This funny e-mail has been going around.
Is Speaking English Bad for Your Health?
The Chinese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.The French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.The Latinos eat lots of Chilli and suffer fewer heart attacks than the Americans.
CONCLUSION:Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is what kills you.
But seriously, folks, what all of these nations have in common is that they all eat much less processed food than we do in the U.S.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Colds and Flu
A lot of visitors to The Healing Center have been complaining of colds and the flu, and as it turns out, Grandma may have been right about the benefits of chicken soup!
Homemade chicken soup has many powerful benefits. It clearly is helpful for colds due to the large amount of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine will thin mucous and help one breathe better during a cold. I absolutely do not advise using canned soup. Some brands can contain high levels of sodium, which is best avoided for many.
What else about colds? The Common Cold is the most common infectious disease in the U.S. It accounts for more absences from school and work than any other illness. It is the leading cause of patient visits to physicians.
It is not easy to “catch” a cold. Your body's natural defenses usually fight off these viruses. The most common route of infection is not from coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but from hand-to-hand contact. That is why when you have a cold, washing your hands frequently is so important. The likelihood of you becoming a victim of the cold virus increases however, if you are overtired or physically exhausted. Most uncomplicated colds last between eight and nine days, but about 25% last two weeks, and 5-10% last three weeks.
What about fevers? As long as your temperature remains below 102 F there is no need to lower it. Cold viruses do not reproduce at higher body temperatures. A slight fever should help you get rid of the virus quicker and feel better much sooner. A study done in 1990 showed that people who take aspirin and Tylenol suppress their body's ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus.
To get better faster I recommend "the usual" (mom was right). Drink plenty of water, eliminate sugar (including orange juice), it suppresses immune function. Avoid dairy products, they thicken mucus secretions. Rest. Wash your hands frequently. Change your pillowcase frequently. Rinse your toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide. Enzyme supplements are also helpful.
Homemade chicken soup has many powerful benefits. It clearly is helpful for colds due to the large amount of the amino acid cysteine. Cysteine will thin mucous and help one breathe better during a cold. I absolutely do not advise using canned soup. Some brands can contain high levels of sodium, which is best avoided for many.
What else about colds? The Common Cold is the most common infectious disease in the U.S. It accounts for more absences from school and work than any other illness. It is the leading cause of patient visits to physicians.
It is not easy to “catch” a cold. Your body's natural defenses usually fight off these viruses. The most common route of infection is not from coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but from hand-to-hand contact. That is why when you have a cold, washing your hands frequently is so important. The likelihood of you becoming a victim of the cold virus increases however, if you are overtired or physically exhausted. Most uncomplicated colds last between eight and nine days, but about 25% last two weeks, and 5-10% last three weeks.
What about fevers? As long as your temperature remains below 102 F there is no need to lower it. Cold viruses do not reproduce at higher body temperatures. A slight fever should help you get rid of the virus quicker and feel better much sooner. A study done in 1990 showed that people who take aspirin and Tylenol suppress their body's ability to produce antibodies to destroy the cold virus.
To get better faster I recommend "the usual" (mom was right). Drink plenty of water, eliminate sugar (including orange juice), it suppresses immune function. Avoid dairy products, they thicken mucus secretions. Rest. Wash your hands frequently. Change your pillowcase frequently. Rinse your toothbrush with hydrogen peroxide. Enzyme supplements are also helpful.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Tips for Healthy Eyes
For those who are fortunate enough to have their eyesight, here are some tips to help keep your eyes strong and in good health no matter what your age.
1. Take Fish Oil Regularly. A fat found in fish called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may help protect and promote healthy retinal function. DHA is concentrated in the eye’s retina and has been found to be particularly useful in preventing macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness.
2. Get Plenty of Lutein. Lutein, which is found in particularly large quantities in green, leafy vegetables, acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from free radical damage. If you eat a healthy diet, you should receive more than enough lutein from the food you eat. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t eat enough healthy foods and therefore don’t get enough lutein. This is particularly true if you rely on fast food as a staple part of your diet. This is easily remedied by adding lutein-rich foods to your diet. Some excellent sources include kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts and egg yolks.
3. Eat Dark Colored Berries. Not only do berries taste great, but also the compounds that give them their dark color are great for your health. The European blueberry, bilberry, is known to prevent and even reverse macular degeneration, and bioflavonoids from other dark-colored berries including blueberries, cranberries and others will also be beneficial.
4. Avoid Trans Fats. A diet high in trans fat appears to contribute to macular degeneration. Trans fat may interfere with omgega-3 fats in your body, which are extremely important for your eye health. Trans fat is found in many processed foods and baked goods, including margarine, shortening, fried foods like french fries, fried chicken and doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers.
1. Take Fish Oil Regularly. A fat found in fish called docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may help protect and promote healthy retinal function. DHA is concentrated in the eye’s retina and has been found to be particularly useful in preventing macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness.
2. Get Plenty of Lutein. Lutein, which is found in particularly large quantities in green, leafy vegetables, acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells from free radical damage. If you eat a healthy diet, you should receive more than enough lutein from the food you eat. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t eat enough healthy foods and therefore don’t get enough lutein. This is particularly true if you rely on fast food as a staple part of your diet. This is easily remedied by adding lutein-rich foods to your diet. Some excellent sources include kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts and egg yolks.
3. Eat Dark Colored Berries. Not only do berries taste great, but also the compounds that give them their dark color are great for your health. The European blueberry, bilberry, is known to prevent and even reverse macular degeneration, and bioflavonoids from other dark-colored berries including blueberries, cranberries and others will also be beneficial.
4. Avoid Trans Fats. A diet high in trans fat appears to contribute to macular degeneration. Trans fat may interfere with omgega-3 fats in your body, which are extremely important for your eye health. Trans fat is found in many processed foods and baked goods, including margarine, shortening, fried foods like french fries, fried chicken and doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Exercise Program May Cut Number of Colds
To carry on with th etheme of my previous post I bring you this news.
A moderate exercise program may reduce the incidence of colds. A study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that otherwise sedentary women who engaged in moderate exercise had fewer colds over a one year period than a control group.
Subjects in a group of 115 overweight and obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a moderate exercise program (45 minutes per day, five days per week and comprised of mostly brisk walking) or to a once-weekly 45 minute stretching session.
Both the exercisers and the stretchers filled out questionnaires every 3 months on the number of episodes of allergies, upper respiratory tract infections (colds and flu) and other infections. Subjects were taught how to distinguish various forms of infections and were followed for one year.
Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased modestly in exercisers and increased modestly in stretchers.
In the final three months of the study, the risk of colds in stretchers was more than 3-fold higher than that of exercisers. More stretchers than exercisers had at least one cold during the 12-month study period (48.4% vs 30.2%), and among women reporting at least one cold, stretchers tended to report colds more frequently than exercisers.
Senior author Cornelia M. Ulrich, PhD, of the Hutchinson Center, wrote, "Although we did not find an effect overall on upper respiratory tract infections, our study suggests that moderate-intensity training can reduce the risk of colds in postmenopausal, nonsmoking, overweight or obese women."
Judging by the number of people coming in for appointments with congestion and colds this article will be of interest to many of you.
A moderate exercise program may reduce the incidence of colds. A study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that otherwise sedentary women who engaged in moderate exercise had fewer colds over a one year period than a control group.
Subjects in a group of 115 overweight and obese, sedentary, postmenopausal women were randomly assigned to either a moderate exercise program (45 minutes per day, five days per week and comprised of mostly brisk walking) or to a once-weekly 45 minute stretching session.
Both the exercisers and the stretchers filled out questionnaires every 3 months on the number of episodes of allergies, upper respiratory tract infections (colds and flu) and other infections. Subjects were taught how to distinguish various forms of infections and were followed for one year.
Over 12 months, the risk of colds decreased modestly in exercisers and increased modestly in stretchers.
In the final three months of the study, the risk of colds in stretchers was more than 3-fold higher than that of exercisers. More stretchers than exercisers had at least one cold during the 12-month study period (48.4% vs 30.2%), and among women reporting at least one cold, stretchers tended to report colds more frequently than exercisers.
Senior author Cornelia M. Ulrich, PhD, of the Hutchinson Center, wrote, "Although we did not find an effect overall on upper respiratory tract infections, our study suggests that moderate-intensity training can reduce the risk of colds in postmenopausal, nonsmoking, overweight or obese women."
Judging by the number of people coming in for appointments with congestion and colds this article will be of interest to many of you.
Monday, February 2, 2009
HOW CAN YOU BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY?
The best way to keep from getting sick, according to the field of PSYCHONEUROIMMUNOLOGY (!), is to reduce stress. Attitudes and emotions are contributory to many illnesses. We live in an over-stressed, stimulant addicted society. Stress, in the form of emotions, toxins, pathogens and traumas, adds extra tasks to your body’s “Things To Do Today” list. Cutting stress, I know, is sometimes easier said than done. Just change one stressful habit. You’ll be amazed at how a little change can go a long way in boosting your mood.
You can reduce emotional stress but you may need help reducing the other kinds. STRESS is the main thing I treat in my practice. Stress in the form of mechanical issues like back misalignments and stress in the form of chemical issues like digestive dysfunction.
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY is another big factor in the health of the immune system. Major malnutrition is not (typically) seen in the Obese States of America, but marginal nutritional deficiencies are something I see every day. Particularly in the elderly population. Make sure your bases are covered nutritionally. Supplements and vitamins are often poorly absorbed and are no substitute for eating properly.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SUGAR (for example, glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey and orange juice) reduces immune system function in a measurable way within less than 30 minutes of intake. This effect lasts over five hours, with the peak inhibitory effect occurring 2 hours after ingestion. Considering that most folks in the U.S. consume 125 grams of sucrose and 50 grams of other refined sugars daily, the conclusion that most Americans have chronically suppressed immune systems is inescapable. When you’re feeling ill do not challenge you body further by eating sugar. Although one should not typically fast without consulting a doctor, when appropriate, a 24 hour fast can increase immune system response to acute illness, so forget the “Feed a cold. . .” thing.
HAND WASHING may seem obvious but it is good to give a reminder. I met an ER doctor, not a low stress lifestyle, a few weeks ago and she said hand washing was the main reason she rarely gets sick. Don't forget to wash your hands after touching phones, keyboards, steering wheels and other shared surfaces.
Finally. . . .WATER, WATER, WATER! If you haven’t heard me say it lately, drink your water! Divide your weight in pounds by two and drink at least that number in ounces of plain, pure water every single day! Drink more if you are run down or sick. Other beverages do not count as water because they are metabolized differently. This is, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do for your health.
You can reduce emotional stress but you may need help reducing the other kinds. STRESS is the main thing I treat in my practice. Stress in the form of mechanical issues like back misalignments and stress in the form of chemical issues like digestive dysfunction.
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCY is another big factor in the health of the immune system. Major malnutrition is not (typically) seen in the Obese States of America, but marginal nutritional deficiencies are something I see every day. Particularly in the elderly population. Make sure your bases are covered nutritionally. Supplements and vitamins are often poorly absorbed and are no substitute for eating properly.
STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SUGAR (for example, glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey and orange juice) reduces immune system function in a measurable way within less than 30 minutes of intake. This effect lasts over five hours, with the peak inhibitory effect occurring 2 hours after ingestion. Considering that most folks in the U.S. consume 125 grams of sucrose and 50 grams of other refined sugars daily, the conclusion that most Americans have chronically suppressed immune systems is inescapable. When you’re feeling ill do not challenge you body further by eating sugar. Although one should not typically fast without consulting a doctor, when appropriate, a 24 hour fast can increase immune system response to acute illness, so forget the “Feed a cold. . .” thing.
HAND WASHING may seem obvious but it is good to give a reminder. I met an ER doctor, not a low stress lifestyle, a few weeks ago and she said hand washing was the main reason she rarely gets sick. Don't forget to wash your hands after touching phones, keyboards, steering wheels and other shared surfaces.
Finally. . . .WATER, WATER, WATER! If you haven’t heard me say it lately, drink your water! Divide your weight in pounds by two and drink at least that number in ounces of plain, pure water every single day! Drink more if you are run down or sick. Other beverages do not count as water because they are metabolized differently. This is, in my opinion, the most important thing you can do for your health.
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