Archive for May, 2009

      1.      When our immune system is strong, we have few colds or infections and our energy level is high.

2.      When we use positive thinking, meditation, and prayer and have a strong family support system, we are much more effective at warding off disease.

3.      The trillions of cells which make up our body for the most part live only a few weeks and then are replaced. Some organs like the brain and the heart replace their cells about every three months.

4.      Free radicals are produced when oxygen and glucose produce energy.

5.      Exposure to the sun produces free radicals.

6.      Radiation therapy to treat cancer depends on free radicals generated by the radiation to kill the cancer cells.

7.      Between the ages of twenty and seventy, maximum breathing capacity declines approximately 40 percent.

8.      The average life of an American born today is 77.9 years.

(Facts taken from the book The Longevity Factor, Dr. Joseph Maroon)

As scientists continue to explore the different molecules and genes, they are finding ways which not only lengthen life but also keep up the quality of life. Who wants to live to be 100 if the last 10 years are filled with disease and dementia?

Dr. Joseph Maroon, a noted neuroscientist and surgeon, takes a definitive look at recent scientific breakthroughs indentifying a group of natural substances that can actually activate a specific set of genes in humans that promote a longer, healthier life. The combination of substances which make red wine, dark chocolate, and green tea good for us seem to put off an array of age-related illnesses.

Resveratrol, which is making news everywhere today, has been isolated by scientists at Harvard Medical School and others, to become affordable and a safe supplement. With these natural ingredients what will become of the pharmaceutical companies? I personally have lowered my cholesterol with omega-3 and no longer take statin drugs (my doctor is watching closely because she wants me back on statin drugs. And that’s what she has been educated to do).

Dr Maroon goes back to Mendal’s experiment with peas in 1856 and brings us through the years how science has isolated genes, chromosomes, cells, DNA, RNA, and on and on. Now they have found out how the skin of red grapes, the green tea and the omega-3 can lengthen our life and increase our vitality. His book THE LONGEVITY FACTOR will give you the answers.

If we would but take the time to learn how we can be healthier, we would find that it would be easier to give up our bad habits of eating empty calories and enjoy a more disease free life.

To your health!

Omega Longevity is a new product of Nordic Naturals. It takes their Ultimate Omega and adds supplement levels of resveratrol and green tree extract. As its name infers Omega Longevity helps protect cells and tissues from the damage associated with aging.

The Omega Longevity contains:

·         455mg EPA, 315mg DHA, 126mg other Omega-3

·         129 mg Resveratrol

·         500mg Green Tea Extract

·         98% polyphenols (490mg)

·         75% catechins (375mg)

·         45% EGCG (225mg)

Resveratrol, Green Tea and Fish Oil are all heavily researched for longevity. With their patented formula Nordic Naturals offers an effective dose of each nutrient in two caps at a comparative low price.

We are all constantly getting ads showing the benefits of resveratrol, green tea and fish oil. Now we can get that on one package.

Dr Joseph Maroon has just come out with his new book THE LONGEVITY FACTOR points out how resveratrol and red wine activate genes for a longer and healthier life.

It’s your life.

There has been research since the 1970s showing a connection between synthetic food colorings and behavioral and other problems especially in children. Dr. Andrew Weil mentions that the British government declared that artificial coloring used in foods must bear a warning label. So multinational companies like Kraft, Mars, and McDonald’s use few if any synthetic coloring in products made for the UK. The story is not the same here. Now the US government is looking into following the UK lead.

The food manufacturers use synthetic petroleum-based coloring agents to give color to bland looking foods. Now manufacturers are using natural alternatives for foods designed for the UK.

For your own health and safety read the labels of packaged foods to see if they contain synthetic dyes. There is a database at www.iatp.org which is available to check for artificial dyes.

You can read the whole article in Dr. Andrew Weil’s April 2009 newsletter.

Jack L. Samuels, President, Truth in Labeling Campaign presented a paper to The Weston A Price Annual Convention  in November 2008, that begins:
In providing you with information on MSG’s effect on neurological function, I will provide you with some of the history regarding MSG, some of what is now known regarding its toxic potential, particularly as it affects behavior and neurological function.  I will also provide you with some of the questionable practices of the glutamate industry in their efforts to demonstrate the safety of their product, and the efforts currently underway to replace some or all MSG with a product that may be equally dangerous.

This article can be found at http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Jack_Weston%20A.%20Price%20speech-22.htm and is well worth reading.

The article points out how companies and organizations try to keep the truth from us.

As we age we see a loss of organ reserve, not only do our muscles get weaker, many other factors play in as well as our bodies seem to grow old. But the biggest factor contributing to the deterioration of our body is nutrition. Most people still do not eat a good diet with the food that is responsible for building us up. We consume too many omega-6 oils (safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed as well as others). We need to increase our consumption of omega-3 oils (fish oil supplements, flax seed, and others). Omega-3 is an anti-inflammatory essential fatty oil which improves the elasticity of every cell in our body. Cells that are hydrated and oxygenated work at an optimal level and reverse the aging process. With a smooth functioning, healthy body we see our energy levels rise. More and more studies tell us that as we take the proper nutrients, and not drugs, there is less likelihood of disease. Disease is not natural or normal. We bring it upon ourselves by improper eating and taking too many drugs. Drugs are sometimes needed in some cases but the widespread use of drugs in America is making us a sicker nation than any other industrialized nation in the world.

If you want to live a long healthy life examine what you are doing—eat properly, meditate, exercise, and breathe deeply.

Nutrigenomics is a new science of how your genes interact with nutrients. It is the study of how DNA and your genetic code affect your need for certain nutrients and helps to maintain optimal health throughout our life. So it examines how food affects your genes. The type of diet you eat can turn certain genes on or off. Think of the next time you eat you are actually talking to your genes.

Many brain disorders are caused by the imbalance in our lives. Poor diet—sugar, trans fat, food allergens, toxins; Stress; and, Lack of exercise may cause brain disorder. These conditions create inflammation which causes the body to react in different ways.

Sensitivity to gluten or dairy or nutritional deficiencies could lead to ADHD, depression, dementia and other ailments. Prepackaged food, processed, altered, hybridized foods like high fructose corn syrup, trans-fat, food additives and pesticides in food harm the brain.

For more information on this subject check out the May issue of Twin Cities Naturally with Dr. Mark Hyman’s interview.

It’s everywhere! What are you eating?

Despite the great variety of “foods” in the supermarket, it all comes back to corn.

Corn is the feed the steer eats that becomes the steak. Corn feeds the chicken and the pig, the turkey and the lamb, the catfish and the tilapia. And today it even feeds the salmon, a carnivore by nature that fish farmers are reengineering to tolerate corn. The cows that once grazed on grass are now fed corn. (1)

Now these salmon which once fed in the open waters are farm-raised on corn. The danger comes from the corn that does not contain omega-3 but rather omega-6. So when you buy farm raised salmon you are getting more omega-6. To get salmon for omega-3 you must buy wild salmon. The problem arises when we should be eating a ratio of one part omega-3 to 2 or 3 parts omega-6, we’re actually getting one part omega-3 to 17 to 25 parts omega-6. Omega-3 lowers inflammation. Omega-6 raises inflammation. Inflammation in the arteries helps create plaque and the possibilities of stroke and heart disease. Omega-3 reduces inflammation and lowers cholesterol.

(1)    Pollan, Michael, The Omnivores Dilemma, Penguin Books, 2006, p. 18

As I write this blog on health and wellness I too am learning. In fact just last September I started learning so much about vitamin D. And it’s one of the most studied vitamins. Omega-3 and omega-6 should be in balance but because of our eating habits it’s out of control in the United States. Refined foods have lost most of their nourishment. And I’m not the only one learning. Several doctors I have talked with actually know less than I do in several areas.

The good news is that more and more we see East meeting West in our search for healthy lifestyles. The other day I read in our Star Tribune that schools are taking out party snacks for children. The sugar binge is making our children obese along with other refined foods.

Have you thought of reframing you perspective on how you look at food? I talked with a fellow the other evening, a Nigerian who was born in London. When he came to the U.S. six years ago he was lean and healthy. Then he started eating like a typical American and has grown substantially. He also said his wife serves food on very large plates. When he goes overseas to visit friends he is much larger than they are now. Does this tell us something about our diet?

Let’s reframe our lifestyles. Psychologist Albert Ellis pioneered the concept of reframing with his Rational Emotive Therapy. He sought to help people replace irrational beliefs and perceptions with rational realistic statements. When negative thoughts pop into your mind spontaneously, Ellis would say you should challenge and asses these thoughts. Don’t accept them automatically.

Reframing your thoughts could have positive effects on your heart, your brain and your whole system. Learn to lower the stress in your life and you will be healthier.

The NPD Market Research Group presented findings that consumer consumption of whole grains has risen 20% since the change in US dietary guidelines  and the introduction of the Whole Grain Stamp. We still have a long way to go but we are moving in the right direction. Whole grains are found naturally in products such as whole wheat, oatmeal, popcorn and brown rice. Actually whole grains are found in any grain that has retained it’s starchy endosperm, fiber-rich bran and germ after milling. Whole grains provide high levels of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They have also played a part in lower risk for a number of diseases, including heart disease and diabetes.

You can read the whole story on www.nutraingredients-USA.com, April 27, 2009