TotalHealth Magazine

Test your Nutrient I.Q.

WHAT NUTRIENT…

• was considered universal medicine for destroying bacteria and viruses before the onslaught of synthetic drugs?
• has been used for centuries for wound healing; especially during war time?
• was amply added to a substance we mostly use in our daily diet since the 1920s to reduce the rate of goiter disorder?
• was considered helpful in ridding the body of toxic buildup?
• was used to purify water before chlorine?

Admit it or not, chocolate is on the mind of most of us, especially in February. That said, everything must be in moderation for chocolate to provide health-enhancing benefits rather than health-depleting disorders.

Chocolate is made from plants—it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables—antioxidant-rich flavonoids which protect the body from aging caused by free-radicals that can lead to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly eight times the number in strawberries)—flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through production of nitric oxide and also balance certain hormones.

Detoxification is a primary bodily function, not some newfangled process—our body does it consistently to neutralize, transform, and eliminate toxins. Detox is doing something to improve and optimize functions of our organs of detoxification and elimination.

When we reduce the body’s overall toxic burden we literally assist the body by providing “tools” necessary to support and rejuvenate currently overburdened systems attempting to deal with the toxic load; especially after those high fat, high sugar, calorie-rich foods consumed during the holidays. The time couldn’t be better to begin new habits by purging the old and then implementing a healthy daily maintenance routine; after all, the only side effects of effective detoxification are aging without looking or feeling old, naturally.

This isn’t some newfangled health idea; they teach it at Stanford University! A Stanford professor is teaching his students about the mind-body connection and the relationship between stress* and disease. The head of the Psychiatry Department at Stanford said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her female friends.

In the July issue (page 28) I reported on the dangers of synthetic chemical fragrances, the number of people affected in one way or another, symptoms manifested from fragrance exposure, and current research on their toxicity.

This month I’m listing the most common chemicals so that you can use this as a guideline and, hopefully, begin to take seriously the “toxic soup” to which we have all become exposed. Don’t simply “buy into” the marketing campaigns instead of being informed about what you put on your body and the health consequences… remember…what goes on the skin goes in the body!

All major news agencies are reporting the latest warning about levels of arsenic in a food staple for most of the world—rice. I’ve previously written blogs on this topic in order to particularly warn mothers to limit the amount of rice fed to infants and children. Now with another round of new findings and warnings, it’s important we take note and learn some precautions that could help reduce this carcinogenic toxic element in our food supply.

There are three chemicals which have finally caught the attention of medical researchers and public health officials— Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, aka C8), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS). Okay, so now you're thinking, "what in the heck are they and where are they found"?

They are stable compounds used in a large variety of products that make our life easier; albeit not healthier. Their presence in the environment, and the extreme toxicity shown in animal research, raises concern even over low-level chronic exposure on human health.

These toxic compounds have a wide range of uses including, but not limited to…

Why is a doctor of natural health writing about mangos? Because I work with clients who are among the most reactive to foods and the environment. Many of my clients were having strange reactions and it wasn’t until I researched what they had in common that we all realized it was mangos. My hope in sharing this information is to shed some light on what to watch for if you experience food responses and you’re searching for clues to the underlying causes.

Our diet is the total sum of what we consume; nutrition is the benefit of what we consume.

In this age of readily available global information it is still confusing, for both patient and doctor, when they read articles about vitamin, mineral and electrolyte replacements. Many argue that if you eat right, you shouldn't need supplements. This attitude exists because of the confusion between diet and nutrition-Equally important is not only what we eat but also how our body utilizes and excretes it.

Only recently have minerals received the importance they deserve. The following are example of body system disorders (short circuits) that are either caused by, or affected by, mineral deficiencies and imbalances: cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, muscular, skeletal, neurological, immune and endocrine.

It's that time of year again—holiday parties, celebratory meals and extra sweets loaded with sugar. Those special occasions easily become sweet deceptions once you understand the health-depleting effects of what you consume in the way of sugar.

Years ago we had little, if any, choice for tasty natural sugar alternatives. Today with new discoveries and technology, your health food store or grocer's natural food section offers several choices to satisfy even the most demanding palette. You may find one that you like for anything that isn't baked, as I have. And another that is substituted cup for cup for baking. The choices are vast as are their health benefits. Natural sweeteners I prefer are made from a combination of either LoHan, or a patented blend of fruit sugar-table sugar-milk sugar that offers an amazing 60 to 80 percent lower glycemic index, 75 percent lower calories, and 75 percent lower net carbohydrate than sugar.

Have you ever wondered how producers make those convenient little baby carrots also called cocktail carrots? I did, and what my investigative search uncovered is not a healthy conclusion. Approximately 3 billion pounds of carrots are sold each year in the U.S. alone—20 percent are peeled and processed as miniature “baby carrots,” carrot sticks and other varieties of fresh, processed carrots.

Ready—Set—Go
As parents, we are never ready for the onslaught of illnesses that plague schools, generally six to eight weeks after school starts: strep throat, colds, influenza, sinus infections, ear aches, and yes, head lice.

Use This Simple Test to Identify Toxic Metals

Test for Toxic Metals
The National Candle Association says there is an easy way to test whether a candle has a lead core wick: Take an ordinary piece of white paper and rub it on the tip of an un-burnt wick. If the wick leaves a light grey pencil-like mark, it has a lead core. No mark, however, and the candle is lead-free.

With the approaching holiday season, it’s time to gift yourself, and those you love, the gift of Health thru Education™.

Most individuals, specifically in the U.S., consume meals very high in fat during the holidays, never considering the health-depleting affects and potentially life-threatening consequences. Ah! Those gravies, sauces, butter and desserts can set up individuals for an event that just the name makes the hair on your arms stand to attention.

Synthetic Fragrances are MORE Powerful in Summer Months…

What do the following people have in common?

• People with allergies (50 millions in the US)
• People with asthma (15 million in the US)
• People with chronic severe headaches (45 million in the US)
• People with sensitivities (10 to 30 million in the US)

Do you have florescent light bulbs in your home or business? If so, congratulations, you are now a “hazardous waste handler.” The energy savings of fluorescent bulbs are definitely NOT worth the health risks that I’m sharing with you in this investigative piece.

Do you know if one breaks over carpet, you’d have to replace the entire carpet to remove mercury contained in the bulb? Some consumers have become so ill they’ve actually had to seal-off the contaminated room until it can be safely de-contaminated by environmental remediation specialists.

Among the most common herbicides used worldwide is one named Roundup. The authors of a study on the subject of cell damage and death reported their research “…points to detrimental health effects from Roundup®, which are currently masked or hidden from scientific scrutiny.”

GM crops are engineered to be Roundup resistant—their residues rank among the major pollutants and are authorized residues contaminating GM foods and feed at the tested levels. The researchers studied toxicity mechanisms of four different Roundup formulations in human cells. The formulations were diluted at minimal doses (up to 100,000 times or more), but they still caused cell death within just a few hours. The researchers also noted damages to membranes and DNA, and found the formulations inhibit cell respiration (oxygen levels needed within the cell like our lungs require oxygen).

Could Chemical Cuisine be the Cause?

The Eyes Have It
According to global reports such as the World Health Organization (WHO) blindness and visual impairment project, age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) is the primary cause of visual impairment in industrialized countries, accounting for 19 percent to 30 percent of the total cases of low vision in developed regions. Projected data estimates a 50 percent increase of ARMD prevalence between 2000 and 2020. Evidence now shows there is a definite connection related to chemical components of our foods, lifestyle and eye disorders.

Fibro Knots: Real Pain, Real Disorder
For our readers with “fibroknots,” it’s NOT all in your head—you don’t have a deficiency of Prozac®! You really do have knots. Fibromyalgia is made up of three words; Latin for fibrous tissue (fibro), Greek for muscle (myo), and pain (algia). This is another way of saying, muscle knots tied by painful ropes, a condition I know person ally and professionally only too well. These manifestations of the disorder are NOT emotional instability but rather of specific biological origins.

I’ve written extensively about the dangers of carrageenan, both in articles and my book Chemical Cuisine. That said, readers and patients are still asking for more information, you asked…here it is!

Carrageenan is a water-soluble polymer, a gum, used as a fat substitute in processed meats and also found in a multitude of food products for its thickening and gelatin-like qualities.