For many years I have told clients and seminar audiences that our bodies were not made to eat rocks, though the calcium supplements most often used by Americans are just that — calcium carbonate.  For this reason we have always told our clients to only use chelated minerals, that is, minerals that are bonded with an amino acid to make it more like the minerals found in food.  Chelated minerals are identified on labels with names including:  amino acid chelate, citrate, aspartate, orotate, malate, et. al.  

The other big error with mineral supplementation concerns calcium only supplements.  My counsel is never take a calcium only mineral supplement.   Our bones aren’t just made of calcium, but rather of many minerals and trace minerals, all of which are fundamental to bone health.  This is especially true of magnesium, which has a tandem relationship with calcium — increasing calcium levels create relative magnesium deficiencies and vice-versa.  Magnesium is probably the most significant nutrient for cardiovascular health in general and for preventing heart attacks in particular.  Thus, it’s no big surprise that the people in this study who were taking “calcium only” supplements had increased heart attack incidence.  Robert Thompson, M.D., in his book, The Calcium Lie, echoes this sentiment, noting that bone is composed of at least a dozen minerals. He states that exclusively focusing on calcium may not only worsen bone density, but also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, gallstones, arthritis, obesity, thyroid disorders, and type 2 diabetes.

Besides magnesium, other minerals that are key to bone density are boron, vanadium, silicon, and strontium.  Consequently, a multi-mineral from chelated sources is what we have always recommended at Pacific Health Center.   As always, our individualized LSA testing will best indicate the most compatible chelated mineral supplement for your body, but even without testing, be sure to you’re using a good chelated multi-mineral such as our Mineral Complex, Osteogenesis, Multi-Minerals, Spectramin Chelate, Mega Min, etc.  Your questions and comments are always welcome.

– Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist

Every Fall the marketing hype begins to “get your flu shot” and every Fall I tell our Pacific Health Center clients and product customers that there are superior natural alternatives to for flu and other winter illness prevention.   As discussed in Better Health Update #61 “Flu Shots–Yes or No?” (available at http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/blog/?page_id=119), there’s always new information coming out on this subject.

• I recently read that British epidemiologist, Dr. Tom Jefferson, stated that “he can’t see any reason” for vaccinating anyone against flu and that it does nothing to save lives.  A meta-analysis by the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews with lead researcher, Dr. Roger Thomas noted the following:

Flu shots had no effect on laboratory confirmed influenza

There was no proof that flu shots decreased influenza or pneumonia or deaths from either

• Five studies between 1997 and 2009 found that immunizing nursing home workers had no effect in protecting the elderly from the flu.

• The October 2008 issue of Archives of Pediatric & adolescent Medicine reported that vaccinating younger children for the flu neither reduce hospitalizations nor doctor visits.

• Studies both in Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that flu shots had no effect on preventing pneumonia in older people.

And on it goes!  So what can you do?  We suggest three things, not only for flu, but for winter illness prevention in general:

• Flu Nosode (Flu Prevention Homeopathic) – We have over many years found taking this homeopathic remedy just once a week during flu season almost always has a strong preventive effect (I only know of one or two people over many years who were taking this and still got the flu).

• Collagen Forte — The L-Lysine amino acid strengthens the connective tissue, preventing microorganism invasion.  This supplement also includes the related amino acid, L-Proline, and Vitamin C, which has a similar infection preventive action.

• Vitamin D 5000 — As more doctors are running vitamin D blood tests, they’re discovering most people have vitamin D deficiency, especially in the winter.  This, in part, likely accounts for the greater incidence of sickness at this time of the year.  Some authorities even speculate that flu is little more than vitamin D deficiency.

These 3 products comprise our FLU PREVENTION SPECIAL, available for $49 (Regularly $58.50) and available at the following link (copy & paste) or phone 800-255.4246:

http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/shop/product-list.php?Special_Offers-pg1-cid34.html

Be healthy this winter . . . let us help!

Monte Kline, Ph.D.

For every 5 nanograms per milliliter increase in vitamin D levels, the risk of developing diabetes dropped by 8%

An Australian study, reported by the American Diabetes Association, found that individuals with low blood levels of vitamin D had a 57% increase in diabetes.  The U. S. National Institutes of Health is doing a study to determine if vitamin D supplementation can prevent Type II Diabetes. 

Among other things vitamin D has been found to prevent some types of cancer, boost immunity, help depression, lower blood pressure, and improve bone density, just to name a few.  

I think it’s really, really important to know exactly what your vitamin D level is, since too little or too much is a problem.   This is one area where I highly recommend blood tests.  If you don’t want to go through the hassle of going through your MD (and pay for an office visit) just to get “permission” to have a vitamin D blood test, I have good news.  Several online labs are available where you pay for the test, print out the authorization to take to the lab, and get your results emailed to you.  I did this on my last vitamin D blood test and had the results in my email later that day.  It sure beats all the hassle and extra cost of getting this key information through your MD (I do this now for all my personal blood tests).  I have found the cheapest online lab for the 25′ Hydroxy Vitamin D blood test ($50).  Email me for details.

Pacific Health Center carries six different vitamin D products, the most popular of which is our Vitamin D 5000 tablet, which is an appropriate dosage for most people.  Details are available at the following link:

http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/shop/product-list.php?pg1-cid37.html

– Monte Kline

Splenda has been promoted as a “natural” product, as a “healthy” sugar alternative.  It is neither.  Sucralose is chlorinated sugar, but a little discussion of chemistry is in order here.  A lot of things are chlorine compounds that are fairly innocuous, but Sucralose involves a type of chlorine compound that is never found in nature. 

In nature chlorine compounds have ionic bonds which easily dissociate.   However Sucralose has three covalent bonds (binding three molecules of chlorine to one molecule of sugar) which do not easily dissociate.  This synthetic chemical therefore becomes akin to three famous toxins:

1. DDT

2. PCB’s

3. Dioxin (Agent Orange)

When are we ever going to get it straight that the body God made has to run on natural food, not on man-made chemicals?  There are many possible ramifications to this.  As I’ve been discussing in my articles, emails and videos on our hCG Weight Loss Program, the usage of low calorie foods, including artificial sweeteners, is one of the main reasons Americans have gotten so fat in the past twenty or thirty years.  People buy this junk thinking they’re going to lose weight, but they just keep getting fatter.  That motivates them to buy even more low-cal diet foods, and on it goes.

I wrote a Better Health Update about Artificial Sweeteners a while back that’s available at the link below:

http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/blog/?page_id=106

Dr. Mercola also has an excellent article on Splenda on his website which can be accessed at the link below:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/20/absurd-new-ways-splenda-is-deceiving-you.aspx

Monte Kline, Clinical Nutritionist

65 times more powerful than vitamin C

54 times more powerful than beta-carotene

14 times more powerful than vitamin E

Well, I would call it a “super-nutrient.”  It’s a carotenoid pigment called astaxanthin.  This fairly inexpensive nutritional supplement crosses both the “blood-brain” barrier and the “blood-retinal” barrier, unlike “eye supplements” like beta-carotene and lycopene.  Thus, this antioxidant is of special benefit to eyes and brain, with potentially helpful for cataracts, macular degeneration, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.  But there’s more:

Astaxanthin is noted for increasing energy and athletic performance, as reported by athlete’s all over the globe.  Anyone that’s marveled at salmon climbing waterfalls or fish ladders at our dams here in the Northwest will immediately get the picture.  How in the world do salmon get that amazing energy and stamina?  It’s astaxanthin.  Salmon get this from consuming large amounts of a microalgae called Haematoccous pluvialis.  This carotenoid pigment is what makes salmon flesh pink.  If it allows salmon to jump up waterfalls, think what it might do for your energy.

Another fascinating property of astaxanthin relates to sun exposure.  This antioxidant improves skin tolerance to sun exposure, lowering the risk of getting sunburned.  I’ve related in previous articles the importance of getting some sun exposure for vitamin D and other health benefits.  Astaxanthin makes sun exposure less risky.

Though I’m sure we’ll keep learning more benefits of this super-nutrient, let me add just one more for now:  Astaxanthin is a great anti-inflammatory.  So we are now testing this as part of our “Joint & Muscle Remedy Collection” with the LSA testing. 

Bottom-line, I encourage you to try out Astaxanthin and see what you find.  Suggested dosage is just one of our 4 mg gel caps per day, so our 60 gel cap bottle lasts one person two months and costs just $22.00.  It can be ordered on our website at the link below:

http://www.pacifichealthcenter.com/shop/product-info.php?Astaxanthin-pid1054.html

– Monte Kline, Ph.D.

Prior to his death in the late 1980′s, I was privileged to know cancer researcher, Harold Manner, Ph.D., formerly Chairman of the Biology Dept. at Loyola University in Chicago, who was my first mentor.  For his research on Laetrile he was, under pressure from the government, drummed out of his tenured university postion, spending his final days working with cancer patients in Mexico.  When he was being attacked Dr. Jonas Salk contacted him, telling him to “stick to his guns,” since Salk noted he was the most persecuted by the polio charities when he came out with his vaccine — a vaccine that put them out of business.

The 2 big lies of cancer prevention routinely dished out by the American Cancer Society are that you prevent cancer by:

1. Mammography

2. Avoiding sun exposure

The reality is the both mammography and staying out of the sun are causes of cancer.  To learn more about ACS’s financial connection to the mammography industry, the cancer drug industry, and even the pesticide industry, read the whole article at Dr. Mercola’s website at the link below:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/05/24/american-cancer-society–more-interested-in-wealth-than-health.aspx

Monte Kline

Prior to the study all the children had been eating the regular pesticide-containing supermarket foods.  Then for five consecutive days they were fed organic (non-pesticide containing) foods.  The researchers found that the pesticides dropped to non-detectable levels by the following day!  When regular supermarket foods were introduced, the pesticide levels went right back up. 

Keep in mind that the study was only measuring the urinary output of the pesticide toxins.  Though these levels immediately went down, they were not measuring the extent to which pesticides had also been deposited in the fat cells.  Getting at those fat cell toxins is best approached with homeopathic detoxification, as we do with our hCG Weight Loss Program (though these remedies can be used by anyone, whether you’re overweight or not).

– Monte Kline

DO:

1.        Eat fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

2.       Eat whole grain, sugar-free breads (unless yeast/wheat sensitive).

3.       Eat whole grain cereals.

4.       Use natural sweeteners–raw honey, blackstrap molasses, genuine maple syrup.

5.        Use coconut oil and/or olive oil.

6.       Use butter or Butter-Oil Spread (see p. 26).

7.        Drink rice milk (as cow’s milk substitute).

8.       Eat sugar-free (but not artificially sweetened) frozen sorbet or yogurt (as ice cream substitute).

9.       Drink herb teas or herbal coffee substitutes.

10.     Drink sugar-free carbonated mineral waters (instead of soft drinks).

11.      Drink distilled, structured water.

12.      Read ingredient labels–be wary of eating anything you can’t pronounce!

DON’T:

1.        Eat refined sugar in any form (white sugar, brown sugar, “raw” sugar, turbinado sugar, cane sugar, cane syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, etc.) or artificial sweeteners (aspartame, Splenda, etc.)

2.       Eat refined flour products in any form (white bread, caramel, colored “brown” breads, white flour crackers, white flour pastas, etc.)

3.       Eat refined cereals (most packaged grocery store cereals, “instant” hot cereals).

4.       Eat canned fruits and vegetables.

5.        Eat refined, chemically-extracted vegetable oils (most grocery store oils like Wesson, Saffola, Mazola, etc.).

6.       Eat shortening or lard.

7.        Fried foods (except stir-fried in olive or canola oil).

8.       Eat pork products.

9.       Eat shellfish (lobster, crab, clam, scallops, etc.).

10.     Drink soft drinks (including “diet” and “caffeine-free”).

11.      Eat margarine.

12.      Eat pasteurized and/or homogenized cow’s milk.

13.      Eat ice cream.

14.      Drink tap water.

 SUGGESTED DIET

The most basic area of your program deals with what foods will be health-building for you and what foods will not.  In general, we can say that God provided food for mankind in a living, whole, unadulterated form.  We were created to eat this natural food.  High-tech agriculture and food poisoning, however, have turned much of our food into dead, refined, adulterated material.  Basically, in our program a healthy diet will be one that involves eating food as close to its natural, God-created form as possible.  My general counsel on diet might be reduced to the following principles:

Avoid all foods that contain refined sugars, refined flours, chemical food additives, or that are otherwise highly processed.

Another element must be considered however–food sensitivities.  There are some foods that are generally “good” for most people that may not be good for you because of a food sensitivity.  Such sensitivities to a food may produce indigestion, lowered energy levels, congestion, rapid pulse, skin reactions, weight gain, weight loss, and many other symptoms.  For this reason, foods showing such sensitivities on your evaluation are to be avoided until they test okay on a follow-up visit.

The following is a description of the basic categories of food identifying those that may generally be used and those that should generally be avoided.  Note:  Your individual Food Avoidance List which lists your specific sensitivities supersedes these guidelines–some of the foods listed as acceptable here may be listed there as unacceptable.  Explanatory notes in italics will hopefully explain “why” a particular food is bad.

Recognize that bad dietary habits are deeply ingrained.  Some changes may take some transition time.  We don’t necessarily expect you to master an ideal diet your first day.  On the other hand, the more thoroughly you follow this diet, the quicker your results will be.

BEVERAGES

Use:      Distilled water (most complete and consistent purification method–see discussion in Section VII)

Fresh fruit juice (frozen, unsweetened is next best)

Fresh vegetable juice (made in your own vegetable juicer or the kind purchased at health food stores like carrot juice)

Herb teas (no caffeine types; brands include “Celestial Seasonings,” Lipton, Bigelow, Trader Joes, and others saying “herbal tea”)

Carbonated mineral waters (unsweetened or sweetened with natural flavor; brands include “Talking Rain,” “Perrier,” “Calistoga,” and many others–read ingredient labels!)

Herbal Coffee Substitutes (Brands include “Pero,” “Caffix,” “Teechino”)

Avoid:          Coffee–regular OR decaffeinated (drug effect, gastro-intestinal irritant, interferes with mineral absorption, possible genetic damage, other numerous problems)

Tea (Black, caffeine-type tea has same problems as coffee)

Soft drinks (numerous harmful food additives with artificial colors and flavors, caffeine in colas, refined sugar or equally harmful artificial sweeteners)

Cocoa, hot chocolate (caffeine and sugar problems)

Canned and bottled (pasteurized) juice (nutrient loss through canning process)

Artificial fruit drinks (artificial flavorings, colorings, or other additives)

Alcohol (potentially addictive drug which acts as nervous system depressant)

DAIRY PRODUCTS 

Use:      Cow’s milk yogurt (plain without sugar, or fruit juice sweetened brands such as “Cascade Fresh,” “Mountain High,” or “Nancy’s”

Raw cow’s milk cheeses (brands include “Tillamook,” “Washington Cheese Co.,” “Greenbank Farms”)

Raw goat’s milk (does not have the allergic character of cow’s milk; generally tastes stronger; good quality goat’s milk tastes similar to cow’s milk, though most purchased in health food stores tends to be strong tasting)

Goat’s milk yogurt

Goat’s milk cheeses (taste as good or better than cow’s milk cheese; generally expensive though)

Butter (generally okay in limited amounts)

Butter-Oil Spread (a spread with higher unsaturated fatty acid content than butter or margarine can be made by mixing one pound soft butter with 10 oz. olive oil, then refrigerating)

Frozen Yogurt (“Honey Hill Farms,” “Alta-Dena,” or other sugar-free brands)

Avoid:          Pasteurized milk (high nutrient loss)

Pasteurized cheeses (high nutrient loss and usage sometimes of artificial colorings; sometimes for some recipe usages only a pasteurized cheese is available, such as Mozzarella or Ricotta usages)

“American” Cheese (e.g. “Velvetta”) (mostly a combination of artificial ingredients with practically no dairy product)

Margarine (a mixture of excessively heated and denatured vegetable oils with various artificial ingredients)

Ice Cream (a combination of sugar, pasteurized milk and the most disgusting list of food additives you’ll ever see, including chemicals used for anti-freeze, glue, and paint!)

Artificial Whipped Cream (e.g. “Cool Whip”) (an imitation food composed of various chemical colorings, flavorings, and stabilizers)

EGGS 

Use:      Free-running (preferably fertile) eggs–poached, boiled, or in baking (Naturally produced eggs sold in health food stores or by individuals with their own chickens are exposed to sunlight, can “scratch” for food, and are generally drug-free)

Avoid:          Supermarket “battery” eggs (chickens are crowded into small cages, drugged, under artificial light 24 hrs/day in these “assembly line” egg ranches; results in greater disease and less nutrition)

Fried eggs (“free radicals” and other harmful by-products of heating oils)

FISH 

Use:      Wild Fresh or frozen, broiled or baked fish (e.g. cod, halibut, sole, salmon, red snapper, mahi, etc.)

Avoid:          “Farmed” fish (crowded, more disease favoring conditions with questionable feeding practices)

               Fried or deep-fried fish (“free radical” and other harmful by-products of heating oils)

Breaded fish (e.g. fish sticks; refined flours, chemical additives, poor food combination)

Shellfish–crabs, clams, oysters, shrimp, scallops (scavenger animals identified in Old Testament dietary law and by modern science as toxic; see Better Health Update #29 “The Dietary Law.”

FRUIT 

Use:      All fresh fruit (except where sensitivities indicated) 

Unsulfured, dried fruits (sparingly)

Frozen, unsweetened fruit (if fresh unavailable)

Avoid:          Canned fruits, including home canned (high nutrient loss, refined sugar or artificial sweeteners)

Sweetened fruits (refined sugar or artificial sweeteners)

GRAINS 

Use:      Whole grain, sugar-free breads (unless yeast or wheat sensitive) 

Whole grain cereals–rolled oats, oat bran, 7 grain cereal

Granola (honey sweetened–no refined or even brown sugar)

Whole grain pancakes or waffles

Whole grain pastas

Whole grain crackers (Natural Ry Krisp, Ry-Vita, Wasa Rye, etc.)

Rice cakes

Avoid:          All white flour products (e.g. white bread, “wheat” bread that is mostly white flour with caramel coloring, pastas, crackers, macaroni, white rice, snack foods, most packaged cereals)

LEGUMES 

Use:      Any beans, lentils, split peas, garbanzo beans, etc. 

Avoid:          Peanuts (listed under nut section)

MEATS 

Use:      Turkey (naturally grown–drug free) 

Chicken (naturally grown–drug free)

Beef (naturally grown, drug free–limit to 3 times per week)

Lamb (only occasionally, as other red meat)

Deer, Elk or Moose (only occasionally, as with other red meat)

Goose or Duck (can have toxic contamination depending on where hunted)

Pheasant, quail, or other game birds (can have toxic contamination depending on where hunted)

Avoid:          All pork products–bacon, ham, sausage, salami, pepperoni, most lunch meats (scavenger animal according to Old Testament dietary law and confirmed by modern scientific studies–see Better Health Update #29 “The Dietary Law;” parasite ridden, hard to metabolize)

NUTS 

Use:      Fresh, raw, unsalted nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.)

Raw or roasted nut butters (almond butter, cashew butter, sesame butter, tahini, etc.)

Avoid:          Roasted and/or salted nuts, including “dry roasted” (the heating of oils produces free radicals and other harmful chemicals; though dry roasting is less harmful, it is still a problem; salt is generally a cardio-vascular irritant)

Peanuts, either raw or roasted (not a true nut, but a legume that can be rather hard to digest; most peanuts are dried in such a way as to promote afla toxin fungus growth–a potent carcinogen)

OILS

Use:      Virgin Organic Coconut Oil

               Olive Oil

Mayonnaise made from cold-pressed oil without preservatives (e.g. “Hain” or “Hollywood” health food store brands)

Avoid:          Refined, hydrogenated oils, unsaturated or saturated (the usual supermarket cooking and salad oils are chemically extracted and refined by heat processing; contain harmful trans fatty acids)

Polyunsaturated vegetable oils (corn oil, safflower oil) (recent studies suggest these oils may be highly carcinogenic as compared with mono-unsaturated oils like olive oil and canola)

Shortening, vegetable or animal (hydrogenation heat processing, harmful fats and free radical chemicals)

Lard (same problem as shortening plus being from pigs)

Margarine (produced by a high temperature, chemical processing of vegetable oil with chemical additives.

Canola Oil

SEASONINGS

Use:      Celtic Sea Salt (available at our office)

Garlic

Onion

Other herbs (chives, parsley, marjoram, oregano, etc.)

Tamari or other natural soy sauces (use only occasionally and then sparingly due to high salt content)

Avoid:          Table or “Sea” Salt (sodium content is too high tending to lower relative potassium; implicated in cardio-vascular disease; inorganic–not a food; also contains sugar in form of dextrose as anti-caking agent)

Lite-Salt (this is regular salt mixed with potassium chloride to lessen high sodium; still inorganic though)

Pepper (except for Cayenne) (irritant to gastro-intestinal tract)

SOUPS

Use:      All “made from scratch” soups, preferable without red meat (e.g., chicken, turkey, vegetable, barley, brown rice, potato, celery, etc.)

Health food store packaged or canned soups (free of chemical additives)

 Avoid:          Supermarket canned soups (refined sugar or flour, chemical additives)

Creamed soups (pasteurized milk problems)

Supermarket bouillon (chemical additives)

Fat stock (animal fats generally not healthful)

 SPROUTS

Use:      All okay–alfalfa, bean, radish, lentil, etc.

 Avoid:          None

 SWEETS

Use:      Raw honey (not heat processed or refined)

Blackstrap, unsulfured molasses (this is where most of the nutrients end up in the sugar refining process)

Pure maple syrup (not to be confused with the imitation maple syrup in supermarkets; the real product is quite expensive but is a natural product)

Slim Sweet (available at our clinic and in health food stores)

Stevia (herbal sweetener)

Dates

 Avoid:          All refined sugars–white brown, turbinado raw (no nutrition, disrupts blood sugar levels, dental decay, linked with cancer, arthritis, heart disease, etc.)

Chocolate (sugar, milk and caffeine problems as noted earlier)

Candy that contains refined sugars (same as sugar)

Syrups (same as sugar)

Corn Syrup (same as sugar)

VEGETABLES

Use:      All raw or steamed fresh vegetables

Steamed frozen vegetables (not as good as fresh, though)

Stir-fried vegetables in olive oil (occasionally)

Unsalted corn or tortilla chips (occasionally, preferably baked)

Baked potatoes (with skin)

Green leafy, red leafy, or romaine lettuce

Avoid:          All canned vegetables except condiment or recipe use of tomatoes, olives, etc. (nutrient loss)

Potato chips (heated oils, salt)

Salted or seasoning corn chips (heated oils, chemical additives, salt)

Iceberg head lettuce (little nutrient value, indigestible, slightly toxic as a member of the opiate family)

The 2010 pesticide review by the Environmental Working Group found these 12 fruits and vegetables the most pesticide-free, even when grown conventionally:

1. Onions
2. Pineapple
3. Asparagus
4. Eggplant
5. Avocados
6. Mango
7. Kiwi
8. Cantaloupe
9. Frozen sweet corn
10. Frozen sweet peas
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon

In other words, don’t waste your money by paying extra for “organic” on the above foods.

On the other hand, other foods that have permeable or edible skins have high amounts of pesticides when conventionally grown.  These 12 most pesticide contaminated include:

1. Grapes
2. Cherries
3. Nectarines
4. Strawberries
5. Potatoes
6. Spinach
7. Blueberries
8. Peaches
9. Kale/collard greens
10. Sweet bell peppers
11. Apples
12. Celery

The above are the foods that are definitely worth the extra cost of buying organic.  By focusing your “organic dollars” on the fruits and vegetables most likely to have high pesticide residues, you can be both healthy and economical.

– Monte Kline