnose, and pathologists have a wide range of experience and expertise. There are no diagnostic standards and there are no requirements that the pathologists doing the readings have specialized expertise.
Dr. Shahla Masood, the head of pathology at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, told the New York Times:
"There are studies that show that diagnosing these borderline breast lesions occasionally comes down to the flip of a coin."
Just How Often are Early Breast Cancer Diagnoses Wrong?
A federal government study is now trying to determine just that, but estimates suggest that 17 percent of D.C.I.S. cases found through needle biopsy are misdiagnosed. The New York Times also reported on several other concerning findings about the frequency of misdiagnosis:
• A 2006 study by Susan G. Komen for the Cure estimated that in 90,000 cases when women were diagnosed with D.C.I.S. or invasive breast cancer, they either did not have the disease or they got incorrect treatment due to a pathologist error.
• A 2002 study at Northwestern University Medical Center found that nearly 8 percent of 340 breast cancer cases "had errors serious enough to change plans for surgery."
• Dr. Lagios, a pathologist at St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco, reviewed nearly 600 breast cases in 2007 and 2008 and found discrepancies in 141 of them.
The Times states, "Dr. Lagios says that based on his experience, microscopic core needle biopsies of low-grade D.C.I.S. and benign lesions, called atypical ductal hyperplasia, or A.D.H., may be misread 20 percent of the time." So many women have unnecessarily undergone mastectomies, radiation and chemotherapy after receiving false positives on a mammogram or biopsy is a sad testimony to the state of cancer diagnosis and treatment in conventional medicine today.
More Reasons Why You Might Think Twice About Mammography and Biopsies
False positives aside, a mammogram uses ionizing radiation at a relatively high dose, which can contribute to the development of breast cancer. Mammograms expose your body to radiation that can be 1,000 times greater than that from a chest x-ray, which we know poses a cancer risk. Mammography also compresses your breasts tightly, which could lead to a dangerous spread of cancerous cells, should they exist. Should you end up getting a breast biopsy, that too can have detrimental consequences. Needle biopsies, which are widely used, may accidentally cause malignant cells to break away from a tumor, allowing it to spread to other areas of your body. And according to a study from the John Wayne Cancer Institute, it appears that a needle biopsy may increase the spread of cancer by 50 percent compared to patients who received excisional biopsies, also known as lumpectomies. Mammograms also carry a first-time false positive rate of up to 6 percent. False positives can lead to expensive repeat screenings, exposing you to even more radiation, and, as discussed earlier, can sometimes result in unnecessary invasive procedures including biopsies, unnecessary surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and more. Just thinking you may have breast cancer, when you really do not, focuses your mind on fear and disease, and the extreme stress can be damaging.
A Safer, More Reliable Option
Most physicians continue to recommend mammograms for fear of being sued by a woman who develops breast cancer after he did not advise her to get one. But I encourage you to think for yourself and consider safer, more effective alternatives to mammograms. The option for breast screening that I firmly believe makes the most sense and should not only radically reduce misdiagnosis but find cancers earlier is called thermographic breast screening. Thermographic screening measures the radiation of infrared heat from your body and translates this information into anatomical images. Your normal blood circulation is under the control of your autonomic nervous system, which governs your body functions.
Thermography uses no mechanical pressure or ionizing radiation, and can detect signs of breast cancer as much as 10 years earlier than either mammography or a physical exam. Whereas mammography cannot detect a tumor until after it has been growing for years and reaches a certain size, thermography is able to detect the possibility of breast cancer much earlier. It can even detect the potential for cancer before any tumors have formed because it can image the early stages of angiogenesis -- the formation of a direct supply of blood to cancer cells, which is a necessary step before they can grow into tumors of size. Rather than subjecting yourself to mammograms for unreliable, and dangerous breast screening, thermography offers you the opportunity of earlier detection of breast disease than has been possible through breast self-examination, doctor examination, or mammography alone. Annual thermograms allow you to map changes in your body's heat patterns over time. They can alert you to any deviations from your norm. Mapping your health annually helps you detect changes, often before disease develops. Thermograms benefit all women. They may be particularly useful for young women who want to monitor their breast health before the recommended age of 40 or 50. Actually, your breast cancer prevention should start as early as possible, which is why I recommend making thermography part of your annual health prevention regimen.
If You're Diagnosed With Early Stage Breast Cancer …
In the event you do receive a mammogram and/or a biopsy and are diagnosed with D.C.I.S. or another form of early stage breast cancer, always get a second, and possibly third and fourth, opinion. I cannot stress this enough, as the false positive rates are just too high and the diagnostic criteria too subjective.
Before you make any decision on treatment, and definitely before you decide to have surgery or chemotherapy, make sure your biopsy results have been reviewed by a breast specialist who is knowledgeable and experienced in the field.
Breast Cancer Prevention Musts
A healthy diet, regular physical exercise, appropriate sun exposure and an effective way to manage your emotional health are the cornerstones of just about any cancer prevention program, including breast cancer.
But for breast cancer, specifically, you can take it a step further by also watching out for excessive iron levels. This is actually very common once women stop menstruating. The extra iron actually works as a powerful oxidant, increasing free radicals and raising your risk of cancer.
So if you are a post menopausal woman or have breast cancer you will certainly want to have your Ferritin level drawn. Ferritin is the iron transport protein and should not be above 80. So if it is elevated you can simply donate your blood to reduce it.
Further, the following lifestyle strategies will help to further lower your risk:
• Improve Your Insulin Receptor Sensitivity. The best way to do this is make sure you have an optimized exercise program. Most of us need about five to eight hours of exercise every week to optimize our insulin receptors. Make sure you just don't do cardio, but include some type of resistance exercises like free weights, cords or stretchy bands.
Although I did not mention stretching and flexibility work, such as yoga, it is a very important part of your exercise program. It will not affect insulin receptors but it will help prevent you from getting injured and stopping your other exercise.
• Maintain a healthy body weight. This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It's important to lose excess weight because estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue, may trigger breast cancer.
• Get plenty of high quality animal-based omega-3 fats, such as those from krill oil or fish oil. Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
• Avoid drinking alcohol, or limit your drinks to one a day for women.
• Breastfeed exclusively for up to six months after having a baby. Research shows this will reduce your breast cancer risk.
Source: New York Times, Mercola.com - July 19, 2010
Contact me at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Are you making a Fat Storing mistake before exercising?
Some scientists argue that if you want to get rid of more fat, you should skip pre-workout eating. Several studies suggest exercising while your body is low on food may be a good way to trim excess fat. In a recent study, researchers found that cyclists who trained without eating burned significantly more fat.
According to USA Today: "Muscles usually get their energy from carbohydrates ... if you haven't eaten before exercising, your body doesn't have many carbohydrates in reserve. That forces it to burn fat instead."
As you can tell from reading the USA Today article above, there's plenty of controversy on this issue. There's general agreement that exercising on an empty stomach will help burn more fat, but that's about where the general consensus ends. Some experts believe it's a bad idea because exercising vigorously when you're blood sugar is low could lead to dizziness and poor performance. Others warn that exercising while hungry can lead to overeating afterwards.
I believe the best approach is to use some common sense and listen to your body. A number of individual factors can play a role, such as your age, when you last ate, whether or not you're pregnant, taking medications, your medical history, level of fitness, and the type of workout you engage in. For example, if you feel weak or nauseous while exercising on an empty stomach, you may want to at least eat a small meal before exercising.
But first, let's look at the science behind this theory.
There's actually quite a bit of evidence supporting the theory that you'll burn more fat if you don't eat prior to your workout. USA Today mentions several such studies.
How Fasting Forces Your Body to Shed Excess Fat
All fat burning processes in your body are controlled by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS is inherently activated by exercise and lack of food. The combination of fasting and exercising maximizes the impact of cellular factors and catalysts, which force the breakdown of fat and glycogen for energy. So yes, training on an empty stomach is actually a very effective way to force your body to burn fat. It's also important to realize that eating a full meal, particularly carbohydrates, will inhibit the SNS and reduce the fat burning effect of your exercise. Instead, eating lots of carbs activates your parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which promotes energy storage—the complete opposite of what you're aiming for.
Keep in mind, though, that the majority of the "fuel" used during most exercise is not coming from the food you have just eaten. If you're working out at a moderate to high intensity, you're using glycogen and fat that is stored in your muscles, liver, and fat cells. Typically, we have enough of that stored fuel to last for one to two hours of intense to very intense work, or three to four of moderate intensity. So having said this, if you are consuming a high quality diet, eating every three to four hours, your body may not need anything to eat before you begin your workout. But, some people do have a hard time exercising without eating something first. Typically these people are more sensitive to changes in their blood sugar levels, which can decline during the first 15-25 minutes of their workout. It is this decline in blood sugar that causes dizziness, faintness, nausea or lightheadedness. This is especially true if you exercise first thing in the morning.
What to Eat Before Exercise to Really Boost Fat Burning
The flip side of fasting prior to exercise, however, is reduced performance. Fortunately, there's another, perhaps even more efficient way to boost fat burning without fasting. Another recent study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, demonstrated that consuming whey protein (20g protein / serving) 30 minutes before resistance training boosts your body's metabolism for as much as 24 hours after your workout. It appears as though the amino acids found in high quality whey protein activate certain cellular mechanisms, which in turn promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise. In practical terms, consuming 20 grams of whey protein before exercise and another serving afterward will most likely yield the double benefit of increasing both fat burning and muscle build-up at the same time. Again, not everyone will need to eat something prior to exercise, but if you do, whey protein is one of your best bets.
How to Select a High Quality Whey Protein
Whey protein is a by-product of dairy, so for starters you'll want to make sure the whey you're buying is derived from organic, grass-fed, non-hormonally treated cows. It should also be minimally processed in order to preserve beneficial components. Most commercial whey products are derived from pasteurized dairy and processed with heat and acid, which destroys most of the whey's fragile molecular structure. Many of them also contain artificial sweeteners, which come with their own set of health hazards. And contrary to popular belief, artificial sweeteners actually sabotage your weight loss efforts by impairing your ability to regulate your appetite naturally.
The Dream Protein that we offer in our office comes from New Zeeland so it contains no pesticides or herbicides. It is also cold processed to preserve all of the healthy nutrients and enzymes that are naturally available in the whey protein. Ask your doctor if you are interested in this great product.
You can also order it online at www.FirstShake.com/3556 to get it shipped anywhere. They offer free samples at the website.
Source: June 18, 2010; USA Today
Contact me if you have any questions at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com
According to USA Today: "Muscles usually get their energy from carbohydrates ... if you haven't eaten before exercising, your body doesn't have many carbohydrates in reserve. That forces it to burn fat instead."
As you can tell from reading the USA Today article above, there's plenty of controversy on this issue. There's general agreement that exercising on an empty stomach will help burn more fat, but that's about where the general consensus ends. Some experts believe it's a bad idea because exercising vigorously when you're blood sugar is low could lead to dizziness and poor performance. Others warn that exercising while hungry can lead to overeating afterwards.
I believe the best approach is to use some common sense and listen to your body. A number of individual factors can play a role, such as your age, when you last ate, whether or not you're pregnant, taking medications, your medical history, level of fitness, and the type of workout you engage in. For example, if you feel weak or nauseous while exercising on an empty stomach, you may want to at least eat a small meal before exercising.
But first, let's look at the science behind this theory.
There's actually quite a bit of evidence supporting the theory that you'll burn more fat if you don't eat prior to your workout. USA Today mentions several such studies.
How Fasting Forces Your Body to Shed Excess Fat
All fat burning processes in your body are controlled by your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS is inherently activated by exercise and lack of food. The combination of fasting and exercising maximizes the impact of cellular factors and catalysts, which force the breakdown of fat and glycogen for energy. So yes, training on an empty stomach is actually a very effective way to force your body to burn fat. It's also important to realize that eating a full meal, particularly carbohydrates, will inhibit the SNS and reduce the fat burning effect of your exercise. Instead, eating lots of carbs activates your parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), which promotes energy storage—the complete opposite of what you're aiming for.
Keep in mind, though, that the majority of the "fuel" used during most exercise is not coming from the food you have just eaten. If you're working out at a moderate to high intensity, you're using glycogen and fat that is stored in your muscles, liver, and fat cells. Typically, we have enough of that stored fuel to last for one to two hours of intense to very intense work, or three to four of moderate intensity. So having said this, if you are consuming a high quality diet, eating every three to four hours, your body may not need anything to eat before you begin your workout. But, some people do have a hard time exercising without eating something first. Typically these people are more sensitive to changes in their blood sugar levels, which can decline during the first 15-25 minutes of their workout. It is this decline in blood sugar that causes dizziness, faintness, nausea or lightheadedness. This is especially true if you exercise first thing in the morning.
What to Eat Before Exercise to Really Boost Fat Burning
The flip side of fasting prior to exercise, however, is reduced performance. Fortunately, there's another, perhaps even more efficient way to boost fat burning without fasting. Another recent study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise, demonstrated that consuming whey protein (20g protein / serving) 30 minutes before resistance training boosts your body's metabolism for as much as 24 hours after your workout. It appears as though the amino acids found in high quality whey protein activate certain cellular mechanisms, which in turn promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise. In practical terms, consuming 20 grams of whey protein before exercise and another serving afterward will most likely yield the double benefit of increasing both fat burning and muscle build-up at the same time. Again, not everyone will need to eat something prior to exercise, but if you do, whey protein is one of your best bets.
How to Select a High Quality Whey Protein
Whey protein is a by-product of dairy, so for starters you'll want to make sure the whey you're buying is derived from organic, grass-fed, non-hormonally treated cows. It should also be minimally processed in order to preserve beneficial components. Most commercial whey products are derived from pasteurized dairy and processed with heat and acid, which destroys most of the whey's fragile molecular structure. Many of them also contain artificial sweeteners, which come with their own set of health hazards. And contrary to popular belief, artificial sweeteners actually sabotage your weight loss efforts by impairing your ability to regulate your appetite naturally.
The Dream Protein that we offer in our office comes from New Zeeland so it contains no pesticides or herbicides. It is also cold processed to preserve all of the healthy nutrients and enzymes that are naturally available in the whey protein. Ask your doctor if you are interested in this great product.
You can also order it online at www.FirstShake.com/3556 to get it shipped anywhere. They offer free samples at the website.
Source: June 18, 2010; USA Today
Contact me if you have any questions at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com
Sunday, June 27, 2010
The 9 Worst Places for Your Health
MSNBC lists some surprisingly bad locations for your health, and the best places to optimize it:
1. Worst place to keep your toothbrush -- the bathroom sink. There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl, and all of those germs are propelled out every time you flush, settling on the floor and the sink. Keep your toothbrush behind closed doors in the medicine cabinet or a nearby cupboard.
2. Worst place to stash sneakers and flip-flops -- the bedroom closet. Shoes track in allergens and contaminants. Leave your shoes by the front door.
3. Worst place to fall asleep -- under piles of blankets. Being overheated can keep you from sleeping. Let your feet stick out from under your blankets.
4. Worst place to cool leftovers -- in the refrigerator. Placing hot leftovers directly in the fridge can cause uneven cooling and possibly food poisoning. Leave food to cool on the counter for up to an hour after cooking, or divide it into smaller containers that can cool faster before refrigerating.
5. Worst place to sit on an airplane -- the rear. The tail of the plane is where you'll get the bumpiest ride. Sit as close to the wing as you can.
6. Worst place to set your handbag -- the kitchen counter. Tests have showed up to 10,000 bacteria per square inch on purse bottoms. Put your bag anywhere except where food is prepared or eaten.
7. Worst place to use a public bathroom -- the stall in the middle. The center stall has more bacteria. Pick a stall all the way left or right.
8. Worst place to keep medicine -- the medicine cabinet. The temperature in a bathroom can get well above the recommended storage temperatures for many common drugs. Keep medicine somewhere cool and dry, such as the pantry.
9. Worst place to use headphones -- on an airplane, train, or subway. You're probably turning the volume up too high if you're listening to headphones in a noisy environment. Listen wherever you don't have to blast your music to enjoy it, or consider using noise-canceling headphones.
Sources: MSNBC; June 8, 2010
Contact me if you have any questions or comments.
920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com
1. Worst place to keep your toothbrush -- the bathroom sink. There are 3.2 million microbes per square inch in the average toilet bowl, and all of those germs are propelled out every time you flush, settling on the floor and the sink. Keep your toothbrush behind closed doors in the medicine cabinet or a nearby cupboard.
2. Worst place to stash sneakers and flip-flops -- the bedroom closet. Shoes track in allergens and contaminants. Leave your shoes by the front door.
3. Worst place to fall asleep -- under piles of blankets. Being overheated can keep you from sleeping. Let your feet stick out from under your blankets.
4. Worst place to cool leftovers -- in the refrigerator. Placing hot leftovers directly in the fridge can cause uneven cooling and possibly food poisoning. Leave food to cool on the counter for up to an hour after cooking, or divide it into smaller containers that can cool faster before refrigerating.
5. Worst place to sit on an airplane -- the rear. The tail of the plane is where you'll get the bumpiest ride. Sit as close to the wing as you can.
6. Worst place to set your handbag -- the kitchen counter. Tests have showed up to 10,000 bacteria per square inch on purse bottoms. Put your bag anywhere except where food is prepared or eaten.
7. Worst place to use a public bathroom -- the stall in the middle. The center stall has more bacteria. Pick a stall all the way left or right.
8. Worst place to keep medicine -- the medicine cabinet. The temperature in a bathroom can get well above the recommended storage temperatures for many common drugs. Keep medicine somewhere cool and dry, such as the pantry.
9. Worst place to use headphones -- on an airplane, train, or subway. You're probably turning the volume up too high if you're listening to headphones in a noisy environment. Listen wherever you don't have to blast your music to enjoy it, or consider using noise-canceling headphones.
Sources: MSNBC; June 8, 2010
Contact me if you have any questions or comments.
920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Diet Tricks That Really Work
The tricks that follow are actually not “tricks” at all but rather smart lifestyle strategies that will propel your body toward its ideal weight, naturally:
Avoid corn syrup - Science shows that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad news. One study showed that rats who drank HFCS sweetened beverages gained significantly more weight than rats consuming the same amount of calories in sugar.
Keep away from junk food -- it's addictive - Junk food can affect your brain in ways similar to drug abuse.
Structure meal times - Long stretches without food make people crave energy-dense snacks, which can make healthy choices difficult.
Satisfy your body -- especially at breakfast - A protein rich breakfast leaves you less hungry for the rest of the day. Some fat in the meal can help, too.
Favor foods closer to nature - Favoring whole fresh foods over processed ones will naturally optimize the healthiness of your food choices.
Change your environment - Altering your food environment -- whether this means using smaller plates or keeping seconds out of immediate reach -- can help you lose weight.
Enjoy your food - Food that is eaten mindlessly is neglected food. When you pay attention, you are satisfied in a deeper way.
Virtually the only healthy way to lose weight and keep your weight at a healthy level is to eat right and exercise -- not by starving yourself and putting in 3-hour workouts a day for three weeks, but by adhering to healthy lifestyle principles for a lifetime.
More Strategies:
Eat Slowly and Savor Your Food - Chewing your food twice as long as you normally would instantly help you control your portion sizes, which naturally decreases calorie consumption. Another benefit of chewing longer is that your food is digested better. The majority of your digestive enzymes are actually in your mouth, not in your stomach. Therefore, chewing your food longer allows it to be broken down better. You’re also likely to find that you actually enjoy the taste of the food more and feel more satisfied.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism last year found that people given identical servings of ice cream on different occasions released more hunger-regulating hormones when they ate it in 30 minutes instead of five. So although the serving size remained the same, they felt fuller after savoring the ice cream compared to when they wolfed it down.
In another study from 2008, subjects also reported feeling fuller when they ate slowly. Interestingly, they also ended up consuming about 10 percent fewer calories when they ate at a slow pace as opposed to when they were rushing.
A third study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that eating quickly, and eating until feeling full, tripled subjects’ risk of being overweight.
So just by making a conscious effort to slow down when you eat, you may find you need to eat less to feel satisfied. This means you’ll also want to avoid eating on the run, in the car, while standing up or while you’re distracted with another task.
Cook Your Food from Scratch - If your diet consists of fast food, restaurant meals and processed food, it will be difficult to lose weight and also to be healthy. Even though this is frequently the most convenient, least expensive and best tasting option, if you regularly engage in this choice you are simply begging for trouble. - Even the healthiest restaurant meals are typically loaded with calories. According to a registered dietician and representative for the American Dietetic Association, restaurant meals average between 1,000 to 1,500 calories, and because they’re served in gigantic portions, you’re likely to eat more than you would at home. The end result is that eating out often means you’re typically eating low-quality food at a premium price, a lose-lose situation for both your health and your waistline. Many Americans have made eating out a way of life. In 2008, the average U.S. household spent close to HALF of its food budget on meals eaten away from home, according to The Survey of Consumer Expenditures for 2008. If you want to be optimally healthy, you need to put some time into preparing your meals. This way, you can prepare your meals with unprocessed, high-quality food, you control the portion sizes, and you can enjoy your food in an atmosphere that is calming and not rushed.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast - Skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain, plain and simple. On the other hand, studies have shown that eating breakfast can have beneficial effects on:
• Appetite
• Insulin resistance
• Energy metabolism
One study found that obesity and insulin resistance syndrome rates were 35 percent to 50 percent lower among people who ate breakfast every day compared to those who frequently skipped it. This is true of teenagers too, who tend to be about five pounds heavier than their peers if they skip breakfast. So you want to be sure to eat breakfast, but while you’re at it make certain that you’re not simply eating sugary cereal or refined carbs (bagels, pancakes, toast, etc.). Instead, your breakfast should absolutely include a healthy source of protein, such as eggs, to keep you energized throughout your day.
More Metabolism-Boosting Weight Loss Essentials - Listen to your hunger, and eat a healthy meal or snack when hunger calls. Implement a well-rounded exercise regimen that includes strength training to build muscle (for every pound of muscle that you gain, your body burns 50-70 calories more per day), as well as interval training, which has been demonstrated to significantly increase fat loss
Remember, the idea is not to deprive your body or starve yourself into a size 2. The goal is to establish a healthy relationship with food, one that will keep you satisfied, nourished and slim, all at the same time.
Sources: Live Science, mercola.com; June 10, 2010
Please contact me if you have any comments or questions at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com.
Avoid corn syrup - Science shows that high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is bad news. One study showed that rats who drank HFCS sweetened beverages gained significantly more weight than rats consuming the same amount of calories in sugar.
Keep away from junk food -- it's addictive - Junk food can affect your brain in ways similar to drug abuse.
Structure meal times - Long stretches without food make people crave energy-dense snacks, which can make healthy choices difficult.
Satisfy your body -- especially at breakfast - A protein rich breakfast leaves you less hungry for the rest of the day. Some fat in the meal can help, too.
Favor foods closer to nature - Favoring whole fresh foods over processed ones will naturally optimize the healthiness of your food choices.
Change your environment - Altering your food environment -- whether this means using smaller plates or keeping seconds out of immediate reach -- can help you lose weight.
Enjoy your food - Food that is eaten mindlessly is neglected food. When you pay attention, you are satisfied in a deeper way.
Virtually the only healthy way to lose weight and keep your weight at a healthy level is to eat right and exercise -- not by starving yourself and putting in 3-hour workouts a day for three weeks, but by adhering to healthy lifestyle principles for a lifetime.
More Strategies:
Eat Slowly and Savor Your Food - Chewing your food twice as long as you normally would instantly help you control your portion sizes, which naturally decreases calorie consumption. Another benefit of chewing longer is that your food is digested better. The majority of your digestive enzymes are actually in your mouth, not in your stomach. Therefore, chewing your food longer allows it to be broken down better. You’re also likely to find that you actually enjoy the taste of the food more and feel more satisfied.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism last year found that people given identical servings of ice cream on different occasions released more hunger-regulating hormones when they ate it in 30 minutes instead of five. So although the serving size remained the same, they felt fuller after savoring the ice cream compared to when they wolfed it down.
In another study from 2008, subjects also reported feeling fuller when they ate slowly. Interestingly, they also ended up consuming about 10 percent fewer calories when they ate at a slow pace as opposed to when they were rushing.
A third study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that eating quickly, and eating until feeling full, tripled subjects’ risk of being overweight.
So just by making a conscious effort to slow down when you eat, you may find you need to eat less to feel satisfied. This means you’ll also want to avoid eating on the run, in the car, while standing up or while you’re distracted with another task.
Cook Your Food from Scratch - If your diet consists of fast food, restaurant meals and processed food, it will be difficult to lose weight and also to be healthy. Even though this is frequently the most convenient, least expensive and best tasting option, if you regularly engage in this choice you are simply begging for trouble. - Even the healthiest restaurant meals are typically loaded with calories. According to a registered dietician and representative for the American Dietetic Association, restaurant meals average between 1,000 to 1,500 calories, and because they’re served in gigantic portions, you’re likely to eat more than you would at home. The end result is that eating out often means you’re typically eating low-quality food at a premium price, a lose-lose situation for both your health and your waistline. Many Americans have made eating out a way of life. In 2008, the average U.S. household spent close to HALF of its food budget on meals eaten away from home, according to The Survey of Consumer Expenditures for 2008. If you want to be optimally healthy, you need to put some time into preparing your meals. This way, you can prepare your meals with unprocessed, high-quality food, you control the portion sizes, and you can enjoy your food in an atmosphere that is calming and not rushed.
Eat a Healthy Breakfast - Skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain, plain and simple. On the other hand, studies have shown that eating breakfast can have beneficial effects on:
• Appetite
• Insulin resistance
• Energy metabolism
One study found that obesity and insulin resistance syndrome rates were 35 percent to 50 percent lower among people who ate breakfast every day compared to those who frequently skipped it. This is true of teenagers too, who tend to be about five pounds heavier than their peers if they skip breakfast. So you want to be sure to eat breakfast, but while you’re at it make certain that you’re not simply eating sugary cereal or refined carbs (bagels, pancakes, toast, etc.). Instead, your breakfast should absolutely include a healthy source of protein, such as eggs, to keep you energized throughout your day.
More Metabolism-Boosting Weight Loss Essentials - Listen to your hunger, and eat a healthy meal or snack when hunger calls. Implement a well-rounded exercise regimen that includes strength training to build muscle (for every pound of muscle that you gain, your body burns 50-70 calories more per day), as well as interval training, which has been demonstrated to significantly increase fat loss
Remember, the idea is not to deprive your body or starve yourself into a size 2. The goal is to establish a healthy relationship with food, one that will keep you satisfied, nourished and slim, all at the same time.
Sources: Live Science, mercola.com; June 10, 2010
Please contact me if you have any comments or questions at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Silent Epidemic -- Legal Prescription Drug Abuse
Not a lot of attention is paid to prescription drug abuse. But nearly 20 percent of Americans have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons. Three quarters of those may be abusing prescription drugs. Between 1992 and 2002, the number of prescriptions written increased by 61 percent. In that same period, the number of prescriptions written for opiates increased by almost 400 percent.
The Baltimore Sun reports:
“According to a report ... by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers jumped 65 percent from 1999 to 2006. One-third of new addicts report that their first drug experience was with prescription drugs.”
Remember the Reagan-era anti-drug ads, “Just Say NO”? Well, since then, street drugs have taken the backseat to a far greater threat – prescription drugs, especially pain killers. Contrary to the popular belief propagated by the drug industry, taking prescription drugs is a health RISK – not a healthy treatment to a health problem. This backwards ideology has created a nation of extremely sick people, and a whole new generation of drug addicts. In fact, prescription drugs are now the preferred “high” for many, especially teens, as they are typically used legally, which eliminates the stigma of being a “junkie.” And even if you don’t have your own prescription, drugs of all kinds can be found in the nearest medicine cabinet in most homes.
If you don’t believe drugs have become extremely easy to get a hold of, take a look at the latest drug use statistics from the Kaiser Health Foundation.
-The average American, aged 19 to 64, now takes close to 12 prescription drugs!
-The average senior typically fills over 30 prescriptions every year, and even children, between the ages of 0-18, are taking an average of close to 4 prescriptions annually!
This brings up yet another problem, which is the increased health risk of mixing multiple drugs. Both of these issues – prescription drug abuse, and drug overuse – have a major impact on the health, well being, and longevity of the American population, as well as our health care system.
The Baltimore Sun quotes R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, as saying:
"With drug use accounting for tens of billions of dollars per year in health care costs, and drug overdoses ranking second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death, the nation needs to discard the idea that enforcement alone can eliminate our drug problem."
Reflect on this for just a moment…
Drug use accounts for tens of billions of dollars per year in health care costs… That’s tens of billions of dollars IN ADDITION TO the close to one TRILLION dollars those same drugs cost our health care system in the first place! This is about as close to insanity as you can get when thinking that “more and better drugs” are the answer to our nation’s failing health... Folks, it’s time to wake up from our collective slumber and cease to fall prey to this predatory type of “health care.”
Please, if you take only one fact away from this article, let it be the importance of thinking twice before taking a prescription drug. It is your body, not your doctor’s and not your pharmacist’s, so it is up to you to make the decision of what drugs to take, if any. Be SURE you are aware of the risks of any medication prescribed to you, and weigh them against any possible benefit. Then you can make a well-informed decision of whether it’s a risk you’re willing to take.
And as always, keep striving to Take Control of Your Health so that you require fewer doctor visits, and drugs, to stay in top condition.
Sources:
The Baltimore Sun April 21, 2010; Mercola.com
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Dr. Dan Thibodeau at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com
The Baltimore Sun reports:
“According to a report ... by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitalizations for poisoning by prescription opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers jumped 65 percent from 1999 to 2006. One-third of new addicts report that their first drug experience was with prescription drugs.”
Remember the Reagan-era anti-drug ads, “Just Say NO”? Well, since then, street drugs have taken the backseat to a far greater threat – prescription drugs, especially pain killers. Contrary to the popular belief propagated by the drug industry, taking prescription drugs is a health RISK – not a healthy treatment to a health problem. This backwards ideology has created a nation of extremely sick people, and a whole new generation of drug addicts. In fact, prescription drugs are now the preferred “high” for many, especially teens, as they are typically used legally, which eliminates the stigma of being a “junkie.” And even if you don’t have your own prescription, drugs of all kinds can be found in the nearest medicine cabinet in most homes.
If you don’t believe drugs have become extremely easy to get a hold of, take a look at the latest drug use statistics from the Kaiser Health Foundation.
-The average American, aged 19 to 64, now takes close to 12 prescription drugs!
-The average senior typically fills over 30 prescriptions every year, and even children, between the ages of 0-18, are taking an average of close to 4 prescriptions annually!
This brings up yet another problem, which is the increased health risk of mixing multiple drugs. Both of these issues – prescription drug abuse, and drug overuse – have a major impact on the health, well being, and longevity of the American population, as well as our health care system.
The Baltimore Sun quotes R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, as saying:
"With drug use accounting for tens of billions of dollars per year in health care costs, and drug overdoses ranking second only to motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death, the nation needs to discard the idea that enforcement alone can eliminate our drug problem."
Reflect on this for just a moment…
Drug use accounts for tens of billions of dollars per year in health care costs… That’s tens of billions of dollars IN ADDITION TO the close to one TRILLION dollars those same drugs cost our health care system in the first place! This is about as close to insanity as you can get when thinking that “more and better drugs” are the answer to our nation’s failing health... Folks, it’s time to wake up from our collective slumber and cease to fall prey to this predatory type of “health care.”
Please, if you take only one fact away from this article, let it be the importance of thinking twice before taking a prescription drug. It is your body, not your doctor’s and not your pharmacist’s, so it is up to you to make the decision of what drugs to take, if any. Be SURE you are aware of the risks of any medication prescribed to you, and weigh them against any possible benefit. Then you can make a well-informed decision of whether it’s a risk you’re willing to take.
And as always, keep striving to Take Control of Your Health so that you require fewer doctor visits, and drugs, to stay in top condition.
Sources:
The Baltimore Sun April 21, 2010; Mercola.com
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Dr. Dan Thibodeau at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com
Saturday, May 1, 2010
11 Simple Ways To Avoid Burnout
Schedule regular social activities - Remember when you used to spend time with people you didn’t work with? You watched movies, ate meals, played games, and went on trips. You were active and you had fun! Regain some of that emotional fulfillment by contacting some old friends and scheduling regular activities.
Follow a fitness plan - If you want to avoid burnout, resurrect that New Year’s Resolution and figure out what it takes to get you exercising on a regular basis. Apart from all the physical benefits of exercise, you’ll enjoy the mental satisfaction of knowing that you’re taking good care of yourself again.
Pursue a hobby - Pick a hobby that has little or nothing to do with what you spend most of your week doing and pursue it with passion! A hobby that uses an entirely different skill set can provide your heart and mind with a satisfying break from the weekly grind and set you on a good path for increased productivity.
Volunteer - Nothing brightens the soul or warms the senses like giving to another for no reason other than to give. If you’re feeling run down by life, seek out somebody less fortunate than yourself and work to help them.
Write a manifesto - Have you forgotten what you want out of life? It’s easy to lose track of time and even easier to forget about what makes us glad to be alive. What can you do to bring back that focus? Take a day or perhaps an entire weekend and write a manifesto, a declaration of purpose, for yourself.
Ask for help - Whether your struggle is with a particular part of a project or with something general, like time management, asking for help will get you to a solution faster than you could ever hope to alone. If you want to avoid burnout, you’ll need to swallow your pride on occasion and reach out for help.
Make others laugh - You’ll find it hard to be glum and entertain unhappy thoughts when the people around you are excited and happy to be near you.
Make an escape list - An “escape list” is a list of everything you’d need to do in order to escape a situation that’s driving you nuts. In a work context, your escape list might include things like turning in a final presentation or asking for a raise.
Embrace a morning ritual - Are you starting your day on the wrong foot by waking up late, rushing about, and skipping out the door at the last minute? Try slowing down your morning instead.
Stop making excuses - Once you’ve given up on blaming others you’ll start seeing more of the good in your life.
Be accountable - The trick is find somebody you can trust to give the down and dirty on what you’re trying to do and how you’re moving forward. For best results, have your accountability partner NOT be a relative or somebody you’re dating. They typically won’t have the capacity for objective review of your progress. People who love you will often make excuses for you, and you want to avoid excuses at all costs.
Sources: Lifehack, Mercola.com, May 01 2010
Contact me at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Follow a fitness plan - If you want to avoid burnout, resurrect that New Year’s Resolution and figure out what it takes to get you exercising on a regular basis. Apart from all the physical benefits of exercise, you’ll enjoy the mental satisfaction of knowing that you’re taking good care of yourself again.
Pursue a hobby - Pick a hobby that has little or nothing to do with what you spend most of your week doing and pursue it with passion! A hobby that uses an entirely different skill set can provide your heart and mind with a satisfying break from the weekly grind and set you on a good path for increased productivity.
Volunteer - Nothing brightens the soul or warms the senses like giving to another for no reason other than to give. If you’re feeling run down by life, seek out somebody less fortunate than yourself and work to help them.
Write a manifesto - Have you forgotten what you want out of life? It’s easy to lose track of time and even easier to forget about what makes us glad to be alive. What can you do to bring back that focus? Take a day or perhaps an entire weekend and write a manifesto, a declaration of purpose, for yourself.
Ask for help - Whether your struggle is with a particular part of a project or with something general, like time management, asking for help will get you to a solution faster than you could ever hope to alone. If you want to avoid burnout, you’ll need to swallow your pride on occasion and reach out for help.
Make others laugh - You’ll find it hard to be glum and entertain unhappy thoughts when the people around you are excited and happy to be near you.
Make an escape list - An “escape list” is a list of everything you’d need to do in order to escape a situation that’s driving you nuts. In a work context, your escape list might include things like turning in a final presentation or asking for a raise.
Embrace a morning ritual - Are you starting your day on the wrong foot by waking up late, rushing about, and skipping out the door at the last minute? Try slowing down your morning instead.
Stop making excuses - Once you’ve given up on blaming others you’ll start seeing more of the good in your life.
Be accountable - The trick is find somebody you can trust to give the down and dirty on what you’re trying to do and how you’re moving forward. For best results, have your accountability partner NOT be a relative or somebody you’re dating. They typically won’t have the capacity for objective review of your progress. People who love you will often make excuses for you, and you want to avoid excuses at all costs.
Sources: Lifehack, Mercola.com, May 01 2010
Contact me at 920-954-1002 or DrDan1221@yahoo.com if you have any questions.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Two Thirds of Breast Cancer is Avoidable!
Up to a third of breast cancer cases in Western countries could be avoided if women ate less and exercised more, researchers at a breast cancer conference said. Experts said the focus should shift to changing behaviors like diet and physical activity. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. A woman's lifetime chance of getting breast cancer is about one in eight. Obese women are up to 60 percent more likely to develop any type of cancer. Many breast cancers are fueled by estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue. Experts suspect that the heavier a woman is, the more estrogen she's likely to produce, which could in turn spark breast cancer. Even in slim women, exercise can help reduce the cancer risk by converting more of the body's fat into muscle.
About 13 percent of U.S. women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. This is far too many. Last year in the largest review of research into lifestyle and breast cancer, the American Institute of Cancer Research estimated that about 40 percent of U.S. breast cancer cases, or about 70,000 cases every year could be prevented by making lifestyle changes. It is my belief that these estimates are low, and it is more likely that at least 70-90 percent of breast cancers can be avoided by rigidly applying the recommendations I will review below.
Is Breast Cancer Your Genes’ Fault?
Your risk of breast cancer is said to increase significantly if you have a family history of the disease, but according to statistics only about 20-30 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer actually have a family history. The truth is, you are NOT a captive to your genes. The KEY to remember here is that it is NOT your genes that dictate your health but rather the expression of your genes. You have the ability to easily turn genes on and off with your lifestyle and emotional state. For some of you reading this, this may be a weight lifted off your shoulders. If your mother or sister suffered from breast cancer, it does not mean that you are destined to have that same fate.
As proven through the massive genetic study, the Genome Project, each one of your genes can create up to 30,000 proteins, any and all of which can create a different outcome. So the fact that you may have a genetic “predisposition” for a certain illness does not mean that you are doomed to develop it. Rather, there is something that either activates or suppresses your genes, and that “something” is usually lifestyle-related. If you are constantly stressed you will likely have a different genetic expression than if you focus your thoughts in a positive direction. Likewise, if you eat healthy, fresh, whole foods you will have a different genetic expression than if you rely on sugar and fast foods. For instance, omega-3 fats like those in krill oil have been found to influence these genes in a positive way. Ultimately, what this means is you can make the choice to help your genes express themselves in a positive, disease-fighting way. So what are some of the first positive choices you should make?
Optimizing Your Vitamin D: Cancer Fighter #1
Vitamin D is easily one of nature’s most potent cancer fighters. Receptors that respond to vitamin D have been found in nearly every type of human cell, from your bones to your brain. Your liver, kidney and other tissues can convert the vitamin D in your bloodstream into calcitriol, which is the hormonal or activated version of vitamin D. Your organs then use it to repair damage, including that from cancer cells. Vitamin D is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger apoptosis or cancer cell death. When JoEllen Welsh, a researcher with the State University of New York at Albany, injected a potent form of vitamin D into human breast cancer cells, half of them shriveled up and died within days! The vitamin D worked as well at killing cancer cells as the toxic breast cancer drug Tamoxifen, without any of the detrimental side effects and at a tiny fraction of the cost. Vitamin D works synergistically with every cancer treatment I am aware of and has no adverse effects. According to one landmark study, some 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancers could be prevented each year if vitamin D levels among populations worldwide were increased. And that’s just counting the death toll for two types of cancer (it actually works against at least 16 different types)!
Breast Cancer Prevention Musts:
Improve Your Insulin Receptor Sensivity. The best way to do this is make sure you have an optimized exercise program. Most of us need about five to eight hours of exercise every week to optimize our insulin receptors. Make sure you just don’t do cardio. Although I did not mention stretching and flexibility work, such as yoga, it is a very important part of your exercise program. It will not affect insulin receptors but it will help prevent you from getting injured and stopping your other exercise.
Maintain a healthy body weight. This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It’s important to lose excess weight because estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue, may trigger breast cancer.
Get plenty of high quality omega-3 fats. Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
Avoid drinking alcohol, or limit your drinks to one a day.
Breastfeed exclusively for up to six months. Research shows this will reduce your breast cancer risk.
What about Safe Breast Cancer Screening?
Most physicians recommend mammograms to women as the go-to method of breast cancer screening. However, there is no solid evidence that mammograms save lives. In fact, research demonstrates that adding an annual mammogram to a careful physical examination of the breasts does not improve breast cancer survival rates over getting the examination alone. Meanwhile, as I’ve written about extensively in the past, the health hazards of mammography have been well established. The option for breast screening that I most highly recommend is called thermography.
Thermography scans are absolutely painless and risk-free. They involve no compression of tissue, are non-invasive, and emit no radiation. Thermography uses an infrared camera to graphically illustrate skin temperature by way of a color image. On the image, degrees of heat appear as different colors. Standard diagnostic tests such as mammograms, x-rays, MRI’s, ultrasounds and CAT scans are designed to test your anatomy. By contrast, thermography tests for physiological change and metabolic processes. Think of thermography as preventive medicine, which can be used to detect, control and even prevent serious illness or disease that otherwise would not be diagnosed until it is well-advanced. Thermography allows you to detect the beginnings of disease sooner, so you’re able to take appropriate treatment steps to get your body healing right away.
Sources:
Dr. Mercola April 13 2010; USA Today March 25, 2010; 7th European Breast Cancer Conference March 24-27, 2010, Barcelona, Spain
About 13 percent of U.S. women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. This is far too many. Last year in the largest review of research into lifestyle and breast cancer, the American Institute of Cancer Research estimated that about 40 percent of U.S. breast cancer cases, or about 70,000 cases every year could be prevented by making lifestyle changes. It is my belief that these estimates are low, and it is more likely that at least 70-90 percent of breast cancers can be avoided by rigidly applying the recommendations I will review below.
Is Breast Cancer Your Genes’ Fault?
Your risk of breast cancer is said to increase significantly if you have a family history of the disease, but according to statistics only about 20-30 percent of women diagnosed with breast cancer actually have a family history. The truth is, you are NOT a captive to your genes. The KEY to remember here is that it is NOT your genes that dictate your health but rather the expression of your genes. You have the ability to easily turn genes on and off with your lifestyle and emotional state. For some of you reading this, this may be a weight lifted off your shoulders. If your mother or sister suffered from breast cancer, it does not mean that you are destined to have that same fate.
As proven through the massive genetic study, the Genome Project, each one of your genes can create up to 30,000 proteins, any and all of which can create a different outcome. So the fact that you may have a genetic “predisposition” for a certain illness does not mean that you are doomed to develop it. Rather, there is something that either activates or suppresses your genes, and that “something” is usually lifestyle-related. If you are constantly stressed you will likely have a different genetic expression than if you focus your thoughts in a positive direction. Likewise, if you eat healthy, fresh, whole foods you will have a different genetic expression than if you rely on sugar and fast foods. For instance, omega-3 fats like those in krill oil have been found to influence these genes in a positive way. Ultimately, what this means is you can make the choice to help your genes express themselves in a positive, disease-fighting way. So what are some of the first positive choices you should make?
Optimizing Your Vitamin D: Cancer Fighter #1
Vitamin D is easily one of nature’s most potent cancer fighters. Receptors that respond to vitamin D have been found in nearly every type of human cell, from your bones to your brain. Your liver, kidney and other tissues can convert the vitamin D in your bloodstream into calcitriol, which is the hormonal or activated version of vitamin D. Your organs then use it to repair damage, including that from cancer cells. Vitamin D is actually able to enter cancer cells and trigger apoptosis or cancer cell death. When JoEllen Welsh, a researcher with the State University of New York at Albany, injected a potent form of vitamin D into human breast cancer cells, half of them shriveled up and died within days! The vitamin D worked as well at killing cancer cells as the toxic breast cancer drug Tamoxifen, without any of the detrimental side effects and at a tiny fraction of the cost. Vitamin D works synergistically with every cancer treatment I am aware of and has no adverse effects. According to one landmark study, some 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancers could be prevented each year if vitamin D levels among populations worldwide were increased. And that’s just counting the death toll for two types of cancer (it actually works against at least 16 different types)!
Breast Cancer Prevention Musts:
Improve Your Insulin Receptor Sensivity. The best way to do this is make sure you have an optimized exercise program. Most of us need about five to eight hours of exercise every week to optimize our insulin receptors. Make sure you just don’t do cardio. Although I did not mention stretching and flexibility work, such as yoga, it is a very important part of your exercise program. It will not affect insulin receptors but it will help prevent you from getting injured and stopping your other exercise.
Maintain a healthy body weight. This will come naturally when you begin eating right for your nutritional type and exercising. It’s important to lose excess weight because estrogen, a hormone produced in fat tissue, may trigger breast cancer.
Get plenty of high quality omega-3 fats. Omega-3 deficiency is a common underlying factor for cancer.
Avoid drinking alcohol, or limit your drinks to one a day.
Breastfeed exclusively for up to six months. Research shows this will reduce your breast cancer risk.
What about Safe Breast Cancer Screening?
Most physicians recommend mammograms to women as the go-to method of breast cancer screening. However, there is no solid evidence that mammograms save lives. In fact, research demonstrates that adding an annual mammogram to a careful physical examination of the breasts does not improve breast cancer survival rates over getting the examination alone. Meanwhile, as I’ve written about extensively in the past, the health hazards of mammography have been well established. The option for breast screening that I most highly recommend is called thermography.
Thermography scans are absolutely painless and risk-free. They involve no compression of tissue, are non-invasive, and emit no radiation. Thermography uses an infrared camera to graphically illustrate skin temperature by way of a color image. On the image, degrees of heat appear as different colors. Standard diagnostic tests such as mammograms, x-rays, MRI’s, ultrasounds and CAT scans are designed to test your anatomy. By contrast, thermography tests for physiological change and metabolic processes. Think of thermography as preventive medicine, which can be used to detect, control and even prevent serious illness or disease that otherwise would not be diagnosed until it is well-advanced. Thermography allows you to detect the beginnings of disease sooner, so you’re able to take appropriate treatment steps to get your body healing right away.
Sources:
Dr. Mercola April 13 2010; USA Today March 25, 2010; 7th European Breast Cancer Conference March 24-27, 2010, Barcelona, Spain
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Aspartame/Nutrasweet Changing its Name.
America's Deadliest Sweetener Betrays Millions, Then Hoodwinks You With Name Change
Aspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will rebrand the sweetener as “AminoSweet”. Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. However, its reputation has been clouded by studies that have investigated reports of ill effects. Reported side effects of aspartame include: Headaches, Vision changes, Convulsions, Seizures, Hallucinations, Nausea, Vomiting, Joint pain and many other problems. Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history, and its approval for use in food was the most contested in FDA history. In the end, the artificial sweetener was approved, not on scientific grounds, but rather because of strong political and financial pressure. After all, aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent! It’s hard to believe such a chemical would be allowed into the food supply, but it was, and it has been wreaking havoc with people’s health for the past 30 years. The truth is, it should never have been released onto the market, and allowing it to remain in the food chain is seriously hurting people – no matter how many times you rebrand it under new names.
The Deceptive Marketing of Aspartame
Sold commercially under names like NutraSweet, Canderel, and now AminoSweet, aspartame can be found in more than 6,000 foods, including soft drinks, chewing gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, breakfast cereals, jams, sweets, vitamins, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to rebrand it under the name AminoSweet, to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.” In this case, the agenda is to make you believe that aspartame is somehow a harmless, natural sweetener made with two amino acids that are essential for health and present in your diet already. They want you to believe aspartame delivers all the benefits of sugar and none of its drawbacks. But nothing could be further from the truth.
How Aspartame Wreaks Havoc on Your Health
Did you know there have been more reports to the FDA for aspartame reactions than for all other food additives combined? In fact, there are over 10,000 official complaints, but by the FDA’s own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. So in all likelihood, the toxic effects of aspartame may have affected roughly a million people already. While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms. Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well-known by doctors, despite its frequency. Diagnosis is also hampered by the fact that it mimics several other common health conditions, such as: Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multipe chemical sensitivity, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Attention deficit disorder, Panic disorder, Depression, Lupus, Diabetes, Birth defects, Lymphoma, Lyme disease and Hypothyroidism.
How Diet Foods and Drinks CAUSE Weight Problems
In recent years, food manufacturers have increasingly focused on developing low-calorie foods and drinks to help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity. Unfortunately, the science behind these products is so flawed; most of these products can actually lead to increased weight gain! For example, researchers have discovered that drinking diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, and may double your risk of obesity – the complete opposite of the stated intention behind these “zero calorie” drinks. The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst harming the health of those who take their misguided advice.
Even More Toxic Dangers of Aspartame
As mentioned earlier, almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological. One of the reasons for this side effect, researchers have discovered, is because the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond. While these amino acids are indeed completely natural and safe, they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications. Additionally this will also increase dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism. The aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point that they die. Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers. A review conducted in 2008 by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo found that consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, and may lead to neurodegeneration.
According to the researchers, consuming a lot of aspartame can disturb: The metabolism of amino acids, protein structure and metabolism, the integrity of nucleic acids, neuronal function and endocrine balances.
Furthermore, the ester bond in aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and methanol, which are also toxic in their own right. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been found to cause cancer.
How to Ditch Artificial Sweeteners, and Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
If you suffer from sweet cravings, it’s easy to convince yourself you’re doing the right thing by opting for a zero-calorie sweetener like aspartame. Please understand that you will do more harm than good to your body this way. First, it’s important to realize that your body craves sweets when you’re not giving it the proper fuel it needs.
Acceptable Alternative Sweeteners
For those times when you just want a taste of something sweet, your healthiest alternative is Stevia. It’s a natural plant and unlike aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, it is a safe, natural alternative that's ideal if you’re watching your weight, or if you’re maintaining your health by avoiding sugar. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and truly has virtually no calories. I recommend using Stevia in moderation, just like sugar. In excess it is still far less likely to cause metabolic problems than sugar or any of the artificial sweeteners. I want to emphasize, that if you have insulin issues, I suggest that you avoid sweeteners altogether, including Stevia, as they all can decrease your sensitivity to insulin. Lo han is another sweetener like Stevia. It’s an African sweet herb that can also be used, but it’s a bit more expensive and harder to find. So if you struggle with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or extra weight, then you have insulin sensitivity issues and would benefit from avoiding ALL sweeteners. For everyone else, I strongly encourage you to consider using Stevia or Lo han, and toss out all artificial sweeteners and any products that contain them.
Sources: FoodBev 2010, Mercola.com | March 02 2010
Aspartame producer Ajinomoto is launching a new initiative that will rebrand the sweetener as “AminoSweet”. Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages marketed as low calorie or sugar-free. However, its reputation has been clouded by studies that have investigated reports of ill effects. Reported side effects of aspartame include: Headaches, Vision changes, Convulsions, Seizures, Hallucinations, Nausea, Vomiting, Joint pain and many other problems. Aspartame is the most controversial food additive in history, and its approval for use in food was the most contested in FDA history. In the end, the artificial sweetener was approved, not on scientific grounds, but rather because of strong political and financial pressure. After all, aspartame was previously listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent! It’s hard to believe such a chemical would be allowed into the food supply, but it was, and it has been wreaking havoc with people’s health for the past 30 years. The truth is, it should never have been released onto the market, and allowing it to remain in the food chain is seriously hurting people – no matter how many times you rebrand it under new names.
The Deceptive Marketing of Aspartame
Sold commercially under names like NutraSweet, Canderel, and now AminoSweet, aspartame can be found in more than 6,000 foods, including soft drinks, chewing gum, table-top sweeteners, diet and diabetic foods, breakfast cereals, jams, sweets, vitamins, prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Aspartame producer Ajinomoto chose to rebrand it under the name AminoSweet, to “remind the industry that aspartame tastes just like sugar, and that it’s made from amino acids – the building blocks of protein that are abundant in our diet.” In this case, the agenda is to make you believe that aspartame is somehow a harmless, natural sweetener made with two amino acids that are essential for health and present in your diet already. They want you to believe aspartame delivers all the benefits of sugar and none of its drawbacks. But nothing could be further from the truth.
How Aspartame Wreaks Havoc on Your Health
Did you know there have been more reports to the FDA for aspartame reactions than for all other food additives combined? In fact, there are over 10,000 official complaints, but by the FDA’s own admission, less than 1 percent of those who experience a reaction to a product ever report it. So in all likelihood, the toxic effects of aspartame may have affected roughly a million people already. While a variety of symptoms have been reported, almost two-thirds of them fall into the neurological and behavioral category consisting mostly of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. The remaining third is mostly gastrointestinal symptoms. Unfortunately, aspartame toxicity is not well-known by doctors, despite its frequency. Diagnosis is also hampered by the fact that it mimics several other common health conditions, such as: Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multipe chemical sensitivity, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Attention deficit disorder, Panic disorder, Depression, Lupus, Diabetes, Birth defects, Lymphoma, Lyme disease and Hypothyroidism.
How Diet Foods and Drinks CAUSE Weight Problems
In recent years, food manufacturers have increasingly focused on developing low-calorie foods and drinks to help you maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity. Unfortunately, the science behind these products is so flawed; most of these products can actually lead to increased weight gain! For example, researchers have discovered that drinking diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome, and may double your risk of obesity – the complete opposite of the stated intention behind these “zero calorie” drinks. The sad truth is that diet foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, and in fact stimulate your appetite, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as an acceptable alternative to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst harming the health of those who take their misguided advice.
Even More Toxic Dangers of Aspartame
As mentioned earlier, almost two-thirds of all documented side effects of aspartame consumption are neurological. One of the reasons for this side effect, researchers have discovered, is because the phenylalanine in aspartame dissociates from the ester bond. While these amino acids are indeed completely natural and safe, they were never designed to be ingested as isolated amino acids in massive quantities, which in and of itself will cause complications. Additionally this will also increase dopamine levels in your brain. This can lead to symptoms of depression because it distorts your serotonin/dopamine balance. It can also lead to migraine headaches and brain tumors through a similar mechanism. The aspartic acid in aspartame is a well-documented excitotoxin. Excitotoxins are usually amino acids, such as glutamate and aspartate. These special amino acids cause particular brain cells to become excessively excited, to the point that they die. Excitotoxins can also cause a loss of brain synapses and connecting fibers. A review conducted in 2008 by scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo found that consuming a lot of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in your brain to function normally, and may lead to neurodegeneration.
According to the researchers, consuming a lot of aspartame can disturb: The metabolism of amino acids, protein structure and metabolism, the integrity of nucleic acids, neuronal function and endocrine balances.
Furthermore, the ester bond in aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde and methanol, which are also toxic in their own right. So it is not surprising that this popular artificial sweetener has also been found to cause cancer.
How to Ditch Artificial Sweeteners, and Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
If you suffer from sweet cravings, it’s easy to convince yourself you’re doing the right thing by opting for a zero-calorie sweetener like aspartame. Please understand that you will do more harm than good to your body this way. First, it’s important to realize that your body craves sweets when you’re not giving it the proper fuel it needs.
Acceptable Alternative Sweeteners
For those times when you just want a taste of something sweet, your healthiest alternative is Stevia. It’s a natural plant and unlike aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, it is a safe, natural alternative that's ideal if you’re watching your weight, or if you’re maintaining your health by avoiding sugar. It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and truly has virtually no calories. I recommend using Stevia in moderation, just like sugar. In excess it is still far less likely to cause metabolic problems than sugar or any of the artificial sweeteners. I want to emphasize, that if you have insulin issues, I suggest that you avoid sweeteners altogether, including Stevia, as they all can decrease your sensitivity to insulin. Lo han is another sweetener like Stevia. It’s an African sweet herb that can also be used, but it’s a bit more expensive and harder to find. So if you struggle with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or extra weight, then you have insulin sensitivity issues and would benefit from avoiding ALL sweeteners. For everyone else, I strongly encourage you to consider using Stevia or Lo han, and toss out all artificial sweeteners and any products that contain them.
Sources: FoodBev 2010, Mercola.com | March 02 2010
Saturday, February 27, 2010
How to Feel Better When You Are Stressed.
1. Calm down - Before anything else, don’t panic. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
2. Feed your mind with positive thoughts - When you’re depressed, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. It’s important that you break this cycle. To do that, feed your mind with positive thoughts. You may read spiritual texts, motivational books, or inspiring quotes. You may also listen to positive tapes.
3. Remember good things - Remember the good things in your life and the good people around you.
4. Look at the big picture - An event that seems bad might not seem that bad if you look at the big picture. Put the event in context.
5. Believe that everything will be all right - What you believe has a big effect on you. If you believe that things will go wrong, that would usually be the case. On the other hand, if you believe that everything will be all right, you will have a winning attitude.
6. Exercise - When you’re depressed, take time to exercise. Exercise relieves the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
7. Forgive - Sometimes one reason you feel bad is because you don’t forgive. Perhaps you had made mistakes in the past and you blamed yourself for it. You need to forgive yourself. Or perhaps someone mistreated you. You need to forgive them.
8. Take action - Things won’t get better if you just sit and do nothing. Instead of thinking about how bad things are, think of what you can do to solve the problem and take action.
9. Say something positive - Negative words have devastating effect on your confidence and motivation. So whenever you’re about to say something negative, stop yourself and take a deep breath. Reframe what you’re going to say and make it positive.
10. Think about other people - One of the best ways to feel better is simply by taking the focus away from you. Start thinking about other people and how you can help them. When you do that, your problems will no longer seem so hard.
Great quote: You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.
Contact me at DrDan1221@yahoo.com or 920-954-1002 if you have questions or comments.
Source: mercola.com
2. Feed your mind with positive thoughts - When you’re depressed, it’s easy to fall into a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. It’s important that you break this cycle. To do that, feed your mind with positive thoughts. You may read spiritual texts, motivational books, or inspiring quotes. You may also listen to positive tapes.
3. Remember good things - Remember the good things in your life and the good people around you.
4. Look at the big picture - An event that seems bad might not seem that bad if you look at the big picture. Put the event in context.
5. Believe that everything will be all right - What you believe has a big effect on you. If you believe that things will go wrong, that would usually be the case. On the other hand, if you believe that everything will be all right, you will have a winning attitude.
6. Exercise - When you’re depressed, take time to exercise. Exercise relieves the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
7. Forgive - Sometimes one reason you feel bad is because you don’t forgive. Perhaps you had made mistakes in the past and you blamed yourself for it. You need to forgive yourself. Or perhaps someone mistreated you. You need to forgive them.
8. Take action - Things won’t get better if you just sit and do nothing. Instead of thinking about how bad things are, think of what you can do to solve the problem and take action.
9. Say something positive - Negative words have devastating effect on your confidence and motivation. So whenever you’re about to say something negative, stop yourself and take a deep breath. Reframe what you’re going to say and make it positive.
10. Think about other people - One of the best ways to feel better is simply by taking the focus away from you. Start thinking about other people and how you can help them. When you do that, your problems will no longer seem so hard.
Great quote: You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it.
Contact me at DrDan1221@yahoo.com or 920-954-1002 if you have questions or comments.
Source: mercola.com
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
What You Eat After Exercise Matters.
Many of the health benefits of aerobic exercise are due to the most recent exercise session. The nature of these benefits can be greatly affected by the food you eat afterwards. Differences in what you eat after exercise produce different effects on your body's metabolism. Specifically, a recent study found that exercise enhanced insulin sensitivity, particularly when meals eaten after the exercise session contained relatively low carbohydrate content. Interestingly, when the research subjects ate relatively low-calorie meals after exercise, this did not improve insulin sensitivity any more than when they ate enough calories to match what they expended during exercise. This suggests that you don't have to starve yourself after exercise to still reap some of the important health benefits. Enhanced insulin sensitivity means that it is easier for your body to take up sugar from your bloodstream into tissues like muscles, where it can be stored or used as fuel. Impaired insulin sensitivity, also known as insulin resistance is a hallmark of Type II diabetes, as well as being a major risk factor for other chronic diseases.
Jack LaLanne once said:
“Exercise is your king, and nutrition is your queen. Together they create your fitness kingdom."
This new study shows, what you eat after your workout can actually have positive effects on your body. What the researchers found was that all exercise sessions increased insulin sensitivity. This was to be expected as exercise is one of the most powerful tools you have available to normalize your insulin levels. This is important because elevated insulin levels are one of the primary drivers for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and weight gain. But the foods you eat are equally important to maintain healthy insulin and leptin levels. When participants ate fewer carbohydrates after exercise, this enhanced insulin sensitivity significantly more -- even more so than eating a low-calorie meal. What this means is that you don’t need to starve yourself after a workout, and in all actuality doing so may slow down your metabolism because your body goes into starvation mode.
Expert Tips on What to Eat After Your Workout
Darin Steen, a personal trainer, has shared some of his expert tips on what to eat to get the most benefit from your exercise routine. Generally speaking, after exercise your body is nitrogen-poor and your muscles have been broken down. That's why you need amino acids from high quality animal proteins like organic free range chicken, grass fed beef and eggs, as well as vegetable carbohydrates. It’s important to combine a quality protein and a carb (veggie type) together in every meal, no matter whether it’s a resistance training day, an interval cardio day, or a non-workout day, and ideally you should adjust the ratio according to your unique nutritional type. Darin has broken the equation down even further post-workout, and recommends eating a different combination of foods depending on what type of workout you did that day:
Aerobic/Cardio Post-Workout Meal
After a cardiovascular workout (fat loss day), wait 45-60 minutes, and then consume a high-quality source of protein (whole food) and vegetable-type carbohydrate. An example would be a spinach salad and some chicken. The reason why you’ll want to wait an hour after the session to eat is to ride the fat-burning wave of your cardio session. However, waiting more than an hour is typically too long, and can send your body into starvation mode.
Resistance Post-Workout Meal
You want your meal after a resistance workout (muscle-building day) to be absorbed rapidly This is the opposite of what you’ll typically want, because when a meal is absorbed quickly because of refined carbs, there is a good chance your blood sugar will rise too fast, and the carbohydrates will be stored as body fat. But after a resistance workout, you’ve just primed the pump with an intense workout and you have a one-hour window of opportunity to shuttle in nutrients, amino acids, glycogen, and other anabolic nutrients to help repair your damaged muscles. If you miss this one-hour window, the chances that your muscles will be able to repair themselves, which makes them bigger and stronger, diminish significantly. So the best post workout meal on resistance training days is whey protein and a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate, such as a banana. The potassium in the banana seems to help with recovery. The whey protein is already pre-digested so it is absorbed rapidly. You’ll want to this post-workout meal 15-30 minutes after your intense weight-training session.
Choose Whole Food, Not Sports Drinks or Bars
Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars on energy drinks and energy bars each year. Bar and drink makers add dozens of elements to these products, including vitamins, minerals, herbs and whey. However, the active ingredients usually come down to two simple substances: Sugar and caffeine. When used properly, these products may have some benefits for athletes when they are using intense, high-level training that causes them to lose more than a quart of water in sweat. However, for most of you, the vast majority of these energy bars and powders only add hazardous toxins, chemicals, and useless calories to your diet. Probably the worst of the worst would be fructose. You simply should avoid this in a sports drink at all costs unless you are losing more than a quart of water in sweat in 30-45 minutes. The truth is that eating whole, organic and biodynamic foods tailored to your nutritional type is the ticket to optimal performance, whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior at the gym. If you find that you often resort to processed sports bars in a pinch, make sure you stock up your pantry with the following post-workout staples now, so they’re ready for you to grab after your next workout:
Beneficial sources of protein include: Organic chicken (dark meat for protein nutritional types); Organic free-range eggs; Lean, grass-fed red meat; Whey protein; Nuts and seeds (preferably raw)
Beneficial sources of carbohydrates include: Virtually any vegetable (limiting carrots and beets, which are high in sugar); Dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale or Swiss chard; Low fructose fruits like lemon, limes, passion fruit, apricots, plums, cantaloupe, raspberries; Avoid high fructose fruits like apples, watermelons and pears.
Sources:
Eurekalert January 28, 2010
Journal of Applied Physiology December 31, 2009
Mercola.com February 2010
Email me if you have any comments or questions at DrDan1221@yahoo.com
Jack LaLanne once said:
“Exercise is your king, and nutrition is your queen. Together they create your fitness kingdom."
This new study shows, what you eat after your workout can actually have positive effects on your body. What the researchers found was that all exercise sessions increased insulin sensitivity. This was to be expected as exercise is one of the most powerful tools you have available to normalize your insulin levels. This is important because elevated insulin levels are one of the primary drivers for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and weight gain. But the foods you eat are equally important to maintain healthy insulin and leptin levels. When participants ate fewer carbohydrates after exercise, this enhanced insulin sensitivity significantly more -- even more so than eating a low-calorie meal. What this means is that you don’t need to starve yourself after a workout, and in all actuality doing so may slow down your metabolism because your body goes into starvation mode.
Expert Tips on What to Eat After Your Workout
Darin Steen, a personal trainer, has shared some of his expert tips on what to eat to get the most benefit from your exercise routine. Generally speaking, after exercise your body is nitrogen-poor and your muscles have been broken down. That's why you need amino acids from high quality animal proteins like organic free range chicken, grass fed beef and eggs, as well as vegetable carbohydrates. It’s important to combine a quality protein and a carb (veggie type) together in every meal, no matter whether it’s a resistance training day, an interval cardio day, or a non-workout day, and ideally you should adjust the ratio according to your unique nutritional type. Darin has broken the equation down even further post-workout, and recommends eating a different combination of foods depending on what type of workout you did that day:
Aerobic/Cardio Post-Workout Meal
After a cardiovascular workout (fat loss day), wait 45-60 minutes, and then consume a high-quality source of protein (whole food) and vegetable-type carbohydrate. An example would be a spinach salad and some chicken. The reason why you’ll want to wait an hour after the session to eat is to ride the fat-burning wave of your cardio session. However, waiting more than an hour is typically too long, and can send your body into starvation mode.
Resistance Post-Workout Meal
You want your meal after a resistance workout (muscle-building day) to be absorbed rapidly This is the opposite of what you’ll typically want, because when a meal is absorbed quickly because of refined carbs, there is a good chance your blood sugar will rise too fast, and the carbohydrates will be stored as body fat. But after a resistance workout, you’ve just primed the pump with an intense workout and you have a one-hour window of opportunity to shuttle in nutrients, amino acids, glycogen, and other anabolic nutrients to help repair your damaged muscles. If you miss this one-hour window, the chances that your muscles will be able to repair themselves, which makes them bigger and stronger, diminish significantly. So the best post workout meal on resistance training days is whey protein and a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate, such as a banana. The potassium in the banana seems to help with recovery. The whey protein is already pre-digested so it is absorbed rapidly. You’ll want to this post-workout meal 15-30 minutes after your intense weight-training session.
Choose Whole Food, Not Sports Drinks or Bars
Americans spend hundreds of millions of dollars on energy drinks and energy bars each year. Bar and drink makers add dozens of elements to these products, including vitamins, minerals, herbs and whey. However, the active ingredients usually come down to two simple substances: Sugar and caffeine. When used properly, these products may have some benefits for athletes when they are using intense, high-level training that causes them to lose more than a quart of water in sweat. However, for most of you, the vast majority of these energy bars and powders only add hazardous toxins, chemicals, and useless calories to your diet. Probably the worst of the worst would be fructose. You simply should avoid this in a sports drink at all costs unless you are losing more than a quart of water in sweat in 30-45 minutes. The truth is that eating whole, organic and biodynamic foods tailored to your nutritional type is the ticket to optimal performance, whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior at the gym. If you find that you often resort to processed sports bars in a pinch, make sure you stock up your pantry with the following post-workout staples now, so they’re ready for you to grab after your next workout:
Beneficial sources of protein include: Organic chicken (dark meat for protein nutritional types); Organic free-range eggs; Lean, grass-fed red meat; Whey protein; Nuts and seeds (preferably raw)
Beneficial sources of carbohydrates include: Virtually any vegetable (limiting carrots and beets, which are high in sugar); Dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale or Swiss chard; Low fructose fruits like lemon, limes, passion fruit, apricots, plums, cantaloupe, raspberries; Avoid high fructose fruits like apples, watermelons and pears.
Sources:
Eurekalert January 28, 2010
Journal of Applied Physiology December 31, 2009
Mercola.com February 2010
Email me if you have any comments or questions at DrDan1221@yahoo.com
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