Dr Peter Dingle

How to prevent and reverse a heart attack and stroke.

2012-01-29T15:33:00.000-08:00

Dr Dingle’s simple steps to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke without drugs.

Cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke, as well as cancer, alzheimer's and other chronic illnesses are primarily a result of oxidation and inflammation. To dramatically reduce your risk of chronic illnesses reduce your inflammation and oxidation in your body.

2g+ of Omega 3 oils/day

2g+ of vitamin C/day

lower your stress

drink more water (2-5 liters/day)

remove sugar and high GI foods from you diet, particularly soft drinks (no artificial sweeteners)

eat more fruit and vegetables, particularly raw vegetables (salad)

walk more

don’t smoke

2012-01-29T15:03:00.000-08:00

Albert Einstein once predicted that if bees died out, "man would have no more than four years to live."

We have known for a long time, but now even more compelling evidence that pesticides are the cause of the global bee decline. To some this may not seem important but to anyone who understands ecology and the web of life will know that this may be devastating to the human population if it continues on unchecked.

Compelling new evidence from the US government's top bee expert that modern pesticides may be a major cause of collapsing bee populations led to calls yesterday for the chemicals to be banned.A study published in the current issue of the German science journal Naturwissenschaften, reveals how bees given minute doses of the widely used pesticide imidacloprid became more vulnerable to infections from a deadly parasite, nosema.

Bees are vital to human survival. More than 70 of the 100 crops that provide 90 per cent of the world's food are pollinated by bees.

This may also help explain other major decline in world animal populations such as the Tasmanian devil. The Tasmanian devil has become susceptible to a cancer that is devastating the whole of the population and putting the population at the point of extinction.

Improving Your Productivity and Achieving Peak Performance

2011-12-14T15:46:00.000-08:00

Peak performance requires:

Flexibility
Endurance
Strength
Resilience
Creativity

The challenge of peak performance is to manage your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual energy. A long time ago, I thought you had only to manage physical energy to be highly productive, for example such as consuming some nutritious calories. But I was wrong.

Have a think for a minute. Despite having lots of calories have you ever felt low in energy? Or are there times when you seemed to have lots of energy and someone gives you a job you really don’t want to do, maybe your income tax and all of a sudden your energy disappears? Or you may recall a time when you had lots of energy but what you were doing went against your values or maybe someone raised an emotional issue that seemed to drain you. Your emotional or psychological energy is a product of your motivation. If our hearts aren’t in it we simply cannot raise our energy. Lack of passion ultimately affects energy. Have you ever noticed how much energy you have for a project depends upon your passion for the project? Have you experienced how tiring it becomes when you are doing something that you don’t want to do? For me it is marking exam papers. It puts me to sleep. However, writing my chapters and books really excites me so I have a lot more energy for it. In fact a whole day can disappear and I might not even notice it once I am writing. Sound familiar?

Stress and procrastination are great energy drains despite the fact that they do not manifest in the physical realm. That is why we need to build our energy reserves in the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual realms. “Spiritual” does not have to mean religious; I take it to mean consistent with your own higher values.

There are many blocks to increasing personal, professional and business productivity, including procrastination, lack of vision, being too busy, having no motivation or direction, stress and more. However, these all stem for two major areas: the way we think and our energy management. In a very simplistic way the level of energy we have and the way we think influence all our behaviour and are therefore at the root of all our problems and solutions.

We develop a personal energy crisis where our physical, emotional, psychological (mental) and spiritual batteries are totally depleted and at the end of each day we feel frustrated and exhausted, leading to a negative, spiralling problem of communication breakdown and conflict.

A simple formula for peak productivity is:

Productivity = Energy + Motivation and Direction

So how do you achieve productivity? First understand that your physical energy is simply a product of many aspects of your life, including your nutrition. Athletes use many strategies to achieve peak performance. Top athletes use more of them and focus on them more because top athletes cannot afford to make too many mistakes. Businesses also cannot afford to make too many mistakes. Individuals work long hard hours but don’t use any of these techniques. The performance demands of most professionals outstrip those of most professional athletes. Athletes have a professional career of five to 10 years if they’re lucky.

BPA and plastics

2011-12-08T16:48:00.000-08:00

A recent independent scientific report cautions women to avoid BPA to minimize their chances of breast cancer. The study said there was a "biological plausibility" that BPA is linked to breast cancer. Scientists can see a mechanism in animals by which certain substances, including BPA, might cause breast cancer, but there is not enough information to assess the risk in humans, the study said.

BPA is a harmful organic chemical compound which is used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. It is an environmental contaminant that disrupts reproductive processes through changing hormonal systems in the body. The effects of BPA have been studied on humans, however, There has been increased awareness of the health related risks to BPA exposure, due to recent research into its environmental distribution and its detection in humans. A recent US study found 91% have traces of BPA.

The main source of human exposure is from food and drink that has been in contact with materials containing BPA such as plastic food and drink containers. Food and beverage containers and culinary utensils are manufactured from polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. These resins are used as linings for metal products including bottletops, food cans and water supply pipes.

Studies have suggested that BPA is associated with a number of serious health effects including; causing cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and also reproductive abnormalities. BPA is also known as an endocrine disruptor, which can interfere with reproduction and development. Fetuses, infants and children are usually more susceptible than adults, due to their fast developmental stages. There is a considerable amount of evidence now that exposure to certain environmental factors in early stages of development promote the risk of numerous chronic diseases in adulthood. Research has recently highlighted the estrogen‑like and carcinogenic adverse effects of BPA and there have been increased incidences of accelerated growth and puberty linked to BPA exposure.

One of the studies carried out on the effects of BPA exposure on pregnant women and the fetus which showed BPA caused prenatal and or postnatal reproductive issues. The ability for a fetal liver to detoxify BPA is much less than that of an adult. However, studies have also shown that 8PA increases infant bodyweight due to its estrogen‑like effects. It has been recorded that there is a link between serum BPA levels and recurring miscarriage. In one study patients with a history of three of consecutive first trimester miscarriages had blood BPA levels of around three times higher than the control group with no history of miscarriage or infertility.

Lead: A Toxic Case Study

2011-12-05T10:58:00.000-08:00

Lead is the most widely used heavy metal and a deadly toxin that has become widespread in our modern world. Lead is a neurotoxin with a long history of causing damage to the human brain, from Roman times due to lead (Pb –Latin name plumbum) in drinking vessels, through eighteenth century ‘Devonshire colic’ where cider was poisoned with lead in its manufacture, to present day occupational exposure in the lead additive and battery manufacturing industry. Some historians put the demise of the Roman empire down to the high levels of lead in the aristocracy of Rome which may have contributed to madness such as Nero playing the fiddle as Rome burnt. Before the Industrial Revolution lead poisoning commonly occurred due to adulterated food or wine, or from occupational hazards such as mining or smelting.

Naturally lead is slowly released into the environment through the weathering of rocks, igneous (volcanic) activity and through radioactive decay of naturally occurring radon gas to form the isotope 210Pb. It is a heavy pliable and resistant to corrosion and weathering. These characteristics, as well as its plentiful and accessible supply and ease to smelt, have enabled humans to use it for thousands of years. Some lead artifacts have been dated back to 6500 BC. The Romans produced approximately 80,000 tons of lead annually and were known to increase the environmental lead approximately five times the background level, and as far back as 4,500 years ago in South East Asia, when methods of smelting for lead sulphide ores and cupellation of silver were developed, widespread atmospheric lead contamination occurred.

Lead is the only heavy metal whose open-ocean concentration has been measurably influenced by civilisation. The lead content of the open ocean (Mediterranean and Pacific) has increased 3 to 5 times since the introduction of lead-based gasoline additives and 10 times since pre-industrial times. The significance of these increases in global lead concentration is very difficult to assess. There is a growing concentration of lead found in the tissues of fish, especially shell fish, and in other food, but the effect on global ecosystem processes would be nearly impossible to assess as there are huge problems in determining what is ‘normal’ when the global ecosystem is now relatively drenched in lead compared with pre-industrial times. The extent of global lead is best seen in the fact that an emission product has been diluted into the open oceans and increased in concentration dramatically, yet most lead emissions do not normally reach the oceans but are deposited on the land, particularly in cities where most of us live.

Traditional uses of lead have included building, plumbing, printing, fishing, shooting and uses as weights with the additional present day use in radiation and electrical insulation, battery manufacture with various compounds of lead being used in paints, plastics, ceramics, glass and unfortunately petrol. Historically there have been three major sources of exposure of large populations to lead. Lead paint in older homes, lead in products like jewelry and crystal and lead added to petrol.

While lead was slowly removed from petrol over 25 years, it will remain as an environmental contaminant in the form of fine dust for many more decades and the controversy around it will last even longer. Lead was added to petrol as tetra ethyl and tetra methyl lead (two highly toxic forms) primarily to boost octane ratings. Lead was emitted to the atmosphere from motor vehicle exhausts as volatile lead compounds, unburnt tetra-ethyl lead and as particulates such as lead oxide. Around 70% of these particles are less than 0.1 micron in size which are easily dispersed over large distances and the size most dangerous to human health. Particles below 0.1 micron in size can pass into the lower parts of the lungs where they do most damage.

Automotive exhausts were the major contributors to lead emissions in most cities around the world, although other sources include paint and factory emissions. In the USA it is estimated that between 90 and 98 per cent of total lead emissions are from car exhausts and in Australia it has been estimated that about 98% of lead emissions came from lead in petrol, though the lead added to petrol only represented 14% of total lead usage.

Australia was one of the last developed countries to remove lead from petrol (almost 20 years after the USA). This was despite the toxic effects of lead being known as far back as the 1950s. Leaded petrol was phased out in Australia between 1986 and 2002. Australia has an influential lead industry (the largest lead mines in the world) that fought tooth and nail alongside the petrol industry and certain government departments to keep the lead in petrol. Shamefully, the health of the average person is usually not a consideration when weighed against the “health” of the economy when large amounts of money are at stake. The result of this reluctance to act means that even still many more Australians now have elevated levels of lead in their bodies and many children have been unnecessarily exposed to this toxic metal.

Although the amount of lead has decreased in road dust and soil lead is still found as a contaminant in the dust in our homes, usually near the entrance where it is brought in on people’s shoes. This contaminated dust will accumulate in carpets, where the possibility of it being ingested or being transferred to the skin is increased, especially if the dust particles are stirred. When we studied the amounts of lead in carpets we found the highest levels near the front door. The closer the house was to a busy road or a petrol station, the higher the level of lead.

Lead can cause very serious health problems, including damage to the nervous system, leading to behavioural changes and a decreased mental ability, inhibition of enzymes, interference with the growing foetus, colic, anaemia and kidney damage. Infants and young children are the groups most susceptible to lead exposure. Even at low levels, lead poisoning in children can cause significant IQ deficiencies, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention spans and hyperactivity and other behaviour problems. A lot like ADHD symptoms. Pregnant women poisoned by lead can transfer lead to the developing foetus, resulting in adverse developmental effects including increased levels of spontaneous abortion and still-born babies. One study found a strong correlation with prenatal lead exposure and violent offences and arrests later in life and lead exposure in utero will result in poor intellect in children, especially when exposed around 28 weeks of gestation when development is most crucial.

Schizophrenia has also been associated with exposure to lead in the foetus. In one study mothers with high‑lead blood samples were more than twice as likely to have children who later became schizophrenic. As a result they estimate that up to a quarter of the schizophrenia that developed in American urban centres in the 1950s and 1960s could be traced to lead pollution in the womb. Maybe the levels in Australia were even higher as a result of our lax controls.

Another sensitive issue is what levels of lead in the body are safe for kids. According to the grandfather of lead research Dr Needleman, ‘none’. Needleman had done literally decades of work on the toxic effects of lead on kids and had concluded there is no safe level and children are the most vulnerable to its toxic effects. However, as a result of the powerful lead industry the levels of lead acceptable in the blood were around 35ug/dl of blood. In the mid 80’s it was reduced to 25, then to 10 and now levels of 5 ug/dl or above are considered not acceptable. In one situation I was involved in however, the government officials tried to argue the child did not have a problem because the levels were 4.9 ug/dl. Clearly they were very good at reading numbers but not at understanding the effects of toxic chemicals such as lead and how standards should be used including how lead levels fluctuate in the blood and the effects of lead accumulation in the body.

Dust from lead-based paints continues to pose a health problem. Although these paints were banned from indoor use decades ago, people with older homes are still being exposed to lead dust, another legacy of complacent governments. More than 80 percent of homes built before 1978 contain lead paint. It was the primary component (up to 40 percent) of white paint in Australia until the 1960s. In homes built before 1950, white lead-based paints were used as undercoats on interior and exterior timbers and walls and as a prime coat for troweled lath and plaster walls and cement rendered surfaces. One study estimated that 38 million houses in the US had lead-based paint on their walls. How many in Australia? Since then, modern paints have turned from using lead based to titanium dioxide and latex products. Unfortunately lead based paints are still used in many developing countries.

Small quantities of dust are continually produced from lead paint, settling on indoor surfaces. During periods of home renovation, there is an increase in the number of cases of lead poisoning reported. Researchers have found the household dust of recently renovated homes contains lead levels of 12,600 mg/m2. This is thousands of times higher than the normal background level. In a recent incident, a family keen to renovate an older house was assured that the old paint on the outside of their home was not lead based. At the end of the first day of paint stripping, there was a layer of fine paint dust inside the home and in the new baby’s room. Fortunately the mother listened to her intuition and had the dust tested. It was laden with lead. In this case the family acted quickly to avert potentially grave health problems. It is essential to have paint tested before you remove it if you think there may be any possibility of it being lead based. This is simple and inexpensive as the test kits are available from any reputable hardware or paint shop. Don’t assume it will be fine. It is essential to test it and be sure. The best thing to do with most lead painted surfaces is to just paint over it. It will not be released with a few extra coats of paint over it.

Another concern is the use of lead in common consumer items. In particular the use of lead paint or contamination of children’s products and toys with lead. There is growing evidence and concern over the unregulated products coming into Australia from Asia. Many are made from cheaper metals and paints and may be contaminated or even used heavy metals such as lead and cadmium in their production. I have found jewelry with high concentrations of both lead and cadmium.

Ironically we add lead oxide to the molten glass to form lead crystal. The lead leaches out into liquids fairly rapidly but increases with alcoholic content and acidity. The longer the wine or drink is left in the crystal the higher the concentrations but it only takes a few minutes for the lead to begin leaching into the crystal. Lead may also be a lesser component of pewter but the same principles will apply for it migrating into foods and drink as crystal.

Lead also makes its way into cosmetics, particularly, hair dyes, eye shadow and lipsticks. Metal salts dyes, most commonly lead and bismuth (another toxic metal) salts, are used to create a reaction to dye the hair. Metal salts gradually darken the hair over time and are used in black-brown colours. Strangely lead salts have been approved as safe for use as hair dyes in the low concentrations. Remember, there is no safe level of lead, but for beauty’s sake it seems ok?

Lead in drinking water is not a new phenomenon as lead was historically used to make water pipes and has even been contributed to be a factor of the Roman Empire's demise. Although lead pipes are no longer produced, some older homes may still contain lead pipes and thus contaminate the drinking water. Lead in tap water may also increase due to leaching of lead-bearing materials such as solders.

Lead has also been found to accumulate in the soil of orchards where crop sprays containing lead compounds have been used such as apple and pear orchards sprayed with lead arsenate. The concern here is the encroaching urban sprawl as we build new homes on old horticultural or old industrial areas without anyone being the wiser on what is in the soils.

Whilst we have become smarter when dealing with lead, and it no longer affects our IQ, the possibility of future contamination still lingers as long as we accept it in our products. No level of lead, mercury or cadmium is acceptable, and therefore the only acceptable solution is to remove them from all environmental, household and personal care products.

Stress the silent killer

2011-11-28T02:23:00.000-08:00

“Not everything that matters can be measured, and not everything that is measured matters.” – Elliot Eisner

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the number one cause of death globally. In 2008, more than 17 million people died from them. On a national level, based on the 2004-2005 National Health Survey, 3.7 million Australians are estimated to have existing cardiovascular problems; CVDs were the direct cause of 35% of total mortality in 2005, again the number one cause of death 1,2. This is despite the billions of dollars spent on medications to reduce the risk and intensity of cardiovascular diseases 3. CVD is no longer considered a disorder of lipid (fat) accumulation, but rather a disease process characterized by low-grade inflammation of the vascular (artery) lining and an inappropriate wound healing of the blood vessels. The answer is to treat the cause of inflammation not cholesterol.
A study in 2004 known as the INTERHEART study found that 90% of all myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) could be attributed to nine potentially modifiable risk factors 4,5. These factors include tobacco use, atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes, abdominal obesity, psychosocial factors, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity and poor diets 4,6.
Despite convincing evidence linking psychosocial factors such as chronic and acute stress to the risks of cardiovascular disease 7,8,9, there remains a lack of focus on stress reduction for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Risk reduction for stress is low-cost, simple to administer, and “non-pharmaceutical” 10.
Stress is the failure of an individual to cope with an emotional or physical threat. It results in both psychological and physical effects on individuals by means of two main stress groups: acute stress and chronic stress. Chronic stress occurs from exposure to stressors such as family, society (traffic, population, etc.) and, almost all the time, the workplace. When the body is stressed, a large number of biological and chemical processes can occur that put the body at increased risk of CVD. Chemical mediators are released, which cause the prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system 7 and increase heart rate and blood pressure, which puts a lot of strain on the heart and cardiovascular system 11. Over time, the strain on the system leads to deterioration of the heart muscle, arteries and vessels 11. Chemical mediators can also result in sleep deprivation, elevated cortisol levels, elevated insulin and blood glucose levels and increases in ghrelin, the hormone that increases appetite 11.

Chronic stress, which is what we are often confronted with in our daily busy lives, plays a huge role in these increases, as it can cause the prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system 7. This results in an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, which remain elevated, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. In extreme circumstances this is also linked with endothelial dysfunction (inability of arteries to dilate) and possible necrosis of artery walls 7.
Stress increases the release of hormones like cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline, which act to increase the heart rate and contractile volume, as well as constricting arteries in the gastrointestinal tract, whilst dilating those in the periphery. Aldosterone and vasopressin, two lesser hormones in the stress response, are also released and act to increase blood volume through increased water retention. One of the functions of cortisol is to increase the concentration of fatty acids carried by lipoproteins and sugars in the bloodstream, leading to more damage to the arterial wall, producing excessive levels of cholesterol that may then bond to the artery walls (and lead to high cholesterol readings by your doctor), a process called atherosclerosis 12. Atherosclerosis is the process in which a blood vessel wall thickens due to a build-up of fatty substances. The combined effect of these hormones is a marked increase in blood pressure, which may over time result in damage to the vascular tissue in the form of small micro-tears in the vessel walls. These minute tears heal by bonding with molecules floating in the blood (that is, cholesterol acts as a Bandaid). This cholesterol then forms a hard fibrous plaque with calcium, which may build up over time, constricting blood flow in the artery. Stress also causes the blood to become stickier in preparation of potential injury, increasing the likelihood of an artery clogging blood clot 13. One study found that those who expressed feeling high levels of stress and despair had a 20% greater chance of developing atherosclerosis over a four-year period. This was the same magnitude of increased risk as seen in a pack-a-day smoker. Studies on animals have shown similar results. A study on hypertensive rats and normal rats found that the hypertensive rats suffering from stress had a higher rate of these events 14.
There is a large body of evidence demonstrating the relationship between increased stress and increased CVD. A study commenced before the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on September 11, 2001 examined the degree to which acute stress reactions as a result of the terrorist attacks could predict future cardiovascular outcomes through follow-up surveys over three years 15. In a sample of 2,592 adults, researchers found that the acute stress response was associated with a 53% increased incidence of cardiovascular ailments 15. Those individuals who had high levels of acute stress following the attacks also reported a two-fold increase in physician-diagnosed hypertension and a three-fold increase in other heart-related problems over the three-year period.
In a study of 11,119 patients found that those patients who had experienced a myocardial infarction reported a higher prevalence of all four stress factors: stress at home, stress at work, financial stress and major life events in the prior year 16. The study also found that the four stress factors worsened coronary atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction and increased inflammation 16.
The Whitehall II study found a 2.15-fold (215%) increased risk for cardiovascular disease in men who experienced a disparity between effort and reward at work 17. The study also concluded that high-risk individuals included those who were overcommitted at work, had poor promotion prospects, blocked or stalled careers as well as competitive and hostile work environments. Similarly, in a study of nearly two thousand male workers over a six-year period, researchers found that those who experienced chronic work-related stress were four times more likely to experience cardiovascular ailments 16. A study at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston found evidence that managers who fire someone run twice the usual risk of heart attack in the week following the dismissal; the greatest danger occurred to those who had conducted the firing while working under a high-pressure deadline. Another study found that chronic work stress and divorce increased the risk of cardiovascular mortality 17.
In a study of 791 patients, researchers reported that high-pressure deadlines increased the risk of heart attacks by 2.3 times within the seven days after the stress of the deadlines. Specific time pressures dramatically increase the risk of heart attack and early death. In a study of 60 women ages 30 to 45, researchers found that those under stress who secreted the highest levels of cortisol were also the ones who turned to high-fat foods in attempts to cope with their stress.
The results are similar for younger populations. In a study of 158 healthy adolescents who undertook self-report measures of chronic stress over 3.3 years, adolescents exposed to chronic, negative stressors that worsened over time demonstrated heightened cardiovascular risk 18. In a study investigating the responses of university students to stressful situations, researchers found that students exposed to stressful laboratory tasks displayed high levels of cardiovascular responses, which extended into a continued increase in blood pressure during instances of perceived stress in everyday life situations 19.
Being angry more than doubles the risk of cardiac arrest. In a study of 1,500 people who had suffered heart attacks who were surveyed and asked what their feelings were a few hours prior to the heart attack, it was found that the heightened risk appears to last for about two hours after the episode of anger.
Psychosocial stress also results in changes in physiological behaviours 5,7,11, which can put a person at increased risk of CVD. These behaviours include increased smoking and drinking, unhealthy eating and reductions in physical activity 20,21,22. In addition, chronic stress can lead to constrained appetites or overeating, leading to problems of anorexia or obesity 23. In extreme cases, anorexia or extreme weight loss can have an effect on heart rhythms and even lead to heart failure 2010, while overeating may lead to obesity that has significant health risks associated with coronary heart disease, hypertension and type 2 diabetes 25.
Stress is our great silent killer. Despite the growing body of evidence of this, we continue to focus on pharmaceutical treatments to reduce CVD and we continue to fail. The mechanisms behind stress being such a large contributing factor are now understood and numerous major studies have shown that the effects of chronic stress increase the risk from two to nine times. By contrast, medication to reduce cholesterol reduces the risk by 1% or 0.001 times (that is more than 2,000 times less important than stress). The next stage then is to invest in stress management practices. It’s that simple. Or is it?
1. NHMRC 2009
2. Bonthuis et al. 2010
3. Ademi et al. 2009
4. Yusef et al. 2004
5. Dimsdale 2008
6. Begg et al. 2008).
7. Rozanski et al. 1999
8. Black and Gabutt 2002
9. Siegrist 1995
10. Cade et al. 2010).
11. McEwen 2008
12. Brotman et al. 2007
13. Newton et al. 1990
14. Hallbäck and Folkow 2008
15. Holam et al. 2008
16. Rosengren et al. 2004
17. Dimsdale 2007
18. Low et al. 2009
19. Loft et al. 2007
20. Sturmer et al. 2006
21. Logan and Barksdale 2008
22. Hamer, Bates and Mishra 2011
23. Rutledge and Linden 1997
24. Bell 2010
25. Rapoport, Clark and Wardle 2000

Acknowledgements. Brigitta Curley, Amy Williams

Dr Dingle's Workplace Wellness brochure

2011-11-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

Dr Dingle’s

Workplace Wellness

The Cost of Poor Health Is Killing Your

Business

People are a workplaces most important asset and their health and wellness will determine how productive they are. Salaries make up 90-99% of most companies running costs if employees are not functioning at optimal physical and psychological health then organisations are losing a lot of money. Just a small decrease in health and wellbeing of employees can result in significant cost to employers, tens of thousands of dollars a year.

The cost of poor health on personal and professional productivity is high. And includes stress, absenteeism, injuries, sick leave, disability, accidents, mistakes, litigation and insurance, fatigue, low morale, low productivity, poor concentration and focus, low output, disruption of other workers and a lot more.

The Benefits of Workplace Wellness Programs

More than 300 studies and hundreds of hours of our research has shown workplace wellness to give organisations a positive return on investment and is an employers most important investment with improved organizational productivity and increased profitability. The potential cost savings for organisations is estimated to be around $3000.00 per employee per year and have a return of around $7 or more for every $1 invested.

The benefits of our workplace wellness programs include reduced sick leave and absenteeism, increased productivity and capacity, morale, attention and focus, employee self image and esteem, employee retention and attraction, positive work culture and job satisfaction and improved quality of life.

Let us improve your workplace wellness by offering you
| Health and wellness assessments

| Fun presentations and seminars

| Group and individual health coaching

| Do it yourself workplace tools and wellness packs

| A wellness program that suits your organisation

Our programs are designed specifically to meet your organisation requirements and are holistic and focus on preventative and sustainable health and well-being.

Our programs include combinations of modules to

suit you and can include

| Increase your energy and productivity | Stress less and maintain your focus
| Tackling obesity, and weight loss
| 7 secrets of healthy eating

We develop our workplace wellness programs to suit each individual workplace.
Why Invest in Dr Dingle’s Workplace Wellness?

Our work is based on 25 years of our own university based research at
Murdoch University and practice into coaching for health and wellbeing in the workplace, with an integrated holistic approach using a combination of tried and tested tools.

Our team is made up of health professionals in research, naturopathy and other integrated health modalities. We have exceptional presenters and facilitators.

Executive Productivity and Health Coaching.

Dr Peter Dingle and Martine Dingle (ND) also does personal executive wellbeing coaching for professional people who want to be better at what they do and to get more out of their life.

For full details and more information contact Dr Peter Dingle

Phone 0414360569
Email peter@drdingle.com Or visit www.drdingle.com

Corporate Speaking Testimonials

2011-10-25T15:19:00.000-07:00

Peter Dingle has got to be one of the best speakers on health and wellbeing in Australia. Not only qualified. Entertaining and fluent as a speaker, he ‘walks the walk’ which gives his presentation that extra credibility. My clients and staff loved him; heaps of practical points to take away and comments like ‘what a great guy, I was inspired!’

John Fitzgerald. CEO Custodian Wealth Builders

Peter has an energy and enthusiasm that few presenters possess. His knowledge and presentation style, which is laced with humour, endeared himself to our audience and had them engrossed. Almost without exception the audience wished his presentation did not have to end. Darren Mickan. General Manager nb&a events

Thank you very much for your presentation on the 5 C's which gave us great insight on how to embrace change from both an individual and team perspective. Your passionate and enthusiastic presentation had a very positive impact on our team. Garry Moore. National Manager Risk States, CGU Workers Compensation.State manager WA.

As a follow up to your request for feedback on your presentation at the IT Vision User Group Conference held on 10 February 2010 firstly could I thank you for the time that you were able to spend with the delegates. Based on the conference evaluation of 4.8 (out of 5.0) the presentation was very much appreciated and very well received by all present. The people that attended the conference I feel sure will be more inspired and better informed about taking control of their life and meeting the challenges they face especially those delegates that may be impacted by the Local Government Reform process. Bruce Wittber. BHW Consulting

Wow! As usual the Plenary Session was an event not to be missed as Peter Dingle, our home-grown health and environment guru told the audience about the “Dingle DEAL”. His presentation was enthusiastic and inspirational, entwined with memorable stories and spiced with lots of laughter. Dr Pete was very motivating. He took complex scientific information and converted it so that it was dynamic, easy to understand and informative. The “Dingle DEAL” is a structured way for each of us to avoid ill-health.

Diet: encouraging the listener to eat well and abandon processed foods that have little nutritional value,
Environment: energising the audience to quit the use of chemical products in the homes,
Attitude: enlivening those listening to choose to think positively.
Lifestyle: inspiring the audience to look towards food health by exercising, avoiding busyness and taking time to reflect on our journey.

Conference participants came away from the final session of the weekend on a high note encouraged to make a difference to their lives, their families and the children we educate. Dr Peter Dingle left us animated and enthusiastic to use the DEAL.

Carol Moelands The Western Australian Association of Teacher Assistants Inc - Sept 2009

Dr Dingle... probably the most energising, directly challenging and immediatley rewarding presentation we have ever had at a leadership forum; certainly the most talked about afterwards.. Thanks Peter for rallying us to action.. Donald Clarke, Program Coordinator, Southern Region Leadership Forum

Just quickly Peter some great feedback. Our delegates loved your presentation and although we are all now eating oats and fruit only, which we hold you personally responsible for, we very much enjoyed your presentation. Kind regards. Evan G Hammond CA

Your workshop was the buzz of the office for several weeks and is still referred to at various times even 3/4 months after the event. The group hypnotism was very effective and people were amazed that it actually worked on them. I have noticed your books on various desks in the office with people referring to them or suggesting others borrow and have a read.We would love to get you back for another conference in the near future.

PS ... We are still waiting for the day when we all start barking and looking for our left leg. Regards . Vickie Douglas Head of Direct and Alliance Banking AMP Banking.

I just wanted to touch base one last time to thank you for your fantastic presentation to our group last Thursday morning. There were many motivated people leaving the room, and I honestly think you made a difference to each attendees' life in some way or other! I wanted to share with you the presenter ratings we collected, out of 5: and the results for your breakfast presentation were knowledge 4.9, presentation 4.8 and content 4.9. That is a fantastic result, so thank you again. I wish you all the best with your future endeavours, and maybe we will get you back to speak to another group some time in the future! Erin Hasleby. CPA Australia WA Member Events Coordinator

I’d just like to thank you on behalf of the sales force at Steel Blue, I have never seen our guys as fired up as they have been since your session. It really was inspiring. Peter Dingle was fantastic, I can’t rave enough about him. His tips on Taking Charge of your Life have struck a chord with all our sales force. It really was life changing and inspiring stuff. Thanks so much for you help. Ebony Fitzgerald. Sales and Promotions Representative Footwear Industries Pty Ltd Makers of Steel Blue Premium Industrial Footwear

Peter Dingle gave a series presentations to the Institute of Chartered Accountants Business Forum 2007. His energy and his magic livened up the conference. His presentations were extremely well received as was his presence and interaction

throughout the whole day, which was an added bonus and energised the conference staff. Brian Martin. Training & Development Manager – WA. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia

Thank you Peter for a wonderful presentation, we have had a great amount of positive feedback from all who attended. We do appreciate your efforts and expect to see some positive results within our team that have been influenced by your presentation. Best Wishes, and we will be in contact soon with the possibility of another presentation opportunity for you. Maria Gutta. Brentnalls

Dr Dingle made us sit up, take notice of the world around us and truly

believe that we could and should be doing things differently, in our

work and in our lives. He deftly motivated us for the rest of the day

when we went out and did volunteer activities in natural areas around

Perth." Colleen Henry. Strategic and Corporate Planner. Tourism Western Australia

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your talk at the NAPSA conference last week. I'd heard the goss, heard of the Dr D legend, now I've seen it for myself. Well done! Peter Quayle. Promotions & Special Projects Coordinator. Prospective Students & Admissions Centre Division of Enterprise & International. Murdoch University.

We all enjoyed your presentation - lots of smiling faces around the

workshop .... still. The health message was simple and compelling and

you made it fun. Ron Zatella. A/Manager Fleet Services. Fire & Emergency Services Authority

Many thanks for your wonderful presentation to ChallengerTafe's CAPS

forum last Thursday. You have inspired us all to reflect on our lifestyle, health, and environment and work towards making changes to our "busy " lives.

Once again many thanks for a wonderful day, Julie Manning Program Manager Visage Training Centre for Hair, Fashion and Beauty Challenger TAFE

just wanted to send you a quick note to inform you of the overwhelming amount of positive feedback I have received for the presentation that you conducted for FESA last Wednesday, it would appear that people are still talking about it . Your work was extremely well received, many people have reassessed their lifestyles and I believe a few of them have even been out to your healthy eating cafe in Fremantle. ………….Your presentation was entertaining, informative but in particular highly motivational………. I know that most people would not leave one of your talks without taking away something of value so in the interest of improving the health, happiness and overall wellbeing of FESA . On behalf of myself and FESA thankyou again for your valuable time and quality performance. Janine Blacklow A/Safety Advisor FESA

Our district administrators were in awe of Dr Dingle as his inspirational style and obvious commitment to Health and Well Being were displayed. The "Dingle Deal" will be a foundation on which school administrators will be able to build a Health and Well Being program for their staffs. A highly motivational presentation from an exemplary speaker.... Well done and thankyou Dr D." Paul Mather Manager District Operation Esperance District Education Office

Thank You Peter! Really, your presentation was a sublime blend of humour, interesting facts and a compelling lesson to all in attendance of the importance of health and lifestyle. Almost affording “rock star” status, it was wonderful to see the REIWA staffers flocking around keen to secure you for their state awards night! The members have thanked me for asking you along and I am most grateful for the time and energy you put into your talk. My office staff went and bought Omega 3 capsules on the way to the office! Thanks again, it was a pleasure meeting you. Hayden Groves. dethridgeGROVES

Dr Peter Dingles presentation to our Family Day Care team on Nutrition and Lifestyle was both informative and entertaining. Family Day Care staff and providers walked away with the determination to change their lives and importantly the lives of the children in their care by simply making more informed choices when it comes to providing meals for children and for their own families. We are all in the process of reconditioning ourselves. Eddie Powell, Co-ordinator Children’s Services. Communicare Inc

Dr Peter Dingle was an excellent speaker. He held the audiences attention, was very entertaining and had so much information to share. He contacted us well before the event and was very organized. He was flexible with his arrangements and tailored his presentation so that it had greater meaning for the audience. Jason Hughston. LJ Hooker.

G’day Peter, and thank you for your presentation last Friday. It was certainly very well receive by many of the delegates. Here is what some of them said.

Peter Dingle was inspiring and motivating (I write it down!!)

More Dingle stuff next year.

Peter Dingle presentation fantastic

Dr Peter Dingle was top class.

Peter Dingle was so engaging and informative and entertaining. A great way to end the day.

Thanks. Don Phillips. Administrators' Project Officer

Dr Dingle burst forth with a hard hitting and entertaining 30 minute presentation which captured the attention of the audience. Given the diversity of people present this was no mean feat. You can tell that Dr Dingle’s message had got across to the target audience because they continued to quote him for days afterwards. Stuart Jardine, CEO Gosnells City Council.

Just a short note to congratulate you on your presentation at the MEA

Conference. The feedback that I received from those who attended over the course of the two days was exceptional. Thank you for your efforts. GUY ALESSANDRO. Director of Sales Rendezvous Observation City Hotel

Your presentation was fantastic , full of energy and humour. I was only in there for a short time as I was producing the video highlights. I ended up buying your book as we are expecting a little one in august I need all the help I can get for to fit into this “dad” role. Anthony Vallario CSEP, AMIAA. Producer/Director. ZOOM Photography & Video Productions

Peter Dingle was great! He blended 5 "C's" into his talk on the night, which fitted in with our "C" theme and his magic and sleight of hand amazes and amused everyone. Annie Payne. Membership, Marketing and Events Co-ordinator RACP

Dr Peter Dingle presented a one hour session at our staff conference this week. His presentation covered his four “C’s” of taking control of your life. Peter presentation was full of little ‘gems’ of information as well as being very entertaining. Feedback from staff has been very positive with many comments stating that Peter was very motivational and highly entertaining speaker. Marisa Leccese. WA Marketing Manager. CRS Australia

"Inspiring!!" - Karina Hawkins, Woodside Engery Ltd

"Upbeat and humorous but with some serious messages about being healthy" - Tony Flynn, Woodside Energy Ltd

"I found Peter interesting and a great deal of his information was a big REMINDER for me" - Linda Davies, Woodside Energy Ltd

"I thought that it was really interesting, very energized & also amusing at the same time! A good balance. Thanks" - Alison Nannup, Woodside Energy Ltd.

"Very high energy, some good content...got some good tips out of it...." - Emma Dowd, Woodside Energy Ltd.

"I thought he was great. Very motivating and hugely energetic. He definitely got me thinking about a number of aspects of my life.

I think it's really beneficial to have sessions like that and a facilitator with Peter's personality makes all the difference" - Jodie Lancaster, Woodside Energy Ltd.

Dr Dr D I enjoyed your talk/ presentation/ aerobics/ juggling/ etc yesterday morning

at E Central - think I was inspired by what you said except it took me a

while to get focused for I can not remember the last time I was

'confronted' by such enthusiasm. Thanks for the 'shot in the arm' to get motivated!

Mary Anne Baljic. Head of Department. Technology & Enterprise. Perth Modern School

Peter, thanks very much for an informative and entertaining session. The talk brought together all of the the aspects of healthy living: including diet, exercise, stress management, attitude, fulfilling work and fun... it was well received by our Business Unit and reminded our busy people of the most important aspects of staying fit and healthy to be able to enjoy life and be productive in the best sense. Vivienne Sommerville, HR Manager, ABU, Woodside.

Again, thanks for your inspiring presentation on 'Taking Control'. I've already had great feedback, from the volunteers and staff present, and incidentally, the 'non-smiler' in the crowd (if you recall, bearded, grumpy looking) told me you were the best speaker he's ever heard! Kellie Bennett. Cochburn Council.

Hi Dr D. My father has taken me to so many goal setting seminars in my life and pushed me to read so many goal setting books, and I never got anywhere with them. However after your seminar, I have written my goals, they are up on my wall, and I am well on the way to achieving them mentally and then actually ! I felt like both you and Ralph were speaking to only me, like there was no one else in the room. I spoke to a few others who said they felt the same thing. That is amazing, that you can hit the hearts of so many people at the one time. Thank you for your passion for your job, which passes on as passion to us.

p.s. have also started to read The D.E.A.L. cant wait for the new book to come out so I can read that too. Ali Binskin. Enjo Consultant

Peter Dingle was a fantastic addition to our conference program. A delegation of 500 farmers is not an easy group to sell a story on “life balance” – but they hung on to his every word and in the post conference surveys rated Peter’s presentation among the very best in what was a high calibre speaking line up. Peter is a consummate professional and just great to deal with. We’d certainly recommend you do a “Dingle deal”. Esther Price. Director. Esther Price Promotions. Communication, marketing and event management

On behalf of the NAGCAS Conference steering committee, I would like to extend our appreciation for the magnificent keynote presentation which you delivered on the opening day of our national conference. Your message on the 5 C's for controlling one's life opened the minds of many delegates and gave them insights and tools which they can effectively pass on to their clients and just as importantly, to themselves. Comments ranged from "awesome and entertaining" to "inspirational and doable". There were many other informative presentations throughout the conference pertaining to career development matters, but yours stood out because of your passion, humour, integrity, the message and its magic.

And thanks again for stepping in so swiftly. You really are a star.Alexandra Semmens NAGCAS, Conference Steering Committee

‘…your contribution during the summit and at the dinner were a delight. Not only were they lively and pertinent but later, also fun.” Robin Williams ABC Science Show

Peter's "DEAL" message mixed in with magic and expertise had members and guests of the Secret Harbour Surf Club's 10 Year Gala Dinner glued to their seats. Many were relieved that they were on the right track and others had some take home messages to help improve their lives and their children's with some simple rules of thumb, all relating back to the Diet.. Environment...Attitude and Lifestyle... Peter's interactive speaking style involves the audience and makes listening to his message an enjoyable experience. Jane Le Grove Director Of House Secret Harbour SLSC.

We would very much like to extend our appreciation for your brilliant, informative, entertaining, and energetic talk last month. Mary Paul President OSWA.

‘The session was well received. It is still being talked about today (3 weeks later).’ Daniel Parry. Deakin Financial Services.

Dr D is a most infectious and emotive speaker who involves his audience and well deserves the description of a charismatic academic” Peter Hicks. Health -Mor Industries.

Peter's gift of interaction and people skills is a marvellous thing to watch. He drew people out at the Conference and he received an enormousamount of feedback in the 2 hours he was with us. His ability to bring thebest out in people turned a simple presentation into an enjoyable activityfor all staff. At all times Peter approached his presentation with vigour and dedicationand his friendly manner and willingness to participate, coupled with hisindustry experience meant that Peter was a valuable contribution to ourAustraland conference.

It is important to keep all staff focussed and a "healthy and motivatedemployee is a happy employee", so I would highly recommend Peter for anysimilar presentation for which Australand is already beginning to benefit.Should any prospective Company wish to discuss the contents of thisreference I would be pleased to do so. Matthew James Joyce Executive General Manager - Land & Housing – Australand

'Peter gave a presentation of such energy that it completely revitalised the audience and sent them away contemplating the changes they would make.The Deal is a great topic and would have relevance to the lives of anyone listening - something to make you really stand back and think. Wendy Wardell

Boy what a great presentation you did, you got a mention at the closing from the Director General saying what a great presentation. Well done. Diana

'Peter has communication skills of the highest order and an ability to convey technical information in terms appropriate to the existing knowledge level of the audience...reflected in the high ratings received in student post-course evaluations.' Trades and labour Council.

“enjoyed peter enthusiastic presentation 10,10,10” for presentation, quality and content” Evelyn Vojtisek Fashion Carpet House.

“Charismatic enthusiasm 9,10, 9” for presentation, quality and content” Adrian Lengkeek. JBA Carpet Court.

“You certainly have hidden talents! Can I compliment you on the sensitive way you turned an event that dealt with a dreadful disease into a tasteful and humorous evening, perfectly suited to the mood of the audience.” Bob Kuchera MLA. Minister for Health. WA

“he has carried out these tasks with a sense of energy, flair and enthusiasm, acting always in a very professional manner.” Barry Mac Kinnon Ex leader of the WA liberal party.

“Your delivery was excellent and clearly held the attention of the group. The juggling trick had the desired impact because, like the ‘D.E.A.L’, it was topical for the business/life jugglers and, of course, it was clever and skilful. The speed of delivery was appropriate to the audience and your time keeping was just about perfect.” Andrew Robertson. BHP Steel.

“The feedback I got was that your presentation was excellent! Thank you very much. Paul Holmes. Environmental Consultant.

“I thought your speel at the coast to coast conference was the highlight. Finally someone speaking the truth rather than saying everything was hunky dory and no need to change anything” Evan Broaman Environment Resource Officer. Local Government Association of Tasmania.

"Peter Dingle gave our Kordel's Vitamin Launch presentations in Adelaide

and Perth an additional dimension. Peters presentational style lends an up-beat tone

to the topic." Peter Kemp Healthcare Manufacturing Group

first off I would like to thank you for all of your fantastic information and enthusiasm at the Small Business Development Corporation staff development day. I got a lot out of it and also loved your book. I am very much a DEAL believer . I am so grateful to benefit from

your dedication and sensibility. It's all so easy really - I think that was something that you really conveyed at the seminar - back to basics - keep it simple and logical - and you're right our grandparents did some funny old things for a damn good reason. Jane Gardiner. Small Business Development Corporation

Thank you once again for an extremely interesting day. I learnt a huge amount and feel very motivated to attend further sessions. I felt reassured that I'm also heading in the right direction with many of the things I am doing. Thank you, Lesley Harmsen

'The information you gave was stimulating and interesting.....We truly appreciate the support you have given us.' Hospital Environmental Awareness Link.

I was fortunate enough to attend your lecture at Macquarie University last Wednesday evening. Thank you so much, it was what I’d been waiting for since reading your books 2 years ago. I certainly came away with even more than I expected, hoping that you could reach millions more Australians through your unique style! Caroline Nelson. Enjo Consultant

We were very sorry to have missed you when you visited the East Coast but await with baited breath for your return. Those who were privileged enough to catch you said it was something not to be missed. However, we have been listening to the CDs. Tracey McWhinnie. ENJO Consultant

firstly, thanks for your fantastic presentation you did at Macquarie University for Enjo, I was one of the consultants in the audience. I have read your book and found it absolutely fanscinating - well done. So many myths, so much deception by the food industry.

I love your advice, and your simple, easy to read format, and am adopting, slowly but surely your suggestions for diet, have already changed to fibre based cleaning, obviously, and am referring back to the book for further advice on changes I can make for the good of my family. Thank you for taking the time and determination to inform us, it is appreciated and I am spreading the word as much as I possibly can so that others can know the truth, Kathy Grime. Enjo Team Manager

Never have I had the 3 D's before!! Thank you for your great, invigorating talk this morning. Robyn Forshaw. Conference Steering Committee

that was an absolutely brilliant presentation last night!! I wish I had that

much passion when I talk! Fiona Tremlett. Melaleuca

As we all arrived at the Esplanade Hotel Freo on the Friday afternoon after a few buzy days at workshops in the office, we where keen for a few pre-dinner drinks and then dinner, then for a few of us, kicked on a little in Freo, and where a little worse for wear at the 09.00am start, but as the Dingle "DEAL" was so enlightening all where captured by his enthusiasm, wit and humour. We all enjoyed the "DEAL" and are still talking about it, we also purchased a few of his books for the home and the office. The rest of the weekend we where very aware. Thanks &Regards. Ian Radford Marubeni-Itochu Tubulars Oceania Pty Ltd

“Very good, very good, very good, Excellent coverage of some very important life skills which should be taught at high school. Saf Deakin Finances

“Excellent I will commit to all the principles outlined on all the presentations. I feel empowered now.” Jenny. Deakin Finances

“Brilliant, everyone knows they should set goals but by doing it in a interesting way really opens your mind to setting your goals and achieving them…Overall fantastic” Ben. Deakin Finances

“Well done, was excellent” Fabian. Deakin Finances

I am a mother of four beautiful very healthy children, Manager with ENJO and was a Midwife for 17 years. I attended your presentation for ENJO Consultants this morning at City West and just had to write and say thank you so much. I didn't want it to end it was so informative and inspiring. I love selling ENJO and training consultants to do the same but I love it even more now knowing just how much we are doing, in our own small way, to help improve people's lives. The five girls in my Team who were all there also thoroughly enjoyed it and I know will now approach the Demos they do with more knowlege and confidence. Thank you once again and I can't wait to read your book. Odette Askew

I was very much looking forward to hearing him in person, having read quite a bit of his work, and because I was a nurse before I started my ENJO career.

I found Dr Dingle's words very inspiring and incredibly interesting - and three of my customers also attended the Seminar and found him very informative and vibrant. Dr Dingle speaks so well. He maintained everyone's interest the whole time and managed to give out the information in such a way that everyone retained the knowledge without realising how much they had taken in.

Our health is our most important asset, without good health we have nothing, and prevention is must better than cure. Dr Dingle gave all of us many ways of preventing illness by just doing simple tasks like opening windows, airing bed linen and taking regular exercise - the DINGLE DEAL is an inspiration to us all. Melian Tomsett, Manager

Thank you for your great lecture at Deakin University. I was one of the 555 Principals sitting in the audience. You certainly know how to deliver an excellent presentation on a vital topic. I will be making some changes to my life- the first is to do some weight training as I am 58 - retired at 55 for a week and came back ???

Please keep up the good work and I will be purchasing some of your books

Well done 10/10 and a Black Elephant Stamp !!!!

Trevor Smithson. Silvan PS. Melbourne Victoria

My husband attended a Training and Development Association meeting about 2 years or so ago at which you spoke. Within about a month he had given up smoking and joined Perth Pirates dragon boat club. Over that time he has regained much of his enthusiasm and strength, which was badly depleted over the previous 20 yrs, and depression, partly through work stress and losing our daughter in 1990 through MV trauma, had been an ongoing problem. Our vege garden is now flourishing (a direct reflection of his state of mind). He will be paddling/sweeping in the Bridge to Bridge event next Sunday, a 12km Narrows Bridge to Fremantle Left Bank--event. I had mentioned to him previously over the fifteen years since we have been living down the road from the Dragon Boat club, that he might be interested...all to no avail, so you must have hit the spot and said somthing that gelled. I also had given up on his ever stopping smoking.

So I thought I would say thank-you and let you know you made a difference.

Lesla Soulsby

Chemicals, Kids and Cancer: Why kids are more vulnerable

2011-10-13T19:00:00.000-07:00

There is little doubt that our kids have a greater susceptibility to toxic chemicals,. Everyday we expose our children to hundreds of different chemicals in an array of household products and yet remain puzzled as to why they get sick and why the rates of childhood asthma, allergies and cancer are higher than ever.

There are many contributing factors that increase rates of childhood disease: these include very important considerations such as diet, lifestyle and attitude, but I wish to draw your attention to your child's immediate environment , as it is the environment you provide in your home that will contribute greatly to either your child's enjoyment of good health or their development of disease. Over the last 40 to 50 years we have increased the number of synthetic chemicals we use with virtually no extra thought as to how vulnerable children are to these chemicals or how little we know about their subtle and accumulative toxic effects. We assume that because these chemicals are so easily purchased off the supermarket shelf, they must be safe to use. Wrong! Many of these chemicals are known to be toxic and few of them are extensively studied before they are put on the shelf, freely available to the general public. Furthermore, certain assumptions are made in the process of allowing these products to be generally available - one of these assumptions is that kids are just smaller versions of adults. Scientific and medical studies show that this is not the case and that children are much more vulnerable to chemical toxins and environmental pollutants.

The World Health Organisation has emphasized that infants and young children have different structural and functional characteristics from those of older children and adults. These characteristics are simply stages of normal growth and development but affect a child's vulnerability when exposed to chemicals. In March of this year (2005), the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) reiterated again that children are more vulnerable to gene-damaging chemicals than are adults. Kids are not simply smaller versions of adults, but this is how they're seen when it comes to developing regulations and safety standards.

For the first time the US EPA have tried to put a figure on how much more susceptible children are. They reported children two years old and younger might be 10 times more vulnerable than adults to certain chemicals and that children between the ages of two and 16 might be three times more vulnerable to certain chemicals. This means we need to make a huge shift in the way we regulate chemicals and may mean in some cases that the chemicals kids are exposed to in the home may be up to 10 times too high in concentration. Oops! Our regulators have made yet another mistake and while they will say there are no problems with the existing system and will defend it, along with the manufacturing industry, it will eventually be changed - it will just take 10 or 20 years for it to happen. I have seen this many times. It was argued for many decades that low levels of lead were not problem but in just two or three years all the regulations were changed in the reluctant recognition that even low levels were a major health concern for kids. The scientific proof of this was available 20-30 years earlier with the US removing lead from petrol in 1972. Australian authorities sat on their hands until 1986.

Kids are more vulnerable to toxic chemicals because of certain behavioural and physiological characteristics that multiply not only their exposures to environmental toxins but also increase the effects of these chemicals on them. Physiological characteristics include rapid rates of growth, immature body systems and physiology, such as enzyme systems, as well as underdeveloped barriers which prevent toxins from being absorbed. Kids are particularly vulnerable to toxins during rapid periods of growth such as those which occur in-utero, in the first 12 months of life and at puberty. A typical human infant increases in weight by about 200% and in length by 50% in his or her first 12 months. On average, the infant's brain is just over 30% of the weight of an adult brain at birth, their maximum number of neurons will be reached by age two but the brain will not structurally mature until four - six years of age. Their nervous system will not be fully developed until adolescence. The spinal cord and the peripheral nerves are protected by a fatty sheath called myelin, and the process of neural myelination is not complete until adolescence. As a result a child's nervous systems is at higher risk of damage from common household insecticides, heavy metals and solvents typically found in household products.

A child's brain is also more vulnerable because of the immaturity of the blood-brain-barrier, which is designed to protect it from toxins. Even in adults this barrier cannot protect the brain from many heavy metals and synthetic chemicals such as solvents and pesticides. In infants it is almost totally ineffective against most modern day chemicals. This dramatically increases the risk of both temporary and permanent damage to the brain. It's possible that early exposure to some chemicals may permanently reduce the effectiveness of the blood brain barrier, allowing increased passage of toxins to the brain, and increasing the person's vulnerability to certain chemicals throughout their life.

Children are also susceptible in other areas of their physiology. The many enzyme pathways that metabolise foreign compounds in the body take several years to develop and a child is at increased risk until they are fully matured. For example, infants have lower levels of the neurotransmitter cholinesterase which helps to maintain the balance in the nervous system's communication channels. Many of pesticides and the nicotine in tobacco smoke inactivate cholinesterases, allowing the stimulating neurotransmitter acetylcholine to remain and increase in concentration, causing over stimulation of the nervous system. Depressed levels of cholinesterase can cause irreversible damage. Chronic effects include weakness and malaise, headache and light-headedness and symptoms can mimic those of ADHD. While the pesticides may not accumulate to any significant degree, repeated exposures with the resultant cholinesterase-inhibiting effect, can be a significant problem. Don't expose your children (or yourselves) to pesticides - any of them. Even if claims are made as to their safety, they are not safe! The aerosol spraying method for household insect killing chemicals enables the toxins to penetrate deep into the lungs. You wouldn't expose your kids to tobacco smoke would you, so why pesticides? They are much more toxic.

A child's immature enzyme systems can also affect their ability to eliminate the environmental toxins to which they are exposed. The metabolic pathways and enzyme detoxification systems of infants and young children have reduced capacity for dealing with toxins as compared to adults. The major excretory organs in the human body (the liver and kidney) take some years to develop and become fully and efficiently functional. For example, the Phase I and II enzyme detoxification systems (stimulated in all the liver detox diets) are immature at birth and only develop gradually as an infant. The immaturity of an infant's capacity for detoxification and elimination usually produces higher blood levels of toxins for longer periods in comparison to an adult, meaning the toxic chemical hangs around a lot longer in your kids' bodies, doing more damage.

In general tissue and membrane barriers are more permeable in the early years of life to help with the demands of rapid development and growth. However, this also increases their capacity to absorb toxins. For example, absorption rates of heavy metals from the gastrointestinal tract in humans and other mammals are significantly higher in infancy compared to other ages. Lead is a well-known poison, causing irreversible neurological damage to the young, including a reduced IQ. Studies have shown that infants and young children absorb lead more efficiently than adults via the gastrointestinal tract. 40 - 90% of an oral dose is absorbed by a child less than 8 years of age, compared with 10% by an adult. Studies have also shown that retention of the absorbed dose is higher. While adults retain 10% of an ingested dose, 18% is retained by children and 32% retained by children less than 5 years of age. Absorption through the skin is also higher in children. Their skin is more permeable and they have a greater surface area relative to body weight.

Kid's are also at increased risk from environmental carcinogens. In infants and children cells are dividing more rapidly. There is a greater probability of DNA mutation and cancerous growth being initiated. Studies show that one day old rats exposed to vinyl chloride developed a much higher incidence of cancers than rats which were exposed at eleven weeks of age. Early exposure to carcinogens also means there's more time for cancer to develop over the person's lifetime. Many cancers which develop in adults are a result of exposure to carcinogens in childhood. Reducing childhood exposure to these toxic chemicals will reduce the potential for cancers later in life.

Kids' Behaviour

Aside from the physiological and biochemical reasons behind children's increased susceptibility to toxins, there are behavioural, cultural and sociological reasons as to why they are more at risk.

Increased exposure of infants and kids occurs through both their food consumption and respiration. Kilogram for kilogram of body weight, children drink more fluids, eat more food and breathe more air than adults. Children aged one to five years for example, eat three to four times more food per kilogram than the average adult. The types of food they eat also increase their exposure. In the first five to seven years of life, a child's diet is very limited. One study in the US estimated that children between one and five years of age consumed six times the amount of fruit consumed by women aged 22 - 30, and 18 times more apple and apple products, including juices and purees. More recent estimates from studies in the US suggest that the intake of apples by infants expressed as a ratio of body weight may be up to 20 times higher than that for adults. These consumption rates mean that young children face a greater risk from residues such as pesticides and fungicides in fresh produce than do adults. This highlights the need to feed our kids as much organic and biodynamic produce as possible.

Young children's play behaviour can be a potential source of exposure to toxic substances. Mouthing, whereby hands and objects are put into the mouth (an exploratory behaviour of the young called PICA), has been shown to lead to significant ingestion of soil and dust. One study found average daily estimates of soil consumed by kids ranged from 25.3 to 81.3 mg/day, and reported that this was consistent with results from other studies. This dramatically increases their risk of exposure to heavy metals and pesticides in the soil. This doesn't mean that you stop your children from playing outside. It does mean you shouldn't use any pesticides or toxic chemicals in the garden.

Other behaviour such as crawling and playing close to the ground can also contribute to higher exposure to many chemical as this is where many of the chemicals actually accumulate. Children's tendency to play around cars while the engine is running really highlights this. More than 4000 chemicals spew from the exhaust pipes of cars. I often see kids playing around the car while parents are saying their farewells. For kids, who are closer to exhaust pipe height, it's a toxic game.

Kids also don't have the experience or know how to reduce their exposure. Unlike adults who can relate a chemical smell to making them sick or causing an allergic reaction, young children have too little experienced to make the connection and often lack the necessary verbal skills. So they will continue to expose themselves to more of the toxin. We, as adults and parents, must provide the protection of a safe environment. And children are easily influenced by the conditioning of media advertising to use toxic chemicals such as deodorant spray cans or perfumes. Or to consume more junk foods with toxic food additives in them.

Research is proving the toxicity of these chemicals. Many studies, including some of our own research and other Australian studies, show that the higher the use of chemicals in the home, including cleaning chemicals, the use of spray cans and pesticides, the higher the incidence of childhood disease, such as asthma and allergies. In a few years when the research is complete, it will also show an increase in children's and adult's cancer rates.

It is also worth noting that thousands of kids are poisoned by domestic chemicals every year. Some of them are permanently damaged. Some children die. The fewer toxic chemicals you bring into the home the safer it is for your children and you.

What can YOU do?

Set a goal to reduce the amount of synthetic chemicals you have and use in the home by 50% over the next month. When you achieved this, review your chemical use again, and see if you can reduce it further.

Use safer more environmentally friendly chemicals

Use high quality, genuine fibre technology for cleaning.

Don’t use spray cans - they are major air pollutants. Just read the warning on the back of the can to see how toxic they are.

Use non toxic baits and traps for pests instead of toxic pesticides.

Do not believe the pest control company when they tell you their product is safe. They are not and they are actually not allowed to say they are safe.

Don't paint the new baby's room.

Don’t put child care centres on busy roads.

Do not believe the advertisements on TV that tell you will be better off using synthetic chemicals. You won't be. But they will make a lot of money out of you.

Ban spray cans from your child's school.

Don't allow people to smoke around children. Visit my website for a lot more information and more action you can take to protect your kids.

Asthma, a different perspective

2011-10-13T18:56:00.001-07:00

Asthma is one of the most common respiratory diseases. In Australia, New Zealand, the UK, US, Canada, many European countries, and now in many Asian countries, asthma is on the increase and has reached proportions of one in four children and one in 10 adults. The asthma rates in these countries has doubled in the last two decades and fortunately they seem to be leveling off but as other countries become westernised the rates are quickly catching up to our levels.

Asthma is a potentially life threatening and debilitating respiratory disease. Not only do asthmatics have to face potentially fatal attacks, but they may also have to deal with headaches, depression, mood swings, hyperactivity, learning difficulties, chronic fatigue and allergy related afflictions such as allergic rhinitis and eczema.

It’s unlikely that the genetics of the population has had an influence in such a short period of time, but it is likely that a degree of genetic susceptibility is being triggered by a combination of modern factors, perhaps the epigenetics factor I wrote about a few months ago. The rise of modern, Western society has brought with it many changes. Many of these appear innocent when considered in isolation, but when contemplated in combination, they present a formidable threat to our health and the health of our children.

The most probable cause of asthma and many other modern child health problems is a combination of Diet, Environment, Attitude and Lifestyle (DEAL) factors. To wait for definitive scientific proof that may never come, is to put a growing number of kids at severe risk. Asthma is not just an inconvenience, it kills.

The ‘westernised’ diet seems to be a contributing factor. Because asthma involves an immune response to various trigger substances, decreases in the average weekly consumption of fresh fruit, green and mixed vegetables and an increase in the amount of processed foods has all been linked with increasing asthma rates. And nowhere is this more evident than in Asian countries where the diet is rapidly becoming westernised. The ‘new’ diet provides fewer antioxidants, fewer minerals such as magnesium, selenium and zinc, and fewer vitamins, including Vitamins A, B, C and E - all of which are considered to be necessary co-factors in the immune function. The modern diet is also very low in methyl donors such as folate and vitamin B6 which may be having an impact on how the genes for asthma are expressed.

A number of studies have shown decreased minerals such as selenium and zinc in subgroups of asthma sufferers. There is also evidence that people with reduced intake of fresh fruit and vegetables have lower ventilatory functions (they take in less air with each breath) and other studies which link diets low in fruit and vegetables with increased rates of asthma, and more severe symptoms. There’s growing evidence of the benefits of vitamin, mineral and antioxidant supplements on the severity of asthmatic symptoms. For example, the essential fatty acids (EFA’s), particularly an increase in omega 3 oils have been shown to reduce the incidence of asthma in children in some studies. In the old days parents used to feed their kids cod liver oil and kids would eat home grown vegetables and free range eggs, all of which are a source of EFAs.

A number of studies have also shown a relationship between asthma and the mother’s eating habits. Children born to women who supplement with omega 3 oils are less likely to develop asthma. Some studies have also found reduced symptoms and rates of asthma in children who were breast-fed for longer as infants. The precise reason for this is unknown, but is probably due to the protective effect of breast milk and the detrimental effects of cows’ milk. Apart from other essential nutrients in human milk, it’s a rich source of EFAs, choline and important immune factors. And there is growing evidence mounting over the use of cows milk and increasing allergies and food intolerances.

Some of the food colourings and other food additives that our kids consume in relatively large quantities are also linked with asthma attacks. Ones that are particularly relevant include the colours 102, 110, 127, the sulphur preservatives (220- 230, sulphur dioxide, sodium sulphite and bisulphite potassium bisulphite and sodium and potassium metabisulphite) and MSG (621).

Investigations throughout the world confirm a link between asthma and a person’s sensitisation to indoor allergens, such as dust mites, pet fur and feathers, insects and mould. Nevertheless, these allergens have probably always been present in houses although the quantities of allergens and degree of exposure may have increased in many homes.

We have made our buildings more airtight through changes in design, weatherproofing and the use of air conditioning. This traps allergens and chemicals inside buildings, whereas in older homes there is greater airflow. The constant temperature and humidity also produce ideal conditions for dust mite and fungal growth. These conditions are further exacerbated by the fact that many people keep all their doors and window closed and that we spend 90% of our time indoors.
A number of studies have found a strong relationship between house dampness, fungal growth and respiratory illness. This is not only from obvious dampness such as condensation on windowpanes but also the amount of time spent in the shower and bath. Mould and mould spores are a major problem for asthmatics. Mould can usually be controlled by increasing the ventilation in bathrooms and other wet areas. Fibre cleaning is very effective in contolling mould and doesn’t involve the use of toxic chemicals.

Allergen avoidance, particularly for mould, dust mite allergens and pollen, has been shown to reduce both the onset of asthma and asthmatic symptoms. This avoidance appears to be especially important during the first twelve months of life, when the immune system is maturing. Some research also suggests the avoidance of substances that may cause reactions, even though not related to immune function . This includes some biologically active chemicals and some medications such as aspirin, sulphur dioxide, metabisulphate, coal tar dyes and flavour enhancers, such as MSG.

By contrast, while many pets produce problematic allergens, there’s increasing evidence to show that having a pet may offer some protective effect. In fact living on a farm and close to animals generally confirs some protection against asthma
Probably of greater importance is that we have dramatically increased our use of synthetic chemicals, which at higher doses are linked with asthma and respiratory disease. More and more studies are showing this link with even lower levels of exposure to chemicals, such as those found in new or renovated homes. Cleaning chemicals, spray cans, deodorants and perfumes are all increasingly being linked with contributing to the cause of asthma and potential asthma attacks. The evidence is also mounting that these chemicals may be influencing our genetic expression through epigenetics. The overuse of these chemicals may also be contributing to what is called the “hygeine hypothesis” which is that we are not being exposed to enough microorganisms and therefore not stimulating the immune system at the right stages of growth.

Unflued gas heaters (the ones that don’t have a flue or chimney) and other appliances are linked with increased respiratory illness. Many countries and some states in Australia have banned these appliances. There are now dozens of studies showing associated health problems.

There is little doubt about the effect of direct smoking and passive smoking on asthma and a litany of other diseases. While more and more people go outside to smoke, there are others who still expose their children to this cocktail of very toxic substances. Many of the thousands of chemicals found in tobacco smoke are toxic. Even worse, parents who smoke are showing their kids through their actions that smoking is okay. If you smoke you are teaching your kids to do the same, despite what you might say to them. As the old adage says, “Actions speak louder than words”.

Attitude is important because not only is it likely to reduce the risk of illnesses, but determines what an individual will do to prevent or reduce illness. Attitude is closely linked with education, the willingness to learn more and the desire to look after yourself. This does not mean ignoring the medical system. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. It means working with your doctor and asking lots of questions. Remember asthma can be a life threatening illness, so you need to understand it and take it seriously.

Our lifestyle has changed enormously over the last four decades. The structure of the family unit and how families interact, our level of physical activity and our dependence upon the car, television and computers have brought different pressures and demands. Many of these factors have negative impacts on our health and our ability to deal with asthma. Physical activity, breath control and stress management are essential for an asthmatic’s development of a healthy lifestyle. I have seen many instances where implementation of these has not only improved how a person deals with asthma but also reduced the severity and frequency of symptoms. For a small number of asthmatics strenuous physical activity can initiate an asthma attack. Be active but also understand your limits.

Unfortunately, despite the growing scientific evidence, the medical paradigm tends to prevail in our society that we can’t do anything about asthma because we don’t have the definitive proof yet of the causes. Science on the other hand shows a different perspective, that there are probably many contributing factors that need to be addressed and all can help just a little. Apart from this also being a common sense approach it also helps with many other health issues not just asthma, so isn’t it worth trying?

Author of "The DEAL for Happier Healthier Kids, a Parents Guide to 21st Century Health"

Milk, the poison

2011-10-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

In my other blog on milk I explained why milk is not a great source of calcium for humans. Now it is time to look at the health problems associated with milk.

Evidence has been steadily mounting during the past few decades of the potential negative effects of dairy on human health from colic and gut disorders to cancer. Milk is associated with many digestive disorders, poor gut health, food intolerances and allergies. Many children develop food intolerances to milk which, at the very least, cause overproduction of mucous and lots of phlegm and runny noses. Worse, these intolerances can cause severe allergic symptoms. This is often related to the negative impact dairy products have on the gut. Associated with this I have seen colic clear up in many infants once they are taken off dairy.

Lactose intolerance is a “condition” in which the body cannot digest the sugar efficiently (or at all), leading to poor gut health and excess mucous, acid and gas production and varying degrees of abdominal discomfort 1. People with lactose intolerance also experience reduced absorption in the gastrointestinal system 2. Approximately 75% of the world’s population (particularly in Eastern countries such as China, India, Africa and in minority populations such as Australian Aboriginals and Native Americans) has a level of lactose intolerance 1, and it is now generally accepted that this “condition” is actually the norm for the human species. It is more prevalent in Asians (about 85%) and African Americans (about 50%) than Caucasians (about 10%). It should be highlighted that the inability to digest lactose is exacerbated by pasteurisation destroying all the enzymes naturally found in milk that would normally help with digestion of the milk.

A food allergy is an abnormal immunological response due to a sensitisation to a food or food component. It represents an important health problem, especially in industrialised countries where it has been estimated to affect about 1% to 2% of the adult population and up to 8% of children below the age of three 3. As far as statistics go, cow’s milk allergy can be considered one of the most common food allergies, especially in early childhood with an incidence of 2% to 3% in the first years of life 4.

If an allergic reaction develops it is not always due to the dietary habits of the infant. A baby can be exposed to the proteins that cause an allergic response. Breast milk from mothers who have consumed products containing cow’s milk might be another threat for the development of cow’s milk allergy due to the absorption of cow proteins, their passage through the gut mucosa and their release in human milk 4. Antibody reactivity to bovine casein as well as to casein and lactoglobulin is detectable only in bottle-fed infants and not in infants who are exclusively breast-fed5.

Hormones and growth factors

Many of the bioactive components of milk contain hormones and growth factors. Milk contains more than 50 hormones and growth factors 6. The consumption of cow’s milk can result in significant hormonal changes and disrupt the balance of insulin, growth hormones and insulin-like growth factors (IGF) 7. Insulin Growth Factor One (IGF-1) is intended to assist suckling calves to grow and produce new tissue through the prolific reproduction of cells 8. However, when this hormone is introduced to the adult human body, which is no longer growing, cells may be encouraged to reproduce at the wrong time or place, providing the basis for cancerous growth 9. Cow’s milk and human’s milk share the same amino acid sequence of IGF and therefore the cow form is capable of binding to human IGF 10. Numerous studies have shown a link between these hormone levels and levels of IGF in prepubertal boys and girls 11 and as a result such levels have been positively correlated with increased height 12,13. The levels of IGF-1 in dairy milk may have increased significantly with the increase in milk production per cow since the beginning of the agricultural revolution. This problem is compounded in the US where they can add IGFs to milking cows to increase milk production. There is some scientific debate whether homogenisation allows the hormone to be digested and consequently reach the bloodstream 14.

Cancer

Insulin Growth Factor One (IGF-1) has been linked with numerous types of cancer, including prostate and breast cancer 15,16 and cow’s milk consumption has been strongly associated with an increase in hormone-dependent cancers 17. A large study, a meta-analysis, found that high intake of dairy products and calcium was associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer. Researchers found men with the highest intake of dairy products were more likely to develop prostate cancer than men with the lowest intake 18. Dose-response analyses suggested that dairy product and calcium intakes were each positively associated with the risk of prostate cancer. That is, the more dairy consumed, the higher the rates of prostate cancer 19,20,21. One study found a 5.1 times higher risk of advanced stage prostate cancer 22 while another found that milk consumption was most strongly associated with mortality rates of prostate cancer 19. A strong link has also been found between dairy consumption and testicular cancer 24,25,26.

A study of 3,300 cancer patients and 1,300 control subjects 27 comparing milk and dairy intake between the two groups found a significant association between the exclusive consumption of whole milk and increased risk of certain cancers (e.g., oral, stomach, rectum, lung, breast, etc.). Most of the subjects in the control group were drinkers of reduced fat milk or non-fat milk, linking the reduction in saturated fat to a reduction in oral and cervical cancers. A number of other studies have linked dairy consumption with breast cancer 28-32 as well as ovarian cancer 33.

Diabetes mellitus (type 1)

Cow’s milk-based infant formulas and cow’s milk consumption in childhood have been found to promote the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus and other immune-mediated or neurological diseases. The introduction of cow’s milk-based infant formula within the first three months of life is associated with increased risk of type 1 diabetes mellitus 34-38 and there are more than 100 studies linking early exposure to dairy milk to the onset of diabetes mellitus (type 1) in children who are genetically prone to the disease 37-43. The evidence for this association is overwhelming. Furthermore, in animal models of type 1 diabetes mellitus, cow’s milk proteins have been proven to lead to the development of diabetes.

In a study on newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes, researchers found that the children in the study had antibodies that were primed to attack cow’s milk proteins. These antibodies had apparently risen in response to cow proteins in their infant formula, but the antibodies were also capable of attacking the body’s insulin-producing cells. The antibodies that arose to destroy the cow’s milk protein ended up attacking the children’s insulin-producing cells. The infant’s immune system recognises these bovine proteins as foreign and forms antibodies to attack them. Unfortunately, these antibodies attack not only the cow proteins but also the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

There is so much concern about this that a worldwide study has begun in which children are being kept off all cow’s milk to see whether diabetes can be prevented 7.

Multiple sclerosis

Evidence dating back to 1976 44 shows that cow’s milk consumption is linked with the development of multiple sclerosis (MS) 45-48. One study of dairy consumption in 27 countries and 29 populations around the world found a strong correlation between liquid cow’s milk and MS prevalence; interestingly no such correlation was found with cream, butter or cheese 42.

A number of cow’s milk proteins have now been shown to be targeted by the immune cells of people with MS 7. Further, injecting the proteins into experimental animals has caused lesions to appear in the central nervous systems of the animals. Other researchers have demonstrated how certain proteins in cow’s milk mimic part of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, the part of myelin thought to initiate the autoimmune reaction in MS49.

Parkinson’s disease

Milk has also been linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Researchers found that among more than 130,000 U.S. adults followed for nine years, those who consumed the largest amount of dairy foods had an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease 50. Men with the highest levels of dairy consumption were 60% more likely to develop the disease than those who consumed the least amounts of dairy, particularly milk 50-54. This supports earlier findings about dairy intake and the development of PD: the same authors studied men with high dairy consumption and found that those men had an 80% higher risk. Women with moderate dairy intake were also found to be in the high-risk range for PD.

A study found that Japanese-American men in Honolulu, Hawaii who consumed more than 0.5 litres of milk per day had a 130% higher risk of PD than men who did not drink milk 52. In a study in which a total of 128 participants developed Parkinson’s disease, the risk of Parkinson’s disease increased as the amount of milk consumed each day rose. Heavy milk drinkers—those who consumed more than 16 ounces (454g) per day—were more than twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s disease than non-milk drinkers 52.

Heart disease

Epidemiological evidence suggests that per capita consumption of milk proteins and milk is associated with national mortality rates from heart attack or stroke 55-58. Although it does not appear to be associated with the saturated fat consumption.

Acne

Milk consumption results in significantly elevated blood levels of IGF-1 in prepubertal and pubertal individuals as well as young adults which is associated with acne 59-62.

Not a great food

Cow’s milk is not a great food for humans. What I have presented here is just a small fraction of the scientific literature highlighting the problems with milk. Perhaps in the future we will see health warnings on milk containers. Unfortunately, we have been sold a deceptive message for more than 50 years so everyone believes that “milk does a body good.”

No other animal on this planet consumes milk beyond infancy or another animals milk. Despite this humans are the only animal that suffer form such high rates of chronic illness. To complicate this equation even further we destroy many of the healthful qualities of milk by pasteurisation including enzymes and antioxidants, we then mix the fat and liquid together through homeginastion and we still call it a natural food. What beneficial qualities milk might have in very small quantities, they no longer exist when we process them out. Then add sugar and chemical colours to make flavoured milk and I could not think of a more toxic compound.

References

1. Goldberg and Folta 2002
2. Smith et al. 1995).
3. Helm 2000
4. Monaci et al. 2006
5. Moetini et al. 2000
6. Michaelidoua and Steijns 2006
7. Jelenek 2010
8. Blum 2009
9. Fürstenberger and Senn 2002
10. Francis et al. 2008
11. Edwards et al. 2007
12. Wiley 2005
13. Berkley et al. 2009
14. Daniel 2007).
15. Key et al. 2003
16. Shaneyfelt et al. 2001
17. Ganmaa and Sato 2005
18. Gao et al. 2005
19. Ganmaa et al. 2002
20. Qina et al. 2004
21. Tominaga and Kuroishi 1997
22. Campbell and Campbell 2004
23. Ganmaa et al. 2002
24. Davies et al. 1996
25. Garner et al. 2003
26. Strang et al. 2006
27. Mettlin et al. (1990
28. Gaskill et al. 1979
29. Stocks 1970
30. La Vecchia 1993
31. Le et al. 1986
32. Ursinl et al. 1990
33. Larsson et al. 2004).
34. Harrison and Honeyman 1999
35. Scott 1990
36. Elliot and Laugesen 2003
37. Goldberg and Folta 2002
38. Laugesen and Elliot 2003
39. Wasmuth et al. 1999
40. Thorsdottir et al. 2000
41. Padberg et al. 1999
42. Elliot et al. 1998
43. Tailford et al. 2003
44. Butcher 1976
45. Malosse et al. 1992
46. Malosse et al. 1993
47. Winer et al. 2001
48. Stefferl et al. 2000
49. Guggenmos 2004
50. Chen et al. 2002
51. Norton 2007
52. Park et al. 2005
53. Chen et al. 2006
54. Chen et al. 2007
55. Venn et al. 2005
56. McLachlan 2000
57. Popham et al. 1983
58. Seely 1981).
59. Schmitz and Melnik 2009
60. Batya et al. 2010
61. Danby 2008
62. Adebamowo et al. 2008

Stress less live more

2011-10-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

A typical day in the life of the twenty first century busy person begins like this - woken by the blaring alarm clock or even worse a raucous radio announcer, a bowl of overprocessed breakfast food, or nothing to eat at all, and a rush to get to get to work. Meetings, reports, deadlines, peer pressure - the list goes on. The body’s fight or flight mechanism is triggered but without the safety valve of physical activity to defuse it's state of red alert. The 'distress' caused by these events triggers adrenalin and cortisol to to flow into the bloodstream. And as the day or the week goes on, it doesn’t get much better for. Their stress results in increased irritability, anger, aggression, more arguments and depression while increasing the risk of dysfunction, disease or even disability. Trying to function with high stress levels also results in low productivity at work and at home.

The lifestyle of the twenty first century buy person is filled with stress - stress created by family, friends, work and themselves. It's a combination of psychological and physical 'stressors'. Much of the psychological stress we experience is a largely a product of how we think - our attitude. In the twenty first century, psychological distress often has more to do with our overreaction to situations than it does to the actual external pressures. It's not so much as what happens to us, as how we react or respond to the situation or event. Ten thousand years ago as fisher hunter-gatherers, our stress response to a bear, a snake or a fire heading towards us was critical for our survival. Now the threat posed by such physical stressors has largely been replaced by a new range of far more subtle and insidious psychological stressors. Much of this is the psychological pressure people feel as a result of something happening around them or to them. The pressure of too much work, deadlines or exams, complex relationships, arguments or being 'told off'. However, the difference between positive 'eustress' and negative 'distress' is how a person interprets these events and how many of them they're subjected to.

Fortunately there are many strategies we can use to take control of this stress which can easily be incorporated into our everyday activities. However, when you are stressed, you rarely have the skills to step back and identify the cause. Even if you do, it's difficult to take action if you have not been given the tools you need to take control of the situation or your reaction to it. Stress, and the negative thinking that goes with it, can become an addiction. Negative thinking becomes a habitual way of responding, and a downward spiral begins - down into more and more negative thinking and as a result more and more stress.

The new forms of physical stress add to our burden of psychological stress, but are often so subtle or such an integral part of our busy lives that we remain oblivious to them. These physical stressors produce a negative effect on our bodies no matter how or what we think about them. You may be surprised to learn that the main ones include your alarm clock, the modern media, low quality food, loud noises, short or poor quality sleep and late nights. As we become more psychologically stressed we actually have a tendency to expose ourselves to more of these particular physical stressors. For example, if you are not getting enough sleep, you have to rely more and more on your alarm clock, and if you oversleep and wake up already fatigued, you may not have time for breakfast or may feel you need to jerk yourself in wakefulness with a shot of caffeine. Because we feel pressured and fatigued we may resort to junk foods and energy boosters, such as sugar and fat laden foods to get through the day. Or you reach the weekend feeling as twisted as a pretzel, and a bit too much partying is needed to 'unwind'. So the stress spiral becomes tighter and tighter.

Much of what is aired on television is negative and shows scenes that our subconscious mind does not distinguish from reality, particularly scenes of violence and brutality. Our minds aren't designed to cope with seeing these events every night on the news. While our conscious mind can override these images to a large degree, even an adult will still experience some subtle negative influence in the brain.

The alarm clock blaring creates an instant state of stress which is aggravated by the grating voice of the radio announcer trying to sound as though they're awake. The body is propelled from deep sleep to a state of ready to fight off anything. Similarly, loud noises are also a stress which destroy concentration in the short term and hearing in the long term. Blaring iPods (and I have one but don't have it on too loud) are not only a major issue for hearing loss but also an increased number of waking accidents at road and railway crossings.

Poor food stresses the body as it depletes nutrients which are essential for its effective functioning. Top of the list are the highly processed foods with sugar, salt, fat and food additives. Don’t be mislead by the plethora of ridiculous attempts to make processed food look healthy. My guide is that if it is processed it has become a stressor on the body and is no longer a food. Eating quickly and overeating also places stresses on your digestive system. You can't absorb the nutrition in your food as effectively if you gulp your meal and overload your stomach by eating too much. Eating this way requires more effort from your digestive system, more blood is redirected to your gut, making you feel sluggish, fatigued and more stressed.

At last, the end of your busy day and time for well-earned sleep. But can you get to sleep, and when you do, do you get enough? Mostly, you just don’t seem to get enough. Poor sleep and going to bed late adds to the toll exacted by psychological stress. The average length of sleep has declined from around 9 hours a hundred years ago to seven hours today. And the depth of sleep has also declined, thanks to television, caffeine, increasing work pressures and Thomas Edison inventing the electric light. Welcome to the 24-hour stress cycle. Each little bit adding onto the next little bit and the result being more health problems and lower productivity.

Signs of stress and stress related health disorders include sleep problems, digestive and eating disorders, headaches, anxiety, depression, anger and hostility, drug abuse, overeating and eating disorders. These have all reached epidemic proportions in our busy society, even in kids. Too much stress reduces our capacity to function effectively. Stress can short circuit memory and brain function, causing decreased concentration, mental focus and memory, making it more difficult to think clearly, particularly during more stressful periods, such as exams. Stress limits your personal power and the more stress you have the greater are the limitations imposed on reaching your potential.

Another very significant effect of distress is the gradual depletion of the immune system. As early as 1977 studies showed immunosuppression amongst people under stress, as well as students during stressful periods, such as exams. More recent studies have found people with higher levels of psychological stress show a greater susceptibility to infectious disease. Subjects with higher rates of stress were significantly more likely to contract respiratory infections than those who lead comparatively ‘stress free’ lives.

Lesser-known effects of distress include increased cortisol output, resulting in increased appetite and weight gain and depletion of certain nutrients in the body. Current research suggests that stress may play a significant role in increasing the body’s requirement for a range on nutrients, such as C, E, A and B-complex vitamins, minerals such as magnesium, zinc and calcium and omega 3 fatty acids. Fortunately, some animal studies have also shown the effects of stress-induced oxidative damage (free radicals) can be reduced through a diet high in antioxidants.

The good news is stress can be managed and even made into something positive. There are many studies that demonstrate the use of various techniques, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapies such as goal setting and cognitive restructuring, relaxation, meditation, physical activity and dietary changes. Any of these approaches used alone or in combination (and research shows that a combined approach is more effective) can dramatically reduce negative stress. Making time to manage your stress can result in significant improvements in your productivity, and your health. Use as many of the techniques and strategies listed below as you can.

Diet

Eat less processed food.

Eat as much wholesome and nourishing food as you can, particularly green vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans as they are 'super foods'.

Avoid artificial food colours (102-150).

Have a fresh vegetable juice instead of a soft drink. Don't you know they're called soft drinks because they make your thinking mushy?

The latest research shows 3-4 juices a week dramatically reduces your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Environment

Find a nice place to relax, to be able to just get away.

Open the windows for some fresh air.

Play some Baroque music

Attitude

Set your goals.

Learn some simple techniques to control those busy voices in your head. Yes, of course you have voices. Take control of them. Rather than letting them control you, write down all the dramas you have in a jouornal. Get them out of your head and put them in perspective.

Realise that we often stress over small and relatively unimportant things. They may seem important now but they won't be in a few weeks and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about if you remember them at all.

Lifestyle

Develop the skills to relax. Take some slow, deep breaths – the more the better.

Learn to meditate. Even 10 minutes a day is a great start, or take up yoga to stretch your body and mind.

Get more exercise. Exercise is one of the best ways to de-stress, as it breaks down the stress hormones in your body. Just a quick five minute walk can do wonders. I tell my students to go for a brisk 10 minute walk before exams as it lowers stress and increases the blood flow to the brain. Which is just what you want to improve your thinking.

What’s great about all these strategies is that they also improve the overall health of the individual and reduce susceptibility to most of our twenty first century chronic diseases. They'll also improve your thinking and consequently your results at work.

And my final message: wake up to the effects of stress on you now. If you seem to think you don't need to manage your stress better, then you probably really DO need to. One of the primary symptoms of suffering from too much stress is thinking that you're coping just fine. Implementing some simple strategies now can enhance health and well being for life.

Author of "Take Control and Realise Your Potential" a book on how to manage your stress

Environmental Toxicology one-day course

2011-09-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

Dr Dingle’s Environmental Toxicology one-day course (CPE points)
Sunday November 27. 9.30 am -5.30 pm.
Location. TBA (Perth)

This course is for health professionals and interested public who want to know about their exposure to toxic chemicals, what they are, how it happens, what it does to us and how we can reduce our exposure in our everyday lives and those of our clients.

You are exposed to thousands of new synthetic chemicals and hundreds of toxins every day without even being aware of it. This has a major impact on our health. Especially if you are more susceptible. We are not all equal with some of us being more than 100 times more susceptible to many toxic chemicals.

In this course you will learn
What they are?
What are their impacts ?
Who is susceptible?
How you can measure them?
How to minimize exposure and reverse toxicity?
Their role in cancer and chronic illness, (even obesity)
At the end of the primer you will
Have a sound awareness of the science of environmental toxicology.
Be aware of the impact of toxic substances on humans.
Be able to develop strategies to reduce your own exposure to toxic substances.

Topics covered
Measuring Environmental Toxicology
Chemicals, Life Processes and blocking nutritional pathways
Epigenetics and inflammation and chronic illness,
Susceptibility. Woman, the unborn, infants and the aged
Heavy Metals. Mercury, lead ad cadmium
Pesticides. Types, exposure and alternatives
Environmental estrogens.

Dr Dingle
Dr Dingle has researched, written and taught in the area of environmental and nutritional toxicology at University level for the past 25 years and has more than 100 scientific publications on the topic. He is recognized locally, nationally and internationally for his work on this topic and both his own honors and his PhD was in this area. He is also one of Australia most popular motivational health speakers and recognized widely for his entertaining and fun presentations.

Environmental and Nutritional Toxicology one day
Course enrolment form
Sunday November 27

Early Bird before November 10 $130+GST
After November 10 $150+GST
15% discounts for 3 or more attendees

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Optimal Health Weekend with Dr Peter Dingle

2011-09-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

Transform your thinking, your diet, your health and your life with a weekend with Dr Peter Dingle.

An informative, fun and transformational weekend in a quiet setting
November 12-13,
Saturday and Sunday9.00 AM to 5.30 PM
Atrium Hotel Mandurah

Unfortunately most of us are running on empty, feeling tired and overwhelmed. This weekend will transform your life. It will nourish your mind and your body and make your healthy life a reality. With one of Australia’s most motivating health presenters.

Program Outline

Day 1
Start 9.00 am - How healthy are you? Why we are sick and tired? Take control plan to succeed; Developing a positive mental attitude; Reduce your toxic exposure at home and work; Bringing back the balance; A healthy lifestyle
Finish 5.00PM

Day 2
Start 9.00 AM
Diet and disease; Healthy digestion is the key; Eat smart; Reversing illness
Finish 5.00PM

The weekend also involves lots of informal time to speak to Dr Dingle and ask questions and discuss issues.

Investment:
Early Bird before October 20 $300+GST or
After October 20 $350+GST
One day attendance $200+GST
Hot drinks supplied all day
BYO Food
$100 free book value for the first 10 people to register
Places are limited so please enrol at your earliest time

Over the weekend you will learn:
How to take control of your life and realise your potential,
Develop a positive attitude and personal luck factor,
How to overcome adversity,
Avoiding deadly toxins in your life,
Eat right for your species,
Foods that heal,
About healthy digestions,
Healthy digestion,
Nutritional and Lifestyle factors that can delay ageing,
How to reverse illness,
How to increase energy,
Manage your weight,
Delay ageing,

Optimal Health Weekend with Dr Peter Dingle Course enrolment form

November 12-13 Whole Weekend
Early Bird before October 20$300+GST
After October 20 $350+GST
One day$200+GST
15% discounts for 3 or more attendees

Contact details

Full Name_____________________________________

Address______________________________________________________

Postcode_____________

Daytime Telephone ____________________________

Email _______________________________________________

Number of people attending_________________________

Ammount being paid $_____________________________

Payment method1
Credit card,
Credit card type (please circle or highlight). Visa Mastercard

Credit card number______________________________________

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Payment method 2
Send Cheque or money order to Dingle Presentations (see below).

Payment method 3
Direct Deposit
Dingle presentations
BSB 306 077 Account 0577595
Enquiries Email martine@drdingle.com

Mail Dingle PresentationsPO Box 66 South Fremantle WA 6162 www.drdingle.com

"Take control and realise your potential"

2011-09-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Would you like to be more effective and efficient at what you do, fit all the things you need into your day and still have energy left over?
Or perhaps be able to deal with life’s emotional ups and downs not to mention the stock market?

This book is for anyone who wants to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives.

With 20 years of research in motivation and the science behind why people succeed, along with his own personal experiences through two major life traumas that left him facing a total career upheaval and impending business uncertainty; Dr Dingle shares his life and business strategies, which helped him keep his sense of humour in the toughest of times and manage to survive and thrive in the corporate world. Out of the most stressful situations, whether it is our life or the stock market, come the greatest opportunities to renegotiate our lives on our own terms and fulfil our potential. The blessings that follow are simply derived from knowing who we are and what drives us to get up every morning.

Most people go through life in an unconscious state just getting by from day to day, one busy situation to the next. Take control will help you find what is holding you back and how to make the positive choices to achieve your real potential. The strategies laid out in this book will help you to succeed and create the life you have always wanted. For more information go to www.drdingle.com

By reading this book you will learn how to:
Improve your productivity
Improve your energy
Improve your health and wellbeing
Enjoy greater happiness
Develop essential life skills
Take control of your own life and healthPut the important things in life first
Optimise your success
Dissolve unconscious blocks to being more successful
Dissolve distracters and prioritise actionsRemain focused
Break through plateaus
Be re-activated and inspired to make changes in your life
Inspire and motivate people around you
And more…!

While these sound like exaggerated claims they will happen if you implement the information from this book. Take Control is for anyone who wants to achieve their full potential in all aspects of their lives. With 20 years of research in motivation and the science behind why people succeed, along with his own personal experiences through two major life traumas that left him facing a total career upheaval and impending business uncertainty, Dr Dingle shares his life and business strategies which helped him keep his sense of humour in the toughest of times and manage to survive and thrive in the corporate world. This is one author who knows what he is talking about. “Take control of your life and realise your potential” explains why and how we limit ourselves through our conditioning. Out of the most stressful situations come the greatest opportunities to renegotiate our lives on our own terms and fulfil our potential. The blessings that follow are simply derived from knowing who we are and what drives us to get up every morning. Most people go through life in an unconscious state just getting by from day to day, one busy situation to the next. This book will help you find what is holding you back and how to make the positive choices to achieve your real potential. The strategies laid out in this book will help you to succeed and create the life you have always wanted.

Pharmaceutical Criminals

2011-09-08T18:33:00.000-07:00

Drug companies claim to work for the betterment of our health. Yet behind the scenes is a corrupt industry driven by greed. The use of drugs in health care is a $100 billion a year scam. Drug companies suppress adverse information and paint a false picture of prescription drug benefits, even when the companies know that the drugs needlessly kill or injure. That might sound a bit harsh, but anyone scanning the legal literature and even the medical journals must wonder how the industry can continue with such deception.

Drug companies engage in censorship, bribery, corruption, fraud, suppression of negative studies and all varieties of unscrupulous tactics to sell products. In almost every other industry, such graft would lead to being driven out of business. Drug companies commit fraud The same drug companies that produce statins commit fraud, get caught, then settle and go about business as usual.

In September 2009, Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker (and maker of Lipitor®, the world’s best-selling statin), agreed to a $1.3 billion criminal fine and total of $2.3 billion settlement, the largest in U.S. history. Pfizer agreed to a felony plea by a subsidiary to close an investigation into what government lawyers described as fraudulent marketing of drugs. The settlement was the fourth with Pfizer or a subsidiary since 2002, including earlier legal action on the marketing of Lipitor® (atorvastatin). Other drugs produced by Pfizer include Viagra® and Celebrex®. A court jury in Philadelphia found Pfizer guilty of deliberately ignoring evidence that Prempro®, their hormone replacement therapy (HRT), increased women’s risk of breast cancer. The company knew as far back as the 1970s that the drug had the potential to cause breast cancer.

Pfizer is not alone in having been caught committing unscrupulous business practices. Other large legal settlements for deceptive practices include GlaxoSmithKline, Apothecon and its parent the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Perhaps most egregious (so far) has been Merck & Company, for deliberately concealing information on increased risks of heart attack and stroke from its painkiller Vioxx®. The company certainly knew of the grave risks beforehand but Vioxx® was a very profitable drug. From 1999 to 2004, Vioxx® was widely prescribed as a painkiller for arthritis and migraines. The drug led to some 43,000 premature deaths and over 120,000 injuries in the U.S. Vioxx®, a COX-2 arthritis drug, doubled the risk of heart attack and stroke—a bit of a conundrum when one considers that Merck & Company also sells drugs that are supposed to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Merck paid $4.85 billion dollars in the U.S. to settle 26,600 claims representing 47,000 plaintiffs, plus 265 possible class action cases, yet has made no admission of guilt.

In 2009, more than 1,000 Australians were suing Merck. GlaxoSmithKline was also caught covering up test results that link the antidepressant Paxil® with increased suicidal tendencies in teens. GlaxoSmithKline concealed evidence from clinical trials that suggested Paxil® was ineffective and even unsafe for juvenile use. The company paid $2.5 million in restitution. The same drug company (using a somewhat different name, SmithKline Beecham) dealt with and silenced a scientist who criticised its Avandia® diabetes drug. The executive involved has gone on to become the head of health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, while the harassed academic scientist has since been vindicated by subsequent evidence that the drug does in fact increase heart attack risk.

The pharmaceutical company Apothecon and its parent, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, have paid out millions of dollars as a result of their misconduct including illegal gifts to doctors and health-care providers to encourage them to promote and prescribe the company’s drugs. In 2009, Biovail Pharmaceuticals pleaded guilty to conspiracy and kickback charges for the same type of offence and has been sentenced to pay a criminal fine of more than $22 million as well as a $2.4 million civil penalty. Bristol-Myers Squibb Company offered to pay $499 million to settle federal investigations into whether the company played a role in a pricing scheme that led insurers and government agencies to overpay for drugs. The company reduced its profit forecast to reflect the charges.

Purdue Pharma continued to vigorously market the painkiller Oxycontin® even after Purdue knew that Oxycontin® was highly (and lethally) addictive. After some shrewd plea-bargaining and a favourable judgement, Purdue was allowed to continue trading without any executive felony charges, but with a fine-like payment of $600 million, representing 90% of profits on Oxycontin® sales between 1996 and 2001.

A Bayer subsidiary called Cutter Biological knowingly sold AIDS-contaminated clotting factors for treating haemophiliacs. Once caught, Bayer and other companies continued to sell to the East and to South America for at least a year. Across the world it is likely that thousands were infected and died. In the U.S., thousands of patients have developed AIDS and the companies have paid out $600 million in settlements. But they get away with it.

These cases are not small exceptions but seem to be the rule for most major pharmaceutical companies. We are talking about some of the biggest companies in the world literally getting away with murder—not once, but many times. The companies that we are supposed to trust with our lives have been or are now involved in tens of thousands of lawsuits in connection with hundreds of billions of dollars. The reasons they get away with it come down to money and vested interests.

Things can be very different for small, non-pharmaceutical companies in the health field. For example, in 2003, Pan Pharmaceuticals, the largest packager of alternative medicines, supplements and herbs in Australia and one of the largest in the world, was suspended by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Australian federal government’s regulatory body. The TGA suspended Pan Pharmaceuticals’ licence and ordered the immediate recall of 219 of its products. This was a result of a hundred people reporting adverse effects from taking the Pan Pharmaceuticals Travacalm; 19 of those people were hospitalised. In November 2005, Pan Pharmaceuticals was fined $3 million. However, the trouble was with only one product. If this rule were to apply to the pharmaceutical drug companies, who have knowingly killed thousands of people, none of the pharmaceutical drug companies would be operational today. There appear be two standards: one for the drug companies and one for all the rest.

To finish up the Pan story, in August 2008 the former head of Pan Pharmaceuticals, Jim Selim, won $50 million in damages and an extra $5 million for legal costs in his case against the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Sadly, this was after almost 400 people working for the alternative medicine packager had lost their jobs. If you want more on this visit Big Pharma exec turned Whistleblower, Dr Paul Thorsen.

Dr Dingle Clients

2011-07-28T00:52:00.000-07:00

Below are some of Dr Dingle's clients

Associated Financial Planners
Australand
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
Australian Institute of Banking and Finance
Australian Speakers Bureau
Australian Traditional Medical Society
Australian Veterinary Association of WA
Balya Cancer Self Help and Wellness.
BMS Solutions
Cancer Support Association
CGU Insurance
Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA)
Chifley on the Terrace Hotel
Christ Church Grammar School
City of East Fremantle
City of Fremantle
Clarkson Community School
Colliers International
Colonial Mutual
Conoco Phillips Australasia
Craigie Senior High
CSBP
Custodian Wealth Builders
Deakin Financial Services.
Enjo
Events WA
FESA
Fremantle Hospital and Health Service.
Glyde-In. Community learning Centre
Gooding Pervan
Greenwood Primary School
Hampton SHS
Healthcare Manufacturing Group
Health Protect International
Hospital Environmental Awareness Link.
Institute of Chartered Accountants
John Wollaston Senior High School
Karara Mining Ltd
KFC
Kwinana Industries Education Partnership.
Western Australian Leadership Centre
Lockridge SHS
Marubeni-Itochu Tubulars Oceania Pty Ltd
Meeting Place Community Centre
Melville Council
Micro Enterprises and Individuals
Mortgage Gallery
Mt Lawley SHS
National Council of Jewish Women of Australia.
National Council of Self Insurers
Neways Australia
Packaging Council of Australia.
Parkinson’s Association of WA.
Peel District Education Department Administrators
Pilbara Education District Office
Project Management Institute
Secret Harbour Surf Life Saving Club
Small Business Development Corporation
SOMA
Trades and labour Council.
WA Convention Centre
WACCRM (rural doctors conference)
Water Corporation
West Australian Police Force
West Coast Education District Directors
West coast TAFE
Woodside
Woodvale SHS
Wools of New Zealand
Health -Mor Industries. (USA)
ELKEN (Malaysia)
Deaken Finances (New Zealand)
Newways (Malaysia, Phillipines)
PWD EMS Ltd (Singapore)

Dr Dingle Speaking at Schools

2011-07-27T22:37:00.000-07:00

Since 1988, Dr Peter Dingle has presented hundreds of talks school groups on topics of motivation, study skills and goals to health and managing stress. He has presented to school staff, students and school community groups as well as at graduation nights and special events. As a result of all his work Dr Dingle has helped many thousands of students and teachers with his hard hitting and honest information. As an author of 8 bestselling books (one more out soon) and 25 years of research Dr Dingle knows what he is talking about.

Dr Dingles’ 2011 Healthy Schools Makeover

Staff
Does your staff suffer from
• too much stress,
• poor work life balance
• falling energy and motivation?
•
Would you like some help???

Students in Year 11 and 12 in 2010

Would you like your students educated and motivated with one of Australia’s top motivational speakers?
Would you like their year 2010 to begin with a real bang?

Dr Dingle is one of Australia’s best motivational health speakers. But unlike other speakers all his work is based upon his own unique and thoroughly tested programs. He can make a real difference (see the testimonials attached)

Topics include
• Dealing with stress and building resilience
• Health and well-being. The dingle DEAL
• Nutrition for smart thinking and better health
• Goal getting and study skills
• Taking control of your life

School Community

Dr Dingle also runs programs for parents and familias of schools on any of the topics listed above.

Dr Dingle can run a program in schools from 45 minutes or a half-day session to a whole day or even more. These programs are unique, fun and entertaining (see the testimonials attached).
Dr Dingle can make a real difference with your staff and students.
For further information go to www.drdingle.com or contact him at peter@drdingle.com. Or 0414360569.

Testimonials

Dr D provided our Year 12 students with a wonderful introduction to their final year. His effervescent delivery captured the students’ imagination as he guided them through the importance of maintain a healthy diet through to strategies that lead to effective goal setting.
His presentation was entertaining, educational and importantly, practical. Dr D’s Journal & Playbook was an excellent source of information and a focus instrument that the students were able to put to practical use. His message is life-changing and challenging, just what students need to wake them from their slumber of holiday mode. Russell Scanlon Head of Year 12 Corpus Christie College

Your Motivational presentation to our year 12’s was a performance to remember. The unique and highly energetic style of your delivery kept the students both entertained and spellbound. The content of your delivery, reminding students of the aims and importance of goal setting practices, particularly leading up to those important final exams and assessments, was also well received. With such a short time until the TEE you managed to provide the students with ideas about what they could change and so differently, to hep them achieve their goals. The students were genuinely positive and in good spirits after the presentation. The power of a laugh and a smile never ceases to amaze me. Gavin Bradshaw, Manager student services John Curtin college of Arts WA

Thank you for yesterday's seminar-it was terrific and you left the group "gob smacked!" Your presentation was super and the energy, enthusiasm and passion you displayed was so clearly evident. The response I have had from the group has been overwhelmingly positive and the requests for a return seminar (only longer) was unanimous! You won them over and I have no doubt that many will change their habits and become the real DEAL!!!-not bad if I say so myself!!!
Your presentation was enthusiastic, stimulating, passionate and more importantly filled with practical applications. As a group we were so impressed with Peter's ability to connect with the group and to provide a relevant and meaningful presentation. He is fun to listen to-you never get bored and his knowledge of health treated issues is outstanding. He is truly a very talented gentleman!. We as group have every intention of utilizing Peter' talents and gift at future Principal Forum events. Lloyd Page, Chairperson, Leadership Committee, West Coast Education District, Perth.

Dr Peter Dingle captivated the large group of young people by presenting the five steps to attaining their goals. The magic tricks baffled the onlookers and helped to explain the concepts pitched at the level of the audience. He explained how attainment of goals are
affected by our conditioning, the choices we make and how we respond to change. We were inspired by the prompting to be courageous and accept the challenges presented. The statement that personally made an impact was that if we don't go forward, we go backwards! This has inspired me to consider the challenges ahead and to write down my goals and consider the 'what, when, who, where, how and why. Kath Bavich ,Davey CareerLink

Thanks again for your presentation on Wednesday. It was terrific in every way. Staff are still talking about it which is amazing and even those who didn't smile for the whole 3 hours came up to me later to say how they enjoyed the presentation. I think I need a Dingle dose about every 6 months to keep me on track. Jan Vines, Canning College

Peter - great presentation at Matilda Bay Restaurant on Wednesday morning - I suspect the free range eggs, Selenine, magnesium, linseed etc AND your book will have record sales from this group. Just checking an availability - possible conference 18 August AM - Floreat area, how do you sit? David Forster, MANAGER OPERATIONS, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, WEST COAST EDUCATION DISTRICT

Teachers program
Thankyou for your outstanding presentation which was one of the most dynamic and informative sessions we have ever had. The staff are still buzzing with the health messages which you presented and were motivated by the fact that you obviously practice what you preach. Thankyou for making a difference! Rob Stewart. Principal. Illawarra Primary School

Thank you so very much for coming to our school and giving a most informative and entertaining talk. It has been the talk of the school today and we would love to get you back maybe next year? That's another matter though... I just wanted to say on behalf of the Orana school community a most sincere 'THANK YOU". It was a great pleasure to have you and your lovely family! Cheers! Allison Pivac

Thanks very much for presenting at our conference last Friday, You certainly hit the mark with your messages and energetic delivery. Feedback we received from participants was all positive, with many determined to make some changes in their lifestyle and eating habits. Andy Sullivan Manager District Operations Midlands District Education Office

I don't know anyone who can make the subject as stimulating and entertaining as yourself. There are a lot of speakers around but in my search they tend to be fairly dry. MICHELLE GORE Director of Staff Development Christ Church Grammar School

Dr Peter Dingle's input to the Class of 2004 was outstanding. Students, their families, staff and special guests have all remarked on his unique talents as a presenter; he was able to engage all in the audience as he delivered his inspiring and meaningful message. I would recommend him highly as an entertaining, motivating and compelling speaker. Dick Hunter. Principal Newman Senior High School

Your presentation on Friday was excellent & inspiring as usual. I'm eating my nuts & fruit at the moment! Several staff came up to me & told me how wonderful they thought your manner & presentation were. It's always hard to keep people focussed after lunch, but you did it in you own inimitable way! Adrian Penistan. Clarkson Community School.

The presentation you gave with regard to goal setting was well received. Staff were most enthusiastic about your contribution. Both written and oral feedback have been most complimentary. John Young Craigie Senior High

Thankyou for the presentation you did on Monday for our staff. I have had so many staff come to me and say what a great day they had and how much they enjoyed your presentation. We have been eating our oats (mine were full of sugar – those Uncle Toby’s flavoured ones!) and we have all been into the fish oil – we’re researching the best value packages at the moment – so you’ve really started something!! Anne Fraser. Principal West Greenwood Primary

The staff at John Wollaston very much enjoyed your presentation at the end of last term. It was down-to-earth, practical and entertaining. Heather Williams. Teacher/Librarian. John Wollaston ACS.

Thankyou for the wonderful opportunity to participate in the breakfast. Peter is a motivational speaker who is truly passionate about good health. Looking forward to the next breakfast. Cheers Roz Tritton. Curriculum Consultant Pilbara Education District Office

Dr Dingle's presentation to District Directors at the June 2004 State Executive was very well received. The message of looking after one's own health and well being was a timely reminder to directors who all too often neglect this critical aspect of their working week. The session also provided a great mood that assisted with the rest of the day's agenda. Grant O'Sullivan Area Director West Coast Education District

thank you for your energetic, very informative, positive and stimulating seminar. We enjoyed every moment!! Collette, School of Psychology. The University of Western Australia

Thanks for such a positive and entertaining session on Saturday at UWA Extensions (Increase Your Personal and Professional Productivity). Pamela Slobe. Postgraduate Administrator. School of Psychology. The University of Western Australia
Peter thank you for your presentation to Managers Operations. It was provocative, amusing and highly engaging and gave us all cause to reflect on more healthy ways to live our lives. It was particularly pleasing to receive practical advice on how we can take a leadership role in the work place to raise awareness among our colleagues about healthy living. Stephen Ker, Manager, Operations, Swan Education District

Students program

Dear Peter
Thank you for the outstanding presentation you gave at our Year 11 Leadership Day. It was amazing to see what you packed into a one hour session (which just seemed to fly by). The students were entertained and educated at the same time - something we are always searching to achieve in education.
The students now have a richer understanding of themselves as individuals, as a team and as leaders of the community and no doubt have a deeper perspective on what they are eating on a daily basis. Thank you once again and we look forward to working with you again in the future. Regards Trevor Lynch, Director of Students, Dean of Students Year 11, Sacred Heart College

Dear Peter

A very big thank you for your wonderful presentation. I have had very positive feedback from many students and the teachers who attended. A couple of teachers said to me afterwards ‘I just needed that’!!
We had a Year 11 parent feedback evening on the Thursday evening after your presentation and quite a few parents made the point of talking to me about the inspiration you gave their children. One said ‘I don’t know who that person was who gave a talk to the students, but I had a different son on Wednesday night’. Some of the Year 12s caught up with me in the library and said thank you for organising Dr Dingle to come to the school, and many other students took the time to let me know how motivated they felt. One of the Year 12 art students made a poster with the five Cs and other summary points of your talk.
So, thanks again, Peter, for inspiring and motivating our Upper School students so effectively, and using good old fashioned common sense interspersed with interesting scientific facts – a very good strategy with teenagers. I have put your books in the library – that was a very generous gesture to donate them and we do appreciate that. Yours sincerely. Kate Abbott. Director of Upper School

"Thank you Dr Dingle for your highly energetic and motivating session with our Year 12's. You had some great messages for the students and your blend of information, stories and magic was "just what the doctor ordered"! The fact that so many of them came up afterwards to shake your hand and thank you shows how much they got from it. Can't wait till our follow-up session next month!" Paul Housley Associate Principal Woodvale SHS July 2008

Peter, you are Delightful
Informative
Nutty
Generous
Laugh-a-minute
Extraordinary
Thank you so much for your time today. You are an inspiration, and you rock! Kind regards, Sandra Seman-Bourke from Christ the King School.

G'day Dr.Dingle. My name is Malachy (mal-a-key) O'Connor, i'm a first year at Murdoch.
Throughout my secondary education (sacred heart college) I was fortunate enough to attend two presentations by your self. Your presentations were nothing short of amazing.
Hello Peter. I want to let you know about the impact you had on our students after your recent visit. The young woman you spent some time with has really made a break through... she wants to succeed like never before and you have been instrumental in that. She could see no solutions, only problems. The two young men that went up and shook your hand afterwards have their own moving stories which are quite unique. Your message was positively received by them both and I was surprised because they both are so determined to believe that the 'older' generation have nothing to offer.
I hope you will consider accepting invitations to speak to our students in the future….you should have been a fly on the wall the next day when they were talking about your 5 'C's and how they had beans on toast for breakfast. Thanks again. Kaye Davies. A/HOD English. North Lake Senior Campus

Hello Peter,
Now your wondering how does this guy know me well apart from seeing your magic trick 4 times in one afternoon, I had the pleasure of being present at my son’s Graduation Night @ UWA for Emmanuel Catholic College where you presented the kids with their Certificates & Medals etc
Peter you also gave the kids and the parents a wonderful speech which was very entertaining to watch but more importantly for myself and my son Matthew to listen too. Unfortunately Matthew had been advised that his grades would make going to University very difficult and was discouraged to take up any University subjects. However after your speech in fact that night walking back to the car Matthew was so inspired by your talk, that he asked if could change his electives and go for the subjects he was interested in and keen too at least try.
I was more than elated with Matthews request as in previous weeks we were struggling to get Matthew to attend the last weeks of school, because he saw it as a waste of time and was not looking forward to going back to school in 2008. We took up Matthews request with the school but sadly the school stuck with their option so we have gone our separate ways.
The Good News is Matthew has started at his new school with all the electives he is interested in plus a few others that the school has offered him, his attitude towards school has changed he is achieving his goals that have been set by himself and the school, he has already won a Merit Award for History and he is more than happy with the change.
So in closing Peter I wish to thank you for your inspiring speech on that faithful night I am sure that if hadn’t been for your speech and words of encouragement I could have a completely different boy on my hands so please keep doing your Public Speech’s you are inspiring young minds to achieve their dreams.

Yours truly, Greg Howard

"Peter Dingle is a person who inspires young people. His presentation at our school offered an insight that the students could relate to and appreciate. His clear and easy to understand message gave the students some real strategies that they can put into to place straight away. And of course, his energy, the students respond so well to his energy and passion." Silvana Patorniti Warwick SHS

Your motivational presentation to the Year 12 students on Thursday 31 August 2006 was a performance to remember. The unique and highly energetic style of your delivery kept the students both entertained and spellbound. The content of your delivery, reminding students of the aims and importance of goal setting practices, particularly leading up to these all important final exams and assessments, was also well received and offered them wisdoms they might not otherwise be exposed to.
It is important that students understand they have choices and that their futures are of their own choosing and your presentation endorsed that strongly. Jen Fraser (Year 12 Co-ordinator). JOHN CURTIN COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

Thank You for the wonderful and stimulating speak! You really are superb in what you do. Scott Haddrell. Acting Head of Year 9 Penrhos College

Peter Dingle addressed a recent workshop for our senior students on "feeding your mind and body for success". His presentation was spot on-dynamic entertaining and highly informative. The only complaint from the girls was that it was not long enough-they would like him to come back for more! Meg Melville. Head of Senior School. Penrhos College.

Peter Dingle’s presentation of ‘The Deal’ to my Year 11 students was bright, informative and dynamic. The students and staff who attended have been motivated to see change as a real possibility and not as something which is too hard to achieve. Peter showed them how to recognise negative influences on their lives and take positive steps towards improvement. The presentation was excellent – well targeted, fun and thought-provoking! We all learnt something and came out feeling empowered. Ms Alex Lawson Head of Year 11, Methodist Ladies' College

Peter addressed the Year 12 cohort at their start of year Convention. Peter is a dynamic presenter. His words motivated and inspired the girls for the year ahead. Peter's advice on healthy eating and diet was of particular interest to the girls and many were still asking questions long after the presentation had finished. Thank you, Peter. Michelle Taylor. Year 12 coordinator Penhros

thanks ever so much for your talk to the young tackers on wednesday...you made quite an impression. Mark Bruhn, Career Coordinator. Seton Catholic College

As usual Dr Dingle gave an entertaining and riveting lecture on motivation and exam preparation and students were overwhelmed by his enthusiasm and passion. Maryanne Hughes. Kwinana industries Education Partnership.

On behalf of all the year 12s and staff who attended your vibrant, energetic, inspiring, positive and educational presentation, we cannot thank you enough. We’ve learnt about “golumising”, the four C’s (change, challenge, choice and conditioning), the “Dingle Deal” and the power of positive thinking.
We have heard a lot of motivational speeches in our time and yours has been the most powerful and inspirational yet. The way in which you spoke to us was appreciated; you presented yourself as a very down to earth, positive, relaxed, and honest magician
What you have taught us has had a profound affect on all of us and it is something that we all can grow and benefit from. Also, despite how many times we have been told how important breakfast is, you have been the first to put it in to terms we can relate to. “We once were dumb but now we shall eat breakfast!” We all have made our own choices to become dealers of endorphins…. We promise to smile more! Thankyou once again. Matthew Dale & Josephine Vinci (2 students Mt Lawley SHS)

THANKYOU! What can I say? Your words of positivity and your vibrancy rubbed off onto the students this morning and I have had a number of those who attended the breakfast come to thank me for getting 'such an awesome' (their words) guest speaker. I really appreciated your spontaneous warmth and your down-to-earth approach. I shall do my best to ensure the 'Dingle DEAL' does become the mantra for the students for the rest of the year...I shouldn't find it too hard to achieve given that the students who heard you speak were avidly telling those who 'made the choice' not to attend the breakfast what the
DEAL was all about. Once again, thank you for touching the lives of our students in such a happy and positive way! Alice Basini year 12 coordinator Mt Lawley SHS

I just wanted to tell you how much you inspired me. Before going to the camp, I was talking to a girl who went last year. She told me that the camp had changed her life and given her so much. I wanted to believe her - but it was such a big thing to say - a 4 day camp had changed her life? Any way I now do believe her. Why? because it has changed my life. Everything you said made me stop and think.
You told us we can make a difference and all we need to do is get off our arses and make ourselves heard. You have definitely changed my outlook on life and I know I’m not alone. Last night i was thinking of what I could do to show my appreciation for the invaluable lessons you taught me. How could i thank you? - then it hit me. I'm gunna make a difference. I don't yet know how but I’m working on it. You gave me so much and i am eternally grateful. Never ever stop doing what you do. Brooke Russell.

Hi Dr Dingle!!! Its Krissie here from the summit :) Just to say a quick thank you for everything that you did for us. You were such an inspiration, and the things that you taught me, I’m sure will have a hugely positive effect on my life. The camp was so enjoyable and I have benefited from it soooooo much :) Myself and the other girls from my school hope to get some projects going to help the foundation so we'll be keeping in touch. Thankyou again, for everything.:) krissie

Dear Dr Dingle
I wanted to share with you the response my younger son had to your presentation while he was a student at Wesley College.
The school had asked you along to talk to the boys about a healthy lifestyle and choices and my usually monsyllabic son was transformed when we picked him up on our way to our annual Easter holiday some 3+ hours drive away.
He poured out the information you had communicated to the boys, letting his older brother know exactly why he should not be consuming the junk food he was munching away on and what effects it was having on his body. He was 'full bottle' as they say and so enthusiastic. He has always been a committed sportsman but after your presentation seemed more committed as he drank water fairly exclusively after that with fizzy drinks off the menu while fruit and veg intake seemed to increase. Alcohol also did not feature as it seems to for many young men of his age.
What I loved most was the enthusiasm that you had inspired in him which he spent 3+ hours commnicating to us!! Regards. Sharon Kendrew

Hi Dr Peter Dingle

My name is Phoebe Phillips I'm nineteen years old and i was a 2006 graduate of John Curtin College of the Arts Fremantle. I listened to your motivational speech two years ago before sitting my TEE and i just wanted to let you know what happened to me as a result.

After concluding that motivational speeches were totally cliche me and my friends sat in the third row a little to the left. Close enough to appear keen to our head of year and slightly of centre so we could happily chat whilst politely avoiding your eye line.
But something must have rung true because i did come away feeling slightly more excited then scared and the freaked out sensation seemed to meld into a unusual feeling of determination. At the early stages of year twelve i was really keen to get a good mark, and more importantly beat my brothers insanely high 93% TEER (which he got at a private school). So i went through all the motions you incouraged set my long term goals (ie beat my brother) then my weekly goals then transfered that into a timed study scheduale incorperating down time, party time and fitness etc.

Don't get me wrong it was really hard at times. I remember not having white out in the house and absalutly loosing it for a good two hours...solid. And wanting to go to the beach sooo bad, and wanting to finish 2 bottles of cheap white at the party not just two glasses, and wanting to sleep in...for ever. But then i'd look at my long term goals. And of course i would come back to the conclusion that the pay offs of those were better then a quick swim, an epic hangover, a guilty sleep in. So on weekends i'd tell my alarm to fuck off a few times, go for a jogg and hit the study schedual with gusto knowing i was getting that little bit closer to my long term goals each day.

I kept pushing through first semester with avarage grades. It was confusing at first how come when i was following this "winning" formula i wasn't blitzing it all? were was the instant gaurentee? the pay offs ey? But then towards the end of second semester around mocks something just switched. It all seemed to start coming together. the A's began rolling in then suddenly i was the top student in two of my four TEE subjects and i was on straight A's and B's for the rest. And to be the top TEE drama student in a specialist performing arts school was unbelievable, ludicrouse, amazing but hey it was one of my goals.

To cutt a long story short i ended up topping both art TEE and specialist drama TEE at John Curtin as well as achieving the parlimentarian award for excellence across all subjects in addition to the Curriculum Councils Comendment award for being one of the three highest exam results for TEE drama in the state. But most importantly i beat my big brother with a 96.5% TEER.

So i just wanted to say cheers, and i hope you can keep making other people believe its possible because to tell the truth i truly didn't think i could achieve what i did.

Thanks again, Phoebe Phillips

Vitamin D

2011-07-27T20:37:00.000-07:00

Vitamin D is one of the essential nutrients required by the human body. Unlike most vitamins, it is one that we can manufacture on our own, given the right conditions. Despite this, vitamin D is showing up increasingly in populations as the most widespread and critical nutrient deficiency; this deficiency is linked to many diseases and disorders, costing billions of dollars each year. Our changing lifestyles, including increased indoor living and campaigns warning people to stay out of the sun have meant that most people don’t get enough vitamin D. The resulting deficiency is compounded by the consumption of modern and processed foods devoid of any vitamin D.

Vitamin D refers to two biologically inactive precursors: D3, also known as cholecalciferol (made from cholesterol), and D2, also known as ergocalciferol. Vitamin D is the only nutrient that can actually be synthesized by the human body, which technically means that it is not a vitamin. The synthesizing of vitamin D in the body can be achieved through contact with solar ultraviolet B radiation emitted by the sun. Without the presence of this solar radiation the only way to get vitamin D is through diet—hence, it is still classified as a “vitamin.”

It is becoming increasingly common to find low levels of vitamin D in Western populations. Vitamin D uptake from the sun is not affected so much by seasonal changes but by how much time people spend in the sun. People require between 70nmol/L to 100nmol/L of vitamin D and in winter, when people spend less time outdoors, it is difficult to achieve these levels. Furthermore, current sun avoidance advice combined with the dietary habits of the general populous make the situation much worse—the average level in adults is around 25nmol/L - not even half the recommended level. Populations particularly at risk are seniors and infants but also any person spending too much time inside.

In addition to vitamin D obtained through UVB exposure to the sun, this vitamin can be found in foods such as eggs, butter and fortified milk, with the highest levels found in fish. Remember, we evolved as fisher- hunter gatherers and fish used to be an essential part of our nutrition. Vitamin D can also be provided by supplements. Numerous studies have concluded that sensible sun exposure and supplementation are the most effective ways of increasing vitamin D levels.

Once in the body, vitamin D is either stored in the body’s fat adipocytes or enters the liver. The vitamin D gets broken down in the kidneys for the regulation of calcium and dozens of metabolic functions. The broken-down vitamin D then interacts with vitamin D receptors in the small intestine and on osteoblasts to regulate calcium and phosphorous metabolism. It not only assists calcium uptake in the bones but also works as an immunity modulator. It continues to be metabolised in various tissues and cells for regulating cellular proliferation and differentiation as well as in the functioning of the immune system and macrophages. In addition, circulating concentrations of the broken-down vitamin D may help increase insulin production and alter fat metabolism.
Deficiencies in vitamin D have been linked with a range of problems with the musculoskeletal system including low bone and muscle problems, as well as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, cancer and impacts on the immune system, Parkinson’s Disease, asthma, pain, and pre eclampsia.

Low levels of vitamin D can reduce the amount of calcium uptake in the bones which, over time, can lead to a loss in bone density. Pregnant women with vitamin D deficiency have been found to give birth to children who are at greater risk of being unable to store calcium in their bones, reducing their bone density and increasing the risk of bone fractures. In addition, these children experience higher level of dental caries. Low vitamin D in children will prevent them from reaching their bone mineral density and therefore increase their risk of osteoporosis and fracture later in life. In a study of 206 pregnant women during their second trimester, researchers reported that only 10.5% of the women had adequate levels of vitamin D.

In a study of 23,423 would-be first time mothers, the risk of pre-eclampsia was 27% lower in women who consumed vitamin D supplements with daily doses of 10 to 15 micrograms, compared to women who did not take supplements. Pre-eclampsia, affecting 2% to 3% of all pregnancies is estimated to be responsible for about 60,000 deaths each year worldwide.

Vitamin D deficiency is inversely related to a range of diseases, including respiratory infections such as influenza. In support of these findings, clinical trials have shown that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection. Vitamin D (in particular, D3) stimulates neutrophils, monocytes (natural killer cells) and the epithelial cells lining the lungs and protecting them from infection. So come winter-time and flu season get out and get a bit more sun along with some cod liver oil.

Studies have indicated that vitamin D supplementation may reduce the risk and difficulties associated with autoimmune disorders. In particular, there is strong evidence that vitamin D reduces the risk of multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes mellitus, and weaker evidence for rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, systematic lupus and erythematosusstar. There is no doubt about the link between vitamin D shortage and multiple sclerosis. There is a 41% decrease in MS risk for every 50 nanomoles per liter increase in 1,25-hydroxyvitamin in the blood. Vitamin D deficiency also predisposes to insulin resistance and pancreatic beta cell dysfunction. In a study of 10,366 Finnish children those given 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day throughout the first year of life experienced a 78% reduced risk of type 1 diabetes.

Over time, vitamin D deficiency leads to osteopenia, precipitates and exacerbates osteoporosis, which causes the painful bone disease osteomalacia and leads to increased muscle weakness. Notably, vitamin D deficiency is also associated with an increased risk of falling and fractures. Frail older people confined to institutions may sustain fewer hip fractures if given vitamin D. A study of 302 women (average age 77.2) living in Perth, Australia found after 12 months of supplementation significantly more falls in the placebo group than in the vitamin D2 group (62.9% versus 53%, respectively). A study of 124 nursing home residents taking a daily vitamin D supplement of 800IU for five months reduced the number of falls among nursing home-dwelling elderly people by 70%. Lower blood concentrations of vitamin D increase the likelihood of hip fracture among menopausal women by up to 70%.

Numerous studies have shown that vitamin D deficiency is strongly associated with an increased risk in developing cardiovascular disease. Epidemiological studies report that the rates of coronary heart disease, higher rates of diabetes, hypertension and elevated LDL cholesterol, are strongly correlated with decreased vitamin D status. Vitamin D appears to be necessary to maintain adequate apolipoprotein A-I concentrations, the main component of HDL (good) cholesterol.
Vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of “all-cause mortality” and is associated with a 122% increase in the risk of “cardiovascular mortality” compared to the highest average Vitamin D levels. Researchers also found that low levels were linked to higher levels of inflammation markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are important markers for chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease (These inflammation markers are a much better predictor of cardiovascular disease than cholesterol levels).

Deficient or insufficient vitamin D levels have been documented in patients with myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, and peripheral arterial disease. A study of 13,331 initially healthy men and women found that low levels of vitamin D may increase the risk of death from all causes by 26% when the lowest and highest average vitamin D levels were compared. In an examination of 1,739 participants in one study, low levels of vitamin D were associated with a 62% increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack, heart failure or stroke. The study also found that 28% of subjects had blood levels lower than 15 nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL). Only 10% of the participants had levels in the optimal range above 30 ng/mL.

Low vitamin D levels are linked with the formation of atherosclerosis. When researchers exposed macrophage cells (white blood cells) with and without vitamin D, they found that vitamin D inhibits the uptake of cholesterol by the macrophage cells. When people are deficient in vitamin D, the macrophage cells take in more cholesterol, and they can't get rid of it. The macrophages get clogged with cholesterol and become foam cells, which are one of the earliest markers of atherosclerosis. Macrophage activation is higher in people with diseases such as diabetes, and when found in combination with low vitamin D levels, the macrophages become loaded with cholesterol and eventually stiffen blood vessels and block blood flow.

A number of studies have also shown a link between low vitamin D and diabetes and metabolic syndrome. In a study of 15,088 subjects Vitamin D levels were inversely associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia. Other cross-sectional studies have confirmed the links between vitamin D deficiency and both hypertension and diabetes. One study reported that a daily intake of 800 IU of vitamin D compared with a daily intake of less than 400 IU of vitamin D reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by one-third. A number of studies have shown a close link between vitamin D deficiency and metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D appears to be necessary to maintain adequate apolipoprotein A-I concentrations, the main component of HDL (good) cholesterol. One study found similar results with the lowest levels of vitamin D being associated with a 31% prevalence of metabolic syndrome, compared to only 10% for people with the highest average levels. The results also showed that vitamin D blood levels were associated with HDL cholesterol levels. Each increase of 10 ng/mL in 25(OH)D was associated with an increase of 3.8 to 4.2 mg/dL in HDL-C. An increase of just 1 mg/dL increment in HDL-C is associated with a 4% to 6% reduction in coronary heart disease risk.

There is now overwhelming evidence that supports increased vitamin D to lower the risk of developing and dying of prostate, breast, colon, ovarian, esophageal, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a variety of other lethal cancers. In a 10-year study of 1,179 healthy, postmenopausal women, researchers found that those taking large amounts of vitamin D3 had a 60% or higher chance of not getting cancer compared to their peers. In a review of data from 177 countries, extrapolation of results showed that as many as 50% of breast and colon cancer cases could be prevented by increasing vitamin D intake. According to the study, the median adult intake of vitamin D in the US is only 230 IU per day, versus the researchers' recommended 2000 IU per day. For every increase of 25 nmol/L in people’s blood, there was a 34% cancer risk reduction, with the most common cancers being those of the lung, colon and pancreas.

Vitamin D can protect women with pale skin from breast cancer and it can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer especially in young men. In fact vitamin D appears to reduce the risk of other cancers as well such as colon-, prostate-, Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and lung cancer. A recent study of vitamin D intakes found increased intakes of the vitamin were associated with a 24% reduction in the risk of developing estrogen and progesterone positive breast tumours.

One explanation for cancers being reduced by vitamin D is vitamin D receptors (VDR). These are found in the tissues of the body and help maintain cellular growth and prevent cells from becoming malignant. Studies on both colon cancer cells and healthy prostate cells have demonstrated protective effects of vitamin D at a cellular level.

Vitamin D deficiency is widespread in developed countries such as the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. US studies have found vitamin D deficiency is present in approximately 30% to 60% of the general population. Increasing vitamin D levels just a small amount would outweigh the benefits of most of the medication people take for chronic illness including medication taken for cardiovascular disease.

Considering the evidence, there is an overwhelming agreement between vitamin D researchers that current recommendations of 200 IU per day for children and adults up to 50 years of age for vitamin D need to be increased to 800 IU to 1000 IU vitamin D3. Numerous studies have shown supplementation to be effective in raising blood levels of Vitamin D levels with no evidence of intoxication reported in either the short- or long-term trial.

Sensible sun exposure (or UVB irradiation) along with supplements are required to satisfy the body's vitamin D requirement. To achieve adequate levels of vitamin D we need to get one to two hours of sensible sun exposure a day. This should be during the morning or late afternoon. While it is prudent to avoid too much sun it is important to remember that the costs of vitamin D deficiency far outweigh the cost of skin cancer and some sun may also be necessary to reduce skin cancers. Remember, we did evolve in the sun but maybe not the hot midday sun, especially for those with fair skin.

Obesity causes cancer

2011-07-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, more than 100,000 cancer cases in the U.S. are linked to excess body fat - most of them are preventable. Obesity accounts from between around 50 to10 % of various types of cancer.

49% of endometrial cancers (20700 cases per year)
35% of esophageal cancers (5800 cases per year)
28% of pancreatic cancers ( 11900 cases per year)
24% of kidney cancers ( 13900 cases per year)
21% of gallbladder cancers (2000 cases per year)
17% of breast cancers (33000 cases per year)
9% of colorectal cancers (13200 cases per year)

Fat cells used to be thought of as inert stores of calories. We now know that fat is a complex and multifaceted organ system. Recent theory suggests that we put on increased weight over winter as a part of our immune system response to assist in the protection against bacteria and viruses. Short term inflammation is essential for our response to toxic invaders. However, in obese people fat becomes a major producer of inflammatory and chronic inflammation is closely linked with most (if not all ) forms of chronic illness including cancer. Additionally, in obese people, the adipose cells have the incredible capacity to increase their diameter 10- to 15- fold. The enlarged adipose size results in greater production of regulatory factors and unbalances the normal metabolic pathways, resulting in systemic chronic inflammation.

Recent research has found that infiltration of macrophages (white blood cells which are part of the immune system) in subcutaneous adipose tissue is greatly increased in obese people by up to 50% of cell content compared to 10% in lean subjects. The small number of macrophages in lean subjects are also category M2 whereas the recruited macrophages in obese persons are of category M1. M1 are responsible for the production of pro inflammatory cytokines (messengers) such as Interleukin 6 (IL6), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TFNα) and monocyte-chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). All of which have been linked with increased risk of cancer and have shown to be responsible for the activation of factors know to be active in several tumour types in humans.

Recent research has also demonstrated a close a link between inflammation and tumour growth. Including studies showing increased weight gain significantly associated with increased death rates for all cancers. Other studies have also demonstrated that dietary and genetic obesity strongly enhances the development of cancers in laboratory animals.

The research is now overwhelming. Obesity is a major and avoidable cause of many cancers.

Also check out my blog on What is cancer

milk and calcium myths

2011-07-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Milk Myths

I grew up in the 1960s, when every kid in Australia was given a free bottle of milk just before morning tea at school. I thought it was great. Now, 50 years on, maybe it was a big mistake. Today I see many people with allergies and reactions to milk; chronic illness related to milk is skyrocketing. Even the smallest amount of milk now causes me to have lots of mucus. Despite advertising claims, cow’s milk, as we know it, is not a healthy drink. Not only is it not a great source of calcium for bones but also there is mounting scientific evidence that consuming processed dairy has negative health consequences from colic in kids to breast cancer.

Milk is not the food it used to be. It is so highly processed that it no longer resembles the milk our ancestors consumed thousands of years ago. Today a cow (a Friesian cow) gives 25 litres per day compared to just a few litres daily that cows produced centuries ago. Modern farming practices have extended the milking period to 305 days per year (1). Pasteurization was necessary 100 years ago due to poor hygiene but today it destroys the enzymes that make milk easy to digest, particularly for infants. All milk, including human milk, comes with a rich array of nutrients, including 20 or more enzymes to help digest itself—such as lactase to digest lactose. Homogenisation forces the particles of fat through a series of sieves to mix it with water, just so cream does not settle on top. It then becomes difficult for the body to determine whether it is fat or water. Normally the two don’t go together.

Modern milk has been sold to millions of people around the world based on its supposed benefits in building healthy bones. The research shows that milk has, at best, questionable benefits for preventing osteoporosis and bone fractures and is in fact linked with many forms of chronic illness including cancer, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes type 1, Parkinson’s disease, gut disorders and allergies.

Calcium for bones?

Findings from long-term studies have cast doubt on the value of consuming the large amounts of dairy and calcium currently recommended. In particular, high calcium intake does not actually appear to lower a person’s risk for osteoporosis (2). There is evidence that the recommended levels in the West are too high, with countries such as India, Japan and Peru having an average daily calcium intake around 300 milligrams (mg) per day, less than half that in the Western world, and no increase in the incidence of bone fractures (3). If increased dairy consumption leads to reduced osteoporosis and fracture rates, then multi-country epidemiologic studies would show that countries with the highest dairy consumption, such as Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and U.K., would have the lowest osteoporosis and fracture rates yet this is not the case. Although the consumption of dairy products in the United States is among the highest in the world, osteoporosis and fracture rates are simultaneously high (4,5).

Other areas of research also support this finding. A comprehensive literature review found that of 57 evidence-based scientific studies of dairy foods’ effects on bone health, “53% were not significant, 42% were favourable and 5% were unfavourable. Of 21 stronger-evidence studies, 57% were not significant, 29% were favourable and 14% were unfavourable” (6). In other words, despite the huge amount of money the dairy industry invests in research, there are many studies showing that milk has no benefit and that it has potentially negative effects.

In one study, a low intake of calcium (less than one glass of milk daily) was not associated with a significantly increased risk of any fracture, osteoporotic fracture or hip fracture and no significant relationship was observed by age for low milk intake and hip fracture risk (7). There was also no difference in risk of fracture or osteoporosis between men and women. In the Harvard Nurses’ Study of 77,761 mostly white women aged 34-59 who were followed over a 12-year period, those who drank little or no milk compared to the high milk drinkers (three glasses or more) had no reduction in risk of hip or arm fracture (8). The bottom line is that the studies do not support what we are constantly told by the dairy industry, media, governments and dieticians. So why do we keep getting told this message? If it was so clear cut to warrant a health message from the government you would expect all the research to support it. Not only is this not the case but there is also plenty of research to show the complete opposite.

It is simplistic to think that the calcium in our diet goes straight to our bones. The “calcium balance” is where the calcium intake from food is compared to the amount of calcium lost through excretion and unabsorbed mineral in sweat, faeces and urine. The remaining amount, whether positive or negative, is the calcium balance (9). If a person’s calcium balance is positive, there is an excess of calcium in the body, a proportion of which goes directly to increasing bone mineral density (10). If, however, a person’s balance is negative, more calcium is lost than is consumed, and therefore calcium from bone mineral must be reabsorbed into the bloodstream to provide the difference (10). This causes a lowering of bone mineral density and therefore is a factor in the onset of osteoporosis and fracture risk in later life 10. The amount of calcium that is absorbed and retained in the body from dairy products is about 30% of the total calcium consumed (9).

A number of factors help explain this discrepancy. First, calcium absorption is inversely related to the amount of calcium consumed in the diet, with low levels of calcium intake resulting in the most efficient absorption rates (11). This phenomenon may be partly responsible for the fact that many non-dairy-consuming societies around the world have few adverse health effects (such as osteoporosis and fracture) even with relatively low calcium intake (12).

Dairy products contain significant levels of protein, fat (in cheese, cream, butter and full cream products), sugar (in flavoured milks and yoghurts), sodium and phosphorous, all of which reduce the bioavailability of the calcium it contains. The presence of proteins has been demonstrated to have a negative influence on calcium absorption. Protein in milk causes an increase in urinary calcium excretion (13). Some dairy products, especially processed cheeses, clearly increase the urinary excretion of calcium as a result of their increased sodium, sulfur-containing amino acid, and phosphorus content (14). Interestingly, high-fat dairy products such as cheese, butter, chocolate and ice cream have also been found to be acid-forming foods (like protein and alcohol) (15,16), and so the question is raised: how effective are dairy products at ensuring bone health and are there other, more effectual dietary alternatives?

What is good for the bone

While protein has a negative effect on calcium availability, magnesium and potassium, which are found in high concentrations in plants we eat as food, have been recognized as having a largely positive influence (17). These minerals appear to decrease the rate of bone attrition and urinary excretion of calcium from the body when present in moderate quantities. Milk has a poor calcium-to-magnesium ratio and contains low concentrations of potassium, while plant sources have a much higher concentration. Potassium appears to buffer the effects of acidic foods by protecting against calcium loss from the renal acid load of protein (6).

Vitamin D, derived primarily from sunlight, certain oils (including cod liver oil) and fortified foods (including dairy products), is the major nutritional factor affecting calcium absorption (4). Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that inadequate vitamin D levels result in impaired calcium absorption in the body (4,9). The role of vitamin D in milk is also found to significantly lower the risk of fracture (5). Many people in Western populations are now recognised as being deficient in vitamin D (see my earlier article on the topic).

The adequacy of non-dairy centred diets to support bone health has been demonstrated by a recent study conducted in Spain among adolescent males. It reported that a Mediterranean-type intervention diet based on fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish and legumes provided the same amount of dietary calcium as the subject’s usual (baseline) diet, although the food sources of that calcium varied significantly. The intervention diet also resulted in a significant increase in calcium absorption and retention, while significantly reducing the amount of calcium excreted in urine. This may be partially attributed to the lowered potential renal acid load of the diet, particularly from a high intake of fruit and vegetables (19,20). Therefore, the study concludes, the adoption of a Mediterranean-style diet low in dairy can assist in maximising peak bone mass and preventing osteoporosis without milk or other dairy products (21).

Perhaps the most important part of the bone mass equation is a healthy mixture of minerals from unprocessed plant foods and physical activity, particularly weight-bearing exercises (22,6).
In response to learning these facts about milk, many people ask me, “But where can we get our calcium?” No other animal on the planet experiences bone problems at the rates humans do. Most other animals get calcium from their normal, often vegetarian diet. Our primate cousins, even those such as the gorilla which are much heavier and stronger than us, get all the calcium they need from unprocessed plant foods and cows get theirs from grass and have an excess of calcium.

So where should we be getting our calcium?

References

1. Maruyama et al. 2010
2. Papadimitropoulos et al. 2002
3. Babbar et al. 2006
4. Lanou et al. 2005
5. Feskanich et al. 2003
6. Weinsier and Krumdieck 2000
7. Kanis et al. 2005
8. Roba 2005
9. Allen 1982
10. Atkinson et al. 2008
11. Gallagher et al. 1979
12. Jackson et al. 2001
13. Beresteijn et al. 1990
14. Heaney et al. 1982
15. Alexy et al. 2008
16. Buclin et al. 2001
17. Tucker et al. 1999
18. Allen 1982
19. New 2003
20. Remer 2000
21. Seiquer et al. 2008
22. Black et al. 2002

what makes a good workplace wellness program

2011-07-06T16:05:00.000-07:00

Organizing and running a WW program is not just about getting a speaker (like me) into motivate people for a day or two. They need real long term planning. Unfortunately the majority of WW programs that companies invest in are half-baked with little or no valid research to suggest that they will work. In this blog I have presented some guidelines from my research to help you get started. They need to be comprehensive, well planned and well thought out. From a survey of 89 organisations in Missouri private sector worksites with 250 or more employees that offered a worksite health promotion program, it was concluded that “the number of programs offered does not appear to be as important as depth of level of intervention. Have a smaller but more concentrated program rather than trying to run lots of smaller projects.

To facilitate long term behaviour change and achievement of organizational goals, it was recommended that programs should attempt to include the following four levels of intervention:
• I) Communication/Awareness.
• II) Screening/Assessment
• III) Education/Lifestyle Programs
• IV) Behaviour Change Support Systems

In support of this the Glaxo Wellcome corporation identified critical success factors for the success of their Health and Wellness program as
• Senior management support
• Contracting
• Focus
• Longitudinal programming
• Stages of readiness for change model
• Integration with other health programs
• Integrated data analysis
• Feedback/continuous improvement
• Employee surveys
• Continuous marketing

A 12 month study to determine the effectiveness of workplace stress management programs was carried out among five hundred and one participants. Full intervention participants showed a more rapid reduction in negative responses to stress than did participants from the other groups. Full-intervention subjects also reported fewer days of illness than subjects in the other groups. These results indicated that a work-site program that focuses on a complete program can significantly reduce illness and healthcare utilization.

Dr Dingle in the media

2011-06-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

Since 1988 Dr Peter Dingle has been a regular in the Australian media as a researcher and presenter in health and environmental issues. Peter Dingle has been a regular on current affairs programs such as Today Tonight, ACA and ABC programs like “Can we help” as well as being featured on 4 corners and the 7.30 report. Dr Peter Dingle has made so guest appearances on Sunrise, George Negus, Insight and many other programs.

Peter Dingle started out his television presentation on a channel 9 program called Grant and Cameron in 1992 where Dr Dingle appeared as a fortnightly environmental commentator on daytime TV. Most recently, Dr Dingle co presented in the award winning 7 week TV series shown on SBS and now featured around the world “Is your home killing you”.

Dr Peter Dingle has been a regular on New Zealand (TV3) TV on a program called “What’s in your food” and most recently he himself has been part of a 2 part Australian Story covered on ABC.

Dr Peter Dingle is a regular on Australian radio, news and talkback topics, and has presented a weekly segment on health research for radio programs on 94.5, 96 FM, 6PR, ABC 720.He has had some extended segments on various ABC radio programs over the years from Launceston to the Sunshine Coast and Geraldton and included weekly programs with Verity James and Peter Holland.

Dr Dingle had a 90 minute radio program called Dr D and the free radicals for 3 years at Fremantle radio until 2003. Dr Dingle is reported weekly in the national media speaking on the latest research topics of health and the environment and is seen as one of Australia’s leading public health advocates on sustainable health. As a result, Dr Dingle has been known to do more than a dozen interviews for the media in one week.

Dr Dingle has written a monthly article, based on health research topics for NOVA magazine for the past 5 years with around 300,000 readership. Dr Dingle also had a regular segment in the Western Australian paper, Mind Body Spirit section for a number of years. Dr Dingle has written dozens of articles for home, health and business magazines and has been quoted in hundreds of magazine articles around the country.

Dr Dingle’s passion, excitement and gift for sharing information exactly as it is, has made him a sought after authority on any topics of his research around health and the environment. His enthusiasm is contagious and his audience of every day ordinary Australian families continue to grow.

Dr Dingle the Public Health Advocate

2011-06-08T18:32:00.000-07:00

Since 1988, Dr Peter Dingle has represented the best interests of Australian people everywhere in his role as a public health advocate for dozens of health and environmental campaigns. Dr Dingle’s involvement is always built on evidence based research in combination with good sense, sustainability and best health practice. Dr Dingle strongly believes that if you don’t stand up for what you know is right, then you are just as much a part of the problem.

Dr Dingle strives to bring an informed and educated voice to open public discussions on health and medical topics based on the hundreds of hours he spends researching topics. His primary goal is to educate the general public with the facts on health and wellbeing to improve their awareness, leading to better quality of life through making well informed choices. In this same capacity, Dr Dingle regularly assists Australian families everywhere who are faced with household contamination issues, increased sensory sensitivity, chemical, pesticide, lead and Asbestos exposure, at no cost or benefit to himself or others, to pursue their best course of action, with his extensive knowledge in these areas.

After completing his honours degree in pesticides and health in 1988 Dr Dingle took on the position as president of Parents for Safe Food and Safe Food Consumers Association. Along with his role as president Dr Dingle conducted dozens of public talks on food additives and pesticides. Since then Dr Dingle has campaigned ever since and has written hundreds of articles and been quoted in the press even more times.

Because of his role in pesticide research and Dr Dingle’s strong public advocacy role he was appointed as Director of the National Registration Authority for Pesticides and Veterinary Chemicals (now the VCPMA) for 6 years to represent the public.

In 1988 Dr Dingle was also campaigning over toxic lead issues and was involved as a speaker in a number of public forums. Safe levels of lead in children’s blood have gone down from 30ug/dl in 1988, to 25 then 10 then more recently to 5 ug/dl. The levels he was ageing for in 1988. More recently he has been involved in the lead contamination campaign in Esperance including helping the residents of Esperance with information on decontaminating their homes of lead. More recently, Dr Dingle has been involved with the ongoing lead issue and transfer of lead through Fremantle and the surrounding suburbs.
Dr Dingle was involved in campaigning against various toxic waste sights in WA including the Bellevue toxic waste sight that exploded one night in 2001. He was an invited member of the Health Surveillance Register For the Bellevue Chemical Fire to represent public interests.

Dr Peter Dingle represented the public at Alcoa Wagerup refinery for almost 2 years in their battle over emissions from the Wagerup plant. Because of his independence, he was appointed Scientific Advisor to the parliamentary committee on Emissions from the Alcoa Wagerup refinery.

Dr Dingle has campaigned about the overuse of toxic chemicals in homes for the last 20 years as well as toxic chemicals in cosmetic and personal care products. Dr Dingle is one of the original researchers in this area in Australia, and is recognised nationally and internationally for his work even today. He has written 2 books on these topics which have sold thousands of copies and changed many lives. His passion for good health has inspired a whole generation of people more conscious of the toxins in their homes, and a great number of Dr Dingle’s students have gone on to work in this area and make further advancements.

Dr Dingle was extensively involved in the anti-smoking lobby, which included some of his research. Along with Dr Dingle 2 of his honours students did work on tobacco smoke monitoring and public perceptions to tobacco smoke. As a result of his expertise and interest in this area Dr Dingle was a director on the Australian Council on Smoking and Health.

In 1999 Dr Dingle became a director of the Amanda Young Foundation to help raise kids awareness of meningitis and help develop their health and leadership skills. Amanda Young was one of Dr Dingle’s first year students who was inspired by some of his lectures, so Amada’s parents asked Dr Dingle to be a part of the board. Dr Dingle was an active member on the board for around 5 years as well as being active in organising and participating in the Youth camps over that period.

Dr Dingle has been involved with the Mindd (Metabolic, Immunologic, Neurologic, Digestive, Developmental) Foundation in NSW for the past 5 years to highlight the role of environmental contaminants, vaccines and poor diet in diseases such as ADHD and autism. Dr Dingle has also campaigned against the overuse of drugs to treat ADHD when there are many environmental and nutritional factors associated with ADHD that get ignored by the medical industry.

Dr Dingle has campaigned for truth in health, dispelling many of the dietary myths around milk, cereal, processed foods and salt. From 2004 to 2006 Dr Dingle ran a campaign on the negative effects of processed breakfast foods and how it significantly contributes to the chronic health crisis in children and adults. A lot of this is written in his book “My Dog Eats Better than your Kids”.

In 2004 and 2005 Dr Dingle also ran a campaign against soft drinks. Dr Dingle published his report and spoke many times to the media to raise public awareness over the issue. This included public seminars pointed at canteen health and junk food and soft drinks sold in schools. Recently the American Paediatric Association has published a report criticising soft drinks and energy drinks.

Dr Dingle has also been arguing for nearly 2 decades now about the necessary use of nutritional supplements. Recently, in 2011, the American Paediatric Association has come out with a position to say that supplements can help with many forms of chronic illness
In 2009 Dr Dingle raised the issue of toxic chemicals used in sunscreen and how they may actually be contributing to the problem. Associated with this is the fact that many Australians are now not getting enough vitamin D from the sun. In 2009 Dr Dingle wrote a number articles published in both Australian and overseas health newsletters, showing that simple things such as lack of sunlight, low omega 3 levels are major contributing factors to the development and progression of Multiple Sclerosis.

Dr Dingle has recently led a 3 year study on cholesterol lowering medication, which has shown that the statin drugs used to lower cholesterol has little to no benefit on saving lives. This research lead to the publication of his eighth book “The Great Cholesterol Deception” with around 500 references. In his book and the articles he has written in the popular press he shows that it lowers cholesterol but does not lower the risk of heart attack or stroke by more than 1% and cost billions of dollars a year in Australia alone. Once again, Dr Dingle has been severely rebuked for presenting the facts on cholesterol. Yet all he is doing is reporting on what shows up in the scientific journals. In a continuation of this Dr Dingle recently sent a copy of his book to all the board members of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, the government organisation that sponsors drug costs in Australia.

Lately Dr Dingle has voiced his disapproval and concern around the many independent public organisations for health which exist, such as the National Heart Foundation, Diabetes Australia and many more, who receive large amounts of funding from the pharmaceutical industry, and who rarely if ever, bring to attention of the public that there are many nutritional or lifestyle factors that contribute to the disease or can be used to reverse the illness.

Dr Dingle is passionate about truth and is enthusiastic about encouraging every individual to take responsibility for their own health, by remaining informed, reaching out beyond the existing health paradigms, for sustainable and preventative health solutions, to seek the truth and not just accept the medical and health dogma, because the people who tell you are so called professionals.

In recent times some of the media have chosen to portray Dr Dingle as a rebel without a cause, or a conscientious objector, we feel it is a more accurate representation of the facts to say Dr Peter Dingle is a Public Advocate for health and Environmental Issues in Australia and that Dr Dingle feels a strong ethical responsibility to look out for those in our communities who are not able to look after their own interests, as well as keeping large Industry and Government accountable for their actions.

In 2001 Dr Dingle won Murdoch Universities coveted Vice Chancellor’s Award for outstanding community service. In 2003, Dr D was a co founder in the award winning Living Smart Program which won the WA adult education award in 2003 and the Eureka Award in 2004. In 2004 he was recognised with special commendation in the WA Environmental Awards and Greenhouses won the best education program and in the same year won the Conscious Living, Nova Communicators award for his work with the public.

Dr Dingle has presented close to 1000 talks free to community groups over the years on community related health issues especially family and children’s health. As a result of all his work Dr Dingle has helped many thousands of people each year. In 2010 Dr Dingle could be seen or heard on the media a dozen times a week until some false charges could be trumped up against him. Unfortunately the concerted attach on Dr Peter Dingle by the media and its vested interests stopped Dr Dingle’s access to many parts of the media. Despite absolutely no negative finding against him at a time when he was also investigate by 4 different authorities at the same time. Any wonder why certain groups with strong vested intersts are out to get him when you consider what Peter stands for.

Some of the topics of research Dr Dingle has carried out includes
Research reports
Breakfast foods
Yoghurt and probiotics
Food labelling
Soft Drinks
Research students Thesis topic on
Cholesterol
Allergies and asthma
Food labelling
Breakfast foods
Grain consumption and breakfast foods
Nutritional qualities of take home dinners
Allergy and probiotics
Pesticides and health
Vaccinations
Developing health lifestyle programs (including living smart and seniors smart with my PhD students)
Healthy ageing (PhD)
Developing a health, environment and lifestyle program (PhD)
Effect of indoor air quality on causes and symptoms of asthma (PhD)

Public Essays on nutritional and environmental toxicology including
Vitamin D
Milk the poison
Milk and calcium
Salt
Allergies and probiotics
Life expectancy and the medical profession
Meat
Mould
Sick homes and toxic chemicals
Probiotics
Cholesterol is good for you
Statin drugs don’t work
Medical research bias
Corrupt drug companies
Chocolate
Kids chemicals and cancer
Breakfast junk foods
Multiple Sclerosis, a preventable illness
Vitamin D, we’re not getting enough
Mobile phones and non-ionising radiation
Organic food
Slow eating

Books
Dr Dingle currently has 8 books in print including
The DEAL for Happier Healthier Smarter Kids
My Dog Eats Better Than Your Kids
The 6 Week Healthy Eating Planner
The Great Cholesterol Deception

For information on Peter Dingle’s qualifications go to http://drpeterdingle.blogspot.com/2011/05/dr-peter-dingle-qualifications.html

Soft drinks - hard facts

2011-06-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Soft drinks are a noxious cocktail of substances that play havoc with your body. They‘re highly acidic, contain artificial colours and flavourings and high levels of sugar or artificial sweeteners. Over the next 10 years you are going to read a lot more literature on the toxic effects these drinks have on our kids.

Most (if not all) soft drinks have huge amounts of sugar (such as 10 or more teaspoons per can) that creates a sugar rush into the blood, in the same way as other high GI foods. The sugar is quickly converted to body fat. If it stays in the blood, it causes some free radical damage. The general guidelines for sugar consumption for a 70-kilogram teenager are no more than 10 – 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. One average can of soft drink will exceed that amount. For younger and smaller children the amount of sugar should be substantially less.

Recent research has shown that the high acidity of soft drinks – which generally have a pH (acidity scale) of around 2.8 – is a major factor in tooth decay, literally dissolving the enamel from the teeth. Moderate drinkers had a 200 per cent increase in dental problems while heavy soft drinkers were had a 500 per cent increase in dental caries. This was solely the effect of the acid on the teeth, without even considering the impact of the sugar content.
The high phosphate content of soft drinks increases their acidity and also binds with important macro and micro minerals such as iron and zinc; so, even if you eat any nutritious food with a soft drink, you’ll lose these important minerals. This mineral leaching process is further compounded by the high acidity, which causes minerals to be drawn from the bones, as the body to works to stabilise the acidity and keep the blood acid level constant. This can lead to serious depletion of bone calcium.

The table below shows the results from one of my student’s analysis of the pH and ingredients of many common soft drinks.

Now the medical solution to this problem is to come up with a drug (which has adverse side effects) to reduce the calcium loss from the bone. My solution is to eat more vegetables and to reduce the intake of soft drinks. (For more information on soft drinks, keep an eye out for my next book, “Soft Drinks - Hard Facts”).

• Drink less soft drinks;
* Drink more water;
* A little tea is okay, but remember a strong cup of tea can contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Tea is full of antioxidants, even tea with milk, but don’t make it too strong.
• Coffee is full of stimulants that trigger of the production of dopamine then adrenaline and noradrenaline. That is, it triggers a mini stress response. A little coffee is fine, but remember, it’s a stimulant and takes about six hours for half of it to be excreted from your body, so don’t have it late in the day.

Tea

A study published in February, 2004 showed that when heavy smokers drank four cups of green tea per day for four months there was a significant decrease in a urinary marker of DNA damage (Hakim 2004). Green tea might also be beneficial for those undergoing conventional treatment for cancer, although that is far from proven.

Hakim IA, Harris RB, Chow HH, Dean M, Brown S, Ali IU. Effect of a 4-month tea intervention on oxidative DNA damage among heavy smokers: role of glutathione S-transferase genotypes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004;13:242-9.