Hidden among the Katrina stories was the overlooked announcement that the FDA approved the flu vaccine Fluarix to prepare for the flu vaccine attack this fall.

It has been six years since the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service joined forces in requesting the removal of all mercury-containing preservative thimerosal from vaccines.

A quick surf on the net easily reveals that this new vaccine indeed has mercury. How can they approve vaccines that have a preservative that has been outlawed for six years? Last year I ran an article that documtned that flu vaccines still contain mercury.

How can the US federal government justify this morally reprehensible behavior and expose your children and you to this well documented neurtoxic poison?

USA Today August 31, 2005

Wired News reports the following interesting comments about Katrina:

The dead and the desperate of New Orleans now join the farmers of Aceh and the fishermen of Trincomalee, villagers in Iran and the slum dwellers of Haiti in a world being dealt ever more punishing blows by natural disasters.

The bottom line is we have a very unsafe planet. By one critical measure, the impact on populations, statistics show the planet to be increasingly unsafe.

More than 2.5 billion people were affected by floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters between 1994 and 2003, a 60 percent increase over the previous two 10-year periods, U.N. officials reported at a conference on disaster prevention in January.

Those numbers don't include millions displaced by last December 2004's tsunami, which killed an estimated 180,000 people as its monstrous waves swept over coastlines from Indonesia's Aceh province to Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and beyond.

It's a world where Americans can learn from even the poorest nations, experts say, and where they should learn not to build future settlements like the drowned old metropolis on the Mississippi.

No one should have to endure what the unfortunate people who were stranded in New Orleans had to the past week. However what the media is failing to comment on its coverage is personal responsibility.

This morning's New York Times has some shocking information in its main story on New Orleans. The USA Today also reports that police escorts had to kill five residents of New Orleans as they were shooting at Army engineers who were trying to repair the breeched levee. 

The conditions were so bad in New Orleans that 200 of its 1500 police officers handed in their badges and another two committed suicide. If that wasn't bad enough the police superintendent offered to send not only all members of the police and fire departments but their families on vacations to Las Vegas. I don't remember New York sending its firemen to Vegas after 9/11, do you?

Just seems morally reprehensible to even consider doing something this outrageous, but at least that would be consistent with the moral caliber of this city.

Let's get back to personal responsibility. It is no mystery that the  city was built below sea level Many expert panels had predicted that this would happen and it was surprising it hadn't occured earlier. It wasn't a matter of New Orleans would be flooded it was when it would have a disaster. These levees were NEVER DESIGNED to withstand this type of storm. Unlike the unpredictable tsunami and 9/11 disasters this one could have been prevented.

As NewMax said this am  "Common sense suggests that local and state governments are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters. But if we believe the major TV networks, George Bush, FEMA and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame for the current nightmare."

Chicago Did It – Why Couldn't New Orleans?

I live in Chicago and it was also below sea level before 1850. However the city spent 20 years to repair that and rebuild itself 14 feet higher. Chicago is FAR larger than New Orleans. If they were able to fix their city over 150 years ago why couldn't New Orleans?

Instead New Orleans chose to do nothing, absolutely nothing to correct its plight and now that the predicted disaster has occurred significant portions of its entitlement mentality population believe the federal government "owes it to them" to repair their city. Now, you and I will have to pay TENS OF BILLIONS of our tax dollars to correct their careless irresponsible behavior.

Morally Unacceptable Behavior

Hundreds of its citizens chose to pillage and rape its own residents and aim deadly fire on those that were sent to help them by bringing supplies and repair assistance.

Then, to add insult to injury, the city decides to send its municipal workers and their families to Las Vegas. Is it because their isn't enough work to do or because they just could not figure out  what to do with all their surplus city funds?

The city is BILLIONS of dollars in debt due to this disaster and wants to spend money it doesn't have to send these families to Las Vegas.

It is most unfortunate that so many helpless people had to suffer and die because those in responsible positions chose to do nothing. The media has not said one word about bringing the appropriate city officials to trial for this disaster.

Rather the mayor of New Orleans goes on the media and issues multiple profanities rather than accepting responsibility for not taking preventive action that could have avoided this disaster.

Moral of the story?

Don't let the same thing happen to your body as what happened to New Orleans. Take the proactive steps you can do now, chose a healthy lifestyle so you won't have to rely on conventional medicine to rescue you from the ravages of convenience food that tastes good but robs you of your future health.

New York Times September 5, 2005

Dozens of high resolution photos documenting the enormous damage and desparation in New Orleans and Mississippi.

If you are moved to provide relief I found the Salvation Army to be the most effective charitable organization in this country.

Regarded the "General Electric" of charities, the Salvation Army provides some $2.5 billion annually, with an impressive 84 cents out of every dollar funding program services.

If you want to ensure every penny you donate counts, I urge you to visit their home page, and click on the link under Financial Donations to make your donation online.

Eyeball Series

If you're looking for a natural means to increase your lifespan and boost your brain functioning, high doses of vitamin E may do the trick, according to a new study. The numbers, based on experiments with rats over two years, are certainly eye-opening:

• The median lifespan of mice increased 40 percent to 85 weeks.
• The maximum lifespan of rats rose 17 percent to 136 weeks.
• The ability of rats to perform tests based on brain functioning nearly doubled as they aged (from a maximum of 24 percent at 52 weeks to 45 percent at 78 weeks).
• Activity of the mitochondrial markers of aging fell in some cases by as much as 95 percent.

Here's the catch: The amount of vitamin E given to the rats daily was comparable to about a 1,200-2,000 mgs. human dose. In other words, a mega-dose, considering 100-800 units a day is optimal, depending on your metabolic type.

The other trick about vitamin E is getting the right kind of it. Ideally, you'd get it by eating the right foods (nuts, avocados and sweet potatoes to name a few), but many take a supplement. If you do, be sure to find a brand that contains gamma-tocopherol, the most naturally occuring form of vitamin E, not dl-alpha-tocopherol, the synthetic variety that's most commonly available in most stores.

American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology July 14, 2005

EurekAlert September 2, 2005

Earlier this summer, I warned you about the one of the more insidious marketing strategies the mega-drug companies trot out from time-to-time -- the element of fear -- to trick people into using their toxic products, especially those marketed to breast cancer patients. What happens when the toxic side effects of taking a drug far outweigh any good it does?

Apparently, that's the case with Herceptin, a drug sold by Genentech to treat breast cancer. The early review of Herceptin: Breast cancer patients run a much higher risk of heart problems, compared to those who received chemotherapy alone.

Based on a three-year study of more than 2,000 patients, the rate of congestive heart failure and cardiac death among those who took Herceptin was 4.1 percent compared to those who opted for chemotherapy (0.8 percent).

Fact is, folks, most people -- not the mega-drug companies -- are confused about the real cause of cancer and all disease. In no way, shape or form is it related to a drug deficiency or some random event that is waiting in the wings to strike us down. The vast majority of the time, it is completely related to circumstances that we can control.

I've devoted plenty of pages on my Web site to show you how to reduce your cancer risks almost completely. Here's some of my major recommendations:

• Get the right amount of vitamin D naturally, via safe exposure to the sun.
• Retool your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Start an exercise program today.
• Normalize your intake of animal-based omega-3 fats.

MSNBC August 31, 2005

Last month, I told you about the many preparations for the flu season to come in the works by the FDA and various drug manufacturers, namely rounding up more sources for deadly vaccines no one needs.

One more -- GlaxoSmithKline -- joined the pack Wednesday, when the FDA approved Fluarix for use by adults over age 18. Glaxo will produce 8 million doses for the U.S. market this season for the very first time. Even worse, the FDA gave Glaxo special treatment under its fast-track approval system, which allows the company to test the efficacy of its vaccine while producing it.

In other vaccine-related news, Chiron also passed the latest hurdle toward securing FDA approval to sell vaccines in this country Wednesday, after a successful inspection of its UK manufacturing facility in Liverpool.

As I said earlier, I suspect we'll be seeing a repeat of last year's "fear campaign" along with a vaccine "crisis" accompanied by massive shortages. But that dearth of vaccines will be a blessing in disguise, especially since you run the high risk of receiving one loaded with toxic mercury.

MSNBC August 31, 2005

If the true cost of a pack of cigarettes -- estimated to be nearly $40 when all the extra health costs are taken into account -- won't make you stop smoking, perhaps its harmful effects on your children will.

Based on a study of 35,000 non-smokers in Singapore, ranging in age from 45-74, almost half of the patients surveyed had fathers who smoked and close to 20 percent were exposed by their mothers. The more smokers in the home during childhood, not surprisingly, the greater risk of chronic cough and phlegm.

The good news about this study: Patients who ate about 8 grams of fiber every day -- roughly the amount of two apples -- didn't suffer as much harm from second-hand smoke. According to researchers, the extra fiber lowered blood glucose concentrations and inflammation as well as raised the amount of vital antioxidants their bodies used to better protect them from cigarette smoke.

One caveat: One of the main sources of fiber in the diet of Singapore patients was soy, a problematic and potentially dangerous "food" if there ever was one. Although processed soy products are consumed by more than 200 million Americans, thousands of studies have linked them to a host of problems, including malnutrition, cognitive decline and infertility.

Fermented, unprocessed soy products like natto, miso and tempeh, however, are far healthier for you, as the fermentation process aids in liberating otherwise difficult to digest nutrients in the soybean, making them more available for absorption.

EurekAlert August 30, 2005

Thorax August 30, 2005

Although some studies have tied rising blood pressures to kidney stones, it's no surprise obesity affects women far more acutely when it comes to hypertension.

Scientists compared the health of more than 900 patients with kidney stones to that of some 19,000 patients with no history of kidney stone problems, along with their body mass index (BMI). Females with a history of kidney stones were almost 70 percent more likely to suffer from high blood pressure. The same association, however, can't be said for men.

Another indication obesity and kidney stones affect blood pressures: As a patient's BMI increased, so did the difference in blood pressures between those who suffered from kidney stones and people who didn't.

Seems this results would give obese patients who suffer from the discomfort of kidney stones a stronger push to take better care of their health. Fortunately, I have plenty of free tools available on my Web site to do just that. Here's a few links to get you moving in the right direction:

• Get the right amount of exercise. If you don't use it in the right dosage, it won't work.
• Revamp your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type. Learn more about it by taking my free test.
• Take more control over the emotions that got you to this low spot healthwise. One of the best tools you can to do that is the Emotional Freedom Technique, the energy psychology tool I use in my practice.

Yahoo News August 30, 2005

American Journal of Kidney Diseases Vol. 46, No. 2, August 2005: 263-269

Because most people are so deficient in omega-3 fats, I strongly recommend everyone consider routinely consuming a high-quality brand of fish oil and cod liver oil like Carlson's. Apparently this baby reads my newsletter!

Regular reader Joe Romanowski writes:

We have three grandsons and they all love Carlson's fish oil. This photo is of Owen our youngest getting the last drop. Our daughter has to keep all of your fish oil products out of reach otherwise they would grab them. Our oldest Ryan (4-years-old) actually tries to give the cod liver oil capsules to his little friends? without much success.

Since Stacey took the fish oil all through her pregnancies her boys are now hooked on it.

If you want to be as smart as this baby, I urge you to read about why you (likely desperately) need the omega-3 that only fish oil/cod liver oil can provide in your diet, and why I recommend Carlson's so highly.

And, just to set the record straight, I don't recommend drinking it straight from the bottle, as Owen seems to prefer.

You may also want to review the study below that offers more evidence behind the reasons consuming fish oil as well as foods high in omega-3 fats can protect your heart. Seems omega-3 fats lowered the risk of coronary artery restenosis (a renarrowing of the carotid artery after an angioplasty).

Atherosclerosis, August 2005

Earlier this year, I told you a new test -- based on the detection of proteins found in spinal fluid -- developed in hopes of giving medicine the early jump on Alzheimer's. Researchers at MIT have jumped on that bandwagon with a test of their own that's completely noninvasive.

Scientists have developed a contrast agent -- a dye (NIAD-4) -- that binds to plaques in the brain that causes Alzheimer's, then appears when exposed to radiation in the near-infrared range. This process could provide doctors with a means to have a true look at the plaque inside a patient's skull.

The first test of NIAD-4 on living mice proved successful, providing clear visuals of amyloid brain plaques. To make the procedure completely noninvasive, however, scientists will need to refine the dye so it fluoresces at a slightly longer wavelength, closer to the infrared region.

The translucence researchers hope to produce down the road could be comparable to what you'd see if you held a laser pointer against the side of your finger.

In the meantime, your best way to fight Alzheimer's -- a looming health care disaster in the making -- is to treat it with dietary and lifestyle changes. That's why I strongly urge you to read my extensive list of guidelines for blowing away Alzheimer's disease safely, easily and inexpensively.

Science Blog August 26, 2005

We have all seen or read of the looting going on in New Orleans as a result of the flooding due to Hurricane Katrina. Although this is not admirable behavior, many of these individuals are merely obtaining food to survive. Of course, there are others that are stealing electronics and alcohol, but the total they are looting is a mere pittance, folks.

So who IS doing all the major looting? The oil companies.

I am sure you have seen the price of gas has jumped 20 percent over already historic high prices. These companies are making BILLIONS off of this tragedy. Sure the Gulf oil production is down but how in any way, shape or form does that justify this price gouging?

It doesn't.

Perhaps, I am missing something here. I have run a business for 20 years and I simply can't see any reason to justify this increase other than human greed. I can understand a minor increase due to distribution costs but there are absolutely no hard costs these companies have incurred. These greedy oil companies are merely taking advantage of the situation because they can.

I am absolutely amazed that the public just sits there and takes this abuse. These companies are literally STEALING billions of dollars from each and every one of us.

These are the people the National Guard should be going after...

USA Today September 1, 2005

An interesting story about a gastroenterologist from Taiwan wanting to study acupuncture and an opening at an Australian hospital has led to a potentially useful and more natural treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Scientists used acupuncture to treat GERD based on how they believed it would affect transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs), known to be the most important mechanism of acid reflux in normal subjects and patients with GERD, in two studies.

Patients were treated with electrical acupoint stimulation -- a high-tech form of acupuncture -- with a GERD model imposed on normal subjects by inflating a balloon in their stomachs. In two separate studies, barely perceptible stimulation was applied at the acupoint known as Neiguan on the wrist, which reduced the number of TLESRs by 40 percent -- from six an hour to almost half that.

Electroacupuncture is relatively new and successful. In fact, it's been found to cut elevations in blood pressure by half. But, if you're not at all crazy about needles -- especially ones running electrical currents -- and want to stay away from proton pump inhibitors like Nexium, here are some safer, natural treatments that will do the trick.

• Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars from your diet.
• Retool your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Stay away from soft drinks, particularly before bedtime.

EurekAlert August 30, 2005

American Journal of Physiology -- Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol. 298, No. 2, August 2005: 197-201

With the avalanche of studies I've posted this year regarding how exercise can be a boost to your health in so many ways, here's another one that benefits men: Regardless how high their cholesterol levels are, males who are physically fit can slash their risk of death due to heart disease.

Researchers collected data on more than 19,000 men (ages 20-79) who visited a clinic between 1979-95. Based on newer classifications for high cholesterol, some 42 percent of the patients surveyed required either therapeutic lifestyle changes or drug intervention -- meaning a potentially useless and toxic statin drug.

In comparison to patients with good cholesterol numbers, males who had to make lifestyle changes were at double the risk of death. For patients "needing" aggressive drug therapy, their mortality odds rose astronomically by a factor of seven.

The good news: Physically active men, no matter what their cholesterol numbers said, reduced their odds of death from heart disease by 50 percent. The reason, experts believe, exercise lowers cholesterol is that it treats the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome (these findings led one researcher to rename the condition physical inactivity syndrome).

If you're looking for the right exercise plan, I have plenty of free resources on my Web site to help you get started. I also urge you to review some of the more recent pieces posted by contributing editors and exercise gurus, Paul Chek and Ben Lerner.

Forbes.com August 29, 2005

Circulation August 29, 2005

Earlier this month, a British Medical Journal study debunked the myth that natural childbirth is any safer in a hospital than at home, I suspect, making some of you future parents rethink your options.Here's one more reason to go the natural route, and stay away from a Cesarean section if you can: Researchers have discovered many more C-section babies were infected by a bacterium that caused cavities more than a year later, than those born naturally.

Scientists studied the early spread of tooth decay by comparing 29 C-section babies with 127 born naturally. Based on previous studies, the earlier streptococcus mutans forms in a child, the quicker they'll be prone to cavities. Because Cesarean-born kids are exposed to fewer bacteria at birth, scientists believe they have a diminished resistance to them.

One caveat: The C-section mothers who participated in the study also had greater amounts of tooth decay, low family incomes and sexually transmitted diseases.

Fact is, about one-quarter of babies are delivered by Caesarean section in this country and most are unnecessary. Generally, C-sections are not the best option as they are frequently done for the convenience of a physician.

Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 84, No. 9, September 2005: 806-811

BBC News August 28, 2005

Although some groups believe the anniversary of fluoridation in America is something worth celebrating, they don't include EPA employee unions, representing 7,000 environmental and public health workers, who have called for a moratorium on fluoride. (Read NTEU Chapter 280's letters and position on fluoride at this link.

These 11 unions have asked Congress to consider a moratorium -- pending a review on the risks and rewards of fluoridation -- and the EPA to recognize exposure to fluoride may cause cancer. The announcement comes on the heels of a hidden Harvard study recently discovered by the Fluoride Action Network that found exposure to fluoridated tap water was responsible for an increased risk of bone cancer in boys, ages 10-19.

Of course, many towns saw the same news report, but still see nothing wrong with fluoridation, and claim few want that to change. Interestingly enough, few European countries fluoridate their water. Ever wonder why?

• Fluoride increases the tumor growth and the general cancer rate.
• Fluoride has been linked to cancer, low IQs in children, genetic disorders and muscle degeneration.
• Fluoride inhibits the formation of antibodies in the blood.

To make your feelings known about fluoridation, I urge you to visit the Fluoride Action Network's Web site and sign their online petition and send a letter to your Congressman.

Albany Democrat-Herald August 30, 2005

World-Wire August 30, 2005

Last Christmas, a tsunami pummeled Southeast Asia, killing some 140,000 people and leaving millions homeless. The death toll after Sunday's arrival of Hurricane Katrina just east of New Orleans, so far, isn't nearly as great but the physical destruction along the Gulf Coast may be just as devastating and mind-boggling.

Even worse, just as residents of New Orleans thought they had been spared the full brunt of the category 4 hurricane, two levees built to protect to Crescent City from flooding broke yesterday, submerging some 80 percent of the city -- some areas up to 20 feet deep.

If you've been keeping up with the news reports as I have, no one has a clue how long it will take for Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi residents to reclaim their lives and rebuild their homes. Until that time comes, you can do your part by donating your time and dollars to relief efforts to keep your fellow Americans safe, fed and as comfortable as possible.

Because time is of the essence and the need is great, you're no doubt wondering which organization can do the most good with your money. After doing some investigating of my own (prompted by the World Trade Center disaster), I've found the Salvation Army to be the most effective charitable organization in this country.

Regarded the "General Electric" of charities, the Salvation Army provides some $2.5 billion annually, with an impressive 84 cents out of every dollar funding program services.

If you want to ensure every penny you donate counts, I urge you to visit their home page, and click on the link under Financial Donations to make your donation online.

Please do it today!

USA Today August 31, 2005

Earlier this year, I shared compelling information with you about polyunsaturated fats spurring the formation of cataracts, a common problem faced by the elderly. At the time, I also told you the amount of antioxidants -- specifically the lack of them -- also contributed greatly to cataracts.

Researchers have discovered an antioxidant-rich diet of fruits and vegetables may prevent the breakdown of a crucial mechanism, called the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, that clears damaged proteins away from eye lenses. When too many of these damaged proteins accumulate, cataracts can grow on the eye.

This ubiquitin-proteasome pathway helps balance a healthy concentration of proteins within cells. Ubiquitin is a protein that identifies damaged proteins ripe for removal and attaches itself to them. These "conjugated" proteins then latch onto proteasomes (protein-degrading enzymes) finish the job of clearing away vision-sapping debris.

Because free radicals attack ubiquitin and other healthy proteins in the eye, the antioxidants contained in vitamins C and E can play an important role in protecting that pathway.

A good source of vitamins C and E, as well as beta carotene: Kiwi fruit.

USDA Agricultural Research Service August 2, 2005

USDA Agricultural Research Service August 2005 Free Full Text Article

Because you know how much I enjoy sharing innovative technology with you, a suburban school district in Dallas has enlisted the aid of a virtual cafeteria to battle the epidemic of childhood obesity.

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district recently launched its Virtual Cafeteria Web site to show kids, teachers and parents what's being served at their school every day. The site also calculates nutritional information on a virtual lunch tray, including calories, fat grams, protein and vitamins.

What I like about the site: A virtual cafeteria worker appears on screen and comments on the various choices a child can make -- both good and bad. For example, a cookie rates a Whoa! response, meaning it shouldn't be eaten less often. On the other hand, choosing a salad merits a Congratulations!

My hope is that parents get more involved in what their children eat at school by sitting with them at home and helping them make smarter choices. And they need to ensure their children get enough exercise, considering some kids aren't getting the activity they need at school.

Fact is, a parent must become a good role model to nurture these healthy behaviors. After all, it is completely unfair to your children to show them how to get more exercise and eat better if they don't see you doing those same things.

MSNBC August 25, 2005

Earlier this month, I told you about the horror story surrounding the accidental use of hydraulic fluid to clean surgical instruments at two Duke University hospitals and how it harmed the health of at least 50 patients treated there. File this one away in that same folder...

A Texas company has recalled its line of Medline-labeled, alcohol-free mouthwashes and hygiene kits used in hospitals, medical centers and long-term care centers. Nothing unusual, except the mouthwash was contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia). Patients with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases (particularly cystic fibrosis) who are exposed to this bacteria may be more susceptible to infections.

Even worse, the B. cepacia bacteria are often resistant to common antibiotics. These products were subsequently pulled after illnesses were reported in Texas and Florida hospitals.

I post accounts like these often, just to remind you how mistakes committed in hospitals contribute to the number of needless and preventable deaths each year in this country.

WLTX-TV August 29, 2005

Newsinferno.com August 27, 2005

In another example of how your emotions can affect your physical health for the negative, merely mentioning the word wheeze to an asthma sufferer can activate more severe symptoms, according to a new study.

Scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of six mildly asthmatic patients who inhaled either ragweed or dust-mite extracts. During those scans, patients were shown three words: Wheeze, loneliness and curtains. Then, researchers measured their patients' lung function as well as molecular signs of inflammation in their sputum

Scans revealed those asthma-related reminders stimulated responses in two sectors of the brain related to lung functioning and inflammation. Both the anterior cingulate cortex and insula are involved in transmitting information about the physiological condition of the body, such as shortness of breath and pain levels, scientists said. Moreover, these regions of the brain have strong connections with other structures essential in processing emotional information.

Sounds just as compelling as a recent study that found depression can independently lead to insulin resistance and the high levels of blood glucose that result from it.

Some natural treatments that can help you deal with the emotions that affect your physical and mental health:

• Taking a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
• Learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.
• Committing to an exercise program.

EurekAlert August 29, 2005

In a bit of a surprise, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has decided to pursue a petition filed by the Environmental Law Foundation last month against the makers of French fries and potato chips.

Lockyer's office filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles Court late last week to force nine fast-food and snack companies to include warnings that their cooked potato products contain higher levels of acrylamide, a white, odorless and potentially cancer-causing chemical.

It's about time, considering the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has estimated consumers of French fries are exposed to as much as 125 times the amount of acrylamide that requires a warning under Proposition 65 regulations.

The laundry list of defendants are, no doubt, familiar to you:

• McDonald's
• Frito-Lay
• Wendy's
• Proctor & Gamble

Just another reason to remind you, if you want to avoid toxic byproducts, I urge you to read my piece about the five worst foods you can eat.

Los Angeles Times August 27, 2005 Registration Required

Not so surprisingly, University of Illinois researchers have found you can boost the beneficial effects of exercise and lose more fat when you eat a diet rich in protein. What's more, a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet can even reduce the effectiveness of your exercise regimen!

Scientists divided 48 adult women into two groups, based on different diet and exercise regimens: One who consumed a diet based on the largely flawed food pyramid that contained high amounts of carbs and the other who ate the same amount of calories but substituted high-protein foods for all the extra carbs.

Patients were also divided in terms of exercise. One group added two or three sessions of walking per week, and the other five sessions lasting 30 minutes along with two weight-training sessions.

Although both sets of patients dropped weight, the high-protein exercisers dropped more of it and almost all of it was fat.

The results led researchers to conclude the current food pyramid doesn't provide enough leucine, an essential amino acid that helps adults maintain healthy muscle mass. Moreover, to enjoy the benefits researchers observed, you'd have to eat 9-10 grams of leucine a day by eating high-protein foods, and not with a supplement.

Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 135, No. 8, August 2005: 1903-1910

Medical News Today August 29, 2005

Sad to say, it's not at all surprising coffee, by far, is the leading source of antioxidants in the average American diet, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Scranton.

The top five sources of antioxidants consumed by Americans every day based on comparisons of more than 100 different foods (by milligrams):

1. Coffee (1,299)
2. Black tea (294)
3. Bananas (76)
4. Dry beans (72)
5. Corn (48)

Here's the real kicker: The leading source of antioxidants, based on the study, is dates, not coffee! So, I caution you to save the money you'd planned to spend on those extra decaf mochas, and start adding better, more natural sources of antioxidants, like the ones below.

• Nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts)
• Spices (ground cloves or cinnamon and oregano)
• Vegetables (artichokes)
• High fiber, low sugar fruits (blueberries, cranberries and blackberries)

EurekAlert August 28, 2005

If you'd forgotten about McDonald's promise to drop trans fats from their menu of largely fatty fried foods, at the risk of legal action, I really don't blame you, as that was probably what the fast-food giant was hoping for all along.

With no replacement for trans fats in sight, a California judge approved a settlement between McDonald's and the group BanTransFats.com last week for $8.5 million for the company's failure to let the public know in 2003 that it hadn't found a safer trans fat substitute.

The lion's share of the settlement ($7 million) will go to the American Heart Foundation which will spend it on programs to teach consumers about trans fats. The remainder will be spent by McDonald's so they can inform the public about its failure to meet its 2003 deadline.

If it sounds like McDonald's got off with just a slap on the hand, you're right, especially compared to the damage trans fats can do to your health, a recent message restaurants in New York City received loud and clear.

Besides, I wonder if you'll ever see a commercial or an ad anywhere admitting McDonald's was guilty of anything, except on late-night TV?

Chicago Sun-Times August 27, 2005

Thought you'd enjoy reading this interesting piece from Mike Adams' awesome NewsTarget.com site about why diet and exercise work hand-in-hand to help you lose weight and keep it off.

Losing weight isn't merely a function of calorie-cutting, and Mike knows better than most: Once upon a time, he was quite obese! However, under all the body fat you're carrying around, you probably have strong muscles and a sturdy skeleton. In other words, the heavier you are, the stronger your muscles must be just so you can move around.

The trick is to keep your muscles and bone mass in place while losing the body fat that's slowing you down. If you don't make an effort to balance the two, however, you'll lose muscle mass and your metabolism will start to slow down. So you could end up lighter, but because you're not burning up the calories you once did, any sort of overeating will trigger another weight gain.

Fortunately, you have plenty of free resources available on my Web site that can help you get started on the right exercise plan. I suggest viewing exercise like a drug that needs to be prescribed precisely to achieve maximum results.

I encourage my patients to gradually increase the amount of time they are exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day. Initially, the frequency is daily. This is a treatment dose until they normalize their weight or insulin levels. Once normalized, they will only need to exercise three to four times a week.

Get started, either by reviewing my beginner's exercise page, or the array of articles I've posted from contributing editors Dr. Ben Lerner and Paul Chek.

NewsTarget August 27, 2005

Did you know the average American owes $145,000? Yes, every one of us...

That's what it would take to pay for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the trifecta of entitlement programs for the elderly and poor that balloons as people age. And that number doesn't take into consideration what you've actually accumulated in personal debts from credit cards, mortgages, cars and the like. Even worse, Americans save less than $1 of every $100 they earn, while spending almost $2 billion a day on gadgets, cars and imported clothes than the rest of the world.

If that's not a recipe for disaster, I can't imagine, outside possibly at category 4 hurricane, what it would be.

You'd think the younger generation would've seen through this fragile house of cards long ago, but their insatiable I-want-it-now! hunger for things -- and conveniently forgetting the consequences -- only mirrors the obesity epidemic.

A number of experts believe the financial calamity is avoidable, but it's going to be tough. One of the best things you can do to prevent those failing financial numbers from harming your family is to get healthy as quickly as you can. Here's my prescription for beating the statisticians:

• Metabolic type
• Exercise and lower insulin
• Replace trans fats with fish oil
• Clean water
• One hour of sunshine every day
• Learn to sleep well
• Avoid artificial sweeteners

Seattle Post-Intelligencer August 28, 2005

Patients who undergo an angioplasty or heart bypass surgery may increase their chances of developing Alzheimer's disease, not completely unexpected considering a 2001 study found such procedures may prompt mental declines.

The reason for the increased risk of Alzheimer's: The stress and trauma surrounding such procedures. In fact, coronary bypass patients alone had a frighteningly high 70 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's

Also, patients who suffered a mental decline after their heart procedures and subsequently recovered weren't out of the woods either. Researchers believe their recovery may be masking a problem caused by the heart surgery. And, as patients age, this could trigger progressive cognitive deficits, associated with mild impairments, a precursor to Alzheimer's.

The best way to avoid the risk of Alzheimer's disease after a heart procedure pretty simple. "Bypass" heart disease altogether by making some simple lifestyle changes:

• Start an exercise program.
• Take a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily
• Take control of the negative emotions that can devastate your health by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.
• Get tested for CRP.
• Optimize your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type.

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Vol. 7, No. 4, August 2005: 319-324

Science Blog August 25, 2005

You may recall a study I posted earlier this year about the epidemic of kidney disease in this country. Based on a 2000 report of the U.S. Renal Data System, kidney disease affects some 20 million Americans -- almost twice the number from a decade ago -- and many have no idea their health is at risk.

An interesting story in the Washington Post (free text link below) should shock those who live in the DC area, in particular, to get checked out for kidney disease: The rate for new cases of end-stage kidney disease in the 20019 Zip code alone are 44 times higher than the national average!

Race plays some part in this epidemic, at least in Washington D.C., as African-Americans are up to four times more prone to suffer from kidney disease (blacks also outpace whites in diabetes and hypertension, the leading causes of kidney problems). But that doesn't explain the far smaller numbers of kidney disease in Miami or Chicago where many African Americans live too.

In any event, you can lower your risk of kidney disease by avoiding these things:

• Over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin.
• Statin drugs such as Crestor.
• Distilled water.
• Mercury.

Washington Post August 22, 2005

As you recall, Merck lost the first of, what experts expect to be, countless Vioxx lawsuits to the tune of some $253 million in a Texas courtroom a week ago. At the time of the ruling, the word "settlement" wasn't in Merck's vocabulary. Staring at nearly 5,000 more lawsuits to contend with and many more to come, however, the mega-drug company may be having second thoughts...

Both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times (free link below) have reported Merck is considering settling an underdetermined number of cases involving patients who took Vioxx for more than 18 months and demonstrated no risk factors for strokes or heart attacks.

Makes great sense, considering Merck's former strategy about taking every Vioxx case to trial blew up in their faces when Texans awarded the widow of Robert Ernst more than a quarter billion dollars last week (although state caps on lawsuits reduced the award to $26 million).

Still, general counsel, Kenneth Frazier, says Merck's not interested in any sort of class-action settlement, but that could change in a hurry if the lawsuits keep piling up. Experts predict the New Jersey drugmaker could be staring at as many as 50,000 of them before it's all said and done. That's certainly possible, considering the number of Vioxx cases jumped by more than 600 in the past month.

We'll see what happens between now and the next trial convening in September, involving a man who suffered a heart attack after taking Vioxx for a short time, in New Jersey.

CBS MarketWatch August 26, 2005

The Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger August 26, 2005

New York Times August 26, 2005 Registration Required

Earlier this year, Seattle topped the list of America's fittest cities, based on a popular survey released annually by Men's Fitness. About halfway down the "fittest list" is Portland, Ore., which may really be the epicenter of one the healthier states to live in, according to a report by the Trust for America's Health (free report link below).

Colorado may be the "leanest" state in the report (16.4 percent), but Oregon held the unique distinction of being the only state whose percentage of obese residents stayed the same (21 percent). Nevertheless, the report was criticized by the state epidemiologist who estimated the percentage of obese adults at nearly three times that number (59 percent).

What was more interesting about the news report than the numbers, however, were some of the reasons Oregonians kept obesity at bay. For example, the state's urban design plan encourages residents to ride their bikes to work. In fact, some employers offer monthly financial incentives to workers if they ride their bikes to work at least 80 percent of the time.

Additionally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farms in the state increased by a surprising 50 percent, meaning Oregonians likely had better access to fresh fruits and vegetables which promotes healthier eating.

The trick is to promote better health habits as a natural daily outcome, and living in a town like Portland could certainly help. But you don't have to live there to optimize your health, especially if you take advantage of the free resources available on my Web site.

Some areas you'll want to explore as you learn better health habits:

• Learning how to eat based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Finding an exercise program that works best for you.
• Dealing with the emotional stumbling blocks that prevent you from succeeding by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.

MSNBC August 24, 2005

Trust for America's Health Free Full Text Report

Battling Fibromyalgia With Acupuncture

Here's a new way to treat fibromyalgia, a frequently disabling muscle condition that affects more women than men, that has nothing to do with taking a potentially toxic drug like duloxetine: A brief regimen of acupuncture can give sufferers up to a month of relief from some of its more devastating symptoms.

Mayo Clinic scientists tested the effect of acupuncture on 50 patients who were moderately debilitated and hadn't responded to traditional treatments. Patients were divided into two groups: Those who received six acupuncture sessions and the rest who were given "simulated" acupuncture treatments over two to three weeks.

Although physical functioning didn't improve, other symptoms -- pain, fatigue and anxiety -- did, and especially among those who got the "real thing." The most dramatic improvements were felt by patients after a month.

But after seven months, the pain, fatigue and anxiety returned, prompting researchers to suggest scheduling ongoing acupuncture treatments may provide more sustained relief.

Other natural treatments for fibromyalgia:

• Addressing your emotions by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.
• Eating a healthier diet by choosing foods based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Starting an exercise plan today!

Yahoo News August 25, 2005

According to a study of some 35,000 Swedish patients, those who describe themselves as nervous or anxious stand a better chance of being hospitalized after a failed attempt at suicide. Not terribly surprising, until I learned the number of people who reported anxiety or nervousness had jumped over more than a decade's time from 12 to 22 percent.

Almost 14 percent of women reported experiencing light problems with nervousness, anxiety and uneasiness and nearly 4 percent said their problems were severe, while the numbers for men were about half that.

From there, the news gets worse for men.

Males who experienced severe worries or anxieties were more than nine times as likely to be hospitalized after a suicide attempt. And, those risks increased with time in men by a factor of 15 during a decade-long follow-up period.

Moreover, men who reported severe anxiety or nervousness had a higher mortality rate from any cause, in comparison to a long standing illness or smoking, scientists said. On the other hand, a long illness had more to do with increased suicide attempts and mortality rate among women than negative emotions.

Results like these ought to hammer home the role negative emotions play in your physical health, just as they do in slowing down physical healing.

The trick when it comes to dealing with stress is how to adjust your body's ability, not to eliminate, but tolerate it. You can do just that by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique, the energy psychology tool I use in my practice.

And, instead of reaching for an antidepressant to "cure" what ails you, I strongly recommend balancing your daily ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats by taking a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 59, No. 9, September 2005: 794-798

MSNBC August 22, 2005

You may hear about new research determined the region of the brain where daydreaming and creative thought rests may also be the same areas targeted by Alzheimer's disease. That's made some consider the possibility of a link between Alzheimer's and the kind of thinking people do when they're not engaged in purposeful mental activity.

After comparing the complex brain patterns of young adults while they were daydreaming with the location of amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, scientists found what they called a remarkable correlation between the two.

Although scientists warned it's way too early to ban daydreaming just yet, this connection may play an important part in understanding how daily mental and physical activity plays an important hand in the course of neurological disease.

Still, this clashes with one of my six safe and healthy guidelines for preventing Alzheimer's disease, and one of the easiest: Challenging your mind by learning something new or doing crossword puzzles.

But it also strengthens my view that one's emotional state can also be a major contributor to Alzheimer's, as a study I posted earlier this year found.

Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 25, No. 34, August 24, 2005: 7709-7717

MSNBC August 24, 2005

A couple of years ago, I posted a brief satire about the FDA's approval of a prescription placebo to treat a "wide range of conditions." What was once considered a joke or a sham effect, however, may be more real and powerful than conventional medicine ever gave it credit for...

A new study has found proof the mere belief in a pill's ability to relieve pain -- the placebo effect -- is enough to allow the brain to release endorphins, the body's natural pain-fighting chemicals.

Researchers studied the effect by injecting salt water into the jaws of 14 healthy men while they were receiving positron emission tomography (PET) scans. During one scan, a patient was told he would receive pain medication, just not that it was a placebo injection. Then, during subsequent scans, patients were asked to rate the pain they were feeling on a 0-100 scale.

After telling the men the placebos were coming, it took higher amounts of salt water to maintain the same level of pain. Overall, nine of the 14 participants were labeled "high" responders, meaning they felt a stronger placebo effect than the rest of were considered on the "low" side.

Research like this should prompt the conventional medical community to reconsider calling the placebo effect something else. In fact, it might be more accurate to refer to this as the psychological manifestation effect, which is really the power of one's mind to manifest into reality what one's consistent and persistent thoughts are.

And why I often remind you having a positive mental attitude affects your health for the good.

Forbes.com August 24, 2005

Journal of Neurology, Vol. 25, No. 34, August 24, 2005: 7754-7762

ABC News, August 24, 2005

As long as I've written about obesity's horrible toll on this nation's health and budgets, I've reminded you about an important contributor to this epidemic: Doctors who fail to advise their patients to lose weight. Expect that "don't ask/don't tell" approach to continue, after an obese woman filed a complaint against a New Hampshire doctor, claiming his stern warning to lose weight was hurtful.

Dr. Terry Bennett's advice was simple and direct: You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that's going to kill you. The woman's complaint was investigated by the New Hampshire Board of Medicine who asked Bennett to take a "medical education" class. After Dr. Bennett refused to take the class and admit he made a mistake, the New Hampshire board referred the woman's complaint to the state attorney general's office.

The range of punishment for the doctor who has practiced medicine for some four decades ranges from a reprimand to losing his medical license in New Hampshire.

Most recently, Dr. Bennett has received support from the unlikeliest of sources: Patients he's treated, some of whom are or who have been obese. In fact, the movement to exonerate Dr. Bennett has been spearheaded by a woman who lost more than 150 pounds under his care and after a similar discussion.

If we don't turn the tide on obesity very soon, our children may live shorter lives than their parents, which has much to do with why I started this Web site in the first place.

WMUR-TV August 22, 2005

Washington Post August 24, 2005

Last month, I told you about low dose aspirin not being the cancer preventative many assumed. A study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (see link below) has found taking over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics like aspirin or ibuprofen in high doses for a decade can sharply lower colorectal cancer, but such "relief" comes at a much steeper price. They also increase one's odds of serious stomach or intestinal bleeding.

Women who took two 325-miligram aspirin a day lowered their colon cancer risks, but only after taking them for a decade. Based on a closer look at the numbers, however, only one or two cases of colon cancer might be prevented in a town of 10,000, researchers said.

Even worse, taking at least 14 aspirin a week could cause as many as eight cases of stomach or intestinal bleeding severe enough to warrant hospitalization and even a blood transfusion.

Just another reason for me to remind you, making simple lifestyle changes can lower your cancer risks far more safely and effectively than any pill. Simple strategies than will decrease your risks by 62 percent:

• Stop smoking today.
• Schedule periodic cancer screenings.
• Increase the amount of exercise you do every day.
• Eat healthier foods (ideally based on your body's unique metabolic type.

But if you want to virtually eliminate those risks, I urge you to review my extensive list of major recommendations.

Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 294, No. 8, August 24-31, 2005: 914-923

USA Today August 24, 2005

Yesterday, I told you about Google's new and improved Desktop Search tool. Today's bombshell is a doozy: The Internet giant is launching Google Talk, its own version of instant messaging and computer-to-computer voice chat services, of course, for free.

Google Talk tied very closely to Gmail, since you need a Google e-mail account to use it. Until now, Gmail accounts were available by invitation only. As of yesterday, however, all that has changed. Now anyone can get a Gmail account, and can use Google Talk. But to prevent spammers and other abusers from snapping up Gmail accounts by the thousands, Google has designed a clever safeguard: When you apply for a Gmail account, you must provide a cellphone number.

Google sends a code to your phone, which you use to complete the registration. (Actually, you don't have to own a cellphone, if you know somebody who owns one. They can get the code for you, because each cellphone number is good for a number of registrations, just not hundreds of them.) And at 900KB, it's tiny and fast download.

Three caveats:

• Google Talk is being released as a beta version that works on PCs running Windows 2000 and XP, meaning Apple users will have to wait a little longer for a Mac-compatible version of their own.
• Unlike Skype, Google Talk's phone service only connects users to other computers, not land lines.
• You won't be able to use the instant messaging portion of Google Talk to connect with Yahoo Messenger or AIM (AOL's Instant Messenger) users.

The last caveat is the most important because Google Talk is based on an open, published standard that the company is making available to all in hopes of creating a single unified network one day.

Miami Herald August 24, 2005 Registration Required

PC World, August 24, 2005

If you've been keeping up with Splenda news through my Web site, you know the great sales job McNeil Nutritionals has done to make sucralose -- a sweetener that's anything but natural -- more palatable to the public, and lately with the help of the FDA.

Now, Splenda is invading our schools, thanks to a joint agreement with PTO Today, a firm that offers marketing, fund-raising help to parent groups serving kindergarten, elementary and middle school kids. The campaign will encourage parents and kids to use Splenda in preparing low-sugar treats for future bake sales. Some "perks" of the campaign:

• Providing recipes for school bake sales.
• Offering tips on how to incorporate fitness into a healthy eating plan.
• Distributing a free bake sale kit, "Sweet Success: The Better Bake Sale Kit" for school parent groups.
• Sponsoring an "Ultimate Bake Sale" contest.

It's another great move, among many, considering the average consumer hasn't a clue about the side effects of Splenda. And if you believe -- just because the FDA approved it -- Splenda is at all safe for you, I urge you to review my extensive testimonials page, chock full of heartbreaking stories about the toxic effects this artificial sweetener may inflict.

Splenda has been linked to a number of toxic side effects, including shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage), enlarged liver and kidneys, reduced growth rate, aborted pregnancy and diarrhea.

Yahoo Finance August 23, 2005

Last week, you probably read Mike Adams' awesome essay -- a biting parody of what would happen to the auto industry if it operated like the mega-drug companies did -- in my eHealthy News You Can Use newsletter (if you aren't a subscriber to my free newsletter, there's no better time to do so than right now).

This newest parable tells a tale of a group of doctors who wanted to create art, first by learning what it's made of. But, as most of you know, art, like music, is far more than words or notes or colors on a printed page.

These doctors, like the six blind men described in John Godfrey Saxe's popular poem, understood part of the process, but were so clueless by what was in front of them all along, they were unable to appreciate art for what it can do for the heart and soul.

Just like my belief that conventional medicine -- so focused on needless drugs and tests -- very often fails to find the real problem, as so aptly described in a fish story I ran about a year ago.

NewsTarget.com August 17, 2005

If you ever wondered why the obesity epidemic is hitting our kids the hardest, here's a reason that may have more to do with the presence of fast food restaurants in my hometown, but less to do with the food they serve: It's all a matter of location, location, location...

Harvard researchers found an astounding 80 percent of the schools in Chicago are located within a half-mile of at least one fast-food restaurant. Even worse, it's probably intentional based on statistical mapping techniques that found there were nearly three times the number of fast food restaurants less than a mile away from Chicago schools than would be typically expected if they were distributed more randomly.

Of course, representatives from McDonald's denied any responsibility, noting the study didn't compare the proximity of fast food restaurants to a student's eating habits, even though childhood obesity rates have soared over the past quarter-century.

That problem is particularly acute in Chicago, considering kids who start kindergarten here are more than twice as likely to be overweight than children who live in other areas.

The problem has never been in our ability to distinguish healthy from unhealthy, but instead to make better choices. The failure to do so is what makes people unhealthy, not what is or isn't available at McDonald's, but their proximity to our schools certainly doesn't help either.

Some ways to prevent your child from becoming a statistic in the obesity epidemic:

• Set a good example for your kids and http take a more active hand in their health.
• Get your kids away the couch and outdoors playing.
• Move the TV out of their bedroom and limit what time they spend in front of it.
• Replace the sugary juice and soft drinks with clean water.

American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 95, No. 9, September 2005: 1575-1581

Chicago Sun-Times August 23, 2005

Without any doubt or question, the future of mobile phones are in dual-mode, cellular/Wi-Fi models (take a peek at the Motorola M1000 to the left). More than 2.5 million Americans have VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone service right now and that number is exploding. Next year, WiMax will be widespread.

WiMax can transmit up to 30 miles. WiMax's greater range and higher bandwidth gives service providers the ability to offer broadband Internet access directly to homes without having to worry about the problems that can arise when laying down a physical connection over the "so-called" last mile, which connects homes with a service provider's main network. This will virtually eliminate the need for wired Internet and radically lower prices.

So you will have the ability to connect wirelessly to the Internet nearly everywhere in the country in the next few years. So rather than use your cell phone, you will connect to the Internet wirelessly and use VoIP as an alternative to your cell phone carrier.

Just as many people dropped their land lines nearly everyone will be dropping their cell phone carriers. The reason? Rock bottom prices. Just remember that VoIP has no taxes and, just like your home Internet connection, they include unlimited calls for your monthly service fee.

So you can call anywhere in the United States and Canada for one low monthly fee. If you have to call internationally the rates are typically 3 cents a minute. Compare that to the nearly universal $1 per minute or more for most international cell phone calls.

USA Today August 24, 2005

You may recall a recent study I posted about the gap -- no matter how small -- between what a doctor instructs a patient to do about his or her diabetes and whether that treatment is successful. In fact, better knowledge of the problem doesn't guarantee optimal health.

What happens when a doctor misses the signs of diabetes altogether or neglects to tell a patient about it? According to a new study of some 1,200 patients at two Kansas City hospitals, it happens far more often than you think...

The majority of patients doctors treat for heart-related problems in an emergency room setting also suffer from impaired glucose metabolism, according to the lead researcher who found 57 percent of the patients had abnormal levels.

About a quarter of the patients polled knew about their diabetic condition. Of the remainder, 14 percent (126 patients) suffered from new-onset diabetes based on fasting glucose levels. Here's the kicker: Doctors told only 35 percent of those with a new case of diabetes about their condition and treated them. The rest, including some who had signs of diabetes (high fasting glucose levels), were undiagnosed and untreated.

That horrible lack of action on the part of physicians is why I remind you so often your road to optimal health begins by taking responsibility for it. My site offers free resources to teach you how to do just that. Long story short, the trick to treating diabetes comes down to making two lifestyle adjustments:

• Restricting your carb intake to "slow" carbs based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Optimizing your exercise regimen to improve your body's insulin and leptin sensitivity.

American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 96, Issue 3, August 1, 2005: 363-365

Yahoo News August 22, 2005

You know how lots of skin-to-skin contact helps your baby make the transition from the womb to the world far less traumatic. If you deliver a preemie baby, extra attention to touch can help your new arrival gain weight faster and more naturally by improving his or her stomach motion, according to a new study.

In fact, premature infants treated with 5-10 days of moderate-pressure massage have gained weight, even though their sleeping time and food intake weren't increased.

Scientists tested the effect of massage on 48 preemies divided into three groups: No massage, light massage and moderate-pressure massage. Not surprisingly, the latter group of the three gained 27 percent more weight than the others, and without feeding them more food.

Later on, scientists determined the weight gain was related to improvements in stomach motion.

Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 147, Issue 1, July 2005: 50-55

Yahoo News August 19, 2005

I told you last year about a process inventors have been working on that would create self-cleaning clothes. University of Florida researchers have developed an energy-saving process using common detergent ingredients that leaves clothes about 20 percent drier than the typical wash cycle.

Scientists found cloth fibers work like tiny capillaries that hold onto water during a spin cycle. By reducing the surface tension (in other words, the force that keeps water in place in a straw when one end is closed with a finger). water drained more easily.

Researchers achieved this surface tension by mixing detergents in a new way called dodab and testing it in a normal washing machine.

Although the results by themselves are pretty phenominal, scientists believe, with more research and a few tweaks, drying times could be cut even further to 30-40 percent, saving consumers on their electric bills.

Wired News August 23, 2005

Many of you may not know the number one read blog in the world is Engadget. I have been reading it for over two years. Yesterday, they featured an amazing parody of themselves and wrote an extensive mockup of their site as if had been written 20 years ago.

If you were into computers at that time like I was then, you will really appreciate it as it will bring back fond memories. Even if you weren't, you'll still enjoy it as it is an amazing piece with plenty of pictures showing massive portable phones weighing 10 pounds or more.

And, if you're as fond of MP3 players as I am, you'll be amazed at one of Sony's first portable CD Discman models that looked anything but portable.

Engadget August 22, 2005

Because I'm such a fan of its many free services as are many of you, thought you'd be thrilled as I am about the latest update of Google's Desktop Search (GDS) tool.

Some of my favorite new features are the ability to search for new file types. I can't tell you how many times Google Desktop search has saved me from serious trouble because it found a document I thought was lost. However, it did not search all documents and now that it searches Microsoft Outlook completely it will be much improved, especially the appointments and contacts.

Along with the 14 file types indexed with GDS, GDS2 will now index:

• Gmail
• Outlook Appointments
• Outlook Tasks

Along with what I've mentioned above, the GDS2 beta also offers:

• Password Protection and Index Encryption (available on the GDS2 preferences page).
• Improved filtering of results (depending on document type).
• One new feature allows you to see a timeline of all documents that GDS has cached. Options to search network drives.

The newest and most important part of this release is the Google Sidebar feature that comes with eight customizable panels that provide access to Gmail, news headlines, photo files, stocks and the weather.

One caveat: This new free Google is available only to Windows users.

Search Engine Watch August 22, 2005

When Will They Ever Learn?

This morning's NY Times has an excellent follow-up to the quarter billion dollar award to the first Vioxx trial yesterday. It dramatically highlights the audacious temerity of the drug companies as they seek to invest millions of dollars in performing additional studies to "prove" that their COX-2 drugs are "safe".

Of course millions of dollars may seem like a lot of money to you and me, but when you are losing $253 million in one lawsuit and you are staring down tens of thousands of additional lawsuits that could result in similar awards, it is not much at all.

What really is appalling though is the complete dearth of any semblance of ethical behavior that this action screams of. These companies already have overwhelming evidence that they are not and have killed well over 60,000. They are merely band aid solutions which in no way shape or form address the cause of the problem. Yet they continue to invest millions to twist and manipulate the data that these drugs are "safe".

I guess the answer to the headline is when Merck finally bites the dust. With awards like the one handed out yesterday, that day seems looming in the near future, and believe me, it has marked the beginning of the end for this type of greed and Merck's well deserved demise won't come a moment too soon

New York Times August 20, 2005

You may recall a story how pesticides can elevate one's risk for Parkinson's disease, particularly for farmers. According to a study of more than 2.5 million death records from 22 states, a wider range of jobs could be associated with a higher mortality rate thanks to various forms of brain degeneration, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, early-onset dementia and motor neuron disease.

Some, like farmers, are not unexpected, especially dentists and dental assistants exposed to mercury from amalgams and veterinarians and hairdressers, given their daily exposure to chemicals. What was surprising: Some professions -- teaching, banking and the clergy -- were associated with the highest odds of dying either from Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease.

One possibility conjured up by researchers: Those who work in professional jobs may have a lower risk of heart disease, which, in turn, may make them more prone to neurological disorders. Certainly doesn't sound very plausible, given the obesity epidemic in this country that's made so many Americans more exercise-adverse than ever and prone to disease.

No matter what you do for a living, there are some pretty easy things you can do to reduce your risks of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's:

• Start an exercise program today.
• Eat a nutritious diet, chock full of vegetables high in folic acid.
• Avoid toxins like aluminum and pesticides.

American Journal of Industrial Medicine, Vol. 48, Issue 1, July 2005: 63-77

Yahoo News August 18, 2005

If you have a few minutes to spare today, you'll want to read the first two parts of this awesome Chicago Tribune series about the epidemic of childhood obesity all wrapped up into a single symbol: The Oreo, the best-selling cookie in the world, sold by Kraft, the country's largest food manufacturer.

What's really intriguing about part one is the massive effort food companies like Kraft have made to figure out how and why consumers are attracted to their products. So much so, the company turned to outside consultants to help them understand the complicated brain science that stimulates consumers to eat sugar-laden foods. And, once upon a time, before Kraft took over Nabisco (Oreo's original manufacturer more than a decade ago), the company held joint meetings with cigarette-maker Philip Morris to share brain data...

In fact, one Princeton University scientist told Kraft his recent research suggests sugar has addictive properties.

And since the Altria Group has, for all practical purposes, merged Kraft and Philip Morris, the two companies have shared talented strategists as a preemptive strike against the rising tide of lawsuits filed by people blaming food companies for their poor health.

So, even though Kraft said it would phase out ads of its widely popular snack foods to kids under 12, processed food manufacturers -- like the mega-drug companies -- merely ferret out other ways to promote and sell their products that sicken our children and worsen the epidemic of obesity in this country.

If you're looking for sweet tooth alternatives, you'll want to read Colleen Huber's recent piece on making a tasty birthday party treat without sugar.

Chicago Tribune August 21, 2005 Registration Required

Just to show why I believe antidepressants are so deadly to your health, new research has found Seroxat (better known as paroxetine or Paxil), one of the widely used drugs in the UK to treat depression, has been linked to a seven-fold increase in suicide attempts and three-fold climb in suicidal thoughts.

And just like Merck -- whose executives knew about Vioxx's deadly heart risks before pulling it from the consumer market -- GlaxoSmithKline knew about these risks 15 years ago, before Seroxat was licensed for use in the UK, according to Norwegian researchers who reviewed 16 studies in which the drug was compared to a placebo (including some data that had been previously unpublished).

In another parallel of the Vioxx debacle in this country, despite the outcry for removing Seroxat from the market, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (the FDA's counterpart in the UK) and Glaxo have defended the drug, arguing its benefits outweigh the risks.

Makes you wonder if governmental regulation in Great Britain ever got a gander at Glaxo's plans for doubling Seroxat's share of the antidepressant market that included one deadly benefit: Allowing patients to drop then restart the drug as needed.

Optimizing your diet is clearly an important step in treating depression, and one of the most important tools will be to make sure you are getting enough omega-3 fats. I have had large numbers of patients spontaneously take themselves off their antidepressants once they started taking a high quality fish or cod liver oil, chock full of omega-3 fats.

BMC Medicine, Vol. 3, August 22, 2005 Free Full Text Article

The Times Online, August 22, 2005

I've recently shared with you some of the more insane approaches -- in the form of potentially toxic drugs -- for preventing breast cancer, as well as the natural, safer treatments. Seems the tide may finally be shifting toward the latter, and it's about time!

A woman who loses at least 10 pounds between ages 18-30 can reduce her risk of cancer by as much as 65 percent. Conversely, gaining 10 pounds between that same age range increased a woman's breast cancer risks before age 40 by 44 percent.

The culprit: Carrying extra fat around the middle could affect ovarian hormone and glucose metabolism, and promote insulin resistance, all of which increase a woman's breast cancer risk.

Researchers determined those risks by studying some 2,000 women with BRCA1 or BRCA2 breast cancer genes. One caveat: Although women who had the BRCA2 gene and lost weight reduced their risks, the change wasn't as great.

If you're looking to improve your chances of preventing or surviving breast cancer, I strongly urge you to review my nine recommendations, none of which include taking a toxic drug.

BBC News August 19, 2005

Because accidents are a major cause of needless death and disability for many of us, new technology promises to radically reduce our safety risks in the near future, as so aptly described in this awesome piece in Popular Science (free text link below).

Lexus and Peugeot Citroen have been working on cars equipped to "sense" the environment around them, in some cases, to gently prod drivers not to meander out of their traffic lanes or, in a pinch, soften the impact of an accident.

What's really cool is how cars will be equipped to do that. Some of those new tools that may appear sooner than you think:

• Video cameras looking for traffic lights.
• Distance-sensing lasers checking passing lanes and blind spots.
• Radio networking enabling cars to share information about road conditions ahead.
• Wireless local area networks that communicates with cars in close proximity to help you avoid traffic jams.

The tricky part: Almost all the hardware needed to do these things is available, just not the software to seemlessly tie it all together. Experts predict the first "networked" cars should hit the road by 2010, and any features shouldn't come standard for at least another decade.

Popular Science Free Full Text Article

Hidden among the Katrina stories was the overlooked announcement that the FDA approved the flu vaccine Fluarix to prepare for the flu vaccine attack this fall.

It has been six years since the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service joined forces in requesting the removal of all mercury-containing preservative thimerosal from vaccines.

A quick surf on the net easily reveals that this new vaccine indeed has mercury. How can they approve vaccines that have a preservative that has been outlawed for six years? Last year I ran an article that documtned that flu vaccines still contain mercury.

How can the US federal government justify this morally reprehensible behavior and expose your children and you to this well documented neurtoxic poison?

USA Today August 31, 2005

Wired News reports the following interesting comments about Katrina:

The dead and the desperate of New Orleans now join the farmers of Aceh and the fishermen of Trincomalee, villagers in Iran and the slum dwellers of Haiti in a world being dealt ever more punishing blows by natural disasters.

The bottom line is we have a very unsafe planet. By one critical measure, the impact on populations, statistics show the planet to be increasingly unsafe.

More than 2.5 billion people were affected by floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters between 1994 and 2003, a 60 percent increase over the previous two 10-year periods, U.N. officials reported at a conference on disaster prevention in January.

Those numbers don't include millions displaced by last December 2004's tsunami, which killed an estimated 180,000 people as its monstrous waves swept over coastlines from Indonesia's Aceh province to Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, and beyond.

It's a world where Americans can learn from even the poorest nations, experts say, and where they should learn not to build future settlements like the drowned old metropolis on the Mississippi.

No one should have to endure what the unfortunate people who were stranded in New Orleans had to the past week. However what the media is failing to comment on its coverage is personal responsibility.

This morning's New York Times has some shocking information in its main story on New Orleans. The USA Today also reports that police escorts had to kill five residents of New Orleans as they were shooting at Army engineers who were trying to repair the breeched levee. 

The conditions were so bad in New Orleans that 200 of its 1500 police officers handed in their badges and another two committed suicide. If that wasn't bad enough the police superintendent offered to send not only all members of the police and fire departments but their families on vacations to Las Vegas. I don't remember New York sending its firemen to Vegas after 9/11, do you?

Just seems morally reprehensible to even consider doing something this outrageous, but at least that would be consistent with the moral caliber of this city.

Let's get back to personal responsibility. It is no mystery that the  city was built below sea level Many expert panels had predicted that this would happen and it was surprising it hadn't occured earlier. It wasn't a matter of New Orleans would be flooded it was when it would have a disaster. These levees were NEVER DESIGNED to withstand this type of storm. Unlike the unpredictable tsunami and 9/11 disasters this one could have been prevented.

As NewMax said this am  "Common sense suggests that local and state governments are best able to prepare and plan for local disasters. But if we believe the major TV networks, George Bush, FEMA and the Republicans in Congress are all to blame for the current nightmare."

Chicago Did It – Why Couldn't New Orleans?

I live in Chicago and it was also below sea level before 1850. However the city spent 20 years to repair that and rebuild itself 14 feet higher. Chicago is FAR larger than New Orleans. If they were able to fix their city over 150 years ago why couldn't New Orleans?

Instead New Orleans chose to do nothing, absolutely nothing to correct its plight and now that the predicted disaster has occurred significant portions of its entitlement mentality population believe the federal government "owes it to them" to repair their city. Now, you and I will have to pay TENS OF BILLIONS of our tax dollars to correct their careless irresponsible behavior.

Morally Unacceptable Behavior

Hundreds of its citizens chose to pillage and rape its own residents and aim deadly fire on those that were sent to help them by bringing supplies and repair assistance.

Then, to add insult to injury, the city decides to send its municipal workers and their families to Las Vegas. Is it because their isn't enough work to do or because they just could not figure out  what to do with all their surplus city funds?

The city is BILLIONS of dollars in debt due to this disaster and wants to spend money it doesn't have to send these families to Las Vegas.

It is most unfortunate that so many helpless people had to suffer and die because those in responsible positions chose to do nothing. The media has not said one word about bringing the appropriate city officials to trial for this disaster.

Rather the mayor of New Orleans goes on the media and issues multiple profanities rather than accepting responsibility for not taking preventive action that could have avoided this disaster.

Moral of the story?

Don't let the same thing happen to your body as what happened to New Orleans. Take the proactive steps you can do now, chose a healthy lifestyle so you won't have to rely on conventional medicine to rescue you from the ravages of convenience food that tastes good but robs you of your future health.

New York Times September 5, 2005

Dozens of high resolution photos documenting the enormous damage and desparation in New Orleans and Mississippi.

If you are moved to provide relief I found the Salvation Army to be the most effective charitable organization in this country.

Regarded the "General Electric" of charities, the Salvation Army provides some $2.5 billion annually, with an impressive 84 cents out of every dollar funding program services.

If you want to ensure every penny you donate counts, I urge you to visit their home page, and click on the link under Financial Donations to make your donation online.

Eyeball Series

If you're looking for a natural means to increase your lifespan and boost your brain functioning, high doses of vitamin E may do the trick, according to a new study. The numbers, based on experiments with rats over two years, are certainly eye-opening:

• The median lifespan of mice increased 40 percent to 85 weeks.
• The maximum lifespan of rats rose 17 percent to 136 weeks.
• The ability of rats to perform tests based on brain functioning nearly doubled as they aged (from a maximum of 24 percent at 52 weeks to 45 percent at 78 weeks).
• Activity of the mitochondrial markers of aging fell in some cases by as much as 95 percent.

Here's the catch: The amount of vitamin E given to the rats daily was comparable to about a 1,200-2,000 mgs. human dose. In other words, a mega-dose, considering 100-800 units a day is optimal, depending on your metabolic type.

The other trick about vitamin E is getting the right kind of it. Ideally, you'd get it by eating the right foods (nuts, avocados and sweet potatoes to name a few), but many take a supplement. If you do, be sure to find a brand that contains gamma-tocopherol, the most naturally occuring form of vitamin E, not dl-alpha-tocopherol, the synthetic variety that's most commonly available in most stores.

American Journal of Physiology -- Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology July 14, 2005

EurekAlert September 2, 2005

Earlier this summer, I warned you about the one of the more insidious marketing strategies the mega-drug companies trot out from time-to-time -- the element of fear -- to trick people into using their toxic products, especially those marketed to breast cancer patients. What happens when the toxic side effects of taking a drug far outweigh any good it does?

Apparently, that's the case with Herceptin, a drug sold by Genentech to treat breast cancer. The early review of Herceptin: Breast cancer patients run a much higher risk of heart problems, compared to those who received chemotherapy alone.

Based on a three-year study of more than 2,000 patients, the rate of congestive heart failure and cardiac death among those who took Herceptin was 4.1 percent compared to those who opted for chemotherapy (0.8 percent).

Fact is, folks, most people -- not the mega-drug companies -- are confused about the real cause of cancer and all disease. In no way, shape or form is it related to a drug deficiency or some random event that is waiting in the wings to strike us down. The vast majority of the time, it is completely related to circumstances that we can control.

I've devoted plenty of pages on my Web site to show you how to reduce your cancer risks almost completely. Here's some of my major recommendations:

• Get the right amount of vitamin D naturally, via safe exposure to the sun.
• Retool your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Start an exercise program today.
• Normalize your intake of animal-based omega-3 fats.

MSNBC August 31, 2005

Last month, I told you about the many preparations for the flu season to come in the works by the FDA and various drug manufacturers, namely rounding up more sources for deadly vaccines no one needs.

One more -- GlaxoSmithKline -- joined the pack Wednesday, when the FDA approved Fluarix for use by adults over age 18. Glaxo will produce 8 million doses for the U.S. market this season for the very first time. Even worse, the FDA gave Glaxo special treatment under its fast-track approval system, which allows the company to test the efficacy of its vaccine while producing it.

In other vaccine-related news, Chiron also passed the latest hurdle toward securing FDA approval to sell vaccines in this country Wednesday, after a successful inspection of its UK manufacturing facility in Liverpool.

As I said earlier, I suspect we'll be seeing a repeat of last year's "fear campaign" along with a vaccine "crisis" accompanied by massive shortages. But that dearth of vaccines will be a blessing in disguise, especially since you run the high risk of receiving one loaded with toxic mercury.

MSNBC August 31, 2005

If the true cost of a pack of cigarettes -- estimated to be nearly $40 when all the extra health costs are taken into account -- won't make you stop smoking, perhaps its harmful effects on your children will.

Based on a study of 35,000 non-smokers in Singapore, ranging in age from 45-74, almost half of the patients surveyed had fathers who smoked and close to 20 percent were exposed by their mothers. The more smokers in the home during childhood, not surprisingly, the greater risk of chronic cough and phlegm.

The good news about this study: Patients who ate about 8 grams of fiber every day -- roughly the amount of two apples -- didn't suffer as much harm from second-hand smoke. According to researchers, the extra fiber lowered blood glucose concentrations and inflammation as well as raised the amount of vital antioxidants their bodies used to better protect them from cigarette smoke.

One caveat: One of the main sources of fiber in the diet of Singapore patients was soy, a problematic and potentially dangerous "food" if there ever was one. Although processed soy products are consumed by more than 200 million Americans, thousands of studies have linked them to a host of problems, including malnutrition, cognitive decline and infertility.

Fermented, unprocessed soy products like natto, miso and tempeh, however, are far healthier for you, as the fermentation process aids in liberating otherwise difficult to digest nutrients in the soybean, making them more available for absorption.

EurekAlert August 30, 2005

Thorax August 30, 2005

Although some studies have tied rising blood pressures to kidney stones, it's no surprise obesity affects women far more acutely when it comes to hypertension.

Scientists compared the health of more than 900 patients with kidney stones to that of some 19,000 patients with no history of kidney stone problems, along with their body mass index (BMI). Females with a history of kidney stones were almost 70 percent more likely to suffer from high blood pressure. The same association, however, can't be said for men.

Another indication obesity and kidney stones affect blood pressures: As a patient's BMI increased, so did the difference in blood pressures between those who suffered from kidney stones and people who didn't.

Seems this results would give obese patients who suffer from the discomfort of kidney stones a stronger push to take better care of their health. Fortunately, I have plenty of free tools available on my Web site to do just that. Here's a few links to get you moving in the right direction:

• Get the right amount of exercise. If you don't use it in the right dosage, it won't work.
• Revamp your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type. Learn more about it by taking my free test.
• Take more control over the emotions that got you to this low spot healthwise. One of the best tools you can to do that is the Emotional Freedom Technique, the energy psychology tool I use in my practice.

Yahoo News August 30, 2005

American Journal of Kidney Diseases Vol. 46, No. 2, August 2005: 263-269

Because most people are so deficient in omega-3 fats, I strongly recommend everyone consider routinely consuming a high-quality brand of fish oil and cod liver oil like Carlson's. Apparently this baby reads my newsletter!

Regular reader Joe Romanowski writes:

We have three grandsons and they all love Carlson's fish oil. This photo is of Owen our youngest getting the last drop. Our daughter has to keep all of your fish oil products out of reach otherwise they would grab them. Our oldest Ryan (4-years-old) actually tries to give the cod liver oil capsules to his little friends? without much success.

Since Stacey took the fish oil all through her pregnancies her boys are now hooked on it.

If you want to be as smart as this baby, I urge you to read about why you (likely desperately) need the omega-3 that only fish oil/cod liver oil can provide in your diet, and why I recommend Carlson's so highly.

And, just to set the record straight, I don't recommend drinking it straight from the bottle, as Owen seems to prefer.

You may also want to review the study below that offers more evidence behind the reasons consuming fish oil as well as foods high in omega-3 fats can protect your heart. Seems omega-3 fats lowered the risk of coronary artery restenosis (a renarrowing of the carotid artery after an angioplasty).

Atherosclerosis, August 2005

Earlier this year, I told you a new test -- based on the detection of proteins found in spinal fluid -- developed in hopes of giving medicine the early jump on Alzheimer's. Researchers at MIT have jumped on that bandwagon with a test of their own that's completely noninvasive.

Scientists have developed a contrast agent -- a dye (NIAD-4) -- that binds to plaques in the brain that causes Alzheimer's, then appears when exposed to radiation in the near-infrared range. This process could provide doctors with a means to have a true look at the plaque inside a patient's skull.

The first test of NIAD-4 on living mice proved successful, providing clear visuals of amyloid brain plaques. To make the procedure completely noninvasive, however, scientists will need to refine the dye so it fluoresces at a slightly longer wavelength, closer to the infrared region.

The translucence researchers hope to produce down the road could be comparable to what you'd see if you held a laser pointer against the side of your finger.

In the meantime, your best way to fight Alzheimer's -- a looming health care disaster in the making -- is to treat it with dietary and lifestyle changes. That's why I strongly urge you to read my extensive list of guidelines for blowing away Alzheimer's disease safely, easily and inexpensively.

Science Blog August 26, 2005

We have all seen or read of the looting going on in New Orleans as a result of the flooding due to Hurricane Katrina. Although this is not admirable behavior, many of these individuals are merely obtaining food to survive. Of course, there are others that are stealing electronics and alcohol, but the total they are looting is a mere pittance, folks.

So who IS doing all the major looting? The oil companies.

I am sure you have seen the price of gas has jumped 20 percent over already historic high prices. These companies are making BILLIONS off of this tragedy. Sure the Gulf oil production is down but how in any way, shape or form does that justify this price gouging?

It doesn't.

Perhaps, I am missing something here. I have run a business for 20 years and I simply can't see any reason to justify this increase other than human greed. I can understand a minor increase due to distribution costs but there are absolutely no hard costs these companies have incurred. These greedy oil companies are merely taking advantage of the situation because they can.

I am absolutely amazed that the public just sits there and takes this abuse. These companies are literally STEALING billions of dollars from each and every one of us.

These are the people the National Guard should be going after...

USA Today September 1, 2005

An interesting story about a gastroenterologist from Taiwan wanting to study acupuncture and an opening at an Australian hospital has led to a potentially useful and more natural treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Scientists used acupuncture to treat GERD based on how they believed it would affect transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESRs), known to be the most important mechanism of acid reflux in normal subjects and patients with GERD, in two studies.

Patients were treated with electrical acupoint stimulation -- a high-tech form of acupuncture -- with a GERD model imposed on normal subjects by inflating a balloon in their stomachs. In two separate studies, barely perceptible stimulation was applied at the acupoint known as Neiguan on the wrist, which reduced the number of TLESRs by 40 percent -- from six an hour to almost half that.

Electroacupuncture is relatively new and successful. In fact, it's been found to cut elevations in blood pressure by half. But, if you're not at all crazy about needles -- especially ones running electrical currents -- and want to stay away from proton pump inhibitors like Nexium, here are some safer, natural treatments that will do the trick.

• Reduce, with the plan of eliminating, grains and sugars from your diet.
• Retool your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Stay away from soft drinks, particularly before bedtime.

EurekAlert August 30, 2005

American Journal of Physiology -- Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol. 298, No. 2, August 2005: 197-201

With the avalanche of studies I've posted this year regarding how exercise can be a boost to your health in so many ways, here's another one that benefits men: Regardless how high their cholesterol levels are, males who are physically fit can slash their risk of death due to heart disease.

Researchers collected data on more than 19,000 men (ages 20-79) who visited a clinic between 1979-95. Based on newer classifications for high cholesterol, some 42 percent of the patients surveyed required either therapeutic lifestyle changes or drug intervention -- meaning a potentially useless and toxic statin drug.

In comparison to patients with good cholesterol numbers, males who had to make lifestyle changes were at double the risk of death. For patients "needing" aggressive drug therapy, their mortality odds rose astronomically by a factor of seven.

The good news: Physically active men, no matter what their cholesterol numbers said, reduced their odds of death from heart disease by 50 percent. The reason, experts believe, exercise lowers cholesterol is that it treats the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome (these findings led one researcher to rename the condition physical inactivity syndrome).

If you're looking for the right exercise plan, I have plenty of free resources on my Web site to help you get started. I also urge you to review some of the more recent pieces posted by contributing editors and exercise gurus, Paul Chek and Ben Lerner.

Forbes.com August 29, 2005

Circulation August 29, 2005

Earlier this month, a British Medical Journal study debunked the myth that natural childbirth is any safer in a hospital than at home, I suspect, making some of you future parents rethink your options.Here's one more reason to go the natural route, and stay away from a Cesarean section if you can: Researchers have discovered many more C-section babies were infected by a bacterium that caused cavities more than a year later, than those born naturally.

Scientists studied the early spread of tooth decay by comparing 29 C-section babies with 127 born naturally. Based on previous studies, the earlier streptococcus mutans forms in a child, the quicker they'll be prone to cavities. Because Cesarean-born kids are exposed to fewer bacteria at birth, scientists believe they have a diminished resistance to them.

One caveat: The C-section mothers who participated in the study also had greater amounts of tooth decay, low family incomes and sexually transmitted diseases.

Fact is, about one-quarter of babies are delivered by Caesarean section in this country and most are unnecessary. Generally, C-sections are not the best option as they are frequently done for the convenience of a physician.

Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 84, No. 9, September 2005: 806-811

BBC News August 28, 2005

Although some groups believe the anniversary of fluoridation in America is something worth celebrating, they don't include EPA employee unions, representing 7,000 environmental and public health workers, who have called for a moratorium on fluoride. (Read NTEU Chapter 280's letters and position on fluoride at this link.

These 11 unions have asked Congress to consider a moratorium -- pending a review on the risks and rewards of fluoridation -- and the EPA to recognize exposure to fluoride may cause cancer. The announcement comes on the heels of a hidden Harvard study recently discovered by the Fluoride Action Network that found exposure to fluoridated tap water was responsible for an increased risk of bone cancer in boys, ages 10-19.

Of course, many towns saw the same news report, but still see nothing wrong with fluoridation, and claim few want that to change. Interestingly enough, few European countries fluoridate their water. Ever wonder why?

• Fluoride increases the tumor growth and the general cancer rate.
• Fluoride has been linked to cancer, low IQs in children, genetic disorders and muscle degeneration.
• Fluoride inhibits the formation of antibodies in the blood.

To make your feelings known about fluoridation, I urge you to visit the Fluoride Action Network's Web site and sign their online petition and send a letter to your Congressman.

Albany Democrat-Herald August 30, 2005

World-Wire August 30, 2005

Last Christmas, a tsunami pummeled Southeast Asia, killing some 140,000 people and leaving millions homeless. The death toll after Sunday's arrival of Hurricane Katrina just east of New Orleans, so far, isn't nearly as great but the physical destruction along the Gulf Coast may be just as devastating and mind-boggling.

Even worse, just as residents of New Orleans thought they had been spared the full brunt of the category 4 hurricane, two levees built to protect to Crescent City from flooding broke yesterday, submerging some 80 percent of the city -- some areas up to 20 feet deep.

If you've been keeping up with the news reports as I have, no one has a clue how long it will take for Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi residents to reclaim their lives and rebuild their homes. Until that time comes, you can do your part by donating your time and dollars to relief efforts to keep your fellow Americans safe, fed and as comfortable as possible.

Because time is of the essence and the need is great, you're no doubt wondering which organization can do the most good with your money. After doing some investigating of my own (prompted by the World Trade Center disaster), I've found the Salvation Army to be the most effective charitable organization in this country.

Regarded the "General Electric" of charities, the Salvation Army provides some $2.5 billion annually, with an impressive 84 cents out of every dollar funding program services.

If you want to ensure every penny you donate counts, I urge you to visit their home page, and click on the link under Financial Donations to make your donation online.

Please do it today!

USA Today August 31, 2005

Earlier this year, I shared compelling information with you about polyunsaturated fats spurring the formation of cataracts, a common problem faced by the elderly. At the time, I also told you the amount of antioxidants -- specifically the lack of them -- also contributed greatly to cataracts.

Researchers have discovered an antioxidant-rich diet of fruits and vegetables may prevent the breakdown of a crucial mechanism, called the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, that clears damaged proteins away from eye lenses. When too many of these damaged proteins accumulate, cataracts can grow on the eye.

This ubiquitin-proteasome pathway helps balance a healthy concentration of proteins within cells. Ubiquitin is a protein that identifies damaged proteins ripe for removal and attaches itself to them. These "conjugated" proteins then latch onto proteasomes (protein-degrading enzymes) finish the job of clearing away vision-sapping debris.

Because free radicals attack ubiquitin and other healthy proteins in the eye, the antioxidants contained in vitamins C and E can play an important role in protecting that pathway.

A good source of vitamins C and E, as well as beta carotene: Kiwi fruit.

USDA Agricultural Research Service August 2, 2005

USDA Agricultural Research Service August 2005 Free Full Text Article

Because you know how much I enjoy sharing innovative technology with you, a suburban school district in Dallas has enlisted the aid of a virtual cafeteria to battle the epidemic of childhood obesity.

The Carrollton-Farmers Branch school district recently launched its Virtual Cafeteria Web site to show kids, teachers and parents what's being served at their school every day. The site also calculates nutritional information on a virtual lunch tray, including calories, fat grams, protein and vitamins.

What I like about the site: A virtual cafeteria worker appears on screen and comments on the various choices a child can make -- both good and bad. For example, a cookie rates a Whoa! response, meaning it shouldn't be eaten less often. On the other hand, choosing a salad merits a Congratulations!

My hope is that parents get more involved in what their children eat at school by sitting with them at home and helping them make smarter choices. And they need to ensure their children get enough exercise, considering some kids aren't getting the activity they need at school.

Fact is, a parent must become a good role model to nurture these healthy behaviors. After all, it is completely unfair to your children to show them how to get more exercise and eat better if they don't see you doing those same things.

MSNBC August 25, 2005

Earlier this month, I told you about the horror story surrounding the accidental use of hydraulic fluid to clean surgical instruments at two Duke University hospitals and how it harmed the health of at least 50 patients treated there. File this one away in that same folder...

A Texas company has recalled its line of Medline-labeled, alcohol-free mouthwashes and hygiene kits used in hospitals, medical centers and long-term care centers. Nothing unusual, except the mouthwash was contaminated with Burkholderia cepacia (B. cepacia). Patients with weakened immune systems or chronic lung diseases (particularly cystic fibrosis) who are exposed to this bacteria may be more susceptible to infections.

Even worse, the B. cepacia bacteria are often resistant to common antibiotics. These products were subsequently pulled after illnesses were reported in Texas and Florida hospitals.

I post accounts like these often, just to remind you how mistakes committed in hospitals contribute to the number of needless and preventable deaths each year in this country.

WLTX-TV August 29, 2005

Newsinferno.com August 27, 2005

In another example of how your emotions can affect your physical health for the negative, merely mentioning the word wheeze to an asthma sufferer can activate more severe symptoms, according to a new study.

Scientists used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brains of six mildly asthmatic patients who inhaled either ragweed or dust-mite extracts. During those scans, patients were shown three words: Wheeze, loneliness and curtains. Then, researchers measured their patients' lung function as well as molecular signs of inflammation in their sputum

Scans revealed those asthma-related reminders stimulated responses in two sectors of the brain related to lung functioning and inflammation. Both the anterior cingulate cortex and insula are involved in transmitting information about the physiological condition of the body, such as shortness of breath and pain levels, scientists said. Moreover, these regions of the brain have strong connections with other structures essential in processing emotional information.

Sounds just as compelling as a recent study that found depression can independently lead to insulin resistance and the high levels of blood glucose that result from it.

Some natural treatments that can help you deal with the emotions that affect your physical and mental health:

• Taking a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.
• Learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.
• Committing to an exercise program.

EurekAlert August 29, 2005

In a bit of a surprise, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has decided to pursue a petition filed by the Environmental Law Foundation last month against the makers of French fries and potato chips.

Lockyer's office filed a lawsuit in a Los Angeles Court late last week to force nine fast-food and snack companies to include warnings that their cooked potato products contain higher levels of acrylamide, a white, odorless and potentially cancer-causing chemical.

It's about time, considering the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has estimated consumers of French fries are exposed to as much as 125 times the amount of acrylamide that requires a warning under Proposition 65 regulations.

The laundry list of defendants are, no doubt, familiar to you:

• McDonald's
• Frito-Lay
• Wendy's
• Proctor & Gamble

Just another reason to remind you, if you want to avoid toxic byproducts, I urge you to read my piece about the five worst foods you can eat.

Los Angeles Times August 27, 2005 Registration Required

Not so surprisingly, University of Illinois researchers have found you can boost the beneficial effects of exercise and lose more fat when you eat a diet rich in protein. What's more, a high-carbohydrate, low-protein diet can even reduce the effectiveness of your exercise regimen!

Scientists divided 48 adult women into two groups, based on different diet and exercise regimens: One who consumed a diet based on the largely flawed food pyramid that contained high amounts of carbs and the other who ate the same amount of calories but substituted high-protein foods for all the extra carbs.

Patients were also divided in terms of exercise. One group added two or three sessions of walking per week, and the other five sessions lasting 30 minutes along with two weight-training sessions.

Although both sets of patients dropped weight, the high-protein exercisers dropped more of it and almost all of it was fat.

The results led researchers to conclude the current food pyramid doesn't provide enough leucine, an essential amino acid that helps adults maintain healthy muscle mass. Moreover, to enjoy the benefits researchers observed, you'd have to eat 9-10 grams of leucine a day by eating high-protein foods, and not with a supplement.

Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 135, No. 8, August 2005: 1903-1910

Medical News Today August 29, 2005

Sad to say, it's not at all surprising coffee, by far, is the leading source of antioxidants in the average American diet, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Scranton.

The top five sources of antioxidants consumed by Americans every day based on comparisons of more than 100 different foods (by milligrams):

1. Coffee (1,299)
2. Black tea (294)
3. Bananas (76)
4. Dry beans (72)
5. Corn (48)

Here's the real kicker: The leading source of antioxidants, based on the study, is dates, not coffee! So, I caution you to save the money you'd planned to spend on those extra decaf mochas, and start adding better, more natural sources of antioxidants, like the ones below.

• Nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts)
• Spices (ground cloves or cinnamon and oregano)
• Vegetables (artichokes)
• High fiber, low sugar fruits (blueberries, cranberries and blackberries)

EurekAlert August 28, 2005

If you'd forgotten about McDonald's promise to drop trans fats from their menu of largely fatty fried foods, at the risk of legal action, I really don't blame you, as that was probably what the fast-food giant was hoping for all along.

With no replacement for trans fats in sight, a California judge approved a settlement between McDonald's and the group BanTransFats.com last week for $8.5 million for the company's failure to let the public know in 2003 that it hadn't found a safer trans fat substitute.

The lion's share of the settlement ($7 million) will go to the American Heart Foundation which will spend it on programs to teach consumers about trans fats. The remainder will be spent by McDonald's so they can inform the public about its failure to meet its 2003 deadline.

If it sounds like McDonald's got off with just a slap on the hand, you're right, especially compared to the damage trans fats can do to your health, a recent message restaurants in New York City received loud and clear.

Besides, I wonder if you'll ever see a commercial or an ad anywhere admitting McDonald's was guilty of anything, except on late-night TV?

Chicago Sun-Times August 27, 2005

Thought you'd enjoy reading this interesting piece from Mike Adams' awesome NewsTarget.com site about why diet and exercise work hand-in-hand to help you lose weight and keep it off.

Losing weight isn't merely a function of calorie-cutting, and Mike knows better than most: Once upon a time, he was quite obese! However, under all the body fat you're carrying around, you probably have strong muscles and a sturdy skeleton. In other words, the heavier you are, the stronger your muscles must be just so you can move around.

The trick is to keep your muscles and bone mass in place while losing the body fat that's slowing you down. If you don't make an effort to balance the two, however, you'll lose muscle mass and your metabolism will start to slow down. So you could end up lighter, but because you're not burning up the calories you once did, any sort of overeating will trigger another weight gain.

Fortunately, you have plenty of free resources available on my Web site that can help you get started on the right exercise plan. I suggest viewing exercise like a drug that needs to be prescribed precisely to achieve maximum results.

I encourage my patients to gradually increase the amount of time they are exercising 60 to 90 minutes a day. Initially, the frequency is daily. This is a treatment dose until they normalize their weight or insulin levels. Once normalized, they will only need to exercise three to four times a week.

Get started, either by reviewing my beginner's exercise page, or the array of articles I've posted from contributing editors Dr. Ben Lerner and Paul Chek.

NewsTarget August 27, 2005

Did you know the average American owes $145,000? Yes, every one of us...

That's what it would take to pay for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, the trifecta of entitlement programs for the elderly and poor that balloons as people age. And that number doesn't take into consideration what you've actually accumulated in personal debts from credit cards, mortgages, cars and the like. Even worse, Americans save less than $1 of every $100 they earn, while spending almost $2 billion a day on gadgets, cars and imported clothes than the rest of the world.

If that's not a recipe for disaster, I can't imagine, outside possibly at category 4 hurricane, what it would be.

You'd think the younger generation would've seen through this fragile house of cards long ago, but their insatiable I-want-it-now! hunger for things -- and conveniently forgetting the consequences -- only mirrors the obesity epidemic.

A number of experts believe the financial calamity is avoidable, but it's going to be tough. One of the best things you can do to prevent those failing financial numbers from harming your family is to get healthy as quickly as you can. Here's my prescription for beating the statisticians:

• Metabolic type
• Exercise and lower insulin
• Replace trans fats with fish oil
• Clean water
• One hour of sunshine every day
• Learn to sleep well
• Avoid artificial sweeteners

Seattle Post-Intelligencer August 28, 2005

Patients who undergo an angioplasty or heart bypass surgery may increase their chances of developing Alzheimer's disease, not completely unexpected considering a 2001 study found such procedures may prompt mental declines.

The reason for the increased risk of Alzheimer's: The stress and trauma surrounding such procedures. In fact, coronary bypass patients alone had a frighteningly high 70 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer's

Also, patients who suffered a mental decline after their heart procedures and subsequently recovered weren't out of the woods either. Researchers believe their recovery may be masking a problem caused by the heart surgery. And, as patients age, this could trigger progressive cognitive deficits, associated with mild impairments, a precursor to Alzheimer's.

The best way to avoid the risk of Alzheimer's disease after a heart procedure pretty simple. "Bypass" heart disease altogether by making some simple lifestyle changes:

• Start an exercise program.
• Take a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily
• Take control of the negative emotions that can devastate your health by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.
• Get tested for CRP.
• Optimize your diet based on your body's unique metabolic type.

Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Vol. 7, No. 4, August 2005: 319-324

Science Blog August 25, 2005

You may recall a study I posted earlier this year about the epidemic of kidney disease in this country. Based on a 2000 report of the U.S. Renal Data System, kidney disease affects some 20 million Americans -- almost twice the number from a decade ago -- and many have no idea their health is at risk.

An interesting story in the Washington Post (free text link below) should shock those who live in the DC area, in particular, to get checked out for kidney disease: The rate for new cases of end-stage kidney disease in the 20019 Zip code alone are 44 times higher than the national average!

Race plays some part in this epidemic, at least in Washington D.C., as African-Americans are up to four times more prone to suffer from kidney disease (blacks also outpace whites in diabetes and hypertension, the leading causes of kidney problems). But that doesn't explain the far smaller numbers of kidney disease in Miami or Chicago where many African Americans live too.

In any event, you can lower your risk of kidney disease by avoiding these things:

• Over-the-counter pain medications like aspirin.
• Statin drugs such as Crestor.
• Distilled water.
• Mercury.

Washington Post August 22, 2005

As you recall, Merck lost the first of, what experts expect to be, countless Vioxx lawsuits to the tune of some $253 million in a Texas courtroom a week ago. At the time of the ruling, the word "settlement" wasn't in Merck's vocabulary. Staring at nearly 5,000 more lawsuits to contend with and many more to come, however, the mega-drug company may be having second thoughts...

Both the Wall Street Journal and New York Times (free link below) have reported Merck is considering settling an underdetermined number of cases involving patients who took Vioxx for more than 18 months and demonstrated no risk factors for strokes or heart attacks.

Makes great sense, considering Merck's former strategy about taking every Vioxx case to trial blew up in their faces when Texans awarded the widow of Robert Ernst more than a quarter billion dollars last week (although state caps on lawsuits reduced the award to $26 million).

Still, general counsel, Kenneth Frazier, says Merck's not interested in any sort of class-action settlement, but that could change in a hurry if the lawsuits keep piling up. Experts predict the New Jersey drugmaker could be staring at as many as 50,000 of them before it's all said and done. That's certainly possible, considering the number of Vioxx cases jumped by more than 600 in the past month.

We'll see what happens between now and the next trial convening in September, involving a man who suffered a heart attack after taking Vioxx for a short time, in New Jersey.

CBS MarketWatch August 26, 2005

The Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger August 26, 2005

New York Times August 26, 2005 Registration Required

Earlier this year, Seattle topped the list of America's fittest cities, based on a popular survey released annually by Men's Fitness. About halfway down the "fittest list" is Portland, Ore., which may really be the epicenter of one the healthier states to live in, according to a report by the Trust for America's Health (free report link below).

Colorado may be the "leanest" state in the report (16.4 percent), but Oregon held the unique distinction of being the only state whose percentage of obese residents stayed the same (21 percent). Nevertheless, the report was criticized by the state epidemiologist who estimated the percentage of obese adults at nearly three times that number (59 percent).

What was more interesting about the news report than the numbers, however, were some of the reasons Oregonians kept obesity at bay. For example, the state's urban design plan encourages residents to ride their bikes to work. In fact, some employers offer monthly financial incentives to workers if they ride their bikes to work at least 80 percent of the time.

Additionally, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of farms in the state increased by a surprising 50 percent, meaning Oregonians likely had better access to fresh fruits and vegetables which promotes healthier eating.

The trick is to promote better health habits as a natural daily outcome, and living in a town like Portland could certainly help. But you don't have to live there to optimize your health, especially if you take advantage of the free resources available on my Web site.

Some areas you'll want to explore as you learn better health habits:

• Learning how to eat based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Finding an exercise program that works best for you.
• Dealing with the emotional stumbling blocks that prevent you from succeeding by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.

MSNBC August 24, 2005

Trust for America's Health Free Full Text Report

Battling Fibromyalgia With Acupuncture

Here's a new way to treat fibromyalgia, a frequently disabling muscle condition that affects more women than men, that has nothing to do with taking a potentially toxic drug like duloxetine: A brief regimen of acupuncture can give sufferers up to a month of relief from some of its more devastating symptoms.

Mayo Clinic scientists tested the effect of acupuncture on 50 patients who were moderately debilitated and hadn't responded to traditional treatments. Patients were divided into two groups: Those who received six acupuncture sessions and the rest who were given "simulated" acupuncture treatments over two to three weeks.

Although physical functioning didn't improve, other symptoms -- pain, fatigue and anxiety -- did, and especially among those who got the "real thing." The most dramatic improvements were felt by patients after a month.

But after seven months, the pain, fatigue and anxiety returned, prompting researchers to suggest scheduling ongoing acupuncture treatments may provide more sustained relief.

Other natural treatments for fibromyalgia:

• Addressing your emotions by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique.
• Eating a healthier diet by choosing foods based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Starting an exercise plan today!

Yahoo News August 25, 2005

According to a study of some 35,000 Swedish patients, those who describe themselves as nervous or anxious stand a better chance of being hospitalized after a failed attempt at suicide. Not terribly surprising, until I learned the number of people who reported anxiety or nervousness had jumped over more than a decade's time from 12 to 22 percent.

Almost 14 percent of women reported experiencing light problems with nervousness, anxiety and uneasiness and nearly 4 percent said their problems were severe, while the numbers for men were about half that.

From there, the news gets worse for men.

Males who experienced severe worries or anxieties were more than nine times as likely to be hospitalized after a suicide attempt. And, those risks increased with time in men by a factor of 15 during a decade-long follow-up period.

Moreover, men who reported severe anxiety or nervousness had a higher mortality rate from any cause, in comparison to a long standing illness or smoking, scientists said. On the other hand, a long illness had more to do with increased suicide attempts and mortality rate among women than negative emotions.

Results like these ought to hammer home the role negative emotions play in your physical health, just as they do in slowing down physical healing.

The trick when it comes to dealing with stress is how to adjust your body's ability, not to eliminate, but tolerate it. You can do just that by learning the Emotional Freedom Technique, the energy psychology tool I use in my practice.

And, instead of reaching for an antidepressant to "cure" what ails you, I strongly recommend balancing your daily ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fats by taking a high quality fish or cod liver oil daily.

Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, Vol. 59, No. 9, September 2005: 794-798

MSNBC August 22, 2005

You may hear about new research determined the region of the brain where daydreaming and creative thought rests may also be the same areas targeted by Alzheimer's disease. That's made some consider the possibility of a link between Alzheimer's and the kind of thinking people do when they're not engaged in purposeful mental activity.

After comparing the complex brain patterns of young adults while they were daydreaming with the location of amyloid plaques in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, scientists found what they called a remarkable correlation between the two.

Although scientists warned it's way too early to ban daydreaming just yet, this connection may play an important part in understanding how daily mental and physical activity plays an important hand in the course of neurological disease.

Still, this clashes with one of my six safe and healthy guidelines for preventing Alzheimer's disease, and one of the easiest: Challenging your mind by learning something new or doing crossword puzzles.

But it also strengthens my view that one's emotional state can also be a major contributor to Alzheimer's, as a study I posted earlier this year found.

Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 25, No. 34, August 24, 2005: 7709-7717

MSNBC August 24, 2005

A couple of years ago, I posted a brief satire about the FDA's approval of a prescription placebo to treat a "wide range of conditions." What was once considered a joke or a sham effect, however, may be more real and powerful than conventional medicine ever gave it credit for...

A new study has found proof the mere belief in a pill's ability to relieve pain -- the placebo effect -- is enough to allow the brain to release endorphins, the body's natural pain-fighting chemicals.

Researchers studied the effect by injecting salt water into the jaws of 14 healthy men while they were receiving positron emission tomography (PET) scans. During one scan, a patient was told he would receive pain medication, just not that it was a placebo injection. Then, during subsequent scans, patients were asked to rate the pain they were feeling on a 0-100 scale.

After telling the men the placebos were coming, it took higher amounts of salt water to maintain the same level of pain. Overall, nine of the 14 participants were labeled "high" responders, meaning they felt a stronger placebo effect than the rest of were considered on the "low" side.

Research like this should prompt the conventional medical community to reconsider calling the placebo effect something else. In fact, it might be more accurate to refer to this as the psychological manifestation effect, which is really the power of one's mind to manifest into reality what one's consistent and persistent thoughts are.

And why I often remind you having a positive mental attitude affects your health for the good.

Forbes.com August 24, 2005

Journal of Neurology, Vol. 25, No. 34, August 24, 2005: 7754-7762

ABC News, August 24, 2005

As long as I've written about obesity's horrible toll on this nation's health and budgets, I've reminded you about an important contributor to this epidemic: Doctors who fail to advise their patients to lose weight. Expect that "don't ask/don't tell" approach to continue, after an obese woman filed a complaint against a New Hampshire doctor, claiming his stern warning to lose weight was hurtful.

Dr. Terry Bennett's advice was simple and direct: You need to get on a program, join a group of like-minded people and peel off the weight that's going to kill you. The woman's complaint was investigated by the New Hampshire Board of Medicine who asked Bennett to take a "medical education" class. After Dr. Bennett refused to take the class and admit he made a mistake, the New Hampshire board referred the woman's complaint to the state attorney general's office.

The range of punishment for the doctor who has practiced medicine for some four decades ranges from a reprimand to losing his medical license in New Hampshire.

Most recently, Dr. Bennett has received support from the unlikeliest of sources: Patients he's treated, some of whom are or who have been obese. In fact, the movement to exonerate Dr. Bennett has been spearheaded by a woman who lost more than 150 pounds under his care and after a similar discussion.

If we don't turn the tide on obesity very soon, our children may live shorter lives than their parents, which has much to do with why I started this Web site in the first place.

WMUR-TV August 22, 2005

Washington Post August 24, 2005

Last month, I told you about low dose aspirin not being the cancer preventative many assumed. A study in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association (see link below) has found taking over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics like aspirin or ibuprofen in high doses for a decade can sharply lower colorectal cancer, but such "relief" comes at a much steeper price. They also increase one's odds of serious stomach or intestinal bleeding.

Women who took two 325-miligram aspirin a day lowered their colon cancer risks, but only after taking them for a decade. Based on a closer look at the numbers, however, only one or two cases of colon cancer might be prevented in a town of 10,000, researchers said.

Even worse, taking at least 14 aspirin a week could cause as many as eight cases of stomach or intestinal bleeding severe enough to warrant hospitalization and even a blood transfusion.

Just another reason for me to remind you, making simple lifestyle changes can lower your cancer risks far more safely and effectively than any pill. Simple strategies than will decrease your risks by 62 percent:

• Stop smoking today.
• Schedule periodic cancer screenings.
• Increase the amount of exercise you do every day.
• Eat healthier foods (ideally based on your body's unique metabolic type.

But if you want to virtually eliminate those risks, I urge you to review my extensive list of major recommendations.

Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 294, No. 8, August 24-31, 2005: 914-923

USA Today August 24, 2005

Yesterday, I told you about Google's new and improved Desktop Search tool. Today's bombshell is a doozy: The Internet giant is launching Google Talk, its own version of instant messaging and computer-to-computer voice chat services, of course, for free.

Google Talk tied very closely to Gmail, since you need a Google e-mail account to use it. Until now, Gmail accounts were available by invitation only. As of yesterday, however, all that has changed. Now anyone can get a Gmail account, and can use Google Talk. But to prevent spammers and other abusers from snapping up Gmail accounts by the thousands, Google has designed a clever safeguard: When you apply for a Gmail account, you must provide a cellphone number.

Google sends a code to your phone, which you use to complete the registration. (Actually, you don't have to own a cellphone, if you know somebody who owns one. They can get the code for you, because each cellphone number is good for a number of registrations, just not hundreds of them.) And at 900KB, it's tiny and fast download.

Three caveats:

• Google Talk is being released as a beta version that works on PCs running Windows 2000 and XP, meaning Apple users will have to wait a little longer for a Mac-compatible version of their own.
• Unlike Skype, Google Talk's phone service only connects users to other computers, not land lines.
• You won't be able to use the instant messaging portion of Google Talk to connect with Yahoo Messenger or AIM (AOL's Instant Messenger) users.

The last caveat is the most important because Google Talk is based on an open, published standard that the company is making available to all in hopes of creating a single unified network one day.

Miami Herald August 24, 2005 Registration Required

PC World, August 24, 2005

If you've been keeping up with Splenda news through my Web site, you know the great sales job McNeil Nutritionals has done to make sucralose -- a sweetener that's anything but natural -- more palatable to the public, and lately with the help of the FDA.

Now, Splenda is invading our schools, thanks to a joint agreement with PTO Today, a firm that offers marketing, fund-raising help to parent groups serving kindergarten, elementary and middle school kids. The campaign will encourage parents and kids to use Splenda in preparing low-sugar treats for future bake sales. Some "perks" of the campaign:

• Providing recipes for school bake sales.
• Offering tips on how to incorporate fitness into a healthy eating plan.
• Distributing a free bake sale kit, "Sweet Success: The Better Bake Sale Kit" for school parent groups.
• Sponsoring an "Ultimate Bake Sale" contest.

It's another great move, among many, considering the average consumer hasn't a clue about the side effects of Splenda. And if you believe -- just because the FDA approved it -- Splenda is at all safe for you, I urge you to review my extensive testimonials page, chock full of heartbreaking stories about the toxic effects this artificial sweetener may inflict.

Splenda has been linked to a number of toxic side effects, including shrunken thymus glands (up to 40 percent shrinkage), enlarged liver and kidneys, reduced growth rate, aborted pregnancy and diarrhea.

Yahoo Finance August 23, 2005

Last week, you probably read Mike Adams' awesome essay -- a biting parody of what would happen to the auto industry if it operated like the mega-drug companies did -- in my eHealthy News You Can Use newsletter (if you aren't a subscriber to my free newsletter, there's no better time to do so than right now).

This newest parable tells a tale of a group of doctors who wanted to create art, first by learning what it's made of. But, as most of you know, art, like music, is far more than words or notes or colors on a printed page.

These doctors, like the six blind men described in John Godfrey Saxe's popular poem, understood part of the process, but were so clueless by what was in front of them all along, they were unable to appreciate art for what it can do for the heart and soul.

Just like my belief that conventional medicine -- so focused on needless drugs and tests -- very often fails to find the real problem, as so aptly described in a fish story I ran about a year ago.

NewsTarget.com August 17, 2005

If you ever wondered why the obesity epidemic is hitting our kids the hardest, here's a reason that may have more to do with the presence of fast food restaurants in my hometown, but less to do with the food they serve: It's all a matter of location, location, location...

Harvard researchers found an astounding 80 percent of the schools in Chicago are located within a half-mile of at least one fast-food restaurant. Even worse, it's probably intentional based on statistical mapping techniques that found there were nearly three times the number of fast food restaurants less than a mile away from Chicago schools than would be typically expected if they were distributed more randomly.

Of course, representatives from McDonald's denied any responsibility, noting the study didn't compare the proximity of fast food restaurants to a student's eating habits, even though childhood obesity rates have soared over the past quarter-century.

That problem is particularly acute in Chicago, considering kids who start kindergarten here are more than twice as likely to be overweight than children who live in other areas.

The problem has never been in our ability to distinguish healthy from unhealthy, but instead to make better choices. The failure to do so is what makes people unhealthy, not what is or isn't available at McDonald's, but their proximity to our schools certainly doesn't help either.

Some ways to prevent your child from becoming a statistic in the obesity epidemic:

• Set a good example for your kids and http take a more active hand in their health.
• Get your kids away the couch and outdoors playing.
• Move the TV out of their bedroom and limit what time they spend in front of it.
• Replace the sugary juice and soft drinks with clean water.

American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 95, No. 9, September 2005: 1575-1581

Chicago Sun-Times August 23, 2005

Without any doubt or question, the future of mobile phones are in dual-mode, cellular/Wi-Fi models (take a peek at the Motorola M1000 to the left). More than 2.5 million Americans have VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone service right now and that number is exploding. Next year, WiMax will be widespread.

WiMax can transmit up to 30 miles. WiMax's greater range and higher bandwidth gives service providers the ability to offer broadband Internet access directly to homes without having to worry about the problems that can arise when laying down a physical connection over the "so-called" last mile, which connects homes with a service provider's main network. This will virtually eliminate the need for wired Internet and radically lower prices.

So you will have the ability to connect wirelessly to the Internet nearly everywhere in the country in the next few years. So rather than use your cell phone, you will connect to the Internet wirelessly and use VoIP as an alternative to your cell phone carrier.

Just as many people dropped their land lines nearly everyone will be dropping their cell phone carriers. The reason? Rock bottom prices. Just remember that VoIP has no taxes and, just like your home Internet connection, they include unlimited calls for your monthly service fee.

So you can call anywhere in the United States and Canada for one low monthly fee. If you have to call internationally the rates are typically 3 cents a minute. Compare that to the nearly universal $1 per minute or more for most international cell phone calls.

USA Today August 24, 2005

You may recall a recent study I posted about the gap -- no matter how small -- between what a doctor instructs a patient to do about his or her diabetes and whether that treatment is successful. In fact, better knowledge of the problem doesn't guarantee optimal health.

What happens when a doctor misses the signs of diabetes altogether or neglects to tell a patient about it? According to a new study of some 1,200 patients at two Kansas City hospitals, it happens far more often than you think...

The majority of patients doctors treat for heart-related problems in an emergency room setting also suffer from impaired glucose metabolism, according to the lead researcher who found 57 percent of the patients had abnormal levels.

About a quarter of the patients polled knew about their diabetic condition. Of the remainder, 14 percent (126 patients) suffered from new-onset diabetes based on fasting glucose levels. Here's the kicker: Doctors told only 35 percent of those with a new case of diabetes about their condition and treated them. The rest, including some who had signs of diabetes (high fasting glucose levels), were undiagnosed and untreated.

That horrible lack of action on the part of physicians is why I remind you so often your road to optimal health begins by taking responsibility for it. My site offers free resources to teach you how to do just that. Long story short, the trick to treating diabetes comes down to making two lifestyle adjustments:

• Restricting your carb intake to "slow" carbs based on your body's unique metabolic type.
• Optimizing your exercise regimen to improve your body's insulin and leptin sensitivity.

American Journal of Cardiology, Vol. 96, Issue 3, August 1, 2005: 363-365

Yahoo News August 22, 2005

You know how lots of skin-to-skin contact helps your baby make the transition from the womb to the world far less traumatic. If you deliver a preemie baby, extra attention to touch can help your new arrival gain weight faster and more naturally by improving his or her stomach motion, according to a new study.

In fact, premature infants treated with 5-10 days of moderate-pressure massage have gained weight, even though their sleeping time and food intake weren't increased.

Scientists tested the effect of massage on 48 preemies divided into three groups: No massage, light massage and moderate-pressure massage. Not surprisingly, the latter group of the three gained 27 percent more weight than the others, and without feeding them more food.

Later on, scientists determined the weight gain was related to improvements in stomach motion.

Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 147, Issue 1, July 2005: 50-55

Yahoo News August 19, 2005

I told you last year about a process inventors have been working on that would create self-cleaning clothes. University of Florida researchers have developed an energy-saving process using common detergent ingredients that leaves clothes about 20 percent drier than the typical wash cycle.

Scientists found cloth fibers work like tiny capillaries that hold onto water during a spin cycle. By reducing the surface tension (in other words, the force that keeps water in place in a straw when one end is closed with a finger). water drained more easily.

Researchers achieved this surface tension by mixing detergents in a new way called dodab and testing it in a normal washing machine.

Although the results by themselves are pretty phenominal, scientists believe, with more research and a few tweaks, drying times could be cut even further to 30-40 percent, saving consumers on their electric bills.

Wired News August 23, 2005

Many of you may not know the number one read blog in the world is Engadget. I have been reading it for over two years. Yesterday, they featured an amazing parody of themselves and wrote an extensive mockup of their site as if had been written 20 years ago.

If you were into computers at that time like I was then, you will really appreciate it as it will bring back fond memories. Even if you weren't, you'll still enjoy it as it is an amazing piece with plenty of pictures showing massive portable phones weighing 10 pounds or more.

And, if you're as fond of MP3 players as I am, you'll be amazed at one of Sony's first portable CD Discman models that looked anything but portable.

Engadget August 22, 2005

Because I'm such a fan of its many free services as are many of you, thought you'd be thrilled as I am about the latest update of Google's Desktop Search (GDS) tool.

Some of my favorite new features are the ability to search for new file types. I can't tell you how many times Google Desktop search has saved me from serious trouble because it found a document I thought was lost. However, it did not search all documents and now that it searches Microsoft Outlook completely it will be much improved, especially the appointments and contacts.

Along with the 14 file types indexed with GDS, GDS2 will now index:

• Gmail
• Outlook Appointments
• Outlook Tasks

Along with what I've mentioned above, the GDS2 beta also offers:

• Password Protection and Index Encryption (available on the GDS2 preferences page).
• Improved filtering of results (depending on document type).
• One new feature allows you to see a timeline of all documents that GDS has cached. Options to search network drives.

The newest and most important part of this release is the Google Sidebar feature that comes with eight customizable panels that provide access to Gmail, news headlines, photo files, stocks and the weather.

One caveat: This new free Google is available only to Windows users.

Search Engine Watch August 22, 2005