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Are Statins Worth the Risk?

Cholesterol lowering drugs called Statins generated $34 billion in sales in 2007 and have raked in over a quarter of a trillion dollars since they were introduced two decades ago. A new study reported in the NY Times links the use of statins with a higher risk of developing diabetes. This is just the latest in a seemingly endless list of side-effects that continue to be discovered from the long term use of these drugs.

Here’s a small sample of the risks of statins: acute kidney failure, liver dysfunction, cataracts, muscle weakness, rhabdomyolysis (a breakdown of muscle fibers into the blood stream), acidosis, sexual dysfunction, immune system depression, neuropathy, frequent fevers, increased risk of cancer, anemia, pancreatic dysfunction, and increased risk of stroke.

Part of the problem is that people fail to realize that statins (like almost all prescription drugs) are not meant to be taken long term – they are a short term temporary “band-aid” while you make lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, nutritional supplements) to return your cholesterol levels to an optimal range. Continue reading “Are Statins Worth the Risk?”

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Lower Blood Pressure Naturally

Lightheaded/dizziness, Headaches, Vomiting, Anxiety, Fluctuation in weight, Skin rashes, Fatigue, Constipation, Diarrhea, Chest pain, Flu symptoms…

Medications that lower blood pressure can come with an array of side effects, but there are other ways to lower blood pressure that don’t require a prescription.

Considerable research has shown that garlic can lower elevated blood pressure and has many other useful properties. It thins the blood slightly, improves blood flow through arteries, prevents and even reverses atherosclerosis, stops arrhythmias, and protects brain cells. Also, as a powerful antioxidant it significantly lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. It even has strong anti-cancer effects. Continue reading “Lower Blood Pressure Naturally”

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Before You Take That Pill…

A recent CNN Health News article asks the question – Are you taking too many medications?  The article tells the story of Alesandra Rain, whose sleeping problem turned into a downward spiral of medications and side effects. At her worst, Alesandra Rain was spending more than $900 a month on prescriptions, seeing 6 specialists, taking 12 different types of medication amounting to about a thousand pills a month, none able to cure her chronic insomnia and depression.  She was slowly losing herself.  When you’re on that many different prescriptions it’s hard to recognize where the pills end and you begin.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. This story happens way too often in America today. In fact, the average American fills 12 prescriptions a year. “I don’t think people really understand the nature of medication; the drugs will, by definition, have some toxic, collateral side effects,” Continue reading “Before You Take That Pill…”

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Sit Less, Live Longer

Our bodies were not designed to sit for long periods of time. We were designed for movement, yet the average workday for most Americans today involves sitting for the majority of the day. How is this chronic inactivity affecting our health?

New evidence suggests, in fact, that the more hours a day you sit, the greater your likelihood of dying an earlier death. As noted in a recent Men’s Health article, researchers studied the lifestyle habits of more than 17,000 men and women and found that the people who sat for almost the entire day were 54 percent more likely to die from a heart attack. Wow. The most surprising part of the study was that the results were true regardless of how much they exercised or how lean they were. Sitting was an entirely independent risk factor.

The effects of sitting include: Continue reading “Sit Less, Live Longer”

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How to Beat Seasonal Allergies Naturally

Somewhere along the line, we started believing that seasonal allergies were normal (perhaps it was the endless bombardment of allergy drug commercials), and that they are something that an individual is going to have to live with for the rest of their life, while medicating themselves. Seasonal allergies are far from normal, and the fact that they are so common means that many do not have an optimally functioning body.

Here are some tips for beating allergies this and every spring without relying on pill popping: Continue reading “How to Beat Seasonal Allergies Naturally”