How to stop your sight from fading

 Greetings,
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and didn't put on too much weight from all the extra food.
I'm always looking for something that hopefully you will find as interesting as I did.  This is about taking care of our vision, something we don't tend to think about.  Debbie and I just had our eyes examined and my eyesight actually improved!  I have been doing eye exercises recommended by my friend Dr Winer. Let me know if your interested and I'll be gladly share what he told me to do with you.
All the best,
Lou & Debbie

How to stop your sight from fading
Dr. Julian Whitaker provides prevention steps for common vision problems

By Dr. Julian Whitaker

It's easy to take our eyes for granted. They don't require much maintenance, and even for those who don't have 20/20 vision, corrective lenses are an easy fix.

But there are other eye problems that can develop, especially as we get older. They range from the merely annoying – such as dry, irritated eyes – to serious, vision-impairing diseases like macular degeneration. Fortunately, there are targeted nutritional supplements and lifestyle changes that can help prevent and treat common eye concerns.

Antioxidants help prevent AMD

The leading cause of blindness in older people is age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which results in the loss of central vision and the ability to see fine details. AMD is primarily triggered by a lifetime of free-radical damage, so the best way to protect your eyes is to make sure they have an abundant supply of targeted antioxidants.

Scientists discovered years ago that taking a daily supplement containing relatively high doses of vitamin C (1,000-1,500 mg), vitamin E (300-400 IU), beta-carotene (15,000-25,000 IU), zinc (50-80 mg) and copper (4-6 mg) lowers risk of AMD and related vision loss, but nutritional research has gone far beyond these basic vitamins and minerals. And much of the latest science has focused on a handful of phytonutrients.

Phytonutrients provide powerful protection

Phytonutrients are health-promoting organic components found primarily in plants. The carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin scavenge free radicals in the retina and absorb damaging wavelengths of light. Leafy greens, such as kale and spinach, contain both of these protective compounds. Egg yolks are another good source.

Anthocyanosides are strong antioxidants that strengthen blood vessels and improve ocular blood flow. The best dietary sources are bilberry, black currant, and other dark berries.

Few people get therapeutic doses of these phytonutrients from diet alone – a serving of leafy greens, for example, has only about 1 mg of lutein. For optimal protection, you need to take them in supplement form.

Look for a combination product targeting vision support that contains 15 mg of lutein, 2 mg of zeaxanthin and the anthocyansosides mentioned above. They're widely available in health food stores and online.

Cataracts aren't inevitable

Cataracts, or opacities of the lens of the eye, are another common problem associated with aging. More than half of all Americans in their 80s either have cataracts or have had surgery to replace the clouded lens.

I'm not going to knock cataract surgery, because people see much, much better afterward. But isn't prevention a better idea?

First, make some lifestyle changes to eliminate the factors linked with increased risk of developing cataracts and other vision problems. These include:

Smoking
Abdominal obesity
Diabetes
Hypertension
Nutrition is also important. Not surprisingly, the same nutrients that protect against AMD have also been shown to help stave off cataracts.

One study found that older women who had the highest levels of lutein and zeaxanthin were about a third less likely to have cataracts. And in a more recent placebo-controlled clinical trial, people who took a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement for nine years were much less likely to have developed the most common type of cataracts than those who took a placebo.

N-acetyl-carnosine can help stop cataract formation

Another therapy worth trying is N-acetyl-carnosine. Free-radical damage isn't the only thing going on in cataract formation. Advanced glycation endproducts, or AGEs, caused by the crosslinking of proteins, is another degenerative process that damages the lens.

Carnosine is a natural amino acid combo that inhibits AGE formation. Several studies show that when carnosine eye drops are used twice a day in eyes affected by cataracts, improvements are often noted in both vision and lens opacity. Look for these drops online and in health food stores.

Say goodbye to dry, irritated eyes

Most of us occasionally experience a dry sensation in the eyes, but for millions it's a daily occurrence. Caused by a decline in tear production or quality, this condition is particularly prevalent among older individuals.

Lubricating eye drops, or artificial tears, may soothe dry eyes, but they do little to address the underlying condition. Two of the processes at work in dry eyes are inflammation and free-radical damage.

To curb inflammation, eat salmon and other cold-water fish on a regular basis and take a minimum of 2,000 mg of fish oil daily. Harvard researchers found that women with the highest intake of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids had a substantially reduced risk of dry eyes.

Try VIVA drops

To fight free radicals, I recommend VIVA Eye Drops from Corneal Science. In addition to being preservative-free, this product contains vitamin A and other antioxidants that improve the normal tear film and help heal the epithelial cells on the surface of the cornea.

In one study, people with dry eyes used one or two drops of VIVA in one eye and artificial tears in other several times a day for four months. Improvements were reported in 61 percent of the eyes treated with VIVA compared to 15 percent of the eyes treated with artificial tears.

These eye drops are also helpful for red, irritated eyes. I do not recommend drops that promise to get the red out. Overuse may result in dilation of the blood vessels, making them even redder. VIVA drops are available online and in some health food and drug stores.

Solutions for other common vision concerns

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve characterized by increased pressure in the eyes. If this condition is not addressed, it can cause permanent vision loss. Common treatments are drugs and surgery, but studies suggest that several natural agents can reduce pressures in patients with glaucoma. The best studied is high-dose vitamin C (1,000-1,500 mg), but Ginkgo biloba (60 mg daily), bilberry (320 mg daily) and magnesium (500-1,000 mg daily) also appear to be helpful for treating this vision concern.

Night vision often falters as we get older, making driving after dark a chore. Many of my patients with this concern tell me their night vision improved after they started taking a supplement containing most of the nutrients I mentioned earlier. This isn't surprising. Anthocyanosides, in particular, have been demonstrated to enhance light/dark adaptation and improve night vision.

The bottom line

Whether you want to treat an existing eye problem or maintain your vision, the best thing to do is improve your diet and take a comprehensive supplement aimed at supporting vision health.

To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=225965

Environmental Toxin May Play Important Role in Multiple Sclerosis: Hypertension Drug Possible Treatment

ScienceDaily (Nov. 24, 2010) —
Researchers have found evidence that an environmental pollutant may play an important role in causing multiple sclerosis and that a hypertension drug might be used to treat the disease.

---

The toxin acrolein was elevated by about 60 percent in the spinal cord tissues of mice with a disease similar to multiple sclerosis, said Riyi Shi, a medical doctor and a professor of neuroscience and biomedical engineering in Purdue University's Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Paralysis Research and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering.
The research results represent the first concrete laboratory evidence for a link between acrolein (pronounced a-KRO-le-an) and multiple sclerosis, he said.
"Only recently have researchers started to understand the details about what acrolein does to the human body," Shi said. "We are studying its effects on the central nervous system, both in trauma and degenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis."
The compound is an environmental toxin found in air pollutants including tobacco smoke and auto exhaust. Acrolein also is produced within the body after nerve cells are damaged. Previous studies by this research team found that neuronal death caused by acrolein can be prevented by administering the drug hydralazine, an FDA-approved medication used to treat hypertension.
The new findings show that hydralazine also delays onset of multiple sclerosis in mice and reduces the severity of symptoms by neutralizing acrolein.
"The treatment did not cause any serious side effects in the mice," Shi said. "The dosage we used for hydralazine in animals is several times lower than the standard dosing for oral hydralazine in human pediatric patients. Therefore, considering the effectiveness of hydralazine at binding acrolein at such low concentrations, we expect that our study will lead to the development of new neuroprotective therapies for MS that could be rapidly translated into the clinic."
The researchers also learned the specific chemical signature of the drug that binds to acrolein and neutralizes it, potentially making it possible to create synthetic alternatives with reduced side effects. The studies are detailed in a paper appearing online this month in the journal Neuroscience. The paper was written by doctoral students Gary Leung, Wenjing Sun and Lingxing Zheng; graduate research assistant Melissa Tully, who is an MD-Ph.D. student at Purdue and the Indiana University School of Medicine; postdoctoral researcher Sarah Brookes; and Shi.
In multiple sclerosis, the myelin insulation surrounding nerve cells is destroyed and the nerve fibers themselves are damaged.
"We think that acrolein is what degrades myelin, so if we can block that effect then we can delay the onset of MS and lessen the symptoms," Shi said.
Acrolein induces the production of free radicals, compounds that cause additional injury to tissues after disease or physical trauma.
"We've discovered that acrolein may play a very important role in free radical injury, particularly in multiple sclerosis," Shi said.
The elevated acrolein levels in the MS mice were cut in half when treated with hydralazine. The drug represents a potential long-term therapy to slow the disease's progress.
"To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that acrolein acts as a neurotoxin in MS and also the first time anyone has demonstrated hydralazine to be a neuroprotective drug," Shi said.
Other researchers had previously shown that acrolein damages liver cells and that the damage can be alleviated by hydralazine, leading the Purdue researchers to study its possible effects on spinal cord tissues.
Further research will be conducted, and Shi's group has identified other potential compounds for binding acrolein. The research team, in a possible future collaboration with the Indiana University School of Medicine, also is working to improve the sensitivity of detection methods to measure acrolein levels in people with multiple sclerosis.

Scientists challenge TSA on scanner radiation

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  So let me ask you a question,  "Are you going to be flying home this week?"

I have been listening and watching what people have been saying about the TSA and the naked scans they are employing to "make us safe".

Somehow I don't feel safe with what I have been hearing.

Read this and let us know what you think.

Lou & Debbie

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINES

Scientists challenge TSA on scanner radiation

Warn of 'potential health consequences' to elderly, pregnant women, children

Posted: November 22, 2010       11:09 pm Eastern
By Drew Zahn                     © 2010 WorldNetDaily


Federal officials claim radiation risks from the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's new full-body scanners are low, but several scientists are calling on the administration to rethink whether the numbers really add up.

The TSA says the radiation from its security scans amounts to about a thousandth of the amount a patient receives from a standard chest X-ray, or an amount "equivalent to two minutes of flying on an airplane."

But a physics professor at Arizona State University in Tempe not only conducted his own study, finding the radiation exposure 10 times what the TSA estimates, but also argues that the health risks aren't mathematically worth taking.

Prof. Peter Rez explained to MSNBC that while the risk of getting a fatal cancer from the screening is minuscule, it's about equal to the  probability an airplane will get blown up by a terrorist. Either way, the professor argues, dead is dead.

"There is not a case to be made for deploying [the scanners] to prevent such a low probability event," Rez says.

Furthermore, a team of scientists from the University of California San Francisco have written a letter to the White House warning that the scanners present – above and beyond the risks to the general population – "potential serious health risks" to certain segments of society, such as the elderly and the pregnant.

"There is good reason to believe that these scanners will increase the risk of cancer to children and other vulnerable populations," say the cosigners of the letter, which include experts in biochemistry, imaging, X-rays and cancer research. "We are unanimous in believing that the potential health consequences need to be rigorously studied before these scanners are adopted."

The backscatter X-ray technology used in airport security scanners penetrates the skin only about 1/4 inch before the rays are scattered,  whereas medical X-rays transmit completely through the body. The TSA has determined, therefore, that the amount of radiation emitted from the airport scanners is significantly less than at the doctor's office.

The University of California scientists, however, disagree.

"The X-ray dose from these devices has often been compared in the media to the cosmic ray exposure inherent to airplane travel or that of a chest X-ray," the professors' letter states. "However, this comparison is very misleading: Both the air travel cosmic ray exposure and chest X-rays have much higher X-ray energies, and the health consequences are appropriately understood in terms of the whole body volume dose. In contrast, these new airport scanners are largely depositing their energy into the skin and immediately adjacent tissue, and since this is such a small fraction of body weight/volume, possibly by one to two orders of magnitude, the real dose to the skin is now high."

The professors are calling on the administration to specifically reexamine potential risks to the following groups:

Older travelers, those greater than 65 years of age, who may be at particular risk from the mutagenic effects of the X-rays;
A fraction of the female population especially sensitive to mutagenesis-provoking radiation leading to breast cancer, women typically exempted from X-ray mammograms, for example;
The population of immuno-compromised individuals, such as HIV and cancer Patients;
Children and adolescents;
Pregnant women and their unborn children;
And men in general, because of the proximity of the testicles to skin, which is most highly effected by the backscatter rays.
The TSA claims that the machines' safety has been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Devices and Radiological Health, the Commerce Department's National Institute for Standards and Technology and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory.

"In summary, the potential health risks from a full-body screening with a general-use X-ray security system are minuscule. Several groups of recognized experts have been assembled and have analyzed the radiation safety issues associated with this technology," the FDA states. "As a result of these evidence-based, responsible actions, we are confident that full-body X-ray security products and practices do not pose a significant risk to the public health."

When New York Times reporter Susan Stellini called these research organizations to ask about their evaluations, however, she discovered the machines were primarily tested for whether the amount of radiation emitted meets guidelines established by the American National Standards Institute, an organization she suspects may be operating with a conflict of interest.

"Guess who was on the committee that developed the guidelines for the X-ray scanners? Representatives from the companies that make the machines and the Department of Homeland Security, among others," Stellini writes. "In other words, the machines passed a test developed, in part, by the companies that manufacture them and the government agency that wants to use them."

Both Rez and the team from University of California have also brought up yet another "red flag" with the airport scanners.

"The scary thing to me is not what happens in normal operations, but what happens if the machine fails," Rez told the Times. "Mechanical things break down, frequently."

"Because this device can scan a human in a few seconds, the X-ray beam is very intense," the California professors' letter states. "Any glitch in power at any point in the hardware (or more importantly in software) that stops the device could cause an intense radiation dose to a single spot on the skin. Who will oversee problems with overall dose after repair or software problems?

"The TSA is already complaining about resolution limitations; who will keep the manufacturers and/or TSA from just raising the dose, an easy way to improve signal-to-noise and get higher resolution?" the professors continue. "Lastly, given the recent [underwear bomber incident], how do we know whether the manufacturer or TSA, seeking higher resolution, will scan the groin area more slowly leading to a much higher total dose?"

The scientists' letter, addressed to Dr. John P. Holdren, assistant to the president for science and technology, concludes, "We urge you to empower an impartial panel of experts to reevaluate the potential health issues we have raised before there are irrevocable long-term consequences to the health of our country. These negative effects may on balance far outweigh the potential benefit of increased detection of terrorists." 

FDA Failing to Monitor Safety of Medical Devices

Greetings.

Would you be surprised to learn that the FDA is not doing their job?
If your like us you won't have any problem believing this.  It really is up to us to take care of our health and do things proactively to stay healthy.
All the best,
Lou & Debbie


FDA Failing to Monitor Safety of Medical Devices: Report

Lax procedures around approvals, poor follow-up plague the agency, investigators claim

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter


TUESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not doing its job of properly monitoring the safety of medical devices, the authors of a new report charge.

The FDA has the authority to approve both drugs and medical devices, but the investigators believe that the division responsible for device approval and safety is lax in both its initial approval of devices and its ongoing monitoring of related problems.

"The agency often misses problematic devices," contends lead author Shannon Brownlee, an instructor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

The report is published in the Nov. 3 online edition of the BMJ.

In their article, Brownlee and New York-based medical investigative journalist Jeanne Lenzer focus on the FDA's approval and follow-up of a device that prevents or reduces seizures in patients with epilepsy who don't respond to drug treatment.

This apparatus, called a vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) is made by Texas-based Cyberonics. The VNS, which is implanted under the skin, works by sending electrical impulses to stimulate the vagus nerve in the neck.

The FDA approved the device in 1997 and some 60,000 patients around the world are using it, according to the manufacturer. In 2005, the FDA also okayed the device as a treatment for medication-resistant depression. There are some 5,000 people who use VNS to treat depression, Cyberonics says.

Brownlee and Lenzer's concern: That during the 13 years the device has been on the market there have been 900 FDA-reported deaths of people using the device to control their epilepsy.

The question of whether any of these deaths were due to the device remains unanswered, however, even though Cyberonics did conduct the post-marketing study the FDA requested at the time of approval. However, the FDA did not require the study to report the cause of death for individuals using the device, Brownlee and Lenzer said.

FDA spokeswoman Karen Riley said the agency is engaged in an ongoing effort to improve overall medical device safety monitoring. "We have an initiative underway to strengthen post-market monitoring," she said.

But Brownlee believes the story of the VNS device to be just one example of the FDA's failure to monitor the safety of medical devices before and after they are out in the marketplace. For example, she pointed out that less than one-third of devices approved under FDA's pre-market approval process had ever been evaluated in a randomized trial.

And she said that it was physicians, not the FDA, who spotted serious problems with certain implanted defibrillators, for example. "It was physicians keeping their own database that alerted the company to the problem," Brownlee said.

Moreover, she believes the agency is not capable of detecting potentially unsafe devices through its own harms database. Brownlee cited a finding that many post-approval studies are either not done, or conducted so poorly "as to be meaningless."

According to the BMJ, the FDA referred Brownlee and Lenzer to five post-approval studies that they said established the device's safety. However, Brownlee said these studies do not prove the device was not the cause of deaths, since none contained mortality data.

Brownlee also said that when the device was approved for depression it was over the objection of FDA's own panel of scientists. And, according to Brownlee, the company has suggested that VNS may be useful for a wide range of other ailments, including obesity, stroke and traumatic brain injury, and has patented the device for these potential therapies.

According to Brownlee, the FDA will only improve when it gets more staff, better funding, more authority and more outside experts to objectively evaluate device safety.

The new findings come on the heels of a recent embarrassment for the agency: In October, the FDA apologized for mistakenly approving the Menaflex knee implant over objections from its own scientists. In its announcement, the FDA admitted it caved to political pressure from New Jersey senators and a congressman. The FDA has now taken steps to rescind that approval.

"I have sympathy for the FDA, which is understaffed and underfunded in many areas," Brownlee said. "But there is no question that this agency had been captured by the very industries that it is supposed to regulate," she said.

Defending the VNS, Cyberonics chief financial officer Greg Browne said that "none of the approximately 900 deaths reported to the FDA were attributed to VNS therapy."

"Available data demonstrate that all-cause mortality rates for VNS therapy patients are less than half the rates in the comparable non-VNS epilepsy patient population," he added.

Dr. Jerry Avorn, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and author of an accompanying journal editorial, agreed with the article's authors that, "until recently the part of FDA that approves devices has been run in a much more loose manner than the part of FDA that approves drugs."

While the FDA has started to deal with some of these problems, "it's still more of a wild west environment than the drug side of FDA," he added.

The agency needs to look harder at the standards it uses when approving new devices, and should revamp its surveillance systems to spot people who have received faulty devices, he added.

"All government regulation is not a bad thing," Avorn said. "It can sometime be life-saving," he said.

More information

For more information on the FDA and medical devices, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

SOURCES: Shannon Brownlee, M.S., instructor, Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Hanover, NH; Jerry Avorn, M.D., professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston; Karen Riley,spokeswoman, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Greg Browne, chief financial officer, Cyberonics; Nov. 3, 2010, BMJ, online

Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

words of wisdom from a 90 year young woman

Greetings,
This was sent to me by my Mom, I've learned (over time) that she's usually right... 
Enjoy
Lou & Debbie

 Written by a 90 year old

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

• Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
• When in doubt, just take the next small step.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
• Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
• Pay off your credit cards every month.
• You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
• Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
• It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
• Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
• When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
• Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
• It's OK to let your children see you cry.
• Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
• Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
• Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
• Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
• It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
• Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
• Over prepare, then go with the flow.
• Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
• The most important sex organ is the brain.
• No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
• Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
• Always choose life.
• Forgive everyone everything.
• What other people think of you is none of your business.
• Time heals almost everything. Give time --- time.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Believe in miracles.
• God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
• Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
• Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
• Your children get only one childhood.
• All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
• Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
• Yield.
• Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift." 
• The best is yet to come...

So now that we have the wisdom of a 90 ear old, what's going to change for me?
I love older people.
Just wondered. . . What would you add to the list?

Lou

Myths and musts about drinking water

Greetings,
So who would want to argue with Chuck Norris?
Not I for sure.  He has started to write for World Net Daily and he is all about health.
His series is called C-Force and I thought that we would share it with you all.
Enjoy
Lou & Debbie

Myths and musts about drinking water


Julia Child summed it up well when she said, "Water is the most neglected nutrient in your diet but one of the most vital."

In a previous article, I suggested a couple of great nutritional books. One of them was Dr. Don Colbert's "The Seven Pillars of Health," in which he simplifies complex matters and boils down the web of healthy lifestyle tips into simple steps.

Colbert's seven pillars are a part of what I consider eight basics, or foundational principles, that you must focus on to create a better you. And some of them might surprise you. If you even relatively master these eight, you will greatly increase your odds of a long, energetic and productive life. Based upon questions from readers, I'll be elaborating on each of them in future articles.

And it all starts with the most overlooked element to nutrition – water.

Water is critical throughout the body:

It helps transport nutrients and waste products in and out of cells and the body;

It is necessary for all digestive, absorption, circulatory and excretory functions;

It is critical for the proper function of every organ in the body;

It is needed for the utilization of water-soluble vitamins;

It helps to maintain proper body temperature;
That is why proper hydration is the first item on Dr. Colbert's checklist in examining all ill patients. Roughly 70 percent of the body is made up of water, so drinking water makes sense. It is the most foundational aspect of life and the single most important nutrient. Again, it is used in every bodily function.

The fact is you can live five to seven weeks without food but only five days without water.

Colbert says, "Many Americans live in a mildly dehydrated state with various irritating symptoms and never realize it."

Signs or symptoms of a lack of hydration include headaches, skin problems, digestion problems, back pain, arthritis, dry skin, being overweight, high blood pressure, asthma, memory loss and other ailments. Colbert testifies that in his medical practice, many people have actually experienced relief and even been cured through proper hydration.

The doctor recommends you don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water. Because the average body loses about two quarts through organ functions, perspiration, filtration and secretion, it is important to hydrate yourself regularly.

Thirst is actually your body's way of saying, "I've needed water for a while." If you wait to drink water, you're likely dehydrated to some degree.

And here's another hydration myth. I used to think I could get my daily dose of water in coffee, juice, soft drinks and milk, but chemicals and sugars often associated with these beverages (and certain types of caffeine, even in teas) actually dehydrate the body more than they replenish it.

There is an equation to figure the recommended amount of water you should drink. Your weight divided by 2 equals the number of ounces of water you need to consume daily. And not all of that needs to be drunk, as much of your food intake provides the liquid. For example, bananas are 70 percent water. Apples (80 percent), tomatoes (90 percent), watermelons (90 percent) and lettuce (95 percent) are also good sources of water.

In order to ensure the intake of quality water, use a reputable filtration system or drink good bottled water, because contaminants are plenty in much of our tap water.

With the essential role that water plays in life, you will benefit physically, mentally and spiritually, so remember that the road to a better you definitely begins with H2O.

Taming America's tummy aches

Greetings,
This is a little long, but I know people who are living with this problem.  
Got a question for you? 
Do you think it's better to look for a natural solution first -  or should you always run to your doctor's office every time you don't feel well?
Look, we're not saying you should always avoid the traditional medical route, but it's not always best to only go that direction. 
A wise man I know once told me that you need to look at the underlining cause of the problem, not just mask the symptoms with drugs!
 Let us know what you think - or if this helped.


Enjoy

Lou & Debbie

Taming America's tummy aches
Dr. Julian Whitaker  © 2010
Abdominal pain, bloating, gas, cramping, diarrhea and constipation are a fact of life for the millions of Americans who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. Also known as spastic colon and nervous indigestion, IBS is usually diagnosed only after a doctor has  ruled out more serious conditions such as ulcerative colitis or colon cancer.

Although IBS is not life-threatening, it is uncomfortable to say the least and downright inconvenient. For many people the symptoms are so severe that they have to plan their outings and day-to-day activities around trips to the bathroom.

What causes IBS?

Despite its prevalence, no one is certain what causes IBS. Emotional distress was once thought to be the culprit – patients were often told it was "all in their heads." While it's true that stress and anxiety worsen the condition, physicians now know the problem is in the gut, not the head.

Some research suggests that the muscles and nerves in the colons of IBS sufferers may be hypersensitive, and as a result, they respond strongly to stimuli that would not bother most people.

Common conventional treatments

Not surprisingly, conventional treatment for IBS consists primarily of prescription drugs. These include tranquilizers and antidepressants, which can improve IBS symptoms but have a host of other complications including addiction, anxiety, nausea and even violent behavior.

One IBS drug, Lotronex, was pulled from the market only months after it was approved by the FDA because it caused several deaths and numerous serious side effects requiring surgery or hospitalization.

Diet makes all the difference

Fortunately, there are ways to naturally manage IBS. Most digestive difficulties can be treated with dietary modifications.

The first step toward controlling IBS symptoms is to eat more fiber from vegetables, beans, peas and fruits. Fiber is important not only for stool formation, but also for the overall health of your gastrointestinal, or GI, tract. Aim for at least 30 grams daily.

Second, limit your intake of caffeine. Caffeine is a powerful GI tract irritant that can be especially problematic for IBS sufferers.

Also, cut back on excess sugars and starches. They're a favorite food of the bacteria that reside in the gut, which is why they cause gas and bloating. Beware also of artificial or low-cal sweeteners such as aspartame, sorbitol and mannitol, which can cause diarrhea.

Eliminate IBS triggers

If these simple changes don't dramatically improve your symptoms, your next line of defense is to identify which foods irritate your system and cut them out of your diet.

Among the most common IBS offenders are:

dairy products - wheat - eggs - citrus - corn - peanuts


The best way to identify triggers is to try an elimination diet. The idea of an elimination diet is to eat non-allergenic meals for at least one week to clear your system, then add in new foods every few days and observe your reaction to them.

A standard elimination diet may consist of:

chicken - rice - potatoes - bananas - apples - a variety of vegetables (except corn)


Only these foods – fresh, not processed – should be eaten for seven days. As you slowly reintroduce other foods, keep a detailed diary to help you pinpoint which ones produce symptoms.

The mind-body connection

The colon is controlled partly by the nervous system, which explains why bowel evacuation is a normal part of the body's response in a high-stress, fight-or-flight situation. So it makes sense that chronic stress and anxiety can dramatically affect everyday bowel health.

Learning to relax can make a huge difference in alleviating IBS symptoms. In one study, adults with IBS were split into two groups, and one group practiced a relaxation technique twice a day for 15 minutes. After six weeks, researchers found that participants in the relaxation group reported significantly reduced symptoms, with particular improvement in diarrhea and bloating.

Amino acids to the rescue

If anxiety is contributing to your IBS symptoms, give gamma-aminobutyric acid, or GABA, a try. This amino acid binds to receptor sites in the brain, blocking "excitatory" neurotransmitters and keeping you on an even keel. GABA, which is available in health food stores, is safe, nontoxic and non-habit forming.

For quick relief during an acute episode, open a capsule and stir it into water. For chronic anxiety, take 750 mg 1-3 times per day as needed. Because amino acids are best absorbed on an empty stomach, you should take them 30 minutes before or two hours after meals.

You should also consider glutamine. The most prevalent amino acid in the body, glutamine is renowned for its healing properties in the  gut. It aids in the production of enterocytes – cells that line the intestinal tract and play a key role in controlling the absorption of nutrients and prohibiting improperly digested proteins from entering the bloodstream. The recommended dose is 2-3 g daily.

Other ways to restore digestive health

Several other supplements have proven effective when it comes to treating IBS. They can be found in most health food stores.

Probiotics: Stress, medications, and poor diet can reduce "friendly" bacteria in your intestines, worsening symptoms of IBS. Clinical studies show that probiotic supplements help normalize the bacterial makeup of the intestinal tract, alleviating bloating, constipation, diarrhea and other GI disturbances that often accompany IBS. Use as directed.

Artichoke leaf extract: A growing body of evidence suggests that artichoke leaf extract is a valuable therapy in the treatment of IBS. After a six-week study, researchers in the United Kingdom reported that IBS patients taking artichoke leaf extract had significant reductions in the severity of their symptoms. Furthermore, 96 percent of the patients rated artichoke leaf extract as "better than or equal to" previous therapies they had tried. The suggested dose is 600-1,800 mg daily, in divided doses with meals.

Peppermint: (Mentha piperita) is particularly beneficial for gas and bloating because it helps relax muscles in the intestines. The preferred form of peppermint is enteric-coated capsules. They break down in the intestines, not in the stomach, where they could cause heartburn. Take 1-2 capsules (each containing 0.2 mL of peppermint oil), two or three times a day, preferably between meals.
As most physicians are quick to point out, there is no sure cure for IBS. However, I am confident that through diet modification, stress control and the use of targeted supplements, you can achieve dramatic, long-term relief.

Julian Whitaker, M.D., known as America's Wellness Doctor, is founder of the Whitaker Wellness Institute, which has treated more than 45,000 patients as the largest alternative medicine clinic in the country. Author of the monthly newsletter "Health & Healing" and 13 books, including "Reversing Diabetes" and "Reversing Heart Disease," Dr. Whitaker is a proponent of freedom of choice in medicine and founder of the nonprofit Freedom of Health Foundation.

Glaxo Settles Defective-Drugs Claims for $750 Million - are you taking any of these drugs?

Greetings,

Many of you know that Debbie & I used to own a health club.  While there, we saw so many women come in who were, to say the least, over medicated!  It is up to us as individuals to take charge of our health!  If we will watch what we are eating and start exercising, we can eliminate the need and the amount of drugs in our system.

I am all for capitalism, but this is not the first time that a company made a decision that hurt the end user's, i.e. YOU!   When you read articles like this one it should give you a reason to want to get off drugs anyway.

All the best

Lou & Debbie

 

Glaxo Settles Defective-Drugs Claims for $750 Million

Tuesday, 26 Oct 2010 03:05 PM

GlaxoSmithKline PLC settled a U.S. government false claims suit over the sale of defective drugs for $750 million.

The lawsuit was initially filed in 2004 by Cheryl D. Eckard, a former global quality assurance manager for the U.K.’s biggest drugmaker. The London-based company said in July it agreed in principle with the U.S. to pay 500 million pounds ($791 million) to settle the investigation. The government confirmed the settlement today in a statement.

The pharmaceutical manufacturer was accused in court papers of selling tainted drugs under false pretenses. The medicines, which were manufactured at defendants’ plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico, were misidentified as a result of product mix-ups, according to court papers filed in Boston federal court under the U.S. False Claims Act.

“The false claims arose out of chronic, serious deficiencies in the quality assurance function at the Cidra plant and the defendants’ ongoing serious violations of the laws and regulations designed to ensure the fitness of drug products for use,” the government said in court papers.

The drugs affected by the defendants’ conduct include Paxil, Paxil CR, Avandia, Avandamet, Coreg, Bactroban, Abreva, Cimetidine, Compazine, Denavir, Dyazide, Thorazine, Stelazine, Ecotrin, Tagamet, Relafen, Kytril, Factive, Dyrenium and Albenza, according to court records.

“We regret that we operated the Cidra facility in a manner that was inconsistent with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) requirements and with GSK’s commitment to manufacturing quality,” said PD Villarreal, a Glaxo senior vice president, in an e-mailed statement.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2005 seized some Paxil CR lots after it was discovered that the pills sometimes split inappropriately, according to court papers. Some of the pills lacked an active ingredient.

© Copyright 2010 Bloomberg News. All rights reserved.

How to save a life - maybe even your own!

I just got this and thought this is something that everyone really needs to know.
How many of us would know what to do if this happened to us?

Lou & Debbie

FIRST READ, THEN WATCH.
This is the first time I heard of this simple fire prevention  idea... It's so simple and effective, that I'm forwarding it to all  my family and friends.  Kitchen Fire - Read first then watch

READ THIS BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO!!

Dear Friends,

I was Executive Director of the Institute for Burn Medicine for  San Diego  and Imperial Counties when we lived in California . Besides  raising the  money to establish a Burn Treatment Center at the University  Hospital  there, I conducted extensive public education campaigns in Burn  Prevention..

A friend recently sent me the attached short video - and like an old  fire-horse, I heard the bell ring and am rushing to send this  excellent  prevention piece to each of you. It is well worth watching! And it  could  save your life.

This is very stunning - please read first and then watch the very  short clip.

I never realized that a wet dishcloth can be a one size fits all  lid to  cover a fire in a pan!

This is a dramatic video (30-seconds) about how to deal  with a  common kitchen fire ....oil in a frying pan.

Read the  following  Introduction, then watch the show ...It's a real eye-opener!!

At the Fire Fighting Training school they would demonstrate this  with a  deep fat fryer set on the fire field. An instructor would don a  fire suit  and using an 8 oz cup at the end of a 10-foot pole to toss water  onto the  grease fire.

The results got the attention of the students. The water, being  heavier  than oil, sinks to the bottom where it instantly becomes  superheated.

The explosive force of the steam blows the burning oil up and out.  On the  open field, it became a thirty foot high fireball that  resembled a nuclear  blast.

Inside the confines of a kitchen, the fire ball hits the ceiling  and fills  the entire room. Also, do not throw sugar or flour on a grease  fire. One  cup of either creates the explosive force of two sticks of dynamite.

This is a powerful message----watch the video and don't forget  what you see.

Tell your whole family about this video. Or better yet, send them this link!

Bisphosphonates tied to stroke in cancer patients

Bisphosphonates tied to stroke in cancer patients

By Anne Harding

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Cancer patients treated with osteoporosis-fighting drugs are at increased risk of abnormal heart rhythms and stroke, new research shows.

The benefits of these drugs for preventing and treating cancer after it has spread to the bone-especially in breast cancer patients-still outweigh their risks, said the study's lead author, as long as patients are monitored closely.

"These drugs are still very, very, very valuable drugs," said Dr. James S. Goodwin of the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. "The risk of stroke from atrial fibrillation can be entirely prevented if we're on top of it."

Atrial fibrillation, an irregular beating rhythm in the heart's upper "atrial" chambers, increases stroke risk because blood pools in the poorly functioning chambers, leading to clotting; clots can then break off and travel to the brain, causing a stroke.

Intravenous bisphosphonates, which include Aredia and Zometa, are used in healthy people to treat osteoporosis. Studies had already linked these drugs to atrial fibrillation and stroke, but in 2008 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration concluded after a review of safety data that "healthcare professionals should not alter their prescribing patterns for bisphosphonates and patients should not stop taking their bisphosphonate medication."

Doses of bisphosphonates given to treat cancer patients with bone metastasis are typically 10 times higher than doses used in patients with osteoporosis.

Because these patients may also be on other potentially heart-damaging chemotherapy medications, Goodwin and his colleagues investigated heart risks by reviewing data on nearly 7,000 Medicare patients with cancer who took bisphosphonates and nearly 14,000 cancer patients on Medicare who had not been prescribed the drugs. They report their findings in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

The cancer patients taking bisphosphonates were at a 30 percent increased risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those who were not given the drugs, the researchers found. While people not on the medications had a 25 percent risk of having atrial fibrillation during the six-year follow up period, the risk for people on bisphosphonates was 33 percent; for stroke, the risks were 15 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

If doctors find that a patient has atrial fibrillation-which they can do by simply listening to the heart-they can immediately prescribe blood-thinning drugs to prevent a stroke, the researcher said.

In an editorial accompanying the study, Dr. Julie R. Gralow of the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle concludes that "the jury is still out" on whether bisphosphonates increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms and stroke. Nevertheless, she adds, "Before prescribing any bisphosphonates, risks and benefits must be carefully weighed by physicians and well-informed patients."

SOURCE: http://link.reuters.com/car87p Journal of Clinical Oncology, published online October 12, 2010.

Drug companies pay 17,000 U.S. doctors, report finds

Drug companies pay 17,000 U.S. doctors, report finds

WASHINGTON | Tue Oct 19, 2010 2:09pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 17,000 doctors and other healthcare providers have taken money from seven major drug companies to talk to other doctors about their products, a joint investigation by news organizations and non-profit groups found.

More than 380 of the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other professionals took in more than $100,000 in 2009 and 2010, according to the investigation released on Tuesday. The report said far more doctors are likely to have taken such payments, but it documented these based on information from seven drugmakers.

The payments are not illegal and usually not even considered improper. But the investigation by journalism group ProPublica, Consumer Reports magazine, NPR radio and several publications showed doctors were sometimes urged to recommend "off-label" prescriptions of drugs, meaning using them for conditions they are not approved for.

And the report points to several studies showing that even small gifts and payments to doctors can affect their attitudes, and many companies have stopped giving out once-common gifts such as pens, cups and other objects carrying drug brand names.

"Tens of thousands of U.S. physicians are paid to spread the word about pharma's favored pills and to advise the companies about research and marketing," the group says in its report, available here

The groups used information from seven drugmakers -- AstraZeneca, Cephalon, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly, Merck and Pfizer.

"Some of the companies were forced to disclose this information as a result of legal settlements; others released it voluntarily," Consumer Reports said.

It said more than 70 other pharmaceutical companies have not disclosed payments made to doctors, although the healthcare reform law passed in March will require them to do so by 2013.

"This investigation begins to pull back the shroud on these activities," Dr. John Santa, director of the Consumer Reports Health Ratings Center, said in a statement.

"The amount of money involved is astounding, and the ProPublica report's account of the background of some of the physicians is disturbing."

Drug companies often say they pay expert physicians to educate their peers about drugs and conditions. These sessions are often seminars held alongside major medical meetings but sometimes they involve briefings at vacation resorts.

ProPublica said a review of state medical board disciplinary records found more than 250 of the doctors paid to speak had been sanctioned for activities such as inappropriately prescribing drugs or having sex with patients.

It said 40 others had been warned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for research misconduct, had lost hospital privileges or were convicted of crimes.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox; Editing by Julie Steenhuysen and Eric Beech)

Here is the Video to make it easier...

Continuous Chest Compression CPR

Greetings,

This is one of those videos that unfortunately, is something everyone needs to know.  One of the reasons that Debbie & I started this blog and in the past opened the Curves, was to keep people healthy and fit.  This is a video of the new CPR technique which is much simpler, less intimidating, and you don't need to be certified to do it.

Please share this with everyone you know.  You never know, a life may be saved utilizing this new procedure.

Please watch this and forward it to your friends and family if you haven't already done so.  
http://tinyurl.com/2fx8r59

Learn Sarver Heart Center's Continuous Chest Compression CPR

Every three days, more Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest than the number who died in the 9-11 attacks. You can lessen this recurring loss by learning Continuous Chest Compression CPR, a hands-only CPR method that doubles a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest. It’s easy and does not require mouth-to-mouth contact, making it more likely bystanders will try to help, and it was developed at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.
"This video is worth sharing," said Gordon A. Ewy, MD, director of the UA Sarver Heart Center and one of the research pioneers who developed this method.

http://tinyurl.com/2fx8r59

thanks
Lou & Debbie

Blueberries slash risk of certain chronic conditions

Greetings,
Here is just another example of why natural is almost always better...



Blueberries slash risk of certain chronic conditions.

09/27/2010


Eating blueberries regularly may help patients control diabetes and stave off high blood pressure, according to a pair of studies recently published in the Journal of Nutrition.

For the first study, researchers from Louisiana State University and colleagues tracked 32 obese, insulin-resistant men and women who were non-diabetic after instructing them either to consume a blueberry smoothie or a non-blueberry smoothie twice daily for six weeks. The researchers found that participants who consumed the blueberry shake became more sensitive to insulin across the study period, which has been linked to a lower diabetes risk. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State University researchers conducting the second study found that consuming two cups of blueberries daily for eight weeks reduced participants' systolic blood pressure by up to eight points.

According to an author of the first study, the findings provide additional evidence that including blueberries in a patient's diet helped limit their risk of diabetes, while the lead author of the second study noted that blueberries also may help pre-hypertensive and hypertensive patients regulate their glucose levels (Stull et al., Journal of Nutrition, October 2010 [subscription required]; Basu et al., Journal of Nutrition, September 2010 [subscription required]; Shrieves, "Vital Signs," Orlando Sentinel, 9/20).

High Fructose Corn Syrup is now Getting a Name Change…

High Fructose Corn Syrup is now Getting a Name Change…

I got this from LiveScience, we can’t ever let our guard down.  Now when your shopping your going to have to really read the labels.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Getting Rebranded as Corn Sugar

The good news: Consumption of high-fructose corn syrup is at a 20-year low.
The bad news: The folks who make this insidious sweetener aim to re-brand it to boost sales.
High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper than cane sugar and acts as a food preservative, too, so the food industry loves the stuff. But it’s been added to so many foods — yogurt, cereal, bread, drinks and even condiments — that researchers have fingered it as a culprit in the obesity epidemic.
The Corn Refiners Association has in the past marketed high-fructose corn syrup as natural. Our Bad Medicine columnist Christopher Wanjek argues otherwise.
“High-fructose corn syrup could be all-natural if cornstarch happened to fall into a vat of alpha-amylase, soak there for a while, then trickle into another vat of glucoamylase, get strained to remove the Aspergillus fungus likely growing on top, and then find its way into some industrial-grade D-xylose isomerase. This funny coincidence didn’t happen in nature until the 1970s in a lab somewhere in Japan.”
Now the Corn Refiners Association plans to ask the FDA to allow high-fructose corn syrup to be called simple “corn sugar” instead, AP reports. And already the group is advertising it with that name. The adds also claims there’s no difference between corn sugar and cane sugar. Hmm.
Till next time...

Johns Hopkins Update - I got this from my mother!

After years of talking to my mother about alternative health, I believe I'm finally wearing her down!  I got this email from her about alternative solutions of treating cancer.  This is kind of long but worth the time to read!

AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY ("TRY", BEING THE KEY WORD) TO ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY.. 




Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins: 



1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.



2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person’s lifetime. 



3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 



4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, but also to environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 



5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet to eat more adequately and healthy, 4-5 times/day and by including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 



6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 



7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs. 



8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 



9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 



10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.



11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply. 

*CANCER CELLS FEED ON:

a. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful.  A better natural substitute would be honey or molasses, but only in very small  amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt. 



b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. Cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy are starving milk cancer cells. 

(People are getting too much soy – more on this later)

c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little other meat, like chicken. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. 

(Is your water helping of hurting your PH? More on this later)

d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including sprouts) and eat raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).


e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it. 

(Ask us about the water we use to overcome this)

12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup. 



13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering.  By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 



14. Some supplements build up the immune system (anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the bodies own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.   Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apotheosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 



15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life. 



16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells. 



1. No plastic containers in microwave. 

(better yet, unplug it)

2. No plastic water bottles in freezer. 



3. No plastic wrap in microwave .

Johns Hopkins has recently sent this out in its newsletters. This information is being circulated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well. Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer. Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don't freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body. Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn't bad but you don't know what is in the paper. It's just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper, the dioxin problem is one of the reasons. 


Please share this with everyone you know!

 
Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead. 

This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.

I will talk about microwave ovens another time.

Make it a great day.

Lou & Debbie Gigliotti
4YourHealthToday@gmail.com
919  - 623 - 6786

WHY EXERCISE DOSEN'T WORK!

OUR  STORY

Greetings, let us introduce ourselves.

We’re Lou & Debbie Gigliotti and we would like to share our story with you.

We used to own a franchise, a Women’s Only 30-minute workout fitness club, (and that’s a whole story all by itself).  We bought a franchise because we wanted 3 things…

To work together

To help people

To make enough money to enjoy life

Well 2 out of 3 ain’t bad…  

The big problem was that even though everyone knows that exercise helps keep us healthy, People are lazy!  Can you believe it!

Here is an example of what we had to deal with and why we say Exercise Doesn’t Work.

This is the story of just one of the women who came to our club.  I’ll call her Betty.  Betty was in her early 60’s and was not very healthy, to be kind.  Whenever a woman would come in to join our fitness club, we always sat down and went over their health history.  I found out that Betty was taking 17 different medications!  I told her that I am not going to give you health advice, but if you were my mother, I would tell you that if you keep taking that many drugs, you are going to die!  She asked me what she could do? First I told Betty not to stop taking anything, but to go in and get her doctor’s to work with her and help her to get off the habit, which she decided was a good idea. Betty did join.  Over the next year and a half, Betty had lost a lot of weight and more importantly, She was down to only 4 drugs!  You would think this is a great success for anyone right?

Now the rest of the story, and you know what’s coming right?  Betty decided she didn’t need to exercise any longer, and she quit!

Now you see why we say “Exercise Doesn’t Work”

Please understand something.  We are not saying that you don’t need exercise, but we’ve found that Americans are always looking for the easy way out; “can’t I just take a pill or some thing?”  We wondered the same thing ourselves, is there something out there that can help us loose weight and keep if off?  We started looking for new ways for people to feel healthier and look better too.

Lets go on this journey together.  Are you ready to start on a new path? We will be reviewing different things and products you can use to create the “you” that you’ve always wanted.

Lou & Debbie Gigliotti
4YourHealthToday@gmail.com
919  - 623 - 6786