A Welcomed–If Not Temporary–Victory

By On · Add Comment · In calorie content, calories, fast-food, nutrition, real food

Yay! A judges ruling last week has allowed New York’s fast food restaurants to ignore posting calorie and fat counts on their menus. Basically, a pre-existing federal law takes restaurants that voluntarily provide this information off the hook. As long as they provide nutritional information somewhere–on tray papers or Web sites, for instance–they cannot be restricted in how they comply with city law.

Thank goodness. As I’ve said in earlier posts (here, and here), nothing is dumber than the government stepping in where individual discretion is warranted. Do we really need the government to tell us what’s junk and what’s real food? Please. All that would do is hurt businesses that provide a product the public wants–junk food. And it takes the responsibility away from the individual. We’ll never see an increase in national health until people become responsible for theirs, plain and simple.

Interestingly, this is being proved by yet another recent study. Researchers have found that people consistently underestimate the calorie content of foods served at restaurants they consider healthier, like Subway, for example. In the study, researchers asked people who had just finished eating at Subway or McDonalds to estimate how many calories they had just consumed. On average, Subway diners underestimated their calorie intake by 151 calories–that is, they mistakenly believed they were eating less calories by eating a 12-inch turkey sandwich than by eating a Big Mac, although both have exactly the same amount of calories. What this then led to was the Subway diners ordering more sodas and cookies than the McDonalds diners, giving them actually more calories overall. This meant that, on average, Subway diners wound up consuming 1,011 calories, compared to 648 calories for the people eating McDonalds. Whoa. Get it? People make assumptions about food, and these assumptions lead to poor food decisions.

But wait, if calorie and fat content is posted won’t it lead to people making better decisions? Not necessarily, because only fast food restaurants would be required to post such information (more on this concept here). So, in my opinion, people will go to the local Whole Foods and pig out because they assume it’s healthier. Should Whole Foods then post calorie content? How about Spago? I’ve got a better idea: How about understanding two basic principles instead:

  1. Fast food is junk that should only be eaten periodically
  2. How much one eats is as important as what one eats

Got it? Eating too many carrots, falafel, or soy veggie burgers is just as detrimental to the health as an occasional Big Mac. True, carrots have a greater vitamin and nutrient content, but people aren’t using this as their criteria yet.

I just don’t see calorie reporting at fast food restaurants as being the answer, and worse, I think it will lead people down the wrong road. Just understand the basics about food, and practice prudent principles. Don’t know what they are? Get yourself a copy of The Six Keys To Optimal Health–it’s all in there–and you’ll be sure to make the right decisions.

More Drug Deaths

By On · Add Comment · In acupuncture, alternative therapies, chiropractic, drugs, exercise, health, pain, pain killers, pharmaceuticals, prescription drugs, yoga

When we think of drug related deaths, don’t we all assume it’s heroin, barbiturates, or even alcohol that is involved? What if I told you that the fastest growing drug killer in our medicine cabinets today are painkillers – would you believe me? Well you’d better. A recent U.S. study has found that deaths or injuries related to drug treatments have more than doubled between 1998 and 2005 in the United States, with painkillers and immune-system boosters accounting for most.

Ouch. This further hurts a medical industry that increasingly relies on pharmaceutical treatments for every ailment, no matter how minor. Shame that it has even gotten so far as to make non-medical conditions “easily treatable” with drugs (hear my Podcast Episode 3 on lifestyle drugs to get a glimpse of this travesty). When there is a drug for every situation – forget illness, it’s gone way beyond that – then expect death and disability to rise.

The biggest shame is that there are so many “alternative” solutions for pain – like chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, exercise, yoga – yet so many people refuse to try them or give them an honest chance. Making matters worse, far too many medical doctors, and the medical institution as a whole, are slow to accept these alternative therapies as a part of mainstream care. And they certainly aren’t making a habit of referring their patients to these other useful and effective therapies.

Is it fear? Is it a desire to remain the cultural authority on all things health that leads to this sort of negligence? I think it’s both, with a little bit of arrogance tossed in. The general consensus regarding alternative therapies among medical practitioners is, “There is no proof – no scientific evidence.” This concept is such malarkey that it’s almost painful (excuse the pun) to bear. Take chiropractic for example. There is plenty of research on its effectiveness, but the doors need to be opened for serious dialogue to occur between the professions. Furthermore, chiropractic has been helping people remove pain and maintain health for over one hundred years, and has survived attempts to bury it, discredit it, and even outlaw it. How would this be so if scores of people were not being helped by it? Like, get with it, man. When are you going to accept chiropractic’s validity? When are you going to think first of your patients and steer them toward a non-drug option?

The bottom line is this: Keep prescribing drugs like there is no tomorrow, and see death rates soar. It won’t last forever because the public is getting smarter and more savvy (like my readers). Thanks to the Internet, information is easily shared and the position of physician as absolute authority is being severely challenged. Doctors are guides; they are teachers. Teach the truth and people will listen. There is no truth in the excessive manipulation of body chemistry to maintain health. You heard it hear first, so pass the word. And be diligent and cautious when seeking treatment. What you don’t know can kill you.

Big Brother At It Again

By On · Add Comment · In Department of Health and Human Services, medical records, microchips, Tommy Thompson, tumors, VeriChip Corp.

Oh Lordy, hang on tight -this story is fat. Recent reports show a possible link between implanted microchips in mice and malignant tumors. Yeah so, who cares? Well, get this, certain government officials, medical groups, and the FDA have been pushing this technology for human use – that is, implanting glass covered microchips into humans for the purpose of storing medical records.

Ha, ha, isn’t that the greatest? Implanting microchips into our arms for medical records. Is anybody that dumb? Apparently so – over 2,000 people have undergone implementation worldwide. Yes, yes just in case you need medical care and you’re unconscious – then your insurance coverage can be checked before they cart you off to the appropriate ward. Har, har, I can’t stop chuckling.
Anyway, some diligent researchers have found a series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, which stated that chip implants had “induced” malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats. This should be enough to warrant caution. But, oh no, not when there’s big money involved. Some of the major players in this potential scandal are the VeriChip Corp., makers of the implants, the FDA, and former director of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Tommy Thompson.
VeriChip has projected a target market of 45 million Americans for its medical monitoring chips, and insists that the devices are safe. But not everyone is so sure. “There’s no way in the world, having read this information, that I would have one of those chips implanted in my skin, or in one of my family members,” said Dr. Robert Benezra, head of the Cancer Biology Genetics Program at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
I couldn’t agree more, and as this story unfolds it really exposes some back room dealings that should scare you right out of your pants. According to the report (read it in full here), two weeks after the FDA approved the VeriChip device, Tommy Thompson left his HHS post and within five months found himself a board member of VeriChip Corp. He allegedly received stock options – lots of them – and about $40K in cash. Nice.
Thompson, of course, denies it. “I didn’t even know VeriChip before I stepped down from the Department of Health and Human Services,” he said in a telephone interview. However, he did vigorously campaign for electronic medical records and health care technology both as governor of Wisconsin and at HHS. And the Law firm at which he is a partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, was paid $1.2 million for legal services it provided the chip maker in 2005 and 2006, according to SEC filings.
The take home lesson: don’t get caught off guard. There are powerful people who want to implant you with a chip. Letting this kind of thing slide might be very disruptive to the freedom of independent living. And as far as implanting chips: I believe that the only way people might be open to this sort of nonsense is by placing medical science up on a pedestal. Doing so leaves one susceptible to all kinds of funny business, and mistakes. The responsible and informed consumer, though, can circumvent these kinds of things by being aware of what’s going on in the world of health. Face it – health policy affects us all – so you may as well take part in the decision making process, otherwise somebody else is going to do it for you.
Interestingly, in a TV interview while still on the board of VeriChip, Thompson was explaining the benefits and the ease of being chipped when an interviewer interrupted:
“I’m sorry, sir. Did you just say you would get one implanted in your arm?”
“Absolutely,” Thompson replied. “Without a doubt.”
“No concerns at all?”
“No.”
However, as of today, Thompson has yet to be chipped himself.

Too Much Dummy Tube Leads to ADD

By On · Add Comment · In ADD, attention, attention deficit disorder, brain, brain development, children, concentration, dendrites, dendritic pathways, dummy tube, focus, problem solving, T.V., television

We all know that too much T.V. isn’t good for the brain, right? Well, at least most people with common sense suspect so, anyway. But now we have proof: Current research shows that young children who watch more than two hours of the brainfryer a day are more likely to have attention problems as adolescents.

Duh. You mean that constantly changing visual images rapidly flashing on a screen – sometimes faster than the human mind can comprehend (anyone hear of subliminal messages) – might have long term effects. You don’t say?

Think about it for a second (I’d have you think about it for a minute, but veteran television watchers might change the channel): Television really does consist of rapidly changing images. As a medium, it does not engage your concentration. You just passively watch images and listen to the accompanying audio. No thinking or concentrating necessary. True, you are following a story (reality shows notwithstanding), but it’s still a passive activity.

One might make an argument for educational T.V. (like Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the History Channel), but you still passively watch and listen, which does nothing for the development of focus or concentration. Add to that today’s popular programming – reality shows, awards shows, music videos – and the term dummy tube starts to take on a whole new accuracy, doesn’t it?

The study, carried out at the Dunedin School of Medicine in New Zealand, showed that children who watched two or more hours per day were at a significant risk for developing attention deficit disorders later in life. And those who watched over three hours per day were at even greater risk. According to Carl Erik Landhuis, one of the lead authors of the study, kids who get used to watching lots of attention-grabbing TV may find ordinary life situations – like the classroom – boring. It’s also possible, he adds, that TV may simply crowd out time spent doing other activities that can build attention and concentration skills, such as reading and playing games.

Yes, that’s exactly it. Activities like reading, solving puzzles, playing sports and other games, learning computers or instruments, all require focus and concentration. They also require thinking and problem solving which leads to the development of dendritic pathways in the brain and nervous system, which leads to overall brain development. I’m sorry but T.V. doesn’t do that – no thinking involved. Furthermore, learning to entertain oneself in the absence of mind-numbing image flashing is the gateway to the imagination. Give your kid a copy of Tom Sawyer, Harry Potter, Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, or whatever, and let them learn to stimulate their own vivid and priceless imaginations. And get them away from the dummy tube. Trust me, our autonomy and self-sufficiency as a civilization depend on it.

Popcorn Can Be Hazardous to Your Health

By On · Add Comment · In bronchiolitis obliterans, diacetyl, flavoring, fumes, lung disease, microwavable, popcorn, processed foods

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – processed foods can kill you. A popcorn fanatic in Colorado has developed lung disease recent news reports, possibly from eating way too much microwavable popcorn. The 53-year-old man loved his Orville Redenbacher so much he used to inhale the fumes after opening the piping hot package. Unbeknownst to him – or the rest of us – microwaveable popcorn contains a chemical used for processing, called diacetyl, which is suspected as causing lung damage.

Diacetyl, a naturally occurring compound that gives butter its flavor and is also found in cheese and wine, has been linked to lung damage in factory workers testing hundreds of bags of microwave popcorn per day and inhaling its fumes. It is approved by the FDA as a flavoring ingredient for processed foods. The levels of diacetyl fumes found in the afflicted man’s home were inordinately high – peak levels were similar to those measured in factories – presumably from the two bags or more that he nuked every day.
When are we going to figure out that processed foods are not superior to the real deal? Man can’t make it better than Mother Nature can – not now and probably never. Think about this for a minute – why put butter flavoring on foods, how about real butter? Duh! I’ll tell you why. Because we’ve been duped by the health and food sciences machine, and especially the media – that’s why. We’ve been sold so much nonsense over the last several decades like:
  • Red meat is bad for you

  • Salt is bad for you

  • Whole milk is bad for you

  • Cheese and butter are bad for you

  • Fat is bad for you

Gimme a break! Whole, natural foods are the only way to go. They have carried us through millions of years of evolution, but now they are bad for us? Hmmm. Why don’t we find the chemical responsible for the flavor of butter instead, isolate it, and then we can have the butter flavor without the fat. Yeah, that’s better. Oh, shoot – there’s only one problem. That chemical might cause lung damage.

Some specialists and special interest groups are claiming that there is no concrete evidence yet that diacetyl causes lung disease. But c’mon now, there have been several academic studies showing the link, and a few legal battles going the way of food-flavoring workers who have developed the lung disease, bronchiolitis obliterans.

Here’s the take home message: Eat processed foods only occasionally, and not as a dietary staple. I discuss this principle in detail in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health. It’s a very basic concept but I think too many people just don’t know it, or they ignore it. Either way, this story is a wake-up call for those living off of processed junk food. Trust me when I say, the convenience of throwing a bag of popcorn (or any other processed food) in the microwave ain’t worth the risk, and I assure you it doesn’t taste better. So eat the real thing – you’ll start appreciating the difference soon enough.

Exercise More, Live Longer…and Better!

By On · Add Comment · In angioplasty, empirical, evidence, exercise, experiment, heart attack, physical activity, survival

Everybody knows that exercise is important, right? But on what level do you know it? Intellectually? Intuitively? Or have you put your nose to the grindstone and figured it out empirically?

Empirical evidence is information gathered by observation or experiment. It is not merely philosophical or intuitive, but instead observed by the senses. So the only way to truly know the benefits of exercise is to actually do it – regularly.

New research coming out of the U.S. and Italy shows that elderly people who exercise regularly have the greatest probability of survival following a heart attack. Scientists at the Federico II University in Naples observed that men and women, aged 70 years and older, who had a recent angioplasty (the mechanical widening of a narrowed or totally-obstructed blood vessels), and who exercised more than 30 minutes every day, were three times less likely to die of heart attack than those who had low (less than 15 minutes of daily activity) and medium (15 to 30 minutes of daily activity) activity levels.

Here’s my question, then – if regular physical activity can prevent cardiac related deaths in the over-70 crowd – the group most likely to die from heart related conditions – then what does it mean for relatively healthy 60-year-olds? 50-year-olds? 30 and 40-year-olds? And how about – gulp – 20 year olds?

Let me answer. Regular exercise done by anybody regardless of age, not only prevents premature death (see my earlier post on the subject), but it enhances most other aspects of physical life. Here are some of the benefits of regular moderate exercise:

  • increased energy
  • increased mental clarity
  • better sleep
  • more stamina for work, play, or sex
  • less pain
  • enhanced looks
  • balanced mental attitude (i.e. less feelings of depression)

To find out more about the many benefits of exercise, as well as tips to maximize and enjoy your efforts, you’ll need to read The Six Keys To Optimal Health, my book on natural health enhancement, due for release in October 2007. Until then keep exercising regularly. And if its been awhile since you’ve pushed yourself to the gym, then what are you waiting for, man? Get moving and see – empirically – how good life can be.

Revirgination Blues

By On · Add Comment · In designer vaginoplasty, hymen, labia, revirgination, surgeries, surgery, vagina, vaginal rejuvenation

Ah, to be young again. Young and, uh…uh…well…uh, young and…oh dadburnit; I guess I’d have to say that, for the first time in a long time, I’m at a loss for words. Let me just get to it then: Vaginal rejuvenation, designer vaginoplasty, or revirgination is not medically necessary, and it may even be unsafe. That’s right, cosmetically touching up the Garden of Eden may be a procedure of futility or worse! This message comes straight from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) in its journal, Obstetrics & Gynecology.

My simple question is – why? I hate to sound like a totally predictable and broken record but I really don’t get it. Who does this and for whom? The process includes changing the shape of the labia, “restoring” the hymen, and tightening the vagina (check out this piece by the Washinton Post). What are we back in antiquity? I guess virginity is en vogue once again. Whew! I was getting worried there.

But doctors are performing these surgeries as if they are routine. According to Dr. Abbey Berenson, one of the lead authors of the ACOG guidelines, some women may be fooled by deceptive marketing practices into thinking they need the surgery because they are somehow abnormal. “Many women don’t realize that the appearance of external genitals varies significantly from woman to woman,” Berenson said. She goes on to say, “There are always risks associated with a surgical procedure. It’s important that women understand the potential risks of these procedures and that there is no scientific evidence regarding their benefits.”

Ah yes, please listen to the good doctor. All surgical procedures come with risk. Period. Some of the potential complications here include infection, altered sensation, pain and scarring. And for what? An illusion? I can’t imagine anyone other than the person considering this surgery caring about this kind of thing. No chance. And if your man does – you think it’s for your man, right? – then maybe he needs a new brain.

Chalk One Up for the Magic Bullet

By On · Add Comment · In magic bullet, obese, surgically induced weight loss, weight loss

Guess that ol’ magic bullet gets another notch up on the pedestal today. Current research shows that surgically induced weight loss significantly reduces death as long as 10 years following the operation. Not only that, but this procedure also reduces diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, as well as improves the quality of life for the former obese patient.

All right, I’ve got nothing against this concept. I think it’s wonderful that people can get their lives back after becoming morbidly obese, but I’m afraid that news like this might do more harm then good. Any time a new magic bullet comes around, human health suffers.

A magic bullet is any drug, therapy, or procedure that is considered a miracle solution or cure. As I’ve discussed on the Dr. Nick Show (Episode 2), the concept of a cure is a fallacy. The body heals, plain and simple. It might have help, but it’s the innate healing ability of the body that gives and preserves life. Whenever, medical science seems to find a magic bullet, it gives society a false sense of security, and practical wisdom goes out the window.

“Well, I know I’d be better off not drinking this 12-pack of Bud, but…well…aw shoot, what the heck, I’ll try to exercise tomorrow, and if I can’t, heck, I’ll just get a stomach reduction.” If it’s good enough for Star Jones, dammit, then it’s good enough for Al Roker.

Oh, by the way, I saw an incredible interview with Al Roker urging people not to get this surgery unless it’s the most-absolute-gonna-drop-dead-tomorrow-last-resort they have (Read this icredible interview here). I gained a lot of respect for the man for that, and I couldn’t agree more.

Once again, it’s truly a blessing that we have a surgery like this to give people a second chance. But be careful not to rely on it as a magic bullet. The magic bullet fantasy is one of the major factors leading to our poor health status in this country today, and if we don’t let it go, things will only get worse.

Never A Pleasant Situation

By On · Add Comment · In bad breath, digestive system, halitosis, illness, oral hygeine

We’ve all had the experience of speaking to somebody who has bad breath. It’s never a comfortable situation. Do you hand them a mint or do you try very hard to hold your breath for ten second increments and get out of there as fast as possible? Especially hard is when that person is your friend or your loved one. You’ve just got to let them know – you’re their friend, dammit. It’s your duty.

Well, medical and dental science is now making bad breath, or halitosis, a top priority. Last week, nearly 200 scientists attended the International Conference on Breath Odor Research in Chicago. Attendees included dentists, chemists, microbiologists, psychologists and even flavor researchers. The topics of the conference included causes of bad breath, studies on the most effective natural flavors for treating it, the development of an artificial nose for sniffing out oral malodor, and links between exhaled air and disease.

O.k., bravo, bravo, for finally understanding that bad breath is a health issue. It’s true that some bad breath issues come from poor oral hygiene; however, I am convinced that many cases of severe bad breath – halitosis – come from deep in the digestive system. I’ve met a few people in my travels who couldn’t cover their bad breath with chewing gums or mints, no matter how hard they tried. That’s a internal issue. In these cases, I believe it stems from one of three things:

  1. The person is ingesting a food substance, usually something they eat regularly, that he or she cannot properly digest.
  2. The person is on drugs or medications that dry out the mouth.
  3. The person has another underlying disease
Either way, it is necessary to look into the issue. If you find that you have chronic bad breath, or that no one wants to be around you, make note of any medications you’re taking and discuss it with your doctor. Get checked out by your doctor for any illness, especially if their are other accompanying symptoms, like bloating, gas, pain, diarrhea, or anything else. And finally, start eliminating foods categorically to find the offending agent. I assure you if you go on the hunt, you’ll find the problem and reverse it.

Real Antiaging

By On · Add Comment · In aging, aging process, anti-aging, exercise, natural substances

Everybody must certainly know that anti-aging is the health-marketing buzzword of the New Millennium. Like weight loss, attach the word anti-aging to any health book or product and watch sales soar. Quite a few millionaires have made their fortunes in the field of anti-aging.

So, is anti-aging possible?

I dunno, what is it?

Anti means opposite, opposing, or against. Anti-aging, then, means the opposite of getting older. So, getting younger I guess.

OK, we know this is not possible, right? It’s simple physics, right? Did I miss class that day? I mean, we can’t oppose aging, now, can we? Time moves forward – even if just in our perceptions, right? I mean, we do experience time in that way, don’t we?

But wait. We can slow the aging process down – this much is true. It’s precisely this concept that’s being sold to us by doctors, vitamin and cosmetics companies, and others. But can a pill or a procedure do all that it promises with regard to slowing down the aging process? Well, it depends.

We know of many natural substances and activities that slow down the aging process significantly. One is exercise. The ways in which regular exercise decelerates – and even reverses – aging is well known; I discuss many of them in my upcoming book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health, but we keep learning of new ways that the body does this amazing feat. Take, for instance, a new study showing that regular, moderate exercise relaxes blood vessels and makes them more “youthful”. Amazing! Exercise makes blood vessels more pliable, significantly lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, the top killers of our day.

Especially exciting is that older, sedentary people can now take up exercise and reverse any damage that might have been done by just sitting around on their keesters for the last couple of decades. That’s right! It’s not too late. Get up now and get moving – get walking, get dancing, and get bocce ballin’. Get shuffle boarding. Whatever. Start now and enjoy the fountain of youth. It’s there for the taking – you’ve just got to drink.

A Drug for Every Lifestyle

By On · Add Comment · In birth defects, cancer, drugs, lifestyle drugs, male pattern baldness, pharmaceuticals, propecia, Viagra, weight loss drugs

This month on the Dr. Nick Show, I talk at length about lifestyle drugs. Lifestyle drugs are devised to treat conditions that fall outside the medical realm of illness. Take male pattern baldness for instance – medical illness or life circumstance? Oh well, we have drugs to treat it either way. Should insurance companies (read: insurance premium holders/consumers/you and me) have to pay for it?

Another way to define lifestyle drugs is: medicines that treat conditions caused by lifestyle choices. So, for instance, there are some groovy weight-loss drugs on the market right now. Cool. Should you rely on them solely? Hmmm. Or, should you pound the treadmill, pound the weights, and cut the calories? I mean, why should one do all that hard work when there’s this cool little pill? I dunno, why?

Well if you listen to the latest episode of the Dr. Nick Show, you’ll get all the details on lifestyle drugs, and you’ll be able to make a decision on your own. And no matter what, you’ll see how these drugs are defining the direction our culture is moving with regard to pharmaceutical science.

It’s no problem – it simply is what it is. However, just know that every substances comes with an added risk. And there just ain’t an easy answer – like a pill – that can fix all of our problems. The piper always gets paid in one way or another, ya know.
Anyway, lifestyle drugs are here to stay. It’s big business. Check out these booming numbers – BusinessWeek calls them blockbusters (with sales of $1 billion or more a year). Drugs to help people wake and sleep as they please are particularly popular. And, of course, let’s not forget the drugs that help men have better erections.
No, no Campos – that’s help men who can’t have erections.
Uh, no…it’s not. Lot’s of young, healthy guys are partying on Viagra – Viagra and methamphetamine, that is. Or ecstasy. Or coke. Swear. Check it out . But don’t forget the risks gents. There’s always risks. For instance, the baldness drug propecia can cause birth defects if pregnant women inhale particles of broken pills (dosages are taken in half pills, so consumers must break them in half – brilliant, right?) or handle whole pills. And some cancer concerns exist with propecia too (scroll down to possible health concerns).
So, like I said, the lifestyle drugs are here to stay. Risk aside, the market is far too lucrative for pharmaceutical companies to slow down development. No to worry, just know the risks and be careful. Avoiding lifestyle drugs, in my opinion is always best, but, if ya gotta do ’em, then do ’em intelligently – which is, for a very short period of time.

More Reasons to Give Up Liquid Sugar

By On · Add Comment · In diabetes, diet soda, energy drinks, heart disease, high blood pressure, juice cocktails, metabolic syndrome, obesity, soda, uric acid, vascular disease, water
If it ain’t enough that sugary drinks (read: soda, diet soda, juice cocktails, and energy drinks) contribute to obesity, a new study shows that they may also increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart and vascular disease, as well as metabolic syndrome – all of which may lead to diabetes and heart disease.
A new study shows that sugary drinks can lead to higher uric acid levels, which, in turn, can lead to disease. It is no surprise that soda is the number one drink Americans choose, even ahead of water, but here go some more interesting statistics. People who drink more than one soda a day have:

  • 31% greater risk of becoming obese.
  • 30 percent increased risk of adding belly fat.
  • 25 percent higher risk of developing high blood triglycerides or high blood sugar.
  • 32 percent higher risk of having low HDL (good cholesterol) levels.
And now, as we are learning, higher uric acid levels. Uric acid is the body’s natural breakdown product of protein. When blood levels of uric acid are high, it can lead to disorders such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, gout and more.
These conditions don’t happen over night, so if you are a soda drinker, you can halt their progression by cutting down or quitting soft drinks altogether. The reality is that soft drinks provide nothing by way of nutrition – and they certainly don’t get you drunk – so my question is: Why?
“Well they taste good.”
They taste good?
“Yeah. They taste good.”
Sheesh. At the risk of standing on a pulpit, here. Aren’t good tasting things supposed to be occasional treats. We’re drinking this stuff more than water. Did you know that without water there would be no life at all? Anywhere?
How can we drink more soda than water? I’m sorry but it’s beyond me. Please enjoy a soda now and again, but, well, we all know at least one person who drinks three, four, even six cans of soda per day. Is anybody still perplexed as to why obesity is epidemic in this country? Still scratching your heads over America’s world health rankings? I promise you’ll be hearing more about soda’s ill effects on health in the years to come. But fear not Coca-Cola shareholders – soft drink companies will not be going out of business anytime soon. Heavens no. They’ve already firmly established themselves in the next big market – bottled tap water. Stay tuned for more.

Baby Takes What Mama Takes

By On · Add Comment · In breast milk, breast-feeding, codeine, cough syrups, episiotomy, morphine, over-the-counter medications, overdose, pain killers, prescription drugs, ultra-rapid metabolizers
The FDA has warned that breast-feeding mothers who take prescription pain killers containing codeine may put their babies at risk of a morphine overdose. Officials became concerned last year when a breast-fed 13-day-old baby died of just that. Following a routine episiotomy, the mother took a very small dose of pain medication that was rapidly converted to morphine in her body and passed on to her child through her breast milk.

Codeine, a narcotic, is apparently converted to morphine rapidly in the body in a small number of women. Codeine is a common ingredient in prescription pain relievers and some over-the-counter cough syrups. Women who convert codeine to morphine quickly are called ultra-rapid metabolizers. Their prevalence within the population varies between 1-28% depending on who gives the estimate, but it is believed that rates are highest among North African, Ethiopian and Saudi Arabian women.

This is just another reason why new mothers should be cautious of what they take. Drugs are routinely prescribed, but it does not mean they are without risk. You are always safer minimizing the chemical substances you ingest. This does not mean you shouldn’t have help if you need it, however, less is best. And knowing the latest in health information is crucial.

Now that you know that some women are ultra-rapid metabolizers of morphine, you can obtain a laboratory test through your doctor to determine if you fall into this category. Otherwise, ask your prescribing doctor what’s in the drug they’re recommending. If it contains codeine, ask for an alternative. And remember, sometimes it pays to just deal with the discomfort.

Fuhgeddaboudit

By On · Add Comment · In brain cells, dementia, enzyme inhibitor, long-term memory, memory, memory storage, mental function, PKMzeta

New research shows that long-term memory storage is not as secure as once thought. In fact, it is now evident that memory can be erased. You heard me right. All those fond recollections of our youth can be whisked away forever by just blocking a protein that controls information flow between brain cells.

U.S. and Israeli researchers found these results by feeding rats saccharine, which made them sick, and then teaching the rats to associate the taste of saccharine with feeling ill. The scientists then injected the rats with an enzyme inhibitor called ZIP, blocking the protein PKMzeta, which controls memory. As a result, the rats were unable to remember the association with saccharine (feeling ill), regardless of how long they were trained. This suggests that a key mechanism in the brain works like a piece of machinery to store long-term memory. According to Yadin Dudai who led the study, “Long-term memory can be erased.”

This study is being touted as a breakthrough for the understanding and future treatment of dementia, a progressive decline of mental function well beyond that associated with normal aging. I certainly think that this is one potential use for these recent findings; however, I can’t help but feel a little creeped out by the possibility that we may be seeing the future with regard to some Orwellian “mind control”, a la Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. And it’s not lost on me that this study was conducted by two groups that could greatly benefit from a few erased memories in the world of politics and national security. Although I’m not usually one to subscribe to conspiracy theories, I still feel a bit uneasy about any research that leads to tampering with brain function. I mean, we think therefore we are, right? Oh well, I guess we’ve got to take the good with the bad with every situation, and that includes with science. Let’s just hope human trials won’t be taking place anytime soon.

America’s Health Slips Some More

By On · Add Comment · In health care, health paradigm, life expectancy, medical care, socialized health care

Just another blow to American health care. New reports show the U.S. slipping in life expectancy rankings compared to other countries of the world. In my book, The Six Keys To Optimal Health, I point out that the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the U.S. 37th out of 191 nations with regard to overall health. And now we’ve fallen to number 42 on the life expectancy chart with countries such as Jordan, Guam, and the Caymen Islands ranking ahead of us.

Can anybody else see the paradox in all of this? How can one of the richest nations in the world, the most technologically advanced, and the most medically innovative fall so low on the world health scale? Some very important people in health care and politics (as well as one obnoxious film maker) believe it’s because we do not have socialized health care. But is it?

Let’s look at the facts. The biggest killers in this country are heart disease and cancer, both preventable conditions, not a lack of medical care. Perhaps, a lack of access leads to a few less saved lives, but these people are still having heart attacks. The problem, once again, has to do with our current health paradigm. It’s all about saving the lives of people who are dying, rather than preserving the lives of people who are living, before they get ill. Duh. What’s so hard about that concept? Why don’t these brilliant policy makers see that? I just don’t get it.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t focus on saving lives – heck no. Please save my life, my wife’s, or my daughter’s if you can. Please! I’m ever so grateful for having the best system in the world for doing that (there is no denying that we are at the very top in saving lives in the U.S.). But we are talking about health and life expectancy here. Very different concepts indeed. Health and life expectancy depend on what we do to take care of ourselves, not how quickly you can perform a bypass surgery on Mr. Jones, whose left anterior descending artery is clogged shut.

If we continue to make the process of saving lives the focus of health, then we’re fighting a losing battle. Don’t get me wrong, innovation in the medical sciences will continue to flourish, and newer, more incredible ways to save lives will be discovered for years to come. And it will continue to be a trillion, maybe even quadrillion, dollar industry. You certainly can’t complain about that. However, if we are to ever raise our position within the world health rankings, then we will need to start by focusing on the basics – that is, doing the things that preserve and optimize health; diet, exercise, bodywork, rest, and so on. There isn’t a better place to start than by learning how, and I know of a great source coming out this fall that can guide you purposefully. Stay tuned for more.

Bigger is Better, Right?

By On · Add Comment · In big breasts, body image, breast augmentation, breast enlargement, breast implants, plastic surgeons, self-esteem, suicide, suicide risk

We now have concrete proof that the grass is not always greener in other pastures. In a recent study published in the Annals of Plastic Surgery, researchers found that women who have breast implants are three times more likely to commit suicide than other women. These findings should act as an alert to plastic surgeons to screen for heightened suicide risk among their clients.

This comes as no surprise to me. At the risk of offending every active member of the Silicon Sisters Society, I would assume that a significant percentage of women who seek out breast augmentation have serious self esteem issues.* Just so everybody knows that I am not pointing the finger here, we all do to one degree or another. I mean, everybody I have ever met has at least one physical characteristic they would like to change if they could – it’s part of the human mind game. However, altering your body to fit within the illusion that you’ll be more attractive and more desirable as a result of breast enlargement is just plain crazy. Big breasts don’t make a woman’s life any better than a bigger wallet does a man’s, although many are convinced that both of these things are necessary to attract the opposite sex. Uh, no, sorry.
According to the study, “The increased risk of suicide was not apparent until 10 years after implantation.” Also no surprises here. It likely takes this amount of time to realize that bigger breasts do not make life easier, happier, or more fulfilling. Big boobied birdies have just as many ups and downs as their smaller sisters do. And a lift here, a tuck there, doesn’t remove the challenges we all must face in our lives.
But before you think my assessment is presumptive, please make note that the study also showed that women who opt for breast enlargement are three times as likely to die from drug and alcohol related deaths too, further pointing to self-esteem or body image problems. If you are contemplating having plastic surgery to improve your life, please give it a second thought. You’re not going to suddenly find happiness in a bigger bra size.
*Please note: This study does not lead to the conclusion that all women who have breast augmentation have poor self esteem. Actually, it is more likely that women who have pathologically poor self esteem will look to external factors, like drugs, alcohol, and plastic surgery to boost their feelings of self worth.

Not Quite Right Yet

By On · Add Comment · In alternative, chiropractic, gratitude, medical science, paradigm, prevention, stretch, water, wellness

Welp, they almost got it right. Medical science is working very hard to jump onto the wellness bandwagon. There was a time when the term prevention was considered an “alternative” concept – that is, medical science placed very little stock in the idea of practicing preventative measures. But not anymore. Oh no. Not only is it very hip (medically speaking) to promote prevention, but now mainstream medicine is trying to form the term to fit within its own paradigm.

Imagine my excitement when I caught the headline, Preventive steps could save 100,000 U.S. lives: study. What? Do my eyes deceive me? Is the mainstream medical information machine really going to push the same agenda as I do with The Six Keys To Optimal Health? Wow, cool man. Let me check it out.

Hmmm. Not quite. But I guess it’s a start. The premise of the article is that if people were to take preventative measures, such as taking an aspirin every day, quitting smoking, getting more colorectal exams, getting more mamograms, and getting annual flu shots, then many life threatening diseases could be averted. OK, that’s true. But is that the gist of prevention? What about health, I mean, that surely can’t be all there is to it, can it?

Heck no. And the problem lies within the philosophy of our current health paradigm, which is: you are fine until you have symptoms, and when you do, you’re sick, and then you’ve got to be treated for your particular illness. All right, we know that one. It’s been in place for at least a century, so we’ve all been there, done that. And we ain’t gettin’ any healthier, now, are we? No, but we do have an overloaded medical system, which creates quite a problem.

I’m not going to go into all the details of why our current system doesn’t work and how we can change it into something more useful. Let’s save that for my upcoming book, The Six Keys to Optimal Health. You’ll find that I do a very thorough job of dissecting the current health paradigm and how we can now take our understanding of health to the next level. And based on the studies coming from our current health authorities, I can assure you the change isn’t going to come from that camp any time soon.

Instead, if I were to rewrite this study, it might read something like this:

Increased use of just five preventive services would save more than 100,000 lives every year in the United States, and they are:

These tips are just a small taste of what you’ll find in my upcoming book, and I’ll provide the information to prove them. You better believe that. When you’re done, you won’t even think about prevention, because if you do things right, there will be nothing to prevent.

Chiropractic Can Pevent Drug Addiction

By On · Add Comment · In abuse, acupuncture, alternative, bodywork, chiropractic, chronic pain, disease, drug addiction, dysfunction, healing, low back pain, massage, opioid drugs, OxyContin, Percocet
You heard right – that miraculous healing art called chiropractic can actually prevent drug addiction. Here’s how: According to a large study conducted at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, nearly four percent of chronic pain patients abuse opioid drugs, such as OxyContin or Percocet. The findings are relevant because these numbers suggest that chronic pain sufferers are four times more likely to abuse opioid drugs then people in the general population (3.8% to 0.9% respectively). Since many chronic pain sufferers report great results through regular chiropractic care, it stands to reason that utilizing this exceptional form of bodywork can lower the risks of opioid drug addiction.

When it comes to pain, it is important to remember one thing, the function of pain is to tell you something is wrong. Whether that something is a biomechanical dysfunction or the onset of an organic disease (cancer, heart disease, etc.), the pain response acts as a warning signal to let you know that a problem is present. It seems that chronic pain is becoming more and more looked upon as an entity unto itself, and being treated as such with powerful opioid drugs. No doubt that occasionally the system goes haywire and pain develops for no apparent physical reason; however, this is more the exception than the rule (and likely due to other chemical, hormonal, neurological or organic imbalances), and it would, therefore, be prudent to find and correct the cause than simply treat the symptom with dangerous pharmaceuticals.

Drugs are important. They help us get over humps that can act as obstacles to our healing. Case in point: I had an emergency appendectomy last summer and I don’t know what I would have done without a couple – OK, seven – shots of morphine. The pain associated with appendicitis is excruciating – I was literally bowled over – and the opioid medication allowed me to handle the 22 hour wait for surgery. So I’m all for the drugs, man. But when they are prescribed simply for chronic pain – most commonly low back pain – something is seriously wrong.

I can’t say that all chronic pain sufferers can be helped by chiropractic care, but I know through my own observations, that far too many neglect to give it a serious try. If they are not fixed within one or two visits, they quit. And off to the pain specialist for a dose of OxyContin – the easy route, since pain will be alleviated quickly, although only temporarily. And since opioids also feel good – that is, they get you high – it’s no surprise that many people would rather take these addictive drugs, than suffer through chiropractic care and ice therapy, which takes longer and requires more work and has a financial commitment.

Fortunately, more people are looking to complimentary and alternative (CAM) health practices like chiropractic care, massage and acupuncture, to help alleviate their physical problems. According to the study, 54% of subjects had used or were currently using chiropractic care to treat chronic pain. Some other notable characteristics of CAM users are:

  • adults between 35-49 years of age
  • college educated
  • incomes above $35,000
  • have a holistic orientation to health.

And I would add wiser, more attractive, funnier, and all around better people. But, hey, that’s just my humble opinion.

TEMPUR-PEDIC PILLOW GIVEAWAY

Congratulations to Laurie H. of Los Angeles for winning the Tempur-Pedic Comfort Pillow in our Independence Day Raffle. Laurie says she’s especially excited since her neck has been bothering her. Nothing a little chiropractic care and a nice soft pillow can’t resolve. Thanks everyone for playing.
D.C.

You Better Believe It’s On

By On · Add Comment · In asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, Legalize Pot, lung damage, lung function, marijuana, medical marijuana, pot smoking, tobacco
This battle just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Marijuana, that killer weed, is in the news again. More health risks associated with pot smoking: A new studyshows that one joint causes the same amount of lung damage as 2.5 to five tobacco cigarettes.Researchers at the New Zealand Medical Research Institute used lung function tests, high-resolution X-rays and questionnaires to look at the lungs of pot smokers, tobacco smokers, and smokers of both marijuana and tobacco. What they found was that long term pot smokers developed asthma, bronchitis, obstruction of the large airways and excessive lung inflation just like tobacco smokers do. You don’t say? However, they found that marijuana smoking does not seem to increase the risk of developing emphysema.

Looks like we’re going to be seeing much more negative press about the ol’ Mary Jane over the next few weeks, months, or years(?). As I said in my earlier post, Dummy Weed?, this is a real battle between Legalize Pot/medical marijuana advocates and the “Just Say No” crew. It’s no surprise to me that a bevy of studies is now being released as things heat up around the legality of medical marijuana clinics. C’mon now, medical science has suddenly become this interested in the physiological effects of marijuana, even after forty years of mainstream use? I know, studies have been done consistently throughout the years, but mark my words, you’re going to hear more – much more – about this in the near future.

All this attention on marijuana, I think, is going to get people talking, and I think we’re on the verge of social change. As they say, there’s no such thing as bad press, and the times they are a-changin’, so stay tuned for more.

This Week’s Stupid Health News

For this week’s dumbest health story: Researchers at the University of Texas conducted an exhaustive study on the reasons people have sex and found the most common reason was: It Feels Good. No kidding? Glad to see the innovation at our Nation’s Universities continues to flourish. Can’t wait for more of the same:

  • Why People Drink Beer: It Gets Me Loopy
  • Why People Run to the Can: I Gotta Go
  • Why People Pick Their Noses: Big Boogers Bug

Now that’s money well spent.

Ratso Schizo!

By On · Add Comment · In antidepressants, biochemical cause, brain, delusions, depression, genetic engineering, mood changes, paranoia, schizophrenia

Scientists have been genetically engineering laboratory mice to develop the physical and psychological characteristics of schizophrenia. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, used genetic engineering techniques to create mice that suffer from delusions, mood changes and paranoia – the same symptoms human schizophrenics suffer from. They say the findings will help in the understanding and treatment of this disorder, especially in how external factors, like stress or viruses, might aggravate symptoms. Take a peek here to see what one of theses rodents looks like

My only question is this: How did they observe delusions in rodents? A delusion is a pathologically false belief, and I just can’t imagine what a mouse would have to do to be labeled that! Perhaps it was an incorrigible conviction that a cat was a hunk of cheese, or something like that. Either way, it’s cruel and unusual – placing that cat in front of a cheese-hallucinating mouse. I’m not the only one who thinks so, either. Animal rights groups are up in arms over this study. They do not believe its necessary to “create” animals with this type of disorder, since schizophrenia is a “uniquely human feature.”

I’d have to agree. But there is an insistence within medical science to find the biochemical cause of mental illness – the same nonsense they have been trying to convince us of regarding depression for the last two decades. Find a biochemical cause, develop a biochemical “cure” – a new pharmaceutical, that is. At least that’s the rationale anyway.

Unfortunately, things are not that simple. When it comes to the human brain, there is still so much we do not yet know. At this time, not one shred of evidence points toward depression having a biochemical cause – but antidepressants are now the number one prescribed medication in the U.S.! Woohoo! Party! I talk at length about depression and antidepressant drug therapy in my upcoming book – The Six Keys To Optimal Health. And I guarantee you, it’s an eye-opener.

OK, now my other only question: If antidepressants are so good, why aren’t prescriptions going down? Hmmm…makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Copyright © 2013 Dr. Nick Campos - All Rights Reserved.