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For the first time since modern medicine came into play, the next generation of children may not live as long as their parents.

Adult-only ailments like obesity and diabetes are now our children’s problem. Thirty years ago, type 2 diabetes was an old man’s problem. No longer: kids who aren’t even in their teens are being diagnosed with it. And in frightening numbers. The incidence of children taking meds for type 2 diabetes has increased 150 percent in just 10 years. That’s a shocking statistic and one that could impact your family today. That’s because a major contributor to that statistic is in almost everything your child eats. And it’s not something you’re likely to be aware of.

What is causing this epidemic? How is it happening? And who is destroying your child’s health? We have all those answers for you. But even more importantly, we’ll tell you how to help your child beat the diabetic epidemic.

The Diabetes-Obesity Link

There’s a much-documented link between obesity and diabetes. Overweight children – who used to be few and far between – are now everywhere.

And while we’re no longer surprised by that, you will be surprised by what is making an entire generation of kids so fat.

If the words “junk food” just popped into your head, you’re only partly right.

How did we become a nation gorging ourselves on processed foods?

Well, you can thank the government for that.

The High-Fructose Life

How can manufactured, processed foods – with all it takes to produce them – possibly be cheaper and more available than fresh fruits and vegetables?

A little piece of legislation called the farm bill basically presides over the American food system. It determines which crops will be subsidized and supports farmers who grow them. The more they grow, the more they get paid.

The result is massive production of corn and soy. We now have a food system floating in high fructose corn syrup and fats derived from soy. And Americans and their kids are packing on the pounds.

At the same time, there is little subsidy for fresh produce. The price of fruit and vegetables rose 40 percent between 1985 and 2000. Meanwhile, the cost of soft drinks (liquid corn) dropped 23 percent.

All this overproduction and availability of cheap food means that kids think it is normal to eat a highly processed diet. For many of them, it’s all they’ve ever seen.

No wonder childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.

And now the impact is starting to be felt.

Kids are getting what used to be “grown-up” diseases. We may even have to eliminate the term “adult-onset” diabetes since roughly 40,000 U.S. adolescents have it. And another 2.5 million may have insulin resistance that will progress into type 2 diabetes.

Lots of Food and No Nutrition

In the 1950s, kids drank three cups of milk for every cup of soda. Now it’s pretty much the opposite. That means an overload of calories and no nutrients.

Children aren’t in control of their diet in their formative years. If the school lunch consists of chicken nuggets and tater tots, that’s what they eat. If working parents bring home take-out pizza for supper because they’re pressed for time, that’s the family meal.

What kid is going to stand at the open fridge door and say, “Hey, Mom, we’re out of broccoli!”?

The problem is worse for those with the least amount of money to spend on food. Sad to say, the most reliable predictor of obesity in America is wealth. The cheapest foods in the market are not only the least healthful, they’re the most filling and fattening.

Obesity researcher Adam Drewnowski went shopping to see for himself. He found that a dollar could buy 1,200 calories of potato chips or cookies… or 250 calories of carrots. In the drink aisle his dollar would buy 875 calories of soda… or 170 calories of orange juice.

Now the point is not really the calories in these foods. That’s just a method of comparing the amounts you can buy.

Rather, the nutrition you get is the difference. The starch and sugar overload of the processed foods is the culprit behind the increasing rates of obesity and diabetes.

That’s why kids are developing type 2 diabetes at a younger and younger age.

Life Expectancy Going Backwards

It’s alarming to anticipate a diabetes epidemic among young people because it is already the number six killer of Americans. For the first time since modern medicine came into play, a generation may not live as long as their parents.

According to weight-control specialist Dr. Howard Shapiro, kids as young as 12 are getting type 2 diabetes. That means these kids are going to start seeing diabetic complications much, much sooner in life.

In the past, this type of diabetes didn’t develop until after age 40 or so. Long term complications like heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness previously affected diabetic adults in their 60s.

Now doctors are seeing 20- and 25-year-olds on dialysis for kidney failure.

As noted earlier, the number of children on medication for type 2 diabetes has increased 150 percent since 2001. That’s huge. Imagine the projected health care costs of children who are already taking adult drugs.

Not to mention the consequences of debilitating health for a lifetime. It’s one thing to suffer declining health later in life. It’s another entirely to have an illness from childhood forward.

No Easy Solution

As the rising prescription drug use in children illustrates, there is not going to be a fast or easy way out of this situation. Many children are completely mired down in the standard American diet.

The high fat and sugar processed foods have imprinted their taste buds. Their impaired glucose levels make them crave even more of the foods that are causing the problem.

Plenty of families consider a diet of processed food completely normal and don’t appreciate the impact it is having on their health.

But if you’re reading this newsletter, that is not likely to be you.

So if you and your family have being eating more processed food than you’d like to admit, get an action plan in place. Here are a few things you can do…

• Work more fresh fruits and vegetables into your family meals. Kids can only acquire a taste for them if they have them regularly.

• Eliminate soda and other drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup.

• Limit the kids’ TV and computer time.

• Encourage kids to get moving. Organized sports are not the only option. Riding bikes and playing ball in the neighborhood work, too.

• Do active things as a family. Walk the dog or go for a game of mini-golf.

• Be aware of your family history of diabetes.  If a close relative has type 2 diabetes, the risk of other family members is increased.

Keep in mind that excess weight is a primary risk factor for diabetes and it can take a long time – up to 10 years – before type 2 diabetes fully shows up. This is a long window of time when damage can be prevented and even reversed.

Type 2 diabetes is not inevitable. A healthy, high-quality diet can prevent it or turn it around. In that sense, good food is not expensive. Illness is.

One of the best things you can do for your children and grandchildren is to teach them to eat well. Protect them from the super-size epidemic that is ruining the health of so many kids. They’ll thank you later when they pass good nutritional habits on to their own children.

[Ed. Note: The absolute best medicine just might be good information. For almost every condition you could be suffering from, nature has provided a cure you should know about. Our mission at Natural Health Confidential is to find it, scientifically confirm it, and get it into your hands.

You will discover invaluable natural healing methods that make a real difference in your life and the lives of those you love. This month’s issue offers a solution for a disease that affects millions of people worldwide today. It is the sixth leading cause of death – and the shocking news is that a large percentage of people who have it, don’t even know it!

Please don’t allow yourself or your loved ones to suffer damage to your health that is entirely preventable! Click here now to read more…]

Many doctors believe that for every one patient diagnosed with celiac, there are 30 people who go undiagnosed. Even more people are unable to digest this protein, but they don’t have celiac disease. They have gluten intolerance, not an immune disease. Both celiac disease and gluten intolerance are incurable, permanent conditions. The only way to avoid their damage is to avoid eating even tiny amounts of wheat, rye, or barley. Misinformation about gluten can make this nearly impossible. And some gluten myths are coming from so-called experts.

Awareness Brings Benefits – But Not an End to Risks

The growing numbers of men and women who suffer from celiac disease and gluten intolerance have called attention to this health danger. In response, many new products are springing to the market to address the need for gluten-free foods. 

Many restaurants are responding as well, offering gluten-free meals on their menus.

Unfortunately, gluten-free meals in restaurants are NOT always free of gluten.

Recently two friends and I ate dinner at a local upscale restaurant. The waiter and chef both knew what “no gluten” meant, and even left the bread off an appetizer plate we shared so that there would be no cross-contamination. There was no flour in anything I ate that I could see. Yet, shortly after dinner I began having digestive distress that lasted until I took an enzyme that digests gluten. Then my symptoms disappeared.

It’s almost impossible to avoid all traces of gluten when eating out. Whether you’re at a friend’s house, at a potluck, or in a restaurant, gluten can slip onto your plate and into your mouth before you realize it. And even a smidgen of flour on a cook’s hands or a splash of soy sauce in a sauce can set off digestive problems or silent inflammation in some people. Ask for gluten-free foods, but don’t trust even the most conscientious chef or waiter completely.

They could be wrong.

The next time you’re eating out, ask if there’s any gluten in the dishes you want to eat. Then, take one or two capsules of an enzyme that digests gluten as insurance. Yes. Such a product exists!

Gluten-Digesting Enzymes

They aren’t easy to find, but enzymes that digest gluten are now available. Taking them can make the difference between being successful on a gluten-free diet and failing.

Not all enzymes digest all foods. One enzyme, known as DPP-IV (dipeptidyl peptidase IV), can help break down the parts of gluten molecules that cause a harmful immune response and avoid a reaction if you eat only a small amount. But DPP-IV can’t do this job alone. It needs to be combined with other specific enzymes.

Not all enzymes containing DPP-IV activity are alike. Some are stronger than others. Some companies advertise their products as having high DPP-IV activity based on the amount of HUT it contains. But HUTs indicate general protein digesting potency, not DPP-IV activity. A supplement can have a lot of HUTs with low or no DPP-IV digestive activity. In other words, when it comes to digesting gluten, it can look strong but not be strong. The truth is there’s no generally accepted method for measuring DPP-IV activity.

A few months ago, I asked my supplement formulators to design a powerful anti-gluten enzyme that could outperform the products already on the market. They did. This product is called Gluten Sensitivity Formula.

Gluten Sensitivity Formula is not designed so you can freely eat foods with gluten in any amounts. But it can minimize or eliminate a reaction when you inadvertently eat small amounts, like fish dusted with flour or a salad dressing made with soy sauce. Gluten Sensitivity Formula makes it possible for you to be completely gluten-free.

Here’s a bonus. This formula will also digest casein (dairy protein). So if you suspect your digestive problems come from eating wheat or dairy, try taking this enzyme formula and see how you feel.

In the meantime, be aware that gluten-free does not always mean that you will avoid all traces of this protein.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Fuchs co-founded one of the first holistic health centers in the United States in 1976. She is the author of eight books, including The Nutrition Detective and Modified Citrus Pectin: A Super Nutraceutical. Dr. Fuchs has also appeared on more than 100 television and radio programs, where she advises listeners on nutrition, supplements and herbs, and other popular health topics. Dr. Fuchs also writes the monthly newsletter Women's Health Letter. For information about Women's Health Letter, visit the website at http://www.womenshealthletter.com]

Tired of Trying to Keep Track of Everything You’re
Supposed to Be Scared Of?

The Big C. Heart attacks. Strokes. Fatigue. Aging. Arthritis… You know they’re out there, they’re killers, and they have too many causes to count…

But if you had to worry about them all, you’d end up a paranoid ball of stress.  That’s no way to go through life.

Wouldn’t it relieve the stress if you knew you had powerful, quick, and effective treatment at hand if and when you ever have to face these major health issues?

Read on to learn how a private natural health research team can give you exactly that…

If you suffer from arthritis, you’ve certainly heard all about the latest wonder drugs and surgical procedures that can be used to “cure” you.  But you’re not fooled, are you?  We all know that the medical industry will never find the “silver bullet” for arthritis and other diseases of inflammation.  The best that painkillers can do is temporarily mask your pain, while impeding your body from producing new cartilage in your aching joints.  Surgeries are not the quick fix that they’re touted as, either; they’re accompanied by a host of potential complications, and they’re extremely expensive!

Sadly, what you don’t hear much about is the healing power of food.  Here are five superfoods that will quell your arthritis pain better than you ever thought possible:

1. Cherries and berries aren’t just sweet treats. They’re also loaded with natural pain-relievers and joint-healing substances.  For one thing, they are Nature’s richest sources of anthocyanins, a group of antioxidants called flavonoids which possess exceptional anti-inflammatory properties.   That’s why blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, and cherries top the list of anti-arthritis fruits.
2. If you need pain relief, look no further than the fish counter in your local supermarket.  Certain varieties of fish – including wild salmon, scallops, sardines, and anchovies – possess natural compounds that halt inflammation, relieve pain, and actually encourage your joints to produce new cartilage.
3. You can add flaxseeds to your new list of arthritis healing foods.  They may be tiny, but their arthritis-fighting properties are impressive due to their rich supply of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), one of the omega-3 fatty acids that make cold-water fish such a powerful joint protector.  Flaxseed, in fact, is the very best plant source of healing omega-3s.  Just two tablespoons of ground flaxseed (also called flax meal) provides you with 140% of the daily recommendation for omega-3s.
4. Yogurt’s been around for thousands of years, but science is just beginning to understand its remarkable healing properties.  For instance, yogurt is a potent inflammation-fighter with well-documented curative effects for arthritis finger pain and stiffness. Yogurt’s beneficial bacteria not only reduce inflammation, they also strengthen the entire immune system.  They even improve your body’s efficiency at absorbing essential nutrients, particularly calcium.
5. Nibbling a brazil nut or two every day is also great for your arthritis.  That’s because this chunky nut contains more of the trace mineral selenium than any other food.  Selenium is especially important for people with arthritis because low levels of this potent antioxidant actually invite more damage to our joints.  Eating selenium-rich foods also helps limit free radical damage, while helping to relieve arthritis symptoms.

[Ed. Note: A health writer and researcher for 35 years, Jim Healthy developed the world’s first non-drug, non-surgical “arthritis healing protocol” that combines the top clinically-proven remedies into a step-by-step plan that multiplies their therapeutic benefits to stop the destruction of the joins and activate their repair. Click here to read more about his amazing discovery.

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Contrary to popular belief, forgetfulness is not just a normal part of growing older. As you age, your brain loses critical nutrients that it needs to fire on all cylinders.

If your mental spark plugs aren’t firing like they used to, don’t worry. I’ll show you how to get your brain’s engine back to running as smooth as a Rolls Royce. You just need to know what’s missing and how to get it.

Your brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to transmit messages in the brain. There are millions of these messages happening every second. Neurotransmitters are conductors of these messages, allowing them to fire from one part of your brain to another.

One important neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh). Your body uses ACh to help regulate your heart, breathing, and sleep. Your body even uses it to control your muscles and keep you fired up for the bedroom.

Here’s the thing… your brain needs you to supply certain nutrients to make neurotransmitters.

But there’s a key nutrient it uses to make ACh that is probably missing from your diet. It’s called choline, and if you don’t get enough, you’re headed for trouble.

Choline is a necessary nutrient for overall brain health and functioning and it is important to avoid nutritional deficiencies to keep your brain sharp and healthy.¹

When you don’t give the body enough choline, the brain is forced to get it from other parts of your brain. It starts eating itself alive to get what it needs for vital functions like heart and lung regulation.

I’ll show you ways to get the choline your brain needs in a second, but first let me introduce you to choline’s partner – DMAE.

DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol) works with choline to create ACh. In fact, it does such a good job, the FDA almost approved it as a drug. The only reason it didn’t happen is that the manufacturer didn’t want to pay the expenses to get it classified as one.

But it is the main ingredient in a commonly prescribed drug in Europe. Called Centrophenoxine, it has been shown to boost cognitive functions.²

Unlike Ritalin® and other brain substances, proper doses of DMAE are a safe and side-effect-free solution to support brain health and reduce age-related mental decline and mood/behavioral problems.3

To get the nutrition your brain needs to stay sharp and clear, you may need to combine food and supplementation. Here’s how to get your ACh cranking:

Choline – You need at least 425 mg a day as a woman, 550 mg if you’re a man. The richest food sources of choline are (in mg per 100 g of food):

• Whole cooked eggs – 272. Make sure you get free-range eggs without antibiotics or hormones. They’ll help fuel your muscles as well as give you much-needed choline.

• Raw egg yolks – 682. Go ahead and crack open a couple eggs into your protein shake. It’s only an urban legend that there’s danger in eating them raw.

• Chicken liver – 290. Though some people get turned off by organ meats, they’re a potent source of high-powered nutrition. And it’s an old wives tale that they store toxins – they don’t.

• Turkey liver – 220. Another great source of nutrition. Just like any liver, it also provides vitamin A, CoQ10 and iron.

• Pork – 130. Just like beef, you want to eat organic, grass-fed animals only for the proper balance of fats and zero hormones and antibiotics.

If you’re older, you may need more – as much as 1500 mg a day. That may require supplementation. If you take a supplement, be sure it’s in the form of choline citrate.

DMAE – You need at least 35 mg of DMAE a day. Fish is a good food source, especially sardines and anchovies.

So stop starving your brain of these critical nutrients. They’re easy to replace and will help to promote a healthy mind into your golden years.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

References:

1. Ferris SH, Sathananthan G, Gershon S, Clark C.. J Am Geriatr Soc 1977; 25:241-4.
2. Mosharrof, A.H., et al., Effects of meclofenoxate on learning and memory–dependence on the experimental conditions. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg, 1986. 12(3): p. 7-14.
3. Caille E.-J, Study concerning the bisorcate demanol effects upon quantified EEG, cortical vigilance and mood. Comparative double-blind, cross-over balanced design versus pirisudanol. Psychol Med.1986;18:2069-2086.

It should. After all, it’s supposed to. It’s a work of art. But it’s not really food.

I know that many of you would claim that no fast food is really food. Bestselling writer Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and Food Rules, has gone so far as to call it an “edible foodlike substance.” But bear with me for a minute.

The burger in the picture looks good enough to eat. But even if you like burgers, you wouldn’t want to eat this one.

That’s because:

• The meat was only cooked for twenty seconds per side to avoid, as George Costanza famously put it, “shrinkage.” It’s still raw in the middle, but no matter. So long as it looks big and juicy on camera.

• To make it look even bigger, a pie-shaped wedge was cut out from the back side of the patty, out of view of the camera, so that the remainder could be spread out on the bun.

• A red-hot skewer was used to “brand” the meat, giving the appearance of grill marks. Then it was painted with a mixture of brown food coloring, molasses, and wood stain to give it that perfect color.

• The bun was carefully selected from hundreds of contenders for its perfect shape. Then sesame seeds were carefully affixed with tweezers and glue. To keep it from getting soggy, it was coated with waterproofing spray. The burger is also sitting on top of a cardboard platform in a specially made diaper that absorbs all of the juices.

• The vegetables were selected from cases of lettuce, tomatoes, and onions to find the perfect specimens. Then they were put in place with straight pins and toothpicks.

• See that perfect shine on the meat, cheese, and vegetables? That’s a mixture of water and glycerin, an oily component of fats that’s used in soaps, skin care products, and industrial solvents. It was misted on by spray bottle because it lasts for up to 15 minutes under the hot studio lights.

• If they had wanted condiments for this shot, those would have been carefully applied by paintbrush or glue gun.

And that’s just the burger. Don’t even get me started on the fries, which were hand selected and mounted to a Styrofoam board to create the perfect bouquet.

Still sound good? It’s enough to make you lose your appetite.

Nothing Is As It Seems

The fact of the matter is that there’s about as much truth in fast food advertising as there is nutrition in fast food.

Think burger ads are the only culprits? Think again.

You know the iconic cereal commercials where the flakes and the milk cascade together down into the bowl? It’s a great visual, but there’s a big problem with that: cereal gets soggy in milk. And nobody wants to buy soggy cereal. The solution? They usually use white glue instead.

How about the rich syrup that gets poured over heaping stacks of warm, freshly made pancakes? Same problem. That’s why the syrup is usually motor oil.

Professional food stylists also hate things that melt. Ice, for example. Anytime you see an ad with ice in it, it’s usually acrylic. Not only won’t it melt, it also catches the light better.

Ice cream melts, too. That’s why the ice cream you see in ads is often made of shortening, margarine, powdered sugar, and corn syrup. The mixture is like clay, but it looks like the real thing, and it can be stored for months.

How do they get away with that?

Easy. You’d think there would be rules about food advertisements, and there are. You have to show the real product you’re selling. But there aren’t any rules about what else you show along with it.

You know how toy ads always show more toys than are actually included? By showing extra stuff, they make the product look better. It’s the same with food ads.

Cereal makers aren’t selling milk, so they don’t have to use milk in their commercials. Pancake mixes don’t come with syrup. Drinks don’t come with ice. And that’s why they don’t have to show real syrup or real ice.

Nobody expects you to eat glue or motor oil. But the ads aren’t telling you to. You didn’t even know that’s what you were seeing.

The rules about truth in advertising only apply to the products being advertised. Everything else is extraneous.

But What About the Burger?

That loophole is big enough to drive a Mack truck through, but it kind of makes sense. It still doesn’t explain the burger, though.

Or the ice cream, for that matter. If they’re selling ice cream, don’t they have to show real ice cream?

They do indeed. That’s why the ice cream “recipe” above is what they use in commercials for hot fudge or whipped cream or apple pie.

When they’re selling ice cream, though, then they have a problem. Interestingly, it’s the same problem they have with pudding.

The lights in a photo studio are so hot that even pudding will melt under them. Runny pudding? Now there’s a disgusting idea. To keep that from happening, the pudding they use in ads has so much gelatin in it that you’d chip a tooth if you tried to eat it.

It’s basically real. They used the same ingredients. It’s not something else altogether.

But it’s an awfully fine line.

Something similar happens when they try to sell you roast chicken. Cooking a chicken makes the skin wrinkle up. It doesn’t look pretty like on TV.

But if they’re selling chicken, then they have to show you chicken.

So here’s what they usually do. They cook the bird until the skin turns golden brown. The inside is still raw, but that’s okay. It’s still real chicken, and it’s not on camera.

Then they wash the whole thing with dishwashing detergent to remove unsightly fat and grease spots. They stuff it tightly with hot, wet paper towels to create steam. Then they use a needle and thread to sew up the back of the bird and pull the skin tight.

Once that’s done, they paint it with an appropriate mixture of food coloring, molasses, oil, wood stain — whatever they have on hand to get the color they want.

To top it all off, they use a blowtorch to brown any parts that are still a bit too pale to be photogenic. Quite the tanning booth, I’d say.

It’s still real chicken. And honestly, it hasn’t had anything done to it that people don’t do to themselves for cosmetic reasons.

Call it a chicken with a makeover.

That Still Doesn’t Explain the Burger

Well, it does and it doesn’t. You have to show the real product you’re selling. But you want to show that product in the best possible light.

Consider what they do in soup ads. If you leave a bowl of soup to settle, all the good stuff falls to the bottom. But when it’s on camera, you want all that good stuff to show.

One way to fix the problem would be just to add more stuff. Put in more of the meat and the veggies that are already in there and more will show. Simple enough, right?

Problem is, you can’t do that. You can’t use twelve ounces of meat and vegetables if there’s really only six in the product. That, says the government, would be dishonest.

Instead, when they film soup commercials, they use marbles to “prop up” the meat and the vegetables. They’re showing you the real product. They’re even showing you the real amount of the product.

And that, says the government, is truth in advertising.

Ever see an ad for mashed potatoes where the bowl looks impossibly full? Real mashed potatoes. Right amount. But usually with newspaper wadded up underneath so that it looks like more.

Truth in advertising.

Anytime you see an advertisement for food on a plate or a drink in a glass, it has to be the real food and drink. But the plates and glasses are probably tiny. If they’re shot from a very close-up angle, you can’t even tell the difference. Except, of course, that the food looks bigger.

Truth in advertising.

And the burger?

Well, what about it? They’re showing you a real burger.

They can’t use more meat than they use in the real product. So they don’t. They just make it look bigger.

They can’t put things on the burger that they don’t put on the real product. So they don’t. They just make them look better.

They can’t say anything that is untrue about their product. So they don’t. They lie with pictures instead.

Truth be told, that’s even more effective. A picture’s worth a thousand words.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is truth in advertising.

Deception Is Everywhere

Are you feeling swindled right about now?

It gets worse. The deception isn’t limited to advertisements.

Remember the trick with forced perspective? Restaurants do the same thing. In fact, many chains have started to experiment with lighter silverware so that your fork “feels” fuller with each bite.

Manufacturers know about perspective, too. That’s why products are almost always made taller than they are wide. Psychological studies have shown that we tend to systematically overestimate the volume of tall, skinny containers while underestimating the volume of short, fat ones.

The extra sales easily make up for the increased production costs.

How about dressing up meat so that it looks better than it really is? Butchers and supermarkets are just as guilty as advertisers. Fresh meat is bright red. We instinctively know this, and so we look at color as an indication of freshness.

Meat marketers know this, too. And they know that we know. That’s why in 2004, they applied for FDA approval to use carbon monoxide to keep it looking fresh for longer.

The scary part is, they got it. The FDA actually approved the use of a poisonous gas to keep your meat looking artificially fresh.

I will repeat that.

The FDA actually approved the use of a poisonous gas to keep your meat looking artificially fresh.

Granted, the concentration is so low that there is little to no risk of poisoning. I am not aware of a single reported case. Nonetheless, I don’t like the precedent it sets.

Europe is traditionally much more lenient regarding food regulations than the U.S. And yet, the practice is banned there for fear that it would mask spoilage.

It may well be the ultimate case of false advertising.

What Can You Do About It?

The single best way to protect yourself from deceptive advertisements is to educate yourself. Be skeptical of everything you see, everything you hear, and everything you read. That’s the best way to keep from being misled.

Always be aware when someone’s trying to sell you something.

Look for proof behind any health claims they make.

Remember that very few things are actually as good as advertised.

And if you see a pretty picture, keep in mind that that’s exactly what it is: a pretty picture. A work of art. But definitely not food.

To Your Health,

Michael Noltemeyer
Managing Editor
Total Health Breakthroughs

But I have learned from experience that it doesn’t do any good to preach to family members. My genuine concern has too often been viewed as overbearing and self-righteous. So I made a more subtle comment.

“You know there’s a new natural grocery store that just opened by the mall, Mom.”

“Yeah, and you’ve got to pay arm and a leg to get out of there too,” she said.

I left it at that and changed the subject. There was no sense in arguing.

Between elevated health insurance costs, annual deductibles, monthly drug prescriptions and missed work due to illness my mother and her husband spend thousands – probably tens of thousands – of dollars on health care each year. In fact, next month my Mom is having a hip replacement surgery due to carrying too much weight for too many years… but eating healthy is too expensive.

My brother recently told me a similar story about when his in-laws came to visit. He was making dinner for and ran out of a few key ingredients. His mother-in-law offered to make a run to the store. They asked her to stop at the natural grocery store, because they didn’t want to buy conventionally-raised meat.

She agreed to go there. But when she returned, all she could comment on was how expensive everything was.

Never mind that this woman and her husband are worth millions and a few hundred dollars here or there shouldn’t make a difference. More to the point, he is diabetic and was hospitalized several times last year for heart problems. No telling how much that cost. She recently broke a hip due to bone-density issues. And they probably spend thousands of dollars a year on medications… but eating healthy is too expensive.

My personal experiences are not unique. In fact a recent large survey of Canadians and Americans revealed that more than half reported “high costs” as the most significant obstacle to healthy eating.

The first thing to understand is that disease and disability are far more expensive than even the most costly health foods and supplements. If you do not take care of your body – and if you abuse it by eating the wrong ones – the costs will be far higher than your grocery bills could ever be.

Your joints will wear out before they should. You will experience more pain and a lower level of energy. You will get sick more often. And your net worth will definitely take a hit. You will pay more for health insurance and life insurance… not to mention the out-of-pocket costs for surgeries and frequent doctor visits.

On the other hand, when you are operating at your peak, you will have more energy and creativity. You will feel better… and you will feel better about yourself. You will be happier. You will feel prouder to look in the mirror. And as a result, your relationships, your spiritual growth and even your career success will improve.

Quite simply, the time and money you spend on your health and your diet are the most valuable investments you can make. There is simply no price you can put on a healthy body and a clear, sharp mind.

And here is some great news if the economic downturn has you watching your wallet instead of your waistline…

Despite the misconceptions, eating a healthy diet does not have to cost that much more than the standard American diet of processed, nutrient-depleted, hormone-pumped, pesticide-contaminated foods that most people eat.

For example, last night, my wife Kelley and I each enjoyed a piece of ruby-red Wild Alaskan salmon (Archer Farms from Target), half a baked sweet potato with grass-fed butter, a serving of sautéed broccoli (organic, frozen, from Costco) and a Wellness Bakeries cupcake.  The entire meal: just over $4 per serving.

The night before that, Kelley made a pot of chili with grass-fed ground beef. The cost of the meal: less than $2 a serving. We also enjoyed a bottle of Natura Cabernet (organic, grown in Chile) for just $11.

For breakfast this morning, I had two organic eggs sautéed, half an avocado, an apple and a handful of almonds. Cost: less than $2.

I don’t know about you. But when I can eat a hearty meal of fresh, organic foods for less than the cost of a Super Value Meal at a fast food restaurant… I don’t complain about the cost.

With that said, here are several ways to save your dollars and still save your health…

Buy in Bulk

By far, the best way to save on food is to buy in bulk whenever possible. Not only will you save on the food, but you will also make fewer trips to the store.

You have probably noticed that food prices have been steadily increasing over the past few years. This is a trend that is likely to continue, due to droughts, shortages and monetary inflation. As long as there is no danger of spoilage, food on the shelf is just as good as money in the bank. In fact, food is probably a much better investment than cash in the bank.

If you have the space to do it, consider buying or building storage shelves to store more non-perishable foods. You can save a considerable amount of money buying staples, coffee and spices in bulk. And you can also take advantage of sales on canned goods and other foods, buying more than you need immediately and storing the rest.

You should also consider buying a chest freezer to store more frozen foods and prepared meals. This allows you to multiply the recipes you cook and freeze what you don’t eat immediately. This saves time later, when you can just pull an already-prepared meal out of the freezer.

With extra freezer storage, you should also consider buying meat in bulk. You can take advantage of sales at the store. Or you might even consider going direct. Local farmers in many areas offer “cow sharing” or “cowpooling” programs. The farmer raises the animal. And when the meat is harvested, several people share the proceeds. You can buy a quarter of the meat from a grass-fed cow (about 200 pounds) for anywhere from $300 to $600. If you want to buy a “side” (half a cow) your savings per pound is even greater.

You can also save money cooking whole chickens or learning to cut them up yourself. In some cases, you can save up to 75% on a per pound basis buying a whole chicken, versus boneless skinless breasts. And you can also simmer the bones to create stock for soup – another meal.

A slow cooker is another great way to save time and money. You can use roasts and larger cuts of meat that you might not ordinarily cook. And since all you have to do it throw the ingredients together and turn it on, it saves a lot of time in the kitchen.

Shop in Season

Fresh fruits and vegetables are always priced higher during the non-peak seasons than in the summer and early fall. Not only are they less expensive when you buy them in season, but they usually taste better (tomatoes are not supposed to be pink and crunchy) and provide better nutritional value too. The best way to find organic, food in season is to join a local CSA or visit your local farmer’s market.

Even better… Grow your own

You might not believe how much food you can grow in a very small space or in containers on a deck or porch. Last year, I picked up two young arugula plants on my way out of the grocery store. They were just three dollars apiece – and yet over the course of several months we probably ate 20 large salads from those two plants.

And even if you don’t grow vegetables and salad greens, you should consider growing herbs and spices. It takes very little space. They are quite easy to grow. And most are quite attractive. So yank out those geraniums and plant some basil, thyme and oregano.

You can even landscape with certain plants. Several years ago, my brother planted a row of blueberry bushes. They are now over six feet tall. Last year, he harvested 75 pints of blueberries (and that was after the squirrels and birds ate their fair share).

Buy Frozen Veggies and Berries

If you are shopping on a budget don’t forget about frozen organic vegetables and berries. They are usually much less expensive than those that are fresh. But the nutritional value is usually the same or often even better. After all, the produce is frozen and preserved shortly after being picked.

Your Health is Your Greatest Wealth

There is no greater investment than an investment in your health. And there is no greater price to pay than losing it. The good news is that you can make healthy choices without breaking the bank. And I have only touched on a few in this article.

There are many other ways to save money on food and supplements without sacrificing your health. I invite you to submit your own ideas in the comments section on the website. Just scroll down and click comment to let us know your thoughts.

To Your Health,

Jon Herring
Editorial Director
Total Health Breakthroughs

If you have ever forgotten what you are about to say… can’t remember why you walked into a room… or called one of your children the dog’s name… I think you’ll get a laugh out of this too.

(Click on the image to view the video)

We all have “senior moments”…

No matter your age, we all experience times when we forget even the most recent event or idea. What did I walk in here for… where did I park my car… why did I just open the refrigerator?

But there is no doubt that these experiences increase as we get older. In previous issues I have discussed the benefits of exercise on memory and cognition. I have also touched on the effect that omega-3 fatty acids can have on mental performance. And I never miss a chance to remind you that long-term consumption of sugar and high-carbohydrate foods can diminish mental performance and raise your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

But I haven’t talked about the memory and cognitive benefits of America’s favorite beverage – coffee!

Hundreds of studies have shown the health benefits of coffee…

Drinking coffee has been shown to reduce the risk of developing diabetes (although it can raise blood sugar levels in those who already have it). It has also been linked with lower rates of cancer, including those of the colon and prostate.

Coffee has also been shown to have significant neuro-protective properties. In one Finnish study, it lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s by 65%. Another study of lab mice showed that it reversed signs of the disease.

There was also a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition that showed an inverse relationship between the amount of coffee consumed and cognitive decline in elderly men. In other words, the more coffee the men drank, the better their mental performance.

Another benefit: improved short-term memory and reaction times…

Researchers at the Medical University at Innsbruck, Austria divided a study group into two segments. Both groups fasted for six hours and abstained from caffeine and nicotine for 24 hours prior to the test. The groups were given either a cup of strong coffee or a caffeine-free placebo.

After 20 minutes both groups were asked to carry out memory and concentration tests while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. The goal was to track their performance and also to see how coffee activates different areas of the brain. Several days later, the two groups took the same tests under the same conditions, except each group received the other drink.

What they discovered is that the coffee significantly activates parts of the prefrontal lobe of the brain. This part of the brain is involved in attention, concentration, planning and monitoring. It also stimulates what is known as the executive or “working memory.” This would be called on, for example, when you look up a telephone number and then store it in your memory before dialing.

A few things to keep in mind about coffee…

First of all, conventional coffee is heavily sprayed with pesticides. You should always buy organic. And if you add a couple teaspoons of sugar to every cup, you are probably negating any potential health benefits. So, if you take it sweet, use stevia.

Caffeine can also raise blood pressure and heart rate for some people. So, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. And finally, while it can improve mood and concentration… it can also cause anxiety and irritability and make you jittery.

Which is why I was interested to learn about something that THB Chairman of the Board, Dr. Al Sears calls…

“A better brain booster than coffee”

Last year, Dr. Sears took a trip to the Brazilian Rain Forest. He was there for an adventure vacation. But he was also there to research botanical and herbal medicines that the indigenous tribes have used for centuries.

One morning, before a long hike through the jungle, Dr. Sears’ guides gave him a drink made from the extract of seeds of a plant called Guaraná (Paullinia cupana). The people he was with drink this stimulating beverage as an energy booster, for the same reasons we drink coffee.

Dr. Sears was amazed by the mental and physical energy it gave him. So when he returned to the states, he began researching the plant and how he might incorporate it into his practice.

It turns out that the seeds of this plant have two to four times more caffeine than coffee beans. However, according to Dr. Sears, the seeds are full of fatty acids that slow the release of the caffeine. He says, “Its effect gradually increases over a period of hours. It doesn’t pick you up and throw you down like coffee.”

The studies confirm that is has similar benefits to America’s favorite beverage. In rats, the extract from guarana seeds increased memory and physical endurance. And in a human study, the compound boosted memory, alertness and mood.

Coffee and guarana may boost mental performance by releasing an important neurotransmitter in your brain. But there is a catch…

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that helps to keep your mind sharp and your memory clear (among other important properties). And caffeine definitely helps to release it. But coffee – and guarana, for that matter – also depletes your reserves of this important brain chemical. They do nothing to replace what is released.

But there is something you can do to replenish your reserves…

Consume more choline – one of the major building blocks for the powerful neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Choline is similar to the B-vitamins and is classified as an essential nutrient by the Institute of Medicine.

Choline helps to build cell membranes. It can protect the liver from damage and repair damage that has already occurred. As a precursor to acetylcholine, it also has powerful brain-boosting properties. Human milk has high levels of choline, because it is vital to the rapidly developing brains of infants. And it has also been shown to improve memory and test scores in adults.

The USDA food database lists foods highest in choline. Here are some of to consider:

• Egg yolks
• Beef, chicken and turkey livers (Always select organic, pastured animals, particularly if you choose to eat a filter organ like the liver)
• Grass-fed ground beef
• Cauliflower
• Almonds

To Your Health,

Editor
Total Health Breakthroughs

It is bad enough that mainstream doctors and dieticians erroneously focus on saturated fat and dietary cholesterol as the cause of heart disease – something which has never been proven. Perhaps even worse is that the alternatives they suggest HAVE been proven to cause heart disease… among a range of other chronic diseases.

In his recent calls to “ban butter,” Dr. Shyam Kolvekar suggests that it will make a “world of difference” to replace it with polyunsaturated fats like margarine or sunflower oil. He is correct. It will make a world of difference. It will dramatically increase your risk of heart disease, cancer, asthma and macular degeneration, to name just a few degenerative conditions associated with these fats.

And since Dr. Kolvekar’s concerns are “for the children”… let’s start there.

The journal Intelligence published a report last year that what children eat can have a significant impact on their intelligence. The researchers stated that they “found a number of dietary factors to be significantly associated with intelligence measures.”

So, what was their most consistent finding? It was the association between margarine consumption and lower IQ scores. The children who ate margarine every day had IQs that were up to six points lower than children who did not.

But who cares about a few points on the IQ scale, when this industrially-processed, yellow-colored, food-like substance can have such a dramatic impact on heart health and longevity?

Unfortunately, that “dramatic impact” on heart health is not for the good…

The journal Epidemiology published a study called, “Margarine Intake and Subsequent Coronary Heart Disease in Men.” Authors of the study followed participants of the Framingham Heart Study for 20 years and recorded their incidence of heart attack. They also tracked both butter and margarine consumption.

You couldn’t ask for a better study to either prove or refute the assertions of Dr. Kolvekar. And apparently this one must have escaped Dr. Kolvekar’s attention, because it directly contradicts his position.

The researchers discovered that as margarine consumption increased… heart attacks went up. As butter consumption increased… heart attacks declined.

The study also divided the data into ten year increments. What they discovered is that during the first ten years, there was little association between margarine consumption and heart attacks. However, during the second decade of follow-up, the group eating the most margarine had 77% more heart attacks than the group eating none!

“There is no safe level to consume…”

It should be noted that during the years this study took place, most margarine was made with hydrogenated oils (trans fat). All the while, these spreads were marketed as a way to prevent heart disease. Never mind the fact that the Institute of Medicine has said of this substance, “there is no safe level to consume.”

Many margarine products today are still made with hydrogenated oil. But most are made with some type of vegetable oil. And while this is an improvement, it is not “healthy” by any means. In fact, excess omega-6 fatty acids have been proven beyond any doubt to cause inflammation and oxidation in the body and increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration, diabetes, auto-immune disease, and more.

Are you in balance?

There are two main types of polyunsaturated fats – omega-6 and omega-3. These fatty acids are both essential, but our bodies cannot make them. We have to get them from our diet. It is also important to understand that these fats generally have opposing biochemical effects.

For example, omega-6 fats tend to encourage inflammation. Omega-3 fats inhibit inflammation. You can think of these two fats like yin and yang or weights on a balance. You don’t want to tip the balance one way or the other. So ideally, you should consume them in equal proportions.

Our ancient biological ancestors consumed these fats in a ratio of roughly 1:1. We should too. The problem is that the way our food is processed, the way our animals are raised, and the type of foods we eat we eat have caused our consumption of omega-6 fatty acids to skyrocket. At the same time, our consumption of omega-3s has gone down.

This is a recipe for disease and we are clearly paying that price. The fact that our medical authorities are actually encouraging this imbalance borders on criminal.

A little history…

The amount of fat we consume has not changed much over the last hundred years. But the type of fat we eat has changed drastically. A hundred years ago, we ate mostly animal fats, which are primarily saturated and monounsaturated.

Animal fat does contain a small amount of polyunsaturated fat. But because the animals we ate back then were raised on their natural diets, the polyunsaturated fats were in a natural healthy ratio. Today’s grain fed cows, for example, have 30 to 50 times more omega-6 than omega-3s.

But that wasn’t even the biggest change…

As the technology became available to mass produce oil from seeds and grains, our consumption of polyunsaturated fat began to increase. Then, in the 1950s, the medical establishment, the processed food industry and the government began an aggressive campaign to steer people away from saturated fats and toward polyunsaturated vegetable oils.

Consumption of vegetable oils went through the roof. At the beginning of 1900 there were almost no vegetable oils in our diet. Today, the average American consumes 70 pounds of vegetable fat!

In addition to the imbalanced fats in our meats, just look at any nutrition label. Almost invariably, you will see corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil or any number of other polyunsaturated fats.

You are what you eat…

We are not designed to eat these fats in the quantities we do. The make-up of fat in the human body is normally about 97% monounsaturated and saturated. Only about 3% should be polyunsaturated (half of which should be omega-3 and the other half omega-6).

However, the type of fat in your diet dictates the type of fat in your cells. And if you consume extracted and concentrated plant oils, your cell membranes will incorporate these fat molecules.

The problem with polyunsaturated fats displacing saturated fats in cell structures is that these fats are highly unstable. This means that they are extremely vulnerable to oxidative stress and prone to causing inflammation.

The replacement of monounsaturated and saturated fats with omega-6 polyunsaturated fats in the cell membranes causes a host of problems in the body. One of the clearest ways we have observed this is in the formation of skin cancer.

Omega-6: The Fat That Promotes Skin Cancer

Because they are so unstable and prone to oxidation, when sunlight hits omega-6 fats, it can easily convert them to cancer-causing molecules. Among all the foods we eat, omega-6 fatty acids have been shown to be the strongest promoters of skin cancers in both people and animals.

In one study performed at the University of Western Ontario, researchers observed the effects of ten different dietary fats ranging from most saturated to least saturated. What they found is that saturated fats produced the least number of cancers, while omega-6 polyunsaturated fats produced the most. Numerous other studies have also shown that polyunsaturated fats stimulate cancer while saturated fat does not¹ and that saturated fats do not break down to form free radicals.²

In another study, Dr. Vivienne Reeve, PhD, Head of the Photobiology Research Group at the University of Sydney irradiated a group of mice while feeding while feeding different groups of them polyunsaturated and saturated fats. She discovered that the mice that consumed only saturated fat were totally protected from skin cancer. Those in the polyunsaturated fat group quickly developed skin cancers. Later in the study, the mice in the saturated fat group were given polyunsaturated fats. Skin cancers quickly developed.

But while excessive omega-6 fatty acids promote skin cancer (and a host of other health concerns), omega-3 fatty acids strongly inhibit these things.

This was confirmed in a comprehensive review of many studies published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2001.

Dr. Lesley Rhodes explored the ability of omega-3s to protect skin cells. Her research was published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. It showed that omega-3 fatty acids reduce the inflammation that would normally be induced by excess sun exposure. She also showed that omega-3s significantly reduced DNA damage.

In a study published in the journal Cancer Research in 2000 researchers showed that the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, inhibited the progression of exponentially growing melanoma cells. This study also noted the following:

"Epidemiological, experimental, and mechanistic data implicate omega-6 fat as stimulators and long-chain omega-3 fats as inhibitors of the development and progression of a range of human cancers, including melanoma."

I just touched on skin cancer here. But the same processes work inside your body as well.

One of the best things you can do to protect your health is to consume roughly equal amounts of omega-3s and omega-6 fatty acids. You do that by avoiding conventionally-raised meats and strictly limiting the processed and fried foods in your diet. Anytime you see soybean oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, etc. on the label, do not eat that food.

Instead, consume more healthy fats (saturated, monounsaturated and omega-3s) from wild game, grass-fed beef and bison, pastured poultry, wild fish and shellfish. Take a fish oil supplement. Eat nuts. And consume olive oil, walnut oil, macadamia nut oil, avocado oil and coconut oil as liberally as you desire.

To Your Health,

Jon Herring
Editorial Director
Total Health Breakthroughs

References:

Forget about calorie counting. Eat fat, eat more protein than veggies, and don’t eat too much grain — even if it is whole and unprocessed!!

Counting calories is NOT a good method for dropping fat.  
A calorie isn’t just a calorie — 100 calories of cake isn’t the same as 100 calories of chicken. Chicken doesn’t spike your insulin, but cake does. Counting calories is absolutely tedious and can make you crazy. Our ancestors never counted calories, and they were very healthy and lean.

Eating fat is not the problem — eating grains is.
By avoiding fat, your body wants to store more of it to prevent possible starvation. Fat does not cause insulin to be secreted, but carbohydrates like grains do.   When you are producing too much insulin, it prevents fat from being burned. Avoid foods that say Fat Free or Low fat. It’s a marketing trick and it will do you more harm than good!

Instead eat more foods high in omega-3 fats like grass-fed beef, wild salmon, wild shrimp, sardines, organic walnuts and flax seeds.  These foods are high in the healthy fats your body needs to stay lean and prevent strokes, heart attacks, and heart disease.

But that’s not the only reason.  Ever since the introduction of grains in our diet, we have had the highest rise of diseases in history.  Once grains became a dietary staple, osteoporosis, infectious diseases, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, cavities, crooked teeth, and even acne became more common.  Contrary to the food pyramid guide, I recommend grains sparingly in your diet.

Eat more protein than veggies.
I know it sounds strange, but if you think about it, when did our ancestors (pre-agriculture) ever eat a lot of salad?   In fact, in his book, High Speed Fat Loss in 7 Easy Steps, Dr. Al Sears says “the more meat an indigenous society ate, the healthier it appeared. For Instance, the Masai of East Africa, who live on raw milk, cattle meat and blood and organ meat, appeared to completely lack dental cavities, obesity, and heart disease.”

If this seems like a lot of meat for you to eat, follow the advice of Dr. Loren Cordain, a leading expert on the Paleolithic diet. He recommends that 55% of your diet come from protein.

Stay tuned for my next article on how your personal nutrition plan can give you the fastest fat loss results and have you feel amazing!

[Ed. Note: Yarixa "Coach Yari" Ferrao is a certified personal trainer, founder of "Get Fit in 6", and alternative health enthusiast who has been whipping some THB and Early to Rise staffers, and even THB’s Chairman of the Board, Dr. Al Sears into tip top shape. Coach Yari's e-course newsletter series explains the exercise and nutrition secrets that can help you burn fat. Click here to sign up.]

Sodas will make you fat. And they lead to other health problems. That “innocent” low-cal diet soda is really danger in a can.

A published study tracked the diets of men and women for nine years. Those who drank just one can of diet soda a day increased their risk of metabolic syndrome by 34%.  Metabolic syndrome is a collection of symptoms that lead to diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases like cancer.

Just one can of diet soda a day puts you at almost a 10% higher risk of metabolic syndrome than eating a diet of fried foods! And regular soda isn’t any better. Another study found that it’s also associated metabolic syndrome.

The average American drinks an estimated 56 gallons of soft drinkseach year.  No wonder over 50 million Americans have metabolic syndrome!

Instead of soft drinks, drink spring water or purified water. For a little added flavor, add fresh orange or lemon slices… even raspberries. You can even try a splash of natural fruit juice.  For a change of pace, try iced tea or lemonade. If you like a little sweetness, add a touch of stevia — a natural calorie-free sweetener that you can find in any health food store.