More Dangers From Soy...Especially for Infants

In a retrospective study conducted this past month, it was found that babies diagnosed with autism were almost three times as likely to suffer from seizures triggered by fever as other babies, when fed soy-based formula. These children had twice the rate of epilepsy and four times the rate of simple, partial seizures as non-autistic babies. 

The study didn't take into consideration when the children began taking the soy-based formula or for how long it was given.  Still, the findings are truly significant and it would be wonderful if this were given some media time so that parents could make an informed decision whether or not to use products made from soy.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Fantastic Crispy Vegie Bites

I created this simple and easy recipe with some extra eggplant that needed to be used because I don't like to keep fresh vegetables around for more than a couple of days.  Now, I know that some of you may be thinking, "No way will my family try eating eggplant, no matter how good she claims it to taste!"  I just ask that you humor me and give the recipe a chance.  Eggplant is one of the best "sticky" or "soluable" sources of fiber in the diet.  Just make certain that you pick a fresh eggplant....firm, not too large and free from seeds as they make for a bitter taste.

Serves 4 (or 2 big eaters)

2, 9 inch dishes, plates or other containers
2,  small to medium eggplants, skin on, chopped into 1/2 inch squares
2, small whole eggs, beaten with 2 tsp. water, salt, pepper and one-eighth tsp.chipotle, optional
1-2 cups gluten free flour, with salt, pepper and/or chipotle to taste

Directions

Dredge the eggplant in the flour, then, dip into the egg wash and dredge back into the flour, for a second time.  Don't crowd the dish or plate ( I use 2 pyrex 9 inch plates, one for the eggwash and one for the flour) and work with just enough of the eggplant at a time to be able to coat the vegetable, completely.  After coating all the eggplant, put about one quarter of an inch of high heat oil into a fry pan and keep the heat at medium....low enough not to burn the vegetables but high enough to see the vegies bubble.  Put the tip of a small knife into the largest piece of eggplant, making sure that it's done but not mushy.  Drain the eggplant on some paper towels...if done correctly, you shouldn't have much oil, at all.  Immediately salt the eggplant just a little before they cool.  These are so cripsy and yummy that I suggest you don't tell the kids/family that they're eggplant before they try.  Serve with ketsup or your favorite dip or just plain.

Let me know what you think.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>
drkollars@gmail.com

Time Off from The Blog and Information about the Importance of Enzymes

I'll be taking some time off, this next week, and probably won't be writing any blogs during that period of time.  I was reading a very well-written article about the importance of digestive and systemic enzymes to our health and longevity.

For most, we don't get enough enzymes because there aren't any in processed, pre-packaged, canned or cooked foods...thus, the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  We're forcing our liver and pancreas to produce adequate amounts of enzymes to enable us to process and utilize our food.  Eating an acid diet (excessive protein without enough fat and vegetables to balance the blood pH) also interferes with our body's ability to carry oxygen and food to the cells, allowing an environment to grow viruses and bacteria and inhibit enzyme production.

I include the url of a website article that is exceptionally well-written concerning the importance of the proper amount of digestive and systemic enzymes in our diet.  It's fairly lengthy, but definitely worth the read.

http://natural-health-academy.com/enzyme-nutrition/

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Brain Scan of Lesions in the Brain reversed by gluten-free diet!

The New England Journal of Medicine has published scans that show how lesions in the brain can be reversed by eating a gluten-free diet. 

For those who have been eating gluten-free for some time, my guess is that you are very pleased but not highly surprised by this.  I have to say that this is BIG, really, really big.  For an allopathic journal to publish these kinds of findings, points to an enormous change in thought as regards nutrition/brain health/overall health and understanding of the importance of diet vs. pharmaceuticals in the treatment of the human body.

For those of you who are interested, I include the url for the NEJM picture of the brain lesions. 

http://www.nejm.org/image-challenge?ci=04102014&

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

"Liver" or "Age spots: What are They?

Most of us are familiar with the "inevitable" age/liver spots that have most frequently been attributed to sun damage.  However, during one of our recent continuing education seminars, we learned that these spots may be more about diet than just simple sun damage.

If I may, I wish to digress just a bit to illustrate a point about the source of the damaged skin.
          Some time ago, I was watching a show about the "golden age" of television (the 50's into the very early 60's for those yungins out there) and Julia Child's show was highlighted.  It was in black and white, of course.  What struck me was Julia's hands...the backs were covered in spots.  Doing the math, I estimated that she was in her early 50's at the time.  Those of us who have watched any amount of her shows know her theme: "You can never have enough butter!"  Well, Julia, yes, yes you can.

The research now shows that the liver does, indeed, play an important part in the development of those spots on our face, hands and other parts of the body in concert with the sun.  The reason for this is that the liver is always affected by the ingestion of trans fat, aka saturated fat and hydrogenated fat.  I won't go into the blood chemistry, but even if you don't eat saturated or hydrogenated fats anymore, what you ate in the past can and usually does show up in the skin, in this case, as "age spots."  All that bacon, butter, fried food and fatty meat catches up with us.

Right now, I'm silently thanking my mother for not allowing us much in the way of any of the above-mentioned categories of food.  My hands and face look pretty good, much better than my husband's.  He grew up on a dairy farm...lots of cream, butter and bacon.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Requested Recipe for Mayonnaise

This is a basic recipe that you can change by using different oils or by adding herbs.  This makes 2 cups of mayonnaise and uses both raw egg whites and raw egg yolks.  Do NOT make this if your eggs are not organic and are not super fresh and if you aren't going to keep this in a refrigerator at 36-38 degrees Farenheit. I keep my mayonnaise in the meat drawer, as it keeps items colder than does the rest of the refrigerator.  If you don't want to use the egg whites, simply use the yolks and add 2 tbsp. of water.

2 cups oil, combination of any of the following:

rice bran oil, safflower, grape seed, avocado, sunflower and toasted sesame oil...
only use 1/4 cup of the sesame oil if it's toasted!

2 whole eggs, medium sized ( if using only yolk, add 2 Tbsp. water)
1/4 tsp. pink salt or sea salt
2 tsp. mustard powder....not the mustard in the containers
1 Tbsp. rice wine, red wine, apple cider or regular vinegar

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, EXCEPT for the oil.  While it's running, very s l o w l y  stream in the oil...if you add the oil quickly, the mayonnaise consistency will be altered and you'll end up with a thin oily mess.


    Store in a cold (36-38 degrees F.) frige for no more than 7-8 days.  Do NOT let this sit out at room temperature.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Here are Some Surprising Things Made from Petroleum

Most of us know that anything that is plastic or made from synthetic material has its origins in petroleum.  I came across a list of things that might surprise you to know are also made from petroleum.  Here's a partial list:

antiseptics,   deodorant,    rubbing alcohol,    pillows,    hair coloring,    denture adhesive,    aspirin,    dish washing soap,    hand lotion,    shampoo,    shaving cream,    toothpaste,    lipstick,    anesthetics,    dentures,    vitamin capsules,    perfumes,    antihistamines,    and cortisone, to name the ones that I didn't know about.

Fortunately, you can avoid most of the petroleum additives if you are using organic sources of many of the above.  I don't know how you'd avoid the petroleum in the medications, though.  Isn't it something that the very products we look to, to help us feel better are the very ones that are exposing us to harmful chemicals?  How sad.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>   

More Fun Facts About those Foods We Love

For those of you who are feeling pretty good about the fact that you don't like jelly beans, fast foods, soda or red meat, wait a moment and read about the foods that you may eat on a more regular basis.

The first isn't really a food, but it is something that many do "chew" with some frequency:   Chewing Gum.  What's the problem with that stress-reducing, breath-freshening product?  Lanolin.  This is added to gum to keep it soft, just like those non-organic skin care products. 

Lanolin is the oily secretion found in sheep wool.  Every time you chew, you are ingesting sheep sweat....yum.  The real problem is that the wool is likely to have been dipped in insecticides on the farm.  Insecticides accumulate in fatty tissue, which researchers worry may inhabit the breast milk of new mothers.

Ice Cream....specifically vanilla ice cream.  If you see "castoreum" listed on the label of both vanilla and raspberry (why this one in particular, who knows?) ice cream, I would suggest you run away.  Castoreum is the anal (so sorry about this) secretions and urine from a beaver!  I'm not certain that there is anything that can cause real harm in beaver urine, but I know I'm never going to find out.

Bread.   Besides the obvious gluten, sugar, salt and multiple preservative problems, commercial bread contains L-Cysteine, which is manufactured from human hair.  There is another source...duck feathers.  My suggestion is that you go for the organic breads...Rudi's Ancient Grain Spelt bread is pretty good, or only buy multi-grain breads without any softening agents.

Shredded cheese.  This is for those who still include dairy in their diet.  Shredded cheeses contain cellulose to keep the cheese from sticking together.  Cellulose contains sawdust and is usually listed as, "fibrous plant material."  That kind of fiber we don't need.  The only cheese I recommend is sheep's or goat's feta, goat's cheddar and, my personal favorite, goat's parmesean....it's yummy.

I hope I haven't ruined anyone's favorite food!  Happy eating.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Do you know the top 10 Carcinogenic Substances?

I'm certain that most everyone would name smoking as the number one source of cancer-causing substances.  I'm not so certain as to how many of us would know how potentially damaging many of the foods we routinely eat are.  Here's a list you might find interesting as the top ten carcinogenic substances:

1.  Any charred food--whether it be burnt popcorn, burnt toast or cooking with    charcoal.
2.  Red meat, in general, but especially over-cooked meat...it's the fat that's the problem.
3.  Refined sugar...substitute coconut palm sugar, stevia, honey or agave.
4.  Lots of salt and hot, spicy foods...moderation is the key.
5.  Soda...besides the obvious high sugar or high artificial sugar content, sodas have been proven to leach minerals...primarily calcium.
6.  Trans fats, aka hydrogenated fats.  These are found in all fried and processed foods.
7.  Artificial sweeteners, particularly aspartame (see April 11 blog).
8.  Excessive alcohol intake.
9.  Acrylamides...chemicals that are produced in foods cooked at very high temperatures.  They are also found in plastics, grouts, water treatment products and cosmetics.  If one is exposed to these products at the work place over a period of time, they cause nerve damage, too.
10. Farm-raised fish...they contain high amounts of PCB's.

So, if one loves to eat fast foods, you are getting charred meat or meat cooked at high temperatures, hydrogenated fats, lots of salt and sugar or artificial sweeteners...a recipe for disaster. 

Oh, now we're exporting this, "recipe for death," to other countries, such as China and India.  If we are patient, we can just kill off the population of other countries whose governments we don't like.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Giving Jelly Beans to Your Children, this Easter?

For those of you who like Jelly Beans (President Reagan was crazy about them), please ponder these facts, first.

Jelly Beans are pure sugar, coloring and dyes....made from petroleum, aka oil from the ground, not the good kind of oil.  Orange and purple dyes have been shown to slow down brain function and cause behavioral problems in children.  This is the last thing any child needs, let alone one that is autistic or suffers with ADD or ADHD.

I suggest that you go to nuts.com to purchase Easter candy as they offer organic nuts, fruits and snacks, if you can't find them locally.

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>

Foot Pain & Chiropractic Care

Most people think of podiatrists when seeking treatment for foot pain.  One has to remember that if you go to a podiatrist, you will be given few other options than bunion removal, rigid orthotics (appropriate for only about 15% of the population, the rest of us need slightly flexible ones as our arches are dynamic) or surgery.  Also, important to remember is that once surgery is performed, there is no reversal of the sometimes unintended consequences.

This week, we had a new patient who has been in considerable pain for four years.  He was scheduled for another surgery...he's had bunion removal and bone scraping performed, recently....to be done on the other foot, this time a much more invasive procedure to try to address his constant pain while walking.  He said that nothing that he nor another doctor has done has helped, with the exception of a particular type of shoe that allows him to at least be able to put some weight on the offending foot.

Although he was emotionally set for all the consequences that another surgery presented, he decided to try our office.  After his first treatment, he came out of the room with a huge smile on his face.  "There's 80% less pain in my foot!"  Needless to say, he rescheduled and we're going on a journey, together, to see what can be done to permanently correct the problem that has caused so much havoc in his life. 

<ahref=http://fixdhealthcare.com>