WHY IS IT BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH TO COOK WITH A MICROWAVE?

Microwaving food changes healthy fats into harmful oxidized fats, which cause inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation increases the risk of heart disease. Microwaves also change the normal molecular structure of amino acids into forms that are toxic to the body. Microwaving vegetables destroys 97% of the bioflavonoids, which are anti-inflammatory. Because of the fatty acid and protein destruction, infant formula should NEVER be microwaved.

Microwaves create unique radiolytic byproducts, which are not found in nature. These unique radiolytic byproducts increase the risk of cancer. They are also formed by the irradiation of food.

Lastly, cooking with microwaves does not give your brain a chance to get your stomach ready for digestion. Smelling and thinking about food causes the brain to send a signal to the gastrointestinal tract to get warmed up and ready for action. This warm up takes 15-20 minutes prior to eating. The speed of microwaves is convenient but because the warm up phase is skipped, you are likely to get indigestion, heart burn, pancreatic insufficiency, gas and bloating, and mal-absorption of nutrients.

What type of education and training did the naturopath receive?

Essentially there are 2 types of naturopathic education.  The first type is an intensive 4 year accredited program recoginzed by the US Department of Education.   This graduate-level naturopathic medical school program includes all of the same basic sciences as an M.D., but also studies holistic and nontoxic approaches to therapy with a strong emphasis on disease prevention and optimizing wellness. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, psychology, and counseling (to encourage people to make lifestyle changes in support of their personal health). In addition to class room studies, this program requires over 1000 hours of clinical application and experience.  At the end of the program, the naturopathic physician takes rigorous professional board exams so that he or she may be licensed by a state or jurisdiction as a primary care general practice physician. (AANP:www.naturopathic.org)

Schools recognized by the US Department of Education as accredited institutions:

Bastyr University

National College of Natural Medicine

Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine

University of Bridgeport – College of Naturopathic Medicine

Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine

Boucher Institute of Naturopathic Medicine

The second type of naturopathic education is an internet correspondence course that may be completed in several months. These programs claim to be accredited, but are not recognized by the US Department of Education as accredited institutions. The program has far less academic training and no supervised clinical training or experience. These “naturopaths” do not take the professional board exams as their education is not adequate enough to be eligible for a license.

Some of the distance learning programs include:

Clayton College of Natural Health

Everglades University

Global College of Natural Medicine

Before you see a Naturopath, make sure to ask where they received their training.

For more information go to:

http://www.newlifejournal.com/octnov03/coward_1003.shtml

What is the difference between Cure and Palliation?

Palliation is taking something for a symptom to stop the symptom. The person feels better, but the reason why they got the symptom in the first place has not been addressed. The symptom is merely the body’s way of sending a signal that there is a problem, but the symptom is not the problem. For example, if a person is fatigued and the lab test shows they have hypothyroid (low thyroid hormones), and they are given thyroid hormones as a treatment. The person will have increased energy and feel better, but the reason why the thyroid was not producing enough hormones has not been addressed. This is palliation. Natural therapies and treatments can be just as palliative as prescription and over-the-counter medicines.

It is essential to distinguish between palliative treatments verses curative treatments because continual palliation leads to suppression. With suppression the problem is driven deeper in the body. The body will eventually send a more alarming signal (symptom) to try to bring attention to the initial problem. The fatigue/hypothyroid symptom is replaced by ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, or some other severe symptom.

There is nothing wrong with palliation, as long as the cause of the problem is pursued while palliating. Identifying and resolving the cause may take years as it often occurred during childhood and has progressed during the person’s life. A true cure occurs only when this ultimate source has been identified and addressed, after which no therapies are required and worsening conditions do not develop.

To determine if cure has been reached, there needs to be markers other than just the person’s symptoms. The overall health of the person needs to be evaluated. To do so health needs to be defined in universal terms. A healthy person has a sense of balance, purpose, creativity, connection, freedom, strength, and energy in life. The healthy person is transformed into who they were meant to be, not just symptom free. The goal of any practitioner and patient should be to work towards cure of the problem and not merely palliate and suppress symptoms.

Why should I get a free range organic Thanksgiving turkey?

Free range organically raised turkeys are fed their native diet, allowed to exercise and roam, and grow at there natural pace. They are not given hormones or antibiotics. As a result of this, these animals are healthy and the meat they produce is healthy with a natural balance of essential fatty acids and increased vitamin and mineral content.

Fed-lot agri-business raised turkeys found in most grocery stores are confined to cramped conditions in numbers immensely larger than their normal pecking order. This produces a great amount of stress on the bird decreasing their health. These turkeys are fed an unnatural diet that causes them to be unnaturally overweight and nutritionally deficient. They are given growth hormones for the same purpose. Because of all the stress and unbalanced diet, they become sick. In the effort to keep them alive long enough to reach Thanksgiving they are given antibiotics. All if this provides meat that is nutritionally deficient and full of hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides that can decrease a person’s health if they eat it.

Contact your local organic farmer or go to eatwild.com to buy your free range turkey and other meats.

What should I do for a fever?

A fever should be encouraged. It is actually a sign of vitality, which is why young children usually get high fevers and the elderly do not. A fever is the body’s way of correcting an imbalance and in the vast majority of cases should not be suppressed with medications, prescription or over the counter. By taking anti-fever and cold medications, people are inhibiting their body’s natural response to the imbalance and pathogen, prolonging the duration of the dis-ease.

Stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, etc. lead to an imbalance allowing a virus or bacteria to flourish. A healthy response is to mount a fever. The increased body temperature will increase the function of the immune system to destroy the virus or bacteria, inhibit and kill the virus or bacteria directly, and detoxify the body.

Fevers take energy, which is why people get fatigued and sleepy when they are sick. The body is trying to conserve energy for the fever and immune response, which is why one should rest if they feel feverish. Also, at 99.5°F digestion ceases, allowing the energy to be used for the fever. One should drink plenty of fluids and broths during a fever, but should not eat in order to avoid increasing toxicity in the body. In addition to plenty of rest and fluids, hydrotherapy is an excellent way to support a healthy fever.

What are sweeteners made from and what side effects do they have?

Chemical Sweeteners:

Aspartame (Equal and Nutrasweet) is broken down in the body into methyl alcohol (wood alcohol), phenylalanine, and aspartic acid.

Methyl alcohol is highly toxic to the body as it breaks down into formaldehyde. Methyl alcohol causes retinal damage of the eye, swelling of the optic disc, decreased blood flow to and swelling of the brain leading to dementia and Parkinson’s like syndrome, disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy), pancreatitis, and nerve irritation causing numbness and pain. The safe maximum daily intake of Methyl alcohol set by the FDA is 8.5 mg. The average Nutrasweet sweetened soft drink contains 55 mg of methyl alcohol after it is metabolized in the body. This is permitted because methyl alcohol is a byproduct of metabolism not an ingredient.

Phenylalanine is an amino acid that affects the brain if it accumulates. Some people are born with a genetic disorder, PKU, leaving them without the enzyme (phenylalanine hydroxylase) that metabolizes phenylalanine resulting in severe mental retardation as a newborn or infant. Most people have the enzyme, but if they have deficient amounts of it or take phenylalanine in faster than the enzymes can clear it, this back up can cause neurological complications, depression, and behavioral and mood disorders. Children are especially susceptible.

Aspartic acid is also an amino acid and acts as a stimulant.

Saccharin (Sweet and Low) has been shown to cause bladder cancer in lab animals.

Sucralose (Splenda) is made from sucralose, dextrose, maltodextrin, and chlorine. The agent used to bind the chlorine to the sugar is Phosgene, a compound that is manufactured under the chemical weapons division. Phosgene was stock piled by the military as a chemical weapon during WW1, WW2, and beyond. It is listed on schedule 3 of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Maltodextrin is derived from high fructose corn syrup.

Natural Sweeteners:

Sugar causes inflammation in the body. Inflammation can show itself in a variety of ways such as allergies, any “–itis” condition, muscle and joint pain, head aches, and heart disease (this is not an all inclusive list). It can lead to obesity and insulin resistance leading to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Sugar consumption can lead to emotional and behavioral conditions. It can lead to hormone imbalances including the adrenals, thyroid, and sex hormones. Consistent sugar intake can cause fungal infections. Sugar is also a favorite food of cancer cells. Use sugar sparingly, if at all.

High Fructose Corn Syrup can lead to obesity and insulin resistance leading to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. It can cause inflammation in the body. All of this increases the risk of heart disease as well as various other conditions. Corn is largely genetically modified. Genetically modified foods can cause over stimulation of the immune system due to incorporated allergens and the body not recognizing the new arrangement as it is not found in nature. Avoid high fructose corn syrup.

Honey is a natural sweetener, but should still be used sparingly to avoid the same side effects as sugar. Darker honey has a higher mineral content.

Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana aka Sweet Herb) is a South American shrub used by the indigenous people as a sweetener for medicine and Mate (tea). It is a natural sweetener you can grow in your yard to reduce the ecological footprint of harvesting and shipping it from thousands of miles away. Even though it is natural and not related to sugar, use it sparingly to avoid the potential side effects of sugar.

Xylitol is an alcohol sugar from birch trees, fruits, and corn. Studies have shown it to prevent bacterial adhesion in the mouth. Thus far, xylitol has shown little toxicity. I would use it sparingly.

Yes.  You are going to die.  I know this is not what you want to hear from your doctor, but it is true.  We are all going to die.  Death is a natural part of life and there is no getting out of it.   The sooner we accept this fact, the more we can enjoy our lives.

Most people assume they are going to live until they are in their late 80’s or early 90’s.  Because of this assumption, they become complacent in their lives.  They spend the majority of their time obsessing about money, disliking their job, and watching TV. They put things off for later, when they will have more time.  They take most days for granted instead of taking advantage of and enjoying each day.

The truth is, we may live until we are 94 or we may die tomorrow.  There is no way to know for sure how much time any of us have on Earth.  This does not mean any of us should go through life afraid death is around every corner, but it does mean we should savor each moment of our time.

We are each here for a reason.  Did you chose to be in this life so you could worry about bills, be irritated by your boss, or sit for hours watching reality television?  I have a simple question for you.  Be honest with yourself.  Why are you here?

I have seen it in multiple movies and TV shows.  I have heard it discussed in medical classes and observed it advised in clinical practice.  A patient is diagnosed with a terminal condition and is told in their remaining days to do the things in life they always wanted to do in order to bring closure to their life.

There is no reason to wait.  We are all currently dying of a terminal condition.  It is called life.

Why are you here?  What things do you want to accomplish or experience in life?  Make a list of the things that would make you feel like you have lived a full and complete life.  I prefer calling this the LIFE LIST as opposed to the Bucket List. Then actively work to accomplish each item.

I want to run a marathon, learn Italian, help people live healthier happier lives, learn to Kayak, go to Ireland, and run the bases at Yankee Stadium to name a few.  If anyone can help with running the bases at Yankee Stadium, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Life is not about how long you live, but what you do with the time you are here.

A doctor has just diagnosed you with a terminal condition and has told you to do the things you have always wanted.  What is on your list?  What do you need to do to make this list a reality?  Do not put it off!!! There is no telling how much time you have left to live.  Use your time wisely, and enjoy and fulfill your life.

Is it true the way many people exercise actually decreases their health?

Currently, I am training for the Portland marathon. The original man who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens did so to deliver a message from the battlefield, “Victory”. Upon delivering the message, he promptly dropped dead. This story and what I have experienced in my own training have demonstrated there is a huge difference between health and fitness.

Fitness is the ability to achieve a task, in this case a physical task. Health is all systems of the body working optimally together. A person can be extremely fit and have extremely poor health at the same time. Just because a person works out or exercises, does not mean they are healthy. Most people exercise in a way that establishes fitness and sacrifices health. This is why many elite athletes tend to have considerably shorter life spans.

Exercise is a stress to the body, and like other stresses, too much will decrease health and increase dis-ease. Unfortunately, because the task becomes easier with increased fitness, people perceive this as improved health. Continuing to exercise anaerobically can lead to multiple hormone imbalances, weakening of the heart, fluctuating blood sugar levels, and joint instability and pain.

A common misconception prevalent in our society is that more is better. For instance, many believe the heavier they breathe during exercise, the more aerobic the activity. This is not the case.

At a certain point, the enzymes that provide us with aerobic energy cannot keep up, and we are forced to switch to enzymes that provide energy anaerobically, despite the increased breathing. Our heart goes from burning fatty acids to glucose, which is normally reserved for the brain. This switch to anaerobic dominance means we become less efficient with our energy, as fatty acids contain over 50 times the energy as glucose when glucose is used anaerobically. Large amounts of stress hormones are released to try to maintain adequate glucose for the heart, skeletal muscle, and brain. The body has to work extremely hard to provide the energy to maintain the activity and does so by breaking itself down.

So what can a person do to exercise towards health? True health has a balance between the activity of the aerobic and anaerobic pathways. Because most people have neglected the aerobic pathway, they should do only true aerobic activity for 6 months to a year.

How can someone know if they are exercising aerobically or anaerobically? To ensure an aerobic heart rate, people should wear a heart rate monitor while they exercise.

How can someone determine their aerobic heart rate range? To find your ideal aerobic heart rate subtract your age from 180. This will give you the upper limit of the range. Now subtract 10. This gives you the lower limit of your ideal aerobic range. A more individualized formula is (220-age-Resting Heart Rate) x 0.8 + Resting Heart Rate = upper limit and (220-age-Resting Heart Rate) x 0.6 + Resting Heart Rate = lower limit. This latter formula should be used with any risks for heart disease. If you have any of the risks for heart disease, consult a naturopathic physician before you begin an exercise regiment.

Going above the top limit means a switch to anaerobic dominance. Falling below the bottom limit means not receiving all the optimal benefits of exercise. The goal is to stay within your ideal range. In the beginning, it will seem like you are going very slow. Over time, your pace will increase while your heart rate stays the same.

After 6 months to a year of aerobic exercise, begin 2-3 nonconsecutive days a week of anaerobic exercise in addition to 2-3 days a week of aerobic training. This balance will support health.

In addition to heart rate, the type of exercise, the duration of the exercise, and time of day the exercise is done must also be evaluated and tailored to each person’s specific needs to promote health.

Should I use sunscreen to prevent skin cancer?

No and yes. Due to media coverage and mass marketing, many people lather up in sunscreen before they leave the house to prevent skin cancer. It is true that excess sun exposure can cause skin cancer (malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma), and sun screen can prevent skin cancer. However, it is also true that avoiding or blocking the sun’s UV light completely causes many debilitating and deadly diseases such as cancer of the colon, prostate, and breast, osteoporosis, hypertension, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression.

People’s health is actually dependent on getting some sun. The same UV light sunscreen blocks is needed to make vitamin D from cholesterol. Vitamin D is needed to absorb and retain calcium. Besides being needed for bones and teeth, calcium is also required for muscle contraction, including intestinal and heart muscle, nervous system function, blood clotting and anti-clotting mechanisms, and cell membrane transport and stabilization preventing inflammation.

This may make you wonder how much sun is too much. Here are some simple guidelines to follow:

• Try to get at least 20 minutes of sun every day. Sun exposure of the arms and face for 20 minutes a day is enough to produce the Recommended Daily Amount of Vitamin D.
• Do not spend enough time in the sun that you get a sunburn. Repeated sunburns can cause skin cancer. How much time this is will vary from person to person depending on complexion, time of day, time of year, and distance from the equator. Know your limits.
• You may need to work up to 20 minutes. Start with a shorter time and gradually increase it each day. If you get a mild sunburn, decrease your exposure time. This is your tolerance time.
• Your tolerance time most likely will change. Frequent sun exposure increases UV blocking pigment in the skin, allowing for more time in the sun without getting burned.
• Use sunscreen or get out of the sun after 20 minutes or you reach your tolerance time to prevent skin cancer.
• Be selective in choosing your sunscreen. Many sunscreens have toxic ingredients that will be absorbed through the skin.
• In winter months, consider going to a tanning salon that has both UVA and UVB in their beds. Just like with the sun start slow, work your way up, and DON”T GET BURNED. Tanning beds deliver a more concentrated dose of UV light, so you will need much less time. All beds are not the same, so ask about its strength. Two or three times a week should be plenty.

Health Care Crisis Solution Found at Jiffy Lube

My dad doesn’t know much about cars. He taught me everything he knows, which was to call a tow truck if it doesn’t start. With no mechanic in the family to teach me, needless to say, I don’t know much about cars either.

I do know what a spark plug looks like and they are supposed to be replaced at some point. I believe it’s called a “tune-up” but I was not really sure. Rather than ask someone, and have my manhood questioned, I decided I’d just drive my car until the spark plugs stopped working. That’s what you do, right? Drive it until it brakes down then replace the part that stopped working. What’s the big deal? Isn’t that why I have AAA?

Apparently, as the mechanic informed me with a scolding tone, spark plugs need to be replaced due to the increasing gap between electrodes, which occurs with use. The larger gap makes it harder for the plug to fire, decreasing the performance of the engine, until it won’t work.

Feeling like I was going to be sent to my room, I asked, “How much will it cost to replace the spark plugs?”

The mechanic responded, “Spark plugs are cheap. They only cost $17.”

I smiled. I was worried it was going to cost a small fortune to fix.

Then he continued, “But since you waited so long to replace them, you burned out your igniter and blew your distributor. The distributor is going to cost you $300.”

I stopped smiling.

“And,” he added with a disapproving look, “the distributor is a lot harder to install than plugs. With labor, you’re looking at about $450. Had you brought the car in for a tune-up like you’re supposed to, it would only have been $50.” Then in a complete Father Knows Best tone he let me have it, “You could have prevented this problem.”

My approach to the maintenance of my car is the same approach the majority of Americans use for their health. The prevailing attitude is to just keep doing what you’re doing until it breaks down, then have the insurance pay to fix it. As I learned, this is a very expensive approach.

I didn’t know about the importance of changing my spark plugs because no one taught me. Americans don’t know the true impact diet and exercise have on their health simply because they are not being taught. Sure, a proper diet and exercise are recommended because they are “good for you”, but the direct connections down the road to obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, depression, and many cancers are not stressed. Over 60% of Americans are over weight and that number is growing, literally.

Our current system of “health care” focuses nearly all of its attention and money on treating the sick, much like me waiting for my car to brake down before I did anything. This is not health care. This is sick care. What we need is a true health care system that focuses on preventing people from getting sick in the first place.

Much like my mechanic, Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” It would cost a fraction of the money we spend now on sick care to teach people how to be healthy and prevent chronic health problems from developing. In the long term, this approach would decrease the over all cost of care, improve the quality of care due to less strain on the system, and improve people’s quality of life.

Implementing a system of prevention will take some work, but anything worth having requires work: creating a Democracy, abolishing slavery so all could enjoy Democracy, and the I-Phone. Fortunately, Americans already understand the idea of prevention. We change our oil every 3,000 miles to prevent engine failure. We invest a little bit of money to improve our engine’s performance and extend its life. Americans need to take what we’ve learned at Jiffy Lube and apply to our health care.