Tuesday, November 17, 2009

My History with MS Part One

.

I am not going to moan about my childhood. Overall, it was great. I was a chubby little kid that did not like to be made fun of. When I was 12 years old I saw the Mr. Olympia contest on Wide World of Sports. That is where everything began. I was suddenly very excited. That summer, Johnny Bennett gave me a bench and the following Christmas I received a set of weights. My life was in my hands and control. I was highly motivated.

I didn’t know anything about working out. All I had was an instruction sheet that came with my concrete filled weights. I followed the instructions meticulously and after a few months, I started to see results. I thought they were results anyway. People in my junior high school saw my arms started to grow and everyone wanted to arm wrestle me. I was still a chubby kid, but everybody suddenly wanted to be my friend and I was motivated. I now had goals.

I played football in junior high school and knew that I wanted to play in high school. I always played sports and girls liked athletes. Near the end of my ninth grade (15 years old), my transition to high school began with Spring Football Practice at Hamden High School.. We only had one week of it for ninth graders, but it was a chance to show the coach what I could do. How could I be intimidated by people in my own grade? I could not and was not. I was very motivated to kick some butt since kids from the other junior high school in my town would be there. They were still a massive rival, none of them were my friends yet and I wanted to do some damage. I did. The coaches had expectations for me come the fall.

Triple sessions began in late August. It was incredibly hot and humid. I thought I was going to die. It wasn’t the first triple session day that was hardest either, it was the second. That is the day when you are unbelievably sore and tired. None of us knew it, but a transformation was taking place in our minds and bodies. As we got through the week, we started to believe that we could make it to the end. On Saturday, we had a scrimmage. That was our first opportunity to hit someone other then our NEW friends.

The following Wednesday was the first day of school. I did not realize it but triple sessions caused me to lose pretty much all of my chubbiness and I had a new set of large Traps. I couldn’t believe it. Suddenly, girls were interested in me. I was interested right back. Football had some of the greatest and worst moments of my short life. None of my friends could ever say differently about them.

It is now 29 years since I graduated from high school. Some of my best friends from back then are my best friend’s now. When we see each other now, it’s like it was yesterday. Nothing is different – Which Is Great!

Now for the greatest and worst parts Of the rest of my life.

After graduating from high school, I went to Boston College in the fall of 1980. It’s a very strange transition again, going from big man on campus to nothing/no one. I knew I could blast through that wall. I just had to figure out how. First semester freshman year was tough. I did not do as well as I did in high school and everyone seemed smarter than me. When that semester ended, I spent a lot of time thinking about the rest of my days in college. I could do it and do it much better than I did during first semester I also spent a lot of time during Christmas break drinking with my high school friends.

During Christmas break I went over every note, exam and chapter from my chemistry, physics and calculus classes. When I got back to school, I was rested and very ready. My apprehension was pretty much gone and it was time to make Boston College aware of what and who they were dealing with. I studied and studied, rewrote my notes every day and asked a lot of questions. Professors only slightly intimidated me. I was scoring big on all of my exams.

Back to first semester. One day this guy in my dorm named Kurt saw me and said “hey, you got some big arms”. I looked at him with disdain and said thanks. In my mind I actually said “thanks, tell me something I don’t already know”. Kurt did not know it, but I admired his size. He was the big one. A bit of a block without shape but, he was very big and strong. I was happy that he thought what he did. Kurt did not live on my floor. I was now totally out of shape because the Sports Complex (plex) had been closed for a long time for renovations. Where could I lift weights? Luckily, Kurt knew.

We would hitchhike to the YMCA in Watertown, Massachusetts. I was finally lifting again, feeling bigger again and I had a friend that thought like me. Actually, he was bigger, stronger and more adept at finding a place like this. I could learn something from him. Kurt also made me laugh and had these same taste in music. Loud and Hard.

College went on and on. We were best friends and roommates during our final two years. We used to sneak into the football player weight room to work out. It was easier than hitchhiking. Suddenly, the trainers for the athletes gave us both jobs as strength training coaches. We didn’t do anything, we just lifted and grew. We were extremely happy.

Early in my senior year I was accepted into the Navy Nuclear Power Program. After graduation, I would go to The Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. I was going to be a submariner.

Officer Candidate School was not what I expected. I got there in the absolute best shape of my life. I saw the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman many times and I was not going to be caught off guard. Well, I was. The physical aspect of OCS was not really there. No obstacle course, no Dover Dunker– just morning runs and Saturday morning Mandatory Fun. During my first liberty, I was walking down the street with my ice cream suit on and a car load of hot looking girls drove up to me, pause and yelled SQUID! Couple that with the fact that we were in Newport and I could hear all of the fun being had down in the wharf and the heat. My focus did not seem to be with me. I left OCS a little over one month after getting their. Looking back, I probably should have given it more time. I just couldn’t miss another workout.

Later that summer, I didn’t have a job for the fall or any prospects. And this was definitely not me. I was always squared away. I was now bartending at a resort called Holiday Hill. Technicon was having their company picnic. I spoke to a few people about what they did and took some advice. I paid a lot of attention to the personnel manager. He gave me his business card and told me to attach it to my resume. 10 days later I had an interview.

Being freshly out of the Navy, and having no time to buy a suit, I borrowed one from Kurt. Now, Kurt was larger than me and had a much wider waist so, I was not totally comfortable doing the interview. Brian Taylor, my interviewer was very understanding and they did call me back for a second interview. This time, I had a suit. The second interview went very well and I had a job offer the next day.

My parents house was exactly 65 miles away from Technicon. It would be tough, but in 6-9 months I would have a sales territory and that issue would be gone. I got into the grind of commuting, working out, little bits of going out on the weekends. I was having a great time. I met a lot of new people at work and at the gym. Most of them were helpful.

OK -- --Now, being a grown up slowly and forcefully kicks in.

Right around December, 1984 I started to feel a little bit different. Not bad, not better just different. I had a slight tingling sensation in my legs. I notice that I gained a little weight and wanted to lose it to look my best for traveling. Technicon paid for my lunches because I was training customers. I was always into nutrition and lost some weight. Correctly, or so I thought. I noticed that my strength was diminishing. I squatted 600 pounds early in December 1984 and late in December, that wasn’t possible. I also noticed that my bench press was going through the floor in a hurry. I didn’t have a feeling of strength running through my body anymore..There was some type of disconnect. Very strange. I knew what the problem was, I just lost some weight and my body was adjusting to that. Probably only minutely correct.

Well, over the next couple of months I lost more strength. What was going on? I just didn’t know and didn’t want anyone else to notice.

Line in the Sand Day

Late February/early March 1985. We were playing a quick game of basketball. I slipped and tore the ligaments in my ankle. I just kept moving forward. Nothing was going to stop me from being successful. I went to the Pittsburgh Conference held in New Orleans during late March. It wasn’t much fun to stand up for eight hours with a cast on, but I did it. New Orleans was fantastic. Great food. I worked out at the YMCA and it was a scary place. My attitude, cocky or whatever made me feel right at home.

After 6-8 weeks in a cast, it was removed. Actually, I removed it myself with a branch cutter. I did that because I had a date and my foot really smelled.
Guess what, I never walked perfectly again. Was it my ankle just taking its time getting strong again? Maybe, I needed a little comeuppance. Was it something else? People noticed and asked me about things a lot. I started to get self-conscious and would always change the subject. Who cares what’s wrong, I can still walk – RIGHT?

I was asked to spend a lot of time in Wisconsin and Minnesota to sell to the butter and cheese manufacturers. I was very excited about going. I would be spending April, May and part of June out there. It was beautiful. I sold a little bit, saw the sites and came home every weekend. Strange company policy. I was eating correctly, my ankle healed and I was ready for the next stage of my career.

Late June, 1985 I moved to Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I had a great apartment. There were three other units, two of which were occupied. The first, by a couple that were reporters for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the second with 2 girls that just graduated from the University of Michigan.

Punch in the Face Day –
I was not gaining any strength and I was losing some coordination. I thought the orthopedic that put the cast on my ankle must have screwed up and screwed me up. I went to an orthopedic in New Jersey. He did all of these tests and told me that there was no screw up. He referred me to a neurologist. The neurologist recommended that I get an MRI done to get a better look at things. I had another appointment when the results were in the doctor’s hands. The doctor told me that I had MS, Multiple Sclerosis. What the hell is that? He told me that it is a neurological disorder where the body eats the myelin sheath off of the nerves. Those points scar over causing a disruption in the neurological flow. This results in my loss of coordination and strength. Do you have a pill that will cure me? No, one does not exist. In fact, nothing exists. I wanted a second opinion. That appointment was made for me at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. I was told the exact same things. This time however in a much colder way. I left without paying.

What am I going to do? I need to get out of New Jersey to somewhere safe.

One day I was working on the road when my seemingly annual flu came to call. I went home and got into bed shivering. I went to sleep and about eight o’clock that night I woke up sweating. Nothing new right? Well, I could not move my legs. I was incredibly scared and crawled out of bed dragging myself across the floor to my office. I pulled down the telephone and called for an ambulance. That was the only thing I thought I could do. I was taken to the hospital and given several glasses of water. Within a couple of minutes, I was perfectly fine. I did not feel sick and I could walk. The couple from upstairs came to the hospital when they saw the ambulance. They brought me home.

I am not going to spend a lot of time here, but I was alone in a different state. I did not know the best ways to manage a sales territory. I did not have all of the skills required-Yet. Then one day my telephone rang. It was a headhunter who told me about Leybold Heraeus and their Inficon Division. They sold mass spectrometer’s. I took a research course in college and we built one. Great fit. I got the job and moved back home, but into an apartment. Most of all of my friends and family would be closer.

My job at Inficon was great. I was selling mass spectrometer, helium leak detectors and vacuum gauges primarily to IBM. It was a great fit and I was very successful at it. One problem, IBM is a massive facility in East Fishkill and Yorktown Heights, New York. Could my legs and coordination deal with the walking? I believe that I trained all of my adult life for the war that was in front me. I was ready for the battle.

Battle I did. I was very successful. My legs started to really bother me. Meaning, walking was very difficult. I had to urinate frequently. Finding a bathroom at a convenient time while at a customer site is very often difficult. I was not an office person. I needed to be on the road and with customers. I felt like it was my calling to troubleshoot and solve problems.

I was working with a neurologist at Yale. The latest thing was a blasting of Cytoxan, chemotherapy. I thought I would be cured so, I did it. Once I got in my hospital room, I was overcome with fear and apprehension. Wouldn’t you be? I looked out the window, gripped my crucifix and said, “God, if I ever needed you, I need you right now! Please help”. He Did. Still looking out the window I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder and it was a priest asking me if I would like to be blessed. Yes, yes yes yes I do. Kind of a freaky moment, but it did happen.

They came to my room and did a spinal tap. It actually did not hurt that much. A few minutes later, a large nurse came in my room and told me they had to insert a catheter. Sticking something inside my private parts was not going to happen if I had anything to do with it. I would not let her and even went so far as to give her my express authorization not to. My doctor came in the room and yelled at me and told me that it was not an option because they did not want any Cytoxan to take residence in my body. It was that toxic.

Well, the catheter went in and the pain was incredible. Not a day goes by where I don’t think about the Catheter. If someone is going to punch you in the stomach, you would tense up prior to that punch. With a catheter, never do that – NEVER DO THAT. About 10 minutes after the insertion, my nurse returned and told me that they inserted a short-term catheter instead of a long-term catheter and would have to remove and replace it. Again, my authorizations to not do that was never given a second thought. After a massive amount of pain, it was done. Someone either hates me or is testing me.
This event is forever stamped into my brain and the brains of everyone I know because I never stop talking about it.


The next day rolled around and my favorite nurse, Rita came in and said that it was time to start infusing the Cytoxan. After a two hour round, I still had hair and I did not vomit. Victory! The afternoon of my third day of Cytoxan treatment, I Did threw up. It was not violent, I did not feel sick afterwards and I did not vomit again during my 10 day stay. I did a very good job of making my friends and family feel guilty that I was in the hospital with all of that terrible food. Because of that, they all brought me massive amounts of great food. I absolutely hated the hospital food, was not throwing up and needed my strength – I told them. Thanks to everyone, my hospital visit was fairly smooth.

On the last night in the hospital, I had a male nurse. He told me that it was time to remove the catheter and to make sure that I could urinate naturally. If I could not--back in it goes. It hurt a lot removing the catheter, but not nearly as much as inserting it. I found myself feeling like I was urinating all over the room. I was not and was told that that was natural. Next step – urinate. I told the nurse, no problem. Just get me a lot of cranberry juice and ice. I did not stop drinking it and sure enough the wiz began to flow. As a matter of fact it flowed for four or five days, every few minutes. I don’t know the exact reason why, it just did.

After a week of rest and relaxation, I went to the gym. I felt great and was walking perfectly. Wow, I have been cured. I was lying on my stomach doing leg curls. I was wearing a rotten old white sweatshirt when it happened. I noticed a hair on my shoulder. I touched my head and hair began to fall out. In order to minimize this embarrassment, I went to the Barber. Tony buzzed off my hair and did not charge me because there was no effort required.

All of this happened during September/October 1986. I went back to work, everyone was happy to see me and nobody mentioned my bald head. Things went quite well for a while. Funny story, while driving south on Route 7 in Wilton, Connecticut a youngster in a small pickup truck pulled out to go in my direction. He hit the rear quarter panel on the drivers side causing me to go into oncoming traffic. I had a near head-on collision. I touched myself all over to make sure that nothing was broken. I got out of the car only to see all of the rubbernecking traffic. A police officer came up to me and spoke to me like I caused the accident. The woman told them that I was not the cause at all. She did that while strapped into a gurney. Now I am extremely pissed off. I am pacing up and down Route 7. A car load of girls goes by and yells out “Nice ASS!”. Why did they say that? I put my hand on the seat of my pants and found that the force of the impact caused my pants to blast open. My nose was broken and I immediately got it looked at. Next I went back to the gym and got a new membership card. It was stupid, but funny.

Next month I felt like I did before the chemotherapy. I called my doctor and said I can’t believe this is happening. What can you do short of chemotherapy? He told me we could do a round of prednisone, a steroid. It’s not that I wanted to. I needed to. A couple of pills each day for a couple of weeks. Everything went off without issue. In fact, I was cured AGAIN!. The weights and the exercise bike were going unbelievably.

Things were going OK for a while. Prednisone never worked as well as it did the first time I used it. The side effects were still there, just not the good feelings. My doctor told me to try a round of Solumedrol. That is the liquid form of prednisone. Instead of pills, it was infused using an IV for about two hours per day for five days. Things were great again and I was cured. Dead Wrong! The first round was wonderful and further rounds were not quite as good and ultimately ineffectual. Admittedly, I did not know anything about steroids of this kind. I did not know because I read nothing about them. Because I felt like I was cured.

Stupid Stupid Stupid – all of the time.

In 1988 I began working for MKS Instruments. I was always impressed with their equipment. I would compete with them and lose very often. The reason why I left Leybold is because my manager was not managing. Alan Bird was my first manager at MKS. He and I hit it off immediately. Upper management was not confrontational. They simply wanted to help me get the order. I felt like I was at home with this company. My career flourished. I was feeling great.

Things were going well with my job. I was able to save some money and bought a boat in 1989. On one extremely hot day in 1989, all of my friends were sitting around sweating in the boat. That didn’t make sense to me. The heat has an extremely bad effect on MS. Rather than being effected, I jumped in the water and began to swim. I felt great. I felt as good as I ever did on prednisone. So, I began to swim as often as possible—like a maniac. Sometimes, I would go to the beach at Branford Point. On an extremely hot day, I would be in my car sweating and feeling incredibly bad – like moosh. I would somehow get off the wall to the sand. All I could do was to crawl to the water where I would get my good juice and feel 1000% better. That feeling is due to the coolness of the salt water as well as the buoyancy. Crawling across the sand, I felt like a baby turtle on National Geographic, struggling in the sand and reborn in the ocean. It was incredible. I found something that I could do. In the colder months I would swim at the Town Pool in North Haven near my office. I became a very good swimmer. I would go for long swims, feeling totally reborn upon their completion. The pool was great, but nothing like the ocean. No salt in the pool water. I worked with it anyway. The pool water was quite warm. I definitely did not feel like I did when I swam in the ocean, but it was still great.. This was my latest cardiovascular exercise meaning. I couldn’t walk, run or bike due to MS. This was a great something else. MS always made me improvise.


After 10 years with MKS I could not hide things any longer. Things got that much worse. One morning in 1998, I was driving up 395 to visit customers in Massachusetts. I was drinking a cup of coffee and went to put the cup in the cup holder. I accidentally put the cup on the rim. As soon as I let it go the cup fell. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. As the cup fell, I stupidly tried to catch it. I leaned over to the right and my left hand was on the steering wheel. That lean cause my left hand to move to the right which caused the car to go off the road. Well, there was much damage to the car. I was fine, but my ego was mangled again. MS did not cause this accident, stupidity did. If I was normal, I would have gotten a slap on the wrist and a major talking to from my boss. Instead, I had to go through the complete personal checking out again. In my opinion, that incident set the ball in motion. I could not stop it anymore.

November 1998, eight months after the accident came. My cell phone rang and it was my boss. He told me that they were changing my position. Once 1999 rolled around, I would be an inside salesperson, working with universities instead of the key accounts that I was handling. I asked for and was granted the ability to work out of my house

I felt like there was a bull’s-eye on my back. We never had an inside salesperson in my company. They were making an accommodation for me. The first half hour of my new job saw my ego pop up again. “I am not going to lower myself to work with these customers”, I said. Then I realized that the company was helping me and work was work. I was not going to give anyone the opportunity to look down on or speak badly of me. I initially noticed that universities were not getting the attention they needed. Yes, some were, but not all. We also were not providing the pricing level that they required. Given all of that, business was not where it should have been. I worked out the proper pricing levels, got the internal support that I needed and sat on top of these customers. I was always there for them and they knew that a telephone call or e-mail would be responded to faster than they ever were. The people covering universities would just incredibly busy.

During 1999 and 2000 things went extremely well. Because I was working out of my house, my physical issues were not there. I made the University market a market to look at again. A University customer that ordered and received great support from me would graduate one day and would always remember MKS. That would be a customer for life.

Reward Time

During the winter of 2001, overall market conditions had slowed. Because of that, I was moved to an applications engineering position. Everything I did for universities was stopped. Ultimately, when the market returned my position returned. There were changes however. I would be in sales support, instead of direct sales. This meant that I would no longer receive commissions, my great motivator and I wouldn’t be directly going after University customers. So, another change. I could not explain it. To me, my time away from direct sales, my mailing list was obliterated. Students graduate and professors move around. I was never again able to stay on things like I did. This was a supreme failure by the people above me.

Back to 2001. It was July 5 and Lesley was going shopping for the day. I thought I would roll down to the pool and work out. Not so fast. It was a very hot day so I was getting mushy. No problem, just spend the day in the water and everything will be fine. Unfortunately, my transfer from the chair to the pool lift was a failure. I ended up on the pool deck. The sun was oppressive and I could not move. I was out there for over five hours lying on my stomach with my right arm tucked under me. Nobody was around and nobody could hear me until around five o’clock. A neighbor I did not know was able to hear me, came over and called 911. That event caused another move to the down side for me. I spent every day from that point feeling extremely tight in the shoulders and I was losing my gripping strength at the gym. So much so that I would tape the bars to my right hand. Also, my strength was falling more and more every day. What happened?

Lesley was always there. She never wavered. We met on May 10, 1991. My friend Mike asked me to go out so he could meet up with Lisa. I knew her since we were little kids. I was at the end of my rope. MS is a big wall and 5 girls in a row dumped me. I was all done. Well, that night I did not care about meeting Lesley. I thought I was giving her a very good “I really don’t care” attitude. However, we were talking and talking and I thought I would give it another try. I felt good and was walking expectantly well. I asked Lisa for Lesley’s telephone number. She said she would ask and let me know.

I finally got the telephone number the following Tuesday. I did not get in until fairly late that night and decided that I would give her a call from Vermont on Wednesday. I called her and left a message. She called me back in my hotel room. We made plans for a date that Saturday. We were engaged during February 1992.

Everything was going very well. I kept putting off telling her about my condition. I told her it was my back. What a rationalization! During Memorial Day weekend 1992, we went whale watching out of Boston. It was a great, great day. Then the bottom dropped again

Lesley came over on Sunday morning. We were going to go out in my boat with my friends Joe end Leslie. Lesley went outside for a moment and came back white as a ghost Fat Diane, my upstairs tenant, told Lesley about my problems.

-- -- End of Part One –- --more to follow in a short while

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Fruits and Vegetables Do It Again!

High fruit and vegetable intake positively correlated with antioxidant status, cognitive performance



Study of healthy subjects
Amsterdam, September 8, 2009 - Researchers at the Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I of the Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, investigated the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, plasma antioxidant micronutrient status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects aged 45 to 102 years. Their results, published in the August issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, indicated higher cognitive performance in individuals with high daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
Subjects with a high daily intake (about 400 g) of fruits and vegetables had higher antioxidant levels, lower indicators of free radical-induced damage against lipids as well as better cognitive performance compared to healthy subjects of any age consuming low amounts (< 100 g/day) of fruits and vegetables. Modification of nutritional habits aimed at increasing intake of fruits and vegetables, therefore, should be encouraged to lower the prevalence of cognitive impairment.
The work was performed in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacology at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Department of Geriatrics at Perugia University, Italy, and the Department of Neurology of the St. Elisabeth Hospital in Cologne, Germany.
Dr. M. Cristina Polidori, currently at the Department of Geriatrics, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Germany, explains: "It is known that there is a strong association between fruit and vegetable intake and the natural antioxidant defenses of the body against free radicals. It is also known that bad nutritional habits increase the risk of developing cognitive impairment with and without dementia. With this work we show a multiple link between fruit and vegetable intake, antioxidant defenses and cognitive performance, in the absence of disease and independent of age. Among other lifestyle habits, it is recommended to improve nutrition in general and fruit and vegetable intake in particular at any age, beginning as early as possible. This may increase our chances to remain free of dementia in advanced age."
These findings are independentof age, gender, body mass index, level of education, lipid profile and albumin levels, all factors able to influence cognitive and antioxidant status. The relevance of the findings is also strengthened by the large sample that included 193 healthy subjects.
Further studies are planned that will include larger subject cohorts, patients with Alzheimer's disease at different stages and patients with mild cognitive impairment without dementia.
###
Reference: Polidori MC, Pratico D, Mangialasche F, Mariani E, Aust O, Anlasik T, Mang N, Pientka L, Stahl W, Sies H, Nelles G. High fruit and vegetable intake is positively correlated with antioxidant status and cognitive performance in healthy subjects. J Alzheimers Dis 17:4 (August 2009).
###
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Volume 17, Number 4, August 2009 (abstract)
Pages 921-927
M. Cristina Polidori, Domenico Praticó, Francesca Mangialasche, Elena Mariani, Olivier Aust, Timur Anlasik, Ni Mang, Ludger Pientka, Wilhelm Stahl, Helmut Sies, Patrizia Mecocci, Gereon Nelles
High Fruit and Vegetable Intake is Positively Correlated with Antioxidant Status and Cognitive Performance in Healthy Subjects
Abstract: A higher daily intake of fruits and vegetables in healthy elderly is associated with an improved antioxidant status in comparison to subjects consuming diets poor in fruits and vegetables, but the impact on cognitive performance is unclear. Healthy community dwellers (45 to 102 years old, n=193) underwent cognitive testing and blood withdrawal for the measurement of antioxidant micronutrients and biomarkers of oxidative stress as well as administration of a food frequency questionnaire to assess the daily intake of fruits and vegetables (high intake HI, low intake LI). Ninety-four subjects of the HI group had significantly higher cognitive test scores, higher levels of carotenoids, a- and ?-tocopherol as well as lower levels of F2a isoprostanes than the 99 subjects of the LI group. Cognitive scores were directly correlated with blood levels of a-tocopherol and lycopene and negatively correlated with F2a isoprostanes and protein carbonyls. The results were independent of age, gender, body mass index, education, total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and albumin. Healthy subjects of any age with a high daily intake of fruits and vegetables have higher antioxidant levels, lower levels of biomarkers of oxidative stress, and better cognitive performance than healthy subjects of any age consuming low amounts of fruits and vegetables. Modification of nutritional habits aimed at increasing intake of fruits and vegetables should be encouraged to lower prevalence of cognitive impairment in later life.






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Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Detox

Detoxification for Physical and Spiritual Health


The foundation of HEALTH begins with what we put into our bodies...

Over the past several decades our environment has become increasingly more toxic. We are exposed to thousands of toxic chemicals from our air, water and food supply. We also consume an ever-growing list of toxins including caffeine, over-the-counter medication, alcohol, nicotine and damaged fats. The accumulation of these toxins can create a Total Toxin Overload. This can threaten our health by damaging DNA. Patients may be burdened by any of the common symptoms of toxicity or a combination of them including headaches, fatigue, joint pains, insomnia, mood changes, weakened immune system, or chronic GI issues. It is crucial that we build up our bodies by increasing the reserves of the superstar nutrients that allow the liver to take on any challenge that comes along. The best detoxifying methods incorporate a combination of therapies, including: basic detox diet, exercise, and high quality supplements.

Please click here to view a list of testimonials from patients like you who have taken part in a DFH group detox program.

Patient Detox Program Materials (all materials in pdf format):

* Complete Patient Guide
* Optimal Food Choices/Shopping List
* Sample Menus
* Titration Schedule
* Exercise Tips
* Additional Shake Recipes
* Diet Activity Chart
* General Suggestions for Decreasing Toxicity





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Sunday, September 6, 2009

Mighty Powerful Berries

Below is some writing and a link to some audio by Carol Watson RN, ND about "The Power of the Purple Pill: Vineyard Blend”

A wake-up call:
The far-reaching effects of cardiovascular disease and provide hope that there IS something we can do about it. "I share my own experience as a Cardiac Intensive Care Nurse and overview the published research that includes the orchard, garden and vineyard blends." As I shared at the conclusion of the call, “I am on a mission to help you prevent what I witnessed first-hand, day in and day out at the bedside in nursing….the emotional, physical and financial burden and turmoil of having a loved one suffer from PREVENTABLE disease! What I know is that heart disease (or any other chronic illness) is a condition that begins slowly and silently and progresses over the years. Diseases don’t just happen; we ‘earn’ them! By age 40 most people are declining in health whether they ‘feel’ it or not. They may have as many as 10 chronic illnesses beginning in their body….these CAN BE REVERSED with diet, lifestyle and Juice Plus+ ®.”

I hope you put this recording to good use as we flood the world with health education about disease prevention and in turn flood NSA with new Vineyard blend orders for those we love and care about!

Thank you for your interest in sharing our message of Improving Health Naturally,
Carol Watson RN, ND, NMD

Here is the link for Dr. Carol Watson’s call on the Vineyard Blend: http://www.audioacrobat.com/play/WxLC8DBs

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Soft Drinks

I apologize for not posting in a short while. I have been trying very hard to get a business off the ground. I was laid off last November and finding work in my position is next to impossible. Enough of that. Anyway I used to consume a lot of soda. Thanks to my wife, that ended a long long time ago. The article below should help to open your eyes more. Good Luck

> (07-23) 13:23 PDT SAN FRANCISCO --
Adults who consume at least one soft drink a day are more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease than
> those who don't, even if the beverage is diet, according to a study
> published today in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
> Researchers studying about 3,500 middle-aged men and women as part of a
> larger, long-term heart study found an association between daily soft
> drink consumption and an increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
> People with metabolic syndrome -- a combination of factors like high blood
> pressure and elevated triglycerides -- are more likely to suffer diabetes
> and heart disease.
> "In this group of middle-aged adults, consumption of just one or more soft
> drinks per day seemed to increase the risk of developing metabolic
> syndrome by about 50 percent" whether the drink was artificially sweetened
> or not, said Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, senior author of the Framingham Heart
> Study and an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine.
> The study adds to an array of scientific evidence showing that consumption
> of sugar-sweetened drinks increase the risk of heart disease. Past studies
> have linked the consumption of both diet and regular sodas with childhood
> and adolescent obesity and increased risk of high blood pressure in
> adults.
> Compared to those who drank fewer than one soft drink daily, participants
> who drank one or more a day had about a 30 percent greater risk of
> developing new-onset diabetes, adding inches to their waistlines or having
> low levels of good cholesterol.
> Although the researchers' analysis adjusted the data for lifestyle-related
> factors like high calorie intake and less physical activity -- factors
> that could help to explain the link between soda consumption and metabolic
> risks -- the report falls short of proving exactly who or what should take
> the blame, Vasan said.
> "One of the important questions is, 'Is it the soda drinker or the soda?"
> he said.
> Researchers theorize that consumption of sweet drinks might condition a
> desire for sweeter foods, or that drinking more during one meal can lead
> to more solid food consumption during the next meal.
> Another theory posits that fructose corn syrup in regular soft drinks can
> contribute to weight gain, insulin resistance and diabetes. But the
> study's finding that diet and regular soda drinkers face similar risks
> presents a curveball for the corn syrup argument because diet drinks are
> flavored with artificial sweeteners, Vasan said, adding that the burden
> will fall to nutritional scientists to research the topic more.
>
---------------------------------------------

Monday, June 29, 2009

Broccoli to the Defense

Broccoli to the defense

JUST a few more portions of broccoli each week may
protect men from prostate cancer, British researchers
reported.
The researchers believe a chemical in the
food sparks hundreds of genetic
changes, activating some genes that
fight cancer and switching off others
that fuel tumors, said Richard Mithen,
a biologist at Britain’s Institute of Food
Research.
There is plenty of evidence linking a
healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables to
reduce cancer risk. But the study published in
the Public Library of Science journal, PLoS One, is the first human trial investigating the potential
biological mechanism at work, Mithen added in a telephone interview.
"Everybody says eat your vegetables but nobody can tell us why," said Mithen, who led the study.
"Our study shows why vegetables are good."
Prostate is the second leading cancer killer of men after lung cancer. Each year, some 680,000 men
worldwide are diagnosed with the disease and about 220,000 will die from it.
Mithen and colleagues split into two groups 24 men with pre-cancerous lesions that increase prostate
cancer risk and had them eat four extra servings of either broccoli or peas each week for a year.
The researchers also took tissue samples over the course of the study and found that men who ate
broccoli showed hundreds of changes in genes known to play a role in fighting cancer.
The benefit would likely be the same in other cruciferous vegetables that contain a compound called
isothiocyanate, including brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, rocket or arugula, watercress and
horse radish, they added.
Broccoli, however, has a particularly powerful type of the compound called sulforaphane, which the
researchers think gives the green vegetable an extra cancer-fighting kick, Mithen said.
"When people get cancer, some genes are switched off and some are switched on," he said. "What
broccoli seems to be doing is switching on genes which prevent cancer developing and switching off
other ones that help it spread."
The broccoli eaters showed about 400 to 500 of the positive genetic changes with men carrying a
gene called GSTM1 enjoying the most benefit. About half the population have the gene, Mithen said.
The researchers did not track the men long enough to see who got cancer but said the findings
bolster the idea that just a few more vegetable portions each week can make a big difference.
It is also likely that these vegetables work the same way in other parts of the body and probably
protect people against a whole range of cancers, Mithen added.
"You don’t need a huge change in your diet," he said. "Just a few more portions makes a big
difference."

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Baby Carrots -- MUST READ

I came across this article earlier today and thought that everyone should take a look at it.

The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic
bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots
which are put through a machine which cuts and shapes them
into cocktail carrots - most people probably know this
already.


What you may not know and should know is the
following:


Once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots
they are dipped in a solution of water and chlorine in order
to preserve them. (this is the same chlorine used in your
pool).


Since they do not have their skin or natural
protective covering, they give them a higher dose of
chlorine.


You will notice that once you keep these carrots in
your refrigerator for a few days, a white covering will form
on the carrots. This is the chlorine which resurfaces. At
what cost do we put our health at risk to have esthetically
pleasing vegetables?


Chlorine is a very well-known carcinogen, which
causes Cancer.. I thought this was worth passing on. Pass it
on to as many people as possible in hopes of informing them
where these carrots come from and how they are
processed.


I used to buy those baby carrots for vegetable dips. Not
any more...

Friday, June 19, 2009

My Wellness and My Nutrition

I Post a lot about nutrition. I strongly believe, and I think the articles that I have posted back up the fact that multivitamins are great, but do not perform the entire job. Plant Chemicals, also known as Phytochemicals have a major job that multivitamins simply can not perform. It’s like asking a car to blast off like a rocket ship. Maybe it can, but the tools are just not there. Plant chemicals provide the synergy needed for the Nutrition to actually get to your Muscles and Organs instead of your toilet. I guess you can say that Fruits and Vegetables are more economical items for nutrition than multivitamins. What you pay for, your body uses.
I would also like to admit that I distribute JuicePlus. That is why you see a link on this blog. I will admit that I believe JuicePlus is the reason why my body is strong. I used to get the flu every year, but have not gotten it for 10 years. I am not a doctor or a research scientist so, what I just said are my words alone. I cannot say that JuicePlus has kept me well, I can just say that I have had no issues for 10 years. Coincidence?
That is dramatic, but you should know that I have MS and I am totally paralyzed. I can not move and this article is being written with my voice. When you can not move, your body does not move around its fluids very readily. That alone can lead to health issues. I am healthier at this point in my life than I ever have been. I will shut up now because I do not want to repeat myself. I would really like to hear about other people and any issues they are forced to deal with. Please post on this blog, send me an e-mail message or a link to your website so that others can hear about your success.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Fruits and Vegetables for Pregnancy

Inside...
Tips for pregnant and
breast-feeding women
Prevention Plus+ Profile:
Paul Stricker, M.D.
Juice Plus+® supports
St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital
Medical doctors everywhere are recommending Juice Plus+®.
Many have written us to share the healthful results that they
have observed in their own practices.
Doug Odom, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist in
Jackson, Mississippi, took his observations one step further,
carefully documenting and analyzing the outcome of more
than 350 pregnancies within his group practice over an almost
three-year period.
“I’ve delivered literally thousands of babies over the past 30+ years,” says a smiling
Dr. Odom. “And I’ve talked with expectant mothers about the importance of good
nutrition ever since I started practicing. But it wasn’t until Juice Plus+® came along
that I felt really comfortable recommending anything more than prenatal vitamins.
“I was always worried that something I recommended could turn out to be harmful
to my patients,” he explains. “Juice Plus+® is whole food based nutrition – a wide variety
of nutritional elements from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. That just made
good sense to me from the very first time I heard about it. On top of that, it’s backed
by a whole body of published, peer-reviewed clinical research that’s impressive in
terms of both quantity and quality.
“You never see that with other nutritional products.”
Dr. Odom began sharing Juice Plus+® with his patients in May 1998. “I started noticing
improvements here and there, but we really saw it in the expectant moms.
Pregnancy is a very physically demanding nine months:
Juice Plus+®
and pregnancy
(continued on the following page)

Monday, June 8, 2009

Antioxidants May Protect Against Diabetes -- Fruits and Vegetables AGAIN!

Antioxidants May Protect Against Diabetes
January 26, 1999

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -- Certain carotenoids -- plant compounds with antioxidant properties -- may protect against the development of diabetes, according to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, measured the amounts of five carotenoids -- alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, cryptoxanthin, and lutein/zeaxanthin -- in the blood of 1,665 people participating in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The subjects were divided into four groups: those who had normal glucose tolerance tests, those with impaired glucose tolerance, those who were newly diagnosed with diabetes, and those with a previous history of the disease.

After adjusting for potentially confounding factors, the researchers found that the amounts of two carotenoids -- beta-carotene and lycopene -- were on average highest in those individuals with normal glucose tolerance, somewhat lower in those with impaired glucose tolerance, and lower still in people with newly diagnosed diabetes.

"The evidence was strongest for beta-carotene and lycopene... (but) cryptoxanthin also was lower in persons with newly diagnosed diabetes compared with persons with a normal glucose tolerance. Alpha-carotene and lutein/zeaxanthin were not significantly different among participants," the authors wrote.

Although there has been little research on the subject of carotenoids and diabetes, the authors point to another study showing that significantly higher proportions of men and women with known non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus had carotene deficiency than did healthy control patients.

They note that several other dietary studies of diabetes have suggested that increased consumption of vegetables may reduce risk of developing diabetes. Antioxidants could play a role in the development of diabetes, but it is not known how.

"With an estimated 16 million persons having diabetes and a cost to the United States of about $92 billion in 1992, new directions in the prevention of diabetes and its complications are clearly desirable," wrote the authors. "The results from our analysis suggest one such avenue."

SOURCE: American Journal of Epidemiology 1999;149:168-176.


Below is our lead story for June 14. Thought you'd all like to see it.

Frank Grazian, Publisher
Alternative Health News Online (http://www.altmedicine.com)

ANTIOXIDANTS 'CAN HELP' DIABETICS

The next time you hear or read one of those ads for antioxidant vitamins or supplements, you might want to take notice, especially if you have diabetes.

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center say vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene can help diabetics stave off some of the most common and debilitating complications of diabetes, such as blindness, kidney failure, and amputation.

Dr. Emmanuel Opara has done extensive research on the effects of antioxidants on what are called "free radicals," highly reactive chemicals that are the by-product of the body's process of turning food into energy.

Dr. Opara says research discloses that diabetics who are beginning to show complications of the disease also show signs that they have depleted their store of antioxidants.

"It would be too much to assume that these findings would mean that once you use the supplements it will cure diabetes, but there is certainly a potential for the use of these supplements to help regulate blood sugar."

Dr. Opara says antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E and beta carotene can help the body restore the balance of free radicals as well as blood sugar.

Dr. Opara says his research shows vitamins C and E seem to be the most effective, especially when taken in combination, but he also warns against self-medicating.

Individuals with diabetes still need to consult with their doctors and make sure that they have adequate supervision when they are taking these supplements, so that the doses can be adjusted appropriately."

June 14, 1999

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Vegetables Take Center Stage in Cancer Study

Vegetables Take Center Stage in Cancer Study

Being told to eat our vegetables is anything but newsworthy advice, but learning which vegetables give us the most protection from which diseases-and understanding why they give us protection-is news that most of us would welcome.
Researchers at the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York have completed some pioneering work in this regard in their study of 1,082 women, averaging 63 years in age and being treated as patients at their Institute. Half of the women were diagnosed with endometrial cancer-the seventh most common cancer among women worldwide-and the other half were determined to be free of this cancer. When the diets of these women were analyzed, only the intake of one type of food was consistently associated with significantly lowered risk of endometrial cancer, and that food type was vegetables. Total fruit intake did not show this protective effect.
Starting at 43 servings per month, and moving up to 94 servings per month or greater, total vegetable intake showed a consistent and increasingly protective effect against the occurrence of endometrial cancer. In comparison to 43 servings per month (a little more than one serving per day), 94 or more servings per month (at least 3 servings per day) was about 25% more protective against the risk of endometrial cancer. The researchers also looked specifically at cruciferous vegetables, which did show a protective effect when the intake level was 25 servings per month or more.
An interesting part of this study was the close connection between cancer-protective vegetables and cancer-protective nutrients provided by those vegetables. Even though cruciferous vegetables like broccoli were found to decrease risk of endometrial cancer under some circumstances, only total vegetable intake-including not only cruciferous vegetables but all types of vegetables-was consistently linked to lower risk. The researchers determined that specific nutrients, including vitamin E and beta-carotene, were consistently associated with the lowest risk of endometrial cancer, and that vegetable intake beyond cruciferous vegetables was required to produce the greatest risk-lowering effect.
This study finding makes sense to us. Even though cruciferous vegetables like broccoli can be important sources of vitamin E and beta-carotene, green leafy vegetables like chard and spinach can often provide 2-3 times as much beta-carotene as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and 3-4 times as much vitamin E. Vegetables like olives can provide even greater concentrations of vitamin E.
The greater prevention observed in this study from vegetable variety versus a single category of vegetables (cruciferous vegetables), together with the significantly greater prevention associated with 1 serving versus 3 servings of vegetables per day, give us a take-away message that might end up applying not only to prevention of endometrial cancer, but to prevention of other chronic disease problems as well. While any fresh vegetable intake is better than no fresh vegetable whatsoever, building vegetable intake up into a range of multiple servings per day appears important in reducing disease risk. So does expanding your vegetable intake beyond a single type of vegetable, no matter how many nutritional benefits are provided by that single type of vegetable.

References
 Yeh M, Moysich KB, Jayaprakash V et al. Higher Intakes of Vegetables and Vegetable-Related Nutrients Are Associated with Lower Endometrial Cancer Risks1. The Journal of Nutrition 2009, 139(2), 317-22. 2009.

When it comes to prevention of a disease like endometrial cancer, there's a real different between 1 versus 3 vegetable servings per day. Therefore, a good strategy is to enjoy vegetables throughout the day, not just a dinnertime! And no matter how many health claims you hear for a single type of vegetable (like broccoli), stay focused on vegetable variety. When it comes to disease prevention, no single type of vegetable can do it all, even though many vegetables are nutritionally outstanding in their own right.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Standing Frame Article -- I Recommend This Highly

A Standing Frame Prescribed for Home Can Improve Long-Term Health


by Jackie Kaufenberg


Many spinal cord injury rehab professionals are aware of the secondary
complications associated with prolonged immobility of people with a spinal
cord injury (SCI). Rehab facilities that incorporate standing/weight
bearing as a part of their SCI client’s standing program see the effects of
secondary complications minimized. To achieve the greatest possible medical
benefits, a person with SCI should start standing as soon as their PT or
doctor determines it is medically safe.


Medical professionals have prescribed standing programs for these health
benefits:
1. Increase range of motion and help prevent ankle, knees, and hip
contractures
2. Improve circulation as it relates to orthostatic hypotension
3. Decrease abnormal muscle tone and reduce spasticity
4. Maintain bone density and prevent or stabilize osteoporosis and
resultant hypercalciuria
5. Improve renal function, drainage of the urinary tract, and reduce
urinary calculi
6. Reduce the risk of pressure ulcers and skin breakdown through
changing positions
7. Improve bowel function by increasing gastrointestinal
activity/motility using gravity as an assist, thus reducing the risk
of constipation
8. Facilitate respiration by reducing respiratory infections and
increasing oxygen intake by allowing lungs to completely expand
9. Build cardiovascular endurance and reduce swelling and pooling of the
blood in the lower extremities
10. Provide a positive psychological impact and improve self-esteem


It is very common for rehab clinicians to incorporate standing as an
intricate part of their client’s initial rehab program. However, a full
standing program shouldn’t just be limited to a client’s initial spinal
injury rehab sessions. In order to experience the long-term medical
benefits of standing, a standing frame should also be prescribed for home
use upon discharge. By prescribing a standing frame for home use, the
person with SCI will be able to stand on a daily basis (or as often as
prescribed). For instance, they could stand while checking their email,
before dinner each day, or in the evening while watching a movie with their
family.


Funding for Standing Frames


When a therapist prescribes a stander soon after injury (with their
client’s initial equipment purchase, e.g. wheelchair, commode), their
client may also have a better chance of obtaining funding for the standing
frame through their medical insurance. Often, insurance companies are more
likely to cover the stander or home medical equipment when it is included
with the initial order for a wheelchair and other necessary rehab
equipment. If you need assistance with the funding process for a standing
device, there are resources on www.easystand.com/funding that can help.


Want to dig deeper into the medical benefits of standing?


Over 100 research study abstracts related to the benefits of standing can
be found on www.easystand.com/research. You can search by author, title,
diagnosis (e.g. all studies that pertain to SCI), and the benefit that the
research cites. You can also view a free one hour webinar with Ginny Paleg,
DScPT, MS, PT, called Supported Standing: Integrating Evidence into
Practice on www.easystand.com/ginny


Did your therapist prescribe a stander for you to use at home? Do you think
that standing has improved your health or quality of life?




Jackie Kaufenberg
Marketing Manager
jackie@easystand.com
...................................................................

Altimate Medical Inc. – Makers of EasyStand Standers
PO Box 180
Morton, MN 56270 USA

T 800-342-8968
P 507-697-6393
F 507-697-6900
...................................................................

www.easystand.com

Join us on the EasyStand Blog or Subscribe to our Monthly E-Newsletter.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Economics of Eating

I was laid off from my job back in November, 2008. I received the article below earlier today and thought everyone might need to hear this.

The Economics of Eating
Living off a dollar menu may save you money now, but you'll pay for it in the long run.
By Nick Summers | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Apr 24, 2009

As the U.S. recession nears its 18th month, government officials are parsing economic data and trying to guess whether the repercussions will begin to decline in a matter of months, or sometime further down the line. Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of obesity surgery at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital, is watching another recession metric—people's waistlines—and seeing a very far off impact indeed.
Lean times lead to bad diets. Bad diets lead to obesity. And obesity leads to diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses—not now, but sometime later in life, when today's recession is a memory but Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers are still groaning under its weight. "People are eating cheaper, more fattening foods; care is more difficult to find; and as a result we're going to have more and more people presenting at a later stage of the disease process," says Roslin. "If you're concerned about paying your rent and making ends meet, it's very hard to think about the future implications of diabetes and other illnesses."
Bad economic times affect Americans' health in a number of ways. Most obviously, people who lose their jobs can lose their health insurance, if they are unable to find coverage under a spouse's plan, if COBRA extensions expire before another job can be found or if Medicaid benefits are unavailable. Even Americans who do have health insurance avoid or delay getting care during a recession, especially if co-pays become unaffordable or receiving time off of work to visit a doctor is an impossibility.
But one of the most insidious health effects of a downturn is in the area of diet. Eating healthily can be expensive and time-consuming—two qualities Americans currently have little appetite for. Hitting up the drive-through is cheap, no-hassle and easy to rationalize; those off-the-charts levels of fat, sodium and sugar feel like they can be dealt with in better days. Owing in part to psychology like this (lower fuel costs helped too), McDonald's Corp. this week announced that it has defied the worldwide economic downturn, posting a first-quarter profit of $980 million, up 4 percent from last year. Burger King's most recent U.S. sales figures were also up 1.6 percent, according to the chain.
"There's a certain ratio," says Roslin. "If you and I went to Hale and Hearty [a New York chain] to have soup and salad, it would take us $30 to be filled. If you go to McDonald's, we're going to be full for $6 each. The bottom line is that cheaper food sources are making people more full, and until we change that ratio we're not going to do anything about this problem."
Already at 35 percent (according to the Centers for Disease Control), obesity rates in the United States are likely to climb even higher. It's enough to make health researchers retch. The effects of poor eating and exercise habits, if left unchecked, are likely to outlast the current recession by years and even decades. "So often, making the healthy choice is the difficult choice. It's imperative that we make it the easy choice," says Harold Goldstein, the executive director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, which studies the state's obesity epidemic and advocates for measures like mandatory menu labeling to better inform consumers about what they're ordering.
"The restaurant industry wants that information hidden in complicated brochures," Goldstein says. "What we know is that if you put that information up there on the menu board, consumers have calorie sticker shock." A spokesman for the National Restaurant Association says the group supports federal legislation known as the LEAN Act, under which "our customers will have access to that information prior to purchase in an easy and convenient manner." Critics of the bill, like the New York Times editorial board, say it would allow restaurants to continue to bury calorie information in brochures. Goldstein's organization also calls for transportation stimulus money to be spent on making urban communities more walkable, with better-lit sidewalks and safer parks, so that more people are able to get simple exercise.
"This is a pretty bad recession, worse than the more minor ones we've had recently. All these effects you might think about existing between health and employment will be stronger this time around," says Brad Herring, a professor of health policy and management at The Johns Hopkins University. Men and women are affected differently. A 2003 study by two Cornell researchers, John Cawley and Kosali I. Simon, found a stronger correlation between unemployment and lack of insurance for men than for women and children, who are more likely to be caught by the safety net of Medicaid. Without health insurance, men are likely to avoid well checkups that might detect early indicators of diabetes, or symptoms that can exacerbate the disease, like high blood pressure.
Nutrition experts say there are no easy solutions. Some ideas are creative, but controversial. Earlier this month, New York CityMayor Michael Bloomberg—who successfully banned smoking from bars and trans fats from restaurants—reiterated his support for a tax on nondiet sodas, to theoretically reduce demand by 10 percent.
Don't expect menus to change soon: Manhattan has a lot more soda guzzlers than cigarette smokers. "That's the whip," says Roslin. "I don't think a whip strategy will ever, ever, ever work. You have to subsidize the salad bar, not make the french fries more expensive."
© 2009
The healthy dollar meal: Juice Plus+, 17 fruits and vegetables in a capsule for less than $1.50 per day.
For more information contact Rick Ercolano at (800) 331-2440 www.fohc.net

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Nutritional Cleansing

NUTRITIONAL CLEANSING

A WAY TO TO REMOVE HARMFUL IMPURITIES FROM YOUR BODY


Even with our best efforts we cannot avoid all the harmful chemicals our body are exposed to on a daily basis. We absorb into our body from water, food, air and cosmetics many of the over 82,000 chemicals identified as being in them. We truly live in a very toxic world - sometimes referred to as a toxic dump. The liver, the main organ that filters
toxins from the body, cannot cleanse all these products and impurities out of the body. Highly reactive chemicals called free radicals thus enter the blood stream and destroy cellular activity. The body surrounds free radicals with fat and water to help handle the problems related to the pollution of our bodies.

That is why periodic cleansing makes perfect sense. We have filters to clean our air. We have filters to clean our spas and pools. We have filters to clean our furnace. The question is: what are you doing about your internal filters? That is what cleansing will address - releasing stored waste from the liver, the lymphatic system, the intestinal tract, and the body's cells. If one removes these impurities, one becomes healthier while losing fat and excess weight.

Here are some of the benefits of cleansing:
Strengthen the Immune System
Healthier Liver Supports Metabolism and Burns Fat
Support Healthier Brain Chemistry
Restore Antioxidants in the body
Reduce Stress
Improve Absorption of Essential Nutrients
Aid Digestion
Have Healthier Cells With Ionic Minerals
Have Better Support of Organs
Feel Better and Lose Weight
Eliminate Unhealthy Cravings
Enhance Cellular Communication
Build Muscle
Restore Normal Sugar Levels
Have More Beautiful Skin
Have More Energy
Slow Down Aging Effects
Have More Balanced Hormones
Have Increased Desire to Exercise
Enhance Elimination

Sunday, April 19, 2009

More on Multivitamins -- How They Do Not Work

February 9, 2009, 4:42 pm
Study Finds No Benefit From Daily Multivitamin
Multivitamins are the most commonly used diet supplement, but new research shows that daily multivitamin use doesn’t ward off cancer or heart disease.
In a study of 161,808 women who were part of the government-funded Women’s Health Initiative research effort, doctors from 40 centers around the country collected data on multivitamin use. While research shows that people who eat nutrient-rich diets filled with fruits and vegetables have lower rates of heart disease and cancer, it hasn’t been clear whether taking a daily supplement results in a similar benefit.
After following the women for about eight years, they looked at rates of various cancers and heart problems among the 42 percent of women who were regular multivitamin users, and compared them to those who didn’t take vitamins. The researchers found no evidence of any benefit from multivitamin use in any of 10 categories studied, including no differences in the rate of breast or colon cancer, heart attack, stroke, blood clots or mortality. The findings were published in the current issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The finding that multivitamins produced no benefit in such a large, well-regarded study is disappointing, given that some earlier research has produced mixed results. While some earlier studies failed to show a benefit of daily multivitamin use, other research has suggested a possible benefit for colon and breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, those data were collected from less rigorous studies, and researchers say the lack of a benefit measured in the Women’s Health Initiative is a “robust finding.” In the tightly controlled W.H.I. trials, data from women were copiously collected, and participants actually brought vitamin bottles to W.H.I. centers so supplement use could be confirmed by researchers.
“We have very detailed information on what people were taking measured over a period of many years,” said Marian Neuhouser, the lead author and associate member in cancer prevention at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. “We thought there could be a modestly reduced risk, but there is nothing. There is no helpful benefit, but they’re not hurting either.”
About half of all Americans use some form of vitamin or dietary supplement, spending $20 billion annually on the products. In a statement, the vitamin industry trade group, the Council for Responsible Nutrition, said the study shouldn’t dissuade consumers from using multivitamins, since many of them aren’t getting essential nutrients in their diets.
“From a practical standpoint, this study does not change the fact that the majority of consumers could benefit from taking an affordable multivitamin,” said Andrew Shao, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs with the council. “It is better to meet these recommendations than not, and consistently taking a multivitamin over the long term could help fill these nutrient gaps and may help consumers lead healthier lives.”
Dr. Neuhouser said she realizes that many people who are devoted vitamin users will be skeptical of the finding that they are receiving no benefit from a daily multivitamin.
“I don’t want to disparage people who take multivitamins — it’s their choice as a consumer,” Dr. Neuhouser said. “What we’re presenting is the science showing it’s neither beneficial nor harmful. If they want to choose to spend their dollars elsewhere this might be a good place to do so. Perhaps they can buy more fruits and vegetables.”
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Friday, April 3, 2009

Thank You

I would like to say thank you to everyone that has visited my blog. Because you have visited one or more times, I would like to give you a FREE gift. I have a website, you can see it on the right-hand column of this blog. There is a link to the website. If you cannot see it, the URL is below.

www.BestHowToBooks.com

In the lower left hand column of the website, you will see -- e-book categories.
All the e-books under that heading have a list price of $1.99 each.
I would like to provide one to each of you at no charge. Just send me an e-mail message with the subject heading "Free E-Book". Include the title of the book you have chosen. I hope that you will take a look at my website, tell a friend and maybe visit more often.

E-Mail address: LittleBear65@gmail.com

Thank you very much.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Vitamins C and E Pills -- Read on

Vitamins C and E don't prevent heart disease
Popular pills not only didn't help, they raised question of harm, study says


updated 1:49 p.m. ET, Sun., Nov. 9, 2008
NEW ORLEANS - Vitamins C and E — pills taken by millions of Americans — do nothing to prevent heart disease in men, one of the largest and longest studies of these supplements has found.
Vitamin E even appeared to raise the risk of bleeding strokes, a danger seen in at least one earlier study.
Besides questioning whether vitamins help, "we have to worry about potential harm," said Barbara Howard, a nutrition scientist at MedStar Research Institute of Hyattsville, Md.
She has no role in the research but reviewed and discussed it Sunday at an American Heart Association conference. Results also were published online by the Journal of the American Medical Association.
About 12 percent of Americans take supplements of C and E despite growing evidence that these antioxidants do not prevent heart disease and may even be harmful.
Male smokers taking vitamin E had a higher rate of bleeding strokes in a previous study, and several others found no benefit for heart health.
As for vitamin C, some research suggests it may aid cancer, not fight it. A previous study in women at high risk of heart problems found it did not prevent heart attacks.
Few long-term studies have been done. The new one is the Physicians Health Study, led by Drs. Howard Sesso and J. Michael Gaziano of Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
It involved 14,641 male doctors, 50 or older, including 5 percent who had heart disease at the time the study started in 1997. They were put into four groups and given either vitamin E, vitamin C, both, or dummy pills. The dose of E was 400 international units every other day; C was 500 milligrams daily.
No difference in rates of heart attack, stroke or death
After an average of eight years, no difference was seen in the rates of heart attack, stroke or heart-related deaths among the groups.
However, 39 men taking E suffered bleeding strokes versus only 23 of the others, which works out to a 74 percent greater risk for vitamin-takers.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and several vitamin makers. Results were so clear that they would be unlikely to change if the study were done in women, minorities, or with different formulations of the vitamins, Howard said.
"In these hard economic times, maybe we can save some money by not buying these supplements," she said.
A second study found that vitamins B-12 and B-9 (folic acid) did not prevent heart disease either, supporting the results of previous trials. That study involved more than 12,000 heart attack survivors and was led by Dr. Jane Armitage of the University of Oxford in England.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Fruits and Vegetables and Fighting Cancer

I just came across this article. It reinforces everything that I have been saying on this blog and to my friends. Have a good read and Good Luck

UCR study: Eating fruits, vegetables boosts ability to fight cancer
10:00 PM PST on Friday, November 28, 2008
By LAURIE LUCAS-The Press-Enterprise

Based on a new study they published, two UC Riverside scientists advocate a daily dietary inclusion of fruit and
vegetables to help prevent cancer.
They found that apigenin, a naturally occurring substance in fruit and vegetables, improves cancer cells'
response to chemotherapy.
Xuan Liu, a professor of biochemistry, and Xin Cai, a postdoctoral researcher in her lab, report that ingesting
apigenin offers a novel approach to stop tumor resistance to cancer treatment.
Most cancer patients die because malignant growths are
impervious to the chemicals used to kill them, the researchers said.
Their study, published Oct. 24 in the online early edition of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests a
possibility for developing safe chemotherapy with natural
substances.
The National Institutes of Health funded the five-year study.
"The importance is that it opened a new window in terms of therapy," Liu, 49, said by phone.
Cancer patients would receive apigenin first, then undergo chemotherapy or radiation.
Apigenin moves a protein vital to killing tumors to the nucleus of cancer cells. Typically, low concentrations of
this tumor suppressor, called p53, are diffused throughout healthy cells. But when cells are damaged, the protein
migrates to the nucleus where it activates genes that halt uncontrolled cell growth and kills the damaged cells.
Liu said they don't yet understand the mechanism, but apigenin is able to switch on this protein and transport it
to the nucleus of tumors.
"Apigenin is very effective in localizing p53 this way," Liu said.
Apigenin is found in fruit, including apples, cherries and grapes; vegetables and plants including parsley,
artichoke, basil and celery; nuts; and plant-derived beverages, including tea and wine. Researchers have shown
that apigenin has inhibited tumor growth in several kinds of cancer cells, including breast, colon, skin, thyroid,
leukemia and pancreatic.
The U.S. Department of Health guidelines urge people to eat at least five daily servings of fruit and vegetables.
"I've been eating a lot more of them," Liu said.
In future research, Liu and Cai said they plan to test cancer therapies with compounds that are similar to
apigenin but perform better.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Standing Frame

I received the article below earlier this morning. It will educate you on why standing is so important. I use a standing frame myself. You will find a link near the bottom of the right-hand column of this blog . It is a wonderful product .

Standing Frame Prescribed for Home Can Improve Long-Term Health

by Jackie Kaufenberg

Many spinal cord injury rehab professionals are aware of the secondary complications associated with prolonged immobility of people with a spinal cord injury (SCI). Rehab facilities that incorporate standing/weight bearing as a part of their SCI client’s standing program see the effects of secondary complications minimized. To achieve the greatest possible medical benefits, a person with SCI should start standing as soon as their PT or doctor determines it is medically safe.
Medical professionals have prescribed standing programs for these health benefits:
1. Increase range of motion and help prevent ankle, knees, and hip contractures
2. Improve circulation as it relates to orthostatic hypotension
3. Decrease abnormal muscle tone and reduce spasticity
4. Maintain bone density and prevent or stabilize osteoporosis and resultant hypercalciuria
5. Improve renal function, drainage of the urinary tract, and reduce urinary calculi
6. Reduce the risk of pressure ulcers and skin breakdown through changing positions
7. Improve bowel function by increasing gastrointestinal activity/motility using gravity as an assist, thus reducing the risk of constipation
8. Facilitate respiration by reducing respiratory infections and increasing oxygen intake by allowing lungs to completely expand
9. Build cardiovascular endurance and reduce swelling and pooling of the blood in the lower extremities
10. Provide a positive psychological impact and improve self-esteem
It is very common for rehab clinicians to incorporate standing as an intricate part of their client’s initial rehab program. However, a full standing program shouldn’t just be limited to a client’s initial spinal injury rehab sessions. In order to experience the long-term medical benefits of standing, a standing frame should also be prescribed for home use upon discharge. By prescribing a standing frame for home use, the person with SCI will be able to stand on a daily basis (or as often as prescribed). For instance, they could stand while checking their email, before dinner each day, or in the evening while watching a movie with their family.
Funding for Standing Frames
When a therapist prescribes a stander soon after injury (with their client’s initial equipment purchase, e.g. wheelchair, commode), their client may also have a better chance of obtaining funding for the standing frame through their medical insurance. Often, insurance companies are more likely to cover the stander or home medical equipment when it is included with the initial order for a wheelchair and other necessary rehab equipment. If you need assistance with the funding process for a standing device, there are resources on www.easystand.com/funding that can help.
Want to dig deeper into the medical benefits of standing?
Over 100 research study abstracts related to the benefits of standing can be found on www.easystand.com/research. You can search by author, title, diagnosis (e.g. all studies that pertain to SCI), and the benefit that the research cites. You can also view a free one hour webinar with Ginny Paleg, DScPT, MS, PT, called Supported Standing: Integrating Evidence into Practice on www.easystand.com/ginny
Did your therapist prescribe a stander for you to use at home? Do you think that standing has improved your health or quality of life?

Friday, March 13, 2009

Chiropractic Neurology

My chiropractor, a very good friend, is a Chiropractic Neurologist. He provided me with the article below. He is smarter than most medical doctors and understands the human body incredibly well, better than anyone I have ever spoken to or read. Every Saturday morning, I have an appointment for an adjustment. He teaches me something that I didn't know, makes me laugh and always makes me feel better than when I came in. The article will help you better understand the Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome: A Silent Killer

Most of us know of Tim Russert. Mr. Tim Russert was a well-known and respected journalist and family man who died suddenly last year of a massive heart attack without warning. Mr. Russert had been to see his primary care doctor within weeks of his death. He underwent a cardiac stress test that was found uneventful. Since his death, doctors and other health experts have begun to use the term "Tim Russert Syndrome" synonymously with Metabolic Syndrome. Identifying a man potentially at risk of having Metabolic Syndrome may be just this simple: Having a waistline measuring greater than 40''. Do you know anyone who fits this description?
What is Metabolic Syndrome?
Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of risk factors that increase the risk of a catastrophic cardiovascular event more than each risk does on its own. Two main contributing factors for Metabolic Syndrome are stress and the average American diet.
Metabolic Syndrome is diagnosed by having three or more of the following five conditions:

1. High Triglycerides (a part of a Cholesterol Profile blood test >150).
2. Low HDL (High Density Lipoprotein, the "good cholesterol" - also part of the Cholesterol Profile: < 50 in men and <40 in women).
3 .Central Obesity (waist measurement greater than 35" in women and greater than 40" in men).
4. High blood pressure (>130/85 mmHg).
5. High blood sugar (fasting blood sugar > 100).
The theory that supports Metabolic Syndrome is that the body is attempting to adapt to a constant state of inflammation. This pro-inflammatory state is likely due to:
1. Ongoing physical or emotional stress.
2. A diet rich in omega 6 fatty acids, hydrogenated oils and trans-fats.
3. A sustained increased immune response.(ie: autoimmune conditions, infections or chronic diseases).

The body will defensively respond to this unhealthy pro-inflammatory state by elevating it's own hormone levels of cortisol (for its anti-inflammatory effects) produced by the adrenal glands. Increased levels of serum cortisol circulating for prolonged periods has a negative effect on the body increasing one's risk of heart attack or stroke. Sustained increased cortisol levels can increase insulin resistance, increase and sustain blood pressure, decrease thyroid hormone level, break down muscle and fat and reduce sex drive.

I have become increasingly concerned about the negative impact that Metabolic Syndrome can have on you, your family and friends. I have incorporated into my practice several diagnostic protocols for identifying the various different risk factors for Metabolic Syndrome and effective drug-free methods in the prevention and treatment of the various components of this disease. In some cases, the need for treatment with medication may be required.

If you are diagnosed with Metabolic Syndrome taking early action steps will help reverse the signs and symptoms associated with this syndrome. Here are a few suggestions:
1. Identify and reduce the cause of your stress.
2. Immediately make corrective changes in your diet. The American diet is pro-inflammatory as mentioned earlier in this article. Making smart food choices by reducing foods rich in Omega 6 fatty acids and hydrogenated oils is a good place to start.
3. Supplement your diet with Omega 3 fatty acids, folic acid, B-6, and B-12 to suggest a few.

Please consult me prior to taking any supplementation for recommendations and dosage.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Remote Power Switch for my computer

I do not have the use of mod hands, arms or legs. I used the program Dragon Naturally Speaking to control my computer with my voice. It works very well, but sometimes as you all know, the computer has a mind of its own and needs to be rebooted.

Recently, my friend from Casmar Consulting modified my computer to eliminate a password at start up. I guess I trust my wife. Last night, I had a Remote Power Switch added to my computer. I now have a power switch attached to my shirt. When my computer gives me fits, I can power it down and reboot it using the Remote Power Switch. When it comes back up, and a password is not required, Dragon NaturallySpeaking is set up to open up with the computer and I am back in business.

Since I cannot use my arms or hands, the TRIVIAL task of reaching over and pressing/holding the power switch is impossible. Now it’s possible due to my Remote Power Switch. Contact me with any questions.
Good luck

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Fruits and Vegetables -- Cardiovascular Health

Since it is Heart Month, I thought you would like to read this article from Harvard.


Here is a great article to show the vital role of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
“Eat your fruits and vegetables" is one of the tried and true recommendations for a healthy diet. And for good reason. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables can help you ward off heart disease and stroke, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prevent some types of cancer, avoid a painful intestinal ailment called diverticulitis, and guard against cataract and macular degeneration, two common causes of vision loss.
What does "plenty" mean? More than most Americans consume. If you don't count potatoes - which should be considered a starch rather than a vegetable - the average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The latest dietary guidelines call for five to thirteen servings of fruits and vegetables a day, depending on one's caloric intake. For a person who needs 2,000 calories a day to maintain weight and health, this translates into nine servings, or 4½ cups per day.
Over the past 30 years or so, researchers have developed a solid base of science to back up what generations of mothers preached (but didn't always practice themselves). Early on, fruits and vegetables were acclaimed as cancer-fighting foods. In fact, the ubiquitous 5-A-Day message (now quietly changing to Eat 5 to 9 A Day) seen in produce aisles, magazine ads, and schools is supported in part by the National Cancer Institute. The latest research, though, suggests that the biggest payoff from eating fruits and vegetables is for the heart.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Cardiovascular Disease
There is compelling evidence that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.
The largest and longest study to date, done as part of the Harvard-based Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study, included almost 110,000 men and women whose health and dietary habits were followed for 14 years. The higher the average daily intake of fruits and vegetables, the lower the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Compared with those in the lowest category of fruit and vegetable intake (less than 1.5 servings a day), those who averaged 8 or more servings a day were 30% less likely to have had a heart attack or stroke.
Although all fruits and vegetables likely contribute to this benefit, green leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and mustard greens; cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale; and citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit (and their juices) make important contributions.
Fruits and Vegetables, Blood Pressure, and Cholesterol
High blood pressure is a primary risk factor for heart disease and stroke. As such, it's a condition that is very important to control. Diet can be a very effective tool for lowering blood pressure. One of the most convincing associations between diet and blood pressure was found in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) study. This trial examined the effect on blood pressure of a diet that was rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and that restricted the amount of saturated and total fat. The researchers found that people with high blood pressure who followed this diet reduced their systolic blood pressure (the upper number of a blood pressure reading) by about 11 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure (the lower number) by almost 6 mm Hg - as much as medications can achieve.
Eating more fruits and vegetables can also help lower cholesterol. In the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Family Heart Study, the 4466 subjects consumed on average a shade over 3 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Men and women with the highest daily consumption (more than 4 servings a day) had significantly lower levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol than those with lower consumption. How fruits and vegetables lower cholesterol is still something of a mystery. It is possible that eating more fruits and vegetables means eating less meat and dairy products, and thus less cholesterol-boosting saturated fat. Soluble fiber in fruits and vegetables may also block the absorption of cholesterol from food.
Doesn’t it give you confidence to know that Juice Plus+ is your easy solution to your 9-13 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for prevention?
References
1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2. Hung HC, Joshipura KJ, Jiang R, et al. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of major chronic disease. J Natl Cancer Inst 2004; 96:1577-84.
3. Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med 1997; 336:1117-24.
4. Djousse L, Arnett DK, Coon H, Province MA, Moore LL, Ellison RC. Fruit and vegetable consumption and LDL cholesterol: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2004; 79:213-7.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

More on Phytonutrients

Below is a link to a presentation on the benefits of phytonutrients. It is 30 minutes long and will hopefully drive the point across. Please copy and paste this link into your address bar to play it. Good luck

http://www.expert-anti-aging-advice.com/phytonutrients.html

Friday, February 20, 2009

What Are Phytonutrients and why are they important?

The article below talks all about Phytonutrients. This post is here to further discuss the importance Of Whole Food Nutrition instead of multivitamins. There is so much more nutrition available in fruits and vegetables than there are in multivitamins. What multivitamins lack is the synergy that phytonutrients bring to the equation. There are only approximately 13-15 vitamins known to man, but there are over 2000 phytonutrients in a tomato. Lycopene is one of them. It has gotten a lot of discussion recently because of its assistance with fighting prostate cancer. Please read the article below. I hope it opens your eyes
a little


Phytochemical refers to the compounds
found in plants that are powerfully
beneficial in protecting human from diseases.



What is phytochemical/phytonutrient?

"Phyto" comes from the Greek word "phuton" meaning "plants" hence the chemical/nutrient found in plants are called phytochemical or phytonutrient. The terms are used interchangeably but "phytonutrient" is increasingly becoming more popular for the positive association with "nutrient" rather than "chemical".

Phytochemicals refer to the compounds found in plants that were originally classified as vitamins. Flavonoids were known as vitamin P, indoles and glucosinolates were vitamin U, etc. But it was later found that phytochemicals are not vitamins at all.

Phytochemical is not a necessity to our body function, nor do they cause any diseases resulting from deficiency. Thus they cannot be classified as vitamins.
But phytochemical has been proven over and over again, to be beneficial for human health, not only in preventing diseases, but also in reversing some disorders.

Unlike most vitamins and enzymes, phytochemicals are not destroyed by preparation techniques such as chopping, extracting, cooking or grating.


In fact, sometimes preparation may even make the phytonutrients more readily available to us. For example, the sulfur compounds from garlic or onions are released when chopped and exposed to air. Or lycopene in tomatoes become more concentrated when processed and made into tomato sauce.

It is estimated that there are tens of thousands of phytochemicals. However, only about 1,000 of these were identified and only about a hundred were actually analyzed and tested.

Recent researches have found that all plants contain compounds that protect them from diseases. When we eat these plants, the very same protective compounds, called phytochemicals, are made available to our bodies. In the same way, it protects our bloodstream, cells, tissues, membranes, organs and immune functions from diseases.

An astounding fact that proves an amazing Creator is that in each plant, it is believed there are hundreds of different phytochemicals. A simple tomato not only has lycopene, but has several hundreds of other phytochemicals which cannot even yet be identified by mere man.


How does phytonutrient work?

Studies after studies have shown that individuals with high intake of the four plant-based food groups¾fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes¾have a much lower risk of degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, etc.

How does phytonutrient help prevent these diseases? To understand this, we need to backtrack a little and understand how diseases are formed. Also read antioxidant.

An example: When free radicals run rampant in our body, through the air we breathe, the food we eat, or merely from stress, they cause deterioration and destruction of our healthy cells. This process ultimately result in degenerative diseases in the weakest parts of our body that succumb to the attack.

When we eat food that has phytonutrient, it will quickly activate a group of enzymes that go around cleaning up the free radicals before they cause any harm to the body. In very much the same way, it works like the anti-oxidant. In fact, many phytonutrients are anti-oxidant.

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How much phytonutrient do we need?

As I mentioned above, phytonutrient is not a necessity for our body, but yet we must eat much of it for all its health benefits. You get a variety of phytonutrient from a variety of fruits and vegetables for their different protections of diseases and cancers.

How much phytonutrient you need depends very much on your environment and your lifestyle. Read what creates free radicals. We cannot prevent the formation of free radicals but we can reduce them and minimize their destruction potential to our body.

If you think that you are in the high risk group, plan to increase your fruits and vegetables intake to counter the damaging effect.

Generally, take at least five servings (five cups) of high quality fruits and vegetables daily. If you are in the high risk group, take between eight to twelve servings.


This may sound like a lot but is easily achievable if you juice and make fruits and vegetables part of your daily diet, cutting down on meat, to a vegetables and meat ratio of 5:1. If you have to take meat, opt for fish instead.

Decide to make this new dietary a lifelong commitment, especially if you are eating to reverse a certain condition. You will definitely see an improvement.

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The phytochemical family

The phytochemical family is so big that a whole book can be written about it. There are over 100 identified phytochemicals, but I have picked out some of the most common and proven phytonutrients to be listed here.

These are available in abundance in fruits and vegetables. You don't need to remember them all. Just remember that when you eat as much of these whole, unadulterated natural food as possible, it will go a long way in protecting your health in more ways that you will ever know. There is nothing to lose, only much to gain!



Phytonutrient


Health Benefits


Food Source



Allicin and allylic sulfides Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral; lower the risk of stomach and colon cancer. Chives, garlic, leeks, onions, shallots

Anthocyanidins and proantho-cyanidins Anti-oxidants, keep elasticity of capillary walls, anti-inflammatory, stop cancer cell formation. Dark grapes, berries, cherries, ginger.

Bioflavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol, rutin) Potent anti-oxidants, anti-carcinogenic; bind toxic materials and escort them out of the body. Apricot, citrus fruits, berries, broccoli, cherries, grapes, papaya, cantaloupe, plums, tomatoes.

Carotenoids (alpha and beta carotene, lycopene, lutein) Important anti-aging anti-oxidants, enhance immune function, balance blood sugars, reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer (especially prostate cancer). Carrots, sweet potatoes, all berries, guava, grapefruit, watercress, pumpkins, tomatoes, watermelon, any dark green leafy vegetables, spirulina and chlorella.

Chlorophyll Helps build healthy blood, protect against cancer, and a powerful wound healer. All green vegetables, with high concentrations in spirulina and chlorella.

Coumarins Have anti-tumor properties, enhance immune functions and prevent the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines. Beets, carrots, celery, citrus fruits, fennel, green peppers, pineapple, strawberries, tomatoes.

Ellagic acids Neutralize carcinogens before they can damage DNA, protect from cancer-causing nitrosamines and aflatoxin. Blackberries, cranberries, grapes, guava, raspberries and strawberries.

Glucosinolates An important anti-cancer and liver-friendly phytonurient; reduce risks of cancer of breast, colorectal, lung and stomach by helping the liver detoxify. Also regulate white blood cells and cytokines. Cabbage family vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards and kale.

Indoles and isothiocyanates Reduce incidence of cancer, reverse cancer by killing cancer cells and inhibit cancer development. Plentiful in the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower. Also in horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, strawberries and raspberries.

Lutein Powerful anti-oxidant that protects against macular degeneration. Green leafy vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale. In fruits - avocado, kiwi fruit, mango, papaya, peaches, oranges, pear, plum.

Phytoestrogens Bind excess estrogens to a protein made in the blood, thus reducing estrogens to estrogen sensitive tissues. This reduces risks of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. Also provide protection for menopausal symptoms, fibroids and other hormone-related diseases. Alfalfa and sprouts, celery, citrus fruits, fennel, legumes, wheat, licorice,

Phytosterols Blocks the uptake of cholesterol and excrete it from the body, thus helping to prevent heart diseases. Also halts the development of tumors in breast, colon and prostate glands. Most plants, especially green and yellow vegetables, seeds, beans and lentils.

Polyphenols Very potent anti-oxidants with anti-cancer properties, more powerful than vitamin C and E. Especially found in green tea. Also in bilberries, Siberian ginseng and bee pollen.

Polysaccharides Protect against radiation. Absorb toxic metals and xenobiotics and discarding them from the body. Spirulina and chlorella.

Sulforaphane Its anti-bacterial compounds reduce risks of stomach ulcers and stomach cancers. From the cruciferous family again¾broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, kale.









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