Living Well In Saratoga Springs NY: Saratoga's Holistic Health Forum Blog

Lifestyle and Food: Powerful "Drugs" for Cancer Prevention and Health

2012-05-25T19:53:32Z

By Sarah A LoBisco, ND

Here's the continuation of my homepage blog on the power of Nurture over Nature!

Curcumin for Cancer Prevention & Cardiovascular Health
If America doesn't start spicing up soon, we are losing out on our health!

Including Curcumin in our diet will have a positive effect on how our genes affect our health. Specifically, this Indian spice works at the cellular level by regulating signals related to inflammation and cellular programming for death (AKA CANCER CELLS)!

Curcumin seems to down-regulate expression of Stat3 and phospho-Stat3 proteins, as well as genes that encode anti-apoptotic signals. In other words, it inhibits cellular signals that under ordinary circumstances prevent malignant cells from going into apoptosis. It also suppresses the binding of NF-KB, a strong inflammatory signal, in two of the three peripheral blood samples. Dr. Zhang said the current data rightfully raise hope that curcumin could play a role in treatment of CTCL, Sezary syndrome, and other hematologic malignancies.
Researchers at the Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, Germany, believe they have discovered mechanisms by which turmeric exerts its cholesterol-lowering effect. Norbert Nass, MD, and his team looked at the impact of curcumin at doses ranging from 2-50 micromoles on gene expression in human hepatic cells. They found that once the dose exceeds 10 micromoles, curcumin exposure induces an up to seven-fold increase in expression of LDL-receptor mRNA, which, from a functional viewpoint, means a marked increase in hepatic uptake of LDL. The greater the hepatic uptake, the lower the circulating levels of LDL will be, thus reducing potential for atherosclerotic buildup.

Source: Peschel D, Koerting R, Nass N. J Nutr Biochem. 2007; 18 (2): 113-119.
Excerpted from Holistic Primary Care: A Golden Wonder: Turmeric Compounds Trigger Apoptosis in Lymphoma, Lower LDL Cholesterol. By Erik L. Goldman | Editor-in-Chief - Vol. 8, No. 1. Spring, 2007

Ginger and Prostate Cancer (Br J of Nutriton)

Another spice with cancer-punch-out- power:

It is appreciated far and wide that increased and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is linked with noteworthy anticancer benefits. Extensively consumed as a spice in foods and beverages worldwide, ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) is an excellent source of several bioactive phenolics, including non-volatile pungent compounds such as gingerols, paradols, shogaols and gingerones. Ginger has been known to display anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiproliferative activities, indicating its promising role as a chemopreventive agent. Here, we show that whole ginger extract (GE) exerts significant growth-inhibitory and death-inductory effects in a spectrum of prostate cancer cells. Comprehensive studies have confirmed that GE perturbed cell-cycle progression, impaired reproductive capacity, modulated cell-cycle and apoptosis regulatory molecules and induced a caspase-driven, mitochondrially mediated apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. Remarkably, daily oral feeding of 100 mg/kg body weight of GE inhibited growth and progression of PC-3 xenografts by approximately 56 % in nude mice, as shown by measurements of tumour volume. Tumour tissue from GE-treated mice showed reduced proliferation index and widespread apoptosis compared with controls, as determined by immunoblotting and immunohistochemical methods. Most importantly, GE did not exert any detectable toxicity in normal, rapidly dividing tissues such as gut and bone marrow. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activity of whole GE for the management of prostate cancer.

Source: Karna P, Chagani S, Gundala SR, Rida PC, Asif G, Sharma V, Gupta MV, Aneja R. Benefits of whole ginger extract in prostate cancer (abstract). Br J Nutr. 2012 Feb;107(4):473-84. Epub 2011 Aug 18. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21849094

Death by Skin
Showing how our choices in beauty affect our risk for diseases:

Recent research found higher concentrations of parabens in the upper quadrants of the breast and axillary area, where antiperspirants are usually applied, suggesting they may contribute to the development of breast cancer. One or more paraben esters were detected in 99 percent of the tissue samples collected from mastectomies. In 60 percent of the samples, all five paraben esters were present
Overall, topical application of personal care products containing parabens appear to be the greatest source of exposure to these estrogen-mimicking chemicals, far surpassing the risk of the aluminum in antiperspirants
Aluminum chloride--the active ingredient in antiperspirants--has been found to act similarly to the way oncogenes work to provide molecular transformations in cancer cells. Like parabens, aluminum salts also mimic estrogen, and bioaccumulate in breast tissue, which can raise your breast cancer risk
Despite the fact that parabens are used in such a wide variety of products, their safety is primarily based on a rat study from 1956, as modern toxicology studies are lacking, and not a single study on the chemicals' carcinogenity follow acceptable regulatory standard carcinogenity study protocols, according to a recent review
Estrogens, whether synthetic or natural are a primary risk factor for breast cancer. Approximately 20 different studies have established that parabens have estrogenic activity, which makes them relevant when it comes to estrogen-sensitive cancers. A common excuse used to defend the absence of toxicological studies is that parabens are weak in terms of potency. For example, propylparaben and butylparaben are approximately 30,000 and 10,000 less potent than estradiol, respectively.

"However, estradiol occurs in breast tissue in the pictogram per gram of tissue range... but the results reported by Barr et.al. [the featured study] show tissue concentrations of parabens, in the worst cases, in the microgram per gram of breast tissue range, which is one million-fold higher than that of estradiol. Clearly, the magnitude of exposure would seem to more than compensate for the reduction in potency," Harvey and Everett write.

But that's not all. A 2011 study reported that methylparaben promotes cell cycling and makes human breast cells more resistant to apoptosis, which, according to the authors can provide the molecular basis for malignant tumor proliferation. Harvey and Everett also cite another study from 2007, which found that propylparaben and butylparaben cause detectable DNA damage.

Source: Dr. Mercola. May 24, 2012. 99% of Breast Cancer Tissue Contained This Everyday Chemical (NOT Aluminum). http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/24/parabens-on-risk-of-breast-cancer.aspx?e_cid=20120524_DNL_art_1

Naturopathic Fun Facts

2012-05-17T19:12:45Z

Protecting Our Brain & Balancing Our Blood Sugar

In keeping with my current trend of protecting our bodies (from excess sugar villain), here's a study that shows how spicing up our life can help.

Why not substitute the yummy flavor of cinnamon to your hot beverage to balance blood sugar, control inflammation, and potentially help your brain? Recent studies show that cinnamon by decrease early Aβ amyloid fibrils formation in Alzheimer's disease, the more risky memory blunter than the Aβ soluble oligomers.

Recent studies have shown inhibition of Aβ plaque formation in vitro and in vivo by compounds from natural sources [19]-[21]....

Cinnamon is widely used by humans, both as a spice and as a traditional medicine. It is, perhaps, one of the oldest herbal medicines, having been mentioned in the Bible (Exodus, Proverbs and Song of Songs) and in Chinese texts as long as 4,000 years ago [22].

..The unique healing abilities of cinnamon are due to various components such as cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, cinnamyl acetate, and cinnamyl alcohol, in addition to a wide range of other volatile substances including safrole, coumarin and cinnamic acid esters [22]..

. Cinnamon has unique medicinal abilities such as blood sugar control [23], anti-oxidant [22], anti inflammatory [24] and anti-microbial activities [25].

..Here, we demonstrate the use of a natural substance based on aqueous cinnamon extract (CEppt) as an efficacious therapeutic agent that inhibits Aβ oligomer formation and ameliorates AD symptoms. In addition, we suggest the use of an efficacious platform for screening molecules as AD drugs using in vitro cell culture and in vivo AD fly and aggressive AD mouse model.

Source: Frydman-Marom A, Levin A, Farfara D, Benromano T, Scherzer-Attali R, et al. (2011) Orally Administrated Cinnamon Extract Reduces β-Amyloid Oligomerization and Corrects Cognitive Impairment in Alzheimer's Disease Animal Models. PLoS ONE 6(1): e16564. Doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0016564

Alpha Lipoic Acid Could Help Weight loss

Another promising natural compound, alpha lipoid acid, was recently shown in a RCT, placebo study of 360 obese people to help assist in weight loss. I often use this substance, when indicated for my clients. It's weight loss effect is probably to its modulation of insulin on insulin sensitivity:

CONCLUSION: Alpha-lipoic acid 1800 mg/d led to a modest weight loss in obese subjects. Alpha-lipoic acid may be considered as adjunctive therapy for obesity.

Source: Koh EH, Lee WJ, Lee SA, Kim EH, Cho EH, Jeong E, Kim DW, Kim MS, Park JY, Park KG, Lee HJ, Lee IK, Lim S, Jang HC, Lee KH, Lee KU.Effects of alpha-lipoic Acid on body weight in obese subjects (abstract). Am J Med. 2011 Jan;124(1):85.e1-8. PMID: 21187189

To Lose Weight....Run....FAR Away From Marathons (Dr. Mercola)

You may think that a winner of a marathon is in top-peak condition. Not so. There have been reports of people dropping dead unexpectedly in marathons. (YIKES!) The new wave of exercise is peak fitness, or interval training. This builds muscles and burns fats-- in less time. The reason...strict cardio training only works 1 out of 3 muscle types and too long and too severe cardio can damage the heart:

For example, two recent studies showed:

Heart damage after lifelong cardio: In a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers recruited a group of extremely fit older men. All of them were members of the 100 Marathon club, meaning athletes who had completed a minimum of 100 marathons. If running marathons provided cardiovascular benefit this would certainly be the group you would want to seriously examine. So what did they find?

..Heart scarring after elite cardio training: An animal study published in the journal Circulation was designed to mimic the strenuous daily exercise load of serious marathoners over the course of 10 years. All the rats had normal, healthy hearts at the outset of the study, but by the end most of them had developed "diffuse scarring and some structural changes, similar to the changes seen in the human endurance athletes."

A Better Way to Exercise?

Science now suggests that the best fitness regimen is actually one that mimics the movements of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, which included short bursts of high-intensity activities, but not long-distance running such as is required to complete a marathon. The idea behind "hunter-gatherer fitness" is to closely emulate the actions that ancient man took on a daily basis. This is what your body is hard-wired for, after all, and includes such attributes as:

• A variety of exercises performed regularly (weight training, cardio, stretching, etc.)

• Alternate difficult days with easier days

• Interval training sessions performed once or twice a week

• Weight training at least twice a week

• Ample time for rest after physical exertion

Don't Watch the Scale for Weight Loss!

2012-05-09T22:58:27Z

Naturopathic Fun Facts:

by Sarah A LoBisco, ND

My latest blog on dr-lobisco.com discusses how to find the perfect diet for you amongst the weight loss gurus and panaceas of calorie burning pills. One of the main discussion points in every modern diet is changing to lower sugar or glycemic foods. Now, you may think you already do that, but do you?

Here is a list of hidden sugar-ridden foods:

Are You Eating These Sugar-Laden "Health" Foods? (Dr. Mercola)

All of these also have more sugar than a Twinkie ...

• Yogurt: Most commercial yogurt is loaded with sugar - as in, over 30 grams for 6 ounces! This, along with the fact that commercial yogurt is pasteurized (and some also contains artificial colors and flavors), is why you should walk right on by the yogurt section at your supermarket. Watch out, too, for "light" yogurt brands that boast less sugar due to toxic artificial sweeteners.

On the other hand, yogurt that is made from raw organic milk, and which you eat either plain or only minimally sweetened with some berries or liquid stevia, is a true health food. This is something you can easily do at home and use the healthiest raw ingredients, including organic grass-fed raw milk as the starter.

• Tomato Sauce: A cup of tomato sauce can add up to over 20 grams of sugar, and considering that most people eat that tomato sauce on top of pasta, another carb source, this could send you into sugar overload. Watch out, specifically, for brands that contain added sweeteners. Tomato sauce is a far better choice than a candy bar, but, ideally, make your own sauce at home, and serve it over shredded spaghetti squash instead of noodles.

• Granola Bars: Sugar is often one of the top ingredients in granola bars, and, in fact, most are not much different than a candy bar, nutritionally speaking. Even the granola is simply another form of "hidden sugar" that most people eat far too much of. Remember, sugar and dietary carbohydrates (including grains like granola, which break down into sugar) lead to excess body fat, obesity and related health issues. No amount of exercise can compensate for this damage because if you eat a lot of sugar, it could be "reprogramming" your body to become fat.

• Fat-Free Salad Dressing: When manufacturers take the fat out of a food, sugar is often added back in as a replacement. Fat-free French or Thousand Island dressings can contain over 40 grams of sugar as a result, turning a would-be healthy salad into something more resembling a dessert. Don't be fooled by the "fat-free" label -- it's the carbs that are the culprit in weight gain and chronic disease.

• Muffins: The high amount of carbs in most muffins will profoundly interfere with your leptin and insulin levels, and that is true even if it's a "healthy" muffin, like a bran muffin. Of course, in order to make a bran muffin palatable, it probably contains quite a bit of added sugar, on top of the grains it's made with. Many muffins are also jumbo-sized, easily packing over 30 grams of sugar, or more.

• Canned Fruit: Fruit in and of itself can be problematic if eaten in excess, as it's a source of naturally occurring fructose. But many canned fruits are also packed in sugary syrup, loaded with high fructose corn syrup. Just one cup of canned peaches or pears can contain over 30 grams of sugar. You're far better off with a fresh piece of fruit instead, but use moderation. I recommend restricting your consumption of fructose to no more than 25 grams per day, with a maximum of 15 grams a day from fresh fruit. If you're already overweight, or have cancer, heart disease or diabetes (or are at high risk of them), then you're probably better off cutting that down to 10-15 grams per day -- fruit included.

Source: Dr. Mercola. 6 Surprising Foods with More Sugar than a Twinkie. May 6, 2012. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/02/sugar-leads-to-obesity.aspx?e_cid=20120502_DNL_art_2

Want to lose Weight? Don't Watch the Scale!

An important measure in weight loss is to know what numbers are most important, and this doesn't come from the scales! Many people are unaware that weight can fluctuate up to five pounds a day- based on fluid retention and that muscle weighs more than fat. In fact, it's possible to gain weight and lose inches when you are on your path to burning up fat by adding more muscle.

Therefore, the below measures are more helpful in determining if you are meeting your ideal weight and health goals. Dr. Mercola explains:

BMI might not be that accurate. Instead, considering measuring leptin, your waist, or determining your % fat may be the best route to determine risk of obesity associated diseases.

Your waist size is also a powerful indicator of insulin sensitivity, as studies clearly show that measuring your waist size is one of the most powerful ways to predict your risk for diabetes. Determining your waist size is easy. With a tape measure, figure the distance around the smallest area of your abdomen below your rib cage and above your belly button. If you're not sure if you have a healthy waist circumference, a general guide is:

• For men, between 37 and 40 inches is overweight and more than 40 inches is obese

• For women, 31.5-34.6 inches is overweight and more than 34.6 inches is obese

The other tool, which many experts are now leaning toward as the most accurate measure of obesity, is body fat percentage. As it sounds, this is simply the percentage of fat your body contains, and it can be a powerful indicator of your health. Too much body fat is linked to chronic health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Too little body fat is also problematic and can cause your body to enter a catabolic state, where muscle protein is used as fuel.

A general guideline from the American Council on Exercise is as follows:

Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)

Essential Fat 10-13% 2-5%

Athletes 14-20% 6-13%

Fitness 21-24% 14-17%

Acceptable 25-31% 18-24%

Obese 32% and higher 25% and higher

Source:

Mercola, J. New Study Shows Obesity Rate Is Actually Far Worse than Previously Recognized . April 12, 2012. Mercola.com. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/

2012/04/21/bmi-gauges-obesity-rate.aspx?e_cid=20120421_DNL_art_2

Competing Men Lose More!

And, another fun weight fake to dig at men. It just proves how men can accomplish anything relating to a good competition.... (Ladies, this is why your husband always loses more than you on a diet)!

If you're A Male & Want to Lose Weight, Bet and Compete (Healthy Wage)

This report describes the results and our conclusions about the HealthyWage 10% Challenge Weight Intervention Program (the "Program")--a custom incentive-based weight loss "betting" program in which 66 Fortune 50 Health employees participated from August 15, 2011 through February 15, 2012. The Program allowed participants to make a $100 "bet" on whether they would lose 10% of their weight in the next six months, and paid them $400 if they succeeded.

In short, the Program led to significant weight loss for a stunning portion of participants--male participants in particular. 63% of male participants lost at least 10% of their weight, and thereby successfully completed the program, as verified by a third party fitness center. Overall, 29% of participants lost 10% of their weight, and thereby successfully completed the program. A staggering 47% of participants self-reported weight loss of at least 5%

Source:

Obesity- A Cause or A Symptom of Modern Day Medicine?

2012-05-03T22:57:26Z

Why IS AMERICA HEALTHCARE SO SAD?

Compiled by Sarah A LoBisco, ND

Could it be that medicine is now a "disease care system" that is missing the mark? In my most recent blog, The Vitamin Attack Scam, I discuss in detail the attack on vitamins and how American health care is deteriorating. Life expectancy increases as quality of life measures decrease. It is estimated that by 2050, over two-thirds of Americans will be obese? Why is this?

The question remains: Is obesity the result of our system or just a symptom of body starvation from nutrient-poor foods and medical mismanagement?

According to Medscape, we should address obesity as the cause:

Although the mechanism for obesity's association with RA is unknown, the researchers write that chronic inflammation from obesity could be leading to rheumatic problems. Other possibilities include the link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency or the higher levels of estrogen in obese individuals. Other research, they write, has pointed toward a possible genetic predisposition to both obesity and autoimmune disease.

"We know that fat tissues and cells produce substances that are active in inflammation and immunity," Eric Matteson, MD, chair of the Division of Rheumatology at the Mayo Clinic and a study coauthor, said in a statement. "We know too that obesity is related to many other health problems such as heart disease and diabetes, and now perhaps to autoimmunity. It adds another reason to reduce and prevent obesity in the general population."

However, if the symptom of fat was truly the issue, wouldn't calorie restriction and "losing weight" have worked? The truth is a calorie is not just a calorie.

I've provided a link to Dr. Mercola's twelve minute video with Dr. Lustig below. (Dr. Lustig is the modern day genius on fructose metabolism). These two allopathic renegades feel obesity is an effect of insulin resistance resulting from our modern day food practices. Processed and chemicalized foods change our metabolic functioning and appetite regulation, not just creating fat, but contributing to most disease processes. Obesity is one symptom of this fatty acid metabolic dysfunction, but it can manifest in many different forms in people. This includes heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and more.

The result of eating foods that are bad for our bodies but addictive to our minds is various diseases of inflammation and immune deregulation. This is another reason why I incorporate functional medicine in my practice. As a Naturopathic Doctor, I am naturally treating the cause while looking at triggers and mediators and how each organ system is affected. This is vastly different than telling someone to "lose weight." What really need to be "lost" is the inflammatory triggers and metabolic imbalance, and then the need for the fat diminishes. This is a whole different approach to the "war on obesity".

The first thing that must be addressed is the addictive nature of food itself. Dr. Hyman explains:

Here are some of the scientific findings confirming that food can, indeed, be addictive(ii):

1. Sugar stimulates the brain's reward centers through the neurotransmitter dopamine exactly like other addictive drugs.

2. Brain imagining (PET scans) shows that high-sugar and high-fat foods work just like heroin, opium, or morphine in the brain.(iii)

3. Brain imaging (PET scans) shows that obese people and drug addicts have lower numbers of dopamine receptors, making them more likely to crave things that boost dopamine.

4. Foods high in fat and sweets stimulate the release of the body's own opioids (chemicals like morphine) in the brain.

5. Drugs we use to block the brain's receptors for heroin and morphine (naltrexone) also reduce the consumption and preference for sweet, high-fat foods in both normal weight and obese binge eaters.

6. People (and rats) develop a tolerance to sugar--they need more and more of the substance to satisfy themselves--just like they do for drugs of abuse like alcohol or heroin.

7. Obese individuals continue to eat large amounts of unhealthy foods despite severe social and personal negative consequences, just like addicts or alcoholics.

8. Animals and humans experience "withdrawal" when suddenly cut off from sugar, just like addicts detoxifying from drugs.

9. Just like drugs, after an initial period of "enjoyment" of the food the user no longer consumes them to get high, but to feel normal.

As with any addiction, balancing biochemistry is a must. However, another major component is social support. In a food addicted society, perhaps the reason we aren't getting anywhere with obesity is that we are "dysfunctionally independent" (a term coined by Robert Holden, PhD). So...let me leave you with a different kind of food for thought....

The Answer in Community (Dr. Hyman):

Here's what the data show to date with more studies coming in every day. Community is more effective than any medication, even though many still use less than optimal and outdated nutritional advice and lifestyle interventions. I believe much more could be accomplished by translating the latest science into effective treatments and community-based support groups as I have done in my new book The Blood Sugar Solution.

The landmark 2002 study based on the Diabetes Prevention Program[i] and a ten year follow up study[ii] sponsored by the National Institutes of Health proved that lifestyle intervention is much more powerful than any other treatment such as medication to prevent diabetes in those with prediabetes. With regular lifestyle support and education, participants lost 5 percent of their bodyweight and reduced their risk of diabetes by 58 percent. This lifestyle-based approach was also proven very effective in the large Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study.[iii]

Part 2:

We got biology to change by using the principles of functional medicine - the science of systems medicine, of network medicine, the science of creating health, through lifestyle-based interventions that optimized our BIOLOGICAL NETWORKS.

But we got behavior to change by using community and the power of positive peer pressure and SOCIAL NETWORKS.

Not only did they lose a quarter of a million pounds, but they also used less medication, and many stayed of the hospital didn't need to go to the doctor as much. And the program was free. And people reported more energy, better sleep, better blood pressure, better mood and even better skin and a better sex drive.

One man told me last year he was in the hospital 4 times and on 9 medications and this year he stayed out of the hospital and is only on one medication. People lost 125 pounds, 90 pounds, 80 pounds, got off insulin and diabetes, and high blood pressure medication - it was like a gastric bypass without the pain of surgery, vomiting and malnutrition.

And those who did the plan together lost twice as much weight as those who did it alone.

And...the science agrees:

Group Support and Diet Modification for DM2 (Medscape):

The 4-week behavioral weight and diabetes management program yielded significant weight and health improvements. This is one of the first studies to report rapid and significant HbA1cchanges as a result of following moderate nutrition and physical activity guidelines while receiving diabetes management and weight loss psychoeducation.

References:

Larry Hand. Increase in RA Incidence in Women Associated With Obesity. Medscape Today. April 30, 2012. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/762973

Hyman, M. Diet Drinks-Harmful or Helpful in Kicking the Sugar Habit? http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/04/03/diet-drinks-helpful-or-harmful-to-kick-the-sugar-habit/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman+newsletter+issue+%2368&utm_content=Get+the+story

Joseph Mercola, OD. Attacks Your Liver Like Alcohol - Is This What's Making You Flabby and Sick? Mercola.com. May 7, 2012. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/05/07/the-sweetener-that-is-more-dangerous-than-alcohol.aspx?e_cid=20120507_DNL_art_1

Mark Hyman, MD. Can Social Networks Cure Disease? Part I. drhyman.com. April 20th, 2012. http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/04/20/can-social-networks-cure-disease-part-i/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman+newsletter+issue+%2370&utm_content=Get+the+story

Healthy Eating- Foods to Use, Foods Not to Abuse

2012-04-19T15:40:14Z

In my study of functional medicine, learning about the science of nutrigenomics (how the information of nutritional constituents interact with our DNA to change our cellular health) was an eye opener to how nature truly is the most powerful medicine. Below is a compilation of blogs and studies that provide proof that what we eat impacts our health.

Top 10 Foods to Eat

Rue (Ruta graveolens): Called Ruda in Spanish, this herb contains a tangy alkaloid-rich oil that is used as an antispasmodic and muscle relaxant. It is most commonly given to treat menstrual cramps, but some Hispanic herbalists also recommend chewing the leaves to treat intestinal parasites. In concentrated doses, oil of rue can be hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic, and it can also be an abortifacient. There are no known interactions with conventional pharmaceuticals.

• Sage (Salvia officinalis): Latin Americans have discovered many uses for this plant, which grows widely in the Southwestern US and many parts of Latin America. Topically, it is an excellent antibacterial and astringent, and some people make a plaster of sage which is used to curb excess perspiration. It is also used for mucositis and gingivitis. Because it contains caffeic acid, sage is also an appetite stimulant. There are reported cases of tachycardia with its use, and it is not recommended for pregnant women.

• Spearmint (Mentha spicata): Latin Americans refer to this as Yerba Buena or "good herb." It contains L-carvone and a flavinoid called thymonin, which is an excellent carminative. Spearmint is a pleasant and inexpensive means of stimulating GI muscle activity and can be used to expel flatus, relieve hiccoughs, and relieve nausea. Most often, it is taken as a tea. There are no known adverse reactions or drug interactions with spearmint tea, though topically-applied spearmint oil can cause localized dermatitis in some patients.

Source: Victor Sierpina, MD. A Guide to Hispanic Healing. Holistic Primary Care. June 2001. http://www.holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-o-z/traditions/210-a-guide-to-hispanic-healing-herbs

Just as important as what to include in our diet, is what we could be replacing with our new love of green veggies. Below is some information on....

WHAT FOODS OUR TONGUE , BODY, AND BRAIN ARE BETTER WITHOUT....

HFCS vs. Sugar (Mark Hyman, MD)

HFCS also consists of glucose and fructose, not in a 50-50 ratio, but a 55-45 fructose to glucose ratio in an unbound form. Fructose is sweeter than glucose. And HFCS is cheaper than sugar because of the government farm bill corn subsidies. Products with HFCS are sweeter and cheaper than products made with cane sugar. This allowed for the average soda size to balloon from 8 ounces to 20 ounces with little financial costs to manufacturers but great human costs of increased obesity, diabetes and chronic disease.

Now back to biochemistry. Since there is there is no chemical bond between them, no digestion is required so they are more rapidly absorbed into your blood stream. Fructose goes right to the liver and triggers lipogenesis (the production of fats like triglycerides and cholesterol) this is why it is the major cause of liver damage in this country and causes a condition called "fatty liver" which affects 70 million people. The rapidly absorbed glucose triggers big spikes in insulin - our body's major fat storage hormone. Both these features of HFCS lead to increased metabolic disturbances that drive increases in appetite, weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia and more.

But there was one more thing I learned during lunch with Dr. Bruce Ames. Research done by his group at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute found that free fructose from HFCS requires more energy to be absorbed by the gut and soaks up two phosphorous molecules from ATP (our body's energy source). This depletes the energy fuel source or ATP in our gut required to maintain the integrity of our intestinal lining. Little "tight junctions" cement each intestinal cell together preventing food and bacteria from "leaking" across the intestinal membrane and triggering an immune reaction and body wide inflammation.

The takeaway: Cane sugar and the industrially produced, euphemistically named "corn sugar" are not biochemically or physiologically the same.

Dr. Hyman provided additional information on how HFCS has other dangers. These include its mercury content and it's link to CAUSING obesity. HFCS creates the formation of a fatty liver and halts the insulin-leptin signaling important for appetite regulation.

Artificial Sweeteners (Marc Hyman, ND)

What's one of the most addictive legal substances that is linked to neurological disorders, vision issues, headaches, menstrual irregularities and more? Artificial sweeteners:

In another alarming study, rats offered the choice of cocaine or artificial sweeteners always picked the artificial sweetener, even if the rats were previously programmed to be cocaine addicts. The author of the study said that, "[t]he absolute preference for taste sweetness may lead to a re-ordering in the hierarchy of potentially addictive stimuli, with sweetened diets . . . taking precedence over cocaine and possibly other drugs of abuse. "

The use of artificial sweeteners, as well as "food porn," the sexy experience of sweet, fat, and salt in your mouth, alters your food preferences. Your palate shifts from being able to enjoy fruits and vegetables and whole foods to liking only the sexy stuff.

My advice is to give up stevia, aspartame, sucralose, sugar alcohols like xylitol and malitol, and all of the other heavily used and marketed sweeteners unless you want to slow down your metabolism, gain weight, and become an addict. Some may be worse than others like aspartame that is what we call an excitotoxin that can cause neurologic symptoms like brain fog, migraines or worse. And some may just give you bad gas because they ferment in your gut, like the sugar alcohols (anything that ends in "ol" like xylitol). Others like stevia, which comes from a South American plant, may be slightly better and could be enjoyed from time to time, they all keep us yearning for more and more - so our brains get confused, we eat more food and we get fatter. There are ways to cut cravings by naturally balancing your blood sugar.

Source: Hyman, M. Diet Drinks-Harmful or Helpful in Kicking the Sugar Habit? http://drhyman.com/blog/2012/04/03/diet-drinks-helpful-or-harmful-to-kick-the-sugar-habit/?utm_source=WhatCounts+Publicaster+Edition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=drhyman+newsletter+issue+%2368&utm_content=Get+the+story

Unhealthy Lash Extensions: How to Avoid a Sticky Mess

2012-04-17T14:38:06Z

With proper application, lash extensions are a wonderful, natural looking, affordable and easy to-wear addition to your life; however when applied improperly or with low grade materials, they can create big, painful problems. Want to know how to avoid getting into a sticky mess? Read on!

As the word of the wonder of lash extensions has spread, many women are choosing to have them applied. And, as it is with any service, some practitioners are skilled and unfortunately others are not.

I became certified in lash extension application in 2006 after seeing a practical demonstration at a show in Philly, and have been doing them ever since. I have been an independent trainer for years, helping other licensed* professionals learn application procedures. (*In New York State, lash extensionists must be Licensed as a Nurse, Aesthetician or Cosmetologist to perform the service.)

From the standpoint of application, lash extensions are a difficult service to perform - as you can imagine when you think about constructing a set of eyelashes one by-one using a surgical type adhesive - and yet, they are incredibly beautiful when applied well.

Although extremely popular among the rich and famous, lash extensions have taken some time to reach the general public. In my opinion, this is because many women may not want to advertise that they're wearing lash extensions and also that when people see you with them on, they will most likely not notice the extensions but will notice that you look well and say things like, "You look rested."

As the popularity of this service grows, I find myself treating victims of lash botch jobs. These problems are mainly due to poor application like the use of too much adhesive causing natural lashes to stick together that can ultimately have an adverse affect on the natural lash, or poor quality product like low grade lashes, and/or adhesive that is rough and irritating to the eye. Poor application can result in the lashes being too heavy for your natural lash, causing drooping, pulling, and poking of the loose lashes into the tender skin of the lid.

But there are other, stranger problems. Just last week, I treated a lovely woman who had had lashes applied at a nail salon. A nail salon? Since Licensed Nail Specialists may not legally perform lash extension application, it is dubious as to whether the practitioner(s) of this establishment is licensed/trained/certified to put on eyelash extensions.

This problem application included not only an 1/8 inch layer of some kind of adhesive which was almost impossible to remove, but also the use of rows upon rows of knotted flares to create the lash set. People - listen up! This technique (if you can call it that!) is not a lash extension application! Lash extentions are applied one lash to one lash.

Lash extensions are not the same as false eyelash strips. False eyelashes are meant to be applied to the skin above the lash at the lash line - not on the lashes themselves! - with a rubbery glue made for false eyelashes. They are not meant to be applied to the natural lash with a semi-permanent glue where they will gather dirt, dust and other debris. Lash extensions are applied to the lash with a surgical type, semi-permanent adhesive.

My client was in a lot of pain and luckily, I was able to safely and gently remove all the lash clumps without hurting or breaking her own lashes. After a short break, I applied a fresh, new set of single, high quality lash extensions and she was thrilled.

Just yesterday, I saw yet another client who, I suspect, had gone to the same place. After struggling for a day with the same problems as my other clients, she returned to the shop to have the lash botch job removed. In the process, they pulled out many of her own lashes. I would not recommend going back to a place that had done a poor job. Go somewhere else! When I mentioned this, my new client said that she had called other places to have them removed and that none of those establishments were willing to help her, which is really sad to hear. She said that she wished she had found me sooner!

Unfortunately, not all practitioners are skilled, trained, have integrity and, in some cases may not have the proper licensure to perform the services that they offer. It's uber important for you, the consumer, to ensure your safety.

Please keep in mind that you are working around your eyes! We don't want to be fooling around. Proper sanitation, quality product and certified training are of the utmost importance.

The cost should be appropriate and within range of all other places in the specific area! If it's too inexpensive - there's a reason!

So, how do you avoid having a sticky mess? Here are some suggestions:

1. Check out the establishment by searching the web, and set up a time to go to there to see their work.
2. Do some research about the practitioner and ask questions like how many years the extentionist has been practicing lash extensions.
3. Ask for references.
4. Research the cost in your area.
5. Stay away from "deals" or prices that are too low. High quality extensions and adhesives are expensive and experienced lash artists expect to be paid for their expertise AND expert extensionists will be quite busy with happy customers!
6. Ask around and get a recommendation from someone you know whose lashes you like!

Questions? Feel free to ask me anytime online here, or email or call!

The Power of Music, Mom and Pre-Baby Blues, and Gut-Mood Connection

2012-04-16T21:25:54Z

Compiled by Sarah A LoBisco, ND

Another Stress Busting Tip- Music

Last week, I discussed the negative impact of excess stress on health and provided some solutions to counter its effects. Besides meditation, chocolate, and social support, listening to music can remedy the stress response. Specifically, one study found that playing enjoyable music reduced the production of the stress hormone, cortisol. (This biochemical connection can help provide a more compassionate understanding and tolerance for teenagers who slam and pump up the volume of their iPods when frustrated!)

Excerpt:

Everyday music listening reduces stress

News: Feb 23, 2012

Music can evoke positive emotions, which in turn can lower the listener's stress levels. Everyday music listening is therefore a simple and effective way to enhance well-being and health, according to a new doctoral thesis in psychology from the University of Gothenburg.

....

The results of the studies show that positive emotions were experienced both more often and more intensively in connection with music listening. The experiment group did also perceive less stress and had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. The more the participants in the survey study liked the music, the less stress they experienced.

Source: Everyday music listening reduces stress. February 23, 2012. University of Gothenburg.http://www.samfak.gu.se/Faculty+of+Social+science/News/News/News_Detail/everyday-music-listening-reduces-stress.cid1066914

Link to thesis: http://hdl.handle.net/2077/28257

Depression in Mom Affects Baby's Growth

Stress and depression can go hand-in-hand. Even though most view a new baby as a positive stressor, pregnancy can take a toll on one's biochemistry:

Although pregnancy is often portrayed as a time of great joy, that's not the reality for all women. At least one in ten pregnant women suffers from bouts of depression.

For years, experts mistakenly believed that pregnancy hormones protected against depression, leaving women more vulnerable to the illness only after the baby was born and their hormone levels plunged. They now believe that the rapid increase in hormone levels at the start of pregnancy can disrupt brain chemistry and lead to depression.

Hormonal changes can also make you feel more anxious than usual. Anxiety is another condition that can and should be treated during pregnancy.

One recent study demonstrated a positive association between depressed moms and delayed fetal development. This connection was higher in those who used antidepressants. Still, as mentioned above, researchers caution that association does not prove causation. In other words, other factors like the shift in women's hormones, environmental stressors that come with a new baby, and dietary shifts can be correlated to depression and factor in to fetal development.

According to an article in Medscape:

Excerpt:

March 7, 2012 -- Use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) during pregnancy may increase the risk for adverse fetal development and birth outcomes, new research suggests. However, untreated depression was also associated with delayed fetal growth.

"SSRIs are generally safe drugs, but animal studies have suggested that this may be different during pregnancy, when serotonin is a neurodevelopmental hormone," explained Dr. Tiemeier.

The investigators note that this is one of the first SSRI-assessing studies in humans to focus on head development during pregnancy.

The Generation R Study is an ongoing prospective trial of 9778 mothers in the Netherlands; it was designed to examine fetal life onward.

For this analysis, the researchers assessed data on 7696 women who were first enrolled in the Generation R Study during pregnancy.

Questionnaires were given to all of these participants during each trimester of pregnancy to assess SSRI use. The participants' responses were verified by pharmacy records. Women who used SSRIs before pregnancy were excluded from this analysis.

The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) was used to assess depressive symptoms at an average of 20.6 weeks of gestation. Each trimester, fetal ultrasonography was performed to determine head and body growth.

A Simple Solution to Pre-Baby Blues

One solution to stress and depression that doesn't cost a thing is exercise. Here's an excerpt from Dr. Mercola that gives guidance on exercise for mom's to be:

Among normal-weight women, higher levels of vigorous exercise may make it harder to conceive and lead to delays in becoming pregnant

Among women who were overweight or obese, any type of exercise improved fertility, and moderate exercise led to faster times to pregnancy among all women

Only very vigorous exercise -- which was defined as running, fast cycling, gymnastics or swimming for more than five hours a week -- appeared to delay fertility in normal-weight (but not overweight or obese) women

By exercising in short bursts, followed by periods of recovery, you recreate exactly what your body needs for optimum health. That said, engaging in these high-intensity exercises two to three times a week is likely to lead to a decrease in body fat.

If you are seeking to get pregnant you will need slightly higher body fat stores to be in the optimal range; short periods of high-intensity exercise like Peak Fitness are likely to be beneficial, but overdoing it may be counterproductive

Sources:

Deborah Brauser. Mom's SSRI Use Linked to Delayed Fetal Growth, Preterm Birth. 3/7/12. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/759848

BabyCenter, LLC. Depression in Pregnancy. Accessed 4/20/2012. http://www.babycenter.com/0_depression-during-pregnancy_9179.bc

Mercola, J. New Study Finds Too Much Exercise Can Delay Pregnancy in Normal-Weight Women. April 6, 2012. http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/04/06/vigorous-exercise-delays-pregnancy.aspx

Fight Stress with Pleasure!

2012-04-13T21:42:06Z

My latest blog at http://www.dr-lobisco.com/stressed-out/ discusses the mind-body connection of stress and physical health. I highlighted one way to modulate the stress effect with mediation.

Below are more examples and excerpts on how to manage the stress response:

Laughing Decreases Stress (Am J Med Sci.1989 Dec; 298(6):390-6.)

Abstract: Positive emotional activities have been suggested as modifiers of neuroendocrine hormones involved in the classical stress response. To detect changes in these components during a mirthful laughter experience, the authors studied 10 healthy male subjects. Five experimental subjects viewed a 60 minute humor video and five control subjects did not. ...These biochemical changes have implications for the reversal of the neuroendocrine and classical stress hormone response.

Source: Berk LS,et al.Neuroendocrine and stress hormone changes during mirthful laughter. PMID: 2556917

Gardening Reduces Stress on Caregivers (Alzheimer's Association)

(CHICAGO) November 3, 2008 - According to the Alzheimer's Association 2008 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures Report, more than 40 percent of the 10 million American unpaid caregivers rate the emotional stress of caregiving as high or very high. However, according to a BHG.com online survey of 1,340 respondents, nearly 60 percent of respondents say gardening relaxes them.

Continued at: http://www.alz.org/national/documents/release_110308_garden.pdf

Mom Can Actually Reduce Stress??!! (Scientific America)

Yup, a phone call to mom can raise oxytocin, the bonding hormone!

Functional Medicine & Naturopathic Medicine

2012-04-06T19:27:33Z

In my recent blog (http://www.dr-lobisco.com/functional-medicine-testing-why-test/), I discussed the importance of treatment tailored to the individual vs. the individual tailored to a one-sized-fits all approach. The solution for me is a combination of using Naturopathic Medicine (address the cause) with functional medicine (address biochemical individuality and which natural treatment will be optimal for THAT individual). Below are two highlights from the Metametrix Institute, a functional lab that I use in my practice:

A New Measurement for Autism (Metametrix Blog, Dr. Fitzgerald)

One key intervention for both boys that resulted in a significant reduction of behavioral symptoms was the removal of bovine dairy and gluten-containing grains. Both are big problems for many kids with ASD, and their removal is a common first step.

The older boy recently started a trial of high-dose folinic acid (1mg/kg body weight). This intervention appears to have made a remarkable difference in him. Both parents noted that rather quickly after starting, his expressive language greatly improved--he began articulating his needs and desires--in a way he's never done before. (In all fairness, we cannot rule out benefit from his various other treatments. This trial, like life, wasn't controlled.)

Given the above history, and the favorable folinic acid trial, is it possible for us to form a hypothesis around a potential causative factor in this case? Yes we can. I strongly suspect that Cerebral Folate Deficiency is an underlying etiologic factor with these boys. Here's why:

The article continues on to explain how various individual bio-markers are tested to tailor an approach that suited each brother.

Watch this Video by Dr. Lord from Metametrix on Alternative Testing for Autism (Metametrix)

This 8 minute video explains the gut-brain connection and how inflammation in the brain can affect the features of autism.

Link: http://www.metametrix.com/learning-center/podcasts/2010/autism-and-laboratory-testing-%281%29?utm_source=World+Autism+Awareness+Day+04.12+FINAL&utm_campaign=Autism+Day+04.12&utm_medium=email

The above highlights the importance of not just addressing the cause, or treating symptoms, but addressing the individual. After all, it is more important to know what kind of person has the disease, than what disease has the person.

Fun Fact for Oil Lovers:

A highlight on Rosemary's ability to boost brain function!

Rosemary EO for mood (Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology )

Here we show for the first time that performance on cognitive tasks is significantly related to concentration of absorbed 1,8-cineole following exposure to rosemary aroma, with improved performance at higher concentrations. Furthermore, these effects were found for speed and accuracy outcomes, indicating that the relationship is not describing a speed-accuracy trade off. The relationships between 1,8-cineole levels and mood were less pronounced, but did reveal a significant negative correlation between change in contentment and plasma 1,8-cineole levels.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that compounds absorbed from rosemary aroma affect cognition and subjective state independently through different neurochemical pathways. (Moss, M. Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma (abstract). Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology. February 24, 2012. 2045125312436573.)http://tpp.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/02/24/2045125312436573.abstract

More info: http://shirleyprice.blogspot.com/2012/03/rosemary-for-remembrance.html

An Excuse to Drink Coffee, Healthy Meat, and More.....

2012-04-01T00:20:00Z

March 2012 Top Reads

Throughout every month, I gather highlights of interesting health stories to post on my webpage. The result is a monthly posting of "Top Reads" that summarizes, in an easy to read format, the most recent and relevant news in holistic medicine. Recently, I posted the Top Health Stories of March (on my homepage at www.dr-lobisco.com).

These headlines included:

1. Important Brain Foods you can add to your diet

2. Links between nutrients and digestive health

3. Women's Health:

Another viewpoint on Mammograms
Updated position paper on Hormone Replacement by NAMS
4. The link between Alzheimer's and Cholesterol

5. The Dangers of Sleeping Pills

6. MMR Vaccines and why it's not the cause of Autism but may be a contributor for Some

7....much more

As loyal Saratoga.com readers, I've added some additional stories, exclusively available to you!

1. The Total Toxic Load of Life....

By now, many of us may have heard that the chemicals in our environment are affecting our body in a negative way. These effects can occur quickly, through a large exposure at one time, or slowly with time from a buildup in our tissues.

How these toxicants affect one's health all depends on the total toxic exposure through a lifespan and an individual's capacity to detoxify them. This means that those born with the good detoxifying genes may be able to withstand more exposure than those who are extra sensitive due to sluggish livers.

A recent article in Environmental Health News discussed this topic and provided confirmation that low doses of environmental chemicals over a long period of time create negative health consequences.

According to Environmental Health News:

In the new report, researchers led by Tufts University's Laura Vandenberg concluded after examining hundreds of studies that health effects "are remarkably common" when people or animals are exposed to low doses of endocrine-disrupting compounds. As examples, they provide evidence for several controversial chemicals, including bisphenol A, found in polycarbonate plastic, canned foods and paper receipts, and the pesticide atrazine, used in large volumes mainly on corn.

Source: Marla Cone. Low dose, big effects:Scientists seek 'fundamental changes' in testing, regulation of hormone-like chemicals. Environmental Health News. March 15, 2012. http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2012/low-doses-big-effects

Why Organic?

Animal lovers and vegetarians everywhere have heard of the atrocities of confined conventional meat production. The good news is that organically certified meat is not just more nutritious, but also cruelty free.

According to Dr. Mercola:

Animals raised at CAFOs are treated like objects, not animals -- stuck in cages, overcrowded, covered in feces -- which is not only hard to watch, but also hard to stomach. It is not at all unusual for animals to be abused in these circumstances; the very conditions in which they live are abuse in their own right. "CAFO: The Tragedy of Industrial Animal Factories" Web site briefly describes some of the horrors of industrial food production:iii

"Poultry Prisons: The world's tens of billions of meat chickens--"broilers"--grow at a freakishly fast pace. Concentrated in houses with upwards of 20,000 to 30,000 other birds, each full-grown chicken gets less than a square foot of living space. Modern broilers spend their short 7-week lives on top of their own waste encrusted bedding, which the industry refers to as "cake" or "poultry litter," and sometimes enters the food chain as a cattle feed supplement.

Cow Concentration Camps: Today it is not uncommon for a single feedlot to hold 100,000 animals at a time. While corn is the king of cattle feed, many industrial food animals are fed just about anything that can add weight cheaply and quickly, regardless of how unappetizing or sadistic it may seem. Some commonly used cattle feed additives include: hydrolyzed poultry feathers, by-products of slaughtered animals, inter-species waste such as swine manure and poultry litter, antibiotic drugs, cement dust, newspaper, and plastic roughage replacements.

That's enough reading torture, but there's more at the link including:

Artificial Milk Machines

Confined Swine

Egg-Laying Slaves

Mercola, J. Gov. Dept. Works With Major Corporation to Hide Animal Abuse. Posted By Dr. Mercola. March 22 2012. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/03/22/animal-feeding-operations-contamination-abuse.aspx?e_cid=20120322_DNL_art_2

Coffee in the AM May be Good for you....but....

Who doesn't want an excuse to drink coffee? While, here's one.... but you need to exercise after you drink it in order to boost brain power and provide the muscle strengthening effect.

According to Mercola:

That said, the reason I include the mention of coffee here is because recent research, which Ori has written about in his book Unlock Your Muscle Geneiv, has shown that coffee also triggers a mechanism in your brain that releases a growth factor called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which in turn:

Activates brain stem cells to convert into new neurons, and
Expresses itself in your muscles by supporting the neuromotor, which is the most critical element in your muscle. Without the neuromotor, your muscle is like an engine without ignition, and neuro-motor degradation is part of the process that explains age-related muscle atrophy
What this means is that caffeine may help rejuvenate both brain- and muscle tissue! Research has also found that consuming the equivalent of two cups of coffee an hour before training can also help reduce post-workout muscle soreness by up to 48 percent, beating out both naproxen and aspirin in terms of effectivenessv. Coffee increases your metabolism by up to 20 percent, according to Ori's research. And according to Ori, it can actually be quite beneficial if consumed before exercise. Ori has experimented using it before training, and claims it works.

"Coffee before training allows you fast energy to initiate your workout. For people who train in the morning, having coffee before training is a great advantage," he says.

However, you do want to be careful and moderate in the amounts you drink. Coffee can affect your adrenal glands so if you have an issue with decreased adrenal function, use care with coffee. Also remember we're talking about black coffee--no sugar added. Ori recommends having just one cup of coffee or one shot of espresso in the morning or before training, and that's it for the day. If you exercise in the morning, have your coffee prior to your workout, not after.

Next month, I'll highlight some more coffee facts.

Source: Mercoal, J. Boost Your Metabolism, Burn Pounds...with this DNA Changer. mercola.com. March 23, 2012.http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/03/23/interval-training-and-metabolism.aspx?e_cid=20120323_FNL_art_1

For the Love of Chocolate! (can't get enough of it)

2012-03-16T04:08:35Z

Why Do Women Crave Chocolate?

Chocolate lovers unite! An update on the power of chocolate is here! More studies are coming together to support this previously tagged "villain of indulgence" into a healthy supplement recommended by various professionals! Could it be that women knew this well-known secret intuitively for ages?

Chocolate and heart health:

An abstract from BMJ evaluated 4576 references, with seven studies meeting involving 114, 009 participants meeting inclusion data. The analysis included two independent analyzers and a third to reach consensus. Based on the studies analyzed, the researchers concluded that levels of chocolate consumption were associated with a reduction in the risk of cardiometabolic disorders.

Another summary in the journal Circulation supported the above metanalysis giving specific cardiometabolic measures that chocolate seemed to attenuate. Remember if it's good for your heart, it will also affect inflammation and blood sugar- the power triad in health! According to Circulation:

Indeed, recent research demonstrates a beneficial effect of cocoa on blood pressure, insulin resistance, and vascular and platelet function. Although still debated, a range of potential mechanisms through which cocoa might exert its benefits on cardiovascular health have been proposed, including activation of nitric oxide and antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects. This review summarizes the available data on the cardiovascular effects of cocoa, outlines potential mechanisms involved in the response to cocoa, and highlights the potential clinical implications associated with its consumption.

The mechanism behind these heart benefits may be due the flavonoid antioxidants that dark chocolate contains. Antioxidants are powerful compounds that exist in foods, nutrients, vitamins, minerals, supplements, and plants which help disrupt excess free radicals from creating damage to your body. We naturally need some free radicals to help with the balance of breakdown and building in our body, but most people have an excess of inflammation and oxidative stress due to modern day living. According to an article in ScienceDaily:

Dark chocolate contains flavonoids, which are antioxidants. Antioxidants have positive effects on many different body systems including the cardiovascular system. The high concentration of cocoa in dark chocolate appears to be what offers the flavonoid benefit.

"Dark chocolate has been shown to be associated with lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar levels and improvement in the way your blood vessels dilate and relax," Damp said. Further study is needed to know exactly which type of chocolate and how much of it is the most beneficial, but studies have shown that people who eat chocolate more than once a week have lower risks of heart disease and stroke compare to people who eat it less frequently. "Fat and calorie content of chocolate also needs to be taken into consideration and kept consistent with a healthy, balanced diet," Damp said.

Chocolate and the Brain

According to Brain Neurologist, Daniel Amen, MD:

What is good for your heart is good for your brain, so pay attention to this study. Although it didn't differentiate between dark chocolate and milk chocolate, I can tell you that dark chocolate contains more brain-friendly antioxidants than milk chocolate.

In a study reported by VitalChoice, a UEA team conducted a yearlong trial including 93 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Half of women were given two small placebo chocolate bars daily (poor things) and the other half were given the flavonoid-rick dark chocolate bars. The women continued their regular medications during the trial and 10 year follow up. The good news:

The women in the test chocolate group were 3.4 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack in the next decade. This may sound like a small impact, but it would be considered a very substantial preventive effect for any "dietary intervention". Better yet, their insulin resistance and cholesterol levels were significantly lower than the control (placebo chocolate) group. As Dr. Cassidy said, "These results are significant from a public health perspective because they provide further concrete evidence that diet has a beneficial clinical effect over and above conventional drug treatment." (UEA 2012)

Another study showed the brain boosting of chocolate. The evaluation of chocolate, wine, and tea was studied in relationship cognitive performance amongst 2031 participants, 51% women. The results showed a positive association between all three foods and cognitive performance, in a dose dependent matter!

Stress and Chocolate

Is it the naturally occurring magnesium that calms the brain, the arginine and and other amino acid profile that can build mood supporting neurotransmitters, or the dilatory effects of the theobromine content that bring oxygen to our brain, that explain why chocolate may calm our stressers? It's not conclusive, but the fact that chocolate helps mood can be unscientifically validated by any woman. Now, research is echoing our drive for chocolate:

The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed. Everyone's favorite treat also partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances.

A Cautionary Word

All these positive effects of chocolate! Still, don't go too crazy on processed milk chocolate bars! The studies are all using dark, unprocessed cocoa that has high flavonoid content. Milk chocolate does not contain the beneficial content of these flavonoids and can be full of ingredients that many are sensitive to, such as milk, sugar, and gluten.

Remember to also check out my latest blog at www.dr-lobisco.com!

Controversy # 2 - To Soy or Not to Soy?

2012-03-15T17:13:30Z

My latest blog discusses the road blocks to eating healthy in our modern society. It's hard to deny that one of the main contributors to our obesity epidemic is the increased consumption of over-processed sugary carbohydrates. Still, it's hard to drop that cannoli when we are swayed daily to make fast paced food decisions, that don't necessarily favor nurturing our bodies with a well cooked and planned meal.

A wave of dietary books on paleolithic eating and cutting carbs has become a solution by many health experts to slim down America. Still, many dislike the idea, or taste of, a more animal based diet...so the situation brings to question, "Is Soy ok?"

Well, first, let me say as far as for eating more protein, I agree that its a solution for balancing blood sugar, decreasing cravings, and trending away toward sugary treats (read my latest blog at www.dr-lobisco.com for why). I recommend healthy, organic meats and wild caught fish, various nuts, seeds, and legumes. But Soy?

Let's look at this... onto soy..... or not to soy....

It's been exalted, it's been cursed, it's caused mass confusion, it's created great debate amongst health experts......I'm talking about soy. Poor little bean!

Below is a summary on the controversy and the rebuttal from two famous medical doctors.

Side 1: Villain (Dr. Mercola)

Soy. Many protein bars contain soy, either as their dominant or secondary source of protein. The soy industry's media blitz has been so phenomenally successful that nearly everyone has been brainwashed into thinking soy is actually healthy.
Enlightened consumers avoid unfermented soy because it contains:
High levels of phytic acid, which reduces assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc - and is known to cause growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders.
Phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and can potentially cause fertility problems and breast cancer.
The processing of soy protein forms a toxin, lysinolalanine, and a carcinogen, nitrosamines. Soy also has high aluminum levels, which are toxic to your nervous system and kidneys.
Furthermore, soy increases your requirements for vitamin D and B12... and hinders thyroid function, making it extremely challenging to lose weight, besides other problems.
Worse yet, soy is one of the world's most genetically modified products.
The bottom line? In my opinion, soy is NOT a health food. Soy's media hype only makes you believe it is.

Source: Dr. Mercola. "Chocolate Breakthrough: Eat This to Help Build Muscles and Fight Aging". March 8, 2012. http://proteinpowder.mercola.com/whey-protein-bars.html?e_cid=20120308_DNL_art_1

Side 2: Questionable Hero:

The Soy Controversy (Dr. Hyman)

Breast Cancer
How soy lands in the "harm" camp has to do with the protein receptors contained in and on the surface of many human cells, including cancer cells. Receptors have a particular affinity for certain molecules and are very finicky about what shaped molecule they will accept. It must be a fit, like a key fits a lock. The hook-up is important because it tells a cell how to behave. It can be a neurotransmitter chemical or a hormone such as estrogen, even a specially designed drug. Some "keys" will activate a cell's activity (agonist) and some will block one from occurring (antagonist). Studies show soy can do both. Cells can't distinguish soy molecules' plant-derived estrogens from human estrogen because it has the same shaped key. Some cancer cells have estrogen receptors that fuel their growth. In fact, one treatment strategy for women with estrogen-positive breast cancer is to rid or block the body of any estrogen. The theory holds that the phytoestrogens in soy may act similarly to human estrogen causing breast cancer cells to grow. On the other side of the argument, some think that the plant estrogen could protect against breast cancer by hedging into the receptor slot in place of human estrogen, derailing estrogen's ability to fuel cancer growth. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (December 2009) tracked 5,000 women with breast cancer living in Shanghai, China and found that those who ate diets high in soy - more than 15 grams a day - had a 29% reduced risk of death and a 32% decrease in the risk of cancer recurrence.

Thyroid:
A review of the research found no significant effects of soy on the thyroid except in people who are iodine deficient -- a condition that is rare in this country.Another well-designed study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (iii) studied the effect of realistic amounts of soy protein on hormones, including thyroid hormone. It found that soy had no significant effects on these hormones.

Baby Formula Yet the only large, long-term study on humans, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, (ii) found that there were no major health differences in 811 men and women between the ages of 20 and 34 who had been fed either soy or milk formula as infants.More recently, a report issued by the National Toxicology Program Center for the Evaluation of Risks to Human Reproduction concluded that there just isn't enough human or animal data to say for sure whether soy formula harms a baby's developmental or reproductive health.

Bottom Line:
When you are considering the media reports about soy, here are some things to remember:
1. The dangers of soy are overstated (and the benefits may be, too).
2. We eat far too much processed soy (and processed foods in general). Stay away from those in your diet including soy protein concentrates or isolates, hydrolyzed or textured vegetable protein, hydrogenated soy bean oil, non-organic sources of soy, and soy junk food like soy cheese and ice cream. Don't eat them. 3. Whole soy foods can be a source of good quality protein and plant compounds that help promote health.
4. Eat only organic soy. Stay away from genetically modified versions.
5. Replace soy oil with olive oil, fish oil, nuts, and seeds.

Source: Hyman, M. Dr. Hyman's Discussion about Soy on the Dr. Oz Show. September 9, 2010. http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/09/29/dr-oz-show-soy/

My opinion:

Here's my take. I do concur that fermented and non-GMO soy products are the way to go if one consumes soy. Dr. Hyman and Dr. Mercola agree with me, yeah! :) It's known that non-organic soy does contain aluminum, GMO, pesticides, and many imbalanced phytohormones from processing.

I enjoy Dr. Hyman's suggestions because it puts it back to bio-individuality and to the very educated consumers or practitioners hand. It's true with any food, for some man it's a cure, another a poison. How do you know? Listen to your body, if your confused, research and ask for help. That's what we're here for!

Now, click over to my "Drop the Cannoli, Grab a Whole Food" blog on my homepage and read about other hints to get back into your optimal food vibe! :)

What are your thoughts??

.....I'd like to hear from you.......

The Statin-Cholesterol Controversy Continues

2012-03-09T16:32:10Z

New Labeling on This Popular Class of Cholesterol Medication Sparks Hot debate in Medicine

By Sarah LoBisco, ND

In February, the FDA issued a change to the labels of various statin medications. These changes included:

1. A warning of increased Hemoglobin A1c levels (a lab measure of the average amount of glucose in your blood)

2. A warning of increased risk of cognitive impairment

3. The discontinuation of monitoring liver enzymes with treatment. Instead, measuring liver function enzymes is encouraged at the start of treatment

4. Lovastatin included additional warnings in that should not be used in combination with certain antiretrovirals, antifungals, and certain macrolide antibiotics and their derivatives.

An article in Medscape describes the reasons for the changes:

February 28, 2012 (Silver Spring, Maryland) -- Taking a statin can raise blood sugar and glycosylated hemoglobin HbA1c levels, according to a new labeling change approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today for the entire drug class [1].

As reported by heartwire , recent studies of popular statins showed a significant increase in the risk of diabetes mellitus associated with high-dose statin therapy. The Justification for the Use of Statins in Primary Prevention: An Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER) trial showed a 27% increase in diabetes mellitus in patients taking rosuvastatin compared to placebo. Also, the Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy: Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 22 (PROVE-IT TIMI 22) substudy showed that high-dose atorvastatin can worsen glycemic control.

The labeling changes approved by the FDA also include new information on the potential for usually minor and reversible cognitive side effects. Also, the label for lovastatin has been significantly updated to provide information on contraindications and dose limitations for the drug in patients taking other medicines that may increase the risk for muscle injury.

The FDA says it is also eliminating the recommendation that patients on statins undergo routine periodic monitoring of liver enzymes, because this approach is ineffective in detecting and preventing the "rare and unpredictable" serious liver injuries related to statins. Statin therapy should be interrupted if the patient shows signs of serious liver injury, hyperbilirubinemia, or jaundice. The statin therapy should not be restarted if the drugs cannot be ruled out as a cause of the problems, the labeling will now state.

This sounds very similar to me....oh, I know why. Remember, I wrote about it in 2009?..... on this very site:

In this article, Dr. Diva explains the biochemistry behind high blood sugar and cholesterol. While traveling in the blood stream, glucose interacts with proteins such as the collagen in arterial walls and the lipoproteins of cholesterol. This interaction creates a cross-linkage through a process called glycation resulting in protein and lipoprotein structural changes. The results are more rigid arteries and LDL cholesterol molecules with decreased efficiency in ridding the body of excess cholesterol- (2) major hits in causing damage to arterial walls. Furthermore, this issue is compounded in that it increases the risk for developing insulin resistance, a major factor in developing type 2 diabetes.(http://www.saratoga.com/living-well/2009/08/blood-sugar-and-cholesterol.html.)

Doctors are being informed of the changes and being encouraged that the benefits outweigh the warnings. Furthermore, some evidence dose exist that statins have prevented some cardiovascular deaths.I agree to a point, in relation to prevention of secondary heart attacks in men. However, do the risks outweigh the benefits? Hmmm.

In 2011, I spoke about the the cholesterol-heart link and the studies proving their effectiveness:

Recently, I was fortunate to hear a seminar with Dr. White, an integrative DC & Nutritionist. He concluded:

The original study of cholesterol done in the 1960s on approximately 240,000 subjects found that cholesterol levels above 300 directly associated itself with an increased risk of heart disease. What was also reported in the same study also was that cholesterol less than 130 directly associated itself with an increased risk of cancer.

Furthermore, we need to look at the individual and what is the best treatment for each individual. If inflammation and cholesterol is dangerously high, perhaps the short term use of statin medications could be helpful in preventing damage to the heart. However, what about the connection between a change in lifestyle that not only produces lowered cholesterol levels, from the body healing, but other positive benefits. As Mark Hyman, MD reports:

I recall reading a scientific paper in the Journal of the American Medical Association a number of years ago by Dr. David Jenkins from the University of Toronto. He showed that using a combination of soy, fiber, almonds, and plant sterols (cholesterol-lowering fats) could lower cholesterol levels as much as statin medications.(i) Diet can lower cholesterol as much as statins--a surprise to many but common in my practice. Using a comprehensive approach of diet and lifestyle change, I routinely see effects that are more powerful than any medication. That was not why the article struck me. It was a finding buried in the text of the paper.

What I found fascinating was that the patients who lowered their cholesterol with statins had higher levels of insulin, while those who lowered their cholesterol through diet had lower insulin levels.

In closing, I'd like to reverberate what I wrote in my above mentioned blog:

High cholesterol in itself is not necessary an issue. The problem lies in when the cholesterol gets oxidized or inflamed and sticks to artery walls. Correcting hormonal imbalances, high blood sugar, sources of infection and inflammation, and addressing stress all can prevent this unwanted effect.

As a Naturopathic and Functional Medical Doctor, I practice upstream medicine. This means, I am looking for the cause of the problem. Blaming cholesterol for heart disease is like blaming a witness at the scene of the crime. We need to look at why the body is producing the cholesterol.

Cholesterol is needed in the body for a variety functions, it forms a protective layer around every cell in your body. It is a pre-cursor to important sex hormones, fat-soluble vitamins (including Vitamin D!), and is needed to make bile salts for the breakdown and use of dietary fats. Cholesterol is found in large amounts in the brain, adrenal gland, and nervous system. It is estimated that the liver actually makes about 40-50% and that only 50% of cholesterol from food is absorbed.

Cholesterol is so vital for health of the body, if it is reduced to too low of an amount; the liver is put to work and produces more. Due to its variety of functions, cutting it down so low, below 200, could be causing negative side effects outside of the heart. (http://www.dr-lobisco.com/is-cholesterol-the-bad-guy/.)

You can find additional information on my website and this site.

References:

Reed Miller. FDA Adds Warnings to Statin Label. Medscape Today. 2/28/12. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/759335?src=ptalk.

Howard S. Weintraub, MD. The Statin Labeling Changes: Don't be Spooked. Medscape Today. 3/6/12. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/759735?src=ptalk.

Laurie Scudder. Statins: The Story Behind the Label Changes. An Expert Interview with FDA's AMy G. Egan. 3/6/12. Medscape Today. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/759736?src=ptalk.

Michael Mogadam, MD .Statins and Risk for Diabetes: Deconstructing a Flawed Study. Medscape Today. 2/24/12.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/759041?src=ptalk.

Brenda Goodman.Stroke Risk Triples After a Decade with Diabetes. WebMD. 3/1/12. http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20120301/stroke-risk-triples-after-decade-with-diabetes?ecd=wnl_hyp_030812.

Hyman. M. Do Statins Cause Diabetes and Heart Disease. Huffington Post. 9/10/10. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/do-statins-cause-diabetes_b_712929.html.

The Problem with Killing Bugs

2012-03-03T04:22:29Z

The problem with antibiotic resistance and the inefficiency of treatment of "superbugs" continues to make headlines in various medical journals. One solution has been a rush to create stronger antibiotics to these mighty pathogens that are resistant to last year's most powerful antibiotic. However, the resultant solutions seem to only strengthen these powerful critters morphing power. For example Mr. MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus ) becomes Mr. VRSA (vancomycin-resistant staphylococcus aureus).

What happens when our most powerful weapons against these invaders fail? The creation of fear amongst the physicians and their patients diagnosed with these bugs hoping they won't escape the local site of invasion and create systemic damage. What to do?

First, remove the obstacle that is making more and more of these super-mighty-bug-critters. For example, various studies have demonstrated that one reason for antibiotic resistance is from an overuse of them. Various studies have shown that "bacterial symptoms" were actually due to different types of pathogens, such as a virus or fungus. Secondly, let's stop eating excessive antibiotics in conventionally raised farm animals. More exposure means more opportunity for these bugs to learn to morph.

See, the body's balance of microbiotia is in a delicate balance. Medicine is getting confused with treating the overgrowth of beneficial bacteria, already present in the body with specific functions, and killing off a pathogenic bacteria that enters an immune compromised system, in the same manner.

In one of the latest articles on this subject from my February 2012 issue of Holistic Primary Care, Dr. Ivker describes how the reflux approach to reach for antibiotics isn't working:

Despite the conclusions of the important studies cited above, physicians continue to reflexively prescribe antibiotics to treat the problem. In the vast majority of cases these patients do NOT have a bacterial infection that would respond to an antibiotic. It's nearly always caused by either a virus (typically a cold virus) or some other allergic or environmental trigger causing severe inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the nose and sinuses.

Overuse Drives Overgrowth

Rather than treating the underlying causes of sinusitis, antibiotics instead dramatically reduce the population of beneficial bacteria living in a homeostatic relationship with candida (yeast/fungus) in the respiratory and GI tract. This reduction, coupled with the fact that the good bacteria are the "natural predators" of the candida (primary food source for the probiotics), then creates a significant imbalance and a candida overgrowth. When candida is allowed to overgrow, it begins to release toxins that can have a devastating effect on the surrounding tissue, causing severe inflammation to the lining of the respiratory and GI tracts, as well as throughout the body, e.g. inflammation of joints and muscles, multiple food sensitivities and environmental allergies, extreme fatigue, weakening of the immune system.

The body has a unique ability to restore its own balance. As Integrative doctors, there are many tools to aid this process. Therefore, why not support the body's ability to protect itself, rather than giving something that may only kill off symptoms or create more problems that may be even more harmful than the initial invasion?

In a recent study with 166 adults randomized to the antibiotic amoxicillin vs. placebo, there was no improvement of symptoms at day 3 of treatment, but at day 7 the amoxicillin group did have some symptom improvement. However, there was no secondary symptomatic difference seen between the two groups after 10 days. Maybe the body just needed time?

Furthermore, antibiotics aren't without side effects. According to Dr. Ivker:

According to a 2008 article in Clinical Infectious Diseases, more than 142,000 people are rushed to the emergency room each year from adverse reactions to antibiotics, and an estimated 70,000 of those cases may be a result of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions (Shenab N, et al. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;47(6):735-43). Over 100,000 Americans die every year from prescription drugs, many of which are antibiotics. In fact, medical treatment is the third leading cause of death (250,000 deaths per year) in the US, behind heart disease and cancer. There are over 13 million antibiotics prescribed each year in the US for sinusitis.

My conclusion:
It's important to know when to use the heavy hitting weapons of antibiotics and when to teach the body to be its own superhero. For example, when the infection is too high for the body to recover, antibiotics should be employed. However, if the issue is about balancing the terrain, there are many other options. The point is, give the correct treatment for the correct bug AS the obstacles to health are removed and the immune system is modulated by various other methods.

For more information on how to support the body verses fighting it, visit my website at dr-lobisco.com.

Sources:

Garbutt, J, Banister, C, Spitznagel, J, Piccrillo, J. Amoxicillin for Acute Rhinosinusitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA. 2012;307(7):685-692. doi: 10.1001/jama.2012.138

Ivker, R. Amoxicillin No Better Than Placebo for Sinusitis. Holistic Primary Care. February 2012.

Mayo Clinic. MRSA. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mrsa/DS00735/DSECTION=symptoms

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Two Factors Contributing to Aging- Weight gain and Furctose & EMFs and Brain Health

2012-02-25T00:11:18Z

FUN FACTS:

Decrease Aging by Avoiding Fattening Fructose

We've heard of the dangers of fructose and how it's linked to everything from obesity to liver disease. How can such a sweet thing be so bad for us? Dr. Mercola recently explained the biochemistry of this liver harming, appetite affecting, weight gaining substance:

Fructose Metabolism Basics

Anyone who still insists that "sugar is sugar" is way behind the times... There are in fact major differences in how your body processes different sugars, and it's important to understand that when you consume fructose, your body packs on pounds at a much higher rate than it does when you consume glucose. The following summary details the main metabolic differences between fructose and glucose to help you understand how fructose can wreak such havoc with your health, and why it's considerably worse for you than glucose:

After eating fructose, nearly all of the metabolic burden rests on your liver. But with glucose, your liver has to break down only 20 percent.
Every cell in your body, including your brain, utilizes glucose. Therefore, much of it is "burned up" immediately after you consume it. By contrast, fructose is primarily converted into free fatty acids (FFAs), VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides, which get stored as fat.
The fatty acids created during fructose metabolism accumulate as fat droplets in your liver and skeletal muscle tissues, causing insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Insulin resistance progresses to metabolic syndrome and type II diabetes.
Fructose is the most lipophilic carbohydrate. In other words, fructose converts to activated glycerol (g-3-p), which is directly used to turn FFAs into triglycerides. The more g-3-p you have, the more fat you store. Glucose does not do this.
When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Fructose is essentially largely converted into fat!
The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which triggers your "fat switch," causing you to gain more weight.
Glucose does not do this, as it suppresses the hunger hormone ghrelin and stimulates leptin, which suppresses your appetite. Fructose has no effect on ghrelin and interferes with your brain's communication with leptin, resulting in overeating.

Good news, there are ways to handle your sweet tooth. Dr. Mercola offers more suggestions on:

How to Tame Your Sugar Cravings

As mentioned earlier, I recommend that you avoid as much sugar as possible. Do your best to keep your fructose consumption below 15-25 grams a day. This is especially important if you are overweight or have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.

Sugar is highly addictive, so cutting down can be a real challenge for some, especially if you're consuming very high amounts. If you're struggling with sugar addiction, I highly recommend trying an energy psychology technique called Turbo Tapping, which has helped many "soda addicts" kick their sweet habit. If you still want to use a sweetener occasionally, here's what I recommend in lieu of sugar:

Use the sweet herb stevia.
Use organic cane sugar in moderation.
Use organic raw honey in moderation.
Avoid ALL artificial sweeteners, which can damage your health even more quickly than fructose.
Avoid agave syrup since it is a highly processed sap that is almost all fructose. Your blood sugar will spike just as it would if you were consuming regular sugar or HFCS. Agave's meteoric rise in popularity is due to a great marketing campaign, but any health benefits present in the original agave plant are processed out.

Source: Mercola, J. Avoid this Food to Help Slow Aging. February 22, 2012. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/02/22/how-sugar-accelerates-aging.aspx?e_cid=20120222_DNL_art_1

Reducing EMF Exposure

There's a great debate in medicine on exactly how EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies) affect our health. I wrote about this in a past blog on my website (see contact information). Below is another excerpt from Dr Mercola on his perspective on how modern technology is affecting our health:

It's worth remembering that the telecommunication industry is much larger than the medical industrial complex, and they have far more influence than the drug companies. They're also mirroring many of the same tactics as the tobacco industry to pedal their wares. This includes attempting to discredit researchers who publish unfavorable cell phone studies.

According to Camilla Rees, MBA of ElectromagneticHealth.org:

"We have seen a recent steep increase in disparagement of scientific research where the research demonstrates risks to public health from telecommunications technologies. It is very clear that in the name of "debate" certain parties are aggressively creating confusion and doubt about the biological and health risks, shamefully supporting the interests of the telecommunications industry."

There is already robust scientific evidence that cell phones and other wireless devices pose significant health risks to all of us, and especially to children and pregnant women. So while these findings are not being widely publicized as of yet, it makes sense to take action now to protect yourself and your children. You can help to minimize your exposure to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones and other wireless devices by heeding the following advice:

Children Should Always Avoid Using Cell Phones: Barring a life-threatening emergency, children should not use a cell phone, or a wireless device of any type. Children are far more vulnerable to cell phone radiation than adults, because of their thinner skull bones.
Reduce Your Cell Phone Use: Turn your cell phone off more often. Reserve it for emergencies or important matters. As long as your cell phone is on, it emits radiation intermittently, even when you are not actually making a call. If you're pregnant, avoiding or reducing your cell phone use may be especially important.
Use a Land Line at Home and at Work: Although more and more people are switching to using cell phones as their exclusive phone contact, it is a dangerous trend and you can choose to opt out of the madness. SKYPE offers a portable number via your computer that can plug into any Ethernet port while traveling.
Reduce or Eliminate Your Use of Other Wireless Devices: You would be wise to cut down your use of these devices. Just as with cell phones, it is important to ask yourself whether or not you really need to use them as often as you do. And most importantly, do not even consider having any electronic or wireless devices in the bedroom that will interfere with the quality of your sleep.If you must use a portable home phone, use the older kind that operates at 900 MHz. They are not safer during calls, but at least many of them do not broadcast constantly even when no call is being made.Note the only way to truly be sure if there is an exposure from your cordless phone is to measure with an electrosmog meter, and it must be one that goes up to the frequency of your portable phone (so old meters won't help much). As many portable phones are 5.8 Gigahertz, we recommend you look for RF meters that go up to 8 Gigahertz, the highest range now available in a meter suitable for consumers.Alternatively you can be very careful with the base station placement as that causes the bulk of the problem since it transmits signals 24/7, even when you aren't talking. So if you can keep the base station at least three rooms away from where you spend most of your time, and especially your bedroom, they may not be as damaging to your health. Another option is to just simply turn the portable phone off, only using it when you specifically need the convenience of moving about while on a call.Ideally it would be helpful to turn off your base station every night before you go to bed.You can find RF meters as well as remediation supplies at www.emfsafetystore.com. But you can pretty much be sure your portable phone is a problem if the technology is DECT, or digitally enhanced cordless technology.
Use Your Cell Phone Only Where Reception is Good: The weaker the reception, the more power your phone must use to transmit, and the more power it uses, the more radiation it emits, and the deeper the dangerous radio waves penetrate into your body. Ideally, you should only use your phone with full bars and good reception.
Also Seek to Avoid Carrying Your Phone on Your Body as that merely maximizes any potential exposure. Ideally put it in your purse or carrying bag. Placing a cell phone in a shirt pocket over the heart is asking for trouble, as is placing it in a man's pocket if he seeks to preserve his fertility.
Don't Assume One Cell Phone is Safer Than Another: There's no such thing as a "safe" cell phone.
Keep Your Cell Phone Away From Your Body When it is On: The most dangerous place to be, in terms of radiation exposure, is within about six inches of the emitting antenna. You do not want any part of your body within that area.
Respect Others Who are More Sensitive: Some people who have become sensitive can feel the effects of others' cell phones in the same room, even when it is on but not being used. If you are in a meeting, on public transportation, in a courtroom or other public places, such as a doctor's office, keep your cell phone turned off out of consideration for the 'second hand radiation' effects. Children are also more vulnerable, so please avoid using your cell phone near children.
If you are using the Pong case, which redirects the cell phone radiation away from the head and successfully lowers the SAR effect, realize that in redirecting the radiation away from your head this may be intensifying the radiation in another direction, perhaps toward the person next to you, or, if in your pocket, increasing radiation intensity toward your body. Caution is always advised in dealing with any radiation-emitting device. We recommend cell phones be kept 'Off' except for emergencies.
Use Safer Headset Technology: Wired headsets will certainly allow you to keep the cell phone farther away from your body. However, if a wired headset is not well-shielded -- and most of them are not -- the wire itself acts as an antenna attracting ambient radio waves and transmitting radiation directly to your brain.Make sure that the wire used to transmit the signal to your ear is shielded.The best kind of headset to use is a combination shielded wire and air-tube headset. These operate like a stethoscope, transmitting the information to your head as an actual sound wave; although there are wires that still must be shielded, there is no wire that goes all the way up to your head.