Tag: nutrition

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Why Whole Food Vitamins?

Are synthetic, isolated vitamins and non plant sourced minerals really that different from naturally occurring vitamins, plant sourced minerals, and other micronutrients? The answer is a resounding YES.

Here is what you need to know. Synthetic, isolated vitamins never grew in the ground, were never energized by the sun, and were never alive. They are chemicals; they are NOT food or nutrients. The tragedy is that under the current standards these chemicals can be marketed and studied as vitamins. They are also what are used to determine daily values and to study potential benefit and harm of supplementing your diet with vitamins. However, ingesting chemical synthetic vitamins does not represent vitamin supplementation; it represents the ingestion of chemicals or drugs. Continue reading “Why Whole Food Vitamins?”

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Consumer Reports: Chiropractic Tops Among Alternative Therapies

A new Consumer Reports survey of more than 45,000 people finds that three out of four Americans are turning to alternative therapies to improve their health. The survey, in their upcoming September issue says readers are increasingly turning to chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, yoga and other alternative therapies for discomfort from conditions such as back pain, neck pain and osteoarthritis.

What’s even more interesting is that the survey also shows alternative therapies are being used successfully to help with a range of conditions including anxiety, allergies, headache and migraines, depression, and insomnia. In addition, the report indicates that medical doctors are more open to alternative therapies than most people assume.

Some responses from the survey: Continue reading “Consumer Reports: Chiropractic Tops Among Alternative Therapies”

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How to Grow Your Brain as You Age

Research now shows that our brain and nervous system are not rigid or unchanging like we once thought but are “neuroplastic”, or capable of adapting and re-wiring.  This means that what we once believed – that our brain was fixed in form and function, and only changed through deterioration as we got older, is not true. With this new research in mind…

Here are some suggestions to grow your brain as you age: Continue reading “How to Grow Your Brain as You Age”
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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”