Saturday, March 14, 2015

Glycemic Index of Food

I had a question about the GI of Pamela's Baking mix the other day.  There is no requirement by the FDA for any food manufacturer to list the GI of its products.
However, you only need to search for "GI of food" in order to obtain the sugar index of a particular food.

In this case, remember that flour, whether or not it contains gluten, has a very high GI...ranging from about 60 -80 GI. Flour comes under the "white trash" food category and should be used, sparingly, especially by anyone with type 2 diabetes.  The GI of bread, like white sugar, is 100.

Dr. Hersh

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Antioxidant Supplements: Helpful or Toxic?

Most everyone has heard of antioxidants and how important they are to our health.  What most don't know is that the public has been sold a bill of goods, similar to the goods that they have been sold about saturated fats (see Jan 14 blog).

The public has been told that oxygen is destroying their bodies--the free radicals of oxygen is causing our bodies to "rust, bloom with tumors and burn up."  The only hope was to take synthetic antioxidants...they would "mop up free radials," were "anti-cancer, anti-heart disease and anti-arthritis."  The problem is, it's simply not true.

The truth is that Americans appear to be starving for oxygen at every level.  As for the free radicals that are causing aging, sickness and death, without them we would all actually die...and, quickly!

Free radicals, also known as protective prooxidants, are critical to our good health.  They are involved in all our detoxification pathways--the method our body eliminates and destroys toxins and other nasty stuff.  They play a key role in our immune strength and are anti-tumor and anti-cancer.  They protect us from infections and are involved in the healing of all wound.  Without protective prooxidants, we would quickly become lethargic, extremely tired and then totally exhausted.  Finally, prooxidants are key to cellular signaling...this is the way our body's cells communicate with one another.

All that is necessary in order to obtain the necessary antioxidants is to eat whole, fresh, organic and raw foods and use whole-food supplements, which naturally contain real antioxidants.  Dispose of any super potent, crystalline pure, chemical, synthetic or isolated antioxidants.

Professor Randolph M. Howes, MD has written a book about this subject, titled: "Antioxidants Linked to Deadly Unintended Consequences."  How often do we deal with  the "unintended consequences" of well-meaning but woefully inept medical nutritional information?

www.fixdhealthcare.com

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

The Great Heart Secret

In a previous blog, I wrote that the heart is the most responsive organ in our body to proper nutritional therapy...whether or not any imbalances currently exist.  The key word is proper nutritional therapy.  Improper nutritional therapy comprises all the "latest/glitzy" heart products and high-potency vitamins bieng pushed by marketers, today.  What then, is proper nutritional therapy?

It would be necessary to consume the following on a daily basis in order to offer proper nutritional therapy to the heart:  gallons of raw wheat germ and its oxygen sparing phospholipids, heart extract, tillandsia, liver and adrenal extract, calcium lactate (from fermented vegetables, NOT milk), nutritional yeast, allantoin, bran, carrot root, lecithin, yam, vitamin F, kelp, alfalfa, a high vitamin-B nutritional yeast and much more.  If you have plaque in your arteries (most do over the age of 40), you would also need to consume vitamin K2 from butter oil as well as vitamins A and D from cod liver oil.  If you had problems with your blood sugar that was affecting your heart, you would also need high chromium yeast, buckwheat leaf juice and pancreas extract.

All these raw ingredients would need to be grown organically, processed without heat or chemicals, tested for safety and effectiveness, processed into supplements that, upon final analysis, maintained all their active phytochemicals and mixed in the right combinations to affect the type of change necessary for the various forms of heart problems.

Fortunately, the company that I work with (which has been in business for almost a century) offers food-based formulations that contain all the necessary bio-active nutrients that supply the proper nutritional therapy for healing an imbalanced cardiovascular system. 

www.fixedhealthcare.com                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Allergy Season is Almost Here!

The good news is that winter is almost over.  The bad news is that as a result of a very hard and snowy winter, allergists predict this Spring will be especially difficult for pollen-induced symptom sufferers.

What are some of the things that can help alleviate the nasty symptoms?

1.  Buying a room (or whole house) filtration system that contains a HEPA filter and, make certain to clean it, frequently.

2.  If you have a basement that is unfinished, attempt to keep the humidity down below 50%, as anything higher than that encourages mold and mildew growth.  You can buy a hygrometer to test humidity levels.

3.  Wash your hair after you come home from work or being outside all day.  Going to bed with freshly washed hair gets rid of the day's accumulated irritants and pollen...the same thing goes for the timing of your shower or bath.

4.  Understand that a balanced gastrointestinal tract is vital for a healthy immune system.  Inflammatory changes in the gut can be responsible for many of the allergies/adverse reactions from which people suffer.  It's important to be taking the correct formulations that will help re-balance the immune system, including the gut, adrenals, spleen and thymus. 

It's very likely that if allergy sufferers follow the above guidelines, they'll be able to enjoy all the lovely flowers and flowering trees this year.

www.fixdhealthcare.com

Monday, March 2, 2015

Remodeling? Beware of this Product!

Last night, 60 Minutes reported on the dangers of laminate flooring sold by Lumber Liquidators.  The reason....out-gassing of formaldehyde (a neuro-toxin).

Back when the Congress was still able to get a few significant bills passed in 2010, a bill was signed into law adopting the very strict state of California standard for formaldehyde emissions from building products .... accepted as a national standard and effective as of 2015.  Those standards are labeled as, "CARB-2" on all shipping boxes.

Any laminate flooring that does not carry that endorsement cannot be sold, this year. However, it appears that Lumber Liquidators, which has all its flooring made in China, is in non-compliance with the present law.  The president of the company was interviewed by Anderson Cooper.  He made a number of excuses and dodges when it came to answering some pointed questions concerning the actions of his company.  It will be interesting to see what happens going forward.

Formaldehyde is a chemical that is used in the glue and laminate products and a certain level is allowable by the federal government.  The amount of this chemical found in the laminate flooring products in question was so high that the company doing the analysis thought that its equipment was broken, at first; it wasn't.  This chemical can out-gas for the life of the laminate...just like it can in vinyl wallpaper and numerous other products.  It is a toxin to our nervous systems.

When we were dissecting cadavers that were preserved in formaldehyde in chiropractic school, those who didn't wear gloves noted a numbness developing in their fingers...they quickly changed their tune about how "harmless" the chemical was. 

Formaldehyde is much more dangerous for young children than adults because of the immaturity of children's nervous systems.  However, exposure over a long period of time can lead to immune system compromise, liver problems and brain dysfunction symptomatology in both children and adults:  foggy thinking, memory problems, cognition difficulties, behavioral problems and many more.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

More Information About our Amazing Gut!

Back in 2013, the number one science story was the Microbiome Project.  Science had just completed the Human Genome Project which had mapped our entire genetic history, allowing us to see just how truly interconnected all of us humans are.  The Microbiome project's purpose undertook the colossal task to study and genetically map all the "bugs" (microbiota) in our body.  The startling data that was uncovered was that, contrary to popular belief, neither our genes nor our brain controls our health.  It is our gut and the microbes throughout our body that that do so.  It was found that over 90% of all our genes are not human...they are microbial.

Not only do our gut flora play a crucial role in our gut health, but also in the overall health of our body.  We normally associate such symptoms as diarrhea, constipation, colitis, diverticulitis, nausea, vomitting, gas and other intestinal symptoms with flora imbalances.  Now, we know that our gut flora also influence the possibility of our developing, preventing and/or curing diabetes, obesity, autoimmune diseases (we've talked about these before), heart disease, and emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and much more.

The project is ongoing;  Chinese scientists have recently discovered a new intestinal flora...Oenococcus...which is a bacterium used in the fermentation of wine.

The latest research shows how our gut flora is significantly involved in the vital functions of metabolism and the detoxification of foreign substances.  We used to think that that was solely the job of the liver...now we know that microbial compromise can contribute to our body's inability to detoxify poisons (environmental toxins) and other toxins.  We also know that our gut bacteria are involved in the worldwide super-problem of antibiotic resistance and, in particular, penicillin (and its derivatives) resistance.  That means our gut flora could spell the difference whether an antibiotic could save our life when it's really needed or be rendered useless as the result of antibiotic resistance.

There are simple and inexpensive protocol that can ensure the health of the gut.  Anyone who has had even one course of antibiotics is subject to immune compromise as the result of good bacteria destruction.  A healthy gut is now known to be the foundation of a healthy individual.  The contrary is also, unfortunately, true.

If you have young children, they are extremely susceptible to developing immune system compromise, especially when subject to courses of antibiotics at a young age.  Once the good bacteria are killed or depleted, they do not automatically reproduce once antibiotic therapy is discontinued.  The same is true for adults, too.  Autoimmune compromise can begin at a young age and, over the years, can easily develop into a full-blown autoimmune disease. 

If you wish to get healthy, feel younger, look better and have more energy...the health of your gut is the key!

www.fixdhealthcare.com

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

For Your Hair, Skin & Nails...the most important missing element...

What food in the diet is most often overlooked when it comes to supplementing for your hair, skin and nails?  Calcium?  Vitamin D?  Anti-oxidants? No...it's oil.

Almost to the patient, any time I ask how much oil they are getting in their diet, I'm greeted with a somewhat blank, perplexed look.  What do sufficient amounts of essential fatty acids have to do with the health of the skin, hair and nails?  Plenty.

Assuming you are sufficiently hydrated (1/2 your body weight in ounces of water/day), oils are equally necessary for good health.  Oil allows for the absorption and utilization of calcium (nails) and the transport of fat soluble vitamins to the skin, including the scalp. 

We typically notice excessive breakage of nails and drying of the skin in the winter months...usually attributed to heat drying our home and office environment.  No matter how much cream/conditioner we slather on ourselves, the dryness simply doesn't go away for very long.  Simply by adding both saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids to the diet, you should notice a considerable difference in the suppleness of your skin, the dryness of your scalp and the brittleness of your nails.

Eating a diet high in good fats (coconut, olive, grape seed and avocado oil), seeds and nuts (sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, almonds and cashews), dark green leafy vegetables (calcium, Vit. D) and high quality protein, along with supplementing with a fermented vegetable source of calcium, you should begin to see a significant improvement in your dry skin and brittle nails within a few weeks.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Does Your Man Suffer from These Symptoms?

....depressed mood, pessimism, low sex drive, moodiness, withdrawal from normal relationships and activities and/or weight gain....

These symptoms are all signs of low testosterone levels.  After 35 years of age, testosterone levels typically decrease by 1% per year.  Prolonged periods of emotional/mental stress eventually lead to adrenal hypo-function which, in turn, leads to decreased DHEA levels, resulting in lowered testosterone production.

Low testosterone levels don't only affect sex drive, they are associated with heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and premature death (this rate doubles in men over 65).  Statins, which, it seems, most mature men are taking, cause lowered testosterone levels.  The Journal of Sexual Medicine reports a negative association between statin therapy and testosterone levels.  Adding testosterone replacement therapy did not correct the problem!  JAMA, in 2014, reported higher rates of heart attacks and deaths in those men on testosterone replacement therapy. 

Additionally, many older men suffering from low T levels also show increased visceral (abdominal) fat, also known as the "Apple-shaped" man.  This location of fat distribution is linked to cancer of the esophagus, kidney, pancreas and colon.  Interestingly, it has been shown that men's cancers are 20% more invasive than women's in the colon, rectum, lung and bronchi.

Early signs of low T levels (before lab tests indication) is a diminished number of early morning erections.  Low T levels in men are just as potentially serious as low estrogen levels in women.  Low T levels are also irreversible if free T is converted into estrogen, unless adequate levels of a very important mineral are re-established.  Then, and only then, can high estrogen in males be converted back into testosterone.

There is a very simple saliva test that can determine if low T levels exist, the cause and specific targeted protocols from both Standard Process and MediHerb to address these causes of low T levels, such as high levels of estrodiol, high androgen levels, high leutenizing hormone levels, high cortisol levels, low DHEA levels and other hormone imbalances.  BPH is also associated with aging and low T levels.  Specific protocol that include specialized formulations, dietary changes and lifestyle changes can be of tremendous help for those men dealing with lifestyle-interfering symptoms. 

If someone you know or love shows any of the indications of low T levels, encourage them to seek help, as these symptoms will most certainly lead to more serious problems in the future.

www.fixdhealthcare.com

Thursday, February 5, 2015

If You Have Heart Problems, You Need This...

Some 31 years ago, an alternative medicine practitioner wrote:

"Iron is also necessary in the formation of myoglobin, which transports oxygen to muscle cells.  Thus iron...helps to increase your resistance to stress and disease while contributing to smooth and efficient muscular contractions."

What he was saying was that without sufficient iron in the diet, the muscular contractions of the heart may become weakened, resulting in heart failure or heart attacks.  Needless to say, the traditional medical community scoffed at such a statement.

Now, during the 2014 meeting of the European Society of Cardiology, the lead researcher commenting on their findings about the role that iron plays in cardiovascular health, said:  "I believe (treating iron deficiency) can reduce the risk of hospitalization due to worsening heart failure."  That would have been heretical 35 years ago.

The recommendation is for a person with heart disease to get blood work done to see if they are iron deficient.  As most iron supplements are simply awful and usually cause more problems than they help, one needs to take a whole food supplement if iron deficiency is present.  Another thing that needs addressing is the amount of hydrochloric acid that is in the stomach.  Those with heart burn have a deficiency of acid and, without sufficient acid, iron cannot be absorbed.  Also necessary for absorption is a sufficient amount of utilizable vitamin C, or ionized vitamin C.  Again, not all supplements are created equally.

For those suffering from heart problems, there are many quality formulations that can be taken to significantly increase the average life expectancy of 48-60 months, regardless of whether or not medication is taken.  Years can be added to a person's life if the body is given the chance to heal.

Your heart is the most responsive organ in your body to proper nutritional therapy.  Food truly is medicine.  Whole food concentrates contain microRNA's which are critical to healing.  The best supplements contain nutrients in their natural form, proper combination and dose and are processed from organic raw ingredients without heat or chemicals to maintain their natural state.  Virtually no supplement manufacturers grow their own organic crops on their own farms; next to zero supplement makers are interested in even trying to make these kinds of supplements because they can't get the raw ingredients, they don't know how and, even if they did, it takes too much time and it is too expensive.

I think we are truly lucky to have such a company that cares more about the products it makes than the bottom line.  I can only wish that more people could appreciate that.

www.fixdhealthcare.com

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

GNC, CVS, WalMart, Mail Order Herbs...not the place to purchase Echinacea and....

For those of you who have been reading my blog for some time, you'll know that I have reported that the quality of herbs and supplements purchased from health food stores, pharmacies and mail order companies is abysmal.  Now, the Attorney General from New York officially agrees with my position, at least in this instance.

Yesterday, he announced that he would be ordering all echinacea and other herbs sold by the above-mentioned stores to be taken off the shelves and no longer allowed to be sold in NY.  His investigating offices found all of the brands that were sold to either not contain any echinacea or to have so many fillers as to contain only minute amounts of the herb. 

This and other herbs may be sold without any federal quality controls and that is a major reason that herbs can either be void of any health benefits or may cause adverse reactions due to unknown additives and fillers.

MediHerb and Standard Process undergo rigorous federal quality controls to ensure that they contain the herbs and vitamins that they claim to contain.  Also, MediHerb is a company that grows its own medicinal herbs.  Take echinacea, for example.  It's the alkylamide in the echinacea which gives it its medicinal quality.  The following is the result of  an echinacea product comparison between MediHerb and other companies that sell the herb:
,
MediHerb:  contains 6.86 mg of alkylamide per capsule.  Vital Nutrients:  0.44 alkylamide per cap ( need an equivalent of 16 to equal MediHerb).  Nature's Way:  0.26 mg/cap, need 27 capsules.  Douglas Labs:  0.21 mg/cap, need 33 capsules.  Natural Factors:  0.10mg/cap, need 69 capsules.  Ecological Formulas (this company handles Innate and Gaia echinacea):  0.05 mg/cap, you'd need to take a whopping 137 capsules to equal the alkylamides in ONE capsule of the Echinacea Premium from MediHerb!

Many of our patients have told us that MediHerb herbs are expensive.  After showing them the comparison and after they actually take the herbs, they understand why.  You won't find most of this company's products on the internet because they only sell to doctors...not even to health food stores.  People need to reconsider their self-prescribing habits and their purchasing habits...unregulated herbs can be ineffective, at best, and dangerous, at worst.

Herbal remedies are a $60 billion business/ year in this country.  Most of those dollars are going to waste.  I encourage you all to "consider the source," when purchasing herbs or supplements.

www.fixdhealthcare.com