Topics of Interest

Luck of the Irish

St. Patty’s Day may evoke thoughts of corned beef, potatoes and beer, but the Irish foods to really look at for health include cabbage, kale, tomatoes, onions and carrots.  Maybe the traditional luck of the Irish came from more than just leprechauns, maybe it came from all the hearty vegetables in their diet.

Cabbage

• Contains glucosinolates, which research shows to have anti-cancer properties, especially colon, prostate and bladder cancer.
• Cabbage juice linked to healing stomach ulcers and regulation of digestive tract bacteria H. Pylori.
• Excellent source of vitamin C and vitamin K as well as folate and fiber.
• Eat a combination of steamed and raw cabbage in order to have different nutrient profiles available to your body.

Carrots

• Linked to protection against cardiovascular disease in 10 year research study.
• Lab studies show carrot extracts inhibit colon cancer cell growth.
• Carrot consumption associated with lower risk of glaucoma and cataracts.
• Excellent source of vitamin A as well as vitamin K, fiber and vitamin C.
• Best to steam or eat raw.
• Standard Process Supplements include Cataplex A, Cataplex A-C, Cataplex A-C-P, A-F Betafood, and Whole Food Fiber.

Kale

• Excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A and manganese as well as fiber, calcium and potassium.
• Steamed kale has cholesterol lowering properties.
• Studies have linked Kale to lowering the risk of having cancers of the breast, colon, ovaries, prostate and bladder.
• Kale’s glucosinolates are linked to cellular detoxification as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
• Standard Process Supplements include Cruciferous Complete and SP Green Food.

Tomatoes

• Linked to lower risk of heart disease, certain cancers, bone health as well as Alzheimer’s prevention.
• Excellent source for vitamins A, C and K as well as B6, potassium, folate and fiber.
• Best to eat with the skin as there is a higher lycopene content.
• Support cardiovascular health by lowering overall cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and reduces blood platelet aggregation.

Onions

• High flavonoid and poly-phenol content.
• Diet rich in onions reduces risk of colo-rectal, laryngeal, ovarian, oral and esophageal cancers.
• Very good source of vitamin C, B6, fiber and molybdenum.

Potatoes

• Good source of potassium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fiber, and manganese.
• Currently being studied for kukoamines which are known to have blood-pressure lowering effects.
• Although the high starch content worries some, potatoes also contain 60+ phytochemicals and vitamins and have comparable phenolic content to  broccoli, spinach, and brussel sprouts.
• Best to eat with the skin, as this is a concentrated source of fiber and nutrients.
• Prepare by baking or steaming; avoid deep frying which can produce the carcinogenic by products acrylamides.
• Purchase organic options because potatoes commonly have higher pesticide residue.

Nutritional Chart of Traditional Irish Fruits and Vegetables

Spring Cleaning

Although the official season of Winter is still upon us, the current warm weather means early spring cleaning is already underway in some households.  Why risk your family’s health and pay extra money for chemical household cleaners when you can use safe and cheap alternatives?

Here are a few reasons to choose simple alternative cleaning products

Your Health The list of potential health hazards goes on and on for household cleaners including central nervous system and brain damage, kidney and liver damage, reproductive damage, endocrine disruption, respiratory irritation, skin and eye irritation including potential blindness, cancer, and in some cases exposure to the chemicals can be acutely fatal (i.e. if you mix ammonia and bleach you create toxic chloramine gas).

Kids Health and Poisons  If you have children in your home, their health will be more susceptible to chemical influences including development of respiratory illnesses such as asthma.  If you have ever read the bottles of some common cleaners you may already know they can be poisonous if consumed; did you know that almost 90% of poison exposures occur in the home, and over 50% of those are from children under the age of 6.  The National Capital Poison Center states “Most poisonings involve everyday household items such as cleaning supplies, medicines, cosmetics and personal care items”.

The Environment  All the cleaners you put into the sink, toilet, bathtub or shower go into the sewage system, which  means that vegetation, soil, and wildlife (including fish you may eat) can all be chemically polluted.  Sewage can also end up in rivers and oceans that people swim in and drinking water must be treated to remove chemicals.

Bacterial Resistance  Researchers from the University of Ireland found that when they added increasing amounts of disinfectant to the bacteria culture of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the bugs survived not just the disinfectant, but a commonly prescribed antibiotic (ciprofloxacin) as well, even without being exposed to it.  This means that excessive use of chemical disinfectants may develop stronger harmful bacteria.

Money Locally you can buy a 1 gallon container of vinegar for around $4.00, a 1 lb box of baking soda for $2-3, and a 32 oz bottle of hydrogen peroxide for $2.  You can make a bottle of your own window cleaner for about 50 cents versus $3 or $4 for the blue stuff.

Alternative Cleaning Products

• Water
• Distilled white vinegar
• Baking soda
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Borax
• Castile soap
• Cornstarch
• Tea tree oil
• Elbow grease

Instead of bleach for disinfecting just about anything from countertops to fruits and veggies use vinegar, then hydrogen peroxide.  Get 2 separate spray bottles and fill one with vinegar and the other with hydrogen peroxide (do not mix the two).  Spray the surface with vinegar first and wipe, then with hydrogen peroxide.  In tests run at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, pairing the two mists killed virtually all Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli bacteria on heavily contaminated food and surfaces when used in this fashion, making this spray combination more effective at killing these potentially lethal bacteria than chlorine bleach or any commercially available kitchen cleaner.

If you want some extra motivation to switch, go read all the caution labels for the products you are currently using (this includes “green” products, many of which can still be harmful).  Why not take the extra few minutes to change for your health and pocket book?  And most importantly, don’t forget the magic of plain old water and elbow grease.

Love and Health

Happy Valentine’s Day!  To celebrate, we thought it would be appropriate to share some healthful ideas related to love.  The concept of “love” may seem immeasurable, however numerous clinical studies have been conducted that measure and reveal the affects that love has on the human brain and general well being.

To reap the health benefits of love, contact does not need to come from a romantic relationship – healthy friendships, family relationships, parenting, general social contact, and self-love can all provide healthful advantages.

For expecting or new mothers, here’s an interesting case study to consider regarding loving physical contact with children.

Psychoanalytic psychiatrist Rene Spitz conducted a study which involved two groups of babies.  One group of babies was cared for with good hygiene and excellent physical care but received little if any individual love or attention. This group became physically and emotionally stunted. Most could not walk or talk even at the age of four. “Within two years 37 percent … had died from infection.”  In contrast, a second group of babies was cared for in a prison nursery that was “far dirtier” but received loving affection from their mothers each day. “Not a single one of the second group of children succumbed to infection during the five-year period of Spitz’s study.”

On the more romantic side of  things, a US News and World Report revealed, “Those who engage in frequent sex have a better sense of smell, lower rate of heart disease, improved physical fitness (probably because they’re motivated to work out), and healthier body weight.”  Don’t go jumping into bed with everyone you meet, but recognize the value that a healthy relationship can provide.

On a molecular level, the hormone Oxytocin (aka “the love hormone”) is responsible for regulating dopamine release into the brain.  Dopamine is a chemical that can make you “feel good” by giving you extra energy and motivation and decreasing pain – when falling in love or having loving interactions with others these hormones and chemicals boost your feelings of well being and mood.  Relaxing and having lowered stress is linked to health benefits such as a stronger immune system.

Love can be developed in many ways, here are a few tips to start today!

• Focus on a proper intake of nutrients such as selenium, iron, zinc, b vitamins and vitamin D.  Deficiencies can cause changes in mood or depression, which can make it difficult to want to interact with other people.
• Make a goal to give/receive 3 hugs per day, start with 1 if you have to.
• If you have a partner, go for a walk and hold hands, this will get you a dose of dopamine from the exercise and the warm contact.
• Meditate or pray for yourself and others, which allows you to mentally focus on positive loving feelings.

• If you don’t feel you have many family or friends to rely on, volunteer in an environment where you can be around other people.  Not only will you be giving care to others, you will introduce yourself to new potential social relationships.

Valuable vaccination information

Vaccinations are a controversial issue these days. Are they safe? Are they effective? Are they really mandatory?

If we choose to vaccinate, how can we protect ourselves from the unwanted side effects or reactions?

If we choose not to vaccinate, how can we protect ourselves from the dangers of disease? What about waiver forms?

Our office can provide you with resources of databases, published research and general information. This will assist you in navigating the differing perspectives that we all hear from so many sources, and to then make the best choices for your own personal situation.

Heart Surgeon Admits Huge Mistake!

By Dwight Lundell, MD

Part 1 of a 2-part article (see part 2 below)

We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong.. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labeled “opinion makers.” Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.

It Is Not Working!

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.

The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications an despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.

Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.

Inflammation is not complicated — it is quite simply your body’s natural defense to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,
a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.

What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body? Well, smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.

The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. Let me repeat that. The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet that has been recommended for years by mainstream medicine.

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.

In Part 2 of this two-part article, I’ll discuss which foods cause inflammation, how those foods trigger the inflammatory process, and the foods to eat that will cure inflammation.

Part 2

by Dwight Lundell MD 02/06/2009

Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. Let’s say you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now.

Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation.

While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed with omega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone.

How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick?

Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works.

When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat.

What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.

While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator ? inflammation in their arteries.

Let’s get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6’s are essential ? they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell ? they must be in the correct balance with omega-3’s.

If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation. Today’s mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That’s a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today’s food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy.

To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer’s disease, as the inflammatory process continues
unabated.

There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils.

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation-causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them. One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef.

Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labeled polyunsaturated. Forget the “science” that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today.

The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers.

What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital, Mesa, AZ. His private practice, Cardiac Care Center was in Mesa, AZ. Recently Dr. Lundell left surgery to focus on the nutritional treatment of heart disease. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation that promotes human health with a focus on helping large corporations promote wellness. He is the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie]

The ‘Other’ Sweetener That’s Made from Sugar, but is Closer to DDT

Researchers recently investigated sucralose (Splenda) to see if it could reduce hunger and keep blood sugar steady.  They found that it could not.

The researchers hoped to find that sucralose could cause the intestine to produce a hormone that reduces blood sugar and decreases appetite, which prior study had indicated might be a possibility. But the effect did not occur when it was ingested orally — hunger remained the same and the blood sugar remained the same.

According to FYI Living:

“Worse, other research has shown that artificial sweeteners might contribute to weight gain … [when the] sweet taste is not accompanied by the calories (energy) our brain expects it to be, the complex systems our bodies have to regulate energy balance may be thrown off kilter.  The result is that a diet high in artificial sweeteners may possibly, over time, cause people to seek out more calories from other sources”.

Sources:

FYI Living March 10, 2011

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition April 2011; 65(4):508-13

Avoiding sugar is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle, but, instead of consuming a naturally low-sugar diet based on whole foods, some people are still trying to have their cake and eat it too.

Unfortunately, the belief that artificial sweeteners can allow you to have the best of both worlds is simply not based in reality. It’s a carefully orchestrated deception. So if you’re still consuming artificially sweetened foods, snacks and beverages because you think it’ll help you manage your weight, please understand that you’ve been sorely misled.

In reality, “diet” foods and drinks ruin your body’s ability to count calories, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. This effect appears to be true for all artificial sweeteners.

Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as  acceptable and even preferred alternatives to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst seriously damaging the health of those who listen to this well-intentioned but foolish advice.

Artificial Sweeteners INCREASE Your Risk of Obesity

Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity!

How’s that for being misled?

Studies have repeatedly shown that consuming artificial sweeteners may be ruining your ability to control your food intake and body weight. For example, I have listed the results of six studies on aspartame that found it increases hunger and body weight on my Aspartame Studies page, and research on other artificial sweeteners have come to the same conclusion.

It’s thought that consuming artificial sweeteners breaks the inherent connection between a sweet taste and a high-calorie food, thereby changing your body’s ability to regulate your intake of calories. The end result is that by consuming artificially sweetened foods and beverages, you end up gaining more body fat than if you were to eat the same foods sweetened with regular sugar!

But weight gain isn’t the only health-harming side effect of these man-made chemical sweeteners.

Splenda Destroys Your Gut Flora

Different artificial sweeteners have been found to wreak havoc in a number of different ways. Aspartame, for example, has a long list of studies indicating its harmful effects, ranging from brain damage to pre-term delivery.

Splenda (sucralose) has been found to be particularly damaging to your intestines.

A study published in 2008 found that Splenda:

• Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent
• Increases the pH level in your intestines, and
• Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you’re on certain medications like chemotherapy, or treatments for AIDS and certain heart conditions

They also found unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to previous claims.

In response to this study, James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health issued the following statement:

“The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study … confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label.”

I agree. It’s truly disturbing that Splenda can destroy up to 50 percent of your healthy intestinal bacteria, as these bacteria are absolutely vital for supporting your general health!  Many people are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to consuming too many highly processed foods. This is why a high quality probiotic is one of the very few supplements I highly recommend for most, if not all, people.

Believe me, if you continually destroy up to half of your gut flora by regularly consuming Splenda, then poor health is virtually guaranteed!

Splenda has Never Been Proven Safe for Human Consumption

Splenda was approved by the FDA as a tabletop- and general-purpose sweetener in processed foods in 1998. The FDA claims the approval was based on more than 110 animal and human safety studies. However, what they don’t specify was that out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, consisting of a combined total of 36 people, of which only 23 people actually ingested sucralose.

Additionally, the longest of these two human trials lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance!

The remainder of those 110-plus “safety studies” were done on animals, and they actually revealed plenty of problems, such as:

• Decreased red blood cells — sign of anemia — at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
• Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
• Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.)
• Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
• A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group

Common Side Effects of Splenda

The web site www.truthaboutsplenda.com lists a variety of consumer complaints from Splenda consumption, such as:

If you have ever suffered any side effects from taking Splenda or any artificially sweetened product, I strongly recommend reporting  it to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area.

Splenda—”Made from Sugar” But More Similar to DDT…

That’s right.

The catchy slogan “Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar” has fooled many, but chemically, Splenda is actually more similar to DDT than sugar.

Sucralose starts off with a sugar molecule, yes, but that’s where the similarity ends. (A sucrose molecule is a disaccharide that contains two single sugars bound together, i.e. glucose and fructose.) Then, in a five-step patented process, three chlorine molecules are added to that sucrose (sugar) molecule.

This process converts the sugar molecule to a fructo-galactose molecule.

This type of sugar molecule does not occur in nature, and therefore your body does not possess the ability to properly metabolize it. As a result of this “unique” biochemical make-up, McNeil Nutritionals makes its claim that Splenda is not digested or metabolized by the body, hence it has zero calories.

But, if you look at the research, you will find that an average of 15 percent of sucralose IS in fact absorbed into your digestive system, and ultimately is stored in your body. To reach the average number of 15 percent means that some people absorb more and some people absorb less, depending on your biochemical makeup.

If you are healthy and your digestive system works well, you may be at HIGHER risk for breaking down this product in your stomach and intestines, so for you the adverse reactions may be more acutely felt.

How to Kick the Artificial Sweetener Habit

Sweet cravings are very common for the simple reason that sugar is as addictive as cocaine. Unfortunately, switching to artificial sweeteners will neither reduce these cravings nor increase your satiety. On the contrary, as discussed above, you’re likely making matters worse.

Your body also craves sweets when you’re denying it the fuel it needs. Sugar (and grain carbs) is very quick fuel and can give your body a boost when it’s running low. Again, using artificial sweeteners does not trick your body into thinking it has had its fill; rather it wants more sweets because it didn’t get the energy boost with that sweet taste!

Interestingly, nutrition- and fitness expert Ori Hofmekler recently shared a fascinating benefit of caffeine that can be helpful here. If you like coffee, drinking organic black coffee (meaning without sugar or milk) can help eliminate sugar cravings because the caffeine is an opioid receptor antagonist.

As you may know, sugar binds to the same opioid receptors as cocaine and other addictive substances. But once an opioid receptor antagonist occupies that receptor, it prohibits you from becoming addicted to something else. Therefore, caffeine may attenuate the addictive impact of sugar.

There are a few caveats to using this strategy however, including:

• Only drink organic coffee (as it’s one of the most pesticide-heavy crops there are)
• Drink it black, sans sugar/artificial sweeteners or milk
• Only drink coffee in the morning, prior to exercise
• Limit your consumption to one or two cups

I highly recommend addressing the emotional component of your food cravings, using a tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). It’s one of the most profoundly effective tools I’ve ever used or researched to help overcome food cravings and reach dietary success.

Turbo Tapping is particularly useful if you’re addicted to soda. It’s an extremely effective and simple tool to get rid of your addiction in a short period of time.

Get the White Out of Baby’s First Foods

Almost every childcare book offers the same advice about a baby’s first solid meal — start them first on rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. This has been received wisdom for 60 years.

But this is because in the 1950′s, baby food companies launched an advertising blitz trumpeting the benefits of white rice cereal.

But there is no scientific basis for this recommendation. None at all. And now, concerned about increasing childhood obesity, some pediatricians want to change how babies eat.

If babies are getting used to the taste of highly processed white rice and flour, it could set them up for a lifetime of bad habits.

USA Today reports:

“White rice — after processing strips away fiber, vitamins and other nutrients — is a ‘nutritional disaster’ … White rice and flour turn to sugar in the body ‘almost instantly,’ … raising blood sugar and insulin levels.”

If you want to give your baby the best start nutritionally, do not follow the advice in most baby books encouraging you to start feeding rice cereal. Other than breast milk or formula, rice is the number one source of calories for infants in the first year of life, according to Stanford University pediatrician Alan Greene, and this is a nutritional disaster.

Optimal Nutrition for the First Year of Life

Ideally, your baby should be breastfed exclusively — meaning no other food or water is supplemented — for at least the first 6 months. Then, at the age of 6 or 9 months, you can begin to supplement with solid foods (while still continuing to breastfeed as well).

Choosing what those solid foods will be is incredibly important, but unfortunately most pediatricians encourage their patients to start rice cereal at about 4 to 6 months of age. White rice is a refined carbohydrate, a group of highly processed, nutritionally devoid foods that have been linked to increased rates of heart disease, insulin resistance, eye damage and cancer in adults, and are worthless nutritionally for infants as well.

Feeding infants cereal has been associated with an increased risk of type 1 diabetes and may prime your baby’s appetite for a lifetime of processed carbs in the form of white bread, cookies and cakes.

A diet based on these types of refined carbs is responsible for many bulging stomachs and fat rolls in thighs and chins, and even worse, high insulin levels that lead to diabetes and suppress two other important hormones — glucagons and growth hormones — that are responsible for burning fat and sugar and promoting muscle development, respectively.

Insulin from excess carbohydrates promotes fat, and then wards off your body’s ability to lose that fat. Excess weight and obesity not only lead to heart disease but also a wide variety of other diseases later in life.

What Should Your Baby’s First Solid Food Be?

You can easily cross any form of grain-based infant cereal off of this list. When flour is refined to make cereal, the most nutritious part of the grain is removed, so the flour essentially becomes a form of sugar.

When you feed your baby a bowl of infant cereal, picture yourself dipping directly into your sugar bowl and feeding baby a spoon or two, because that’s essentially what it amounts to.

So what’s a better option?

Egg yolk.

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, egg yolk should be your baby’s first solid food, starting as early as 4 months, whether your baby is breastfed or formula-fed. Egg yolks from free-range hens will contain the special long-chain fatty acids so critical for the optimal development of your child’s brain and nervous system.

However, the egg whites may cause an allergic reaction so they’re best avoided until your child is at least 1 year old.

Here’s a simple, healthy recipe you may want to try:

• 1 organic egg from a pasture-fed (free-range) chicken
• 1/2 teaspoon grated raw, frozen organic liver (optional)
• pinch natural unprocessed salt

Boil the egg for 3 1/2 minutes. Place in a bowl and peel off the shell. Remove the egg white and discard. The yolk should be soft and warm, not hot, with its enzyme content intact. Sprinkle with a small amount of natural salt.

If you wish to add liver, grate it on the small holes of a grater while frozen. Allow to warm up and stir into the egg yolk.

After that, freshly pureed, organic vegetables are an excellent option. The following foods are soft and packed with nutrition for young infants:

• Mashed avocado
• Sweet potato
• Cooked peas or carrots

A few months later, as more teeth begin to erupt and the GI tract epithelium begins to mature, you can add even more variety, including:

• Cooked greens, finely chopped or pureed, such as kale, chard, collards, spinach
• Squashes, such as butternut, acorn and other winter squashes
• Mashed asparagus
• Raw nut butters
• Seaweeds that become soft on soaking, such as wakame or nori

From there you can expand even more, including:

• Chicken, turkey or other meat (organic and pasture-raised/grass-fed preferably)
• Eggs
• Raw milk cheese or raw milk yogurt

How to Introduce Solid Foods

Your baby will give you signs that he’s ready to start eating solid foods. He should be able to sit up with support, reach for toys and mouth his hands or toys. Your baby may also begin to watch you more intently as you eat, open his mouth like you do when you eat or reach for food off your plate.

When introducing new foods, do so one at a time at intervals of two to three days. This helps your baby get used to the food and will also help you reveal any food sensitivities or allergies. Small serving sizes, even just a spoonful or two, are best to start.

As your infant gets older you can progress from pureed foods to finger foods she can feed herself, but be sure they are chopped small enough so they are not a choking hazard. Raisins, nuts, popcorn and other small foods should not be given to young infants because of the choking risk.

Be Wary of Commercial Baby Foods

I have clear memories of Gerber baby food products when my twin brother and sister (who are 11 years younger than me) were growing up. I thought that was the best food they could possibly have, and I held that impression even into medical school.

But the truth is, outside of breast milk, the best foods you can give your baby are those you prepare fresh at home. Store-bought versions just cannot compare, and often contain unhealthy ingredients your baby is far better off without.

For instance, Mead Johnson’s Enfagrow, a nutritional supplement for toddlers, is little more than fortified milk with added sugar. The first three ingredients on the label are just that: whole milk, nonfat milk and sugar. Other weaning biscuits for toddlers can contain up to 29 percent sugar or even contain trans fats, both of which are simply atrocious for adults, let alone infants.

Even organic baby foods can contain excessive amounts of processed salt, or may expose your infant to toxic contaminants like BPA from plastic containers, even if the content itself is agreeable.

When you make homemade baby food, however, you have complete control over the ingredients; no unresolved questions about potential additives, preservatives, mysterious “natural flavors,” and so on.

Yes, it may require a little more time — but in the end, it’s up to you to decide what the health of your family is worth to you.

Simply cooking a squash or sweet potato, mashing it up and putting it into an ice cube tray is an easy way to have ready-made multiple servings available for the rest of the week.

As your child gets older, he can eat most of the same types of foods that you do, simply pureed into a softer form or cut into very small toddler-sized pieces. As with your own diet, whole foods — not processed “pseudo-foods” — will give your infant the best nutritional start possible.

Sources:

• USA Today December 1, 2010
• Dr. Mercola December 20, 2010

The Best Foods for the Skin to Make it Healthy and Beautiful

If you really want beautiful skin, do the same things you would do to strengthen your heart, control your weight, lift your mood and live longer and better: Get regular exercise, sleep enough and eat well.

Discovery Health suggests a number of foods to look at if you want a beautiful-skin diet.  Here are a few of their suggestions:

Nuts

The benefits of nuts — especially almonds — have to do with antioxidant activity. Vitamin E fights skin-aging free radicals, and also helps your skin hold in moisture.

Red and Green Vegetables

Orange-red vegetables are full of beta-carotene. Your body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which prevents cell damage and premature aging.  Spinach and other green, leafy foods provide lots of vitamin A, too.

Citrus Fruits

Vitamin C aids in your body’s production of collagen, which is the protein that forms the basic structure of your skin. Collagen breakdown can leave your skin saggy, and vitamin C will help tighten it back up.

The real “fountain of youth” is a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Without this foundation, no amount of creams and potions will alter the look and feel of your skin to any great degree. In fact, your complexion reveals a lot about your diet and overall health.

Foods with a Detrimental Impact on Your Complexion

When it comes to proper nutrition for a healthy, youthful complexion, you need to know both what to eat and what to avoid. Loading up on certain skin-clearing foods while still eating some of the most damaging will likely not make a significant impact.

For example, insulin and leptin resistance are major accelerants of the aging processes, which affect both your inside and outside, so it’s important to keep your insulin and leptin levels low if you want to maintain a youthful look—not to mention optimal health.

The most effective way to do this is by reducing or eliminating grains and sugar, especially fructose, in your diet. What this means is, if you want to get the benefits from the foods I’ll discuss below, you may also want to skip the soda…

Drugs and alcohol are clearly enemies of a glowing complexion, but processed foods, trans fats, processed table salt, and pasteurized dairy products are also common culprits.

Clear Skin Begins Inside Your Body

Donna Gates, author of The Body Ecology Diet offers great advice on how to improve your complexion through your diet and explains why foods have such a profound impact on your skin.

In a nutshell, in order to have clear, healthy skin, you need to make sure your body is relatively free of toxins, so cleansing your body of dangerous substances while putting in the finest nutrients is essential.

The organs responsible for providing you with beautiful skin include your liver, kidneys, adrenals, thyroid, and your large- and small intestines.

• Your liver and kidneys are the two organs that filter out impurities on an ongoing basis. If your diet is less than ideal, these two organs can easily become overtaxed, which can lead to breakouts and other skin problems.
• Your adrenals make many essential hormones, such as pregnenolone, DHEA, estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Hormonal imbalances can also result in problematic skin conditions, so adrenal function is important as well.
• A well-nourished, energetic thyroid also provides hormones and works closely with your adrenals to create energy. Dry, flaky, sluggish skin can be evidence of a weak thyroid.
• Your small- and large intestines provide nutrients to all your organs and remove waste products from your body. When waste meant for elimination remains in your intestines your skin becomes thick, oily and blemished. Pure, flawless skin is typically a reflection of clean intestines.

Eating a healthy diet that focuses on whole, bioavailable organic foods, is your number one strategy for helping your body detox naturally while supplying the necessary nutrients your body needs to thrive. That said, some foods are particularly effective at promoting beautiful, clear skin.

Foods that Promote Beautiful Skin

One of the first strategies you can use to improve your skin health is to make sure you are getting enough high quality omega-3 fats. This is such a reliable indicator that I can usually tell someone’s omega-3 needs just by shaking their hand. If their hand is not smooth as a baby’s behind, it’s usually a strong indication that they’re deficient.

If you struggle with dry skin, make sure you are taking enough omega-3 fats. In the colder dry winter months, you may need to increase your dose. Vegetables are also essential for creating healthy, beautiful skin.

Vegetables are high in both water and nutrients (including essential minerals), and promote optimal functioning of your natural detoxification systems. For example, healthy liver function is supported by dark green leafy veggies, such as:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Dandelion greens
• Broccoli

In general, you’ll want to include plenty of raw, whole foods in your diet, including raw dairy, if you have no dairy allergies, as this is another of the central keys to maintaining youthful skin. Notice I mentioned dairy as being a potentially detrimental food at the beginning of this article, but that’s pasteurized dairy.

It’s not the food itself that causes the problem, but rather it’s the way it’s altered from its natural state that makes it damaging to your health. Raw dairy will not typically have a detrimental effect on your skin. Other foods known to contribute to healthy skin include raw and virgin fats and oils. Coconut oil is especially good for your thyroid. You’ll also want to include plenty of antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. Most berries fall into this category.

Another group of foods worth mentioning are fermented or cultured foods.

Fermented foods help promote the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria and aid in digestion. They also support healthy immune function, including an increase in B vitamins, omega-3, digestive enzymes, lactase and lactic acid, and other immune chemicals that fight off harmful bacteria.

One of the BEST Foods for Your Skin

One of the most profoundly effective ways to create the most attractive glow for your skin is by consuming vegetables and fruits that are high in carotenoids. Carotenoids, which include carotene and xanthophils, give red, orange and yellow fruits their color, and also occur in green vegetables. Studies have shownthat eating foods with these deeply colored pigments can make your face actually look healthier than being tanned.

The more red and yellow tones found in your skin, the more attractive the people were found to be. The redder tones are caused when people are flushed with blood, particularly if the blood has lots of oxygen in it. Dr. Stephan found that, given the choice between skin color caused by suntan and skin color caused by carotenoids, people preferred the carotenoid skin color, so if you want a healthier and more attractive skin color, you are better off eating a healthy diet.

Research studies published last month were consistent with the evolutionary benefit of selecting a potential mate whose appearance signals good health.

“This is something we share with many other species,” noted coauthor Professor David Perrett, PhD, who is the head of the Perception Lab at St Andrews. “For example, the bright yellow beaks and feathers of many birds can be thought of as adverts showing how healthy a male bird is. What’s more, females of these species prefer to mate with brighter, more colored males. But this is the first study in which this has been demonstrated in humans.”

“Together our studies link skin carotenoid coloration to both perceived health and healthy diet, establishing carotenoid coloration as a valid cue to human health which is perceptible in a way that is relevant to mate choice, as it is in bird and fish species,”

What this research failed to evaluate though is what, in my opinion, is the hottest new antioxidant on the market, astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is derived from marine algae. It is what gives salmon and pink flamingos their color. Not only is it a potent antioxidant, but it is probably the most potent natural anti inflammatory we know of, and it is likely to help prevent cataracts, macular degeneration and get this, sunburn!

Other Lifestyle Factors that Impact Your Skin

Exercise is another crucial factor for beautiful skin. A good night’s sleep and properly addressing emotional stresses are additional keys to regaining your optimum physical appearance.

What You Put ON Your Skin Matters Too!

There’s much controversy over whether or not certain ingredients can have an actual impact on your skin when applied topically. Oxidation, caused by free radicals, is associated with premature aging of your skin. As mentioned earlier, consuming antioxidant-rich foods is one part of the puzzle to prevent premature skin damage.

Antioxidants may also offer protection against this kind of damage when applied topically. However, it can be tricky finding products that contain these ingredients in sufficient amounts to make a difference. Skin care products are notorious for containing a slew of dangerous chemicals, while promoting healthful ingredients found only in miniscule amounts.

It’s very important to realize that nearly everything you put on your skin is absorbed into your body, so you need to investigate ALL the ingredients in your personal care products. The fact that something contains antioxidants, for example, is no guarantee that it’s beneficial. It all depends on what else is lurking in that jar.

I firmly believe that you need to approach topical skin care as you approach your diet, and only feed your skin the best ingredients from nature, forgoing toxic chemicals at all costs.

Feeding Your Skin from the Outside-In

You may not realize this, but a large portion of the toxins you’re exposed to on a daily basis comes through your skin, not just through what you put in your mouth. Your skin is actually the largest organ of your body, and it’s highly absorbent. Women absorb an estimated five pounds of chemicals a year just from the makeup they use!

Therefore, you want to give your skin the same thoughtful care you give your internal organs. Having a great diet while slathering toxins on your skin is counterproductive, to say the least.

Personally, if I’m not willing to eat it, I won’t put it on my skin.

Sources:

Discovery Health December 2010

Dr. Mercola January 17 2011

Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid

Some food additives are worse than others. Food Matters suggests these as the top ones to avoid:

1. Artificial Sweeteners

Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet and Equal, is believed to be carcinogenic and accounts for more reports of adverse reactions than all other foods and food additives combined.

The artificial sweetener Acesulfame-K has been linked to kidney tumors. All artificial sweeteners are bad news.

2. High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) increases your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and contributes to the development of diabetes.

3. Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

MSG is used as a flavor enhancer. It is an excitotoxin, a substance that overexcites cells to the point of damage or death.

4. Trans Fat

Numerous studies show that trans fat increases LDL cholesterol levels and increases your risk of heart attacks, heart disease and strokes.

5. Common Food Dyes

Artificial colorings may contribute to behavioral problems in children and lead to a significant reduction in IQ.

6. Sodium Sulphite

This is a preservative used in processed foods. People who are sulfite sensitive can experience headaches, breathing problems, and rashes. In severe cases, sulfites can actually cause death.

7. Sodium Nitrate/Sodium Nitrite

This common preservative has been linked to various types of cancer.

8. BHA and BHT

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) are preservatives that affect the neurological system of your brain, alter behavior and have the potential to cause cancer.

9. Sulphur Dioxide

Sulphur additives are toxic and in the U.S., they have been prohibited in raw fruit and vegetables. Adverse reactions include bronchial problems, low blood pressure, and anaphylactic shock.

10. Potassium Bromate

This additive is used to increase volume in some breads. It is known to cause cancer in animals, and even small amounts can create problems for humans.

Sources:

• Food Matters November 24, 2010
• Dr. Mercola | December 17 2010

If you’ve ever read the ingredients lists on packaged foods, you know that there’s a lot more in food these days than in generations past. Virtually every processed food now contains a laundry list of preservatives, colorings, flavorings, emulsifiers and more — and unless you’re shopping at a natural specialty store, gone are the days when a loaf of bread contained just a few ingredients.

A food additive refers to virtually any substance added to a food, but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) definition, a food additive is “any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result — directly or indirectly — in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food.”

There are currently more than 3,000 food additives added to foods in the United States; ideally, you should steer clear of all or most of these, but if you’re just getting started the 10 listed above are an excellent starting point of additives to remove from your diet as soon as possible.

What are You Really Eating?

When you purchase a package of cheese, you expect it to contain milk and salt … bread you’d expect to contain flour, yeast, etc., and when you pick up a can of beans, you may think it only contains beans.

In reality, cheese is commonly laced with preservatives and colorings. Bread contains high fructose corn syrup, preservatives and sometimes trans fats. And even canned beans typically contain a slew of additives including corn syrup, coloring and other sweeteners, along with being packaged in a can that probably leaches BPA from its lining.

The fact is, if you’re like most Americans who spend 90 percent of their food budget on processed foods, you’re eating your share of these additives and then some … which is concerning when you begin to look into their potential effect on your health:

• Cancer: Additives linked to cancer — BHA/BHT, propyl gallate, trans fats, aspartame, blue 1,2, Yellow 6, potassium bromate and more — are in countless products from baked goods and chewing gum to chicken soup base, cereal, luncheon meats, vegetable oils and potato chips. If you eat a highly processed food diet, you are therefore potentially exposing yourself to cancer-causing toxins at every meal.
• Hormone disrupters: An analysis published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology found 31 potential estrogen-mimicking food additives during their research.

These include propyl gallate, a preservative used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, and 4-hexylresorcinol, which is used to prevent discoloration in shrimp and other shellfish.

Chemicals with estrogen-like effects, known as xenoestrogens, have been linked to a range of human health problems, including reduced sperm counts and increased risk of breast cancer.

• Behavior Problems: A carefully designed, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the journal The Lancet concluded that a variety of common food dyes, and the preservative sodium benzoate — found in many soft drinks, fruit juices and salad dressings — cause some children to become measurably more hyperactive and distractible.
• Lower IQ: The Lancet study mentioned above also found that the E-numbered food dyes (such as tartrazine (E102), ponceau 4R (E124), sunset yellow (E110), carmoisine (E122), quinoline yellow (E104) and allura red AC (E129) do as much damage to children’s brains as lead in gasoline, resulting in a significant reduction in IQ.

Processed Foods Depend on Additives

When foods are processed not only are valuable nutrients lost and fibers removed, but the texture, natural variation and flavors are lost also. After processing, what’s actually left behind is a bland, uninteresting “pseudo-food” that most people would find entirely unappetizing.

So at this point, food manufacturers must add back in the nutrients, flavor, color and texture to processed foods in order to make them palatable, and this is why they become loaded with food additives. Most commonly, additives are included to:

• Slow spoilage
• Prevent fats and oils from becoming rancid or developing an off-flavor
• Prevent cut fruits from turning brown
• Fortify or enrich the food with synthetic vitamins and minerals (which are lost during processing)
• Improve taste, texture and appearance

When reading product packages, here’s a breakdown of some of the most common food additives to watch out for:

• Preservatives (sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate, BHA, BHT, etc.): Found in fruit sauces and jellies, beverages, baked goods, cured meats, oils and margarines, cereals, dressings, snack foods, fruits and vegetables
• Sweeteners and artificial sweeteners (fructose, high fructose corn syrup, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K), etc.): Beverages, baked goods, confections, table-top sugar, substitutes, many processed foods
• Artificial colors (FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red Nos. 3 and 40, FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6, Orange B, Citrus Red No. 2, etc.): Many processed foods (candies, snack foods, margarine, cheese, soft drinks, jams/jellies, gelatins, pudding and pie fillings)
• Artificial flavors: Pudding and pie fillings, gelatin dessert mixes, cake mixes, salad dressings, candies, soft drinks, ice cream, BBQ sauce, etc.
• Flavor enhancers (monosodium glutamate (MSG), hydrolyzed soy protein, autolyzed yeast extract, etc.): Many processed foods

The Simplest Way to Avoid Food Additives?

Ditch processed foods.

You might already know that 90 percent of the money Americans spend on food is for processed foods so there is massive room for improvement in this area for most of us.

Swapping your processed food diet for one that focuses on real, whole foods may seem like a radical idea, but it’s a necessity if you value your health.

And when you put the history of food into perspective, it’s actually the processed foods that are “radical” and “new.” People have thrived on vegetables, meats, eggs, fruits and other whole foods for centuries, while processed foods were only recently invented.

It’s easy to forget that the processed, packaged foods and fast food restaurants of today are actually a radical change in terms of the history of food production. The frozen food business didn’t begin until the mid-1920s when the General Seafoods Company set up shop and began selling crudely frozen fish fillets, and fast food restaurants didn’t get a foot hold until after World War II.

TV dinners didn’t even come around until the 1950s … before that it was a home-cooked meal or no meal at all.

If you want to eat healthy, I suggest you follow the 1950s (and before) model and spend quality time in the kitchen (yourself, a family member or someone you hire) preparing high-quality meals for yourself and your family.

If you rely on processed inexpensive foods you will simply exchange convenience and short-term cash savings for long-term health miseries.

When it comes to staying healthy, avoiding processed foods and replacing them with fresh, whole foods is the “secret” you’ve been looking for.