Healthy Eating

New evidence suggests food addictions same as drugs.

2011-12-12T12:05:00.004-05:00

The latest ads on “High Fructose Corn Syrup” suggest that sugar is sugar and the source is not important. This is an outright LIE! Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse says, “We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.”
We have, successfully, caused various food manufacturers to eliminate “High Fructose Corn Syrup” from their products. Even pickled herring contains HFCS and diet drinks are switching from “Aspartame” (a poisonous-sweetener) to HFCS.
Cupcakes may be addictive, just like cocaine. A growing body of medical research at leading universities and government laboratories suggests that processed foods and sugary drinks aren’t simply unhealthy. They can hijack the brain in ways that resemble addictions to cocaine, nicotine and other drugs.
Recent ads are skewed to convince Americans that HFCS is harmless - no matter what the source. “The data is so overwhelming the field has to accept it,” said Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse. “We are finding tremendous overlap between drugs in the brain and food in the brain.”
The idea that food may be addictive was barely on scientists’ radar a decade ago. Now the field is heating up. Lab studies have found sugary drinks and fatty foods can produce addictive behavior in animals. Brain scans of obese people and compulsive eaters, meanwhile, reveal disturbances in brain reward circuits similar to those experienced by drug abusers.
As the evidence expands, the science of addiction could become a game-changer for the $1 trillion food and beverage industries. If fatty foods and snacks and drinks sweetened with sugar and high fructose cor syrup are proven to be addictive, food companies may face the most drawn out consumer safety battle since the anti-smoking movement took on the tobacco industry.
“This could change the legal landscape,” said Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University’s Rudd Center toward for Food Policy & Obesity and a proponent of anti-obesity regulation. “People knew for a long time cigarettes were killing people, but it was only later they learned about nicotine and the intentional manipulation of it.”
Food company executives and lobbyists are quick to counter that nothing has been proven, that nothing is wrong with what Pepsi-CO Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi calls “fun-for-you” foods, if eaten in moderation. In fact, the companies say they’re making big strides toward offering consumers a wide range of healthier snacks.
No one disputes that obesity is a fast-growing global problem. In the United States, a third of adults and 17 percent of teens and children are obese. A 2009 study of 900,000 people, published in the Lancet, found that moderate obesity reduces life expectancy by two to four years, while severe obesity shortens life expectancy by as much as 10 years.
Sugars and fats have always been present in the human diet and our bodies are programmed to crave them. What has changed is modern processing that creates food with concentrated levels of sugars, unhealthy fats and refined flour, without redeeming levels of fiber or nutrients. Consumption of large quantities of those processed foods may be changing the way the brain is wired.
Those changes look a lot like addiction to some experts. Addiction “is a loaded term, but there are aspects of the modern diet that can elicit behavior that resembles addiction,” said David Ludwig, a Harvard researcher and director of the New Balance Foundation Obesity Prevention Center at Children’s Hospital Boston. Highly processed foods may cause rapid spikes and declines in blood sugar, increasing craving, his research has found.
Constant stimulation with tasty, calorie-laden foods may desensitize the brain’s circuitry, leading people to consume more junk food to maintain a constant state of pleasure.
In one 2010 study, scientists at Scripps Research Institute in Jupiter, Florida, fed rats an array of fatty and sugary products including bacon, pound cake frosting. The study measured activity in regions of the brain involved in registering reward and pleasure through electrodes implanted in the rats.
The rats that had access to these foods for one hour a day started binge eating, even when more nutritious food was available all day long. Other groups of rats that had access to the sweets and fatty foods for 18 - 23 hours per day became obese, Paul Kenny, the Scripps scientist heading the study, wrote in the journal Nature Neuroscience. The results produced the same brain pattern that occurs with escalating intake of cocaine, he wrote.
Damage to the brain’s reward centers may occur when people eat excessive quantities of food. In on 2010 study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas in Austin and the Oregon Research Institute, 26 overweight women were given magnetic resonance imaging scans as they got sips of milkshake made with ice cream and chocolate syrup. The women got repeat MRI scans six months later. Those who had gained weight showed reduced activity in the striatum, a region of the brain that registers reward, when they sipped milkshakes, according to the study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Healthy Choices - Think Not

2011-09-03T16:15:00.004-04:00

Healthy Choices?
Yes, that’s the name of the product we purchased at Berkley & Jensens (BJs) and here’s the story.
I know you’re all trying hard to avoid foods that destroy your immune system, trigger major diseases, and add plaque to your already plugged-up, arteries. However, the question is: "To be or not to be?" Can you really avoid the consequences when the truth is so ably clouded with lies, half truths and misleading adjectives that lead you astray? My wife and I take pride in identifying the ingredients most harmful and even contact food manufacturers to try to get to the heart of the story.
Recently, we contacted the makers of "Healthy Choice"®. The company has an 800 number and a website. ConAgra Foods, Inc P.O. Box 3768, Dept. H; Omaha,NE 68103-0768 at 1-800-212-9980. www.healthychoice.com The product was a dessert my wife and I shared each night as opposed to high sugar, sodium and fat-laden desserts. They clearly state: "NO ADDED SUGAR." 100 CALORIES PER FUDGE BAR AND A GOOD SOURCE OF CALCIUM; 5 grams of fiber and Low Fat." Sounds good and even appears to be a "healthy choice." But, wait a minute. Would you agree that, "What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You?"
Knowledge is power and a key to living a longer, healthier and happier life. So I called their office and asked them if they knew that the Healthy Choice food product they were selling contained a poison? No, they didn’t know and what could it be? Well, try searching http://aspartame.mercola.com/ That research contains the names of the products the poison within and the brand names. Do you think that the FDA could do that much for us? Well maybe Chief Justice John Roberts expects you to practice caveat emptor or "Let the buyer beware." We are not doing the job of protecting ourselves against the corporate greed that emphasizes semantics to convince you of the words you want to hear.
ASPARTAME, an ingredient in Healthy Choice fudge bars and most soda pop, including yogurt and such brand names as NutraSweet (blue package), Equal, Spoonful and Equal Measure, are much more dangerous to you than saccharin or Sweet N Low(pink package).
What You don’t Know Can Hurt You. Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods.
Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer-drug.
Aspartame was approved by dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 16th, 1974, but objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr. John W. Olney and Consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as investigations of G.D. Searle’s research practices caused the U.S.Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and the NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.
Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death. (1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss and joint pain.
According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame: (2) Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.
What is Aspartame Made Of?
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly detailing the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame. Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid (about 99 percent if monosodium glutamate (MSG) is glutamic acid in our food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms.
How Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.
Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.
We stopped in Julie’s favorite "THE DOLLAR TREE" and there we came across a soda called Stars & Stripes Forever - a lemon-lime soda pop with lemon-lime and other "natural flavors." We read the ingredients carefully and found Aspartame and high fructose corn syrup and many others we did not like. The green bottle, the patriotic name, the use of the words "natural flavors" and everything imaginable to lure the buyer into placing this product in their cart is unconscionable. NO! we will not subject our fuel tank to the POISON we find in foods approved by the FDA!

Massage Therapy-Lower Back Pain

2011-08-21T18:53:00.003-04:00

Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis for more than 30 years is no picnic. Many people do not know the difference between Rheumatoid and Osteo-Arthritis. The RA factor in your genes is identifiable in blood testing. Rheumatoid is usually triggered by stress factors and may or may not kick in - depending on your lifestyle and the amount of stress you are exposed to. The pain in the muscles and joints is symmetrical, unlike Osteoarthritis.
The regimen of treatment, most successful - for me has been a combination of pain pills, and a food regimen recognizing the friendly foods from those which exacerbate the problem, and massage therapy. As a young high school teacher, I was exposed to the era of civil rights battles and the integration forced upon inner-city schools. The experience of facing students with guns, knives, cocaine, heroin and multiple activities of violence was detrimental to my health. I was not willing to give up my position simply to avoid the stress and so I tried staying on to no avail. The result was deterioration of the heart, joints and muscles and the RA factor kicked in. It became a necessity that I leave teaching to avoid the life-threatening conditions that could end my life at 43-years-old. Treatment for my condition was a matter of multiple modalities. In my research, I found that mind, body and spirit were factors needing serious consideration. Psychiatry - to deal with the depression of living with 24/7 pain; a rheumatologist to address the deterioration of muscles and joints; even shots of cortisone to bring down inflammation and help alleviate the pain. I took courses offered by the Arthritis Foundation and researched supposed cures.
Early in my search for ways to combat the pain, I found the simplest but most effective pain-killer was that derived from the Willow-Bark tree: Aspirin. However, there was the possibility of bleeding in the stomach and that led me to an ultra-thin coated aspirin which protected the stomach while getting into the blood stream. I discussed this with my rheumatologist and we decided to monitor the effectiveness versus the risks. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The aspirin thinned out the blood, while acting as an anti-inflammatory on the muscles and joints. It also was beneficial to the heart muscle as researched and affirmed in 1983. In 2003, my doctor announced that they knew why I hadn’t had another heart attack - Aspirin!
At 245 lbs., I decided to take three ultra-thin coated aspirin at a strength of .325mg. That would total out at close to 1,000mg of Aspirin in a 24 hour period. It was helpful and allowed me to remain functional for most of my daily routine of bathing, walking, eating and driving. However, it did not deal with the tightening of muscles and joints that brought on serious muscle cramps which would feel like a heart attack in my calves and upper thighs. I could see the change taking place in my muscles and suffered a few serious falls as the result of an unstable muscle-support.
AND NOW, BACK TO "MASSAGE THERAPY"
Lower back pain is often very severe in both types of arthritis and can be debilitating. I remembered the movies of athletes using massage therapy to loosen those tight muscles and allow more flexibility in going about everyday tasks. Exploring the use of massage therapy was new ground for me and I hesitated to use this therapy because of old- fashioned sensitivities to someone working on my naked body. It was time to bite the bullet and step forward into the realm of alternative therapies.
Getting a good massage for a particular problem is not an easy task. Many Licensed Massage Therapists go through the motions without sensing the needs of a particular client. After experiencing many incapable massage therapists, I searched the internet for someone who could work on the problems of stress-related muscle aches and pains. I was lucky to find one within 5 minutes of my home who had a background in being a registered nurse. She also was capable in the field of dealing with insurance and doctors. She knew the anatomy of my problem and had a strategy of treatment appropriate to helping me deal with the pain and need for relaxation.
Six years later, I continue to be blessed with her capable massage therapy. And so I thought it appropriate to share this article with her and those in pursuit of a good massage therapist. I do a lot of research and author a blog site called: http://eatinghealthy.blogspot.com . I address problems of the body, mind and spirit using herbs, vitamins, minerals and how they benefit the body in sync with a healthy regimen involving light-weight sports like badminton, tennis, swimming, walking and biking. However, there is the tightening of muscles in all these sports and one should not start such a regimen without a doctor’s advice. My wife is an excellent proof -reader and helps with editing these articles. That was also a stroke of luck. She loves to read and will circle and highlight articles of interest to motivate me into sharing information with my readers. The latest article is in Buffalo Healthy Living, August 2011. I am writing this on Sunday - August 21, 2011.
We are very fortunate to live in a time when the benefits of integrative medicine are recognized. Such an organization is the NCCAM or the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Their study - trial enrolled just over 400 Group Health patients who had lower back pain with no identified cause for at least 3-months. The finding of this trial was that massage therapy helped reduce pain and improve function more rapidly than usual medical care in people with chronic low-back pain, according to researchers at Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington in Seattle, the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, and the University of Vermont in Burlington. The purpose of the NCCAM funded trial published in the Annals of Internal Medicine—was to compare the short-term effects of structural massage, relaxation massage, and the usual care for people with chronic low-back pain.
Back pain is an important health problem that affects millions of Americans and is the most common medical condition for which people use complementary and alternative medicine practices, such as massage therapy.
Significantly greater improvements in disability and bothersomeness of symptoms were seen at 10 weeks in both massage groups compared to those who received usual care. For example, at 10 weeks, massage recipients were better able to perform daily activities, were more active, spent fewer days in bed, and used less anti-inflammatory medication than those received usual care.
The study provides additional evidence that massage therapy can be a helpful adjunct in treating chronic low-back pain. The body is not to be treated like a flat tire on a car. There is no one fix for all problems and time, wear and tear and stress can lead to a need to follow a routine of a healthy lifestyle, nutritional food, avoidance of high sugar and sodium and respect for natural foods rather than supplements to feed the dietary needs of our bodies. Pain cannot be ignored and the importance of mobility in the health care needs of our country must be addressed using research and finding the most effective means to keep young and old in the game.
Stan Kent

Kidney Failure and Longevity

2011-07-15T22:15:00.002-04:00

Caring for your kidneys
About 23 million adults in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease. But research has found that fewer than half of those with severe conditions are aware of it, in part because the damage can progress for years without causing symptoms. The aging of the population and the rise of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure seem to be driving an increase in kidney problems. And even when the disease is diagnosed, people might not receive adequate treatment.
For example, studies suggest that just over half of them receive time-tested medication that helps protect the kidney by normalizing high blood pressure. And one study found that more than two-thirds of the people with severe kidney disease never received care from a kidney specialist, or nephrologist. Other kidney treatments are overused. Studies in 2010 found that starting dialysis early for patients with stage 4 chronic kidney disease—a practice that’s become widespread—didn’t improve survival or clinical outcomes and might even increase the risk of dying among healthier patients. Another clinical trial found that the aggressive use of the drug darbepoetin alfa (aranesp) to combat anemia in kidney patients with type 2 diabetes increased the risk of strokes. Yet another found that stents widely used to open narrowed kidney arteries might not be worth the risks.
But there are steps you can take to protect your kidneys and get high-quality care if you develop serious trouble.
HOW KIDNEYS WORK
Blood passes through tiny filters in both kidneys. Those filters sort substances the body needs — like calcium, sodium, and water—separating them from waste and excess fluid or urine. Kidneys also produce hormones that help regulate blood pressure and the production of red blood cells.
With advancing age, kidneys can gradually shrink and lose their filtering capacity. And they become more susceptible to damage from diabetes and high blood pressure. Forty-four percent of severe cases are caused by diabetes and 27 percent by hypertension, according to a study published in January 2010 in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Chronic kidney disease and the loss of filtering capacity can cause anemia, bone disease, worsening high blood pressure, and clogged and damaged arteries. Heart disease is a major killer of people with chronic kidney disease; in fact, they’re more likely to die from heart problems than ultimate failure of the kidneys.
GETTING TESTED
Symptoms of kidney disease aren’t very specific. It can cause insomnia, a poor appetite, an upset stomach, weakness, and difficulty concentrating. But people with failing kidneys often have no symptoms until the organs have lost most of their filtering capacity. That makes it especially important for people at risk—those with diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney disease—to have a doctor check for early kidney problems. Once a year is appropriate for people with diabetes; every one to three years for people with high blood pressure or relatives with kidney failure.
Your doctor should take a blood sample to measure levels of creatinine, a waste product in your blood that comes from muscle metabolism. Factored into a formula with your age, gender and race, the creatinine test gives an estimate of your kidney filtration rate, or e-GFR.
A lower-than-normal filtration rate doesn’t necessarily mean you have kidney damage. Estimates of filtration rates based on blood creatinine levels can misclassify a person’s kidney function, according to a study in April 2011, in which researchers used more sophisticated tests to look for kidney disease in thousands of adults. The American Kidney Foundation recommends testing also for protein in urine. If you get abnormal results, repeat the tests in a few months. A second set of abnormal findings indicate the need for further investigation. Your doctor should first rule out reversible causes of reduced kidney function, such as a urinary-tract infection or obstruction, or medication side-effects.
PREVENTING HARM
If you have chronic kidney disease, your risk of progressing to end-stage kidney failure increases with lower estimated filtration rates. It also increases if you develop kidney disease at a younger age, and if you are a man. Consider these lifestyle changes and medications to slow the progression and minimize risks.
Control blood pressure. For people with chronic kidney disease, experts advise keeping blood pressure below 130/80 millimeters of mercury, lower than the hypertension cutoff of 140/90 mmHg. Hypertension can be controlled by moderately restricting sodium to 1,500 milligrams daily to protect the kidneys. In addition, studies have identified two blood-pressure drugs as effective in slowing kidney disease: ACE inhibitors such as lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril, and generic) and enalapril (Vasotec and generic), and angiotensin-receptor blockers such as candesartan (Atacand) and losartan (Cozaar and generic). If kidney damage is causing excess protein to be excreted in urine; those drugs can be worth taking.
Limit potassium. Diseased kidneys have difficulty excreting potassium, which can build up and cause abnormal heart rhythms. Potassium-rich foods include bananas, raisins, and tomatoes. And certain drugs used to protect the kidneys and increase the e-GFR, including ACE inhibitors, can increase potassium blood levels. Consider consulting a dietitian to help maintain a healthful and balanced diet with less potassium.
Exercise more, eat less. A fitness routine that gets your heart pumping can lower your blood pressure, control diabetes, and help you maintain a healthful weight. In one study, people with kidney disease who were overweight shifted to end-stage kidney failure two to five times faster than those of normal weight.
The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) proved the benefits of eating at least four servings of fruit, four servings of vegetables, and six servings of grains every day; six servings or less of lean meat, poultry and fish a day; and few, if any, sweets or fatty foods (for a goal of 2,000 calories per day).
The DASH diet is not for people who already have kidney disease, since it’s relatively high in potassium. Because an appropriate diet for them can be complex, it’s best to seek advice from a registered dietitian.
Avoid medication that can harm kidneys. Dozens of commonly used drugs—notably NSAIDs such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and generic) and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn, and generic) are associated with kidney damage, as are the dyes used as contrast-enhancing agents for imaging. For pain management, use acetaminophen (Tylenol and generic), instead of NSAIDs. If that doesn’t help, use NSAIDs at the lowest effective dose and have your doctor monitor kidney function if you take them longer than 10 days.
Quit smoking. Heart disease becomes a much greater risk to the kidneys if you smoke. In smokers with kidney disease, smoking nearly doubles the rate of progression to end-stage renal failure.
All of the above is a history of my own experience with a family that ends up on dialysis, after years of symptoms. It was the reason I wrote "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change." In 1977, I passed 7 kidney stones. I asked the doctor what I should do with them and he responded by telling me to throw them away. When I went to a Urologist, he asked me what type of stones they were. Well, that has been my life’s story and it led me to start doing the research to find out the real story behind the drugs we take and the foods we eat. One (the pill) is man-made and the other (food) is created by "Mother Nature."
Many Drugs can harm the kidneys or worsen kidney function. I just don’t believe that doctors have the time or the inclination to do the research necessary to heal patients. The business is too profitable without taking time out for real research instead of a 15-minute session with the drug sales person. That’s the person who goes ahead of you in the waiting room and provides free samples to the staff and the doctor.
Some of the offenders are: Antibiotics such as Ceclor, Cefotan, Keflex– just to name a few in that category. Have you ever been prescribed these drugs? Well I have. Antidepressants such as Elavil, Doxepin or Sinequan and Prozac. See anything here you recognize? Cholesterol-lowering statins Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, and their generics. Diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide (two doctors differed on this one—one for and the other against). Potassium-rich Foods include bananas, potatoes, tomatoes, raisins. NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn) and others. Stomach-acid reducers such as lansoprazole (Prevacid), omeprazole (Prolosec), pantoprazole (Protonix).
When kidneys fail: Hemodialysis is a treatment of last resort for people with failing kidneys. But dialysis patients in the U.S. face one of the highest death rates in the industrial world, even though taxpayers spend about $77,000 a year per patient, or more than $20 billion per year, according to a 2010 investigation by the nonprofit journalism organization ProPublica. ProPublica is a website with information about the quality of care at centers in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Yes we can — afford to involve ourselves in 4 wars and spend billions of dollars on denying citizens their basic civil rights by hiring Homeland Security Officers to harass Americans returning from a brief respite in Canada. We spend billions of dollars helping out governments that are known to be harboring terrorists and we don’t have the money to spend the billions of dollars needed to fix our bridges and our infrastructure. When will Americans demand a government of, by and for the people and not an Oligarchy in which money speaks and the three branches of government follow the will of the Corporations.

They kneel at the "Altar of the Almighty Dollar."

PSA TEST MESS

2011-06-13T09:21:00.002-04:00

How not to get killed by it.
The scientist who originally discovered the PSA test has finally tossed in the towel. After tracking results of using it for over 20 years, he flatly declares that the test is no longer finding significant cancers." This simply confirms the warning to "Health Sciences Institute" in Frederick MD 21705-9913. My Senior Tennis League is plagued with cases in which their doctors are insisting on biopsies. As many as half of all men getting biopsies because of high PSA readings don’t have cancer at all. But the are suffering needless pain, bleeding and infections from the biopsies. So what’s a man to do?
Skip the test? That’s what an expert writing in the prestigious British Medical Journal seemed to imply when he recently declared, "the one certainty about PSA testing is that it causes harm."
But wait a minute! What about men with high PSA readings who really do have cancer? Should they simply ignore the danger signs? Clearly, the PSA test correctly predicts cancer sometimes. Isn’t there any way to improve the accuracy? Yes, in fact, there is.
What to do. HSI recently advised its members to follow up abnormally high PSA readings with a little - known screening procedure called AMAS. This simple blood test detects a substance called antimalignin antibody. As explained in the latest report to HSI members, this AMAS blood test has an accuracy of 95%. Most importantly, AMAS levels tend to rise early in the disease, which means that cancer may be caught even when an initial biopsy might miss it.
If your doctor hasn’t yet heard about the AMAS test, HSI can provide full details in the report titled, "The Perfect Prostate Cure": Today’s Greatest Medicines for Men.
Prostate Disease, both cancerous and benign, is so prevalent among older men that doctors here regard it as nearly inevitable. But for a number of years now, Dr. Hoang has been curing both kinds quite reliably, using a traditional Vietnamese herb that’s all but unheard of here in the west. Dr. Hoang’s breakthrough has received nearly zero attention here.
But all this changed very recently, when Ken Malik, the co-founder and Executive Director of the Prostate Awareness Foundation was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He literally searched the world for a natural approach and found out about Dr. Hoang’s herbal treatment in January of 2002. He was hoping for any improvement, but imagine his shock and delight when his 2005 biopsy showed only three microscopic tumors. Ken was excited enough to organize an informal trial of the herb. After 3 months, the vast majority of cancer sufferers in this trial showed functional improvement. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.
In Vietnam, they have been meticulously recording outcomes. Doctors in one practice report they have biopsies confirming quite a few cases of advanced prostrate cancer—the "incurable" kind—were completely cured by this herbal treatment alone.
Equally fine results for BPH. The International Hospital researched it for 7 years as a treatment for benign prostrate swelling. Their urologists tracked the results very thoroughly, even measuring prostate size. They reported astonishing success for 92.6% of patients—more than 9 out of 10.
Intriguingly, the herb is so valued in Vietnam that it once was reserved for the royal family. Scientist are still puzzling about exactly how it works.
We will continue our quest for a cure and report to you our findings. Meanwhile, it requires a public that is engaged in asserting their rights to dictate to their doctors the procedures they will and will not undergo. Please don’t go blindly into the test, when you have questions as to the accuracy and the serious and needless suffering, bleeding and infections from the biopsies. Trust your instincts and don’t proceed with a healthcare system that is bent upon spending billions of dollars on tests that produce one certainty about PSA testing — that is that it causes harm!

Aspirin Therapy Works

2011-04-03T11:33:00.001-04:00

In 2003, my rheumatologist was amazed, almost flabbergasted, when he ran into my waiting room with a revelation. He was all excited and happy to tell me he now knew why I had not had another heart attack. "It’s the aspirin," he exclaimed. Each visit, I would give him my computer read-out of the regimen of over-the-counter medications I was using. He liked that. The nurse would simply ask if I had any stomach problems and I responded, "No." I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was, what I refer to as a "marker." Whenever some life altering event takes place in my life - I call that a "Marker!" Dr. Argen said, "I knew you were smart, but not this smart." He had read my many editorials over the years and was very curious about my writings. Well to get to the crux of the story, my lipid profile came back and he couldn’t believe what I had accomplished in less than two months: Triglycerides from 1374 to 76; Cholesterol from 274 to 133 and 55 pounds melted away. What about the aspirin? Oh well, he had just learned that it was aspirin that had protected my heart from inflammation. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the FDA, AMA and the Pharmaceutical Industry had known all about this miracle drug that works with the body. When I was first diagnosed with RA I read everything I could on the subject, attended seminars and studied the Arthritis Foundation’s research. There was only one thing that worked in 1981, and that was aspirin. Many pain killers masked the symptoms but didn’t get to the causal relationship. As early as 1983, our country knew the many benefits of "aspirin therapy." Well, the many efforts to hide this information from the public had failed and the truth had to be told. And so you can imagine my joy at reading the report in the March issue of "UCLA DIVISION OF GERIATRICS" HEALTHY/YEARS, Helping older adults lead happier, healthier lives. These major centers of research have given me special discounts because they are aware of my writings in my blog: http://eatinghealthy.blogspot.com . I have been dealing with the gradual deterioration of my muscles, joints and organs for more than 30-years. The picture in the upper right hand corner of the March issue shows a life preserver with a rope and the word "ASPIRIN" displayed on the ring. Very appropriate for a life saver that is confirmed to help prevent colon cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, stroke and heart attacks. A large study was published in the December 7, 2010 issue of The Lancelot. Although I am not in agreement with the recommendation of a low dose (81mg) aspirin - I do agree with the progress we have made towards studying the mechanism of naturopathic medicine that reduces the attack on the human body. After a 20 year follow-up, the study found that your risk of dying within 5 years from certain cancers is reduced as much as 21 percent. At 20 years’ follow-up, aspirin users had 20 percent fewer deaths from solid tumor cancers compared to nonusers. The breakdown for specific cancer risk reductions was 30 percent for lung cancer; 40 percent for colorectal cancer; and 60 percent for esophageal cancer. Study data, which was drawn from eight large clinical trials involving more than 25,000 patients, did not indicate any protective effects from aspirin for other types of cancer, such as brain and pancreatic. Arash Naeim, MD, an oncologist with the Johnson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA says that aspirin’s ability to combat inflammation is likely to be part of the explanation. Chronic inflammation, for example, may push the immune system to respond in such a way that cancer cells can form and flourish, he suggests. "There may not be a single reason," Dr. Naeim says, "There is a lot of data that suggest a connection between inflammation and cancer and we know aspirin can help reduce inflammation.." Aspirin’s mechanism. Aspirin works in two primary ways in the body. The drug interferes with the activation of two forms of the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme in the body: COX - 1 and COX - 2. COX-1 plays a role in the how platelets form in the blood stream and aspirin can help make platelets less sticky and reduce the risk of clot formation. But COX- is related to inflammation throughout the body. Interestingly, COX-1 is active only in the stomach, but COX-2 is active at the site of the inflammation, such as the location of a wound. Dr. Naeim notes that in the Lancet study, the protective results were realized after five years of daily aspirin therapy. He suggests that if a patient’s life expectancy is less than five years, aspirin therapy may not be worth any of the risks. "You have to have some longevity for you to get some benefit from aspirin therapy," he says. "Plus, you have to take the aspirin every day for five years. That takes commitment." Note: I have been taking aspirin therapy without doctor’s recommendation for over 30-years. My family has a history of colorectal cancer and aspirin is an added benefit to the longevity factor. Every day for 30 years I have kept a daily log of my intake of aspirin so that it could be used for research sometime after my passing. He adds that some studies have shown that stopping aspirin therapy may create a rebound effect and actually start to raise your risk of heart disease and stroke. I agree and have confirmed that with my pharmacist. I had suspect that thinning out the blood was beneficial, but there was the counter to that if I were to stop taking aspirin. Thick blood can cause a stroke and all hell can break loose. Always weigh the risks and benefits before beginning an aspirin therapy. Also, remember to do other things for your health, such as stop smoking, staying away from trans fats, sugar, salt and using a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise such as tennis, swimming, badminton, walking, biking and getting enough vitamin D from your exposure to the outdoors. Consider your foods as medicine and your lifestyle, as well.

Powerful Heart Nutrient CoQ10

2011-02-17T07:54:00.001-05:00

CoQ10 supports heart health and cellular energy. Furthermore the researcher have been touting CoenzymeQ10 (CoQ10) is a powerful heart nutrient. CoQ10 is a vitamin-like nutrient naturally produced in the body. It’s a key element to energy production and antioxidant protection. Numerous studies of CoQ10s benefits to the circulatory system have been conducted during recent years, all showing a strong benefit to hearth health.
Good for those with hearth failure
A study in the European Heart Journal showed that CoQ10 strengthens the heart. The team studied 23 patients with an average age 59-years-old. They had moderate to severe heart failure. They were assigned four weeks each of oral CoQ10 supplements or inactive placebo pills with or without supervised exercise training five times per week. Supplementation with CoQ10 led to an improvement in peak exercise capacity and cardiac function without any side effects.
Healthy capillaries
One recently published study found in the Journal, Evidence Based Integrative Medicine, specifically points to CoQ10's use in supporting healthy circulation. Patients who took CoQ10 together with Pycnogenol (Pine Bark Extract) benefitted from collaborative antioxidant effects. It provided antioxidant protection from cell damaging free-radicals and helped maintain a healthy capillary circulatory system.
Regenerates Vitamin E
In another study of its interactive benefits with other nutrients, CoQ10 was shown to interact with alpha-lipoic acid to regenerate oxidized vitamin E, which can help support healthy blood pressure levels and lipid metabolism. CoQ10 raises the body’s level of vitamin E, causing a cascade of other benefits.
Protecting against stress from exercise
Vigorous exercise, as well as environmental toxins, can generate free radicals in the body. CoQ10 helps neutralize these free radicals so you get all the benefits of exercise without the potentially damaging effects.
Prevents damage from high trans fat diets
The news keeps getting better. Based on research from India, CoQ10 may be useful to protect the heart for people who consume too much trans fat. This is bad fat found in candy bars, sour breads and many processed foods.
Statin drugs may deplete CoQ10
Evidence suggests people who use statin drugs to treat high cholesterol levels may be simultaneously depleting CoQ10 levels. Many cardiologists are now recommending CoQ10 to patients as an adjunct to traditional medical treatments, especially for those with congestive heart failure.
CoQ10 levels decline with age
The concentration of CoQ10 in the body decreases as we age. This decrease in CoQ10 begins to take place around the age of 40. However, some research suggests that levels begin to diminish as early as 20 years of age, with a slow but continuous decline thereafter.
Several factors contribute to the aging process, but many age-related conditions are associated with this decline in CoQ10 levels. You might think of cardiovascular disease, neuro-degenerative disease, cancer, diabetes, fatigue, and reduced stamina and energy as unavoidable symptoms of aging. You probably don’t realize these problems may be linked to diminished amounts of CoQ10 as you get older.
If you have heart problems or a family history of heart problems, supplementation with CoQ10 is definitely a good idea.
CoQ10 Typical Daily Dosages
30 - 100 mg General Health
90 - 160 mg Heavy Exercise
60 - 160 mg Family History of heart problems
100 - 200 mg Mild heart problems
1,200 mg Those with Parkinson’s
I was first introduced to CoQ10 while experiencing serious arrhythmia. A friend recommended I start taking 60mg twice a day. I no longer have the arrhythmia problem. There is more to it than that. I started eating fish three times a week and I changed my lifestyle to eliminate stressful environments. Dedicating myself to helping others played a big role in changing my health to a positive side.

Eating the right foods and eliminating smoking and alcohol contributed to my health, as well. I believe in Kenny Rogers philosophy on the secrets to a good life: Something to do, Something to look forward to, and Someone to LOVE!

Nourish Your Eyes

2011-02-16T20:54:00.002-05:00

Do you use reading glasses? Do you notice more glare at night when you drive? Is your vision as sharp as it used to be? It may be time to protect your vision with effective natural ingredients.
If you don’t eat enough spinach and most of us don’t eat enough foods, like spinach, that contain important eye nutrients like lutein. Lutein and zeaxanthin—are the only carotenoids that are concentrated in the lens and the macula of the eye. These yellow and orange colored pigments give the macula its yellow tint. High levels promote macular pigment density, a key indicator of eye health. The macula is located in the center of the retina and provides the sharp, central vision necessary for reading, driving and seeing fine detail.
Lutein works by filtering out potentially damaging, high-energy blue light and it helps protect the eyes from: unstable molecules (free radicals) that can cause tissue damage.
Taking lutein has an added bonus—it improves skin hydration, elasticity and skin lipid content. The lutein we use comes from one of the richest sources—marigold flowers and petals (Tagetes erecta).
My eye doctor will be seeing me three times a year and an appointment with him is a full day of being shuffled from one room to another and finally an examination by the doctor. There will be about two rooms of people, about 65 people over age 50 and I entertain them with the research I have done. Dr. Dilip Patel, M.D. is from India and likes to tell people that the best healer is mother nature. He encourages them to go to my web site and he asks me for more information about the way I use herbs, vitamins and minerals -what they do for you and what foods to eat to be get those benefits. I don’t eat Marigolds, but I do love the flower and keep the seeds for the following year. However, I do buy Wyman’s Wild Blueberries in a three-pound plastic bag with a self-sealing device. I place a scoop of Wild Blueberries in my Large Flake Oatmeal with diced apples and cinnamon. The wild blueberries are a antioxidant powerhouse. Like bilberries, they are a rich source of anthocyanins that act as antioxidants. Studies show that blueberries rank among the highest in antioxidant activity when compared to more than 100 other foods. Bilberry and night vision:
During the night missions in World War II, pilots experienced an improvement in night vision after eating bilberry jam. These observations led to clinical studies on the effects of bilberry.
Researchers discovered bilberry has a high antioxidant content from anthocyanins. Flavonoids contain a specific affinity for the eyes, especially the retina. Anthocyanins may provide protection caused by exposure to UV sunlight, as well.
The newest protection for the human eye are the new HD Night-Vision wrap around. Who would think there would be a time when we would be wearing sunglasses at night and even in the casino to prevent the damage caused by UV light and radiation. They were originally in the $45 range, but now I can get them for $10 at the local "as seen on TV" pharmacy.
Yes, they do have Ultimate Eye Formula pills, if you prefer. I still like the taste of the real food and the pharmacist is one I can trust~the creator of all the universe.
And so I would recommend you support long-term eye health by protecting your eyes and nourishing them with foods like spinach, wild blueberries and bilberry.
People who wear contacts or glasses
People who drive at night
Regular computer users and slot machine users of video screens.
People whose eyes get a lot of sun exposure
People who smoke or drink alcohol.
Especially for those who want to protect visual function as they age
It is amazing how much information can be gleaned from a vitamin catalog. I just prefer the naturopathic approach that involves eating the right foods. Today, I ate herring with some salad and olive oil and vinegar, stir fry broccoli, with Wonton Soup and baby corn, carrots, peas and water chestnuts. We finished our evening with a cup of Jasmine Tea and some Ginger Snaps.
My thanks to Nutrition Express for the research they include in their catalog. You may also want to visit their website at
NutritionExpress.com
or call them at 800-338-7979
Everything you eat should be considered in the context of overall use to your body in maintaining your health and vitality. Strengthen your immune system with Grape Seed Extract or Pine Bark Extract and you may not have to spend all your money on treating the illness afterwards, or waiting in the doctor’s office for one or two hours.

Regenerative Medicine

2011-02-14T15:34:00.004-05:00

Autologous (refers to cells, tissues or even growth factors that are re-implanted in the same individual as they come from.) In other words the patient receives his or her own cells. Cell therapy injections are a by-product of blood that is rich in growth factors and platelets. Until now, it’s use has been confined to the hospital setting. This was due mainly to the cost of separating, the cells from the blood and the large amount of blood needed to produce a suitable quantity of cells from only 30 to 50 cc of blood drawn from the patient while they are in the office setting. It takes about 20 minutes to harvest these cells prior to the injection.
During the healing process, the body rushes many cells and cell types to the injected area in order to accelerate the healing process. These cells perform many functions, including the release of growth factors (GF) into the diseased or arthritic and injured sites. Another main function is attracting Mesenchymal Stem Cells to the damaged areas. These growth factors (Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF1) function to assist the body in repairing itself by stimulating stem cells to regenerate new tissue. The more growth factors released sequestered into damaged cells, the more stem cells stimulated to produce new host tissue. Thus, one can easily see that Cell Therapy and its applications for injection into the joints and tendons to improve osteoarthritis and sports injuries. Currently Cell Therapy has been used for pain and arthritis of Knee, Shoulder, Spine, Hip, Ankle, Wrist and Elbow at The Center For Regenerative Medicine.
A subfamily of these cells, are Mesenchymal Stem cells (different from the embryonic stem cells). These stem cells are contained within each individual and are derived from the person’s self. They have been shown to be multi potent, and have the potential of becoming, cardiac cells, nerve cells, Hepatocytes (liver cells), Chondrocytes (cartilage cells), and even vascular cells (angiogenesis). Angiogenesis is of great significance to the Orthopedic Regenerative physician whose goal is the improvement of arthritis and sports injuries.
The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami Beach, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center’s expertise is in the spine, knee, shoulder, and other areas of cartilage damage. We have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain.
Traditionally, they were only able to put out the fire, at times only for a temporary time. Now they have the technology to do much more.
The Center For Regenerative Medicine
Questions & Answers
Muscular-skeleton, Joint injuries and Arthritis affect over 100 million Americans, or one in every three people, a majority of these people develop chronic problems and disability. Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) or more commonly known as Arthritis (In Latin ‘arth’ means joint, "itus" means inflammation) is not an isolated problem as it is becoming an epidemic as the aging population lives longer; it actually consists of more than 100 different conditions. These can be bursitis to crippling systemic, forms such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Do these treatments help only arthritis?
The treatments can help most Muscular skeleton problems such as neck pain, back pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain, knee pain, hip pain, foot pain, sciatica, tendinitis, Tennis elbow, sprains, strains, whiplash and torn ligaments and cartilage.
How many treatments does a person need? Is there any down time?
The number of treatments depends on the tissue damage, severity of the condition, the size of area that need to be injected and most importantly the patient’s healing capability. People usually need a series of about 1 - 6 treatments to improve. Each treatment is independent of all the others, meaning each treatment by itself has benefits, there is usually no down time and people can go back to work or their usual activities immediately.
Are any of the medications used FDA approved?
All the medications used are FDA approved. The use of the medications for injection into ligaments, tendons and joints is an "off-label" use. This means that an FDA approved medicine can be used for other than the FDA approved uses if the physician believes the medication is beneficial for a patient.
In some cases Platelet Rich Plasma is used.
What is your patient demographic?
Since the project LaJRaN was started, the center has done over 10,000 procedures. Baby boomers comprise of 40% of the patients, 40% are 61-years and older and about 20% are in the 13-40-year-old group.
Knees are by far the most common problematic areas in the practice, followed by the shoulders and spine (back and neck).
75% of patients are Americans, 20% are from South American countries, and the rest come from different countries as far as Hong Kong, South Africa, and Australia.
Younger patients whom also are the fastest growing population of patients seen at the center are mostly professionals, including the NFL, NBA and PGA, Baseball players, Tennis Players, Dancers, Politicians, Doctors, Lawyers, and Law Enforcement.
What is the most important goal in this procedure?
Again, it depends on each patient, some want to just be pain free, some are looking for range of motion, some need more strength, some want to go back to activities that brought the this far such as playing Golf, Tennis, Dance, Soccer and Football.
For others it is important not to think twice about getting up to get a glass of water or just being able to walk again.
In general people like to be functional again.
What is your advice to people out there?
Do not abuse your muscular skeleton system, it is very fragile, it doesn’t take much to injure, it is easily damaged, and it is not easy to fix it.
Lose weight, 70% of Americans are overweight. Your weight bearing joints, meaning your ankles, knees and hips are not made to carry any fore than 20% more than your ideal body weight, this is why 60% of Americans over the age of 60 have arthritis in their knees, 60% is a big number. Cautiously take some supplements, some of the medications available actually can help.
About the Doctor:
Alimorad Farshchian MD (farsheean) was conferred his Doctorate of Medicine (M.D. Degree) with High Honors from Spartan Health Sciences University School Medicine in 1987. He then joined the highly acclaimed research staff at State University of NY (SUNY Down State), a subsidiary of New York Research Foundation. He pursued further education with an Internship at the University of Tennessee’s College of Medicine. He continued his medical training at the prestigious Ivy League Chestnut Hill Hospital (University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine - Family Medicine Program).
At the turn of the century Farshchian started up the Center for Regenerative Medicine. That year he treated a patient’s hip with great success. Since then the injection has evolved to a combination of 4 - 5 different modalities called LaJRaN (Ligament and Joint Regeneration and Neuvogeneration). Today he has treated more than 7000 cases.
U.S.A. scientist and scholar, and the host of "arthritisusa web talk program" (currently featured on the media section of this web site) Farshchian is honored to be chosen as doctor of the year for 2004 by United States Republican Congressional Committee’s Physician Advisory Board.
Syndicated Web columnist and the editor for "From the Doctor’s Journal", is the recipient of 2004 Senatorial Medal of Freedom.
In 2005 special attention is focused on research, specifically the work of the late Thomas McPherson Brown; significant for correlations between bacteria and connective tissue diseases.
The CEO and the developer of the dietary supplements product line "Genorthix" and the inventor of "Genorcane" is currently based in Miami Beach, among his other achievements Dr. Farshchian is also happily married with two children.
The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami Beach, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people to get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center’s expertise is in spine, knees, shoulders, other cartilage damages. They have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain. Our team includes health professionals organized around a central theme:
THE CENTER FOR REGENERATIVE MEDICINE: Includes a team of professionals, with on-site physical therapist, Digital ultrasound, X-Ray and necessary orthopedic equipment. Major players including Global Icons, World Champions, Sport Legends, Pro Athletes, Amateur Athletes, Dancers and people with just plain arthritis come to the Center for Regenerative Medicine from around the world for non-surgical orthopedic care, using our facility to improve their conditions.
The value statement for all employees of the Center for Regenerative Medicine is set forth as follows:
Service with pride
Teamwork
Attitude for excellence
Respect for the individual
State of the art technology
"Your gentleness, compassion, utter professionalism and A-Z holistic healing methods go way beyond any medical treatment I have ever heard of or experienced. You and your Associates are a ‘dream Team come true."
"With these few words I am, once again, thanking you for your kindness not only to me but to all those others which I have witnessed helping with your knowledge and good will to alleviate the pains…I constantly remember about you and all those beautiful people around you helping you to help others."
The Center is a short distance away from Miami and Fort Lauderdale Airports:
9573 Harding Avenue
Miami Beach, Florida 33154

1-305-866-8384

Knee Replacement Going to Biological Regeneration

2011-02-09T11:31:00.004-05:00

Knee Replacement Going from Bionic to Biological
In 1996 my son, (living in Tarpon Springs), told me about two young doctors who were into the latest technology involving DNA and biological implants. It amounted to using your own cartilage. Taking that sample and growing it in a lab, to be used to implant them into the knee with no cartilage. This knowledge led me to have a swab of cotton rubbed on the inside of my cheek to be used to develop a DNA research paper on my individual DNA features. This 32 page report could be used by a doctor to know in advance what prescription or recreational drugs would do in my body. All doctors could access that document with a special pin number.
This same procedure was followed on my son (now 45-years-old) and his son (now 13 years old). It was then that I discussed the idea of biological methods of dealing with the problems of the elderly with knees, hips and back problems. They informed me of doctors who were able to perform these implants and had done so successfully on 9600 patients without any failures.
Think of it, no anesthesia, no long rehabilitation and out-patient recovery. Yes, just a needle and you’re on your way. The Senior Tennis League has had many members undergo bionic replacement with much pain and an end to their days on the tennis court. Most doctors haven’t even heard of the biological replacement. Now, we find that today’s news (2/8/11) reveals this as a new method of knee replacement. It’s not new, it’s just about those who are in the know and those that don’t research the availability of better ways to treat the problem. The Northeastern United States has long been known as the most conservative area of the world when it comes to health care. If you need a new knee, try Florida. It’s progressive, because the people there are usually older and better-prepared financially and intellectually to try something new.
My latest experience with a STL member is that he was told that his knee replacement will end his love of tennis. I hope that he gets the latest information on what is available with the least amount of invasive surgery.
Ironically, the success of this biological implant turned out to be due to a professor of veterinary medicine at the University of Missouri. He watched his granddad suffer the consequences of several surgeries, including one of the first knee replacements. Dr. James Cook said that he and a team member were on the brink of changing the way that human knees are replaced. The goal Cook said, "is to put the plastic and metal joints out of business." He want to take the joint replacement business from bionic to biological. The concept? Biological cartilage, specifically grown from stem cells outside the body and then shaped for insertion into the knee. Dr. James Cook, 45 has successfully performed the procedure on dogs. The research, the result of 11 years of work, recently was written up in the medical journal, Lancet.
Horses who couldn't’t stand were treated with the implants and went on to win races. You see, there is a lot of money on the line to keep a well-bred horse in the running. On the other hand, there is a lot of money in the surgical procedure performed on humans. That’s a lobby that’s hard to fight. The FDA usually stays with the political approach when deciding to make a decision allowing a new approach that would go against the grain of "freedom of speech" money in duffel bags to support their key interests. After all it was the same FDA that prevented people from knowing the many benefits from aspirin in 1983. My doctor didn’t find out about it until 2003.
My latest research shows that a Doctor in Miami is using the procedure using blood from the patient, reduced to platelets and then using a syringe. In and out and walk about. The doctor has had no complaints and my friend’s stepfather is in his 80s. Knowledge is power and you are the recipient of a "Practice" that will either heal you or simply cost a lot and all for nought. I have watched tennis players go through the bionic procedure for more than three decades. One woman said, "Stan, I’d rather go through child birth than what I have been through with my knee replacement. That was not her first and wouldn’t be her last. And so I try to help you get the facts, Mam, just the facts.
The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons considers knee replacements one of the most important advances of the last century. In the United States 581,000 procedures a year are performed. How many of those were successful? How many of them were 2nd and 3rd attempts to resolve the knee issue?
Dr. Cook said he thought that biological replacements would last longer, be more flexible and give the patient a better quality of life. The process involves taking a patient’s own cells and then mold it to a knee.
"The whole field of biological joint replacement is beginning to grow and many doctors haven’t heard about it," says Kevin Stone, who has been doing a limited form of biological repair at his San Francisco clinic for a decade.

If we can continue to prove the safety & efficacy of this biological joint replacement strategy, then we can get approval for use of this technology for joint replacement in humans," Dr. Cook said.
Dr. Cook is collaborating with a tissue regeneration research team led by Professor Jeremy Mao at Columbia University as well as a lab at Clemson University. For more information you may want to contact Doctor Alilorad Farschian who has successfully been performing the biological joint regeneration for more than 13 years.
Dr. Alilorad Farshchian 1 (305) 866-8384
9573 Harding Avenue
Miami Beach Fl 33154
Web site: http://www.arthritisusa.com/

Body Ecology - The Ayurvedic Way

2011-01-31T13:17:00.002-05:00

BODY ECOLOGY is a noun from the Greek oikos 'house'. Body Ecology is the branch of biology concerned with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. The purpose of this blog is to provide you with the essential information you need to take charge of your own health and well-being. We try to keep you apprised of where to obtain the highest quality products to go along with the Body Ecology Diet (B.E.D). My wife has a problem with addressing the matter of eating the right foods as a "diet." She considers diets as temporary attempts to change your weight, as though you could reach a goal and go back to doing the same things that brought you to a condition that puts you at risk of disease and illness. She prefers to use "regimen" as a more permanent description of the habits which will lead you to living healthy as though it were a religious obligation to support the vessel you travel in as you walk this earth.
HOLISTIC MEDICINE
Holistic Medicine is defined by the American Board of Holistic Medicine as "the art and science of healing that addresses the whole person—body, mind and spirit." Holistic medicine is based on the belief that unconditional love is life’s most powerful healer.
Functional medicine is defined by the Institute of Functional Medicine as a science based field of health-care grounded in the principles of: 1. Biochemical individuality based on genetic and environmental uniqueness; 2. Patient-centered care as opposed to disease-centered care; 3. Health as a function of dynamic balance between internal and external factors (homeodynamics); 4. Web-like interconnections of physiological factors; 5. Health as a positive vitality rather than merely the absence of disease, and; 6. Promotion of organ reserve. The science of functional medicine is grounded in the marriage of molecular medicine, nutritional biochemistry, physiology, and cognitive sciences.
In order to effectively practice medicine, the practitioner must use a heuristic system. Conventional medicine is based on a reductionist system with a focus on isolated chemicals within the organs of the body. If we are confronted with a cataclysmic event, we may have to go back to the plants and herbs used by our forefathers in treating and preventing illness. The BED system of healing includes organic, unrefined oils and probiotics. For more than 150-years we have tried using prescription drugs to resolve illness and disease issues, but we remain at the bottom of the latter on longevity - worldwide. In 2003 we were 25th in longevity of all the industrialized nations of the world and now we are 52nd. Many doctors are losing faith with the pharmaceuticals that fail often and cost too much. They are reaching out for options that are more reliable in preventing illness and healing the sick.
Our country has changed the eating habits of our fellow Americans and especially our young. Fast food began to be convenient but damaging to our healthy. We even participate in contests that reward those who can consume large amounts of junk food. Young people have gone from natural ingredients to soda pop and now they celebrate the discovery of fatty foods like "Buffalo Wings." Arteries are clogged and younger people are dying from blocked arteries.
Our desire for sweet foods has produced a race to develop more and more sugar substitutes from chemicals that develop new problems for the digestive tract. Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease, and memory loss occur more often and affecting more Americans than ever before.
We are faced with sugar substitutes like Stevia, Splenda, Nutra-Sweet and find out much later that there are consequences to millions of people changing their eating habits to accommodate taste instead of nutritional needs. More people are asking me to give them the website that provides the research and results that bring them the information they need to improve their immune system. Even some of our most highly respected physicians are reaching outside the satchel of the pharmaceutical salesmen for research-backed answers to the problems and complaints of their patients. Too much reliance on fast-food has changed the weight, shape and health of our youth.
Take the FIRST STEP To start eating more healthfully today by eating a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables. Do this to ensure that you get the largest possible number of different phytochemicals—compounds that fortify your cells. One easy way to do this is to strive for foods that are different colors—orange sweet potatoes, red tomatoes, green spinach and peppers and brown beans and legumes. Change you shopping habits to travel the peripheral areas of the supermarket to buy more produce, fish and foods rich in vitamins, herbs and minerals.
Malnourished immune cells become weak, inefficient, and powerless. A well nourished body can realize what may result in miraculous good health.
"Food creates a composite of everything your body needs for a strong immune system." No biochemist can replicate the magic of "Mother Nature."
Fortunately, even if you’ve eaten unsoundly in the past, your immune system is forgiving and can still regain its balance. "Immune cells are constantly being formed," says Namanjeet Ahluwalia, Ph.D., assistant professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University in State College. "You have to think of the body as being in a constant state of flux in terms of the immune response." This gives us an opportunity to repair and improve the immune response by maintaining our nutritional status.
Pile your plate with phytochemicals. Phytochemicals are the very reason people should start eating a diet top-heavy in fruits and vegetables now, says Paul Lachance, Ph.D., executive director of the Nutraceuticals Institute at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. "You name it. They prevent everything from gastrointestinal cancer to heart disease to infectious diseases," he says.
For years, scientists have known which basic vitamins and minerals are in fruits and vegetables and other plant foods. They have learned, however, that the food system is not that simple; there are literally thousands upon thousands of compounds in the foods and beverages we consume, all interacting with our cells in ways still being discovered.
These compounds are phytochemicals, substances found in the plant system with the strength to ward off fungi, insects, and viruses. When we consume fruits, vegetables, and other plants, those same compounds fortify our cells. They become boosters of our immune systems, operating like antioxidants, the molecules that protect our cells from harmful oxygen substances known as free radicals.
The Ayurvedic Way: Balance, variety, and moderation are integral to the philosophy of Ayurveda uses a holistic system of medicine, meaning that our minds, bodies, and spirits are all taken into consideration in the diagnosis and treatment of any illness. Clearly, much of what is being learned in laboratories confirms what has been practiced for centuries in India, particularly in regard to the use of Indian Herbs to boos our immune systems. I pray for health in mind, body and spirit so that I may serve Him with all my strength.

Aspartame Problems Documented

2011-01-11T18:31:00.004-05:00

All my research on sugar substitutes appeared to indicate that Aspartame was relatively safe when used as a sugar-substitute. However the latest report makes it quite clear that this substance is one of the most dangerous on the market, that is added to food. Thanks to a friend of my blog site and a dedicated “Healthy Eating” enthusiast.
Actually, it does upset me that Americans are being fed a pack of lies about the safety of the products on the market. We are led to believe that yogurt is good for us and then we see that the “Nutrition Facts” reveal as much as 39 grams of sugar. Instead of identifying “High Fructose Corn Syrup” for what it is, they now call it by other names like modified corn starch, Fructose or Sucralose.
Some of our most successful food manufacturers state that their product contains: Fructose, Sucralose, Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium and on the same container claim to be “Light & Fit”, O% Fat and only 80 calories. They contain fruits we all recognize as healthy such as: Blueberries, Pomegranate, Black Cherries, Peaches, Apple, raspberries and black berries. So you see it is a case of a healthy picture of fruits we like and calories we recognize as healthy and 0% fat.
Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names: NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.
Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 26, 1974. But objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr. John W. Olney and Consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974, as well as investigations of G.D. Searle’s research practices, caused the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto purchased G. D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.
Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. (1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.
According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame: (2) Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia and diabetes.
Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. The book “Prescription for Nutritional Healing,” by James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of “chemical poison.” As you shall see, that is exactly what it is.
What is Aspartame Made Of?
Aspartic Acid (40 percent of Aspartame)
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly detailing the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame. Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid (about 99 percent of monosodium glutamate acid) in our food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms.
How Aspartate (Glutamate) Cause Damage
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive glutamate is why they are referred to as “excitotoxins.” They “excite”or stimulate the neural cells to death.
Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in the free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.
The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins. 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain. 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.
The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:
Multiple Sclerosis (MS), ALS, Memory Loss, Hormonal Problems, Hearing-loss, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Hypoglycemia, AIDS, Dementia, Brain lesions and
Neuroendocrine disorders
The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great. Even the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which usually understates problems and mimics the FDA party-line, recently stated in a review of that:
“It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants and children. The existence of evidence of potential endocrine responses, I.e., elevated cortical and prolactin, and differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders.”

Aspartic acid from aspartame has the same deleterious effects on the body as glutamic acid. The exact mechanism of acute reactions to excess free glutamate and aspartate is currently being debated. As reported to the FDA those reactions include: Headaches/migraines, Nausea, abdominal pains, fatigue (blocks sufficient glucose entry into brain), Sleep problems, Vision Problems, Anxiety attacks, Depression, Asthma/chest tightness.
One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and physicians who are concerned about excitatory amino acid damage caused by ingestion of aspartame and MSG.
A few of the many experts who have spoken out against the damage caused by aspartate and glutamate include Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D, an experimental psychologist experimenting in research design. Another is Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry, school of medicine, Washington University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world’s foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice)

Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)
Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels in of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU.
This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.
Natural sweetness like that found in fruits and vegetables, raisins, honey and sugar cane are more to my liking and created by a pharmacist, chemist or biochemist I trust ~ namely, our creator. The chemical taste of sweetness can be more about the taste and less about the consequences or side effects. Many of these chemicals are dangerous and the cause of many of our problems of obesity and the improper dietary habits of the American people!

MINERALS YOU NEED AND WHY

2010-12-16T18:14:00.005-05:00

For years I have believed in mineral water‘s importance to a healthy body. After all, one of our greatest presidents would spend his vacations in Mineral Springs in Saratoga, New York. He is my role model for living with a severe handicap, while exuding confidence and leadership. This handicapped man who fell flat on his face when getting out of bed at the age of 38-years-old led us through the worst of times. He carried over 19 pounds of steel through all those horrific years. And yet we remember his confident smile and the strength of his words. They say, “YOU DON’T CHANGE HORSES IN MIDSTREAM” and so he was elected for four terms of office. The people were confident in his leadership. His smile projected all we needed to get through a depression and a World War. His words were reassuring “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself.”
Unfortunately, in recent years, we have filtered out the best minerals in favor of removing contaminants in our water. Processed food was a major cause of obesity and diabetes.
MAGNESIUM increases the electro-conductivity to nerves, muscles, the heart, other major organs of the body. A Macedonian Cardiologist by the name of Blasé Sekovski, M.D. wrote a prescription for 500 mg of (magnesium gluconate) MAGONATE twice a day, and that led to an end of my arrhythmia problem. Mineral water in Western New York is important to our health. However, all the industries located on Lake Erie and the Niagara River and the additives made our tap water hazardous to our health. Purification filtered out the Magnesium, but it is naturally-occurring in nuts and fresh foods. I prefer to drink mineral water from a natural spring or eat the foods that provide me with it.
Want to lower your blood pressure? Hide the salt shaker. Strengthen your bones? Pop a calcium pill, but this conventional wisdom might be oversimplified, according to new research. The salt we add to food is a minor source of sodium in our diet. There are other nutrients that play an important role in regulating our blood pressure. It takes more than calcium to protect bones, and mineral supplements might carry risks. Here are the health effects of other minerals and the changing recommendations revealed by current research results.
POTASSIUM: In the dietary battle against high blood pressure, sodium restriction has been center stage, but potassium is the unsung hero. It helps rid the body of sodium and protects cells, that line blood-vessel walls.
In fact, the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), not only minimizes the sodium but also maximizes fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods, all of which are good sources of potassium,--in addition to blunting the effects of sodium. A potassium-rich diet is also associated with a reduced risk of bone loss, kidney stones, strokes and type 2 diabetes.
Unfortunately, all Americans consume too much sodium and fat and too little potassium. “There’s a mismatch between what our biological systems are designed for and what we try to make them handle,” says R. Curtis Morris, Jr. M.D. a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
A September 2010 study suggests what might happen if people corrected the sodium-potassium ratio. It found that even if sodium consumption stayed high, increasing potassium to the recommended levels (4,700 milligrams a day) could reduce the risk of heart disease mortality by up to 11 percent and stroke mortality by up to 15 percent.
So is it enough to simply take potassium supplements or use salt substitutes made with the mineral? Probably not. “Those are different forms of potassium and likely will not provide the same benefit as the form found in foods,” Morris, a member of a panel convened by the Institute of Medicine to establish potassium recommendations. Nature provides the best source because the combination of vitamins that compliment each of the others is the one best capable of being absorbed by the digestive system. Pills just do not communicate that same message to our body.
Too much potassium is not a problem for most people, but certain conditions and drugs can interfere with the body’s ability to get rid of the excess. If you have a disorder that causes potassium retention, such as diabetes, heart failure, or kidney disease, seek a doctor’s opinion. There are many drugs that can cause problems with the absorption of potassium. Diuretics like HCL or Diovan (a blood-pressure drug) and ACE inhibitors, such as lisinopril and ramipril (Altace and generic angiogenesis receptor blockers can be contraindicated for your intake of potassium). I go right to the source most-trusted, my pharmacist, and get the “FYI” (For Your Information) before I even consider filling a prescription. A good pharmacist should know all your medications and advise you when there is reason to be concerned. I have had the same pharmacist for almost three decades and he has saved my life many times by informing me of the problems and interactions of certain medications - even those so called “over the counter drugs.”
Many would describe me as a naturopathic expert. I believe in foods like potatoes (potassium) and bananas (potassium), but even there we run the risk of too much and food allergies. A balanced diet is best when it is combined with many vegetables, like soups and stews. The broth is great for the digestive system and helps with regularity. Older people tend to drink less water, but they usually love a hearty homemade soup.
MAGNESIUM - A Vital Partner
Another benefit of the DASH diet is that it provides lot of magnesium, which together with potassium, helps bolster bone by improving calcium absorption. Magnesium also protects against abnormal heart rhythms, blood clots, and high glucose levels.
Magnesium might be especially important for warding off or controlling type 2 diabetes. That was my personal experience and the reason my doctor insisted I write the story and author this blog. Doctors tell me they like the sources I use and the research I report. It helps them to explain the options their patients have: to take the pill or eat the right foods.
Several large studies have found that people who consume the most magnesium are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes or a contributing factor for it called insulin resistance. People who already have the disease might want to talk with an Integrative Medicine physician who understands the advantages of foods that help with long-term blood sugar control. Your body is like your car, it requires constant maintenance and you need to know what kinds of oil, gas, lubricants and fluids are needed to keep it humming along the highway.
SODIUM For lowering blood pressure, the most striking effect comes from cutting sodium while boosting intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium. People who slash sodium intake to around 1,500 mg daily and follow the DASH diet can drop their systolic (upper) pressure by an average of 11 millimeters of mercury.
Watching your sodium intake which comes from processed food, packaged, and restaurant foods. It’s hard to cut back to 1,500 mg without cooking from scratch most of the time and eating more fresh foods. For people with normal blood pressure and no risk factors, a more modest goal of 2,300 mg daily, achievable by adopting the DASH diet alone, might help ward off the upward creep of blood pressure that tends to occur with age.
Making the extra effort to cut back even further is warranted if you’re African-American or have a family history of high blood pressure, or if your blood pressure is high or high-normal. Read labels, some canned green beans and peas contained as much as 960 mg of sodium. One doctor told me a long time ago, “If you want to eat healthy, throw out all your canned food.” Then the food manufacturers finally caved in to demands of a health-conscious public and revealed the contents with a “Nutrition Label.”
CALCIUM presents new concerns. About 60 percent of men and 80 percent of women don’t get enough calcium from their diet. For years, the advice has been to make up the shortfall with supplements, but new research provides an argument for getting more from food.
That analysis, published online in August 2010 by the British Medical Journal, combined with the results of 11 trials involving some 12,000 older people. Researchers concluded that treating 1,000 people with supplemental calcium for five years would prevent 26 fractures, but also lead to an additional 14 heart attacks, 10 strokes, and 13 deaths.
However, it didn’t look at studies that used calcium with vitamin D, and some evidence suggests that the combination for effectiveness prevents fractures. And consuming healthy amounts of calcium, especially from food, might protect health in other ways, such as lowering blood pressure, helping to prevent breast and colon cancer and easing premenstrual syndrome.
Altogether, the research provides an argument for getting most of your calcium from dietary sources. Aim for at least three daily servings of dairy or other calcium-rich foods. If you do opt for a calcium pill, consider one that also contains vitamin D. And looked for products with the “USP verified” seal on the label, which indicates that they meet quality standards set by the nonprofit U. S. Pharmacopoeia.
IRON
Many of my relatives from Italy, came to this country from a Mediterranean environment rich in fruits, vegetables, grapes, wine and plenty of fish. When they came to America, many found that they developed dark circles under their eyes (a symptom of iron deficiency). I met a young lady the other day who had rheumatoid arthritis and iron deficiency. Cooley’s anemia was prevalent in my genes and so I researched it in the University at Buffalo library and the Millard Fillmore Hospital medical library. The blood cells are slightly rounded, not like that found in Afro-Americans, but it is part of the story of why we have problems absorbing iron. It is a risk mainly for strict vegetarians, premenopausal women who have heavy periods, and older people, who might have reduced amounts of the stomach acid needed to absorb the mineral. But because excess iron can be dangerous, you should consider getting a blood test before taking iron supplements. In fact, iron overload is so risky that our experts think all adults should consider having a one time blood test for hemochromatosis, a relatively common genetic disorder that causes people to absorb the mineral so efficiently that it gradually accumulates in the body’s organs and can lead to liver or heart failure, premature menopause in women, and impotence in men. Diagnosis is often delayed because doctors might not connect the damage to iron build-up.
MAGNESIUM FOOD SOURCES:
Halibuts: ALMONDS, CASHEWS, PEANUTS, WALNUTS, COOKED SPINACH, COOKED GREENS, ORANGE JUICE, SQUASH, ARTICHOKE, BANANA, SKIM MILK, CEREAL: OATMEAL-LARGE FLAKE
POTASSIUM
Baked Potato with skin; Avocado, Yogurt, Boiled Beans (Lentils, Black, Lima, Kidney, & Pinto) TRY THEM IN CHILI
COOKED GREENS: Spinach, Swiss Chard, Oranges. Artrichoke Banana, Skim Milk.
CALCIUM
Yogurt, Sardines with bones, canned; Skim Milk; Tofu, Cheese: Cheddar, mozzarella, Pink Salmon with bones, canned, Cooked greens: Kale, Spinach, Turnip Greens, Boiled beans: Great Northern Navy, white NUTS: Almonds, Brazil; Orange
Older people should consider protecting their eyes with the new HD Fitover Glasses that protect them from Ultra Violate Rays. Eat Wild Blueberries (frozen) for the Lutein. It really works.

An Expose’ on Doctors and Drug Companies

2010-12-12T21:35:00.004-05:00

The editor of Consumer Reports ON HEALTH, Ronni Sandroff, has finally shed light on the incentives Doctors are given to prescribe their medications to unknowing patients.
Ronni Sandroff, Editorial Director, Health and Family asks, “Would you trust a doctor who moonlights for a drug company promoting its products to other doctors? Many Americans are skeptical about such arrangements, according to a recent survey of 1250 adults in the U.S. by Consumer Reports National Research Center. And 77 percent of responders said they would be concerned about the quality of care from a doctor who accepts such payment.”
I’ve known and written for many years about the cooperation between the pharmaceutical salesman who jumps ahead of my appointment to distribute samples of their drugs from a briefcase full of the tools of a drug-pusher. They provide perks in the way of recorded prescriptions and the credit given by the Pharmacist to the physician whose name appears on the prescription. This poll was prompted by a report by ProPublica, a nonprofit organization that does investigative journalism. It identified more than 17,000 health-care providers (mostly doctors) who have accepted payments from seven drug companies---AstraZeneca, Cephalon, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson and Johnson, Lilly, Merck and Pfizer---since 2009. It really has been going on for decades. Rooms full of samples with shelves from ceiling to floor, and wall to wall are filled with these drugs to start some unknowing patient on a lifelong use of such drugs.
Of those, 384 collected more than $100,000, 43 made more than $200,000, and two earned more than $300,000. You can look up the names on ProPublica’s website, at http://projects,propublica.org/docdollars. Under the new health-care reform law, all drug firms must disclose their financial ties to doctors by 2013. Meanwhile, you may be the victim of dangerous drugs given to you in the beginning and then prescribed to you after you have become addicted to the drug.
In the poll, most respondents said that doctors should tell patients if they’ve received money from a company whose drugs they are about to prescribe. And 54 percent said they’d feel comfortable asking their doctor about the issue. Ronni Sandroff, editor, finishes her article with this statement, “It’s time for doctors to com clean.”
The FDA, Congress, lobbyists and Senators have relatives who sway the vote to support this clandestine relationship. Many of our politicians go on to walk the halls of Congress as lobbyists once they have finished their term of office. They walk away with a retirement and the knowledge that the Supreme Court has just decided that Corporate money is a form of “Free Speech,” allowing our representatives to be bribed. Often times, the votes are cast, just as this one, to put off the prosecution of those who engage in such unethical practices.
Chief Justice Roberts of the Supreme Court has made this form of influence equal to the individual rights spelled out in our Constitution. Members of both parties have now transformed a democracy into an oligarchy. In an oligarchy, both parties are bribed with large sums of money to influence legislation that affects the specific Corporate interest.
American citizens gave up their privacy for security and, as Benjamin Franklin said, “They will get neither and lose both.” Now these millionaires ask the poor and middle-class to send their donations to the DNC and the RNC. The Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee are the banks who determine how much financial support is distributed to their members. You are asked to donate even more money so that you can feel a part of the PAC group. PAC stands for “Political Action Committee.”

You cannot compete with Corporate money, but you are much larger in numbers and as Abraham Lincoln stated, “Government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth.” People argue politics on the basis of one party against another. They are foolish enough to believe that these representatives don’t all drink from the same well.

Integrative Medicine is Here to Stay

2010-12-11T12:49:00.005-05:00

There is exciting evidence that the gap between "establishment" (allopathic) and "alternative" integrative medicine (which includes acupuncture and homeopathy) is closing. Many conservative minds have begun to recognize the value of "new approaches," and the public is behind the change, showing its support in the soaring popularity of natural supplements and alternative therapies.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, world-famous cardiologist and medical director of New York Presbyterian Hospital, declares, "If physicians are approached with good data, most are open to new medical options." Dr. Oz integrates hypnosis, guided imagery, and therapeutic touch with his own cardiac surgery.
At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, where the integrative medicine service opened just this year, Dr. Barrie Cassileth predicts, "In 10-years, integrative medicine will become the standard." She adds that the stature of the tom medical professionals such as Dr. Kondrot Oz will make all the difference in convincing other physicians to open their minds. (Medical Tribune, October 7, 1999)
Integrative medicine is on its way to becoming firmly established. The momentum is powerful, and the final goal is in sight. For that, we all should be deeply grateful.
(ARMD) Age Related Macular Degeneration is a major concern to an aging population.
Proper nutrition can help protect against ARMD. Because many people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables. For years, I have recommended the addition of Wild Blueberries, Pomegranate, & Apples to Whole Grain Oatmeal. Cinnamon, raisins and a bit of honey with a scant amount of natural honey provides you with the best of all health benefits to your breakfast regimen. Some Flaxseed margarine skim milk and raisins make the morning meal a health benefit to keep you regular, provide lecithin (Drano of the arteries) and Lutein for the eyes. A cup of coffee can help start the lungs and other functions to get moving. I also like fresh pineapple and a large orange to provide the vitamin C and the bromelain and papain of the pineapple for the arthritis pain and inflammation. Use a Large Flake oatmeal instead of the quick oats to assure that you can skim off any contaminates that accompany most stored grains. Pine Bark and grape seed extract along with the cartenoids and vitamins A, C, and E should also be considered in the fortification of your immune system.
My eye doctor believes that the foods I eat were responsible for the turn around in my vision to 20/20 and the cataract condition not requiring surgery at the age of 73-years-old. He also believes that Mother Nature is best.
Another development is providing the elderly with hope regarding their eyesight. A new microcurrent technology can slow down the vision impairment caused by ARMD. The Opthamologist who developed it is Edward C. Kondrot, M.D. He has even written a book about it: "Microcurrent Stimulation: Miracle Eye Cure." Investigating these alternatives may be helpful to you.
Ronald M. Lawrence, M. D., PhD., is the director of the Council of Natural Nutrition and a former member of the National Advisory Council on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Lawrence also publishes "House Calls", a monthly newsletter on integrative medicine. To find out more or reach Dr. Lawrence, visit website:
http://www.drronaldhousecalls.com/
Many of the homeopathic remedies were used by my grandparents. They lived poor in money but rich in the knowledge of good fruits and vegetables. The drank goat milk and raised their own chickens. The fruits were bottled with a rubber seal and a metal cap that provided fruit for the whole winter. Life was good for them and their ten children (9 girls and 1 son). They used beagles to hunt deer and rabbit and hung the deer below the home (packed with salt). The venison aged and gramps would slice the green off the aged meat before removing the part he needed for grandma's cooking. They possessed the best of all necessities in the love they gave and received from their large family. As the children of their daughters came along, they too, learned to hunt, cook and prepare for the winter food supply.
All four of my grandparents born in 1880 lived to the ripe old age of 88-years-old. My mother's parents were born in Sicily and they were less than 5 feet in height. My mother was 5'8" and I am 6'2." My son is 6'4" and his son looks to exceed that height. I also learned to appreciate the greens they picked in the wild for their salads. They could identify all the good God-given foods that made them strong in mind, body and spirit. Their faith was unwavering and was their source of strength in hard times. And so it may be that we are finally accepting of the "manna from heaven" and the benefits of the food they ate. Gramps made his own wine and grandma prepared fresh baked bread to fill the air with the aroma of love and the warmth of heart I experienced as a young man.
The Buffalo Homeopathic Hospital was originated in a house in Buffalo, NY 1872. The hospital is the workplace of my wife Julie. The property at Gates Circle was built in 1911 and the name was changed to Millard Fillmore Hospital in 1923. So you see we may be just going "back to the future" when we begin to accept Nature's Remedies in healing and curing those who are ill.
I often refer to my grandmother as the doctor in the family. She led her many children to believe in God and his many gifts. Humans have tried for more than 150 years to replicate the benefits of these foods, fruits and vegetables and have failed to advance the art of medicine. Now they have seen the research and the proof of the benefits of these Mediterranean immigrants who brought so much to America. Their offspring believed in education and became doctors, teachers, administrators and pharmacists. To live the rugged life of coal miners in a home with no central heat or even a bathroom is a credit to their strength and wisdom.

Grape Seed Extract Fights Aging

2010-11-25T21:14:00.005-05:00

In a conversation with my massage therapist, she revealed that she thinks she is coming down with a cold and has increased her intake of “Grape seed Extract.” She keeps my book within arm’s length, and then I remembered that I had written a whole chapter on grape seed extract. It is truly amazing how much we forget as we get older. And so I picked up my own copy of my book, “Make Eating A Lifestyle Change” and found a chapter devoted to the history and the wonderful properties of this ancient access to the “fountain of youth.”
The chapter in my book is entitled, “FIVE WAYS PCO FIGHTS AGING.” I had predicted the rise in the use of creams using PCO in anti-aging cosmetics. Europeans already buy these creams to reverse the aging process.
The Antioxidant armor in PCO helps two other antioxidant nutrients, vitamins C and E, block free radicals. Free radicals are the culprits in some 60 diseases - that doctors don’t pin on germs, including: heart disease, cataracts, arthritis, allergies, diabetes, liver disease and perhaps cancer.
PYCNOGENOL, now known as PCO for short was first researched back in the 50s. They can boost circulation, knock out free radicals, protect you from heart disease, and give you younger-looking skin. It is part of a family of semi-essential nutrients called bioflavonoid. Pine bark and grape seed extract belong to a small group originally known as pycnogenols and are also known as proanthocyanidins or procyanidolic oligomers---PCO for short.
You won’t find pine bark and grape seeds in the produce section of your local grocery but maybe you should. These plant products pack a potent punch against aging and disease.
In December 1534, French explorer Jacques Cartier and his crew traveled up the St. Lawrence River in Canada and became trapped by ice. With only salted meat and biscuits to eat, they soon began to experience symptoms of scurvy --- a severe vitamin C deficiency. Nearly a quarter of the men died and more than half were seriously affected by this debilitating illness before a Quebec Indian told them about a tea made from tree bark.
The debilitated crew rapidly recovered after drinking the tea and using poultices made from it. Why? The bark contained vitamin C plus PCO, which helps the nutrient work faster and better.
Some 400 years later a French researcher, Jacques Masquelier, read Cartier’s account and started studying pine bark. He discovered that the maritime pine, or Bordeaux pine, in southern France was a rich source of this substance. In 1951, Masquelier patented a method of extracting PCO from pine bark. The term pycnogenol is now a registered trademark of a Swiss company that sells PCO supplements. It specifically refers to pine bark extract from maritime pine from Quebec and southern coastal France. You can find PCO in foods like apples, onions, tea, and blueberries, as well as in grape seeds. In fact, PCO from grape seeds, or grape seed extract is cheaper and even more potent than that from pine bark. Plus, most research on PCO has been done on grape seed extract.
Regardless of the source, PCO may prove a mighty ally in battling conditions common to aging including hardening of the arteries, stroke, disease, varicose veins, and diabetic circulation problems. As a bonus, PCO may keep you looking younger because it acts as an antioxidant to protect your skin from the sun and other environmental assaults. And it helps rebuild your skin, too.
PCO acts on its own, as well, to disarm free radicals. In laboratory experiments, Japanese researchers found the nutrient was 20 times more powerful than vitamin C at trapping free radicals. In fact, some researchers believe the PCO found in grapes should get credit for the way wine seems to protect you from heart disease. And so the parts of the puzzle begin to fit as you connect the benefits of wine to the French people in spite of the rich foods and high sugar content and fats. PCO may be at the root of that advantage.
PCO strengthens collagen, the basic building block of our skin, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage, as well as a major part of the “intercellular cement” that fills the space between every cell in your body. Strong collagen is especially important for blood vessels---and critical in the tiniest of blood vessels called capillaries.
Capillaries carry oxygen and nutrients to the cells and take away waste. Without them, cells would starve or drown in their own waste. Only one cell thick, capillaries are reinforced with collagen and depend on it to keep them strong enough to do their work. PCO not only supports vitamin C, needed to make collagen, but it also sticks to collagen, making it even stronger. Think of it as steel reinforcement for your circulatory system. This is important because if a capillary develops a hole, it’s a prime target for a free radical attack. Leaky capillaries also means that cells don’t get the nourishment to be healthy.
By strengthening weak vessels, PCO helps prevent bruising, and improves circulation in the legs to prevent swelling, pain and varicose veins. Reinforcing artery walls also helps prevent injuries to the walls that may cause hardening of the arteries. Once arteries are damaged, they tend to collect fat and cholesterol deposits, which narrow the passage, making it more difficult for blood to get through.
PCO also seems to stop blood from getting sticky and clotting---another way it can help you ward off heart attack or stroke. Finally, the blood-vessel-building power of PCO can help prevent the type of stroke caused when arteries burst or leak. This condition was suffered by one of our 83-year-olds and seems to have ended his enjoyment of a lifestyle of tennis and physical work-outs.
Younger-looking skin. As you age, your skin becomes thinner. The layer under the surface loses fat, causing the outer layer to sag. The skin fibers, once elastic, lose the ability to bounce back. In short, you get wrinkles. Skin counts on collagen for strength, elasticity and smoothness. It is not coincidence that many of our leading men and women are looking younger and as evidenced by their pictures---they have aged little in looks in a decade.
PCO not only halts free radical damage but binds to the collagen to prevent deterioration by enzymes. Plus, it can even return collagen fibers to their youthful, undamaged state. It’s like a cosmetic you put in, instead of on. The free-radical fighter can also protect your skin from further damage---from ultra-violet radiation of the sun. One laboratory study in Finland showed that 35 percent more skin cells survived sunlight exposure when protected by PCO.
Europeans can already buy “anti-aging” creams containing PCO. Look for a burst of PCO skin care products over here once the American cosmetic industry discovers the benefits of this bioflavonoid. Many companies are already touting products with antioxidants, but PCO’s chemical structure makes it penetrate your skin more easily. This may make PCO products more effective than those containing vitamins C and E.
Keeps swelling down. PCO may be helpful in inflammatory diseases such a arthritis, lupus, colitis, and hepatitis, but no one knows this for sure because researchers haven’t studied PCO’s effect on these illnesses.
Many people believe it helps reduce swelling caused by allergies---especially hay fever. PCO cuts down on the amount of histamine you make. That’s the stuff responsible for your swelling nasal passages and watery eyes. In Finland, PCO is a very popular allergy remedy.
I use an aspirin regimen to treat my rheumatoid arthritis.

In the fifth century B.C., Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used willow bark to create a pain relieving medicine. The ingredient in willow bark that made it such a powerful pain reliever, salicylate, is the same active ingredient in modern aspirin. In 1983, doctors knew of the benefits of this ingredient in preventing heart attacks, helping to protect you from mind-robbing diseases like Alzheimer’s. For example, one study found that amongst pairs of elderly twins, those taking anti-inflammatory drugs, like aspirin or ibuprofen, on a regular basis, were 10 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. Since Alzheimer’s is very likely to run in families, that’s pretty impressive.
Researchers think that regular use of anti-inflammatories may delay the disease by reducing the inflammation in the brain that could cause brain cell damage. Aspirin may also help because it keeps your blood flowing steadily to your brain.
Much of what we have known for centuries was wiped out by the greed of selling expensive “magic pills” and a bed-side manner that convinced patients that they didn’t have to know why - just fill the prescription.

The Creator’s Food Pharmacy For Healing

2010-11-23T22:55:00.002-05:00

The Creator’s Food Pharmacy For Healing
The best of all pharmacists is our Creator. He uses the sun and combines the vitamins, herbs and minerals in the plants, fish, fruits and vegetables we eat. The biochemists try to replicate His work, but the body doesn’t understand the language of the MAGIC PILL. My book, “Make Eating A Lifestyle Change,” was encouraged by my rheumatologist, Ralph Argen, M.D., F.A.C.P. He was impressed with the results of my using herbs, vitamins, minerals - what they could do for you and what foods to eat to get the benefits.
He was so impressed, he convinced a man who was mainly an editorialist to dig in and begin the book in 2003. It turned out that he had other motives for the book than just documenting my eating regimen. His daughter had an eating disorder and so he had an ulterior motive. That turned out to be fine, because it was in keeping with my regimen of good food and exercise to keep the body fortified against disease. This blog was the idea of my computer repairman. He introduced me to the vehicle and helped me on my way. So you see, there are no accidents in life - just people who come along and plant a seed that grows into fruition and the results have been marvelous. My wife lost 60 pounds in one year and was crowned queen in front of 2500 people from her T.O.P.S. Chapter 50 and has continue to maintain a healthy weight for more than 6 years.
She developed Osteoarthritis and I was fighting Rheumatoid arthritis. Some doctors tell me that I am the expert on this disease because of the results of my research and clinical approach involving exercise in badminton, tennis, swimming, biking, walking, cooking and accessing the best sources of nutritional and medical research for my blogs.
My mother was Sicilian and my father was born in Warsaw, Poland. Between the two, I was lucky to have the best genes of two great ethnic groups. My father loved fish and grew his own garden of fresh fruits and vegetables, while my mother canned fresh fruit for the winter season and fed me the best salads with olives, red onions, tomato, dandelions and lettuce, celery and even asparagus grown in my father’s garden. Recent studies confirm my belief that these food groups support a healthy immune system and maintain strong muscles and bone mass. How lucky can any man be than to have such a foundation for my development in learning about a regimen to help many of the fine people in my groups: Senior Tennis League, Badminton Club, Healthy Eating and their friendship and support for one another.

UCLA DIVISION OF GERIATRICS, amongst many research centers, helps me keep abreast of the latest findings in “Anti-Aging” foods.
The Nature of the Diet
“The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes healthy, omega-three fats from fish, monounsaturated fats from olive oil, phytonutrient-rich plant foods, and red wine,” says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. She says, “I think the Mediterranean food pyramid has some advantages over the USDA pyramid, particularly with its emphasis on fish and olive oil. The good reputation of the diet may be due in part to exercise, an integral part of life in the region. “Diet, lifestyle, and genetics are all determinants of health and longevity,” says Bowerman.
For over 30 years I have had the opportunity to guide and facilitate a lifestyle of fun-loving sport enthusiasts. These people are healthy of mind, body and spirit and I love each and every one of them.
The good news is that more doctors are leaning towards this approach to a healthy body. My physician friends are impressed with the knowledge I have accumulated regarding the benefits of certain foods. A few months ago my physician tested me by asking the benefits of fresh pineapple as it related to arthritis. When I answered, “Bromelain and Papain as they help the body reduce swelling and inflammation,” he complimented me and I could see that he was already suffering the effects of severe joint pain and arthritis. He is very open-minded and likes the stated research sources I include in my articles. This is a wonderful physician and a good listener as well as being able to analyze a problem and then suggest a strategy for dealing with the problem. An old fashioned approach, for sure, but still very much needed by his patients.
The food you eat can provide cancer-preventative qualities, especially if they are rich in the vibrant colors found naturally in an abundance of plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and the fresh water fish my father liked most: Sardines, herring, Pacific Sockeye Salmon and Mackerel.
The cancer-busting superstars these days are phytochemicals, plant compounds that exhibit strong antioxidant activities. A diet rich in a variety of plant foods can provide 25,000 different phytochemicals. Antioxidants help stabilize free radicals that are implicated in a number of diseases, including cancer. Researchers recently completed a table listing antioxidant contents of foods and concluded that cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest in antioxidant capacity for fruits; beans and russet potatoes were at the top of the list for vegetables; pecans, walnuts, and hazelnuts were highest in the nut category; and cloves, cinnamon, and oregano were at the top of three spices.
Ironically, these are all used in my kitchen, in the breakfast cereal with blueberries, apples, raisins and cinnamon; in my soups and chili, I use the cloves, oregano, onion and garlic.
Researchers suggest that there would be at least a 60-70 percent decrease in breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers if people followed a cancer-preventative diet.
“Certainly fruits and vegetables show promise in reducing cancer risk,” says Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. “This has been shown in many, many studies. We believe some of the protective effects are not only from the vitamins and minerals, and fiber, but from the multitude of nutrients that plants contain. Many of these phytonutrients give fruits and vegetables their intense colors.”
So you see, it isn’t simple, but it did exist in my grandmother’s generation when being poor meant that they picked mustard greens, dandelion, rhubarb and grew their own fruits without preservatives. They milked the goat and raised free-range chickens and the beagles helped my uncles hunt the rabbit and deer in a time when refrigerators and ice boxes didn’t exist. We shouldn’t really try to outsmart mother nature. Some things are best left to God.
And so I sign off once again saying, “God bless all you dear hearts and gentle people who join me in the world of naturopathic resolutions to the problems of aging and the diseases we fight from time to time. Yes, genes are important, but they won’t protect you when you put yourself in harm’s way - like running in front of a speeding truck like the pandemic of diseases that race through our current existence.

Acupuncture:A 2000-Year Track Record

2010-10-17T11:05:00.002-04:00

With almost three-decades of Rheumatoid Arthritis, I am always researching the benefit vs the risk of various modalities available to me for pain relief. RA is not a very easy disease to live with. , as many of those who have to live with it, refer to the dreaded disease, as "Arthur." Pain if 24/7 and the crippling effects are progressive. It affects all muscles, joints and organs symmetrically. People ask, "Where does it hurt the most?" Well, it really hurts everywhere. That includes your eyes, feet, knees, hips, shoulders and all major muscles. It is not, at all, like Osteoarthritis except for the pain. My wife has arthritis that is specific to certain joints or muscles referred to as osteoarthritis. Dealing with pain of this magnitude requires changing many aspects of your life.

You must think positive and divert your mind to the positive side of life. We are adventurous, and love people, traveling, our pets, The Badminton Club of Greater Buffalo and the Senior Tennis League. We know that the life we enjoy is helpful, productive and very gratifying. That’s good for both of us, and gives others the benefits of friends, laughter, and belonging.
Some medical doctors say that I am the expert in how to live with and treat rheumatoid arthritis. I don’t know that, but I certainly do my level best to research the many ways we can improve the quality of life amongst RA patients. I already use an aspirin regimen, hydrotherapy, massage, reflexology, chiropractic and Mediterranean foods to keep my body as flexible and pain-free as is possible.
That’s where Acupuncture comes in. I hesitated for decades, because our Western culture hasn’t accepted this ancient Chinese practice as effective. Medical doctors have relied on pills and that has not been effective either. The side effects of pharmaceuticals, often makes the pill more dangerous than the disease. Also, finding a reputable acupuncturist is difficult. As luck would have it, I have many fine people working with me to help combat my disease and they are not restricted to the protocol of the medical community. My RN-LMT is the best and she is knowledgeable. Her patents raved about one acupuncturist - who left the medical profession, after 20-years, to become an acupuncturist.
He was recognized for his courage, and the thousands of patients he has helped. He is now a member of the "Half-Life Change" group of successful people, who dared to question the efficacy of the medical profession. He is of Chinese parentage and a highly intelligent man. When medicine didn’t work, he decided to return to the roots of his ancestry.

Dr. Herbert K. Y. Lau, M. D. is right here in my beloved Western New York and he is kind, gentle and a good listener. He evaluates your condition and then he, methodically, designs a procedure involving needles and electrode stimulation to specific pathways in your body. There is no pain. Once the needles are placed and the electrode stimulation is set, you lie there in perfect serenity with soothing music. While the time passes, you are relaxing, and it is not uncommon for you to fall asleep.
The insurance company handling my case was so convinced of the usefulness of this approach that they authorized 12 sessions. I was aghast. Could it be that we are finally accepting the fact that these methods are effective? I think so.
Now hailed as helpful for a wide range of conditions, this ancient Chinese Practice enjoys burgeoning acceptance in the West. "Acupuncture sends a signal to the body to turn on its own rescue system." says Ka-Kit Hui, MD, professor of medicine and the director Center for East-West Medicine at UCLA.
According to Chinese medicine, energy flows along 12 pathways, or meridians, that are related to the body’s major organs and functions. The aim of acupuncture is to restore and maintain healthy energy flow. If the flow of Qi is blocked, you get sick. The meridians correspond to specific organs and body functions. As a young man I believed that everything in the universe is based on electro-magnetic fields. The older I get, the more I am convinced that this is the case. One molecule, the universe, including the planets and the stars and the body of every creature, are made up of electrical impulses and electro-magnetic fields.
Acupuncture treatment may take place over a few days or for several weeks. For best results, Dr. Hui recommends that Acupuncture be part of a comprehensive wellness program that includes exercise and a healthy diet. His aim is to develop a model system of healthcare that will benefit people all over the world.
The needles used for Acupuncture are only as thick as a single human hair. As a Tool & Die maker, I first measured human hair using a micrometer and found that most hair is about three-thousandths of an inch in thickness. Acupuncture has been used to help patients regain movement after stroke, and to treat depression, headaches, migraines, pain, tennis elbows low-back pain, tennis elbows—even substance abuse. A very early study in Neuroscience letter suggests that it may even be a useful strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease.
The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture for many respiratory diseases, eye and mouth problems, orthopedic troubles, neurological disorders, and gastrointestinal ailments. According to the National Institutes of Health Consensus Statement on Acupuncture, the therapy has also shown considerable promise in relieving nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy.
The spectrum of treatments effective in dealing with so many human ailments is beginning to take a turn towards science and leaving the "Magic Pill" world of prescriptions.

Knowledge is power, and you are the benefactor. If you take control of your health by addressing your healthcare needs, your lifestyle and the use of mind, body and spirit to complete your program you will find that which works best FOR YOU!

Drug-Free Healing Is Now in Vogue

2010-10-05T17:40:00.003-04:00

Much research is done to keep Americans aware of the health issues we have with our current healthcare system. Bottom Line’s Breakthroughs in Drug-Free Healing is the bible for those who really want to avoid the side effects of multiple drugs, surgery and costly protocol that leads to a literal dead end.
First and foremost is the necessity of keeping your pipes clean. That’s right, because clogged arteries account for so much difficulty throughout our lives. They can prevent the neurotransmitters from transmitting and retaining valuable information and they can cause a stroke preventing speech and function of our extremities. The smile is only half way because you have lost the connection with the other side of your mouth. Food undigested or feces retained for months or even a year is toxic and can attack your immune system leading to death. Clear pipes or arteries can conduct memory, nutrition, and function, including lowering blood pressure.
Julie’s 96-year-old mother was born in England where porridge was the breakfast food of choice. She once told me that the best compliment she could pay me for the porridge I served her was to tell me that it was as good, if not better, than her own mothers. Well, I was the oldest of three children and lived across the street from the school. My father was diagnosed with tuberculosis (it really was the black lung he developed while working in the coal mines off route 219. My mother was left to fend for herself and three young boys. My father was quarantined in Meyer Memorial Hospital for five years. Well, I had to prepare my breakfast and lunch and that’s where the oatmeal comes in. I loved it and it was a five-minute job with a 2 - 1 ratio of oats to water. Even then I diced apple, placed raisins, a touch of honey and a few tablespoons of milk. Milk was the real thing then - skim milk was illegal for not having enough fat. The interesting thing was that later I found that it was the drano of the arteries and I didn’t get hungry again until about 3 pm in the afternoon.
Allowing the body to heal using God’s pharmacy is the best. My cholesterol has always been low and the fiber always kept me regular. The book claims that it was a decade ago (book written in 2008) that the FDA gave their stamp of approval to a health claim on the label of oatmeal and oat bran products. The decided that "Diets low in saturatd fat and cholesterol that include soluble fiber from oatmeal may reduce the risk of heart disease." The author concludes that it is time to rethink oatmeal and oat bran. Well this author has been on the oatmeal kick since I was only 5-years-old and I still continue to love it with all the variations. I add frozen wild blueberries, apples, raisins a little margarine and a touch of honey. My cholesterol is 159 and I am in my 73rd year.
A breakthrough study reveals that James W. Anderson, MD professor of medicine and clinical nutrition at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine has coauthored a scientific paper in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, which has reviewed the last 15 years of research on oatmeal and health.. He really didn’t have to go through all that trouble. Oatmeal contains "lecithin" and that is the reason it is so good for you.
"Since the 1980s oatmeal has been scientifically recognized for its heart health benefits, and the latest research shows this evidence endures the test of time," My seniors drop their cholesterol levels by 40 points in two weeks of eating oatmeal. At one time my cholesterol was up to 274 and I immediately went back to the regimen of eating oatmeal and dropped my cholesterol to 176 in two weeks. The author says that " Eating oatmeal should be embraced as a lifestyle option for the millions of Americans at risk for heart disease." I said that in 2003 in my book, "Make Eating A Lifstyle Change" Up to now the recommendation has been a prescription drug called Lipitor. Many of my readers have complained that so much of my material is used without credit given to my book. That’s all right. Our creator sends us "manna from heaven" and we try to replicate it with magic pills and biochemistry. Sorry boys, the brain doesn’t read the pill as well as the God-given foods that heal the body.
The research did reveal some interesting points however. Oatmeal changes the physical characteristics of LDL particles, making them larger and less dense—and therefore less likely to form arterial plaque. That’s why we feel full longer and the bad cholesterol comes tumbling down. They also revealed the obvious-blood pressure is lowered and therefore reduces the risk of hardening of the arteries and memory loss.
In fact, says Dr. Anderson, for most people with moderately high cholesterol, regularly eating oatmeal and oat bran is probably a better choice than taking a cholesterol-lowering drug. Good work Dr. Anderson. You must have read my book. Now the doctors are offering their patients a choice between Lipitor and Stan Kent’s way of eating oatmeal. I am humbly flattered, but disappointed they didn’t know this back in the 1950s when I was eating it twice a day. He goes on to say that "Lifestyle choices (I used "changes) should be the first line of therapy for most patients with moderate cholesterol risk, given the expense, safety concerns and intolerance related to cholesterol-lowering drugs. Thank God for that. My father used an old saying for that kind of enlightment, "I see, I see, said the blind man when he hit the post." Now that the horses are out of the barn, it may be time to turn on the pharmaceutical industry for their mass profits on prescription drugs that present a higher risk with low or no benefit.
Why it works: Oats contain a type of soluble fiber called beta-glucan. It bonds with liver-produced acids, ushering them out of the body; this triggers the liver to manufacture more bile acids—and in doing so it burns up cholesterol. And when it reaches the colon, beta – glucan generates compounds called short-chain fatty acids that interfere with cholesterol production.
What to do: "In individuals with total cholesterol levels above two hundred twenty, eating the equivalent of three grams of soluble oat fiber typically lowers total cholesterol by eight to twenty-three percent," says Michael T. Murray, ND, a naturopathic doctor and author of Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure (Prima). This is highly significant because with each one percent drop in total cholesterol, there is a two percent decrease in the risk of heart disease. Three grams of soluble fiber are provided by approximately one bowl of ready-to-eat oat bran cereal or oatmeal." My advice is not to use the quick oats, because all grains are subject to contamination such as rat hairs and I have always manipulated the burner while skimming off the brown contaminants.
My advice is to prepare it the old fashioned way using large flakes of oatmeal. I pour in two cups of oatmeal into 4 cups of boiling water with sea salt.
My Senior Tennis Players lost as much as 40 points off their total cholesterol in two weeks by eating a bowl in the morning and one in the evening.

Frankenfish is Here and Unlabeled

2010-10-03T10:58:00.002-04:00

The FDA announced it considers the Genetically Engineered AquaAdvantage salmon safe before Labor Day. The Alaskan Senator Mark Begrich called it "frankenfish." The approved GE AquaAdvantage will be the first genetically engineered animal in the U.S. food supply.
This fact will raise the stakes of the FDA’s approval process, as it is a precedent for all future GE animals. Because of a regulatory decision in the 1980s that no new laws are needed to regulate genetically engineered foods, the FDA is actually regulating the GE salmon as a drug. The number of groups, including the Food and Water Watch, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, and Organic Consumers Association have written to President Obama, urging him to discontinue the approval process for GE salmon.
The company that developed the GE salmon, AquaBounty Technologies, claims the fish grow to market weight in 16 to months instead of the usual 30 required for the farmed Atlantic Salmon.
The fish was created by using by inserting genetic material of both Chinook (the largest variety of Pacific salmon) and ocean pout )an eel-like fish into the genome of Atlantic salmon. The commercialized fish will all be females making them unable to breed. AquaBounty’s intellectual property will be further projected because all the fish will be sterile, as they will be triploids )fish with three complete sets of chromosomes instead of the usual two).
How to Make Frankenfish: To create the fish, AquaBounty begins with eggs of genetically engineered salmon females and fertilizes them with irradiated sperm of another similar fish species, Arctic char. The eggs are then pressure-treated, causing them to produce diploid offspring (i.e. two complete sets of chromosomes) with both sets of chromosomes originating from the GE female salmon. The all-female GE female diploid salmon will then be treated with 17 methyl testosterone, a hormone that turns all the fish into what AquaBounty calls "neomales"—genetically female fish that produce milt (sperm) instead eggs. The milt from the GE neomales will fertilize the eggs of non-GE Atlantic Salmon, and the resulting fertilized eggs will be treated with pressure to produce the final product, a line of all-female triploid GE Atlantic salmon.
According to AqualBounty’s plans, the GE salmon will begin their lives at a hatchery to Prince Edward Island, Canada and then transfer to a grow-out facility in Panama. Unlike most salmon, which begin their lives in fresh water before transferring to saltwater, the GE salmon will spend their entire lives in freshwater. The good news is that currently there are no plans to raise the GE salmon in open net pens in the ocean, a method of salmon farming that has resulted in massive damage to wild salmon populations as well as frequent escapes of farmed salmon into the ocean.
Science
While farmed salmon has been an environmental disaster in countries like Canada and Norway, it seems that environmental concerns over AquaAdvantage take a back seat to safety concerns. The science that AquaBounty provided the FDA was sloppy in a number of ways, and yet the FDA accepted it and declared the fish safe. Because the
approval of AquaAdvantage will set a precedent, it is important that the FDA set its bar for solid science high, signaling to any company that wishes to commercialize a genetically engineered animal that it must completely prove its safety, if it intends to put its product on the market. Instead, according to senior scientist Michael Hansen, the FDA appears to have set its bar an inch from the ground.
Even more worrisome is the science used to justify the salmon’s safety, which Consumers Union senior Scientist Michael Hansen calls "sloppy."
Beware the food you are eating. Even the local BJ sells colored Atlantic Salmon and sells Trout that looks much like the red salmon. When Tops market sells red Pacific Salmon for $9.99 a pound as compared to the $19.99/lb. that other stores were selling it for ~ it raises an antennae that causes me to wonder if we are not already being sold GE salmon. In the current economic environment, will people simply by the least expensive, look-alike salmon? Will Americans question the credibility of Supermarkets as opposed to reputable fish stores selling fish with the same name at twice the price?
We have more cancer in the U.S. than the entire rest of the world combined. We have more Alzheimer’s Disease than all other countries and more quadruple bypass surgery and yet we continue to allow news media to brag about contests pitting young people against each other for the number of "Buffalo" chicken wings they can eat at one sitting.
"Make Eating A Lifestyle Change" will spell out the many obstacles to healthy eating and suggest the foods that best suit our bodily functions. This book can only be purchased from the author. Research is expensive but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My intention is to identify herbs, vitamins and minerals~what they do for you and what foods you need to eat to obtain them.

Mercury--Fluoride Affecting Your Health

2010-07-03T17:06:00.003-04:00

When will Dentists stop this lie about a substance that has been banned from use for more than a decade?
First they called it Silver. Professionals should know better than to refer to this dangerous substance by its color. You can’t even purchase a thermometer with mercury, but they continue to justify putting it in your mouth. Amalgam is another way for dentists to get away from calling it what it is. Amalgam is a combination of metals, but it still contains MERCURY! Now, they explain that it holds up better than the new filling. Another LIE, is the use of the term "Porcelain." Plastic fillings are not the porcelain discovered by the Chinese, known as one of the hardest surfaces known to man.
Now, you haven’t heard the whole story. Food manufacturers have found another way to get mercury into your mouth -"Candy Bars." Earlier this year, a study in the journal Environmental Health suggested that the ubiquitous sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains mercury—at levels high enough to possibly create problems in children and pregnant women. Mercury can interfere with brain development. The corn syrup industry’s trade association responded by saying that the manufacturing process that introduced mercury into HFCS is no longer used.
"Hold on", said the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy; the process is still in use at four plants around the country. Most people tell me that it’s impossible to find a food product without HFCS. That’s untrue, but defensive measures need to be taken to avoid getting dangerous substances into your digestive system. READ THE LABELS and use a magnifying glass, if necessary. They are killing you softly and quietly.
The problem is that we get far TOO MUCH HFCS. It’s estimated that the average American gets as much as 40 pounds a year on average.
It is time for consumers to stand up to the food manufacturers and the dentists and find out why the United States has more incidences of Alzheimer’s than any other nation in the world. Recently, an elderly gentleman had a root canal and then this perfectly healthy man had the tooth filled with this so-called "Silver Filling." He was feeling very ill and doctors diagnosed him as having Leukemia. This was a man who had regular check-ups and blood work that had never shown any signs of this problem. He died within a month of the diagnosis. Another friend who has played, actively, in our Senior Tennis League suddenly developed extreme pain in every joint and muscle in her body. She was a retired librarian and highly intelligent. Every effort was made to get to the bottom of this problem. The Cleveland Clinic was her first choice and she followed it up with several opinions from physicians searching for the cause. Finally, it was suggested that she have all her teeth removed. Since then, her condition has improved immensely.
I know that this is anecdotal and doesn’t amount to research, but Americans are looking at each other and shrugging their shoulders. The FDA is not connecting the dots and dentists are simply denying any proof of the seriousness of using MERCURY as a filling in the mouth.
Most recently, another cavity-related substance has been suspect in a brain-related disease: Fluoride. As a young man I remember the story of a town without cavities, found to have fluoride in its water. Scientists argued vehemently against the use of fluoride, stating its toxicity and warning of the danger it could have on Americans when used as an additive to the tap water used in such large amounts.
Drinking tap water could be doing serious damage to you health, diluting the potassium levels in your blood, raising your stroke risk, encouraging renal failure and much, much worse! The outright lies told about the benefits of fluoride can be traced to Aluminum Producers. Fluoride is a byproduct of Aluminum Production, and aluminum producers must dispose of it. But this was a very expensive proposition prior to fluoridation. Back then, the only approved uses for fluoride were as an INSECTICIDE or a RAT POISON.
People who warned against fluoridation were ridiculed, but guess what? In Scandinavia, in fact all of Europe, and nearly every other medically advanced nation, they have now banned the practice. Why? Fluoride makes your body absorb extra aluminum. Where does the aluminum go? It goes to the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. What metal shows up alarmingly in the brains of Alzheimer’s victims? You guessed it, but it may not have occurred to the health authorities. Maybe they are drinking too much tap water. Cancer, heart attacks, joint pain, flu, colds and deadly diseases are more frequent in Americans in ways that would make our misinformed "health authorities" whine for a week.
The fluoridated water that comes out of the tap is good for you and safe to drink . . . even necessary (so says the government and "responsible" health media.)
Nothing could be further from the truth! The Corporate Controlled government officials don’t want you to know this: every time you put a glass of tap water to your lips, you put yourself in harm’s way for a host of health problems including:
Destroying your immune system because Fluoride causes the immune system to fail, which can lead to asthma and Grave’s disease.
Putting your bones and muscles at risk because Fluoride damages collagen and other substances that make up muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones. This can trigger arthritis, osteoporosis and other rheumatoid illnesses.
Genetic Damage: Fluoride has an enzyme poisoning effect, which can cause permanent genetic changes.
And Cancer, because fluoride is a mutagen, it can cause the uncontrolled spread of certain kinds of cells, cancer amongst them.
First of all, let’s put the biggest health "conspiracies" of all under scrutiny:
"Fluoridated water prevents tooth decay." This is a deadly, disgraceful LIE! The reverse is true. One of the last cities in Europe to permit fluoridation was Basel, Switzerland, and they just stopped. Why? Because after they started fluoridating, kids’ cavity rates increased. By contrast, rates in the rest of fluoride-free Europe declined. So why did anyone fluoridate in the first place? As a character in "All the President’s Men" said, "Follow the money." Fluoride is a byproduct of Aluminum production and aluminum producers must dispose of it. It is a very expensive proposition prior to fluoridation. This information doesn’t come cheap. Countless hours are spent examining the reports of reputable publications and research and only after the facts fit, do we expose them to a skeptical public for scrutiny and response. Wake up America! This oligarchy is nowhere near a Democracy. Never mind your party affiliation - money buys votes! Stop the flow of money and the 30 second adds. Write your representatives and ask for debates on C-Span and free access to the airways for candidates. You have been lied to over and over again by both parties and always because THEY KNEEL AT THE ALTAR OF THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR!

The World's Healthiest Diet

2010-04-28T19:10:00.003-04:00

The March, 2010 issue of the Ladies Home Journal has declared: The more doctors test it, the more they find that eating Mediterranean is the absolute best way to lose weight ~ based on the cooking and eating styles of Italy, France, Greece, Spain and other Mediterranean countries, the plan features olive oil, fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish and poultry, whole grains and yes, wine! It’s high in heart-healthy fats and unlike other diets, doesn’t forbid any food group. "It’s hard to stay on extreme diets," says Harvard Nutrition expert Walter Willett, M.D., PhD, whose book Eat, Drink and Be Healthy popularized the approach in the United States. "This diet has lots of variety and wonderful flavors so people stick with it." This is what I have been saying since I wrote my book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change." Now we know that the greatest of all pharmacists is our Creator. The reason it works is that it is balanced and delicious and the people who eat this way look healthier, live longer and more productive lives.
My Sicilian mother made salad the first course of every dinner. It was a green leafy salad tossed with green peppers, chunks of chicken breast, dandelion, red onions, a dash of grated Pecorino Romano Cheese (made from Sheep Milk). The only dressing on the table was a metal cruet rack or holder with only two items: Extra virgin oil or first pressed olive oil, and apple cider vinegar. Books have been written on the benefits of olive oil and apple cider vinegar and yet, I meet Italians who have never bought a bottle of this special elixir of life. For my grandfather, it was often replaced with red wine from his own vineyard. Oregano was a must and was usually sprinkled on the tomatoes. I couldn’t get enough of it and would often make sandwiches of this special salad. Today, we are careful to eat fish that are small and we look forward to the run of Pacific Red Sock-eye Salmon with edible bones for the calcium. Dad loved to fish and often brought home a bucket of smelt, yellow perch or he would open a small can of sardines, herring or mackerel. He loved hot peppers and my research confirms that the capsaicin in the hot peppers accounted for his pain free life~free of inflammation. Chick peas or garbanzo beans were another item we would add to our salads. Bursting with flavor, I couldn’t resist this wonderful salad that kept me regular and provided all the antioxidants I needed to live a healthy life.
The latest research makes claim to a reduced Alzheimer’s risk for those eating Mediterranean. The Journal of American Medical Association, in a new study claims that eating Mediterranean cuts your chances of getting Alzheimer’s by 40 percent and those who added exercise to their diets, a whopping 60 percent were less likely to get the disease.
Longer Life: A recent meta-analysis in the British Medical Journal found the diet significantly improved health and led to a 9 percent reduction in death from heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Other studies have found that the diet’s healthy fats may lessen the inflammation and pain of rheumatoid arthritis and cut the risk of getting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) by 60 percent.
NUTS AND SEEDS: They’re high in antioxidants and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which have a steadying effect on sugar and keep you feeling full. Since they’re also high in calories, combine with other foods; for example, by serving almonds with steamed veggies and walnuts with oatmeal. (1 - 1 ½ ounces a day).
BEANS: All varieties are excellent sources of low-fat protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Include kidney, black, red fava, garbanzo, cannelini or any other type in soups and salads, stews or mash with herbs and spices as a dip for vegetables.
HERBS AND SPICES: Oregano, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, basil, anise, garlic and pepper not only add Mediterranean flavor, they also contain healthy antioxidants. "Just half a teaspoon of dried oregano has as many antioxidants as 3 cups of spinach," says dietician Wendy Bazlian, Dr. P.H., R.D. Use liberally, to taste, at every meal.
LASTING WEIGHT LOSS: How can a diet that features nuts, oils, pasta, bread and wine help you lose weight? Because it makes you feel full and therefore holds hunger at bay. The healthy fats and protein in the Mediterranean diet keep your glucose (blood sugar) level on an even keel, which means you’ll be less apt to hunt down chips, cookies or fast food to get through the day. Just ask my wife, who has kept off 60 pounds for five and a half years and is designated as a KOPS (Keep off pounds sensibly.)
BETTER EYESIGHT: The diet could help stave off or prevent macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss after age 54. The condition which affects more than 10 million Americans, destroys the part of your retina responsible for the clear central vision you need to read, drive and recognize faces. A recent study linked eating fish and vegetables to a reduced risk of getting it early and the omega-3 fatty acids in fish can lower the risk of the disease altogether. Also, the lutein in green leafy vegetables and wild blueberries cuts your chance of cataracts and boosts retinal health, says Dr. Willett.
You don’t just lose pounds—the Mediterranean diet also helps you feel better and live longer.
HEALTHY OILS: The monounsaturated fats in olive and other healthy oils like canola, sesame, walnut, peanut and grapeseed are good for our hearts.
WHOLE GRAINS: They contain more vitamins, minerals and protein than white-flour products and have a stabilizing influence on blood-sugar levels. Experiment with nutrient-dense, nutty-tasting exotic whole grains such as barley, amaranth, quinoa and faro. I love large flake oatmeal as a starter with diced apples, cinnamon, raisins, and frozen wild blueberries (heated for breakfast). The oatmeal is known as the "drano" of the arteries and lowers your cholesterol while cleaning up your arteries for a better blood flow and a lower blood pressure.
Eat cantaloupe, watermelon, red and green grapes, strawberries, cherries and you won’t need a dessert.
Make eating a life long way of keeping your body strong while fighting off the free radicals that cause aging. Strengthen you immune syste to ward off any attacks by eating the Mediterranean way.

Infammation - Arthritis, Asthma, Diabetes

2010-04-27T11:12:00.002-04:00

Inflammation within the body may occur in response to cigarette smoking or eating large amounts of saturated fat and trans fat. In overweight or obese people, excess fat cells can float through the bloodstream and cause inflammation. Although inflammation can help the body it can also hurt.
Certain dietary fats cause more of an inflammation response than others. Trans fat and the saturated fat in animal foods stimulate inflammation. To a smaller extent, polyunsaturated fat in foods such as safflower oil, sunflower oil and corn oil trigger inflammation, as well. Again, this is where olive oil helps. Olive oil’s phytonutrients— in this case phenolic compounds called squalane, beta-sitosterol, and tryosol—don’t cause the inflammation that other fats do.
What is Inflammation?
Inflammation is the immune system’s first line of defense against injury and infection. When an injury occurs, such as a simple cut on the finger, a set of events take place within your body that forms a blood clot, fights infection, and begins the healing process. Inflammation is painful because blood vessels dilate upstream of the injury to bring more blood and nutrients to the injured area, but they constrict at the injury site. These actions result in fluids from the bloodstream pooling in tissue around the injury, which causes swelling and pressure that stimulate nerves and cause pain.
In some individuals the immune system gets confused and begins to view some of the body’s own healthy cells as "foreign invaders." It therefore directs an immune response—complete with inflammation—at healthy tissues, harming or even destroying them. This misdirected attack results in what’s called an autoimmune disorder ("auto) meaning self). Rheumatoid arthritis and certain types of thyroid disease an autoimmune disorders. Asthma, too, is the result of inflammation gone awry.
When inflammation continues unabated for long periods of time, damage can occur in organs, such as the colon, or in the blood vessels. Indeed, chronic inflammation within the body is looking more and more like a serious contributor to cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease. Inflammation may damage the inner lining of the blood vessels, which encourages plaque deposits to form. Inflammation may also cause plaque in arteries to break off and travel downstream, where it can become lodged and stop blood flow to a crucial artery that provides oxygen to important body parts, such as your heart or brain. When this happens, a heart attack or stroke (respectively) can occur.
Chronic inflammation within the body can wreak havoc on other body parts besides arteries. A team led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institution found that chronic inflammation of the colon might increase the risk of colon cancer. A ten-year study of more than 20,000 patients suggested a link between chronic inflammation and this disease, although a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not yet been established. These preliminary findings were discussed in the February 2004 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Scientists have discovered that inflammation can be reduced with low daily doses of aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which in turn appear to reduce the risk of diseases caused by inflammation. Fortunately, not only does olive oil not prompt the kind of inflammation other types of fat can, it actually has some ability to reduce inflammation, thanks to those helpful phytochemicals (squalane, beta-situsterol, and tyrosol). So consuming olive oil on a regular basis may help decrease the risk of conditions linked to inflammation.
Yet another condition that appears to be linked to inflammation is type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes that affects an estimate 20 million Americans. Having excess body fat seems to increase inflammation. As inflammation increases, so does insulin resistance. As insulin resistance increases, blood glucose levels rise and the risk of type 2 diabetes skyrockets.
An article published by Philadelphia researchers in the September 2005 issue of Nature identified a compound in olive oil called olecanthal that has anti-inflammatory action. Their studies revealed that this compound can act like ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory medications.
Future research will probably tell us more about olive oil’s function in battling oxidation, inflammation, and all the multiple diseases and health conditions associated with them. In Spain, Italy and Greece, where olive oil is used in most households, cancer incidence is much lower than in norther Europe and the United States, where olive oil use isn’t as widespread.
A study published in the March 2005 issue of the Annals of Oncology showed that Oleic acid, the principal monounsaturated fat in olive oil, dramatically decreased the growth of aggressive forms of breast tumors in test tubes. When oleic acid was combined with the commonly used breast cancer drug Herceptin, the effectiveness of the drug was vastly improved. In addition, the researchers reported an inverse relationship between the disease and oleic acid: The more oleic acid a woman ate, the lower her risk of breast cancer.
For more information: The Healing Power of Garlic, Vinegar & Olive Oil by Gayle Alleman, M.S.,R.D. is recommended reading.

Coffee and Tea Cut Risk of Big D

2010-04-21T19:08:00.002-04:00

The latest research reveals that Coffee and Tea Drinkers are at a lower risk of diabetes. An analysis of 18 previously published studies totaling 457,932 participants found that drinking thee or more cups of coffee per day was associated with about a 25% lower risk of developing diabetes, compared to drinking two cups or less. Each additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7% reduction in the excess risk of diabetes.
The analysis by Rachel Huxley, Dphl, of the George Institute at the University of Sydney, Australia, and colleagues included six studies that also looked at decaf coffee. Pooling that data, people drinking three to four cups of decaf were about one-third less likely to develop diabetes than those drinking none.
Seven studies included tea consumption/ Those who drank more than three to four cups of tea daily had a 20% lower risk of diabetes than non-tea drinkers.
The decaf data suggest that any possible benefit is unlikely to be solely related to caffeine. Other compounds in coffee and tea—including magnesium, antioxidants known as lignans, or chlorogenic acids–may be involved, according to Huxley and colleagues.
If confirmed by intervention trials, researchers added the finding could have important implications. "For example, the identification of the active components of these beverages would open up new therapeutic pathways for the primary prevention of diabetes. It could also be envisaged that we will advise our patients most at risk for diabetes to increase their consumption of tea and coffee in addition to increasing their levels of physical activity and weight loss."
To learn more: Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec. 14, 2009.
Coffee could cut Women’s Cancer Risk. A large new study in Sweden reports that women who drink regular coffee daily are less likely to develop endometrial cancer, which affects the cells lining the uterus. Emilie Friberg, PhD, of the Karolinska Institute and colleagues surveyed 60,534 women in the Swedish Mammography Cohort Study about their coffee intake. Over an average of 17 years, 677 of the women developed endometrial cancer. Regular coffee drinkers proved less at risk for the cancer, with each additional cup of coffee, associated with a 10% lower relative risk. The coffee connection was especially strong for overweight and obese women—who are at greatest risk for endometrial cancer—with each extra cup linked to a 12% lower risk for overweight women and 20% for the obese.
Coffee researchers suggested, may affect blood sugar, fat cells and estrogen—all factors in the cancer. They called for further study including decaf, to separate the possible effects of caffeine and coffee.
To Learn More: International Journal of Cancer, November 15, 2009
Some questions pop up in my mind: Was the study biased by support from the coffee industry? Could it be that people who consume more coffee — drink less alcohol and soda pop? Is there a trade-off in addictions? I know an alcoholic who hasn’t had a drink in almost 20 years and now consumes as many as eight cups of coffee in a 2 hour period. My father-in-law would drink as many as 24 cups of coffee a day, but I never observed him drinking beer or other forms of alcoholic drinks. Watching my grandfather make wine amazed me when I saw the large amounts of sugar he used. This son of an coal-miner found out at the age of 7-years -old that I was extremely allergic to wine. A jigger of wine caused immediate pain throughout my body including all joints and muscles and a debilitating headache. I sweated profusely for an hour and turned beet red. In my whole life I have never consumed a bottle of beer or wine. Alcohol was no a friend of mine.
Thanks to Tufts University and the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, I am able to confirm the effect of many substances I consume. This March issue is current in 2010, Volume28, Number 1. It costs a lot of money to avail myself of all this information, but it is worth every cent, especially when you consider the prevention side of health care provided by these researchers. There are a great number of people who are happy to have me share my focused determination to reduce their pain and suffering rather than simply thinking that a pill could heal.
"Make Eating A Lifestyle Change" was a project that was encouraged by my rheumatologist, Ralph J. Argen, M.D., F.A.C.P. May God bless and keep him well.
The book is ongoing and this former Graphic Arts Teacher publishes it on the highest grade white paper with a spiral binding to make it practical to read without the need for bookmarks.
Much of what I write is made better by the wonderful skill and expertise of my wife who reads everything. I write and she is an excellent editor in the mechanics of writing. I dedicated my book to her: Julie A. Tronolone. She continues to maintain a KOPS level of achievement in her group, T.O.P.S. (K.O.P.S.. stands for "Keep Off Pounds Sensibly." which one attains when the weight loss goal is met). She looks at least 10 years younger than her chronological age and takes great pride in her ability to read and help me evaluate the ingredients in everything we eat. She lost 62 pounds in one year and kept it off. More importantly, she is a role-model to others who confront the health problems related to morbid obesity. Getting older isn’t bad, if you can learn and develop wisdom.

Social Butterflies Appear to Age Gracefully

2010-03-08T08:48:00.011-05:00

Socialize and Live Longer
Social Seniors live longer and stay healthier. Get out of the house and mingle. Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center at Chicago report that seniors who are more socially active are more likely to retain mobility as they age. Sociable Seniors even walk faster than those who don’t get out much.
On the other hand, scoring just one point below average on a scale of social activity lowers your motor function as if you were five years older. So a less-socially active 67-year-old would function like a 72-year-old, sharply increasing the risk of death and disability.
"It’s not just running around the track that is good for you," commented lead researcher Aron S. Buchman, MD, associate professor of neurological sciences. "Our findings suggest that engaging in social activities may also be protective against loss of motor abilities."
Dr. Buchman and colleagues studied 906 healthy adults, average age 79.5 at the start. Participants were awarded points on a social—activity score based on the frequency of such activities as attending church or sporting events, eating out at restaurants, visiting relatives, volunteering, playing bingo and traveling. The average score calculated at the study’s inception, was 2.6; scores ranged from a low of 1.0 to a high of 4.17. Imagine what the score of our Senior Tennis League would look like!
Researchers then measured global motor function, based on nine measures of muscle strength and nine motor—performances measurements, annually for up to 11 years; average follow–up time was 4.9 years.
Each point below the 2.6 average score was associated with a subsequent 33% more rapid decline in overall motor function–the same as if the person were five years older when the study began. That greater rate of motor decline was associated with a 44% increased risk of death and 65% higher risk of disability, compared to those with average social–activity scores.
Even something as simple as walking speed was related to social activity: The most socially active seniors ranked in the top 10% of gait speed, while the least socially active ranked in the slowest 10%.
Motor function was also associated, as expected, with other factors, such as joint pain, depression, disability and vascular disease. But even when these factors were considered in the analysis, the association between social activity and motor decline still held up. Writing in Archives of Internal Medicine, Dr. Buchman and colleagues noted that this reduces the possibility of reverse causality: That is, it’s unlikely that the subjects were less socially active because of physical disability.
"If the causal relationship is confirmed by others, the implications are enormous by interventions that can help the elderly," Dr. Buchman added."Our data raise the possibility that we can slow motor decline and possibly delay its adverse health outcomes by supporting social engagement–a relatively low–cost solution to a very large public health problem."

That data also suggest that the next time you get invited out to a ball game, a potluck dinner, a musical performance, or asked to volunteer somewhere, the healthiest answer is "Yes."
My sources are numerous and well documented in research that is credible and highly respected in the community of medical, nutritional and clinical sources.
Your risk of dying of any cause are reported to be 50% less for those who play badminton and tennis. We would bike three times a week in the summer and cover 25 miles on the weekend from Niagara Falls, Ontario to Fort Erie, Ontario and back.
We would engage in social activities once every month and socialize at picnics, and day trips to Letchworth Park, Toronto plays, and even take in an afternoon at the races. We walked and talked and climbed to the top of the hill to the railroad tracks at Letchworth and then dined at the "Glen Iris Inn." Halloween, Thanksgiving, the Gorge, the Whirlpool Jet Boat, the Maid of the Mist, Niagara Clipper and dinner at "The Flying Tigers," were just a few of the activities we enjoyed. Wealthy members of our group would say, "Stan, if it were'n’t for you, I would never have known about these places." They were just too busy climbing to the top of the heap and our group expanded their horizons. It’s not over yet: We intend to take another trip this summer on the "Go Train" and we just love our summer picnics. It has been a good life and my "jewel" has truly been the "Light of My Life." No doctor could have predicted I would live to this age after four heart attacks and crippling rheumatoid arthritis.
My dear hearts and gentle people, appear to age more gracefully. Loving each other keeps balance to our lives and dulls the pain we suffer to a tolerable level. I ask God to teach me to reach out to Him in my need and lead others to Him by my example. Grant us health in mind, body and spirit so that we may serve Him with all our strength. May He touch these lives and all those He has created now and forever. Tufts University is one of many sources of my blogs. They publish a "Health & Nutrition Letter" at The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. This blog used information from this source and others. It is "Your Guide To Living Healthier Longer" in the September 2009, Volume 27, Number 7 issue.
Your lifestyle is best served by the knowledge you obtain from such sources and your active participation in our Senior Tennis League and Badminton Club of Greater Buffalo. http://www.tuftshealthletter.com%3e/>
To learn more: Archives of Journal Medicine, June 22, 2009.

One a day or Mother Nature's Way

2010-03-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

New evidence shows that vitamin and mineral supplements just can’t compete with the nutrients from Mother Nature.
Americans want to believe in vitamin and mineral pills. We spent an estimated $10 billion on them in 2008, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. But recent studies undertaken to assess their benefits have delivered a flurry of disappointing results. The supplements failed to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, heart attacks, strokes, type 2 diabetes, and premature death.
“We have yet to see well-conducted research that categorically supports the use of vitamin and mineral supplements,” says Linda Van Horn, Ph.D., a professor of preventative medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. “Most studies show no benefit, or actual harm.”
THE POWER OF FOOD:
While some people may need supplements at certain stages of their lives, nutritional deficiencies are uncommon in the U.S. “Almost all of us get or can get the vitamins and minerals we need from our diet,” says Paul M. Coates, Ph.D., director of the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Major health organizations for cancer, diabetes, and heart disease all advise against supplements in favor of a healthful diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Unlike pills, those foods-contain fiber plus thousands of health protective substances that seem to work together more powerfully than any single ingredient can work alone. “That’s why it’s dangerous to say, “ I know I don’t eat well, but if I pop my vitamins, I’m covered,” says Karen Collins, R.D, . that you are not covered.”
TOO MUCH CAN HARM :
Another concern is that some vitamin pills can be toxic if taken in high doses for a long time. Studies show that beta-carotene pills, for example, can increase the risk of lung cancer in smokers, and a 2008 review suggests that the pills, plus supplemental doses of vitamin A and e, may increase the risk of premature death. In addition, a government survey found that more than 11 percent of adults take at least 400 international units of vitamin E a day, a dose that has been linked to heart failure, strokes, and an increased risk of death.
People are also apt to combine vitamin tablets and fortified foods, which can cause problems. For instance, too much folic acid---added to wheat products in this country---can mask vitamin B12 deficiency. Untreated, that can lead to irreversible nerve damage. In addition, high doses of folic acid may be associated with an increased risk of precancerous polyps, according to a trial of some 1,000 people at risk for them. “We’re getting several alarming signals that more may not be better,” says Susan T. Mayne, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health.
SUPPLEMENTS STRIKE OUT :
There is insufficient evidence to support the use of supplements to prevent the following conditions:
CANCER: Two large trials published in 2009 came up empty. In one, sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, researchers reported that Vitamin E and the mineral selenium failed to prevent prostate cancer. In fact, researchers noted possible increased risks of prostate cancer from vitamin E, and type 2 diabetes from selenium. The second study, the Physician’s Health Study II, found that neither vitamin C nor E reduced the risk of colon, lung, prostate, or other cancers in men. And women haven’t fared much better: Folic acid and certain other B vitamins provided no protection against breast or any other cancer in one study, and calcium and vitamin D had no effect on breast-cancer risk in another.
Some research suggests that vitamin and mineral supplements may pose particular risks to people who are being treated for cancer. While many cancer patients take antioxidant supplements such as vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene with the hope of reducing the toxicity of chemotherapy and radiation, a 2008 review found that the practice may protect cancer cells as well as normal ones. As a result, many oncologists now advise patients not to use antioxidant pills during those treatments.
HEART DISEASE: Folic acid and other B vitamins failed to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and death from cardiovascular disease in women at risk for heart disease in a 2008 trial by the Harvard Medical School. And neither vitamin C nor E prevented those events in men in the Physicians’ Health Study II. Vitamin E, however, was linked to an increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke.
Antioxidant supplements were previously thought to prevent fatty buildups in arteries, but research now suggests that they may worsen cholesterol levels and blunt the effects of cholesterol lowering drugs. A 2009 review found that diets rich in those vitamins protected people from heart disease but supplements of them did not, underscoring the power of a healthy diet.
Type 2 Diabetes: In a 2009 trial, vitamin and mineral pills didn’t reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome---a cluster of symptoms including abdominal obesity and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and blood sugar---that can lead to type 2 diabetes. Additional 2009 studies found that vitamin pills didn’t prevent type 2 diabetes and might undermine the ability of exercise to improve blood sugar levels. And while many people with diabetes take supplements of the mineral chromium to control blood sugar and lose weight, that benefit is unproven.
Cognitive decline: B vitamins didn’t slow Alzheimer’s disease, and vitamin E failed to prevent dementia in people with cognitive impairment, according to trials from the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, and NIH-funded consortium. Another study suggested that high doses of vitamin E slowed down the progression of moderate dementia, but most specialists are wary because of the potential risks, says Paul Aisen, M. D., director of the consortium.
On the other hand, a deficiency of vitamin B12 or thyroid hormone can cause cognitive impairment, so if you’re declining more than normal for your age, you should be tested for those conditions. “But speak to your physician,” Aisen says. “You can’t necessarily replenish low B12 stores on your own.”
Immune Function: The evidence on whether vitamin and mineral supplements can enhance immunity is contradictory, especially for people who eat adequately. And while supplements can boost immune response in older people with nutritional deficiencies, it’s still not known if that results in fewer infections. “In the vast majority of people taking megadoses is not recommended, and may be harmful,” says Kevin High, M.D., chief of infectious diseases at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N. C. An excess of vitamin E, for instance, can backfire.
Glimmers of Hope: Some evidence supports the use of supplements for these conditions:
Eye Disease: People who have at least moderate age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness, may be able to limit further damage by taking a daily supplement that contains vitamins C, e, and beta-carotene. But talk with you ophthalmologist first, since the formula could be risky for some people.
Recent research suggests that folic acid and other B vitamins reduce the risk of developing AMD for some people. “This is the first suggestion of a way of preventing early stages of AMD other than avoiding smoking,” says William G. Christen, Sc.D., an associate professor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. But the study, sponsored by the National Eye Institute, needs to be repeated before firm recommendations can be made.
Osteoporosis: In a recent comprehensive review of 167 studies, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that calcium and vitamin D pills reduced fractures and bone loss---although the fracture benefit was primarily only in female nursing-home residents. Vitamin D alone also helped prevent falls in older people in a 2009 analysis, but only at doses of 700 IU a day or higher.
Shortfalls of vitamin D are common, recent research suggests, so if you have health problems possibly linked to abnormal calcium metabolism or vitamin D deficiency such as hyperthyroidism and osteoporosis, consider having your blood levels tested. If your reading is low, your doctor will probably prescribe a higher dose vitamin D supplement for a few months, and then retest.

Music, Words & The Brain

2010-02-28T10:10:00.003-05:00

My wife’s mother is 96-years-old and Julie is one of four generations of singers with perfect pitch. When Mum was confused and afraid, I suggested she sing, "When You’re Smiling." When she did that we realized that she not only became confident and happy ~ she could remember all the words. We tried other songs she had known like, "Amazing Grace," and sure enough she sang every verse and was proud and smiling. Dementia had caused her fear, frustration and even anger and outright belligerence. She allegedly punched the male nurse once when he was a bit rough in the handling of her transferal from the bed to the wheelchair.
Now she is singing more and remembering things that other people cannot remember. Julie is much more content now. She used to dread going to see her mother at the nursing home. It was an obligation she carried on because she loves her mother. The good news, is she sent her relatives a video of her mother singing and they were all thrilled at her performance.
RESEARCH FINDS BRAIN LINK FOR WORDS, MUSIC ABILITY. Like those who stutter, singing improves the links within the brain. A person who stutters does not stutter when they sing. Now science is confirming that those abilities are linked in the brain, a finding that might even lead to better stroke treatments. At the age of seven my father required all his sons (three boys) to pick an instrument and so we did. I played the accordion and sang right along with the music. I learned fractions and improved my ability in math. After a heart attack at 31-years-old, it was the music that brought me back from the brink of disaster. Words and music, such natural partners that it seems obvious they go together.
Shyness was a problem I confronted throughout my childhood into my late 30s, but dad had helped me to overcome that with music and would often set up the music stand and hand me my accordion in a restaurant or at a picnic. St. Joseph Day parties would consist of eating and singing. People enjoyed singing together and there were no arguments, and so I published a "Sing-A-Long" book with all the words and an alphabetical listing on the cover. It wasn’t fancy, but it brought strangers together and smiling faces made new friends.
Randolph E. Schmid, AP Science Writer reported this discovery on Saturday, February 20, 2010 and reported the findings which Julie printed out February 23, 2010.
Studies have found overlap in the brain’s processing of language an instrumental music, and new research suggests that intensive musical therapy may help improve speech in stroke patients, researchers said Saturday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
In addition, researchers said music education can help children with developmental dyslexia or autism more accurately use speech. Julie’s grandson has responded so well to music and singing and I believe in the worth of music in overall health and development of brain and lungs. Family gatherings were always a joy when I took out the accordion and handed out the "Sing-A-Long" sheets. So you see, not all is responsive or required to resolve health issues in the way of pills and surgery.
People who have suffered a severe stroke on the left side of the brain and cannot speak can sometimes learn to communicate through singing, Gottfried Schlaug, associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School told the meeting.
"Music making is a multi-sensory, activating links to several parts of the brain," Schlaug said. Schlaug showed a video of one patient who could only make meaningless sounds learning to say "I am thirsty," by singing the words, and another was able to sing "happy birthday." "If you have someone who is nonverbal and they can say they are hungry or thirsty or ask where the bathroom is that’s an improvement," Schlaug said of the Melodic Intonation Therapy. As long as a century ago there were reports of stroke victims who couldn’t talk but who could sing, he said. Now, they are doing trials to see if music can be used as a therapy. Nina Kraus, director of the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University, reported that new studies show that musical training enhances the brain’s ability to do other things. When people first learn to talk and when they talk to babies they often use musical patterns in their speech, she noted.
"People’s hearing systems are fine-tuned by the experiences they’ve had with sound throughout their lives. Music training is not only beneficial for processing music stimuli. We’ve found that years of music training may also improve how sounds are processed for language and emotion," Kraus said in prepared remarks. Kraus said "the very responses that are enhanced in musicians are deficient in clinical populations such as children with developmental dyslexia and autism."
Aniruddh D. Patel of the Neuroscience Institute in San Diego said new studies show that music doesn’t involve just hot spots in the brain, but large swaths on both sides of the brain. "Nouns and verbs are different from the tones and chords and harmony, but the parts of the brain that process them overlap," he said. Some scientists, among them Charles Darwin, have speculated that musical ability in humans might have developed before language, " Patel said.
And so, my thanks to my late father for all that he gave me when he decided to buy me an accordion and include me in 100-piece bands that played at Kleinhan’s Music Hall before a packed house. Whenever I faced the most difficult times of my life, it was my accordion and the wisdom and sounds of the music that caused me to rebound. Julie’s mother is a living, breathing example of the miracle of music therapy. And thanks to Mrs. Lieberman, my music teacher in 7th grade, who decided to feature me as a soloist performer at Tech High School. As shy and fearful as I was before the performance, it all soon took flight from my mind as soon as I began playing "Dark Eyes." In 1945 my father decided to take me to the radio station to audition for "Uncle Bill’s Hour" and Aunt Sally played "School Days." At seven years old my father had enough faith in me to take a shy little boy into the limelight and it resulted in my winning a pair of shoes from Liberty Shoes and a book of green stamps. Another performance the following Sunday resulted in the remark that, "Little Stanley received most of his votes (a 2-cent postcard) from the "suburbs," even if little Stanley didn’t know where the suburbs were.
The rest of the story involves a very successful son who was given his first accordion while still in the crib. I never gave him a lesson on the accordion, but at three he could play every song and today, whenever the stress of his work needs to be attended to, he sits at his grand piano and plays the most beautiful music to soothe his nerves and fill his brain with the sound of music that resets his mood to one of complete serenity. He called the other day to excitedly report that his daughter (my granddaughter) is a gifted child and is happily playing on her Yamaha keyboard. She’s nine-years-old and so the beat goes on and all because of the "Sound of Music."

Inflammation and the Immune System

2010-02-20T14:00:00.001-05:00

Inflammation is the immue system’s first line of defense against injury and infection. At this time of the year with temperatures hovering around10 - 15 degrees Fahrenheit and you develop a sinus headache, you may want to know more about the system that presents these problems. I have written much about ways we can clean the filters of our nose and prevent bacteria buildup in our sinuses and bronchial tubes. This time I would like to address the body’s automatic response that results in the many conditions we end up treating with bad pills, antibiotics and pain killers. The drug companies will run commercials on all stations and rake in the profits in the billions. Humans need more knowledge of their bodies. We have to work to prevent conditions that make it appear we are closing the barn door after the horses have already left the stable.
When an injury occurs, such as a simple cut on the finger, a set of events take place within your body that forms a blood clot, fights infection and begins the healing process. Inflammation is painful because blood vessels dilate upstream of the injury to bring more blood and nutrients to the injured area, but they constrict at the injury site. These actions result in fluids from the bloodstream pooling in tissues around the injury, which causes swelling and pressure that stimulate nerves and cause pain.
Well that’s why we sell millions of pain pills without ever seeking the cause and effect.
In some individuals, the immune system gets confused and begins to view some of the body’s own healthy cells as “foreign invaders.” It therefore directs an immune response— complete with inflammation— at healthy tissues, harming or even destroying them. This misdirected attack results in what’s called an autoimmune disorder (“auto” meaning self). Rheumatoid arthritis and certain types of thyroid disease are autoimmune disorders. Asthma, too, is the result of inflammation gone awry.
When inflammation continues unabated for long periods of time, damage can occur in organs, such as the colon, or in blood vessels. Indeed, chronic inflammation within the body is looking more and more like a serious contributor to cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessels), which encourages plaque deposits to form. Inflammation may also cause plaque in arteries to break off and travel downstream, where it can become lodged and stop blood flow to a crucial artery that provides oxygen to important body parts, such as your heart or brain. When this happens, a heart attack or stroke (respectively) can occur.
Chromic inflammation within the body can wreak havoc on other body parts besides arteries. A team led by the researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions found that chronic inflammation of the colon might increase the risk of colon cancer. A ten-year study of more than 20,000 patients suggested a link between chronic inflammation and this disease, although a direct cause-and-effect relationship has not yet been established. These preliminary findings were discussed in the February 2004 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. In October of 2003, my doctor ran into my room all excited saying, “Stan, we now know why you haven’t had another heart attack. The aspirin you’ve been taking is anti-inflammatory.”
Scientists knew all of this in 1983 but the drug companies in sync with the FDA and the Congress decided to keep it from the people. My doctor didn’t know of my research at the time. No doctor had remarked about the list I provided of my daily intake of aspirin. In 1981, I had been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis and told by my physician that I needed to take at least 30 aspirin a day, if I were to fend off the effects of my disease~namely, “You will not be able to walk in one to two years!” The Middle-Eastern doctor stated this in 1981 and it wasn’t until 1998 that Congress allowed the information to reach the public. Aspirin manufacturers had to name their claims to aspirin as the “Freedom of Speech Aspirin.” You’ve heard of the other guy who claims to have had so much trouble revealing cures that were not allowed by the FDA. Well, read his book and tell me how many cures you find. Money is the root of all evil and he fell into the same temptation as the drug companies. He sold millions of books and bought advertising on just about every channel. Today he has enough money to do anything he wants. People, ask me if I heard of him and I reply, “Yes.” ‘They ask me if I read his books and I reply, “Yes.” When they ask me about all the cures I found in his book, I reply, “none!”
I don’t play those games and I don’t seek fame or fortune. I wanted to become a priest when I was very young (altar boy). But then, I went through puberty and learned that “celibacy” was not a natural function of my genetic make up. An altruist doesn’t need money to make him happy ~ he seeks the joy of giving and experiencing the “good” feeling one receives from knowing that “it is far better to give than to receive.”
To all of you who have sent me email responses praising my “blogs,” I can only thank you and apologize for not providing more of these articles. After 28-years, I am in the late stages of rheumatoid arthritis and at 72 it becomes more difficult just typing. No, I did not find a cure for rheumatoid arthritis, but I did develop a regimen which allows me to enjoy a little more of what life has to offer.
Doctors are not bad people, but they are very restricted in their knowledge of what works best with the body. Pills do not communicate with the brain as they would have us believe. That is why more of the pills are being sold over-the-counter and that is why you see more attorneys are advertising to provide you with free representation in a suit against a drug company. Just remember that your body is best at recognizing the cures available to us and specially combined by our creator in a manner that is appropriate and naturopathic to preventing disease and healing.
I tell my doctors that they should start “HEALING” and pay less attention to the cashier. The effort of Corporatism in our Congress to pass bills called “Tort Reform” represent an attempt to insulate physicians from the suits filed by patients who suffered the unnecessary abuses of malpractice.
There are two Americas and the “Predators” do not feel guilty about eating their “Prey” and charging them for the service. And so I say, “God bless all you dear hearts and gentle people.” The meek shall inherit the earth and whatever your faith, practice the “Golden Rule.” You may not make it to enjoy the company of those who “kneel at the Altar of the Almighty Dollar,” but you’ll be able to look in the mirror knowing you loved your neighbor as you love yourself.

Born & Raised Sicilian

2010-01-01T12:43:00.003-05:00

New Year’s Eve was so very special. We ate at the "Ponte Vecchio Restaurant." Reportedly, this restaurant was first class in everything you look for: Ambiance, Beautiful and attentive Servers, Food prepared by a "Gourmet Chef", and, of course, respectable portions. This high-priced luxury is for very special occasions and you can expect dinners to cost as much as $100 per person. The seating is arranged to provide privacy in conversation and a peaceful setting, allowing for proper and friendly exchange between those seated at the table. Wine is served with the dinner and all prices are represented in 6 point font on the menu. Most of the patrons are very affluent and consider it improper to check out or remark about the price of menu items. Casino regulars are usually given a "Meal Voucher" in the amount of $150 for two and that is only to cover the fundamentals. Alcohol, gratuity and taxes are not usually provided for in these "Perks."
Our server was a stunningly beautiful Greek woman with eyes that appeared to be the size of quarters. Her bright eyed Sicilian look was the personification of the music I played as a soloist in high school: "Dark Eyes." Each male server was the equivalent of an "Adonis" from Greek Mythology. The fare was varied and exotic, allowing for very rare items like "Sea Bass," Bison," Sicilian Salad and Artesian Bread for starters because we already had appetizers and soup at the "Deli." "Bon Anno" was the greeting from all ~ meaning Happy New Year.
We were told that the servings were generous in portion, but that was not the case and ordinarily is not the case in "Top of the line" restaurants. The salad was served in a dish almost a foot in diameter and the salad was in the center in what appeared to be the size of a poached egg serving glass. The "Sicilian Salad" consisted of four slices of tomato with a white cheese and basil sprouts finely chopped. Our reservation was for 5 p.m. and there were no patrons waiting in front of us. The doors open in these high class restaurants at that time only.

As a young high school student I served at the "300 Club" just east of Main Street in Buffalo and was aware of the refinement of wearing a tuxedo and delivering a pack of cigarettes on a plate. We also delivered such things as candied apples, black and green olives, and an assortment of finger foods on large silver plated round trays that kept the patrons nibbling before the meal. This gave the chef (the real boss) time to prepare a gourmet dinner. Finger bowls were delivered after the meal. Seating was suitable to royalty and pure white table cloths were usually accompanied by burgundy or white serviettes.
Disappointment was expressed by all at our table at "Ponte Vecchio". The portions were skimpy at best but described and priced to impress the patrons of the status of the eatery.
We had asked an Immigration Inspector if the Whirlpool Bridge would have extended hours for New Year’s Eve. Fireworks were displayed by the Niagara Parks Commission and the people were 12 abreast going down Clifton Hill to witness the special event at the Rainbow Bridge which would be a three-hour wait for Americans looking to return home afterwards. We left the Fallsview Casino at 10 p.m., wishing our friends "Arrivederci" and "Cao" with a last wish for "Bon Annu" (Happy New Year).
At the Whirlpool Bridge, we were surprised to hear the Immigration officer criticize a sitting Senator Schumer for his wish to provide an open border between Canada and the U.S. The officer informed us that the bridges were all owned by private entities and neither government had any control over the operations of the bridge or lack of supervisory traffic control. I have notified the Department of Homeland Security and Senator Schumer’s office of the necessity of "Eminent Domain" for the purpose of providing the "Trusted Traveler" with a safe and regulated port of entry: Whirlpool, Rainbow, Lewiston and the Peace Bridge.
We bid farewell knowing we had planned the best route to avoid congestive traffic. Julie and I are old hands at traveling, having visited the width and breadth of this great and beautiful America. The evening consisted of reminescence of a great day ending with tea and crumpets. Conversation of the wonderful time we had lasted until almost 3 a.m.

Always, the first to rise on Holidays, I prepared a "Real Sicilian Breakfast" for my Jewel. It consisted of scrambled eggs, toast with hot sauce, Sicilian and Greek stuffed olives with Feta cheese, perfectly ripened tomatoes, large chunks of cantaloupe, crescent-shaped California Navel Oranges, with a serving of specially prepared pitted prunes in natural juices. There was also coffee to jump start the lungs and nervous system (one cup only).
This breakfast would have to cost at minimum $40, if compared to the menu items at the restaurant.

"Mangia," my loving Grandmother would say to me and continuing, "You’ll feel better." She had so much wisdom, and I was blessed to be born from the womb of her Sicilian daughter. My father chose the finest family and married the best of nine girls. Those memories sustain me and keep me happy in this third stage of my life. "Live Well, Love Much, and Laugh Often." Longevity is forever evident in those who live such a life. My 93-year-old Godmother had the greatest smile and chuckled with such a love for life and all those around her. I can’t remember an angry moment in all the years I was privileged to be with her. She was the Matriarch of her family~many of whom joined in marriage to men of Greek ancestry. Within the past year I was informed by a very wise Greek, that the Island of Sicily is Greek in ethnicity, culture and eating habits. Twenty thousand Greeks remaining loyal to the traditional Greek foods were found to be the void of any serious disease or health problems
In one day we lived the title of my book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change." The acronym being, "M.E.A.L. change. The courage and determination of a Polish father and a Sicilian mother originated in their brave journey to a new continent. They dreamed hopes of finding the land of milk and honey, with streets paved in gold, and a land of opportunities, unlimited for those who would do their very best.

In my prayers, I always include them, my chosen family, and those who have passed on, leaving me this wonderful heritage. I was blessed to be the resulting Hybrid of this genetic blend of two great cultures.

Thank you Lord, for all the people and experiences of this lifetime allowing me to better serve you, and especially all the dear hearts and gentle people all over the world. May we join hands in a determined effort to bring peace, love and understanding to people of all ethnic groups in an ecumenical friendship involving all nations. Desiderata is the manual I read many times each day. Like "Amazing Grace," the wisdom is in the poetry and music of people often considered to be God Spirits. "Imagine" by John Lennon of "The Beatles" is my ideal and "Shangrala" is the mystical place of my soul. Bon Annu to you and the ones you love.

Protect Yourself With Food

2009-12-13T10:10:00.002-05:00

PROTECT YOURSELF WITH FOOD
In defense of the doctors, I often criticize, you should know that they are limited to a “standard protocol.” That is why we now see more doctors entering the field of “Integrative Medicine.” Recent research reveals the fact that your doctor knows that these “Food Cures” really work~ but he may be afraid to tell you. Why? Because there are standard protocols for treating every disease, and they don’t include eating apples, oranges, cherries and nuts. The insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies and the government put enormous pressure on your doctor to do everything “by the book.”
Suppose, for example, that you come in with a migraine headache. Every first-year medical student knows that magnesium is effective against migraines. In fact, if you come into the ER with a migraine, they’ll give you an injection of magnesium. It’s also widely known that caffeine is one of the most powerful headache remedies around. So why doesn’t your doctor just give you a bag of pumpkin seeds and a cup of coffee?
But he can’t do that~because if your headache doesn’t go away, or it turns out to be more serious, people will come around asking questions: Why didn’t you give the standard drugs? Why didn’t you do all the standard tests? But there’s nothing preventing you from curing yourself with food.
For fever from flu, you may do what they do in India: Add coriander, ginger and cinnamon to your food. They promote sweating and help break a fever. My first meal of the day is old fashioned oatmeal with diced apple, cinnamon, raisins and a scoop of wild blueberries with a splash of skim milk. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with magnesium, which is vital for converting food into energy.
For Asthma, you might try eating onions~often. Why? Because onions contain several compounds, especially quercetin, that combat inflammation.
For Cataracts: Avoid mayonnaise and creamy salad dressings. According to a Harvard Study, the fatty acids used in many creamy dressings boost your risk of cataracts.
For Memory: Eat oatmeal for breakfast. A recent study showed that when schoolchildren ate oatmeal for breakfast instead of cold cereal~their memory skills improved 5 to 12%.
For High Blood Pressure: It’s not the salt you add at the dinner table that causes the problem. It’s the salt cooked into processed Forfoods that does you in.
For Arthritis: Try eating sour cherries to slow down the deterioration of cartilage in osteoarthritis.
MYTH: Raw fruits and vegetables are better than cooked. REALITY: Wrong! There are some fruits and vegetables that don’t fully release their healing vitamins and nutrients until you cook them.
Ulcers? For many years doctors advised their patients with ulcers to drink lots of milk. Milk was thought to provide a protective shield to the stomach lining, thereby soothing ulcers and helping them heal. It made perfect sense, except that it was wrong! Doctors now believe milk increases, rather than neutralizes, stomach acids, irritating ulcers and making them even more painful. It’s like rubbing salt in the wound!
So what should you eat for ulcers? Broccoli! It’s been proven in the clinical trials to kill the bacteria that causes ulcers in 78% of the patients tested.
MYTH: NUTS ARE FATTENING, SO AVOID THEM. REALITY: Nuts are the “embryo” of a tree. As such, they are loaded with all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients the young tree needs to survive, grow, and thrive. It’s like “embryonic stem cell therapy” in a nutshell.
After more than 6,000 years of using food for medicine, the human race has accumulated a lot of information…And a lot of misinformation, too! Many of the legends that have been passed down from generation to generation about miraculous food cures have turned out to work - at least those that came from grandma.
In moderation, I find that even a cup or two of coffee is an important part of my food regimen. It helps me with my lungs and one large study even found that women who drank up to six cups of coffee a day cut their diabetes risk by nearly a third.
Sometimes curing yourself with food is not a matter of eating more, but eating less. Take gout, for example. It’s caused by the build-up of uric acid in your joints and even kidney stones. So if you simply eliminate foods that trigger production of uric acid in your bloodstream — organ meats and alcohol are the worst — you’ll start to feel better fast. You’d be amazed at how many diseases have just such a simple solution.
Eat Well, Love Much and Laugh Often.

FOOD CURES - NO PILLS

2009-12-12T13:00:00.004-05:00

FOOD CURES - NO PILLS
This writer was born in a small coal-mining hamlet in Pennsylvania. No restaurants, no doctors and no pharmacies. All four of my grandparents lived to the ripe old age of 88-years. When we had a problem, we just asked grandma and she really knew the answer. She gave birth to nine girls and a boy in a four room house without a bathroom. Grandma and grandpa were born in a small town in Sicily, Italy. The Mediterranean diet was no diet ~ it was a way of life ~ it was the nutrition that kept you healthy and strong. When you didn’t feel well, grandma simply said “Mangia, you’ll feel better.” It always worked. They were born in 1880 and passed on in 1968. Here I am more than 40 years later~reading all the research I can find to help my friends find a better way to live and finally we have reached the conclusion that your cure may be as close as your nearest Supermarket.
Pity the poor pharmaceutical companies! Just when they thought they had a “Lock” on the Health-Care Industry…scientists discovered that many, if not most of the diseases that plague mankind can be treated with FOOD! My Godparents are in their late 80's and attribute their outstanding health to Mediterranean eating.
In the tiny Kitavin Islands off the coast of New Guinea, for example, not one single case of acne has never been found. Why? Because the natives love to eat yams! As a result, they have a hormonal balance in their bodies that makes skin problems rare. Alzheimer’s Disease is uncommon. Scientists think it may be that they use so much “turmeric” in their food. Instead of mayonnaise, they use yellow mustard. My father loved the stuff and usually bought the kind with horseradish added. He was the healthiest-looking man in the room - even when he was laid out in the casket!
Autoimmune diseases like Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis seldom strike people who live in Greenland. Why not? Because they eat so much deep-water fish. My father never had an ache in his body, but there he was out on Lake Erie~cutting a whole in the ice and fishing like an “Eskimo” and that was in his 70's. He love fishing, and brought his neighbors buckets full of “Smelt.”
In short, somewhere in the world, the health problems you’re suffering from right now have been solved. Not by drugs and not by surgery ~ but by FOOD!
Take “dark chocolate,” for example. Julie and I take one small bar of dark chocolate as part of our regimen (1.44 oz.) No milk, no nuts and little sugar. Did you know that it contains more flavonoids -a powerful antioxidant - than any other food you can buy?
Dark chocolate improves blood flow to the brain and that can’t be bad.
Coffee is so effective against asthma that, in a pinch, it can be used instead of an inhaler! A cup of coffee in the morning is good for the lungs. And if you want a quick burst of energy, try sucking on a LEMON! The basketball team at my elementary school did this before any game. Lemon is used by the Greeks on their salads and in their drinking water. I never go anywhere without a fresh lemon. I passed seven kidney stones in the 1970's and instinctively began drinking only lemonade made with fresh lemons. No more kidney stones -- and if you have them, lemons will dissolve them. Healing yourself with foods is not about sacrifice and deprivation. It’s about eating MORE ~ more of your favorite foods, more variety and more flavors.
On St. Joseph’s Day, all my friends and relatives would bring healthy foods to the table, then sit back and watch the nutrients in these foods work their healing miracles inside your body.
It took a while, but so many people have been helped by, “Make Eating A Lifestyle Change.” A 425 pound woman now weighs only 185 pounds and regained her youthful look. The love of my life took off 60 pounds and proudly displays her, “before and after picture.” She is considered a “KOPS” achiever for Keeping Off Pounds Sensibly for more than five years.
Just think of it -- my own doctor asks me for a way to cure his infected tonsils and then tells everybody how effective the apple-cider vinegar was. He played tennis the next day. Doctors admit that they had very little instruction on the benefits of nutrition. Now they ask, “What were the benefits you told me ~ about pineapple?” I answered immediately, “Bromelain and Papain!” He replied, “What a mind you have.” “No Doc, just God’s blessing.” I can’t ski and I don’t climb mountains, but I love people, music, prayer and watching people laughing and having fun.
Someday you may live to see a prescription that looks like this:
RX For Arthritis Pain and Swelling:
Take one 6-ounce red, sockeye Pacific Salmon 3 x per week for inflammation.
(The canned version even contains edible bones with calcium as a benefit)
I follow my Polish father’s love for fish by taking a 12 ounce serving of Herring or Kipper costing me all of 99 cents. Sardines taste a lot better than pills and the brain can understand the language of healing they speak.
Take 1 cup of diced pineapple for pain as needed (instead of ibuprofen)
There’s the bromelain and papain I was talking about.
Take 1 pomegranate (by mouth) to prevent further deterioration of cartilage.
You might find EATING to be a “PRACTICE” worth “PERFECTING.”
Reader’s Digest has just come out with a book called, “The Physician’s Book of FOOD PRESCRIPTIONS. They published a book called, “FOOD CURES” a breakthrough on Nutritional Prescriptions (Colds to Cancer).
We may not need all that much Universal Health Care after all. For 35 years I campaigned for Universal-Single Payer-Health Care and here I am believing that the answers are in the food we eat ~ not the expensive pills we take. Don’t fear using those food that really do make you feel better and have no side effects.

Mix that in with LOVE and LAUGHTER and a good dose of healthy exercise. Try tennis and badminton and find out why researchers are now claiming that your chances of dying of any cause are reduced by 50% if you play tennis three hours a week. Our Senior Tennis League has nine members over 85 years old and three over 90. The oldest is 93 and is beating everyone on her court. Seeing is believing!

Biochemicals and Phytonutrients

2009-10-11T20:52:00.003-04:00

The world’s leading authority on biochemicals and phytonutrients know that the best pharmacist is our creator. Phytonutrients are therapeutic foods that are grown, harvested and properly produced without heat. They are a complex combination of plant-based phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. These remarkable compounds have nothing in common with the vitamins, supplements and so-called “natural" products sold in supermarkets, health food stores or on the internet. In fact, those store-bought pretenders have more in common with prescription drugs.

Here’s Why: Most ordinary supplements and vitamins, like pharmaceuticals, are totally synthetic. But unlike store-bought products, true phytonutrients contain a combination of all the ingredients found in nature—in their proper combination and dose, rather than one or two of the so-called active ingredients. Man tries, but can’t replicate these God-given ingredients in perfect harmony with your body. The brain doesn’t read the synthetically produced pills. That’s why you continuously suffer the side-effects and begin to “pyramid” the number of pills you take until you are a walking, talking sewer.
In many cases, the pills you take are never dissolved nor absorbed into the blood stream.

“Phytochemicals in vegetables are probably the best hope for stopping some of the most deadly and stubborn diseases.” — Newsweek magazine 1994

The practice of using phytonutrients to heal may be on the cutting edge of medical science for some. But for more than 30 years, Dr. BruceWest has treated tens of thousands of people who were given up for dead by their own physicians. Many of these physicians have realized the inefficiency and limitations of prescription drugs and have expanded their practice to include phytonutrients in a form of medicine referred to as “Integrative Medicine.” Their stories are on the internet. They are increasing in numbers as people begin to realize the failure of our health care system in improving the health and longevity of their patients. The WHO (World Health Organization) now ranks the U. S. as 45th of all the industrialized nations of the world in longevity. That’s a downward trend from 2003 when we were ranked as 25th in longevity.

The pharmaceutical companies continue to sell physicians with their black satchel full of sample drugs for the doctor and his staff. They supply them with a room full of free drugs from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. Patients are thrilled to receive these drugs free, but are soon curious about the side effects and the length of time they need to take them. The response to their question is usually, “The rest of your life.” Addiction to drugs of all sorts is inevitable and the costs rise dramatically~until we realize why we pay twice and three times as much as any other country for the same drugs and suffer the consequences of poorer health.

Awaken to Secrets of Longevity

2009-09-19T13:12:00.003-04:00

Words of wisdom for all the world to live by. I can’t help but know how true these words are as I watched the Senior Tennis League prove their worth. Like children, they enjoy each other and realize that taking anything or anybody too seriously can only lead to stress. They laugh at themselves, each other and they hug, kiss and feel the energy of hearts beating with another’s. Transmitting the laugh, while feeling a special bond to one another was at the root of the longevity of my first members. They spent all 30 years with me and most lived to the ripe old age of 89-years-old. Yes, they were rich in spirit, full of love and nurtured, cared and saw the other “through the rain.”

Yesterday was a bit chilly, as September began changing the warm breezes into an invigorating wind. The groundskeeper had failed to open the lavatory, thinking that these older people would not be running around on that day. He was wrong, of course, and I called him on the cell phone to request he help us out by opening the outdoor access door to the lav. Dave is a special kind of person and he knew how important it was that he expedite his travel with key in hand. Urgency just happens and older people need to stay hydrated with relief close by. Oddly enough, his last name is “Greene” and so it is easy to remember. All these years in the sun, we watched as he planted the new flowers in the spring, cut the grass, painted the court lines, replaced the tennis cranks (that is, the ratchet that draws down the nets).

And so in the playground of my mind, I can feel their enthusiasm and vicariously experience their joy while they “high-five” each other for a good shot. The old teacher still swells with pride as I watch them grow in skill and respect for one another. It still amazes me that this sport attracks the best people I have ever known. They are all intelligent and caring, and have traveled the road of life with distinction and honor. As Barry Manilow sang, “I Made It Trough the Rain” and “ended up respected, by the others who got rained on too and made it through.” Interdependence is probably the secret to the “empty nesters” who do exactly as the National Institute on Mental Health has suggested, “When your children are grown, give them space to live the good life, don’t always reach out to prevent them from falling~Get a Life!”

I paraphrased that last statement, but in essense it is so true. My father used to say, “So I see, said the blind man when he hit the post.” It takes so long to develop the wisdom that enriches the life of the group of lovely people who live in my hometown.
What’s the sense of getting older, if you don’t get wiser?”

With the special gifts we are given, we can do so much to make the world a better place to live in. The secret is in the teachings involving psychiatry: “First-know yourself.” Find out what it is in you that makes you happy-makes you chuckle and tickles your funny bone. If you find it, you can live the “Golden Years” without worrying about anything. Doris Day sang,“Que Sera Sera” and those words of wisdom still have me humming and even singing along with her. “Whatever will be -- will be. The future is not ours to see -- so enjoy the “precious moment” that will never again occur. My lovely sweetheart puts it this way, “We’re not here for a long time - just a good time.” You just have to get up, dust yourself off and go on. The “roller coaster of life” is such that going down is the same force that carries you through to the upward climb.

Your brain: Use it or lose it. Oliver Sacks, a neurologist, and best selling author, spent the last 40 years probing the mysteries of the brain and chronicling them in case stories. Sacks is best know for his book “Awakenings,” which was made into a 1990 film staring Robin Williams. His theory was that the mind is like a muscle that needs to be used to get stronger, more nimble and creative. I, too believe in that. His 10th book, “Musicophilia,” published in 2007, details the importance music plays in keeping the brain nimble. Sacks is now 75 and teaches at Columbia University, where he is a professor of neurology and psychiatry. He also suffers from arthritis and lost vision in one eye because of melanoma. Like the pens I use, Sacks uses oversize pens to make writing easier. Having played the accordion~I find typing very easy and continue to enjoy the peace, love, wisdom and sounds of music the for life.

Professor Oliver Sacks gives a great deal of thought to “good aging” as I do and has shared some of his views with Consumer Reports:
★ Develop a new skill or an old one
★ East less meat and more fish.
★ Stay productive -- some of the finest work is accomplished after 70-years of age.
★ Travel with friends (how about that train ride to Toronto?)
★ Stay physically active -- even if you are limited in your movements. (I use the shopping cart as a walker and go to the “farmer’s market” with small bills.
★ Cherish your wisdom. The great cultures of the Far East (with the greatest longevity) do just that. Read “Desiderata.” I have it where I can never lose it-right above and in front of the seat we use every morning to pass on yesterday’s waste to make way for a new day (“Cats”).
★ Pick your parents carefully. Well now, that is something none of us could do with our biological parents. However, the new epicigenetics teaches us the value of living a healthy, happy and productive life that allows us to go around the bad genes and pass on the new you to your offspring.
Music is magic. I was lucky to have been brought up by a father who insisted we choose an instrument to play at the age of 7-years-old. That has passed on to my children and grandchildren. My 44-year-old son sits at the grand piano without a sheet of music in front of him and plays the most beautiful music. He tells me he thinks of me as he looks up and finds the fingers of both hands making magic - so soothing to the president of his own corporation. Unlike my father, I placed a small accordion in his crib before he was out of diapers and let he make whatever sounds he found as he pressed the keys and buttons of that first accordion. One day, at the age of three, we were at the kitchen table as he began playing each song I had played with him. No lessons, no grilling practice sessions, no criticism or sternness - just a loving, hugging, kissing father. He must have been in third grade when I skipped out at lunch time -from the high school I taught at to go to the auditorium of the elementary school I had graduated from P.S.77. He played one of my favorites, “Those Were the Days.” He received a standing ovation after his solo performance and I returned quickly to my teaching duties four blocks away. Sometimes you get lucky. My son did very well, but he did follow the performance of a “Tuba” player.

I wonder if two old codgers could get together, before we pass, and discuss the phenomenon of tennis and the studies of the Cleveland Clinic , Johns Hopkins and the USTA - on the impact of this sport on the longevity of our members. The pictures are there all the way back to 1979 with players who were the heroes of WWII and lived happily with the philosophy of an old country singer by the name of Kenny Rogers, “Something to do, Something to look forward to and Someone to LOVE!

FREE Health Screenings - Risky Drugs

2009-09-13T13:35:00.003-04:00

How are free health-screening led to:
False Findings
Risky Drugs
Needless Surgery
How to ensure it doesn’t happen to you!
* Too many false-negatives lead us down the path to countless drugs & surgery.
* Why do we do the things we do? They are convenient, analytical and detect health problems early and they are often free ~ but they can lead to deadly consequences.
* They’re health screenings.
Health screenings can be a blessing when they catch a potential problem that can be prevented or treated early. Unfortunately, those are rare instances. In fact, for the most part, health screenings are nothing more than moneymaking promotional efforts.
The truth is they benefit: doctors, nurses, medical equipment makers, hospitals, surgeons and most of all, the big drug companies. Most of the time, they do not benefit you. "Health Alert" in its August-September 2009 issue of The National Health Reporter reveals the following:
The truth about medical health screenings… Most of the time they do not benefit you.
The problem is health screenings turn up false findings or simply harmless conditions that are diagnosed as serious disease. For those caught in this snare, they are shuffled into a series of dangerous and aggressive tests and unnecessary treatments, including invasive surgery and toxic drugs with an array of side effects.
After just taking dangerous prescription drugs, this vivacious grandmother-never got out of bed again. A jovial, loving, grandmother was the picture of vitality and good health. She was more active than people half her age— and was totally free of prescription drugs—a miracle for an 80-year-old woman.
That all changed with a FREE HEALTH SCREENING: Melinda was told she had high cholesterol (265) and high blood pressure (140/90). This, in spite of the fact that a recent study reported in the prestigious British Medical Journal, The Lancet, showed that, contrary to conventional medical wisdom, high cholesterol levels in older people add —not subtract—years of life. They also conveniently omitted the facts that 140/90 is also normal blood pressure for an 80-year-old woman and that blood pressure pills—even if taken for 30 years—prolong life by only a couple of weeks!
These facts didn’t matter to the Health Screeners. She was referred to her family physician for further testing, and soon after, placed on Lipitor® for her "high cholesterol" and Toprol® for her "high blood pressure." Well, both of these dugs are toxic time bombs!
Within days, Melinda lost all her energy. She became weak, dizzy and depressed. Her breathing became labored. And, she lost all interest in the things that once made her very happy. Alarmed, Melinda’s son took her in to see another doctor. Amazingly, that physician didn’t even ask what drugs Melinda was taking! He simply scribbled a prescription for Zoloft® to help her with her "depression."
Of course, by themselves each of these drugs would have taken a toll on Melinda’s once drug-free body. But together they mercilessly punished this vibrant and healthy grandmother. The following day, Melinda became so weak and dizzy that she fainted. She fell and broke her hip. Once admitted to the hospital, it was determined that she had osteoporosis.
Now she was prescribed a new drug, Fosamax®—this despite the fact that bone drugs like Fosamax do not help build healthy bone mass. What’s more, these drugs are implicated in irreversible, horrifying cases of necrosis of the mandible, also known as rotting of the jaw!
By now Melinda was in a life-threatening situation. She struggled along in the hospital, made it through surgery with a brand new titanium hip and ended up in excruciating pain. So what did her doctors so?
You guessed it…MORE pain meds were added to her long list of drugs. This was the final stage of her tragic downward death spiral. Barely able to breathe, Melinda was put on oxygen and the later ventilated and intubated. It was a sad and terrible end for a once active and vivacious grandmother. Unable to continue to fight the good fight, she took her last breath and died.
What can you learn from this? The combination of health-screening, drugs and invasive surgery helped to destroy this, once healthy life. Don’t let this happen to you or someone you love.
The best way to fight back is to arm yourself with information. That’s why I offer the power of knowledge with this article and many others so that you’ll discover natural alternatives to toxic drugs and risky surgery—information that can save your life.
Health care will cost a lot less and result in better results if we simply know that "for profit" drug companies, surgeons and their servants are in it for the money and could care less about the results.
The four neighbors on my own street who lived to 100 years old would not allow the paramedics to call an ambulance. They merely smiled and said, "It’s easy to get into a hospital, but impossible to get out without a release from your doctor." One hundred thousand people die, "IN HOSPITALS", every year due to incompetent treatment and results from tests that are mistaken or attributed to the wrong patient.
Tort Reform? Hell NO! Let the AMA insure and discipline the doctors who make these mistakes. Don’t blame the high insurance on the lack of "Tort Reform." If the doctor cuts off the wrong foot in operating on your family member~"How much is that worth?" Let a jury decide and ask the AMA why they don’t speak to the issues that are destroying the life of millions of American lives.
Stand up to your school dietician who has a menu of: hamburgers and French fries; Pizza and Pop; Hot Dogs and French fries and Nachos and cheese. Take your cell phones into your schools and snap a picture of the vending machines that pump up our children with too much sugar leading to a prescription for Ritalin®. Take an active role in the health of your families and shop in the produce section more that the "Prepared Foods and Fast Food Freezers!"
Americans need only look at the size of our children coming out of elementary school to know that we have a battle against "Obesity and the improper dietary habits of the American Culture." Eating 265 "Buffalo Wings" at one seating is not a sport-- it is dangerous and we should put a stop to it!

Finding the Fountain of Youth

2009-08-15T11:49:00.001-04:00

Getting older and looking younger is possible for those who have the right solution: water! Just a generation ago, people worked harder, ate meals heavy with bad fats, smoked, drank alcohol, exercised less and were exposed to burning sun and drying wind. They wouldn’t think of carrying a bottle of water with them. Soda pop was bought by the case and whole milk was considered the only healthy beverage for the young. Older people drank as much as a couple dozen cups of coffee in one day ~ so much that workers referred to a 15 minute break as a "coffee break." The new generation of health-conscious Americans are spending more time and money on healthy activities. Allowing one cup of coffee in the morning as a "starter fluid" isn’t bad, but more caffeine can cause dehydration.
The most recent research reveals that the Fountain of Youth involves drinking pure water as the key to a healthier and happier lifestyle. Water is the main ingredient in the recipe of life and longevity. The human body is 75 percent water and 25 percent solid.
All the processes of our vital organs and digestive system rely on the replenishment of water for good mental health and a more positive attitude. Experts recommend 6 - 8 glasses of water throughout the day. Those who fail to recognize the importance of adequate water often wear the map of age lines and wrinkles~increasing the aging process. Some doctors recommend we drink fluids with electrolytes to prevent muscle-cramping. During the hot days of summer, we can become dehydrated without knowing it. By the time we realize we are thirsty - we are already suffering the effects of dehydration. Tiring easily and cramping up during routine gardening or outdoor sports can be avoided by replenishing the water in your body by sipping water regularly.
Some of the effects of the dehydration process can be compared to the plum and prune. Without enough water, the human body will have dry skin, sunken facial features, crevices in the tongue, dry gums (which promote gum disease and the loss of plumpness and elasticity of the skin). Many Americans are dehydrated because they are drawn to the vending machines that dispense coffee, tea or soda, diuretic beverages that actually contribute to the loss of moisture in the body. The skin is the largest organ in the body. When the human body becomes dehydrated, the blood becomes thick and forces all of our organs to work harder. It’s almost as if you tried to run an engine without adequate lubricant~wearing out parts while slowing down the digestive process. Of course smoking is another culprit in removing the collagen that affects the smoothness and fullness of the facial tissue.
Interesting facts published by a center for plastic surgery include the following: 1) 75% of all Americans are chronically dehydrated. 2) 37% of Americans have thirst mechanisms so weak they mistake this for hunger. 3) Mild dehydration will slow down your metabolism as much as 3%. 4) One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pains for dieters. 5) Lack of water is the number one reason for daytime fatigue. 6) Six to eight glasses of water a day can ease back and joint pain in 80% of sufferers. 7) A 2% drop in body water weight can trigger short term memory loss, trouble with basic math, and difficulty in focusing on a computer. 8) Constipation can be minimized with a healthy glass of water~immediately upon rising.
With knowledge comes power to conquer the problems of aging, to look and feel better and to lubricate the muscles and joints that keep you active. So, remember that short-term memory loss, trouble focusing, mobility and energy are all part of a problem of dehydration and the solution may be the Fountain of Youth. For health conscious individuals who know the secret of the Fountain of Youth, medical researchers now explain the new middle age will be 75.

Food Inc. Reveals Corrupt FDA

2009-07-14T11:59:00.003-04:00

Want to know more about what you’re eating? See the film "Food Inc." It’s no wonder we have more cancer than all the other industrialized nations combined. The food industry has been monopolized by a few major players and they only have one goal in mind: More profits — fast! They can grow a 5 pound chicken in 48 days. CORN is at the source of the problem in every form imaginable. High Fructose Corn Syrup isn’t the only ingredient that has been the source of obesity and type II diabetes. Every major product and fast food chain has been bought out to either play the game or get out of the business. Former FDA officials have admitted the corruption influencing all three branches of our government. The "Swine Flu" is just a part of the story. The Supreme Court has allowed that manufactured seeds could be patented and anybody not using them is a target and black-listed by the monopoly. They have even by-passed the eating and chewing to directly implant chemicals into the digestive system of cows. Chickens are handled bare-handed and infections transfer bacteria to the chickens and the waste is dumped into water and earth and leaked into our environment. E-Coli is showing up everywhere.
The producer is the same person who played the main character in "Super-Size Me." This documentary seems to have been limited to a few theaters. We saw it at the Eastern Hills theater - and took a count of the number of people in attendance: 17. Knowledge is power and the government, the pharmaceutical companies, the FDA, AMA and Food Manufacturers don’t want you to know the truth about what you’re eating.

Most of the ingredients at the root of our health problems are printed in the small-font information on the package where few consumers can read them. Most people simply look for the fats, sugar, sodium and never bother to study the ingredients. Their trust in our government and the food industry is unwarranted when you know the truth. It is why health care is three times as expensive in the United States than any other country in the world. Physicians are given perks to refrain from revealing the real truth behind your health problems. The power of money has done enormous harm to Americans. Those few who are true to natural methods of farming and raising cattle and poultry are sued out of existence with legal fees that go beyond what they can afford. If Congress is so set on "Caps" why don’t they stop this legal form of intimidation that puts small farmers out of business? MONEY AND MORE MONEY!
Congress has been corrupted with money, bought and paid for ~ until the voters themselves use their numbers, their votes, their letters and calls to stop this government from becoming another fascist attempt to destroy our democracy. Local farmers are the one way you can vote with your wallet to put an end to the contamination of our food supply. Americans will have to do what the "Founding Fathers" did: Stand up and confront your government to put a stop to the practices enforced by the Supreme Court of patenting and intimidating natural methods of farming and raising cattle and poultry.
Both parties have sold out to big money and no longer allow a choice that is not consistent with their source of big money~they kneel at the altar of the almighty dollar. You can make a difference by reading the ingredients on your food products and only buying from local farmers. Tomatoes have been changed so that they no longer change color and rot from the inside out. Mother nature didn’t make all tomatoes perfectly red. Eat frozen Wild Blueberries instead of canned. Yogurt was once considered a very healthy food, but the ingredients reveal that aspartame is used as a sugar substitute and sugar content can be as high as 40 grams in an 8 ounce container. Many of the ingredients are chemicals produced using corn. Corn is a starch responsible for the onset of obesity and type II diabetes in 1967. We now use more than a third of our farmland to produce one product. We spend 17% of our gross national product to treat the consequences of contaminated processed food.
Our founding fathers had everything to lose and nothing to gain and yet they fought for their belief and won their battle against the strongest military in the world at the time. We cannot defeat countries without governments and we cannot implant a democracy in the mid east or anywhere else~because we do not have one here. The time is near at hand when Americans will either stand up to their government or continue to be victimized by the same glutinous behavior that produced a Hitler and World War II.

We have four times the amount of Alzheimer's Disease as India and India has four times the population of the United States. We are at the crossroad of change for the better or we will suffer the consequences of the wealty and affluent eating the poor and dissolving the middle class. FOOD INC. IS REQUIRED VIEWING IF WE ARE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE SUPERMARKETS AND FOOD MANUFACTURERS ARE DOING TO OUR FOOD SUPPLY!

"Nuts to you! may be a greeting of good health

2009-06-28T13:03:00.003-04:00

Many people refrain from eating nuts because they are considered to be high in fat. Like fish, it may just be the kind of fat that is good for you. Starting in the mid-70s, a team of epidemiologists at Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health in Loma Linda, California followed the eating habits of more than 25,000 Seventh Day Adventists. At the end of 10 years, the researchers found that there was only one common food linked to good health—nuts.
Joan Sabaté, MD, Ph.D., professor and chair of the School’s department of nutrition said, "The results couldn’t have been more striking. People who ate nuts often—five or more times a week—were half as likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease as people who rarely or never ate them. Eating nuts just one to four times a week cuts the heart risk by 25%." The doctor said it did not matter if people were slim or fat, young or old, active or sedentary. In addition, the blood cholesterol levels dropped 22 points in just a few weeks.
All nuts contain flavonoids, which are potent antioxidants that help protect the body against cancer and heart disease. Most nuts also have calcium, but almonds have more than any other nut. Brazil nuts and filberts also have substantial amounts of calcium. Almonds and pecans are particularly rich in magnesium while cashews and pecans are rich in zinc. Nuts are also a good source of the fatigue–and stress fighting minerals: iron, magnesium and zinc.
Our ancestors believed that walnuts helped the head and the brain. They may have been right. Copper, an essential mineral for maintenance of the nervous system and brain activity, is found in many types of nuts. Maybe former President Reagan would have been better off with a jar of nuts than jelly beans. President Reagan died of Alzheimer’s Disease but he did live a long and productive life—dying in his 90s.
One ounce of nuts gives you as much fiber as two slices of whole wheat bread. Almonds have the highest dietary fiber content of any nut.
Nut protein is loaded with the amino acid arginine, known to protect the arteries from injury and to stop blood clots from forming. Nuts contain phytochemicals (plant sterols or phytosterols), which help lower cholesterol and are thought to protect against colon cancer. Saponin (which helps lower cholesterol and also shows evidence of having anticancer properties) and phytic acid or phytate (which has been found to be protective against colon cancer) are also contained in nuts.
You may know that filberts are also called hazelnuts, but do you know another name for them? Cobnuts - in case you’re ever on a TV game show. The oldest food tree known to human kind is the walnut tree. It dates back to 7,000 BC.
For optimum health, don’t just add nuts to your diet. Let nuts take the place of saturated, unhealthy fat. Cut back on meat, cheese and deep–fried foods. Keep working your way toward a predominantly plant–based diet.
If you’re looking for more information on walnuts including healthy recipes and facts try going to the website: www.walnut.org .
Dr. Joan Sabaté recommends 1 to 2 ounces of either almonds, cashews, peanuts or cashews five times a week as a heart-healthy amount to eat.

Tryptophan Enhances Mood, Relaxtion, Sleep

2009-06-22T20:29:00.003-04:00

Tryptophan Enhances Mood
Tryptophan is a naturally occurring amino acid that is best known for its ability to raise mood, improve behavior, and enhance sleep. It is found in the proteins we eat—meat, fish, dairy and certain vegetarian sources. These proteins are broken down into their constituent amino acids which go on to become the building blocks for skin, bones, muscles, enzymes and the body’s own chemicals that run our systems. Since it’s an essential amino acid, meaning that our body doesn’t manufacture it, we must obtain tryptophan daily from food or supplements.
Although tryptophan is one of the least abundant essential amino acids, it is one of the most critical, it serves as a precursor for the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin and the neurohormone melatonin. The positive effects of this process are proven to promote good mood, relaxation, deep sleep, healthy sleep-wake patterns, emotional stability, dreaming and creative imagination. Tryptophan can also be diverted to produce niacin (vitamin B3) with all it’s vital functions, which we discuss later.
Serotonin is considered the "mood neurotransmitter" a chemical messenger in the brain that keeps us emotionally and socially stable. Women often have more problems than men in maintaining their moods, since their cycling hormones affect serotonin levels. This would explain the emotional shifts in premenstrual syndrome and, during menopause, when many women experience increased moodiness, irritability, and sensitivity to pain.
Women who are low in serotonin are likelier to express their anger inwardly, with depression and even suicidal behavior. In contrast, research shows men who are low in serotonin are often violent and may even engage in dangerous criminal behavior. Alcohol and drug abusers also are often low in serotonin. The good news is we can successfully correct these imbalances by supplying supplements that raise serotonin.
Melatonin is a molecule made from serotonin. It has significant influence on our hormonal, immune and nervous systems. Melatonin helps to set and control the internal clock that governs the natural "circadian" rhythm (day and night cycles) of the body, through its sensitivity to light, keeping us "in sync" with the rhythms of nature. Each night the pineal gland produces melatonin, which helps us fall asleep. Then, with morning light, melatonin levels dip, and we awaken refreshed.
Melatonin also has anti-inflammatory effects that can be useful in treating osteoarthritis. Since it both helps improve sleep patterns and relieve pain, melatonin is an ideal supplement for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
Niacin or vitamin B3 is an essential nutrient in protein, and fat metabolism. It is also needed in the production of serotonin from tryptophan. In the 1950s, Drs. Abram Hoffer and Humphrey Osmond discovered that large doses of niacin were able to reverse acute schizophrenic episodes, and treat seriously ill patients. In fact, it is likely these patients were suffering from pellagra, or niacin deficiency disease, and were showing one if not all of its typical 3 D’s: dementia, dermatitis (eczema) and diarrhea.
The mental illness, though, was often the first sign. They treated patients with as much as 3 gm twice daily with excellent results. See Dr. Hoffer’s Adventures in Psychiatry.
The Scientific Memoirs of Dr. Abram Hoffer and the DVD with Margo Kidder, in which Hyla Cass, M.D. psychiatrist and author of Natural Highs and Supplement Your Prescription. (www.drcass.com) appears, called Masks of Madness.
Dr. Hoffer also discovered that niacin had a cholesterol-lowering effect. A local cardiologist Dr. Mehrige uses increasingly large doses of niacin in his claim to reverse cardiac disease. I found the doses extreme to my body and discontinued the treatment. Niacin is believed to have a dual role of lowering LDL the "bad" cholesterol, and increasing HDL the "good" cholesterol. My own experience involves the food approach using lecithin (found in oatmeal) and known as the "drano" of the arteries. My cholesterol dropped from 274 to 133 in less than two months.
Tryptophan is essential for the production of key neurotransmitters. Many depressed patients have low levels of tryptophan. Researchers have found that when they take depressed patients who have improved and then deprive them of tryptophan, their depression returns. This was demonstrated in a double-blind study at Oxford University’s Department of Psychiatry. Young women with a history of depression were divided into two groups and given a diet either excluding or including tryptophan. Neither the subjects nor the researchers knew who received which diet. At the end of the experiment, 10 out of 15 women on the tryptophan-free diet were significantly depressed, while none on the tryptophan diet were. When the participants in the deprived group were then given a diet containing tryptophan, their depression lifted. Hyla Cass, M.D. psychiatrist reports, "I have certainly seen this same response in my practice, as well."
An adequate supply of tryptophan, combined with B vitamins (found in peas), is also critical to the chemistry of social interaction. This was the general prediction of a psychiatrist by the name of Dr. Amato, in 1969. Dr. Cass continues, "We have seen how tryptophan deficiency leads to depression, impulsivity and aggressiveness, while tryptophan supplementation is an effective antidepressant. In addition, a recent study showed that healthy volunteers given one gram of tryptophan three times daily for 12 days showed an increase in their self-confidence and sociability and a decrease in quarrelsomeness. Meanwhile, the placebo group showed no such effect. However, once they were given tryptophan, they showed the same positive change.
Tryptophan has also been shown to be effective in treating manic depression and depression associated with menopause. Tryptophan is also a useful and safe pain reliever, in such cases as dental pain, headaches (migraines in particular), and cancer pain. It appears to work by increasing the pain threshold. Other potential uses for tryptophan include in Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, (as discovered by Dr. Abram Hoffer).
Tryptophan vs SSRIS
A substance natural to the body, tryptophan is considerably safer than the antidepressant prescription drugs referred to as selective seratonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIS). The predominant brand names are Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac, Celexa and Lexapro. With total sales exceeding $20 billion annually, the SSRIS are used to treat depression, anxiety, and some personality disorders. While useful for certain patient populations, as with all drugs, they have significant side effects, leading to many individuals abandoning their prescriptions. Certain drugs in the SSRI category are required by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to display a "black box" warning, regarding possible suicidal behavior stemming from their use. I am very familiar with this dangerous side effect to these drugs.
While both SSRIS and tryptophan enhance serotonin activity in the brain, their actions differ. By inhibiting the breakdown of serotonin, the drugs are misdirecting the brain into thinking there is more serotonin, while giving the amino acid is actually restoring needed levels. For more details see Hyla Cass’s book "Natural Highs." Why use a drug with its serious side effects when a natural (and much cheaper) natural product is available, one that solves the problem at its root cause? Dr. Cass follows this principle in his psychiatric practice.
The best sources for tryptophan are high protein foods such as oats, bananas, dried dates, dairy products, fish, many nuts, and poultry. Tryptophan is critical in helping your body produce proteins for muscle, hair and skin.
Tryptophan can also help increase brain levels of both serotonin which provides a calming action at moderate levels and melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone.
The good doctor recommends TryptoPure ~ a product containing TryptoPure from Ajinomoto.
The above is information available at www.totalhealthmagazine.com using the promo-code DRB3.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.

Learn To Love The Veggies You Hate

2009-04-02T10:18:00.002-04:00

Spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts can help you drop pounds and improve your health and strengthen your immune system. President George H. W. Bush was so proud to say that, "I’m president so I don’t have to eat broccoli anymore." Well the parent inside of you would suggest that you should learn to love the veggies you hate. My father would always instruct his children to taste it before you decide not to eat it.
We can change our tastes. Unfortunately, over the past five decades, food manufacturers have upped the ante on the more dangerous ingredients in prepared food: Sugar and Sodium. You must have noticed how as years passed, you required more and more sugar and sodium to satisfy your palate. Craving sugar, sodium and fats began the problems associated with obesity and the improper dietary habits of the American culture.
When’s the last time you cooked cabbage for dinner? When’s the last time you served beets? If you are as scared of these vegetables as your kids are, blame Mother Nature.
Want to drop pounds? The great news is that we experimented with eating these vegetables for six months: beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, eggplant, and spinach — to trick your taste buds into liking (and maybe even loving) them. These fiber-packed dishes will help you lose weight — especially if you use them to replace junk food; volunteers at Pennsylvania State University who swapped some high-calorie, high-fat foods for veggies, lost 40 percent more than those who didn’t.
That is basically the approach I took in my "Nutrition Based Regimen" that led to a loss of 50 pounds and a drop in triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure. My physician was so astounded that he insisted I write the book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change." You won’t go hungry and you won’t eat less. You won’t have to count calories and you will be surprised to see the pounds come off as you feel lighter and full of energy. We further documented the results with quarterly blood tests and I revealed the results to show how eating healthy can eliminate the need for expensive pills and give you back ten years or more in your appearance.
Identify the enemy and you are half way towards solving the problems related to obesity.
BEETS: Just one cup of the super veggie packs 34 percent of your daily need for folate (which can help lower levels of heart-threatening homocysteine). 15 percent of potassium (which reduces blood pressure levels), and 27 percent of manganese (which helps maintain your bones). I like pickled beets and have always loved that vinegar taste on my vegetables. It sweetens the taste and improves the flavor.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS: The cruciferous vegetable is first cousin to broccoli and helps ward off cancer. In one Dutch study, men who ate Brussels sprouts daily for three weeks had 28 percent less genetic damage (a root cause of cancer) than those who didn’t.
SPINACH: Popeye had the right idea, but the kids just didn’t buy into it. Thanks to high levels of beta-carotene, vitamins B2, B6, C, and K — plus generous amounts of manganese, folate, and magnesium — spinach is possibly the healthiest vegetable in the world.
EGGPLANT: The bitter taste comes in part, from chlorogenic acid, which helps prevent cancer and can also keep heart-threatening plaque from building up. What’s more, the latest studies show that eating eggplant lowers cholesterol and helps artery walls relax, which can cut your risk for high blood pressure.
CABBAGE: Eating it a few times a week can cut your risk of breast, lung and colon cancers. In one study of 300 Chinese women, those with the highest levels of cancer-fighting isothiocyanate — found in cabbage — had a 45 percent lower risk of breast cancer than those with the lowest levels. Cabbage soup with green peppers, onions, tomato juice, carrots and some apple cider vinegar is the recipe for a "Super-Fat-Burning Soup." The more you eat, the more you lose.
BROCCOLI: A super source of Vitamin C and K (one cup has more than a day’s worth of each), broccoli also helps ward off cancer. Sulforaphane, one of its compounds, disarms cancer-causing substances. In lab studies, a different compound, called indole-3-carbonyl, prevented tumor growth in animals.
SOUP: I like to take the frozen Mediterranean vegetables and add them to a 99 percent fat free broth with diced chicken breast for a healthy meal in a bowl. Sysco carries a large package of these vegetables which include the above as well as cauliflower and green beans, and is so easy on the digestive system. It is a way to get as many as 12 vegetables and lubricate the digestive system to promote regularity.
Everybody has a little different taste for foods and some are even allergic to certain foods. Cafeterias in schools now have special tables for students allergic to peanuts, dairy and fish. My own father, as sturdy, strong and healthy as he was, would not eat eggplant. He told my mother, he would eat anything she prepared except eggplant. However, he ate chicken vegetable soup, all the fish he could catch, hot peppers and red wine. I turned out allergic to wine, but I do snack on seedless red grapes, pineapple, apples and pears.
The point is obvious. Fill up on good food and you won’t be hungry enough to eat the fried foods, French fries, Buffalo wings, hot dogs, pizza, cake and cookies! The war against obesity and diabetes, high blood pressure and stroke is best fought learning to love the vegetables you hate and eating venison, bison, chicken and red Pacific Sockeye Salmon. Talk to your doctor about the change in your eating habits and he will be shocked by the results of you blood tests as mine have. Frozen wild-blueberries with your "large flake oatmeal," diced apple and cinnamon, can increase the "lutein" to help with your eyes and you will notice a difference. Instead of wine, I have a shot of wild blueberry juice at each meal. I don’t smoke, consume alcohol or eat anything with trans fats. Limit your intake of lean beef to no more than 4 - 6 ounces rather than the "King Size," artery-clogging 12 - 16 ounce steaks.
You will find the energy, happiness, health and activities you enjoyed as a child, if you can adjust your tastes to those foods that are prescribed by Our Creator with the best combination of herbs, vitamins and minerals you need to keep you in the game.

Deep Brain Stimulation Can Help Parkinson's Disease

2009-03-31T12:48:00.003-04:00

Parkinson’s Disease
Having been amongst seniors for many decades now, I have been able to observe and learn from the way they handled new and challenging health issues. I have been inspired by their courage and persistence. As an editorialist, I have championed the cause of getting all Americans Universal Health Care. If we can spend trillions of dollars on war and the greed of capitalism, we certainly can afford to address the needs of our citizens for a comprehensive health care system. We are the military might of the world and ranked 45th in longevity by the World Health Organization.
They say that one man can’t do much to bring about positive results in this government. Governor Howard Dean sent me a letter of recognition for my continued advocacy demanding Universal Health Care with more emphasis on prevention and a JFK approach to curing Cancer that would equal our commitment to put a man on the moon.
Now IS the time for Americans to get their tax dollar's worth in a positive way. They say that Canadians don’t like their system. Well, we are not Canada, but we do have over 45 million Americans without the resources to buy or obtain health care for them and their loved ones.
In the 90s I suggested to my stock broker that cures would not come from pills. The body begins to ignore the initial reaction to pills and eventually their effect wears off as it did in "Awakening" starring Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro.
The Mount Sinai School of Medicine has just released information (April 2009) on "Deep Brain Stimulation" and they claim that it can help Parkinson’s Disease.
For Parkinson’s disease patients, medications sometimes relieve symptoms such as tremors, rigidity, and impaired coordination. However, as the disease progresses, the medications often become ineffective, resulting in severe functional limitations and disability. For these patients, a surgical treatment called deep brain stimulation (DBS) may be the answer.
"The most important benefit of DBS is the consistency and predictability it provides," says Michele Tagliati, MD, director of the Parkinson’s Disease Center and an associate professor of neurology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. "In advanced Parkinson’s patients, the response to medications becomes unpredictable and bizarre," he explains. "DBS can give them back their quality of life."
How DBS works. Parkinson’s disease damages or kills nerve cells in the brain which produce dopamine, a chemical responsible for coordinated muscle movements. With DBS, an electrode is surgically implanted into the brain and then connected via a wire to a neurostimulator implanted under the skin near the collarbone. The neurostimulator acts much like a pacemaker, sending electrical impulses to the electrode and stimulating production of dopamine.
A common measure of Parkinson’s patient’s functional ability is called "time on"—the amount of time per day the patient is able to engage in activities of daily living such as walking, speaking, and dressing.
"With DBS, the average ‘time on’ for patients goes from two to three hours per day up to nine to 10 hours per day." says Dr. Tagliati. He explains that after the surgery, the majority of patients still take medications, but many are able to take less which reduces side effects as well as cost. Some patients continue to take the same number and dosage of medications but experience fewer complications. And about 5 percent have such good results they are able to stop taking medications altogether.
Best candidates for DBS. According to Dr. Tagliati, a patient is a good candidate for DBS if they have advanced idiopathic Parkinson’s (the classic type of the disease rather than Parkinson’s that results from events such as head trauma or drug toxicity), with severe symptoms that cannot be controlled by medications. They must be, or have been, responsive to the medication levodopa, and the must be free of cognitive decline or dementia, since brain surgery can aggravate these conditions.
Risks of DBS. DBS carries many of the same risks as any other surgery, including risk of infection and pain at the surgical sites. "During the surgery itself, the biggest risk is of hemorrhage and clotting, which can occur if the wire inserting the electrode nicks a vein," explains Dr. Tagliati. The incidence of hemorrhage during surgery is about one percent. Other risks are related to the malfunctions that can occur in the implanted devices. Dr. Tagliati estimates that there is a 10 to 20 percent risk of hardware-related problems but adds that these risks are not life-threatening. A third possibility is that the electrical stimulus can cause pain, double vision, or speech disturbances. In these cases, the electrode must be repositioned.
"Each patient must weigh, with their doctor, the risks against the benefits, depending on their level of disability," says Dr. Tagliati. "A patient who has become virtually immobilized by Parkinson’s is usually willing to take the surgery risks to get his or her life back."
WHAT YOU CAN DO
To slow progression and/or reduce symptom severity of Parkinson’s:
Get regular exercise, which Dr. Tagliati calls "the number one tool that results in slower progression of Parkinson’s."
Don’t take your medications at the same time you’re eating protein, as protein can interfere with the absorption of Parkinson’s drugs.
Get a good night’s sleep, as fatigue can worsen symptoms.

Incubus - Self Hypnosis - Pain & Stress

2009-03-22T13:18:00.005-04:00

Incubus
A disorder called the night-mare, in which the patient cannot stir himself but with the utmost difficulty, seized with a nmbness, sense of weight with a dread of suffocation from some body which seems to fall suddenly upon him. It consists of an inflation of the membranes of the stomach, which hinders the motion of the diaphragm. Daniel Fleming’s Royal English Dictionary 1775
In my early childhood, I experienced many very painful events. Some were due to poor access to dental examinations, resulting in drilling and filling 26 cavities. Some were the result of an alcoholic father and a very controlling mother who denied me normal social participation with my peers.
It was, however the pain of drilling in the dentist’s office that allowed me to develop a kind of self-hypnosis in which I could remove myself from the feeling of the pain by virtually stepping outside my body — taking my mind to another place in my psyche. Over the years this became a wonderful and powerful ability in the face of pain, stress and fear. I merely would relax all muscles and begin to fall into a deep sleep. Every muscle becoming numb and immobile.
With the passage of decades, this self- hypnosis technique became very useful as I experienced the pain of rheumatoid arthritis. Then the stress of teaching in an inner-city high school overwhelmed with violence, drugs and constant change in the everyday routine. Guns, knives, drugs, pimps and assaults became an every day routine as Judge Curtin began a social experiment. Bussing students from very different neighborhoods to our high school with nothing more than trying to attain a percentage of integration based on race only resulted in attacks on students and teachers. The everyday violent occurrences and fire alarms dozens of times per day while students were forced to jump from second-story windows. I was personally attacked with a knife in hand. Heart attacks and extreme bodily pain became the change that disabled me producing a life-threatening condition denying me the right to return to teaching. That is an aside, but it was a challenge I accepted and led to my researching many alternatives to the love of teaching. Doctors are now accepting and adopting many of the methods I have developed to treat their patients without pills. That was the real reason behind my physician’s insistence on writing the book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change."
Sleep paralysis (SP) is most often associated with: narcolepsy a neurological condition in which the person has uncontrollable naps. However, there are many people who experience sleep paralysis without having signs of narcolepsy. Sometimes it runs in families. There is no known explanation why some people experience this paralysis. It is not harmful, although most people report feeling very afraid because they do not know what is happening, and within minutes they gradually or abruptly are able to move again; the episode is often terminated by a sound or a touch on the body.
In some cases, when hypnogogic hallucinations are present, people feel that someone is in the room with them, some experience the feeling that someone or something is sitting on their chest and they feel impending death and suffocation. That has been called the "Hag Phenomena" and has been happening to people over the centuries. These things cause people much anxiety and terror, but there is no physical harm.
What else is there about sleep paralysis?
Some people with disrupted sleep schedules or circadian rhythm disturbances experience sleep paralysis
A study found that 35% of subjects with isolated sleep paralysis also reported a history of wake panic attacks unrelated to the experience of paralysis
Sixteen percent of these persons with isolated sleep paralysis met the criteria for panic disorder
You may be able to minimize the episodes by following:
1. good sleep hygiene2. getting enough sleep 3. reduced stress 4. exercise regularly (but not too close to bedtime) 5. keep a regular sleep schedule
What is Sleep Paralysis or Isolated Sleep Paralysis?
(From "Relationship Between Isolated Sleep Paralysis and Geomagnetic Influences: A case study" -Perceptual and Motor Skills, 80, 1263-1273)
"The isolated sleep paralysis event occurs most often at sleep onset. An individual, even though aware and maintains that he is awake, is atonic, and has great difficulty moving. This atonic state is similar to the atonia experienced during REM sleep. This experience also may produce great anxiety and fear, while the individual struggles to "wake up". Individuals who experience sleep paralysis often report concurrent hypnagogic hallucinations. A commonly reported hallucination is the feeling of a presence or entity in the room in which the individual sleeps. At times this presence may seem threatening and evil giving rise to the folklore belief of the "night-mare," the "old hag," and the "incubi".
Events likely to trigger SP in susceptible individuals:
Fatigue, anxiety, intensive meditational practices, radical changes in daily routine (vacations, moving, job changes, etc.) and abrupt changes in the ambient geomagnetic field.
Dealing and coping with the SP experience and associated events
Whether SP is an occasional or frequent sleep experience, overcoming the tremendous and overwhelming fear associated with atonia (paralysis) may be a real obstacle to using SP as a 'launching pad' to LD. Some of this fear can be appeased by the knowledge, the conviction, that one always wakes up! Breathing in a calm, relaxed fashion and willing movement of small body parts such as the eyelids and/or toes and fingers usually helps the dreamer to awake. Sometimes an SP person can arrange with his/her sleeping partner that in the event the partner hears muffled cries or senses body movements, he/she can awaken the dreamer, thus jolting him/her from the paralytic state. Since repeated occurrences are the norm within a relatively short, nighttime period, changing sleeping positions ( for example, from laying on one's back to a belly down or sideways posture ) often allows the SP person to return to normal REM sleep, to less conscious REM sleep.
Personal note
Whether one wishes to employ the techniques mentioned above or not, the SP event can be a prelude to controlled LD and a richer dream experince. Personally, I am equally interested and marveled by the subjective experiences gained by these states of consciousness as I am intrigued by their pragmatic/scientific potential and value. I have been an SP (and LD) person since my early teens and I must say that in time, one learns to overcome most if not all of the anxiety associated with the paralysis and is able to enter a new dimension of dream experience - richer and more creative than that of the average dreamer. It is a contradiction that a dream paralytic state can open the door to so much freedom. In the words of Erich Fromm, ( during dreaming ): "We are helpless - but we are also free." If you are lucky (and persistent, courageous and calm) the creative elements of your dream experiences will guide you through these journeys with insightful and practical advice.
"So the sleep existence, it seems, is only the extreme case of a purely contemplative experience, which can be established by the waking person if he (she) focuses on his (her) inner experience....In sleep, no longer exposed to the noise of culture, we become awake to what we really feel and think. The genuine self can talk: it is often more intelligent and more decent than the pseudo self which seems to be "we" when we are awake."
Erich Fromm, from The Nature of Dreams

Hydrotherapy Is Better Than Any Pill

2009-03-20T09:10:00.002-04:00

Hydrotherapy - Rheumatoid Arthritis
In my 28th year of crippling rheumatoid arthritis, I have found ways to deal with the pain. My Chiropractor considers me the expert on the subject and so here is one of the ways you can alleviate some of the pain and remain mobile:
It has been known that hydrotherapy is beneficial to the body. So out with the bathtub and in with the new wave of "Walk-In Bathtubs." From early Roman days, people used to bathe in spas to help alleviate aches and pains. However, in recent times, research has shown that only 50 percent of the people take baths. The hurried and stress-filled schedule of many of the working poor leaves little time or money to afford the luxury of a modern computerized walk-in bathtub. It is unfortunate that our health care system has not moved more to the side of prevention rather than attempting to use pills as the only way to deal with pain.
A spa system really does make all the difference by massaging you with thousands of tiny bubbles — enabling an invigorating massage. Everything you need is at your fingertips to give you total control of your spa. Hydrotherapy became a part of my routine some 20 years ago when "Jet Tubs" were the rage. The originals were simple and installed without destruction to your walls or ceramic tile. There were usually 6 "eyeball" type jets: two on the knees; two on the hips; one on the feet and one located at the lower middle back. An adjustment would increase the intensity of the flow and an air-switch would turn it on or off in your typical cast iron bathtub. But years have passed and the change in an aging population an the exercise routine of the 21st century adult has resulted in more and more companies producing high-quality fiber glass walk in bath tubs. About five years ago, I began researching the ideal and found that the cost was about the same price as a new car: $18,000. The terms were not very friendly. They wanted 50 percent down before they even delivered the tub to your garage. The work involved destroying the existing walls of sturdy ceramic tile and the work was dirty and traumatic to you living space. With time, new companies entered the market and offered more types and sizes that worked within the available space of 60 inches. Seats and a multitude of jets with hand held, anti-scald shower head were also part of the package. Fiber glass tubs are very light and an access panel makes it easy to service. A ground fault plug (GFI) is necessary for safety and a Corian marble is used for fill in spacing and an additional shelf for various bath soap, shampoo, towels and wash cloths. So this was the year to break up the old cast iron bath tub and begin installation of the new "Hydrotherapy Option Walk-In Bathtub. I had researched prices and discussed my unique problems with various contractors. I found one who was skillful, trustworthy and didn’t require up-front money in such large percentages. In fact he collected nothing until the tub was installed.
Hydrotherapy is particularly important in circulatory and inflammatory conditions - immersion offrs buoyancy, allowing more movement of joings and the easing of pressure on tissues. As little as ten minutes a day can dramatically improve and give relief to many common, but painful problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, sciatica and poor blood circulation - to name a few. Our hydrotherapy jets are fitted in the base of the bath, allowing thousands of tiny bubbles to massage you increasing the blood flow to extremities. This helps ensure your entire body benefits while the water is kept moving - the real secret of hydrotherapy. Migraines, tension and stress, tennis elbow, general stiffness, lumbago, arthritis, high blood pressure, sprains and cramps are all helped with hydrotherapy.
I managed to research about 5 reputable companies and found that the walk-in bathtub full installed and the door opening to my bathroom increased to 36 inches, fully installed cost a little more than $8,000. Grab rails, towel holders an anti-scald, hand held shower head and a walk-in door way about 4 - 6 inches off the ground are part of the package. All those I have seen are fully guaranteed - not only the bath, but on the installation as well. The features are that the tub is extra wide to accommodate larger body frames, has a front opening door for easy access, built in anti-slip seat, chrome or gold options on fittings, left or right-hand door openings and is about 40" tall. The size I chose allowed for a 30 inch wide seat. A shower curtain permits its use as a stand-up shower space. You can enjoy a deep bath soak with complete confidence. Relaxing and especially helpful for a good night’s rest, the walk-in bathtub has become a regular part of my daily routine.
For those who find it difficult to get in and out of the old bathtub, the walkin bathtub is a delight and therapeutic to the whole body. The world of health care is quickly changing. I get a weekly whole-body massage and reflexology (foot massage) every other week. Chiropractic alignment using moist heat and electric massage therapy to the lower back. Chiropractic is moving to new technology that enables a computerized system to align the vertebra while decompressing the discs. People are repairing and maintaining their bodies in ways never before available. More insurances are realizing the efficacy of these treatment modalities and are covering them to avoid the expensive and ineffective high cost of pharmaceuticals. Healthy eating is helping people avoid the consequences of diabetes and placqued-up arteries resulting in quadruple bypass surgery. There is a chance that these changes can increase the percentage of people who will live to a ripe old age, fully functional and happy.
You are the only one that can make the changes that will enable your grandchildren to enjoy you wisdom and know you to love and share their lives.
Staying healthy is a matter of maintaining a healthy lifestyle with a regiment of eating the foods that provide the herbs, vitamins and minerals that will keep your arteries clear, your eyes strong, your brain active and alert and your activities diversified and constantly enabling new friendships, less stress and networking with those who are of like mind.
Yesterday, I received acknowledgement from F. Michael Kelleher, Director of Presidential Correspondence inviting me to join them online a www.Whitehouse.gov They tell me, "Your voice is shaping our country’s future, and we encourage you to join us online, share your thoughts, and build a community of connected citizens that will help address the pressing issues of the time."

"Government of the people, by the people and for the people shall not perish from the earth." President Abraham Lincoln

Happy St. Joseph's Day

2009-03-19T09:53:00.002-04:00

Happy St. Joseph’s Day (Viva San Guiseppe)
This St. Joseph’s Day, we would like to provide a traditional recipes for the St. Joseph’s Table:
For many years we have attended and even sponsored a St. Joseph’s Day Table. A priest would bless the food and a story of the origin of St. Joseph’s Day would be recited. Some occasions would feature a young man dressed as St. Joseph. The food was donated by each participant and any donations were given to the Roman Catholic Church.
My favorite delight was "Sfinge De San Giuseppe (St. Joseph’s Creampuffs)
1/4 pound butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup water
18 Maraschino cherries
4 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/2 cup glazed orange peel
Place water and butter in saucepan; bring to a boil. Add flour and salt; keep stirring until mixture leaves sides of pan or forms a ball in the center. Remove from stove and cool. Add eggs one at a time, beating each thoroughly. Add sugar, orange and lemon rind, mix well. Drop by tablespoon on cookie pan, placing puffs about 3" apart or put in muffin tins.
Heat oven to 400˚ F and bake 10 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 350˚ and bake about ½ hour or until light brown. Remove from oven. Open puffs immediately to allow steam to escape. (Puffs should be opened through center of top). Cool; fill with the ricotta filling; top with a cherry and two thin slices of glazed orange peel.
Ricotta Filling:
1 lb. Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons grated chocolate
1 tablespoon orange rind
Sugar to taste
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons almond extract
Blend all ingredients thoroughly. Use milk sparingly, and only if needed to make smooth custard-like mixture. Put in refrigerator until used. Makes approximately 18 cream puffs.

The Three Sopranos: Food, Doctors and Pharmacists

2009-03-17T16:09:00.003-04:00

It is really getting exciting now hunting down the offenders of healthy eating. The food patrol is fully functional and reading, comparing and reporting on our progress.
Doctors and Pharmacists have been making a bundle by working with the Food Processors. First you buy healthy vegetables in a can — never looking at the amount of sodium in your purchase. Your doctor gets an occasional high blood pressure reading and warns you that you could develop cardiac problems. He then prescribes a blood pressure medication like Diovan. It isn’t enough to prescribe the smaller dosage and so they provide larger sample dosages free (at first). Even though 80 mg. will work, you are given dosages double that amount — 160 mg. Now you begin to have problems with ED (erectile dysfunction). Well, isn’t that interesting? The doc can fix that with a prescription for Viagra. Too bad you lost your masculinity, young man!

Well, you’re not having fun any more and you have no more interest in SEX. And so you begin to feel a little depressed, so it’s time for another prescription. "Try Paxil", the doctor suggests and he hands you two bags of samples to save you some money — even though each container has only two pills in it and you take 3 hours converting the small bottles to one bottle. The thing he forgot to tell you is that Paxil has a side effect - it depresses your sexual drive. You walk back to the office and offer the doctor his free samples to give to someone he really doesn’t like.

Sex is one of the heathiest activities you can participate in and you were systematically deprived of what was once healthy, pleasurable and loving. Your wife starts cheating on you because you cannot perform and you end up in divorce court.
The doctor tells you to get your facts straight and so you visit your pharmacist and get the FYI for these medications and find that you have been ripped off and sent down a slippery slope ending up feeling old, helpless and no longer virile.
We’ve been watching the changes in sodium, sugar content and fat and guess what? Wegmans has just come out with canned sweet peas with NO SALT ADDED.
At the start of writing my book and blog, my wife and I found most canned vegetables contained as high as 960 mg of sodium. No wonder your doctor grabs the blood pressure cuff the minute you enter the exam room. "Food You Feel Good About" a Wegmans product has 15 ounces of sweet peas with a red label that reads "No Salt Added" and underneath that a disclaimer that reads "Not a sodium free food." Here’s the clincher: From 960 mg of sodium in most canned vegetables, Wegmans now produces a 15 ounce can of sweet peas with only 15 mg of sodium per serving. The serving size is ½ cup and the ingredients listed are: Peas and Water.

You are making the difference by reading labels and insisting on substitutions to better and healthier food products. Congratulations to all of you who take the time to pick the Yogurt with 9 grams of sugar in a serving size of 6 ounces as opposed to the others with 41 grams of sugar. Wegmans adds a heart shape recommending the peas for a heart healthy eating. Thanks to the nutritionists working for Wegmans for their hard work in researching and developing healthier products for their customers. They will be part of a health program that includes preventive measures.

In the process of eating better foods we will cut the costs of pharmaceutical drugs, doctor visits, medicare, and medicaid and "CHANGE" will include your diligence in eating right, exercising and letting your two senators, your congressperson and the government know that you have had enough and won’t take it anymore. Prevention costs a lot less than taking pills that only lead to more side effects and more pills.

The Parent Within Yourself

2009-03-15T10:45:00.003-04:00

Each new year many Americans resolve to do better. Many of those who make resolutions don’t even keep them through the first month of the new year. Many years ago I adopted the idea that there was a parent inside of us who could set the agenda for success. The determination to listen to the "parent inside of you" is a carry over from the days when your mom and dad helped guide you through your youth and take deserved pride when you graduated to adulthood. I remember my sons saying they couldn’t wait until they were eighteen so they could do anything they wanted. Freedom? We are never really free from the obligations we have to our own conscience and the need to help others less fortunate. We are never free from the need to earn a living that provides for food, clothing and shelter for ourselves and our loved ones. Altruistic personalities can never be free from the need to make the world a little bit better - each day. Narcissistic types are never free from the need to gain fame and fortune and recognition as leaders. Well, maintaining our bodies is a requirement we decide for ourselves.

The strongest human urge is the determination to live. And yet many cannot resist the temptation to eat food based solely on taste, in spite of the harm bad foods can do to our immune system, our overall energy, the joy we experience in seeing a younger you in the mirror. It really isn’t the number that’s scary - it’s the change in the mirror reflection that begins to show wrinkles, loss of hair, and an overweight body that isn’t what we want to see.
The "Parent within yourself" is the one person you can’t argue with or blame for the mistakes you make. Each morning, not each New Year’s Day, we should commit to certain priorities and then measure our success by the accomplishment that satisfies us with a feeling similar to the happiness of a youthful desire to please your parent. Feed your spirit with accomplishment and the void you try to fill with tasty junk food is nowhere to be found. In the past year we have seen many fine people die prematurely in their 50s. They thought that the priority was to make as much money as they could and possess the biggest and finest of products. In the midst of their hurry to reach the top rung of the latter, they justified eating on the run and making food a necessary quick- hit without any thought given to the fuel your body and mind need to function. Many forget that moderation and balance, work and play, stopping to enjoy the landscape and enjoying the art of conversation and interaction with others should be uppermost on our itinerary.

You are sure to change the oil in your car or replace the tires when they no longer provide you with safe travel. You perform maintenance on your home to prevent leaking gutters and heat loss, updating your home to meet your ever-changing needs as you mature. One of my great joys is watching the Senior Tennis League enjoy the company of others in their "Golden Years." They laugh, talk, play and bond in a way that I never saw in any church. They share kind words and important new knowledge which helps them live longer, happier and healthy lives. Nine of them are in their late 80s and three of them are now over ninety. What do they have in common? Love! Love of life, love of good food, love of competition and especially loving their neighbor as they love themselves. Thirty years have passed since I first met up with these old codgers playing tennis and loving it. They’ve endured heart attacks, cancer, aches and pains and heart aches for loved ones-- sick and dying, didn’t stop them from passing through the gates of the tennis court. They had learned to focus on the here and now. They learned that the precious moment was all they could be sure of and that it was good to leave their heavy burdens on the other side of that gate. That first group were about 59-years-old and there were some as old as 89-years-old. They had learned the secrets to a good life and put them into practice. Surrounding yourself with people of good will, laughter and caring-loving personalities further supported their ideals. About two years ago they began passing on at ages between 87 and 89 and some of them passed on while playing their last game of tennis---as they had hoped. We gathered together to wish them a fond farewell and to thank our creator for the honor and privilege of having known them and learned so much from these exceptional role models.
And so, I began to put into practice what they had taught me. The parent inside of me was allowed to take over and resolved that I do the following: Start an exercise plan you can commit to every day. Even if it’s just a walk or playing a healthy sport you enjoy. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein - avoiding processed, fried, high-salt and-sugary foods. Remembering to drink water was something I would forget to do in the midst of enjoying all that life had to offer – so much that I passed 7 kidney stones in one year. On occasion, I went 10 hours without sipping water and then for some unknown reason I craved the taste of fresh lemon and water - sweetened to make it delicious to the palate. In my early 30s I began to gain weight and promised my self to drink a full glass of water before eating. Recent research now verifies that thirst is often mistaken for hunger and food without fresh water hinders digestion without proper hydration. Oatmeal was the breakfast most satisfying to me and easy to prepare while my mother worked hard to provide for three boys. My father was a coal-miner and the diagnosis was mistakenly "tuberculosis" and my father was quarantined in Meyer Memorial (now ECMC) and so as oldest it was my duty to help provide for my brothers. The fiber in Old Fashioned Oatmeal kept me healthy and feeling full until about 3 pm. Later I learned that the fiber contained lecithin (the drano of the arteries) which kept my cholesterol count well below 200. Breathing in and out deeply when faced with stress could help calm you with increased oxygen flow.
Post notes around your home (today’s refrigerator magnets) and at bedside at the end of a busy day. These notes will give you positive messages and goals. You will feed on accomplishment and get the good feeling one experiences with seeing your goals realized. Italians had an old saying, "Get the stone out of your shoe." Remove the obstacles by prioritizing and then rewarding yourself with the balance of work and play.
Interdependence became a special relationship we enjoyed in the Badminton Club and the Senior Tennis League. Smiling at a friendly face returns the favor with happiness and resolves many problems with a good start. The bible says that when you give, you receive 10 fold. To me the return is immeasurable and priceless. Getting old is worth it if getting wiser is part of the package. My best years were those I had with making others happy, healthy and feeling good about what we were doing. The finest businessmen I’ve ever known always started with a broad smile and a hearty handshake.
You don’t always have to set the goal — just take the first step and watch inertia carry you forward. Studies of successful people found that "failing forward" was the one thing they had in common.

Protect Your Bones - Balance Body's Acids

2009-02-23T23:16:00.002-05:00

Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter (Your Guide to Living Healthier Longer) March 2009, Volume 27, Number 1 addresses the connection between healthy eating, the body’s acids and protecting your bones.
If we are to improve the health of Americans we will have to find a better way than pills. Here’s another reason to shop the produce aisle: Fruits and vegetables may protect your bones by balancing an excess of acid in your body, a common condition as you age. In a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tufts researchers report that bicarbonate supplements reduced the bone resorption and calcium excretion that occur when the acid/base (alkaline) balance of the body is tilted to the acidic. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables would have the same effect, explained Bess Dawson-Hughes, MD, director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at Tufts’ Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging.
"When fruits and vegetables are metabolized they add bicarbonate, an alkaline compound to the body," said Dr. Dawson-Hughes. "Our study found that bicarbonate had a favorable effect on bone resorption and calcium excretion. This suggests that increasing the alkali content of the diet may attenuate bone loss in healthy older adults.
"When it comes to dietary concerns regarding bone health, calcium and vitamin D have received the most attention," she added, "but there is increasing evidence that the acid/base balance of the diet is also important."
Diets high in protein and cereal grains can cause an excess of acid in the body, produced by dietary metabolism. As people age, they typically become less able to excrete this acid, leading to an acidic buildup.
In the past such a condition resulted in the physician prescribing Nexium, Prolosec or Prevacid (these "proton pump inhibitors" can cause the brain to produce even more acid - resulting in activating cancer cells on the esophagus or pancreas). This was the old world approach to symptomatic medical practice. Integrative medicine is fast becoming the wave of the future in medicine.
The body responds to the acidic buildup by breaking down bone–a process called resorption–to release minerals such as calcium and phosphates along with alkaline salts. This loses calcium through excretion and weakens the bones, increasing fracture risk. One of the worst things that can happen to senior citizens is a fall resulting in brittle bones breaking and the inactivity that can affect poor circulation and blood clots causing stroke.
To test whether adding alkaline compounds could counter this problem, Dr. Dawson–Hughes and colleagues at Tufts and Northeastern University compared the effects of different supplements on 171 women, age 50 and older. The women were randomly assigned to receive a supplement of potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate and potassium chloride or a placebo for three months.
Those taking either supplement containing bicarbonate–an alkaline–showed significant reductions in calcium excretion, indicating a reduction in bone resorption. Testing potassium chloride enabled the researchers to determine whether the benefit was due to the bicarbonate or to added potassium; neither the potassium chloride group nor the placebo group, however, saw a significant improvement in calcium excretion.
The researchers conceded that adding enough fruits and vegetables to the diet to balance the body’s acid/base composition might not be easy for everyone. "Achieving alkali–producing diets would require drastic changes in food choices and be challenging in older people who tent to have long established dietary patterns, "Dr. Dawson-Hughes and colleagues wrote. "Should it be shown to be beneficial, an alternative approach may be to administer bicarbonate in supplement form or to lower the acid producing capacity of selected foods through alkali fortification."
Bone health is becoming a growing concern as the population ages. For women, the lifetime risk of an osteoporosis related bone fracture is 30% to 40%. Although men are at lesser risk (about 13% over a man’s lifetime) they need to b aware of bone health as well–making an extra stop at the produce aisle.
TO LEARN MORE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, January 2009

Lifestyle Choices vs Bad Genes

2009-02-16T10:40:00.003-05:00

"We are the cooks of our soup that influences if our genes are healthy or diseased. Lifestyle choices may actually reduce the chance of repeating your family’s history of poor health, according to a concept that is picking up steam in the medical community.
According to Dr. David Rakel, director of integrative medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, a concept known as "EPIGENETICS" empowers people to take control of their health by making choices that may override their genetic code. Rakel says behavior and environment can affect how those genes are "expressed," that is how the information in a gene gets translated into proteins.
Epigenetics means ‘around the gene.’ We have the ability to influence whether our genes are healthy or diseased. Just because your parents or grandparents had heart disease, doesn’t mean that your fate is sealed because of your genes. The reverse is true, as well. Your parents may never have smoked cigarettes or indulged in eating fried food high in fat content, loaded with sodium and sugar. We can see the effects of fast food all around us and lifestyles that involve less physical exercise and more time spent as a "couch potato."
For example, if your brother or father had prostate cancer, there’s probably an area in your genetic code that puts you at high risk for prostate cancer. Research tells us that you can prevent that gene from expressing itself. Healthy lifestyle choices may mean your genes may produce healthy prostrate tissue instead of tissue that is diseased or cancerous.
What can we do to minimize our risk of cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or other illnesses that may be part of our genetic predisposition?
Dr. David Rakel says changes in diet, exercise and personal attitude could actually influence the genetic code and reduce the chances for declining health. Rakel says the concept of epigenetics espouses that lifestyle choices can influence genetic expression. We have a choice to surround our genes with joy, happiness, exercise, nutritious foods or flip the switch to bad consequences with anger, lack of hope, junk food and sedentary lifestyle. This area of research holds so much potential and gives us the hope to say, "Even if my genes indicate a history of family illness, I can make choices that can keep a gene in check and prevent it from being expressed in disease."
Rakel cites a 2007 review by Dr. Steven Schroeder of the University of California - San Francisco. Schroeder’s study concluded that the largest influence on the risk of death in America is attributed to personal behavior, such as smoking, obesity and stress. The paper adds that the largest reduction in death — 40% — will result from the adoption of healthier habits.
"Human attitude has a tremendous influence on health" says Rakel. "If you are happy, you are more likely to go out jogging or adopt positive lifestyle behaviors because you have hope. You see what’s good in the world instead of the bad. If you have hope, you are accentuating the positive, eliminating the negative and that can lead to positive lifestyle choices.
Studies of laboratory rats with a gene that increases the risk of diabetes further builds the case for epigenetics. When the pregnant mothers of genetically identical rats who had this gene ate foods that influence gene expression (garlic, beets, onions), their offspring did not develop diabetes. What the mothers ate influenced the expression of genes in their offspring. This evolving research is teaching us that Epigenetics influences leave an imprint on our genetic code that is passed down to future generations.
"If I choose to eat fruits and vegetables versus high-fat foods, if I choose to fill my heart with compassion versus hate and hostility, this can leave a mark in my code that can be passed on," says Rakel. "The question is not who you are now, but who do you want your kids and your kids’s kids to become? Choices now may influence future generations."
Rakel says epigenetics also advocates less dependence on drugs and greater reliance on recruiting self-healing mechanisms. A pill or prescription for lower cholesterol is treating one thing. Whereas exercise, eating healthy, playing with friends and family, laughing and giving something to make the world a little better can reduce the risk of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and the list goes on. Forgiveness can go a long way in improving your health. You may even feel a lighter load on your shoulders, feel lighter, stop the headaches or neck pain. That’s an Epigenetics example of how that choice or forgiveness results in a tremendous change in your overall outlook, well-being and physical health.
I see these changes in the activities and attitudes of people playing badminton, tennis, and enjoying the exchange of joy and happiness. Thirty years of observing these people has proven their effect on longevity. Nine of them are now in their late 80's, three of them are in their 90's and still active tennis players and others marvel at the role models of these national treasures. I believe that the combination of "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change," Senior Tennis League and the Badminton Club of Greater Buffalo combined with social gatherings involving picnics, biking, swimming, hugs, kisses and laughter have lightened the burden and made the road ahead easier. Looking forward to friends and playing was observed by me as I watched the original 59-year-olds live a happy existence, loving one another and caring enough to be with them in their final hour. At 89, these survivors passed on knowing that love was all around them and prayers were being said. God bless all these dear hearts and gentle people who taught me how to live a better life. Doctors are amazed at the way I have changed the genetic code of my own DNA. They express no doubt that I have extended my life through the many changes I made in food, physical activities, friends and a strong faith. He has taught me to reach out to Him in my need and to lead others to Him by my example.

How to Stay Young

2009-02-14T20:49:00.002-05:00

The December 2008 issue of "Nutrition Action" reveals the latest in research that supports the lifestyle of the members of our Senior Tennis League and the Badminton Club of Greater Buffalo.
The regimen in my book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change" and this blog site represent an attempt to combat "obesity and the improper dietary habits of the American people." My physician, Ralph J. Argen, M.D. recognized these factors as important and insisted I write a book and spread the word. And so my quest began in October of 2003. The evidence grew as more and more people reported success-- losing hundreds of pounds of excessive weight and improved cholesterol, triglyceride levels and others halted diabetes type II.
The new question may be, "How are your mitochondria?" Some day that question may be as common as asking a person’s cholesterol or blood pressure. Can you increase and strengthen your mitochondria? Can you recapture the mitochondria of your youth? Researchers have uncovered some intriguing clues. " Mitochondria are the power plants of our cells," says Simon Melov, director of Genomics Core at the Buck Institute for Age Research in Novato, California. "They convert food into energy, which the body uses to live." Prior to this article, all indicators were that the battle was one of the antioxidants vs free radicals.
Most cells in the human body contain somewhere between 500 to 2,000 mitochondria (pronounced MY-toe-CON-dree-ah). In fact, mitochondria account for as much as 60 percent of the volume of muscle cells and 40 percent of the volume of heart cells.
In my late 60s, fellow tennis players would ask me how I maintained such muscle definition. I simply replied that it was not due to a diet of carrots and celery. Now we begin to get research on the importance of mitochondria which links it to almost every essential process in cells. Rafael de Cabo, a researcher at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore explains that you can trace almost any condition that has to do with energy balance, like diabetes or sarcopenia, which is muscle wasting with age— at least in part, to problems with mitochondria.
That’s no surprise since mitochondria sits at ground zero, the place within the cell where carbohydrate, fat, and protein are burned, or oxidized, for energy. Unfortunately, the process generates free radicals—rogue molecules that can damage mitochondria’s DNA and membranes.
"It’s possible that weakened mitochondria leave people more susceptible to Parkinson’s disease or accelerate the progression of Alzheimer’s disease," notes Mark Mattson, chief of the Cellular and Molecular Neurosciences Section of the National Institute on Aging. Can you protect—or restore—your mitochondria? Here’s what the latest research shows.
Exercise:
"Aerobic exercise can increase the number of mitochondria in your muscle cells by 40 to 50 percent in six weeks," says David Hood, Canada Research Chair in Cell Physiology at York University in Toronto. Researchers have known that—from studies in animals and humans—for more than 30 years.
To get the benefit though, you need to run, cycle, swim, walk briskly, or do other exercises to at least half of your maximum capacity for at least 15 - 20 minutes a day, three to four times a week. "You’ll notice less fatigue, lower perceived exertion, and more endurance," says Hood. That’s because mitochondria are efficiently burning more fat, rather than carbohydrate for energy.
In 2006, Elizabeth Menshikova and her colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine got eight overweight and sedentary men and women in their late 60s to walk outdoors or use treadmills or stationary bicycles four to six days a week for 30 - 40 minutes each time. After 12 weeks, the mitochondria in their quadriceps (thigh muscles increased by about 50 percent.
"Mitochondria have been called the Achilles’ heel of the cell in aging."
In a 2007 study, the genes in the quadriceps muscles of 14 healthy older men and women (average age: 70) were much less active than the genes in the quadriceps of 16 younger adults (average age: 26).
But after twice weekly strength-training sessions for six months, "there was a remarkable reversal of the older people’s genetic profile to more-youthful levels," says the Buck Institute’s Simon Melov. In other words, their quadriceps genes—many of which contain the instructions for making mitochondria—had become more active.
"Any exercise, including aerobic and strength training will improve mitochondrial content and the endurance of older, less-active individuals," notes Hood.
Mitochondria may also help explain why people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. ("When people are resistant, their insulin can’t efficiently move blood sugar into cells). What’s more, exercise may be able to prevent diabetes by boosting mitochondria. "If we could get them to do aerobic exercise regularly, it would put off or prevent them from developing diabetes."
In December of 1981, I was told that I had less than two years before I would be unable to walk. Determined to fight that sentence led me to biking, tennis, badminton, swimming and walking. The source of Lance Armstrong’s healthy energy rely on those same principles. Besides leading a healthy lifestyle, he claimed the source of his healthy energy to be quercetin (pronounced: KWAIR-sit-in), which occurs in foods, including apples, onions, and grapes. These foods together with oatmeal with diced apples, cinnamon and raisins are part of the regimen that has carried me this far (27 years) in my personal battle with rheumatoid arthritis. Patrick Swayze appears to have had the same kind of success in fighting pancreatic cancer. His rigorous aerobic exercise has enabled him to go far beyond the expectations of his physicians. Both Lance Armstrong and Patrick Swayze are role models for those who wish to fight battles against diseases believed to be fatal and incurable.
Researchers have also completed a trial to see if quecetin raises the number of mitochondria in humans. The results are expected next year. "For those who know something about mitochondria, the implications are huge," says Davis. "Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease all involve the mitochondria in some way."
In all of these studies, researchers used a high-purity quercetin called QU995. That’s the kind that’s also in FRS energy drinks, mixes and chews as well as in RealFX Q-Plus Chews.

Bread like Old World Italian

2008-11-30T22:45:00.002-05:00

Pane is Italian Bread
With diabetes spreading like an epidemic, many blame bread and baked goods. However, bread was a staple to the Italian people. Like rice was to the Chinese, bread went with everything. It was nothing like the bread we developed in the United States. It was traditional to pick up warm bread after mass on Sundays. I was raised on the West side of Buffalo and was fortunate to have many Italian bakeries nearby. Names like Costanzo, Christiano, and Roma bakeries were a part of our culture. We grew up accustomed to the wonderful aroma from the bakeries and the fine Italians who took pride in their work. Today, we see a return to those wonderful days in the artisan bakers, like Pat Christiano and Nick Greco who pass on the secrets of good baked bread. Authentic Italian bread has 4 ingredients: flour, water, salt and time! Instead of 2 ½ hours, the process includes an 11+ hour fermentation time. The time invested creates genuine Old World Flavor, thinner, crisper crust, and noticeably improved texture. It is not gummy when chewed and was always used with soups and stews as well as pasta dishes and sandwiches. No one could resist mopping up the spaghetti sauce after a dish of spaghetti, The dishes were left without a speck of sauce as though they had been wiped with a towel.
The new bakers have refined the process for full fermentation to develop the flavors, and the side benefit is that this inhibits staling, without any additives, so you can enjoy the bread at home a day or so after purchase.
The new bakeries had to invest over a $1 million in new equipment, to permit the pre-fermentation that allows the flavor to develop gradually in the bread as it’s fermenting. It tastes like grandma’s bread and many of the local store bakeries have it available warm and straight from the oven. Many bakeries have to charge almost $4 a loaf, but Wegmans has Pane Italian (14 oz.) for only $2. It is delightful to the palate and to remember grandma when biting into this delicious Italian bread without all the chemicals and high fructose corn syrup.
My grandparents were born in 1880 in Sicily and lived to 1968. The lived a long life and salted their meat and aged it with no refrigeration. The goat milk, chickens and eggs were fresh and the wine was made from their own homegrown grapes. All meals were accompanied by red wine and a prayer of thanks. All four of my grandparents fed their own chickens and raised 8 and 9 children in four room houses without plumbing. Each grandparent was less than 5 foot in height and hard-working. Every child carried his or her share of duties to keep the family healthy, clean and well fed.
Some say, if you live long enough, things will come around to your way of thinking. I am lucky at 7 decades to have seen and known all of my grandparents and enjoyed the love of uncles, aunts and dozens of cousins. They all grew up strong, and the values they were taught gave them the strength to carry on all that they were taught.
Bread was not the real culprit in type 2 diabetes as much as the greed of stores who looked to cut down on time and quality additives that were harmful to our digestion and changed the muscle of a previous generation to the fat, flab and lack of energy we see in our youth.

Ginseng Berries Effect on Diabetes

2008-10-05T10:47:00.001-04:00

Ginseng Berries
Why did it take 2,000 years to find this breakthrough in fighting diabetes? All these years the focus has been on the ginseng root. "Previously, there had been no study of the ginseng berry’s biological activity." says Dr Chun-Su, a researcher at the University of Chicago’s Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research.
As it becomes obvious that we are failing to solve our health issues with pills, more and more of our researchers are looking back to see what we’ve missed when considering food as a cure was prohibited. That’s just how science works. They often miss the obvious and forget the lessons learned by our forefathers. Like the tomato was considered poisonous until the 18th century as a member of the night shade family - ginseng berries, like the pomegranate - were considered bitter and terrible tasting. In fact, they tasted so terrible that it kept the Mesopotamians, the anthropological guinea pigs who taught us much of what we know today about the healing properties of herbs, from eating them. Whatever the reason behind ignoring ginseng berries for so long, the good news is they’re finally getting their day in the sun — especially when it comes to their role in the new disease epidemics: obesity and diabetes.
The ginseng berry contains a substance known as ginsenoside that aids in the control of these problems.
"We were stunned by how different the berry is from the root in terms of its chemical profile and by how effective it is in correcting the multiple metabolic abnormalities associated with diabetes." Dr. Yuan reported to MSNBC. In fact, the berry has been found to be more effective than the root in multiple ways.
Obese mice given the extract ate less and exercised more, which sounds a lot like the action of two hormones: Leptin and Ghrelin.
MSNBC summarized the researcher’s findings:
* Daily injections of ginseng berry extract restored normal blood sugar in mice that had suffered "quite high" levels.
* Treated mice also had better scores on a glucose tolerance test, which measures how quickly the mice could remove excess sugar from the blood.
* The obese diabetic mice shed more than 10 percent of their body weight, while untreated mice gained 5 percent of their weight. The treated mice ate 15 percent less and were 35 percent more active that untreated mice, Yuan says. Once the injections stopped, weight gain gradually resumed.
* The extract improved insulin sensitivity, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, in mice with diabetes.
* Cholesterol levels dropped 30 percent in the treated mice, while the extract had no detectable effect on normal mice.
It appears that we have barely scratched the surface on the natural treatment of diabetes— and disease in general. William Campbell Douglas II, M.D. upset the medical community in Sarasota, Florida back in the early 70s by "going natural," he was called a quack and was bounced out of the medical society. That was the same way that the medical community once criticized chiropractic, massage and nutritionists. Now, like our economy, the professionals are realizing that their long-held views are just not working.
Research from all over the world is causing more and more medical doctors to distance themselves from the pharmaceutical industry and open up the book on why so many people are doing better using nutrition and the foods they need to eat to cure these major problems of obesity and the improper dietary habits of American Culture.
Find a herbalist near you by contacting the American Association of Environmental Medicine at (316) 684-5500 or www.aaem.com Look for a member of the American Herbalist Guild or a member of the British National Institute of Medical Herbalists (the abbreviation NIMH should follow his or her name.
Keep in mind also that his research is fairly new—and has only been done in mice so far. As much as scientists want to believe it, mice aren’t people, so ginseng berries may still have some surprises for us. I think they may eventually be a great additional weapon against the growing obesity and diabetes epidemics. But don’t forget that any "outside" help against these killers always works better when combined with a healthy regimen of fruits and vegetables, Omega-3 fats and protein—and no sugar and carbs.
References: "Antidiabetic effects of Panax ginseng berries and the identification of an effective component" Diabetes 2002; 51 (6) 1,851-1858.
"Ginseng berry extract shows promise for diabetics, obesity," University of Chicago Hospitals, press release (www.uchospitals.edu) 5/24/02.
And all of this because I sat down with my bank manager who had just received a box of ginseng berries from a North Korean depositor and so she shared them with me. I called several health stores with no success and so I’ll try the Asian Markets in our area. Talking about healthy alternatives often brings more people to the table and gives me an incentive to continue this effort. Thank you for your wonderful responses and providing me with the wind beneath my wings.

Eat, Shrink and Be Merry

2008-08-28T11:59:00.002-04:00

Eat, Shrink & Be Merry by Janet & Greta Podleski
The authors were kind enough to send me a copy of their book. Never before have I seen a book on the subject of healthy eating with so much humor, creativity and color - presented on a material of the highest quality and substance. I am truly overwhelmed with the talent of the two sisters who authored this wonderful creation.
Puns and fun run rampant through the pages of this wonderfully cheerful approach to every aspect of eating. In all my research, I have not seen such a fine piece of work that parallels my thoughts on eating healthy. It would take Canada to produce such talented authors on a health related subject. Janet & Greta Podleski and their cartoonist Ted Martin are are to be commended for producing an unbeatable book on eating, cooking and living healthy. They were seen on the food network in Canada and somehow they came across my blog and were kind enough to send me a copy for review. I’m so happy they did because I would never have expected such a magnificent work of art on a subject so near to my heart. They also have an approach that mirrors my own findings, but presented in a way that is easy to read and delightful to look at. As a retired Graphic Arts Instructor, I believe in the quality of the paper and the presentation of color and humor, as well as the material so substantial in the hands of the reader.
I can’t say enough to give the kind of praise this book deserves, but you might want to visit their website at www.eatshrinkandbemerry.com or call them at 1-800-470-0738. The research represented in my blog is not designed to advertise but to evaluate. My readers deserve the best information available to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle. It is in that vein that I justify the above.
You will be delighted to know that such a book is the first of its kind in presenting comprehensive material on the subject with unprecedented talent and humor.
My thanks to the authors and their staff for reading my blog and taking the time to write me and make available this remarkable achievement so that I can share it with my readers. It is unbelievable that such work could be available to the public at such a reasonable price. My wife is an avid reader and couldn’t put this book down. We were both thrilled to know that others feel as we do - that we can prevent illness and reduce health costs by using foods to heal and prevent illnesses. The truth can no longer be withheld from the public. You are what you eat and if you avoid the bad foods in a nutrition-based-regimen of eating - you too will see dramatic changes in your life and so will all those who know you.

Men Need Special Food

2008-06-28T13:57:00.002-04:00

Men’s Healthy Foods
Some food is special to the problems men face. Recent issues addressing great foods for men suggest the following:
Sardines For Heart Health: Ounce for ounce, sardines are one of the best sources for heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and are extremely low in contaminates such as mercury and PCBs. They’re also eco-friendly, packed with protein, and low in saturated fat.
My father, born in Warsaw, Poland, loved sardines and never had a heart problem. One of his greatest loves was fishing and he could mix the concrete, build the form and fill and finish a 12' x 16' patio all by himself. He was tireless and strong and weighed in at 157 pounds of solid muscle on a 5'7" frame and now I know why. Canned versions are inexpensive, portable, and don’t require refrigeration. Choose no-salt added brands, and keep the bones in for a third of your recommended daily calcium. Sardines are great on salads or mashed with onions, garlic, oregano, minced carrots, celery and some horseradish mustard with a touch of Italian dressing - you are loaded for bear. You taste buds will be tingling with joy and you will hunger for nothing more. Pateʹ on top of whole grain crackers is a great party snack.
Brazil Nuts For Prostate Health are one of the richest food sources of selenium, a mineral that may reduce a man’s risk of developing prostate cancer. Selenium may be toxic if taken in daily doses of more than 400 micrograms (mcg). But one Brazil nut has about 100 mcg. One or two mixed with other nuts will give you just the right amount.
Edamame For Mood - Mood is affected by a combination of factors, including brain chemistry, life events, and the foods you eat. Of these, only diet is under control. Fiber rich carbohydrates such as oats and edamame (green soybeans in the pod) help prevent mood fluctuations by keeping your blood-sugar levels steady. Edamame also contain protein, which further helps stabilize blood sugar and omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help combat depression. You can find them in just about any Japanese restaurant. They often come heavily salted, so request them "nude" or lightly coated. You also can buy frozen edamame pods at health-food stores and many supermarkets. Take them home, boil, drain, and enjoy!
Sesame Seeds For Sex Drive - They’re inexpensive, safe, and don’t require a prescription. They’re also very rich in the amino acid arginine, which is involved in synthesizing nitric oxide, a compound that enhances blood flow through the arteries and to various other male body parts. Toasted sesame seeds add a nice nutty taste to salads, cooked grains, or cereal. You also can enjoy them in hummus, which is made with ground chick peas and sesame seed paste (called tahini)
Blueberries for Memory - These days it seems you can’t say enough about the health benefits of blueberries. But did you know that much of their power lies in their color? That deep blue hue is caused by flavonoids—natural compounds that protect the brain’s memory-carrying cells (neurons) from the negative effects of oxidation and inflammation. Buy firm-fleshed berries or, off-season, try frozen, unsweetened varieties. Eat with plain yogurt as a topping for cereal, or right out of the bowl. Wild blueberries are the best and you can obtain 100% wild blueberry juice with the serving of one ounce with a meal - three times a day.
Lentils For Energy - Rich in fiber and protein — both of which are digested slowly—lentils provide a steady source of energy. They’re also a good source of several B vitamins essential to energy production, as well as iron, which helps red blood cells carry oxygen. Try whipping up a big batch of lentil soup, and you’ll have a hearty lunch for days.
Much of the information in this article was obtained from an article in PARADE by Joy Bauer, a registered dietitian and author of the book "Joy Bauer’s Food Cures" (Rodale, 2007) and published June 15, 2008.
Eat Fish and Smile - Want to be in a good mood? A University of Pittsburgh study suggests that eating omega-3 fatty acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon or herring, is associated with increased gray matter volume in areas of the human brain linked to mood and behavior. As immigrants to North America, many of us left the Omega-3 environment about 100 years ago and we haven’t been the same since!
You can reduce health risks, save money on doctor visits and expensive pharmaceuticals if you go to God’s pharmacy. He understands the workings of His own creation - better than any man or woman choosing pills over whole food.

Pills Contaminated?

2008-06-26T23:39:00.002-04:00

So you think that a prescription is all you need to feel better? Do you trust your doctor enough to throw caution to the wind? Welcome to globalization and quality control you can count on to kill you - while the pharmaceutical companies are making profits in the billions.
The economy in China is improving but at whose expense? Their latest export was lollipops that contained pieces of metal. Lead paint on toys was never suspected because a major U.S. manufacturer was putting their name on the toys. However, our biggest concern must be tainted drugs that have also come from China. Then, in February, Puerto Rico, which produces 13 of the 20 best-selling drugs in the U.S. was the latest culprit with pills that contained paint chips. Puerto Rico produces $35 billion worth of drugs, and in the past 4 years, there have been dozens of lapses in quality control from the island nation.
Even worse than that, the FDA reports that modern drug plants in the U.S. have exported tainted pills and have failed to keep their labs sterile. Obviously, the FDA is unable to properly supervise these manufacturers, and they can revert to sloppy standards after having been censured for this problem. What kinds of punishment or fines are imposed on these companies? I have not read about any drastic measures that the FDA and the government take to keep these companies in line.
It was revealed on 60 minutes that Bayer has produced a drug for use by transplant patients, which was tested in their laboratories, and known to be harmful to kidneys. Bayer did not reveal their findings and some patients have died due to kidney failure after taking this drug. Greed trumps every other concern in the pharmaceutical industry.
In a perfect world, no one would need medications. Since this is not possible for most people, we must be aware of the reactions some medications or a combination of them have on us and report them to the doctor or, better yet, to "MedWatch." A pharmacist can analyze the combination of pills prescribed to check for adverse interactions.
It is problematic that many people are still placing complete and unquestioning trust in their doctors and the pharmaceutical industry. They are hoping that the FDA is doing their job and worst of all - they believe that the more they pay for the medication - the better chance they have of getting better. Doctors do not go to the funerals of their patients. It’s all about the money and the perks that go with the act of pushing the pills brought in by the man or woman with the black satchel.
Food can be contaminated, but in most cases the problem is identified quickly. The brain recognizes food and knows the "pharmacist"– God! In this Global Corporate Government - you are going to do what millions of people are doing - buy locally produced fruits and vegetables or do as my parents and grandparents did - grow your own victory garden.
Much of the information in this article was reported by Harriet Beers, in the 2008 spring issue of York State, the publication by the New York State Retired Teachers’ Association.

Tim Russert Deserved More Time

2008-06-18T14:58:00.002-04:00

"Sicko" & "Sick Around The World"
Julie and I have viewed, for the third time, the facts presented in both these well-documented presentations. A PBS production, "Sick Around The World" details, from well respected sources in government, hospitals, patients and officials who know, the numbers and the results of "Universal Health Care."
As one who has written editorials on the subject over these past three decades and informed our representatives in Washington about the need for an overhaul in our healthcare system - I can say with authority, that the problem with our health care is tied to these factors: 1) A for-profit system that rewards the pharmaceutical industry for producing drugs that pyramid the problem with side effects that require more and more pills without positive results. 2) A lack of will on the part of our government to stand up to the power of money in their campaigns - handing over control of healthcare to the people who profit most. 3) Doctors who have been rewarded with perks, free samples and encouraged to sign their name to prescriptions without questioning the efficacy of the drug. 4) Insurance Companies and Health Systems with CEO’s being paid 2 million dollars for a system of health care that is ranked 45th by the World Health Organization. 5) Patients who treat their physicians like the Gods of Greek Mythology. Our current system is made up of people who are an example of the "blind leading the blind." 6) For $24 we were able to purchase the DVD "Sicko" and "Sick Around the World." The facts speak for themselves. Okinawa has four times the number of people over 100-years-old as mainland China and spends half of what we do on health care.
What can we do about it? Stop rewarding those who contribute to the problem. Prevention is better medicine than any physician can prescribe. How do I know? They told me so and know that the only pharmacist worth recognition is the one who designed the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat and the wild fish we catch in water not contaminated with carcinogens.
Tim Russert didn’t have to die at 58. His doctor knew that he was diabetic and anyone looking at Tim knew that this great man was not attending to a lifestyle that was destructive and in the end denied his son from the pleasure of having children who could enjoy a grandfather as wonderful a man as Tim Russert.
Physicians need to start their examination with more time and real facts on the lifestyle of their patients that can lead to an early death. A history like that taken prior to surgery is a good first appointment to helping your physician know where to go with you.
When I put together an eating regimen that so impressed my physician that he called me, insisting that I write the book, "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change," I saw the enthusiasm of a little boy who discovered a treasure. Dr. Argen charged into the examination room, asking me what I was eating and how did I get the results so quickly without medication. Why don’t doctors start their first exam by asking you about you lifestyle, your favorite foods, the exercise you enjoy the most and then record weight, blood pressure, examine ears, throat, eyes and overall body shape?
You need to change that, by putting your doctor in a position to know whether you are working too hard, sleeping too little, eating all the junk foods and stressed out with your relationships while trying to fill the void with fat, sugar, sodium, pizza, cold cuts and sugar-laden beverages. A profile of your lifestyle should be the key a physician needs to advise and treat you. Prevention can only be achieved by knowing what it is that should be addressed before the symptoms arrive.
Our system of health care puts the cart in front of the horse. Plaque build up is a major problem leading to high blood pressure and cardiac consequences, destroys your joints and robs you of valuable years of joy with your family, friends and grandchildren - not to mention your community and the good you can do to make the world a little bit better.
Having set my alarm clock to allow me time to watch "Meet The Press" every Sunday, I feel we have been robbed of a great figure of our time. Loving politics, I found no peer capable of the highly intelligent approach used by Tim Russert. My regret is for his son Luke whom he loved so much, because there will be no "Big Russ" for Luke’s children .
As for those responsible, I believe that the physicians who worked with Tim Russert could have made a point of convincing Tim of the need for him to work as hard at maintaining his body as he did at his profession.
I cried when we lost JFK and I am old enough to have seen the sadness in my father’s eyes when we learned of the death of FDR and I will miss this wonderful man for all he did to help us understand the people who run for office. His ability to get to the facts is ironic because his methodology is exactly what we needed in seeing to it that Tim lasted longer. This election will be unlike any I have known since JFK ran against Nixon and it was my first vote for a President. I felt then as I do now, some people are just too good to be taken for granted. I feared for the life of JFK from the moment of his election. I fear for the life of Barack Obama and I grieve for the loss of man who would have enjoyed this election like a little boy with a brand new toy.
May we treasure all that we have and remember to take care that we maintain our bodies in a manner that preserves the time we have to offer the best we have. There is much research that would have made clear that living on junk food will shorten the life of great men - just about the time they are at the peak of their ability. Having a special clinic where people could learn to eat the right food would be a good start.
As it was with other great men, the pain will not pass easily from our hearts and minds as we wait patiently for someone to fill that void.
Tim Russert was the best of Buffalo in the form of a really beloved man. He graduated from the same school as my oldest son. We need such a rare jewel as Tim Russert in order to confront the problems we face with knowledge. Tim did the research and asked the hard questions and expected you to use his work to make decisions which would lead us to do the right kind of people to make sure that government of the people, for the people and by the people would not perish from the earth.
We all miss you Tim and Buffalo will always remember a special representative of the heart and soul of all Buffalonians.

Dark Chocolate Chips - The New Health Food

2008-05-31T17:51:00.003-04:00

Bitter is best but there is a difference between the many brand names of Dark Chocolate. It really doesn’t have to be all that expensive. Beware of those big name brands claiming to be dark chocolate. Many are loaded with milk, sugar or condensed milk which may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants. "White chocolate" contains cocoa butter, sugar and milk but no cocoa solids—in other words, zero antioxidants. Like yogurt, "dark chocolate" is not always the healthy kind you should be eating. A recent visit to the supermarket revealed a 6 ounce container of yogurt with 41g of sugar. Dannon "Light and Fit" has 6 ounces of yogurt with active cultures including acidophilus, 240mg of potassium and contains 20 percent Vitamin D and Riboflavin, Calcium and 10% Vitamin B12 and Vitamin A with 0% Fat, 0% Added Sugar and only 60 calories. My nutritionist had advised me to use this brand after a stay in the hospital revealed high triglycerides. She was right then and 30 years later the advice is still a brand name I respect. The nonfat yogurt is the real thing — read the labels. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.
Back to "Dark Chocolate," the daily allowance is 1.6 ounces or 50 dark chocolate chips. We have found a brand name available at Aldi’s stores called Moser Roth with 5 bars at .88 ounces ea. and the serving size is 2 bars at (50g). Each bar contains about 6.5 g of sugar. The Dark Chocolate is imported from Germany and information is available at http://www.aldi.com/ . The daily value of dietary fiber in the serving represents 12% or 3g. and 15% Calcium. Now how can you beat that source for these vitamins as compared to expensive pill-supplements? The best South American cocoa is used in this sophisticated gourmet chocolate. The percentage of Cocoa is 70% which provides increased blood flow to the brain according to research.
At any age, recent studies have shown dark chocolate may: 1) Lower blood pressure by dilating blood vessels. 2) Reduce the risk of diabetes by reducing blood sugar and insulin. 3) Activate enzymes that eliminate cancer-causing carcinogens and mutagens. 4) Reduce the risk of blood clots and strokes by inhibiting the clumping of blood platelets. 5) Keep cholesterol levels stable or even slightly improve them. 6) Enhance cognitive function by increasing blood flow to the brain. Now you choose your poison — I’ll take the dark chocolate — please!
More Antioxidants - many foods – notably fruits and vegetables — are rich in antioxidants, which mop up molecules in the body that damage cells and hasten aging and disease. Winner: Dark Chocolate; Runner Up: Pecans (14 percent less than winner); Crowd Pleaser: glass of red wine (25% less than winner).
Bitter Is Best: Cocoa beans are processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. The solids contain the antioxidants. The higher the percentage of cocoa content listed on a wrapper, the more antioxidants (Moser Roth states 70% Cocoa).
The purest commercial varieties, like unsweetened baking chocolate, taste bitter, which means that most chocolate consumed contains sugar. Most ingredients added to chocolate raise its caloric and fat content and lower its antioxidants. Milk chocolate also contains milk powder or condensed milk, which may interfere with the absorption of antioxidants.
The cocoa plant is indigenous to South America’s Amazon region. The Maya first cultivated its beans 1800 years ago. Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes introduced cocoa to Europe in 1528. The plant made its way to Africa and Asia. Today Ivory Coast Ghana and Indonesia supply more than 70 percent of the world’s 8.2 million ton annual cocoa bean harvest.

Tea For the Heart, Immune and Nervous System

2008-05-31T15:08:00.002-04:00

Tea Tips Take Front Stage
As a young grade-school boy, my eighth grade teacher envisioned a day when we would be looking at a plate with a pill to carve up for the evening dinner. Well, it almost came to that when people over 50 started downing 20 pills a day and prescription pads were part of the menu.
Wouldn’t it be great if medicine really did taste good and produced outstanding results in keeping you healthy? That’s what I found as my research led me to realize that the greatest pharmacist in existence is nature or God. Fresh fruits and vegetables are basking in the vitamin D of the sun and putting together all the nutrients we need to maintain our bodies. The power of a great tasting beverage is recently being given its due. Is it any wonder that it is the most popular beverage in the world? The Chinese and Japanese and the powerful English influence have spread and we are just learning why they live longer, happier and healthier lives. Only water ranks higher in global consumption. Yet the country with more cancer that all the world put together favors caffeine-loaded coffee over a spot of tea. Thanks to my lovely wife and her English mother, I have come to savor that special beverage with meals and at bedtime.
These days, more health-conscious Americans are turning to tea, and with good reason. In the past decade, (not a long time) hundreds of studies have demonstrated its health-promoting and disease-preventing powers. Tea is rich in polyphenols, natural plant compounds with potent antibacterial and antiviral properties. The polyphenols in tea also serve as powerful antioxidants. In the body, they help to neutralize the free radicals — high energy molecules that contribute to the development of a number of deadly diseases, including cancer.
When researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine applied EGC (a compound called epigallocatechin gallate) to healthy and cancerous mouse cells, they found that the agent helped wipe out the cancer cells without harming the healthy ones.
Harvard scientists reported that the EGCg in tea has protective powers against cancers of the digestive tract. The researchers concluded that EGCg triggers the production of proteins that can repair DNA damage before it leads to cancerous changes in the esophagus or stomach.
In a study published in the medical journal Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers reported that women who drink more than two cups per day had a 45 percent lower risk of ovarian cancer compared to women who never drank tea.
A growing body of evidence shows that drinking tea is good for your heart. In a study conducted at Boston University, researchers asked 50 men and women diagnosed with heart disease to drink four cups of black tea daily for four weeks.
Just two hours after downing the first cup, investigators found that drinking tea promoted widening of the subjects’ arteries and significantly improved their blood flow. Both actions have beneficial effects on the heart.
In addition to warding off cancer and heart disease, tea may boost the protective powers of the immune system. Drinking tea increases production of interferon, a substance known to play a key role in protecting the body against infection.
When researchers at Harvard Medical Center asked adult volunteers to drink five cups of black tea each day for four weeks, they found their blood cells secreted five times more interferon than before they began drinking tea.
In March 2008, Egyptian scientists reported that green tea can help beat drug-resistant superbugs. Natural compounds in the beverage dramatically boost the action of antibiotics, making them up to three times more effective at killing disease-causing bacteria.
Drinking tea has long been associated with relaxation, and now there’s scientific proof. In the Medical Journal of Psychopharmacology, British researchers reported that regular consumption of tea helps individuals recover more quickly from the regular stress of everyday life.
The results of the study demonstrated that drinking tea not only helps normalize stress hormones in the body, it can lower stress-related rises in blood pressure and heart rate.
The next time you have a coffee break, you might want to consider having a cup of tea instead. Fresh lemon and a little honey have special benefits as well. I bring my own fresh lemon - just in case the restaurant serves me a sliver, instead of a wedge of lemon.

Rotting Away Your Digestive Tract

2008-04-14T10:06:00.001-04:00

It’s shocking how popular laxatives, drugs and antacids ‘rot away’ your digestive tract. The Mayo Clinic warns you about popular remedies! They say, "Laxatives can damage nerves, muscles, and the tissues of the large intestines …" Dr. Pournadeali adds, "Antacids simply cover up symptoms." Your system comes to rely on antacids and "forgets" how to operate normally. This is a disaster. It’s a shame, but the popular digestive remedies have truly shocking disadvantages.
They suppress pepsin, a stomach acid vital to digest protein.
Many of the products contain ALUMINUM, a toxic heavy metal that’s been potentially linked to Alzheimer’s. I remember my mother-in-law using all aluminum pots. She and her husband suffered from Alzheimer’s.
Some contain calcium carbonate. Excessive use of this can lead to kidney stones and constipation. According to Dr. Mercola, drugs like Prilosec "actually worsen" your problem because they reduce vital stomach acid used to digest your food.
If you’re grabbing an antacid for your digestive problem, you’re making a huge mistake. Not only do they just mask the problem, they can make it worse. Better Nutrition Magazine says, "If repeatedly reaching for an antacid in the middle of the night seems like a quick solution, think again."
Now listen to Dr. Ronald Hoffman "…antacids will sometimes cause your stomach to produce more acid—a condition called acid rebound, which worsens your gastrointestinal problem. Also, antacids change the pH environment of your gut, potentially causing an imbalance of friendly flora and putting you at risk by the unfriendly types. Some believe that antacids may even help set the stage for infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes ulcers."
Prevacid and Prilosec got their doors blown off after this New England Journal of Medicine article! You need a natural solution. Drugs are not the final answer. A survey of over 4,300 patients taking Prilosec or Prevacid found: 1) 35% to 41% of the people taking these drugs continue to experience daily heartburn symptoms. 2) As many as 60% say that they’re experiencing these symptoms three or more times a week. 3) 75% of these people ALSO take Pepcid, Maalox and Tums. CNN gives you the facts you must know… "Fecal incontinence is the inability to control your bowel movements, causing stool (feces) to leak unexpectedly from your rectum. Also called bowel incontinence, fecal incontinence can range from an occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control…"
Science is finding out how valuable these tiny miracle workers are. As many as 498 different bacteria call your digestive system home. Most importantly, "friendly bacteria", also called probiotics, help you break down your food and absorb critically important vitamins, minerals and nutrients. They also stimulate your body’s vital immune system by increasing production of immune-boosting substances like IgA (immunoglobulin antibodies". Probiotics also help stop "unfriendly" micro-organisms from attaching themselves to you as well as helping to prevent the entry of allergens. If you have high cholesterol, these good guys bring your body back into balance by removing excess cholesterol. A study in the Journal of Dairy Science showed a whopping 17% increase in the ratio of "good" cholesterol to "bad" cholesterol. And that’s not all they do. They also crowd out the bad bacteria.
Imagine increasing your odds of getting a killer pneumonia by over 400%! It made headlines in U.S. News & World Report, an internationally respected magazine. The results of an antacid study of 500,000 people involving 149 doctors revealed the following little-known conclusion.
"People who have been taking acid-suppressing drugs were 4.5 times more likely to get pneumonia than people who hadn’t taken the drug…"
"Long-term use of antacids can result in side-effects, including diarrhea." say the National Institute of Health, Federal Government.
A meal you eat on Wednesday is still in your body on Saturday. Food takes up to 100 hours—that’s four days—to get through your body. After three or four days, food rots. Leave today’s lunch out for four days. Would you eat it then? Obviously not…but food is still in you 4 days later! Slowly rotting food causes gas. This undigested food builds up because you don’t have enough good bacteria and enzymes to digest it, so it remains an undigested painful lump, pumping out gas!
As you grow older, your level of friendly bacteria can drop dramatically. Your gastrointestinal tract (GI) should ideally contain 85% friendly microbes and 15% "unfriendly" bacteria. Sadly, for most people, those numbers are reversed, meaning 85% of the microbes are "bad" and only 15% are good. That’s why the #1 health complaint—worldwide—is poor digestion, constipation and diarrhea, lack of energy, toxins, irritated bowels and high cholesterol. You can, however, greatly increase your level of friendly microbes by using "Flora Source." Flora Source has 16 billion health-building cells in each capsule versus 1 billion for the leading competitor.
When you don’t have enough good bacteria to quickly and easily help you digest your food, the bad bacteria takes over, creating gas discharges. Gas causes pain and discomfort. Gas causes a swelling in your system—like blowing up a balloon. It can feel like a dull ache or a sudden sharp jabbing.
Some people use "Flora Source" to stimulate their entire digestive system by helping to produce essential vitamins and regulate their levels in your system. Flora Source works for you and can be obtained by calling 1-800-914-6311. The information here is the result of one of many of my sources for healthy eating, "Doctor’s Digestive Alert."
Also, the Healthy Living Organization reveals, "There is nothing more important to your health than a clean digestive system."

Phytonutrients Are The New Direction For Healing

2008-04-06T12:36:00.002-04:00

Phytonutrients Are The New Direction For Healing
Dr. Bruce West’s approach involves the use of the best designer of healing combinations - GOD!
His extensive research led to the discovery of phytonutrients—a complex combination of plant extracts, enzymes and vitamin and mineral complexes with remarkable healing powers. Using phytonutrients, Dr. West, who had a successful practice in medicine, decided that it was not enough to treat the symptoms of disease without addressing the real cause of sickness. The stunning results he achieved included many of the following types of diseases... Diabetes, Memory Loss, Vision Problems and Macular Degeneration, Cancer, Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Chronic Pain, Indigestion and Acid Reflux, Prostate Problems.
Dr. West is well-know as the doctor who has successfully treated and cured more patients with heart disease than any other doctor. He has successfully treated and dealt with the following: Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease, Hypertension, Mitral Valve Collapse, Arrhythmias and Atrial Fibrillation, Angina, Leaking Heart Valves, Cardiomyopathy, Heart Attacks, Strokes, Bypasses and Stents, High Cholesterol.
The key is how phytonutrients go beyond treating just outward symptoms and attack the underlying source of disease. I am living proof of the efficacy of using whole food to heal and correct problems related to the above cardiac problems. In 2003, a famous local cardiologist insisted that I would die in my sleep due to lack of oxygen to the brain when my pulse rate drops to 25 bpm. I didn’t take any of his medications, refused all the surgery he had to offer and five years later enjoy the benefits of a strong pulse, no noticeable arrhythmias and a normal pulse rate. This was all witnessed by the doctor himself and my wife and friends. The fact is that this approach has helped, healed or saved the lives of more than 72,000 people over the last three decades.
The problem is health screenings often turn up false findings or simply harmless conditions that are diagnosed as serious diseases. I see it every day amongst the seniors in my group. It was my own doctor, who told me in 1981, that there would be many who would want to operate on me, but the best advice he could give was, no surgery except when "code blue." You have nothing to lose when you are already dead. Following that advice saved my life on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, it decreased the large sums of money that would have been spent exacerbating the problem. I have trusted in food sources that provide me with the best phytonutrients to heal me and allow my brain to respond to any attacks with the electro-chemical response that is natural to healing.
Phytonutrients in vegetables are probably the best hope for stopping some of the most deadly and stubborn diseases.(Newsweek magazine). I have witnessed that as well. These remarkable compounds have nothing in common with the vitamins, supplements and so-called "natural" products sold in health stores, drug stores or on the internet. Most ordinary supplements and vitamins, like pharmaceuticals are totally synthetic. Isolating chemicals is not the same as the combination provided by nature in the foods we eat.
What are Phytonutrients?
Phytonutrients are therapeutic foods that are grown, harvested and properly produced without heat. They are a complex combination of plant-based phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins and minerals. My "Nutrition-Based-Regimen" is based on the herbs vitamins and minerals - what they do for you and what foods to eat to get them. The practice of using phytonutrients to heal may be on the cutting edge of medical science.
In my case, it saved me tens of thousands of dollars in medical costs and without the use of one heart pill. The heart medications exacerbated my original problem to the point that I was near death, before I realized that it wasn’t me - it was the pill the doctor ordered. They called him the "electrician" and since I wrote to "MedWatch", the building and all its offices are gone and replaced with a large "Walgreens." So you see, from my own experience, doctors can document the regimen that I used to strengthen my heart and allow me more time with my grandchildren.
Roasted and unsalted walnuts that can be added to salads, entrees, side dishes, baked desserts and my daily oatmeal - provide me with 2.5g of Omega 3 per serving. A serving is a quarter cup. In addition I enjoy my own "Yamsmash Pie" with walnuts, raisins, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon. A quarter cup of walnuts provides 10% Phosphorous, 10% Magnesium, 25% Copper and 50% Manganese. No sodium, 130 mg of Potassium, 2g of Dietary Fiber and less than 4g of sugar, 5g of Protein and no Trans Fat or Cholesterol. The serving contains 200 calories and so this dense food has to be taken in a measured amount - which is what you normally do with prescription drugs --when you are "on a diet". You might want to check it out at www.Aldi.com . Magnesium provides the electro-conductivity that improves the function of heart, muscles and nerves and it was my cardiologist who was first to recommend it for my arrhythmias. Bless him for that, because I haven’t revisited the ICCU since that date - more than a decade ago.
You’ll discover how phytonutrients are an all-natural approach to treating the real causes of disease—without the harmful side effects. Unfortunately, many doctors are too busy treating symptoms to have time to think about the side effects. But phytonutrients treat the cause of disease not the symptoms.
So many people with heart disease as well as cancer, arthritis, prostate problems, memory loss, vertigo, stroke and more are regaining their health and are leading normal lives simply by supplying their bodies with the nourishment they need. It’s a fact that most heart disease is caused by nutritional deficiencies. Fortunately, of all the organs in the human body, the heart is the most responsive to nutritional therapies.
Beware of stents, bypasses and angioplasties, says Dr. Bruce West, in his latest "The Health Reporter" (Spring 2008). He continues: "Because of your "abnormal" test results, you would be recommended for catheterization and angiography. Both procedures are dangerous and do absolutely nothing to treat the cause of heart disease." "The next stop on the road to your personal medical nightmare is an angioplasty, stent or heart bypass—along with a slew of toxic prescription drugs and their side effects." As each "repaired" vessel returns to its original diseased state, you’re forced to undergo more procedures until there’s no more tissue left to work with. In early 2004, the Medical Establishment finally admitted what Dr. West had published in Health Alert over 20 years ago.
"Mechanically opening arteries with stents, bypasses or balloon angioplasty is virtually useless for most heart patients." says Dr. Bruce West. So who really benefits from these procedures? There’s no legitimate scientific evidence that proves these procedures produce any long-lasting benefit to patients. In fact, the ones who benefit are the doctors, hospitals and specialized "heart clinics" that rake in billions of dollars every year to perform these procedures. Your own primary-care doctor will tell you that he will never question their opinion or suggest other alternatives. They just pass the buck.
And yet, drugs seem to be the only thing the Medical Establishment trusts. And big drug companies are spending billions of promotional dollars to ensure it stays that way.
One doctor wrote a book about 10 years ago called, "Why A Visit With Your Doctor Can Be Dangerous To Your Health." Tests are usually for the purpose of supporting more surgery, pills and procedures that has brought our national expense to the point where we spend over 17% of our gross national product and have a World Health Organization ranking of 45th in longevity and are considered one of the worst health care systems in the world.
So look out for the "Free Health Screening". Everyone is scared of cancer—a major killer. But some greedy health professionals have exploited that fear and made billions of dollars while ruining the health of thousands of healthy people. They do this by using disease mongering. That is creating a disease that is just not there. And cancer screenings are one way this is done.
Cancers that will not kill you or will disappear are extremely common. Yet when caught on sophisticated medical screening scans, they will most often be treated aggressively—often resulting in expensive and dangerous treatments that can turn your life upside down and drain your savings. False positives, "spots" and cancers that will never harm you are extremely common. One prime example is thyroid cancer. Experts know that almost all thyroids contain tiny cancers—yet relatively few people die from thyroid cancer. And according to the British Medical Journal, there are five false cancer diagnoses for every woman whose life is prolonged by early mammogram diagnosis of cancer.
Processed foods and their nutritional deficiencies, along with a lack of exercise are the major causes of diabetes in this nation. White flour is the foremost cause of high blood sugar and triglycerides and most recently High Fructose Corn Syrup is being noted on packages of Thomas’s English Muffins as an ingredient no longer used in their preparation.
To beat diabetes: Yo must exercise your muscles hard with weight lifting. You must use a phytonutrient protocol to rebuild your glucose tolerance mechanism that’s been destroyed by wheat, processed foods and sugars. You must read the ingredients in the foods you are eating and avoid overloading on high sugar content foods. Even yogurt will list as much as 39 - 45 grams of sugar in a 6 or 8 ounce container. And you thought that just eating yogurt had to place you amongst the healthy eaters!
The diabetes drug, Rezulin was recalled in March 2000 after causing 91 cases of liver failure and being suspected in the deaths of 391 patients. Two other commonly used drugs have now been found to potentially cause or worsen congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema.
Every year a quarter of a million Americans are killed by their prescription drugs. Millions more are seriously hurt or impaired. Impotency, amnesia, dizziness, heart problems and death are routine problems caused by prescription drugs.
Knowledge is a powerful way to keep you healthy and living a productive life. But you are the "deciderer" as a powerful man once said.
The fact is, research proves heart failure is most often caused by nutritional deficiency, infection, inflammation or prescription drugs! At 70, I learned the hard way, with a lot of effort, that the body is the best healer and whole food contains the best combination of nutrients needed to perform that task.

Pills Don't Protect Like Produce

2008-03-30T10:36:00.001-04:00

Only God has put together the perfect combination of ingredients to make up the phytonutrients that work best to keep the body, mind and spirit healthy.
Score fruits and vegetables a win over pills or even nutrition in pill form. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables has been linked to improved heart health. But in a large new study, taking supplements of the same nutrients found in produce failed to benefit women at risk for cardiovascular disease.
Antioxidant vitamins are thought to protect the body against oxidative damage-harm to cells caused by exposure to oxygen—which may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants also counteract compounds known as "free radicals," which may damage artery lining, encourage blood clots and alter the function of blood vessels.
The lead author of the new study, Nancy R. Cook, ScD., of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical school, explained, "Diets high in fruit and vegetable intake, and thus rich in such antioxidants, have been associated with reduced rates of coronary heart disease and stroke. Vitamins C and E and beta carotene are potential mediators of the apparent protective effect of a plan-based diet on cardiovascular disease."
Cook and colleagues tested the effects of these compounds in the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular study, which followed 8,171 women 40 years or older (average age 60.6) beginning in 1995 to 1996. The women either had a history of cardiovascular disease or three or more cardiac risk factors. They were randomly assigned to take 500 milligrams of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) or placebo every day; 600 international units (IU) of vitamin E or placebo every other day; and 50 milligrams of beta carotene or placebo every other day. Participants were followed up for the occurrence of heart events–including stroke, heart attack and bypass surgery–or death through 2005.
During the average study period of 9.4 years, 1,450 women suffered one or more cardiovascular events, including 274 heart attacks, 298 strokes, 889 coronary revascularization procedures (bypass-surgery or angioplasty) and 395 cardiovascular deaths (out of 995 deaths).
Neither antioxidant vitamin nor beta carotene showed a statistically significant benefit in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events. Taking the compounds in combination proved similarly disappointing., although women assigned to both vitamins C and E experienced fewer strokes.
"While additional research into combinations of agents, particularly for stroke, may be of interest," the authors concluded, "widespread use of these individual agents for cardiovascular protection does not appear warranted."
Contrary to recent, controversial research suggesting that supplements of antioxidant vitamins and beta carotene might actually be harmful (see the June 2006 Healthletter), the study at least found no harm from the pills.
So why don’t the compounds that promote heart health when consumed in food work the same way when popped as pills? "Single antioxidants may not reflect the complex vitamins and nutrients found in foods," according to Cook, "which may explain the discrepancies between most intervention trials and studies of fruits and vegetables.
You can learn more: Archives of Internal Medicine. Aug. 13, 2007; abstract at /
For specifics and more, you might want to read Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter : November 2007.
Lack of success in replicating nature’s food remedies has caused many patients to lose faith in a body of knowledge solely dependent on prescription drugs and surgery. If we are approach a time when prevention will be worth a pound of cure then we need to consider our kitchen and choice of healthy foods as the real source of good health. Integrative Doctors will have to go back to college or do the research required to bring them up to grade in a workable solution to improving our ratings worldwide when it comes to longevity, obesity, diabetes and cardiac events.
You are to be congratulated because you drove to this place on your own and are therefore accepting that your health is more a matter of your knowledge than the prescription pad in an HMO 15-minute session costing over $100. We can do better, but it will mean that each individual will have to revolutionize the way they live, what they eat and learn to live without the destructive sources of bad food and pills.

Medical Doctors Who Believe in Mother Nature

2008-03-16T16:50:00.002-04:00

Medical Doctors Who Believe In Mother Nature
I have often been critical of medical professionals who depend solely on prescription drugs and surgery, and so it is time to give credit where it is due. There were many doctors, through the years and even now, who offered advice that was not only valuable but healing.
Over 35 years ago, when I was smoking, a problem of swallowing became serious enough for me to seek medical counsel. X-rays and examination of my throat and tongue revealed a black fungal growth. While waiting in the dressing room, I prayed that I would never again smoke if only God would grant me a pardon for the stupid habit that led to this condition. The doctor didn’t operate, but he did suggest that I rub my tongue with a fresh lemon each morning, noon and night and swallow some fresh squeezed lemon. It did the trick and this medical doctor may have saved my life. The prayer and commitment to stop smoking also played a part in my longevity. On April 19, 1972 at 2 p.m. I stopped smoking - cold turkey - and determined never to be cursed with a habit that could kill me and deprive my children and grandchildren of the joy we have experienced since then.
A Pakistani doctor who has been my friend for more than 30 years and an excellent badminton player, was the first to teach me the natural way to cleanse my nasal passages and sinuses using cupped hands to allow the flow of a saline solution through my nose, down through my sinuses and then spit out. That led me to the neti-pot, sea salt and distilled water that keeps me healthy through the winter. It helped me with the continual problem I had with bronchial infection, pneumonia and a severe cough and fever every winter.
Syed S. U. Jaffri, M.D. believes in the value of prayer that serves the mind, body and spirit in a manner that makes us whole and free of anxiety, stress, and the problem of "fear, fright - fight or flight". He has a family practice and is a psychiatrist of the highest intelligence and skill - with many certificates of recognition - internationally.
Dilip Patel, M.D. is a medical doctor from India (an eye surgeon who is a doctor’s doctor) who expressed his belief that mother nature heals best. With kindness, caring and dedication he helped me with retinal detachment, using laser technology and therefore saved my sight. He is not hesitant to tell other patients of my effort to use food and nutrition to heal the body. He credited my use of the lutein, in the wild blueberries added to oatmeal every morning, for staving off the surgery that was originally predicted for my right eye. I can see well enough to drive at night with perfect clarity. God bless Dilip Patel, M.D. for his skill, caring and acceptance of the role of nutrition in healing my eyes.
In May of 1996 after spending 11 days in the cardiac monitoring unit with ventricular tachycardia, I was told that I required major surgery to alleviate serious arrhythmias. I went to Blase Sekovski, M.D. ( a cardiologist) who carefully examined me and did tests to determine the severity of my heart condition. It was this physician who brought me to the understanding of the value of magnesium in increasing the electro-conductivity in the body. He wrote the prescription for "Magonate", a combination of magnesium and gluconate which led me to start research on a nutrition-based-regimen to keep me out of the I. C. C. U. This wonderful physician is Macedonian and also fortified my belief in food as the best way to keep healthy. He brought Pomegranate to my attention. Pomegranate helps neutralize free radicals that may damage cells. This is a fruit concentrate and pomegranate seed that dates back to 3000 B.C. Only pomegranate, fig, olive, grape and date have the earliest recording of a domestic crop. The pomegranate was also praised in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the Babylonian Talmud and featured in Egyptian mythology. In Egypt, pomegranates were a symbol of safe passage into the next life and were found placed near treasures of King Tutankhamen. In Medieval textile motifs, the pomegranate is the symbol of Spain and a crowned pomegranate was the personal badge of Catherine of Aragon.
My personal physician, Lester S. Sielski, M.D., very supportive and was the first to document the blood work that led Ralph J. Argen, M.D. to encourage me to write the book "Make Eating A Lifestyle Change."
Sanford H. Levy, M.D. could no longer restrict himself to the regimen of typical approaches to healing and became an "Integrative Medicine" practitioner. His web site reveals the deep feelings and soul-searching this physician went through to cross over to a more inclusive approach to healing - which is not supported by health insurance plans. He examined my friend who was had stage four melanoma. Dr. Levy told my friend that he was fortunate to have my counsel and respected the research I did regarding a "whole food" approach to living healthy. My friend lived, independently, in his own apartment and played tennis to within two months of his death. He answered the door, when Hospice arrived to take him to die pain-free - the last week of his life.
So you see, the change we are all looking for is taking place. The technological revolution gave people the ability to keep up with the research. We are finding ways to avoid spending more money, than any other country on the planet and leaving behind almost 50 million people. You are part of that, because you are taking the time to find a better way. You can avoid the pitfalls of a failed health care system that ranks us as 45th in longevity of all the industrialized nations of the world. Choose a doctor who is open-minded and willing to put in the time to learn about the latest research findings. An "Integrative Medicine Doctor" is one who is willing to approach your health issues using a broader spectrum of modalities.